Four ranked opponents go head-to-head on a Saturday where the college basketball slate flanks us with great matchups across the board. There are only three undefeated teams left (Baylor, USC, and Colorado State), two of which are playing on Saturday. It’s been a crazy season with teams moving up and down the rankings all season but it finally looks like we’ve found some stability towards the top…for now. This slate of games will not disappoint as we’re are just about nine weeks away from Selection Sunday.
College Basketball: 3 Games to Watch on Saturday
#6 Kansas vs #25 Texas Tech
Both of these teams have stayed steady in the rankings the past few weeks as they meet up this Saturday. Kansas comes into this game 12-1 and is the number sixth-ranked team in the country. Their last loss came back in November when they lost by one against Dayton. Since then, they’ve been playing like one of the best teams in the country. A lot of that can be contributed to the play of Ochai Agbaji, scoring 20.2 points per game, and Christian Braun, who’s scoring 16.8 points per game. Kansas is top ten in points scored with 84.3 while shooting 50.7 percent from the field, 7th in the country.
Texas Tech isn’t as explosive as Kansas, but they can manage a game and attack the opposition. The Red Raiders have four players averaging double-digit points, one of them being Kevin McCullar, who is second on the team in points per game (13.5), and first in rebounds per game (6.1), assists per game (3.5), and steals per game (1.6). Terrence Shannon Jr. has only played six games but he’s averaging 14.3 points per game and shooting 47 percent from the field. Texas Tech lost their last game and is hungry for a huge upset at home against Kansas.
#18 Tennessee vs #21 LSU
This game between two ranked teams will be a fight until the end as both teams come in with double-digit wins. Even though Tennessee is 10-3 and LSU is 13-1, the Volunteers are ranked at 18 while LSU is ranked at 21. Both of these teams are close in many categories, including points per game, steals, and blocks. In fact, LSU and Tennessee both score about 76 points per game, are top-ten in steals and are tied in blocks per game with 4.9. Shooting isn’t either of these teams’ strong suits whether it’s from mid-range or long-range.
Tennessee’s duo of Santiago Vescovi and Kennedy Chandler are playing well as they’re both scoring about 13 points per game but the duo of Tari Eason and Darius Days are playing better. Eason is scoring 15.6 points per game with 7.3 rebounds while Days is scoring 14.3 points per game with 7.8 rebounds. These two SEC teams will enter a dog fight on Saturday and the winner should be on top of the other when the rankings come out on Monday.
#11 Iowa State vs Oklahoma
This matchup features two teams with a combined four losses on the college basketball season. Iowa State was undefeated headed into the New Year before Baylor knocked them off for their first loss of the season. Now sitting at 13-1, Iowa State is looking to build momentum after their win against Texas Tech on Wednesday.
Izaiah Brockington can score the rock as he’s averaging 16.8 points per game with 8.4 rebounds. Other than that, scoring has come at a minimum for the most part as their second-leading scorer is only averaging 10.2 points per game and the rest are in single digits. How are they getting the job done then? Well, their defense rates as one of the best in the country and are top 20 in steals.
On the other side of the court, Oklahoma has three players averaging double-digit points on the season but are averaging just over a point per game more than Iowa State. In their last game, the Sooners gave Baylor and run for their money, taking them down to the wire but ultimately fell short. What keeps Oklahoma in tough games, and sometimes stealing a victory, is their shooting percentage. Overall from the floor, they shoot 50.5 percent as a team, ranking 8th in all of college basketball. This game will be a tough, grind-it-out type of game as both teams are looking for a huge win to improve their resume.
Other Games to Watch
UConn vs #24 Seton Hall
#20 Colorado State vs San Diego State
#1 Baylor vs TCU
Miami vs #2 Duke
#19 Villanova vs DePaul
St John’s vs #17 Providence
#10 Michigan State vs Michigan
Wichita State vs #12 Houston
Virginia vs North Carolina
Florida vs #9 Auburn
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