Conference USA is tonight’s feature conference and we discuss Liberty, how well they’ve played so far, and what their chances are to land inside the bubble. Rocco points out how strong the league is from top to bottom and how difficult the travel can be.
From there we run through the other 21 conferences and talk about how Hawaii is a team to watch in the Big West, Buffalo’s surprise 5-0 start out of the MAC, Iona’s strong start, UT Martin’s strong start out of the OVC, Troy’s big win over San Diego State, Winthrop’s near upset win over Arkansas, High Point’s prospects for the rest of the year, and much more. And, as we do every week, we close with this week’s Under the Radar Top Ten.
And, for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…
-It was one of the crazier nights of the season so far! And none of the craziness involved the Champions Classic. Kansas jumped out to an early lead on Duke, but Duke came back and then jumped out to a lead of their own and held it for the rest of the game for an impressive 78-66 win. Michigan State dominated Kentucky in impressive and exciting fashion and were basically in control the whole way for an 83-66 win.
-Winthrop had a 5pt lead on Arkansas with about a minute to go, but Arkansas came up with three consecutive defensive stops and three consecitive baskets on the offensive end. In the final seconds after Arkansas went ahead 84-83, two players got tangled, fell to the floor, and had to be separated. After all that was sorted out Winthrop had the last possession and a chance to win the game, but came up short again. Arkansas survived a thriller and Winthrop nearly pulled off a massive upset.
-Troy and San Diego State were tied at the half, tied at the end of regulation, and tied at the end of the first overtime in what had to be one of the most exciting games of the year so far. Troy appeared to have things wrapped up at the end of regulation with a 4pt lead, but San Diego State hit a half-court-3 at the buzzer to force overtime. Troy kept battling and pulled off an amazing 108-107 upset win and pick up their third true road win of the season.
-Washington needed overtime to get by Southern 99-93. This is a game where Southern actually had the lead most of the way, but just couldn’t hold on for the entire 40 (and then 45) minutes. It was yet another near upset on the night.
-Ole Miss got a bit of a scare from Austin Peay, but held on to win 72-65.
-Boise State got a big scare from Wichita State, but held on to win 62-59 in a game that felt like they really couldn’t afford to lose.
-Rhode Island got a big 86-77 win at Yale. This was probably a more important win than what most people realize. Yale isn’t likely to lose too many home games the rest of the way, and while this is a setback for the Bulldogs they still may be good enough to make a run at the bubble. As for Rhody, it’s their best win of the year so far and may be one of the best overall wins for the whole Atlantic 10 up to this point.
-Buffalo remains unbeaten after holding off a fairly solid (and previously unbeaten) Vermont team 94-90. We weren’t expecting much out of the Bulls this season, but they may be able to make some noise in the MAC.
-Florida State pulled away from UT Martin in the second half and held on to win 87-73. It was the first loss of the year for UTM after picking up a couple of impressive wins prior to this game.
-UC Davis won at Nevada 75-71 in yet another home buy game loss for the Mountain West.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-ARIZONA AT UCONN. Just another top ten matchup that involves UConn. Both these teams are actually ranked in the top four and both have won big games to earn those rankings. Arizona had a big win over Florida in the season opener, and UConn recently beat a top ten BYU team. This is another game that can be a #1 seed caliber win for whoever ends up pulling it off, especially for Arizona. Beating top five teams on the road tens to look good on a resume.
-DAYTON AT MARQUETTE. This game has a sense of urgency to it. Neither team has won anything outside of home buy games, Marquette in particular hasn’t looked all that good (although I know it’s early) and both could use some notable OOC wins on their resumes.
-SOUTH FLORIDA AT OKLAHOMA STATE. The Cowboys have yet to play a game away from home, but they blew out Texas A&M last week and look to be a lot better than I initially thought. South Florida ain’t bad either. They’ve only won home buy games, but they played a really good George Washington team really close in their holy loss. A win like this would be a huge boost for the Bulls if they’re somehow able to pull it off.
