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NCAA Basketball: Five games to watch on superb Saturday of college hoops
Nov 11, 2016; Honolulu, HI, USA; Indiana Hoosiers forward OG Anunoby (3) drives to the basket against Kansas Jayhawks forward Carlton Bragg Jr. (15) at Stan Sheriff Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
What are the top five games to watch on a superb Saturday of NCAA basketball?
With final exams wrapping up and Christmas approaching rather quickly, this is the last weekend for teams to make a statement in non-conference play. After the holiday, the tide turns to league play, where the competition increases a notch and teams begin to fight for league supremacy.
But first, we must enjoy what should be an excellent Saturday in college hoops. It might not top two Saturday’s ago when UCLA battled Kentucky, Baylor took centerstage against Xavier, Arizona faced off against Gonzaga, Providence went to the wire against Rhode Island and West Virginia locked horns with Virginia, but there are surely some must-see match-ups.
Unfortunately because the slate of games looks so juicy, we will have to leave out Lonzo Ball and UCLA versus Ohio State, Dayton versus Northwestern, BYU versus Illinois, Memphis versus Oklahoma, Arkansas versus Texas and Northern Iowa versus Iowa.
Regardless, there are three showdowns between top 25 teams and multiple rivalry games that will be covered heavily over the next couple of days on this site.
So if you’re a college basketball fan, or a basketball fan in general, sit back and enjoy the final true weekend of the non-conference slate. These are the five outstanding games, in order, that you don’t want to miss.
Dec 10, 2016; Syracuse, NY, USA; Syracuse Orange guard Andrew White III (3) shoots the ball as Boston University Terriers forward Nick Havener (1) defends during the second half at the Carrier Dome. The Orange won 99-77. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
5. Georgetown @ Syracuse
Time: Noon ET
Where to watch: ESPN/Watch ESPN
Prediction: Syracuse 70 Georgetown 66
Ah an old Big East rivalry game!
Last week, Syracuse played their old friend the UConn Huskies at Madison Square Garden. They couldn’t contain Rodney Purvis and blew a second half lead to place an ugly loss on their resume.
This week, the Orange host the Georgetown Hoyas at the Carrier Dome.
Syracuse is 6-3 on the season, with their lone losses coming at the hands of South Carolina (Barclays Center), Wisconsin (in Madison) and UConn. The problem with Jim Boeheim’s unit is that they’ve looked impressive in the games that they are supposed to win, but don’t have a single quality victory on their resume.
Sure, the Orange crushed Monmouth (a stingy mid-major) by 21 and beat Dallas Moore and North Florida by six, but that won’t move the needle when the committee is sitting at a roundtable in March.
Andrew White (16.9 points) has lived up to expectations as one of the top transfers in the country. However, the Orange don’t have a single player beyond White averaging in double figures. Tyler Lydon seems more concerned about launching threes then playing from the inside-out, and the point guard play has been up-and-down to say the least.
Meanwhile, Georgetown has gotten off to another slow start after a 15-18 campaign in 2015-16. They beat Oregon in Maui and have won four straight, but they also blew a lead in the final 1:14 against Maryland, lost to Arkansas State at home and were embarrassed by both Wisconsin and Oklahoma State in Hawaii.
Even though the Hoyas have a lot of bodies (although they lost Isaac Copeland to a transfer this week), they rely too much on Rodney Pryor (20.6 points) and L.J. Peak (16.4 points) on the offensive end. They’ve also been brutal on the offensive glass and have struggled in the rebounding department in general.
While these two programs have not lived up to the early season projections, this should be a highly contested match-up because of the history and atmosphere in the building.
Dec 14, 2016; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats center Chance Comanche (far left) and center Dusan Ristic (left) and guard Rawle Alkins (1) and forward Lauri Markkanen (right) and guard Kobi Simmons (far right) huddle during the second half against the Grand Canyon Lopes at McKale Center. Arizona won 64-54. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
4. 19 Arizona versus Texas A&M
Time: Noon ET
Where to watch: ESPN2/Watch ESPN
Prediction: Texas A&M 77 Arizona 75
As part of the Lone Star Shootout at the Toyota Center, Arizona and Texas A&M will duke it out in the first of two games on Saturday afternoon (Arkansas-Texas is the other).
