Three of college basketball’s biggest rivalries are being played out tomorrow, and they’re far from the only action. Let’s dig in.
Indiana vs. Purdue
Purdue might be the best team in the country. It also might be the most likely national champion, and those aren’t necessarily the same thing. What we’re trying to figure out is whether Purdue’s defense is going to be consistently up to the task, whether Purdue’s young guards are going to be consistently up to the task, and whether Zach Edey is a magic eraser when it comes to other teams’ bigs. Indiana might not test those first two directly, but Edey will get a workout going against Trayce Jackson-Davis. Given the Hoosiers might be the second-best team in the Big Ten, there’s plenty going on in Bloomington.
Duke vs. Carolina
North Carolina and Duke each might be…on the bubble? Our latest projection has Duke a 7-seed but UNC only a 10-seed. There’s a lot of season left, though, and if either needs a spark, this is an opportunity to grab one.
One curious angle here is how little this Duke team looks like last year’s. This is just about the same group of Tar Heels that embarrassed the Blue Devils twice to end last season in what was probably the biggest college basketball story of the year. On the Duke side? It’s mostly just Jeremy Roach who’s back. So, not exactly a revenge game, but for the school as a whole, it’ll feel a lot more that way.
Saint Mary’s vs. Gonzaga
The ratings systems say the WCC is newly that of Saint Mary’s to lose. To actually win it, though, they almost definitely need to beat Gonzaga at home. With each team highly questioned, this is also something of a measuring stick, though without either as a strong point of reference, we won’t get the best measurement we could.
Iowa State vs. Kansas
Is the Cyclones’ moment done? Is Kansas bouncing back? This isn’t a huge rivalry game for KU, but Iowa State fans see it differently, and Hilton should be noisy. The hope, if you’re an Iowa State backer (and we are), is that the Cyclones can out-depth the Jayhawks and hit them from enough angles to gain an advantage Iowa State can hold. To do that, I’d personally say we need a lot of Osunniyi going at KJ Adams, but the simpler thing to watch—and the more broadly important—is who matches up with Jalen Wilson, and what they can do in that scenario. It’s possibly Jaz Kunc will be back, and it’s likely Caleb Grill will be back. Iowa State might need them both.
Tennessee vs. Auburn
Bruce Pearl tries to kick his old team while it’s down. Tennessee tries to get back up and prove that the Florida loss was just a standard college basketball upset. If Tennessee doesn’t get back up, their time in the SEC title race might be over.
Iowa vs. Illinois
It’s always a spectacle between these two right now, with Fran McCaffery and Brad Underwood seeming to legitimately dislike one another and the recent Boys & Girls Club spat dominating headlines. For Iowa, though, this might be more about making the tournament. The Hawkeyes are far from safe.
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Stu should be on top of almost everything else, either today or in his NIT fan’s previews tomorrow and Sunday. Here’s the menu for the weekend:
College Basketball (the big games)
- Saturday, 12:00 PM EST: Kansas @ Iowa State (ESPN)
- Saturday, 4:00 PM EST: Purdue @ Indiana (ESPN)
- Saturday, 10:30 PM EST: Gonzaga @ Saint Mary’s (ESPN)
College Basketball (the good games)
- Friday, 9:00 PM EST: Boise State @ San Diego State (FS1)
- Saturday, 12:00 PM EST: Virginia @ Virginia Tech (ESPN2)
- Saturday, 12:00 PM EST: Michigan State vs. Rutgers (FOX)
- Saturday, 2:00 PM EST: Auburn @ Tennessee (ESPN)
- Saturday, 2:30 PM EST: Illinois @ Iowa (FOX)
- Saturday, 3:00 PM EST: Miami @ Clemson (ACCN)
- Saturday, 4:00 PM EST: Texas @ Kansas State (ESPN2)
- Saturday, 6:30 PM EST: North Carolina @ Duke (ESPN)
- Saturday, 8:30 PM EST: Florida @ Kentucky (ESPN)
College Basketball (the interesting games)
- Saturday, 12:00 PM EST: UConn @ Georgetown (FS1)
- Saturday, 2:00 PM EST: TCU @ Oklahoma State (ESPN+)
- Saturday, 2:00 PM EST: Butler @ Marquette (FS1)
- Saturday, 4:00 PM EST: Alabama @ LSU (ESPNU)
- Saturday, 7:00 PM EST: Washington State @ UCLA (P12N)
- Saturday, 9:30 PM EST: Oregon State @ Arizona (P12N)
- Sunday, 6:00 PM EST: Houston @ Temple (ESPN2)
NBA (best game each day, plus the Bulls)
- Friday, 7:30 PM EST: Phoenix @ Boston (NBA TV)
- Saturday, 8:00 PM EST: Portland @ Bulls (League Pass)
- Saturday, 9:00 PM EST: Atlanta @ Denver (League Pass)
- Sunday, 6:00 PM EST: Toronto @ Memphis (League Pass)
Premier League (best game each day/filling open time slots)
- Friday, 3:00 PM EST: Fulham @ Chelsea (USA)
- Saturday, 7:30 AM EST: Arsenal @ Everton (USA)
- Saturday, 12:30 PM EST: West Ham @ Newcastle (NBC)
- Sunday, 9:00 AM EST: Leeds @ Nottingham Forest (USA)
- Sunday, 11:30 AM EST: Manchester City @ Tottenham (NBC)
EFL Championship (best game each day/filling open time slots)
- Friday, 3:00 PM EST: Coventry City @ West Brom
- Saturday, 7:30 AM EST: Burnley @ Norwich City (ESPN+)
- Saturday, 10:00 AM EST: Sunderland @ Millwall
NHL All-Star Weekend
- Friday, 7:00 PM EST: Skills Competition (ESPN)
- Saturday, 3:00 PM EST: All-Star Games (ABC)
NFL Pro Bowl Weekend
- Sunday, 3:00 PM EST: Skills Competition & Flag Football (ESPN, ABC)
NASCAR Busch Light Clash
- Saturday, 6:00 PM EST: Practice & Qualifying (FS1)
- Sunday, 5:00 PM EST: Races (FOX)
