Hoops HD

NEWS AND NOTES:

-We had three top ten match-ups yesterday, and while those were all big showcase games, I don’t think any of the final results ended up moving the needle THAT much (although today’s Purdue vs Wisconsin game could).

-North Carolina kept Duke at arms length for the entire game. I think everyone kept waiting for Duke to make a run simply because we’ve seen it happen so many times in this rivalry, but at no point did it feel like UNC was not in complete control. UNC ended up with the 93-84 win, they’ remain on our #1 line, Duke is still a solid protected seed despite the loss, and the teams are still 8 miles apart. No huge changes.

-Kansas’s 78-65 win over Houston was particularly impressive given how effective Kansas was offensively against one of the best defensive teams in the country. Similar to Duke v UNC, at no point did it feel like the Jayhawks were not in control. They did get the win, and it was a big one, but losing on the road to Kansas isn’t going to knock Houston down all that far, if at all. So, no huge changes.

-Tennessee’s 103-92 win at Kentucky was probably the most meaningful simply because it was a road win against a likely protected seed for the Vols. There is now a case that Tennessee belongs on the #1 line, and whether or not they actually get there in this week’s forecasts they absolutely have a path to get there by the end of the year.

-Iowa State v Baylor was a crazy entertaining game!! It was SOOO entertaining that the refs kept wanting to rewatch a lot of it on replay! Scott Drew was kicked out of the game for two technical fouls where he was outside the coaches box, but not disrupting the game. Petty, but…whatever. That is the rule. After a parade of technical fouls and freethrows, Iowa State drew even after being behind the whole time, then got the lead, but Baylor fought back to tie it. Baylor hit what appeared to be a game winning shot after the Baylor coaches that had not been ejected and were still on the floor were screaming for a timeout, but the referees failed to acknowledge it. It was a rare case of a referee’s mistake benefited a team that tried to call a timeout, but didn’t get it. Then, after another long pause to adjust the clock, Iowa State hit what appeared to be a game-winning desperation 3 at the end of the game!! But WAIT!! The referees had one final curtain call!! After another several-minute-long-review, the shot was waived off and Baylor win 70-68. It would have been a MASSIVE road win for Iowa State’s profile, but even without it they’re still in good shape.

-Cincinnati’s resume is among the most scattershot that I’ve ever seen. They had lost to West Virginia earlier in the week, which was their 5th loss in 7 games, and I was ready to write them off. So, of course, they go and get a road win at Texas Tech 75-72. Cincinnati now has road wins at BYU and Texas Tech, and no others other than a close win at Howard. I think they’re on the bubble, but am not sure.

-Auburn, who needed a big win in the worst way, finally got one yesterday as they knocked off Ole Miss on the road 91-77. The Tigers actually trailed early in the game, but looked fantastic down the stretch.

-Oklahoma, who did manage a nice road win earlier in the week, was unable to follow it up at UCF last night as they fell 74-63.

-Mississippi State, who has been awful on the road all year, was exceptionally awful at Alabama last night. They got their doors blown off by the Tide 99-67. I personally feel that a team with no road wins does not belong in the field at this point, but nevertheless most of the selection committee guessing experts continue to project them in. I’m not a selection committee guessing expert, so I guess I yield to them even if I personally don’t agree.

-Texas got ANOTHER big win as they went into TCU and knocked off the Horned Frogs 77-66. The selection committee guessing experts don’t seem to value the Longhorns that much, and I have no idea why. But, again, I’m not a selection committee guessing expert.

-Memphis snapped their four game losing streak!! They beat Wichita State! At home! By 2 points! And came from behind to do it! Umm…yay??

-South Carolina continues to rack up good wins and look like they may end up as a protected seed. They knocked off Georgia on the road 72-62. Georgia isn’t a team that’s inside the bubble, but to beat them on their floor is still a nice win.

-Virginia may finally be pulling it together. Their 66-65 win at Clemson yesterday was their best of the season and the Hoos are definitely trending up.

