Hoops HD

NEWS AND NOTES:

-At some point yesterday I thought we were going to tab the day as ‘Setback Saturday.’  A lot of teams that needed good things to happen did not have good things happen.

-Houston, who had looked like a Final Four team a week ago, followed up their upset loss to SMU (which was a little surprising but also understandable) with a 69-59 home loss to Memphis yesterday (which made no sense at all).  The Cougars are in no danger of missing the field, and will probably still end up as a protected seed, but it was a heads-scratching setback.

-Wisconsin, who I thought was building the kind of resume that could even get them in a discussion for a #1 seed had they been able to finish strong, did not look strong at all yesterday.  They lost at home to Rutgers 73-65.  Rutgers is a team with one of the more interesting resumes I’ve ever seen.  The good is outstanding (including, but not limited to the win at Wisky yesterday), but the bad is atrocious.  Still, they are going to get a serious look from the committee if they can finish strong.

-Marquette, who was showing all the signs of being a solid protected seed, went on the road to Butler and lost.  I’m still at a loss as to how that happened.

-West Virginia appeared to have things turned around and appeared to have a winnable road game at Oklahoma State to keep the momentum shift going.  They were blown off the floor 81-58.  The Mountaineer’s NCAA Tournament hopes are on life support.

-Iowa State was just 3-8 in Big 12 play, but their schedule had been extremely front-loaded, and what was left of it was far more manageable.  Yesterday they had Kansas State at home.  That’s a winnable game, and a chance for them to start stringing together some Big 12 wins.  They lost 75-69.  They are also on life support.

-Oregon appeared to be playing well and climbing the seedlist.  They lost at home to Cal yesterday 78-64, and at no point were they really ever in the game.

-New Mexico State was a team that I thought could sneak onto the bubble.  They went to Utah Valley and lost 72-68.

-Washington State, who we thought might at least get onto the board because of their high NET, and with a strong finish had an outside shot at making the field, lost at home to Arizona State 58-55.

We could have also tabbed it ‘Close-Call Saturday.’

-Kansas trailed to an Oklahoma team that is barely in the bubble for much of the game, but held on to win 71-69.  This win would have been a gold strike for Oklahoma had they been able to pull it off, but instead they will continue to hover around the bubble for now.

-Providence was at home against DePaul and needed overtime to squeak by the Blue Demons 76-73.  I think they are trying to set some sort of record for most wins every by 5pts or less.

-Villanova trialed Seton Hall at home for much of the game, but held on for a 73-67 win.

-LSU, who had been in a tailspin, had to sweat out Mississippi State at home yesterday.  Mississippi State hasn’t won on the road all year, and the Tigers barely escaped 69-65.

-BYU barely avoided a disastrous loss (again) as they held on to beat Pepperdine 91-85.

There was some normalcy yesterday as well…

-Baylor has bounced back and pretty much dominated Texas yesterday in their 80-63 win.

-USC, who had been severely lacking in notable wins, picked one up yesterday as they knocked off rival UCLA 67-64.  They pretty much had a lead for the entire way, but almost gave it away in the final seconds when a turnover gave UCLA a chance to hit what would have been a game-tying shot at the buzzer.

-Murray State, who just cracked the rankings, trailed at Morehead for about 38 minutes and had a rough night offensively, but managed to hold on and win 57-53.

-Alabama and Arkansas was a battle with Alabama getting the win at home 68-67.  It was still an impressive showing for an Arkansas team that is much better now than they were at the start of conference play.  They got a big home win against Auburn and then went into Tuscaloosa and took Alabama to the wire.

-Miami FL picked up a really nice road win against Wake Forest 76-72.  We have Wake hovering around our bubble, and a win yesterday would have really helped.  We had Miami FL a little bit further inside the bubble, but only a little.  This win is a big deal for them.

-San Francisco, who’s resume was looking a little flimsy when it comes to notable wins, got a huge one at Santa Clara yesterday 80-66.  Not only does this really help them out on paper, the Dons looked really good on the court as well.

