The Atlantic Sun Opening Round gets underway tomorrow, and we take a look at the two opening round games. Central Arkansas has had a rough year, but they did play their way into the tournament and will look to continue their season by beating Stetson. Austin Peay and North Florida both had their struggles this season, but they both had their high points as well, and this is a fairly interesting matchup.
HAPPY MARCH MADNESS EVERYBODY!!!! Conference Tournaments begin tomorrow, but we still have multiple elimination games today, so the climactic win-and-advance stage of the season is officially underway!!!
–Boston College eliminated from ACC if they lose at California –NC State eliminated from the ACC if they lose at Georgia Tech, and Cal and Notre Dame both win – Penn State eliminated from Big Ten if they lose at home to Maryland and Minnesota wins at Nebraska –Washington eliminated from Big Ten if they lose at home to Indiana and Minnesota and USC both win –Long Beach eliminated from Big West if they lose at UC Irvine or if Hawaii wins at home against UC Davis –Harvard eliminated from Ivy League if they lose at home to Yale or if both Cornell and Dartmouth win (NOTE: The Cornell game is Sunday) –UTRGV eliminated from Southland if they lose at home to New Orleans or if Incarnate Word wins at East Texas A&M –Stephen F Austin eliminated from Southland if they lose at home to Nicholls or if Incarnate Word wins at East Texas A&M –Arkansas Pine Bluff eliminated from SWAC if they lose at Mississippi Valley State and Prairie View wins at Alcorn State
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-CONNECTICUT AT PROVIDENCE (Big East). This is a rivalry game and UConn is on the road, so it won’t be a cake walk. It is a game they should win, and sort of need to win to make sure their resume doesn’t keep sliding backward.
-AUBURN AT KENTUCKY (SEC). Auburn appears to have a #1 seed all but wrapped up, but they are still facing tough litmus tests like this. They’re on the road against a Kentucky team that can play their way up to a protected seed if they can finish strong and a win today would go a long way.
-ARKANSAS AT SOUTH CAROLINA (SEC). Arkansas has to pick at the low hanging fruit when it becomes available. They are on the bubble and cannot afford to lose this game
-TEXAS TECH AT KANSAS (Big 12). This will be a tough road test for a Texas Tech team that appears to be solid protected seed and could end up as high as the 2-line. Kansas hasn’t been that good away from Lawrence, but in their own building they’re as tough to beat as anyone in the country and they’ll almost assuredly land in the top half of the bracket.
-OKLAHOMA AT OLE MISS (SEC). Oklahoma had a tough loss to Kentucky early in the week in a tough game that came down to the buzzer. They have some good things on their resume, but are just 4-11 in SEC play and need to get some wins between now and the end in order to get selected. Ole Miss appears to be safely in the field, and almost assuredly safely in the top half of the bracket.
-ALABAMA AT TENNESSEE (SEC). Both these teams are within reach of a #1 seed and there may not be room for both of them on the 1-line. This game will play a huge role in determining which teams ends up higher on the seedlist. And, it should just be an all around great game to watch!
-UTAH STATE AT COLORADO STATE (Mountain West). Utah State looks to be the superior team and is well on their way to the NCAA Tournament, but this won’t be an easy road game. The two are actually tied in the loss column of the conference standings and while Colorado State hasn’t always played up to their ceiling they’ve shown us at times this year that they can be hard to beat.
-CREIGHTON AT XAVIER (Big East). Creighton is solidly in the field and Xavier appears to be squarely on the bubble. This is a hugely pivotal game for Xavier that they pretty much have to win. It’s their last chance for a big notable win during the regular season. Creighton looks to be in the top half of the bracket and they will get some chances to improve the quality of their resume between now and the end of the conference tournament. This would be a really nice road win for them if they can pull it off, so both teams have something big to play for.
-MISSOURI AT VANDERBILT (SEC). Vandy just picked up a huge road win at Texas A&M and they’ve shown us all year that they can beat highly ranked teams at home. While Mizzou has some huge road wins they still have just three true road wins on the season. Getting another one today, especially against a team that’s as tough at home as Vandy is, would make their resume look a lot stronger.
