-For the latest HOOPS HD BRACKET RUNDOWN Video Podcast – CLICK HERE
-For the HOOPS HD SURVIVAL BOARD, which was updated last night – CLICK HERE
-For the CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT TAB – CLICK HERE
-Belmnot’s chances of playing their way inside the bubble got blown off the court last night. Murray State doesn’t always play at a high level because, quite frankly, they don’t have to in order to beat a lot of the teams in their conference. When they do play at a high level, they really do look like a top 25 team, and that’s what they looked like last night as they blew Belmont away by a score of…you know what??…I don’t even know what the final score was. I turned it over.
-Oregon is straddling the bubble, and they got a big win last night against UCLA 68-63. It was a home win, but it still gave them a much needed upward nudge.
-Ohio State picked up what is easily their biggest win of the year as they won at Illinois 86-83. They were pretty much in control for the entire game, but after Brad Underwood had been tossed for presumably continuing to act like Yosemite Sam after being asked repeatedly to stop, the Illini actually went on a run, got back into it, and in the final minute of the game had a chance to win it. But, the Buckeyes held on, and this is a win that REALLY helps their resume.
-USC really had to sweat out Oregon State, which is not a good thing to have to do, but held on for the overtime 94-91 win.
-In Under the Radar news, Wagner had a chance to clinch at least a share of first place in the Northeast Conference last night. All they had to do was beat Fairleigh Dickinson, who came into the game at 3-20 on the year. They failed to do so. They lost an overtime thriller 88-86, and the results sets up a season finale with Bryant where the winner clinches home court advantage throughout the conference tournament.
-HARVARD AT PRINCETON (Ivy League). Harvard is fighting for a spot in the conference tournament and Princeton is fighting for the top seed.
-CANISIUS AT IONA (Metro Atlantic). It’s my feeling that Iona will have to win the MAAC Tournament to make the NCAA Tournament. But I do think they are on the board, and as shocking as this is, I’m not actually on the committee, so I could be wrong. Either way, they need to win tonight, though.
-IOWA AT NEBRASKA (Big Ten). Road wins make resumes look better. This is a winnable road game for Iowa. In fact saying it’s a winnable road game may be an understatement.
-SAN JOSE STATE AT SAN DIEGO STATE (Mountain West). It’s a conference game that is virtually a buy game. San Diego State is hovering around the bubble and can’t afford to lose a virtual buy game at home.