The school basketball season is properly underway, and we’ve got a Saturday slate that ought to pique your curiosity. Positive, main Nationwide Participant of the 12 months candidate Johni Broome might miss a giant one for Auburn towards Purdue, however there’s nonetheless loads of star energy on this slate.
With the vacations close to, what’s a greater exercise than sitting round with relations and cheering in your favourite workforce? Or perhaps your shut ones are divided, with die-harders on both facet of those matchups? If the one drama amongst these you’re keen on surrounds basketball, then you definately’re one of many fortunate ones. Pleased holidays, and make room for pleasure for those who can.
Listed below are 5 video games and predictions on which means they’ll go.
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No. 16 Purdue at No. 2 Auburn
It doesn’t look like Auburn heart Johni Broome — the present clubhouse chief for Nationwide Participant of the 12 months — will play towards the Boilermakers resulting from his shoulder harm. However that makes what can be an computerized decide for Auburn considerably extra fascinating. Broome isn’t simply the Tigers’ greatest participant, his inside-out versatility opens up the remainder of Auburn’s top-rated offense. With out him? Properly, we’ll see.
Purdue’s protection presents about as a lot resistance as one-ply rest room paper, however offensively, this group can placed on a clinic. The Boilermakers are top-10 offensively, make about 40 % of their 3s and have already got wins over Alabama, Ole Miss and Maryland this season. However it is a defacto highway sport for Purdue, which is what places my religion in Auburn over the sting. Matt Painter’s workforce has already misplaced each of its true highway video games this season, and even with out Broome, Auburn has the personnel to make life tough on Purdue’s backcourt of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer.
The decide: Purdue +8.5
No. 18 UCLA at North Carolina
North Carolina is simply 1-5 versus high-major opponents this season — its solely such win got here at house towards lowly Georgia Tech, and the Tar Heels nonetheless trailed by eight in that sport. Whereas the Bruins may look like the plain decide, hear me out.
That is UNC’s final consequential nonconference sport all season, and its NCAA Event resume seems mighty skinny. The Tar Heels want this one desperately, and Hubert Davis’ workforce certainly is aware of that. May that be motivation sufficient for North Carolina? Perhaps. However matchup-wise, UCLA’s top-5 protection — which thrives on forcing turnovers and operating groups off the 3-point line — presents a tricky take a look at. Plus, UCLA’s beginning frontcourt of Tyler Bilodeau and Eric Dailey Jr. is tailored for terrorizing UNC’s undersized bigs. Strictly from a basketball perspective, UCLA has been the higher workforce all season, however for those who like narratives, North Carolina is a compelling upset decide.
The decide: UCLA -1.5
No. 9 Marquette at Xavier
Even with Zach Freemantle — Xavier’s greatest participant and main rebounder — out indefinitely, the Musketeers had been “this shut” to stealing a marquee Huge East win from UConn on Wednesday. Alas, the sport went to additional time, and the Huskies pulled out their fifth straight win in Hartford, sinking Xavier to 0-3 this season vs. KenPom’s top-25 groups.
Regardless of the Musketeers being the oldest high-major workforce in America this season, they solely have one top-100 win this season, over South Carolina (which is in final place within the SEC). The dangerous information for Xavier followers: This doesn’t look like a really perfect get-right sport. Marquette has been superior all yr. The Golden Eagles are one in every of solely eight groups nationally with a top-20 adjusted offensive and defensive effectivity rating, and their penchant for turning groups over is a nasty matchup for a Xavier workforce that offers up steals. And Marquette’s at house? This decide is the simplest of the day.
The decide: Marquette -5.5
Mississippi State and Memphis are higher offensively than defensively, however this sport may come down as to if or not Memphis makes sufficient 3-pointers. In wins over UConn, Michigan State and Clemson, the Tigers made 12, eight, and 10 3-pointers, respectively. In losses to Auburn and Arkansas State, they solely made six and 7. Penny Hardaway has a possible All-American guard in PJ Haggerty, and between him and fellow backcourt studs Tyrese Hunter and Colby Rogers, Memphis has three guys liable to go off from deep any evening.
Alternatively, Mississippi State permits opponents to shoot 36.3 % from 3-point vary, which is barely a top-300 charge nationally. If the Bulldogs can sluggish the sport down and maintain onto the ball — they’ve the second-best turnover share within the nation — then Mississippi State completely has the horses to win this one. The sport being in Memphis solely makes it that rather more fascinating. Both workforce may stroll away with a win.
The decide: Memphis -1.5
I’m not completely certain what to think about Ohio State but. The Buckeyes have been with out one in every of their high frontcourt transfers, former Kentucky ahead Aaron Bradshaw, for many of the season, and it has proven. Ohio State has misplaced all 4 of its video games vs. top-30 KenPom groups (though the Pitt loss got here on a buzzer-beater in additional time). Nevertheless, the Buckeyes nonetheless have wins over Texas and Rutgers, which may age properly, and Bruce Thornton has been probably the greatest guards within the nation. He’s second on the workforce in scoring, first in assists and has made 48.7 % of his 3s.
Kentucky, in the meantime, has been arguably the most important shock within the nation. Contemplating new coach Mark Pope needed to scramble late and construct a whole roster through the switch portal, I figured the Cats can be OK, however nothing particular — and I couldn’t have been extra flawed. Kentucky’s protection is nothing to jot down house about, however its offense is top-10. Pope has been a grasp of halftime changes (particularly towards Duke and Gonzaga), and in contrast to below John Calipari, Kentucky doesn’t beat itself anymore. The Wildcats are positively the higher workforce, however in a neutral-site sport, something’s doable.
The decide: Ohio State +8.5
(Photograph of Stevie Mitchell: Stacy Revere / Getty Pictures)
