College Basketball Games of the Week: Men’s Hoops Final 4 Preview, More

Don’t miss an entire Final Four preview, and a rematch of the Battle for Indiana on the men’s side of college basketball, while the hottest team in women’s basketball, a potential Big Ten sleeper, is going for a 10th consecutive win. The big college basketball games this weekend will impact conference standings and NCAA Tournament seeding. There are top teams in men’s and women’s hoops going at it, and we’re here to help you prepare for the action. Men’s Basketball Indiana at No. 7 Purdue (Friday, 8 p.m. ET on FOX) Key Indiana players: Tucker DeVries (Senior, Guard), Lamar Wilkerson (Senior, Guard), Tayton Conerway (Senior, Guard) Key Purdue players: Braden Smith (Senior, Guard), Trey Kaufman-Renn (Senior, Forward), Oscar Cluff (Senior, Center) Indiana’s last game: 81-75 loss at USC Purdue’s last game: 91-80 loss vs. No. 1 Michigan What’s at stake: Indiana is teetering on the NCAA Tournament bubble, but sweeping the season series against rival Purdue in Darian DeVries’ first season as head coach would be a nice consolation prize if the Hoosiers do miss the tournament. They also boost their chances to dance in March Madness if they beat the Boilermakers again. Purdue has only been swept by its rival once since 2012. The Boilermakers are tied for the final double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament. No. 10 Illinois at UCLA (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET on FOX) Key Illinois players: Keaton Wagler (Freshman, Guard), Kylan Boswell (Senior, Guard), David Mirkovic (Freshman, Forward) Key UCLA players: Tyler Bilodeau (Senior, Forward), Donovan Dent (Senior, Guard), Skyy Clark (Senior, Guard) Illinois’ last game: 101-65 win at USC UCLA’s last game: 82-59 loss vs. No. 15 Michigan State What’s at stake: From two losses by a combined 57 points to head coach Mick Cronin losing his cool, UCLA’s season unraveled over the course of 72 hours in Michigan. However, the Bruins could keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive with a Quad 1 matchup against Illinois — or things could somehow get worse. The Illini have the nation’s top-ranked offense, according to KenPom. They still have a chance at No. 1 seed in March Madness. No. 4 Arizona at No. 2 Houston (Saturday, 3 p.m. ET) Key Arizona players: Brayden Burries (Freshman, Guard), Koa Peat (Freshman, Forward), Jaden Bradley (Senior, Guard) Key Houston players: Kingston Flemings (Freshman, Guard), Emanuel Sharpe (Senior, Guard), Joseph Tugler (Junior, Forward) Arizona’s last game: 75-68 win vs. No. 23 BYU Houston’s last game: 70-67 loss vs. No. 6 Iowa State What’s at stake: If not for Michigan-Duke, this would be the most-anticipated matchup of the college basketball season. Houston and Arizona are tied atop the Big 12 standings and likely fighting one another for a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament. This matchup will help determine both stakes. The Cougars and the Wildcats have antithetical strengths, as Houston’s led by its trio of guards, while Arizona has a formidable frontcourt. However, Koa Peat, a freshman at the center of that Wildcats’ frontcourt, is likely to miss Saturday’s game. No. 1 Michigan vs No. 3 Duke (Saturday, 6:30 p.m. ET) Key Michigan players: Yaxel Lendeborg (Senior, Forward), Elliot Cadeau (Junior, Guard), Morez Johnson Jr. (Sophomore, Forward) Key Duke players: Cameron Boozer (Freshman, Forward), Isaiah Evans (Sophomore, Guard), Patrick Ngongba (Sophomore, Center) Michigan’s last game: 91-80 win at No. 7 Purdue Duke’s last game: 101-64 win vs. Syracuse What’s at stake: A nonconference battle in Washington D.C. could easily be a national championship preview in mid-February. Rarely are college basketball fans blessed with this elite of a nonconference matchup this late in the regular-season, so don’t take it for granted. Michigan and Duke each sit in its respective conference and have a fast track at a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. This result of this specific matchup won’t disrupt that journey, as it’s about as strong a game on either team’s résumé. However, the winner could find itself with the No. 1 overall seed in March Madness. The Wolverines and the Blue Devils haven’t played since 2014, but they’ve had two separate sets of home-and-home series earlier this century, and Duke is 10-1 in such games. Iowa at No. 24 Wisconsin (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET on FS1) Key Iowa players: Bennett Stirtz (Senior, Guard), Alvaro Folgueiras (Junior, Forward), Cam Manyawu (Junior, Forward) Key Wisconsin players: Nick Boyd (Senior, Guard), John Blackwell (Junior, Guard), Nolan Winter (Junior, Forward) Iowa’s last game: 57-52 win vs. No. 9 