College Basketball: UConn and Cincinnati Face Big Tests

Unbeaten Cincinnati face Villanova on the road this weekend while UConn face a tough assignment at Texas.

Bearcats demand respect
Having the #25 ranking isn’t enough for unbeaten Cincinnati. The Bearcats crave recognition of their best start to a season since 1999. A road win at Villanova this weekend would go a long way towards putting the Bearcats in the conversation as a contender in the Big East and nationally.

Villanova will be in no mood to go down easy. The #7 Wildcats have been on a tear since their disappointing loss to Tennessee in the NIT Season Tip-Off Final. That awful showing in Madison Square Garden has served as a wake-up call, with Nova peeling off eight straight wins since that loss. Neither side has faced a significant test since November however and with comparable stats, this promises to be a tight encounter. Right now the Bearcats look the hungrier team and, when challenged, the Wildcats can wilt. This will be tight but I like Cincinnati to come out on top this Sunday.

Huskies need to dig deep
Two losses in three games, coupled with a narrow escape at home to South Florida, have cast doubt on the prospects of #9 UConn contending this season. The Huskies look far removed from the team that recorded early season wins over Michigan State and Kentucky. UConn were bullied by #6 Pitt on December 27 while #15 Notre Dame kept Kemba Walker at bay on Tuesday en route to a 73-70 victory. That leaves the Huskies facing a daunting trip to Austin to take on the #12 Longhorns.

A bad loss to USC is the only blemish on Texas’ record since a defeat to Pitt back in November. Since those defeats they have mostly dominated opponents, including a convincing 67-55 win on the road against Michigan State and a neutral site victory over a rebuilding North Carolina. With fairly comparable records, particularly against shared opponents, momentum should prove a big factor for College Basketball betting fans. I like the Longhorns to avenge last season’s shocking loss to the Huskies with a dominant performance on the boards.

Buckeyes can overcome Gophers
The only other meeting of ranked opponents this weekend pits #2 Ohio State against #21 Minnesota in Columbus. After recording two road wins to open Big Ten play, the unbeaten Buckeyes will relish the opportunity to face the Golden Gophers at home. Minnesota have looked far from polished in the early stages of conference action, losing on the road to Wisconsin and Michigan State while narrowly avoiding defeat at home to Indiana. Against the high-scoring and highly accurate Buckeyes, it’s hard to see Minnesota’s slight edge in rebounding being enough for an upset. Bet on Ohio State to roll to 16-0 this Sunday.