College Basketball Picks: Saturday's Must-See Games – Campus Insiders
College basketball picks for five must-see games on Saturday, Feb. 13, including Kansas at Oklahoma and Virginia at Duke.
Upsets are starting to really mean something when it comes to the rankings and eventual NCAA Tournament seedings, and every game means a little more this time of the year than it did in January or during the non-conference slate. College basketball is filled with great matchups this weekend, but five in particular are can’t-miss affairs.
No. 6 Kansas at No. 3 Oklahoma
No. 13 Louisville at Notre Dame
Louisville isn’t playing for anything but pride at this point, and whether or not you believe that to be fair, the Cardinals don’t seem like they’re going to throw in the towel on the season. Notre Dame, meanwhile, would love to add another marquee win to its NCAA Tournament resume, and beating the Cardinals would do just that. ND will have trouble with the Cards’ size, but the guard matchup in this one will be fantastic.
No. 7 Virginia at Duke
Duke seems to be righting the ship after knocking off Louisville earlier in the week, and it has a chance to prove it can still be dangerous vs. a Virginia squad that is among the best defensive teams in the country. This will be the only swing these two clubs will have at one another this season, and Duke’s Grayson Allen hopes to wear down the Cavaliers by going to the basket and getting UVA’s bigs in foul trouble. Meanwhile, the Cavs and guard Malcolm Brogdon won’t be showing any fear in Cameron Indoor Stadium, and the senior wants to prove once and for all that Virginia is the real power in the ACC.
No. 24 Texas at No. 14 Iowa State
Texas has been up and down all season, but the Longhorns’ 94-91 win over Iowa State in overtime back in January was one of the best games of the season. UT had that one in the bag before letting Iowa State rally to erase a 13-point second-half deficit, and the Longhorns won’t be turning down the intensity for any length of time in this one. Look for Smart’s defense to create a lot of turnovers and transition opportunities for both teams. ISU forward Georges Niang had 27 points in the first outing, and he’s going to be key for the Cyclones yet again.
Indiana at No. 8 Michigan State
The Hoosiers haven’t looked crisp on the road this season, and they rarely look good when they travel to East Lansing, Mich. to take on Michigan State. Sparty, meanwhile, had its own issues, dropping three straight earlier in the year and losing on the road to Purdue Tuesday night. MSU should be ready for the Indiana’s electric offensive attack, and the Spartans have both the physical guard play and the size inside to knock IU off stride. That said, if Indiana is knocking down its jumpers and playing even average defense, not many teams can slow it. IU is coming off a big win over Iowa, and MSU is facing a must-win situation. This is a huge one for both teams in the Big Ten race.
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