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Last week was a flurry of great games and fascinating matchups. What about the impending vacation period? There aren’t that many. Hosting parties and toasting with marshmallows, college basketball almost takes a backseat to football and the NBA as we enter the new year. Many teams are wrapping up non-conference play with cupcake home games, and the best of his MTEs has been selected.
But have no fear. We have managed to compile a list of all the CBB sickos who will be active by 2024. So let’s power-rank the top 10 matchups in men’s college basketball over the next two weeks. Let’s start with some prestigious matches. Mention and countdown.
(All tipoff times are Eastern Time, all rankings are from the AP Top 25, all records are current at the time of publication.)
Honorable mention: No. 12 Creighton vs. Villanova (Wednesday), Washington vs. Colorado (Dec. 29), Ohio State vs. West Virginia (Dec. 30), Duke vs. Syracuse (Jan. 2), Missouri vs. No. 13 Illinois (Friday)
10. No. 9 Kentucky (8-2) vs. Louisville (5-6), Thursday, 6 p.m., ESPN
There’s little chance of this being a good or even decent game, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun. That’s mostly because Louisville can’t seem to let more than a few days (hours?) go by without something outrageous befalling their program. This will likely be Head Coach Kenny Payne’s last game at the helm of the Cardinals, a wrecking head coach who will likely last no more than 45 games total. Also, England is great! And it’s fun!
9. St. John’s (7-3) at No. 5 UConn (10-1), Saturday, 8 p.m., Fox.
The Huskies continue to play like one of the most balanced teams in the country through non-conference play, including a road-like win over Gonzaga in Seattle last week despite Tristen Newton scoring just nine points. ing. The Johnnies have played a decent schedule, including a comfortable win over Utah and a road win over West Virginia. How will Rick Pitino and his team handle the Big East’s first high-profile road matchup?
8. UCLA (5-4) vs. Oregon (7-3), Dec. 30, 4 p.m., CBS
It’s been a strange start to the season for the Bruins, with all four losses coming by close margins and coming against KenPom Top 30 opponents…but they haven’t beaten anyone of note either. UCLA’s best win was his one-point victory over UC Riverside. A road trip against a solid Oregon State team could be a key matchup early in Pac-12 play. The Ducks look to have talent and potential as well, but are still establishing their identity.
7. No. 11 North Carolina (7-3) at Pitt (8-3), Jan. 2, 7 p.m., ESPN
Pitt is one of the many teams that remains a bit of a mystery entering conference play. The Panthers take care of the ball, forcing opponents from the 3-point line and cleaning the glass, but they’re not winning on key players. They will have a chance to prove something against a Tar Heels team that is on the verge of losing its third straight game after losses to UW and Kentucky and a matchup against top-10 Oklahoma State. (More details later).
6. San Diego State (8-2) vs. No. 15 Gonzaga (8-3), Dec. 29, 9 p.m., ESPN2
The Zags were humiliated against UConn, but otherwise looked very good, playing fast, knocking down offensive boards and tightening up their defense. They have defensive runner-up and big man Jadon Rudy, who is averaging 22.8 points and 10.3 rebounds for the Aztecs. Gonzaga and San Diego State are both looking for their first Quad 1 wins of the season.
5. No. 4 Arizona (8-1) vs. No. 14 Florida Atlantic (9-2), Saturday, 3 p.m., Fox.
There will be no rest for Arizona, which suffered its first loss of the season to Purdue, with games against FAU in Las Vegas and Alabama in Phoenix a week later. Last season’s run to the Final Four doesn’t seem like a fluke for the Owls, who return nearly everyone and have one of the most efficient and best offenses in the country. They will have to face a Wildcats team that has an equally good blitz attack and an even better defense. However, one of Zona’s few weaknesses is its 3-point defense, with FAU shooting 38.4 percent from beyond the arc as a team.
4. Alabama (6-4) vs. No. 4 Arizona (8-1), Wednesday, 11 p.m., ESPN
FAU is ranked higher in the poll, but Bama is just behind the Owls in net and several spots ahead, according to KenPom, and the Crimson Tide also has one of the best offenses in college basketball. It is said that there is They’ll have a good fight against Arizona’s board-hungry defense, but they’ll have to contend with a Tide team that shoots 39.1 percent from 3-point range. This is the third game of an ESPN tripleheader on Wednesday night, but don’t worry about getting the nod. These are his two of the most up-tempo offenses in the country.
3. No. 12 Creighton (9-2) at No. 6 Marquette (9-2), Dec. 30, 2 p.m., CBS
As far as I’m concerned, a matchup between two legitimate national championship contenders. Both feature rosters of experienced veterans with clear roles and strengths that should be able to push UConn in the Big East title race. The Blue Jays, led by their big three of Baylor Scheierman, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Trey Alexander, shoot right field and defend without fouling. Marquette plays fast but takes care of the ball, which is often in the hands of stars Tyler Kolek and Cam Jones. Oso Ighodalo remains one of the most underrated and underrated players in the sport.
2. No. 11 North Carolina (7-3) vs. No. 7 Oklahoma (10-0), Wednesday, 9 p.m., ESPN
The Tar Heels will need to bounce back from two straight losses in the middle of Wednesday’s tripleheader. For the Sooners, this game in Charlotte is an opportunity to show if they truly deserve a top 10 ranking by the Associated Press and NET. They are undefeated and boast a stingy defense led by breakout sophomore Otega Oweh and Siena transfer Javian McCollum. However, they have not played a single Q1 match. UNC will be the toughest test yet.
1. No. 10 Baylor (9-1) vs. No. 21 Duke (7-3), Wednesday, 7 p.m., ESPN
The new Blue Devils are still establishing their identity and will need to get Tyrese Proctor back from his sprained ankle, but it’s possible. Kyle Filipowski has been a big part of that and has played at an All-American level so far, and Jeremy Roach has been really good. Baylor looked very good, too… until the Bears traveled to Detroit and got crushed by a struggling Michigan State team, committing 21 turnovers and losing by 24 points. Baylor, which had six players score in double figures, will look to prove its point. “to Sparty” was a fleeting preview of Wednesday night’s impressive lineup at Madison Square Garden.
(RJ Davis photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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