College Basketball Expert Picks: Six Top-25 Clashes Headline a Key Week
What will this week in college basketball bring? After climbing into the top five of the AP rankings on Monday, Baylor has a huge five-day span starting Tuesday, with road trips to No. 22 Texas Tech and No. 3 Kansas. No. 12 Maryland, meanwhile, hosts No. 11 Ohio State before aiming for its first road win of the season at Iowa.
Over in the Big East, Villanova will look to rebound from a loss when it travels to Creighton, and in the SEC, Kentucky will hit the road for the first time against Georgia. Who will win these games, and the rest of 14 intriguing matchups through Sunday? Our writers have made their picks.
Season-Long Standings:
Max Meyer: 63-42
Pat Forde: 62-43
Molly Geary: 61-44
Michael Shapiro: 57-48
Jeremy Woo: 53-52
All times are Eastern.
No. 11 Ohio State at No. 12 Maryland (Tues., 7 p.m., ESPN)
Molly Geary picks Maryland: The Terps typically get up for big home games, and winning on the road in the Big Ten has been a Herculean task so far. This game might be a big of a slugfest now that Ohio State's offense has cooled off a bit, and the Buckeyes critically might still be without glue guy Kyle Young. Kaleb Wesson vs. Jalen Smith is a matchup to watch, and both big men have the ability to draw fouls in the paint and step out from three. We'll give the home team the edge.
Houston at Temple (Tues., 7 p.m., CBSSN)
Molly Geary picks Houston: The Cougars' style of defense doesn't bode well for the Owls, who are coming off a 44-point outing vs. Tulsa. Houston seeks to wall off the paint and force its opponent into jumpers, which is not Temple's strong suit. Per Hoop-Math, the Owls rank dead last in the country on two-point jumpers percentage (26.5%) and are a smidge below average from three, shooting 32.5%. Temple's strength is its own defense, and if it can muck this game up enough it could prevail at home—but we'll stick with the Cougars.
No. 4 Baylor at No. 22 Texas Tech (Tues., 9 p.m., ESPN2)
Michael Shapiro picks Baylor: Winning in Lubbock is never an easy proposition, but Scott Drew’s squad is talented enough to escape with a win over the reigning Big 12 champs. Guard Jared Butler is off to a spectacular start to his sophomore season, and impact forward Tristan Clark should be able to log significant minutes on Tuesday as he works his way back from last year’s season-ending surgery. Expect the Bears to seize a win over Texas Tech in a low-scoring affair.
No. 16 Villanova at Creighton (Tues., 9 p.m., FS1)
Jeremy Woo picks Villanova: With both teams coming off a loss, I like Nova to rebound on the road after a poor shooting performance at Marquette. I’m not entirely bought in on Creighton’s resurgence, although a win here would probably change that tune.
No. 14 Kentucky at Georgia (Tues., 9 p.m., ESPN)
Jeremy Woo picks Georgia: With Ashton Hagans banged up, Georgia coming in hot off a win at Memphis, and this being Kentucky’s first true road environment of the season, I’m rolling with the upset here. If Hagans plays, UK can throw bodies at Anthony Edwards, make him uncomfortable, and should reasonably be favored. But I came away impressed with Georgia’s mettle over the weekend, and if they can limit foul trouble and limit Kentucky’s quality looks from beyond the arc, this is a very winnable game.
Seton Hall at Xavier (Wed., 8:30 p.m., FS1)
Michael Shapiro picks Xavier: It’s hard to see Seton Hall guard Myles Powell pouring in enough points to overtake the Musketeers in Cincinnati. Xavier is 9–0 at home this season, entering Wednesday night with three wins in its last four games. Travis Steele’s squad should keep Seton Hall in check en route to its 10th straight home win.
No. 21 Memphis at No. 23 Wichita State (Thurs., 7 p.m., ESPN2)
Michael Shapiro picks Wichita State: Memphis remains a contender for the AAC title even without James Wiseman, though the Shockers should snag an impressive victory at home on Thursday. Wichita State sophomores Erik Stevenson and Jamarius Burton are finding their groove as we enter 2020, and this may be Gregg Marshall’s most talented squad since 2015-16. The conference crown is in reach, and a big opportunity looms for Wichita State at home.
No. 24 Arizona at No. 9 Oregon (Thurs., 9 p.m., ESPN)
Max Meyer picks Oregon: A Sean Miller-coached team going up against a Dana Altman match-up zone is a recipe for disaster for Arizona. One of the best ways to be that zone is to be able to knock down outside looks (Oregon's opponent three-point attempt rate ranks 285th), and that's an area Arizona has really struggled with in its marquee games thus far. In a battle between elite point guards in Payton Pritchard and Nico Mannion, give me the senior on his home floor.
Washington at Stanford (Thurs., 9 p.m., FS1)
Max Meyer picks Stanford: If you're going up against Isaiah Stewart, you better be damn good at defending close to the basket. Stanford has allowed opponents to shoot 53.5% on shots at the rim, which is the 19th-best mark in the country. Outside of Stewart, the other Huskies have been inconsistent, which is why their first two Pac-12 games consisted of a two-point loss to a scuffling UCLA team and a 32-point drubbing of USC. I think both teams will struggle to score in this game, but Stanford has the stingier defense, so I'll roll with the Cardinal.
BYU at Saint Mary's (Thurs., 11 p.m., ESPN2)
Max Meyer picks BYU: Ever since Yoeli Childs's return on Dec. 4 against Utah, no WCC team ranks higher in T-Rank's power rating than BYU. In fact, only seven teams in the country rank higher. The key has been improved defense, as the Cougars rank 12th in defensive efficiency over that stretch. One major focus on defense under first-year head coach Mark Pope has been perimeter defense, which is important in this game going up against Jordan Ford and Co. BYU ranks 41st in opponent three-point attempt rate and 10th in opponent three-point percentage. If the Cougars can slow down St. Mary's outside shooting, I like their chances to pull off the upset.
No. 12 Maryland at Iowa (Friday, 7 p.m., FS1)
Pat Forde picks Iowa: The Terrapins might be a better team on a neutral court, but they're 0-2 in true road games this season and will be making a long trip after a showdown with Ohio State three days earlier. The big man matchup of Iowa's Luka Garza vs. Maryland's Jalen Smith will make this one worth watching.
No. 4 Baylor at No. 3 Kansas (Sat., 1 p.m., CBS)
Pat Forde picks Kansas: Even while having their Big 12 title streak snapped last year, no league opponent beat the Jayhawks in Lawrence. The Big 12 home streak is now 17 games, and as good as the Bears are they aren't the team that's going to snap it. Kansas has cranked up its defense, holding four straight opponents to fewer than 60 points.
No. 22 Texas Tech at No. 17 West Virginia (Sat., 6 p.m., ESPN2)
Jeremy Woo picks Texas Tech: A healthy Jahmi’us Ramsey should be the difference in what’ll probably be an aesthetically disgusting game. I favor the team with the better guards, even on the road.
No. 8 Michigan State at Purdue (Sun., 12 p.m., CBS)
Molly Geary picks Michigan State: It's hard for the Boilermakers to go anywhere but up after a dismal 37-point showing on Sunday night vs. Illinois, but a road trip to Michigan followed by hosting the Spartans is not the easiest way to try to bounce back. Purdue is no doubt a better team at Mackey Arena, but Michigan State's defense–which has shaped up of late—is going to make life difficult for a struggling offense. If Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman continue their recent strong play, the Boilers are likely going to need a strong day from the perimeter to keep the Big Ten home cooking going.
