As regular readers of the Starting Five feature know, we tend to focus on Top 25 matchups when selecting which of the many college basketball games on the schedule to preview. We don’t call it the USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll for nothing, after all. But generally speaking, such high-profile contests usually live up to their entertainment potential. Equally important, the winner is all but guaranteed a resume boost that will come in handy in a couple of months.
By coincidence, there are exactly five pairings of ranked opponents on the docket this weekend. That quintet of games is monopolized by just two conferences, however, but fret not if you’re a fan of a team from one of the other leagues. You’ll get your turn in this space soon enough. For now though, here’s where the action will be the hottest on this cold weekend.
No. 1 Auburn at No. 23 Georgia
TIME/TV: Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, SECN
Yes, the SEC once again leads the way with three of the ranked-on-ranked clashes. That might change as its teams continue to pick each other off. Georgia almost certainly needs a win here to retain its spot in the poll after running into a second-half buzzsaw at Tennessee Wednesday night. As for the Tigers, their first defense of their No. 1 spot in the coaches poll went well despite the absence of star forward Johni Broome. Auburn’s 22-point romp against the league’s other Bulldogs, Mississippi State, was facilitated by a solid outing from Chaney Johnson in his first start of the season in place of Broome, as well as the usual output from guard Chad Baker-Mazara. These Dogs, however, have won their first two conference games at home, including a takedown of Kentucky that helped get them ranked. They rely on a deep backcourt for a lot of their points but will need 6-11 forward Asa Newell to be a presence at both ends in the paint.
No. 5 Alabama at No. 9 Kentucky
TIME/TV: Saturday, noon ET, ESPN
The weekend’s top-10 showdown finds the Crimson Tide in need of a bounce-back performance following a home loss to Ole Miss. But getting such a result is easier said than done at Rupp Arena, where the Wildcats are unscathed this season. Kentucky won’t mind playing at Alabama’s high speed, though the Wildcats take nearly half their shots from beyond the arc and can struggle when they aren’t falling. When things go badly for the Tide, it’s usually because of turnovers. Both teams are guard heavy, but the battle on the boards between Alabama’s Grant Nelson and Kentucky’s Amari Williams will be worth watching.
No. 21 Mississippi at No. 18 Mississippi State
TIME/TV: Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN2
After winning its first two SEC contests, Mississippi State received a bit of a reality check against the league’s upper tier. The Bulldogs look to return to their winning ways on their home floor against their archrivals. But the Rebels, thanks to that huge road win in Tuscaloosa, enter the weekend as one of just two SEC squads yet to lose in conference play. Ole Miss has been riding the hot hand of wingman Malik Dia, a transfer from Belmont who took a while to find his game but has averaged 21 points in his last three outings. The Bulldogs need leading scorer Josh Hubbard to find the range quickly after a rough shooting night at Auburn.
No. 15 Purdue at No. 14 Oregon
TIME/TV: Saturday, 3 p.m. ET, NBC
We now turn our attention to the bigger Big Ten, where the Boilermakers have won six in a row and look to complete a sweep of their first west-coast swing in the conference after handling Washington on Wednesday The Ducks should be rested after escaping their long trip to Penn State with a one-point win six days earlier. The inside-outside combo of Nate Bittle and Jackson Shelstad leads the way for Oregon. Looking to match plays with them will be the veteran Purdue tandem of Trey Kaufman-Renn and Braden Smith.
No. 20 Illinois at No. 12 Michigan State
TIME/TV: Sunday, noon ET, CBS
Our Sunday Big Ten offering in this space last week turned out to be something of a bust as Purdue routed Nebraska. We hope this one delivers the goods. The Spartans’ early-season tribulations during a tough non-conference slate now seem to be paying dividends as they have rattled off 10 consecutive wins. The Fighting Illini dug themselves an early hole in league play and now look to avoid a third Big Ten setback. Illinois’s decisive victory at Indiana on Tuesday night might be more indicative of the Hoosiers’ woes, but the Illini were nevertheless happy to have freshman sensation Kasparas Jakucionis back in the lineup after a two-game absence. Jaden Akins (14.2 ppg) is Michigan State’s only player averaging in double digits, but 10 Spartans log over 13 minutes per contest and all but one contribute at least 5.9 points a game.