- East Carolina @ SMU (Sun 11am CBSS) – East Carolina is absolute trash. SMU on the other hand is a bit up and down this year. Just this past week the Mustangs picked up a huge win at Wichita State and a nice home win against Tulane. Then on Thursday the Mustangs got beat by a really average UCONN team. If the Mustangs want to be playing in March they must beat the teams they should and then some.
- California @ USC (Sun 1pm PACN) – Cal is the worst team in the PAC 12 and with good reason they’re replacing a ton of players and breaking in a new head coach. USC is fresh off a huge home win against Stanford which knocked the Trojans up to 2nd place in the PAC 12. This is a must win for the Trojans if they want to stay at the top.
- South Florida @ Houston (Sun Noon ESPN3) – South Florida is the worst team in the American but that doesn’t mean they can pull the upset. Just ask Tulane about South Florida on Thursday night. The Bulls may be terrible but they put together a nice performance which resulted in a big win on the road. Houston is 15-4 and coming off a huge win against Wichita State that pretty much makes them a tournament team now, but they must continue to play good ball and can’t afford bad losses.
- San Francisco @ Gonzaga (Sat 5pm ESFC) – The Zags are probably still shocked from the home loss to Saint Mary’s. They know they can’t afford another home loss and San Francisco is decent. This one should get ugly though for San Francisco has not performed well on the road and aren’t quite as good as they were a year ago.
- Drake @ Evansville (Sat 11am ESPN3) – Drake is currently 2nd in the Missouri Valley but is coming off a blowout loss to the top ranked Loyola. Evansville who looked fairly good early on this season has been dropping and is now currently 8th in the Missouri Valley. They could sure use a big time win to get them back on track.
- Jacksonville @ Florida Gulf Coast (Sat 4pm ESPN3) – The top two teams in the Atlantic Sun square off. Jacksonville is ranked 2nd despite having a losing record. Meanwhile preseason favorite Florida Gulf Coast is 15-8 and looking for some separation in conference. These same teams matchup again on February 3rd.
- Wagner @ Robert Morris (Sun 11am) – The top two teams in the Northeast go head to head. Wagner has a Friday night game against St. Francis (PA) so they could be feeling the travel effects. Robert Morris is in 2nd place and looking to avenge a double digit loss at Wagner on January 20th.
- Iowa @ Nebraska (Sat 5pm BTN) – Talk about surprise teams. Nebraska is currently 5th in the Big 10 and are looking pretty solid at 15-8. It’s been quite a long time since the Cornhuskers went dancing but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Nebraska has got to win these type games to even be considered come March. Iowa is 13th in the Big 10 but coming off a nice blowout win over Wisconsin.
- Harvard @ Yale (Fri 4pm) – Two classics rivals meet up in a nice Friday night game. Harvard is in 2nd place and needs to continue to win if they want to play for the 1st seed. Yale is 5th in conference but can still easily move to the top with some key wins starting here.
- St. John’s @ Butler (Sat 11am FS1) – St. John’s can’t buy a Big East win. What was once looking very promising is looking more and more like another year away. Butler has been up and down this year and is currently 6th in the Big East and could sure use a nice blowout home win to move up the ranks of the Big East.
- Cal State Fullerton @ Hawaii (Sat 10pm) – The top two teams in the Big West finally collide with one another and the winner should be in first place when the dust settles. Hawaii has won four games in a row and really riding their momentum. Cal State Fullerton on the other hand is coming off a tough loss to heated rival Long Beach State. This is a huge game for Big West seeding.
- Texas State @ Georgia State (Sat 11am ESPN3) – The 2nd and 3rd ranked teams currently in the Sun Belt. Georgia State you should know about, they’ve been a thorn in the Big Boys side in recent tournament years and they’ve won 6 games in a row. Texas State has won 7 of 8 and really been playing great with exception to a blow out home loss to top seeded Louisiana Lafayette.
