Outside of March Madness, there are few better examples of the greatness of college basketball than a weekend of conference play.
The packed arenas, the raucous crowds, the rivalry games and the improvement on the road to March are all part of what makes these January and February weekends so enjoyable for the many who love the sport.
As the calendar turns to 2023, these weekends have officially arrived in full force, kicking off with a loaded slate of games throughout the country.
Below is a preview of some of the best games this weekend, both from the Power 5 and mid-major levels, as well as predictions for how these games may unfold.
Stats are courtesy of sports-reference.com/cbb, unless otherwise noted.
Friday, Jan. 6
Penn @ Cornell, 7 p.m., ESPN+
A matchup between two of the Ivy League’s best squads and two of the most underrated offenses in the country. Both Penn and Cornell enter Friday among the top 80 in Kenpom’s adjusted offensive efficiency metric. For Penn, the backcourt duo of Jordan Dingle and Clark Slajchert give them two dynamic scoring options on the perimeter, while Cornell is paced by one of the best three-point shooters in the country in guard Greg Dolan. The Big Red rank sixth in the country in two-point field goal percentage, meaning Friday’s conference tilt could be decided by Penn’s ability to guard the interior and prevent Cornell from frequently driving into the paint.
Prediction: Cornell
Saturday, Jan. 7
Creighton @ #4 Connecticut, 12:00 p.m., FOX
A 14-0 start to the season for the Huskies has turned into two straight losses to Xavier and Providence, making Saturday’s game a must-win for UConn to avoid dropping to 3-3 in the Big East. The fact that the Huskies lost to two good teams, both on the road, is not surprising. But UConn will need more from its’ backcourt to win those types of games in the Big East. Guards Tristen Newton and Andre Jackson scored a combined nine points and shot 4-18 together in the Providence loss. As for Creighton, the return of 7”1 center Ryan Kalkbrenner has coincided with wins in each of the last three games for the Bluejays. Averaging 15.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, Kalkbrenner is a dynamic inside force and raises the team’s ceiling considerably as conference play continues.
Prediction: UConn
#6 Texas @ Oklahoma State, 12:00 p.m., ESPNU
Off-the-court issues may be front and center in this game as the Longhorns will be playing their first game after the school officially fired Chris Beard following his December arrest for a family domestic violence charge. Interim coach Rodney Terry has been coaching the team since that time however and should have his squad ready for a road game with the Cowboys. Texas is coming off a horrendous defensive performance Tuesday against Kansas State, allowing 116 points in a home loss. The Longhorns match up better with Oklahoma State, however, who has shown significant turnover issues this season. Texas is 17th in the nation at forcing turnovers, according to Kenpom.
Prediction: Texas
Kentucky @ #7 Alabama, 1:00 p.m., ESPN
The questions surrounding this Kentucky team have quieted some since the Wildcats’ loss to Missouri last week but going into Tuscaloosa and getting a victory may be a tough ask for this squad right now. Reigning Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe has been terrific lately and guard Cason Wallace is one of the best freshmen in the country, but a Kentucky offense that tends to stagnate at times will face a formidable test with the long, versatile Crimson Tide defense. Spearheading Alabama is 6”9 freshman Brandon Miller, averaging 19.1 points per game. Miller may be the difference in what should be a great environment for the Tide.
Prediction: Alabama
#14 Wisconsin @ Illinois, 1:30 p.m., ESPN2
Winners of six straight games and 3-0 in Big Ten play, the Badgers are having success in vintage Wisconsin fashion in 2022-23. The Badgers don’t turn the ball over, play excellent defense and have been one of the most efficient shooting teams from beyond the arc. Those factors all seem to play well against an Illinois team that came into the season with high expectations that they have failed to meet. The Illini are 0-3 in the Big Ten and just lost by 13 points at Northwestern on Wednesday. An 0-4 start in conference play for Illinois could begin to cause panic in Champaign.
Prediction: Wisconsin
Michigan @ Michigan State, 2:30 p.m., FOX
The Wolverines have been a tough team to pin down in 2022-23. On the one hand, Juwan Howard’s squad lost a home game to Central Michigan last week and got annihilated on a neutral court by a pedestrian Arizona State team. On the other hand, Michigan beat Maryland by almost 40 points and boasts an offense that seems to be finding its’ rhythm. Michigan star Hunter Dickinson is averaging 24.5 points over his last two games and will need to continue that streak against a Spartans team that doesn’t boast ideal frontcourt size to contain Dickinson in the post. A Big Ten showdown like this one could come down to which backcourt is able to make the most plays, an area where the Spartans and their duo of Tyson Walker and A.J. Hoggard seem to have a slight advantage.
