John Fanta
College Basketball Broadcaster and Reporter
Football is fully in our rearview mirror — until the inaugural UFL season kicks off at the end of March.
For the next seven weekends, college basketball and the madness of this sport takes over the cycle. And this Saturday brings a loaded slate, highlighted by the biggest conference game we’ve seen this year, when No. 1 UConn hosts No. 4 Marquette in a heavyweight showdown.
If you want a complete preview of the matchup between the reigning national champion Huskies and the defending Big East champion Golden Eagles, I’ve got you covered.
That showdown highlights our three picks for a huge Saturday in college hoops.
Let’s get into it.
No. 4 Marquette @ No. 1 UConn
3 p.m. ET, FOX
For so many reasons, this matchup is special.
It features two of the best point guards in America in Marquette’s Tyler Kolek and UConn’s Tristen Newton. The battle at the center position features guys with opposite skill sets, with the Huskies’ elite rim protector Donovan Clingan and the Golden Eagles’ versatile big man Oso Ighodaro. And then there’s the sharpshooting Cam Spencer of the Huskies versus Kam Jones of the Golden Eagles at the shooting guard slot.
I’m intrigued to see how tempo plays out in this game, because Connecticut is No. 322 in that category, while Marquette is 78th in the country, a glaring difference. Both teams sit in the top 25 in adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency, but the way they use their centers is so different, with Clingan more of a traditional big and Ighodaro as someone who can put the ball on the floor and is a really capable passer.
But for a defense, having to contain Newton, Spencer and the 5-star freshman Stephon Castle on the perimeter right now is a really challenging task. That being said, a 13-game winning streak and an eight-game surge on the other side just adds to the buzz of this showdown, not to mention the fact that these two teams have not met this season.
Their rematch in Milwaukee will be on March 6 (8:30 ET, FS1). I think the tension of a big game combined with the run both teams are on makes this a down-to-the-wire type of affair. It does go against the logic of UConn being 13-0 at home and having won the last three home games over Marquette by an average of 14 points per contest, but the anticipation around this game just gives off the vibe that both teams could be tighter than usual, and we could be in for one that gets decided in the final minutes.
PICK: Marquette +7 (Marquette to lose by fewer than 7 points or win outright)
UConn’s Cam Spencer is John Fanta’s guard of the week
No. 22 Kentucky @ No. 13 Auburn
6 p.m. ET, ESPN
The Wildcats snapped their Rupp Arena losing streak with a 75-63 win over Ole Miss on Tuesday, but now will face their toughest road task of the season. I love the scoring potential of this Kentucky team, but your offense is going to get slowed down by Auburn, which is No. 4 in the country in KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency.
The Tigers are 13-0 at home this year and ride no shortage of momentum into this one coming off an impressive 101-61 win over No. 11 South Carolina.
I don’t trust Kentucky’s defense, let alone in a hostile atmosphere. Combine that with Johni Broome’s presence on the interior and a balanced core that features six players beyond Broome averaging between 7.4 and 13.4 points per game, and I like the Tigers to win big on Saturday night.
If Auburn can get cooking from the perimeter, it’s going to be a long night for Kentucky, which I believe is spiraling at the wrong time of year.
PICK: Auburn -8.5 (Auburn to win by more than 8.5 points)
No. 17 Creighton @ Butler
12:30 p.m. ET, FOX
This is a really intriguing game for a variety of reasons, and my best bet would be the Over in this game, after these two teams played a 99-98 thriller on Feb. 2 in Omaha, taken by the Bulldogs.
Why else is it intriguing? Thad Matta’s team is in the “Last Four In” in Mike Decourcy’s bracket forecast.
A quad 1 win over the Jays, and a season sweep over Greg McDermott’s group, would be a major feather in the cap for Butler to have going into Selection Sunday. In my opinion, Butler’s wing players Jahmyl Telfort and Pierre Brooks can do enough to hang in with the star duo of Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander.
Get this as well: Big East steals leader Posh Alexander, who is 16th in the country at 2.3 swipes per game, did not play in that first game versus the Jays. Expect the senior to make life difficult on Steven Ashworth as well.
I expect Ryan Kalkbrenner to have command of the frontcourt, as the Creighton center went for 20 points and nine rebounds in the first meeting between these two teams.
Still, for this pick, I’m going with some more Hinkle Magic.
PICK: Butler +3.5 (Butler to lose by fewer than 3.5 points or win outright)
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John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.
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