Preview Roundups
March 07, 2015
Butler at Providence 12:00 PM ET
Second place in the Big East will be on the line Saturday when Providence hosts Butler in the regular-season finale for both teams. The teams are tied with Georgetown - which hosts Seton Hall on Saturday - entering the last game before the conference tourney, and there exists a wide range of possibilities going into the weekend. The 23rd-ranked Friars, who are coming off a 79-66 win over Seton Hall on Wednesday, gain the No. 2 seed with a win.
Michigan St at Indiana 12:00 PM ET
Indiana looks to bolster its NCAA Tournament resume when it hosts Michigan State in the Big Ten regular-season finale for both teams. The Hoosiers have faltered down the stretch by dropping three of their last four games, including a disappointing 77-63 loss to Iowa on Tuesday, which pushed them precariously closer to the bubble. Indiana has lost two straight home games for the first time since Dec. 2010 and hope to turn things around by snapping a three-game skid in the series.
Syracuse at N.C. State 12:00 PM ET
North Carolina State appears headed for the NCAA Tournament, but a loss to Syracuse in their home finale could put a dent in the Wolfpack's hopes of reaching the Big Dance. N.C. State has won four of its last five games and boasts a solid resume that includes wins against Pittsburgh, Duke, Louisville and North Carolina. The Wolfpack defeated Virginia Tech in their last home game, snapping a four-game home losing streak before hitting the road for their last three contests.
Miami-Florida at Virginia Tech 12:00 PM ET
A late-season surge might not be enough to get Miami (Fla.) into the NCAA Tournament, but the Hurricanes aim to keep winning. The Hurricanes travel to Virginia Tech on Saturday looking for their fifth victory in seven games, a stretch that has pulled Miami to the cusp of 20 victories and into sixth place in the ACC. The Hokies have lost six in a row and nine out of 10, and currently sit last in the league standings.
Pittsburgh at Florida St. 12:00 PM ET
With seeding for next week's ACC Tournament on the line, Florida State hosts Pittsburgh on Saturday in the regular-season finale for both teams. The Seminoles could finish as high as ninth in the conference standings with a win, while Pittsburgh has a chance to pull into a tie for sixth. After Florida State suffered its third straight loss, coach Leonard Hamilton told reporters, "You learn more when you're dealing with adversity than you do any other time."
Seton Hall at Georgetown 12:00 PM ET
Joshua Smith is set to celebrate Senior Night when Georgetown wraps up the regular season Saturday in a Big East game against visiting Seton Hall. There are those who never expected the 6-10, 350-pound center to get to this point, given his commitment and academic issues at both Georgetown and UCLA, where he started his career as a five-star recruit.
Northwestern at Iowa 12:00 PM ET
Peaking at the right time might be the perfect description of coach Fran McCaffery's squad as Iowa enters Saturday's regular-season finale against Northwestern on a five-game winning streak. The Hawkeyes are battling for a top four spot in the Big Ten standings - and the double bye in next week's conference tournament that goes with it - and enter this game in a tie for fourth with Ohio State and Michigan State.
St. John's at Villanova 2:00 PM ET
An 11-game winning streak has No. 4 Villanova poised to snatch a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats, who have already clinched their second straight Big East regular-season title, look to secure their postseason slot with a win over St. John's on Saturday. Villanova walloped the Red Storm in New York 90-72 earlier in the season and has won six straight in the series.
Connecticut at Temple 2:00 PM ET
Reigning NCAA Tournament champion Connecticut is in real danger of missing out on a chance to defend its title. However, a win at Temple in Saturday's regular-season finale for both schools would, at the very least, be a step in the right direction. The Huskies likely need to win the American Athletic Conference tournament in order to secure a berth in this year's field of 68.
Oklahoma St. at West Virginia 2:00 PM ET
Oklahoma State looks to solidify its NCAA Tournament resume when it visits No. 20 West Virginia on Saturday in the regular-season finale for both teams. The Cowboys appear to be in good shape with three wins over teams with an RPI in the Top 10 and six against those in the Top 50. An 82-70 decision over TCU on Wednesday snapped a four-game slide and coach Travis Ford was pleased, telling reporters, "I'm proud of our team's effort. They haven't really gotten too high or too low."
