HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-MIAMI FL AT NC STATE (ACC). This is a tough road game for a Miami FL team that’s on the cusp of getting a protected seed in our seedlist, and an NC State team that’s been playing really well lately and that is very tough to beat at home. This one should be fun.
-WEST VIRGINIA AT OKLAHOMA (Big 12). Both teams are inside the bubble (for now), but both have a lot of room to move up and both need to string together some wins if they want to stay there, so this is a big game for both teams.
-WISCONSIN AT INDIANA (Big Ten). Indiana is in a tailspin and if they don’t pull themselves out of it they may end up sliding all the way outside of the field. They have been dealing with injuries, but still. Wisconsin has had a strong year overall, but they’ve lost two straight and are looking to bounce back from that. In short, both teams could really use this game.
-KANSAS STATE AT TCU (Big 12). Both look to be within reach of earning a protected seed, so like what seems to be the majority of Big 12 games, this is a great opportunity for both teams to pick up a big win and build their resume.
-PROVIDENCE AT CREIGHTON (Big East). Providence is on the cusp of being within reach of a protected seed, but they haven’t done much on the road. This isn’t an easy road game to win, but it’s the kind of game that a protected seed should be able to win. Creighton is just 9-8 on the year and while many still think of them as being a tournament caliber team, they’ve got some work to do if they want to even make the field at all.
-NORTH TEXAS AT FLORIDA ATLANTIC (Conference USA). This is one of the premier regular season match-ups of the season in CUSA. FAU is on the cusp of cracking the top 25 and is close to being a first ballot team as well. North Texas is hovering around outside the bubble, but if they pick up a road win like this it would greatly boost the value of their resume. Simply put, I can’t wait for this one!!
-MISSOURI AT FLORIDA (SEC). We’ve got questions about Missouri. We still have them in our field, but aren’t quite decided just how good they actually are yet. This isn’t the easiest game to win, but it’s the kind of game that the 20th ranked team should be able to win. Florida has had a blah season, but they’ve racked up two straight decent wins against Georgia and LSU, so it won’t be a cakewalk for the Tigers.
-IOWA STATE AT KANSAS (Big 12). Iowa State is on the cusp of getting a protected seed in our next projections, and Kansas is currently being projected as a solid #1 seed. It looks like yet ANOTHER game in the Big 12 between two protected seeds that could end up boosting either team’s resume.
-DUKE AT CLEMSON (ACC). Duke has not been the best team away from home this year, and they’re once again in for a tough road test against a Clemson team that’s won nine of their last ten, is unbeaten in the ACC, and appears to be getting better as the year goes on.
-ARIZONA AT OREGON (Pac 12). Arizona is still within reach of a #1 seed if they can blow through the rest of their schedule. Oregon has been disappointing this year, but they’re still a talented team and they could be way up for this one, so it won’t likely be a cakewalk for the Wildcats.
-OKLAHOMA STATE AT BAYLOR (Big 12). Oklahoma State is within reach of the bubble, but they need to string together some wins in order to get there. A win at Baylor would be a huge step forward for the Pokes. Baylor just snapped a three game win streak, and playing a team at home that’s just outside the bubble maybe be one of their easiest remaining games. That’s how strong this conference is!
-TEXAS TECH AT TEXAS (Big 12). Texas Tech has lost four straight, and is just having a hard time finding any sort of a win in Big 12 play. It won’t be any easier tonight as they go up against a Texas team that’s ranked in the top ten and appears to be heading toward a protected seed.
-MISSISSIPPI STATE AT AUBURN (SEC). I’m not quite as enamored with Auburn as most of the rest of the Hoops HD crew, and I’m certainly not as enamored with them as the voters. I think they’re a top 40 team and inside the bubble, but I’m not sure I’d even have them in the top half of my bracket. Having said that, I thin they can hold serve in this one against a Mississippi State team that’s a respectable 12-4, but still has some work to do.
-NEW MEXICO AT SAN DIEGO STATE (Mountain West). New Mexico has a bloated record against a weak schedule. If they want to impress people, a win tonight would shut up everyone, including myself, that’s always pointing that out. San Diego State is back in the rankings and will stay there for the rest of the year so long as they can hold serve for the rest of league play.
-UTAH AT USC (Pac 12). Both of these teams were hovering around the bubble of our last field, and both could use some notable wins. This is a bubblicous game, and whenever you get that it’s really important for both teams.
-SAINT MARY’S AT SAN FRANCISCO (West Coast). This is a really good Saint Mary’s team, and they face a Dons team that started the season off looking pretty strong, but they’ve been in a funk since conference play started and are now just 12-8 on the year. They’re still talented, though, so SMC better not overlook them.
OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:
-Kentucky @ Tennessee (SEC) – Kentucky is an NIT team and Tennessee is a solid protected seed. They just need to hold serve at home
-Georgia @ Ole Miss (SEC) – Georgia’s profile is pretty bland, but they have a shot to make a run at the bubble. Picking up some road wins would certainly help
-Arkansas @ Vanderbilt (SEC) – should be a winnable road game for the Hogs
-UCF @ Tulane (American) – UCF is right outside our bubble, but continuing to string together wins should get them there
-North Carolina @ Louisville (ACC) – should be some low hanging fruit for UNC
-Pittsburgh @ Georgia Tech (ACC) – we’ve got Pitt inside our bubble, but they need to hold serve in games like this in order to stay there
-LSU @ Alabama (SEC) – Alabama is good enough to end up as a #1 seed, and should be able to hold serve at home
-Virginia @ Florida State (ACC) – This is a winnable road game for the Hoos
-Elon @ Charleston (Colonial) – this should be like a buy game
-Arizona State @ Oregon State (Pac 12) – a winnable road game for the Sun Devils where they need to hold serve
-Texas A&M @ South Carolina (SEC) – TAMU appeared to have slid out of the picture, but they’re playing better now and can get to 4-0 in the SEC with a win today
-Colorado @ UCLA (Pac 12) – should be a manageable game for the Bruins
-Portland @ Gonzaga (West Coast) – should be a winnable home game for the Zags
-UC Riverside @ UC Santa Barbara (Big West) – a win for UCSB gets them to 14-2 on the year
-Boise State @ Wyoming (Mountain West) – we like this Broncos team and feel they should be getting more attention. This should be yet another winnable road game for them