And so begins college basketball’s long, dramatic denouement. We’re about to turn the calendar to March, which brings conference titles and tournament talk. First, we glide into a full weekend of critical games.
Last weekend stood out for its top-four marquees, but there’s a lot to appreciate this time around, too. Illinois and Michigan give us a real offense vs. defense pairing. The new No. 1 holds court at Cameroon Indoor. “College GameDay” visits the defending champs. Ranked matchups are played across the ACC, Big 12 and SEC. Here’s your guide to the next three days.
All times ET. Rankings are from the latest AP poll.
Men’s college basketball weekend schedule
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| Game | Time | TV | Stream |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Michigan at Illinois |
8 p.m., Fri. |
Fox |
|
|
Virginia at Duke |
Noon, Sat. |
ESPN |
|
|
Vanderbilt at Kentucky |
2 p.m., Sat. |
ESPN |
|
|
SDSU at New Mexico |
2 p.m., Sat. |
CBS |
|
|
Kansas at Arizona |
4 p.m., Sat. |
ESPN |
|
|
Texas Tech at Iowa St. |
4 p.m., Sat. |
CBS |
|
|
Nebraska at USC |
4 p.m., Sat. |
BTN |
|
|
Texas at Texas A&M |
4 p.m., Sat. |
ESPN2 |
|
|
Alabama at Tennessee |
6 p.m., Sat. |
ESPN |
|
|
Villanova at St. John’s |
8 p.m., Sat. |
Fox |
|
|
Arkansas at Florida |
8:30 p.m., Sat. |
ESPN |
|
|
Purdue at Ohio St. |
1:30 p.m., Sun. |
CBS |
CBS and Fox are free over the air. CBS is also available on Paramount+. Big Ten Network and Fox are also available on Fox One. All ESPN networks are also on ESPN Unlimited.
Friday opener
No. 3 Michigan at No. 10 Illinois
Why you should watch: Michigan is No. 2 in defensive rating per KenPom, stabilized around senior Yaxel Lendeborg. Illinois has the top-rated offense, as freshman Keaton Wagler soars up mock drafts. It’s a top-10 in-conference tilt to start the weekend off properly. No arms twisted here.
The Illini haven’t played since their wild overtime loss to UCLA last Saturday. The Wolverines were bumped from the No. 1 spot by Duke that night, but they have already clinched at least a share of the Big Ten regular-season title, holding a three-game lead on Illinois, Nebraska and Michigan State through Thursday.
Saturday games
No. 11 Virginia at No. 1 Duke
Why you should watch: Top of the polls, home at Cameron Indoor, a ranked ACC appointment with a Saturday noon tipoff. Well well, Duke is truly Duke-ing right now. Cameron Boozer continues to shine for Jon Scheyer’s squad. Isaiah Evans lets it fly, shooting better than 41 percent on 3s this month.
UVA counters with Belgian breakout Thijs De Ridder. He’s up to 16 points per game with fun outside-in offense:
T🚀A🚀N🚀K 🚀
📺 @accnetwork #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/c0a2r0yeHf
— Virginia Men’s Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) February 25, 2026
No. 25 Vanderbilt at Kentucky
Why you should watch: Each SEC side needs a win here. Kentucky has been a step behind expectation all season, and it took three straight losses before Tuesday’s win at South Carolina. An NCAA Tournament berth is not guaranteed. Vanderbilt jumped out of the gate at 16-0, but the Commodores are just 6-6 in their last dozen games. Now is the time to tighten the screws.
San Diego State at New Mexico
Why you should watch: Both teams are at the bracket’s edge and near the top of the Mountain West. The Athletic’s Jim Root has the Aztecs and Lobos together on bubble watch. San Diego State is 13-4 in conference play, tied with a Utah State team that it just trounced Wednesday. New Mexico is one game behind at 12-5.
No. 14 Kansas at No. 2 Arizona
Why you should watch: This year’s freshman class is special, and Kansas-Arizona most certainly delivers on that front. The Jayhawks’ Darryn Peterson has drawn fascination for both his top-pick potential and his cryptic cramping issues. He’s played at least 30 minutes in back-to-back contests, though.