Louisiana State at Arkansas 2:00 PM ET
LSU will get at least one bye when the SEC Tournament begins next week in Nashville, Tenn., but the Tigers’ hopes of getting a double-bye took a hit with Wednesday’s 78-63 loss to Tennessee. The Tigers travel to No. 18 Arkansas for Saturday’s regular-season finale sitting in a tie for fifth, one game behind Texas A&M and Ole Miss for third. The Razorbacks clinched the second seed with Thursday’s 78-74 victory at South Carolina.
Wake Forest at Boston College 2:00 PM ET
In an otherwise down season that is destined to result in a fourth straight sub-.500 finish, Boston College is at least looking as if it wants to end on a good note. The Eagles aim for their third consecutive win to close out the regular season when they host Wake Forest on Saturday. After upsetting North Carolina State, Boston College took care of Virginia Tech by a 66-59 margin on Monday to wrap up its road slate in winning style.
Florida at Kentucky 2:00 PM ET
Top-ranked Kentucky looks to complete an undefeated regular season when it hosts Florida in Saturday’s SEC action. The Wildcats experienced some struggles before beating Georgia 72-64 on Tuesday and now attempt to join last season’s Gators as the lone teams to go 18-0 in SEC history. “You have kids here who have a will to win, they believe they’re going to win and they made the plays they needed to make,” Kentucky coach John Calipari told reporters.
Alabama at Texas A&M 2:00 PM ET
Texas A&M will try to avoid having its bubble burst when its hosts struggling Alabama in Saturday's regular-season finale. The Aggies seem like they're headed to the Big Dance but a late-season loss won't help their resume at all. Texas A&M will finish at least fourth and earn a double-bye at next week's SEC tournament and could move up to third if Vanderbilt upsets Ole Miss.
DePaul at Marquette 2:00 PM ET
As the losses pile up, Marquette and visiting DePaul, who meet Saturday in the final regular season game for both teams, can only hope to go into the Big East tournament with a little momentum. The Blue Demons have dropped six straight and nine of their last 10 games and will likely see their NCAA Tournament drought reach 11 years unless it can win the conference tournament, which begins March 12 at Madison Square Garden.
Xavier at Creighton 2:01 PM ET
Xavier is hoping to make an impression on the NCAA Tournament selection committee when it visits Creighton in the Big East regular-season finale for both teams Saturday. The Musketeers have 18 wins but will finish sixth in the conference no matter the outcome of this game, though a .500 mark in league play would look better than a sub-.500 record. The Bluejays have struggled in conference play, managing four wins after going 9-4 in non-conference contests.
Rutgers at Michigan 2:15 PM ET
Michigan looks to conclude a disappointing Big Ten regular season on a high note when it hosts Rutgers on Saturday. The Wolverines have dropped seven of their last eight games, including an 82-78 double-overtime defeat to Northwestern, to ensure they will finish with a losing record in conference play for the first time since 2009-10. Michigan will miss its first NCAA Tournament in five years and hopes to salvage an NIT bid by downing the Scarlet Knights for the seventh straight time.
California at Arizona St. 2:30 PM ET
Arizona State looks to continue its late-season charge against visiting California on Saturday. A victory by the Sun Devils in their regular-season finale and a Stanford loss at No. 6 Arizona would give Arizona State the fifth seed – and a first-round date with last-place USC – in next week’s Pac-12 Tournament, but coach Herb Sendek insists he isn't overly concerned with seeding. “I want to focus on Cal,” Sendek said Thursday following the Sun Devils’ 67-62 home victory over Stanford.
Illinois St. at Wichita St. 2:35 PM ET
Several Wichita State players expressed their disappointment that Tekele Cotton was absent from the All-Missouri Valley Conference first team earlier this week. The two-time league defensive MVP proved his worth Friday and will look to do so again Saturday when the top-seeded Shockers meet No. 4 Illinois State in the MVC tournament semifinals at St. Louis.
