As loyal followers of the Starting Five segment are aware, we focus on matchups involving Top 25 teams when choosing which college basketball games to spotlight. After all, we refer to it as the YSL News Sports men’s basketball coaches poll for a reason. High-stakes games typically deliver as expected, and importantly, victors earn significant boosts to their tournament credentials as the season progresses.

Coincidentally, this weekend features five games with ranked opponents. However, these games primarily come from just two conferences. Don’t worry if your favorite team belongs to another conference; their time to shine will come soon enough. For now, let’s highlight where the most thrilling action will unfold this chilly weekend.

No. 1 Auburn at No. 23 Georgia

TIME/TV: Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, SECN

The SEC once again takes the spotlight with three ranked matchups. Georgia needs a victory to remain in the polls after a tough loss to Tennessee. Meanwhile, the Tigers defended their No. 1 ranking impressively, even without their star forward Johni Broome. Auburn achieved a comfortable 22-point win against Mississippi State, thanks in part to Chaney Johnson stepping up in his first start of the season. Georgia, however, has begun the conference season strong at home, including a notable win over Kentucky. They depend on their skilled backcourt for scoring but will require 6-11 forward Asa Newell to dominate in the paint.

No. 5 Alabama at No. 9 Kentucky

TIME/TV: Saturday, noon ET, ESPN

In this weekend’s top-10 matchup, Alabama needs to recover following a home defeat to Ole Miss. However, finding victory at Rupp Arena is challenging, as the Wildcats remain undefeated on their home turf this season. Kentucky is comfortable with Alabama’s fast-paced play, although they often rely on three-point shots, which can be inconsistent. Alabama tends to struggle with turnovers when they face difficulties. Both teams feature strong guard play, but the key matchup to watch will be between Alabama’s Grant Nelson and Kentucky’s Amari Williams in the rebounding department.

No. 21 Mississippi at No. 18 Mississippi State

TIME/TV: Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN2

After securing two wins to start SEC play, Mississippi State faced a challenging stretch against tougher league teams. They aim to bounce back against their local rivals on home court. Meanwhile, Ole Miss enters this matchup unbeaten in the conference, following a strong road victory in Tuscaloosa. The Rebels have been led by Malik Dia, a transfer from Belmont, who has found his form and averaged 21 points over his last three games. For Mississippi State, leading scorer Josh Hubbard needs to shake off a rough outing against Auburn to contribute effectively.

No. 15 Purdue at No. 14 Oregon

TIME/TV: Saturday, 3 p.m. ET, NBC

Next, we turn to the Big Ten, where Purdue is on a six-game winning streak and aims to conclude their west-coast trip successfully after defeating Washington. Oregon arrives refreshed, having narrowly escaped a game at Penn State six days ago. The Ducks are led by the duo of Nate Bittle and Jackson Shelstad, while Purdue counters with the experienced pairing of Trey Kaufman-Renn and Braden Smith.

No. 20 Illinois at No. 12 Michigan State

TIME/TV: Sunday, noon ET, CBS

Last week’s Big Ten matchup featured a disappointing blowout by Purdue over Nebraska. We hope this Sunday’s clash offers better excitement. Michigan State has turned around early season struggles, winning ten straight games. Illinois seeks to avoid a third loss in conference play after facing challenges of their own. Their recent convincing win at Indiana might reflect more on Indiana’s struggles, but the Illini were pleased to have freshman standout Kasparas Jakucionis back after missing two games. Jaden Akins leads Michigan State with an average of 14.2 points, but the team has ten players contributing at least 5.9 points per game, showcasing their depth.