HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! Hopefully it’s less crappy than the year we just had!! That being said, at the time I’m writing this (late morning on Dec 31), we’ve had 31 games cancelled or postponed. Many of those would have had tournament implications and would have been listed below. By the time you read this that number will undoubtedly be higher.
CLICK HERE for the Puppet’s End of 2021 Bracket!!
-BAYLOR AT IOWA STATE (Big 12) (***Spotlight Game***). I can’t wait for this one! Baylor is the top ranked team, and Iowa State is the surprise team of the year who has played their way into the top ten. This one potentially has #1 seed implications, both teams are highly ranked, both teams are undefeated, and if Iowa State does somehow get this win even though it’s at home, do they have a claim that they should be ranked #1??
-WEST VIRGINIA AT TEXAS (Big 12). Texas is a good team that currently has nothing on their resume. They’ll get plenty of chances in conference play, but a win today would objectively be their biggest of the year so far.
-MEMPHIS AT WICHITA STATE (American). This game has a bubblicious feel to it. Both teams have work to do and both could really use this one.
-CREIGHTON AT MARQUETTE (Big East). This looks to be a resume building opportunity for both these teams. Both appear to be inside the bubble (for now), but both also have a lot of room to improve.
-VILLANOVA AT SETON HALL (Big East). Both teams are in the rankings, both have looked like protected seed caliber teams, and this is a resume building opportunity for both teams, especially for Villanova since this would be a huge road win for them if they could pull it off.
-WESTERN KENTUCKY AT LOUISIANA TECH (Conference USA). LA Tech’s path to landing inside the bubble is extremely narrow, but if they can blow through CUSA they should at least get themselves on the board.
-PROVIDENCE AT DEPAUL (Big East). Providence is having a hell of a season and has some big road wins already. DePaul is having a much better year than expected, but is also coming off a loss to Butler, which is the kind of game tournament caliber teams need to be able to win. This is a big test for them at home against a Friars team that is getting some national respect, but probably deserves a lot more.
-UTSA AT UAB (Conference USA). Similar to what was said about LA Tech, if UAB runs the table in CUSA they will at least be on the board and could end up inside the bubble.
-FLORIDA STATE AT NC STATE (ACC). Both teams have a ceiling that’s higher than what their current credentials show, which means both teams have a ton of work to do and could really use this one today.
-SAN DIEGO STATE AT UNLV (Mountain West). San Diego State is currently hovering around my bubble and needs to hold serve in games like this in order to keep the inside of it within reach.
-BOISE STATE AT WYOMING (Mountain West). We have both teams outside the bubble right now, which means both have work to do and that both could really use this win.
-AIR FORCE AT FRESNO STATE (Mountain West). Fresno needs to put together a long string of wins, which they may be good enough to do. That string would have to include winning at home against non-tournament teams in games like this one today.
-GEORGE MASON AT KANSAS. George Mason’s win at Maryland seemed big at the time, but seems much less big now. A win today would be big, but that’s far easier said than done.
-CHICAGO STATE AT NEW MEXICO STATE (WAC). New Mexico State is good enough to run the table in the WAC, and if they do they should get a serious look from the committee if they slip up in the conference tournament.
-WAKE FOREST AT MIAMI FL (ACC). Miami FL has a strong record, but not much meet on the bone yet, so they need to pick up some notable wins in conference play. Wake is coming off a loss to Louisville and is looking to rebound from that.
-TULANE AT CINCINNATI (American). This is a buy game caliber game, and Cincinnati needs to hold serve.
-SAN FRANCISCO AT SAINT MARY’S. This is going to be a fun one!! Both are bay area teams, both have had good runs in the OOC, both have decent resumes, and both can improve those resumes with a win today.
-KANSAS STATE AT OKLAHOMA (Big 12). Both teams are in relatively decent shape, but both still have a lot of work to do, especially K State. A road win in a game like this would be big for them.
-UTAH AT OREGON (Pac 12). Both these teams have so much work to do that I almost didn’t even highlight this game.