Preview Roundups
February 18, 2017
Clemson at Miami-Florida 12:00 PM ET
Miami (Fla.) looks to move two games above .500 in ACC play and solidify its chances of earning an NCAA Tournament bid when it hosts Clemson on Saturday afternoon. The Hurricanes are coming off a 70-61 victory over Virginia Tech on Wednesday, while Clemson ended a three-game losing streak with a 95-83 triumph over Wake Forest a day earlier.
Notre Dame at N.C. State 12:00 PM ET
No. 20 Notre Dame has a great opportunity Saturday to extend its winning streak to four games when it visits stumbling North Carolina State, which will be playing its first game since firing coach Mark Gottfried. The sixth-year coach, who led the Wolfpack to the NCAA Tournament in his first four seasons, will finish out the season in the role before departing, but his squad has dropped six straight and is just a game out of last place in the ACC.
Tulsa at Cincinnati 12:00 PM ET
No. 17 Cincinnati got right back to business after seeing its 15-game winning streak end and looks to take advantage of another struggling team when Tulsa visits Saturday for an American Athletic Conference contest. The Bearcats held last-place South Florida to 36.7 percent shooting and forced 21 turnovers in a 68-54 win Wednesday after losing at SMU on Sunday.
Villanova at Seton Hall 12:30 PM ET
No. 2 Villanova appears to be on course for a No. 1 seed in the Big East tournament, where the Wildcats clashed with Seton Hall in the title game a year ago. The Pirates won that matchup, but the Wildcats have won 31 of 33 games since - including the 2016 national championship - and they can continue that run Saturday at Seton Hall.
Missouri at Tennessee 1:00 PM ET
Tennessee looks to climb to .500 in league play when it hosts Missouri in a Southeastern Conference contest on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers have won two of their last four SEC contests after losing their first nine, while the Volunteers have dropped two straight at a time when they need all the victories they can muster.
Wake Forest at Duke 1:00 PM ET

No. 14 Duke has worked its way back into the ACC title chase and will try to stay there when it hosts Wake Forest on Saturday. The Blue Devils have won six straight to climb back within one game of first-place North Carolina in a crowded field near the top of the conference. 

Virginia Tech at Louisville 1:00 PM ET
Finally at near full strength again, No. 7 Louisville is digging in for a late-season push for an ACC title. The Cardinals, who play three of their remaining five games at the KFC Yum! Center, start the stretch Saturday when Virginia Tech visits.
Kansas at Baylor 1:00 PM ET
Third-ranked Kansas can take another huge step toward garnering its 13th straight regular season Big 12 championship Saturday afternoon when it travels to Baylor. A win over the No. 4-ranked Bears, who enter the game in sole possession of second place, would give the Jayhawks a three-game lead with just four games to go.
Kansas St. at Texas 2:00 PM ET
Texas is still searching for its first road win of the season after losing at Big 12 cellar-dweller Oklahoma 70-66 on Tuesday night. The good news for Shaka Smart's young team is that three of their final five conference games are at home, beginning with Saturday afternoon's contest with slumping Kansas State.
Florida at Mississippi St. 2:00 PM ET
No. 13 Florida is riding a seven-game winning streak and coming off a dazzling offensive display but must overcome the loss of center John Egbunu when it travels to Mississippi State on Saturday. The Gators, who share the SEC lead with No. 11 Kentucky, lost the redshirt junior from Nigeria to a torn ACL in his left knee during the first half of their record-breaking 114-95 win at Auburn on Tuesday.
Illinois at Iowa 2:00 PM ET
Iowa looks to keep its perfect record in rematches intact when it hosts Illinois on Saturday afternoon in a Big Ten Conference matchup. This will be the fourth time this season the Hawkeyes have played a team a second time, and coach Fran McCaffery's squad has won each of the first three (Purdue, Rutgers and Nebraska).
Texas Tech at West Virginia 2:00 PM ET
West Virginia missed its chance to win the Big 12 regular-season title with an 84-80 overtime loss at No. 3 Kansas on Monday but resumes pursuit of the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the conference tournament when it hosts Texas Tech on Saturday afternoon. The No. 12 Mountaineers, who are tied for third with Iowa State, control their own destiny with games remaining against second-place Baylor and the Cyclones.
South Florida at Tulane 2:00 PM ET
Tulane looks to snap a nine-game losing streak when it hosts South Florida in an American Athletic Conference game Saturday. The Green Wave nearly stunned SMU last time out, blowing a 15-point halftime lead before falling 80-75.
Colorado at Oregon 3:00 PM ET

