The regular season in men’s college basketball concludes this weekend, and there are more than a few matters yet to be decided with the postseason right around the corner.
Our final edition of the Starting Five features a trio of Top 25 showdowns, headed by a certain rivalry game that nearly always appears in this space on this particular point on the calendar. Some teams on this lineup are well positioned and hope to finetune some things prior to March Madness, while others are in need of a vital datapoint to keep their bracket aspirations intact.
Without further ado then, here are your recommended viewing options for Saturday.
No. 7 North Carolina at No. 8 Duke, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
This rematch between the bluest of bluebloods will determine the ACC regular-season title – sort of. Should the Tar Heels prevail and complete a home-and-home sweep of the Blue Devils, they’ll win the league by two games. A Duke victory would create a first-place tie, and the top seed in the upcoming conference tournament would then hinge on the order of finish behind them. All of that will matter little to the participants, however, who will be motivated enough to beat their archrivals. Likely ACC player of the year R.J. Davis will undoubtedly get his share of points for the Tar Heels, but it was the interior dominance of Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram that tipped the scales for them in the prior encounter with the Blue Devils. Duke’s Kyle Filipowski is none the worse for his unfortunate brush with the Wake Forest student section a couple of weeks ago, but he and Mark Mitchell will need to do a better job on the glass in this rematch.
No. 15 Kansas at No. 1 Houston, 4 p.m., ESPN
Any questions about the Cougars’ ability to handle the step up in competition in their first run through the Big 12 have been answered emphatically as they can claim the regular-season title outright with a win. The Jayhawks reversed a recent slump with a decisive victory against Kansas State but could use a strong outing on the road to reassure their nervous fans that they still have tournament staying power. While Kansas had more than a little added incentive in its rematch with its in-state rival Wildcats, it was quite evident what a difference Kevin McCullar can make when he’s available. He’ll be needed to help ease the relentless ball pressure the Cougars will deploy. Houston’s three-point shooting is occasionally spotty, but a quick start from L.J. Cryer would keep the home crowd fired up.
No. 13 Kentucky at No. 4 Tennessee, 4 p.m., CBS
The Volunteers removed any suspense from the SEC race by clinching the top spot Wednesday night at South Carolina. But they still wouldn’t mind entering the postseason on a high note in front of their home fans. The Wildcats are in a tight battle for seeding in the league tournament, and another quality result wouldn’t hurt either. Kentucky comes to Knoxville on a four-game winning streak, during which it has scored at least 91 points each time. The Wildcats managed 92 in their first meeting with the Vols but gave up 103, as they had no answer for Tennessee’s three-point barrage. Dalton Knecht will again need scoring help should another track meet break out.
No. 10 Creighton at Villanova, 2:30 p.m., Fox
The Wildcats look to take advantage of this final opportunity to enhance their complicated profile. They’ll try to do it at the expense of the Bluejays, who have some good results on their resume but would like to demonstrate their proficiency outside of their friendly Omaha environs. Villanova was unable to complete a sweep of fellow bubble dweller Seton Hall Wednesday night, as the Wildcats couldn’t find their offensive rhythm against the Pirates’ intensity. Creighton might not exert the same level of perimeter pressure, but inside points might still be hard to come by with Ryan Kalkbrenner protecting the rim.
New Mexico at No. 22 Utah State, 8:30 p.m., CBSSN
The Aggies have fought their way to the top of the hotly contested Mountain West and have a chance to wrap up the regular-season title at home. The Lobos probably have enough positive results to feel confident on Selection Sunday but another one here would certainly help, and would also improve their chance for a first-round bye in the conference tournament. Utah State isn’t the league’s deepest team but relies on good shot selection, with Great Osobor and Darius Brown leading the way after accompanying coach Danny Sprinkle from Montana State. New Mexico has a more experienced lineup, with Jamal Mashburn Jr. and Jaelen House having just celebrated a successful senior night in Albuquerque. The Lobos got the better of the Aggies in the Pit back in January, but USU has only lost once in Logan this season.