In advance of March Madness, a look a the huge Saturday, Feb 17th college basketball card

The most exciting time of the college basketball season is pushing towards the finish. Regular season titles will be decided over the next 2-3 weeks, and college conference tournaments (CCT's) begin the week of March 4 with power conferences and others running Tuesday, March 12 through Sunday, March 17. Then it's selection Sunday on the 17th followed by March Madness and the NCAA Tournament with the most popular watch and wager action opening weekend Thursday, March 21 through Sunday March 24. 

I'll be providing stats, insight and profiles of the NCAA Tournament top teams (1-2) along with a countdown to the NCAA Tournament teams seeded 3-5. Then I'll add more Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight matchups, picks and profiles as the games play out. I've done this in recent seasons with positive feedback, along with a profile of a NCAA Tournament champion, which correctly identified Connecticut last year. 

A stat profile of a NCAA Tournament winner and national champion is that 20 of the last 21 National Champions have finished in the Top 20 in Ken Pom’s offensive and defensive adjusted efficiency rankings. 

Connecticut is looking like a top title contender again this year. The Huskies (23-2) are ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 and are 13-1 on top of the Big East. Connecticut is also ranked No. 3 in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency rankings and No. 16 in adjusted defensive efficiency. 

Teams ranked top 20 in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency ahead of games Sat., Feb. 17 include: 

- Purdue (2 offense, 18 defense)
- Connecticut (3, 16)
- Arizona (4, 14)
- Auburn (9, 4)
- Tennessee (15, 6)
- Houston (17, 1)

Teams to watch with stronger offensive and defensive efficiency ratings include:

- BYU (8, 31)
- Duke (10, 24)
- Creighton (18, 29)
- Wisconsin (19, 33)
- Marquette (22, 13)
- North Carolina (24, 12)
- Michigan State (25, 22)

Sleepers

- Illinois (6, 30)
- New Mexico (32, 30)
- Iowa State (44, 3)
- Kansas (43, 17)
- Wake Forest (28, 43)
- San Diego State (50, 7) 

We'll be updating and adding more college basketball team profiles, schedules and rankings, and including key games and odds from leading online sportsbooks. Will many of the smaller sportsbooks survive? 

Saturday, Feb. 17

(All times Eastern, Network broadcast with odds and betting lines from BetOnline listed on favorites)

With more than 100 college basketball games on the hoops schedule Saturday, here are the games that will be most watched and wagered including Top 25 matchups headlined by No. 4 Marquette at No. 1 Connecticut at 3 p.m. on FOX. Also, Auburn hosts Kentucky in a key SEC contest. Both Connecticut (14-0) and Auburn (13-0) remain undefeated on their home court joining Dayton, Houston, Kansas, Purdue, Drake, San Diego State, Eastern Washington, Cal-Irvine, Moorehead State, Samford, Southern, McNeese State and the Ivy League's Cornell and Princeton. 

See early picks and analysis below, and check back for any later picks on Saturday. 

12 p.m. 
BTN — Penn St. at Nebraska (-8), game total 153 
ESPN — Texas A&M at Alabama (-8), 159.5 - bet Texas A&M
ESPN2 — Wake Forest at Virginia (-2.5), 130.5 
ESPNU — TCU at Kansas State (-1.5), 143.5) - bet Kansas State and Under Total

Kansas State is 5-0 ATS as a favorite playing with last season college conference tournament knockout revenge. Both TCU (17-7) and Kansas State (15-9) made the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight last year, but the Wildcats were knocked out of the Big 12 tournament by TCU. Kansas State has lost five of their last six games entering Saturday's contest to drop them to 5-6 in Big 12 play. But the Wildcats crushed the Horned Frogs on this court last February 82-61, and K-State is a very focused short favorite to support. The Wildcats feature a top 25 adjusted efficiency defense and FG% defense, and both teams defenses force longer possessions. The Wildcats poor 3-point shooting and high turnover percentage is a concern, but the recent home win over No. 6 Kansas is noteworthy. 