Meanwhile, the freshman duo of Brayden Burries and Koa Peat has lined the Wildcats up for a Big 12 title, two games ahead of Kansas and three other teams. Peat (leg) hasn’t played since Feb. 14, but he returned to practice for Arizona on Thursday.
No. 16 Texas Tech at No. 4 Iowa State
Why you should watch: These are two of the teams tied for second in the crowded Big 12. Along with Kansas and Houston, Texas Tech and Iowa State sit at 11-4 in conference action. The visitors have won five of six, including a road upset of then-No. 1 Arizona. JT Toppin’s ACL tear is a tremendous bummer for his Red Raiders, but Christian Anderson is really hooping in his absence.
The hosts lead their conference in takeaways per game and hold opponents to modest 42.1/31.8 percent shooting splits. Cyclone playmakers Tamin Lipsey and Joshua Jefferson make space for Milan Momcilovic, who puts up 99 percentile offense per Evan Maya.
No. 12 Nebraska at USC
Why you should watch: USC is desperate. The Trojans were lodged in the bubble for a while, but they’re falling out fast amid four straight Ls. A statement upset would go a long way in L.A. Pressured March underdogs in their home gym tend to make for great TV. Nebraska plays nasty defense, and the Cornhuskers have won six of their eight road tries.
Texas at Texas A&M
Why you should watch: These schools do not like each other, and their programs are building overlapping NCAA Tournament bids. The Lone Star rivals are both “in the mix” in Root’s tourney tiers. As of Thursday, Texas ranks sixth in offensive rating but 127th on the other end. More balanced A&M claimed the first meeting, a 74-70 win in Austin.
No. 17 Alabama at No. 22 Tennessee
Why you should watch: Alabama’s last five scoring totals: 100, 90, 117, 89, 93. The Volunteers’ last five totals allowed: 73, 65, 66, 63, 64. It’s a high-wire Roll Tide and a rock-fighting Rocky Top in Saturday’s best style clash.
Bama’s Labaron Philon Jr., who is averaging more than 21 points per game on better than 50 percent from the field, is expected to be back in the lineup after missing Wednesday’s win over Mississippi State. The Volunteer defense is eager to make a mess of his smooth offense.
Villanova at No. 15 St. John’s
Why you should watch: The head-to-head series dates back to 1909, and it’s tied at 67-67 entering the weekend. Nova head coach Kevin Willard was mentored by the Johnnies’ Rick Pitino when the latter led the Boston Celtics. Willard followed Pitino to Louisville, too. The previous Jan. 17 matchup in Philadelphia was a one-point game at halftime, with the Red Storm ultimately winning by seven. Revenge is now on the table for a redemptive Villanova season.
No. 20 Arkansas at No. 7 Florida
Why you should watch: “College GameDay” heads to Gainesville for some Saturday night merriment. Jay Bilas pulls double duty, from the studio show with Rece Davis and crew to the broadcast booth with Dan Shulman and Kris Budden. Florida is 8-2 all-time when featured on ESPN’s flagship program. The Gators are chomping through their current eight-game win streak.
Arkansas becomes their highest-ranked opponent in this stretch, and fiery freshman Darius Acuff Jr. can score in quick order. His 49-point highlight reel against Alabama is worth a rewatch. Florida is trying to lock in an SEC regular-season title after winning last year’s conference tournament and the national championship.
Sunday closeout
No. 8 Purdue at Ohio State
Why you should watch: What’s a bracket debate without Ohio State? The Bubbling Buckeyes are in trouble after stumbles at Michigan State and Iowa. A top-10 win would flip the vibes, and Jake Diebler’s crew has notched two straight upsets against the Boilermakers.
But while Bruce Thornton and John Mobley Jr. can light it up beyond the arc, keeping pace with Purdue’s efficient offense is one of the sport’s toughest tests:
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