Preview Roundups
March 04, 2017
Kentucky at Texas A&M 12:00 PM ET
Kentucky tries to reverse a discouraging trend when it visits Texas A&M on Saturday, but has time to fix the slow starts that have plagued the No. 9 Wildcats for the past two games. Kentucky tries for its eighth straight victory and to get out of the blocks quicker after erasing a 19-point deficit to defeat Vanderbilt 73-67 on Tuesday for its largest rally under coach John Calipari and trailing No. 12 Florida by 12 before defeating the Gators 76-66 on Feb. 25.
Illinois at Rutgers 12:00 PM ET
Surging Illinois looks to continue its run toward an NCAA Tournament berth when it visits Rutgers in a Big Ten game Saturday. The Fighting Illini won four straight and five of their last six games to climb into consideration for an at-large bid.
Indiana at Ohio St. 12:00 PM ET
Ohio State will look to continue gaining momentum toward the postseason when it hosts Indiana on Saturday in a regular-season finale critical to seeding in the Big Ten tournament. The Buckeyes have won two in a row — their best victory of the season and a last-second thriller — and will be attempting to string together three straight for the first time since opening the season 6-0.
Pittsburgh at Virginia 12:00 PM ET
Virginia still has hopes of garnering a No. 4 seed and a double bye for next week's ACC Tournament in Brooklyn. But for that to happen, the 23rd-ranked Cavaliers need a Senior Day victory over visiting Pittsburgh on Saturday as well as more than a few dominoes to fall their way.
Villanova at Georgetown 12:00 PM ET
Second-ranked Villanova likely has a No. 1 seed locked up for the NCAA Tournament, but a win at Georgetown on Saturday would seal the deal. The Big East finale for both teams features a Wildcats team that has clinched the top seed in the conference tournament and a struggling Hoyas squad that will be seeded ninth out of 10 teams.
Providence at St. John's 12:00 PM ET
Ed Cooley said he believes the best is yet to come for his Providence squad, which looks to close out the regular season with another victory in Saturday's Big East game at St. John's. The Friars earned their 15th home win of the season Tuesday against DePaul and can head into the Big East tournament off six straight wins if they can avenge an earlier loss to the Red Storm.
Alabama at Tennessee 1:00 PM ET
Alabama rediscovered its scoring touch in its home finale, and will look to carry that momentum forward in Saturday's final regular-season game against host Tennessee. The Crimson Tide are coming off an impressive 70-55 victory over Ole Miss and have little left to play for against Tennessee, which, like Alabama, is already guaranteed a first-round bye in the SEC tournament.
Texas Tech at Kansas St. 1:00 PM ET

With eight losses in its last 11 games, Kansas State isn’t exactly finishing the regular season with a flourish, but the Wildcats are still on the NCAA Tournament bubble according to a number of prominent bracketologists. To remain in Big Dance consideration, Bruce Weber’s team simply needs to tack on as many wins as it can before Selection Sunday, starting

Georgia at Arkansas 2:00 PM ET
Arkansas enters Saturday’s regular-season finale at home against Georgia looking to rebound from Wednesday’s loss at Florida, and a victory would cap an impressive finishing stretch entering the SEC tournament. The Razorbacks have won six of their past nine games, and are 10-4 dating back to the middle of January, moving into fourth place in the conference standings.
Florida at Vanderbilt 2:00 PM ET
No. 12 Florida looks to exact some revenge - and maybe earn a piece of the Southeastern Conference regular-season crown - when it visits Vanderbilt for the regular-season finale for both teams Saturday afternoon. The Gators, who fell to the Commodores 68-66 in late January, are one game behind first-place Kentucky in the league standings, with the Wildcats playing at Texas A&M on Saturday.
Notre Dame at Louisville 2:00 PM ET
Notre Dame and Louisville each entered their penultimate games Wednesday with a chance to earn a share of the ACC regular-season crown, but only the former kept its hopes alive. The 13th-ranked Fighting Irish eye their seventh straight win and look to keep the pressure on conference-leading North Carolina on Saturday afternoon when they visit the seventh-ranked Cardinals.
California at Colorado 2:00 PM ET

A month ago, California looked to be locked into a top-four Pac-12 finish and a first-round conference tournament bye. But four losses in five games later, that’s no longer the case, and the Golden Bears will need a win in Saturday’s regular-season finale at Colorado to ensure the No. 4 seed.