Colorado is peaking at the right time, having won six of its last seven games to breathe some life to its once non-existent NCAA Tournament chances. But the Buffaloes’ late-season surge will face its toughest challenge yet Saturday as they visit No. 8 Oregon in Eugene, where the Ducks have reeled off an NCAA-best 41 straight wins and will be playing their se

Louisiana State at Alabama 3:30 PM ET
Alabama needs every win it can get to boost a somewhat lackluster NCAA Tournament resume, and it has a great chance to pick up another when it hosts last-place LSU in an SEC tilt Saturday. The Crimson Tide had lost three of four and fell behind early at Missouri on Wednesday before storming back for a critical 57-54 victory.
Auburn at Texas A&M 4:00 PM ET
Bruce Pearl's third season at Auburn, which plays an SEC game Saturday at Texas A&M, hasn't been quite the success it was at some of his other coaching stops. Pearl won the Division II national title in his third season at Southern Indiana and led Tennessee to 31 wins and a berth in the Sweet 16 in his third campaign in Knoxville, but it's looking like it will take a little longer with the Tigers.
Pacific at Gonzaga 4:00 PM ET
Top-ranked Gonzaga looks for its 28th consecutive victory while chasing an unbeaten regular season when it hosts the University of the Pacific on Saturday in West Coast Conference play. The Bulldogs have won each of their past 19 games by double digits as they roll through their conference opponents with ease.
Michigan St at Purdue 4:00 PM ET
Purdue has moved into a three-way tie for first place in the Big Ten and next tries to solve a suddenly hot Michigan State squad when the No. 16 Boilermakers host the Spartans on Saturday. Purdue has won four straight games and nine of its last 11 and is tied for first with Maryland and Wisconsin after the Badgers dropped their last two games.
Florida St. at Pittsburgh 4:00 PM ET
No. 18 Florida State is very much alive for the ACC regular-season championship, but the Seminoles must overcome what is beginning to become a fatal flaw.  Struggling Pittsburgh, in what has been one of the most difficult seasons in decades, will try to block Florida State’s rise to the top when it hosts the Seminoles on Saturday.
Central Florida at East Carolina 4:00 PM ET
Central Florida hosts East Carolina on Saturday in an American Athletic Conference rematch of defensive-minded teams that held each other to under 30 percent shooting in the Knights' 48-45 win in February. UCF, which is coming off a 71-53 win over Tulsa, ranks first in the nation in field-goal percentage defense (35.6) while East Carolina, which beat Temple 78-64 in its most recent game, is sixth (38.4).
Arizona State at Washington St. 5:00 PM ET
Arizona State looks to avenge an earlier loss to Washington State on Saturday as the Sun Devils travel to Pullman to face the struggling Cougars. Guard Torian Graham is averaging 18.5 points to lead Arizona State, which can get back to .500 overall for the first time since being 9-9 on Jan. 12 with a victory over the Cougars.
Kentucky at Georgia 6:00 PM ET
Following an embarrassing loss at Florida two weeks ago, No. 11 Kentucky appears to have regained its swagger entering Saturday’s SEC road game against Georgia. The Wildcats have won three in a row since that 22-point drubbing to the Gators, but more importantly they have played with urgency - including an impressive first half in Tuesday’s 83-58 rout of Tennessee.
Mississippi at Arkansas 6:00 PM ET
Arkansas looks to build on its upset of South Carolina on Saturday as the Razorbacks face visiting Ole Miss, which enters on a high note with victories in four of its last five games. The Razorbacks’ 83-76 win over the 19th-ranked Gamecocks on Wednesday bolstered their NCAA Tournament hopes and marked the team’s first road victory over a ranked opponent in nearly three years.
Rutgers at Northwestern 6:00 PM ET
Northwestern looks to stay on track for its first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history when it hosts Rutgers on Saturday in a Big Ten clash. The Wildcats upset 10th-ranked Wisconsin 66-59 on Feb. 12 to strengthen their tournament resume, but were unable to follow up on their impressive victory as they dropped a 74-64 decision to No. 24 Maryland on Wednesday, and they hope to get back into the win column by beating the Scarlet Knights for the fourth consecutive time.
