Hoops HD

NEWS AND NOTES:

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

-Villanova didn’t get the win at UConn, but they were right in there for most of the game in the 74-66 loss and it wasn’t until the last couple of minutes that UConn got complete control of the game.  After a 2-5 start, Nova has looked much better, and given that this was probably their hardest remaining game of the year, they’re playing well enough to get the wins they need to get between now and the end to land inside the bubble.  Their record is just 7-6, but I’m betting that by the end of the year their resume will be just fine.

-Tennessee picked up their first road win of the season in a 63-59 battle at Ole Miss.

-Alabama picked up yet another really good road win as they held knocked off Mississippi State 78-67 in a game where they pretty much led the whole way.  The Tide haven’t been perfect this season, but when you look at the quality of their wins they’re of as high a quality as anyone else in the nation right now.

-LSU improved to 12-1 after knocking off a really strong Arkansas team at home 60-57.  LSU’s schedule had been a little weak, but after picking this one up they should be getting quite a bit more attention.

-Missouri is also now 12-1 after beating Kentucky rather handily 89-75.  They seemed to sustain a double digit lead for the entire game, and considering they’ve now blown out Illinois and didn’t even really sweat Kentucky it’s probably time to start ranking Missouri higher than…well…not ranking them at all.

-Xavier is good this year.  They picked up a very nice road win at Saint John’s 84-79 and were actually in control for pretty much the entire game.  At 11-3 with their only losses being close games to Duke, Indiana and Gonzaga, Xavier has shown that they may be good enough to earn a protected seed.  They will face UConn on New Years Even in a game that should be completely off the hook.

-Fordham, who appeared to be having a dream season after a 12-1 start, came back down to Earth a little bit last night.  They really weren’t ever in the game against Davidson last night despite being at home, and only scored 14pts in the first half before losing 57-43.

-UNLV suffered their second lost of the year as they fell to San Jose State 75-72 in overtime.  San Jose State probably won’t land inside the bubble, but at 10-4 on the year with some fairly nice wins they are much improved.  This was one of the worst non UTR programs prior to Tim Miles taking over as head coach.

-Boise State lost a close and exciting one at Nevada 74-72.  Both teams are good, and both could have really used this win.  At 11-3 on the season Nevada is starting to make some noise and deserves some attention.

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-PROVIDENCE AT BUTLER (Big East).  Providence appears to be within reach of the bubble, but to get safely inside it this is the kind of road game they need to be able to win.  Butler is 6-1 at home, but they’re nowhere near the bubble and right now the chances of them even making the NIT don’t seem that good.

-RICE AT WESTERN KENTUCKY (Conference USA).  Both teams come in 9-3, and while the margin for error is small both appear to be good enough to possibly make a run at the bubble.  But, both would have to basically really blow through the conference, and that would mean getting a win tonight.

-IOWA AT NEBRASKA (Big Ten).  Iowa went on Christmas Break a little early and needs to bounce back from what was a historically bad loss against Eastern Illinois.  This is a road game they should be able to pick up.

-LOUISIANA AT COASTAL CAROLINA (Sun Belt).  Louisiana is an impressive 10-2, but they need to hold serve in road games like this one if they want any shot at all at landing inside the bubble.

-APPALACHIAN STATE AT MARSHALL (Sun Belt).  At 11-2, Marshall hasn’t always looked perfect, but they’ve looked good enough to where they’ll stay on the radar until they give us a reason to take them off of it.  They need to hold serve in games like this one, which is actually the story for nearly all of their remaining games.

-FLORIDA ATLANTIC AT NORTH TEXAS (Conference USA).  This is a HUGELY important game between two teams with bloated records who both look like they could land inside the bubble, but who both also need notable wins and have limited opportunities the rest of the way.  That’s what makes this one so important.

-SAN FRANCISCO AT SANTA CLARA (West Coast).  I like how both teams have played so far, and think it’s possible for both of them to land inside the bubble with a strong showing in conference.  This is a big opportunity and an important game for both of them tonight.

OTHER NOTABLE GAMES/BUY GAMES:

-Brown @ Northwestern
-Delaware State @ Penn State
-Alabama A&M @ Ohio State
-Florida A&M @ Purdue
-Central Michigan @ Michigan
-UMBC @ Maryland
-Hampton @ Charleston (Colonial)
-UTEP @ UAB (Conference USA) – UAB is building a resume that will get them a serious look so long if they can continue to hold serve.
-South Florida @ Memphis (American) – I like how Memphis is playing and think they appear to be a solid tourney caliber team
-Sam Houston @ Tarleton (WAC) – this is a chance for Sam Houston to pick up yet another true road win and improve to 11-2 overall
-Troy @ Southern Miss (Sun Belt) – Southern Miss is having an incredible year and they have a chance to land inside the bubble if they keep playing the way they have been
-Bethune Cookman @ Illinois
-Tulane @ Cincinnati (American) – both teams have work to do just to get back into the discussion
-Valpo @ Drake (Missouri Valley) – Drake is pretty much out of strikes, but they are talented enough to blow through the MVC and get on the committee’s radar
-San Diego @ Saint Mary’s (West Coast) – SMC should be able to hold serve in this one
-Utah @ California (Pac 12) – This is some low hanging fruit for Utah.  It is about as winnable as conference road games will ever be for them

