It was both a busy and crazy week last week and we recap all the action! Auburn had an eventful week with a loss right at the buzzer to Texas A&M, but followed that up with a blowout win against Arkansas. Wisconsin pulled a massive upset at Michigan which takes them from way outside the bubble to solidly in the picture. Arizona is at the top of both polls and remains unbeaten on the season. Houston also had a big week and appears to be getting tougher and tougher as the season progresses. UConn has a big game coming up at Seton Hall in the Big East, and Saint John’s is also starting to look a lot better. We discuss all that, and more!
And for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…
A full panel has been assembled and they build this week’s seedlist line by line! They debate, discuss, assess, and argue about each team as they go. Find out who they have on the #1 lines so far, who is safely in, who still has work to do, and who on the bubble just made it in and just missed it.
Below is a final copy of The Bracket, but don’t look at it until you’ve watched the show!!
And for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…
We are 9 weeks away from Selection Sunday as we begin to make our NCAA tourney predictions. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel correctly picked 66 of the 68 teams that made the 2025 tourney: 62 of his 66 were within 1 spot of their actual seed and 52 were right on the money. He will spend the upcoming months predicting which 68 teams will hear their names called on March 15th. See below for his list of who would make the cut if they picked the field today and if you agree or disagree then feel free to tweet us. To see how he stacks up with other websites (ranked 7th out of 186 bracket veterans over the past 5 years), check out: www.bracketmatrix.com
SEED: TEAM (CONFERENCE) 1: Arizona (Big 12) 1: Michigan (Big 10) 1: Connecticut (Big East) 1: Iowa State (Big 12)
-Michigan, who a week ago I had said was playing better than perhaps any team had since the UNLV teams from the early 1990s, was upset at home yesterday by a Wisconsin team that prior to that hadn’t looked like they were good enough to land anywhere near the bubble. The Badgers pulled off a season defining, and perhaps a season saving, 91-88 win in Ann Arbor.
-Everyone else in the top ten held serve, although several were challenged. Arizona got a nice road win at TCU, Iowa State held off a tough Oklahoma State team, Purdue got a battle from Penn State but held on to win, Duke held off a really good SMU team, Houston went on the road and blew out Baylor, BYU had to sweat out rival Utah but managed to pull it out, Nebraska had to come from behind late to win at Indiana, and Vanderbilt held off LSU.
-Texas, who was another team that didn’t appear to be anywhere close to the bubble, got a huge road win at Alabama yesterday 92-88 to breathe a lot of life back into their season. The Longhorns still have a lot of work to do, but this was a huge step forward.
-Texas Tech got an absolute battle from Colorado on the road and almost blew what appeared to be a safe lead in the second half, but held on 73-71 to pick up another road win.
-Auburn, who had undergone several frustrating losses, worked a lot of those frustrations out yesterday as they absolutely blew Arkansas out of the gym 95-73. It was a home win, but it was still perhaps the most impressive Auburn has looked all season.
-Florida, who had also experienced a few frustrating losses, absolutely blew out Tennessee 91-67. Tennessee has still not won a true road game and that it something that is causing their resume to sag a little bit.
-Kansas hadn’t looked quite as good as they normally do, but they still looked pretty good prior to yesterday, so it was a bit surprising to see a West Virginia team that for the most part had not looked good at all at any point beat them rather handily 86-75. West Virginia still has a lot of work to do, but they’re now suddenly 11-5 and 2-1 in Big 12 play.
-George Mason held off a good VCU team 86-81 to improve to 16-1 on the year. Despite their bloated record their margin for error is very small given how weak their schedule is.
-Saint John’s went on the road and absolutely blasted Creighton 90-73. You figured that sooner or later the Johnnies would kick it into gear despite the somewhat slow start. Yesterday may have been the best they’ve looked all season.
-Tulsa will win a lot of games, but one of the games they better win is that American Conference Championship game. They lost at home to South Florida 93-78 in a game where they did not look anything like a top 40 team that belongs inside the bubble. I think they American is now getting just one team in.
-Texas A&M did not get off to the best of starts this season, but they are really playing well now. They beat Oklahoma 83-76 yesterday and are now unbeaten in SEC play and 13-3 on the year.
-Virginia Tech held off California 78-75 in a game between two teams that are fighting for spots inside the bubble. It would have been a huge resume-boosting win for Cal had they been able to pull it off.
