As the calendar turns toward Christmas, it is time for conference play to begin in men’s college basketball. Given the fact that teams did not play any scrimmages and that many of the non-conference games have been canceled due to COVID-19 cases and contact tracing, the opening week or so of conference play should feature a number of chaotic and surprising outcomes, and even the top ten may show some significant changes over the next few weeks. If you plan on including college basketball in your online betting (or even just your television watching) this weekend, then take a look at our thoughts on some of the top games on the schedule.
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NCAA News: Top Basketball Games to Watch This Weekend
Friday, December 18th
- Iowa State at #8 West Virginia (9:00 pm ET, ESPNU)
West Virginia comes into Big 12 play with a 6-1 record. Their lone loss came in 87-82 fashion against top-ranked Gonzaga in Indianapolis. Their last game came on Sunday, as they rolled over #19 Richmond, 87-71. In that win, the team finally shot well as a group from the floor, putting up an 18-1 run before halftime that sent the Mountaineers into the locker room up by 22. In the first half, the team shot 66 percent from the floor and went 6 of 9 from behind the arc. That performance made it easier for them down the stretch instead of having to rally after shooting poorly, as they had to do in their prior game against North Texas.
Iowa State comes in with a 1-3 record. They opened with a 17-point win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff but have lost to San Diego State, Iowa and Kansas State. Iowa, ranked #3 in the nation at the time, routed the Cyclones, 105-77. Their last game, on Tuesday, was a nine-point loss to Kansas State. In that game, the Cyclones were down by double figures early and kept trying to work their way back in, only to get frustrated. Rasir Bolton led Iowa State with 19 points, going 7 of 10 from the floor, but he also had seven turnovers. Tyler Harris put up 10 points. Iowa State had 18 turnovers as a team, leading to 24 points by Kansas State. Can the Cyclones deal with West Virginia’s high-octane defense and stay in the game? West Virginia to win.
Saturday, December 19th
- #3 Iowa vs #1 Gonzaga (12:00 pm ET, CBS)
The Iowa Hawkeyes bring a 6-0 record into their Saturday matchup with Gonzaga, played at a neutral site in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Their only game against a ranked opponent came on December 8, against then-#16 North Carolina, whom the Hawkeyes beat by 13. They followed that up with a 28-point win over Iowa State and a 53-point win over Northern Illinois. Looking back to the win over the Tar Heels, Jordan Bohannon led the Hawkeyes with 24 points, one of four players to hit double figures. Bohannon went 7 of 16 from behind the arc and made his only two-point attempt. Center Luke Garza had his 19-game streak of scoring at least 20 points snapped, but he still had his 24th career double-double, with 16 points and 14 boards.
Gonzaga comes in not having played a game since December 2, when they beat West Virginia by five. Since then, games against Baylor and four cream-puff opponents have been canceled due to COVID-19 cases, so it will have been 17 days since the Bulldogs played a game. In that win over the Mountaineers, Gonzaga had a scare when Jalen Suggs went down in the first half, with what seemed either to be a serious ankle injury or an Achilles tear. However, he was able to come back during the second half, and that got Gonzaga’s transition game back up and running. Joel Ayayi tied his career best with 21 points, and Corey Kispert and Andrew Nembhard each tallied 19. West Virginia had chances but ultimately could not convert. It will be interesting to see if Gonzaga shows some rust from the time off. Iowa to win.
