Last week was a pretty solid week of games as Providence upset UConn, TCU and Baylor was a tight game, and Kansas only beat Texas Tech by three. The lone blowout was Mississippi State getting destroyed by Tennessee and now we all know better than to think the Bulldogs are a top-tier team. Here are the best college basketball games to watch for this week.
Week 10 College Basketball Games
- Michigan State vs Wisconsin: Jan. 10, 7:00 ET
- North Carolina vs Virginia: Jan. 10, 9:00 ET
- UConn vs Marquette: Jan. 11, 7:00 ET
- Alabama vs Arkansas: Jan. 11, 7:00 ET
- TCU vs Texas: Jan. 11, 9:00 ET
- Wisconsin vs Indiana: Jan. 14, 1:00 ET
How To Watch These College Basketball Games
Michigan State vs Wisconsin
- When: Tuesday, January 10, 2023
- Start Time: 7:00 PM ET
- Location: Kohl Center – Madison, Wisconsin
- How to watch: ESPN
Michigan State vs Wisconsin Preview
This is the time of year when Michigan State starts to look more like n NCAA Tournament team as coach Tom Izzo gets his team jelling and the chemistry comes together. The Spartans have won their last two conference games and now face their toughest B1G challenge in the cold of Madison, Wisconsin.
Meanwhile, the Badgers have reeled off six straight wins since a loss to Wake Forest and are undefeated in conference play. Neither team wants to make this game particularly pretty and will try to play it in the 60s. But if it becomes a high-scoring affair, that likely favors MSU, who averages over 70 points a game. Look for a duel between MSU guard Tyson Walker and Wisconsin forward Tyler Wahl.
North Carolina vs Virginia
- When: Tuesday, January 10, 2023
- Start Time: 9:00 PM ET
- Location: John Paul Jones Arena – Charlottesville, Virginia
- How to watch: ESPN
North Carolina vs Virginia Preview
UNC was thought to be a championship contender this year after having returned so many players from its runner-up season. However, they’ve faltered early and have looked uneven for much of the season. But the Tar Heels have the same conference record as Virginia right now as the Cavaliers have to Miami and Pittsburgh by a combined five points.
Virginia’s defense will assuredly be its calling card for this game, but it will have to end defensive possessions as UNC is known for its rebounding. The Tar Heels average about 10 offensive rebounds a game but are also top-15 in defensive boards at 29 a game. Many of those go to Armando Bacot who will have to contend with Kadin Shedrick in the post.
UConn vs Marquette
- When: Wednesday, January 11, 2023
- Start Time: 7:00 PM ET
- Location: Fiserv Forum – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- How to watch:
UConn vs Marquette Preview
The Huskies entered last week undefeated but suffered back-to-back losses in Big East play. The Huskies lost away games to Providence and Xavier by 10 points apiece. They are looking to right the ship against a nice Marquette squad that suffered its lone Big East loss to Providence in double overtime.
UConn’s Adama Sanogo will need some help from his teammates in this one as he did the heavy lifting against Xavier. Jordan Hawkins should look to have a good shooting game while having to compete against Kam Jones on the other side as far as scoring goes. Marquette will have to rebound better than usual if it wants to keep up with UConn, especially since Sanogo and Donovan Clingan generally clean up on the boards.
Alabama vs Arkansas
- When: Wednesday, January 11, 2023
- Start Time: 7:00 PM ET
- Location: Bud Walton Arena – Fayetteville, Arkansas
- How to watch: ESPN2
Alabama vs Arkansas Preview
The Crimson Tide are coming off a whooping of Kentucky on Saturday. In fact, it was one of the worst defeats the Cats have had in a long time.
Coming off that win, the Crimson Tide should be feeling pretty good heading out to Arkansas. The Crimson Tide are the much better rebounding team, but give up quite a few more points than the Razorbacks.
This game should feature some excellent matchups with potential lottery picks in Nick Smith Jr. of Arkansas and Brandon Miller of Alabama. Miller has been the top scorer in the conference as a freshman and Smith has been picking up his game as he gets his feet under him after coming back from an injury. Freshmen Jordan Walsh and Anthony Black have been superb as well.
TCU vs Texas
- When: Wednesday, January 11, 2023
- Start Time: 9:00 PM ET
- Location: Moody Center – Austin, Texas
- How to watch: ESPN2
TCU vs Texas Preview
Texas survived a scare from Oklahoma State on Saturday so the Longhorns should have an appreciation for a much tougher opponent coming into their building. TCU should be doing it a bit angrily after suffering a brutal loss to Iowa State at home. This should be a nice top-25 (or close to it) matchup between the two teams.
Both teams allow others to score in the mid-60s, but Texas is averaging 84 points a game while TCU is averaging about 79 points a game. Marcus Carr and Mike Miles Jr. will be the big matchup of this game as both guards have been superb for their teams this season.
Wisconsin vs Indiana
- When: Saturday, January 14, 2023
- Start Time: 1:00 PM ET
- Location: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall – Bloomington, Indiana
- How to watch: CBS
Wisconsin vs Indiana Preview
The Badgers have gotten off to a strong start in Big Ten play with a 3-1 start. However, their last game was a loss to a struggling Illinois team. You have to imagine they’ll come out a bit more focused against a good team like Indiana. Indiana meanwhile, has struggled to get it going in conference with a brutal loss to Iowa and another to Rutgers.
Wisconsin will likely try to make this game a rock fight and ugly while Indiana is hoping to get this game into the 70s or higher as the Hoosiers like to score often. If Indiana can continue to run a smooth offense — one which features almost 18 assists a game — it should be just fine. Unfortunately, Badger Ball has always been about taking teams out of rhythm and making them uncomfortable. Be sure to tune in to the best college basketball games, and come back next week for the best matchups.
