News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Saturday, Feb 2nd

Posted on February 2, 2019 by David Griggs

It’s Saturday!!  Every Saturday during the college basketball season is huge!!  Here is a rundown of today’s action.

NEWS AND NOTES

-So Fridays are normally lighter nights, but not yesterday!  Michigan trailed Iowa by double digits for seemingly the entire game and ended up suffering their second loss of the season whereas Iowa picked up what was probably their biggest win of the season.

-Buffalo jumped out to an early double digit lead against Bowling Green, but it slowly melted and Bowling Green ended up building a double digit lead of their own in the second half.  Buffalo came back, but wasn’t able to get the win.  Bowling Green now has a half game lead over Buffalo in the East Division of the MAC, so it should be a very exciting race the rest of the way.

-Yale, who we just got done praising, was blown out by Harvard as they suffered their first Ivy League loss.  We are just three games into Ivy League play, and only one team is 3-0, and that’s Princeton.  Penn, who was a perfect 4-0 in the Big Five, is now 0-3 in Ivy League play after losing at Cornell.

-Wisconsin picked up a nice home win against Maryland after trailing for a large portion of the game.

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-SAINT JOHN’S AT DUKE.  Last year the Johnnies beat Duke and Villanova!  What a year!  The problem is they beat virtually no one else and miss the tournament by a mile.  They’re better this year, and this is the kind of game that could really catapult them onto the national stage, but it’s much easier said than done.

-VIRGINIA TECH AT NC STATE (ACC).  In short, both teams have bloated records, but both have also been eating off the pastry cart.  They need some meat on their resume, and the winner of this game will finally have some.

-GEORGIA TECH AT FLORIDA STATE (ACC).  After stumbling a little bit at the start of conference play, Florida State seems to have hit their stride and has another winnable home game today.

-SETON HALL AT BUTLER (Big East).  Seton Hall has some really good stuff on their resume, but they need to avoid a collapse in conference play.  A win today gives them another road win, and evens out their record in Big East play, so it would be a huge stabilizer.

-RUTGERS AT OHIO STATE (Big Ten).  Ohio State has been on a bit of a skid.  They really can’t afford to lose this one at home because, quite frankly, it’s probably their most winnable remaining game.

-OKLAHOMA AT WEST VIRGINIA (Big 12).  Oklahoma has taken a few steps back, but is still in relatively decent shape.  This is a winnable conference road game for them, and if they can pick this one up they should be back on a pretty solid track.

-MIAMI FL AT VIRGINIA (ACC).  A winnable home game for a UVA team that is on pace to land on the #1 line.

-NORTH CAROLINA AT LOUISVILLE (ACC).  Right now both teams are looking like protected seeds, and it’s hard to say just how high up the seed list they can go.  Louisville won the first meeting in a blowout, but since then UNC has been playing a lot better.  They’ll need to play a lot better to pick this one up on the road.

-TEXAS AT IOWA STATE (Big 12).  Texas is coming off a huge win against Kansas that they really needed, but since this is a road game I think this one will help them out even more if they’re able to pull it off.  That is a VERY big if.  Iowa State is playing like a protected seed and has gotten better as the season has gone on.

-NEBRASKA AT ILLINOIS (Big Ten).  Nebraska has not looked like an NCAA Tournament team in the last couple of weeks.  They can still turn it around, but they cannot afford to lose this one on the road to an Illinois team that isn’t good, but has still shown some signs of life recently.

-PROVIDENCE AT DEPAUL (Big East).  I would describe both of these teams as being on the outside looking in, but because of the opportunities they have remaining they can still play their way in.

-MISSISSIPPI STATE AT OLE MISS (SEC).  This has always been a fun rivalry, but it is infinitely more fun when both teams are gunning for the NCAA Tournament like they are this year.  Bragging rights are on the line.  A conference win is on the line.  A quality win is on the line.  It’s a big game!

