NEWS, NOTES, AND HOLIDAY WISHES:
-There are only a smattering of games over the next few days, so Hoops HD will be transitioning into Holiday Mode. I want to thank everyone who reads, watches, and follows, and also thank everyone else who writes, podcasts, and contributes, and hope that everyone has a safe and happy Holiday Season!! I also understand that for many people the Holidays can be more miserable than enjoyable. If you feel this way you may think you’re alone, but believe me, you are not!! Whether you’re unable to travel to see friends and loved ones because of the winter storms, or if it’s your first Holiday season without friends or loved ones, or if your family just drives you so crazy that you’re already counting down the days until it’s over, we understand that too. We will be following all the games, so if you need to escape for a few minutes, tweet at us!
-We are (tentatively) planning to do a Hoops HD Report Monday Night, so be on the lookout for that as well.
-The Braggin’ Rights Game was never really a game. Missouri sprinted out to a big lead and it held it the entire game as they blew Illinois off the court 93-71. It’s a big statement for Missouri as they had a bloated record, but were a little light when it came to quality wins.
-Iona, who went into the Diamond Head Classic needing to do well and/or pick up some notable wins away from home, did not do well yesterday against SMU. They were shooting the lights out for the first 30 minutes or so, but could not completely pull away, and a late SMU run allowed them to tie, then get the lead, and then hold the lead for the 85-81 win. This really hurts Iona. In fact short of winning out this may finish them off.
-Santa Clara got a big 73-58 win against a Boise State team that had been playing well. Boise State will get some chances in conference play, and they’ve looked good enough to be capable of making some noise, but they really could have used this one yesterday. As for Santa Clara, they’re now 12-3 on the year, and while they don’t have any high level quad 1 wins, they have enough decent ones to where they are worth paying attention to.
-Utah State blasted Seattle U to bounce back from the surprising loss to Weber State earlier in the week. They have just one loss on the year, have looked good all year long (minus the one loss) and I think are one of the 25 best teams in the country.
-Western Kentucky lost at South Carolina 65-58. Western Kentucky is, once again, a talented team that can beat good teams, but doesn’t always do it and has now lost multiple games like this one. This isn’t an easy game to win, but it’s the kind of game that a tournament caliber team should be able to routinely win.
-UAB didn’t blow out Charlotte yesterday, but at no point did it ever feel like they weren’t in control of the game. There are a lot of good teams in Conference USA, and these are two that are likely to finish near the top, so it was a big win for the Blazers who, once again, look dangerous.
-Kent State really had to sweat, but they avoided the road loss to a decent (but not great) UTEP team with the 47-46 win. Their only losses on the year are at Houston, at Gonzaga, and at Charleston, and they were highly competitive in all three of those games, so Kent State is a team that the committee likely has their eyes on.
-UNLV is now 11-1 on the year after knocking off a really good Southern Miss team in one of the bigger games of the day. It is just Southern Miss’s second loss, and while it was a missed opportunity for the Golden Eagles to pick up a really high level win, it is by no means a setback. They can still make a run at the bubble if they can keep playing like they have been. The Sun Belt has some strong teams in it this year, too.
HIGHLIGHTED GAMES
Friday, Dec 23rd:
-IONA VS SEATTLE U (Diamond Head Classic). Both teams lost yesterday, and Iona’s loss to SMU was particularly damaging. This is perhaps the last chance for either team to get any sort of a win of note in this event. The loser will end up in the 7th place game, which is not where either team expected to be.
-SMU AT UTAH STATE (Diamond Head Classic). Utah State is now 10-1 after their impressive blowout win over Seattle yesterday and is looking like they may blow through this event and remain undefeated. Sooner or later (and I can’t believe it hasn’t happened already) the voters are going to start to notice how good they are.
-Bucknell @ Rutgers
-Kennesaw State @ Indiana
-Washington State @ Hawaii (Diamond Head Classic) – winner goes to the championship game
Saturday, December 24th:
-No Games Scheduled
Sunday, December 25th:
-DIAMOND HEAD CLASSIC – The 7th, 5th, 3rd, and 1st place games will be taking place. Assuming. The 5th place game. Iona, Seattle U, and Utah State were the good teams coming into this tournament, but it doesn’t look as if any of them will be playing each other on the final day.
-DEPAUL AT CREIGHTON (Big East). Creighton finally snapped a six game losing streak, and has perhaps one of their most winnable remaining conference games today. If they drop this one then it’s a sign that the major tailspin that they’re in is getting worse.
Monday, December 26th:
-No Games Scheduled
Tuesday, December 27th:
-NORTHWESTERN STATE AT TEXAS A&M. Northwestern State is having a big year and they’ve already got some big wins. They have a chance to pick up yet another one today, and if they can pull this off one has to think that the committee will have their eyes on them and will seriously consider selecting them if they blow through Southland play. TAMU, on the other hand, has been a bit of a disappointment at just 6-5, and has all kinds of work they need to do just to get back within reach of the bubble.
-SETON HALL AT MARQUETTE (Big East). Marquette is coming off a double overtime thrilling loss at Providence and is looking to bounce back. They should be able to get this one at home against Seton Hall, but they will still be tested. If they don’t win this, then it’s not time to panic, but it would perhaps be time for alarm.
-TAMU Commerce @ Texas
-SC State @ Texas Tech