-For Chad Sherwood’s UTR Game of the Day between NC Central and NC A&T – CLICK HERE
-NC STATE AT NORTH CAROLINA (ACC). UNC v Duke is the bigger rivalry in terms of importance and pageantry and all that good stuff, but there are times I think that this one is actually more bitter even if it doesn’t mean as much on paper. NC State is outside the bubble, but they are perhaps close enough to it to reach it, and if they were somehow able to win this one it would volt them inside of it. North Carolina is ranked in the top ten and seems to be cruising toward a protected seed.
-TEXAS TECH AT SOUTH CAROLINA (Big 12/SEC Showcase). This isn’t the game that most have circled, but it is perhaps the one I’m looking forward to the most. South Carolina has been on fire the last two weeks with wins against Kentucky, and on the road against Georgia and Florida. They’re at home today and have a very good chance at knocking off another ranked team in Texas Tech, that is (for now) solidly in the protected seed range.
-BAYLOR AT FLORIDA (Big 12/SEC Showcase). This game looked a lot more attractive in November than it does now. Florida is very inconsistent, but all and all has a much better profile than Baylor.
-DUQUESNE AT RHODE ISLAND (Atlantic Ten). If Rhody continues to hold serve in league play, which pretty much means winning all their games, they should cruise into the top half of the bracket.
-VIRGINIA AT DUKE (ACC). This isn’t just a game between two protected seeds, it’s a game between two teams that could end up on the #1 line. If Virginia gets this then it would be their biggest win of the season, and perhaps the biggest singular win on any team’s resume all season long. It should be a fun one.
-OLE MISS AT TEXAS (Big 12/SEC Showcase). Texas is solidly in the field and should be able to hold serve in this one. Ole Miss’s next road win will be their first.
-GEORGIA AT KANSAS STATE (Big 12/SEC Showcase). This is a very bubblish game, and it’s odd you get an OOC game at this juncture in the year between two bubble teams. K-State seems to be on the rise, whereas Georgia seems to be back pedaling.
-OKLAHOMA AT ALABAMA (Big 12/SEC Showcase). This is far from the easiest road game for Oklahoma, but it’s also not their first rodeo on the road. Every game is a big game when you’re trying to land on the top two lines like Oklahoma is, and every game is a big game when you’re trying to cement yourself inside the bubble the way Alabama is, so this is a big game.
-SAINT JOHN’S AT BUTLER (Big East). Butler appears to be safely on their way, but in a tough conference like the Big East teams need to make sure they take care of business in the easier, more winnable games.
-TROY AT LOUISIANA (Sun Belt). I don’t think the committee will take Louisiana without the automatic bid even if they win out, but if they end the season with just three losses they will probably at least look at them.
-DAYTON AT SAINT LOUIS (Atlantic 10). While this game has no tournament implications whatsoever, this is the first installment of this year’s Arch Baron Cup. In the absence of a real rivalry like Xavier/Dayton, this is what Flyer fans get up for.
-TENNESSEE AT IOWA STATE (Big 12/SEC Showcase). I like what this Tennessee team has been able to do this year and this is a chance for them to add one more OOC road win to their resume.
-MIAMI FL AT FLORIDA STATE (ACC). It’s a rivalry game between two solid tournament teams who definitely have room to vamp up their resumes between now and the end of the year. This will be a nice win both on and off paper for whoever pulls it off.
-SYRACUSE AT PITTSBURGH (ACC). Syracuse is outside the bubble and needs to make sure they win their road games against weak teams. Pitt’s next ACC Win will be their first.
-TCU AT VANDERBILT (Big 12/SEC Showcase). This is a very winnable road game for a TCU team that could probably benefit from a true road win right about now.
-TEXAS A&M AT KANSAS (Big 12/SEC Showcase). Prior to TAMU going off the rails it was looking like this would be a game between two top ten teams. Now it’s looking like it may be a mauling where the end result is closer to looking like a buy game than it is a showcase game. TAMU is in all kinds of trouble. Winning at Kansas would certainly help, but it may be way over their heads at this point.
-UTAH AT ARIZONA (Pac Twelve). Utah picked up a big win against at Arizona State on Thursday night, but still has a lot of ground to cover before they become a team that the committee would seriously consider. Now having said that, winning at Arizona would certainly cover a lot of ground. Arizona just keeps winning. They’re 17-1 in non-exempt tournament games!
-CINCINNATI AT MEMPHIS (American). Cincinnati keeps winning and winning and winning. The problem is that while they have a lot of decent wins, they don’t really have any good wins against a team that’s likely to make the NCAA Tournament (at least not yet) and winning tonight won’t change that.
-LSU AT AUBURN (SEC). LSU is a bubble team. Auburn is on the fringe of a protected seed. There is quite a bit to be gained by both teams in this one.
-OKLAHOMA STATE AT ARKANSAS (Big 12/SEC Showcase). Oklahoma State has been playing a lot better and although we still have them outside our bubble, they are getting closer and closer to it. They’ll certainly have multiple opportunities at big wins the rest of the way. Arkansas looks like a solid tournament team that can continue to pad their resume.
