The 2023-24 college basketball season is heating up and the weekend of Dec. 16-17 is full of must-watch games.
Top 10 Power 6 games to watch:
10. Oregon (7-2) vs. Syracuse (7-3) – Dec. 17 at 1 p.m. in Sioux Falls
This has to be one of the most random locations for Oregon and Syracuse to play at, but it also will give a great indication of both of these teams. The Ducks’ two losses came by 6 to Santa Clara and 8 to Alabama. There’s a chance they could be undefeated, but their best win is also over Michigan.
Syracuse on the other hand, also doesn’t have any quality wins, so Oregon would provide a great chance. The Orange have been tossed around a few times but by experienced better teams. It’s been a few weeks since the Maui Invitational, so it will be interesting to see how much Judah Mintz, JJ Starling, and SU have grown since then.
9. #6 Baylor (9-0) at Michigan State (4-5) – Dec. 16 at 2 p.m.
I’m sure Michigan State fans aren’t too happy about this game. Unless the Spartans put together an excellent game, there’s a real chance they’re sitting at 4-6 after starting the season with the hype of winning the National Championship.
Still, Baylor has struggled against some Power 6 competition, only defeating Florida by 4 and Auburn by 6. The Bears haven’t played since an 18-point win over Seton Hall on Dec. 5, so we could either get a well-rested team or one with mistakes due to such a long time off.
8. USC (5-4) at Auburn (7-2) – Dec. 17 at 1 p.m.
At this point, any quality game involving Bronny James is must-watch college basketball, especially when the lively Bruce Pearl is the head coach of the other team.
But even besides that part, the Trojans and Tigers have both shown NCAA Tournament potential, and both could use another quality win. Of course, USC has more at stake, as they are in danger of falling to 5-5, but Auburn could also use the win considering they lost a questionable game to Appalachian State a few weeks ago.
7. Ohio State (8-2) at UCLA (5-3) – Dec. 16 at 3 p.m.
A very important game for UCLA, I’m wondering which player on Ohio State Mick Cronin will call out for not being athletic enough. Obviously, the Bruins have their only problems, considering their best win to this point in the season is… St. Francis (PA)?
Meanwhile, Ohio State is coming off a loss to Penn State and looking to prove why they might be the best team in the Big Ten. If the Buckeyes can survive the Bruins, there’s a good chance they can get to 11-2 before the bulk of conference play starts.
6. #2 Kansas (9-1) at Indiana (7-2) – Dec. 16 at 12:30 p.m.
Whether or not you agree that Kansas and Indiana are two blue bloods clashing, they are still two of the most historic programs in college basketball history. The Jayhawks have the edge coming into this meeting, but it’s at Assembly Hall, and you already know Indiana students will be up for this game.
I’m interested to see which Hoosiers team we get. The one that won at Michigan, or lost to Auburn by 28. Either way, if Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar play how they have been, I’m not sure if Indiana’s best is still good enough to beat Kansas.
5. Texas A&M (7-3) at #4 Houston (10-0) – Dec. 16 at 2:30 p.m.
One more loss and is it safe to say the Aggies are a disappointment? Texas A&M came into the season returning one of the best core groups in America and hasn’t looked much improved from last year. Granted, all of their losses have been to good teams and they’ve played a difficult schedule. A win over Houston would surely keep A&M at the top of the conversation in the SEC. A loss wouldn’t kill them, but it would cause people to question if they belong in Final Four contention conversations.
Meanwhile, the Cougars have their first true test. Sure, Kelvin Sampson is a proven coach and Houston is a proven team, but their road to 10-0 hasn’t been too difficult until Saturday. Wins over Utah, Dayton, and Xavier are all good, but a win over Texas A&M might officially put the Cougars in elite territory.
4. Alabama (6-3) at. #8 Creighton (8-2) – Dec. 16 at 8 p.m.
Alabama might be 6-3, but I’m sold on Mark Sears’ ability to lead this team pretty far in March. They nearly knocked off Purdue in Toronto and have some sneaky good wins over Oregon and Indiana State. Now, they catch Creighton at an interesting time, with the Blue Jays coming off a loss to UNLV.
I’m interested to see how Creighton responds. It’s safe to say they’ve lost a step, with Arthur Kaluma gone and Steven Ashworth not being the scorer they thought he would be. Ashworth only had 2 points in the loss to the Rebels. He will need to be more reliable for Creighton to bounce back against a talented Bama squad.
3. #13 Clemson (9-0) at Memphis (7-2) – Dec. 16 at 3 p.m.
I’m very close to saying that Clemson is the best team in the ACC. They’re neck and neck with North Carolina, and arguably Virginia. A win over Memphis might seal the deal for me. PJ Hall, Joe Girard III, and the rest of the Tigers are just playing winning basketball.
Let’s not discredit Memphis. Penny Hardaway’s coaching has long been under question, but these Tigers are 7-2 and playing some great basketball. Wins over Texas A&M and Arkansas should not be taken lightly. Might they be the best team in the American?
2. #9 North Carolina (7-2) vs. #14 Kentucky (7-2) – Dec. 16 at 5:30 p.m. in Atlanta
Just as Clemson has a game to prove their case for the best team in the ACC, so does North Carolina. The Tar Heels meet Kentucky in Atlanta in a true battle between blue bloods.