NEWS AND NOTES:

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

-For the latest (and first of the season) Hoops HD Bracket Rundown – CLICK HERE

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-TENNESSEE AT OLE MISS (SEC).  So far Tennessee has looked like a protected seed and Ole Miss has looked like an NIT team.  It is a conference game, and Tennessee is still looking for their first true road win, so this will add something to the Vols’ profile that they will in fact (eventually) need.

-VILLANOVA AT UCONN (Big East).  Nova is healthy, playing really well, and has won five straight since a sluggish 2-5 start.  Winning today against one of the best teams in the country on the road may be too tall of an order, though, but if they somehow do pull the upset I think it’s pretty clear that they are all the way back.

-KENTUCKY AT MISSOURI (SEC).  Mizzou is 11-1 and is coming off an absolutely dominant win against a pretty good Illinois team.  They should be jacked for this one against a Kentucky team that has done well, but still underperformed by their standards.  Then again, Kentucky often underperforms until the winter break.  This is a huge test for both teams, and it’s a win that both of them could use both on paper and bor the momentum that it will build up.

-FLORIDA AT AUBURN (SEC).  Florida has been kind of meh this year, and Auburn has looked somewhere between a first ballot team and a protected seed depending on the day.  They should be able to pick up this one at home.

-DAVIDSON AT FORDHAM (Atlantic Ten).  Fordham has just one loss on the year, which is amazing, and they have a chance to win the Atlantic Ten, which is amazing.  The problem is the league is so weak that their margin for error in terms of landing inside the bubble is very small.

-ALABAMA AT MISSISSIPPI STATE (SEC).  Alabama has shown they can win big games away from home, whereas Mississippi State has mostly shown they can win buy games at home.  This is a test for both teams, and it’s a win that would help both of them out.  Mississippi State does have a couple of nice wins against Marquette and Utah on a neutral floor, but this would probably be their biggest of the season even though it’s at home.

-ARKANSAS AT LSU (SEC).  Both teams have just one loss, but LSU hasn’t lifted any heavy weight and this is by far their biggest test of the year to date.  Arkansas has won eight straight, and while most has been against lighter competition they do have a couple of decent wins in that stretch.

-XAVIER AT SAINT JOHN’S (Big East).  Xavier has cracked the rankings, and has been tested both at home and on the road.  They will likely be tested tonight again against a Saint John’s team that has a bloated record, but that is lacking in notable wins and who could really use this one.  Their best win on the season so far is probably against Syracuse, and Xavier is a lot better than Syracuse is.

-COLORADO STATE AT NEW MEXICO (Mountain West).  New Mexico is unbeaten, in the rankings, their fans are excited, and they’ve beaten some decent teams so far.  Colorado State has been a little disappointing this year at just 8-5, but they’re still not a team that the Lobos will want to overlook.

-UNLV AT SAN JOSE STATE (Mountain West).  UNLV is 11-1 on the year with some pretty decent wins, but this is just their second true road game.  While they should win it, it won’t be a cakewalk.  Then again, making the NCAA Tournament is not a cakewalk either, and this is the kind of game they need to be able to win.

-BOISE STATE AT NEVADA (Mountain West).  I think both of these teams are good, and it wouldn’t shock me if both ended up inside the bubble, but both still have work to do, which is what make this game so important to both of them.

OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:

-UNC Wilmington @ Monmouth (Colonial).  UNCW will be a contender in this league and it’s strong enough at the top to get them a serious look from the committee if they can somehow run away with it.
-Houston @ Tulsa (American) – Houston should roll and add another road win to their resume
-Air Force @ San Diego State (Mountain West) – San Diego State should be able to hold serve at home

BUY GAMES:

-Eastern Oregon (nonD1 @ Gonzaga)
-Central Arkansas @ TCU
-Albany @ Virginia
-Nicholls @ Baylor

NEWS, NOTES, AND HOLIDAY WISHES:

-There are only a smattering of games over the next few days, so Hoops HD will be transitioning into Holiday Mode.  I want to thank everyone who reads, watches, and follows, and also thank everyone else who writes, podcasts, and contributes, and hope that everyone has a safe and happy Holiday Season!!  I also understand that for many people the Holidays can be more miserable than enjoyable.  If you feel this way you may think you’re alone, but believe me, you are not!!  Whether you’re unable to travel to see friends and loved ones because of the winter storms, or if it’s your first Holiday season without friends or loved ones, or if your family just drives you so crazy that you’re already counting down the days until it’s over, we understand that too.  We will be following all the games, so if you need to escape for a few minutes, tweet at us!