-KENTUCKY AT WEST VIRGINIA (Big 12/SEC Showcase). West Virginia clearly appears to have all the advantages here. They are the better team and they are at home. I still think West Virginia is a solid top ten team that could possibly end up on the #1 line if they absolutely thunder down the stretch, but they’ll have to do more than what they’ve done up to this point and they can’t afford to lose games like this. No one is really thinking of Kentucky as a protected seed, but a win in this game would go a long way toward changing that thinking.
-SAINT JOSPEH’S AT PENN (Big Five). Penn looks to be tops in the Ivy League and although they are likely headed toward the #16 line, they have still had a good year and I like their chances of grabbing a Big Five win tonight.
-IONA VS MANHATTAN (Metro Atlantic, Nassau Coliseum). This is one of the great UTR rivalries in the entire country, and we may be robbed of this edition of it. Unless you buy a ticket you won’t see it. I don’t believe it is being televised or streamed anywhere. So, I say we take a long piss on whoever it is that’s responsible for not making this game available!!
-JACKONVILLE AT FLORIDA GULF COAST (Atlantic Sun). We highlight this game only because the A-Sun plays its conference tournament at campus sites, and the winner of this game will be in first place going into the second half of conference play.
-UTEP AT MIDDLE TENNESSEE (Conference USA). Middle Tennessee’s at-large hopes are barely flickering, but they are at least flickering a little bit. They need to win out. It’s pretty much as simple as that.
-MARSHALL AT WESTERN KENTUCKY (Conference USA). Western KY is in slightly better shape than Middle Tennessee despite the fact that they lost at home last week. I think that win against Purdue is going to go a long way for the Toppers. But, like Middle Tennessee, they need to win out or come very close to winning out.
-SAN FRANCISCO AT GONZAGA (West Coast). Other than the home loss to Saint Mary’s Gonzaga is on fire and rolling through the West Coast Conference. That should continue tonight.
-COLORADO AT ARIZONA STATE (Pac Twelve). Arizona State really needs to win this game. Holy crap they need to win this game. I mean….WOW, do they need to win this game! They were amazing out of conference. They’re just 3-5 in conference play, and this league isn’t exactly Murderer’s row. Many of those five losses have been to sub-tournament level teams, and a few of them have come at home.
-VIRGINIA TECH AT NOTRE DAME (ACC). Some VERY bubblicous action coming to you from the ACC tonight! Both of these teams have a lot of work to do, and both could really use this win tonight.
-WAKE FOREST AT LOUISVILLE (ACC). Louisville is coming off a loss in an overtime thriller that was probably more frustrating than it was damaging. They’re still in good shape, they still look to be improving as the year goes on, and they should be able to pick up this conference win at home.
-IOWA AT NEBRASKA (Big Ten). There isn’t a whole lot of meat on Nebraska’s profile, but they have a long stretch of winnable games ahead of them and if they hold serve in all of them they should get the committee’s attention.
-OREGON STATE AT OREGON (Pac Twelve). This game probably has bigger NIT implications than NCAA implications, but both teams have looked good at times, and it is a rivalry game, and on the rare occasion that both teams are at least decent it’s a fun game to watch.
-GEORGETOWN AT CREIGHTON (Big East). Creighton is cruising toward the top half of the bracket and should be able to hold serve at home tonight.
-NEW MEXICO STATE AT UMKC (WAC). If New Mexico State runs the table in WAC play then I think they’ll make the field regardless of what happens in the WAC Tourney.
-MISSOURI AT MISSISSIPPI STATE (SEC). Mizzou is squarely on the bubble and this is the kind of road win that could really help them out. Mississippi State probably won’t make the field, but they’re still a tough team to beat on the road and the committee (should) realize that.
-BOISE STATE AT AIR FORCE (Mountain West). I like this Boise State team. I think they’re good. They do lack the big win against a tournament caliber team, but there are teams ranked in the top ten (one in particular) that also lack the big win against a tournament caliber team. I think they’ll be able to hold serve in league play and if they do then I hope the committee takes them. If the Broncos don’t hold serve, then screw ’em.
-STANFORD AT UCLA (Pac Twelve). Unless these two teams can string together a long string of wins, they’ll be playing in the NIT and watching the NCAA on television.
-PORTLAND AT SAINT MARY’S (West Coast). The win against Gonzaga really boosted SMC’s profile. They should skate into the field and even land in the top half of the bracket, so long as they are able to hold serve.
-CAL STATE FULLERTON AT HAWAI’I (Big West). Hawaii is 4-1 and tied for first place in the Big West!! It’s a 1am tip!! We were robbed of a 24 hr Hoops Marathon this year, but because of this game we have a 15 hr marathon today!! I expect all of you to be up and watching this game!! If you’re not watching this, then you’re not a real hoops fan!! MANDATE!