College basketball on TV: This week’s viewers’ guide
There are just three weeks left in the college basketball regular season, so the stretch run is here. There are some huge games in the Big East and Big 12 over the next four days, as well as an interesting matchup in the SEC.
Here are 10 games to keep an eye on this week. We’ll do this again Friday to spotlight the weekend games.
Monday
Washington State (14-9) at Oregon (16-8), 9 p.m., ESPNU: This is the first game in a huge week for Washington State, which also plays UCLA and USC on the road. The record isn’t all that much, but Washington State is 46th in the NET rankings and definitely can improve its NCAA stock this week. The same goes for the Ducks, who are 62nd in the NET rankings. This is the first of two meetings between the teams. Washington State is all about defense. The Cougars haven’t scored more than 78 in any of their past 11 games and only twice in that stretch have they scored more than 71. Oregon is coming off a bad home loss to California on Saturday.
Tuesday
Wake Forest (20-6) at Duke (21-4), 7 p.m., ESPN: Duke, which is tied with Notre Dame for the conference lead, looks to be the only ACC team with a shot at a top four seed. The Blue Devils beat the Demon Deacons by 12 in Winston-Salem on January 12. Wake is coming off a home loss to Miami and is two games back in the loss column; it now gets Duke and Notre Dame back-to-back, and any hope of a regular-season league title likely requires a sweep of those two games. Two of the best players in the ACC will be on view in Duke’s Paolo Banchero and Wake’s Alondes Williams, an Oklahoma transfer who has 13 20-point outings this season.
Villanova (19-6) at Providence (21-2), 8 p.m., CBS Sports Network: Don’t look now, but the Big East race basically has come down to these two teams. This is the first of two meetings; they meet again March 1. Providence owns a two-game conference lead in the loss column over Villanova and at least four over everyone else. The Friars are 14-0 at home, but despite the gaudy overall record and five Quad 1 victories, the Friars are just 29th in the NET rankings and 47th in kenpom.com’s rankings. Villanova is at its best when it is hitting its 3-pointers. As per kenpom.com, the Wildcats are 345th nationally in percentage of points coming on two-point field goals.
Kentucky (21-4) at Tennessee (18-6), 9 p.m., ESPN: UK has won six in a row and 10 of 11, and is squarely in the mix for a No. 1 seed (and the SEC regular-season title). UK won the previous meeting by 28 in Lexington on January 15. The Vols, who are 13-0 at home, have won four in a row and six of seven, with the loss a one-point setback at Texas. Tennessee plays high-level defense and forces a bunch of turnovers. Is Kentucky G TyTy Washington going to be healthy enough to play? He had 28 points and five assists when the Wildcats beat the Vols in January. As always, watch Kentucky big man Oscar Tshiebwe, a human vacuum on the boards.
Wisconsin (19-5) at Indiana (16-8), 9 p.m., ESPN2: Wisconsin is one of five teams tied for second in the loss column in the Big Ten. Indiana has dropped three in a row to drop to .500 in the league, and the Hoosiers’ title hopes have evaporated. IU has to get a big game from Trayce Jackson-Davis if it is to win. Wisconsin, which is coming off a home loss to Rutgers, isn’t a good shooting team. As per kenpom.com, the Badgers’ effective field goal percentage is 47.9, which ranks 261st nationally.
Wednesday
Illinois (17-6) at Rutgers (15-9), 7 p.m., Big Ten Network: Rutgers is 81st in the NET rankings, but the Scarlet Knights have three impressive wins in a row and have put themselves in a position to earn an NCAA bid. They’ve beaten Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin — and now get, in order, Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana before closing the regular season with Penn State. Rutgers needs a productive game from Ron Harper Jr. Illinois owns a one-game lead in the Big Ten, and this is the start of a stretch that sees the Illini play three road games among their next four.
Seton Hall (15-8) at UConn (17-7), 8:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network: The Big East’s cannibalistic aspects have been on full view, as nine of the 11 league teams have at least five losses. Both these teams are in that boat, with Seton Hall at 6-7 in the league. Seton Hall can struggle offensively, but for the most part, the Pirates’ defense keeps them in games. UConn’s defense also can be quite stifling, and the Huskies do a nice job on the offensive boards, which is good because this is a team that can go through cold spells shooting the ball.
Baylor (21-4) at Texas Tech (19-6), 9 p.m., ESPN2: Kansas leads the Big 12, with Baylor a game back in second and Texas Tech two games back in third. Thus, this is rather important in the conference title race. The Red Raiders are elite defensively; they’ve allowed just four teams to score 70 points, and only two opponents have reached that plateau since December 1. Baylor plays good defense, too, and the Bears are better offensively than the Red Raiders. Key big man Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua was lost for the season with a knee injury in Saturday’s rout of Texas, and how the Bears adjust to playing without him obviously is going to be important.
Thursday
San Francisco (21-6) at Saint Mary’s (20-6), 10 p.m., NBC Sports BayArea/AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain: The West Coast Conference has a shot at four NCAA bids. Gonzaga obviously is getting one, and these teams also are in the mix; both are in the top 32 in the NET rankings. Both rely on defense. Saint Mary’s won by two in the first meeting, thanks to a big second half (the Gaels outscored the Dons 48-29 in the second 20 minutes). The Dons take a lot of 3-pointers, and they need to be hot from the outside if they’re going to win.
Washington State (14-9) at UCLA (17-5), 11 p.m., FS1: UCLA has lost three of four (all four were on the road) and its hopes for a Pac-12 regular-season title have faded. The Bruins now play their next three at home. UCLA has struggled a bit offensively of late, and the Bruins certainly would like Jules Bernard to regain his 3-point stroke. He is 3-of-22 from beyond the arc in the past five games.
For those looking ahead, the first conference tournament game is March 1, and the NCAA’s “Selection Sunday” is March 13.