-Northwestern, who is a team that we want to like, needs to do better away from home. They lost at Minnesota 75-66 in overtime, and the reason this could be problematic is because it was arguably one of their most winnable remaining road games.

-Florida, who had been trending up, had that trend stuffed back a little bit when they failed to win at Texas A&M. They certainly had their chances, but the Aggies held on for a 67-66 win that they themselves desperately needed.

-Richmond’s 11 game winning streak is over. They fell on the road to rival VCU 63-52.

-Keep an eye on Samford. They had been winning a lot of close and exciting games, so I was kind of expecting them to fall rather handily on the road to a red hot Chattanooga team. Samford blew their doors off in one of the more impressive showings we’ve seen from a UTR team all season. If Samford can win out, the committee should give them a very serious look.

-McNeese, who we were expecting to absolutely blow through the Southland, lost at SELA yesterday 77-74 in what was actually probably the biggest surprise of the day. They fell way behind, but came back and had a chance to force overtime, but couldn’t get a shot to fall. I think this kills McNeese. They will win a lot of games, but one of those wins better be in the Southland Championship game.

-Colorado continues to struggle on the road. They fell at Utah 73-68 and their lack of road wins is becoming a serious issue.

-Indiana State avenged their loss to Drake from earlier in the season as they held off the Bulldogs 75-67. The game was actually a lot closer than what the final score indicated. I think both these teams deserve a serious look from the committee, especially when you consider how hard it is to win some of the road games that they’ve both won, but right now I think the Trees have the upper hand.

-Washington State got an exciting overtime 100-97 win over rival Washington, which is a very nice road win for Wazzu. The Cougars are squarely on our bubble and have a path to land in the NCAA Tournament.

-Oregon lost at UCLA 71-63. In most years that’s hardly noteworthy, but this year it knocks them from being outside the bubble to being much much MUCH further outside the bubble.

-Saint Mary’s got a really nice road win over rival Gonzaga 64-62. It was close and hard fought all throughout, and in the last 47 seconds we had at least three video reviews, which I guess again demonstrates how much the referees were enjoying the game and wanting to keep watching it replayed on TV. It was tense at the end, and the Zags fans were throwing things onto the court. I don’t the constant stops for what seemed to be much longer than necessary video replays were helping the situation. But, at the end of the day, the Gaels got a very nice road win and are now firmly in the drivers seat in the WCC and to land inside the bubble.

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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-PURDUE AT WISCONSIN (Big Ten). Of the four top ten match-ups that we’ve seen/will see this weekend, this is the one that excites me the most. It’s undoubtedly Purdue’s toughest game of the year. They’re on the road against a team that appears to be heading for the #2 line, and that could even get up to the #1 line if they can win the Big Ten. That means winning this game. It’s a great match-up on the court between two great offensive and defensive teams, it has Big Ten regular season implications, and perhaps #1 seed implications.

-PROVIDENCE AT VILLANOVA (Big East). Both of these teams really need this game. Providence is fighting to stay inside the bubble, and any road win like this certainly helps their cause. Nova is fighting just to reach the bubble, and virtually every game they play seems to have a pivotal feel to it.

-NEBRASKA AT ILLINOIS (Big Ten). We have Nebraska inside the bubble, but needing to do a little more in order to stay there and Illinois flirting with a protected seed. A win at Illinois would certainly constitute “Doing a little more” for Nebraska. It woudl actually constitute doing quite a bit more. But, it won’t be easy!

-STANFORD AT ARIZONA (Pac 12). It was rather surprising when Arizona fell to Stanford earlier this season. They should be able to hold serve at home in this one tonight.

NEWS AND NOTES:

-For John Stalica’s UTR Game of the Day – CLICK HERE

-Butler, who was right on our bubble after our Thursday Night Bracket Rundown Show may be very safely inside of it now after their 99-96 road win at Creighton. The Bulldogs had recently gone through a stretch where they lost five out of six and that caused a lot of people to sort of stop paying attention to them, but they’ve now won four straight, have no bad losses, and have a couple of monster wins at Marquette and at Creighton. Their next game is at UConn! Now THAT would be a HUGE win!

