Under the Radar Game of the Day – Saturday, January 17, 2015: Eastern Washington at Sacramento State

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Eastern Washington at Sacramento State, 10:00 PM Eastern, free streaming at bigskyconf.com

The UTR Game of the Day heads to Sacramento, California tonight as first place is on the line in the Big Sky Conference.  The Eastern Washington Eagles enter tonight’s game at 13-4 overall and 4-0 in conference play.  They have the top RPI, BPI and KenPom ratings in the conference, with the RPI sitting at a very solid 55.  Their most notable win, of course, was back in November at Indiana.  The Eagles’ four losses have all been respectable as well: at SMU, at Washington, at Cal and at Sam Houston State.  While even winning out might not be enough for the Eagles to be in any serious at-large bid conversations should they slip in in the Big Sky tournament, a solid seed for an Under the Radar team, possibly as high as the 13 line, may be within their grasps.  And we should not forget that winning the Big Sky regular season title will give the Eagles the added advantage of getting to host the conference tournament, and thus getting the best shot at winning the automatic bid.

Tonight’s game for the Eagles is at Sacramento State, and may be their toughest in-conference road game of the year (especially with traditional Big Sky powers Montana and Weber State both having down seasons).  At 10-6, the Hornets are the only other Big Sky team with a record more than one game over the .500 mark.  They are 4-1 in conference play so far, having dropped a game at Northern Colorado last weekend.  While the Hornets do not have any truly notable wins, they have been playing well so far in Big Sky play and were among our preseason favorites in this conference.  Even if the Hornets cannot stay close to Eastern Washington in the conference race this season, they should have a very good chance at a winning record, something they have never done at the Division I level (15-15 in 2005-06 was their best to date).  It may also get them consideration for a postseason berth in the CBI or CIT, which would be the program’s first ever D1 postseason tournament.  An upset win over Eastern Washington tonight would go a long way towards just such a finish.

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Highlighted Games for Saturday, Jan 17th

For our latest Bracket Rundown Podcast – CLICK HERE

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-DUKE AT LOUISVILLE (ACC) (***Spotlight Game***).  Both teams are potential #1 seeds, and both are playing for preferential geographic placements in the NCAA Tournament.  Duke has one huge road win already.  This would go a long way toward them getting a #1 seed if they picked up a second one.

-UTAH AT ARIZONA (Pac Twelve) (***Spotlight Game***).  I really like this Utah team, and if they can win today, I think it shows they belong at least on the #2 line, which is where they have them.  Both these teams are really good.  It should be a fun one.

-BYU AT SAINT MARY’S (West Coast) (***Spotlight Game***).  A very late and very bubblicious game tonight.  Both teams REALLY need to win this one.  Both are either on or outside the bubble, and both need quality wins.

-TULSA AT SOUTH FLORIDA (Conference USA).  I’m not sold on Tulsa yet at all, but they’ve played well in conference and if they go on a roll they may get close to the bubble.

-MARQUETTE AT XAVIER (Big East).  Xavier continues to be great at home and awful on the road.  They’re right inside the bubble and need to keep taking care of business on their home court, but until they win some road games they’re in real trouble.

-SFA AT ABILENE CHRISTIAN (Southland).  We say it all the time, but if SFA wins out they have a chance.

-TEXAS A&M AT LSU (SEC).  I like this LSU team, but they don’t always play up to their ceiling.  Still, I think they’re safely inside the bubble.

-SAINT LOUIS AT DAYTON (Atlantic Ten).  Dayton continues to take care of business and win the games they’re expected to win.

-NC STATE AT FLORIDA STATE (ACC).  I still think this NC State team has work to do, but they’ve looked much better lately.  This is a winnable road game for them.  Speaking of winnable road games…

-VIRGINIA AT BOSTON COLLEGE (ACC).  I like Virginia as a #1 seed caliber team and will be shocked if they have any trouble in this one.

-MIAMI FL AT NOTRE DAME (ACC).  Both teams are really good, and I think rather safely inside the bubble despite Miami’s inconsistent play at times.  Both teams come in with a lot of momentum.

