Small Conference Game of the Day – February 13

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Chad

SOUTHERN MISS at UAB, 9:00 PM Eastern, CSS

Assuming that Birmingham melts enough after yesterday’s snowstorm, tonight’s SCGD will be heading there for one of Southern Mississippi’s toughest remaining tests in Conference USA regular season play tonight.  The Golden Eagles enter tonight’s game at 21-3 overall and 8-1 in conference, tied with UTEP for first place.  Our latest bracket projections (check out this week’s Bracket Rundown show which David Griggs will be posting later today) have them at a seed high enough to be in serious at-large consideration should they fail to win the automatic bid.  However, if they want to stay in at-large range they cannot afford any bad losses.  Given their remaining C-USA schedule, pretty much any loss would be arguably a bad one.

On the other side of things, the UAB Blazers at one point this season looked like a serious at-large bid contender.  They had solid wins over Nebraska and North Carolina and a heart-breaking double overtime loss to New Mexico.  Then the calendar flipped to 2014 and the bottom fell out.  Since January 1, UAB has suffered losses to Florida Atlantic, Florida International, North Texas and East Carolina, among others.  Bad loss upon bad loss has destroyed any NCAA tournament chances other than a championship in the C-USA tournament.  The Blazers sit at 14-9 overall but are only 3-6 in conference, all the way down in 11th place.  Finishing below 9th in the conference regular season standings would require UAB to win 5 games in 5 days in the C-USA tournament, a daunting feat that they do not want to be facing.  That makes tonight’s game and every game after it even more important as we head towards March.

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Highlighted Games For Wednesday, Feb 12th

Posted on February 12, 2014 by David Griggs

-SYRACUSE AT PITTSBURGH (ACC). Pitt has not beaten a team that appears to be solidly in the field, and has had to sweat out some games against weaker teams. Syracuse is unbeaten, but this would still be one of their better road wins.

-SOUTH FLORIDA AT UCONN (American). UConn should be able to finish the season strong and hold serve on their profile.

-RICHMOND AT DUQUESNE (Atlantic Ten). I don’t think Richmond can overcome the injury and make the dance, but if they do it will mean being able to win games like this.

-GEORGE MASON AT UMASS (Atlantic Ten). UMass’s stock has gone down some, but they’re still a strong team and should be able to win at home tonight.

-GEORGE WASHINGTON AT VCU (Atlantic Ten). This is a great match up between two regional opponents that are both solidly in the field, but who can also still improve their profile. It means something both on and off paper.

BAYLOR AT TCU (Big Twelve). Baylor is just 2-8 in league play. If they can’t finish 8-10 in conference play I think they’re in real trouble.

-OHIO AT TOLEDO (MAC). Chad Sherwood’s SCGD.  See here:  https://hoopshd.com/2014/02/12/small-conference-game-of-the-day-february-12-2/

-PENN STATE AT INDIANA (Big Ten). Indiana simply cannot afford to lose this one.

-VILLANOVA AT DEPAUL (Big East). Nova shouldn’t have any trouble picking up another big conference road win.

-KENTUCKY AT AUBURN (SEC). Kentucky shouldn’t have too much trouble.

-TEXAS TECH AT OKLAHOMA (Big Twelve). Texas Tech has been playing great lately, but they still have a long way to go to even be close to the bubble. Oklahoma has been very tough to beat at home this season and should pick up another conference win tonight.

-DUKE AT NORTH CAROLINA (ACC). This is the biggest rivalry in college basketball, but it means something on paper as well. North Carolina seems to have pulled out of their tailspin and the could make a huge statement with a win tonight.

-UCF AT MEMPHIS (American). Memphis is in great shape and should hold serve tonight.

-LSU AT TEXAS A&M (SEC). LSU needs a solid finish if they want to be considered. They have some bad losses on their profile, and have a very small margin for error.

-STANFORD AT WASHINGTON (Pac Twelve). Stanford could use a solid road win, and a conference win. So, it’s a big game for them.

-NEW MEXICO AT BOISE STATE (Mountain West). New Mexico has been somewhat of a disappointment this year, but they’re still in good shape, and this would be a notable road win on their profile.

