Below is a rundown of all of today’s action.
NEWS AND NOTES
-For Chad Sherwood’s Under the Radar Game of the Day between UNC Asheville and Winthrop – CLICK HERE
-Monmouth lost to yet another non-tournament team last night when they fell at home to Iona. There was a heated exchange after the first game when these two were shaking hands afterwards, so the atmosphere was really hostile toward Iona, but the Gaels still sprinted out to a big first half lead and Monmouth just couldn’t recover. If they had one last strike, this was definitely it. The committee will look at them and may still take them, but they can’t lose another one before the conference tournament.
-Harvard, Cornell and Brown were the latest 3 teams taken off the Survival Board – click here to see the 332* teams still alive for the NCAA Championship!
HIGHLIGHTED GAMES
-FLORIDA AT SOUTH CAROLINA (SEC). Both look like tournament teams, but both definitely have room for improvement and a win today would certainly help with that. Florida has a lot of decent wins, but few that are as good as this one would be, and South Carolina is in a bit of a tailspin with two straight losses, including a loss to Missouri.
-DUKE AT LOUISVILLE (ACC). Duke has picked up two huge wins in their last two games, and is suddenly looking like a protected seed. If they get this one today it will strengthen them even more.
-XAVIER AT GEORGETOWN (Big East). Georgetown won the first meeting between these two, but Xavier has played two of their best games of the season this past week. X can still get a #1 seed, but they can’t lose another game to a non-tournament team, even if it is a road game.
-SAINT BONAVENTURE AT DAYTON (Atlantic Ten). Dayton is coming off a road loss to Saint Joe’s, which was their first in a while, but it wasn’t that damaging. Saint Bona is still outside the bubble, and the loss to La Salle earlier this week really didn’t help them. This is the kind of game they need to win if they want to land on the right side of it.
-MIAMI FL AT NORTH CAROLINA (ACC). Both of these teams appear to be protected seeds, and both are looking to add another big win to their profile. Both are also 10-3 in league play, and can still finish in first place.
-BAYLOR AT TEXAS (Big Twelve). There is some heat in this game as it is a bit of a rivalry. Texas won the first one, which is one of their better overall wins of the season, and has been playing really well lately. When they’ve lost, they’ve lost to highly ranked teams on the road. Baylor is safely in the field, and needs wins like this if they want to play their way up to a protected seed.
-PITTSBURGH AT SYRACUSE (ACC). Pitt is trending in the wrong direction. This would be a huge win for them because not only is it a quality conference road win, but it’s a win that pulls them out of a tailspin they’re in. They beat Wake earlier in the week, but barely, and prior to that they’d lost four out of five.
-SAINT JOSEPH’S AT DAVIDSON (Atlantic Ten). Saint Joe’s has a good profile, but the more road wins they can get the better it will be.
-MISSISSIPPI STATE AT ALABAMA (SEC). Bama has been playing great these past couple of weeks, and should make the field so long as they hold serve, which means avoiding home losses to non tournament teams.
-BUTLER AT VILLANOVA (Big East). I think Butler will be okay so long as they avoid bad losses the rest of the way. Of course, this won’t be a bad loss, and if they win it then they’ll be a lot more than just okay. Nova is still gunning for the #1 line.
-FLORIDA STATE AT VIRGINIA TECH (ACC). Florida State is in a really bad tailspin right now will crash into a mountain if they don’t pull themselves out of it soon. This is a road game against a non tournament team, and FSU needs to win it.
-CLEMSON AT NC STATE (ACC). It will take a huge sprint to the finish, but can still play their way into the field. But, if they can’t win games like this then forget it.
-OKLAHOMA AT WEST VIRGINIA (Big Twelve). Just another match up between two Big Twelve teams that are ranked in the top ten and are likely protected seeds. That being said, Oklahoma has lost three out of four, and there is suddenly a sense of urgency to this game. If they win, it is a huge road win that indicates they belong solidly on the #1 line. If they lose, even though it’s a tough game, then it means they’ve lost four out of five and people will question them.
-CONNECTICUT AT CINCINNATI (American). Cincinnati is right on the bubble. They’re coming off yet another loss that came down to the final buzzer, and they cannot afford to lose this one. UConn is in the field, but a win today would certainly make them feel a lot safer. This is big for both teams.
-SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AT EVANSVILLE (Missouri Valley). This probably isn’t a game that should be highlighted, but I suppose there is a small sliver of hope for one of these teams if they win out all the way to the conference championship game. I do think these are the two next best teams in the league behind Wichita State.
