Preview Roundups
March 09, 2013
Florida at Kentucky 12:00 PM ET
No. 9 Florida visits Kentucky on Saturday having clinching the No. 1 seed in the SEC tournament with a 66-40 win over Vanderbilt on Wednesday. The Gators earned their fourth outright league title and second in the last three years, finishing a perfect 15-0 at home this season. Fourteen of their SEC victories came by double-digits, including a 69-52 rout of the Wildcats on Feb. 12.
Minnesota at Purdue 12:00 PM ET
It's seems only fitting that Minnesota and Purdue play each other in Saturday's regular-season finale for both teams. It's been a roller-coaster ride of late for both teams in conference play; both come in off tough losses in games they probably should have won.
UAB at Memphis 12:00 PM ET
Memphis is chasing history as it heads into its regular-season finale Saturday afternoon against UAB. The No. 20 Tigers are one win away from becoming the fifth Conference USA team to go undefeated in conference play, and the fourth Memphis team to post a perfect league record. Such an accomplishment would put an exclamation point on Memphis' final season in the league, with the Tigers headed for the Big East next season.
Syracuse at Georgetown 12:00 PM ET
With all the turmoil surrounding Big East basketball, it seems fitting there is a regular-season finale between Syracuse and Georgetown with a title on the line. The fifth-ranked Hoyas can clinch at least a share of the crown and a possible No. 1 seed in the conference tournament when they host the 16th-ranked Orange on Saturday in the 89th meeting between the rivals, their last before Syracuse joins the ACC and Georgetown helps establish the new Big East with the rest of the Catholic 7.
Providence at Connecticut 12:00 PM ET
Providence and Connecticut wrap up the regular season Saturday as the Huskies host the Friars. For Connecticut, the game will be its last of any kind as the Huskies will miss out on the postseason due to poor Academic Progress Rate scores. Providence has emerged as a trendy bubble crasher as the Friars have won three in a row and seven of eight. But they'll have to prove themselves on the road, where they're 4-6 this season.
Georgia Tech at Boston College 12:00 PM ET
Georgia Tech picked a fine time for its first defeat of a ranked team in three years. After stunning seventh-ranked and ACC leader Miami on Wednesday, the Yellow Jackets hope to carry that momentum into Saturday’s regular-season finale at Boston College. The teams are tied for eighth in the ACC, and both are playing better as the conference tournament looms next week.
La Salle at Saint Louis 1:30 PM ET
No. 15 Saint Louis on Saturday can secure at least a share of the Atlantic 10 title and the No. 1 seed for next week's conference tournament with a win over third-place La Salle. The Explorers clinched a first-round tourney bye with a 84-70 victory over George Washington on Wednesday. The top 12 teams in the 16-team A-10 earn tournament berths, with the first four earning first-round byes.
Mississippi at Louisiana State 1:30 PM ET
Mississippi looks to end a five-game road losing streak and clinch a top-four seed in next week's SEC tournament when it visits LSU on Saturday. The Rebels head into the game in a four-way tie with Kentucky, Missouri and Alabama for second place in the league standings, with the top four seeds in the tournament automatically advancing to the quarterfinals. LSU is just looking for some momentum heading into the tournament.
Kansas St. at Oklahoma St. 1:30 PM ET
A loss at Iowa State on Wednesday ended 14th-ranked Oklahoma State's chance of capturing a piece of the Big 12 regular-season title. Now, locked into third place, the Cowboys look to play spoiler when they host No. 10 Kansas State in the regular-season finale for both teams Saturday.
South Carolina at Vanderbilt 1:30 PM ET
Seeding for the SEC tournament is at stake for Vanderbilt as the Commodores host South Carolina on Saturday in both teams' regular-season finale. The Commodores can clinch the No. 10 seed, and avoid the opening round of the league tourney, if they beat South Carolina or Texas A&M loses. South Carolina knows it's locked into that first round, where it will play Mississippi State or Auburn.
Iowa St. at West Virginia 1:30 PM ET
Iowa State can take another big step toward securing an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament when the Cyclones visit West Virginia on Saturday in the regular-season finale for both teams. With a win over No. 14 Oklahoma State on Wednesday, Iowa State likely kept itself on the right side of the bubble and should stay there without a letdown against the Mountaineers or in the Big 12 tournament.
N.C. State at Florida St. 2:00 PM ET
A midseason injury to Lorenzo Brown sabotaged North Carolina State’s ability to contend for the ACC regular-season title. But with their point guard healthy again, the Wolfpack look to finish strong Saturday when they visit Florida State. A preseason all-conference selection, Brown played a pivotal role in leading North Carolina State to a 16-4 start.
