NEWS AND NOTES:
-For the latest HOOPS HD REPORT Video Podcast – CLICK HERE
-For John Stalica’s UTR Game of the Day – CLICK HERE
-Houston and Texas, after both being national programs for close to a decade, FINALLY played each other in basketball!! And it was everything we KNEW it would be!! The crowd was great! The game was exciting and even went into overtime! And Houston got a massive 76-72 road win that means a lot both on and off paper, and the Cougars are continuing to look like a #1 seed. They play again later this season! Then, after this season Texas is bolting for the SEC. Please, please, PLEASE keep this series going!!!!! It makes college basketball better!!
HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-SOUTH CAROLINA AT TENNESSEE. South Carolina is coming off a big win against Kentucky that was both celebratory off paper and big on paper, but they’ve got a much bigger test tonight against a Tennessee team that could still reach the #1 line. The Vols should hold serve at home in this one.
-NORTH CAROLINA AT GEORGIA TECH (ACC). GA Tech has managed a couple big wins at home this year, so the Tarheels don’t want to just overlook them, but it’s still a game UNC should win.
-MARQUETTE AT VILLANOVA (Big East). Marquette is looking like they could end up as high as the #2 line come March, whereas Nova’s resume is really flimsy and they need some more wins just to help insure that they get in at all. Tonight is kind of pivotal for Nova.
-ILLINOIS AT OHIO STATE (Big Ten). Ohio State has looked solid at times, but right now it feels like they’re on the outside looking in, whereas Illinois is looking like they could end up as a protected seed. This would be just the third true road win for the Illini, so it would make their resume look a little better.
-TEXAS TECH AT TCU (Big 12). Both teams are in the rankings and both have been playing very well lately. Texas Tech just got a massive road win at Oklahoma, and TCU has won two straight on the road, including a triple overtime thriller at Baylor. Both are trending up, and both have the opportunity to go up even higher if the can win this game tonight.
-GEORGE WASHINGTON AT DAYTON (Atlantic 10). Dayton has had a great season, but they’re coming off a loss to Richmond and need to hold serve and bounce back at home. They may not make it all the way to being a protected seed, but they are still very safely inside the bubble.
-SYRACUSE AT BOSTON COLLEGE (ACC). Syracuse has been quietly coming on strong lately, and while they still have a ways to go, they do appear to be heading in the right direct. Another conference road win tonight should help them keep getting closer.
-AKRON AT EASTERN MICHIGAN (MAC). Akron suffered a surprising loss at Miami OH over the weekend, and they basically need to win out in order to have any chance at landing inside the bubble.
-OKLAHOMA AT KANSAS STATE (Big 12). Oklahoma has been in a bit of a tailspin and could really use a road win to help stabilize their resume. K State is right on the bubble, so every game for the Wildcats has a pivotal feel to it. Both teams should have a bit of a sense of urgency coming into this one.
MISSISSIPPI STATE AT OLE MISS (SEC). Ole Miss is coming off a really big win at Texas A&M, and their fans should be jacked way up tonight for their in-state rivals. Mississippi State had a nice win over Auburn this weekend, but they still don’t have any road wins this season and could really use this to boost their resume as well as earn some bragging rights.
-OKLAHOMA STATE AT KANSAS (Big 12). The Jayhawks have struggled in some of their conference road games, but they’ve been rock solid at home and should hold serve in this one tonight.
-SAN DIEGO STATE AT COLORADO STATE (Mountain West). Both teams are having good seasons and both look to be safely inside the bubble for now, but both could also use a big momentum boost as well as a resume boost, and this game is a big opportunity for both teams. It should be a fun one!
-LOUISVILLE AT CLEMSON (ACC). This should be the equivalent of a home buy game for Clemson, but they did lose to an even worse Louisville last year, and it was likely that loss that kept them out of the NCAA Tournament, so they don’t want to overlook them.
-MIAMI FL AT NC STATE (ACC). Right now we have both teams outside the bubble and they both need to string together wins in order to end up on the right side of it.
-MICHIGAN AT MICHIGAN STATE (Big Ten). This is a rivalry game and it’s always pretty intense, but this year’s edition matches a Michigan State team that’s trying to stay inside the bubble against a Michigan team that is nowhere near it.