Texas Christian at Iowa St. 6:00 PM ET
Iowa State has its work cut out for it as the Cyclones try to reach the NCAA Tournament, but the team is not going down without a fight. Iowa State aims for its fourth win in five games Saturday against visiting TCU in a Big 12 clash.
Southern Methodist at Houston 6:00 PM ET
No. 23 SMU looks to stay on track for its second American Athletic Conference title in three years when it hits the road to face Houston on Saturday. The red-hot Mustangs have won nine consecutive games, including an 80-75 comeback victory against Tulane on Wednesday to maintain their half-game lead over 17th-ranked Cincinnati at the top of the conference standings.
Nebraska at Ohio St. 6:00 PM ET
Exactly a month after Ohio State handed Nebraska a last-second loss at home, the Cornhuskers will look to return the favor when they travel to Columbus on Saturday. Both teams are stuck in the bottom half of the Big Ten and likely out of the NCAA Tournament picture but emotions will sure to be high after the Buckeyes’ 67-66 win in Lincoln on Jan. 18.
Arizona at Washington 8:00 PM ET
Arizona has dealt with its share of missing players this season and the No. 6 Wildcats might be shorthanded again when they travel to Washington on Saturday for a Pac-12 game. Starting point guard Kadeem Allen missed Thursday's victory at Washington State after dislocating the pinkie finger on his shooting hand during practice Tuesday, and starting forward Dusan Ristic sat out the second half after spraining his ankle.
Oklahoma at Oklahoma St. 8:00 PM ET
Once 0-6 in conference play, Oklahoma State has a chance to get to .500 in the Big 12 and continue to boost its postseason resume when it hosts rival Oklahoma on Saturday night. The Cowboys' remarkable turnaround continued with a hard-fought 71-68 win at TCU on Wednesday, knotting both teams in a fifth-place tie in the Big 12.
Xavier at Marquette 8:00 PM ET
Xavier, once a shoe-in to make the NCAA Tournament, is trying to pick up wins any way it can, which will likely be the strategy Saturday in a Big East game at Marquette. The Musketeers, minus their top two players in Trevon Bluiett and Edmond Sumner, couldn't sustain their effort Wednesday in falling at Providence.
Virginia at North Carolina 8:15 PM ET
Ninth-ranked North Carolina will definitely earn the ACC regular-season title if it can hold on to the lead with a major five-game test ahead, starting with a visit from No. 15 Virginia on Saturday night. The Tar Heels face four ranked teams in that difficult stretch, including two contests against Virginia, after rolling over North Carolina State 97-73 on Wednesday to solidify their one-game advantage on three teams atop the league.
South Carolina at Vanderbilt 8:30 PM ET

No. 19 South Carolina no longer is atop the SEC standings, but it will try to stay within striking distance of league leaders Kentucky and Florida with a win at Vanderbilt on Saturday. The Gamecocks are seeking their fourth straight SEC road victory as they look to bounce back from Wednesday’s home loss to Arkansas. 

Southern California at UCLA 10:00 PM ET
USC will try to run its winning streak to five games against No. 5 UCLA when the Trojans travel to Westwood to take on the Bruins on Saturday. USC beat then-No. 7 UCLA by eight points earlier this season after winning both meetings a year ago and then went on to win five in a row before losing by 11 points Saturday to No. 9 Oregon.
St. Mary's at Brigham Young 10:00 PM ET
Saint Mary's easily cleared the hurdle also known as the game after the loss to No. 1 Gonzaga, which is good for the No. 21 Gaels' psyche as they prepare for a difficult road encounter against BYU on Saturday. Saint Mary's bounced back from a 74-64 setback to the Bulldogs by crushing Loyola Marymount 81-48 on Thursday and probably cannot afford another loss before a third matchup with Gonzaga looms in the WCC final if it is to entertain thoughts of making the NCAA Tournament.