News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Wednesday, Jan 27th

NEWS AND NOTES

-Oklahoma picked up their second win against a protected seed in less than a week as they won at Texas last night 80-79.  They led for the entire game, but Texas closed it up at the end and had a chance to win, but couldn’t get over the top.  It’s worth nothin that Texas was very shorthanded and only had 8 players available, but it’s still a great win for an Oklahoma team that has gotten red hot all of a sudden.

-Kentucky hung with Alabama for about 35 minutes last night, but couldn’t stay with them the whole way and Alabama finally opened it up in the final few minutes of the game for a 70-59 win.  Kentucky may have found a lot of answers as it was arguably one of their best games of the year, but now they need to start finding wins.

-Missouri went on the road to Auburn fully expecting to win, and didn’t.  Auburn, who had been a sleep, has now won four of their last five and while they have a long way to go they are playing a lot better and are not to be overlooked.

-Tennessee got all they wanted from a Mississippi State team that also appeared to be asleep, that that has also been playing well lately.  The Vols hung on for the 56-53 win, though.

-Saint Louis finally got back onto the floor and played their first conference game at home against Dayton, which you can see by CLICKING HERE is the greatest rivalry in sports!!  The rust was evident as Dayton (who did play well) pretty much led from tip to buzzer.  It’s not time for the Billikins to panic, but it is time to realize that being able to play and win games is going to be important to their postseason chances.

-SMU needed a road win at Memphis to help keep them within reach of the bubble, and came up short 76-72.  SMU can still get there, but the hill they need to run up just got a lot steeper.

-Pitt lost their second game in a row, this one at home to North Carolina, and takes a further slide down the seedlist and is now likely outside the bubble.  On the flip side, it was a big win for the Tarheels who need to start stringing a few wins together to get themselves back into the discussion.

-Drake picked up a big road win against a Missouri State team who had just one loss on the season.  The two play again tonight and if Drake can get the sweep I think they should be considered to be safely inside the bubble.  I hope the committee is watching and sees it that way.

-Duke and Georgia Tech exchanged punches in what could have been a pretty big win for the Yellowjackets, but it was Duke who prevailed and picked up a win that they desperately needed.

 

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-BYU AT PEPPERDINE (West Coast).  BYU continues to hang around the mdidle of the bracket and I think will land in the top half of it so long as they hold serve against the rest of the conference that isn’t Gonzaga.

-MIAMI FL AT FLORIDA STATE (ACC).  Miami has looked good in the last couple of games, but Florida State has looked so good the past week or two that it looks like they may be able to win the ACC.  This is another winnable home game for the Noles.

-VANDERBILT AT FLORIDA (SEC).  Florida seems to be hitting their stride having won three of their las four and beating some good teams in that stretch.  They have another winnable home game tonight against a Vandy team that is improving, but still has a long way to go.

-PENN STATE AT OHIO STATE (Big Ten).  Ohio State has won four of their last five and beaten some really good teams in that stretch.  They shouldn’t have too much trouble adding to that string of wins tonight and keeping themselves solidly in the discussion for a protected seed.

-CREIGHTON AT SETON HALL (Big East).  Creighton has some big wins this year and could end up with a protected seed if they’re able to continue to hold serve.  Their next four games are really winnable, but they will be tested tonight by a Seton Hall team that is hovering around the bubble and at times has looked a lot better than their resume.

-VIRGINIA TECH AT NOTRE DAME (ACC).  VA Tech just fell to Syracuse rather decisively and somewhat surprisingly.  Before that they had won seven of eight, so they are still in really good shape and have a winnable road game tonight.

-MARQUETTE AT PROVIDENCE (Big East).  Both teams appear to be outside the bubble, but when you look at some of their wins and see how they’ve played in a lot of their games they both have the potential to play their way into the field, so tonight’s game is important for both teams.

-OLE MISS AT ARKANSAS (SEC).  Arkansas is outside the bubble, but close enough to it to where they could end up playing themselves in.  They need to hold serve in games like this, though.

-KANSAS STATE AT BAYLOR (Big 12).  This is a conference game, but given how the two teams have looked for most of the year it could end up looking like a buy game by the end.

-WISCONSIN AT MARYLAND (Big Ten).  Maryland is staring to come to life, having picked up road wins at Illinois and Minnesota in their last two games.  They can really show that they are alive if they’re able to knock off a Wisconsin team that looks like a solid protected seed right now.  Wisky, on the other hand, is looking to rebound from their loss to Ohio State.

