NEWS AND NOTES
-For Chad Sherwood’s UTR Game of the Day – CLICK HERE
-San Diego State picked up a huge and much needed win against Gonzaga last night that will go a long way toward helping their tournament chances. They’re along way from being able to coast, but if they finish at or near the top of the Mountain West (which is much easier said than done) then they should be okay.
HIGHLIGHTED GAMES
-TEMPLE AT GEORGIA. Both teams are off to a good start and both have some good wins on their profile, but both also still have a lot of work to do and a win today would really help. Temple has four nice neutral floor wins, but is still looking for their first true road win.
-LOUISIANA AT CLEMSON. Louisiana is off to a pretty impressive 8-2 start and has a nice road win at Louisiana Tech, but if they were to pick this one up then they’d be setting themselves up for an at-large bid if they’re able to blow through the Sun Belt this year. Clemson is also off to a fantastic start at 10-1 and is looking to continue to build their momentum.
-MIDDLE TENNESSEE VS PRINCETON (Diamond Head Classic). This tournament is a chance for Middle Tennessee to pick up some notable wins, which is important if they want to be in position to get an at-large bid. Today’s game is big simply because losing it will most likely deny them the chance to play in the winner’s bracket.
-NORTHWESTERN AT OKLAHOMA. Oklahoma has steamrolled through the season so far and can keep that momentum going with a win today. Northwestern’s season has been rough, but this is the kind of game that could turn things around in a hurry if they somehow figure out a way to win it.
-SAINT BONAVENTURE AT SYRACUSE. This one should be fun! Syracuse has just one loss on the year, and the Bonnies have been solid ever since Jaylen Adams rejoined the team. If the Bonnies want to show that they are a solid tournament team then this is the kind of game that they’ll need to win.
-TOWSON AT PITTSBURGH. We are highlighting this more for Towson than for Pitt. This is a very winnable game for Towson and they can improve to 11-2 on the year and pick up their second true road win.
-CHARLESTON AT COASTAL CAROLINA. CofC’s margin for error is essentially down to zero, but they’re still a very respectable 8-3 and if they can somehow making it through the rest of the season by winning out or coming close to it then they should be in the discussion come Selection Sunday. A win today would be their second true road win of the season.
-HOFSTRA VS. VILLANOVA (Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum). A homecoming of sorts for Jay Wright – his prior head coaching stint was at Hofstra. The Pride appear to be fighting out of their weight class in this one.
-AKRON VS. USC (Diamond Head Classic). At 6-2, Akron has a chance in this one, and if they were to pick it up it would certainly make everyone sit up and take notice. USC has struggled and needs to string together some wins just to get things turned around.
-SAN FRANCISCO VS DUQUESNE (Las Vegas Classic). Somehow Duquesne is 8-3, and although they don’t have a lot of quality wins, they’re still improved.
-XAVIER AT NORTHERN IOWA. This is a great game. For Xavier it’s a chance to pick up their second true road win, and it won’t be easy. Northern Iowa has yet to lose at home, and if they win this they may not lose at home all year. UNI is coming off a rough loss to Iowa State, but they still have a solid profile and if they’re able to win this one it would solidify it even more. Our John Stalica will be there in person for what is probably the game of the day.
-WILLIAM & MARY AT TCU. Bill & Mary is off to a quiet 7-3 start and is doing a lot better than what we expected. If they some how win this one that will change to a very noisy 8-3. TCU is looking to remain undefeated on the season.
-COLORADO VS IOWA (Sioux Falls SD). This is just an odd game, but…whatever. Colorado should be able to pick up a win away from home and improve to 9-3.
-TEXAS VS ALABAMA (Birmingham AL). Both these teams have looked good, both these teams are good, but both have profiles that don’t quite reflect how good each of them are yet. That’s why this game is so important. It’s a chance to pick up a really nice win for the tournament resume.
-LOYOLA CHICAGO AT MISSOURI STATE (Missouri Valley). Conference play gets underway in the MVC! I get the feeling that the teams at the top of this league will be inside the bubble, and both of these teams are positioned to end up there.
-NORTHERN COLORADO AT UNLV. Both teams have good records and have looked pretty good this season. I’m not ready to declare either one of them a solid tournament team yet, but this is certainly a game that’s worth watching.
-MONTANA AT WASHINGTON. Washington has some good wins (and one in particular), but they still have a ton of work to do. Although they’re favored, Montana comes in at 7-4 and they aren’t likely to just lay down.
-SOUTHERN ILLINOIS VS NEVADA (Las Vegas Classic). This is a decent Southern Illinois team taking on a really good Nevada team. The Wolfpack can improve to 11-2 on the year and pick up another win away from home.
-DAVIDSON VS NEW MEXICO STATE (Diamond Head Classic). This is a really good New Mexico State team who is capable of making quite a bit of noise in this tournament and helping out their resume in the process.
-MIAMI FL AT HAWAII (Diamond Head Classic). This game is tipping off late, and it may not be over until almost 4am, but it may be worth watching. Miami has yet to lose a game, and Hawaii is tough to beat at home.
BUY GAMES
-UTRGV @ Oklahoma State
-Pacific @ Arizona State
-Abilene Christian @ Texas Tech
-Sacred Heart @ Providence
-FGCU @ Wichita State
-Hampton @ Virginia
-Jacksonville @ NC State
-Stony Brook @ Rutgers
-Rider @ Penn State
-Incarnate Word @ Florida
-Norfolk State @ Old Dominion
-Delaware State @ Nebraska
-North Florida @ LSU
-Bethune Cookman @ Washington State
-UNC Asheville @ Saint Mary’s