Image Courtesy: Gators Wire
AP Top 10
1.Auburn 19-1 (7-0) SEC Next Up: @ 23.Ole Miss (16-5) (Saturday, 2 PM ET, ESPN)
2.Duke 18-2 (10-0) ACC Next Up: North Carolina (13-9) (Saturday, 6:30 PM ET, ESPN)
3.Iowa State 17-3 (7-2) Big 12 Next Up: Kansas State (9-11) (Saturday, 2 PM ET, ESPN2)
4.Alabama 18-3 (7-1) SEC Next Up: Georgia (15-6) (Saturday, 4 PM ET, ESPN2)
5.Florida 18-2 (5-2) SEC Next Up: @ 8.Tennessee (17-4) (Saturday, 12 PM ET, ESPN)
6.Houston 17-3 (9-0) Big 12 Next Up: 22.Texas Tech (16-4) (Saturday, 6 PM ET, ESPN2)
7.Michigan State 18-2 (9-0) Big Ten Next Up: @ USC (12-8) (Saturday, 4:30 PM ET, Peacock)
8.Tennessee 17-4 (4-4) SEC Next Up: 5.Florida (18-2) (Saturday, 12 PM ET, ESPN)
9.Marquette 18-3 (9-1) Big East Next Up: 25.Connecticut (15-6) (Saturday, 8 PM ET, FOX)
10.Purdue 16-5 (8-2) Big Ten Next Up: Indiana (14-7) (Friday, 8 PM ET, FOX)
Friday, January 31
Indiana (14-7) @ 10.Purdue (16-5)
8 PM ET, FOX
Indiana’s trip to Purdue begins a rivalry weekend of sorts with Kansas/Baylor, North Carolina/Duke, John Calipari’s return to Lexington to face Kentucky for the first time as Arkansas’ head coach, and Gonzaga/Saint Mary’s upcoming on Saturday as well. The weekend also includes old SEC rivals Florida/Tennessee and Auburn/Ole Miss matching up as well. Indiana’s trip to West Lafayette will be a difficult one. Junior guard Braden Smith has been playing at an All-Big Ten level, scoring over 15 points, dishing out almost 9 assists, and stealing the ball twice a game. As has the Boilermakers’ leading scorer, big man Trey Kaufman-Renn, who has replaced back to back national player of the year Zach Edey with 18 points and 6 rebounds a game. Arizona transfer Oumar Ballo will be Kaufman-Renn’s challenge up front, leading Indiana in scoring with 14.5 points and in rebounds at 10.2 a contest. Ballo is joined by three others averaging double digit points per game including forward Malik Reneau (13.1), forward Mackenzie Mgbako (12.5), and guard Myles Rice (12.1). All four of those guys must be on top of their games if they want to go on the road to one of the most difficult places to play in the country and beat their arch rival. Projected Score: Purdue 82, Indiana 70
Saturday, February 1
5.Florida (18-2) @ 8.Tennessee (17-4)
12 PM ET, ESPN
Tennessee comes into Saturday afternoon’s game against Florida losers of three out of their last four games and their last two against AP top 12 opponents. Coach Rick Barnes’ team also fell to Florida by thirty points on the road in Gainesville back on January 7. A common factor in the Volunteers’ losses is their inability to make perimeter shots consistently. Especially star Chaz Lanier, the former North Florida Osprey guard, who scored under his season average of 17 points with outbursts of just 10 and 15 points against 1.Auburn and 12.Kentucky the last two times out and posted three point percentages of 33% and 30% in those games. After falling to 4-4 in SEC play with the loss to the Wildcats at home on Tuesday night, the Volunteers continue their home stand with a chance to avenge their loss to the Gators. The Volunteers’ chances will be heavily reliant on the aforementioned Lanier and senior guard Zakai Ziegler (10 points, 2 steals, and 1 assist in their first game against Florida). Ziegler’s big game experience and 7-3 assist to turnover ratio this season serves them well in games like these, especially against Todd Golden’s terrific trio of guards. Walter Clayton Jr. is the obvious star out of the three, putting up almost 18 points and 4 assists game. Clayton Jr. scored just 7 points in his team’s blowout of Tennessee a few weeks ago. Florida Atlantic transfer Alijah Martin is not far behind his fellow backcourt mate in scoring putting up over 16 points a game and just above that number with 18 points against the Vols the first time. Finishing the trifecta on the perimeter is Will Richard who combined with Martin makes one of the best defensive duos on the perimeter in the country, as they combine to average almost four steals a game. Forwards Alex Condon posted an incredible stat line of 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks against the Volunteers, too. So, if the Gators do the same thing they did last time they played Tennessee, watch out. I do think some things will be different with the game being in Knoxville but Kentucky just beat the Volunteers on their home court so why can’t the Gators? After crushing Georgia their last time out, I think Florida continues their season with a close win over Tennessee. Projected Score: Florida 81, Tennessee 77