- Rutgers @ Penn State (Sat 1pm BTN) – Penn State is coming off a huge and i do mean HUGE win at Ohio State on Thursday. Penn State is alive and well and despite being in 8th place and losing several close games this year, I like this team. They could make a run at the tournament if they just stay consistent and well, not lose to Rutgers. Rutgers has been improving as the season has gone along and is coming off a tough home loss to Nebraska.
- VCU @ George Mason (Sat 11am CBSS) – This has been one of my favorite mid major rivalries since these two teams played in the CAA. VCU struggled out the gate this year but they seem to be finding their identity as the season rolls on. The Rams are coming off a huge come back overtime win at Saint Louis. George Mason on the other hand has struggled most of the season. The Patriots are coming off a double OT loss to Duquesne where they gave a valid effort but just came up short.
- Oregon @ Oregon State (Sat 5pm PACN) – These teams are the 8th and 9th ranked team in the PAC 12 and probably won’t be dancing come March. This is the 2nd matchup of the year and OSU won the first and I’m sure the Ducks haven’t forgot that. This is a fun rivalry game that could start some momentum for the winner.
- Syracuse @ Pittsburgh (Sat 1pm ESFC) – Pittsburgh is easily the worst team in the ACC but they almost pulled off a nice upset against NC State on Wednesday. Syracuse is currently 10th in the ACC and they can’t afford a bad loss at Pittsburgh.
- Richmond @ Davidson (Sun 11am NBCS) – Richmond started the season terrible but they sure scored some nice recent wins at VCU and Duquesne. Davidson is currently 2nd in the Atlantic 10 but they’re coming off a tough one point loss to Dayton. If Davidson wants to keep up with Rhode Island they can’t afford to lose a game like this.
- Georgetown @ Creighton (Sat 5pm CBSS) – Creighton is currently 3rd in the Big East and coming off a road win at St. John’s. Georgetown is currently 8th in the Big East and is in sure need of a nice upset conference win. The Hoyas lost a heartbreaker to DePaul in their own backyard on Wednesday.
- Washington State @ Washington (Sun 5pm ESPNU) – The Apple Cup for Basketball. These two heated rivals square off Sunday night in a big time game for the Huskies. Washington is currently a bubble team that can’t afford a bad loss. Washington State is currently 11th in the PAC 12 and well, that would be a bad loss for Washington. Rivalry games are crazy though.
- TCU @ Vanderbilt (Sat 1pm ESPN2) – The SEC vs Big 12 Challenge has a nice lineup of quality games but this shouldn’t be one of them. Sure, Vanderbilt upset LSU a week ago but TCU is a lot better than LSU if you ask me.
- Utah @ Arizona (Sat 2:30pm FOX) – Utah is coming off a huge overtime win on the road against Arizona State. Can they complete the Arizona road sweep with a upset win in Tucson? I doubt it but who knows? Arizona got some revenge on Thursday as they beat Colorado to remain in 1st place in the PAC 12.
- Elon @ Towson (Sat 11am) – Towson scored a huge overtime victory over top ranked William & Mary on Thursday to bump them up the Conference ranks. That same very night Elon got upset by Drexel to knock them down the Conference ranks. This is a huge game for Elon if they want to contend for the regular season title.
- Ole Miss @ Texas (Sat 11am ESPN2) – Both these teams have been up and down all year and both aren’t too much over .500 so this is a huge game moving forward. Ole Miss is coming off a huge home win over Alabama. Texas is coming off a nice home win over Iowa State.
- Tennessee @ Iowa State (Sat 1pm ESPNU) – Tennessee has been a nice surprise team thus far this season. They’re currently 4th in the SEC and well they should handle this game as they are much better on paper than Iowa State. Ames, Iowa is still a tough place to grab a victory and ISU did just upset Texas Tech on that very same court just last weekend.
- Wisconsin @ Michigan State (Fri 5pm FS1) – Wisconsin has been pretty bad this year. Currently they have a losing record at 10-11 and could sure use a huge upset win. Michigan State was my preseason favorite to win it all but they’ve had their own struggles over the past couple weeks. This is a key game for the Spartans to get back on track.