In some Under the Radar notes:
-Yale, who I thought was the top UTR team, did not look anything like it yesterday as they were beaten rather handily by a very subpar Princeton team 73-60.
-Columbia, who was another Ivy League team we were excited out after their OOC season, lost at home to Harvard 79-54 rounding out a couple of blowout upsets in the Ivy.
-Belmont overcame a 25pt deficit in about 9 minutes of play at Drake to cut the lead down to 1 and then pulled off a tough come from behind win on the road 78-76 to keep their bubble hopes barely flickering.
-The Citadel ended a lengthy D1 losing streak with a 79-77 overtime win against Western Carolina
-High Point needed overtime, but was able to pull out the 84-82 win at Charleston Southern, which was perhaps their toughest remaining regular season game.
-Arkansas Pine Bluff won on the road at Texas Southern to improve to 3-0 in SWAC play, which is perhaps one of the biggest surprisng start to conference play in any of the 32 conferences.
-UC San Diego pulled off a 69-66 road win at UC Riverside after trailing for most of the game.
-And to close things out after 2am last night, UC Irvine hit a go-ahead shot with 5 seconds to play at Hawaii in a game that was close all throughout, only to see Hawaii hit a game winning shot that just beat the buzzer for a massive 67-66 win, which was the first Big West lost for the Eaters.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-ILLINOIS AT IOWA (Big Ten). Iowa is coming off a road loss to Minnesota, which isn’t good. Their resume really needs some work and winning today is something that would really help. Illinois is having a solid season and can add another solid win to their resume if they’re able to pull this off.
-OHIO STATE AT WASHINGTON (Big Ten). Both teams are on the outside looking in and both need to start stringing together wins.
-Wright State @ Oakland (Horizon League) – these appear to be the two best teams in the conference. Strangely enough this is the second conference game the two have played against each other with Wright State winning the first one, and will likely have a huge impact on who ends up finishing first.
-Cincinnati @ UCF (Big 12) – UCF should be able to bounce back after their loss to Oklahoma State earlier in the week
HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel will spend the upcoming months covering several Georgetown basketball home games, with (hopefully) a very special reward coming in March. He was in attendance Wednesday night for the Hoyas’ game at Capital 1 Arena and prepared this photo essay about their matchup against Seton Hall.
I had a delicious pregame meal: chicken/salmon/broccoli/mac and cheese/rice/tomatoes/kale Caesar salad! Call me a traditionalist but I am not a fan of the teal uniforms:
Let’s tip off the home opener for 2026 with the biggest student section all season:
There was not a lot of offense during the 1st 20 minutes…but if you like rock fights then you came to the right place! It was also a tale of 2 Williams. Seton Hall G Mike Williams III did all of his work inside with an alley-oop layup and a pair of pull-up jumpers:
In contrast, Georgetown F Caleb Williams backed down his defender for a floater in the lane but made both of his 3-PT attempts for a team-high 8 PTS.
The score was tied at 29 as we headed to halftime. During intermission I got a real thumbs-up from HoopsHD’s favorite imaginary handshaker: former Siena and Loyola MD coach Jimmy Patsos!
Georgetown is 4-0 this season when they had 5 players score in double-figures, and their backcourt finally got going in the 2nd stanza. KJ Lewis made a layup and a 3, then made sure the ref appreciated all his hard work:
Malik Mack got hit in the nose midway through the half, causing the trainer to stuff a bandage up his left nostril after it started bleeding, but he played through the pain with a floater, a fadeaway jumper, and a layup to finish with a team-high 14 PTS:
Seton Hall trailed by 11 PTS with 14 minutes to go, then their bench players flipped the switch as Tajuan Simpkins (left) made a pair of threes and an old-fashioned 3-PT play, while Josh Rivera (right) made a dunk and 3 to help the Pirates regain the lead:
The shortest player on the court was also the best player on the court as 5’10” PG Adam “Budd” Clark helped seal the deal for the Pirates. He knocked down several jump shots as well as 10-12 FTs en route to a season-high 22 PTS as the Pirates pulled off the comeback to win by a score of 74-67:
In the postgame press conference, I asked Georgetown coach Ed Cooley whether he felt his opposing coach (Shaheen Holloway) was a strong contender for national COY. He said that Shaheen would be very worthy of that award because his kids are outwilling everyone they are playing thanks to pressing and getting offensive rebounds. He closed with, “There are a lot of great coaches in our league and I think he is very deserving: the 1 coach who is not is me.”:
That is a wrap for now but check back next weekend when UConn comes to DC!
