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NEWS AND NOTES
-For John Stalica’s UTR Game of the Day between Bowling Green and Akron – CLICK HERE
-For Jon Teitel’s interview with Hall of Fame coach Billie Moore – CLICK HERE
-The Florida State v Duke game was a very well played game that either team could have won, and even though Florida State lost I think I’m more sold on them being a solid #2 seed than I was before the game started.
-Baylor v Texas was a defensive struggle, but Baylor held on to win 52-45. Texas Tech hosted TCU, and did not treat them nicely. They totally blew the Horned Frogs out of the building 88-42.
HIGHLIGHTED GAMES
-PENN STATE AT PURDUE (Big Ten). Penn State didn’t get a protected seed from the actual committee, but I still think they have a path to it that is within their abilities, especially if they can pick up another big road win tonight. Purdue has been schizophrenic all season long, but are now in a stretch where they have won four out of five, which includes two road wins, so they may finally be reaching a point of playing consistently well.
-KENTUCKY AT VANDERBILT (SEC). Kentucky also not getting a protected seed from the committee, and if they didn’t have one before then winning at Vandy isn’t the kind of game that’s going to put them over the top, but I do think they have a reasonable path to get there and are continuing to play better as the season goes along.
-MISSISSIPPI STATE AT OLE MISS (SEC). It’s a rivalry game that features a Mississippi State team that’s on the bubble and who needs to avoid losing on the road to an Ole Miss team that may be on the NIT bubble.
-ARKANSAS AT TENNESSEE (SEC). The Razorbacks are on the bubble and need to win this game to show that they can win on the road against sub-tournament caliber teams.
-NC STATE AT SYRACUSE (ACC). This is the bubblicious game of the night. Maybe the bubblicious game of the year. Both teams are right on the bubble, and both really need this win to help distance themselves from the other bubble teams.
-RHODE ISLAND AT DAYTON (Atlantic Ten). This game deserves far more attention than it is likely to get. Dayton is unbeaten in conference (10-0) and is beating their opponents by an average of 14.1ppg. It took Rhody a little longer to get going, but after losing their conference opener, they’ve won ten straight, which is as many wins as Dayton. Their margin of victory is 12.8ppg. It’s not as good, but they are playing at a level that is actually closer to Dayton than what most people realize, and if they can somehow win this game I would argue that it not only puts them inside the bubble, but warrants consideration for the first ballot. It’s the first of two meetings, and perhaps three if they face each other in the A10 Tournament.
-NEBRASKA AT MARYLAND (Big Ten). Maryland leads the Big Ten and has started to rack up some nice road wins. They should be able to hold serve tonight and continue to make a strong case that they are a solid protected seed.
-MICHIGAN STATE AT ILLINOIS (Big Ten). I’m not as big a believer in Michigan State as the committee seems to be. At least, not right now. If they can win this game I’ll start to feel a lot better about them. I do think that they are both going in on the first ballot, and that this is a good resume building opportunity for both of them.
-MISSOURI AT LSU (SEC). In their last games, LSU has lost a stunner at Vanderbilt, and an overtime thriller at Auburn at the buzzer. They are still in good shape, and this should be an easy win for them tonight, which would help get their mental health back.
-NOTRE DAME AT VIRGINIA (ACC). Virginia continues to improve their resume bit by bit. They nearly upset Louisville over the weekend, which would have improved their resume by quite a bit more than a little bit, but the NCAAs is still within their reach. They need to take care of business tonight against a Notre Dame team that’s been playing pretty well for the last couple of weeks.
-UTAH STATE AT COLORADO STATE (Mountain West). On paper, this game doesn’t look like much, but Colorado State has won nine of their last ten, so if Utah State goes on the road and beat them should (HOPEFULLY) get the attention of the committee and get them a little more credit than what it appears to be on the surface.
-NEW MEXICO AT SAN DIEGO STATE (Mountain West). If San Diego State wins out, they will be a #1 seed.