Image Courtesy: Heartland College Sports
*All game are at central standard time and all rankings are based on this week’s AP Top 25*
Friday, Feb. 6
3.UConn (22-1) @ 22.St. John’s (16-6)
7 p.m., FOX
Everyone expected the battle for this season’s Big East regular season championship was going to be decided during their two battles this season on Friday in New York City and then in Storrs on Feb. 25 between UConn and St. John’s. The Huskies (12-0 in Big East play) and the Red Storm (10-1) stand just a game back in the league. After St. John’s up and down start to the season, they have won seven games in a row since Jan. 6 and now they will face their biggest test against UConn.
The Huskies have yet to play their best basketball yet this season despite their race out to an impressive 22-1 record to start this season. A balanced attack heads the UConn offense with guards Solo Ball, Braylon Mullins, Silas Demary Jr., forward Alex Karaban, and center Tarris Reed all averaging over 10.9 points a game. Ball, Mullins, and Demary Jr. must make smart passes and score consistently against a Red Storm backcourt that has improved on defense.
Ball, Mullins, and Demary Jr. will have the job of defending Oziah Sellers, Ian Jackson, and Josan Sanon on the perimeter. Though inconsistent Sellers and Jackson match their opponent with 11 points each. Sanon comes off the bench with almost 9 points a game. The problem is that Sellers, Jackson, and Sanon all average less than two assists a game. They will have to pass the ball to their talented bigs against a talented UConn defense that will not make it easy.
Karaban and Reed combine to average over 24 points and over 13 rebounds a contest. That will be tested against one of the league’s best paint duos, Zuby Ejiofor (15.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1.2 steals) and Bryce Hopkins (13.6 points, 5.5 points, and 1 steal), that lead St. John’s on the season. They will be the key factors in helping the Johnnies overcome Danny Hurley’s team that is finally coming together as one of the best in America.
In the battle of Hurley versus Rick Pitino, UConn should outlast St. John’s inside Madison Square Garden on Friday night. The Huskies will end the Red Storm’s seven game winning streak and move their focus to their trip to Indianapolis where they will face Butler next Sunday. The Johnnies will continue their home stand against Xavier on a quick break against Xavier.
Projected Score: UConn 81, St. John’s 79
Saturday, Feb. 7
Alabama (15-7) @ Auburn (14-8)
3:30 p.m., ESPN2
Alabama heads to “the Plains” to continue its instate rivalry series with Auburn on Saturday afternoon. The Crimson Tide and Tigers both fell in key games last weekend and will be looking to defeat their rival to get going the right direction. Auburn lost to Tennessee on the road last Saturday and has the midweek off before this weekend’s battle. Alabama out dueled Texas A&M and defeated 100-97 to move back over .500 in SEC play with a 5-4 record. The winner will hope that Saturday’s victory can help propel them back into conference title talks as February continues and March begins.
The Tigers are paced by forward Keyshawn Hall, whose 21 points and seven rebounds a game will be important to keep pace with Alabama’s fast pace on offense. Keyshawn Murphy, Sebastian Williams-Adams, and Filip Jović join Hall in the front court. Charles Bediako and Aiden Sherrill will have to contend with and limit Hall from success tomorrow.
At guard, Tahaad Pettiford and Kevin Overton will be crucial pieces against the Crimson Tide’s loaded backcourt. Labaron Philon Jr. and Aden Holloway are too dangerous from deep and in the lane for Auburn to not worry about them on offense. But on the other side Pettiford and Overton are skilled offensively as well, so the up and down defense of the Alabama guards will be important as well.
In the ‘Iron Bowl’ on the basketball court part 1 this season, Auburn will take down Alabama. Hall will overcome the Crimson Tide’s guards many threes and put up another 20+ point performance. Alabama will want revenge in a month on March 7.