Nebraska Wisconsin’s last game: 86-69 loss at Ohio State What’s at stake: Wisconsin and Iowa are atop the Big Ten’s third tier. Both are firmly in the NCAA Tournament. Both have grabbed wins against the conference’s top teams. Both are exciting — but not national title contenders. Their equality across the board should lead to a competitive matchup. The Badgers play fast with 69.1 possessions per game, while the Hawkeyes play slowly with 63.1 possessions per game. Whichever team can establish their pace will have the upper hand. Women’s Basketball No. 6 Michigan at No. 13 Iowa (Sunday, 12 p.m. ET on FOX) Key Michigan players: Olivia Olson (Sophomore, Guard), Syla Swords (Sophomore, Guard), Te’Yala Delfosse (Sophomore, Forward) Key Iowa players: Ava Heiden (Sophomore, Center), Hannah Stuelke (Senior, Forward), Chazadi Wright (Sophomore, Guard) Michigan’s last game: 86-65 win vs. No. 18 Michigan State Iowa’s last game: 80-67 win at Nebraska What’s at stake: Michigan and Iowa are firmly Tier 2 contenders in the Big Ten. The Wolverines are two games up on the Hawkeyes, so an Iowa win could slash that difference in half. The result of this game could also impact which team earns a two or three seed in the NCAA Tournament. USC at No. 10 Ohio State (Sunday, 2 p.m. ET on FS1) Key USC players: Jazzy Davidson (Freshman, Guard), Kennedy Smith (Sophomore, Guard), Kara Dunn (Senior, Guard) Key Ohio State players: Jaloni Cambridge (Sophomore, Guard), Chance Gray (Senior, Guard), Elsa Lemmila (Sophomore, Forward) USC’s last game: 66-59 win vs. Wisconsin Ohio State’s last game: 74-61 loss at No. 23 Minnesota What’s at stake: Ohio State has dropped back-to-back games against ranked Big Ten opponents, and up next are matchups against No. 6 Michigan and No. 18 Michigan State. As is, the Buckeyes already fell out of double-bye territory for the conference tourney – without a win against the Trojans, it’s unlikely they will get back into it. USC is 9-6 in the conference and even further back of a double-bye, but, in 8th, is fighting for the standard one. The Trojans aren’t ranked but are top-25 in NET and WAB; a win against Ohio State would help secure both conference seeding and Selection Committee approval. No. 18 Michigan State at No. 23 Minnesota (Sunday, 6 p.m. ET on FS1) Key Michigan State players: Grace VanSlooten (Senior, Forward), Kennedy Blair (Sophomore, Guard), Rashunda Jones (Junior, Guard) Key Minnesota players: Tori McKinney (Sophomore, Guard), Grace Grocholski (Junior, Guard), Amaya Battle (Senior, Guard) Michigan State’s last game: 104-68 win vs. Northwestern Minnesota’s last game: 74-61 win vs. No. 10 Ohio State What’s at stake: Minnesota is one of the hottest teams in college basketball with nine consecutive wins, two of those victories coming over ranked opponents. The Golden Gophers have another test against the 18th-ranked Spartans. Michigan State is on the other side of the spectrum, as it has lost four of its past six games. Minnesota has risen into a spot for a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament, while Michigan State has fallen to sixth. No. 16 Kentucky at No. 5 Vanderbilt (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET) Key Kentucky players: Clara Strack (Junior, Center), Kennedy Blair (Sophomore, Guard), Rashunda Jones (Junior, Guard) Key Vanderbilt players: Mikayla Blakes (Sophomore, Guard), Aubrey Galvan (Freshman, Guard), Sacha Washington (Senior, Forward) Kentucky’s last game: 74-57 win vs. No. 14 Ole Miss Vanderbi’s last game: 76-74 loss at Georgia What’s at stake: Kentucky and Vanderbilt rematch two weeks after a thriller that saw the Wildcats miss a game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds. The SEC is so stacked that 10 teams are inside the AP Top 25, so Kentucky’s 7-6 conference record isn’t surprising. However, the Wildcats would like to improve that mark and can heavily boost their résumé in this Quad 1 matchup. No. 21 Tennessee at No. 11 Oklahoma (Sunday, 2 p.m. ET) Key Tennessee players: Talaysia Cooper (Junior, Guard), Janiah Barker (Senior, Forward), Zee Speerman (Senior, Forward) Key Oklahoma players: Aaliyah Chavez (Freshman, Guard), Raegen Beers (Senior, Center), Sahara Williams (Junior, Forward) Tennessee’s last game: 82-74 loss vs. Texas A&M Oklahoma’s last game: 71-67 win at Georgia What’s at stake: Tennessee’s season has gone downhill quickly, as the Volunteers have dropped three consecutive games. That’s life in the SEC, though, and the flip side is they can help correct those losses with a road victory at Oklahoma. The Sooners have had similar struggles in SEC play. Like Tennessee, they have an 8-5 conference record. Those similarities and the importance of every game in this conference should lead to a scrappy battle.