20.Missouri (16-4) @ 14.Mississippi State (16-5)
1 PM ET, SECN
Mississippi State missed multiple opportunities to beat 4.Alabama on Wednesday night in Starkville but a second game in “The Dude” should help them bounce back against a quality Missouri team. Both the Bulldogs and the Tigers have flown under the radar in the loaded SEC but both teams have big wins to this point in the season to prove their worth. Mississippi State defeated then 18.Pittsburgh in the ACC/SEC Challenge before beating then 21.Memphis on the road in December. Missouri upset rival and then top ranked Kansas in December and then 5.Florida after conference play opened in January. The teams facing off in this one have underrated coaches in Mississippi State’s Chris Jans and Missouri’s Dennis Gates. Jans led the Bulldogs to an NCAA Tournament bid last season while Gates’ team struggled to not win an SEC game in 19 attempts through the SEC Tournament in Nashville. But, Gates’ team has been much better this season with five conference wins already on the season. The Tigers come in tied for third in the SEC with Florida (and have the tiebreaker with the aforementioned head to head win over the Gators) while Mississippi State is tied for tenth with 8.Tennessee at 4-4 in league play. For the players on the court for both of these teams, Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard headlines the stars of this game. Hubbard put up a career high 38 points in their loss to the Crimson Tide this week. Going up against Hubbard fr0m the guard position is Tamar Bates who scores 13.3 points shooting an efficient 51.7% and 94.6% from the free throw line. Hubbard is joined by forwards KeShawn Murphy and Cam Matthews while Bates’ help will come from Anthony Robinson and former South Carolina big man Josh Gray. In what should be a phenomenal game in Starkville, Mississippi State needs a bounce back win and they will get it. Projected Score: Mississippi State 87, Missouri 85
1.Auburn (19-1) @ 23.Ole Miss (16-5)
2 PM ET, ESPN
Auburn has been the nation’s top team for the entire season. Through seven games in SEC play, the Tigers are undefeated in maybe the best version of the league ever. They boast the frontrunner for national player Johni Broome, who came back from injury against then 8.Tennessee last Saturday and played well in the victory. That did not compare to his performance on Wednesday night in their win over LSU. Broome put up 26 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Bruce Pearl’s roster also includes Dylan Cardwell who helps Broome in the paint, guard Chad Baker-Mazara, guard Miles Kelly, and guard Tahaad Pettiford. The Tigers will get yet another test in the SEC when they travel on the road to face Ole Miss, who comes off of a home win against Texas on Wednesday. Former Virginia Tech guard Sean Pedulla leads the way for the Rebels in scoring at 14.5 points a game while fellow backcourt mates Jaylen Murray, Matthew Murrell, and Dre Davis help him outside. For Chris Beard’s team inside in the paint, forwards Malik Did and Jaemyn Brakefield remind me of his previous teams years ago at Texas Tech. Beard has constructed a team similar to Pearl’s at Auburn with depth on the perimeter and in the paint. It may not be to the level of the Tigers just yet but we will see on Saturday afternoon this measuring stick game for the Rebels as they look to build on their 5-3 record in league play. Projected Score: Auburn 85, Ole Miss 77
11.Kansas (15-5) @ Baylor (13-7)
4 PM ET, ESPN
