College basketball weekend: Five SEC, Big Ten ranked showdowns headline schedule

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As regular readers of the Starting Five feature know, we tend to focus on Top 25 matchups when selecting which of the many college basketball games on the schedule to preview. We don’t call it the USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll for nothing, after all. But generally speaking, such high-profile contests usually live up to their entertainment potential. Equally important, the winner is all but guaranteed a resume boost that will come in handy in a couple of months.

By coincidence, there are exactly five pairings of ranked opponents on the docket this weekend. That quintet of games is monopolized by just two conferences, however, but fret not if you’re a fan of a team from one of the other leagues. You’ll get your turn in this space soon enough. For now though, here’s where the action will be the hottest on this cold weekend.

No. 1 Auburn at No. 23 Georgia

TIME/TV: Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, SECN

Yes, the SEC once again leads the way with three of the ranked-on-ranked clashes. That might change as its teams continue to pick each other off. Georgia almost certainly needs a win here to retain its spot in the poll after running into a second-half buzzsaw at Tennessee Wednesday night. As for the Tigers, their first defense of their No. 1 spot in the coaches poll went well despite the absence of star forward Johni Broome. Auburn’s 22-point romp against the league’s other Bulldogs, Mississippi State, was facilitated by a solid outing from Chaney Johnson in his first start of the season in place of Broome, as well as the usual output from guard Chad Baker-Mazara. These Dogs, however, have won their first two conference games at home, including a takedown of Kentucky that helped get them ranked. They rely on a deep backcourt for a lot of their points but will need 6-11 forward Asa Newell to be a presence at both ends in the paint.

Auburn guard Chad Baker-Mazara (10) drives around South Carolina guard Arden Conyers (21) during their game at Colonial Life Arena.

No. 5…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/college-basketball-weekend-five-sec-110946322.html

Author : USA TODAY Sports

Publish date : 2025-01-17 11:09:00

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