News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Tuesday, Dec 18

CLICK HERE for the latest HOOPS HD REPORT Video Podcast

-Yesterday Purdue won a double overtime thriller at Illinois, which adds another big win to Purdue’s resume.  Illinois’ resume probably doesn’t match how good they are on the court right now, but they’ll have plenty of chances between now and the end.

-Indiana picked up their first true road win of the year as they knocked off Nebraska 78-71.  That’s not a great win, but it’s one they needed seeing as how they had no true road wins before yesterday.

-BAYLOR AT WEST VIRGINIA (Big 12).  After two straight home losses Baylor is looking to get back on track.  West Virginia is also coming off a lopsided loss to Kansas and while this shouldn’t be quite as rough because they’re at home, it still isn’t going to be easy.

-KANSAS AT OKLAHOMA (Big 12).  The Sooners are a tournament caliber team, but knocking off Kansas is a very tall order even when they’re at home.  Kansas looks like they’re good enough to end up as a #1 seed, so they’re certainly capable of winning road games like this.

-IUPUI AT OHIO STATE.  When it comes to scheduling make-up games, I guess Ohio State felt it was important to aim really low.

-BUTLER AT UCONN (Big East).  Butler is really struggling this year, and that probably won’t change today.  UConn is into the top 25, and should arguably be ranked higher.  They should be able to hold serve in this one.

-SAINT BONAVENTURE AT DAYTON (Atlantic Ten).  The Bonnies have been a bit of a disappointment so far this year, but they are starting to play better after a long shutdown.  This could potentially be a tough road game.  Dayton has been inconsistent this year, but when they play up to their potential they can be a very tough team to beat, especially when they’re at home.

-IONA AT MONMOUTH (Metro Atlantic).  These are the top two teams in the MAAC, and it’s a game that Iona needs to be able to win if they want to solidify that they belong inside the bubble.

-DAVIDSON AT VCU (Atlantic Ten).  Davidson looks to be the strongest team in the A10, but they will likely be tested tonight against a VCU team that had won seven in a row, but is now looking to bounce back after a loss to Saint Bonaventure.

-UCF AT EAST CAROLINA (American).  Both teams are pretty far outside the bubble and both would have to string together quite a few wins to get into the picture, but both also have an outside shot at doing it.

-NORTH CAROLINA AT MIAMI FL (ACC).  North Carolina’s resume has nothing on it that you would categorize as a notable win.  Miami, on the other hand, has a few decent wins (and one outstanding one at Duke), but is still right on our bubble and looks to have a lot of work left to do.  Both teams could really use this win tonight.

-OHIO U AT MIAMI OH (MAC).  Ohio U is 13-2 on the season and unbeaten in MAC play.  If they can continue to blow through the MAC, they can land inside the bubble.

-SOUTH CAROLINA AT ARKANSAS (SEC).  Arkansas had been struggling this season, but they are coming off a big win at LSU and may be starting to turn things around.  They need to hold serve at home tonight.

-SOUTH FLORIDA AT HOUSTON (American).  Houston has cracked the top ten and has kept winning despite losing a couple of key players to injury.  They should be able to hold serve in this one tonight.

-LOYOLA CHICAGO AT EVANSVILLE (Missouri Valley).  Loyola has finally cracked the rankings, and while they’ve struggled in their last couple of games they’ve still managed to win them.  They shouldn’t have too much trouble knocking off an Evansville team that’s only managed four wins this season.

-KANSAS STATE AT TEXAS (Big 12).  I’m not completely impressed with Texas’s resume, but they are still a talented team and will get the opportunities they need to solidify their resume.  They should be able to hold serve tonight in this one.

-DUKE AT FLORIDA STATE (ACC).  Florida State has been playing better, but they still have a lot of work to do.  Having said that, they have the chance to take a huge step forward tonight if they can knock off a Duke team that right now looks like they could be on the #1 line.

-WISCONSIN AT NORTHWESTERN (Big Ten).  Northwestern is outside the bubble right now, but they have still proven that they can be a dangerous team and are coming off a big win at Michigan State.  If they could somehow follow that up with a win over Wisconsin, who is looking like they could end up on the top two lines, they’ll REALLY be running toward the bubble.

-IOWA STATE AT TEXAS TECH (Big 12).  These are two ranked teams that look like they could end up as protected seeds.  Like most Big 12 games, it’s a chance for both of them to add another big win to their resumes.

-TENNESSEE AT VANDERBILT (SEC).  Tennessee is coming off a blowout loss at Kentucky and is looking to bounce back in a winnable road game against Vanderbilt.  Tennessee should win it, but Vandy is good enough to where they can beat teams on their home floor that overlook them.

-AIR FORCE AT BOISE STATE (Mountain West).  Boise State is squarely on the bubble and needs to hold serve against the Falcons in this one.

This entry was posted in Daily Rundown, News and Notes. Bookmark the permalink.