College basketball on TV: This week’s viewers’ guide
There are just two weeks left in the college basketball regular season, so the final push is upon us. There are some huge games in the Big East, Big Ten and Mountain West over the next four days, as well as two interesting matchups in the SEC.
Here are 14 games to keep an eye on this week. We’ll do this again Friday to spotlight the weekend games.
Monday
Indiana (16-9) at Ohio State (16-7), 7 p.m., FS1: The Hoosiers have lost four in a row and five of seven, and look like a team that is going to finish below .500 in the Big Ten. IU, which is 43rd in the NET rankings, plays solid defense, but its offense is problematic; the Hoosiers have scored more than 70 just once in their past eight games. This is one of two big games this week for Ohio State, which is one game back in the loss column in the Big Ten title race. Offense is not a problem for the Buckeyes, who seem to get good production every game from E.J. Liddell, who is playing as well as anybody in the Big Ten.
New Mexico State (22-4) at Seattle (21-6), 10 p.m., ESPN+: These teams are tied for the WAC lead, and this could decide the regular-season title. New Mexico State won the previous meeting by 15 at home. The Aggies are sloppy with the ball, but they get after it on the offensive boards. Nebraska transfer Teddy Allen has a streak of eight consecutive 20-point games for New Mexico State; he had 33 in the earlier win over Seattle. As for the Redhawks, they are 16-1 at home, rely on the 3-pointer and excellent (77.9 percent) from the line.
Tuesday
Michigan State (18-8) at Iowa (18-8), 7 p.m., ESPN: Michigan State has lost two in a row and four of five to lose a lot of ground in the Big Ten title race. The Spartans are sloppy with the ball and aren’t particularly good shooters as a team. The defense isn’t elite, but the Spartans do make opponents grind. Iowa has won four of five to move into the top 20 of the NET rankings. The Hawkeyes’ Keegan Murray is playing at a high level; in those five games, he is averaging 27.6 points and shooting 59.1 percent from the field, including 50 percent (10-of-20) from 3-point range.
Arkansas (21-6) at Florida (17-10), 7 p.m., ESPN2: Florida is coming off a home upset of Auburn, but that was just the Gators’ second Quad 1 win (the other came in November against Ohio State). C Colin Castleton is a constant, but the rest of the lineup is inconsistent. Arkansas has used an aggressive and physical defense to win 11 of its past 12 games. It’s good the defense is a constant because the Hogs can sputter on offense at times; they’re not good from 3-point range. Arkansas comes in off a 10-point win over Tennessee, and after Florida, the Hogs finish the regular season with Kentucky, LSU and Tennessee.
Villanova (21-6) at UConn (19-7), 8 p.m., FS1: Villanova has won five in a row and eight of nine, and trails Providence by a game in the Big East race. One of those wins was 85-74 over UConn on February 5 in which Villanova big man Eric Dixon outplayed UConn counterpart Adama Sanogo, especially on the boards. This features two high-level guards: Villanova’s Collin Gillespie and UConn’s R.J. Cole. Thanks to good defense, the Huskies have won three in a row and four of five.
San Diego State (17-6) at Boise State (21-6), 9 p.m., CBS Sports Net: The strength and depth of the Mountain West has become a big story, and these are two of the four league teams that look to be in good shape for an NCAA bid. Both are in the top 40 of the NET rankings. San Diego State, which has won five in a row, plays stifling defense and is No. 1 in the nation in defensive efficiency, as per kenpom.com. The Aztecs’ offense? Let’s just say it’s good they play stifling defense. Boise State beat SDSU 42-37 — yes, you read that correctly — in San Diego on January 22. Boise also wins with defense, and the Broncos are better offensively than the Aztecs. But the Broncos, who are tied for the league lead with Wyoming, are horrible from the line, shooting just 64.5 percent.
Wednesday
TCU (16-8) at Texas (19-8), 7 p.m., ESPN2: Going into Monday night’s game with West Virginia, TCU has lost three in a row and four of five to fall to 56th in the NET rankings; the Horned Frogs are in danger of sliding off the NCAA bubble. Beating Texas would give TCU five Quad 1 wins, but winning in Austin is a tough ask considering the Longhorns hammered the Horned Frogs by 23 in Fort Worth on January 25. TCU struggles on offense; the Horned Frogs shoot 29.6 percent from 3-pooint range.