-CALIFORNIA AT WASHINGTON STATE (Pac Twelve). Cal simply cannot afford to lose this one

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Small Conference Game of the Day – February 12

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Chad

OHIO UNIVERSITY at TOLEDO, 7:00 PM Eastern, Time Warner Sports/espn3

Less than two weeks after the game of the year to date in the MAC, the same two teams matchup again tonight in Toledo.  Ohio pulled off at 95-90 overtime win at home back on February 1, and tonight’s rematch has a chance to be just as exciting of a game as that one was.

Ohio presently sits at 17-6 overall and 7-3 in conference, one game behind Akron and tied with Buffalo in the MAC’s East Division standings.  Toledo is 20-3 overall and 8-2 in conference, one game up on Western Michigan in the West Division.  While tonight’s game will not decide the regular season championship, it will certainly go a long way towards it.  Finishing with one of the top two records in the MAC is extra important as it gets the two teams byes into the conference tournament semifinals.  The third and fourth best records bye into the quarterfinals, while everyone else would have to play five games to win the automatic bid.  As there are five teams currently in the hunt for the conference championship, one of them will be relegated to having to do just that to win it.

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Small Conference Game of the Day – February 11

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Chad

GARDNER-WEBB at LIBERTY, 7:00 PM Eastern, Liberty Sports Network/espn3

Tonight’s college basketball schedule is on the light side with only 12 games.  Ten of those games involve “power conference” teams (assuming we are still calling the Mountain West a power conference).  Of the two remaining games, one is Wichita State’s home game against southern Illinois.  That pretty much leaves one and only one option for the SCGD.  Gardner-Webb at Liberty.

The Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs are part of the complete jumble of standings in the Big South conference.  They are presently 6-4 in conference, tied for second place in the South Division one game behind Coastal Carolina and UNC-Asheville.  The North Division is just as jumbled with four teams withing 2 games of first place, resulting in 8 of the 12 Big South members still in the battle for the two regular season division titles.  GWU is 13-12 overall as they travel to Liberty tonight.

Liberty is one of the few teams inn the Big South that appears to be out of the title hunt.  They are 3-7 in conference and 9-16 overall, fifth in the North Division.  However, it was out of the North Division 5 seed spot that Liberty made a run last season and ended up winning the Big South tournament and advancing to the NCAA.  Liberty has won 7 of its last 8 games against Gardner-Webb, including a Big South tournament semifinal victory last season.  The Flames are 5-0 against GWU under current head coach Dale Layer.  They are also currently on a four game losing streak, so something will have to give tonight.  The one thing the Big South has shown us all season is that the games should be close and competitive…as this may be the conference with the most top to bottom parity of any in the country.

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Bracket Racket: Feb 9th

Posted on February 10, 2014 by David Griggs

Much to check out this morning.

For a look at Chad Sherwood’s Monday Morning Bracketology, click here:

https://hoopshd.com/2014/02/10/monday-morning-bracketology-february-10-2014/

 

If you missed our most recent special edition podcast, the Rivalry Show, click here:

https://hoopshd.com/2014/02/09/the-rivalry-show/

 

On this week’s edition of the Bracket Racket, Kyle is joined by David, and later Lee, as they look at the Marcus Smart situation, and talk about what the suspension means to Oklahoma State as they go into their next three big games without him.  We look at the rest of the Big Twelve, along with the Big Ten, Big East, ACC, and Pac Twelve.  We look at SMU and how they’ve gone from being below mediocre to being relevant in a very short amount of time, and we even talk a little Ivy League hoops.

All that, and more!!

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Monday Morning Bracketology – February 10, 2014

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Chad

It is time for some more Monday Morning Bracketology.  Here is my projected bracket through games of February 9, plus some notes on this week’s field.  Please note that I am predicting what the committee will do as of today:

EAST REGION
Buffalo
(1) Syracuse vs (16) Southern/VMI
(8) George Washington vs (9) California

San Diego
(5) Kentucky vs (12) Toledo
(4) Saint Louis vs (13) Stephen F. Austin

Milwaukee
(6) Connecticut vs (11) Providence
(3) Michigan vs (14) Iona

Buffalo
(7) North Carolina vs (10) Gonzaga
(2) Villanova vs (15) North Carolina Central

MIDWEST REGION
St. Louis
(1) Wichita State vs (16) Weber State/Robert Morris
(8) Oklahoma State vs (9) Minnesota

Orlando
(5) Virginia vs (12) Georgetown/Louisiana Tech
(4) Iowa State vs (13) Harvard

