NEWS AND NOTES
-For Day 3 of our Championship Week Video Notebook – CLICK HERE
-For Chad Sherwood’s UTR Game of the Day – CLICK HERE
-Northwestern won at home against Michigan in Christian Laettner type fashion on a length of the court pass with less than two seconds to go. It was perhaps the most exciting game of the day that wasn’t a conference tournament game, and considering what was at stake it may be the most exciting win in Northwestern basketball history. If they’re not a guaranteed lock, they are definitely a virtual lock. Michigan could have really used the road win on their profile, but is still in reasonably good shape.
-Wake Forest desperately needed a big win on their resume, and yesterday they got it at home against a Louisville team that was flirting with the #2 line. Not only that, but they they came from behind in order to get it. Danny Manning didn’t do it overnight, and Wake still has some work to do, but I’d say that program is in very healthy shape even if they don’t make the NCAAs this year.
-Dayton had what appeared to be a comfortable lead over VCU for about 35 minutes, but VCU kept chipping away at it and were right in there with less than a minute to go before the Flyers opened it up and got the win. It’s a pretty big win historically for Dayton. I wouldn’t compare it to any of their tournament wins, but it is their first ever outright first place finish, and they’re now 12-1 in their last 13 games. The A10 isn’t on par with the power conferences, but it is way ahead of the UTR conferences. Dayton has seven true road wins, and five of those came against teams with winning home records. Last year’s committee had a fetish for top 50 wins, and stupidly seemed to value home top 50 wins against teams with losing road records more than true road wins against teams who were outside the top 50 but who played very well at home. If that’s the case again this year the Flyers may not get a seed that matches how good they are, but they are good. Because of the A10’s crappy TV deal they’re typically buried on networks that not a whole lot of people get, but they are good.
-Florida picked up a nice home win against Arkansas, which doesn’t set the Razorbacks back all that much (if at all) since it was a road loss to a likely protected seed.
-Illinois picked up a home win against Michigan State, and because of that I guess we’ll have to start looking at them. If they win their final game at Rutgers (which they should) and pickup their 9th Big Ten win, and then beat someone with a pulse in the Big Ten Tournament then they will end up with a fairly decent case.
-Marquette picked up a nice road win which greatly helps their chances. They beat Xavier. On the flip side Xavier let a bubble team absolutely run over them for the second time this year. Xavier’s best win is at Creighton. Their second best win is probably over Clemson, who is not a tournament team. Xavier’s final game is at DePaul, and then their first Big East Tournament game is also against DePaul. If they lose one of those then the only way they’ll be able to go to the NCAA Tournament is if they buy tickets. Even if they win both of those, they still may need to win the quarterfinal game against Butler in order to feel completely safe.
HIGHLIGHTED GAMES
-NEBRASKA AT MINNESOTA (Big Ten). Minnesota has won a very impressive seven straight games and have a win at Maryland in that stretch. They should be able to extend that to eight against Nebraska tonight.
-HOUSTON AT CINCINNATI (AMERICAN). Cincinnati is cruising toward the top half of the bracket, and if they win out through the conference tournament they’ll enter the NCAA Tournament with 30 wins. Some feel that Houston is on the bubble. I think they’re too far outside of it, but if they want any chance at all to make the field without the auto bid they need to win this game.
-FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL AT MIDDLE TENNESSEE (Conference USA). If Middle Tennessee wins their last two games, which they should, I think they’ll make the NCAA Tournament even if they don’t win the conference tourney.
-UT ARLINGTON AT LOUISIANA MONROE (Sun Belt). UTA shouldn’t have too much trouble picking up another road win. This is another team that I feel deserves an at-large bid (assuming they win out) if they aren’t able to win the conference tournament. Hopefully the committee feels that way as well.
-TULSA AT SMU (American). SMU can clinch at least a share of first place with a win today, and they’re pretty much a lock for the NCAA Tournament and are just playing for seeding.
-IOWA AT WISCONSIN (Big Ten). Wisky has been in a bit of a tailspin and needs to win this game at home in order to pull themselves out of it. I don’t see Iowa making the field, but at the very least if they win this game they’re probably on the brink of being discussed.
-CALIFORNIA AT UTAH (Pac Twelve). Cal is on the bubble, and Utah is…well…outside of it. This is the kind of road win that Cal really needs. If they pick this one up and pick up their final game at Colorado I THINK they’ll be okay.