Men's College Basketball

College basketball viewing guide: ACC showdowns highlight Saturday’s slate

Four of the ACC’s five top 15 teams will be going at it on a Saturday that will also feature the first game between ranked Missouri Valley teams in more than 30 years.

by Mike Rutherford

Jan 31, 2015, 3:30 PM UTC

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

MUST WATCH

Auburn at Tennessee (Noon/ESPN2)

The noon slate of games this Saturday is ehh (*twists right hand back and forth*) at best, so you might as well go with storyline over quality to begin your basketball weekend.

The storyline here, of course, is Bruce Pearl returning to Tennessee, a place where he was, and still widely is, beloved. On the flip side, he also left the program riddled with NCAA sanctions, and none of the succeeding coaches in Knoxville have been able to bring the same type of buzz to Thompson-Boling Arena that Pearl did. If the Volunteers aren’t able to pull this one out, then Donnie Tyndall’s first season in Knoxville is going to get even rockier (pun kinda intended because I thought about it and didn’t feel like putting in the effort to go in a different direction) than it’s already been.

No. 12 Wichita State at No. 18 Northern Iowa (4 p.m./ESPN2)

It goes without saying that this is the game folks in the Missouri Valley have been waiting all season to see, and in a broader sense, they’ve been waiting even longer for it. For all the success the league has had over the past several decades, this will still be the first time in more than 30 years that two ranked MVC teams will be meeting in conference play. If that’s not enough, you also have Wichita State’s 26-game league winning streak being placed on the line.

No. 13 North Carolina at No. 10 Louisville (4 p.m./ ESPN)

The first meeting in Chapel Hill earlier this month wound up being one of the best games of the season so far. That statement provides little solace for Louisville fans, who watched their team squander a 13-point second half lead, and who still haven’t seen the Cardinals triumph in a showcase game. U of L’s much-maligned offense enters the game coming off two of its best shooting performances in recent memory. Of course both of those games came on the road, where the team is inexplicably shooting a ridiculously better percentage than it is inside the KFC Yum Center. The Tar Heels, meanwhile, used that victory on Jan. 10 to kick-start a 6-game winning streak, their longest of the season and one which they’ll bring with them to Louisville today.

Alabama at No. 1 Kentucky (7 p.m./SEC Network)

The SEC opponents are miserable, and Kentucky might be the least aesthetically-pleasing great college basketball team since the 1960s, but the Wildcats are still the sport’s main attraction, and they’re still going to be a must-watch every time they step on the court until they lose.

No. 4 Duke at No. 2 Virginia (7 p.m./ESPN)

It's been an interesting seven days for the Blue Devils, who since last Sunday have experienced Coach K winning his 1,000th game, have been knocked off in a thriller at Notre Dame, and have seen junior guard Rasheed Sulaimon be dismissed from the team. Now they'll try and become the first team this season to knock off Virginia, which got its biggest scare of the season last Sunday, when it needed a furious late really to nip in-state rival Virginia Tech, 50-47.

Under Coach K, Duke is 25-13 in games featuring two top five teams, a record which includes this season’s 80-70 victory at Wisconsin. If Virginia is able to remain unbeaten this evening, the Blue Devils will slip to .500 in conference play, and will have as many conference losses as their national ranking.

SHOULD WATCH

TCU at No. 15 Iowa State (2 p.m./ESPNU)

With so many quality squads in a 10-team conference, someone invariably is going to have to accumulate some tough-luck losses. Unfortunately for TCU, it's felt like their turn to take one on the chin ever since the start of league play. The Horned Frogs, who were 13-0 in the non-conference portion of the season, are just 1-6 in the Big 12, and have either led or trailed by single digits in the final five minutes in five of their six defeats, two of which have gone to overtime. The tough luck for TCU today comes in the form of having to play this game in Ames. Iowa State is 11-0 at home, averaging 84.0 points per game and allowing just 67.5. The Cyclones overall winning streak at Hilton Coliseum currently sits at 18 games.

Kansas State at No. 9 Kansas (2 p.m./ESPN)

Kansas has won eight straight home games in this series, which is one of the most-played in college basketball history. The Jayhawks enter Saturday's game owning a 187-92 all-time advantage over their in-state rivals. An already tall task for K-State figures to be even taller without the services of second-leading scorer Nino Williams (11.7 ppg/4.9 rpg), who will almost certainly be out for this game with a left knee injury he suffered in the Wildcats' loss to West Virginia earlier this week.

No. 19 Texas at No. 20 Baylor (6 p.m./ESPN2)

Just a pair of top 20 teams with losing records in conference play. These are the two top rebounding teams in the Big 12, but both rank in the bottom half of the conference when it comes to field goal percentage, scoring, and turnovers. So, yeah, if you've been trying to convince your football-centric friends that college basketball is awesome and worth their time, slice their TVs up with a knife before letting them watch this one.

