Best College Basketball Games of Week 11

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K-State on the court for the best college basketball games of the week
AP Photo/Rod Aydelotte

Week 10 of the best college basketball games gave us some solid competition and some nice surprises.  These include an Indiana stunner, a nail-biter from Kansas, an upset of Wisconsin, and a scare for No. 1 Houston. It’s always tough to say if we’ll get a repeat performance of these kinds of games, but we can always be optimistic. Here are some games that should be quite entertaining for week 11.

Week 11 College Basketball Games

  • Marquette vs Xavier: Jan. 15, 12:00 ET
  • Kansas vs Kansas State: Jan. 17, 7:00 ET
  • Texas vs Iowa State: Jan. 17, 8:00 ET
  • Providence vs Marquette: Jan. 18, 9:00 ET
  • Miami vs Duke: Jan. 20, 12:00 ET
  • UCLA vs Arizona: Jan. 20, 2:00 ET

How To Watch These College Basketball Games

Marquette vs Xavier

  • When: Sunday, January 15, 2023
  • Start Time: 12:00 PM ET
  • Location: Cintas Center – Cincinnati, Ohio
  • How to watch: FOX

Marquette vs Xavier Preview

Both of these teams have recently beaten UConn and are feeling pretty good about their seasons. In fact, Xavier is on a 10-game winning streak while Marquette is on a five-game streak of its own. Both teams score in the 80s and make about half of their shots.

This game will likely come down to who can take care of the ball better and who will hit some clutch time shots. Xavier is a better rebounding team and assists on its shots a bit more. However, Marquette averages just over nine steals a game. If Xavier gives up some live ball turnovers, that could spell doom for the double-digit winning streak.

Kansas vs Kansas State

  • When: Tuesday, January 17, 2023
  • Start Time: 7:00 PM ET
  • Location: Bramlage Coliseum – Manhattan, Kansas
  • How to watch: ESPN

Kansas vs Kansas State Preview

These two teams are almost identical right now in some major statistical categories. Both score over 77 points a game, both allow less than 66 points a game, and both have won nine games in a row. With the in-state rivalry being renewed, this could potentially break a tie for first place in the Big 12 between them and Iowa State (pending some games before this one).

The one-two punch of Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell will be a formidable match for Kansas and its defense. Jalen Wilson will need some help from his guards while getting the normal shooting output from Gradey Dick and probably a little extra elsewhere. Kansas State has a legitimate shot at the conference title this season and getting a win here would go a long way in helping secure it.

Texas vs Iowa State

  • When: Tuesday, January 17, 2023
  • Start Time: 8:00 PM ET
  • Location: James H. Hilton Coliseum – Ames, Iowa
  • How to watch: ESPN+/Big 12 Network

Texas vs Iowa State Preview

The Longhorns have gotten back in the saddle after suffering a devastating 116-103 loss to Kansas State with wins over Oklahoma State and TCU. Meanwhile, Iowa State has won its last six games, which includes games against Baylor and TCU. Texas and ISU will be vying for supremacy atop the Big 12 throughout the season as the conference promises to be the toughest in the land.

Marcus Carr for Texas will likely shoulder a heavy offensive burden for his team against Iowa State. He will need to see more help from his big men in Timmy Allen, Dillon Mitchell, and Dylan Disu in this one as ISU’s guards will likely do a lot of the offensive damage for the Wildcats. Jaren Holmes leads the backcourt along with Gabe Kalscheur and Caleb Grill. Together, they average 36 points a game, and any one of them could go off for a big night.

Providence vs Marquette

  • When: Wednesday, January 18, 2023
  • Start Time: 9:00 PM ET
  • Location: Fiserv Forum – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • How to watch: CBS Sports Network

Providence vs Marquette Preview

Both of these teams are coming off recent wins against a tough UConn squad. They are playing confidently as Marquette is on a five-game winning streak and Providence is on a nine-game streak of its own. Marquette’s offense is generally smooth as it generates 83 points per game and assists on 18.4 buckets per game. Providence is a bit stingier on defense and has some great coaching from Ed Cooley.

Both of these teams are old in the sense they play a lot of upperclassmen. Providence has Ed Croswell and Noah Locke holding it down as starters while Marquette has Oso Ighodaro and Olivier-Maxence Prosper on the other side. Marquette is incredible inside the arc, shooting 60% on twos. However, Providence gets to the free throw line at an absurd rate of 25.7 times per game, which is fourth in the country.

Miami vs Duke

  • When: Saturday, January 21, 2023
  • Start Time: 12:00 PM ET
  • Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium – Durham, North Carolina
  • How to watch: ESPN

Miami vs Duke Preview

The Hurricanes are 5-1 in conference play and really should be 6-0, but suffered an inexplicable loss to Georgia Tech. Duke has been a bit uneven lately at 4-2 in the conference and 13-4 overall but did secure a signature win against a much improved Pittsburgh team last week. Duke’s plethora of freshmen will have to steadily improve and show up big in a matchup with an older Hurricanes squad.

Jeremy Roach has been the steadying force for Duke as the lone upperclassmen starter. He’s gotten some nice help from Kyle Filipowski, but really needs Dereck Lively and Dariq Whitehead to step up and contribute more. Meanwhile, the Canes are led by senior Isaiah Wong, who can score in bunches. K-State transfer Nijel Pack is also a sharpshooter who will help spread the floor for Wong.

UCLA vs Arizona

  • When: Saturday, January 21, 2023
  • Start Time: 2:00 PM ET
  • Location: McKale Center – Tuscon, Arizona
  • How to watch: ESPN

UCLA vs Arizona Preview

The Bruins are undefeated in conference play and seem to be hitting their stride as January dribbles on. Arizona has taken two losses in conference play already to Utah and Washington State, which are both bad losses. The Wildcats have to right the ship and gain some ground in the PAC12 standings or they are looking at a grim 4-3 conference record with an uphill battle in front of them.

The Wildcats will likely look to their size as the big mismatch. With Oumar Ballo and Azuolas Tubelis as their big men and only UCLA’s Adem Bona to match them, there should be plenty of high-low looks. UCLA likely has the advantage on the wings with Jaime Jaquez and Jaylen Clark handling much of the scoring there. Look for a rowdy Arizona crowd to help tip the game in the Wildcats’ favor for this one. Stay tuned for next weeks matchups of the best college basketball games!

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