Hoops HD

NEWS AND NOTES:

-For John Stalica’s UTR Game of the Day – CLICK HERE

-Marquette, who had been looking like the best team in the Big East, did not look like it last night.  Winning on the road at UConn is tough, but they were absolutely blown off the floor.  UConn played what was probably their most impressive game since before Christmas and picked up the 87-72 win in a game that wasn’t even as close as that score indicates.

-Kansas State blew out a TCU team that’s good, but that’s also still dealing with injuries 82-61.  The Wildcats are one of several teams that are still in the hunt for a #1 seed, and yesterday’s win certainly helps.

-Indiana kept Rutgers at arms length for pretty much the entire game, and while Rutgers did make it close in the last couple of minutes, they couldn’t quite pull off the upset on the road.  The Hoosiers continue to cruise with the solid 66-60 win.

-North Carolina trailed by as many as 25 (I believe) in the second half at Wake Forest, but actually did go on a run late to make the final score look respectable.  Still, they lost 92-85 and their resume continues to be void of any wins that indicate that they are a tournament caliber team.

-Auburn’s resume was flimsy going in to last night, and despite playing a good game at Texas A&M, they didn’t get the win and their resume still looks flimsy.  TAMU, on the other hand, is sprinting toward the bubble, and may actually be inside of it by now.  If not, then they are certainly getting close.  After a somewhat so-so start to the season, they’ve now won 11 of their last 13 with much of that coming in SEC play.

-Arkansas, who I’ve been beating up on for weeks for not having a road win and lacking any real quality wins at the top of their resume, got a very impressive quality win on the road at Kentucky last night 88-73.  I now have to do a complete 180 and start to give Arkansas some props.  They played very well at Baylor just over a week ago, and while they didn’t win it was still an impressive showing on the road against a very good team, and was an indication that they had it in them to play at a high level.  Last night at Rupp Arena, they finally did it.

-One of the biggest games of the night happened very late at night as Nevada, who was squarely on the bubble, picked up a hugely important road win against a very good New Mexico team 77-76.  This was just a great game.  Both teams are good, both played well, and both could have really used this win so there was a lot at stake.  It was close the entire way, and Nevada won the game 77-76 on a last second shot.

-Last, and perhaps least, the race in the Atlantic Ten would actually be really exciting if it only meant something.  For the first time in the last 30 years or so, it doesn’t.  Five teams are logjammed at the top of the league and separated by just one game, and one of those teams is Fordham!  Dayton’s 62-58 win at VCU last night tightened up the race even more.  While both Dayton, VCU, and Saint Louis, have all shown they can play at the level of an NCAA Tournament team at times, the key words there are “AT TIMES.”  More often than not, they haven’t played at that level and none of those three (along with the rest of the A10) have done enough to make the field without winning the auto-bid.

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-CREIGHTON AT SETON HALL.  Both teams have really been playing well lately.  Creighton has won six straight, and Seton Hall has won seven of their last eight.  Creighton is much further up the seedlist, but Seton Hall has the opportunity to get waaaay inside the bubble if they keep playing the way that they have been.  It’s a game between two teams that are red hot and that can improve their resumes even more with a win.

-IOWA STATE AT WEST VIRGINIA (Big 12).  Iowa State is one of six Big 12 teams that is within reach of a protected seed, so every game has a pivotal feel to it for them if they want to end up getting one.  West Virginia is simply trying to get inside the bubble, and we think needs five more wins in order to make it happen, so every game they play from here on out will have a pivotal feel to it.

-WISCONSIN AT PENN STATE (Big Ten).  Penn State is in a complete and total free fall and they need to string together some wins just to pull themselves out of it.  Wisconsin isn’t doing well either having lost seven of their last nine.  Both of these teams need this win just to get the process started of getting turned back around.

-FLORIDA AT ALABAMA (SEC).  I like how the Gators have been playing and think they can end up in the field if they keep it up….but I don’t think they can beat what is probably one of the two best teams in the country on the road.  If they do, then of course the value of their resume will skyrocket, but that’s a very big if.

-OKLAHOMA AT BAYLOR (Big 12).  Baylor is continuing to look like a solid protected seed and even has an outside shot at making a run at the #1 line, whereas Oklahoma is looking more and more like an NIT team despite their big win against Alabama a little while back.

-SAN DIEGO STATE AT UTAH STATE (Mountain West).  San Diego State is coming off an impressive blowout win against a pretty good Boise State team, but that was at home.  Going on the road is always tough in this league.  Having said that, this is a game that they should be able to win.  Utah State has a good record and a good net, but they don’t have any wins that really jump off the page and they’ll need to win out or come close to it in order to be seriously considered.

OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:

-Tennessee @ Vanderbilt (SEC) – should be a winnable road game for a team that’s solidly been within the range of a protected seed all year long
-Memphis @ South Florida (American) – Memphis is coming off a loss and really can’t afford any more to any teams that aren’t Houston
-Boston College @ Virginia Tech (ACC) – Some feel that VA Tech can make a run at the bubble.  If they want to do that then they better start doing it now
-Tulsa @ Houston (American) – it’s a conference game, but it could end up looking very much like a buy game
-Georgetown @ Providence (Big East) – it’s a conference game, but it could end up looking very much like a buy game
-Texas Tech @ Oklahoma State (Big 12) – Oklahoma State is red hot and has played their way onto the bubble.  If they keep stringing together wins they’ll be very safely inside it
-LSU @ Mississippi State (SEC) – Mississippi State has a ton of work to do, but if they can finish the season strong then they can still make the field

NEWS AND NOTES:

-For the latest HOOPS HD REPORT Video Podcast, where we recap and assess all of the major conferences – CLICK HERE

-For John Stalica’s UTR Game of the Day – CLICK HERE

-It wasn’t a busy night, and the games of note ended up kind of chalky.  Miami FL jumped out to a double digit lead against Duke within minutes of the tip and at no point after that was the game even close.  Texas trailed Kansas for most of the game, but did make a few runs at them before falling 88-80.

-The most exciting game of the night was one that was so far under the radar that it was practically off the radar.  Jackson State knocked off Arkansas Pine Bluff 88-84 in double overtime, and the reason the game was actually meaningful is because only eight teams make the SWAC Tournament, and just one game separates 4th place from 10th place, so every game involving teams within that logjam has a pivotal feel to it.

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-MARQUETTE AT UCONN (Big East).  Marquette is looking like the best team in the Big East right now, and is up to 10th in the polls.  They’re 10-1 in their last 11, which is remarkable when you consider the bulk of that stretch has been in Big East play, and the only loss was a close on at Xavier.  They’ll be tested on the road tonight against a UConn team that has a strong resume, and that had been in a slump but has now won three of their last four.  This one should be a good one.

-RUTGERS AT INDIANA (Big Ten).  It’s a showdown between the two teams that have beaten Purdue!!  Both teams are in the rankings, and have a chance to buildup their resumes even more.  Indiana is coming off a huge win over rival Purdue, and Rutgers could pick up what would probably be their biggest win of the season other than their win against Purdue on the road.

-CHICAGO STATE AT DELAWARE STATE.  Every time Chicago State plays in what looks like could be a winnable game I want to highlight it  This could by their 9th overall win of the season, and their 4th true road win if they’re able to pull it off!

-NORTH CAROLINA AT WAKE FOREST (ACC).  Both of these teams, especially North Carolina, need to string together wins and add some quality wins to their profile in order to make the NCAA Tournament.  This would be UNC’s best win of the season considering that it’s against a semi-decent team and since it’s on the road.  Wake is outside the bubble, but could get back inside it if they’re able to string together some wins.  It’s a bubblicious game on Tobacco Road!

-AUBURN AT TEXAS A&M (SEC).  We have TAMU just outside our bubble, but given how well they’ve been playing after a somewhat sluggish start to the season, they can definitely play their way safely into the field.  Auburn needs a big win just to shore up their resume, and even though TAMU is just on the bubble right now, this would still be one of their biggest wins of the season if they’re able to pull it off.

-NC STATE AT VIRGINIA (ACC).  NC State has really come to life and has actually won eight of their last nine and is suddenly one of the hotter teams in the ACC right now.  They’re not quite to the level that Virginia is, though, who is looking like a solid protected seed despite a loss in their last game at Virginia Tech.  If NC State wins this, it’s a chance for them to shoot WAAAAY up the seedlist.

-TCU AT KANSAS STATE (Big 12).  Both teams are in the rankings and both are within reach of a protected seed.  Both have managed two road wins against teams that are also in the hunt for a protected seed, so both teams have very strong resumes.  TCU has lost two of their last three, and has dealt with injuries, so this could be a really rough test for them tonight seeing as how they’re the road team, but as a whole they’re still having an incredible season.

-MARYLAND AT MICHIGAN STATE (Big Ten).  Both teams are close to making the field, but both still have work to do, especially Maryland who could really give their resume a boost with a win like this on the road.  Chances are both will be dancing come March, but both have room to improve and this one is a big resume building opportunity.

-ARKANSAS AT KENTUCKY (SEC).  Kentucky has played much better over the span of their last seven games and has almost assuredly put themselves inside the bubble (for now).  If they keep winning they’ll keep climbing the seedlist.  Arkansas is getting beaten up by the criticus (including myself) for not having any road wins and for not having that many quality wins.  A win tonight can address both of those deficiencies in a big way, so this is a HUGE opportunity for the Hogs.

-NEVADA AT NEW MEXICO (Mountain West).  Nevada is hovering around the bubble and New Mexico is fighting to stay inside the bubble.  That makes this a hugely important game for both these teams.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-Louisville @ Pittsburgh (ACC) – Pitt has been playing really well and should be able to win what is basically a buy game at home tonight
-Dayton @ VCU (Atlantic Ten) – If VCU wants to even be looked at by the committee for a bid they basically need to win out