FBCB Interactive Coaches Dynasty- part 2

[collegesportsfanms]

2022 Season Tournaments

UConn will be the 5th seed in the 2022 Battle 4 Atlantis and open up the tournament against 4th seeded Buffalo.

Duke will be the 2nd seed in the 2022 Diamond Head Classic and open up against 7th seed Tulsa.

Stanford will be the 3rd seed in the 2022 Diamond Head Classic and will open up against 6th seed Butler.

Michigan State will be the top seed in the 2022 Great Alaska Shootout and will open up against 8th seed Cal State Northridge.

Alabama will be the 2nd seed in the 2022 Great Alaska Shootout and will open up against 7th seed ECU, which is recently removed as an active human coached team.

UCLA will be the top seed in the 2022 Hall of Fame Tip-Off and will open up against 8th seed Ohio.

TCU will be the 3rd seed in the 2022 Hall of Fame Tip-Off and will open up against 6th seed San Diego.

FIU will be the 10th seed in the 16 team 2022 Las Vegas Classic and will open up against 7th seed South Florida.

Northwestern will be the top seed in the 4 team 2022 Las Vegas Holiday Classic and will open up against 4th seed Western Carolina.

Rice will be the 3rd seed in the 4 team 2022 Little Rock Regional and will open up against 2nd seed Ball State.

Colorado will be the top seed in the 2022 Maui Invitational and will open up against 8th seed American.

Hawaii will be the 2nd seed in the 4 team 2022 Meadowlands Regional and will open up against 3rd seed Sam Houston State.

Washington State will be the top seed in the 4 team 2022 Michigan Tournament and will open up against 4th seed UNC Greensboro.

Hartford will be the 3rd seed in the 4 team 2022 Sun Bowl Classic and will open up against 2nd seed VMI.

[Coffee Warlord]

Whoo, free trip to Maui!

[ntndeacon]

One to the Bahamas and one to Alaska! so on the whole moderate temps. :)

[collegesportsfanms]

2022-2023 Preseason Top 25

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Georgetown (50) 0-0 1766 12 Big East Conference
2. Notre Dame (8) 0-0 1687 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Wisconsin (1) 0-0 1657 1 Big Ten Conference
4. North Carolina (9) 0-0 1565 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
5. Syracuse (3) 0-0 1562 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Ohio State 0-0 1417 NR Big Ten Conference
7. Iowa State 0-0 1368 NR Big 12 Conference
8. Texas A&M 0-0 1249 NR Southeastern Conference
9. VCU 0-0 1153 NR Southeastern Conference
10. Iowa 0-0 1152 NR Big Ten Conference
11. Arkansas 0-0 1031 11 Southeastern Conference
12. Louisville 0-0 977 20 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. Arizona (1) 0-0 855 14 Pacific-12 Conference
14. Providence 0-0 742 NR Big East Conference
15. Oklahoma 0-0 657 5 Big 12 Conference
16. Virginia 0-0 624 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
17. Alabama 0-0 502 NR Southeastern Conference
18. California 0-0 440 NR Pacific-12 Conference
19. Florida State 0-0 424 15 Atlantic Coast Conference
20. Miami 0-0 315 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
21. Xavier 0-0 215 NR Big East Conference
22. Vanderbilt 0-0 206 NR Southeastern Conference
23. Kentucky 0-0 193 23 Southeastern Conference
24. LSU 0-0 186 NR Southeastern Conference
25. West Virginia 0-0 132 NR Big 12 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Creighton 0-0 110 Big East Conference
St. John's 0-0 110 Big East Conference
BYU 0-0 107 West Coast Conference
Boise State 0-0 106 Mountain West Conference
Villanova 0-0 79 Big East Conference
Gonzaga 0-0 78 Pacific-12 Conference
Indiana 0-0 66 Big Ten Conference
Davidson 0-0 64 Atlantic 10 Conference
San Diego State 0-0 64 Mountain West Conference
Buffalo 0-0 54 Mid-American Conference
Maryland 0-0 53 Big Ten Conference
Purdue 0-0 47 Big Ten Conference
UCLA 0-0 21 Pacific-12 Conference
Illinois 0-0 19 Big Ten Conference
Wake Forest 0-0 19 Atlantic Coast Conference
Washington 0-0 19 Pacific-12 Conference
St. Bonaventure 0-0 18 Atlantic 10 Conference
Pittsburgh 0-0 17 Atlantic Coast Conference
Connecticut 0-0 12 American Athletic Conference
Northwestern 0-0 12 Big Ten Conference
Stanford 0-0 12 Pacific-12 Conference
Illinois State 0-0 11 Missouri Valley Conference
Marquette 0-0 11 Big East Conference
Oregon 0-0 11 Pacific-12 Conference
Seton Hall 0-0 11 Big East Conference
Colorado 0-0 10 Pacific-12 Conference
Columbia 0-0 10 Ivy League
DePaul 0-0 10 Big East Conference
Baylor 0-0 9 Big 12 Conference
Oklahoma State 0-0 9 Big 12 Conference
Fordham 0-0 8 Atlantic 10 Conference
Green Bay 0-0 8 Horizon League
Loyola Chicago 0-0 8 Missouri Valley Conference
Manhattan 0-0 8 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Duke 0-0 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
George Washington 0-0 7 Atlantic 10 Conference
Hofstra 0-0 7 Colonial Athletic Association
Southern Illinois 0-0 7 Missouri Valley Conference
Harvard 0-0 6 Ivy League
Northern Illinois 0-0 6 Mid-American Conference
Tulsa 0-0 6 American Athletic Conference
Arizona State 0-0 5 Pacific-12 Conference
Bradley 0-0 5 Missouri Valley Conference
Michigan State 0-0 5 Big Ten Conference
Niagara 0-0 5 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Oregon State 0-0 5 Pacific-12 Conference
Rhode Island 0-0 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
Illinois Chicago 0-0 4 Horizon League
Oral Roberts 0-0 4 Summit League
Wichita State 0-0 4 Missouri Valley Conference
Eastern Illinois 0-0 3 Ohio Valley Conference
Kansas 0-0 3 Big 12 Conference
Milwaukee 0-0 3 Horizon League
New Mexico 0-0 3 Mountain West Conference
North Carolina State 0-0 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
Penn State 0-0 2 Big Ten Conference
Texas 0-0 2 Big 12 Conference
Utah 0-0 2 Pacific-12 Conference
Canisius 0-0 1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Florida 0-0 1 Southeastern Conference
Fresno State 0-0 1 Mountain West Conference
Memphis 0-0 1 American Athletic Conference
Minnesota 0-0 1 Big Ten Conference
SIU Edwardsville 0-0 1 Ohio Valley Conference

[collegesportsfanms]

2022-2023 Preseason Mid Major Top 25

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Davidson (27) 0-0 1469 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
2. BYU (19) 0-0 1427 5 West Coast Conference
3. Boise State (9) 0-0 1371 25 Mountain West Conference
4. San Diego State (2) 0-0 1117 2 Mountain West Conference
5. Wichita State (2) 0-0 698 1 Missouri Valley Conference
6. Buffalo (9) 0-0 659 7 Mid-American Conference
7. Memphis 0-0 610 3 American Athletic Conference
8. SMU 0-0 599 11 American Athletic Conference
9. Cincinnati 0-0 556 NR American Athletic Conference
10. Richmond 0-0 498 13 Atlantic 10 Conference
11. Illinois State (1) 0-0 487 NR Missouri Valley Conference
12. Connecticut 0-0 458 NR American Athletic Conference
13. Fresno State 0-0 412 9 Mountain West Conference
14. New Mexico 0-0 410 NR Mountain West Conference
15. Kent State 0-0 390 NR Mid-American Conference
16. George Washington 0-0 373 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
17. Rhode Island 0-0 343 23 Atlantic 10 Conference
18. Saint Mary's 0-0 340 NR West Coast Conference
19. Akron 0-0 338 NR Mid-American Conference
20. Evansville 0-0 308 NR Missouri Valley Conference
21. Indiana State 0-0 280 NR Missouri Valley Conference
22. Pepperdine 0-0 275 NR West Coast Conference
23. St. Bonaventure 0-0 251 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
24. Harvard 0-0 247 NR Ivy League
25. Eastern Michigan 0-0 224 NR Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
UAB 0-0 211 Conference USA
South Florida 0-0 205 American Athletic Conference
Saint Joseph's 0-0 199 Atlantic 10 Conference
Western Michigan 0-0 196 Mid-American Conference
San Diego 0-0 194 West Coast Conference
Portland 0-0 192 West Coast Conference
Georgia State 0-0 191 Horizon League
UC Irvine 0-0 189 Big West Conference
La Salle 0-0 185 Atlantic 10 Conference
Louisiana Tech 0-0 184 Conference USA
Massachusetts 0-0 180 Atlantic 10 Conference
Utah State 0-0 179 Mountain West Conference
Santa Clara 0-0 177 West Coast Conference
Middle Tennessee 0-0 176 Conference USA
Dayton 0-0 170 Atlantic 10 Conference
William & Mary 0-0 168 Colonial Athletic Association
East Carolina 0-0 160 American Athletic Conference
Temple 0-0 156 American Athletic Conference
Northern Iowa 0-0 153 Missouri Valley Conference
Columbia 0-0 151 Ivy League
UNLV 0-0 150 Mountain West Conference
UC Santa Barbara 0-0 148 Big West Conference
Toledo 0-0 142 Mid-American Conference
Fordham 0-0 141 Atlantic 10 Conference
Colorado State 0-0 138 Mountain West Conference
Old Dominion 0-0 133 Conference USA
USC 0-0 132 West Coast Conference
Duquesne 0-0 125 Atlantic 10 Conference
Hofstra 0-0 124 Colonial Athletic Association
Northeastern 0-0 123 Colonial Athletic Association
Tulsa 0-0 121 American Athletic Conference
Manhattan 0-0 112 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Mississippi State 0-0 109 Atlantic 10 Conference
Mercer 0-0 107 Southern Conference
Tulane 0-0 103 American Athletic Conference
Yale 0-0 103 Ivy League
Belmont 0-0 101 Ohio Valley Conference
Oakland 0-0 101 Horizon League
Pacific 0-0 99 West Coast Conference
Green Bay 0-0 96 Horizon League
Princeton 0-0 96 Ivy League
Wyoming 0-0 95 Mountain West Conference
Long Beach State 0-0 91 Big West Conference
Bowling Green 0-0 89 Mid-American Conference
Lehigh 0-0 89 Patriot League
Loyola Chicago 0-0 85 Missouri Valley Conference
San Francisco 0-0 85 West Coast Conference
FIU 0-0 79 Conference USA
Elon 0-0 74 Colonial Athletic Association
Air Force 0-0 73 Mountain West Conference
Niagara 0-0 73 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
UTEP 0-0 73 Conference USA
UCF 0-0 64 American Athletic Conference
Canisius 0-0 63 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
George Mason 0-0 63 Atlantic 10 Conference
Cornell 0-0 61 Ivy League
Loyola Marymount 0-0 58 West Coast Conference
Iona 0-0 57 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Drexel 0-0 53 Colonial Athletic Association
Albany 0-0 51 America East Conference
Colgate 0-0 51 Patriot League
UNC Wilmington 0-0 48 Colonial Athletic Association
Army 0-0 47 Patriot League
Murray State 0-0 42 Ohio Valley Conference
Siena 0-0 41 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Southern Illinois 0-0 40 Missouri Valley Conference
American 0-0 38 Patriot League
Louisiana Lafayette 0-0 38 Sun Belt Conference
Southern Miss 0-0 37 Conference USA
Stony Brook 0-0 37 America East Conference
Charlotte 0-0 36 Conference USA
Cal State Fullerton 0-0 35 Big West Conference
Quinnipiac 0-0 33 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
San Jose State 0-0 30 Mountain West Conference
Marist 0-0 29 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Cal State Northridge 0-0 28 Big West Conference
Saint Louis 0-0 27 Atlantic 10 Conference
St. Francis NY 0-0 27 Northeast Conference
Dartmouth 0-0 26 Ivy League
Milwaukee 0-0 24 Horizon League
Northern Illinois 0-0 24 Mid-American Conference
Oral Roberts 0-0 24 Summit League
Penn 0-0 24 Ivy League
Montana 0-0 22 Big Sky Conference
Austin Peay 0-0 21 Ohio Valley Conference
Binghamton 0-0 21 America East Conference
Bradley 0-0 21 Missouri Valley Conference
Bucknell 0-0 21 Patriot League
Montana State 0-0 21 Big Sky Conference
North Carolina Central 0-0 21 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Seattle 0-0 21 Western Athletic Conference
East Tennessee State 0-0 20 Southern Conference
Eastern Washington 0-0 20 Big Sky Conference
Illinois Chicago 0-0 20 Horizon League
Portland State 0-0 20 Big Sky Conference
Appalachian State 0-0 19 Sun Belt Conference
Eastern Illinois 0-0 19 Ohio Valley Conference
Lafayette 0-0 19 Patriot League
Tennessee Martin 0-0 19 Ohio Valley Conference
Chattanooga 0-0 18 Southern Conference
Hawaii 0-0 18 Big West Conference
Sacred Heart 0-0 18 Northeast Conference
SIU Edwardsville 0-0 18 Ohio Valley Conference
UC Riverside 0-0 18 Big West Conference
UNC Greensboro 0-0 18 Southern Conference
Fairfield 0-0 17 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
James Madison 0-0 17 Colonial Athletic Association
Nevada 0-0 17 Mountain West Conference
Tennessee Tech 0-0 17 Ohio Valley Conference
Wagner 0-0 17 Northeast Conference
Western Carolina 0-0 17 Southern Conference
Western Illinois 0-0 17 Southland Conference
Chicago State 0-0 16 Western Athletic Conference
Hartford 0-0 16 America East Conference
High Point 0-0 16 Big South Conference
Radford 0-0 16 Big South Conference
Robert Morris 0-0 16 Northeast Conference
Tennessee State 0-0 16 Ohio Valley Conference
Cal Poly 0-0 15 Big West Conference
Campbell 0-0 15 Big South Conference
Central Connecticut 0-0 15 Northeast Conference
VMI 0-0 15 Southern Conference
Florida Atlantic 0-0 14 Conference USA
Hampton 0-0 14 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Lipscomb 0-0 14 Atlantic Sun Conference
LIU Brooklyn 0-0 14 Northeast Conference
Stephen F. Austin 0-0 14 Horizon League
Towson 0-0 14 Colonial Athletic Association
Gardner Webb 0-0 13 Big South Conference
Norfolk State 0-0 13 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Cleveland State 0-0 12 Horizon League
Liberty 0-0 12 Big South Conference
UC Davis 0-0 12 Big West Conference
UNC Asheville 0-0 12 Big South Conference
Longwood 0-0 11 Big South Conference
North Carolina A&T 0-0 11 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
St. Francis PA 0-0 11 Northeast Conference
McNeese State 0-0 10 Southland Conference
Florida Gulf Coast 0-0 9 Atlantic Sun Conference
Louisiana Monroe 0-0 9 Sun Belt Conference
Sacramento State 0-0 9 Big Sky Conference
Drake 0-0 8 Missouri Valley Conference
Houston 0-0 7 American Athletic Conference
Miami OH 0-0 7 Mid-American Conference
Cal State Bakersfield 0-0 6 Western Athletic Conference
Ball State 0-0 5 Mid-American Conference
Northwestern State 0-0 3 Southland Conference
Ohio 0-0 3 Mid-American Conference
College of Charleston 0-0 2 Colonial Athletic Association
Eastern Kentucky 0-0 1 Ohio Valley Conference

[collegesportsfanms]

Milestone Win Watch for 2022-2023 Season

Coaches Within 25 Wins of 100 Career Wins

Will Brown (Tulsa)- 19 away
DeShawn St. John (Washington State)- 11 away
Brett Hawkins (FIU)- 1 away

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 14-20, 2022

With opening weekend always having a lack of games, there are only 6 games to cover, and I will just focus on the teams that had games.

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

11/11/22- Sun Bowl Classic First Round vs. (2) VMI (L 72-39).
11/12/22- Sun Bowl Classic 3rd Place Game vs. (1) Youngstown State (L 70-66).

Another 4th place finish in a season tournament for Coach Ginsberg and the Hawks, as they were obliterated by VMI, but had a better showing against Youngstown.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 0-1, 0-0 American.

11/13/22 at Villanova (L 69-67).

Tough one for the Huskies, as Villanova is considered a rival in some ways. A good effort on the road, but these are the type games Coach Childress needs to find a way to win.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 0-1, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/13/22 at Illinois State (L 92-84).

The Spartans don't start off this season in a good way, falling on the road. Take nothing away from Illinois State, they should be solid this year, but Coach Mighty wants better from his squad.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 1-0, 0-0 Conference USA.

11/13/22 at Florida (W 97-75).

It didn't take Coach Hawkins long in this season to get his 100th career win. First game of the season, and he got it done, going on the road and beating an in-state rival.

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

11/13/22 vs. High Point (W 70-58).

A win is a win, but I know Coach Rogers wanted it to be a little more convincing. Still though, getting on the right track with a season opening win is always important.

Here's a look at the national top 25 heading into the week of Nov. 14-20:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Syracuse (33) 2-0 1748 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Georgetown (21) 0-0 1718 1 Big East Conference
3. Notre Dame (8) 0-0 1639 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. Wisconsin (1) 0-0 1608 3 Big Ten Conference
5. North Carolina (8) 0-0 1535 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Iowa State 1-0 1426 7 Big 12 Conference
7. Ohio State 0-0 1359 6 Big Ten Conference
8. Texas A&M 0-0 1238 8 Southeastern Conference
9. VCU 0-0 1128 9 Southeastern Conference
10. Iowa 0-0 1125 10 Big Ten Conference
11. Louisville 1-0 1088 12 Atlantic Coast Conference
12. Arkansas 0-0 950 11 Southeastern Conference
13. Arizona (1) 1-0 910 13 Pacific-12 Conference
14. Oklahoma 1-0 760 15 Big 12 Conference
15. Alabama 1-0 669 17 Southeastern Conference
16. Virginia 0-0 599 16 Atlantic Coast Conference
17. Vanderbilt 1-0 439 22 Southeastern Conference
18. Florida State 0-0 393 19 Atlantic Coast Conference
19. LSU 1-0 385 24 Southeastern Conference
20. Xavier 1-0 350 21 Big East Conference
21. Miami 0-0 262 20 Atlantic Coast Conference
22. BYU 1-0 247 NR West Coast Conference
23. Kentucky 0-0 181 23 Southeastern Conference
24. Gonzaga 1-0 141 NR Pacific-12 Conference
25. West Virginia 0-0 141 25 Big 12 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Villanova 1-0 114 Big East Conference
Creighton 0-0 113 Big East Conference
St. John's 0-0 107 Big East Conference
Boise State 0-0 95 Mountain West Conference
Purdue 1-0 81 Big Ten Conference
San Diego State 0-0 74 Mountain West Conference
Davidson 0-0 70 Atlantic 10 Conference
Indiana 0-0 60 Big Ten Conference
Maryland 0-0 50 Big Ten Conference
Buffalo 0-0 49 Mid-American Conference
Oklahoma State 2-0 41 Big 12 Conference
Minnesota 2-0 40 Big Ten Conference
Boston College 2-0 37 Atlantic Coast Conference
North Carolina State 2-0 34 Atlantic Coast Conference
UC Irvine 2-0 29 Big West Conference
Akron 2-0 23 Mid-American Conference
Washington 0-0 22 Pacific-12 Conference
UCLA 0-0 19 Pacific-12 Conference
Baylor 1-0 18 Big 12 Conference
St. Bonaventure 0-0 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
Illinois State 1-0 15 Missouri Valley Conference
Auburn 2-0 14 Southeastern Conference
Pittsburgh 0-0 14 Atlantic Coast Conference
Arizona State 1-0 12 Pacific-12 Conference
Illinois 0-0 11 Big Ten Conference
Marquette 0-0 10 Big East Conference
Northwestern 0-0 10 Big Ten Conference
Wake Forest 0-0 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
DePaul 0-0 9 Big East Conference
Northern Colorado 2-0 9 Big Sky Conference
Colorado 0-0 8 Pacific-12 Conference
Fordham 0-0 8 Atlantic 10 Conference
Loyola Chicago 0-0 8 Missouri Valley Conference
Manhattan 0-0 8 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Oregon 0-0 8 Pacific-12 Conference
Seton Hall 0-0 8 Big East Conference
Stanford 0-0 8 Pacific-12 Conference
Hofstra 0-0 7 Colonial Athletic Association
Oral Roberts 1-0 7 Summit League
Southern Illinois 0-0 7 Missouri Valley Conference
UNLV 1-0 7 Mountain West Conference
Harvard 0-0 6 Ivy League
USC 1-0 6 West Coast Conference
George Washington 0-0 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
Illinois Chicago 0-0 5 Horizon League
Niagara 0-0 5 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Rider 2-0 5 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
SMU 1-0 5 American Athletic Conference
Eastern Illinois 0-0 4 Ohio Valley Conference
Rhode Island 0-0 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
Pacific 1-0 3 West Coast Conference
Penn State 0-0 3 Big Ten Conference
SIU Edwardsville 0-0 3 Ohio Valley Conference
Tulsa 0-0 3 American Athletic Conference
Canisius 0-0 2 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Duke 0-0 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
Mississippi 1-0 2 Southeastern Conference
Western Illinois 0-0 2 Southland Conference
Cal Poly 1-0 1 Big West Conference
Chicago State 0-0 1 Western Athletic Conference
Oakland 1-0 1 Horizon League
Oregon State 0-0 1 Pacific-12 Conference
Richmond 1-0 1 Atlantic 10 Conference
Rutgers 0-0 1 Big Ten Conference

With their losses, Michigan State and UConn lose their votes.

[collegesportsfanms]

And the mid-major top 25 for the week of Nov. 14-20:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. BYU (45) 1-0 1595 2 West Coast Conference
2. Davidson (11) 0-0 1430 1 Atlantic 10 Conference
3. Boise State 0-0 1348 3 Mountain West Conference
4. San Diego State (2) 0-0 1113 4 Mountain West Conference
5. Akron (5) 2-0 883 19 Mid-American Conference
6. UC Irvine 2-0 779 NR Big West Conference
7. SMU 1-0 656 8 American Athletic Conference
8. Illinois State (1) 1-0 611 11 Missouri Valley Conference
9. Richmond 1-0 537 10 Atlantic 10 Conference
10. Buffalo (5) 0-0 500 6 Mid-American Conference
11. Oakland 1-0 499 NR Horizon League
12. Rider (2) 2-0 466 NR Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
13. UNLV 1-0 422 NR Mountain West Conference
14. VMI 2-0 415 NR Southern Conference
15. Northern Colorado 2-0 399 NR Big Sky Conference
16. Cincinnati 0-0 373 9 American Athletic Conference
17. USC 1-0 337 NR West Coast Conference
18. FIU 1-0 298 NR Conference USA
19. Fresno State 0-0 298 13 Mountain West Conference
20. Kent State 0-0 296 15 Mid-American Conference
21. George Washington 0-0 285 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
22. Pacific 1-0 279 NR West Coast Conference
23. Mississippi State 1-0 272 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
24. Saint Mary's 0-0 268 18 West Coast Conference
25. Rhode Island 0-0 265 17 Atlantic 10 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Harvard 0-0 258 Ivy League
St. Bonaventure 0-0 253 Atlantic 10 Conference
Indiana State 0-0 252 Missouri Valley Conference
Eastern Michigan 0-0 214 Mid-American Conference
Cal Poly 1-0 206 Big West Conference
American 1-0 203 Patriot League
Western Michigan 0-0 194 Mid-American Conference
UAB 0-0 188 Conference USA
Saint Joseph's 0-0 181 Atlantic 10 Conference
South Florida 0-0 177 American Athletic Conference
Dayton 0-0 176 Atlantic 10 Conference
Massachusetts 0-0 176 Atlantic 10 Conference
Austin Peay 1-0 169 Ohio Valley Conference
San Diego 0-0 169 West Coast Conference
Portland 0-0 167 West Coast Conference
UC Santa Barbara 0-0 162 Big West Conference
Louisiana Tech 0-0 155 Conference USA
Utah State 0-0 155 Mountain West Conference
Wofford 1-0 155 Southern Conference
Fordham 0-0 151 Atlantic 10 Conference
William & Mary 0-0 151 Colonial Athletic Association
Northern Iowa 0-0 148 Missouri Valley Conference
Toledo 0-0 148 Mid-American Conference
UT Arlington 1-0 145 Sun Belt Conference
Temple 0-0 144 American Athletic Conference
Hofstra 0-0 141 Colonial Athletic Association
Tulsa 0-0 134 American Athletic Conference
Manhattan 0-0 132 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
East Carolina 0-0 130 American Athletic Conference
Northeastern 0-0 126 Colonial Athletic Association
Colorado State 0-0 123 Mountain West Conference
Duquesne 0-0 123 Atlantic 10 Conference
Long Beach State 0-0 118 Big West Conference
San Francisco 0-0 116 West Coast Conference
Western Carolina 1-0 112 Southern Conference
Old Dominion 0-0 111 Conference USA
Tennessee Martin 1-0 105 Ohio Valley Conference
Yale 0-0 103 Ivy League
Bowling Green 0-0 98 Mid-American Conference
UTEP 0-0 96 Conference USA
Loyola Chicago 0-0 95 Missouri Valley Conference
Princeton 0-0 95 Ivy League
Tulane 0-0 91 American Athletic Conference
Niagara 0-0 90 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Mercer 0-0 87 Southern Conference
Cal State Fullerton 0-0 72 Big West Conference
Oral Roberts 1-0 71 Summit League
Canisius 0-0 66 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Cornell 0-0 66 Ivy League
Drexel 0-0 66 Colonial Athletic Association
Charleston Southern 1-0 64 Big South Conference
Iona 0-0 60 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Cal State Northridge 0-0 58 Big West Conference
Southern Illinois 0-0 58 Missouri Valley Conference
Colgate 0-0 54 Patriot League
Nevada 0-0 54 Mountain West Conference
Hawaii 0-0 51 Big West Conference
UCF 0-0 51 American Athletic Conference
Army 0-0 50 Patriot League
Quinnipiac 0-0 50 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Montana 1-0 48 Big Sky Conference
Saint Louis 0-0 48 Atlantic 10 Conference
George Mason 0-0 47 Atlantic 10 Conference
Louisiana Lafayette 0-0 45 Sun Belt Conference
Murray State 0-0 44 Ohio Valley Conference
Siena 0-0 44 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Stony Brook 0-0 42 America East Conference
UC Riverside 0-0 36 Big West Conference
Marist 0-0 35 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
St. Francis NY 0-0 33 Northeast Conference
Towson 0-0 32 Colonial Athletic Association
Gardner Webb 1-0 29 Big South Conference
North Carolina Central 0-0 29 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Florida A&M 1-0 28 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Binghamton 0-0 25 America East Conference
Milwaukee 0-0 24 Horizon League
St. Francis PA 1-0 24 Northeast Conference
Sacramento State 0-0 23 Big Sky Conference
Illinois Chicago 0-0 22 Horizon League
Bucknell 0-0 21 Patriot League
Eastern Illinois 0-0 21 Ohio Valley Conference
Montana State 0-0 21 Big Sky Conference
Wagner 0-0 21 Northeast Conference
Cal State Bakersfield 0-0 20 Western Athletic Conference
Eastern Washington 0-0 20 Big Sky Conference
SIU Edwardsville 0-0 20 Ohio Valley Conference
UNC Greensboro 0-0 19 Southern Conference
Western Illinois 0-0 19 Southland Conference
Campbell 0-0 18 Big South Conference
Chicago State 0-0 18 Western Athletic Conference
Fairfield 0-0 18 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Central Connecticut 0-0 17 Northeast Conference
Chattanooga 0-0 17 Southern Conference
Drake 0-0 17 Missouri Valley Conference
Florida Atlantic 0-0 17 Conference USA
Penn 0-0 17 Ivy League
UNC Asheville 0-0 17 Big South Conference
Cleveland State 0-0 16 Horizon League
Houston 0-0 16 American Athletic Conference
North Carolina A&T 0-0 16 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
James Madison 0-0 15 Colonial Athletic Association
Lipscomb 0-0 15 Atlantic Sun Conference
LIU Brooklyn 0-0 15 Northeast Conference
Hampton 0-0 13 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Delaware 0-0 10 Colonial Athletic Association
Eastern Kentucky 0-0 10 Ohio Valley Conference
Ohio 0-0 6 Mid-American Conference
Ball State 0-0 5 Mid-American Conference
NJIT 1-0 5 Atlantic Sun Conference
Northwestern State 0-0 5 Southland Conference
Stetson 1-0 5 Atlantic Sun Conference
Denver 0-0 4 Summit League
Marshall 0-0 3 Conference USA
Central Michigan 0-0 2 Mid-American Conference
Brown 0-0 1 Ivy League
North Florida 0-0 1 Atlantic Sun Conference
North Texas 0-0 1 Conference USA
Southeastern Louisiana 0-0 1 Southland Conference
Wright State 0-0 1 Horizon League

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 14-20, 2022

No feature games this week, and 23 games on the docket. Let's get into it:

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

11/14/22 at St. Peter's (W 66-57).
11/17/22 at Delaware State (W 64-57).
11/19/22 vs. Iona (W 65-62).

A much better week for the Hawks, who got 3 single digit wins this week, 2 on the road.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 0-2, 0-0 American.

11/15/22 vs. VMI (L 72-70).

The Huskies drop another heartbreaker to fall to 0-2 on the season. Starting to think this VMI team might be better than advertised.

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

11/14/22 at UTEP (W 96-87).
11/18/22 at Texas Tech (L 92-67).

A split for the Golden Hurricane to start the season, as both were on the road, but would have liked a better effort at Texas Tech.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 0-1, 0-0 ACC.

11/18/22 vs. Buffalo (L 71-66).

Yet another FOFC human coached team that opened the season with a loss. Gonna be an interesting game next week when they take on FIU.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 2-1, 0-0 Big 12.

11/15/22- Hall of Fame Tip-Off First Round vs. (6) San Diego (L 69-59).
11/19/22- Hall of Fame Tip-Off Consolation Round vs. (7) Southern Illinois (L 71-70).
11/20/22- Hall of Fame Tip-Off 5th Place Game vs. (5) St. Bonaventure (W 91-72).

The Horned Frogs will settle for 5th place in this tournament, and quite honestly have a lot of momentum going into their next few games which should all be wins. Key word: should.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 2-1, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/15/22 vs. Georgia Tech (W 96-85).
11/17/22 vs. Georgia State (W 89-81).

A good recovery week for the Spartans, who took care of business against 2 teams from Georgia, both at home. They have their season tournament next week.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 1-0, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/17/22 at Cincinnati (W 63-46).

A big time win for Coach Vee and the Wildcats, and might put a few teams on notice. It's too early to tell, but things look promising for another solid non-conference record.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 1-0, 0-0 Big West.

11/19/22 vs. Houston (W 69-61).

A nice season opening win for the Warriors as they get ready for their season tournament next week.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 1-0, 0-0 Conference USA.

No games this week for Coach Hawkins and the Golden Panthers, as they look forward to a big showdown against Duke next week.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 1-1, 0-0 Conference USA.

11/19/22- Little Rock Regional First Round vs. (2) Ball State (W 80-61).
11/20/22- Little Rock Regional Championship vs. (4) Marist (L 74-59).

Another 2nd place finish in a 4 team tournament for the Owls, as the entire field was absolutely shocked by what Marist did. Many people expected that championship to be the consolation game.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 1-0, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/17/22 vs. St. Louis (W 68-58).

Good season opening victory for the Buffaloes as they head into their season tournament next week.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 1-0, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/19/22 vs. Manhattan (W 83-57).

Total dominance in the Cardinal's first game of the season, as they continue their creampuff non-conference schedule. Their first real test might not come until mid-December.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 1-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/15/22- Hall of Fame Tip-Off First Round vs. (8) Ohio (W 67-66).
11/19/22- Hall of Fame Tip-Off Semifinal vs. (4) UAB (L 68-64).
11/20/22- Hall of Fame Tip-Off 3rd Place Game vs. (6) San Diego (L 77-75).

Hard to get an early read on this Bruins team, as they haven't had a margin of victory or defeat higher than 4 points yet. Unfortunately, they ended up taking 4th in their season tournament.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 1-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/18/22- Michigan Tournament First Round vs. (4) UNC Greensboro (W 56-31).
11/20/22- Michigan Tournament Championship vs. (3) Texas Southern (L 81-78).

The Cougars have been consistent in 4 team tournaments. They've played in 2 of them and finished 2nd both times. This time around, it was a tight game, but they couldn't get over the hump.

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

No games this week for the Crimson Tide and Coach Rogers, as they get ready for their season tournament next week.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Nov. 21-27:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Notre Dame (56) 3-0 1784 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Georgetown (10) 1-0 1699 2 Big East Conference
3. Wisconsin (1) 2-0 1670 4 Big Ten Conference
4. North Carolina (5) 1-0 1591 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
5. Iowa State 2-0 1519 6 Big 12 Conference
6. Texas A&M 0-0 1364 8 Southeastern Conference
7. Arizona 2-0 1291 13 Pacific-12 Conference
8. Arkansas 1-0 1269 12 Southeastern Conference
9. Oklahoma 2-0 1134 14 Big 12 Conference
10. Syracuse 3-1 1006 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. LSU 2-0 932 19 Southeastern Conference
12. Alabama 1-0 871 15 Southeastern Conference
13. Florida State 1-0 775 18 Atlantic Coast Conference
14. BYU 2-0 733 22 West Coast Conference
15. Miami 1-0 639 21 Atlantic Coast Conference
16. Villanova 3-0 570 NR Big East Conference
17. Gonzaga 2-0 555 24 Pacific-12 Conference
18. Boise State 1-0 391 NR Mountain West Conference
19. Ohio State 2-1 391 7 Big Ten Conference
20. Oklahoma State 4-0 346 NR Big 12 Conference
21. Indiana 1-0 257 NR Big Ten Conference
22. Creighton 0-0 254 NR Big East Conference
23. UC Irvine 4-0 215 NR Big West Conference
24. San Diego State 1-0 190 NR Mountain West Conference
25. Purdue 1-0 160 NR Big Ten Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
UAB 3-0 118 Conference USA
Buffalo 1-0 109 Mid-American Conference
Cornell 3-0 99 Ivy League
Illinois 2-0 90 Big Ten Conference
Penn State 2-0 85 Big Ten Conference
VMI 4-0 73 Southern Conference
Mississippi 2-0 69 Southeastern Conference
Richmond 2-0 68 Atlantic 10 Conference
Illinois State 2-0 67 Missouri Valley Conference
Drake 3-0 66 Missouri Valley Conference
Washington 1-0 62 Pacific-12 Conference
Yale 2-0 57 Ivy League
Mississippi State 3-0 51 Atlantic 10 Conference
South Carolina 2-0 48 Southeastern Conference
Harvard 1-0 46 Ivy League
Colorado 1-0 42 Pacific-12 Conference
Colgate 2-0 41 Patriot League
VCU 1-1 38 Southeastern Conference
Saint Mary's 2-0 36 West Coast Conference
Stanford 1-0 35 Pacific-12 Conference
American 2-0 30 Patriot League
Baylor 1-0 29 Big 12 Conference
Arizona State 2-0 28 Pacific-12 Conference
Fordham 1-0 26 Atlantic 10 Conference
Western Michigan 2-0 26 Mid-American Conference
Western Carolina 2-0 25 Southern Conference
Utah State 2-0 24 Mountain West Conference
Marist 2-0 20 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Siena 2-0 20 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Dayton 2-0 19 Atlantic 10 Conference
Jacksonville State 2-0 18 Ohio Valley Conference
Milwaukee 2-0 17 Horizon League
Northwestern 1-0 17 Big Ten Conference
Marquette 1-0 16 Big East Conference
NJIT 3-0 15 Atlantic Sun Conference
Oral Roberts 2-0 15 Summit League
Cal State Northridge 2-0 14 Big West Conference
Oregon State 1-0 14 Pacific-12 Conference
Colorado State 2-0 11 Mountain West Conference
Tennessee Martin 2-0 11 Ohio Valley Conference
Western Illinois 0-0 11 Southland Conference
Bowling Green 2-0 10 Mid-American Conference
Gardner Webb 2-0 9 Big South Conference
Louisville 1-1 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
Louisiana Tech 1-0 7 Conference USA
Pacific 1-0 7 West Coast Conference
Drexel 1-0 6 Colonial Athletic Association
Long Beach State 1-0 6 Big West Conference
Montana 1-0 6 Big Sky Conference
William & Mary 1-0 6 Colonial Athletic Association
Butler 1-0 5 Big East Conference
North Texas 2-0 5 Conference USA
Troy 2-0 4 Sun Belt Conference
Iowa 0-1 2 Big Ten Conference
LIU Brooklyn 1-0 2 Northeast Conference
Nevada 1-0 2 Mountain West Conference
Coastal Carolina 2-0 1 Big South Conference
Hawaii 1-0 1 Big West Conference
Montana State 0-0 1 Big Sky Conference

Duke and Tulsa lost games this week, and all their votes. Hawaii garnered a single vote, and Coach Gunn has once again been reprimanded for vote tampering. He keeps claiming his innocence, but I dunno! And kudos to Alabama for jumping up 3 spots in the top 25 without even stepping on the floor this week.

[collegesportsfanms]

Here's a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Nov. 21-27:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. BYU (46) 2-0 1694 1 West Coast Conference
2. Boise State 1-0 1458 3 Mountain West Conference
3. UC Irvine (3) 4-0 1366 6 Big West Conference
4. San Diego State (1) 1-0 1201 4 Mountain West Conference
5. UAB (7) 3-0 1176 NR Conference USA
6. Illinois State (1) 2-0 1021 8 Missouri Valley Conference
7. Drake (4) 3-0 901 NR Missouri Valley Conference
8. Richmond 2-0 796 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
9. Utah State 2-0 789 NR Mountain West Conference
10. VMI 4-0 780 14 Southern Conference
11. Saint Mary's 2-0 751 24 West Coast Conference
12. Western Michigan 2-0 701 NR Mid-American Conference
13. Cornell (3) 3-0 643 NR Ivy League
14. Dayton 2-0 585 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
15. Colorado State 2-0 542 NR Mountain West Conference
16. Bowling Green 2-0 498 NR Mid-American Conference
17. Yale 2-0 480 NR Ivy League
18. Buffalo (4) 1-0 470 10 Mid-American Conference
19. Mississippi State 3-0 435 23 Atlantic 10 Conference
20. Harvard 1-0 324 NR Ivy League
21. Milwaukee (1) 2-0 305 NR Horizon League
22. North Texas 2-0 291 NR Conference USA
23. NJIT 3-0 266 NR Atlantic Sun Conference
24. Colgate 2-0 252 NR Patriot League
25. Cal State Northridge 2-0 251 NR Big West Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Western Carolina 2-0 237 Southern Conference
Northern Iowa 1-0 221 Missouri Valley Conference
Pacific 1-0 218 West Coast Conference
American 2-0 217 Patriot League
Jacksonville State 2-0 215 Ohio Valley Conference
Marist 2-0 208 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Long Beach State 1-0 204 Big West Conference
Toledo 1-0 202 Mid-American Conference
Oral Roberts 2-0 200 Summit League
William & Mary 1-0 193 Colonial Athletic Association
Fordham 1-0 188 Atlantic 10 Conference
UT Arlington 2-0 158 Sun Belt Conference
Drexel 1-0 157 Colonial Athletic Association
Siena 2-0 157 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Louisiana Tech 1-0 154 Conference USA
Hawaii 1-0 153 Big West Conference
Tennessee Martin 2-0 147 Ohio Valley Conference
Texas Southern 2-0 139 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Troy 2-0 136 Sun Belt Conference
Nevada 1-0 131 Mountain West Conference
Tulane 1-0 127 American Athletic Conference
Montana 1-0 119 Big Sky Conference
Cal State Bakersfield 1-0 117 Western Athletic Conference
Coastal Carolina 2-0 117 Big South Conference
Holy Cross 2-0 108 Patriot League
LIU Brooklyn 1-0 99 Northeast Conference
FIU 1-0 96 Conference USA
Kennesaw State 2-0 89 Atlantic Sun Conference
Mercer 1-0 87 Southern Conference
Louisiana Lafayette 1-0 85 Sun Belt Conference
IUPUI 1-0 84 Summit League
Eastern Kentucky 1-0 83 Ohio Valley Conference
Gardner Webb 2-0 83 Big South Conference
Montana State 0-0 78 Big Sky Conference
South Dakota 1-0 66 Summit League
Incarnate Word 1-0 55 Southland Conference
Presbyterian 2-0 55 Big South Conference
Old Dominion 0-0 47 Conference USA
UMass Lowell 1-0 47 America East Conference
Western Illinois 0-0 45 Southland Conference
St. Francis PA 1-0 36 Northeast Conference
Nebraska Omaha 0-0 28 Summit League
Arkansas State 1-0 26 Sun Belt Conference
Southern 1-0 11 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Central Arkansas 0-0 1 Southland Conference

Tulsa lost their votes after a loss this week, and FIU dropped out of the mid-major top 25 after not playing this week.

