Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Tuesday, Feb 25th

Posted on February 25, 2025 by David Griggs

NEWS, NOTES, AND LINKS:

For our latest HOOPS HD REPORT Video Podcast – CLICK HERE

-For the HOOPS HD TEAM SHEETS, which are the most detailed ones on the entire internet that we know of – CLICK HERE

-For the HOOPS HD SURVIVAL BOARD, which outlines who is a lock, who still has work to do, and who needs to win the auto-bid – CLICK HERE

NOTE: We have one possible regular season elimination today as a Buffalo loss (at Central Michigan) combined with a Western Michigan win (home vs Ohio) will eliminate the Bulls from qualifying for the MAC Tournament.

-For our latest Bracket Projections – CLICK HERE

-Houston was able to avenge their only conference loss last night and remain unbeaten in true road games as they knocked off Texas Tech 69-61. I believe Texas Tech was without two regular starters. In the first match-up they were without a key player and their head coach for most of the game. Perhaps if the two meet in a rubber match in the Big 12 Tournament they’ll finally be at full strength for a whole game.

-Michigan survived a rock fight against Nebraska, but got a really nice 49-46 road win against a Nebraska team that’s trying to hold onto the bubble for dear life.

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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-DUKE AT MIAMI FL (ACC). Even though this is a road game it still won’t amount to much more than a buy game level win for Duke.

-FLORIDA AT GEORGIA (SEC). It’s a rivalry game and Georgia has been tough to beat at home this year. It’s one they could sure use because they are right on the bubble. Florida is in the hunt for a #1 seed and Georgia is trying to cling to the bubble for dear life.

-PROVIDENCE AT MARQUETTE (Big East). Marquette is coming off a somewhat poor showing at Villanova and is looking to bounce back at home against Providence. This should be a hold-serve type of game for them.

-BAYLOR AT CINCINNATI (Big 12). This is an important game for Baylor. They have not been good on the road this year, and while Cincinnati is not inside the bubble, this win would still make Baylor’s resume look a lot better since they’ll be beating a team on the road that at least has a pulse.

-VCU AT RICHMOND (Atlantic 10). It’s a rivalry game and it’s one that VCU should win, but at the same time is not exactly the easiest task in the world to accomplish. As critical as I’ve been of the VCU Rams, largely due to their weak OOC schedule, I’m starting to agree with everyone that says they have a path to landing inside the bubble. Having said that, they need to run the table to do it and avoid an early loss in the A10 Tournament.

-IOWA STATE AT OKLAHOMA STATE (Big 12). Iowa State is a solid protected seed and should be able to hold serve on the road tonight.

-TENNESSEE AT LSU (SEC). Tennessee is one of six teams that is fighting it out for a 1-seed, and they should be able to go on the road and beat an LSU team that tonight that’s nowhere near the field. This game is some rare low hanging fruit in the SEC.

-MISSISSIPPI STATE AT ALABAMA (SEC). Alabama just ended a two game skid with an impressive win over Kentucky and is still very much within reach of a #1 seed. Mississippi State has a great profile as well and could end up as a protected seed. A win tonight would go a long way toward helping them get that, but it’s easier said than done. They are also looking to bounce back from a loss to Oklahoma.

-WASHINGTON AT WISCONSIN (Big Ten). The Badgers shouldn’t have too much trouble at home tonight against a Washington Team that’s in a battle just to make the Big Ten Tournament.

-SOUTH CAROLINA AT MISSOURI (SEC). This is a rare and somewhat easy conference game for Mizzou. They have been amazingly good at home and should hold serve tonight.

-LOUISVILLE AT VIRGINIA TECH (ACC). This should be another conference road win for the Cardinals and they are very easily positioned to land in the top half of the bracket so long as they continue to hold serve for the rest of the year.

-TCU AT WEST VIRGINIA (Big 12). West Virginia still seems to be straddling the bubble. They need to show they can still win at a high level after sustaining some of the key injuries that they’ve had. A loss at home to a team that’s outside the field would not be good.

-COLORADO STATE AT AIR FORCE (Mountain West, Front Range). We at Hoops HD LOVE the Front Range!!

-IOWA AT ILLINOIS (Big Ten). Illinois is a complete mess right now and is coming off an absolute blowout against Duke over the weekend. They need a “get right game” and while beating Iowa at home won’t move the needle as far as their paper goes, it should at least help them get some of their confidence back.

-NEW MEXICO AT SAN DIEGO STATE (Mountain West). Both teams appear to be inside the bubble and both have a path to landing in the top half of the bracket. This is a good resume-building opportunity for both of them, and it should be a fun game. It usually is when these two get together!

