NEWS AND NOTES
-Duke’s win at Virginia yesterday may be the single most impressive win that any team has managed this season. Duke now has wins away from home against Kentucky, Virginia, Texas Tech, and Florida State, and has future opportunities against Louisville, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, and whoever they may face in the ACC Tournament. I don’t know what the record is for most wins away from home against ranked teams, but….Duke has a lot.
-TCU picked up what was perhaps the most needed, and most helpful, win of the season at Iowa State. I know there have been more impressive wins, but I can’t think of a win that did more to help a team’s resume that was in desperate need of help. TCU came into yesterday with no real quality wins, and just one road win. So, winning on the road against a protected seed is just what the doctor ordered!
-It’s not even hard for Gonzaga anymore. It’s like we need some sort of waiver for them that will allow them to cancel the rest of conference play and try and get a game against someone who can compete with them.
-Kentucky picked up yet another really nice road win at Mississippi State, and is looking more and more like a #2 seed or better. With two games remaining against Tennessee, they may even have a path to a #1 seed.
-Michigan knocked off Wisconsin in a game that was close pretty much all the way through. The Wolverines should get a protected seed so long as they hold serve the rest of the way, and it wouldn’t shock me if Wisky ended up getting one as well.
-Villanova suffered their first conference loss of the year at Marquette, but while a win would have been really nice and probably vaulted them up into the top four lines, a loss is hardly damaging, and when you consider how they kept making big plays to keep themselves in the game against a really good team in a very hostile environment, I think the result was more encouraging than discouraging. They still have a one game lead in the league, and can still end up as a protected seed come March.
-The injury bug has hit Virginia Tech, and they fell on the road at Clemson yesterday. We need to start looking at this Clemson team, but having said that, Clemson needs to start winning more than they have been.
-Another thriller in the ACC featured Louisville at Florida State. It looked like Louisville was about to wrap up their third true road win of the year against a top 25 team, but they couldn’t hold on at the end of regulation and the Seminoles ended up pulling it out in overtime. That’s now the fifth straight win for a Florida State team that is definitely going in the right direction, and while it’s probably a frustrating loss for Louisville, it is hardly a damaging one.
-Oklahoma needed to win against Texas Tech yesterday. Oklahoma did not win against Texas Tech yesterday. The Sooners are now five games below .500 in Big 12 play, and I can’t help but think they’re currently on the outside looking in.
-LSU had another battle, but picked up another win at home against Auburn to improve to 9-1 in conference play.
-Temple went to Tulsa needing a win. Temple went to Tulsa, and lost. Badly. This is not good for an Owls team that was right on the bubble.
-Davidson, who we were trying to be nice to given how well they’d been playing lately, went to UMass and lost. One of Davidson’s wins better be that last game of the A10 Tournament, because without that I don’t think they’re going anywhere.
-Kansas State picked up a really nice road win at Baylor, and they now stand in sole possession of first place in the Big 12 by two games.
-Washington dropped their first Pac Twelve loss of the year rather decisively at Arizona State, who desperately needed the win. Washington is still in relatively good shape, and I think they’re good enough to win out the rest of the way.
-In Under the Radar news: Belmont, Lipscomb, and Wofford all won yesterday, which I think keeps all of them either on or inside the bubble if they were to lose in their conference tournaments.
HIGHLIGHTED GAMES
-OHIO STATE AT INDIANA (Big Ten). There is a sense of urgency to this game. Indiana did have the big win a week ago at Michigan State, but that is their only win in their last eight games and while it certainly helps, it hasn’t saved them from drowning. A win today would help them continue to stabilize their situation. Ohio State has a decent, but not great, profile of their own that could use some improving as well.
-UCF AT SMU (American). UCF is hovering around the bubble, and needs a strong finish, which will involve holding serve against all non-tournament teams, in order to have a realistic chance.
-HOUSTON AT CINCINNATI (American). These are the two best teams by far. Houston was selected as a protected seed by the committee yesterday, so if Cincinnati is able to win this one on the road the quality of their resume will likely go through the roof. Either way I think both teams make the field barring a collapse between now and then.
-NORTHWESTERN AT IOWA (Big Ten). This is a winnable game for an Iowa team that looks to be in great shape.