-Ohio State had to come from behind and beat Maryland, but they got a huge 73-70 win after hitting a game-winning 3 in the final seconds. This game could play a role in making the difference of whether or not the Buckeyes make the NCAAs. Ohio State is now 14-9 overall with some pretty nice wins at the top of their profile, and a respectable 6-6 in Big Ten play.
-Saint Mary’s had a lead at halftime at San Francisco, but could not hold on and ending up falling 65-64. SMC made a late run, but couldn’t quite come all the way back. I wouldn’t call this loss a setback. San Francisco is not an easy team to beat at home, but I would say it was a missed opportunity for SMC to perhaps make a run at a protected seed.
-Some notable UTR results – Montana got a big win at Northern Colorado to pull even in with them in the Big Sky standings. It was pivotal because had NoCo won they would have had a 2 game lead plus the tiebreaker. SEMO blew out Morehead State off the floor to draw even with them atop the OVC, which is now log-jammed. UC San Diego had an impressive blowout win against UC Riverside, setting up a huge showdown Saturday against UC Irvine.
-USC AT PURDUE (Big Ten). USC is coming off a loss, but is still hovering around the bubble and a big win like this could place them inside of it. Having said that, the reason a win like this could place them inside of it is that beating a top ten team on the road is not something that’s commonly done.
-VCU AT DAYTON (Atlantic 10). These are two of the better teams in the A10, but both are long shots to end up inside the bubble. I suppose Dayton has a chance if they can win out considering how strong they were OOC.
-SAINT JOHN’S AT UCONN (Big East). Saint John’s is coming off a really big win against Marquette. Following that up with a road win against UConn would cement them as a protected seed caliber team. UConn is also coming off a win against Marquette and seems to be trending up themselves, so this one should be fun.
-UTAH STATE AT FRESNO STATE (Mountain West). This should be a game where Utah State can hold serve and pick up another conference road win.
If you want to win an NCAA title then you usually need a good coach, a great resume…and a McDonald’s All-American. Only 2 championship teams from 1979-2020 did not have such a player (2002 Maryland/2014 UConn), and while UConn won a title in 2023 without 1 they added McDonald’s All-American Stephon Castle before winning a 2nd title in 2024. The rosters for this year’s McDonald’s All-American Game were announced last Monday after selecting the 24 best players in the nation from a list of several hundred nominees. If you do not think these guys can make an immediate impact in the fall, just ask Coach Jon Scheyer how he likes having 2024 honoree Cooper Flagg at Duke! Unlike most years when 1 school stands out as the big winner with the most All-Americans, there are 2 different programs tied for the lead with 3 each (Duke/UConn) and 3 players who have not yet committed to a college. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Darius Acuff Jr. about being named a McDonald’s All-American and ranking as the best PG in the Class of 2025.
You won a state title as a sophomore at Cass Technical in Detroit: what did it mean to you to win a title? It meant everything. I was born/raised in Detroit and our team had talked about winning a title all year, so it was a big accomplishment for both our team and our school.
After that season you decided to transfer to IMG Academy: why did you make the switch, and how has it worked out so far? I needed a change to get my body right and make sure I had the right focus. Moving to IMG has taken away all the outside noise, and living in a dorm has helped me get used to what life will be like in college.
You played for Team USA at the 2024 FIBA Men’s U18 AmeriCup and were named tournament MVP: what did it mean to you to represent your country, and what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? That meant everything. It had always been a dream of mine to play for Team USA so that was 1 of my biggest accomplishments, as well as a blessing for both me and my family.
You received offers from several great schools including Kansas/Michigan/UConn but signed with Arkansas last July: what was the biggest factor in your decision? Coach Cal. My relationship with him was different than with any other coach. His style of play and his past success with guards meant that it was the best fit for me.
Last month you were named a McDonald’s All-American: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? That is my biggest accomplishment for sure: I have watched the McDonald’s Game for as long as I can remember. I was with my parents when they made the announcement, so I was glad to do it for them.
You are part of an incredible recruiting class that includes Isaiah Sealy and fellow McDonald’s All-American Meleek Thomas: how well do you know your 2 future teammates? I met both guys in AAU ball around 10th grade and remember talking to them for the 1st time at the Nike Elite 100 Camp. Isaiah is from Arkansas so it is big for him to play for his state school, and Meleek is 1 of the best players in the country so we will just try to win a lot of games.
Another of your fellow McDonald’s All Americans is Nate Ament, who has not yet committed to a school but has Arkansas on his short list: how hard are you trying to get him to join you in Fayetteville this fall? We are trying very hard, but it is all up to him to make whatever is the best decision for him. He is a great player at 6’10” with guard skills: you do not find that a lot.
The Razorbacks started this season 11-2 in non-conference play but are 3-6 in the SEC so far and just lost Boogie Fland for the year after right thumb surgery: do you think they can get things turned around in time to make the NCAA tourney? I believe in them and tell Coach that every day. They are a good team and need to have those tough games to deal with adversity, which is why they have had success lately. There is a lot of pressure in Coach’s 1st year there, but they have responded well so I think they will be fine. Losing Boogie was tough because he is a great PG who was having a fantastic year…but they will be all right.
You are rated as the best PG in the Class of 2025: what is the secret to being a great PG? Always staying in the gym and staying with the ones who started with you. I have always trained with my family because I am loyal to them. If you take any days off then it will catch up to you.
Your father Darius Sr. and three of your uncles played basketball, and your cousin Tyson is finishing his college career at Rutgers this year: who is the best athlete in the family? Me, for sure! We all do something different: my dad has trained Tyson and I during our whole lives so he must have been pretty good back in the day.
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-Missouri controlled the game for most of the first half at Tennessee, and then initially appeared to widen their lead at the start of the second half, but Tennessee fought back, got control of the game themselves, and held on to win 85-81 despite a late run from the Tigers. I think Mizzou is playing like a protected seed. I know they lost, but most protected seeds would lose on the road to a team like Tennessee that we are currently projecting onto the 1-line.
-Illinois continues to lose games that aren’t easy to win, but that you still feel that they should win. They fell on the road to Rutgers 82-73. Rutgers is super talented, but they are currently nowhere near the field and this is the kind of game you would think Illinois should win even though it was on the road.
-Michigan held off Oregon 80-76 in a win that should help out their resume. Oregon has some really impressive wins on their profile, but they are also just 5-7 in Big Ten play at the moment.
-UCF, who was/is squarely on the bubble, is in a situation to where losing games at home to teams that are nowhere near the bubble would be really bad. Last night they lost at home to Cincinnati 93-83. That’s really bad. UCF has looked so good at times and nearly pulled off some major upsets, but they’ve also had nights like last night where you just look at them and feel they don’t belong in the field.
-Arkansas, who seemed like they were 100 miles outside the bubble a week ago, has now won two huge back-to-back road games and may have actually played their way into our next bracket projected. They were blowing Texas off the court last night. Texas did make a run late in the game, but it was too little too late as Arkansas won 78-70.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-MARYLAND AT OHIO STATE (Big Ten). Maryland has come to life lately with six wins in their last seven games, including two on the road. They can keep building their resume and climbing the seed list with another road win today. Ohio State is squarely on the bubble, so this game (and pretty much all their games) has a pivotal feel to it.
-LMU AT GONZAGA (West Coast). Gonzaga has had a bit of a disappointing season and LMU is improving as a program and making progress this year, but the Zags are still safely inside the bubble and should be able to hold serve at home.
-SAINT MARY’S AT SAN FRANCISCO (West Coast). This is another tough road test for an SMC team that’s passed its share of tough tests and can continue to rise up in the metrics and up the seedlist if they can keep winning games in this league. San Francisco is outside the bubble but they’re still tough to beat at home.
