College basketball closes its regular season in style this weekend. Before conference tournaments and Selection Sunday rev up, the viewership indulges in some of the sport’s strongest rivalries.
No. 17 North Carolina and No. 1 Duke resume their bad-blood, blue-blood gauntlet at Cameron Indoor. Michigan State invades Ann Arbor for a top-10 tilt with Michigan. In-state animosity abounds with Virginia Tech-Virginia, Vanderbilt-Tennessee and Auburn-Alabama. There’s a crosstown bubble battle between UCLA and USC. There’s even a quest for perfection, as the 30-0 Miami (OH) RedHawks bring MACtion to the forefront Friday night.
Of the five major conferences, four have already crowned their regular-season champions — Duke in the ACC, Arizona in the Big 12, Michigan in the Big Ten and Florida in the SEC. Connecticut and St. John’s are still settling the Big East through Saturday’s slate. Regardless, for some of the field, these closing games can buoy or sink an NCAA Tournament bid. Floor slap season is upon us.
All times ET. Rankings are from the latest AP poll.
Men’s college basketball weekend schedule
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GameTimeTVStream
Miami (OH) at Ohio
9 p.m., Fri.
ESPN2
St. John’s at Seton Hall
9 p.m., Fri.
FS1
Virginia Tech at Virginia
Noon, Sat.
CW
Vanderbilt at Tennessee
2 p.m., Sat.
ESPN
Cincinnati at TCU
2 p.m., Sat.
TNT
HBO Max
SMU at Florida St.
2 p.m., Sat.
ACCN
New Mexico at Utah St.
4 p.m., Sat.
MWN, Ryz
Indiana at Ohio State
5:30 p.m., Sat.
Fox
UNC at Duke
6:30 p.m., Sat.
ESPN
Auburn at Alabama
8:30 p.m., Sat.
ESPN
UCLA at USC
9 p.m., Sat.
FS1
Texas Tech at BYU
10:30 p.m., Sat.
ESPN
Michigan St. at Michigan
4:30 p.m., Sun.
CBS
Iowa at Nebraska
5 p.m., Sun.
Fox
CBS and Fox are free over the air. CBS is also available on Paramount+. Fox and FS1 are also available on Fox One. All ESPN programs, including the ACC Network, are on ESPN Unlimited.
Friday openersNo. 19 Miami (OH) at Ohio
Why you should watch: Miami is one win from an undefeated regular season. The final hurdle is a “Battle of the Bricks” versus its archenemy in Ohio. What a wonderful scene it should be. The RedHawks are nationally ranked and unbeaten … and still at risk of missing the Madness. That’s because the MAC rarely gets an at-large bid, and Akron (entering Friday with a 16-1 MAC record) poses a real challenge in the conference tourney.
No. 18 St. John’s at Seton Hall
Why you should watch: Seton Hall is trying to rally from bubble to bracket. Its national case has improved after playing UConn to a four-point finish, then getting a 10th Big East win against Xavier. The Athletic’s Joe Rexrode has the Pirates in his “next four out” tier, but beating formidable St. John’s would shake that up. The Red Storm can lock up at least a share of the regular-season title before UConn faces Marquette on Saturday.
Saturday gamesVirginia Tech at No. 13 Virginia
Why you should watch: A “Commonwealth Clash” with tourney implications. The last meeting between these two produced three overtimes and one stinging upset. Tech is still waving around for the committee’s attention, and a third Quad 1 win might warrant it. UVA is comfortably into its dancing shoes, but the campus always levels up to host the Hokies.
No. 24 Vanderbilt at No. 23 Tennessee
Why you should watch: Another well-worn in-state series. This one puts ranked teams on both benches. It’s usually not so even — Tennessee leads the all-time ledger by a lopsided 133-77. Back on Feb. 21, the Commodores built a nine-point home lead over the Volunteers. Then came the Rick Barnes clampdown, and Vandy went more than nine minutes without a field goal en route to a four-point L.
Revenge can be had at Rocky Top. On Tuesday, Barnes suggested that rising star Nate Ament could return from his ankle injury.
Cincinnati at TCU
Why you should watch: Bubble on bubble with heat-check eagerness. As of Thursday, the Bearcats are 42nd in KenPom, with the Horned Frogs nearby at 45th. Rexrode puts the latter at “last four in” status.
