- Pittsburgh @ Duke (Sat 1pm ESFC) – Okay, I really doubt this is going to be much of a game Pittsburgh is easily the worst team in the ACC this year and well this game is being played in Durham! Plus Duke just beat Pitt by 35 at Pittsburgh on January 10th. This shouldn’t be much of a game but hey stranger things have happened.
- Washington @ Colorado (Sat 3pm PACN) – This is a big game for both of these PAC 12 schools. Colorado is currently 5th in the PAC and for what many thought was a rebuilding year for the Buffs now has turned into a potential tournament team. The Buffs have beat Arizona, Arizona State and UCLA in the past two weeks. Washington is currently ranked 6th in the PAC 12 and right on the Buffs tail. The Huskies had some nice early season wins but have stumbled their past two games against Stanford and Utah. They need a big win.
- San Diego State @ New Mexico – (Sat 4pm CBSS) – The 4th and 5th place teams going head to head in Mountain West play. This is a huge game for both teams especially considering Nevada and Boise State the top two teams in the Mountain West are playing later that day. This is a spot for these teams to gain a game and move up the ranks. San Diego State is coming off a devastating home loss to Fresno State in a game they led most of the way. New Mexico is coming off a nice road upset of UNLV.
- Hofstra @ Charleston (Sat 1pm) – Hofstra is currently the 2nd ranked team in the CAA and Charleston the preseason favorite is currently 5th. That’s a huge surprise to many. Preaseason publications had Charleston as not only the conference favorite but also a team that could shock someone come March. Charleston did score a much needed win at home against UNC Wilmington on Thursday but they need to play better to than they did to beat Hofstra.
- Illinois @ Wisconsin (Fri 6pm FS1) – Wisconsin is definitely taking a step back this season but boy could they sure use a nice home win against the last ranked team in the Big 10. The Badgers are coming off a blowout loss at Purdue. Meanwhile Illinois is coming off a one point loss at Nebraska and is probably a bit better than their conference ranking gives them credit for.
- St. Bonaventure @ Davidson (Fri 4pm ESPN2) – Davidson is currently ranked 2nd in the Atlantic 10 and have won four in a row. St. Bonaventure is currently ranked 10th in the Atlantic 10 but trust me this that won’t last, this team is too good. The Bonnies are coming off a tough road loss at Rhode Island and are just 2-3 in conference play thus far but they are a talented team that will rise up the A10 ranks as the season continues.
- Austin Peay @ Belmont (Sat 3pm) – Belmont is coming off a huge win against 2nd place Ohio Valley Murray State and they need to make sure they don’t overlook a decent Austin Peay team.
- Purdue @ Iowa (Sat 9am ESPN) – Purdue is the top team in the Big 10 and the 3rd ranked team nationally. They’re destroying almost every team they play. Iowa is currently 13th in the Big 10 and well it’s almost been the opposite effect with them. The Hawkeyes are coming off a blowout road loss to Rutgers but hey this game is in Iowa City so who knows what can happen.
- Memphis @ Tulsa (Sat 5pm ESPNU) – Memphis is surprising some who projected them towards the back of the American Conference. The Tigers are currently 4th in the Conference and suddenly they have the NCAA Tournament on their mind. Tulsa is currently 9th in the Conference and coming off a tough one point road loss to Temple.
- Evansville @ Bradley (Sat 5pm ESPN3) – Evansville was looking like a real player in the Missouri Valley Conference but then they dropped two games in a row at Drake and at home to Indiana State knocking them all the way back to 8th in the conference. Bradley has lost two in a row as well and although they are sitting at 6th in the conference both these teams need a big win. This should be a good one.
- Butler @ DePaul (Sat 11am FS1) – Butler is currently 7th in the Big East and really can’t afford to drop back any further. The Bulldogs are also coming off a double digit road loss to Providence and need to get back on the winning track. DePaul is a bit better than DePaul teams of the past despite being 9th in the Big East. The Blue Demons have lost two in a row and would love to pull an upset over Butler in front of their home crowd in Chicago.
- Arizona State @ California (Sat 7:30pm PACN) – Arizona State is hitting a bit of a rough patch losing three of their past five and barely winning the two games that they won. Cal is in last place in the PAC 12 and well with the exception of a nice upset win at Stanford they’ve been getting blown out by everyone in the PAC 12. Can they make this a game?
