Previewing Three of This Weekend's Best College Basketball Matchups

Likely the game with the highest number of total prospects in it this weekend, this is a can't-miss SEC matchup. These two teams played a few weeks ago in which Auburn won by nine points but was fairly close throughout.

Alabama

Alabama's prospects are headlined by freshman guard Labaron Philon and freshman wing Derrion Reid. Other prospects to monitor include college superstar Mark Sears, Aiden Sherrell, Grant Nelson, Jarin Stevenson, Rylan Griffen, Cliff Omoruyi, and Aden Holloway.

Philon, the 6-foot-4 freshman guard, is averaging 10.7 points, 3.5 assists, 1.8 turnovers, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.6 stocks per game while shooting 59.8% at the rim (112 attempts), 47.8% on non-rim twos (46 attempts), 31.3% from three (99 attempts/7.3 attempts per 100 possessions), and 75% from the free throw line (68 attempts/.265 free throw rate). What's most impressive is his overall creation ability -- both for himself and his teammates -- as he's been unassisted on two-thirds of his made field goals this season while assisting on nearly 25% of his teammates' made field goals when on the floor.

Auburn

Auburn's prospects are headlined by National Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome and freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford. Other prospects to monitor include Chad Baker-Mazara and Miles Kelly.

Broome, the 6-foot-10 redshirt senior big man, has been having a tremendous overall season, averaging 18 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.8 steals, 2.4 blocks, and only 1.3 turnovers per game while shooting 61.3% at the rim (217 attempts), 42.3% on non-rim twos (104 attempts), but only 62.3% at the line (146 attempts), and 28.6% from three (70 attempts). He's also recording an impressive 8.5 block percentage.

No. 3 Houston @ Baylor -- 10 p.m. ET

Houston

Houston enters this game on a nine-game win streak and features three prominent prospects in Milos Uzan, Joseph Tugler, and Terrance Arcenaux. Another prospect to monitor is LJ Cryer, the Cougars' leading scorer.

Uzan is a 6-foot-4 junior guard who's averaging 10.9 points, 4.5 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.2 stocks, and only 1.4 turnovers per game while shooting 55.1% at the rim (49 attempts), 45.2% on non-rim twos (124 attempts), 42.3% from beyond the arc, (104 attempts; 7.2 attempts per 100 possessions), and 71.8% from the free throw line (39 attempts). His creation ability has been on display all season, as he's unassisted on 71.7% of his made field goals while assisting on an estimated 26.9% of his teammates' made field goals when on the floor this season.

Baylor

Baylor's prospects are led by projected top-five pick VJ Edgecombe. Other prospects to monitor include Norchad Omier and Rob Wright.

Edgecombe is a 6-foot-5 freshman guard averaging 14.7 points, 3.3 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 2.7 stocks, and two turnovers per game while shooting 59.6% at the rim (104 attempts), 38.3% on non-rim twos (81 attempts), and 35.9% from beyond the arc (128 attempts/8.5 attempts per 100 possessions), and 76.8% from the free throw line (112 attempts). He's also recording an offensive rebound percentage of seven, and assist percentage of 20.1, and a stock percentage of 6.2.

No. 17 Michigan @ No. 8 Michigan State

Michigan

Michigan's prospects are led by 7-footer and Yale transfer Danny Wolf. Other prospects to monitor include 7-foot-1 big man Vladislav Goldin and Roddy Gayle Jr.

Wolf has been offensive engine for Michigan, displaying unique ball-handling, passing ability, and shooting for his size. The defensive concerns remain but, if a team believes the pros on the offensive end (including cleaning up some turnovers) outweigh the lack of mobility and rim protection on the defensive end, he could be a first round pick in June.

He's averaging 12.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.4 blocks, and 3.3 turnovers per game while shooting 64.6% at the rim (147 attempts), 38.3% on non-rim twos (47 attempts), 34.8% from beyond the arc (89 attempts), but only 59.6% at the free throw line (104 attempts). Wolf shot 71.7% at the line last season at Yale on 99 total attempts, so there's a level of inconsistency there that needs to be sorted through.

He's been impactful on the boards and still relatively impactful defensively from an event creation standpoint, recording an 8.2 offensive rebound percentage, 26.6 defensive rebound percentage, and a 6.4 stock percentage. Lastly, his creation numbers are also impressive for a big man -- unassisted on 64.6% of his made field goals while assisting on an estimated 23.1% of his teammates' made field goals when on the floor.

Michigan State

The Spartans are also a deep team with a handful of prospects, headlined by freshman Jase Richardson. Sophomores Xavier Booker and Coen Carr are prospects to monitor as well.

Jase, the son of Jason Richardson and brother of Jaxon Richardson, is a 6-foot-3 freshman guard averaging 11.3 points, three rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 stocks, and 0.8 turnovers per game while shooting 69.6% at the rim (69 attempts), 50% on non-rim twos (68 attempts), 38.8% from beyond the arc (80 attempts; 6.6 attempts per 100 possessions), and 84.7% from the free throw line (85 attempts).

He's also one of nine freshmen on track to meet my Productive Young Athlete (PYA) query at the moment, in which 76% (64/84) of players to have previously hit it have played five-plus years in the NBA or are currently in the league.