College hoops Saturday viewing guide: Buckle up for the biggest day of the season so far

No. 4 Duke at No. 6 Louisville (Noon/ESPN)

If you weren’t aware this game was being played today, then you probably haven’t watched more than five minutes of a program on an ESPN network this week. Originally this game was being hyped (and hyped, and hyped) as a showdown between two likely top 5 teams in a game where Coach K would be going for his 1,000th career win. Instead, the storyline has become Duke limping into the KFC Yum Center after back-to-back double digit losses at the hands of two unranked ACC squads. If the Blue Devils don’t shore up their defensive issues (or if Louisville isn’t efficient enough to take advantage), then they’re likely to drop their third straight for the first time since 2007.

No. 1 Kentucky at Alabama (4 p.m./ESPN)

Once again, because Kentucky is can’t miss TV every time they step on the court until/if they lose.

No. 24 Oklahoma State at No. 18 Oklahoma (7 p.m./ESPN2)

It’s just the second time in the last 20 meetings that both teams will be ranked for the Bedlam game, a fact which figures to generate even more excitement than usual for this rivalry. Both teams are coming off of losses and hoping to avoid slipping below .500 in the unforgiving Big 12.

No. 8 Utah at No. 10 Arizona (7 p.m./Pac-12 Network)

It’s the first big Pac-12 showdown of the season and Utah’s big chance to prove that they, and not preseason favorite Arizona, are the league’s big dog. The Utes lead the conference in scoring margin (24.5), field goal percentage (49.5), 3-point percentage (45.0) and defense (36.6), but still find themselves two spots behind the Wildcats in the national rankings. This will be the Pac-12’s first game featuring a pair of top 10 teams since 2008, and the first time since 2004 that the McKale Center has hosted such an event.

No. 9 Kansas at No. 11 Iowa State (9 p.m./ESPN)

The first College GameDay primetime showdown of the season is in Ames, where one of the most exciting conference series of the past few years resumes. In just the last three seasons, the series has seen bloodshed, overtime, referee suspensions, and more than one wild buzzer-beater. Kansas is already the lone unbeaten remaining in Big 12 play, but this is Iowa State’s big opportunity to make an opening statement about their intentions to break the Jayhawks’ streak of 10 consecutive regular season conference championships.

Miami at No. 12 Notre Dame (2 p.m./ESPN)

The Hurricanes will come to the Joyce Center brimming with confidence after their 90-74 beatdown of Duke inside Cameron Indoor Stadium earlier this week. Notre Dame, meanwhile, is still hurting from the news that junior forward Zach Auguste (14.3 ppg/6.4 rpg) has been suspended indefinitely for an academic issue. There are few games Saturday that will feature a better guard showdown than Miami’s Angel Rodriguez vs. the Fighting Irish’s Jerian Grant.

No. 2 Virginia at Boston College (2 p.m./ESPN FullCourt/ESPN3)

The Cavaliers haven’t quite yet hit the must-watch status of Kentucky, but yeah, they’re still the only other unbeaten team in the country, a fact which makes them worthy of your time. Even against Boston College.

No. 16 West Virginia at No. 20 Texas (6:15 p.m./ESPN)

It’s the Big 12, which means it has to be a game featuring a pair of ranked teams. It feels wrong not to put a game with two top 20 teams in the “Must Watch” category, but that just speaks to how stellar this Saturday is going to be. Seriously, make every move necessary to ensure that no one is going to interrupt you between now and 1 a.m.

The Mountaineers come to Austin winners of eight of their last nine, including an 86-65 throttling of No. 18 Oklahoma on Tuesday. Texas, meanwhile, has dropped two straight since the return of star point guard Isaiah Taylor, who is back in body, but hasn’t yet returned to his old form. Taylor is averaging 9.3 points on 25.7 percent shooting in the three games since he returned from a wrist injury that kept him sidelined for six weeks.

Michigan State at No. 14 Maryland (4 p.m./CBS)

It’s been just 19 days since the Terps outlasted Michigan State in a double overtime thriller in East Lansing, and Tom Izzo’s team has not lost since. Maryland has been pretty stellar over that period as well, and enters today’s game tied atop the Big 10 standings with No. 7 Wisconsin. Still, there’s a sense that the visitors might be coming into this game playing the better basketball. Maryland has shot under 40 percent in its last three games and in four of their five conference tilts.

No. 22 Baylor at Kanas State (3 p.m./ESPNU)

Suddenly Kansas State, which had been widely-regarded as one of the biggest disappointments in college basketball this season, is one of the three Big 12 teams (and the only unranked squad in that group) that will enter play on Saturday with just one conference loss. Baylor isn’t among that group, but the Bears are coming off their most impressive win of the season, a 74-73 triumph over No. 11 Iowa State on Wednesday.

BYU at Saint Mary’s (11 p.m./ESPN2)

It’s late, the new “Weekend Update” anchors have zero chemistry, and these two teams are going to light up the scoreboard inside the McKeon Pavilion.

Ohio State at Iowa (2 p.m./ESPN)

This is arguably the Big 10’s most competitive series, with the all-time standing deadlocked at 77 apiece. Ohio State has won the last five meetings in Iowa City, but the Hawkeyes have already gotten the better of the Bucks this season, winning 71-65 in Columbus on Dec. 30.

No. 13 Wichita State at Evansville (2 p.m./ESPN FullCourt/ESPN3)

R. Kelly’s “Ignition (Remix)” was the No. 1 song in the world the last time the Shockers lost a Missouri Valley Conference game. That’s not true, but it’s been so long that you kind of believed that for a second, right?

Anyway, Wichita State has it rolling yet again, but Evansville has one of the best pure scorers in the country in junior guard D.J. Balentine. If you’re looking for a quick five-minutes of action to keep your attention during the afternoon, this one should do the trick.

Connecticut at Stanford (9 p.m./ESPN2)

This probably isn’t an NCAA Tournament at-large bid elimination game for the defending national champs, but it’s awfully close. Stanford boasts a No. 29 RPI, which would make them one of the top notches in the Huskies’ belt to date.

But yeah, you should be watching Iowa State-Kansas during this time.

Ole Miss at No. 19 Arkansas (9:30 p.m./ESPNU)

It’s at Bud Walton, which means the Hogs will look like a top five team ... and then lose by 900 at Missouri in a week.