[bbgunn]

Hawaii's still undefeated! Gotta like that. :

And hey... somebody's gotta vote for Hawaii, right? ;)

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 21-27, 2022

We have 2 feature games on the schedule this week, and 22 games total. Let's start with the feature games.

11/21/22- FIU (Brett Hawkins) @ Duke (Dean Hoo) -- A back and forth game that saw FIU make just a few more shots and have a pretty big rebounding edge, 45-37. A huge road win for Coach Hawkins.

Final Score: FIU- 88, Duke- 86

11/26/22- Great Alaska Shootout Championship - (2) #12 Alabama (Roy Rogers) vs. (1) Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- Good to see the top 2 seeds, both human coached teams, make it to the finals of this tourney. The Spartans had an 8 point halftime lead, but in the second half it became a foul fest. Michigan State committed 29 fouls and Bama shot 41 free throws, making 29 of them compared to just 14 for Sparty. This was more than enough for the Crimson Tide to walk away with the title.

Final Score: (2) #12 Alabama- 79, (1) Michigan State- 73

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 4-2, 0-0 America East.

11/27/22 at Brown (W 56-48).

While it isn't the greatest competition, the Hawks are on a 4 game winning streak, and anytime you can get 3 road wins in a row, it's a good thing.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 1-4, 0-0 American.

11/23/22- Battle 4 Atlantis First Round vs. (4) Buffalo (W 68-61).
11/24/22- Battle 4 Atlantis Semifinal vs. (1) Baylor (L 68-53).
11/25/22- Battle 4 Atlantis 3rd Place Game vs. (7) Utah State (L 83-82).

The struggles continue to be real for Coach Childress and the Huskies, as they lose their 4th out of 5 to start the season. To be fair, the combined record of 4 teams that have beat them is 18-2, and the average margin of victory is 5 points.

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

11/21/22 at Nebraska Omaha (L 83-60).
11/23/22 vs. Northwestern State (W 66-50).
11/27/22 vs. Incarnate Word (L 90-87).

The Golden Hurricane lose 2 out of 3 this week, and quite honestly, the 2 losses are inexplicable. Coach Brown has to get some consistency figured out for this group.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 1-2, 0-0 ACC.

11/21/22 vs. FIU- feature game, highlighted above.
11/25/22 at South Carolina State (W 86-80).

The Blue Devils split this week, finally getting their first win of the season, but they have another tough game coming up next week.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 2-1, 0-0 Big 12.

No games this week for Coach Mighty and the Horned Frogs, as they get back to business next week.

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

11/23/22- Great Alaska Shootout First Round vs. (8) Cal State Northridge (W 71-60).
11/25/22- Great Alaska Shootout Semifinal vs. (5) Kansas State (W 65-50).
11/26/22- Great Alaska Shootout Championship vs. (2) #12 Alabama- feature game, highlighted above.

All in all a good tournament for the Spartans, who fell just short against Alabama. 2nd place is good, but it might not be good enough for the board, who has high expectations.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 1-0, 0-0 Big Ten.

No games this week for Coach Vee and the Wildcats who have a tough one next week before the schedule lightens up.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 2-1, 0-0 Big West.

11/25/22- Meadowlands Regional First Round vs. (3) Sam Houston State (W 72-55).
11/26/22- Meadowlands Regional Championship vs. (1) USC (L 71-61).

The Warriors are still searching for their first season tournament win, as they've finished 2nd in 4 team tournaments 3 times now. It was a good effort, but not good enough.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 3-0, 0-0 Conference USA.

11/21/22 at Duke- feature game, highlighted above.
11/25/22 vs. Tennessee Martin (W 77-53).

Couldn't ask for a better start for Coach Hawkins in his first season at FIU. The Golden Panthers have gotten road wins at both Florida and Duke. Another road test next week.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 1-1, 0-0 Conference USA.

No games this week for Coach Shocker and the Owls, who have a couple huge tests coming up in the next few days.

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

11/21/22- Maui Invitational First Round vs. (8) American (W 60-48).
11/22/22- Maui Invitational Semifinal vs. (5) Michigan (W 76-75).
11/23/22- Maui Invitational Championship vs. (2) #6 Texas A&M (W 54-45).

The Buffaloes have just won their first season tournament, and it couldn't come in a better way, as they defeated an old Big 12 foe in Texas A&M. Coach Nielsen has these guys rolling, but it doesn't get any easier.

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

11/21/22 at UC Davis (W 72-64).

It wasn't the prettiest, but the Cardinal won their only game this week as they continue a creampuff schedule until mid-December.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 1-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/27/22 vs. #2 Georgetown (L 82-73).

3 losses in a row for the Bruins, who are going to have to pick it up if they want to make the NCAA Tournament, let alone the Final Four. An interesting game next week as they face Fresno State, the team that walloped them in the national championship a couple seasons ago.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 1-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

No games this week for Coach St. John and the Cougars, who have some winnable games coming up.

#12 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 4-0, 0-0 SEC.

11/23/22- Great Alaska Shootout First Round vs. (7) ECU (W 70-64).
11/25/22- Great Alaska Shootout Semifinal vs. (6) Georgia Tech (W 66-52).
11/26/22- Great Alaska Shootout Championship vs. (1) Michigan State- feature game, highlighted above.

Another season tournament win for the Crimson Tide, this makes 3 of them. A couple big showdowns coming up in a couple weeks, but next week, they should be able to take it easy with a couple subpar opponents.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Nov. 28-Dec. 4:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. North Carolina (71) 4-0 1799 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Arkansas 5-0 1682 8 Southeastern Conference
3. Iowa State (1) 2-0 1663 5 Big 12 Conference
4. Syracuse 5-1 1491 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
5. LSU 5-0 1413 11 Southeastern Conference
6. Alabama 4-0 1355 12 Southeastern Conference
7. Notre Dame 4-1 1198 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Georgetown 3-1 1150 2 Big East Conference
9. Villanova 5-0 1109 16 Big East Conference
10. Indiana 4-0 1087 21 Big Ten Conference
11. San Diego State 4-0 1059 24 Mountain West Conference
12. Wisconsin 3-1 948 3 Big Ten Conference
13. Oklahoma State 6-0 887 20 Big 12 Conference
14. UC Irvine 6-0 785 23 Big West Conference
15. Colorado 4-0 779 NR Pacific-12 Conference
16. Dayton 5-0 582 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
17. Ohio State 2-1 555 19 Big Ten Conference
18. Yale 5-0 497 NR Ivy League
19. Texas A&M 2-1 426 6 Southeastern Conference
20. UAB 4-0 401 NR Conference USA
21. Northern Iowa 4-0 382 NR Missouri Valley Conference
22. VMI 6-0 375 NR Southern Conference
23. North Texas 4-0 201 NR Conference USA
24. Stanford 2-0 200 NR Pacific-12 Conference
25. Jacksonville State 4-0 156 NR Ohio Valley Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Louisville 2-1 144 Atlantic Coast Conference
Cornell 3-0 130 Ivy League
Tulane 3-0 130 American Athletic Conference
Pacific 3-0 126 West Coast Conference
FIU 3-0 106 Conference USA
Drexel 3-0 93 Colonial Athletic Association
Holy Cross 4-0 92 Patriot League
Presbyterian 4-0 55 Big South Conference
Oklahoma 3-1 52 Big 12 Conference
Texas Southern 3-0 48 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Old Dominion 2-0 40 Conference USA
Milwaukee 2-0 39 Horizon League
Northwestern 1-0 39 Big Ten Conference
Arizona 2-1 34 Pacific-12 Conference
Central Arkansas 3-0 33 Southland Conference
Western Illinois 2-0 24 Southland Conference
Nebraska Omaha 2-0 17 Summit League
Troy 2-0 11 Sun Belt Conference
Arkansas State 2-0 5 Sun Belt Conference
Providence 1-1 1 Big East Conference
Southern 2-0 1 Southwestern Athletic Conference

Great to see so many of our human coached teams represented in the national top 25. Alabama moves up 6 spots with their season tournament win, while Colorado jumps in with their season tournament win. Stanford also sneaks in, while FIU and Northwestern continue to climb the ladder.

[collegesportsfanms]

And a look at the mid-major top 25 for the week of Nov. 28-Dec. 4:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. San Diego State (50) 4-0 1754 4 Mountain West Conference
2. UC Irvine 6-0 1614 3 Big West Conference
3. Yale (7) 5-0 1521 17 Ivy League
4. Dayton (5) 5-0 1503 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
5. UAB (3) 4-0 1402 5 Conference USA
6. VMI (4) 6-0 1381 10 Southern Conference
7. Northern Iowa 4-0 1359 NR Missouri Valley Conference
8. North Texas 4-0 1178 22 Conference USA
9. Jacksonville State 4-0 1149 NR Ohio Valley Conference
10. Tulane 3-0 1125 NR American Athletic Conference
11. FIU 3-0 1071 NR Conference USA
12. Cornell (2) 3-0 928 13 Ivy League
13. Pacific 3-0 920 NR West Coast Conference
14. Holy Cross 4-0 863 NR Patriot League
15. Drexel 3-0 797 NR Colonial Athletic Association
16. Presbyterian 4-0 692 NR Big South Conference
17. Texas Southern 3-0 641 NR Southwestern Athletic Conference
18. Old Dominion 2-0 627 NR Conference USA
19. Central Arkansas 3-0 611 NR Southland Conference
20. Milwaukee 2-0 571 21 Horizon League
21. Nebraska Omaha 2-0 430 NR Summit League
22. Troy 2-0 368 NR Sun Belt Conference
23. Western Illinois (1) 2-0 305 NR Southland Conference
24. Arkansas State 2-0 258 NR Sun Belt Conference
25. Southern 2-0 156 NR Southwestern Athletic Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Boise State 2-1 91 Mountain West Conference
Utah State 4-1 31 Mountain West Conference
Green Bay 4-1 22 Horizon League
Fresno State 3-1 15 Mountain West Conference
Memphis 2-1 7 American Athletic Conference
Bowling Green 5-1 6 Mid-American Conference
Dartmouth 2-1 1 Ivy League
Loyola Chicago 4-1 1 Missouri Valley Conference
Stony Brook 3-1 1 America East Conference
Western Michigan 4-1 1 Mid-American Conference

FIU jumps back in the mid-major top 25 after a solid win at Duke. Unfortunately Hawaii loses their votes.

[law90026]

Well that's a tough start to the season for Duke.

[bbgunn]

FIU jumps back in the mid-major top 25 after a solid win at Duke. Unfortunately Hawaii loses their votes.
I knew I forgot to do something this week. :)

[Coffee Warlord]

Mai Tai's for all!

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 28-Dec. 4, 2022

25 games to cover this week, but no feature games, so we'll get right into the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 5-3, 0-0 America East.

11/30/22 at Northeastern (L 76-55).
12/2/22 vs. San Jose State (W 62-60).

A split this week for the Hawks, with a statement game coming next week against another strong mid-major. At least strong this season.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 3-4, 0-0 American.

11/30/22 at Providence (W 75-60).
12/2/22 vs. Washington (W 78-67).

Much better week for the Huskies, who get 2 wins over what should end up being strong competition. Still have a tough schedule coming up though.

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

12/4/22 at Oral Roberts (W 90-74).

A dominant win for the Golden Hurricane in their only game of the week. Strong on the road, and they get next week off.

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

11/28/22 at #3 Iowa State (W 64-63, OT).

A very important win in OT for the Blue Devils, as they hand Iowa State their first loss of the season, and have what should be 2 easy games next week.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 4-1, 0-0 Big 12.

11/29/22 at Central Connecticut (W 59-55).
12/4/22 vs. Stephen F. Austin (W 73-53).

2 wins for the Horned Frogs this week, but a bit of a reversal of what was expected, as they struggled against the team they should have dominated, and dominated the team I figured they'd struggle against. Oh well, a win is a win, no matter how you get it.

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

12/1/22 at Miami (L 78-68).
12/4/22 vs. James Madison (W 70-52).

A split for the Spartans, who still aren't dominating like Coach Mighty hoped. They are improved, but still a ways to go to get back to Sparty ball.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 3-1, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/28/22 at Texas (W 88-74).
12/2/22 vs. Valparaiso (W 93-66).
12/4/22 vs. South Dakota State (L 74-64).

Good week for the Wildcats, winning 2 of 3, but it could have been even better. No excuse for losing by double digits to South Dakota State.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 4-1, 0-0 Big West.

11/30/22 vs. Montana (W 72-63).
12/4/22 at Santa Clara (W 67-48).

Nice week for the Warriors, who rolled at Santa Clara in what might be their best win of the season so far.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 5-0, 0-0 Conference USA.

11/30/22 at Illinois (W 94-86).
12/2/22 vs. Sam Houston State (W 57-45).

An absolutely incredible start to the season for the Golden Panthers, who are thriving under Coach Hawkins so far. It's still too early to tell, but it looks like the decision to move to FIU might have been the right one.

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

11/30/22 at #19 Texas A&M (W 77-75).
12/2/22 vs. North Dakota State (L 77-74).

A split for the Owls, but a weird one. After pulling the upset at A&M, they fall to North Dakota State, which is the game everyone had them winning. Another huge road test next week.

#15 Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 4-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/1/22 at #12 Wisconsin (L 69-64).
12/3/22 at Iowa (L 83-75).

The honeymoon is over for the Buffaloes, who couldn't handle a road trip through the Big Ten. It doesn't get any easier with a trip to Syracuse coming up.

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

11/28/22 vs. McNeese State (W 83-70).

A subpar effort for the Cardinal this week, as their only game was against a winless team and they had to play a perfect 2nd half as they found themselves down 13 at halftime. Still, they pulled it out, but will have to get better.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 2-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/30/22 vs. Fresno State (W 63-62).

Revenge is sweet for the Bruins, who avenge that national championship loss 2 seasons ago, and stay home for 2 more next week.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 1-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/28/22 at Sacramento State (L 55-47).

More struggles for the Cougars, who drop a tough one in a very winnable game. Still a chance to get a few wins in the next coming games, gonna have to do better though.

#6 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 5-0, 0-0 SEC.

12/2/22 vs. Alabama State (W 74-51).

A solid win against a winless team for the Crimson Tide this week. They needed the confidence boost, because the rest of their schedule (non-conference and conference) is brutal.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Dec. 5-11:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. North Carolina (72) 6-0 1800 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Arkansas 6-0 1700 2 Southeastern Conference
3. Syracuse 7-1 1622 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. LSU 7-0 1551 5 Southeastern Conference
5. Notre Dame 6-1 1490 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Alabama 5-0 1396 6 Southeastern Conference
7. Villanova 7-0 1359 9 Big East Conference
8. Wisconsin 4-1 1326 12 Big Ten Conference
9. Ohio State 4-1 1063 17 Big Ten Conference
10. Yale 7-0 1057 18 Ivy League
11. Oklahoma State 6-0 995 13 Big 12 Conference
12. Iowa State 4-1 940 3 Big 12 Conference
13. VMI 7-0 856 22 Southern Conference
14. Georgetown 5-1 847 8 Big East Conference
15. FIU 5-0 719 NR Conference USA
16. Pacific 5-0 681 NR West Coast Conference
17. Louisville 4-1 671 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
18. Stanford 3-0 664 24 Pacific-12 Conference
19. Jacksonville State 5-0 522 25 Ohio Valley Conference
20. North Texas 4-0 443 23 Conference USA
21. Arizona 4-1 412 NR Pacific-12 Conference
22. Old Dominion 3-0 321 NR Conference USA
23. Florida State 6-1 276 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
24. Central Arkansas 4-0 242 NR Southland Conference
25. Western Illinois 3-0 158 NR Southland Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
San Diego State 5-1 102 Mountain West Conference
UC Irvine 7-1 63 Big West Conference
Indiana 5-1 52 Big Ten Conference
Boise State 4-1 35 Mountain West Conference
Western Michigan 7-1 16 Mid-American Conference
Stony Brook 6-1 5 America East Conference
Purdue 5-1 4 Big Ten Conference
UAB 5-1 4 Conference USA
UC Riverside 6-1 4 Big West Conference
Bowling Green 6-1 2 Mid-American Conference
Loyola Chicago 5-1 2 Missouri Valley Conference

So Alabama stays put after their win over easy competition this week. By the same token, Stanford struggled against their easy competition and moved up 6 spots. FIU jumps all the way into the national top 25 after 2 more solid wins this week. Meanwhile, Colorado, to nobodies surprise, loses their votes, and Northwestern loses theirs too, in a bit of a surprise.

[collegesportsfanms]

Here's a look at the mid-major top 25 heading into the week of Dec. 5-11:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Yale (48) 7-0 1748 3 Ivy League
2. VMI (10) 7-0 1692 6 Southern Conference
3. FIU (1) 5-0 1631 11 Conference USA
4. Pacific (9) 5-0 1553 13 West Coast Conference
5. Jacksonville State 5-0 1457 9 Ohio Valley Conference
6. North Texas (3) 4-0 1411 8 Conference USA
7. Old Dominion 3-0 1339 18 Conference USA
8. Central Arkansas 4-0 1269 19 Southland Conference
9. San Diego State 5-1 1203 1 Mountain West Conference
10. Western Illinois (1) 3-0 1195 23 Southland Conference
11. Boise State 4-1 1074 NR Mountain West Conference
12. UC Irvine 7-1 987 2 Big West Conference
13. Western Michigan 7-1 953 NR Mid-American Conference
14. UAB 5-1 692 5 Conference USA
15. Bowling Green 6-1 662 NR Mid-American Conference
16. Tulane 5-1 651 10 American Athletic Conference
17. Dayton 5-1 501 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
18. UC Riverside 6-1 450 NR Big West Conference
19. Oakland 3-1 330 NR Horizon League
20. Stony Brook 6-1 290 NR America East Conference
21. Loyola Chicago 5-1 281 NR Missouri Valley Conference
22. Northern Iowa 4-1 260 7 Missouri Valley Conference
23. Middle Tennessee 4-1 177 NR Conference USA
24. UNLV 3-1 163 NR Mountain West Conference
25. Holy Cross 5-1 152 14 Patriot League

Others Receiving Votes:
Cornell 4-1 130 Ivy League
Kent State 4-1 129 Mid-American Conference
Louisiana Tech 3-1 128 Conference USA
Drexel 4-1 117 Colonial Athletic Association
Hawaii 4-1 95 Big West Conference
Tennessee Martin 6-1 88 Ohio Valley Conference
Colgate 4-1 85 Patriot League
Western Carolina 4-1 84 Southern Conference
Milwaukee 3-1 70 Horizon League
Northern Colorado 4-1 69 Big Sky Conference
Air Force 3-1 67 Mountain West Conference
Mississippi State 4-1 63 Atlantic 10 Conference
Nicholls State 5-1 43 Southland Conference
Coastal Carolina 4-1 34 Big South Conference
Incarnate Word 3-1 24 Southland Conference
Presbyterian 4-1 16 Big South Conference
Texas Southern 3-1 14 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Florida Gulf Coast 2-1 12 Atlantic Sun Conference
Evansville 2-1 7 Missouri Valley Conference
UT Arlington 3-1 3 Sun Belt Conference
Nebraska Omaha 2-1 1 Summit League

Hello FIU! They received 1 first place vote in the mid-major top 25, which has a lot of unexpected teams at the top. Meanwhile, Hawaii keeps getting more votes and with a good week next week, should break into the mid-major top 25.

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 5-11, 2022

22 games to cover this week, and 1 feature game, so we'll jump right to that.

12/5/22- UConn (Randolph Childress) @ UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- A game between 2 storied franchises that have fallen on a bit of hard times needed extra time to decide. Unfortunately, it wouldn't have needed extra time, but the home cookin was definitely on display in this one. UCLA shot 41 free throws to just 19 for UConn. Without that, it's a completely different game.

Final Score: UCLA- 96, UConn- 84 (OT)

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

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

12/8/22 at #10 Yale (L 79-54).
12/10/22 vs. Rhode Island (L 81-78).

2 losses for the Hawks this week against pretty solid competition. Yale is just 1 of a number of mid-major teams that are having incredible starts. As for the Hawks, they are back to .500.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 3-5, 0-0 American.

12/5/22 at UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

Just the 1 game for the Huskies this week, who got some tough officiating in the loss. 2 more on the road next week.

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

No games this week for Coach Brown and the Golden Hurricane, who will try to put together a winning streak starting next week.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 4-2, 0-0 ACC.

12/7/22 vs. ECU (W 71-61).
12/9/22 vs. Cleveland State (W 75-67).

2 more wins for the Blue Devils as they go into a test next week against an always good Arizona team.

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

12/6/22 vs. Southern Illinois (W 87-74).

The Horned Frogs win their only game this week against a pretty decent Southern Illinois team. A good chance to get a couple more next week and try to build their win total before conference play starts.

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

No games this week for Coach Mighty and the Spartans, who got in some hard practice this week in an attempt to get the team back to their glory days.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 5-1, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/7/22 vs. Western Michigan (W 87-83).
12/11/22 at Toledo (W 83-58).

The Wildcats took care of business this week against MAC teams, including a really tough one against Western Michigan, who has an RPI of 20 right now. Good week for the Cats.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 6-1, 0-0 Big West.

12/7/22 vs. Bowling Green (W 70-51).
12/9/22 vs. Boston College (W 71-61).

2 more wins for the Warriors, who are playing their best, most consistent basketball in a long time. Not gonna jinx it, but....

#15 FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 7-0, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/5/22 at Florida Gulf Coast (W 63-61).
12/9/22 at Miami (W 93-81).

While both games were technically on the road, the Golden Panthers stayed in Florida this week, getting 2 more wins. Can't say enough about the start Coach Hawkins is having at FIU. Next week, their season tournament.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 2-3, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/9/22 at #4 LSU (L 92-80).

Not a bad effort from the Owls in their only game of the week. They fell short to undefeated LSU, but fought back valiantly from a 22 point halftime deficit.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 6-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/6/22 at #3 Syracuse (L 79-50).
12/9/22 vs. Texas (W 81-47).
12/11/22 vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi (W 81-66).

2 out of 3 this week for the Buffaloes, and none of the games were close. They dominated the Texas teams but got dominated by Syracuse. Just not a good showing in that one.

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

12/5/22 at Abilene Christian (W 76-71).
12/7/22 vs. Miami (OH) (W 76-65).

Despite not playing their best, the Cardinal get 2 more wins this week to stay undefeated. Next week a road test at St. Mary's.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 3-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/5/22 vs. UConn- feature game, highlighted above.
12/8/22 vs. Clemson (L 76-74).

Quite honestly, the Bruins probably should have lost both games this week. If not for some favorable officiating against UConn, Coach Shepard could be staring at a 2-5 record instead of 3-4. This just isn't a very good team right now.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 3-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/5/22 vs. Utah Valley (W 66-64).
12/10/22 vs. William & Mary (W 84-83).

2 wins by about the slimmest of margins this week for the Cougars. They are over .500 now, but they've got a tough 3 game stretch against solid mid-majors.

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

12/7/22 vs. Loyola Chicago (W 76-47).

The Crimson Tide needed a blowout victory in their only game this week, because they are about to get tested hardcore. Their next 3 games are on the road against 2 ACC teams and a Big Ten team with a combined record of 18-2 so far.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Dec. 12-18:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. North Carolina (72) 7-0 1800 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Arkansas 8-0 1720 2 Southeastern Conference
3. Syracuse 8-1 1607 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. LSU 9-0 1577 4 Southeastern Conference
5. Notre Dame 7-1 1507 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Alabama 6-0 1413 6 Southeastern Conference
7. Ohio State 6-1 1306 9 Big Ten Conference
8. Iowa State 6-1 1221 12 Big 12 Conference
9. Oklahoma State 8-0 1197 11 Big 12 Conference
10. Yale 9-0 1180 10 Ivy League
11. FIU 7-0 1032 15 Conference USA
12. Stanford 5-0 939 18 Pacific-12 Conference
13. Louisville 5-1 929 17 Atlantic Coast Conference
14. Pacific 7-0 918 16 West Coast Conference
15. Jacksonville State 7-0 776 19 Ohio Valley Conference
16. Florida State 7-1 724 23 Atlantic Coast Conference
17. Old Dominion 5-0 721 22 Conference USA
18. Wisconsin 6-2 658 8 Big Ten Conference
19. Villanova 8-1 569 7 Big East Conference
20. Tulane 8-1 333 NR American Athletic Conference
21. Northern Iowa 7-1 263 NR Missouri Valley Conference
22. Northwestern 5-1 149 NR Big Ten Conference
23. Georgetown 6-2 144 14 Big East Conference
24. UC Riverside 7-1 128 NR Big West Conference
25. Iowa 5-2 107 NR Big Ten Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Stony Brook 7-1 91 America East Conference
Florida 4-1 85 Southeastern Conference
Dayton 6-1 74 Atlantic 10 Conference
TCU 5-1 55 Big 12 Conference
Hawaii 6-1 44 Big West Conference
Nicholls State 7-1 31 Southland Conference
Middle Tennessee 5-1 30 Conference USA
Arizona 5-2 24 Pacific-12 Conference
Western Carolina 5-1 18 Southern Conference
Oakland 5-1 15 Horizon League
Central Arkansas 5-1 4 Southland Conference
North Texas 6-1 4 Conference USA
San Diego State 6-2 4 Mountain West Conference
St. John's 7-2 2 Big East Conference
Missouri 4-1 1 Southeastern Conference

I'm absolutely ecstatic to see so much human representation in the national top 25. Granted, things can and probably will change, but this might be the best start to a season we've had from human coaches. Alabama stays putt, but so did every team in front of them. FIU moves up 4 spots with 2 solid wins, while Stanford didn't play their best but moves up 6 spots. Northwestern jumps into the top 25, and TCU and Hawaii both receiving votes. Good stuff!

Now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Dec. 12-18:


# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Yale (53) 9-0 1773 1 Ivy League
2. FIU (10) 7-0 1726 3 Conference USA
3. Pacific (9) 7-0 1635 4 West Coast Conference
4. Old Dominion 5-0 1612 7 Conference USA
5. Jacksonville State 7-0 1525 5 Ohio Valley Conference
6. Tulane 8-1 1397 16 American Athletic Conference
7. Northern Iowa 7-1 1315 22 Missouri Valley Conference
8. Oakland 5-1 1220 19 Horizon League
9. UC Riverside 7-1 1141 18 Big West Conference
10. Dayton 6-1 1123 17 Atlantic 10 Conference
11. Hawaii 6-1 1021 NR Big West Conference
12. Stony Brook 7-1 942 20 America East Conference
13. North Texas 6-1 920 6 Conference USA
14. Middle Tennessee 5-1 863 23 Conference USA
15. Western Carolina 5-1 737 NR Southern Conference
16. Incarnate Word 5-1 710 NR Southland Conference
17. Nicholls State 7-1 689 NR Southland Conference
18. Central Arkansas 5-1 616 8 Southland Conference
19. Nebraska Omaha 4-1 527 NR Summit League
20. San Diego State 6-2 488 9 Mountain West Conference
21. UT Arlington 4-1 406 NR Sun Belt Conference
22. Boise State 5-2 326 11 Mountain West Conference
23. Davidson 6-2 172 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
24. Western Michigan 7-2 133 13 Mid-American Conference
25. Saint Mary's 6-2 64 NR West Coast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Mercer 7-2 50 Southern Conference
Saint Joseph's 5-2 49 Atlantic 10 Conference
UAB 6-2 45 Conference USA
Wichita State 5-2 37 Missouri Valley Conference
Utah State 5-2 25 Mountain West Conference
Bowling Green 6-2 22 Mid-American Conference
VMI 7-2 19 Southern Conference
Cornell 5-2 18 Ivy League
Long Beach State 6-2 18 Big West Conference
Holy Cross 7-2 14 Patriot League
Loyola Chicago 6-2 7 Missouri Valley Conference
Portland 5-2 5 West Coast Conference
UTEP 4-2 4 Conference USA
Colgate 5-2 3 Patriot League
Western Illinois 3-2 3 Southland Conference

It's still just FIU and Hawaii for human representation in the mid-major poll, but FIU is now receiving 10 FPV. If it wasn't for Yale, then FIU would probably be at the top. Hawaii jumps into the mid-major top 25 after 2 solid wins this week.

[rjolley]

Unfortunately, Coach Sheppard didn't have enough to pay both groups of refs...I mean, his team didn't play well enough...to win both games.

[Breeze]

Go FIU!

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 12-18, 2022

29 games on the schedule this week, and 1 feature game. Let's take a look:

12/16/22- Tulsa (Will Brown) @ TCU (Bee Mighty) -- A tale of 2 halves, as Tulsa lead at halftime but couldn't maintain it. Despite a huge turnover differential (TCU committed 17, Tulsa only 5), TCU shot over 53% to just 37% for Tulsa, and that was enough to get a home victory.

Final Score: TCU- 68, Tulsa- 60

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 5-6, 0-0 America East.

12/13/22 at Sacred Heart (L 66-61).

1 game this week for the Hawks, and it was a road loss. A couple more tough non-conference games before America East play begins.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 3-7, 0-0 American.

12/12/22 at Texas A&M (L 73-68).
12/18/22 at St. John's (L 81-67).

The downward spiral continues for the Huskies, who go into conference play with a very dismal record, but a solid RPI.

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

12/14/22 vs. New Mexico State (L 79-70).
12/16/22 at TCU- feature game, highlighted above.

Tough week for the Golden Hurricane, who also drop 2 games. They kick off their season tournament next week in a feature game against Duke.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 5-3, 0-0 ACC.

12/13/22 at Arizona (L 76-54).
12/16/22 vs. Columbia (W 56-43).

A split for the Blue Devils, who just didn't have anything to bring to Arizona in an old fashioned slaughtering. Even their win over Columbia was a half hearted effort.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 7-1, 0-0 Big 12.

12/12/22 vs. Incarnate Word (W 77-52).
12/16/22 vs. Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.

7 in a row for the Horned Frogs, although the schedule hasn't been majorly tough, all but 2 of their opponents so far have a current RPI better than 100. It gets tougher starting next week though.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 6-3, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/17/22 at Boise State (W 79-78).

It took a buzzer beater to get it done, but the Spartans win their only game of the week. They have a couple non-conference games next week that shouldn't be too challenging.

#22 Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 7-1, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/16/22 at Milwaukee (W 63-55).
12/18/22- Las Vegas Holiday Classic First Round vs. (4) Western Carolina (W 76-63).

2 more wins for the Wildcats, who have won 4 in a row against pretty good mid-major competition. Next week, they've face Drexel in their season tournament championship game.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 9-1, 0-0 Big West.

12/12/22 at Portland (W 64-62).
12/15/22 vs. Stephen F. Austin (W 64-54).
12/18/22 at Penn (W 79-68).

3 wins this week for the Warriors, who have won 7 in a row. A little bit tougher non-conference slate to end the year 2022, then on to the Big West, where they haven't fared well.

#11 FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 8-1, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/14/22- Las Vegas Classic First Round vs. (7) South Florida (W 84-60).
12/16-22- Las Vegas Classic Quarterfinal vs. (2) Gonzaga (L 95-75).

A split for the Golden Panthers, who see their undefeated run come to an end. No shame in losing to Gonzaga though. They'll get next week off then try to start a new winning streak.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 3-5, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/13/22 vs. Northwestern State (L 77-71).
12/16/22 at Texas Southern (L 79-70).
12/18/22 at #9 Oklahoma State (W 81-70).

Crazy week for the Owls, who lose the 2 games they were expected to win, but break a 4 game losing streak by winning at a ranked Oklahoma State team. Hopefully they can keep it going, as more winnable games are upcoming.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 7-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/14/22 vs. Seattle (W 65-57).

Just the 1 game this week for the Buffaloes, but they've won 3 in a row. Next week they have 2 more non-conference games, both against former Big 12 foes, then they jump into conference play.

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

12/13/22 at Central Connecticut (L 61-58).
12/17/22 at St. Mary's (L 63-62).

2 agonizing losses this week for the Cardinal by a combined 4 points. Both on the road. The loss to Central Connecticut is tough to forgive. Next week they start their season tournament.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 5-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/13/22 at UC Irvine (W 72-60).
12/18/22 vs. Brown (W 86-53).

The Bruins move back over .500 with 2 easy victories over subpar opponents, although UC Irvine is proving to be fairly solid to start the season. It continue with a few more winnable non-conference games next week.

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

12/15/22 vs. Portland (L 62-45).
12/17/22 at Nevada (W 61-52).

A split for the Cougars this week against decent competition. Another road-home split next week as both games seem winnable.

#6 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 7-2, 0-0 SEC.

12/13/22 at #1 North Carolina (W 73-68).
12/16/22 at Nebraska (L 85-73).
12/18/22 at #16 Florida State (L 77-66).

A brutal week for the Crimson Tide, losing 2 of 3. It started out promising with a win over #1, but went downhill from there.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Dec. 19-25:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Arkansas (59) 10-0 1787 2 Southeastern Conference
2. Syracuse (12) 10-1 1711 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Notre Dame (1) 9-1 1619 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. LSU 10-0 1576 4 Southeastern Conference
5. North Carolina 8-1 1544 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Ohio State 8-1 1430 7 Big Ten Conference
7. Yale 12-0 1369 10 Ivy League
8. Louisville 7-1 1313 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. Florida State 9-1 1196 16 Atlantic Coast Conference
10. Old Dominion 7-0 1099 17 Conference USA
11. Villanova 10-1 1059 19 Big East Conference
12. Wisconsin 7-2 1000 18 Big Ten Conference
13. Iowa 8-2 757 25 Big Ten Conference
14. Tulane 9-1 744 20 American Athletic Conference
15. Northern Iowa 8-1 639 21 Missouri Valley Conference
16. Hawaii 9-1 623 NR Big West Conference
17. Dayton 8-1 570 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
18. TCU 7-1 517 NR Big 12 Conference
19. FIU 8-1 509 11 Conference USA
20. Northwestern 7-1 475 22 Big Ten Conference
21. Alabama 7-2 429 6 Southeastern Conference
22. Arizona 7-2 327 NR Pacific-12 Conference
23. Oakland 7-1 304 NR Horizon League
24. Jacksonville State 9-1 279 15 Ohio Valley Conference
25. Pacific 7-1 199 14 West Coast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
UC Riverside 7-1 111 Big West Conference
Middle Tennessee 6-1 67 Conference USA
North Texas 7-1 55 Conference USA
Nebraska 5-1 32 Big Ten Conference
St. John's 8-2 27 Big East Conference
Davidson 8-2 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
Missouri 5-1 16 Southeastern Conference
Baylor 8-2 1 Big 12 Conference

Tough week for a couple of our teams, as Alabama drops 15 spots after going 1-2 this week, seems tough to me considering all the games were on the road. What's even more ludicrous is Stanford going from #12 in the nation to losing all their votes after 2 losses by a combined 4 points. FIU also drops 8 spots after their first loss of the season to an always good Gonzaga team. On the other hand, Hawaii and TCU jump into the top 25, while Northwestern rises 2 spots.

And now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Dec. 19-25:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Yale (69) 12-0 1797 1 Ivy League
2. Old Dominion (3) 7-0 1724 4 Conference USA
3. Tulane 9-1 1580 6 American Athletic Conference
4. Oakland 7-1 1500 8 Horizon League
5. FIU 8-1 1493 2 Conference USA
6. Hawaii 9-1 1436 11 Big West Conference
7. Northern Iowa 8-1 1388 7 Missouri Valley Conference
8. Dayton 8-1 1300 10 Atlantic 10 Conference
9. Jacksonville State 9-1 1235 5 Ohio Valley Conference
10. Pacific 7-1 1172 3 West Coast Conference
11. UC Riverside 7-1 1073 9 Big West Conference
12. North Texas 7-1 1039 13 Conference USA
13. Middle Tennessee 6-1 995 14 Conference USA
14. Davidson 8-2 812 23 Atlantic 10 Conference
15. Western Michigan 8-2 789 24 Mid-American Conference
16. Wichita State 7-2 646 NR Missouri Valley Conference
17. Utah State 7-2 612 NR Mountain West Conference
18. Saint Joseph's 7-2 542 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
19. UTEP 6-2 487 NR Conference USA
20. Bowling Green 7-2 397 NR Mid-American Conference
21. VMI 7-2 362 NR Southern Conference
22. Stony Brook 8-2 283 12 America East Conference
23. Mississippi State 6-2 231 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
24. Florida A&M 6-2 109 NR Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
25. BYU 8-3 108 NR West Coast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Western Carolina 6-2 93 Southern Conference
Richmond 6-2 91 Atlantic 10 Conference
Loyola MD 6-2 39 Patriot League
Nicholls State 7-2 29 Southland Conference
Green Bay 8-3 20 Horizon League
Illinois State 8-3 9 Missouri Valley Conference
San Diego State 7-3 9 Mountain West Conference


FIU and Hawaii are still representing our mid-major teams. FIU drops 3 spots, and Hawaii rises 5.

[bbgunn]

Woo-hoo! I'm cautiously optimistic.

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 19-25, 2022

27 games on the schedule this week, with 2 feature games. Let's get to the feature games, which both involve Duke in their season tournament.

12/19/22- Diamond Head Classic First Round - (7) Tulsa (Will Brown) vs. (2) Duke (Dean Hoo) -- After playing a subpar first half, the Blue Devils picked it up in the second half, running away with this one. Of course, it helps when you have a 47-33 rebounding advantage.

Final Score: (2) Duke- 80, (7) Tulsa- 58

12/20/22- Diamond Head Classic Semifinal - (3) Stanford (Benito Sanchez) vs. (2) Duke (Will Brown) -- A huge shooting advantage lifted the Blue Devils to the Diamond Head Championship, as they shot 44.1% to just 36.2% for Stanford.

Final Score: (2) Duke- 64, (3) Stanford- 52

Now we go to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 6-8, 0-1 America East.

12/19/22 at St. Joseph's (L 69-39).
12/21/22 vs. Rutgers (W 80-61).
12/25/22 at UMBC (L 72-57).

An embarrassing loss for the Hawks in their conference opener, losing to a team with an RPI of 344. Not gonna cut it. At least losing to a 2 loss St. Joseph's team is respectable, even if it was by 30. A nice 19 point win over Rutgers though.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 4-7, 1-0 American.

12/21/22 vs. Houston (W 75-59).

Just the 1 game for the Huskies this week, but it was an important one as they get conference play started off on the right foot. In what looks to be a wide open American this season, hopefully they can feed off this win and get it going.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 4-8, 0-0 American.

12/19/22- Diamond Head Classic First Round vs. (2) Duke- feature game, highlighted above.
12/20/22- Diamond Head Classic Consolation Round vs. (6) Butler (L 73-53).
12/22/22- Diamond Head Classic 7th Place Game vs. (4) Florida (W 59-50).
12/25/22 at Eastern Washington (L 82-49).

Not a good week for the Golden Hurricane at all, losing 3 of 4. The win they got was unexpected for sure, which at least salvaged them 7th place in their season tournament. What was even more unexpected was losing by 33 to Eastern Washington. Jeez!

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 8-3, 0-0 ACC.

12/19/22- Diamond Head Classic First Round vs. (7) Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.
12/20/22- Diamond Head Classic Semifinal vs. (3) Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
12/22/22- Diamond Head Classic Championship vs. (5) Richmond (W 64-53).

