FBCB Interactive Coaches Dynasty- part 2

[collegesportsfanms]

ok guys, I'm about to increase the interaction just a little bit here. I have decided that I am going to allow all 24 of our FOFC coaches to choose a guarantee game for their non-conference schedule every season. That means that each of our 24 FOFC teams will be guaranteed to play 1 team in the non-conference schedule every season. I was going to allow everybody to change it up, but I feel that would just be too confusing.

So for those that like to schedule tough, now's your chance. For those that see a guaranteed win facing a certain team every year, that works too. Or, if you want schedule an FOFC vs. FOFC match-up with a particular team (I would prefer both teams agree to it, but it's not necessary) that's fine too.

Now, the kicker is, for every 100 wins an FOFC coach gets, they are allowed to add an extra guaranteed, never changing game to their non-conference schedule. So that means that Tim Sheppard of UCLA and Patrick Hutt of Kentucky have 2 guarantee games every season. Every other FOFC coach and team has 1.

So what I would like from everybody is to get those games in before next season. You have plenty of time, but don't waste too much time, I'm hoping to get through this season playing a week every other day, or something.

If anybody has any questions or is a little confused by what I mean, please let me know, and I'll clarify. Thanks, and get those games in! I'll make a note of it, and that team will be locked in to play you every single season.

[rjolley]

To keep it in the FOFC family, I'll choose Duke and Kentucky.

If not, I'll take UNC and UConn.

Forgot about Stanford. Hmmm...let's go with the football rivalry with Notre Dame.

[bbgunn]

Hmmm... Hawaii and UNLV? A lot of people from the Islands go to Vegas for vacation.

[Coffee Warlord]

I think Colorado wants an annual shot at Northwestern.

[DavidCorperial]

I think I'll have Hartford face Yale.

[ntndeacon]

I think a Davidson/ Charlotte clash makes a world of sense.

For Alabama... I'd love to schedule a battle with Michigan!

Roll Tide!

[vex]

Tulsa is willing to play any FOFCer looking for a yearly matchup.

[collegesportsfanms]

Thanks for those that have responded to picking a non-conference rival, there are still a lot of coaches to hear from, and a lot of FOFC vs. FOFC challenges that need to be answered.

Fortunately there's a long ways to go in this season, but if there are still unanswered challenges by that time, I'll probably just accept them on behalf of the other coach.

People, get your responses in, I'll start sending PMs if I need to.

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 2-8, 2019

Looks like we have 2 feature games this week, so we'll take a look at them now.

12/3/19- Norfolk State (Payten Carrano) @ ECU (Al Hutt) -- Not much to talk about here. ECU jumped out to a 25 point lead in the first half, led by 21 at halftime, and never looked back, rolling to an easy home victory in shooting 50% even.

Final Score: ECU- 83, Norfolk State- 61

12/7/19- Colorado (Rob Nielsen) @ #6 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- Neither team took care of the ball in this one, as the teams combined for 34 turnovers. The difference was Kentucky shot 49.1% and Colorado shot 38.2%. A 43-32 rebounding edge also helped the Wildcats to an easy victory as they stay undefeated on the young season.

Final Score: #6 Kentucky- 78, Colorado- 54

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 3-2, 0-0 America East.

12/2/19 at Northeastern (W 83-62).
12/5/19 at Rhode Island (W 78-70).
12/8/19 vs. Tennessee (W 75-71, OT).

What a week for the Hawks, who beat a very good mid-major team, won all 3 games this week, including 2 on the road, and upset an SEC team with an RPI of 38. Is Coach Ginsberg finally turning a corner? We shall see.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 2-3, 0-0 American.

12/3/19 vs. Norfolk State- feature game, highlighted above.
12/6/19 at Georgetown (L 79-58).
12/8/19 at #5 Syracuse (L 58-49).

Despite going 1-2 this week, the Pirates showed signs of life. They actually hung with Syracuse for most of the game. Another team turning the corner possibly?

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 3-2, 0-0 American.

No games this week for Coach Brown and the Golden Hurricane.

Davidson (Randolph Childress) -- 1-3, 0-0 Atlantic 10.

12/2/19 at Louisville (L 77-68).
12/6/19 at Creighton (L 80-69).

Tough scheduling for the Wildcats in going on the road against 2 tough opponents. Perhaps it is time for Coach Childress to ease up on the schedule and get a guaranteed win every year.

Clemson (Charles Johnson) -- 2-2, 0-0 ACC.

No games this week for Coach Johnson and the Tigers.

#13 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 8-1, 0-0 ACC.

12/4/19 vs. Delaware (W 93-56).
12/6/19 at #17 Vanderbilt (L 68-66).
12/8/19 at Cincinnati (W 87-82).

Overall a good week for the Blue Devils, as they do suffer their first loss but make no mistake, Vandy will be dancing or I'll eat my hat. They recovered nicely against Cincy, which should be another NCAA Tournament team.

Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 4-2, 0-0 Big 12.

12/3/19 vs. #15 Gonzaga (L 66-61).
12/6/19 vs. #4 UConn (W 65-59).

A split for the Jayhawks this week against a couple top 15 opponents. Nothing to be ashamed of there.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 3-3, 0-0 Big 12.

12/3/19 at Texas A&M (L 77-40).
12/7/19 at Grand Canyon (L 78-75).

It's back to the drawing board for the Horned Frogs, who seem to be sinking a little bit after a hot start. They have a couple feel good games next week that they better win.

Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- 2-5, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/3/19 vs. UNC Wilmington (L 71-57).
12/5/19 vs. UAB (L 63-60).
12/8/19 vs. Creighton (W 60-52).

3 tough games this week for the Wolverines. Don't be alarmed at the 2 losses, Wilmington and UAB are good teams that both have the potential to be dancing in March, at the very least NIT bound. But still, teams Michigan should be beating.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 2-3, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/5/19 at Xavier (W 70-61).

The Spartans had just 1 game this week, but they might finally be turning a corner. They've played much better basketball in their past 2 games.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 5-3, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/3/19 at Furman (W 84-74).
12/5/19 vs. Dayton (L 78-55).

A split for the Wildcats, who also faced a couple teams that should be playing somewhere in March. Give credit to all our FOFC teams, they like to play tough non-conference schedules.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 3-2, 0-0 Big West.

12/2/19 vs. Texas-Rio Grande Valley (L 81-63).
12/7/19 at UL Lafayette (W 64-52).

There is really no excuse for the Warriors to be losing by 18 to a WAC team. let's be honest, the WAC is near the bottom in conference RPI, with only 5 teams with a worse conference RPI. It didn't take long for firecoachgunn.com to get up and running again this season.

Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) -- 2-4, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/2/19 at Villanova (W 77-63).
12/8/19 vs. UNC Greensboro (W 60-58).

Big week for the 49ers who win their first 2 games. That road win at Villanova could be the start of a nice turnaround, as suddenly their schedule doesn't look quite so overbearing.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 2-2, 0-0 Conference USA.

No games this week for Coach Shocker and the Owls.

Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 3-3, 1-0 MAAC.

12/8/19 vs. Manhattan (W 70-61).

I still don't understand why the MAAC starts their conference schedule so early, but the Hawks get off to a good start. Beating Manhattan would normally mean something as they are usually one of the MAAC's best teams, but they have yet to win a game this season. Either way, it's a good start for the Hawks.

Norfolk State (Payten Carrano) -- 1-6, 0-0 MEAC.

12/3/19 at ECU- feature game, highlighted above.
12/5/19 at Princeton (L 85-76).
12/8/19 vs. Mississippi Valley State (L 80-74, OT).

0-3 for the week is unacceptable for the Spartans. There are already rumblings about a coaching change in the offseason. Coach Carrano better pull something out of his hat (or hers, oops can't remember) during the conference season.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 2-6, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/2/19 vs. William & Mary (W 86-58).
12/7/19 at #6 Kentucky- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Buffaloes, who really needed a better effort against Kentucky. No shame in losing to them, but not by 24. Come on Coach Nielsen.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 3-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/2/19 vs. N.C. State (L 60-57).
12/7/19 at Long Beach State (W 72-65).

A couple tough games this week for the Cardinal, as they split them. The countdown is on for Coach Sanchez, who is just 2 wins away from win #100 in his career.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 4-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/4/19 vs. Indiana State (W 81-72).
12/6/19 vs. Bucknell (W 85-54).
12/8/19 at Cal State Northridge (W 76-58).

The week layoff really paid off for Coach Shepard and the Bruins, as they handled 3 opponents easily this week. Now, they get another layoff next week before a couple more what should be easy victories.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 4-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/2/19 vs. Colorado State (W 50-46).
12/6/19 at UMBC (W 60-49).

Good week for the Cougars who get over .500 for the first time this season. They beat a couple mid-range RPI opponents to do it too.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 3-1, 0-0 SEC.

12/3/19 at Pittsburgh (W 73-66).
12/6/19 vs. Middle Tennessee (W 70-58).

Good week for the Crimson Tide, who take care of business against a couple decent opponents. Now they can breath a little easier as they have 3 games in a row that should be double digit wins.

Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- 4-3, 0-0 SEC.

12/6/19 at South Carolina State (W 86-49).
12/8/19 vs. Miami (L 65-42).

Coach Oppenheimer won't be happy watching his Gators get beat by 23 against one of their in-state rivals. Better believe, he'll have them working hard in practice next week.

#6 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 5-0, 0-0 SEC.

12/5/19 at Illinois State (W 98-81).
12/7/19 vs. Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.

The Wildcats keep rolling, even beating up on one of our FOFC teams. They don't have a real test in their non-conference schedule until a New Years Eve showdown with guess who.. Duke!

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 4-1, 0-0 Sun Belt.

12/3/19 at Mississippi State (L 76-60).
12/5/19 at North Dakota (W 74-60).

A split for the Trojans, who lose to a much improved Mississippi State team looking to get back in the SEC. But, a good recovery against North Dakota.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. North Carolina (71) 7-0 1799 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Maryland 6-0 1713 2 Big Ten Conference
3. Iowa State (1) 6-0 1657 3 Big 12 Conference
4. Kentucky 5-0 1542 6 Southeastern Conference
5. Baylor 7-1 1483 9 Big 12 Conference
6. Syracuse 5-0 1455 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Arizona 4-1 1244 14 Pacific-12 Conference
8. Texas 5-0 1214 12 Big 12 Conference
9. Indiana 4-0 1213 10 Big Ten Conference
10. Vanderbilt 4-1 1154 17 Southeastern Conference
11. Gonzaga 7-0 1129 15 West Coast Conference
12. New Mexico 6-0 908 20 Mountain West Conference
13. Providence 6-0 890 18 Big East Conference
14. Marquette 5-0 822 22 Big East Conference
15. UC Santa Barbara 5-0 684 NR Big West Conference
16. Virginia Tech 5-0 652 24 Atlantic Coast Conference
17. Iowa 2-1 618 25 Big Ten Conference
18. Illinois 5-1 552 NR Big Ten Conference
19. South Dakota State 5-0 525 NR Summit League
20. Louisville 6-2 414 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
21. Howard 5-0 362 NR Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
22. Duke 8-1 301 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
23. VCU 3-1 291 11 Southeastern Conference
24. Ohio State 5-2 289 7 Big Ten Conference
25. Florida State 6-1 212 8 Atlantic Coast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Minnesota 4-1 45 Big Ten Conference
Seton Hall 5-1 42 Big East Conference
SMU 5-1 27 American Athletic Conference
Arkansas 4-1 26 Southeastern Conference
Oregon 3-2 24 Pacific-12 Conference
South Carolina 5-1 24 Southeastern Conference
California 5-1 22 Pacific-12 Conference
Nebraska 5-1 10 Big Ten Conference
Oakland 5-1 9 Horizon League
DePaul 2-1 7 Big East Conference
Niagara 7-1 6 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Columbia 5-1 5 Ivy League
Rutgers 6-1 5 Big Ten Conference
South Florida 6-1 5 American Athletic Conference
Temple 5-1 5 American Athletic Conference
Northern Illinois 4-1 3 Mid-American Conference
Wake Forest 5-1 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
Western Michigan 5-1 3 Mid-American Conference
Richmond 4-1 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
UCLA 4-1 2 Pacific-12 Conference
Fordham 4-1 1 Atlantic 10 Conference
UTEP 5-1 1 Conference USA

Kentucky rises 2 spots, while Duke gets pretty harshly punished for a 2 point loss to a very good team, dropping 9 spots. Troy loses their national votes, but UCLA picks up a couple.

[collegesportsfanms]

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Gonzaga (68) 7-0 1796 2 West Coast Conference
2. New Mexico 6-0 1720 3 Mountain West Conference
3. UC Santa Barbara (1) 5-0 1647 5 Big West Conference
4. South Dakota State (2) 5-0 1586 15 Summit League
5. Howard (1) 5-0 1529 17 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
6. SMU 5-1 1215 NR American Athletic Conference
7. Drexel 5-1 1051 24 Colonial Athletic Association
8. Temple 5-1 1007 22 American Athletic Conference
9. South Florida 6-1 1003 NR American Athletic Conference
10. UTEP 5-1 998 4 Conference USA
11. Oakland 5-1 810 NR Horizon League
12. Columbia 5-1 791 NR Ivy League
13. Missouri State 5-1 761 NR Missouri Valley Conference
14. Niagara 7-1 664 NR Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
15. Dayton 4-1 643 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
16. Louisiana Monroe 5-1 631 NR Sun Belt Conference
17. Drake 5-1 576 NR Missouri Valley Conference
18. Connecticut 4-2 511 1 American Athletic Conference
19. Western Michigan 5-1 455 NR Mid-American Conference
20. Samford 4-1 438 12 Southern Conference
21. Richmond 4-1 335 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
22. UNC Wilmington 4-1 332 NR Colonial Athletic Association
23. FIU 5-1 267 7 Conference USA
24. Portland 4-1 259 NR West Coast Conference
25. Fordham 4-1 256 NR Atlantic 10 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Northern Illinois 4-1 213 Mid-American Conference
San Jose State 4-1 211 Mountain West Conference
Wichita State 2-1 179 Missouri Valley Conference
USC Upstate 4-1 162 Atlantic Sun Conference
Cal State Bakersfield 5-1 147 Western Athletic Conference
UAB 3-1 144 Conference USA
Kennesaw State 5-1 129 Atlantic Sun Conference
Florida A&M 4-1 126 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
UT Arlington 3-1 110 Sun Belt Conference
Milwaukee 3-1 96 Horizon League
Mississippi Valley State 5-1 93 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Troy 4-1 92 Sun Belt Conference
Sacramento State 1-1 83 Big Sky Conference
Loyola MD 4-1 73 Patriot League
South Alabama 3-1 64 Sun Belt Conference
Miami OH 3-1 63 Mid-American Conference
UCF 2-1 59 American Athletic Conference
Dartmouth 2-1 51 Ivy League
Boise State 4-2 24 Mountain West Conference

Troy loses their spot in the mid-major top 25, but is still receiving enough votes for consideration. They are the only FOFC mid-major team making any kind of noise right now.

[thealmighty]

TCU would accept the Tulsa challenge. Michigan State wants a piece of Notre Dame.

[vex]

TCU vs. Tulsa

Done.

[collegesportsfanms]

TCU-Tulsa is a done deal! I'm booking it! Looks like Notre Dame is gonna have their hands full with our FOFC coached teams. First Stanford, now Michigan State!

The following yearly non-con rivalries are set in stone:

Stanford/Notre Dame
Michigan State/Notre Dame
TCU/Tulsa
Hartford/Yale
Hawaii/UNLV

The following yearly non-con rivalries still need to be confirmed by 1 FOFC coach.

Alabama/Michigan
Davidson/Charlotte
Colorado/Northwestern
UCLA/Duke
UCLA/Kentucky

All non-con rivalry series will play a home and home series. After 2 seasons, I'll give everybody the option if they want to change, or play another home and home. I hope I'm not confusing anybody royally here. lol

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 9-15, 2019

We have 1 feature game this week, an ACC/AAC showdown.

12/9/19- Clemson (Charles Johnson) @ Tulsa (Will Brown) -- A nice little shootout here, as both teams shot over 40%. The difference was fouls and free throws. Tulsa committed 27 team fouls, allowing Clemson to go 26-35 from the line. Clemson on the other hand committed 10 team fouls, and Tulsa was 8-9 from the line. That 26-8 differential at the free throw line was almost the exact differential in the game.

Final Score: Clemson- 90, Tulsa- 71

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 4-3, 0-0 America East.

12/12/19 at Lehigh (L 82-70).
12/15/19 at Fordham (W 72-51).

A split for the Hawks, a road split no less. Both opponents this week have the potential to be playing in the postseason, so a pretty successful week.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 3-4, 0-0 American.

12/10/19 vs. High Point (W 78-56).
12/12/19 at Minnesota (L 88-81).

A gallant effort for the Pirates, on the road against a team that is about to be ranked. This is an improved ECU team.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 3-3, 0-0 American.

12/9/19 vs. Clemson- feature game, highlighted above.

The Golden Hurricane are not a fan of the officiating crew they had against Clemson. Normally it's the home team that gets the benefit of the calls, but not this time.

Davidson (Randolph Childress) -- 3-3, 0-0 Atlantic 10.

12/9/19 vs. UNC Wilmington (W 85-63).
12/11/19 vs. Southern Illinois (W 73-64).

Good week for the Wildcats as they get back to .500 with a couple solid home victories.

Clemson (Charles Johnson) -- 3-3, 0-0 ACC.

12/9/19 at Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.
12/11/19 vs. UNC Greensboro (L 53-49).

The Tigers split this week, but as mentioned above, they can thank a very aggressive Tulsa team and some questionable officiating in their win.

#22 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 9-1, 0-0 ACC.

12/10/19 vs. Elon (W 77-59).

Just 1 game this week for the Blue Devils, but they take care of business and have 1 more game before the New Years Eve showdown with Kentucky.

Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 5-3, 0-0 Big 12.

12/9/19 at Minnesota (L 94-51).
12/13/19 vs. Georgia State (W 85-76).

Yikes! When's the last time the Jayhawks were beaten that bad? Either KU is down, or Minnesota is just that damn good.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 5-3, 0-0 Big 12.

12/9/19 vs. Lamar (W 77-57).
12/13/19 vs. Montana State (W 103-94).

A nice shooting display for the Horned Frogs this weekend against subpar competition. They'll take all the wins they can get right now.

Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- 2-6, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/12/19 at Wichita State (L 81-76, OT).

Just the 1 game this week for the Wolverines. If that were a real result, I'd love it. But since I'm rooting for all the FOFC teams to do well, curse you Wichita State!

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 5-3, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/11/19 vs. #11 Gonzaga (W 93-92, OT).
12/13/19 vs. Boston College (W 61-54).

Don't look now, but the Spartans have won 5 in a row after finishing dead last in their season tournament. They've got some players healthy, and Coach Mighty is just 1 win away from career win #100.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 5-4, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/15/19 at SMU (L 88-76).

The Wildcats played tough, but it was not to be, as they lost a tough one on the road in their only game of the week.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 4-3, 0-0 Big West.

12/7/19 at UL Lafayette (W 64-52).
12/11/19 vs. Northeastern (L 78-68).
12/14/19 at Bowling Green (W 92-87, OT).

The Warriors certainly aren't doing it conventionally by winning on the road and losing at home, but things look good if they keep that pattern because their next 3 games are on the road.

Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) -- 2-6, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/21/19 at Georgetown (L 87-79).
12/14/19 at N.C. State (L 87-64).

The 49ers feel like they are just a couple players away from being able to handle their brutal yearly non-conference schedule. They play both teams tough but ran out of gas in both games.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 3-3, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/11/19 vs. UT Arlington (W 65-56).
12/14/19 at La Salle (L 65-58).

A conventional split for the Owls who win at home and lose on the road.

Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 4-3, 2-0 MAAC.

12/13/19 at Iona (W 63-62).

A tough road win for the Hawks this week. They are enjoying it, because they know this is the most wide open the MAAC has ever been.

Norfolk State (Payten Carrano) -- 1-7, 0-0 MEAC.

12/14/19 at James Madison (L 79-63).

1 game for the Spartans this week, and it's 4 losses in a row after they get hammered on the road.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 2-9, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/10/19 vs. Weber State (L 77-69).
12/13/19 at #17 Iowa (L 68-49).
12/15/19 at BYU (L 81-45).

My, my my! What is going on with the Buffaloes? Coach Nielsen has to get it figured out soon. Right now it's do get in the conference season or he may be looking for a new job. At the very least, his seat is getting warmer as the season goes on.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 4-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/9/19 at Nevada (W 58-46).
12/11/19 vs. Northern Illinois (L 68-60).

There's no excuse for the Cardinal to be losing to Northern Illinois. Sure, they are a good team, but Coach Sanchez has to have his team ready for that. He's also 1 win away from career win #100.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 4-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

No games this week for Coach Shepard and the Bruins.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 5-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/13/19 at North Carolina A&T (W 74-66).

1 more win for the Cougars on the road. They aren't big wins as far as point differential, but they are big for the Cougars anyways.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 6-1, 0-0 SEC.

12/10/19 vs. Nicholls State (W 65-52).
12/12/19 vs. Miami (OH) (W 115-104, OT).
12/14/19 vs. Alabama A&M (W 97-69).

The Crimson Tide do get all 3 of the wins they were expected to get this week, but 2 were tougher than expected. Now they have a grind their remaining 4 non-conference games, and we'll learn more about them quickly.

Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- 6-3, 0-0 SEC.

12/10/19 vs. Georgia Tech (W 85-69).
12/12/19 vs. Loyola MD (W 68-48).

Good week for the Gators with 2 victories. They seem to be getting it together, sans that loss to Miami. Coach Oppenheimer countdown begins as he is just 4 wins away from career win #100.

#4 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 7-0, 0-0 SEC.

12/10/19 vs. Buffalo (W 76-63).
12/14/19 at Northern Iowa (W 79-56).

RPI wise, those 2 wins for the Wildcats are huge, as Buffalo now has an RPI of 11. Northern Iowa's isn't as good at #171, but still, Kentucky continues to take care of business.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 5-2, 0-0 Sun Belt.

12/11/19 at Evansville (L 75-74).
12/13/19 vs. Alcorn State (W 75-67).

An agonizing defeat for the Trojans against Evansville as they couldn't hold on to a late lead after trailing most of the game. They are still much improved, and the Sun Belt as per usual appears to be wide open, so we'll see.

Here's a look at the national top 25 heading into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. North Carolina (72) 9-0 1800 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Maryland 7-0 1718 2 Big Ten Conference
3. Kentucky 7-0 1614 4 Southeastern Conference
4. Baylor 9-1 1594 5 Big 12 Conference
5. Syracuse 7-0 1526 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Vanderbilt 7-1 1416 10 Southeastern Conference
7. Indiana 7-0 1400 9 Big Ten Conference
8. Iowa State 7-1 1274 3 Big 12 Conference
9. New Mexico 8-0 1183 12 Mountain West Conference
10. Illinois 7-1 1114 18 Big Ten Conference
11. Iowa 3-1 949 17 Big Ten Conference
12. Duke 9-1 860 22 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. Texas 7-1 806 8 Big 12 Conference
14. Louisville 7-2 800 20 Atlantic Coast Conference
15. Ohio State 6-2 692 24 Big Ten Conference
16. California 7-1 673 NR Pacific-12 Conference
17. Minnesota 6-1 615 NR Big Ten Conference
18. Arizona 5-2 531 7 Pacific-12 Conference
19. SMU 7-1 335 NR American Athletic Conference
20. Notre Dame 7-1 288 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
21. Florida State 7-1 260 25 Atlantic Coast Conference
22. Marquette 7-1 199 14 Big East Conference
23. DePaul 4-1 189 NR Big East Conference
24. Seton Hall 6-1 182 NR Big East Conference
25. South Carolina 6-1 166 NR Southeastern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Texas A&M 6-2 148 Southeastern Conference
Alabama 6-1 119 Southeastern Conference
Wisconsin 6-2 106 Big Ten Conference
UC Santa Barbara 7-1 99 Big West Conference
VCU 4-1 82 Southeastern Conference
UTEP 7-1 78 Conference USA
Providence 7-1 74 Big East Conference
Connecticut 7-2 67 American Athletic Conference
Dayton 6-1 53 Atlantic 10 Conference
Niagara 9-1 47 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Portland 7-1 47 West Coast Conference
Nebraska 6-1 40 Big Ten Conference
Richmond 5-1 38 Atlantic 10 Conference
Virginia Tech 5-1 31 Atlantic Coast Conference
USC Upstate 6-1 30 Atlantic Sun Conference
Missouri State 7-1 28 Missouri Valley Conference
UCLA 4-1 23 Pacific-12 Conference
Rutgers 6-1 22 Big Ten Conference
Oakland 6-1 20 Horizon League
Cal State Bakersfield 6-1 19 Western Athletic Conference
Drake 7-1 14 Missouri Valley Conference
Western Michigan 6-1 11 Mid-American Conference
Mississippi 4-1 9 Southeastern Conference
Virginia 5-2 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
Howard 6-1 4 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
UAB 4-1 1 Conference USA

Kentucky moves up a spot to #3, but one of the 2 teams ahead of them are gonna have to lose if the Wildcats are to move up higher. Not sure how a win over Elon equates to a 10 spot rise for Duke, but so be it. Alabama gets a lot of votes after beating up on 3 putz opponents, and the week layoff didn't hurt UCLA much, they still have some votes.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. New Mexico (72) 8-0 1800 2 Mountain West Conference
2. SMU 7-1 1592 6 American Athletic Conference
3. UC Santa Barbara 7-1 1587 3 Big West Conference
4. UTEP 7-1 1504 10 Conference USA
5. Portland 7-1 1325 24 West Coast Conference
6. Connecticut 7-2 1299 18 American Athletic Conference
7. Dayton 6-1 1281 15 Atlantic 10 Conference
8. Drake 7-1 1237 17 Missouri Valley Conference
9. Missouri State 7-1 1213 13 Missouri Valley Conference
10. Niagara 9-1 1195 14 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
11. Oakland 6-1 1038 11 Horizon League
12. Wichita State 4-1 1009 NR Missouri Valley Conference
13. USC Upstate 6-1 967 NR Atlantic Sun Conference
14. Western Michigan 6-1 907 19 Mid-American Conference
15. Howard 6-1 880 5 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
16. Richmond 5-1 862 21 Atlantic 10 Conference
17. Dartmouth 4-1 626 NR Ivy League
18. South Dakota State 5-1 623 4 Summit League
19. Cal State Bakersfield 6-1 615 NR Western Athletic Conference
20. UAB 4-1 589 NR Conference USA
21. Boise State 5-2 388 NR Mountain West Conference
22. Gonzaga 7-2 289 1 West Coast Conference
23. Cincinnati 7-2 191 NR American Athletic Conference
24. Saint Mary's 7-2 133 NR West Coast Conference
25. South Florida 7-2 72 9 American Athletic Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Temple 6-2 45 American Athletic Conference
Northern Illinois 5-2 26 Mid-American Conference
Louisiana Monroe 5-2 25 Sun Belt Conference
Eastern Michigan 6-2 15 Mid-American Conference
San Jose State 6-2 14 Mountain West Conference
Utah State 6-2 12 Mountain West Conference
Florida A&M 5-2 11 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Fordham 5-2 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
Furman 5-2 6 Southern Conference
Saint Joseph's 5-2 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
Texas A&M Corpus Christi 5-2 4 Southland Conference
Cal State Fullerton 5-2 2 Big West Conference
Appalachian State 4-2 1 Sun Belt Conference
Kennesaw State 5-2 1 Atlantic Sun Conference
North Dakota State 4-2 1 Summit League

Troy loses all their mid-major votes following a 1 point loss to Evansville. I disagree with that completely. I have a hard time making sense out of the polls on this game.

[Neuqua]

I think Colorado wants an annual shot at Northwestern.

Done.

[Breeze]

I guess UAB makes since

[collegesportsfanms]

I guess UAB makes since

If UAB is what you want, I'll put it in. Your team is doing better this year, hopefully they keep it up

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 16-22, 2019

2 feature games this week, so let's get to it.

12/16/19- Clemson (Charles Johnson) @ Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- A heck of a game in this one, as Clemson shot the ball a lot better, but also committed a lot more fouls, leading to a lot more free throws for Florida. Those free throws proved to be the difference as the Gators get a tough home victory.

Final Score: Florida- 79, Clemson- 76

12/21/19- UCLA (Tim Shepard) @ Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- The Wolverines actually outplayed UCLA in certain aspects of this one, but had no answer for UCLA's 59.6% shooting. It's hard for any team to be beaten when shooting that well.

Final Score: UCLA- 84, Michigan- 72

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 5-4, 0-0 America East.

12/18/19 vs. Army (W 73-65).
12/22/19 at Yale (L 79-59).

Another split for the Hawks, winning at home and losing on the road. They got a taste of what to expect in their home and home non-conference rivalry series against Yale, of which this game was not a part of.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 4-5, 0-0 American.

12/17/19 at Gonzaga (L 72-70).
12/19/19 vs. South Carolina State (W 66-52).

A split for the Pirates. Give them all the credit in the world as they actually went into Gonzaga and outplayed them for most of the game, even leading by 5 at halftime. Just fell a little short.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 5-3, 0-0 American.

12/16/19 vs. Grambling (W 70-50).
12/18/19 vs. UMKC (W 84-57).

A good comeback week for the Golden Hurricane who get 2 solid victories. Granted, their 2 opponents this week have a combined record of 4-15, but hey, you gotta start somewhere to get on a roll.

Davidson (Randolph Childress) -- 4-4, 0-0 Atlantic 10.

12/16/19 at #15 Ohio State (W 77-68).
12/21/19 at N.C. State (L 78-73).

The Wildcats will take this road split, as they did so against 2 very good teams. That win at Ohio State could loom big in March.

Clemson (Charles Johnson) -- 4-4, 0-0 ACC.

12/16/19 at Florida- feature game, highlighted above.
12/20/19 vs. #25 South Carolina (W 92-84).

A pretty good week for the Tigers, who probably got robbed of a victory at Florida. They seem to be playing better ball right now.

#12 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 9-2, 0-0 ACC.

12/19/19 at VCU (L 70-62).

1 game for the Blue Devils this week. No shame in losing to VCU, they are a good team that have worked their way into the SEC. However, they've lost some momentum going into the game against Kentucky.

Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 6-3, 0-0 Big 12.

12/21/19 at Creighton (W 79-53).

The Jayhawks roll in their only game of the week, doing so against what was once a proud mid-major program. My how far Creighton has fallen.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 7-3, 0-0 Big 12.

12/17/19 at UTEP (W 100-87).
12/19/19 vs. Jackson State (W 82-74).

4 in a row for the Horned Frogs since the loss at Grand Canyon. Granted, the competition hasn't been overwhelming, although the win at UTEP could prove to be huge.

Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- 2-8, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/18/19 vs. Radford (L 70-62).
12/21/19 vs. UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

Ugh, it gets even rougher for the Wolverines, who lose at home to.. Radford? Coach Tribble might want to start filling out job applications, I fear his time in Ann Arbor may be over in a matter of months.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 7-3, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/16/19 vs. Holy Cross (W 73-61).
12/21/19 vs. Illinois Chicago (W 96-67).

A couple easy wins for the Spartans who have now won 7 in a row. The Holy Cross win was win #100 of Coach Mighty's career. With that 100 win milestone, Coach Mighty now has the privilege of choosing a second team to have a non-conference rivalry series against. They've already chosen Notre Dame, who will be next?

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 6-4, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/20/19 vs. North Dakota (W 54-45).

The Wildcats win their only game of the week. They don't do it convincingly though, which might turn some heads.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 5-4, 0-0 Big West.

12/16/19 at USC (W 65-54).
12/21/19 at Texas Tech (L 96-93, OT).

A split for the Warriors on the road against 2 opponents that could be good come March. I think they'll take it.

Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) -- 2-7, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/20/19 at Western Carolina (L 74-70).

Yikes! Things are not going well for the 49ers at all. It's a little different story losing to the likes of Georgetown and N.C. State, but Western Carolina? It's a good thing Coach Tribbles seat isn't too hot yet, because it probably will be at the end of this season.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 4-5, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/16/19 vs. Houston Baptist (L 77-63).
12/18/19 at Stephen F. Austin (L 69-65).
12/22/19 at Ole Miss (W 60-55).

The Owls definitely played some head scratching games this week. They beat an SEC team in Ole Miss, at Ole Miss, but lose a home game to a brutal Houston Baptist team then lose to an almost as brutal Stephen F. Austin? Crazy!

Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 5-5, 3-0 MAAC.

12/18/19 at Stony Brook (L 80-69).
12/20/19 vs. Mt. St. Mary's (L 80-57).
12/22/19 at Manhattan (W 86-72).

Give the Hawks credit, they are winning in the conference, so far. Granted, the 23 point home loss to a non-conference foe in the middle of conference play stings, and another road non-conference loss doesn't help, but if they can keep rolling along in conference, they'll be alright.

Norfolk State (Payten Carrano) -- 1-8, 0-0 MEAC.

12/17/19 at George Mason (L 73-69).

Much better effort for the Spartans tonight, but the result was still the same: a loss. That's 5 in a row as Coach Carrano begins to feel the pressure.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 2-9, 0-0 Pac 12.

No games this week for Coach Nielsen and the Buffaloes, who have had a hard week of practice to try and end this major funk they are in.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 5-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/18/19- Las Vegas Classic First Round vs. (16) New Hampshire (W 77-57).
12/20/19- Las Vegas Classic Quarterfinals vs. (9) Princeton (L 70-35).

Coach Sanchez got his 100th career victory with the win over New Hampshire, giving him the right to choose another non-conference rivalry series. He also chose Notre Dame for Stanford's first 1. As far as the Princeton game goes, I think the team was celebrating way too hard the night before because they didn't show up to play.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 7-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/17/19 vs. Lafayette (W 86-78).
12/19/19 vs. Incarnate Word (W 82-43).
12/21/19 at Michigan- feature game, highlighted above.

Good week for the Bruins with 3 solid victories. The competition wasn't tough by any means (sorry Michigan), but winning 3 games in a week is pretty taxing anyways.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 6-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/18/19 vs. Utah State (W 54-46).

The Cougars just had 1 game this week, but they made the most of it getting a good win over a pretty strong Utah State team.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 7-1, 0-0 SEC.

12/19/19 vs. Marshall (W 93-63).

1 game this week for the Crimson Tide, but they rolled over a Marshall team that has an RPI of 100. However, we'll find out more about them in the next couple weeks, as they go on a 3 game road trip against 3 tough non-conference opponents. 2 are ranked, the other 1 could be.

Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- 7-4, 0-0 SEC.

12/16/19 vs. Clemson- feature game, highlighted above.
12/21/19 at Wichita State (L 71-62).

Wichita State seems to want to be the FOFC killer. Last week it was Michigan, now Florida. Coach Oppenheimer is 3 wins away from career win #100.

#3 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 8-1, 0-0 SEC.

12/17/19 vs. Butler (W 65-56).
12/20/19 at Memphis (L 87-82).

A split for the Wildcats this week, as they fall short on the road against a Memphis team that is always tough. Hopefully this is just a small bump in the road, as they've got 1 more tune-up before the big showdown with Duke.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 6-3, 1-1 Sun Belt.

12/19/19 vs. UL Monroe (L 72-66).
12/21/19 at Georgia Southern (W 80-57).

A split for the Trojans. When you're a struggling team, splits are nice, but Coach Hawkins will tell you that he wants 2 win weeks, not splits.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. North Carolina (68) 9-0 1796 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Maryland (4) 9-0 1731 2 Big Ten Conference
3. Baylor 11-1 1655 4 Big 12 Conference
4. Indiana 8-0 1565 7 Big Ten Conference
5. Syracuse 7-0 1457 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Vanderbilt 8-1 1351 6 Southeastern Conference
7. New Mexico 10-0 1348 9 Mountain West Conference
8. Kentucky 8-1 1297 3 Southeastern Conference
9. Iowa 5-1 1150 11 Big Ten Conference
10. Louisville 9-2 1147 14 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Illinois 8-1 1146 10 Big Ten Conference
12. Iowa State 8-1 1042 8 Big 12 Conference
13. Texas 8-1 925 13 Big 12 Conference
14. Florida State 8-1 854 21 Atlantic Coast Conference
15. Nebraska 9-1 617 NR Big Ten Conference
16. Seton Hall 8-1 546 24 Big East Conference
17. Virginia 8-2 480 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
18. SMU 8-1 454 19 American Athletic Conference
19. UC Santa Barbara 8-1 392 NR Big West Conference
20. VCU 6-1 385 NR Southeastern Conference
21. Dayton 8-1 349 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
22. Wisconsin 8-2 348 NR Big Ten Conference
23. Connecticut 8-2 240 NR American Athletic Conference
24. Rutgers 8-1 231 NR Big Ten Conference
25. Alabama 7-1 167 NR Southeastern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Niagara 11-1 134 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Virginia Tech 8-1 120 Atlantic Coast Conference
UCLA 7-1 103 Pacific-12 Conference
Wichita State 6-1 77 Missouri Valley Conference
Drake 8-1 71 Missouri Valley Conference
Richmond 6-1 53 Atlantic 10 Conference
Duke 9-2 46 Atlantic Coast Conference
Western Michigan 7-1 42 Mid-American Conference
Oakland 7-1 33 Horizon League
Arizona 6-3 23 Pacific-12 Conference
Ohio State 7-3 14 Big Ten Conference
South Dakota State 7-1 11 Summit League

Kentucky drops 5 spots after their loss to Memphis. Duke, on the other hand, drops all the way out of the top 25. They are still receiving votes, but the polls in this game absolutely suck. Maybe it mirrors real life, I don't know, but in real life I can't see a 9-2 Duke team being out of the top 25. Rant over, moving on. Alabama jumps into the top 25 after a win this week, and UCLA creeps closer with 3 wins.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. New Mexico (72) 10-0 1800 1 Mountain West Conference
2. Dayton 8-1 1646 7 Atlantic 10 Conference
3. SMU 8-1 1563 2 American Athletic Conference
4. UC Santa Barbara 8-1 1548 3 Big West Conference
5. Connecticut 8-2 1530 6 American Athletic Conference
6. Wichita State 6-1 1462 12 Missouri Valley Conference
7. Niagara 11-1 1348 10 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
8. Drake 8-1 1322 8 Missouri Valley Conference
9. Western Michigan 7-1 1233 14 Mid-American Conference
10. Oakland 7-1 1160 11 Horizon League
11. Richmond 6-1 1156 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
12. South Dakota State 7-1 1078 18 Summit League
13. UTEP 8-2 900 4 Conference USA
14. Eastern Michigan 9-2 809 NR Mid-American Conference
15. Missouri State 7-2 731 9 Missouri Valley Conference
16. USC Upstate 7-2 706 13 Atlantic Sun Conference
17. Dartmouth 6-2 608 17 Ivy League
18. Cal State Fullerton 6-2 605 NR Big West Conference
19. Fordham 6-2 497 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
20. UAB 6-2 471 20 Conference USA
21. Cal State Bakersfield 7-2 439 19 Western Athletic Conference
22. Boise State 6-3 264 21 Mountain West Conference
23. Gonzaga 8-3 152 22 West Coast Conference
24. Louisiana Tech 8-3 147 NR Conference USA
25. Cincinnati 8-3 88 23 American Athletic Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
South Florida 7-3 34 American Athletic Conference
Murray State 7-3 18 Ohio Valley Conference
San Jose State 7-3 17 Mountain West Conference
Lehigh 8-3 16 Patriot League
Northern Illinois 5-3 10 Mid-American Conference
Portland 8-3 10 West Coast Conference
Yale 7-3 10 Ivy League
Temple 7-3 7 American Athletic Conference
Louisiana Monroe 6-3 5 Sun Belt Conference
North Dakota State 6-3 5 Summit League
William & Mary 6-3 4 Colonial Athletic Association
Utah State 6-3 1 Mountain West Conference

No FOFC representation here. Not surprised, although Troy is our best option here, but it's not going to happen if they keep splitting their games every week.

[collegesportsfanms]

So we currently have 4 FOFC coaches with 100+ career wins: Al Mighty of Michigan State, Benito Sanchez of Stanford, Tim Shepard of UCLA, and Patrick Hutt of Kentucky. It's almost a given that Noah Oppenheimer of Florida will be joining them this season.

I had said that when a coach gets to each career win milestone (100, 200, 300, etc etc), he would get the right to choose another guaranteed non-conference opponent. I've decided to make those guaranteed non-conference opponents a 2 game series, home and home. Then after 2 seasons, teams and coaches are free to keep the same opponent for 2 more years, or change it.

With the 4 (soon to be 5 coaches) who have 100+ career wins, they have 2 choices for guaranteed non-conference opponents. I'm giving those coaches the option to use it 1 of 2 ways.

Option 1: Choose 1 opponent for the first 2 game series to be held 2020-2021 and 2021-2022, and then choose the 2nd opponent for 2022-2023 and 2023-2024, so you've got the next 4 seasons taken care of, then after 4 season you'll choose again. For instance, in Stanford's case, they could play Notre Dame in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022, and then choose another opponent to be guaranteed to play in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024.

Option 2: Choose both non-conference guaranteed series for the same 2 year span. For instance, Stanford could choose to play both Notre Dame and another guaranteed opponent in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022, then either keep or choose the same 2 opponents for the next 2 year span.

If you guys, after 2 years, want to flip flop options, I don't care, just so long as you have 2 non-conference series guaranteed.

Hopefully I'm not confusing anybody, if I am please PM me and I'll be happy to explain further. I'm just trying to give you guys a little more interaction by allowing you to choose some non-conference opponents, so hopefully you'll stay a little more involved. Hope this helps. Thanks for following, I'm really enjoying doing this.

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 23-29, 2019

2 feature games for you this week, so let's get to it.

12/27/19- Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) @ Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 1 thing is for sure with this game, one of bbgunn's two teams are guaranteed to win. On the flip side, the other is guaranteed to lose. Fortunately, this one wasn't a game bbgunn needed to sweat over, as it was done at halftime. Hawaii rolled to a 21 point halftime lead and shot 61.9% for the game, as they win easily.

Final Score: Hawaii- 70, Washington State- 42

12/28/19- #25 Alabama (Roy Rogers) @ Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- This game needed more than just 40 minutes to complete. An instant classic, as Bama made 15 three pointers in the game. This countered the 45-29 rebounding edge Kansas ended up with. In the end, the Crimson Tide were a little stronger in the extra frame, getting another big win to add to their resume.

Final Score: #25 Alabama- 83, Kansas- 79 (OT)

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 7-4, 1-0 America East.

12/26/19 at Boston College (W 71-57).
12/29/19 at Vermont (W 63-52).

The Hawks have already matched their win total from last season, and should beat it easily. With Vermont and Maine both having down years, the America East is much more wide open this season.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 5-5, 0-0 American.

12/26/19 at UNC Wilmington (W 79-70).

The Pirates continue to play better basketball, getting back to .500 on the season in their only game of the week as they head into conference play.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 6-4, 0-0 American.

12/24/19 vs. Kent State (W 70-62).
12/26/19 at Missouri (L 74-62).

The conventional split for the Golden Hurricane this week, winning at home and losing on the road. They have 1 more non-conference game before they start conference play.

Davidson (Randolph Childress) -- 5-6, 0-0 Atlantic 10.

12/26/19- Diamond Head Classic First Round vs. (3) #20 VCU (L 77-72).
12/24/19- Diamond Head Classic Consolation Round vs. (7) UC Irvine (L 92-82).
12/26/19- Diamond Head Classic 7th Place Game vs. (8) New Mexico State (W 83-46).

The Wildcats had a golden opportunity against VCU but lost it late, and had a major downfall against UC Irvine. Good recovery to finish 7th though, but still their worst finish in an 8 team tournament so far.

Clemson (Charles Johnson) -- 4-7, 0-0 ACC.

12/23/19 at #6 Vanderbilt (L 82-69).
12/25/19 at Ohio State (L 77-69).
12/28/19 vs. USC Upstate (L 77-74).

3 tough games for the Tigers this week. 3 tough losses, but they played well in all 3 games. They aren't quite there yet though.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 9-2, 0-0 ACC.

No games this week for Coach Hoo and the Blue Devils.

Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 6-4, 0-0 Big 12.

12/28/19 vs. #25 Alabama- feature game, highlighted above.

Tough loss for the Jayhawks in their only game of the week, but when 2 FOFC coaches are playing each other, somebody has to lose. Now they enter conference play.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 8-3, 0-0 Big 12.

12/23/19 vs. Houston Baptist (W 80-45).

Just 1 game this week for the Horned Frogs, but they are playing really well, building a 5 game winning streak. Granted, most of them are feel good wins, but the UTEP win was huge. They have 1 more non-conference game before conference play starts for them.

Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- 3-8, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/28/19 vs. #13 Texas (W 64-52).

1 game this week for the Wolverines, but Coach Tribble must have said something because they looked like a completely different team. They still have another non-conference game before they get into the always tough Big Ten schedule.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 7-4, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/29/19 at Toledo (L 71-68).

Just when it looked like the Spartans were back, they drop an inexcusable road game to Toledo. Not the kind of losses they need if they are going to return to the NCAA Tournament.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 6-5, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/24/19 vs. Eastern Illinois (L 67-58).

No reason for the Wildcats to be losing a home game to Eastern Illinois. They've got 1 more chance to add a victory to their record before conference play starts.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 7-4, 0-0 Big West.

12/27/19 at Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.
12/29/19 vs. Utah (W 63-49).

The Warriors had a nice week, getting 2 wins against Pac 12 teams. Still 1 more game to pad their record heading into conference play.

Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) -- 2-7, 0-0 Conference USA.

No games this week for Coach Tribble and the 49ers.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 4-6, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/27/19 vs. South Florida (L 62-57).

If there is such a thing as a good loss, this would be it. The Owls lose their only game of the week, but they lose to a South Florida team that has played a pretty good schedule.

Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 6-6, 4-1 MAAC.

12/27/19 at Rider (W 68-59).
12/29/19 at Marist (L 79-41).

The Hawks lose their first conference game of the season in a convincing way. The next 4 games will be critical, as they are all home games.

Norfolk State (Payten Carrano) -- 2-9, 0-0 MEAC.

12/23/19 at Richmond (L 78-53).
12/28/19 vs. Tennessee Martin (W 59-56).

A split for the Spartans, who are hoping their second win of the season turns into a nice stretch as conference play is set to begin.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 3-9, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/23/19 at Villanova (W 88-84).

Just 1 game this week for the Buffaloes, a big road win as they head into conference play.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 5-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

No games this week for Coach Sanchez and the Cardinal.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 11-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/23/19- Diamond Head Classic First Round vs. (7) UC Irvine (W 71-58).
12/24/19- Diamond Head Classic Semifinal vs. (3) #20 VCU (W 71-68).
12/26/19- Diamond Head Classic Championship vs. (5) #4 Indiana (W 70-51).
12/29/19 vs. Buffalo (W 67-54).

Great week for the Bruins, who not only sweep through the Diamond Head Classic, but then turn around 3 days later and finish the week with a tough home win against a surprisingly challenging Buffalo team. Congrats to Coach Shepard, who has coached the Bruins to 3rd 8 team tourney win in 3 attempts.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 6-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/27/19 vs. Hawaii- feature game, highlighted above.

The Cougars get hammered in their only game of the week and have a couple more non-conference games at home before they start conference play.

#25 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 9-1, 0-0 SEC.

12/23/19 at #17 Virginia (W 78-68).
12/28/19 at Kansas- feature game, highlighted above.

Great week for the Crimson Tide, who get 2 huge wins against top 25 teams, on the road no less. They've got another big road test against a top 15 team next week.

Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- 7-5, 0-0 SEC.

12/26/19 vs. Georgetown (L 83-60).

That's 2 losses in a row for the Gators, not what you want heading into conference play.

#8 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 9-1, 0-0 SEC.

12/24/19 vs. Columbia (W 83-48).

The Wildcats roll in an easy non-conference victory. Next up: The showdown with Duke.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 7-3, 1-1 Sun Belt.

12/26/19 at Montana State (W 61-60).

The Trojans struggled in their only game of the week, but got the win. Unfortunately, their going to have to play a lot better than having to rely on a buzzer beater to beat a 1 win team.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. North Carolina (72) 11-0 1800 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Maryland 10-0 1726 2 Big Ten Conference
3. Baylor 12-1 1658 3 Big 12 Conference
4. Vanderbilt 10-1 1525 6 Southeastern Conference
5. New Mexico 12-0 1481 7 Mountain West Conference
6. Indiana 10-1 1365 4 Big Ten Conference
7. Louisville 10-2 1326 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Iowa State 10-1 1297 12 Big 12 Conference
9. Illinois 9-1 1266 11 Big Ten Conference
10. Florida State 10-1 1158 14 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. UCLA 11-1 1125 NR Pacific-12 Conference
12. Kentucky 9-1 958 8 Southeastern Conference
13. Wisconsin 9-2 870 22 Big Ten Conference
14. Alabama 9-1 836 25 Southeastern Conference
15. Dayton 9-1 726 21 Atlantic 10 Conference
16. Syracuse 9-2 632 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
17. Virginia Tech 9-1 616 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
18. Oakland 9-1 461 NR Horizon League
19. Arizona 8-3 447 NR Pacific-12 Conference
20. Richmond 8-1 425 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
21. Connecticut 9-2 401 23 American Athletic Conference
22. Duke 9-2 301 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
23. Ohio State 8-3 300 NR Big Ten Conference
24. Nebraska 10-2 148 15 Big Ten Conference
25. Arkansas 9-2 141 NR Southeastern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Virginia 9-3 123 Atlantic Coast Conference
Minnesota 9-2 79 Big Ten Conference
Marquette 9-2 38 Big East Conference
Washington 9-2 37 Pacific-12 Conference
UC Santa Barbara 9-2 31 Big West Conference
Missouri 8-2 26 Southeastern Conference
Texas A&M 8-3 24 Southeastern Conference
Rutgers 9-2 22 Big Ten Conference
Notre Dame 8-2 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
Niagara 12-2 8 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Western Michigan 9-2 4 Mid-American Conference
UAB 8-2 3 Conference USA
West Virginia 9-2 3 Big 12 Conference
Providence 8-2 2 Big East Conference
Penn State 9-2 1 Big Ten Conference

The big week for UCLA jumps them from being unranked, all the way up to #11. Nice job! Kentucky inexplicably wins their game this week but drops 4 spots. What?? Alabama has an expected jump after beating 2 top 25 teams on the road, and Duke is back in the top 25 without even playing a game this week.

Now for the mid-major top 25 heading into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. New Mexico (72) 12-0 1800 1 Mountain West Conference
2. Dayton 9-1 1681 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
3. Connecticut 9-2 1667 5 American Athletic Conference
4. Richmond 8-1 1563 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
5. Oakland 9-1 1549 10 Horizon League
6. UC Santa Barbara 9-2 1396 4 Big West Conference
7. UTEP 8-2 1328 13 Conference USA
8. Wichita State 7-2 1286 6 Missouri Valley Conference
9. Niagara 12-2 1147 7 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
10. Drake 9-2 1128 8 Missouri Valley Conference
11. Western Michigan 9-2 1110 9 Mid-American Conference
12. UAB 8-2 1035 20 Conference USA
13. Cal State Fullerton 8-2 1008 18 Big West Conference
14. Boise State 8-3 866 22 Mountain West Conference
15. Gonzaga 10-3 758 23 West Coast Conference
16. Cincinnati 9-3 685 25 American Athletic Conference
17. Louisiana Tech 9-3 635 24 Conference USA
18. South Florida 9-3 524 NR American Athletic Conference
19. SMU 8-3 495 3 American Athletic Conference
20. San Jose State 8-3 371 NR Mountain West Conference
21. Yale 8-3 336 NR Ivy League
22. USC Upstate 9-3 269 16 Atlantic Sun Conference
23. William & Mary 8-3 242 NR Colonial Athletic Association
24. Missouri State 8-3 203 15 Missouri Valley Conference
25. North Dakota State 8-3 136 NR Summit League

Others Receiving Votes:
Eastern Michigan 9-3 72 Mid-American Conference
Western Kentucky 6-3 44 Conference USA
South Alabama 7-3 28 Sun Belt Conference
South Dakota State 7-3 18 Summit League
Howard 6-3 15 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Troy 7-3 5 Sun Belt Conference

Welcome back Troy to the mid-major picture. They are getting some votes again!

[rjolley]

Let's add UNC to Stanford's non-con schedule.

[thealmighty]

Michigan State would like a trip to Hawaii (recruits might like the possibllity of going every other year) as our second non-con, if B.B. agrees.

We can do the next two years and then we can see if it is advantageous to continue. What do you say, B.B.?

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 30, 2019-Jan. 5, 2020

2 feature games this week, 1 involving a pair of top 25 teams and 1 involving a pair of teams that are normally good but struggling a bit this season. Let's get to it.

12/31/19- # 12 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) @ #22 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- It took the Blue Devils way too long to wake up and play ball in this one. They found themselves down by 20 at halftime and made a furious rally but it fell short. Duke committed 19 turnovers and Kentucky made 16 three pointers to get a big road victory over what can only be considered a rival.

Final Score: #12 Kentucky- 93, #22 Duke- 85

1/4/20- Michigan State (Al Mighty) @ Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- Another game in which it took 1 team a while to get going. Stanford used a hot first half to take an 11 point halftime lead, but went ice cold in the second half. They were just 15-52 from the field, for 28.8%, and 4-23 from the three point line, for 17.4%. This allowed the Spartans to come back and get the game winning shot in a well played game that saw only 13 turnovers combined.

Final Score: Michigan State- 58, Stanford- 57

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 9-4, 3-0 America East.

1/3/20 vs. Binghamton (W 70-64).
1/5/20 at UMass Lowell (W 59-45).

Good week for the Hawks, who continued to show they are a much improved team.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 5-7, 0-2 American.

1/1/20 at Houston (L 62-48).
1/4/20 vs. #21 UConn (L 94-86).

Tough week for the Pirates, who are a little bit improved, but still have a ways to go, especially in conference play.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 9-4, 1-0 American.

12/30/19 at Jacksonville State (W 53-47).
1/1/20 vs. UCF (W 67-52).
1/3/20 at Utah Valley (W 71-44).

The Golden Hurricane win 2 games this week against subpar competition, including sneaking a conference game in-between 2 non-conference games.

Davidson (Randolph Childress) -- 5-7, 0-0 Atlantic 10.

1/3/20 vs. UAB (L 60-47).

Just 1 game for the Wildcats this week, who continue to struggle. They've lost 4 of their last 5.

Clemson (Charles Johnson) -- 5-8, 0-1 ACC.

1/1/20 at Virginia (L 66-53).
1/3/20 at UC Santa Barbara (W 69-66).

The Tigers split this week, playing a very good Virginia team very tough, and stealing a non-conference road game at UCSB.

#22 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 10-3, 1-0 ACC.

12/31/19 vs. #12 Kentucky- feature game, highlighted above.
1/4/20 vs. N.C. State (W 86-80).

Tough week for the Blue Devils, as they split but didn't play their best basketball, getting off to a slow start in each game.

Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 7-5, 1-1 Big 12.

12/30/19 vs. Oklahoma State (W 83-78).
1/4/20 vs. #8 Iowa State (L 81-78, OT).

2 close games this week for the Jayhawks. They did well taking Iowa State to overtime, but couldn't seal the deal.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 8-5, 0-1 Big 12.

12/31/19 at UT Arlington (L 59-55).
1/4/20 at Oklahoma (L 77-70).

The Horned Frogs lose 2 this week, a couple tough road games which could have very easily been wins.

Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- 4-8, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/30/19 at St. Bonaventure (W 70-60).

The Wolverines have started a little mini winning streak before jumping into conference play. Let's hope they are somewhat turning a corner, becaust the Big Ten is loaded.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 8-4, 0-0 Big Ten.

1/4/20 at Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.

Just 1 game this week for the Spartans, but they get a nice come from behind win heading into conference play.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 7-5, 0-0 Big Ten.

1/1/20 at Howard (W 67-48).

The Wildcats get back to the winning side of things, just in time to be greeted by a brutal conference schedule right off the bat.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 7-5, 0-0 Big West.

1/3/20 vs. Boston College (L 70-41).

Embarrassing loss for the Warriors. Granted, BC is a power 5 conference team, but they came into this game with 1 win, losing to some bad teams. Back to the drawing board for Coach Gunn as they get set for conference play.

Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) -- 2-9, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/30/19 vs. USC Upstate (L 75-73).
1/1/20 at #23 Ohio State (L 76-59).

Bad week for the 49ers. Granted, the competition was tough, but they should have at least beaten USC Upstate.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 5-7, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/30/19 at Texas Southern (L 69-61).
1/4/20 at Dartmouth (W 82-81, OT).

The Owls shouldn't exactly be proud of their week either. A split, and it took overtime and a buzzer beater to win at Dartmouth.

Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 7-7, 5-2 MAAC.

1/3/20 vs. Quinnipiac (L 63-52).
1/5/20 vs. Canisius (W 68-51).

The Hawks split this week at home. They really need to get all those home victories. Next week they face 2 of the top contenders in the MAAC.

Norfolk State (Payten Carrano) -- 2-11, 0-1 MEAC.

12/30/19 at Hampton (L 61-59).
1/1/20 vs. UMass (L 62-50).

Better effort this week for the Spartans, as they seem to be right on the cusp of a couple big wins. They are still looking for their first road win.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 3-9, 0-0 Pac 12.

No games this week for Coach Nielsen and the Buffaloes.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 6-5, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/31/19 at Eastern Illinois (W 60-45).
1/4/20 vs. Michigan State- feature game, highlighted above.

Almost a sweep for the Cardinal this week, but they lost their shooting touch against Michigan State.

#11 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 11-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

No games this week for Coach Shepard and the Bruins, who get a much needed week off after 4 games last week.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 8-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/30/19 vs. Eastern Washington (W 64-58).
1/4/20 vs. Seattle (W 55-54).

The Cougars get a couple close victories against regional teams as they head into conference play.

#14 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 9-2, 0-0 SEC.

1/1/20 at #18 Wisconsin (L 82-67).

Just 1 game for the Crimson Tide this week, another big test before conference play. They couldn't pass this test though, as Wisconsin was too tough.

Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- 7-5, 0-0 SEC.

No games this week for Coach Oppenheimer and the Gators.

#12 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 11-1, 0-0 SEC.

12/31/19 at #22 Duke- feature game, highlighted above.
1/2/20 vs. Oklahoma (W 84-49).

A statement week for the Wildcats, who not only beat their non-conference arch-rivals Duke, but also hammered a very good Oklahoma team.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 7-5, 1-3 Sun Belt.

1/2/20 vs. Arkansas State (L 72-48).
1/4/20 at UL Lafayette (L 63-54).

The Trojans dropped the ball this week and were never really in either game they played. Coach Hawkins will have to get things stepped up, as the Sun Belt is still wide open.

Here is the national top 25 heading into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. North Carolina (72) 13-0 1800 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Maryland 12-0 1721 2 Big Ten Conference
3. Baylor 14-1 1663 3 Big 12 Conference
4. Indiana 11-1 1538 6 Big Ten Conference
5. Florida State 12-1 1506 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Wisconsin 11-2 1379 13 Big Ten Conference
7. Kentucky 11-1 1283 12 Southeastern Conference
8. Vanderbilt 10-2 1200 4 Southeastern Conference
9. New Mexico 13-1 1167 5 Mountain West Conference
10. UCLA 11-1 1162 11 Pacific-12 Conference
11. Iowa State 11-2 1000 8 Big 12 Conference
12. Dayton 11-1 984 15 Atlantic 10 Conference
13. Illinois 10-2 849 9 Big Ten Conference
14. Arizona 9-3 817 19 Pacific-12 Conference
15. Louisville 10-3 801 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
16. Oakland 11-1 759 18 Horizon League
17. Arkansas 11-2 716 25 Southeastern Conference
18. Ohio State 9-3 543 23 Big Ten Conference
19. Minnesota 10-2 477 NR Big Ten Conference
20. Connecticut 11-2 376 21 American Athletic Conference
21. Virginia 10-3 269 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
22. Texas A&M 9-3 240 NR Southeastern Conference
23. Nebraska 10-2 203 24 Big Ten Conference
24. Alabama 9-2 194 14 Southeastern Conference
25. Rutgers 10-2 193 NR Big Ten Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Washington 10-2 103 Pacific-12 Conference
Notre Dame 10-2 85 Atlantic Coast Conference
Syracuse 9-3 77 Atlantic Coast Conference
Niagara 14-2 61 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Wichita State 9-2 45 Missouri Valley Conference
Duke 10-3 40 Atlantic Coast Conference
Missouri 9-2 35 Southeastern Conference
Virginia Tech 9-2 29 Atlantic Coast Conference
Providence 10-2 26 Big East Conference
Western Michigan 10-2 22 Mid-American Conference
UAB 9-2 15 Conference USA
Boise State 10-3 9 Mountain West Conference
Gonzaga 12-3 5 West Coast Conference
Penn State 9-2 5 Big Ten Conference
Richmond 8-2 3 Atlantic 10 Conference

Kentucky moves up 5 spots this week after 2 big wins. UCLA moves up a spot as well. Alabama loses to a Wisconsin team ranked in the top 10 this week and moves down 10 spots? Wow. Duke loses their top 25 spot but is still receiving votes.

Now for the mid-major top 25 heading into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. New Mexico (58) 13-1 1785 1 Mountain West Conference
2. Dayton (13) 11-1 1739 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
3. Oakland (1) 11-1 1651 5 Horizon League
4. Connecticut 11-2 1584 3 American Athletic Conference
5. Wichita State 9-2 1478 8 Missouri Valley Conference
6. Niagara 14-2 1350 9 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
7. Boise State 10-3 1306 14 Mountain West Conference
8. Western Michigan 10-2 1291 11 Mid-American Conference
9. UAB 9-2 1264 12 Conference USA
10. Richmond 8-2 1141 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
11. Gonzaga 12-3 1111 15 West Coast Conference
12. Louisiana Tech 10-3 1059 17 Conference USA
13. South Florida 11-3 934 18 American Athletic Conference
14. Yale 10-3 794 21 Ivy League
15. UTEP 9-3 770 7 Conference USA
16. UC Santa Barbara 9-3 697 6 Big West Conference
17. William & Mary 10-3 658 23 Colonial Athletic Association
18. Drake 10-3 568 10 Missouri Valley Conference
19. USC Upstate 11-3 543 22 Atlantic Sun Conference
20. North Dakota State 10-3 482 25 Summit League
21. Eastern Michigan 10-3 375 NR Mid-American Conference
22. Cal State Fullerton 8-3 348 13 Big West Conference
23. South Dakota State 9-3 224 NR Summit League
24. Lehigh 11-4 91 NR Patriot League
25. Portland 11-4 38 NR West Coast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Memphis 7-4 35 American Athletic Conference
Harvard 10-4 30 Ivy League
Missouri State 9-4 15 Missouri Valley Conference
San Jose State 9-4 12 Mountain West Conference
Mercer 9-4 8 Southern Conference
Tulsa 9-4 8 American Athletic Conference
Utah State 9-4 6 Mountain West Conference
George Washington 8-4 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
Long Beach State 9-4 1 Big West Conference

Troy loses their votes in the mid-major poll, but Tulsa is replacing them, for now anyways.

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 6-12, 2020

We have 4 big feature games this week. We'll start in the Big 12.

12/6/20- Kansas (Dave Johnson) @ TCU (Bee Mighty) -- Everyone was expecting the Jayhawks to roll in this one.. everyone except Coach Mighty and the Horned Frogs that is. TCU used a 49.1% shooting percentage to stun not only fans around the Big 12, but also fans around the NCAA, picking up what might be the biggest win in the Coach Mighty history.

Final Score: TCU- 83, Kansas- 77

Now we go to the Pac 12 for a pair of games, both involving Washington State.

12/9/20- Stanford (Benito Sanchez) @ Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- The story of this game was 1 team hot, 1 team cold. Stanford shot 53.5%, Washington State shot 37.8%. All that led to an easy road win for the Cardinal.

Final Score: Stanford- 74, Washington State- 56

12/11/20- Washington State (DeShawn St. John) @ #10 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- Neither team put on a shooting display in this one, but the Cougars continued to struggle, shooting just 34.9%. UCLA made a few more shots, although nothing to be impressed about, but they get the home victory.

Final Score: #10 UCLA- 54, Washington State- 43

And finally, we end our feature game tour in the SEC.

12/11/20- Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) @ #24 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- Except for 1 brief stretch, these teams were pretty even. During about a 5 minute stretch though, Alabama couldn't miss from three point land. That led to an important SEC victory.

Final Score: #24 Alabama- 83, Florida- 72

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 10-5, 4-1 America East.

1/10/20 vs. Stony Brook (L 69-68).
1/12/20 vs. UMBC (W 70-66).

The Hawks with a home split this week. 1 lousy point separates them from still being undefeated in the conference.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 5-9, 0-4 American.

1/8/20 vs. Temple (L 85-75).
1/11/20 at UCF (L 67-53).

The Pirates have little success this week, as the scores don't indicate how much they were dominated. Next week they get a home and home series in the same week, against the same team.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 10-5, 2-1 American.

1/8/20 vs. SMU (W 92-69).
1/11/20 at Memphis (L 75-55).

A split for the Golden Hurricane, as they get into the tougher part of the conference schedule.

Davidson (Randolph Childress) -- 7-7, 2-0 Atlantic 10.

1/8/20 vs. George Mason (W 75-49).
1/11/20 at UMass (W 76-57).

The Wildcats get conference play started right with a couple easy victories this week.

Clemson (Charles Johnson) -- 5-10, 0-3 ACC.

1/8/20 vs. Pittsburgh (L 77-45).
1/11/20 at Miami (L 83-38).

A horrid display of offense this week for the Tigers, as they continue to struggle having lost 6 of their last 7.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 10-5, 1-2 ACC.

1/8/20 at Miami (L 78-69).
1/11/20 at Georgia Tech (L 80-55).

2 road losses for the Blue Devils. The Miami loss can be forgiven, but losing to a 3 win Georgia Tech team by 25 points? Not so much. Coach Hoo needs to get his team ready, because next week they have a big in-state rivalry game against UNC.

Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 8-6, 2-2 Big 12.

1/6/20 at TCU- feature game, highlighted above.
1/11/20 at Oklahoma (W 64-59).

A road split for the Jayhawks, who will be feeling the effects of that loss to TCU for a while.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 9-6, 1-2 Big 12.

1/6/20 vs. Kansas- feature game, highlighted above.
1/11/20 vs. #3 Baylor (L 75-67).

All in all, a good week for the Horned Frogs. They upset Kansas, and take Baylor down to the wire, never trailing by more than 9 points.

Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- 4-10, 0-2 Big Ten.

1/8/20 vs. #6 Wisconsin (L 73-69, OT).
1/11/20 at #19 Minnesota (L 76-67).

The Wolverines lose twice this week, but they played pretty good basketball, leading at one point or another in both games and taking Wisconsin to overtime.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 10-4, 2-0 Big Ten.

1/8/20 at Iowa (W 106-97).
1/11/20 vs. #2 Maryland (W 80-67).

The Spartans are playing with a new sense of energy since that upset loss to Toledo. This doesn't mean they are back yet, but if they can start conference play with a few game winning streak, it might mean something.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 8-6, 1-1 Big Ten.

1/8/20 vs. #4 Indiana (W 60-57).
1/11/20 at #13 Illinois (L 75-56).

The Big Ten is a grind every single night, but the Wildcats split this week, using all their energy to upset a top 5 team before being blasted by another highly ranked team.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 8-6, 1-1 Big West.

1/9/20 at UC Irvine (L 77-60).
1/11/20 vs. Long Beach State (W 74-66).

A split for the Warriors, as firecoachgunn.com has shown no signs of going away this season.

Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) -- 3-10, 1-1 Conference USA.

1/9/20 vs. UTEP (W 83-67).
1/11/20 at Louisiana Tech (L 76-66).

The 49ers started conference play on a very high note, upsetting a very good UTEP team before running out of steam at LA Tech.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 7-7, 2-0 Conference USA.

1/9/20 vs. Middle Tennessee (W 82-74).
1/11/20 at Marshall (W 66-65).

The Owls have a good start to conference play, even if they did need a buzzer beater to win at Marshall. A win is still a win.

Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 8-8, 6-3 MAAC.

1/10/20 vs. Niagara (L 72-60).
1/12/20 vs. Siena (W 71-45).

The Hawks continue to struggle getting over the hump, splitting their games for the 3rd straight week. In fairness, Niagara has only lost twice all season. They are good.

Norfolk State (Payten Carrano) -- 2-13, 0-3 MEAC.

1/6/20 vs. North Carolina Central (L 86-67).
1/11/20 at Florida A&M (L 64-44).

2 more losses for the Spartans, both blowout losses. They need to figure something out, and quickly.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 3-11, 0-2 Pac 12.

1/9/20 at Washington (L 82-75, OT).
1/11/20 vs. Oregon (L 79-57).

It looked like the Buffaloes were turning the corner with a win over Villanova a couple weeks ago, but it isn't to be. They got absolutely wasted in overtime in the Washington game.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 8-5, 2-0 Pac 12.

1/9/20 at Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.
1/11/20 at California (W 65-51).

The Cardinal get off to a good start in conference play. They can make some noise, as early on the conference appears to be a little down.

#10 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 12-2, 1-1 Pac 12.

1/9/20 vs. #14 Arizona (L 78-63).
1/11/20 vs. Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Bruins, as they fall short in a big way against Arizona. Back to the drawing board for Coach Shepard.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 8-6, 0-2 Pac 12.

1/9/20 vs. Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
1/11/20 at #10 UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

The Cougars had some major shooting woes this week as they were hoping to a better start in conference play, but it wasn't to be.

#24 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 10-3, 1-1 SEC.

1/8/20 at #22 Texas A&M (L 94-82).
1/11/20 vs. Florida- feature game, highlighted above.

2 tests in a row that the Crimson Tide lost. First Wisconsin, then Texas A&M. A nice bounce back win against Florida, but just how for real are they?

Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- 7-7, 0-2 SEC.

1/8/20 at Auburn (L 80-71).
1/11/20 at Alabama- feature game, highlighted above.

The Gators are going downhill fast, losers of 4 in a row. With 3 more tough teams coming up, that downhill slide could continue.

#7 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 13-1, 2-0 SEC.

1/8/20 at Tennessee (W 87-70).
1/11/20 vs. Georgia (W 102-76).

The Wildcats continue to roll, winners of 5 straight since their loss at Memphis.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 8-6, 2-4 Sun Belt.

1/9/20 at UL Monroe (L 88-71).
1/11/20 vs. Appalachian State (W 78-71).

A split for the Trojans who break a 3 game losing streak. The time is now if they are going to go on a run. The schedule is favorable.

Here's a look at the national top 25 heading into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. North Carolina (72) 15-0 1800 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Baylor 16-1 1728 3 Big 12 Conference
3. Maryland 13-1 1654 2 Big Ten Conference
4. Wisconsin 13-2 1511 6 Big Ten Conference
5. Kentucky 13-1 1392 7 Southeastern Conference
6. Vanderbilt 12-2 1380 8 Southeastern Conference
7. Arizona 11-3 1277 14 Pacific-12 Conference
8. Connecticut 13-2 1211 20 American Athletic Conference
9. Iowa State 13-2 1209 11 Big 12 Conference
10. Florida State 13-2 1107 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Dayton 13-1 1098 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
12. Louisville 12-3 1090 15 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. Virginia 12-3 1063 21 Atlantic Coast Conference
14. Arkansas 13-2 904 17 Southeastern Conference
15. Minnesota 12-2 893 19 Big Ten Conference
16. Nebraska 12-2 655 23 Big Ten Conference
17. New Mexico 14-2 650 9 Mountain West Conference
18. UCLA 12-2 566 10 Pacific-12 Conference
19. Syracuse 11-3 451 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
20. Washington 12-2 419 NR Pacific-12 Conference
21. Illinois 11-3 361 13 Big Ten Conference
22. Niagara 16-2 313 NR Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
23. Boise State 11-3 220 NR Mountain West Conference
24. Indiana 11-3 136 4 Big Ten Conference
25. Oakland 12-2 113 16 Horizon League

Others Receiving Votes:
Richmond 10-2 72 Atlantic 10 Conference
Gonzaga 14-3 49 West Coast Conference
Louisiana Tech 12-3 41 Conference USA
Texas A&M 10-4 19 Southeastern Conference
Alabama 10-3 9 Southeastern Conference
Yale 12-3 6 Ivy League
Missouri 10-3 1 Southeastern Conference
Notre Dame 11-3 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
Providence 11-3 1 Big East Conference

Kentucky moves up 2 spots after a 2-0 week, while UCLA drops 8 spots after their loss to Arizona, while Alabama falls out of the national top 25 after losing to Texas A&M. They are still receiving votes though. Duke loses all their votes after a pitiful 0-2 week.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Connecticut (58) 13-2 1786 4 American Athletic Conference
2. Dayton (14) 13-1 1736 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
3. New Mexico 14-2 1661 1 Mountain West Conference
4. Boise State 11-3 1511 7 Mountain West Conference
5. Niagara 16-2 1477 6 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
6. Gonzaga 14-3 1436 11 West Coast Conference
7. Oakland 12-2 1369 3 Horizon League
8. Louisiana Tech 12-3 1298 12 Conference USA
9. Richmond 10-2 1291 10 Atlantic 10 Conference
10. Wichita State 10-3 1142 5 Missouri Valley Conference
11. Yale 12-3 1071 14 Ivy League
12. USC Upstate 13-3 1001 19 Atlantic Sun Conference
13. Drake 12-3 948 18 Missouri Valley Conference
14. UAB 10-3 890 9 Conference USA
15. South Florida 12-4 786 13 American Athletic Conference
16. Memphis 9-4 664 NR American Athletic Conference
17. UTEP 10-4 662 15 Conference USA
18. UC Santa Barbara 10-4 544 16 Big West Conference
19. Harvard 11-4 532 NR Ivy League
20. Northeastern 11-4 417 NR Colonial Athletic Association
21. Western Michigan 10-4 367 8 Mid-American Conference
22. UT Arlington 9-4 251 NR Sun Belt Conference
23. South Dakota State 10-4 203 23 Summit League
24. Florida Atlantic 9-4 169 NR Conference USA
25. Idaho 9-4 61 NR Big Sky Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Lehigh 12-5 31 Patriot League
William & Mary 10-5 24 Colonial Athletic Association
Long Beach State 10-5 17 Big West Conference
George Washington 9-5 15 Atlantic 10 Conference
Tulsa 10-5 10 American Athletic Conference
Utah State 10-5 10 Mountain West Conference
Portland 12-5 9 West Coast Conference
Mercer 10-5 8 Southern Conference
Missouri State 9-5 1 Missouri Valley Conference
North Carolina Central 10-5 1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
North Dakota State 10-5 1 Summit League

Despite splitting this week, Tulsa still gets a couple more votes. Nicely done.

[bbgunn]

Jeez, St. John and Wazzu are pretty bad against other FOFCers. That needs to change.

And it looks like the message boards at firecoachgunn.com are going to be very active the rest of the season.

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 13-19, 202

We have 2 feature games for you this week, and we'll start in the Big Ten.

1/15/20- Michigan (Cillian Tribble) @ Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- The Spartans had no trouble in this in-state rivalry, as they held Michigan to just 37.7% shooting and hit 11 three pointers in an easy victory.

Final Score: Michigan State- 79, Michigan- 57

1/16/20- Stanford (Benito Sanchez) @ Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- This was not a game for the week at heart, as neither team shot above 37%. The problem was, Colorado couldn't stop fouling. They committed 29 team fouls and sent Stanford to the line 39 times. Granted, the Cardinal only made 23 of them, but it was enough to escape with a victory.

Final Score: Stanford- 58, Colorado- 55

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 12-5, 5-1 America East.

1/14/20 vs. Providence (W 86-76).
1/19/20 vs. New Hampshire (W 81-74).

The Hawks keep it rolling, including a big non-conference victory over Providence that could go a long way come March.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 5-11, 0-6 American.

1/15/20 at South Florida (L 68-46).
1/18/20 vs. South Florida (L 72-53).

2 more losses for the Pirates, as they get blown out by a good South Florida team twice.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 11-6, 3-2 American.

1/15/20 at #8 UConn (L 95-92).
1/18/20 vs. Temple (W 68-49).

The Golden Hurricane split this week, and they were very close to pulling out a big road victory over a top 10 team. Coach Brown has these guys playing great ball right now.

Davidson (Randolph Childress) -- 8-8, 3-1 Atlantic 10.

1/15/20 at #11 Dayton (L 67-64).
1/18/20 vs. Fordham (W 74-63).

The Wildcats also split this week, and like Tulsa, they almost got a big road victory over a very good team. They aren't far from being a solid team again.

Clemson (Charles Johnson) -- 5-12, 0-5 ACC.

1/15/20 vs. Wake Forest (L 79-51).
1/18/20 at Virginia Tech (L 86-80).

2 more losses for the Tigers. They'll be kicking themselves for a while over the VA Tech loss, as they led at halftime.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 11-6, 1-3 ACC.

1/15/20 vs. Fairfield (W 95-81).
1/18/20 at #1 North Carolina (L 76-68).

The Blue Devils split this week, winning their non-conference game, but falling short against their conference rivals North Carolina. It was a good effort, but not quite good enough.

Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 8-7, 2-3 Big 12.

1/18/20 at #2 Baylor (L 80-57).

Just 1 game for the Jayhawks this week, and it's pretty telling when TCU fares better against Baylor than Kansas does, but that's what we've had so far.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 11-6, 3-2 Big 12.

1/13/20 at Kansas State (W 54-47).
1/18/20 at Texas Tech (W 86-67).

2 good road wins for the Horned Frogs, who continue to show just how much they've improved.

Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- 5-11, 1-3 Big Ten.

1/15/20 at Michigan State- feature game, highlighted above.
1/18/20 vs. Ohio State (W 63-55).

The Wolverines split this week, getting a win over their main football rivals. The rivalry isn't quite as strong in basketball, but still huge for them to get their first conference victory.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 12-4, 4-0 Big Ten.

1/15/20 vs. Michigan- feature game, highlighted above.
1/18/20 at #21 Illinois (W 77-64).

The Spartans continue to roll, playing very good basketball right now. It's still a little too soon to say Sparty is back, but I think there's a pretty good chance.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 9-7, 2-2 Big Ten.

1/15/20 at Iowa (L 81-70).
1/18/20 at Purdue (W 69-61).

A road split for the Wildcats this week, as the Purdue win breaks a 2 game losing streak. They get Purdue again next week and then face a stretch of 4 straight teams currently ranked.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 9-7, 2-2 Big West.

1/16/20 vs. UC Riverside (W 77-68).
1/18/20 at UC Santa Barbara (L 66-63).

Another split for the Warriors. These splits aren't going to win a Big West Championship, nor are they going to get Coach Gunn off the hotseat at firecoachgunn.com. They need a nice winning streak.

Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) -- 4-11, 2-2 Conference USA.

1/16/20 at Old Dominion (W 73-69).
1/18/20 vs. North Texas (L 61-53).

Another split for the 49ers. They'll actually take the splits right now, as they are just looking for any wins period.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 7-9, 2-2 Conference USA.

1/16/20 at North Texas (L 66-49).
1/18/20 vs. Southern Miss (L 85-74).

The Owls wasted a strong conference start by losing 2 this week. They didn't just lose 2, they were dominated in both games.

Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 9-9, 7-4 MAAC.

1/17/20 at St. Peter's (W 68-56).
1/19/20 vs. Marist (L 62-55).

Guess what the Hawks did this week? Yep, you guessed it, another split. They've got to find a winning streak, somehow, somewhere.

Norfolk State (Payten Carrano) -- 3-14, 1-4 MEAC.

1/13/20 at Coppin State (L 77-71).
1/18/20 vs. North Carolina A&T (W 68-65).

The Spartans still can't win on the road, but they did manage to pick up their first conference win of the season. Will they use it for momentum now?

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 3-13, 0-4 Pac 12.

1/16/20 vs. Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
1/18/20 vs. Utah (L 63-62).

2 agonizing defeats this week for the Buffaloes, who played much better basketball this week. Or is it more that the teams they played didn't play up to par? Hmm, interesting question.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 10-5, 4-0 Pac 12.

1/16/20 at Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.
1/18/20 vs. #20 Washington (W 65-48).

The Cardinal get 2 more wins this week, including a nice pasting of what was a ranked Washington team. They are 1 of 2 teams still undefeated in Pac 12 play, Arizona being the other. They'll meet next week.

#18 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 13-3, 2-2 Pac 12.

1/16/20 vs. USC (L 71-66).
1/18/20 at Oregon State (W 85-68).

The Bruins split this week, and they will not take that loss to USC lying down. UCLA doesn't like losing to USC in anything.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 8-8, 0-4 Pac 12.

1/16/20 at Utah (L 61-40).
1/18/20 vs. Oregon (L 62-45).

The Cougars get hammered in 2 more games this week and are still trying to figure it out since conference play has started.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 12-3, 3-1 SEC.

1/15/20 vs. #14 Arkansas (W 81-78).
1/18/20 at Auburn (W 103-86).

The Crimson Tide get a big win over Arkansas this week, as they take care of business in both their games for the week.

Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- 8-8, 1-3 SEC.

1/15/20 vs. VCU (W 79-73).
1/18/20 vs. Texas A&M (L 77-66).

The Gators split this week, including getting a win over VCU, who has struggled a bit since coming to the SEC. Coach Oppenheimer is now 2 wins away from career win #100.

#5 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 15-1, 4-0 SEC.

1/15/20 at South Carolina (W 92-77).
1/18/20 vs. LSU (W 76-67).

The Wildcats keep on rolling, picking up 2 more victories. They are beating up on the lower part of the SEC, but it should get tougher soon.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 10-6, 4-4 Sun Belt.

1/16/20 vs. Arkansas Little Rock (W 86-82).
1/18/20 vs. Northern Kentucky (W 71-63).

The Trojans are starting to get it together again, at least we hope. 2 tight wins this week and they are at .500 in conference play.

Here's a look at the national top 25 heading into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. North Carolina (54) 16-1 1782 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Baylor (18) 17-1 1746 2 Big 12 Conference
3. Maryland 14-2 1624 3 Big Ten Conference
4. Connecticut 15-2 1502 8 American Athletic Conference
5. Virginia 14-3 1415 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Vanderbilt 14-2 1384 6 Southeastern Conference
7. Kentucky 15-1 1376 5 Southeastern Conference
8. Arizona 13-3 1324 7 Pacific-12 Conference
9. Wisconsin 14-3 1220 4 Big Ten Conference
10. Louisville 14-3 1213 12 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Dayton 15-1 1170 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
12. Nebraska 14-2 1049 16 Big Ten Conference
13. Syracuse 13-3 923 19 Atlantic Coast Conference
14. Iowa State 14-3 884 9 Big 12 Conference
15. Boise State 13-3 759 23 Mountain West Conference
16. Arkansas 14-3 720 14 Southeastern Conference
17. Texas A&M 12-4 620 NR Southeastern Conference
18. New Mexico 15-3 558 17 Mountain West Conference
19. Alabama 12-3 462 NR Southeastern Conference
20. UCLA 13-3 350 18 Pacific-12 Conference
21. Illinois 12-4 240 21 Big Ten Conference
22. Florida State 13-4 216 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
23. Pittsburgh 13-4 191 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
24. Minnesota 12-4 162 15 Big Ten Conference
25. Niagara 17-3 136 22 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Wichita State 12-3 115 Missouri Valley Conference
Penn State 12-3 69 Big Ten Conference
USC Upstate 15-3 49 Atlantic Sun Conference
UAB 12-3 31 Conference USA
Yale 13-3 25 Ivy League
Oakland 13-3 24 Horizon League
Richmond 11-3 21 Atlantic 10 Conference
Gonzaga 14-4 19 West Coast Conference
Michigan State 12-4 12 Big Ten Conference
Louisiana Tech 13-4 6 Conference USA
Washington 12-4 3 Pacific-12 Conference

So Kentucky drops 2 spots even after going 2-0 this week. Apparently beating up on bad teams doesn't go a long ways when you are a Kentucky Wildcat. Alabama rightfully moves back in the top 25 after a big win over Arkansas this week. UCLA only drops 2 spots after losing to USC this week. And let's welcome back Michigan State, who is receiving votes for the first time in a while!

