By: George Ahearn

The infamous Super Tuesday has arrived again, and once again we are blessed with a beautiful slate of games. Today, the slate is headlined by a rematch of Kansas v Kansas State, a red-hot Indiana visiting a buzzing Maryland, and Iowa looking to slow down surprisingly unstoppable Northwestern, and a whole lot more. Buckle your seatbelts – your Tuesday night just got a whole lot more entertaining.

Virginia Tech at #23 Miami: 7:00 on ESPNU

The Hokies – after dropping 7 straight ACC games – have found their groove again, winning their last two matchups against ACC powerhouse Duke and stomping on Syracuse at home. The return of star guard Hunter Cattoor allows for VT to play as themselves, and his return from injury has helped catapult the Hokies to their last two wins. 

Now, the Hokies look to build off their newfound momentum when they visit no. 23 Miami this Super Tuesday. On the other side, Miami enters this contest unable to find consistency. Over their last eight games, they have alternated between a win or loss every single game, with their most recent loss coming on the road to Pitt in a 71-68 heartbreak. Both teams enter today’s matchup looking to spark their teams to the next level, as both have serious NCAA tournament aspirations. 

A win for VT could push them into that tournament picture, while a win for Miami could create the juice they need to push towards the top of the seeding, setting up for a classic, ESPNU, middle of the pack, ACC battle. 

#7 Kansas State at #8 Kansas: 8:00 on ESPN+

If you compared a Super Tuesday slate to a fight night card, K-State at Kansas would be your main event. Kansas State turned in a rare win over in-state rival Kansas earlier this season with a dramatic 83-82 overtime win, and now will look to complete a season sweep over the Jayhawks for the first time since the 1982-83 season.

On the other side, Kansas has had a solid season relative to expectations, but undoubtedly wants to show up their cross-state rivals after dropping a brutal one on the road. Freshman Gradey Dick and experienced forward Jalen Wilson lead a Kansas team that is still looking for that classic, emphatic Jayhawk blowout over a top team that truly solidifies themselves as one of the nation’s top squads.

When Kansas puts all the pieces together, they are as dangerous as any team in the nation, and improved play from returning guard Dajuan Harris may be the missing piece they need to jolt them into the AP top-five. Over the last four games – of which Kansas has lost three – Harris has been pestered by other top Big 12 guards such as TCU’s Mike Miles, Baylor’s three-headed monster of LJ Cryer, Adam Flagler, and outstanding freshman Keyontae George and pesky Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell.

Today, expect Harris to take care of the ball and alleviate some of the pressure from Gradey Dick and Wilson on the offensive end of the floor as he aims for a bounce back game against Nowell. Both squads thrive with their wing play and are primed for a Big 12 slugfest. If Jerome Tang wills his Wildcats to a road win in Allen Fieldhouse, we might as well hand him the National Coach of the Year award now.

#21 Indiana at Maryland: 9:00 on ESPN2

The no. 21 ranked Hoosiers enter this game playing their best ball of the season, winning 5 of their last 5 off the heels of a three-game skid. This is no regular 5-game win streak dedicated to a lull in your schedule either. This run has included an 18-point win over then #18 Wisconsin, an 80-65 full, forty-minute stomping of Illinois in the State Farm Center, and a 13-point win over Tom Izzo’s Michigan State, who always tends to turn it up around this time of the year.

Star big man Trayce-Jackson Davis is averaging 19 and 10, shooting 58% from the floor. And “Oh yeah, on top of that,” the big fella is averaging a staggering 3.2 blocks per game. The only reason he isn’t walking away with B10 player of the year is an even bigger fella over at Purdue is the most unstoppable force I’ve seen in my time watching college basketball. While Indiana is on a roll, the Terps are a challenge of their own, and the Xfinity Center is going to be loud. Maryland has won their last two emphatically and are looking to climb the B10 ladder.

Kevin Willard knows his team could use a win before hitting a 3-game run in their schedule against unranked opponents. This might be the game of the night, and both teams will be playing like March is right around the corner. 

Northwestern at Iowa: 9:00 on BTN

While this game will not be broadcasted nationally, it has the ingredients for an intense, tournament-impacting, duel. Believe it or not, Northwestern is currently in second place in the Big 10, and are putting together their best season in recent years under head coach Chris Collins.

The Wildcats thrive on the defensive end of the floor, allowing the fewest points in the B10, and will need to be locked in to upset the high-scoring Hawkeyes, who average the most points per game in the conference at 81.3. Iowa enters this game after routing Rutgers for 92 points, and their offense aims to stay on track with the return of Patrick McCaffrey.

Northwestern has been the pleasant surprise of the conference, and is positioned to receive a NCAA tournament bid for only their second (yes, the second) tournament appearance in program history. The stakes are high, and a game that typically would discourage viewers from tuning in has all the reasons for the opposite. 

Super Tuesday is truly a joy to any college basketball fan, and I can’t wait to settle into some more madness tonight.