College Basketball Saturday: 10 Games To Watch...Including Oregon State-Washington State

1. #18 Missouri Tigers vs. #10 Alabama Crimson Tide (9:00 AM PT, ESPN)

The ultimate SEC clash between the top two squads in the league, Alabama and their high-octane offense storm into Columbia on Saturday, in what should be a thrilling showdown with tournament implications. Missouri has won five of their last six overall, outside of a road trip to Auburn.

2. UCONN Huskies vs. Seton Hall Pirates (9:00 AM PT, FOX)

The Big East has been quiet outside of Villanova and Creighton in the national picture, but UCONN and Seton Hall bring up a mess of teams in the midst of the conference who will reshape the season in the next few weeks. This one should be an old fashioned, grind-it-out affair.

3. #17 West Virginia Mountaineers vs. #23 Kansas Jayhawks (11:00 AM PT, CBS)

No, don’t adjust your monitor. That’s Kansas almost falling outside the Top 25, as the Jayhawks have dropped four of their last six contests in one of the rarest skids ever seen under Bill Self. West Virginia knows how to impose their will on opponents. Will Kansas find the will to fight?

4. #12 Illinois Fighting Illini vs. #19 Wisconsin Badgers (11:30 AM PT, FOX)

Illinois is starting to make their ascent back to the top of the Big Ten picture, chasing down one loss Michigan, as a meeting with the Wolverines looms on the horizon. Wisconsin’s stout defense will be tested against unique defensive match-ups like Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn.

5. Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. #6 Texas Longhorns (12:00 PM PT, ABC)

Phenomenal freshman Cade Cunningham and the Cowboys host a top-ten Texas team, that has lost three of it’s last four games and still remains one of the top programs in the land. Shaka Smart’s group needs to get back on track and an improved defense effort is where they start.

6. Duke Blue Devils vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (3:00 PM PT, ESPN)

College basketball’s best rivalry might feature two unranked programs and a COVID-19 pandemic-affected atmosphere, yet there’s still absolutely nothing like Duke and North Carolina. Two historically successful programs that have hit rough stretches, this one will mean a whole lot.

7. Oregon State Beavers vs. Washington State Cougars (3:00 PM PT, PAC-12)

We can’t tell you what games to watch and leave the Beavers off the list, as the hometown team welcomes a Washington State group, who beat Oregon just a couple nights ago. Besides a brutal road trip at UCLA and USC, Wayne Tinkle’s boys have been playing much better overall.

8. Kentucky Wildcats vs. #11 Tennessee Volunteers (5:00 PM PT, ESPN)

Oh, Kentucky. John Calipari’s struggle to push the right buttons with this team marches on, as this disjointed group is still evasive of any long-standing consistency. Tennessee is coming off a tough road loss at Ole Miss, which is a bad seeding defeat. They don’t need another one in Kentucky.

9. Colorado Buffaloes vs. Arizona Wildcats (5:00 PM PT, FS1)

The Pac-12 takes over Saturday’s slate, with key games like this one about to decide the next tier of teams from the Conference of Champions. Colorado and Arizona didn’t play a great game when they met earlier this season, but this one will be so crucial in the league picture. A sleeper pick.

10. USC Trojans vs. #21 UCLA Bruins (7:00 PM PT, ESPN)

Here it is. Crosstown rivals. First place in the Pac-12 on the line. Mick Cronin’s balanced UCLA group against USC’s NBA-level talent. The Trojans have been chomping at the bit to get their hands on the Bruins. Mind you, the second meeting between these two ends the regular season.