The advent of conference play has the competitive juices across men’s college basketball flowing at a different level than in November and December. The battles for conference championships are officially on, and packed weekend slates of games like the one college hoops fans have to look forward to this weekend always go a long way in shaping those races.

Here are five games you won’t want to miss this weekend and a few more to keep an eye on during an action-packed period of hoops.

UCLA Bruins at Maryland Terrapins, 8 p.m. ET Friday (FOX)

After the Bruins’ third loss in four games Tuesday against the Michigan Wolverines, UCLA coach Mick Cronin blasted his team for being “soft” and criticized their energy, claiming he has “the most energy of anybody at practice every day.” Will that public heat motivate the Bruins heading into a critical conference clash against Maryland? The Terps could also use some better vibes after being swept by the Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies last week, ending a stretch of eight wins in nine games for Kevin Willard’s team.

San Diego State Aztecs at New Mexico Lobos, 1 p.m. ET Saturday (CBS)

This is a monster showdown between two of the best teams in the Mountain West. The Lobos are 5–0 in league play, bolstering a résumé that features wins over UCLA, the USC Trojans and VCU Rams in nonconference play. Meanwhile, San Diego State looks to keep pace in the league’s title hunt after an early home loss to the Utah State Aggies, but at 10–3 with wins over the Creighton Bluejays and Houston Cougars the Aztecs look well-positioned to go dancing for the fifth consecutive season. The matchup to watch here is in the backcourt, as the Aztecs’ stingy defense looks to neutralize one of the most dynamic point guards in the country in New Mexico’s Donovan Dent.

Iowa State Cyclones at Texas Tech Red Raiders, 2 p.m. ET Saturday (ESPN)

The early favorite in the Big 12 hits the road to play at one of the league’s more hostile environments. That makes for a showdown you won’t want to miss in Lubbock on Saturday afternoon. The story of this season’s Iowa State team is the Cyclones’ much-improved offense, a top-10 unit nationally, per KenPom, that has caught up to ISU’s perennially elite defense. That could cause problems for a Texas Tech squad that has struggled defensively on the season, though the Red Raiders are fresh off an impressive 2–0 trip to the Utah Utes and BYU Cougars that saw them hold both opponents under 70 points.

Alabama Crimson Tide at Texas A&M Aggies, 8 p.m. ET Saturday (ESPN)

There may not be a more impressive win than what Texas A&M pulled off at the Oklahoma Sooners on Wednesday night. The Aggies trailed by 18 with 17 minutes to play, were without star point guard Wade Taylor IV and dealing with a red-hot Sooners offense that shot 14-of-24 from three … and somehow rallied to victory in the final minute. Buzz Williams’s team has won nine straight games, the nation’s third-longest active streak, and looks like a sleeper in the SEC title race. Can A&M extend that streak to 10 against a surging Alabama squad? The Tide have won their first two SEC games by a combined 48 points, and star point guard Mark Sears has averaged 22 points and eight assists in those two blowout wins.

Kentucky Wildcats at Mississippi State Bulldogs, 8:30 p.m. ET Saturday (SEC Network)

Life on the road in the loaded SEC isn’t fun, which Kentucky learned the hard way Tuesday in an 82–69 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens, Ga. More cracks in the UK defense emerged in that one, conceding 80-plus points for the fifth straight game against high-major opponents (albeit an improvement from the 100 points the Wildcats gave up against the Florida Gators last time out). Now, Mark Pope’s team will take on another dynamic offensive team in Mississippi State, a top-15 team in the most recent AP poll and one of five SEC teams off to a 2–0 start in league play. Both teams’ hopes of emerging as serious contenders in the best conference in college basketball may hinge on a win here.

Other Notable Games