Now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Connecticut (69) 15-2 1797 1 American Athletic Conference
2. Dayton (3) 15-1 1731 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
3. Boise State 13-3 1652 4 Mountain West Conference
4. New Mexico 15-3 1584 3 Mountain West Conference
5. Wichita State 12-3 1456 10 Missouri Valley Conference
6. Yale 13-3 1341 11 Ivy League
7. Niagara 17-3 1261 5 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
8. Louisiana Tech 13-4 1241 8 Conference USA
9. Gonzaga 14-4 1155 6 West Coast Conference
10. UAB 12-3 1127 14 Conference USA
11. USC Upstate 15-3 1118 12 Atlantic Sun Conference
12. Oakland 13-3 1079 7 Horizon League
13. Richmond 11-3 1052 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
14. South Florida 14-4 872 15 American Athletic Conference
15. UTEP 12-4 872 17 Conference USA
16. UC Santa Barbara 12-4 758 18 Big West Conference
17. Harvard 13-4 649 19 Ivy League
18. Drake 13-4 581 13 Missouri Valley Conference
19. Western Michigan 12-4 471 21 Mid-American Conference
20. Memphis 10-5 377 16 American Athletic Conference
21. Lehigh 14-5 349 NR Patriot League
22. Idaho 11-4 189 25 Big Sky Conference
23. Portland 13-5 180 NR West Coast Conference
24. Mercer 12-5 167 NR Southern Conference
25. William & Mary 12-5 106 NR Colonial Athletic Association

Others Receiving Votes:
North Dakota State 12-5 65 Summit League
North Carolina Central 12-5 45 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Hartford 12-5 39 America East Conference
Eastern Michigan 12-5 22 Mid-American Conference
UC Irvine 12-6 21 Big West Conference
Furman 12-5 16 Southern Conference
Northeastern 12-5 16 Colonial Athletic Association
San Diego State 10-7 9 Mountain West Conference
Fresno State 11-6 1 Mountain West Conference
George Washington 10-6 1 Atlantic 10 Conference

Tulsa loses their mid-major votes after a tough loss to UConn this week, but the Merry Go Round continues, as Hartford is now receiving a fair share of votes. It seems to be a curse when we have a new team receiving votes in the mid-major poll. They almost always lose a game the following week. Let's hope Hartford can break that trend.

[muns]

boy do we stink

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 20-26, 2020

2 feature games this week and we'll start in the SEC.

1/22/20- #19 Alabama (Roy Rogers) @ Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- This was a game to forget for the Crimson Tide, as they shot just 26.2% and made just 16 field goals. If 9 of those wouldn't have been three pointers, the final margin could have been even worse than it already ways. Florida dominated in convincing fashion.

Final Score: Florida- 67, #19 Alabama- 52

Now we go to the American Conference.

1/25/20- Tulsa (Will Brown) @ ECU (Al Hutt) -- Tulsa shot 60% for the game, and made 7-11 three pointers. Both teams fouled a lot, but Tulsa took better advantage of their trips to the line. All this led to another road win for the Golden Hurricane, and ECU stays winless in conference.

Final Score: Tulsa- 79, ECU- 65

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 13-6, 6-2 America East.

1/22/20 at Maine (W 82-63).
1/26/20 at Binghamton (L 64-55).

The Hawks split on the road this week, with the loss to Binghamton breaking a 4 game winning streak. Oh well, they can just start another one now.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 5-13, 0-8 American.

1/22/20 at SMU (L 86-54).
1/25/20 vs. Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.

The losing streak is 8 now, and another week where the Pirates weren't really competitive.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 13-6, 5-2 American.

1/22/20 vs. Cincinnati (W 65-63).
1/25/20 at ECU- feature game, highlighted above.

The Golden Hurricane keep on winning, getting a good win against a tough Cincinnati team. They've defended their home turf nicely so far this season.

Davidson (Randolph Childress) -- 10-8, 5-1 Atlantic 10.

1/22/20 at Fordham (W 78-58).
1/25/20 at Richmond (W 83-55).

A couple dominating road wins this week for the Wildcats. The way they handled Richmond was a surprise, as Richmond is a solid team.

Clemson (Charles Johnson) -- 5-14, 0-7 ACC.

1/22/20 vs. Virginia Tech (L 86-52).
1/25/20 at Boston College (L 76-71).

The Tigers are continuing to go south this season, losers of 6 in a row and still looking for their first conference victory.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 11-8, 1-5 ACC.

1/22/20 vs. #10 Louisville (L 89-60).
1/25/20 vs. #13 Syracuse (L 82-75).

Things haven't gone so well in conference play for the Blue Devils, as they lost 2 more this week. Louisville absolutely pounded them. That's the grind of playing in the ACC.

Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 10-7, 4-3 Big 12.

1/20/20 vs. Texas Tech (W 86-70).
1/25/20 vs. Kansas State (W 86-57).

2 home wins this week for the Jayhawks. It seems Coach Johnson gave his team a major butt chewing after that embarrassing loss to Baylor. We'll see if this week will become the rule or the exception.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 12-7, 4-3 Big 12.

1/20/20 vs. Texas (L 73-58).
1/25/20 vs. West Virginia (W 81-76, OT).

A split for the Horned Frogs, and they'll take it. With that win over West Virginia, that ties their dynasty high for both overall wins in a season and conference wins in a season. Pretty sure both of those will be broken soon.

Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- 6-12, 2-4 Big Ten.

1/22/20 vs. #24 Minnesota (L 91-85, OT).
1/25/20 vs. Purdue (W 73-63).

A split for the Wolverines, who are playing a little better basketball the last couple games. They did take a good Minnesota team to overtime. Now they just need to stay consistent.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 13-5, 5-1 Big Ten.

1/22/20 vs. #21 Illinois (W 72-57).
1/25/20 at Penn State (L 81-44).

A split for the Wolverines, and holy cow! Did they leave all their best players at home when they went to Penn State? What a disaster! Bad thing was, the halftime score was 36-31, which means they scored 13 points in the second half! Hopefully that is out of their system and now they can go back to playing Sparty ball.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 10-8, 3-3 Big Ten.

1/22/20 vs. Purdue (W 73-68).
1/25/20 vs. #24 Minnesota (L 73-45).

The Wildcats complete the deal, with all 3 of our Big Ten FOFC coaches splitting this week. Would have liked to see them be much more competitive against Minnesota though.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 10-8, 3-3 Big West.

1/21/20 at UC Davis (L 56-49).
1/25/20 vs. Cal State Northridge (W 69-62).

Another week, another split for the Warriors. The bulk of the message boards at firecoachgunn.com are calling B.B. Gunn an average coach on an average team. Ouch!

Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) -- 5-12, 3-3 Conference USA.

1/23/20 vs. Louisiana Tech (W 70-67).
1/25/20 vs. UTSA (L 67-61).

A split for the 49ers this week, who have played better ball since conference play started.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 8-10, 3-3 Conference USA.

1/23/20 vs. FIU (L 82-54).
1/25/20 vs. Old Dominion (W 81-78, OT).

Yet another split for an FOFC team. This is getting repetitive. Not a good performance for the Owls against FIU though, at home no less.

Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 9-11, 7-6 MAAC.

1/24/20 vs. Rider (L 85-79).
1/26/20 at Siena (L 52-50).

The Hawks lose 2 games this week, but both were close games. Unfortunately, it couldn't come at a worse time as they now have a 3 game losing streak and a date with the conference leaders next week.

Norfolk State (Payten Carrano) -- 4-15, 1-5 MEAC.

1/20/20 at Delaware State (L 63-40).
1/24/20 at Winthrop (W 63-54).

A split for the Spartans, who get their first road victory of the season in a non-conference game. Now they just need to figure out how to win in conference this season.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 4-14, 1-5 Pac 12.

1/23/20 at #8 Arizona (L 59-27).
1/25/20 at USC (W 77-68).

The Arizona game pretty much sums up this season for the Buffaloes. 13 first half points. 10 made field goals for the game. 2-15 from three point land. 20 turnovers. The board is already looking past the fact the Buffaloes got their first conference win in their next game, all they see is the Arizona performance. Coach Nielsen is in trouble.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 10-7, 4-2 Pac 12.

1/23/20 at Oregon (L 77-70).
1/25/20 vs. #8 Arizona (L 67-43).

Well, that settled that. The Cardinal are no longer undefeated in Pac 12 play and Arizona crushes another FOFC team. Yikes they are good.

#20 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 15-3, 4-2 Pac 12.

1/23/20 at Arizona State (W 75-71).
1/25/20 at Utah (W 83-63).

The Bruins are starting to figure it out again after a couple conference setbacks. 2 good performances this week.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 9-9, 1-5 Pac 12.

1/23/20 at USC (L 66-38).
1/25/20 vs. Arizona State (W 52-50).

The Cougars split this week and break a 5 game losing streak with the win against Arizona State. Also getting their first conference win in the process.

#19 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 12-5, 3-3 SEC.

1/22/20 at Florida- feature game, highlighted above.
1/25/20 vs. South Carolina (L 80-72).

The Crimson Tide have lost 2 in a row again, their second 2 game losing streak this month. Are they for real, or just a tease? Their next 3 games are going to be brutally tough, and could determine a lot.

Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- 10-8, 3-3 SEC.

1/22/20 vs. #19 Alabama- feature game, highlighted above.
1/25/20 at Tennessee (W 83-75).

The Gators win 2 big games this week to get back to .500. The win at Tennessee gave Coach Oppenheimer career win #100, so now he gets to choose a second opponent to have a non-con rivalry series against.

#7 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 17-1, 6-0 SEC.

1/22/20 at LSU (W 66-53).
1/25/20 vs. Ole Miss (W 76-56).

2 more wins for the Wildcats, who are rolling along on a 9 game winning streak. 2 of their next 3 games are against the better teams in the SEC though, so we'll find out more about them as well.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 12-6, 6-4 Sun Belt.

1/23/20 vs. South Alabama (W 92-85).
1/25/20 vs. UL Lafayette (W 73-63).

Good week for the Trojans, as they've turned a corner having won 5 in a row. Coach Hawkins has to be happy about how things are going, but they've got a tough 3 game road trip awaiting them.

Here's a look at the national top 25 heading into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. North Carolina (63) 18-1 1791 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Baylor (9) 19-1 1737 2 Big 12 Conference
3. Kentucky 17-1 1624 7 Southeastern Conference
4. Arizona 15-3 1515 8 Pacific-12 Conference
5. Maryland 16-2 1498 3 Big Ten Conference
6. Louisville 16-3 1458 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Vanderbilt 16-2 1427 6 Southeastern Conference
8. Virginia 15-4 1318 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. Syracuse 15-3 1191 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
10. Connecticut 16-3 1185 4 American Athletic Conference
11. Nebraska 15-3 1040 12 Big Ten Conference
12. Wisconsin 14-5 925 9 Big Ten Conference
13. Florida State 15-4 864 22 Atlantic Coast Conference
14. New Mexico 17-3 824 18 Mountain West Conference
15. UCLA 15-3 755 20 Pacific-12 Conference
16. Minnesota 14-4 680 24 Big Ten Conference
17. Iowa State 14-4 636 14 Big 12 Conference
18. Boise State 14-4 507 15 Mountain West Conference
19. Texas A&M 13-5 427 17 Southeastern Conference
20. Arkansas 15-4 425 16 Southeastern Conference
21. Dayton 15-3 374 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
22. Wichita State 14-3 352 NR Missouri Valley Conference
23. Niagara 19-3 322 25 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
24. Yale 15-3 134 NR Ivy League
25. UAB 14-3 116 NR Conference USA

Others Receiving Votes:
Gonzaga 16-4 80 West Coast Conference
South Florida 16-4 59 American Athletic Conference
Washington 14-4 40 Pacific-12 Conference
Notre Dame 14-4 32 Atlantic Coast Conference
Illinois 13-5 31 Big Ten Conference
Iowa 11-6 25 Big Ten Conference
Penn State 13-4 5 Big Ten Conference
Oregon 12-6 2 Pacific-12 Conference
Michigan State 13-5 1 Big Ten Conference

Kentucky continues to make some noise, moving up 4 spots. Unfortunately, unless Baylor or North Carolina lose, they can probably forget about moving any higher or getting any FPV. UCLA moves up 5 spots after a 2 win week. Michigan State retains 1 lousy vote after their horrid showing at Penn State, and Alabama loses all their votes after an 0-2 week.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Connecticut (72) 16-3 1800 1 American Athletic Conference
2. New Mexico 17-3 1710 4 Mountain West Conference
3. Wichita State 14-3 1609 5 Missouri Valley Conference
4. Boise State 14-4 1550 3 Mountain West Conference
5. Dayton 15-3 1510 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. Yale 15-3 1410 6 Ivy League
7. Gonzaga 16-4 1356 9 West Coast Conference
8. UAB 14-3 1321 10 Conference USA
9. Niagara 19-3 1282 7 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
10. South Florida 16-4 1209 14 American Athletic Conference
11. UTEP 13-5 1028 15 Conference USA
12. Oakland 14-4 946 12 Horizon League
13. Lehigh 16-5 837 21 Patriot League
14. UC Santa Barbara 13-5 777 16 Big West Conference
15. Harvard 14-5 708 17 Ivy League
16. North Dakota State 14-5 608 NR Summit League
17. Louisiana Tech 13-6 591 8 Conference USA
18. San Diego State 12-7 515 NR Mountain West Conference
19. Northeastern 14-5 514 NR Colonial Athletic Association
20. Idaho 13-4 379 22 Big Sky Conference
21. Richmond 11-5 378 13 Atlantic 10 Conference
22. North Carolina Central 13-5 297 NR Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
23. USC Upstate 15-5 270 11 Atlantic Sun Conference
24. Western Michigan 13-5 249 19 Mid-American Conference
25. Eastern Michigan 14-5 152 NR Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
George Washington 12-6 80 Atlantic 10 Conference
Tulsa 13-6 79 American Athletic Conference
William & Mary 13-6 54 Colonial Athletic Association
Portland 14-6 46 West Coast Conference
Mercer 13-6 39 Southern Conference
Seattle 12-6 35 Western Athletic Conference
Saint Louis 12-6 24 Atlantic 10 Conference
Drake 13-6 14 Missouri Valley Conference
Hartford 13-6 8 America East Conference
Indiana State 13-7 7 Missouri Valley Conference
UC Irvine 13-7 5 Big West Conference
North Texas 12-6 3 Conference USA

Tulsa picks up a lot of votes after a good week, and even Hartford retains a few votes after losing a game this week. When's the last time we've had 2 FOFC teams receiving mid-major votes this late in the season? A long, long time, if ever.

It definitely seems to indicate bumping the coach prestiges up to 11 for all the FOFC coaches made a difference for some coaches. Then again, not so much for others. Still a work in progress.

[bbgunn]

Another week, another split for the Warriors. The bulk of the message boards at firecoachgunn.com are calling B.B. Gunn an average coach on an average team. Ouch!

Can't say I blame them. What is this, the fifth season? The Warriors should be at least topping the mid-major polls. I mean, come on, B.B. Gunn should have no trouble getting recruits to come play in tropical Hawaii (http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/11/4/9659322/hawaii-football-coaching-search). :)

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2020

Just 1 feature game this week, and it's in the Pac 12. Let's take a look:

1/30/20- #15 UCLA (Tim Shepard) @ Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- The slide for the Buffaloes continues as they shoot just 34% in this one, and UCLA rolls to an easy victory.

Final Score: #15 UCLA- 76, Colorado- 49

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 14-7, 7-3 T-1st America East.

1/29/20 at Albany (W 75-65).
2/2/20 at Stony Brook (L 77-68).

The Hawks split this week, and split a 4 game road trip. They are still right in the thick of things though.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 5-14, 0-9 11th (last) American.

2/1/20 at Memphis (L 76-67).

Just 1 game this week for the Pirates, and while it was close, it was still a loss. They are still looking for their first conference win.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 14-6, 6-2 3rd American.

2/1/20 vs. South Florida (W 78-71).

Good win for the Golden Hurricane in their only game of the week, as they beat a very tough South Florida team.

Davidson (Randolph Childress) -- 11-9, 6-2 T-2nd Atlantic 10.

1/29/20 vs. George Washington (W 81-59).
2/1/20 vs. St. Louis (L 85-68).

A split for the Wildcats, as the loss to St. Louis breaks a 4 game winning streak. Still a lot of season left though.

Clemson (Charles Johnson) -- 5-15, 0-8 15th (last) ACC.

1/29/20 vs. Miami (L 73-71).

Just 1 game this week for the Tigers, who were much more competitive but they are still looking for their first conference win.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 13-8, 3-5 10th ACC.

1/29/20 vs. Boston College (W 78-71).
2/1/20 vs. #1 North Carolina (W 59-56).

Huge week for the Blue Devils who get a big win over their main rival that could go a long way come March. Hopefully this gets them back on track after a 3 game losing streak before this week.

Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 10-9, 4-5 T-5th Big 12.

1/27/20 at Texas (L 87-83, OT).
2/1/20 at West Virginia (L 70-68).

2 tough road losses for the Jayhawks this week, including one in overtime. They need to pad that record a bit if they want to continue their string of NCAA appearances.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 13-8, 5-4 T-3rd Big 12.

1/27/20 at Oklahoma State (W 78-63).
2/1/20 at #17 Iowa State (L 90-77).

A split for the Horned Frogs, who actually had Iowa State on the ropes early in the second half then let it slip away. The win at Oklahoma State set 2 milestones for the Coach Mighty era in TCU: It is the most overall and conference wins both in a season since this dynasty began, and I see more on the horizon.

Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- 7-13, 3-5 T-9th Big Ten.

1/29/20 at Rutgers (L 82-57).
2/1/20 at Ohio State (W 74-57).

A split for the Wolverines, as that Rutgers loss will sting for a while. One bright note, they did sweep their rivals this season, beating Ohio State twice.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 14-6, 6-2 T-1st Big Ten.

1/29/20 vs. Iowa (W 68-66).
2/1/20 at #11 Nebraska (L 66-62).

The Spartans split a couple close ones this week, maintaining their share of first place and have quite a streak going, they are undefeated at home this season.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 10-10, 3-5 T-9th Big Ten.

1/29/20 at #16 Minnesota (L 77-63).
2/1/20 vs. Illinois (L 79-74).

2 tough losses for the Wildcats this week, as they are still trying to find consistency in conference play. They've lost 3 in a row.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 11-9, 4-4 6th Big West.

1/30/20 vs. Cal State Fullerton (L 72-64).
2/1/20 at Cal Poly (W 60-51).

Well what do you know? Another week, another split for the Warriors. The rumors of coach Gunn being an average coach and nothing more continue.

Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) -- 7-12, 5-3 T-4th Conference USA.

1/30/20 at Southern Miss (W 81-68).
2/1/20 at North Texas (W 87-82).

Good week for the 49ers who sweep a couple road games. They have won 4 of their last 6 and are playing much better basketball.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 9-11, 4-4 T-7th Conference USA.

1/30/20 at Western Kentucky (W 70-67).
2/1/20 at UTEP (L 99-72).

The Owls split a pair of road games this week, and would have really liked a better effort against UTEP.

Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 10-12, 8-6 4th MAAC.

1/30/20 at New Hampshire (L 66-50).
2/2/20 at #23 Niagara (W 85-77).

A weird week for the Hawks, who split a couple road games. They lose badly to New Hampshire, then go and beat a Niagara team that was ranked. Again, no consistency there. They have 6 conference games left, and quite honestly, all of them are winnable if they play Monmouth basketball.

Norfolk State (Payten Carrano) -- 6-15, 3-5 T-9th MEAC.

1/27/20 vs. Morgan State (W 57-53).
2/1/20 vs. South Carolina State (W 82-62).

Don't look now but the Spartans are on a winning streak. They've won 3 in a row and 4 of their last 5. They can get back into the conference race if they can keep it going.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 5-15, 2-6 T-10th Pac 12.

1/30/20 vs. #15 UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.
2/1/20 at California (W 68-60).

A split for the Buffaloes who get a win over a good Cal team, but would have loved a better effort against UCLA.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 12-7, 6-2 T-2nd Pac 12.

1/30/20 vs. USC (W 48-41).
2/1/20 vs. Arizona State (W 63-55).

The Cardinal get 2 wins this week, but against a couple of the weaker conference teams. Still, it's good to get back on track.

#15 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 16-4, 5-3 T-4th Pac 12.

1/30/20 at Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.
2/1/20 vs. Oregon (L 76-71).

The Bruins drop a tough one to a dangerous Oregon team and now have some work to do to get back in the conference race. Beating Arizona next week is a must.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 9-11, 1-7 12th (last) Pac 12.

1/30/20 at California (L 81-73).
2/1/20 at #4 Arizona (L 66-61).

A couple moral victories for the Cougars this week, as they play 2 solid teams down to the wire. They fell short in both, but the effort was much better.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 13-6, 4-4 T-6th SEC.

1/29/20 at #7 Vanderbilt (L 73-62).
2/1/20 vs. Auburn (W 84-47).

A split for the Crimson Tide, who broke a 3 game losing streak by absolutely crushing a pretty good Auburn team. Hopefully this gets them back on track.

Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- 11-9, 4-4 T-6th SEC.

1/29/20 vs. Tennessee (W 70-53).
2/1/20 vs. #20 Arkansas (L 75-63).

A split for the Gators, and that Arkansas game was one that they should have had. Way too many missed opportunities.

#3 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 18-2, 7-1 2nd SEC.

1/29/20 vs. #20 Arkansas (L 74-71).
2/1/20 at Georgia (W 81-69).

The Wildcats drop their first conference game of the season, losing to a very good Arkansas team. Nothing to be ashamed of as they are still one of the best teams in the nation, let alone the SEC.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 12-8, 6-6 5th Sun Belt.

1/30/20 at Northern Kentucky (L 78-64).
2/1/20 at UT Arlington (L 96-57).

A week to forget for the Trojans, especially the 39 point loss at UT Arlington. Next week is key for them getting back on track.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Baylor (63) 21-1 1791 2 Big 12 Conference
2. North Carolina (9) 19-2 1737 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Arizona 17-3 1610 4 Pacific-12 Conference
4. Vanderbilt 18-2 1603 7 Southeastern Conference
5. Kentucky 18-2 1510 3 Southeastern Conference
6. Maryland 17-3 1428 5 Big Ten Conference
7. Syracuse 17-3 1373 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Virginia 15-5 1270 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. Wisconsin 16-5 1264 12 Big Ten Conference
10. Connecticut 17-4 1079 10 American Athletic Conference
11. Arkansas 17-4 1027 20 Southeastern Conference
12. Louisville 16-5 971 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. Iowa State 16-4 931 17 Big 12 Conference
14. Nebraska 16-4 856 11 Big Ten Conference
15. Florida State 17-4 842 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
16. New Mexico 19-3 743 14 Mountain West Conference
17. Texas A&M 14-6 593 19 Southeastern Conference
18. Minnesota 15-5 522 16 Big Ten Conference
19. Illinois 15-5 519 NR Big Ten Conference
20. Dayton 17-3 513 21 Atlantic 10 Conference
21. UCLA 16-4 365 15 Pacific-12 Conference
22. Boise State 15-5 263 18 Mountain West Conference
23. Iowa 12-7 204 NR Big Ten Conference
24. Wichita State 15-4 122 22 Missouri Valley Conference
25. Notre Dame 15-5 63 NR Atlantic Coast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
UAB 15-4 39 Conference USA
Yale 16-4 34 Ivy League
Oregon 13-7 32 Pacific-12 Conference
Gonzaga 17-5 22 West Coast Conference
Washington 15-5 22 Pacific-12 Conference
South Florida 16-5 18 American Athletic Conference
Michigan State 14-6 8 Big Ten Conference
Oakland 16-4 7 Horizon League
Niagara 19-5 5 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Alabama 13-6 4 Southeastern Conference
Duke 13-8 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
Providence 15-5 4 Big East Conference
San Diego State 14-7 2 Mountain West Conference

Kentucky drops 2 spots this week after the loss to Arkansas while UCLA drops 6 spots after losing to Oregon. Michigan State picks up a few more votes, while Alabama and Duke pick up votes this week.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Connecticut (72) 17-4 1800 1 American Athletic Conference
2. New Mexico 19-3 1725 2 Mountain West Conference
3. Dayton 17-3 1618 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
4. Boise State 15-5 1548 4 Mountain West Conference
5. Wichita State 15-4 1474 3 Missouri Valley Conference
6. Gonzaga 17-5 1346 7 West Coast Conference
7. UTEP 15-5 1283 11 Conference USA
8. South Florida 16-5 1230 10 American Athletic Conference
9. San Diego State 14-7 1229 18 Mountain West Conference
10. Yale 16-4 1165 6 Ivy League
11. Louisiana Tech 15-6 1085 17 Conference USA
12. UAB 15-4 1080 8 Conference USA
13. Oakland 16-4 970 12 Horizon League
14. Harvard 16-5 783 15 Ivy League
15. UC Santa Barbara 15-5 780 14 Big West Conference
16. Indiana State 15-7 628 NR Missouri Valley Conference
17. Niagara 19-5 595 9 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
18. Tulsa 14-6 573 NR American Athletic Conference
19. Richmond 13-5 545 21 Atlantic 10 Conference
20. Western Michigan 15-5 432 24 Mid-American Conference
21. Northeastern 15-5 285 19 Colonial Athletic Association
22. USC Upstate 17-5 245 23 Atlantic Sun Conference
23. Portland 16-6 215 NR West Coast Conference
24. Lehigh 17-6 198 13 Patriot League
25. Middle Tennessee 13-7 150 NR Conference USA

Others Receiving Votes:
North Dakota State 15-6 76 Summit League
Mercer 14-6 64 Southern Conference
Memphis 12-7 63 American Athletic Conference
San Jose State 13-7 48 Mountain West Conference
North Carolina Central 14-6 45 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
SMU 13-8 26 American Athletic Conference
Idaho 14-5 15 Big Sky Conference
Saint Louis 13-7 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
Saint Mary's 14-9 13 West Coast Conference
Seattle 13-7 12 Western Athletic Conference
Cal State Fullerton 13-7 11 Big West Conference
Cincinnati 13-8 10 American Athletic Conference
UT Arlington 13-6 5 Sun Belt Conference
George Washington 12-8 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
Northern Arizona 13-7 4 Big Sky Conference
William & Mary 14-7 4 Colonial Athletic Association
Hartford 14-7 3 America East Conference
Drake 14-7 1 Missouri Valley Conference

Tulsa continues to rise as they enter the mid-major top 25, and Hartford is still hanging around with a couple votes.

Now for the first edition of this years bubble watch. We'll start with the Overall Bubble Watch, in which 2 of our FOFC teams are listed:

OVERALL BUBBLE WATCH

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Middle Tennessee 13-7 .603 (20) 1-4 0-0 7-2 5-1 28 In
Iowa 12-7 .638 (5) 5-7 4-0 2-0 1-0 3 In
San Jose State 13-7 .576 (41) 1-1 1-2 6-2 5-2 77 In
Northern Arizona 13-7 .576 (40) 0-2 1-3 4-1 8-1 85 In
Oregon 13-7 .554 (68) 1-4 4-2 5-1 3-0 76 In
TCU 13-8 .614 (13) 3-5 4-2 3-1 3-0 8 In
West Virginia 13-7 .552 (70) 2-3 1-2 5-1 5-1 100 In
Texas 13-8 .579 (35) 3-4 6-3 2-1 2-0 32 In
Pittsburgh 14-7 .551 (71) 2-2 3-2 3-3 6-0 102 Out
Duke 13-8 .595 (25) 2-3 1-4 5-1 5-0 10 Out
Memphis 12-7 .567 (47) 1-3 1-2 4-2 6-0 74 Out
Harvard 16-5 .518 (125) 1-2 1-1 2-1 12-1 312 Out
USC Upstate 17-5 .506 (153) 0-1 2-1 7-1 8-2 332 Out
North Carolina Central 14-6 .518 (126) 2-0 0-1 4-4 8-1 263 Out
UT Arlington 13-6 .520 (121) 2-0 2-0 3-3 6-3 237 Out

TCU is in based on their 7-7 record against teams in the top 100 of RPI, and a SOS rated 8th in the nation.

It almost seems unfair that Duke is listed as Out at the moment. They are just 3-7 against teams in the top 100 of RPI, and their SOS is 10th in the nation. Sadly, they probably wouldn't even be considered right now if not for that win over top ranked North Carolina this week.

Now for the rest of the FOFC teams, and remember, this is for the NCAA Tournament only.

Locks: Michigan State, UCLA, Kentucky, Alabama
In: Hartford, Tulsa

Real nice to see so many of our FOFC teams either locks or projected in at the moment.

[vex]

Much better season for the Golden Hurricane after going 12-20 last year.

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 3-9, 2020

We have 3 feature games for you this week, and we'll start in the Pac 12.

2/6/20- Colorado (Rob Nielsen) @ Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- The Buffaloes used 55.1% shooting, including 11 three pointers, to shock Stanford and get a big road win, doing even more damage to Stanford's postseason chances.

Final Score: Colorado- 75, Stanford- 62

Now to the ACC:

2/8/20- Duke (Dean Hoo) @ Clemson (Charles Johnson) -- This one was not for the weary at heart. The teams combined for 51 fouls and shot a combined 68 free throws. Unfortunately, Clemson shot 47 free throws, making more than Duke even attempted. Both teams shot over 56%, but it was the free throws that made the difference as Clemson gets their first conference win of the season.

Final Score: Clemson- 105, Duke- 102

We finish in the Big 12.

2/8/20- TCU (Bee Mighty) @ Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- A pretty even game, but the Jayhawks hit a few more shots and a few more three pointers as they get revenge over TCU, picking up an important victory.

Final Score: Kansas- 78, TCU- 65

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 15-7, 8-3 2nd America East.

2/5/20 vs. Vermont (W 78-69).

Just 1 game this week for the Hawks, but they continue their winning ways.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 6-15, 1-10 11th (last) American.

2/5/20 vs. Tulane (L 70-58).
2/8/20 at Temple (W 80-73).

A split for the Pirates this week, who get their first conference victory with the win at Temple.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 15-7, 7-3 3rd American.

2/5/20 vs. Houston (W 81-72).
2/8/20 at SMU (L 75-60).

A split for the Golden Hurricane. No shame in losing to SMU, they are a darn good team.

Davidson (Randolph Childress) -- 13-9, 8-2 T-1st Atlantic 10.

2/5/20 vs. St. Bonaventure (W 85-61).
2/8/20 vs. Richmond (W 88-67).

The Wildcats pick up 2 more wins, and they are getting it done in conference. If they can rattle off a few more wins, we could be talking about Davidson in the postseason as well.

Clemson (Charles Johnson) -- 6-16, 1-9 14th ACC.

2/5/20 vs. #12 Louisville (L 76-56).
2/8/20 vs. Duke- feature game, highlighted above.

If nothing else, the Tigers will keep that win over Duke in the memory books. With the loaded schedule they have coming up, it might be their last win of the season. But hey, at least for right now, they can say they are no longer in the cellar!

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 13-10, 3-7 T-12th ACC.

2/5/20 vs. Virginia Tech (L 72-64).
2/8/20 at Clemson- feature game, highlighted above.

The Blue Devils continue to show their inconsistency with 2 losses this week against 2 teams they had no business losing to. Now they play 4 of their next 5 games against teams with 15+ wins. Wouldn't be surprised if they won at least 3 of those games. Coach Hoo has to be feeling the pressure right now, this is a Final Four caliber team but they aren't playing anything like it.

Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 12-9, 6-5 4th Big 12.

2/3/20 vs. Oklahoma (W 80-66).
2/8/20 vs. TCU- feature game, highlighted above.

The Jayhawks get back on track with a couple wins this week, including a revenge win over TCU. They can solidify their postseason chances by going on a nice little roll as they'll go on the road next week for a couple easy non-conference tests.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 13-10, 5-6 5th Big 12.

2/3/20 at #1 Baylor (L 91-47).
2/8/20 at Kansas- feature game, highlighted above.

Ouch, the Horned Frogs team that was once 13-7 appears to be gone. They've lost their last 3, including a really bad 44 point loss at Baylor. They've still got a lot of chances to add to their win total, but they can't have anymore weeks like this.

Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- 8-14, 4-6 10th Big Ten.

2/5/20 vs. #6 Maryland (L 57-55).
2/8/20 at Purdue (W 68-67).

A split for the Wolverines this week and a couple very close games. They were just seconds away from pulling the upset against Maryland but let it slip away.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 15-7, 7-3 T-1st Big Ten.

2/5/20 vs. Penn State (W 89-82).
2/8/20 at #6 Maryland (L 72-58).

The Spartans also split this week, but maintain their share of the Big Ten lead. It is a telling sign though when their in-state rivals fared better this week against Maryland than they did.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 12-10, 5-5 T-7th Big Ten.

2/5/20 vs. #14 Nebraska (W 74-67).
2/8/20 vs. #23 Iowa (W 71-60).

A good bounce back week for the Wildcats after losing 3 straight, as they beat 2 opponents this week with RPI's of 18 and 6, respectively.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 11-11, 4-5 T-5th Big West.

2/3/20 vs. Seton Hall (L 69-48).
2/8/20 vs. UC Irvine (L 64-59).

Well, the good news is no split this week for the Warriors. The bad news, they lost both their games. 1 was a non-conference game, but they are back under .500 in the conference and Coach Gunn is already making phone calls to see what jobs will be open next season, as it appears Hawaii will be one of them.

Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) -- 8-13, 6-4 T-3rd Conference USA.

2/6/20 vs. Florida Atlantic (W 80-62).
2/8/20 at UTSA (L 76-71).

The 49ers with a split this week, as the loss at UTSA breaks a 3 game winning streak.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 10-12, 5-5 8th Conference USA.

2/6/20 at Old Dominion (L 59-58).
2/8/20 at Middle Tennessee (W 79-71).

The Owls split 2 road games this week, but 1 point separated them from a 2 win week. They are still trying to get over the hump and get back over .500 in conference.

Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 11-13, 9-7 4th MAAC.

2/7/20 vs. St. Peter's (W 66-58).
2/9/20 at Canisius (L 71-64).

The Hawks continue to split in conference play, not able to get over that hump. Unless they can go on a run now, their record this season will be much worse than it was last season.

Norfolk State (Payten Carrano) -- 8-15, 5-5 T-7th MEAC.

2/3/20 at North Carolina A&T (W 85-77).
2/8/20 at Maryland Eastern Shore (W 65-55).

The Spartans are hitting their stride, winners of 5 in a row after winning 2 more this week. In a conference where no team is taking control, Norfolk State still has a very legit shot to finish on top, if they can keep winning.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 6-16, 3-7 10th Pac 12.

2/6/20 at Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
2/8/20 vs. California (L 74-46).

The Buffaloes split this week, including a big win over Stanford. Coach Nielsen is still looking over his shoulder though, as rumors are rampant that he could also be looking for a new job next season.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 12-9, 6-4 T-3rd Pac 12.

2/6/20 vs. Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.
2/8/20 vs. Oregon (L 81-78, OT).

Not a good week for the Cardinal, who drop 2, including an upset loss. They are starting to lose their grip near the top of the conference.

#21 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 16-6, 5-5 T-5th Pac 12.

2/6/20 vs. Arizona State (L 73-69, OT).
2/8/20 at #3 Arizona (L 71-67).

The Bruins drop 2 this week, both by 4 points. I wouldn't call it a slide necessarily, they are still a very good team despite losing 3 in a row.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 9-13, 1-9 12th (last) Pac 12.

2/6/20 vs. Oregon State (L 67-48).
2/8/20 at Arizona State (L 61-48).

A couple double digit losses for the Cougars this week, as they continue to stay in the cellar of the conference. They've gotten 1 win in their last 10 games.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 15-6, 6-4 T-4th SEC.

2/5/20 vs. #17 Texas A&M (W 78-71).
2/8/20 vs. Ole Miss (W 78-62).

The Crimson Tide are getting it together again, winners of 3 straight after 3 losses. They've had some crazy streaks since 2020 started: lose 2, win 3, lose 3, win 3. Hopefully the winning streak will continue.

Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- 11-11, 4-6 9th SEC.

2/5/20 at Ole Miss (L 61-53).
2/8/20 at #19 Texas A&M (L 85-52).

The Gators weren't very competitive this week, getting hammered by Texas A&M. Even the Ole Miss game required a massive 2nd half comeback to even make it close. Coach Oppenheimer better figure something out or his job could be on the line soon.

#5 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 20-2, 9-1 T-1st SEC.

2/5/20 at #4 Vanderbilt (W 87-83).
2/8/20 vs. South Carolina (W 74-47).

Great week for the Wildcats who hand Vandy their first conference loss and absolutely blitz South Carolina.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 12-9, 6-7 T-6th Sun Belt.

2/6/20 at South Alabama (L 75-61).

Just 1 game this week for the Trojans, and they are losing steam. After a 5 game winning streak, they've lost 3 in a row.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Baylor (72) 23-1 1800 1 Big 12 Conference
2. North Carolina 20-3 1720 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Arizona 19-3 1642 3 Pacific-12 Conference
4. Vanderbilt 19-3 1594 4 Southeastern Conference
5. Maryland 19-3 1478 6 Big Ten Conference
6. Syracuse 19-3 1425 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Kentucky 20-2 1410 5 Southeastern Conference
8. Louisville 18-5 1246 12 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. Iowa State 18-4 1140 13 Big 12 Conference
10. Virginia 16-6 1129 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Arkansas 19-4 1062 11 Southeastern Conference
12. Wisconsin 16-7 1036 9 Big Ten Conference
13. Connecticut 18-5 946 10 American Athletic Conference
14. New Mexico 20-3 891 16 Mountain West Conference
15. Illinois 17-5 794 19 Big Ten Conference
16. Dayton 19-3 768 20 Atlantic 10 Conference
17. Florida State 17-6 579 15 Atlantic Coast Conference
18. Boise State 17-5 563 22 Mountain West Conference
19. Texas A&M 15-7 476 17 Southeastern Conference
20. Wichita State 17-4 437 24 Missouri Valley Conference
21. Minnesota 16-6 393 18 Big Ten Conference
22. Nebraska 16-6 176 14 Big Ten Conference
23. Notre Dame 16-6 161 25 Atlantic Coast Conference
24. UAB 17-4 151 NR Conference USA
25. Providence 17-5 96 NR Big East Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
South Florida 18-5 61 American Athletic Conference
Michigan State 15-7 39 Big Ten Conference
Alabama 15-6 36 Southeastern Conference
UCLA 16-6 32 Pacific-12 Conference
Iowa 13-8 28 Big Ten Conference
Washington 16-6 22 Pacific-12 Conference
Gonzaga 18-6 20 West Coast Conference
UC Santa Barbara 17-5 18 Big West Conference
Harvard 18-5 14 Ivy League
USC Upstate 19-5 6 Atlantic Sun Conference
Yale 17-5 6 Ivy League
Western Michigan 17-5 5 Mid-American Conference

Crazy rankings this week, as Kentucky moves down 2 spots, even after handing Vanderbilt their first conference loss. UCLA is out of the top 25 for the first time in a long time, but still receiving votes. Alabama and Michigan State get quite a few more votes each this week. Not surprisingly, Duke has lost all their votes.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Connecticut (60) 18-5 1785 1 American Athletic Conference
2. New Mexico (9) 20-3 1728 2 Mountain West Conference
3. Dayton (3) 19-3 1657 3 Atlantic 10 Conference
4. Boise State 17-5 1562 4 Mountain West Conference
5. Wichita State 17-4 1499 5 Missouri Valley Conference
6. South Florida 18-5 1397 8 American Athletic Conference
7. UAB 17-4 1365 12 Conference USA
8. Gonzaga 18-6 1221 6 West Coast Conference
9. UTEP 16-6 1115 7 Conference USA
10. Louisiana Tech 16-7 1111 11 Conference USA
11. UC Santa Barbara 17-5 1108 15 Big West Conference
12. Harvard 18-5 1013 14 Ivy League
13. Yale 17-5 885 10 Ivy League
14. Indiana State 17-7 841 16 Missouri Valley Conference
15. Western Michigan 17-5 773 20 Mid-American Conference
16. San Diego State 14-9 741 9 Mountain West Conference
17. USC Upstate 19-5 688 22 Atlantic Sun Conference
18. Tulsa 15-7 491 18 American Athletic Conference
19. Niagara 20-6 454 17 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
20. Mercer 16-6 424 NR Southern Conference
21. Richmond 14-6 374 19 Atlantic 10 Conference
22. Oakland 16-6 295 13 Horizon League
23. SMU 14-8 209 NR American Athletic Conference
24. Northeastern 16-6 160 21 Colonial Athletic Association
25. Saint Louis 15-7 111 NR Atlantic 10 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
North Carolina Central 16-6 101 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
UC Irvine 15-8 66 Big West Conference
Drake 16-7 48 Missouri Valley Conference
Samford 16-8 37 Southern Conference
Davidson 13-9 29 Atlantic 10 Conference
UT Arlington 15-6 27 Sun Belt Conference
Memphis 12-8 17 American Athletic Conference
Portland 16-8 17 West Coast Conference
Hartford 15-7 12 America East Conference
North Dakota State 16-7 12 Summit League
Lehigh 17-8 9 Patriot League
Eastern Michigan 16-7 8 Mid-American Conference
Seattle 14-8 3 Western Athletic Conference
William & Mary 15-8 3 Colonial Athletic Association
Long Beach State 14-8 2 Big West Conference
Northern Arizona 14-8 2 Big Sky Conference

So Tulsa stays strong at #18, while Hartford picks up a few more votes. And say hello to Davidson again, who is receiving mid-major votes for the first time in a while. I'm ecstatic that we have 3 FOFC teams receiving mid-major votes. Hopefully this is just the start.

Now for this weeks edition of the Bubble Watch. We have 1 FOFC team in the Overall Bubble Watch this week, let's take a look.

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Georgetown 14-8 .552 (64) 3-2 2-2 8-4 1-0 86 In
California 14-8 .568 (47) 1-3 6-2 5-3 2-0 54 In
Iowa 13-8 .627 (6) 7-8 3-0 2-0 1-0 3 In
SMU 14-8 .562 (56) 1-4 3-2 4-2 6-0 81 In
Seton Hall 14-8 .558 (61) 2-3 3-2 4-2 5-1 92 In
Yale 17-5 .549 (69) 2-1 2-1 6-1 7-2 241 In
Tulsa 15-7 .551 (67) 1-2 1-2 6-3 7-0 149 In
Oregon 14-8 .548 (70) 1-4 3-3 7-1 3-0 94 In
Northern Arizona 14-8 .563 (55) 0-2 0-3 5-0 9-3 102 Out
Saint Louis 15-7 .542 (77) 2-2 4-1 3-3 6-1 171 Out
Samford 16-8 .550 (68) 1-1 1-1 2-2 12-4 125 Out
UC Irvine 15-8 .545 (72) 1-1 4-1 5-4 5-2 146 Out
West Virginia 14-8 .543 (76) 2-4 0-2 6-1 6-1 109 Out
San Diego State 14-9 .571 (42) 1-4 1-1 6-3 6-1 46 Out
Missouri 14-7 .521 (114) 4-2 3-3 2-1 5-1 247 Out

That split this week has put Tulsa on the bubble. Last week they were safely in, this week, one of the Last Four In. Their RPI and SOS is borderline for an at-large bid, so the best thing they can do at this point is to win at either South Florida or UConn, who are the top 2 teams in the conference. No easy task.

Now for the rest of the FOFC teams. If there were any changes from last week for a team, I will highlight that in parenthesis.

Locks: Michigan State, UCLA, Alabama, Kentucky
In: Hartford

The only difference among teams that are projected out this week is TCU. Last week they were on the bubble and projected in. This week they are projected out.

[Neuqua]

I cannot figure out what's going on at Northwestern at all. Almost wonder if it's best for both parties to go their separate ways.

[collegesportsfanms]

I cannot figure out what's going on at Northwestern at all. Almost wonder if it's best for both parties to go their separate ways.

I was actually going to say something about that. Along with the other interaction I have going on regarding choosing non-conference match-ups and stuff (and I realize there are a few users that have teams that haven't responded or been on in a while, I'm still trying to decide what to do about that), I was going to give you guys a chance in the offseason, before the head coach hiring period, to resign from your team if you chose to.

But, if you did resign, you would have to sign with one of the teams that offered you a job, you wouldn't just get to pick a new team. Does that make sense? Just something to throw out there for people that want a change. Some do, some don't.

[vex]

I like that idea.

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 10-16, 2020

A heavy week for feature games, as we have 5 of them this week. We'll start in Conference USA.

2/13/20- Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) @ Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- It was a tale of 2 halves in this one, as Rice went into the locker room at halftime leading by 6, but Charlotte outscored them 48-22 in the second half to improve their conference standings and get a big win.

Final Score: Charlotte- 82, Rice- 62

Now we move to the Pac 12:

2/13/20- Washington State (DeShawn St. John) @ Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- The number in this game was 5, as in that's how many turnovers Stanford had all game. It's hard to beat a team who takes that good of care of the basketball. While the Cougars played very well, the fact that Stanford only had 5 turnovers was enough to get them an important home victory.

Final Score: Stanford- 75, Washington State- 69

Now we step away from conference play for a huge mid-major non-conference battle.

2/14/20- Hartford (David Ginsberg) @ Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- It was all Hartford in this one, as they held Monmouth to just 31.5% shooting for the game and jumped out to a 19 point halftime lead. The Hawks continue to take care of business with a solid road victory.

Final Score: Hartford- 63, Monmouth- 47

Back into conference play, we head to the Big Ten:

2/15/20- Northwestern (Ess Vee) @ Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- A close one here, as both teams made a living at the free throw line. Northwestern shot 34 free throws and Michigan State shot 35. Not much separated these 2 teams, except for the fact that the Spartans made 4 more three pointers to get a key conference victory.

Final Score: Michigan State- 75, Northwestern- 73

And finally, an SEC showdown that used to be a big showdown, but isn't quite so much anymore.

2/15/20- #7 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) @ Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- If you wanted to watch a shooting clinic, you came to the right game. Both teams shot over 50% from the field, but Florida was lights out from behind the arc, making 13-22 three point attempts. This was enough to get a huge victory in what can only be considered an upset this season.

Final Score: Florida- 93, #7 Kentucky- 91

Now, after all that, we get back to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 17-8, 9-4 1st America East.

2/12/20 vs. UMass Lowell (W 59-48).
2/14/20 at Monmouth- feature game, highlighted above.
2/16/20 vs. Maine (L 74-59).

2 out of 3 for the Hawks this week, but the 1 loss was a huge loss. Maine has only one 6 games all season and hasn't been competitive, so that loss hurts.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 6-17, 1-12 11th (last) American.

2/12/20 vs. SMU (L 84-64).
2/15/20 vs. Memphis (L 68-46).

The Pirates took a step back this week, getting beat by 20+ points in both games. It looked like they might be finding a groove, but not so much.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 16-8, 8-4 T-3rd American.

2/12/20 at Cincinnati (L 74-73).
2/15/20 at Temple (W 72-64).

A split for the Golden Hurricane this week, but they'll be kicking themselves for that Cincinnati loss for a while, as they led by 11 at halftime and let it slip away.

Davidson (Randolph Childress) -- 15-9, 10-2 T-1st Atlantic 10.

2/12/20 at LaSalle (W 72-56).
2/15/20 at George Mason (W 78-51).

2 more solid wins for the Wildcats, who have won 4 in a row now and are playing solid basketball. They have won 8 of 9, and all 8 of those wins are by 15 or more points.

Clemson (Charles Johnson) -- 7-17, 2-10 14th ACC.

2/12/20 vs. #10 Virginia (W 79-70).
2/15/20 at #17 Florida State (L 77-67).

The Tigers split this week, shocking a top 10 Virginia team. This is just a sign of the type of basketball they can play when they put it all together.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 13-12, 3-9 13th ACC.

2/12/20 at #23 Notre Dame (L 78-46).
2/15/20 at #10 Virginia (L 64-54).

2 more losses for the Blue Devils as fans are wondering what in the world has happened to them. Talk about a mid-season collapse. They were 9-1 at one point and are just 4-11 since then.

Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 14-10, 6-6 T-4th Big 12.

2/10/20 at UMKC (W 84-59).
2/12/20 at Florida A&M (W 65-49).
2/15/20 vs. #1 Baylor (L 63-54).

The Jayhawks win 2 of 3 this week, but the 2 they won weren't the most important. They needed that win over Baylor and couldn't get it.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 15-10, 7-6 3rd Big 12.

2/10/20 vs. Texas Tech (W 88-55).
2/15/20 vs. Kansas State (W 74-68, OT).

2 more wins for the Horned Frogs, who are having the season of their lives right now. The top 2 spots in the Big 12 are all but locked up, but TCU is a serious contender to finish in the top 4 yet. Coach Mighty has to get some consideration for Coach of the Year, both at the national and the Big 12 levels.

Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- 9-15, 5-7 T-9th Big Ten.

2/12/20 at Penn State (L 73-56).
2/15/20 at Iowa (W 95-91, OT).

A split for the Wolverines this week, who continue to struggle to get over that hump. Coach Tribble could be in trouble at the end of the season.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 17-7, 9-3 T-1st Big Ten.

2/12/20 vs. Rutgers (W 57-41).
2/15/20 vs. Northwestern- feature game, highlighted above.

The Spartans get 2 more wins this week, remain undefeated at home this season, and keep their grip on a share of the conference title. Unfortunately, their next 4 games are on the road in which they haven't been very good this season.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 12-12, 5-7 T-9th Big Ten.

2/12/20 vs. Ohio State (L 80-62).
2/15/20 at Michigan State- feature game, highlighted above.

The Wildcats lose 2 this week. They weren't very competitive against Ohio State but almost pulled a shocker against Michigan State. Needless to say, Coach Vee isn't surprising anybody like he did in his first season when he led Northwestern to 22 wins.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 12-12, 5-6 6th Big West.

2/13/20 at Long Beach State (W 70-60).
2/15/20 at UC Riverside (L 79-66).

Another week, another conference split for the Warriors. They just can't figure out how to get over the hump this season in what has truly been a disappointment.

Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) -- 9-14, 7-5 T-4th Conference USA.

2/13/20 at Rice- feature game, highlighted above.
2/15/20 at FIU (L 79-66).

Another split for the 49ers, who have lost 2 of their last 3. Surprisingly, they are only 2 games behind the conference leaders and they still have some very winnable games. It's a longshot, but don't count them out quite yet.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 10-14, 5-7 T-9th Conference USA.

2/13/20 vs. Charlotte- feature game, highlighted above.
2/15/20 vs. Marshall (L 87-82, OT).

The Owls lose 2 this week. At least they took a good Marshall team to overtime, but they still are having their struggles.

Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 13-14, 10-7 4th MAAC.

2/11/20 vs. Cornell (W 81-54).
2/14/20 vs. Hartford- feature game, highlighted above.
2/16/20 at Quinnipiac (W 61-53).

2 out of 3 for the Hawks, as they split a couple non-conference games but get a big conference victory. With 3 conference games to go, they need to win all 3 and get help to have a shot at the MAAC Title. It's quite unlikely, but very doable for them to at least win 3 straight.

Norfolk State (Payten Carrano) -- 8-17, 5-7 10th MEAC.

2/10/20 vs. Savannah State (L 89-80).
2/15/20 vs. Hampton (L 73-53).

Well, that about settles it, the Spartans are done for this season. Losing to Savannah State who has a 298 RPI and 5 wins on the season? Coach Carrano better make some changes next season, because they should be doing better than this.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 7-17, 4-8 T-9th Pac 12.

2/13/20 vs. Washington (W 57-56).
2/15/20 vs. #3 Arizona (L 85-56).

A split for the Buffaloes this week who get an upset win over Washington, but what happened against Arizona?? Granted, Arizona is good, but they shouldn't be beating the Buffs by 29 points.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 14-9, 8-4 T-2nd Pac 12.

2/13/20 vs. Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.
2/15/20 at Arizona State (W 48-41).

2 big wins for the Cardinal, and with Arizona all but having the Pac 12 Title locked up, Stanford is playing for 2nd at this point. They must like 48-41 games, because they had one earlier in the season too.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 16-8, 5-7 8th Pac 12.

2/13/20 vs. Oregon State (L 61-52).
2/15/20 at Oregon (L 88-71).

What is going on with the Bruins? I don't think they've ever had a 5 game losing streak since I started this dynasty, and they are just getting outplayed by everybody. A couple more losses, and god forbid, they could actually be on the bubble.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 10-14, 2-10 12th (last) Pac 12.

2/13/20 at Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
2/15/20 vs. USC (W 64-61).

A split for the Cougars, who get their 2nd conference win of the season. They still have a chance to finish outside the cellar, but they've got to find a way to pull some upsets in their last few games.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 16-7, 7-5 T-5th SEC.

2/12/20 at Georgia (W 83-72).
2/15/20 at Tennessee (L 73-67).

A split this week for the Crimson Tide, as the loss at Tennessee breaks a 4 game winning streak. They are still in position for a top 4 conference finish, but they can't have anymore losing streaks.

Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- 13-11, 6-6 T-7th SEC.

2/12/20 at VCU (W 79-63).
2/15/20 vs. #7 Kentucky- feature game, highlighted above.

2 important wins for the Gators this week, who have another chance to earn a marquee win as they take on the conference leaders next week.

#7 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 21-3, 10-2 T-2nd SEC.

2/12/20 vs. Missouri (W 88-61).
2/15/20 at Florida- feature game, highlighted above.

The Wildcats split, and that loss to Florida takes them out of the SEC lead. Plenty of chances to get it back though.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 12-11, 6-9 T-8th Sun Belt.

2/13/20 vs. Texas State (L 85-76).
2/15/20 vs. Georgia Southern (L 86-78).

It's been a rough go for the Trojans lately, as they've lost 5 in a row and what looked like a promising season has gone away fast.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Baylor (72) 24-1 1800 1 Big 12 Conference
2. North Carolina 21-3 1719 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Arizona 21-3 1649 3 Pacific-12 Conference
4. Vanderbilt 21-3 1592 4 Southeastern Conference
5. Syracuse 21-3 1514 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Maryland 20-4 1401 5 Big Ten Conference
7. Kentucky 21-3 1362 7 Southeastern Conference
8. Iowa State 20-4 1290 9 Big 12 Conference
9. Connecticut 20-5 1164 13 American Athletic Conference
10. Arkansas 21-4 1143 11 Southeastern Conference
11. New Mexico 22-3 1035 14 Mountain West Conference
12. Virginia 17-7 1025 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. Illinois 19-5 993 15 Big Ten Conference
14. Wisconsin 17-8 809 12 Big Ten Conference
15. Louisville 18-7 742 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
16. Wichita State 19-4 658 20 Missouri Valley Conference
17. Dayton 20-4 638 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
18. Texas A&M 17-7 625 19 Southeastern Conference
19. Boise State 18-6 592 18 Mountain West Conference
20. Notre Dame 18-6 419 23 Atlantic Coast Conference
21. Florida State 18-7 309 17 Atlantic Coast Conference
22. Michigan State 17-7 293 NR Big Ten Conference
23. Providence 18-5 228 25 Big East Conference
24. Gonzaga 20-6 130 NR West Coast Conference
25. Harvard 20-5 75 NR Ivy League

Others Receiving Votes:
UC Santa Barbara 19-5 50 Big West Conference
Nebraska 17-7 45 Big Ten Conference
UAB 18-5 41 Conference USA
Alabama 16-7 17 Southeastern Conference
Yale 19-5 17 Ivy League
UTEP 18-6 8 Conference USA
Washington 17-7 6 Pacific-12 Conference
Indiana 16-8 4 Big Ten Conference
Louisiana Tech 18-7 3 Conference USA
Niagara 21-6 2 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Georgetown 16-8 1 Big East Conference
Minnesota 16-8 1 Big Ten Conference

Kentucky stays put after their split this week, and welcome back Michigan State to the top 25! It's been a while. Alabama is still receiving a few votes while UCLA has lost all theirs.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Connecticut (62) 20-5 1790 1 American Athletic Conference
2. New Mexico (10) 22-3 1736 2 Mountain West Conference
3. Wichita State 19-4 1623 5 Missouri Valley Conference
4. Boise State 18-6 1554 4 Mountain West Conference
5. Dayton 20-4 1535 3 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. Gonzaga 20-6 1363 8 West Coast Conference
7. UTEP 18-6 1314 9 Conference USA
8. Louisiana Tech 18-7 1298 10 Conference USA
9. UC Santa Barbara 19-5 1236 11 Big West Conference
10. UAB 18-5 1189 7 Conference USA
11. Harvard 20-5 1096 12 Ivy League
12. Yale 19-5 994 13 Ivy League
13. South Florida 18-7 908 6 American Athletic Conference
14. Indiana State 18-8 824 14 Missouri Valley Conference
15. Mercer 18-6 720 20 Southern Conference
16. Western Michigan 18-6 669 15 Mid-American Conference
17. Saint Louis 17-7 532 25 Atlantic 10 Conference
18. Oakland 18-6 482 22 Horizon League
19. Niagara 21-6 465 19 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
20. USC Upstate 20-6 341 17 Atlantic Sun Conference
21. North Carolina Central 18-6 288 NR Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
22. Northeastern 18-6 288 24 Colonial Athletic Association
23. SMU 16-8 276 23 American Athletic Conference
24. Drake 18-7 262 NR Missouri Valley Conference
25. San Diego State 14-11 156 16 Mountain West Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Tulsa 16-8 107 American Athletic Conference
Richmond 15-7 104 Atlantic 10 Conference
UT Arlington 17-6 81 Sun Belt Conference
Samford 18-8 62 Southern Conference
Memphis 14-8 47 American Athletic Conference
Davidson 15-9 41 Atlantic 10 Conference
Northern Arizona 16-8 11 Big Sky Conference
North Dakota State 17-8 4 Summit League
Sacred Heart 18-7 3 Northeast Conference
Cincinnati 15-10 1 American Athletic Conference

So Tulsa drops out of the mid-major top 25, but is still receiving a lot of votes. Davidson continues to improve and get more votes, and Hartford loses their votes.

Now for this weeks edition of the Bubble Watch. We have 3 teams in this weeks edition of the Overall Bubble Watch.

OVERALL BUBBLE WATCH

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oregon 15-9 .553 (58) 1-5 6-2 4-2 4-0 69 In
Yale 19-5 .550 (65) 1-2 2-1 6-0 10-2 271 In
West Virginia 15-9 .560 (54) 2-5 0-2 8-1 5-1 63 In
Seton Hall 15-9 .552 (59) 3-3 1-3 6-2 5-1 105 In
Northern Arizona 16-8 .564 (45) 0-2 0-2 6-3 10-1 108 In
Virginia 17-7 .544 (72) 3-4 4-0 5-2 5-1 157 In
UCLA 16-8 .542 (75) 2-2 5-3 4-3 5-0 133 In
Memphis 14-8 .548 (69) 1-3 2-4 4-1 7-0 114 In
North Texas 15-9 .546 (70) 2-3 1-3 6-2 6-1 100 Out
TCU 15-10 .611 (12) 3-7 4-3 4-0 4-0 10 Out
Samford 18-8 .549 (66) 1-1 2-1 3-2 12-4 144 Out
Richmond 15-7 .541 (77) 0-0 3-4 3-3 9-0 206 Out
Davidson 15-9 .544 (71) 0-5 4-3 3-1 8-0 120 Out
Missouri 15-8 .527 (104) 2-2 6-3 1-2 6-1 222 Out
Pittsburgh 16-9 .531 (92) 3-3 4-3 3-2 6-1 164 Out

The fact that UCLA is on the bubble just shows how far they've fallen in the last couple weeks. If the tournament started today, there's a very good chance they'd be in a First Four game. Yikes! A few more wins though, and they'll be right off that bubble.

TCU is having a season to remember, at least by their standards. That RPI and SOS is what is keeping them around. I think by seasons end, they'll be on the outside looking in. The pieces aren't quite there yet, but hey, it's still been a great season no matter what.

Davidson is having a nice turnaround. 0-5 against teams in the RPI top 50 though are what is going to hurt them. They've got 1 more chance to get a top 50 win, and they'll need to take advantage of it.

Now for the rest of the FOFC teams, and if there are any changes in a teams status from last week, I'll make a note of it.

Locks: Michigan State, Kentucky, Alabama
In: Hartford, Tulsa

Couple differences from last week, as UCLA is no longer a lock and is fighting on the bubble now. Also, Tulsa was on the bubble last week, but this week they are safely in.

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 17-23, 2020

3 feature games this week, and we start in the Big Ten.

2/19/20- #22 Michigan State (Al Mighty) @ Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- The Wolverines couldn't get anything going offensively, turning the ball over 16 times and shooting just 32.8% as Michigan State got a road victory over their in-state rivals.

Final Score: #22 Michigan State- 70, Michigan- 55

Now we move to the Pac 12.

2/20/20- Stanford (Benito Sanchez) @ UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- The Bruins needed to get back on track, and they did so tonight. Despite having 15 turnovers, they outrebounded Stanford 35-23. 15 of their 23 field goals made were three pointers so that was enough to run away with a victory.

Final Score: UCLA- 66, Stanford- 48

2/22/20- UCLA (Tim Shepard) @ Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- Home court advantage in this one, as Washington State shot 39 free throws and made 27 of them. That countered the three point makes, of which UCLA had 11 and Washington State 5. The Cougars also rebounded UCLA 38-25. Take all that into account and you have what most everybody would consider an upset.

Final Score: Washington State- 74, UCLA- 69

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 19-8, 11-4 1st America East.

2/19/20 at UMBC (W 72-69).
2/23/20 vs. Albany (W 71-53).

2 more wins for the Hawks, who can clinch the America East title outright with a win in their final conference game. What a story they've been!

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 7-18, 1-13 11th (last) American.

2/17/20 vs. Mt. St. Mary's (W 80-72).
2/19/20 vs. UCF (L 73-64).

The Pirates split this week, winning a non-conference game, but still can't get it done in the conference.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 16-10, 8-6 T-4th American.

2/19/20 at South Florida (L 75-71).
2/22/20 vs. #9 UConn (L 78-77).

2 agonizing defeats for the Golden Hurricane this week. The upside is they lost to 2 teams that will most likely be playing in the NCAA Tournament, but man did they need those wins.

Davidson (Randolph Childress) -- 16-10, 11-3 T-2nd Atlantic 10.

2/19/20 at Duquesne (W 60-58).
2/22/20 vs. Rhode Island (L 81-72).

A split for the Wildcats this week, and losses to Rhode Island are definitely not good losses at this point in the season. Those kind of losses really put the pressure on Davidson.

Clemson (Charles Johnson) -- 7-19, 2-12 T-14th ACC.

2/19/20 at #5 Syracuse (L 71-54).
2/22/20 at N.C. State (L 93-85).

2 more losses for the Tigers, who are in a dogfight to stay out of the cellar of the ACC.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 14-13, 4-10 13th ACC.

2/19/20 at Pittsburgh (L 59-46).
2/22/20 vs. Wake Forest (W 76-73).

A split for the Blue Devils, who break a 5 game losing streak with the win over Wake Forest.

Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 15-11, 7-7 4th Big 12.

2/17/20 at Kansas State (W 88-79).
2/22/20 at Texas Tech (L 78-75).

The Jayhawks split a couple road games this week. Losing 7 conference games wouldn't even be a thought in reality for Kansas.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 17-10, 9-6 3rd Big 12.

2/17/20 at West Virginia (W 118-113, OT).
2/22/20 at Texas (W 65-55).

2 road wins for the Horned Frogs this week, including a marathon win at West Virginia. A 20 win season isn't out of the question yet, nor is a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- 10-16, 6-8 T-9th Big Ten.

2/19/20 vs. Michigan State- feature game, highlighted above.
2/22/20 vs. #13 Illinois (W 65-59).

A split for the Wolverines, who would have loved to have beaten their in-state rivals, but I think they'll settle for a win over a ranked team.

#22 Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 18-8, 10-4 1st Big Ten.

2/19/20 at Michigan- feature game, highlighted above.
2/22/20 at Ohio State (L 79-74).

A split for the Spartans, who hold a 1 game lead for the conference title at the moment. They've got their hands full though as 3 of their last 4 conference games are against currently ranked teams. The most important thing for them though, still undefeated at home this season.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 13-13, 6-8 T-9th Big Ten.

2/19/20 vs. Penn State (W 74-40).
2/22/20 at Indiana (L 74-45).

A split for the Wildcats, which means all the Big Ten teams split this week. Definitely not a good showing against Indiana though.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 12-14, 5-8 7th Big West.

2/20/20 vs. UC Santa Barbara (L 60-58).
2/22/20 vs. UC Davis (L 69-65).

2 close losses for the Warriors, and a team that was picked to win the conference championship is now fighting to stay out of the cellar. firecoachgunn.com is now well over a million hits.

Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) -- 11-14, 9-5 T-3rd Conference USA.

2/20/20 vs. Old Dominion (W 61-52).
2/22/20 vs. Western Kentucky (W 69-48).

Good week for the 49ers who win a couple convincingly. Winning the C-USA regular season title is still a possibility, but they can't afford anymore losses.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 12-14, 7-7 T-7th Conference USA.

2/20/20 at UAB (W 82-76).
2/22/20 at UTSA (W 63-55).

The Owls also win 2 this week, and are still making their case for a top half finish in the conference.

Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 15-14, 12-7 4th Conference USA.

2/21/20 at Fairfield (W 71-61).
2/23/20 vs. Iona (W 71-48).

2 wins for the Hawks this week, who will set a career high for most conference wins in a season regardless of what happens. They can't win the MAAC regular season title, but can finish no worse than 4th. A much better position for them.

Norfolk State (Payten Carrano) -- 9-17, 6-7 7th MEAC.

2/22/20 vs. Coppin State (W 69-49).

1 game for the Spartans this week, and they win convincingly. Still trying to get to that .500 range in the conference.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 9-17, 6-8 T-8th Pac 12.

2/20/20 vs. USC (W 67-61).
2/22/20 at Arizona State (W 79-70).

2 wins for the Buffaloes, who seem to have recovered from that smashing Arizona gave them last week. .500 in the conference is still doable considering the way they started the season.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 14-11, 8-6 4th Pac 12.

2/20/20 at UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.
2/22/20 at Utah (L 52-51).

Very tough week for the Cardinal, who get hammered by one of the weaker Bruins teams we've seen, then lose a buzzer beater to Utah. Their NCAA chances just took a huge hit.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 17-9, 6-8 T-8th Pac 12.

2/20/20 vs. Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
2/22/20 at Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.

Well, a split for the Bruins, but they certainly won't be happy about the Washington State game. Coach Shepard was actually fined for his comments towards officiating after the Washington State game.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 11-15, 3-11 T-11th Pac 12.

2/20/20 vs. #3 Arizona (L 69-54).
2/22/20 vs. UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Cougars, who actually played decent against Arizona for a while. That UCLA win is a marquee win of sorts for them, even if it was controversial.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 18-7, 9-5 T-4th SEC.

2/19/20 vs. Missouri (W 74-60).
2/22/20 vs. LSU (W 75-65).

The Crimson Tide get a couple important victories this week to stay in the hunt for a bye in the SEC Tournament. They've got a split schedule the rest of the way, 2 games that they should win fairly easily, and 2 games they'll have to play their absolute best to win.

Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- 14-12, 7-7 T-7th SEC.

2/19/20 vs. #4 Vanderbilt (W 80-72).
2/22/20 at South Carolina (L 60-44).

The Gators split this week, expending so much energy to upset Vanderbilt that they got hammered by South Carolina. They'll want to shake that off quickly, but they know that loss could be the difference between dancing in March and falling to the NIT.

#7 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 22-4, 11-3 2nd SEC.

2/19/20 at Ole Miss (L 66-65).
2/22/20 at Auburn (W 97-41).

A split for the Wildcats this week, and you gotta feel sorry for Auburn. After the Cats lost a heartbreaking buzzer beater to Ole Miss, they took it out on Auburn in a big way. This week is important for the Cats as they have to take care of business against their 2 opponents this week, because the final week of the season will have a couple big tests for them.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 13-12, 6-10 9th Sun Belt.

2/17/20 vs. San Francisco (W 71-65).
2/20/20 at Appalachian State (L 78-67).

The Trojans split this week, winning their non-conference game, but are still having their conference struggles.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into this week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Baylor (72) 26-1 1800 1 Big 12 Conference
2. North Carolina 23-3 1714 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Arizona 23-3 1665 3 Pacific-12 Conference
4. Vanderbilt 22-4 1582 4 Southeastern Conference
5. Syracuse 22-4 1515 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Maryland 21-5 1413 6 Big Ten Conference
7. Iowa State 21-4 1308 8 Big 12 Conference
8. Kentucky 22-4 1291 7 Southeastern Conference
9. Connecticut 22-5 1258 9 American Athletic Conference
10. New Mexico 24-3 1155 11 Mountain West Conference
11. Wisconsin 19-8 1024 14 Big Ten Conference
12. Arkansas 21-6 945 10 Southeastern Conference
13. Louisville 20-7 939 15 Atlantic Coast Conference
14. Wichita State 21-4 882 16 Missouri Valley Conference
15. Dayton 22-4 789 17 Atlantic 10 Conference
16. Boise State 20-6 618 19 Mountain West Conference
17. Illinois 19-7 562 13 Big Ten Conference
18. Texas A&M 18-8 527 18 Southeastern Conference
19. Providence 20-5 472 23 Big East Conference
20. Florida State 20-7 425 21 Atlantic Coast Conference
21. Virginia 17-9 273 12 Atlantic Coast Conference
22. Harvard 22-5 233 25 Ivy League
23. Minnesota 18-8 232 NR Big Ten Conference
24. Indiana 18-8 225 NR Big Ten Conference
25. Gonzaga 22-6 207 24 West Coast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
UC Santa Barbara 21-5 166 Big West Conference
Alabama 18-7 76 Southeastern Conference
Louisiana Tech 20-7 28 Conference USA
Notre Dame 19-7 27 Atlantic Coast Conference
Michigan State 18-8 19 Big Ten Conference
Washington 19-7 14 Pacific-12 Conference
UTEP 20-6 10 Conference USA
Yale 20-6 4 Ivy League
Mercer 20-6 1 Southern Conference
Niagara 22-6 1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

Kentucky only lost 1 spot in the rankings after their 1 point loss this week. Alabama is creeping closer to being back in the top 25, and to no surprise, Michigan State falls out, but are still receiving a few votes.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Connecticut (69) 22-5 1797 1 American Athletic Conference
2. New Mexico (3) 24-3 1729 2 Mountain West Conference
3. Wichita State 21-4 1640 3 Missouri Valley Conference
4. Dayton 22-4 1564 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
5. Boise State 20-6 1504 4 Mountain West Conference
6. Gonzaga 22-6 1411 6 West Coast Conference
7. UTEP 20-6 1322 7 Conference USA
8. UC Santa Barbara 21-5 1288 9 Big West Conference
9. Louisiana Tech 20-7 1233 8 Conference USA
10. Harvard 22-5 1208 11 Ivy League
11. South Florida 20-7 1100 13 American Athletic Conference
12. Yale 20-6 940 12 Ivy League
13. Indiana State 20-8 913 14 Missouri Valley Conference
14. Mercer 20-6 845 15 Southern Conference
15. Oakland 20-6 760 18 Horizon League
16. North Carolina Central 20-6 711 21 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
17. Saint Louis 19-7 640 17 Atlantic 10 Conference
18. UAB 18-7 546 10 Conference USA
19. Niagara 22-6 488 19 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
20. SMU 17-9 402 23 American Athletic Conference
21. San Diego State 16-11 328 25 Mountain West Conference
22. USC Upstate 21-7 294 20 Atlantic Sun Conference
23. Samford 20-8 214 NR Southern Conference
24. UT Arlington 18-7 176 NR Sun Belt Conference
25. Western Michigan 18-8 58 16 Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Memphis 15-9 56 American Athletic Conference
Hartford 19-8 44 America East Conference
Northern Arizona 18-8 41 Big Sky Conference
William & Mary 18-9 28 Colonial Athletic Association
North Dakota State 18-8 24 Summit League
Northeastern 18-8 20 Colonial Athletic Association
Idaho 18-7 16 Big Sky Conference
Tulsa 16-10 15 American Athletic Conference
Davidson 16-10 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
Lehigh 20-9 11 Patriot League
Long Beach State 17-9 7 Big West Conference
Drake 18-9 6 Missouri Valley Conference
Grand Canyon 17-8 6 Western Athletic Conference
Richmond 15-9 1 Atlantic 10 Conference

I can't remember, at any point in this dynasty, when we've had 3 FOFC mid-major teams receiving votes this late in the season. Can you guys? Hartford gets back in the mix with a couple wins this week, while Tulsa and Davidson hang on to some of their votes. Tulsa was especially surprising considering they lost 2 games this week.

Now it's time for this weeks edition of the bubble watch, and 2 of our FOFC teams made the Overall Bubble Watch. Let's take a look:

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern Arizona 18-8 .570 (38) 0-3 0-1 6-3 12-1 109 In
Oregon 16-10 .554 (62) 1-6 5-2 6-1 4-1 66 In
Samford 20-8 .552 (64) 1-1 1-1 4-2 14-4 158 In
Tulsa 16-10 .554 (61) 2-5 0-2 6-3 8-0 77 In
San Jose State 16-10 .558 (56) 1-3 0-1 7-5 8-1 82 In
Grand Canyon 17-8 .543 (68) 2-1 1-1 8-1 6-5 198 In
Memphis 15-9 .551 (65) 1-5 1-2 6-2 7-0 106 In
UCLA 17-9 .542 (70) 2-2 6-3 4-3 5-1 126 In
Penn State 15-10 .575 (35) 4-7 4-1 2-2 5-0 38 Out
Seton Hall 16-10 .540 (72) 3-4 1-3 7-2 5-1 125 Out
North Texas 16-10 .538 (79) 1-3 1-3 6-3 8-1 111 Out
Missouri 16-9 .533 (90) 4-3 4-3 2-2 6-1 200 Out
San Diego State 16-11 .562 (47) 1-4 1-2 6-4 8-1 49 Out
Pittsburgh 17-10 .535 (87) 4-3 2-3 6-3 5-1 136 Out
Virginia 17-9 .536 (86) 2-5 5-1 5-2 5-1 131 Out

Tulsa is only on the bubble because they have lost 4 out of their last 5. Otherwise, they'd be safely in. 3 of those 4 losses are by a combined 6 points, which tells you just how close they are to be a very good team.

UCLA can't afford anymore losses like they had at Washington State this week, as they have lost 6 of their last 7. Definitely not a typical UCLA team as they try to get back on track. All they have to do is win 3 of their next 4 to be a 20 win team, and it's hard to leave out a 20 win team that plays in a power conference.

Now for the rest of the bubble watch, and keep in mind this is only for the NCAA Tournament, and if a team isn't listed as a lock or safely in, they are projected out.

Locks: TCU, Michigan State, Kentucky, Alabama.
In: Hartford.

Some changes from last week, as Tulsa moved off the safely in category and is now on the bubble.

Davidson played themselves off the bubble from last week, and not in a good way. They are projected out this week.

TCU also played themselves off the bubble, as they are now projected as a lock.

Wow! TCU as a lock? Kansas projected out? This definitely isn't mirroring real life! I like it!

[vex]

So close to beating UCONN. That would have been great.

[bbgunn]

Wazzu can build upon that UCLA victory. Carry some momentum into next season.

And Hawaii... that might be B.B. Gunn's worst coaching job.

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 24-March 1, 2020

Just 1 feature game on the schedule this week, a battle in the American Conference.

2/29/20- ECU (Al Hutt) @ Tulsa (Will Brown) -- Despite the fact that Tulsa committed 17 turnovers in the game, they shot 60% and held ECU to 33.3% shooting. All that led to a very easy victory.

Final Score: Tulsa- 94, ECU- 59

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 20-8, 12-4 1st America East.

2/26/20 at New Hampshire (W 69-67).

Just 1 game for the Hawks this week, but it was a win that clinched the regular season title for them. They'll be the #1 seed in the America East Tourney and assure themselves at the very least a berth in the NIT. They'll take on (8) Vermont in the America East Quarterfinals, but before that, a non-conference game.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 7-20, 1-15 11th (last) American.

2/26/20 at #9 UConn (L 94-85).
2/29/20 at Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.

The Pirates lose 2 this week, and actually played better against a top 10 UConn team than they did against Tulsa. No matter what happens next week, they are assured a berth in the cellar again this season.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 17-11, 9-7 T-4th American.

2/26/20 vs. Memphis (L 64-56).
2/29/20 vs. ECU- feature game, highlighted above.

The Golden Hurricane split again this week, with the win over ECU snapping a 3 game losing streak. All they need to do is win 1 game next week to assure themselves of a finish no worse than 5th. Regardless, they can do no better than 3rd in the conference.

Davidson (Randolph Childress) -- 17-11, 12-4 T-2nd Atlantic 10.

2/26/20 vs. #15 Dayton (L 65-56).
2/29/20 at Mississippi State (W 66-40).

A split for the Wildcats this week, who are in the midst of a 3 way tie for 2nd place. They can still win the Atlantic 10 outright, but they must win both games next week and get some help. No matter what happens, they can finish no worse than 5th.

Clemson (Charles Johnson) -- 8-20, 3-13 14th ACC.

2/26/20 vs. Georgia Tech (W 70-51).
2/29/20 at #2 North Carolina (L 88-63).

The Tigers split this week and hold the advantage when it comes to staying out of the cellar. If they can somehow win a game next week, they'll avoid the cellar.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 15-14, 5-11 T-11th ACC.

2/26/20 at #20 Florida State (L 78-53).
2/29/20 vs. Georgia Tech (W 80-78).

A split for the Blue Devils who are still in the midst of one of their worst seasons ever. Regardless of what happens next week, they are going to finish in the bottom half of the conference.

Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 16-12, 8-8 4th Big 12.

2/24/20 vs. West Virginia (W 75-50).
2/29/20 vs. Texas (L 82-78).

What seems to be a theme for our FOFC teams this week is a split, and that's what the Jayhawks did. Fortunately, the conference is so bad this season (only 4 of the 10 teams in the Big 12 have a .500 or better conference record) that they can still finish 3rd or 4th in the conference with a win or 2 next week. However, 2 losses could drop them to the Play-in round.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 17-12, 9-8 3rd Big 12.

2/24/20 vs. #7 Iowa State (L 86-54).
2/29/20 vs. Oklahoma State (L 76-74).

The Horned Frogs ran into a buzzsaw in an Iowa State team whose only conference loss is to undefeated (in conference) Baylor. They almost beat Oklahoma State though. Still an incredible season, but winning their final conference game next week would all but clinch 3rd place in the conference. If they lose, they will still finish no worse than 4th.

Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- 11-17, 7-9 T-7th Big Ten.

2/26/20 at #11 Wisconsin (L 94-74).
2/29/20 at Nebraska (W 76-61).

A split for the Wolverines, who would have loved a better effort against Wisconsin. The Big Ten is a logjam in the middle, as Michigan is one of 6 teams with a 7-9 record, so it's impossible to figure anything out yet.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 20-8, 12-4 1st Big Ten.

2/26/20 at #23 Minnesota (W 82-80, OT).
2/29/20 at #24 Indiana (W 74-49).

2 big wins for the Spartans, who have won 5 of their last 6. They control their own destiny in the Big Ten race. All they have to do is win 1 of their final 2 games to clinch at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title. Win both, and they finish the regular season with a perfect home record and the title.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 14-14, 7-9 T-7th Big Ten.

2/26/20 at Rutgers (W 73-69).
2/29/20 at #11 Wisconsin (L 75-58).

The Wildcats split this week and are another one of those 6 teams with a 7-9 conference record, and are fighting for at least an NIT berth. They need to find a way to win at least 1 game next week to keep pace.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 13-15, 6-9 6th Big West.

2/27/20 at Cal State Northridge (L 88-64).
2/29/20 at Cal State Fullerton (W 72-64).

The Warriors split this week, with the win over Fullerton breaking a 4 game losing streak. With 1 conference game to go, they will finish somewhere between 5th and 8th depending on the result.

Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) -- 11-16, 9-7 T-5th Conference USA.

2/27/20 at UTEP (L 88-77).
2/29/20 at Middle Tennessee (L 66-65).

2 losses for the 49ers this week, and they lose a lot of ground for a bye in the C-USA Tournament. They can still finish in the top 4, but they'll have to win both games next week and get help.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 12-16, 7-9 T-8th Conference USA.

2/27/20 vs. North Texas (L 78-62).
2/29/20 vs. Louisiana Tech (L 89-85, OT).

2 losses for the Owls, who fought hard against LA Tech and need 2 wins next week just to finish even in the conference.

Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 16-14, 13-7 T-3rd MAAC.

2/28/20 vs. Fairfield (W 59-57).

The Hawks win their only game of the week, finishing the regular season on a 4 game winning streak. They win the 3rd place tiebreaker with Quinnipiac even though the teams split their 2 meetings, and get a bye into the Quarterfinals of the MAAC Tournament where they'll take on either (11) Siena or (6) Rider. Even with the great finish in the conference, I think they need at least another win or 2 to feel good about playing on in March.

Norfolk State (Payten Carrano) -- 9-19, 6-9 T-9th MEAC.

2/24/20 at North Carolina Central (L 82-59).
2/29/20 vs. Howard (L 63-51).

2 more losses this week for the Spartans. 1 more conference game to go, and they can finish anywhere between 7th and 11th based on the result of that game.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 9-19, 6-10 9th Pac 12.

2/27/20 at Oregon (L 76-56).
2/29/20 at Oregon State (L 76-64).

The trip through Oregon wasn't pleasant for the Buffaloes, as they lose both games. They won't be able to finish .500 now, and games against Washington State and Utah next week will decide if they finish 9th, 10th, or 11th, as those are the 2 teams directly behind them in the standings.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 15-12, 9-7 T-4th Pac 12.

2/27/20 at #3 Arizona (L 70-53).
2/29/20 vs. California (W 54-44).

A split for the Cardinal, who had to go through conference leading Arizona and failed just as every Pac 12 team has done this season. Still a wide range of possibility for them, as they can finish anywhere between 2nd and 8th based on their results next week.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 19-9, 8-8 T-6th Pac 12.

2/27/20 vs. Utah (W 63-43).
2/29/20 at USC (W 68-59).

The Bruins step it up this week against the weaker teams in the Pac 12. Next week is much tougher, but with 2 wins and a ton of help, they can still finish 2nd in the conference. They are looking at anywhere between a 2nd and 9th place finish.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 13-15, 5-11 10th Pac 12.

2/27/20 vs. Washington (W 70-67).
2/29/20 vs. Utah (W 71-67).

Another big win for the Cougars this week as they beat a good Washington team. All they need to do is win 1 game next week to accomplish their season goal of staying out of the cellar. Losing both, however, could put them there.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 20-7, 11-5 T-3rd SEC.

2/26/20 at #12 Arkansas (W 89-58).
2/29/20 at South Carolina (W 56-43).

The Crimson Tide get a big win this week over Arkansas, and I do mean big. They can still win the SEC regular season title, but it'll take 2 wins next week and some help. They close out the season with Kentucky, and that game could very well decide who wins the SEC title.

Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- 16-12, 9-7 T-6th SEC.

2/26/20 vs. Auburn (W 70-62).
2/29/20 vs. Georgia (W 78-67).

The Gators have won 5 of their last 6 after 2 good wins this week, and stay in the hunt for a postseason berth. They can still finish 3rd in the conference, but no better. They'll finish anywhere between 3rd and 8th.

#8 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 24-4, 13-3 T-1st SEC.

2/26/20 vs. VCU (W 89-69).
2/29/20 vs. Tennessee (W 68-54).

The Wildcats have won 3 straight after a minor 2 game setback. If not for those 2 losses by a combined 3 points, the Cats would have already clinched the SEC regular season title. As it stands, 2 wins next week would clinch at least a share, but neither game will be easy.. at least it shouldn't be.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 13-14, 6-12 10th Sun Belt.

2/27/20 at Arkansas State (L 92-75).
2/29/20 at Arkansas Little Rock (L 74-65).

The might Trojans have fallen! What might have been a historical season at one point is now a fight to stay out of the cellar. On January 25th, the Trojans were feeling pretty good about themselves, as they were 12-6 overall, 6-4 in the Sun Belt. Since then, they've lost 8 of their last 9 games, including 8 straight conference losses. They need to win at least 1 game next week to avoid the cellar. Losing both will probably put them there.

