College basketball on television: SEC title race goes down to the wire

The veteran Verne Lundquist will be on play-by-play and former Duke star Jim Spanarkel will handle color duties for CBS on Saturday as the network televises Kentucky-LSU from Rupp Arena, starting at 2 p.m.

Before that, however, Texas A&M plays host to Vanderbilt at noon on ESPN2. If the Aggies win, Billy Kennedy’s team is the No. 1 seed for the SEC Tournament next week regardless of what Kentucky does against LSU. Both teams are currently 12-5 in the SEC, but Texas A&M beat UK in overtime in College Station on Feb. 20.

If Texas A&M loses and Kentucky wins, UK is the No. 1 seed. If Texas A&M and Kentucky both lose, then there is a four-way tie for first place in the SEC among, Texas A&M, Kentucky, LSU and Vanderbilt. In that scenario, Kentucky would be the No. 4 seed.

In a four-way tie, seeds would be determined by a team’s record against the other three teams. As best I can tell, LSU would be 4-1 and the No. 1 seed. Vanderbilt would be 3-2 and the No. 2 seed. Texas A&M would be 2-3 and the No. 3 seed. Kentucky would be 1-4 and the No. 4 seed.

As for other Saturday games, No. 1 Kansas entertains No. 21 Iowa State at 4 p.m. on ESPN. The Jayhawks are on a roll of late, having clinched their 12th straight Big 12 crown.

No. 2 Michigan State plays host to Ohio State at 12:00 on ESPN. At 19-11 overall and 11-6 in the Big 10, Ohio State could use an upset of the Spartans in East Lansing on its NCAA Tournament resume.

No. 3 Villanova plays host to Georgetown at 12:00 on Fox. The Wildcats are 26-4 overall and 15-2 in the Big East. Georgetown is trying to avoid finishing with a losing record. The Hoyas are 14-16.

No. 6 Oklahoma is at TCU on ESPN News. The Sooners have stumbled of late but should have no problem with the lowly Horned Frogs, who are 2-15 in the Big 12.

No. 8 North Carolina visits No. 17 Duke at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN. Expect lots and lots of hype for that one.

Don’t forget the SEC Women’s Tournament in Jacksonville. Kentucky plays South Carolina at 5 p.m., followed by Tennessee-Mississippi State. Both games are on ESPNU.

And could this be Louisville’s final game with Rick Pitino as coach? The Cardinals play Virginia at 8:30 on ESPN.

Saturday, March 5

▪ 12:00 - Ole Miss at Tennessee (SEC)

▪ 12:00 - Vanderbilt at Texas A&M (ESPN2)

▪ 12:00 - North Carolina State at Notre Dame (CBS)

▪ 12:00 - Ohio State at Michigan State (ESPN)

▪ 12:00 - Georgetown at Villanova (Fox)

▪ 12:00 - Seton Hall at DePaul (Fox Sports Ohio)

▪ 12:30 - Providence at St. John’s (Fox Sports 1)

▪ 1:00 - Oklahoma at TCU (ESPN News)

▪ 1:00 - Minnesota at Rutgers (Big 10)

▪ 2:00 - LSU at Kentucky (CBS)

▪ 2:00 - West Virginia at Baylor (ESPN)

▪ 2:00 - Syracuse at Florida State (ESPN2)

▪ 2:30 - Marquette at Butler (Fox Sports Ohio)

▪ 2:30 - Auburn at Mississippi State (SEC)

▪ 2:30 - Creighton at Xavier (Fox)

▪ 3:00 - Kansas State at Texas Tech (ESPN News)

▪ 3:30 - George Washington at Davidson (NBC Sports)

▪ 4:00 - Alabama at Georgia (ESPN2)

▪ 4:00 - Iowa State at Kansas (ESPN)

▪ 4:00 - Stanford at Arizona (CBS)

▪ 5:00 - South Carolina vs. Kentucky women (ESPNU)

▪ 5:00 - South Carolina at Arkansas (SEC)

▪ 5:00 - South Florida at Tulsa (ESPN News)

▪ 6:30 - North Carolina at Duke (ESPN)

▪ 7:00 - Mississippi State vs. Tennessee women (ESPNU)

▪ 7:30 - Florida at Missouri (SEC)

▪ 8:00 - Iowa at Michigan (Big 10)

▪ 8:00 - VCU at Dayton (CBS Sports)

▪ 8:00 - California at Arizona State (ESPN2)

▪ 8:30 - Louisville at Virginia (ESPN)

▪ 9:30 - Colorado at Utah (ESPNU)

▪ 10:00 - UNLV at San Diego State (CBS Sports)

▪ 11:59 - Portland vs. Gonzaga (ESPN2)