NEWS AND NOTES:
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-Xavier had been on an absolute rampage and hadn’t lost since November 27th, but they went into DePaul last night and it was one of those games that was close all throughout and you kept waiting for Xavier to get control of it, but they just never did. After missing several close looks on their last few possessions, they lost 73-72 in a somewhat surprising upset even though Xavier was the road team. This isn’t that much of a setback, and Xavier is still very much on pace to earn a protected seed, but it is at least a bit of a setback for a team that was so red hot.
-TCU fell way behind at West Virginia last night, then came back and it looked like they were going to pull off a big come from behind win on the road, but West Virginia regained control and ended up with the 74-65 win, which was their first Big 12 win of the season. The Mountaineers still have a lot of work to do, but this was a big first step.
-In just a few weeks UConn has gone from looking like a #1 seed to looking like a team that won’t get out of the Round of 64. They’ve now lost five of their last six, and their last two losses were to teams that look like NIT teams at best. They appeared to be in control at Seton Hall last night, but floundered down the stretch after having a 14pt lead at the half, and ended up losing (again) 67-66.
-Marquette continues to play really well and beat a very good Providence team at home yesterday 83-75 to get some revenge from an overtime loss earlier in the year. Both teams are playing at a high level, both are in the rankings, and both are looking very much like first ballot teams that could even end up as protected seeds if they keep it up.
-Arkansas continues to slide. They fell 79-76 at Missouri last night and are now just 1-5 in SEC play. Losing at Missouri in and of itself isn’t bad, but it’s the overall string of losses that is really starting to hurt the Razorbacks and move them down the seedlist. They need to start stringing together wins if they want to even stay inside the bubble. As for Missouri, their resume was a little flimsy as well, so this was a really nice home win for them.
-Last, and least, Ohio State is in real trouble. They fell on the road to Nebraska last night 63-60, which really hurts because Nebraska doesn’t appear to be anywhere near the NIT, much less the NCAA. Ohio State is now just 10-8 on the year with five straight losses, and two of those are coming to teams that are just smell really bad. The committee is not going to be impressed by a resume like that.
HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-RUTGERS AT MICHIGAN STATE (Big Ten). Rutgers has won eight of their last night, is now in the rankings, and continues to climb the seedlist. A win tonight should give them yet another big win on their resume. It won’t be easy, though. Michigan State nearly upset Purdue in their last home game and while they’ve lost two straight they had won seven in a row before that. They are also trying to position themselves to where they are safely inside the bubble.
-MICHIGAN AT MARYLAND (Big Ten). Maryland is probably inside the bubble right now, but they can’t just put it on cruise control just yet. They need to hold serve in games like this, which is never a given because one never knows what Michigan is going to do. The Wolverines are outside the bubble, but have shown the ability to play at a high level this year and if they can just start consistently doing that they have the opportunities they need to build up their resume.
-INDIANA AT ILLINOIS (Big Ten). Indiana has had issues with injuries, and that will be taken into consideration if they can get back to full strength by the time of the tournament, but right now they need some wins. They did snap a three game losing streak in their last game against Wisconsin, but now they go on the road for a tough one against Illinois (who could also use some wins to boost their resume) and are just 1-4 in true road games so far, so a win today for the Hoosiers could really pivot them in the right direction.
-USC AT ARIZONA (Pac 12). Arizona has lost two of their last three, and neither loss was to a team that’s likely to make the field. They’re still in excellent shape and will in all likelihood end up as a protected seed, but they are in a bit of a midseason funk right now. USC is hovering around the bubble and a road win in a game like this would certainly help land them on the right side of it.
-UCLA AT ARIZONA STATE (Pac 12). Arizona State is hovering around the bubble and this is the kind of win that could really help them out even though they’re at home. UCLA is a protected seed that is now up to 5th in the rankings and has a real shot at ending up as a #1 seed if everything lands right. They’re 4-0 on the road this year, but this would actually be one of their better road wins.
OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:
-Purdue @ Minnesota (Big Ten) – should be a winnable road game for a Purdue team that is on pace for a #1 seed
-Charleston @ Monmouth (Colonial) – This is almost like a road buy game. Charleston should win easily
-Wichita State @ Memphis (American) – Memphis is outside the bubble right now, but also within reach of it. They need to hold serve in games like this
-Florida Atlantic @ UTSA (Conference USA) – FAU shouldn’t have too much trouble tonight despite being on the road
-Rice @ North Texas (Conference USA) – the margin for error for North Texas is basically zero, but they are good enough to win out and if they do they should at least get a serious look from the committee
-LMU @ Gonzaga (West Coast) – Gonzaga should cruise in this one
-Washington State @ Utah (Pac 12) – it is important that Utah hold serve in this in order to stay within reach of the bubble
-Saint Mary’s @ Pepperdine (West Coast) – this is a road game that SMC should be expected to win
-BYU @ Santa Clara (West Coast) – I like how Santa Clara is playing, but think they need to do just a little more between now and the end in order to land inside the bubble