Xavier at DePaul 2:00 PM ET
Xavier, in desperate need of a win to get momentum turned back in the right direction, looks for it Saturday in a Big East game at DePaul. The Musketeers lost their sixth straight and third in a row at home Wednesday against Marquette, and must wonder where they stand in terms of the NCAA Tournament.
Michigan St at Maryland 2:00 PM ET
Michigan State travels to face Maryland on Saturday afternoon in the regular-season finale for both teams - a contest that will greatly influence the seeding in the Big Ten tournament, and possibly the Spartans' NCAA Tournament situation. If Michigan State can post the road win, it will be the No. 3 seed in next week's conference tournament, while if the Terrapins triumph, they'll take the spot and the Spartans could drop as low as seventh.
Seton Hall at Butler 2:30 PM ET
Seton Hall has fought its way back into contention for an NCAA Tournament bid and can make its case even stronger with a victory at 15th-ranked Butler on Saturday in the Big East regular-season finale for both teams. The Pirates boast several good wins on their resume and have finished strong with six wins in their last eight games, but are facing a Butler team that has won four straight contests.
Creighton at Marquette 2:30 PM ET
Outside of being assured of finishing with at least a .500 record in league play and a first-round bye in the Big East tournament, there isn't much else Creighton or Marquette can take for granted in their immediate future. The Bluejays hit the road Saturday needing only a win to secure the No. 3 seed in next week's conference tournament and hoping to avenge an earlier loss to the Golden Eagles in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Texas Christian at Oklahoma 3:00 PM ET
TCU has seen its once-strong NCAA Tournament chances all but washed away and hopes to stop the bleeding when it visits Oklahoma on Saturday in the finale of the regular season for both teams. The Horned Frogs have lost six straight and Wednesday's 75-74 setback against Kansas State delivered what could be the final blow for their hopes to land an at-large bid for the tourney.
Missouri at Auburn 3:30 PM ET
Missouri's misery has been a season-long exercise and the Tigers probably can't wait for it to be over as they wrap up their regular-season schedule Saturday afternoon against host Auburn. Missouri has won just two SEC contests in 2017, and is mired in a five-game losing streak that was extended with a season-worst offensive showing against Texas A&M.
Baylor at Texas 4:00 PM ET
Eleventh-ranked Baylor is glad to be able to flip the calendar from February to March after suffering five of its six losses in that month. The Bears, who still could garner a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament with a strong showing in next week's Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, conclude the conference regular-season with a trip to struggling Texas on Saturday afternoon.
Boston College at Clemson 4:00 PM ET
Clemson will look to build more momentum heading into the ACC tournament when it hosts last-place Boston College on Saturday in the finale of the regular season for both teams. A recent 1-6 swoon all but destroyed the Tigers' chances at an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament, but they have an outside chance at re-entering that discussion if they can win their second straight game Saturday and then make a lot of noise in the conference tourney.
Miami-Florida at Florida St. 4:00 PM ET
No. 17 Florida State hosts 25th-ranked Miami on Saturday with plenty still on the line for both teams on the final day of the ACC regular season. The Seminoles are in a three-way tie for third place - one game ahead of the Hurricanes, who are in a three-way tie for sixth - with the top four teams in the conference earning coveted double-byes in the ACC tournament.
Georgia Tech at Syracuse 4:00 PM ET
Syracuse and Georgia Tech sit squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble heading into what could be a make-or-break regular-season finale Saturday at the Carrier Dome. The implications are huge for both the host Orange and the Yellow Jackets as neither team can afford a loss for its tournament résumé or its seeding in the ACC tournament.
Stanford at Utah 4:00 PM ET
Utah looks to keep its hopes for a first-round bye in next week’s Pac-12 tournament alive on Saturday as the resurgent Utes face visiting Stanford, which could finish anywhere between seventh and 10th in the conference. Utah can secure the fourth seed with a win on Saturday and a California loss to Colorado earlier in the day.
Arizona at Arizona State 4:00 PM ET
Seventh-ranked Arizona can claim at least a share of the Pac-12 title if it can finish off a two-game season sweep of host Arizona State in Saturday's regular-season finale. The Wildcats are tied for the conference lead with Oregon but the Ducks hold the tiebreaker edge by winning the lone meeting between the two teams.
Memphis at Southern Methodist 4:00 PM ET
No. 19 SMU looks to extend its home winning streak to 22 games when it closes out the regular season against Memphis on Saturday. The Mustangs have won 12 consecutive contests overall, including a 93-70 victory against Tulsa on Thursday, to clinch at least a share of the American Athletic Conference title, and they can claim it outright by beating the Tigers for the fifth straight time.