Xavier (17-9) at Providence (22-3), 7 p.m., CBS Sports Network: Providence remains in the lead in the Big East, thanks to an epic rally from 19 down in the second half at Butler on Sunday. The Friars beat Xavier by three in Cincinnati on January 26 behind 22 points from Al Durham. But Durham missed Sunday’s game with an injury and his status is unknown. Xavier has lost four of five, but still is 25th in the NET rankings. The Musketeers’ outside shooting has been a problem.
LSU (19-8) at Kentucky (22-5), 9 p.m., ESPN: UK beat Alabama without Gs TyTy Washington and Sahvir Wheeler on Saturday, an impressive outcome considering how important those two are. LSU beat UK by five in Baton Rouge on January 4, thanks to a strong defensive effort that held the Wildcats to 37.5 percent shooting. That win came during LSU’s 15-1 start. Things have gone haywire since then. The Tigers are 2-6 on the road, and unless they’re on fire from 3-point range, it’s hard to see them winning in Rupp.
Wyoming (22-4) at Colorado State (21-4), 9 p.m., CBS Sports Network: Here are the other two Mountain West teams that appear to be in decent shape for an NCAA bid; both are in the top 40 of the NET rankings. Wyoming is tied for the league lead with Boise State, while Colorado State is two back. The Rams, who are 12-1 at home, are offense-minded; they’re proficient from 3-point range, effective in the paint and money from the line (78.8 percent). Wyoming beat the Rams by six in OT in Laramie on January 31. The Cowboys rely heavily on their 1-2 frontcourt punch of 6-7 Hunter Maldonado and 6-9 Graham Ike, he of the 7-foot-5 wingspan and 13.5-inch hands.
Thursday
Gonzaga (23-2) at San Francisco (21-7), 9 p.m., ESPN2: Gonzaga, which is No. 1 in the NET rankings, already has clinched the West Coast Conference title But the Zags have a tough final week, playing at USF and at Saint Mary’s, which are third and second, respectively, in the WCC. San Francisco is 29th in the NET rankings, and the Dons win with defense, specifically stifling defense on the perimeter. USF is in decent shape for an NCAA bid, and a win over the Zags likely locks up a berth.
Ohio State (16-7) at Illinois (19-7), 9 p.m., FS1: This is the second big game this week for the Buckeyes, and this one figures to be the tougher of the two. Illinois’ offensive focal point is 7-0 junior Kofi Cockburn, and when the Illini perimeter guys are hitting, this can be a devastating inside-outside attack. Illinois is one of three games tied for the Big Ten lead; to stay tied, the Illini need to find a way to slow Liddell.
Belmont (24-5) at Murray State (26-2), 9 p.m., ESPNU: Murray State has won 16 in a row and is one of three teams nationally unbeaten in conference play (the others are Gonzaga in the West Coast and South Dakota State in the Summit). The Racers are 26th in the NET rankings and already have clinched the OVC regular-season title; they beat Belmont, which is second in the league, by 22 on the road. Belmont is good offensively, and the Bruins need to be red hot from the outside if they’re to pull the upset. In the first meeting, Murray State was 14-of-25 from 3-point range (the Racers hit more 3s than 2s) and Belmont was 5-of-23.
UCLA (19-5) at Oregon (17-10), 9:30 p.m., ESPN: The Ducks have lost three of four and are in big-time danger when it comes to an NCAA bid. Oregon is 63rd in the NET rankings and has just two Quad 1 wins — though one of them is an overtime victory at UCLA on January 13. Oregon had six guys in double figures in that one, with a lot of one-on-one success: The Ducks had just six assists. The Bruins are 3-3 in their past six, but they are coming off back-to-back blowouts of Washington State and Washington. Impressive against Washington was that the Bruins won by 26 even though Johnny Juzang didn’t play.
For those looking ahead, the first conference tournament game is March 1, and the NCAA’s “Selection Sunday” is March 13.