NEWS AND NOTES
-For Chad Sherwood’s UTR Game of the Day between Morehead State and Belmont – CLICK HERE
-Illinois knocked off Nebraska and got another road win to keep their hot streak going, but it was far more difficult than what anyone was expecting. The lead seesawed back and forth and the game actually went into overtime before the Illini finally got control for a 77-72 win.
-VCU held off Saint Bonaventure 67-64 for a win that they really needed. At 15-4, VCU may be the best team in the A10, but they are still not safely inside the bubble.
-It was an ugly game, but for the second night in a row Winthrop got a win against Radford. They are in complete control of the Big South now, and have a really good chance of winning out.
-Georgia Tech vs Clemson was another thriller that came down to a last second 3 point shot for Clemson that banked in and gave them a 74-72 win. Georgia Tech has had a lot of close losses this year, but the window of opportunity is shutting for them to build a tournament caliber resume.
HIGHLIGHTED GAMES
-INDIANA AT OHIO STATE (Big Ten). Ohio State is being projected on our #1 line and looking to stay there, whereas Indiana is around the middle of the bracket. It’s easier said than done, but the Hoosiers could make themselves a lot safer with a win today.
-WAKE FOREST AT FLORIDA STATE (ACC). This is a really good Florida State team who’s profile could improve quite a bit between now and the end of the ACC Tournament. They just need to hold serve today.
-DRAKE AT LOYOLA CHICAGO (Missouri Valley). We have both of these teams inside the bubble and both will probably stay there so long as they don’t lose to anyone the rest of the way other than each other. This should be a really good and fun series to watch.
-KANSAS STATE AT OKLAHOMA STATE (Big 12). This is a really good Oklahoma State team that could still end up as a protected seed (pending their waiver). They should be able to hold serve today.
-UCONN AT XAVIER (Big East). Xavier has been shut down because of COVID and the top of their resume could use some building, but they are still an impressive 11-2 on the year and will have the opportunities they need to climb the seedlist. UConn has fallen down to the bubble and needs to string together some wins just to feel safe.
-OKLAHOMA AT WEST VIRGINIA (Big 12). Both teams are good, both have improved as the season has gone along and are playing their best basketball right now, and both look like probable protected seeds, so this would be a really nice looking win for whoever pulls it off.
-TCU AT TEXAS (Big 12). Texas is in a bit of a tailspin, and they barely held on to beat a really weak Kansas State team their last time out. They need a win in a game like this just to shift the momentum and confidence back their way. TCU still has a path to land inside the bubble, but they need a few wins like this one to get them there.
-TENNESSEE AT LSU (SEC). Tennessee is still looking like they will end up with a protected seed, but they need to start playing better. LSU is squarely on the bubble and a win in a game like this could really help their resume.
-BOSTON COLLEGE AT SYRACUSE (ACC). Syracuse has been a team that’s been kind of easy to forget about this year, but they could still end up playing their way into the field.
-OREGON AT ARIZONA (Pac 12). Oregon has slid down the seedlist, and COVID protocol has probably made it harder for them than normal to play up to their ceiling. This would be a big win for them if they could pull this one out.
-BOWLING GREEN AT TOLEDO (MAC). Toledo may be out of strikes, but if they can win out they should at least get a look.
-IOWA AT MICHIGAN STATE (Big Ten). Iowa is still being looked at as a probable protected seed by most who forecast the bracket. Michigan State’s season has bene tumultuous to say the least, but they are still talented and it wouldn’t surprise me if they strung together a few big wins to get themselves back into the discussion.
-KANSAS AT IOWA STATE (Big 12). After going through a stretch where they lost five of seven Kansas can (and should) pick up their third straight win tonight, which may get them back on track to playing like the team we thought they’d be for most of the year.
-GEORGIA AT ALABAMA (SEC). Alabama remains close to the top ten and has a very good chance of landing on on one of the top two lines if they can play like they have been and finish strong.
-SAINT LOUIS AT FORDHAM (Atlantic Ten). SLU has a lot of talent and they’ve been hit hard by COVID protocol which has made it difficult for them. They need a strong finish to land inside the bubble. A loss today isn’t likely, but if it happens they are probably sunk.
