After suffering through some of the lackluster pairings of December, we're set to enter the first stacked weekend of the conference slate in college basketball.
Some of the top teams in the country must get through true road tests in hostile venues. In all, nine top-25 teams, including top-10 Florida State and Nevada, are on the road Saturday or Sunday.
These early trials might not seem pivotal now, but the results of this weekend's contests could shape the final hierarchy in contested league races.
No. 5 Kansas at Iowa State (5 p.m. ET Saturday, ESPN2)
Ames, Iowa, is home to a hidden gem of a BBQ joint named Hickory Park and one of the most overlooked environments in college basketball.