The Wildcats will come into this match-up with a three-game winning streak and a 9-2 record. Their lone losses have come at the hands of Butler (in Vegas) and Gonzaga (in Los Angeles).
While Arizona has a win over Michigan State, they are playing with just seven scholarship players due to the injuries to Ray Smith and Parker Jackson-Cartwright, and the eligibility issues that Allonzo Trier is dealing with.
Sean Miller’s unit relies heavily on three freshman, Lauri Markkanen, Rawle Alkins and Kobi Simmons, which doesn’t tend to bode well for college teams in big games.
The Wildcats are a great defensive team (similar to A&M), but they also turn the basketball over at a high rate. Against Grand Canyon on Wednesday night, the Wildcats had 19 turnovers, keeping the Antelopes within striking distance for the majority of the second half.
On the flip side, Texas A&M also hasn’t blown anyone away. They are currently considered the 4th best team in a weak SEC and have one quality victory.
But Billy Kennedy must feel good about his team. Their quality win came against an NCAA Tournament unit in Virginia Tech, and their lone losses were against an undefeated USC squad and a UCLA Bruins team that is 2nd in the country.
A&M actually could’ve easily stole the game away from the Bruins, but lacked production from DJ Hogg and JC Hampton on the offensive end.
The strength of the Aggies lies up front as they have one of the more interesting paint duos in Tyler Davis and Robert Williams. Both players compliment each other nicely; Davis is the bruiser and an old-school post player, while Williams is an athletic freak who can block shots and finish with authority on offense.
How Davis and Williams guard Markkanen and limit the Wildcats’ points in the paint will be one of the keys to this game. Markkanen can stretch the floor, so the Aggies will have to place Tonny Trocha-Morelos or Williams on him to limit his effectiveness.
Dec 10, 2016; Newark, NJ, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Matt Farrell (5) reacts to a call in his game against the Villanova Wildcats during the second half of the fist game at Prudential Center. Villanova won, 74-66. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
3. 21 Notre Dame versus 15 Purdue
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Where to watch: ESPN2/Watch ESPN
Prediction: Notre Dame 80 Purdue 75
Bankers Life Fieldhouse is going to be on fire this weekend, as Notre Dame faces Purdue and Butler takes on Indiana (more on that game a little later).
The Irish versus the Boilermakers will be one of three top 25 match-ups on Saturday, however, this showdown features an interesting contrast.
The Purdue Boilermakers are one of the tallest teams in the nation thanks to the presence of Isaac Haas, Caleb Swanigan and Vincent Edwards. Meanwhile, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are small, as they use Bonzie Colson (6’5″) at the four and sometimes the five position.
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While the Irish won’t exactly have the upper hand on the glass, they have looked like a top 20 team so far this season. They have wins over Northwestern and Colorado in Brooklyn, and also played the number one team in the country, Villanova, wire-to-wire. In fact, the Irish had an 11-point lead, and the final score is definitely not indicative of how the game played out for a full 40 minutes.
Notre Dame is a really solid offensive bunch that runs a ton of high pick-and-roll and has numerous options, including Matt Farrell, Colson, V.J. Beachum and Steve Vasturia.
On the other end, the Boilermakers are also a very efficient and effective offensive unit themselves. They average 83.7 points per game (which is 28th in the nation), shoot 50 percent from the field and drill 44 percent of their three pointers.
Matt Painter’s teams are always good on the defensive end, but Purdue’s biggest concern is a carry over from last year: They struggle mightily with turnovers.
The Boilermakers are turning the ball over 15 times a game, and the majority of those giveaways have actually come from their front court players (Swanigan had eight turnovers in a single game). If Purdue can limit their mistakes, they will have a very good shot at winning this battle.
Mar 19, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; Butler Bulldogs head coach Chris Holtmann (R) questions a call against the Virginia Cavaliers in the first half during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
2. 18 Butler versus 9 Indiana
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Big Ten Network (BTN)
Prediction: Indiana 85 Butler 77
While Notre Dame-Purdue is more than just an undercard, Butler-Indiana is the game to watch at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday.
