Around the Top 25 (College Basketball): Feb. 26
The regular season is winding down, and before you know it March Madness will be underway. This upcoming weekend features three crucial ranked-on-ranked matchups, as teams jockey for conference and tournament seeding.
The first matchup of the weekend may be the biggest, as No. 8 Texas travels to take on No. 9 Baylor. The Longhorns have won three of their last four, and are on the rise following their midseason coaching change a few months ago. Baylor has lost two straight on the road, and needs a home conference win desperately.
The ‘Horns sports superstar guard Marcus Carr, who has been on a tear recently. Carr averages 17 points per game, and leads the team in both points and assists. His teammate, Sir’Jabari Rice, completes the backcourt— Rice has 15 or more points in four of his last five outings.
On the other side, Baylor will rely on the play of freshman guard Keyonte George. George is averaging 17 points per game while shooting 40% from the field, and has been a playmaker for the Bears all season.
Baylor will need great play from their veteran supporting cast as well, including senior guard Adam Flagler and junior forward Jalen Bridges, who combine for nearly 25 points per game.
Texas sits atop the Big-12 conference, tied with No. 3 Kansas at 11-4 in conference play. Baylor is in fourth place, with a 9-6 conference record.
Baylor is 13-2 at home this season and a measly 4-5 on the road, so the Bears will need to use their home court advantage to take Texas by surprise, and end their own two game losing streak.
Just a few hours after Texas and Baylor tip off, another showdown is on tap — this time in the Big Ten. No. 17 Indiana takes on No. 5 Purdue, in what many believe could be an intriguing upset.
The Hoosiers have won three of their last five, including tough wins over Michigan and Illinois, as well as a narrow road defeat at Northwestern. Purdue has fallen mightily after being ranked the No. 1 team in the nation for the better part of a month, as they’ve dropped two of their last three games.
Indiana’s great play recently has been spurred on by senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis. The Indiana homegrown is averaging over 20 points per game and over 11 assists a night, and has been unstoppable as of late. He’s notched 19 or more points in his last five games straight.
On the other side is National Player of the Year frontrunner Zach Edey. The 7-foor-4 monster of a man has been unguardable all season long, and for good reason. His sheer size and 300-pound frame have been too much for defenders to handle, and he’s also averaging a double-double per game: 22 points and nearly 13 rebounds a night.
Purdue secures the top spot in the Big Ten with a win (13-4 conference record), while Indiana can make some late season moves with an upset (10-7 conference record).
Additionally, both Jackson-Davis and Edey rank within the top 20 in all of college basketball in points and rebounds per game, and are without a doubt the matchup to watch in this one. Which superstar explodes onto the scene will most likely decide which team wins on Saturday.
The final top-25 matchup of the weekend comes from the West Coast Conference, as No. 15 Saint Mary’s takes on No. 12 Gonzaga.
The Gael’s currently hold first place in the WCC (14-1 conference record), while Gonzaga is only a game back in the standings (13-2 conference record). This matchup will undoubtedly decide the conference winner.
For the Zags, it’s all about running the play through the hands of Drew Timme. The senior forward was instrumental in Gonzaga’s tournament run last season, and only upped his game this year. He’s averaging 21 points and seven rebounds a contest, and is the engine that makes the Bulldogs offense go.
On the other bench, Saint Mary’s sports freshman guard Aidan Mahaney. A real surprise this year, Mahaney has shown he has what it takes to be a star guard in college basketball. The California native is averaging nearly 15 points per game, while shooting at a 45% clip.
Saint Mary’s has been one of the best stories in college basketball this season, and have a chance to make their year even more storybook as it prepares for the tournament. Knocking off preseason conference favorites Gonzaga, on the road, and capturing the WCC would be a great next chapter.
Parker Silverman is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email pws5405@psu.edu.