This game will show a lot about each team. For UNC, it’s a chance to earn a quality win following a tough loss to UConn. For Kentucky, the freshmen-led Wildcats can really put the nation on notice if they take down an experienced UNC team. Plus, whenever these two meet, it’s just great for college basketball.
1. #1 Arizona (8-0) vs. #3 Purdue (9-1) – Dec. 16 at 4:30 p.m. in Indianapolis
In case Saturday’s slate couldn’t get any better, why not just have a game between two of the top three teams in the country?
I’m not sure if this game needs much explaining, but Arizona and Purdue both have the chance to really cement themselves in the season-long race for a 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Neither team will get another chance at a resume win this strong and for college basketball fans, it’ll just be great to watch excellence on the court.
Top 5 mid-major games to watch:
5. Kennesaw State (7-3) at Presbyterian (7-4) – Dec. 16 at 2 p.m.
Remember when the Olws used to be the joke of college basketball? Not anymore. Head coach Antoine Pettway seems to be filling Amir Abdur-Rahim’s shoes just fine, leading Kennesaw State to a 7-3 record including a win over UNC Asheville.
Of course, Presbyterian won against Vanderbilt in the beginning of the season and are a few one-score games away from having an even better record. Both teams could represent their conferences in March Madness.
4. Nevada (8-1) at Hawaii (7-1) – Dec. 17 at 10 p.m.
In case the Sunday Night Football game isn’t for you, we’ve got late-night college basketball for you! One-loss Nevada comes in under the radar, despite wins at Washington and against Weber State.
Hawaii has more to prove with a pair of wins over non-DI teams and the lone loss coming to the only Power 6 team they’ve played, in Utah. Still, the Rainbows are living up to that name. They shoot it at almost 39% from deep with four players at over 42% from distance.
3. Ball State (8-2) at Indiana State (9-1) – Dec. 16 at 1:45 p.m.
Is Ball State for real? I spoke with head coach Michael Lewis in the offseason and he was confident in his team despite some great talent they lost.
That will be put to the test against Indiana State and fan favorite Robbie Avila. The goggle-wearing big man might be the Larry Bird of 2023 as the Sycamores are 9-1 and he’s tearing it up. Isaiah Swope is also averaging almost 20 PPG for an Indiana State team that might give Drake some trouble in the Missouri Valley Conference.
2. San Francisco (8-3) at Utah State (10-1) – Dec. 16 at 4 p.m.
I’m about ready to throw the towel in on Saint Mary’s and replace the Gaels with San Francisco. The Dons have some great defense and throttled Minnesota by 18 points earlier in the year.
But Utah State is no walk in the park. In case you haven’t watched any college basketball over the past few years, the Aggies have turned into a consistent program, winning at least 18 games in each of their last five seasons. They’re 10-1 this year and have a star in Great Osobor. He is pretty great, but is he good enough to slow down the Dons?
1. #15 FAU (8-2) vs. St. Bonaventure (7-2) – Dec. 16 at 4 p.m. in Springfield, MA
I just want to know if St. Bonaventure is for real. The Bonnies didn’t exactly play well to start the season, but have now won five in a row against so-so mid-majors. It’s a neutral site game though, and there will probably be a good chunk of Bonnies fans making the trip from Olean, NY to Springfield.
Still, the Owls are proving last year was no fluke. A loss to Bryant might sting, but they hung in there with Illinois and also beat Virginia Tech, Butler, Liberty, and Charleston. Not a bad resume for a team out of the American.
3 underrated games to watch:
3. Colgate (6-4) at #16 Illinois (7-2) – Dec. 17 at 1 p.m.
I’m not picking an upset here but I am saying it might be worth tuning into this game on Sunday. Colgate has dominated the Patriot League and will probably win the automatic bid again this year. For bracket purposes, it’s important to see how this year’s Raiders team plays against power conference teams. They nearly knocked off Syracuse for the third year in a row, but didn’t give Arizona much of a challenge.
Either way, Illinois has too much talent and athleticism, but the Raiders can really stroke it from distance. It’s worth a watch, at least for a few minutes.
2. Vermont (8-3) at Virginia Tech (7-3) – Dec. 16 at 4 p.m.
An upset could happen here because Virginia Tech has been difficult to read. One day, they’re beating Iowa State and looking like a solid Power 6 team. The next day, they’re losing by 34 to FAU, as if they shouldn’t be written in the same sentence.
Meanwhile, like Colgate, Vermont knows a thing or two about staying relevant in the mid-major ranks. And the Catamounts have had more success at knocking off a team or two. They actually just lost to Colgate, funny enough, but I still like the makeup of the Catamounts team better against an ACC opponent.
1. La Salle (8-2) at #24 Miami-Fla (7-2) – Dec. 16 at Noon
Miami’s big loss to Kentucky and even bigger loss to Colorado have me a bit concerned if the Hurricanes should be taken seriously. While this game won’t change any of those thoughts, it is worth paying attention to.
Big 5 basketball has been outright nuts this year and La Salle could join the party with an upset of the Canes. While they didn’t play Duke too tough, they did take down a decent Penn team. There’s enough talent to give Miami a scare.
Bonus pick!
1. Cal (3-6) vs. Ole Miss (9-0) – Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in San Antonio
This was my upset pick in last Sunday’s CBB Review Studio LIVE episode. I know, Ole Miss is 9-0 and they’ve looked pretty good along the way.
But Cal is 3-6 and has too much talent not to come away with a win or two. Could this be the Rebels’ first loss this season?