- Cal State Fullerton @ Long Beach State (Sat 7:30pm ESPNU) – Cal State Fullerton has been the talk of the Big West. UC Irvine and Long Beach State were the so called favorites in the Big West but Irvine has struggled and Long Beach State is currently 4th in the conference and could use a big win over top ranked Fullerton.
- Rutgers @ Michigan (Sun 9am BTN) – Michigan has been playing much better than a lot of people expected despite coming off a tough road loss at Nebraska on Thursday. Rutgers has been much more competitive than the Rutgers of old and their coming off a nice blowout win at home against Iowa. Rutgers lost to Michigan State in overtime so hey maybe they can make this game.
- Villanova @ UCONN (Sat 9am CBS) – This one really could be a blowout. Villanova is coming off a thirty point win at Georgetown and their the top ranked team in the nation. UCONN is coming off a twenty four point loss at Memphis. Villanova is a lot better than Memphis. Kevin Ollie sure could use a gigantic home win against the top team in the country to potentially save his job.
- Penn State @ Northwestern (Sat 11am BTN) – Northwestern has been one of the nations biggest disappointments. Penn State has shown it’s a decent team but needs to find a way to win the close games. Northwestern is in desperate need of some wins if they want any shot at making the tournament again. The Wildcats are coming off a tough home loss to Ohio State. Penn State is coming off a home overtime loss to Minnesota.
- Georgia Southern @ Georgia State (Sat 11:15am ESPN3) – Both these teams are third and fourth in the Sun Belt but I’m betting they move higher as conference play continues. Georgia State has been solid for the past few years as I’m sure you remember their NCAA tournament run a few years back. They’re currently 13-6 and coming off a nice blowout road victory at Coastal Carolina. Georgia Southern has been good all year with some nice wins at Wake Forest, George Mason & Troy. This is a big game for potential seeding in the Sun Belt Tournament.
- LSU @ Vanderbilt (Sat 10am SECN) – LSU lost a tough one at home to Georgia by one on Tuesday and with the NCAA Tournament on their mind they could sure use this win against a team they really should beat. Vanderbilt is just 6-12 and in last place in the SEC, they’ve lost five games in a row but they’ve played a few quality opponents really tough so LSU should tread lightly.
- St. Johns @ Georgetown (Sat 9am FS1) – Georgetown won at St. John’s on January 9th but since that game the Hoyas have lost two in a row by a total of 45 points. St. John’s has lost seven games in a row and could sure use a win anyway they can get it.
- William & Mary @ Elon (Sat 4pm) – William & Mary is ranked first in the conference but is coming off a tough blowout home loss to Towson and a road loss to Northeastern by twenty. They desperately need to get back on track but they now must hit the road against Elon followed by Towson again. Elon was surprising most of the conference by just dropped back to 6th in the CAA with a tough loss at James Madison.
- Ole Miss @ Arkansas (Sat 12:30pm SECN) – The SEC is deep this year, real deep so when Ole Miss the 9th ranked team in the SEC currently takes on Arkansas the 12th ranked team in the SEC currently its a bit misleading this is a good matchup and both these teams could very well end up in the tournament come March. Ole Miss is coming off a tough road loss at Texas A&M where their game winning three pointer was 90 percent down the basket before rattling out. Arkansas has lost four of five and must find a way to win this game.
- Tulane @ SMU (Sat 3pm ESPW) – The green wave have been a bit of a surprise team this year despite losing two of the past three. Tulane is coming off a nice home win against a good Houston team and they’ve already beat SMU in New Orleans so it would be great to sweep them. SMU had lost three games in a row before pulling off a gigantic win at Wichita State. Both teams need this game so this should make for a good one.
- Missouri State @ Drake (Sat 1pm ESFC) – The 2nd and 3rd place teams in the Missouri Valley square off in what could be a preview of the Missouri Valley Championship in a few weeks. Missouri State has won two games in a row at home but have two huge road games to play in the next week. Drake has lost two of three and needs to quickly get back on track and defend their home court.
- Indiana @ Michigan State (Fri 4pm FS1) – What in the world is happening to Michigan State? They were my for sure lock for a final four birth but then the Spartans dropped two of three and their lone win was at home in overtime against Rutgers! They have time to work these kinks out but they need this game. Indiana is a the complete opposite, a team that I was writing off but suddenly the Hoosiers got hot and have won three in a row.
- Georgia Tech @ North Carolina (Sat 11am ESPN2) – UNC has won three in a row since the blowout loss at Virginia, marked by a nice win over Clemson in Chapel Hill. Georgia Tech hasn’t had the season it hoped for but the Yellow Jackets did notch some nice wins in the past two weeks before losing at home to Virginia this week.
