NEWS AND NOTES:
-For John Stalica’s UTR Game of the Day – CLICK HERE
-For the latest (and first of the season) Hoops HD Bracket Rundown – CLICK HERE
HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-TENNESSEE AT OLE MISS (SEC). So far Tennessee has looked like a protected seed and Ole Miss has looked like an NIT team. It is a conference game, and Tennessee is still looking for their first true road win, so this will add something to the Vols’ profile that they will in fact (eventually) need.
-VILLANOVA AT UCONN (Big East). Nova is healthy, playing really well, and has won five straight since a sluggish 2-5 start. Winning today against one of the best teams in the country on the road may be too tall of an order, though, but if they somehow do pull the upset I think it’s pretty clear that they are all the way back.
-KENTUCKY AT MISSOURI (SEC). Mizzou is 11-1 and is coming off an absolutely dominant win against a pretty good Illinois team. They should be jacked for this one against a Kentucky team that has done well, but still underperformed by their standards. Then again, Kentucky often underperforms until the winter break. This is a huge test for both teams, and it’s a win that both of them could use both on paper and bor the momentum that it will build up.
-FLORIDA AT AUBURN (SEC). Florida has been kind of meh this year, and Auburn has looked somewhere between a first ballot team and a protected seed depending on the day. They should be able to pick up this one at home.
-DAVIDSON AT FORDHAM (Atlantic Ten). Fordham has just one loss on the year, which is amazing, and they have a chance to win the Atlantic Ten, which is amazing. The problem is the league is so weak that their margin for error in terms of landing inside the bubble is very small.
-ALABAMA AT MISSISSIPPI STATE (SEC). Alabama has shown they can win big games away from home, whereas Mississippi State has mostly shown they can win buy games at home. This is a test for both teams, and it’s a win that would help both of them out. Mississippi State does have a couple of nice wins against Marquette and Utah on a neutral floor, but this would probably be their biggest of the season even though it’s at home.
-ARKANSAS AT LSU (SEC). Both teams have just one loss, but LSU hasn’t lifted any heavy weight and this is by far their biggest test of the year to date. Arkansas has won eight straight, and while most has been against lighter competition they do have a couple of decent wins in that stretch.
-XAVIER AT SAINT JOHN’S (Big East). Xavier has cracked the rankings, and has been tested both at home and on the road. They will likely be tested tonight again against a Saint John’s team that has a bloated record, but that is lacking in notable wins and who could really use this one. Their best win on the season so far is probably against Syracuse, and Xavier is a lot better than Syracuse is.
-COLORADO STATE AT NEW MEXICO (Mountain West). New Mexico is unbeaten, in the rankings, their fans are excited, and they’ve beaten some decent teams so far. Colorado State has been a little disappointing this year at just 8-5, but they’re still not a team that the Lobos will want to overlook.
-UNLV AT SAN JOSE STATE (Mountain West). UNLV is 11-1 on the year with some pretty decent wins, but this is just their second true road game. While they should win it, it won’t be a cakewalk. Then again, making the NCAA Tournament is not a cakewalk either, and this is the kind of game they need to be able to win.
-BOISE STATE AT NEVADA (Mountain West). I think both of these teams are good, and it wouldn’t shock me if both ended up inside the bubble, but both still have work to do, which is what make this game so important to both of them.
OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:
-UNC Wilmington @ Monmouth (Colonial). UNCW will be a contender in this league and it’s strong enough at the top to get them a serious look from the committee if they can somehow run away with it.
-Houston @ Tulsa (American) – Houston should roll and add another road win to their resume
-Air Force @ San Diego State (Mountain West) – San Diego State should be able to hold serve at home
BUY GAMES:
-Eastern Oregon (nonD1 @ Gonzaga)
-Central Arkansas @ TCU
-Albany @ Virginia
-Nicholls @ Baylor