NEWS AND NOTES
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-Kansas and Baylor sure put on a show last night. Kansas has not lost a home game since January 5th, 2014. If I counted correctly, they are now 60-1 in their last 61 games, and 108-4 in their last 112 games. And, it’s not like they’ve been playing creampuffs. Winning at Kansas is harder to do than winning any NCAA Tournament game that a team may play. And, Baylor played a great game despite foul trouble and a couple of missed open looks. So, what do I take away from it? Kansas is great, but we knew that already. Baylor is actually better than I thought, and I thought they were pretty damn good prior to last night’s game. I know the result must sting a bit for the Bears, but in terms of the NCAA Tournament Kansas and Baylor really aren’t in each other’s way. Both could wind up with #1 seeds, and if they do Baylor is most likely on their way to Memphis for the regionals and Kansas is most likely on their way to Kansas City. Both are likely to end up in Tulsa for the first and second round, so it isn’t as if there is one spot that they’re both competing for.
-Cincinnati trailed for almost the entire game against Tulsa, but they kicked it into gear in the final minutes just as I was ready to write them off, and they somehow weren’t trailing when the horn went off.
-Indiana beat Penn State at home, which isn’t all that much of a surprise. They needed three overtimes to do it, and a last second shot that was just within a millisecond of being in time. That was a surprise.
-Clemson downed Georgia Tech at home and picked up another conference win that they desperately needed.
-Syracuse won their first road game of the year in an overtime thriller at NC State. They still have a ways to go before reaching the bubble, but this certainly helps.
-Marquette went into Saint John’s and ended up getting beaten rather handily. The Johnnies, who we all seemingly agreed were terrible coming into league play, are now a very modest 5-6 in one of the strongest leagues in the country. Marquette has dropped two straight after winning their two biggest games of the year.
-TCU picked up what is probably their biggest win of the year as they took down Kansas State in overtime. It’s a big win for a bubble team, and a rather disappointing loss for another bubble team.
-Texas Tech is another bubble team. Or, was. Losing to a non tournament team is never a good idea if you’re a bubble team, and they were unable to get it done at Texas last night.
-Xavier won a thriller against Seton Hall. It was a game that both teams really needed to win and that seesawed back and forth. Seton Hall missed what would have been a game winning three at the buzzer and is now just 3-6 in Big East play.
-Villanova, Virginia, UCLA, Florida State, South Carolina, and Purdue are all solid tournament teams that picked up wins last night. Purdue’s was the most notable as they blew out Northwestern at home.
HIGHLIGHTED GAMES
-MISSOURI AT FLORIDA (SEC). This is a conference game that will likely end up looking very much like a buy game. Mizzou’s next SEC win will be their first.
-MICHIGAN STATE AT NEBRASKA (Big Ten). Nebraska has an unimpressive record and profile, but they’re probably a little better than what it indicates given how close a lot of their games have been. This would be a nice win for the Spartans, but it won’t be easy.
-MEMPHIS AT SOUTH FLORIDA (American). Memphis has an outside shot at best. In order to get it they basically have to win out.
-CHARLESTON AT UNC WILMINGTON (Colonial). I cannot believe this was not Chad’s pick for the UTR Game of the Day. It’s the top two teams in the Colonial, and it is basically the last big game before the conference tournament that UNCW plays, so it is essential to their at-large chances. UNCW is coming off a decisive loss to William & Mary, but I still think they’re safe so long as that ends up being their only strike. They’re at home tonight, and hopefully they will be refocused. We must give a shout out to CofC as well, who’s program has undergone a drastic turnaround in recent years, and if they win tonight they’ll be tied at the top of the standings.
-VALPARAISO AT MILWAUKEE (Horizon). If Valpo wins out I think the committee will at least look at them, but chances are they’ll need the auto bid.
-MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT UTSA (Conference USA). Middle continues to dominate the league and will be safely inside the NCAA Tournament bubble if they win out.
-ARIZONA AT OREGON STATE (Pac Twelve). This is probably the most winnable conference road game that any power conference team could possibly play.
-UTAH AT CALIFORNIA (Pac Twelve). This is a bubblicous game between two teams who desperately need this win.
-GONZAGA AT BYU (West Coast). Some think this will be a test for Gonzaga. I really don’t think it will be, but I agree that it will come closer to being a test than any of their remaining games minus their trip to Saint Mary’s.