Men’s Weekend Preview: SEC Supremacy and NCAA Tournament Bids at Stake

Some mid-major leagues will play their final regular-season games this weekend ahead of conference tournaments opening next week.

Welcome to the month of March! College basketball’s month in the spotlight is here, and it opens with a slew of big matchups as conference title races wind down. In some leagues, this is the final weekend of the regular season, with conference tournaments kicking off in plenty of mid-major leagues starting next week.

Here’s a look at what to watch during your first taste of madness. We’ve got a matchup for SEC supremacy headlining things and a few big brands looking to lock up NCAA tournament bids.

The headliners

No. 7 Kansas Jayhawks at No. 15 Baylor Bears, March 2, 1 p.m. ET

Life without Kevin McCullar Jr. so far hasn’t suited the Jayhawks, with Tuesday’s surprise loss at home to the BYU Cougars being the latest example. The road doesn’t get any easier either, with a trip to take on another top-tier Big 12 foe in Baylor next on the docket. Finding ways to generate offense may be easier against a Baylor defense that has struggled this season, but McCullar’s defensive chops would’ve been valuable against Baylor’s deep backcourt. Kansas was able to do work on the interior in the season’s first meeting, with K.J. Adams Jr. and Hunter Dickinson combining for 29 of the team’s 64 points in a three-point win. They’ll need a similar boost from the frontcourt to win this one on the road.

The Magic Eight: Teams That Can Win the 2024 NCAA Men’s Tournament

No. 13 Illinois Fighting Illini at Wisconsin Badgers, March 2, 1 p.m. ET

No one is happier to see the month of February end than Wisconsin, which spent the month in a serious tailspin. The Badgers went just 2–6 in February, including bad losses to the Indiana Hoosiers, Michigan Wolverines and a blowout defeat at the hands of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Can they turn things around? It starts with a big test in Madison, Wis., on Saturday afternoon against Illinois. The Illini have been prolific offensively of late, now ranking as the nation’s third-best offense per KenPom after a 105-point outburst against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The problem: Illinois has been putrid on the defensive end of late, especially when defending the paint. That could spark the Badgers in what feels like an important game for momentum purposes if nothing else.

No. 5 Marquette Golden Eagles at No. 12 Creighton Bluejays, March 2, 2:30 p.m. ET

The UConn Huskies have asserted itself as the best team in the Big East. The two top challengers face off in this one, which could have significant implications for seeding both in the Big East and NCAA tournament. Since early-season wins against Illinois and Kansas, Marquette hasn’t really secured a signature win to push toward a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance. This one would certainly qualify, and the Golden Eagles looked outstanding Wednesday against the Providence Friars. That said, to win on the road against a team like Creighton, they’ll need a healthy Tyler Kolek, who left that matchup with the Friars early with an oblique injury.

No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers at No. 14 Alabama Crimson Tide, March 2, 8 p.m. ET

First place in the SEC is on the line in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday night. Traditionally, this matchup has been about elite offense (Alabama) vs. elite defense (Tennessee). The difference this season? The Volunteers have the firepower to score with the Crimson Tide. Dalton Knecht continued his tear through the SEC on Wednesday with an epic 39-point outburst, one that featured him scoring 25 points in the game’s final 12 minutes to help Tennessee surge past the Auburn Tigers. With Knecht and Zakai Zeigler each hitting their stride, this Volunteer offense is incredibly dangerous. They hung 91 on Alabama in the season’s first meeting, and a sweep of the season series would position Tennessee well for the SEC regular-season title.

Knecht dropped 39 points on Wednesday against Auburn :: Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel/USA TODAY Network

No. 23 Gonzaga Bulldogs at No. 17 Saint Mary’s Gaels, March 2, 10 p.m. ET

The stakes in this one are massive: Gonzaga needs another big win against top competition to bolster its NCAA tournament résumé and avoid having to win the WCC tournament to go dancing. A road win against a Saint Mary’s squad that hasn’t lost since the start of 2024 would go a long way toward Gonzaga continuing its NCAA tournament streak. It won’t be easy with how the Gaels are playing, but Saint Mary’s does feel more vulnerable without starting power forward Joshua Jefferson, who is done for the season with a knee injury. That’s especially true in this matchup given how much size Gonzaga has on the interior.

Bubble battles

• Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Virginia Tech Hokies: Wake can’t seem to escape the bubble, taking a step back after losing at the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Tuesday to spoil some of the momentum from a win over the Duke Blue Devils last weekend. A road Quad 1 win here would be absolutely massive.
• New Mexico Lobos at Boise State Broncos: New Mexico’s loss to the Air Force Falcons last weekend was a disaster for its NCAA tournament hopes. While the Lobos still are in Sports Illustrated’s projected field as of today, it will be tight if they can’t get one more big win like this one.
• Villanova Wildcats at Providence Friars: These two teams are as bubblicious as they come. It feels like a must-win for Providence to protect home court, but Villanova can’t afford a 13th loss with two more tough games in league play and the conference tournament looming.
• Michigan State Spartans at Purdue Boilermakers: Michigan State isn’t safe just yet. A win at Mackey Arena would remove all doubt, but those are hard to come by. Avoiding a blowout for metrics purposes is important.
• Iowa Hawkeyes at Northwestern Wildcats: While other teams around the bubble stumble, Iowa has entered the conversation with some nice wins of late. A Quad 1 win at a banged-up Northwestern team could help move the needle a bit and set up a huge game with Illinois in Iowa City next weekend.

Men’s Bracket Watch: Washington State Locks in, Wake Forest Breaks Through

Mid-major game of the weekend: Western Carolina Catamounts at Chattanooga Mocs

America, meet Vonterius Woolbright. The Western Carolina wing is averaging 21.6 points, 12 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game this season, the only player to average 20/10/5 in college basketball in the last 30 years. He’s led the Catamounts to the top half of the SoCon and could be a March darling if they can pull an upset or two in the conference tournament.