College Hoops Viewing Guide: January 12, 2014

All TV info is courtesy Matt's College Sports on TV site. He has many more games listed, particularly ones broadcast only on local channels and in-house cable sports/local interest channels that are not widely available nationwide. You'll also want to check out his listings for information on which conference regional contests and CSN, FSN, and Root Sports games (all games listed in these posts marked with an *) are available on which affiliates.

All times are Eastern.

Early Afternoon Window

Marquee Games

SMU Mustangs (11-3, 1-1 AAC) at Louisville Cardinals (13-3, 2-1), 1 p.m. (CBS SN)
After Thursday's loss against Memphis, Cardinal coach Rick Pitino said this.

Rick Pitino told postgame radio he thinks SMU is better than Memphis. Cards get SMU on Sunday.

— Jonathan Lintner (@JonathanLintner) January 10, 2014

It will be the first-ever college meeting between Hall of Famers Pitino and Larry Brown, who did cross paths in the NBA. A win would do wonders for the Mustangs' NCAA profile.

Iowa Hawkeyes (13-3, 2-1 Big Ten) at Ohio State Buckeyes (15-1, 2-1), 1:30 p.m. (CBS)
Without a doubt, this is the game of the day. Hawkeye coach Fran McCaffery returns from a one-game suspension to lead his charges into Columbus, where they'll look to claim a desperately needed marquee win. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, should be perfect in the Big Ten, but thanks to their epic collapse at Michigan State on Tuesday night, they're now in position where they're trying to keep pace with the Spartans and Wisconsin in the league race.

Others To Watch

Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-7, 0-3 Big Ten) at Purdue Boilermakers (10-5, 0-2), 12 p.m. (BTN)
Southern Miss. Golden Eagles (14-2, 1-0 C-USA) at Tulsa Golden Hurricane (6-9, 1-0), 1 p.m. (FS1)
Either Nebraska or Purdue will move out of the Big Ten cellar, while C-USA favorite Southern Miss visits a Tulsa squad that struggled through the non-conference but wants to establish itself as a league contender.

Mid-Afternoon Window

Marquee Games

Green Bay Phoenix (12-3, 2-0 Horizon) at Milwaukee Panthers (12-5, 2-1), 2 p.m. (TWCS Wisconsin/Horizon League Network)
The Phoenix have won seven in a row, including their first two Horizon League contests, and nine of 10 since falling to Harvard in the Great Alaska Shootout semifinals. Green Bay looks to be living up to the favorites role, but it will be challenged by a Panther team that's looking to separate itself from fellow second place squads Cleveland State and Wright State.

Xavier Musketeers (13-3, 3-0 Big East) at Creighton Bluejays (13-2, 3-0), 3 p.m. (CBS SN)
Two of the hottest teams in the country meet in Omaha, where the winner will share first place in the Big East with 4-0 Villanova. Keep in mind that the Bluejays will be missing Grant Gibbs (kneecap) for this one, while Doug McDermott will be playing with a shoulder injury.

Colorado Buffaloes (14-2, 3-0 Pac-12) at Washington Huskies (10-6, 2-1), 3 p.m. (FS1)
On Wednesday in Spokane, the Buffaloes needed overtime to get past Washington State. This afternoon, they'll face an even more difficult opponent in Seattle, a Husky team that has a chance to be in a surprising tie for second or third place in the Pac-12 at the end of the night.

Others To Watch

La Salle Explorers (8-6, 1-0 A10) at Duquesne Dukes (8-5, 1-0), 2:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
Stony Brook Seawolves (9-6, 1-0 AE) at Hartford Hawks (7-10, 1-1), 2:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
Either La Salle or Duquesne will remain perfect in the Atlantic 10 after the first week of conference play, while Stony Brook will look to keep pace with Vermont, who routed Albany on Saturday night, in the America East race.

Late Afternoon Window

Marquee Games

San Diego State Aztecs (13-1, 2-0 MW) at Air Force Falcons (8-6, 2-1), 4 p.m. (ESPN3)
The Falcons, fresh off their first Mountain West loss at Fresno State, will look to slow down the Aztecs in Colorado Springs. SDSU has lost at Clune Arena in two consecutive seasons.

Stanford Cardinal (9-5, 0-2 Pac-12) at Oregon Ducks (13-2, 1-2), 5 p.m. (FS1)
Both squads are playing to avoid an 0-2 week. The host Ducks were surprisingly routed by Cal, while the Cardinal were upset in Corvallis. Stanford enters today needing a win to avoid the dreaded 0-3 Pac-12 start, which wouldn't do much for its flagging tournament hopes.

Akron Zips (9-5, 1-0 MAC) at Ohio Bobcats (11-3, 1-0), 6 p.m. (TWCS*/ESPN3)
A pair of traditional MAC powerhouses square off in Athens, with the winner moving into a tie with Buffalo Bulls in the East Division. Look for the Zips to struggle against a Bobcat defense that ranks in the top 40 in KenPom's adjusted efficiency rankings.

Evening Windows

Marquee Games

Maryland Terrapins (10-6, 2-1 ACC) at Florida State Seminoles (10-4, 1-1), 8 p.m. (ESPNU)
In an ACC that looks to be a disappointment, this is a crucial game for bid purposes. Considering the Terps only managed to score 59 at Pittsburgh on Monday, look for the defensively-minded Seminoles to put the clamps down on Maryland early.

Arizona State Sun Devils (13-3, 2-1 Pac-12) at UCLA Bruins (12-3, 1-1), 10 p.m. (ESPNU)
This is a vital game for each, as the Sun Devils and Bruins both need decent wins for their respective NCAA profiles. UCLA will look to build on its promising finish against Arizona on Thursday night, while Arizona State will likely have a more difficult time at Pauley than it did at a quiet Galen Center three nights ago.

Others To Watch

Utah Utes (12-3, 1-2 Pac-12) at Washington State Cougars (7-8, 0-3), 7 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)
UIC Flames (5-11, 0-2 Horizon) at Wright State Raiders (10-8, 2-1), 7 p.m. (CSN Chicago Plus/Horizon League Network/ESPN3)
Illinois Fighting Illini (13-3, 2-1 Big Ten) at Northwestern Wildcats (7-9, 0-3), 7:30 p.m. (BTN)
Arizona Wildcats (16-0, 3-0 Pac-12) at USC Trojans (9-6, 0-2), 9 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)
Utah, Wright State, Illinois, and Arizona should all be able to keep their opposition winless in conference. For Arizona, however, the stakes are a bit higher, as the Wildcats are looking to keep pace with the nation's three other unbeatens -- Syracuse, Wichita State, and Wisconsin.

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