Projected Score: Auburn 89, Alabama 86
4.Duke (21-1) @ 14.North Carolina (18-4)
5:30 p.m., ESPN
North Carolina hosts Duke in another installment of one of college basketball’s top rivalries. The Tar Heels handled Syracuse on Monday 87-77 and come into Saturday night’s game on a four-game win streak. On the other hand, the Blue Devils won a low scoring game against Boston College, 67-49.
The Tar Heels will hope that their lethal front court duo of Caleb Wilson (20 points, 10 rebounds, and over a block and a steal a game) and Henri Veesaar (17 points, 9 rebounds, and 1 block) will be crucial against Duke’s Cameron Boozer, who leads the national player of the year rankings. Boozer, who scores over 23 points and almost 10 rebounds is joined by Patrick Ngongba, Nikolas Khamenia, and Maliq Brown up front.
Seth Trimble, Luka Bogavac, Derek Dixon, and Kyan Evans head up the guard spot for North Carolina against Duke’s athletic group from the perimeter. Trimble is the clear leader of the group with 14.5 points and four rebounds while first year college players Bogavac and Dixon have impressed with recent quality performances and Evans does his job of the ball.
Isaiah Evans (14 points), Caleb Foster (almost 9 points) and Cam’s brother Cayden Boozer (over 6 points) head up the Blue Devils guard group. If Evans, Foster, and Boozer show off their athleticism on both sides of the ball and make smart decisions with the basketball on offense, they could make easy work of the Tar Heels. But North Carolina plays up to their potential, this could be one of the classics in recent memory in this rivalry.
The x-factor in this game is Tar Heel forward Jarin Stephenson. Recently, he has exploded for some impressive scoring outputs but only averages seven points for the season. If he proves himself to be a hard matchup for a Duke wing or forward to guard from the three point line, it could be harder for the Blue Devils to continue their success in this series.
If Wilson and Veesar struggle to contain Cam Boozer in the paint, it will be hard for this North Carolina team to overcome a Duke team that beat them all three times last season. Because the Blue Devil guards have been more consistent than the Tar Heels’, they should go into the ‘Dean Dome’ and get it done and move to 11-0 in ACC play.
Projected Score: Duke 86, North Carolina 81
5.Illinois (20-3) @ 10.Michigan State (19-4)
7 p.m., FOX
Illinois is playing its best basketball of the season as it travels to one of the toughest road environments in the country inside the Breslin Center against Michigan State. The Fighting Illini dominated Northwestern by 40 points and the Spartans lost to Minnesota by three on Wednesday night, their second consecutive loss.
For the Fighting Illini to continue their phenomenal play without veteran guard Kylan Boswell, freshman Keaton Wagler will have to continue his hot scoring performances in one of college basketball’s top environments. Wagler, who scored 46 points two weeks ago at Purdue, will look for a similar performance against one of college basketball’s top point guards, Jeremy Fears. Andrej Stojakovic joins Wagler in the Illinois backcourt against a Michigan State group that does not have much outside of Fears.
Brothers Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic and David Mirkovic make up an entertaining paint group for the Illini. They can shoot consistently but must grab enough rebounds against Jaxon Kohler, Coen Carr, and Carson Cooper. Kohler, Carr, and Cooper all average north ten points and five rebounds per game. The inside presences for the Spartans will have to support Fears against a high-scoring Illini perimeter group.
Illinois will have to face Michigan State in their place after the Spartans fell in back to back games. That will be tough to do for the Fighting Illini in front of what should be a hornets’ nest. Michigan State will bounce back and end Illinois’ 12-game win streak on Saturday night.
Projected Score: Michigan State 74, Illinois 73
17.Florida (16-6) @ Texas A&M (17-5)
7:30 p.m., SECN
Florida travels to Texas A&M for a huge game atop the SEC standings. The Gators had the midweek off after dominating Alabama on Sunday while the Aggies fell to Alabama, 100-97, their first loss since their trip to Knoxville, when they lost to Tennessee on Jan. 13. Florida will face Texas A&M to determine who will clinch the SEC’s lead at 8-2 in the league.
