NEWS AND NOTES:
-For John Stalica’s UTR Game of the Day – CLICK HERE
-UCLA needed a second half comeback, but they did go on the road and got a 69-62 win at Oregon State. It’s certainly not the greatest win in the world, but it’s important because it ended a four game losing streak, it was a road win, it was the conference opener, and it was the first home loss for Oregon State. UCLA may not be turned all the way back around yet, but at least they’ve perhaps at least started to turn.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-EVANSVILLE AT CINCINNATI. Both teams have good records, but both also have weak schedules. Both are 10-2, but neither have done much of anything in terms of beating good teams. Even though this is a home buy game for Cincinnati, it would still be one of their better wins to date if they’re able to pull it off.
-MCNEESE AT MICHIGAN. McNeese is a really good team that plays in a really bad Southland Conference. Our expectation is that they will not just blow through that conference, but run the table. The problem is there is virtually no one left on their schedule that’s a top 250 caliber team after today, so this is their last chance to get a win with any sort of a substance. Michigan is a somewhat disappointing 6-6, but they were super competitive against Memphis, Oregon, and Florida, so they can play at a higher level than what their record indicates. Having said that, they better not overlook McNeese tonight.
-UNC GREENSBORO @ TEXAS. UNCG is a strong team that appeared to be on cruise control with a good win against Arkansas on their resume, but they’ve struggled in their last four games, all of which were against weak teams, and they lost two of them. They’ve got a chance to turn that around in a big way tonight against a Texas team that is still in the rankings (for whatever reason), but that has really not looked like a top 25 team at any point this year. The Horns do not want to overlook UNCG in this one.
-KENT STATE AT SAINT MARY’S. Just when we thought SMC was starting to turn it around, they lose at home to Missouri State just before Christmas. They face a Kent State team that’s expected to make quite a bit of noise in the MAC this year, and it’s a game the Gaels cannot afford to lose.
-WASHINGTON STATE AT UTAH (Pac 12). This is a tough conference opener for Wazzu, who is a somewhat impressive 9-2 on the season, but doesn’t have any wins that come close to being as big as this one would be if the Cougars can pull it off. Utah has won six straight and appears to be playing at a high level. They should be able to get it done on their home court tonight.
-SAN DIEGO STATE AT GONZAGA. This is a big showcase game and resume opportunity for two teams that are good, but who also may not be as good as they’d like to be at this point. A win in a game like this would be huge for either team. Gonzaga’s conference is somewhat down this year, so other than a game against Kentucky in February this is perhaps thier last shot at a notable win. San Diego State’s best win to date is probably against Washington, so this would be a hugely important quality win for them if they an pull it off.
-WASHINGTON AT COLORADO (Pac 12). Washington has been a bit of a surprise this year with an 8-3 overall record and some nice wins on their resume. This will be a huge challenge against a Colorado team that’s 9-2 and that has often played like a top 25 caliber team. It’s very possible/probable that we will see both teams dancing come March.
OTHER NOTABLE GAMES/BUY GAMES:
-North Florida @ Miami FL – many have sort of forgotten about the Canes, but they’re 9-2 overall and every bit as dangerous as they’ve ever been this season
-Kennesaw State @ Indiana – another home buy game for Indiana
-Eastern Kentucky @ Purdue
-Illinois State @ Kentucky – Kentucky normally really kicks it into gear after Christmas, so I think they’ll roll in this one
-Radford @ Clemson
-Northern Illinois @ Iowa – both teams have underperformed somewhat, one on a UTR scale and the other on a B1G scale
-Northern Kentucky @ Purdue Fort Wayne (Horizon League) – a win for PFW gets them to 12-2 on the year and keeps them unbeaten in league play
-Maine @ Minnesota – Minnesota’s schedule has been weak and they still got a ton of work to do, but a win does get them to 10-3
-Loyola MD @ Saint Joseph’s
-Bethune Cookman @ UCF
-South Carolina State @ Nebraska – A win for the Huskers gets them to 11-2, but most of those have come against weak teams
-Charleston Southern @ North Carolina
-Jackson State @ Northwestern – Northwestern should get this one, but the Tigers did win at Mizzou earlier this year.
-Fairliegh Dickinson @ Illinois
-Adams State (nonD1) @ Colorado State
-Utah Valley @ Boise State – Boise State still has potential, but they need to start stringing together wins
-Arizona @ California (Pac 12) – should be a routine bounce back win for Arizona, even though it’s a conference road game