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NEWS AND NOTES

CLICK HERE for our latest Under the Radar Podcast

-For Chad Sherwood’s UTR Game of the Day, which features the top two teams in the Southland – CLICK HERE

-Kansas and Baylor sure put on a show last night.  Kansas has not lost a home game since January 5th, 2014.  If I counted correctly, they are now 60-1 in their last 61 games, and 108-4 in their last 112 games.  And, it’s not like they’ve been playing creampuffs.  Winning at Kansas is harder to do than winning any NCAA Tournament game that a team may play.  And, Baylor played a great game despite foul trouble and a couple of missed open looks.  So, what do I take away from it?  Kansas is great, but we knew that already.  Baylor is actually better than I thought, and I thought they were pretty damn good prior to last night’s game.  I know the result must sting a bit for the Bears, but in terms of the NCAA Tournament Kansas and Baylor really aren’t in each other’s way.  Both could wind up with #1 seeds, and if they do Baylor is most likely on their way to Memphis for the regionals and Kansas is most likely on their way to Kansas City.  Both are likely to end up in Tulsa for the first and second round, so it isn’t as if there is one spot that they’re both competing for.

-Cincinnati trailed for almost the entire game against Tulsa, but they kicked it into gear in the final minutes just as I was ready to write them off, and they somehow weren’t trailing when the horn went off.

-Indiana beat Penn State at home, which isn’t all that much of a surprise.  They needed three overtimes to do it, and a last second shot that was just within a millisecond of being in time.  That was a surprise.

-Clemson downed Georgia Tech at home and picked up another conference win that they desperately needed.

-Syracuse won their first road game of the year in an overtime thriller at NC State.  They still have a ways to go before reaching the bubble, but this certainly helps.

-Marquette went into Saint John’s and ended up getting beaten rather handily.  The Johnnies, who we all seemingly agreed were terrible coming into league play, are now a very modest 5-6 in one of the strongest leagues in the country.  Marquette has dropped two straight after winning their two biggest games of the year.

-TCU picked up what is probably their biggest win of the year as they took down Kansas State in overtime.  It’s a big win for a bubble team, and a rather disappointing loss for another bubble team.

-Texas Tech is another bubble team.  Or, was.  Losing to a non tournament team is never a good idea if you’re a bubble team, and they were unable to get it done at Texas last night.

-Xavier won a thriller against Seton Hall.  It was a game that both teams really needed to win and that seesawed back and forth.  Seton Hall missed what would have been a game winning three at the buzzer and is now just 3-6 in Big East play.

-Villanova, Virginia, UCLA, Florida State, South Carolina, and Purdue are all solid tournament teams that picked up wins last night.  Purdue’s was the most notable as they blew out Northwestern at home.

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-MISSOURI AT FLORIDA (SEC).  This is a conference game that will likely end up looking very much like a buy game.  Mizzou’s next SEC win will be their first.

-MICHIGAN STATE AT NEBRASKA (Big Ten).  Nebraska has an unimpressive record and profile, but they’re probably a little better than what it indicates given how close a lot of their games have been.  This would be a nice win for the Spartans, but it won’t be easy.

-MEMPHIS AT SOUTH FLORIDA (American).  Memphis has an outside shot at best.  In order to get it they basically have to win out.

-CHARLESTON AT UNC WILMINGTON (Colonial).  I cannot believe this was not Chad’s pick for the UTR Game of the Day.  It’s the top two teams in the Colonial, and it is basically the last big game before the conference tournament that UNCW plays, so it is essential to their at-large chances.  UNCW is coming off a decisive loss to William & Mary, but I still think they’re safe so long as that ends up being their only strike.  They’re at home tonight, and hopefully they will be refocused.  We must give a shout out to CofC as well, who’s program has undergone a drastic turnaround in recent years, and if they win tonight they’ll be tied at the top of the standings.

-VALPARAISO AT MILWAUKEE (Horizon).  If Valpo wins out I think the committee will at least look at them, but chances are they’ll need the auto bid.

-MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT UTSA (Conference USA).  Middle continues to dominate the league and will be safely inside the NCAA Tournament bubble if they win out.

-ARIZONA AT OREGON STATE (Pac Twelve).  This is probably the most winnable conference road game that any power conference team could possibly play.

-UTAH AT CALIFORNIA (Pac Twelve).  This is a bubblicous game between two teams who desperately need this win.

-GONZAGA AT BYU (West Coast).  Some think this will be a test for Gonzaga.  I really don’t think it will be, but I agree that it will come closer to being a test than any of their remaining games minus their trip to Saint Mary’s.

NEWS AND NOTES

-For Chad Sherwood’s UTR Game of the Day, which highlights a tight conference race in the Big South – CLICK HERE

It was a pretty chalky night last night, but there was still quite a bit of excitement.

-The biggest surprise was Creighton’s win at Butler.  It is hugely important because it is a high quality road win late in the season, which is something Creighton (or more specifically their head coach) seems to struggle to pick up, but they also managed to win without Mo Watson, which demonstrates they can win high caliber games without him.  I have been nothing but critical of Creighton and Coach McDermott for how they typically finish the season.  I will be the first to admit and acknowledge how impressive it would be if they’re able to shore things up and finish strong despite everything that’s happened to them.

-Tennessee also picked up a rather impressive and decisive win at Auburn last night.  I love the way they’re playing right now and think that they’ll be safely in the field by the time Selection Sunday gets here.  Their profile needs to improve, but it should improve quite a bit based on how they’ve been playing.

Other than that, it was the night of very close calls….

-Maryland won at Ohio State, but they had to sweat it out.

-North Carolina won at home against Pitt, but it was surprisingly close.

-Kentucky took care of Georgia at home, but needed five extra minutes to do it.

-Wake Forest remains on the bubble after their win at Boston College, but they only won by 5.

-Akron continues to run through the MAC with their win at Northern Illinois which keeps them on the bubble, but they trailed for most of the game and only ended up winning by 3.

-Dayton picked up the win at Fordham, but trailed for pretty much the entire second half until the final couple of minutes.

-Georgetown continues to inch closer to the bubble.  They held serve against DePaul last night, but only won by 3.

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-BAYLOR AT KANSAS (***Spotlight Game***) (Big Twelve).  The storyline for this is quite incredible.  It’s two teams battling it out for first place in the conference and for #1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.  With Kansas most likely going to the Midwest Region in Kansas City and Baylor most likely going to the Midwest Region in Memphis they actually aren’t completely in each other’s way, but it is the first chapter in what could be up to three hugely important games if the two end up meeting for a third time in the conference tournament.  Both teams have just one conference loss, and for both of them it came at West Virginia.  Kansas is coming off a huge win at Kentucky, so I like their profile a little better.  They also haven’t lost at home for several years, so it won’t be an easy game for Baylor to win.  -PENN STATE AT INDIANA (Big Ten).  Indiana has lost two straight games by big margins.  They’re back home today against a Penn State team who they struggled against earlier in the year and who they really need to beat on their home floor tonight.

-ALABAMA AT ARKANSAS (SEC).  Arkansas is right on the fringe of the bubble.  Alabama isn’t really in the tournament picture, but they’ve been playing much better since conference play began and they aren’t the kind of team that the Razorbacks can overlook.

-GEORGIA TECH AT CLEMSON (ACC).  This game is extremely bublicious.  Both teams are on the bubble, and both really need this win, especially Clemson who is just 2-6 in league play and cannot afford to drop a winnable conference home game.

-SYRACUSE AT NC STATE (ACC).  I think both teams are outside the bubble right now, but both are also in a position to make a run at it if they can finish strong.  Both could really use a win in this one.  It has a pivotal feel for both teams.

