College basketball weekend preview: Top five matchups to watch Saturday

Last weekend, college hoops delivered yet again, but this weekend has a chance to be really special. 

The No. 1 game very clearly stands out, with the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the AP poll going head-to-head in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Saturday. Auburn has been atop the poll for a large chunk of the season, including the past five weeks, but now comes its biggest test. For Alabama, this is a chance to vault into the top spot in the AP poll next week. Either way, this game is going to result in history. This will be the first game in SEC history between the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams in the country.

Even with that game dominating the headlines, there are a lot of other matchups worth watching. There are four ranked vs. ranked contests this week, occurring across three different conferences. Moreover, there's a lot of upset potential in this week's slate with 10 of the top 25 teams on the road in conference play.

That said, here are the five best men's college hoops games to watch Saturday.

What to expect: Both these teams live and die by shots inside the 3-point line and with free throws. The true test will come at the rim, where Arkansas is elite at protecting its restricted area. At 5.7 blocks per game, the Razorbacks are second in the SEC and fifth in the nation swatting opponents. They will face a stern test with Texas A&M tied for second in the SEC with 37.6 two-point field-goal attempts per game.

Key stat: The Aggies are 12-1 when winning the rebounding battle by 10 or more this season and just 7-4 when failing to do so. The Razorbacks have been outrebounded in 11 games this season with a 3-8 record in those games. 

Trends: Arkansas has lost six straight meetings against AP top 10 teams. It has also lost seven