I hope you don’t have anything planned for Valentine’s Day. Or, if so, I hope you’ve been strategic about when and where you go. Because Saturday, February 14 is an absolutely loaded college basketball slate, packed with 132 games, including 12 between two teams ranked in the top 50 on KenPom. My advice: check the schedule and find the matches you want to see, then make your Valentine’s Day reservations for afterwards! Here are this weekend’s bold predictions:
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Bennett Stirtz scores 24 points, 8 assists as Iowa eliminates Purdue
In a battle between two of the best point guards in the Big Ten (and the entire country), I like Bennett Stirtz to get revenge on Braden Smith and the Boilermakers and surpass his 19 and 4 effort from earlier this season. Purdue’s coverage is a type of defense that will put the ball in the playmaker’s hands early and often, and I expect him to show up in front of his home crowd.
Providence shocks Big East with upset of St. John’s
February 11, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, United States; Providence Friars head coach Kim English shouts instructions in the first half against the Seton Hall Pirates at Prudential Center. Mandatory credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
This is one of the supreme “spots” of this weekend. Providence already beat St. John’s at Madison Square Garden, and now the Red Storm are invited to travel to Providence after beating UConn last Friday and Xavier in overtime this Monday. A win here would be huge for Providence and could be enough to ease head coach Kim English’s hot seat.
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Kansas hits the road and beats Iowa State in Ames
I was very tempted to associate this result with a huge Darryn Peterson stat line, but I have no idea when he will ever play basketball. The bottom line is this: With their win over Arizona, the Kansas Jayhawks showed us that they can beat anyone in the country on any given night. Iowa State just lost to TCU, and I think they might be (in the words of CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish) a “computer scammer” — a team that specializes in tearing down inferior competitors to improve their advanced metrics and appear better than they really are.
Texas A&M gets back into SEC contention with an upset over Vanderbilt at Memorial Gymnasium
February 11, 2026; College Station, Texas, United States; Texas A&M Aggies forward Rashaun Agee (12) reacts after being fouled during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at Reed Arena. Mandatory credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
This will be a game played at an absolutely breakneck pace, with both teams ranking in the top 50 nationally in terms of pace. We’ve seen Vanderbilt’s Achilles heel: They can’t deal with oversized men who can dominate the glass. Texas A&M has Rashaun Agee, one of the best offensive rebounders in the country, and he will be key to the Aggies pulling off the upset.
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Florida Shows SEC Dominance With Double-Digit Win Over Kentucky
I’ve been very high on this Florida team all season. They scheduled tough non-conference games and suffered a few losses, but have now discovered their best lineups and style of play, thanks to the analytical nature of coach Todd Golden. They’ve made light of the SEC in recent weeks, and I expect that to continue to Kentucky’s detriment.
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