Scott Shapiro's Saturday NCAA basketball preview

The first weekend in February not only features the biggest football game of the year, but also a plethora of key conference matchups in college basketball. Here are my thoughts on a few of Saturday’s most compelling contests.

#14 Michigan State at Wisconsin, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)

After a 7-3 stretch that correlated with the reinstatement of Micah Potter, things have gone south for Wisconsin. The Badgers have lost three of their last four and their second leading scorer, Kobe King, decided to leave the team earlier in the week for personal reasons. They will also be without starting guard Brad Davison on Saturday. The 6-foot-4 junior was suspended one game for a flagrant foul committed at the end of the Iowa game Monday night.

Wisconsin struggled with Michigan State’s size and athleticism when these schools met for the first time in East Lansing on Jan. 17. The Spartans won 67-55, in a contest that was more one-sided than the score suggests. Tom Izzo’s squad outrebounded the Badgers 41-32 and controlled the game from start to finish on both ends of the floor.

Wisconsin is at a turning point in its season and is likely to come out playing with a lot of emotion at home after a tumultuous week for the program. However, in the end, the Badgers are severely outmanned.

NCAAB free pick: Michigan

#13 Kentucky at #17 Auburn, 6 p.m. ET (ESPN)

UK has suffered some bad losses this season and has lacked consistency, but the Wildcats have won four straight since they lost a buzzer beater to South Carolina on Jan. 15.

John Calipari’s team—as usual—has the ingredients to make a deep run in March, in large part because of its trio of guards and big man Nick Richards. Richards struggled in his first two seasons in Lexington, but has figured things out in his junior year. The 6-foot-11 forward leads the team in points and rebounds and is one of the frontrunners for SEC Player of the Year. Auburn will likely struggle to contain him.

The Tigers lost a number of key contributors from their Final Four team a season ago, but head coach Bruce Pearl has done a great job to get his team to a 17-2 record. But they are just 1-2 in games played against teams in the KenPom top 50, which illustrates the lack of serious competition they have encountered thus far.
 
The Jungle will be rocking Saturday evening, but I expect Big Blue Nation to be ready after a flat effort against Vanderbilt on Wednesday night.

NCAAB free pick: Kentucky

Saint Mary's at BYU, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

When these two West Coast Conference schools met for the first time, it took overtime to decide the game. After five additional minutes, the Gaels came out on top, 87-84. The two best three-point shooting teams in the nation will meet again in Provo on Saturday night, and there is no reason to expect anything but another nail biter.

In the first meeting, neither team shot exceptionally from three-point range, but both teams took advantage of their trips to the free-throw line. Given both teams' efficiency behind the arc throughout the year, look for both squads to shoot it better than they did Jan. 9. This should lead to a high-scoring affair for teams that have a good chance to earn at-large bids, even if they are unable to upset Gonzaga in the WCC Tournament.

NCAAB free pick: Over

The weekend is loaded with basketball action. Check out all the matchups at BetAmerica!