Hoops HD

NEWS AND NOTES:

-Tennessee bounced back from a disastrous road performance at Florida earlier in the week with a really strong 74-70 road win at Texas. Tennessee is still in fantastic shape and on pace to get a 1 seed. Texas has now dropped three straight, which can easily happen in a league as tough as the SEC. All three losses were against top ten opponents.

-Auburn held on to win at South Carolina 66-63 and will likely be ranked #1 on Monday, but the bad news as Johni Broome went down with a nasty looking ankle injury. He will likely be out for a couple of games.

-Iowa State needed a last second shot to force overtime, and then a thrilling finish in overtime to escape Texas Tech 85-84. Texas Tech had a lead for much of the game, but Iowa State kept it close, drove the length of the floor at the end of regulation, and was able to convert a game-tying layup to force overtime. Texas Tech had a good look at the last second of overtime that could have given them the win, but it just didn’t go down.

-Alabama picked up a very impressive 94-88 win at Texas A&M. There has been a ton of buzz around Auburn, but Alabama is keeping pace with neutral floor wins against Illinois and Houston, and now a true road win against Texas A&M.

-Kentucky, who has had their share of impressive wins this season, picked up another huge win yesterday as they knocked off Mississippi State on the road 95-90. I thought Kentucky would be good this year, but not this good. This was probably their most impressive win of the year considering how good Mississippi State is and that it was a true road game.

-Florida followed up their big win against top ranked Tennessee with a tough road win against Arkansas 71-63. That’s a pretty good week for the Gators!

-UConn got a battle from Georgetown, but managed to hang on and win 68-60 and is looking like they’re right up there with Marquette in the Big East and have a wide open path to a protected seed.

-Kansas keeps winning and Cincinnati keeps losing. The Jayhawks went on the road and picked up the nice 54-40 in over the Bearcats. I say it was nice. The offense in this game wasn’t nice, but the win itself will look nice on paper.

-Illinois, who appeared to really have a lot of momentum built up, lost at home to USC 82-72. After a road trip where they blew out Oregon, then beat Washington handily, and then beat a really good Penn State team by such a margin that it almost seemed illegal, for them to come home and lose to USC was one of the bigger head-scratchers of the day.

-Oklahoma has now lost three straight after the impressive 13-0 start as they fell at Georgia 72-62. Georgia is good, and they are tough to beat at home, but Oklahoma needs to pull themselves out of the tailspin they appear to be in.

-Boise State had a lead over Utah State for much of the first half, but the Aggies kept it close enough. Then they came back and pulled even in the second half, and the last part of the second half was incredibly entertaining. We saw multiple lead changes in the final minute, and the game came down to the wire before Utah State managed to hold on and barely escape 81-79. This was perhaps the most entertaining game of the day!

-Louisville keeps winning! I don’t know how, but they do. They picked up a really big road win at Pittsburgh 82-78. Considering it was a true road win against a likely tournament team, and that it was a conference game, and that Louisville has done it after losing so many players, it may be one of the biggest wins of the year so far for the Cardinals.

-Saint Bonaventure, who I was praising a week ago, has now lost two straight games. Both the losses came to really bad teams. They fell to La Salle 83-82 yesterday. It’s hard to still like them after that.

-Columbia, who had such an exciting start to the season through OOC play, lost their Ivy League opener at home to Cornell 94-83. Columbia is still having one of their best seasons in recent memory, but they will face some challenges in the Ivy.

-Bradley, who may be good enough to flirt with the bubble, dodged a HUGE bullet yesterday, but held on to win at UIC 61-60.

-North Carolina has now won five of their last six and picked up a nice road win over conference rival NC State yesterday 63-61. It isn’t a win that will stand out all that much on their resume, but it was a true road win against a conference rival for a team that’s trying to climb back up the rankings after a tough OOC run.

-Wake Forest has now won five of their last six and is starting to make some noise. A win over Miami FL in and of itself isn’t much to get excited about, but the Demon Deacons are on a roll right now.

-Villanova, who was (and still is) playing much better, was unable to follow up their big win against UConn with a win at Saint John’s. The Johnnies are looking like a really good team, and quite frankly they’ve looked good all year. They’re probably being undervalued and belong in the top 25.