-GEORGIA AT TEXAS (SEC). Both of these teams are squarely on the bubble and both need this win. It’s as simple as that. Georgia has just one true road win on the season and needs another to even be considered. While Georgia got a massive win against archrival Florida, they squandered a 26-point lead before coming back in the final minute. Texas keeps slipping further and further down the seedlist and needs to hold serve at home.
-TEXAS A&M AT FLORIDA (SEC). Both teams are likely protected seeds, and Florida is gunning for the #1 line. Texas A&M had a surprise loss at home to Vanderbilt earlier in the week, but a win on the road against Florida would offset that and then some. The Gators are just looking to add another big win to an already very impressive profile.
-ARIZONA AT IOWA STATE (Big 12). Both teams are on the path for a protected seed, but both have had some slip ups and both still have a little bit of work to do. This will be a really big road test for an Arizona team that’s played well, but who probably doeesn’t have a road win as big as this one would be on their resume yet.
-WEST VIRGINIA AT BYU (Big 12). West Virginia remains squarely on the bubble, but a win in a game like this could almost assredly put them on the right side of it. BYU has really come on strong lately and they are particularly tough to beat at home.
-GONZAGA AT SAN FRANCISCO (West Coast). This will be a really tough road test for the Zags, but they had a big win earlier in the week as they won at Santa Clara rather handily, and could help virtually lock themselves into the top half of the bracket with a win in this game. San Francisco is probably too far outside the bubble to get inside of it, but they are a pretty strong team and can still at least get a look if they can win this and then go on to win some games in the WCC Tournament. (Note from Stalica – this game will be at the Chase Center and not on USF’s campus, so this may feel at times like a neutral court with more Zags fans in attendance than normal.)
OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:
-Clemson @ Virginia (ACC) – Virginia just got a win against Wake Forest and Clemson never wants to take a conference road game for granted, but this should be a chance for Clemson to likely add another road win to their profile
-Maryland @ Penn State (Big Ten) – Maryland is on the brink of a protected seed and should be able to add another conference road win to their profile today. Penn State is still working on just trying to qualify for the B1G Tournament themselves.
-George Mason @ Duquesne (Atlantic 10) – George Mason is still tied with VCU in the A10 standings and can keep themselves on the board so long as they can win out
-Air Force @ New Mexico (Mountain West) – New Mexico is cruising and should be able to win this game as if it were a home buy game
-Minnesota @ Nebraska (Big Ten) – Nebraska is squarely on the bubble and needs to hold serve and avoid a loss at home to a team that’s nowhere near the bubble
-Seton Hall @ Saint John’s (Big East) – Seton Hall has been showing signs of life lately, but Saint John’s should still win this one going away and hang on to 1st place in the Big East and on a path to a protected seed. This would also make the Johnnies the outright Big East regular season champion with a win.
-LSU @ Mississippi State (SEC) – Mississippi State should hold serve at home. A strong finish could earn them a protected seed
-USC @ Oregon (Big Ten) – Oregon hasn’t always been the most consistent team, but they’re still really good, are on a four game winning streak, and should be able to get this one at home
-Cincinnati @ Houston (Big 12) – Houston is still in the hunt for a #1 seed and this should be a hold-serve game for them. Cincinnati does have a pulse, but they are a long way from the bubble. Having said that, a win today would be a huge step toward it if they could somehow pull it off
-SMU @ Stanford (ACC) – I don’t think SMU can get inside the bubble, but if they have any shot at all at doing it they need to win this game, and then win all the rest of them, and then get some big wins in the ACC Tournament
-Notre Dame @ Wake Forest (ACC) – Wake is right on the bubble, and probably just outside of it. They need to hold serve today to keep themselves within reach of it, and they still got some work to do on top of that
-Pittsburgh @ Louisville (ACC) – Louisville is cruising and shouldn’t have too much trouble holding serve at home in this one