-Any at-large hopes that Princeton had may have been dashed. They suffered their second conference loss as they fell to Yale 70-64 last night. Yale is good, but that’s just it. Princeton needed to beat a good team on the road to help sustain their profile.

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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

CONNECTICUT AT SAINT JOHN’S (Big East). The Johnnies have now lost four out of their last five, and things don’t get any easier today as they host the team that appears to be playing better than anyone else in the country right now.

-VIRGINIA TECH AT MIAMI FL (ACC). Both teams are outside the bubble, and both need to start stringing together wins in order to get on the right side of it.

-SOUTH CAROLINA AT GEORGIA (SEC). South Carolina has had a hell of a week. They’ve gone from being just inside the bubble all the way up to a protected seed after their wins against Kentucky and Tennessee. They have another tough road test today against a Georgia team that has shown signs of being good at times and who could still play their way inside the bubble with a strong finish. In short, it’s an important game for both teams.

-TEXAS AT TCU (Big 12). TCU has been red hot with back to back wins against Texas Tech and Baylor. Texas remains inside the bubble, and I think their resume looks pretty good, but most people still feel it is a little flimsy. Either way, we can all agree that this would be a huge road win for the Longhorns.

-VIRGINIA AT CLEMSON (ACC). Virginia is still outside our bubble, but they are playing a lot better. Clemson is solidly in our field, but they still have room to build up their resume. They should be able to hold serve in this one at home.

-UTAH STATE AT SAN DIEGO STATE (Mountain West). Utah State appears to be inching closer and closer to a protected seed. A road win in a game like this would be a huge statement that they belong on that tier. San Diego State is safely in for now, but they have lost three of their last five and could use a win to swing some momentum back their way.

-HOUSTON AT KANSAS (Big 12). Both teams are protected seeds, we’ve had Houston on the #1 line for a while, and if they can find a way to win at Kansas that would be a major statement that they absolutely belong on the #1 line. It would be a massive win for Kansas as well, who has shown they can play at the highest level, but who also has a couple of head-scratching losses.

-OKLAHOMA AT UCF (Big 12). After struggling on the road for most of the year, the Sooners did get a nice road win at Kansas State earlier this week, and have the chance to get another big one today. Neither K State or UCF are solidly in the field, but both are at least close enough to the bubble to possibly play in, and I would consider beating them on the road to be a solid win.

-FLORIDA AT TEXAS A&M (SEC). I don’t want to call this a bubblicious game because after Florida’s win at Kentucky I think they’re several lines inside the bubble, but I will say that both teams could really stand to improve their resumes and today’s game should have a pivotal feel to it for both of them.

-COLORADO AT UTAH (Pac 12). Both teams REALLY need this game. I think both are on the bubble, and right now I’m not convinced that either one of them is going to make it. Both are good enough, but that doesn’t mean that both of them (or even one of them) will. This is a hugely pivotal game for both these teams. It would especially help out Colorado since they could really use the road win.

-AUBURN AT OLE MISS (SEC). Auburn desperately needs a big win, and getting it on the road would be even better. Their resume has one glaring thing that’s lacking from it, and that’s any sort of a win that is worth a damn. Ole Miss is coming off an emotional win against rival Mississippi State, and while their record is solid, their own resume could use some more big wins on it to help shore it up.

-DRAKE AT INDIANA STATE (Missouri Valley). We have Indiana State inside our bubble right now, but Drake is also very good. If they can get this win on the road and complete the season sweep of Indiana State, I would argue that they should be in position to get an at-large.

-DUKE AT NORTH CAROLINA (ACC). Both teams are ranked in the top ten! Both are still within reach of possibly earning a #1 seed!!! And you may not know this, but the two schools are just eight miles apart!! And they have NEVER met in an NCAA Regional!! It’s a rivalry game between two top ten teams, so of course it’s big.

