NEWS AND NOTES:
-Nebraska had a lead at Michigan for most of the game, but Michigan stayed in it, got the lead late in the game, and held on to win 75-72. Nebraska had multiple chances at a game-tying 3 which would have sent it to overtime, but couldn’t get it to go down.
-Rutgers led Michigan State all throughout regulation, but in the final seconds Michigan State hit a game-tying 3 and Rutgers failed to convert what would have been a game winning shot in their last possession. Michigan State got control in the overtime and escaped 88-79.
-Purdue knew they were in for a battle when they traveled to Indiana last night, or at least they should have known that. Indiana pretty much held a lead for the entire game and while Purdue made some big plays late in the second half it was not enough to get them over the top. The Boilers suffer another loss 72-67. As for Indiana, this is a huge win both on and off paper that will move their profile forward.
-Virginia needed a couple of overtimes, but escaped Notre Dame 100-97 and avoided what would have been a second straight loss.
-Kentucky fell behind big and early to Vanderbilt, but we’ve seen Kentucky do this before and come back. Last night, Kentucky did not come back. They were blown off the floor 80-55 in what was one of Vandy’s more impressive showings of the season.
-Saint Louis nearly lost at home to George Washington and was behind for much of the game, but a late 3 gave them a 76-73 win and should keep them in the top 25.
-Miami OH won another thriller, and once again had to come from behind against what appears to be an inferior opponent to do it. They managed to get it done and held on to beat UMass 86-84.
-There was actually free admission to the Arkansas-Oklahoma game in Norman, Oklahoma due to bitterly cold temperatures, but the home crowd could not push the Sooners over the finish line. Arkansas got a road win, but only by 4 points.
-UCF escaped at home against Arizona State after the Knights overcame a late 12-point deficit to beat the Sun Devils. Jordan Burks hit a game-winning three to save UCF from a very damaging loss at home.
-I think we can officially pull the plug on Creighton. The Bluejays were mauled (and I do mean mauled) at Marquette 86-62.
HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-BUTLER AT SAINT JOHN’S (Big East). Butler is inching closer and closer to the bubble and a strong finish to the season could land them inside of it. A win in a game like this could make the difference. Saint John’s continues to roll and is looking for their seventh straight win tonight.
-USC AT IOWA (Big Ten). Both teams really need this win. Both can land inside the bubble, but both still have a lot of work to do. Iowa doesn’t have any real wins of note on their profile, and even though this is a home game it’s at least something, and USC is a solid 4-2 on the road. As for USC, this would likely be another notable road win if they could get it and it would help make their resume look a little more solid.
-TENNESSEE AT GEORGIA (SEC). I like both teams and I expect both of them to not only make the field but land in the top half of the bracket. Having said that, to date Tennessee has just one true road win (albeit a good one against Alabama in their last game). If the can pick up this one today the value of their resume shoots way up.
-TEXAS AT AUBURN (SEC). Both teams have really kicked it into gear lately and picked up some big wins, but neither team can put it on cruise control at this point because both still have a lot of work to do. There should be a huge sense of urgency for both teams coming into this game.
-HOUSTON AT TCU (Big 12). TCU has won two straight and appears to have the train back on the tracks. The problem is that Houston is the kind of opponent that can absolutely derail your train. The Cougars are looking to rebound from a close road loss at Texas Tech and they aren’t the kind of team to take any conference road game lightly. TCU could really use this to shore up their profile, but even though they’re at home it’s a very tough game to win.
-STANFORD AT MIAMI FL (ACC). Stanford has been plagued with injuries and needs a win in a game like this to show they can still play at a high level. Miami FL is in our field, but their resume is a little flimsy and it’s important they hold serve in games like this one.
OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:
-Davidson @ George Mason (Atlantic 10 ) – Mason is looking to rebound from a loss to Rhode Island. They should get a look from the committee if they win out, but anything short of that and they’ll likely need the auto bid
-California @ Florida State (ACC) – Cal finally got their first road win of the season over the weekend against rivals Stanford. This should be another challenging, but winnable, road game for them tonight
-Navy @ Boston U (Patriot League) – Navy is looking to stay on top of the Patriot League standings
-Austin Peay @ Eastern Kentucky (Atlantic Sun) – Austin Peay is in a race with Queens for first place, which a year ago would have meant a lot more when the conference tournament was at campus sites
-Xavier @ Seton Hall (Big East) – Seton Hall is in a complete tailspin with four straight losses and there is a huge sense of urgency to this game tonight. They basically have to win it
-Belmont @ Valparaiso (Missouri Valley) – Belmont should win this game, but Valpo has proven to be a challenging place to win this year. I still think the committee will look at Belmont closely if they can win out
-North Texas @ Tulsa (American) – after a bit of a skid a couple weeks ago, Tulsa has now won four straight and should make it five tonight with a winnable home game. I don’t know if they’ll be inside the bubble or not, but if they win out they should at least get a look
-Florida @ South Carolina (SEC) – the Gators are looking to bounce back from a loss to Auburn over the weekend and this should be a winnable road game for them
-Illinois State @ Murray State (Missouri Valley) – Illinois State is a tough team, but they’ve stumbled a few too many times. Murray State is trying to keep pace with Belmont in the MVC standings
-South Florida @ Tulane (American) – South Florida is one of the more talented teams in the American and would be a dangerous team in the Round of 64 if they can get there.
-Minnesota @ Wisconsin (Big Ten) – It’s a rivalry game and it’s one that Wisky cannot afford to lose. They’re at home against a team that is nowhere near the bubble
-Colorado State @ San Diego State (Mountain West) – San Diego State is looking to remain atop the MWC standings and stay within reach of the bubble
-San Francisco @ Santa Clara (West Coast) – it’s a rivalry game, and it’s one that Santa Clara needs to win in order to stay within reach of the bubble
-UCLA @ Oregon (Big Ten) – UCLA appears to have come to life in the last week and has the chance to add another road win to their resume, which still needs some things added to it