-KENTUCKY AT FLORIDA (SEC).  Florida hasn’t looked all that good this season, and Kentucky is playing like a #2 seed.  But, Florida has a little bit of momentum going.  They’ve won three out of four, and are coming off a feelgood win against a pretty good Ole Miss team, so they have a little bit of momentum built up.  It’s also a huge showcase game for them.  If they can win this one, it may finally get their motor kickstarted.  They still have the chances they need to play their way inside the bubble even though they’ve been rather sucktacular up to this point.

-TEXAS TECH AT KANSAS (Big 12).  Kansas has not been the same since losing Azubuike, and have lost three of their last four.  For the most part they’ve been able to hold serve at home, but they haven’t played anyone that’s quite as good as this Texas Tech team probably is.  Having said that, Texas Tech doesn’t have any wins on their resume that are as good as this one would be, so it’s a big opportunity for them as well.

-AIR FORCE AT COLORADO STATE (Mountain West, Front Range).  We at Hoops HD Love the Front Range!!!  It’s….anyway, next game.

-UCLA AT WASHINGTON (Pac Twelve).  Washington is a good and solid tournament caliber team out of the Pac Twelve, and they are probably the only one.  They’re unbeaten in league play and should be able to continue to hold serve today.

-SAVANNAH STATE AT DELAWARE STATE (MEAC).  The Team of the People!!  They have a winnable road game today.

-SAN FRANCISCO AT SAINT MARY’S (West Coast).  This game probably has NIT implications and not NCAA Tournament implications, but both teams do have a shot at making it.  They’d need to basically beat everyone other than Gonzaga, and then pick up at least one win against Gonzaga, but they do have a path to landing inside the bubble.

-UNLV AT UTAH STATE (Mountain West).  Utah State has hit some speedbumps, but they’re still within a game of first place and could still make enough noise to get the committee to at least look at them.

-INDIANA AT MICHIGAN STATE (Big Ten).  Indiana has just fallen apart.  A way to turn that around in a hurry would be to knock off Michigan State on the road, but that’s far easier said than done.  Michigan State is looking like a solid top ten team and will stay that way if they can continue to hold serve.

-BOISE STATE AT NEVADA (Mountain West).  The first time these two met Boise State nearly pulled the upset.  Winning at Nevada is an entirely different animal, though.  Nevada should skate into the top half of the bracket as long as they continue to win at the clip that they have been.

-ARKANSAS AT LSU (SEC).  As amazing as this is, LSU can improve to 8-0 in the SEC with a win today.  They haven’t taken on Kentucky or Tennessee yet, but they’re still off to a great start.

-TEMPLE AT TULANE (American).  Temple is squarely on the bubble, and this would be a really bad loss for them even though it’s a road game.

-SYRACUSE AT PITTSBURGH (ACC).  Syracuse has been schizophrenic, but they are still in very good shape to make the NCAA just as long as they avoid a complete meltdown.  Pitt could still play their way in, but they need some more big wins, and they need some road wins.  They can’t win on the road today, but it would still be a nice win.

-KANSAS STATE AT OKLAHOMA STATE (Big 12).  I am not a believer in Oklahoma State, but the metrics really like them despite the fact that they don’t even have a winning record.  K State has a very nice profile, but has also shown that they’re capable of tripping up against lower caliber teams.

-GEORGE MASON AT VCU (Atlantic Ten).  It’s the Patriots vs the Rams!!  BIIIG GAME THIS WEEKEND!!!  (footnote to Chad Sherwood for making that observation).  VCU needs to dominate the rest of the way to have any sort of a chance at making the dance.

-TENNESSEE AT TEXAS A&M (SEC).  Tennessee is ranked #1 and on track to end up as a #1 seed.  This is yet another winnable road game for them.

-SAN DIEGO AT GONZAGA (West Coast).  San Diego’s program is definitely going in the right direction!  They’ve had some nice wins this year!  I don’t think they can beat a top five team on the road, though.

-TCU AT BAYLOR (Big 12).  This is turning in to a fun conference rivalry.  TCU REALLY needs some meat on their resume, and beating a team that’s been playing as well as Baylor would certainly give it to them.  As for the Bears, they’ve won five in a row and just seem to keep getting better and better.  They are well on pace to make the NCAA Tournament.

