College Basketball

College basketball weekend preview: Top five must-watch games on Saturday

Published Jan. 31, 2025 12:22 p.m. ET

College basketball continues to deliver each week. Another week, another fantastic group of games, capped off, most notably, by the half-court buzzer-beater for Arizona that ultimately led to its upset win over No. 3 Iowa State.

This weekend's slate features four ranked-vs-ranked matchups and two top-five teams playing on the road. We could easily see a new No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 ranking on Monday with Auburn playing at No. 23 Ole Miss. At the very least, with several high-stakes conference matchups, we will likely see some minor shifting.

As with most Saturdays during conference play, there's a massive number of games that are likely to have us glued to the television — but a handful of games truly stand out.

Here are the five best men's college hoops games to watch:

5. No. 5 Florida at No. 8 Tennessee (12 p.m. ET)

What to expect: A highly competitive matchup and a Tennessee team that wants revenge. The Gators, of course, were responsible for the Vols' first loss when they blew them out in a 30-point win at the beginning of January. This time, the tables will be turned with Florida being the higher-ranked team and the game being played at Tennessee.

Key stat: The 3-point line is the biggest X-factor in the game. When the Gators shoot the same or better from deep as their opponent under head coach Todd Golden, they're 46-8 and 16-0 this season. Tennessee surprisingly has struggled from behind the arc this season when at home, shooting just 32.4%. If that continues, Florida will be in great position to win. If the Vols shoot it better, they'll have a great shot.

Trends: Tennessee's 81 wins over Florida are tied for its fourth-most versus any opponent, and it is 8-3 in its past 11 matchups with the Gators. Moreover, since December 22, 2021, the Vols are 8-6 against top-10 opponents. A hot start will be key for Florida, as it's 16-0 when leading at halftime this season.

4. No. 1 Auburn at No. 23 Ole Miss (2 p.m. ET)

What to expect: Now that player of the year contender Johni Broome is back, there's no real reason to expect Auburn to not reach 80 points and be favored in every game going forward. Ole Miss allows just 60.9 points per game at home this year. This game will likely be in the 70s, a number well below what the Tigers usually put up per game.

Key stat: Auburn is averaging seven blocks per game this season, which is tops in the nation and almost 1.5 more blocks per game than LSU, which is second-best in the SEC. The good news for the Rebels is that they rely more on 3-pointers than other teams do. Ole Miss knocks down about nine 3s per game and about 34.5 % of their points come from behind the arc, good for the third-most in the SEC.

Trends: Since 2002-03, the Rebels are just 4-30 against top-10 teams, including 1-14 against top-five teams. The good news is the one win was the last game they played when they beat No. 4 Alabama on the road, 74-64, a couple of weeks ago. Auburn, on the other hand, has won 16 straight regular-season games against unranked teams, with the last loss coming last February to unranked Florida.

3. Arkansas at No. 12 Kentucky (9 p.m. ET)

What to expect: Fireworks! It'll be an electric atmosphere this weekend with John Calipari returning to Rupp Arena as a visiting coach this time. There will most likely be a lot of booing, and this has the potential to get ugly if Arkansas continues playing like it has recently. Either way, this game will be worth the price of admission for the theatrics alone.

Key stat: Kentucky has the fifth-best offensive rating according to Kenpom, while Arkansas has the 34th-best defensive efficiency. Whichever strength wins will come out on top. The Wildcats are a great passing team, averaging 18.1 assists per game (10th in the nation), while the Razorbacks are ranked 122nd in turnovers forced per game.

Trends: Big Blue is 36-14 all-time against the Razorbacks, including having won three straight in the series. The Wildcats have a 16-5 edge in the series at Rupp. Despite that, Arkansas has won two of the past three in Lexington.

2. North Carolina at No. 2 Duke (6:30 p.m. ET)

What to expect: Rivalry games tend to keep things closer even if the teams aren't on completely level playing fields. This will be a high-scoring matchup, with both teams averaging 80 points or better — ranking second and third in the ACC in points per game, respectively. The wild card is Duke's defense, which is one of five units allowing less than 60 points per game this season.

Key stat: The main story here is the play of freshman phenom and likely the first overall pick in June's draft, Cooper Flagg. Without another game in January, Flagg's averages are now set for the month — and what a month it was. He averaged 25.7 points per game while shooting 58% from the field, 43% from deep and 86% from the charity stripe. He's also putting up 7.6 boards, nearly five assists and a block and steal per game.

Trends: Duke has won 14 games in a row this season and is taking it to the other ACC teams in what is a down year for the conference. Meanwhile, UNC has lost three of its past four games, sitting at just 13-9 and in seventh place in the ACC. Not good. Carolina, though, has won three straight regular-season matchups against the Blue Devils when Duke is ranked inside the top 10.

1. No. 25 UConn at No. 9 Marquette (8 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app)

What to expect: It feels like everyone is starting to count out the Huskies after their recent play, which almost led them to a loss against DePaul. The thing about championship-type teams, though, is that that's when they often play their best. This will likely be a game played in the 70s or, if it gets going, maybe the low 80s, but turnovers will be key. Marquette is forcing seven more turnovers than it commits per game in their past 10 matchups.

Key stat: UConn's defense, long a calling card for Dan Hurley teams, is nowhere to be found. It's ranked 125th in defensive efficiency according to Kenpom, while Marquette's offense is 25th in the nation. If UConn can't get stops — and against DePaul they struggled to do that in the first half — then it doesn't stand a chance.

Trends: UConn has won five of its eight games at Marquette in the series all-time. It also has won four of the past five meetings overall. On the other side, the Golden Eagles have a specific number that leads to their success. When they score more than 70 points this year, they're 17-0. When they fail to eclipse 70 points, they're just 1-3 overall.

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