College Basketball Games to Watch on Saturday

Saturday's Lineup

(Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis, IN) 

 (1) Indiana vs Butler *   2:00 PM ET CBS

- The Hoosiers have looked almost unstoppable this season with sophomore center Cody Zeller leading the way with 15.4 points per game. Butler has lost to Xavier and a very good Illinois team this season, but are true contenders to win the Atlantic-10 Conference in their very first season. Butler is led by senior guard Rotnei Clarke and junior forward Khyle Marshall. The Bulldogs may keep it close early in Indianapolis, but the Hoosiers will take control of this game once the second half begins. The explosiveness and play on the glass for the Hoosiers will be simply to much for the Bulldogs to handle. Cody Zeller along with Victor Oladipo and Christian Watford will be a nightmare for these Bulldogs to handle.  

Prediction: Indiana 75, Butler 58 

(5) Louisville at Memphis  2:30 PM ET FSN

- Louisville has been one of the best teams in the country this season with their only loss coming at the hands of #2 Duke. The leader of the Cardinals this season has been junior guard Russ Smith. Smith is averaging 20.3 points per game and has averaged 3.3 steals per game. Senior guard Peyton Siva continues to be a leader of this Cardinals team as well. Josh Pastner's Memphis Tigers have lost to VCU and Minnesota, but are the clear favorite to win Conference USA again this season. The Tigers do not have a dynamic scorer this season. The Tigers have been led by junior guard Geron Johnson who missed the first three games of the season because of disciplinary reasons. From the opening tip, this game could possibly turn into an uphill battle for the Tigers. I feel though that Memphis makes this a closer game than most might think.

Prediction: Louisville 71, Memphis 65

(Brooklyn Hoops Winter Festival in Brooklyn, NY) 

West Virginia vs (3) Michigan *  8:00 PM ET ESPN

- The Michigan Wolverines are off to their best start since the 1988-1989 season. The Wolverines led by sophomore guard Trey Burke have turned into one of the most dangerous teams in the country this season. The Wolverines currently have a field goal percentage .507 and are one of the most defensively sound teams I have seen this season. The play from Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr, Nick Stauskas, and Glenn Robinsin III has been impressive and it appears they will continue to get better as the season goes on. Bob Huggin's West Virginia Mountaineers come in limping after losing on the road at Duquesne 60-56 Tuesday night. The Mountaineers have not been impressive this season and have already lost four of their first eight games. The Mountaineers currently have a team field goal percentage of .390, which is one of the worst in the country. The Wolverines are a by far better team than the Mountaineers and should have no problem winning this ball game.

Prediction: Michigan 78, West Virginia 61

Kansas State vs (10) Gonzaga * (Seattle, WA)  9:00 PM ET ESPN2

- Gonzaga was in for a rude awakening last Saturday at home as they lost to a surging Illinois team. The Zags will now play at a neutral Key Arena in Seattle against a Kansas State Wildcat team that has been questionable so far this season. Gonzaga barely escaped Washington State last week then fell at home against Illinois in part to Fighting Illini guard Brandon Paul's 35 points. The Zags otherwise have been dominant this season and currently rank first in the country with a team shooting percentage of .527. Senior forward Elias Harris has led the way hitting double-digits in nine games this season and junior forward Kelly Olynyk, after missing the first three games of the season, has been averaging 7.1 rebounds per game. The Wildcats are coming off of a close game against George Washington and are looking to upset the No. 14 Zags. The Wildcats are sixth in the nation averaging 44.6 rebounds per game. The Wildcats will need scoring and rebounding from senior guard Rodney McGruder. The Wildcats will also need solid play from sophomore guard Angel Rodriguez and outside scoring from junior guard Will Spradling. It will be interesting to see if Kansas State can hang in this game with a tough Gonzaga squad that will be coming in very motivated after a tough loss.

Prediction: Gonzaga 73, Kansas State 66

(5) Florida @ (8) Arizona  10:00 PM ET ESPN

- This is going to be the best game on Saturday. Both teams are ranked in the Top 10 and this game would be a huge boost for whichever team can win it. This game went into overtime last year in Gainesville with the Gators winning 78-72. The Gators are led by senior guard Kenny Boynton who is averaging 14.4 points per game and leads his team in three-pointers with 14. senior forward Erik Murphy, senior guard Mike Rosario, and junior center Patric Young will also be very important in leading the Gators into a hostile Zona Zoo. The Wildcats have been led this season so far by sophomore guard Nick Johnson, who is averaging 13.6 points per game with a field goal percentage of .548. The Wildcats will need solid play out of senior guard Mark Lyons who will be matched up against Kenny Boynton and freshman center Kaleb Tarczewski who will guard Patric Young. Also if senior forward Solomon Hill can step up in this game it could be crucial in the Cats winning. A key to this game will be the the Wildcats being able to guard the lethal 3-point attack that the Gators present. This game will be just as close this year as it was last year. Look for this game to come down to the very last minute.

Prediction: Florida 71, Arizona 69