After a big weekend of NCAA women’s basketball matchups, including a battle for ‘The Real ‘SC’ and UConn’s dismantling of Ohio State, we have some more great games on the schedule. But first, a couple of shout outs are in order…

How about the Division III Darlings? Johns Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon and Scranton all managed to upset their Division I opponents this week. The Blue Jays dominated Morgan State while the Tartans edged Saint Francis 55-53. But it was Scranton, ranked No. 2 in the Division III polls, that went to Pittsburgh — a basement dwelling ACC program but a Power 4 team all the same — and closed out the game on a 25-13 run to pull off one of the great upsets the game has seen in quite some time.

Hail to the Victors!

Now, let’s get to the Watch Guide…

No. 18 Oklahoma State (5-0) vs. St. John’s (3-1): 7:00 PM ET, ESPN+

Why it’s worth a watch: I’m really high on Jacie Hoyt’s Cowgirls team this year and think they’ve got a second weekend ceiling come tournament time. But St. John’s has played well since their loss to Harvard two weeks ago and are a defense-first unit designed to slow a game down. Much like last weekend’s watch guide, this is a big out of conference opportunity for the Big East to pad their resume as a whole. Can the Red Storm slow things down enough to stop Micah Gray, Haleigh Timmer and one of the best early season offenses in college basketball?

Must-Watch Score: 7.5/10

Rice (2-1) vs. Princeton (2-1): 7:00 PM ET, ESPN+

Why it’s worth a watch: Do not overlook Rice this year, folks. The surprise winner of the AAC Conference Tournament last year, the Owls made their second NCAA Tournament in the last five years. Now, they get something of a ‘prestige’ game against one of the class programs of mid-major women’s basketball. The Tigers have been a bit sluggish out of the gate this season so don’t be surprised if you look up and see Rice in the lead.

Must-Watch Score: 7.5/10

Vermont (4-0) vs. High Point (4-0): 7:00 PM ET, ESPN+

Why it’s worth a watch: This is quietly another ‘Mid-Major Natty’ to me. Alisa Kresge has rebuilt Vermont into a regular America East contender and has won the conference two of the last three years. High Point swept the Big South last season and have also found a nice stability under Chelsea Banbury. Another great styles-make-fights type matchup. Expect UVM to try and grind down a pacey High Point attack that’s averaged over 80 points a game so far this year.

Must-Watch Score: 7/10

Florida Gulf Coast (1-1) vs. George Mason (3-1): 7:00 PM ET, ESPN+

Why it’s worth a watch: On paper, this game has some ‘Mid-Major Natty’ potential but I think the jury is still out on how good this new-look Florida Gulf Coast is. The Eagles were beaten badly by Davidson in their season opener and now open a three game stretch that includes George Mason, Indiana and Stanford. On the other end, GMU looks every bit like the A-10 contender we expect them to be this year. I’m holding out hope but this one could get a bit lopsided in a hurry.

Must-Watch Score: 6.5/10

St. Joe’s (3-1) vs. Columbia (2-1): 11:00 AM ET, ESPN+

Why it’s worth a watch: A great game if you’re bored at work and need a game to watch on your second monitor. St. Joe’s fell to Penn State over the weekend but they’ve looked generally solid otherwise. The Hawks are a defensive unit but will have to try and contain Riley Weiss, who no doubt will want to shoot better than her 1-10 from deep performance against Richmond.

Must-Watch Score: 7/10

Davidson (4-1) vs. Miami (3-0): 6:00 PM ET, ESPNU

Why it’s worth a watch: This game is a bit of a toss-up for me. I have a feeling Davidson is a lot better than we’re giving them credit for and that may mean trouble for Miami. So far, the Wildcats have blown out all four of their mid-major opponents and their only loss is a nine point margin on the road to Mississippi State. The Hurricanes haven’t really faced a substantial test yet this year. If nothing else, I expect this to be close late in the fourth.

Must-Watch Score: 7.5/10

Mississippi State (4-0) vs. Texas Tech (5-0): 7:00 PM ET, ESPN+

Why it’s worth a watch: Another toss-up game and a really great resume matchup. We don’t think about this way in November but these games, I’d argue, are more important for basketball fans than your UConn vs. Tennessee type games. For Mississippi State and Texas Tech, these wins and losses are significant data points when Selection Day comes. I’m interested in watching Tech’s Snudda Collins, an Ole Miss transfer who is the team’s leading scorer as a sixth woman.