Alabama (17-7) ranks No. 1 in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency while averaging a nation-high 90.3 points per game. Playing at a top 15 faster pace, the Tide's defense is suffering a bit ranking No. 72 in adjusted efficiency defense. The Crimson Tide lead the SEC with a 9-2 record, but Texas A&M (15-9) is 6-5 and clearly got caught looking ahead losing at Vanderbilt last game following three straight SEC wins including over two quality teams in Tennessee and Florida. The Crimson Tide have now scored at least 79 points in six straight games, but they may end Saturday with the Aggies defense forcing very long posessions and challenged by Alabama's No. 3 ranking in offensive possession length (fast). Still, the Aggies also rank No. 1 in offensive rebounding percentage, and this experienced 25-win team from last year knows it's 'go time' towards a post-season push.

12:30 p.m. 
FOX — Creighton (-3) at Butler, 151.5 
USA — Richmond (-5) at George Washington, 148.5 

1 p.m. 
CBS — Texas at Houston (-10.5), 131
SECN — Florida (-4) at Georgia, 157.5

1:30 p.m. 
CBSSN — Fordham at Dayton (-15), 139

2 p.m. 
ACCN — Virginia Tech at North Carolina (-10), 154
ESPN — Duke (-5) at Florida State, 152  
ESPNU — Arkansas at Mississippi State (-12), 145 

2:15 p.m. 
BTN — Wisconsin (-1.5) at Iowa, 152.5

2:30 p.m.
USA — Saint Joseph’s at Duquesne (-2.5), 147

3 p.m. 
FOX — Marquette at Connecticut (-6.5), 147.5 

3:30 p.m. 
CBSSN — Davidson at St. Bonaventure (-7.5), 137
SECN — LSU at South Carolina (-6.5), 144

4 p.m. 
ACCN — Miami at Boston College (-1), 150.5
ESPN — No. 6 Kansas (-2) at No. 25 Oklahoma, 143

5:30 p.m. 
CBSSN — Utah State at Colorado State (-6), 147.5
CW — Syracuse at Georgia Tech (PK), 150.5
FOX — Illinois (-2) at Maryland, 139.5

6 p.m. 
ESPN — No. 22 Kentucky at No. 13 Auburn (-8.5), 164
ESPN2 — Baylor (-7) at West Virginia, 147
PAC-12N — Stanford at Washington State (-8), 146
SECN — Vanderbilt at Tennessee (-19.5), 143

6:30 p.m. 
ACCN — Louisville at Pittsburgh (-12.5), 149.5

7:30 p.m. 
CBSSN — Fresno St. at Boise State (-15.5), 135.5
FS1 — DePaul at Providence (-19), 141

7:45 p.m. 
CW — NC State at Clemson (-7.5), 146.5

8 p.m. 
FOX — Michigan State (-5) at Michigan, 143
PAC-12N — California at Washington (-7), 155

8:30 p.m. 
SECN — Missouri at Mississippi (-11.5), 143

9:30 p.m. 
FS1 — Arizona State at Arizona (-18.5), 158

10 p.m. 
ESPN — Colorado (-2) at Southern Cal, 149 
PAC-12N — Oregon (-7.5) at Oregon State, 136.5 

11:30 p.m. 
FS1 — Nevada at UNLV (-1.5), 139.5

I may be at the late night game in Las Vegas between UNLV (14-9/7-4) and Nevada (19-6, 6-5), where the Mountain West features the top seven teams separated by just 2½ games. It’s as close a league as there is nationally, and UNLV enters with 5 straight wins and coach Kevin Kruger and the Rebels have beaten coach Steve Alford and the rival Wolf Pack four straight times. That includes last year's regular season finale 69-67 in overtime. The Wolf Pack were selected as the last team into the field of 68 for last year's NCAA Tournament.  

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