-SMU AT CINCINNATI (American).  Cincinnati can bloat out their bloated record even more, and shouldn’t have too much trouble holding serve and remaining on a good pace to make the NCAAs.

-ALABAMA AT AUBURN (SEC).  Oh Boy!  This is turning in to a fun basketball rivalry, and for the second year in a row both are probable tournament teams.  Both also could really use a good win, especially Auburn who has yet to beat anyone that’s likely to make the field.  This one means a lot both on and off paper.

-NEW MEXICO AT FRESNO STATE (Mountain West).  Fresno State should at least get a look from the committee if they can keep winning at the clip they have been, but chances are they’ll have to get a win against Nevada in order to get a serious look.

UNDER THE RADAR

-WOFFORD AT THE CITADEL (SoCon).  It’s still the same story with Wofford.  If they’re able to win out or come close to it, then they should be inside the bubble.

-GEORGIA SOUTHERN AT GEORGIA STATE (Sun Belt).  This one should be fun.  It’s two of the better and more dangerous teams out of the SBC.

-NORTH TEXAS AT CHARLOTTE (Conference USA). North Texas is trying to keep pace in a logjammed CUSA

-HOFSTRA AT NORTHEASTERN (Colonial).  Hofstra has dominated the Colonial.  Northeastern has shown signs of life as well, and this could be their toughest remaining game prior to the conference tournament

-EAST TENNESSEE STATE AT CHATTANOOGA (SoCon).  ETSU has two losses, but they’re still a team that could give Wofford fits.

-AUSTIN PEAY AT JACKSONVILLE STATE (Ohio Valley).  There is one game separating the top four teams in the OVC, and Jax State can remain in sole possession of first place with a win tonight.

-NORTH ALABAMA AT LIPSCOMB (Atlantic Sun).  Lipscomb is good enough to win out, and if they do then they should land inside the bubble.

-UT ARLINGTON AT TEXAS STATE (Sun Belt).  Texas State is one of the teams that’s logjammed at the top of the SBC standings.

-VERMONT AT UMASS LOWELL (America East).  Vermont has a clear run at first place, which would mean home court advantage in the conference tournament.

-CHICAGO STATE AT NEW MEXICO STATE (WAC).  This is probably the most winnable game that New Mexico State will play all season

-UT MARTIN AT BELMONT (Ohio Valley).  If Belmont wins out, I think the committee will take a serious look at them, and maybe even take them if they don’t win the conference tournament.

-HARTFORD AT STONY BROOK (America East).  Stony Brook still has a ton of wins away from home, so they should land on the 12 or the 13 line if they’re able to keep playing at that clip and win the auto-bid.  They have been struggling lately, though.

-YALE AT DARTMOUTH (Ivy League).  This would be another road win for Yale, who may end up running away from the rest of the league.

-RICE AT OLD DOMINION (Conference USA).  I can’t help but think that ODU would get the attention of the committee if they were able to dominate conference play the rest of the way, especially with the new scheduling structure in CUSA.

-SFA AT SAM HOUSTON STATE (Southland).  This is probably the biggest rivalry in the conference, and if Sam Houston wins this I don’t think anyone in the league will catch them.

-MURRAY STATE AT TENNESSEE TECH (Ohio Valley).  Murray State needs to win to keep pace in the conference standings.

-MONTANA AT MONTANA STATE (Big Sky).  Montana looks to be the best team in the Big Sky, but it’s tight at the top, and this is a tough rivalry game on the road.

-UC IRVINE AT LONG BEACH STATE (Big West).  UC Irvine is coming off a big win against UCSB and is now in the driver’s seat to finish in first place.

-GRAND CANYON AT CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD (WAC).  There is a three way tie for first place, and these are two of the teams, so this has first place implications

-UC SANTA BARBARA AT HAWAII (Big West).  Midnight Basketball!! (on the East Coast anyway).  UCSB has a tough assignment after losing at home to UCI earlier this week.  If they drop this one then catching the Eaters will be almost impossible.