Great week for the Blue Devils, as they get their first 8 team season tournament championship under Coach Hoo. Couldn't have come at a more important time as they can take some momentum into next week when conference play begins.

#18 TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 8-2, 0-0 Big 12.

12/21/22 at UTEP (W 73-65).
12/23/22 at #4 LSU (L 80-64).

A road split for the Horned Frogs, and it didn't come easy as they played teams with an RPI of 7 and 1, respectively. It won't get any easier, as it's Big 12 time for Coach Mighty and TCU.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 8-3, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/19/22 vs. Creighton (W 77-64).
12/22/22 vs. Illinois Chicago (W 92-60).

A couple of easy victories for the Spartans this week, who have a tough non-conference feature game next week before opening up Big Ten play against a ranked Iowa team.

#20 Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 8-1, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/19/22- Las Vegas Holiday Classic Championship vs. (2) Drexel (W 78-69).

The Wildcats just had the 1 game this week, but it was a good one. They win their 2nd 4 team tournament championship since this dynasty started, and are on a roll as they take a trip through California for a couple non-conference games next week.

#16 Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 9-2, 0-0 Big West.

12/20/22 at New Mexico (L 79-71).

Just 1 game this week for the Warriors, who see their 7 game winning streak snapped, and will look to recovery next week against a couple pretty tough opponents.

#19 FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 8-1, 0-0 Conference USA.

No games this week for Coach Hawkins and the Golden Panthers, as they have 2 more non-conference games next week.

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

12/22/22 vs. Lamar (W 71-54).
12/24/22 at Nebraska Omaha (W 65-61).

The Owls get back to .500 on the season with 2 wins this week, and they get ready to start conference play against a pretty solid lineup.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 8-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/20/22 vs. Kansas (W 68-55).

1 game for the Buffaloes this week, as they take out a former Big 12 rival. Just wanna say, Kansas has fallen on very hard times in this dynasty, as they are just 3-8 this season. Wow!

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 8-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/19/22- Diamond Head Classic First Round vs. (6) Butler (W 71-59).
12/20/22- Diamond Head Classic Semifinal vs. (2) Duke- feature game, highlighted above.
12/22/22- Diamond Head Classic 3rd Place Game vs. (1) Iowa State (W 62-56).
12/25/22 vs. Michigan (W 83-71).

Nice week for the Cardinal who win 3 of 4 and take 3rd place in the Diamond Head Classic. Next week a tough non-conference game before they start Pac 12 play.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 6-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/22/22 vs. George Mason (W 81-58).

Easy win for the Bruins in their only game of the week. Next week starts a 5 game road trip in which the first 2 are non-conference games against Big West teams.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 5-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/22/22 at New Mexico (W 78-71).
12/24/22 vs. Portland State (L 90-63).

A split this week for the Cougars, but not the expected split. Many had them pegged to lose to New Mexico and beat Portland State. I'd like to say they have 2 more very winnable non-conference games next week, but if they lose by 27 to a 2 win (at the time) Portland State team, who knows.

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

12/20/22 vs. Mississippi State (W 95-55).
12/22/22 vs. Memphis (W 81-77).

2 more wins for the Crimson Tide, who absolutely thrashed former SEC foe Mississippi State. A huge non-conference game next week before jumping into SEC play.

Here is a look at the national top 25 heading into the week of Dec. 26-Jan. 1:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Arkansas (38) 10-0 1748 1 Southeastern Conference
2. Syracuse (31) 11-1 1746 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. North Carolina (3) 10-1 1684 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. Notre Dame 9-1 1532 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
5. LSU 11-1 1525 4 Southeastern Conference
6. Louisville 9-1 1379 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Yale 12-0 1365 7 Ivy League
8. Florida State 10-1 1316 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. Wisconsin 9-2 1218 12 Big Ten Conference
10. Old Dominion 10-0 1209 10 Conference USA
11. Iowa 9-2 1003 13 Big Ten Conference
12. Ohio State 8-2 998 6 Big Ten Conference
13. Alabama 9-2 922 21 Southeastern Conference
14. Northwestern 8-1 826 20 Big Ten Conference
15. UC Riverside 10-1 693 NR Big West Conference
16. Arizona 8-2 684 22 Pacific-12 Conference
17. FIU 8-1 662 19 Conference USA
18. North Texas 9-1 542 NR Conference USA
19. Villanova 11-2 496 11 Big East Conference
20. Missouri 7-1 493 NR Southeastern Conference
21. St. John's 10-2 335 NR Big East Conference
22. Middle Tennessee 7-1 322 NR Conference USA
23. Baylor 9-2 235 NR Big 12 Conference
24. Davidson 9-2 119 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
25. Oklahoma State 11-2 108 NR Big 12 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Georgetown 9-3 70 Big East Conference
Wichita State 9-2 44 Missouri Valley Conference
Tulane 9-2 31 American Athletic Conference
Utah State 8-2 22 Mountain West Conference
Stony Brook 11-2 21 America East Conference
Saint Joseph's 9-2 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
TCU 8-2 14 Big 12 Conference
Hawaii 9-2 10 Big West Conference
Western Michigan 9-2 8 Mid-American Conference
Pacific 8-2 3 West Coast Conference
Northern Iowa 9-2 2 Missouri Valley Conference
Oakland 8-2 1 Horizon League

All 5 FOFC teams that received votes last week are receiving votes this week. Alabama moves up 8 spots in the top 25, while Northwestern moves up 6 spots. FIU, which didn't play, moves up 2 spots. Hawaii and TCU drop out of the national top 25 but are still receiving votes.

Now for the mid-major top 25 for the week of Dec. 26-Jan. 1:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Yale (61) 12-0 1789 1 Ivy League
2. Old Dominion (11) 10-0 1739 2 Conference USA
3. FIU 8-1 1632 5 Conference USA
4. UC Riverside 10-1 1563 11 Big West Conference
5. North Texas 9-1 1506 12 Conference USA
6. Middle Tennessee 7-1 1409 13 Conference USA
7. Wichita State 9-2 1323 16 Missouri Valley Conference
8. Western Michigan 9-2 1225 15 Mid-American Conference
9. Davidson 9-2 1168 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
10. Oakland 8-2 1132 4 Horizon League
11. Northern Iowa 9-2 991 7 Missouri Valley Conference
12. Saint Joseph's 9-2 988 18 Atlantic 10 Conference
13. Tulane 9-2 974 3 American Athletic Conference
14. Hawaii 9-2 888 6 Big West Conference
15. Utah State 8-2 867 17 Mountain West Conference
16. Stony Brook 11-2 773 22 America East Conference
17. Dayton 8-2 715 8 Atlantic 10 Conference
18. Pacific 8-2 647 10 West Coast Conference
19. San Diego State 9-3 524 NR Mountain West Conference
20. Mercer 10-3 300 NR Southern Conference
21. Fresno State 8-3 288 NR Mountain West Conference
22. UAB 8-3 220 NR Conference USA
23. UTEP 7-3 164 19 Conference USA
24. Portland 8-3 132 NR West Coast Conference
25. Bowling Green 8-3 68 20 Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Long Beach State 8-3 66 Big West Conference
Holy Cross 9-3 59 Patriot League
Richmond 8-3 41 Atlantic 10 Conference
Kent State 8-3 39 Mid-American Conference
Rhode Island 7-3 36 Atlantic 10 Conference
VMI 8-3 30 Southern Conference
Jacksonville State 9-3 27 Ohio Valley Conference
Loyola Chicago 8-3 25 Missouri Valley Conference
Northern Colorado 8-3 10 Big Sky Conference
Western Carolina 8-3 10 Southern Conference
UC Davis 6-3 7 Big West Conference
BYU 9-4 6 West Coast Conference
Cal Poly 6-3 6 Big West Conference
Massachusetts 7-3 6 Atlantic 10 Conference
Illinois State 10-4 5 Missouri Valley Conference
Eastern Michigan 8-3 2 Mid-American Conference

Still just FIU and Hawaii representing us in the mid-major top 25. FIU moves up 2 posts in this poll as well, without playing. Meanwhile, Hawaii has a bad drop of 8 spots after their loss to New Mexico.

[law90026]

Duke finally putting a run together

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 26, 2022-Jan. 1, 2023

23 games to cover this week, including a huge feature game which we'll jump right into.

12/30/22- #13 Alabama (Roy Rogers) @ Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- Ugly shooting all around for the Crimson Tide in this one. While Michigan State didn't shoot great, they did shoot well enough to pull out a huge home victory going into conference play.

Final Score: Michigan State- 75, #13 Alabama- 67

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 6-10, 0-3 America East.

12/28/22 vs. UMass Lowell (L 76-70).
1/1/23 vs. Maine (L 75-63).

2 more losses for the Hawks, who have lost 7 of their last 8 and aren't showing too many signs of life lately.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 5-8, 2-1 American.

12/28/22 at Temple (L 73-69).
12/31/22 at ECU (W 62-42).

A split for the Huskies this week, as they drop a tough one at Temple. Still a wide open conference, but they have to find consistency.

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

12/28/22 vs. UCF (L 68-56).

Just 1 game this week for the Golden Hurricane, and it was another loss. They have lost 6 of 7, with quite a few blowouts mixed in.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 9-4, 1-0 ACC.

12/26/22 vs. Vanderbilt (L 72-61).
12/31/22 vs. N.C. State (W 71-51).

The Blue Devils split this week at home, losing their final non-conference game, but getting a nice start to conference play. A couple winnable games next week before the schedule toughens up.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 9-3, 1-1 Big 12.

12/26/22 vs. Oklahoma (L 77-68).
12/31/22 vs. West Virginia (W 75-51).

A split for the Horned Frogs at home, and next week a tough road stretch as they face 2 of the top Big 12 teams.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 9-3, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/30/22 vs. #13 Alabama- feature game, highlighted above.

Big win for the Spartans in their final non-conference test. They start Big Ten play with a bang, facing a top 10 team.

#14 Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 9-2, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/26/22 at Cal State Northridge (L 86-73).
12/31/22 at #15 UC Riverside (W 86-77).

A west coast split for the Wildcats, who would have liked to have gotten both, but 9 wins in conference play is encouraging. Now to conference play which hasn't been so kind.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 10-3, 0-0 Big West.

12/26/22 at St. Louis (L 72-62).
12/31/22 vs. Mississippi State (W 66-53).

A split for the Warriors, who lost on the road but won at home. Conference play starts next week, and this is their chance to prove they can be a contender this season.

#17 FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 9-2, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/26/22 vs. Cal Poly (L 103-97).
12/29/22 vs. Mississippi State (W 80-70).

The Golden Panthers split 2 home games this week, losing a shootout to a good Cal Poly team. They open conference play with a top 25 battle next week.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 5-6, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/26/22 at UT Arlington (L 82-74).

Just 1 game for the Owls this week, and it was another loss to fall back under .500.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 8-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/26/22 vs. Texas A&M (L 69-62).

The Buffaloes lose their only game this week against another former Big 12 foe. Now they jump into conference play starting next week.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 8-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/27/22 at #5 LSU (L 55-47).

Just 1 game for the Cardinal this week, and they lose a low scoring battle. Tough one to lose, they had the lead at halftime. To top things off, they have to start conference play against Arizona next week. Yeck!

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 7-5, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/26/22 at UC Santa Barbara (L 72-70).
12/28/22 at Long Beach State (W 87-60).

A split for the Bruins in their 2 game swing through the Big West conference. A tough loss at UCSB, they needed to win both this week to build momentum going into Pac 12 play.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 7-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/28/22 vs. Chicago State (W 84-62).
12/31/22 at Troy (W 77-59).

A couple dominating performances this week for the Cougars, including a whomping of Coach Hawkins' former team, Troy. Now the grind of Pac 12 play begins.

#13 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 9-3, 0-0 SEC.

12/30/22 at Michigan State- feature game, highlighted above.

Just 1 game for the Crimson Tide, who lost a tough one at Michigan State. If they would have shot better, the result could have been different.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Jan. 2-8:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Syracuse (72) 13-1 1800 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Notre Dame 11-1 1716 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Arkansas 11-1 1645 1 Southeastern Conference
4. North Carolina 11-2 1560 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
5. LSU 12-1 1519 5 Southeastern Conference
6. Wisconsin 10-2 1468 9 Big Ten Conference
7. Louisville 10-2 1309 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Iowa 10-2 1239 11 Big Ten Conference
9. Yale 13-1 1197 7 Ivy League
10. Arizona 10-2 1118 16 Pacific-12 Conference
11. Villanova 13-2 1079 19 Big East Conference
12. Georgetown 10-3 1059 NR Big East Conference
13. Florida State 10-2 917 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
14. Old Dominion 10-1 891 10 Conference USA
15. North Texas 10-1 805 18 Conference USA
16. Oklahoma State 12-2 665 25 Big 12 Conference
17. Ohio State 9-3 541 12 Big Ten Conference
18. Western Michigan 11-2 537 NR Mid-American Conference
19. Northwestern 9-2 413 14 Big Ten Conference
20. Alabama 9-3 361 13 Southeastern Conference
21. Dayton 10-2 284 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
22. Saint Joseph's 10-2 263 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
23. Stony Brook 13-2 262 NR America East Conference
24. San Diego State 11-3 227 NR Mountain West Conference
25. FIU 9-2 114 17 Conference USA

Others Receiving Votes:
Virginia 9-3 109 Atlantic Coast Conference
UC Riverside 10-2 81 Big West Conference
Nebraska 8-2 67 Big Ten Conference
California 8-3 53 Pacific-12 Conference
Pacific 9-2 46 West Coast Conference
Missouri 8-2 25 Southeastern Conference
Middle Tennessee 8-2 20 Conference USA
Baylor 10-3 8 Big 12 Conference
Wichita State 10-3 2 Missouri Valley Conference

These polls were not kind to our FOFC teams. Northwestern dropped 5 spots, Alabama dropped 7 spots, and FIU dropped 8 spots after losses this week. TCU and Hawaii are no longer receiving votes.

Now for the mid-major top 25 heading into the week of Jan. 2-8:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Yale (68) 13-1 1796 1 Ivy League
2. Old Dominion (3) 10-1 1699 2 Conference USA
3. North Texas (1) 10-1 1612 5 Conference USA
4. Western Michigan 11-2 1579 8 Mid-American Conference
5. Saint Joseph's 10-2 1438 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. FIU 9-2 1418 3 Conference USA
7. Dayton 10-2 1355 17 Atlantic 10 Conference
8. Stony Brook 13-2 1285 16 America East Conference
9. San Diego State 11-3 1206 19 Mountain West Conference
10. UC Riverside 10-2 1139 4 Big West Conference
11. Pacific 9-2 1099 18 West Coast Conference
12. Middle Tennessee 8-2 978 6 Conference USA
13. Wichita State 10-3 972 7 Missouri Valley Conference
14. Portland 10-3 790 24 West Coast Conference
15. Bowling Green 10-3 729 25 Mid-American Conference
16. Oakland 9-3 679 10 Horizon League
17. Northern Iowa 10-3 559 11 Missouri Valley Conference
18. Tulane 10-3 506 13 American Athletic Conference
19. Davidson 9-3 477 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
20. UAB 9-3 448 22 Conference USA
21. Hawaii 10-3 389 14 Big West Conference
22. Holy Cross 11-3 361 NR Patriot League
23. Richmond 9-3 268 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
24. Utah State 9-3 262 15 Mountain West Conference
25. Illinois State 12-4 218 NR Missouri Valley Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Cal Poly 8-3 69 Big West Conference
Western Carolina 10-3 52 Southern Conference
Bradley 10-4 11 Missouri Valley Conference
Northern Colorado 8-3 6 Big Sky Conference

It's still just FIU and Hawaii receiving votes for our FOFC mid-major teams. Both are losing ground, but still receiving a lot of votes.

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 2-8, 2023

29 games on the schedule this week, and 1 feature game, so let's get to it.

1/7/23- Washington State (DeShawn St. John) @ Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- A tale of 2 halves in this one, as the Cougars led at halftime but couldn't hold on, as Stanford shot lights out in the 2nd half to roll to victory.

Final Score: Stanford- 81, Washington State- 66

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 8-10, 2-3 America East.

1/4/23 at #23 Stony Brook (W 69-60).
1/8/23 vs. Binghamton (W 74-67).

A couple much needed wins for the Hawks, including a huge road win over what was a ranked Stony Brook team that is 13-4 on the season. Next week they go on the road for 2 games.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 6-9, 3-2 American.

1/4/23 at UCF (W 64-44).
1/7/23 vs. South Florida (L 72-49).

A split for the Huskies this week and both games were blowouts. Winning on the road, losing at home.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 6-9, 2-1 American.

1/4/23 vs. SMU (W 83-69).
1/7/23 at Memphis (W 61-59).

2 solid wins for the Golden Hurricane over 2 teams that are usually at the top in the American.

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

1/4/23 at Miami (W 70-65, OT).
1/7/23 at Georgia Tech (L 59-51).

A split for the Blue Devils, who go into a tough stretch now, facing 4 ranked opponents in their next 5 games.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 11-3, 3-1 Big 12.

1/2/23 at Baylor (W 55-51).
1/7/23 at #16 Oklahoma State (W 75-59).

Big week for the Horned Frogs, beating 2 very good teams. Things are a little easier for the next few games, or at least they should be.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 10-4, 1-1 Big Ten.

1/4/23 at #8 Iowa (W 93-72).
1/7/23 vs. Maryland (L 75-64).

A weird week for the Spartans, who blow out a top 10 Iowa on the road, but go back home and lose to a sub .500 Maryland team. Their next 4 games are against teams just at .500.

#19 Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 10-3, 1-1 Big Ten.

1/4/23 vs. Indiana (W 67-64).
1/7/23 at Illinois (L 69-47).

A split for the Wildcats, and a bad loss at Illinois. Their next 3 games should be pretty tough.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 10-5, 0-2 Big West.

1/5/23 at Cal State Northridge (L 91-70).
1/7/23 at UC Santa Barbara (L 79-78).

2 losses for the Warriors, as they are into conference play which has always been a tough spot for them. It won't get easier next week, as they play 2 more strong teams.

#25 FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 10-3, 1-1 Conference USA.

1/5/23 vs. #14 Old Dominion (W 87-84).
1/7/23 at South Dakota State (L 70-67).

A split to open conference play for the Golden Panthers. They got a nice win over a ranked Old Dominion team, but lost a tough one to new conference member SD State. 2 more winnable games next week.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 7-6, 2-0 Conference USA.

1/5/23 vs. Middle Tennessee (W 69-52).
1/7/23 at Marshall (W 65-59).

A promising start to conference play for the Owls, who are now over .500 overall, but a tough week coming up next week.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 10-4, 2-0 Pac 12.

1/5/23 at Washington (W 65-55).
1/7/23 vs. Gonzaga (W 76-62).

Good week for the Buffaloes, who start conference play on a good note and look to build on that next week against a .500 team and a sub-.500 team.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 9-5, 1-1 Pac 12.

1/5/23 vs. #10 Arizona (L 74-65).
1/7/23 vs. Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Cardinal, who had to go against a hot Arizona team, but broke a 2 game losing streak by beating Washington State.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 8-6, 1-1 Pac 12.

1/5/23 at Arizona State (W 69-61).
1/7/23 at Washington (L 90-67).

Another split for the Bruins, who are definitely underperforming this season. A tough week next week as they take on 2 of the top conference teams right now.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 7-6, 0-2 Pac 12.

1/5/23 vs. Oregon State (L 79-72).
1/7/23 at Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.

2 losses for the Cougars, who might have a tough time winning games now that they are in conference play, but they have a couple fair chances next week.

#20 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 10-4, 1-1 SEC.

1/4/23 at Texas A&M (W 78-63).
1/7/23 vs. Florida (L 55-53).

A split for the Crimson Tide, who lost a heartbreaker to Florida. Next week they have to take on a top 5 Arkansas team.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Jan. 9-15:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Syracuse (71) 15-1 1799 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Notre Dame (1) 13-1 1729 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Wisconsin 12-2 1656 6 Big Ten Conference
4. Arkansas 12-2 1514 3 Southeastern Conference
5. North Carolina 12-3 1457 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Georgetown 12-3 1417 12 Big East Conference
7. Arizona 12-2 1416 10 Pacific-12 Conference
8. LSU 13-2 1365 5 Southeastern Conference
9. Florida State 12-2 1241 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
10. Louisville 11-3 1133 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Western Michigan 13-2 1062 18 Mid-American Conference
12. Yale 14-2 998 9 Ivy League
13. Missouri 10-2 925 NR Southeastern Conference
14. UC Riverside 12-2 805 NR Big West Conference
15. Old Dominion 11-2 778 14 Conference USA
16. Ohio State 10-4 674 17 Big Ten Conference
17. North Texas 11-2 640 15 Conference USA
18. TCU 11-3 532 NR Big 12 Conference
19. Oakland 11-3 372 NR Horizon League
20. Iowa 10-4 365 8 Big Ten Conference
21. San Diego State 12-4 275 24 Mountain West Conference
22. Northwestern 10-3 248 19 Big Ten Conference
23. Saint Joseph's 11-3 242 22 Atlantic 10 Conference
24. Davidson 11-3 168 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
25. Alabama 10-4 151 20 Southeastern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Richmond 11-3 114 Atlantic 10 Conference
Villanova 13-4 110 Big East Conference
Dayton 11-3 63 Atlantic 10 Conference
FIU 10-3 45 Conference USA
California 9-4 42 Pacific-12 Conference
Virginia 10-4 26 Atlantic Coast Conference
Nebraska 9-3 19 Big Ten Conference
Baylor 11-4 9 Big 12 Conference
Colorado 10-4 5 Pacific-12 Conference
Middle Tennessee 9-3 2 Conference USA
Loyola Chicago 11-4 1 Missouri Valley Conference
Oklahoma State 12-4 1 Big 12 Conference
Vanderbilt 10-4 1 Southeastern Conference

Northwestern and Alabama both lose a few spots in the top 25, while TCU is back in with 2 big victories this week. FIU also falls out after their loss, and Colorado is receiving a few votes.

And now for the mid-major top 25 heading into the week of Jan. 9-15:


# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Western Michigan (37) 13-2 1762 4 Mid-American Conference
2. Yale (32) 14-2 1757 1 Ivy League
3. Old Dominion (1) 11-2 1601 2 Conference USA
4. UC Riverside (2) 12-2 1565 10 Big West Conference
5. North Texas 11-2 1483 3 Conference USA
6. Oakland 11-3 1409 16 Horizon League
7. Saint Joseph's 11-3 1342 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
8. FIU 10-3 1253 6 Conference USA
9. Richmond 11-3 1197 23 Atlantic 10 Conference
10. Dayton 11-3 1163 7 Atlantic 10 Conference
11. Davidson 11-3 1133 19 Atlantic 10 Conference
12. San Diego State 12-4 1104 9 Mountain West Conference
13. Wichita State 11-4 875 13 Missouri Valley Conference
14. Middle Tennessee 9-3 863 12 Conference USA
15. Portland 11-4 723 14 West Coast Conference
16. Bowling Green 11-4 607 15 Mid-American Conference
17. Illinois State 13-5 558 25 Missouri Valley Conference
18. Mercer 13-4 513 NR Southern Conference
19. Loyola Chicago 11-4 400 NR Missouri Valley Conference
20. Tulane 11-4 377 18 American Athletic Conference
21. UAB 10-4 349 20 Conference USA
22. Holy Cross 12-4 219 22 Patriot League
23. Utah State 10-4 171 24 Mountain West Conference
24. BYU 12-5 166 NR West Coast Conference
25. Milwaukee 10-4 159 NR Horizon League

Others Receiving Votes:
Stony Brook 13-4 113 America East Conference
Green Bay 12-5 91 Horizon League
Cal Poly 9-4 76 Big West Conference
Northern Kentucky 12-4 74 Sun Belt Conference
Akron 10-4 62 Mid-American Conference
Western Kentucky 10-4 57 Conference USA
VMI 11-4 49 Southern Conference
UC Irvine 11-5 37 Big West Conference
Pacific 9-4 35 West Coast Conference
Western Carolina 11-4 28 Southern Conference
Indiana State 11-5 13 Missouri Valley Conference
Bradley 11-5 12 Missouri Valley Conference
Cincinnati 11-5 2 American Athletic Conference
Northern Arizona 8-4 2 Big Sky Conference


Just FIU remains in the mid-major top 25, Hawaii has lost all their votes after 2 losses this week.

[bbgunn]

firecoachgunn.com is starting to get some more hits.

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 9-15, 2023

27 games on the schedule this week, and 2 feature games. We'll start in the American.

1/11/23- Tulsa (Will Brown) @ UConn (Randolph Childress) -- A big game for both teams, but it was Tulsa who came out on top, taking advantage of 14 UConn turnovers and getting to the line more often to get a big road win.

Final Score: Tulsa- 62, UConn- 53

Now we move to the Pac 12:

1/12/23- UCLA (Tim Shepard) @ Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- The Cardinal were lights out from the three point line, hitting 14 treys and also going 20-31 from the line as they keep the UCLA tailspin going.

Final Score: Stanford- 84, UCLA- 75

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 9-11, 3-4 America East.

1/13/23 at New Hampshire (W 72-68).
1/15/23 at Albany (L 79-75).

A couple tight road games for the Hawks, as they split and both margins of victory were 4 points. The loss to Albany broke a 3 game winning streak.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 7-10, 4-3 American.

1/11/23 vs. Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.
1/14/23 at Memphis (W 76-70).

A split this week for the Huskies, as they get an important road win at Memphis as they go into a tough 3 game stretch which involves at least 1 ranked team.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 8-9, 4-1 American.

1/11/23 at UConn- feature game, highlighted above.
1/14/23 vs. Temple (W 91-65).

2 more wins for the Golden Hurricane who are rolling to start conference play. A big showdown next week with a 12 win Cincinnati team.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 10-6, 2-2 ACC.

1/14/23 at #5 North Carolina (L 79-44).

1 game this week for the Blue Devils, and they get crushed in a rivalry game, still 2 more games that will be tough before they get back to the easier part of the schedule.

#18 TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 11-5, 3-2 Big 12.

1/9/23 at South Dakota (L 59-53).
1/14/23 vs. Iowa State (L 83-64).

A couple losses this week for the Horned Frogs, including an embarrassing non-conference loss on the road against a 5 win team. Definitely not the kind of momentum they wanted, but still a few winnable games coming up.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 11-5, 2-2 Big Ten.

1/11/23 vs. Michigan (W 81-74).
1/14/23 at Illinois (L 70-62).

A split this week for the Spartans, who are still trying to regain the glory and consistency they once had. They better figure it out soon, because another tough part of the schedule is upcoming.

#22 Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 11-4, 2-2 Big Ten.

1/11/23 at #20 Iowa (L 89-66).
1/14/23 at Purdue (W 85-78).

Another split for the Wildcats, who clearly weren't prepared to face Iowa. They'll need a better showing next time.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 11-6, 1-3 Big West.

1/10/23 vs. Long Beach State (W 77-58).
1/14/23 vs. #14 UC Riverside (L 93-91).

All in all, a good week for the Warriors, who come out with a split but could have easily won both this week if not for a late game collapse against Riverside. We'll see what next week brings with 2 winnable road games.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 12-3, 3-1 Conference USA.

1/12/23 vs. Southern Miss (W 80-72).
1/14/23 vs. Marshall (W 113-95).

2 more wins for the Golden Panthers, who continue their hot start, and man can they put up some points!

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 7-8, 2-2 Conference USA.

1/12/23 at #17 North Texas (L 80-73).
1/14/23 vs. South Dakota State (L 68-59).

The Owls fall back under .500 overall with 2 conference losses, but a good effort against North Texas. Unfortunately, 2 more ranked C-USA foes await them next week.

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

1/12/23 vs. Oregon State (W 61-53).
1/14/23 vs. Utah (W 60-40).

2 more wins for the Buffaloes who have a great start to conference play, but we'll find out a lot more about them in the coming weeks as the schedule toughness really increases.

Stanford (Rob Nielsen) -- 11-5, 3-1 Pac 12.

1/12/23 vs. UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.
1/14/23 at Oregon (W 79-70).

2 more wins for the Cardinal, after a conference opening loss. They continue the road trip next week.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 8-8, 1-3 Pac 12.

1/12/23 at Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
1/14/23 vs. #7 Arizona (L 92-74).

2 more losses for the Bruins, who are just shellshocked right now. They have chances to get their season back on track starting next week, and they'll need to pick it up.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 9-6, 2-2 Pac 12.

1/12/23 at Utah (W 63-60).
1/14/23 vs. Gonzaga (W 73-57).

Good week for the Cougars who get 2 wins, including a nice win over a tough Gonzaga team. In just 4 conference games, they already have almost as many conference wins as they did last season.

#25 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 11-5, 2-2 SEC.

1/11/23 vs. #4 Arkansas (W 66-58).
1/14/23 at Auburn (L 72-66).

A split for the Crimson Tide, who expended a lot of energy in an upset over Arkansas, and didn't have enough in the tank to go to Auburn and win too.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Jan. 16-22:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Syracuse (72) 17-1 1800 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Notre Dame 15-1 1719 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Wisconsin 14-2 1665 3 Big Ten Conference
4. North Carolina 14-3 1573 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
5. Florida State 14-2 1504 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Arizona 14-2 1451 7 Pacific-12 Conference
7. Arkansas 13-3 1351 4 Southeastern Conference
8. Georgetown 13-4 1279 6 Big East Conference
9. LSU 14-3 1205 8 Southeastern Conference
10. Louisville 12-4 1153 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Old Dominion 13-2 1035 15 Conference USA
12. UC Riverside 14-2 1023 14 Big West Conference
13. North Texas 13-2 916 17 Conference USA
14. Yale 15-3 802 12 Ivy League
15. Richmond 13-3 688 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
16. Villanova 14-4 634 NR Big East Conference
17. Baylor 13-4 587 NR Big 12 Conference
18. California 11-4 587 NR Pacific-12 Conference
19. Virginia 12-4 432 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
20. FIU 12-3 425 NR Conference USA
21. Ohio State 11-5 411 16 Big Ten Conference
22. Iowa 11-5 263 20 Big Ten Conference
23. BYU 14-5 231 NR West Coast Conference
24. Colorado 12-4 154 NR Pacific-12 Conference
25. Western Michigan 13-4 91 11 Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Oklahoma State 14-4 73 Big 12 Conference
Alabama 11-5 67 Southeastern Conference
Wichita State 13-4 55 Missouri Valley Conference
Davidson 12-4 49 Atlantic 10 Conference
San Diego State 13-5 43 Mountain West Conference
Tulane 13-4 33 American Athletic Conference
Mercer 15-4 29 Southern Conference
Saint Joseph's 12-4 28 Atlantic 10 Conference
Northwestern 11-4 15 Big Ten Conference
Oakland 12-4 15 Horizon League
St. John's 13-5 6 Big East Conference
UC Irvine 13-5 3 Big West Conference
Nebraska 10-4 2 Big Ten Conference
UAB 12-4 2 Conference USA
Western Carolina 13-4 1 Southern Conference

FIU and Colorado jump into the top 25, while Alabama and Northwestern fall out after losses this week. TCU, which lost twice, also lost all their votes.

Now here is a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Jan. 16-22:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Old Dominion (35) 13-2 1758 3 Conference USA
2. UC Riverside (14) 14-2 1674 4 Big West Conference
3. Yale (12) 15-3 1656 2 Ivy League
4. North Texas (11) 13-2 1582 5 Conference USA
5. Richmond 13-3 1509 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. FIU 12-3 1476 8 Conference USA
7. Wichita State 13-4 1322 13 Missouri Valley Conference
8. Western Michigan 13-4 1203 1 Mid-American Conference
9. BYU 14-5 1098 24 West Coast Conference
10. Oakland 12-4 1087 6 Horizon League
11. Saint Joseph's 12-4 1041 7 Atlantic 10 Conference
12. Davidson 12-4 1035 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
13. Tulane 13-4 1023 20 American Athletic Conference
14. UAB 12-4 889 21 Conference USA
15. San Diego State 13-5 806 12 Mountain West Conference
16. Mercer 15-4 787 18 Southern Conference
17. Milwaukee 12-4 686 25 Horizon League
18. UC Irvine 13-5 594 NR Big West Conference
19. Portland 12-5 387 15 West Coast Conference
20. Illinois State 14-6 386 17 Missouri Valley Conference
21. Western Carolina 13-4 344 NR Southern Conference
22. Cincinnati 12-5 314 NR American Athletic Conference
23. Middle Tennessee 10-4 245 14 Conference USA
24. Kent State 12-5 133 NR Mid-American Conference
25. Loyola Chicago 12-5 131 19 Missouri Valley Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Rhode Island 11-5 73 Atlantic 10 Conference
Boise State 11-6 42 Mountain West Conference
Utah State 11-5 33 Mountain West Conference
Cal Poly 11-5 26 Big West Conference
Green Bay 13-6 21 Horizon League
Dayton 11-5 10 Atlantic 10 Conference
VMI 12-5 9 Southern Conference
Stony Brook 13-5 7 America East Conference
Bradley 12-6 5 Missouri Valley Conference
Indiana State 12-6 4 Missouri Valley Conference
Towson 11-5 3 Colonial Athletic Association
Akron 11-5 1 Mid-American Conference

FIU is the only team still represented in the mid-major top 25, and they've jumped up 2 spots.

[vex]

A nice surprising start to conference play for Tulsa.

[Coffee Warlord]

Watch the Buffs get snubbed somehow for the tourney again.

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 16-22, 2023

26 games on the schedule this week, with 3 feature games, 2 of them involving UCLA. So let's get to it, but we start in Conference USA.

1/19/23- #20 FIU (Brett Hawkins) @ Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- FIU took full advantage of Rice's 20 turnovers, despite being outshot, they were able to get a lot of fast breaks and three point plays to pull out the road victory.

Final Score: #20 FIU- 77, Rice- 65

Now we move to the Pac 12:

1/19/23- Washington State (DeShawn St. John) @ UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- UCLA may be on a down slide, but they were getting the Cougars at the right time. Washington State shot just 31.6% and trailed by 18 at the half. It was smooth sailing from there for the Bruins.

Final Score: UCLA- 79, Washington State- 51

1/21/23- #24 Colorado (Rob Nielsen) @ UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- A spirited game, with both teams badly needing a win. Unfortunately, 1 team shot lights out (Colorado) and the other team didn't (UCLA). Despite the Bruins hitting 13 three pointers, it wasn't enough to make up for the rest of their shooting struggles as Colorado picks up a marquee road win.

Final Score: #24 Colorado- 83, UCLA- 79

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 10-11, 4-4 America East.

1/22/23 at UMass Lowell (W 83-68).

Just 1 game this week for the Hawks, but it was a win, evening their conference record.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 7-12, 4-4 American.

1/17/23 at Seton Hall (L 56-48).
1/21/23 vs. Tulane (L 64-49).

Tough week for the Huskies, as they lose twice, 1 of them a key non-conference game. Coach Childress has just not had it easy since moving to Connecticut.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 8-11, 4-3 American.

1/18/23 vs. Cincinnati (L 93-82).
1/21/23 at ECU (L 87-83).

2 losses for the Golden Hurricane, who now look like just a regular team after a hot conference start.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 11-7, 3-3 ACC.

1/18/23 vs. #10 Louisville (W 86-77).
1/21/23 vs. #1 Syracuse (L 78-37).

Definitely a Jekyll and Hyde week for the Blue Devils, who picked up a big win against Louisville, then apparently got overconfident, because they didn't show up against Syracuse, scoring just 16 second half points.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 11-7, 3-4 Big 12.

1/16/23 vs. Texas (L 86-78).
1/21/23 vs. Kansas State (L 64-54).

2 more losses for the Horned Frogs, who have now lost 4 in a row since beating both Baylor and Okie State on the road.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 12-6, 3-3 Big Ten.

1/18/23 vs. Illinois (W 73-61).
1/21/23 at Penn State (L 88-78).

Another conference split for the Spartans, who are just struggling to find consistency. Coach Mighty might want to start building his resume, as his seat gets hotter by the minute.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 12-5, 3-3 Big Ten.

1/18/23 vs. Purdue (L 82-72).
1/21/23 vs. Minnesota (W 71-67).

A split for the Wildcats who have also split all 3 weeks in conference play so far. Unlike Michigan State, their expectations are much lower.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 12-7, 2-4 Big West.

1/19/23 at Cal Poly (W 66-58).
1/21/23 at UC Davis (L 87-74).

A split for the Warriors, and Coach Gunn's seat is also getting hotter by the minute. As well as firecoachgunn.com up and running full blast again.

#20 FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 14-3, 5-1 Conference USA.

1/19/23 at Rice- feature game, highlighted above.
1/21/23 vs. Middle Tennessee (W 82-78).

2 more wins for the Golden Panthers as they move into their big rematch next week with Old Dominion, a game that could very well go a long way in deciding the regular season champion.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 8-9, 3-3 Conference USA.

1/19/23 vs. #20 FIU- feature game, highlighted above.
1/21/23 vs. #11 Old Dominion (W 83-74).

A split for the Owls, and they certainly didn't help out FIU, as Old Dominion will be even more fired up for that game next week. Regardless, the Owls get a big wins but still have a brutal 4 game stretch coming up.

#24 Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 13-5, 5-1 Pac 12.

1/19/23 at #6 Arizona (L 78-64).
1/21/23 at UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Buffaloes, who have to be disappointed in the effort at Arizona. They had a chance to really make a statement there. Still, beating UCLA, even in their down year, is an accomplishment.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 13-5, 5-1 Pac 12.

1/19/23 at Arizona State (W 74-72).
1/21/23 at Utah (W 65-62).

2 tough, grind em out road victories this week for the Cardinal, with 2 tests coming up next week against Colorado and Gonzaga.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 9-9, 2-4 Pac 12.

1/19/23 vs. Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.
1/21/23 vs. Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.

The Bruins still have a lot of work to do this season. Beating Washington State, even though they are having a decent year, is nothing to brag about. Fortunately they have a good chance to pick up a couple wins next week as they face the Oregon teams.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 10-7, 3-3 Pac 12.

1/19/23 at UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.
1/21/23 vs. Arizona State (W 75-70).

A split for the Cougars, who have already won just as many conference games as they did all of last season. Don't expect any wins next week though as they go on the road to face Cal and Arizona.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 13-5, 4-2 SEC.

1/18/23 at Florida (W 66-61).
1/21/23 vs. South Carolina (W 75-57).

2 bounce back wins for the Crimson Tide after a loss last week. 2 much needed wins as they have it tough in their next few games.

Here's a look at the national top 25 heading into the week of Jan. 23-29:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Syracuse (71) 19-1 1799 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Notre Dame (1) 17-1 1729 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Wisconsin 15-3 1646 3 Big Ten Conference
4. Florida State 16-2 1542 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
5. Arkansas 15-3 1515 7 Southeastern Conference
6. North Carolina 15-4 1459 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Georgetown 15-4 1381 8 Big East Conference
8. Arizona 15-3 1311 6 Pacific-12 Conference
9. Ohio State 13-5 1117 21 Big Ten Conference
10. LSU 15-4 1113 9 Southeastern Conference
11. UC Riverside 16-2 1079 12 Big West Conference
12. Virginia 14-4 981 19 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. Louisville 13-5 957 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
14. Villanova 16-4 896 16 Big East Conference
15. Alabama 13-5 665 NR Southeastern Conference
16. FIU 14-3 639 20 Conference USA
17. Old Dominion 14-3 538 11 Conference USA
18. North Texas 14-3 489 13 Conference USA
19. Wichita State 15-4 479 NR Missouri Valley Conference
20. Oklahoma State 16-4 461 NR Big 12 Conference
21. Davidson 14-4 364 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
22. Yale 16-4 251 14 Ivy League
23. Oklahoma 13-5 247 NR Big 12 Conference
24. Western Michigan 15-4 222 25 Mid-American Conference
25. Richmond 14-4 123 15 Atlantic 10 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Saint Joseph's 14-4 93 Atlantic 10 Conference
Colorado 13-5 59 Pacific-12 Conference
Tulane 15-4 53 American Athletic Conference
UAB 14-4 41 Conference USA
BYU 15-6 38 West Coast Conference
Baylor 14-5 34 Big 12 Conference
St. John's 14-5 32 Big East Conference
California 12-5 23 Pacific-12 Conference
Stanford 13-5 19 Pacific-12 Conference
Mississippi 13-5 2 Southeastern Conference
Vanderbilt 13-5 2 Southeastern Conference
San Diego State 14-6 1 Mountain West Conference

FIU moves up 4 spots in the top 25, while Alabama jumps all the way in after 2 wins. Colorado falls out of the top 25 with their loss to Arizona, and Northwestern loses their remaining votes. Taking their place in receiving votes is Stanford.

