Even though Selection Sunday is still a couple of months away, it’s never too early in college basketball to start stockpiling quality wins. That has never been more true than this season, in which the field in men’s hoops appears wide open, and just getting into the field of 68 offers the possibility of a deep run with the potential to change a program’s trajectory.
This week’s edition of the Starting Five features several such opportunities. We’ll begin and end our rundown of the best of the Saturday slate by looking in on the two schools that played for all the marbles last April, and in between we’ll visit a few teams generating early buzz in their leagues.
No. 1 Connecticut at Villanova, 8 p.m., Fox
Now that the defending champion Huskies have worked their way to the top spot, they seem determined to hold on to it if Wednesday night’s dominant decision against No. 15 Creighton is any indication. But winning on the road in this sport, let alone in a league as deep as the Big East, is never easy. The Wildcats have run hot and cold, picking up some solid wins in non-conference play but also some damaging losses in Big Five competition. UConn big man Donovan Clingan returned to action after a five-game absence with a foot issue, providing a low-post presence for the Huskies’ already formidable defense. Villanova tends to sink or swim with leading scorer Eric Dixon (15.3 ppg), and some early success from the arc will fire up the home crowd.
Alabama at No. 7 Tennessee, 2 p.m., ESPN2
The Crimson Tide’s challenging pre-conference schedule has begun to pay dividends as they’re off to a 4-0 start in the SEC, though they’ve yet to face anyone in the league’s top tier. That changes Saturday with this visit to Tennessee, which also challenged itself early and seems less limited offensively than last year’s squad. The arrival of Northern Colorado transfer Dalton Knecht has provided the Vols with a consistent threat from three-point range, which has in turn helped open the interior for Jonas Aidoo. The Tide’s three-point heavy attack might have trouble generating good looks against Tennessee’s strong perimeter defense, but Mark Sears (47.8% from the arc) seems to have no range limit.
No. 21 Mississippi at No. 11 Auburn, 8:30 p.m., SEC Network
We’ll double dip in the SEC this week to look in on the other squad off to a 4-0 conference start. Though Auburn’s much-hyped opening night contest way back on Nov. 7 went into the books as a neutral-site loss to Baylor, the performance demonstrated the potential of this team that is now riding a nine-game winning streak. Ole Miss went unscathed in non-league play with wins against Memphis and North Carolina State that have gained value, but life on the road in the SEC has thus far proven difficult. Auburn has plenty of scoring options as freshman Aden Holloway has fit in well with veterans like Johni Broome. The bulk of the Rebels’ scoring is provided by the guard trio of Matthew Murrell, Allen Flanigan and Jaylen Murray.
No. 20 Iowa State at No. 22 TCU, 2 p.m., ESPNU
Did we mention winning road conference games in this sport is really, really hard? Just ask the Cyclones, who handed Houston its first loss but came up short in their most recent outing at Brigham Young. They’ll try again in Fort Worth, where TCU just took down Oklahoma and Houston in succession but is also coming off a road loss at Cincinnati. Iowa State’s Tamin Lipsey is the consummate stat-sheet stuffer, leading the team in points (14.5), assists (5.6), rebounds (5.5) and steals (3.4). The Horned Frogs spread their scoring well with four averaging in double figures but usually look to Emanuel Miller when a bucket is absolutely needed.
No. 24 San Diego State at Boise State, 1 p.m, CBS
The Mountain West has sent multiple teams to the Big Dance on a regular basis and is well-positioned to do so again. But just how many and which ones will make the cut are the issues to be sorted out on the court. Though theoretically it isn’t supposed to matter in the committee room, the Aztecs’ run to the title game last year did a lot for the league’s overall reputation. None of SDSU’s losses thus far have been especially damaging, and a setback here in Boise wouldn’t be terribly egregious either. But it’s a game the Broncos, somewhat farther down in the all-important NET rankings, would very much like to have, particularly on the heels of Tuesday night’s home loss to UNLV. The marquee matchup pits Aztecs forward Jaedon LeDee (21.6 ppg) against Boise State forward Tyson Degenhart (16.0), both of whom have takeover ability.