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Happy Tourney-versary!: HoopsHD interviews Frank Blatcher about his Hall of Fame coach Ken Loeffler

Posted on February 1, 2019 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for the most recent Hoops HD Bracket Rundown, where we reveal a bracket line by line and assess the teams as we go

For John Stalica’s UTR Game of the Day, which is a great one out of the MAC between Buffalo and Bowling Green – CLICK HERE

With the 2019 NCAA tourney tipping off next month, we will spend this month taking a walk down memory lane with a choice collection of players/coaches who are celebrating an awesome anniversary this year. From a comeback win to clinch the 1954 tourney title (65th anniversary) through a last-second loss in the 2014 Final 4 (5th anniversary), these legends have all carved out a little piece of history in past Marches. We begin our series with Frank Blatcher, who played for Hall of Fame coach Ken Loeffler at La Salle. Loeffler only spent 6 season as a coach for the Explorers in the 1950s but he certainly made the most of it: 1952 NIT champ, 1954 NCAA champ, and 1955 NCAA runner-up. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1964 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Frank about the 65th anniversary of winning the 1954 NCAA title and playing for a Hall of Fame coach.

In the 1952 NIT future Hall of Famer Tom Gola scored 30 PTS in a 4-PT win over Seton Hall en route to winning the title: did people realize at the time how prolific a player Gola was? They were just starting to get the sense that he was special. Your ears perk up a bit when a freshman wins co-MVP!

In the 1953 NIT La Salle had a 1-PT loss to eventual national runner-up St. John’s: do you think they could have won back-to-back titles if Gola had not gotten injured toward the end of the season? They were favored to win and probably would have. In addition to Tommy’s injury, the team had to deal with some personal tragedy as Jackie Moore’s parents had passed away. That was a great team who I played against as a freshman.

Take me through the magical 1954 NCAA tourney:
Frank O’Malley scored 13 PTS including a basket at the end of regulation en route to a 2-PT OT win over Fordham: where does that rank among the most clutch baskets that you have ever seen? I remember vividly what happened. Fordham took the lead with about 5 seconds left and Coach Loeffler called timeout. We had the ball under their basket so we inbounded it and called another timeout in order to move the ball up to mid-court. The play was designed to go to Gola so that he would score or get fouled. I do not know how the hell Tommy did it but as he caught the ball he spotted O’Malley breaking towards the basket and found him for a layup.

Despite trailing Bradley at halftime in the title game they were able to come all the way back to win the title, as Gola was named tourney MOP for averaging 22.8 PPG/20.4 RPG in 5 games: what did it mean to win a title? If you do not mind me taking a little credit: my dad had passed away after the Fordham game so I had not practiced in a week but my entire family said that I had to play. I went from the funeral home to the game and scored 10 PTS coming off the bench. My dad got buried the next day and we were able to beat Navy, which was big for me because I had been recruited by their Hall of Fame coach Ben Carnevale. Loeffler was brilliant because he decided to keep bringing me off the bench because it had worked so well against Navy. I had a good 1st half against Bradley even though we were losing. Tom and I combined for 17 PTS in the 3rd quarter against Bradley, which really helped us break the game open to handle their press even after Tommy fouled out. I had dedicated the game to my dad so it was a special win for me. That 92-76 title game was the highest scoring game in tourney history at that time and was the 1st tourney game to ever be televised. Loeffler pissed me off to no end because he would sometimes keep me on the bench until the 2nd quarter, and when I would take off my warm-up jacket I would tell him, “Well, I guess it is time for Superman to come win the game!” We ran a 5-man weave so after a quarter of doing that the defense would expect us all to weave…which is when I would pop out to the side I would make a wide-open set shot. He used me so well as a 6th man. Loeffler was 1 shrewd son of a gun because he knew which guys to tick off and which guys to lay off of. He was the 1st coach to use his 6th man as an offensive weapon: there was a pattern of several games where he did not play me in the 1st half but I still finished the year as our team’s leading scorer.