No. 24 Oklahoma at Oklahoma State (8 p.m./ESPN2)

Oklahoma's Buddy Hield is the Big 12's leading scorer in conference play, averaging 20.6 ppg in the Sooners' eight league contests. A solid chunk of that average came from Hield's 27-point performance in OU's 82-65 home win over Oklahoma State two weeks ago. The Cowboys are a member of the Big 12's four-team unranked minority, but they also own a 4-4 mark in league play and are coming into Saturday's game still riding the high of beating No. 20 Baylor by 11 on Tuesday.

Memphis at No. 3 Gonzaga (10 p.m./ESPN2)

This was supposed to be the middle of conference play showcase game that Gonzaga utilized to catch the rest of the country's attention and remind them that they're capable of playing with the nation's best teams. Instead, the Zags have far more to lose than to gain against a Memphis team that has already lost seven times and has very little shot at earning an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. Still, it's the No. 3 team in the country playing a talented team late at night, and I really felt like I needed at least one non-Big 12 game in this group.

WORTH WATCHING UNLESS YOU HAVE A VALID EXCUSE

No. 8 Notre Dame at Pittsburgh (Noon/ESPN FullCourt/ESPN3)

The Fighting Irish play one of the most exciting brands of basketball in the country, and seem like a team capable of finally breaking through in March. Pitt, meanwhile, has lost three straight, but still owns the distinction of being 13-3 all-time against top 10 teams inside the Petersen Events Center. Of course one of those three losses came six days ago when Louisville came into the building and won by 12.

No. 5 Wisconsin at Iowa (Noon/ESPN)

We're just 11 days removed from the last meeting between these two, which Wisconsin one with surprising ease, 82-50. The worse news for the Hawkeyes is that leading scorer Aaron White (15.1 ppg) is nursing an injured right shoulder. At worst, the injury will keep White out of Saturday's rematch, and at the best it will force him to play at far less than full strength.

No. 7 Villanova at DePaul (2 p.m./Fox Sports 1)

The Blue Demon magic is rapidly fading, and a home win over the No. 7 team in the country might be the only thing that can save it.

Richmond at No. 14 VCU (2 p.m./ESPN2)

This is one of those very contentious rivalries that people tend to overlook, but it's also a series which has been dominated by VCU in recent years. The Rams have won 11 of the last 13 meetings between these two, including all three games last season. Shaka Smart's team also enters Saturday having won 12 straight overall, and with a perfect 7-0 mark in A-10 play.

IF YOU WANT TO JUST CHECK THE BOX SCORE, THAT'S OK ... BUT CHECK THE BOX SCORE

Texas Tech at No. 17 West Virginia (Noon/ESPNU)
Exactly one week ago, I wrote the following:

No. 9 Iowa State at Texas Tech (Saturday - 4 p.m./ESPNU)

Texas Tech is sort of like Cooper Manning if Cooper Manning had nine elite NFL QB brothers instead of two ... and then also if they forced Cooper Manning to keep playing in actual games against all his brothers and their teams even though he himself was nowhere near qualified to be an NFL quarterback.

The Red Raiders then promptly went out and stunned Iowa State. Am I taking complete credit for that? Yes, yes I am.

I'm also going to go even bigger this week and guarantee that Texas Tech doesn't win this game. You're welcome, Tubby.

No. 25 Butler at Marquette (2 p.m./Fox Sports)

If only so I can post this tweet.

I like your cape. #BigDawgsTour RT @FatherMarquette: So we meet again, @ButlerBlue3 pic.twitter.com/mk54bhXKAA
— Butler Blue III (@ButlerBlue3) January 30, 2015

People who don't like Butler Blue also get Applebees-to-go so they can watch Good Luck Chuck from the comfort of their couch on Saturday night.

No. 21 Georgetown at Creighton (2 p.m./CBS Sports Network)

Georgetown comes into this game after seeing its four-game winning streak snapped by Xavier on Wednesday, while Creighton won for the first time in 10 tries a day later by beating St. John's.

Rutgers at No. 22 Indiana (3:15 p.m./Big Ten Network)

Indiana is averaging a whopping 85.7 points per game inside Assembly Hall, where it's 3-0 in Big 10 play and 12-1 overall this season. The Hooisers, who have been decimated in back-to-back road losses at Ohio State and Purdue, can't afford to lose this one and risk letting the season start to get away from them.

Nebraska at Minnesota (6 p.m./Big Ten Network)

After Wednesday night's loss at Penn State, it's now or never for Richard Pitino's Gophers.

Utah State at San Diego State (8 p.m./CBS Sports Network)

Again .... it's the hair.