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NEWS AND NOTES:
-Arizona had what appeared to be a comfortable 19pt lead at BYU with less than a minute to go and I was thinking it may be one of the most impressive single game performances of the season by any team. With less than 90 seconds to go the lead was 11, but BYU almost managed the comeback of all comebacks and had a chance to win the game on their last possession, but Arizona made a great defensive play and after two late freethrows escaped 86-83. This is Arizona’s second true road win against a team that is likely to earn a protected seed, so I think it’s safe to say their resume is pretty solid.
-Duke totally dominated Louisville in the second half and by the time the game was over it looked like they had played a home buy game. The final score was 83-52. Louisville continues to be less than stellar on the road.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-NEBRASKA AT MICHIGAN (Big Ten). Both teams are high in the rankings and as of right now both are within reach of a #1 seed. Nebraska is unbeteaten with a win at Illinois and Michigan has just one loss to Wisconsin. This would be the best win of the season for Nebraska if they’re able to pull it off and despite being at home it would also be one of Michigan’s better wins. It’s two titans clashing in what should be a fun showcase game with potential #1 seed implications.
-ARKANSAS AT OKLAHOMA (SEC). Arkansas has just one true road win and needs some more of those on their profile. Oklahoma has just one SEC win and needs some more of those on their profile. The Sooners are coming off a crazy loss to Missouri so they may have a chip on their shoulders in this one.
-MISSOURI AT ALABAMA (SEC). Missouri is hovering around our bubble, but is playing a lot better now than they were earlier in the season and is trending in the right direction. A win today would slingshot them up the seedlist and give their profile a huge boost. Having said that, winning at Alabama is much easier said than done. The Tide are coming off a home loss to Tennessee and should have a big chip on their shoulders tonight.
-PURDUE AT INDIANA (Big Ten). Indiana is on our board but outside our bubble. A win like this would make a huge difference for them even though they are at home. It’s a road test for Purdue, but we have them projected as a solid protected seed and it’s a road test they should be able to pass. It’s also a huge rivalry game, so it’ means something both on and off paper.
-KENTUCKY AT VANDERBILT (SEC). Kentucky is trending up with five straight wins, all of them hard fought. Vanderbilt has slipped a little bit, but ended a three game losing streak with a blowout win over Mississippi State in their last game. This would be a resume-building win for whichever team can pull it off.
OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:
-Northwestern State @ Stephen F Austin (Southland) – SFA will stay on top of the SLC standings if they can hold serve in this one
-Michigan State @ Rutgers (Big Ten) – This should be a winnable conference road game for Michigan State
-Virginia @ Notre Dame (ACC) – Virginia is coming off a home loss to North Carolina and needs to rebound. This should be a winnable conference road game for them
-Arizona State @ UCF (Big 12). UCF should be able to hold serve at home in this one against an Arizona State team that has really been struggling
-Toledo @ Akron (MAC) – Miami OH is getting a lot of love in this conference, but Akron is not far behind them. They should be able to hold serve in this one
-Providence @ Connecticut (Big East) – the first matchup was a battle, and UConn has been playing with fire in their last few games, but it’s still one they should get at home
-George Washington @ Saint Louis (Atlantic 10) – SLU is climbing the rankings with just one loss on the season. They should be able to hold serve in this one
-Georgia Tech @ Virginia Tech (ACC) – VA Tech is a bubble team that needs to hold serve at home against a GA Tech team that’s nowhere near the bubble
-UMass @ Miami OH (MAC) – Miami should be able to win at home and remain unbeaten
-Creighton @ Marquette (Big East) – If Creighton is going to claw their way back inside the bubble they need to keep stringing together wins. They can/should improve to 7-3 in Big East play with a win tonight
-Grand Canyon @ Nevada (Mountain West) – The Lopes are on a roll and can keep themsevles within reach of 1st place in the MWC with a win tonight
-New Mexico @ UNLV (Mountain West) – this is a dangerous road game for the Lobos given how well UNLV has been playing, but it’s still one they should be able to win