-Indiana @ Washington (Big Ten) – Indiana is making a run at the bubble and it looks like they could end up inside of it. This is a winnable conference road game that has a pivotal feel to it since they are right on the bubble
-Florida State @ Duke (ACC) – Florida State can play at a high level, but they seldomly seem to do it. Duke, on the other hand, appears to be cruising toward the #1 line
-Boise State @ Fresno State (Mountain West) – Boise State is making a run at the bubble and may be able to sneak into the field with a strong finish. This should be a winnable conference road game for them today
-Arkansas Pine Bluff @ Mississippi Valley State (SWAC) – this game has Centenary Award Implications
-Marquette @ Georgetown (Big East) – Marquette has had their struggles lately and Georgetown has improved a lot this year. Marquette should win this one, but they don’t want to overlook the Hoyas. Even a Hoyas team without freshman sensation Thomas Sorber who is now out for the rest of the season with an injury
-Oklahoma State @ Baylor (Big 12) – Baylor is squarely on the bubble and a home loss to an Oklahoma State team that is nowhere near it could knock them out of it. And, they don’t want to overlook the Pokes, who beat Iowa State earlier this week
-San Diego State @ Wyoming (Mountain West) – this can be a really tough road game, but it’s one that San Diego State can and should win. If they hold serve, they’ll stay inside the bubble
-Oregon State @ Saint Mary’s (West Coast) – Saint Mary’s will almost assuredly be placed in the top half of the bracket and should be able to hold serve against Oregon State at home tonight
-Cal State Fullerton @ UC San Diego (Big West) – I think UCSD will be inside the bubble and in the field if they win out for the rest of the regular season
-Long Beach State @ UC Irvine (Big West) – it’s the Black and Blue Rivalry!!! UC Irvine still has an outside shot of getting selected, but they basically cannot afford another loss until the Big West final
UTR WATCH:
-American @ Colgate (Patriot League) – American and Bucknell are tied with just one game to go. The 1st place team gets home court advantage throughout the PL Tournament
-Chattanooga @ VMI (SoCon) – Chattanooga has already clinched 1st place
-Bryant @ Maine (America East) – Bryant has already clinched 1st place and will have home court advantage, but this will be a good test to end the regular season against a Maine team that’s had a good season and played well at home
-Oral Roberts @ Omaha (Summit League) – Omaha clinches 1st place with a win, which means they can win the auto-bid if Saint Thomas wins the Summit Tourney
-Norfolk State @ South Carolina State (MEAC) – Norfolk State can clinch at least a share of 1st place with a win today
-Yale @ Harvard (Ivy League) – Yale is cruising through Ivy League play and should wrap up 1st place by the end of the weekend
-Southern Utah @ Utah Valley (WAC, Bee Hive) – Utah Valley has a one-game lead over Grand Canyon with just three games to go
-SEMO @ Eastern Illinois (Ohio Valley) – SEMO has wrapped up 1st place and is just wrapping up the regular season and looking to extend their winning streak to 11
-Montana @ Portland State (Big Sky) – Montana can clinch at least a share of 1st place with a win today
-Central Connecticut @ Wagner (Northeast) – Central Connecticut has already wrapped up 1st place and home court advantage and is just looking to extend their winning streak
-McNeese @ Lamar (Southland) – McNeese ran away with the Southland as we expected them to. They’re talented and could potentially be a dangerous team in the Round of 64
The end of the regular season means that it is time to recognize the best players/coaches in college basketball this season. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel has reviewed all the numbers and is ready to announce his picks for the 5 best players from each conference based on their all-around stats. Players are listed in a traditional 5-position lineup (G-G-F-F-C) whenever possible with several exceptions, plus special awards for each conference’s Player of the Year (POY), Rookie of the Year (ROY), Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY), 6th Man of the Year (6TH), and Coach of the Year (COY). If you think he has overlooked anyone then feel free to tweet us your comments and check back next week for the rest of the conferences in Part 2.