Kansas at Oklahoma 4:00 PM ET
No. 10 Kansas, which clinched its 11th consecutive Big 12 title on Tuesday with a dramatic 76-69 overtime win over West Virginia, closes out the regular season Saturday afternoon at No. 15 Oklahoma. The Jayhawks will be without junior forward Perry Ellis - the team's top scorer (14.2) and rebounder (7.0) and a candidate for Big 12 Player of the Year - who sprained his right knee in the title-clinching victory over the Mountaineers.
Kansas St. at Texas 4:00 PM ET
Texas kept any chance of making the NCAA Tournament alive with Monday's win against Baylor and needs another win against visiting Kansas State to stay on the bubble. The Wildcats have the most to gain, however, in terms of seeding for next week's Big 12 tournament. The Wildcats can finish as high as sixth with a win and an Oklahoma State loss to West Virginia or as low as eighth with a loss on Saturday.
South Carolina at Tennessee 4:00 PM ET
Tennessee may not be going to the NCAA Tournament, but that doesn't change how head coach Donnie Tyndall feels about his team headed into the regular season finale Saturday against visiting South Carolina. The Volunteers reversed one of their most lopsided losses of the season Wednesday by dispatching LSU on the road, but will still need to win the SEC tournament to return to the Big Dance.
Tulane at South Florida 4:00 PM ET
Two teams playing out the string in the American Athletic Conference square off Saturday when Tulane visits USF in the regular-season finale for each squad. The Green Wave have won only once in their last 11 games - and that was on a contested 30-footer at the buzzer against Cincinnati last month. The Bulls have just two wins since Jan. 3, although they are seeking back-to-back victories for the first time since November.
Clemson at Notre Dame 4:00 PM ET
Notre Dame has already clinched third place in the Atlantic Coast Conference and a double-bye in the ACC Tournament but is trying to keep the momentum rolling. The 11th-ranked Fighting Irish will look for their fifth win in six games when they host Clemson in the regular-season finale on Saturday. The Tigers need a victory to clinch a .500 record in ACC play and are fighting for ACC Tournament positioning with a big group in the middle of the standings.
Stanford at Arizona 4:00 PM ET
Sixth-ranked Arizona has already won the Pac-12 regular-season title so Saturday’s regular-season finale against Stanford becomes one last chance for T.J. McConnell to stake a claim for conference player of the year honors. The senior point guard is one of the leading candidates and matched his career high with 11 assists in Thursday’s 99-60 dismantling of California. McConnell doesn’t score a lot (9.6 points per game) but averages 6.1 assists and has piled up 62 steals.
Georgia at Auburn 4:00 PM ET
Georgia displayed both the good and the bad of its breakthrough season in Tuesday’s loss to top-ranked Kentucky, and the Bulldogs head into Saturday’s regular-season finale at Auburn looking for redemption on multiple levels. The Bulldogs, who lost a nine-point lead in a 72-64 defeat to the unbeaten Wildcats, stumbled in a 69-68 defeat to the Tigers on Feb. 14 – one of several losses in which Georgia has failed to close out an opponent. Auburn has lost five in a row since upending the Bulldogs.
Utah at Washington 4:30 PM ET
Coming off a home loss to Arizona and a late come-from-behind win at Washington State, No. 13 Utah isn’t exactly peaking heading into Saturday’s regular-season finale at Washington. But Utes coach Larry Krystkowiak did take a step back to gain some perspective after his team overcame a six-point deficit with 7:34 remaining Thursday to escape with a 67-59 victory over the Cougars.
Illinois at Purdue 4:30 PM ET
Illinois and Purdue head into the final game of the regular season square on the NCAA Tournament bubble and neither can afford another loss when they collide in a Big Ten game Saturday at Purdue. The Boilermakers put themselves on the bubble by losing their last two games to No. 25 Ohio State and Michigan State. Illinois helped its chances with a win Wednesday against visiting Nebraska but the Fighting llini may need more than just a win against Purdue to make the Big Dance.
