Selection Sunday is almost a month away and while there’s increasing clarity about which programs will compete for a spot in the selection committee’s first top 16 reveal, the number of teams on the bubble is growing murky. Teams like Arkansas and Kansas State have raced their way into the mix, while perennial powerhouses like North Carolina and Indiana are hanging on for dear life.
This week’s most watchable games feature some of the most important bubble games in the ACC and Big 12, while also showing love to some battles at the top of the standings in the Big Ten, Missouri Valley and Mountain West. Still, no game outranks this Saturday’s SEC showcase between No. 1 Auburn and No. 2 Alabama, a matchup that’s not only a battle for league supremacy but also for state-wide bragging rights.
Let’s take a closer look at the top games of the week.
No. 6 Houston Cougars (20–4) at No. 13 Arizona Wildcats (17–7)
Saturday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN
Arizona was the latest Big 12 team to run into the steamroller that is Kansas State, snapping a six-game winning streak with a loss in the Little Apple. But the Wildcats have a chance to re-claim a share of the conference lead back at home against the Cougars. Since the one-point, overtime loss to Texas Tech, Houston has settled back in defensively and wants to pad its résumé for a potential 1-seed. The Cougars will have a chance to do so, with three games against teams ranked in the AP top 13 in their next four outings, beginning with Arizona. If the SEC’s top programs continue to pick one another off, the Cougars could play their way into the committee’s favor—and one of the tournament’s top overall seeds.
No. 1 Auburn Tigers (22–2) at No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (21–3)
Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN
For a state steeped in football tradition, there may be no bigger Alabama showdown in 2025 than the one in Tuscaloosa’s Coleman Coliseum this Saturday. The Tigers hold the top spot in the AP poll; the Tide are second. The results are flipped in the coaches’ poll with Alabama getting the narrow edge. But from a pure basketball standpoint, there’s a ton to love about this game. Two of the best offenses in the country. Johni Broome vs. Grant Nelson down low. Mark Sears vs. Auburn’s well-rounded backcourt. Depth galore off the bench. It’s difficult to find a college basketball game like this in February, right before the stakes become real in the NCAA tournament. To make that game a rivalry matchup too makes this a must-see event.
No. 22 Mississippi State Bulldogs (17–7) at No. 19 Ole Miss Rebels (19–6)
Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN
If the Iron Bowl is getting its basketball twist this weekend, it’s only right for the Egg Bowl to do the same. The reality is that Mississippi’s teams are just a tier below the two Alabama programs, but there’s still a lot to like about this matchup—even if recent play from both squads has left a little to be desired. Ole Miss is coming out of a road trip against LSU and South Carolina, the two worst teams in the conference, and didn’t inspire confidence in either game, needing to come from behind in both to nab last-minute wins. Mississippi State lost to Florida in the middle of the week, marking the third loss to a ranked conference opponent in its last four games. Though the Bulldogs aren’t in any real danger, they’re creeping closer to the bubble, meaning a road win over a potential top 16 team would go a long way.
No. 24 Creighton Bluejays (18–7) at No. 9 St. John’s Red Storm (21–4)
Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, FS1
Just when it looked like Rick Pitino’s Red Storm were unbeatable coming off wins vs. Marquette and at UConn, St. John’s stumbled its way to a two-point loss at Villanova. The Red Storm had one of their worst defensive performances of the season, allowing the Wildcats to shoot 53% from the floor and nearly 46% from beyond the arc. Still, there’s no need to panic given that St. John’s four losses have come by a combined seven points. Creighton similarly saw its hot streak and rise in the Big East ladder come to a halt mid-week when UConn freshman Liam McNeeley poured in 38 points to upset the Bluejays on their home court. These teams still hold the top two spots in the conference, and are both through the toughest stretches on their schedules, so it’s reasonable to think that the winner of this game has the upper hand in the regular-season conference title race.
No. 7 Purdue Boilermakers (19–6) at No. 11 Michigan State Spartans (19–5)
Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET, Peacock
The Boilermakers are in the midst of one of the most difficult stretches in college basketball and didn’t get off to a good start with Tuesday’s loss to Michigan. Purdue simply hasn’t been as stout defensively as it was last year with Zach Edey and has struggled more as of late. But a road loss to Michigan is understandable. Michigan State’s home loss to Indiana, which had lost five in a row and just announced that head coach Mike Woodson would be departing at the end of the season, is baffling. The Spartans have now lost three of their last four after starting conference play 9–0 and have given up control of their own destiny in the Big Ten standings. They also have one of the most difficult stretches to close out the season—at Illinois, vs. Purdue, at Michigan, at Maryland, vs. Wisconsin, at Iowa and vs. Michigan. How Tom Izzo inspires the team to come out against the Boilermakers may be a good indication of what Michigan State’s form will be going into March.
Other Games to Watch
No. 16 Wisconsin Badgers (19–5) at No. 7 Purdue Boilermakers (19–6)
Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Before Purdue goes to East Lansing and rounds out its three-game gauntlet against the Big Ten’s best, the Boilermakers will get the Badgers at home. Wisconsin’s John Tonje has played himself into All–Big Ten first team consideration over the last six games (23 points per game, 49% from three), and in doing so repositioned the Badgers on the brink of the top 16—and just two games out of the conference lead.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (18–7) at SMU Mustangs (19–5)
Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, ACC Network
This marks one of the most consequential bubble games yet this season, with Wake Forest currently on the First Four Out and SMU positioned as the last team into the field in Sports Illustrated’s latest bracket watch. Wake Forest fell apart in the second half of Wednesday’s loss to Florida State, allowing 51 second-half points and now has to make one of the longer trips in the ACC to face an SMU team that has won five in a row.
Kansas State Wildcats (13–11) at BYU Cougars (16–8)
Saturday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Jerome Tang and the Wildcats have played their way up to the bubble with wins at Iowa State, and at home vs. Kansas and Arizona as a part of a six-game winning streak. There may be no scarier team in the Big 12 right now. But awaiting this weekend is what now can be deemed a bubble matchup with the Cougars, who have dropped two of their last three and are barely staying afloat before games of their own against Kansas and Arizona.
Bradley Braves (20–6) at Drake Bulldogs (22–2)
Sunday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Determined to show some love to the mid-majors this week, I’ll point you in the direction of one of the best stories in the sport this year: the job that Ben McCollum has done at Drake. The Bulldogs are dominating the Missouri Valley and even find themselves in contention for an at-large bid. But the Braves are their closest competition in the MVC and a 20-win team in their own right. Bradley already played Drake close in early January, making this rematch another intriguing battle.
Utah State Aggies (22–3) at New Mexico Lobos (21–4)
Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network
In another tilt between two 20-plus win teams, the clear frontrunners in the Mountain West meet for the second time this season. New Mexico dominated Utah State on the road earlier this month, but the Aggies will try to flip the script. Both teams are somewhat comfortably into the field of 68 at this point, but the winner of this game may be able to better avoid a No. 8 or No. 9-seed come Selection Sunday.
No. 8 Texas A&M Aggies (19–5) at No. 22 Mississippi State Bulldogs (17–7)
Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET, SEC Network
Texas A&M has quietly lurked off the pace of the SEC’s top teams this season, but is now in the top 10 in the AP poll and within striking distance of a No. 1-seed. If the Aggies can get through this week’s games against Arkansas and Mississippi State, they have a real claim to the top line should they win two of their three remaining matchups against Tennessee, Florida and Auburn.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Men’s College Basketball Watchability: No. 1 Auburn, No. 2 Alabama Meet for In-State Clash.