America East G: Quinton Mincey (UMass-Lowell) G: Tariq Francis (NJIT) G: Earl Timberlake (Bryant) F: Barry Evans (Bryant) F: Max Brooks (UMass-Lowell) POY: Tariq Francis (NJIT) ROY: Martin Somerville (UMass-Lowell) DPOY: Kellen Tynes (Maine) 6TH: Martin Somerville (UMass-Lowell) COY: Phil Martelli Jr. (Bryant)
Atlantic Sun G: George Kimble III (Eastern Kentucky) G: Devontae Blanton (Eastern Kentucky) G: Robert McCray V (Jacksonville) F: Jacob Ognacevic (Lipscomb) F: Shelton Williams-Dryden (West Georgia) POY: Jacob Ognacevic (Lipscomb) ROY: Layne Taylor (Central Arkansas) DPOY: Malcolm Wilson (Queens) 6TH: Liam Murphy (North Florida) COY: Tony Pujol (North Alabama)
Big South G: Kory Mincy (Presbyterian) G: Jordan Marsh (UNC Asheville) G: Mister Dean (USC-Upstate) F: Taje’ Kelly (Charleston Southern) F: Kelton Talford (Winthrop) POY: Taje’ Kelly (Charleston Southern) ROY: Mister Dean (USC-Upstate) DPOY: Mister Dean (USC-Upstate) 6TH: Kameron Taylor (UNC Asheville) COY: Darris Nichols (Radford)
CAA G: TJ Simpkins (Elon) G: Jean Aranguren (Hofstra) G: Rashad King (Northeastern) F: Ante Brzovic (Charleston) F: John Camden (Delaware) POY: Ante Brzovic (Charleston) ROY: Izaiah Pasha (Delaware) DPOY: Collin Metcalf (Northeastern) 6TH: Kyle Pulliam (William & Mary) COY: Pat Skerry (Towson)
Horizon G: Orlando Lovejoy (Detroit Mercy) G: Jalen Jackson (PFW) G: Rasheed Bello (PFW) F: Brandon Noel (Wright State) F: Alvaro Folgueiras (Robert Morris) POY: Jalen Jackson (PFW) ROY: Je’Shawn Stevenson (Cleveland State) DPOY: Gabe Dynes (Youngstown State) 6TH: Erik Pratt (Milwaukee) COY: Andy Toole (Robert Morris)
MVC G: Samage Teel (Indiana State) G: Bennett Stirtz (Drake) G: Tayshawn Comer (Evansville) F: Tytan Anderson (Northern Iowa) F: Cooper Schwieger (Valparaiso) POY: Bennett Stirtz (Drake) ROY: Gabriel Pozzato (Evansville) DPOY: Bennett Stirtz (Drake) 6TH: Jaden Daughtry (Indiana State) COY: Ben McCollum (Drake)
NEC G: Jordan Jones (CCSU) G: Terrence Brown (FDU) G: Malachi Davis (LIU) F: Aidan Reichert (Mercyhurst) F: Todd Brogna (Stonehill) POY: Terrence Brown (FDU) ROY: Darin Smith (CCSU) DPOY: Chas Stinson (Stonehill) 6TH: Zae Blake (Wagner) COY: Rod Strickland (LIU)
OVC G: Ray’Sean Taylor (SIUE) G: Damoni Harrison (Southern Indiana) G: Johnathan Lawson (Little Rock) F: Kooper Jacobi (Eastern Illinois) F: Stephen Olowoniyi (Southern Indiana) POY: Ray’Sean Taylor (SIUE) ROY: Jadis Jones (Lindenwood) DPOY: Tuongthach Gatkek (Little Rock) 6TH: Josue Grullon (UT-Martin) COY: Brad Korn (Southeast Missouri)
Patriot G: Austin Benigni (Navy) G: Jalen Rucker (Army) F: Jeff Woodward (Colgate) F: Matt Rogers (American) C: Noah Williamson (Bucknell) POY: Austin Benigni (Navy) ROY: Max Green (Holy Cross) DPOY: Justin Vander Baan (Lafayette) 6TH: Jordan Stiemke (Loyola MD) COY: Kevin Kuwik (Army)
SoCon G: PJay Smith Jr. (Furman) G: Quimari Peterson (ETSU) G: Ahmad Robinson (Mercer) F: Augustinas Kiudulas (VMI) F: Jaden Seymour (ETSU) POY: Quimari Peterson (ETSU) ROY: Linus Holmstrom (VMI) DPOY: AJ Clark (VMI) 6TH: Riley Allenspach (Samford) COY: Brooks Savage (ETSU)
Summit G: Chase Forte (South Dakota) G: Jamar Brown (Kansas City) F: Jacksen Moni (North Dakota State) F: Marquel Sutton (Omaha) C: Oscar Cluff (South Dakota State) POY: Oscar Cluff (South Dakota State) ROY: Joe Sayler (South Dakota State) DPOY: Chase Forte (South Dakota) 6TH: Tajavis Miller (North Dakota State) COY: Chris Crutchfield (Omaha)
Sun Belt G: Myles Tate (Appalachian State) G: Sean Durugordon (Old Dominion) F: Denijay Harris (Southern Mississippi) F: Tylan Pope (Texas State) C: Cesare Edwards (Georgia State) POY: Denijay Harris (Southern Mississippi) ROY: Bryce Lindsay (James Madison) DPOY: Obinna Anochili-Killen (Marshall) 6TH: Judah Brown (South Alabama) COY: Richie Riley (South Alabama)