Here's a look at the national top 25 heading into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Baylor (72) 28-1 1800 1 Big 12 Conference
2. Arizona 25-3 1709 3 Pacific-12 Conference
3. North Carolina 25-3 1675 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. Vanderbilt 23-5 1552 4 Southeastern Conference
5. Maryland 23-5 1507 6 Big Ten Conference
6. Syracuse 23-5 1414 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Iowa State 23-4 1365 7 Big 12 Conference
8. Kentucky 24-4 1289 8 Southeastern Conference
9. Connecticut 24-5 1268 9 American Athletic Conference
10. New Mexico 25-4 1041 10 Mountain West Conference
11. Wisconsin 21-8 1038 11 Big Ten Conference
12. Louisville 21-7 989 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. Dayton 24-4 923 15 Atlantic 10 Conference
14. Wichita State 23-4 922 14 Missouri Valley Conference
15. Arkansas 22-7 787 12 Southeastern Conference
16. Florida State 22-7 665 20 Atlantic Coast Conference
17. Boise State 22-6 652 16 Mountain West Conference
18. Gonzaga 24-6 534 25 West Coast Conference
19. Virginia 19-9 499 21 Atlantic Coast Conference
20. Illinois 20-8 405 17 Big Ten Conference
21. UC Santa Barbara 23-5 397 NR Big West Conference
22. Michigan State 20-8 269 NR Big Ten Conference
23. Providence 21-6 261 19 Big East Conference
24. Alabama 20-7 146 NR Southeastern Conference
25. Texas A&M 19-9 104 18 Southeastern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Minnesota 19-9 96 Big Ten Conference
Louisiana Tech 22-7 45 Conference USA
Yale 22-6 19 Ivy League
Harvard 22-6 14 Ivy League
Oakland 22-6 7 Horizon League
Washington 20-8 4 Pacific-12 Conference
South Florida 21-7 3 American Athletic Conference
North Carolina Central 22-6 1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

So Kentucky stays at #8 after 2 wins this week, and welcome back Michigan State and Alabama to the national top 25 after good weeks.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into next week:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Connecticut (70) 24-5 1796 1 American Athletic Conference
2. New Mexico 25-4 1706 2 Mountain West Conference
3. Dayton (2) 24-4 1636 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
4. Wichita State 23-4 1605 3 Missouri Valley Conference
5. Boise State 22-6 1508 5 Mountain West Conference
6. Gonzaga 24-6 1435 6 West Coast Conference
7. UC Santa Barbara 23-5 1337 8 Big West Conference
8. Louisiana Tech 22-7 1318 9 Conference USA
9. South Florida 21-7 1184 11 American Athletic Conference
10. UTEP 21-7 1157 7 Conference USA
11. Yale 22-6 1028 12 Ivy League
12. Harvard 22-6 1008 10 Ivy League
13. UAB 20-7 914 18 Conference USA
14. Oakland 22-6 872 15 Horizon League
15. North Carolina Central 22-6 795 16 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
16. Indiana State 21-9 741 13 Missouri Valley Conference
17. Mercer 21-7 646 14 Southern Conference
18. Niagara 23-7 445 19 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
19. San Diego State 17-11 420 21 Mountain West Conference
20. Memphis 17-9 407 NR American Athletic Conference
21. Western Michigan 20-8 351 25 Mid-American Conference
22. North Dakota State 20-8 253 NR Summit League
23. SMU 18-10 251 20 American Athletic Conference
24. Northeastern 20-8 175 NR Colonial Athletic Association
25. Saint Louis 19-9 96 17 Atlantic 10 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Samford 21-9 72 Southern Conference
Richmond 17-9 68 Atlantic 10 Conference
UT Arlington 19-8 39 Sun Belt Conference
Grand Canyon 19-8 30 Western Athletic Conference
Hartford 20-8 30 America East Conference
Northern Arizona 19-9 21 Big Sky Conference
Lehigh 21-9 19 Patriot League
Eastern Michigan 20-9 13 Mid-American Conference
Davidson 17-11 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
USC Upstate 21-9 10 Atlantic Sun Conference
Buffalo 17-12 1 Mid-American Conference
Drake 19-10 1 Missouri Valley Conference

So Hartford loses some votes even after winning the America East regular season title this week. Davidson keeps a few votes, while Tulsa loses all theirs.

Now for this weeks edition of the Bubble Watch. We have 3 FOFC teams in the Overall Bubble Watch this week.

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Samford 21-9 .552 (60) 1-1 2-1 5-3 13-4 153 In
Seton Hall 17-11 .553 (59) 2-3 3-6 5-1 7-1 82 In
San Diego State 17-11 .563 (47) 1-4 1-2 5-4 10-1 51 In
North Texas 18-10 .548 (66) 2-3 1-3 8-3 7-1 99 In
Northern Kentucky 16-10 .569 (39) 0-3 1-2 6-3 9-2 58 In
Virginia Tech 17-10 .542 (69) 1-4 4-3 6-0 6-3 101 In
UCLA 19-9 .541 (71) 3-2 4-3 7-3 5-1 162 In
Virginia 19-9 .540 (76) 2-5 6-1 5-1 6-2 143 In
TCU 17-12 .600 (17) 4-8 4-4 5-0 4-0 7 Out
Penn State 16-11 .571 (38) 4-8 3-1 3-2 6-0 32 Out
Tulsa 17-11 .539 (79) 2-7 0-1 6-2 9-1 100 Out
UC Irvine 17-11 .540 (75) 2-2 2-1 7-5 6-3 97 Out
Saint Louis 19-9 .529 (99) 3-2 4-3 1-3 11-1 218 Out
Richmond 17-9 .533 (92) 0-0 3-7 1-2 13-0 199 Out
Western Michigan 20-8 .506 (152) 0-1 0-2 7-4 13-1 332 Out


Most power conference teams that are 19-9, with the history of UCLA, wouldn't be on the bubble watch, but that RPI of 71 and the SOS of 162 has the Bruins sweating it out. A better effort in Pac 12 play and they'd be safely in. They are still projected as one of the Last Four In.

TCU is projected out this week. I thought it was a little extreme to have them as a lock last week. They are much improved, yes, and their SOS (17) and RPI (7) are both outstanding, but they are just 8-12 against top 100 teams.

Tulsa is projected out because they have lost 5 of their last 7. Not to mention they are just 2-8 against teams in the RPI top 100. That is just not going to cut it.

Now for the rest of the FOFC teams.

Locks: Michigan State, Kentucky, Alabama
In: Hartford

The only changes this week from last week involve 2 of our 3 FOFC teams in the Overall Bubble Watch.

Tulsa was on the bubble and projected in last week, this week they are still on the bubble but projected out.

TCU was projected as a lock last week, this week not only are they on the bubble, but they are projected out.

[rjolley]

Just caught up with the games. What a bad stretch for the Bruins and the Cardinals. Hopefully, they'll get back on track and make noise in the Pac 12 tourney.

[collegesportsfanms]

I just saw that for whatever reason my post for March 2-8 is showing up as a blank screen. I wish I could figure out why this happens every so often, because I didn't have this particular post saved anywhere. Damn message boards anyways.

I'm not going to go back and retype the whole post, sorry guys. It won't take long to see where all your teams are out for the March 9-15 post anyways. If anybody else has had any issues with posts showing up blank, please let me know or if anybody knows why. Or if it actually showed up on your guys end but not on mind, let me know too. It's just weird. Anyways, March 9-15 coming up.

[Breeze]

sigh...

[collegesportsfanms]

March 9-15, 2020

We finish up the conference tournaments this week, and only had 2 feature games, both on the same day, and both early on in the tournaments. Let's take a look.

3/12/20- Big 12 Quarterfinals- (5) TCU (Bee Mighty) vs. (4) Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- A tightly contested contest that seemed to be decided at the free throw line as TCU hit 71% of their free throws and Kansas only hit 43% of theirs. Ouch! Despite having almost double the turnovers Kansas had, the Horned Frogs survive and move to the Big 12 Semifinals.

Final Score: (4) TCU- 69, (5) Kansas- 66

3/12/20- Pac 12 Quarterfinals- (5) UCLA (Tim Shepard) vs. (4) Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- The Bruins took advantage of rebounding in this one, as they outrebounded Stanford 36-25 and hit 7 more shots from the field. That was enough to move on to the Pac 12 Semifinals.

Final Score: (5) UCLA- 70, (4) Stanford- 60

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 22-9, 12-4 America East.

3/9/20- America East Semifinals vs. (5) Albany (L 74-53).

Ouch! The Hawks didn't fare very well in this one. Maybe the pressure of actually being the best team in the conference got to them. They've been projected in the NCAA Tournament in most of the bubble watches, and I think they'll still get an at-large berth.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 8-23, 1-17 American.

3/12/20- American First Round vs. (6) Tulane (W 73-58).
3/13/20- American Quarterfinals vs. (3) Memphis (L 63-48).

Better effort for the Pirates once they got to the American Conference Tournament, as they got a nice victory, but Memphis was just too tough, so their season will be over.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 18-13, 10-8 American.

3/13/20- American Quarterfinals vs. (4) SMU (L 93-82).

Not a good showing for the Golden Hurricane who forgot to play defense. They won't be in the NCAA Tournament, but I could see them hosting a First Round NIT game.

Davidson (Randolph Childress) -- 21-12, 14-4 Atlantic 10.

3/13/20- Atlantic 10 Quarterfinals vs. (7) Rhode Island (W 79-48).
3/14/20- Atlantic 10 Semifinals vs. (6) George Washington (W 75-66).
3/15/20- Atlantic 10 Championship vs. (8) Richmond (L 74-57).

Tough championship game for the Wildcats, who never really could get going. No matter though, as just making it to the championship should have been more than enough to get them an At-Large berth. They are a possible contender for a First Four game.

Clemson (Charles Johnson) -- 10-23, 3-15 ACC.

3/10/20- ACC First Round vs. (10) Virginia Tech (W 69-58).
3/11/20- ACC Second Round vs. (7) Virginia (W 74-66).
3/12/20- ACC Quarterfinals vs. (2) #2 North Carolina (L 85-70).

Nice run for the Tigers, who really picked it up in the postseason and actually had North Carolina on their heels for parts of the Quarterfinal game. Unfortunately, they needed to win the ACC Tournament to keep their season alive, so they are done.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 19-16, 6-12 ACC.

3/10/20- ACC First Round vs. (14) Boston College (W 90-85).
3/11/20- ACC Second Round vs. (6) #17 Florida State (W 84-69).
3/12/20- ACC Quarterfinals vs. (3) #9 Louisville (W 69-66).
3/13/20- ACC Semifinals vs. (2) #2 North Carolina (L 73-57).

The Blue Devils also had a good run, lifting their postseason chances just a bit. Had they played like this all season, they'd be a lock for the NCAA Tournament. With that 6-12 conference record, I think they'll still get passed over, and I wouldn't be surprised if the NIT passes them over as well. I think they may be demoted to the CBI.

Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 17-14, 9-9 Big 12.

3/12/20- Big 12 Quarterfinals vs. (4) TCU- feature game, highlighted above.

The Jayhawks needed to win this one to feel good about an at-large berth. I think they are on the outside looking in, and they'll be in the NIT.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 18-14, 9-9 Big 12.

3/12/20- Big 12 Quarterfinals vs. (5) Kansas- feature game, highlighted above.
3/13/20- Big 12 Semifinals vs. (8) West Virginia (L 73-64).

The Horned Frogs missed a golden opportunity to get to the Big 12 Championship, falling to West Virginia. I don't think they can feel good about their NCAA chances quite yet. A First Four game maybe, but I think they'll also be in the NIT.

Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- 13-18, 9-9 Big Ten.

3/12/20- Big Ten Second Round vs. (14) Rutgers (L 57-44).

Ouch! The Wolverines put up a pitiful offensive display in losing a game that they should have won. They needed to win the Big Ten Tournament to have postseason chances, so their season is over.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 20-11, 12-6 Big Ten.

3/13/20- Big Ten Quarterfinals vs. (14) Rutgers (L 67-55).

Wow! The Spartans also fall victim to a Cinderella Rutgers team. Bad, bad loss for them, as they will go into the NCAA Tournament with a 3 game losing streak. Yes, I still think they are safely in, but that 3 game losing streak surely knocked them down a couple seed lines.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 14-17, 7-11 Big Ten.

3/11/20- Big Ten First Round vs. (13) Ohio State (L 69-58).

The Wildcats fell short, another team that needed to win the Big Ten Tournament to see the postseason, so they'll end their season.

For those wondering about Rutgers after they took care of both Michigan and Michigan State, they kept going by winning their semifinal game against 7th seed Purdue, but lost the Big Ten Championship to 4th seed Minnesota. Despite only having a 5-13 conference record and last place in the conference, they actually might make the postseason because their overall record is 19-16. Crazy.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 13-16, 6-10 Big West.

The Warriors failed to qualify for the Big West Tournament, ending their season at 13-16. Coach Gunn now gets the honor of seeing all those extra hits on firecoachgunn.com, wondering if his days in Hawaii are over.

Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) -- 14-17, 11-7 Conference USA.

3/12/20- Conference USA Quarterfinals vs. (5) UAB (W 80-78).
3/13/20- Conference USA Semifinals vs. (1) UTEP (L 68-60).

Tough luck for the 49ers in the C-USA Semis, as even though they finished 4th in the conference, their record overall was under .500, so they'll end their season with a 14-17 record.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 12-19, 7-11 Conference USA.

3/10/20- Conference USA First Round vs. (14) Western Kentucky (L 66-55).

The Owls fizzled out late in their C-USA Tournament game and will end their season with a 12-19 record.

Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 18-15, 13-7 MAAC.

3/9/20- MAAC Championship vs. (4) Quinnipiac (L 56-46).

The Hawks did great by making it to this game, but really needed to win it to assure themselves of a postseason berth. The way FBCB has snubbed our FOFC teams in the past, I have a bad feeling Monmouth is going to get left out completely.

Norfolk State (Payten Carrano) -- 10-20, 7-9 MEAC.

3/9/20- MEAC First Round vs. (8) Savannah State (L 69-62).

So the Spartans finish off their worst overall season in the young history of Coach Carrano. They did better in conference play, but worse overall. They'll finish with a 10-20 record.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 10-21, 7-11 Pac 12.

3/11/20- Pac 12 First Round vs. (8) Arizona State (L 74-62).

A sad effort to end what has been a sad season for the Buffaloes. They'll finish with a 10-21 record and Coach Nielsen will hope that his job is safe for another season.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 16-14, 10-8 Pac 12.

3/12/20- Pac 12 Quarterfinals vs. (5) UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

The Cardinal needed a couple wins to feel good about the postseason, now they will have to wait it out, and I don't just mean for the NCAA, I mean all the postseason tournaments. With a 16-14 record and an 87 RPI, I have a feeling they are going to get left out as well.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 22-11, 9-9 Pac 12.

3/11/20- Pac 12 First Round vs. (12) USC (W 66-51).
3/12/20- Pac 12 Quarterfinals vs. (4) Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
3/13/20- Pac 12 Semifinals vs. (1) #3 Arizona (L 73-65).

A good run for the Bruins, but they ran into a really, really good Arizona team. 11 losses is way too many in a season for this proud college. They are a borderline NCAA team, and I think they'll sneak in, barely.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 14-18, 5-13 Pac 12.

3/11/20- Pac 12 First Round vs. (6) Oregon State (W 83-74).
3/12/20- Pac 12 Quarterfinals vs. (3) Oregon (L 65-60).

Great effort by the Cougars in the Quarterfinal loss, unfortunately they needed to win it plus 2 more to make a postseason tournament, so they'll end their season with a 14-18 record.

#16 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 22-8, 13-5 SEC.

3/13/20- SEC Quarterfinals vs. (11) Ole Miss (L 75-67).

The Crimson Tide ran into a very determined Ole Miss team in the Quarterfinals. Regardless, they'll be dancing, probably as a 3 or 4 seed.

Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- 16-15, 9-9 SEC.

3/12/20- SEC Second Round vs. (11) Ole Miss (L 73-68).

The Gators can take some solace in knowing they weren't the only team to be upset by Ole Miss, the problem was they needed this game a lot more than Alabama did. At 16-15 and with an RPI of 84, I have to think they have played their last game this season.

#10 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 27-6, 14-4 SEC.

3/13/20- SEC Quarterfinals vs. (8) Missouri (W 80-74).
3/14/20- SEC Semifinals vs. (4) #15 Arkansas (W 94-88).
3/15/20- SEC Championship vs. (2) #6 Vanderbilt (L 77-72).

The Wildcats can't close the door on another SEC Championship, falling to a very good Vanderbilt team in the championship game. No matter, they'll still be in the NCAA Tournament with ease, probably as a #1 seed, maybe a #2 seed.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 14-15, 7-13 Sun Belt.

The Trojans failed to qualify for the Sun Belt Tournament, meaning their season will be over with a 14-15 record. This gives both the players and Coach Hawkins a chance to sit down and figure out how they had a monumental collapse at the end of the season, losing 9 of their last 11.

And now for the moment everybody has been waiting for, Selection Sunday!

[bbgunn]

Ah well, somewhat of a good try from Wazzu. As for Hawaii, well... Coach Gunn might want to stock up on some cardboard boxes.

[muns]

Rice ends another seasons of crappy play as well

[collegesportsfanms]

2020 Selection Sunday

Kentucky gets the top seed in the NCAA West Region and will open up against (16) Illinois State.

Michigan State gets the 6th seed in the NCAA South Region and will open up with the winner of a First Four game between Davidson and Mercer.

Davidson will play a First Four game in the NCAA South Region. They'll be taking on Mercer, and the winner will be the 11th seed and take on Michigan State.

Hartford did much better than expected this season and gets the 9th seed in the NCAA East Region, opening up against (8) Georgetown.

Alabama gets the 2nd seed in the NCAA East Region, opening up against (15) Albany.

UCLA gets the top seed in the NIT West Region. Remember, I set the NIT back to 40 teams in an effort to get more of our FOFC teams a postseason chance, so the Bruins actually await the winner of a Play-in Game between (9) Maryland East Shore and (8) Coastal Carolina. UCLA will host the winner of that game.

TCU will be the 4th seed in the CBI. And damnit if this game hasn't done it again. They will host (13) Texas in the First Round, a Texas team that is in the same conference. This should not happen!

Duke will be the 14th seed in the CBI, and Tulsa will be the 3rd seed in the CBI. Duke will travel to Tulsa, and the Blue Devils are just happy to still be playing.

Kansas will be the 11th seed in the CBI and will open up by travelling to (6) Pepperdine.

Monmouth will be the 13th seed in the CIT and will open up by travelling to (4) Georgia State.

So we have some firsts this postseason. Hartford is making their first postseason appearance in this dynasty. We have 4 teams in the CBI, marking the first time in this dynasty that we've had any teams in the CBI. That tournament has neglected the FOFC teams, until this season. And, we have at least 1 team in all 4 of the postseason tournaments. The changes in the offseason definitely helped somewhat, but still a long way to go. 11 teams in the postseason isn't bad though.

[ntndeacon]

Both teams dancing! woohoo!

[collegesportsfanms]

2020 Postseason

We have 3 feature games out of this years postseason, so let's get to it.

3/17/20- CBI First Round -- (14) Duke (Dean Hoo) @ (3) Tulsa (Will Brown) -- A great game that needed extra time to be settled, but in the end, the Dukies prevailed despite shooting just 52% from the free throw line, and they advance to the CBI Quarterfinals.

Final Score: (14) Duke- 88, (3) Tulsa- 82 (OT)

3/19/20- NCAA South Region First Round -- (11) Davidson (Randolph Childress) vs. (6) Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- A bit of a shocker here, as Davidson forced 16 turnovers and shot 52.5%, as they put an early end to the Spartan's postseason, advancing in the NCAA Tournament.

Final Score: (11) Davidson- 99, (6) Michigan State- 85

3/23/20- CBI Quarterfinals -- (14) Duke (Dean Hoo) @ (11) Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- In a game that quite frankly should be an NCAA Tournament type game every season, the Jayhawks jumped out to a 15 point halftime lead in this one, as they outrebounded Duke 43-31, but had to hang on for the victory, advancing to the CBI Semifinals.

Final Score: (11) Kansas- 86, (14) Duke- 80

Now for the rest of the postseason recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 23-10, 12-4 America East.

3/20/20- NCAA East Region First Round vs. (8) Georgetown (W 73-55).
3/22/20- NCAA East Region Second Round vs. (1) Maryland (L 66-47).

What a season it was for the Hawks, who got a much higher than expected seed in the big dance, and even won a game! Another season or 2 like that, and Coach Ginsberg could get some job offers!

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 18-14, 10-8 American.

3/17/20- CBI First Round vs. (14) Duke- feature game, highlighted above.

Tough finish for the Golden Hurricane, who ran into a team that quite frankly has no business playing in such a low level tournament.

Davidson (Randolph Childress) -- 23-13, 14-4 Atlantic 10.

3/17/20- NCAA First Four vs. Mercer (W 74-66).
3/19/20- NCAA South Region First Round vs. (6) Michigan State- feature game, highlighted above.
3/21/20- NCAA South Region Second Round vs. (3) Iowa State (L 66-57).

A gallant effort for the Wildcats, who got a nice win against Michigan State and actually led Iowa State for part of their game. Expect Coach Childress to have some offers in the offseason.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 20-17, 6-12 ACC.

3/17/20- CBI First Round at (3) Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.
3/23/20- CBI Quarterfinals at (11) Kansas- feature game, highlighted above.

Tough to see the Blue Devils playing in the CBI for goodness sakes. A massive game that the CBI got a treat to be able to have, but it went against Duke who will definitely be looking to improve off this.

Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 22-14, 9-9 Big 12.

3/18/20- CBI First Round at (6) Pepperdine (W 59-52).
3/23/20- CBI Quarterfinals vs. (14) Duke- feature game, highlighted above.
3/25/20- CBI Semifinals at (1) West Virginia (W 69-66).
3/30/20- CBI Championship Series, Game 1 at (8) Loyola MD (W 77-57).
4/1/20- CBI Championship Series, Game 2 vs. (8) Loyola MD (W 70-67).

What a run for the Jayhawks, who would have much preferred this be an NCAA Tournament run, but if they can use it and build on next season, all will be ok in Lawrence. Also, congrats to Coach Johnson for nabbing the CBI championship!

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 19-15, 9-9 Big 12.

3/18/20- CBI First Round vs. (13) Texas (W 63-58).
3/23/20- CBI Quarterfinals vs. (12) Rutgers (L 80-78).

Great season for the Horned Frogs, who almost got the 20 win plateau, but not quite. Now, Coach Mighty will be expected to duplicate this performance next season.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 20-12, 12-6 Big Ten.

3/19/20- NCAA South Region First Round vs. (11) Davidson- feature game, highlighted above.

Tough season for the Spartans, who still improved on last season and won 20 games, but they should be a legit Final Four contender every season.

Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 18-16, 13-7 MAAC.

3/18/20- CIT First Round at (4) Georgia State (L 74-71).

Tough game for the Hawks, who made their second straight postseason appearance, but actually declined from last season.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 27-11, 9-9 Pac 12.

3/19/20- NIT West Region Second Round vs. (8) Coastal Carolina (W 74-45).
3/20/20- NIT West Region Semifinal vs. (4) Northeastern (W 79-55).
3/26/20- NIT West Region Final vs. (3) Samford (W 76-67).
3/31/20- NIT Final Four vs. (4S) Virginia (W 83-77).
4/2/20- NIT Championship vs. (2MW) Buffalo (W 70-59).

Great run for Coach Shepard and the Bruins, who take the NIT with relative ease, although they only had to face 1 school from a power conference. In the history of this dynasty, we've had 2 postseason tournament winners, both in the NIT, and both from the Pac 12.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 23-9, 13-5 SEC.

3/20/20- NCAA East Region First Round vs. (15) Albany (W 86-82).
3/22/20- NCAA East Region Second Round vs. (10) UAB (L 73-64).

Again the Crimson Tide fail to make it out of the first weekend, and we kind of saw some signs of doom against Albany, as they trailed by 5 at halftime in this one. The corner that Alabama needs to turn now is making it to the Sweet Sixteen.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 30-7, 14-4 SEC.

3/19/20- NCAA West Region First Round vs. (16) Illinois State (W 87-78).
3/21/20- NCAA West Region Second Round vs. (8) Gonzaga (W 72-66).
3/26/20- NCAA West Region Semifinal vs. (4) UTEP (W 85-55).
3/28/20- NCAA West Region Final vs. (6) Florida State (L 95-78).

For all the dominance the Wildcats have had over the regular season (5 straight SEC titles, although 3 of them have been shared) the postseason has been a different story. Only 1 SEC Tournament title, and while they do have 3 Elite Eight appearances in the NCAA Tournament, only once have they been to the Final Four. It's tough to say about a coach that has won 138 games in 5 seasons, but if Kentucky doesn't reach the Final Four in the next couple seasons, Coach Hutt may be out the door.

That concludes the 2020 regular season. I am getting ready to go out of town for a few days, but when I get back, I will take care of offseason stuff.

[rjolley]

Nice to see the Bruins rebound from a poor season and win the NIT. Congrats Coach Shepard.

[bbgunn]

Congrats to UCLA and Kansas for their respective championships!

[collegesportsfanms]

2020 Postseason Recap

We know that Kansas won the CBI and UCLA won the NIT, but what about the other 2 tournaments?

The NCAA Final Four saw (1S) North Carolina narrowly defeat (6W) Florida State 64-63. The other semifinal saw (1MW) Baylor beat Cinderella (10E) UAB 79-50. The national championship game saw North Carolina beat Baylor 65-54.

The CIT Championship saw (4) Georgia State beat (10) Cal State Bakersfield 79-77.

[collegesportsfanms]

2019-2020 National Awards

Kansas put 1 player on the All-NCAA 2nd Team.

Kentucky put 1 player on the All-NCAA 3rd Team.

2019-2020 Conference Awards

Hartford head coach David Ginsberg was named America East Coach of the Year. Congrats to him. Aside from that, they put 1 player on the America East 1st Team, and 1 player on the America East 2nd Team.

ECU put 1 player on the American All-Freshman Team.

Tulsa put 1 player on the American 2nd Team and 1 player on the American All-Freshman Team.

Davidson put 2 players on the Atlantic 10 1st Team and 2 players on the Atlantic 10 2nd Team.

No awards this season for Clemson.

Duke put 2 players on the ACC 2nd Team.

Kansas had the Big 12 Player of the Year along with putting a player on the Big 12 1st Team and a player on the Big 12 2nd Team.

TCU put 1 player on the Big 12 2nd Team.

No awards this season for Michigan.

Michigan State had the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, as well as putting that player on the Big 10 All-Freshman Team.

No awards this season for Northwestern.

Hawaii put 1 player on the Big West 1st Team.

Charlotte put 1 player on the Conference USA All-Freshman Team.

Rice put 1 player on the Conference USA 2nd Team.

No awards this season for Monmouth. What a raw deal they got.

Norfolk State put 1 player on the MEAC All-Freshman Team.

No awards this season for Colorado.

Stanford put 1 player on the Pac 12 1st Team and 1 player on the Pac 12 All-Freshman Team.

UCLA put 1 player on the Pac 12 2nd Team.

No awards this season for Washington State.

No awards this season for Alabama.

Florida put 1 player on the SEC All-Freshman Team.

Kentucky put 1 player on the SEC 1st Team, and 3 players on the SEC 2nd Team.

No awards this season for Troy.

[collegesportsfanms]

2019-2020 Recruiting Class Rankings

Hartford had the 204th best class in the nation, good for 2nd in the America East.

ECU had the 294th best class in the nation, last in the American.

Tulsa had the 261st best class in the nation, good for 9th in the American.

Davidson had the 243rd best class in the nation, good for 12th best in the Atlantic 10.

Clemson had the 269th best class in the nation, good for 14th in the ACC.

Duke had the 84th best class in the nation, good for just 11th best in the ACC.

Kansas had the 97th best class in the nation, good for 7th best in the Big 12.

TCU had the 46th best class in the nation, food for 5th in the Big 12.

Michigan had the 166th best class in the nation, good for 11th best in the Big Ten.

Michigan State had the 111th best class in the nation, good for 9th best in the Big Ten.

Northwestern had the 82nd best class in the nation, good for 6th best in the Big Ten.

Hawaii had the 346th best class in the nation, good for last in the Big West by a wide margin. B.B. Gunn is definitely nearing the end of his time here.

Charlotte had the 124th best class in the nation, good for 5th best in Conference USA.

Rice had the 91st best class in the nation, good for 3rd best in Conference USA.

Monmouth had the 122nd best class in the nation, tops in the MAAC.

Norfolk State had the 140th best class in the nation, good for 4th best in the MEAC.

Colorado had the 8th best class in the nation, tops in the Pac 12.

Stanford had the 49th best class in the nation, good for 7th best in the Pac 12.

UCLA had the 20th best class in the nation, good for 2nd best in the Pac 12.

Washington State had the 90th best class in the nation, good for 8th best in the Pac 12.

Alabama had the 47th best class in the nation, good for 8th best in the SEC.

Florida had the 171st best class in the nation, good for 13th best in the SEC.

Kentucky had the 10th best class in the nation, good for 2nd best in the SEC.

Troy had the 136th best class in the nation, good for 2nd best in the Sun Belt.

[collegesportsfanms]

A little bit of conference movement in this offseason, and our 4 Pac 12 human coaches will have some new competition to deal with, and it's a doozy. USC has been kicked out of the Pac 12, being sent to the West Coast Conference. In their place is..... the Zags of Gonzaga. This will only strengthen the Pac 12 even more and have all our Pac 12 coaches, AI and human controlled alike, shaking their heads.

Now to head coach movement. Remember, I'm going through all the job offers at once, simming to the end of the head coach movement period, but I'm not saving, so you're getting your job offers all at once.

Randolph Childress of Davidson got a whopping 10 offers. Georgia Tech, Penn State, South Carolina, UConn, Georgia, Memphis, New Mexico, SMU, South Florida, and St. Louis all want Randolph's services, and there are some really good schools courting him. He's got a tough decision to make.

Thomas Carrano of Monmouth also got a host of offers. Hofstra, Oakland, Loyola MD, Towson, William and Mary, Middle Tennessee, Murray State, and Northern Kentucky are all offering. Not a lot of big time offers there, although Murray State might be worth taking a look at.

Patrick Hutt of Kentucky got a few offers. Georgia, Georgia Tech, Peen State, South Carolina, and Xavier want Patrick. I sure don't think he's going to go to a school in the same conference when he's dominated at Kentucky. I'd expect him to stay where he's at.

Roy Rogers of Alabama got the exact same offers as Coach Hutt did. Same situation, ditto Roy. He's not going anywhere... I don't think.

Tim Shepard of UCLA got offered by Georgia, Georgia Tech, Penn State, and Xavier. Again, I doubt he'll move, but with the insertion of Gonzaga into the Pac 12, it's possible.

Dave Johnson of Kansas got offers from Georgia, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, and Penn State. I would expect him to stay as well.

So, this is on hold now, until these 6 coaches make a decision. Since I'm going out of town early next week, I'll hold off on starting the next season until I get back, next Wednesday. If I haven't heard from the coaches, they'll stay where they are at.

[rjolley]

Coach Shepard will stay at UCLA and welcome the Zags properly.

[bbgunn]

Wow, 346th in the nation for Hawaii's recruiting class? Kick the coach out! :)

[Coffee Warlord]

Whoo. 8th best class in the nation. Time for a big rebound.

[collegesportsfanms]

I am going to wait until Monday to start the next season, because we have some guys that haven't given me an answer on job offers yet.

Also, let's talk scheduling. I'm going to change the way I do scheduling. Everybody that wants to have an input on their schedule for the upcoming season needs to get ahold of me and let me know what kind of non-conf schedule you want. Do you want high prestige opponents, low prestige, a mix? All easy schools, all hard schools? Or if you just don't care either way, let me know too. I'm trying to find a way to make this more interactive for you guys, because I'm just not getting the responses I was hoping for. I'm not sure if some of you guys have stopped following, or just haven't been on the forums in a while or what.

That being said, we do have some non-conference match-ups set for this season. Here's a look at them.

Stanford/Notre Dame
Stanford/North Carolina
Michigan State/Notre Dame
TCU/Tulsa
Hartford/Yale
Hawaii/UNLV
Colorado/Northwestern
Troy/UAB

The following non-conference match-ups need to be confirmed by each coach involved, as they are all FOFC vs. FOFC match-ups. If need be, I will PM the coaches.

Alabama/Michigan
Davidson/Charlotte
UCLA/Duke
UCLA/Kentucky

If anybody has any questions, please PM me. Again, this dynasty will be more successful in the long run if I can get you guys involved and posting, and making decisions about your team. Thanks.

[vex]

Tulsa wants all easy schools. Lets rack up the wins, RPI be damned.

[collegesportsfanms]

Tulsa wants all easy schools. Lets rack up the wins, RPI be damned.

Your request is in. You do have that matchup with TCU set in stone though. I'll let you pad your non-conference schedule with the easiest opponents I can find. I'll base it on prestige.

[thealmighty]

TCU will take a mix schedule, slight lean to the easier side.

MSU will goeasier schedule. They need some confidence before conference play this season.

[DavidCorperial]

I'm fine with Hartford getting the schedules they have been, no player input needed.

[collegesportsfanms]

TCU will take a mix schedule, slight lean to the easier side.

MSU will goeasier schedule. They need some confidence before conference play this season.

TCU already has Tulsa on their schedule based on some of the non-conference match-ups we've talked about. I'll give them maybe 1 or 2 top notch opponents out of one of the power conferences, then a couple decent from the better mid-majors, and the rest, I'll fill with teams in the one bid type conferences.

Michigan State has Notre Dame on their schedule already, so that will be their big power conference test. Aside from that, I'll give Michigan State an easier non-conference schedule, try to make it all schools of teams with 30 or lower prestige. But.. if they lose any of those games, Al Mighty might be looking for a new career. :)

[collegesportsfanms]

I'm fine with Hartford getting the schedules they have been, no player input needed.

No problem, I'll let the schedule gods play out for Hartford and see what comes up.

[rjolley]

Coach Shepard of UCLA approves of these games.

[vex]

Your request is in. You do have that matchup with TCU set in stone though. I'll let you pad your non-conference schedule with the easiest opponents I can find. I'll base it on prestige.

Sounds perfect, thanks!

[law90026]

Duke wants an easy schedule next season. Ok to the game with UCLA too

[Neuqua]

I'll continue to be ok with whatever schedule is set for Northwestern. And we're also open to any other games against fellow FOFC'ers as we don't see Colorado as much of a challenge.

:)

[collegesportsfanms]

Duke wants an easy schedule next season. Ok to the game with UCLA too

Great, that game is set. I'll pad the rest of Duke's non-conf schedule with low prestige teams.

[collegesportsfanms]

I'll continue to be ok with whatever schedule is set for Northwestern. And we're also open to any other games against fellow FOFC'ers as we don't see Colorado as much of a challenge.

:)

Ooh, them's fightin words! Does Coach Nielsen have a response? I have my popcorn ready, this could get interesting. :)

[Coffee Warlord]

Coach Nielsen honestly forgot Northwestern was an actual basketball team.

I thought we were signing up for a day spa getaway.

[ntndeacon]

Roy Rogers is staying at Alabama, Randolph will take the UConn job

[collegesportsfanms]

Some news and notes:

I am going to keep Thomas Carrano at Monmouth, since thrnscrrn3 hasn't been on the forums since March. This brings up an interesting question.. when I have a situation like this, when a user hasn't been on the forums in several months, or when a user is not responding to my PMs, should that user have their team taken away and have their coach resign from their team in the game? Or should I just leave it alone and keep it as is? I'd like some input on that.

Same situation with Dave Johnson of Kansas, as dave731 hasn't been on the forums since July. My problem with just removing these coaches from the game is, what if the users come back and want to know what happened to their teams? On the other hand, if they haven't been on the forums in that long, there's a chance they might not come back, and I would have human coached teams with no user to follow them. I really need some advice on this one.

I'm also going to accept the Alabama-Michigan game on behalf of Grover, who hasn't been on the forums in almost a month either.

I have sent a PM to Zinto, who has a decision to make about the UCLA-Kentucky challenge that UCLA offered, as well as a job offer to consider.

Also, the Davidson/Charlotte game has been cancelled, as Davidson coach Randolph Childress is moving to UConn, and it was Davidson that offered the challenge.

I am hoping to get these few items cleared up so that I can start the next season tomorrow..please guys, if anybody has an opinion about users that haven't been on the forums in several months, let me know. And if any other teams want to have an input on their schedule, let me know.

[Zinto]

I will accept the the UCLA game and stay at Kentucky!

[vex]

If it is easier for you to make the write-ups, then drop them.

You might start having a coach check in at the end of each season. Those that don't respond are out.

[law90026]

Probably drop inactive coaches? It seems a tad unreasonable for someone to not be on the forums for months and expect things to continue for them in an interactive dynasty.

[collegesportsfanms]

thanks to law90026 and vex for their input.

Due to their inactivity on the forums, I am dropping the following users and their coaches:

dave731

Dave Johnson- Kansas
Charles Johnson- Clemson

Grover (this one was tough as of the ones I'm dropping, he is the one that was on the most recent, but it was still a couple weeks before Halloween, so that's over a month.

Timmy Tribble- Charlotte
Cillian Tribble- Michigan

TheRivals40

Noah Oppenheimer- Florida

thrnscrrn3

Thomas Carrano- Monmouth
Payten Carrano- Norfolk State

So that's 7 coaches dropped, which means we'll run this season with 17 human coaches. If any of those coaches come back to the forums and check in with me, they can get their teams back. In the meantime, I will be taking sign-ups for new users and coaches to get involved.

I'm going to get things going this afternoon when I get home from work. Probably won't be much, just some preseason stuff (hotseat ratings, season goals, prestige changes, etc) and then in the next couple days, we'll get the season started. Again, if you want to keep your coach, please check in once in a while. I know some of you probably just read the dynasty, but I would really like everybody to post throughout the season.. Thanks.

[collegesportsfanms]

2020-2021 Hot Seat Ratings and Coach Goals

David Ginsberg (Hartford) -- Cool seat, goal is to finish .500 or better in the America East.

Randolph Childress (UConn) -- As this is a new job for Coach Childress, his seat is average, and the goal is to win the American Championship.

Al Hutt (ECU) -- The seat is quite warm for Coach Hutt, as the board is getting impatient with him. They expect a .500 or better record in the American this season.

Will Brown (Tulsa) -- Average seat for Will, goal is to play in any postseason tournament.

Dean Hoo (Duke) -- Seat is still average for Dean, but the board still expects a Final Four run this season.

Bee Mighty (TCU) -- Seat is average for the Bee, and the goal is still to avoid last place in the Big 12.

Al Mighty (Michigan State) -- Average seat for Al, goal is to reach the Final Four.

Ess Vee (Northwestern) -- The grace period has ran out for Ess after a great first season. The board is getting impatient with him and his seat is warm. The board wants a postseason appearance this season.

B.B. Gunn (Hawaii) -- Despite the petitions and hits on firecoachgunn.com, the board is being patient with B.B. He's still on an average seat, and the goal is still to win the Big West.

Charlie Shocker (Rice) -- Average seat for Charlie, and the boards wants an overall .500 or better record this season.

Rob Nielsen (Colorado) -- Average seat for Rob, the goal is to play in the NCAA Tournament this season.

Benito Sanchez (Stanford) -- Average seat for Benito, and the goal is to compete for the Pac 12 Championship.

Tim Shepard (UCLA) -- The seat is still cool for Tim after winning the , but the board still is looking for that Final Four appearance that has eluded the Bruins. We're talking NCAA Final Four, not NIT Final Four.

DeShawn St. John (Washington State) -- Average seat for DeShawn, goal is to avoid last place in the Pac 12.

Roy Rogers (Alabama) -- Cool seat for Roy, and the board wants to see the Crimson Tide back in the NCAA Tournament.

Patrick Hutt (Kentucky) -- The seat is still cool for Patrick despite the lack of a Final Four appearance in the last couple seasons, but the board expects another one.. and soon.

Brett Hawkins (Troy) -- Average seat for Brett, with the goal being to finish .500 in the Sun Belt.

[collegesportsfanms]

Team Prestiges to start 2020-2021 Season

Hartford- 30 (+9 from last season).
UConn- 76 (new team)
ECU- 42 (-1)
Tulsa- 65 (-1)
Duke- 83 (-5)
TCU- 57 (+4)
Michigan State- 88 (No change)
Northwestern- 60 (-1)
Hawaii- 49 (-4)
Rice- 38 (No change)
Colorado- 71 (-2)
Stanford- 84 (-2)
UCLA- 94 (+1, thank you NIT victory)
Washington State- 53 (No change)
Alabama- 82 (+4)
Kentucky- 100 (+1, they have the highest prestige possible now).
Troy- 24 (-1)

[collegesportsfanms]

2020 Season Tournaments

Northwestern will be the 5th seed in the 2020 Brooklyn Classic and open up against 4th seed Rhode Island.

Washington State will be the 7th seed in the 2020 Cancun Challenge and will open up against 2nd seed Illinois.

Stanford will be the 2nd seed in the 2020 Corpus Christi Coastal Classic and will open up against 7th seed Wyoming.

Duke will be the 3rd seed in the 2020 Diamond Head Classic and will open up against 6th seed Western Michigan.

Kentucky will be the top seed in the 16 team 2020 Hall of Fame Classic and will open up against 16th seed Alabama State.

Michigan State will be the 2nd seed in the 16 team 2020 Hall of Fame Classic and will open up against 15th seed Rider.

Tulsa will be the 9th seed in the 16 team 2020 Hall of Fame Classic and will open up against 8th seed Saint Mary's.

UConn will be the 3rd seed in the 2020 Hall of Fame Tip-Off and will open up against 6th seed Virginia Tech.

Alabama will be the 2nd seed in the 16 team 2020 Las Vegas Classic and will open up against 15th seed Florida Gulf Coast.

Colorado will be the 3rd seed in the 2020 Las Vegas Invitational, and TCU will be the 6th seed in the 2020 Las Vegas Invitational. They will face off in the First Round.

UCLA will be the top seed in the 2020 Legends Classic and will open up against 8th seed South Dakota State.

Hawaii will be the top seed in the 4 team 2020 Military Classic and will open up against 4th seed Chattanooga.

ECU will be the 10th seed in the 16 team 2020 New York Classic and will open up against 7th seed Stony Brook.

Rice will be the 2nd seed in the 4 team 2020 Ohio Classic and will open up against 3rd seed Eastern Washington.

Hartford will be the 2nd seed in the 4 team 2020 South Carolina Showcase and will open up against 3rd seed St. Francis NY.

Troy will be the 7th seed in the 2020 Wooden Legacy and will open up against 2nd seed Tennessee Tech.

[thealmighty]

No tourney for the Frogs? Bee is hoppin' mad.

[collegesportsfanms]

No tourney for the Frogs? Bee is hoppin' mad.

Probably should have done it differently, as Colorado and TCU are set to face each other in the first round of a tournament, so I lumped them in the same group. Here's a look see.

Colorado will be the 3rd seed in the 2020 Las Vegas Invitational, and TCU will be the 6th seed in the 2020 Las Vegas Invitational. They will face off in the First Round.

[bbgunn]

Quotes from B.B. Gunn's preseason press conference:

"... and I know that there's... some folks have put together this, um, fan site and saying some things about me. When you are in a prominent position like me, you deal with a lot of crap and this is no different..."

"Am I worried about my job? We talkin' about my job. Not my health. Not my taxes. Not those snotty boys hitting on my daughter at school trying to get some. We talkin' bout my job."

"What bad recruiting class? Listen... we didn't want those so-called blue chippers anyway. You don't want to take your talents to Waikiki Beach? What the hell's wrong with you?"

[thealmighty]

Probably should have done it differently, as Colorado and TCU are set to face each other in the first round of a tournament, so I lumped them in the same group. Here's a look see.

Colorado will be the 3rd seed in the 2020 Las Vegas Invitational, and TCU will be the 6th seed in the 2020 Las Vegas Invitational. They will face off in the First Round.

Bee went to UT, so reading is not his strong suit. :lol:

[collegesportsfanms]

2020-2021 Preseason Top 25

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Georgetown (41) 0-0 1759 NR Big East Conference
2. Louisville (14) 0-0 1713 12 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Oklahoma (17) 0-0 1684 NR Big 12 Conference
4. Baylor 0-0 1543 1 Big 12 Conference
5. Ohio State 0-0 1441 NR Big Ten Conference
6. Villanova 0-0 1418 NR Big East Conference
7. Wisconsin 0-0 1314 11 Big Ten Conference
8. Syracuse 0-0 1274 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. Pittsburgh 0-0 1109 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
10. Iowa State 0-0 1075 9 Big 12 Conference
11. Virginia 0-0 1063 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
12. Georgia 0-0 973 NR Southeastern Conference
13. Creighton 0-0 881 NR Big East Conference
14. Michigan State 0-0 797 NR Big Ten Conference
15. Boise State 0-0 675 16 Mountain West Conference
16. Wichita State 0-0 608 18 Missouri Valley Conference
17. Missouri 0-0 591 NR Southeastern Conference
18. Florida State 0-0 551 24 Atlantic Coast Conference
19. Illinois 0-0 454 NR Big Ten Conference
20. North Carolina 0-0 311 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
21. Buffalo 0-0 280 NR Mid-American Conference
22. San Diego State 0-0 276 NR Mountain West Conference
23. St. John's 0-0 273 NR Big East Conference
24. Miami 0-0 161 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
25. Gonzaga 0-0 156 17 Pacific-12 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Penn State 0-0 142 Big Ten Conference
Florida 0-0 120 Southeastern Conference
Arizona 0-0 105 Pacific-12 Conference
Texas 0-0 79 Big 12 Conference
DePaul 0-0 66 Big East Conference
Arkansas 0-0 58 Southeastern Conference
Vanderbilt 0-0 57 Southeastern Conference
BYU 0-0 53 West Coast Conference
Iowa 0-0 39 Big Ten Conference
Minnesota 0-0 29 Big Ten Conference
North Carolina State 0-0 24 Atlantic Coast Conference
Colorado 0-0 21 Pacific-12 Conference
Indiana 0-0 17 Big Ten Conference
Providence 0-0 16 Big East Conference
Illinois State 0-0 15 Missouri Valley Conference
VCU 0-0 12 Southeastern Conference
Northwestern 0-0 11 Big Ten Conference
UCLA 0-0 11 Pacific-12 Conference
Maryland 0-0 10 Big Ten Conference
Marquette 0-0 9 Big East Conference
Stanford 0-0 9 Pacific-12 Conference
Kentucky 0-0 8 Southeastern Conference
Oregon 0-0 8 Pacific-12 Conference
Texas Tech 0-0 8 Big 12 Conference
Loyola Chicago 0-0 7 Missouri Valley Conference
Richmond 0-0 7 Atlantic 10 Conference
Washington 0-0 7 Pacific-12 Conference
Connecticut 0-0 6 American Athletic Conference
Southern Illinois 0-0 6 Missouri Valley Conference
Virginia Tech 0-0 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
Duke 0-0 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
Northern Illinois 0-0 5 Mid-American Conference
SMU 0-0 5 American Athletic Conference
Alabama 0-0 4 Southeastern Conference
California 0-0 4 Pacific-12 Conference
Green Bay 0-0 4 Horizon League
Arizona State 0-0 3 Pacific-12 Conference
Bradley 0-0 3 Missouri Valley Conference
Memphis 0-0 3 American Athletic Conference
Old Dominion 0-0 3 Conference USA
St. Bonaventure 0-0 3 Atlantic 10 Conference
New Mexico 0-0 2 Mountain West Conference
Texas A&M 0-0 2 Southeastern Conference
West Virginia 0-0 2 Big 12 Conference
William & Mary 0-0 2 Colonial Athletic Association
George Mason 0-0 1 Atlantic 10 Conference
Harvard 0-0 1 Ivy League
Kansas 0-0 1 Big 12 Conference
Saint Mary's 0-0 1 West Coast Conference

[collegesportsfanms]

2020-2021 Preseason Mid Major Top 25

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Boise State (46) 0-0 1767 4 Mountain West Conference
2. Wichita State (15) 0-0 1715 6 Missouri Valley Conference
3. San Diego State (1) 0-0 1563 17 Mountain West Conference
4. Buffalo (8) 0-0 1561 NR Mid-American Conference
5. BYU 0-0 1284 NR West Coast Conference
6. SMU 0-0 835 20 American Athletic Conference
7. Memphis (1) 0-0 749 23 American Athletic Conference
8. Cincinnati 0-0 682 NR American Athletic Conference
9. Illinois State (1) 0-0 659 NR Missouri Valley Conference
10. Toledo 0-0 565 NR Mid-American Conference
11. Connecticut 0-0 541 1 American Athletic Conference
12. Northern Iowa 0-0 532 NR Missouri Valley Conference
13. Davidson 0-0 500 25 Atlantic 10 Conference
14. Dayton 0-0 474 3 Atlantic 10 Conference
15. Richmond 0-0 465 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
16. New Mexico 0-0 373 2 Mountain West Conference
17. Saint Mary's 0-0 347 NR West Coast Conference
18. Akron 0-0 330 NR Mid-American Conference
19. George Washington 0-0 290 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
20. Harvard 0-0 279 10 Ivy League
21. Louisiana Tech 0-0 236 7 Conference USA
22. UNLV 0-0 235 NR Mountain West Conference
23. Indiana State 0-0 201 21 Missouri Valley Conference
24. South Florida 0-0 200 14 American Athletic Conference
25. UAB 0-0 198 NR Conference USA

Others Receiving Votes:
Massachusetts 0-0 192 Atlantic 10 Conference
Pepperdine 0-0 188 West Coast Conference
Kent State 0-0 187 Mid-American Conference
Middle Tennessee 0-0 187 Conference USA
Georgia State 0-0 184 Horizon League
UC Santa Barbara 0-0 166 Big West Conference
Rhode Island 0-0 152 Atlantic 10 Conference
St. Bonaventure 0-0 147 Atlantic 10 Conference
Utah State 0-0 147 Mountain West Conference
San Diego 0-0 146 West Coast Conference
Old Dominion 0-0 145 Conference USA
La Salle 0-0 135 Atlantic 10 Conference
USC 0-0 132 West Coast Conference
Belmont 0-0 131 Ohio Valley Conference
Green Bay 0-0 130 Horizon League
UC Irvine 0-0 123 Big West Conference
Tulsa 0-0 122 American Athletic Conference
Temple 0-0 120 American Athletic Conference
William & Mary 0-0 117 Colonial Athletic Association
Portland 0-0 113 West Coast Conference
Saint Joseph's 0-0 109 Atlantic 10 Conference
Northeastern 0-0 105 Colonial Athletic Association
Colorado State 0-0 99 Mountain West Conference
Eastern Michigan 0-0 99 Mid-American Conference
Fresno State 0-0 93 Mountain West Conference
Yale 0-0 92 Ivy League
Mercer 0-0 88 Southern Conference
Mississippi State 0-0 87 Atlantic 10 Conference
Western Michigan 0-0 85 Mid-American Conference
Santa Clara 0-0 78 West Coast Conference
UTEP 0-0 78 Conference USA
Tulane 0-0 77 American Athletic Conference
Murray State 0-0 73 Ohio Valley Conference
George Mason 0-0 72 Atlantic 10 Conference
Evansville 0-0 71 Missouri Valley Conference
Duquesne 0-0 67 Atlantic 10 Conference
Drexel 0-0 65 Colonial Athletic Association
Saint Louis 0-0 65 Atlantic 10 Conference
Loyola Chicago 0-0 64 Missouri Valley Conference
Hofstra 0-0 61 Colonial Athletic Association
Southern Illinois 0-0 61 Missouri Valley Conference
San Francisco 0-0 59 West Coast Conference
Northern Illinois 0-0 58 Mid-American Conference
Long Beach State 0-0 56 Big West Conference
Air Force 0-0 55 Mountain West Conference
Bradley 0-0 55 Missouri Valley Conference
UCF 0-0 55 American Athletic Conference
Princeton 0-0 52 Ivy League
East Carolina 0-0 50 American Athletic Conference
Illinois Chicago 0-0 49 Horizon League
Wyoming 0-0 48 Mountain West Conference
Columbia 0-0 47 Ivy League
Eastern Illinois 0-0 46 Ohio Valley Conference
Bowling Green 0-0 44 Mid-American Conference
Louisiana Lafayette 0-0 44 Sun Belt Conference
Eastern Kentucky 0-0 43 Ohio Valley Conference
SIU Edwardsville 0-0 43 Ohio Valley Conference
Fordham 0-0 42 Atlantic 10 Conference
Pacific 0-0 41 West Coast Conference
Western Illinois 0-0 39 Southland Conference
Oakland 0-0 38 Horizon League
Chicago State 0-0 35 Western Athletic Conference
Iona 0-0 35 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
James Madison 0-0 35 Colonial Athletic Association
Southern Miss 0-0 33 Conference USA
Radford 0-0 32 Big South Conference
VMI 0-0 32 Southern Conference
Loyola Marymount 0-0 31 West Coast Conference
Norfolk State 0-0 27 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Cleveland State 0-0 25 Horizon League
Hampton 0-0 25 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Lehigh 0-0 25 Patriot League
Liberty 0-0 23 Big South Conference
FIU 0-0 21 Conference USA
Longwood 0-0 21 Big South Conference
Milwaukee 0-0 21 Horizon League
Cal State Fullerton 0-0 20 Big West Conference
Eastern Washington 0-0 20 Big Sky Conference
Missouri State 0-0 19 Missouri Valley Conference
Portland State 0-0 19 Big Sky Conference
Seattle 0-0 19 Western Athletic Conference
Stephen F. Austin 0-0 19 Summit League
Weber State 0-0 19 Big Sky Conference
East Tennessee State 0-0 18 Southern Conference
Florida Gulf Coast 0-0 18 Atlantic Sun Conference
North Carolina Central 0-0 18 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
UMKC 0-0 18 Western Athletic Conference
Utah Valley 0-0 18 Western Athletic Conference
Dartmouth 0-0 17 Ivy League
Holy Cross 0-0 17 Patriot League
Manhattan 0-0 17 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Southeast Missouri State 0-0 17 Ohio Valley Conference
Southern Utah 0-0 17 Big Sky Conference
Tennessee Martin 0-0 17 Ohio Valley Conference
Austin Peay 0-0 16 Ohio Valley Conference
Boston University 0-0 16 Patriot League
Florida Atlantic 0-0 16 Conference USA
Chattanooga 0-0 15 Southern Conference
Cornell 0-0 15 Ivy League
North Florida 0-0 15 Atlantic Sun Conference
UMass Lowell 0-0 15 America East Conference
Bethune Cookman 0-0 14 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Canisius 0-0 14 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
San Jose State 0-0 14 Mountain West Conference
Tennessee Tech 0-0 14 Ohio Valley Conference
Charlotte 0-0 13 Conference USA
Niagara 0-0 13 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Tennessee State 0-0 13 Ohio Valley Conference
Albany 0-0 12 America East Conference
Cal Poly 0-0 12 Big West Conference
Florida A&M 0-0 12 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Drake 0-0 11 Missouri Valley Conference
Lipscomb 0-0 11 Atlantic Sun Conference
Stony Brook 0-0 11 America East Conference
American 0-0 10 Patriot League
Army 0-0 10 Patriot League
Miami OH 0-0 10 Mid-American Conference
UC Davis 0-0 10 Big West Conference
Colgate 0-0 9 Patriot League
Jacksonville 0-0 9 Atlantic Sun Conference
Louisiana Monroe 0-0 9 Sun Belt Conference
Cal State Northridge 0-0 8 Big West Conference
Marist 0-0 8 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Siena 0-0 7 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Stetson 0-0 7 Atlantic Sun Conference
UT Arlington 0-0 7 Sun Belt Conference
Delaware 0-0 6 Colonial Athletic Association
Nevada 0-0 6 Mountain West Conference
St. Francis NY 0-0 6 Northeast Conference
UC Riverside 0-0 6 Big West Conference
Central Michigan 0-0 5 Mid-American Conference
Houston 0-0 5 American Athletic Conference
Northwestern State 0-0 5 Southland Conference
Wagner 0-0 5 Northeast Conference
Hawaii 0-0 4 Big West Conference
LIU Brooklyn 0-0 4 Northeast Conference
Sacramento State 0-0 4 Big Sky Conference
Wofford 0-0 4 Southern Conference
Binghamton 0-0 3 America East Conference
Bucknell 0-0 3 Patriot League
Ohio 0-0 3 Mid-American Conference
Towson 0-0 3 Colonial Athletic Association
Cal State Bakersfield 0-0 2 Western Athletic Conference
McNeese State 0-0 2 Southland Conference
North Texas 0-0 1 Conference USA
Wright State 0-0 1 Horizon League

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 13-15, 2020

Only 8 games to start this first weekend of the season, with no feature games. Again, only the teams that played will be featured this week.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 1-1, 0-0 American.

11/13/20- New York Classic First Round vs. (7) Stony Brook (W 95-68).
11/15/20- New York Classic Quarterfinals vs. (2) California (L 72-59).

Not the worst start of the season for the Pirates, as they hammered Stony Brook, and had Cal on the ropes before fading late.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 0-1, 0-0 American.

11/13/20- Hall of Fame Classic First Round vs. (8) Saint Mary's (L 69-58).

Not a good start for the Golden Hurricane, who forced 22 turnovers against St. Mary's but couldn't capitalize offensively.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 1-0, 0-0 Big 12.

11/15/20 at Portland State (W 69-36).

The Horned Frogs were one of 4 schools who requested an easy non-conference schedule this season, and they took advantage of it in game 1, going to Portland and routing Portland State.

#14 Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 1-0, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/13/20- Hall of Fame Classic First Round vs. (15) Rider (W 70-63).

Not the easiest game in the world for the Spartans, which leaves a bit of concern in some of their fans minds. Still though, they win and advance.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 0-2, 0-0 Big West.

11/13/20- Military Classic First Round vs. (4) Chattanooga (L 80-72).
11/14/20- Military Classic 3rd Place Game vs. (3) South Alabama (L 77-68).

Not a good start for the Warriors at all, but let's ease up on them just a little bit. Chattanooga and South Alabama are a lot better than their seed in this tournament shows.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 1-0, 0-0 SEC.

11/13/20- Hall of Fame Classic First Round vs. (16) Alabama State (W 72-62).

The Wildcats also didn't have a very easy first round game, but survived. Nothing to be alarmed about at this point though.

Here's a look at the national top 25 for the week of Nov. 16-22nd:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Louisville (48) 1-0 1766 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Oklahoma (17) 1-0 1735 3 Big 12 Conference
3. Georgetown (7) 0-0 1651 1 Big East Conference
4. Baylor 1-0 1575 4 Big 12 Conference
5. Ohio State 1-0 1487 5 Big Ten Conference
6. Wisconsin 1-0 1398 7 Big Ten Conference
7. Villanova 0-0 1368 6 Big East Conference
8. Wichita State 2-0 1166 16 Missouri Valley Conference
9. Pittsburgh 0-0 1144 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
10. Iowa State 0-0 1096 10 Big 12 Conference
11. Virginia 0-0 1093 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
12. Michigan State 1-0 957 14 Big Ten Conference
13. Creighton 0-0 868 13 Big East Conference
14. Missouri 0-0 686 17 Southeastern Conference
15. Florida State 0-0 685 18 Atlantic Coast Conference
16. North Carolina 1-0 640 20 Atlantic Coast Conference
17. Buffalo 1-0 609 21 Mid-American Conference
18. Illinois 0-0 577 19 Big Ten Conference
19. San Diego State 0-0 389 22 Mountain West Conference
20. St. John's 0-0 382 23 Big East Conference
21. Miami 0-0 322 24 Atlantic Coast Conference
22. Arizona 0-0 243 NR Pacific-12 Conference
23. Penn State 0-0 226 NR Big Ten Conference
24. Texas 0-0 159 NR Big 12 Conference
25. Florida 0-0 158 NR Southeastern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
DePaul 0-0 93 Big East Conference
BYU 0-0 90 West Coast Conference
North Carolina State 1-0 76 Atlantic Coast Conference
Vanderbilt 0-0 65 Southeastern Conference
Iowa 0-0 63 Big Ten Conference
Arkansas 0-0 61 Southeastern Conference
Richmond 2-0 48 Atlantic 10 Conference
Minnesota 0-0 41 Big Ten Conference
Seton Hall 2-0 39 Big East Conference
California 2-0 33 Pacific-12 Conference
Colorado 0-0 33 Pacific-12 Conference
Kentucky 1-0 31 Southeastern Conference
Illinois Chicago 2-0 23 Horizon League
Oregon 1-0 21 Pacific-12 Conference
Texas Tech 0-0 19 Big 12 Conference
Air Force 2-0 16 Mountain West Conference
Northern Illinois 1-0 15 Mid-American Conference
Illinois State 0-0 14 Missouri Valley Conference
Providence 0-0 14 Big East Conference
West Virginia 1-0 13 Big 12 Conference
George Washington 1-0 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
Saint Mary's 1-0 11 West Coast Conference
Belmont 2-0 10 Ohio Valley Conference
Delaware 2-0 10 Colonial Athletic Association
Green Bay 1-0 10 Horizon League
UCLA 0-0 10 Pacific-12 Conference
Virginia Tech 0-0 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
Marquette 0-0 9 Big East Conference
Northwestern 0-0 9 Big Ten Conference
Cincinnati 1-0 6 American Athletic Conference
Iona 1-0 6 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Loyola Chicago 0-0 6 Missouri Valley Conference
Nebraska 1-0 6 Big Ten Conference
Old Dominion 0-0 6 Conference USA
SMU 0-0 6 American Athletic Conference
Stanford 0-0 6 Pacific-12 Conference
Albany 1-0 5 America East Conference
Maryland 0-0 5 Big Ten Conference
Southern Illinois 0-0 5 Missouri Valley Conference
UC Santa Barbara 1-0 5 Big West Conference
William & Mary 0-0 5 Colonial Athletic Association
Bradley 0-0 4 Missouri Valley Conference
Duke 0-0 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
Oklahoma State 1-0 4 Big 12 Conference
Siena 1-0 4 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Texas A&M 0-0 4 Southeastern Conference
Alabama 0-0 3 Southeastern Conference
Connecticut 0-0 3 American Athletic Conference
George Mason 0-0 3 Atlantic 10 Conference
New Mexico 0-0 3 Mountain West Conference
South Florida 0-0 3 American Athletic Conference
Detroit 2-0 2 Horizon League
Eastern Illinois 0-0 2 Ohio Valley Conference
Harvard 0-0 2 Ivy League
Lafayette 2-0 2 Patriot League
Liberty 1-0 2 Big South Conference
Fordham 0-0 1 Atlantic 10 Conference
Fresno State 1-0 1 Mountain West Conference
James Madison 0-0 1 Colonial Athletic Association
Milwaukee 0-0 1 Horizon League
Mississippi 0-0 1 Southeastern Conference
Oregon State 0-0 1 Pacific-12 Conference
Syracuse 0-1 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
Temple 1-0 1 American Athletic Conference
Western Illinois 0-0 1 Southland Conference
Xavier 1-0 1 Big East Conference

Michigan State moves up 2 spots after their win this week, and we have several teams still receiving votes, most of which have not played yet.

[collegesportsfanms]

Now a look at the mid-major top 25 for the week of Nov. 16-22.

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (62) 2-0 1789 2 Missouri Valley Conference
2. Buffalo (6) 1-0 1665 4 Mid-American Conference
3. San Diego State (4) 0-0 1580 3 Mountain West Conference
4. BYU 0-0 1314 5 West Coast Conference
5. Richmond 2-0 1001 15 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. Air Force 2-0 811 NR Mountain West Conference
7. Belmont 2-0 774 NR Ohio Valley Conference
8. Cincinnati 1-0 703 8 American Athletic Conference
9. SMU 0-0 644 6 American Athletic Conference
10. Delaware 2-0 621 NR Colonial Athletic Association
11. Detroit 2-0 536 NR Horizon League
12. Saint Mary's 1-0 518 17 West Coast Conference
13. UTSA 2-0 509 NR Conference USA
14. George Washington 1-0 502 19 Atlantic 10 Conference
15. Akron 1-0 495 18 Mid-American Conference
16. Illinois Chicago 2-0 454 NR Horizon League
17. Green Bay 1-0 362 NR Horizon League
18. Lafayette 2-0 349 NR Patriot League
19. Illinois State 0-0 324 9 Missouri Valley Conference
20. UC Santa Barbara 1-0 324 NR Big West Conference
21. UAB 1-0 321 25 Conference USA
22. Toledo 0-0 316 10 Mid-American Conference
23. Davidson 0-0 269 13 Atlantic 10 Conference
24. Temple 1-0 240 NR American Athletic Conference
25. Connecticut 0-0 235 11 American Athletic Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Tulane 1-0 219 American Athletic Conference
Fresno State 1-0 216 Mountain West Conference
Dayton 0-0 208 Atlantic 10 Conference
Louisiana Tech 0-0 205 Conference USA
South Florida 0-0 180 American Athletic Conference
Harvard 0-0 174 Ivy League
San Francisco 1-0 167 West Coast Conference
Middle Tennessee 0-0 166 Conference USA
Georgia State 0-0 162 Horizon League
Northern Illinois 1-0 159 Mid-American Conference
New Mexico 0-0 151 Mountain West Conference
Morehead State 1-0 140 Ohio Valley Conference
Massachusetts 0-0 136 Atlantic 10 Conference
Old Dominion 0-0 136 Conference USA
Iona 1-0 125 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
UNLV 0-0 120 Mountain West Conference
Utah State 0-0 118 Mountain West Conference
William & Mary 0-0 116 Colonial Athletic Association
Eastern Michigan 0-0 110 Mid-American Conference
San Jose State 1-0 108 Mountain West Conference
UC Irvine 0-0 108 Big West Conference
Rhode Island 0-0 107 Atlantic 10 Conference
USC 0-0 105 West Coast Conference
Quinnipiac 1-0 101 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Portland 0-0 97 West Coast Conference
Western Michigan 0-0 96 Mid-American Conference
Albany 1-0 94 America East Conference
Arkansas State 1-0 93 Sun Belt Conference
La Salle 0-0 90 Atlantic 10 Conference
Northeastern 0-0 89 Colonial Athletic Association
Mississippi State 0-0 84 Atlantic 10 Conference
Wright State 1-0 84 Horizon League
Boise State 0-1 82 Mountain West Conference
Loyola Chicago 0-0 79 Missouri Valley Conference
Santa Clara 0-0 78 West Coast Conference
George Mason 0-0 76 Atlantic 10 Conference
Oakland 0-0 73 Horizon League
Southern Illinois 0-0 69 Missouri Valley Conference
Bowling Green 0-0 67 Mid-American Conference
High Point 1-0 64 Big South Conference
Eastern Kentucky 0-0 58 Ohio Valley Conference
UCF 0-0 57 American Athletic Conference
UNC Greensboro 1-0 57 Southern Conference
Yale 0-0 57 Ivy League
Duquesne 0-0 55 Atlantic 10 Conference
Bradley 0-0 52 Missouri Valley Conference
Wyoming 0-0 52 Mountain West Conference
Pacific 0-0 50 West Coast Conference
Cal State Bakersfield 1-0 49 Western Athletic Conference
Eastern Illinois 0-0 49 Ohio Valley Conference
Cleveland State 0-0 48 Horizon League
Fordham 0-0 44 Atlantic 10 Conference
Siena 1-0 42 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Cal State Fullerton 0-0 41 Big West Conference
Princeton 0-0 41 Ivy League
Western Illinois 0-0 41 Southland Conference
Southeast Missouri State 1-0 40 Ohio Valley Conference
North Carolina Central 0-0 38 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Chicago State 0-0 37 Western Athletic Conference
James Madison 0-0 37 Colonial Athletic Association
Northwestern State 1-0 36 Southland Conference
Liberty 1-0 34 Big South Conference
Arkansas Pine Bluff 1-0 33 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Radford 0-0 32 Big South Conference
Manhattan 0-0 31 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
FIU 0-0 29 Conference USA
American 0-0 28 Patriot League
Cal Poly 0-0 28 Big West Conference
Norfolk State 0-0 27 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Hampton 0-0 25 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Nevada 0-0 24 Mountain West Conference
Wofford 0-0 23 Southern Conference
Florida Gulf Coast 0-0 22 Atlantic Sun Conference
Milwaukee 0-0 22 Horizon League
Missouri State 0-0 22 Missouri Valley Conference
Cal State Northridge 0-0 21 Big West Conference
Longwood 0-0 21 Big South Conference
Bucknell 0-0 20 Patriot League
Eastern Washington 0-0 20 Big Sky Conference
Florida Atlantic 0-0 20 Conference USA
Seattle 0-0 19 Western Athletic Conference
UMKC 0-0 19 Western Athletic Conference
Houston 0-0 18 American Athletic Conference
North Florida 0-0 18 Atlantic Sun Conference
UMass Lowell 0-0 18 America East Conference
Canisius 0-0 17 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Cornell 0-0 17 Ivy League
East Tennessee State 0-0 17 Southern Conference
Towson 0-0 17 Colonial Athletic Association
Tennessee Martin 0-0 16 Ohio Valley Conference
Austin Peay 0-0 15 Ohio Valley Conference
Niagara 0-0 15 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Army 0-0 14 Patriot League
Tennessee Tech 0-0 14 Ohio Valley Conference
Bethune Cookman 0-0 13 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Colgate 0-0 13 Patriot League
Tennessee State 0-0 13 Ohio Valley Conference
UC Riverside 0-0 13 Big West Conference
Valparaiso 0-0 13 Horizon League
Marist 0-0 12 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
UT Arlington 0-0 12 Sun Belt Conference
Florida A&M 0-0 11 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Louisiana Monroe 0-0 11 Sun Belt Conference
St. Francis NY 0-0 11 Northeast Conference
Idaho State 1-0 10 Big Sky Conference
LIU Brooklyn 0-0 10 Northeast Conference
Binghamton 0-0 9 America East Conference
McNeese State 0-0 7 Southland Conference
Sacramento State 0-0 7 Big Sky Conference
Kennesaw State 1-0 6 Atlantic Sun Conference
Jacksonville 0-0 5 Atlantic Sun Conference
Rice 0-0 5 Conference USA
Denver 0-0 4 Summit League
South Dakota State 0-0 4 Summit League
Grambling State 0-0 3 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Stetson 0-0 3 Atlantic Sun Conference

So UConn drops 14 spots, which makes sense as they haven't played yet, and a lot of the teams ranked ahead of them did play and win this week. Rice keeps a couple votes, while Hawaii and Tulsa lose their votes after losing their games this week.

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 16-22, 2020

Lots of tournament games on tap this week, and 1 feature game, so let's get to it.

11/18/20- Northwestern (Ess Vee) @ Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- Apparently there is a basketball team at Northwestern, and Coach Nielsen now knows about it. The Wildcats held Colorado to a whopping 26.7% shooting for the game and went to Boulder and stunned the Buffaloes.

Final Score: Northwestern- 63, Colorado- 49

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 0-0, 0-0 America East.

No games this week for Coach Ginsberg and the Hawks, they'll get going next week.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 3-0, 0-0 American.

11/17/20- Hall of Fame Tip-Off First Round vs. (6) Virginia Tech (W 70-62).
11/21/20- Hall of Fame Tip-Off Semifinal vs. (2) Texas A&M (W 66-58).
11/22/20- Hall of Fame Tip-Off Championship vs. (8) Milwaukee (W 78-64).

A great debut for Coach Childress at the seat of UConn, as you remember he came over from previously coaching at Davidson. Winning a tournament in his first try at UConn? A good sign, but, the Huskies didn't have to meet up with national power Arizona, who got upset in the First Round. Still though, a great start.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 1-1, 0-0 American.

No games this week for Coach Hutt and the Pirates.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 0-1, 0-0 American.

No games this week for Coach Brown and the Golden Hurricane.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 1-1, 0-0 ACC.

11/16/20 vs. Army (L 75-68).
11/20/20 vs. Austin Peay (W 74-49).

Well.. not the start the Blue Devils wanted. They requested a fairly easy non-conference schedule, but have already fallen victim to one of those low prestige opponents. Lots more on the schedule to pad their record though.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 2-0, 0-0 Big 12.

11/19/20 at Coppin State (W 69-53).

Another feel good victory for the Horned Frogs as they go to their season tournament next week.

#12 Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 2-0, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/16/20- Hall of Fame Classic Quarterfinals vs. (7) George Washington (W 75-49).

Another win for the Spartans, but things get real in the Semifinals, as they take on top ranked Louisville.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 1-0, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/18/20 at Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.

A great start for the Wildcats, as they get a win over another fellow human coached team. It started with trash talk, and ended with what most would consider an upset, but either way, Northwestern opens the season with a win.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 1-2, 0-0 Big West.

11/17/20 vs. Purdue (W 53-45).

If this is any indication of how it is going to go for the Warriors, expect a very inconsistent season. Everybody expected them to be 2-1 at this point, winning the games they lost, and losing the game they won.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 1-1, 0-0 Conference USA.

11/20/20- Ohio Classic First Round vs. (3) Eastern Washington (W 77-68).
11/22/20- Ohio Classic Championship vs. (1) Fordham (L 86-84).

Tough, tough loss for the Owls in the Ohio Classic Championship as they just couldn't quite get that big win. An interesting note, Rice has played in a 4 team tourney 4 times, and has finished 1st once, 2nd once, 3rd once, and 4th once. Interesting indeed.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 1-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/16/20 vs. Jacksonville (L 52-51).
11/18/20 vs. Northwestern- feature game, highlighted above.
11/21/20 vs. Idaho State (W 69-54).

Looks like all that trash talking the Buffaloes were doing before the season started backfired on them, as they dropped their first 2 games. The one at Jacksonville hurts. We'll see if they've righted the ship or not.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 1-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/17/20 vs. #16 North Carolina (W 74-60).
11/22/20- Corpus Christi Coastal Classic First Round vs. (7) Wyoming (L 91-84).

A split for the Cardinal this week, and against it was a reverse of what was expected. I see a lot of inconsistency coming from our teams this season.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 1-0, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/19/20- Legends Classic First Round vs. (8) South Dakota State (W 68-61).

Well it wasn't the cleanest victory the Bruins have had, but they win their first game of the season, and now get a test in the Semifinals.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 0-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/21/20- Cancun Challenge First Round vs. (2) #11 Illinois (L 85-73).

A good effort for the Cougars, but Illinois was just too tough. Now they have a chance to go through the losers bracket and make some noise there.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 3-1, 0-0 SEC.

11/16/20 vs. Jackson State (W 81-48).
11/18/20 vs. Houston (L 72-56).
11/20/20 vs. Iowa (W 83-70).
11/22/20 vs. Alabama A&M (W 76-68).

Heavy week for the Crimson Tide who played 4 games, but all at home. 3 out of 4 ain't bad as they beat a very good Iowa team, and their loss may not hurt them much come March.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 1-1, 0-0 SEC.

11/16/20- Hall of Fame Classic Quarterfinals vs. (8) Saint Mary's (L 96-79).

Defense looks to be an early problem for the Wildcats, who got blasted by a St. Mary's team that beat another human coached team in Tulsa last week, and looks to be pretty darn good. Another big game comes up for Kentucky, but they have almost 2 weeks off to get ready for it.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 0-2, 0-0 Sun Belt.

11/19/20 at UAB (L 72-64).
11/21/20 vs. Utah State (L 90-64).

It appears the Trojans are still reeling from last season's late collapse, but to be fair, both of their first 2 opponents are still undefeated on the early season. The schedule gets easier for the next few games.. at least it should.

Here's a look at the national top 25 for the week of Nov. 23-29:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Louisville (69) 2-0 1792 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Baylor (2) 2-0 1720 4 Big 12 Conference
3. Ohio State 2-0 1633 5 Big Ten Conference
4. Wichita State 4-0 1528 8 Missouri Valley Conference
5. Wisconsin (1) 1-0 1496 6 Big Ten Conference
6. Iowa State 2-0 1407 10 Big 12 Conference
7. Virginia 1-0 1329 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Michigan State 2-0 1249 12 Big Ten Conference
9. Pittsburgh 0-0 1211 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
10. Florida State 1-0 1052 15 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Illinois 1-0 949 18 Big Ten Conference
12. Miami 2-0 926 21 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. Penn State 2-0 798 23 Big Ten Conference
14. San Diego State 1-0 717 19 Mountain West Conference
15. St. John's 1-0 715 20 Big East Conference
16. Florida 1-0 576 25 Southeastern Conference
17. DePaul 1-0 400 NR Big East Conference
18. Oklahoma 1-1 395 2 Big 12 Conference
19. California 4-0 386 NR Pacific-12 Conference
20. Vanderbilt 1-0 315 NR Southeastern Conference
21. Arkansas 1-0 309 NR Southeastern Conference
22. Oklahoma State 3-0 288 NR Big 12 Conference
23. Illinois State 3-0 206 NR Missouri Valley Conference
24. Connecticut 3-0 198 NR American Athletic Conference
25. Villanova 2-1 150 7 Big East Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Minnesota 0-0 146 Big Ten Conference
Georgia State 3-0 109 Horizon League
Oregon 2-0 94 Pacific-12 Conference
William & Mary 3-0 89 Colonial Athletic Association
LSU 2-0 84 Southeastern Conference
Mississippi 2-0 78 Southeastern Conference
SMU 2-0 67 American Athletic Conference
West Virginia 2-0 59 Big 12 Conference
UAB 3-0 58 Conference USA
Nebraska 2-0 55 Big Ten Conference
San Francisco 3-0 54 West Coast Conference
Saint Mary's 2-0 52 West Coast Conference
Tennessee 2-0 48 Southeastern Conference
Providence 1-0 39 Big East Conference
Akron 2-0 37 Mid-American Conference
Temple 2-0 37 American Athletic Conference
Harvard 2-0 35 Ivy League
UCLA 1-0 34 Pacific-12 Conference
Loyola MD 3-0 32 Patriot League
Utah State 2-0 31 Mountain West Conference
Denver 3-0 30 Summit League
Northwestern 1-0 30 Big Ten Conference
Green Bay 2-0 29 Horizon League
Rutgers 2-0 27 Big Ten Conference
Southern Illinois 1-0 24 Missouri Valley Conference
Fordham 2-0 23 Atlantic 10 Conference
Wake Forest 2-0 20 Atlantic Coast Conference
Cal State Northridge 2-0 19 Big West Conference
Syracuse 0-1 19 Atlantic Coast Conference
Marquette 1-0 18 Big East Conference
South Florida 2-0 18 American Athletic Conference
TCU 2-0 18 Big 12 Conference
Oregon State 1-0 17 Pacific-12 Conference
Western Michigan 2-0 16 Mid-American Conference
Albany 2-0 14 America East Conference
Auburn 2-0 13 Southeastern Conference
San Jose State 2-0 12 Mountain West Conference
Utah 1-0 10 Pacific-12 Conference
UTSA 3-0 10 Conference USA
Rhode Island 1-0 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
Siena 2-0 8 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Middle Tennessee 2-0 7 Conference USA
Cal State Bakersfield 2-0 6 Western Athletic Conference
Fresno State 1-0 5 Mountain West Conference
Bowling Green 2-0 4 Mid-American Conference
Ball State 2-0 3 Mid-American Conference
Creighton 1-1 3 Big East Conference
Davidson 1-0 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
Mississippi State 2-0 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
Sacred Heart 2-0 1 Northeast Conference

First note, Stanford, Alabama, Kentucky, Duke, and Colorado lose all their votes after losses this week. Michigan State moves up 2 more spots, and UConn jumps in the national top 25 after their season tournament win.

Now for the mid-major top 25 for the week of Nov. 23-29:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (72) 4-0 1800 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. San Diego State 1-0 1637 3 Mountain West Conference
3. Connecticut 3-0 1373 25 American Athletic Conference
4. Illinois State 3-0 1303 19 Missouri Valley Conference
5. Georgia State 3-0 1247 NR Horizon League
6. SMU 2-0 1074 9 American Athletic Conference
7. William & Mary 3-0 1041 NR Colonial Athletic Association
8. Akron 2-0 1034 15 Mid-American Conference
9. UAB 3-0 938 21 Conference USA
10. Saint Mary's 2-0 872 12 West Coast Conference
11. Western Michigan 2-0 740 NR Mid-American Conference
12. Green Bay 2-0 643 17 Horizon League
13. South Florida 2-0 640 NR American Athletic Conference
14. Temple 2-0 622 24 American Athletic Conference
15. Loyola MD 3-0 589 NR Patriot League
16. Harvard 2-0 564 NR Ivy League
17. San Francisco 3-0 504 NR West Coast Conference
18. UTSA 3-0 470 13 Conference USA
19. Mississippi State 2-0 423 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
20. Middle Tennessee 2-0 402 NR Conference USA
21. Bowling Green 2-0 397 NR Mid-American Conference
22. Utah State 2-0 316 NR Mountain West Conference
23. Denver 3-0 279 NR Summit League
24. Ball State 2-0 278 NR Mid-American Conference
25. Davidson 1-0 268 23 Atlantic 10 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Fordham 2-0 219 Atlantic 10 Conference
Boise State 1-1 180 Mountain West Conference
Rhode Island 1-0 177 Atlantic 10 Conference
Cal State Northridge 2-0 174 Big West Conference
Southern Illinois 1-0 170 Missouri Valley Conference
Northern Kentucky 2-0 168 Sun Belt Conference
IPFW 2-0 166 Summit League
Albany 2-0 151 America East Conference
High Point 2-0 149 Big South Conference
Eastern Kentucky 1-0 147 Ohio Valley Conference
San Jose State 2-0 142 Mountain West Conference
Texas State 2-0 132 Sun Belt Conference
South Carolina State 2-0 129 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Fresno State 1-0 120 Mountain West Conference
Cal State Bakersfield 2-0 119 Western Athletic Conference
Sacred Heart 2-0 111 Northeast Conference
Texas-Rio Grande Valley 2-0 109 Western Athletic Conference
Duquesne 1-0 104 Atlantic 10 Conference
Stetson 2-0 98 Atlantic Sun Conference
Mississippi Valley State 2-0 97 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Howard 2-0 96 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Siena 2-0 94 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
New Hampshire 2-0 92 America East Conference
Jacksonville State 1-0 89 Ohio Valley Conference
McNeese State 1-0 83 Southland Conference
Northwestern State 1-0 81 Southland Conference
Morgan State 2-0 78 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Sacramento State 1-0 78 Big Sky Conference
Northern Colorado 2-0 71 Big Sky Conference
Northern Arizona 1-0 67 Big Sky Conference
Youngstown State 1-0 55 Horizon League
Southern 1-0 52 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Hartford 0-0 47 America East Conference
Texas A&M Corpus Christi 1-0 46 Southland Conference
Prairie View A&M 1-0 38 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Buffalo 1-1 17 Mid-American Conference

Big jump for UConn in the mid-major poll, and that was to be expected. Also, Hartford is still receiving votes, but they haven't played a game yet.

[law90026]

Had to lose to Army for patriotic reasons obviously

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 23-29, 2020

Lots of tournament games this week, and 1 feature game, so let's get to it:

11/23/20- Las Vegas Invitational First Round -- (6) TCU (Bee Mighty) vs. (3) Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- A battle of human coached teams that certainly didn't disappoint, as both teams shot well from the field but struggled with turnovers. In the end, it was literally 1 more made shot, 1 more made three pointer that was the difference, as the Colorado slide to begin the season was extended.

Final Score: TCU- 60, Colorado- 57

Now for the rest of weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 2-0, 0-0 America East.

11/26/20- South Carolina Showcase First Round vs. (3) St. Francis (NY) (W 66-64).
11/28/20- South Carolina Showcase Championship vs. (1) Jacksonville State (W 74-61).

Nice start for the Hawks, who win their 3rd tournament in the Coach Ginsberg era. They are definitely gaining some respect among the mid-major community.

#24 UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 3-0, 0-0 American.

No games this week for the Huskies and Coach Childress.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 2-1, 0-0 American.

11/24/20 at Northern Iowa (W 81-56).

Just the 1 game this week for the Pirates as they win convincingly over what has been a good UNI team. Now, the question is are the Pirates much improved, or is UNI that bad this season?

