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We’re starting to get into crunch time for college hoops. There are some massive games this weekend with massive NCAA Tournament implications. And the best part is, it’s going to be that way for each of the next four weekends!…

St. John’s beats UConn behind 25 and 12 from Zuby Ejiofor

Feb 3, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; St. John’s Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino directs his team against the DePaul Blue Demons during the first half at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Shout-out to FOX for scheduling this game on a Friday night. I have long complained about how imbalanced the weekend college basketball schedule usually falls — we need more Friday and Sunday games because right now there’s too much to watch on Saturday. I digress.

I think this is a great spot to back Rick Pitino and the Red Storm — UConn has not played a team with this kind of size and strength in a long time, and I don’t think Tarris Reed will be able to stop Zuby without fouling.

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Illinois beats Michigan State 75-59 in the Breslin Center

This is a game of two teams heading in opposite directions — Illinois’ offense has taken off, and the Illini have not lost a game since handing the offense over to freshman Keaton Wagler, and Michigan State is on a two-game skid and dealing with media talk surrounding the questionable (some might say dirty) play of Jeremy Fears.

Minnesota showed the blueprint to beat the Spartans — don’t let them run in transition. Illinois is a better version of Minnesota. This game won’t be close.

North Carolina upsets Duke in an Instant Classic

The Tobacco Road rivalry is the best one in the sport, and has left us with indelible images over the years, such as Tyler Hansbrough’s bloody nose, Austin Rivers’ buzzer-beater, and Wendell Moore’s crazy putback. Now, it’s time for Cam Boozer, Caleb Wilson, and company to leave their mark on the history of this rivalry.

I like the Heels at home, who are coming in playing their best ball of the season. I think Henri Veesaar will be key – his ability to step out on the perimeter will prevent Duke from packing the paint like they love to do.

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Tennessee avenges their earlier loss to Kentucky as JP Estrella puts up a double-double

Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht (3) and forward JP Estrella (13) pose for a picture at the Food City Center for Tennessee Basketball media day on Tuesday Oct. 3, 2023.

In January, Kentucky traveled to Knoxville and shocked Tennessee with a second-half surge. I don’t think that’s the case here. Tennessee is the best offensive rebounding team in the nation, which is a type of offense that travels very well on the road. Felix Okpara has been injured, but JP Estrella has done a great job filling in, and this game could be a breakout performance for him.

Washington upsets UCLA to get back in the NCAA Tournament conversation

Life is rough as a West Coast team in the Big Ten with all of the cross-country road trips required. The good news for Washington, which has played the hardest schedule in the Big Ten to this point, is that this game is just a standard-fare old PAC-12 game. No time zone jumping, no marathon flight.

And this is a Washington team that is now fully healthy with Wesley Yates and Jacob Ognacevic back. The schedule gets really easy for the Huskies down the stretch, and this could be the start of a massive run to get on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble.