Under the Radar – Wednesday, Jan 25th

Posted on January 25, 2023 by David Griggs

Tonight’s feature conference is the Horizon League, which is having a bit of a down year collectively, but has two great stories in Milwaukee who’s having their best year in a long time, and Youngstown State that’s having their best year in history that we can remember.  Both teams are neck and neck at the top of the standings, and Northern Kentucky is in the mix as well.

From there we move on to the other 22 UTR leagues and discuss how Vermont has played their way back to the top of the America East, Liberty appears to be asserting themselves in the ASun, and a hugely exciting race is heating up in the Sun Belt with Marshall and Southern Miss near the top, but with as many as five other teams that could win the league.  There is now a six way tie for first place in the Ohio Valley after SIUE had a week where they lost two straight at home.  Oral Roberts is dominating the Summit League, and Kent State, who we thought had a chance of landing inside the bubble, suffered a damaging loss on the road to Northern Illinois.  We discuss all that, and more!  And, as we do every week, we close with this week’s UTR Top Ten.

And for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…

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WINNING with the Hoyas!

Posted on January 25, 2023 by Jon Teitel

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 has spent most of the past 2 years watching them lose 29 Big East games in a row, many of them in person…but see below for his photo essay about a funny thing that happened when DePaul came to DC last night.

After bagels/water at GW last weekend it was nice to get a filling pregame meal again: Chick-fil-A sandwich/nuggets, mac & cheese, and a brownie/chocolate chip cookie for dessert! Let’s tip it off for the hundreds and hundreds of folks in attendance:

The Big East always rises to the occasion for Coaches vs. Cancer. This year was no different as the entire Georgetown contingent of players/coaches donned pink sneakers for the big night:

Even the mascot has gotten tired of cheering for this team and needed to catch his breath…but did he have to sit down right in front of me?

Hoyas JR SG Wayne Bristol Jr. has been inconsistent this year but remains a good shooter. He had a very nice 1st half with 7 PTS on a 3/jumper/layup but went scoreless in the 2nd half:

His backcourt teammate Primo Spears was coming off of the game of his life (37 PTS/11 AST at Xavier last Saturday) and his jump shot kept going in as Georgetown built a 36-30 lead with 2 minutes left before halftime:

Unfortunately, those final 2 minutes belonged entirely to DePaul. SR PG Umoja Gibson helped lead his team back, and his 3 from the top of key helped his team finish a 7-0 run to take a 37-36 halftime lead, which is a bigger deal than you might think because the Blue Demons are 7-0 this year when leading at halftime:

DePaul SR F Javan Johnson had a big 2nd half to finish with 13 PTS before fouling out, but he and Gibson were the only 2 visitors in double-digits:

I assumed that Hoyas coach Patrick Ewing would just give the ball to Spears and hope that he could win it all by himself, but it turned into a total team effort, with Qudus Wahab hitting the boards (10 REB):

…and Jordan Riley getting into the lane for layups/scoop shots:

…and Brandon Murray having his best all-around game of the month with 12 PTS/5 AST/4 STL:

Georgetown built a double-digit lead late and ALMOST blew it but they hung on to win 81-76 and secure their 1st Big East victory in 693 days. I left my seat in the final minute so that I could get some nice video of the impending court storm…but it never came to pass. Ewing walked over for a quick postgame interview and it was nice to see him smiling after finally getting a W:

In the postgame press conference I asked Akok Akok (who had 12 PTS/6 REB/4 BLK) whether this was just another win or if it felt different/special. He claimed that it was just another win and that they are trying to flip the page. His team is ready to work hard and is looking forward to its next game vs. St. John’s in New York City on Sunday:

There was also a nice moment after the game when Ewing congratulated Rich Chvotkin, who has been the “Voice of the Hoyas” for the past 49 years, on winning the 2023 Woody Durham Voice of College Sports Award:

That is a wrap on the Hoyas’ historic win, and was also their final home game of this month, so check back in February to see if I can actually work the phrase “winning streak” into my next game recap!

