College Basketball Preview: Key Saturday Matchups

Scouring the college basketball schedule looking for games with playoff implications, I found 9 matchups this upcoming Saturday, Feburary 2, that will have a major impact on shaping the NCAA tournament’s field of 68 in March.

These games are likely to be well-played, close contests. The atmospheres surrounding them will be incredible given their NCAA tournament implications. It is only January, but it is already do or die time for some teams.

Here is a look at what is going on in college hoops this Saturday.

12pm – Seton Hall @ Butler

SHU is anything but comfortable with their position right now. Hanging dangerously off the edge of the bubble and losing their grip, the Pirates need desperately to complete the season sweep of Butler by taking the road leg in Indy.

If Seton Hall is sweating about their tournament chances then folks at Butler are probably having heart attacks. I currently have Butler ranked below Seton Hall. The Bulldogs are one of my first teams left out of the tournament. The road back into the field of 68 begins by defending home court on Saturday.

12pm – #12 Virginia Tech @ #23 North Carolina St

Fresh off a heartbreaking OT loss to #3 Virginia, NCST can really make or break their NCAA tournament seeding here. Another loss to a good team would doom the Wolfpack to being stuck in that 8-11 seed range. A big win here could jumpstart a run that carries NCSU to an advantageous first-round matchup.

VT has to love where they are at right now, which is in that 3-5 seed range. A 1-seed is not out of the question for HC Buzz Williams and his Hokies. If VT keeps winning and can take down Duke for the ACC crown, consider them a strong favorite to nab a top-spot in March Madness. It all starts by beating a ranked opponent on Saturday.

2pm – #9 North Carolina @ #15 Louisville

UNC is a carbon copy of VT – just a couple of ACC schools with an outside shot at a 1-seed in the NCAA tournament.

For Louisville, this game serves as the opening stage of a ruthless ACC gauntlet. After playing #9 UNC, the Cards will face #12 VT, #25 Florida St, and #2 Duke. Getting a win at home will take the pressure off as this is a 4-game stretch that Louisville could legitimately go winless through.

2pm – Radford @ Winthrop

Tipping off simultaneously to UNC and the ‘Ville is a playoff-caliber matchup between 1st and 2nd place in the Big South as conference-leader Radford visits Winthrop in their first meeting of the season.

The Highlanders just suffered their first conference defeat of 2018-19 but still hold a 1-game lead for first place. Radford is my pick to come out of the Big South. If anyone will beat them in the conference tourney, it is the current 2nd-place team, Winthrop. This is the Eagles’ chance to show they can hang.

You heard it here first, Radford and Winthrop will be playing for the Big South conference tournament championship in early March. This game offers a small taste of what is in store.

4pm – #16 Texas Tech @ #11 Kansas

The Raiders are coming off an excellent win, taking care of business against TCU. Kansas is still reeling from back-to-back losses at the hands of Kentucky and Texas.

Assuming they were about to get hot and begin dominating, I had the Jayhawks penciled in as the Big 12 tournament champs and a 1-seed in March. 1-seeds do not lose 3 games in a row.

I fully expect the Raiders to receive Kansas’ best effort on Saturday. Can TTU survive a blow from a heavyweight like Bill Self? One of these two teams is going to prove on Saturday that they belong in the 1-seed discussion. I may also have to consider changing my Big 12 pick if Kansas continues to slide.

6pm – Kansas St @ Oklahoma St

Kansas St is bumming around in the 9-seed neighborhood. I have seen the Wildcats play like a team capable of winning the Big 12 tourney in March.

Unfortunately I have also seen the Wildcats play like a First Four team. No one wants to enter the tournament with a 9-seed or lower and have to play as the underdog in the opening round. Adding another road win to their resume would do wonders for KSU’s placement in March. Losing this game would seal KSU’s fate as one of the last at-large bids selected for the field, a spot no one wishes to occupy.

6:30pm – George Mason @ VCU

Next, we are treated to a huge A-10 matchup between the current conference leader George Mason and the preseason favorite VCU. It has been a struggle for the Rams. I do not see them receiving an invitation to the NCAA tournament in March.

This game has the opportunity to provide hope for VCU, however. If they can beat the Pats, they will gain confidence knowing they can matchup with anyone come conference tournament time.

Each team has something to prove here. Can VCU compete with the best in the A-10 this year? Does George Mason belong at the top of the conference or will they soon be overrun by the more established powers?

8pm – Alabama @ Auburn

The rollercoaster ride continues for the Tide. After I placed them barely inside the field of 68 after this past weekend, Alabama went out and beat #22 Mississippi St. HC Avery Johnson knows that a slip up on the road can put his team right back on the bubble. Alabama is currently 10-seed material. Now is not the time to take their foot off the gas.

Auburn finally snapped their 3-game skid on Wednesday by routing Missouri. I had this team as a 4-seed in my first predictions, but that enthusiasm is a distant memory. Auburn cannot lose a home game here. A loss would put them in that 7-9 seed range, uncomfortably close to the bubble.

8pm – Texas Christian @ Baylor

TCU played themselves back into the field of 68 last week with a couple of mammoth wins. Baylor is no slouch, and laying a dud and getting upset in February will stick in the committee member’s minds.

TCU controls their own destiny. Keep winning and they are in the NCAA tournament. The Horned Frogs need to win the winnable games because they still play #11 Kansas and #16 Texas Tech with two games against #20 Iowa St.

Baylor is an enigma. The early portion of their season contained some horrible losses, including Texas Southern, Wichita St, and SFA. Since conference play began, the Bears have killed it. Baylor’s resume now contains wins against Iowa St, Texas Tech, West Virginia, and Oklahoma – plus a win against Alabama in the SEC-Big 12 challenge.

If Baylor keeps winning, they could absolutely come out of nowhere and steal an at-large bid. Adding another win against a tournament-bound team can only help their chances.

We have a lot to look forward to as college basketball fans. You know how I’ll be spending my Saturday. Have fun out there!