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Shoutout to UCLA head coach Cori Close, who didn’t shy away from scheduling hard teams in non-conference play. The Bruins beat both Oklahoma and North Carolina, giving us plenty to dissect and discuss this week. Now, the mid-majors take center stage, as we get our first batch of ‘Mid-Major Natty’ games. So tap in and let the watch guide take you wherever your hoop heart desires!

Iona (2-0) vs. Charleston (2-0): 4:00 PM ET, Team Stream

Why it’s worth a watch: I’ll be honest, I’m not sure how good Iona really is. I’m just here for one player and one player only: Charleston’s Taryn Barbot. The reigning CAA Player of the Year, becoming the fastest player in program history to hit 1,000 career points. Last season, she tallied five 30+ point games and tied the school record of 40 in a single matchup. Much like Dyaisha Fair at Buffalo or Terren Ward at Georgia Southern, Barbot may not set the world on fire against high-majors, but she’s a super fun basketball player who deserves some shine.

Must Watch Score: 6.5/10

No. 15 Duke (1-1) vs. West Virginia (2-0): 7:00 PM ET, ESPNU

Why it’s worth a watch: Folks, this game has the potential to be true sicko ball. The press of Mark Kellogg against the pace of Kara Lawson. When I say the point total may check in under 90, I mean that. With that said, if you like clamps then this is the game for you. The Mountaineers have former Norfolk State star MeMe Wheeler anchoring their frontcourt while Ashlon Jackson and Toby Fournier have proven to be a good tandem for the Blue Devils.

Must Watch Score: 7.5/10

No. 7 Baylor (2-0) vs. UNLV (2-0): 9:00 PM ET, CBSSN

Why it’s worth a watch: Lindy La Rocque has had her fair share of high-major job opportunities but seems to really enjoy her time at UNLV. And why wouldn’t you? Your team wins the conference pretty regularly and the only real prestige you’re missing is an NCAA Tournament win. It’s a good and stable gig. But if La Rocque wants us to think about UNLV as more than just a good mid-major, we need to see the Rebs start winning a few of these games. Baylor opened up the year with a huge win over Duke and we are all officially on Taliah Scott watch in Waco. She’s a star.

Must Watch Score: 7/10

Illinois (2-0) vs. Oregon State (2-0): 9:00 PM ET, ESPN+

Why it’s worth a watch: Oregon State is a big question mark with their leading scorer from last year, Catarina Ferreira, out for the year with an injury. If the Beavers want to really put the nation on notice, they can do it against an Illinois team that will be aiming to make the NCAA Tournament but lost some of its’ bite with three of the Illini’s top players graduating out. If Oregon State is going to make this thing competitive, they’ll need a big night from young guard Tiara Bolden.

Must Watch Score: 7/10

No. 18 Notre Dame (3-0) vs. No. 14 Michigan (2-0): 4:00 PM ET, NBC

Why it’s worth a watch: We’ve got an amazing one-on-one matchup here with Hannah Hidalgo squaring off against Syla Swords. My early impressions of Michigan’s roster are pretty good and, while Notre Dame is still waiting to get fully healthy again, this should be a fun one to watch.

Must Watch Score: 8.5/10

No. 25 Washington (2-0) vs. Utah (3-0): 4:00 PM ET, ESPN+

Why it’s worth a watch: This is a great under-the-radar Tournament resume game for both teams. Tina Langley’s long term rebuild in Seattle feels like it’s finally bearing fruit as Utah is working towards stabilizing themselves as the perennial tournament team they’ve been over the last five years or so. Lani White has established herself as an early lead dog with the Utes while Washington has a core of guards led by Sayvia Sellers.

Must Watch Score: 7.5/10

Fairfield (3-0) vs. No. 11 North Carolina (2-1): 6:00 PM ET, ESPN+

Why it’s worth a watch: For the last couple of years, Carly Thibault-DuDonis and her Fairfield Stags have been willing to take on all comers. This season, their prayers were answered and now the chance to prove themselves as a program is here. Meghan Andersen had a quiet night against South Florida but has the capability of going off for a big night.

Must Watch Score: 8.5/10

Richmond (2-1) vs. Columbia (2-0): 7:00 PM ET, ESPN+

Why it’s worth a watch: Not only is this a great ‘Mid-Major Natty’, this is also a great Mid-Major Player of the Year battle. Maggie Doogan should be on people’s WNBA Draft boards (if she isn’t already) but this is a great game for people to learn about Riley Weiss as well. The Columbia guard is the next in a proud lineage of Ivy League guards that have flashes of next level potential. The Spiders have a deeper roster top-to-bottom, but Weiss vs. Doogan is box office for the Ball-Knowers.

