Hoops HD

NEWS AND NOTES:

-Iowa State came into yesterday’s game against Kansas unbeaten, and when it came to losing their first game they did not mess around! Kansas, who had not looked nearly as good as they did last night at any prior point of the season, absolutely blew their doors off 84-63. They defended, they forced turnovers, they hit shots, it was an amazing performance and one the Jayhawks kind of needed.

-Seton Hall had beaten UConn at home four years in a row and nealry did it again last night. They overcame a double digit second half deficit and had a chance to tie on their last possession of the game, but ended up coming up short and after two late freethrows the Huskies escaped 69-64.

-Virginia jumped out to a 14-0 lead on Louisville and Louisville just never caught back up. The Hoos picked up a really nice 79-70 road win.

-Tennesee needed two overtimes to get by Texas A&M in what was probably the most exciting game of the night, but the Vols prevailed 87-82.

-Minnesota hit a game-tying shot against rival Wisconsin with just about 5 seconds to play and appeared to force the game into overtime, but Wisconsin hit a game winning shot at the buzzer to pick up a huge 68-65 road win against their rivals. Wisky has had a hell of a week! They’ve won at Michigan and at Minnesota and suddenly their resume looks amazing!

-Alabama and Florida both picked up solid conference road wins as Alabama knocked off Mississippi State 97-82 and the Gators, who are really playing a lot better now, won at Oklahoma 96-79.

-Baylor got a much needed road win at Oklahoma State 94-79, which is just their first Big 12 win of the year.

-Boise State is a team that would still come up in our Hoops HD shows and email threads. Well, we can now officially call the morgue. They’re dead. They lost to UNLV 89-85 last night to fall to just 1-5 in MWC play. Couple that with their loss to Hawaii Pacific and the only way they go anywhere will be to win the conference tournament.

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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-IOWA AT PURDUE (Big Ten). Iowa’s predictive metrics are good, but the rest of their resume needs a lot of work. They’ve also lost two straight and not looked all that strong in either game. Purdue is still in reach of a #1 seed and should be able to hold serve at home.

-AUBURN AT MISSOURI (SEC). Both teams have a lot of work to do to get their resumes up to being solidly NCAA Tournament worthy, but both are also starting to play better. This game has a pivotal feel to it for both teams as they both look to keep their momentum going.

-KENTUCKY AT LSU (SEC). I have not been impressed with either team and don’t believe either one to be solidly inside the bubble at the moment. Having said that, both can still play their way in and both could really use this win tonight.

-VANDERBILT AT TEXAS (SEC). Texas is coming off a big win at Arkansas, which has breathed life into a season that prior to that had seemed rather lifeless. If they can follow that up with a win tonight against Vandy it would give their resume another much needed boost. Vandy is unbeaten, but they will likely be challenged tonight on the road.

-NORTH CAROLINA AT STANFORD (ACC). This is a hugely important game. A road win would boost the value of UNC’s resume who to date only has one other true road win so far. Stanford has started to play better and can continue to build up their resume. I could see this one going either way. Both are good.

-VIRGINIA TECH AT SMU (ACC). Both teams are likely to land inside the bubble, but both could also stand to build up their resumes. A win tonight would be a decent resume boost for whichever team pulls it off, especially VA Tech since they are on the road.

-TCU AT BYU (Big 12). TCU has lost their last two games, which were against Kansas and Arizona. Their tough stretch continues as they go on the road against a top ten team. BYU has just one loss and should win this one, but TCU can play at a high level, so they better not completely overlook them.

OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:

-High Point @ Winthrop (Big South) – these are two of the better teams in the Big South and this is perhaps High Point’s most challenging remaining game

-Ole Miss @ Georgia (SEC) – Ole Miss has had a really tough year despite being really talented. Georgia should be able to hold serve at home

-Tulsa @ Charlotte (American) – Tulsa needs to win out to get a serious look from the committee and that may not even be enough

-Colorado @ Cincinnati (Big 12) – Colorado is on the outside looking in, but this is a winnable road game that will get them to 13-4 overall and 3-1 in Big 12 play

-Saint Peter’s @ Quinnipiac (MAAC) – both teams are 5-1 in MAAC play, so this is a pivotal game for Quinnipiac

-Southern Miss @ Troy (Sun Belt) – both teams have just one loss in SBC play and both have been playing well lately

-UAB @ Tulane (American) – Tulane can improve to 13-4 overall and stay unbeaten in the American

-San Diego State @ Wyoming (Mountain West) – after a disappointing start to the season, San Diego State has really gotten rolling. They’ve won eight of their last nine with the only loss coming against top ranked Arziona. This is a tough road game, though.

-Fordham @ Saint Louis (Atlantic 10) – SLU should win this one easily and improve to 16-1

-UCF @ Kansas State (Big 12) – UCF is a solid 13-2 on the year, but they’re just 1-1 in true road games, so that part of their resume needs some work. A win tonight would help

-Illinois @ Northwestern (Big Ten) – the Illini should cruise and pick up a conference road win in this one

-UCLA @ Penn State (Big Ten) – both teams have shown signs of life throughout the year, but both still have a ton of work to do and both really need to win this one tonight

-Utah @ Texas Tech (Big 12) – Texas Tech is getting stronger as the year goes on and they should be able to hold serve at home in this one

-South Carolina @ Arkansas (SEC) – Arkansas was blown out at Auburn in their last game, but should be able to bounce back tonight

-Nevada @ Utah State (Mountain West) – Nevada has been solid since the start of conference play, but Utah State is really good and they’re at home, so it’s one they should win.

-Pacific @ Santa Clara (West Coast) – Santa Clara is outside the bubble, but they are perhaps close enough to it to reach it. They can’t afford to lose a game like this at home, though

-Arizona State @ Arizona (Big 12) – It’s a rivalry game, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a mismatch. Arizona is the top ranked team in the nation and they are at home. They should roll.

-Michigan @ Washington (Big Ten) – Michigan will look to rebound from a tough loss to Wisconsin in their last game and pick up another true road win

-Duke @ California (ACC) – this is potentially a tough road game for Duke, but it’s one they should win

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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-VIRGINIA AT LOUISVILLE (ACC). Both teams are solidly in the rankings and both should easily finish in the top half of the bracket. Both have a shot at making a run at a protected seed, but for that to happen they’d need to finish strong and a win today would certainly help. Virginia in particular is an impressive 14-2 and looking for their 3rd true road win.

-TEXAS A&M AT TENNESSEE (SEC). TAMU is off to a 3-0 start in conference play, is 13-3 overall, and appears to be getting better as the season goes on. They don’t have a win as good as this one would be if they’re somehow able to beat the Vols on the road. Tennessee has lost two of their last three, but is a perfect 9-0 at home.

-WISCONSIN AT MINNESOTA (Big Ten). It’s a conference rivalry game between two teams that are starting to play a lot better. Wisky is coming off one of the biggest singular wins that any team has managed this season, and Minney is coming off an overtime loss to USC, but they had won five straight before that. Both teams still have a lot of work to do and both could really use this one tonight.

-MIAMI FL AT NOTRE DAME (ACC). Miami has won nine in a row, but none of the wins came in games that were really all that tough. Notre Dame has lost two straight, but can still be tough to beat at home. And…I’m not going to make any jokes about how this game impacts the CFP Playoffs because it would just be too easy.

-CONNECTICUT AT SETON HALL (Big East). Seton Hall is having a fantastic season and has cracked the top 25. They’re at home tonight for what is a major showcase game against a UConn team that is ranked 3rd and within reach of a 1-seed. The crowd should be absolutely bonkers for this one, and Seton Hall is richly deserving of their ranking, but UConn is still good enough to win this one on the road.

-INDIANA AT MICHIGAN STATE (Big Ten). Indiana has been playing better and is perhaps within reach of the bubble, but it will take a win like this in order for them to reach it and get inside of it. Michigan State is a solid protected seed and should be able to hold serve in this one.