-IOWA STATE AT BAYLOR (Big 12). Iowa State has some big wins and their resume looks pretty solid, but they haven’t done anything away from home that would be nearly as big as a win in this one tonight. Baylor is still looking like a protected seed, but they just snapped a three game losing streak and could use a big win to shift more momentum back their way.

-TENNESSEE AT KENTUCKY (SEC). Another big match-up between two highly ranked teams that are likely to end up as protected seeds. Both are also coming off losses that are somewhat surprising and will be looking to bounce back. This one should be fun. It usually is.

-MISSISSIPPI STATE AT ALABAMA (SEC). Mississippi State desperately needs a road win. I don’t think they can get selected if they don’t pick up at least two between now and the end. A win tonight against an Alabama team that looks like they could end up as a protected seed would be huge for them.

-WASHINGTON STATE AT WASHINGTON (Pac 12). We just put Wazzu in our field (albeit barely), but they’re having a good year and a road win tonight over their rivals should give their resume another needed boost.

-SAINT MARY’S AT GONZAGA (West Coast). This is an unusual storyline for this game. We have Saint Mary’s inside our bubble, and a road win like this should help make them a lot more stable as far as being in position to get an at-large bid. We have the Zags out of our field and needing to pretty much win out just to get a look. It’s a rivalry game, and it’s always a fun one to watch.

OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:

–Wichita State @ Memphis (Amerian) – Memphis has dumped four straight games to non-tournament teams and desperately needs to bounce back and turn things around.

–Marquette @ Georgetown (Big East) – It’s usually not easy to win on the road, but in certain cases it is. Marquette should roll in this one and remain in the protected seed range

–Kansas State @ Oklahoma State (Big 12) – K State is outside our bubble and could use a road win (among other things) to help them get on the right side of it

–Northwestern @ Minnesota (Big Ten) – Northwestern is solid overall, but one thing they could use is some more road wins, and this should be a winnable road game for them

–Richmond @ VCU (Atlantic 10) – Richmond has won 11 in a row, and if they can win out I think they’ll get a serious look from the committee

–Air Force @ Boise State (Mountain West) – Boise State has been playing exceptionally well lately, and should be able to hold serve at home today against AFA

–Grand Canyon @ Utah Valley (WAC) – GCU has had to swat out some games recently, and needed overtime to beat Seattle U the other night, but as long as they keep winning they should be inside the bubble

-Samford @ Chattanooga (SoCon) – Perhaps the two best teams in the SoCon, and Samford may still have a slight shot at getting a serious look if they can win out

–McNeese @ SELA (Southland) – McNeese should continue to hold serve and blow through the conference

–Georgia Tech @ NC State (ACC) – If NC State has any hope at all of getting in they need to start stringing together wins, and that means holding serve at home in games like this

–Maryland @ Michigan State (Big Ten) – Michigan State is inside our bubble right now, but they still look a littl flimsy. They need to hold serve in this one

-Cincinnati @ Texas Tech (Big 12) – Texas Tech has been playing like a protected seed, and while Cincinnati had a stretch for a few weeks where they appeared to be really good, they’ve since gone back into a tailspin. The Red Raiders should hold serve at home in this one

–Tulsa @ Florida Atlantic (American) – it hasn’t always been easy for FAU to hold serve, but at least they’ve managed to do it more often than not, and they need to do it again tonight

–BYU @ West Virginia (Big 12) – this is a winnable conference road game for the Cougars

–Princeton @ Brown (Ivy League) – This should be a winnable road game for the Tigers after a tough one from the night before

–Cornell @ Harvard (Ivy League) – if Cornell can win out, then MAYBE the’ll get a lock from the committee

–Syracuse @ Wake Forest (ACC) – both teams have a lot of work to do, and both could use this one tonight

-Oregon @ UCLA (Pac 12) – this is a road game that Oregon needs to win

–Xavier @ DePaul (Big East) – there’s a rumor Stalica is headed to Chicago for this one; I now think this game (and the Georgetown game) are the only chances DePaul has at winning a Big East game. Our staff has ruled that DePaul is eligible for the Stallings Award in March.