5 Games to Watch This Weekend: Illinois Visits Purdue

Who’s ready for a great weekend?

Check below for our list of five games to watch this weekend in college basketball.

In no particular order:

UConn at Butler (Friday)

This isn't a must win for the Bulldogs, but it feels pretty close. After back-to-back losses to Providence and St. John's on the road, Thad Matta's team will host UConn tonight at Hinkle Fieldhouse before traveling to Marquette next week. Butler has to find a way to slow down Cam Spencer, who's averaging 16.8 points in the Huskies' 12 wins this season.

Illinois at Purdue (Friday)

Can the Illini remain close on the road against the Boilers without Terrence Shannon Jr.? It's not going to be easy. Purdue leads college basketball with eight Quad 1 and 2 victories and is getting tremendous point guard play from sophomore Braden Smith, who's averaging 15.2 points, 6.0 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.2 steals in his last five games. Keep an eye on Illinois' Quincy Guerrier, who's starting to emerge as the Illini's go-to scorer with Shannon out of the lineup.

Kentucky at Florida (Saturday)

The official start of SEC play brings a difficult road game for the Wildcats and a tremendous opportunity for the Gators. Florida desperately needs more out of 6-5 sophomore Riley Kugel, who's just 9-40 from the field and 0-18 from three-point range in his last four games. This is the type of game that Todd Golden and his staff have been waiting for in their efforts to bring the Gators back to national relevance.

St. John's at Villanova (Saturday)

The Red Storm haven't beaten the Wildcats on Villanova's campus since 1993. Will that change on Saturday? A lot depends on whether or not Daniss Jenkins can continue to perform at an elite level at point guard. The Red Storm are 8-2 this season in games where the 6-4 Jenkins has five or more assists. Kyle Neptune's team is in sole possession of first place in the Big East.

Cincinnati at BYU (Saturday)

The first ever Big 12 game for each of these two programs will be played in a raucous atmosphere in Provo. The Cougars are 12-1 and have seven different players averaging between 9.1 points and 16. points. Cincinnati does not have a Quad 1 or 2 win this season.

Looking for NCAA basketball odds? Check out all of the college basketball odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

Jon Rothstein is not a FanDuel employee. The reporting of Rothstein is not subject to FanDuel's verification and does not represent the views or input of FanDuel. Betting based on Rothstein's reporting will not guarantee a successful outcome. Always do your own due diligence and use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.

Rothstein has been a college basketball insider for CBS Sports since 2010 and a contributor to the CBS Broadcast Network since 2016. He joined FanDuel in 2022 as a Content Creator. Rothstein is also the host of the College Hoops Today Podcast via Compass Media Networks.