-Indiana, who I had been very critical of all year but had recently begun to praise, once again looked like a team that needs to be criticized yesterday. Iowa absolutely blew them out of the gym with an 85-60 win.

-Liberty, who we said could end up inside the bubble if they could run through CUSA, now has two conference losses. They fell on the road to Louisiana Tech 79-74 yesterday, which admittedly was likely their toughest conference game, but it was still one they needed to win if they wanted any real shot at landing inside the bubble.

-Baylor got a really big road win at Arizona State as they held off the Sun Devils 72-66. Arizona State was one of the bigger surprises in OOC play, and they are still reasonably well positioned, but they are just 1-3 in the Big 12 so far and really could have used this win yesterday.

-UC Irvine got a massive road win at UC San Diego as they held them off 60-52. UC San Diego shot the ball extremely poorly despite getting a fair number of open looks, but UC Irvine is also an outstanding defensive team. Both teams are in the top 50 of the NET, both belong there, both will likely remain there, and both have a shot at landing inside the bubble if they can can continue to hold serve against the rest of the Big West. UC Irvine is now an amazing 8-2 in true road games!

.

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-MICHIGAN STATE AT NORTHWESTERN. Northwestern has had some really bad luck this in a couple of their close losses, and consider that they’ve lost their last two games makes this one really big today. It’s a win that would look really good on their profile and it would prevent a three-game losing streak. Michigan State is positioned to end up as a protected seed and is 2-0 in true road games so far, so it won’t be easy for the Wildcats.

-NEBRASKA AT PURDUE (Big Ten). Nebraska seems positioned to land inside the bubble, but Purdue seems positioned to still possibly end up as a protected seed. The Boilers are the better team with the better resume so far, and they should be able to hold serve at home.

-WASHINGTON AT MICHIGAN (Big Ten). Michigan has been playing really well and is probably being a little undervalued. They should be able to hold serve at home and remain perfect in Big Ten play.

-WEST VIRGINIA AT COLORADO (Big 12). This is a really tough road test for West Virginia, and it’s one that could help boost their resume since they’re coming off the decisive loss to Arizona and have just one true road win. Colorado has shown they can play at a high level, but their overall resume isn’t strong enough to indicate they are a solid NCAA Tournament team. They’ve also lost three straight, so this game has a very pivotal feel to it for the Buffalos.

-OREGON AT PENN STATE (Big Ten). Oregon is a likely protected seed, and Penn State is looking more and more like they will be an NCAA Tournament team. A win today for Penn State puts them in even better shape, and a win for Oregon shows that they are good enough to beat tournament caliber teams in true road games.

NEWS AND NOTES:

-For John Stalica’s UTR Game of the Day, which is one of the classics as he highlights the Winward Cup – CLICK HERE

-UCLA is in a tailspin and they got absolutely run out of the building by Maryland last night 79-61. Head Coach Mick Cronin, who had been critical of his team earlier in the week, decided to leave early after being ejected with just over 5 minutes to go. I still expect that UCLA will turn itself around, but they’re in a bit of a mess right now. As for Maryland, this was a win they kind of needed.

.

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-LOUISVILLE AT PITTSBURGH (ACC). Louisville keeps winning despite all the injuries they’ve had, but today will be a tough test. They’re on the road against a very good Pitt team. Pitt was also just blasted by Duke and is looking to bounce back. As good as Louisville has been, this would probably be their biggest win of the year so far if they’re able to pull it off.

-SAN DIEGO STATE AT NEW MEXICO (Mountain West). This is a big test for two teams that look like they’re good enough to make the NCAA Tournament and have very respectable profiles, but still have a lot of work to do and could really use this win today.

-IOWA STATE AT TEXAS TECH (Big 12). This is a big road test for Iowa State, but Iowa State has been passing big tests all year long. Right now they look like a team that could get a 1 seed and win the Big 12. As for Texas Tech, this would be one of their biggest wins of the year so far even though they’re at home.