Milwaukee
(6) Louisville vs (11) Stanford
(3) Michigan State vs (14) New Mexico State

Raleigh
(7) Memphis vs (10) Baylor
(2) Duke vs (15) Mercer

WEST REGION
San Diego
(1) Arizona vs (16) Davidson
(8) Kansas State vs (9) New Mexico

San Antonio
(5) Texas vs (12) Missouri/Xavier
(4) Wisconsin vs (13) Georgia State

San Antonio
(6) UCLA vs (11) Southern Miss
(3) Creighton vs (14) UC-Santa Barbara

Spokane
(7) SMU vs (10) Arizona State
(2) San Diego State vs (15) Boston University

SOUTH REGION
Orlando
(1) Florida vs (16) Vermont
(8) Oklahoma vs (9) VCU

Spokane
(5) Ohio State vs (12) Green Bay
(4) Cincinnati vs (13) North Dakota State

Raleigh
(6) Massachusetts vs (11) Tennessee
(3) Iowa vs (14) Delaware

St. Louis
(7) Pittsburgh vs (10) Colorado
(2) Kansas vs (15) Belmont

National Semifinals: East vs Midwest, West vs South

Last four in: Xavier, Georgetown, Missouri, Louisiana Tech

Last four out: Florida State, Indiana, LSU, Oregon

Other teams considered: Dayton, Richmond, St. Joseph’s, Clemson, North Carolina State, Nebraska, UTEP, Utah, Arkansas, Ole Miss, BYU
A few notes about this week’s bracket:
The Big 12 leads the way again with seven bids.  The Big Ten and Pac 12 have six each, American, Big East and ACC have five, Atlantic Ten and SEC have four, and the Mountain West and Conference USA have two each.

None of the matchups were put together intentionally, but the results of my bracket are always fun to look at.  UConn and Providence meet in an old Big East showdown.  A Larry Brown vs Steve Fischer round of 32 matchup features two classic veteran coaches.  And the South Region games in Spokane are just insane.  Not only do we have a Cincinnati vs Ohio State possibility in the Round of 32, but the two teams needs to get past a pair of killer mid-majors to get there in Green Bay and North Dakota State.

The biggest move at the top of the bracket came from Duke who is now my last #2 seed.  Notably, the Big Ten does not have a team on the top two lines, but then places three teams on the 3 line and has the top 4 seed as well as a 5 seed.  The Big Ten is running into a problem with all the top teams knocking each other off, and until someone emerges as the best team in the conference, I find it tough to crown any of the teams as a #1 seed contender.

I dropped Oklahoma State way down in this bracket and I am starting to wonder if the team that entered the season as a potential 1 seed contender may be moving closer to the Bubble than anyone ever thought they would be.  Okie State not only continues to lose games, but is losing its temper now as Marcus Smart will miss the next three games for his altercation with a fan.  While all indications are that the idiot in the didn’t get a tenth of what he deserved, Smart should have kept his cool and reported the bonehead.  Without Smart for trips to Texas and Baylor as well as a home game against Oklahoma, winning is going to be tough.  And, in my opinion at least, the committee should not look the other way at losses that occur while a player is suspended in the same way they should when a team is down a player due to injury.  The suspension is due to actions by the player — something well within his and the team’s control.  Injuries are due to random chance and bad luck.  While extra credit may be given to a team that suffered the randomness of an injury, none should be given to a team that suffers from poor decisions by its players.

Going back to this week’s field, the bottom of the bracket saw almost everyone losing.  As a result, Georgetown has amazingly slipped into the bracket along with Louisiana Tech.  The Hoyas have been playing much better the past couple of weeks and are one of the few bubble teams whose stock is rising.  La Tech has been finding ways to keep winning even with Appleby out through the beginning of March.  Given the weakness of their remaining schedule though, they really cannot afford another loss until the C-USA title game.

Green Bay and Harvard both lost this week, resulting in their locations on my S-Curve falling below the four At-Large First Four teams.  While Harvard should still be able to win the Ivy League regular season and secure the automatic bid, Green Bay does run the risk of a conference tournament upset.  There is no margin for error left at all for the Phoenix, and even winning out may not be enough at this point.

Finally, a few new teams enter the field at the bottom of the bracket as Vermont is now the pick in the America East, VMI is the pick in the Big South, and Boston U has replaced American in the Patriot League after the Eagles lost two straight games to teams they should have handled easily.

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