Now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Jan. 23-29:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. UC Riverside (37) 16-2 1729 2 Big West Conference
2. Wichita State (18) 15-4 1670 7 Missouri Valley Conference
3. FIU (10) 14-3 1665 6 Conference USA
4. Western Michigan 15-4 1509 8 Mid-American Conference
5. Saint Joseph's (6) 14-4 1407 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. Yale 16-4 1404 3 Ivy League
7. Davidson (1) 14-4 1396 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
8. Old Dominion 14-3 1351 1 Conference USA
9. Tulane 15-4 1230 13 American Athletic Conference
10. UAB 14-4 1187 14 Conference USA
11. North Texas 14-3 1117 4 Conference USA
12. Richmond 14-4 1055 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
13. BYU 15-6 963 9 West Coast Conference
14. Indiana State 14-6 798 NR Missouri Valley Conference
15. Kent State 14-5 794 24 Mid-American Conference
16. San Diego State 14-6 737 15 Mountain West Conference
17. Oakland 13-5 676 10 Horizon League
18. Mercer 16-5 581 16 Southern Conference
19. UC Irvine 14-6 511 18 Big West Conference
20. Bradley 13-6 409 NR Missouri Valley Conference
21. Portland 13-6 292 19 West Coast Conference
22. Cincinnati 13-6 203 22 American Athletic Conference
23. Western Carolina 14-5 167 21 Southern Conference
24. Loyola Chicago 13-6 119 25 Missouri Valley Conference
25. Boise State 12-7 90 NR Mountain West Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Green Bay 14-7 83 Horizon League
Middle Tennessee 11-5 70 Conference USA
Holy Cross 14-6 65 Patriot League
Utah State 12-6 35 Mountain West Conference
Saint Mary's 13-7 17 West Coast Conference
Massachusetts 12-6 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
Cal Poly 12-6 15 Big West Conference
Milwaukee 12-6 11 Horizon League
Northern Kentucky 14-6 8 Sun Belt Conference
Stony Brook 14-6 6 America East Conference
Fresno State 12-7 4 Mountain West Conference
Illinois State 14-8 4 Missouri Valley Conference
Towson 12-6 3 Colonial Athletic Association
VMI 13-6 2 Southern Conference
Akron 12-6 1 Mid-American Conference

It appears that unless 1 of our other mid-major teams catches fire, it'll be FIU leading the way in these polls. They jumped 3 spots and are receiving 1st place votes again.

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 23-29, 2023

28 games on tap this week, with 1 of those games being a feature game, so let's go to the Pac 12 for our lone feature game this week.

1/26/23- Stanford (Benito Sanchez) @ Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 2 of the teams that were in a tie for 1st place to start the week met up this week in Boulder, and it was not the type of game you'd expect from co-conference leaders. The teams combined for 28 turnovers, and Stanford shot just 31.5%. The only thing that kept this from being a total blowout was that Stanford hit 10 three pointers, while Colorado hit just 1. Otherwise, it was all Buffaloes.

Final Score: Colorado- 63, Stanford- 50

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 10-13, 4-6 America East.

1/27/23 vs. Vermont (L 61-51).
1/29/23 vs. Stony Brook (L 85-77).

It's 1 step forward, 2 steps back for the Hawks this season, as they lose 2 more games this week and are back under .500 in conference play. Probably not the worst losses, as Stony Brook is solid this season, and Vermont ran the conference for several years, but still, gotta get those wins.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 7-14, 4-5 American.

1/25/23 vs. #12 Virginia (L 69-68).
1/28/23 at SMU (L 74-71).

2 agonizing losses for the Huskies this week, and they now have a 4 game losing streak, but all 4 games could have easily gone the other way. That doesn't matter to the fans though, as they are starting to call for Coach Childress's head.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 9-12, 5-3 American.

1/23/23 vs. Air Force (L 64-54).
1/28/23 vs. South Florida (W 87-82, OT).

A split for the Golden Hurricane, as they lost a non-conference game, but get an important conference victory, fighting off a game South Florida team in OT.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 13-7, 5-3 ACC.

1/25/23 vs. Boston College (W 60-50).
1/28/23 vs. #6 North Carolina (W 68-59).

2 wins for the Blue Devils this week, including a sweet revenge victory over a top 10 UNC team that beat them by 35 points just 2 weeks ago. My how things can change when you're at home.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 12-8, 4-5 Big 12.

1/23/23 at Texas Tech (W 80-76).
1/28/23 at Kansas (L 82-74).

A split this week for the Horned Frogs, and they really needed to win both to get over .500 in conference play, as the Oklahoma State/Baylor tandem comes to town next week in critical games.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 13-7, 4-4 Big Ten.

1/25/23 vs. Iowa (L 80-66).
1/28/23 at Nebraska (W 79-69).

Another conference week, another conference split for the Spartans. Mediocrity at its best, as they just can't put a string of wins together since their 6 game winning streak earlier this season.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 12-7, 3-5 Big Ten.

1/25/23 at Minnesota (L 73-64).
1/28/23 vs. Illinois (L 80-57).

A setback for the Wildcats this week as they drop 2 games, 1 of them that wasn't competitive. It won't get easier, as that might have been their best chance to snag a victory for a couple weeks at least.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 13-7, 3-4 Big West.

1/26/23 vs. Cal State Fullerton (W 83-57).

Just 1 game this week for the Warriors, but they took care of business in a big way, hammering Fullerton. Hopefully that will get them the momentum they need to go on a run and get back in the Big West race. Even with this win, the hits on firecoachgunn.com have not subsided.

#16 FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 15-4, 6-2 Conference USA.

1/26/23 at #17 Old Dominion (W 85-76).
1/28/23 at Marshall (L 73-71).

A split this week for the Golden Panthers, who got a big win against Old Dominion, but then a heartbreaking loss to Marshall to break a 5 game winning streak.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 9-10, 4-4 Conference USA.

1/26/23 at Western Kentucky (W 66-65).
1/28/23 at UAB (L 87-81).

A split this week for the Owls, who played both teams tough on the road, but couldn't quite pull off the upset at UAB. Next week they have 2 more tough road games awaiting.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 14-6, 6-2 Pac 12.

1/26/23 vs. Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
1/28/23 at California (L 87-65).

Well, 1 of 2 ain't bad for the Buffaloes I guess. But that 22 point loss at California is unacceptable. They have a chance to avenge it next week though.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 14-6, 6-2 Pac 12.

1/26/23 at Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.
1/28/23 vs. Gonzaga (W 80-69).

The Cardinal stay in a 4 way tie for 1st in the Pac 12 by splitting, getting a key win against Gonzaga. Next week they get another shot at Arizona.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 10-10, 3-5 Pac 12.

1/26/23 at Oregon State (L 80-60).
1/28/23 vs. Oregon (W 67-58).

A split for the Bruins, as they win the home game but lose the road game. Still no consistency from the once proud Bruins, who are having their worst season in years.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 10-9, 3-5 Pac 12.

1/26/23 at California (L 76-59).
1/28/23 at #8 Arizona (L 88-81).

Not an easy week for the Cougars who had to go up against 2 of the conference leaders, but a gallant effort at Arizona, and a much easier week coming next week.

#15 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 14-6, 5-3 SEC.

1/25/23 at Vanderbilt (W 70-54).
1/28/23 vs. Auburn (L 82-79).

A split this week for the Crimson Tide as it's never fun losing to your in-state rival, and next week a couple more tough games await.

Here's a look at the national top 25 heading into the week of Jan. 30-Feb. 5:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Syracuse (72) 21-1 1800 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Wisconsin 17-3 1728 3 Big Ten Conference
3. Notre Dame 18-2 1652 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. North Carolina 16-5 1544 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
5. Arkansas 17-3 1534 5 Southeastern Conference
6. Georgetown 16-5 1418 7 Big East Conference
7. Florida State 17-3 1397 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Arizona 16-4 1267 8 Pacific-12 Conference
9. LSU 17-4 1232 10 Southeastern Conference
10. Louisville 15-5 1168 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Ohio State 14-6 1023 9 Big Ten Conference
12. Virginia 15-5 1002 12 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. Villanova 17-5 766 14 Big East Conference
14. Davidson 16-4 749 21 Atlantic 10 Conference
15. Alabama 14-6 730 15 Southeastern Conference
16. Baylor 16-5 689 NR Big 12 Conference
17. North Texas 16-3 598 18 Conference USA
18. UC Riverside 17-3 477 11 Big West Conference
19. St. John's 16-5 475 NR Big East Conference
20. Yale 18-4 406 22 Ivy League
21. Richmond 16-4 385 25 Atlantic 10 Conference
22. Iowa State 14-7 242 NR Big 12 Conference
23. Mississippi 15-5 222 NR Southeastern Conference
24. Oklahoma 14-6 214 23 Big 12 Conference
25. UAB 16-4 155 NR Conference USA

Others Receiving Votes:
California 14-5 114 Pacific-12 Conference
Old Dominion 15-4 100 Conference USA
UC Irvine 16-6 65 Big West Conference
Kent State 16-5 46 Mid-American Conference
Colorado 14-6 41 Pacific-12 Conference
FIU 15-4 40 Conference USA
Saint Joseph's 15-5 35 Atlantic 10 Conference
Western Michigan 16-5 26 Mid-American Conference
Duke 13-7 22 Atlantic Coast Conference
Stanford 14-6 12 Pacific-12 Conference
Gonzaga 13-7 11 Pacific-12 Conference
BYU 16-7 5 West Coast Conference
Bradley 15-6 4 Missouri Valley Conference
Mercer 18-5 4 Southern Conference
Tulane 16-5 2 American Athletic Conference

Alabama stays put at #15 even with their split, and FIU got shafted huge this week, as they fall all the way out of the top 25 after a 2 point loss. Ridiculous! They are still receiving votes though, as are Stanford and Colorado. Duke, by virtue of their win over what is now a top 5 North Carolina team (what? I guess I really don't understand rankings, at least not on FBCB) is also now receiving votes.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Jan. 30-Feb. 5:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Davidson (37) 16-4 1710 7 Atlantic 10 Conference
2. Yale (13) 18-4 1596 6 Ivy League
3. Western Michigan (9) 16-5 1509 4 Mid-American Conference
4. UAB 16-4 1506 10 Conference USA
5. Richmond (2) 16-4 1429 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. FIU 15-4 1352 3 Conference USA
7. UC Riverside (10) 17-3 1342 1 Big West Conference
8. Kent State 16-5 1269 15 Mid-American Conference
9. Wichita State 15-6 1258 2 Missouri Valley Conference
10. Saint Joseph's 15-5 1204 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
11. North Texas 16-3 1110 11 Conference USA
12. UC Irvine 16-6 1068 19 Big West Conference
13. Tulane 16-5 965 9 American Athletic Conference
14. Bradley (1) 15-6 841 20 Missouri Valley Conference
15. Old Dominion 15-4 839 8 Conference USA
16. Indiana State 15-7 820 14 Missouri Valley Conference
17. BYU 16-7 711 13 West Coast Conference
18. Mercer 18-5 577 18 Southern Conference
19. San Diego State 14-7 470 16 Mountain West Conference
20. Oakland 14-6 464 17 Horizon League
21. Illinois State 15-9 379 NR Missouri Valley Conference
22. Green Bay 15-8 280 NR Horizon League
23. Portland 14-7 180 21 West Coast Conference
24. Massachusetts 14-6 151 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
25. Loyola Chicago 14-7 77 24 Missouri Valley Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Cincinnati 14-7 75 American Athletic Conference
Saint Mary's 14-8 50 West Coast Conference
St. Bonaventure 12-8 46 Atlantic 10 Conference
VMI 15-6 32 Southern Conference
Holy Cross 15-7 27 Patriot League
Long Beach State 13-8 20 Big West Conference
Drexel 15-7 19 Colonial Athletic Association
Stony Brook 16-6 7 America East Conference
Boise State 12-9 5 Mountain West Conference
Southern Illinois 13-9 5 Missouri Valley Conference
Northern Iowa 13-8 3 Missouri Valley Conference
Hawaii 13-7 2 Big West Conference
Akron 13-7 1 Mid-American Conference
Pepperdine 12-8 1 West Coast Conference

FIU drops 3 spots in the mid-major poll and loses their FPVs. At least the mid-major polls weren't nearly as harsh. And Coach Gunn is at it again, as Hawaii got 2 votes. I can guess where 1 of them came from, but who did he convince for the other vote??

[law90026]

Whew the Duke seat was getting a little warm for my tastes.

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 30-Feb. 5, 2023

30 games on the docket this week, but no feature games, so we'll jump right into the weekly recap.

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 10-15, 4-8 T-6th America East.

2/3/23 vs. UMBC (L 75-73).
2/5/23 vs. New Hampshire (L 75-67).

2 more losses for the Hawks, who are currently in a 4 way tie for 6th in the conference. That is actually a tie for last place at the moment, not where Coach Ginsberg anticipated his team being.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 9-14, 6-5 T-5th American.

2/1/23 vs. UCF (W 85-69).
2/4/23 at Tulane (W 76-52).

2 dominating performances for the Huskies, who would like to have a lot more of those as the season goes on. They've got a chance. That win at Tulane was huge as Tulane is probably a bubble team right now.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 10-13, 6-4 T-3rd American.

2/1/23 vs. Houston (L 63-58).
2/4/23 at SMU (W 80-75).

A split for the Golden Hurricane, but it's a matter of what could have been against Houston, as they let it slip away late.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 15-7, 7-3 T-5th ACC.

2/1/23 vs. Virginia Tech (W 73-65).
2/4/23 at Clemson (W 63-52).

2 very important wins for the Blue Devils this week, important because they stay on the road next week to face 2 of the top 3 teams in the ACC currently. They really need to get at least 1 of those games, hopefully both.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 12-10, 4-7 T-7th Big 12.

1/30/23 vs. Oklahoma State (L 71-68).
2/4/23 vs. #16 Baylor (L 89-81).

2 losses for the Horned Frogs, which is what most people were expecting to happen both times they played these 2 teams, not just once. A feel good non-conference game next week as they start a stretch of 4 on the road.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 14-8, 5-5 T-6th Big Ten.

2/1/23 vs. Penn State (W 76-45).
2/4/23 at Maryland (L 87-80).

Another split for the Spartans, and does anybody want to hazard a guess on what their conference record might end up at? 9-9? Sounds about right to me, although they have more tough games coming up than they do easy games.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 14-7, 5-5 T-6th Big Ten.

2/1/23 vs. Nebraska (W 83-72).
2/4/23 vs. Iowa (W 79-62).

2 solid victories for the Wildcats this week to get back to .500 in conference play. They'll have to fight to stay there though, as they have 2 big tests next week.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 14-8, 4-5 T-4th Big West.

2/2/23 at UC Irvine (L 94-78).
2/4/23 vs. Cal State Northridge (W 74-63).

Another split for the Warriors, who might as well forget about that goal of winning the Big West this season. They are 5 games behind the leaders, with 7 to go. In fact, the best they might hope for is 3rd, because even 2nd might be tough, unless they go on a huge run. What does that mean for Coach Gunn? If they activity on firecoachgunn.com tells us anything, it'll be sayonara.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 17-4, 8-2 2nd Conference USA.

2/2/23 vs. South Dakota State (W 87-77).
2/4/23 at Southern Miss (W 105-85).

2 more wins for the Golden Panthers, as they get back on the right track after that upset loss at Marshall.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 9-12, 4-6 9th Conference USA.

2/2/23 at Old Dominion (L 81-64).
2/4/23 at Middle Tennessee (L 57-42).

2 more losses for the Owls, and they weren't very competitive this week, losing both by double digits. A chance to get back to .500 next week, as the schedule lightens up a little.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 15-7, 7-3 T-2nd Pac 12.

2/2/23 at Oregon State (L 71-64).
2/4/23 vs. California (W 82-68).

A split for the Buffaloes this week, and a wasted opportunity at Oregon State. The games against .500 or sub .500 teams are the games they have to win if they are going to win a conference championship.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 16-6, 8-2 1st Pac 12.

2/2/23 vs. Arizona State (W 65-55).
2/4/23 at #8 Arizona (W 73-71).

A big sweep through Arizona this week for the Cardinal, who now sit all alone at the top of the Pac 12. They control their own destiny now, and aside from a couple games that could be challenging, the schedule definitely falls in their favor.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 10-12, 3-7 T-9th Pac 12.

2/2/23 vs. Gonzaga (L 97-74).
2/4/23 vs. Washington (L 77-66).

2 more losses for the Bruins who are just having an epic meltdown this season and are in serious danger of missing the postseason for the first time in this dynasty. The natives of Westwood are getting very restless and don't be surprised if we see a firecoachshepard.com page starting up soon.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 12-9, 5-5 T-7th Pac 12.

2/2/23 vs. Oregon (W 76-67).
2/4/23 at Arizona State (W 78-54).

2 wins for the Cougars this week, and a monumental win against Oregon, as that was career win #100 for Coach St. John! Congrats to him, as many people had doubts he would get there this season. Unfortunately, they are now into the brutal part of their schedule, as they might only be favored in 1 of their remaining 8 games.

#15 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 15-7, 6-4 T-5th SEC.

2/1/23 vs. Texas A&M (L 92-88, OT).
2/4/23 vs. #23 Ole Miss (W 73-68).

A split for the Crimson Tide, who missed a golden opportunity themselves with a heartbreaking OT loss to Texas A&M.

Now a look at the national top 25 heading into the week of Feb. 6-12:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Syracuse (72) 22-1 1800 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Notre Dame 19-3 1683 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Wisconsin 18-4 1674 2 Big Ten Conference
4. Arkansas 19-3 1610 5 Southeastern Conference
5. North Carolina 17-6 1492 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Louisville 17-5 1401 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Florida State 18-4 1385 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Georgetown 17-6 1325 6 Big East Conference
9. Ohio State 16-6 1197 11 Big Ten Conference
10. Arizona 17-5 1095 8 Pacific-12 Conference
11. Virginia 17-5 1090 12 Atlantic Coast Conference
12. Villanova 19-5 1065 13 Big East Conference
13. LSU 17-6 900 9 Southeastern Conference
14. Yale 20-4 828 20 Ivy League
15. UAB 18-4 653 25 Conference USA
16. Old Dominion 17-4 538 NR Conference USA
17. Alabama 15-7 465 15 Southeastern Conference
18. Davidson 17-5 465 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
19. Baylor 17-6 449 16 Big 12 Conference
20. UC Irvine 18-6 429 NR Big West Conference
21. Stanford 16-6 414 NR Pacific-12 Conference
22. FIU 17-4 339 NR Conference USA
23. North Texas 17-4 185 17 Conference USA
24. St. John's 17-6 172 19 Big East Conference
25. UC Riverside 18-4 151 18 Big West Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Saint Joseph's 17-5 147 Atlantic 10 Conference
Texas A&M 15-7 93 Southeastern Conference
Duke 15-7 83 Atlantic Coast Conference
Mercer 20-5 61 Southern Conference
Mississippi 16-6 44 Southeastern Conference
Wichita State 17-6 42 Missouri Valley Conference
Oklahoma State 18-6 34 Big 12 Conference
Gonzaga 15-7 31 Pacific-12 Conference
California 14-7 15 Pacific-12 Conference
Colorado 15-7 12 Pacific-12 Conference
Oklahoma 15-7 11 Big 12 Conference
BYU 17-8 6 West Coast Conference
Kent State 17-6 6 Mid-American Conference
Western Michigan 17-6 4 Mid-American Conference
Iowa State 15-8 3 Big 12 Conference
Richmond 16-6 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
Massachusetts 16-6 1 Atlantic 10 Conference

Alabama drops down 2 more spots after the split this week, while FIU is back in the top 25. Stanford is welcomed to the top 25 after a big win at Arizona, and Duke continues to gain ground while Colorado continues to lose ground.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Feb. 6-12:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Yale (31) 20-4 1714 2 Ivy League
2. UAB (8) 18-4 1633 4 Conference USA
3. Wichita State (17) 17-6 1615 9 Missouri Valley Conference
4. Saint Joseph's 17-5 1531 10 Atlantic 10 Conference
5. Davidson (4) 17-5 1483 1 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. UC Irvine (11) 18-6 1435 12 Big West Conference
7. FIU 17-4 1429 6 Conference USA
8. Old Dominion 17-4 1236 15 Conference USA
9. Kent State 17-6 1179 8 Mid-American Conference
10. Western Michigan 17-6 1094 3 Mid-American Conference
11. UC Riverside 18-4 1075 7 Big West Conference
12. Mercer 20-5 953 18 Southern Conference
13. BYU 17-8 937 17 West Coast Conference
14. North Texas 17-4 845 11 Conference USA
15. Bradley (1) 16-7 837 14 Missouri Valley Conference
16. Indiana State 16-8 760 16 Missouri Valley Conference
17. Richmond 16-6 630 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
18. Tulane 17-6 613 13 American Athletic Conference
19. Oakland 16-6 504 20 Horizon League
20. Massachusetts 16-6 471 24 Atlantic 10 Conference
21. Cincinnati 16-7 396 NR American Athletic Conference
22. Illinois State 16-10 304 21 Missouri Valley Conference
23. Green Bay 16-9 141 22 Horizon League
24. St. Bonaventure 14-8 114 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
25. Portland 15-8 113 23 West Coast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Drexel 17-7 100 Colonial Athletic Association
New Mexico 13-7 66 Mountain West Conference
Loyola Chicago 15-8 49 Missouri Valley Conference
San Diego State 14-9 45 Mountain West Conference
VMI 17-6 44 Southern Conference
Akron 15-7 17 Mid-American Conference
Southern Illinois 15-9 12 Missouri Valley Conference
Holy Cross 16-8 8 Patriot League
Northern Kentucky 16-7 6 Sun Belt Conference
Campbell 17-7 5 Big South Conference
Saint Mary's 15-9 4 West Coast Conference
Fresno State 14-9 2 Mountain West Conference

Despite 2 convincing wins this week, FIU drops 1 spot in the mid-major poll.

And now it's time for our first bubble watch of the 2022-2023 season. We'll start with the overall bubble watch, which sees 2 of our teams in.

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Illinois State 16-10 .593 (22) 6-5 3-1 5-3 2-1 6 In
Loyola Chicago 15-8 .564 (46) 4-4 2-2 2-0 7-2 109 In
California 14-7 .596 (19) 1-5 4-0 6-1 3-1 27 In
Michigan State 14-8 .551 (62) 4-2 4-5 5-1 1-0 103 In
Western Michigan 17-6 .581 (33) 0-2 1-1 11-3 5-0 99 In
Tulane 17-6 .563 (48) 1-1 3-2 6-1 7-2 152 In
Portland 15-8 .560 (52) 0-2 5-3 6-3 4-0 76 In
Southern Illinois 15-9 .557 (57) 3-5 2-3 5-1 5-0 79 In
Tennessee 14-8 .571 (43) 3-4 4-1 5-1 2-2 67 Out
Richmond 16-6 .547 (68) 3-2 3-2 3-1 7-1 205 Out
Holy Cross 16-8 .576 (38) 0-0 2-2 8-5 6-1 54 Out
St. Bonaventure 14-8 .580 (35) 0-6 3-1 9-1 2-0 26 Out
Massachusetts 16-6 .549 (65) 1-1 2-3 7-1 6-1 182 Out
Baylor 17-6 .543 (75) 3-2 2-2 6-1 6-1 177 Out
Hawaii 14-8 .548 (66) 1-1 4-3 6-3 3-1 139 Out


2 teams that we're surprised to see on here, for differing reasons. Michigan State has had a very inconsistent season, and to be honest, their last few seasons have been. They really need to go on a nice winning streak to get off the bubble and confirm themselves as a lock. Meanwhile, Hawaii is the last team on the list, a surprise to see them there as they look for their first NCAA Tournament berth, and that might be the only thing that saves Coach Gunn's job at this point. Again, it's going to take a nice winning streak though, as they probably need to get to that 20 win threshold.

Now for the rest of our FOFC teams, and remember, if a team isn't listed, that means they are projected out. I'm only mentioning locks and teams projected in. This is only for the NCAA tournament, not other tournaments.

Locks: Duke, Northwestern, FIU, Colorado, Stanford, Alabama.

Nice to see so many of our FOFC teams as locks, almost half of them. Let's hope that trend continues.

[bbgunn]

This is it, make or break for B.B. Gunn. Time to show what kind of mettle he has.

[rjolley]

Man, what a surprising turn of events for Coach Shepard and UCLA.

Nice to see Coach Sanchez lead Stanford into the Top 25.

[Breeze]

Nice to finally win some games...

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 6-12, 2023

27 games on the schedule this week, including 2 very critical feature games. We'll start in the Big Ten.

2/11/23- Northwestern (Ess Vee) @ Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- This game was not for the week of heart, as the teams combined for 52 fouls and 69 free throw attempts. What sealed the deal though was Michigan State hitting 9 three pointers. They led most of the game and picked up a big, big win.

Final Score: Michigan State- 89, Northwestern- 80

Now we move to the Pac 12:

2/11/23- UCLA (Tim Shepard) @ Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- Even in a down year, the Bruins are still good enough to beat Washington State, as both teams shot lights out, but the Bruins shot a little better, attempting and making more shots to get a much needed road victory.

Final Score: UCLA- 90, Washington State- 80

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 11-15, 5-8 T-6th America East.

2/8/23 at Maine (W 70-56).

1 game for the Hawks this week, and it was a much needed win, as they break a 4 game losing streak and still have a chance to finish .500 in conference if they can win their last 3 games, which is doable.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 9-16, 6-7 T-6th American.

2/8/23 vs. Temple (L 100-92)
2/11/23 at South Florida (L 66-50).

2 steps forward, 2 steps back for the Huskies as they fall back under .500 in conference play with 2 losses this week. Next week gives them a chance to go back over .500 with 2 winnable games, but the inconsistency is overwhelming.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 11-14, 7-5 T-4th American.

2/8/23 at Cincinnati (L 78-63).
2/11/23 at Temple (W 72-61).

A road split for the Golden Hurricane this week, and with their remaining schedule, they have the potential to really earn themselves a bye in the conference tournament and set themselves up nicely.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 15-9, 7-5 T-6th ACC.

2/8/23 at #2 Notre Dame (L 84-64).
2/11/23 at #11 Virginia (L 76-57).

No real surprise here to see the Blue Devils lose 2 games this week. Coach Hoo hasn't shown that he can beat the top teams consistently. The good news is that 4 of their remaining 6 games are against teams with losing records. Of the 2 that aren't, 1 is winnable, the other is a toss-up.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 13-11, 4-8 T-8th Big 12.

2/7/23 at Grand Canyon (W 71-48).
2/11/23 at Iowa State (L 65-61).

A road split for the Horned Frogs, as they hammer a hapless Grand Canyon team, but really the game they needed to win was the Iowa State game. Conference wins mean more at this point.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 16-8, 7-5 T-4th Big Ten.

2/8/23 vs. Rutgers (W 101-93).
2/11/23 vs. Northwestern- feature game, highlighted above.

Exactly what the Spartans needed as they break the curse of the split and win 2 games this week. Next week they have a nice test, but if they can win it, they'll be back in business.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 14-9, 5-7 T-8th Big Ten.

2/8/23 vs. #9 Ohio State (L 97-65).
2/11/23 at Michigan State- feature game, highlighted above.

A reality check for the Wildcats, who really weren't competitive this week. Ohio State beat them by 32, and even the Michigan State game wasn't as close as the score indicated.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 16-8, 6-5 T-3rd Big West.

2/7/23 vs. UC Santa Barbara (W 85-55).
2/11/23 at Long Beach State (W 98-94, OT).

It's too soon to call this a turnaround, but the Warriors won 2 games this week, are on a 3 game winning streak, and next week face the 2nd place team in the Big West. A win there, and 2nd place becomes much more of a reality. Regardless, Coach Gunn knows he is coaching for his job every single game at this point.

#22 FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 19-4, 10-2 2nd Conference USA.

2/9/23 at Western Kentucky (W 90-86).
2/11/23 vs. Charlotte (W 106-72).

2 more wins for the Golden Panthers, but a couple tests next week that they really need to win.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 9-14, 4-8 T-9th Conference USA.

2/9/23 vs. Charlotte (L 85-83).
2/11/23 vs. Marshall (L 75-59).

It's going downhill fast for the Owls, who have lost 5 in a row and 8 of their last 10. They still have some winnable games on the schedule, and the goal at this point might be to finish with double digit wins.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 15-9, 7-5 5th Pac 12.

2/9/23 vs. Washington (L 81-69).
2/11/23 vs. #10 Arizona (L 79-49).

Things aren't so rosy in Boulder anymore, as the Buffaloes have lost 4 of their last 5 and have all but fallen out of the hunt for a conference title. They could still get back in it, but they would almost have to win out and get some help. Now they might just be playing for a bye in the Pac 12 Tourney.

#21 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 18-6, 10-2 1st Pac 12.

2/9/23 vs. Oregon (W 84-64).
2/11/23 at Gonzaga (W 95-80).

2 more wins for the Cardinal, who remain a game up in the conference race. Plus, they just beat Gonzaga, which many people feel was their toughest test the rest of the way, so now it's just a matter of taking care of business.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 12-12, 5-7 9th Pac 12.

2/9/23 vs. Arizona State (W 84-71).
2/11/23 at Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.

A much needed 2 wins for the Bruins this week, and I say much needed because their next 4 games are on the road, and 3 of them are against Colorado, Arizona, and Stanford. They definitely have a chance to play spoiler, if nothing else.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 13-10, 6-6 T-6th Pac 12.

2/9/23 at Oregon State (W 94-86, OT).
2/11/23 vs. UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Cougars this week, as the loss to UCLA breaks a mini 3 game winning streak. They have a chance to do some spoiling next week as well, with Arizona and Stanford on the schedule.

#17 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 17-7, 8-4 T-4th SEC.

2/8/23 at Georgia (W 60-52).
2/11/23 at Tennessee (W 88-85).

2 tough road wins this week for the Crimson Tide as they are still in position for a first round bye in the SEC tournament. Still a lot of games left though, and a lot of work to do.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Feb. 13-19:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Syracuse (71) 23-2 1799 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Wisconsin 20-4 1695 3 Big Ten Conference
3. Notre Dame (1) 21-3 1690 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. Louisville 19-5 1539 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
5. North Carolina 18-6 1471 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Arkansas 20-4 1450 4 Southeastern Conference
7. Georgetown 19-6 1381 8 Big East Conference
8. Florida State 19-5 1311 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. Ohio State 18-6 1221 9 Big Ten Conference
10. Arizona 19-5 1145 10 Pacific-12 Conference
11. Virginia 19-5 1121 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
12. Villanova 20-5 978 12 Big East Conference
13. Yale 22-4 851 14 Ivy League
14. UAB 20-4 839 15 Conference USA
15. Alabama 17-7 766 17 Southeastern Conference
16. Mississippi 18-6 683 NR Southeastern Conference
17. LSU 18-7 615 13 Southeastern Conference
18. Stanford 18-6 567 21 Pacific-12 Conference
19. Old Dominion 19-4 547 16 Conference USA
20. North Texas 19-4 447 23 Conference USA
21. FIU 19-4 362 22 Conference USA
22. Mercer 21-5 164 NR Southern Conference
23. Baylor 18-7 150 19 Big 12 Conference
24. UC Irvine 19-7 123 20 Big West Conference
25. Oklahoma 17-7 99 NR Big 12 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Davidson 18-6 54 Atlantic 10 Conference
UC Riverside 19-5 50 Big West Conference
Wichita State 18-6 44 Missouri Valley Conference
BYU 19-8 40 West Coast Conference
Kent State 19-6 36 Mid-American Conference
Saint Joseph's 18-6 35 Atlantic 10 Conference
St. John's 18-7 35 Big East Conference
Iowa State 16-8 29 Big 12 Conference
Richmond 18-6 26 Atlantic 10 Conference
Western Michigan 19-6 10 Mid-American Conference
Duke 15-9 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
Massachusetts 18-6 8 Atlantic 10 Conference
Vanderbilt 17-7 6 Southeastern Conference
Gonzaga 16-8 5 Pacific-12 Conference

Alabama, Stanford, and FIU all move up after 2-0 weeks. Duke barely stays in the picture, receiving a few votes. Colorado isn't so lucky, as their slide has cost them all their votes.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Feb. 13-19:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Yale (38) 22-4 1736 1 Ivy League
2. UAB (17) 20-4 1713 2 Conference USA
3. Wichita State (10) 18-6 1619 3 Missouri Valley Conference
4. FIU 19-4 1510 7 Conference USA
5. Kent State 19-6 1433 9 Mid-American Conference
6. Old Dominion 19-4 1317 8 Conference USA
7. BYU (4) 19-8 1291 13 West Coast Conference
8. UC Irvine (3) 19-7 1289 6 Big West Conference
9. Western Michigan 19-6 1226 10 Mid-American Conference
10. Saint Joseph's 18-6 1165 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
11. Davidson 18-6 1152 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
12. Richmond 18-6 1004 17 Atlantic 10 Conference
13. North Texas 19-4 955 14 Conference USA
14. Mercer 21-5 895 12 Southern Conference
15. Massachusetts 18-6 782 20 Atlantic 10 Conference
16. UC Riverside 19-5 776 11 Big West Conference
17. Bradley 17-8 658 15 Missouri Valley Conference
18. Tulane 18-7 562 18 American Athletic Conference
19. Portland 17-8 463 25 West Coast Conference
20. Oakland 17-7 402 19 Horizon League
21. Cincinnati 17-8 302 21 American Athletic Conference
22. St. Bonaventure 16-8 286 24 Atlantic 10 Conference
23. Drexel 19-7 256 NR Colonial Athletic Association
24. Illinois State 17-11 223 22 Missouri Valley Conference
25. Green Bay 17-9 103 23 Horizon League

Others Receiving Votes:
VMI 19-6 66 Southern Conference
New Mexico 14-8 54 Mountain West Conference
Indiana State 16-10 45 Missouri Valley Conference
San Diego State 15-10 35 Mountain West Conference
Hawaii 16-8 27 Big West Conference
Northern Iowa 16-9 27 Missouri Valley Conference
Loyola Chicago 16-9 12 Missouri Valley Conference
Southern Illinois 16-10 7 Missouri Valley Conference
UNLV 15-9 6 Mountain West Conference
Florida Gulf Coast 17-7 2 Atlantic Sun Conference
Harvard 15-9 1 Ivy League

FIU moves up 3 spots in the polls, back up to 4th. No FPV though. And Hawaii is back to receiving votes, a fair amount. Well deserved.

Now for this weeks edition of the Bubble Watch, and we'll start with the Overall Bubble Watch which again sees 2 of our FOFC teams in the mix:

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hawaii 16-8 .559 (50) 3-1 2-2 8-4 3-1 131 In
Indiana 16-8 .557 (57) 3-2 4-1 4-4 5-1 106 In
Indiana State 16-10 .583 (28) 5-5 2-3 4-2 5-0 20 In
Colorado 15-9 .600 (15) 3-5 3-3 6-1 3-0 5 In
Tulane 18-7 .569 (40) 2-2 3-1 5-2 8-2 121 In
Portland 17-8 .572 (38) 0-3 5-1 6-4 6-0 67 In
Green Bay 17-9 .580 (31) 2-1 4-1 10-5 1-2 42 In
Southern Illinois 16-10 .566 (44) 4-5 2-4 5-1 5-0 56 In
St. Bonaventure 16-8 .577 (34) 0-6 4-1 8-0 4-1 47 Out
Oklahoma State 19-7 .547 (69) 1-2 3-3 9-1 6-1 188 Out
New Mexico 14-8 .553 (61) 1-0 5-3 2-4 6-1 79 Out
Davidson 18-6 .548 (67) 0-1 5-1 4-3 9-1 239 Out
Holy Cross 16-10 .562 (46) 0-0 2-2 7-7 7-1 65 Out
Baylor 18-7 .544 (75) 3-2 3-3 6-1 6-1 153 Out
Vanderbilt 17-7 .541 (76) 2-3 1-3 8-0 6-1 176 Out

2 teams going in completely different directions, as Hawaii really helped their cause by winning 2 games this week. Their game against Big West 2nd place team UC Riverside just became a lot more critical, as they can't afford any setbacks at this point.

Colorado, meanwhile, with losses in 4 of their last 5 games, has moved from being a lock to being on the bubble. Fortunately, next week brings 2 winnable games, but also brings games against teams whose RPI aren't very good, so even with 2 wins, it may not help a lot.

Now for the rest of the Bubble Watch:

Locks: Michigan State, FIU, Stanford, Alabama
In: Duke

Some major changes here, as Michigan State moves from the bubble to being a lock, while Duke is no longer a lock, but still projected safely in. Meanwhile, Northwestern, who was a lock last week, is now projected out. And of course, we've already mentioned Colorado and Hawaii.

[bbgunn]

Bring on UC Riverside!

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 13-19, 2023

We have 27 games on the schedule this week, and 3 of them are feature games. We'll start in the Pac 12, where all 4 of our FOFC teams are involved in a feature game.

2/16/23- UCLA (Tim Shepard) @ Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 2 teams who are seeing their season go in different ways all of a sudden, and it continued tonight. The Bruins made 30 free throws and shot 88.2% from the line, while Colorado made just 51.7% of their free throws. UCLA also made 6 more three pointers than the Buffs did. All that led to another road win for the Bruins, who are hot right now.

Final Score: UCLA- 92, Colorado- 83

2/18/23- #18 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) @ Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- The Cougars had a chance to play spoiler in this game, and they didn't disappointed. Of course, I've always said this game had a huge discrepancy toward the home team when it came to fouls and free throws, and this game might be the worst I've seen. Stanford: 38 fouls committed, 20 free throws attempted. Washington State: 17 fouls committed, a whopping 57 free throws attempted. This game might have been blowout status had they not missed more free throws than the Cardinal attempted, but the fact they got so many chances was enough as Coach Sanchez let his displeasure be known after the game and will probably be in for a hefty fine.

Final Score: Washington State- 78, #18 Stanford- 73

Now for a trip to the American, where we have 2 struggling teams:

2/18/23- UConn (Randolph Childress) @ Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 2 teams that will probably finish under .500 overall for the season, as UConn continues to play their hot week/cold week game. Tulsa didn't help themselves by shooting a dismal 33.3% from the field and just 9.1% from three point land. Both teams took care of the ball, but it came down to shooting here.

Final Score: UConn- 69, Tulsa- 59

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 12-16, 6-9 T-6th America East.

2/15/23 at Binghamton (L 62-59).
2/19/23 at Vermont (W 62-53).

A road split for the Hawks, as they dropped a tough one late at Binghamton. They finish off the regular season in a big way next week as they take on the conference leaders at home. A loss, and they could end up in the cellar.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 11-16, 8-7 5th American.

2/15/23 vs. SMU (W 90-81).
2/18/23 at Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.

Again, it's a win/lose pattern for the Huskies. They win both games this week, and are still fighting for a first round bye in the conference tournament.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 12-15, 8-6 T-3rd American.

2/15/23 at South Florida (W 82-69).
2/18/23 vs. UConn- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Golden Hurricane, who are also fighting for a first round bye in the conference tournament. Still a few conference games to play though.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 17-9, 9-5 5th ACC.

2/15/23 at Pittsburgh (W 79-67).
2/18/23 vs. Wake Forest (W 88-56).

The Blue Devils had a big week with a couple double digit wins. They get a top 10 Florida State team on the road next week, then 3 games against what are currently sub .500 teams, so a top 4 finish in the conference is still doable, but they need to win out.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 14-12, 5-9 T-7th Big 12.

2/13/23 at Kansas State (W 59-43).
2/18/23 at Texas (L 84-60).

