Arizona-UCLA and Other Rematches We Want to See 

Arizona-UCLA and Other Rematches We Want to See 

After the regular season is over, there's still plenty of basketball left to be played in the 2018-19 college basketball season. That includes rematches between some of the top teams in America.

We have two rematches between Memphis Tigers and Houston Cougars, as well as Arizona and UCLA. Both programs appear to be on their way towards postseason contention.

Memphis-Houston

There can be no doubt about it: College basketball's biggest rivalries are unbeatable. From matchups to coaching and player-to-player relationships, there's plenty to talk about when these classic battles return during this year's Championship. We hope to witness some of these rematches this time around!

Houston has already secured the top seed in the AAC and needs just one more win to set up a conference tournament meeting with Memphis. The Cougars are on fire, having won 10 straight games and claimed their fourth AAC title in five seasons.

They've also won a school-record 28 games at home this season, scoring an impressive 93 points per game on average - more than one full point per game more than the average team in the conference.

Kelvin Sampson's success has earned him a devoted following, earning him an unprecedented 12 conference coach of the year awards.

For the third week in a row, Washington State Cougars have maintained their lead atop USA TODAY Sports coaches poll after an exciting comeback victory against Memphis on Sunday gave them 29 of 31 first-place votes - enough to keep ahead of UCLA who closed out their regular season with an impressive home sweep of Pac-12 schools.

Arizona, which finished second in the Pac-12 standings, has been somewhat quiet lately. While it still has a chance to upset some of the conference's weaker teams and make March Madness predictions, its recent losses to Stanford and Arizona State will certainly hurt its chances.

But to beat the Bruins, Arizona State must play better. This is their first Top 5 matchup since December 2017, when they defeated then-No. 3 Arizona State 84-78.

McKale will likely sell out, and it'll be the final game before Tucson takes a bye for two weeks at the end of the season. This could be an ideal chance for the Wildcats to build on their impressive streak before March Madness brackets are decided.

John Calipari's team is a legitimate 1-seed candidate and has recovered from their early-season slump. Kentucky won the first SEC meeting against Memphis 78-52 last January, cementing itself as an early favorite to win the league this year. This rematch should be an exciting must-see for fans across America.

Arizona-UCLA

If you're searching for a college basketball game worth watching live this week, there are plenty of exciting choices. One particularly captivating matchup is Arizona versus UCLA which promises to be another exciting contest.

On Saturday night, Arizona can try to upset UCLA and give themselves a massive boost in NCAA Tournament seeding. A win against the Bruins could give them an inside track for getting a first-round bye in the conference tournament.

This week the Wildcats have made strides towards improving their record and confidence. After defeating USC by 15 points on Thursday night, they'll look to keep that momentum against UCLA on Saturday night.

This early-season matchup is expected to be a showdown between two of the top teams in the Pac-12. The Bruins have won 14 straight games this season and look poised to take sole possession of first place in the conference standings.

However, the Wildcats have struggled to put their best effort forward in recent games. Shooting has been a major issue during those two matches, averaging just 30.7 percent from the field.

They've had difficulty creating offense inside, scoring just 21.7 points per game on 35.9% shooting from inside the arc. Part of that may be due to Azuolas Tubelis' sprained ankle which has kept him off his game recently.

But the Bruins still have a chance to win this game, and must be wary not to get completely overwhelmed in such an intense environment as McKale Memorial Center.

UCLA certainly possesses the talent to go far in the tournament, but they need to play with more than just their attitude and mentality from last week against Toledo. They need to perform at a higher level than they have been doing lately despite not getting nearly as much rest as necessary.

It has been an up-and-down season for the Bruins, but they've done an admirable job of fighting through difficulties and coming together as one unit. While Amari Bailey, their five-star phenom, is out injured, other teammates have provided significant contributions in key moments. Late-game surges have enabled them to earn double-digit victories over recent weeks; now they must continue using those strategies against Wildcats.

Kentucky-Missouri

After suffering an agonizing 44-6 defeat to Tennessee, Kentucky Wildcats coach Mark Stoops and his players are eager to find their footing again. This week they'll travel to Columbia, Missouri, where they'll face off against a 4-4 (2-3) Missouri Tigers team.

Last week, the Tigers earned a big victory against Illinois that propelled them into the top 10 of the SEC standings. That victory over Illinois was their largest margin of victory this year and should provide some good momentum heading into conference play.

They are a team that thrives on speed, making them difficult to stop with their high-powered offense. On average, they score 88.8 points per game - second in the NCAA - and attempt 64.7 field goal attempts per game, ranking among the top-10 marks in the country.

Mizzou's offense has been led by guard D'Moi Hodge, who has scored in double digits in each of the Tigers' first 10 games. Additionally, Mizzou can make easy baskets from outside and that will be something the Wildcats need to be aware of going forward.

Another critical factor in this game will be whether the Cats can turn it into a defensive struggle. Missouri is allowing an SEC-high 91.8 points per game, and this season they have struggled to defend teams with SEC opponents; thus, they will need to bring their A-game.

Kentucky faces one of its toughest tests in SEC play against Tennessee. If the Cats cannot address some key issues against Tennessee, Kentucky could find itself out of contention for conference play.

This year, the Tigers have been outstanding in SEC play and boast an impressive record against the Wildcats at Mizzou Arena. In fact, they've won their last three home SEC games and are 3-1 in their last four home matches against teams with winning records.

Kentucky should be in position for another SEC victory if its defense can gel against Missouri. The Cats are 12-2 straight up in their last 14 games against Missouri, and five of those games have seen the total hit in each one.

Marquette-Arizona

In the tournament, there are a few teams with long-standing histories with Marquette as a program or some of its current players. Rematches between these rivals could prove intriguing to watch during Cha.

Marquette boasts an abundance of talent. Four players averaging double figures in Kameron Jones, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Oso Ighodaro and David Joplin lead this highly skilled offense which ranks top 20 on KenPom's scoring offense list; additionally their defensive efficiency ranks highly within the top half of all NCAA teams.

They boast an experienced coach in Al McGuire, who has guided the program to three NCAA tournaments over five seasons. Furthermore, the Trojans boast a great record when rematching previous victories; 29-12 since 2008.

Second, Creighton is a team similar to Marquette in that they have an effective defense that allows opponents to shoot well from the field but struggles when defending the perimeter. Furthermore, Creighton boasts two talented freshmen in Trey Alexander and Ryan Nembhard who are off to great starts this season.

Third, South Carolina shares a history with Marquette that is similar to that of Marquette. The Gamecocks have won two games against Marquette and managed to reach the Sweet 16 despite shooting an ineffective 22.6 percent from the field in their 2011 victory over them.

Marquette faces a formidable opponent in the Gamecocks, despite their poor record. They possess excellent offensive talent and allow opponents to shoot 38% on two-point attempts while boasting some of the nation's top 3-point shooters. Marquette must stay focused to remain competitive against this formidable squad.

Marquette had an impressive win against Xavier last Saturday and boasts a seven-game winning streak to their credit, so they should have no trouble picking up another victory against Creighton. But they will need to play smarter against a Bluejay defense that allows 81.7 points on average and ranks top 20 in two point defense rankings.