As conference play heats up, the teams get better and as March looms just over a month away, this is the time for college basketball teams to start making their push for a tournament bid. Here are my top 3 matchups for the weekend.
This Big 10 showdown could possibly be one of the greatest upsets of this season. In their past two games, Tom Izzo's Spartans have taken care of business, beating back to back top 25 teams. However, the Boilermakers feel just as confident, riding a 3 game win streak. Their last loss? January 8th against Michigan State. They desperately want a win and behind Sophomore and scoring machine Carsen Edwards, they might be able to pull off such an upset.
Basketball in the SEC gets intense this time of year and this top 25 matchup is a very good example. Although both teams are on losing streaks, the losses weren't blowouts. Last Saturday, the Tigers lost a shootout with Kentucky 82-80, then fell to South Carolina 80-77, a few days later. The Bulldogs have had their share of ups and downs, posting just a 2-3 record in conference play, one of them a overtime loss at South Carolina. So you can bet that in this primetime matchup, with both of these talented teams in need of a victory, the stakes will be high and the game extremely close.
Each Saturday at 5pm, ESPN broadcasts "The Game of the Week" between two top 15 teams. This week's game may be one of the closest of the season because of their post play. Center Dedric Lawson is Kansas' top threat coming off a 29 point game against Iowa State and averages 10 rebounds a game. Meanwhile, Kentucky Power Forward P.J Washington dominated the Wildcats' most recent game against Mississippi State with 21 points and four blocked shots. While he has been inconsistent at times, he has the ability to beat teams in the paint when he's at his best. This is a showdown you won't want to miss.
Prediction: Kentucky, 76 Kansas, 71
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