WCC G: Augustas Marciulionis (St. Mary’s) G: Nate Calmese (Washington State) F: Graham Ike (Gonzaga) F: Stefan Todorovic (Pepperdine) F: Michael Rataj (Oregon State) POY: Michael Rataj (Oregon State) ROY: Austin Rapp (Portland) DPOY: Mitchell Saxen (St. Mary’s) 6TH: Braden Huff (Gonzaga) COY: Wayne Tinkle (Oregon State)
Posted inNews and Notes|Comments Off on Handing out the Hardware: All-conference awards of the year (Part 1 of 2)
It’s the day before March Madness!!!!! No need to continue the season, though! My bracket below is absolutely perfect, and that’s what we should just go with.
I want to make sure everyone knows what they are looking at. This IS NOT a prediction of what the actual selection committee will do on Selection Sunday, nor is it a supposition of what the actual committee would do if today were Selection Sunday. Most ‘bracketologists’ are trying to guess the committee as accurately as possible. We have one of the best people in the world at it on our staff. His name is Jon Teitel, and his picks can be seen by CLICKING HERE if that’s what you’re interested in.
These are MY picks. If college basketball were a monarch, and I were the head of it, and the season ended today, this is what my bracket would look like. I have some comments below, and we may have additional comments from the rest of the staff as well.
OTHERS CONSIDERED: Xavier, Boise State, Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, George Mason, VCU
COMMENTS FROM THE PUPPET:
-I’ll start with the bubble. If I were trying to guess the committee, I would not have picked UC Irvine. They just don’t have quite enough at the top of their profile to be the kind of team that typically gets selected. The reason I selected them is simply because of how many games they’ve won away from home. It’s astounding. No one else on the bubble has won nearly that many, and I think winning that many games away from home, even if it’s against teams that aren’t inside, on, or near the bubble, is harder to do than winning home games against teams that are good overall, but poor on the road.
-UC San Diego and Drake are not just inside the bubble, but a full line above the First Four. Again, I’m asking myself how hard is it to win the games that this team won?? I think winning at Northern Iowa, and at Bradley, and beating Vanderbilt on a neutral floor is harder to do than beating teams that are good overall, and in the field, but that are bad on the road. Kansas is good, but they’re not good in true road games. I believe winning all those road games is harder to do than winning one home game against a team like Kansas, or Kentucky or Vanderbilt.
-The same is true with UC San Diego. Winning at Cal State Northridge (especially as well as they’ve been playing), and Utah State, and UC Irvine, is MUCH harder to do than winning home games against teams that are in the field, but bad on the road.
-Houston on the #1 line is probably something else the actual committee would not do. They are perfect in true road games, and they’ve only lost one game that didn’t go to overtime, and that was a close game to Auburn. I know overtime losses are not really looked at any differently, but I still think this Houston team would beat everyone I have seeded behind them more often than not.
-I have Memphis really high. No one else has Memphis that high. I just can’t ignore how many good wins they had out of conference. I know they’ve stubbed their toes in conference a couple of times, but they’ve also dominated that conference as a whole, so I think they’ve shown themselves to be objectively better than the one or two teams that have managed to beat them in that league. And no, I’m not simply ignoring those losses. Had they won those games I would be arguing they deserve a protected seed.
