Chase Swaringen

College basketball is back and each weekend brings a full slate of excellent matchups from around the nation. On this weekend edition of what to watch for, I break down which matchup to watch, a player to keep an eye on, and an upset of the weekend.

Matchup of the Weekend:

#2 Kansas vs. #16 Arizona State (Dec. 10th). Huge matchup in Allen Fieldhouse. Arizona State is ranked for the first time since the James Harden era and Devonte Graham is trying to show the nation that he is capable of leading this Kansas team to their first national title since 2008. Arizona State shouldn’t be too fazed on the big stage as they have plenty of veterans on their team. This matchup will be close but I think Bill Self’s squad gets the job done behind a huge game for Graham.

Player to Watch:

Chris Chiozza, Florida (Dec. 9th). Chiozza is the senior leader for this Gators team who have now dropped three straight games. The guard is averaging 11.4 points per game this season, but in the three losses he has only averaged 8.3 points per game. Chiozza is also turning the ball over more often than usual lately. If the Gators are going to get back on track and pick up a win in a tough matchup versus Cincinnati, Chiozza is going to have to start the charge.

Upset Alert: 

Washington Huskies defeat #12 Gonzaga (Dec. 10th). The Huskies are coming into this game off of a victory over No. 2 Kansas. Washington just out-hustled the Jayhawks in the victory and will be looking to do the same against another ranked opponent. Jaylen Nowell has been the go-to-guy for the Huskies and Matisse Thybulle had his best game of the season. Look for Washington to start quick, get the crowd involved early, and never look back.