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NEWS AND NOTES:
-Houston had a 10pt lead over Iowa State in the second half, but Iowa State finished the game on a strong run and made some big defensive plays down the stretch to escape with a huge 70-67 win. This was a game between two heavyweights. Both are likely protected seeds and both are likely to go deep into the tournament, so it was more of a litmus test for both teams than it was a must-win.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-MICHIGAN AT PURDUE (Big Ten). Michigan is back at #1 in the rankings and they have one of their toughest tests of the year coming up tonight at Purdue. The Boilers are a top ten team that could still reach the 1-line depending on how the rest of the season plays out, but they’ll need a win tonight. It should be a wild atmosphere and a fun game.
-NORTH CAROLINA AT NC STATE (ACC). This is a tough road game against a rival for the Tarheels, but they’ve managed road wins against Kentucky and Virginia and they’re certainly capable of winning this one. NC State is probably a tournament team and up until about a week ago they’d looked really solid, but they’ve now lost two straight and need to bounce back from that. A win tonight would be a huge momentum win for them both on and off paper.
-TCU AT UCF (Big 12). This is not the biggest showcase of the night, but it is one of the most important games. TCU is right on the bubble and this is a hugely pivotal game for them. A win probably puts them on the right side of it (at least for now). UCF has hit a bit of a skid and needs to pull themselves out of it, so the game has a pivotal feel for them as well.
-VIRGINIA TECH AT MIAMI FL (ACC). This is another big game as VA Tech is fighting to get on the right side of the bubble and Miami is looking to secure themselves a spot in the field. The Canes have won three in a row and two of those came against NC State and North Carolina, so they’re trending up right now.
-WISCONSIN AT OHIO STATE (Big Ten). Wisconsin is suddenly one of the hottest teams in the country with wins over Illinois and Michigan State last week. They go on the road today to face an Ohio State team that needs some big wins between now and the end of the season in order to make the field.
-NEBRASKA AT IOWA (Big Ten). Nebraska appears to be a solid protected seed. This is not an easy game to win, but it’s the kind of game that a protected seed caliber team can win. Iowa is pretty much in the middle of our brackets right now. This would be one of their better wins of the year and it would boost the value of their resume if they’re able to pull it off.
-GEORGIA AT KENTUCKY (SEC). Georgia is going in the complete wrong direction and needs a win to get things turned back around. Winning tonight won’t be easy. Kentucky is a solid team that’s looking to bounce back from a loss at Florida over the weekend.
OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:
-Villanova @ Xavier (Big East) – Xavier has played well at times and Nova doesn’t want to just overlook them, but it’s still the kind of game that Nova should win
-South Carolina @ Florida (SEC) – The Gators should be able to hold serve at home in this one
-Miami OH @ UMass (MAC) – the first meeting between these two was a battle and now Miami has to go on the road, but the Red Hawks have been playing better in their last few games and may have an easier time tonight
-George Washington @ VCU (Atlantic 10) – VCU should be able to hold serve in this one and stay within reach of the bubble
-SEMO @ UT Martin (Ohio Valley) – UT Martin is still in 1st place, but barely. They face one of the better teams in the league tonight in a game that should really impact the standings
-Air Force @ New Mexico (Mountain West) – New Mexico needs a strong finish to the season in order to get selected.
-LSU @ Texas (SEC) – Texas has been playing well lately and needs to hold serve at home
-Grand Canyon @ San Diego State (Mountain West) – San Diego State can get inside the bubble, but they need to pretty much win out in order to do it
-Texas Tech @ Arizona State (Big 12) – Texas Tech is coming off one of the biggest wins of the year and should be able to take care of business on the road tonight