-ARKANSAS AT MISSOURI (SEC). Arkansas is hovering right around the bubble, and if they really want to show they belong in the field they can do so by winning a game like this. Missouri is having a great season, but they were blown out by Ole Miss in their last game and will be looking to bounce back from that.
-VILLANOVA AT CREIGHTON (Big East). Creighton seems to be slipping down the seedlist, but they are still in the rankings, they are still talented, and the opportunities they need to end up as a protected seed are still in front of them. Villanova is in contention for a #1 seed and a road win in a game like this would certainly help.
-NORTHWESTERN AT RUTGERS (Big Ten). Rutgers needs to hold serve today, which they should be able to do, but Northwestern has played some pretty good teams down to the wire in their last couple of games, so they don’t want to overlook them.
-GONZAGA AT SAN FRANCISCO (West Coast). Gonzaga is running down hill. They should be able to win out and if they do (and perhaps even if they don’t) they’ll have a #1 seed locked up.
-NORTH CAROLINA AT VIRGINIA (ACC). UNC has been playing a lot better lately, and a win like this could solidify that they are a tournament caliber team. Virginia seems to go through periods where they struggle, but they’ve won ten of their last eleven and are very dangerous right now.
-UCLA AT WASHINGTON (Pac 12). UCLA is in the middle (and for their sake hopefully the end) of a stretch where they just haven’t looked good at all. They’ve lost three out of four, and in their last two games they were blown out by USC and beaten handily by Wazzu. They can’t afford to lose to a Washington team that’s in contention for the Stallings Award.
-USC AT WASHINGTON STATE (Pac 12). USC is looking really good right now. They’re 11-1 in their last 12 games and will try and get to 18-3 on the season with a win tonight. Wazzu is heating up a little bit as well having won three of their last four.
-UTAH AT STANFORD (Pac 12). Stanford is hovering around the bubble and flat out cannot afford to lose home games to non-tournament teams. They need to hold serve.
-COLORADO AT CALIFORNIA (Pac 12). Colorado is coming off one of their better played games of the year where they just totally blew Stanford off the court. They should’t have too much trouble beating a struggling Cal team on the road.
-UNLV AT BOISE STATE (Mountain West). I still think Boise State is the best team in the Mountain West, but they haven’t always played like it. They’ve had their share of slipups and really can’t afford too many more. Their last four games will be a big test with two game series against Utah State and San Diego State, but they don’t want to start looking ahead to those and overlook UNLV tonight.
Under the Radar Game of the Day – Saturday, February 13
Morehead State at Belmont, 5:00 PM Eastern, espn+
Only seven teams remain undefeated in conference play, and one of those seven is going to be facing their toughest conference test of the season to date this afternoon as the Belmont Bruins put their 15-0 OVC record on the line at home against second-place Morehead State. Belmont currently sits at an impressive 21-1 overall and a win today could have this team seriously contending for a spot inn the Top 25 polls. In fact, but for a somewhat puzzling home loss to Samford back in December, they might already be there. The Bruins have five players averaging 10 or more points per game led my Nick Muszynski’s 15.1 points per game. Grayson Murphy, while being fifth on the team in scoring at 10.3, leads the team in rebounds (7.6) and assists (5.1). Also keep an eye on Ben Sheppard who had 25 points and 10 boards for the double-double earlier this week in a dominating 92-74 win over third place Eastern Kentucky.
Belmont’s 18 game winning streak (second best in the nation to Gonzaga) will be put to a serious test against the team with the nation’s fourth longest streak, as Morehead State has reeled off 12 wins in a row, and most of them in commanding fashion. Only one of the Eagles’ last nine opponents has held the final margin under 10 points (a one point overtime win over Austin Peay last week). Morehead is led by freshman Johni Broome, who is averaging 12.7 points and 7.9 rebounds, both tops on the team. DeVon Cooper and Skyelar Potter are both averaging over 11 points to complement Johni. However, Broome is clearly the key to the Eagles’ success so far, with 7 double-doubles in his young career already. If he can have that kind of success today, and the Eagles can find a way to slow down Belmont’s high-powered offense, an upset could definitely be in the making.