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NEWS AND NOTES:
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There is a lot to unpack from yesterday.
-UConn was tested on the road at Villanova just like we knew they would be, but held on to win 66-65. This should enable them to hold on to the #1 ranking and it also adds another notable road win to an already very impressive profile. For Nova, a win would have been a huge boost to their resume, but a loss is hardly a setback. I still think this Nova team could be dangerous this March and think they will keep improving as the year goes along.
-Purdue did something we hadn’t been seeing them do very often, and that’s win a conference road game rather handily. They knocked off an Iowa team that had been playing pretty well 84-70.
-Kansas did something we’ve seen them do several times, and that’s struggle against a team that we were expecting them to bury. Only yesterday at West Virginia, they didn’t manage to escape. West Virginia held on for the 91-85 upset, which may knock the Jayhawks off the 1-line.
-Pittsburgh went into Cameron Indoor and knocked off Duke 80-76 in what was probably the biggest surprise of the day. Pitt had shown no signs at all of being capable of such a thing, and Duke had been absolutely rolling coming into this one. In fact they had just blown Pitt out at Pitt less than two weeks ago.
-Texas got a big win against Baylor 75-73. It was a win that the Longhorns really needed, but it was still a home win. What Texas also needs is a few more wins away from home.
-Arizona had to come from behind to beat UCLA. Arizona was at home, Arizona is a top ten team, UCLA is…well..NOT a top ten team, and Arizona was getting blown off the floor in the first half. They did manage to come back, get control (albeit very late in the game), and escape with a 77-71 win, though.
-Auburn continues to look like a top ten caliber team. They blew out Ole Miss yesterday 82-59, and Ole Miss is good!
-I had been beating up on Oklahoma for not doing anything on the road all season. Yesterday, the Sooners did something on the road! They won at a pretty good Cincinnati team 69-65, which I think is one of the bigger wins of the entire season for the Sooners.
-Marquette escaped with a big road win at Saint John’s 73-72. They appeared to be in control of the game, but the Johnnies made a late run and nearly stole it from Marquette. It was one of many insanely exciting Big East games yesterday.
-I loved how Seton Hall had been playing and had been beating the drum that not only should be in the field, but that they should be way up the seedlist!! Yesterday, they had several chances to win at home against Creighton, but after three overtimes of a game that went back and forth the entire time, Creighton escaped 97-94. It was a really nice, and certainly a hard fought, road win for the Bluejays that I think boosts their resume a little bit.
-Iowa State was running TCU off the floor and had an 18pt lead at the half. Then, they almost blew it. TCU came all the way back and almost escaped, but Iowa State held on for a 73-72 road win, which really gives their resume a nice boost.
-BYU was also winning big at Texas Tech. Like Iowa State, they blew their lead. Unlike Iowa State, they were unable to hold on. Texas Tech came from 17pts down in the second half for the 85-78 win.
-Boise State just keeps winning, and I now think the Broncos have played their way inside the bubble. They knocked off San Diego State 67-66 yesterday, and while it was a home win, it was still a big win for the Broncos.
-South Carolina really needed a road win, and they got one at Arkansas yesterday 77-64. The Gamecocks are now an impressive 15-3 on the season, and yesterday was one of their best overall wins.
-Nebraska, after blowing a lead at Rutgers earlier in the week, managed to beat Northwestern 75-69 at home yesterday. Both teams appear to be in that 7-to-10 seed range of the NCAA Tournament right now.
-Clemson, who had been in a bit of a tailspin, went on the road and beat Florida State 78-67. This was a win that Clemson desperately needed because they had been struggling, it was on the road, and it was against an FSU team that had been playing fairly well in recent weeks.
-New Mexico won at Air Force 85-66. It was just their second road win of the season, and it was a decisive one in a place that can be tricky to win at. I’m starting to become more and more of a believer in the Lobos.
-Nevada, who was a red hot team from the Mountain West, suffered a road loss at Wyoming yesterday. I think this is a bit of a setback for the Wolfpack. They’ve now lost three straight games, and are just 2-3 in conference play. Their game against Colorado State later this week now seems to have a huge sense of urgency to it.
-Saint Mary’s got a nice and decisive 77-60 win at San Francisco. The Dons had been playing pretty well, so while it’s not the kind of win that jumps to the top of Quad 1, it’s still a big statement win for the Gaels, who have looked like the best team out of the WCC this year so far.
-Grand Canyon, who had been on an absolute rampage and seemed to be close to getting into the rankings, will not be getting into the rankings. They lost on the road to Seattle U 86-79. The game seesawed back and forth all the way through, but then the Lopes just couldn’t score in the final minute and Seattle U got control. I still think the Lopes can land inside the bubble, but this may have perhaps been their last strike.
HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-MICHIGAN STATE AT MARYLAND (Big Ten). Michigan State’s place in the bubble right now isn’t exactly guaranteed. They should be there in the end, but they don’t have a true road win yet. Maryland has looked more like an NIT team than an NCAA Tournament team, but it would still be a hugely important win for Michigan State if they’re able to pull it off.
-MEMPHIS AT TULANE (American). Memphis will be tested on the road in this one, but it’s still the kind of road game they should be able to win. The loss at South Florida was a setback, but it didn’t set them so far back that they’re out of reach of a protected seed.
-RUTGERS AT ILLINOIS (Big Ten). Rutgers is coming off a nice home win against Nebraska, but winning on the road at Illinois is probably way too tall of an order. The Illini can now be back at full strength and should hold serve at home.
-FLORIDA ATLANTIC AT UTSA (American). This should be a routine win for FAU despite it being a road game, but one never knows what to expect out of FAU this year.
-OREGON AT UTAH (Pac 12). Both teams are within reach of the tournament, but both still have work to do and both could really use this win today to help build up their resume. Oregon had been playing well, but was absolutely blasted by Colorado in their last game. Today’s isn’t likely to be any easier.
-INDIANA STATE AT MURRAY STATE (Missouri Valley). Indiana State can still reach the bubble if they can blow through the rest of their schedule, but anything short of that and they’ll need the auto-bid.