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NEWS AND NOTES:
-So the shocker of the season, and perhaps the biggest shocker we’ve had since Evansville won at #1 Kentucky a few years back, was Texas Southern’s blowout win at Florida. Given how far apart the two teams appeared to be, and how Texas Southern had (I think) a 20pt lead in the second half, those two things combined make this one of the more jaw dropping results of all time. The season may play out to where the two actually weren’t nearly as far apart as they appeared to be on the day of the game, and Texas Southern had competed against a few teams in what was a gauntlet of a schedule. But..their previous game was a blowout loss to Louisiana Tech, so…I did not see this coming. At all. Every single OOC game on Texas Southern’s schedule is a road game.
-Illinois got a nice road win at Iowa 87-83. Iowa has had some missed opportunities lately, but they will certainly have more, and Illinois is starting to look more and more like the team we thought they’d be in the preseason.
-New Mexico State got a nice overtime road win against their rivals New Mexico. Both teams split with each team winning on the road. I guess you’d call that a road win exchange program!
HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-VERMONT AT PROVIDENCE. It’s probably technically a buy game, but Vermont is one of the better teams in the America East and should be able to compete with Providence.
-VIRGINIA AT JAMES MADISON. It’s a showcase game for JMU, and it may be the biggest showcase that they get to play in all season since they are not eligible for the CAA Tournament. Virginia has struggles this year and is actually looking for their first true road win, and this wouldn’t be a bad one.
-TEXAS TECH VS TENNESSEE (Jimmy V Classic). I really like both these teams. Texas Tech’s schedule has pretty much been a complete pastry cart, but they will finally be tested tonight. Tennessee already has some notable wins and can add another one to their resume.
-FURMAN AT WINTHROP. I’m still beating the Furman drum! They’ve won three straight, they have a win at Louisville, and they’ve got a bit of a tough road test tonight against a Winthrop team that’s currently unbeaten at home and will likely win a ton of home games. These are the kinds of games that aren’t as tough to win as beating a top 25 caliber team on the road, but are still tough to win, and that the committee is supposedly paying attention to.
-NAVY AT GEORGE MASON. Navy is lookin for their 4th true road win, and while I don’t think they have the pieces they need to play their way inside the bubble by the end of the season, they are starting to build the kind of resume that gets your attention. At least for now.
-OAKLAND AT BOWLING GREEN. Oakland is off to a really good start and has a path to land inside the bubble. It’s far easier said than done, but they’ve done what they’ve needed to so far.
-MICHIGAN AT NEBRASKA (Big Ten). Michigan has been in a bit of a tailspin lately, and this is a chance for them to pull themselves out of it by picking up a conference road win.
-TEMPLE AT VANDERBILT. I don’t have a whole lot of faith in either of these teams, but both come in to this with respectable records.
-BELMONT AT SAINT LOUIS. Belmont already has a few good wins on their resume, and has the chance to pick up another one tonight. We think they are good enough to land inside the bubble, and a road win in a game like this certainly strengthens their case. Saint Louis is off to a pretty good start despite having to deal with injuries, so this is an opportunity for them as well.
-VILLANOVA VS SYRACUSE (Jimmy V Classic). This is a match-up from the classic Big East days, but it’s hard to say how much of a classic this will turn out to be. Nova is looking like a #1 seed caliber team, and Syracuse is looking like they’ll have to get a lot better just to make it inside the bubble.
-BUTLER AT OKLAHOMA. Oklahoma appears to have the better team. They’ve looked better so far and they’re at home. So…
BUY GAMES (or games that might as well be):
-Sacred Heart @ Rhode Island
-Southern @ Kentucky
-NC A&T @ East Carolina – East Carolina can get to 8-2
-UTEP @ Kansas
-Eastern Illinois @ Missouri
-Duquesne @ DePaul – DePaul can get to 7-1 on the year
-Charlotte @ Arkansas
-Mount Saint Mary’s @ Santa Clara
-Eastern Kentucky @ USC