The calendar tells us that the four seasons are equal in length. But we know better, don’t we? We know that winter is the longest, no matter the actual number of days. But fret not, friends. College basketball is here to keep us entertained when it’s coldest outside.
OK, truth be told some of the top teams in men’s hoops this season come from schools located in warmer latitudes, but you can still catch them on TV even if it’s frigid where you are. To that end, we present this edition of the Starting Five, in which we rank what we think will be the best games to watch over the weekend. We begin with a pair of clashes in the SEC, followed by a look-in on the most recent NCAA tournament finalists.
No. 5 Alabama at No. 9 Texas A&M
Time/TV: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
Both of these contenders are off to 2-0 starts in league play after challenging non-conference slates. The Crimson Tide took care of business on the road at South Carolina in their most recent outing, while the Aggies had to work considerably harder on Wednesday in a comeback victory at Oklahoma. A career night from Zhuric Phelps helped A&M overcome the absence of leading scorer Wade Taylor IV, whose status remains uncertain due to an undisclosed injury. But the bigger test for the Aggies will be on the defensive end, where Alabama has a slew of scoring options and loves to push the pace. If lead guard Mark Sears can get his three-point shooting back to his accustomed 40% clip, the Tide will be even more dangerous moving forward.
No. 7 Kentucky at No. 13 Mississippi State
Time/TV: Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET, SECN
Year one under Mark Pope in Lexington has gone fairly well, though the Wildcats got a dose of SEC reality when their huge home victory against Florida was followed by a road loss at Georgia. The league’s other Bulldogs, riding an eight-game winning streak, now get their shot at Kentucky on their home floor in Starkville. Both teams get the bulk of their scoring from the backcourt, but that doesn’t necessarily mean overreliance on knocking down treys. Josh Hubbard (17.1 ppg) is the usual catalyst for the Bulldogs, while the Wildcats have a steady hand at the point in veteran Lamont Butler.
No. 10 Connecticut at Georgetown
Time/TV: Saturday, 2 p.m. ET, Fox
The two-time defending champion Huskies had seemingly righted the ship after their terrible showing in Maui the week of Thanksgiving, but their eight-game winning streak came to an end Wednesday night at Villanova. They now face a Hoyas’ squad equally in need of a validating win after nearly toppling Marquette earlier in the week. UConn will again likely be without standout freshman Liam McNeeley (ankle), so the Huskies will need Solo Ball to continue his solid production to help veteran forward Alex Karaban. Georgetown has made strides in Ed Cooley’s second year at the helm, having already exceeded last season’s Big East win total. His roster makeover includes a solid freshman class led by forward Thomas Sorber and impact transfers like Jayden Epps (Illinois) and Malik Mack (Harvard).
Nebraska at No. 19 Purdue
Time/TV: Sunday, noon ET, BTN
The headliner of the Sunday slate takes us to Mackey Arena, where the Boilermakers have not lost this season. But while Purdue has a lot of returning pieces from the squad that played for the title last March, the approach is noticeably different without Zach Edey around to dominate the post. Trey Kaufman-Renn is a good producer on the interior, but on the whole points can be hard to come by for Purdue when the triples aren’t falling. The Cornhuskers, aside from an ugly blowout at Michigan State, have been in every game but could use a significant road result to solidify their resume. Brice Williams, a good shooter and decision-maker, is the main guy the Boilermakers must account for at all times.
Boise State at No. 25 Utah State
Time/TV: Saturday, 9:30 p.m. ET, CBSSN
Utah State had to hire a new coach for the fourth time in seven years but somehow still keeps on winning. The latest man in charge is Jerrod Calhoun, who has the Aggies back in the top 25 and off to a 5-0 start in the Mountain West. There’s been no such turnover at Boise, where Leon Rice has led the program since 2010, though the Broncos are still trying to break through in March Madness. A couple of key holdovers, guards Mason Falslev and Ian Martinez, have eased the transition at Utah State. The Broncos can also put a veteran lineup on the floor, with point guard Alvaro Cardenas transferring in from San Jose State to join program mainstay Tyson Degenhart.