- USC @ Oregon State (Sat 5pm PACN) – The Trojans are currently 4th in the Pac 12 and are coming off a nice blowout home win against Utah. Oregon State is probably better than their 9th place Pac 12 ranking, the Beavers are coming off a tough two point road loss to Arizona State. They could use a nice home victory here.
- Middle Tennessee @ Western Kentucky (Sat 4pm STAD) – The top two teams in the Conference USA matchup in a huge game. Middle Tennessee is coming off a nice twenty point win against Southern Miss. Western Kentucky scored a nice double digit road win at Charlotte and look to take the top spot in the conference at home.
- Boston College @ Louisville (Sun 9am ESFC) – Louisville is currently 2nd in the ACC and must keep up with Virginia. The Cardinals scored a huge double overtime win in South Bend on Tuesday and look to continue to gain momentum. Boston College has been quite the surprise team as well. The Eagles are currently ranked 7th in the ACC and are coming off a nice home win against Florida State.
- Ohio State @ Minnesota (Sat 9am BTN) – Ohio State is currently 2nd in the Big 10! I mean who could of predicted that. Perhaps the That Matta firing wasn’t so bad after all. The Buckeyes have won six in a row after beating Northwestern on the road Wednesday night. Minnesota is currently 8th in the Big 10 and they’re coming off a huge overtime win at Penn State that the Gophers absolutely needed.
- Mississippi State @ Alabama (Sat 5:30pm SECN) – Alabama is coming off a huge win against their heated rival Auburn who was ranked 17th in the nation. The Tide need not lose sight of this game because Mississippi State is a solid team despite being ranked 10th in the SEC. The Bulldogs are coming off a double digit win at home against Vanderbilt and look to get back into the mix of the SEC with a big time road win.
- Rhode Island @ Dayton (Sat 10am CBSS) – Rhode Island is in 1st place and looking like they’re going to run away with the Atlantic 10 but don’t sleep on Dayton. The Flyers may be .500 and coming off a tough blowout loss to St. Joe’s but I expect the Flyers to rebound and give Rhode Island a real test.
- Wichita State @ Houston (Sat 9am ESPNU) – Wichita was looking like they were a shoe in for the top team in the American and then boom SMU came into Wichita and upset the Shockers. Houston is a bubble team at 14-4 but they’re coming off a tough loss at Tulane and could sure use a big victory for the resume.
- Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State (Sat 11am ESPN) – The Sooners are currently 4th in the nation but that’s sure going to change after a blowout loss at Kansas State. Oklahoma will need to really get back on track with a nice win at OK State. The Cowboys are currently 8th in the Big 12 and coming off a blowout loss to Baylor as well. It’s a rivalry game so who knows what can happen?
- Virginia @ Wake Forest (Sun 3pm ESPNU) – Virginia is ranked 2nd in the nation and playing at a unbelievably high level recently but now comes a nice road test. Wake is 14th in the ACC but should still be a tough out for the Cavs. Wake is coming off a blowout road loss at Duke so perhaps they’ll be looking to get back on the right track.
- Arizona @ Stanford (Sat 1pm CBS) – The top two teams in the Pac 12 square off in Palo Alto. Arizona being 1st in the Pac, the Wildcats are coming off a nice blowout win at Cal. Stanford is currently playing Arizona State as I write this but regardless if they lose or not this Cardinal team has been a huge surprise thus far.
- Georgia @ Auburn (Sat 3pm SECN) – Auburn is currently ranked 17th in the country but that’s sure to change after losing to heated rival Alabama. Georgia scored a much needed road victory against LSU on Tuesday and looks to continue to gain momentum with another big road test.
- UCLA @ Oregon (Sat 7:15pm ESPN) – UCLA is currently 3rd in the Pac 12 but they are coming off a home loss to Colorado. Oregon is 8th in the Pac 12 right now and are coming off a tough road stretch where the Ducks lost in Tucson but scored a nice road victory in Tempe against ASU.
- Texas Tech @ Iowa State (Sat 11am ESPNU) – Texas Tech is currently ranked 8th in the country but that should change since the Red Raiders followed up a huge home win against West Virginia with a road loss at Texas. Meanwhile Iowa State is 10th in the Big 12 and despite them being in last they are very well capable of beating the Red Raiders. The Cyclones beat Baylor by double digits last Saturday before falling to TCU on Wednesday.
