College Basketball Games of the Week: Iowa, IU Meet in Big Ten New Coaches Battle

Kansas is looking to build on its big win that ended Iowa State's undefeated season. Iowa is trying to end a three-game losing streak. Audi Crooks and Iowa State are in desperate need of a win on Sunday. 

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 

Kansas at Baylor (Friday 8 p.m. ET on FOX) 

Key Kansas players: Darryn Peterson (Freshman, Guard), Tre White (Senior, Guard) Flory Bidunga (Sophomore, Forward)

Key Baylor players: Cameron Carr (Sophomore, Guard), Tonde Yessoufou (Freshman, Guard), Dan Skillings Jr. (Senior, Guard)

Kansas's last game: 84-63 win vs. No. 2 Iowa State

Baylor's last game: 94-79 win at Oklahoma State

What's at stake: Kansas can solidify itself as a top-25 team. The Jayhawks are coming off their best win of the season, a trouncing of the second-ranked Cyclones, but they've struggled with consistency this season, so avoiding a loss in a potential trap game would establish some confidence in their ceiling moving forward. Baylor is trending to be on the NCAA Tournament bubble, but it picked up its first Quad 1 win of the 2026 season on Tuesday. Grabbing another would go a long way in boosting the Bears' resume. 

Iowa @ Indiana (Saturday 2 p.m. ET on FOX)

Key Iowa players: Bennett Stirtz (Senior, Guard), Alvaro Folgueiras (Junior, Forward), Cam Manyawu (Junior, Forward)

Key Indiana players: Tucker DeVries (Senior, Guard), Lamar Wilkerson (Senior, Guard), Tayton Conerway (Senior, Guard)

Iowa's last game: 79-72 loss at No. 5 Purdue

Indiana's last game: 81-60 loss at No. 12 Michigan State

What's at stake: It's a Quad 1 opportunity for two teams that aren't exactly in desperate need of a significant win, but could certainly use it. Iowa, after dropping three straight, and Indiana, after dropping two straight, simply need to build momentum with a victory. A Quad 1 result is a bonus. 

No. 3 UConn @ Georgetown (Saturday 12 p.m. ET on FOX)

Key UConn players: Solo Ball (Junior, Guard), Alex Karaban (Senior, Forward), Tarris Reed Jr. (Senior, Center)

Key Georgetown players: KJ Lewis (Senior, Guard), Malik Mack (Junior, Guard), Caleb Williams (Sophomore, Forward)

UConn's last game: 69-64 win at No. 25 Seton Hall

Georgetown's last game: 86-83 loss at Creighton

What's at stake: UConn is far and away the class of the Big East. So if the Huskies sustain any road losses in conference play, it's a major blemish on their resume. They need to take care of business against a Georgetown team, which is simply trying to play spoiler.  

Women's Basketball 

No. 19 Iowa State @ Oklahoma State (Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on FOX)

Key Iowa State players: Audi Crooks (Junior, Forward), Abby Brown (Junior, Forward), Jada Williams (Junior, Guard)

Key Oklahoma State players: Micah Gray (Senior, Guard), Jadyn Wooten (Sophomore, Guard), Haleigh Timmer (Senior, Guard)

Iowa State's last game: 68-62 loss at Colorado

Oklahoma State game: 85-76 win at Kansas

What's at stake: Iowa State is trying to avoid a fifth-straight loss that would certainly drop the Cyclones out of the Associated Press Top 25. A four-game losing streak has landed Iowa State at 2-4 in Big 12 play. The Cowgirls are hoping to secure their first ranked win of the season.

No. 15 Michigan State @ No. 11 Iowa (Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network

Key Michigan State players: Grace VanSlooten (Senior, Forward), Kennedy Blair (Sophomore, Guard), Rashunda Jones (Junior, Guard)

Key Iowa players: Ava Heiden (Sophomore, Center), Hannah Stuelke (Senior, Forward), Chazadi Wright (Sophomore, Guard)

Michigan State's last game: 73-71 win vs No. 24 Nebraska

Iowa game: 74-66 win vs Oregon

What's at stake: The Big Ten is crowded, and both Michigan State and Iowa are aiming for the top of it. UCLA is 6-0 and in first in the conference, with the Hawkeyes right there with them and Michigan State slightly behind at 6-1. As well as things are going, neither team can afford a loss here, as the L will have repercussions down the line: the first four teams in the Big Ten standings get tourney byes, and head-to-head is the first tiebreaker.

No. 3 UCLA vs. No. 12 Maryland (Sunday at 4 p.m. ET) 

Key UCLA players: Kiki Rice (Senior, Guard), Lauren Betts (Senior, Center), Gabriela Jacquez (Senior, Guard)

Key Maryland players: Oluchi Okananwa (Junior, Guard), Yarden Garzon (Senior, Guard), Saylor Poffenbarger (Senior, Guard)

UCLA last game: 76-58 win at Minnesota

Maryland game: 62-55 win at USC

What's at stake: Two of the Big Ten's finest go at it, with Maryland needing a win to avoid dropping even further back of the five teams ahead of its 5-2 conference showing. To do so, the Terrapins will have to figure out UCLA's tremendous depth, led by 6-foot-7 senior and potential top WNBA Draft pick Lauren Betts, whose conference-leading rebounding and defensive presence loom large.

Coretta Scott Classic: On Monday Jan. 19, FOX presents the second annual Coretta Scott King Classic with two excellent women's college basketball matchups at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, live on FOX and the FOX Sports app.

First, at 12 p.m. ET, No. 14 Ohio State and sophomore sensation Jaloni Cambridge take on No. 10 TCU and one of college basketball's greats, Olivia Miles. At 2:30 p.m. ET, No. 8 Michigan and its trio of sophomore guards Syla Swords, Olivia Olson and Mila Holloway take on undefeated No. 5 Vanderbilt – off to their greatest-ever start – and SEC-leading scorer Mikayla Blakes.

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