Best College Basketball Games for Week 5

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Hunter Dickinson on the court. Here are the best college basketball games for week 5
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Week 4 games of the college basketball season has come and gone. Now it’s time for week 5 when the schedule settles down with school finals and classes coming to an end. So don’t expect too many great games this week. There’s a few that should raise some eyebrows though and these should be all of them.

College Basketball Games

Michigan vs Kentucky: Dec. 4, 1:00 PM ET
Illinois vs Texas: Dec. 6, 7:00 PM ET
Maryland vs Wisconsin: Dec. 6, 9:00 PM ET
Iowa vs Duke: Dec. 6, 9:30 PM ET
Alabama vs Houston: Dec. 10, 3:00 PM ET
Arizona vs Indiana: Dec. 10, 7:30 PM ET

How To Watch These College Basketball Games

Michigan vs. Kentucky

  • When: Sunday, December 4, 2022
  • Start Time: 1:00 PM ET
  • Location: O2 Arena – London, England
  • How to watch: ABC

Michigan vs Kentucky Preview

The Wolverines have had an odd start to the season as they’ve lost to two out of their three Power 5 opponents with a close loss coming to Virginia. They got blown out by Pittsburgh though and barely survived Eastern Michigan. A change of scenery might help them as they travel to London to play Kentucky. But big man Hunter Dickinson is going to need some help to win this game as Oscar Tshiebwe isn’t the only weapon for the Wildcats.

Kentucky has also lost to its biggest opponents of the season so far in Michigan State and Gonzaga. The Wildcats have buried inferior competition much like Michigan. This game should come down to guard play and if Kentucky can get some consistency from its backcourt, it should be in business against a relatively inexperienced Michigan team.

Illinois vs. Texas

  • When: Tuesday, December 6, 2022
  • Start Time: 7:00 PM ET
  • Location: Madison Square Garden – New York City, New York
  • How to watch: ESPN

Illinois vs Texas Preview

The fighting Illini coming off a close and brutal loss to Maryland while Texas won an emotional game against Creighton last week. Matthew Mayer will look to rebound from his four-foul game that allowed him to see the floor for only 14 minutes on his way to two points for the night. The Illini have now faced a physical team, which should help them in the game against the Longhorns.

Texas played some of its best defense of the year against a normally hot-shooting Creighton team. The Bluejays made only four of their 27 attempts from deep and that was a huge reason Texas held off Creighton late in that game. If the Longhorns play like that again, they should be able to hold their own against the Illini at a neutral site.

Maryland vs. Wisconsin

  • When: Tuesday, December 6, 2022
  • Start Time: 9:00 PM ET
  • Location: Kohl Center – Madison, Wisconsin
  • How to watch: ESPN2

Maryland vs Wisconsin Preview

The Terrapins are coming off a huge win over Illinois at home in what was coach Kevin Willard’s biggest game of his early tenure there. The Terps were able to pull that game out despite a poor showing from Julian Reese who got into foul trouble early and only managed to score five points. Maryland does not run deep and that could prove fatal if Wisconsin makes this a rock fight.

Wisconsin is coming off a close loss to Wake Forest and lost an overtime game to Kansas in the Battle 4 Atlantis before that. However, their usual brand of basketball makes life difficult for opponents. With this game being the first of their conference schedule, we’ll have an idea of whether or not the Badgers are ready for the rigors of Big Ten play. If this game gets played into the mid-60s and above, the likelihood of a win for Wisconsin becomes smaller for sure.

Iowa vs. Duke

  • When: Tuesday, December 6, 2022
  • Start Time: 9:30 PM ET
  • Location: Madison Square Garden – New York City, New York
  • How to watch: ESPN

Iowa vs Duke Preview

This game is taking place as part of the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. Duke is coming off a whooping at the hands of Purdue, but recovered with a nice win over Ohio State. Duke’s two big men struggled with the 7-foot-4 Zach Edey, but Iowa doesn’t have anyone nearly that big. If Kyle Filipowski and Dereck Lively can take advantage of their size, things should go well for the Blue Devils.

Iowa has been nearly flawless this season with the exception of a loss to TCU. Kris Murray is playing the role of his brother, Keegan, now and pretty much runs the offense. He’s averaging a double-double with over 20 points a game. If Duke can contain him for a spell, then they should stand a pretty good chance of winning.

Alabama vs. Houston

  • When: Saturday, December 10, 2022
  • Start Time: 3:00 PM ET
  • Location: Fertitta Center – Houston, Texas
  • How to watch: ABC

Alabama vs Houston Preview

Houston is the best defensive team in the country by pretty much every relevant metric you can use. However, the Cougars have only played one Power 5 school in Oregon and came away with a ten point victory. This athletic and versatile Alabama team could be Houston’s biggest challenge of the season assuming they beat St. Mary’s on Saturday (Dec. 3).

Alabama has played some stiff competition and won some big games already in this young season. The Crimson Tide has beaten Michigan State and former No. 1 UNC in a quadruple overtime thriller. Freshman Brandon Miller has been superb and should be the X-Factor in this rematch with Houston from last year. For Houston, Jarace Walker may be tasked with guarding Miller and has been a strong presence for the Cougars this season.

Arizona vs. Indiana

  • When: Saturday, December 10, 2022
  • Start Time: 7:30 PM ET
  • Location: MGM Grand Garden Arena – Las Vegas, Nevada
  • How to watch: FOX

Arizona vs Indiana Preview

The Arizona Wildcats took a surprise loss to Utah to start PAC12 play, but should be primed for a Las Vegas showdown after a tune up game against California. They’ve already beaten the likes of Creighton, Cincinnati, and San Diego State this season.

Indiana is coming off a great win over then-No. 1 UNC and have a semi-signature win over Xavier. This should be a tough game for Indiana, especially traveling out west. But it will be a true test of how much offensive burden Trayce Jackson-Davis can shoulder for this Hoosiers team. Seven footers Oumar Ballo and Azuolas Tubelis will be a defensive challenge though as Jackson-Davis is the biggest guy on the Indiana roster at 6-foot-9.

What college basketball games are you looking forward to most?

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