Two must-watch Saturday games
The men’s college basketball season is only in its beginning stages, but sometimes it can provide the most fun until we reach the conference tournaments. Each year, there are different interconference matchups between two solid teams that would normally only see each other once March Madness begins. This Saturday is no exception, with some of the most storied programs in NCAA history squaring off.
Let’s take a look at three games that are must-watch:
No. 21 North Carolina Tar Heels at No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky (10-0) is not only the top-ranked team, but a massive favorite to win the championship this season. Head coach John Calipari has put together another tremendous team that runs 10 players deep. It’s a group high on athleticism, very much like the Anthony Davis-led group that won the national title back in 2012.
This team is led by the veteran presence of junior center Willie Cauley-Stein. Cauley-Stein is leading the Wildcats with 10.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Mostly important, the 7’0” big man is a rim protector, altering shots and forcing opponents to attempt lower-percentage shots from the perimeter. Kentucky is playing the toughest stretch of its season right now with four ranked opponents in 11 games , because the weak SEC is awaiting. The Wildcats are the only team ranked in the SEC, making for a breeze until March Madness.
North Carolina (6-2) is back in contention after a disappointing 2013 season in which the Tar Heels lost in the NCAA tournament’s second round to the Iowa State Cyclones. Coach Roy Williams has North Carolina looking good with two ranked wins under its belt already, having beaten UCLA and Florida by a combined 33 points. However, losses to Butler and Iowa have kept the Tar Heels from surging up the rankings.
The best thing about North Carolina’s group is its balance. Five players are averaging double-figures in points, with junior guard Marcus Paige leading the way at 14 per game. Sophomore Kennedy Meeks has given the Tar Heels a terrific combination of power and agility on the interior, averaging a double-double with 13.8 points and 10.1 rebounds.
Against the spread, North Carolina is 5-2 while Kentucky is only 5-4-1. On the road, the Tar Heels are 2-0, but this will be a tough cover at Rupp Arena.
TV: CBS, 12:00 p.m. ET
No. 13 Utah Utes at No. 10 Kansas Jayhawks
This will be a great measuring stick for Utah (7-1), who comes into this game with little national recognition. Outside of a few years with Keith Van Horn and Rick Majerus running the show in the 1990’s, Utah has not been much of a basketball powerhouse in recent seasons. However, the Utes appear poised to make a run in the Pac 12 this season behind a top-notch offense which ranks 31st in the country with 78.6 points per game and 10th in field goal percentage (51.6).
Utah is coming off a hard-fought win over rival BYU in Provo, beating the Cougars 65-61. The Utes have proven they can beat top competition already, handling No. 8 Wichita State 69-68 in a thriller on Dec. 3. The star of the show is senior guard Delon Wright, who leads Utah with 15.4 points per game along with 5.5 rebounds.
Kansas (7-1) is the polar opposite of Utah, always coming in with massive expectations. Coach Bill Self leads a very talented Kansas team back into the national title hunt once again, but so far the offense has not joined the party. The Jayhawks have been a brutal shooting team, scoring only 70.1 points per game and checking in 257th in shooting percentage (41.4). Against Utah, it will certainly provide a study in contrast.
The one consistent offensive performer has been junior Perry Ellis. Ellis leads Kansas in both points and rebounds with 14.4 and 7.1 per game, respectively. This will be the last real test for the Jayhawks for about a month. Kansas won’t play another currently ranked team until it travels to Ames to play Iowa State on Jan. 17. The end of Kansas’ schedule is brutal, with eight ranked opponents over its last 15 contests.
Both of these teams have done well facing the spread. Kansas has managed a 5-3 mark while Utah is at a robust 6-2. On the road, the Utes are an undefeated 2-0 and could prove difficult to keep down with such a powerful offense.
TV: ESPN, 3:15 p.m. ET