Take me through the 1955 Final 4:
Gola had 23 PTS/13 REB in a 3-PT win over Iowa: did it reach a point where you just expected to win every single tourney game you played? We were beating the hell out of teams and rolling pretty good until the Iowa game. They were a big surprise: Bill Logan (20 PTS/16 REB)/Carl Cain (17 PTS/14 REB) were a tremendous pair of players. I came off the bench and scored 5 PTS. Gola could have scored a lot more points than he did but Loeffler’s philosophy was to avoid getting him double or triple-teamed. They could not do that with Tommy because we moved around and shared the ball all the time. Gola was quicker than any big man I knew.

After winning each of his 1st 9 career NCAA tourney games, Loeffler lost to San Francisco in the title game (tourney MOP Bill Russell had 23 PTS/25 REB): where does Russell rank among the greatest players that you ever faced? I played against Wilt Chamberlain and Russell and they were both special. I do not remember a single scouting report on him. KC Jones (24 PTS) was the guy who killed us in that game but Russell was also unbelievable. They did something very smart: everyone expected Russell to guard Gola but they decided to put Jones on him instead, which disrupted our offense. Russell would just suck back and eat up rebounds like crazy. I did not get into that game until the final quarter: if things are going really well then coaches do not like to make a change. That is the only time I felt that Loeffler did not do the right thing: he just kept thinking we would have other players step up.

In Loeffler’s 6 seasons at La Salle his Figure-8 motion offense resulted in six 20-win seasons and six postseason appearances: what made his offense so effective, and how was he able to remain so consistent during his entire tenure there? We had a lot of great outside shooters so teams could not just clog the middle against us. We also had guys who could drive to the basket, which gave us tremendous balance. I have seen a lot of basketball but I maintain that Gola was the best all-around college player of all time. Before he passed away, my friend/Hall of Famer Paul Arizin said that Gola was the best of all-time: he was a magnificent offensive player and a great defender as well. The weave allowed Gola to play to the best of his ability. It was invaluable to have confidence in your teammate and know that he was there when we needed something big. Loeffler gained some controversy for speaking the truth, which people did not always like. 1 time some refs tried to steal a game from us and he said, “It was the biggest steal since the Louisiana Purchase!” The next time we played down there I was the only starter left by the end because the rest of our starters had fouled out…but we won a close game at the end.

In 1964 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame: when people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? As 1 of the best coaches of all-time. We always had an uphill battle because we did not even have a home gym. I think he stacks up with any of the other coaching legends like Adolph Rupp/Everett Case. You can probably count on 1 hand the # of coaches who are 2-0 all-time vs. the great John Wooden, and he is 1 of them. He won 1 NIT and should have won another, he won 1 NCAA tourney and won 9 tourney games in a row before losing to 1 of the greatest teams of all-time. 1 of my fondest memories was coming back after Loeffler left and Gola graduated. Russell walked over to me and introduced me to Jones by telling him about every single move that I would make on the court. I only took 3 shots against San Francisco because Jones would keep stealing the ball and Russell would keep denying me shots inside.

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Under The Radar Game of the Day: Buffalo at Bowling Green (And other Games & Notes)

Posted on February 1, 2019 by John Stalica

For last night’s Bracket Rundown podcast – CLICK HERE

Buffalo (19-2, 7-1 MAC) at Bowling Green (14-6, 6-1 MAC) – 8:00 PM (CBS Sports Network)

Tonight’s Game of the Day (we can’t technically call this UTR since Buffalo is a Top 25 team) involves the top two teams in the Mid-American Conference; the Bowling Green Falcons will play host to the Buffalo Bulls. Bowling Green comes into the game with a week to rest after having a ten-game winning streak snapped at Miami 67-53 last Saturday. It’s been an impressive turnaround for a team that started 4-5 overall that included 2 non-D1 wins and losses at Hartford and Cleveland State. Demajeo Wiggins averages a double-double (12.6 PPG, 11.7 RPG) for the Falcons; Justin Turner leads the team in scoring at 18.9 points a game.