-SETON HALL AT DEPAUL (Big East). Seton Hall had been as hot as anyone in the conference, but they’ve now lost three straight (although some of that is due to injuries). If they lose to DePaul and make it four straight, then they’re REALLY going to be in trouble!!
-LMU AT GONZAGA (West Coast). The Zags have been playing a little better and they just need to keep holding serve.
Bracketology – Staff Bracket (Monday, January 29th)
This week, it is our colleague John Stalica’s turn to do the weekly staff bracket for Hoops HD. This is not where we try to guess what the Selection Committee will do – that is what our colleagues like Jon Teitel and Rocco Miller do on a regular basis. Rather, this is who John would have in the field as of today.
First Four Out: Colorado, Virginia Tech, Miami, Virginia
Worth a Look: Wake Forest, SMU, Drake, Michigan State, James Madison
JOHN’S COMMENTS:
The 1-line is starting to take better shape and, from a resume perspective, Purdue gets the edge for #1 overall. As yesterday proved, UConn may well have the highest ceiling of anyone in the country right now.
I am starting to believe in what teams like Texas Tech and Iowa State have been able to accomplish in the Big 12. Baylor and Oklahoma (especially the Sooners) are in a bit of decline right now. Of course, their “reward” is a first-round matchup against Nebraska. In Omaha. Good luck with that.
Memphis might not even be in this field much longer at this rate. Had they lost at home against Vandy back in December, they certainly wouldn’t be.
OTHER COMMENTS:
COMMENTS FROM DAVID:
-This isn’t so much me disagreeing with Stalica as much as it is me disagreeing with virtually everyone. Oklahoma is way overvalued. Now to be fair, John has them lower than most people, and even makes mention in his notes that they are on the decline. John barely has Texas in. Texas has played a tougher strength of schedule, Texas has more road wins, Texas has more quad 1 wins, and on top of all that, Texas won handily AT OKLAHOMA!!! I’m not trying to gush over Texas so much as I am trying to dump on Oklahoma! Texas, by virtually every measurement, is better than Oklahoma, with the exception of perhaps one area. Oklahoma’s losses aren’t quite as bad. Texas lost to UCF and West Virginia (who both also beat Kansas) whereas Oklahoma’s losses were to better teams….like, say…TEXAS!!
-In looking at the top of John’s seedlist, I agree with all of his #1 line, and all but one of his #2 line. I like Marquette a little more, but John has them as #9 overall, so we aren’t exactly all that far apart on them.
-It’s interesting to see that he still has Princeton on the #10 line after they got beat so badly by Cornell over the weekend. I don’t think he’s wrong. In fact I’d probably argue for them to be there. I don’t think the real committee would have them there at this point, though.
COMMENTS FROM CHAD:
-I will take some exception with John’s top 4 lines. I just do not understand Baylor on the 3 line. The Bears have lost 3 in a row and have only one true road win. That is a 5 or 6 seed profile. I also don’t get Utah State on the 4 line. I would rather San Diego State be there with a way tougher Strength of Schedule. I just think the Aztecs are a better team. By several seed lines.
-My biggest issue is with Auburn. The Tigers have *ZERO* Quad 1 wins and do not have a win away from home against a team that is at-large worthy. They also have a loss to a team that is below the at-large cut line (at App State). I simply do not understand why everyone loves this team. Is it because they lose close games? You don’t get a protected seed for losing games!
-Iowa State is under-seeded on the 6 line. The Cyclones now have wins over Houston and Kansas and do not have a bad loss. I could see this team in the protected seed range instead of some of John’s other choices.
-Seton Hall was one of the hottest teams in the nation and climbing everyone’s seed lists. They now have a 3 game losing streak including a home loss to Providence. I think the Hall is still in the field, but at 13-8 overall and with a sub-.500 record against Quads 1-3, just barely in. I would have them in Dayton.
-Seton Hall’s conference mate, Villanova, is even worse shape. In addition to their three bad losses in the Big Five Challenge, the Wildcats have now lost 5 of their last 6 games — and the one win was at home over DePaul! I would have Villanova OUT right now.
-Nevada does not belong in right now either. The Wolf Pack are fading fast in the Mountain West and have only two wins against tournament teams, and one of those is against a Colorado State team that has been slipping a ton lately as well.
-Colorado (rather than Oregon), Michigan State and Virginia are the three teams John left out that I would have in. I also think the Gonzaga is very close to being back in this field as they keep winning and the rest of the Bubble keeps losing.