Saturday hoops spotlight: TV times for top games
No. 10 Miami (Fla.) (21-4)
at No. 4 North Carolina (21-5)
CBS, 1 p.m. ET
Regardless of whether you take the view that Duke didn’t so much win Wednesday night as much as North Carolina lost, the Tar Heels must deal with the game after the game. And, lo and behold, it’s for sole possession of the ACC lead.
The Hurricanes for their part took care of business against Virginia Tech but now embark on an extremely challenging four-game stretch that begins in Chapel Hill.
TOP 25: Saturday's schedule
From a matchup perspective, this is a similar test for UNC. The Tar Heels should again enjoy a significant advantage on the interior, but they have a hard time getting the ball to the rim from half-court sets. That’s especially true if Marcus Paige and Joel Berry continue to struggle with their outside shooting.
The Hurricanes will have to limit UNC’s transition opportunities. Having a steady hand like Angel Rodriguez at the point helps, but Sheldon McClellan must find the range quickly.
No. 3 Oklahoma (20-5)
at No. 11 West Virginia (20-6)
ESPN, 4 p.m. ET
To understand the ultra-competitive nature of the Big 12 this season, one need only know that these teams are both coming off mid-week losses and are now battling for second place in the standings as they get together in Morgantown.
The teams are constructed differently, however, so as such there are varying reasons for their respective recent struggles.
The Sooners still have one of the best scorers in the college game in Buddy Hield, but opponents have demonstrated that he can be at least contained if he’s not getting scoring help. Isaiah Cousins could really use a breakout game, but that could be difficult against the Mountaineers’ constant defensive pressure.
West Virginia’s problem has been quite simple — turnovers. If the Mountaineers take care of the ball and at least give themselves second-shot opportunities, their odds of winning improve substantially.
No. 16 Purdue (21-6)
at No. 21 Indiana (21-6)
ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET
Longtime observers of college basketball have to like that this heartland rivalry is relevant again on a national scale. It might have a way to go to reach the level of intensity achieved when Bob Knight and Gene Keady were roaming the sidelines, but it can only be good for the sport when these programs are in the Big Ten mix.
The Boilermakers have gotten to this point by steadily building depth. They have quite a lot of it now, with 10 players contributing double-digit minutes on average this season. Purdue’s frontcourt is particularly deep, with seven-footer A.J. Hammons manning the middle and Vince Edwards and Caleb Swanigan helping to clean the glass.
The Hoosiers, however, can compensate by demonstrating why they’re the best shooting team in the nation. They count on veteran PG Yogi Ferrell to get the ball in the right place, and that often means having matters in his own hands.
Saturday's full TV schedule (times p.m. ET unless noted)
Memphis at South Florida, ESPNU, 11 a.m.
Florida at No. 23 South Carolina, SEC, noon
Georgia at Vanderbilt, ESPN2, noon
No. 19 Duke at Louisville, ESPN, noon
No. 7 Xavier at Georgetown, Fox, noon
St. Bonaventure at No. 13 Dayton, NBCSN, noon
No. 10 Miami (Fla.) at No. 4 North Carolina, CBS, 1
Army at Navy, CBSSN, 1:30
No. 22 Baylor at No. 25 Texas, ESPN, 2
Pittsburgh at Syracuse, ESPN2, 2
Marquette at DePaul, FSN, 2
St. Joseph's at Davidson, NBCSN, 2
Mississippi State at Alabama, SEC, 2:30
Butler at No. 1 Villanova, Fox, 2:30
No. 3 Oklahoma at No. 11 West Virginia, ESPN, 4
Connecticut at Cincinnati, ESPN2, 4
Illinois State at Northern Iowa, CBSSN, 4
Ole Miss at Auburn, SEC, 5
LSU at Tennessee, ESPNU, 5:30
Louisiana Tech at UTEP, CBSSN, 6
No. 2 Kansas at Kansas State, ESPN2, 6
No. 14 Kentucky at No. 24 Texas A&M, ESPN, 6:30
Missouri at Arkansas, SEC, 7:30
TCU at No. 15 Iowa State, ESPNU, 7:30
No. 18 Notre Dame at Georgia Tech, ESPN2, 8
Stanford at Washington, Pac-12, 8
No. 16 Purdue at No. 21 Indiana, ESPN, 8:30
Texas Tech at Oklahoma State, ESPNU, 9:30
Nevada at UNLV, CBSSN, 10
Saint Mary's at gonzaga, ESPN2, 10
Oregon State at No. 17 Oregon, Pac-12, 10
Colorado at UCLA, FS1, 11
Hawaii at UC-Irvine, ESPNU, 11:30
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