Top 7 men's college basketball games to look forward to this week feat. Duke vs UNC, Alabama vs Auburn and more 

It's that time of the year in college basketball when the calendar heads to March Madness, where teams are vying for the national tournament. The 2025 edition is shaping up to be one of the most intense in recent memory, with several favorites for the championship are headlining the fray.

This week will see the culmination of the regular season for several programs, through which NCAA basketball correspondent Andy Katz has released his top 10 games of the week from March 2 onward, with rivalries renewed and teams playing for postseason positioning.

On that note, let's narrow it down to the top seven men's college basketball games to watch in the final week of the 2024-2025 regular season.

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Top 7 men's college basketball games to look forward to this week (March 2)

#7 Purdue Boilermakers vs. Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois vs. Purdue in 2024. - Source: Imagn

The No. 18-ranked Purdue Boilermakers (12-6, 20-9) went all the way to the NCAA national championship game a season ago.

They are looking for a repeat of last year's postseason run by concluding their regular campaign on a high, with their last game being against a gutsy unranked Illinois Fighting Illini (11-8, 19-11) — who are vying for a spot in the national tournament.

The Boilermakers-Fighting Illini matchup is set for Friday in the State Farm Center in Illinois.

#6 BYU Cougars vs. Iowa State Cyclones

BYU vs. Iowa State in 2024. - Source: Imagn

Two Big 12 conference programs who have been neck-in-neck of each other in the standings will square off for their respective penultimate regular season games.

Both the No. 10-ranked Iowa State Cyclones (12-6, 22-7) and the No. 23-ranked BYU Cougars (12-6, 21-8) are aiming for momentum heading into the postseason, as the former is set to host the Cougars on Tuesday.

#5 Indiana Hoosiers vs. Oregon Ducks

Despite both being unranked, the Indiana Hoosiers (9-9, 18-11) and the Oregon Ducks (10-8, 21-8) are storied programs in college basketball. The two schools are having up-and-down campaigns and are looking for any chance of a national tournament appearance.

Look to Indiana and Oregon to try and salvage their season in Oregon's homecourt on Tuesday.

#4 Michigan Wolverines vs. Michigan State Spartans

It will be a battle of city pride when the two teams on top of the Big Ten conference match up. The No. 8-ranked Michigan State Spartans (15-3, 24-5) and the 17th-ranked Michigan Wolverines (14-4, 22-7) will culminate their regular season fixtures against each other in a surefire game.

The Spartans-Wolverines matchup is slated for Sunday in the Spartans' home arena.

#3 Florida Gators vs. Alabama Crimson Tide

Florida vs. Alabama in 2024. - Source: Imagn

Both the seventh-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (12-4, 23-6) and the fifth-ranked Florida Gators (12-4, 25-4) are dark horses to win it all this season. Their full talent should be on display when they square off in one of their regular season culminators.

The Crimson Tide face the Gators on their homecourt on Wednesday.

#2 Duke Blue Devils vs. UNC Tar Heels

Many college basketball fans and spectators consider the second-ranked Duke Blue Devils (18-1, 27-3) and the unranked UNC Tar Heels (12-6, 19-11) as one of the most storied rivalries of all time. With the Blue Devils blowing out the Tar Heels earlier in the season, expect a much more intense matchup this time around fueled by vengeance.

The history-filled Dean Smith Center will host the next chapter of this college basketball matchup on Saturday.

#1 Auburn Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide

The SEC is considered by many as the toughest conference for men's college basketball, and it will be on full display when the first-ranked Auburn Tigers (15-1, 27-2) face the seventh-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide for their final regular season fixtures.

It could be a preview of what's to come for the tailend of the SEC tournament. Auburn will be hosting it this time on Saturday.