Preview Roundups
March 16, 2019
Wisconsin at Michigan St 1:00 PM ET
Top-seeded Michigan State looks to take the next step towards a Big Ten Tournament title when it faces fourth-seeded Wisconsin in the semifinal round Saturday at the United Center in Chicago. The No. 7 Spartans won their third straight with a 77-70 victory over Ohio State in Friday's quarterfinals, while the No. 19 Badgers notched their fourth consecutive win with a 66-62 decision over Nebraska.
Florida at Auburn 1:00 PM ET
Florida likely earned its spot in the Big Dance with a wild comeback victory Friday and the eighth-seeded Gators will now focus on winning the SEC Tournament when they take on fifth seed Auburn in the semifinals on Saturday afternoon in Nashville, Tenn. Florida rallied from 13 points down in the second half and freshman guard Andrew Nembhard drained a 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left for a 76-73 win over top seed LSU on Friday, probably sealing an NCAA bid.
Memphis at Houston 3:00 PM ET
Houston reached the 30-win mark for the first time since the days of Phi Slama Jama more than 35 years ago and has its sights set on a second straight trip to the American Athletic Conference Tournament title game. To get there, the top-seeded and 10th-ranked Cougars will have to get past a surging fifth-seeded Memphis squad playing on its home floor when the teams meet Saturday in the semifinals at FedExForum.
Minnesota at Michigan 3:30 PM ET
No. 3 seed Michigan looks to stay on track for its third straight Big Ten Tournament title when it faces seventh-seeded Minnesota in the semifinals on Saturday in Chicago. The Wolverines routed sixth-seeded Iowa 74-53 on Friday to set a Big Ten Tournament record with their ninth consecutive win in the competition and hope for another stout defensive performance by taking down the Golden Gophers for the fifth straight time.
Tennessee at Kentucky 3:30 PM ET
When Tyler Herro scores 15 points, No. 4 Kentucky always wins, but coach John Calipari doesn't want to hear about offense. The SEC Newcomer of the Year tallied 20 points and the second-seeded Wildcats held Alabama to 30.4 percent shooting in a 73-55 victory Thursday to advance to the SEC Tournament semifinals on Saturday against third-seeded Tennessee at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
Wichita St. at Cincinnati 5:00 PM ET
Second-seeded Cincinnati attempts to reach the American Athletic Conference Championship game for the third straight season when it takes on sixth seed Wichita State in the semifinals Saturday at Memphis, Tenn. The Bearcats, who beat Houston in the final last year, trailed by as many as eight points in the first half before rallying for an 82-74 victory over SMU in Friday’s quarterfinals.
Iowa State at Kansas 6:00 PM ET
Iowa State and Kansas have combined to win the last six Big 12 Championship games, and each can make a legitimate claim that the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. has become a second home. The fifth-seeded Cyclones take aim at their fourth conference tournament title at the venue in six seasons Saturday when they face the 18th-ranked and third-seeded Jayhawks, who have won the event in two of the last three years.
Seton Hall at Villanova 6:30 PM ET
Villanova has endured its ups and downs this season, but the team is 40 minutes away from making history. The 25th-ranked Wildcats can become the first team ever to win three straight Big East Tournament titles when they face Seton Hall at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
Bowling Green at Buffalo 7:30 PM ET
Top-seeded Buffalo will try to become the first team to win four Mid-American Conference Tournament titles in five seasons when it meets third-seeded Bowling Green in the final Saturday at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. The No.16 Bulls squeaked by fifth-seeded Central Michigan 85-81 in the semifinals and will look to defeat the Falcons for the second time in a span of nine days.
Florida State at Duke 8:30 PM ET
No. 5 Duke will play for its 21st conference title when it takes on No. 13 Florida State in the championship of the ACC Tournament in Charlotte, N.C., on Saturday evening. The Blue Devils, who are seeded third in the tournament, got to the final with a thrilling win over rival North Carolina, while the fourth-seeded Seminoles surprised many with an upset win over top-seeded Virginia.
Oregon at Washington 10:30 PM ET
Washington, which won the regular-season Pac-12 championship by three games, will try to win its first conference tournament title since 2011 on Saturday night in Las Vegas. But to be able to cut the down the nets, the Huskies must get by bitter rival Oregon, which spoiled their Senior Night last Saturday by handing them their only home loss of the season 55-47.