UNDER THE RADAR GAMES TO WATCH:
–Middle Tennessee @ Jacksonville State (Conference USA) – Middle looked like the best team in the league a few weeks ago, but Jax State has now climbed into 1st place and has a one game lead
–SEMO @ Morehead State (Ohio Valley) – Morehead State has just a one game lead over SEMO in the conference standings
–Montana @ Northern Colorado (Big Sky) – If NoCo wins they’ll have a two game lead for 1st place, if Montana wins the two are tied
–Fairleigh Dickinson @ Central Connecticut (Northeast) – CCSU has a one game lead over FDU, and if they win today and widen that to two games I don’t think anyone else in the league will catch them
–UC Riverside @ UC San Diego (Big West) – these are two of the better teams in the Big West, and UCSD still has an outside shot at landing on the bubble if they can win out
Tonight’s featured conference is the Metro Atlantic, and the featured team in that featured conference is Marist, who is having a very unique type of season. They are currently 16-3 on the year, but every single game they’ve played currently lands in tier 4, so while they could win as many as 28 games they would likely still need the auto-bid to make the NCAA Tournament. Quinnipiac is also having a good year and is right behind them in the standings.
After that, we run through the other 21 UTR conferences. Maine is having their best season in recent memory and still has a chance at finishing 1st in the America East. Drake is still on pace to land inside the bubble, but they’ve got a tough stretch between now and the end of the season in the Missouri Valley. UC Irvine and UC San Diego are the two best teams in the Big West, they play each other this weekend, and the winner of that game may have a shot at an at-large. We discuss all that, and more. And, as we do every week, we close with this week’s UTR Top Ten.
And, for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…
-UCLA got a big win over Michigan State 63-61 and is once again looking like a team that can go far in the NCAA Tournament. They hit a bit of a skid for a few weeks back in early January, but have come out of it now. Michigan State, who hadn’t lost prior to Thanksgiving, has now lost two straight, but is still in really good shape.
-Saint John’s has begun a tough stretch of their schedule, but they started things off with a 70-64 win over a really good Marquette team and are making a very strong case that they deserve a protected seed.
-Ole Miss led Kentucky by as much as 25 (I think) and while the Wildcats pulled it together late to make the final score look a little more respectable, it was still an impressive and decisive 73-59 win for the Rebels. Kentucky is a bit strange in the sense that they’ve managed to win many of the hardest game on their schedule, and while winning at Ole Miss, or beating Arkansas at home, or winning at Georgia isn’t easy to do, it’s not as difficult to do as winning at Tennessee or beating Duke on a neutral floor.
-Arizona continues to look like a protected seed and their resume keeps improving. They got a very good 85-74 win on the road at BYU. BYU had been playing really well, and is very tough to beat at home, so this one was a big one.
-Utah State got a scare at Wyoming, but managed to escape 71-67. It’s not so much that this was a big win as it is that it was a hard game to win and a loss would have really hurt.
-Georgia Tech is suddenly having quite a week! They upset Louisville at home, and then went on the road and pulled off a triple OT upset win at Clemson 89-86! When did the Yellow Jackets suddenly come to life?
-USC, who had been on a bit of a streak, could not get the win at Northwestern. They trailed for most of the game, but made a run late and actually had a chance to win in the final seconds, but fell just short 77-75.
-Kansas State has now won four straight to even their record out at 11-11. They got a nice (and close) 71-70 road win after some bad freethrow shooting by Arizona State down the stretch. K State still has a ton of work to do, but in their last four games they’ve beaten West Virginia, Oklahoma State, and won on the road at Iowa State and at Arizona State. It took this team a while to get up to speed, but they are rolling right now! They’ve got a big one at home against Kansas this Saturday.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-OREGON AT MICHIGAN (Big Ten). Both teams have some great wins at the top of their resume, but both have also had days where you thought they would hold serve and didn’t. I still think both are good enough to end up with a protected seed. Oregon is looking to bounce back from a loss to Nebraska, which is one of those games you’d have expected them to win, and Michigan has won three of their last four, but was playing with fire in all three wins barely beating Northwestern, Penn State, and Rutgers.