-LIPSCOMB AT BELMONT. It’s the Battle of the Boulevard!! This isn’t just one of the great Under the Radar rivalries in college basketball, it is one of the great rivalries in college basketball period!!! Belmont is 3-0 on the year, whereas Lipscomb has struggled at just 1-3, but this is seemingly always a great game!
-ALABAMA VS ILLINOIS (Chicago IL). Alabama is continuing their murderous OOC schedule. They’ve already picked up a huge win at Saint John’s, and their only loss was to top ranked Purdue in a very competitive game. Illinois also has a big win against Texas Tech on their profile and while this game isn’t on campus the crowd should very much favor the Illini in this one. It’s two potential/probable protected seeds lookin to pick up a massive resume building win.
OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:
-Middle Tennessee @ Michigan – Middle Tennessee is unbeaten. Michigan is as well, and they should remain that way after today, but they haven’t exactly been handling the unranked teams they’ve beaten the way you’d think the 6th (now 7th) ranked team in the nation would
-Harvard @ Penn State – both teams have good records against bad schedules. This may be Penn State’s toughest test so far
-South Alabama @ Jacksonville State – a regional matchup between two unbeaten UTR teams. South Alabama has a nice win at Toledo and picked up two more in the Showdown in Saint Pete.
-Youngstown State @ Toledo – Youngstown State has had some tough road tests already and nearly knocked off Saint Bonaventure over the weekend. This is another tough road game and would be another big win for the Penguins
-Villanova @ La Salle (Big 5) – Nova is off to a respectable 3-1 start with the only loss coming against BYU in a game where they really battled. This would be their first road win of the year if they’re able to pul it off
-VMI @ Richmond – this one should be fun! It’s two contrasting styles between two teams that are off to good starts and could go on to have big years. VMI could be a dark horse in the SoCon, and Richmond is undefeated (albeit also unchallenged) so far.
-Wyoming @ Sam Houston – this is the first road test for a Wyoming team that’s off to a good 4-0 start and is showing signs of being one of the surprise teams in the MWC this year
-UC Irvine @ Utah Valley – this is the first true road game for UC Irvine. They won more road games a year ago than anyone else in the nation.
-Arkansas State @ Saint Mary’s – The Gaels should win this one at home, but Arkansas State isn’t a bad team at all at 3-1. It’s perhaps the best team SMC has played this season so far
BUY GAMES AND GAMES OF EQUALLY LOW APPEAL:
-Bryant @ Virginia Tech -Bellarmine @ Notre Dame -UMBC @ George Washington – GW should stay undefeated -Mount Saint Mary’s @ Maryland -North Dakota @ Creighton -Jackson State @ Auburn
-VCU gave NC State a battle on the the road and had a chance to win until the final minute or so of the game, but NC State held on 85-79. VCU falls to 2-2 with the two losses being close games to Utah State and NC State. Neither of those losses are damaging, but at the same time this team needs to pick up notable wins in order to land inside the bubble and their chances to do that are limited. In fact the remainder of their schedule just doesn’t look to have many opportunities that are as good as the two that they’ve lost. This is a good VCU team, and they absolutely can make the NCAA Tournament, but they have a thin margin for error the rest of the way.
-Tulsa appeared to have Kansas State beat at the Octagon as they went up 83-78 with less than 50 secs to play, but two freethrows, two forced turnovers, and two made jumpshots in the final minute gave K State the win. This was a big missed opportunity for Tulsa and one that may take a little while to walk off, but this Tulsa team will likely not be the doormat of the American this year. As for K State, I’m still trying to decide whether or not I think they’re good. They’re unbeaten, but they haven’t played anyone that would likely finish anywhere close to the top half of the Big 12.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-MICHIGAN STATE VS KENTUCKY (Champions Classic, New York NY). Michigan State already has a big win against Arkansas and a win today would be their first big scalp away from home. Kentucky battled against Louisville and mounted a second half comeback on the road in a hostile environment, but came up short. It’s an early season resume building opportunity for both teams and it should be a fun one.