-WICHITA STATE AT EVANSVILLE (Missouri Valley).  This isn’t likely to be a walk in the park for Wichita.  Evansville is a pretty good team who will likely be very tough to beat at home.

-VCU AT DUQUESNE (Atlantic Ten).  We have VCU on the #3 line, which seems high.  I can safely say if they lose this one we will not have them up there next week.

-OHIO STATE AT IOWA (Big Ten).  Both teams are good, but both have a lot of room for improvement.

-FLORIDA AT GEORGIA (SEC).  Georgia is right on the bubble and Florida is way outside of it.  Both teams really need this one.

-BAYLOR AT KANSAS STATE (Big Twelve).  This is one of the easier road games Baylor will have, and it’s not THAT easy.

-NJIT AT DARTMOUTH.  Our adopted and beloved team, which is also the team of all the people out there, NJIT, can improve to 11-9 with a win on the road today, and be on pace to make a postseason tournament.

-GREEN BAY AT DETROIT (Horizon League).  Green Bay is coming off a very damaging loss to Oakland.  They may be out of strikes as far as an at-large goes.  If they lose this one, they definitely will be.

-KENTUCKY AT ALABAMA (SEC).  Will Kentucky sleep walk and win, or will they win in a blowout??  Alabama is a respectable 12-4, and a high profile win like this will boost their profile.

-GONZAGA AT LMU (West Coast).  Gonzaga is looking like a #1 seed caliber team.

-MICHIGAN STATE AT MARYLAND (Big Ten).  Maryland is having a fantastic year and should get a huge home crowd for this one.  Michigan State is inside the bubble, but close to it, which is not where they’re used to being.  An upset win in a game like that would be huge for them, though.

-TCU AT TEXAS TECH (Big Twelve).  Are we still talking about TCU??  If they lose this game, we won’t be.

-EAST CAROLINA AT SMU (American).  SMU has improved as the year has gone on, and now appears to be the best team in the AAC.

-SYRACUSE AT CLEMSON (AAC).  I’m not overly impressed with Syracuse when I watch them play, but they keep winning, so they’re kinda hard not to like.

-MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT LOUISIANA TECH (Conference USA).  After last night’s discussion, we’ve decided that LA Tech is good enough to land on the bubble if they win out, and that they’re good enough to win out.  After we said that, they had to sweat out a rather mediocre UAB team at home.

-VANDERBILT AT MISSISSIPPI STATE (SEC).  Vandy is having a quiet year, but they’re 11-5 and can pick up another road win tonight.

-GEORGE MASON AT GEORGE WASHINGTON (Atlantic Ten).  Since winning the Diamondhead Classic, GW has had to sweat out several teams that are nowhere close to the field, but for the most part they’ve survived.

-BUTLER AT GEORGETOWN (Big East).  This is the second meeting between these two, but the first conference game.  Butler has been inconsistent this year, but they have some big wins away from home so their profile looks really solid.

-DAVIDSON AT RICHMOND (Atlantic Ten).  Davidson has a bloated record against a weak schedule, but they can still get onto the bubble.  This the kind of game they need to be able to win to do it, though.

-UNLV AT SAN DIEGO STATE (Mountain West).  SDSU is tough to beat at home, and UNLV has not looked good lately.  As much as a big win like this would turn their season around, it doesn’t look too likely right now.

-WEST VIRGINIA AT TEXAS (Big Twelve).  West Virginia continues to improve.  If they can pick up a road win like this it will really jack up the value of their resume.

-VILLANOVA AT PENN (Big Five).  Nova should roll.

-OKLAHOMA STATE AT OKLAHOMA (Big Twelve).  BEDLAM!!!!!  It happens twice a year, and it’s never boring!!  Both teams are in the rankings, and both could use a big win to boos their resumes.  To get a big win over a rival would feel extra good.  This one will be fun.

-WYOMING AT FRESNO STATE (Mountain West).  Wyoming is in the rankings, but the rest of their profile is somewhat underwhelming.  This is the kind of game that tournament teams are expected to win.

-NORTH TEXAS AT OLD DOMINION (Conference USA).  If ODU won out it would not surprise me.  They’re really good.