-CONNECTICUT AT GEORGETOWN (Big East). Georgetown lost a tough one at Marquette earlier in the week, but it was hardly a bad loss and if anything it should instill some confidence in them. This is another big opportunity for them at home and the atmosphere around this one should be one of their bigger home games in a while. As for UConn, they’re coming off a tough road loss to Villanova and will be looking to bounce back. Their overall resume is still very solid and they still have a path to a protected seed.

-KANSAS AT CINCINNATI (Big 12). Cincinnati is in a tailspin and they need a win, any win, to pull themselves out of it. That’s far easier said than done, though. Kansas is high in the rankings and clearly the superior team. Having said that, Kansas is just 1-2 in true road games, so a win would help fill out their resume a little bit.

-FLORIDA STATE AT CLEMSON (ACC). Florida State is a respectable 11-4, but their overall resume needs a lot of work. Having said that, a road win in a game like this would mean doing a lot of work. As for Clemson, they’re coming off a loss at Louisville and this would be a nice bounce back game for them.

-VANDERBILT AT MISSOURI (SEC). The SEC is an absolute gauntlet, and as good as these two teams are they may have trouble racking up enough wins in conference play to ensure themselves a spot in the dance. That’s what makes this game so important.

-FLORIDA AT ARKANSAS (SEC). A tough road test for the Gators who are coming off a huge win against Tennessee. Arkansas has lost two straight and should have a sense of urgency coming into this one. They’ve been very strong at home this year and they need to get it done today.

-NORTH CAROLINA AT NC STATE (ACC). This is a huge rivalry game, and it’s a game that North Carolina could really stand to win. Given their shaky OOC record some people have sort of given up on the Tarheels, but the OOC schedule was really strong and I think they’ll be just fine and will start stringing together wins in conference play.

-TENNESSEE AT TEXAS (SEC). After putting together some of the most impressive and dominating showings of any team this season, Tennessee could not get their motor started at all against Florida earlier in the week and was blown off the floor. Winning at Texas may not be as tough as winning at Florida, but it is still a very tall order. Having said that, it’s the kind of game that a #1 or #2 seeded team should be able to win.

-OKLAHOMA AT GEORGIA (SEC). The Sooners have suddenly lost two straight and are 0-2 in SEC play. The complexion of their season has changed since their 13-0 start and you get the sense that this is a pivotal game for them. It certainly won’t be an easy game. Georgia is a damn good team that is 13-2 overall and just knocked off Kentucky earlier this week.

-LSU AT OLE MISS (SEC). LSU has lost two straight and has just one true road win on the season. This is another game that has a pivotal feel for it. A win for LSU would be huge and get them turned around in the right direction, a loss suddenly puts them at 0-3 in league play. It won’t be easy. Ole Miss is a perfect 8-0 at home and coming off a nice win at Arkansas.

-VILLANOVA AT SAINT JOHN’S (Big East). Villanova is really starting to come to life, and they just picked up a huge win against UConn. If they can follow that up with a road win against a Saint John’s team that’s also been playing really well, then we’ll have to start thinking of them as a likely tournament caliber team.

-ALABAMA AT TEXAS A&M (SEC). Both teams are ranked in the top ten and both are on a trajectory to end up as protected seeds. This would be one of the bigger wins of the year for Bama if they’re somehow able to pull it off.

-INDIANA AT IOWA (Big Ten). Indiana has been on fire lately. As much as I beat them up earlier in the year, I now think they’re a legit top 25 caliber team. This is a tough road game, but it’s one they can win given how they’ve been playing. It’s a big game for Iowa as well, who’s trying to position themselves safely inside the bubble.

-KENTUCKY AT MISSISSIPPI STATE (SEC). Both teams are high in the rankings and this is yet another high level showecase for the SEC. It’s one of two SEC games today that features two top 15 teams. Kentucky is looking to bounce back from their loss at Georgia. As good as they are, they’ve struggled in true road games. Things don’t get any easier against Mississippi State tonight, who should be jacked way up for this one. They are an incredible 14-1 this season and perfect in the SEC.