Kansas and Baylor normally square off on the same day, leading up to the North Carolina-Duke rivalry game in early February. Kansas and Baylor have been the standard bearers in the Big 12, two of the winningest programs in the league and in the country, with the Bears winning a national title in 2021 and the Jayhawks following suite in 2022. Since, Kansas and Baylor have not been as good but they have made the NCAA Tournament and won a few games in March. Kansas had multiple six point leads in regulation against Houston and again in the first overtime before they lost to Houston at home last Saturday night. The Jayhawks bounced back with a win over UCF but a road trip to Waco is normally not as easy. The Bears fell to BYU on Tuesday in Provo, falling closer and closer to the bubble with a 13-7 (5-4) record in Big 12 play. A win against the Jayhawks could change their fortunes. Former Miami forward Norchad Omier leads the way for Baylor, scoring over 15 points and 10 rebounds a game. Freshman phenoms VJ Edgecomb, Rob Wright, and veteran Duke transfer Jeremy Roach make up what would be a dangerous eight or nine seed in the NCAA Tournament if Scott Drew’s team can win games down the stretch this season and make it there. In their way will be veteran big man Hunter Dickinson (16.3 points, 10 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks) South Dakota State transfer and Lawrence native Zeke Mayo (15.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3 assists), and veteran point guard Dajuan Harris (9.6 points, 5.8 assists, and 1.4 steals) know how to win big games like this. Kansas needs a win like this on the road against a rival and Bill Self’s team should get it. Projected Score: Kansas 83, Baylor 79
22.Texas Tech (16-4) @ 6.Houston (17-3)
6 PM ET, ESPN2
Texas Tech’s improvement in year 2 under head coach Grant McCasland has been noticeable with their rise into the AP top 25 and their 16-4 overall record and their 7-2 conference record, good enough tied for third in the Big 12 with 3.Iowa State, who they fell to in overtime a few weeks ago. A win for the Red Raiders would be huge with Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars undefeated in Big 12 play after a dominant performance against West Virginia, 63-49 putting an exclamation point on their win against Kansas on the road in Lawrence last Saturday night in double overtime. Texas Tech will need to play well on the road to beat Houston with quality play from JT Toppin, Elijah Hawkins, and the entire Red Raiders roster. On the other side, their defense will have to worry about an improved offense headed by LJ Cryer, Emanuel Sharp, J’Won Roberts, and Milos Uzan. Houston always has one of the better defense in the country as well. Like when Ole Miss hosts Auburn, Texas Tech’s trip to Houston will be a measuring stick game for Grant McCasland’s team when they face the Cougars on Saturday night. Projected Score: Houston 84, Texas Tech 75
North Carolina (13-9) @ 2.Duke (18-2)
6:30 PM ET, ESPN
North Carolina swept Duke last season the way to an ACC regular season title in Hubert Davis’ third season as head coach. Times have quickly changed as ESPN’s College GameDay comes to town again for the Tar Heels’ ten mile trip to Durham to face the Blue Devils. Many think Duke has their best chance to win a national championship since the 2021-2022 team that fell to the Tar Heels in the Final Four in Coach K’s final game ever. Led by the eighteen year old presumptive number one pick in the 2025 NBA Draft Cooper Flagg, the Blue Devils are favored to run through the ACC, build on their 10-0 record so far in league play, and sweep the Tar Heels like they did two seasons ago in 2023. Joining Flagg (20 points and 8 rebounds per game) is fellow freshmen Kon Knueppel (13 points), Khaman Maluach (8 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block), and veteran Australian guard Tyrese Proctor (10 points and 2 assists). Proctor has stepped into the lead guard role that Jeremy Roach left behind when he left for Baylor as has Flagg, who has come over to be a point forward at times during Duke’s success this season. Jon Scheyer’s team also has the experience of former Purdue forward Mason Gillis, who played in the national championship game with the Boilermakers last April. There