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-UCONN AT SAINT JOHN’S (Big East).  UConn is looking to bounce back after a loss at Xavier, and has what should be a winnable road game at Saint John’s today.  I still think UConn has a shot at a protected seed if they can finish strong.

-MARYLAND AT PURDUE (Big Ten).  Purdue was blasted into the sun in their last game against Michigan.  This is a good bounce back game for them against a team they should win against rather easily at home.

-MONMOUTH AT IONA (Metro Atlantic).  Iona will be on the board and in serious contention for a bid if they win out, but even that may not be enough.  Still, they have to win out to give themselves that chance.

-NORTHWESTERN AT ILLINOIS (Big Ten).  Illinois is very tough to beat at home and they should be able to win this one without having to sweat too much.

-UAB AT OLD DOMINION (Conference USA).  UAB has a shot at landing on the bubble if they can win out.  Anything short of that and they’ll need the auto-bid, and even if they do win out that still may not be enough.

-NEBRASKA AT IOWA (Big Ten).  Iowa appears to be inside the bubble and should be able to hold serve in this one without too much trouble.

-COLORADO STATE A BOISE STATE (Mountain West).  This is a huge game between a Boise State team that looks good enough to easily go in on the first ballot and end up in the top half of the bracket, and a Colorado State that’s inside the bubble, but could be much safer if they can win a game like this.

-NORTHERN IOWA AT LOYOLA CHICAGO (Missouri Valley).  Loyola Chicago is running out of strikes.  They still have a path to land inside the bubble and make the field without winning the conference tournament, but they’ll probably need to win out through the regular season to ensure that happens.

NEWS AND NOTES:

-Xavier snapped a two game losing streak with a big home win over UConn 74-68.  They pretty much maintained a lead all throughout, but UConn kept it within reach the whole way.

-Utah State looked to be getting closer to the bubble, but we won’t be saying that anymore.  They lost at home to Nevada 85-72, and that one is going to sting.

-Iona lost their second straight game as they fell at Siena 70-64, and this one is going to sting a whole lot worse.  I don’t want to say that Iona has not shot at an at-large if they lose in the conference tournament, but I’d say their chances are less than 50/50.

-Saint Louis, who appeared to be building a resume and making a case for themselves, also suffered a home loss to Saint Bonaventure 68-61.  That one is going to hurt too.

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-TEXAS A&M AT AUBURN (SEC).  Auburn is looking to bounce back from their loss at Arkansas earlier this week.  This is a winnable home game against a TAMU team that’s outside the bubble, and will need a big win like this (as unlikely as that is) just to get into the discussion.

-TEXAS AT BAYLOR (Big 12).  Texas seems to be getting better as the year goes on and is climbing the seedlist, while Baylor has shown themselves to be human after all at times.  There is some heat to this series, but Baylor still appears to be the better team and they’re at home.  If Texas somehow pulls the upset, they won’t just climb the seedlist, they’ll shoot up it.

-CREIGHTON AT GEORGETOWN (Big East).  Creighton has been in a bit of a slump recently and has fallen down the seedlist.  They’ll really be drowning in quicksand if they can’t pick this one up on the road.

-ARKANSAS AT ALABAMA (SEC).  When you look at their resume, Alabama’s good is really good, but their bad also makes you scratch your head.  They have been consistently tough at home, though.  Arkansas is looking a lot better and is coming off their biggest (and most feelgood) win in a long time.  Following it up with a road win today would REALLY boost their profile, but that’s much easier said than done.

-OKLAHOMA AT KANSAS (Big 12).  Oklahoma had a big win earlier this week, but that was at home against Texas Tech.  Winning at Kansas is an entirely different task.  The Sooners still appear to be hovering around the bubble, so if they were to win it goes without saying that it would help their cause.