Must Watch Score: 8.5/10

No. 2 South Carolina (3-0) vs. No. 8 USC (2-0): 9:00 PM ET, FOX

Why it’s worth a watch: Will the real USC please stand up? I love how they branded this matchup and it makes for some pretty fun (within reason) banter. For the first time, we get to see Jazzy Davidson take on a team with the defensive pedigree of South Carolina. The Gamecocks are pretty slim on players right now, especially with Maddy McDaniel’s situation seemingly up in the air. But this is a fun matchup of contrasts: South Carolina’s frontcourt against Southern Cal’s highly hyped backcourt.

Must Watch Score: 9.5/10

Ohio State (2-0) vs. No. 1 UConn (3-0): 12:00 PM, Peacock

Why it’s worth a watch: I don’t want to make the mistake with UConn that I tended to make with South Carolina in past years. While an undefeated regular season is on the table for the Huskies, we have to be careful to not assume every game will be lopsided. Ohio State’s tandem of Chance Gray, Jaloni and Kennedy Cambridge will have their work cut out for them but they’ve got a ton of athleticism to match up with UConn’s depth. But the Huskies have Sarah Strong and everyone else doesn’t.

Must Watch Score: 8/10

Princeton (2-0) vs. No. 9 Maryland (4-0): 1:00 PM, B1G+

Why it’s worth a watch: Quietly, this game might be one of the more compelling of the weekend. Princeton may not have the frontcourt to hang with Maryland, but they’ve never really needed to in order to win games. The tandem of Madison St. Rose and Allison Chea should match up well against Maryland’s Kaylene Smikle and Oluchi Okananwa.

Must Watch Score: 8.5/10

No. 17 TCU (3-0) vs. No. 10 NC State (2-1): 1:00 PM ET, ESPN

Why it’s worth a watch: Pace, space, pick-and-roll. I have a feeling this game is going to be one of the best of the weekend. Olivia Miles has already settled into her role as facilitator well in Mark Campbell’s offense while Cal transfer Marta Suarez looks like their next frontcourt star. On the other side of the equation is 6’6 Tilda Trygger and starting guard Zoe Brooks, who already got a win against Tennessee this year.

Must Watch Score: 8.5/10

No. 22 Louisville (2-1) vs. Clemson (3-1): 3:00 PM ET, ESPN2

Why it’s worth a watch: Clemson comported themselves relatively well against South Carolina but were clearly a step below the Gamecocks in terms of talent. Louisville is a bit closer in terms of gap and I’m really interested in if Shawn Poppie can get his first signature win of the season over a Cardinals program that feels like they’re teetering on the edge of national relevance.

Must Watch Score: 7.5/10

Arkansas (4-0) vs. Texas Tech (4-0): 3:00 PM ET, ESPN+

Why it’s worth a watch: Kelsi Musick’s Arkansas tenure is off to a good start with the Razorbacks finding their shot and employing the same run-and-gun approach that Musick employed at Oral Roberts. While Texas Tech isn’t a world beater by any means, this is a good ‘like-for-like’ type of matchup to see where both teams stand.

Must Watch Score: 7/10

Green Bay (4-0) vs. Wisconsin (3-1): 3:00 PM ET, B1G+

Why it’s worth a watch: Kayla Karius was linked to the Wisconsin job and stuck around in Green Bay instead. Now, she gets a chance to put a feather in her cap by beating the Badgers, who brought in ex-Missouri head coach Robin Pingeton. If you aren’t a regular watcher of GB, you should try and give them some attention this year. They’re the class of the Horizon League and a regular tournament entrant.

Must Watch Score: 7/10

No. 5 LSU (4-0) vs. Tulane (2-1): 7:00 PM ET, ESPNU

Why it’s worth a watch: This game is likely to be a blowout but I’m more interested in how competitive Tulane can look. Ashley Langford did a great job turning Stony Brook into a solid program before coming down to New Orleans to do the same with the Green Wave. It’s year two of what will likely be a long term rebuild, but there’s little inflection points where we can see if the bones (effort, focus, chemistry) of a good program are there.

Must Watch Score: 6.5/10