With Houston And Kansasthe top two teams in last week’s poll, both of which were home runs (and No. 3 Bordeaux I barely escaped) Over the weekend, college basketball has officially stepped up a notch as we enter the last week of January.
The Cougars’ loss was the fifth by a number one team in the country and the second by Houston alone. North Carolina He also had a pair earlier in the season, and Purdue had a slide earlier this month after four consecutive weeks in first place. The latest AP pollBut, as you’ll read, they’ll have a lot of work to do to be there a week from now.
This week’s slate has a lot of important games and features that has to be one of the best Saturdays of the season. The Big 12/SEC Challenge will provide a short respite from conference play for many of the nation’s top teams, but it doesn’t take away from top-level competition. Add to that several big games elsewhere, and it’s a crucial week before we flip the calendar to February. Without further ado…
This week’s best games
No. 9 Kansas at No. 17 Baylor (Monday, 9 p.m. on ESPN) – With the NFL off play on Saturdays or Mondays, college hoops are taking center stage. That starts tonight with Kansas facing off against Baylor. The Jayhawks have lost two in a row and have only had a three-game losing streak under Bill Self since 2003-04. Avoiding the fourth of them will not be an easy task.
Baylor has been more choppy this season than it has been in the past three campaigns, but Scott Drew’s team appears to be figuring things out during a four-game winning streak. The Bears have found a greater offensive balance, with three different scorers—Adam Flagler, Quenty George, and LJ Cryer—in their last three games and the Big 12’s best offensive efficiency. Defense was key, though: The Bears fell to 67.5 PPG allowed over their last four games after allowing 87.3 in their first three conference games.
Meanwhile, Kansas needs someone to help Jalen Wilson, and that “someone” is likely to be Grady Dick. The new star has gone 7-of-26 from the field and 3-of-16 from 3 in two straight losses.
no 5 Kansas State at No. 12 Iowa (Tuesday, 9 p.m. on ESPNU) – The Big 12 Wildcats can gain a further break from the pack with a win at Ames, while the Hurricanes can move into a tie for the top spot if they can defend their home court.
This one features contrasting patterns. Iowa has the conference’s best defensive ranking in league play. Kansas State has a No. 2 offensive league rating. Iowa State’s formula is pretty straightforward: Hook up the glass, create plenty of turnovers (it has the No. 1 forced turnover rate in Division I) and frame protection with the No. 2 block rate in Big 12 play. With Robert Jones and Oson Osuni pressing middle and capable shooters Jaren Holmes, Caleb Grill and Gabe Kalshore on the outside, the Cyclones have plenty of options for points. The problem is, they don’t have any very explosive options, while Kansas State has two: Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson, who rank first and third, respectively, in the Big 12 in isolation possession points. Johnson in particular can field matchups in Iowa’s three- and four-guard lineups.
No. 13 Xavier at No. 19 Okun (Wednesday, 6:30pm on FS1) – Again on New Year’s Eve, then no. 22 Xavier delivered then not. 2 okon His first loss of the season. Since then, the Knights have been 4-1 with one embarrassing loss to dePaul While the Huskies are only 2-4.
In the first meeting, Xavier destroyed the UConn defense with 77 half-court points. For reference, only one team has scored 65 points in a half-court game against the Huskies this season. The catalyst was to pick up and roll. UConn allowed a season-high 12 points.
This is exactly what Xavier wants to do – and is designed to do. Of the 111 teams for DI that have executed at least 75 catch and roll possessions through the roller, Xavier ranks second in points per possession and effective field goal percentage, behind only Creighton. Jack Nunge (the first three clips) and Zach Freemantle (the last clip) are identical nightmares who can run in or out to the 3-point line, and with excellent ground spacing for the riders – five players shoot over 39% from depth. – They have room to roam.
Utah in San Diego State (Wednesday, 11 p.m. on CBS Sports) – Don’t forget the mid-major conferences. The Aztecs lead the Mountain West with a 6-1 record in conferences, and Utah State is one of four teams at once to go 5-2. However, the San Diego State Aggies haven’t won since 1998.