-UT MARTIN AT FLORIDA STATE. UT Martin is off to a 3-0 start with wins at UNLV and at Bradley. If they go on the road and beat the Seminoles today, you have to start thinking of them as a team that’s good enough to land inside the bubble. That would make for three solid true road wins in the first three weeks of the season, but it would also suggest that they are capable of blowing through most of the rest of their schedule and putting together a solid profile. It’s early, but they have our attention. As for Florida State, they nearly won at Florida, so let’s not overlook the Noles either.
-KANSAS VS DUKE (Champions Classic, New York NY). Duke looks like a team that’s good enough to go back to the Final Four and already has a decisive win over Texas this year. Kansas is good, but they may not be quite as good as Kansas typically is. They did lose at North Carolina earlier this year, but they’ve managed to blow through their buy games and get another shot at a huge win tonight. If they can beat Duke, I’ll take back what I said about them not being quite as good and start to look at them as a team that can win the Big 12 and make a run at the Final Four.
-WICHITA STATE AT BOISE STATE. This game is interesting. Wichita State is off to a 3-0 start, but this is their first true road game of the year so while we can’t yet proclaim them to be a team to watch this year, a win today would bring us a lot closer to proclaiming that. Boise State got their noses bloodied on opening night, but they’ve won three straight since then. They need to keep winning in order to offset that loss.
OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:
-Vermont @ Buffalo – both teams are 4-0. Vermont has been a little underwhelming but they’ve managed to win all four. Buffalo has been a bit of a surprise, but also hasn’t had any huge tests yet
-NJIT @ Drexel – mentioned only because if NJIT can get to 4-1 and pick up their third true road win of the year it may make them one of the bigger early surprises of the season
-Eastern Kentucky @ Kent State – an intriguing matchup between two solid UTR teams
-Montana @ Texas A&M – TAMU is off to a rough start and needs to be on upset alert against a pretty solid Griz team tonight
-Rhode Island @ Yale – Rhody is off to at least a respectable start, and Yale is one of the top UTR teams who I think is good enough to make a run at the bubble. The Bulldogs need this one at home tonight
-Stephen F Austin @ Fresno State – this is a winnable road game for SFA. They can stay unbeaten and pick up their second true road win of the season
-New Orleans @ Pepperdine – New Orleans can improve to 3-1 on the year with all those wins coming on the road and the only loss being at LSU. That is a hell of a good start!
-Troy @ San Diego State – San Diego State should blow through this one, but Troy should make some noise in the Sun Belt this year and the Aztecs better not completely overlook them
BUY GAMES AND BUY GAME EQUIVALENTS:
-American @ Rutgers -Navy @ North Carolina – Navy is the Patriot League favorite, but is overmatched today -New Haven @ Seton Hall -New Hampshire @ Providence -Radford @ South Carolina -Princeton @ Iona – Iona can stay unbeaten -Jacksonville @ George Mason -Georgia Southern @ Georgia Tech -Winthrop @ Arkansas -Alcorn State @ LSU -Austin Peay @ Ole Miss -Chicago State @ Minnesota -Northern Illinois @ Northern Iowa – UNI can improve to 4-0 -Arkansas Pine Bluff @ SMU -SEMO @ Iowa -PFW @ Utah -Monmouth @ Syracuse -Rider @ Texas -Southern @ Washington -Northwestern State @ San Francisco -UC Davis @ Nevada – Nevada better not overlook them -Idaho State @ Santa Clara -Louisiana @ Stanford -Presbyterian @ California -Sacramento State @ UCLA
The Panel is back to review a busy week, and to preview an even busier week! Purdue won a big one at Alabama earlier this week to reclaim the top spot in both polls. Houston also won a big game against Auburn in Birmingham in a game that came down to the wire. Arizona and UConn also managed really big wins this week, and Florida and Michigan had to sweat in a couple of games, but they both held on. We run through all the major conferences and preview the key teams in games in each league.
