The 10 Must-See NCAA Basketball Games in February
Spoiler: The top college basketball game on tap for February is the Kansas-Oklahoma rematch. That's just the way it is.
Right after the new year, Kansas, then ranked No. 1 in the country, needed triple overtime to take the first game between these two in Lawrence. On Feb. 13, they run it back at the home of the Sooners, who are now ranked No. 1 in the country.
So, yeah, that's the best February game. Game, set, match.
Why am I putting this in the introduction? Because if that knowledge is enough to keep you from reading, you're probably not reading the right thing anyway.
As most college basketball fans know, there's a good amount of stuff going on in the sport right now. It's too deep for its intrigue to ever be confined to one game, team, conference or part of the country.
With bracketology projections changing daily, the season is really starting to heat up and boil down. Power-conference leaders are jockeying for the highest seeds against historical foes who are trying to claw their way into the field. Mid-major teams in conferences with only a couple of projected bids are trying to cram themselves through the eye of a needle. And this is to say nothing of the longtime regional and conference rivalry games, which are a common fixture on the February landscape.
Let us now take a look at the top 10 games for that month. Teams, records, dates, times and viewing coordinates are provided (as available) for each matchup. The games are ranked based on the quality of the teams and players involved and the stakes of the matchup.
10. Pepperdine at Saint Mary's, Feb. 11
1 of 10
Records: Saint Mary's (17-2), Pepperdine (13-7)
Time: 11 p.m. ET
See it on: TBD
According to ESPN head bracketologist Joe Lunardi, the West Coast Conference is likely a two-bid league this season.
If one WCC team has the inside track on an at-large bid, right now that's Saint Mary's, particularly given their Jan. 21 win over 15-5 Gonzaga. The Gaels also are a fun and productive team, as evidenced by their No. 3 national ranking in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency metric.
But if they really want to breathe easier and break Gonzaga's grip on WCC dominance, they'll need to avenge their only conference loss of the season to the frisky Pepperdine Waves.
9. Saint Joseph's at Dayton, Feb. 17
2 of 10
Records: Saint Joseph's (16-3), Dayton (16-3)
Time: 6 p.m. ET
See it on: CBS Sports Network
If you don't like this kind of game, then you don't like college basketball.
Lunardi has the Atlantic 10 as a three-bid conference. Dayton and Saint Joe's sit second and third, respectively, in the conference now, just one and 1.5 respective games behind first-place VCU.
But this is not a three-team race. Six squads at the top of the A-10 are within three games of one another.
Unless you have a lot more trust in making a deep run in a single-elimination conference tourney than the average person, you probably want to win this game, especially since neither team has a game with VCU in February. The loser of this could easily find itself on the outside looking in.
8. Miami at Florida State, Feb. 14
3 of 10
Records: No. 15 Miami (16-3), Florida State (13-7)
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
See it on: ESPNU
Valentine's Day is the holiday of love. So sit back, relax and observe the day by watching two teams that pretty much hate each other.
More than bragging rights are on the line in the Sunshine State. Florida State is about as bubbly as it gets and needs signature conference wins. Miami is a lock for the big tournament, unless it swoons down the stretch—which is exactly what it did last season.
Now throw in the backcourts. Sheldon McClellan, Angel Rodriguez and Ja'Quan Newton combine for 39.8 points and 8.6 assists per game for the Hurricanes, while FSU youngsters Malik Beasley, Dwayne Bacon and Xavier Rathan-Mayes team up for 44.5 points and 8.2 helpers.
If you like guard play with an edge, this is your game.
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7. West Virginia at Iowa State, Feb. 2
4 of 10
Records: No. 9 West Virginia (17-3), No. 14 Iowa State (16-4)
Time: 9 p.m. ET
See it on: ESPN2
West Virginia is one of the great surprise teams of the season.
Its crazy press defense is a swarming, frenetic nightmare, and it has the Mounties first in the nation with an astounding 20 turnovers forced per game, per NCAA.com, and second overall in KenPom.com's defensive efficiency ratings.
For as wild and wonderful as West Virginia plays, it may be hard to impose that will on an efficient Iowa State squad, which ranks fifth in the country in field-goal percentage and has maybe the most underrated college basketball player in the nation in Monte Morris alongside do-it-all big man Georges Niang.
6. Oregon at Oregon State, Feb. 20
5 of 10
Records: No. 23 Oregon (16-4), Oregon State (12-6)
Time: 10 p.m. ET
See it on: Pac-12 Network
On February 20, you might as well just park yourself in front of the TV all day. There are many, many good games on that day.
This one stands out for having big implications in the Pac-12. OSU is on the bubble and will need this win, assuming it can get through the scheduling minefield between now and then in one piece or something resembling it. With Gary Payton II and his merry band of glue guys, anything is possible.
Dillon Brooks and conference-leading Oregon are looking to solidify their tournament resume and perhaps move up a slot or two in the bracket.
It's always great when the Civil War has some actual stakes for both sides.
5. Providence at Xavier, Feb. 17
6 of 10
Records: No. 10 Providence (17-4), No. 7 Xavier (18-2)
Time: 7 p.m. ET
See it on: Fox Sports 1
This Xavier team is starting to look like it's for real. Like, really for real. With five players averaging in double figures, KenPom offensive and defensive rankings of 23rd and 21st in the nation, respectively, and a great coach in Chris Mack at the helm, there's a lot to like about the Musketeers.
