Preview Roundups
February 18, 2015
Vanderbilt at Florida 7:00 PM ET
Florida has suffered through two consecutive one-point defeats and looks to avoid its first five-game losing streak since 1998 when Vanderbilt visits for an SEC battle Wednesday. The Gators need to put together an improbable run to have a chance at returning to the NCAA Tournament and expect to be without leading scorer Michael Frazier II (ankle) for the third straight game. The Commodores are attempting to sweep Florida for the first time since 2010.
Xavier at Cincinnati 7:00 PM ET
City rivals Xavier and Cincinnati each need a victory to brighten their sagging NCAA Tournament resumes when they face off in the Crosstown Shootout on Wednesday. The host Bearcats have lost back-to-back contests, including a shocking 50-49 loss to Tulane when Jonathan Stark gave the Green Wave the victory with a 30-foot buzzer-beating shot on Saturday. The Musketeers have lost three of their last five games after falling 78-70 to St. John’s on Saturday.
Louisville at Syracuse 7:00 PM ET
No. 12 Louisville hopes to rebound from its worst loss of the season when it visits Syracuse on Wednesday. The Cardinals' first four losses came against Kentucky, Virginia and Duke - three of the top five teams in the USA Today Coaches' Poll - as well as No. 16 North Carolina. Its last time out, however, Louisville was stunned at home by an unranked North Carolina State squad that had lost five of its previous six games.
Virginia Tech at Miami-Florida 7:00 PM ET
If Miami (Fla.) harbors any hope of being an NCAA Tournament team, then Wednesday's ACC game against visiting Virginia Tech is a must win. The Hurricanes pulled out a miracle victory in double overtime Monday at Boston College and desperately need a victory over the Hokies with difficult games coming up against No. 12 Louisville, Florida State and No. 16 North Carolina.
East Carolina at Tulsa 7:00 PM ET
Tulsa continues it quest to win the American Athletic Conference title in its inaugural season in the league when it hosts East Carolina on Wednesday. The Golden Hurricane (10-2) are tied in the loss column with first place SMU (12-2), which hosts third place Temple (10-3) on Thursday, and still have a regular-season ending contest with the Mustangs on March 8 in Dallas.
Wisconsin at Penn St. 7:00 PM ET
Fourth-ranked Wisconsin looks to maintain its stranglehold on first place in the Big Ten Conference when it pays a visit to Penn State on Wednesday. The Badgers, who already own an 89-72 victory over the Nittany Lions on New Year's Eve, have won eight straight both overall and in conference play, matching their longest Big Ten winning streak since 1940-41. Wisconsin, which holds a 2 1/2-game lead over Maryland and Purdue, has won six straight versus Penn State.
Northern Iowa at Loyola-Chicago 8:00 PM ET
Northern Iowa began its winning streak against Loyola Chicago five weeks ago and the No. 11 Panthers will go for 14 straight victories Wednesday when they visit the Ramblers in a Missouri Valley Conference game. Loyola came into the last matchup against Northern Iowa riding a seven-game win streak but couldn’t overcome a 19-9 disadvantage in turnovers and lost 67-58. Loyola has also since lost leading scorer Milton Doyle to an ankle injury, which has cost him the last eight games.
Kansas St. at Texas Christian 8:00 PM ET
After halting a long losing streak by knocking off a Top 25 opponent, Kansas State must prepare for a rival that ended an even lengthier skid against a nationally ranked foe when it visits TCU on Wednesday. The Wildcats ended a string of five straight defeats by upending No. 17 Oklahoma on Saturday, while the Horned Frogs surprised No. 24 Oklahoma State to end a seven-game rut. Kansas State has won all five matchups since TCU joined the Big 12.
Missouri at Arkansas 9:00 PM ET
Arkansas is the SEC’s hottest team outside of Lexington, Ky., having won seven of its last eight games to move into sole possession of second place behind undefeated and top-ranked Kentucky. Missouri, meanwhile, is headed the opposite direction having lost 11 straight – the program’s longest losing skid in 48 years. Still, the No. 17 Razorbacks insist they’re not looking past Wednesday’s home date with the struggling Tigers, a team they edged 61-60 on Jan. 24 in Columbia.
Northwestern at Minnesota 9:00 PM ET
Minnesota looks to return to winning ways when it hosts Northwestern on Wednesday. The Golden Gophers saw their three-game winning streak come to an end when they dropped a 90-71 decision to Indiana on Sunday and need to pick up victories in a hurry to avoid missing their fourth NCAA Tournament in the last five years. Minnesota hopes to continue its recent dominance over the Wildcats at Williams Arena by emerging victorious for the seventh time in the last eight meetings in Minneapolis.
Iowa St. at Oklahoma St. 9:00 PM ET
Just when it seemed like No. 24 Oklahoma State was playing its best basketball of the season, a dreadful performance has left the team searching for answers. "We just came out sluggish," forward Michael Cobbins told reporters Saturday after the Cowboys fell 70-55 to a TCU team that had been 1-10 in Big 12 play. Oklahoma State, which had defeated three ranked opponents before succumbing to the Horned Frogs, gets a chance for redemption with Wednesday's home date against No. 14 Iowa State.
Providence at DePaul 9:00 PM ET
Providence will try to keep pace with the leaders in the Big East and avoid looking too far ahead when it visits struggling DePaul on Wednesday. The Friars, who entered Tuesday in third place, will next visit first-place Villanova and also host second-place Butler in the final two weeks of the regular season. They recovered from a home loss to the sixth-ranked Wildcats with a 69-62 win over Seton Hall on Saturday, riding another solid showing for the star tandem of LaDontae Henton and Kris Dunn.
Boston College at Florida St. 9:00 PM ET
With four wins in its last six games, Florida State looks to improve its position in the ACC standings when it hosts conference foe Boston College on Wednesday. Following a narrow loss to No. 5 Duke on Feb. 9, the Seminoles were able to rebound with a 57-53 victory at Georgia Tech on Saturday that left coach Leonard Hamilton grateful. "It was just fortunate for us to come away with a victory," he told reporters. "Because ACC road victories are hard to come by."
UCLA at Arizona St. 9:00 PM ET
UCLA forward Tony Parker doesn't always fill the stat sheets, but his presence might hold the key to the surging Bruins’ postseason hopes. The Bruins, who enter Wednesday’s contest at Arizona State tied with Oregon for third place in the conference, have won two straight and five of six since Parker missed two games against the Oregon schools due to back spasms. UCLA lost both games by a combined 29 points, but the Bruins celebrated Parker's return with a 69-59 win over Utah on Jan. 29.
North Carolina at Duke 9:00 PM ET
Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor receives his first opportunity to experience the school’s rivalry with North Carolina when his No. 5 Blue Devils host the No. 16 Tar Heels on Wednesday. The standout has nine double-doubles and also became the fourth Duke freshman with 10 or more 20-point games in a season when he had 23 points and 13 rebounds in last Saturday’s 80-72 win over Syracuse. The Blue Devils have won five straight games while the Tar Heels have lost three of four.
Colorado at Oregon 11:00 PM ET
Oregon has work to do if it is to make three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history, and it cannot afford to stumble against visiting Colorado on Wednesday. The Ducks, who are tied for third in the Pac-12 with UCLA, entered the week 60th in the RPI rankings - a bubble number at best, but one that will improve if they also defeat No. 9 Utah this weekend before finishing with three road games.