We know there’s a lot going on, fellow devout sports watchers. This weekend is packed with college football rivalries and the burgeoning NBA and NHL seasons. Your friends are likely fixated on the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs or the return of Christian McCaffrey to fantasy rosters across the digital universe. But if you love college hoops, we have three tantalizing matchups on tap, with multiple player-of-the-year candidates and a matchup of historic significance. Here’s your guide to the weekend in NCAA basketball.
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No. 9 North Carolina at No. 1 Kansas
Time: Friday, 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
Streaming: Fubo
This Friday night game is as blue-blooded as it gets for November. The second- and third-winningest programs of all time, each carrying massive expectations into this winter, meet in Allen Fieldhouse. Last year’s Kansas team was hindered by its health and lack of depth, so head coach Bill Self hit the transfer portal accordingly. AJ Storr averaged 16.8 points per game with Wisconsin. Rylan Griffen is a rising perimeter option from Alabama. And local product Zeke Mayo shot 38.8 percent behind the arc at South Dakota State. They join 7-foot-2 center Hunter Dickinson, who is vying to become the first fifth-year player to win the Wooden Award and an experienced Jayhawks core with earned championship expectations.
North Carolina has its own stellar fifth-year player in RJ Davis. He’s a walking bucket who shot almost eight 3-pointers a game last year and should be entertaining TV throughout the season. Fellow guard Elliot Cadeau is in full-fledged vengeance mode after Alabama chose not to guard him in March’s agonizing Sweet 16 loss. And five-star recruit Drake Powell looks like a two-way impact player.
Drake Powell’s first bucket as a Tar Heel 👌 @powellxdrake
📺 ACCN pic.twitter.com/fWm9qQxSx0
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) November 5, 2024
This Tar Heels backcourt is certainly not short on confidence. Kansas’ frontcourt is loaded. That style clash should make for a rewarding watch on Friday night.
Trivia
- Dean Smith played for the Jayhawks from 1949-53 and briefly served as an assistant after graduation. He joined the Tar Heels in 1958 and became head coach in 1961, launching one of the most prolific careers in college basketball history.
- The last head-to-head matchup was the 2022 national title game — an instant classic, with Kansas mounting a record 16-point second-half comeback to win by three.
At American Airlines Center in Dallas
Time: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPNU
Streaming: Fubo
Baylor opened with a ranked opponent for the first time since 1979. It did not go well. Gonzaga whooped Baylor by almost 40 points earlier this week, adding discernible pressure to Friday’s clash with Arkansas — yes, another ranked team to start the season.
Defense will be a big factor after the Bears allowed Gonzaga to shoot 57 percent from the floor. Stout defense has been a staple for Baylor under coach Scott Drew, with a “no middle” scheme that warps space, stonewalls penetration and pushes ball handlers to the baseline. Drew was the alleged favorite to replace John Calipari at Kentucky but ultimately chose to stay with the program he won it all with in 2021.
Drew brought in Norchad Omier, a 17-point-per-game scorer at Miami last year, and Jeremy Roach, a four-year starter at Duke. VJ Edgecombe and Robert Wright III are touted freshmen getting run right away. Baylor can play fast, fun basketball with guard-heavy lineups.
And yes, Calipari is no longer coaching Kentucky. He’ll be wearing the cardinal and apple-blossom red of Arkansas — that will take some getting used to. But the rebuilt Razorbacks could be good from the jump. Calipari brings D.J. Wagner, Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivišić from Kentucky. And the freshmen class is teeming with talent, headlined by high school All-Americans Boogie Fland and Karter Knox. Fland scored 17 points in his debut vs. Lipscomb, and Knox threw down a spirited one-handed jam.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW KARTER KNOX pic.twitter.com/aXeRpWIpP6
— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) November 7, 2024
Calipari and Drew are two of the top coaches of a generation. Fland and Edgecombe may be lottery picks in the next NBA Draft. This game deserves to be in your Saturday viewing rotation.
Trivia
- The Razorbacks lead the all-time series, 96-49. But Saturday marks just their fifth meeting since 1991, when Arkansas left the Southwest Conference to join the SEC.
- John Calipari faced Baylor three times in his Kentucky tenure. He only won one of them, but it was the most important one — an Elite Eight victory in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Anthony Davis put up an absurd line with 18 points on just nine shots, plus 11 rebounds, two steals and six blocks.
No. 11 Auburn vs. No. 4 Houston
At Toyota Center in Houston
Time: Saturday, 9:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPNU
Streaming: Fubo
Admittedly, it’s not floor-slap season quite yet. But these are two of the best defenses in the country. Houston’s scheme is relentless and applies heavy pressure. Auburn is a nightmare anchored by All-American big man Johni Broome. These were the top two defenses in Division I last season by opponent field goal percentage.
Bruce Pearl’s Auburn squad returns Broome, Chad Baker-Mazara and Dylan Cardwell. Freshman Tahaad Pettiford is a shifty combo guard with some buoyancy. Transfer guard JP Pegues was a stat-stuffer at Furman. And Miles Kelly made an instant impact during his first game in from Georgia Tech, dropping 21 points in 18 minutes during the season opener. But Broome is the center of gravity — he and Hunter Dickinson are the only two active collegiate players with career marks of 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars have been building toward a national title for years now. They’ve been a No. 2 seed or better in three of the past four NCAA Tournaments. Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan has garnered hype as a playmaker, and Joseph Tugler is an ultra-flexible 6-foot-8 forward coming back from a foot injury. Emanuel Sharp and J’Wan Roberts are trusted returning starters. But the primary reason to watch is LJ Cryer — a gifted scorer with a career 40.8 shooting percentage on 3-pointers.
Avert your gaze if you’re trying to see some casual early-season buckets. But if you dig technical proficiency and swarming defense, you’ve found the place to be on Saturday night.
Trivia
- The last time Auburn bested Houston was 1962. The Cougars handily beat the Tigers in the Round of 32 two seasons ago, with current Texas guard Tramon Mark scoring 26 points.
- Both programs have five players in the NBA right now. Four Auburn alumni have played pro ball in Houston — including current Rockets building block Jabari Smith Jr. and Hall-of-Famer Charles Barkley.
Other games worth following
New Mexico vs. No. 22 UCLA
At Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson, Nev.
Time: Friday, 11 p.m. ET
TV: CBS Sports Network
Streaming: Fubo
The Lobos start three players 6-foot-9 or taller, an early challenge for forward transfer Tyler Bilodeau. With fellow newcomers Eric Dailey Jr. (Oklahoma State), Skyy Clark (Louisville) and Kobe Johnson (USC), the restocked Bruins are a compelling watch.
No. 12 Tennessee at Louisville
Time: Saturday, noon ET
TV: ACC Network
Streaming: Fubo
This Tennessee team looks threatening despite losing Dalton Knecht. Zakai Zeigler, a 5-foot-9 hellion, led the SEC in assists last season. New Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey is emotive and intense, with mentor Skip Prosser saying that “he makes coffee nervous.”
Arizona State at No. 6 Gonzaga
Time: Sunday, 5 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Streaming: Fubo
Gonzaga atomic-wedgied Baylor on Monday and now has the fifth-best national title odds on BetMGM (+1100). Gonzaga’s Graham Ike averaged 16.5 points on efficient shooting last season and should be even better as a senior.
Required reading
(Photo of RJ Davis: Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images)