-DUKE AT SYRACUSE (ACC). Duke, despite being on the road, should blow through this one.
-MISSOURI AT TENNESSEE (SEC). Missouri has racked up several key wins and continues to climb the seedlist. They could have a case for moving up well into the protected seed range if they can go on the road and beat Tennessee. Right now Tennessee is still landing on our 1-line, and one would expect them to pick this one up at home.
-CINCINNATI AT UCF (Big 12). UCF is right on the bubble and needs to hold serve in this one in order to land on the right side of it.
-LOUISVILLE AT BOSTON COLLEGE (ACC). Louisville is coming off a surprise loss at Georgia Tech, but should be able to bounce back from that and win this one on the road. The Cardinals are still looking really solid overall.
-GEORGE MASON AT GEORGE WASHINGTON (Atlantic 10). George Mason has now won seven in a row, and if they can continue to blow through the A10 the committee may give them a serious look. That would mean winning on the road tonight against a fairly solid GW team that’s 10-1 at home overall.
-TULSA AT MEMPHIS (American). Memphis has a solid profile and a solid team. They’ll be safely in the field if they win out, and may be considered for a protected seed.
-WEST VIRGINIA AT TCU (Big 12). West Virginia has lost a key player for the season, which will change how the committee evaluates them. They need to show they can win games and play at a certain level without him, and going on the road and picking this one up would be a big statement that they still can.
-ILLINOIS AT RUTGERS (Big Ten). Illinois has been hot and cold throughout the season, and Rutgers is a very tough place to go and win. Illinois is just 3-4 in their last seven games and this could be a win that could help stabilize them a little bit.
-CREIGHTON AT PROVIDENCE (Big East). Creighton continues to string together wins and is arguably one of the hottest teams in the country from a major conference. They’ll be challenged tonight, but it’s one they should be able to pick up.
-SMU AT VIRGINIA TECH (ACC). SMU is outside the bubble, and I for one don’t see them getting inside of it, but at 17-5 overall they may get a look if they can finish the season strong and not drop any games like this one.
-ARKANSAS AT TEXAS (SEC). This one should be fun. It’s an old SWC rivalry and it means quite a bit on paper. Arkansas just got the big win at Kentucky in what was easily their biggest win and best performance of the season. If they can follow that up with a win at Texas you have to think that they have a realistic path to the NCAA Tournament. Texas is inside our bubble, but has room for improvement and getting a win in this one tonight should at least help keep them stable. This game has a bit of a pivotal feel for both teams.
-LSU AT GEORGIA (SEC). Georgia is a good team, but they’ve now lost five out of six in what is a very tough SEC. They need to collect what little low hanging fruit their is in this conference and pick up this win tonight.
-NEBRASKA AT WASHINGTON (Big Ten). The Huskers have now won two straight after a six game losing streak and are right back on our bubble. This isn’t the easiest game to go on the road and win, but it’s something that a tournament caliber team should be able to do.
-WAKE FOREST AT STANFORD (ACC). This game feels bubblicious. Neither team is in our field, but both are on our board and could make the NCAA Tournament if they’re able to finish strong. That would mean winning this one tonight.
Drake (20-2, 10-2) at Murray State (11-12, 5-7) – 7:00 PM ET (ESPN2)
Tonight’s UTR Game of the Day heads to Murray, Kentucky for a rematch between the Drake Bulldogs and the Murray State Racers. In the first meeting, the Racers handed Drake their only home loss by a 66-59 score; this was the back end of a 2-game losing streak for Drake at the beginning of Jannuary. The Bulldogs have since won eight straight games and are now a game ahead of Bradley for the lead in the Missouri Valley. Bennett Stirtz had 30 points in Drake’s win over Southern Illinois last Saturday.
Murray State is currently in a 3-way tie for eighth place in the Valley, but they are only two games behind a potential first-round bye in the Arch Madness Tournament coming up in early March. That’s the good news – the bad news is that the Racers have lost three straight games and five of their last six, so getting a sweep of Drake on paper would appear to be quite a tall order.