-LOUISVILLE AT CLEMSON (ACC).  This game is important for both teams.  Clemson got off to a great start, but they’ve been blown off the court in their last three games and need to get some of their momentum back.  Louisville is a solid 10-3, but other than Virginia Tech their resume doesn’t top out as high as most other protected seeds and they need to pick up some more quality wins if they want to be on par with those teams.

-DRAKE AND MISSOURI STATE (Missouri Valley).  Drake won the first game last night in what was a bit of a thriller and will remain unbeaten, and should be inside the bubble, if they’re able to get the sweep tonight.

-WASHINGTON STATE AT COLORADO (Pac 12).  Colorado has hit a bit of a skid lately and needs to pull themselves out of it.  This is a winnable home game for them that they need to hold serve in.

-BOISE STATE AT COLORADO STATE (Mountain West).  Boise State looks to be solidly in the middle of the field and has a path to land in the top half of it and be wearing white in the Round of 64.  Colorado State has a few nice wins and is hovering around the bubble, but they still have a lot of work to do and have a big opportunity tonight.

-UTAH STATE AT UNLV (Mountain West).  Utah State is another MWC team that is hovering around the bubble and needs to hold serve.

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Under the Radar Game of the Day – January 27, 2021

Stephen F Austin at Abilene Christian, 9:00 PM Eastern, espn+

After taking yesterday off because David Griggs forgot to remind me not to forget to remember to post an Under the Radar Game of the Day, we are back in action tonight with a huge battle near the top of the Southland standings between the Stephen F Austin Lumberjacks and the Abilene Christian Wildcats.  These two teams, along with Sam Houston State and Nicholls State, appear ready to pull away form the rest of the conference and make this league a four-horse race the rest of the way this season.

SFA enters tonight’s game at 9-2 overall and 6-0 in Southland play.  One of the Lumberjacks; two losses was at Baylor, so other than a road slip-up in mid-December at UL-Monroe, SFA has taken care of business against everyone that they should have so far this year.  Cameron Johnson (18.5 points per game) and Gavin Kensmil (14.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game) lead the way for this team, which will be looking to once again prove that they the top team in this conference.  Of course, that may not matter for postseason purposes, as the Lumberjacks are waiting for an NCAA decision on whether a one-ear APR postseason ban will apply this year or next.

Abilene Christian is currently 12-3 overall and 4-1 in conference play, having lost last week in a tough game at Sam Houston State.  The Wildcats had the distinction of being the best team in the entire nation for a very short time period this year — as they were the first team to win a game when they defeated East Tennessee State back on November 25!  Kolton Kohl (10.8) and Coryon Mason (10.7) are the top two scorers for a team that is ranked 32nd in the nation in defense, over 100 spots better than anyone else in the entire Southland.  Mason has missed the last two games (including the Sam Houston loss), and the Wildcats could really use him back on the court tonight if he is healthy again.  If the Wildcats can get that kind of defensive effort again tonight, they will set themselves in a strong position to make a run at the league crown this year.

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News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Tuesday, Jan 26th

NEWS AND NOTES

-For the latest Hoops HD Report Video Podcast – CLICK HERE

-The game of the night was, by far, Texas Tech at West Virginia.  Two really tough defensive teams somehow managed to play a high scoring game that saw West Virginia control nearly all of the first half, then Texas Tech go on a flurry of a run and tie it at halftime and then appear to be in control for most of the second half, and then a late comeback that saw WVU win in the final seconds 88-87.  It was just a really fun game between two really good teams.

-24 hours ago, Utah State was a team that we thought was well within reach of the bubble.  Then they lost to UNLV last night.  Now, we no longer think that.

 

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-TULSA AT TEMPLE (American).  It’s hard to totally count out Tulsa due to their win over Houston, but they still have a lot of work to do.

-RICHMOND AT SAINT JOSEPH’S (Atlantic Ten).  Richmond is outside the bubble and has been a bit of a disappointment this year, but I still think they have the potential to be good and can still land inside the bubble if they continue to string together wins.

-OKLAHOMA AT TEXAS (Big 12).  It’s the basketball version of the Red River Shootout!  Oklahoma is fresh off their big win against Kansas, and Texas is within reach of getting a #1 seed.  They’ll be without Shaka Smart, but they are still one of the best teams in the country.

-KENTUCKY AT ALABAMA (SEC).  Alabama has landed in the top ten, and deservedly so.  I don’t think I’ve ever said this about this match-up, but Alabama needs to avoid a bad loss to Kentucky to stay high in the rankings.

-MISSISSIPPI STATE AT TENNESSEE (SEC).  Tennessee has lost two straight and slipped a little bit, but they should be able to bounce back tonight in what is a very winnable home conference game.