-We are (tentatively) planning to do a Hoops HD Report Monday Night, so be on the lookout for that as well.

-The Braggin’ Rights Game was never really a game.  Missouri sprinted out to a big lead and it held it the entire game as they blew Illinois off the court 93-71.  It’s a big statement for Missouri as they had a bloated record, but were a little light when it came to quality wins.

-Iona, who went into the Diamond Head Classic needing to do well and/or pick up some notable wins away from home, did not do well yesterday against SMU.  They were shooting the lights out for the first 30 minutes or so, but could not completely pull away, and a late SMU run allowed them to tie, then get the lead, and then hold the lead for the 85-81 win.  This really hurts Iona.  In fact short of winning out this may finish them off.

-Santa Clara got a big 73-58 win against a Boise State team that had been playing well.  Boise State will get some chances in conference play, and they’ve looked good enough to be capable of making some noise, but they really could have used this one yesterday.  As for Santa Clara, they’re now 12-3 on the year, and while they don’t have any high level quad 1 wins, they have enough decent ones to where they are worth paying attention to.

-Utah State blasted Seattle U to bounce back from the surprising loss to Weber State earlier in the week.  They have just one loss on the year, have looked good all year long (minus the one loss) and I think are one of the 25 best teams in the country.

-Western Kentucky lost at South Carolina 65-58.  Western Kentucky is, once again, a talented team that can beat good teams, but doesn’t always do it and has now lost multiple games like this one.  This isn’t an easy game to win, but it’s the kind of game that a tournament caliber team should be able to routinely win.

-UAB didn’t blow out Charlotte yesterday, but at no point did it ever feel like they weren’t in control of the game.  There are a lot of good teams in Conference USA, and these are two that are likely to finish near the top, so it was a big win for the Blazers who, once again, look dangerous.

-Kent State really had to sweat, but they avoided the road loss to a decent (but not great) UTEP team with the 47-46 win.  Their only losses on the year are at Houston, at Gonzaga, and at Charleston, and they were highly competitive in all three of those games, so Kent State is a team that the committee likely has their eyes on.

-UNLV is now 11-1 on the year after knocking off a really good Southern Miss team in one of the bigger games of the day.  It is just Southern Miss’s second loss, and while it was a missed opportunity for the Golden Eagles to pick up a really high level win, it is by no means a setback.  They can still make a run at the bubble if they can keep playing like they have been.  The Sun Belt has some strong teams in it this year, too.

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

Friday, Dec 23rd:

-IONA VS SEATTLE U (Diamond Head Classic).  Both teams lost yesterday, and Iona’s loss to SMU was particularly damaging.  This is perhaps the last chance for either team to get any sort of a win of note in this event.  The loser will end up in the 7th place game, which is not where either team expected to be.

-SMU AT UTAH STATE (Diamond Head Classic).  Utah State is now 10-1 after their impressive blowout win over Seattle yesterday and is looking like they may blow through this event and remain undefeated.  Sooner or later (and I can’t believe it hasn’t happened already) the voters are going to start to notice how good they are.

-Bucknell @ Rutgers
-Kennesaw State @ Indiana
-Washington State @ Hawaii (Diamond Head Classic) – winner goes to the championship game

Saturday, December 24th:

-No Games Scheduled

Sunday, December 25th:

-DIAMOND HEAD CLASSIC – The 7th, 5th, 3rd, and 1st place games will be taking place.  Assuming.  The 5th place game.  Iona, Seattle U, and Utah State were the good teams coming into this tournament, but it doesn’t look as if any of them will be playing each other on the final day.

-DEPAUL AT CREIGHTON (Big East).  Creighton finally snapped a six game losing streak, and has perhaps one of their most winnable remaining conference games today.  If they drop this one then it’s a sign that the major tailspin that they’re in is getting worse.

Monday, December 26th:

-No Games Scheduled

Tuesday, December 27th:

-NORTHWESTERN STATE AT TEXAS A&M.  Northwestern State is having a big year and they’ve already got some big wins.  They have a chance to pick up yet another one today, and if they can pull this off one has to think that the committee will have their eyes on them and will seriously consider selecting them if they blow through Southland play.  TAMU, on the other hand, has been a bit of a disappointment at just 6-5, and has all kinds of work they need to do just to get back within reach of the bubble.

-SETON HALL AT MARQUETTE (Big East).  Marquette is coming off a double overtime thrilling loss at Providence and is looking to bounce back.  They should be able to get this one at home against Seton Hall, but they will still be tested.  If they don’t win this, then it’s not time to panic, but it would perhaps be time for alarm.

-TAMU Commerce @ Texas
-SC State @ Texas Tech