With just three weekends of conference play left, college basketball has hit a crucial time of year.
From bubble watch to teams trying to bolster their résumé and others looking to put one last run together, this weekend will bring a wide range of storylines across the country.
A four-game slate airs Saturday on FOX, highlighted by a rematch of a Big East thriller, the women’s college basketball national leading scorer, some outstanding home-court advantages and an emotional renewal of a rivalry.
Here’s a breakdown of Saturday’s slate and what to watch for.
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Seton Hall at No. 20 UConn – Noon ET, Gampel Pavilion
This is a rematch of an epic game played 31 days ago, when the Pirates rallied from 17 points down to stun the Huskies, 67-66, on a KC Ndefo game-winner.
KC Nedfo makes UNBELIEVABLE and-1 layup for a Seton Hall comeback
Seton Hall’s KC Ndefo made an and-1 layup during the final seconds the game to defeat UConn, 67-66.
The circumstances of the rematch will be very different as the Huskies seek revenge inside Gampel Pavilion, where they have lost just once all year. Additionally, Dan Hurley and Kimani Young, who missed the first meeting between the two teams due to COVID-19, will be back on the sidelines for this one.
This is a crucial game in the Big East standings, with the top-five teams receiving a first-round bye in the conference tournament. Seton Hall is 9-7 in the league, while UConn sits in sixth place at 8-7.
For Connecticut, which owns six Quad 1 wins on the season and holds a NET ranking of 8, the home stretch is about regaining the momentum and rhythm that led to a 14-0 start this season. Last week, the Huskies looked great in a win over Marquette before falling just short of Creighton in Omaha, 56-53. Hurley’s team has won three of four and is playing better behind Adama Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins.
On the other side, Seton Hall is squarely on the bubble and sitting in Mike Decourcy’s “Next Four Out” of his NCAA Tournament projections. While a trip to Gampel is a daunting task, it does present the Pirates with a massive opportunity to make a statement to the selection committee and get on the right side of the bubble.
Shaheen Holloway’s team has the Huskies followed by a home game against Xavier on Friday. It is a must for Seton Hall to get one of the next two games to stay in the NCAA Tournament conversation. That won’t be easy, but Holloway’s gotten more out of this team than one would have originally thought.
No. 6 UConn at No. 14 Villanova (W) – 2:30 p.m. ET, Finneran Pavilion
This has the potential to be an outstanding showdown between the top two teams in the Big East standings. Additionally, both of these programs were included in the NCAA selection committee’s Top 16 reveal last week.
Connecticut holds a one-game lead in the conference at 15-1 after rallying from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Creighton on Wednesday night.
While UConn was doing that, Villanova was busy earning its 14th win in the last 15 games, a rate that’s second only to South Carolina nationally. How have the Wildcats won 23 of 27 games this season? With the best scorer in the country, and the top scorer in the history of the Big East Conference: Maddy Siegrist. The senior from Poughkeepsie, New York is averaging 29.4 points per game, which ranks first in the country. She scored a Big East single-game record 50 points against Seton Hall last Saturday, and then followed that up with 39 in a win at St. John’s on Wednesday.
Not only is Siegrist having an All-American season, but the senior is also one of the more down-to-earth personalities you will find. Her popularity has followed, as evidenced by Wednesday’s scene at Carnesecca Arena after her homecoming to New York.
Last year, Villanova went into Hartford and beat the Huskies at the XL Center with Siegrist going for 17 points and 12 rebounds.
This is one of the very few times in the Geno Auriemma era where UConn will show up for a game and not have the best player on the floor. That’s because Azzi Fudd is still dealing with a knee injury, and with Paige Bueckers and Ice Brady out for the year, Connecticut has had to piece together a short rotation. It’s on Lou Lopez Senechal, who had 17 points in the win over the Jays, to keep driving the backcourt, while Aliyah Edwards has to dictate the frontcourt play if the Huskies are going to win. Don’t be surprised if Villanova pulls this off, but it should be a highly competitive game with the Big East Women’s Basketball Tournament just two weeks away.