A road split for the Horned Frogs, who also go into a 3 game stretch against sub-.500 teams. They still have a slight chance to get to .500 in the conference if they can win out.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 18-8, 9-5 T-3rd Big Ten.

2/15/23 at Michigan (W 80-71).
2/18/23 at #9 Ohio State (W 67-61).

The Spartans stay hot, winners of 4 in a row and 5 of their last 6, and they are definitely working themselves off the bubble. Still some tough games coming up, but their momentum has them going in the right direction.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 16-9, 7-7 T-6th Big Ten.

2/15/23 vs. Penn State (W 72-71).
2/18/23 at Indiana (W 80-61).

A great bounce back week for the Wildcats, who are probably back into big dance consideration with those performances. They also need to stay hot as they have a tough road swing next week.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 17-9, 7-6 T-3rd Big West.

2/14/23 at UC Riverside (L 69-59).
2/18/23 vs. Cal Poly (W 69-61).

A split for the Warriors, who fell in their battle against Riverside. That eliminates them from conference title consideration, but still 3 more games. If they can get to 20 wins this season, that might be enough to save Coach Gunn.

#21 FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 19-6, 10-4 T-3rd Conference USA.

2/16/23 at #20 North Texas (L 84-62).
2/18/23 at Middle Tennessee (L 61-58).

Tough week for the Golden Panthers who have suffered their first 2 game losing streak since mid-December. Next week will be key, as they can't afford the type of late season slide that happened often when Coach Hawkins was at Troy.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 9-16, 4-10 T-11th Conference USA.

2/16/23 at Southern Miss (L 78-69).
2/18/23 at UTEP (L 91-80).

2 more losses for the Owls, 7 in a row now. They are just falling apart since late January. Next week doesn't look promising to break that streak.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 16-10, 8-6 T-4th Pac 12.

2/16/23 vs. UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.
2/18/23 at Arizona State (W 80-61).

A split for the Buffaloes, who break a 3 game losing streak but have still lost 5 of their last 8. More tough tests next week, with a trip through Gonzaga and Oregon.

#18 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 19-7, 11-3 T-1st Pac 12.

2/16/23 vs. Oregon State (W 63-46).
2/18/23 at Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.

If Stanford misses out on the Pac 12 regular season title, they will definitely look back at the 3 officials who worked the game at Washington State. Just an ugly game that was definitely one sided in many ways. They can't afford any slip-ups now, if they can win out they'll guarantee a share, but any slip-ups may cost them.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 13-13, 6-8 9th Pac 12.

2/16/23 at Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.
2/18/23 at #10 Arizona (L 86-79).

The Bruins are a little hot right now, but Arizona cooled them off. That was the game they really wanted, but being at .500 right now after the way they started this season, Coach Shepard will take it. Next week is big, as they face the other Pac 12 co-leader in Stanford, and it'll be a feature game, of course.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 14-11, 7-7 T-6th Pac 12.

2/16/23 vs. #10 Arizona (L 83-48).
2/18/23 vs. #18 Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.

Considering how bad the Cougars played against Arizona, they'll be the first to tell you they didn't deserve the home cooking they got against Stanford, in a game that could be talked about for years to come. Don't get me wrong, Coach St. John will take the win and run with it, but it's one everybody knows they shouldn't have had.

#15 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 19-7, 10-4 T-3rd SEC.

2/15/23 vs. Missouri (W 84-78).
2/18/23 vs. #17 LSU (W 81-70).

A good week for the Crimson Tide as they got a nice win over LSU. Their schedule doesn't get any easier though, a rematch with Arkansas next week. Win that one, and an SEC title becomes a consideration.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Feb. 20-26:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Syracuse (71) 25-2 1799 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Notre Dame (1) 23-3 1712 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Wisconsin 22-4 1673 2 Big Ten Conference
4. Arkansas 22-4 1578 6 Southeastern Conference
5. Louisville 21-5 1503 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Georgetown 21-6 1398 7 Big East Conference
7. North Carolina 19-7 1398 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Arizona 21-5 1309 10 Pacific-12 Conference
9. Florida State 19-7 1182 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
10. Ohio State 19-7 1176 9 Big Ten Conference
11. Virginia 20-6 1105 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
12. North Texas 21-4 902 20 Conference USA
13. Yale 23-5 858 13 Ivy League
14. UAB 21-5 749 14 Conference USA
15. LSU 19-8 694 17 Southeastern Conference
16. Alabama 19-7 686 15 Southeastern Conference
17. Baylor 20-7 548 23 Big 12 Conference
18. Stanford 19-7 435 18 Pacific-12 Conference
19. Mercer 23-5 429 22 Southern Conference
20. Wichita State 20-6 392 NR Missouri Valley Conference
21. Villanova 20-7 351 12 Big East Conference
22. Davidson 20-6 329 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
23. Kent State 21-6 258 NR Mid-American Conference
24. BYU 21-8 203 NR West Coast Conference
25. Western Michigan 21-6 153 NR Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
UC Riverside 21-5 146 Big West Conference
Saint Joseph's 20-6 98 Atlantic 10 Conference
Old Dominion 20-5 79 Conference USA
Massachusetts 20-6 70 Atlantic 10 Conference
UC Irvine 20-8 66 Big West Conference
Duke 17-9 40 Atlantic Coast Conference
Oklahoma State 21-7 28 Big 12 Conference
Mississippi 18-8 22 Southeastern Conference
Gonzaga 18-8 9 Pacific-12 Conference
Vanderbilt 18-8 8 Southeastern Conference
FIU 19-6 6 Conference USA
Iowa State 17-9 4 Big 12 Conference
Michigan State 18-8 4 Big Ten Conference

I'm a bit stunned by the polls this week (what a shock, I disagree with them). Alabama drops a spot, while LSU, who lost to the Crimson Tide this week, jumps 2 spots? No way. Stanford stays put at #18. Nothing against Washington State, but most see that win over the Cardinal as a fluke that was given to them. Duke retains and adds a few more votes, while FIU drops out of the national top 25 after 2 losses this week, but still receives a few votes. And Michigan State with their strong performance at Ohio State, receives a few votes.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Feb. 20-26:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (43) 20-6 1758 3 Missouri Valley Conference
2. Yale (12) 23-5 1648 1 Ivy League
3. UAB (9) 21-5 1584 2 Conference USA
4. Western Michigan 21-6 1453 9 Mid-American Conference
5. BYU (6) 21-8 1443 7 West Coast Conference
6. Saint Joseph's 20-6 1420 10 Atlantic 10 Conference
7. Kent State 21-6 1405 5 Mid-American Conference
8. Davidson (1) 20-6 1355 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
9. North Texas 21-4 1237 13 Conference USA
10. Mercer 23-5 1112 14 Southern Conference
11. UC Riverside (1) 21-5 1081 16 Big West Conference
12. Old Dominion 20-5 1007 6 Conference USA
13. Massachusetts 20-6 998 15 Atlantic 10 Conference
14. UC Irvine 20-8 923 8 Big West Conference
15. FIU 19-6 790 4 Conference USA
16. Portland 19-8 685 19 West Coast Conference
17. St. Bonaventure 18-8 669 22 Atlantic 10 Conference
18. Bradley 18-9 575 17 Missouri Valley Conference
19. Drexel 20-7 420 23 Colonial Athletic Association
20. Richmond 18-8 383 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
21. Tulane 18-8 319 18 American Athletic Conference
22. Loyola Chicago 18-9 316 NR Missouri Valley Conference
23. Oakland 18-8 176 20 Horizon League
24. San Diego State 17-10 154 NR Mountain West Conference
25. Cincinnati 18-9 146 21 American Athletic Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
New Mexico 16-8 118 Mountain West Conference
Southern Illinois 18-10 93 Missouri Valley Conference
Illinois State 18-12 55 Missouri Valley Conference
VMI 20-7 31 Southern Conference
Green Bay 18-10 21 Horizon League
Hawaii 17-9 13 Big West Conference
Northern Iowa 17-10 5 Missouri Valley Conference
UNLV 16-10 4 Mountain West Conference
Florida Gulf Coast 18-8 2 Atlantic Sun Conference
Manhattan 19-10 1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

Huge drop for FIU after 2 losses this week, and Hawaii does lose some votes as expected, but stays in the mix with a few votes.

Time for this weeks edition of the Bubble Watch, and we'll start with the Overall Bubble Watch which sees 2 of our teams again mentioned.

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Richmond 18-8 .551 (64) 3-4 1-2 6-1 8-1 152 In
Mississippi 18-8 .578 (31) 2-2 6-2 5-2 5-2 49 In
Northern Iowa 17-10 .564 (46) 4-7 3-0 5-2 5-1 61 In
Portland 19-8 .572 (37) 0-2 7-2 5-4 7-0 79 In
Hawaii 17-9 .565 (44) 3-1 2-4 7-3 5-1 101 In
UC Riverside 21-5 .550 (65) 4-2 2-1 6-1 9-1 255 In
St. Bonaventure 18-8 .589 (23) 0-6 3-1 9-0 6-1 31 In
Davidson 20-6 .555 (56) 0-1 5-1 4-2 11-2 235 In
Green Bay 18-10 .577 (33) 2-1 5-3 9-4 2-2 40 Out
Cleveland State 18-11 .559 (52) 4-2 2-2 6-6 6-1 112 Out
Colorado 16-10 .579 (30) 2-4 4-4 6-2 4-0 11 Out
Baylor 20-7 .547 (68) 3-2 5-3 6-1 6-1 169 Out
Tulane 18-8 .564 (47) 1-1 3-1 10-3 4-3 102 Out
San Diego State 17-10 .555 (58) 1-1 5-3 6-4 5-2 74 Out
Indiana 17-9 .546 (70) 2-3 4-1 6-4 5-1 118 Out

Again it's Hawaii and Colorado, as both teams drop a little bit. Hawaii is now in the Last Four In, as that loss to UC Riverside really hurt them. They can solidify their spot in the tournament by finishing strong.

Colorado meanwhile, is now projected out. Still on the bubble but projected out, as their season as taken a bit of a turn for the worse. Would really be a shame to see a team with that good of an RPI shafted, but Coach Nielsen is already fearing the worst.

Now for the rest of the Bubble Watch:

Locks: Duke, Michigan State, FIU, Stanford, Alabama
In: Northwestern

A couple changes this week, as Northwestern is back to being projected in, and Duke is back to being a lock. Otherwise, everything looks to have stayed the same.

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 20-26, 2023

28 games on the schedule this week, with 1 feature game. Let's take you out to the Pac 12 in a game that has just gotten a lot more meaningful.

2/25/23- #18 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) @ UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- A great one here, as both teams shot lights out. Despite being outrebounded and outscored at the line, Stanford made more shots, including three pointers, to escape with a big win that leaves them back on top of the conference.

Final Score: #18 Stanford- 80, UCLA- 78

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 12-17, 6-10 T-7th America East.

2/24/23 vs. Albany (L 79-71).

The Hawks finish the regular season with a whimper, finishing with their worst conference record in about 4 seasons. They'll limp into the America East tournament as the 7th seed after winning a tiebreaker and will open up in the first round against 2nd seed New Hampshire.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 13-16, 10-7 5th American.

2/22/23 vs. ECU (W 84-71).
2/25/23 at Houston (W 71-60).

2 more wins for the Huskies who are finishing strong. Their final conference game won't be easy as they take on a conference leading Cincinnati team that'll be going for their 20th win. If the Huskies can stay hot, they can still finish top 4. A loss all but locks them into the 5th seed.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 14-15, 10-6 T-3rd American.

2/22/23 vs. Memphis (W 81-66).
2/25/23 vs. ECU (W 72-64).

The Golden Hurricane also win 2 games this week, and have 2 crucial road games next week. Their final game is at Tulane, who is currently in 2nd place. Win both, and they could finish in 2nd place. Losing both could drop them down to 6th. If they can win both and get a lot of help, they could end up sharing a conference title, but that would take a LOT of luck.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 17-11, 9-7 7th ACC.

2/22/23 at #9 Florida State (L 75-73).
2/25/23 vs. Georgia Tech (L 72-57).

Tough week for the Blue Devils, who continue to be inconsistent. A tough loss at Florida State, then they fell apart against GA Tech. Their final 2 regular season games are winnable, but the best they can hope for is a 5th place finish which is unacceptable for Duke standards.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 16-12, 7-9 T-6th Big 12.

2/20/23 vs. Kansas (W 76-67).
2/25/23 vs. Texas Tech (W 72-67).

2 wins for the Horned Frogs this week, and those 2 wins will ensure they don't finish in the cellar. If they can win both next week, they'll finish .500 in the conference, but they can still finish anywhere between 5th and 9th.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 19-9, 10-6 T-3rd Big Ten.

2/22/23 at Minnesota (L 85-80).
2/25/23 at Indiana (W 91-90).

Just more inconsistency for the Spartans, with the loss to Minnesota breaking a 4 game losing streak. A good bounce back win at Indiana. They have 2 more games next week, with 1 of them against the conference leaders. If they can somehow win both, a share of the conference title is doable. Lose both, and they could fall all the way to 8th place.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 17-10, 8-8 T-7th Big Ten.

2/22/23 at Rutgers (L 74-59).
2/25/23 at #3 Wisconsin (W 77-65).

A huge win for the Wildcats over Wisconsin, it's just a shame they had to lose to Rutgers before that. 2 winnable games next week, as despite the conference record, they seem to be looking pretty good for a postseason berth.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 18-10, 8-7 T-3rd Big West.

2/23/23 vs. UC Davis (W 69-56).
2/25/23 at Cal State Fullerton (L 77-70).

Tough week for the Warriors who do split, but they needed that win against Fullerton as they finish off the regular season next week against the conference leaders UC Irvine. A conference title isn't going to happen, and depending on what does happen next week, Hawaii will finish somewhere between 3rd and 6th. firecoachgunn.com is still running wild.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 21-6, 12-4 T-2nd Conference USA.

2/23/23 at Florida Atlantic (W 66-58).
2/25/23 vs. UTEP (W 76-72).

2 more wins for the Golden Panthers, who are over 20 wins for the 3rd straight season. They can't finish any worse than 5th in the conference, and need to beat UAB next week. If they can win both, it's still possible for a 1st or 2nd place finish.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 9-18, 4-12 T-12th Conference USA.

2/23/23 vs. #12 North Texas (L 89-77).
2/25/23 vs. Louisiana Tech (L 97-65).

The nightmare season continues for the Owls, who lost twice more this week and are in the midst of their worst season since this dynasty started. Fortunately, they still have a chance to pick up double digit wins, as they have 2 teams in the bottom half of the conference next week. However, 1 of the games is against Fla Atlantic who is currently in last place. If the Owls lose that one, the cellar is theirs.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 16-12, 8-8 T-6th Pac 12.

2/23/23 at Gonzaga (L 77-65).
2/25/23 at Oregon (L 69-60).

The Buffaloes are quickly playing themselves out of the NCAA Tournament. It's amazing to think at 1 time they were 14-5 overall and 6-1 in Pac 12 play. Since then, they've lost 7 of their last 9, and haven't been competitive in a lot of those games. In fact, 4 of those 7 losses were by double digits, and 2 more were by 9 points. Not sure what has happened, but they need to right the ship next week as they finish off with the next to last place team in the conference, and then Washington State.

#18 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 21-7, 13-3 1st Pac 12.

2/23/23 vs. Utah (W 77-76).
2/25/23 at UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

It wasn't easy, but the Cardinal won both games this week, and thanks to Arizona beating Gonzaga this week, Stanford is back alone at the top of the Pac 12. It's not gonna be easy next week though, as they face 2 opponents that could knock them off. If they win just 1 of those games, they clinch a share of the conference title. Winning both clinches the title outright. Losing both.. well that could drop them all the way down to 3rd in the conference. Still a lot to play for.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 14-14, 7-9 T-8th Pac 12.

2/23/23 at Oregon (W 72-66).
2/25/23 vs. #18 Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Bruins, who need to win both games next week just to finish at .500 in the conference. It's been a long time since they've been that bad, and definitely the 1st time in this dynasty. Scary thing is, if they win both next week, and things go right otherwise, they could end up getting 4th place in the conference. Not likely, I would expect them to finish somewhere between 6th and 10th. Hopefully towards the high end of that.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 15-12, 8-8 T-6th Pac 12.

2/23/23 vs. Washington (L 69-59).
2/25/23 vs. Utah (W 59-56).

A split for the Cougars, who are having their best season in a while. They have yet to sniff the postseason in this dynasty, and if they can somehow win a couple games next week and a couple in the Pac 12 Tournament, they might get there. Unfortunately, they have to face a hot Gonzaga team next week, as well as a Colorado team trying to get back on track. Not how you want to finish off the regular season.

#16 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 21-7, 12-4 T-1st SEC.

2/22/23 at #4 Arkansas (W 83-74).
2/25/23 at South Carolina (W 92-89).

The Crimson Tide couldn't have asked for a better week. They went into Arkansas and shocked the Razorbacks, then held on against a tough South Carolina team. They are now in position to earn at least a split for the conference title, if they can continue to win both games next week. It won't be easy though, as they travel to VCU and return home to end the regular season against Kentucky. Although both teams are down a little, they are still going to be very tough games.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Feb. 27-March 6:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Syracuse (72) 27-2 1800 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Notre Dame 24-4 1728 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Wisconsin 22-6 1628 3 Big Ten Conference
4. North Carolina 21-7 1572 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
5. Louisville 21-6 1546 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Arkansas 22-6 1426 4 Southeastern Conference
7. Georgetown 22-7 1334 6 Big East Conference
8. Ohio State 21-7 1241 10 Big Ten Conference
9. Florida State 21-7 1230 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
10. Arizona 22-6 1193 8 Pacific-12 Conference
11. Virginia 22-6 1135 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
12. Alabama 21-7 967 16 Southeastern Conference
13. UAB 23-5 871 14 Conference USA
14. Yale 24-5 766 13 Ivy League
15. Villanova 22-7 759 21 Big East Conference
16. Wichita State 22-6 724 20 Missouri Valley Conference
17. Stanford 21-7 660 18 Pacific-12 Conference
18. Mercer 25-5 635 19 Southern Conference
19. North Texas 22-5 486 12 Conference USA
20. Gonzaga 20-8 459 NR Pacific-12 Conference
21. Texas A&M 19-9 325 NR Southeastern Conference
22. Baylor 21-8 204 17 Big 12 Conference
23. Davidson 21-7 137 22 Atlantic 10 Conference
24. Iowa State 19-9 99 NR Big 12 Conference
25. FIU 21-6 79 NR Conference USA

Others Receiving Votes:
Western Michigan 22-7 76 Mid-American Conference
LSU 20-9 63 Southeastern Conference
UC Riverside 22-6 62 Big West Conference
BYU 22-9 54 West Coast Conference
Kent State 22-7 54 Mid-American Conference
Massachusetts 21-7 38 Atlantic 10 Conference
Old Dominion 21-6 33 Conference USA
UC Irvine 20-9 8 Big West Conference
Loyola Chicago 20-9 4 Missouri Valley Conference
Portland 21-8 2 West Coast Conference
Mississippi 19-9 1 Southeastern Conference
Oklahoma State 22-8 1 Big 12 Conference

Alabama jumps 4 spots in the poll after a big win at Arkansas, while Stanford raises 1 spot after 2 narrow victories. FIU jumps back into the top 25, barely. Michigan State and Duke, 2 once proud programs that made a living in the top 25, are nowhere to be found after losing all their votes again.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Feb. 27-March 6:

Mid Major Top 25

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (58) 22-6 1784 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. UAB (8) 23-5 1704 3 Conference USA
3. Yale (6) 24-5 1626 2 Ivy League
4. Kent State 22-7 1485 7 Mid-American Conference
5. Western Michigan 22-7 1404 4 Mid-American Conference
6. Mercer 25-5 1364 10 Southern Conference
7. Davidson 21-7 1363 8 Atlantic 10 Conference
8. BYU 22-9 1341 5 West Coast Conference
9. FIU 21-6 1179 15 Conference USA
10. Massachusetts 21-7 1113 13 Atlantic 10 Conference
11. North Texas 22-5 1105 9 Conference USA
12. UC Riverside 22-6 988 11 Big West Conference
13. Portland 21-8 907 16 West Coast Conference
14. Saint Joseph's 20-8 906 6 Atlantic 10 Conference
15. Old Dominion 21-6 892 12 Conference USA
16. UC Irvine 20-9 711 14 Big West Conference
17. St. Bonaventure 19-9 680 17 Atlantic 10 Conference
18. Loyola Chicago 20-9 595 22 Missouri Valley Conference
19. Tulane 20-8 551 21 American Athletic Conference
20. Bradley 19-10 403 18 Missouri Valley Conference
21. San Diego State 18-10 381 24 Mountain West Conference
22. Cincinnati 19-9 360 25 American Athletic Conference
23. Oakland 19-9 170 23 Horizon League
24. New Mexico 17-9 100 NR Mountain West Conference
25. Southern Illinois 19-11 84 NR Missouri Valley Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Drexel 20-9 58 Colonial Athletic Association
Richmond 18-10 39 Atlantic 10 Conference
VMI 21-8 29 Southern Conference
Green Bay 19-11 21 Horizon League
Manhattan 20-10 20 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
UNLV 17-10 15 Mountain West Conference
Illinois State 18-13 12 Missouri Valley Conference
Pepperdine 17-11 5 West Coast Conference
Hawaii 18-10 3 Big West Conference
Northern Iowa 18-11 2 Missouri Valley Conference

FIU moves up 6 spots after a good week, while Hawaii just barely hangs in consideration, getting 3 votes. You can be assured that 1 of those votes came from Coach Gunn lol.

Now for this weeks edition of the Bubble Watch. As always we'll start with the Overall Bubble Watch, which once again features 2 of our teams.

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Western Michigan 22-7 .575 (32) 0-4 2-0 11-3 9-0 119 In
Northern Iowa 18-11 .560 (51) 5-7 3-1 5-2 5-1 55 In
Duke 17-11 .596 (16) 5-9 4-1 1-0 7-1 4 In
Davidson 21-7 .556 (58) 1-2 5-2 6-1 9-2 216 In
Hawaii 18-10 .560 (49) 2-1 4-4 8-4 4-1 110 In
UC Riverside 22-6 .550 (65) 3-2 4-1 7-2 8-1 246 In
Baylor 21-8 .548 (67) 4-2 4-3 8-2 5-1 144 In
California 17-10 .558 (53) 2-6 4-0 7-2 4-2 77 In
Tulane 20-8 .564 (45) 1-1 3-1 10-3 6-3 133 Out
Green Bay 19-11 .561 (48) 2-1 4-3 9-4 4-3 69 Out
San Diego State 18-10 .558 (54) 1-1 6-2 5-5 6-2 61 Out
Oklahoma State 22-8 .549 (66) 2-2 6-2 10-4 4-0 183 Out
Pepperdine 17-11 .554 (60) 3-3 0-4 6-4 8-0 67 Out
Illinois State 18-13 .578 (28) 10-6 0-2 5-4 3-1 5 Out
Richmond 18-10 .544 (72) 4-5 0-2 6-1 8-2 150 Out

With 2 losses this week, Duke now finds themselves on the Bubble. They are still projected in, but not nearly as safely in as they'd like. They definitely need to win probably both games next week to get off that bubble. Meanwhile, Hawaii remains in the last 4 in, but that could change next week. They face the conference leaders. A win could get them off the bubble, and a loss will probably see them in the First or Next Four Out.

Now for the rest of the FOFC Bubble Watch:

Locks: Michigan State, Northwestern, FIU, Stanford, Alabama

The big changes from last week are that Northwestern moves from Safely In to the Lock category, Colorado is off the bubble and is no longer on the radar, projected out with a lot of work to do, and Duke, who was a lock last week, is on the bubble, but still projected in. Just not safely in.

[rjolley]

Nice to see UCLA put up a fight and have a classic game with Stanford. What was the final score of the game?

[collegesportsfanms]

Nice to see UCLA put up a fight and have a classic game with Stanford. What was the final score of the game?

Oops, didn't realize I didn't put the final up. 80-78. I've edited the post to reflect that. Thanks!

[bbgunn]

WAZZU PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER THE STANFORD UPSET:

REPORTER FROM LARGE SPORTS NETWORK: Some people are claiming that the referees did a little home cooking in order to give your Cougars the upset victory tonight. What are your thoughts on the matter?

WAZZU COACH ST. JOHN: What are they talking about? The win tonight was yuge! It was bigly. 57 free throws? We're the best team ever. You haven't seen a team as good as this one. We're so good we're tired from all this winning. To say otherwise is just fake news, and YOU'RE fake news. Next question!

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 27-March 5, 2023

26 games on the schedule this week, including 1 feature game in the Pac 12, so let's start there.

3/4/23- Washington State (DeShawn St. John) @ Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- This one was close at halftime, but the Buffs used some tight defense in the 2nd half to blow it open. Colorado forced 17 turnovers total, but many of them came in the 2nd half and led to easy fast break points as the Buffs salvage a .500 record in the Pac 12.

Final Score: Colorado- 82, Washington State- 63

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 13-17, 6-10 America East.

3/2/23- America East Quarterfinals vs. (2) New Hampshire (W 66-55).

The Hawks extend their season for at least 1 more game as they try to start a Cinderella run into the NCAA Tournament. They'll need to win 2 more games to get there though.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 13-17, 10-8 T-4th American.

3/4/23 vs. Cincinnati (L 56-44).

Just 1 game for the Huskies this week, and it didn't go well as the 4 game winning streak is broken. They lost the tiebreaker for 4th place, but it really didn't matter, as they'll face the 4th place team in the American Quarterfinals next week.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 14-17, 10-8 T-4th American.

3/1/23 at UCF (L 72-69).
3/4/23 at Tulane (L 87-58).

2 road losses this week for the Golden Hurricane lock them in a tie for 4th place, which they've won. Again, it doesn't really matter, because they'll face the 5th seed UConn next week in the American Quarterfinals. That means 1 of our FOFC coaches in the American will end their season for sure next week, while the other will extend it for at least 1 game.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 18-12, 10-8 7th ACC.

3/1/23 at N.C. State (W 76-74, OT).
3/4/23 vs. Miami (L 67-55).

A split for the Blue Devils, as they win in OT on the road then lose at home. They'll get the 7th seed in the ACC Tournament and get a bye into the Second Round where they will take on the winner between 15th seed Boston College and 10th seed Miami.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 17-13, 8-10 T-6th Big 12.

2/27/23 at West Virginia (W 68-57).
3/4/23 at Oklahoma (L 70-58).

A road split for the Horned Frogs who fail to finish .500 in conference. They lost the tiebreaker for 6th place and will be the 7th seed in the Big 12 Tournament, they'll open up in the First Round against 10th seed Texas Tech.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 19-11, 10-8 T-5th Big Ten.

3/1/23 vs. Purdue (L 99-93).
3/4/23 vs. #3 Wisconsin (L 95-87).

A consistent week for the Spartans, but not the way they wanted it. They lost 2 this week but both were close. They do win the tiebreaker for 5th place though and will be the 5th seed in the Big Ten Tournament. They'll get a First Round bye and take on the (13) Nebraska/(12) Minnesota winner in the Second Round.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 18-11, 9-9 7th Big Ten.

3/1/23 vs. Maryland (W 81-66).
3/4/23 at Michigan (L 72-64).

A split for the Wildcats, winning at home and losing on the road. They'll be the 7th seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will open up in the Second Round against 10th seed Purdue.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 18-11, 8-8 T-4th Big West.

3/4/23 vs. UC Irvine (L 74-62).

A tough one for the Warriors who were looking to finish back over .500 in conference play but it wasn't meant to be. They do win the tiebreaker for 4th place and will be the 4th seed in the Big West Tournament. They'll open up in the Quarterfinals against 5th seed Cal Poly.

#25 FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 22-7, 13-5 T-2nd Conference USA.

3/2/23 vs. #13 UAB (L 98-90).
3/4/23 vs. Louisiana Tech (W 85-76).

A split for the Golden Panthers, who just couldn't get by UAB. They finished 2nd in a 3 way tie for 2nd place, so they'll get the 3rd seed in the Conference USA Tournament. They'll get a double bye into the Quarterfinals where they'll take on either (14) Florida Atlantic, (11) Western Kentucky, or (6) Middle Tennessee.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 10-19, 5-13 12th Conference USA.

3/2/23 at South Dakota State (L 68-62).
3/4/23 vs. Florida Atlantic (W 72-70).

Finally! The 10 game losing streak comes to an end in the final regular season game for the Owls, as they beat FAU. They'll be the 12th seed in the C-USA Tournament and open up in the First Round against 13th seed Charlotte, hoping to build a winning streak.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 17-13, 9-9 T-5th Pac 12.

3/2/23 at Utah (L 68-58).
3/4/23 vs. Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Buffaloes, who do break a 3 game losing streak with the win over Washington State. Just no consistency since late January, as they ended up losing 8 of their last 11 regular season games. They also lost the 5th place tiebreaker and will be the 6th seed in the Pac 12 Tournament. They'll open up against the 11th seed Utah team that just beat them earlier this week.

#17 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 22-8, 14-4 T-1st Pac 12.

3/2/23 at Washington (L 55-50).
3/4/23 vs. California (W 87-75).

A split for the Cardinal, who will split the regular season Pac 12 title with Gonzaga, as that loss to Washington kept them from winning the title outright. They do get the tiebreaker for the top seed in the Pac 12 Tournament, and they'll get a bye into the Quarterfinals where they'll take on the winner of the First Round game between 9th seed Oregon and 8th seed Washington State.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 16-14, 9-9 T-5th Pac 12.

3/2/23 at California (W 103-94).
3/4/23 vs. Utah (W 69-61).

A good week for the Bruins, who won against teams that beat Colorado and Stanford, respectively. A good recovery for UCLA, as they finish the regular season winners of 6 of their last 8 games to hold out hope for a postseason berth. They won the 5th place tiebreaker and will be the 5th seed in the Pac 12 Tournament, opening up in the First Round against 12th seed Arizona State.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 15-14, 8-10 T-8th Pac 12.

3/2/23 at #20 Gonzaga (L 82-72).
3/4/23 at Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.

The Cougars had tough competition this week on the road, losing twice. They won the tiebreaker for the 8th seed, but we'll find out the real winner next week, as they face 9th seed Oregon in the First Round of the Pac 12 Tournament.

#12 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 22-8, 13-5 T-1st SEC.

3/1/23 at VCU (L 66-50).
3/4/23 vs. Kentucky (W 79-78, OT).

You can bet the Crimson Tide want back that game at VCU, as they didn't show up. That broke a 7 game winning streak and cost them the SEC Title outright, as they'll have to share it with Arkansas. They do win the tiebreaker for top seed in the SEC Tournament, and they'll get a double bye into the Quarterfinals where they await the winner of a Second Round game between 9th seed LSU and 8th seed Missouri.

Here's a look at the national top 25 heading into the week of March 7-13:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Syracuse (72) 29-2 1800 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Notre Dame 26-4 1728 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Louisville 23-6 1651 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. North Carolina 22-8 1529 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
5. Arkansas 24-6 1492 6 Southeastern Conference
6. Georgetown 23-7 1456 7 Big East Conference
7. Wisconsin 23-7 1404 3 Big Ten Conference
8. Virginia 23-7 1280 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. Ohio State 22-8 1185 8 Big Ten Conference
10. Florida State 22-8 1178 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Arizona 23-7 1110 10 Pacific-12 Conference
12. Yale 26-5 954 14 Ivy League
13. Mercer 27-5 862 18 Southern Conference
14. Alabama 22-8 821 12 Southeastern Conference
15. Gonzaga 22-8 810 20 Pacific-12 Conference
16. Wichita State 24-7 688 16 Missouri Valley Conference
17. UAB 24-6 640 13 Conference USA
18. Villanova 23-8 625 15 Big East Conference
19. Stanford 22-8 533 17 Pacific-12 Conference
20. Old Dominion 23-6 388 NR Conference USA
21. North Texas 23-6 324 19 Conference USA
22. Kent State 23-7 251 NR Mid-American Conference
23. UC Riverside 24-6 206 NR Big West Conference
24. Western Michigan 23-7 155 NR Mid-American Conference
25. BYU 23-9 136 NR West Coast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
St. John's 21-9 44 Big East Conference
FIU 22-7 42 Conference USA
Davidson 22-8 35 Atlantic 10 Conference
Oklahoma State 23-8 30 Big 12 Conference
Iowa State 20-10 25 Big 12 Conference
Saint Joseph's 22-8 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
Baylor 21-9 3 Big 12 Conference
Massachusetts 22-8 3 Atlantic 10 Conference

Both Alabama and Stanford drop 2 spots in the polls after losing a game this week and a chance to win their respective conference titles outright. FIU also split this week and falls out of the top 25 but is still receiving a lot of votes.

Now for a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of March 7-13:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (59) 24-7 1786 1 Missouri Valley Conference
2. Yale (8) 26-5 1697 3 Ivy League
3. UAB (5) 24-6 1628 2 Conference USA
4. Kent State 23-7 1528 4 Mid-American Conference
5. Mercer 27-5 1434 6 Southern Conference
6. BYU 23-9 1402 8 West Coast Conference
7. Western Michigan 23-7 1396 5 Mid-American Conference
8. Old Dominion 23-6 1238 15 Conference USA
9. Davidson 22-8 1202 7 Atlantic 10 Conference
10. Saint Joseph's 22-8 1166 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
11. UC Riverside 24-6 1120 12 Big West Conference
12. FIU 22-7 1013 9 Conference USA
13. Massachusetts 22-8 922 10 Atlantic 10 Conference
14. North Texas 23-6 916 11 Conference USA
15. Portland 22-9 782 13 West Coast Conference
16. San Diego State 20-10 682 21 Mountain West Conference
17. Cincinnati 21-9 658 22 American Athletic Conference
18. UC Irvine 21-10 578 16 Big West Conference
19. Tulane 21-9 471 19 American Athletic Conference
20. St. Bonaventure 20-10 465 17 Atlantic 10 Conference
21. Loyola Chicago 20-10 398 18 Missouri Valley Conference
22. Northern Iowa 21-12 282 NR Missouri Valley Conference
23. Bradley 19-11 180 20 Missouri Valley Conference
24. Richmond 20-10 152 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
25. Green Bay 21-11 75 NR Horizon League

Others Receiving Votes:
Manhattan 22-10 64 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
New Mexico 18-10 56 Mountain West Conference
Illinois State 20-14 30 Missouri Valley Conference
Drexel 21-10 24 Colonial Athletic Association
Pepperdine 18-11 12 West Coast Conference
Florida Gulf Coast 22-9 11 Atlantic Sun Conference
UNLV 18-11 9 Mountain West Conference
Southern Illinois 19-12 7 Missouri Valley Conference
Akron 20-10 6 Mid-American Conference
Oakland 20-10 6 Horizon League
Western Carolina 22-9 3 Southern Conference
Memphis 18-11 1 American Athletic Conference

FIU drops 3 spots in the mid-major top 25, while Hawaii loses what few votes they had.

Now for the final edition of the bubble watch for the 2022-2023 season. Starting with the Overall Bubble Watch which sees... you guessed it, 2 of our FOFC teams.

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Texas A&M 19-11 .550 (62) 5-4 2-3 6-4 6-0 74 In
Davidson 22-8 .566 (40) 2-2 4-2 7-3 9-1 158 In
Portland 22-9 .567 (38) 2-1 4-3 6-5 10-0 106 In
St. Bonaventure 20-10 .575 (33) 2-6 2-1 13-2 3-1 28 In
Duke 18-12 .582 (24) 5-9 4-2 3-0 6-1 4 In
Seton Hall 18-12 .563 (45) 6-4 0-3 12-5 0-0 31 In
Mississippi 19-11 .564 (42) 2-3 6-0 6-7 5-1 37 In
Pepperdine 18-11 .554 (56) 3-5 0-2 7-4 8-0 76 In
Hawaii 18-11 .552 (59) 1-2 5-4 8-4 4-1 102 Out
Green Bay 21-11 .554 (57) 2-1 5-4 9-3 5-3 109 Out
Tulane 21-9 .561 (48) 0-1 4-3 11-2 6-3 115 Out
Iowa 18-12 .546 (67) 6-4 1-8 8-0 3-0 63 Out
UNLV 18-11 .546 (68) 1-1 4-5 6-3 7-2 87 Out
New Mexico 18-10 .547 (66) 0-0 5-5 4-3 9-2 111 Out
Indiana State 19-14 .577 (29) 9-9 0-3 6-2 4-0 6 Out

Duke drops a little, down to the Last Four In. It's critical that they win their Second Round game of the ACC tournament, whoever they play, whether it be Miami and Boston College. A win there would probably seal their spot in the Big Dance, especially with a good effort in the Quarterfinals against Notre Dame. But if the Miami/BC winner beats the Blue Devils, that might be enough to knock them into NIT land.

Hawaii on the other hand, drops to the First Four Out. In fact, they are the first team out on the list. They MUST win their Quarterfinal game in the Big West Tournament against Cal Poly, and even then a semifinal win might be necessary, depending on what else happens. The Big West quarterfinal is a must win though, that we know for sure.

Now for the rest of the FOFC Bubble Watch:

Locks: Michigan State, Northwestern, FIU, Stanford, Alabama.

The only thing that changed this week was the Overall Bubble Watch in which Hawaii went from being projected In to being Projected Out. Everything else was the same.

[bbgunn]

Ugh, not good for the Rainbow Warriors.

[collegesportsfanms]

March 6-12, 2023

26 games this week, and only 1 of them is a feature game. We knew it was coming, and it takes place in the American Conference. We'll start there.

3/10/23- American Quarterfinals - (5) UConn (Randolph Childress) vs. (4) Tulsa (Will Brown) -- We figured this would be a hotly contested game, and it didn't disappoint. In fact, it was so hotly contested that it needed extra time, as the game went into overtime. In the end, it was a buzzer beater that sent Tulsa on, and ended another disappointing UConn season.

Final Score: (4) Tulsa- 72, (5) UConn- 70, OT

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 15-17, 6-10 America East.

3/6/23- America East Semifinal vs. (3) Binghamton (W 67-57).
3/11/23- America East Championship vs. (1) Albany (W 83-64).

Not sure where this spurt came from for the Hawks, but congrats to them and Coach Ginsberg, who came out of nowhere to win the America East Tournament and steal a bid from someone. They are going dancing, and with that record, it's a very safe bet they'll be playing in the First Four. Still, they are dancing.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 13-18, 10-8 American.

3/10/23- American Quarterfinal vs. (4) Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.

Another dismal finish to another dismal season for the Huskies and Coach Childress. They'll sit at home again during the postseason, and one has to wonder if he regrets leaving Davidson, as they will almost certainly be extended their season. He doesn't have to worry about losing his job yet, but another season like this and he might.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 15-18, 10-8 American.

3/10/23- American Quarterfinal vs. (5) UConn- feature game, highlighted above.
3/11/23- American Semifinal vs. (1) Cincinnati (L 63-60).

What could have been for the Golden Hurricane, who had a halftime lead over Cincy but couldn't hold it. Wouldn't have mattered though, they would have needed to win that game and another one to extend their season. They'll be sitting at home this postseason as well.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 18-13, 10-8 ACC.

3/8/23- ACC Second Round vs. (15) Boston College (L 61-48).

An embarrassing loss for the Blue Devils, who are struggling to regain the magic they once had. With that loss, they will now have to sweat out Selection Sunday, as they may have just lost their spot in the NCAA Tournament, especially with Hartford stealing a bid. Might be NIT for the Dukies.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 17-14, 8-10 Big 12.

3/8/23- Big 12 First Round vs. (10) Texas Tech (L 74-59).

Another dismal performance in their conference tournament for 1 of our FOFC teams. The NCAA won't happen for the Horned Frogs, and it's unlikely that the NIT will. If anything, I see them hosting a couple games in the CBI.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 21-12, 10-8 Big Ten.

3/9/23- Big Ten Second Round vs. (13) Nebraska (W 75-65).
3/10/23- Big Ten Quarterfinal vs. (4) Indiana (W 55-53, OT).
3/11/23- Big Ten Semifinal vs. (1) #7 Wisconsin (L 80-72).

While they still haven't recovered the full Sparty magic, the Spartans have definitely done enough to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Now.. what kind of seed will they get? That's anybodys guess, but with the inconsistency they showed, a mid-range seed would be likely.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 19-12, 9-9 Big Ten.