-TEMPLE AT CINCINNATI (American).  Temple is on the bubble, and needs this win.  Cincinnati is outside the bubble, and needs this win.

-PROVIDENCE AT CREIGHTON (Big East).  Providence is looking better, but this won’t be an easy road game for them.  There is no such thing in this league.

-NORTHWESTERN AT MICHIGAN (Big Ten).  Michigan has a lot of work to do if they want to make the field.

-SOUTH CAROLINA AT AUBURN (SEC).  We currently have South Carolina right on the bubble, and this is the kind of road game they need to be able to pull off if they want to make the dance.

-KANSAS AT IOWA STATE (Big Twelve).  It’s two highly ranked teams that should end up high on the s curve, both of whom seem to be improving as the year goes along.

-UCONN AT STANFORD.  A little showcase OOC action.  UConn needs this win, and several others, just to get back into the picture.  Stanford is inside the bubble and should be able to beat teams that are not at home.

-OLE MISS AT ARKANSAS (SEC).  Arkansas has been very good this season, especially at home.

-COLORADO STATE AT SAN JOSE STATE (Mountain West).  SJSU is a very weak opponent that Colorado State simply cannot afford to lose to.

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Under the Radar Game of the Day – Friday, January 16, 2015: St. Francis (Brooklyn) at Robert Morris

For our latest Bracket Rundown, CLICK HERE.

St. Francis College (Brooklyn) at Robert Morris, 9:00 PM Eastern, ESPNU

The UTR Game of the Day heads to Western Pennsylvania tonight as two of the four teams currently battling for first place in the Northeast Conference matchup in a nationally televised game.  The Terriers from Brooklyn’s St. Francis College enter tonight’s contest at 3-1 in NEC play and 9-8 overall.  Their KenPom rating of 157 is best in the Northeast Conference, though their most notable win was probably only a road win at Monmouth.  The Terriers are led offensively by Jalen Cannon, who has scored 19 points in each of his team’s last two games while pulling down 9 and 11 rebounds respectively.  He is a legitimate double-double threat every time out and may need to get there tonight for his team to win.

Robert Morris enters tonight’s game at 3-1 in conference and 7-9 overall.  The Colonials are coming off back-to-back road wins in conference play, at Wagner and at Central Connecticut.  Marquise Reed has been playing exceptionally well for them recently, including a 22 point effort against St. Francis (PA).  Also keep an eye on one of our favorite players (due to his name), Lucky Jones.  Lucky has scored 18 points in each of the last two games.  If both he and Marquise can put together solid games, the Colonials could take a step towards the top of the standings tonight.

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Bracket Rundown: January 15th

Chad and David are joined by John Stalica as they run down the latest NCAA Tournament Seed List, and banter about who looks good and who still has work to do.  This was recorded on Thursday evening around 9pm, est, so some of the later games were not factored in.

 

To view the Bracket – CLICK HERE

 

And for all you radio fans, below is an mp3 version of the show

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Highlighted Games For Thursday, Jan 15th

-For our latest Under the Radar Podcast – CLICK HERE

-For Chad Sherwood’s UTR Game of the Day, which is a surprising selection, and an explanation as to why it’s NOT Belmont v Murray State – CLICK HERE

 

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-WOFFORD AT THE CITADEL (SoCon).  It’s an outside shot, but if Wofford wins out they may be on the bubble.

-CINCINNATI AT MEMPHIS (American).  Cincinnati has some work to do, and Memphis has more than just some work to do.

-RICE AT OLD DOMINION (Conference USA).  ODU is coming off a loss, but should be able to rebound at home against a weak Rice team.

-AUBURN AT FLORIDA (SEC).  Florida needs to go on a run just to get back onto the bubble.

-GREEN BAY AT OAKLAND (Horizon League).  We say the same thing every game.  If Green Bay wins out, they’re in regardless of the conference tournament.

-UAB AT LOUISIANA TECH (Conference USA).  We believe if LA Tech wins out, they may be in the discussion, but their margin for error is at best minimal, and has perhaps already passed.