Utah shoots at 42.7% on three-pointers, best in Division I, and Stephen Ashworth leads the way with 48.6%. Ashworth has a deep range which he uses for both quick and elusive shooting, and has an array of floats and runners within the arc. MWC Defensive Player of the Year Nathan Mensah will have his work cut out for the screens.
No. 10 Texas at No. 4 Tennessee (Saturday, 6 p.m. on ESPN) – As I mentioned earlier, college basketball benefits from the NFL not having Mondays and Saturdays, and features a Saturday portion Challenge 12 / SEC loaded. The crown jewel is here probably Texas in Tennessee. Both teams have great depth, with nine or 10 players seeing regular action. There are an abundance of subplots here, but the main one is Rick Barnes coaching his former show, where he is the captain who wins ever.
However, Barnes’ current group seems to be part of one thing he never could become in Austin: National Champions. Division I to lead the Volunteers defense in field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, assist-to-turnover ratio, and effectiveness, unsurprisingly. Tennessee defends the edge of the well, forcing turnovers at a high rate and aggressively attacking the attacking glass.
One area to watch would be a turnover. Tennessee ranks 243rd in turnover per game, and Texas is very good at not only forcing turnovers but converting them into points. The Longhorns 1,165 points per possession are in ninth transition among 160 Division I teams with at least 250 transitional possessions. They don’t just run hard. They work with a specific purpose, which creates great distances.
No. 9 Kansas at Kentucky (Saturday, 8 p.m. on ESPN) – Is Kentucky finally figuring things out? The Wildcats backed up a win at Tennessee with wins Georgia And Texas A&Mand they could match their longest winning streak this season if they win Vanderbilt Tuesday. The magic number is 10: Kentucky is 6-1 when you make 10 or fewer turnovers and 7-5 when you don’t.
Kentucky leads the state in offensive rebound percentage thanks to the awesome Oscar Chipui, who averages 16.6 PPG and 14.0 RPG, and Kansas isn’t particularly adept at blocking offensive rebounds. We’ll see if the Jayhawks feature a little more volume than usual. Either way, Jalen Wilson, KJ Adams and Kevin McCullar need to lead the charge on the glass.
Michigan State At #1 Purdue (Sunday, 12:15 p.m. on CBS) – Just a week ago, we got to deal with Spartans and Boilermakers Thriller 64-63with Zach Edey’s masterpiece of 32 points and 17 rebounds helping Purdue escape East Lansing with a victory.
The Spartans’ lack of depth has loomed large this season; His 13.7 points off the bench per game is 325th in the Division first and last in the Big Ten. It will be up to Tyson Walker, who had 30 points in last week’s meeting, to lead the offense again.
Three NBA possibilities to watch
Check out CBS Sports NBA Predictions 2023 Draft Rankings.
- With injuries and illness around him, Kyle Filipowski has been instrumental in keeping him going duke Standing on his feet, the 7-footer will have a couple of good opportunities to showcase his game this week. On Monday, he will have a tough match against him Virginia Tech. The Hokies have lost seven straight points but good floor space, often posting five able and willing 3-point shooters. Filipowski’s defense capability will be tested in space. On Saturday, he faces Georgia Tech. Filipowski is 16th in the odds ratings and Second place in Frosh Watch.
- Arkansas He has been running low lately, but Anthony Black played a huge role in ending the Razorbacks’ four-game losing streak with 17 points and 8 assists in a win over Ole Miss. He scored in double figures in three consecutive games for the first time since November. facing Difficulty LSU Tuesday and then gets a stellar test against guard-loaded Baylor — and fellow lottery prospect Keyonte George — Saturday. Black is tenth in the ratings of leads.
- Jarris Walker’s freshman season continued to be up and down last week with uneventful games. He will have two opportunities to move forward this week: the first on Wednesday at UCF Then on Saturday vs Cincinnati, who had 21 points earlier this month. The Houston freshman is 14th in the prospects rankings.