-SMU AT MEMPHIS (American).  SMU has a path to landing inside the bubble, but they pretty much need to take care of business in all their conference games minus Houston.  Winning on the road at Memphis isn’t necessarily easy, but making the NCAA Tournament isn’t necessarily easy.

-NORTH CAROLINA AT PITTSBURGH (ACC).  Both teams are outside the bubble, but within reach of it.  Pitt is trying to bounce back from a rather damaging loss to Wake Forest.  Both teams should be coming into this one with a sense of urgency.

-DRAKE AT MISSOURI STATE (Missouri Valley).  These are two of the best teams in the MVC, and its’ a chance for Drake to pick up a really good road win that could jump out at the committee.  Drake is also unbeaten, so this game has several storylines.

-DAYTON AT SAINT LOUIS (Atlantic Ten).  It’s the Arch Baron Cup!!!  It’s the greatest rivalry in all of college sports!!!  It’s also the first conference game for SLU.  The Billikins still have a lot of work to do, which includes trying to get several conference games made up and rescheduled.

-BUTLER AT UCONN (Big East).  UConn has been in a bit of a tailspin, but they should be able to pull themselves out of it and get a win tonight.

-MISSOURI AT AUBURN (SEC).  Auburn isn’t the easiest place to win, but Missouri is making a case that they should be a protected seed, and these are the kinds of road games that protected seeds need to be able to win.

-GEORGIA TECH AT DUKE (ACC).  GA Tech is inching closer and closer to being inside the bubble.  They’ve looked good this season after a bit of a slow start, and this could be another nice win on their resume.  Duke is also outside the bubble and needs to string together some wins just to get back into the conversation.

-LSU AT TEXAS A&M (SEC).  LSU has taken a few steps back and needs to get a win on the road tonight to help get things turned back around.

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The Hoops HD Report: January 25th

Chad, David, Joby, and Jon run through the 10 major conferences and discuss how Kansas has gone into a bit of a tailspin with three straight losses, Baylor’s big win over Oklahoma State, Alabama continuing to look like the best team in the SEC, the upcoming Big 12/SEC Challenge, UConn’s recent struggles in Big East play, Saint Louis still appearing to be a tournament team but the issue of them not playing a single conference game yet, how there are four teams in the Mountain West who all have a chance of ending up inside the bubble, Ohio State’s big win at Wisconsin, and much more…

And for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…

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HoopsHD Staff Bracket Projection (From Chad)- January 25

For today’s UTR Game of the Day, and a rundown of all the other games – CLICK HERE

It is Chad’s turn again for the HoopsHD Staff Bracket.  Unlike the attempts to guess the committee by our expert at that, Jon Teitel, the Staff Bracket is a projection of how the tournament SHOULD be seeded, if it wasn’t for the fact that the Committee makes mistakes every year!

Here is Chad’s current bracket, followed by his Notes and comments from the Staff:

CHAD’S NOTES

– There may have been a debate about the 1 seeds a week ago, but Iowa’s loss to Indiana has made it fairly simple, and Texas clearly belongs up there.  The next team up to make the top line is Michigan, but given that the Wolverines are now shut down for the next 2 weeks due to COVID, they may not get up there for a bit.

– Yes, the Crimson Tide are on the 2 line.  And deservedly so.  They have won 9 in a row and have one of the most impressive collections of wins in the nation.  Although the Tide have 3 losses, all outside of Tier 1, those three losses were all to teams that made this field (Clemson, Stanford and Western Kentucky), so they don’t get dinged much for those.

– Missouri.  On the 3 line.  Yes, I am serious.  The Tigers now have five Tier 1 wins, four of which were away from home.  Baylor does not even have that.

– Yes, I also have a team without a single road win on the 4 line.  Minnesota’s profile, if you ignore where the games were played, is flat out impressive — including three wins over teams seeded higher than their 4 seed!  The Gophers cannot stay up here without some road wins, but they will get those chances,  And remember, their 4 road losses were to Michigan, Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin — four games that the vast majority of the teams in the nation would lose!

– Down on the 12 line, I would have both Western Kentucky and Winthrop rated above three of the four First Four teams, meaning both teams are in line for at-large bids — though for Winthrop, their rating is based mostly on being undefeated and a loss anywhere would knock them out of the at-large picture.

– I am no longer impressed with anything that LSU has done.  That is why they are in the First Four.  Colorado State and Utah State split with each other this week, leading to both teams barely slipping into the field.  Colorado State’s profile is rather intriguing, with only 3 losses — at St Mary’s, at San Diego State and at Utah State.  But they also have wins at San Diego State and at Utah State — almost negating those 2 losses.  That is why they are in, for now.