Outside of the ten multi-bid leagues; Buffalo has hands-down been the most consistent team all year. They have wins at West Virginia, at Syracuse, against San Francisco in Ireland, and a sweep of Southern Illinois to go along with their 7-1 start in conference play. Their only slip-up in the MAC was a last-second loss at Northern Illinois. Against other teams in the top of the conference, they also have a win at Kent State (as does Bowling Green) and a blowout win at home against Toledo. CJ Massinburg leads the Bulls with 18.0 points a game; Jeremy Harris (14.2 PPG) and Nick Perkins (13.9 PPG) also average double figures for Buffalo as well.

OTHER GAMES AND OTHER NOTES

-MICHIGAN AT IOWA (Big Ten).  Both teams are in very good shape, but I think a win today would help whoever pulls it off to get into even better shape.  As good as Michigan is, they only have one true road win against a solid tournament team, and when you’re competing for a #1 seed you could use more than just one.  And of course, beating a team that’s in contention for a #1 seed wouldn’t be bad for Iowa.

-YALE AT HARVARD (Ivy League).  I really like this Yale team, and as weak as the bubble is I could see them getting at least a look from the committee if they run the table, but fail to make the conference tournament.

-MARYLAND AT WISCONSIN (Big Ten).  These are two teams that will probably land in the top half of the bracket, so it’s a good resume win for whoever can pull it off.

-The biggest surprise from last night was probably Murray State getting their doors blown off by Jacksonville State.  Murray has gotten a lot of pub, and they are a very athletic team, but at the end of the day there isn’t much else in their toolbox and they’ve only got one win against a team with a winning div1 record.  Jax State, on the other hand, has now beaten Belmont twice and Murray State once.

-UC Irvine picked up an overtime win at UC Santa Barbara, and is now running downhill.  With the road games at Hawaii and UCSB now behind them (and having won both) It wouldn’t shock me at all to see them run the table in the Big West.

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Hoops HD Bracket Rundown: January 31st

Posted on January 31, 2019 by David Griggs

Due to the time it takes to build a seedlist and a bracket, the show and bracket do not reflect any games that were played on Thursday, January 31st.  Having said that, I don’t think anything would have changed if we had considered the results

For the first time this year, we are going with our “Selection Sunday” format where the teams are revealed and placed in the bracket line by line.  The voting took place before the show, so no one on the panel other than Chad knew in advance what the bracket looked like.  Watch as they discuss, debate, argue, and assess all the teams in the field.  Just to clarify, this is what we think the bracket SHOULD look like if the season ENDED TODAY, not what we think it will look like in March.  We are not trying to guess what the actual committee will do.  If that’s what you’re looking for, then check out Jon Teitel’s Sunday brackets up in the Bracketology tab.

 

Below is the bracket, but do not look at it until after you’ve watched the show!!

 

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

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News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Thursday, Jan 31st

Posted on January 31, 2019 by David Griggs

NEWS AND NOTES

CLICK HERE to watch and/or listen to our latest Under the Radar Podcast

For John Stalica’s UTR Game of the Day, which is a really big one out in the Big West between UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine – CLICK HERE

-Last night was another chalky night in the top 25.  Iowa State, LSU, Louisville, Villanova, Virginia Tech, and Marquette all picked up conference wins without too much trouble, and with the exception of Iowa State all those wins came on the road.

-Indiana has basically crashed into a mountain.  They fell at Rutgers to extend their losing streak to seven, and I don’t think there are too many (if any) games remaining on their schedule that will be as easy to win as that one was. In recent memory, teams like Xavier and Oklahoma State have had six-game losing streaks and still managed at-large bids, but we don’t know of anyone (IF anyone) that has had a seven-game skid and still gotten an at-large bid.

-Saint John’s picked up a much needed road win at Creighton to stabilize their resume a little bit. Seton Hall also stopped their bleeding with a home win against Providence.

-Saint Louis lost at home to Richmond.  I now think there are just two ways that SLU can make the NCAA Tournament.  One is to win the Atlantic Ten Tournament.  The other is to buy tickets.