-IOWA STATE AT KANSAS (Big 12). Iowa State will be challenged on the road. Winning at Kansas is never easy. Having said that, Iowa State is unbeaten, has won some tough road games already and is in the hunt for a #1 seed which means this is certainly the kind of game they can win. Kansas is looking to bounce back from a loss to West Virginia in their last game, but they’ll be facing a huge challenge despite being at home.

-ALABAMA AT MISSISSIPPI STATE (SEC). Alabama is coming off a somewhat surprising loss at home to Texas and looking to bounce back. Mississippi State had won five straight, but was blown out at Kentucky in their last game and is looking to bounce back from that. Both teams really need this, but they’re in very different places. Alabama needs it to stay within range of a protected seed and Mississippi State needs it to get closer to the bubble.

-FLORIDA AT OKLAHOMA (SEC). Florida has won six of their last seven and starting to look a lot better. This is a big road game for them against an Oklahoma team that’s a perfect 8-0 at home and looking to snap a two game losing streak. Florida is still looking for their first true road win, so they need this on their profile.

OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:

-Villanova @ Providence (Big East) – It can be difficult to win at Providence, and the last couple of games for Nova have been struggles, but this is one they should win

-Marquette @ Saint John’s (Big East) – Marquette has lost 7 of their last 8 and is an absolute dumpster fire. The Johnnies are starting to play better and should hold serve at home

-Kent State @ Buffalo (MAC) – these are two of the better teams in the MAC

-Boston College @ Clemson (ACC) – if there is such a thing as a conference buy game, this is it

-George Mason @ Loyola Chicago (Atlantic 10) -Mason is 16-1 on the year and shouldn’t have too much trouble getting to 17-1

-Dayton @ Duquesne (Atlantic 10) -Dayton’s overall season has been a little disappointing, but it hasn’t been a complete bust and they’re a perfect 3-0 in A10 play

-Central Michigan @ Miami OH (MAC) – Miami is continuing to climb the polls and can improve to 18-0 on the season

-Valparaiso @ Belmont (Missouri Valley) – Belmont is coming off a huge come from behind win and can keep the bubble within arms length so long as they can keep winning

-West Virginia @ Houston (Big 12) – West Virginia is coming off a huge win against Kansas, but they are on the road today against a team that’s even better. WVU has been playing better, but Houston should hold serve at home

-Oregon @ Nebraska (Big Ten) – Nebraska is unbeaen and will likely remain that way

-Baylor @ Oklahoma State (Big 12) – Oklahoma State is a respectable 13-3, but their schedule has not been the best so far and they still have a lot of work to do. They need to hold serve in this one

-Grand Canyon @ New Mexico (Mountain West) -most of us at Hoops HD feel that New Mexico is inside the bubble right now. They need to hold serve in this one in order to stay there

-Florida State @ Syracuse (ACC) – Syracuse has a lot of work to do and can’t afford to lose this one at home

-Maryland @ USC (Big Ten) – USC has struggled some lately, but should be able to hold serve in this one

-Saint Mary’s @ San Francisco (West Coast) – SMC has been on a roll lately, but while San Francisco has struggled they still have a lot of talent and Saint Mary’s may be challenged tonight.

NEWS AND NOTES:

-Michigan, who a week ago I had said was playing better than perhaps any team had since the UNLV teams from the early 1990s, was upset at home yesterday by a Wisconsin team that prior to that hadn’t looked like they were good enough to land anywhere near the bubble. The Badgers pulled off a season defining, and perhaps a season saving, 91-88 win in Ann Arbor.

-Everyone else in the top ten held serve, although several were challenged. Arizona got a nice road win at TCU, Iowa State held off a tough Oklahoma State team, Purdue got a battle from Penn State but held on to win, Duke held off a really good SMU team, Houston went on the road and blew out Baylor, BYU had to sweat out rival Utah but managed to pull it out, Nebraska had to come from behind late to win at Indiana, and Vanderbilt held off LSU.

