By Kyle Beery | 97.1 The Ticket
It's official, folks. This college basketball season is off the rails.
Last week saw five losses by AP top-five teams, including Louisville becoming the fourth different No. 1 team to be knocked form that perch and Michigan taking back-to-back lumps.
There were a total of 12 losses by ranked teams, eight of which came to unranked opponents. North Carolina lost at home to Wofford for the second time in three years. Ohio State lost at Minnesota Sunday night, likely squandering an opportunity to sit atop the poll this week.
This season has gotten weirder and weirder with each passing week. What will make us scratch our heads this week? Will Kansas fall victim to the curse of the No. 1 team? Can Northwestern beat Michigan State to leave all 14 Big Ten teams sitting at 1-1? How many more ranked teams will falter against unranked foes?
As the week of Christmas doesn't offer a ton of great games before conference play heats up all across the country, for many teams, this is the last call to get one more good win on that non-con resume. Here's a rundown of this week's college basketball slate and which games you should be watching:
Local games
Wednesday, Dec. 18
No. 15 Michigan State @ Northwestern -- 8 p.m., BTN
As previously eluded to, a win for Northwestern would make for what has to be a rare oddity in the world of college basketball -- every single team in the Big Ten would be sitting at 1-1.
It's all on you, Northwestern. Don't blow this. pic.twitter.com/oSelaZSEjh
— Bill Landis (@BillLandis25) December 16, 2019On the flip side, if Michigan State can keep finding its rhythm since a shaky start to the season, the Wildcats would become the first Big Ten team to lose a conference home game this season.
Oakland @ Syracuse -- 8 p.m., ESPNU
Greg Kampe's Golden Grizzlies are looking for their first regular season road win against a power conference school since beating Washington in Seattle on Dec. 19, 2015.
The Orange have been floundering of late, having lost three of their last four, including a loss to a Georgetown team that is down to nine scholarship players.
Saturday, Dec. 21
Presbyterian @ No. 14 Michigan -- noon, BTN
Juwan Howard and Michigan will look to right the ship after suffering consecutive losses at Illinois and against Oregon last week. The Wolverines shouldn't have any trouble doing so against the Blue Hose, but this game is more about working out some kinks and seeing if guys like Brandon Johns and Franz Wagner can continue to improve their games.
Michigan will dive back into Big Ten play on Jan. 5 at rival Michigan State -- which, at the rate this college basketball season is going, could conceivably be a top-10 matchup if both teams continue to win until then.
Eastern Michigan @ No. 15 Michigan State -- 7 p.m., BTN
Much like the Wolverines, MSU will have a pair of tune-up games before resuming conference play. Despite their recent struggles, the metrics still like the Spartans. Michigan State ranks 5th at KenPom with the third-best adjusted offensive efficiency in the country.
National games
Wednesday, Dec. 18
UNC @ No. 2 Gonzaga -- 9 p.m., ESPN2
What had been on the radar for months as a likely top-10 matchup suddenly lost its luster over the last week and a half, as the Tar Heels lost three straight games, including at home to Wofford, and are now without Cole Anthony indefinitely.
If the star freshman is indeed unable to play Wednesday night, Gonzaga will likely coast to a third straight win over a power six opponent. The Zags are undeniably one of the most dangerous teams in the country, as long as Killian Tillie's ankle injury suffered in a win at Arizona over the weekend doesn't turn into something major.
Thursday, Dec. 19
No. 7 Maryland @ Seton Hall -- 7 p.m., FS1
This is another game that doesn't look as glamorous on paper as it did just a week or so ago. The Pirates have lost two in a row -- including at Rutgers -- and could be without star Myles Powell, who suffered a concussion in that game and reportedly asked coach Kevin Willard why the team was practicing at Rutgers. Maryland, meanwhile, suffered its first loss of the season last week at Penn State.
Saturday, Dec. 21
No. 1 Kansas @ No. 18 Villanova -- noon, FOX
The Jayhawks now have the target on their backs and you can bet Jay Wright's Wildcats will be trying to make Kansas the fifth different No. 1 team to lose, less than two months into the season.
Despite taking a couple tough losses early on this season, Villanova is the No. 2 offense at KenPom. This one could end up being the game of the week.
Purdue vs. No. 17 Butler -- Crossroads Classic (Indianapolis) -- 2:30 p.m., BTN
LaVall Jordan's Bulldogs, despite taking their first loss of the season last week against a now-top-10 Baylor team, are getting lots of love from the metrics -- ranked No. 4 in the NCAA's NET, which debuted Monday, and top-10 in KenPom.
-- FIRST NET RANKINGS --1. Ohio State2. Kansas3. San Diego State4. Butler5. Baylor6. Gonzaga7. Auburn8. Louisville9. Stanford10. DaytonUpdated daily:-- https://t.co/WcAiGO97kP pic.twitter.com/OlRcR3q7MX
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) December 16, 2019They'll take on a desperate in-state foe in Purdue that needs to stop taking on water. The Boilers appeared to be back on the straight and narrow, but took an ugly loss at Nebraska over the weekend. Butler holds a 3-1 edge against the Boilermakers in this unique annual event, which debuted in 2011. Indiana will face Notre Dame prior to this matchup at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Kentucky -- CBS Sports Classic (Las Vegas) -- 5:15 p.m., CBS
The CBS Sports Classic has turned into a pretty fun event over the last few years. While the undercard for this one (UNC vs. UCLA) may not titillate the senses, a top-10 matchup certainly does.
Both teams come in with something to prove. The Buckeyes will be looking to bounce back after their loss at Minnesota on Sunday and show they're worthy of the early-season high praises they've been receiving. Kentucky, meanwhile is still trying to win back the trust of fans everywhere since losing to Evansville at home in November.
No. 13 Dayton vs. Colorado -- Chicago Legends -- 6:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
Obi Toppin and the Flyers took the college basketball world by storm when they took Kansas to overtime in the Maui Invitational and earned the coveted "Maui Bump." Toppin is averaging better than 20 points and eight rebounds a game.
He and Dayton will go up against a pair of exciting players in Tyler Bey (12.6 PPG, 10.4 RPG) and McKinley Wright IV (11.3 PPG), who have Colorado looking like an NCAA Tournament team.