-GONZAGA AT SANTA CLARA (West Coast). Gonzaga is coming off a home loss to rival Saint Mary’s, and while they still look like a tournament team they have had a disappointing season. This also will not be an easy road game to win. Santa Clara has looked like a tournament caliber team throughout the year, and while they don’t have the overall resume to get them there, they are certainly capable of winning this one at home tonight.

UTR WATCH:

-Akron @ Ball State (MAC) – Akron has a two game lead with just four games to go. They’re also looking to bounce back from their first conference loss of the year

-James Madison @ UL Monroe (Sun Belt) – amidst all the carnage in the SBC, James Madison is now sitting alone in 1st place and can clinch at least a share of the conference title with a win tonight

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The Hoops HD Report – Feb 24th

Posted on February 24, 2025 by David Griggs

Chad is joined by a full panel tonight, and we begin once again in the SEC. Auburn’s resume is so impressive that they may be a win or two away from having a #1 seed locked up. Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee are also right there, and Texas A&M is also high in the rankings. Arkansas, Texas, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, and Georgia are all hovering around the bubble and have big games coming up. Houston has been dominant in the Big 12 and could also play their way all the way up to the #1 line if they win out. In the Big Ten, Michigan State had a huge week, and Indiana is starting to play their way into the picture. Saint John’s is cruising through the Big East, Saint Mary’s has clinched the West Coast and Gonzaga continues to digress, and the Mountain West has three teams who appear to be inside the bubble. We discuss all that, and more!

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

Posted in Hoops HD Report, Podcasts, Videocasts | 1 Comment

Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Monday, Feb 24th

Posted on February 24, 2025 by David Griggs

For our latest HOOPS HD BRACKET RUNDOWN where we reveal our staff bracket line by line and discuss each team as we go – CLICK HERE

SURVIVAL BOARD UPDATE:

-MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE @ PRARIE VIEW (SWAC). Mississippi Valley State will be eliminated with a loss.

-ATLANTIC SUN – If Central Arkansas wins at North Alabama or West Georgia loses at home to Queens, Central Arkansas will get the last spot in the ASun Tournament

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NEWS AND NOTES:

-Indiana, who hasn’t looked good for much of the year, is suddenly starting to look good, and their profile is starting to look stronger, and it suddenly looks like they actually have a path to making the NCAA Tournament. They handled Purdue yesterday 73-58 after totally dominating the second half.

-Xavier continued their recent trend of a somewhat slow start, a fantastic 20 minutes in between, and an awful final 10 minutes where they managed to hang on for dear life in a win over Seton Hall. The Musketeers nearly blew a 21-point lead completely and avoided what would have been a fatal wound to their bubble chances. They now have a week to rest before an extremely pivotal home matchup with Creighton.

-UCLA held off Ohio State 69-61, and Ohio State continues to put together one of the most scattershot profiles that you’ll ever see. There are definitely reasons to select them, but there are a lot of reasons to leave them out as well.

-Drake needed overtime, which came after a foul on a last second shot, but they picked up a big road win against rivals Northern Iowa 64-58. If they the Bulldogs can win out until the conference tournament I think the committee should (and will) take them whether they win it or not. (Note from Stalica – I would strongly advise not losing their Arch Madness opener, but I otherwise concur with Griggs.)

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-NORTH CAROLINA AT FLORIDA STATE (ACC). North Carolina is so far away from the bubble that their only hope is to probably win out and beat Duke in the process, and even then they may still have some work to do in the ACC Tournament.

-MICHIGAN AT NEBRASKA (Big Ten). Michigan is looking like a solid protected seed and Nebraska is squarely on the bubble. This is another chance for the Huskers to add a notable win to their resume and help get them closer to the NCAA Tournament. Michigan is trying to earn a protected seed and bounce from a loss to rival Michigan State.

-HOUSTON AT TEXAS TECH (Big 12). Houston is unbeaten in true road games and still has a chance at ending up as a #1 seed. This is probably the toughest remaining game they will play until the NCAA Tournament, and it would be a huge win for the top of their resume. As for Texas Tech, they won the first meeting between these two, and completing the sweep would be a big deal.

-KANSAS AT COLORADO (Big 12). Kansas has been so poor on the road that any road win would help make their resume look a little better.

Posted in Daily Rundown, News and Notes, Survival Board | Comments Off on Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Monday, Feb 24th

Hoops HD Bracket Rundown – Feb 23rd

Posted on February 23, 2025 by David Griggs

A full Hoops HD panel have all submitted their own individual seedlists. They were then cross country scored by Chad to form a master seedlist, and it is revealed to the panel Selection Sunday style team by team and line by line. They discuss, assess, and debate each team as they are revealed. See who the #1 seeds are, who the rest of the protected seeds are, who is on the bubble, and who just missed it.

