What to expect in a big weekend of men's college hoops rematches - ESPN

There isn't a 1 vs. 2 matchup to headline this weekend, but it remains a weekend of intriguing rematches that will have a sizable impact on conference races and NCAA tournament seeding.

The expansion of power conferences this season has meant we won't necessarily see a round-robin schedule or two head-to-head matchups, so we had to revisit March 2024 for one instance.

But Kentucky vs. Alabama is guaranteed entertainment on the offensive end; Iowa State vs. Houston will be tough defensively; Saint Mary's vs. Gonzaga is must-watch West Coast basketball; and St. John's vs. UConn is classic Big East basketball at Madison Square Garden.

If you're wondering why there's no mention of Duke vs. Illinois (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, Fox) at MSG, the Blue Devils and Illini haven't played since December 2020. Tennessee at Texas A&M (Saturday, noon ET, ESPN) features teams that played twice last season, but there are five first-year transfers across both starting lineups. Meanwhile, Michigan-Michigan State (Friday, 8 p.m. ET, Fox) hasn't been played this season. With a new coach and roster, the Wolverines will battle the Spartans for first place in the Big Ten.

ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf break down what to expect in four big rematches this weekend.

All times are Eastern.

No. 7 Iowa State upsets No. 1 Houston in a blowout for the Big 12 championship.

Last meeting: Iowa State def. Houston 69-41 in last year's Big 12 title game

What's at stake: Houston's road win at Arizona last weekend gave the Cougars a two-game lead over the Wildcats and Texas Tech in the Big 12 standings — leaving Kelvin Sampson on track to go 2-for-2 in regular-season championships since joining the league.

Iowa State has righted the ship since losing three