And for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…
For our Hoops HD Report In Season Tournament Special where we run through all of the upcoming tournaments –CLICK HERE
-Neither Auburn or Houston had been tested coming into yesterday’s game, and Auburn had nearly blown their opener against Bethune Cookman, but both played at a high level in an exciting game that was close throughout and that came down to the final possession. Houston came up with a huge stop and held on for a 73-72 win in Birmingham. This series has been great for both teams. Auburn won it last year and both teams went on to go to the Final Four. Both look to be positioned to have big seasons again this year.
-Ohio State and Notre Dame played a close game that also came down to the last possession with Notre Dame missing what would have been a game winning shot at the buzzer. Ohio State held on to win 64-63. It was the first real test for either team and both still have a lot of work to do.
-Florida pulled away from Miami FL in the final ten minutes or so to go on to win 82-68. It’s been a good start for the Gators with wins over Florida State and now Miami FL. The early loss to Arizona will not end up being damaging.
-UNLV, who hadn’t looked good at all in their first few games, looked really good yesterday as they went into Memphis and won 92-78. they basically had a comfortable lead from tip to buzzer. Memphis now falls to just 1-2 on the year and even though it’s early you get the sense that they are falling behind.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-VCU AT NC STATE. VCU is one of the expected frontrunners in the A10, but has so far only managed to win home buy games. They’ve got a major test tonight against an NC State team that I think is a solid top 25 team despite them not being in the rankings (yet). Having said that, VCU is probably the best team NC State has faced so far this season, so we should learn a little more about them.
-TULSA AT KANSAS STATE. Both teams are unbeaten and while the preseason expectations weren’t all that high for either one of them, there is some reason for optimism and the winner tonight will have some early season momentum built up. Tulsa has a decisive win against Rhode Island under their belts, and K State won an exciting game against California their last time out.
-LMU AT UC SANTA BARBARA. LMU flew under the radar in the preseason, but they come into this one undefeated and looking for their 2nd true road win of the season. This is their biggest test of the year as UCSB is also unbeaten and will likely be one of the better teams in the Big West.
-OERGON STATE AT OREGON. The Civil War!!!! Both teams are unbeaten, and while neither has passed a major test yet, they’ve both managed to beat a few UTR teams that are at least decent. Oregon has battled injuries early on, but has managed to avoid any slipups and is starting to get healthier. This one is always fun and tonight likely will be as well.
-Saint Joseph’s @ Penn (Big 5) – Joe’s is still looking for their first road game, and I think can advance to the championship game with a win tonight.
-Southern Illinois @ North Dakota State – these are two solid UTR teams that are off to decent starts this season
-Florida A&M @ Georgia -Carolina (nonD1) @ Liberty -Oakland @ UCF -Lafayette @ West Virginia -Canisius @ High Point -Bucknell @ Pittsburgh -Stonehill @ Iowa State -SIUE @ Wisconsin – SIUE is off to a solid 3-1 start, but will likely get clobbered tonight -Prairie View A&M @ Missouri -Rice @ Tennessee -Southern Utah @ Gonzaga -Alabama State @ Colorado -Georgia State @ Arizona State -North Alabama @ Clemson
IT IS NOVEMBER MADNESS!!! Chad is joined by a full panel and they run through every single upcoming in-season tournament. The biggest event is the Players-Era Event that has multiple teams that are likely to end up not just in the NCAA Tournament, but end up with protected seeds. Other big events are the Maui Invitational, the Charleston Classic which features Clemson, Georgia, and West Virginia, the Battle 4 Atlantis where nearly all the teams are off to great starts, and much more.
For all the In-Season Tournament Brackets – CLICK HERE
And, for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…