Both hopefuls are cooking up as things matter most. TCU has won seven of its last eight games, including monumental defeats of Texas Tech and Iowa State. Cincinnati is six for its last seven, with a Feb. 21 thumping of Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse. Yes, Darryn Peterson played (32 minutes!), but it was Cincy center Moustapha Thiam who shined brightest (28 points). Let’s see who breaks through on Saturday.
SMU at Florida State
Why you should watch: SMU is trying to save face and shore up its tourney argument after three straight losses. Will the Mustangs bounce back to land upright, or will they wobble into humiliation? No one wants to see an embarrassed horse. Well, Florida State does, at least on Saturday. Luke Loucks’ group lost by three in the first head-to-head in Dallas, but the Seminoles have gone 8-2 since then.
New Mexico at Utah State
Why you should watch: The Lobos, who are a “last four in” team for Rexrode right now, have a tough Saturday draw with Mountain West leader Utah State. The Aggies scored an earlier 20-point beatdown in Albuquerque, but they’ve also dropped three of their last four contests.
Indiana at Ohio State
Why you should watch: Big Ten bubblers meet up before the B1G-gest conference tournament. Per EvanMiya, Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton has been the nation’s third-most indispensable player. Getting these Buckeyes to the main event for the first time in four years would be impressive. First, he checks into senior night just 12 points shy of breaking the program’s career scoring record.
Rexrode has the Hoosiers as a “last four in” contender. Indiana’s most recent road win was its double-OT marathon at UCLA back on Jan. 31.
No. 17 North Carolina at No. 1 Duke
Why you should watch: You know why, because every sentient being knows why. It’s a summoning of century-old tensions. It’s top-ranked Duke welcoming the UNC team that hit it with a court-storming buzzer-beater last month. Senior Seth Trimble takes the Cameron Indoor floor as a heel of all Heels. Freshman Cameron Boozer takes it as a Wooden Award favorite.
Auburn at No. 16 Alabama
Why you should watch: We’re Iron Bowl-ing in March. Under Bruce Pearl, Auburn went 15-3 in last year’s SEC. Under Steven Pearl, the current Tigers arrive at 7-10 in conference action. Their comedown has been stark, but their March Madness application is at least bolded with ranked wins versus St. John’s, Arkansas and Florida. A fourth would go far.
Bucket-getter Labaron Philon Jr. leads a fun Crimson Tide offense. They would gleefully oblige to some bubble-bursting.
UCLA at USC
Why you should watch: Los Angeles rivals stack their bubble hopes against each other. One side will stall in the 10 freeway traffic. UCLA dominated the Westside leg on Feb. 24, and that was when USC still had Chad Baker-Mazara. The Trojans will need a massive showing from Alijah Arenas if they’re to end their funky six-game losing streak. The Bruins are feeling themselves with recent top-10 upsets of Illinois and Nebraska.
No. 10 Texas Tech at BYU
Why you should watch: It’s a chance to see how the Red Raiders are approaching high-leverage spots without JT Toppin. And there’s some real palace intrigue around collapsing BYU. The Cougars opened 2025-26 ranked eighth, and they just fell out of the AP poll for the first time this season. If nothing else, AJ Dybantsa puts on a show. Sam Vecenie has him going first overall in The Athletic’s updated NBA mock draft.
Sunday closeoutsNo. 8 Michigan State at No. 3 Michigan
Why you should watch: Again, you know why. Intrastate college basketball doesn’t get too much tougher. Yaxel Lendeborg was a force when the Wolverines took down the Spartans in East Lansing. He finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds in that Jan. 30 statement game.
Michigan State has since responded with one-possession wins against Illinois and Purdue. Tom Izzo coaches up a tremendous defense (eighth-rated at KenPom as of Thursday), but Michigan’s fluid ball movement can be mesmerizing.
Iowa at No. 9 Nebraska
Why you should watch: Iowa basketball won the previous game in Iowa football fashion. The Hawkeyes shot 33 percent and beat Nebraska by five in a low-scoring affair. Iowa City became Party City in that Feb. 17 court-stormer. Fred Hoiberg’s son, Sam, gets his senior night in the rematch, and the Cornhuskers get the chance to hand Iowa its third straight loss and make it sweat out Selection Sunday.
We will not promise anything resembling beautiful basketball, but passion is guaranteed throughout Sunday. And for the country’s corn connoisseurs, here’s your One Shining Moment, yellow and pure.
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