Villanova at No. 24 Providence – 4:30 p.m. ET, Amica Mutual Pavilion
The Friars have won 35 of their last 36 games inside their home building and 16 in a row after a double-overtime victory over Creighton on Tuesday. The last team to beat Providence on its home floor? Villanova.
It was Feb. 15 of last year when Collin Gillespie had 33 points and Justin Moore poured in 19 points and added 10 rebounds as Jay Wright’s Wildcats topped the Friars, 89-84. Oh, how times have changed for Villanova with Wright gone and no firm point guard to take over for Gillespie.
That said, Kyle Neptune’s team has played better as of late, winning three straight to get to 7-8 in the Big East and looking like a potential dark horse in the upcoming Big East Tournament. Caleb Daniels has combined for 31 points over the last two games, while Moore is coming off a 15-and-6 game against Butler.
Meanwhile, the Friars are still in the fight for a Big East title, currently in a tie for second place with Creighton and Xavier at 11-4. If Providence is going to maintain hopes of repeating as conference champions, they must win this game. Ed Cooley’s team started the week as an 8-seed according to Mike Decourcy, but a win over Creighton should help elevate their seed, as long as they handle business at home on Saturday.
Providence’s Devin Carter is one of the best defenders in America and is coming off a 25-point, eight-rebound performance in Tuesday’s win over Creighton. Additionally, Bryce Hopkins played all 50 minutes in that game for the Friars and is in the mix for Big East Player of the Year. The Kentucky transfer is a must-watch and has led Providence in points (16.8) and rebounds (9.2) per game this season.
Providence’s Bryce Hopkins throws down an alley-oop dunk
Bryce Hopkins’ huge alley-oop dunk increases the Friars’ lead over DePaul.
Michigan State at Michigan – 8 p.m. ET, Crisler Center
While Michigan State and Michigan have met countless times in basketball and beyond, the circumstances for this particular meeting are unprecedented as the Spartans take the court for the first time since the mass shooting on MSU’s campus Monday, which killed three and injured five more.
The Wolverines announced Thursday that they will have a series of tributes for the victims, from specially made shirts to a pregame moment of silence to the student section holding a “Spartan Strong” flag.
Saturday night is one where basketball is simply secondary, and the way that these two schools come together to honor the lives lost earlier this week will be a powerful scene.
In terms of where these teams stand, Michigan State is projected as a 7-seed in Decourcy’s latest bracket forecast. The Spartans (16-9) have been great defensively, typically a staple of Tom Izzo’s teams, but they have struggled to generate consistency on the offensive end. There’s not a bigger key to that equation than Tyson Walker, who switches the Spartans into a different gear when he’s hitting shots.
It has been a disappointing year for Juwan Howard’s team. Picked to finish third in the Big Ten preseason poll, Michigan sits in the back half of the conference at 8-7. While Jaelin Llewellyn’s season-ending injury certainly hurt, the supporting cast just has not been strong enough, particularly beyond Jett Howard and Kobe Bufkin. While both of them have made strides as the year has gone on, Michigan has struggled to muster up enough big buckets in tight situations to break through. It’s what has led the Wolverines to a 3-9 record against Quad 1 teams and owning a Quad 4 loss to Central Michigan. They are off the map for the NCAA Tournament currently, but have the Spartans, Rutgers, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana still left on the schedule. If the Wolverines can win three of those five, they could enter Big Ten Tournament week hanging around what is a very soft bubble.
In the first meeting this season, a 59-53 Michigan State win, the Spartans held the Wolverines to 3 of 20 from 3-point range and the duo of Walker and A.J. Hoggard combined for 29 points.
A.J. Hoggard carries Michigan State past Michigan
A.J. Hoggard scored 15 points, grabbed four rebounds, and dished out six assists to lead Michigan State to a 59-53 victory over Michigan.
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 at @John_Fanta.
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