NEWS AND NOTES:
-UCLA got a big win over Michigan State 63-61 and is once again looking like a team that can go far in the NCAA Tournament. They hit a bit of a skid for a few weeks back in early January, but have come out of it now. Michigan State, who hadn’t lost prior to Thanksgiving, has now lost two straight, but is still in really good shape.
-Saint John’s has begun a tough stretch of their schedule, but they started things off with a 70-64 win over a really good Marquette team and are making a very strong case that they deserve a protected seed.
-Ole Miss led Kentucky by as much as 25 (I think) and while the Wildcats pulled it together late to make the final score look a little more respectable, it was still an impressive and decisive 73-59 win for the Rebels. Kentucky is a bit strange in the sense that they’ve managed to win many of the hardest game on their schedule, and while winning at Ole Miss, or beating Arkansas at home, or winning at Georgia isn’t easy to do, it’s not as difficult to do as winning at Tennessee or beating Duke on a neutral floor.
-Arizona continues to look like a protected seed and their resume keeps improving. They got a very good 85-74 win on the road at BYU. BYU had been playing really well, and is very tough to beat at home, so this one was a big one.
-Utah State got a scare at Wyoming, but managed to escape 71-67. It’s not so much that this was a big win as it is that it was a hard game to win and a loss would have really hurt.
-Georgia Tech is suddenly having quite a week! They upset Louisville at home, and then went on the road and pulled off a triple OT upset win at Clemson 89-86! When did the Yellow Jackets suddenly come to life?
-USC, who had been on a bit of a streak, could not get the win at Northwestern. They trailed for most of the game, but made a run late and actually had a chance to win in the final seconds, but fell just short 77-75.
-Kansas State has now won four straight to even their record out at 11-11. They got a nice (and close) 71-70 road win after some bad freethrow shooting by Arizona State down the stretch. K State still has a ton of work to do, but in their last four games they’ve beaten West Virginia, Oklahoma State, and won on the road at Iowa State and at Arizona State. It took this team a while to get up to speed, but they are rolling right now! They’ve got a big one at home against Kansas this Saturday.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-OREGON AT MICHIGAN (Big Ten). Both teams have some great wins at the top of their resume, but both have also had days where you thought they would hold serve and didn’t. I still think both are good enough to end up with a protected seed. Oregon is looking to bounce back from a loss to Nebraska, which is one of those games you’d have expected them to win, and Michigan has won three of their last four, but was playing with fire in all three wins barely beating Northwestern, Penn State, and Rutgers.
-DUKE AT SYRACUSE (ACC). Duke, despite being on the road, should blow through this one.
-MISSOURI AT TENNESSEE (SEC). Missouri has racked up several key wins and continues to climb the seedlist. They could have a case for moving up well into the protected seed range if they can go on the road and beat Tennessee. Right now Tennessee is still landing on our 1-line, and one would expect them to pick this one up at home.
-CINCINNATI AT UCF (Big 12). UCF is right on the bubble and needs to hold serve in this one in order to land on the right side of it.
-LOUISVILLE AT BOSTON COLLEGE (ACC). Louisville is coming off a surprise loss at Georgia Tech, but should be able to bounce back from that and win this one on the road. The Cardinals are still looking really solid overall.
-GEORGE MASON AT GEORGE WASHINGTON (Atlantic 10). George Mason has now won seven in a row, and if they can continue to blow through the A10 the committee may give them a serious look. That would mean winning on the road tonight against a fairly solid GW team that’s 10-1 at home overall.
-TULSA AT MEMPHIS (American). Memphis has a solid profile and a solid team. They’ll be safely in the field if they win out, and may be considered for a protected seed.
-WEST VIRGINIA AT TCU (Big 12). West Virginia has lost a key player for the season, which will change how the committee evaluates them. They need to show they can win games and play at a certain level without him, and going on the road and picking this one up would be a big statement that they still can.
-ILLINOIS AT RUTGERS (Big Ten). Illinois has been hot and cold throughout the season, and Rutgers is a very tough place to go and win. Illinois is just 3-4 in their last seven games and this could be a win that could help stabilize them a little bit.
-CREIGHTON AT PROVIDENCE (Big East). Creighton continues to string together wins and is arguably one of the hottest teams in the country from a major conference. They’ll be challenged tonight, but it’s one they should be able to pick up.
-SMU AT VIRGINIA TECH (ACC). SMU is outside the bubble, and I for one don’t see them getting inside of it, but at 17-5 overall they may get a look if they can finish the season strong and not drop any games like this one.
-ARKANSAS AT TEXAS (SEC). This one should be fun. It’s an old SWC rivalry and it means quite a bit on paper. Arkansas just got the big win at Kentucky in what was easily their biggest win and best performance of the season. If they can follow that up with a win at Texas you have to think that they have a realistic path to the NCAA Tournament. Texas is inside our bubble, but has room for improvement and getting a win in this one tonight should at least help keep them stable. This game has a bit of a pivotal feel for both teams.
-LSU AT GEORGIA (SEC). Georgia is a good team, but they’ve now lost five out of six in what is a very tough SEC. They need to collect what little low hanging fruit their is in this conference and pick up this win tonight.
-NEBRASKA AT WASHINGTON (Big Ten). The Huskers have now won two straight after a six game losing streak and are right back on our bubble. This isn’t the easiest game to go on the road and win, but it’s something that a tournament caliber team should be able to do.
-WAKE FOREST AT STANFORD (ACC). This game feels bubblicious. Neither team is in our field, but both are on our board and could make the NCAA Tournament if they’re able to finish strong. That would mean winning this one tonight.