With the calendar officially flipped to 2025, we are one month closer to Selection Sunday and, eventually, March Madness!
March Madness is the pinnacle of college basketball, but the games leading up to it are also incredibly important, and this weekend’s slate is eye-popping in its own right with two ranked-vs.-ranked matchups and seven top-10 teams playing on the road. That means this weekend could be ripe for upsets and lead to a seismic shift in the AP Top 25 Poll on Monday.
But with 144 Division I men’s college basketball games being played on Saturday, fans are going to have to prioritize the ones they can’t miss.
Here are the five best men’s college hoops games in a loaded weekend ahead:
5. No. 3 Iowa State at Texas Tech (2 p.m. ET Saturday)
Player to Watch: Texas Tech junior forward Darrion Williams
Williams can do it all on the floor — literally. He’s one of just two players in the country averaging at least 16 points, five rebounds and five assists per game with at least five games played. More importantly, the Red Raiders go as he goes. The team is 10-0 when he shoots at least 40% from the field and 1-3 when he fails to do so.
Key stat: Iowa State is one of just two teams in the country to be ranked in the top 10 in both offensive (sixth) and defensive efficiency (ninth) in KenPom, with Duke (seventh and first, respectively) the other. That defense will be put to the test with the Red Raiders ranking eighth in offensive efficiency in KenPom and averaging 90 points per game at home this season.
Trends: Iowa State has been among the top programs in the country over the past three years, but that stretch doesn’t count the team’s play in Lubbock. The Cyclones haven’t won on the road as a ranked team against Tech since 2014, going 0-4 in that stretch. That being said, they have only been outscored by an average of 5.8 points per game, so it has been far from domination by the Red Raiders.
On the other side, Texas Tech is 6-1 in its last seven home games against ranked teams, winning by an average of nine points in those matchups.
4. No. 8 Florida at Arkansas (4 p.m. ET Saturday)
Player to Watch: Florida senior guard Walter Clayton Jr.
One of the more underappreciated guards in the country, Clayton is a scoring machine. He is one of just three players in a power conference to score 25 points or more in at least five games this year. The real key for the dynamite guard, though, is his handling of the ball. The Gators are 14-0 this season when Clayton has less than five turnovers.
Key stat: Florida has been dominant offensively this season, and that is putting it mildly. The Gators rank eighth in the country in scoring, averaging 87.3 points per game, and are one of just two teams in the nation to be averaging 85 points and 45 rebounds per game (Illinois). That could pose a problem for the Razorbacks, who rank 80th in the country in rebounds per game.
Trends: Arkansas has lost three of its last four home games against top-10 teams after rattling off three straight wins before that. In the team’s last seven home meetings against ranked foes, the Razorbacks are 1-6, with their only win coming outside SEC play.
3. No. 1 Tennessee at Texas (6 p.m. ET Saturday)
Player to Watch: Tennessee senior guard Chaz Lanier
Lanier has been a dynamo for the Vols this season, putting up 19.6 points per game. He is a lethal outside shooter, averaging 3.8 made 3-pointers per game, which is tops among power-conference players this season. The Vols are 13-0 this year when Lanier hits multiple 3-pointers, and 1-1 when he fails to do so.
Key stat: Both teams love to start fast. Tennessee is 13-0 when leading at the half, while Texas is 11-0 when leading at the break.
Trends: Interestingly enough, Texas has done a complete 180 recently when playing ranked teams at home. From the 2022 season through January of last season, the team went 7-0 against ranked teams at home, winning by 15 or more in three of those seven games. However, since February of last season, the team has lost each of its last four contests by over six points per game.
2. No. 5 Alabama at No. 10 Texas A&M (8 p.m. ET Saturday)
Player to Watch: Alabama senior guard Mark Sears
One of the favorites for the Wooden Award entering the year, Sears has done nothing to change anyone’s mind. He is one of just four power-conference players to average 18.5 points and dish out four or more assists per game. The senior guard has scored 20 points or more in nine games this season, including putting up five or more assists in six of those games.
Key stat: This is a battle between two of the best teams in the country, but even more than that, these two teams each have four wins against AP-ranked teams, tied for the most in the country. They play their best against the best. Something is going to have to give.
Trends: Alabama is just 1-6 in its last seven games against the Aggies on the road, dating back to the 2002-03 season. Despite that, their last five games in College Station have been settled by an average of just 4.2 points per game. This is going to be a close one, so be ready for a slugfest.
1. No. 6 Kentucky at No. 14 Mississippi State (8:30 p.m. ET Saturday)
Player to Watch: Kentucky senior guard Koby Brea
Brea put on a show last Saturday when Kentucky hosted Florida, hitting seven of nine 3-pointers and helping lift the Wildcats to a hard-fought win. The 6-foot-7 sharpshooting transfer from Dayton is hitting a sizzling 49.5% of shots from deep.
Key stat: Both teams love to score the rock. Kentucky has scored 90 or more points on nine occasions this season, while Mississippi State has reached that mark in four games. The Wildcats have the ninth-best offensive rating in the country, per KenPom (122.6), while Mississippi State has the 17th-best offensive rating (119.6). First one to get a stop wins!
Trends: This has all the makings of one of the biggest matchups of the day … unless you believe in trends or history. Since 2002-03, Kentucky is 19-0 as a ranked team against Mississippi State, including 8-0 on the road against the Bulldogs.
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