NEWS AND NOTES:
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Kansas has now lost three straight, and Baylor picked up another huge win 75-69. Baylor had also lost three straight games before going on the five game winning streak that they’re on now. A three game losing streak may seem like a death knell for a team that’s hoping to get a #1 seed, but two of those three losses were on the road to likely protected seeds, so I still think Kansas is very much in the hunt for the #1 line.
-New Mexico was in another thrilling high stakes game, and this time they came up a little short. They fell in overtime 97-94 on the road at a Nevada team who is right on the bubble and who could really use the win. While this was a missed opportunity at a big road win for New Mexico, I wouldn’t call it much of a setback. They’re still very solidly in the field, and perhaps even in on the first ballot.
-Northwestern was back in action after a pause due to temporary health issues within the program, and they got a big win over Wisconsin 67-64. Even though the win was at home, I think they’re solidifying themselves more and more as a team that belongs in The Dance.
-Duke lost on the road. Again. Some will say this was a big win for Virginia Tech. I say beating Duke on your own home floor isn’t a big win at all. All but one of the teams they’ve played on the road have done it, and the only one that failed to do it was Boston College. That’s because BC blew an opportunity to win the game in the final seconds. If the season ends with that being Duke’s only road win I will personally strongly feel they don’t belong in the field.
-A shoutout to Chicago State who won their first D1 road game yesterday and their 5th overall game of the year. I do not mean this as back-handed praise. I like what this program has done this year under Gerald Gillion. They are not in a conference and one could say they have absolutely nothing to play for, yet they still play hard and are actually noticeably better than they have been in years past. I’d like to see them land in the Horizon League, or the Ohio Valley, or some place in their geographic region.
HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-PENN STATE AT RUTGERS (Big Ten). Rutgers is solidly inside the bubble and while they’ll be tested today, they should be able to hold serve. Penn State is squarely on our bubble and could really use a win in a game like this in order to help them land on the right side of it.
-MIAMI FL AT FLORIDA STATE (ACC). Miami has lost their last three road games, including a very close road loss at Duke over the weekend, and could use a win tonight simply because it is likely their most winnable remaining road game. It won’t be a cakewalk, though, given how much better Florida State has been playing in recent weeks.
-NOTRE DAME AT NC STATE (ACC). NC State shouldn’t have too much trouble bouncing back from their loss at UNC over the weekend and picking up a win tonight.
-OHIO STATE AT ILLINOIS (Big Ten). Ohio State ended a five game losing streak with a somewhat impressive win over Iowa this past weekend, but they’ve still got some work to do if they want to end up inside the bubble. Having said that, winning at Illinois would constitute doing quite a bit of work, so…
-LSU AT ARKANSAS (SEC). Arkansas ended a four game losing streak this past weekend with a win over Ole Miss, and this should be another winnable home game over an LSU team that isn’t bad, but also isn’t inside the bubble right now.
-OKLAHOMA AT TCU (Big 12). TCU is coming off their hugely impressive blowout win at Kansas where it was perhaps the best single game that any team has played this season. They’re at home tonight against an Oklahoma team that’s floating around the bubble and who needs to string together some wins, but doing that in a conference like the Big 12 isn’t easy given how good the entire top half of the league is.
-KENT STATE AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS (MAC). Kent State is inching closer and closer to the top 25 and should be able to land inside the bubble if they can continue to dominate MAC play.
-KANSAS STATE AT IOWA STATE (Big 12). Both teams are protected seeds in our projections right now, and K State may actually have a shot at a #1 seed if they keep winning like they have been. They have some very impressive road wins on their resume already and will certainly be tested again tonight by an Iowa State team that’s been playing very well at home.
-OKLAHOMA STATE AT TEXAS (Big 12). Oklahoma State is starting to string together wins and has played their way very close to our bubble, and while they’ll certainly have the opportunities they need to get inside of it, winning the games they need to win won’t be easy given how strong the conference is. They have a chance tonight against a Texas team that’s one of the many Big 12 teams that’s in contention for a protected seed.
-GEORGIA TECH AT CLEMSON (ACC). This should be another winnable home game for a Clemson team that is inside the bubble and should stay there so long as they hold serve the rest of the way.
-NORTH CAROLINA AT SYRACUSE (ACC). This game is a bigger deal than most may realize because to date they have just one true road win, and that was at Louisville which may arguably not even count. Syracuse is on a stretch where they’re 10-3 in their last 13, which is a lot better than they were when they started the season, but they’ve still got a long way to go to reach the bubble.
-KENTUCKY AT VANDERBILT (SEC). Kentucky has now won three straight and has looked noticeably better in that three game stretch than they have at any previous point in the season. This is a road game against a Vandy team that isn’t anywhere near the bubble, but that also isn’t an SEC doormat either.
-FRESNO STATE AT BOISE STATE (Mountain West). Boise State is having a really good year and should be able to bounce back tonight from a close and hard fought overtime loss to New Mexico over the weekend.