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-TEMPLE AT HOUSTON (American).  Temple is squarely on the bubble, and for now their biggest win on the year is the home win at Houston.  If they’re able to beat them a second time then it will give them a much needed push in the right direction.

-PURDUE AT PENN STATE (Big Ten).  After several close losses earlier in the season, Purdue has really picked it up.  They are fresh off their big win against Michigan State and have a very winnable road game against Penn State tonight.

-XAVIER AT GEORGETOWN (Big East).  If Georgetown is going to make a run toward the NCAA Tournament then they need to start stringing together wins immediately. Their home games in the Big East have been must-see TV though; two games were decided in regulation by 3 and 4 points apiece (losses to Marquette and Creighton) and the other two were decided in overtime (2OT win vs. Providence and OT loss vs. the Johnnies).

-UCONN AT UCF (American).  UCF is squarely on the bubble, and as of now it’s hard to say which side of it they’d be on if the season ended today, so needless to say that every game has a sense of urgency for them right now.

-ARIZONA AT ARIZONA STATE (Pac Twelve).  Arizona State’s NCAA Tournament hopes are still very much alive, but they need a strong finish to safely get there.  Beating their rivals at home will give them a nice momentum boost. Arizona had a disastrous road trip in Los Angeles and really needs a win to stabilize their season again.

-GONZAGA AT BYU (West Coast).  This is a game that Gonzaga should win, but they will be challenged more tonight then they will for most of the rest of the season, and BYU is a team that has given them fits in the past.

UNDER THE RADAR

-NORTH TEXAS AT OLD DOMINION (Conference USA).  These are two of the better teams in the league.  There is a logjam at the top of the standings right now and these two teams are in the thick of it.

-WOFFORD AT MERCER (SoCon).  It’s going to be tough for Wofford to hold serve the rest of the way, but if they can then they should be able to land inside the bubble.

-VMI AT UNC GREENSBORO (SoCon).  This is perhaps the most winnable game remaining on UNC-G’s schedule.  It is very important that they hold serve.

-SEMO AT BELMONT (Ohio Valley).  Most may disagree, but I think Belmont will get a serious look from the committee if they’re able to win out.

-MURRAY STATE AT JACKSONVILLE STATE (Ohio Valley).  This is definitely the game of the night in conference play.  It’s two of the best teams, and both are in a tie for first place with just one conference loss.  If Murray State picks up this win it would be their best of the season up to this point.

-UMKC AT NEW MEXICO STATE (WAC).  This is a winnable game for New Mexico State, who is currently in a three way tie for first place.

Posted in Daily Rundown, News and Notes | Comments Off on News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Thursday, Jan 31st

Under The Radar Game of the Day: UC-Irvine at UC-Santa Barbara

Posted on January 31, 2019 by John Stalica

For yesterday’s Under The Radar video podcast – CLICK HERE

UC-Irvine (17-5, 5-1 Big West) at UC-Santa Barbara (15-4, 4-1 Big West) – 11:00 PM (ESPNU)

Tonight’s UTR Game of the Day takes us to the West Coast where the Gauchos of UCSB will host the UC-Irvine Anteaters in a battle for first place for the Big West conference. The Gauchos have feasted on the bottom half of the conference so far with wins against the bottom four teams and their sole loss coming at Cal State-Fullerton last week. They do have a respectable four-point loss at Washington during nonconference play, but they also have a nice win at home against San Francisco on their profile as well. Armond Davis had 24 points and 11 rebounds in the Gauchos’ most recent outing – a win at Long Beach State.

UC-Irvine is a half game ahead in the standings, but the Anteaters already have three conference wins against Cal State-Fullerton, Cal State-Northridge and Hawaii; these are all teams in the upper half of the Big West at the moment. They also have a win at Saint Mary’s on their profile, and wins against Montana and even Texas-San Antonio are starting to look more and more solid by the day. Max Hazzard leads the Anteaters with 11.8 PPG; Evan Leonard also averages 10.8 PPG as well.

 

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