Loyola-Chicago at Northern Iowa 5:05 PM ET
For more than a half in its Missouri Valley Conference tournament quarterfinal victory, No. 12 Northern Iowa appeared to be on the verge of continuing its struggles in St. Louis. The second-seeded Panthers eventually found their stride and hope to carry that momentum into Saturday’s semifinal game against Loyola Chicago. Northern Iowa ended a four-year winless drought at “Arch Madness” on Friday, outscoring No. 10 seed Bradley 37-11 at one point in the second half en route to 71-46 victory.
Virginia at Louisville 6:30 PM ET
Virginia will be without second-leading scorer Justin Anderson for the eighth straight game Saturday when the second-ranked Cavaliers visit No. 14 Louisville in search of their 10th straight win. “They can beat anybody without him,” Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim told reporters. “They’re clearly the second-best team in the country, from what I've seen.” Virginia defeated Syracuse 59-47 on Monday to clinch their second straight outright ACC regular-season title.
Missouri at Mississippi St. 6:30 PM ET
When Mississippi State hosts Missouri on Saturday, it could be a preview of a first-round matchup in next week's SEC Tournament. Both teams are locked into one of the bottom four seeds, meaning they'll have to play on the tournament's opening day Wednesday, possibly against one another. The Bulldogs' last win came at the Tigers' expense — 77-74 at Missouri on Feb. 14.
Colorado at Washington St. 6:30 PM ET
DaVonte Lacy thought about leaving Washington State for greener pastures after his junior season, but decided helping the Cougars begin a path toward greater success was more important. Lacy is one of three seniors playing their final home game when Washington State hosts Colorado on Saturday in the regular-season finale for both teams and with 1,522 career points, the 6-4 guard is nine away from moving into fifth on the school's all-time scoring list.
Belmont at Murray St. 7:00 PM ET
Despite a 27-4 record, No. 24 Murray State may be playing for its NCAA Tournament life when it takes on Belmont in the championship game of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament Saturday. The Racers, winners of 25 straight, have dominated the league all season long, but one slip-up would make coach Steve Prohm and his squad wait a week hoping for an at-large berth into the NCAAs.
Iowa St. at Texas Christian 8:30 PM ET
Iowa State seemed destined to trip at the finish line, having lost two straight games leading up to Monday's encounter with No. 15 Oklahoma, but the No. 17 Cyclones rallied to beat the Sooners 77-70 and have shifted their focus to finishing the regular season strong. To do that, they'll need to handle business on the road with TCU on Saturday, which they disposed of 83-66 on Jan. 31. The Cyclones will be looking to sweep the Horned Frogs for a third consecutive season.
Vanderbilt at Mississippi 9:00 PM ET
Ole Miss is one of three teams gunning for two of the four double-byes in next week’s SEC tournament and can assure itself of one of those spots with a home win Saturday versus Vanderbilt. The Rebels, who are tied with Texas A&M for third place, halted a two-game slide with Tuesday’s 82-74 victory at Alabama to improve to 11-4 away from home. Ole Miss has won both of its meetings against the Aggies, which locks it into a No. 3 seed with a victory this weekend.
Duke at North Carolina 9:00 PM ET
Less than three weeks after North Carolina and Duke combined for one of the best games of the season, the teams continue their rivalry Saturday in Chapel Hill in the regular-season finale for both squads. Third-ranked Duke has won 10 straight and secured the No. 2 seed in next week's ACC tournament, while No. 19 North Carolina has moved into a fourth-place tie with Louisville. The Blue Devils have won six of the last eight meetings, including a thrilling 92-90 overtime victory Feb. 14.
San Francisco at Gonzaga 9:00 PM ET
Seventh-ranked Gonzaga should have little trouble bouncing back from its second loss of the season when it meets San Francisco on Saturday in the West Coast Conference tournament quarterfinals in Las Vegas. The top-seeded Bulldogs likely lost their chance at a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament when they were stunned by BYU 73-70 last Saturday, snapping their school-record 22-game win streak and their run of 41 straight victories at home — the nation's longest such streak.