3/9/23- Big Ten Second Round vs. (10) Purdue (W 73-69).
3/10/23- Big Ten Quarterfinal vs. (2) #9 Ohio State (L 93-85).

The Wildcats can thank a couple big non-conference wins for their RPI of 19, as they will definitely be dancing, but should be a mid-range seed as well.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 19-12, 8-8 Big West.

3/9/23- Big West Quarterfinal vs. (5) Cal Poly (W 67-52).
3/10/23- Big West Semifinal vs. (3) UC Santa Barbara (L 84-65).

The Big West reseeds their teams in the semifinals of the Big West Tournament, with the highest remaining seed playing the lowest remaining seed, and the other 2 seeds meeting. This really hurt the Warriors, as the #8 seed beat the #1 seed, and without the reseeding, they'd have played the #8 seed in the semifinals. That would have given them a better chance to win, as they really needed to make it to the championship to feel good about an NCAA bid. With their 63 RPI, I'd look for them to be hosting in the NIT.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 23-8, 13-5 Conference USA.

3/9/23- C-USA Quarterfinal vs. (6) Middle Tennessee (W 90-70).
3/10/23- C-USA Semifinal vs. (10) Marshall (L 78-58).

Taking nothing away from the season the Golden Panthers have had, they were all set up for a tournament championship. Either way, the first season for Coach Hawkins at FIU has been nothing but successful. They'll be dancing and might be in position for a top 4 seed in their region. This will surely open up some more tempting job offers for Mr. Hawkins.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 11-20, 5-13 Conference USA.

3/7/23- C-USA First Round vs. (13) Charlotte (W 76-52).
3/8/23- C-USA Second Round vs. (5) Louisiana Tech (L 85-68).

The Owls needed to win out to even sniff a postseason bid. It didn't happen, and Coach Shocker and the Owls will be sitting at home again this postseason.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 18-14, 9-9 Pac 12.

3/8/23- Pac 12 First Round vs. (11) Utah (W 77-71).
3/9/23- Pac 12 Quarterfinal vs. (3) #11 Arizona (L 81-72).

We can't say it enough, the meltdown that the Buffaloes suffered. They were on pace to be a high seed in the NCAA Tournament. Now, they'll be lucky to get a bid and if they do they could be looking at the First Four. It's more likely they'll be demoted to the NIT. If that's the case, they should host a First Round game.

#19 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 24-9, 14-4 Pac 12.

3/9/23- Pac 12 Quarterfinal vs. (9) Oregon (W 80-75, OT).
3/10/23- Pac 12 Semifinal vs. (4) Washington (W 74-48).
3/11/23- Pac 12 Championship vs. (3) #11 Arizona (L 79-71).

That loss to Oregon in the Quarterfinals could have been damaging to the Cardinal, but they survived. Couldn't finish the deal in the Pac 12 championship though, as Arizona reigns supreme again. Still a remarkable season for Coach Sanchez, as Stanford should be a top 3 or 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 17-15, 9-9 Pac 12.

3/8/23- Pac 12 First Round vs. (12) Arizona State (W 79-61).
3/9/23- Pac 12 Quarterfinal vs. (4) Washington (L 87-79, OT).

A heartbreaking season for the Bruins, and a heartbreaking Pac 12 quarterfinal against Washington. They had it, but lost it in OT. Their dismal 128 RPI might not be enough to get them into a tournament based on name alone. I predict UCLA will be sitting at home during the postseason for the first time since this dynasty started.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 15-15, 8-10 Pac 12.

3/8/23- Pac 12 First Round vs. (9) Oregon (L 92-75).

It was the 2nd best season for the Cougars since this dynasty started, but a .500 record and a 122 RPI just isn't going to be enough to get them their first postseason berth. They are done for the season.

#14 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 22-9, 13-5 SEC.

3/10/23- SEC Quarterfinal vs. (8) Missouri (L 75-71).

Not what the Crimson Tide wanted going into the SEC Tournament. A tough quarterfinal loss that might knock them down a seed line or 2. They'll still be in the NCAA Tournament without a doubt, but look for a 5 or 6 seed for them.

And now that that's out of the way.. it's Selection Sunday time!!

[collegesportsfanms]

2023 Selection Sunday

Michigan State got the 8th seed in the NCAA West Region and will open up against 9th seed Iowa State.

Stanford got the 4th seed in the NCAA Midwest Region and will open up against 13th seed Ohio.

Northwestern got the 9th seed in the NCAA South Region and will open up against 8th seed Southern Illinois.

FIU got the 4th seed in the NCAA South Region and will open up against 13th seed Kansas State.

Alabama got the 3rd seed in the NCAA South Region and will open up against 14th seed North Dakota State.

Hartford will play in the NCAA First Four, going up against Seattle. The winner will be the 16th seed in the NCAA East Region and take on top seed Syracuse.

Duke got the 4th seed in the NIT West Region. They'll open up by hosting 5th seed Missouri in the NIT West Region Quarterfinals.

Hawaii got the 2nd seed in the NIT Midwest Region and will host the winner of a First Round game between 10th seed Idaho and 7th seed Memphis.

Colorado got the 9th seed in the CBI. They'll will travel to 8th seed Utah State in the First Round. Coach Nielsen might feel they got snubbed a little bit, but when you lose 9 of 13 games since January 26th, getting a postseason demotion tends to happen. They'll definitely have a chip on their shoulder though.

9 of our 15 remaining FOFC teams made the postseason. Not bad.

[muns]

lol Rice can't seem to ever get its stuff together

[law90026]

Duke facepalm

[collegesportsfanms]

2023 Postseason

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 16-18, 6-10 America East.

3/14/23- NCAA First Four vs. Seattle (W 76-64).
3/16/23- NCAA East Region First Round vs. (1) Syracuse (L 70-69).

Can't be disappointed about this performance from the Hawks. They won an NCAA Tournament game, albeit a First Four game, and came within 1 basket of upsetting the #1 seed in their region. Coach Ginsberg should feel very very proud of how his team finished the 2022-2023 season and they will look to build on that next season.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 18-14, 10-8 ACC.

3/16/23- NIT West Region Second Round vs. (5) Missouri (L 73-65).

A very disappointing season for the Blue Devils, as they just couldn't buy a win against a top ranked team, and sputtered their way to the finish line. Coach Hoo won't be able to afford anymore seasons like this.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 21-13, 10-8 Big Ten.

3/17/23- NCAA West Region First Round vs. (9) Iowa State (L 84-50).

Talk about ending the season with a whimper! That's exactly what the Spartans did. Very uncharacteristic of them, and they also are going to have to figure it out. While they got to 20 wins, 13 losses and a disaster of a game in the NCAA Tournament doesn't bode well for a Coach whose seat is already warm.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 20-13, 9-9 Big Ten.

3/16/23- NCAA South Region First Round vs. (8) Southern Illinois (W 84-81).
3/18/23- NCAA South Region Second Round vs. (1) Louisville (L 96-88).

Not a bad postseason for the Wildcats, as they get to 20 wins with the NCAA First Round win over Southern Illinois, and give Louisville a heck of a fight. Something to build on, now if they could just do a little better in Big Ten play.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 21-13, 8-8 Big West.

3/15/23- NIT Midwest Region Second Round vs. (7) Memphis (W 76-70).
3/20/23- NIT Midwest Region Semifinal vs. (3) Manhattan (W 82-74).
3/23/23- NIT Midwest Region Final at (5) New Mexico (L 53-50).

Nice run by the Warriors who also get over 20 wins, but are another team that has to do better in conference play. Firecoachgunn.com quieted down some, but the fans aren't happy about blowing a double digit halftime lead at New Mexico.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 25-9, 13-5 Conference USA.

3/17/23- NCAA South Region First Round vs. (13) Kansas State (W 84-74).
3/19/23- NCAA South Region Second Round vs. (5) Florida State (W 84-74).
3/24/23- NCAA South Region Semifinal vs. (1) Louisville (L 94-90).

Not often you have teams win consecutive games by the same score, but that's what we had here. Coach Hawkins took FIU farther than they have ever been in this dynasty, the Sweet Sixteen. They came very close to winning that. He might have a tough decision to make in the offseason, and it's long overdue.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 18-15, 9-9 Pac 12.

3/15/23- CBI First Round at (8) Utah State (L 78-69).

Of all the teams that whimpered into the postseason, the Buffaloes take the cake. Coach Nielsen was not happy with his team being shipped on the road in the CBI, and they certainly played like a team that either wasn't happy or wasn't deserving.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 25-10, 14-4 Pac 12.

3/16/23- NCAA Midwest Region First Round vs. (13) Ohio (W 59-43).
3/18/23- NCAA Midwest Region Second Round vs. (5) Ohio State (L 53-42).

The Cardinal had a tough draw, having to play 2 pretty solid Ohio teams. They split with them, and will end their season much sooner than they were hoping for. Still a heck of a season though.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 24-10, 13-5 SEC.

3/17/23- NCAA South Region First Round vs. (14) North Dakota State (W 73-65).
3/19/23- NCAA South Region Second Round vs. (6) Old Dominion (W 60-51).
3/24/23- NCAA South Region Semifinal vs. (2) Wisconsin (L 83-61).

Nice run for the Crimson Tide, who make it to their first Sweet Sixteen in this dynasty. Would have liked a better performance in that Sweet Sixteen game though, but Coach Roger will definitely have a nice, cool seat to sit on next season.

And that concludes the postseason for our FOFC teams. 2 teams made it to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, both in the South Region, and we had another team in the Elite Eight of the NIT. But.. several teams lost in their first game, so still some work to do.

[DavidCorperial]

One point away from a historic 16 beating a 1.

[bbgunn]

Not bad. Some good results for the FOFCers in the postseason, overall.

[ntndeacon]

Way to go, Roy!

[collegesportsfanms]

2023 Postseason Recap

The NCAA Final Four saw (2W) Virginia beat (1S) Louisville 65-42 in one semifinal, while the other semifinal saw (4E) St. Joseph's beat (8MW) Baylor 62-53. The championship game had Virginia beat St. Joseph's 63-53. 3rd straight year (at least) that a #8 seed as reached the Final Four.

5 was the magic number for the NIT Final Four, as 3 of the 4 #5 seeds made it there. 1 semifinal saw (5S) Eastern Michigan beat (5W) Missouri 79-77, and the other semifinal saw (6E) Indiana beat (5MW) New Mexico 66-61 in OT. The championship game saw Indiana beat Eastern Michigan 83-79.

The CBI Championship series went to (5) New Hampshire, who beat (3) Jacksonville State in 2 games. New Hampshire won the first game 77-76 in OT, then won the 2nd game 60-47.

And finally, the CIT Championship saw (8) Central Arkansas beat (10) Nebraska Omaha 88-82 in OT.

[collegesportsfanms]

2022-2023 National Awards

FIU had 1 player on the All-NCAA 2nd Team.

2022-2023 Conference Awards

Hartford had the America East Freshman of the Year, and had 2 on the America East 2nd team and a whopping 3 on the America East All-Freshman Team. Hopefully that bodes well for next season.

No awards for UConn.

Tulsa had 1 player on the American 2nd Team.

Duke had 1 player on the ACC 2nd Team, and 1 player on the ACC All-Freshman Team.

TCU had 1 player on the Big 12 1st Team and 1 player on the Big 12 2nd Team.

Michigan State had 1 player on the Big Ten 2nd Team.

Northwestern had 1 player on the Big Ten 1st Team.

Hawaii had the Big West Frosh of the Year, as well as having 1 on the Big West 2nd Team and 1 on the Big West All-Frosh Team.

FIU head coach Brett Hawkins was named C-USA Coach of the Year. In addition, they had the C-USA Player of the Year, as having 2 players on the C-USA 1st Team.

Rice had the C-USA Frosh of the Year and had 1 on the C-USA All Frosh Team.

Colorado had 1 player on the Pac 12 1st Team.

Stanford had 1 player on the Pac 12 2nd Team and 1 player on the Pac 12 All-Frosh Team.

UCLA had the Pac 12 Frosh of the Year, and had 1 player on the Pac 12 2nd Team and 1 player on the Pac 12 All-Frosh Team.

No awards for Washington State.

Alabama head coach Roy Rogers was named SEC Coach of the Year.

[collegesportsfanms]

2022-2023 Recruiting Class Rankings

Big turnaround for Hartford who had the 349th best recruiting class in the nation, last in the America East. They didn't sign a recruit at all, and I'm hoping it's just because they didn't have any scholarships.

UConn had the 348th best class in the nation, last in the American, and also didn't sign a recruit.

Tulsa had the 112th best class in the nation, good for 6th in the American.

Duke had the 89th best class in the nation, good for just 11th in the ACC.

TCU had the 123rd best class in the nation, good for 9th in the Big 12.

Michigan State had the 50th best class in the nation, good for 5th in the Big Ten.

Northwestern had the 107th best class in the nation, good for 9th in the Big Ten.

Hawaii had the 168th best class in the nation, good for 6th in the Big West.

FIU had the 24th best class in the nation, tops in Conference USA, but didn't have a recruit better than 3 stars.

Rice had the 119th best class in the nation, good for 5th in Conference USA.

Colorado had the 29th best class in the nation, tops in the Pac 12.

Stanford had the 42nd best class in the nation, good for 3rd in the Pac 12.

UCLA didn't sign a recruit and had the 351st best class in the nation, last in the Pac 12.

Washington State had the 68th best class in the nation, good for 7th in the Pac 12.

Alabama had the 54th best class in the nation, good for 8th in the SEC.

3 of our teams didn't sign a recruit. I hop that's just because they didn't have room for any. Either way, not a good trend.

[vex]

A lot better recruiting class than lately for Tulsa.

UCONN and Duke...ouch.

[ntndeacon]

Ouch!

[law90026]

Apparently I'm bad at recruitment ...

[Coffee Warlord]

Blech. Good class though.

[collegesportsfanms]

Just checking in, I will be jumping back into this dynasty within the next couple days, but I wanted to hear from all the current human coaches and make sure everyone was on board. I'll give everyone a couple days to get back with me, as I'd prefer not to drop any coaches if I don't have to. So get back with me ASAP, thanks.

[rjolley]

Still following along...

[vex]

Yep, still here.

[ntndeacon]

I'm here too

[Coffee Warlord]

YOU DARE?

[law90026]

Wish I wasn't but still here bringing Duke down ...

[Breeze]

still reading...and enjoying it much more now...

[Neuqua]

Always checking in on the thread.

[DavidCorperial]

Still here and about.

[thealmighty]

Still here to continue underachievement.

[collegesportsfanms]

Looks like all of our coaches are good to go. I haven't heard from bbgunn, but I know he's been reading and still wants to be a part of this. So let's get to the rest of the offseason. Conference movement and head coach offers.

In conference movement, we do have a change that will effect FIU and Rice. UAB has been promoted from the C-USA to the Atlantic 10. In their place, Conference USA welcomes George Mason.

Now for head coach offers, and let me tell you, there were a ton of them. 9 of our coaches got offers.

We'll start with the man that got the most, B.B. Gunn. B.B. got a ton of offers, in the range of 25-30. Some are good, some are not. Let's run down the list.

Green Bay, New Mexico, William and Mary, Wright State, Yale, Boston College, Butler, Creighton, Davidson, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, St. Mary's, St. Bonaventure, UNC Wilmington, Bowling Green, Long Beach State, Ole Miss, South Florida, St. John's, Wichita State, Cincinnati, DePaul, Old Dominion, Portland, and Towson all want B.B's services. The most attractive offers might be mid-major schools Wichita State and Butler, as well as Cincinnati and Creighton. B.B. has some tough decisions to make.

Benito Sanchez got some offers too, from Boston College, Butler, California, Creighton, Iowa State, Miami (FL), Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, Syracuse, Maryland, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, St. John's, and DePaul. Some tempting offers there for sure.

Roy Rogers got offers from Boston College, Butler, Creighton, Iowa, Maryland, Miami (FL), Minnesota, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, and St. John's.

Al Mighty got the same offers as Roy, and also got an added offer from DePaul.

Dean Hoo, Rob Nielsen, and Ess Vee got the exact same offers: Boston College, Butler, Creighton, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, Ole Miss, St. John's, and DePaul.

Bee Mighty got all the same offers as Dean, Rob, and Ess, with 1 change: he didn't get an offer from Minnesota.

Brett Hawkins still has something to prove at FIU, but another Florida school did shoot him an offer: South Florida. It was his only offer though.

So, you 9 guys that I mentioned have some decisions to make. If you wanna know about any of the teams, let me know. I usually do a first come, first serve basis for those teams that are courting multiple FOFC coaches, but if I have more than 1 coach that wants to move to a certain school, we'll figure out a way to work it out.

[Coffee Warlord]

Staying put.

[law90026]

For Dean's offers, any way to get some information on the TOP 3 or 4 options?

[ntndeacon]

Roy is staying put too

[vex]

I'm staying put at Tulsa. Oh, you didn't ask I see. Of course you didn't, lol :/

[rjolley]

Benito will stay put.

[Neuqua]

Ess Vee will stay put.

[thealmighty]

Just for the hell of it, Al will take the Notre Dame job. Maybe he can raise them to slightly above mediocrity as well.

Bee will try one more year as a Frog.

[collegesportsfanms]

For Dean's offers, any way to get some information on the TOP 3 or 4 options?

There isn't a lot of difference prestige wise between the top 5 schools, all within the 72-75 range, a far cry from Duke's 84. In looking at the rosters though, other teams have a better roster.

Creighton has 2 seniors that should be all-conference easily, and a junior that should be really good too. They also have 2 sophomores and a freshman with green potential.

St. John's, on paper, has a very, very bright future. They have 8 underclassmen that are either blue or green potential. Obviously this doesn't equate to automatic success, but it is a nice looking roster for the next few years, as long as everyone develops.

Minnesota has a lot of upperclassmen that are nowhere near reaching their potential, and about 6 underclassmen that have green or blue potential.

Oregon is in the Pac 12, which already has 4 FOFC coached teams in it. If you wanted to go there, you could, but the competition would be just as fierce as the ACC. They also have several players who haven't reached their potential yet. Upperclassmen I mean.

Ole Miss has a lot of underclassmen, 5 freshmen and 1 sophomore to be exact, that have blue or green potential.

If I were to rate the top 5 in order of roster talent (mainly looking at potential of underclassmen), as well as conference (best chance to win) I'd put them in this order:

St. John's
Ole Miss
Creighton
Oregon
Minnesota

Although, a new coach could come in and change things up right away, it's hard to say. Or, you could always stay at Duke, which has a sub-par roster and would probably be predicted middle of the pack next season.

[collegesportsfanms]

Just for the hell of it, Al will take the Notre Dame job. Maybe he can raise them to slightly above mediocrity as well.

Bee will try one more year as a Frog.

Al to Notre Dame is confirmed. So we have 1 coach joining the ACC, and another coach (Dean Hoo) possibly leaving the ACC.

[law90026]

Breaking news: Duke's coach Dean Hoo tendered his resignation last night amidst allegations of a scandal involving demands that college students pose nude for Coach Hoo to paint. Literally paint on them that is.

He is purportedly moving to St. Johns who issued a statement that "expressing artistic values is entirely in line with the ethos at our esteemed college".

[bbgunn]

Still here.

I was this close to having B.B. Gunn take the Wichita State or Creighton job, because I wonder if he’s taken Hawaii as far as they can go. But I also wonder if there’s more left in the tank for Hawaii, so... he’ll stay put for now.

[collegesportsfanms]

Still here.

I was this close to having B.B. Gunn take the Wichita State or Creighton job, because I wonder if he’s taken Hawaii as far as they can go. But I also wonder if there’s more left in the tank for Hawaii, so... he’ll stay put for now.

Yea, that Wichita State job would have been tough to pass up.. but it also would have came with high expectations. Although, the expectations at Hawaii have been pretty tough too. I'll keep you at Hawaii for this season. Another promising season there should get you the same kind of offers for next season.

[bbgunn]

Yea, that Wichita State job would have been tough to pass up.. but it also would have came with high expectations. Although, the expectations at Hawaii have been pretty tough too. I'll keep you at Hawaii for this season. Another promising season there should get you the same kind of offers for next season.
Definitely. I'm not even sure I made the right decision, but oh well. I like the idea of B.B. Gunn taking Hawaii to the promised land, but we'll see what happens after another year on Oahu.

[collegesportsfanms]

So Dean Hoo to St. John's and Al Mighty to Notre Dame are confirmed. There aren't any other coaching changes that I noticed, unless I missed someone. If I did, let me know, but I'm moving forward.

[collegesportsfanms]

2023-2024 Hot Seat Ratings and Coach Goals

Coaches on a Warm Seat

B.B. Gunn (Hawaii) -- Of all our human coached teams, Coach Gunn might very well have the toughest board to coach under. Despite their first 20 win season since the 2015-2016 season, and an NIT appearance and a win, his seat is still warm. You have to wonder how much of that has to do with the fans and the overwhelming firecoachgunn.com website which is still running rampant. Nothing has changed, as the board is imploring Coach Gunn to find a way to get this team back to the top of the Big West.

Charlie Shocker (Rice) -- Thanks are heating up in Houston, as the Shocker seat is now warm for the first time (that I can remember anyways.) The board has let Coach Shocker know that a .500 or better record in the C-USA is imperative going forward and if Coach Shocker can't make that happen, Rice will find someone who can.


Coaches on an Average Seat

Randolph Childress (UConn) -- It's been a disappointing run at UConn for Coach Childress, as the Huskies have been very mediocre in his time there. Still, his seat hasn't warmed a bit, yet the goal is still for UConn to win the American Title.

Will Brown (Tulsa) -- Coach Brown has been actively seeking to get out of Tulsa, but none of the offers that have come his way have been appealing enough, even though they are few and far between. The task seems relatively easy: Make it to any postseason tournament. However, it hasn't happened in the last 3 seasons. Look for that seat to warm up if it doesn't happen this season.

Al Mighty (Notre Dame) -- New job for Coach Mighty, as he leaves Michigan State after a few not so Sparty-like seasons in a row. He'll get a grace period at Notre Dame, but the board has made it clear they'd like to see the Irish in the Sweet Sixteen sooner rather than later.

Bee Mighty (TCU) -- Coach Mighty has been a pleasant surprise for TCU, as he's led the Horned Frogs to 2 postseason berths, but nothing for the last 2 seasons. The board feels it is time to get back there, and they want results this season. It's postseason or a warm seat next season.

Dean Hoo (St. John's) -- Coach Hoo left Duke on a bad note, as he made some very unethical, if not illegal decisions during the offseason. St. John's was happy to pick him up though, giving him full reign to paint... I mean.. coach the team however he sees fit. That doesn't mean the board doesn't want to see results though.. on the court. The board wants a Big East championship soon.

Ess Vee (Northwestern) -- 2 postseasons in a row for the Wildcats have satisfied this board.. I think. The seat remains average, as the board
is just waiting for Coach Vee to get Northwestern to an over-.500 finish in the Big Ten. The ultimate goal remains the same though, keep going to the postseason.

Rob Nielsen (Colorado) -- Coach Nielsen has said over and over that he is staying in Boulder until he is either fired or he retires, yet he still manages to get job offers. The board though, isn't totally impressed. Their not disappointed, but not impressed either. They are looking for the Buffs to finish in the top 4, preferably the top 2 or 3, of the PAC 12 this season.

Benito Sanchez (Stanford) -- A solid season last season for the Cardinal, but still some inconsistency late. They've gone over 20 wins for 2 straight seasons, yet the board still wants more. Although their goal is for Stanford to compete in the PAC 12, Coach Sanchez's seat remains average.

Tim Shepard (UCLA) -- Despite last seasons epic collapse in which UCLA missed the postseason for the first time since I started this dynasty, Coach Shepard is still on a pretty ice cold seat. However, things will have to pick back up, as the board has said to forget last season, but don't repeat it. They are ready for another Final Four involving UCLA.

DeShawn St. John (Washington State) -- A much improved season last season for the Cougars, and while they are the only human coached team not to make the postseason in this dynasty, they have done enough to keep Coach St. John there. Although, when the goal is for the Cougars to stay out of the cellar, it's been pretty easy for the most part.


Coaches on a Cool Seat

David Ginsberg (Hartford) -- Even though the Hawks finished 4 games under .500 in the America East last season, they had a miracle run through the America East Tournament to win it and get an NCAA Tournament berth. That was enough to keep Coach Ginsberg's seat cool, but the goal remains a .500 record in conference play.

Brett Hawkins (FIU) -- It was a stellar season in coach Hawkins' first season at FIU. Another NCAA appearance and a Sweet Sixteen to boot. The board is more than fair, just wanting the Golden Panthers to compete for a C-USA Title. Should be fairly easy.

Roy Rogers (Alabama) -- The SEC Coach of the Year returns to Alabama, and Coach Rogers has the fans excited for the future. They are hoping to build on last season, as the board wants an SEC Championship this season.

[collegesportsfanms]

Team Prestiges to Start the 2023-2024 Season

Hartford- 33 (+5)
UConn- 70 (-2)
Tulsa- 61 (-1)
Notre Dame- 86 (Coaching Change)
TCU- 67 (No Change)
St. John's- 74 (Coaching Change)
Northwestern- 66 (+5)
Hawaii- 48 (+1) A step in the right direction for Coach Gunn!
FIU- 54 (+7)
Rice- 37 (-1)
Colorado- 74 (-1)
Stanford- 87 (+2)
UCLA- 92 (-5) Not surprising the result of last season drew a huge prestige drop.
Washington State- 54 (+1) Washington State has bounced back and forth between 53 and 54 since the 2017-2018 season. They'd like to change that this season.
Alabama- 82 (+4)

[collegesportsfanms]

2023 Season Tournaments

Notre Dame will be the 3rd seed in the 2023 Battle 4 Atlantis and open open against 6th seed Penn State.

Stanford will be the top seed in the 2023 Brooklyn Classic and open up against 8th seed Air Force.

St. John's will be the 3rd seed in the 2023 Brooklyn Classic and open up against 6th seed Toledo.

Rice will be the 3rd seed in the 4 team 2023 Chattanooga Regional and will open up against 2nd seed North Carolina Central.

UCLA will be the 3rd seed in the 16 team 2023 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic and will open up against 14th seed South Dakota State.

Northwestern will be the 4th seed in the 2023 Corpus Christi Coastal Classic and will open up against 5th seed West Virginia.

UConn will be the 6th seed in the 16 team 2023 Hall of Fame Classic and will open up against 11th seed Louisiana Tech.

Alabama will be the 2nd seed in the 16 team 2023 Las Vegas Classic and will open up against 15th seed UCF.

Hawaii will be the 10th seed in the 16 team 2023 Las Vegas Classic and will open up against 7th seed Colorado State.

Colorado will be the 2nd seed in the 2023 Main Event and will open up against 7th seed Belmont.

FIU will be the 5th seed in the 2023 Main Event and will open up against 4th seed Fresno State.

Tulsa will be the 7th seed in the 2023 Maui Invitational and will open up against 2nd seed Miami.

Washington State will be the top seed in the 4 team 2023 Meadowlands Regional and will open up against 4th seen Alcorn State.

TCU will be the top seed in the 2023 NIT Season Tip-Off and will open up against 8th seed UMKC.

Hartford will be the 6th seed in the 2023 Paradise Jam and will open up against 3rd seed Tennessee State.

[bbgunn]

OK, come on Rainbow Warriors! Don't make me regret my decision!

[collegesportsfanms]

2023-2024 Preseason Top 25

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Georgetown (62) 0-0 1788 6 Big East Conference
2. Arizona (6) 0-0 1700 7 Pacific-12 Conference
3. Iowa State (2) 0-0 1640 NR Big 12 Conference
4. Oklahoma (1) 0-0 1532 NR Big 12 Conference
5. Louisville 0-0 1489 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Syracuse (1) 0-0 1433 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Baylor 0-0 1303 NR Big 12 Conference
8. Vanderbilt 0-0 1296 21 Southeastern Conference
9. Ohio State 0-0 1222 10 Big Ten Conference
10. Virginia 0-0 1183 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Villanova 0-0 1026 16 Big East Conference
12. Providence 0-0 981 NR Big East Conference
13. California 0-0 948 NR Pacific-12 Conference
14. Iowa 0-0 898 NR Big Ten Conference
15. Michigan State 0-0 781 NR Big Ten Conference
16. Stanford 0-0 664 13 Pacific-12 Conference
17. Kansas 0-0 561 NR Big 12 Conference
18. VCU 0-0 490 NR Southeastern Conference
19. Wisconsin 0-0 484 3 Big Ten Conference
20. Texas A&M 0-0 320 NR Southeastern Conference
21. Alabama 0-0 315 18 Southeastern Conference
22. Maryland 0-0 193 NR Big Ten Conference
23. BYU 0-0 184 23 West Coast Conference
24. Florida State 0-0 179 12 Atlantic Coast Conference
25. Miami 0-0 177 NR Atlantic Coast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Washington 0-0 74 Pacific-12 Conference
Nebraska 0-0 66 Big Ten Conference
St. Bonaventure 0-0 64 Atlantic 10 Conference
Gonzaga 0-0 63 Pacific-12 Conference
UCLA 0-0 48 Pacific-12 Conference
Creighton 0-0 46 Big East Conference
Kentucky 0-0 40 Southeastern Conference
Indiana 0-0 22 Big Ten Conference
West Virginia 0-0 22 Big 12 Conference
Colorado 0-0 15 Pacific-12 Conference
Illinois 0-0 14 Big Ten Conference
St. John's 0-0 11 Big East Conference
UNLV 0-0 11 Mountain West Conference
Buffalo 0-0 10 Mid-American Conference
Arkansas 0-0 9 Southeastern Conference
Nevada 0-0 9 Mountain West Conference
Boise State 0-0 8 Mountain West Conference
Marquette 0-0 8 Big East Conference
Pittsburgh 0-0 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
Louisiana Tech 0-0 7 Conference USA
San Diego State 0-0 7 Mountain West Conference
Arizona State 0-0 6 Pacific-12 Conference
Columbia 0-0 5 Ivy League
Xavier 0-0 5 Big East Conference
Fordham 0-0 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
Northern Arizona 0-0 4 Big Sky Conference
Oregon 0-0 4 Pacific-12 Conference
Richmond 0-0 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
Florida 0-0 3 Southeastern Conference
Grand Canyon 0-0 3 Western Athletic Conference
Manhattan 0-0 3 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Virginia Tech 0-0 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
Illinois State 0-0 2 Missouri Valley Conference
Oklahoma State 0-0 2 Big 12 Conference
Green Bay 0-0 1 Horizon League
Memphis 0-0 1 American Athletic Conference
New Mexico 0-0 1 Mountain West Conference

[collegesportsfanms]

2023-2024 Preseason Mid Major Top 25

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. BYU (54) 0-0 1739 4 West Coast Conference
2. St. Bonaventure (7) 0-0 1537 19 Atlantic 10 Conference
3. Louisiana Tech (4) 0-0 1042 NR Conference USA
4. Memphis (1) 0-0 931 NR American Athletic Conference
5. Illinois State (3) 0-0 909 NR Missouri Valley Conference
6. Boise State 0-0 784 NR Mountain West Conference
7. Wichita State 0-0 784 1 Missouri Valley Conference
8. Cincinnati 0-0 751 10 American Athletic Conference
9. San Diego State 0-0 744 7 Mountain West Conference
10. Yale 0-0 599 2 Ivy League
11. Kent State 0-0 590 6 Mid-American Conference
12. Buffalo 0-0 556 NR Mid-American Conference
13. New Mexico 0-0 544 NR Mountain West Conference
14. Richmond (1) 0-0 479 25 Atlantic 10 Conference
15. SMU 0-0 478 NR American Athletic Conference
16. Eastern Michigan 0-0 399 NR Mid-American Conference
17. Saint Mary's 0-0 399 NR West Coast Conference
18. South Florida 0-0 394 NR American Athletic Conference
19. Connecticut 0-0 339 NR American Athletic Conference
20. Davidson 0-0 305 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
21. Pepperdine 0-0 278 NR West Coast Conference
22. Akron 0-0 267 NR Mid-American Conference
23. Saint Joseph's 0-0 255 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
24. Fresno State 0-0 248 NR Mountain West Conference
25. Portland 0-0 230 17 West Coast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
UAB 0-0 220 Atlantic 10 Conference
Western Michigan 0-0 213 Mid-American Conference
UC Irvine 0-0 196 Big West Conference
UNLV 0-0 196 Mountain West Conference
Indiana State 0-0 194 Missouri Valley Conference
Santa Clara 0-0 191 West Coast Conference
Northern Iowa 0-0 188 Missouri Valley Conference
Evansville 0-0 164 Missouri Valley Conference
San Diego 0-0 164 West Coast Conference
Utah State 0-0 157 Mountain West Conference
Rhode Island 0-0 153 Atlantic 10 Conference
Loyola Chicago 0-0 152 Missouri Valley Conference
Tulsa 0-0 151 American Athletic Conference
William & Mary 0-0 147 Colonial Athletic Association
UC Santa Barbara 0-0 135 Big West Conference
Colorado State 0-0 133 Mountain West Conference
Old Dominion 0-0 127 Conference USA
FIU 0-0 123 Conference USA
Toledo 0-0 123 Mid-American Conference
Massachusetts 0-0 119 Atlantic 10 Conference
Southern Illinois 0-0 116 Missouri Valley Conference
Harvard 0-0 112 Ivy League
Georgia State 0-0 111 Horizon League
Middle Tennessee 0-0 108 Conference USA
George Washington 0-0 105 Atlantic 10 Conference
Green Bay 0-0 103 Horizon League
Fordham 0-0 102 Atlantic 10 Conference
Columbia 0-0 100 Ivy League
La Salle 0-0 96 Atlantic 10 Conference
Air Force 0-0 92 Mountain West Conference
Dayton 0-0 90 Atlantic 10 Conference
Nevada 0-0 87 Mountain West Conference
Northeastern 0-0 84 Colonial Athletic Association
Temple 0-0 84 American Athletic Conference
USC 0-0 84 West Coast Conference
Tulane 0-0 81 American Athletic Conference
Wyoming 0-0 81 Mountain West Conference
East Carolina 0-0 76 American Athletic Conference
Mercer 0-0 72 Southern Conference
Florida Gulf Coast 0-0 71 Sun Belt Conference
Oakland 0-0 70 Horizon League
Loyola Marymount 0-0 68 West Coast Conference
Mississippi State 0-0 68 Atlantic 10 Conference
Northern Illinois 0-0 68 Mid-American Conference
UCF 0-0 68 American Athletic Conference
Belmont 0-0 66 Ohio Valley Conference
Duquesne 0-0 63 Atlantic 10 Conference
Elon 0-0 62 Colonial Athletic Association
Manhattan 0-0 60 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Long Beach State 0-0 59 Big West Conference
Bowling Green 0-0 58 Mid-American Conference
Pacific 0-0 55 West Coast Conference
Drexel 0-0 51 Colonial Athletic Association
Hofstra 0-0 47 Colonial Athletic Association
Princeton 0-0 45 Ivy League
UTEP 0-0 44 Conference USA
San Francisco 0-0 42 West Coast Conference
James Madison 0-0 41 Colonial Athletic Association
Bradley 0-0 40 Missouri Valley Conference
Niagara 0-0 40 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Drake 0-0 39 Missouri Valley Conference
George Mason 0-0 39 Conference USA
Florida Atlantic 0-0 38 Conference USA
UNC Wilmington 0-0 38 Colonial Athletic Association
Illinois Chicago 0-0 37 Horizon League
Radford 0-0 37 Big South Conference
Eastern Illinois 0-0 35 Ohio Valley Conference
Iona 0-0 35 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
VMI 0-0 34 Southern Conference
Albany 0-0 33 America East Conference
SIU Edwardsville 0-0 33 Ohio Valley Conference
American 0-0 31 Patriot League
Canisius 0-0 31 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Hampton 0-0 31 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Western Illinois 0-0 30 Southland Conference
Cornell 0-0 29 Ivy League
Norfolk State 0-0 29 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Dartmouth 0-0 28 Ivy League
Louisiana Lafayette 0-0 28 Sun Belt Conference
Saint Louis 0-0 28 Atlantic 10 Conference
San Jose State 0-0 28 Mountain West Conference
Chicago State 0-0 27 Western Athletic Conference
Colgate 0-0 26 Patriot League
Longwood 0-0 26 Big South Conference
Liberty 0-0 24 Big South Conference
Northern Arizona 0-0 24 Big Sky Conference
St. Francis NY 0-0 24 Northeast Conference
Grand Canyon 0-0 23 Western Athletic Conference
Milwaukee 0-0 23 Horizon League
North Dakota State 0-0 23 Summit League
Oral Roberts 0-0 23 Summit League
Army 0-0 22 Patriot League
Florida A&M 0-0 22 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Missouri State 0-0 22 Missouri Valley Conference
Portland State 0-0 22 Big Sky Conference
Towson 0-0 22 Colonial Athletic Association
North Dakota 0-0 21 Big Sky Conference
UMKC 0-0 21 Western Athletic Conference
North Florida 0-0 20 Atlantic Sun Conference
Siena 0-0 20 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Austin Peay 0-0 19 Ohio Valley Conference
Boston University 0-0 19 Patriot League
Southeast Missouri State 0-0 19 Ohio Valley Conference
Holy Cross 0-0 18 Patriot League
Tennessee Martin 0-0 18 Ohio Valley Conference
Lehigh 0-0 17 Patriot League
Stony Brook 0-0 17 America East Conference
Tennessee State 0-0 17 Ohio Valley Conference
UMass Lowell 0-0 17 America East Conference
East Tennessee State 0-0 16 Southern Conference
Cal State Fullerton 0-0 15 Big West Conference
Houston 0-0 15 American Athletic Conference
Tennessee Tech 0-0 15 Ohio Valley Conference
Chattanooga 0-0 14 Southern Conference
Hawaii 0-0 13 Big West Conference
Murray State 0-0 13 Ohio Valley Conference
North Carolina Central 0-0 13 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Bethune Cookman 0-0 12 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Binghamton 0-0 12 America East Conference
Cal State Northridge 0-0 12 Big West Conference
Southern Miss 0-0 11 Conference USA
Stetson 0-0 11 Atlantic Sun Conference
Marist 0-0 10 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
UC Riverside 0-0 10 Big West Conference
Charlotte 0-0 9 Conference USA
Jacksonville 0-0 9 Atlantic Sun Conference
Lipscomb 0-0 9 Atlantic Sun Conference
Cal Poly 0-0 8 Big West Conference
Penn 0-0 8 Ivy League
Bucknell 0-0 7 Patriot League
Marshall 0-0 7 Conference USA
Northern Kentucky 0-0 7 Sun Belt Conference
Stephen F. Austin 0-0 6 Horizon League
Wagner 0-0 6 Northeast Conference
Western Carolina 0-0 6 Southern Conference
Lafayette 0-0 5 Patriot League
LIU Brooklyn 0-0 5 Northeast Conference
Quinnipiac 0-0 5 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Sacramento State 0-0 5 Big Sky Conference
UC Davis 0-0 5 Big West Conference
UNC Greensboro 0-0 4 Southern Conference
Cleveland State 0-0 3 Horizon League
Delaware 0-0 3 Colonial Athletic Association
Robert Morris 0-0 3 Northeast Conference
Cal State Bakersfield 0-0 2 Western Athletic Conference
North Texas 0-0 2 Conference USA

[collegesportsfanms]

Milestone Win Watch for 2023-2024 Season

Coaches Within 25 Wins of 200 Career Wins

Benito Sanchez (Stanford)- 25 wins away
Al Mighty (Notre Dame)- 24 wins away

Coaches Within 25 Wins of 100 Career Wins

Ess Vee (Northwestern)- 7 wins away
Will Brown (Tulsa)- 4 wins away

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 10-12, 2023

Only 4 games on the schedule this week, thanks to that short opening weekend. None of them are feature games, so let's get to it. Again, I'll only be featuring the teams that played.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 0-1, 0-0 American.

11/10/23- Hall of Fame Classic First Round vs. (11) Louisiana Tech (L 93-87).