-Ohio State was my last team in. I do not like that they are there, but I just can’t seem to put anyone I left out in ahead of them given that they at least have lifted some heavy weight and have some really good wins at the top of their resume
OTHER STAFF COMENTS:
FROM CHAD:
– I hate agreeing with the Puppet. There is a lot here I do not agree with. But his call on Houston is correct. I think this Cougars are now a 1 seed, having replaced Florida from my last projection.
– I like this Texas Tech team a lot. I think they can be dangerous in the Big Dance. But they are not a 2 seed. They have a home loss to UCF that just drags the profile down a line, and need to probably win out (including at Kansas tomorrow) if they want a shot at the 2 line.
– Once again, the Puppet is on something not legal in all 50 states when evaluating Mississippi State. This team is probably a 6 seed, but is not even close to the 4 line. They have a losing conference record! Team that cannot play .500 min their conference, even this year’s SEC, do not get protected seeds. EVER.
– Oregon is a tough team to figure out, but 4 straight wins has me believing in the Ducks again. I would have this team 1-2 seed lines higher than Griggs does. They have a ton of Quad 1 wins, including road and neutral court ones over teams ahead of them on the seed list (Alabama neutral, at Wisconsin, Texas A&M neutral).
– Drake as a 10 seed? Are you serious??? I would have them as a 9….
– Vanderbilt’s profile had a huge hole in it. They had no quality road wins. Then they won at Texas A&M. This profile is very very good now. I would have them as a 7 or 8 seed, not barely in on the 11 line.
– I would love to see UC-Irvine make the field, but they lost a game they could not afford to lose at home to Northridge, and do not belong. Ohio State is 10-13 against the top 3 quadrants and only 16-13 overall. Wake Forest had a weak profile before they suffered three bad losses recently (at NC State, home to Virginia and Florida State). None of the three belong. I would have Xavier, Oklahoma and North Carolina in, with Boise State knocking at the door. Three of Griggs First Four teams simply do not belong in the field.
– All in all, Griggs did a GREAT JOB on the 1 line. The other 15 were about what I expected from him. I guess that’s what happens when you let a Puppet pick the field.
FROM JOHN:
– I think an interesting debate that should take place is Texas Tech versus Texas A&M for the final 2 seed and the top 3 seed. Griggs doesn’t have his Top 16 listed, so I can’t even verify if he has Tech #8 and A&M #9 for example. I probably would have swapped them personally since Uncle Buzz’s team won head to head against the Red Raiders.
– I know Chad and other bracketologists are not going to like reading this, but conference records are becoming less relevant in an era of unbalanced schedules. Mississippi State is only a game under water in the SEC, but very few teams can boast of wins on the road against Memphis, Vanderbilt (who plays like a protected seed at home) and a sweep of Ole Miss. They only have one loss against a non-tournament team, but I could see them being either a 5 or a 6.
– Another potential seed swap would be to put Creighton on the #6 line and Kansas on the #7 line. The Puppet has not been high on Kansas and for good reason – the Jayhawks had a solid November against a pair of protected seeds, but have done virtually nothing since the Thanksgiving decorations were put away. Creighton (even without Pop Isaacs) was able to recalibrate and have been a solid 2nd place team in a deceptively competitive Big East.
– With Georgia plugging a huge hole and finally getting a quality win in the SEC, they’re closer to the cut line than Griggs will give them credit for. Do the right thing and put the legendary Xavier/Georgia rivalry in the First Four instead of Wake Forest and Ohio State. Do First Four teams like Wake typically lose multiple games to teams nowhere near our Selection Board?
– From someone who values road wins a little too much at times, I can’t help but notice the absence of SMU from even being considered. Granted they had bedwettings every time they played NCAA Tournament-caliber opponents, but they are a remarkable 10-2 away from home (both road and neutral games considered). Why is he high on UC-San Diego when they do it but not when the Ponies do it? They’re certainly above Wake in the ACC pecking order right now, but the head-to-head loss against North Carolina definitely puts them behind the Tar Heels. At least they have the master lobbyist Bubba Cunningham in their back pock – oh wait, that’s UNC’s ace in the hole, not SMU.
