HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-AUBURN AT ALABAMA (SEC). If our research is correct, this is just the 4th time in the last 25 years that we’ve had a #1 vs #1 matchup in men’s college basketball. Auburn sits atop the AP Poll, and Alabama sits atop the Coaches’ Poll. And it’s a big rivalry game. And it’s a conference game. And the top seed in the South is up for grabs, which means getting sent to Atlanta for the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight. The two will meet at least one more time in the regular season, and could face each other again in the SEC Tournament, so there isn’t anything that will be finalized today, but it is still a really exciting and very unique matchup considering the storyline coming into this one.
-ARKANSAS AT TEXAS A&M (SEC). Arkansas is continuing to try and make a run at the bubble, but at some point needs a few more wins like this in order to get them there. Texas A&M is a really good legit top ten team that may be getting overlooked a little bit just because of how many other great teams are in the SEC.
-VANDERBILT AT TENNESSEE (SEC). Vanderbilt won the first meeting between these two, but going on the road and doing it again is a whole other challenge. Vandy is a home court hero, and while they’re inside the bubble for now, a road win like this would push them much further inside of it. Tennessee is still within reach of a #1 seed, so every game is big for them.
-WISCONSIN AT PURDUE (Big Ten). I have not been nearly as big on Wisky as most of the rest of Hoops HD, and I guess most of the rest of everyone else out there who follows college sports. I’m going on record now to say that if they can get this one on the road, I’m right there with everyone else. This would be a protected seed caliber win for the Badgers. Purdue is coming off a tough loss at Michigan and is looking to bounce back. Prior to that they had looked as strong as just about anyone in the country.
-HOUSTON AT ARIZONA (Big 12). This is a major showcase game between two highly ranked teams that seem to be on a path toward protected seeds. Houston may still have an outside shot at getting a #1 seed, but they’d need to win games like this in order to do it. Arizona is coming off their first loss in a while as they fell to Kansas State and will be looking to bounce back.
-WEST VIRGINIA AT BAYLOR (Big 12). This is a big game for both teams, especially West Virginia who may be sliding outside of the field and who needs wins to show they can still win big games despite the injuries. Baylor still has some work to do as well and needs to hold serve in this one at home.
-MISSOURI AT GEORGIA (SEC). Mizzou continues to put together really impressive looking wins and climb the seedlist. One area where could stand to improve is true road wins. They only have two on the year and this is a shot for them to get a 3rd. Georgia is squarely on the bubble, so every game has a pivotal feel for them. Like all bubble teams, they could really use a win like this.
-MISSISSIPPI STATE AT OLE MISS (SEC). It’s a rivarly game between two ranked teams who still have shots at ending up as protected seeds. So, it means a lot both on and off paper. The first game between these two was an overtime thriller with Ole Miss getting the win on the road, which is one of their biggest wins of the season. It should be another good one today.
-WAKE FOREST AT SMU (SEC). Hoops HD has both teams squarely on the bubble, which makes this game hugely important and hugely pivotal for both these teams. Simple as that. It has the feel of a must-win game.
-ILLINOIS AT MICHIGAN STATE (Big Ten). Both teams have had their ups and downs, but when they’ve had their ups they’ve been about as good as anyone in the country. Both still have room on their resumes for improvement, and both could really use this win today.
-KENTUCKY AT TEXAS (SEC). Kentucky should end up as a protected seed if they keep going like they have been, especially when you look at how impressive some of their wins have been. They could use a few more road wins, and this is perhaps one of their more winnable remaining road games. Texas is right on the bubble and will likely have a huge sense of urgency coming into this one. They could really use it.
-KANSAS STATE AT BYU (Big 12). This is yet another very pivotal game between two teams that are right on the bubble. K State is on fire with six straight wins against some of the strongest teams in the country, but they still have work to do. If they get this one, they may make our next bracket projection. BYU is right on the bubble and given how soft their OOC schedule was they probably need to get pretty far inside of it in order to feel safe. This is a big game for both of these teams.
-BOISE STATE AT SAN DIEGO STATE (Mountain West). We’ve been kind of quiet about Boise State lately, but I still like their profile and I think if they can get this win on the road, which I know is a tall order, they will be back in the picture and perhaps back inside the bubble. San Diego State is in our field, but they need to hold serve and finish strong in order to stay there.
OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:
-Clemson @ Florida State (ACC) – Clemson continues to roll and outside of Duke may be the best team in the ACC. They have a somewhat challenging, but also winnable conference road game today.
-Depaul @ Xavier (Big East) – If Xavier is going to make the NCAA Tournament then they pretty much need to win out
-Saint Joseph’s @ George Mason (Atlantic 10) – if George Mason can win out then they should get a serious look from the committee
-Vermont @ Maine (America East) – this game won’t impact the bracket, but will have a big impact on the AEast standings and potentially who gets home court advantage in the semis of the AEast Tournament
-Connecticut @ Seton Hall (Big East) – it’s a conference game, and it’s a road game, but it still carries little more weight than what a home buy game would for UConn
-Texas Tech @ Oklahoma State (Big 12) – Texas Tech had a poor performance earlier in the week, but they still got the win and they should be able to pick this one up away from home as well
-Stanford @ Duke (ACC) – Duke has a clear path to a #1 seed and just needs to hold serve in order to get there. Stanford may be able to reach the bubble, but they’d probably need a win like this in order to do it
-Cincinnati @ Iowa State (Big 12) – Iowa State hasn’t looked like a #1 seed 100 percent of the time, but they’ve done it enough to where they should cruise to a protected seed and should be able to hold serve at home today
-Wyoming @ Colorado State (Mountain West, Front Range) – We at Hoops HD LOVE the Front Range!!
-LSU @ Oklahoma (SEC) – the Sooners are still hovering around the bubble and need to hold serve in the few conference games they play that are “easy.”
-UC Davis @ UC San Diego (Big West) – I think UCSD should be inside the bubble if they win out the regular season, which they are good enough to do
-Akron @ Central Michigan (MAC) – this game doesn’t impact the bracket, but Akron is unbeaten in conference play and will be a dangerous team in the Round of 64 if they’re able to get there
-Princeton @ Yale (Ivy League) – these are the top two teams, and if Yale wins it there is almost no chance anyone is going to catch them. They’re also going to be a tough team to beat in the Round of 64 if they get that far
-Troy @ Arkansas State (Sun Belt) – one of many pivotal games in the logjammed Sun Belt
-Omaha @ Saint Thomas (Summit League) – these are the top two teams, although the storyline is somewhat skewed since Saint Thomas is not eligible for the NCAAs and since Omaha is coming off a loss
-South Carolina @ Florida (SEC) – I think Florida is good enough to end up as a #1 seed and they have been killing it lately. They should be able to hold serve at home
-Kansas @ Utah (Big 12) – Kansas hasn’t been the best road team, but this is one that they should be able to get
-Pepperdine @ Gonzaga (West Coast) – Gonzaga just had a nice win against San Francisco and should be able to hold serve tonight
-Washington State @ Saint Mary’s (West Coast) – I still think SMC is the best team in the WCC, and they should be able to take care of business and hold serve against a Wazzu team that’s been good at times, but not lately.
-San Francisco @ San Diego (West Coast) – San Francisco is outisde the bubble, but they still may have a chance to reach it so long as they finish strong. They absolutely need this one today, though
-UC Irvine @ Hawaii (Big West) – not the easiest road trip, but for UC Irvine to end the season inside the bubble and not needing to win the Big West Tournament in order to get a bid, they need to win out