-UNC GREENSBORO AT CHATTANOOGA (SoCon). If Chattanooga wins out I THINK they’ll be okay, but I cannot guarantee it. If they lose prior to the conference tournament, then one of their wins better be the championship game if they want to make the NCAAs.
-LSU AT TENNESSEE (SEC). LSU is outside the bubble and needs a strong finish. What they don’t need is losses to non-tournament teams, even if those losses come on the road.
-KANSAS AT KANSAS STATE (Big Twelve). I’m starting to like Kansas as the overall #1 seed. Now, having said that, I wouldn’t be surprised if they had some trouble today. K State is nowhere near the tournament, but they are tough to beat at home, and they are looking for a season defining win that would serve as this year’s high water mark. They’ll be up for this one. If the Wildcats do win and storm the court, hopefully they run toward the center of the court and not charge at the Kansas players like they did a year ago.
-UNC WILMINGTON AT CHARLESTON (Colonial). Wilmington lost earlier in the week. I think they’ll at least get a look if they win out, but it’s not guaranteed. Had they not lost at William & Mary and been able to win out then I think they would have made it regardless of what happened in the conference tournament.
-KENTUCKY AT TEXAS A&M (SEC). Kentucky’s play has improved drastically, and they can still end up as a protected seed if they’re able to finish strong, which means picking up notable road wins in games like this. TAMU got a much needed win earlier this week to help pull them out of a tailspin. A win today would further assist with that recovery and give them a jolt of momentum both on and off paper.
-LITTLE ROCK AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN (Sun Belt). If Little Rock wins out they’ll be right in the discussion if they end up needing an at-large. If they do not then they’ll need to win the automatic bid.
-OHIO STATE AT NEBRASKA (Big Ten). It will take a Herculean finish, but Ohio State could still land inside the bubble if they’re able to finish strong and pile up big wins. They also need to avoid losses to non-tournament teams.
-YALE AT PENN (Ivy). Yale is tied for first place in the standings, and that is their only way in. They lost their first conference game of the season to Princeton last night.
-TCU AT IOWA STATE (Big Twelve). There aren’t many easy Big Twelve wins, but this is certainly one of them. They Cyclones should roll.
-NOTRE DAME AT GEORGIA TECH (ACC). Notre Dame’s profile keeps improving, and they should be able to add another road win to it today. Having said that, Georgia Tech isn’t anywhere near the tournament, but they’re not the easiest team to beat on the road either.
-STANFORD AT WASHINGTON (Pac Twelve). Washington is right on the bubble, and the last thing they need right now is a home loss to a non-tournament team.
-PURDUE AT INDIANA (Big Ten). This is a rivalry game between two teams that are solidly in the field. On paper, it’s a notable win for whoever pulls it off, and since both have room to move up it will help, but off paper, they get the satisfaction and the momentum boost that comes from beating a rival.
-CHICAGO STATE AT GRAND CANYON (WAC). The Team of the People!!! They should have no trouble winning this, and improving to an amazing 24-4 as a transitional team. This has been the best ever season for a transitional team, and I don’t think it’s even close.
-TEXAS TECH AT OKLAHOMA STATE (Big Twelve). Texas Tech has looked fantastic these past two weeks, and can add yet another road win to their profile today, which would help solidify it even more.
-SAINT MARY’S AT GONZAGA (West Coast). Gonzaga is right on the bubble. I don’t think Saint Mary’s is anywhere close to the bubble, but a lot of people still like them. If they win today then I can see looking at them a little more closely. It’s also a rivalry game, so this one is very important both on and off paper as both are desperate for some sort of notable win.
-OREGON STATE AT OREGON (Pac Twelve). We have Oregon as a solid protected seed even though they had a rough week last week. Oregon State won the first meeting between the two, but winning on the road is a much taller order. The Beavers are right on the bubble, and this is the kind of win that makes the difference of whether or not they make the field. And it’s a rivalry game. I think it’s fair to say this is a high stakes game.
-COLORADO AT UCLA (Pac Twelve). Colorado has a lot of decent things on their profile, but they could certainly use another road win.
-HAWAII AT UC IRVINE (Big West). Hawaii won the first game in a blowout, but on the road it should be a different story. If Hawaii wins out, then they’ll get a strong look from the selection committee, and this is the kind of win that would look really good given how strong UC Irvine has been at home.