Andy Katz
College Basketball Analyst & Writer
John Fanta
College Basketball Broadcaster and Reporter
There are a host of great matchups on the college basketball schedule this week.
One of the best? A prime-time matchup Saturday on FOX between No. 10 Arizona and No. 14 Indiana. But that’s not all, as the scheduled is filled with ranked matchups and a couple of rivalry games, too.
Here are the matchups we’re most interested in this week, with some breakdowns on what to look for in each.
THURSDAY
No. 20 Iowa State at Iowa (8 p.m. ET; FS1 and the FOX Sports app)
Katz: Iowa was a bit overmatched inside against Duke on Tuesday. That won’t be the same issue vs. Iowa State, but the Cyclones are one tough out. Iowa State guards can make shots. This should be another real battle in the Cyclone state. The advantage may be with Iowa due to homecourt, but the Cyclones have proven to be a bit more steady thus far. Still think this game comes down to a late possession with, Iowa likely prevailing at home.
Fanta: This is an underrated rivalry nationally, and Carver-Hawkeye Arena will be rocking for a showdown of two winning programs. I’ll be intrigued to see Iowa’s offense, ranked No. 3 according to KenPom, go up against Iowa State’s 13th-ranked defense. The other dimension to this game is the rest factor. The Cyclones have not played since Sunday, while the Hawkeyes will have less than 48 hours off the Jimmy V Classic showdown against Duke on Tuesday evening. Can the Cyclones find enough offense to counter the Hawkeyes? Jaren Holmes and Caleb Grill will need to step up. In the end, I still lean toward Iowa, but if Aljaz Kunc can contain Hawkeyes superstar Kris Murray, this could be a battle.
FRIDAY
Washington at No. 18 Gonzaga (9 p.m. ET)
Katz: The Bulldogs are more of a work in progress than they’ve been in years. The guard play lacks consistency. Drew Timme badly needs help. The Zags outlasted a tough Kent State team at the Kennel in prep for this annual rivalry game. The Huskies have played well of late, especially Kentucky transfer Keion Brooks. Still, this is a tall task for the Huskies on the road. If this game were in Seattle then it could definitely be an upset-alert game for the Bulldogs. But I would anticipate they will continue to get the best of Washington.
Fanta: The Bulldogs have won 69 consecutive home games. Wow. That makes it an automatic uphill climb for Mike Hopkins and the Huskies on Friday night, but it’s an opportunity for Washington to make a major statement at The Kennel. That being said, advantage Gonzaga in this one. Even though the Zags’ backcourt has some question marks, and I do like Washington’s Brooks (16.6 PPG), I can’t see the Bulldogs losing to a team that struggles to score at times like the Huskies do. That plays right into the Bulldogs’ hands.
SATURDAY
No. 8 Alabama at No. 1 Houston (3 p.m. ET)
Fanta: What a fantastic matchup. I’m excited to see five-star freshmen on the floor together — the Cougars’ Jarace Walker and the Crimson Tide’s Brandon Miller. Tempo will be a major factor in this game, as Alabama prefers to run and find transition buckets, while Houston thrives on disrupting teams defensively and making it a physical war. It’s not to say Nate Oats’ team can’t play that way, but it’s important that Mark Sears and Jahvon Quinerly manage this game well, because All-American Marcus Sasser, Tramon Mark and Jamal Shead are such a tough backcourt for Houston. Look out for SEC Freshman of the Week Noah Clowney in this game. Can he find some success and establish something in the paint for the Tide? I lean with the No. 1 team in the land on its homecourt.
Katz: This will be one of the toughest games of the weekend. These teams play HARD. Houston is stingy. Alabama is going to body up against the Cougars. There will be two freshman stars in this game in Miller and Walker. This will be an NBA scout’s dream. The question for Houston is the health of star guard Sasser (shoulder). The Cougars can go through scoring droughts, so not having him could be an issue. Alabama has quite the back-to-back games with Gonzaga returning a series game to Birmingham on Dec. 17. Houston has this game and then Virginia the following weekend. If Houston wins both of those, don’t be surprised to see the Cougars flirt with a one- or two-loss season.
Xavier at Cincinnati (3 p.m. ET)
Katz: This has been one of the best college basketball rivalries — in the past. The hope is that Sean Miller and Wes Miller, unrelated, can get this one back to being a high-level, intense affair. But the animosity isn’t there right now. This is not the Chris Mack-Mick Cronin era. Xavier is more talented. Cincinnati is rebuilding. Still, this is a true road game for the Musketeers and the latest test for them to prove they are a Big East title contender. Jack Nunge has proven to be a tough matchup and could be a first-team all-Big East performer. Xavier had a quality post-Portland rebound win by knocking off former Cincinnati coach and Hall of Famer Bob Huggins and his West Virginia Mountaineers.
Fanta: It’s Miller Time! Sean meets Wes in a rivalry with absolutely no love lost, making this plenty of fun at Fifth Third Arena on Saturday afternoon. For the Bearcats to pull off a statement-making win, they need to keep Souley Boum from getting into a rhythm. He had 23 points and seven assists in the Musketeers’ win over West Virginia, and has been one of the best transfer portal additions to a program this season. As for Cincinnati, Landers Nolley II has to play a big-boy game as he did when he went off for 33 points against Arizona in Maui. This is a massive matchup, not just for the rivalry, It presents Cincinnati with an opportunity to get a move-the-needle win. For Xavier, can it string together a second straight quality result after falling just short to Indiana, Duke and Gonzaga earlier in the season? By the way, Skyline Chili is awesome. Anyone who disagrees shouldn’t be allowed to watch this game!
