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NEWS AND NOTES:
-Connecticut got a much bigger battle than expected from Providence and was actually behind for most of the game. In the final minutes of regulation Providence appeared to be in control, but through a sequence of big and crazy plays UConn got it to overtime and escaped with a 103-98 OT win.
-Alabama stayed within arms reach of Vanderbilt, but Vandy still felt like they were in control and picked up a tough 96-90 win against a Bama team that is not easy to beat. Vandy remains unbeaten and has a case for being the best team in the SEC.
-Saint Louis picked up their biggest and most impresssive win of the year as they went into VCU and won 71-62. It was a road game in a tough environment against a good team, and every time VCU appeared to be building momentum SLU had an answer. They are getting close to the top 25, and they deserve it.
-Clemson survived a late from from SMU to hold on for a 74-70 win at home. The Tigers are now 13-3 on the year and are still perfect in the ACC.
-Belmont bounced back from two tough 1pt losses and got a big win at Northern Iowa 78-65. Northern Iowa is a very tough place to play and if Belmont can play like that the rest of the way they can win the league and be a very tough team in the NCAA Tournament.
-Miami FL is now 13-2 on the year and a perfect 2-0 in the ACC after getting a nice road win against a Wake Forest team that at one time looked to be getting better, but who has now lost three of their last four.
-Stanford went across the country and got a huge road win at Virginia Tech. This follows up a big home win against Louisville, which improves them to 13-3 on the year and makes their resume look a lot better.
-Virginia was less than hospitable against California. The Hoos beat the Golden Bears by 24 on the heels of a win at NC State.
-Missouri won their second straight game as they knocked off Kentucky on the road 73-68. The Tigers are now an impressive 12-3 on the year with back to back wins against Florida and Kentucky. They are looking a lot better than they did just a week ago. The Cats, meanwhile, are running out of lives and need to begin cracking the win column, injuries or no injuries.
-Villanova, who seemed to be cruising, hit a major pothole yesterday with a somewhat surprising 76-72 loss at home to Creighton. Creighton is coming off a loss to Seton Hall where they seemed to have the game wrapped up, but just collapsed down the stretch. The Bluejays still have work to do, but they are also getting better and this win certainly helps.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-SANTA CLARA AT GONZAGA (West Coast). I like this Santa Clara team and think they can play their way inside the bubble. An upset win tonight will have everyone else saying the same thing. Having said that, Gonzaga is one of the hardest places to win in the entire country. The Zags are a solid protected seed, they are good enough to win out, and if they do they may have a shot at earning a #1 seed. Still, tonight should be fun and worth staying up for.
-Northwetern @ Michigan State – Michigan State is a solid protected seed level team and should be able to hold serve at home in this one
-Liberty @ Louisiana Tech (Conference USA) – Liberty has looked really good in conference play so far and while this can be a tough road trip it’s still one they should be able to win
-Rutgers @ Illinois (Big Ten) – the Illini should hold serve at home without too much trouble
-Western Kentucky @ New Mexico State (Conference USA) – Western Kentucky has a talented team, but this will be a really tough road game. I’m highlighting this simply because I feel it will be one of the more entertaining games of the day
-Seattle U @ Oregon State (West Coast) – Seattle has had two straight tough losses, but this should be a winnable road game for them