- Cincinnati @ Memphis (Sat 3pm CBSS) – Cincinnati we knew would be either 1st or 2nd in the American and well right now they’re ranked 1st. Memphis on the other hand has truly been a surprise team in this Conference. The Tigers are currently 4th in the AAC and they’re playing much better as the season moves along. This could end up being a good one.
- Seton Hall @ DePaul (Sun 1pm CBSS) – Seton Hall is coming off a tough loss to Xavier which knocked them back to 5th in the Big East. DePaul is currently 9th in the Big East but coming off a nice one point road win over Georgetown. This DePaul team has shown some fight in them so this shouldn’t be a pushover like many thought before the season.
- East Tennessee State @ Wofford (Sat 4pm ESPN3) – This is a big time mid major matchup. These are the top two teams in the Southern Conference and well both teams are legit. East Tennessee State was in the Tournament last year and this year they’ve beat some solid teams. Wofford is in 2nd place and they’re loaded, already grabbing key wins at Georgia Tech and North Carolina. This should be a great mid major game to watch.
- Wake Forest @ Louisville (Sat 5pm ESFC) – Wake Forest has been a total let down this season. There’s no other way to put it. Louisville is having a great season, especially when you consider the offseason that the team endured. The Cardinals are currently 3rd in the ACC and if they want to keep up with Virginia & Duke well they can’t afford a bad loss to Wake.
- Oakland @ North Kentucky (Fri 6pm ESPNU) – The 2nd & 3rd teams in the Horizon square off on a nice Friday night game. There’s a decent chance these two are playing each other in the Horizon Championship game so this game is really about seeding. North Kentucky won the Conference last year and I’m sure Oakland hasn’t forgot that.
- Missouri @ Mississippi State (Sat 5:30pm SECN) – Woah this is a big game for both teams. Both these teams are bubble teams but Missouri is much closer to being in than Mississippi State which makes this game absolutely huge for the Bulldogs who currently rank 12th in the SEC.
- Colorado @ Arizona State (Sat 5pm ESPNU) – Colorado has been somewhat of a surprise this year despite dropping their last two games. They played decently well at Arizona. ASU on the other hand appears to be a lost team. The Sun Devils were once the talk of College Basketball but then they lost at Arizona, and then Colorado, and then at Stanford and then at home to Utah? What’s going on Tempe? This is a big one for both!
- Texas A&M @ Kansas (Sat 1:30pm ESPN) – Which Texas A&M team will show up? The one that crushed West Virginia? Or the one that got crushed by LSU? Lawrence, Kansas will be rocking. Kansas seems to have found their identity after a few early losses. The Jayhawks are coming off a loss to Oklahoma but if they would of made their free throws in the final seconds they would of won that game.
- Oklahoma State @ Arkansas (Sat 3pm ESPN2) – Another nice SEC/BIG 12 matchup. Both these teams are in sure need of a win as both are currently bubble teams. This should be a good one.
- Duquesne @ Rhode Island (Sat 9am NBCS) – Duquesne has been a big time surprise team in the Atlantic 10 and are currently ranked 3rd but coming off a bad home loss to Richmond. Rhode Island appears to be head and shoulders better than everyone in the Conference. If Duquesne is really for real and wants to contend than they must find a way to win this game.
- Baylor @ Florida (Sat 9am ESPN) – Florida is coming off a tough loss at home to South Carolina and could sure use a nice out of conference win against a decent opponent. Baylor is coming off a bad home loss to Kansas State and well 12-8 isn’t something to brag about so they need this one.
- Michigan State @ Maryland (Sun 10am CBS) – Michigan State plays at home against Indiana on Friday night so there isn’t much time for turn around here. Maryland is looking for a big win. The Terps are coming off a three point road loss to Indiana. Michigan State needs to make a statement this weekend.
- NC State @ North Carolina (Sat 9am CBS) – This game probably shouldn’t be rated this high, but it’s a classic rivalry and well NC State has recently scored some nice upsets against Duke & Clemson so maybe they show up. North Carolina is currently ranked 10th in the nation but they’re coming off a loss at Virginia Tech on Monday night.