With losses to conference No. 1 Villanova and No. 3 Georgetown, though, Xavier had a lot of use for the Jan. 26 win that it got over Providence. On Feb. 17, All-American candidate Kris Dunn and the Friars will try to avenge that loss. They are looking good for the tournament, too, but could move a long way, potentially, in either direction during February.
With four Big East teams expected to make it to the dance, per Lunardi, this game could mean a lot for seeding, both among these two teams and beyond.
4. West Virginia at Kansas, Feb. 9
7 of 10
Records: No. 9 West Virginia (17-3), No. 2 Kansas (16-4)
Time: 7 p.m. ET
See it on: ESPN2
Only 12 teams score more than Kansas (84 points per game), according to NCAA.com. Only four teams convert their threes more often than the Jayhawks (43 percent). Only 14 teams have a wider scoring margin.
So it's a classic force-object matchup when high-octane Kansas locks horns with havoc-wreaking West Virginia.
The first time they met on Jan. 12, WVU attacked the basket mercilessly, and Kansas didn't consistently offer an answer. The Mounties took a crazy 47 foul shots in that game and converted 33 of them, compared with the Jayhawks' 13-of-21 from the stripe.
"I think the way the game's being called, it's hard to guard the ball," WVU coach Bob Huggins said after the game, per John Raby of the Associated Press. "We tried to kind of revamp some things and keep them spread to try to be able to get guys to the basket."
We'll see if the Jayhawks and coach Bill Self will revamp some things of their own in anticipation of this heavyweight clash.
3. Iowa at Indiana, Feb. 11
8 of 10
Records: No. 3 Iowa (16-3), No. 19 Indiana (17-4)
Time: 9 p.m. ET
See it on: ESPN
If West Virginia is one of the season's biggest surprises, Iowa and Indiana might be Sorpresas Numero Uno y Dos.
Behind Player of the Year candidate Jarrod Uthoff, the Hawkeyes are a force to be reckoned with in all phases. Only top-ranked Oklahoma has higher average KenPom.com offensive and defensive ratings than Iowa, which sits eighth in adjusted offense and 14th in adjusted defense. The Hawkeyes also rank second nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio, per NCAA.com.
In Bloomington, star senior Yogi Ferrell, coach Tom Crean and the rest of the Hoosiers are firing on all cylinders or at least several more cylinders than people expected. During the 12-game win streak that ended Jan. 26 at Wisconsin, the Hoosiers allowed 64.7 points per game. That is a far better defensive stretch than anyone would have anticipated from IU before the season.
The offense remains plenty potent as well. Even without the injured James Blackmon and his 15.8 points per game, Indiana continues to lead the Big Ten with 85.8 points each contest.
Iowa ranks just behind Indiana in that category with 81.7 points per game, just as Indiana ranks just behind Iowa in the overall Big Ten rankings.
A few other Big Ten teams may have a say in how the final rankings shake out, but there will be implications on top of implications when these two tip it off in Assembly Hall.
2. North Carolina at Louisville, Feb. 1
9 of 10
Records: No. 2 North Carolina (18-2), No. 16 Louisville (16-3)
Time: 7 p.m. ET
See it on: ESPN
It's hard to believe that an 18-2 season and a 1.5-game ACC lead heading into February could be construed as a disappointment. And yet, it feels that way sometimes with this season's North Carolina team, doesn't it?
In a season filled with parity, the Tar Heels, with their experience, depth and balance, might have been the favorite to emerge as a juggernaut. They are a very good team, granted, but thanks to some injuries along the line and a bit of inconsistency from point guard Marcus Paige and who knows what else, UNC just hasn't broken out.
That could change when the calendar flips.
Louisville begins and ends with defense. KenPom.com ranks Louisville third nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, while it is second nationally with 58.8 points allowed on average per game, NCAA statistics show.
Despite the loss of center Mangok Mathiang to a broken foot, Louisville also still tops the ACC with 41.9 rebounds per contest.
The Cardinals will be fired up to welcome North Carolina and its vaunted frontcourt—led by UNC's new Player of the Year candidate, Brice Johnson—to Louisville. Given that the Cardinals are second in the ACC and the game is just a few days away, the winner of this one could be given the mantle of the best team in the nation's most prestigious college basketball conference.
1. Kansas at Oklahoma, Feb. 13
10 of 10
Records: No. 4 Kansas (16-4), No. 1 Oklahoma (17-2)
Time: 2 p.m. ET
See it on: ESPN
What else needs to be said that wasn't said in the Intro or by a million other scribes? The first one was a little sloppy but an instant classic nonetheless, and while Kansas may have cooled off a bit since, this one is sure to be red-hot in Oklahoma.
David Gardner of Sports Illustrated might have said it best:
"The Jayhawks have all the right pieces in place to succeed in the Big 12 and in the Big Dance. ...Just how deep are the Jayhawks? In a 55-minute game, five-star freshmen Cheick Diallo and Carlton Bragg combined to play eight minutes. ...Although there are several contenders in the conference—Iowa State, West Virginia, Baylor and Texas Tech look like tournament teams, too—Oklahoma is Kansas’s biggest threat. ...Mark your calendars for the rematch between Kansas and Oklahoma on Feb. 13 in Norman.
"
Done and done.
All information is accurate as of January 27. Statistics provided by ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.
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