Here’s hoping you stretched beforehand and showed up in appropriate viewing shape. The college basketball season has started with immediate, furious energy.
Mark Pope and Kentucky beat Duke in a thriller. Andrew Carr played a masterful game, and Cooper Flagg’s consecutive turnovers in key moments will be talked about plenty.
Auburn did the seemingly impossible: It got crunch-time buckets against Kelvin Sampson’s unique brand of defensive chaos, upsetting No. 4 Houston by hitting seven of its last eight shots.
And Kansas forged a 20-point lead, then gave it up, then won by three over North Carolina. Did Ridley Scott direct that first week of college basketball?
This weekend’s schedule may not have that full blockbuster appeal, but there are a few potential gems queued up. Here’s your viewing guide for this weekend in college basketball.
No. 2 Alabama at No. 13 Purdue
Time: Friday, 7 p.m. ET
Streaming: Peacock
Here’s our headliner. Two of the best teams in the country, seeking their first signature win. Alabama has earned momentum from the first Final Four run in program history. Mark Sears is an absolute baller, back with the Crimson Tide after an AP second-team All-American selection last season. Grant Nelson and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. are also back for their senior seasons.
Plus, coach Nate Oats has dotted the roster with fresh talent. Clifford Omoruyi, a transfer from Rutgers, is averaging two blocks in just 18 minutes per game, while freshmen Labaron Philon and Derrion Reid are contributing early.
Purdue is coming off its first National Championship Game appearance since 1969, though life after two-time Naismith Award winner Zach Edey will present challenges. This Purdue incarnation is still full of good energy. Braden Smith is seemingly always on the verge of a triple-double. Trey Kaufman-Renn might be making the leap in his third year, averaging an efficient 15.3 points so far. And Fletcher Loyer is letting it fly with joyous abandon to an 82.9 true shooting percentage.
Both sides are hoping to see April action. Mackey Arena should be feverish on Friday night.
Memorable Matchup: Alabama 85, Purdue 77 (2OT), 2001 NIT — in a wild quarterfinal, Kenny Walker scored 24 points and future SEC Player of the Year Erwin Dudley added 20.
No. 9 Arizona at Wisconsin
Time: Friday, 9 p.m. ET
Streaming: Peacock
Arizona joining the Big 12 right now is like arriving to the party just as the speakers blow out and the dance floor becomes a mosh pit. The Wildcats are playing the game on expert difficulty this season, going against the likes of Kansas, Houston, Baylor and Iowa State in conference play.
Caleb Love is the centerpiece. He’s certainly not the most efficient, although his field goal percentage has leaped up in all five of his collegiate campaigns. The same goes for his backcourt running mate, junior guard Jaden Bradley. Tobe Awaka is looking like a regular double-double since arriving from Tennessee.
The Badgers were hit hard by the transfer portal, losing AJ Storr and Tyler Wahl this offseason. That gives returning senior Max Klesmit a green light after he shot almost 40 percent on 3s last year. But the new force of gravity in Madison is John Tonje, now on his third program after Colorado State and Missouri. The 6-foot-5, sixth-year wing is Wisconsin’s leading scorer through three games at 17.7 points per game.
Arizona is understandably expected to win as a top-10 team, but few atmospheres rival a riled-up Kohl Center.
Memorable Matchup: Wisconsin 64, Arizona 63 (OT), 2014 NCAA Tournament — an all-timer that launched Bo Ryan’s Badgers into the Final Four. From Billy Witz: “Frank Kaminsky, who had 6 points in overtime, has created a cottage industry out of being underestimated. The 7-footer with droopy eyelids, a self-deprecating sense of humor and a single-digit vertical leap has evolved into the fulcrum of Wisconsin’s inside-out attack.”
No. 21 Ohio State at No. 23 Texas A&M
Time: Friday, 9 p.m. ET
TV: SEC Network
Last season’s questionable vibes for Ohio State were promptly exorcised on opening night. The Buckeyes led wire-to-wire and drained 14 3-pointers against then-ranked Texas back on Nov. 4. Jake Diebler is no longer just an interim coach, and junior Bruce Thornton appears to be on track for his third year, averaging double-figure scoring.
Freshman John Mobley Jr. looks locked in, averaging 15 points in just 18 minutes per game in his first two contests.
Fifth-year guard Meechie Johnson Jr. looks to be a major factor in his second Columbus stay. We should have a name for players that start at one program, then incubate with a second team and transfer back to the original school with a matured skill set. Maybe it’s the Pokémon Day Care Effect.
Texas A&M’s season-opener was a deflating upset to Central Florida, but Buzz Williams’ group is still capable of doing something interesting this spring. Wade Taylor IV set several program records shooting the ball as a junior. Fellow senior Henry Coleman III is a two-way talent, and SMU transfer Zhuric Phelps has a chance to be a more structured contributor with lower usage. This mature A&M squad is ranked 18th in KenPom rating and went 10-5 in College Station last season.
Memorable Matchup: Texas A&M 73, Ohio State 66, 2023. Henry Coleman III, Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece Redford each topped 20 points. The Aggies are 3-0 all-time in this series.
Other games worth following
No. 15 Marquette at Maryland
Time: Friday, 8 p.m. ET
TV: FS1
Shaka Smart has the Golden Eagles dancing in each of his first three years at Marquette. Kam Jones is a bucket, averaging 17.2 points on better than 50 percent shooting last season. He knocks down tough jumpers and has a lightning-quick release. Junior Chase Ross is stepping into the fold as well. Maryland’s freshman center Derik Queen is the program’s highest-ranked recruit in years and could be an electrifying watch. He was the co-MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game this spring.
West Virginia at Pitt
Time: Friday, 8 p.m. ET
Streaming: ESPN+
The Mountaineers had won six straight Backyard Brawls before getting blown out at home by the Panthers last season. Pitt fifth-year guard Ishmael Leggett is off to a hot start this year, averaging nearly 20 points per game while making 68.8 percent of his field goals. Sophomore guard Jaland Lowe appears to be taking a big step forward so far for the Panthers, putting up 16.3 points per game after averaging 9.6 last season. The Oakland Zoo should show out for this Friday night rivalry game.
Notre Dame at Georgetown
Time: Saturday, 1 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Things can’t get much worse for Georgetown coach Ed Cooley after that first-year inferno, right? Georgetown had one of the worst defenses in the country, but at least it turns over the roster with six of the top eight rotation guys out the door. Notre Dame is touting its 2025 recruiting class as its best in a generation. And Braeden Shrewsberry, son of head coach Micah, looks markedly improved after a shaky freshman effort.
New Mexico at No. 22 Saint John’s
Time: Sunday, noon ET
TV: FS1
Rick Pitino and St. John’s survived a minor palpitation in the form of Quinnipiac — the Red Storm trailed by four at the half before winning by 23. Meanwhile, Richard Pitino and New Mexico scored an inspired win over UCLA last week. Junior Lobo guard Donovan Dent is playing great ball, leading the team in scoring at 19 points per game while making 58.8 percent of his field goals. The father-son showdown goes down at Madison Square Garden.
More college basketball coverage
What the Champions Classic film says about Kentucky, Duke, Kansas and Michigan State
An inside look at Wisconsin basketball’s ‘new-school,’ pro-driven game day approach
Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson dilemma is keeping the nation’s No. 1 team from looking the part
(Photo of Mark Sears: Brandon Sumrall / Getty Images)
