NCAA Basketball: 10 must-watch underrated games of week 6

We might miss some of NCAA basketball’s old conferences, but recent realignments have given us a December full of big games and hot rivalries.

Providence at Boston College

Tuesday, Nov. 4

These former Big East opponents meet in Chestnut Hill on Tuesday night. They are a combined 12-3 and have wins over URI, Minnesota, South Carolina, and Loyola Chicago between them. The winner here will add a nice piece to their resume…and some bragging rights over their old I-95 rivals.

Lipscomb at Belmont

Tuesday, Nov. 4

Both teams have one loss, Lipscomb’s coming at home to Belmont a few weeks ago. These schools compete in the Battle of the Boulevard twice every year, once at each school’s gym, but both teams are strong this year and should be favorites in their respective conferences when league play gets underway.

The Big 5 games

This is the biggest week of the season for one of the greatest traditions in college basketball. The top two Philadelphia schools, Temple and Villanova, face off at Finneran Pavilion on Wednesday, and the 7-1 Owls will be looking to hand Nova their first Big 5 loss since 2012. Saint Joseph’s also heads to Villanova for the Holy War.

Marshall at Duquesne

Wednesday, Nov. 5

Marshall and Duquesne are two of the more exciting mid-majors in the country. They’re both coming off disappointing losses, though (the Dukes to crosstown rivals Pitt, and the Herd were surprised by Ohio). Both will be looking to rebound and Marshall’s high-flying offense is always a fun watch.

Utah State at BYU

Wednesday, Nov. 5

Utah State has been one of the biggest surprises this season, beating Saint Mary’s and upstart UC Irvine by double digits. BYU has hit a rough patch since losing to Houston at home, now having dropped three in a row. The Cougars have high hopes for this season and Yoeli Childs will be looking to get back on track against a few in-state opponents this week.

San Diego at San Diego State

Wednesday, Nov. 5

These San Diego schools separated by 10 miles play every year but aren’t exactly traditional rivals. It’s a huge win for the Toreros whenever they can beat SDSU, their last victory against the Aztecs coming outdoors at Petco Park in 2015 but not so much for the Aztecs. This is a much different USD team, though, and they currently sit at 6-2. They’ll be out for the upset this year.

TCU at SMU

Wednesday, Nov. 5

The major Dallas area schools were conference opponents for decades and their annual football games are still huge for both schools despite TCU’s recent dominance of the series. The rivalry has picked up on the hardwood in recent years with TCU’s improvement, and this year’s edition is a game neither have much interest in losing. TCU has already fallen out of the top-25 after starting the season at No. 20 and SMU has some pretty ugly losses.

Washington at Gonzaga

Wednesday, Nov. 5

Gonzaga is obviously the heavy favorite in this one, but this is a rivalry game that the Zags won’t want to overlook. Washington has talent despite a few early disappointments, and Gonzaga has a major target on its back. The Huskies will bring their “A” game trying to knock off Gonzaga for the first time since 2005.

BYU at Utah

Saturday, Dec. 8

BYU and Utah will be playing in their own Holy War this week. While there are, of course, people of all backgrounds on each side of this rivalry, this game is seen in Utah as LDS vs. non-LDS. Both teams have bad recent losses (BYU losing to Weber State and Utah to Hawaii) and this one will be huge for both schools which are both only a game over .500.

Creighton at Nebraska

Saturday, Dec. 8

Nebraska has found its way back into the top 25, and Creighton is pushing its way into the poll as well. This is one of the bigger games this rivalry has seen in recent years, and it’ll be huge for the resumé and votes for whoever takes it. The atmosphere and intensity should be electric in Lincoln.