Hoops HD

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

NEWS AND NOTES:

-For our latest UNDER THE RADAR Video Podcast – CLICK HERE

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

-The biggest surprise of the day, and perhaps one of the biggest surprising results of all time, was Eastern Illinois’s 92-83 win at Iowa.  The two teams were more than 300 spots apart in nearly ever metrics rating, which makes this the biggest upset we could ever identify at least in regards to how far apart the two teams were.  Eastern Illinois was also a terrible offensive team, but statistically and in actuality, so to see them hang 92 total points, 55 of which were in the second half, on the road at Iowa is simply preposterous.  You’ll want to go back and watch at least the second half of that game, as it was perhaps the most improbable half of college basketball ever played.

-TCU picked up a nice 75-71 win at Utah, which gets them to 10-1 on the year and puts a nice win on their resume.  They’re now 10-1 on the year and playing like the Sweet Sixteen caliber team that we thought they’d be.

-Virginia Tech, who had been on a roll, stopped rolling yesterday.  They fell on the road 70-65 to a Boston College team who is, to put it nicely, not very good.

-Arizona State had also been on a roll, and they just got completely blown off the floor by San Francisco 97-60.  The Dons sprinted out to a big lead early and just never looked back.  It’s probably the best win of the season so far for USF, and we need to once again start to think of them as a tournament caliber team.

-Villanova knocked off Saint John’s 78-63 and is starting to look more and more like a solid tournament team.  That’s now their fifth straight win, they have some decent wins in that stretch, and they controlled the game yesterday against what had looked like a pretty good Saint John’s team.

-Michigan State knocked off Oakland 67-54.  That’s hardly worth mentioning.  But Tom Izzo was assessed a technical foul during the game, and there is nothing funnier than seeing a man wearing a ridiculous outfit totally flipping out!!  If you haven’t seen it yet, then CLICK HERE!!!

-North Carolina knocked off Michigan 80-76 in a game that had a bit of a pivotal feel to it for both teams.  Neither are in serious danger, but both still have a lot of work to do if they want to end up safely inside the bracket, so yesterday’s win really does help out UNC.

-Notre Dame, who we were just beginning to get excited about again, lost at Florida State 73-72.  This is not a good Florida State team, and is therefore not a good loss for the Irish to have on their resume.

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-BOISE STATE AT SANTA CLARA.  Both of these teams are probably being under-appreciated right now.  Having said that, both still have work to do.  Boise has won nine in a row, but this will arguably be their toughest game in that stretch.  Santa Clara is a very respectable 10-3, but their schedule strength has been weak and really need a win like this on their resume.

-SEATTLE U VS UTAH STATE (Diamond Head Classic).  Utah State is coming off a surprising loss to Weber State, which was their first of the season.  They should be able to take care of business at home in this one, but Seattle U is having a really good year as well and appears to be one of the top teams in the WAC.  They have just two losses, and if they can get a win like this away from home, and pick up one or two others in this event, it would really give their resume a boost.

-CHARLOTTE AT UAB (Conference USA).  Both teams are 9-2, both have a shot at making a run at the bubble, and both could really use this win in order to help make it happen.  This one should be fun.  It’s arguably the most intriguing game of the day.

-BUTLER AT CREIGHTON (Big East)  Creighton has followed up their 6-0 start and top ten ranking with six straight losses.  This should be a winnable game for them, but it’s hardly a given.  Butler has looked pretty good at times this year.  Both teams need to string together some wins in order to land inside the bubble, and could really use this one tonight.

-ILLINOIS VS MISSOURI (Saint Louis MO).  BRAGGIN RIGHTS!!!  Missouri is 10-1 on the year, but their schedule has been a pastry cart, and the one game where they did play a top 25 team, Kansas blew them off the floor.  They need a win in a game like this in order to be taken seriously.  This one is almost always fun!

-KENT STATE AT UTEP (Sun Bowl Invitational, El Paso TX).  Kent State is really good and should be able to land inside the field if they can blow through the rest of their schedule.  Winning games like this on the road isn’t easy, but it’s the kind of game they’ll have to routinely win the rest of the way in order for the committee to seriously consider taking them.

-SOUTHERN MISS AT UNLV.  This is a HUGELY important game between two teams with bloated records and a couple of good wins who need to add some substance to their resume.  Both are good enough to make a run at the bubble, but both will have limited opportunities the rest of the way at high caliber wins.

OTHER NOTABLE GAMES

-Towson @ Bryant – Towson has lost three straight and is probably out of strikes
-VMI @ Fordham
-Iona vs SMU  (Diamond Head Classic) – Iona needs to do well in this event if they want to be in a position to where the bubble is within reach
-Quinnipiac @ Penn State – Quinnipiac is 9-3 with four true road wins, but they’ll need a win like this to put them on the map.  Penn State should win, but they better not overlook them
-Stony Brook @ West Virginia
-Saint Peter’s @ Maryland
-Harvard @ Kansas
-Louisville @ NC State (ACC) – winnable home game for NC State, which would get them to 11-3, but be their first ACC win
-Western Kentucky @ South Carolina – WKU needs to bounce back after a really bad loss at Louisville
-Morgan State @ Arizona
-North Texas @ UTSA (Conference USA) – North Texas has a shot at making a run at the bubble, but they need to blow through the conference in order to do it
-Harford @ San Francisco
-Weber State @ BYU (Beehive)
-Pepperdine @ Hawaii (Diamond Head Classic)