-SETON HALL AT VILLANOVA (Big East).  Seton Hall has been playing well, and is coming off a nice win against Xavier.  Winning on the road against a probable protected seed is going to require a different level of play, though.

-RUTGERS AT WISCONSIN (Big Ten).  So Rutgers has managed some really big wins this year, but they’ve all been at home.  They’re still outside the bubble, but they are at least in a position to where they can reach the bubble.  A win in a game like this completely changes the complexion of their resume.  But, having said that, winning a game like this is damn near impossible.  Wisconsin is arguably the best team in the Big Ten, and arguably could end up as high as the #2 line.

-FLORIDA STATE AT NORTH CAROLINA (ACC).  North Carolina looks like they are straddling the bubble.  They’ve avoided bad losses, and they need to continue to do that, but that’s all they’ve done.  That being said, they need to avoid a loss in this one today.

-WEST VIRGINIA AT OKLAHOMA STATE (Big 12).  WVU just ended a seven game losing streak, but they did so in impressive fashion and if you look at some of the games they lost during that streak they actually played well.  A win today gets them one step closer to being solidly back in the discussion for a bid.

-DAVIDSON AT RHODE ISLAND (Atlantic Ten).  Davidson has a respectable resume and has looked solid on the court most of the time.  This isn’t the easiest road game to win, but it’s the kind of win that a tournament caliber team should be able to get.

-MIAMI FL AT WAKE FOREST (ACC).  Wake is in the rankings and appears to be climbing the seedlist and on the committee’s radar, but their resume still looks flimsy (at best) and they still have a lot of work to do.  Miami FL has work to do as well, so both are coming into this one inside the bubble, but very close to it, and they should both have a sense of urgency.

-MEMPHIS AT HOUSTON (American).  Houston suffered their first loss in a long time earlier this week, but it won’t really even qualify as much of a setback so long as they keep blowing through the league.  They should be able to rebound and pick up this one at home.

-INDIANA AT MICHIGAN STATE (Big Ten).  I’ve been critical of how Indiana’s resume needs more road wins and more quality wins.  Well, if they win this one, my criticism will stop.  That’s easier said than done, though.  Michigan State has fallen somewhat, but they are still very much in the running for a protected seed and should hold serve at home.

-FLORIDA AT KENTUCKY (SEC).  I think Florida is squarely on the bubble, and that Kentucky is good enough to end up with a #1 seed (and arguably should be there already).

-TCU AT TEXAS TECH (Big 12).  TCU has been improving and climbing the seedlist as the season has gone on, but they’ve got a huge chore today.  Texas Tech has proven to be good enough at home to beat anyone, so this would be massive upset and resume boost if TCU were to pull it off.

-MURRAY STATE AT MOREHEAD STATE (Ohio Valley).  Murray has cracked the rankings and will be safely inside the bubble so long as they continue to blow through the OVC.  They may be tested today as Morehead State is unbeaten at home, but it’s still the kind of game that an at-large caliber team should be able to win.

-CALIFORNIA AT OREGON (Pac 12).  Oregon is inside the bubble and should stay there so long as they hold serve.  That would certainly mean not losing at home to Cal.

-NEW MEXICO STATE AT UTAH VALLEY (WAC).  New Mexico State has an outside shot (at best) for an at-large bid, but they do have a shot.  This would be a tough road win for them as well.

-KANSAS STATE AT IOWA STATE (Big 12).  Iowa State has a solid resume aside from being just 3-8 in Big 12 play.  Having said that, their schedule was extremely front-loaded.  I won’t go so far to say it’s easy the rest of the way, but it’s nowhere near as tough as what it’s been.  This is a winnable game, and they need to win it.

-VCU AT GEORGE MASON (Atlantic Ten).  VCU can get onto the bubble, and perhaps even inside of it, with a strong finish.

-MARQUETTE AT BUTLER (Big East).  I like this Marquette team, I think they can end up as a protected seed, and this is a winnable road game that they should pick up.