-Miami OH ran away from Toledo on the road. It was never really even a game. The Redhawks remain unbeaten on the season after what is perhaps their most impressive showing to date.
-USC got a much needed road win against a so-so Minnesota team, but needed overtime to do it. They barely escaped 70-69.
HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-NEBRASKA AT INDIANA (Big Ten). Indiana has won four straight, is 3-1 in Big Ten play, and is unbeaten at home. Nebraska is unbeaten for the entire season, but this will be a very tough challenge going on the road to face a team that’s playing well and who should be way up for this one.
-TENNESSEE AT FLORIDA (SEC). This is a very tough road test for the Vols who are still looking for their first true road win of the season. Florida has won five of their last six, is coming off a big win against Georgia, and is starting to play a lot better, so it won’t be an easy road game.
-VCU AT GEORGE MASON. George Mason has a bloated record against a weak schedule. While VCU is good, they still feel like more of an NIT team than an NCAA Tournament team, so this is one that GMU can’t afford to lose.
-HOUSTON AT BAYLOR (Big 12). It’s a tough road test for Houston, but we’ve seen that Houston is certainly capable of passing this type of test. A win for Baylor would give their resume a boost even though they’re at home. (Stat of the Day from Jon Teitel: Kelvin Sampson is 25-1 as a head coach against Baylor; the Bears’ only win came in the 2021 Final Four)
-SMU AT DUKE (ACC). SMU is coming off a loss at Clemson and they’ll face an even tougher opponent on the road today as they take on Duke. Duke is coming off a very impressive win against Louisville and is in the hunt for a #1 seed.
-SAINT JOHN’S AT CREIGHTON (Big East). Both teams have a lot of work to do and both could really use this win. Both can still make the NCAA Tournament, but they’ll need to finish a lot stronger than how they started and there should be a sense of urgency coming into this one.
-STANFORD AT VIRGINIA (ACC). Stanford’s last two games have been huge wins against Lousiville and then on the road at Virginia Tech. I’m now a believer in the Cardinal! I don’t know if I’m such a believer that I think they can win at Virginia, but the Hoos better not overlook them.
-OKLAHOMA AT TEXAS A&M (SEC). Both have shown signs of being able to play really well, but both still have a ton of work to do and both could really use this win today. It has a bubblicious type of feel to it.
-ARIZONA AT TCU (Big 12). TCU is coming off what had to be a maddening loss at Kansas where they appeared to be in complete control with less than 90 seconds to play. They need to bounce back and focus on another big game today. They’re hosting the top ranked team at home. Arizona’s resume is already phenomenal and this is their chance to add another very good win to it.
-OKLAHOMA STATE AT IOWA STATE (Big 12). Oklahoma State has an impressive 13-2 record, but none of their wins are anything close to the caliber that this one would be if they’re somehow able to pull off the upset. Iowa State is one of the best teams in the Big 12 and is in the hunt for a #1 seed.
-CALIFORNIA AT VIRGINIA TECH (ACC). Both teams feel like bubble teams right now, and both could really use a win in this game to help get them on the right side of it. Both are also coming off losses, so there should be a big sense of urgency to this one.
-ARKANSAS AT AUBURN (SEC). It’s been a frustrating year for Auburn and they are coming off what is perhaps the most frustrating of all their losses. But they’re still positioned to make a run at making the field and they’ve got another tough game at home today. Arkansas is just 1-1 in true road games, so this is a win that would polish up their resume some.
OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:
-Boston College @ Louisville (ACC) – this should be a virtual buy game
-Georgia Tech @ Miami FL (ACC) – Miami is having a solid year and should be able to hold serve at home
-NC State @ Florida State (ACC) – NC State has fallen way short of expectations so far and needs to start stringing together wins just to get themselves into the tournament discusison
-Kansas @ West Virginia – Kansas is coming off a big come from behind win against TCU. This is a road game they should be able to pick up
-DePaul @ Connecticut (Big East) – UConn should be able to hold serve at home
-Wisconsin @ Michigan (Big Ten). Michigan got a scare in their last game but held on to beat Penn State. Wisky has struggled all season long and appears to be overmatched in this one. They need some big wins just to get back inside the bubble
-LSU @ Vanderbilt (SEC). LSU has lost two straight and they’re still looking for their first win. Vanderbilt is unbeaten on the season and has been very tough to beat at home, so they should be able to hold serve in this one.