Below is the final bracket, but don’t look at it until you’ve watched the show!!

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

Posted in Bracket Rundown, Bracketology, Podcasts, Videocasts | 1 Comment

Bracketology 2025: March Madness Predictions (Version 8.0)

Posted on February 23, 2025 by Jon Teitel

For today’s Hoops HD Daily Rundown – CLICK HERE

We are only 3 weeks away from Selection Sunday as we begin to make our NCAA tourney predictions. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel correctly picked 67 of the 68 teams that made the 2024 tourney: 62 of his 67 were within 1 spot of their actual seed and 41 were right on the money. He will spend the upcoming weeks predicting which 68 teams will hear their names called on March 16th. See below for his list of who would make the cut if they picked the field today and if you agree or disagree then feel free to tweet us. To see how he stacks up with other websites (ranked 7th out of 179 bracket veterans over the past 5 years), check out: www.bracketmatrix.com

SEED: TEAM (CONFERENCE)
1: Auburn (SEC)
1: Duke (ACC)
1: Florida (SEC)
1: Alabama (SEC)

2: Houston (Big 12)
2: Tennessee (SEC)
2: Wisconsin (Big 10)
2: Texas A&M (SEC)

3: Iowa State (Big 12)
3: Purdue (Big 10)
3: Kentucky (SEC)
3: Arizona (Big 12)

4: Michigan (Big 10)
4: Michigan State (Big 10)
4: Texas Tech (Big 12)
4: St. John’s (Big East)

5: Missouri (SEC)
5: Marquette (Big East)
5: Maryland (Big 10)
5: Mississippi State (SEC)

6: Mississippi (SEC)
6: Kansas (Big 12)
6: UCLA (Big 10)
6: Clemson (ACC)

7: Louisville (ACC)
7: St. Mary’s (WCC)
7: Illinois (Big 10)
7: Oregon (Big 10)

8: Memphis (AAC)
8: Creighton (Big East)
8: Connecticut (Big East)
8: Utah State (MWC)

9: Gonzaga (WCC)
9: New Mexico (MWC)
9: BYU (Big 12)
9: Baylor (Big 12)

10: West Virginia (Big 12)
10: Nebraska (Big 10)
10: Vanderbilt (SEC)
10: Oklahoma (SEC)

11: San Diego State (MWC)
11: Texas (Big 12)
11: Ohio State (Big 10)
11: Wake Forest (ACC)
11: Arkansas (SEC)
11: Drake (MVC)

12: VCU (A-10)
12: UC San Diego (Big West)
12: McNeese (Southland)
12: Yale (Ivy)

13: Akron (MAC)
13: High Point (Big South)
13: James Madison (Sun Belt)
13: Lipscomb (Atlantic Sun)

14: Jacksonville State (C-USA)
14: Chattanooga (SoCon)
14: Utah Valley (WAC)
14: Towson (CAA)

15: Northern Colorado (Big Sky)
15: Cleveland State (Horizon)
15: Central Connecticut (NEC)
15: Norfolk State (MEAC)

16: Bryant (America East)
16: Omaha (Summit)
16: Southeast Missouri (OVC)
16: Southern (SWAC)
16: American (Patriot)
16: Quinnipiac (MAAC)

1ST 4 OUT
George Mason (A-10)
Georgia (SEC)
North Carolina (ACC)
SMU (ACC)

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Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Sunday, Feb 23rd

Posted on February 23, 2025 by David Griggs

NEWS AND NOTES:

-Duke absolutely blew Illinois off the court. Duke had been winning some ACC games like they were home buy games, but was a game against a solid tournament team on a neutral floor, and they just blew the Illini into the sun 110-67.

-BYU, who had been hovering right around our bubble, got a massive road win at Arizona yesterday 96-95. It was close all throughout, but BYU made some key plays in the final minute to secure what is easily their biggest win of the season and could be the game that makes the difference of them getting into the NCAA Tournament. Arizona is still in great shape, but they’ve now lost three of their last four, and two of those were at home.

-Alabama snapped their two game losing streak with a big 96-83 win against Kentucky. Kentucky kept it close for a lot of the game, but Bama maintained the lead and control.

-Houston managed to get another big win as they held off Iowa State 68-59. The Cougars never blew it open, but they did sustain a lead for most of the game.

-Tennessee has had a great season, and their really strong profile got even stronger yesterday as they beat Texas A&M on the road 77-69. Beating protected seeds in true road games is generally a good thing for one’s resume!!

-Oregon, who just a little while ago appeared to be in a massive tailspin, somehow managed to go into Wisconsin and get a massive 77-73 yesterday. It is probably their biggest win of the year and it comes at a time when their resume really needed a big boost.

