Week four included some of the best matchups, finishes and upsets we have seen so far this year, and week five should be no different. Starting with the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday, the week ahead features some amazing ranked matchups.
Tuesday, Dec. 5: No. 11 FAU vs. No. 20 Illinois; 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
The Jimmy V Classic starts off with a bang as FAU takes on Illinois from Madison Square Garden. The Owls, a one-loss team, are looking very strong as they work their way through non-conference play, and are the favorites in this matchup. Johnell Davis and Alijah Martin lead FAU alongside the rest of their veteran supporting cast. Similar to FAU, Illinois also sports a veteran bunch, including Coleman Hawkins and Terrence Shannon Jr. These two lead the charge for the Illini, a one-loss club looking for its first big win of the season. This one should be a great way to start out a tremendous Tuesday of games and will certainly be one to watch.
Tuesday, Dec. 5: Providence at No. 19 Oklahoma; 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU
Another solid matchup on Tuesday includes Providence and Oklahoma, two teams that will play as a part of the Big 12/Big East Battle. Providence will walk into Norman as a one-loss team, with that one loss coming to Kansas State in the Bahamas. Other than that, this Providence team led by Bryce Hopkins is looking very solid early on and should give Oklahoma a challenge. On the other side, the Sooners are ranked in the top 20 and are still unbeaten. Otega Oweh leads this club, whose best win is over a previously ranked USC team. Overall, this one should be fun to watch, especially because the chance of an upset is high here.
Tuesday, Dec. 5: No. 9 North Carolina vs. No. 5 UConn; 9 p.m. ET on ESPN
In what is most likely the game of the week, North Carolina and UConn will meet in the second game of the Jimmy V Classic from MSG. Both of these teams are coming off huge games, although with different results. UNC beat No. 10 Tennessee, while UConn was defeated at the hands of No. 5 Kansas. These two results make this one especially interesting, considering UNC is attempting to get two quality wins in a row, and on the contrary, UConn is trying to avoid its second straight loss. The Tar Heels are led by R.J. Davis, Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram, while the Huskies are led by Tristen Newton, Alex Karaban and Donovan Clingan. These players are all some of the best in the country, which is why this should be a very entertaining matchup between two top-10 teams.
Wednesday, Dec. 6: No. 12 Texas at No. 8 Marquette; 8 p.m. ET on FS1
Another great game in the Big 12/Big East Battle features Texas traveling to Milwaukee to face Marquette. The Longhorns have just one loss, that being to UConn in NYC, and are looking very solid going into their second major matchup of their season. Max Abmas, Dillon Mitchell and Kadin Shedrick are all looking very good and they should be a tough test for the Golden Eagles. Marquette is a two-loss squad, but has played in so many high-quality games that two losses is still good enough for eighth ranked in the country. They are led by Tyler Kolek, Kam Jones and Oso Ighodaro, all of which are looking like All-Big East quality players. Because of the level of talent and overall teams, the battle between Shaka Smart’s Marquette against his former team, Texas, should be fun to watch.
Saturday, Dec. 9: No. 20 Illinois at No. 17 Tennessee; 12 p.m. ET on CBS
Illinois’s second big game of the week has the Illini traveling to Knoxville to take on Tennessee. The Vols are coming off three straight losses and could use this game to get back on track. While these were three quality losses to Purdue, Kansas and UNC, this game here is incredibly important. This is why this one is so important for UT, which is led by Dalton Knecht, a transfer averaging over 20 points per game so far. Illinois is trying to keep Tennessee on the losing side and is led by Terrence Shannon, Coleman Hawkins and Dain Dainja. The Illini are definitely a quality team, but going into Tennessee should be a major test, especially because the Vols are hungry for a big-time win, considering their three straight losses.
Saturday, Dec. 9: Alabama vs. No. 4 Purdue; 1:30 p.m. ET on FOX
From Zach Edey’s hometown of Toronto, Canada, his Purdue Boilermakers will take on Alabama on Saturday. While Purdue is heavily favored, Bama is still a very quality club that can do some damage. The Crimson Tide are led by Mark Sears, Aaron Estrada and Grant Nelson and, while they have two losses so far, could be a spoiler to Edey’s return home. Purdue complements Edey with guards Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer, who have played solid in Purdue’s many quality wins. While they did take the loss on the road to Northwestern, the Boilers are still looking like a top team entering this matchup. While the upset is possible, Purdue is expected to win big in what should end up being a very interesting matchup, though.
Saturday, Dec. 9: No. 23 Wisconsin at No. 1 Arizona; 3:15 p.m. ET on ESPN
The nation has a new No. 1 team and that squad is in action in this one, as Arizona hosts Wisconsin. Arizona has stayed unbeaten even while playing tough competition, including at Duke and versus Michigan State. The Cats are led by Oumar Ballo, Pelle Larsson and Keshad Johnson, all of whom are looking like top players in the country. This group will go up against the two loss Badgers, led by Chucky Hepburn, Tyler Wahl and Ethan Crowl, and are seeking the huge upset. Since this game is being played in Tucson, UA is the big favorite in this one, but a tough Wisconsin team is certainly hungry to pull off the would-be crazy upset.
Elms' Essentials: Rivalry Week
Elms' Essentials: Week 13