-WICHITA STATE AT DRAKE (Missouri Valley).  Wichita State should land on the bubble, and most likely in the field, if they win out through the regular season.  Their profile is kind of weak when it comes to big wins, but they will finish the season with a lot of true road wins and almost no bad losses, and I think that will likely be enough.

-RICHMOND AT VCU (Atlantic Ten).  both these teams are at the top of the A10 standings, but VCU is the only one with a solid chance of making the tournament.  This is a rivalry game and it’s always fun when these two get together.  Tonight should be no different.

-NEW HAMPSHIRE AT STONY BROOK (America East).  The Team of the People!!!  They are one game behind Stony Brook in the conference standings and can catch them with a win today!!

-VILLANOVA AT PROVIDENCE (Big East).  Providence is coming off a huge win at Marquette, and although it’s unlikely if they’re somehow able to pick up this one they may be in a position to make a run at the tournament if they keep it up.  Nova is coming off one of a huge win against Virginia and still appears to be on pace to end up on the #1 line.

-MARQUETTE AT SAINT JOHN’S (Big East).  Marquette is coming off a somewhat surprising loss to Providence in their last game after picking up two huge wins in a row.  This is a rare winnable conference road game for them so they need to take advantage.

-TCU AT KANSAS STATE (Big Twelve).  TCU has slipped off the bubble and out of our projections.  They’ll have chances to get back in there, but they’ll have to be able to win games like this in order to do it.  K State has had some frustrating losses this season, but is still on pace to make the tournament so long as they hold serve in games like this.

-FLORIDA STATE AT MIAMI FL (ACC).  This is a rivalry game with some added importance.  Florida State still looks like a solid protected seed, but they don’t seem to be heading for the #1 line like they did a couple of weeks ago.  They’ve lost two straight games and are trying to avoid a third straight loss.  Miami FL has been outside of our bubble all year, but they just picked up a huge win against North Carolina over the weekend, and can build on that with a win at home tonight over their rivals.

-VIRGINIA TECH AT VIRGINIA (ACC).  Virginia is coming off one of their more impressive games of the season even though it was a loss.  Beating their rival at home and picking up another conference win should make them feel better.  I still think they’re the best team in the ACC.

-NORTHWESTERN AT PURDUE (Big Ten).  Both teams are in the rankings!!  Northwestern isn’t just on pace to make the tournament, but they’re on pace to be wearing white in the Round of 64.  Purdue still has a shot at protected seed if they can finish strong.

-SOUTH CAROLINA AT LSU (SEC).  South Carolina is continuing to cruise and should be able to pick up another road win and improve to 8-1 in SEC play.  They’re tied atop the standings with Kentucky right now.

-TEXAS TECH AT TEXAS (Big Twelve).  Texas Tech is squarely on the bubble, and this is the kind of game they need to win in order to stay there.

-CINCINNATI AT TULSA (American).  Cincinnati has a shot at ending up as a protected seed, but they’ll pretty much need to run the table in order to do it.  That means winning on the road against a Tulsa team that is nowhere near the bubble, but that has played well in conference.

-NORTHERN IOWA AT ILLINOIS STATE (Missouri Valley).  Northern Iowa was having an atrocious season until about the middle of January, and although they have no shot at making the NCAAs without the automatic bid, they have won five straight games so they do come into this one with some momentum.  Illinois State is having a fantastic season and should end up inside the bubble if they can win out, or even if they drop a game so long as they are an outright first place finisher.

-SETON HALL AT XAVIER (Big East).  Seton Hall needs to stabilize their resume and picking up a road win like this is a great way to do it.  Xavier just needs to pick up some wins.  They still haven’t beaten anyone that is solidly in the field yet, so this would arguably be one of their biggest wins of the season if they’re able to pull it off.

-EAST CAROLINA AT SMU (American).  SMU appears to be cruising toward the NCAA Tournament and will get there as long as they continue to hold serve.

-USC AT WASHINGTON (Pac Twelve).  This is a chance for USC to pick up a conference road win and add a little bit of spice to a resume that’s already pretty solid.