- Tennessee @ South Carolina (Sat 3pm ESPN2) – Tennessee is currently ranked 21st in the nation but that’s going to change since the Vols lost to Mizzou on Wednesday. South Carolina was supposed to be rebuilding this year but all of a sudden the Gamecocks scored a huge road win at Georgia followed by a home win against Kentucky and suddenly they are 8th in the SEC and get the Vols at home in Columbia.
- Boise State @ Nevada (Sat 7pm ESPNU) – Woah the top two teams in the Mountain West go head to head. This is a big time game. Nevada is 1st in the MWC and already a threat to make the tournament with an at large bid. Meanwhile Boise State has shown they are a pretty damn good mid major. Both teams are 16-3 so something has to give.
- Miami (FL) @ NC State (Sun 9am ESFC) – Miami is 25th in the nation but just two spots ahead of NC State in the conference. The Hurricanes are coming off back to back losses and have dropped three of four so this is a huge game for them. NC State got handled on the road in Charlottesville but prior to that the Wolfpack won big games against Duke and Clemson and suddenly there was life in Raleigh. If they can knock off Miami that terrible start to the season may just be okay.
- TCU @ Kansas State (Sat 1pm ESPNU) – This is a huge Big 12 matchup. K State is coming off a huge win at home against Oklahoma and are really exceeding expectations with the Wildcats currently in 5th place. TCU is ranked 24th and currently 7th in the Big 12 but the Horn Frogs must find a win these close games that they keep losing. They scored a nice win against Iowa State Wednesday night but they could sure use some momentum with a nice win in Manhattan.
- Missouri @ Texas A&M (Sat 1pm ESPN2) – The Aggies lucked up when Ole Miss had a three ball rattle in and out at the buzzer in College Station on Tuesday. A&M has dealt with a ton of injuries this year but being 13th in the SEC is inexcusable, that’s what makes this game so huge. Missouri is 5th in the SEC and coming off a two point loss at Arkansas. Big game for both teams but the Aggies need it much more.
- Baylor @ Kansas (Sat 3pm ESPN) – Kansas is coming off a huge victory that at West Virginia that knocked them back into first in the Big 12. The Jayhawks seemed to have found themselves winning four in a row after a bit of shaky start. Baylor is 9th in Big 12 but don’t get that twisted, this is still a good basketball team. The Big 12 is a pretty deep conference. The Bears last game was a 16 point win against Oklahoma State in Waco.
- Creighton @ Providence (Sat Noon CBSS) – Creighton is currently coming off a nice win against Seton Hall at home but here comes a nice road test. They are currently the 3rd place team in the big east. Providence is the 5th ranked team in the Big East at the moment. The Friars have been up and down all year. Their last game was a nice double digit home win against Butler.
- Florida State @ Virginia Tech (Sat 9am ESPN2) – This is a huge game for both teams who despite being unranked they’re pretty good basketball teams. Florida State is 12 in the ACC currently and coming off a tough loss to BC. The Seminoles have lost three of their last four which makes this game huge for them. Virginia Tech is currently 10th in the ACC and coming off a road loss to Louisville but with North Carolina and Notre Dame on deck the Hokies sure could use a win here.
- Texas @ West Virginia (Sat 11am CBS) – West Virginia was rolling and then came the one point road loss to Texas Tech, followed by a five point loss to Kansas in Morgantown which makes this game against Texas huge! WVU is still 2nd currently in the Big 12 but can’t afford three losses in a row. Texas on the other hand is currently 6th in the Big 12 and coming off a tough one point loss at Oklahoma State. The Longhorns did score a nice home victory against TCU the game before but if they want to stay in the mix this is a big game for them.
- Notre Dame @ Clemson (Sat 1pm ESPN) – Notre Dame lost a double overtime heartbreaker at home to Louisville on Tuesday and have dropped back to 8th in the ACC. The Irish are in desperate need for a win after two heartbreaking losses to UNC and L’ville. Clemson on the other hand is 5th in the conference and could use a nice win over a nice opponent since they’ve lost two of their last three.
- Xavier @ Seton Hall (Sat 11:30am FOX) – This is big one between the 2nd and 4rd place teams in the Big East. The winner should gain a little bit of separation. Xavier is currently ranked 11th in the country but 4th in the Big East. Seton Hall is 19th in the country and coming off a tough loss to Creighton.
- Florida @ Kentucky (Sat 5:15pm ESPN) – Florida may not be currently ranked but their in first place in a very good SEC this year. Kentucky is in 3rd place currently and ranked 18th in the country and boy would love to have a big one in Lexington.