Hoops HD

NEWS AND NOTES:

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-We knew Gonzaga would be tested last night, but we also felt that if they really are a top 15 caliber team they should be able to beat Oregon State on the road. Instead they fell in overtime 97-89. Oregon State is a good team and is not easy to beat at home, but it’s still a setback for the Zags and an indication that they aren’t quite in the same class as Auburn, and Tennessee, and Iowa State, and the top half of the SEC, and those types of teams.

-Michigan, who had been red hot, also suffered an overtime loss as they fell to Minnesota 84-81, which ends a five game winning streak for them.

-Memphis, who we had been praising all year and felt was good enough to run the table in the American, lost at Temple last night 88-81. Because the rest of Memphis’s schedule is so weak they may be out of strikes in terms of getting a protected seed. They’re still very safely inside the bubble, but another loss could knock them out of the top four lines.

-Northwestern, who really needed something to go right for them, managed to beat a pretty solid Maryland team at home last night, and for once they won a game on a last second shot! The Wildcats got it done against the Terps 76-74.

-Nebraska dropped one at home to Rutgers 85-82 in a loss that wasn’t too terrible, but was the kind of game they needed to hold serve in if they wanted to show that they should be safely inside the bubble.

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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

PROVIDENCE AT VILLANOVA (Big East). Nova has lost their last two games and is once again on the outside with a ways to go to get back inside the bubble. They need to hold serve and win this one at home.

-INDIANA AT OHIO STATE (Big Ten). Indiana has been blown out in two consecutive games and has all the signs of heading in the wrong direction and missing the NCAA Tournament. Ohio State has lost three out of their last four, but all three were close games against tough opponents. This is a winnable game for the Buckeyes, and one they sort of need to win.

-IOWA AT UCLA (Big Ten). UCLA’s losing streak is now at four and this feels like a game they really need to win. Iowa has not won a true road game all season, so it’s a big game for them as well. Both teams have reasons for needing this one.

-BOISE STATE AT NEW MEXICO (Mountain West). New Mexico had been rolling, but then suffered a big setback with a loss to San Jose State that will leave a mark on their resume. They need to bounce back at home against Boise State tonight. This game has a really bubblicious feel to it.

NEWS AND NOTES:

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-Iowa State ran away from Kansas last night 74-57. The game was closer than that for most of it, but Iowa State was in control the whole time and then blew it open down the stretch. The Cyclones are now 15-1 on the year with the only loss being to Auburn, by 2, on a last second tip-in, in a game where they led by as much as 18. This is a team that can win it all.

-The surprise of the evening was Utah State, who was looking as good as anyone and who had just picked up a big win against Boise State, who was on the road to face a so-so UNLV team and ended up losing 65-62. It’s just the second loss of the season for Utah State, and they are still in very good shape, but it is a setback for a team that looked as though they could end up as a protected seed.

-Tennessee ran away from Georgia in the second half for a 74-56 win and is once again looking like a solid top five team.

-Wake Forest keeps stringing together wins despite struggling from the outside. They beat Stanford 80-67 yesterday and have improved to 13-4.

-Dayton is an absolute train wreck. They’ve gone from looking like a team that could end up with a protected seed to now losing four out of five. None of those losses came to solid tournament teams, and most of them were by decisive margins. Dayton went on a late run against George Mason to make the final score look respectable at 67-59, but they trailed by as much as 19 in the final few minutes. Dayton is perhaps the biggest collapse in college basketball this year after such an impressive start to the season.

-Pittsburgh, who was/is having a solid year, fell on the road to Florida State 82-70 in a game that was a bit of a surprise. Florida State is nowhere near the bubble, but they don’t have any really bad losses on their resume either. There may still be time for them to pull it together and make a run at the NCAA Tournament.

-Texas held off rival Oklahoma on the road 77-73. Oklahoma had a comeback in the second half, but couldn’t come all the way back. The Sooners are now 0-4 in SEC play and are suddenly in a huge tailspin.

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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-MEMPHIS AT TEMPLE (American). Memphis is good enough to blow through the rest of their schedule, and if they do they should be lined up for a protected seed.

-MICHIGAN AT MINNESOTA (Big Ten). Michigan is a perfect 5-0 in Big Ten play and this should be another winnable road game for them, which would be six straight for the Wolverines and their 4th true road win this season.

-MARYLAND AT NORTHWESTERN (Big Ten). Northwestern is just 1-4 in Big Ten play and is currently outside the bubble, but considering how they lost a couple of those games they’re only a few plays away (literally) from having a much more solid profile and they are far from the easiest team to beat on the road. Maryland is a solid 13-4, but they’re still looking for their first true road win, so there is something at stake for them tonight.

-RUTGERS AT NEBRASKA (Big Ten). Nebraska is hovering around the bubble and needs to hold serve in this one.

-UTEP AT LIBERTY (Conference USA). Liberty can still land inside the bubble, but they basically need to win out to do it. UTEP is one of the better teams in the league, but they still should be able to hold serve at home.

-CAL STATE FULLERTON AT UC IRVINE (Big West). UC Irvine should be inside the bubble right now, and will remain there so long as they can keep blowing through the Big West (which is easier said than done).

-GONZAGA AT OREGON STATE (West Coast). This will be a bit of a road test for the Zags against a decent (but not great) Oregon State team that’s played well at home and that should be up for this one. Having said that, it’s far from the first big test for Gonzaga this season.