-NEBRASKA AT WISCONSIN (Big Ten).  Nebraska has not looked like an NCAA Tournament team at any point this season.  Wisky, on the other hand, has looked like a #1 seed for most of the season.

-COLORADO AT ARIZONA (Pac Twelve).  Arizona is one of the country’s elite teams this year who could still end up as high as the #1 line, and Colorado has been one of the more disappointing teams this year that doesn’t appear to be anywhere close to the field.

-OREGON STATE AT WSHINGTON (Pac Twelve).  With both teams coming in at 11-4 and Oregon State coming off the big win against Arizona, I’m going to be willing to entertain the idea that they’re a potential tournament team if they can pull this one off on the road.

-UTAH AT ARIZONA STATE (Pac Twelve).  Utah is playing like a top ten team and shouldn’t have too much trouble picking up this road win.

-GONZAGA AT PEPPERDINE (West Coast).  I think Gonzaga is a #1 seed caliber team.  Now having said that, this is one of their tougher remaining games.  Now having said THAT, they’re still undermatched.

-BYU AT PACIFIC (West Coast).  BYU is running out of strikes.

-SAN DIEGO AT SAINT MARY’S (West Coast).  At 13-3 with several opportunities at notable wins, SMC has our attention.

-OREGON AT WASHINGTON STATE (Pac Twelve).  Oregon has a lot of work to do and cannot lose to an improving, but still not good, Wazzu team.

 

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Under the Radar Game of the Day – Thursday, January 15, 2015 – Louisiana-Lafayette at Georgia Southern

For our latest Under the Radar podcast, CLICK HERE.

Louisiana-Lafayette at Georgia Southern, 7:30 PM Eastern, No TV

Looking at this evening’s schedule, the UTR Game of the Day pick at first seemed obvious.  Arguably the two best teams in the OVC are playing each other at 9:00 PM on ESPNU as Belmont travels to Murray State.  However, looking closer at the standings, both of those teams are only in second place in their respective divisions.  The two division leaders, Eastern Kentucky and Eastern Illinois, are also playing tonight (7:30 PM Eastern, live streaming at ovcsports.com).  However, instead of either of those games, we have chosen to send our UTR crew to Statesboro, Georgia, to take a look at an UTR team that even the UTR guys have ignored so far this year — the Georgia Southern Eagles.

The 11 team Sun Belt Conference runs a full double round-robin schedule, meaning that each teams gets a home-and-home with every other team in the conference.  While this is, in our opinion, the best way to produce a true regular season champion, it does have a significant disadvantage for a league with more than 10 teams in it.  The SBC conference season is 20 games long, resulting in two fewer chances for a non-conference game.  Georgia Southern made matters even worse this year by scheduling three of their nine non-conference games against non-D1 competition.  In other words, prior to conference play, we only had six games to evaluate the Eagles with.  They went 4-2 in those games, with close losses at Illinois and at UCF, and the best win coming at South Florida.  The Eagles at currently 10-3 overall after sweeping their non-D1 games and starting 3-1 in league play, the loss coming by one point at Texas-Arlington.  The start is good enough to have Georgia Southern sitting at second place in the conference and to hold a 130 RPI, second best in the league.  It is also good enough to have them on our radar.

Tonight, Georgia Southern welcomes in the best team so far in conference play, and we are not talking about Georgia State.  With the preseason favorites appearing to be imploding in early Sun Belt play, the defending conference tournament champions from Louisiana-Lafayette are 4-0 and in first place (10-5 overall).  The Ragin’ Cajuns are coming off of a home win over Georgia State and also have a home win over one of the top teams in Conference USA, Louisiana Tech, to their credit.  If they can pick up the road victory in Statesboro tonight, Louisiana-Lafayette will have asserted itself as the early favorite to take the regular season crown, something we did not think possible about a month and a half ago when Georgia State was blowing out Green Bay and taking Old Dominion to overtime on the road.  With the conference tournament being held practically in Lafayette’s backyard in New Orleans, and the top two teams in the Sun Belt tournament receiving byes into the semifinals, the Ragin’ Cajuns appear to be well on their way to setting themselves up for another shot at the NCAA tournament.

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