Hoops HD

NEWS AND NOTES

-CLICK HERE for our CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK VIDEO NOTEBOOK: DAY 5

-For Chad Sherwood’s UTR Game of the Day between Abilene Christian and Stephen F Austin – CLICK HERE

-Yesterday was just a crazy, nutty, and awesome day!  We had four of the craziest quarterfinal games you will ever see in the Horizon League, which you can hear all about by CLICKING HERE and going to our CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK VIDEO NOTEBOOK.  We also had two games that had huge #1 seed implications, and a slew of other games that involved bubble teams.

-Baylor bounced back from their loss at Kansas with what was perhaps their most impressive win of the year, and one of biggest single wins of the year that anyone has managed on paper.  They went into West Virginia and got it done in overtime.  They were behind for a lot of the game, but it was close all throughout.  Both teams made big plays down the stretch, but is who pulled it out.  It was just the latest in a long string of incredible games in the Big 12.

-I say Baylor picked up ONE of the most impressive single game wins on paper.  Well, a few hours later Illinois topped them with a blowout win at Michigan.  It was stupefying!  Michigan had just one loss on the season, and was coming off a couple of hugely impressive wins.  Illinois just totally dump-trucked them.  The final score was 76-53, but at times the margin was even more than that.

-Wisconsin really battled at Purdue and came close to picking up what would have probably been their most impressive win of the season, but the Boilers held on 73-69.  Purdue is starting to make a case that they deserve a protected seed.

-Boise State had what seemed to be the equivalent of a buy game last night as they hosted Fresno State at home, but they ended up losing.  This is not good!  I don’t think it knocks them out of the fight, but it certainly knocks them down onto the canvas.  They need a strong finish to stay inside the bubble.

-Xavier appeared to be squarely on the bubble and needed a road win at Georgetown, but trailed the whole game.  They actually made a comeback late after falling behind big, but couldn’t get over the hump.  This is a damaging loss for a team that couldn’t afford to be damaged.

-Michigan State beat Indiana in a fugly game, but an ugly win (and even a fugly win) is better than a pretty loss.  Michigan State looks to be on the right side of the bubble.  For now.

-Georgia Tech needed overtime, but got a big win against Duke.  We had GA Tech just in and Duke just out, so this should nudge the Jackets a little further inside the bubble.  They are by no means a lock, but a strong finish should get them there!

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-CLEMSON AT SYRACUSE (ACC).  Clemson’s profile is solid and they appear to be on cruise control for the top half of the bracket, but I think they can improve their resume simply by adding road wins to it, and they have a winnable road game today.  Syracuse looks to be within reach of the bubble, but still definitively outside of it.  They need a strong finish to the season and some big wins in the ACC Tournament in order to feel safe.

-WICHITA STATE AT TULANE (American).  I think Wichita State has a solid path to the field and will get there so long as they hold serve the rest of the day, which means not losing games like this one.

-UCONN AT SETON HALL (Big East).  This is a bubblicious game with UConn appearing to be just inside the bubble and Seton Hall appearing to be just out.  This is hugely important for both teams.  Both really need this win.

-MISSOURI AT FLORIDA (SEC).  Both teams are very safely inside the bubble and both are likely to land in the top half of the bracket.  This game is simply a resume building opportunity for both of them.

-PROVIDENCE AT SAINT JOHN’S (Big East).  Saint John’s appears to be hovering around the outside the bubble.  They have a path to making the field, but need a really strong finish to the season.

-MINNESOTA AT PENN STATE (Big Ten).  If Minnesota has any hopes at all of making the tournament, they need wins away from home, which means winning today and winning some games in the Big Ten Tourney.

-NEW MEXICO AT COLORADO STATE (Mountain West).  Colorado State can make the field if they finish strong.  It also goes without saying that they need to avoid losses to non-tournament teams.

-CREIGHTON AT VILLANOVA (Big East).  Nova looks to have a protected seed pretty much locked up, but they have been slipping a bit.  Creighton has had a solid year and can actually play their way into a protected seed if they’re able to pick up a few wins in games like this.

-BOSTON COLLEGE AT FLORIDA STATE (ACC).  Florida State is coming off a somewhat surprising loss, but they’re still in great shape and still in a position to lock up a protected seed and win the conference.

-SAN DIEGO STATE AT UNLV (Mountain West).  San Diego State has really been playing well lately and should skate into the NCAA Tournament so long as they hold serve the rest of the way.  They could even end up in on the first ballot and/or in the top half of the bracket.

-STANFORD AT USC (Pac 12).  USC is still in good shape, but their resume has taken on some damage in the last week or so and they could use a win to get things turned back around.  Stanford is on life support and needs a big win in a game like this just to help push them inside the bubble.

