College Basketball Weekend Viewing Guide

Make sure to check out The Field of 68 After Dark tonight.

Friday, 8:00 pm: Texas at No. 5 UConn, FOX

BetMGM Line: UConn -13.5
BetMGM Total: 145.5
KenPom: UConn 81, Texas 68

Continuing with the trend of big games on Friday nights, UConn will be back in action in Hartford as they host Sean Miller and the Longhorns. Texas has struggled a bit this season, losing to Duke in Charlotte and to Virginia at home by 19 points. They did beat NC State in Maui, however, and the one thing we know about Miller is that he has, in the past, been able to figure out a way to get a win against the Huskies. Tonight, however, will be a tall task.

Saturday, 12:00 pm: No. 17 Arkansas at No. 16 Texas Tech, ESPN2

BetMGM Line: N/A
BetMGM Total: N/A
KenPom: Texas Tech 76, Arkansas 75

Two programs that are looking to make a statement on Saturday. Arkansas has been one of the more underrated teams in college basketball this season, as close losses to Duke and Michigan State combined with a big win over Louisville has proven that John Calipari has a team worth paying attention to. Texas Tech has lost at Illinois and gotten blown out by Purdue. This is a win the Red Raiders really, really need to get.

Saturday, 2:00 pm: Marquette at No. 6 Purdue, Peacock

BetMGM Line: N/A
BetMGM Total: N/A
KenPom: Purdue 85, Marquette 67

This game looked much more interesting before the season started. Marquette has had all kinds of issues on both ends of the floor this year, and Purdue is still in kill mode after getting embarrassed at home by Iowa State.

Saturday, 3:30 pm: Memphis at No. 11 Louisville, ESPN

BetMGM Line: N/A
BetMGM Total: N/A
KenPom: Louisville 86, Memphis 73

When this game was scheduled in the offseason, I was much mored excited about the possibility of reigniting an old rivalry than I am about it now. Memphis does not have the horses to run with Louisville this year.

Saturday, 4:00 pm: No. 23 Nebraska at No. 13 Illinois, Peacock

BetMGM Line: N/A
BetMGM Total: N/A
KenPom: Illinois 82, Nebraska 74

This might be the most intriguing game of the day on Saturday, as the Huskers currently sport the longest winning streak in college basketball. Illinois has looked like a real threat to make a run at a Final Four this season as well. We’ll get a sense of how the Big Ten is going to shake out with this result.

Saturday, 5:30 pm: No. 19 Kansas at NC State, ESPN

BetMGM Line: N/A
BetMGM Total: N/A
KenPom: NC State 76, Kansas 75

This game had quite a bit more juice when NC State was playing well. It’s taken the Wolfpack some time to get going, but they still have enough talent and a homecourt that will be able to whip into a frenzy. This is going to be another test for Darryn Peterson, who is finally back after struggling with a hamstring injury for much of the season.

Saturday, 7:30 pm: Indiana at Kentucky, ESPN

BetMGM Line: N/A
BetMGM Total: N/A
KenPom: Kentucky 78, Indiana 74

Both the Hoosiers and the Wildcats suffered embarrassing losses last weekend. Indiana was able to bounceback during the week with a win against Penn State, while Kentucky saw one of their star centers, Brandon Garrison, get benched for a lack of effort. This is one of the better rivalries in college basketball, and the fact that Kentucky fans and Mark Pope are on the brink of war should help up the intensity level quite a bit. This is where Saturday’s storylines will be written.

Saturday, 9:30 pm: No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 12 Alabama, ESPN

BetMGM Line: N/A
BetMGM Total: N/A
KenPom: Arizona 87, Alabama 86

Alabama is banged up right now, but it’s hard to imagine a more interesting matchup than the Tide, who play with as much space and perimeter shooting as anyone in the country, face off with Tommy Lloyd and the Wildcats, a team that is built to run offense through the frontcourt. This is a terrific was to end the night.

Saturday, 11:30 pm: No. 25 UCLA vs. No. 8 Gonzaga, ESPN