-MSG was sold out, which is great for a Saint John’s team that has really made huge strides this year! But then the game started and Nova was blowing them off the court, and all signs pointed toward that continuing throughout the entire game. Even a three quarters length shot just before the half (and Nova really shouldn’t leave guys open like that!!) didn’t seem to indicate that the Johnnies would win. But they had a fantastic second half, got the win, and now appear to be cruising to the top half of the bracket. Here’s the thing about the Johnnies. They do have some headscratching losses in Big East play, but against Marquette and Nova, they are 3-1, and nearly won the game at Nova that they lost.
-Arizona lost their seventh game in a row yesterday. They’ve completely disappeared. Maybe that’s their plan! Maybe they don’t want anyone else from the FBI to find them!
-VIRGINIA AT VIRGINIA TECH (ACC). This is Part 2 of the annual rivalry. Part 1 was more of a slaughter than a basketball game, but VA Tech playing at home changes things completely. A win for UVA gets them closer to cementing a #1 seed. A win for VA Tech improves their profile and probably earns them a better seed.
-ILLINOIS AT WISCONSIN (Big Ten). Normally a team that’s five games below .500 playing on the road against a team that’s ranked in the top 25 and has a path to a protected seed is a game that you’d pretty much dismiss as just being a winnable home game, but Illinois is suddenly on fire. They’ve won four in a row, and beaten Ohio State and Michigan State in the process. They’ll need the auto bid to make the NCAA Tournament, but they’re certainly good enough to break quite a bit of stuff in the Big Ten between now and the end.
-KANSAS STATE AT WEST VIRGINIA (Big 12). K State is looking to rebound from a rough loss at home to Iowa State over the weekend. This is a good game for them to do it because it’s a winnable conference road game.
-TCU AT OKLAHOMA STATE (Big 12). TCU has struggled away from home, and over the past week has also struggled at home. This is a road game that they simply need to win, because it’s against a team that’s nowhere near the NIT, much less the NCAA Tournament.