- Clemson @ Georgia Tech (Sun 3pm ESPNU) – Clemson is currently ranked 18th in the nation and 4th in the ACC. That number could change though since Louisville, Virginia and Duke all play saturday. The Tigers need to show up to this one after getting absolutely embarrassed at Virginia on Tuesday. Georgia Tech is 10-10 and currently 12th in the ACC and coming off a double digit road loss to Florida State.
- Tulsa @ Wichita State (Sun 3pm CBSS) – Wichita is learning that life in the AAC is much tougher than the Missouri Valley Conference. They should handle this game but Tulsa is capable of playing with the Shockers. Tulsa is currently 8th in the AAC and they’re coming off a nice home win over Memphis. Wichita can’t afford a third conference loss this early in conference play.
- Oklahoma @ Alabama (Sat 11:15pm ESPN) – Oklahoma is ranked 12th in the nation and coming off a huge win at home against Kansas. Alabama is currently 5th in the SEC and has been a pretty good team thus far. There’s a huge opportunity for both teams here as this will be a good caliber victory for one of these two.
- Purdue @ Indiana (Sun 12:30 FOX) – Purdue is still looking dominate after a huge win at home against Michigan, a team that has given the Boilermakers a ton of trouble in years past. Now comes a nice road test with Indiana. The Hoosiers are currently 6th in the Big 10 and could sure use a big upset win over a top 5 team.
- Villanova @ Marquette (Sun 10am FOX) – Villanova is still ranked 1st in the nation but they’re getting hit with the injury bug some and well Marquette could sure use a huge victory after getting blown out on the road by Xavier.
- LSU @ Auburn (Sat 3pm SECN) – Auburn has been quite the surprise this year as they are currently ranked 19th in the nation despite missing a few key members of their team due to the Adidas scandal. Their currently 1st in the SEC and well LSU is 10th but they’re coming off a huge double digit win against Texas A&M.
- Georgia @ Kansas State (Sat 11am ESPNU) – Georgia is 11th in the SEC currently but the Bulldogs are much better than that ranking. Kansas State has been a pleasant surprise in the Big 12 and come into Saturday’s game red hot after wins at Baylor and home to TCU & Oklahoma. Georgia needs this game more but this should be a good one.
- Virginia Tech @ Notre Dame (Sat 5pm ESPN2) – Virginia Tech has underachieved all season until their last game where the Hokies scored a huge upset win over North Carolina. Now can they build on that as they face a injured and beat up Notre Dame team. Notre Dame is currently 11th in the ACC and well they just can’t stay healthy. This could be a big win for either team as the season rolls along.
- Texas Tech @ South Carolina (Sat 9am ESPN2) – Texas Tech comes into this game 14th in the nation and 3rd in the Big 12. The Red Raiders scored a nice home victory against Oklahoma State on Tuesday and a win here would be another resume builder. South Carolina is supposed to be rebuilding but suddenly Frank Martin has this Gamecocks team playing some great ball. Carolina has now won three of four including a big one at Florida on Wednesday.
- Miami (FL) @ Florida State (Sat 1pm ESFC) – Both these teams are currently 6th and 7th in the ACC and bitter rivals. Florida State is probably a bubble team currently so this game is probably more important for them, but it’s huge for both for Conference seeding.
- Kentucky @ West Virginia (Sat 4pm ESPN) – This is a big time matchup. Sure, Kentucky is unranked at the moment but they’re still a very talented team. West Virginia is currently 7th in the nation and 2nd in the Big 12 so this is a great opportunity for Kentucky to climb back into the top 25.
- Virginia @ Duke (Sat 11am CBS) – The top two teams in the ACC face off in what should be a dandy. Virginia is ranked 1st and is unbeaten in ACC play. Duke has already lost two conference games to Boston College and NC State so this is a huge game if the Blue Devils want to take the ACC regular season crown.
