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What to Watch in College Basketball This Week (2/17)


djsalway
  • The season is winding down and there are some key matchups in the upcoming week between many different top 25 teams. Syracuse and Wichita State have remained undefeated this long, but will this continue?

Games to Watch:

Who: (19) Texas @ (17) Iowa State

When: Tuesday, February 18 @ 7 PM

Where: ESPN2

Preview: This game is an interesting one because Texas has been dominant against certain teams, but they dropped a game against Kansas State just last week by 17 points. DeAndre Kane for the Cyclones has been one of the best stories of the year. He is a graduate transfer who was not much of a star at Marshall, but has become a fantastic player at Iowa State. This will come down to the matchup between Kane and Texas’ point guard Javan Felix. Along with that, Iowa State’s Melvin Ejim has been arguably the best player in the Big 12 and will look to have another great game.

Who: (4) Arizona @ Utah

When: Wednesday, February 19 @ 10 PM

Where: Fox Sports 1

Preview: Last time these two teams played, Arizona was undefeated and looked as if they could run the table in the Pac-12. Utah played them close until the final buzzer, but Arizona, once again, came out on top. Since then, Arizona has faltered twice, losing two of their last three, causing their ranking to drop. The reason for their suspect play of late is the foot injury of Brandon Ashley, a key starter. Utah’s Jordan Loveridge has been one of the top scorers in the Pac-12 this year and has led Utah to a 17-8 overall record, making them possibly a bubble team. This could be a good game since it was so close last time between these two teams, but Arizona needs to prove that they belong as a 1 seed for the NCAA tournament, making me believe that they will come out motivated.

Who: (5) Duke @ North Carolina

When: Thursday, February 20 @ 9 PM

Where: ESPN

Preview: What do I even need to say about this? This is Tobacco Road. This is possibly the best rivalry in all of college basketball. These two schools are separated by just 8 miles and hate each other with a deep passion. North Carolina was inconsistent earlier in the season, but they have won their last 6 and are playing at home in this game. Duke has been playing some great basketball but are in the middle of a schedule which includes 4 games in 8 days, which has had some people complaining. I see Duke coming out and beating down on this North Carolina team in order to stay on a roll going into their game at Cameron Indoor against Syracuse on Saturday.

Who: Mercer @ Florida Gulf Coast University

When: Friday, February 21 @ 6:05 PM

Where: ESPNU / ESPN3

Preview: This game is between the top two teams in the Atlantic Sun. Florida Gulf Coast is currently one game behind Mercer for the top spot in the league, which could prove to be important come conference tournament time. Whoever ends up winning the conference tournament will be the only one to get a bid for the NCAA tournament, making this game extremely important for both teams. Florida Gulf Coast is the ultimate “Cinderella story” and have followed up last year with another solid year, returning most of their players from last season. Mercer has been solid, only slipping up twice in conference and destroying FGCU last time they played each other. This will be a fantastic game. Catch it if possible.

Who: VCU @ UMass

When: Friday, February 21 @ 7 PM

Where: ESPN2

Preview: This is an interesting matchup between these two schools because both are near the top in the Atlantic 10 this year and will be looking to keep pace with the undefeated (in conference) Saint Louis Billikens. UMass has a solid little guard in Chaz Williams, who can spur the team on to victory with both his scoring and facilitating ability. They are one of the more athletic teams in the country, which allows them to get up and down the court for a full 40 minutes. VCU will look to slow them down with their “havoc” defense, which is a full-court pressure defense. This could be a great game and one that will determine seeding for the tournament, as both teams are likely to get into the big dance.

Who: (2) Florida @ Ole Miss

When: Saturday, February 22 @ 12 PM

Where: CBS

Preview: Florida has proven to be one of the best and most consistent teams in the past two months. Scottie Wilbekin has led this team to one of the best records and an undefeated record in the SEC. With their great winning streak on the line, they take on a streaky Ole Miss squad who has Marshall Henderson. He could very possibly go off for 40 points just by getting hot at the 3 point line. It will be an interesting game, but with Florida’s front line power, they have the advantage.

Who: (11) Louisville @ (7) Cincinnati

When: Saturday, February 22 @ 12 PM

Where: CBS

Preview: Cincinnati is leading the newly-formed American Athletic Conference and looking to solidify that lead with a win against Louisville. Even though the league isn’t deep, this is a matchup between two marquee teams. Louisville’s back court will have their hands full with Sean Kilpatrick, but at the same time Russ Smith will be leading the Louisville squad. This could end up being a good game, but because of Cincinnati’s struggles recently, I’ll give the advantage to Louisville.

Who: (16) Wisconsin @ (15) Iowa

When: Saturday, February 22 @ 12 PM

Where: ESPN2

Preview: This game is important for the Big Ten race and who will end up near the top to challenge the Michigan and Michigan State teams that lead the conference currently. Wisconsin has gotten hot after a little stumble in the middle of their season, while Iowa has consistently won by scoring a lot of points with their deep bench. The battle of the big men will be important in this game, but also the matchup of Devyn Marble and Sam Dekker. Watch out for this game because it could very easily become a classic.

Who: (1) Syracuse @ (5) Duke

When: Saturday, February 22 @ 7 PM

Where: ESPN

Preview: College Game Day will once again be at this marquee matchup, putting it on the big stage. The last matchup between these two teams was a serious classic right from the beginning to the last second of the game. There were many ups and downs for both teams throughout that game which allowed for it to be a once in a lifetime type of game. The fact that Syracuse is struggling to beat every team they play is a reason that Duke should feel so confident in this game. Duke is hot at the moment and I believe they continue that through this game, handing Syracuse their first loss of the season.

Updated AP Poll:

  1. Syracuse (64)
  2. Florida (1)
  3. Wichita State
  4. Arizona
  5. Duke
  6. San Diego State
  7. Cincinnati
  8. Kansas
  9. Villanova
  10. Saint Louis
  11. Louisville
  12. Creighton
  13. Michigan State
  14. Virginia
  15. Iowa
  16. Wisconsin
  17. Iowa State
  18. Kentucky
  19. Texas
  20. Michigan
  21. Connecticut
  22. Memphis
  23. UCLA
  24. Ohio State
  25. Gonzaga

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