The Bulldogs are looking for their second straight win against a top 25 opponent – they beat Cincinnati at Hinkle Fieldhouse last weekend. In addition to their win over the Bearcats, Chris Holtmann’s squad has wins over Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Arizona and Utah. They also have a bad loss to Indiana State, so beating the Hoosiers would be monumental for their resume.
Kelan Martin (17.7 points) and Andrew Chrabascz (11.0 points) are the only Bulldogs averaging in double figures this year, but Tyler Lewis has taken his game to another level. The 5’11” senior point guard has recorded 8.7 points, 5.2 assists and just 1.4 turnovers per game. He is also shooting 63 percent from the field and 47 percent from three.
Add in Kamar Baldwin, Avery Woodson and Tyler Wideman, and the Bulldogs have depth, talent, experience and some youth.
For the Hoosiers, OG Anunoby is expected to return on Saturday from an ankle injury that has kept him out for the last three games.
Indiana's OG Anunoby (ankle) has practiced well this week and is planning on playing Saturday vs. Butler, per Tom Crean. #iubb
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) December 15, 2016
Anunoby is unlikely to start but could have a major impact on the game off the bench.
Despite losing Anunoby for the last three outings, Indiana is currently 8-1 with two remarkable wins against Kansas and North Carolina. They also have a blemish on their resume, as they lost to Fort Wayne on the road.
If the Hoosiers do indeed beat Butler on Saturday, that would give them three top 25 wins and one of the top resumes in the country (along with Baylor and others).
That won’t happen unless the Hoosiers shoot the ball well from beyond the arc. Indiana struggles to create offense if they aren’t making plays in transition or knocking down threes, so James Blackmon Jr., Robert Johnson, and Anunoby must be on target from downtown.
Dec 7, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams reacts during the second half against the Davidson Wildcats at Dean E. Smith Center. The Tar Heels won 83-74. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
1. 7 North Carolina versus 6 Kentucky
Time: 5:45 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CBS
Prediction: Kentucky 85 North Carolina 73
The game of the weekend takes place in Las Vegas as two top 10 teams, Kentucky and North Carolina, face off in the CBS Sports Classic at the new T-Mobile Arena.
The Wildcats have a plethora of youth their roster, while the Tar Heels are an older, veteran bunch who have played excellent basketball so far this season.
We will start with Kentucky, who is currently 9-1 on the season. They haven’t played the toughest of schedules (wins over Michigan State and Arizona State highlight their season thus far) and lost to UCLA on their home court two weekends ago.
But the Wildcats have a couple of huge tests over the next week. After playing this game against the Tar Heels, Kentucky will travel to Louisville to face their in-state rival Cardinals.
These next two games will be a step up for freshman Malik Monk (19.4 points), De’Aaron Fox (15.1 points, 6.9 assists and 5.4 rebounds) and Edrice ‘Bam’ Adebayo (12.6 points and 8.0 rebounds). Isaiah Briscoe (the team’s second leading scorer) will also be challenged by the likes of UNC and Louisville.
Kentucky’s best chance to beat North Carolina on Saturday is to beat them in transition and to control the painted area. The Wildcats are an elite fast break team, but if opponents limit them to half court offensive sets, John Calipari’s unit can struggle due to their poor outside shooting and lack of consistent post play.
Meanwhile, North Carolina looked like a true National Title contender after running through the Maui Invitational. However, Roy Williams’ bunch has cooled off following their loss at Indiana. Joel Berry II (their second leading scorer and best player) suffered an ankle injury and has missed the last two games.
In those two match-ups, North Carolina almost lost to both Davidson and Tennessee on their home court.
Berry and the front court have been the bright spots, but Justin Jackson has made marvelous improvements. He is averaging 15.5 points (1st on the team), 4.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists, while shooting 45 percent from the field and 36 percent from three. He has been consistent and efficient, which have been the two knocks on the Tar Heel in the past.
Despite the progressions, that doesn’t mean I’m sold on North Carolina.
Even with a likely advantage on the glass and in the paint in general, I still think Kentucky has more firepower and athleticism. I doubt Berry is 100 percent and that’s why I’m giving UK a 12-point win.