Wake Forest at Virginia Tech 4:30 PM ET
The second-longest current winning streak in the ACC belongs to Virginia Tech, which has won three in a row heading into Saturday’s regular-season finale at home against Wake Forest. The Hokies upset No. 25 Miami 66-61 on Monday, riding a career-high 24 points and a school-record eight 3-pointers from Ty Outlaw to move into a three-way tie for sixth in the conference.
Louisiana State at Mississippi St. 6:00 PM ET
LSU ended a long losing streak in its last contest, which is exactly what Mississippi State hopes to do Saturday. The SEC rivals meet in both teams' regular-season finale on the home court of the Bulldogs, who have lost seven straight games since a win against Tennessee.
Oregon at Oregon St. 6:00 PM ET
The old cliche about throwing the records out the window for rivalry games might need to be applied Saturday as No. 6 Oregon visits Oregon State for the 348th Civil War. The game appears to be a mismatch between record-setting Oregon and the last-place Beavers, but Oregon State would like nothing more than to ruin their rivals’ title hopes.
Kansas at Oklahoma St. 6:00 PM ET
After clinching its 13th consecutive Big 12 regular-season title and ascending to the top spot in the polls, Kansas concludes the regular season against one of the hottest teams in the conference when it travels to Stillwater to play Oklahoma State on Saturday. The Jayhawks have won seven straight while the Cowboys, who started 0-6 in conference play, have won 10 of their last 12 overall but are coming off an 86-83 defeat at No. 24 Iowa State on Wednesday.
Missouri St. at Wichita St. 6:00 PM ET
One night after dominating the first half en route to a resounding victory, No. 22 Wichita State looks to move into the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament with a win over Missouri State on Saturday. The Shockers impressed the St. Louis crowd on Friday by trouncing Bradley, while the Bears disposed of Northern Iowa in the nightcap.
Washington at Southern California 6:30 PM ET
USC still has a shot at making the NCAA Tournament, but the Trojans can't afford to slip up Saturday in their regular-season Pac-12 finale against visiting Washington. USC started the season 14-0 and was 8-4 in the Pac-12 before losing four straight, a streak that came to a halt when the Trojans beat visiting Washington State on Wednesday night.
Duke at North Carolina 8:15 PM ET
Fifth-ranked North Carolina has plenty to play for, despite already having clinched the top seed in the upcoming ACC tournament, as it ends the regular season with a home showdown against No. 14 Duke on Saturday. The Tar Heels can seal the outright ACC title with a win or a Notre Dame loss at Louisville on Saturday and can avoid a third regular-season sweep at the hands of Duke in the last five campaigns.
South Carolina at Mississippi 8:30 PM ET
Senior guard Sindarius Thornwell looks to pad his resume for SEC Player of the Year as South Carolina goes after its third straight win when it visits Ole Miss for the regular-season finale Saturday night. Thornwell is second in the league in scoring (21.0) and boasts an SEC-best 2.2 steals, but registered a season-low 10 points in the Gamecocks’ 67-56 victory over Ole Miss on Jan. 14.
Pacific at Gonzaga 10:00 PM ET
It was a total shock to most when Gonzaga — a 20-point favorite — saw its hopes for an undefeated campaign vanish with a 79-71 home loss to BYU in the regular-season finale Feb. 25, but there is no surprise that the No. 4 Bulldogs took the setback in stride. Top-seeded Gonzaga still has everything to play for as it begins its quest for a fifth straight West Coast Conference tournament title against No. 9 seed Pacific in the quarterfinals Saturday in Las Vegas.
Washington St. at UCLA 10:15 PM ET
Winning the Pac-12 title has taken a back seat to the health of UCLA freshman forward T.J. Leaf heading into the No. 2 Bruins' regular-season finale Saturday night against visiting Washington State. Leaf, who's second on the team in scoring (16.3), leads in rebounding (8.4) and is one of UCLA's top 3-point shooters (46.2 percent), rolled his left ankle in the first half of Wednesday's victory against Washington and did not return.
Portland at St. Mary's 11:59 PM ET
No. 18 Saint Mary's has given up the second-lowest point total average in the nation this season and the second-seeded Gaels have brought that defense to Las Vegas, where they will open the West Coast Conference tournament on Saturday against 10th-seeded Portland, a first-round upset winner against No. 7 seed San Diego. Saint Mary's allowed an average of 56.1 points during the regular season, second only to Virginia (55.3), and is guaranteed to finish with the best winning percentage for a seaso