Marquette at St. John's 2:00 PM ET
Marquette can claim at least a share of the Big East regular-season title for the first time when it visits sliding St. John's on Saturday in the regular-season finale for both teams. The 17th-ranked Golden Eagles, winners of three straight, enter the day tied with Georgetown and Louisville atop the league standings. The Hoyas play earlier in the day against Syracuse while the Cardinals play later against Notre Dame.
UCLA at Washington 2:00 PM ET
UCLA can clinch at least a share of the Pac-12 regular-season title with a victory on Saturday, but it won’t come easy on the road against Washington, which has won three in a row and four of its last five. UCLA still has a shot at the title despite being upset by lowly Washington State on Wednesday. The Huskies are jockeying for position heading into the Pac-12 tournament. The Bruins needed a buzzer-beater from senior guard Larry Drew II to defeat Washington 59-57 at home on Feb. 7.
Texas A&M at Arkansas 2:00 PM ET
The addition of Texas A&M and Missouri expanded the SEC tournament to five days, and the Aggies are hoping to avoid playing on the first day of next week’s event. Texas A&M has dropped three of its past four and heads to Arkansas on Saturday needing a victory and a Vanderbilt loss to avoid the 11th seed and a first-round tournament game on Wednesday.
Pittsburgh at DePaul 2:00 PM ET
No. 22 Pittsburgh looks to close out the regular season with a fourth straight win when the Panthers visit DePaul on Saturday. The Panthers beat Villanova 73-64 in overtime Sunday to move into a three-way tie for fourth in the Big East with No. 16 Syracuse and No. 24 Notre Dame. One of the three will get a double-bye in the conference tournament while the other two will only get a first-round bye. Pittsburgh routed DePaul 93-55 in their first matchup Jan. 26.
Nebraska at Iowa 2:21 PM ET
Iowa looks to make more of a case for a potential NCAA Tournament berth when it hosts Nebraska on Saturday in the Big Ten regular-season finale for both squads. The Hawkeyes can reach 20 wins with a victory over the Cornhuskers as they try to get into the field of 68. Nebraska won't be an easy win for Iowa, though, as the Cornhuskers topped the Hawkeyes 64-60 on Feb. 23 and are coming off an emotional win over Minnesota in their home finale on Wednesday.
Clemson at Miami-Florida 2:30 PM ET
No. 7 Miami must beat visiting Clemson on Saturday to clinch the ACC regular-season title for the first time since joining the conference for the 2004-05 season. Miami has lost three of its last four games, including two straight, after a 14-game win streak and is coming off a 71-69 loss at home to Georgia Tech on Wednesday. It will be Senior Day for the Hurricanes, who are 13-1 at home. Clemson, which is 3-8 on the road, looks to beat a ranked opponent for the first time this season.
Oregon at Utah 2:30 PM ET
It appears nobody wants to win the Pac-12 title, but Oregon remains on the inside track. The Ducks get another chance to wrap up their first regular-season title since 2002 with a victory at Utah on Saturday. Oregon, UCLA and California entered the final week of the regular season with a chance to claim the title, but only the Ducks continue to control their own destiny. If they stumble, UCLA wins the title with a victory at Washington on Saturday.
Texas at Texas Tech 4:00 PM ET
Texas and Texas Tech will both be playing on the first day of the Big 12 Conference tournament but the Longhorns' trip to Texas Tech on Saturday could still impact the standings. The Longhorns, who are 6-6 since starting league play 0-5, can move up to the seventh seed with a win and a West Virginia loss. Otherwise, these in-state rivals could meet again Wednesday at the conference tournament. The Longhorns have won nine straight against Texas Tech and 16 of the past 17.
Georgia at Alabama 4:00 PM ET
Alabama needs a victory on Saturday against Georgia to reach 20 on the season, and the Crimson Tide’s hopes of an NCAA Tournament at-large berth could use a boost. Alabama has followed a four-game winning streak by dropping three of its past four games, squarely placing the Crimson Tide on the tournament bubble. Georgia has saved its best basketball for the second half of the season, winning three of its past four and eight of 12 following a 1-4 start to SEC play.
Missouri at Tennessee 4:00 PM ET
Missouri tries to hang on to a top-four spot in the SEC standings with a win on the road against a hot Tennessee squad. The Volunteers have won seven of eight heading into their home finale and can potentially move into the top four in the league standings and an automatic spot in the SEC tournament quarterfinals. Tennessee's offense has been working well of late, with the Vols (averaging 66.9 points) topping 80 in four of their last six outings.