Must-Watch Score: 8/10

Rutgers (4-1) vs. Auburn (5-0): 7:00 PM ET, SECN+/B1G+

Why it’s worth a watch: I’ve been impressed with Larry Vickers and the job he’s done so far at Auburn. After cleaning up mostly lower tier mid-majors, the year one Tigers get to see their first power conference opponent. The Scarlet Knights had a rather strange loss to Stony Brook between quality wins over Rhode Island and Quinnipiac, so we’ll give them the mulligan.

Must-Watch Score: 7.5/10

No. 19 Iowa (4-0) vs. No. 7 Baylor (4-0): 9:00 PM ET, ESPN2

Why it’s worth a watch: The Game of the Night. Iowa has been a blast in a glass so far this season, with Chazadi “Chit-Chat” Wright being an instant fan favorite in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The tandem of center Ava Heiden and forward Hannah Stuelke will also great test here against Bella Fontleroy and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs. But the player you need to train your eye on is Baylor’s Taliah Scott. Averaging 24.5 points per game to start the season, she’s exactly what Nikki Collen’s teams have been missing in Waco.

Must-Watch Score: 9/10

College of Charleston (4-0) vs. Quinnipiac (2-2): 5:00 PM ET, ESPN+

Why it’s worth a watch: I talked in Five Out this week about Taryn Barbot, the sparkplug scoring guard out of CofC. If you’ve been waiting for a chance to see her, this is a great game to put on before switching over to USC vs. Notre Dame. While you’re watching Taryn, you’ll also see her sister Taylor, who is the Cougars second leading scorer. If that tandem gets rocking, they’ll be a tough out for a Quinnipiac team that has already dropped two important resume games this season.

Must-Watch Score: 7/10

No. 11 USC (3-1) vs. No. 24 Notre Dame (3-1): 6:00 PM ET, ESPN

Why it’s worth a watch: This game should be all sorts of interesting. Notre Dame is coming off a loss that tumbled them down the AP Top 25 rankings and saw the start of some ‘How good is Hannah Hidalgo, really?’ discourse. But if there were ever a time to reset the dialogue, it’s at home in a primetime spot against USC. The Trojans showed that while they may not have a frontcourt that can challenge the likes of a South Carolina yet, they’re still a highly talented group with a high ceiling. Given the conversation of this week, I expect Notre Dame to open this game like they got shot out of a cannon.

Must-Watch Score: 8.5/10

Cleveland State (4-0) vs. Northwestern (4-0): 7:30 PM ET, B1G+

Why it’s worth a watch: This game has quietly great upset potential. Cleveland State has traded off with Green Bay as Horizon League champions over the last few years and have shown in the past they have the potential to knock off a power-conference opponent here and there. Northwestern is 4-0 in Joe McKeown’s final season at the helm and have already weathered some early tests by mid-major foes. Can they turn one last ride into a dream season? It starts with games like this one.

Must-Watch Score: 7/10

No. 6 Michigan (4-0) vs. No. 1 UConn (4-0): 8:00 PM ET, FOX

Why it’s worth a watch: This is the Game of the Weekend but, more importantly, could be a coming out party for Syla Swords depending on how she plays. Last year, the Canadian phenom felt like everyone’s favorite underdiscussed player and has been a bit quiet to open this season. Now, with backcourt mate Olivia Olson surging, Michigan has a chance to turn some heads here. Will they run up on a buzzsaw UConn team led by a potentially historically great Sarah Strong? Yes. But I’ll still be seated regardless.

Must-Watch Score: 9.5/10

Colorado State (4-0) vs. Oregon State (4-0): 9:00 PM ET, ESPN+

Why it’s worth a watch: Colorado State managed to pull another star in the transfer portal this year and so far it’s paid dividends. Former Indiana guard Lexus Bargesser is averaging over 17 points per game for the 4-0 Rams, who see a similarly undefeated Oregon State in a matchup of future Pac-12 opponents. I’ve gotta do some writing on OSU’s Tiara Bolden because she is a great story dating back to her Churchill High School days. It’s always fun to watch someone you covered as a young sports reporter on the prep scene jump to a bigger stage and immediately succeed. Expect a feature on her from us soon.

Must-Watch Score: 7/10

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