Not a good start to the season for the Huskies, as they were favored in this one. FIU and Rice can attest though, LA Tech is a pretty darn good team.

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

11/12/23 vs. Washington (L 51-47).

A tough one for the Horned Frogs as they fought, but couldn't come away with the victory.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 2-0, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/10/23- Coaches vs. Cancer Classic First Round vs. (14) South Dakota State (W 90-54).
11/12/23- Coaches vs. Cancer Classic Quarterfinal vs. (6) #17 Kansas (W 72-63).

Good start for the Bruins. Are they back? We'll learn a lot more in the Coaches vs. Classic semifinal as they take on top seeded and top ranked Georgetown.

Here's a look at the national top 25 heading into the week of Nov. 13-19, the first full week of the season:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Georgetown (68) 2-0 1796 1 Big East Conference
2. Arizona (3) 0-0 1687 2 Pacific-12 Conference
3. Iowa State 0-0 1616 3 Big 12 Conference
4. Syracuse (1) 2-0 1592 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
5. Oklahoma 1-0 1504 4 Big 12 Conference
6. Louisville 0-0 1426 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Baylor 0-0 1289 7 Big 12 Conference
8. Vanderbilt 0-0 1289 8 Southeastern Conference
9. Ohio State 0-0 1209 9 Big Ten Conference
10. Virginia 0-0 1179 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Villanova 0-0 1030 11 Big East Conference
12. Providence 0-0 986 12 Big East Conference
13. California 0-0 967 13 Pacific-12 Conference
14. Iowa 0-0 900 14 Big Ten Conference
15. Stanford 0-0 725 16 Pacific-12 Conference
16. Wisconsin 1-0 696 19 Big Ten Conference
17. Alabama 0-0 481 21 Southeastern Conference
18. Texas A&M 0-0 475 20 Southeastern Conference
19. Maryland 0-0 328 22 Big Ten Conference
20. Florida State 0-0 322 24 Atlantic Coast Conference
21. Miami 0-0 315 25 Atlantic Coast Conference
22. BYU 0-0 301 23 West Coast Conference
23. UCLA 2-0 290 NR Pacific-12 Conference
24. Washington 1-0 198 NR Pacific-12 Conference
25. Gonzaga 1-0 154 NR Pacific-12 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Nebraska 0-0 114 Big Ten Conference
Creighton 0-0 76 Big East Conference
Pittsburgh 2-0 55 Atlantic Coast Conference
Kentucky 0-0 52 Southeastern Conference
Indiana 0-0 39 Big Ten Conference
West Virginia 0-0 33 Big 12 Conference
Louisiana Tech 1-0 30 Conference USA
Memphis 1-0 29 American Athletic Conference
Illinois 0-0 19 Big Ten Conference
USC 2-0 16 West Coast Conference
Colorado 0-0 15 Pacific-12 Conference
Arkansas 0-0 13 Southeastern Conference
Kansas State 2-0 12 Big 12 Conference
St. John's 0-0 12 Big East Conference
Buffalo 0-0 11 Mid-American Conference
Marquette 0-0 10 Big East Conference
Fresno State 1-0 9 Mountain West Conference
Old Dominion 1-0 9 Conference USA
Purdue 1-0 8 Big Ten Conference
Cal Poly 2-0 7 Big West Conference
Richmond 0-0 7 Atlantic 10 Conference
Arizona State 0-0 6 Pacific-12 Conference
Iona 1-0 6 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Oklahoma State 1-0 6 Big 12 Conference
Florida 0-0 5 Southeastern Conference
Fordham 0-0 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
Northern Arizona 1-0 5 Big Sky Conference
Xavier 0-0 5 Big East Conference
Illinois State 0-0 4 Missouri Valley Conference
Manhattan 0-0 4 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Boise State 0-0 3 Mountain West Conference
Canisius 1-0 3 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
San Diego State 0-0 3 Mountain West Conference
Grand Canyon 0-0 2 Western Athletic Conference
LSU 1-0 2 Southeastern Conference
Mercer 2-0 2 Southern Conference
Northwestern 0-0 2 Big Ten Conference
Tulsa 0-0 2 American Athletic Conference
William & Mary 0-0 2 Colonial Athletic Association
Cincinnati 1-0 1 American Athletic Conference
Harvard 1-0 1 Ivy League

Northwestern and Tulsa get votes this week, not that it means much with so many teams not having played yet. Stanford and Alabama move up, and UCLA jumps into the top 25.

[collegesportsfanms]

And a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Nov. 13-19:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. BYU (60) 0-0 1735 1 West Coast Conference
2. Louisiana Tech (4) 1-0 1196 3 Conference USA
3. Memphis (2) 1-0 1066 4 American Athletic Conference
4. Cincinnati (2) 1-0 926 8 American Athletic Conference
5. Illinois State (1) 0-0 850 5 Missouri Valley Conference
6. USC 2-0 772 NR West Coast Conference
7. Yale 1-0 730 10 Ivy League
8. Mercer 2-0 716 NR Southern Conference
9. Boise State 0-0 650 6 Mountain West Conference
10. Western Michigan 1-0 620 NR Mid-American Conference
11. Cal Poly 2-0 587 NR Big West Conference
12. Eastern Michigan 1-0 577 16 Mid-American Conference
13. Fresno State 1-0 554 24 Mountain West Conference
14. UAB 1-0 551 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
15. Wichita State 0-0 551 7 Missouri Valley Conference
16. San Diego State 0-0 500 9 Mountain West Conference
17. Delaware 2-0 465 NR Colonial Athletic Association
18. Harvard 1-0 387 NR Ivy League
19. Georgia Southern 2-0 344 NR Sun Belt Conference
20. Robert Morris 2-0 331 NR Northeast Conference
21. Drake 1-0 322 NR Missouri Valley Conference
22. Kent State 0-0 303 11 Mid-American Conference
23. Buffalo (1) 0-0 282 12 Mid-American Conference
24. New Mexico 0-0 282 13 Mountain West Conference
25. North Texas 1-0 245 NR Conference USA

Others Receiving Votes:
Richmond 0-0 244 Atlantic 10 Conference
Pepperdine 0-0 239 West Coast Conference
Old Dominion 1-0 237 Conference USA
SMU 0-0 235 American Athletic Conference
North Dakota State 1-0 224 Summit League
South Florida 0-0 206 American Athletic Conference
UC Riverside 1-0 198 Big West Conference
Akron 0-0 193 Mid-American Conference
UC Irvine 0-0 191 Big West Conference
Santa Clara 0-0 189 West Coast Conference
UCF 1-0 177 American Athletic Conference
San Diego 0-0 163 West Coast Conference
Indiana State 0-0 162 Missouri Valley Conference
Utah State 0-0 161 Mountain West Conference
Northern Iowa 0-0 160 Missouri Valley Conference
UC Davis 1-0 146 Big West Conference
Saint Joseph's 0-0 138 Atlantic 10 Conference
Colorado State 0-0 136 Mountain West Conference
William & Mary 0-0 134 Colonial Athletic Association
Tulsa 0-0 130 American Athletic Conference
Evansville 0-0 127 Missouri Valley Conference
FIU 0-0 119 Conference USA
Florida Atlantic 1-0 115 Conference USA
Rhode Island 0-0 112 Atlantic 10 Conference
Massachusetts 0-0 109 Atlantic 10 Conference
Drexel 1-0 105 Colonial Athletic Association
Georgia State 0-0 100 Horizon League
Toledo 0-0 99 Mid-American Conference
George Washington 0-0 97 Atlantic 10 Conference
Northern Illinois 0-0 97 Mid-American Conference
Middle Tennessee 0-0 96 Conference USA
Loyola Marymount 0-0 95 West Coast Conference
Canisius 1-0 93 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Wyoming 0-0 90 Mountain West Conference
Iona 1-0 85 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
La Salle 0-0 85 Atlantic 10 Conference
Marshall 1-0 84 Conference USA
Pacific 0-0 83 West Coast Conference
Fordham 0-0 81 Atlantic 10 Conference
Tulane 0-0 76 American Athletic Conference
Bowling Green 0-0 74 Mid-American Conference
Long Beach State 0-0 73 Big West Conference
UTEP 0-0 72 Conference USA
East Carolina 0-0 71 American Athletic Conference
San Francisco 0-0 71 West Coast Conference
Northern Arizona 1-0 70 Big Sky Conference
Northeastern 0-0 65 Colonial Athletic Association
Bradley 0-0 63 Missouri Valley Conference
Mississippi State 0-0 62 Atlantic 10 Conference
Temple 0-0 62 American Athletic Conference
IUPUI 1-0 61 Summit League
Elon 0-0 57 Colonial Athletic Association
Manhattan 0-0 57 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Brown 1-0 56 Ivy League
Morehead State 1-0 46 Ohio Valley Conference
Illinois Chicago 0-0 42 Horizon League
Houston 0-0 41 American Athletic Conference
Duquesne 0-0 40 Atlantic 10 Conference
James Madison 0-0 40 Colonial Athletic Association
Cornell 0-0 39 Ivy League
SIU Edwardsville 0-0 39 Ohio Valley Conference
Stony Brook 1-0 39 America East Conference
George Mason 0-0 38 Conference USA
UNC Wilmington 0-0 38 Colonial Athletic Association
Colgate 0-0 36 Patriot League
Hawaii 0-0 36 Big West Conference
Radford 0-0 36 Big South Conference
Western Illinois 0-0 36 Southland Conference
Hampton 0-0 32 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Cal State Northridge 0-0 30 Big West Conference
St. Francis NY 0-0 30 Northeast Conference
Norfolk State 0-0 29 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Army 0-0 28 Patriot League
Louisiana Lafayette 0-0 27 Sun Belt Conference
New Mexico State 1-0 26 Western Athletic Conference
Wagner 1-0 26 Northeast Conference
Liberty 0-0 24 Big South Conference
Princeton 0-0 24 Ivy League
USC Upstate 1-0 24 Atlantic Sun Conference
Grand Canyon 0-0 23 Western Athletic Conference
Saint Peter's 1-0 23 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
UMKC 0-0 23 Western Athletic Conference
Marist 0-0 22 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Portland State 0-0 22 Big Sky Conference
North Dakota 0-0 21 Big Sky Conference
Southeast Missouri State 0-0 21 Ohio Valley Conference
Cleveland State 0-0 20 Horizon League
Florida A&M 0-0 20 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Loyola MD 1-0 20 Patriot League
Murray State 0-0 20 Ohio Valley Conference
American 0-0 19 Patriot League
Southern Utah 1-0 19 Big Sky Conference
UMass Lowell 0-0 19 America East Conference
North Florida 0-0 18 Atlantic Sun Conference
Tennessee Martin 0-0 18 Ohio Valley Conference
Tennessee State 0-0 17 Ohio Valley Conference
LIU Brooklyn 0-0 16 Northeast Conference
Stephen F. Austin 0-0 15 Horizon League
Chattanooga 0-0 14 Southern Conference
Northern Kentucky 0-0 14 Sun Belt Conference
Central Michigan 0-0 12 Mid-American Conference
Dartmouth 0-0 11 Ivy League
North Carolina Central 0-0 11 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Lipscomb 0-0 10 Atlantic Sun Conference
Charlotte 0-0 9 Conference USA
Denver 0-0 7 Summit League
Western Carolina 0-0 7 Southern Conference
Lehigh 0-0 6 Patriot League
Ohio 0-0 6 Mid-American Conference
Penn 0-0 2 Ivy League
Coastal Carolina 1-0 1 Big South Conference
Miami OH 0-0 1 Mid-American Conference

Tough week for UConn, as they lose all their votes in the mid-major poll. Ouch!

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 13-19, 2023

22 games on the schedule this week. No feature games though, and a few tournament games. Let's get to it:

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

11/16/23- Paradise Jam First Round vs. (3) Tennessee State (L 76-65).
11/19/23- Paradise Jam Consolation Round vs. (2) Penn (W 57-49).

A split for the Hawks in their first 2 games of the Paradise Jam. They'll play for 5th next week.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 0-1, 0-0 American.

No games this week for Coach Childress and the Huskies. Because they lost earlier than expected in their tournament, they actually get this week and next week off.

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

11/14/23 at Florida A&M (W 65-63).
11/17/23 vs. Mississippi State (W 78-75).

2 tight wins for the Golden Hurricane, who take a lot of momentum into their tournament which begins next week.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 0-0, 0-0 ACC.

No games this week for Coach Mighty and the Irish, who will play their first game next week.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 0-2, 0-0 Big 12.

11/17/23 vs. Virginia Tech (L 78-77).

1 game this week for the Horned Frogs, and it was a very tough loss. They'll look to redeem themselves in their season tournament next week.

St. John's (Den Hoo) -- 2-0, 0-0 Big East.

11/14/23 at Iona (W 73-62).
11/18/23 at Winthrop (W 85-74).

Good start for Coach Hoo at his new school. Granted, the competition wasn't overly tough, but it's always harder to win on the road, especially with a new squad.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 1-1, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/13/23 vs. Indiana State (W 98-90).
11/19/23- Corpus Christi Coastal Classic vs. (5) West Virginia (L 85-74).

A split this week for the Wildcats, who were hoping for a better game in their season tournament opener. They'll have 2 more games and should be in a good position to salvage 5th place.

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

11/14/23 at SMU (W 84-67).
11/18/23 at Utah State (W 93-70).

2 dominating performances on the road for the Warriors, and that will make Coach Gunn very happy to start the season.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 0-1, 0-0 Conference USA.

11/18/23 at #2 Arizona (L 89-57).

Give Coach Hawkins credit for sending his team on the road to play the 2nd ranked team in the country, but the result shows they still have a lot of work to do. Arizona is good though, real good.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 0-1, 0-0 Conference USA.

11/17/23 at Georgia Southern (L 84-75).

Disappointing season opener for the Owls, losing to a team much lower in prestige than them. It was on the road though, and hopefully they can redeem themselves in their season tournament.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 1-0, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/13/23 at #22 BYU (W 106-101, OT).

An old fashioned shootout at BYU this week, but the Buffaloes survive. They'll take that momentum into their season tournament next week.

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

11/14/23 at #21 Miami (W 72-69, OT).
11/16/23 at Maine (W 79-59).

2 road wins for the Cardinal this week, but one of them in OT. They'll play their season tournament next week as well.

#23 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 3-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/17/23- Coaches vs. Cancer Classic Semifinal vs. (2) #1 Georgetown (W 79-76).
11/18/23- Coaches vs. Cancer Classic Championship vs. (1) #4 Syracuse (L 85-63).

Tough going for the Bruins against Syracuse, but still a heck of a run. Taking down the top ranked team in the nation was huge, but probably ran them out of gas.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 1-0, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/13/23 vs. Hampton (W 77-68).

The Cougars open the season with a win, and take some momentum into their season tournament next week.

#17 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 2-1, 0-0 SEC.

11/13/23 vs. Lehigh (W 71-63).
11/15/23 vs. Manhattan (W 99-60).
11/19/23 vs. Grambling State (L 67-59).

No idea what happened to the Crimson Tide against Grambling. Definitely a huge upset that will probably cost them quite a few votes. Hopefully they can get back on track, because 3 of their next 5 games are against teams currently ranked 20th or better.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Nov. 20-26:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Arizona (42) 2-0 1757 2 Pacific-12 Conference
2. Syracuse (16) 4-0 1726 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Louisville (7) 3-0 1621 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. Iowa State (6) 1-0 1611 3 Big 12 Conference
5. Oklahoma (1) 2-0 1514 5 Big 12 Conference
6. Ohio State 2-0 1406 9 Big Ten Conference
7. Vanderbilt 1-0 1276 8 Southeastern Conference
8. Baylor 1-0 1248 7 Big 12 Conference
9. Iowa 3-0 1226 14 Big Ten Conference
10. Virginia 1-0 1186 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Villanova 2-0 1140 11 Big East Conference
12. Providence 2-0 1059 12 Big East Conference
13. Stanford 2-0 942 15 Pacific-12 Conference
14. Wisconsin 2-0 830 16 Big Ten Conference
15. Maryland 1-0 603 19 Big Ten Conference
16. Gonzaga 2-0 579 25 Pacific-12 Conference
17. Washington 2-0 567 24 Pacific-12 Conference
18. Georgetown 2-1 533 1 Big East Conference
19. Florida State 0-0 484 20 Atlantic Coast Conference
20. Creighton 1-0 377 NR Big East Conference
21. Kentucky 1-0 318 NR Southeastern Conference
22. Illinois 2-0 191 NR Big Ten Conference
23. USC 5-0 143 NR West Coast Conference
24. Wichita State 3-0 107 NR Missouri Valley Conference
25. California 1-1 101 13 Pacific-12 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Yale 4-0 92 Ivy League
North Carolina 2-0 76 Atlantic Coast Conference
Colorado 1-0 61 Pacific-12 Conference
St. John's 2-0 52 Big East Conference
Florida 2-0 48 Southeastern Conference
Xavier 1-0 47 Big East Conference
Miami 1-1 43 Atlantic Coast Conference
Memphis 1-0 42 American Athletic Conference
Old Dominion 2-0 32 Conference USA
Utah 2-0 28 Pacific-12 Conference
Pepperdine 2-0 24 West Coast Conference
Texas Tech 2-0 24 Big 12 Conference
Tulsa 2-0 22 American Athletic Conference
Michigan State 1-1 21 Big Ten Conference
Richmond 1-0 19 Atlantic 10 Conference
San Diego 2-0 18 West Coast Conference
Penn State 2-0 17 Big Ten Conference
Akron 2-0 15 Mid-American Conference
Fordham 1-0 13 Atlantic 10 Conference
Bradley 2-0 12 Missouri Valley Conference
Colorado State 2-0 12 Mountain West Conference
Eastern Michigan 2-0 11 Mid-American Conference
Georgia Southern 3-0 11 Sun Belt Conference
Colgate 2-0 10 Patriot League
Harvard 2-0 10 Ivy League
Radford 2-0 10 Big South Conference
San Diego State 1-0 10 Mountain West Conference
Boston College 2-0 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
Loyola Marymount 2-0 7 West Coast Conference
Stony Brook 2-0 7 America East Conference
Long Beach State 2-0 6 Big West Conference
DePaul 1-0 5 Big East Conference
Illinois Chicago 2-0 5 Horizon League
James Madison 1-0 5 Colonial Athletic Association
Marist 2-0 5 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Seton Hall 1-0 5 Big East Conference
Houston 2-0 4 American Athletic Conference
North Dakota State 2-0 4 Summit League
Sam Houston State 3-0 3 Southland Conference
San Francisco 2-0 3 West Coast Conference
Georgia 1-0 2 Southeastern Conference
Hawaii 2-0 2 Big West Conference
Northern Illinois 1-0 2 Mid-American Conference
Florida Atlantic 2-0 1 Conference USA
New Mexico 1-0 1 Mountain West Conference

Stanford moves up 2 spots, but a total lack of disrespect for UCLA. I know they had a rough season last season, but they did beat the top ranked team in the nation this week, and can't even get a single vote? Pretty sketchy if you ask me.

Now for a look at the mid-major top 25 heading into the week of Nov. 20-26:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. USC (28) 5-0 1510 6 West Coast Conference
2. Wichita State (15) 3-0 1402 15 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Yale (14) 4-0 1384 7 Ivy League
4. Memphis (8) 1-0 1072 3 American Athletic Conference
5. Tulsa (1) 2-0 1022 NR American Athletic Conference
6. Pepperdine 2-0 1008 NR West Coast Conference
7. San Diego 2-0 953 NR West Coast Conference
8. Akron 2-0 931 NR Mid-American Conference
9. Eastern Michigan 2-0 836 12 Mid-American Conference
10. Old Dominion (2) 2-0 753 NR Conference USA
11. Colorado State 2-0 746 NR Mountain West Conference
12. Houston 2-0 726 NR American Athletic Conference
13. Bradley (2) 2-0 629 NR Missouri Valley Conference
14. Sam Houston State 3-0 596 NR Southland Conference
15. San Diego State 1-0 556 16 Mountain West Conference
16. Long Beach State 2-0 536 NR Big West Conference
17. Hawaii 2-0 488 NR Big West Conference
18. Harvard 2-0 453 18 Ivy League
19. Loyola Marymount 2-0 423 NR West Coast Conference
20. Central Michigan 2-0 408 NR Mid-American Conference
21. North Dakota State 2-0 366 NR Summit League
22. San Francisco 2-0 336 NR West Coast Conference
23. Richmond 1-0 333 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
24. New Mexico 1-0 308 24 Mountain West Conference
25. Fresno State 1-0 297 13 Mountain West Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Drake 2-0 293 Missouri Valley Conference
Georgia Southern 3-0 275 Sun Belt Conference
Saint Joseph's 1-0 245 Atlantic 10 Conference
Prairie View A&M 3-0 198 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Illinois Chicago 2-0 195 Horizon League
Radford 2-0 190 Big South Conference
Santa Clara 1-0 186 West Coast Conference
George Washington 1-0 184 Atlantic 10 Conference
Florida Atlantic 2-0 177 Conference USA
Fordham 1-0 174 Atlantic 10 Conference
Northern Illinois 1-0 170 Mid-American Conference
Delaware 2-0 165 Colonial Athletic Association
Bowling Green 1-0 154 Mid-American Conference
Colgate 2-0 153 Patriot League
Southern Utah 2-0 152 Big Sky Conference
James Madison 1-0 151 Colonial Athletic Association
Middle Tennessee 1-0 151 Conference USA
East Carolina 1-0 145 American Athletic Conference
Stony Brook 2-0 122 America East Conference
Ohio 1-0 118 Mid-American Conference
Marshall 2-0 116 Conference USA
Massachusetts 0-0 111 Atlantic 10 Conference
Saint Peter's 2-0 106 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Marist 2-0 101 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Northwestern State 2-0 101 Southland Conference
Rhode Island 0-0 98 Atlantic 10 Conference
North Carolina Central 0-0 95 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Chattanooga 1-0 94 Southern Conference
Alabama A&M 1-0 92 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Princeton 1-0 89 Ivy League
Kennesaw State 1-0 88 Atlantic Sun Conference
Loyola MD 2-0 87 Patriot League
Texas A&M Corpus Christi 1-0 87 Southland Conference
IPFW 1-0 75 Summit League
Wright State 1-0 71 Horizon League
Southeastern Louisiana 1-0 70 Southland Conference
UTEP 0-0 69 Conference USA
Mississippi Valley State 1-0 61 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Southern 0-0 50 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Incarnate Word 1-0 34 Southland Conference
Lamar 1-0 18 Southland Conference
UTSA 0-0 12 Summit League
Houston Baptist 0-0 5 Southland Conference

Good to see Hawaii up there, a little surprised to see Tulsa that high, but I hope it continues for both programs, as they deserve good seasons.

[rjolley]

UCLA drops the #1 team to #18, provides a step up for the #4 to #2 and can't get a vote? Let's hope the players are motivated and take it out on the rest of the NCAA.

[law90026]

Perfect record at St Johns, that's what I'm talking about.

[vex]

This is Tulsa's year...for a 15-15 record. Again. Don't let the 2-0 start fool you.

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 20-26, 2023

32 games on the schedule this week, and 1 feature game. Let's get right to it.

11/25/23- Brooklyn Classic Championship -- (3) St. John's (Dean Hoo) vs. (1) #13 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- One thing we knew for sure is that we would have at least one FOFC coached team winning a season tournament. This one was a classic throughout, but the three point line proved to be the difference as St. John's made 14 three pointers to just 6 for Stanford, as the Red Storm won the Brooklyn Classic in a tight affair.

Final Score: (3) St. John's- 65, (1) #13 Stanford- 62

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 1-3, 0-0 America East.

11/20/23- Paradise Jam 5th Place Game vs. (1) George Mason (L 57-47).
11/26/23 at Quinnipiac (L 63-60).

2 more losses for the Hawks, tough draw in the 5th place game by the top seed.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 0-1, 0-0 American.

No games again this week for Coach Childress and the Huskies. They've had a hard 2 weeks of practice and are ready to get back on the court.

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

11/20/23- Maui Invitational First Round vs. (2) Miami (L 73-58).
11/21/23- Maui Invitational Consolation Round vs. (6) Rutgers (L 62-59).
11/22/23- Maui Invitational 5th Place Game vs. (4) Eastern Michigan (L 61-53).

The Golden Hurricane were at least able to salvage one win in Maui, but definitely wanted more. The next win for them will be Coach Brown's 100th career victory.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 3-1, 0-0 ACC.

11/22/23- Battle 4 Atlantis First Round vs. (6) Penn State (W 80-76).
11/23/23- Battle 4 Atlantis Semifinal vs. (2) #1 Arizona (L 91-65).
11/24/23- Battle 4 Atlantis 3rd Place Game vs. (4) New Mexico (W 66-53).
11/26/23 at South Dakota (W 79-55).

Heavy week for the Fighting Irish, but not a bad start for Coach Mighty and his new team. They ran up against an absolute buzzsaw in Arizona, but winning 3 of 4 and taking 3rd place isn't bad.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 3-2, 0-0 Big 12.

11/22/23- NIT Season Tip-Off First Round vs. (8) UMKC (W 66-50).
11/23/23- NIT Season Tip-Off Semifinal vs. (5) Pacific (W 81-72).
11/24/23- NIT Season Tip-Off Championship vs. (2) Georgia (W 83-48).

Great week for the Horned Frogs that sees them win the NIT Season Tip-Off title after a dominating performance against Georgia. They know the Big 12 is always a grind, so they want to win as many game in the non-conference schedule, but still some tough ones coming up.

St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 5-0, 0-0 Big East.

11/21/23- Brooklyn Classic First Round vs. (6) Toledo (W 91-51).
11/24/23- Brooklyn Classic Semifinal vs. (2) Memphis (W 80-65).
11/25/23- Brooklyn Classic Championship vs. (1) #13 Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.

Heck of a week for the Red Storm, who remain undefeated as Coach Hoo is feeling good at his new school, so far anyways.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 2-2, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/24/23- Corpus Christi Coastal Classic Consolation Round vs. (8) Cal State Northridge (W 85-57).
11/25/23- Corpus Christi Coastal Classic Semifinal vs. (3) SMU (L 71-69).

A split this week for the Wildcats, who end up taking 6th place in the Corpus Christi Coastal Classic after getting off to a slow start against SMU and not being able to recover.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 2-1, 0-0 Big West.

11/20/23 at Mercer (L 90-74).

Just the 1 game for the Warriors, and while many would consider this a bad loss, consider the fact that Mercer beat both VCU and Michigan State in their season tournament before losing to Syracuse, so they are a dangerous team. Hawaii needs to go on a run though, even if all the board seems to care about is conference results.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 1-3, 0-0 Conference USA.

11/20/23- Main Event First Round vs. (4) Fresno State (L 59-58).
11/21/23- Main Event Consolation Round vs. (8) Loyola Marymount (L 70-69).
11/22/23- Main Event 7th Place Game vs. (7) Belmont (W 62-44).

While the Golden Panthers are current just 1-3, they could just as easily be 3-1 after a couple heartbreaking 1 point losses in the Main Event, with 1 of those losses being to the Main Event champion. I don't think they have anything to worry about, but they certainly can't afford any more last second losses.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 2-1, 0-0 Conference USA.

11/22/23- Chattanooga Regional First Round vs. (2) North Carolina Central (W 82-56).
11/23/23- Chattanooga Regional Championship vs. (1) Michigan (W 75-62).

A shocking week for the Owls, as I don't think anybody expected them to win the Chattanooga Regional. They did, and Coach Shocker.. well, he shocked a lot of people this week. The Owls become the 3rd FOFC coached team to win a season tournament so far.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 3-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/20/23- Main Event First Round vs. (7) Belmont (W 72-63).
11/21/23- Main Event Semifinal vs. (3) Nebraska (W 95-69).
11/22/23- Main Event Championship vs. (4) Fresno State (L 78-62).

The Buffaloes ran out of gas it seems, and let's ask UCLA about getting blown out by Fresno St. as they were the victim of it a couple years ago. Regardless, a second place finish will work for the Buffs, and they'll look to build upon that.

#13 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 4-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/21/23- Brooklyn Classic First Round vs. (8) Air Force (W 76-62).
11/24/23- Brooklyn Classic Semifinal vs. (4) UMass (W 72-70).
11/25/23- Brooklyn Classic Championship vs. (3) St. John's- feature game, highlighted above.

Nothing to be ashamed of this week for the Cardinal as they lose a tough Brooklyn Classic championship game to a very, very good St. John's team. They are happy with the second place finish and are looking forward to other challenges.

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

11/20/23 vs. Central Arkansas (W 74-61).

Just 1 game this week for the Bruins, but it was a win against really inferior competition. It's still a pretty light schedule for the next month so they should build up the wins.

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

11/24/23- Meadowlands Regional First Round vs. (4) Alcorn State (W 79-56).
11/25/23- Meadowlands Regional Championship vs. (3) Wright State (W 85-61).

A couple dominating performances for the Cougars as they become the 4th FOFC coached team to win a season tournament. Let's be honest though, it would have been an upset if they DIDN'T win this tournament, as they were light years ahead of all the other teams. Still though, props to them for getting it done. Coach St. John has his team playing good ball early on.

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

11/22/23 vs. Longwood (W 53-52).

1 game for the Crimson Tide this week, and they almost, I say almost, suffered the upset of the century. Not sure what is going on there, but they better get it figured out because they have some tough, tough match-ups coming up against ranked teams.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Nov. 27-Dec. 3:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Arizona (66) 5-0 1794 1 Pacific-12 Conference
2. Syracuse (5) 5-0 1717 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Baylor (1) 5-0 1660 8 Big 12 Conference
4. Ohio State 4-0 1566 6 Big Ten Conference
5. Virginia 3-0 1514 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Iowa 4-0 1430 9 Big Ten Conference
7. Georgetown 4-1 1283 18 Big East Conference
8. Providence 3-0 1263 12 Big East Conference
9. Iowa State 3-1 1152 4 Big 12 Conference
10. Gonzaga 4-0 1131 16 Pacific-12 Conference
11. Washington 4-0 1036 17 Pacific-12 Conference
12. Creighton 3-0 984 20 Big East Conference
13. Louisville 3-1 816 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
14. Oklahoma 2-1 741 5 Big 12 Conference
15. Xavier 3-0 607 NR Big East Conference
16. St. John's 5-0 564 NR Big East Conference
17. Vanderbilt 2-1 475 7 Southeastern Conference
18. Villanova 3-1 428 11 Big East Conference
19. USC 5-0 387 23 West Coast Conference
20. Stanford 4-1 316 13 Pacific-12 Conference
21. North Carolina 3-0 311 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
22. Michigan State 3-1 253 NR Big Ten Conference
23. Bradley 4-0 239 NR Missouri Valley Conference
24. Akron 4-0 219 NR Mid-American Conference
25. Florida Atlantic 5-0 218 NR Conference USA

Others Receiving Votes:
Illinois 3-0 205 Big Ten Conference
Ohio 4-0 178 Mid-American Conference
Wisconsin 4-1 157 Big Ten Conference
San Diego 3-0 139 West Coast Conference
Washington State 3-0 86 Pacific-12 Conference
Boston College 3-0 68 Atlantic Coast Conference
Radford 3-0 62 Big South Conference
Georgia Southern 4-0 59 Sun Belt Conference
Delaware 4-0 56 Colonial Athletic Association
San Francisco 2-0 55 West Coast Conference
Central Michigan 3-0 50 Mid-American Conference
James Madison 2-0 42 Colonial Athletic Association
Kansas 2-1 37 Big 12 Conference
Prairie View A&M 4-0 34 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Houston 2-0 25 American Athletic Conference
Mississippi Valley State 3-0 22 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Sam Houston State 3-0 14 Southland Conference
Southern 1-0 5 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Alabama 3-1 2 Southeastern Conference

Good to see Stanford holding on in the rankings, and no surprise to see St. John's move into the top 25. Washington State getting votes, and Alabama sliding in with 2 votes, but no Colorado, no UCLA? Ridiculous.


Now for the mid-major top 25 for the week of Nov. 27-Dec. 3:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. USC (43) 5-0 1697 1 West Coast Conference
2. Bradley (13) 4-0 1614 13 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Ohio 4-0 1523 NR Mid-American Conference
4. Florida Atlantic (9) 5-0 1517 NR Conference USA
5. San Diego 3-0 1490 7 West Coast Conference
6. Akron (1) 4-0 1476 8 Mid-American Conference
7. Central Michigan 3-0 1308 20 Mid-American Conference
8. Georgia Southern 4-0 1286 NR Sun Belt Conference
9. Delaware (5) 4-0 1172 NR Colonial Athletic Association
10. Houston 2-0 1167 12 American Athletic Conference
11. Prairie View A&M 4-0 1078 NR Southwestern Athletic Conference
12. San Francisco 2-0 1027 22 West Coast Conference
13. Radford (1) 3-0 1017 NR Big South Conference
14. Sam Houston State 3-0 977 14 Southland Conference
15. James Madison 2-0 849 NR Colonial Athletic Association
16. Mississippi Valley State 3-0 795 NR Southwestern Athletic Conference
17. Southern 1-0 665 NR Southwestern Athletic Conference
18. Yale 5-1 450 3 Ivy League
19. Memphis 3-1 343 4 American Athletic Conference
20. Fresno State 4-1 285 25 Mountain West Conference
21. Evansville 4-1 219 NR Missouri Valley Conference
22. San Diego State 3-1 203 15 Mountain West Conference
23. Eastern Michigan 4-1 194 9 Mid-American Conference
24. Louisiana Tech 1-1 135 NR Conference USA
25. Indiana State 3-1 117 NR Missouri Valley Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Saint Mary's 3-1 92 West Coast Conference
UCF 4-1 61 American Athletic Conference
Fordham 3-1 54 Atlantic 10 Conference
St. Bonaventure 2-1 52 Atlantic 10 Conference
Drake 4-1 51 Missouri Valley Conference
Colorado State 3-1 44 Mountain West Conference
UC Irvine 2-1 38 Big West Conference
George Washington 2-1 37 Atlantic 10 Conference
Kent State 2-1 36 Mid-American Conference
Middle Tennessee 2-1 33 Conference USA
Hawaii 2-1 30 Big West Conference
UAB 2-1 25 Atlantic 10 Conference
Illinois State 2-1 23 Missouri Valley Conference
North Florida 4-1 22 Atlantic Sun Conference
Robert Morris 4-1 20 Northeast Conference
Colgate 3-1 14 Patriot League
Cornell 3-1 14 Ivy League
Elon 2-1 14 Colonial Athletic Association
Wagner 5-1 14 Northeast Conference
Drexel 3-1 12 Colonial Athletic Association
UNLV 1-1 10 Mountain West Conference
Green Bay 2-1 9 Horizon League
Illinois Chicago 2-1 9 Horizon League
Portland 1-1 9 West Coast Conference
Florida A&M 4-1 7 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
George Mason 2-1 7 Conference USA
Nevada 1-1 7 Mountain West Conference
SIU Edwardsville 2-1 7 Ohio Valley Conference
Texas State 3-1 7 Sun Belt Conference
Norfolk State 2-1 6 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Tennessee State 3-1 6 Ohio Valley Conference
Loyola Chicago 1-1 5 Missouri Valley Conference
Marist 3-1 4 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Idaho State 2-1 3 Big Sky Conference
San Jose State 0-1 2 Mountain West Conference
St. Francis NY 2-1 2 Northeast Conference
Towson 3-1 2 Colonial Athletic Association
Wyoming 2-1 2 Mountain West Conference
Florida Gulf Coast 2-1 1 Sun Belt Conference
North Texas 3-1 1 Conference USA
Southern Illinois 0-1 1 Missouri Valley Conference
Southern Utah 2-1 1 Big Sky Conference
Stony Brook 3-1 1 America East Conference
UTEP 2-1 1 Conference USA

At least Hawaii is still getting some votes in the mid-major polls. None of our other mid-major teams are.

[ntndeacon]

Alabama got 2 votes!

[collegesportsfanms]

Alabama got 2 votes!

And they are now bolded! Good catch, not sure how I missed that

[rjolley]

Don't know if Stanford is happy about losing in the championship game. Motivated to improve would be more accurate...

[law90026]

Five and oh, five and oh!

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 27-Dec. 3, 2023

We have 25 games on the schedule this week, with 1 feature game. Let's get right to it:

11/29/23- Washington State (DeShawn St. John) @ Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- This one was ugly, very ugly. The Warriors just didn't come to play, as they trailed by 16 at halftime, and shot just 34.4% for the game. Washington State put it on and kept it on all game to get an easy road victory.

Final Score: Washington State- 86, Hawaii- 55

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 2-4, 0-0 America East.

11/29/23 vs. Sacred Heart (W 69-62).
12/3/23 vs. San Diego (L 87-67).

A split this week for the Hawks in a pair of road games. San Diego is a pretty good team, but still wanted to keep it closer than that.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 1-2, 0-0 American.

11/27/23 at #2 Syracuse (L 78-62).
12/1/23 at Boise State (W 80-78).

A split for the Huskies, who renewed an old Big East rivalry by going to Syracuse. They'll keep it going next week as they face 2 more former Big East opponents.

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

No games this week for Coach Brown or the Golden Hurricane. He has to wait until next week to go for career win #100.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 4-2, 0-0 ACC.

11/28/23 at Green Bay (L 73-70).
12/1/23 at Lamar (W 78-67).

A split this week for the Fighting Irish, who can't be losing to teams like Green Bay, even if it was a road game. Now they go back home for the next 4, but some of them could be battles.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 6-2, 0-0 Big 12.

11/28/23 at UTEP (W 86-74).
11/30/23 at Missouri (W 89-81).
12/3/23 at Illinois State (W 74-62).

Very successful week for the Horned Frogs.. 3 road games, 3 victories. They did it against some pretty name opponents too. Good momentum boost for Coach Mighty.

#16 St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 6-1, 0-0 Big East.

11/23/23 at St. Bonaventure (L 82-71).
12/2/23 at Dartmouth (W 102-76).

A split for the Red Storm this week, tough loss at a very good St. Bonaventure team, but still a game they shouldn't be losing.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 2-3, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/27/23 vs. Illinois State (L 89-81).

Just 1 game this week for the Wildcats, but it was a loss to a decent Illinois State team. Still work to do if they are going to be competitive in the Big Ten.

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

11/29/23 vs. Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.
12/2/23 vs. Bowling Green (L 87-78).

Not a good performance for the Warriors this week, getting hammered by a Washington State team that hasn't been great over the years, and then losing to Bowling Green. I guess it's a good thing, at least right now, that the board of directors is mostly worried about conference play. The fans.. now that's a different story.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 1-4, 0-0 Conference USA.

11/27/23 vs. Oakland (L 70-57).

Things continue to go south for the Golden Panthers, who lose another one and just aren't meeting expectations. They better figure it out soon because a trip to East Lansing, MI awaits next week.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 4-2, 0-0 Conference USA.

11/27/23 at Kansas State (L 59-47).
11/30/23 vs. Texas-Rio Grande Valley (W 93-74).
12/3/23 at SMU (W 79-60).

2 out of 3 this week for the Owls, who are very excited to be in the position they are in right now, with more winnable games coming up.

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

11/28/23 at San Diego State (L 84-76).
11/30/23 vs. Tulane (L 74-63).

Not a good week for the Buffaloes, who drop 2 games. They've got a brutal stretch coming up in which 5 of their next 7 games are on the road against teams either in the national top 25, or receiving votes.

#20 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 5-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/29/23 at St. Mary's (W 77-67).

Just 1 game this week for the Cardinal, but they get back on the winning side of things, with many more winnable games coming up.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 5-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/27/23 vs. Loyola Chicago (L 85-82, OT).
11/29/23 vs. Cal Poly (W 88-78).

A split at home for the Bruins, but that OT loss to Loyola hurts. Fortunately, they should, I say should, be able to pad the win column over the next few weeks.

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

11/29/23 at Hawaii- feature game, highlighted above.
12/1/23 at Eastern Washington (W 74-57).

2 more wins for the Cougars, including a dismantling of Hawaii. Are the Cougs for real? Or just taking advantage of a light schedule. Either way, they have a very good chance to get to 9 or 10 wins before Pac 12 play starts.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 3-2, 0-0 SEC.

11/27/23 vs. Florida State (L 62-59).

