We have reached the last weekend of the college basketball regular season. Am I sad? A little, but I’m very excited for the conference tournaments and the NCAA Tournament to finally get underway. We have a historic Saturday in front of us: the Ohio Valley Conference Championship, many top 25 matchups, and the final game for Coach K at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Anyways, let’s get right to the picks:
#14 Arkansas (24-6) at #13 Tennessee (22-7) (-6)
The series history between Arkansas and Tennessee is extremely close, with Tennessee leading 23-22. The Vols have won four of the last six meetings and are 14-4 in Knoxville against the Razorbacks. Tennessee is ranked #3 in KenPom’s defensive efficiency, and with a good home crowd on Senior Day, I have to take Tennessee.
Tune into Arkansas at Tennessee at 12 PM ET on ESPN.
#25 Alabama (19-11) at LSU (20-10) (-3)
LSU at home is hard to pick, but Alabama has won five straight in the Alabama-LSU series. LSU’s offense ranked third-worst in the SEC, while Alabama is third in that category. LSU is a very good defensive team, but I’ll take Alabama’s guards to spoil LSU’s Senior Day.
Tune into Alabama at LSU at 12 PM ET on CBS.
#7 Kentucky (24-6) (-4.5) at Florida (19-11)
I really wanted to pick Florida. I really did. However, I cannot overlook how good this Kentucky team is. With a National Player of the Year candidate in Oscar Tshiebwe, along with top guards Sahvir Wheeler and TyTy Washington, I think Kentucky wins this game. They’re 38-26 against the Gators in Gainesville. Florida needs this win more, but they won’t get it.
Tune into Kentucky at Florida at 2 PM ET on CBS.
Indiana (18-11) at #8 Purdue (24-6) (-10)
Purdue has been phenomenal all year: with star players Jaden Ivey, Zach Edey, and Sasha Stefanovic. Don’t forget about Trevion Williams, too. Indiana has had a roller-coaster season. I had high hopes for the Hoosiers, especially with Trayce Jackson-Davis leading the way. IU won the last game in Bloomington, but they’re at best a bubble team heading into Indianapolis next week. Purdue wins, but I think Indiana gets it within single digits at the final buzzer.
Tune into Indiana at Purdue at 2 PM ET on ESPN.
Seton Hall (19-9) at Creighton (20-9)
Seton Hall leads the overall series 15-10, but Creighton has won four of the last five games against them. Ryan Kalkbrenner was incredible against UConn earlier this week, boosting them a huge win that sets up for a possible 3 seed in the Big East Tournament. I think Seton Hall will spoil that, however. Ike Obiagu is one of the best interior defensive players in the conference, while Jared Rhoden and Bryce Aiken run the show on offense. However, Aiken is done for the season. Even with that, I have the Pirates with an upset win after winning the past four games.
Tune into Seton Hall at Creighton at 2:30 PM ET on FOX.
#21 Texas (21-9) at #6 Kansas (24-6) (-6.5)
Kansas is 18-2 against Texas in Lawrence, with an overall 35-12 record in the series. Ochai Agbaji is the Big 12 Player of the Year, but I’m curious to see how he tries to boost his potential to be this year’s National Player of the Year. Chris Beard has a decent team, led by Timmy Allen. Even with the talent the Longhorns possess, Kansas is way too loaded to lose on Senior Night.
Tune into Texas at Kansas at 4 PM ET on ESPN.
Iowa State (20-10) at #3 Baylor (25-5) (-12.5)
Iowa State is good this year, with Izaiah Brockington leading the Cyclones. However, Baylor is one of the country’s top teams this year. No hangover after a National Championship. James Akinjo, who transferred from Arizona, has been the best player for the Bears. As one of the best offensive and defensive teams according to KenPom, the Bears should roll against a poor offensive Iowa State team.
Tune into Iowa State at Baylor at 6 PM ET on ESPN2.
North Carolina (22-8) at #4 Duke (26-4) (-11.5)
Duke has been so historic since Mike Krzyzewski took over as head coach long ago. Now, as this is his final game in Durham, it is the most covered game in the rivalry’s history. North Carolina leads the all-time series 141-115, but Duke has the advantage at home with a 55-50 record. Duke is by far the best team in the ACC. No one even comes close. With stars Paolo Banchero and Mark Williams, Duke wins an easy one at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Tune into North Carolina at Duke at 6 PM ET on ESPN.
Morehead State (23-10) vs. #22 Murray State (29-2) (-7.5)
Murray State is undefeated in conference play, with an 18-0 record. They can be the first team to punch a ticket into the NCAA Tournament. It is March, anything can happen. However, I have Murray State winning and covering the spread. Welcome to the Big Dance, Racers!
Tune into the Ohio Valley Conference Championship at 8:30 PM ET on ESPN2.
#16 USC (25-5) at #17 UCLA (22-6) (-7.5)
Both teams have clinched byes in the Pac-12 Tournament, but a rivalry win is on the mind of both teams tonight. UCLA is 13-1 at home, and I don’t see Isaiah Mobley and the Trojans coming in and pulling the upset off. UCLA is going to be a team to watch next week.
Tune into USC at UCLA at 10 PM ET on ESPN.
BYU (22-9) vs. San Francisco (23-8) (-3)
San Francisco may trail in the overall series 10-22, but the Dons took down the Cougars in Provo. BYU isn’t great at forcing turnovers, at least in the conference play. They’ll need to slow down Jamaree Bouyea and Yauhen Massalski if they want to move to the WCC Semifinals. However, I think San Francisco moves on.
Tune into BYU vs. San Francisco at 10:30 PM ET on ESPN2.
Calhoun's Corner 