NCAA Basketball Weekend Predictions: Who will wreak havoc on top-25 opponents?
Another exciting weekend of NCAA basketball is upon us. We have seen upset after upset in the early going this year, so who will go down this time around?
College basketball weekends are always exciting to watch. Several top-25 teams are always in action and there are plenty of games to follow along with. At this point in the season, teams are starting to focus on their NCAA Tournament resumes and now is the time to add high-quality wins. It is at this point in the year when the bubble finally starts to shrink and taking advantage of opportunities when presented is vital. What games are the best to watch this weekend and how might the final scores turn out? Let’s take a look at the NCAA basketball action on Saturday and Sunday this week (Jan. 20-21).
Saturday’s early slate
No. 1 Villanova (17-1) at Connecticut (10-8) – FULL PREVIEW
How to watch: 12:00 p.m. on CBS
Related Story: 5 questions for Villanova at UConn
Villanova has had very little trouble with the beginning of this season. Aside from their road loss to the hot-shooting Butler Bulldogs, the Wildcats have been flawless. They are led by an elite duo in Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges, two players that are practically guaranteed to be on the All-Big East team. In addition, the team has excellent pieces around the duo that makes the Wildcats the top team in the nation. It is going to take a massive effort by Connecticut’s home crowd and their star player Jalen Adams to come away with this win. Kevin Ollie has had a rough stretch of years since winning the national championship and taking this victory could be huge for his job security. Nonetheless, Villanova will be too much to handle in this one. Prediction: Villanova 92, Connecticut 78.
No. 3 Purdue (18-2) at Iowa (10-10)
How to watch: 12:00 p.m. on ESPN
This is another game that could be an easy win for a top-5 team this weekend. However, as we have seen time and time again this season, it is very difficult to win on the road. For Purdue, they are clearly one of the hottest teams in the nation. They are riding high on a 14-game winning streak since their rough stretch at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. The Boilermakers have a balanced roster that is anchored by their elite guard play and the giant duo of big men in the paint. Iowa, on the other hand, is having an underwhelming season following the departure of Peter Jok due to graduation. If Purdue has just an average game, they will come out victorious. If they come out slow, though, Jordan Bohannon and Tyler Cook might have time to heat up for the Hawkeyes and steal the upset. Even in that case, Purdue still might take the W. Prediction: Purdue 87, Iowa 73.
No. 7 Wichita State (15-3) at Houston (14-4)
How to watch: 12:00 p.m. on ESPNU
Wichita State is entering this game after losing just their third game of the season. Despite this loss to SMU, the nationally-ranked Shockers still belong as one of the top teams in the nation. Landry Shamet is one of the top point guards in the country and deserves to be mentioned in the same sentence as players such as Jalen Brunson and Trae Young. In addition, he is joined by a talented backcourt veteran in Conner Frankamp and a frontcourt that is athletic and experienced. Even though the Shockers will be on the road in this one, they will come out playing angry due to their loss. Houston is another team coming off of a tough loss, though. Despite Rob Gray Jr.’s best efforts, the Cougars fell to Tulane in their last game and will be looking to get back on track. There is no better way to do this than to defeat one of the top two teams in the conference. I might be going against my own rules of how hard it is to win on the road with this, but I have Wichita State taking this one. Prediction: Wichita State 86, Houston 81.
No. 22 Ohio State (16-4) vs. Minnesota (14-6) – FULL PREVIEW
How to watch: 12:00 p.m. on BTN
Ohio State is at supernova levels of hot right now. Undefeated in conference play through seven games, the Buckeyes are surprising everybody in the country except themselves. Chris Holtmann has his new team playing at an extremely high level and Keita Bates-Diop‘s campaign for Big Ten Player of the Year is very real. On the flip side, Minnesota is stumbling in the wrong direction. The team is dealing with both off-court and on-court issues. They are dealing with injuries and suspensions but struggling to do so. The Golden Gophers have lost three of their last four games and are painfully cold on offense since Big Ten play started. Yet again, I am sticking with my gut and picking the flat-out better team. Prediction: Ohio State 84, Minnesota 76.
Florida State (13-5) at Virginia Tech (13-5) – FULL PREVIEW
How to watch: 12:00 p.m. on ESPN2
Both of these teams have their sights on the NCAA Tournament but Virginia Tech has much more work to do. Since ACC play started, the Hokies’ offense has seen a dramatic drop in production. While their season average of 85.8 points per game still ranks 15th in the nation, they are only scoring 71.6 points per game in conference play. With a quality opponent coming to town, Buzz Williams has to be hoping that his team can feed off of their crowd to knock down buckets. For Florida State, this game poses an opportunity to snag a nice road win. The Seminoles have lost three of their last four games and are dropping down seed lines. If they can get back on track with a road win over the Hokies, that would set the team up nicely for a two-game homestand against Georgia Tech and Miami. Prediction: Virginia Tech 85, Florida State 78