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Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Wednesday, Jan 25th

Posted on January 25, 2023 by David Griggs

NEWS AND NOTES:

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

-Iowa State knocked off Kansas State 80-76 in last night’s edition of ‘Big 12 Protected Seeds.’  K State hit a field goal drought in the second half and Iowa State appeared to be in control, but K State fought back, but just couldn’t come all the way back.

-Kent State, who was unbeaten in the MAC and who we figured could get inside the bubble if they ran the table or came close to it, suffered a HUGE setback last night when they lost at Northern Illinois 86-76.  It’s tough to win on the road in the MAC, but Northern Illinois is not the toughest place in the MAC to win at, so this was a bit of a disappointing loss.  I don’t know if it completely eliminates them, but even for someone like me who has been championing Kent State all year long, I’ve got to admit  that it at least MOSTLY eliminates them, and that one of the games Kent State needs to win is that last MAC Conference Tournament game if they want to make the field.

-North Carolina picked up a road win at Syracuse 72-68 and while the game was close the Tarheels held the lead for most of it.  This is a bigger deal than what most may realize because up until last night North Carolina’s only road win was at Louisville, and I’m not sure that even counts as a road win this year.

-Other than that, it was a mostly chalky night last night with no surprises or cataclysmic results.

 

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-XAVIER AT UCONN (Big East).  Both teams are still in the hunt for a protected seed.  UConn just recently ended a stretch where they had lost five out of six, and the start of that skid was a loss at Xavier back on New Years Eve, so it’s a chance for the Huskies to add to their resume, climb the seedlist, and climb the rankings.  As for Xavier, this would probably be their best win of the season to date if they’re able to pull it off.

-HOUSTON AT UCF (American).  I would have thought this would be Houston’s toughest remaining game, and it still might be, but UCF has gone into the tank a little bit with two straight losses to teams that are nowhere near the field.  In fact the only way UCF can probably play their way back inside the bubble is if they can get this win today.  Houston is coming off a somewhat surprising loss and probably won’t be caught sleepwalking, though.

-GEORGIA AT TENNESSEE (SEC).  Georgia has been playing a lot better, but if they want to get all the way inside the bubble they’ll need to win a game like this.  Tennessee is still within reach of a #1 seed, especially with opportunities against Texas, Auburn, and Alabama still on their schedule, but they’ll need to hold serve today.

-WAKE FOREST AT PITTSBURGH (ACC).  This is a hugely important bubblicious type of game where both teams have played well, but both still have some work to do if they want to land safely inside the bubble.  A win tonight would certainly help.

-WISCONSIN AT MARYLAND (Big Ten).  Wisconsin has dropped two straight games, but we still believe to be very safely inside the bubble even though they are currently going in the wrong direction.  Maryland is coming off a game where they nearly won at Purdue, which would have been huge, but as it is they still need to do some work if they want to land safely inside the bubble and a win today at home would certainly help.

-TEXAS A&M AT AUBURN (SEC).  TAMU is 5-1 in SEC play after a rather unspectacular start to the season.  The thing is they haven’t exactly faced the top teams in the conference, and while they played well at a loss at Kentucky their last time out, they didn’t get the win.  If they want to get the committee’s attention, they need to win a game like this.

-UTAH STATE AT SAN DIEGO STATE (Mountain West).  A lot of people like Utah State, but we at Hoops HD have pretty much had them outside the bubble for the entire season.  In order for that to change they need to win a game like this one.  San Diego State is solidly in our field and will remain there if they keep holding serve in what is turning out to be a rather competitive Mountain West Conference.

OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:

-West Virginia @ Texas Tech (Big 12) – This isn’t an easy game for WVU to win, but it’s probably less hard than most of the games remaining on their schedule, so they need to find a way to do it if they want any shot at all of making the field
-Northwestern @ Nebraska (Big Ten) – this is a winnable road game for a Northwestern team that’s been playing really well
-South Carolina @ Florida (SEC) – the Gators have been playing better and some believe they still have a chance to make a run at the bubble.  They can’t afford to drop this one tonight
-George Mason @ VCU (Atlantic Ten) – if anyone from the A10 has any shot at all at landing inside the bubble it’s VCU, and they basically need to win out to do it
-Butler @ Providence (Big East) – Providence is solidly in the top half of our bracket right now
-Mississippi State @ Alabama (SEC) – Bama is solidly on the #1 line and will stay there so long as they hold serve and don’t drop any losses at home to teams that are outside the bubble
-Saint John’s @ Creighton (Big East) – Creighton is on the bubble and I would advise them not to lose this one
-Indiana @ Minnesota (Big Ten) – this is a very winnable road game for an Indiana team that is suddenly playing very well

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Under The Radar Game of the Day – Wednesday, January 25th

Posted on January 25, 2023 by John Stalica

Samford (14-7, 8-0) at Furman (15-6, 6-2) – 7:00 PM ET (ESPN+)

Two of the top teams in the SoCon tip off tonight as the Samford Bulldogs travel east to face the Furman Paladins tonight. Samford has gone streaking all season – for better or worse. They started the season 6-0 (with three non-D1 wins) and immediately followed that with a 7-game losing streak in nonconference play. Since SoCon play started, they have won eight straight games that included wins at UNC-Greensboro and at East Tennessee State. Ques Glover averages 14.4 points a game for the Bulldogs.

Furman had a bit of a choppy start with a 7th place finish in the Charleston Classic, but around that they also picked up nonconference wins against Belmont, Winthrop and Stephen F. Austin. Unlike Samford, they haven’t done as well against the top of the SoCon; they already have losses against UNC-Greensboro and Western Carolina which has relegated Furman to 3rd place in the conference. Mike Bothwell averages 19.4 points a game and 3.6 assists a game for the Paladins.

Posted in CBB on TV, Daily Rundown, News and Notes, Under the Radar | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Tuesday, Jan 24th

Posted on January 24, 2023 by David Griggs

NEWS AND NOTES:

-For our latest HOOPS HD REPORT Video Podcast – CLICK HERE

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

Kansas has now lost three straight, and Baylor picked up another huge win 75-69.  Baylor had also lost three straight games before going on the five game winning streak that they’re on now.  A three game losing streak may seem like a death knell for a team that’s hoping to get a #1 seed, but two of those three losses were on the road to likely protected seeds, so I still think Kansas is very much in the hunt for the #1 line.

-New Mexico was in another thrilling high stakes game, and this time they came up a little short.  They fell in overtime 97-94 on the road at a Nevada team who is right on the bubble and who could really use the win.  While this was a missed opportunity at a big road win for New Mexico, I wouldn’t call it much of a setback.  They’re still very solidly in the field, and perhaps even in on the first ballot.

-Northwestern was back in action after a pause due to temporary health issues within the program, and they got a big win over Wisconsin 67-64.  Even though the win was at home, I think they’re solidifying themselves more and more as a team that belongs in The Dance.

-Duke lost on the road.  Again.  Some will say this was a big win for Virginia Tech.  I say beating Duke on your own home floor isn’t a big win at all.  All but one of the teams they’ve played on the road have done it, and the only one that failed to do it was Boston College.  That’s because BC blew an opportunity to win the game in the final seconds.  If the season ends with that being Duke’s only road win I will personally strongly feel they don’t belong in the field.

-A shoutout to Chicago State who won their first D1 road game yesterday and their 5th overall game of the year.  I do not mean this as back-handed praise.  I like what this program has done this year under Gerald Gillion.  They are not in a conference and one could say they have absolutely nothing to play for, yet they still play hard and are actually noticeably better than they have been in years past.  I’d like to see them land in the Horizon League, or the Ohio Valley, or some place in their geographic region.

 

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-PENN STATE AT RUTGERS (Big Ten).  Rutgers is solidly inside the bubble and while they’ll be tested today, they should be able to hold serve.  Penn State is squarely on our bubble and could really use a win in a game like this in order to help them land on the right side of it.

