Starting Five: Kansas-Baylor highlights weekend in college basketball
The college basketball season has already produced its share of madness, and we’re still a full eight weeks away from March. Now that conference play is in full swing, we should start to get a better idea of who the title contenders are. On the other hand, we might be treated to another rash of upsets every week from now until Selection Sunday – and possibly beyond.
Such unexpected results are part and parcel for the sport, but we’ll present a few games to watch each weekend for the rest of the regular campaign.
Without further ado then, here’s this week’s Starting Five.
No. 4 Baylor at No. 3 Kansas
Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
The clear headliner of the weekend is this top-five showdown in the extremely competitive Big 12. The Jayhawks, of course, are always in the mix in this league, and they’ve stayed out of the loss column since an opening-night setback against Duke. But the Bears have been just as impressive - including wins against Villanova, Arizona and Butler - thanks to their stingy defense and hard work on the offensive boards. A high-scoring affair seems unlikely, but there should be plenty of drama in the closing minutes.
No. 21 Texas Tech at No. 17 West Virginia
Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN2
We’ll stay in the Big 12 for another Top 25 matchup that could also be a defense-dominated contest. Both the Red Raiders and Mountaineers seek a bounce-back performance after coming up short against Baylor and Kansas this week, respectively. West Virginia has yet to taste defeat in Morgantown, but Texas Tech has figured some things out after an early three-game skid.
No. 14 Maryland at Iowa
Friday, 7 p.m. ET, FS1
High-profile Friday night clashes are still not terribly common even in the age of expanded TV options. But this weekend features a pair that are worthy of attention, starting with this Big Ten affair. The Hawkeyes slipped just outside the Top 25 after a close loss to Penn State away from home, but they remain among the top scoring teams in the country averaging a shade over 80 points a game. The Terrapins are coming off a pair of impressive conference victories. But their only two losses to date have come in true road games, so this long trip will provide a good test.
No. 6 Butler at Providence
Friday, 9 p.m. ET, FS1
Rounding out the evening is this somewhat unexpected battle for a share of the early Big East lead. The Bulldogs, whose lone setback thus far was a close affair at Baylor , have coalesced around veteran backcourt leader Kamar Baldwin to become one of the nation’s most pleasant surprise contenders. The Friars struggled in the non-conference portion of their schedule, including an ugly 32-point loss to Florida, but have jumped out to a 3-0 start in the league, the last two coming by a single point. This home opportunity at the Dunkin' Donuts Center could serve as a good indicator if they have staying power in the conference, which appears significantly deeper than it was a year ago.
Georgetown at No. 16 Villanova
Saturday, noon ET, FS1
Another Big East tilt on the Saturday slate could be worth a look. The perennial league favorite Wildcats return home after a strong defensive showing in a victory at Creighton. The Hoyas have already gone through their share of off-court drama resulting in a reduced roster. But they’re still dangerous when Mac McClung is healthy, as they demonstrated in a surprisingly one-sided triumph against St. John’s Wednesday night to crack the win column in conference play.\