-Arkansas just isn’t going away. They got another nice win yesterday against Missouri that they really needed as they held off the Tigers 92-85, and had to come from behind to do it. Mizzou has an outstanding overall profile, and they could still end up as a protected seed, but the one thing they could use a little more of is true road wins, so yesterday was a bit of a missed opportunity.

-Clemson got one of their bigger road wins of the year as they went on the road to SMU and knocked them off 79-69. SMU was on the bubble, and this was a huge missed opportunity for them, whereas Clemson is solidly in the field and now has seven true road wins. This should move them up the seedlist.

-Oklahoma is still clinging to the bubble for dear life. Every time it looks like they are about to fall off of it they come up with a big win. They knocked off Mississippi State 93-87 yesterday, and while it was at home, for them every win is a big win.

-Vanderbilt continues to play like a top ten team on their home court. They got another big scalp as they knocked off Ole Miss 77-72. Vandy should safely be in the field, but doing just a little more away from home would make their resume look a lot stronger.

-TCU, who had been red hot and appeared to have a pretty wide path toward making the NCAA Tournament, fell on the road at Cincinnati yesterday 75-63 in a game that they really could not afford to lose.

-Wake Forest, who was also squarely on the bubble and needing to hold serve, did not do so yesterday. They fell on the road to NC State 83-75 in a game that will likely have them on the wrong side of the cut line.

-Texas, who was squarely on the bubble and needing to hold serve, did not do so yesterday. They went to South Carolina and didn’t just lose, but lost handily 84-69. That is definitely going to leave a mark!.

-Baylor is still likely inside the bubble, but they needed road wins. They had a winnable road game yesterday at Colorado, but didn’t win it. they fell to the Buffs 76-74.

-VCU and George Mason, a pair of bubble teams out of the Atlantic Ten, squared off yesterday, and VCU won it going away 70-54. They have now drawn even with George Mason in the standings. I think George Mason’s case was slightly stronger than VCU’s coming into yesterday, but they needed this one and didn’t get it.

-Saint Mary’s has now clinched 1st place in the West Coast Conference after they went on the road and won at Gonzaga. SMC was very safely in the top half of the bracket, but this should give them a much bigger boost considering that it was a true road win against a solid team. They basically sprinted out to a lead early and while the Zags made a few runs at them, SMC always had an answer.

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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-UCONN AT SAINT JOHN’S (Big East). Saint John’s is one of the hottest teams in the country and appears to be on pace to earn a protected seeds. UConn has been a little less consistent, but they do have some big wins and has shown they are capable of winning big games away from home. If they could somehow win this one it would give their resume a big boost.

-PURDUE AT INDIANA (Big Ten). Purdue has now dropped three straight. Granted, all were to probable protected seeds and two of them were on the road, so it’s not that big of a tailspin, but they’ll definitely be looking to snap that today. Indiana has lost six out of their last seven, but they have been competitive in a lot of those games, and they should be way up for this one since it’s a rivalry game. When they went to Purdue just a few weeks ago they only lost by 5.

-FLORIDA ATLANTIC AT MEMPHIS (American). FAU just had a five game winning streak snapped, but they have been playing better recently and they should be up for this one. Having said that, Memphis is clearly the superior team and they are at home, so they should be able to hold serve.

-XAVIER AT SETON HALL (Big East). We still have Xavier just outside our bubble and they basically need to win out in order to have a chance to get inside of it. They certainly don’t want to drop a game to a Seton Hall team that’s about a thousand miles from the bubble.

-CLEVELAND STATE AT OAKLAND (Horizon League). Cleveland State still has a half game lead in the HL Standings with just three games to go. They can get a step closer with a win today.

-OHIO STATE AT UCLA (Big Ten). Ohio State suffered a rather damaging blowout loss earlier in the week, which is a bad look for a team that’s right on the bubble. But, the Buckeyes have been inconsistent all year long. A win today would all but offset that, and the way their season has gone it’s not out of the question. UCLA is solidly in the field and depending on how they finish their season I still think the door is open for them to end up as a protected seed. They’ll be looking to hold serve at home today after a somewhat surprising home loss to Minnesota earlier in the week.

-DRAKE AT NORTHERN IOWA (Missouri Valley). This is perhaps Drake’s toughest remaining test of the season. It’s on the road against a team that has been playing really well. It’s also a rivalry game. If Drake can win this, they have a pretty clear path toward winning out during the regular season, and if they do that I think they’ll be inside the bubble.

-GEORGETOWN AT CREIGHTON (Big East). Creighton has lost two straight, but both were close games to solid opponents. They should be able to hold serve at home and win this one. They are good enough to win out until the Big East Tournament.

Posted in Daily Rundown, News and Notes | 1 Comment