-MIAMI FL AT FLORIDA STATE (ACC).  Miami has lost their last three road games, including a very close road loss at Duke over the weekend, and could use a win tonight simply because it is likely their most winnable remaining road game.  It won’t be a cakewalk, though, given how much better Florida State has been playing in recent weeks.

-NOTRE DAME AT NC STATE (ACC).  NC State shouldn’t have too much trouble bouncing back from their loss at UNC over the weekend and picking up a win tonight.

-OHIO STATE AT ILLINOIS (Big Ten).  Ohio State ended a five game losing streak with a somewhat impressive win over Iowa this past weekend, but they’ve still got some work to do if they want to end up inside the bubble.  Having said that, winning at Illinois would constitute doing quite a bit of work, so…

-LSU AT ARKANSAS (SEC).  Arkansas ended a four game losing streak this past weekend with a win over Ole Miss, and this should be another winnable home game over an LSU team that isn’t bad, but also isn’t inside the bubble right now.

-OKLAHOMA AT TCU (Big 12).  TCU is coming off their hugely impressive blowout win at Kansas where it was perhaps the best single game that any team has played this season.  They’re at home tonight against an Oklahoma team that’s floating around the bubble and who needs to string together some wins, but doing that in a conference like the Big 12 isn’t easy given how good the entire top half of the league is.

-KENT STATE AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS (MAC).  Kent State is inching closer and closer to the top 25 and should be able to land inside the bubble if they can continue to dominate MAC play.

-KANSAS STATE AT IOWA STATE (Big 12).  Both teams are protected seeds in our projections right now, and K State may actually have a shot at a #1 seed if they keep winning like they have been.  They have some very impressive road wins on their resume already and will certainly be tested again tonight by an Iowa State team that’s been playing very well at home.

-OKLAHOMA STATE AT TEXAS (Big 12).  Oklahoma State is starting to string together wins and has played their way very close to our bubble, and while they’ll certainly have the opportunities they need to get inside of it, winning the games they need to win won’t be easy given how strong the conference is.  They have a chance tonight against a Texas team that’s one of the many Big 12 teams that’s in contention for a protected seed.

-GEORGIA TECH AT CLEMSON (ACC).  This should be another winnable home game for a Clemson team that is inside the bubble and should stay there so long as they hold serve the rest of the way.

-NORTH CAROLINA AT SYRACUSE (ACC).  This game is a bigger deal than most may realize because to date they have just one true road win, and that was at Louisville which may arguably not even count.  Syracuse is on a stretch where they’re 10-3 in their last 13, which is a lot better than they were when they started the season, but they’ve still got a long way to go to reach the bubble.

-KENTUCKY AT VANDERBILT (SEC).  Kentucky has now won three straight and has looked noticeably better in that three game stretch than they have at any previous point in the season.  This is a road game against a Vandy team that isn’t anywhere near the bubble, but that also isn’t an SEC doormat either.

-FRESNO STATE AT BOISE STATE (Mountain West).  Boise State is having a really good year and should be able to bounce back tonight from a close and hard fought overtime loss to New Mexico over the weekend.

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Under The Radar Game of the Day – Tuesday, January 24th

Posted on January 24, 2023 by John Stalica

Murray State (11-9, 6-4) at Southern Illinois (16-5, 8-2) – 8:00 PM ET (ESPN+)

Tonight’s UTR Game of the Day takes us to the Missouri Valley where Murray State crosses the Ohio River to take on the Southern Illinois Salukis. The Racers have won two out of their last three games; their last game was an 82-73 home win against Indiana State. Brian Moore Jr. had 19 points for Murray State; with the win they jumped into a 5-way tie for fourth place.

The Salukis are on fire right now with wins in 11 out of their last 12 games; they won the first matchup against Murray State 63-57 on the road. In their last game, they won the Barry Hinson Classic against Missouri State 61-57. Four players for the Salukis scored in double figures at MSU; Lance Jones led the way with 11 points.

And speaking of Barry Hinson, this classic video came after an SIU-Murray State matchup about a decade ago:

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