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 0-1, 0-0 American.

No games again this week for Coach Brown and the Golden Hurricane, but they get going again next week.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 2-1, 0-0 ACC.

11/25/20 vs. Savannah State (W 83-59).

Better effort from the Blue Devils, who have won their last 2 after, as Coach Hoo puts it, giving Army a patriotic victory.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 4-1, 0-0 Big 12.

11/23/20- Las Vegas Invitational First Round vs. (3) Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.
11/26/20- Las Vegas Invitational Semifinal vs. (2) Minnesota (W 82-59).
11/27/20- Las Vegas Invitational Championship vs. (1) Boise State (L 80-64).

Great week for the Horned Frogs despite the fact they didn't win the LV Invitational. Still a heck of an effort, and this is a team that has the ability to make some noise this season.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 2-1, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/23/20- Hall of Fame Classic vs. (3) #1 Louisville (L 65-60).

Tough game for the Spartans, who just couldn't quite get it done. A huge free throw discrepancy really hurt them though, one in which Coach Mighty was not happy about.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 2-2, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/24/20- Brooklyn Classic First Round vs. (4) Rhode Island (L 73-70).
11/27/20- Brooklyn Classic Consolation Round vs. (8) Houston (W 62-35).
11/28/20- Brooklyn Classic 5th Place Game vs. (3) West Virginia (L 79-71).

Overall, not a bad showing for the Wildcats, as they lost 2 close ones in the Brooklyn Classic, against solid teams, and rolled over a decent Houston team. I don't think we've seen their best yet.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 2-2, 0-0 Big West.

11/25/20 vs. Portland State (W 87-61).

1 game for the Warriors this week, and they get back to .500. Now they start a 3 game road swing against Pac 12 competition.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 2-1, 0-0 Conference USA.

11/29/20 vs. Texas-Rio Grande Valley (W 86-75).

The Owls get over .500 with a nice win, handing Rio Grande Valley their first loss of the season.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 3-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/23/20- Las Vegas Invitational First Round vs. (6) TCU- feature game, highlighted above.
11/26/20- Las Vegas Invitational Consolation Round vs. (7) USC (W 73-56).
11/27/20- Las Vegas Invitational 5th Place Game vs. (8) Niagara (W 77-57).

A good recovery for the Buffaloes to rally for 5th place in their tournament. It's still their worst finish in an 8 team tournament in the Coach Nielsen era, but they played much better ball after the TCU game.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 1-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/27/20- Corpus Christi Coastal Classic Consolation Round vs. (6) Boston College (L 66-49).
11/28/20- Corpus Christi Coastal Classic 7th Place Game vs. (4) Indiana State (L 74-72).

An unexplainable tournament performance for the Cardinal, who lose all 3 games after stunning North Carolina. Perhaps overconfidence, or perhaps North Carolina is down this season. Either way, Stanford better figure it out quick.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 2-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/23/20- Legends Classic Semifinal vs. (4) #10 Florida State (L 91-74).
11/24/20- Legends Classic 3rd Place Game vs. (2) #14 San Diego State (W 61-56).

This is the first 8 team tournament that the Bruins haven't won of the 4 they've played in now. Make no mistake, Florida State is good. Real good.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 3-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/24/20- Cancun Challenge Consolation Round vs. (6) Yale (W 73-60).
11/25/20- Cancun Challenge 5th Place Game vs. (5) Toledo (W 62-49).
11/29/20 at San Jose State (W 77-58).

Great week for the cougars, who win 3 games and get their best finish in an 8 team tournament under coach St. John. Hopefully that is a sign of things to come.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 3-1, 0-0 SEC.

No games this week for Coach Rogers and the Crimson Tide, who needed a few extra days off after 4 games last week. Their next 3 games will really challenge them.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 1-1, 0-0 SEC.

No games this week either for Coach Hutt and the Wildcats.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 3-2, 0-0 Sun Belt.

11/26/20- Wooden Legacy First Round vs. (2) Tennessee Tech (W 66-63).
11/27/20- Wooden Legacy Semifinal vs. (3) UNC Greensboro (W 70-58).
11/29/20- Wooden Legacy Championship vs. (1) Navy (W 82-69).

Congrats to Coach Hawkins and the Trojans, who played great basketball in the Wooden Legacy and won it as the #7 seed. Coach Hawkins will definitely be glad to have a nice winning streak started, and hopefully his team will keep it up.

Here is a look at the national top 25 for the week of November 30-December 6.

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (72) 4-0 1800 5 Big Ten Conference
2. Wichita State 5-0 1718 4 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Penn State 4-0 1519 13 Big Ten Conference
4. Arkansas 4-0 1463 21 Southeastern Conference
5. Louisville 4-1 1372 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Vanderbilt 3-0 1288 20 Southeastern Conference
7. SMU 5-0 1189 NR American Athletic Conference
8. Florida State 3-0 1170 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. Western Michigan 6-0 991 NR Mid-American Conference
10. Georgia State 5-0 951 NR Horizon League
11. Ohio State 3-1 869 3 Big Ten Conference
12. Illinois State 4-0 843 23 Missouri Valley Conference
13. UAB 5-0 781 NR Conference USA
14. Oklahoma 1-1 742 18 Big 12 Conference
15. Mississippi 4-0 703 NR Southeastern Conference
16. Baylor 3-1 700 2 Big 12 Conference
17. Iowa State 4-1 559 6 Big 12 Conference
18. Wake Forest 4-0 498 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
19. Connecticut 3-0 474 24 American Athletic Conference
20. South Florida 4-0 437 NR American Athletic Conference
21. Syracuse 3-1 389 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
22. William & Mary 4-0 360 NR Colonial Athletic Association
23. Virginia 3-1 358 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
24. IPFW 4-0 290 NR Summit League
25. Boise State 4-1 262 NR Mountain West Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Southern Illinois 3-0 256 Missouri Valley Conference
Cal State Northridge 3-0 165 Big West Conference
Ball State 3-0 158 Mid-American Conference
Auburn 2-0 143 Southeastern Conference
Villanova 3-1 141 Big East Conference
Mississippi State 2-0 94 Atlantic 10 Conference
Fordham 2-0 91 Atlantic 10 Conference
Cal State Bakersfield 3-0 90 Western Athletic Conference
UTSA 3-0 85 Conference USA
Duquesne 2-0 78 Atlantic 10 Conference
Georgia 2-1 74 Southeastern Conference
Stetson 3-0 54 Atlantic Sun Conference
Illinois 2-1 45 Big Ten Conference
Northern Colorado 2-0 43 Big Sky Conference
Northwestern State 2-0 43 Southland Conference
Texas A&M Corpus Christi 3-0 43 Southland Conference
Hartford 2-0 39 America East Conference
Southern 1-0 14 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Miami 3-1 12 Atlantic Coast Conference
Michigan State 2-1 6 Big Ten Conference

Wow! Michigan State gets punished bad for their tough loss to Louisville, and UConn moves up 5 spots without even playing a game. Nice to see Hartford getting some national respect.

Now for the mid-major top 25 for the week of Nov. 30-Dec. 6:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (72) 5-0 1800 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. SMU 5-0 1655 6 American Athletic Conference
3. Georgia State 5-0 1581 5 Horizon League
4. Western Michigan 6-0 1468 11 Mid-American Conference
5. Illinois State 4-0 1461 4 Missouri Valley Conference
6. UAB 5-0 1408 9 Conference USA
7. Connecticut 3-0 1271 3 American Athletic Conference
8. South Florida 4-0 1208 13 American Athletic Conference
9. William & Mary 4-0 1125 7 Colonial Athletic Association
10. IPFW 4-0 1101 NR Summit League
11. Southern Illinois 3-0 1011 NR Missouri Valley Conference
12. Boise State 4-1 998 NR Mountain West Conference
13. Ball State 3-0 881 24 Mid-American Conference
14. Cal State Northridge 3-0 881 NR Big West Conference
15. Mississippi State 2-0 837 19 Atlantic 10 Conference
16. Fordham 2-0 686 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
17. UTSA 3-0 665 18 Conference USA
18. Duquesne 2-0 595 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
19. Cal State Bakersfield 3-0 546 NR Western Athletic Conference
20. Texas A&M Corpus Christi 3-0 483 NR Southland Conference
21. Stetson 3-0 406 NR Atlantic Sun Conference
22. Hartford 2-0 395 NR America East Conference
23. Northwestern State 2-0 343 NR Southland Conference
24. Northern Colorado 2-0 203 NR Big Sky Conference
25. Buffalo 2-1 190 NR Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Southern 1-0 158 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Harvard 4-1 12 Ivy League
Middle Tennessee 4-1 10 Conference USA
Oakland 4-1 5 Horizon League
UC Santa Barbara 4-1 5 Big West Conference
Akron 4-1 4 Mid-American Conference
Green Bay 3-1 4 Horizon League
Rhode Island 3-1 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
Belmont 3-1 1 Ohio Valley Conference
Northern Illinois 4-1 1 Mid-American Conference

UConn doesn't fare so well in the mid-major poll, dropping 4 spots, while Hartford gets in after their season tournament win.

[Zinto]

Maybe ECU will be good and Kentucky will suck this season

[bbgunn]

Nice run there for the Cougs.

[Breeze]

WOW...we won something...

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2020

3 feature games this week, and a couple of them were actually scheduled by the computer, so here we go:

12/1/20- Duke (Dean Hoo) @ UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- The battle between 2 once great teams was won at the three point line, as UCLA made 11 three pointers and Duke only made 3, and that was enough for the Bruins to pull away.

Final Score: UCLA- 75, Duke- 59

12/1/20- ECU (Al Hutt) @ Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- The slide continues for Coach Sanchez and the Stanford Cardinal, who blew an 8 point halftime lead by turning the ball over 17 times in the 2nd half, 20 for the game. Their losing streak continues, as ECU pulls a huge road upset.

Final Score: ECU- 74, Stanford- 64

12/3/20- Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) @ Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- While 1 Pac 12 team continues to struggle, another is finding their groove. Colorado used a 36-26 edge on the boards to get more shot opportunities, and more opportunities at the line. This resulted in a home victory over a tough Hawaii team.

Final Score: Colorado- 60, Hawaii- 50

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 3-1, 0-0 America East.

12/3/20 vs. Wright State (L 83-74).
12/5/20 vs. Eastern Washington (W 86-64).

A split this week for the Hawks in 2 road games. They really need to take advantage of their non-conference schedule, as they don't play another team that currently has a winning record for quite a while.

#19 UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 4-1, 0-0 American.

11/30/20 at #23 Virginia (W 67-59).
12/5/20 at Fairleigh Dickinson (L 66-54).

A split on the road for the Huskies, and an inexplicable loss to.. Fairleigh Dickinson? That was Fairleigh's super bowl, for sure.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 3-2, 0-0 American.

12/1/20 at Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
12/3/20 at USC Upstate (L 80-72).

Another split for our teams, and another one that's hard to explain, as the Pirates stun Stanford, yet lose to USC Upstate? It's going to be a weird season.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 2-1, 0-0 American.

12/2/20 vs. Colgate (W 90-74).
12/5/20 at Oral Roberts (W 69-46).

Good week for the Golden Hurricane, who win 2 games very convincingly.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 3-2, 0-0 ACC.

12/1/20 at UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.
12/4/20 at Albany (W 95-86).

A split for the Blue Devils, who are still a ways away from being the top team they used to be.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 5-2, 0-0 Big 12.

12/1/20 vs. Akron (L 73-61).
12/6/20 vs. Nebraska Omaha (W 89-58).

A split for the Horned Frogs, but there's no shame in either of their losses, as they are to teams with a combined 11-2 record.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 4-1, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/1/20 vs. Abilene Christian (W 85-72).
12/6/20 vs. Alabama A&M (W 63-55).

2 wins for the Spartans, but neither one of them came as easily as they should have. There is still a bit of a question about consistency with this team.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 2-4, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/30/20 at Cal Poly (L 84-73).
12/2/20 vs. #18 Wake Forest (L 63-49).

2 more losses for the Wildcats this week, and while the loss to Wake Forest can be forgiven, the loss to Cal Poly.. not so much.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 2-4, 0-0 Big West.

12/3/20 at Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.
12/6/20 at USC (L 68-63).

Still hard to get a read on this Warriors team who had an upset win over Purdue but some really bad losses. Still some good teams to face in non-conference play so they'll be looking for another upset or 2.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 2-3, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/1/20 at Oklahoma State (L 97-80).
12/5/20 at Houston (L 73-71).

2 road losses for the Owls, but they were very close to getting a win at Houston. The signs of being a good team are there, now they just need to put the pieces together.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 4-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/3/20 vs. Hawaii- feature game, highlighted above.
12/5/20 at Providence (L 71-58).

A split this week for the Buffaloes, but Providence is a very tough team. A chance to get back on track next week as they travel to take on 2 pretty solid mid-major teams.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 1-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/1/20 vs. ECU- feature game, highlighted above.

The Cardinal are in the midst of a nightmare season, and they need something to turn in around. Next week might not be the week as 2 teams that are either ranked or receiving votes come into town.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 4-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/1/20 vs. Duke- feature game, highlighted above.
12/3/20 vs. Campbell (W 84-52).

2 more wins for the Bruins who really should pile them on, as most of their remaining non-conference schedule is a breeze, except for a couple games.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 4-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/3/20 at Seattle (W 58-49).

Another win for the cougars in their only game of the week, and that's 4 in a row. Next week they face a couple human coached teams.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 3-2, 0-0 SEC.

11/30/20 at Kansas (L 86-76).

This would have been a feature game if not for the hiatus of Coach Johnson, but as it stands, the Crimson Tide take a loss, and next week will not be easy either.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 2-2, 0-0 SEC.

12/4/20 at Arizona (L 101-96, OT).
12/6/20 vs. DePaul (W 74-72).

A split for the Wildcats, who look to be down a bit from seasons past. Still time to turn it around, as their next 3 games are all at home against mid-major competition.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 4-2, 0-0 Sun Belt.

12/6/20 vs. Weber State (W 68-57).

Don't look now, but the Trojans have a 4 game winning streak. They seem to be playing better ball early on this season, now if they can keep it up.

Here's a look at the national top 25 for the week of Dec. 7-13:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (72) 7-0 1800 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Louisville 6-1 1675 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Florida State 5-0 1556 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. Western Michigan 7-0 1371 9 Mid-American Conference
5. Ohio State 4-1 1368 11 Big Ten Conference
6. Arkansas 6-0 1354 4 Southeastern Conference
7. Oklahoma 3-1 1275 14 Big 12 Conference
8. UAB 6-0 1230 13 Conference USA
9. Wichita State 6-1 1178 2 Missouri Valley Conference
10. Baylor 4-1 1143 16 Big 12 Conference
11. William & Mary 6-0 1115 22 Colonial Athletic Association
12. Boise State 6-1 1074 25 Mountain West Conference
13. South Florida 5-0 969 20 American Athletic Conference
14. Syracuse 4-1 897 21 Atlantic Coast Conference
15. IPFW 5-0 809 24 Summit League
16. Mississippi State 4-0 714 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
17. UTSA 5-0 670 NR Conference USA
18. Illinois 4-1 642 NR Big Ten Conference
19. Michigan State 4-1 544 NR Big Ten Conference
20. Miami 4-1 434 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
21. Texas A&M Corpus Christi 4-0 382 NR Southland Conference
22. North Carolina 5-1 329 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
23. Iowa 5-1 230 NR Big Ten Conference
24. Georgetown 5-2 206 NR Big East Conference
25. Iowa State 4-1 111 17 Big 12 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Georgia State 7-1 79 Horizon League
Wake Forest 6-1 33 Atlantic Coast Conference
UCLA 4-1 28 Pacific-12 Conference
Gonzaga 2-1 27 Pacific-12 Conference
Providence 5-1 26 Big East Conference
Oklahoma State 5-1 22 Big 12 Conference
Villanova 4-1 18 Big East Conference
Illinois State 5-1 17 Missouri Valley Conference
Harvard 6-1 16 Ivy League
Mercer 6-1 14 Southern Conference
Mississippi 5-1 11 Southeastern Conference
UC Santa Barbara 5-1 11 Big West Conference
SMU 5-1 7 American Athletic Conference
Connecticut 4-1 5 American Athletic Conference
Rhode Island 5-1 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
Denver 6-1 3 Summit League
Southern Illinois 3-1 2 Missouri Valley Conference
Minnesota 3-1 1 Big Ten Conference

Even though they didn't play extremely well this week, Michigan State is back in the top 25 after 2 wins. UCLA is getting some votes, and UConn is out of the top 25, but still receiving votes after that unexplainable road loss.

Now for the mid-major top 25 for the week of Dec. 7-13:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Western Michigan (34) 7-0 1708 4 Mid-American Conference
2. UAB (10) 6-0 1666 6 Conference USA
3. Wichita State (20) 6-1 1617 1 Missouri Valley Conference
4. William & Mary (2) 6-0 1574 9 Colonial Athletic Association
5. Boise State (5) 6-1 1516 12 Mountain West Conference
6. South Florida (1) 5-0 1471 8 American Athletic Conference
7. IPFW 5-0 1410 10 Summit League
8. Mississippi State 4-0 1328 15 Atlantic 10 Conference
9. UTSA 5-0 1263 17 Conference USA
10. Texas A&M Corpus Christi 4-0 1124 20 Southland Conference
11. Georgia State 7-1 1037 3 Horizon League
12. Illinois State 5-1 881 5 Missouri Valley Conference
13. SMU 5-1 880 2 American Athletic Conference
14. Akron 5-1 731 NR Mid-American Conference
15. Harvard 6-1 720 NR Ivy League
16. Connecticut 4-1 574 7 American Athletic Conference
17. Rhode Island 5-1 572 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
18. Mercer 6-1 542 NR Southern Conference
19. UC Santa Barbara 5-1 487 NR Big West Conference
20. Belmont 5-1 382 NR Ohio Valley Conference
21. Kent State 4-1 319 NR Mid-American Conference
22. Middle Tennessee 5-1 227 NR Conference USA
23. Pacific 4-1 188 NR West Coast Conference
24. Memphis 3-1 184 NR American Athletic Conference
25. Denver 6-1 120 NR Summit League

Others Receiving Votes:
Lehigh 5-1 119 Patriot League
St. Bonaventure 3-1 84 Atlantic 10 Conference
Southern Illinois 3-1 82 Missouri Valley Conference
George Washington 3-1 79 Atlantic 10 Conference
Texas-Rio Grande Valley 5-1 71 Western Athletic Conference
Northwestern State 4-1 69 Southland Conference
Quinnipiac 5-1 68 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Fordham 3-1 44 Atlantic 10 Conference
Cal State Bakersfield 3-1 41 Western Athletic Conference
Colorado State 2-1 38 Mountain West Conference
Tulsa 2-1 31 American Athletic Conference
Ball State 3-1 29 Mid-American Conference
Western Illinois 2-1 27 Southland Conference
Stetson 4-1 26 Atlantic Sun Conference
McNeese State 3-1 25 Southland Conference
Marshall 3-1 22 Conference USA
San Diego State 4-2 10 Mountain West Conference
Hartford 3-1 8 America East Conference
North Texas 3-1 6 Conference USA

No surprise that UConn dropped in the mid-major poll, but Tulsa and Hartford pick up a few votes.

[Neuqua]

Sigh.

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 7-13, 2020

2 feature games this week and they both involve Washington State. Let's get to it.

12/9/20- Washington State (DeShawn St. John) @ Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- The slide continues for the Wildcats, as Washington State held them to just 31.3% shooting and forced 16 turnovers as they rolled to victory.

Final Score: Washington State- 64, Northwestern- 45

12/11/20- Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) @ Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- A much closer game this time for the Cougars, but the result is the same as they again hold an opponent under 35% shooting. Hawaii made twice as many free throws which is really the only reason this game was close, but the Cougars continue to roll.

Final Score: Washington State- 51, Hawaii- 49

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 4-2, 0-0 America East.

12/7/20 vs. Florida Atlantic (L 69-66).
12/9/20 vs. VMI (W 54-39).

A home split this week for the Hawks, as a bad first half against Florida Atlantic was the only negative to the week.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 5-2, 0-0 American.

12/9/20 vs. Providence (L 71-69).
12/11/20 vs. Hofstra (W 65-47).

A split for the Huskies, who lost to a very, very good providence team. A big road test next week against a familiar foe.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 4-3, 0-0 American.

12/8/20 at #5 Ohio State (L 95-87).
12/10/20 vs. UNC Greensboro (W 67-54).

A split for the Pirates, and a very gutsy effort at Ohio State. If they would have been able to play some better defense, they might have pulled the upset.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 3-2, 0-0 American.

12/7/20 vs. Presbyterian (L 68-58).
12/11/20 vs. American (W 73-66).

A split for the Golden Hurricane, but another inexplicable loss to a lower prestige team. Although, Presbyterian isn't a bad team so far this season at 5-2.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 5-2, 0-0 ACC.

12/7/20 vs. Appalachian State (W 71-51).
12/12/20 vs. Florida A&M (W 75-70).

2 home wins for the Blue Devils this week as they try to pad their record with some wins against inferior competition, but they had a dog fight against Florida A&M.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 6-2, 0-0 Big 12.

12/11/20 vs. Stetson (W 80-70).

Just 1 game this week for the Horned Frogs, but it was a home win. Next week they have their rivalry game with Tulsa, and they also play Presbyterian, who just beat Tulsa, so it'll be an interesting week.

#19 Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 4-2, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/12/20 vs. Notre Dame (L 85-74).

Just 1 game this week for the mighty Spartans, who weren't so mighty in a loss to Notre Dame.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 3-6, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/7/20 vs. Washington (L 75-61).
12/9/20 vs. Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.
12/13/20 vs. Towson (W 79-62).

Well, 1 out of 3 isn't very good for the Wildcats. At least they got 1 win this week, but they are about to take a 2 game road trip through Texas the won't be fun, or easy.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 3-5, 0-0 Big West.

12/11/20 at Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.
12/13/20 vs. Yale (W 77-58).

A good win for the Warriors against Yale that breaks a 3 game losing streak, but the schedule gets tougher again starting next week.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 3-3, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/13/20 at Nebraska Omaha (W 91-83).

Good win for the Owls in their only game of the week, and they'll head back to Texas for a road and home game next week.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 6-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/11/20 at Denver (W 97-95).
12/13/20 at Lehigh (W 92-59).

The Buffaloes put up some points this week in a pair of road wins against teams with good records so far. They've won 5 of their last 6 after a 1-3 start.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 3-5, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/7/20 vs. Notre Dame (W 74-73, OT).
12/10/20 vs. Coastal Carolina (L 49-48).
12/13/20 vs. Binghamton (W 59-34).

2 games that came down to the final shot this week, and they split them. What would have been a great week for the Cardinal is dampered just a bit by the last second loss to Coastal Carolina, but a good win against Notre Dame.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 6-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/7/20 vs. Bowling Green (W 74-50).
12/11/20 vs. Bethune Cookman (W 79-62).

The Bruins continue to roll, beating up on a couple opponents at home this week.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 6-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/9/20 at Northwestern- feature game, highlighted above.
12/11/20 vs. Hawaii- feature game, highlighted above.

Are the Cougars for real? Or are they just taking advantage of a soft schedule, and a couple opponents that aren't living up to expectations. Unfortunately, we may not find out until January, as 4 of their remaining 5 conference games are against teams that they should beat. The real test will be Jan. 1 against Florida State.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 5-3, 0-0 SEC.

12/8/20 vs. #24 Georgetown (L 70-62).
12/10/20 at #14 Syracuse (W 71-69).
12/12/20 vs. Loyola Chicago (W 68-59).

A good week for the Crimson Tide who win 2 out of 3 against good competition.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 3-3, 0-0 SEC.

12/8/20 vs. Bradley (L 93-88).
12/11/20 vs. Ball State (W 75-62).

The Wildcats continue to play .500 ball on the season, as they just can't get any consistency going.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 4-3, 0-0 Sun Belt.

12/9/20 vs. Middle Tennessee (L 77-70).

1 game for the Trojans this week, as they fell short against a very good Middle Tennessee team.

Here's a look at the national top 25 for the week of Dec. 14-20:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (72) 9-0 1800 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Louisville 8-1 1717 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Baylor 7-1 1543 10 Big 12 Conference
4. Oklahoma 5-1 1426 7 Big 12 Conference
5. Western Michigan 8-0 1408 4 Mid-American Conference
6. Arkansas 7-0 1388 6 Southeastern Conference
7. Boise State 8-1 1366 12 Mountain West Conference
8. UAB 7-0 1363 8 Conference USA
9. Wichita State 7-1 1296 9 Missouri Valley Conference
10. Illinois 7-1 1282 18 Big Ten Conference
11. William & Mary 7-0 1184 11 Colonial Athletic Association
12. Providence 8-1 870 NR Big East Conference
13. Iowa 6-1 798 23 Big Ten Conference
14. Florida State 6-1 724 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
15. Georgia State 9-1 710 NR Horizon League
16. Georgetown 6-2 674 24 Big East Conference
17. Oklahoma State 7-1 636 NR Big 12 Conference
18. Minnesota 5-1 475 NR Big Ten Conference
19. Villanova 6-1 399 NR Big East Conference
20. Rutgers 8-1 371 NR Big Ten Conference
21. Mercer 8-1 347 NR Southern Conference
22. UCLA 6-1 342 NR Pacific-12 Conference
23. Ohio State 5-2 284 5 Big Ten Conference
24. Belmont 8-1 188 NR Ohio Valley Conference
25. Syracuse 6-2 144 14 Atlantic Coast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Mississippi 6-1 142 Southeastern Conference
Akron 6-1 106 Mid-American Conference
Washington State 6-1 63 Pacific-12 Conference
Memphis 4-1 55 American Athletic Conference
St. Bonaventure 5-1 49 Atlantic 10 Conference
IPFW 7-1 48 Summit League
Quinnipiac 7-1 43 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Auburn 5-1 41 Southeastern Conference
Oregon State 5-1 34 Pacific-12 Conference
Mississippi State 5-1 20 Atlantic 10 Conference
Rhode Island 5-1 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
UTSA 6-1 14 Conference USA
Cal State Bakersfield 5-1 13 Western Athletic Conference
Fordham 5-1 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
Colorado State 4-1 10 Mountain West Conference

The pollsters continue to be tough, as Michigan State not only drops out of the top 25, but also loses all their votes after a loss to Notre Dame this week. UConn also loses their votes, while UCLA jumps into the top 25 and Washington State is receiving votes, for what I believe might be the first time in this dynasty.

Now for the mid-major top 25 for the week of Dec. 14-20:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Western Michigan (29) 8-0 1706 1 Mid-American Conference
2. Boise State (26) 8-1 1687 5 Mountain West Conference
3. UAB (12) 7-0 1669 2 Conference USA
4. Wichita State (3) 7-1 1635 3 Missouri Valley Conference
5. William & Mary (2) 7-0 1572 4 Colonial Athletic Association
6. Georgia State 9-1 1444 11 Horizon League
7. Mercer 8-1 1303 18 Southern Conference
8. Akron 6-1 1216 14 Mid-American Conference
9. Belmont 8-1 1216 20 Ohio Valley Conference
10. St. Bonaventure 5-1 1107 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
11. IPFW 7-1 1052 7 Summit League
12. Memphis 4-1 946 24 American Athletic Conference
13. Quinnipiac 7-1 943 NR Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
14. Rhode Island 5-1 930 17 Atlantic 10 Conference
15. Mississippi State 5-1 808 8 Atlantic 10 Conference
16. Fordham 5-1 736 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
17. UTSA 6-1 699 9 Conference USA
18. Colorado State 4-1 599 NR Mountain West Conference
19. Cal State Bakersfield 5-1 586 NR Western Athletic Conference
20. Illinois State 6-2 329 12 Missouri Valley Conference
21. Oakland 6-2 202 NR Horizon League
22. Connecticut 5-2 170 16 American Athletic Conference
23. Pepperdine 6-2 165 NR West Coast Conference
24. San Diego State 5-2 147 NR Mountain West Conference
25. UC Santa Barbara 6-2 129 19 Big West Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Middle Tennessee 7-2 71 Conference USA
Davidson 5-2 60 Atlantic 10 Conference
Harvard 7-2 45 Ivy League
Richmond 5-2 45 Atlantic 10 Conference
Southern Illinois 5-2 34 Missouri Valley Conference
South Florida 5-2 27 American Athletic Conference
Fresno State 6-2 21 Mountain West Conference
Loyola MD 7-2 21 Patriot League
Lehigh 6-2 18 Patriot League
Massachusetts 5-2 18 Atlantic 10 Conference
George Washington 4-2 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
Denver 7-2 8 Summit League
High Point 5-2 8 Big South Conference
Western Illinois 3-2 8 Southland Conference
UC Irvine 4-2 3 Big West Conference
LIU Brooklyn 4-2 2 Northeast Conference
Presbyterian 5-2 2 Big South Conference
San Francisco 5-2 1 West Coast Conference

It's just UConn right now in the mid-major polls, as Tulsa and Hartford lose their votes after losses this week.

[bbgunn]

Wow... Wazzu! Although their schedule has been massively soft... We'll see once Pac-12 play starts. It's crazy to think, though, that Washington State is the de facto second-highest ranked Pac-12 team in the nation.

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 14-20, 2020

Just 1 feature game this week, so let's get to it:

12/18/20- Tulsa (Will Brown) @ TCU (Bee Mighty) -- The Horned Frogs continue to impress, as they trailed by 2 at halftime, but really locked down defensively in the 2nd half. They held Tulsa to just 31.5% for the game, and despite committing 18 turnovers, got a very important home victory.

Final Score: TCU- 63, Tulsa- 54

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 7-2, 0-0 America East.

12/14/20 vs. Alabama State (W 74-35).
12/17/20 vs. Florida A&M (W 63-55).
12/20 at Yale (W 87-81, OT).

3 more wins for the Hawks this week, maybe not against the best competition, but still a win is a win. They are definitely taking advantage of a soft schedule.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 5-5, 0-0 American.

12/15/20 at #2 Louisville (L 84-75).
12/17/20 vs. Lafayette (L 74-68).
12/19/20 vs. Holy Cross (L 83-69).

Things aren't going so well for Coach Childress and the Huskies right now, as they lost all 3 games this week, 2 of them tough to explain losses against weaker teams at home. They better get it figured out because conference play is just around the corner.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 5-4, 0-0 American.

12/15/20 at Virginia (L 92-87).
12/18/20 vs. Old Dominion (W 82-53).

A split for the Pirates, but what an effort against the ACC Virginia team. A few more minutes and they might have fought their way back from a 12 point halftime deficit. They are playing good ball to start the season.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 4-3, 0-0 American.

12/14/20 at Liberty (W 74-71).
12/18/20 at TCU- feature game, highlighted above.

A road split for the Golden Hurricane, who aren't playing great ball right now but seem to be ready to turn the corner.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 6-2, 0-0 ACC.

12/17/20 vs. Penn (W 74-55).

Just 1 game for the Blue Devils this week, but it was a home win. They go into their season tournament next week, with their first round opponent having a very surprising season.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 8-2, 0-0 Big 12.

12/14/20 at Presbyterian (W 62-47).
12/18/20 vs. Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.

The Horned Frogs continue to play good basketball, but they have a couple non-conference tests coming up next week before big 12 play starts.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 4-3, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/16/20 vs. St. Francis PA (L 71-67, OT).

Another tough loss for the Spartans in their only game of the week, as they dropped an OT heartbreaker to a team they have no business losing to. It's true, Sparty isn't quite back all the way, not yet.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 4-7, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/17/20 at Texas (L 63-57).
12/20/20 at Texas A&M (W 80-55).

A road split for the Wildcats, and actually a better result than expected, as many people had them pegged to lose both games.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 4-6, 0-0 Big West.

12/17/20 at LSU (W 73-64).
12/20/20 vs. Murray State (L 59-46).

A split for the Warriors, an interesting split as they win at LSU but lose back at home. They have won 2 of their last 3 though.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 5-3, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/15/20 vs. Lamar (W 88-83, OT).
12/18/20 at Texas A&M Corpus Christi (W 84-71).

2 more wins for the Owls, who have won 3 in a row.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 6-5, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/16/20 vs. Kansas State (L 81-70).

Just the 1 game for the Buffaloes this week, a loss to a decent K-State team. They have 1 more non-conference test before Pac 12 play starts.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 3-5, 0-0 Pac 12.

No games this week for Coach Sanchez and the Cardinal, who will hopefully use the extra week of practice to their advantage.

#22 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 7-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/15/20 vs. #7 Boise State (W 70-64).
12/19/20 vs. Binghamton (L 74-72, OT).

Tough split for the Bruins, who used a lot of energy to beat a very good Boise State team, only to drop a heartbreaker to Binghamton.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 7-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/18/20 vs. Montana State (W 68-65).

Just the 1 game this week for the Cougars, and it was a hard fought 3 point victory over a 2 win team. Not the best performance, but when you've averaged 12.6 wins a season over the last 5 seasons, any win counts.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 7-3, 0-0 SEC.

12/16/20- Las Vegas Classic First Round vs. (15) Florida Gulf Coast (W 79-75).
12/18/20- Lass Vegas Classic Quarterfinals vs. (10) Cal State Fullerton (W 67-59).

Not the easiest week for the Crimson Tide, but they do get 2 wins to move into the semifinals of the Las Vegas Classic, which they'll play next week.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 5-3, 0-0 SEC.

12/15/20 vs. Butler (W 78-67).
12/17/20 at Memphis (W 85-78).

Better effort this week for the Wildcats, who have won 3 in a row going into a tough week next week, with 2 very good non-conference opponents coming up.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 5-4, 1-1 Sun Belt.

12/17/20 vs. Georgia Southern (W 60-48).
12/19/20 at Arkansas State (L 80-78).

The Trojans opened conference play with a split this week. As always, the conference looks wide open early on, it's just a matter of what team shows up on any given night.

Let's take a look at the national top 25 for the week of Dec. 21-27

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (71) 10-0 1799 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Louisville (1) 10-1 1728 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Illinois 9-1 1620 10 Big Ten Conference
4. Western Michigan 9-0 1552 5 Mid-American Conference
5. Baylor 8-1 1535 3 Big 12 Conference
6. Georgetown 8-2 1343 16 Big East Conference
7. Providence 9-1 1326 12 Big East Conference
8. Georgia State 10-1 1171 15 Horizon League
9. Florida State 7-1 1117 14 Atlantic Coast Conference
10. Iowa 6-1 977 13 Big Ten Conference
11. Arkansas 8-1 974 6 Southeastern Conference
12. Akron 8-1 914 NR Mid-American Conference
13. Rutgers 9-1 878 20 Big Ten Conference
14. Belmont 9-1 756 24 Ohio Valley Conference
15. Oklahoma 5-2 612 4 Big 12 Conference
16. William & Mary 8-1 602 11 Colonial Athletic Association
17. Boise State 8-2 565 7 Mountain West Conference
18. UAB 7-1 534 8 Conference USA
19. Washington State 7-1 509 NR Pacific-12 Conference
20. Syracuse 7-2 486 25 Atlantic Coast Conference
21. Quinnipiac 9-1 420 NR Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
22. Mercer 8-1 379 21 Southern Conference
23. Rhode Island 7-1 356 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
24. Villanova 7-2 356 19 Big East Conference
25. Auburn 7-1 239 NR Southeastern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Mississippi 6-1 208 Southeastern Conference
Oregon State 7-1 184 Pacific-12 Conference
Colorado State 7-1 104 Mountain West Conference
North Carolina 8-2 100 Atlantic Coast Conference
Georgia 6-2 44 Southeastern Conference
Penn State 7-2 9 Big Ten Conference
Minnesota 7-2 3 Big Ten Conference

These polls are absolutely ridiculous. UCLA beats a top 10 team and loses by 2 points in overtime, and not only do they drop out of the top 25, but they lose all their votes. Yet, Washington State, who granted, is having a great season so far, barely wins their only game of the week, and jumps to 19th? Good for Washington State, but man.

Now for the mid-major poll for the week of Dec. 21-27:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Western Michigan (67) 9-0 1795 1 Mid-American Conference
2. Georgia State (5) 10-1 1700 6 Horizon League
3. Akron 8-1 1595 8 Mid-American Conference
4. UAB 7-1 1543 3 Conference USA
5. Belmont 9-1 1470 9 Ohio Valley Conference
6. William & Mary 8-1 1393 5 Colonial Athletic Association
7. Boise State 8-2 1390 2 Mountain West Conference
8. Rhode Island 7-1 1358 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
9. Mercer 8-1 1266 7 Southern Conference
10. Quinnipiac 9-1 1208 13 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
11. Colorado State 7-1 1119 18 Mountain West Conference
12. San Diego State 8-2 958 24 Mountain West Conference
13. UC Santa Barbara 7-2 836 25 Big West Conference
14. Harvard 9-2 756 NR Ivy League
15. Davidson 7-2 676 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
16. Fresno State 8-2 664 NR Mountain West Conference
17. Lehigh 8-2 595 NR Patriot League
18. Middle Tennessee 8-2 575 NR Conference USA
19. Richmond 7-2 471 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
20. Wichita State 8-3 426 4 Missouri Valley Conference
21. St. Bonaventure 5-2 383 10 Atlantic 10 Conference
22. UC Irvine 6-2 275 NR Big West Conference
23. Mississippi State 6-2 196 15 Atlantic 10 Conference
24. Cal State Bakersfield 7-2 191 19 Western Athletic Conference
25. Fordham 6-2 166 16 Atlantic 10 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
UTSA 7-2 147 Conference USA
FIU 5-2 99 Conference USA
Marshall 6-2 63 Conference USA
Utah Valley 6-2 51 Western Athletic Conference
Hartford 7-2 32 America East Conference
Illinois State 7-3 2 Missouri Valley Conference
SMU 7-3 1 American Athletic Conference

No big surprise that UConn loses all their votes after losing 3 games this week. Hartford is in after winning 3 games.

Also, take a look at Western Michigan, in both polls. This is Duke's first round opponent in the Diamond Head Classic next week. They are currently undefeated with wins over Tulane, Wake Forest, and Valparaiso. This might not be such an easy game for the Dukies.

[bbgunn]

Those polls are crazy. In addition to UCLA falling out, who do they have ranked? Western Michigan at #4? Georgia State? Rutgers? Boise State? AUBURN?!?!?

[vex]

Those polls are crazy. In addition to UCLA falling out, who do they have ranked? Western Michigan at #4? Georgia State? Rutgers? Boise State? AUBURN?!?!?

And don't forget Tulsa. 4-3 and not even in the main rankings. Pffft.

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 21-27, 2020

2 feature games this week between some big time teams. Let's get to it:

12/21/20- Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) @ UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- All you need to know about this game is that there were 51 fouls called, and 60 free throws shot. Unfortunately, Kentucky shot 42 of those free throws, making more than UCLA attempted. That's never a good sign.

Final Score: Kentucky- 96, UCLA- 83

12/27/20- Stanford (Benito Sanchez) @ Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- While neither team took care of the ball well, and both teams lived and died by the three pointer, the Cardinal made just a few more of those treys to get a big road victory after trailing by 5 at halftime.

Final Score: Stanford- 76, Michigan State- 62

Now we go to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 8-2, 0-0 America East.

12/23/20 vs. Montana (W 81-57).

Just 1 game this week for the Hawks, and it was an easy win as they start conference play next week.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 6-6, 1-0 American.

12/21/20 at Maryland Eastern Shore (L 70-60).
12/23/20 vs. Houston (W 58-52).

Another embarrassing loss for the Huskies, losing to Maryland Eastern Shore, but at least they got off to a good start in conference play, breaking a 4 game losing streak.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 6-5, 0-0 American.

12/21/20 vs. Virginia Tech (W 76-71).
12/25/20 vs. #7 Providence (L 69-60).

A split for the Pirates, who continue to play better basketball, giving Providence a good game and beating VA Tech.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 5-4, 0-0 American.

12/22/20 vs. New Orleans (W 90-56).
12/26/20 at Lamar (L 72-69).

Tough split for the Golden Hurricane, who blew a lead late at Lamar. They'll be kicking themselves for that.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 8-3, 0-0 ACC.

12/21/20- Diamond Head Classic First Round vs. (6) #4 Western Michigan (L 78-74).
12/22/20- Diamond Head Classic Consolation Game vs. (7) St. Louis (W 72-67).
12/24/20- Diamond Head Classic 5th Place Game vs. (8) Stephen F. Austin (W 82-69).

So that Western Michigan team that the Blue Devils were worried about proved to be tough, but still, 2 out of 3 and a 5th place finish isn't bad. Not where they want to be though, not yet.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 9-2, 0-0 Big 12.

12/23/20 vs. Arizona State (W 80-62).

Just 1 game this week for the Horned Frogs, but it was another impressive victory, and that makes 5 in a row.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 6-4, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/21/20 vs. North Dakota (W 47-39).
12/24/20 vs. Jacksonville (W 80-48).
12/27/20 vs. Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.

2 out of 3 for the Spartans, and look at that low scoring defensive effort against North Dakota. They still have some work to do though.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 4-7, 0-0 Big Ten.

No games this week for Coach Vee and the Wildcats, who are looking at a hard week of practice.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 5-7, 0-0 Big West.

12/25/20 at Butler (W 56-45).
12/27/20 at Kent State (L 81-75).

A split for the Warriors, as the win at Butler is a mild upset. They couldn't compound it though as Kent State got the better of them.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 7-4, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/22/20 vs. Texas Southern (W 71-67).
12/25/20 at UMKC (W 82-74).
12/27/20 at Ole Miss (L 89-62).

Another 2 out of 3 ain't bad week for one of our teams. Sadly, their toughest competition of the week was a game they were never really in.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 6-6, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/23/20 vs. Miami (L 73-65).

Just 1 game for the Buffaloes this week, who lost to a very good Miami team that has beaten Arizona this season and should probably be ranked.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 5-5, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/23/20 at N.C. State (W 88-77).
12/27/20 at Michigan State- feature game, highlighted above.

Great week for the Cardinal, who beat 2 power conference teams to get back to .500.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 8-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/21/20 vs. Kentucky- feature game, highlighted above.
12/23/20 vs. Dartmouth (W 62-47).

A split for the Bruins this week, who break a brief 2 game losing streak with the win over Dartmouth.

#19 Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 9-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/23/20 vs. FIU (L 74-69).
12/25/20 vs. Portland State (W 70-49).
12/27/20 at Utah State (W 73-64).

So the Cougars lose a tough one against a good FIU team, but they held their own. Nice bounce back wins, especially at Utah State.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 7-4, 0-0 SEC.

12/21/20- Las Vegas Classic Semifinal vs. (6) Penn State (L 90-77).

We figured the Crimson Tide were going to bite the dust sooner or later, they had been flirting with losses to subpar opponents their last 3 games. Still, losing to a team like Penn State isn't bad, at least this season.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 6-4, 0-0 SEC.

12/21/20 at UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.
12/25/20 at Minnesota (L 92-66).

Well, a crazy week at best for the Wildcats, as they win a tough one against UCLA, then get absolutely hammered by Minnesota.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 6-5, 2-2 Sun Belt.

12/24/20 at UT Arlington (L 70-68).
12/26/20 at Georgia Southern (W 78-73).

Another conference split this week for the Trojans, who are just 4 points away from being 4-0 in conference. Both losses were on the road, but really, this conference is just wide open. Should be anyways.

Let's take a look at the nation top 25 for the week of Dec. 28, 2020-Jan. 3, 2021:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (71) 11-0 1799 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Louisville (1) 11-1 1728 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Illinois 11-1 1653 3 Big Ten Conference
4. Georgetown 10-2 1551 6 Big East Conference
5. Iowa 9-1 1491 10 Big Ten Conference
6. Baylor 10-2 1297 5 Big 12 Conference
7. Arkansas 9-1 1290 11 Southeastern Conference
8. UAB 10-1 1182 18 Conference USA
9. Boise State 10-2 1160 17 Mountain West Conference
10. Oklahoma 7-2 1157 15 Big 12 Conference
11. Villanova 9-2 1093 24 Big East Conference
12. Belmont 11-1 1082 14 Ohio Valley Conference
13. Rhode Island 9-1 942 23 Atlantic 10 Conference
14. Quinnipiac 11-1 924 21 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
15. Syracuse 8-2 888 20 Atlantic Coast Conference
16. Minnesota 9-2 699 NR Big Ten Conference
17. Colorado State 8-1 608 NR Mountain West Conference
18. Providence 10-2 596 7 Big East Conference
19. Penn State 9-2 499 NR Big Ten Conference
20. Mississippi 9-2 338 NR Southeastern Conference
21. TCU 9-2 321 NR Big 12 Conference
22. Georgia State 11-2 299 8 Horizon League
23. San Diego State 10-2 267 NR Mountain West Conference
24. Western Michigan 10-2 136 4 Mid-American Conference
25. Harvard 11-2 77 NR Ivy League

Others Receiving Votes:
Ohio State 7-3 70 Big Ten Conference
William & Mary 9-2 34 Colonial Athletic Association
Washington State 9-2 32 Pacific-12 Conference
Rutgers 9-2 31 Big Ten Conference
UC Santa Barbara 9-2 26 Big West Conference
Indiana 8-2 24 Big Ten Conference
Auburn 8-2 23 Southeastern Conference
Marquette 9-2 19 Big East Conference
Oregon State 9-2 19 Pacific-12 Conference
Middle Tennessee 9-2 15 Conference USA
UC Irvine 8-2 11 Big West Conference
Mercer 9-2 10 Southern Conference
Wichita State 10-3 9 Missouri Valley Conference

What a crazy, crazy season it's been so far. Of all the teams we expect to see in the top 25 every week (Duke, Kentucky, UCLA, Michigan State) none are there. But TCU is, and Washington State is still receiving votes. Crazy.

Now for the mid-major top 25 for the week of Dec. 28, 2020-Jan. 3, 2021:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. UAB (38) 10-1 1755 4 Conference USA
2. Boise State (28) 10-2 1705 7 Mountain West Conference
3. Belmont 11-1 1659 5 Ohio Valley Conference
4. Rhode Island (6) 9-1 1604 8 Atlantic 10 Conference
5. Quinnipiac 11-1 1507 10 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
6. Georgia State 11-2 1369 2 Horizon League
7. Colorado State 8-1 1349 11 Mountain West Conference
8. San Diego State 10-2 1320 12 Mountain West Conference
9. Western Michigan 10-2 1168 1 Mid-American Conference
10. Harvard 11-2 1076 14 Ivy League
11. Wichita State 10-3 1031 20 Missouri Valley Conference
12. UC Santa Barbara 9-2 1021 13 Big West Conference
13. William & Mary 9-2 1001 6 Colonial Athletic Association
14. Mercer 9-2 895 9 Southern Conference
15. UC Irvine 8-2 836 22 Big West Conference
16. Middle Tennessee 9-2 772 18 Conference USA
17. FIU 7-2 635 NR Conference USA
18. St. Bonaventure 6-2 635 21 Atlantic 10 Conference
19. SMU 9-3 470 NR American Athletic Conference
20. Hartford 8-2 398 NR America East Conference
21. Illinois State 9-3 351 NR Missouri Valley Conference
22. Pepperdine 8-3 223 NR West Coast Conference
23. Kent State 8-3 140 NR Mid-American Conference
24. La Salle 8-3 138 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
25. Memphis 7-3 138 NR American Athletic Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Fresno State 8-3 30 Mountain West Conference
Richmond 8-3 30 Atlantic 10 Conference
Lehigh 9-3 29 Patriot League
Massachusetts 8-3 26 Atlantic 10 Conference
UTEP 6-3 22 Conference USA
Presbyterian 8-3 19 Big South Conference
Cal State Bakersfield 8-3 16 Western Athletic Conference
Loyola MD 9-3 7 Patriot League
McNeese State 8-3 5 Southland Conference
Oral Roberts 8-3 5 Summit League
South Florida 6-3 5 American Athletic Conference
Fordham 7-3 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
George Washington 6-3 3 Atlantic 10 Conference
Denver 8-3 2 Summit League
The Citadel 7-3 1 Southern Conference

Hartford is now in the mid-major top 25 and holding the fort down for the mid-major human coaches. No others even sniffed a vote.

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 28, 2020-Jan. 3, 2021

1 feature game this week, as most teams start conference play this week. This feature game comes from the American Conference.

1/2/21- UConn (Randolph Childress) @ ECU (Al Hutt) -- Great effort by ECU, as they actually led at halftime, but despite committing 18 turnovers, the Huskies came back in the second half to pull out a hard fought victory.

Final Score: UConn- 76, ECU- 69

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 10-3, 1-1 America East.

12/30/20 vs. Stony Brook (L 76-58).
1/1/21 vs. UC Riverside (W 74-65).
1/3/21 vs. UMass Lowell (W 72-51).

3 games for the Hawks this week and they get 2 of them, splitting their conference games this week.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 7-7, 2-1 American.

12/30/20 at Temple (L 69-63).
1/2/21 at ECU- feature game, highlighted above.

A split this week for the Huskies, who are really struggling since their 4-0 start.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 7-6, 1-1 American.

12/30/20 at Houston (W 86-67).
1/2/21 vs. UConn- feature game, highlighted above.

The Pirates still look to be an improved team, as they split this week. They gave UConn a game.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 7-4, 1-0 American.

12/30/20 vs. UCF (W 60-40).
1/1/21 vs. Houston Baptist (W 62-52).

2 wins for the Golden Hurricane this week, and they do so in pretty convincing fashion. They'll get some tests next week though.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 10-3, 1-0 ACC.

12/28/20 vs. VMI (W 77-55).
1/2/21 vs. N.C. State (W 91-81).

The Blue Devils keep on rolling, getting a good start to conference play.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 10-3, 1-0 Big 12.

12/29/20 at UC Riverside (L 81-70).
1/2/21 vs. Texas Tech (W 74-62).

Well, a split for the Horned Frogs. They did win their first game in conference play, but a brutal loss to UC Riverside will probably cost them.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 8-4, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/30/20 vs. Cal State Bakersfield (W 70-41).
1/2/21 at Gonzaga (W 82-81).

The Spartans recover from that loss to Stanford by winning twice this week, including a buzzer beater at Gonzaga. Now they get to try their luck in the Big Ten.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 4-8, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/28/20 at Eastern Illinois (L 76-69).

Just 1 game this week for the Wildcats, but oh my, a loss to E. Illinois? It's a strong possibility that Coach Vee will be job hunting in the offseason.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 6-7, 0-0 Big West.

1/1/21 vs. Bowling Green (W 87-84).

Just 1 game for the Warriors, but they get a much needed victory heading into Big West play.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 7-4, 0-0 Conference USA.

No games this week for Coach Shocker and the Owls.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 6-6, 0-0 Pac 12.

No games this week for Coach Nielsen and the Buffaloes. They could use the week off after 2 straight losses.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 6-6, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/30/20 vs. Cal Poly (W 67-48).
1/2/21 vs. Buffalo (L 74-58).

A split for the Cardinal, and an embarrassing home loss to Buffalo. That loss breaks a 4 game win streak.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 9-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/29/20 at New Hampshire (W 72-52).

A win for the Bruins in their only game of the week. This was the first of 4 straight games on the road. The next 3 are in Pac 12 play.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 9-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

1/1/21 vs. Florida State (L 79-68).

The Cougars lose their only game of the week, but give Florida State a much better game than some expected.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 7-5, 0-0 SEC.

1/2/21 vs. Pittsburgh (L 78-63).

The Crimson Tide are struggling a bit right now, losers of 2 in a row. Their start to conference play is not easy.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 7-4, 0-0 SEC.

1/1/21 vs. Canisius (W 76-75).

A win is a win, but the Wildcats have not played their best ball the last 2 games.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 7-6, 3-3 Sun Belt.

12/31/20 vs. Arkansas Little Rock (L 84-69).
1/2/21 at UL Lafayette (W 73-66).

Another split for the Trojans, but they've gotta take advantage of the mediocrity in the conference and get a few wins in a row.

Here's a look at the national top 25 for the week of Jan. 4-10, 2021:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (66) 12-0 1794 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Louisville (6) 13-1 1734 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Georgetown 12-2 1651 4 Big East Conference
4. Baylor 12-2 1578 6 Big 12 Conference
5. Illinois 11-1 1481 3 Big Ten Conference
6. Rhode Island 11-1 1380 13 Atlantic 10 Conference
7. Syracuse 9-2 1337 15 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Quinnipiac 13-1 1264 14 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
9. Iowa 10-2 1160 5 Big Ten Conference
10. Providence 12-2 1119 18 Big East Conference
11. Penn State 11-2 1114 19 Big Ten Conference
12. San Diego State 12-2 933 23 Mountain West Conference
13. Georgia State 13-2 908 22 Horizon League
14. Mississippi 10-2 785 20 Southeastern Conference
15. Boise State 11-3 663 9 Mountain West Conference
16. Western Michigan 11-2 605 24 Mid-American Conference
17. Arkansas 10-2 526 7 Southeastern Conference
18. Belmont 12-2 495 12 Ohio Valley Conference
19. Wichita State 12-3 484 NR Missouri Valley Conference
20. Oklahoma 8-3 459 10 Big 12 Conference
21. Villanova 10-3 411 11 Big East Conference
22. William & Mary 11-2 351 NR Colonial Athletic Association
23. UAB 10-2 291 8 Conference USA
24. Indiana 9-2 217 NR Big Ten Conference
25. Mercer 11-2 167 NR Southern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Rutgers 10-2 128 Big Ten Conference
Oregon State 10-2 116 Pacific-12 Conference
UC Irvine 10-2 86 Big West Conference
Auburn 9-2 67 Southeastern Conference
Middle Tennessee 10-2 38 Conference USA
Colorado State 9-2 23 Mountain West Conference
FIU 9-2 16 Conference USA
Minnesota 9-3 10 Big Ten Conference
Florida 9-3 8 Southeastern Conference
Harvard 12-3 1 Ivy League

Unbelievable! First the first time in a long time, none of our human coaches teams are represented in the national top 25. And to think I raised everybodys coach prestige. Crazy.

Now for the mid-major top 25 for the week of Jan. 4-10, 2021:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Rhode Island (60) 11-1 1785 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
2. San Diego State (6) 12-2 1660 8 Mountain West Conference
3. Quinnipiac 13-1 1613 5 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
4. Georgia State (6) 13-2 1566 6 Horizon League
5. Wichita State 12-3 1509 11 Missouri Valley Conference
6. Boise State 11-3 1365 2 Mountain West Conference
7. William & Mary 11-2 1330 13 Colonial Athletic Association
8. Western Michigan 11-2 1327 9 Mid-American Conference
9. UAB 10-2 1306 1 Conference USA
10. Belmont 12-2 1189 3 Ohio Valley Conference
11. Mercer 11-2 1096 14 Southern Conference
12. UC Irvine 10-2 1035 15 Big West Conference
13. Middle Tennessee 10-2 944 16 Conference USA
14. FIU 9-2 850 17 Conference USA
15. Colorado State 9-2 790 7 Mountain West Conference
16. Memphis 9-3 639 25 American Athletic Conference
17. Harvard 12-3 638 10 Ivy League
18. UC Santa Barbara 11-3 612 12 Big West Conference
19. Kent State 9-3 500 23 Mid-American Conference
20. Lehigh 11-3 411 NR Patriot League
21. Fresno State 10-3 297 NR Mountain West Conference
22. UTEP 7-3 268 NR Conference USA
23. South Florida 8-3 235 NR American Athletic Conference
24. St. Bonaventure 7-3 189 18 Atlantic 10 Conference
25. Richmond 9-3 86 NR Atlantic 10 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Massachusetts 9-3 83 Atlantic 10 Conference
Detroit 12-4 24 Horizon League
Hartford 10-3 19 America East Conference
UTSA 8-3 14 Conference USA
Illinois State 10-4 13 Missouri Valley Conference
Pepperdine 9-4 5 West Coast Conference
SMU 9-4 2 American Athletic Conference

Hartford drops out of the mid-major top 25 but is still receiving votes.

[bbgunn]

Wow! It's a down period for the FOFCers.

[collegesportsfanms]

Wow! It's a down period for the FOFCers.

To be fair, there are a handful of teams that deserve to be getting votes. You can't tell me that in real life, teams like Duke, UCLA, TCU, Hartford, wouldn't be getting some kind of votes. I'd like to think they would anyways!

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 4-10, 2021

1 feature game this week, as we go to the Pac 12:

1/9/21- Washington State (DeShawn St. John) @ Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- Three point shooting and free throws were the difference in this one, as Stanford got to the line a few more times for extra points, and hit a couple more threes to get an important home victory over a much improved Washington State.

Final Score: Stanford- 59, Washington State- 48

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 12-3, 3-1 America East.

1/6/21 at Binghamton (W 68-60).
1/10/21 at Albany (W 83-66).

2 more wins for the Hawks who keep rolling along this season. They've won 9 of their last 10.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 8-8, 3-2 American.

1/6/21 at UCF (W 60-41).
1/9/21 vs. South Florida (L 78-72).

The Huskies split this week, winning on the road and losing at home to a much improved South Florida team. Still though, UConn has too much prestige to be having those kind of losses.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 9-6, 3-1 American.

1/6/21 vs. Temple (W 89-54).
1/9/21 at UCF (W 81-49).

2 more wins for the Pirates, who didn't just win this week, but they crushed 2 opponents by an average of about 33.5 points. This is impressive, but ECU still has an uphill climb.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 7-6, 1-2 American.

1/6/21 vs. SMU (L 89-75).
1/9/21 at Memphis (L 90-44).

A week to forget for the Golden Hurricane, who get absolutely demolished by a Memphis team that has the ability to make a long run in March. Coach Brown needs to get it figured out again.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 12-3, 3-0 ACC.

1/6/21 at Miami (W 60-58).
1/9/21 at Georgia Tech (W 76-63).

2 gritty road wins for the Blue Devils going into next week. What comes next week you ask? Oh, just the in-state rivalry matchup at North Carolina. No big deal!

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 12-3, 3-0 Big 12.

1/4/21 vs. Kansas State (W 70-52).
1/9/21 vs. Texas (W 60-40).

Another solid week for the Horned Frogs, who have started undefeated in conference play and have won 8 of their last 9.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 9-5, 1-1 Big Ten.

1/6/21 at #9 Iowa (L 78-71).
1/9/21 vs. Maryland (W 81-50).

A split this week for the Spartans, who gave top 10 Iowa a game, but couldn't quite beat them. Good recovery win against Maryland though, but now they go into a stretch of 7 straight games with opponents that have already won at least 10 games. Ay yi yi!

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 5-9, 1-1 Big Ten.

1/6/21 vs. #24 Indiana (W 71-52).
1/9/21 at #5 Illinois (L 81-77).

The Wildcats were just a couple baskets away from a shocking week. Good win against Indiana though, and almost pulled off the upset against a top 5 team. Was this just a rare good week, or is Coach Vee getting it figured out? We'll see.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 8-7, 2-0 Big West.

1/5/21 vs. Cal State Fullerton (W 79-68).
1/9/21 vs. Long Beach State (W 57-51).

A promising start for the Warriors, at least in conference play. They are above .500 overall for the first time this season, let's see if they can stay that way.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 7-6, 0-2 Conference USA.

1/7/21 vs. Middle Tennessee (L 73-58).
1/9/21 at Marshall (L 107-82).

Tough start to conference play for the Owls, who drop the ball this week and lose by double digits twice.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 7-7, 1-1 Pac 12.

1/7/21 at Washington (L 82-52).
1/9/21 vs. Gonzaga (W 88-79).

Weird week for the Buffaloes, who get hammered at Washington, but get a win over new conference member Gonzaga. That win broke a 3 game losing streak.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 7-7, 1-1 Pac 12.

1/7/21 vs. Arizona (L 47-39).
1/9/21 vs. Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Cardinal, as the conference appears that it is still going to run through Arizona.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 10-4, 1-1 Pac 12.

1/7/21 at Arizona State (L 74-73, OT).
1/9/21 at Washington (W 62-48).

Heartbreak for the Bruins this week, as they lose on the road to Arizona State on a buzzer beater, in overtime no less. This one was made even more painful by the fact they led by 9 at halftime.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 10-4, 1-1 Pac 12.

1/7/21 vs. Oregon State (W 80-57).
1/9/21 at Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.

The Cougars complete our Pac 12 mediocrity week, as all 4 of our Pac 12 teams split their games this week.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 8-6, 1-1 SEC.

1/6/21 at Texas A&M (L 80-69).
1/9/21 vs. Florida (W 75-55).

The split trend continues for our FOFCers, as the Crimson Tide lose on the road, win at home.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 9-4, 2-0 SEC.

1/6/21 at Tennessee (W 83-71).
1/9/21 vs. Georgia (W 104-83).

The Wildcats start conference play in a good way, breaking the split trend by winning both their games this week by double digits.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 7-8, 3-4 Sun Belt.

1/5/21 vs. Oral Roberts (L 61-59).
1/7/21 at UL Monroe (L 63-45).

A bit of a surprise this week, as the Trojans fared better against their tough non-conference foe than they did their conference foe this week. While both were losses, they almost upset Oral Roberts. There is something about conference play that Coach Hawkins just hasn't been able to get over the hump yet.

Let's take a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Jan. 11-17:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Louisville (69) 15-1 1797 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Wisconsin (3) 13-1 1731 1 Big Ten Conference
3. Baylor 14-2 1654 4 Big 12 Conference
4. Georgetown 13-3 1565 3 Big East Conference
5. Syracuse 11-2 1476 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Providence 14-2 1368 10 Big East Conference
7. Quinnipiac 15-1 1363 8 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
8. Iowa 12-2 1257 9 Big Ten Conference
9. Villanova 12-3 1169 21 Big East Conference
10. Boise State 12-3 1167 15 Mountain West Conference
11. San Diego State 14-2 1159 12 Mountain West Conference
12. Wichita State 14-3 1022 19 Missouri Valley Conference
13. Illinois 12-2 984 5 Big Ten Conference
14. Rhode Island 12-2 838 6 Atlantic 10 Conference
15. Middle Tennessee 12-2 783 NR Conference USA
16. Penn State 12-3 632 11 Big Ten Conference
17. Mississippi 11-3 603 14 Southeastern Conference
18. Georgia State 14-3 521 13 Horizon League
19. FIU 11-2 505 NR Conference USA
20. Duke 12-3 376 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
21. Oklahoma 9-4 268 20 Big 12 Conference
22. Western Michigan 12-3 268 16 Mid-American Conference
23. Arkansas 11-3 151 17 Southeastern Conference
24. Memphis 11-3 137 NR American Athletic Conference
25. TCU 12-3 118 NR Big 12 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Texas A&M 11-3 118 Southeastern Conference
Harvard 13-3 84 Ivy League
Indiana 10-3 82 Big Ten Conference
William & Mary 12-3 52 Colonial Athletic Association
Fresno State 12-3 50 Mountain West Conference
Oregon State 11-3 40 Pacific-12 Conference
Belmont 13-3 22 Ohio Valley Conference
UC Irvine 11-3 22 Big West Conference
Mercer 12-3 10 Southern Conference
Illinois State 12-4 6 Missouri Valley Conference
Hartford 12-3 1 America East Conference
UAB 11-3 1 Conference USA

Now this is more like it! Good weeks for Duke and TCU have them in the top 25, while Hartford managed 1 vote.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Jan. 11-17:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. San Diego State (42) 14-2 1752 2 Mountain West Conference
2. Wichita State (22) 14-3 1700 5 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Quinnipiac (7) 15-1 1676 3 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
4. Boise State (1) 12-3 1612 6 Mountain West Conference
5. Rhode Island 12-2 1508 1 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. Middle Tennessee 12-2 1439 13 Conference USA
7. Georgia State 14-3 1351 4 Horizon League
8. Memphis 11-3 1270 16 American Athletic Conference
9. FIU 11-2 1217 14 Conference USA
10. William & Mary 12-3 1104 7 Colonial Athletic Association
11. Western Michigan 12-3 1047 8 Mid-American Conference
12. Harvard 13-3 1010 17 Ivy League
13. UAB 11-3 898 9 Conference USA
14. Belmont 13-3 890 10 Ohio Valley Conference
15. Fresno State 12-3 813 21 Mountain West Conference
16. Mercer 12-3 732 11 Southern Conference
17. UC Irvine 11-3 690 12 Big West Conference
18. Detroit 14-4 603 NR Horizon League
19. Illinois State 12-4 496 NR Missouri Valley Conference
20. Colorado State 10-3 416 15 Mountain West Conference
21. Hartford 12-3 336 NR America East Conference
22. Kent State 10-4 235 19 Mid-American Conference
23. UC Santa Barbara 11-4 173 18 Big West Conference
24. Davidson 10-4 115 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
25. Lehigh 12-4 91 20 Patriot League

Others Receiving Votes:
South Florida 9-4 49 American Athletic Conference
Northern Illinois 10-4 40 Mid-American Conference
George Washington 9-4 37 Atlantic 10 Conference
St. Bonaventure 8-4 23 Atlantic 10 Conference
UTEP 8-4 18 Conference USA
Cal State Bakersfield 10-4 16 Western Athletic Conference
Massachusetts 10-4 15 Atlantic 10 Conference
Richmond 10-4 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
Presbyterian 11-4 12 Big South Conference
Eastern Michigan 11-4 2 Mid-American Conference

Hartford jumps back into the mid-major top 25 and continues to be the only FOFC mid-major (even though there aren't many) to represent in the polls.

[law90026]

Blue devils are back baby ... For 1 week anyway.

[rjolley]

Man, the Bruins are struggling this year. Hopefully, they are getting better and will come together as the tourney approaches.

The Cardinal seem to be not very good this year. Hopefully, they can turn it around and get hot.

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 11-17, 2021

2 feature games for you this week and we'll be starting in the American Conference.

1/13/21- Tulsa (Will Brown) @ UConn (Randolph Childress) -- A pretty even game, until you take into account the three point shooting. UConn made 10 three pointers, Tulsa made 2. That was the difference as the Huskies get a much needed win.

Final Score: UConn- 75, Tulsa- 66

Now to the Pac 12:

1/14/21- UCLA (Tim Shepard) @ Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- The Bruins used a 36-24 rebounding edge and got several second chance points to pull off a road victory as they continue to roll, while Stanford continues to slide.

Final Score: UCLA- 71, Stanford- 61

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 12-5, 3-3 America East.

1/15/21 vs. Vermont (L 63-51).
1/17/21 vs. New Hampshire (L 73-65).

Wow! The Hawks lose 2 at home and see all their momentum just blown away. They can get back on track easily though.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 9-9, 4-3 American.

1/13/21 vs. Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.
1/16/21 at #24 Memphis (L 70-58).

A split for the Huskies, who are still trying to find their groove under their new coach. Give Coach Childress time, he'll have these Huskies playing consistent ball in no time.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 9-8, 3-3 American.

1/13/21 at South Florida (L 81-42).
1/16/21 vs. South Florida (L 71-68).

Tough draw for the Pirates this week, as they have to go back to back against 1 of the better conference teams. The road game was ugly, but they almost pulled it off at home.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 8-7, 2-3 American.

1/13/21 at UConn- feature game, highlighted above.
1/16/21 vs. Temple (W 94-85).

Another split for the Golden Hurricane, who broke a brief 3 game losing streak by beating a pretty decent Temple team.

#20 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 12-4, 3-1 ACC.

1/16/21 at North Carolina (L 87-59).

Just 1 game this week for the Blue Devils, and it wasn't the result they wanted. It's bad enough to lose to your biggest rivals, but getting hammered like that? Not good.

#25 TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 14-3, 5-0 Big 12.

1/11/21 at West Virginia (W 65-57).
1/16/21 at #3 Baylor (W 73-64).

The Horned Frogs are for real this season! It's been a long time since they've beaten Baylor. It's 5 in a row now for TCU.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 10-6, 2-2 Big Ten.

1/13/21 vs. Michigan (W 70-66).
1/16/21 at #13 Illinois (L 80-62).

A split for the Spartans this week, who are still trying to regain that form they once had. Sparty isn't so dominating anymore.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 6-10, 2-2 Big Ten.

1/13/21 at #8 Iowa (L 73-68).
1/16/21 at Purdue (W 67-53).

The Wildcats continue to toe the line, as they lost a second straight game by single digits to a ranked team, then beat Purdue by double digits. Just a player or 2 away from really competing in the conference I think.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 10-7, 4-0 Big West.

1/14/21 at UC Riverside (W 74-66).
1/16/21 vs. UC Davis (W 65-41).

Don't look now folks, but the Warriors are still undefeated in conference play. They haven't faced the best of the conference yet, so it's hard to tell if they are for real yet, but this is certainly encouraging for Coach Gunn.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 8-7, 1-3 Conference USA.

1/14/21 at North Texas (W 76-55).
1/16/21 vs. Southern Miss (L 90-79).

A split for the Owls, who get their first conference win of the season. It didn't matter though, as they lost their next conference game right after that. They still have some work to do.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 7-9, 1-3 Pac 12.

1/14/21 vs. Oregon State (L 69-60).
1/16/21 vs. Utah (L 62-53).

A pair of 9 point losses at home this week for the Buffaloes, who have done a horrible job of defending their home court this season. Now they go on the road for a pair of games that won't be easy.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 8-8, 2-2 Pac 12.

1/14/21 vs. UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.
1/16/21 at Oregon (W 74-52).

Another split for the Cardinal, as they are also struggling to get above .500 this season.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 11-5, 2-2 Pac 12.

1/14/21 at Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
1/16/21 vs. Arizona (L 74-45).

A split for the Bruins, and it's painfully evident from the Arizona game that it is going to be tough going to get to the top of the Pac 12 this season.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 11-5, 2-2 Pac 12.

1/14/21 at Utah (W 52-51).
1/16/21 vs. Gonzaga (L 57-50).

For the 2nd straight week, all 4 of our Pac 12 human coaches and teams split their 2 games for the week. I'm seeing a pattern that I'm not sure I like.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 8-8, 1-3 SEC.

1/13/21 vs. #23 Arkansas (L 74-71).
1/16/21 at Auburn (L 66-42).

Tough week for the Crimson Tide, who almost defeated a ranked Arkansas team, then got crushed at Auburn. They've lost 5 of their last 6.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 11-4, 4-0 SEC.

1/13/21 at South Carolina (W 66-53).
1/16/21 vs. LSU (W 83-62).

More domination for the Wildcats, who have won all 4 of their conference games by 12 or more points so far. They've got some tests coming up though.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 9-8, 5-4 Sun Belt.

1/14/21 vs. UL Monroe (W 74-69).
1/16/21 at Northern Kentucky (W 82-76).

2 tough wins for the Trojans, including a revenge win over UL Monroe. They are back over .500, let's see how long it lasts.

Here is a look at the national top 25 for the week of Jan. 18-24:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (72) 15-1 1800 2 Big Ten Conference
2. Louisville 15-3 1724 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Syracuse 13-2 1626 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. Baylor 15-3 1605 3 Big 12 Conference
5. Boise State 14-3 1459 10 Mountain West Conference
6. San Diego State 15-2 1443 11 Mountain West Conference
7. Villanova 14-3 1424 9 Big East Conference
8. Iowa 13-3 1195 8 Big Ten Conference
9. Providence 14-3 1191 6 Big East Conference
10. Middle Tennessee 14-2 1057 15 Conference USA
11. Quinnipiac 16-2 1052 7 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
12. TCU 14-3 893 25 Big 12 Conference
13. Oklahoma 11-4 866 21 Big 12 Conference
14. FIU 13-2 814 19 Conference USA
15. Arkansas 13-3 732 23 Southeastern Conference
16. Wichita State 15-4 720 12 Missouri Valley Conference
17. Memphis 13-3 647 24 American Athletic Conference
18. Illinois 13-3 643 13 Big Ten Conference
19. Florida State 12-4 464 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
20. Kentucky 11-4 342 NR Southeastern Conference
21. William & Mary 14-3 340 NR Colonial Athletic Association
22. Missouri 12-4 293 NR Southeastern Conference
23. Georgetown 13-5 292 4 Big East Conference
24. Rhode Island 13-3 234 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
25. Fresno State 14-3 185 NR Mountain West Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Mississippi 12-4 160 Southeastern Conference
Penn State 13-4 155 Big Ten Conference
Tennessee 12-4 20 Southeastern Conference
Georgia State 15-4 19 Horizon League
Western Michigan 13-4 4 Mid-American Conference
Indiana 11-4 1 Big Ten Conference

TCU rises 13 spots after their big week, including a big win over Baylor. Kentucky jumps in the top 25, while Duke falls all the way out and loses their votes. A little harsh, but what would you expect from this game? Also falling out, and not as much of a surprise, is Hartford.

Now for the mid-major top 25 for the week of Jan. 18-24:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. San Diego State (36) 15-2 1763 1 Mountain West Conference
2. Boise State (36) 14-3 1762 4 Mountain West Conference
3. Middle Tennessee 14-2 1570 6 Conference USA
4. Wichita State 15-4 1539 2 Missouri Valley Conference
5. Memphis 13-3 1519 8 American Athletic Conference
6. Quinnipiac 16-2 1463 3 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
7. FIU 13-2 1400 9 Conference USA
8. William & Mary 14-3 1314 10 Colonial Athletic Association
9. Rhode Island 13-3 1230 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
10. Fresno State 14-3 1141 15 Mountain West Conference
11. Georgia State 15-4 1078 7 Horizon League
12. Western Michigan 13-4 950 11 Mid-American Conference
13. Kent State 12-4 880 22 Mid-American Conference
14. UAB 12-4 861 13 Conference USA
15. Harvard 14-4 739 12 Ivy League
16. Belmont 14-4 683 14 Ohio Valley Conference
17. UC Irvine 12-4 582 17 Big West Conference
18. South Florida 11-4 562 NR American Athletic Conference
19. Detroit 15-5 425 18 Horizon League
20. St. Bonaventure 10-4 409 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
21. Lehigh 13-4 378 25 Patriot League
22. Mercer 13-4 322 16 Southern Conference
23. SMU 12-5 275 NR American Athletic Conference
24. Illinois State 13-5 211 19 Missouri Valley Conference
25. Richmond 12-4 206 NR Atlantic 10 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Northeastern 14-5 45 Colonial Athletic Association
Colorado State 11-4 44 Mountain West Conference
Davidson 11-5 18 Atlantic 10 Conference
UC Santa Barbara 12-5 14 Big West Conference
George Washington 10-5 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
Northern Illinois 11-5 5 Mid-American Conference

Well, those losses that Hartford had this week really hurt them, as they've lost all their votes in the mid-major poll too. Take a look at the top, 2 mid-major teams fighting it out. Only 1 point separates them, and they have the same amount of FPV. Now that is something to keep an eye on.

[thealmighty]

Fear the Frog!?!!

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 18-24, 2021

3 feature games this week, 2 of them involving UCLA. Let's take a look, starting in the Pac 12:

1/21/21- Washington State (DeShawn St. John) @ UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- UCLA committed only 6 turnovers in this one, while forcing 15 Cougar turnovers. Washington State is improving, but they still have some work to do.

Final Score: UCLA- 70, Washington State- 54

1/23/21- Colorado (Rob Nielsen) @ UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- The Bruins shot 50% in this one, despite being outrebounded by Colorado. The Buffs couldn't keep up with the hot shooting, and fell in a tough game.

Final Score: UCLA- 78, Colorado- 70

For our final feature game, we go to the American Conference:

1/23/21- Tulsa (Will Brown) @ ECU (Al Hutt) -- The Pirates rolled in this one, shooting 53% and outrebounding Tulsa 41-27 for an easy home victory, as the Golden Hurricane continue to slide.

Final Score: ECU- 86, Tulsa- 64

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 14-5, 5-3 America East.

1/22/21 at UMBC (W 60-51).
1/24/21 at Stony Brook (W 60-56).

The Hawks get back on track with 2 road victories this week. Although they've only had 5 true road games, they are undefeated in them so far.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 10-10, 5-3 American.

1/20/21 vs. Butler (L 55-46).
1/23/21 vs. Tulane (W 67-65).

A split this week for the Huskies, who lose outside of the conference, but win a conference game. The Tulane win was win #100 for the career of Coach Childress.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 10-9, 4-4 American.

1/20/21 at SMU (L 81-72).
1/23/21 vs. Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Pirates this week, as they break a 3 game losing streak with the rout of Tulsa.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 8-9, 2-5 American.

1/20/21 vs. Cincinnati (L 94-93).
1/23/21 at ECU- feature game, highlighted above.

Tough week for the Golden Hurricane, who lost a home heartbreaker against Cincy, then get hammered by ECU.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 12-6, 3-3 ACC.

1/20/21 vs. #2 Louisville (L 85-62).
1/23/21 vs. #3 Syracuse (L 77-73, OT).

The Blue Devils are reeling a bit, losers of 3 in a row. To be fair, this week they had to face 2 teams in the top 5, and took Syracuse to OT but couldn't seal the deal.

#12 TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 15-4, 6-1 Big 12.

1/18/21 vs. Kansas (W 58-57).
1/23/21 vs. Iowa State (L 54-50).

2 very close games this week for the Horned Frogs, who see their 6 game losing streak broken against Iowa State. Still, this TCU team is rolling.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 10-8, 2-4 Big Ten.

1/20/21 vs. #18 Illinois (L 77-71).
1/23/21 at Penn State (L 81-70).

Oh how the mighty Sparty have continued to fall. 2 more losses this week for the Spartans who are now well under .500 in conference play.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 7-11, 3-3 Big Ten.

1/20/21 vs. Purdue (W 63-61).
1/23/21 vs. Minnesota (L 70-68).

Another split for the Wildcats, who are still just a win or 2 away from really taking off, but just can't find that consistency.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 10-8, 4-1 Big West.

1/16/21 vs. UC Davis (W 65-41).
1/19/21 at Cal State Northridge (L 69-57).

The Warriors split this week, suffering their first loss in conference play. Their next 2 games will be very telling if they are going to compete well in conference play. Firecoachgunn.com isn't quite getting as many hits right now, but it is still well up and running.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 9-8, 2-4 Conference USA.

1/21/21 vs. #14 FIU (W 88-78).
1/23/21 vs. Old Dominion (L 57-56).

A split for the Owls, and nothing kills momentum more than losing to a subpar team after beating a ranked team.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 7-11, 1-5 Pac 12.

1/21/21 at Arizona (L 62-49).
1/23/21 at UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

The slump continues for the Buffaloes, and Coach Nielsen may be starting to worry about his job security a little bit, although anybody that is very familiar with FBCB knows it takes a lot to lose your job or even hit the hotseat in this game.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 10-8, 4-2 Pac 12.

1/21/21 at Arizona State (W 60-45).
1/23/21 at Utah (W 80-59).

The Cardinal roll in 2 conference games this week, and they are also still undefeated on the road in 5 games.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 13-5, 4-2 Pac 12.

1/21/21 vs. Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.
1/23/21 vs. Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.

2 feature games for the Bruins this week, and 2 more wins. They've got a tough stretch coming up though.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 12-6, 3-3 Pac 12.

1/21/21 at UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.
1/23/21 vs. Arizona (W 62-46).

Another split for the Cougars, who have started conference play with 3 straight splits.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 9-9, 2-4 SEC.

1/20/21 at Florida (L 60-58).
1/23/21 vs. South Carolina (W 65-64).

2 tough games this week for the Crimson Tide. After a couple hot seasons, they are starting to fade a bit this season.

#20 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 12-5, 5-1 SEC.

1/20/21 at LSU (L 65-50).
1/23/21 vs. Ole Miss (W 75-64).

A setback for the Wildcats, who lose to the same LSU team they had just beat, but a nice recovery for a split this week.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 10-9, 6-5 Sun Belt.

1/21/21 vs. UT Arlington (L 96-90, OT).
1/23/21 vs. Texas State (W 73-66).

The Trojans stay above .500 with a win this week, but they'd really like to take advantage and go on a nice little run.

Let's take a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Jan. 25-31:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (50) 17-1 1778 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Louisville (22) 17-3 1749 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Baylor 17-3 1621 4 Big 12 Conference
4. San Diego State 17-2 1560 6 Mountain West Conference
5. Syracuse 15-2 1547 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Boise State 16-3 1439 5 Mountain West Conference
7. Providence 16-3 1353 9 Big East Conference
8. Villanova 15-4 1318 7 Big East Conference
9. Wichita State 17-4 1195 16 Missouri Valley Conference
10. Florida State 14-4 1091 19 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Memphis 15-3 1065 17 American Athletic Conference
12. Illinois 15-3 995 18 Big Ten Conference
13. Penn State 15-4 967 NR Big Ten Conference
14. Rhode Island 15-3 751 24 Atlantic 10 Conference
15. Fresno State 16-3 677 25 Mountain West Conference
16. Florida 13-5 664 NR Southeastern Conference
17. Georgia State 17-4 602 NR Horizon League
18. Oklahoma 12-5 523 13 Big 12 Conference
19. Middle Tennessee 15-3 512 10 Conference USA
20. TCU 15-4 423 12 Big 12 Conference
21. Quinnipiac 16-3 329 11 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
22. Kentucky 12-5 280 20 Southeastern Conference
23. FIU 14-3 207 14 Conference USA
24. Western Michigan 15-4 195 NR Mid-American Conference
25. Georgetown 14-6 164 23 Big East Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
UCLA 13-5 84 Pacific-12 Conference
Oregon State 14-4 60 Pacific-12 Conference
Harvard 16-4 57 Ivy League
William & Mary 15-4 52 Colonial Athletic Association
UAB 14-4 34 Conference USA
Kent State 14-4 31 Mid-American Conference
UC Irvine 14-4 22 Big West Conference
Vanderbilt 13-5 21 Southeastern Conference
Lehigh 15-4 16 Patriot League
Nebraska 13-5 10 Big Ten Conference
Missouri 13-5 4 Southeastern Conference
Tennessee 13-5 3 Southeastern Conference
Miami 13-5 1 Atlantic Coast Conference

So TCU and Kentucky both stay ranked, although both drop a few spots. UCLA is right on the cusp of being ranked again.

Now for the mid-major top 25 for the week of Jan. 25-31:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. San Diego State (50) 17-2 1778 1 Mountain West Conference
2. Boise State (22) 16-3 1748 2 Mountain West Conference
3. Wichita State 17-4 1646 4 Missouri Valley Conference
4. Memphis 15-3 1588 5 American Athletic Conference
5. Rhode Island 15-3 1473 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. Georgia State 17-4 1390 11 Horizon League
7. Fresno State 16-3 1342 10 Mountain West Conference
8. Middle Tennessee 15-3 1266 3 Conference USA
9. Western Michigan 15-4 1173 12 Mid-American Conference
10. FIU 14-3 1143 7 Conference USA
11. UAB 14-4 1077 14 Conference USA
12. William & Mary 15-4 974 8 Colonial Athletic Association
13. Kent State 14-4 972 13 Mid-American Conference
14. Quinnipiac 16-3 925 6 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
15. Harvard 16-4 835 15 Ivy League
16. UC Irvine 14-4 754 17 Big West Conference
17. Lehigh 15-4 678 21 Patriot League
18. Davidson 13-5 543 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
19. George Washington 12-5 395 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
20. Detroit 16-6 356 19 Horizon League
21. Illinois State 14-6 344 24 Missouri Valley Conference
22. South Florida 12-5 230 18 American Athletic Conference
23. SMU 13-6 226 23 American Athletic Conference
24. UTEP 11-5 137 NR Conference USA
25. Massachusetts 13-5 109 NR Atlantic 10 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Richmond 13-5 73 Atlantic 10 Conference
Mercer 14-5 60 Southern Conference
Pepperdine 13-6 44 West Coast Conference
Buffalo 12-6 42 Mid-American Conference
Colorado State 12-5 25 Mountain West Conference
Northeastern 15-6 23 Colonial Athletic Association
Columbia 12-6 22 Ivy League
Belmont 14-6 5 Ohio Valley Conference
Northern Illinois 12-6 4 Mid-American Conference

Hartford doesn't manage to get any votes back, despite winning twice this week. A shame really.

[vex]

This season needs to end. Ugh.

[bbgunn]

I figured Wazzu would come back to earth when the Pac-12 season hit. However, they do need to make more of an impact if they want to get into the tournament at season's end.

As for UH... good conference start... now watch them finish like 8th in the Big West.

