The 13 Best College Basketball Games Left Before 2020

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

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The 13 best college basketball games left before 2020 - MIKE LOPRESTI, NCAA.COM - DECEMBER 19, 2019

Here in the final days of the calendar, college basketball still has a few moves left in 2019. Why, there might even still be time to squeeze in another No. 1 ranked team. To preview what’s left of the year, how about a rendition of The 12 Days of Christmas? Slightly abridged.

'On the fourth day before Christmas, the schedule gives to us . . .'

Kansas at Villanova. The No. 1 ranking has been passed around like mashed potatoes at the Christmas dinner table. Michigan State . . . to Kentucky . . . to Duke . . . to Louisville . . . and now to Kansas. Will there be another handoff needed after the Jayhawks visit Wells Fargo Center in south Philadelphia, where Villanova is 31-3 since the start of the 2013-14 season? Can the Wildcats defend against Kansas’ 52.9 field goal percentage, second finest in the land? Udoka Azubuike has missed 13 shots all season – and blocked 20. As this week began, his 83.1 percentage not only led the nation but was 11 points higher than second place.


'On the fifth day and sixth days after Christmas, the schedule gives to us . . .'

The Big East Blastoff. The league has shown considerable promise with an 83-25 non-conference record, and a lot of questions start to get answered Dec. 30 and 31 when Big East games begin.

DePaul, for example. Are the 10-1 Blue Demons serious about making trouble in the league, never mind they were picked to finish last? If they start league play with a win at home against Seton Hall, that’ll look serious enough. The Pirates were considered a Big East favorite, but that was before the injury list started growing, including All-American Myles Powell. Now what?

Or Xavier. Are the 9-2 Musketeers a genuine contender after struggling in 2018-19? The road to the Big East title tends to go through Villanova, and that’s where they’ll be on Dec. 30, with the chance to make a huge statement. Or not.

Butler was picked to finish eighth in the Big East, St. John’s ninth. But at last count, they were a combined 19-3. They meet New Year’s Eve in New York at 7:30 p.m. — the last college basketball game in the nation in 2019. Then we’ll start finding out what has been real the first two months and what has been a mirage, and not only in the Big East. The 12 Days of Christmas are really a door to 2020 and the next phase of the college basketball season. League play is here.

Mike Lopresti is a member of the US Basketball Writers Hall of Fame, Ball State journalism Hall of Fame and Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame. He has covered college basketball for 43 years, including 39 Final Fours. He is so old he covered Bob Knight when he had dark hair and basketball shorts were actually short.

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[stever20]

Not just Kansas @ Villanova.... Got Butler vs Purdue and then on Sunday Xavier @ TCU. Not even bringing into consideration Providence vs Texas and St John's/Arizona.