Every weekday from now until Selection Sunday (and every day in March) will feature analysis of the previous night plus a quick look at games with the potential to impact the final NCAA tournament field of 68.
Ohio State: Needed to beat a reeling Nebraska outfit and promptly pummeled the Cornhuskers 81-57. The Buckeyes (20-8, 9-6 Big Ten) snapped a two-game slide with the victory.
Purdue: Playing defense against Rutgers in the second half would have been nice, but the Boilermakers (19-9, 11-4 Big Ten) still earned a 92-85 victory to finish off a sweep of the Scarlet Knights. Purdue’s won eight of nine, and it would do well to split its next two games (trips to Ohio State and Michigan State).
Southern Methodist: Just rock-solid. The Mustangs (23-5, 14-2 American) won at Memphis to assure themselves of no lower than the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament. How good is SMU? Tough to say. But with a good nonconference schedule, no bad losses (the sweep at the hands of Cincinnati constitutes SMU’s worst results) and plenty of wins, Larry Brown’s bunch is in good shape to be treated kindly by the selection committee this time around.
Stanford: Did what was necessary, zipping past Oregon State with a strong second half. The Cardinal (18-9, 9-6 Pac-12) has won consecutive games for the first time in four weeks and gets a visit from Oregon in a vital game for both teams on Sunday.
Arizona State: The Sun Devils aren’t remotely close to NCAA tournament contention, but it’s still worth mentioning they had more shots blocked in the first half at Utah (10) than they had points in the first 20 minutes (nine). The Utes went on to claim an 83-41 victory.
Michigan State: The Spartans (19-9, 10-5 Big Ten) lost at home to Minnesota in overtime. That’s not a crushing result for Tom Izzo’s team, which is safely inside the field at this stage. Nonetheless, Michigan State is just 6-7 against the top 100 after having its four-game winning streak snapped. The Spartans head to Wisconsin on Sunday.
Georgetown at St. John’s (Noon, CBS): The Red Storm (19-9, 8-7 Big East) has won five of six to vastly improve its postseason hopes. A victory over Georgetown (18-8, 10-5) would certainly alleviate some pressure on Steve Lavin’s bunch.
N.C. State at Boston College (Noon, MSG+): It would be just about the most N.C. State thing ever to win at North Carolina and immediately turn around and lose to a last-place team. Free advice for the Wolfpack (17-11, 8-7): Don’t do it.
North Carolina at Miami (2, CBS): The Hurricanes (18-10, 8-7 ACC) have won three of four to stabilize their situation, but they could use another high-profile victory down the stretch. Beating the Tar Heels (19-9, 9-6) at home would do the trick.
Texas at Kansas (5, ESPN): Losers of three in a row, the Longhorns (17-11, 6-9 Big 12) are teetering on the edge of the field. It’s probably not a good thing for them that they draw Kansas (22-7, 11-5) right after the Jayhawks were upset at Kansas State.
Iowa at Penn State (6, ESPNU): The Hawkeyes (18-10, 9-6 Big Ten) have won three in a row, and now get a Penn State bunch that’s mustered 86 points in its last two games. There’s not much to gain but a whole lot to lose for Iowa in this one.
Northwestern at Illinois (7, BTN): It’s been nearly half-a-century since Northwestern rattled off four consecutive Big Ten wins. The thing is, anyone who saw the Wildcats (14-14, 5-10) in January knew it was more than possible they’d go from losing a bunch of close games to winning some. That’s bad news for the Illini (17-11, 7-8), which very much needs to shake off a three-game skid immediately.
George Washington at Davidson (7): The host Wildcats (20-6, 11-4 Atlantic 10) effectively finished off George Washington’s at-large hopes when the teams met earlier this month in Washington. Perhaps the Colonials (18-10, 8-7) will return the favor after snapping a four-game losing streak on Wednesday.
Boise State at San Diego State (8, ESPN2): The first meeting between the teams was a 61-46 victory for the Broncos (21-7, 11-4), who have won 11 of their last 12. The problem is, most games in the Mountain West this season don’t help a team’s profile. The rematch against the Aztecs (22-6, 12-3), though, would provide a fine boost for Leon Rice’s team.
Auburn at Texas AM (8:30, SEC Network): The Aggies (19-8, 10-5 SEC) aren’t tracking down a top-50 victory in this one, but they could absorb what would easily be their worst loss of the season if they lose to the Tigers (12-16, 4-11). This is a game that can only preserve Texas AM’s standing on the edge of the field, not improve upon it.
Brigham Young at Gonzaga (10, ESPN2): The Cougars lost 87-80 in the teams’ first meeting two days after Christmas. Gonzaga (29-1, 17-0 West Coast) just keeps winning, and Brigham Young (22-8, 12-5) hasn’t seen a top-50 team since. If the Cougars are to maintain any realistic at-large hopes, getting this one at the Kennel is a must.
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