HAPPY MARCH MADNESS EVERYBODY!!!! It’s not March yet, but conference tournaments do tip off tonight, so as far as we are concerned, IT IS MARCH!!
NEWS AND NOTES
-For Chad Sherwood’s UTR Game of the Day between Belmont and Eastern Kentucky – CLICK HERE
-The game of the night was Alabama at Arkansas, and the Razorbacks certainly showed they can play with top ten teams. They were basically in control for the whole game, and whenever Alabama would make a run at them they’d answer. They ended with a very impressive 81-66 in (the margin was widened with a lot of late freetrhows in the final couple minutes). Arkansas is playing their best basketball of the season at exactly the right time.
-Virginia has had a few head scratching losses this season, and we saw another one last night as they feel at home to an NC State team that’s nowhere near making the field. It’s a bit of a setback for the Hoos, and may knock them down the seedlist a bit, but they’re still in good shape overall. Speaking of head scratching losses….
-North Carolina was basically run off their own floor by Marquette last night. The final score was 83-70, but the margin for most of the second half was a lot more than that. Marquette is nowhere near the field, and is just 11-12 overall for the season, but they have perhaps the most impressive slate of wins that any non-tournament team has ever had. They’ve beaten Wisconsin, Creighton, and won handily at North Carolina.
-Clemson went into Wake Forest and won 60-39. That isn’t too important in and of itself other than that it is just the second true road win of the season for Clemson, so I think it did help them out some.
-Saint Bonaventure picked up nice (and hard fought) win at Davidson 56-53. If the Bonnies can hold serve, which basically means winning nearly all of their remaining games, then they should be relatively safe for a bid.
-Seton Hall did what no bubble team should ever do, and that’s lose to a team that’s having a lousy season. They fell to Butler last night 61-52, and that one is gonna leave a mark!
-Indiana is in real trouble. They looked good for the first ten minutes or so against Rutgers, but looked absolutely lousy after that as Rutgers basically blew them off the floor. The Scarlet Knights’ NCAA Tournament drought will almost assuredly end this year, unless the tournament is cancelled again for whatever reason.
-Xavier is in trouble. They are squarely on the bubble and were beaten rather handily by a Providence team that is squarely outside the bubble. They need some big wins between now and the end in order to feel safe.
HIGHLIGHTED GAMES
-GONZAGA AT SANTA CLARA (West Coast). Gonzaga is cruising to a #1 seed and continues to hold on to the overall #1 ranking in both polls.
-IOWA AT MICHIGAN (Big Ten). Both teams are ranked in the top ten, and Michigan appears to be on pace to lock up a #1 seed, especially if they can continue to win games like this. I’ve been impressed with how Iowa has played in their last few games, but they will need to play at a very high level to beat a #1 caliber seeded team on the road.
-NEBRASKA AT ILLINOIS (Big Ten). Illinois is coming off a rather surprising loss to Michigan State. They had been on an absolute rampage before that. This should be an easy bounce back game for them.
-WESTERN KENTUCKY AT HOUSTON. This is a HUGE opportunity for both teams, and it’s great for both of them that it got scheduled. For Houston, it’s a chance to add another solid win to their resume. For WKU, it’s a chance to pretty much lock up a spot inside the bubble, and even if they don’t win the game they should be able to improve their adjusted efficiency numbers a little bit and and give their NET a bit of a nudge.
-UCLA AT UTAH (Pac 12). This isn’t the easiest road trip in the world to make, but for a team that appears to be good enough to land in the top half of the bracket like UCLA it’s a game they should be able to win.
-BELMONT AT EASTERN KENTUCKY (Ohio Valley). I think Belmont needs to win out to have any sort of a shot at an at-large, and even if they do win out that still might not be enough, but they will at least be in the conversation.
-OHIO STATE AT MICHIGAN STATE (Big Ten). Michigan State surprised Illinois in their last game, so the Buckeyes don’t want to overlook them. It’s a good chance to pick up a solid road win after falling to Michigan over the weekend and keep themselves well on pace to earn a #1 seed.
-USC AT COLORADO (Pac 12). Both are probable tournament teams, but both could also climb the seedlist with a win tonight. USC is still within reach of a protected seed if they can finish strong.
-BOISE STATE AT SAN DIEGO STATE (Mountain West). This game is hugely important for both teams. Both are looking to lock up tournament bids, and while it’s possible that both will make it, if one of these teams can sweep this series they’ll be breathing a lot easier.
-SAN FRANCISCO AT BYU (West Coast). BYU just needs to hold serve the rest of the way and they should be fine for a bid. They’ve actually got a solid chance of landing in the top half of the bracket.
-OREGON AT STANFORD (Pac 12). Both teams appear to be inside the bubble, but neither look like they are in the top half of the bracket, and both are still in a situation to where they could slide outside of it. This is a huge opportunity for both teams, and both need to come in with a sense of urgency.
-NORTHWESTERN AT MINNESOTA (Big Ten). It’s the same story with Minnesota. They have some great wins at home, but that in and of itself may not be enough. A home loss in a game like this would really sink them.