-DUKE AT BOSTON COLLEGE (ACC).  Duke could arguably end up as a #1 seed, but right now they’ve fallen off our #1 line.  They’re still a solid protected seed and should be able to win this one on the road today.

-ARIZONA AT WASHINGTON (Pac 12).  Arizona is in the hunt for a #1 seed, and our committee actually gave them one last night.  They probably need to win out in order to get it, though.  They certainly can’t lose this one.

-OHIO STATE AT MICHIGAN (Big Ten).  Michigan is coming off a blowout win against Purdue, which is a level they have seldom played at this season.  Ohio State is coming off a loss at Rutgers and is looking to rebound.  Even if Michigan pulls this off and caps off a huge week, I still think they’ll have work to do as far as making the field.  As for Ohio State, a few more road wins would make their resume look better, and getting one against their rivals would probably feel pretty good.

-VANDERBILT AT TENNESSEE (SEC).  Tennessee shouldn’t have too much trouble holding serve in this one.  Vanderbilt is noticeably better this year, but they’ve still got a ways to go.

-SMU AT EAST CAROLINA (American).  SMU just had a huge win against Houston, but if they want any shot at making the field they can’t follow that up with a letdown against ECU.  They pretty much need to blow through the rest of their schedule.

-SAN FRANCISCO AT SANTA CLARA (West Coast).  This is a hugely important game for both teams.  Santa Clara hasn’t been inside the bubble all year, but given how they’ve been playing lately I think they’ve actually got a shot to get there if they can finish strong.  That would mean winning today against a San Francisco team that is inside the bubble, but who needs a few more big wins in order to stay there.

-DEPAUL AT PROVIDENCE (Big East).  Providence continues to build up one of the most impressive resumes in the country, at least as far as the quality of their wins.  They shouldn’t have too much trouble holding serve in this one.

-NOTRE DAME AT CLEMSON (ACC).  The Irish are inside our bubble, but barely.  This wouldn’t be a super high caliber road win as Clemson is nowhere near making the field, but it would at least be a decent caliber road win.  A loss would actually set the Irish back a bit.

-MISSISSIPPI STATE AT LSU (SEC).  Mississippi State has no road wins, and if they could just pick up a few they’d probably be in the discussion for a bid.  LSU is coming out of a tailspin and this is a winnable game for them to help them get back on track.

-AIR FORCE AT SAN DIEGO STATE (Mountain West).  San Diego State is squarely on our bubble and cannot afford to lose this one.

-WYOMING AT SAN JOSE STATE (Mountain West).  Wyoming has been on a rampage lately, and I expect that to continue tonight as they take on the superbly coached, but under-talented, San Jose State team.

-SAINT MARY’S AT GONZAGA (West Coast).  Gonzaga is set to move up to the #1 ranking if they can win this game, and remain on pace to earn a #1 seed.  Saint Mary’s has been playing really well lately, but beating a team that is about to go to #1 on the road would take an effort unlike any we’ve seen from them (or perhaps anyone else in the country) so far this season.

-UCLA AT USC (Pac 12).  It’s a rivalry game between a UCLA team that is on pace to get a protected seed and a USC team that is severely lacking in quality wins.  Something is at stake both on and off paper for both these teams.

-BYU AT PEPPERDINE (West Coast).  BYU ended a four game losing streak the other night where they had really looked pathetic as they finally got a win against LMU.  In overtime.  Who, quite frankly, isn’t good at all.  This is a game that BYU cannot lose, but given how they’ve been playing lately it wouldn’t shock me at all if they did, and if they do, it could knock them all the way outside the bubble.

UNDER THE RADAR:

-LAFAYETTE AT LEHIGH (Patriot League).  These two teams are just 17 miles apart, and they’ve never met in the NCAA Tournament!

-NAVY AT ARMY (Patriot League).  Navy got off to a great start this season, but has hit a skid since PL play started.  A road win against their big rivals should give them some momentum.