-Texas, who was another team that didn’t appear to be anywhere close to the bubble, got a huge road win at Alabama yesterday 92-88 to breathe a lot of life back into their season. The Longhorns still have a lot of work to do, but this was a huge step forward.

-Texas Tech got an absolute battle from Colorado on the road and almost blew what appeared to be a safe lead in the second half, but held on 73-71 to pick up another road win.

-Auburn, who had undergone several frustrating losses, worked a lot of those frustrations out yesterday as they absolutely blew Arkansas out of the gym 95-73. It was a home win, but it was still perhaps the most impressive Auburn has looked all season.

-Florida, who had also experienced a few frustrating losses, absolutely blew out Tennessee 91-67. Tennessee has still not won a true road game and that it something that is causing their resume to sag a little bit.

-Kansas hadn’t looked quite as good as they normally do, but they still looked pretty good prior to yesterday, so it was a bit surprising to see a West Virginia team that for the most part had not looked good at all at any point beat them rather handily 86-75. West Virginia still has a lot of work to do, but they’re now suddenly 11-5 and 2-1 in Big 12 play.

-George Mason held off a good VCU team 86-81 to improve to 16-1 on the year. Despite their bloated record their margin for error is very small given how weak their schedule is.

-Saint John’s went on the road and absolutely blasted Creighton 90-73. You figured that sooner or later the Johnnies would kick it into gear despite the somewhat slow start. Yesterday may have been the best they’ve looked all season.

-Tulsa will win a lot of games, but one of the games they better win is that American Conference Championship game. They lost at home to South Florida 93-78 in a game where they did not look anything like a top 40 team that belongs inside the bubble. I think they American is now getting just one team in.

-Texas A&M did not get off to the best of starts this season, but they are really playing well now. They beat Oklahoma 83-76 yesterday and are now unbeaten in SEC play and 13-3 on the year.

-Virginia Tech held off California 78-75 in a game between two teams that are fighting for spots inside the bubble. It would have been a huge resume-boosting win for Cal had they been able to pull it off.

In some Under the Radar notes:

-Yale, who I thought was the top UTR team, did not look anything like it yesterday as they were beaten rather handily by a very subpar Princeton team 73-60.

-Columbia, who was another Ivy League team we were excited out after their OOC season, lost at home to Harvard 79-54 rounding out a couple of blowout upsets in the Ivy.

-Belmont overcame a 25pt deficit in about 9 minutes of play at Drake to cut the lead down to 1 and then pulled off a tough come from behind win on the road 78-76 to keep their bubble hopes barely flickering.

-The Citadel ended a lengthy D1 losing streak with a 79-77 overtime win against Western Carolina

-High Point needed overtime, but was able to pull out the 84-82 win at Charleston Southern, which was perhaps their toughest remaining regular season game.

-Arkansas Pine Bluff won on the road at Texas Southern to improve to 3-0 in SWAC play, which is perhaps one of the biggest surprisng start to conference play in any of the 32 conferences.

-UC San Diego pulled off a 69-66 road win at UC Riverside after trailing for most of the game.

-And to close things out after 2am last night, UC Irvine hit a go-ahead shot with 5 seconds to play at Hawaii in a game that was close all throughout, only to see Hawaii hit a game winning shot that just beat the buzzer for a massive 67-66 win, which was the first Big West lost for the Eaters.

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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-ILLINOIS AT IOWA (Big Ten). Iowa is coming off a road loss to Minnesota, which isn’t good. Their resume really needs some work and winning today is something that would really help. Illinois is having a solid season and can add another solid win to their resume if they’re able to pull this off.

-OHIO STATE AT WASHINGTON (Big Ten). Both teams are on the outside looking in and both need to start stringing together wins.

-Wright State @ Oakland (Horizon League) – these appear to be the two best teams in the conference. Strangely enough this is the second conference game the two have played against each other with Wright State winning the first one, and will likely have a huge impact on who ends up finishing first.

-Cincinnati @ UCF (Big 12) – UCF should be able to bounce back after their loss to Oklahoma State earlier in the week