Starting five: College basketball best games of weekend starts with pair of SEC showdowns

[ad_1]

The calendar tells us that the four seasons are equal in length. But we know better, don’t we? We know that winter is the longest, no matter the actual number of days. But fret not, friends. College basketball is here to keep us entertained when it’s coldest outside.

OK, truth be told some of the top teams in men’s hoops this season come from schools located in warmer latitudes, but you can still catch them on TV even if it’s frigid where you are. To that end, we present this edition of the Starting Five, in which we rank what we think will be the best games to watch over the weekend. We begin with a pair of clashes in the SEC, followed by a look-in on the most recent NCAA tournament finalists.

No. 5 Alabama at No. 9 Texas A&M

Time/TV: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

Both of these contenders are off to 2-0 starts in league play after challenging non-conference slates. The Crimson Tide took care of business on the road at South Carolina in their most recent outing, while the Aggies had to work considerably harder on Wednesday in a comeback victory at Oklahoma. A career night from Zhuric Phelps helped A&M overcome the absence of leading scorer Wade Taylor IV, whose status remains uncertain due to an undisclosed injury. But the bigger test for the Aggies will be on the defensive end, where Alabama has a slew of scoring options and loves to push the pace. If lead guard Mark Sears can get his three-point shooting back to his accustomed 40% clip, the Tide will be even more dangerous moving forward.

Alabama guard Mark Sears (1) is defending by two South Carolina players during the first half at Colonial Life Arena.

No. 7 Kentucky at No. 13 Mississippi State

Time/TV: Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET, SECN

Year one under Mark Pope in Lexington has gone fairly well, though the Wildcats got a dose of SEC reality when their huge home victory against Florida was followed by a road loss at Georgia. The league’s other Bulldogs, riding an eight-game winning streak, now get their shot at Kentucky on…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/starting-five-college-basketball-best-110243568.html

Author : USA TODAY Sports

Publish date : 2025-01-10 11:02:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.