Notre Dame at Louisville 4:00 PM ET
No. 6 Louisville and No. 24 Notre Dame produced one of the most memorable games of the season in their last meeting, but the stakes will be higher on Saturday when the Cardinals host the Fighting Irish. Louisville, which is in a three-way tie for first in the conference with Georgetown and Marquette, has won six straight since and can clinch at least a share of the Big East regular-season crown with a win over Notre Dame.
Arizona St. at Arizona 4:30 PM ET
Arizona looks to snap a two-game losing streak and earn a first-round bye in the Pac-12 tournament when the No. 18 Wildcats host Arizona State on Saturday. Arizona, fourth in the conference and 13-2 at home, is coming off a 74-69 loss at UCLA on Saturday. The Wildcats are 143-80 in the series against Arizona State and have won 29 of the last 37 meetings, including 71-54 on Jan. 19 in Tempe.
Oregon St. at Colorado 4:30 PM ET
Colorado will look to bolster its NCAA Tournament resume when it hosts Oregon State on Saturday in the regular-season finale. The Buffaloes are expected to again be without junior forward Andre Roberson, the nation's leading rebounder at 11.5 per game who reportedly has mononucleosis. Colorado coach Tad Boyle expects to have Roberson back for the Pac-12 tournament, which begins Wednesday. The Buffaloes still have a shot at a first-round bye, which would give Roberson an extra day's rest.
Oklahoma at Texas Christian 5:00 PM ET
Oklahoma is eying its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2009 as the Sooners visit Texas Christian on Saturday for the regular-season finale. The Sooners, who have won six of eight, also have a chance to move into third place in the Big 12 Conference with a win and a Oklahoma State loss to Kansas State. Powered by senior forward Romero Osby, the Sooners are averaging 86.6 points in their last five games.
Auburn at Mississippi St. 5:30 PM ET
Last place in the SEC will be on the line when Auburn visits Mississippi State on Saturday. Auburn, which is 2-8 on the road, has lost 14 of its last 15 games, including eight straight, and is coming off an 82-75 loss at home to Tennessee on Wednesday. The Tigers have won five of the last eight meetings, including 65-55 on Feb. 18, 2012 at Auburn. Both teams are 3-14 in conference play.
Kansas at Baylor 6:00 PM ET
Kansas will know before it tips off at Baylor on Saturday whether it has a chance to win the Big 12 Conference title outright. The No. 3 Jayhawks enter the weekend tied with Kansas State and their in-state rivals play at Oklahoma State earlier Saturday afternoon. Kansas, which has won seven straight since a three-game losing streak, is trying to win at least a share of its ninth straight Big 12 regular-season title.
New Mexico at Air Force 6:00 PM ET
Positioning for the NCAA Tournament is what’s on the mind of No. 11 New Mexico heading into its regular-season finale Saturday at Air Force. The Lobos wrapped up their second consecutive Mountain West Conference title and fourth in the last five years last weekend. Air Force was an early surprise in conference play, but has gone 2-6 since upsetting San Diego State on Feb. 2.
Southern California at Washington St. 6:30 PM ET
Washington State looks to build on its stunning upset of UCLA when the Cougars host USC on Saturday in the final regular-season game for both teams. The Cougars snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 73-61 victory over the Bruins on Wednesday, while USC is 6-3 in its last nine games and 7-6 under interim head coach Bob Cantu. Both teams will face long odds at the Pac-12 tournament, which begins Wednesday in Las Vegas.
Duke at North Carolina 9:00 PM ET
Ryan Kelly was still rehabbing a foot injury while P.J. Hairston was making his debut as a starter the last time North Carolina played Duke on Feb. 13. When these bitter rivals meet again in Chapel Hill to close out the regular season Saturday, Kelly and Hairston will likely square off against each other in a game that still might have ACC regular-season title implications for the fourth-ranked Blue Devils.
Gonzaga at Loyola Marymount 9:00 PM ET
Gonzaga will make its first appearance as the top-ranked team in the nation when it plays upset-minded Loyola Marymount in a West Coast Conference tournament semifinal Saturday in Las Vegas. The Bulldogs emerged as the No. 1 team in the USA Today poll as a result of 12 straight victories and a string of upset losses by previously top-ranked teams. Gonzaga will be trying for its 12th WCC title since 1985. The last time the Bulldogs did not play for a championship was in 1997.
St. Mary's at San Diego 11:30 PM ET
Saint Mary’s begins its quest for a second straight West Coast Conference tournament title and third in the last four seasons, taking on San Diego in the semifinals Saturday in Las Vegas. The No. 23 Gaels, seeded second behind No.1 Gonzaga, bring a five-game winning streak into the tournament. The sixth-seeded Toreros join ninth-seeded Loyola Marymount as semifinal surprises. They knocked off third-seeded Brigham Young in Friday’s quarterfinals, getting 25 points from guard Johnny Dee.