Preview Roundups
February 22, 2015
Ohio St. at Michigan 1:00 PM ET
Ohio State looks to complete the season sweep over struggling Michigan when the heated rivals square off in Ann Arbor on Sunday. The No. 23 Buckeyes have split their last four games and are coming off a 59-56 setback to Michigan State on Feb. 14 as they hope to stay in the national rankings by beating the Wolverines on the road for the first time since Jan. 12, 2011. Ohio State has dropped five of its eight road games this season, with its last two losses coming by a combined five points.
Memphis at Central Florida 2:00 PM ET
Upstart UCF aims for a season-best fourth straight victory when the Knights host Memphis in an American Athletic Conference matchup Sunday. The Tigers, who have won two straight, can complete the season sweep after a 99-79 home win Jan. 17. Memphis has dominated the all-time series, winning 17 of 18 meetings, including the last seven.
Iowa at Nebraska 3:00 PM ET
Iowa looks to beat host Nebraska for the second time this season when the Hawkeyes make their first visit to Pinnacle Bank Arena for a Big Ten contest Sunday. Iowa did not play in Lincoln, Neb., a year ago, the first season of Pinnacle Bank Arena, and has won the last two games (both at Iowa) in the series. The Hawkeyes are coming off an 81-47 victory over Rutgers on Thursday, with the 34-point margin the largest by a Big Ten team in conference play this season.
Utah at Oregon 3:00 PM ET
Pac-12 leading scorer Joseph Young promised Oregon would make the NCAA Tournament prior to its last victory. The senior guard can help his team take a giant step towards making his prediction come true on Sunday when the Ducks welcome No. 9 Utah to Eugene in their home finale. Oregon, which closes out the regular season with three on the road, moved into sole possession of third place in the conference behind Young’s 23 points in Wednesday’s 73-60 home win over Colorado.
Evansville at Wichita St. 4:00 PM ET
Wichita State is hoping to get some revenge for its lone conference loss of the season - to Northern Iowa - but for the Shockers to make that game mean something in regard to the Missouri Valley Conference title, they must take care of business in the games leading up to the rematch. The first of those such contests is Sunday when No. 13 Wichita State hosts Evansville. It's the second meeting of the season, with the Shockers beating the Purple Aces 61-41 in the first matchup.
Tulane at Connecticut 4:00 PM ET
Defending national champion Connecticut will try to remain above the .500 mark in American Athletic Conference play when it hosts Tulane on Sunday afternoon. The rebuilding Huskies enter the contest in sixth place in the AAC, two games above the seventh-place Green Wave. UConn, behind 18 points and nine rebounds by guard Ryan Boatright, won the first ever meeting between the two schools, 62-53, on Feb. 7 in New Orleans.
Indiana at Rutgers 5:15 PM ET
Indiana looks to beat host Rutgers for the second time this season Sunday when it visits the Scarlet Knights’ campus for the first time as a member of the Big Ten Conference. Indiana has lost five of its last eight games, and is coming off a 67-63 setback against Purdue on Thursday, but one of the Hoosiers’ three victories during that stretch was a 72-64 decision against Rutgers on Jan. 31 in Bloomington, Ind.
Temple at Tulsa 6:00 PM ET
Tulsa and Temple each have absorbed a recent loss to SMU, and now both teams find themselves looking up at the Mustangs in the American Athletic Conference standings. Tulsa and the visiting Owls can make a push toward the top spot in the AAC when they meet Sunday. The Golden Hurricane enter the matchup one game behind SMU while Temple sits third in the AAC, 2 1/2 games behind the Mustangs.
Florida St. at Virginia 6:30 PM ET
Third-ranked Virginia looks to take another step toward winning the ACC regular-season title when it hosts Florida State on Sunday. The Cavaliers have one conference loss – every other team has at least three – so only their own stumbles can prevent them from claiming the crown and earning the top seed for the ACC tournament. The Seminoles have played well of late with five wins in their last seven games and are coming off a 69-60 win over Boston College on Wednesday.
Michigan St at Illinois 7:30 PM ET
Missed free throws in the final minute of a Feb. 7 meeting with Illinois led to a 59-54 setback for Michigan State, which Spartans coach Tom Izzo described as the maddest he's ever been after a game. "We're just going to have to shoot free throws until people's hands get blisters on them," Izzo told reporters of the strategy moving forward and since the loss, his team has averaged 67.5 percent from the foul line leading up to Sunday's showdown in Champaign.
Washington at Washington St. 8:30 PM ET
Washington heads into Sunday’s game at Washington State looking to snap a seven-game losing streak, which is the longest during coach Lorenzo Romar’s 13 years with the Huskies. Desperate for a piece of good news, Washington’s depleted frontline is expected to receive a much-needed boost with the return of forward Jernard Jarreau, who has missed the past 10 games due to a knee injury. Washington State is seeking a regular-season sweep after edging the Huskies 80-77 in Seattle on Jan. 10.
Southern California at Arizona St. 8:30 PM ET
Arizona State still has an outside shot an NCAA tournament invitation, but the Sun Devils can’t afford another bad loss, especially against visiting USC on Sunday. The Trojans have lost 10 of the last 11 and will likely be without starting point guard Jordan McLaughlin for a third straight Pac-12 game as he deals with an ailing shoulder. Arizona State entered the weekend tied with California for seventh in the conference standings, but just a game back of fourth-place UCLA in the loss column.