The Gators front court has been the best in college basketball for a season and a half running now. Headed by Thomas Haugh’s 17.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, one steal, and one block a game, Alex Condon’s 13.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks, and Rueben Chinyelu’s 12.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks will make it difficult for A&M to get their first victory in a week.
Rashaun Agee (14 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block, and almost 1 steal) and Zach Clemence (5.1 points and almost 3 rebounds a game) will be trusted to be as good as they have been this entire season against the Gators’ strong paint play. Agee has led the Aggies all season but Clemence has had to step up since fellow forward Mackenzie Mgbako after he refracted his foot.
Boogie Fland’s 15 points and eight assists helped the Florida bigs succeed against the Crimson Tide last weekend. But Xavian Lee only posted six points and two assists in that same game. So, if the group of Texas A&M’s Rubén Dominguez, Rylan Griffen, Pop Isaacs, and Marcus Hill can step up and press Fland and Lee well like their coach Bucky McMillan preaches, then the Aggies could have another win for themselves.
Texas A&M’s speed will test Florida as they attempt to protect home court on Saturday night. The Gators’ Haugh and Chinyelu have been dominant inside the paint of late and with only Agee and Clemence to challenge them, it will be tough for the Aggies to remain atop the SEC with a victory. The game will be close but Florida’s front court will overwhelm Texas A&M and they will return to the top of the league.
Projected Score: Florida 89, Texas A&M 86
25.Tennessee (16-6) @ Kentucky (16-7)
7:30 p.m., ESPN
Tennessee heads on the road looking to avenge a home loss to rival Kentucky a few weeks ago. Both the Volunteers and Wildcats are playing some of their best basketball of the season so it should be a good battle. Tennessee, winners of five of their last six, dominated Ole Miss in the second half and won 84-66 on Tuesday and Kentucky continued their two game win streak against Oklahoma with a 94-78 victory on Wednesday.
Nate Ament’s recent rise of play has helped Tennessee to their success since the loss at home to Kentucky almost a month ago. He is able to play point forward and play in the paint as an anchor on offense with JP Estrella, Jaylen Carey, and Felix Okpara next to him. Ament scores over 17 points, over six rebounds, and a steal. Estrella, Carey, and Okpara all contribute north of six points and five rebounds and are consistently protecting the paint against opposing front courts by blocking shots.
Kentucky counters Tennessee’s tough group in the paint with Mouhamed Dioubate, Malachi Moreno, and Andrija Jelavic. Dioubate, Moreno, and Jelavic did help the Wildcats come out victorious with 18 points and 13 rebounds between the three of them. It will take a performance like the Wildcat bigs had against the Volunteer bigs in their last matchup for Tennessee to go in and win inside Rupp Arena on Saturday night.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie has led the Volunteers in scoring all season with Bishop Boswell and Amari Allen playing smaller roles alongside him. They will have to deal with Denzel Aberdeen and Otega Oweh for the Wildcats, who combined for 34 points in their win over Tennessee a few weeks ago.
Kentucky enters Saturday’s contest against Tennessee half a game higher in the standings at 7-3 with the Volunteers at 6-3. A win for either team would put them in position to remain tied for second depending on the Florida-Texas A&M game happening at the same time. If the Wildcats are legit, they will sweep Tennessee for the second consecutive regular season and move closer to the top of the SEC.
Projected Score: Kentucky 78, Tennessee 76
8.Houston (20-2) @ 16.BYU (17-5)
9:30 p.m., ESPN
Two of the Big 12’s best teams match up in the Marriott Center as Houston tries their luck at BYU. The Houston Cougars have been playing much better than the BYU Cougars, having won three games in a row since losing on the road in their return game against Texas Tech. Since their “Big Monday” game against Arizona, BYU has dropped three in a row. Most recently, they dropped a game to Oklahoma State on Wednesday. They will be attempting to bounce back against one of the nation’s toughest team in the country, Houston , on Saturday night.
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