-WASHINGTON STATE AT GONZAGA (West Coast). I was really big on Wazzu, so of course they somehow dropped one at home to Pacific earlier this week. They may have been looking ahead to this one. It’s a fun regional rivalry, and for the first time it’s actually a conference game! Gonzaga is still good enough to play their way into a strong protected seed and do a lot of damage in March, but they need to hold serve in games like this.

-BOISE STATE AT UTAH STATE (Mountain West ). These are two of the better teams in the Mountain West. The storyline for Boise State is that they’re on the bubble and they could use a big win in a game like this to give their resume a huge upgrade. The story for Utah State is that they’re really good, they’re in the rankings, and they can continue to climb the polls if they can keep stringing together wins in the conference.

-BAYLOR AT ARIZONA STATE (Big 12). Both teams are good, but both could really use this win. Both come in at 10-4 and while they’ve looked good and have some decent wins, neither is really on cruise control.

-UCF AT ARIZONA (Big 12). Arizona is starting to come together after playing a brutal OOC schedule and dropping a few games against it. They should be able to hold serve against a decent, but not great, UCF team. UCF can give their resume a huge boost if they could somehow pull this one out on the road.

-UC IRVINE AT UC SAN DIEGO (Big West). I’m probably more excited for this game than any other today!! Both teams are good, and I think both can land inside the bubble and make the Big West a two-bid league. It goes without saying that this would be a huge win on either team’s resume, so it should be a fun one to watch.

OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:

–Notre Dame @ Duke (ACC). Duke is one of the teams that’s contending for a 1 seed and should be able to hold serve at home

-USC @ Illinois (Big Ten) – Illinois is on fire right now and should be able to hold serve against a USC team that’s nowhere near the bubble

–La Salle @ Saint Bonaventure (Atlantic 10) – Saint Bonaventure needs to bounce back from a loss. A win still gets them to an impressive 15-2

–Creighton @ Butler (Big East) – Creighton is about to start a stretch of games that should be winnable. They need to hold serve in all these games. today is a road game, but it’s one they should win

–Auburn @ South Carolina (SEC) – Auburn is on fire and they’ll likely be ranked #1 in the new poll if they can take care of business in this one

–East Carolina @ Memphis (American) – Memphis has had a great year and they should be able to cruise through this one today

–BYU @ TCU (Big 12). BYU is on the outside looking in and could use a notable road win to take a step in the right direction

–Cornell @ Columbia (Ivy League) – this game should be a ton of fun. It’s the conference opener after Columbia’s very impressive 12-2 run in OOC games

–Princeton @ Harvard (Ivy League) – Princeton may have a shot to land inside the bubble, but they probably have to run the table to do it

–Bradley @ UIC (Missouri Valley) – Bradley is looking to bounce back from the loss to Drake and get to 14-3 on the year

–Georgia Tech @ SMU (ACC) – SMU has a lot of work to do, but they do have a path if they can perform well in the ACC

–Wake Forest @ Miami FL (ACC) – Wake hasn’t been getting a lot of attention, but they are 11-4 overall, 3-1 in conference play, and have a winnable road game today which will keep them well positioned if they take care of business

–Houston @ Kansas State (Big 12) – Houston is starting to string together wins and should be able to pick this one up on the road. They’re still one of the best teams in the Big 12

–Rhode Island @ Richmond (Atlantic 10) – Rhody doesn’t have the best profile, but a win does get them to 13-3 overall and evens their record in the A10 at 2-2

–Evansville @ Drake (Missouri Valley) – Evansville has been playing well lately, but this is still one that Drake should win at home

–San Francisco @ Santa Clara (West Coast) – a bay area rivalry. San Francisco is 14-4 and while they have a lot of work to do to reach the bubble, they do have a path. This would be a nice road win for them if they can pull it off

–Liberty @ Louisiana Tech (Conference USA) – these were the two preseason favorites, and even though LA Tech has stumbled early, Liberty is also coming off a loss. This should be a good one

-New Mexico State @ UTEP – UTEP is 12-3 and can improve upon that if they can get a win over their rivals tonight

–Saint Mary’s @ San Diego (West Coast) – This should be a winnable road game for SMC, which would be their 3rd of the year