– North Carolina was my last team in.  Despite winning a couple games this week, the Tar Heels still only have one win against this field, and that was 11 seed Stanford.  They have two losses to teams that did not make the field.   That is not good enough.

– My top four teams out, in order, were Loyola-Chicago, Pittsburgh, Michigan State and Arkansas.  Loyola-Chicago is right on the doorstep of a bid, and I would not be shocked if I have them in next time I do a bracket, assuming they don’t have any missteps.

– Also considered were Providence, Marquette, SMU, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Missouri State, TCU, Wichita State, VCU and Richmond.  All these teams have some serious issues, though they all still have a chance to move up into the field.

STAFF NOTES

COMMENTS FROM DAVID

-In regards to Minnesota, I agree with Chad’s comment.  If you “ignore” where the games were played that they lost, their resume is flat out impressive!  I’ve decided to apply this logic to other teams!  Take Western Kentucky, for instance.  If you ignore the games they’ve lost, their resume looks fantastic!  You could put them on the #4 line too!!  NO TEAM DESERVES A PROTECTED SEED THAT HASN’T WON A ROAD GAME!!!!!!  C’MON CHAD!!!!!

-I’m not as in love with Iowa as most other people are.  I still have them solidly as a protected seed, but I don’t have them within reach of the #1 line.  When they’ve played #1 seed caliber teams, (Gonzaga, and Minnesota who is a protected seed caliber team at home), they’ve lost.  Their best win is at Maryland, which is good, but not #1 seed good.

-I know Oklahoma State lost to Baylor over the weekend, but I don’t see how they’re not a solid protected seed not just in Chad’s bracket, but in virtually everyone else’s.  I think they are better than what most people think, and that can only mean that I am right and all the other people are wrong!

-Chad’s bracket is lousy!  It’s stupid!  Granted, I agree with a lot of it, BUT IT IS STILL A STUPID AND….well….(other words that are synonymous with stupid) BRACKET!!!  WHY IS CHAD STILL THE HOST!!????

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Under the Radar Game of the Day – January 25, 2021 (and other highlighted games)

Alcorn State at Alabama A&M, 7:00 PM Eastern, Alabama A&M YouTube Channel

It is time for the Under the Radar Game of the Day to turn its attention to the SWAC — and more importantly to one of only five remaining undefeated teams in the entire nation!  The discussion of undefeated teams generally centers on Gonzaga and Baylor, and to a lesser extent on Drake and Winthrop.  However, tonight the fifth undefeated team (albeit at only 4-0), Alabama A&M will be putting their shot at perfection on the line at home in Huntsville against Alcorn State.

AAMU enters tonight’s game at 2-0 in SWAC play and 4-0 overall.  The Bulldogs have defeated Samford, South Alabama, Alabama State and Southern already this season.  This past weekend’s 68-58 home win over Southern was a bit of a shocker, as the Jaguars had been one of the favorites in the SWAC this season.  Garrett Hicks had a career high 27 points to lead the way for AAMU, and Jalen Johnson added 19.  The win gave AAMU their best start ever (4-0) at the Division I level, which they have been in since the 1998-99 season.

Tonight’s opponent is the Alcorn State Braves.  The Braves are currently 3-6 overall and 3-1 in SWAC play.  Alcorn is led by Troymain Crosby, who is averaging 19.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.  Also keep an eye on Kurk Lee, who is averaging 12.2 points and 3.8 assist per game.  Both players will have to play well for a Braves teams that currently rates as one of the worst offensive and defensive teams in the nation according to KenPom.

 

OTHER HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-SYRACUSE AT VIRGINIA (ACC).  Syracuse is fresh off of their big win against Virginia Tech over the weekend.  If they can pull off this one against UVA on the road, not only will they be safely inside the bubble, but they’ll be approaching a spot in the top half of the bracket.

-LOYOLA CHICAGO AT BRADLEY (Missouri Valley).  There may be room for Loyola Chicago inside the bubble, but they’ll pretty much need to win out in order to have any shot of it at all.

-TEXAS TECH AT WEST VIRGINIA (Big 12).  It’s two teams ranked in the top 15 that are gunning for protected seeds and looking to add a big protected-seed caliber win to their resumes.  Both teams are tough on the defensive end, WVU with their pressure and Texas Tech with their half court defense, so it should be a fun game to watch.

-UTAH STATE AT UNLV (Mountain West).  Utah State has a path to landing inside the bubble, but they need to come close to winning out in order to do it and they need to avoid losses to teams that are 100 miles outside the bubble like UNLV.

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