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 25-31, 2021

Only 1 feature game this week, and it's in the Pac 12. Let's get to it:

1/28/21- Stanford (Benito Sanchez) @ Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- A low scoring, defensive struggle, as Stanford only scored 14 first half points and shot 21.8% for the game. Colorado didn't shoot much better, only 31.5%, but it was more than enough to get the home victory.

Final Score: Colorado- 45, Stanford- 36

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 16-5, 7-3 America East.

1/27/21 vs. Maine (W 88-83, OT).
1/31/21 vs. Binghamton (W 82-51).

2 wins for the Hawks this week, and they came in completely different fashion. An OT win, and a blowout. they'll take em how they can get em though.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 10-11, 5-4 American.

1/30/21 at SMU (L 90-76).

Just 1 game this week for the Huskies, and it wasn't pretty, as they go to SMU and get smoked. The score doesn't indicate how much of a blowout this game really was.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 11-9, 5-4 American.

1/30/21 at #11 Memphis (W 84-80).

Just 1 game this week for the Pirates, but it was an absolute stunner as they go into Memphis and pull the upset of the century. That is win #11 on the season for ECU, a season high in the coaching career of Al Hutt, and they have plenty more chances to pile them on.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 9-9, 3-5 American.

1/30/21 vs. South Florida (W 81-69).

1 game for the Golden Hurricane also this week, and they get a much needed win to get back to .500 on the season.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 14-6, 5-3 ACC.

1/27/21 vs. Boston College (W 70-58).
1/30/21 vs. North Carolina (W 76-59).

Sweet revenge for the Blue Devils, who win the rematch with North Carolina, winning at home this time. They have a chance to go on a nice little winning streak.

#20 TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 17-4, 8-1 Big 12.

1/25/21 at #18 Oklahoma (W 54-46).
1/30/21 at Oklahoma State (W 79-74).

The Horned Frogs continue to shock the world this season, as they go through Oklahoma this week and sweep the 2 Big 12 Oklahoma teams. Amazing.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 12-8, 4-4 Big Ten.

1/27/21 vs. Iowa (W 94-54).
1/30/21 at Nebraska (W 74-44).

2 much needed blowout wins for the Spartans this week, as they continue to find some consistency.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 7-13, 3-5 Big Ten.

1/27/21 at Minnesota (L 79-71).
1/30/21 vs. #12 Illinois (L 57-47).

Not bad efforts for the Wildcats this week, but not good enough as they drop their 2nd and 3rd games in a row.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 10-10, 4-3 Big West.

1/28/21 vs. UC Santa Barbara (L 64-57).
1/30/21 at UC Irvine (L 71-63).

Coach Gunn hinted that he felt things going South again after that loss at Cal State Northridge. To be fair though, the 3 game losing streak the Warriors are on, are probably to the top 3 teams in the conference this season. Nothing to be alarmed about.. yet.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 10-9, 3-5 Conference USA.

1/28/21 at Western Kentucky (W 79-70).
1/30/21 at UTEP (L 99-90, OT).

A road split for the Owls this season, who stay above .500 overall, but are still well below in conference.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 9-11, 3-5 Pac 12.

1/28/21 vs. Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
1/30/21 at California (W 80-56).

A rare good week for the Buffaloes, as they get 2 wins in a row. Their win over a good Cal team was very convincing, so hopefully they can build on that.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 11-9, 5-3 Pac 12.

1/28/21 at Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.
1/30/21 vs. Gonzaga (W 70-54).

A split for the Cardinal, who give a rude welcome to new conference member Gonzaga, but couldn't find offense against Colorado.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 14-6, 5-3 Pac 12.

1/28/21 at Oregon State (W 69-51).
1/30/21 vs. Oregon (L 83-69).

A split for the Bruins this week, as they switch it up a bit, winning on the road and losing at home.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 13-7, 4-4 Pac 12.

1/28/21 at California (L 69-53).
1/30/21 at Arizona (W 64-50).

The Cougars split 2 road games this week, including a big win, some might even consider it an upset, over Arizona.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 9-11, 2-6 SEC.

1/27/21 at Vanderbilt (L 87-79).
1/30/21 vs. Auburn (L 93-89).

2 more losses for the Crimson Tide, who certainly don't look anything like the team we've seen the past 2 seasons. They are definitely having a down season.

#22 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 13-6, 6-2 SEC.

1/27/21 vs. Arkansas (W 90-71).
1/30/21 at Georgia (L 99-88).

A split for the Wildcats, as them losing to Georgia has to be considered a bit of an upset, even though it was on the road.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 10-11, 6-7 Sun Belt.

1/28/21 vs. South Alabama (L 77-65).
1/30/21 at South Alabama (L 94-62).

One of those stupid home and away same week splits against the same team for the Trojans this week, and they lost both. To be fair, South Alabama is 1 of only 3 Sun Belt teams that have a winning conference record right now, so the key for Coach Hawkins is to have his team up for those teams with losing records, and there are a lot left on the schedule.

Here's a look at the national top 25 for the week of Feb. 1-7:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Louisville (66) 19-3 1794 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Wisconsin (6) 18-2 1733 1 Big Ten Conference
3. Baylor 18-3 1643 3 Big 12 Conference
4. Boise State 17-3 1521 6 Mountain West Conference
5. San Diego State 18-2 1518 4 Mountain West Conference
6. Villanova 17-4 1479 8 Big East Conference
7. Wichita State 19-4 1341 9 Missouri Valley Conference
8. Florida State 16-4 1284 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. Syracuse 16-3 1265 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
10. Illinois 17-3 1117 12 Big Ten Conference
11. Penn State 16-5 1070 13 Big Ten Conference
12. Florida 14-6 920 16 Southeastern Conference
13. Providence 16-5 907 7 Big East Conference
14. TCU 17-4 856 20 Big 12 Conference
15. Rhode Island 17-3 743 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
16. Fresno State 18-3 685 15 Mountain West Conference
17. Memphis 15-4 535 11 American Athletic Conference
18. Oklahoma 13-6 509 18 Big 12 Conference
19. Tennessee 15-5 384 NR Southeastern Conference
20. Texas A&M 15-5 306 NR Southeastern Conference
21. Minnesota 14-6 244 NR Big Ten Conference
22. UAB 16-4 231 NR Conference USA
23. UCLA 14-6 225 NR Pacific-12 Conference
24. Georgetown 14-7 210 25 Big East Conference
25. Virginia 13-7 191 NR Atlantic Coast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Kent State 16-4 173 Mid-American Conference
Harvard 17-4 100 Ivy League
UC Irvine 16-4 68 Big West Conference
Kentucky 13-6 62 Southeastern Conference
Lehigh 17-4 56 Patriot League
Middle Tennessee 16-4 50 Conference USA
Davidson 15-5 46 Atlantic 10 Conference
Rutgers 15-5 38 Big Ten Conference
Western Michigan 16-5 36 Mid-American Conference
Quinnipiac 17-4 16 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Buffalo 14-6 14 Mid-American Conference
Illinois State 16-6 9 Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri 14-6 7 Southeastern Conference
William & Mary 16-5 7 Colonial Athletic Association
Vanderbilt 14-6 6 Southeastern Conference
Georgia State 17-6 1 Horizon League

Some interesting happenings with the national top 25. TCU moves up 6 spots, to the surprise of nobody. But we have 2 teams that split this week. UCLA was receiving votes this week, and even though they split, they still jumped into next weeks top 25. Meanwhile, just the opposite for Kentucky, who is out of the top 25 after their split, but still receiving votes.

Coach Childress might be kicking himself just a bit for moving to UConn, as things haven't gone as expected. Davidson is having a stellar season so far and is also receiving votes in the national top 25.

Now for the Mid-Major Top 25 for the week of Feb. 1-7:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (19) 19-4 1737 3 Missouri Valley Conference
2. San Diego State (31) 18-2 1728 1 Mountain West Conference
3. Boise State (22) 17-3 1719 2 Mountain West Conference
4. Rhode Island 17-3 1540 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
5. Memphis 15-4 1512 4 American Athletic Conference
6. Fresno State 18-3 1393 7 Mountain West Conference
7. UAB 16-4 1326 11 Conference USA
8. Kent State 16-4 1241 13 Mid-American Conference
9. Western Michigan 16-5 1143 9 Mid-American Conference
10. UC Irvine 16-4 1039 16 Big West Conference
11. Davidson 15-5 1018 18 Atlantic 10 Conference
12. Illinois State 16-6 916 21 Missouri Valley Conference
13. Buffalo 14-6 884 NR Mid-American Conference
14. Georgia State 17-6 862 6 Horizon League
15. Harvard 17-4 814 15 Ivy League
16. Lehigh 17-4 807 17 Patriot League
17. SMU 14-6 724 23 American Athletic Conference
18. Middle Tennessee 16-4 667 8 Conference USA
19. William & Mary 16-5 596 12 Colonial Athletic Association
20. Detroit 17-7 409 20 Horizon League
21. Quinnipiac 17-4 361 14 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
22. George Washington 13-6 230 19 Atlantic 10 Conference
23. Columbia 14-6 206 NR Ivy League
24. FIU 14-5 178 10 Conference USA
25. Mercer 16-5 177 NR Southern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Pepperdine 14-7 39 West Coast Conference
UTEP 12-6 36 Conference USA
Richmond 14-6 27 Atlantic 10 Conference
Massachusetts 14-6 24 Atlantic 10 Conference
Colorado State 13-6 15 Mountain West Conference
Northeastern 16-7 12 Colonial Athletic Association
Southern Illinois 14-7 10 Missouri Valley Conference
Northern Illinois 13-7 4 Mid-American Conference
Akron 13-8 2 Mid-American Conference
Stephen F. Austin 15-7 2 Summit League
Arkansas State 13-6 1 Sun Belt Conference
Cincinnati 13-8 1 American Athletic Conference

I'm absolutely mystified by this mid-major poll. First off, Hartford is 16-5 and can't even get a vote, while we have teams with 12-6, 13-8, 14-7 records that are getting votes, some even in the mid-major top 25. Crazy.

Also, look at the top 3 teams, all receiving votes. The team with the least FPV, by a wide margin, is #1. How does that work? Somebody please explain.

Moving on, the first edition of the Bubble Watch is out and we have 1 of our FOFC teams in the Overall Bubble Watch, so let's review.

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nebraska 13-7 .590 (20) 3-3 4-3 3-0 3-1 34 In
Oklahoma State 14-7 .578 (38) 0-4 4-2 6-1 4-0 42 In
William & Mary 16-5 .569 (49) 2-0 1-1 6-2 7-2 137 In
Fresno State 18-3 .554 (65) 2-1 3-0 3-1 10-1 288 In
Missouri 14-6 .553 (66) 3-3 4-0 1-3 6-0 145 In
Arkansas 13-7 .567 (53) 2-6 1-1 5-0 5-0 93 In
Washington State 13-7 .580 (34) 2-5 0-0 6-2 5-0 48 In
Illinois State 16-6 .550 (69) 2-4 3-2 3-0 8-0 168 In
Virginia 13-7 .550 (70) 3-2 4-2 4-3 2-0 73 Out
UTEP 12-6 .568 (50) 0-1 2-3 7-1 3-1 55 Out
Marshall 13-7 .557 (62) 2-3 1-0 5-0 5-4 154 Out
Duke 14-6 .549 (72) 1-3 2-1 6-1 5-1 128 Out
California 13-8 .585 (29) 2-5 3-2 6-1 2-0 16 Out
Akron 13-8 .556 (63) 1-4 3-2 4-2 5-0 76 Out
Harvard 17-4 .525 (118) 2-2 1-0 3-1 11-1 337 Out


Washington State, who is having their best season in years, is on the cusp of an NCAA tournament berth. They have to improve on that record against the RPI top 100, but still, their RPI of 34 is looking nice. I know it sounds simple, but they need to keep winning, especially against teams like Arizona and UCLA.

Now let's look at the rest of the Bubble Watch. Keep in mind this is only for the NCAA Tournament, and I will only list teams that are either locks, or projected in. All the other teams, you can figure are projected out.

Locks: TCU, UCLA, Kentucky

The only surprise here is Duke being projected out. Let me also explain that there are a lot of conference where each team is projected out. It took me a while to really figure out the meaning behind this, but as someone explained it to me, it's basically, would any of those teams in the conference have a shot at an at-large berth if they didn't win their conference? In a lot of the small conferences, the answer is no.

For example, America East. Our very own Hartford, right now, has a 1 game lead in the conference. You would think they would be projected in based on that. But with an RPI of 260 and an SOS of 350, no way in heck would they qualify for an at-large berth if they lost in the A-East Tournament. Same for all the teams in the conference. Hope that clears that up.

[law90026]

Duke is on the Bubble Watch. Just symptomatic of the lack of respect for our program :p

[collegesportsfanms]

Duke is on the Bubble Watch. Just symptomatic of the lack of respect for our program :p

Oops, sorry about that! I completely missed that but I see it now. I'll do better next time.

[law90026]

Oops, sorry about that! I completely missed that but I see it now. I'll do better next time.

Haha all good!

[Coffee Warlord]

Just wait till all those kids Colorado got in our recruiting class develop.

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 1-7, 2021

No feature games this week, which is a surprise for sure. To the weekly recap we go:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 17-6, 7-4 T-1st America East.

2/4/21 vs. Boston University (W 60-58).
2/7/21 at Vermont (L 77-57).

A split this week for the Hawks, as they win their non-conference game, but lose in the more important conference game, losing badly at that.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 11-12, 6-5 6th American.

2/3/21 vs. UCF (W 57-55).
2/6/21 at Tulane (L 78-59).

A split for the Huskies, who continue to struggle in Coach Childress's first year at the helm. Losing by 19 to a team even lower than them in the standings just isn't going to cut it.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 13-9, 7-4 T-3rd American.

2/3/21 vs. Tulane (W 85-64).
2/6/21 at Temple (W 78-70).

2 more wins for the Pirates, who continue to turn heads this season. Next week will tell us a lot though, as they play both the 1st and 2nd place teams in the conference.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 9-11, 3-7 9th American.

2/3/21 vs. Houston (L 60-48).
2/6/21 at SMU (L 84-59).

The struggles continue for the Golden Hurricane, who get absolutely blasted by SMU, not to mention losing by double digits to a 5 win team. Coach Brown is right, this season can't get over fast enough for them.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 16-6, 7-3 T-4th ACC.

2/3/21 vs. Virginia Tech (W 77-57).
2/6/21 at Clemson (W 78-68).

2 more wins for the Blue Devils, who have won 4 in a row now as they continue to make a late season push to get back into the NCAA Tournament.

#14 TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 18-5, 9-2 2nd Big 12.

2/1/21 at Texas (L 78-61).
2/6/21 at Kansas State (W 79-67).

A split for the Horned Frogs, who suffer their 2nd conference loss at Texas, but a nice recovery at K-State to split their road games this week.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 13-9, 5-5 T-6th Big Ten.

2/3/21 vs. #11 Penn State (L 85-81).
2/6/21 at Maryland (W 89-80).

A split for the Spartans, who continue to play average basketball. Coach Mighty is struggling to find some consistency with this team.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 8-14, 4-6 Big Ten.

2/3/21 vs. Nebraska (L 74-73).
2/6/21 vs. Iowa (W 69-54).

A split for the Wildcats, who break a 4 game losing streak by beating Iowa, and were just a basket away from going 2-0 this week.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 11-11, 5-4 T-3rd Big West.

2/4/21 vs. Cal Poly (W 85-76).
2/6/21 at Cal State Fullerton (L 72-55).

The Warriors also are struggling to find some consistency, as they break a 3 game losing streak by beating Cal Poly, then turn right around and lose again. The schedule is set up nicely to make a postseason push, but can Coach Gunn get these guys up for it?

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 11-10, 4-6 T-8th Conference USA.

2/4/21 at Old Dominion (W 75-66).
2/6/21 at Middle Tennessee (L 67-60).

A split for the Owls this week, as they also struggle to find consistency, as they have split their games the last 4 weeks of the season.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 10-12, 4-6 8th Pac 12.

2/4/21 at Oregon State (L 72-60).
2/6/21 vs. California (W 82-63).

A split for the Buffaloes, who have won 3 of their last 4 but have a very tough stretch coming up.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 11-11, 5-5 T-5th Pac 12.

2/4/21 vs. Arizona State (L 51-46).
2/6/21 at Arizona (L 65-56).

2 tough losses for the Cardinal this week, as they fall back to .500 on the season.

#23 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 16-6, 7-3 2nd Pac 12.

2/4/21 vs. Gonzaga (W 79-67).
2/6/21 vs. Washington (W 72-50).

2 double digit wins for the Bruins, who recover nicely this week after their loss to Oregon last week.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 14-8, 5-5 T-5th Pac 12.

2/4/21 vs. Oregon (W 72-69).
2/6/21 at Arizona State (L 70-60).

A split for the Cougars, who win a very tough game against Oregon, but can't follow it up as they lose to Arizona State.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 9-13, 2-8 T-12th SEC.

2/3/21 vs. #20 Texas A&M (L 89-81).
2/6/21 vs. Ole Miss (L 88-79).

The terrible season continues for the Crimson Tide, as they lose 2 more, and have now lost 7 of their last 8.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 14-7, 7-3 T-3rd SEC.

2/3/21 at Vanderbilt (L 62-60).
2/6/21 vs. South Carolina (W 84-53).

By all accounts, this is a down year for the Wildcats so far. They lost a heartbreaker at Vanderbilt before pounding South Carolina, but of their last 8 regular season games, 7 of them are against teams with winning records.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 10-12, 6-8 T-7th Sun Belt.

2/4/21 vs. Northern Kentucky (L 92-68).

I feel another late season slide coming for the Trojans, who have lost their last 3 games, and lost their last 2, including their lone game this week in very convincing fashion. The schedule is favorable for a strong finish, as 5 of their remaining 8 games are against teams that currently have either 7 or 8 wins. Let's hope Coach Hawkins can find a way to at least get his boys to qualify for the Sun Belt Tournament.

Let's take a look at the national top 25 for the week of Feb. 8-14:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Louisville (67) 21-3 1795 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Wisconsin (5) 20-2 1733 2 Big Ten Conference
3. Baylor 20-3 1651 3 Big 12 Conference
4. Villanova 19-4 1517 6 Big East Conference
5. San Diego State 20-2 1516 5 Mountain West Conference
6. Illinois 19-3 1460 10 Big Ten Conference
7. Florida State 18-4 1401 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Boise State 18-4 1296 4 Mountain West Conference
9. Syracuse 17-3 1217 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
10. Wichita State 21-4 1144 7 Missouri Valley Conference
11. Rhode Island 19-3 1047 15 Atlantic 10 Conference
12. Penn State 17-6 975 11 Big Ten Conference
13. TCU 18-5 756 14 Big 12 Conference
14. Memphis 16-4 750 17 American Athletic Conference
15. UAB 18-4 723 22 Conference USA
16. Providence 17-6 675 13 Big East Conference
17. Fresno State 19-4 527 16 Mountain West Conference
18. UCLA 16-6 469 23 Pacific-12 Conference
19. Kent State 18-4 459 NR Mid-American Conference
20. Georgetown 16-7 457 24 Big East Conference
21. Florida 15-7 437 12 Southeastern Conference
22. Virginia 15-7 352 25 Atlantic Coast Conference
23. UC Irvine 18-4 291 NR Big West Conference
24. Vanderbilt 16-6 203 NR Southeastern Conference
25. Western Michigan 18-5 201 NR Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
William & Mary 18-5 58 Colonial Athletic Association
Rutgers 16-6 54 Big Ten Conference
Harvard 18-5 43 Ivy League
Tennessee 16-6 41 Southeastern Conference
Georgia State 19-6 40 Horizon League
Missouri 16-6 37 Southeastern Conference
Arizona 15-7 20 Pacific-12 Conference
Texas A&M 16-6 19 Southeastern Conference
Lehigh 18-5 13 Patriot League
Middle Tennessee 17-5 8 Conference USA
Duke 16-6 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
Quinnipiac 19-5 4 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
SMU 16-6 3 American Athletic Conference
Oregon State 16-6 2 Pacific-12 Conference
Oklahoma 13-8 1 Big 12 Conference

Both TCU and UCLA move up in the top 25 this week, TCU doing so despite the loss to Texas. Duke is garnering a few votes after 2 wins this week.

Now for the mid-major top 25 for the week of Feb. 8-14:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. San Diego State (72) 20-2 1800 2 Mountain West Conference
2. Boise State 18-4 1719 3 Mountain West Conference
3. Wichita State 21-4 1641 1 Missouri Valley Conference
4. Rhode Island 19-3 1563 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
5. Memphis 16-4 1518 5 American Athletic Conference
6. UAB 18-4 1428 7 Conference USA
7. Kent State 18-4 1298 8 Mid-American Conference
8. Fresno State 19-4 1261 6 Mountain West Conference
9. Western Michigan 18-5 1197 9 Mid-American Conference
10. UC Irvine 18-4 1110 10 Big West Conference
11. Georgia State 19-6 1061 14 Horizon League
12. SMU 16-6 1007 17 American Athletic Conference
13. William & Mary 18-5 946 19 Colonial Athletic Association
14. Buffalo 15-7 868 13 Mid-American Conference
15. Harvard 18-5 828 15 Ivy League
16. Lehigh 18-5 694 16 Patriot League
17. Middle Tennessee 17-5 691 18 Conference USA
18. Illinois State 17-7 614 12 Missouri Valley Conference
19. Quinnipiac 19-5 456 21 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
20. Richmond 16-6 399 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
21. Detroit 18-8 351 20 Horizon League
22. Davidson 15-7 306 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
23. FIU 15-6 154 24 Conference USA
24. Mercer 17-6 143 25 Southern Conference
25. George Washington 14-7 138 22 Atlantic 10 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Eastern Michigan 16-7 44 Mid-American Conference
Massachusetts 15-7 38 Atlantic 10 Conference
Pepperdine 15-8 35 West Coast Conference
Akron 15-8 31 Mid-American Conference
Marshall 15-7 21 Conference USA
UTEP 13-7 15 Conference USA
Northeastern 17-8 11 Colonial Athletic Association
Northern Kentucky 16-6 6 Sun Belt Conference
Columbia 14-8 4 Ivy League
Northern Illinois 14-8 4 Mid-American Conference

Still none of our Mid-Major teams garnering votes. Hartford has the best chance, and probably should, but it is what it is.

Now it's time for this weeks edition of the Bubble Watch. Again we have 2 teams in the Overall Bubble Watch (I didn't leave Duke out this time!) so let's take a look.

OVERALL BUBBLE WATCH

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minnesota 14-8 .571 (42) 4-4 1-3 8-0 1-1 50 In
Washington 14-8 .559 (58) 4-7 2-0 4-1 4-0 63 In
Marshall 15-7 .579 (30) 3-3 1-0 5-1 6-3 107 In
Buffalo 15-7 .556 (63) 1-4 1-0 8-2 5-1 106 In
Virginia 15-7 .549 (70) 3-2 3-2 7-3 2-0 110 In
Washington State 14-8 .569 (45) 2-5 1-0 6-3 5-0 66 In
Arkansas 14-8 .565 (50) 1-6 3-2 6-0 4-0 103 In
Davidson 15-7 .561 (54) 1-1 2-1 6-2 6-3 82 In
Columbia 14-8 .568 (47) 3-4 1-1 3-1 7-2 43 Out
UTEP 13-7 .570 (44) 0-2 1-3 9-1 3-1 55 Out
Duke 16-6 .549 (71) 1-3 2-1 8-1 5-1 151 Out
Marquette 15-8 .544 (79) 2-6 3-2 3-0 7-0 138 Out
Auburn 13-8 .561 (56) 2-7 1-0 5-1 5-0 64 Out
Oakland 14-9 .570 (43) 2-1 3-4 4-4 5-0 40 Out
Indiana 13-8 .555 (64) 3-5 0-0 3-2 7-1 77 Out

Washington State is projected in, Duke projected out. Duke has a better overall record, and a slightly better record against the RPI top 100. So why are they projected out you ask? It's simple, that darn SOS (Strength of Schedule). Washington State's SOS is almost 100 higher than Duke's, and their RPI is 26 higher, so that explains that.

Duke just needs to keep taking care of business in their conference, and they have 3 very important games left. Winning 2 of those 3 is critical, along with suffering no bad losses.

Washington State may have their fate decided in the next 3 games, as they are against the top 3 teams in the conference. They need good results in all of them, but it's unlikely to happen. For them, winning the rest of their games aside from the next 3 may be enough.

Now for the rest of the Bubble Watch:

Locks: TCU, UCLA, Kentucky.

No changes from last week, as even the Overall Bubble Watch stayed the same.

[vex]

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 9-11, 3-7 9th American.

2/3/21 vs. Houston (L 60-48).
2/6/21 at SMU (L 84-59).

The struggles continue for the Golden Hurricane, who get absolutely blasted by SMU, not to mention losing by double digits to a 5 win team. Coach Brown is right, this season can't get over fast enough for them.


We're just resting our starters for the conference tourney, obviously.

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 8-14, 2021

2 feature games for you, and we'll start in the Big Ten.

2/13/21- Northwestern (Ess Vee) @ Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- No problem for the Spartans in this one, as they force 18 Northwestern turnovers and roll to an easy victory.

Final Score: Michigan State- 65, Northwestern- 46

Now to the Pac 12:

2/13/21- #18 UCLA (Tim Shepard) @ Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- A very gutsy effort for the Cougars in this one, as the teams played sloppy ball, combining for 35 turnovers. Washington State led at halftime, but free throw shooting was the difference, as Wazzou could only manage to shoot 50% from the charity stripe. The Bruins hit their free throws down the stretch.

Final Score: #18 UCLA- 60, Washington State- 55

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 18-7, 8-5 2nd America East.

2/10/21 at UMass Lowell (W 61-57).
2/14/21 vs. UMBC (L 67-58).

The Hawks continue to fade down the stretch, as they've lost 2 of their last 3. Losing to an 8 win team.. not acceptable.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 13-12, 8-5 T-3rd American.

2/10/21 vs. Temple (W 86-80).
2/13/21 at South Florida (W 90-82).

Good week for the Huskies, who win 2 in a row for the first time since the beginning of January. They can still make a push for the postseason, and it starts with developing a nice winning streak.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 13-11, 7-6 6th American.

2/10/21 vs. SMU (L 79-76).
2/13/21 vs. #14 Memphis (L 89-60).

The Pirates lose both games this week, and no such luck against Memphis this time. Earlier this season, ECU upset Memphis, but the Tigers were ready for the rematch.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 10-12, 4-8 9th American.

2/10/21 at Cincinnati (L 69-58).
2/13/21 at Temple (W 77-60).

The Golden Hurricane split this week, breaking a 3 game losing streak by winning big at Temple. The schedule doesn't get any easier though.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 18-6, 9-3 4th ACC.

2/10/21 at Notre Dame (W 75-67).
2/13/21 at #22 Virginia (W 82-58).

The Blue Devils seem to be figuring it out in February, as they've won 6 in a row, including a pasting of a ranked Virginia Team. Only 1 more real test on their schedule, so they should be setting themselves up quite nicely to return to the Big Dance.

#13 TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 18-7, 9-4 2nd Big 12.

2/8/21 vs. #3 Baylor (L 70-57).
2/13/21 vs. West Virginia (L 70-64).

Tough week for the Horned Frogs, as they continue to slide, losers of 3 of their last 4.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 14-10, 6-6 T-6th Big Ten.

2/10/21 vs. Rutgers (L 53-50).
2/13/21 vs. Northwestern- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Spartans, who lost to a Rutgers team that has been a surprise all season. Time for Coach Mighty to earn his money, as Sparty goes on the road for the next 4.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 8-16, 4-8 13th Big Ten.

2/10/21 vs. Ohio State (L 73-62).
2/13/21 at Michigan State- feature game, highlighted above.

2 more losses for the Wildcats, who have lost 6 of their last 7. The season is going south quick, and with their next 4 games against teams that have an RPI of 30 or better, it doesn't look like it'll get any better.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 11-13, 5-6 T-5th Big West.

2/9/21 at Long Beach State (L 70-44).
2/13/21 vs. UC Riverside (L 65-57).

Firecoachgunn.com is back up and running after 2 more losses for the Warriors. This makes them losers of 6 of their last 7 games after a 4-0 conference start. Coach Gunn needs to find the team that won 4 straight to start conference play.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 12-11, 5-7 T-8th Conference USA.

2/11/21 vs. Charlotte (L 90-81).
2/13/21 vs. Marshall (W 91-89, OT).

A split for the Owls this week, as they pulled off a mild upset against Marshall, even if they did need OT to do it.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 11-13, 5-7 T-8th Pac 12.

2/11/21 vs. Washington (L 68-59).
2/13/21 vs. Arizona (W 72-65).

Don't be so alarmed by the fact the Buffaloes beat Arizona, this is a very down year for Zona. Still a good win for Coach Nielsen, who hopes he can turn it into an end of season push.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 13-11, 7-5 T-4th Pac 12.

2/11/21 vs. Oregon (75-57).
2/13/21 at Gonzaga (W 71-70).

The Cardinal get 2 big wins this week to crawl within a game of 1st place in a down year for the conference overall. A nice buzzer beater at Gonzaga continues the Zags' not so warm welcome to Pac 12 life.

#18 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 17-7, 8-4 Pac 12.

2/11/21 vs. Arizona State (L 89-78).
2/13/21 at Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.

The Bruins split this week, as Arizona State continues to be a thorn in everybody's side, doing just enough to stay relevant.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 15-9, 6-6 T-6th Pac 12.

2/11/21 at Oregon State (W 62-54).
2/13/21 vs. #18 UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Cougars, as struggles at the free throw line cost them a chance for an upset against UCLA.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 10-14, 3-9 T-12th SEC.

2/10/21 at Georgia (W 71-63).
2/13/21 at Tennessee (L 75-65).

A split for the Crimson Tide, as the win at Georgia broke a 4 game losing streak. They are still struggling though, having only won 3 of their last 11 games. The win at Georgia was also career win #100 for Coach Rogers.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 16-7, 9-3 T-1st SEC.

2/10/21 vs. Missouri (W 77-65).
2/13/21 at #21 Florida (W 84-75).

Nice week for the Wildcats, who beat 2 solid teams, including a team that was ranked. They've won 3 in a row and appear to be putting it together now.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 12-12, 7-8 8th Sun Belt.

2/11/21 vs. Appalachian State (W 68-61).
2/13/21 at Nicholls State (W 71-45).

Good week for the Trojans, who are trying to avoid a 2nd straight late season meltdown. Getting a conference win and a non-conference win is a good start.

Here's a look at the national top 25 for the week of Feb. 15-21:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (48) 21-3 1775 2 Big Ten Conference
2. Louisville (21) 22-4 1720 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Baylor 22-3 1633 3 Big 12 Conference
4. Illinois (3) 21-3 1630 6 Big Ten Conference
5. Florida State 20-4 1477 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Boise State 20-4 1391 8 Mountain West Conference
7. San Diego State 21-3 1389 5 Mountain West Conference
8. Wichita State 23-4 1297 10 Missouri Valley Conference
9. Villanova 20-5 1272 4 Big East Conference
10. Syracuse 18-4 1174 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Fresno State 21-4 1015 17 Mountain West Conference
12. Memphis 18-4 984 14 American Athletic Conference
13. Rhode Island 20-4 925 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
14. Penn State 18-7 820 12 Big Ten Conference
15. Providence 18-6 761 16 Big East Conference
16. UCLA 17-7 643 18 Pacific-12 Conference
17. Duke 18-6 562 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
18. Rutgers 18-6 524 NR Big Ten Conference
19. UAB 19-5 454 15 Conference USA
20. Vanderbilt 17-7 408 24 Southeastern Conference
21. Harvard 20-5 308 NR Ivy League
22. Georgetown 17-8 255 20 Big East Conference
23. Georgia State 20-6 213 NR Horizon League
24. Kentucky 16-7 191 NR Southeastern Conference
25. Middle Tennessee 19-5 139 NR Conference USA

Others Receiving Votes:
TCU 18-7 119 Big 12 Conference
Buffalo 17-7 86 Mid-American Conference
SMU 18-6 63 American Athletic Conference
Quinnipiac 21-5 58 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Western Michigan 19-6 39 Mid-American Conference
Missouri 17-7 25 Southeastern Conference
Tennessee 17-7 22 Southeastern Conference
UC Irvine 18-6 21 Big West Conference
Richmond 18-6 7 Atlantic 10 Conference

Nice to see so many of our FOFC teams represented here. Granted, 4 isn't a lot, but it's a start. UCLA moves up 2 spots, even after splitting this week. Meanwhile, 2-0 weeks for Duke and Kentucky see them jump into the top 25, while TCU falls out after an 0-2 week, but is still at the top of the Others Receiving Votes list.

Now for the Mid-Major Top 25 for the week of Feb. 15-21:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (65) 23-4 1788 3 Missouri Valley Conference
2. Boise State (4) 20-4 1698 2 Mountain West Conference
3. San Diego State (3) 21-3 1698 1 Mountain West Conference
4. Memphis 18-4 1571 5 American Athletic Conference
5. Rhode Island 20-4 1500 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. Fresno State 21-4 1412 8 Mountain West Conference
7. UAB 19-5 1347 6 Conference USA
8. SMU 18-6 1254 12 American Athletic Conference
9. Georgia State 20-6 1186 11 Horizon League
10. Buffalo 17-7 1136 14 Mid-American Conference
11. Middle Tennessee 19-5 1057 17 Conference USA
12. Harvard 20-5 1033 15 Ivy League
13. Western Michigan 19-6 962 9 Mid-American Conference
14. Kent State 18-6 835 7 Mid-American Conference
15. UC Irvine 18-6 752 10 Big West Conference
16. Richmond 18-6 736 20 Atlantic 10 Conference
17. Quinnipiac 21-5 673 19 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
18. Illinois State 18-8 549 18 Missouri Valley Conference
19. Mercer 19-6 512 24 Southern Conference
20. William & Mary 18-7 406 13 Colonial Athletic Association
21. Massachusetts 17-7 339 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
22. Pepperdine 17-8 265 NR West Coast Conference
23. Detroit 19-9 174 21 Horizon League
24. Davidson 16-8 144 22 Atlantic 10 Conference
25. Lehigh 18-7 102 16 Patriot League

Others Receiving Votes:
George Washington 15-8 55 Atlantic 10 Conference
FIU 16-7 53 Conference USA
Columbia 16-8 35 Ivy League
Northern Illinois 16-8 35 Mid-American Conference
Northern Kentucky 18-6 34 Sun Belt Conference
Akron 16-9 26 Mid-American Conference
Northeastern 18-8 20 Colonial Athletic Association
UTEP 14-8 5 Conference USA
Eastern Michigan 17-8 3 Mid-American Conference
USC Upstate 18-7 3 Atlantic Sun Conference
Cal State Northridge 15-9 2 Big West Conference

Still striking out here, as Hartford continues to slump a bit, and UConn hasn't lived up to expectations.

It's time for this weeks edition of the Bubble Watch, and we've got 1 FOFC team listed in the Overall Bubble Watch:

OVERALL BUBBLE WATCH

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Florida 15-9 .588 (20) 4-7 3-1 5-1 3-0 10 In
Arkansas 15-9 .565 (43) 5-7 0-2 6-0 4-0 70 In
UC Irvine 18-6 .565 (44) 0-1 4-1 8-3 6-1 189 In
Arizona 15-9 .581 (24) 3-5 4-1 7-3 1-0 20 In
Columbia 16-8 .571 (34) 3-3 1-2 6-1 6-2 57 In
Oregon State 16-8 .557 (59) 1-4 2-3 6-0 7-1 103 In
William & Mary 18-7 .559 (55) 1-0 1-1 5-4 11-2 167 In
Washington State 15-9 .569 (40) 1-5 4-2 4-2 6-0 53 In
George Washington 15-8 .555 (65) 3-1 5-3 3-2 4-2 91 Out
UTEP 14-8 .569 (38) 0-4 2-2 7-1 5-1 47 Out
Marshall 15-9 .561 (49) 3-3 1-0 6-3 5-3 118 Out
Kent State 18-6 .548 (73) 3-1 2-2 4-3 9-0 211 Out
Davidson 16-8 .553 (67) 1-1 3-1 5-3 7-3 106 Out
Marquette 16-9 .548 (72) 2-7 3-2 4-0 7-0 105 Out
Massachusetts 17-7 .543 (80) 1-1 1-3 7-2 8-1 199 Out

Right now, Washington State is the last team projected in, and they are losing ground. If they keep splitting their games during the week, that could change. The 1-5 against the RPI top 50 is hurting them, even if their RPI is strong enough to warrant an at-large bid. They have 6 games left, going .500 in those 6 games is absolutely a must, and they'll probably need to win at least 1 game in the Pac 12 Tourney to feel safe.

Now for the rest of the FOFC Teams and their projections. Remember, if a team isn't listed, they are projected out, and also remember this is only for the NCAA Tournament, not the other 3 postseason tournaments.

Locks: Duke, TCU, UCLA, Kentucky.

The only change from last week is that Duke is off the bubble, for now, and is projected as a lock.

[bbgunn]

C'mon Cougs!

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 15-21, 2021

We have 3 feature games this week, and we'll start in the Pac 12, which had 2 of the feature games.

2/18/21- #16 UCLA (Tim Shepard) @ Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- The Buffaloes battled in this one, sticking with UCLA stat line for stat line. The only difference is that UCLA made a few more free throws and a couple more three pointers. The Bruins were a perfect 15-15 from the line in pulling out a tough road victory.

Final Score: #16 UCLA- 72, Colorado- 69

2/20/21- Stanford (Benito Sanchez) @ Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- Stanford controlled the boards in this game, and shot the ball much better. They took 10 fewer shots, and made 1 more shot. This equated to a double digit victory.

Final Score: Stanford- 63, Washington State- 51

Now we move to the American Conference:

2/20/21- UConn (Randolph Childress) @ Tulsa (Will Brown) -- A bit of a shocker here, as the Huskies led by 6 at halftime but completely fell apart in the second half. The telling numbers in this game? UConn committed 31 team fouls, and Tulsa was 32-47 from the line. Hard to beat a team that shoots 47 free throws.

Final Score: Tulsa- 69, UConn- 64

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 18-9, 8-7 T-3rd America Eat.

2/17/21 vs. Albany (L 74-65).
2/21/21 at Maine (L 80-47).

2 more losses this week for the Hawks, as they've lost 3 in a row, and 4 of their last 5. They've got 2 games next week, and 1 is a non-conference game. They can't win the America East this season, the best they can do is 2nd place.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 13-14, 8-7 T-5th American.

2/17/21 vs. SMU (L 95-71).
2/20/21 at Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.

Tough week for the Huskies, as the first season under the watch of Coach Childress has been disappointing, to say the least.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 14-11, 8-6 4th American.

2/17/21 vs. UCF (W 74-66).

Just 1 game for the Pirates this season, and it was a win, as they continue to break records and stay on the bubble for any postseason tournament berth.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 12-12, 6-8 7th American.

2/17/21 at South Florida (W 62-53).
2/20/21 vs. UConn- feature game, highlighted above.

2 more wins this week for the Golden Hurricane, who have fought back to .500. Next week will be a tough week though.

#17 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 20-6, 11-3 3rd ACC.

2/17/21 at Pittsburgh (W 76-75).
2/20/21 vs. Wake Forest (W 78-68).

2 more wins for the Blue Devils, who have now rolled off 8 straight victories. They have a chance to make a statement next week as they take on the conference leader.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 19-8, 10-5 2nd Big 12.

2/15/21 at Iowa State (L 79-52).
2/20/21 at Kansas (W 72-63).

The Horned Frogs split this week, winning at Kansas to break a 3 game losing streak. Man, how bad has Kansas gotten in this game? They are just 6-18 this season. Yikes. Back to TCU, as they have tied the team record for most wins in a season, a record that they set just last year and will probably break it this season. If Coach Mighty doesn't get some consideration for either national or Big 12 COTY, it's a shame.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 14-12, 6-8 T-9th Big Ten.

2/17/21 at Michigan (L 74-73).
2/20/21 at Ohio State (L 67-64).

2 tough losses for the Spartans this season, as they continue to struggle through what is easily their worst season since I started this dynasty.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 8-18, 4-10 13th Big Ten.

2/17/21 vs. #14 Penn State (L 69-64).
2/20/21 at Indiana (L 73-64).

2 more losses for the Wildcats, as they continue to play good, but not good enough basketball. Coach Vee could be on his way out after the season.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 13-13, 7-6 4th Big West.

2/18/21 at UC Davis (W 71-66).
2/20/21 vs. Cal State Northridge (W 76-75).

2 tough victories for the Warriors this week, including a buzzer beater over a solid Northridge team. Hawaii continues to play inconsistent basketball, and we'll see what next week brings.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 12-13, 5-9 T-11th Conference USA.

2/18/21 at #19 UAB (L 75-72).
2/20/21 at UTSA (L 76-71).

Heartbreaking week on the road for the Owls, as they had ranked UAB on the ropes for most of the game before fading late. Same situation at UTSA, although they weren't ranked. It's definitely a week of "What could have been".

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 12-14, 6-8 T-8th Pac 12.

2/18/21 vs. #16 UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.
2/20/21 at Arizona State (W 71-63).

A split for the Buffaloes, who had a golden opportunity for another marquee victory, but fell short against UCLA. They are in a great position to win out in the regular season, which just might put them in contention for a postseason tournament. However, they have to play the level of basketball Coach Nielsen knows they are capable of playing.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 14-12, 8-6 T-4th Pac 12.

2/18/21 vs. Oregon State (L 78-58).
2/20/21 at Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.

The Cardinal didn't show up against Oregon State, but bounced back nicely on the road, splitting this week.

#16 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 18-8, 9-5 T-2nd Pac 12.

2/18/21 at Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.
2/20/21 at Arizona (L 72-66).

A split for the Bruins, and once again, it is that pesky Arizona team that even in a bit of a down year is causing UCLA fits.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 15-11, 6-8 T-8th Pac 12.

2/18/21 vs. Arizona (L 62-55).
2/20/21 vs. Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.

2 more losses for the Cougars, who are really hurting their NCAA chances. They need to figure out a way to win late in the season.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 11-15, 4-10 12th SEC.

2/17/21 vs. Missouri (L 92-78).
2/20/21 vs. LSU (W 78-57).

A split for the Crimson Tide, and signs of life as well, with a 21 point win over LSU. Hopefully that'll spark something, but let's be honest, the schedule is pretty brutal to end the season.

#24 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 18-7, 11-3 T-1st SEC.

2/17/21 at Ole Miss (W 99-64).
2/20/21 at Auburn (W 93-71).

The Wildcats are rolling again, as they win 2 games this week by 20+ points. This is what we're used to seeing. They have some tough games coming up and are going to need to continue this type of offense pace.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 13-13, 8-8 T-5th Sun Belt.

2/18/21 vs. Samford (L 89-81).
2/20/21 vs. UL Lafayette (W 58-56).

The Trojans split this week, but get the win in their conference game, which is ever so important. The last 3 seasons, Troy has finished 7-13 in the conference. Not this season, they'll top that, even if by just 1 game. Hopefully they can win a couple more though.

Let's take a look at the national top 25 heading into the week of Feb. 22-28:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Baylor (47) 24-3 1764 3 Big 12 Conference
2. Wisconsin (1) 22-4 1704 1 Big Ten Conference
3. Louisville (24) 23-5 1700 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. Florida State 22-4 1536 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
5. Wichita State 25-4 1505 8 Missouri Valley Conference
6. San Diego State 23-3 1444 7 Mountain West Conference
7. Illinois 21-5 1394 4 Big Ten Conference
8. Syracuse 20-4 1321 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. Villanova 21-6 1213 9 Big East Conference
10. Boise State 21-5 1167 6 Mountain West Conference
11. Memphis 20-4 1069 12 American Athletic Conference
12. Providence 20-6 954 15 Big East Conference
13. Fresno State 22-4 871 11 Mountain West Conference
14. Penn State 20-7 816 14 Big Ten Conference
15. Kentucky 18-7 793 24 Southeastern Conference
16. Rutgers 20-6 792 18 Big Ten Conference
17. Rhode Island 21-5 621 13 Atlantic 10 Conference
18. UAB 21-5 586 19 Conference USA
19. Duke 20-6 456 17 Atlantic Coast Conference
20. Harvard 22-5 435 21 Ivy League
21. Middle Tennessee 21-5 349 25 Conference USA
22. Missouri 19-7 291 NR Southeastern Conference
23. Tennessee 19-7 173 NR Southeastern Conference
24. Virginia 17-9 141 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
25. UCLA 18-8 84 16 Pacific-12 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Georgetown 18-9 64 Big East Conference
Mercer 21-6 33 Southern Conference
UC Irvine 20-6 31 Big West Conference
SMU 19-7 22 American Athletic Conference
Vanderbilt 18-8 21 Southeastern Conference
Quinnipiac 22-6 15 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Georgia State 21-7 8 Horizon League
Buffalo 18-8 7 Mid-American Conference
Oklahoma 16-9 6 Big 12 Conference
Western Michigan 20-7 5 Mid-American Conference
Florida 17-9 4 Southeastern Conference
TCU 19-8 4 Big 12 Conference
William & Mary 20-7 1 Colonial Athletic Association

So after 2 big wins this week, Kentucky moves up 9 spots. Meanwhile, Duke, even after 2 victories this week, drops 2 spots. UCLA also drops, but theirs was much more significant, as they fall 8 spots after splitting this week. TCU continues to receive votes, but another split will probably see those votes gone.

Now for the mid-major poll for the week of Feb. 22-28:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (68) 25-4 1796 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. San Diego State (4) 23-3 1731 3 Mountain West Conference
3. Boise State 21-5 1646 2 Mountain West Conference
4. Memphis 20-4 1589 4 American Athletic Conference
5. Rhode Island 21-5 1450 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. Fresno State 22-4 1431 6 Mountain West Conference
7. UAB 21-5 1391 7 Conference USA
8. Middle Tennessee 21-5 1277 11 Conference USA
9. SMU 19-7 1177 8 American Athletic Conference
10. Harvard 22-5 1171 12 Ivy League
11. Georgia State 21-7 1055 9 Horizon League
12. Buffalo 18-8 974 10 Mid-American Conference
13. Western Michigan 20-7 944 13 Mid-American Conference
14. UC Irvine 20-6 899 15 Big West Conference
15. William & Mary 20-7 713 20 Colonial Athletic Association
16. Kent State 19-7 702 14 Mid-American Conference
17. Pepperdine 19-8 587 22 West Coast Conference
18. Quinnipiac 22-6 563 17 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
19. Mercer 21-6 527 19 Southern Conference
20. Illinois State 19-9 503 18 Missouri Valley Conference
21. Detroit 21-9 321 23 Horizon League
22. Akron 18-9 274 NR Mid-American Conference
23. Northern Kentucky 20-6 174 NR Sun Belt Conference
24. Massachusetts 18-8 172 21 Atlantic 10 Conference
25. Richmond 18-8 141 16 Atlantic 10 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Davidson 17-9 63 Atlantic 10 Conference
UTEP 16-8 44 Conference USA
Lehigh 19-8 25 Patriot League
FIU 17-8 21 Conference USA
George Washington 16-9 19 Atlantic 10 Conference
Cincinnati 17-10 8 American Athletic Conference
Evansville 16-9 4 Missouri Valley Conference
Northeastern 19-9 4 Colonial Athletic Association
USC Upstate 20-7 4 Atlantic Sun Conference

Just as it has been for weeks now, nothing for our FOFC Mid-major teams.

Now for this weeks edition of the bubble watch, as none of our FOFC teams are in the Overall Bubble Watch. Let's take a look anyways:

OVERALL BUBBLE WATCH

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FIU 17-8 .579 (31) 2-3 4-1 2-1 9-3 92 In
William & Mary 20-7 .555 (58) 2-0 0-0 5-5 13-2 195 In
Arkansas 16-10 .562 (43) 3-7 2-3 7-0 4-0 76 In
UTEP 16-8 .566 (39) 0-4 2-2 8-1 6-1 67 In
Virginia 17-9 .549 (67) 4-6 2-0 8-3 3-0 83 In
Evansville 16-9 .550 (63) 0-3 4-2 3-3 9-1 139 In
Davidson 17-9 .555 (59) 1-2 2-2 5-2 9-3 82 In
Columbia 16-10 .560 (46) 3-3 1-2 6-2 6-3 60 In
Oregon State 17-9 .550 (65) 2-2 3-5 5-1 7-1 129 Out
Marshall 16-10 .553 (60) 3-4 1-0 6-3 6-3 117 Out
Cal State Northridge 16-10 .552 (61) 0-3 2-3 9-3 5-1 88 Out
Cincinnati 17-10 .548 (68) 2-6 0-1 5-0 10-3 101 Out
Texas A&M 17-9 .543 (76) 2-6 5-0 7-2 3-1 104 Out
Illinois State 19-9 .545 (73) 1-4 4-3 5-1 9-1 160 Out
Oklahoma 16-9 .544 (74) 1-3 3-1 5-5 7-0 113 Out


Let's take a look at where are FOFC are projected, as far as the NCAA Tourney goes:

Locks: Duke, TCU, UCLA, Kentucky

No changes from last week, as it's exactly the same.

[muns]

We just cant figure out a way to win.

[vex]

2/20/21- UConn (Randolph Childress) @ Tulsa (Will Brown) -- A bit of a shocker here, as the Huskies led by 6 at halftime but completely fell apart in the second half. The telling numbers in this game? UConn committed 31 team fouls, and Tulsa was 32-47 from the line. Hard to beat a team that shoots 47 free throws.

Final Score: Tulsa- 69, UConn- 64



47 free throws at home? I see that the refs found the duffel bag of cash we left them.

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 22-28, 2021

We have 3 feature games this week, 2 of them involving ECU. Let's get to it:

2/24/21- ECU (Al Hutt) @ UConn (Randolph Childress) -- UConn controlled the battle of the boards, outrebounding ECU by 9. They couldn't take care of the basketball though, committing 19 turnovers, and couldn't stop ECU's hot shooting. The Pirates shot 46.6% in rolling to a road victory.

Final Score: ECU- 73, UConn- 58

2/27/21- ECU (Al Hutt) @ Tulsa (Will Brown) -- The ECU defense did it again, holding Tulsa to just 17 halftime points and forced 21 turnovers throughout the game. They rolled to another easy victory, as they are starting to leave fans from other teams shell shocked.

Final Score: ECU- 65, Tulsa- 42

Now we move to the Pac 12:

2/27/21- Stanford (Benito Sanchez) @ #25 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- The Bruins had only a 3 point lead at halftime, but outscored Stanford 48-24 in the second half, shooting 51.9% for the game, and holding the Cardinal to 31.8% shooting and forcing 22 turnovers as they absolutely rolled to a home victory.

Final Score: #25 UCLA- 85, Stanford- 58

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 19-9, 9-7 T-2nd America East.

2/26/21 at New Hampshire (W 58-56).

Just 1 game for the Hawks this week, and they finish off conference play on a good note. They have 1 more non-conference game next week, and then the America East tourney. They fell short in the tiebreakers and will be the 4th seed and open up against 5th seed Binghamton.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 14-15, 9-8 6th American.

2/24/21 vs. ECU- feature game, highlighted above.
2/27/21 at Houston (W 72-60).

A split for the Huskies this week, as the win at Houston broke a brief 3 game losing streak. They have 1 game next week, a chance to finish .500 overall in the regular season.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 16-11, 10-6 4th American.

2/24/21 at UConn- feature game, highlighted above.
2/27/21 at Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.

2 key wins for the Pirates, and the best thing is they did it on the road. Did I mention that Coach Hutt has to be both a conference and national coach of the year candidate?

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 13-13, 7-9 7th American.

2/24/21 vs. #11 Memphis (W 72-64).
2/27/21 vs. ECU- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Golden Hurricane, as they shock Memphis, then get blown out by ECU. That loss broke a 4 game winning streak, but they have a chance to win 2 games next week, as the competition isn't very tough.

#19 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 21-7, 12-4 T-3rd ACC.

2/24/21 at #4 Florida State (L 84-75).
2/27/21 vs. Georgia Tech (W 88-49).

A split for the Blue Devils, and man did they need that game against GA Tech. Granted, it's still been a good season, but getting a marquee win over 1 of the other top teams in the ACC is something that the Dukies didn't do this season.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 21-8, 12-5 2nd Big 12.

2/22/21 vs. Oklahoma State (W 95-87).
2/27/21 vs. Oklahoma (W 74-63).

The Horned Frogs hosted a couple teams from Oklahoma this week, and took care of business with both of them. After a brief 3 game losing streak, they are back on a roll, with 1 conference game left. They are already locked into the 2nd seed in the Big 12 Tournament.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 15-13, 7-9 T-9th Big Ten.

2/24/21 at Minnesota (L 72-66).
2/27/21 at Indiana (W 77-70).

A split for the Spartans, who finally get back on the winning side of things. It's been tough going the past few seasons for Coach Mighty, as this win at Indiana broke yet another 3 game losing streak.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 9-19, 5-11 13th Big Ten.

2/24/21 at #16 Rutgers (W 69-54).
2/27/21 vs. #2 Wisconsin (L 78-54).

The Wildcats split this week, picking up a nice win against Rutgers, then getting hammered by a strong Wisconsin team. Double digit wins is the goal at this point for Coach Vee, as he knows there is a good chance he'll be packing his backs at seasons end.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 13-14, 7-7 T-5th Big West.

2/27/21 at UC Santa Barbara (L 66-62).

Just 1 game this week for the Warriors, and if not for getting themselves into a big hole early, they might have won it. Coach Gunn continues to struggle to find consistency from his players.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 12-15, 5-11 T-12th Conference USA.

2/25/21 vs. North Texas (L 78-61).
2/27/21 vs. Louisiana Tech (L 76-67).

2 more losses for the Owls, as that makes 4 in a row. No trouble for them to find consistency, as they are consistently bad right now.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 13-15, 7-9 8th Pac 12.

2/25/21 at Gonzaga (W 86-80).
2/27/21 at Oregon (L 86-81).

2 tough games on the road for the Buffaloes, and they split them. Coach Nielsen is inching closer to career win #100, but unless they go on a deep run somehow, it won't happen this season.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 14-14, 8-8 T-6th Pac 12.

2/25/21 vs. Utah (L 86-76).
2/27/21 at #25 UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

Not a good week for the Cardinal, who simply just fell apart in the second half of both games.

#25 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 20-8, 11-5 2nd Pac 12.

2/25/21 at Oregon (W 86-81).
2/27/21 vs. Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.

2 wins for the Bruins, who seem to have recovered from yet another loss to Arizona. It's still a possibility for UCLA to win the Pac 12, but they need to win twice next week and hope Arizona loses twice. In short, probably not gonna happen.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 15-13, 6-10 T-9th Pac 12.

2/25/21 vs. Washington (L 64-58).
2/27/21 vs. Utah (L 80-45).

This season has gone south in a hurry for the Cougars, who have lost 5 in a row and 6 of the last 7. Coach St. John had this team looking to make it's first postseason tournament since this dynasty started, but that's unlikely to happen now.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 13-15, 6-10 11th SEC.

2/24/21 at Arkansas (W 79-64).
2/27/21 at South Carolina (W 75-70).

The Crimson Tide win 2 more this week, and that brings it up to a 3 game winning streak. I'd like to say they are hitting their stride, but next week they have to take on VCU and Kentucky, and that won't be easy to overcome.

#15 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 20-7, 13-3 T-1st SEC.

2/24/21 vs. VCU (W 93-84).
2/27/21 vs. #23 Tennessee (W 69-44).

The Wildcats continue to roll, getting 2 easy wins this week. As long as they keep winning, they've got the inside track to at least a share of the SEC regular season title, and considering they beat Missouri in their only meeting of the season, provided both teams win out, that would make Kentucky the #1 seed in the SEC Tournament. Getting ahead of myself though, both teams still have 2 conference games left.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 14-14, 9-9 5th Sun Belt.

2/25/21 at Arkansas Little Rock (L 82-71).
2/27/21 at Appalachian State (W 68-50).

A split for the Trojans, who avoided the end of season collapse they had last season, but Coach Hawkins wants more out of this team.

Here's a look at the national top 25 for the week of March 1-7:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (36) 24-4 1754 2 Big Ten Conference
2. Louisville (23) 24-5 1703 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Baylor (11) 25-3 1700 1 Big 12 Conference
4. Florida State (1) 24-4 1587 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
5. Wichita State 27-4 1512 5 Missouri Valley Conference
6. San Diego State (1) 25-3 1461 6 Mountain West Conference
7. Boise State 23-5 1362 10 Mountain West Conference
8. Syracuse 21-5 1268 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. Illinois 23-5 1237 7 Big Ten Conference
10. Villanova 21-7 1153 9 Big East Conference
11. Penn State 22-7 1035 14 Big Ten Conference
12. Kentucky 20-7 998 15 Southeastern Conference
13. UAB 23-5 895 18 Conference USA
14. Missouri 21-7 847 22 Southeastern Conference
15. Fresno State 23-5 789 13 Mountain West Conference
16. Harvard 23-5 719 20 Ivy League
17. Duke 21-7 646 19 Atlantic Coast Conference
18. Providence 21-7 545 12 Big East Conference
19. UCLA 20-8 514 25 Pacific-12 Conference
20. Memphis 20-6 485 11 American Athletic Conference
21. Rutgers 20-8 302 16 Big Ten Conference
22. Middle Tennessee 22-6 261 21 Conference USA
23. TCU 21-8 168 NR Big 12 Conference
24. Georgetown 19-9 113 NR Big East Conference
25. Western Michigan 22-7 104 NR Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Buffalo 20-8 101 Mid-American Conference
Arizona 19-9 54 Pacific-12 Conference
Virginia 18-10 26 Atlantic Coast Conference
Tennessee 19-9 16 Southeastern Conference
UC Irvine 21-7 13 Big West Conference
Rhode Island 21-7 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
Quinnipiac 22-6 9 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Mercer 22-7 6 Southern Conference
Washington 20-8 5 Pacific-12 Conference

So Kentucky moves up 3 spots after 2 big wins this week, while Duke moves up 2 spots after splitting their games. UCLA moves up 6 spots, and TCU is back in the national top 25!

Now for a look at the mid-major top 25 for the week of March 1-7:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (67) 27-4 1795 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. San Diego State (5) 25-3 1733 2 Mountain West Conference
3. Boise State 23-5 1656 3 Mountain West Conference
4. UAB 23-5 1569 7 Conference USA
5. Memphis 20-6 1489 4 American Athletic Conference
6. Fresno State 23-5 1395 6 Mountain West Conference
7. Harvard 23-5 1361 10 Ivy League
8. Buffalo 20-8 1224 12 Mid-American Conference
9. Western Michigan 22-7 1190 13 Mid-American Conference
10. Rhode Island 21-7 1148 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
11. SMU 20-8 1107 9 American Athletic Conference
12. Middle Tennessee 22-6 1106 8 Conference USA
13. UC Irvine 21-7 896 14 Big West Conference
14. Pepperdine 20-8 804 17 West Coast Conference
15. Georgia State 21-9 769 11 Horizon League
16. Quinnipiac 22-6 682 18 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
17. Richmond 20-8 594 25 Atlantic 10 Conference
18. William & Mary 21-8 589 15 Colonial Athletic Association
19. Mercer 22-7 538 19 Southern Conference
20. Illinois State 20-10 405 20 Missouri Valley Conference
21. Northern Kentucky 21-6 321 23 Sun Belt Conference
22. George Washington 18-9 287 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
23. Akron 19-10 249 22 Mid-American Conference
24. Detroit 21-10 114 21 Horizon League
25. Kent State 19-9 110 16 Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
FIU 19-8 97 Conference USA
Northeastern 21-9 69 Colonial Athletic Association
Davidson 18-10 42 Atlantic 10 Conference
Cincinnati 18-10 18 American Athletic Conference
Lehigh 20-9 17 Patriot League
UTEP 17-9 11 Conference USA
Arkansas State 19-8 7 Sun Belt Conference
Massachusetts 18-10 3 Atlantic 10 Conference
USC Upstate 21-8 3 Atlantic Sun Conference
Columbia 18-10 2 Ivy League

For about the 6th week in a row (I don't know exactly, I lost count), we have no FOFC mid-major teams getting votes.

It's time for this weeks edition of the bubble watch. Starting with the overall bubble watch in which we again have none of our FOFC teams listed. Here's a look anyways:

OVERALL BUBBLE WATCH

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FIU 19-8 .578 (22) 3-3 3-1 4-1 9-3 110 In
Arkansas 17-11 .557 (51) 5-8 1-2 6-1 5-0 71 In
Nebraska 17-11 .571 (31) 3-7 6-2 5-1 3-1 27 In
Oregon State 18-10 .550 (64) 2-4 2-3 5-2 9-1 113 In
Akron 19-10 .559 (49) 2-4 2-1 6-3 9-2 98 In
Columbia 18-10 .553 (57) 3-4 1-1 7-2 7-3 89 In
Marshall 18-10 .559 (48) 3-4 1-0 6-3 8-3 111 In
UTEP 17-9 .562 (46) 0-6 2-1 9-1 6-1 62 In
William & Mary 21-8 .557 (50) 0-0 2-2 6-4 13-2 184 Out
Miami 17-11 .564 (40) 1-9 5-1 6-1 5-0 36 Out
Virginia 18-10 .541 (70) 4-4 3-2 8-4 3-0 99 Out
Cincinnati 18-10 .550 (63) 2-6 0-1 5-0 11-3 101 Out
Davidson 18-10 .547 (67) 1-2 3-3 6-3 8-2 93 Out
Evansville 17-10 .546 (68) 0-3 3-2 5-4 9-1 120 Out
Kent State 19-9 .541 (72) 3-4 2-0 2-5 12-0 188 Out

Let's take a look at the bubble watch for all our FOFC teams. Not that I expect any changes, but we'll look anyways.

Locks: Duke, TCU, UCLA, Kentucky

Not much of a surprise here, as there are no changes from the last couple weeks.

[collegesportsfanms]

March 1-7, 2021

We have 2 feature games this week, and we'll start in the Pac 12:

3/6/21- Washington State (DeShawn St. John) @ Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- Poor shooting was the theme of this game, as Colorado only shot 36.8%. However, that was more than enough to beat Washington State, who made just 11 shots and shot a terrible 26.8%. That poor shooting percentage alone was enough for the Buffaloes to pull out a home victory.

Final Score: Colorado- 50, Washington State- 42

Now to the SEC:

3/6/21- #12 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) @ Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- Not much of a game here, as the Big Blue defense forced 19 turnovers, and despite being outrebounded, the Wildcats had no trouble closing out Bama on the road.

Final Score: #12 Kentucky- 80, Alabama- 62

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 20-10, 9-7 America East.

3/1/21 vs. Youngstown State (W 63-61).
3/4/21- America East Quarterfinals vs. (5) Binghamton (L 65-54).

Tough end to the regular season for the Hawks, who did win a non-conference game before the America East tournament, but fell short in their first game there. Will 20 wins be enough to get them into the NIT? Probably, but knowing how the game likes to snub our FOFC teams, I wouldn't be surprised if they get relegated to the CBI or CIT, especially with that RPI of 256.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 14-16, 9-9 6th American.

3/6/21 vs. Cincinnati (L 78-59).

Coach Childress's first season with the Huskies did not go at all like he'd hoped, as they struggled all season to find consistency. They'll be the 6th seed in the American Tournament and open up with 11th seed Houston, so at least they have a good chance to get 1 more win.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 18-11, 12-6 T-2nd American.

3/3/21 at Cincinnati (W 75-65).
3/6/21 vs. Houston (W 63-55).

The Pirates finish the regular season on a 5 game winning streak, and winning 9 of their last 11, as they continue to shatter team records. For the first time ever, ECU will get a bye in the American Tournament, as they get to watch UConn and Houston play, knowing they'll get the winner in the Quarterfinals.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 13-15, 7-11 8th American.

3/3/21 at UCF (L 63-48).
3/6/21 at Tulane (L 60-49).

Some embarrassing losses this week for the Golden Hurricane. We thought they were figuring it out, but apparently not. They'll get a chance for redemption though, as the 8th seed in the American Tournament, they open up with 9th seed Tulane, a team they just performed poorly against.

#17 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 22-8, 13-5 4th ACC.

3/3/21 at N.C. State (L 68-60).
3/6/21 vs. Miami (W 66-43).

The Blue Devils split this week, ending the regular season losing 2 of 4. They get a double bye into the Quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament, where their Quarterfinal opponent will either be 13th seed Virginia Tech, 12th seed Clemson, or 5th seed Virginia.

#23 TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 22-8, 13-5 2nd Big 12.

3/6/21 at Texas Tech (W 89-81).

Just 1 game for the Horned Frogs this week, as they finish the regular season in style, winning their last 4. They'll get a bye in the Big 12 Tournament, going straight to the Quarterfinals where they await the winner of 10th seed Kansas (my god how bad have they gotten) and 7th seed Oklahoma State.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 17-13, 9-9 T-5th Big Ten.

3/3/21 vs. Purdue (W 78-74, OT).
3/6/21 vs. #1 Wisconsin (W 83-62).

The Spartans finish the regular season with a lot of momentum, as they absolutely hammer top ranked Wisconsin in their regular season finale. They'll take that momentum into the Big Ten Tournament, where they drew the lucky cards in a 5 way tie for 5th, as they'll get the 6th seed and a sorta kinda bye to the Second Round, as they'll await the winner of 14th seed Maryland and 11th seed Purdue.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 10-20, 6-12 13th Big Ten.

3/3/21 vs. Maryland (L 76-63).
3/6/21 at Michigan (W 74-65).

A split for the Wildcats, who at least finish the regular season with a win, but it might not be enough to save Coach Vee's job. They'll get another chance in the Big Ten Tournament, where they'll be the 13th seed and open up against 12th seed Iowa in the First Round.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 15-14, 9-7 4th Big West.

3/4/21 vs. UC Irvine (W 80-53).
3/6/21 at Cal Poly (W 75-54).

2 very impressive wins to close out the regular season for the Warriors, as they have their best conference finish in 3 years. Also, the win at Cal Poly was career win #100 for Coach Gunn, who was beginning to wonder if he would have to wait until next season to get it, so congrats to him. They still have work to do though, as they'll be the 4th seed in the Big West Tournament and open up against 5th seed Long Beach State.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 14-15, 7-11 T-10th Conference USA.

3/4/21 at Southern Miss (W 96-84).
3/6/21 vs. Florida Atlantic (W 77-75).

The Owls are on the right side of a couple wins this week, getting closer to .500. Those 2 wins prove to be very big, as they move up to the 11th seed in the Conference USA Tournament as they'll open up in the First Round against 14th seed Southern Miss, who they just beat.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 15-15, 9-9 T-6th Pac 12.

3/4/21 at Utah (W 63-52).
3/6/21 vs. Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.

Strong finish to the regular season for the Buffaloes, who win 2 tough games. They win the tiebreaker for the 6th seed in the Pac 12 Tournament, and will turn right around and face an 11th seed Washington State team that they just beat.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 16-14, 10-8 T-4th Pac 12.

3/4/21 at Washington (W 80-78).
3/6/21 vs. California (W 92-78).

The Cardinal also finish the regular season in style, including a good road win against a Washington team that won 21 games in the regular season. Unfortunately, they lost the tiebreaker for the 4th seed in the Pac 12 Tournament. That would have given them a First Round bye. Instead, they'll be the 5th seed and open up against.. go figure, 12th seed California, which they just beat this week.

#19 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 21-9, 12-6 T-2nd Pac 12.

3/4/21 at California (W 66-54).
3/6/21 vs. Utah (L 70-53).

The Bruins split this week, missing a chance to win the Pac 12 regular season title. Instead, they do win the tiebreaker for the 2nd seed and will be the 2nd seed in the Pac 12 Tournament, they'll get a First Round bye and take go straight to the Quarterfinals where they'll take on the winner of 10th seed Oregon and 7th seed Arizona State.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 15-15, 6-12 11th Pac 12.

3/4/21 at Gonzaga (L 74-40).
3/6/21 at Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.

The Cougars finish the regular season with 7 straight losses. After finishing non-conference play with a 9-3 record, Coach St. John feared that his team would fall apart in conference play, and he was right. Which means they'll probably have to win the Pac 12 Tournament to see the postseason. They get a chance as the 11th seed and will also get another chance as they take on 6th seed Colorado in the First Round.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 13-17, 6-12 T-11th SEC.

3/3/21 at VCU (L 101-92).
3/6/21 vs. #12 Kentucky- feature game, highlighted above.

The Crimson Tide, after a couple breakthrough seasons, have fallen back down this season. They'll be the 12th seed in the SEC Tournament and open up in the First Round against 13th seed Georgia.

#12 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 21-8, 14-4 T-1st SEC.

3/3/21 vs. Texas A&M (L 89-88, OT).
3/6/21 at Alabama- feature game, highlighted above.

Tough break for the Wildcats, who lost a chance to win the SEC title outright when they lost to Texas A&M in overtime. However, they have gotten their hands on every regular season SEC title since I started this dynasty, 6 to be exact. They've shared 4 of them though, but still a pretty incredible feat. They win the tiebreaker and get the top seed in the SEC Tournament, yet again. They get a double bye into the Quarterfinals where they'll take on the winner of a Second Round game between 9th seed Arkansas and 8th seed Texas A&M.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 16-14, 11-9 T-4th Sun Belt.

3/4/21 at Texas State (W 81-71).
3/6/21 vs. Arkansas State (W 82-62).

Big week for the Trojans, who finish the regular season winning 3 in a row and 4 of their last 5. They set a team high for most conference wins in a season since this dynasty started, and have tied the team record for most overall wins in a season. Their best season up to this point was 4 seasons ago, so Coach Hawkins seems to have things going in the right direction. And most importantly, they get a chance to improve on their overall win total, and they qualify for the Sun Belt Tournament. They'll be the 5th seed and open up in the First Round against 8th seed Texas State. The Sun Belt doesn't use a traditional bracket, as the top 2 seeds get byes straight the the Semifinals, the 3 and 4 seeds get byes to the Second Round, and the other 4 teams battle it out in the First Round. Kinda crazy, but a benefit for our Trojans as they get a very good chance to pile up another win or 2.

Here's a look at the final Top 25 polls as well go into the big conference tournament week, starting with the National Top 25:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Louisville (65) 26-5 1793 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Florida State (2) 26-4 1715 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Baylor (3) 26-4 1647 3 Big 12 Conference
4. San Diego State (2) 27-3 1611 6 Mountain West Conference
5. Wisconsin 24-6 1488 1 Big Ten Conference
6. Wichita State 27-5 1432 5 Missouri Valley Conference
7. Boise State 25-5 1373 7 Mountain West Conference
8. Syracuse 23-5 1313 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. Illinois 24-6 1229 9 Big Ten Conference
10. Kentucky 21-8 1069 12 Southeastern Conference
11. Villanova 22-8 1052 10 Big East Conference
12. Providence 23-7 1015 18 Big East Conference
13. Missouri 22-8 911 14 Southeastern Conference
14. Fresno State 24-6 853 15 Mountain West Conference
15. UAB 24-6 779 13 Conference USA
16. Penn State 22-9 652 11 Big Ten Conference
17. Harvard 24-6 649 16 Ivy League
18. Rutgers 22-8 621 21 Big Ten Conference
19. Duke 22-8 541 17 Atlantic Coast Conference
20. Memphis 21-7 387 20 American Athletic Conference
21. UCLA 21-9 343 19 Pacific-12 Conference
22. Buffalo 21-8 248 NR Mid-American Conference
23. Tennessee 21-9 224 NR Southeastern Conference
24. Western Michigan 23-7 203 25 Mid-American Conference
25. TCU 22-8 120 23 Big 12 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Middle Tennessee 23-7 51 Conference USA
Georgetown 20-10 36 Big East Conference
Northern Kentucky 23-6 19 Sun Belt Conference
Quinnipiac 24-7 14 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
William & Mary 24-8 11 Colonial Athletic Association
Arizona 20-10 1 Pacific-12 Conference


We still have 4 FOFC teams ranked, the same 4 obviously. Duke and UCLA move down 2 spots after splits this week. TCU also moves down 2 spots, despite winning their only game this week. Then you have media darlings Kentucky, who actually move up 2 spots after splitting this week. To be fair, their loss was a 1 point loss in overtime, but still.

Now to the final Mid-Major Top 25, which (spoiler alert) has 1 of our FOFC teams finally receiving votes again!

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. San Diego State (65) 27-3 1793 2 Mountain West Conference
2. Wichita State (7) 27-5 1730 1 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Boise State 25-5 1661 3 Mountain West Conference
4. UAB 24-6 1564 4 Conference USA
5. Memphis 21-7 1427 5 American Athletic Conference
6. Fresno State 24-6 1386 6 Mountain West Conference
7. Harvard 24-6 1345 7 Ivy League
8. Buffalo 21-8 1325 8 Mid-American Conference
9. Western Michigan 23-7 1251 9 Mid-American Conference
10. Middle Tennessee 23-7 1161 12 Conference USA
11. SMU 21-9 1048 11 American Athletic Conference
12. Rhode Island 22-8 1015 10 Atlantic 10 Conference
13. William & Mary 24-8 960 18 Colonial Athletic Association
14. Richmond 22-8 910 17 Atlantic 10 Conference
15. UC Irvine 22-8 758 13 Big West Conference
16. Georgia State 21-9 703 15 Horizon League
17. Quinnipiac 24-7 676 16 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
18. Northern Kentucky 23-6 561 21 Sun Belt Conference
19. Kent State 20-9 510 25 Mid-American Conference
20. Mercer 22-8 336 19 Southern Conference
21. Detroit 21-10 300 24 Horizon League
22. Pepperdine 20-10 249 14 West Coast Conference
23. FIU 20-9 177 NR Conference USA
24. Illinois State 20-11 176 20 Missouri Valley Conference
25. Evansville 20-11 74 NR Missouri Valley Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
St. Bonaventure 18-10 50 Atlantic 10 Conference
Cincinnati 19-11 48 American Athletic Conference
Davidson 19-11 46 Atlantic 10 Conference
McNeese State 22-8 38 Southland Conference
George Washington 18-11 35 Atlantic 10 Conference
Northeastern 21-10 27 Colonial Athletic Association
Lehigh 21-10 13 Patriot League
UTEP 18-10 13 Conference USA
Massachusetts 19-11 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
Akron 19-11 8 Mid-American Conference
Cal State Northridge 19-11 6 Big West Conference
Loyola Chicago 21-12 6 Missouri Valley Conference
East Carolina 18-11 3 American Athletic Conference
Arkansas State 20-9 2 Sun Belt Conference

Well hello ECU! Back receiving votes (although just 3) after a long absence. Of all the FOFC mid-major teams in this dynasty, ECU (no offense to Coach Hutt) would have been one of the last ones I would forsee receiving mid-major votes going into the final week of the regular season.

Alright folks, the last Bubble Watch of the 2020-2021 season is out. Although none of our FOFC teams are in the Overall Bubble Watch, let's take a look at it anyways.

OVERALL BUBBLE WATCH

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FIU 20-9 .567 (32) 2-4 4-1 5-1 9-3 112 In
Nebraska 18-12 .561 (42) 4-8 4-2 7-1 3-1 39 In
Xavier 18-12 .553 (52) 5-6 2-4 4-2 7-0 65 In
UTEP 18-10 .559 (45) 1-5 2-2 10-1 5-2 72 In
Evansville 20-11 .548 (59) 0-3 4-6 6-1 10-1 121 In
George Washington 18-11 .548 (60) 2-1 5-5 5-2 6-3 81 In
Marquette 20-10 .543 (69) 4-8 3-2 6-0 7-0 132 In
Davidson 19-11 .549 (56) 1-1 4-3 5-5 9-2 84 In
Marshall 19-11 .548 (58) 3-4 1-0 6-4 9-3 153 Out
Akron 19-11 .546 (62) 2-4 2-1 6-3 9-3 125 Out
Oregon State 18-12 .546 (64) 2-4 3-5 6-2 7-1 94 Out
Virginia 18-12 .543 (68) 4-5 3-1 8-6 3-0 57 Out
UC Irvine 22-8 .542 (70) 0-1 2-1 10-5 10-1 270 Out
Columbia 18-12 .554 (50) 3-4 1-2 5-2 9-4 67 Out
Arkansas 18-12 .546 (65) 4-10 2-1 5-1 7-0 92 Out

A lot of mid-major teams in the Overall Bubble Watch. Of course that means their conference tournaments are that much more huge. Now let's look at our FOFC teams and see how they are doing, although again I don't expect much change.

Locks: Duke, TCU, UCLA, Kentucky

To the surprise of nobody, there is absolutely no change.

[collegesportsfanms]

March 8-14, 2021

Only 1 feature game for this week, and it came in the Pac 12.

3/10/21- Pac 12 First Round - (11) Washington State (DeShawn St. John) vs. (6) Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- This turned out to be not much of a game, as the Buffaloes absolutely controlled the battle of the boards, grabbing 43 rebounds to just 23 for Washington State. All that led to a lot of second chance points, a lot more shot attempts, and a lot more made shots as Colorado rolls into the next round.

Final Score: (6) Colorado- 63, (11) Washington State- 45

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 20-10, 9-7 America East.

The Hawks lost early in the America East Tournament last week. At 20 wins on the season, they feel pretty confident they will be extending their season. The experts aren't so sure though. That gaudy 252 RPI has many thinking they might well be done. My guess.. they'll be on the road in the CBI.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 14-17, 9-9 American.

3/11/21- American First Round vs. (11) Houston (L 79-75).

An embarrassing loss in the first round of the conference tournament definitely has Coach Childress hot under the collar. Everybody was expecting big things, now some people are wishing, Coach Childress himself, that he was back at Davidson. There will be no postseason for UConn.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 20-12, 12-6 American.

3/12/21- American Quarterfinals vs. (11) Houston (W 87-55).
3/13/21- American Semifinals vs. (2) SMU (W 64-49).
3/14/21- American Championship vs. (1) #20 Memphis (L 75-66).

A heck of a run completes a heck of a season so far for the Pirates. The first 20 win season for ECU since this dynasty started, which has to give Coach Hutt consideration for many Coach of the Year awards. Not to mention, I would certainly think his job would be safe. ECU will be in the postseason for the first time ever (at least in this dynasty), but I don't think it'll be in the NCAA Tournament. They are right on the bubble, and I think they'll be hosting a First round NIT game.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 13-16, 7-11 American.

3/11/21- American Quarterfinals vs. (9) Tulane (L 80-57).

The Golden Hurricane are glad to see this season come to an end. It was a disaster for Coach Brown, as he is now 2 for 4 in postseason appearances in his time at Tulsa. Like UConn, there won't be any type of postseason for Coach Brown, and you have to wonder if his seat won't start getting warmer.

#19 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 24-9, 13-5 ACC.

3/11/21- ACC Quarterfinals vs. (12) Clemson (W 69-47).
3/12/21- ACC Semifinals vs. (1) #2 Florida State (W 83-64).
3/13/21- ACC Championship vs. (2) #8 Syracuse (L 78-68).

The big win for the Blue Devils is that semifinal win over Florida Start, their first win over a top ACC team this season. Unfortunately, they couldn't make it back to back as they ran out of gas against Syracuse. The Dukies will still be dancing though, and if I had to guess, I think they are looking at a #3 or #4 seed.

#25 TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 24-9, 13-5 Big 12.

3/11/21- Big 12 Quarterfinals vs. (7) Oklahoma State (W 76-70).
3/12/21- Big 12 Semifinals vs. (6) Texas (W 65-57).
3/13/21- Big 12 Championship vs. (1) #3 Baylor (L 60-57).

What a season for the Horned Frogs and Coach Mighty. Their first 20 win season, a 2nd place finish in the Big 12, and their first NCAA Tournament berth (because they will be dancing, there is no doubt). Coach Mighty is also under consideration for several COY awards, and don't be surprised if he gets a few job offers after his last 2 seasons at TCU. As for their NCAA Tournament seed, I'm guessing around a 5 or 6 seed.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 18-14, 9-9 Big Ten.

3/11/21- Big Ten Second Round vs. (11) Purdue (W 76-56).
3/12/21- Big Ten Quarterfinals vs. (3) #5 Wisconsin (L 60-49).

The Spartans just couldn't put together the kind of consistent season they needed to make it back to the NCAA Tournament. With 14 losses, even with the name brand they carry, an RPI of 72 could very well have them staying home this postseason. I have to think though, based on their name alone, the CBI or possibly the NIT will throw them an invite.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 10-21, 6-12 Big Ten.

3/10/21- Big Ten First Round vs. (12) Iowa (L 93-90).

Coach Vee might very well have coached his last game for the Wildcats, as they had a terrible season and came nowhere close to that postseason goal that the Northwestern AD had for them. This makes 3 of the 4 seasons that coach Vee has been at Northwestern where they will miss out on the postseason.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 16-15, 9-7 Big West.

3/11/21- Big West Quarterfinals vs. (5) Long Beach State (W 66-57).
3/12/21- Big West Semifinals vs. (6) Cal State Fullerton (L 68-65).

For some weird reason, the Big West reseeds their teams after the Quarterfinals where the highest seed plays the lowest seed, and then the other 2 teams play. In this case, it worked against the Warriors, as the #8 seed upset the #1 seed. In a regular bracket Hawaii would have been playing the #8 seed in the semifinals. I don't know if this is the way they do it for real, but it's crazy. In any case, the Warriors missed a golden opportunity. Although this is the best finish that Hawaii has had in 3 seasons, don't expect it to be enough to make the postseason. I think they are done, and Coach Gunn gets to sit through another offseason watching the hits pile up on firecoachgunn.com.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 14-16, 7-11 Conference USA.

3/9/21- Conference USA First Round vs. (14) Southern Miss (L 91-85).

The Owls pretty much needed to win the C-USA tourney to get a postseason berth, so their season will be over. This also marks the 3rd season in a row with no postseason for Rice. Coach Shocker may be another FOFC coach working with a warmer seat next season.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 16-16, 9-9 Pac 12.

3/10/21- Pac 12 First Round vs. (11) Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.
3/11/21- Pac 12 Quarterfinals vs. (3) Washington (L 82-71).

The Buffaloes finish the season just as they started it.. average. A .500 record overall and in the conference isn't good enough. Although it was an improvement from last season, this marks 5 seasons in a row with no postseason for the Buffs. (I'm just guessing they won't make a tournament this season). As is this theme with our FOFC coaches, expect Coach Nielsen to work on a warm seat next season.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 17-15, 10-8 Pac 12.

3/10/21- Pac 12 First Round vs. (12) California (W 75-67).
3/11/21- Pac 12 Quarterfinals vs. (4) Utah (L 75-45).

Yikes! Not a great showing at all for the Cardinal in that Quarterfinal game. With that 101 RPI, it's going to be extremely hard to picture the Cardinal getting a postseason invite. If that's the case, it'll be 2 seasons in a row, after the first 4 seasons in the postseason, including an NIT championship.

#21 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 21-10, 12-6 Pac 12.

3/11/21- Pac 12 Quarterfinals vs. (10) Oregon (L 76-73).

One could say that the Bruins just choked in this game, but Oregon actually went on a massive Cinderella run to win the Pac 12 Tournament and earn an NCAA berth, so that has to make Coach Shepard feel a little happier. UCLA will still be dancing, probably around the #4 or #5 seed line.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 15-16, 6-12 Pac 12.

3/10/21- Pac 12 First Round vs. (6) Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.

Well, the Cougars didn't quite finish last in the Pac 12, but after a great start to the season that had people thinking NCAA Tournament, it was a very disappointing run in Pac 12 play. If Coach St. John wants to keep his job, he's going to have to find a way to make Washington State more competitive in the Pac 12.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 13-18, 6-12 SEC.

3/10/21- SEC First Round vs. (13) Georgia (L 96-61).

It's almost like the Crimson Tide just packed it in and decided not to show up for the SEC Tournament, a result that Coach Rogers has to be disappointed with. After 3 good seasons in a row, Bama will be on the outside looking in this postseason.

#10 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 23-9, 14-4 SEC.

3/12/21- SEC Quarterfinals vs. (9) Arkansas (W 101-80).
3/13/21- SEC Semifinals vs. (5) Vanderbilt (W 99-67).
3/14/21- SEC Championship vs. (7) VCU (L 80-78).

The Wildcats put up some major points in the SEC Tournament, but would have liked to saved a few of those points, as they fell just short in the SEC championship. Still though, yet another great season for Kentucky, and they will be dancing again. Probably as a #3 or #4 seed.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 16-15, 11-9 Sun Belt.

