Reminders of the different groupings:

• Group 1 (home games): Visitor is ranked 1-30
• Group 1 (away games): Host is ranked 1-75
• Group 2 (home games): Visitor is ranked 31-75
• Group 2 (away games): Host is ranked 76-135
• Group 3 (home games): Visitor is ranked 76-160
• Group 3 (away games): Host is ranked 136-240
• Group 4 (home games): Visitor is ranked 161-353
• Group 4 (away games): Host is ranked 241-353

All NET numbers are from the NCAA’s website and reflect games played through Sunday, January 20th. Records reflect games played through Monday, January 21st. All times are Eastern.

Top 30 at Top 75

Group 1 for both the host and visitor

No. 27 Mississippi State Bulldogs (14-3, 2-2) at No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats (14-3, 4-1), 7 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 11 Texas Tech Red Raiders (15-3, 4-2) at No. 34 Kansas State Wildcats (14-4, 4-2), 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 28 Villanova Wildcats (14-4, 5-0) at No. 43 Butler Bulldogs (12-7, 3-3), 7 p.m. (FS1)
No. 2 Duke Blue Devils (15-2, 4-1) at No. 55 Pittsburgh Panthers (12-6, 2-3), 9 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 25 Ole Miss Rebels (14-3, 4-1) at No. 50 Alabama Crimson Tide (11-6, 2-3), 9 p.m. (ESPNU)

There are five all-Group 1 matchups on tonight’s schedule, with bubble teams Alabama, Butler, and Pitt all looking to pick up vital home wins against higher-ranked foes. In the Big 12, the winner of the game in Manhattan this evening will join the Kansas Jayhawks in a first-place tie. As for the top SEC matchup above, Mississippi State could use a win at Kentucky to remain two losses behind the conference’s lead pack and to claim a truly marquee victim.

31-75 at Top 75

Group 1 for the visitor only; Group 2 for the host

No. 57 Clemson Tigers (11-6, 1-3) at No. 40 Florida State Seminoles (13-5, 1-4), 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
No. 65 Minnesota Golden Gophers (14-4, 4-3) at No. 6 Michigan Wolverines (17-1, 6-1), 7 p.m. (BTN)
No. 33 Indiana Hoosiers (12-6, 3-4) at No. 58 Northwestern Wildcats (11-7, 2-5), 9 p.m. (BTN)

Of these three contests, the ACC one jumps out at me since both the Tigers and Seminoles have stumbled through league play thus far. FSU lost at both Pitt and Boston College last week, while Clemson finally picked up its first conference victory of 2019 by handling Georgia Tech last Wednesday.

Michigan will look to make Minnesota pay in the Wolverines’ first game as a one-loss squad, while Indiana has to stop its four-game skid by winning in Evanston.

Top 30 at 76-135

Group 1 for the host only; Group 2 for the visitor

No. 23 Auburn Tigers (13-4, 2-2) at No. 113 South Carolina Gamecocks (9-8, 4-1), 6:30 p.m. (SECN)
No. 10 Buffalo Bulls (17-1, 5-0) at No. 135 Northern Illinois Huskies (10-8, 3-2), 8 p.m. (ESPN+)

Auburn will look to hand Carolina its second straight SEC defeat, while Buffalo will look to keep on keeping as the Bulls work their way through the MAC grind.

76-160 at Top 75

Group 1 for the visitor only; Group 3 for the host

No. 111 Texas A&M Aggies (7-9, 1-4) at No. 35 Florida Gators (10-7, 2-3), 8:30 p.m. (SECN)

The Gators look to get to .500 in SEC play before heading off to Fort Worth for the Big 12 Challenge on Saturday, but UF’s already-thin front court group will have to adjust to life without injured forward Keith Stone.

161-353 at Top 75

Group 1 for the visitor only; Group 4 for the host

No. 174 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-9, 1-4) at No. 1 Virginia Cavaliers (16-1, 4-1), 9 p.m. (ACC RSNs/ESPN3)
No. 168 San Diego State Aztecs (10-7, 2-2) at No. 64 Fresno State Bulldogs (13-4, 4-1), 11 p.m. (ESPNU)

Like Michigan, Virginia gets a winnable home game as it attempts to rebound from a first setback of the year. Meanwhile, Fresno State will look to keep pace with Nevada in the Mountain West title chase by defending its home floor during a visit from the Aztecs.

76-160 at 76-135

Group 2 for the visitor only; Group 3 for the host

No. 77 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-7, 1-4) at No. 90 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (10-8, 2-3), 7 p.m. (ACC RSNs/ESPN3)

A tricky road contest for a Fighting Irish squad that needs wins to stay in the at-large hunt. Both are riding two-game skids, but Irish have lost four of five, while the Jackets have dropped three of four.

Chronological Schedule

1/2 No. 23 Auburn Tigers (13-4, 2-2) at No. 113 South Carolina Gamecocks (9-8, 4-1), 6:30 p.m. (SECN)
1/1 No. 27 Mississippi State Bulldogs (14-3, 2-2) at No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats (14-3, 4-1), 7 p.m. (ESPN)
1/1 No. 11 Texas Tech Red Raiders (15-3, 4-2) at No. 34 Kansas State Wildcats (14-4, 4-2), 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
1/1 No. 28 Villanova Wildcats (14-4, 5-0) at No. 43 Butler Bulldogs (12-7, 3-3), 7 p.m. (FS1)
2/1 No. 57 Clemson Tigers (11-6, 1-3) at No. 40 Florida State Seminoles (13-5, 1-4), 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
2/1 No. 65 Minnesota Golden Gophers (14-4, 4-3) at No. 6 Michigan Wolverines (17-1, 6-1), 7 p.m. (BTN)
2/3 No. 77 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-7, 1-4) at No. 90 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (10-8, 2-3), 7 p.m. (ACC RSNs/ESPN3)
1/2 No. 10 Buffalo Bulls (17-1, 5-0) at No. 135 Northern Illinois Huskies (10-8, 3-2), 8 p.m. (ESPN+)
3/1 No. 111 Texas A&M Aggies (7-9, 1-4) at No. 35 Florida Gators (10-7, 2-3), 8:30 p.m. (SECN)
1/1 No. 2 Duke Blue Devils (15-2, 4-1) at No. 55 Pittsburgh Panthers (12-6, 2-3), 9 p.m. (ESPN)
1/1 No. 25 Ole Miss Rebels (14-3, 4-1) at No. 50 Alabama Crimson Tide (11-6, 2-3), 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
1/2 No. 33 Indiana Hoosiers (12-6, 3-4) at No. 58 Northwestern Wildcats (11-7, 2-5), 9 p.m. (BTN)
4/1 No. 174 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-9, 1-4) at No. 1 Virginia Cavaliers (16-1, 4-1), 9 p.m. (ACC RSNs/ESPN3)
4/1 No. 168 San Diego State Aztecs (10-7, 2-2) at No. 64 Fresno State Bulldogs (13-4, 4-1), 11 p.m. (ESPNU)

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