Starting Five: Breaking down best games of the college hoops weekend
- Several top-ranked men’s college basketball teams have been defeated this week.
- No. 1 Arizona looks to rebound from its first loss of the season against No. 16 Texas Tech.
- No. 9 Kansas, fresh off a win against Arizona, faces No. 4 Iowa State on the road.
It might have taken slightly longer than usual, but we have at last reached the point in the men’s college basketball season when the grind is finally catching up to even the best teams.
Several top-10 squads and numerous other ranked teams have already been beaten this week, including the No.-1 team in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll tasting defeat for the first time. Those Arizona Wildcats return to action on another busy Saturday, as well as the team that handed them that first loss.
Here’s a quick preview of those games and a few other key clashes around the country in this week’s edition of the Starting Five.
No. 18 Clemson at No. 6 Duke
Time/TV: noon ET, ESPN
We begin the day in the ACC, where the Tigers are coming off an unexpected home loss to Virginia Tech and must now brave the Cameron Crazies. The Blue Devils for their part were able to shake off last weekend’s setback at North Carolina with a business-like win at struggling Pittsburgh despite the absence of center Patrick Ngongba, who sat out with a wrist injury and might still be unavailable. Clemson spreads its scoring wealth but often lacks a true takeover guy, which could again be a problem against a Duke squad that appears to have figured out its defensive issues.
No. 9 Kansas at No. 4 Iowa State
Time/TV: 1 p.m. ET, ABC
It has not been a good week for basketball in the state of Iowa. The Cyclones cracked the top five only to squander a late lead at TCU. All that will be forgotten, however, if they can defend their home court and avenge last month’s loss to the Jayhawks, who are fresh off that Arizona victory but have not been as reliable on the road. As usual, much of the pregame chatter concerns KU’s mercurial freshman Darryn Peterson, who missed Monday’s win due to flu symptoms. Whether or not Peterson is available, the Cyclones will have to figure out their own offensive inconsistencies, starting with facilitator Tamin Lipsey finding his own shooting touch.
Kentucky at No. 14 Florida
Time/TV: 3 p.m. ET, ABC
Florida’s quest for a repeat championship didn’t begin well. But the Gators seem to have found their winning formula just in time. Their modest winning streak could get a test here, however, as the Wildcats got a few days off to recharge after outlasting Tennessee last Saturday. It will be a homecoming of sorts for UK’s Denzel Aberdeen, who was part of Florida’s title team a season ago before transferring to Lexington. He and Otega Oweh could give the Wildcats the edge in perimeter fire power, but there might not be answers for Florida’s inside trio led by Thomas Haugh.
No. 12 Purdue at No. 25 Iowa
Time/TV: 5 p.m. ET, Fox
Like their in-state counterparts from Ames, the Hawkeyes also return home from a subpar road outing. Iowa’s loss at Maryland dinged an otherwise solid body of work, but a win against the Boilermakers would help repair the damage. Purdue is coming off a valuable victory at Nebraska, though the result was nearly a catastrophic collapse. The game features two of the league’s top floor leaders, Purdue’s Braden Smith and the Hawkeyes’ Bennett Stirtz. Both teams can be overly reliant on three-pointers, though the Boilermakers are better equipped to compensate with rebounds if the shots aren’t falling.
No. 16 Texas Tech at No. 1 Arizona
Time/TV: 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
The prime time headliner finds the Wildcats looking to bounce back from defeat for the first time. The Red Raiders were all business in their midweek tuneup against struggling Colorado, but the environs at the McKale Center won’t be nearly as friendly. Texas Tech’s inside-out tandem of J.T. Toppin and Christian Anderson will need someone else to help with the scoring load against Arizona’s balanced lineup. Wildcats forward Koa Peat will look to find his rhythm early after Monday’s rough outing against Kansas.
