NEWS AND NOTES:
For our first CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK VIDEO NOTEBOOK, which previews all of today’s Conference Tournament action – CLICK HERE
SURVIVAL BOARD UPDATE: In addition to today’s conference tournament games in the ASUN, Harvard would be eliminated if Cornell defeats Princeton.
-Auburn went on the road to Kentucky, opened up a double digit lead in the first half, and basically never sweated after that. Auburn was just on cruise control and won 94-78.
-Tennessee hit a game winning shot that was just beyond halfcourt as time expired to knock off Alabama 79-76. Both teams are fighting for a #1 seed and both put on a show yesterday in an exciting game that was played at a very high level.
-Also in the state of Tennessee, Vanderbilt hit a game-tying 3 at the end of regulation against Missouri to force overtime, and eventually pull out the 97-93 win. Vandy was behind late in the game and it appeared to be out of reach, but they hit several big shots down the stretch and they continue to knock off heavyweight programs on their home court. Mizzou is still in great shape, but this win would have really boosted their profile given how strong Vandy has been at home this year.
-Florida blew Texas A&M off the court 89-70. Even though they were at home that was still a very impressive showing against a very strong TAMU team.
-Iowa State ended up knocking off Arizona rather decisively 84-67 in a game it seemed as though they controlled all the way through.
-Kansas has struggled on the road, but they had been able to get the big wins at home. But…not yesterday. Texas Tech added another really solid win to their profile as they knocked off Kansas at the Phog 78-73.
-Arkansas, who was squarely on the bubble, was completely blown off the floor by South Carolina. This is a REALLY bad look. South Carolina is nowhere near the field, and Arkansas didn’t even bother to show up for a game they really couldn’t afford to lose. The score was 18-3 early on and it never got any closer as the Gamecocks went on to win 72-53.
-Oklahoma dropped yet another close game against a team that could have helped push them toward the right side of bubble. They could not get it done against Ole Miss as they lost 87-84 and are now just 4-12 in SEC play. The Sooners have some good wins on their profile, and none of their losses are bad, but I can’t imagine the committee selecting a team that is so far below .500 in conference play.
-Utah State was blown off the floor by Colorado State 93-66. The loss isn’t a death blow because Colorado State has been playing well and is not easy to beat on the road, but it is a setback of sorts and will likely drop Utah State down the seedlist a bit.
-Yale has wrapped up the Ivy League, but they did suffer their first conference loss of the season yesterday as they fell at Harvard 74-69.
-Xavier is right on the bubble and needs some statement wins, and they got one yesterday as they blew Creighton out of the gym 83-61. It was a home game, but Creighton has been solid enough on the road where Xavier will get some credit for it. If nothing else Xavier just looks like an NCAA Tournament caliber team right now. If they can win out through the regular season and avoid an early loss in the Big East Tournament they should get in.
-Indiana keeps stringing together wins. They picked up another conference road win as they knocked off Washington 78-62. They’ve now won four of their last five and are looking like a tournament team.
-Georgia went into Texas in what was a bubblicious matchup and blew the Longhorns off of their own floor. This is a big blow to Texas and it gives Georgia something they desperately needed and that’s a notable win in a true road game.
-For the second game in a row Gonzaga went on the road, faced a solid team that’s tough to beat on the road, and blew them out. They basically controlled the whole game against San Francisco and got the 95-75 win. It’s been a disappointing season for the Zags, but they’ve looked really good in their last two games and are starting to look good at the right time.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-WISCONSIN AT MICHIGAN STATE (Big Ten). Both teams appear to be on their way to protected seeds and Michigan State in particular is coming off two straight road wins at Michigan and Maryland, which are really strong wins to have on their profile.
-MISSOURI STATE AT DRAKE (Missouri Valley). This is Drake’s final regular season game and I believe a win should guarantee them a spot in the field regardless of what happens in the conference tournament next week.
-ILLINOIS AT MICHIGAN (Big Ten). Illinois has shown they can play at a high level, but they’ve also shown that they don’t always play up to that level. They’re just 5-8 in their last 13 games and recently snapped a three game losing streak with their win against Iowa. Michigan has been finding ways to win, but their last nine wins have been either in overtime or by 4pts or less. So, it has certainly been entertaining!
-MEMPHIS AT UAB (AMERICAN). These are probably the two best teams in the American, and while UAB is nowhere near the bubble, they’ve won seven of their last eight and should be way up for this one at home.
UTR WATCH:
-Quinnipiac @ Merrimack (MAAC) – Quinnipiac has a one game lead in the standings with just three games to go