is still one guy that played in the 2022 national championship game for Hubert Davis, whose job has been called for by many with his team’s lack of success in the weak ACC this season. Veteran guard RJ Davis is the name from the team that just fell short of a national title, scoring almost 18 points, 4 assists, and grabbing over one steal a game. Davis has not been the efficient All-American he was last season but he has been much better since the start of ACC play. He will need help from star freshman Ian Jackson (14 points) and Seth Trimble (12 points) on the perimeter and hope forward Jalen Washington (7 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block) is healthy for their short road trip after missing Tuesday’s loss to Pittsburgh with an injury because without him Ven-Allen Lubin (6.1 points and 4.8 rebounds). North Carolina may keep it close in the first half, but Saturday night’s game between two old rivals on the “Tobacco Road” has “Blue Devil blowout”= written all over it. Projected Score: Duke 88, North Carolina 72
25.Connecticut (15-6) @ 9.Marquette (18-3)
8 PM ET, FOX
Dan Hurley’s UConn team has not been the same team it was when it won the last two NCAA Tournament National Championships. The Huskies face the team that has challenged them the most in the Big East, Shaka Smart’s Marquette Golden Eagles. They are 7-3 in league play and alone in fourth place in the Big East, two games back of 9.Marquette and 15.St. John’s at 9-1. Hurley’s Huskies have been without star freshman wing Liam McNeely since he sprained his ankle on New Year’s Day against DePaul. They played DePaul another time since McNeely’s injury and he remained out. If he does not play on this road trip to Milwaukee, UConn will need will need veteran forward Alex Karaban and veteran guard Hassan Diarra to lead the way against the Golden Eagles. Marquette’s Kam Jones has played at an All-American level scoring almost 19 points and dishing out over 6 assists per game. It will be up to Jones’ supporting cast including David Joplin and Stevie Mitchell to protect home court against the Huskies. A loss for UConn against Marquette puts them at a tough spot when it comes to their shot at a protected top four seed in March. The Huskies would have to win out for that fate at that point. Projected Score: Marquette 83, Connecticut 77
Gonzaga (16-6) @ Saint Mary’s (19-3)
11 PM ET, ESPN
Randy Bennett’s Saint Mary’s team again is pacing the West Coast Conference even without leaders on last year’s team like guard Aidan Mahaney (now at UConn) and forward Joshua Jefferson (now at Iowa State). Their first of two matchups against Gonzaga is huge for the Gaels with the first meeting being at home in Moraga. The Bulldogs started the season out well but faltered with losses in the Battle 4 Atlantis to West Virginia, in December to then 4.Kentucky, 18.UConn, 22.UCLA, and in conference to Oregon State and Santa Clara. The Gaels remain undefeated in West Coast Conference play and need to continue their winning ways against Gonzaga to make sure they keep a few game lead over the Bulldogs, which currently sits at a two game lead (9-0 to 7-2 entering Saturday night’s matchup). Without Mahaney and Jefferson, guard Augustas Marciulionis leads the way scoring almost 14 points and moving the ball, averaging almost 6 assists per contest. Joining Marciulionis, is Paullius Murauskas who almost matches him with 13 points and 9 rebounds a game. The biggest challenge in this game for the Gaels will be against Gonzaga’s length on the perimeter Mark Few’s team has not had in a while. Arkansas transfer Khalif Battle (12.7 points) joined veteran point guard Ryan Nembhard (11 points and 10 assists), guard Nolan Hickman (11 points) and sharpshooter Dusty Stromer (6 points). Inside for the Zags is the team’s leading scorer Graham Ike (17 points and 7 rebounds), Braden Huff (11 points), and Ben Gregg (11 points). The two games of the year in the West Coast Conference are always the two match ups between these two rivals and Saturday night’s edition in Moraga should not disappoint. Projected Score: Gonzaga 87, Saint Mary’s 85