CLICK HERE for the latest HOOPS HD REPORT Video Podcast

NEWS AND NOTES

-For the CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK VIDEO NOTEBOOK: DAY 4 – CLICK HERE

-For Chad Sherwood’s UTR Game of the Day between Toledo and Central Michigan – CLICK HERE

-Oklahoma State knocked off Oklahoma in another thriller to complete the season sweep.  Oklahoma State is now looking like a potential protected seed.  There are, in fact, seven teams in the Big Twelve within reach of a protected seed, and that is just insane!!!

-Saint Bonaventure needed to hold serve the rest of the way, and failed to do that last night with the loss to Dayton.  When you categorically look at the Bonnies, there are a lot of indicators to suggest they will be selected.  Their metrics are high, they have some decent (but not great) wins, and for the most part they’ve avoided bad losses.  But, having played so few games they are still hard to evaluate.

-Rutgers was blown off the court by Nebraska in what had to be one of the more surprising losses of the season.  Nebraska isn’t good, and losing to them on the road in and of itself would be a setback, but not necessarily alarming.  Getting blown out by them is really surprising.  I don’t think Rutgers is in any real trouble of missing the field, but their upcoming game against Minnesota now seems a lot more important.

-North Carolina trailed for most of the game against Syracuse, and while they came roaring back late and actually had a chance to win, they couldn’t get it done.  North Carolina is just 3-7 on the road, and while I still think they are (barely) on the right side of the bubble, there are reasons to leave them out.  Some are saying this was a big win for Syracuse, and it was, but still…it came against a team that’s 3-7 on the road.  That’s not the kind of win that’s going to make me anoint anyone as a tournament team.

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-BAYLOR AT WEST VIRGINIA (Big 12).  This is a match-up between a Baylor team that appears to be on the #1 line (despite them coming off their first loss of the season), and a West Virginia team that’s trying to get up to the #1 line.  WVU has a path to get there, but it probably needs to involve winning today.

-ARKANSAS AT SOUTH CAROLINA (SEC).  Arkansas has had a great couple of weeks and has gone from looking like they were outside the bubble to looking like a potential protected seed.  They need to pick up another road win today and keep that momentum going.

-ILLINOIS AT MICHIGAN (Big Ten).  This is the second game today where we have a team that looks like they are on the #1 line (Michigan) and a team that can play their way up to the #1 line (Illinois).  This one should be a great game.  If Michigan can win out they may have a claim to the overall #1 seed given the strength of their schedule.

-AUBURN AT ALABAMA (SEC).  It’s a rivalry game, but it also appears to be a bit of a mismatch.  Alabama is a solid protected seed and will likely end up on the #2 line if they can finish strong and play like they have been over the past several weeks.

-TEXAS AT IOWA STATE (Big 12).  Texas is in a bit of a tailspin, but they are a long way from panic mode.  They have some low hanging fruit tonight and they need to take advantage of what should be a very winnable conference road game.

-TCU AT TEXAS TECH (Big 12).  Texas Tech is in great shape and still has a good chance of ending up as a protected seed.  They need to hold serve in games like this, though.

-FRESNO STATE AT BOISE STATE (Mountain West).  Boise State is coming off two straight losses, and while both were close games, and while they’re not in any trouble so long as they hold serve, they also need to make damn sure they hold serve!

-XAVIER AT GEORGETOWN (Big East).  Xavier is hovering around the bubble and needs to get this win tonight.  It’s a conference road win, and road wins can help solidify their resume.

-INDIANA AT MICHIGAN STATE (Big Ten).  This is a very bubblicious game.  Both teams really need this.  Michigan State has been playing better and is probably in better shape than the Hoosiers, but both teams are kind of drowning right now and need this win to get their heads above the water.

-DUKE AT GEORGIA TECH (ACC).  This is another bubblicious game that both teams really need to win.  Georgia Tech is one of our last teams in, and Duke is out of our field and needs to string some wins together down the stretch to get on the right side of the bubble.

-VANDERBILT AT LSU (SEC).  LSU is in relatively good shape and will stay that way so long as they hold serve.  That would mean not losing games like this one.

-WISCONSIN AT PURDUE (Big Ten).  Purdue just keeps getting better and better and they now appear to be within striking distance of a protected seed.  A win tonight would be another step forward.  Wisconsin appears to be safely in the field barring a collapse, but a win like this would certainly help move them up the seedlist.

-MEMPHIS AT SOUTH FLORIDA (American).  Memphis has been playing really well lately, but they still need to pretty much win out and beat Houston in the process in order to land inside the bubble.  They do have a path, but it is a tough one.

-KENTUCKY AT OLE MISS (SEC).  Ole Miss is another bubble team that’s trying to hold serve.  Kentucky has been playing better so while the Wildcats seemingly need to win the SEC Tournament to make the field, Ole Miss can’t take this win for granted.