– I will give credit to Griggs on one count – at least he found a way to ensure that the Wolverines advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. As an Ohio guy, that means the obvious choice is the Utah Valley Wolverines; the Michigan squad has been living dangerously for a month and may well be ripe for an early upset.
Posted inBracketology, News and Notes|Comments Off on Hoops HD Staff Bracket Projections (From the Puppet) – Feb 28th
-PENN AT CORNELL (Ivy League) – Penn is eliminated with a loss.
-MANHATTAN AT CANISIUS (MAAC) – Canisius is eliminated if they lose this game, Fairfield defeats Mount St. Mary’s, and Rider wins at Merrimack.
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NEWS AND NOTES
-I read several posts saying there were no good games yesterday. These are the people you should NOT be listening to.
-Michigan’s season of being escape artists continues. They had to come form behind yesterday, at home, and then hit a last second shot that was contested from deep as time was expiring to get by Rutgers 84-82. Still, a win is a win, and they remain in the protected seed range, but they haven’t exactly been winning without having to sweat games out lately.
-Saint Mary’s got a scare at LMU, but escaped 58-55 to avoid having their resume take a hit. They struggled offensively, but got it done.
-UC San Diego did not struggle. They went on the road and beat a Cal State Northridge team that had been playing really well and that was way up for this one 77-71. I think I’ve seen enough. If UCSD wins out they definitely belong in the field regardless of what happens in the Big West Tournament.
-Bryant has clinched 1st place in the America East, and they did so in an exciting and controversial ending to a really exciting game. They were fouled as time expired and hit two freethrows to tie the game, and then win the game, 79-78. Bryant has clinched home court advantage for the AEast Tournament.
-Chattanooga knocked off UNC Greensboro on the road 75-63, who was the second best team in the conference, to clinch 1st place in the SoCon.
-Liberty got a battle from Jacksonsville State, but held on to win 59-55 and move themselves back into 1st place in Conference USA with just three games to go
-Central Connecticut has clinched 1st place and home court advantage in the NEC Conference Tournament. They knocked off Le Moyne 84-75.
-SEMO won their 10th straight as they went on the road to SIUE, who was the 2nd place team, and won handily 83-68. This clinches 1st place outright for them in the OVC, which is their first outright first place finish since 2000.
-IDAHO STATE WENT ON THE ROAD AND WON THE KING SPUD TROPHY!!! They knocked off rivals Idaho 59-55.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-YALE AT DARTMOUTH (Ivy League) – Yale clinches 1st place outright with a win tonight. They are a perfect 11-0 in conference play so far
-DAVIDSON AT VCU (Atlantic 10). VCU has been playing really well lately and appears to be squarely on the bubble. If they win out and avoid an early loss in the A10 Tournament then they have a solid chance.
-UCLA AT PURDUE (Big Ten). Purdue has been struggling lately with four straight losses, including one to rivals Indiana in their last game, but should still end up as a protected seed so long as they can get things turned around. UCLA is a team that will likely squarely land in the top half of the bubble and who has won some pretty big games this season, so despite being at home this is not a cakewalk for the Boilers.
-JAMES MADISON AT TEXAS STATE (Sun Belt). JMU has clinched at least a share of 1st place and can clinch it outright, along with the quintuple bye in the conference tournament that comes along with it, with a win tonight.
-KENT STATE AT AKRON (MAC). The Wagon Wheel!!!! This version of it seems to be a little mismatched, though. Akron has been on a roll, and while they suffered a recent loss they still appear to be running away with the MAC and should get it done at home tonight.
-Michigan State’s game at Maryland was a bit of a rock fight. Michigan State maintained control for most of the game, but then Maryland came back, tied it, and had a chance to win in the final seconds. A game-winning 3-pointer missed and then Michigan State heaved it the length of the floor as time expired….and it went in! Another big road win for Michigan State and a stunning kick in the stomach to Maryland. The Terps are still in good shape overall, though.