3/11/21- Sun Belt First Round vs. (8) Texas State (L 88-66).

Poor Coach Hawkins. He was in the midst of leading the Trojans to their best season in this dynasty, but they laid an egg in the Sun Belt tourney. At least they made it this season, but still, they are (if my math is right) the only FOFC team that has not made the postseason in this dynasty. They won't this season, not with a 193 RPI. But.. we are seeing signs that they have the potential to get there next season.

I'm going to make you guys wait until tomorrow to reveal Selection Sunday, just to keep a little suspense to this. Although, other than 1 or 2 teams, most of the others know whether they are in the postseason or not. The only real question mark to me is Michigan State, if they will make a tournament, and ECU, what tournament they'll make.

[law90026]

Let's go Blue Devils!

[Neuqua]

Need the season to mercifully end so we can explore our options for next year.

[Zinto]

Hey, ECU was pretty good this season!

[Coffee Warlord]

Next year we'll be a big deal.

[collegesportsfanms]

2021 Selection Sunday

UCLA gets the 5th seed in the NCAA West Region and will take on the winner of a First Four game between Evansville and George Washington.

Kentucky gets the 3rd seed in the NCAA South Region and will take on 14th seed Princeton in the First Round.

Duke gets the 6th seed in the NCAA South Region and will take on 11th seed FIU in the First Round.

Anybody else see a Kentucky-Duke showdown in the Round of 32? I do!

TCU gets the 6th seed in the NCAA East Region and will take on the winner of a First Four game between Buffalo and Arkansas.

ECU gets the 2nd seed in the NIT East Region and will host the winner of 10th seed Tennessee State and 7th seed Northern Illinois in the NIT East Region Quarterfinals.

Hartford gets the 10th seed in the CBI, and will travel to 7th seed Texas Rio Grande Valley in the First Round.

And that's it. A pathetic 6 of 17 FOFC teams make the 2021 postseason. Michigan State get a bit of a snub, as you'd have thought on name alone they'd have snuck into a tournament, but it was not to be.

[bbgunn]

Ugh. Terrible.

[rjolley]

Let's go, Bruins!

Hope Coach Sanchez isn't on the hot seat.

[collegesportsfanms]

2021 Postseason

Despite only 6 of our FOFC teams making the postseason, it was very, very kind to 2 of our teams. Not to spoil it, but we had 2 NCAA Final Four entrants of our 4 teams that made the NCAA Tournament! The rest of the teams didn't fare quite as well, we've got 2 feature games to tell you about.

3/21/21- NCAA South Region Second Round -- (6) Duke (Dean Hoo) vs. (3) Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- This one did not live up to the hype of the Christian Laettner buzzer beater, as the Dukies rolled to an easy victory thanks to a 43-28 rebounding edge. The Blue Devils took 72 shots in this game, 18 more than Kentucky! As it stands, they are onto the Sweet Sixteen.

Final Score: (6) Duke- 103, (3) Kentucky- 76

4/3/21- NCAA Final Four -- (6S) Duke (Dean Hoo) vs. (5W) UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- Hot shooting from both teams made this one an offensive classic, but the Bruins made 5 more three pointers, and committed only 7 turnovers compared to 15 for Duke. All that led to just the 2nd appearance in the Final Four for our FOFC teams.

Final Score: (5W) UCLA- 81, (6S) Kentucky- 71

Now for the rest of the postseason recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 20-11, 9-7 America East.

3/16/21- CBI First Round at (7) Texas Rio Grande Valley (L 62-54).

The Hawks certainly didn't finish the regular season on the kind of note they wanted to, but they do get their 2nd straight 20 win season, and Coach Ginsberg might actually get a few job offers.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 20-13, 12-6 American.

3/12/21- NIT East Region Second Round vs. (7) Northern Illinois (L 72-65).

All in all, a great season for the Pirates. Their first postseason appearance ever, a 20 win season, and even though they didn't win a postseason game, they know they can get there. Next season they'll shoot for higher goals, and the seat should cool for Coach Hutt.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 28-10, 13-5 ACC.

3/19/21- NCAA South Region First Round vs. (11) FIU (W 66-65).
3/21/21- NCAA South Region Second Round vs. (3) Kentucky- feature game, highlighted above.
3/26/21- NCAA South Region Semifinal vs. (7) Washington (W 81-60).
3/28/21- NCAA South Region Championship vs. (4) Wichita State (W 86-75).
4/3/21- NCAA Final Four vs. (5W) UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

A heck of a run for the Blue Devils, but it almost didn't happen, as Duke almost lost their first round game. Boy did they go on a roll afterwards. Now this is what I'm used to seeing, and I hope they make a consistent run of it.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 25-10, 13-5 Big 12.

3/19/21- NCAA East Region First Round vs. (11) Buffalo (W 78-63).
3/21/21- NCAA East Region Second Round vs. (3) Rutgers (L 74-52).

Well, not quite the finish the Horned Frogs were hoping for, as they forgot to show up against Rutgers. Still, another great season that will probably net Coach Mighty some job offers of his own.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 26-11, 12-6 Pac 12.

3/18/21- NCAA West Region First Round vs. (12) Evansville (W 71-62).
3/20/21- NCAA West Region Second Round vs. (4) LSU (W 65-49).
3/26/21- NCAA West Region Semifinal vs. (1) San Diego State (W 84-76).
3/28/21- NCAA West Region Final vs. (2) Louisville (W 52-43).
4/3/21- NCAA Final Four vs. (6S) Duke- feature game, highlighted above.
4/5/21- NCAA National Championship vs. (8MW) Fresno State (L 74-38).

Ouch! That might have been one of the worst National Championship games ever, but how about Fresno State, who many felt were vastly underseeded. They definitely shocked a lot of people. But that championship game, whew! Well, the Bruins do become the first FOFC team to make it to the NCAA National Championship, but we have yet to provide an NCAA Tournament winner.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 24-10, 14-4 SEC.

3/19/21- NCAA South Region First Round vs. (14) Princeton (W 113-94).
3/21/21- NCAA South Region Second Round vs. (6) Duke- feature game, highlighted above.

Certainly the Wildcats would have liked a better postseason showing, but at least the game against Duke was a guarantee that one of our FOFC teams were Sweet Sixteen bound. Still though, Kentucky has some work to do, as the 10 season losses is the highest Kentucky has had in this dynasty.

That concludes the 2021 Postseason. Tomorrow, or maybe later tonight, I will take care of some offseason stuff.

[rjolley]

Ok, did I read that right? 74-38? Did we send in the kids of our players to play the game? Did our managers play the game? Did everyone get injured right before and the coaching staff have to play?

Great job making it to the title game, Coach Shepard, but can you remind the team the game is on Monday not Tuesday next time?

[law90026]

Duke is back baby!

[bbgunn]

Wow, not only did UCLA lose badly in the championship, but they lost to in-state Fresno State? That's gotta hurt.

[collegesportsfanms]

2021 Postseason Recap

We know 3 of the 4 teams that were in the NCAA Final Four, with UCLA, Duke, and Fresno State. The other team was the 2nd seed out of the East Region, Syracuse, who Fresno State beat 77-66 in the Final Four.

The NIT Final Four also had a Cinderella team in it. In 1 semifinal, (1W) UTEP pounded (3S) South Florida 75-54. The other semifinal saw (1E) Akron narrowly defeat Cinderella team (8MW) Murray State 77-74. The NIT championship wasn't quite as disappointing as the National Championship, but Akron still dominated, 87-71.

The CBI Championship Series played out as it should have, as (2) Belmont beat (1) Loyola MD 2 games to 1, with all 3 games very exciting. In the first game, Loyola won 80-76. In the 2nd game, Belmont tied the series up at 1 with a 77-76 OT victory. The 3rd and deciding game was won by Belmont, 89-80.

The CIT Championship saw (7) Oakland beat (4) South Alabama 82-77.

[collegesportsfanms]

2020-2021 National Awards

Kentucky is the only team that garnered any national awards, 3 of them in fact. They had the National Freshman of the Year, and that same player was named to the NCAA All-Freshman Team. They also put a player on the All-NCAA 1st Team.

2020-2021 Conference Awards

Hartford head coach David Ginsberg was named America East Coach of the Year for the 2nd straight season. The Hawks also put 2 players on the America East 2nd Team and 1 player on the America East All-Freshman Team.

No awards this season for UConn.

ECU head coach Al Hutt was named the American Coach of the Year. The Pirates also put 1 player on the American 1st Team and 2 players on the American 2nd Team.

Tulsa put 1 player on the American 1st Team and 1 player on the American All-Freshman Team.

Duke put 1 player on the ACC 1st Team.

TCU head coach Bee Mighty was named Big 12 Coach of the Year. The Horned Frogs also put 1 player each on the Big 12 1st Team, the Big 12 2nd Team, and the Big 12 All-Freshman Team.

No awards this season for Michigan State.

Northwestern put 1 player on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.

Hawaii put 1 player on the Big West 1st Team and 1 player on the Big West 2nd Team.

Rice put 1 player on the Conference USA All-Freshman Team.

No awards this season for Colorado.

Stanford put 1 player on the Pac 12 All-Freshman Team.

UCLA had the Pac 12 Freshman of the Year, and put that player on the Pac 12 All-Freshman Team.

No awards this season for Washington State.

Alabama put 1 player on the SEC 2nd Team.

Kentucky had both the SEC Player and Freshman of the Year. The Wildcats also put 2 players on the SEC 1st Team, 1 player on the SEC 2nd Team, and 1 player on the SEC All-Freshman Team.

Troy put 1 player on the Sun Belt 1st Team.

[collegesportsfanms]

2020-2021 Recruiting Class Rankings

Hartford had the 176th best class in the nation, good for 4th in the America East.

UConn had the 197th best class in the nation, good for 6th in the American.

ECU had the 128th best class in the nation, good for 4th in the American.

Tulsa had the 267th best class in the nation, last place in the American by a bit of a wide margin.

Duke had the 47th best class in the nation, good for 9th in the ACC.

TCU has the 48th best class in the nation, good for 4th in the Big 12.

Michigan State had the #1 recruiting class in the nation, obviously tops in the Big Ten. It could be this season or bust for Coach Mighty.

Northwestern, on the other hand, had the 335th best class in the nation, last in the Big Ten by a very wide margin. The next worst recruiting class in the Big Ten was still almost 100 higher.

Hawaii had the 74th best class in the nation, good for 2nd in the Big West.

Rice had the 209th best class in the nation, good for 10th in Conference USA.

Colorado had the 38th best class in the nation, good for 6th in the Pac 12.

Stanford had the 31st best class in the nation, good for 4th in the Pac 12.

UCLA had the 12th best class in the nation, tops in the Pac 12.

Washington State had the 33rd best class in the nation, good for 5th in the Pac 12.

Kentucky had the 14th best class in the nation, good for 2nd in the SEC.

Alabama had the 87th best class in the nation, good for 13th in the SEC.

Troy had the 186th best class in the nation, good for 4th in the Sun Belt.

[vex]

So a terrible season in Tulsa and now a terrible recruiting class. Outstanding.

[collegesportsfanms]

No conference movement that affects any of our FOFC human coaches, so no reason to get into that. However, we did have 5 of our coaches that got job offers.

Tim Shepard of UCLA got offers from Arizona State, Purdue, Texas, and West Virginia. Probably no schools there that are going to woo Tim away from what he has with the Bruins.

Patrick Hutt of Kentucky got the same offers that Coach Shepard got. Again, I can't see why he would want to leave where he is at.

Dean Hoo got the same offers as well. He probably doesn't want to leave either, so I have a feeling these 3 coaches will be staying put.

Bee Mighty of TCU got offers from Arizona State or Texas. I don't think he's going to want to leave a Big 12 conference that seems to be a bit down, for the Pac 12 which he might not compete in as well, so I would think the Sun Devils are out. Texas has a lot of history but they haven't done much. Then again, coach Mighty just might decide to make the lateral, in-state move.

And then we have David Ginsberg of Hartford. Is there a school that isn't trying to court him this offseason? Well.. yes, but he is definitely a wanted man. Unfortunately, not too many of the offers are really worth looking at. I'm going to list them all (and there's about 30 of them.. I'm not kidding) in no particular order:

Alabama State, Boston University, Brown, Incarnate Word, MD Eastern Shore, Akron, Arkansas Pine Bluff, Coastal Carolina, Detroit, Evansville, New Mexico State, Old Dominion, VMI, Richmond, Robert Morris, Samford, McNeese State, Northeastern, South Alabama, Colorado State, The Citadel, Wofford, USC Upstate, UT Arlington, Western Michigan, Denver, and Jacksonville State. 27 offers, most of which are honestly trash. The best of the best are Richmond, Western Michigan, Colorado State, and then from there it starts going downhill. I might have missed a few decent ones, but Coach Ginsberg will probably have A LOT of questions for me.

[rjolley]

Coach Shep will stay at UCLA.

[Zinto]

Patrick will stay at Kentucky.

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

[Neuqua]

Is it too late to resign and still get job offers? THings don't seem to be working in Evanston but I don't want to sit out the year either.

[DavidCorperial]

I think I'll stay at Hartford, I don't see any that truly interest me.

[law90026]

Coach Hoo is staying on at Duke

[collegesportsfanms]

Is it too late to resign and still get job offers? THings don't seem to be working in Evanston but I don't want to sit out the year either.

Things for bringing that up. For those coaches that aren't quite happy with how things are going at your current school, you always have the option of resigning from your school and seeing if any job offers come your way. I would run through the whole head coaching period and let you know what offers you get, and you could decide to either resign and go to a different school, or stay where you are at.

So Neuqua, if you want to say bye bye to Northwestern, then when I get a free chance this weekend, I'll run the head coach movement through and let you know what offers you get.

Same applies for any coach, every season. You're not locked into resigning from a school, the only thing you're locked into is if you get fired, I wont' override those!

[vex]

Things for bringing that up. For those coaches that aren't quite happy with how things are going at your current school, you always have the option of resigning from your school and seeing if any job offers come your way. I would run through the whole head coaching period and let you know what offers you get, and you could decide to either resign and go to a different school, or stay where you are at.

So Neuqua, if you want to say bye bye to Northwestern, then when I get a free chance this weekend, I'll run the head coach movement through and let you know what offers you get.

Same applies for any coach, every season. You're not locked into resigning from a school, the only thing you're locked into is if you get fired, I wont' override those!


Coach Brown will stay at Tulsa, but one more subpar year at Tulsa and I'll resign (if they don't can me).

[Neuqua]

I'd like to see if there are any other job offers out there if you get a chance.

[collegesportsfanms]

I'd like to see if there are any other job offers out there if you get a chance.

I'll let you know sometime this weekend.

[collegesportsfanms]

Coach Brown will stay at Tulsa, but one more subpar year at Tulsa and I'll resign (if they don't can me).

There are actually a few coaches that are on the hotseat for the upcoming season, including a very surprising one (spoiler alert)

[rjolley]

Hey, just because Coach Shep was blown out in the championship game does not mean he needs to go...

[thealmighty]

Bee will stay and pursue his dream- winning the Big 12 with his hometown Frogs.

...and Texas bites.

[collegesportsfanms]

I'd like to see if there are any other job offers out there if you get a chance.

Assuming you decide to resign from Northwestern, these are the job offers Coach Vee would receive:

Incarnate Word, USC Upstate, Arkansas Pine Bluff, Coppin State, Presbyterian, and that's it. Sounds pretty bad, but I will tell you this:

Despite all being small schools that would almost certainly be #16 seeds or in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament, 3 of the 5 have a bit of an upside. Presbyterian and Arkansas Pine Bluff have had back to back winning seasons, and in the case of Arkansas Pine Bluff, their back to back winning seasons have both been 20 win seasons.

The cream of the crop though, has to be USC Upstate. How they haven't been promoted to a higher prestige conference is beyond me. In the 6 seasons I've ran this dynasty, they've made a postseason tournament every single season. They've been to the NIT the last 4 seasons, including a 3rd place finish. They've also been to the CBI once and the CIT once. They've had 20+ win seasons every single season (keep in mind for the most part, they've stocked up on wins against even easier non-conference opponents, plus a very weak conference) but have never won the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament or made it to the NCAA Tournament. So while they have room for improvement, they definitely seem to have the best history.

Ultimately though, no matter what Coach Vee decides, he'll either be a small fish in a big pond, or the big fish in a conference and on a team nobody cares about.

[Neuqua]

Sigh.. I'll stay at Northwestern for now.

First one to be fired in this dynasty? Probably.

[bbgunn]

First one to be fired in this dynasty? Probably.
Nah, I think B.B. Gunn will beat you to it.

[collegesportsfanms]

2021-2022 Hot Seat Ratings and Coach Goals

I'm going to do this a little bit different this season and future seasons. I'm going to categorize it by which coaches are on a hot seat, which are on a warm seat, and so on.

Coaches on the Hot Seat

Ess Vee (Northwestern) -- Coach Vee had a solid first season with the Wildcats, but it has gone downhill from there. The talent is there, but Coach Vee just isn't getting it done. If he can't guide the Wildcats to even a CIT appearance this season, he'll be out at Evanston.

Coaches on a Warm Seat

Al Mighty (Michigan State) -- Gotta say, this one surprised me a little bit. I know it's been a rough couple years for the Spartans, but given the history that Michigan State has, it's time to get back to playing Sparty basketball. With the #1 recruiting class in the nation, the pressure is on Coach Mighty. The board still expects a Final Four appearance.

B.B. Gunn (Hawaii) -- Coach Gunn has done just enough to keep his job, despite all the hits on firecoachgunn.com. The board is becoming very impatient though. Even last seasons slight turnaround to a winning season didn't please the board. In a Big West Conference that is always wide open, the board wants to see the Warriors win it this season.

Rob Nielsen (Colorado) -- The Buffaloes just have too much talent to be underperforming like they are. Although they improved significantly last season, they haven't seen a postseason appearance since year 1 of this dynasty. That's unacceptable to the board, and they expect to see Colorado's name called in the NCAA Tournament Selection Show this season.

Coaches on an Average Seat

Randolph Childress (UConn) -- Coach Childress certainly had a season to forget in his first season at the helm of UConn, but being it was his first season, he got a pass. A lot more is going to be expected out of him and the Huskies this season, including an American Conference championship.

Al Hutt (ECU) -- Apparently, 1 breakout season and an NIT appearance isn't enough for the board at ECU. At least it doesn't make up for the previous 5 seasons in which the Pirates averaged just 8 wins a season. Now that they've proven they can stay out of the bottom of the conference, the pressure is on, as this seasons goal is for ECU to finish .500 or better in the American.

Will Brown (Tulsa) -- Judging by the Golden Hurricane's history in this dynasty, this will be a year in which they reach the postseason. It's been 1 year of postseason, and 1 year out since this dynasty started, so it's clear that the expectations are high this season. Not too high, the board just wants Tulsa back in the postseason.. any postseason tournament.

Bee Mighty (TCU) -- A little bit of a lack of respect for Coach Mighty, especially after the Horned Frogs have put together back to back postseason appearances, and the board would like that to continue. They expect Coach Mighty to lead the Horned Frogs back to any postseason tournament this season.

Charlie Shocker (Rice) -- It's been consistency in the Conference USA for the Owls, as they've gone 7-11 the last 3 seasons. The goal for the Owls this season is to finish with a .500 overall record.

Benito Sanchez (Stanford) -- It's been 5 seasons since the Cardinal won the NIT, and 2 seasons in a row without a postseason appearance. Obviously, playing in the Pac 12 is not an easy feat for any coach, but the board expects Stanford to at least compete for the Pac 12 championship.

DeShawn St. John (Washington State) -- You can pretty much say the same thing about the Cougars that I said about Stanford. Playing in the Pac 12 is no easy task. The Cougars aren't exactly known for their basketball prowess. Despite that, Coach St. John has kept his team right around the .500 mark for the past few seasons, but they've actually take steps back since their only winning season 4 seasons ago. Fortunately, Coach St. John has a very, very patient board, as all they want is for the Cougars to avoid last place in the Pac 12 this season.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- Things aren't so rosy for coach Rogers anymore. After 2 20+ win seasons in a row that both resulted in NCAA Tournament appearances, the Crimson Tide dropped down to 13 wins last season. Coach Rogers can't afford another season like that. Nor will the board accept it. They want Bama back in the NCAA Tournament.

Brett Hawkins (Troy) -- Last season was the first winning season for the Trojans in this dynasty, and they hope to build off that this season. Coach Hawkins knows there has been a lack of consistency within the program, but the board is still putting their faith in him. They just want to see the Trojans finish with a .500 or better record in the Sun Belt.

Coaches on a Cool Seat

David Ginsberg (Hartford) -- While the Hawks took a step back last season, going from the NCAA Tournament 2 seasons ago to the CBI last season, Coach Ginsberg has gotten a major improvement out of this team since those 9 and 7 win seasons a few years ago. His goal this year is to lead the Hawks to a .500 or better record in the America East.

Dean Hoo (Duke) -- Coach Hoo has put together 3 20+ win seasons in a row since that disastrous 1st season which saw just 17 wins. With as much history as the Blue Devils have, the expectations are still high, maybe a little too high, as the board is still looking for a Final Four appearance.

Tim Shepard (UCLA) -- What can you say about the Bruins? They are just amazing, as they followed up an NIT championship 2 seasons ago to reach the NCAA Championship Game last season. We won't talk about how that turned out, but I can say that Coach Shepard will be sitting on ice for a while, and it'll probably take a complete meltdown for 2 or 3 seasons in a row before his seat warms up. Oh yea, the Bruins' goal for this season? Back to the Final Four.

Patrick Hutt (Kentucky) -- 1 of 2 teams to make the postseason every year of this dynasty (UCLA being the other), the Cats haven't been able to get over the hump and get to the NCAA Championship. Despite that, Coach Hutt is in much the same position as Coach Shep of UCLA. His seat is cool, even ice cold, and it doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon. However, the board is still looking for that Final Four appearance.

[Coffee Warlord]

Coach Nielsen would like to point out to the board that Colorado got screwed out of a couple postseason bids. He recommends increasing the bribes to the committee.

[law90026]

Final 4? Psh, NCAA title for the Blue Devils coming up.

[collegesportsfanms]

Since it's been a week and we have no new sign-ups, and none of the inactive coaches said they wanted to come back, we're moving forward.

Team Prestiges to Start the 2021-2022 Season

Hartford- 29 (-1 from last season, this was a little surprising).
UConn- 73 (-3)
ECU- 47 (+5)
Tulsa- 62 (-3)
Duke- 86 (+3)
TCU- 65 (+8)
Michigan State- 84 (-4)
Northwestern- 59 (-1)
Hawaii- 48 (-1)
Rice- 37 (-1)
Colorado- 71 (No change)
Stanford- 83 (-1)
UCLA- 98 (+4)
Washington State- 54 (+1)
Alabama- 77 (-5)
Kentucky- 100 (no change, they have the highest prestige possible now).
Troy- 26 (+2)

[collegesportsfanms]

2021 Season Tournaments

UCLA will be the 2nd seed in the 2021 Battle 4 Atlantis and will open up against 7th seed Georgia State.

UConn will be the 3rd seed in the 2021 Charleston Classic and will open up against 6th seed UC Santa Barbara.

TCU will be the 9th seed in the 16 team 2021 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic and will open up against 8th seed UAB.

Alabama will be the 4th seed in the 2021 Diamond Head Classic and will open up against 5th seed Oklahoma State.

Colorado will be the top seed in the 2021 Gulf Coast Showcase and will open up against 8th seed Rider.

Tulsa will be the 3rd seed in the 2021 Gulf Coast Showcase and will open up against 6th seed Towson.

Kentucky will be the top seed in the 16 team 2021 Hall of Fame Classic and will open up against 16th seed New Mexico State.

Michigan State will be the 4th seed in the 16 team 2021 Hall of Fame Classic and will open up against 13th seed Princeton.

Duke will be the top seed in the 2021 Hall of Fame Tip-Off and will open up against 8th seed UT Arlington.

Northwestern will be the 6th seed in the 2021 Hall of Fame Tip-Off and will open up against 3rd seed Butler.

Stanford will be the 2nd seed in the 16 team 2021 Las Vegas Classic and will open up against 15th seed Loyola MD.

Washington State will be the 6th seed in the 2021 Main Event and will open up against 3rd seed LSU.

Hawaii will be the 2nd seed in the 4 team 2021 Military Classic and will open up against 3rd seed College of Charleston.

Rice will be the 3rd seed in the 4 team 2021 Music City Challenge and will open up against 2nd seed UL Lafayette.

ECU will be the 5th seed in the 16 team 2021 New York Classic and will open up against 12th seed George Mason.

Hartford will be the top seed in the 4 team 2021 Toledo Regional and will open up against 4th seed UL Monroe.

Troy will be the 6th seed in the 2021 Wooden Legacy and will open up against 3rd seed Navy.

[collegesportsfanms]

2021-2022 Preseason Top 25

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (69) 0-0 1796 6 Big Ten Conference
2. Wichita State 0-0 1707 8 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Georgetown (2) 0-0 1621 NR Big East Conference
4. Iowa State 0-0 1578 NR Big 12 Conference
5. Oklahoma 0-0 1467 NR Big 12 Conference
6. Arkansas (1) 0-0 1408 NR Southeastern Conference
7. Villanova 0-0 1359 9 Big East Conference
8. North Carolina 0-0 1221 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
9. Gonzaga 0-0 1134 NR Pacific-12 Conference
10. Baylor 0-0 1133 2 Big 12 Conference
11. Syracuse 0-0 1041 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
12. Florida State 0-0 952 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. St. John's 0-0 824 NR Big East Conference
14. Louisville 0-0 817 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
15. Virginia 0-0 702 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
16. Iowa 0-0 688 NR Big Ten Conference
17. Boise State 0-0 611 7 Mountain West Conference
18. Nebraska 0-0 482 NR Big Ten Conference
19. BYU 0-0 364 NR West Coast Conference
20. Ohio State 0-0 347 NR Big Ten Conference
21. Xavier 0-0 305 NR Big East Conference
22. San Diego State 0-0 215 3 Mountain West Conference
23. West Virginia 0-0 163 NR Big 12 Conference
24. Buffalo 0-0 148 NR Mid-American Conference
25. Michigan State 0-0 148 NR Big Ten Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Vanderbilt 0-0 81 Southeastern Conference
Marquette 0-0 66 Big East Conference
Mississippi 0-0 55 Southeastern Conference
Arizona 0-0 54 Pacific-12 Conference
Wake Forest 0-0 53 Atlantic Coast Conference
Texas 0-0 50 Big 12 Conference
Miami 0-0 49 Atlantic Coast Conference
Stanford 0-0 41 Pacific-12 Conference
Kentucky 0-0 36 Southeastern Conference
Washington 0-0 35 Pacific-12 Conference
Providence 0-0 34 Big East Conference
Seton Hall 0-0 31 Big East Conference
UCLA 0-0 31 Pacific-12 Conference
Oregon 0-0 29 Pacific-12 Conference
Arizona State 0-0 27 Pacific-12 Conference
Duke 0-0 23 Atlantic Coast Conference
Texas A&M 0-0 22 Southeastern Conference
Illinois 0-0 21 Big Ten Conference
Florida 0-0 20 Southeastern Conference
Richmond 0-0 20 Atlantic 10 Conference
VCU 0-0 18 Southeastern Conference
Pittsburgh 0-0 17 Atlantic Coast Conference
St. Bonaventure 0-0 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
Colorado 0-0 15 Pacific-12 Conference
Illinois State 0-0 15 Missouri Valley Conference
LSU 0-0 15 Southeastern Conference
Minnesota 0-0 15 Big Ten Conference
Washington State 0-0 15 Pacific-12 Conference
Maryland 0-0 14 Big Ten Conference
Connecticut 0-0 12 American Athletic Conference
Seattle 0-0 12 Western Athletic Conference
California 0-0 11 Pacific-12 Conference
Eastern Washington 0-0 11 Big Sky Conference
Harvard 0-0 10 Ivy League
Northern Arizona 0-0 10 Big Sky Conference
Northwestern 0-0 10 Big Ten Conference
Oregon State 0-0 10 Pacific-12 Conference
Grand Canyon 0-0 9 Western Athletic Conference
North Carolina State 0-0 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
DePaul 0-0 8 Big East Conference
Louisiana Tech 0-0 8 Conference USA
Memphis 0-0 8 American Athletic Conference
New Mexico 0-0 8 Mountain West Conference
Rhode Island 0-0 8 Atlantic 10 Conference
Utah 0-0 8 Pacific-12 Conference
Loyola Chicago 0-0 7 Missouri Valley Conference
Notre Dame 0-0 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
Alabama 0-0 6 Southeastern Conference
South Florida 0-0 6 American Athletic Conference
Southern Illinois 0-0 6 Missouri Valley Conference
Fordham 0-0 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
George Washington 0-0 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
Northern Illinois 0-0 5 Mid-American Conference
Tennessee 0-0 5 Southeastern Conference
Bradley 0-0 4 Missouri Valley Conference
Columbia 0-0 4 Ivy League
Davidson 0-0 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
Oklahoma State 0-0 4 Big 12 Conference
Penn State 0-0 4 Big Ten Conference
Hofstra 0-0 3 Colonial Athletic Association
Illinois Chicago 0-0 3 Horizon League
Saint Mary's 0-0 3 West Coast Conference
Cornell 0-0 2 Ivy League
East Carolina 0-0 2 American Athletic Conference
Kansas State 0-0 2 Big 12 Conference
Pepperdine 0-0 2 West Coast Conference
Portland 0-0 2 West Coast Conference
Rutgers 0-0 2 Big Ten Conference
Eastern Illinois 0-0 1 Ohio Valley Conference
Fresno State 0-0 1 Mountain West Conference
Kansas 0-0 1 Big 12 Conference
Manhattan 0-0 1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Massachusetts 0-0 1 Atlantic 10 Conference
Tulsa 0-0 1 American Athletic Conference

[collegesportsfanms]

2021-2022 Preseason Mid Major Top 25

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (72) 0-0 1800 2 Missouri Valley Conference
2. Boise State 0-0 1646 3 Mountain West Conference
3. BYU 0-0 1461 NR West Coast Conference
4. San Diego State 0-0 1328 1 Mountain West Conference
5. Buffalo 0-0 1276 11 Mid-American Conference
6. Richmond 0-0 843 15 Atlantic 10 Conference
7. SMU 0-0 703 14 American Athletic Conference
8. Memphis 0-0 662 4 American Athletic Conference
9. Cincinnati 0-0 649 NR American Athletic Conference
10. Illinois State 0-0 623 24 Missouri Valley Conference
11. Davidson 0-0 598 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
12. Akron 0-0 488 NR Mid-American Conference
13. Connecticut 0-0 481 NR American Athletic Conference
14. New Mexico 0-0 426 NR Mountain West Conference
15. Kent State 0-0 423 21 Mid-American Conference
16. Northern Iowa 0-0 393 NR Missouri Valley Conference
17. Saint Mary's 0-0 329 NR West Coast Conference
18. Dayton 0-0 325 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
19. Rhode Island 0-0 315 7 Atlantic 10 Conference
20. Harvard 0-0 298 9 Ivy League
21. Pepperdine 0-0 274 23 West Coast Conference
22. Western Michigan 0-0 267 6 Mid-American Conference
23. George Washington 0-0 252 25 Atlantic 10 Conference
24. Fresno State 0-0 241 8 Mountain West Conference
25. Evansville 0-0 231 NR Missouri Valley Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
St. Bonaventure 0-0 187 Atlantic 10 Conference
UC Irvine 0-0 184 Big West Conference
San Diego 0-0 180 West Coast Conference
Eastern Michigan 0-0 171 Mid-American Conference
South Florida 0-0 159 American Athletic Conference
Louisiana Tech 0-0 158 Conference USA
Santa Clara 0-0 157 West Coast Conference
Massachusetts 0-0 149 Atlantic 10 Conference
UAB 0-0 148 Conference USA
UC Santa Barbara 0-0 147 Big West Conference
UNLV 0-0 143 Mountain West Conference
Middle Tennessee 0-0 136 Conference USA
Utah State 0-0 134 Mountain West Conference
Portland 0-0 132 West Coast Conference
La Salle 0-0 127 Atlantic 10 Conference
Indiana State 0-0 125 Missouri Valley Conference
Tulsa 0-0 124 American Athletic Conference
Colorado State 0-0 119 Mountain West Conference
Saint Joseph's 0-0 117 Atlantic 10 Conference
Georgia State 0-0 113 Horizon League
Northeastern 0-0 113 Colonial Athletic Association
USC 0-0 110 West Coast Conference
Temple 0-0 108 American Athletic Conference
UTEP 0-0 100 Conference USA
Belmont 0-0 96 Ohio Valley Conference
Toledo 0-0 91 Mid-American Conference
Columbia 0-0 89 Ivy League
East Carolina 0-0 88 American Athletic Conference
Duquesne 0-0 87 Atlantic 10 Conference
William & Mary 0-0 86 Colonial Athletic Association
San Francisco 0-0 82 West Coast Conference
Saint Louis 0-0 78 Atlantic 10 Conference
Loyola Chicago 0-0 76 Missouri Valley Conference
Tulane 0-0 76 American Athletic Conference
Wyoming 0-0 72 Mountain West Conference
Mercer 0-0 69 Southern Conference
Drexel 0-0 66 Colonial Athletic Association
Long Beach State 0-0 64 Big West Conference
Princeton 0-0 63 Ivy League
Hofstra 0-0 62 Colonial Athletic Association
Lehigh 0-0 61 Patriot League
Green Bay 0-0 60 Horizon League
Southern Illinois 0-0 59 Missouri Valley Conference
Air Force 0-0 57 Mountain West Conference
Loyola Marymount 0-0 57 West Coast Conference
Murray State 0-0 57 Ohio Valley Conference
Louisiana Lafayette 0-0 55 Sun Belt Conference
Mississippi State 0-0 50 Atlantic 10 Conference
Fordham 0-0 47 Atlantic 10 Conference
UCF 0-0 47 American Athletic Conference
Pacific 0-0 45 West Coast Conference
Yale 0-0 44 Ivy League
Northern Illinois 0-0 43 Mid-American Conference
Cal State Fullerton 0-0 42 Big West Conference
Bowling Green 0-0 40 Mid-American Conference
Charlotte 0-0 40 Conference USA
FIU 0-0 40 Conference USA
Manhattan 0-0 40 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Old Dominion 0-0 40 Conference USA
Bradley 0-0 39 Missouri Valley Conference
Oakland 0-0 38 Horizon League
Illinois Chicago 0-0 37 Horizon League
Eastern Illinois 0-0 34 Ohio Valley Conference
Florida Gulf Coast 0-0 33 Atlantic Sun Conference
Iona 0-0 32 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
SIU Edwardsville 0-0 32 Ohio Valley Conference
Florida Atlantic 0-0 31 Conference USA
Eastern Kentucky 0-0 30 Ohio Valley Conference
Niagara 0-0 30 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Cornell 0-0 29 Ivy League
Western Illinois 0-0 29 Southland Conference
Albany 0-0 27 America East Conference
Chicago State 0-0 27 Western Athletic Conference
North Florida 0-0 27 Atlantic Sun Conference
Canisius 0-0 26 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Elon 0-0 25 Colonial Athletic Association
Seattle 0-0 24 Western Athletic Conference
American 0-0 23 Patriot League
Eastern Washington 0-0 23 Big Sky Conference
Drake 0-0 22 Missouri Valley Conference
Oral Roberts 0-0 22 Summit League
Colgate 0-0 21 Patriot League
Louisiana Monroe 0-0 21 Sun Belt Conference
McNeese State 0-0 21 Southland Conference
Northern Arizona 0-0 21 Big Sky Conference
San Jose State 0-0 21 Mountain West Conference
Grand Canyon 0-0 20 Western Athletic Conference
Montana 0-0 20 Big Sky Conference
North Carolina Central 0-0 20 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Missouri State 0-0 19 Missouri Valley Conference
Montana State 0-0 19 Big Sky Conference
Portland State 0-0 19 Big Sky Conference
Army 0-0 18 Patriot League
Cal State Northridge 0-0 18 Big West Conference
East Tennessee State 0-0 18 Southern Conference
Stephen F. Austin 0-0 18 Horizon League
Stony Brook 0-0 18 America East Conference
UMKC 0-0 18 Western Athletic Conference
UNC Wilmington 0-0 18 Colonial Athletic Association
Austin Peay 0-0 17 Ohio Valley Conference
Holy Cross 0-0 17 Patriot League
Southeast Missouri State 0-0 17 Ohio Valley Conference
Boston University 0-0 16 Patriot League
Bucknell 0-0 16 Patriot League
George Mason 0-0 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
Tennessee Martin 0-0 16 Ohio Valley Conference
Western Carolina 0-0 16 Southern Conference
Appalachian State 0-0 15 Sun Belt Conference
Cal Poly 0-0 15 Big West Conference
Chattanooga 0-0 15 Southern Conference
Dartmouth 0-0 15 Ivy League
Siena 0-0 15 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
UMass Lowell 0-0 15 America East Conference
Florida A&M 0-0 14 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Robert Morris 0-0 14 Northeast Conference
Tennessee State 0-0 14 Ohio Valley Conference
UNC Greensboro 0-0 14 Southern Conference
Bethune Cookman 0-0 13 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
High Point 0-0 13 Big South Conference
St. Francis NY 0-0 13 Northeast Conference
Tennessee Tech 0-0 13 Ohio Valley Conference
Campbell 0-0 12 Big South Conference
Northwestern State 0-0 12 Southland Conference
Gardner Webb 0-0 11 Big South Conference
Grambling State 0-0 11 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Lipscomb 0-0 11 Atlantic Sun Conference
Quinnipiac 0-0 11 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
UC Davis 0-0 11 Big West Conference
Cleveland State 0-0 10 Horizon League
Marist 0-0 10 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
North Carolina A&T 0-0 10 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Southeastern Louisiana 0-0 10 Southland Conference
Stetson 0-0 10 Atlantic Sun Conference
Lafayette 0-0 9 Patriot League
New Orleans 0-0 9 Southland Conference
UNC Asheville 0-0 9 Big South Conference
Wofford 0-0 9 Southern Conference
UC Riverside 0-0 8 Big West Conference
Hawaii 0-0 7 Big West Conference
Jacksonville 0-0 7 Atlantic Sun Conference
Nevada 0-0 7 Mountain West Conference
Southern 0-0 7 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Nicholls State 0-0 6 Southland Conference
Penn 0-0 6 Ivy League
Towson 0-0 6 Colonial Athletic Association
Wagner 0-0 5 Northeast Conference
Binghamton 0-0 4 America East Conference
Sacramento State 0-0 4 Big Sky Conference
LIU Brooklyn 0-0 3 Northeast Conference
Valparaiso 0-0 2 Horizon League
Cal State Bakersfield 0-0 1 Western Athletic Conference
Delaware 0-0 1 Colonial Athletic Association
Miami OH 0-0 1 Mid-American Conference
Southern Miss 0-0 1 Conference USA

[collegesportsfanms]

Milestone Win Watch for 2021-2022 Season

Something new I'm going to do before every season is a milestone watch, where I will list the coaches that are within 25 wins of a certain win milestone (100, 200, 300, etc). If anybody else can think of any milestones (good or bad) that I could do as well, I'd be open to ideas. For now though, we'll just go with wins.

Coaches within 25 wins of 100 career wins

DeShawn St. John (Washington State)- 22 away
Brett Hawkins (Troy)- 22 away
Bee Mighty (TCU)- 17 away
Charlie Shocker (Rice)- 16 away
David Ginsberg (Hartford)- 11 away
Dean Hoo (Duke)- 10 away
Rob Nielsen (Colorado)- 3 away

Coaches within 25 wins of 200 career wins

Tim Shepard (UCLA)- 24 away

[vex]

Tulsa and Kansas with the same amount of preseason votes. We've made it!

[collegesportsfanms]

Tulsa and Kansas with the same amount of preseason votes. We've made it!

Considering Kansas had a pitiful season last season and only won like 10 games, I wouldn't be too proud of that! haha

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 12-14, 2021

As always, the first weekend of the season is a short one, with just 9 games on the schedule. As a reminder, we'll only feature the teams that actually played this week.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 2-0, 0-0 American.

11/12/21- New York Classic First Round vs. (12) George Mason (W 64-53).
11/14/21- New York Classic Quarterfinals vs. (4) Dartmouth (W 78-52).

The Pirates have picked up where they left off last season, taking care of business early, but the schedule gets much, much tougher. First, a semifinal matchup with the top seed.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 0-1, 0-0 American.

11/14/21 at Indiana State (L 67-59).

The Golden Hurricane have lost 5 games in a row going back to last season, as they continue to struggle to find ways to win.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 1-1, 0-0 Big 12.

11/12/21- Coaches vs. Cancer Classic First Round vs. (8) UAB (W 80-77).
11/14/21- Coaches vs. Cancer Classic Quarterfinals vs. (1) #1 Wisconsin (L 75-50).

The Horned Frogs got a nice comeback win over UAB, but couldn't handle the task of playing the top ranked team in the nation, falling flat on their faces.

#25 Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 1-0, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/12/21- Hall of Fame Classic First Round vs. (13) Princeton (W 83-67).

A good start to the season for the Spartans, as they advance to the Quarterfinals of the Hall of Fame Classic to face a good Memphis team next week.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 1-1, 0-0 Big West.

11/12/21- Military Classic First Round vs. (3) College of Charleston (W 87-81, OT).
11/13/21- Military Classic Championship vs. (1) Duquesne (L 78-56).

The Warriors had a long, grueling game against Charleston in the first round of the Military Classic, and quite frankly didn't have anything left for Duquesne. It showed, as Coach Gunn and his Warriors get a 2nd place finish.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 1-0, 0-0 SEC.

11/12/21- Hall of Fame Classic First Round vs. (16) New Mexico State (W 78-48).

The Wildcats had no trouble in their game this week, as they get ready for the Quarterfinals of the Hall of Fame Classic next week. If both Michigan State and the Cats can win their quarterfinal game, they'll meet in the semifinals.

Here's a look at the national top 25 heading into the week of Nov. 15-21:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (72) 2-0 1800 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Wichita State 1-0 1717 2 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Iowa State 0-0 1622 4 Big 12 Conference
4. Oklahoma 0-0 1524 5 Big 12 Conference
5. Arkansas 0-0 1461 6 Southeastern Conference
6. Villanova 0-0 1419 7 Big East Conference
7. North Carolina 1-0 1329 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Syracuse 1-0 1198 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. Gonzaga 0-0 1152 9 Pacific-12 Conference
10. Baylor 0-0 1142 10 Big 12 Conference
11. Florida State 0-0 982 12 Atlantic Coast Conference
12. Virginia 1-0 888 15 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. St. John's 0-0 815 13 Big East Conference
14. Louisville 0-0 797 14 Atlantic Coast Conference
15. Iowa 1-0 779 16 Big Ten Conference
16. Boise State 1-0 722 17 Mountain West Conference
17. Nebraska 2-0 660 18 Big Ten Conference
18. Vanderbilt 2-0 381 NR Southeastern Conference
19. BYU 0-0 357 19 West Coast Conference
20. Ohio State 0-0 345 20 Big Ten Conference
21. Michigan State 1-0 337 25 Big Ten Conference
22. Georgetown 1-1 303 3 Big East Conference
23. San Diego State 0-0 222 22 Mountain West Conference
24. Texas 0-0 124 NR Big 12 Conference
25. Notre Dame 2-0 112 NR Atlantic Coast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Miami 1-0 69 Atlantic Coast Conference
Fresno State 2-0 60 Mountain West Conference
Kentucky 1-0 56 Southeastern Conference
Arizona 0-0 54 Pacific-12 Conference
Wake Forest 0-0 52 Atlantic Coast Conference
Mississippi 0-0 47 Southeastern Conference
Seton Hall 0-0 42 Big East Conference
Providence 0-0 41 Big East Conference
California 1-0 34 Pacific-12 Conference
Stanford 0-0 34 Pacific-12 Conference
Richmond 1-0 32 Atlantic 10 Conference
VCU 1-0 32 Southeastern Conference
Washington 0-0 31 Pacific-12 Conference
Texas A&M 0-0 30 Southeastern Conference
Duquesne 2-0 27 Atlantic 10 Conference
Green Bay 2-0 26 Horizon League
Oregon 0-0 24 Pacific-12 Conference
Arizona State 0-0 23 Pacific-12 Conference
Eastern Illinois 2-0 23 Ohio Valley Conference
George Washington 1-0 23 Atlantic 10 Conference
UCLA 0-0 23 Pacific-12 Conference
Memphis 1-0 21 American Athletic Conference
St. Bonaventure 0-0 21 Atlantic 10 Conference
UC Irvine 1-0 21 Big West Conference
Illinois 0-0 19 Big Ten Conference
East Carolina 2-0 18 American Athletic Conference
Pittsburgh 0-0 18 Atlantic Coast Conference
Minnesota 0-0 17 Big Ten Conference
Duke 0-0 16 Atlantic Coast Conference
Florida 0-0 16 Southeastern Conference
Maryland 0-0 15 Big Ten Conference
Washington State 0-0 15 Pacific-12 Conference
Seattle 1-0 14 Western Athletic Conference
Illinois State 0-0 13 Missouri Valley Conference
LSU 0-0 13 Southeastern Conference
Eastern Washington 0-0 12 Big Sky Conference
Colorado 0-0 11 Pacific-12 Conference
Northwestern 0-0 11 Big Ten Conference
Connecticut 0-0 10 American Athletic Conference
Grand Canyon 0-0 9 Western Athletic Conference
SMU 1-0 9 American Athletic Conference
North Carolina State 0-0 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
Oregon State 0-0 7 Pacific-12 Conference
Penn State 0-0 7 Big Ten Conference
Columbia 0-0 6 Ivy League
Fordham 0-0 6 Atlantic 10 Conference
Loyola Chicago 0-0 6 Missouri Valley Conference
Akron 1-0 5 Mid-American Conference
Alabama 0-0 5 Southeastern Conference
Bucknell 2-0 5 Patriot League
Elon 1-0 5 Colonial Athletic Association
Oklahoma State 0-0 5 Big 12 Conference
Rutgers 0-0 5 Big Ten Conference
Southern Illinois 0-0 5 Missouri Valley Conference
Utah 0-0 5 Pacific-12 Conference
Hofstra 0-0 4 Colonial Athletic Association
Massachusetts 0-0 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
Northern Illinois 0-0 4 Mid-American Conference
South Florida 0-0 4 American Athletic Conference
Cornell 0-0 3 Ivy League
Davidson 0-0 3 Atlantic 10 Conference
Indiana State 1-0 3 Missouri Valley Conference
Louisiana Lafayette 1-0 3 Sun Belt Conference
Montana State 1-0 3 Big Sky Conference
New Mexico 0-0 3 Mountain West Conference
Oral Roberts 0-0 3 Summit League
Manhattan 0-0 2 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Missouri 0-0 2 Southeastern Conference
North Carolina Central 1-0 2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Portland 0-0 2 West Coast Conference
Texas Tech 1-0 2 Big 12 Conference
Illinois Chicago 0-0 1 Horizon League
Montana 0-0 1 Big Sky Conference
Niagara 0-0 1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Pepperdine 0-0 1 West Coast Conference

Still a lot of teams getting votes, but most of those haven't played yet

[collegesportsfanms]

And the mid-major top 25 for the week of Nov. 15-21:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (72) 1-0 1800 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. Boise State 1-0 1678 2 Mountain West Conference
3. BYU 0-0 1461 3 West Coast Conference
4. San Diego State 0-0 1324 4 Mountain West Conference
5. Richmond 1-0 937 6 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. Fresno State 2-0 905 24 Mountain West Conference
7. Green Bay 2-0 892 NR Horizon League
8. Duquesne 2-0 818 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
9. Memphis 1-0 671 8 American Athletic Conference
10. SMU 1-0 659 7 American Athletic Conference
11. East Carolina 2-0 632 NR American Athletic Conference
12. Akron 1-0 628 12 Mid-American Conference
13. Bucknell 2-0 464 NR Patriot League
14. Eastern Illinois 2-0 464 NR Ohio Valley Conference
15. Indiana State 1-0 462 NR Missouri Valley Conference
16. George Washington 1-0 461 23 Atlantic 10 Conference
17. UC Irvine 1-0 445 NR Big West Conference
18. Cincinnati 0-0 385 9 American Athletic Conference
19. Davidson 0-0 350 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
20. Illinois State 0-0 349 10 Missouri Valley Conference
21. Mount St. Mary's 2-0 272 NR Northeast Conference
22. Connecticut 0-0 237 13 American Athletic Conference
23. Pepperdine 0-0 232 21 West Coast Conference
24. New Mexico 0-0 214 14 Mountain West Conference
25. Kent State 0-0 204 15 Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Northern Iowa 0-0 190 Missouri Valley Conference
San Diego 0-0 178 West Coast Conference
St. Bonaventure 0-0 178 Atlantic 10 Conference
Elon 1-0 176 Colonial Athletic Association
Louisiana Lafayette 1-0 174 Sun Belt Conference
Dayton 0-0 158 Atlantic 10 Conference
Santa Clara 0-0 157 West Coast Conference
UC Santa Barbara 0-0 154 Big West Conference
South Florida 0-0 148 American Athletic Conference
Massachusetts 0-0 142 Atlantic 10 Conference
UNLV 0-0 141 Mountain West Conference
Western Michigan 0-0 140 Mid-American Conference
Portland 0-0 139 West Coast Conference
Utah State 0-0 132 Mountain West Conference
Middle Tennessee 0-0 126 Conference USA
Evansville 0-0 122 Missouri Valley Conference
La Salle 0-0 119 Atlantic 10 Conference
USC 0-0 119 West Coast Conference
Columbia 0-0 112 Ivy League
Saint Joseph's 0-0 111 Atlantic 10 Conference
Eastern Michigan 0-0 106 Mid-American Conference
Georgia State 0-0 106 Horizon League
San Francisco 0-0 93 West Coast Conference
Belmont 0-0 90 Ohio Valley Conference
Hofstra 0-0 87 Colonial Athletic Association
Drexel 0-0 86 Colonial Athletic Association
Wyoming 0-0 84 Mountain West Conference
Toledo 0-0 82 Mid-American Conference
North Carolina Central 1-0 81 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Fordham 0-0 80 Atlantic 10 Conference
UTEP 0-0 80 Conference USA
Long Beach State 0-0 77 Big West Conference
Loyola Marymount 0-0 75 West Coast Conference
Air Force 0-0 73 Mountain West Conference
William & Mary 0-0 73 Colonial Athletic Association
Tulane 0-0 72 American Athletic Conference
Manhattan 0-0 68 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Saint Louis 0-0 66 Atlantic 10 Conference
Mercer 0-0 65 Southern Conference
Loyola Chicago 0-0 61 Missouri Valley Conference
Yale 0-0 57 Ivy League
FIU 0-0 55 Conference USA
Boston University 1-0 50 Patriot League
Southern Illinois 0-0 49 Missouri Valley Conference
American 0-0 48 Patriot League
Seattle 1-0 48 Western Athletic Conference
Niagara 0-0 47 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
UCF 0-0 45 American Athletic Conference
Charlotte 0-0 44 Conference USA
Mississippi State 0-0 43 Atlantic 10 Conference
San Jose State 0-0 43 Mountain West Conference
Northern Illinois 0-0 40 Mid-American Conference
Cal Poly 0-0 39 Big West Conference
IUPUI 1-0 39 Summit League
Albany 0-0 38 America East Conference
Arkansas State 1-0 38 Sun Belt Conference
Towson 0-0 38 Colonial Athletic Association
Robert Morris 0-0 37 Northeast Conference
Eastern Kentucky 0-0 35 Ohio Valley Conference
Illinois Chicago 0-0 35 Horizon League
Nevada 0-0 34 Mountain West Conference
Oakland 0-0 33 Horizon League
Cornell 0-0 32 Ivy League
Florida Gulf Coast 0-0 31 Atlantic Sun Conference
Florida Atlantic 0-0 30 Conference USA
Western Illinois 0-0 30 Southland Conference
Tennessee State 1-0 29 Ohio Valley Conference
Bowling Green 0-0 28 Mid-American Conference
Northwestern State 1-0 28 Southland Conference
Colgate 0-0 25 Patriot League
North Florida 0-0 25 Atlantic Sun Conference
Stony Brook 0-0 25 America East Conference
Montana State 1-0 24 Big Sky Conference
Drake 0-0 23 Missouri Valley Conference
Eastern Washington 0-0 23 Big Sky Conference
Louisiana Monroe 0-0 22 Sun Belt Conference
McNeese State 0-0 22 Southland Conference
Oral Roberts 0-0 22 Summit League
Siena 0-0 22 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
UC Davis 0-0 22 Big West Conference
Grand Canyon 0-0 20 Western Athletic Conference
Missouri State 0-0 20 Missouri Valley Conference
Montana 0-0 20 Big Sky Conference
Portland State 0-0 20 Big Sky Conference
Southeast Missouri State 0-0 19 Ohio Valley Conference
St. Francis NY 0-0 19 Northeast Conference
Stephen F. Austin 0-0 19 Horizon League
UNC Wilmington 0-0 19 Colonial Athletic Association
Delaware 0-0 18 Colonial Athletic Association
Marist 0-0 18 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
UMass Lowell 0-0 18 America East Conference
Austin Peay 0-0 16 Ohio Valley Conference
UC Riverside 0-0 16 Big West Conference
UNC Greensboro 0-0 16 Southern Conference
High Point 0-0 15 Big South Conference
Tennessee Martin 0-0 15 Ohio Valley Conference
Campbell 0-0 14 Big South Conference
Southern Miss 0-0 14 Conference USA
Chattanooga 0-0 13 Southern Conference
Gardner Webb 0-0 13 Big South Conference
Grambling State 0-0 12 Southwestern Athletic Conference
North Carolina A&T 0-0 12 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Penn 0-0 12 Ivy League
Sacramento State 0-0 12 Big Sky Conference
Tennessee Tech 0-0 12 Ohio Valley Conference
Wagner 0-0 12 Northeast Conference
Southeastern Louisiana 0-0 11 Southland Conference
UNC Asheville 0-0 11 Big South Conference
Binghamton 0-0 10 America East Conference
Florida A&M 0-0 10 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
New Orleans 0-0 10 Southland Conference
Bethune Cookman 0-0 9 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Cal State Bakersfield 0-0 9 Western Athletic Conference
Southern 0-0 9 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Youngstown State 1-0 9 Summit League
LIU Brooklyn 0-0 8 Northeast Conference
Nicholls State 0-0 8 Southland Conference
Denver 0-0 5 Summit League
Marshall 0-0 5 Conference USA
Jacksonville 0-0 4 Atlantic Sun Conference
Jackson State 1-0 2 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Brown 0-0 1 Ivy League
Samford 0-0 1 Southern Conference
UMBC 1-0 1 America East Conference

Not a lot of representation for our FOFC teams in the Mid-Major poll, but it is nice to see ECU and UConn actually in the top 25, even if UConn hasn't played a game yet.

[rjolley]

Craziness. UCLA goes to the title game last season and starts off not only behind Standford, but 8th in the Pac-12 according to the voting.

Also, did all of the Pac-12 receive votes? Is the league that wide open this year? Time will tell...

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 15-21, 2021

No feature games this week, which means that either Michigan State or Kentucky, or both, lost their Quarterfinal game. Which was it? Or was it both? Stay tuned.

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 2-0, 0-0 America East.

11/17/21 vs. Kent State (W 63-40).
11/20/21 at UMass (W 75-48).

2 surprisingly easy wins for the Hawks this week against what I thought would be much tougher competitions. They play their season tournament next week, so we may find out more then.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 1-2, 0-0 American.

11/18/21- Charleston Classic First Round vs. (6) UC Santa Barbara (W 59-55).
11/19/21- Charleston Classic Semifinal vs. (2) Washington (L 79-51).
11/21/21- Charleston Classic 3rd Place Game vs. (4) UTEP L 60-52).

The Huskies are starting this year with a struggle, as Coach Childress continues to underperform at UConn. It's early though, but more was expected out of this tournament than a 4th place finish.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 3-1, 0-0 American.

11/18/21- New York Classic Semifinal vs. (1) #17 Nebraska (W 96-74).
11/19/21- New York Classic Championship vs. (3) Fresno State (L 68-48).

I guess there's no shame in losing to the defending national champions, especially after crushing the #1 seed in the New York Classic, and that's what the Pirates did. A 3-1 start to the season is pretty darn impressive and sets a good tone.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 1-1, 0-0 American.

11/20/21 at Maryland Eastern Shore (W 69-64).

Just 1 game for the Golden Hurricane this week. They'll take any win at this point, even if it was a 5 point road win against a not so good team.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 2-1, 0-0 ACC.

11/16/21- Hall of Fame Tip-Off First Round vs. (8) UT Arlington (W 85-76).
11/20/21- Hall of Fame Tip-Off Semifinal vs. (5) Georgia (L 80-71).
11/21/21- Hall of Fame Tip-Off 3rd Place Game vs. (2) Cincinnati (W 69-59).

2 out of 3 for the Blue Devils, as they were upset by Georgia in the semifinals. Still, not a bad start, as they recovered nicely to take 3rd place.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 1-1, 0-0 Big 12.

No games this week for the Horned Frogs and Coach Mighty.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 1-1, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/15/21- Hall of Fame Classic Quarterfinal vs. (5) Memphis (L 87-75).

I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise that the Spartans lost, they are still trying to figure it out after last seasons debacle. Memphis is a good team though, and I think Sparty will end up being alright.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 2-1, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/16/21- Hall of Fame Tip-Off First Round vs. (3) Butler (W 71-54).
11/20/21- Hall of Fame Tip-Off Semifinal vs. (2) Cincinnati (W 72-58).
11/21/21- Hall of Fame Tip-Off Championship vs. (5) Georgia (L 83-66).

An encouraging start for the Wildcats, as they beat 2 of the top 3 seeds in the tourney, and suffered the same fate as Duke did against Georgia. Still though, it's progress.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 1-1, 0-0 Big West.

No games this week for the Warriors and Coach Gunn.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 1-0, 0-0 Conference USA.

11/19/21 at Central Arkansas (W 78-61).

Nice start to the season for the Owls, who get a big road win going into their season tournament next week.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 2-0, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/17/21 vs. Utah Valley (W 81-71).
11/19/21 at Texas A&M (W 77-58).

It's too early to say, but the Buffaloes also look much improved. They pasted a strong Texas A&M team on the road, and they have their season tournament next week.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 2-0, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/16/21 at Indiana (W 81-61).
11/18/21 vs. Elon (W 70-50).

The Cardinal also get off to a good start with a good road win at Indiana. Some promising starts for our teams so far.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 1-0, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/20/21 vs. Furman (W 86-68).

The Bruins start the season with a win, against less than stellar competition. They also have their season tournament next week.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 0-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/20/21 at North Carolina A&T (L 71-66).

Well, not all of our FOFC teams are off to good starts. An embarrassing loss for the Cougars in their season opener. The only possible saving grace is that it was on the road, but not good going into their season tournament next week.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 1-1, 0-0 SEC.

11/17/21 vs. Georgia State (L 87-85, OT).
11/19/21 vs. Mississippi State (W 74-65).

A split for the Crimson Tide, but nothing to brag about. They lose to a team they probably have no business losing to, and beat a team that got a conference demotion a few seasons ago. It'll take better efforts than this as the season goes on.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 2-0, 0-0 SEC.

11/15/21- Hall of Fame Classic Quarterfinal vs. (8) California (W 88-62).

So the Wildcats do their part, but Michigan State doesn't, and we are denied a classic in the Semifinal. Instead, Big Blue Nation takes on Memphis next.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 2-0, 0-0 Sun Belt.

11/15/21 vs. Campbell (W 77-65).
11/19/21 at Samford (W 79-76, OT).

Not the toughest competition in the world, but the Trojans get 2 wins and a big confidence boost going into their season tournament next week.

Here's a look at the national top 25 heading into the week of Nov. 22-28:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (72) 4-0 1800 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Wichita State 2-0 1717 2 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Iowa State 1-0 1599 3 Big 12 Conference
4. Villanova 3-0 1594 6 Big East Conference
5. Oklahoma 2-0 1492 4 Big 12 Conference
6. Arkansas 1-0 1402 5 Southeastern Conference
7. Syracuse 3-0 1343 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Florida State 3-0 1270 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. North Carolina 1-0 1179 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
10. Baylor 1-0 1145 10 Big 12 Conference
11. St. John's 2-0 1014 13 Big East Conference
12. Virginia 2-0 988 12 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. Iowa 2-0 953 15 Big Ten Conference
14. Ohio State 1-0 688 20 Big Ten Conference
15. San Diego State 1-0 576 23 Mountain West Conference
16. Texas 1-0 477 24 Big 12 Conference
17. Georgetown 1-1 422 22 Big East Conference
18. Arizona 2-0 388 NR Pacific-12 Conference
19. Fresno State 4-0 380 NR Mountain West Conference
20. Stanford 2-0 337 NR Pacific-12 Conference
21. Wake Forest 1-0 274 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
22. Kentucky 2-0 202 NR Southeastern Conference
23. Minnesota 1-0 171 NR Big Ten Conference
24. Richmond 2-0 167 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
25. Georgia 3-0 161 NR Southeastern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Florida 2-0 124 Southeastern Conference
Penn State 3-0 118 Big Ten Conference
UCLA 1-0 86 Pacific-12 Conference
Akron 2-0 85 Mid-American Conference
Evansville 2-0 84 Missouri Valley Conference
North Carolina State 2-0 77 Atlantic Coast Conference
USC 3-0 74 West Coast Conference
Maryland 2-0 67 Big Ten Conference
Manhattan 3-0 63 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Memphis 2-0 59 American Athletic Conference
Colorado 2-0 54 Pacific-12 Conference
Western Michigan 2-0 54 Mid-American Conference
Boston College 2-0 53 Atlantic Coast Conference
Davidson 2-0 47 Atlantic 10 Conference
Northern Iowa 2-0 47 Missouri Valley Conference
Illinois 1-0 44 Big Ten Conference
Oregon 1-0 37 Pacific-12 Conference
Long Beach State 2-0 35 Big West Conference
South Florida 2-0 31 American Athletic Conference
St. Bonaventure 0-0 27 Atlantic 10 Conference
Towson 2-0 26 Colonial Athletic Association
Texas Tech 2-0 24 Big 12 Conference
Auburn 2-0 22 Southeastern Conference
Illinois State 1-0 22 Missouri Valley Conference
Vermont 3-0 21 America East Conference
Yale 2-0 19 Ivy League
Louisville 2-1 18 Atlantic Coast Conference
VCU 1-0 18 Southeastern Conference
Cal Poly 2-0 17 Big West Conference
Northern Colorado 3-0 14 Big Sky Conference
Oklahoma State 1-0 14 Big 12 Conference
Seattle 1-0 14 Western Athletic Conference
Wagner 2-0 14 Northeast Conference
Portland 1-0 13 West Coast Conference
Creighton 1-0 12 Big East Conference
Belmont 2-0 11 Ohio Valley Conference
FIU 2-0 11 Conference USA
Northern Illinois 0-0 11 Mid-American Conference
Denver 2-0 10 Summit League
UNC Greensboro 2-0 9 Southern Conference
Montana State 1-0 8 Big Sky Conference
North Carolina Central 2-0 8 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Sacramento State 2-0 8 Big Sky Conference
Saint Louis 1-0 8 Atlantic 10 Conference
Gonzaga 0-1 7 Pacific-12 Conference
UCF 2-0 7 American Athletic Conference
UNLV 1-0 7 Mountain West Conference
Boston University 2-0 5 Patriot League
Delaware 1-0 4 Colonial Athletic Association
IUPUI 2-0 4 Summit League
Gardner Webb 0-0 3 Big South Conference
Air Force 1-0 2 Mountain West Conference
North Florida 2-0 2 Atlantic Sun Conference
Florida Gulf Coast 1-0 1 Atlantic Sun Conference
Hartford 2-0 1 America East Conference

Nice to see Stanford back in the National Top 25 for the first time in a while. Kentucky is in as well. Poor Michigan State, lost a tough game and loses all their votes. I don't agree with that at all.

[collegesportsfanms]

Here is the Mid-Major Top 25 going into the week of Nov. 22-28:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (72) 2-0 1800 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. San Diego State 1-0 1532 4 Mountain West Conference
3. Fresno State 4-0 1491 6 Mountain West Conference
4. Richmond 2-0 1317 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
5. Memphis 2-0 1195 9 American Athletic Conference
6. Evansville 2-0 1131 NR Missouri Valley Conference
7. Akron 2-0 1114 12 Mid-American Conference
8. Western Michigan 2-0 918 NR Mid-American Conference
9. USC 3-0 861 NR West Coast Conference
10. South Florida 2-0 843 NR American Athletic Conference
11. Davidson 2-0 839 19 Atlantic 10 Conference
12. Northern Iowa 2-0 800 NR Missouri Valley Conference
13. Manhattan 3-0 700 NR Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
14. Vermont 3-0 580 NR America East Conference
15. Long Beach State 2-0 547 NR Big West Conference
16. Belmont 2-0 483 NR Ohio Valley Conference
17. Towson 2-0 473 NR Colonial Athletic Association
18. Illinois State 1-0 458 20 Missouri Valley Conference
19. FIU 2-0 344 NR Conference USA
20. Denver 2-0 320 NR Summit League
21. Cal Poly 2-0 311 NR Big West Conference
22. Eastern Michigan 1-0 243 NR Mid-American Conference
23. Georgia State 1-0 237 NR Horizon League
24. James Madison 2-0 222 NR Colonial Athletic Association
25. Yale 2-0 220 NR Ivy League

Others Receiving Votes:
Saint Louis 1-0 209 Atlantic 10 Conference
Bowling Green 1-0 194 Mid-American Conference
UNLV 1-0 190 Mountain West Conference
IUPUI 2-0 187 Summit League
Northern Colorado 3-0 185 Big Sky Conference
Sacramento State 2-0 185 Big Sky Conference
Oakland 1-0 164 Horizon League
Portland 1-0 161 West Coast Conference
North Texas 1-0 158 Conference USA
St. Bonaventure 0-0 153 Atlantic 10 Conference
UNC Greensboro 2-0 151 Southern Conference
Middle Tennessee 1-0 145 Conference USA
North Carolina Central 2-0 139 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
North Florida 2-0 137 Atlantic Sun Conference
UCF 2-0 134 American Athletic Conference
Hartford 2-0 133 America East Conference
South Dakota State 1-0 130 Summit League
Boston University 2-0 122 Patriot League
Air Force 1-0 119 Mountain West Conference
Delaware 1-0 111 Colonial Athletic Association
Seattle 1-0 107 Western Athletic Conference
Wagner 2-0 105 Northeast Conference
Northern Illinois 0-0 97 Mid-American Conference
Penn 1-0 97 Ivy League
Rice 1-0 93 Conference USA
Montana State 1-0 90 Big Sky Conference
Florida Gulf Coast 1-0 83 Atlantic Sun Conference
Saint Peter's 1-0 78 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Eastern Kentucky 1-0 69 Ohio Valley Conference
Incarnate Word 1-0 67 Southland Conference
Grambling State 2-0 58 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Winthrop 2-0 49 Big South Conference
North Dakota 1-0 44 Big Sky Conference
Texas-Rio Grande Valley 1-0 42 Western Athletic Conference
Troy 2-0 39 Sun Belt Conference
Northwestern State 1-0 35 Southland Conference
Arkansas State 1-0 29 Sun Belt Conference
Texas State 0-0 27 Sun Belt Conference
Bryant 0-0 24 Northeast Conference
Gardner Webb 0-0 22 Big South Conference
Jackson State 1-0 18 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Lamar 0-0 17 Southland Conference
Bethune Cookman 0-0 9 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Alcorn State 0-0 8 Southwestern Athletic Conference
BYU 1-1 7 West Coast Conference

ECU suffers the same fate in the mid-major poll that Michigan State does in the national polls: Lose a game, lose all your votes. Ridiculous. Good to see Rice and Troy and Hartford gaining votes though.

[thealmighty]

Looks like almost every team in the Big 12 gets some votes except TCU. Did we lose our whole team to graduation?

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 22-28, 2021

1 feature game this week, but it wasn't a part of any season tournament, just a regularly scheduled game.

11/28/21- ECU (Al Hutt) @ Duke (Dean Hoo) -- A really good test for the much improved Pirates, but they weren't quite up to the task. Despite forcing 26 Duke turnovers, ECU could only manage to shoot 35.9% from the field. Combine that with the fact that the Blue Devils hit double the amount of three pointers that ECU did, and it all added up to a double digit win for Duke.

Final Score: Duke- 76, ECU- 64

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 2-2, 0-0 America East.

11/22/21- Toledo Regional First Round vs. (4) UL Monroe (L 60-52).
11/23/21- Toledo Regional 3rd Place Game vs. (3) High Point (L 71-63).

A couple 8 point losses to teams the Hawks probably should have beaten, and they finish 4th in a 4 team tournament for the 3rd time in Coach Ginsberg's career.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 1-2, 0-0 American.

No games this week for the Huskies and Coach Childress.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 3-2, 0-0 American.

11/28/21 at Duke- feature game, highlighted above.

Just the 1 game this week for the Pirates, and if they could have just converted on half of the Duke turnovers, they'd be sitting at 4-1 right now.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 2-3, 0-0 American.

11/22/21- Gulf Coast Showcase First Round vs. (6) Towson (L 71-61).
11/23/21- Gulf Coast Showcase Consolation Round vs. (7) Nevada (W 70-64).
11/24/21- Gulf Coast Showcase 5th Place Game vs. (8) Rider (L 71-58).

An embarrassing week for the Golden Hurricane, who go 1-2 against the #6,7, and 8 seeds in the Gulf Coast Showcase for a 6th place finish. They are still trying to figure it out, but Coach Brown's patience is wearing thin.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 3-1, 0-0 ACC.

11/28/21 vs. ECU- feature game, highlighted above.

A gift win for the Blue Devils this week, who turned the ball over 26 times but still found a way to win.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 1-2, 0-0 Big 12.

11/24/21 at Incarnate Word (L 98-83).

1 game for the Horned Frogs this week, and boy was it an embarrassing loss. A 15 point road loss to Incarnate Word. The honeymoon might be wearing off for TCU.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) 1-1, 0-0 Big Ten.

No games this week for the Spartans and Coach Mighty.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 2-1, 0-0 Big Ten.

No games this week for the Wildcats and Coach Vee. Wow, a lot of teams had the week off.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 1-2, 0-0 Big West.

11/26/21 at Eastern Kentucky (L 69-63).

1 game this week for the Warriors, and it was another loss, but at least it was close. The schedule isn't easy coming up for Hawaii.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 2-1, 0-0 Conference USA.

11/26/21- Music City Challenge First Round vs. (2) UL Lafayette (L 84-77).
11/28/21- Music City Challenge 3rd Place Game vs. (4) Jackson State (W 75-52).

The Owls split this week, salvaging 3rd place in their tournament after a tough loss to UL Lafayette.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 4-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/22/21- Gulf Coast Showcase First Round vs. (8) Rider (W 63-56).
11/23/21- Gulf Coast Showcase Semifinal vs. (4) Portland (L 86-79).
11/24/21- Gulf Coast Showcase Championship vs. (6) Towson (W 81-70).

2 out of 3 this week for the Buffaloes, and it's far too soon to say they've turned the corner. Nothing to be ashamed of losing to Portland, who already has some incredible wins this season and will be ranked when the new polls come out. Still though, a promising start for Coach Nielsen, who picked up career win #100 in the win against Rider.

#20 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 3-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/24/21 at Santa Clara (W 83-77).
11/28/21 at UC Santa Barbara (L 70-64).

A road split this week for the Cardinal, and a pair of 6 point outcomes. That loss to UCSB was marred by bad shooting and getting beaten by 15 on the boards.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 3-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/24/21- Battle 4 Atlantis First Round vs. (7) Georgia State (L 79-77).
11/25/21- Battle 4 Atlantis Consolation Round vs. (6) Evansville (W 83-68).
11/26/21- Battle 4 Atlantis 5th Place Game vs. (8) DePaul (W 93-80).

Not exactly the competition the Bruins were hoping for as they progressed in the tournament, but that's what happens when you get upset in your first round game. A good recovery to finish 5th, but they really missed out on a chance at some RPI boosting games.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 3-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/22/21- Main Event First Round vs. (3) LSU (W 70-55).
11/23/21- Main Event Semifinal vs. (2) Indiana (W 72-70).
11/24/21- Main Event Championship vs. (5) Georgia Tech (W 101-70).

I'm not sure what Coach St. John said to his Cougars after that season opening loss, but whatever he said... message delivered, at least for these 3 games. It was like a new Washington State team out there, and they carried it all the way to win the Main Event Championship! This is the first tournament title for Coach St. John and the Cougars since this dynasty started. Congrats to him, hopefully they can keep it up.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 2-1, 0-0 SEC.

11/24/21 vs. Columbia (W 67-64).

Just 1 game this week for the Crimson Tide, and they will soak in this victory, because with the upcoming schedule they have, it might be their last win for a while.

#22 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 4-0, 0-0 SEC.

11/22/21- Hall of Fame Classic Semifinal vs. (5) Memphis (W 74-68).
11/23/21- Hall of Fame Classic Championship vs. (6) Akron (W 74-65).

The Wildcats miss a chance to play the 2nd seed in this tournament, as they were bounced by tournament runner-up Akron. Still, a tournament win is a tournament win, because you still have to beat who is put in front of you. The Wildcats become the first FOFC team in this dynasty to win a 4 team, 8 team, and 16 team tournament. They've completed that hat trick, and they've also won 4 season tournaments now in this dynasty. Impressive!

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 3-2, 0-0 Sun Belt.

11/25/21- Wooden Legacy First Round vs. (3) Navy (L 77-76).
11/26/21- Wooden Legacy Consolation Round vs. (7) Howard (L 57-50).
11/28/21- Wooden Legacy 7th Place Game vs. (8) Marist (W 82-65).

Some agonizing defeats for the Trojans this week, who lose 2 games by a total of 8 points. A nice recovery to get a double digit win in the 7th place game.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Nov. 29-Dec. 5:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (72) 5-0 1800 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Wichita State 5-0 1728 2 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Arkansas 3-0 1625 6 Southeastern Conference
4. Baylor 3-0 1578 10 Big 12 Conference
5. North Carolina 3-0 1502 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. San Diego State 4-0 1428 15 Mountain West Conference
7. Arizona 5-0 1244 18 Pacific-12 Conference
8. Kentucky 4-0 1074 22 Southeastern Conference
9. Penn State 6-0 1031 NR Big Ten Conference
10. Wake Forest 3-0 1025 21 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Syracuse 6-1 994 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
12. Fresno State 5-0 935 19 Mountain West Conference
13. Iowa State 3-1 925 3 Big 12 Conference
14. Georgetown 2-1 836 17 Big East Conference
15. Portland 4-0 705 NR West Coast Conference
16. South Florida 4-0 633 NR American Athletic Conference
17. Manhattan 5-0 596 NR Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
18. Georgia 3-0 561 25 Southeastern Conference
19. UNLV 3-0 426 NR Mountain West Conference
20. Louisville 4-1 398 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
21. South Carolina 3-0 309 NR Southeastern Conference
22. James Madison 4-0 270 NR Colonial Athletic Association
23. Oklahoma State 2-0 243 NR Big 12 Conference
24. Florida State 3-1 229 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
25. St. John's 3-1 182 11 Big East Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Florida Gulf Coast 3-0 176 Atlantic Sun Conference
IUPUI 3-0 153 Summit League
Iowa 3-1 105 Big Ten Conference
Boston College 2-0 104 Atlantic Coast Conference
Seattle 3-0 100 Western Athletic Conference
Texas State 2-0 78 Sun Belt Conference
Villanova 3-1 76 Big East Conference
Denver 2-0 73 Summit League
Vermont 3-0 70 America East Conference
Air Force 1-0 58 Mountain West Conference
Eastern Kentucky 2-0 49 Ohio Valley Conference
Northwestern State 2-0 36 Southland Conference
Virginia 2-1 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
Ohio State 4-1 10 Big Ten Conference
Bryant 1-0 8 Northeast Conference
Boise State 1-1 4 Mountain West Conference
Buffalo 3-1 4 Mid-American Conference
Oklahoma 4-1 3 Big 12 Conference
Vanderbilt 3-1 3 Southeastern Conference

Kentucky has a big jump this week after winning the Hall of Fame Classic, while Stanford loses all their votes after their meltdown at UCSB. These are really tough polls to figure out. I guess I don't keep that close of attention to polls in real life, but I have a hard time having a 1-0, 1-1 team receiving votes, when we have 4 Pac 12 FOFC teams that are either 3-1 or 4-1, and none of them receive a vote. Crazy.

OK, rant over, for now. Here's a look a the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Nov. 29-Dec. 5:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (72) 5-0 1800 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. San Diego State 4-0 1723 2 Mountain West Conference
3. Fresno State 5-0 1618 3 Mountain West Conference
4. Portland 4-0 1526 NR West Coast Conference
5. UNLV 3-0 1409 NR Mountain West Conference
6. South Florida 4-0 1394 10 American Athletic Conference
7. Manhattan 5-0 1387 13 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
8. James Madison 4-0 1234 24 Colonial Athletic Association
9. Florida Gulf Coast 3-0 1206 NR Atlantic Sun Conference
10. Vermont 3-0 1087 14 America East Conference
11. IUPUI 3-0 1046 NR Summit League
12. Denver 2-0 960 20 Summit League
13. Seattle 3-0 922 NR Western Athletic Conference
14. Texas State 2-0 850 NR Sun Belt Conference
15. Eastern Kentucky 2-0 846 NR Ohio Valley Conference
16. Air Force 1-0 811 NR Mountain West Conference
17. Northwestern State 2-0 655 NR Southland Conference
18. Boise State 1-1 559 NR Mountain West Conference
19. Bryant 1-0 555 NR Northeast Conference
20. Buffalo 3-1 530 NR Mid-American Conference
21. Green Bay 4-1 213 NR Horizon League
22. Illinois State 3-1 209 18 Missouri Valley Conference
23. Belmont 4-1 192 16 Ohio Valley Conference
24. Memphis 3-1 99 5 American Athletic Conference
25. Akron 3-1 96 7 Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
VMI 5-1 87 Southern Conference
Cal Poly 3-1 36 Big West Conference
Oakland 3-1 32 Horizon League
Northern Colorado 5-1 30 Big Sky Conference
Massachusetts 3-1 29 Atlantic 10 Conference
Bucknell 3-1 28 Patriot League
Sacramento State 3-1 24 Big Sky Conference
Saint Louis 3-1 23 Atlantic 10 Conference
UAB 3-1 19 Conference USA
Dartmouth 3-1 15 Ivy League
Radford 5-1 15 Big South Conference
Rhode Island 1-1 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
Fordham 2-1 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
UC Irvine 1-1 11 Big West Conference
Charlotte 3-1 10 Conference USA
Colgate 3-1 10 Patriot League
Eastern Illinois 3-1 10 Ohio Valley Conference
Temple 2-1 9 American Athletic Conference
Southern Utah 2-1 7 Big Sky Conference
Montana State 1-1 6 Big Sky Conference
St. Francis NY 2-1 6 Northeast Conference
Western Illinois 2-1 5 Southland Conference
Alabama A&M 4-1 4 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Boston University 3-1 4 Patriot League
FIU 2-1 4 Conference USA
UNC Greensboro 2-1 4 Southern Conference
Valparaiso 3-1 4 Horizon League
Niagara 1-1 3 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
North Carolina A&T 2-1 3 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
William & Mary 2-1 3 Colonial Athletic Association
Louisiana Monroe 3-1 2 Sun Belt Conference
Loyola Marymount 1-1 2 West Coast Conference
Colorado State 1-1 1 Mountain West Conference
Oral Roberts 1-1 1 Summit League
San Jose State 1-1 1 Mountain West Conference

No big surprise, as none of our FOFC teams are receiving mid-major votes.

[bbgunn]

Fantastic run for Wazzu! Hopefully they build on that. Looks like something special is building on the Palouse.

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 2021

We have 2 feature games to tell you about this week, and we'll start with a Big 12/American matchup:

11/30/21- TCU (Bee Mighty) @ Tulsa (Will Brown) -- The honeymoon of last season may be over for the Horned Frogs, as they committed 18 turnovers and shot just 39.7% in a road loss.

Final Score: Tulsa- 73, TCU- 62

Now to an America East/Big West matchup:

12/4/21- Hartford (David Ginsberg) @ Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- Hot shooting for Hawaii was the difference in this one, as they shot 51% from the field and got to the line a bit more, as they get a big home win.

Final Score: Hawaii- 71, Hartford- 57

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 2-4, 0-0 America East.

12/2/21 at #25 St. Johns (L 76-60).
12/4/21 at Hawaii- feature game, highlighted above.

This might be the longest losing streak that the Hawks have suffered in a while, as they've lost their last 4 after beating 2 fairly quality teams to start the season.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 1-3, 0-0 American.

11/30/21 vs. Stephen F. Austin (L 73-61).

Things continue to go south for Coach Childress and the Huskies, who lose their 3rd in a row going into a brutal stretch to finish the non-conference schedule. They might consider themselves luck if they win 2 more games before American play starts.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 3-3, 0-0 American.

12/4/21 at Texas A&M (L 75-63).

So close, yet so far for the Pirates, who have fought hard against 2 good teams on the road, but lost their last 2 games. They've got 3 more tough games before the schedule eases up just a tad.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 3-4, 0-0 American.

11/30/21 vs. TCU- feature game, highlighted above.
12/5/21 vs. Northwestern State (L 68-62, OT).

Inconsistency again for the Golden Hurricane, who beat TCU yet lose in OT to Northwestern State? Gotta find some consistency or it'll be another long season.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 5-1, 0-0 ACC.

11/30/21 vs. Elon (W 84-61).
12/3/21 vs. High Point (W 90-59).

The Blue Devils beat up on a couple more putzes in the non-conference schedule, and now they'll get a bit more tested in their next 3 games.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 1-3, 0-0 Big 12.

11/30/21 at Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.

Another road loss for the Horned Frogs, who seem to be falling back into oblivion. They have 4 feel good games in a row coming up that they have to win.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 4-1, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/29/21 at Creighton (W 82-70).
12/1/21 vs. Holy Cross (W 81-44).
12/3/21 vs. Hofstra (W 82-58).

3 good wins for the Spartans, who seem to be off to a hot start, but there is still a lot to be desired.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 3-3, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/29/21 vs. SIU Edwardsville (W 77-59).
12/3/21 at Marquette (L 75-66).
12/5/21 at Sacred Heart (L 93-70).

1 out of 3 for the Wildcats this week, but my goodness, a 23 point loss to Sacred Heart? One can only hope they'll be an NCAA Tournament team (Sacred Heart I mean) with that kind of performance.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 3-2, 0-0 Big West.

11/30/21 at USC (W 71-59).
12/4/21 vs. Hartford- feature game, highlighted above.

Nice week for the Warriors who jump over .500 again with a couple wins.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 2-1, 0-0 Conference USA.

No games this week for the Owls and Coach Shocker.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 5-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/3/21 at Kansas (W 52-43).

A win for the Buffaloes this week. At one point, winning at Kansas would be considered a marquee victory, but the Jayhawks have fallen so far that it's not as big of a win as it should be. Never mind that though, Colorado has already won half as many games in 1 month of the season than they did all season 2 years ago.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 5-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/1/21 vs. N.C. State (W 100-48).
12/4/21 vs. Mt. St. Mary's (W 76-60).

Wow! What a whoopin the Cardinal put on N.C. State. I never would have seen that coming. 1 more game for Stanford before their season tournament.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 4-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/1/21 vs. Bowling Green (W 69-66).

It was a much tougher game than expected for the Bruins, but they pulled out a tough victory in their only game of the week.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 3-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/1/21 at St. Mary's (L 89-72).
12/3/21 vs. William & Mary (L 92-81).
12/5/21 vs. #15 Portland (L 75-67).

So much for the Cougars turning the corner. In their defense, they did lose to 3 solid non P5 schools that all have a very good chance at postseason play. But.. it also proves there is still work to be done.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 2-2, 0-0 SEC.

