With football almost over and conference play in men’s college basketball heating up, there are plenty of other options available for your hoop watching entertainment. Our goal here, in this weekly space, is to help you select the most important games.
As fate would have it this week, most of our top Saturday picks happen in the early afternoon. That’s not to say there won’t be some primetime drama — there usually is in this sport — but interested fans should definitely pay attention to the brunch specials. As we always advise since we can’t touch every match, keep a close eye on the scoreboard and the remote within reach.
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With all that in mind, here are our starting five for this week.
No. 11 Nebraska at Indiana
Time/TV: Saturday, noon ET, BTN
If Marty MCFly’s DeLorean had just delivered you that day at Blloomington’s Assembly Hall in the mid-1980s, you would no doubt be shocked to learn that it is the visiting Cornhuskers, historically not known for their accomplishments on the hardwood, who enter this contest undefeated and flirting with the top 10. The Hoosiers have had their ups and downs so far this season but are nonetheless dangerous in this legendary venue. Nebraska’s roster doesn’t feature many household names, but the action on both ends of the court usually comes through Dutch big man Rienk Mast. Indiana will look to Tucker DeVries to match its interior production and hope shooting guard Lamar Wilkerson has a good day at the arc.
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No. 22 Tennessee at Florida
Time/TV: Saturday, noon ET, ESPN
The defending NCAA champion Gators have hit a few speed bumps during the 2025 portion of this season. But they knocked off a ranked Georgia team earlier this week and now look to pick up another top-25 win as the Volunteers roll into Gainesville. Tennessee also struggled with inconsistency with many new pieces in its lineup, but newcomers Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Nate Ament were dominant at times. The Gators’ new backcourt has struggled, but Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon are difficult to keep out of the paint.
Wisconsin ranked first over Michigan
Time/TV: Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
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After an impressive winning streak, Tuesday night’s escape at Penn State may have been just the wake-up call for Wolverines necessary as they approach the meat of their Big Ten roster. They are happy to be back home, regardless of facing the Badgers. Wisconsin doesn’t have any noticeably bad losses in its 10-5 record, but could still use some quality wins. Well-traveled Nick Boyd joined John Blackwell in Madison to give Wisconsin a high-scoring backcourt. They’ll need to go on target to avoid having to challenge Michigan’s formidable lineup of rim protectors. Elliot Cadeau has been the facilitator Michigan needed in its system, and any points he provides are a bonus.
No. 25 SMU at No. 6 Duke
Time/TV: Saturday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN
The Blue Devils emerged from a recent defensive funk earlier this week, just in time to put down Louisville in the second half and earn a key ACC road victory. They return home to face the just-ranked Mustangs, whose first action with a number in front of their name didn’t go so well Wednesday night in a loss at Clemson. SMU’s Kevin “Boopie” Miller and Jaron Pierre use the three-point arc extensively while Samet Yigitoglu anchors the interior. Duke’s Cameron Boozer won’t be afraid to challenge in the lane, but any help he gets from guards Isaiah Evans and Caleb Foster will be welcome.
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No. 16 Illinois at No. 19 Iowa
Time/TV: Sunday, noon ET, Fox
We return to the Big Ten for Sunday’s headliner. The Hawkeyes saw their comeback attempt in Minnesota fail in their last outing, and now they hope to take advantage of their home turf against the Fighting Illini. Although Illinois often fields a lineup made up primarily of Eastern Europeans, it’s the National Guard tandem of Keaton Wagler and Kylan Boswell that makes the operation work. Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz has quickly adjusted to life in the Big Ten, but he might need more shooting help from backcourt teammate Tavion Banks.
This article was originally published on USA TODAY: The best games on the college basketball schedule to watch include Duke, Michigan