-Vanderbilt had been pitiful on the road for most of the year, but they greatly improved their resume yesterday. They went on the road to Texas A&M, who is a solid protected seed, and basically maintained a lead for the entire game and picked up a massive 86-84 win. It is probably their biggest of the season and will certainly move them up the seedlist.
-Kentucky at Oklahoma was an absolute thriller that also came down to the final seconds and saw several lead changes late in the game. After a go-ahead basket put Kentucky up 83-82 Oklahoma drove the length of the court, but had their shot blocked as time expired. Kentucky hadn’t been the best road team, so this win makes their resume look a lot better. Oklahoma was squarely on the bubble and really needed this one, so this loss definitely hurts them.
-BYU, who I had been criticizing for not playing well on the road, picked up another road win at Arizona State last night 91-81. Their resume has really improved over the last several weeks and I now believe them to be safely inside the bubble.
-Wake Forest, who was squarely on the bubble, did something that no team on the bubble should do. They lost at home to someone that is nowhere near the bubble. The 83-75 home loss to Virginia is a massive setback for the Deacs that they may not be able to recover from.
-Arkansas needed overtime after a 2nd half Texas comeback, but they finished off the Longhorns and picked up a win that they really needed. Arkansas still has some work to do, but they are within reach of making the field.
-Boise State is making a strong run to finish the season and last night picked up another really nice win as they knocked off Utah State 82-65. While it was a home game, it’s still a big win and they may be able to sneak inside the bubble.
-Ohio State picked up a road win that they really needed as they knocked off USC 87-82. Their profile remains scattershot, but the road win definitely helps.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-RUTGERS AT MICHIGAN (Big Ten). Michigan is on pace to get a protected seed and just needs to hold serve tonight against a Rutgers team that’s talented, but that may still be a year away from being very dangerous.
-IDAHO STATE AT IDAHO (Big Sky). One of favorite rivalries in D1!! This game won’t impact the bracket, and really won’t impact the Big Sky, but the winner walks away with the King Spud Trophy!!!
-UC SAN DIEGO AT CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE (Big West). This is a hugely important game. UC San Diego should be inside the bubble even if they don’t win the conference tournament, but this is one of their tougher conference games of the season. Cal State Northridge is on fire. They’ve won seven straight and are playing as well as anyone in the conference and will not be easy to beat on their home floor. This is a game that UCSD should get a fair amount of credit for if they win. They’ve shown they can win tough games this season and need to do it again tonight.
-SAINT MARY’S AT LMU (West Coast Conference). Saint Mary’s has already wrapped up first place and appears to be cruising toward the top half of the NCAA Tournament Bracket. They should be able to hold serve and pick up another road win tonight.
UTR WATCH:
-Bryant @ UMass Lowell (American East) – Bryant has a one game lead over a Vermont team that is red hot with just three games to go. This will be one of their tougher road tests tonight. The 1st place team has home court advantage throughout the conference tournament
-Vermont @ NJIT (America East) – Vermont is tied for 1st place with Bryant with just three games to go
-Robert Morris @ IU Indy (Horizon League) – Robert Morris is in a tie for 1st place and this is their last regular season game
-LeMoyne @ Central Connecticut (Northeast Conference) – Central Connecticut clinches 1st place and home court advantage with a win
-William & Mary @ Towson (Coastal Athletic) – Towson can clinch 1st place outright with a win tonight
-Chattanooga @ UNC Greensboro (SoCon) – These are the top two teams in the conference. Chattanooga has a one game lead and with two games to go. A win for Chattanooga clinches it for them, and a win by UNCG means they are tied.
-Jacksonsville State @ Liberty (Conference USA) – these two are currently tied (in the loss column) atop the CUSA standings
-SEMO @ SIUE (Ohio Valley) – these are the top two teams in the OVC. SEMO has already clinched a share of 1st place after nine straight wins. A win tonight gives it to them outright
-Cleveland State @ Wright State (Horizon League) – Cleveland State had been cruising, but they’ve now lost four out of their last six and are in a tie with Robert Morris for 1st place
-Montana @ Sacramento State (Big Sky) – Montana has a one game lead over Northern Colorado with just three games to go