Auburn vs. Memphis in Atlanta (5 p.m. ET)
Fanta: This will be a war between Tigers, both of whom are in the top 15 in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency. It’s a great measuring stick opportunity for both teams, and a game like this is why Kendric Davis is at Memphis. The question for Auburn: Has it cleaned up its turnover problems? Wendell Green Jr., K.D. Johnson and Allen Flanigan are keys to just how far this Auburn team goes, as their ability to manage the basketball is the big question mark, particularly with Green. I think these teams could play a game that is decided at the wire. Can Memphis defend without fouling? Their key player is DeAndre Williams. He may be able to create some mismatches in this one.
Katz: Neither team has stood out so far this season. Auburn is getting the Top 25 love based on potential and personnel. Memphis had a disappointing Orlando performance. Auburn shouldn’t have been down to one possession against Northwestern in Mexico. Auburn has had some scoring droughts. It’s going to have to grind out wins this season. The high-level wins for Memphis are dwindling. This game is far more important for Memphis than Auburn.
No. 6 Kansas at Missouri (5:15 p.m. ET)
Katz: Missouri is off to an undefeated start under Dennis Gates. The best win so far was against Wichita State. Kansas hasn’t been as dominant so far, but Jalen Wilson and Gradey Dick have been consistently productive. If Missouri is to get the W, the Tigers must win inside. The Jayhawks should hold the edge on the perimeter. Regardless, this is fantastic that the rivalry is renewed. This matchup was a casualty of expansion when Mizzou went to the SEC. When both teams are playing well — and that onus is more on Mizzou — then this game can be one of the highlights of the non-conference portion of the season.
Fanta: To echo Andy’s sentiments, it’s beautiful to have this border war in college basketball, and there’s some juice to it this time around. We could see a lot of offense in this matchup, and Mizzou has a balanced attack to give the Jayhawks some headaches defensively. Kansas is still trying to figure certain things out with its frontcourt, but the Jayhawks have the best player on the floor in this game in Wilson. If Dick does well in the “robin” role and the Jayhawks can make Missouri slow down, it could be tough for the Tigers. Gates needs senior forward Kobe Brown to give the Jayhawks problems in the frontcourt, and the combo of Nick Honor and Sean East II must negate KU point guard Dujuan Harris. It would not surprise me to see Mizzo pull off an upset.
No. 10 Arizona vs. No. 14 Indiana in Las Vegas (7:30 p.m. ET; FOX and the FOX Sports app)
Fanta: Cats and Hoosiers on a Saturday night in Vegas on big broadcast TV with Gus Johnson and Bill Raftery on the call? Yes. Yes. Yes. If you’re a college basketball follower, this is an appetizing showdown.
As much as Arizona and Indiana have elite size, it’s what the guards do that will determine the way this game goes. Who has the better night: Indiana’s Xavier Johnson or Arizona’s Kerr Kriisa? The Wildcats need to avoid turnovers. If they can do that, I give Zona a slight edge in this one. For the Hoosiers, Jalen Hood-Schifino is significant in this game in my opinion. The stud freshman had 14 points in the win over North Carolina last week and the Hoosiers need his scoring to add a different dimension to their offense. The other telling figure for IU: perimeter shooting. I expect this to be a great game and watching the bigs square off will be must-see college basketball.
Katz: Arizona was stunned by Utah. Indiana got into a physical tussle with Rutgers and lost. Still, these are two of the most talented teams in the country. Indiana is the better defensive team, but Arizona has the size to handle Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson. Azoules Tubelis and Oumar Ballo can get it done in the post. Kriisa has the potential to be a pest for the Hoosier guards. This game should be a toss-up. But Arizona will hold the fan advantage as the Wildcats have consistently drawn well in Las Vegas.
SUNDAY
No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 13 Maryland in Brooklyn (4:30 p.m. ET; FS1 and the FOX Sports app)
Katz: The Terps got off to an 8-0 start (pending Tuesday night’s game at Wisconsin). The reason has been the play of Donta Scott and Jahmir Young. The Vols rebounded well after the loss to Colorado in Nashville. The toughness and grit edge goes to the Terps, and they should hold the fan advantage at Barclays. But the skill set of Tennessee bodes well for Rick Barnes’ crew. Again, this game should be even with a late-possession win likely.
Fanta: There aren’t many games that have increased in value from the start of the season to now more than this one. The Terrapins were under the radar in the Big Ten entering the year. Now, they’re a top-15 team in the country. The duo of Scott and Young has been difficult to contain, and Hakim Hart is shooting 52% from beyond the arc. That being said, the Terps haven’t seen anything quite like Tennessee’s defense. The Vols are so aggressive in how they guard, and the Battle 4 Atlantis champions are only allowing 51.5 points per game. To me, turnover count and 3-point shooting will determine the winner of this one. Maryland is only giving it up 11.5 times per game, while Tennessee’s forcing 20.4 per contest. When Santigo Vescovi and Zakai Zeigler play to their capabilities, the Vols are a Final Four candidate. Can Maryland’s backcourt keep them at bay and avoid giveaways?
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Andy Katz is a longtime college basketball writer, analyst and host. He can be seen on the Big Ten Network, as well as March Madness and NCAA.com, and he hosts the podcast “March Madness 365.” Katz worked at ESPN for nearly two decades and, prior to that, in newspapers for nine years.
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.
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