12/1/21 at #5 North Carolina (L 61-50).

Just 1 game this week for the Crimson Tide, who gave it a gallant effort but no luck. The schedule continues to be brutal, non-conference wise anyways.

#8 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 5-1, 0-0 SEC.

11/30/21 at Oklahoma (L 78-62).
12/3/21 vs. Coastal Carolina (W 74-52).

A split for the Wildcats, who suffer their first loss of the season to an Oklahoma team that might not be as good as their record shows.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 3-2, 0-0 Sun Belt.

No games this week for the Trojans and Coach Hawkins.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Dec. 6-12:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (72) 7-0 1800 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Wichita State 7-0 1727 2 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Baylor 6-0 1626 4 Big 12 Conference
4. Arkansas 5-0 1589 3 Southeastern Conference
5. North Carolina 4-0 1478 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. San Diego State 7-0 1468 6 Mountain West Conference
7. Arizona 7-0 1312 7 Pacific-12 Conference
8. Iowa State 5-1 1233 13 Big 12 Conference
9. Syracuse 7-1 1166 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
10. Fresno State 7-0 1152 12 Mountain West Conference
11. Penn State 6-0 1042 9 Big Ten Conference
12. Wake Forest 3-0 1008 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. Georgia 4-0 810 18 Southeastern Conference
14. Manhattan 6-0 790 17 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
15. Louisville 4-1 739 20 Atlantic Coast Conference
16. Florida Gulf Coast 5-0 649 NR Atlantic Sun Conference
17. Boston College 4-0 641 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
18. St. John's 5-1 628 25 Big East Conference
19. James Madison 5-0 511 22 Colonial Athletic Association
20. Virginia 4-1 409 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
21. Air Force 3-0 392 NR Mountain West Conference
22. Villanova 4-1 332 NR Big East Conference
23. Ohio State 4-1 225 NR Big Ten Conference
24. Florida State 4-1 179 24 Atlantic Coast Conference
25. Vanderbilt 5-1 101 NR Southeastern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Notre Dame 6-1 69 Atlantic Coast Conference
Xavier 5-1 56 Big East Conference
Illinois State 6-1 42 Missouri Valley Conference
Georgetown 3-2 35 Big East Conference
Nebraska 4-1 33 Big Ten Conference
Stanford 5-1 27 Pacific-12 Conference
Kentucky 5-1 26 Southeastern Conference
Colorado 5-1 17 Pacific-12 Conference
Duke 5-1 14 Atlantic Coast Conference
Oklahoma 6-1 13 Big 12 Conference
Maryland 5-1 11 Big Ten Conference
Portland 5-1 11 West Coast Conference
UCLA 4-1 11 Pacific-12 Conference
Massachusetts 6-1 7 Atlantic 10 Conference
Washington 3-1 6 Pacific-12 Conference
South Florida 5-1 5 American Athletic Conference
UNLV 4-1 5 Mountain West Conference
Memphis 5-1 2 American Athletic Conference
Texas 4-1 1 Big 12 Conference
Western Illinois 4-1 1 Southland Conference
William & Mary 5-1 1 Colonial Athletic Association

Tough polls! Kentucky loses 1 game and drops all the way out, but it's a good news/bad news situation. The bad news, no teams ranked in the top 25. The good news, 5 teams still receiving votes. I guess I'll take it for now.

Now a look at the mid-major poll for the week of Dec. 6-12:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (72) 7-0 1800 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. San Diego State 7-0 1728 2 Mountain West Conference
3. Fresno State 7-0 1642 3 Mountain West Conference
4. Florida Gulf Coast 5-0 1568 9 Atlantic Sun Conference
5. Manhattan 6-0 1507 7 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
6. James Madison 5-0 1434 8 Colonial Athletic Association
7. Air Force 3-0 1392 16 Mountain West Conference
8. Illinois State 6-1 1265 22 Missouri Valley Conference
9. William & Mary 5-1 1064 NR Colonial Athletic Association
10. Memphis 5-1 994 24 American Athletic Conference
11. Portland 5-1 977 4 West Coast Conference
12. VMI 6-1 846 NR Southern Conference
13. South Florida 5-1 820 6 American Athletic Conference
14. UNLV 4-1 795 5 Mountain West Conference
15. The Citadel 6-1 720 NR Southern Conference
16. Oakland 5-1 718 NR Horizon League
17. Massachusetts 6-1 654 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
18. Valparaiso 5-1 606 NR Horizon League
19. Colgate 4-1 344 NR Patriot League
20. Oral Roberts 4-1 267 NR Summit League
21. UAB 4-1 252 NR Conference USA
22. Temple 4-1 243 NR American Athletic Conference
23. Old Dominion 3-1 233 NR Conference USA
24. Alabama A&M 4-1 201 NR Southwestern Athletic Conference
25. Eastern Michigan 3-1 195 NR Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Texas State 3-1 123 Sun Belt Conference
Colorado State 3-1 119 Mountain West Conference
Western Illinois 4-1 111 Southland Conference
Denver 3-1 108 Summit League
Sacramento State 3-1 104 Big Sky Conference
Cal Poly 3-1 85 Big West Conference
Louisiana Tech 2-1 78 Conference USA
Southern Utah 3-1 75 Big Sky Conference
Boise State 3-2 74 Mountain West Conference
Loyola MD 4-1 74 Patriot League
Northeastern 1-1 50 Colonial Athletic Association
FIU 2-1 48 Conference USA
South Alabama 2-1 46 Sun Belt Conference
Rice 2-1 27 Conference USA
Buffalo 4-2 13 Mid-American Conference

Nice to see Rice, who didn't even play a game last week, find a way into the mid-major polls.

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 6-12, 2021

Just 1 feature game this week, as we have a Big Ten/SEC showdown between teams that are trying to restore their glory.

12/6/21- Michigan State (Al Mighty) @ Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- The first half was the difference in this one, as the Spartans held Bama to just 17 first half points and 35% shooting overall for the game, as they get an important road victory.

Final Score: Michigan State- 66, Alabama- 53

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 2-6, 0-0 America East.

12/7/21 vs. Rhode Island (L 79-68).
12/9/21 at Rutgers (L 72-59).

2 more double digit losses for the Hawks, who have lost 6 in a row since looking really good in their first 2 games. The streak has to end sometime, we hope.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 3-4, 0-0 American.

12/6/21 at Gonzaga (W 85-63).
12/10/21vs. #23 Ohio State (W 76-70).
12/12/21 at #5 North Carolina (L 86-60).

Not a bad week for the Huskies, as they played some tough competition, getting a home upset of Ohio State before falling apart at North Carolina. Still, 2 outta 3 against top competition isn't bad.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 4-5, 0-0 American.

12/6/21 at Miami (L 90-68).
12/8/21 at Florida (L 72-64).
12/11/21 at VCU (W 88-59).

I thought this might be a tough week for the Pirates, and it was. They looked bad against Miami, lost a halftime lead against Florida, but finished the week strong with a road dismantling of a VCU team that has vastly underperformed since joining the SEC.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 3-6, 0-0 American.

12/8/21 vs. South Dakota State (L 57-53).
12/11/21 at Oklahoma State (L 91-82).

Pile em up! More losses for the Golden Hurricane. What's most frustrating is that 2 of their last 3 losses have been to teams they really shouldn't be losing to, especially at home. At least Oklahoma State is a respectable loss.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 8-1, 0-0 ACC.

12/7/21 vs. Georgetown (W 56-55).
12/9/21 at #25 Vanderbilt (W 84-51).
12/12/21 at Gonzaga (W 83-74).

Great week for the Blue Devils who continue to roll. After a scare against Georgetown, the Dukies looked great at Vandy and at Gonzaga.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 2-4, 0-0 Big 12.

12/6/21 at Tennessee Tech (L 51-50).
12/10/21 vs. New Orleans (W 91-78).

A split for the Horned Frogs this week, and a heartbreaking loss at Tennessee Tech. All they needed to do was figure out how to make 1 more shot. They've got more winnable games coming up, the question is can they play consistently enough to turn them into wins.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 5-1, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/6/21 at Alabama- feature game, highlighted above.

Just the 1 game this week for the Spartans and it was a solid road victory. They've got a chance to puff up their win total going into conference play, although there are a couple games left in non-conference that could be tests.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 5-3, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/8/21 at Chattanooga (W 67-61).
12/10/21 vs. Toledo (W 70-65, OT).

2 wins this week for the Wildcats, and badly needed wins. With Coach Vee fighting for his job, he really needs to win as many as he can out of conference, because he knows what a grind the Big Ten schedule will be.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 4-2, 0-0 Big West.

12/8/21 vs. #11 Penn State (W 67-60).

A nice home victory for the Warriors in their only game of the week. Anytime you can steal a victory against a P5 team is important.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 4-2, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/8/21 at Houston Baptist (W 75-70, OT).
12/10/21 at Texas Southern (L 76-65).
12/12/21 vs. North Dakota State (W 78-74).

2 out of the for 3 owls, and their only setback was against a team that is usually near the top of their conference, so not bad.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 6-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/7/21 vs. BYU (L 61-57).
12/10/21 vs. Western Carolina (W 89-58).

A split for the Buffaloes, who are probably kicking themselves for that loss to BYU. It was a slow start that did it. They needed that win, because wins might be tough to come by for the rest of the month.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 5-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/6/21 vs. Northeastern (L 66-64).

A loss for the Cardinal in their only game of the week. Not exactly the kind of momentum you want going into your season tournament where your first round opponent is 7-1. Coach Sanchez has some work to do to get his team ready.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 6-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/6/21 vs. Colgate (L 79-77).
12/10/21 at Loyola Marymount (W 76-61).
12/12/21 vs. Holy Cross (W 82-57).

2 outta 3 for the Bruins, but losing to Colgate? Really? To be fair, Colgate is 5-2 with an RPI of 36. But still, this is a bad loss for UCLA.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 3-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

No games this week for the Cougars and Coach St. John, who hopefully used the week to prepare for some more winnable games coming up.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 2-5, 0-0 SEC.

12/6/21 vs. Michigan State- feature game, highlighted above.
12/8/21 at #8 Iowa State (L 82-58).
12/10/21 at #9 Syracuse (L 64-55).

Give credit to the Crimson Tide for scheduling tough and boosting their SOS for an at-large bid, but none of that matters if they can't find a way to win some of those games. Their last 4 opponents have a combined record of 29-3 so far this season, and 3 of them beat Bama by double digits. This isn't going to fly.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 6-2, 0-0 SEC.

12/7/21 at N.C. State (L 75-73).
12/11/21 vs. Cleveland State (W 83-61).

A split for the Wildcats, who won't be happy about dropping one on the road to another P5 opponent. Both of their losses are on the road so far, Coach Hutt wants to get that figured out sooner than later.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 4-3, 0-0 Sun Belt.

12/7/21 at Charlotte (W 91-82).
12/9/21 at Mississippi State (L 96-91).

A road split this week for the Trojans, and both of them were old fashioned shootouts. It's nice that they are putting up the offense, but they've got to shore up that defense. Conference play begins next week for Troy, a little early I'm thinking, but maybe not.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Dec. 13-19:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (72) 9-0 1800 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Wichita State 10-0 1728 2 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Arkansas 7-0 1649 4 Southeastern Conference
4. North Carolina 6-0 1550 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
5. Iowa State 9-1 1497 8 Big 12 Conference
6. Baylor 8-0 1421 3 Big 12 Conference
7. Syracuse 9-1 1359 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Arizona 8-0 1333 7 Pacific-12 Conference
9. Louisville 6-1 1152 15 Atlantic Coast Conference
10. Wake Forest 5-0 1142 12 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. St. John's 7-1 1024 18 Big East Conference
12. Manhattan 8-0 973 14 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
13. Virginia 6-1 821 20 Atlantic Coast Conference
14. Florida Gulf Coast 6-0 805 16 Atlantic Sun Conference
15. Villanova 6-1 773 22 Big East Conference
16. San Diego State 7-1 772 6 Mountain West Conference
17. Xavier 7-1 643 NR Big East Conference
18. Texas 7-1 547 NR Big 12 Conference
19. Nebraska 6-1 504 NR Big Ten Conference
20. Notre Dame 8-1 489 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
21. Duke 8-1 403 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
22. Fresno State 9-1 285 10 Mountain West Conference
23. Oklahoma 8-1 262 NR Big 12 Conference
24. Memphis 8-1 163 NR American Athletic Conference
25. Kansas State 7-1 77 NR Big 12 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Georgia 5-1 42 Southeastern Conference
Massachusetts 7-1 38 Atlantic 10 Conference
Oakland 8-1 33 Horizon League
William & Mary 6-1 26 Colonial Athletic Association
Penn State 6-1 24 Big Ten Conference
Old Dominion 6-1 14 Conference USA
South Florida 6-1 14 American Athletic Conference
Cal Poly 5-1 9 Big West Conference
James Madison 6-1 6 Colonial Athletic Association
Oklahoma State 5-1 6 Big 12 Conference
Boston College 5-1 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
Purdue 6-1 5 Big Ten Conference
VMI 7-1 3 Southern Conference
The Citadel 7-1 2 Southern Conference
Air Force 4-1 1 Mountain West Conference

Great to see Duke jump into the top 25, but what a lack of respect for the FOFC teams otherwise. Those losses that teams like Stanford, Kentucky, Colorado, and UCLA had were enough to cause them to lose all their poll votes. Crazy.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Dec. 13-19:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (72) 10-0 1800 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. Florida Gulf Coast 6-0 1672 4 Atlantic Sun Conference
3. Manhattan 8-0 1648 5 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
4. San Diego State 7-1 1623 2 Mountain West Conference
5. Fresno State 9-1 1478 3 Mountain West Conference
6. Memphis 8-1 1435 10 American Athletic Conference
7. Oakland 8-1 1318 16 Horizon League
8. William & Mary 6-1 1261 9 Colonial Athletic Association
9. Old Dominion 6-1 1092 23 Conference USA
10. South Florida 6-1 1090 13 American Athletic Conference
11. VMI 7-1 1074 12 Southern Conference
12. Massachusetts 7-1 1031 17 Atlantic 10 Conference
13. The Citadel 7-1 954 15 Southern Conference
14. James Madison 6-1 808 6 Colonial Athletic Association
15. Valparaiso 6-1 799 18 Horizon League
16. Alabama A&M 6-1 712 24 Southwestern Athletic Conference
17. Loyola MD 7-1 635 NR Patriot League
18. Northeastern 4-1 627 NR Colonial Athletic Association
19. Oral Roberts 6-1 590 20 Summit League
20. Cal Poly 5-1 502 NR Big West Conference
21. Air Force 4-1 485 7 Mountain West Conference
22. Illinois State 6-2 269 8 Missouri Valley Conference
23. Portland 7-2 146 11 West Coast Conference
24. Green Bay 7-2 116 NR Horizon League
25. UNLV 5-2 52 14 Mountain West Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Belmont 6-2 42 Ohio Valley Conference
SMU 6-2 32 American Athletic Conference
Davidson 6-2 28 Atlantic 10 Conference
Rider 8-2 23 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Sacred Heart 6-2 13 Northeast Conference
Colgate 5-2 12 Patriot League
Grambling State 6-2 7 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Richmond 4-2 7 Atlantic 10 Conference
Colorado State 5-2 6 Mountain West Conference
UTEP 4-2 6 Conference USA
Wagner 6-2 3 Northeast Conference
Western Illinois 5-2 3 Southland Conference
Hawaii 4-2 1 Big West Conference

No surprise to see Rice lose their mid-major votes, but hello Hawaii! They get 1 point in the polls after their big win over Penn State.

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 13-19, 2021

No feature games this week, that's pretty rare. Let's get to the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 5-7, 0-0 America East.

12/13/21 at Northeastern (W 67-55).
12/15/21 at Dartmouth (W 65-56).
12/17/21 vs. Temple (L 71-56).
12/19/21 at Utah (W 51-36).

Heavy week for the Hawks, but a good week as they go 3-1. Surprisingly, their only loss was a home game to a tough Temple team. Coach Ginsberg has to be happy to getting that much closer to .500 overall.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 4-4, 0-0 American.

12/17/21 vs. Seton Hall (W 72-40).

Just 1 game this week for the Huskies, but they took care of business with a convincing win over Seton Hall. A feel good win, because their remaining 4 non-conference games will not be easy.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 6-6, 0-0 American.

12/13/21 vs. North Carolina Central (L 81-73).
12/16/21 vs. Virginia Tech (W 74-52).
12/18/21 at Georgetown (W 76-54).

Very confusing week for the Pirates, who go 2-1 to get back to .500. They hammered the teams that I expected to give them problems, but lost the game I really expected them to win.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 4-7, 0-0 American.

12/17/21 at New Mexico (L 62-51).
12/19/21 at Oral Roberts (W 83-78).

A split for the Golden Hurricane, who break a 4 game losing streak with the win at Oral Roberts. Hopefully that win gets them some momentum as they are into conference play.

#21 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 9-1, 0-0 ACC.

12/18/21 vs. Furman (W 76-68).

1 game this week for the Blue Devils, as Furman played them a lot closer than expected. Still a few more games before ACC play starts for them.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 4-4, 0-0 Big 12.

12/14/21 vs. Stephen F. Austin (W 83-74).
12/16/21 vs. Northwestern State (W 72-65).

Both were closer than expected, but the Horned Frogs win 2 games this week to get back to .500.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 5-2, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/18/21 vs. Green Bay (L 80-76).

Very tough loss for the Spartans, who really needed this one, as it could turn into a signature win before the season is over. Green Bay is now 9-2 on the season.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 7-4, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/13/21 at Tennessee (W 79-55).
12/16/21 at Penn (W 80-77).
12/19/21 vs. IPFW (L 70-64).

Just when it seems the Wildcats are figuring it out, they go and lose to a 2 win IPFW team, breaking a 4 game losing streak. They have 1 more non-conference game that should, I say, should be a breeze before they get into the Big Ten grind.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 5-3, 0-0 Big West.

12/16/21 at UNLV (W 54-49).
12/18/21 vs. Nicholls State (L 78-63).

Inconsistency again for the Warriors, who win a game they probably shouldn't have won, and lose a game they had no business losing. That bad loss to Nicholls State broke a 4 game winning steak.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 5-2, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/15/21 vs. UT Arlington (W 83-68).

1 game on the schedule this week for the Owls, but it's another win as they have won 4 out of their last 5.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 7-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/15/21 at #13 Virginia (W 65-56).

1 game this week for the Buffaloes, and it was by far their biggest win of the season so far, going to a top 15 Virginia team and stunning them. They have another chance to make a statement next week on the road against teams with a combined record of 16-3.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 5-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/15/21- Las Vegas Classic First Round vs. (15) Loyola MD (L 68-42).

I tend to think this Loyola MD team was way underseeded in this tournament, as they completely destroyed the Cardinal. Coach Sanchez needs to figure it out after 2 tough losses.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 7-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/18/21 vs. Georgia Tech (W 84-70).

1 game this week for the Bruins, but they get their 3rd win in a row. A few more winnable games on the schedule before Pac 12 play starts.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 5-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/14/21 vs. Colorado State (W 69-65).
12/16/21 vs. Idaho State (W 79-56).

2 more wins for the Cougars as they go back up over .500 on the season. That Colorado State win could turn out to be a big win come NCAA Tourney time.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 2-6, 0-0 SEC.

12/16/21 vs. Kansas (L 70-51).

1 game for the Crimson Tide this week, and they are a mess right now. We talked about this last week, taking on a great non-conference schedule is nice, but if you're gonna do it, you gotta be good enough to win some of them. They aren't right now, and next week they have their season tournament.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 6-2, 0-0 SEC.

No games this week for Coach Hutt and the Wildcats.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 6-3, 2-0 Sun Belt.

12/16/21 vs. UL Lafayette (W 73-68).
12/18/21 at Georgia Southern (W 93-68).

Great start to conference play for the Trojans, who needed a confidence boost. They've won 4 of their last 5. The Sun Belt is wide open, with no clear favorite, so if Coach Hawkins can keep his team consistent, they have a real chance to reach the postseason for the first time in the history of this dynasty.

Now a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Dec. 20-26:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (72) 11-0 1800 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Wichita State 11-0 1728 2 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Arkansas 9-0 1646 3 Southeastern Conference
4. North Carolina 7-0 1554 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
5. Baylor 11-0 1523 6 Big 12 Conference
6. Iowa State 9-1 1446 5 Big 12 Conference
7. Syracuse 9-1 1365 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Louisville 7-1 1254 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. San Diego State 10-1 1202 16 Mountain West Conference
10. St. John's 8-1 1123 11 Big East Conference
11. Oklahoma 10-1 1103 23 Big 12 Conference
12. Manhattan 9-0 1024 12 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
13. Xavier 8-1 848 17 Big East Conference
14. Texas 8-1 835 18 Big 12 Conference
15. Notre Dame 9-1 817 20 Atlantic Coast Conference
16. Duke 9-1 806 21 Atlantic Coast Conference
17. Memphis 10-1 647 24 American Athletic Conference
18. Oakland 10-1 572 NR Horizon League
19. Kansas State 9-1 464 25 Big 12 Conference
20. Oklahoma State 7-1 417 NR Big 12 Conference
21. Massachusetts 9-1 383 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
22. Old Dominion 7-1 248 NR Conference USA
23. Villanova 8-2 222 15 Big East Conference
24. Florida Gulf Coast 7-1 159 14 Atlantic Sun Conference
25. Vanderbilt 8-2 66 NR Southeastern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Nebraska 7-2 65 Big Ten Conference
Florida State 7-2 48 Atlantic Coast Conference
Fresno State 10-2 19 Mountain West Conference
Arizona 8-2 10 Pacific-12 Conference
Missouri 8-2 4 Southeastern Conference
Washington 6-2 2 Pacific-12 Conference

Duke moves up 5 spots after their win this week, but I can't believe teams like UCLA, Colorado, Kentucky aren't receiving any points. I seriously doubt that would be the case in reality.

Now a look at the mid-major top 25 heading into the week of Dec. 20-26:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (72) 11-0 1800 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. San Diego State 10-1 1721 4 Mountain West Conference
3. Manhattan 9-0 1651 3 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
4. Memphis 10-1 1571 6 American Athletic Conference
5. Oakland 10-1 1516 7 Horizon League
6. Massachusetts 9-1 1432 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
7. Florida Gulf Coast 7-1 1379 2 Atlantic Sun Conference
8. Old Dominion 7-1 1302 9 Conference USA
9. Fresno State 10-2 1189 5 Mountain West Conference
10. Green Bay 9-2 1107 24 Horizon League
11. Portland 8-2 1028 23 West Coast Conference
12. William & Mary 7-2 997 8 Colonial Athletic Association
13. South Florida 7-2 862 10 American Athletic Conference
14. Sacred Heart 8-2 829 NR Northeast Conference
15. Davidson 7-2 795 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
16. VMI 8-2 672 11 Southern Conference
17. Valparaiso 7-2 581 15 Horizon League
18. Alabama A&M 7-2 492 16 Southwestern Athletic Conference
19. Air Force 6-2 466 21 Mountain West Conference
20. Loyola MD 8-2 443 17 Patriot League
21. Richmond 6-2 431 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
22. Eastern Michigan 6-2 376 NR Mid-American Conference
23. Cal Poly 6-2 287 20 Big West Conference
24. FIU 5-2 205 NR Conference USA
25. Oral Roberts 7-2 132 19 Summit League

Others Receiving Votes:
New Hampshire 7-2 88 America East Conference
Rice 5-2 41 Conference USA
Illinois State 6-3 7 Missouri Valley Conference

Rice is back receiving votes after their win this week. A little surprised Troy didn't get some votes. That's their motivation to keep on winning.

[Coffee Warlord]

I can sort of understand CU not cracking the top 25 yet, but *no* votes?

[bbgunn]

I can sort of understand CU not cracking the top 25 yet, but *no* votes?
Yeah, why no love for the Buffs? That's a puzzling one.

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 20-26, 2021

2 feature games this week, and we'll start with the American taking on the SEC:

12/20/21- UConn (Randolph Childress) @ Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- My oh my how the mighty have fallen! Kentucky held UConn to just 34.7% shooting and forced 17 Huskie turnovers while committing just 8 turnovers themselves. All that equated to a very, very easy win for the Wildcats.

Final Score: Kentucky- 88, UConn- 55

Now we head to a Big 12/Conference USA matchup:

12/22/21- Rice (Charlie Shocker) @ TCU (Bee Mighty) -- this one was close at halftime, but the Owls took control in the second half, and they did it at the foul line. TCU was whistled for 11 more fouls than Rice and shot 16 more free throws. Of course, when a team pulls down 46 rebounds, the other team tends to have to foul a lot more. In any case, Rice gets a big road win.

Final Score: Rice- 78, TCU- 69

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 7-7, 1-0 America East.

12/23/21 at Eastern Washington (W 46-35).
12/26/21 at Vermont (W 60-57).

2 more wins for the Hawks this week, who are now back at .500. They also get a nice win in their conference opener.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 5-5, 0-0 American.

12/20/21 at Kentucky- feature game, highlighted above.
12/25/21 at #23 Villanova (W 62-60).

A split for the Huskies, who got dominated by Kentucky, but came back with a nice win over ranked Villanova. The jury is still out on them this season.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 8-6, 1-0 American.

12/22/21 vs. Cincinnati (W 79-67).
12/24/21 vs. Stetson (W 74-61).

2 more wins for the Pirates, including a nice conference opening win against Cincinnati.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 4-8, 0-1 American.

12/22/21 at #17 Memphis (L 89-71).

Just 1 game this week for the Golden Hurricane, their conference opener against the preseason conference favorites, and both teams played like we expected. Coach Brown has a lot of work to do to make this team competitive.

#16 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 9-2, 0-0 ACC.

12/20/21 at Creighton (L 68-57).

Just 1 game for the Blue Devils this week, and unfortunately that loss ended an 8 game losing streak. Creighton is a good team, but Coach Hoo knows they missed a golden opportunity.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 4-5, 0-0 Big 12.

12/22/21 vs. Rice- feature game, highlighted above.

Tough game for the Horned Frogs this week, as fouling and giving up too many free throws was the problem. This loss broke a 3 game winning streak.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 7-2, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/21/21 at Washington (W 73-70).
12/23/21 vs. George Mason (W 75-65).

The Spartans seem to have recovered nicely since that loss to a good Green Bay team. 2 wins this week, and next week brings a chance for 2 more non-conference wins before Big Ten play starts.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 8-4, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/26/21 vs. North Dakota (W 71-61).

1 game for the Wildcats this week, but it was a much needed win after that loss last week. They get next week off before starting Big Ten play.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 7-3, 0-0 Big West.

12/20/21 at North Dakota State (W 62-57).
12/25/21 at Prairie View A&M (W 62-61).

2 tough wins for the Warriors this week, both on the road. They were consistent, scoring 62 points in both games.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 7-2, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/22/21 at TCU- feature game, highlighted above.
12/25/21 vs. Kennesaw State (W 64-55).

2 more wins for the Owls, including a nice road win at TCU, and they are clicking on all cylinders. A couple tough non-conference tests next week though.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 7-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/25/21 at #19 Kansas State (L 65-44).

Tough one for the Buffaloes this week. Normally I'd be happy at a K-State win, but for the purposes of this dynasty, we needed Coach Nielsen to get it done. Hopefully they can rebound and win a couple next week to get back on track.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 5-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

No games this week for Coach Sanchez and the Cardinal.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 7-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/23/21 at Cal State Fullerton (L 69-64).
12/26/21 at UNLV (L 92-69).

Not a good week for the Bruins, who lose 2 road games. The UNLV loss could be forgivable if it wasn't by 23 points, but the Cal St. Fullerton loss? Not so much. Hopefully this is just a temporary setback.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 7-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/23/21 vs. Montana (W 82-56).
12/25/21 at Southern (W 66-63).

2 more wins for the Cougars, who have now won 4 in a row. It wasn't easy though, as they barely squeaked out that win over Southern.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 5-6, 0-0 SEC.

12/20/21- Diamond Head Classic vs. (5) #20 Oklahoma State (W 75-66).
12/21/21- Diamond Head Classic Semifinal vs. (8) Eastern Kentucky (W 80-72).
12/23/21- Diamond Head Classic Championship vs. (2) Providence (W 64-45).

Something definitely clicked with the Crimson Tide in this tournament, as they looked like a completely different team. Granted, they avoided top seed North Carolina in the semifinals, but still, a big congrats go to Coach Rogers, as he leads Alabama to their first tournament title since this dynasty started.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 9-2, 0-0 SEC.

12/20/21 vs. UConn- feature game, highlighted above.
12/22/21 at Texas A&M Corpus Christi (W 74-73).
12/24/21 vs. California (W 89-63).

Good week for the Wildcats, but I'm still trying to figure out how they destroyed UConn and Cal but needed a late second shot to beat Corpus Christ. Oh well, 3 more wins, and Big Blue Nation is rolling again.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 6-5, 2-2 Sun Belt.

12/23/21 at UL Lafayette (L 88-74).
12/25/21 vs. Northern Kentucky (L 78-70).

Well it looks like it's going to be another inconsistent conference season for the Trojans. 2 losses this week, 1 at home and 1 on the road. They have got to put together a nice streak, somehow, some way.

Now a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Dec. 27-Jan. 2:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (71) 11-1 1799 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Wichita State 12-1 1709 2 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Baylor (1) 12-0 1638 5 Big 12 Conference
4. Iowa State 11-1 1609 6 Big 12 Conference
5. Syracuse 10-1 1482 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Oklahoma 11-1 1421 11 Big 12 Conference
7. Arkansas 9-1 1394 3 Southeastern Conference
8. San Diego State 11-1 1270 9 Mountain West Conference
9. St. John's 9-1 1233 10 Big East Conference
10. Texas 10-1 1167 14 Big 12 Conference
11. Notre Dame 10-1 1059 15 Atlantic Coast Conference
12. Memphis 11-1 999 17 American Athletic Conference
13. North Carolina 8-2 883 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
14. Massachusetts 11-1 877 21 Atlantic 10 Conference
15. Kansas State 10-1 863 19 Big 12 Conference
16. Virginia 9-2 666 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
17. Vanderbilt 9-2 612 25 Southeastern Conference
18. Duke 9-2 493 16 Atlantic Coast Conference
19. Xavier 9-2 489 13 Big East Conference
20. Kentucky 9-2 452 NR Southeastern Conference
21. Missouri 10-2 434 NR Southeastern Conference
22. Oakland 11-2 249 18 Horizon League
23. William & Mary 9-2 195 NR Colonial Athletic Association
24. Portland 10-2 151 NR West Coast Conference
25. Penn State 9-2 75 NR Big Ten Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Wake Forest 7-2 63 Atlantic Coast Conference
Louisville 7-3 44 Atlantic Coast Conference
Florida Gulf Coast 9-2 28 Atlantic Sun Conference
Michigan State 7-2 19 Big Ten Conference
Sacred Heart 9-2 19 Northeast Conference
Old Dominion 8-2 5 Conference USA
Alabama A&M 9-2 3 Southwestern Athletic Conference

Duke moves down 2 spots after their loss to Creighton, while Kentucky is back in the top 25 after a 3-0 week. And hello Michigan State, who is receiving votes again!

Now for the mid-major top 25 for the week of Dec. 27-Jan. 2:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (72) 12-1 1800 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. San Diego State 11-1 1724 2 Mountain West Conference
3. Memphis 11-1 1652 4 American Athletic Conference
4. Massachusetts 11-1 1592 6 Atlantic 10 Conference
5. Oakland 11-2 1469 5 Horizon League
6. Portland 10-2 1414 11 West Coast Conference
7. William & Mary 9-2 1382 12 Colonial Athletic Association
8. Florida Gulf Coast 9-2 1309 7 Atlantic Sun Conference
9. Sacred Heart 9-2 1209 14 Northeast Conference
10. Old Dominion 8-2 1178 8 Conference USA
11. Alabama A&M 9-2 1089 18 Southwestern Athletic Conference
12. Rice 7-2 960 NR Conference USA
13. Green Bay 10-3 901 10 Horizon League
14. UNLV 8-3 820 NR Mountain West Conference
15. Fresno State 10-3 758 9 Mountain West Conference
16. SMU 9-3 647 NR American Athletic Conference
17. UTEP 8-3 638 NR Conference USA
18. The Citadel 9-3 441 NR Southern Conference
19. Eastern Michigan 8-3 432 22 Mid-American Conference
20. VMI 9-3 345 16 Southern Conference
21. Davidson 8-3 323 15 Atlantic 10 Conference
22. Manhattan 9-3 276 3 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
23. Detroit 7-3 192 NR Horizon League
24. Valparaiso 8-3 108 17 Horizon League
25. North Texas 8-3 105 NR Conference USA

Others Receiving Votes:
Northeastern 7-3 100 Colonial Athletic Association
South Florida 7-3 81 American Athletic Conference
Hawaii 7-3 75 Big West Conference
Colorado State 7-3 52 Mountain West Conference
Wagner 9-3 51 Northeast Conference
FIU 6-3 45 Conference USA
Richmond 7-3 42 Atlantic 10 Conference
Saint Louis 8-3 42 Atlantic 10 Conference
Loyola MD 9-3 37 Patriot League
Florida Atlantic 7-3 36 Conference USA
Dayton 8-3 31 Atlantic 10 Conference
Temple 6-3 20 American Athletic Conference
UAB 6-3 9 Conference USA
Fordham 7-3 6 Atlantic 10 Conference
Oral Roberts 7-3 6 Summit League
New Hampshire 8-3 2 America East Conference
Sam Houston State 7-3 1 Southland Conference

Well hello Rice and Hawaii! Rice is in the mid-major top 25 and Hawaii is receiving a fair amount of votes. Let's just hope this doesn't turn into the jinx that it normally does. Both teams need to keep winning!

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 27, 2021-Jan. 2, 2022

1 feature game for you this week and it takes place in the American:

1/1/22- ECU (Al Hutt) @ Tulsa (Will Brown) -- The Pirates were dominating defensively, holding Tulsa to just 32.8% shooting and forcing 19 turnovers. ECU also got to the line 31 times as they got a New Years Day win on the road.

Final Score: ECU- 64, Tulsa- 48

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 8-8, 2-1 America East.

12/29/21 vs. UMBC (L 66-62).
1/2/22 at Albany (W 73-61).

A split this week for the Hawks, as they take care of business at winless Albany. That loss to UMBC could hurt in the long run though.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 6-6, 1-0 American.

12/29/21 vs. Cincinnati (W 79-73).
1/1/22 vs. Texas A&M (L 89-67).

The Huskies got conference play started off right, but got hammered in another non-conference game, as they still look to find consistency.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 9-7, 2-1 American.

12/29/21 vs. #12 Memphis (L 69-46).
1/1/22 at Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.

As is the theme so far, another split for one of our FOFC teams. No shame in losing to Memphis though, they are good, damn good.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 4-9, 0-2 American.

1/1/22 vs. ECU- feature game, highlighted above.

Just 1 game for the Golden Hurricane this week, but they continue to struggle in a double digit loss to ECU.

#18 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 11-2, 1-0 ACC.

12/29/21 vs. Boston College (W 70-54).
1/1/22 vs. South Carolina (W 76-64).

2 more wins for the Blue Devils, as coach Hoo got career win #100 with that ACC opening win against BC, then followed it up with a non-conference win over South Carolina.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 5-6, 1-1 Big 12.

12/27/21 vs. Texas Tech (L 89-87).
1/1/22 vs. West Virginia (W 59-57).

A split for the Horned Frogs this week, in 2 completely different games. The margin of victory and defeat was the same both games, 2, but 1 was a shootout, the other was more defense.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 8-3, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/27/21 at Tennessee State (W 76-66).
12/29/21 at Southern Utah (L 88-79).

The Spartans get a road split this week heading into Big Ten play, but a momentum buster in losing to Southern Utah. Those are the kind of non-conference games they have to win.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 8-4, 0-0 Big Ten.

No games this week for Coach Vee and the Wildcats, who get a much needed week off to get read for conference play.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 8-4, 0-0 Big West.

12/27/21 vs. St. Louis (W 65-60).
12/31/21 at Kent State (L 74-55).

Inconsistency this week for the Warriors, as they win over a pretty good St. Louis team, then lose on the road badly to Kent State. They'll start Big West play next week.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 8-3, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/27/21 at Indiana (L 80-56).
1/1/22 at Tennessee (W 72-61).

A road split for the Owls, who have now beaten their second P5 team this season with the win at Tennessee. Too bad they couldn't give a better effort at Indiana though, but still a good start going into C-USA play.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 8-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/27/21 at Illinois (L 67-53).
12/31/21 vs. Weber State (W 63-61).

The Buffaloes are starting to fall apart a little bit since that huge win at Virginia. They got hammered by K-State last week, and this week they got hammered at Illinois, then needed a buzzer beater to beat a 3 win Weber State team. Looks like Coach Nielsen needs to get his teams' focus back.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 7-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/28/21 at Utah Valley (W 84-58).
12/31/21 vs. North Florida (W 61-40).

2 more easy non-conference wins for the Cardinal, feel good wins as they head into conference play.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 8-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/28/21 vs. Brown (W 86-63).

1 game this week for the Bruins, a feel good win going into Pac 12 play.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 8-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

1/1/22 vs. Montana State (W 101-92).

A new years day shootout in the only game of the week for the Cougars, but they get the win and have won 5 in a row going into Pac 12 play, but let's be honest: the competition gets A LOT tougher.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 6-6, 0-0 SEC.

12/29/21 vs. Georgia Tech (W 81-73).

1 game this week for the Crimson Tide as they looked to keep momentum following their Diamond Head Classic championship, and they did, beating a decent Georgia Tech team. They have a lot of momentum going into conference play.

#20 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 11-2, 0-0 SEC.

12/27/21 at Minnesota (W 80-65).
12/29/21 vs. Columbia (W 55-47).

2 more wins for the Wildcats, but once again they seem to be playing down to their competition, as they win by double digits at Minnesota, but only beat Columbia by 8 points at home. Hopefully they'll be ready to play now that the SEC season is starting up.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 7-6, 3-3 Sun Belt.

12/30/21 vs. Texas State (L 71-57).
1/1/22 vs. Appalachian State (W 85-58).

The Trojans split this week, getting a dominating performance against Appalachian State to break a 3 game losing streak. For whatever reason, they are still trying to find that consistency in Sun Belt play. Hopefully they do.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Jan. 3-9:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (72) 13-1 1800 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Wichita State 14-1 1709 2 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Baylor 14-0 1645 3 Big 12 Conference
4. Oklahoma 13-1 1602 6 Big 12 Conference
5. Syracuse 11-1 1503 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. San Diego State 13-1 1435 8 Mountain West Conference
7. Iowa State 11-2 1328 4 Big 12 Conference
8. Texas 11-1 1301 10 Big 12 Conference
9. Memphis 13-1 1224 12 American Athletic Conference
10. Arkansas 10-2 1139 7 Southeastern Conference
11. Massachusetts 12-1 1022 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
12. Virginia 11-2 1021 16 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. Kentucky 11-2 955 20 Southeastern Conference
14. St. John's 10-2 895 9 Big East Conference
15. Vanderbilt 11-2 778 17 Southeastern Conference
16. Duke 11-2 706 18 Atlantic Coast Conference
17. Notre Dame 11-2 670 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
18. Oakland 13-2 552 22 Horizon League
19. Missouri 10-2 483 21 Southeastern Conference
20. North Carolina 9-3 476 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
21. Sacred Heart 11-2 303 NR Northeast Conference
22. Louisville 8-3 238 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
23. Nebraska 9-3 200 NR Big Ten Conference
24. Old Dominion 9-2 153 NR Conference USA
25. Alabama A&M 10-2 113 NR Southwestern Athletic Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Florida State 9-3 52 Atlantic Coast Conference
Xavier 10-3 34 Big East Conference
Oklahoma State 10-3 22 Big 12 Conference
Arizona 9-3 18 Pacific-12 Conference
Portland 11-3 16 West Coast Conference
Penn State 9-3 4 Big Ten Conference
Kansas State 10-3 2 Big 12 Conference
SMU 11-3 1 American Athletic Conference

So Duke and Kentucky both have nice jumps in the polls, while Michigan State loses their votes after their loss to Southern Utah this week.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Jan. 3-9:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (71) 14-1 1799 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. San Diego State (1) 13-1 1726 2 Mountain West Conference
3. Memphis 13-1 1658 3 American Athletic Conference
4. Massachusetts 12-1 1584 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
5. Oakland 13-2 1503 5 Horizon League
6. Sacred Heart 11-2 1408 9 Northeast Conference
7. Old Dominion 9-2 1381 10 Conference USA
8. Alabama A&M 10-2 1287 11 Southwestern Athletic Conference
9. Portland 11-3 1166 6 West Coast Conference
10. SMU 11-3 1137 16 American Athletic Conference
11. William & Mary 10-3 1070 7 Colonial Athletic Association
12. Florida Gulf Coast 10-3 977 8 Atlantic Sun Conference
13. UTEP 9-3 938 17 Conference USA
14. The Citadel 11-3 794 18 Southern Conference
15. VMI 11-3 709 20 Southern Conference
16. Davidson 9-3 692 21 Atlantic 10 Conference
17. Detroit 9-3 674 23 Horizon League
18. FIU 8-3 514 NR Conference USA
19. Loyola MD 11-3 482 NR Patriot League
20. Richmond 9-3 474 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
21. Manhattan 10-3 378 22 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
22. Dayton 9-3 300 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
23. Buffalo 8-4 172 NR Mid-American Conference
24. Rice 8-3 118 12 Conference USA
25. Green Bay 11-4 95 13 Horizon League

Others Receiving Votes:
UAB 7-3 90 Conference USA
Fresno State 11-4 72 Mountain West Conference
UNLV 9-4 67 Mountain West Conference
Oral Roberts 9-3 35 Summit League
Fordham 8-3 30 Atlantic 10 Conference
New Hampshire 10-3 30 America East Conference
Indiana State 11-4 26 Missouri Valley Conference
Belmont 10-4 13 Ohio Valley Conference
Louisiana Lafayette 9-4 1 Sun Belt Conference

Rice has a major drop in the mid-major top 25 after a split this week, and Hawaii loses their votes.

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 3-9, 2022

We have 2 feature games this week, and we start in the American.

1/5/22- Tulsa (Will Brown) @ UConn (Randolph Childress) -- This conference game between 2 struggling teams wasn't much of a game. It was a foul fest, but the problem is Tulsa committed shooting fouls, while UConn didn't, so there was a bit of a free throw difference. It also didn't help that the Huskies made 8 three pointers to roll to victory.

Final Score: UConn- 70, Tulsa- 55

Now we move to the Pac 12:

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) @ UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- Pac 12 play has been a different ball game for the Cougars, and this game was no different. Coach St. John's team kept it close, but couldn't get over the hump. Once again the game was won at the free throw line, as UCLA got there 14 more times than Washington State.

Final Score: UCLA- 78, Washington State- 67

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 9-9, 3-2 America East.

1/5/22 vs. Maine (L 59-48).
1/9/22 vs. UMass Lowell (W 72-42).

Another split for the Hawks as they continue to beat up on the bad teams in the conference, but struggle with the better teams.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 7-7, 2-1 American.

1/5/22 vs. Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.
1/8/22 at Temple (L 81-72).

The Huskies split this week, winning at home and losing on the road.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 10-8, 3-2 American.

1/5/22 at UCF (W 75-54).
1/8/22 at South Florida (L 55-54).

Almost a big week for the Pirates, as they split a pair of road games. They won't be happy about that South Florida loss, especially since they double up against the conference favorites next week.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 5-10, 1-3 American.

1/5/22 at UConn- feature game, highlighted above.
1/8/22 vs. UCF (W 53-41).

A much needed win for the Golden Hurricane as they get their first win in conference and are hoping to build some momentum from that.

#16 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 12-3, 2-1 ACC.

1/5/22 at N.C. State (W 80-66).
1/8/22 vs. #22 Louisville (L 79-64).

As seems to be the theme for our FOFC teams, the Blue Devils split, breaking a 3 game winning streak. Plenty of time to build a new strak though, the schedule is favorable for the rest of the month, aside from a couple games.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 5-8, 1-3 Big 12.

1/3/22 at #8 Texas (L 79-69).
1/8/22 at #7 Iowa State (L 77-56).

Tough week for the Horned Frogs, but they know what they are up against in the Big 12. It won't get any easier, so they are going to have to fight that much harder to fare well in conference.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 9-4, 1-1 Big Ten.

1/5/22 vs. Ohio State (L 75-68).
1/8/22 at Maryland (W 71-60).

A split for the Spartans, who won't be happy about a loss to their archrivals. They hold the cards though, as the conference, sans Wisconsin who is just amazing, seems to be pretty balanced.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 9-5, 1-1 Big Ten.

1/5/22 at #1 Wisconsin (L 83-58).
1/8/22 vs. Illinois (W 64-63).

A split for the Wildcats. No surprise that they were hammered by Wisconsin, as that's been happening to a lot of teams. Good recovery though against Illinois.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 8-6, 0-2 Big West.

1/4/22 at UC Riverside (L 82-78).
1/8/22 at UC Irvine (L 65-48).

And the hits are already coming for the firecoachgunn.com website. A less than impressive start to conference play, although they did play Riverside tough.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 9-4, 1-1 Conference USA.

1/6/22 vs. Middle Tennessee (W 69-60).
1/8/22 at UTEP (L 74-54).

A split for the Owls, as they have 3 more games on the road before they return back home.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 9-5, 1-1 Pac 12.

1/6/22 at Arizona State (W 85-66).
1/8/22 vs. Gonzaga (L 83-68).

Surprise surprise! Another FOFC split. This time it was a little different, as the Buffaloes won on the road but lost at home.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 8-4, 1-1 Pac 12.

1/6/22 vs. Gonzaga (L 67-66).
1/8/22 at California (W 83-73).

Another split, another team losing at home and winning on the road. This time it is the Cardinal who played a dismal first half against Gonzaga and couldn't catch up.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 10-4, 2-0 Pac 12.

1/6/22 at California (W 85-83).
1/8/22 vs. Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.

Well it took a while, but finally an FOFC team wins all their games in a week. Go figure that it would be the Bruins, but it wasn't easy as they got a challenge from Cal.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 8-6, 0-2 Pac 12.

1/6/22 at Oregon State (L 72-64).
1/8/22 at UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

Good efforts by the Cougars, but 2 losses to start conference play. As I mentioned above, Pac 12 play is a different animal for Coach St. John.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 8-6, 2-0 SEC.

1/5/22 at Auburn (W 83-73).
1/8/22 vs. VCU (W 95-91).

Don't look now, but the Crimson Tide are playing great basketball. They've won 6 in a row going into a big week next week.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 11-4, 0-2 SEC.

1/5/22 vs. LSU (L 91-90, OT).
1/8/22 at #15 Vanderbilt (L 60-57).

On the flip side of things, the Wildcats go 0-fer this week. Although to be fair, it was tough competition, and their total margin of defeat for the week was 4 points. We'll see if they can get back to Big Blue basketball next week.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 8-7, 3-3 Sun Belt.

1/3/22 vs. Chicago State (L 82-73).
1/5/22 vs. Loyola Chicago (W 71-66).

The Trojans go out of conference this week and split. But really, they can't be losing to teams like Chicago State if they want to start gaining respect.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Jan. 10-16:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (72) 15-1 1800 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Wichita State 16-1 1728 2 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Oklahoma 15-1 1656 4 Big 12 Conference
4. Baylor 15-1 1581 3 Big 12 Conference
5. Texas 13-1 1500 8 Big 12 Conference
6. Syracuse 12-2 1417 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Memphis 14-1 1356 9 American Athletic Conference
8. San Diego State 14-2 1339 6 Mountain West Conference
9. Virginia 12-3 1133 12 Atlantic Coast Conference
10. Notre Dame 13-2 1068 17 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. North Carolina 11-3 1036 20 Atlantic Coast Conference
12. Iowa State 12-3 1013 7 Big 12 Conference
13. Arkansas 11-3 968 10 Southeastern Conference
14. Oakland 15-2 887 18 Horizon League
15. Louisville 10-3 830 22 Atlantic Coast Conference
16. Massachusetts 13-2 731 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
17. St. John's 11-3 620 14 Big East Conference
18. Vanderbilt 12-3 566 15 Southeastern Conference
19. Sacred Heart 13-2 504 21 Northeast Conference
20. Duke 12-3 439 16 Atlantic Coast Conference
21. Old Dominion 11-2 428 24 Conference USA
22. SMU 13-3 262 NR American Athletic Conference
23. Alabama A&M 12-2 224 25 Southwestern Athletic Conference
24. Kansas State 12-3 135 NR Big 12 Conference
25. Missouri 11-3 83 19 Southeastern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Villanova 11-4 36 Big East Conference
Buffalo 10-4 24 Mid-American Conference
Kentucky 11-4 15 Southeastern Conference
Richmond 11-3 13 Atlantic 10 Conference
Florida State 10-4 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
Manhattan 11-3 2 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
FIU 10-3 1 Conference USA

No surprise as Duke falls 4 spots in the polls thanks to their loss, and Kentucky falls all the way out, even though their losses were only by 4 combined points.

Now for the mid-major poll going into the week of Jan. 10-16:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (72) 16-1 1800 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. San Diego State 14-2 1709 2 Mountain West Conference
3. Memphis 14-1 1675 3 American Athletic Conference
4. Oakland 15-2 1572 5 Horizon League
5. Massachusetts 13-2 1508 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. Old Dominion 11-2 1431 7 Conference USA
7. Sacred Heart 13-2 1352 6 Northeast Conference
8. SMU 13-3 1289 10 American Athletic Conference
9. Alabama A&M 12-2 1246 8 Southwestern Athletic Conference
10. Buffalo 10-4 1103 23 Mid-American Conference
11. Richmond 11-3 1058 20 Atlantic 10 Conference
12. FIU 10-3 1057 18 Conference USA
13. Manhattan 11-3 901 21 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
14. Portland 12-4 831 9 West Coast Conference
15. Fordham 10-3 756 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
16. UTEP 10-4 678 13 Conference USA
17. William & Mary 11-4 597 11 Colonial Athletic Association
18. Florida Gulf Coast 12-4 577 12 Atlantic Sun Conference
19. Belmont 12-4 572 NR Ohio Valley Conference
20. The Citadel 12-4 363 14 Southern Conference
21. Davidson 10-4 318 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
22. VMI 12-4 259 15 Southern Conference
23. Northeastern 10-4 228 NR Colonial Athletic Association
24. Colorado State 10-4 132 NR Mountain West Conference
25. Loyola MD 12-4 119 19 Patriot League

Others Receiving Votes:
Dayton 10-4 65 Atlantic 10 Conference
Cal State Northridge 9-4 51 Big West Conference
Fresno State 12-5 39 Mountain West Conference
Green Bay 12-5 33 Horizon League
UAB 8-4 25 Conference USA
UNLV 10-5 15 Mountain West Conference
Rice 9-4 14 Conference USA
BYU 12-5 10 West Coast Conference
Southern Utah 9-4 9 Big Sky Conference
Oral Roberts 10-4 8 Summit League

Rice still has a few votes in the Mid-Major top 25, but they can't take another .500 week. Doesn't look like any of our other mid-major teams will be sniffing this poll anytime soon.

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 10-16, 2022

2 feature games to tell you about again this week, and we start in the Pac 12.

1/13/22- Colorado (Rob Nielsen) @Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- The Buffaloes took care of business on the road, forcing 19 Washington State turnovers and rolling to an easy victory.

Final Score: Colorado- 72, Washington State- 51

1/15/22- Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) @ Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- Kentucky came into this one winless in SEC play, while Alabama came into it undefeated. It showed early, as the Crimson Tide raced to an 11 point halftime lead. The 2nd half was a different story though. Alabama couldn't make anything, and scored just 19 2nd half points as Kentucky came all the way back to get their first SEC victory of the season.

Final Score: Kentucky- 59, Alabama- 50

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 9-10, 3-3 America East.

1/16/22 vs. Binghamton (L 63-54).

The Hawks only had 1 game this week, but it was another loss, as they continue to struggle against the top tier teams in the conference.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 7-9, 2-3 American.

1/12/22 at South Florida (L 76-67).
1/15/22 vs. Houston (L 73-61).

Tough week for the Huskies as Coach Childress continues to struggle at his new job. You gotta think that leash is tightening in a hurry.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 11-9, 4-3 American.

1/12/22 vs. #22 SMU (L 81-53)
1/15/22 at #22 SMU (W 92-84).

The craziest of splits here, as the Pirates split with one of the conference favorites. They got blasted by SMU at home, but went on the road and beat them 3 days later.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 7-10, 3-3 American.

1/12/22 at UCF (W 71-63).
1/15/22 vs. Tulane (W 84-56).

Good week for the Golden Hurricane, who have now won 3 in a row. They get their first shot at TCU next week.

#20 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 14-3, 4-1 ACC.

1/12/22 at Miami (W 77-59).
1/15/22 vs. Pittsburgh (W 76-61).

The Blue Devils took care of business this week with 2 double digit wins.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 6-9, 1-4 Big 12.

1/10/22 at Illinois State (W 102-86).
1/15/22 vs. #4 Baylor (L 80-67).

A split for the Horned Frogs, who win a non-conference game, but are still struggling in Big 12 play.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 11-4, 3-1 Big Ten.

1/12/22 vs. Iowa (W 80-72).
1/15/22 vs. Rutgers (W 67-64).

Well neither one came easy, but the Spartans get 2 wins this week and they have won 3 in a row, but now the schedule gets a little tougher in conference play.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 10-6, 2-2 Big Ten.

1/12/22 vs. Purdue (L 81-74).
1/15/22 at Nebraska (W 74-54).

A split for the Wildcats this week, as Coach Vee has already led them to as many wins this season as they had all of last season. That's encouraging at least.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 9-7, 1-3 Big West.

1/11/22 vs. UC Santa Barbara (W 55-46).
1/15/22 vs. Cal State Fullerton (L 59-57).

Better effort for the Warriors this week, as they almost get a sweep. They lost a late lead against Fullerton though. They have a chance for some feel good wins coming up.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 10-5, 2-2 Conference USA.

1/13/22 at North Texas (L 82-67).
1/15/22 at Western Kentucky (W 72-65).

A split for the Owls, who laid an egg at North Texas, but a nice recovery although it was against a pitiful Western Kentucky team.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 11-5, 3-1 Pac 12.

1/13/22 at Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.
1/15/22 vs. Utah (W 62-45).

2 easy victories for the Buffaloes this week as they try to make their case to get back into the postseason.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 9-5, 2-2 Pac 12.

1/13/22 at Oregon State (L 37-34).
1/15/22 vs. Arizona State (W 70-54).

A split for the Cardinal, and a complete bore of a game at Oregon State. Neither team had an offensive spark.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 11-5, 3-1 Pac 12.

1/13/22 vs. Washington (W 78-75).
1/15/22 at Arizona (L 84-69).

A split for the Bruins, and once again it was those darn Wildcats of Arizona, who continue to be a thorn in everybodys side.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 8-8, 0-4 Pac 12.

1/13/22 vs. Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.
1/15/22 vs. California (L 69-56).

2 more losses for the Cougars, who are still looking for their first win in Pac 12 play. Again, it's been the Pac 12 that has not been kind.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 9-7, 3-1 SEC.

1/12/22 at Georgia (W 63-55).
1/15/22 vs. Kentucky- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Crimson Tide, who have to be kicking themselves for going cold against Kentucky, or they could be undefeated in conference right now.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 12-5, 1-3 SEC.

1/12/22 at South Carolina (L 59-54).
1/15/22 at Alabama- feature game, highlighted above.

The Wildcats finally got over the hump by beating Alabama, but they have 4 games in a row against teams that are currently 11-5, so they've still got work to do.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 9-8, 4-4 Sun Belt.

1/13/22 at Northern Kentucky (W 66-64).
1/15/22 at UL Monroe (L 63-62).

A gutwrenching week for the Trojans, who fell just shy of a sweep this week. They are so close, and I think it's going to happen soon.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Jan. 17-23:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (72) 17-1 1800 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Wichita State 18-1 1728 2 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Texas 15-1 1614 5 Big 12 Conference
4. Oklahoma 16-2 1603 3 Big 12 Conference
5. Baylor 16-1 1513 4 Big 12 Conference
6. Syracuse 14-2 1461 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Notre Dame 15-2 1327 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Memphis 15-2 1204 7 American Athletic Conference
9. Arkansas 13-3 1201 13 Southeastern Conference
10. Virginia 13-4 1139 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. St. John's 13-3 1043 17 Big East Conference
12. Massachusetts 15-2 1014 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
13. Iowa State 13-4 951 12 Big 12 Conference
14. Duke 14-3 863 20 Atlantic Coast Conference
15. North Carolina 12-4 828 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
16. Old Dominion 13-2 721 21 Conference USA
17. Sacred Heart 15-2 622 19 Northeast Conference
18. San Diego State 14-4 600 8 Mountain West Conference
19. Kansas State 14-3 521 24 Big 12 Conference
20. Villanova 13-4 465 NR Big East Conference
21. Buffalo 12-4 325 NR Mid-American Conference
22. Vanderbilt 13-4 273 18 Southeastern Conference
23. Florida State 11-4 271 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
24. Manhattan 14-3 119 NR Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
25. SMU 14-4 63 22 American Athletic Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Louisville 10-5 36 Atlantic Coast Conference
Alabama A&M 13-3 27 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Arizona 12-4 27 Pacific-12 Conference
Oakland 15-4 19 Horizon League
Michigan State 11-4 12 Big Ten Conference
Penn State 12-4 6 Big Ten Conference
Wake Forest 11-4 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
Colorado State 11-4 1 Mountain West Conference

Duke moves up 6 spots after a 2-0 week, while Michigan State is receiving votes again. It's high time they go on a run and get back in the polls.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Jan. 17-23:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (72) 18-1 1800 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. Memphis 15-2 1723 3 American Athletic Conference
3. Massachusetts 15-2 1633 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
4. San Diego State 14-4 1563 2 Mountain West Conference
5. Old Dominion 13-2 1539 6 Conference USA
6. Sacred Heart 15-2 1441 7 Northeast Conference
7. Buffalo 12-4 1373 10 Mid-American Conference
8. SMU 14-4 1285 8 American Athletic Conference
9. Oakland 15-4 1205 4 Horizon League
10. Manhattan 14-3 1149 13 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
11. Alabama A&M 13-3 1058 9 Southwestern Athletic Conference
12. Richmond 12-4 1004 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
13. FIU 11-4 864 12 Conference USA
14. BYU 14-5 849 NR West Coast Conference
15. Northeastern 12-4 840 23 Colonial Athletic Association
16. Loyola MD 14-4 682 25 Patriot League
17. Colorado State 11-4 617 24 Mountain West Conference
18. UAB 10-4 604 NR Conference USA
19. Fordham 11-4 447 15 Atlantic 10 Conference
20. William & Mary 12-5 380 17 Colonial Athletic Association
21. UTEP 11-5 350 16 Conference USA
22. Southern Utah 11-4 243 NR Big Sky Conference
23. Florida Gulf Coast 13-5 189 18 Atlantic Sun Conference
24. Davidson 11-5 155 21 Atlantic 10 Conference
25. Boise State 11-6 131 NR Mountain West Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Detroit 11-5 128 Horizon League
Green Bay 13-6 40 Horizon League
The Citadel 13-5 29 Southern Conference
New Mexico 11-6 22 Mountain West Conference
VMI 13-5 18 Southern Conference
Indiana State 13-6 17 Missouri Valley Conference
Cal State Northridge 10-5 14 Big West Conference
Portland 12-6 7 West Coast Conference
Dayton 11-5 1 Atlantic 10 Conference

As expected, Rice loses the rest of their mid-major votes.

[bbgunn]

My goodness, some horrid conference starts from my two guys!

[thealmighty]

The thrill is gone. :(

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 17-23, 2022

No feature games this week, so we'll go right into the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 10-11, 4-4 America East.

1/21/22 at Stony Brook (W 86-75).
1/23/22 at UMBC (L 67-64).

A road split for the Hawks, who continue to play .500 ball in conference and can't get over the hump.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 9-9, 4-3 American.

1/19/22 vs. UCF (W 68-60).
1/22/22 at #25 SMU (W 91-86, OT).

2 tough wins this week for the Huskies, and hopefully that big road OT win over SMU will be the start of a fantastic run. Hopefully.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 12-9, 5-3 American.

1/19/22 vs. Temple (W 82-59).

Just 1 game for the Pirates this week, but they win in convincing fashion.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 9-10, 5-3 American.

1/19/22 vs. #25 SMU (W 82-73).
1/22/22 at Temple (W 87-71).

Don't look now, but the Golden Hurricane are rolling. 5 in a row, including a convincing victory over an SMU team that had a very tough week.

#14 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 16-3, 6-1 ACC.

1/19/22 at Pittsburgh (W 80-69).
1/22/22 vs. #6 Syracuse (W 52-49).

This is a different Blue Devil team from last season, as they have gotten a key victory over a top 10 conference foe, something they couldn't manage to do last season.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 8-9, 3-4 Big 12.

1/17/22 vs. Oklahoma State (W 86-56).
1/22/22 vs. #4 Oklahoma (W 95-75).

2 huge wins for the Horned Frogs, albeit at home, they still needed a momentum booster. If they can go on a run, that win over Oklahoma will prove to be huge.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 12-5, 4-2 Big Ten.

1/19/22 at Purdue (W 75-61).
1/22/22 vs. Penn State (L 88-81).

The Spartans split this week, losing at home but winning on the road. That loss to Penn State stopped a 4 game winning streak, now it's time to start a new one.

Northwestern (Ess Vee)-- 11-7, 3-3 Big Ten.

1/19/22 at Illinois (L 69-54).
1/22/22 vs. Maryland (W 74-47).

1 piece of good news for the Wildcats is that they've already won more games this season than they did all of last season. That means nothing though if they start falling apart.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 11-7, 3-3 Big West.

1/20/22 at UC Davis (W 99-76).
1/22/22 at Cal Poly (W 73-56).

A couple dominating performances on the road for the Warriors this week, as they look to build some momentum.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 11-6, 3-3 Conference USA.

1/20/22 at Florida Atlantic (L 77-64).
1/22/22 vs. Marshall (W 80-71).

A split for the Owls, losing on the road to a good Fla Atlantic team, but beating Marshall. .500 isn't good enough though, they need to take advantage of the schedule coming up.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 13-5, 5-1 Pac 12.

1/20/22 vs. Oregon State (W 70-45).
1/22/22 at Washington (W 64-55).

2 more wins for the Buffaloes, as Coach Nielsen has them playing good ball. 4 in a row and 6 of their last 7. A tough stretch coming up though.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 11-5, 4-2 Pac 12.

1/20/22 at Arizona (W 63-55).
1/22/22 vs. Utah (W 70-65).

A big win for the Cardinal at Arizona, as there is a huge logjam at the top of the Pac 12 right now. 2 big games coming up next week.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 13-5, 5-1 Pac 12.

1/20/22 vs. Oregon (W 79-53).
1/22/22 at Gonzaga (W 87-81).

Nice recovery for the Bruins, who win both games this week, but they also have a tough stretch coming up. Welcome to the Pac 12 folks!

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 8-10, 0-6 Pac 12.

1/20/22 at Washington (L 79-57).
1/22/22 at Arizona State (L 86-62).

Just a dismal showing on the road for the Cougars this week, as they have yet to be really competitive in conference play. Coach St. John still has a long way to go with this team.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 10-8, 4-2 SEC.

1/19/22 at Ole Miss (W 69-67).
1/22/22 at Florida (L 77-73).

A pair of stomach turners this week for the Crimson Tide, and they split them. They've now lost 2 of their last 3 after a quick start in SEC play.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 13-6, 2-4 SEC.

1/19/22 at Missouri (L 66-58).
1/22/22 vs. Georgia (W 79-60).

A split for the Wildcats, as Big Blue Nation continues to be unhappy. Let's hope Coach Hutt doesn't get any death threats like that poor official John Higgins got. Too soon?

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 11-8, 6-4 Sun Belt.

1/20/22 at South Alabama (W 82-50).
1/22/22 vs. Georgia Southern (W 76-55).

The Trojans have won 3 of their last 4 in Sun Belt play, and 4 of their last 5 overall. However, it was about this time last season (or the season before that, I can't remember) that the huge meltdown happened.

Let's take a look at the national top 25 heading into the week of Jan. 24-30:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (72) 19-1 1800 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Wichita State 20-1 1728 2 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Oklahoma 17-3 1654 4 Big 12 Conference
4. Texas 16-2 1563 3 Big 12 Conference
5. Baylor 17-2 1501 5 Big 12 Conference
6. Arkansas 15-3 1416 9 Southeastern Conference
7. Syracuse 15-3 1414 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Virginia 15-4 1231 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. St. John's 15-3 1196 11 Big East Conference
10. Duke 16-3 1189 14 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Kansas State 16-3 1064 19 Big 12 Conference
12. San Diego State 16-4 934 18 Mountain West Conference
13. Old Dominion 15-2 854 16 Conference USA
14. Florida State 14-4 769 23 Atlantic Coast Conference
15. Memphis 16-3 766 8 American Athletic Conference
16. Sacred Heart 17-2 714 17 Northeast Conference
17. Villanova 15-4 693 20 Big East Conference
18. Iowa State 14-5 679 13 Big 12 Conference
19. North Carolina 13-5 539 15 Atlantic Coast Conference
20. Massachusetts 16-3 499 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
21. Notre Dame 15-4 446 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
22. Oakland 17-4 280 NR Horizon League
23. Buffalo 13-5 134 21 Mid-American Conference
24. Vanderbilt 14-5 133 22 Southeastern Conference
25. BYU 16-5 97 NR West Coast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Louisville 11-6 62 Atlantic Coast Conference
Loyola MD 16-4 15 Patriot League
Colorado 13-5 9 Pacific-12 Conference
Manhattan 15-4 7 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Michigan State 12-5 5 Big Ten Conference
Arizona 13-5 4 Pacific-12 Conference
Alabama A&M 14-4 2 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Missouri 13-5 2 Southeastern Conference
Kentucky 13-6 1 Southeastern Conference

So Duke moves up 4 spots after their 2 wins this week, and Michigan State keeps a few votes. Kentucky gets a vote, somehow, and Colorado is in the mix. No UCLA though, very surprising.

Now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Jan. 24-30:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (72) 20-1 1800 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. San Diego State 16-4 1696 4 Mountain West Conference
3. Memphis 16-3 1670 2 American Athletic Conference
4. Old Dominion 15-2 1585 5 Conference USA
5. Sacred Heart 17-2 1506 6 Northeast Conference
6. Massachusetts 16-3 1435 3 Atlantic 10 Conference
7. Oakland 17-4 1371 9 Horizon League
8. BYU 16-5 1283 14 West Coast Conference
9. Buffalo 13-5 1250 7 Mid-American Conference
10. Loyola MD 16-4 1085 16 Patriot League
11. William & Mary 14-5 1056 20 Colonial Athletic Association
12. Manhattan 15-4 944 10 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
13. New Mexico 13-6 846 NR Mountain West Conference
14. Richmond 13-5 827 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
15. Alabama A&M 14-4 758 11 Southwestern Athletic Conference
16. FIU 12-5 709 13 Conference USA
17. SMU 14-6 594 8 American Athletic Conference
18. Florida Gulf Coast 15-5 541 23 Atlantic Sun Conference
19. Northeastern 13-5 528 15 Colonial Athletic Association
20. Southern Utah 13-4 486 22 Big Sky Conference
21. Dayton 13-5 442 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
22. Colorado State 12-5 265 17 Mountain West Conference
23. The Citadel 14-5 244 NR Southern Conference
24. UAB 11-5 151 18 Conference USA
25. Boise State 12-7 78 25 Mountain West Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Fordham 12-5 76 Atlantic 10 Conference
UTEP 12-6 60 Conference USA
Green Bay 14-7 37 Horizon League
South Florida 11-6 32 American Athletic Conference
Rider 16-6 17 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Fresno State 14-7 15 Mountain West Conference
VMI 14-6 6 Southern Conference
Indiana State 14-7 5 Missouri Valley Conference
Long Beach State 12-6 1 Big West Conference
UNC Wilmington 14-7 1 Colonial Athletic Association

Not much to talk about here, as none of our mid-major teams seem to be even close to receiving a vote.

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 24-30, 2022

We have 3 feature games this week, 2 of them are in the Pac 12, and Stanford is involved in both of those.

1/27/22- Stanford (Benito Sanchez) @ Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- A tight one throughout, as neither team took care of the ball. The difference was at the free throw line. Stanford was 42.9% from the line, while Colorado was 64.5%, taking advantage of their opportunities there. All that led to another Buffalo win.

Final Score: Colorado- 67, Stanford- 62

1/29/22- Stanford (Benito Sanchez) @ UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- While the Cardinal still shot poorly from the free throw line, 5-13 to be exact, they made up for it by burying 11 three pointers in a night where neither team shot well. That was enough to pull out a key road victory.

Final Score: Stanford- 62, UCLA- 54

Now we move to the American for our final feature game of the week:

1/29/22- ECU (Al Hutt) @ UConn (Randolph Childress) -- What a game we had here, as we had several lead changes. Statistically it was about as even as it gets, but in the end, UConn held off ECU by the narrowest of margins.

Final Score: UConn- 79, ECU- 78

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 11-12, 5-5 America East.

1/26/22 at New Hampshire (L 60-48).
1/30/22 at Maine (W 78-69).

A road split for the Hawks as the win over Maine gives Coach Ginsberg career win #100.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 10-10, 5-3 American.

1/24/22 vs. #9 St. John's (L 74-35).
1/29/22 vs. ECU- feature game, highlighted above.

Wow! UConn decided to host a former conference foe in St. John's, and I bet they wish they hadn't. Nobody knew they would be this good. At least the Huskies were able to salvage 1 win this week.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 12-10, 5-4 American.

1/29/22 at UConn- feature game, highlighted above.

Just 1 game for the Pirates this week, a tough loss on the road.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 10-10, 6-3 American.

1/29/22 vs. South Florida (W 91-89, OT).

Good win for the Golden Hurricane in their only game of the week. It was hard fought, but they are looking good in conference play so far.

#10 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 17-4, 7-2 ACC.

1/26/22 at Boston College (W 64-45).
1/29/22 vs. #14 Florida State (L 68-54).

A split for the Blue Devils, and not a good tone, as they definitely don't want to start losing to top 25 conference teams again.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 10-9, 5-4 Big 12.

1/24/22 at #11 Kansas State (W 65-56).
1/29/22 at Kansas (W 84-76).

So the Horned Frogs handle the trip through Kansas with relative ease as they are now back over .500 in the conference and overall, but next week the host 2 top 10 teams, so we'll see if they can keep it rolling.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 14-5, 6-2 Big Ten.

1/26/22 at Ohio State (W 86-82).
1/29/22 at Rutgers (W 60-55).

Good recovery for the Spartans who get 2 tough road wins this week, but I think they can still play better.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 13-7, 5-3 Big Ten.

1/26/22 at Michigan (W 79-57).
1/29/22 vs. Nebraska (W 92-76).

2 more wins for the Wildcats, who are playing much better ball as of late. A big test next week against #1 in the nation.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 12-8, 3-4 Big West.

1/25/22 vs. Navy (W 69-58).
1/27/22 vs. Cal State Northridge (L 68-56).

A split for the Warriors, who get a non-conference win, but they really needed to get the conference win, especially with Coach Gunn's job on the line.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 12-7, 4-4 Conference USA.

1/27/22 at Marshall (W 80-73).
1/29/22 vs. UAB (L 73-64).

A split for the Owls this week, as they beat the team they should have, but lost to the team they really needed to beat.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 15-5, 7-1 Pac 12.

1/27/22 vs. Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
1/29/22 vs. Oregon (W 64-61).

2 more wins for the Buffaloes who have won 6 in a row, and guess what? For the first time in a long time, they sit alone atop the Pac 12.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 12-6, 5-3 Pac 12.

1/27/22 at Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.
1/29/22 at UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

A road split for the Cardinal, who faced some definite stiff competition this week. Next week it's much easier. Or should be anyways.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 14-6, 6-2 Pac 12.

1/27/22 at Washington (W 76-68).
1/29/22 vs. Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Bruins as we enter the halfway point of the conference season. They still have some work to do.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 8-12, 0-8 Pac 12.

1/27/22 vs. Utah (L 58-55).
1/29/22 at Arizona (L 65-56).

Tough times for the poor Cougars, who had a better effort this week, but just can't buy a win in Pac 12 play yet.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 11-9, 5-3 SEC.

1/26/22 vs. Missouri (W 76-69).
1/29/22 vs. #24 Vanderbilt (L 89-79).

A split for the Crimson Tide, who get a nice win at Missouri, but really could have used the win against Vanderbilt. It's 3 straight weeks with a split now.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 15-6, 4-4 SEC.

1/26/22 at Georgia (W 62-48).
1/29/22 vs. Ole Miss (W 74-61).

The Wildcats are back on the upswing it appears, winners of 3 in a row and 4 of their last 5.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 12-9, 6-5 Sun Belt.

1/24/22 vs. South Florida (W 61-51).
1/29/22 vs. Arkansas State (L 85-71).

The Trojans also split this week, winning a non-conference game before losing in Sun Belt play, and those wins are key.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Jan. 31-Feb. 6:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (72) 21-1 1800 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Wichita State 22-1 1728 2 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Oklahoma 18-3 1655 3 Big 12 Conference
4. Baylor 19-2 1567 5 Big 12 Conference
5. Arkansas 17-3 1499 6 Southeastern Conference
6. Texas 17-3 1404 4 Big 12 Conference
7. Virginia 17-4 1395 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Syracuse 16-4 1322 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. Iowa State 16-5 1181 18 Big 12 Conference
10. St. John's 17-4 1081 9 Big East Conference
11. North Carolina 15-5 1026 19 Atlantic Coast Conference
12. San Diego State 17-4 1007 12 Mountain West Conference
13. Duke 17-4 942 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
14. Florida State 15-5 905 14 Atlantic Coast Conference
15. Old Dominion 17-2 825 13 Conference USA
16. Kansas State 16-5 632 11 Big 12 Conference
17. Vanderbilt 16-5 615 24 Southeastern Conference
18. Sacred Heart 19-2 605 16 Northeast Conference
19. Memphis 17-4 463 15 American Athletic Conference
20. BYU 18-5 381 25 West Coast Conference
21. Notre Dame 16-5 306 21 Atlantic Coast Conference
22. Oakland 18-4 290 22 Horizon League
23. Louisville 13-7 286 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
24. Massachusetts 17-4 158 20 Atlantic 10 Conference
25. Villanova 15-6 97 17 Big East Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Colorado 15-5 74 Pacific-12 Conference
Arizona 15-5 65 Pacific-12 Conference
Kentucky 15-6 33 Southeastern Conference
Buffalo 14-6 23 Mid-American Conference
Michigan State 14-5 21 Big Ten Conference
Loyola MD 18-4 11 Patriot League
Illinois 13-7 2 Big Ten Conference
Southern Utah 15-4 1 Big Sky Conference

Duke moves down 3 spots in the polls after their split, while Colorado, Kentucky, and Michigan State all gain more votes.

Now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Jan. 31-Feb. 6:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (72) 22-1 1800 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. San Diego State 17-4 1719 2 Mountain West Conference
3. Old Dominion 17-2 1641 4 Conference USA
4. Memphis 17-4 1543 3 American Athletic Conference
5. BYU 18-5 1528 8 West Coast Conference
6. Oakland 18-4 1408 7 Horizon League
7. Sacred Heart 19-2 1389 5 Northeast Conference
8. Buffalo 14-6 1271 9 Mid-American Conference
9. Massachusetts 17-4 1255 6 Atlantic 10 Conference
10. New Mexico 15-6 1163 13 Mountain West Conference
11. Loyola MD 18-4 1017 10 Patriot League
12. SMU 15-6 991 17 American Athletic Conference
13. Florida Gulf Coast 17-5 921 18 Atlantic Sun Conference
14. William & Mary 15-6 832 11 Colonial Athletic Association
15. UAB 13-5 735 24 Conference USA
16. Manhattan 16-5 613 12 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
17. Fresno State 15-7 568 NR Mountain West Conference
18. Southern Utah 15-4 507 20 Big Sky Conference
19. FIU 13-6 450 16 Conference USA
20. Indiana State 15-8 389 NR Missouri Valley Conference
21. UNC Wilmington 16-7 336 NR Colonial Athletic Association
22. Northeastern 14-6 261 19 Colonial Athletic Association
23. Alabama A&M 15-5 158 15 Southwestern Athletic Conference
24. Boise State 12-8 147 25 Mountain West Conference
25. Davidson 13-7 125 NR Atlantic 10 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Colorado State 13-6 115 Mountain West Conference
Cal State Northridge 13-6 104 Big West Conference
Richmond 13-7 74 Atlantic 10 Conference
Rhode Island 11-7 48 Atlantic 10 Conference
Rider 17-7 48 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Fordham 13-6 44 Atlantic 10 Conference
Green Bay 14-9 36 Horizon League
The Citadel 15-6 35 Southern Conference
Portland 14-8 31 West Coast Conference
Stephen F. Austin 14-9 24 Horizon League
Georgia State 14-9 16 Horizon League
North Carolina Central 15-7 12 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Houston 13-7 8 American Athletic Conference
Saint Joseph's 12-8 8 Atlantic 10 Conference
Utah State 13-8 8 Mountain West Conference
George Washington 12-8 7 Atlantic 10 Conference
Long Beach State 13-7 6 Big West Conference
Florida Atlantic 13-7 3 Conference USA
Harvard 13-7 3 Ivy League
Dayton 13-7 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
UNLV 11-9 1 Mountain West Conference

Once again, no representation here in this poll.

[rjolley]

Man, Shepard had a chance to lead his team to a tie for #1 in the Pac-12 and couldn't pull it off against Sanchez. Should be an interesting second half of the conference season.

[Coffee Warlord]

Tops in the Pac 12 and still not ranked. East coast bias is real.

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 31-Feb. 6, 2022

I actually had this week almost done when my internet shut down so naturally I'm frustrated. I'm just going to give you guys scores this week, no team recaps.

We did have 3 feature games this week, 2 in the Pac 12.

2/3/22- Colorado (Rob Nielsen) @ UCLA (Tim Shepard)

Final Score: UCLA- 72, Colorado- 66

2/3/22- Washington State (DeShawn St. John) @ Stanford (Benito Sanchez)

Final Score: Stanford- 68, Washington State- 46

And to the American:

2/5/22- UConn (Randolph Childress) @ Tulsa (Will Brown)

Tulsa- 66, UConn- 58

Now for the rest of the weekly scores:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 12-12, 6-5 6th America East.

2/2/22 vs. Vermont (W 63-54).

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 11-11, 6-4 5th American.

2/2/22 vs. Tulane (W 57-48).
2/5/22 at Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 13-11, 6-5 6th American.

2/2/22 vs. Houston (L 54-51).
2/5/22 at Tulane (W 69-61).

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 12-10, 7-3 3rd American.

1/31/22 at Illinois-Chicago (W 82-63).
2/5/22 vs. UConn- feature game, highlighted above.

#13 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 19-4, 9-2 1st ACC.

2/2/22 at Georgia Tech (W 86-78).
2/5/22 at Virginia Tech (W 75-73).

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 10-11, 5-6 T-6th Big 12.

1/31/22 vs. #9 Iowa State (L 92-61).
2/5/22 vs. #6 Texas (L 85-75).

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 15-6, 7-3 2nd Big Ten.

2/2/22 vs. Maryland (W 83-53).
2/5/22 at Iowa (L 82-78).

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 14-8, 6-4 T-3rd Big Ten.

2/2/22 vs. #1 Wisconsin (L 88-53).
2/5/22 vs. Maryland (W 63-58).

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 13-9, 4-5 T-5th Big West.

2/1/22 at Long Beach State (L 78-69).
2/5/22 vs. UC Riverside (W 75-68).

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 13-8, 5-5 T-7th Conference USA.

2/3/22 at UTSA (L 76-72).
2/5/22 vs. UTEP (W 92-86).

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 16-6, 8-2 T-1st Pac 12.

2/3/22 at UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.
2/5/22 at Oregon (W 68-60).

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 14-6, 7-3 T-4th Pac 12.

2/3/22 vs. Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.
2/5/22 at Utah (W 60-48).

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 16-6, 8-2 T-1st Pac 12.

2/3/22 vs. Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.
2/5/22 vs. California (W 84-62).

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 8-14, 0-10 12th (last) Pac 12.

2/3/22 at Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
2/5/22 vs. Oregon State (L 62-48).

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 13-9, 7-3 T-2nd SEC.

2/2/22 at Texas A&M (W 65-50).
2/5/22 vs. Auburn (W 81-72).

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 17-6, 6-4 T-4th SEC.

2/2/22 at Tennessee (W 73-63).
2/5/22 vs. #17 Vanderbilt (W 67-44).

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 14-9, 8-5 T-1st Sun Belt.

2/3/22 vs. UL Monroe (W 72-63).
2/5/22 at Texas State (W 94-61).

Here's a look at the national top 25 heading into the week of Feb. 7-13:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (72) 23-1 1800 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Wichita State 24-1 1728 2 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Baylor 21-2 1643 4 Big 12 Conference
4. Oklahoma 20-3 1589 3 Big 12 Conference
5. Arkansas 19-3 1507 5 Southeastern Conference
6. Syracuse 18-4 1414 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Texas 18-4 1361 6 Big 12 Conference
8. Virginia 18-5 1255 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. San Diego State 19-4 1204 12 Mountain West Conference
10. Florida State 17-5 1122 14 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Duke 19-4 1119 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
12. Iowa State 17-6 1026 9 Big 12 Conference
13. Old Dominion 19-2 913 15 Conference USA
14. St. John's 18-5 859 10 Big East Conference
15. BYU 20-5 774 20 West Coast Conference
16. North Carolina 15-7 634 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
17. Kansas State 17-5 621 16 Big 12 Conference
18. Vanderbilt 17-6 555 17 Southeastern Conference
19. Oakland 20-4 531 22 Horizon League
20. Kentucky 17-6 407 NR Southeastern Conference
21. Louisville 15-7 307 23 Atlantic Coast Conference
22. Memphis 18-5 273 19 American Athletic Conference
23. Arizona 17-5 266 NR Pacific-12 Conference
24. Villanova 16-6 169 25 Big East Conference
25. Notre Dame 17-6 115 21 Atlantic Coast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Massachusetts 18-5 92 Atlantic 10 Conference
Georgetown 14-8 62 Big East Conference
Colorado 16-6 16 Pacific-12 Conference
Sacred Heart 19-4 13 Northeast Conference
UCLA 16-6 8 Pacific-12 Conference
Buffalo 16-6 7 Mid-American Conference
SMU 17-6 5 American Athletic Conference
William & Mary 17-6 3 Colonial Athletic Association
Manhattan 18-5 1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Michigan State 15-6 1 Big Ten Conference

Duke moves up 2 spots, while Kentucky jumps back in the top 25 thanks to that win over Vanderbilt. Colorado, UCLA, and Michigan State continue to receive votes.

