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FSU plays its sixth straight game against a ranked opponent, two Pac-12 powers square off, West Virginia tries to get back on track, and teams move ahead without injured stars.

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It’s no secret West Virginia plays a bit erratically in order to throw opponents into chaos. Unfortunately, the Mountaineers become less organized during that process as well.

When the Mountaineers routed then-No. 1 Baylor, 89-68, on Jan. 10, they were lauded for forcing 29 turnovers and exposing the Bears’ flaws. Jevon Carter was terrific at both ends of the floor and West Virginia looked like a team poised for a deep postseason run.

Then, after winning by only two points at Texas, the Mountaineers returned home and were stunned, 89-87, in overtime against an Oklahoma team that entered with a 7-9 record. Sure, teams slip up now and again, no matter how elite they are, and move on wishing they’d played better on a particular night.

But what’s odd is how vastly different West Virginia can look from one night to the next. Is that a byproduct of Bob Huggins’ system that relies on pressure defense and fast-paced offense? Or are the Mountaineers just that inconsistent? We’ll get to see how they react at Kansas State on Saturday.

F-S-You Better Take Notice

Playing a school-record six straight games against AP Top 25 foes could be daunting for some teams, but Florida State is handling it quite well. The Seminoles have gone 4-1 in that stretch – the lone loss being at North Carolina – heading into Saturday’s showdown with visiting No. 12 Louisville.

FSU is proving to be a legit contender to reach the Final Four for the first time since 1972 with Dwyane Bacon, Xavier Rathan-Mayes and freshman Jonathan Isaac leading the way. The Seminoles are coming off an 83-80 home win over Notre Dame despite the Irish hitting 71 percent from beyond the arc.

Hollywood Showdown

Many figured UCLA would take a step forward after last season’s disappointment that had fans calling for Steve Alford’s job, but not many expected this sort of rise. Lonzo Ball, T.J. Leaf and Co. have the Bruins ranked No. 3 with a 19-1 record heading into Saturday’s matchup with visiting No. 14 Arizona.

The Wildcats are no slouches themselves, entering 17-2 with a 6-0 mark in Pac-12 play. Freshman 7-footer Lauri Markkanen has been outstanding during the absence of Allonzo Trier, who has yet to play because of a suspension resulting from a failed PED test. The Wildcats have won three of the last four meetings with UCLA.

Injuries Could Loom Large

There were at least two devastating injuries this past week, and another we’ve yet to hear more about. All could have an affect on how deep those players’ respective teams go in the postseason.

Creighton senior guard Maurice Watson tore his ACL in Monday’s win at Xavier, dealing the Bluejays a major blow to their hopes of reaching the Final Four like many believed they could. Watson’s college career comes to an end while leading the nation in assists per game. No. 7 Creighton hosts Marquette on Saturday.

Indiana sophomore OG Anunoby was getting attention as a potential lottery pick because of his raw athletic talent. He soared for another dunk in Wednesday’s win at Penn State, but later stepped awkwardly and injured his right knee. The Hoosiers released a statement Friday saying that Anunoby will undergo surgery on his right knee and miss the rest of the season. Indiana hosts Michigan State on Saturday.

We’re still waiting to hear on the severity of Dillon Brooks’ injured leg that was sustained in Oregon’s win over Cal on Thursday. Brooks, who missed the start of the season because of an injury, left and didn’t return. His status for Saturday’s contest against Stanford is unclear as of post.

Best Bets

In this section each week I pick five games against the spread that I’d put smart money on. I then keep a running record throughout the season. These picks will consist of games taking place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Here’s a look at what I have this week:

Season record: 16-17-2
Last week: 3-2

• Virginia (-2) over Clemson (W)
• Florida State (+7.5) over UNC (L)
• Baylor (-1) over Kansas State (W)
• Maryland (+2) over Illinois (W)
• UCLA (-5) over Utah (L)

This week:

• Florida State (-1) over Louisville
• UCLA (-4) over Arizona
• Wisconsin (-2) over Minnesota
• Michigan State (+7) over Indiana
• Duke (-9) over Miami

MORE: Purdue’s Isaac Haas Embracing Reserve Role