Prediction: Michigan State
#3 Kansas @ West Virginia, 6:00 p.m., ESPN+
With West Virginia at 0-2 in the Big 12, desperation could become a central factor in Saturday’s clash with the Jayhawks. Kansas, led by two of the Big 12’s (and possibly the country’s) best players in Jalen Wilson and Gradey Dick, are one of a handful of teams that can stake a claim as the best in the country. But this is a West Virginia team that needs a win in the rigors of Big 12 play and will certainly be playing in front of a fired-up crowd in Morgantown. If Bob Huggins’ team can force turnovers and turn those into easy transition buckets, the Mountaineers can come away with a massive home win before hosting Baylor on Wednesday.
Prediction: West Virginia
Kansas State @ #19 Baylor, 6:00 p.m., ESPN+
Perhaps more surprising than West Virginia’s 0-2 start, the Baylor Bears will enter the weekend winless in conference action and will be looking to end that streak against a Kansas State team that just scored 116 points in a win at Texas. Typically strong on the defensive side of the ball, Baylor has shown some cracks on that side of the ball in 2022-23, particularly in stopping the three and on the glass. Baylor will need freshman guard Keyonte George to continue his hot streak on Saturday. The young phenom scored 27 and connected on 11 of 12 free throws in Baylor’s loss to TCU earlier this week.
Prediction: Baylor
NC State @ Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m., ACCNX
NC State enters Saturday’s game with strong momentum after their 84-60 thrashing of Duke at home Wednesday night. The Wolfpack’s dynamic backcourt of Terquavion Smith and Jarkel Joiner combined for 45 points in the win, showing the rest of the conference what they could be capable of throughout the next couple months. NC State now takes on a Virginia Tech team that is reeling, losing three games in a row, including an overtime loss to Boston College (rated No. 166 on Kenpom.) That said, look for the Hokies to come out strong in a crucial home game Saturday afternoon. The Hokies excel at converting on two-point baskets, an area of weakness for a vulnerable Wolfpack defense.
Prediction: Virginia Tech
The next two games could provide a crucial test of where Eric Musselman’s Razorbacks are at as conference play heats up. After traveling to Auburn on Saturday, Arkansas returns home to face a high-powered Alabama offense. Arkansas will be playing these contests without one of their stars as Nick Smith Jr. remains out indefinitely while managing a knee injury, but the Razorbacks should expect at least a split to cement themselves as true SEC contenders. As for the Tigers, Bruce Pearl’s club limps into the weekend after a loss to Georgia this week, though forward Johni Broome continued his climb as one of the top players in the conference with 22 points and 12 rebounds against the Bulldogs.
Prediction: Arkansas
Sunday, Jan. 8
#24 Ohio State @ Maryland, 1:00 p.m., ESPN
The conference season is long and plenty of opportunities remain for the Buckeyes to pick up more quality wins to add to their resume, but it felt like Thursday night’s loss to Purdue was one that got away from Ohio State. The Buckeyes led by as many as 12 in the first half and even held a lead in the final minute before several clutch buckets from the Boilermakers sealed the win. Now Ohio State will look to rebound against a Maryland team that has been a mixed bag so far in 2022-23. Is the true version of Maryland’s roster the team that beat Miami by 18 and Illinois by five in nonconference play, or is the team that got run out of the gym by Michigan and UCLA by 30+ points? Maryland will need to be a better outside shooting team to compete in the Big Ten. The Terps are 285th in the country at 31.1 percent entering the weekend.
Prediction: Ohio State
#2 Houston @ Cincinnati, 3:00 p.m., ESPN
Watch this Houston Cougars basketball team once and it’s pretty easy to see why they are going to win a lot of games in the AAC this year. They are well-coached, disciplined, versatile on defense, are a great offensive-rebounding team, and have one of the best guards in the country in Marcus Sasser. The Cougars have lost just one game this season, a 71-65 home loss to Alabama and have begun the year 3-0 in conference action. The Bearcats are among their toughest conference foes, however, and a road game at Fifth Third Arena may not be a cakewalk for Kelvin Sampson’s crew. Cincinnati has won five of six since their loss to Xavier in December and may be able to make it interesting against Houston before the Cougars’ talent takes over.
Prediction: Houston
#1 Purdue @ Penn State, 6:00 p.m., BTN
Two of the best players in the country are set to square off when the Boilermakers battle Penn State Sunday evening. One is well-known across the country in 7”4 dominant center Zach Edey, whose 21.3 points and 13.2 rebounds per game place him among the upper echelon of National Player of the Year candidates thus far. On the other side is Penn State guard Jalen Pickett, a breakout player in his fifth year of college basketball. Pickett stuffs the stat sheet with 17.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game and has the Nittany Lions off to their best start since 2019-20. The safe bet is on Purdue to win and avoid tumbling too far from their No. 1 AP ranking, but Penn State keeps it close all night.
Prediction: Purdue
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