Now for the mid-major top 25 poll heading into the week of Feb. 7-13:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (72) 24-1 1800 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. San Diego State 19-4 1724 2 Mountain West Conference
3. Old Dominion 19-2 1632 3 Conference USA
4. BYU 20-5 1593 5 West Coast Conference
5. Memphis 18-5 1482 4 American Athletic Conference
6. Oakland 20-4 1478 6 Horizon League
7. Massachusetts 18-5 1323 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
8. SMU 17-6 1301 12 American Athletic Conference
9. Buffalo 16-6 1225 8 Mid-American Conference
10. Sacred Heart 19-4 1117 7 Northeast Conference
11. William & Mary 17-6 1010 14 Colonial Athletic Association
12. Fresno State 17-7 995 17 Mountain West Conference
13. Loyola MD 19-5 964 11 Patriot League
14. New Mexico 15-8 815 10 Mountain West Conference
15. Manhattan 18-5 809 16 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
16. UNC Wilmington 18-7 653 21 Colonial Athletic Association
17. Florida Gulf Coast 18-6 560 13 Atlantic Sun Conference
18. Boise State 14-8 551 24 Mountain West Conference
19. UAB 14-6 507 15 Conference USA
20. Richmond 15-7 361 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
21. Indiana State 16-9 335 20 Missouri Valley Conference
22. Southern Utah 16-5 214 18 Big Sky Conference
23. FIU 14-7 162 19 Conference USA
24. UNLV 13-9 114 NR Mountain West Conference
25. Saint Joseph's 14-8 107 NR Atlantic 10 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
North Carolina Central 17-7 72 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
North Texas 15-7 67 Conference USA
Northeastern 15-7 59 Colonial Athletic Association
Harvard 15-7 50 Ivy League
Long Beach State 15-7 45 Big West Conference
Colorado State 14-7 44 Mountain West Conference
Cal State Northridge 14-7 42 Big West Conference
Davidson 14-8 37 Atlantic 10 Conference
Rider 18-8 30 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Rhode Island 12-8 28 Atlantic 10 Conference
Houston 14-8 17 American Athletic Conference
Alabama A&M 16-6 16 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Fordham 14-7 13 Atlantic 10 Conference
Green Bay 15-10 10 Horizon League
Portland 15-9 9 West Coast Conference
Belmont 16-8 8 Ohio Valley Conference
The Citadel 16-7 8 Southern Conference
Sacramento State 14-7 5 Big Sky Conference
Stephen F. Austin 15-10 5 Horizon League
South Florida 13-9 3 American Athletic Conference

Big surprise, none of our teams are recognized.

Now, it's time for the first edition of the 2021-2022 Bubble Watch. We've got 1 of our FOFC teams in the Overall Bubble Watch, and a bit of a surprising one. Let's take a look:

OVERALL BUBBLE WATCH

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northwestern 14-8 .570 (44) 1-4 3-1 6-2 4-1 60 In
Indiana State 16-9 .575 (36) 0-3 2-2 7-2 7-2 64 In
Massachusetts 18-5 .548 (72) 1-0 3-2 7-3 7-0 245 In
Loyola MD 19-5 .543 (79) 1-0 0-3 4-1 14-1 306 In
Oklahoma State 14-9 .559 (54) 2-8 4-1 4-0 4-0 47 In
Cal State Northridge 14-7 .550 (70) 0-0 3-0 6-3 5-4 148 In
Sacramento State 14-7 .544 (76) 0-1 1-3 2-2 11-1 212 In
Stephen F. Austin 15-10 .569 (45) 1-4 6-3 3-1 5-2 77 In
VCU 15-7 .515 (135) 2-3 1-3 6-1 6-0 249 Out
Northeastern 15-7 .513 (140) 2-0 2-1 3-6 8-0 266 Out
Richmond 15-7 .536 (95) 0-0 3-4 6-2 6-1 246 Out
Colorado State 14-7 .527 (109) 2-1 0-2 6-1 6-3 218 Out
Boise State 14-8 .541 (82) 3-2 1-1 4-3 6-2 130 Out
Alabama A&M 16-6 .527 (108) 1-0 2-0 5-2 8-4 292 Out
Indiana 14-8 .520 (121) 2-3 3-2 3-1 6-2 178 Out


How about that?! Coach Vee has to be happy to see Northwestern up there, and considering they are listed first, they aren't even on the First Four In list, they are past that. While the 1-4 record against the RPI top 50 is damaging, the Wildcats have countered that by going 9-3 against the RPI 51-200. They've also played a pretty decent SOS. Things can go south in a hurry for them though, their last 6 games are against teams that are in the upper half of the Big Ten.

Now let's take a look at our other teams and see how they are faring. Remember, this is for the NCAA Tournament only. Some of these teams will make other postseason tournaments for sure. Remember, if your team isn't listed as a lock, or projected safely in, that means they are projected to be out. Also remember, this does not take into account conference leaders, this just looks at projections from an at-large standpoint.

Locks: Duke, Michigan State, Colorado, UCLA, Stanford, Kentucky.

Nice to see so many of our teams projected as locks for the big dance, plus another on the bubble. This is more like it. I hope all these teams finish strong.

[rjolley]

Nice to see Coach Sanchez get the Cardinal back on track. Hopefully, they can finish strong and make the tourney.

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 7-13, 2022

No feature games this week, so we'll get right into the weekly recap.

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 13-13, 7-6 T-5th America East.

2/9/22 vs. Albany (L 75-61).
2/13/22 vs. Stony Brook (W 61-46).

A split for the Hawks, who have another very winnable game next week, and then a good test in their last 2 conference games of the season.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 13-11, 8-4 T-3rd American.

2/9/22 at UCF (W 67-60).
2/12/22 at Houston (W 59-48).

2 road wins for the Huskies this week, as they also pick up an important win at Houston.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 13-13, 6-7 T-6th American.

2/9/22 at Cincinnati (L 59-42).
2/12/22 vs. South Florida (L 79-62).

A pair of 17 point losses for the Pirates this week, as they have lost 4 out of their last 5.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 13-11, 8-4 T-3rd American.

2/9/22 at SMU (W 79-62).
2/12/22 at Tulane (L 70-65).

A road split this week for the Golden Hurricane. That loss at Tulane could be very damaging, as Tulane had only won 8 games before beating Tulsa. That also breaks a 9 game winning streak for Coach Brown's team.

#11 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 21-4, 11-2 1st ACC.

2/9/22 at Clemson (W 85-75).
2/12/22 vs. Wake Forest (W 91-72).

The Blue Devils keep a half game lead in the ACC, but their next 4 games are huge, all against ranked teams.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 11-12, 5-7 8th Big 12.

2/8/22 at East Tennessee State (W 82-71).
2/12/22 at #3 Baylor (L 73-63).

A road split for the Horned Frogs, who take care of a weak non-conference opponent, and give 3rd ranked Baylor a challenge before eventually falling short.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 17-6, 9-3 2nd Big Ten.

2/9/22 at Indiana (W 94-62).
2/12/22 vs. Nebraska (W 90-57).

2 dominating wins for the Spartans this week, and at this point it's really a race for 2nd place, as top ranked Wisconsin all but has the Big Ten regular season title locked up, unless they fall apart.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 14-10, 6-6 T-6th Big Ten.

2/9/22 at Iowa (L 90-82).
2/12/22 at Minnesota (L 71-53).

Exactly what the Wildcats didn't need, losing 2 on the road this week. This will certainly have a big impact on them when the new bubble watch comes out.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 14-10, 5-6 6th Big West.

2/10/22 vs. UC Irvine (W 77-70).
2/12/22 at UC Santa Barbara (L 58-44).

A split for the Warriors, who just fell apart at UCSB. Can't afford those type of losses as they are still on pace for their best season in a while, but they have to keep winning.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 14-9, 6-6 T-7th Conference USA.

2/10/22 vs. Charlotte (L 81-79).
2/12/22 vs. Southern Miss (W 89-69).

A split for the Owls, and a tough loss against Charlotte. They really needed that one.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 18-6, 10-2 1st Pac 12.

2/10/22 vs. Arizona State (W 67-40).
2/12/22 at Oregon State (W 81-49).

The Buffaloes are back on top by themselves in the Pac 12, thanks to a couple dominating performances this week. They still have a game against Arizona coming up at the end of the season, but they have a nice path to their first Pac 12 title in this dynasty, if they don't falter.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 16-6, 9-3 T-2nd Pac 12.

2/10/22 at Gonzaga (W 97-92, OT).
2/12/22 vs. #23 Arizona (W 85-63).

The Cardinal win 2 games this week, and they really carried that road OT win over Gonzaga well, as they went back home and obliterated Arizona. It's 5 in a row now for Coach Sanchez's team.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 17-7, 9-3 T-2nd Pac 12.

2/10/22 at Oregon State (L 74-58).
2/12/22 at Oregon (W 85-71).

A road split for the Bruins, who just can't be losing to teams like Oregon State, especially by 16 points. Next week is huge, as they face both of the other 2 teams that are tied for 2nd place at the moment, so it could make or break their chances.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 8-16, 0-12 12th (last) Pac 12.

2/10/22 at California (L 77-66).
2/12/22 vs. Washington (L 80-66).

It's looking more and more like the Cougars are going to go 0-fer in the Pac 12. They got 6 more chances to get a conference W, with their best chance against a 6 win Arizona State team. It's been a long, long time since that 8-4 start.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 15-9, 9-3 2nd SEC.

2/9/22 vs. Georgia (W 60-57).
2/12/22 at South Carolina (W 79-68).

2 more wins for the Crimson Tide, who are fighting to get back to the NCAA Tournament after missing out last season. A big game against Kentucky next week.

#20 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 18-7, 7-5 T-4th SEC.

2/9/22 vs. VCU (W 77-68).
2/12/22 vs. #5 Arkansas (L 71-67).

A home split for the Wildcats, who put up a gallant effort against an Arkansas team that is almost a lock to win the SEC at this point.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 15-10, 9-6 2nd Sun Belt.

2/10/22 vs. Arkansas Little Rock (L 80-60).
2/12/22 vs. South Alabama (W 80-68).

A split for the Trojans, who still control their own destiny in the Sun Belt, as the top 5 teams all have 6 losses in conference. The only reason Troy is in 2nd place is because the conference leader has played 1 more conference game, and won it. Still, they are also heading to their best season in a while.

Here's a look at the national top 25 heading into the week of Feb. 14-20:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (72) 25-1 1800 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Wichita State 26-1 1728 2 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Baylor 22-2 1643 3 Big 12 Conference
4. Oklahoma 21-4 1548 4 Big 12 Conference
5. Arkansas 21-3 1537 5 Southeastern Conference
6. Texas 20-4 1439 7 Big 12 Conference
7. Virginia 20-5 1324 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Syracuse 20-4 1299 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. San Diego State 21-4 1186 9 Mountain West Conference
10. Florida State 19-5 1184 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Duke 21-4 1138 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
12. Old Dominion 21-2 989 13 Conference USA
13. BYU 22-5 947 15 West Coast Conference
14. St. John's 19-6 747 14 Big East Conference
15. Memphis 20-5 675 22 American Athletic Conference
16. Iowa State 17-8 639 12 Big 12 Conference
17. Louisville 17-7 635 21 Atlantic Coast Conference
18. Notre Dame 19-6 615 25 Atlantic Coast Conference
19. Massachusetts 20-5 473 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
20. Oakland 21-5 404 19 Horizon League
21. North Carolina 16-8 381 16 Atlantic Coast Conference
22. Kansas State 18-6 282 17 Big 12 Conference
23. Georgetown 16-8 219 NR Big East Conference
24. Kentucky 18-7 143 20 Southeastern Conference
25. Sacred Heart 21-4 136 NR Northeast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Michigan State 17-6 75 Big Ten Conference
Colorado 18-6 51 Pacific-12 Conference
Vanderbilt 18-7 50 Southeastern Conference
Arizona 18-6 45 Pacific-12 Conference
Villanova 17-7 40 Big East Conference
William & Mary 19-6 15 Colonial Athletic Association
Illinois 16-8 6 Big Ten Conference
Loyola MD 20-5 4 Patriot League
Stanford 16-6 3 Pacific-12 Conference

Duke stays pat at #11 after 2 wins this week, while Kentucky drops 4 spots after a heartbreaking loss to Arkansas. Michigan State and Colorado are on the cusp of cracking the top 25, while UCLA loses their votes, but Stanford gets a few after that big win over Arizona.

And a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Feb. 14-20:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (72) 26-1 1800 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. San Diego State 21-4 1725 2 Mountain West Conference
3. Old Dominion 21-2 1623 3 Conference USA
4. BYU 22-5 1611 4 West Coast Conference
5. Memphis 20-5 1503 5 American Athletic Conference
6. Oakland 21-5 1444 6 Horizon League
7. Massachusetts 20-5 1372 7 Atlantic 10 Conference
8. SMU 18-7 1192 8 American Athletic Conference
9. William & Mary 19-6 1187 11 Colonial Athletic Association
10. Sacred Heart 21-4 1186 10 Northeast Conference
11. Buffalo 17-7 1074 9 Mid-American Conference
12. Loyola MD 20-5 1003 13 Patriot League
13. Richmond 17-7 931 20 Atlantic 10 Conference
14. Florida Gulf Coast 20-6 817 17 Atlantic Sun Conference
15. Fresno State 17-8 793 12 Mountain West Conference
16. Manhattan 19-6 663 15 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
17. UNLV 15-9 618 24 Mountain West Conference
18. FIU 16-7 547 23 Conference USA
19. New Mexico 15-9 478 14 Mountain West Conference
20. Southern Utah 18-5 376 22 Big Sky Conference
21. Boise State 15-9 356 18 Mountain West Conference
22. UNC Wilmington 19-8 324 16 Colonial Athletic Association
23. Rider 20-8 217 NR Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
24. UTEP 15-9 203 NR Conference USA
25. The Citadel 18-7 84 NR Southern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
George Washington 15-9 69 Atlantic 10 Conference
Saint Joseph's 15-9 37 Atlantic 10 Conference
Colorado State 15-8 25 Mountain West Conference
Northeastern 16-8 23 Colonial Athletic Association
Long Beach State 16-8 21 Big West Conference
UAB 14-8 21 Conference USA
Detroit 15-9 17 Horizon League
Rhode Island 13-9 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
Texas A&M Corpus Christi 16-7 10 Southland Conference
Georgia State 16-11 9 Horizon League
Belmont 17-9 8 Ohio Valley Conference
Alabama A&M 17-7 6 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Connecticut 13-11 5 American Athletic Conference
Portland 16-10 5 West Coast Conference
Green Bay 16-11 2 Horizon League
Indiana State 16-11 1 Missouri Valley Conference

Take a look at the surprise UConn. It's nice to see them receiving votes, but I guarantee the only reason they are is because of their past history and how successful they've been.

Now for this weeks edition of the Bubble Watch. We start with the Overall Bubble Watch, which doesn't see any of our teams:

OVERALL BUBBLE WATCH

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Penn State 15-9 .582 (27) 3-5 3-1 4-2 5-1 23 In
Fresno State 17-8 .556 (57) 2-3 1-0 8-2 6-3 104 In
New Mexico 15-9 .578 (32) 1-4 4-2 7-3 3-0 36 In
UTEP 15-9 .573 (41) 4-5 1-0 5-1 5-3 27 In
Washington 15-9 .570 (43) 1-6 3-1 7-1 4-1 35 In
Richmond 17-7 .549 (69) 1-0 4-3 6-3 6-1 203 In
Saint Joseph's 15-9 .554 (61) 1-2 3-4 4-2 7-1 101 In
SMU 18-7 .547 (75) 1-1 6-4 7-1 4-1 170 In
Colgate 16-9 .549 (68) 1-3 4-0 3-2 8-4 133 Out
Oklahoma State 15-10 .575 (34) 3-9 3-1 4-0 5-0 21 Out
Green Bay 16-11 .557 (55) 5-1 5-1 1-4 5-5 80 Out
Stephen F. Austin 16-11 .555 (58) 2-4 5-3 3-2 6-2 87 Out
UAB 14-8 .543 (79) 1-4 1-1 3-2 9-1 143 Out
Houston 15-9 .542 (80) 2-1 3-2 3-3 7-3 134 Out
Indiana State 16-11 .566 (47) 0-3 4-5 6-1 6-2 56 Out

Now a look at all 17 of our teams:

Locks: Duke, Michigan State, Colorado, Stanford, UCLA, Kentucky.
In: Alabama.

2 changes from last week. First, Northwestern is off the bubble, but not in a good way. They are now projected out. Not last 4 out or next 4 out, but just out.

Meanwhile, Alabama is now projected to be in after their 2 wins this week.

[bbgunn]

Might need to start up a firecoachstjohn.com site... That is abysmal.

[law90026]

National title for Duke this year

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 14-20, 2022

A whole host of feature games this week, 5 to be exact. 4 conferences are involved so let's start in the American.

2/16/22- UConn (Randolph Childress) @ ECU (Al Hutt) -- While the foul count was fairly close, ECU seemed to have a lot more shooting fouls and took advantage from the line, outscoring the Huskies by 12 on the line. That led to an important home victory.

Final Score: ECU- 71, UConn- 63

Now we move to the Big Ten:

2/16/22- Michigan State (Al Mighty) @ Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- The Spartans kept Northwestern on a downward spiral by hitting 11 three pointers and they continue to roll.

Final Score: Michigan State- 78, Northwestern- 69

To the SEC we go:

2/16/22- Alabama (Roy Rogers) @ Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- Kentucky couldn't hit the broad side inside the three point line in this one, shooting just 34.6% for the game. 12 of their 18 made shots were three pointers. They died by the trey tonight.

Final Score: Alabama- 68, Kentucky- 64

And finally, we head to the Pac 12 for a double dip:

2/17/22- UCLA (Tim Shepard) @ Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- This was a very odd game, and one where the foul count swung towards the vistors. Both teams hit 13 three pointers, and overall Stanford made 7 more field goals than UCLA. But the free throw line was a different story: Stanford 3-4, UCLA 21-26. There's your ball game.

Final Score: UCLA- 72, Stanford- 68

2/17/22- Washington State (DeShawn St. John) @ Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- Call it overconfidence on Colorado's part, but the Cougars jumped off to a fast start, gaining an 11 point halftime lead. They turned the ball over 8 times, all leading to a monumental upset as the last place team in the Pac 12 absolutely shocked the Pac 12 leaders in convincing fashion.

Final Score: Washington State- 73, Colorado- 63. (Wow!)

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 15-13, 9-6 T-2nd America East.

2/16/22 at UMass Lowell (W 62-47).
2/20/22 vs. New Hampshire (W 52-32).

The Hawks are trying to finish on a positive note, as they've won 5 of their last 6. They can't win the America East title, and with a 4 team tie for second, they could finish anywhere between 2nd and 5th if they win their final conference game of the season, and if they lose, anywhere between 2nd and 6th.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 14-12, 9-5 T-2nd American.

2/16/22 at ECU- feature game, highlighted above.
2/19/22 vs. South Florida (W 59-46).

A split for the Huskies this week, as they are holding on to slim postseason hopes.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 15-13, 8-7 6th American.

2/16/22 vs. UConn- feature game, highlighted above.
2/19/22 vs. UCF (W 59-46).

What a difference a week makes, as the Pirates win 2 games to get back over .500 in conference play.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 14-12, 9-5 T-2nd American.

2/16/22 at South Florida (L 70-48).
2/19/22 vs. Temple (W 98-95).

A split for the Golden Hurricane, who really needed a better effort at South Florida.

#11 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 22-5, 12-3 T-1st ACC.

2/16/22 vs. #21 North Carolina (W 85-77).
2/19/22 at #17 Louisville (L 88-71).

A split for the Blue Devils, but that loss to Louisville now has them in a 3 way tie for 1st, and it doesn't get any easier next week.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 12-13, 6-8 T-7th Big 12.

2/14/22 at #4 Oklahoma (W 77-68).
2/19/22 at Oklahoma State (L 85-77).

A strange trip through Oklahoma for the Horned Frogs as they got a split, but not the way I was expecting. A huge upset at Oklahoma but they couldn't compound it by beating Oklahoma State.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 19-6, 11-3 2nd Big Ten.

2/16/22 at Northwestern- feature game, highlighted above.
2/19/22 at Penn State (W 73-55).

The Spartans continue to roll, with 4 more wins. That's 7 of their last 8, and barring an upset, they'll get 2 more next week.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 15-11, 7-7 T-5th Big Ten.

2/16/22 vs. Michigan State- feature game, highlighted above.
2/19/22 vs. Ohio State (W 83-73).

The Wildcats split this week, and are 1 of 6 teams in a tie for 5th place in the Big Ten. They now start on a 3 game road trip in which none of the 3 games will be easy.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 16-10, 7-6 T-3rd Big West.

2/17/22 at Cal State Fullerton (W 78-76).
2/19/22 vs. UC Davis (W 79-69).

2 wins for the Warriors who are back over .500 in conference play and seem to be picking up a little momentum.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 15-10, 7-7 T-6th Conference USA.

2/17/22 vs. Western Kentucky (L 72-63).
2/19/22 vs. North Texas (W 79-77).

A home split for the Owls, who can't be losing to 7 win teams like Western Kentucky if they want to have a shot at the postseason.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 18-8, 10-4 T-2nd Pac 12.

2/17/22 vs. Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.
2/19/22 vs. Washington (L 80-65).

A week to forget for the Buffaloes, who have fallen out of first place thanks to a couple tough losses. The Washington loss can be forgiven, but Washington State? Coach Nielsen better get these guys back on the right track when they hit the road next week.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 17-7, 10-4 T-2nd Pac 12.

2/17/22 vs. UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.
2/19/22 vs. California (W 77-56).

A split for the Cardinal, who look to have a good path at a 20 win season if they can finish strong, as 3 of their last 4 regular season games are winnable, with the other a toss-up.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 18-8, 10-4 T-2nd Pac 12.

2/17/22 at Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
2/19/22 vs. Arizona (L 66-48).

A split for the Bruins, who lost a chance to jump into first place after getting hammered at home. If there's 1 team that has Coach Shepard's number, it's the Bruins.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 9-17, 1-13 12th (last) Pac 12.

2/17/22 at Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.
2/19/22 vs. Arizona State (L 73-52).

The only thing I can think of is that Colorado just look past the Cougars, as the burden is over, and Washington State has won their first Pac 12 game of the season! It might be their only win, but anytime you can avoid an 0-fer, it's a good thing.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 17-9, 11-3 2nd SEC.

2/16/22 at Kentucky- feature game, highlighted above.
2/19/22 vs. Florida (W 64-55).

The Crimson Tide continue to roll, getting by Kentucky and Florida both, 2 formidable opponents. The SEC title is still in their grasp, as long as they can take care of business next week.

#24 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 19-8, 8-6 T-4th SEC.

2/16/22 vs. Alabama- feature game, highlighted above.
2/19/22 vs. South Carolina (W 102-65).

A split for the Wildcats, and it's been a rough year for them. In Coach Hutt's time at Kentucky, they have now set a record for most conference losses in a season. Before this season, the most they'd lost was 5.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 16-11, 10-7 3rd Sun Belt.

2/17/22 at Appalachian State (L 73-60).
2/19/22 at UT Arlington (W 81-68).

Another split for the Trojans. They are still in the midst of their best season in the Coach Hawkins era, but they sure would like to finish strong as they are still 1 game out of first place in the conference.

Here's a look at the national top 25 heading into the week of Feb. 21-27:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (72) 27-1 1800 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Wichita State 27-1 1728 2 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Baylor 23-3 1644 3 Big 12 Conference
4. Oklahoma 22-5 1582 4 Big 12 Conference
5. Arkansas 22-4 1486 5 Southeastern Conference
6. Virginia 22-5 1417 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Texas 21-5 1364 6 Big 12 Conference
8. San Diego State 23-4 1310 9 Mountain West Conference
9. Syracuse 21-5 1195 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
10. Florida State 21-5 1185 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Old Dominion 23-2 1075 12 Conference USA
12. Duke 22-5 1002 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. Louisville 19-7 926 17 Atlantic Coast Conference
14. Notre Dame 21-6 816 18 Atlantic Coast Conference
15. St. John's 21-6 806 14 Big East Conference
16. BYU 23-6 713 13 West Coast Conference
17. Memphis 21-5 642 15 American Athletic Conference
18. Oakland 23-5 504 20 Horizon League
19. Michigan State 19-6 389 NR Big Ten Conference
20. Kansas State 19-7 338 22 Big 12 Conference
21. Georgetown 17-8 335 23 Big East Conference
22. Iowa State 18-9 286 16 Big 12 Conference
23. Sacred Heart 23-4 212 25 Northeast Conference
24. Arizona 20-6 205 NR Pacific-12 Conference
25. Villanova 19-7 174 NR Big East Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
North Carolina 17-9 116 Atlantic Coast Conference
Massachusetts 21-6 86 Atlantic 10 Conference
Kentucky 19-8 19 Southeastern Conference
Buffalo 19-7 18 Mid-American Conference
Vanderbilt 19-8 12 Southeastern Conference
Southern Utah 20-5 7 Big Sky Conference
Loyola MD 22-5 6 Patriot League
Florida Gulf Coast 22-6 2 Atlantic Sun Conference

Duke drops 1 spot in the top 25 after their bad loss to Louisville, while Michigan State jumps into the top 25 for the first time in weeks, even months. Kentucky drops out of the top 25 after their loss to Alabama, while the Pac 12 continues to see a lack of respect as Stanford and Colorado lose all their votes after splits this week, and UCLA still can't buy a vote.

Now for the Mid-Major Top 25 heading into the week of Feb. 21-27:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (72) 27-1 1800 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. San Diego State 23-4 1727 2 Mountain West Conference
3. Old Dominion 23-2 1652 3 Conference USA
4. BYU 23-6 1555 4 West Coast Conference
5. Memphis 21-5 1529 5 American Athletic Conference
6. Oakland 23-5 1448 6 Horizon League
7. Massachusetts 21-6 1363 7 Atlantic 10 Conference
8. Buffalo 19-7 1265 11 Mid-American Conference
9. Sacred Heart 23-4 1233 10 Northeast Conference
10. Loyola MD 22-5 1102 12 Patriot League
11. Florida Gulf Coast 22-6 1003 14 Atlantic Sun Conference
12. SMU 18-8 943 8 American Athletic Conference
13. Manhattan 21-6 892 16 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
14. FIU 18-7 799 18 Conference USA
15. Richmond 18-8 770 13 Atlantic 10 Conference
16. Boise State 16-9 757 21 Mountain West Conference
17. UNC Wilmington 21-8 708 22 Colonial Athletic Association
18. William & Mary 19-8 584 9 Colonial Athletic Association
19. Fresno State 18-9 529 15 Mountain West Conference
20. Southern Utah 20-5 488 20 Big Sky Conference
21. UNLV 16-10 398 17 Mountain West Conference
22. Saint Joseph's 17-9 272 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
23. Long Beach State 18-8 147 NR Big West Conference
24. UAB 16-8 147 NR Conference USA
25. Indiana State 18-11 59 NR Missouri Valley Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Texas A&M Corpus Christi 18-7 40 Southland Conference
Alabama A&M 19-7 39 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Belmont 19-9 34 Ohio Valley Conference
George Washington 16-10 30 Atlantic 10 Conference
UTEP 16-10 21 Conference USA
New Mexico 15-11 20 Mountain West Conference
Rider 20-9 17 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Colorado State 16-9 12 Mountain West Conference
Rhode Island 14-10 7 Atlantic 10 Conference
Wagner 19-8 5 Northeast Conference
Sacramento State 17-8 4 Big Sky Conference
Harvard 17-9 1 Ivy League

Well, 1 week of receiving votes for UConn, and now they are back to not receiving a thing.. as are all of our Mid-Major teams.

Here's the next edition of the Bubble Watch, starting with the Overall Bubble Watch, where again none of our FOFC teams are listed:

OVERALL BUBBLE WATCH

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UAB 16-8 .550 (62) 1-4 1-1 4-2 10-1 143 In
UTEP 16-10 .570 (40) 4-5 1-0 5-2 6-3 40 In
Indiana State 18-11 .565 (44) 0-4 2-2 9-3 7-2 64 In
Washington 16-10 .565 (45) 3-7 1-0 7-1 5-2 41 In
George Washington 16-10 .550 (63) 1-2 3-4 6-4 6-0 87 In
Richmond 18-8 .548 (66) 0-0 3-5 6-2 9-1 171 In
Oklahoma State 16-11 .576 (37) 4-10 3-1 5-0 4-0 15 In
Sacramento State 17-8 .544 (74) 0-1 1-3 3-2 13-2 209 In
Green Bay 17-12 .551 (61) 4-1 7-1 2-5 4-5 82 Out
Colgate 17-10 .544 (73) 1-3 4-0 3-3 9-4 149 Out
Houston 16-10 .542 (81) 2-2 3-4 2-1 9-3 129 Out
SMU 18-8 .539 (90) 1-1 6-3 7-3 4-1 165 Out
VCU 17-9 .526 (110) 2-4 4-3 5-2 6-0 184 Out
Boise State 16-9 .535 (96) 4-2 1-2 5-3 6-2 137 Out
Colorado State 16-9 .530 (102) 3-5 0-0 6-1 7-3 180 Out


Probably not much change for our 17 teams, but let's take a look:

Locks: Duke, Michigan State, Stanford, UCLA, Alabama, Kentucky
In: Colorado

A couple changes from last week, as the same 7 teams are still projected either locks or safely in, but there's a change in the order:

Colorado, with their 2 losses last week, has dropped from being a lock to just safely in.

On the flip side, Alabama, with their 2 wins this week, has raised from safely in, to being a lock.

[muns]

Rice, falling going upwards again.

[bbgunn]

The only team Wazzu can beat in the conference are the leaders? Man...

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 21-27, 2022

1 feature games this week, and it's in the American:

Tulsa (Will Brown) @ ECU (Al Hutt) -- Very poor shooting doomed the Golden Hurricane, who shot just 28.8% for the game. After holding a 2 point halftime lead, they couldn't hit anything in the 2nd half and it helped ECU to a home victory.

Final Score: ECU- 54, Tulsa- 46

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 15-14, 9-7 T-4th America East.

2/25/22 at Binghamton (L 75-66).

The Hawks lose their final game of conference play, and that drops them all the way to a tie for 4th place. They won the tiebreaker and will be the 4th seed in the America East Tournament, opening up against 5th seed Maine.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 16-12, 11-5 2nd American.

2/23/22 vs. Temple (W 81-71).
2/26/22 vs. SMU (W 87-75).

2 more wins for the Huskies, who have rolled off 3 in a row, and 5 of the last 6. They even got a quality win against SMU. They can still win the AAC regular season title, but they must beat conference leaders Memphis next week, and still get help.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 16-13, 9-7 T-5th American.

2/23/22 vs. Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.

Just 1 game for the Pirates this weekend, but they took advantage of bad Tulsa shooting. UConn will be their biggest fans early next week as they take on Memphis a game before UConn does.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 14-14, 9-7 T-5th American.

2/23/22 at ECU- feature game, highlighted above.
2/26/22 vs. #17 Memphis (L 77-56).

The Golden Hurricane had a rough week, forgetting how to shot at ECU, and then of course, Memphis is just tough. They can still finish over .500 in conference play, but next week won't be easy either.

#12 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 22-7, 12-5 T-4th ACC.

2/23/22 vs. #6 Virginia (L 75-45).
2/26/22 at #14 Notre Dame (L 70-61).

Not a good week for the Blue Devils, who take a major drop in the standings. They fell apart against Virginia, and couldn't get over the hump at Notre Dame.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 14-13, 8-8 T-4th Big 12.

2/21/22 vs. Kansas (W 82-60).
2/26/22 vs. #20 Kansas State (W 60-48).

The Horned Frogs welcomed both Big 12 Kansas teams this week, and sent them both home with frowns on their faces. This puts them back over .500, and with next week being 2 games against teams that are in the same position, it puts a lot of importance on taking care of business.

#19 Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 21-6, 13-3 T-2nd Big Ten.

2/23/22 at Minnesota (W 84-80).
2/26/22 vs. Michigan (W 81-63).

2 more wins for the Spartans, who are having their best season the 2017-2018 campaign. Their seed in the Big Ten Tourney is already locked up. No matter what happens next week against stiff competition, whether they find a way to win both, or split, or lose both, they are locked into 2nd place in the Big Ten.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 16-12, 8-8 T-6th Big Ten.

2/23/22 at Purdue (W 91-89).
2/26/22 at Maryland (L 84-67).

A road split for the Wildcats, who are barely hanging on to postseason aspirations. They face a pair of 17-11 teams next week, and getting at least 1 of those to stay at or above .500 in the conference will be very imperative.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 17-11, 8-7 T-4th Big West.

2/24/22 vs. Cal Poly (L 88-80).
2/26/22 at Cal State Northridge (W 76-64).

A split for the Warriors this week, and next week they have a single game against the conference leaders. They still have a chance to finish as high as 3rd or as low as 7th in the conference.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 15-12, 7-9 9th Conference USA.

2/24/22 vs. #11 Old Dominion (L 81-72).
2/26/22 at Middle Tennessee (L 82-47).

The Owls definitely didn't have their best week, with a tough loss to conference leader Old Dominion, as well as an embarrassing 35 point loss at Middle Tennessee. They better pick it up, and fast.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 20-8, 12-4 T-2nd Pac 12.

2/24/22 at Utah (W 66-55).
2/26/22 at Gonzaga (W 76-60).

2 solid road wins for the Buffaloes, and Coach Nielsen has to be in consideration for Pac 12, maybe even national COTY. This is Colorado's first 20 win season since the first season of this dynasty. They are still trailing Arizona though, but have a chance to meet them next week in a game that could decide the Pac 12 title.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 19-7, 12-4 T-2nd Pac 12.

2/24/22 vs. Washington (W 78-53).
2/26/22 vs. Oregon State (W 61-49).

2 more wins for the Cardinal, who are also 1 game behind Arizona. Unless they have a letdown next week, they'll pick up another 20 win season.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 19-9, 11-5 4th Pac 12.

2/24/22 vs. Gonzaga (L 98-91, OT).
2/26/22 at Arizona State (W 60-37).

A split for the Bruins, as they can't overcome blowing a 10 point halftime lead in an OT loss to Gonzaga. This means they have to win twice next week and get a lot, and I do mean a lot, of help if they are going to win another Pac 12 Title.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 10-18, 2-14 12th (last) Pac 12.

2/24/22 vs. #24 Arizona (L 73-66).
2/26/22 vs. Oregon (W 96-88).

Looks like the Cougars decided to wait until the end of the season to start playing good basketball. They actually had a 9 point halftime lead against Arizona, too bad they couldn't finish it off, but they seem to be building a little momentum.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 18-10, 12-4 T-1st SEC.

2/23/22 at LSU (L 98-93, OT).
2/26/22 vs. Tennessee (W 76-66).

The Crimson Tide could be in the SEC lead all by themselves had they not fallen late at LSU. Nevertheless, next week is huge for the Tide as they take on the conference co-leaders and the 3rd place team.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 21-8, 10-6 T-4th SEC.

2/23/22 vs. Florida (W 55-42).
2/26/22 at LSU (W 87-76).

2 more wins for the Wildcats, and they've won 3 straight after a 2 game losing streak. They still have a slight chance to extend their record of consecutive years winning or splitting the SEC title, but it's going to take 2 wins and a lot of help.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 17-12, 11-8 3rd Sun Belt.

2/24/22 at Arkansas Little Rock (L 68-59).
2/26/22 vs. UT Arlington (W 92-64).

Yet another split for the Trojans, who will probably miss out on the Sun Belt title. 1 more game next week, and a win could still get them a share of the conference title, but a loss could drop them all the way to 8th place. Either way, they know they will have a chance for more wins as they will qualify for the Sun Belt tournament.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Feb. 28-March 6:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (72) 29-1 1800 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Wichita State 29-1 1728 2 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Baylor 25-3 1624 3 Big 12 Conference
4. Oklahoma 23-5 1605 4 Big 12 Conference
5. Virginia 23-5 1514 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Florida State 23-5 1423 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. San Diego State 24-4 1354 8 Mountain West Conference
8. Texas 22-6 1285 7 Big 12 Conference
9. Syracuse 22-6 1197 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
10. Old Dominion 25-2 1182 11 Conference USA
11. Notre Dame 23-6 1092 14 Atlantic Coast Conference
12. Arkansas 22-6 984 5 Southeastern Conference
13. St. John's 22-6 879 15 Big East Conference
14. Memphis 23-5 858 17 American Athletic Conference
15. Louisville 20-8 698 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
16. Oakland 25-5 675 18 Horizon League
17. Duke 22-7 621 12 Atlantic Coast Conference
18. Michigan State 21-6 553 19 Big Ten Conference
19. Georgetown 19-8 479 21 Big East Conference
20. Arizona 22-6 461 24 Pacific-12 Conference
21. Villanova 21-7 440 25 Big East Conference
22. Sacred Heart 25-4 353 23 Northeast Conference
23. BYU 23-7 284 16 West Coast Conference
24. Buffalo 21-7 130 NR Mid-American Conference
25. Kentucky 21-8 90 NR Southeastern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
North Carolina 18-10 22 Atlantic Coast Conference
Stanford 19-7 20 Pacific-12 Conference
Florida Gulf Coast 24-6 18 Atlantic Sun Conference
Massachusetts 22-7 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
Kansas State 19-9 11 Big 12 Conference
Colorado 20-8 3 Pacific-12 Conference
FIU 20-7 2 Conference USA
Iowa State 18-11 1 Big 12 Conference
Manhattan 22-6 1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Southern Utah 21-6 1 Big Sky Conference

Duke has a big drop in the polls thanks to losing twice this week, while Michigan State raises a spot. Kentucky is back in the top 25, while Stanford and Colorado are receiving votes again.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Feb. 28-March 6:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (72) 29-1 1800 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. San Diego State 24-4 1725 2 Mountain West Conference
3. Old Dominion 25-2 1658 3 Conference USA
4. Memphis 23-5 1572 5 American Athletic Conference
5. Oakland 25-5 1497 6 Horizon League
6. BYU 23-7 1455 4 West Coast Conference
7. Buffalo 21-7 1337 8 Mid-American Conference
8. Sacred Heart 25-4 1299 9 Northeast Conference
9. Massachusetts 22-7 1226 7 Atlantic 10 Conference
10. Florida Gulf Coast 24-6 1135 11 Atlantic Sun Conference
11. FIU 20-7 1051 14 Conference USA
12. Loyola MD 23-6 937 10 Patriot League
13. Manhattan 22-6 886 13 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
14. Fresno State 20-9 845 19 Mountain West Conference
15. SMU 19-9 786 12 American Athletic Conference
16. UNC Wilmington 22-8 759 17 Colonial Athletic Association
17. UNLV 18-10 700 21 Mountain West Conference
18. Richmond 19-9 660 15 Atlantic 10 Conference
19. William & Mary 20-9 466 18 Colonial Athletic Association
20. Southern Utah 21-6 437 20 Big Sky Conference
21. Indiana State 19-11 275 25 Missouri Valley Conference
22. Boise State 16-11 180 16 Mountain West Conference
23. Bowling Green 19-10 147 NR Mid-American Conference
24. Saint Joseph's 18-10 118 22 Atlantic 10 Conference
25. UAB 17-9 83 24 Conference USA

Others Receiving Votes:
Rider 21-9 74 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Long Beach State 18-9 38 Big West Conference
Houston 18-10 32 American Athletic Conference
Belmont 20-10 31 Ohio Valley Conference
Connecticut 16-12 30 American Athletic Conference
Texas A&M Corpus Christi 19-8 29 Southland Conference
Fordham 18-9 25 Atlantic 10 Conference
Portland 19-11 23 West Coast Conference
Alabama A&M 20-8 22 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Davidson 17-11 19 Atlantic 10 Conference
New Mexico 16-12 8 Mountain West Conference
UTEP 17-11 8 Conference USA
Wagner 21-8 8 Northeast Conference
Jacksonville State 20-10 7 Ohio Valley Conference
George Washington 17-11 6 Atlantic 10 Conference
Colgate 19-10 4 Patriot League
Harvard 18-9 2 Ivy League

Welcome back UConn, who is receiving mid-major votes again.

None of our teams are in the Overall Bubble Watch this week, but let's take a quick look:

OVERALL BUBBLE WATCH

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mississippi 17-11 .552 (60) 3-6 4-3 5-1 5-1 67 In
Purdue 17-11 .558 (50) 3-6 2-3 6-1 6-1 63 In
Indiana State 19-11 .567 (40) 0-4 2-2 7-3 10-2 69 In
UTEP 17-11 .574 (34) 4-4 1-1 6-3 6-3 30 In
Colgate 19-10 .549 (63) 1-3 4-0 5-3 9-4 141 In
Green Bay 18-12 .554 (57) 5-1 6-1 3-5 4-5 77 In
SMU 19-9 .544 (70) 1-2 8-3 4-2 6-2 144 In
VCU 19-9 .540 (80) 3-4 5-4 4-1 7-0 154 In
UAB 17-9 .545 (68) 1-4 1-1 5-3 10-1 135 Out
Houston 18-10 .549 (65) 2-2 4-4 2-1 10-3 126 Out
George Washington 17-11 .542 (76) 1-2 5-3 2-6 9-0 101 Out
Davidson 17-11 .541 (79) 0-1 4-4 5-4 8-2 110 Out
Indiana 17-11 .529 (101) 3-6 5-2 5-1 4-2 131 Out
Portland 19-11 .526 (107) 2-1 0-3 6-6 11-1 200 Out
Wagner 21-8 .520 (121) 0-1 2-2 3-2 16-3 329 Out

Here's a look at our FOFC teams:

Locks: Duke, Michigan State, Stanford, UCLA, Kentucky, Alabama
In: Colorado

No changes from last week, it's exactly the same.

[law90026]

Ugh c'mon duke

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 28-March 6, 2022

1 feature game to tell you about this week, and we go to the Pac 12:

3/5/22- UCLA (Tim Shepard) @ Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- Unbelievable what Washington State has done over the past couple weeks, as they steal another one, forcing 19 UCLA turnovers and holding them to 37.3% shooting. They got up by double digits early and never looked back to stun another team.

Final Score: Washington State- 76, UCLA- 62

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 15-15, 9-7 America East.

3/3/22- America East Quarterfinals vs. (5) Maine (L 78-73).

It was a quick exit from the conference tournament for the Hawks, who pretty much needed to win it to ensure a postseason berth. With their .500 record and 205 RPI, it's safe to say they'll be staying home this postseason after 2 straight berths.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 16-14, 11-7 T-3rd American.

3/2/22 at Cincinnati (L 77-69).
3/5/22 at #14 Memphis (L 89-88, OT).

The Huskies lost an OT heartbreak at Memphis, and also fell short at Cincinnati. They ended up in a 3 way tie for 3rd, and will pick up the 4th seed in the American Tournament. They'll open up in the Quarterfinals against (5) Houston.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 17-14, 10-8 6th American.

3/2/22 at #14 Memphis (L 103-79).
3/5/22 at Temple (W 61-60).

The Pirates ended the regular season with a split, narrowly defeating Temple on the road. They'll be the 6th seed in the American Tournament, where they'll open up in the First Round against (11) Temple, who they just squeaked out a win against.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 16-14, 11-7 T-3rd American.

3/2/22 at Houston (W 76-69).
3/5/22 vs. Cincinnati (W 86-56).

The Golden Hurricane took care of business this week, stealing the 3rd seed away from both UConn and Houston and will get a bye in the American Tournament, opening up in the Quarterfinals against the winner of (11) Temple/(6) ECU.

#17 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 23-7, 13-5 T-4th ACC.

3/5/22 vs. N.C. State (W 96-87).

Just 1 game this week for the Blue Devils who pick up a big win. They lost out on both the #4 seed and a double bye with their tough finish, but they'll still be the 5th seed in the ACC Tournament and get a single bye into the Second Round, where they'll await the winner of a First Round game between (13) N.C. State and (12) Virginia Tech.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 15-14, 9-9 T-4th Big 12.

2/28/22 at West Virginia (L 82-51).
3/5/22 at Texas Tech (W 80-54).

A road split for the Horned Frogs, and a pair of blowouts. They will be the 4th seed in the Big 12 Tournament and take on (5) Kansas State in the Quarterfinals.

#18 Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 21-8, 13-5 2nd Big Ten.

3/2/22 vs. Illinois (L 68-67).
3/5/22 vs. #1 Wisconsin (L 76-73).

A pair of agonizing defeats at home for the Spartans, who battled in both games against tough competition. They were already locked into the 2nd seed in the Big Ten Tournament, and they'll get a single bye into the Quarterfinals and take on the winner of a Second Round game between (10) Maryland and (7) Indiana.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 17-13, 9-9 T-6th Big Ten.

3/2/22 at Penn State (L 97-74).
3/5/22 vs. Indiana (W 79-72).

A split for the Wildcats, who have some work to do, and not an easy draw. They drew the shortest straw in the 3 team tiebreaker for 6th, and will fall all the way to the 8th seed in the Big Ten Tournament. They'll open up against (9) Ohio State in the Second Round.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 17-12, 8-8 5th Big West.

3/5/22 vs. Long Beach State (L 77-72).

A gallant effort, but the Warriors fell short in a single game this week, narrowly losing against the conference winner. They'll be the 5th seed in the Big West Tournament, opening up in the Quarterfinals against (4) UC Santa Barbara. Remember, in the Big West Tournament (at least in FBCB, don't know if it's the same way in real life), the semifinal teams are reseeded.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 16-13, 8-10 T-7th Conference USA.

3/3/22 at Louisiana Tech (W 79-59).
3/5/22 at FIU (L 94-93, OT).

1 point, 1 lousy point is all that separated the Owls from raising their seed in the conference tournament. Instead, they come in 3rd out of a 4 team tiebreaker for 7th and will be the 9th seed in the Conference USA Tournament, opening up in the Quarterfinals against (8) Charlotte. On a bright note, the win at Louisiana Tech was career win #100 for Coach Shocker.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 21-9, 13-5 T-2nd Pac 12.

3/3/22 vs. #20 Arizona (L 71-69).
3/5/22 at California (W 84-82, OT).

Tough week for the Buffaloes. They narrowly defeated Cal in OT, but before that, lost a heartbreaking buzzer beater to Arizona, who ended up winning the Pac 12 regular season title. Still a great season for Coach Nielsen, as he and Colorado will be the 2nd seed in the Pac 12 Tournament, getting a bye into the Quarterfinals and taking on the winner of a First Round game between (10) Oregon and (7) Washington.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 20-8, 13-5 T-2nd Pac 12.

3/3/22 at Arizona State (W 60-52).
3/5/22 at Oregon (L 55-45).

A split for the Cardinal, who missed a chance to share the Pac 12 regular season title, maybe even win it outright, as they dropped their regular season finale to Oregon. Instead of a possible 1 or 2 seed, they'll still be a respectable 3rd seed in the Pac 12 Tournament, getting a bye into the Quarterfinals and taking on the First Round winner between (11) Utah and (6) Oregon State.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 20-10, 12-6 4th Pac 12.

3/3/22 vs. Utah (W 68-54).
3/5/22 at Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.

The Bruins split, and also missed a chance for a higher seed after a loss to a suddenly hot Washington State team. They'll be the 4th seed in the Pac 12 Tournament and get a bye into the Quarterfinals, where they'll open up against the winner of a First Round game between (12) Washington State and (5) Gonzaga.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 11-19, 3-15 12th (last) Pac 12.

3/3/22 at Gonzaga (L 97-63).
3/5/22 vs. UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Cougars, who go 3-3 in their last 6 games. Not bad considering they lost their first 12 conference games. They'll obviously be the 12th seed in the Pac 12 Tournament, and will open up in the First Round against (5) Gonzaga, who just beat they by 34 points. Do the Cougs have another upset in them?

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 18-12, 12-6 T-2nd SEC.

3/2/22 vs. #12 Arkansas (L 88-80).
3/5/22 at VCU (L 66-60).

2 damaging losses for the Crimson Tide, who might be fighting for an at-large berth now. They finish in the middle of a 3 way tie for 2nd and will be the 3rd seed in the SEC Tournament. They'll get a double bye into the Quarterfinals and will take on either (14) South Carolina, (11) Florida, or (6) Ole Miss.

#25 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 23-8, 12-6 T-2nd SEC.

3/2/22 at Texas A&M (W 79-57).
3/5/22 at Auburn (W 78-61).

2 dominating road wins for the Wildcats, who finish on a 5 game winning streak. Unfortunately it wasn't enough, as Kentucky misses out on either a share of, or the SEC title outright, for the first time in this dynasty. They win all the tiebreakers for 2nd place though and will be the 2nd seed in the SEC Tournament. They'll get a double bye to the Quarterfinals and open up against the winner of a Second Round game between (10) Texas A&M and (7) Missouri.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 18-12, 12-8 3rd Sun Belt.

3/5/22 at Arkansas State (W 77-69).

1 game for the Trojans this week, but it was a win. Coach Hawkins has led Troy to their best season so far in this dynasty, setting the team record for both the most conference and overall wins in a season. In the quirky Sun Belt Tournament format, they'll get a bye into the Second Round and will take on the winner of a First Round game between (7) Arkansas Little Rock and (6) South Alabama.

Here's a look at the final national top 25 poll before March Madness begins:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wisconsin (72) 31-1 1800 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Wichita State 32-1 1728 2 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Baylor 27-3 1656 3 Big 12 Conference
4. Oklahoma 23-7 1526 4 Big 12 Conference
5. Virginia 24-6 1517 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. San Diego State 26-4 1409 7 Mountain West Conference
7. Texas 24-6 1323 8 Big 12 Conference
8. Florida State 24-6 1319 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. Old Dominion 27-2 1177 10 Conference USA
10. Syracuse 23-7 1143 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Arkansas 24-6 1121 12 Southeastern Conference
12. Notre Dame 24-6 1089 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. St. John's 24-6 894 13 Big East Conference
14. Memphis 25-5 864 14 American Athletic Conference
15. Arizona 24-6 722 20 Pacific-12 Conference
16. Georgetown 21-8 703 19 Big East Conference
17. Duke 23-7 647 17 Atlantic Coast Conference
18. Oakland 25-5 554 16 Horizon League
19. Louisville 22-8 525 15 Atlantic Coast Conference
20. Villanova 22-8 383 21 Big East Conference
21. BYU 24-7 353 23 West Coast Conference
22. Buffalo 22-7 347 24 Mid-American Conference
23. Kentucky 23-8 333 25 Southeastern Conference
24. Michigan State 21-8 76 18 Big Ten Conference
25. Sacred Heart 25-5 76 22 Northeast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
North Carolina 20-10 52 Atlantic Coast Conference
FIU 22-7 21 Conference USA
Vanderbilt 22-9 15 Southeastern Conference
Kansas State 20-10 10 Big 12 Conference
Fresno State 22-9 6 Mountain West Conference
Loyola MD 25-6 6 Patriot League
Florida Gulf Coast 26-7 3 Atlantic Sun Conference
Southern Utah 23-6 2 Big Sky Conference

Duke stays put at 17 while Kentucky moves up 2 spots, and poor Michigan State drops 6 spots. Feels like a bit of a tough drop, especially since they only lost both their games this week by a combined 4 points. Stanford and Colorado both lose their votes.

Now for the final mid-major poll of the season:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (72) 32-1 1800 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. San Diego State 26-4 1723 2 Mountain West Conference
3. Old Dominion 27-2 1660 3 Conference USA
4. Memphis 25-5 1583 4 American Athletic Conference
5. BYU 24-7 1466 6 West Coast Conference
6. Oakland 25-5 1466 5 Horizon League
7. Buffalo 22-7 1387 7 Mid-American Conference
8. FIU 22-7 1264 11 Conference USA
9. Sacred Heart 25-5 1173 8 Northeast Conference
10. Fresno State 22-9 1116 14 Mountain West Conference
11. Loyola MD 25-6 1063 12 Patriot League
12. Florida Gulf Coast 26-7 971 10 Atlantic Sun Conference
13. Richmond 21-9 955 18 Atlantic 10 Conference
14. Massachusetts 22-9 869 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
15. SMU 21-9 855 15 American Athletic Conference
16. Manhattan 23-7 722 13 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
17. Southern Utah 23-6 652 20 Big Sky Conference
18. UNC Wilmington 22-9 538 16 Colonial Athletic Association
19. William & Mary 22-10 529 19 Colonial Athletic Association
20. Saint Joseph's 20-10 420 24 Atlantic 10 Conference
21. Rider 23-9 302 NR Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
22. UNLV 18-12 217 17 Mountain West Conference
23. Boise State 17-12 186 22 Mountain West Conference
24. Green Bay 20-12 159 NR Horizon League
25. Harvard 20-9 105 NR Ivy League

Others Receiving Votes:
New Mexico 18-12 45 Mountain West Conference
Alabama A&M 21-8 38 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Indiana State 19-12 38 Missouri Valley Conference
Portland 20-11 23 West Coast Conference
Davidson 18-12 19 Atlantic 10 Conference
George Washington 18-12 15 Atlantic 10 Conference
Belmont 20-11 11 Ohio Valley Conference
Long Beach State 19-10 9 Big West Conference
Texas A&M Corpus Christi 20-9 9 Southland Conference
Mercer 21-11 6 Southern Conference
Rhode Island 16-12 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
Bowling Green 19-11 1 Mid-American Conference
Wagner 21-9 1 Northeast Conference

As expected, none of our FOFC teams are in the mix.

Here's a look at the final edition of this seasons Bubble Watch, starting with the Overall Bubble Watch in which none of our teams are involved:

OVERALL BUBBLE WATCH

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNLV 18-12 .578 (27) 3-4 5-2 7-5 3-1 12 In
Iowa 18-12 .562 (42) 3-9 3-1 8-1 4-1 26 In
Mississippi 18-12 .552 (56) 4-7 1-3 7-1 6-1 55 In
Penn State 18-12 .565 (40) 4-6 2-1 7-3 5-2 30 In
George Washington 18-12 .552 (57) 3-4 4-1 2-7 9-0 75 In
New Mexico 18-12 .558 (46) 1-4 6-3 8-5 3-0 53 In
Indiana State 19-12 .566 (39) 0-4 3-3 9-3 7-2 47 In
VCU 20-10 .542 (72) 4-5 1-4 6-1 9-0 145 In
SMU 21-9 .539 (76) 1-2 6-5 6-0 8-2 189 Out
UAB 17-11 .543 (69) 1-4 1-3 5-3 10-1 100 Out
Colgate 19-11 .543 (70) 0-3 5-0 5-3 9-5 147 Out
Houston 18-11 .539 (77) 2-2 4-5 1-1 11-3 126 Out
Utah State 18-12 .540 (75) 3-6 2-2 5-3 8-1 114 Out
Davidson 18-12 .539 (78) 1-3 4-4 4-3 9-2 117 Out
Portland 20-11 .524 (107) 2-0 0-3 6-7 12-1 223 Out

And a final look at what our 17 FOFC teams are predicted to do:

Locks: Duke, Michigan State, Stanford, Colorado, Kentucky
In: UCLA, Alabama

A few changes, as Colorado goes back to the lock line, they were on the in line last week. And UCLA and Alabama both go from the lock line to the in line, which means while they aren't on the bubble, they still have some work to do.

[collegesportsfanms]

March 7-13, 2022

1 feature game during the conference tournaments, and it came in the AAC.

3/11/22- American Quarterfinals - (6) ECU (Al Hutt) vs. (3) Tulsa (Will Brown) -- ECU got to the line often in this one, and took full advantage in an otherwise even game. The free throw shooting led them to the AAC semifinals.

Final Score: (6) ECU- 62, (3) Tulsa- 51

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 15-15, 9-7 America East.

The Hawks played their conference tournament last week and will miss the postseason.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 16-15, 11-7 American.

3/11/22- American Quarterfinals vs. (5) Houston (L 57-33).

Not a good finish to the season for the Huskies. They didn't show up against Houston at all. That RPI of 62 might be enough to squeeze them into the NIT, but don't be surprised if they get dropped to the CBI, if even that.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 19-15, 10-8 American.

3/11/22- American Quarterfinals vs. (3) Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.
3/12/22- American Semifinals vs. (2) SMU (L 88-86).

Not a bad performance for the Pirates, who probably got themselves an NIT bid. They sure would have liked to have beaten SMU though.

Will Brown (Tulsa) -- 16-15, 11-7 American.

3/11/22- American Quarterfinals vs. (6) ECU- feature game, highlighted above.

Tough loss for the Golden Hurricane who committed way too many fouls. They are in the same boat as UConn, except their RPI is much lower, so they are probably done for the season.

#17 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 24-8, 13-5 ACC.

3/9/22- ACC Second Round vs. (13) N.C. State (W 70-61).
3/10/22- ACC Quarterfinals vs. (4) #12 Notre Dame (L 87-49).

Ouch! The Blue Devils might as well have not showed up against Notre Dame. An embarrassing performance, but they are NCAA bound. Their seed will probably take a hit with that performance over ND though.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 17-15, 9-9 Big 12.

3/10/22- Big 12 Quarterfinals vs. (5) Kansas State (W 85-67).
3/11/22- Big 12 Semifinals vs. (9) West Virginia (W 73-70).
3/12/22- Big 12 Championship vs. (3) Oklahoma (L 76-67).

Nice run for the Horned Frogs, as their RPI of 18 is more than good enough to warrant an NCAA Tournament bid, but that record will probably keep them out. Top seed in the NIT maybe.

#24 Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 23-9, 13-5 Big Ten.

3/11/22- Big Ten Quarterfinals vs. (10) Maryland (W 69-52).
3/12/22- Big Ten Semifinals vs. (3) Illinois (W 68-63).
3/13/22- Big Ten Championship vs. (4) Iowa (L 78-73).

So close for the Spartans, who are in the midst of their best season in a while. They are NCAA tournament bound.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 17-14, 9-9 Big Ten.

3/10/22- Big Ten Second Round vs. (9) Ohio State (L 68-60).

Tough one for the Wildcats, who really needed a win or 2 in this tournament to feel good about a postseason berth. I think they get left out and we see a new coach there next season.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 17-13, 8-8 Big West.

3/10/22- Big West Quarterfinals vs. (4) UC Santa Barbara (L 84-59).

The Warriors missed a golden opportunity to make some noise, and even though their record is 4 games over .500, their RPI of 165 makes me think their season is over too.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 16-14, 8-10 Conference USA.

3/9/22- Conference USA Second Round vs. (8) Charlotte (L 68-59).

Not the performance the Owls were looking for, and they are another team that will probably be left out of the postseason.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 21-10, 13-5 Pac 12.

3/10/22- Pac 12 Quarterfinals vs. (10) Oregon (L 63-52).

Another embarrassing loss for the Buffaloes. They'll make the NCAA Tournament with 10 losses, but I can't expect their seed to be great. Maybe a 9 or 10.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 22-9, 13-5 Pac 12.

3/10/22- Pac 12 Quarterfinals vs. (6) Oregon State (W 67-48).
3/11/22- Pac 12 Semifinals vs. (10) Oregon (W 63-60).
3/12/22- Pac 12 Championship vs. (1) #15 Arizona (L 75-62).

Nice run for the Cardinal, but they fall just short against an Arizona team that really turned the corner mid-season. Stanford will be in the NCAA Tournament, and their seed should be higher than Colorado's.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 20-11, 12-6 Pac 12.

3/10/22- Pac 12 Quarterfinals vs. (5) Gonzaga (L 79-61).

Tough one for the Bruins, who have really had a disappointing season, not up to their standards. In fact, there's a real question whether they make the NCAA Tournament or not. I say they still do, as a First Four team.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 11-20, 3-15 Pac 12.

3/9/22- Pac 12 First Round vs. (5) Gonzaga (L 85-71).

A better effort for the Cougars, but they still end the season with a whimper, and are obviously going home. We've seen signs of a good team there, but Coach St. John has work to do.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 18-13, 12-6 SEC.

3/11/22- SEC Quarterfinals vs. (6) Ole Miss (L 67-58).

The Crimson Tide really needed a win or 2 to feel good about their NCAA Tournament chances. They should still be in, but possibly in a First Four game.

#23 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 23-9, 12-6 SEC.

3/11/22- SEC Quarterfinals vs. (10) Texas A&M (L 83-76, OT).

The Wildcats will still be dancing, but this is the worst season they've had in the Coach Hutt era. Let's hope they are fired up for NCAA play.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 20-13, 12-8 Sun Belt.

3/11/22- Sun Belt Second Round vs. (6) South Alabama (W 59-54).
3/12/22- Sun Belt Semifinals vs. (2) UL Lafayette (W 86-78).
3/13/22- Sun Belt Championship vs. (1) Northern Kentucky (L 76-68).

Great run for the Trojans, who are in the midst of their best season ever. The only thing that would top it is a postseason berth. Their RPI is still pretty bad at 169, but it would be a damn shame if they don't get a postseason berth with 20 wins.

And now it's time for what we've all been waiting for, Selection Sunday.

[collegesportsfanms]

2022 Selection Sunday

Stanford got the 8th seed in the NCAA Midwest Region and will take on 9th seed BYU.

Michigan State got the 6th seed in the NCAA Midwest Region and will take on another FOFC team, 11th seed Colorado.

Duke got the 4th seed in the NCAA East Region, and will open up against 13th seed Mercer.

Kentucky got the 5th seed in the NCAA East Region and will open up against the winner of a First Four game between Purdue and Davidson.

Alabama got the top seed in the NIT Midwest Region and will open up by hosting the winner of a First Round game between 9th seed Utah State and 8th seed UL Lafayette.

UCLA gets the top seed in the NIT South Region and will open up by hosting the winner of a First Round game between 9th seed Miami and 8th seed McNeese State.

It's official! Troy makes their first ever postseason berth (at least in this dynasty) by getting the 7th seed in the NIT East Region. They'll host a First Round game against 10th seed Charleston Southern, with the winner travelling to 2nd seed UNC Wilmington.

ECU gets the 2nd seed in the CBI and will open up by hosting another FOFC team, 15th seed Northwestern.

Hawaii gets the 14th seed in the CBI and will open up by travelling to 3rd seed Eastern Illinois.

Rice gets the 9th seed in the CIT and will open up by travelling to 8th seed UMBC.

12 of the 17 FOFC teams make the postseason, gotta be a record.

[Breeze]

Woo Hoo in the NIT...that's a big step forward for Troy.

[Coffee Warlord]

Sad tourney performance, but we'll crush Michigan State.

[vex]

When it comes time, I would like to look at potential coaching destinations for Will Brown.

[thealmighty]

17 wins and 18 RPI doesn't warrant a bid to even a crap post season tourney? Have to be better than some that got in!!

[collegesportsfanms]

Woo Hoo in the NIT...that's a big step forward for Troy.

Yep, I told ya! Patience. Hopefully this will be the start of a nice postseason streak.

[collegesportsfanms]

Sad tourney performance, but we'll crush Michigan State.

Them's fighting words from Coach Nielsen. Does Coach Mighty have a response?

[collegesportsfanms]

When it comes time, I would like to look at potential coaching destinations for Will Brown.

Can do, I'll be at that point sometime this week.

[collegesportsfanms]

17 wins and 18 RPI doesn't warrant a bid to even a crap post season tourney? Have to be better than some that got in!!

Yea, that was a little ironic to me. I mean they are in a power 5 conference, so I expected them to be at least in the NIT.

[thealmighty]

Them's fighting words from Coach Nielsen. Does Coach Mighty have a response?

Unfortunately, Coach Al never has any idea which Sparty team will decide to make an appearance.

[collegesportsfanms]

2022 Postseason

With 12 FOFC teams in the tournament, and 2 feature games already guaranteed, the question is would there be anymore. The answer is yes, we have 3 total:

3/16/22- CBI First Round -- (15) Northwestern (Ess Vee) @ (2) ECU (Al Hutt) -- ECU led by 7 at halftime, but Northwestern dominated the second half, outscoring the Pirates by 15 points to pick up the road victory and advance.

Final Score: (15) Northwestern- 80, (2) ECU- 72

3/18/22- NCAA Midwest Region First Round -- (11) Colorado (Rob Nielsen vs. (6) Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- Coach Mighty said in the pregame that he didn't know which Spartan team would show up, and unfortunately it wasn't the one that needed to. Offensively both teams were fine, but defensively, Michigan State couldn't stop anybody, allowing Colorado to shoot 60.3% from the floor and 72.2% from three point land. All this led to a Colorado win.

Final Score: (11) Colorado- 89, (6) Michigan State- 81

3/19/22- NCAA East Region Second Round -- (5) Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) vs. (4) Duke (Dean Hoo) -- For the second straight year, the Blue Devils and Wildcats resumed their rivalry in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. This time it was Kentucky getting the victory, albeit much closer than last years Duke victory. Despite shooting just 36.5% from the field, Kentucky only turned the ball over 8 times and made 10 three pointers to get the narrow win, and revenge for last season.

Final Score: (5) Kentucky- 84, (4) Duke- 79

Now for the rest of the postseason recap:

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 19-16, 10-8 American.

3/16/22- CBI First Round vs. (15) Northwestern- feature game, highlighted above.

It wasn't the end that the Pirates wanted, but 2 straight postseason appearances have the ECU brass ready to offer Coach Hutt a contract extension (contract extensions aren't in the game really, but in real life, the turnaround Al Hutt has gotten for ECU would probably really net one).

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 25-9, 13-5 ACC.

3/17/22- NCAA East Region First Round vs. (13) Mercer (W 81-47).
3/19/22- NCAA East Region Second Round vs. (5) Kentucky- feature game, highlighted above.

The Blue Devils will probably pay off the committee if it means not playing Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament next year, or anytime in the future. But.. there needs to be a rubber match as to my knowledge, they are 1-1 against each other in this dynasty.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 23-10, 13-5 Big Ten.

3/18/22- NCAA Midwest Region First Round vs. (11) Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.

As mentioned above, Coach Mighty wasn't feeling good about his team coming into the postseason. Still a disappointing season overall for a team that has so much potential and is expected to do better.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 19-15, 9-9 Big Ten.

3/16/22- CBI First Round at (2) ECU- feature game, highlighted above.
3/21/22- CBI Quarterfinals at (7) Oklahoma State (W 83-81).
3/23/22- CBI Semifinals at (11) Colorado State (L 93-82).

The Wildcats might have just saved Coach Vee's job, at least for another season. Not only did they make a postseason tournament, which was what the board wanted, but they also went ahead and won a couple games before running out of steam against Colorado State.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 18-14, 8-8 Big West.

3/15/22- CBI First Round at (3) Eastern Illinois (W 68-47).
3/21/22- CBI Quarterfinals at (11) Colorado State (L 74-65).

So Colorado State took out both our FOFC teams playing in the CBI. The Warriors made their first postseason in 4 years, and while Coach Gunn wasn't quite on the hot seat this season, he didn't meet the boards expectations of a conference championship. firecoachgunn.com took a poll, and it is 50/50 as to whether he should be on the Hawaii sidelines next season.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 17-15, 8-10 Conference USA.

3/16/22- CIT First Round at (8) UMBC (W 80-79, OT).
3/21/22- CIT Quarterfinals at (1) Lehigh (L 99-90).

The Owls also won a game in their first postseason appearance in 4 years, even though they needed overtime to do it. If they could have played some defense at Lehigh, who knows what would have happened.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 22-11, 13-5 Pac 12.

3/18/22- NCAA Midwest Region First Round vs. (6) Michigan State- feature game, highlighted above.
3/20/22- NCAA Midwest Region Second Round vs. (3) Memphis (L 69-68).

Heartbreak for the Buffaloes, who were just 1 lousy basket away from a Sweet Sixteen appearance. Not bad for a team that missed the postseason the last 5 years.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 22-10, 13-5 Pac 12.

3/17/22- NCAA Midwest Region First Round vs. (9) BYU (L 64-59).

One and done for the Cardinal, who were also making it back to the postseason for the first time in 3 years (are we noticing a trend here?)

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 24-12, 12-6 Pac 12.

3/17/22- NIT South Region Second Round vs. (8) McNeese State (W 99-76).
3/20/22- NIT South Region Semifinal vs. (4) Manhattan (W 80-71).
3/25/22- NIT South Region Championship vs. (3) St. Joseph's (W 73-56).
3/29/22- NIT Final Four vs. (4MW) Portland (W 65-44).
3/31/22- NIT Championship vs. (2W) New Mexico (L 63-43).

The Bruins fall short in their quest for their 2nd NIT Title since this dynasty started, and would have been their 2nd in 3 years. However, for the 2nd straight season, they get blown out in a championship game (last year NCAA Championship) but they have a nice streak going on: 3 straight years playing in a postseason championship game. Also, the win over Portland in the NIT Final Four was career win #200 for Coach Shepard. Much congrats to him.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 18-14, 12-6 SEC.

3/16/22- NIT Midwest Region Second Round vs. (9) Utah State (L 86-83, OT).

Not exactly the postseason performance the Crimson Tide wanted, especially since they blew a halftime lead. A nice turnaround from missing the postseason last year though.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 27-10, 12-6 SEC.

3/17/22- NCAA East Region First Round vs. (12) Davidson (W 71-61).
3/19/22- NCAA East Region Second Round vs. (4) Duke- feature game, highlighted above.
3/25/22- NCAA East Region Semifinal vs. (1) San Diego State (W 70-68).
3/27/22- NCAA East Region Championship vs. (3) Arkansas (W 90-67).
4/2/22- NCAA Final Four vs. (3MW) Memphis (L 94-76).

The Wildcats finally got back to the Final Four, although they are still looking for their first National Championship in this dynasty. Still though, they got revenge against Duke and Arkansas both, and beat a #1 seed on their way to the Final Four. Not bad, but the expectations will continue to be high.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 21-14, 12-8 Sun Belt.

3/15/22- NIT East Region First Round vs. (10) Charleston Southern (W 81-77).
3/17/22- NIT East Region Second Round at (2) UNC Wilmington (L 67-55).

The first ever postseason game in this dynasty for the Trojans led to a win, a big monkey off coach Hawkins' back. Unfortunately, that's as far as it went, but the future is bright for more postseason returns.

And that concludes the 2022 postseason recap. 3 of our 12 teams made it to the Final Four of their respective tournaments (Northwestern- CBI, UCLA- NIT, Kentucky- NCAA) but there were a couple teams that lost their first game. Overall, not a bad performance, and definitely the best as far as # of FOFC teams that made the postseason.

Tomorrow I'll have the postseason recap and get into awards and recruiting rankings.

[collegesportsfanms]

A huge apology to Coach Bee Mighty of TCU, an oversight on my part, as he got career win #100 in the Big 12 Semifinal win over West Virginia. And yes, I still say the Horned Frogs were snubbed this season.

[rjolley]

Congrats to Coach Sanchez for making it to the Big Dance. Next time, let's hope they stay longer.

Congrats to Coach Shepard for making it to another postseason championship game, but it's concerning that he can't get the team ready to play in the big game.

Congrats to all of the FOFC coaches for their great seasons.

[Coffee Warlord]

Tough loss, but can't complain on the season as a whole.

[law90026]

Well that was a disappointing loss to an inferior team.

[collegesportsfanms]

2022 Postseason Recap

We know that Kentucky lost to Memphis in one NCAA National Semifinal, but the other semifinal saw (8S) Iowa beat (5W) Georgetown 66-52. Then, for the 2nd straight season, a #8 seed won the national championship as Iowa beat Memphis 100-81.

We know that UCLA beat Portland in the NIT Final Four and lost to New Mexico
in the NIT Championship. New Mexico beat (4S) George Washington 66-53 in the other NIT Semifinal.

In the CBI Championship Series, it was a quick one, as (9) Cincinnati beat (11) Colorado State in 2 games. The first game saw Cincinnati win 90-80, and the Bearcats won the second game 83-71.

The CIT Championship saw (15) South Alabama beat (1) Lehigh 77-57.

[collegesportsfanms]

2021-2022 National Awards

Michigan State had 1 player on the All-NCAA 1st Team.

Kentucky had the NCAA Freshman of the Year and also had that same player make the NCAA All-Freshman Team. They also had a player on the All-NCAA 3rd Team.

2021-2022 Conference Awards

Hartford had 1 player on the America East 2nd Team.

UConn had 1 player on the America East 2nd Team and 1 player on the America East All-Freshman Team.

ECU had 1 player on the American 2nd Team.

No awards for Tulsa.

Duke had 1 player on the ACC All-Freshman Team.

TCU had 3 players on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. This could bode well for them in the future.

Michigan State had a player on the Big Ten 1st Team and a player on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.

Northwestern had a player on the Big Ten 1st Team.

Hawaii had 1 player on the Big West All-Freshman Team.

Rice had 1 player on the Conference USA 2nd Team.

Colorado head coach Rob Nielsen was named Pac 12 Coach of the Year. Besides that, the Buffs had 1 player on the Pac 12 1st Team, 1 player on the Pac 12 2nd Team, and 1 player on the Pac 12 All-Freshman Team.

Stanford had 2 players on the Pac 12 2nd Team.

UCLA had 3 players on the Pac 12 1st Team and 1 player on the Pac 12 2nd Team.

Washington State had 1 player on the Pac 12 All-Freshman Team.

No awards for Alabama.

Kentucky had the SEC Player of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year. The Wildcats also had 2 players on the SEC 1st Team and 1 player on the SEC All-Freshman Team.

Troy head coach Brett Hawkins was named Sun Belt Coach of the Year. The Trojans also had 2 players on the Sun Belt 2nd Team and 1 player on the Sun Belt All-Freshman Team.

[collegesportsfanms]

2021-2022 Recruiting Class Rankings

Hartford had the 79th best class in the nation, tops in the America East by a wide margin.

UConn had the 175th best class in the nation, good for 9th in the American.

ECU had the 125th best class in the nation, good for 8th in the American.

Tulsa had the 259th best class in the nation, last in the American.

Duke had the 20th best class in the nation, good for just 5th in the ACC.

TCU had the 101st best class in the nation, good for 7th in the Big 12.

Michigan State had the 40th best class in the nation, good for 7th in the Big Ten.

Northwestern had the 29th best class in the nation, good for 6th in the Big Ten.

Hawaii had the 184th best class in the nation, good for 6th in the Big West.

Rice had the 92nd best class in the nation, good for 3rd in Conference USA.

Colorado had the 39th best class in the nation, good for 6th in the Pac 12.

Stanford had the 71st best class in the nation, good for 8th in the Pac 12.

UCLA had the 8th best class in the nation, good for 2nd in the Pac 12, behind who else.. Arizona.

Washington State had the 275th best class in the nation, last in the Pac 12.

Alabama had the 47th best class in the nation, good for 6th in the SEC.

Kentucky had the 30th best class in the nation, good for 5th in the SEC.

Troy had the 307th best class in the nation, good 8th in the Sun Belt. Yikes!

[collegesportsfanms]

OK guys, it's check-in time! We have 17 FOFC coaches, and we have a few users that have multiple coaches. Most of you I've heard from at some point throughout the season, but just give me a quick shout to let me know you're still following.

Also, before I get into the head coach period, are there any other teams that want to do a test and resign and see what job offers they get? I know that Tulsa wanted to run a test, are there any other schools? I'll give it through the weekend and if not, I'll move forward.

[DavidCorperial]

79th best recruiting class in the country for a team from the American East, wow!

[law90026]

20th in the country. Coach Hoo earning his salary

[vex]

Still following and still looking to leave Tulsa.

[Coffee Warlord]

Whoo awards! Nielsen wants a raise!

[Breeze]

that recruiting class...that's the way to build on our strong season

[rjolley]

Way to go with recruiting, coaches.

Can someone lock the Arizona coach in a closet somewhere?

[thealmighty]

I hope that 101st best class was because they had few to offer with noone leaving.

[collegesportsfanms]

A couple coaches I haven't heard from that have been active recently. Neuqua, bbgunn, muns. I'm going to go ahead and run the head coach movement period, but as always, I won't save it, so if you guys decide you want to test the market by resigning and seeing what offers come their way, let me know either today or tomorrow at the latest, otherwise I'll move forward.

The only user that I haven't heard from in a while is Zinto, who hasn't been on the forums in over a month. If I drop his teams, that would eliminate Kentucky and ECU, and I almost hate to do that because well.. Kentucky is Kentucky, and ECU is on the rise. But, we did kind of discuss it earlier and we decided that it wasn't really fair to keep coaches active if their users hadn't checked in or even been on the forums for over a month. So I want your guys opinion on that. Remove his coaches for now, or keep them in?

I'll run the head coach movement later today.

[bbgunn]

I thought I posted this yesterday, but...
Keep my guys at the same schools for now. Let's see what happens.

[muns]

I am still around. Just keep forgetting to check back here. Rice get any offers?

[collegesportsfanms]

Some news and notes:

As Zinto hasn't been on the boards in almost 6 weeks, I've made the decision to make his coaches inactive and remove Al Hutt and Patrick Hutt as FOFC coaches. So that means we have 15 active coaches for the upcoming season. If Zinto or any of the other users come back and want their teams back, no big deal, just let me know.

Job Offers

First we take a look at the coaches that got job offers while still with their current teams, and there were 7 of our coaches that did. I'm going to run through these quickly and if you want any info on any of the teams, let me know.

Benito Sanchez (Stanford) is getting courted by Missouri.

Rob Nielsen (Colorado) is also getting courted by Missouri.

Bee Mighty (TCU) also got an offer from Missouri

Dean Hoo (Duke) is getting offers from N.C. State, Oklahoma St., West Virginia, Florida State, Louisville, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri.

Al Mighty (Michigan State) is getting offers from N.C. State, West Virginia, Florida State, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma.

Tim Shepard (UCLA) is getting offers from Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Florida State, Louisville, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and what might be the most tempting offer, Arizona. This might be a case of "If you can't beat em, join em" for Coach Shepard.

Brett Hawkins (Troy) is definitely a coach that has garnered a lot of attention over the past couple seasons. He got lots of offers: Morehead State, Belmont, FIU, Georgia State, Mercer, Niagara, UAB, Colgate, Eastern Michigan, Lehigh, Manhattan, Ohio, Stephen F. Austin, Fordham, IFPW, Loyola Chicago, Rhode Island, UMass, Kent State, Southern Illinois, and Oakland. Some pretty good mid-major schools in there, Coach Hawkins might have the toughest decision to make.

Now, 2 of our coaches wanted to test the waters by temporarily resigning from their schools and see what offers came their way. We'll start with:

Will Brown (Tulsa), who if he resigns, would get offers from North Dakota, Texas Southern, and Sam Houston State.

Randolph Childress (UConn) would get the exact same offers.

So the moral of the story is if you resign or get fired, expect to only get offers from crappy teams with low prestige, unless you get lucky.

9 of our 15 coaches have decisions to make, so I'll put this on hold until then.

[collegesportsfanms]

I am still around. Just keep forgetting to check back here. Rice get any offers?

Nope, no offers for Rice

[rjolley]

Talked to Coach Shepard. While the Arizona interest is appreciated, he's a Bruin for as long as they'll have him.

Coach Sanchez, on the other hand, is not interested in Missouri and will stay put.

[Coffee Warlord]

Coach Nielsen will never leave Colorado.

[law90026]

Coach Hoo isn't done at Duke yet.

[vex]

Sigh, Will Brown will stay at Tulsa for yet another mediocre year

[ntndeacon]

Childress will stay put

[thealmighty]

Al is tempted by the OU offer. Getting to play against brother Bee at least twice every year could go a long way in settling the sibling rivalry- if not the "Mom liked you best" argument.

However, Al will stay put for now, as will Bee.

[Neuqua]

Sorry I've been on vacation. Coach Vee will continue until he gets let go.

[collegesportsfanms]

Got a couple more coaches I'm waiting to hear from before I start the next season, which honestly won't happen until next week anyways, as the rest of this week will be combined with school finals and business out of town. Look for something next week though.

[collegesportsfanms]

I want to apologize for my lack of activity in this dynasty, let's just say real life hit me hard. Personal stuff, school, work, and coaching a baseball team have all caught up with me and I needed a break, so my free time the last few weeks have pretty much been spent either sleeping, or in front of the tv.

I am hoping to get back to this report this weekend, but if not, then for sure next week. Be patient, and I apologize again.

[rjolley]

No need to apologize. Hope things improve for you.

[law90026]

Don't worry about it, update when you can!

[collegesportsfanms]

I'm baaaackkk!

Again, I sincerely apologize for the lack of posts in the last few weeks, but expect to see a post regularly from now on.

1 coaching change, as Brett Hawkins has decided to take advantage of a couple good seasons at Troy and take the step up to Conference USA, as he'll take over FIU.

[collegesportsfanms]

2022-2023 Hot Seat Ratings and Coach Goals

Coaches on a Warm Seat

Al Mighty (Michigan State) -- The Spartans can take some satisfaction in knowing they made the NCAA Tournament again last season, but it's not enough for the board. With the recruiting classes they've had, the board expects Michigan State in the Final Four this season, no excuses. If it doesn't happen, Coach Mighty will probably find himself on the hot seat next season.

B.B. Gunn (Hawaii) -- A win in the CBI wasn't enough to cool off Coach Gunn's seat. A lot of it comes from performances in the Big West. The board has not backed down off their stance of wanting Hawaii to win the Big West championship, and until they do, or at least finish in the top 2, Coach Gunn can expect his seat to stay warm.

Coaches on an Average Seat

Randolph Childress (UConn) -- It definitely hasn't been rosy for Coach Childress since he moved to UConn. This will be his 3rd season with the Huskies and he has a sub-.500 record in his first 2 seasons. While he isn't worried about job security yet, the board has made it clear they still expect him to lead the Huskies to an AAC championship.

Will Brown (Tulsa) -- 2 seasons in a row missing the postseason haven't made the board very happy. Coach Brown is also safe for now, but the board has made it clear: get into any postseason tournament this season, or things may get a little warmer.

Bee Mighty (TCU) -- Last season was a bit of a drop off for TCU as they missed the postseason. The board knows the struggles TCU has in the Big 12, and how tough it is, but they still think the Horned Frogs can do enough to make the postseason, even if it is the CBI or CIT.

Ess Vee (Northwestern) -- A remarkable turnaround for Northwestern, as Coach Vee led them to their best season since his first season at the helm. It was badly needed too, as Coach Vee's seat has cooled significantly. The board wants the Wildcats to become a postseason regular though, as that is the goal for this season, make it back to the CIT or CBI, or NIT. Or even, god willing, the NCAA Tournament.

Brett Hawkins (FIU) -- After getting his first 20 win season as a coach, Brett Hawkins has moved to greener pastures. He'll get somewhat of a grace period in his first season here, but the board has still let Coach Hawkins know they think the Golden Panthers are good enough to play in the NCAA Tournament, and first year or not, they'd like Coach Hawkins to get them there.

Charlie Shocker (Rice) -- The Owls made the postseason for the first time in 4 seasons last season, and Coach Shocker wants to continue the trend. The board just wants a .500 overall finish, but the fans want more.

Rob Nielsen (Colorado) -- A 21 win season and making it to the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament last season is exactly what the fans have been looking for. The board is good with that too, as Coach Nielsen's seat has cooled. The board still wants the Buffaloes to compete for the Pac 12 Championship though.

Benito Sanchez (Stanford) -- Another 20 win season last season for the Cardinal, and Stanford's board is a bit more lenient. They just want Coach Sanchez and Stanford to compete for the Pac 12 title.

DeShawn St. John (Washington State) -- As if they haven't had enough to play for, now the Cougars can add something else to the list. They are the only active human coached team since this dynasty started to not have a 20 win season. Fortunately, the board doesn't care about 20 win seasons, all they want is seeing Washington State out of the Pac 12 cellar once the regular season is over, something that has been the goal for many years now and will probably continue to be.

Roy Rogers (Alabama) -- The Crimson Tide got back in the postseason last season after missing it the season before. That isn't enough. The board is pretty specific on wanting Alabama back into the NCAA Tournament. If it doesn't happen, that seat that Coach Rogers is sitting in may start to heat up.

Coaches on a Cool Seat

David Ginsberg (Hartford) -- Despite only finishing .500 overall last season, the Hawks had a winning conference record, and that seems to be what the Hartford board is looking for. It's the same this season, .500 or better in the America East.

Dean Hoo (Duke) -- While the Blue Devils had an earlier than expected exit in the NCAA Tournament last season, the fact is they have been there 2 straight seasons, that coming after a season 3 years ago in which they barely won 20 games. Still, the board isn't wavering, they expect the Blue Devils back in the Final Four this season.

Tim Shepard (UCLA) -- Despite the fact that the Bruins have been in the NIT 2 of the last 3 years, the fact that they've won an NIT Title and finished runner-up in both the NIT and NCAA Tournament once in the last 3 years is enough for Coach Shepard's seat to stay cool. The Bruins actually had the least overall wins in a season last season since this dynasty started, but that doesn't matter to the board. They just want UCLA back in the Final Four.. the NCAA Final Four.

[collegesportsfanms]

Team Prestiges to Start the 2022-2023 Season

Hartford- 28 (-1)
UConn- 72 (-1)
Tulsa- 62 (No Change)
Duke- 86 (No Change)
TCU- 67 (+2)
Michigan State- 85 (+1)
Northwestern- 61 (+2)
Hawaii- 47 (-1)
FIU- 47 (Coaching Change)
Rice- 38 (+1)
Colorado- 75 (+4)
Stanford- 85 (+2)
UCLA- 97 (-1) With a prestige that high, anything less than a good performance in the NCAA Tournament is likely to lower it.
Washington State- 53 (-1)
Alabama- 78 (+1)