-Penn State @ Purdue (Big Ten). Penn State gave Michigan a scare in their last game. They’ve got another seemingly impossible task today going on the road against Purdue.
-Georgia @ South Carolina (SEC) – this is a game where the Bulldogs should be able to pick up their second true road win of the season. However, the Gamecocks are coming off of a surprising win at LSU. Dawgs beware.
-High Point @ Charleston Southern (Big South) – a fun UTR matchup in the Big South. High Point is the better team, but they may have their hands full in this one
-Syracuse @ Pittsburgh (ACC) – This should be a winnable road game for the Orange, and it’s one they kinda need.
-Yale @ Princeton (Ivy League) – Yale should hold serve in this one. Yale really should be able to win out
-Buffalo @ Ohio U (MAC) – a tough road game for Buffalo who is looking to stay perfect in MAC play and get to 14-2 overall on the year
-Villanova @ Marquette (Big East) – Nova needs to rebound from a somewhat surprising loss earlier in the week, and they should be able to do that against a struggling Marquette team
-South Florida @ Tulsa (American) – simply put, I don’t think Tulsa can afford to lose another game
-Kansas State @ Arizona State (Big 12) – I’m still not sold at all on Kansas State, but I know several at Hoops HD still have their eyes on them. They are still looking for their first conference win, and what would be their second road win
-New Mexico @ Air Force (Mountain West) – New Mexico should be able to hold serve in this one
-Liberty @ Sam Houston (Conference USA) – it’s a challenging road game, but it’s one Liberty should be able to win and remain unbeaten in CUSA
-Saint Louis @ La Salle (Atlantic 10) – this should be a layup road win for SLU.
-UIC @ Illinois State (Missouri Valley) – Illinois State should be able to hold serve at home
-Washington State @ Saint Mary’s (West Coast) – SMC should be able to hold serve at home
-SELA @ McNeese (Southland) – if McNeese can win out they should get a serious look from the committee, but anything short of that and they’ll need the auto-bid
-Wake Forest @ North Carolina (ACC) – it’s a rivalry game and Wake has really pushed some good teams to the limit this year, but it’s still one that UNC should win at home
-Belmont @ Drake (Missouri Valley) – blowing through this conference the rest of the way is probably too hard for Belmont to do, but they do have a really good team and will be a dangerous opponent in the round of 64 if they can get into the field
-Seton Hall @ Georgetown (Big East) – Seton Hall’s astonishingly good season continues. They have what should be a winnable game today, which would get them to 14-2 overall on the season
-Clemson @ Notre Dame (ACC) – Clemson is having a fantastic year, but this will not be an easy road game. ND is just 10-5 on the year, but they’ve lost in some real battles and they are a very solid 7-1 at home
-UNC Wilmington @ Stony Brook (CAA) – UNCW is looking to remain unbeaten in conference play
-Missouri @ Ole Miss (SEC) – Mizzou has managed back to back wins against Florida and at Kentucky and is starting to play a lot better. To get another one on the road would give their profile another boost
-Texas Tech @ Colorado (Big 12) – winning this on the road could be a challenge, but Texas Tech has shown that they are capable of winning games that are challenging to win
-Texas @ Alabama (SEC) – Alabama should hold serve in this one; Texas is coming off of a loss at Tennessee that saw 3 starters benched for almost the entire second half. More Sean Miller Theater today?
-Maryland @ UCLA (Big Ten) – UCLA needs to start stringing together wins. What they don’t need is to drop games at home against teams that are nowhere near the bubble
-UC San Diego @ UC Riverside (Big West) – UCSD has had a tough start to conference play and they’re running out of strikes. Tonight is another tough road game
-Mississippi State @ Kentucky (SEC) – Kentucky is still looking for their first conference win and Mississippi State is looking to improve to 3-0 in SEC play
-Utah State @ Boise State (Mountain West) – this will be a tough road test for Utah State, but it’s one they should be able to win if htey are a top 25 caliber team, which is what I believe them to be
-BYU @ Utah (Big 12). It’s one of the most bitter rivalries in all of college sports! It’s also a huge mismatch. You never want to discount the role that the rivalry plays in a game like this, but even with this being on the road it’s one that BYU should win.
-UC Irvine @ Hawaii (Big West) – this is a tough road test for the Eaters who are looking to remain unbeaten in Big West play