-CHATTANOOGA AT FURMAN (SoCon).  Two of the better teams in the SoCon, and Chattanooga will be potentially dangerous in the Round of 64 if they can get that far.  This is a tough road game for them.

-THE CITADEL AT VMI (SoCon).  This is just a fun rivalry, and I wanted to highlight it.

-GRAMBLING AT TEXAS SOUTHERN (SWAC).  There is a logjam atop the SWAC standings, and these are two of the teams that are in it.

-BELMONT AT SEMO (Ohio Valley).  Belmont can play their way onto the bubble, and most likely play their way inside of it, if they win out, but anything short of that and they’ll most likely need to win the conference tournament.

-Today is a light day that comes after a light day, so today’s write-up will be short.  I understand that the amount of content in today’s write-up may not be suitable to many who follow us, so please check out the following links…

-For the latest HOOPS HD BRACKET RUNDOWN, where we build a seedlist line by line on the air and debate, discuss, and assess each team as we go – CLICK HERE

-Literally all of Jon Teitel’s interviews are fantastic.  You should read all of them.  Here is his latest where he talks with Ed DiGregorio about Jeff Covington – CLICK HERE

-We are also getting closer and closer to the start of conference tournaments, and are in the stretch run of teams trying to clinch home court advantage, or clinch byes, or to simply finish high enough in the standings to make the conference tournament.  We will be updating our CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS page between now and the last day of Championship Week.  We do this because we understand that players, coaches, administrators, and commissioners need to know who is playing in their events, and where their events are taking place.  We wouldn’t want a team to go to the wrong tournament by mistake.  Imagine what a disaster that would be!!  If North Carolina did not reference our page, and showed up at the SoCon Tournament thinking that was where they were supposed to be playing, it would be a disaster!!  That’s why we do what we do!!  We also do this for networks like ESPN, so they know what games they are supposed to be broadcasting and on what channels.  To check it out – CLICK HERE

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-The only major result (and it was rather major) from Thursday night was Michigan’s blowout win against Purdue.  It was at home, but it’s still the kind of game that can start to turn the momentum around for a team.  As for Purdue, it doesn’t knock them out of contention for a #1 seed, but a blowout loss to a team that’s outside the bubble, even if it’s on the road, is just not something that happens to #1 seeds all that often (if at all).

-CONNECTICUT AT XAVIER (Big East).  Both teams are in the rankings and both appear to be safely headed toward the top half of the bracket, but you also get the sense that this is a game that both teams kind of need, even if it’s perhaps just for their mental health.  Xavier has lost two straight, one of which was at home against DePaul, and they are beginning to slide down the seedlist.  On paper UConn looks like they could be a protected seed, but they don’t always play up to that level and we actually didn’t have them as a protected seed last night.  A road win in a game like this will look really good on their resume and strengthen their argument for a protected seed.

-KENT STATE AT AKRON (MAC).  This game won’t impact the NCAA Tournament at all, but We at Hoops HD Love the Wagon Wheel!!!

-NEVADA AT UTAH STATE (Mountain West).  Utah State is outside the bubble, but they are close enough to it to reach it if they can finish strong.  Winning tonight is pretty much a must.

-SAINT BONAVENTURE AT SAINT LOUIS (Atlantic Ten).  SLU is another team that is outside the bubble and who has a lot of work to do, but reaching the bubble is not an impossibility if they can finish strong.

-IONA AT SIENA (MAAC).  I think if Iona wins out through the regular season they are safe.  That’s easier said than done, but they are good enough to do it.

-FRESNO STATE AT COLORADO STATE (Mountain West).  Colorado State is falling down the seedlist and needs a win tonight to help stabilize their resume.  Fresno State is outside the bubble, but this league is strong enough to where they actually do have the opportunities to play their way inside of it if they finish strong and pick up some notable wins.

-UNLV AT BOISE STATE (Mountain West).  Boise is cruising and they should be able to hold serve tonight.