The 2025-26 opening weekend of college basketball is in the books — and the action is just getting started. Here are Andy Katz’s top 10 games to watch in Week 2.
1. No. 9 Kentucky at No. 12 Louisville, 8 p.m. ET Tuesday on ESPN: This is one of the best rivalries in college sports, and it’s in the second week of the season. Neither team will be at its best this early, but it should not disappoint.
2. No. 5 Arizona vs. No. 15 UCLA, Los Angeles, 10 p.m. Friday on Peacock: The Wildcats continue their rugged nonconference schedule. The Bruins have slogged through a few home games and will need a barometer like the Wildcats to see where they are thus far.
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3. No. 3 UConn vs. No. 7 BYU, Boston, 7 p.m. Saturday on FOX: AJ Dybantsa returns to the Boston area where he grew up. The Huskies would like nothing better than to ruin his homecoming.
4. No. 2 Purdue at No. 8 Alabama, 7 p.m. Thursday on ESPN2: The Boilers beat down the Tide a year ago, but Alabama is coming off a thrilling win at St. John’s. Purdue will need to defend better on the perimeter to come up with this road win.
5. No. 11 Texas Tech at No. 14 Illinois, 8:30 p.m. Tuesday on FS1: Love this matchup. Check out JT Toppin against David Mirkovic. This should be a wonderful battle in the lane, and the two teams are each legit contenders in the Big 12 and Big Ten, respectively.
6. No. 1 Houston vs. No. 22 Auburn, Birmingham, 3 p.m. Sunday on ESPN: Steven Pearl gets a big-time coaching matchup against Kelvin Sampson. He will have to have his Tigers toughened up to take down the Cougars. This will be the first of many tests for Houston.
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7. No. 23 Creighton at No. 19 Gonzaga, 10 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN: Graham Ike is off to a fantastic start for the Bulldogs. Ryan Kalkbrenner is gone but Owen Freeman is the anchor now for Creighton. He will need to stay on the floor for the Bluejays to win.
8. Clemson at Georgetown, 12 p.m. Saturday on Peacock: The Hoyas have momentum after the win at Maryland. This would be another significant win if they can take down the Tigers. Meanwhile, Clemson can now land a quality road win in Week 2.
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9. Pitt at West Virginia, 6 p.m. Thursday on FS1: The Backyard Brawl’s latest edition is putting two teams that are unknown in the ACC and the Big 12. The winner will have loads of confidence going forward.
10. Dayton vs. Cincinnati in Cincinnati, 7 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN+: The Flyers weren’t picked to win the A-10 but they may be the most talented. The Bearcats could use a shelf-life, nonconference win against the Flyers.
Andy Katz is an NCAA.com correspondent. Katz worked at ESPN for 18 years as a college basketball reporter, host and anchor. He’s covered every Final Four since 1992, and the sport since 1986 as a freshman at Wisconsin. He is a former president of the United States Basketball Writers Association. Katz can also be seen covering college basketball on Big Ten Network during the regular season. Follow him on Twitter at @theandykatz.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions.
