North Carolina will try to continue its recent surge in the ACC standings when the Tar Heels take their three-game win streak to Clemson on Thursday night. The Tar Heels have climbed into a tie for third in the conference with three straight double-digit wins, including a 76-65 home victory over rival N.C. State on Saturday.

Ohio State has slipped to the fringe of the Big Ten race as it visits struggling Northwestern on Thursday. The No. 15 Buckeyes are in fifth place in the bunched-up conference, two games behind first-place Indiana with three games remaining. Ohio State is just 3-3 over its last six games and a visit to Indiana looms after playing the Wildcats. Northwestern has lost five straight games and seven of eight. The Wildcats averaged 41.7 points over their last three defeats.

Duke has a showdown with first-place Miami looming on Saturday, but first the No. 3 Blue Devils face a tough contest when they visit Virginia on Thursday. The Cavaliers have won 15 consecutive home games and sold-out John Paul Jones Arena figures to be rocking at the sight of Duke. The Blue Devils have won eight of their past nine games but are just 4-3 on the road. Virginia is tied for third in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

California looks to extend its winning streak to six games and strengthen its case for an NCAA tournament bid when the Bears host Utah on Thursday. Junior Justin Cobbs was named the Pac-12 player of the week after averaging 16 points in two wins over the Oregon schools, and fellow guard Allen Crabbe continues to lead the conference in scoring at 19 points per game. Utah has lost four straight to the Bears, including a 62-57 decision on Jan. 24.

Missouri is drifting dangerously close to the NCAA tournament bubble as it struggles to put together a winning streak in SEC play. The Tigers will be looking to snap a two-game road slide when they visit South Carolina on Thursday. Missouri is on the verge of another 20-win season but has dropped into a tie for sixth in the SEC after an overtime loss at Kentucky on Saturday. The Gamecocks have dropped seven of eight.

Oregon can inch closer to its first conference championship in 11 years when it hosts Oregon State in a Pac-12 game Thursday night. The Ducks began the week tied atop the league with Arizona, which Oregon beat in the only meeting this season. Some good news emanated from the Ducks camp this week when coach Dana Altman said freshman point guard Dominic Artis could play against the Beavers after missing the last nine games with a foot injury. Oregon has gone 5-4 without Artis.

Despite a slew of accomplishments over the past 15 years, Gonzaga has never been the top-ranked team in the nation. The second-ranked Bulldogs may have a chance to climb atop the rankings if they win at Brigham Young on Thursday and finish the regular season by beating Portland on Saturday. Top-ranked Indiana lost to Minnesota on Tuesday, setting the stage for the Zags to claim the top spot with back-to-back solid victories.