A much more respectable loss this week for the Crimson Tide, as Florida State could be a postseason team. Unfortunately, 2 of the next 3 games for Alabama are against top 10 teams, all before they go to their season tournament. It doesn't get any easier.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Dec. 4-10:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Syracuse (61) 7-0 1788 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Virginia (9) 6-0 1724 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Baylor (2) 5-0 1662 3 Big 12 Conference
4. Ohio State 5-0 1574 4 Big Ten Conference
5. Iowa 5-0 1435 6 Big Ten Conference
6. Georgetown 6-1 1406 7 Big East Conference
7. Arizona 6-1 1389 1 Pacific-12 Conference
8. Providence 6-0 1347 8 Big East Conference
9. Iowa State 5-1 1203 9 Big 12 Conference
10. Gonzaga 5-0 1106 10 Pacific-12 Conference
11. Oklahoma 4-1 1043 14 Big 12 Conference
12. Louisville 5-1 1012 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. Xavier 5-0 862 15 Big East Conference
14. Vanderbilt 4-1 751 17 Southeastern Conference
15. Villanova 5-1 741 18 Big East Conference
16. Michigan State 5-1 607 22 Big Ten Conference
17. Washington State 5-0 572 NR Pacific-12 Conference
18. Illinois 4-0 548 NR Big Ten Conference
19. Florida Atlantic 6-0 481 25 Conference USA
20. Wisconsin 5-1 479 NR Big Ten Conference
21. San Francisco 5-0 445 NR West Coast Conference
22. Sam Houston State 6-0 365 NR Southland Conference
23. Boston College 4-0 267 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
24. Bradley 4-0 258 23 Missouri Valley Conference
25. Central Michigan 4-0 170 NR Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Washington 4-1 61 Pacific-12 Conference
Creighton 4-1 33 Big East Conference
Memphis 5-1 24 American Athletic Conference
St. John's 6-1 20 Big East Conference
Stanford 5-1 14 Pacific-12 Conference
St. Bonaventure 4-1 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
San Diego 5-1 1 West Coast Conference

Let's welcome Washington State to the national top 25 for what might very well be the first time in this entire dynasty. Can't say for sure, but I believe so. And how tough were the voters on St. John's and Stanford? St. John's splits this week, but drops all the way from #16 down to basically #29. Meanwhile, Stanford WON this week and drops out of the polls, dropping from #20. I do not get these rankings at all.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Dec. 4-10:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Florida Atlantic (36) 6-0 1714 4 Conference USA
2. San Francisco (22) 5-0 1700 12 West Coast Conference
3. Sam Houston State (12) 6-0 1692 14 Southland Conference
4. Bradley (2) 4-0 1610 2 Missouri Valley Conference
5. Central Michigan 4-0 1526 7 Mid-American Conference
6. Memphis 5-1 1328 19 American Athletic Conference
7. Yale 6-1 1261 18 Ivy League
8. Indiana State 5-1 1152 25 Missouri Valley Conference
9. San Diego 5-1 1065 5 West Coast Conference
10. Fresno State 5-1 993 20 Mountain West Conference
11. St. Bonaventure 4-1 962 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
12. Drake 6-1 917 NR Missouri Valley Conference
13. Louisiana Tech 3-1 896 24 Conference USA
14. UAB 4-1 809 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
15. UC Irvine 4-1 711 NR Big West Conference
16. Akron 5-1 673 6 Mid-American Conference
17. Delaware 6-1 507 9 Colonial Athletic Association
18. Colorado State 5-1 455 NR Mountain West Conference
19. Robert Morris 6-1 423 NR Northeast Conference
20. Houston 3-1 353 10 American Athletic Conference
21. Tennessee State 6-1 335 NR Ohio Valley Conference
22. Green Bay 3-1 321 NR Horizon League
23. North Texas 5-1 305 NR Conference USA
24. Florida Gulf Coast 4-1 212 NR Sun Belt Conference
25. Ohio 4-1 197 3 Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
UNLV 3-1 191 Mountain West Conference
Southern Utah 3-1 123 Big Sky Conference
Radford 4-1 120 Big South Conference
Florida A&M 4-1 114 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
UT Arlington 3-1 109 Sun Belt Conference
Colgate 4-1 108 Patriot League
Wyoming 3-1 95 Mountain West Conference
James Madison 2-1 93 Colonial Athletic Association
Drexel 3-1 79 Colonial Athletic Association
Oakland 2-1 75 Horizon League
Northwestern State 4-1 70 Southland Conference
Towson 3-1 65 Colonial Athletic Association
Alabama A&M 2-1 41 Southwestern Athletic Conference

Pretty ugly here, no representation from our FOFC teams.

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 4-10, 2023

We have 30 games on the schedule this week, and 1 of them is a feature game. We'll start there.

12/8/23- Rice (Charlie Shocker) @ Tulsa (Will Brown) -- The Owls outscored Tulsa 46-25 in the 2nd half after trailing by 2 at halftime. They shot 52% and outrebounded the Golden Hurricane 45-31 as Rice stays hot, picking up a road victory.

Final Score: Rice- 82, Tulsa- 63

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

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

12/6/23 at Brown (W 63-51).
12/9/23 vs. Northeastern (W 61-53).

A pair of wins this week for the Hawks as they get back to .500. They continue their road trip that has 3 of their next 4 road games against the Ivy League.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 1-4, 0-0 American.

12/4/23 at #15 Villanova (L 71-62).
12/9/23 vs. #8 Providence (L 80-66).

2 more losses for the Huskies who continue to struggle. Some people are already talking, and there are rumors that Coach Childress might want to start filling out job applications again soon.

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

12/5/23 at Nebraska Omaha (L 60-55).
12/8/23 vs. Rice- feature game, highlighted above.
12/10/23 vs. #13 Xavier (L 76-43).

The Golden Hurricane lose 3 more this week, losers of 4 in a row and 5 of their last 6. Coach Brown stays stuck on career win #99.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 6-3, 0-0 ACC.

12/4/23 vs. James Madison (W 64-54).
12/8/23 vs. Illinois State (L 88-73).
12/10/23 vs. Kansas (W 90-75).

2 out of 3 this week for the Fighting Irish, but now it really gets tough. Their next 6 opponents have a combined 39-7 record.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 6-2, 0-0 Big 12.

No games this week for Coach Mighty and the Horned Frogs who have 3 more tough non-conference games coming up before they start Big 12 play.

St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 9-1, 0-0 Big East.

12/5/23 vs. Princeton (W 87-57).
12/7/23 vs. Rhode Island (W 78-70).
12/10/23 at Campbell (W 87-64).

While not the toughest competition in the world, the Red Storm get 3 more wins this week, as Coach Hoo has fit in nicely at his new school.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 3-4, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/6/23 vs. Buffalo (L 87-72).
12/8/23 vs. St. Louis (W 73-53).

A split for the Wildcats this week, both double digit margins. It gets easier to finish off non-conference play, and then win over St. Louis broke a 3 game losing streak.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 2-5, 0-0 Big West.

12/4/23 at Western Michigan (L 79-71).
12/9/23 vs. Santa Clara (L 82-74).

A pair of 8 point losses for the Warriors this week, as they'll take a 2-5 record into their season tournament which starts next week. Firecoachgunn.com is running rampant again after a 5 game losing streak.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 2-6, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/4/23 at #16 Michigan State (L 66-60).
12/6/23 vs. Jacksonville (L 66-55).
12/8/23 vs. Savannah State (W 84-77).

The Golden Panthers finally break a quick 3 game losing streak, but the honeymoon appears to be over for Coach Hawkins, as it's starting to feel like Troy all over again. Hopefully the narrow win sparks something and gets them on a roll.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 6-2, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/5/23 vs. UT Arlington (W 67-62).
12/8/23 at Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.

2 more wins for the Owls, who have won 4 in a row and have a chance to extend that next week.

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

12/5/23 at #11 Oklahoma (W 93-70).
12/9/23 at #4 Ohio State (L 78-71).

A split for the Buffaloes who rout former Big 12 foe Oklahoma before going to the wire with an undefeated Ohio State. Still 3 more grueling tests though, and that's just the non-conference schedule.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 7-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/5/23 vs. Lehigh (W 92-49).
12/10/23 vs. Milwaukee (W 82-58).

2 more blowout wins against easy competition for the Cardinal. Things will get a bit tougher next week though, at least we think they will.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 6-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/7/23 vs. Lafayette (W 82-48).

Just 1 game for the Bruins this week, an easy victory. They've got 2 more at home next week, then a long, long road trip.

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

12/7/23 vs. North Dakota (W 78-56).

Just 1 game this week for the Cougars, who continue to pad their win total, as well as ranking, with a creampuff non-conference schedule. Whatever works to build some confidence I guess.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 4-4, 0-0 SEC.

12/5/23 at #9 Iowa State (L 59-44).
12/7/23 vs. Miami University (W 63-55).
12/9/23 at #2 Virginia (L 76-67).

1 outta 3 this week for the Crimson Tide, with that win sandwiched in-between 2 losses to top 10 teams. They'll play their season tournament next week.

Let's take a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Dec. 11-17:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Syracuse (64) 9-0 1791 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Virginia (7) 7-0 1711 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Baylor (1) 7-0 1663 3 Big 12 Conference
4. Ohio State 7-0 1582 4 Big Ten Conference
5. Arizona 7-1 1460 7 Pacific-12 Conference
6. Iowa 6-0 1410 5 Big Ten Conference
7. Georgetown 7-1 1394 6 Big East Conference
8. Providence 7-0 1305 8 Big East Conference
9. Iowa State 7-1 1277 9 Big 12 Conference
10. Louisville 6-1 1084 12 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Xavier 7-0 1001 13 Big East Conference
12. Vanderbilt 6-1 930 14 Southeastern Conference
13. Villanova 6-1 911 15 Big East Conference
14. Wisconsin 8-1 875 20 Big Ten Conference
15. Illinois 6-0 835 18 Big Ten Conference
16. Sam Houston State 8-0 653 22 Southland Conference
17. Washington State 6-0 632 17 Pacific-12 Conference
18. Florida Atlantic 7-0 544 19 Conference USA
19. Central Michigan 6-0 498 25 Mid-American Conference
20. Gonzaga 5-1 465 10 Pacific-12 Conference
21. Creighton 6-1 325 NR Big East Conference
22. Washington 6-1 303 NR Pacific-12 Conference
23. St. John's 9-1 235 NR Big East Conference
24. Stanford 7-1 108 NR Pacific-12 Conference
25. Memphis 7-1 96 NR American Athletic Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Miami 6-2 50 Atlantic Coast Conference
St. Bonaventure 5-1 34 Atlantic 10 Conference
UC Irvine 7-1 31 Big West Conference
Indiana State 7-1 30 Missouri Valley Conference
Yale 8-1 30 Ivy League
North Carolina 5-1 21 Atlantic Coast Conference
Michigan State 6-2 20 Big Ten Conference
DePaul 7-1 19 Big East Conference
Fresno State 7-1 18 Mountain West Conference
UAB 6-1 18 Atlantic 10 Conference
Purdue 6-1 13 Big Ten Conference
Louisiana Tech 5-1 8 Conference USA
Indiana 6-1 6 Big Ten Conference
Seton Hall 6-1 6 Big East Conference
UNLV 6-1 6 Mountain West Conference
San Francisco 6-1 1 West Coast Conference
Tennessee State 7-1 1 Ohio Valley Conference

So Washington State stays put at #17, while St. John's and Stanford are back in the top 25. No other FOFC teams got votes.

Now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Dec. 11-17:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Sam Houston State (57) 8-0 1776 3 Southland Conference
2. Florida Atlantic (10) 7-0 1688 1 Conference USA
3. Central Michigan 6-0 1661 5 Mid-American Conference
4. Memphis 7-1 1525 6 American Athletic Conference
5. Yale (2) 8-1 1414 7 Ivy League
6. Indiana State 7-1 1392 8 Missouri Valley Conference
7. Fresno State (1) 7-1 1333 10 Mountain West Conference
8. UC Irvine 7-1 1228 15 Big West Conference
9. UAB 6-1 1193 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
10. Louisiana Tech 5-1 1127 13 Conference USA
11. St. Bonaventure (2) 5-1 1086 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
12. San Francisco 6-1 1002 2 West Coast Conference
13. UNLV 6-1 963 NR Mountain West Conference
14. Akron 6-1 855 16 Mid-American Conference
15. Houston 5-1 826 20 American Athletic Conference
16. Tennessee State 7-1 787 21 Ohio Valley Conference
17. Florida Gulf Coast 6-1 747 24 Sun Belt Conference
18. Delaware 7-1 710 17 Colonial Athletic Association
19. Florida A&M 6-1 572 NR Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
20. Wichita State 7-2 370 NR Missouri Valley Conference
21. Drake 7-2 239 12 Missouri Valley Conference
22. Long Beach State 5-2 198 NR Big West Conference
23. George Washington 4-2 114 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
24. Rice 6-2 108 NR Conference USA
25. Oakland 5-2 80 NR Horizon League

Others Receiving Votes:
Portland 4-2 55 West Coast Conference
Western Carolina 5-2 43 Southern Conference
Bradley 5-2 32 Missouri Valley Conference
UCF 5-2 32 American Athletic Conference
USC Upstate 6-2 30 Atlantic Sun Conference
Massachusetts 4-2 29 Atlantic 10 Conference
Utah State 4-2 28 Mountain West Conference
Robert Morris 7-2 27 Northeast Conference
Georgia Southern 5-2 21 Sun Belt Conference
Colorado State 5-2 17 Mountain West Conference
Columbia 5-2 17 Ivy League
Drexel 4-2 15 Colonial Athletic Association
UC Riverside 5-2 12 Big West Conference
East Tennessee State 4-2 10 Southern Conference
Northern Illinois 4-2 8 Mid-American Conference
Ohio 5-2 8 Mid-American Conference
Arkansas State 5-2 6 Sun Belt Conference
Radford 5-2 5 Big South Conference
Sacramento State 3-2 4 Big Sky Conference
Western Michigan 3-2 4 Mid-American Conference
Middle Tennessee 3-2 2 Conference USA
Saint Peter's 6-2 1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

So Rice is in the mid-major top 25, but again, no other FOFC representation.

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 11-17, 2023

23 games on the schedule this week, and no feature games, so we'll jump right into the overall recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 6-4, 0-0 America East.

12/11/23 at Hofstra (W 70-62).
12/13/23 at Princeton (W 66-63).

2 more wins for the Hawks, who have won 5 of their last 6 and feeling pretty good about themselves. 2 more road non-conference games next week, and they both could be tough.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 3-5, 0-0 American.

12/11/23 vs. St. Bonaventure (W 81-67).
12/14/23 vs. Stony Brook (W 85-75).
12/16/23 at Kentucky (L 80-57).

2 out of 3 this week is an improvement for the Huskies, but they've still got a lot of work to do. That 23 point loss to Kentucky will sting for a while.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 3-6, 0-0 American.

12/14/23 vs. Valparaiso (L 61-60).

Just 1 game for the Golden Hurricane this week, and it was? You guessed it, a loss. That's 5 in a row now, although they had their chances in this one. Nevertheless, Coach Brown stays stuck on career win #99.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 7-4, 0-0 ACC.

12/14/23 vs. Indiana State (W 78-70).
12/17/23 at #11 Xavier (L 70-49).

A split for the Fighting Irish, who are into the buzzsaw part of their non-conference schedule. Although their first few games in ACC play will be a grind too.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 6-3, 0-0 Big 12.

12/11/23 vs. Texas A&M (L 87-82).

Just 1 game this week for the Horned Frogs, who see their 6 game winning streak come to an end in a hard fought loss.

#23 St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 9-1, 0-0 Big East.

No games this week for Coach Hoo and the Red Storm.

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

12/12/23 vs. Northern Illinois (L 80-51).
12/17/23 at Austin Peay (W 96-78).

A split this week for the Wildcats, as Coach Vee edges closer to career win #100.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 2-6, 0-0 Big West.

12/13/23- Las Vegas Classic First Round vs. (7) Colorado State (L 81-73).

Good effort, but yet another loss for the Warriors. Firecoachgunn.com is up to almost a million hits now.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 3-6, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/14/23 vs. Florida A&M (W 79-65).

Another win for the Golden Panthers in their only game of the week. Not the toughest competition, but a couple feel good wins as it gets tougher next week.

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

12/16/23 at UTSA (W 72-52).

Another dominating performance for the Owls in their only game of the week. They've won 5 in a row now, and 7 of their last 8.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 4-5, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/17/23 at #2 Virginia (L 58-57).

So close, yet so far for the Buffaloes in their only game of the week. They came within a buzzer beater of an upset. 2 more tough ones next week.

#24 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 8-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/15/23 vs. Michigan (W 83-75).

A win for the Cardinal in their only game of the week, as the competition should improve next week.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 9-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/11/23 vs. Loyola Marymount (W 70-58).
12/15/23 vs. Illinois Chicago (W 75-54).
12/17/23 at Cal State Northridge (W 82-65).

3 more wins for the Bruins, although not against the strongest competition. They have a statement game next week.

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

12/14/23 at UC Riverside (W 84-64).
12/17/23 vs. Brown (W 58-56).

2 more wins for the Cougars, who stay undefeated but get a major scare from Brown. Still hard to tell too much about this team, but they are riding the wave right now, and have a very good chance to get into Pac 12 play undefeated.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 5-5, 0-0 SEC.

12/13/23- Las Vegas Classic First Round vs. (15) UCF (W 74-63).
12/15/23- Las Vegas Classic Quarterfinal vs. (7) Colorado State (L 71-63).

A split for the Crimson Tide, who fall in the Quarterfinals of the Las Vegas Classic and are still trying to find the consistency they've had over the past few seasons.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Dec. 18-24:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Syracuse (59) 10-0 1787 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Virginia (9) 10-0 1729 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Arizona (4) 10-1 1663 5 Pacific-12 Conference
4. Georgetown 9-1 1561 7 Big East Conference
5. Iowa 8-0 1531 6 Big Ten Conference
6. Iowa State 8-1 1408 9 Big 12 Conference
7. Providence 8-0 1379 8 Big East Conference
8. Baylor 9-1 1309 3 Big 12 Conference
9. Ohio State 7-1 1175 4 Big Ten Conference
10. Xavier 9-0 1174 11 Big East Conference
11. Wisconsin 9-1 1089 14 Big Ten Conference
12. Washington State 8-0 937 17 Pacific-12 Conference
13. Creighton 9-1 890 21 Big East Conference
14. Sam Houston State 9-0 800 16 Southland Conference
15. Louisville 7-2 681 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
16. St. John's 9-1 648 23 Big East Conference
17. Vanderbilt 7-2 536 12 Southeastern Conference
18. Stanford 8-1 510 24 Pacific-12 Conference
19. Seton Hall 8-1 356 NR Big East Conference
20. Villanova 7-2 336 13 Big East Conference
21. UC Irvine 8-1 325 NR Big West Conference
22. Yale 9-1 307 NR Ivy League
23. Purdue 8-1 262 NR Big Ten Conference
24. DePaul 8-1 193 NR Big East Conference
25. Fresno State 8-1 174 NR Mountain West Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Michigan State 6-2 112 Big Ten Conference
Houston 8-1 84 American Athletic Conference
Illinois 6-1 76 Big Ten Conference
UAB 7-1 74 Atlantic 10 Conference
San Francisco 8-1 69 West Coast Conference
Florida Gulf Coast 8-1 58 Sun Belt Conference
Louisiana Tech 7-1 52 Conference USA
Central Michigan 7-1 40 Mid-American Conference
Florida Atlantic 8-1 38 Conference USA
UCLA 9-2 22 Pacific-12 Conference
Texas A&M 7-2 11 Southeastern Conference
Gonzaga 6-2 4 Pacific-12 Conference

Nice jumps for Washington State, St. John's, and Stanford, and finally some love again for UCLA, who is receiving votes again.

Now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Dec. 18-24:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Sam Houston State (56) 9-0 1773 1 Southland Conference
2. Fresno State (6) 8-1 1645 7 Mountain West Conference
3. Yale (4) 9-1 1621 5 Ivy League
4. UC Irvine 8-1 1554 8 Big West Conference
5. UAB (6) 7-1 1488 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. San Francisco 8-1 1396 12 West Coast Conference
7. Houston 8-1 1369 15 American Athletic Conference
8. Louisiana Tech 7-1 1336 10 Conference USA
9. Florida Gulf Coast 8-1 1278 17 Sun Belt Conference
10. Central Michigan 7-1 1229 3 Mid-American Conference
11. Florida Atlantic 8-1 1127 2 Conference USA
12. Memphis 8-2 993 4 American Athletic Conference
13. St. Bonaventure 5-2 836 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
14. UNLV 7-2 799 13 Mountain West Conference
15. Oakland 6-2 750 25 Horizon League
16. Drexel 6-2 579 NR Colonial Athletic Association
17. Rice 7-2 507 24 Conference USA
18. Massachusetts 6-2 479 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
19. Portland 6-2 469 NR West Coast Conference
20. Tennessee State 8-2 418 16 Ohio Valley Conference
21. North Texas 8-2 412 NR Conference USA
22. Akron 7-2 363 14 Mid-American Conference
23. USC Upstate 8-2 308 NR Atlantic Sun Conference
24. Colorado State 7-2 189 NR Mountain West Conference
25. Delaware 8-2 147 18 Colonial Athletic Association

Others Receiving Votes:
South Dakota State 5-2 124 Conference USA
Arkansas State 7-2 90 Sun Belt Conference
Saint Peter's 8-2 57 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Northwestern State 6-2 56 Southland Conference
San Diego State 7-3 8 Mountain West Conference

Nice jump for Rice in the mid-major poll, but now we need more FOFC representation.

[bbgunn]

Wazzu!!! Bout time!

As for the Warriors... in hindsight, maybe I should have had B.B. Gunn jump to Creighton or Wichita State after all. :( Not to worry, though... the UH board might be happy to help him pack his things and carry them to the car outside his office after the season is over.

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 18-24, 2023

18 games this week, a bit of a light week, and 1 feature game. Let's get to it.

12/19/23- TCU (Bee Mighty) @ Tulsa (Will Brown) -- A tight game throughout, as Tulsa held a 5 point halftime lead. Once again though, they couldn't hold it, as they were outrebounded 49-28, and TCU got many second chance points. All that meant was that TCU was able to come back and get a road win.

Final Score: TCU- 69, Tulsa- 63

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 7-5, 0-0 America East.

12/18/23 at #22 Yale (L 57-48).
12/20/23 at Penn (W 74-52).

A split for the Hawks, as they can't get the top 25 win at Yale despite a good effort. They'll feel good about going into conference play over .500, but Coach Ginsberg knows his team has missed some golden opportunities.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 4-6, 1-0 American.

12/20/23 vs. Houston (W 89-76).
12/22/23 at Washington (L 66-58).

A split for the Huskies, who get conference play started off on the right foot, but lose the first of a 4 game road swing. They aren't done with non-conference play yet, still another game mixed in among American play. Weird.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 4-7, 0-0 American.

12/19/23 vs. TCU- feature game, highlighted above.
12/21/23 at Denver (W 55-41).

A split for the Golden Hurricane, and the monkey is off Coach Brown's back. The win at Denver not only broke a 6 game losing streak, but also gave Coach Brown his 100th career win, finally!

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 7-5, 0-0 ACC.

12/19/23 at #19 Seton Hall (L 60-49).

Another loss for the Fighting Irish, as they've dropped 2 in a row heading into ACC play.

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

12/19/23 at Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.

Just the 1 game for the Horned Frogs, as they can think a huge rebounding advantage for the win. It gets brutal from here on out though. A non-conference game against LSU, and then Big 12 play where every game will be tough.

#16 St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 10-1, 0-0 Big East.

12/19/23 at Kent State (W 72-64).

1 game for the Red Storm this week, but they get the win. They've got a pair of 5 game winning streaks sandwiched in-between their 1 loss and become the first FOFC coached team to reach 10 wins so far this season. Not bad for Coach Hoo's first year on the job. Big East play is still going to be a grind though.

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

12/22/23 at Western Michigan (W 79-71).
12/24/23 vs. Cal State Northridge (W 78-67).

A pair of victories this week for the Wildcats, who are back over .500 overall and have 1 more non-conference game next week before Big Ten play.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 2-6, 0-0 Big West.

No games this week for Coach Gunn and the Warriors. We understand that the bulk of practice this week consisted of the team running suicides. If nothing else, they should be well conditioned!

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 4-7, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/18/23 at Florida State (L 62-51).
12/22/23 at George Washington (W 97-94, OT).

A road split for the Golden Panthers against tough competition. 1 more non-conference game, then C-USA play begins.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 8-3, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/18/23 at Alcorn State (L 69-59).
12/21/23 vs. Texas Southern (W 81-78).

Not a good week for the Owls, as they lose at Alcorn State, which shouldn't be happening, then struggle to a win against one of the worst teams in the NCAA so far this season. They'll have to pick it up now that C-USA play is here.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 4-6, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/21/23 vs. Texas Tech (L 55-54).

Another agonizing 1 point loss against a really good team, and the Buffaloes just continue to struggle to put games away. They've got 2 more chances next week in non-conference play.

#18 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 9-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/19/23 at #25 Fresno State (W 111-69).

1 game this week for the Cardinal, but wow what a game it was. They really exploded offensively and continue to stay hot.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 9-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/23/23 at #10 Xavier (L 65-62).

These are the type of games the Bruins need to be winning to get their groove back, so to speak. Road games at undefeated, top 10 teams. The road stretch continues for 4 more games.

#12 Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 9-0, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/22/23 vs. Nevada (W 74-36).

Total domination this week for the Cougars in their only game of the week. They could (and should) have this same kind of result in both their games next week, and will (or should) have huge momentum going into Pac 12 play.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 5-5, 0-0 SEC.

No games this week for Coach Rogers or the Crimson Tide, who have 1 more non-conference game next week. They need to find some consistency as they approach SEC play.

Here's a look at the national top 25 heading into the week of Dec. 25-31:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Virginia (55) 11-0 1783 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Syracuse (9) 11-0 1728 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Arizona (8) 11-1 1673 3 Pacific-12 Conference
4. Georgetown 10-1 1545 4 Big East Conference
5. Iowa State 9-1 1505 6 Big 12 Conference
6. Baylor 10-1 1473 8 Big 12 Conference
7. Providence 10-1 1327 7 Big East Conference
8. Xavier 10-0 1247 10 Big East Conference
9. Wisconsin 11-1 1238 11 Big Ten Conference
10. Ohio State 7-1 1185 9 Big Ten Conference
11. Creighton 11-1 1033 13 Big East Conference
12. Washington State 9-0 963 12 Pacific-12 Conference
13. Louisville 9-2 868 15 Atlantic Coast Conference
14. Sam Houston State 10-0 782 14 Southland Conference
15. St. John's 10-1 752 16 Big East Conference
16. Villanova 9-2 657 20 Big East Conference
17. Stanford 9-1 612 18 Pacific-12 Conference
18. Iowa 8-2 610 5 Big Ten Conference
19. Yale 11-1 585 22 Ivy League
20. DePaul 9-1 427 24 Big East Conference
21. Michigan State 8-2 356 NR Big Ten Conference
22. UAB 9-1 351 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
23. UC Irvine 9-1 324 21 Big West Conference
24. Florida Atlantic 10-1 180 NR Conference USA
25. St. Bonaventure 7-2 156 NR Atlantic 10 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Vanderbilt 9-3 33 Southeastern Conference
San Francisco 9-2 3 West Coast Conference
Seton Hall 9-2 2 Big East Conference
North Texas 10-2 1 Conference USA
Wake Forest 9-2 1 Atlantic Coast Conference

Washington State stays put at #12, I thought they might move up a spot after their blowout win, but I guess not. St. John's and Stanford do end up each moving up a spot though. UCLA loses all their votes, no big surprise.

Now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Dec. 25-31:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Sam Houston State (53) 10-0 1778 1 Southland Conference
2. Yale (7) 11-1 1712 3 Ivy League
3. UC Irvine (6) 9-1 1646 4 Big West Conference
4. UAB (6) 9-1 1603 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
5. Florida Atlantic 10-1 1492 11 Conference USA
6. St. Bonaventure 7-2 1480 13 Atlantic 10 Conference
7. San Francisco 9-2 1309 6 West Coast Conference
8. North Texas 10-2 1222 21 Conference USA
9. Massachusetts 8-2 1203 18 Atlantic 10 Conference
10. Florida Gulf Coast 9-2 1116 9 Sun Belt Conference
11. Louisiana Tech 7-2 1060 8 Conference USA
12. Delaware 10-2 1006 25 Colonial Athletic Association
13. Houston 8-2 1000 7 American Athletic Conference
14. Saint Peter's 10-2 909 NR Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
15. Northwestern State 8-2 788 NR Southland Conference
16. Illinois State 8-3 681 NR Missouri Valley Conference
17. Tulane 9-3 583 NR American Athletic Conference
18. Fresno State 8-3 550 2 Mountain West Conference
19. Memphis 8-3 460 12 American Athletic Conference
20. Utah State 7-3 410 NR Mountain West Conference
21. Mercer 10-3 245 NR Southern Conference
22. La Salle 9-3 216 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
23. UNLV 7-3 113 14 Mountain West Conference
24. USC Upstate 10-3 107 23 Atlantic Sun Conference
25. Portland 7-3 106 19 West Coast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Long Beach State 7-3 98 Big West Conference
Drexel 7-3 86 Colonial Athletic Association
BYU 9-4 81 West Coast Conference
Rice 8-3 80 Conference USA
Central Michigan 7-3 72 Mid-American Conference
South Dakota State 6-3 39 Conference USA
Arkansas State 8-3 36 Sun Belt Conference
American 9-3 30 Patriot League
UCF 6-3 30 American Athletic Conference
Colorado State 8-3 27 Mountain West Conference
Towson 8-3 18 Colonial Athletic Association
Sacramento State 6-3 5 Big Sky Conference
UC Riverside 7-3 3 Big West Conference

While they are still receiving votes, Rice drops out of the mid-major top 25 after a pretty pitiful week.

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 25-31, 2023

24 games on the schedule this week, and no feature games, so we'll get through this quick. On to the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 9-6, 1-1 America East.

12/27/23 vs. Vermont (W 73-68).
12/29/23 vs. Rutgers (W 76-68).
12/31/23 vs. Albany (L 72-53).

2 out of 3 for the Hawks this week, including a nice home win over a power 5 conference team. Tough loss to Albany in the conference schedule though.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 4-8, 1-2 American.

12/27/23 at Temple (L 71-47).
12/30/23 at ECU (L 72-70).

The Huskies lose 2 more this week, and that rope is getting tighter and tighter for Coach Childress.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 5-8, 1-0 American.

12/25/23 vs. Missouri (L 66-64).
12/27/23 vs. UCF (W 78-65).

A promising week for the Golden Hurricane, as they take a very strong Missouri team to the wire before taking care of business in their conference opener.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 7-6, 0-1 ACC.

12/27/23 at Boston College (L 62-59).

The mighty ACC is already proving to be a test for Coach Mighty and the Fighting Irish, as they drop their ACC opener, and have 2 more tough ones coming up next week.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 8-4, 1-0 Big 12.

12/28/23 vs. LSU (L 82-74).
12/30/23 at Kansas (W 84-63).

A split for the Horned Frogs, who missed a golden opportunity by losing to LSU. That could have been a marquee win early on.

#15 St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 12-1, 2-0 Big East.

12/27/23 vs. Marquette (W 91-76).
12/30/23 vs. #20 DePaul (W 82-73).

2 more wins for the Red Storm, their winning streak is at 7 now. Next week though, stuff gets real. They are on the road for 2 teams with a combined 23-3 record, both top 10 teams.

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

12/28/23 at South Dakota State (W 81-60).

A much needed win for the Wildcats in their only game of the week, as they start conference play next week, and won't face a team with a current .500 or worse record until Jan. 31st. Oh boy. The win at South Dakota State was career win #100 for Coach Vee.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 3-7, 0-0 Big West.

12/25/23 vs. Dayton (L 67-49).
12/28/23 vs. #19 Yale (W 96-93, OT).

A split for the Warriors this week, as they take some momentum into the start of conference play as they steal an OT win against a ranked Yale team. Hopefully that momentum carries over, because now is when the board will start to wake up and pay attention.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 5-7, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/25/23 vs. Florida Gulf Coast (W 77-76, OT).

An OT buzzer beater for the Golden Panthers in their only game of the week against a solid non-conference foe. They've won 4 of their last 5 and need to carry that to conference play.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 8-3, 0-0 Conference USA.

No games this week for Coach Shocker and the Owls, who were able to enjoy the holidays before going to the Conference USA grind.

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

12/25/23 at Kentucky (W 84-55).
12/28/23 vs. Utah Valley (W 80-57).

2 big wins for the Buffaloes this week to get back to .500. Take nothing away from the 29 point win at Kentucky. Anytime you can go into Lexington and beat Kentucky by 29 points, it's a good thing. This clearly isn't the same Kentucky team that started this dynasty though. Still, the Buffaloes have some strong play to take into Pac 12 play.

#17 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 10-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/26/23 vs. UMass (L 71-61).
12/29/23 at Montana State (W 88-56).

A split for the Cardinal. They needed that win over UMass. Alas, they have a brutal 3 game stretch to start conference play. 2 of the 3 teams are ranked in the top 10, the other should be ranked, and the combined record of the 3 teams: 32-4.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 10-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/25/23 at Portland (W 63-56).

A game that was much tougher than it probably should have been for the Bruins, but Portland is scrappy this season, as their 8-4 record indicates.

#12 Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 11-0, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/26/23 vs. Portland State (W 62-54).
12/28/23 vs. Texas-Rio Grande Valley (W 96-85).

2 more wins for the Cougars, who finish conference play perfect. Granted, the competition was far from terrifying, but for a team that has never made the postseason since the start of this dynasty, 11-0 is phenomenal no matter who it was against. However, the real tests are about to come. It's conference play time.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 6-5, 0-0 SEC.

12/27/23 vs. Marshall (W 90-63).

A much needed win for the Crimson Tide in their only game of the week with SEC play right around the corner.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Jan. 1-7:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Syracuse (63) 13-0 1791 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Virginia (9) 13-0 1731 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Arizona 11-1 1661 3 Pacific-12 Conference
4. Baylor 12-1 1582 6 Big 12 Conference
5. Providence 12-1 1507 7 Big East Conference
6. Wisconsin 12-1 1392 9 Big Ten Conference
7. Georgetown 11-2 1374 4 Big East Conference
8. Creighton 13-1 1309 11 Big East Conference
9. Washington State 11-0 1206 12 Pacific-12 Conference
10. St. John's 12-1 1160 15 Big East Conference
11. Iowa State 9-3 1005 5 Big 12 Conference
12. UC Irvine 11-1 986 23 Big West Conference
13. UAB 10-1 904 22 Atlantic 10 Conference
14. St. Bonaventure 9-2 888 25 Atlantic 10 Conference
15. Florida Atlantic 11-1 742 24 Conference USA
16. Iowa 9-3 678 18 Big Ten Conference
17. Xavier 10-2 628 8 Big East Conference
18. Vanderbilt 9-3 550 NR Southeastern Conference
19. Stanford 10-2 499 17 Pacific-12 Conference
20. Wake Forest 11-2 364 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
21. Louisville 10-3 357 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
22. Indiana 10-2 286 NR Big Ten Conference
23. Ohio State 7-3 246 10 Big Ten Conference
24. North Texas 11-2 149 NR Conference USA
25. Georgia 10-2 116 NR Southeastern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Michigan State 8-3 103 Big Ten Conference
Texas A&M 9-3 55 Southeastern Conference
Sam Houston State 10-2 51 Southland Conference
UCLA 10-3 36 Pacific-12 Conference
California 8-4 26 Pacific-12 Conference
Memphis 10-3 13 American Athletic Conference
Villanova 10-3 3 Big East Conference
Illinois State 10-3 1 Missouri Valley Conference
San Francisco 10-3 1 West Coast Conference

A 3 spot rise for Washington State, as they are setting records and feats like crazy this season. St. John's also has a big jump. We'll know a lot more about both these 2 teams after next weeks games. Stanford, despite the loss to UMass, only loses 2 spots in the polls. And I'm flabbergasted that UCLA is still on the outside looking in. They are receiving votes though, so hopefully they'll go 2-0 next week and be in.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Jan. 1-7:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. UC Irvine (59) 11-1 1781 3 Big West Conference
2. UAB (7) 10-1 1717 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
3. St. Bonaventure (6) 9-2 1657 6 Atlantic 10 Conference
4. Florida Atlantic 11-1 1611 5 Conference USA
5. North Texas 11-2 1498 8 Conference USA
6. Sam Houston State 10-2 1367 1 Southland Conference
7. Illinois State 10-3 1358 16 Missouri Valley Conference
8. Memphis 10-3 1301 19 American Athletic Conference
9. Yale 11-3 1141 2 Ivy League
10. BYU 11-4 1129 NR West Coast Conference
11. San Francisco 10-3 1094 7 West Coast Conference
12. Massachusetts 9-3 997 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
13. Drexel 9-3 892 NR Colonial Athletic Association
14. La Salle 9-3 722 22 Atlantic 10 Conference
15. Towson 10-3 717 NR Colonial Athletic Association
16. Louisiana Tech 8-3 629 11 Conference USA
17. Houston 9-3 620 13 American Athletic Conference
18. Arkansas State 10-3 602 NR Sun Belt Conference
19. Florida Gulf Coast 10-3 600 10 Sun Belt Conference
20. American 11-3 422 NR Patriot League
21. Central Michigan 8-3 422 NR Mid-American Conference
22. UC Riverside 9-3 349 NR Big West Conference
23. Rice 8-3 241 NR Conference USA
24. Northwestern State 9-3 229 15 Southland Conference
25. Indiana State 10-4 112 NR Missouri Valley Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Fresno State 9-4 72 Mountain West Conference
Tulane 10-4 54 American Athletic Conference
George Washington 8-4 27 Atlantic 10 Conference
Mercer 11-4 25 Southern Conference
Portland 8-4 13 West Coast Conference
Northern Illinois 8-4 1 Mid-American Conference


Not much to say here. Rice continues to be the model for FOFC mid-major teams this season. They jump back into the mid-major top 25 this week despite having the week off.

[muns]

At least we are having a decent season for once

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 1-7, 2024

28 games on the schedule this week, including 2 feature games. Both feature games involve a team that is having a landmark season thus far. We'll start in Conference USA.

1/6/24- FIU (Brett Hawkins) @ Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- FIU came into this season as the favorites to win C-USA, but they have played like anything but favorites thus far. It continued in this one, as they shot 33.3% and committed 16 turnovers. Rice took a 1 point halftime deficit and turned it into a 23 point victory.

Final Score: Rice- 77, FIU- 54

Now to the Pac 12:

1/6/24- #9 Washington State (DeShawn St. John) @ #19 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- A pretty tight one throughout, but 19 turnovers doomed the Cardinal, who were outscored quite a bit in the last few minutes. A signature win for Wazzou, especially on the road.

Final Score: #9- Washington State- 69, #19 Stanford- 60

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 10-7, 2-2 America East.

1/5/24 at Maine (W 69-65).
1/7/24 at Stony Brook (L 55-47).

A road split for the Hawks, who continue to play .500 ball in conference early on.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 4-10, 1-4 American.

1/3/24 at UCF (L 72-51).
1/6/24 vs. South Florida (L 92-57).

It's 5 straight losses for the Huskies, this week seeing 2 blowout losses, and there are rumors that the board at UConn is starting to work on a buyout package for Coach Childress, who just hasn't gotten it done.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 6-9, 2-1 American.

1/3/24 vs. SMU (W 63-52).
1/3/24 at Memphis (L 63-40).

A split for the Golden Hurricane, who started out strong in conference play. Hopefully they can get it going again next week.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 8-7, 1-2 ACC.

1/3/24 at #20 Wake Forest (W 93-77).
1/6/24 vs. #21 Lousiville (L 82-74).

A split for the Fighting Irish, and Coach Mighty hasn't had it easy in his first season there. They've got a good 3 game stretch though, until it gets tough again.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 9-5, 2-1 Big 12.

1/1/24 vs. Oklahoma (W 92-69).
1/6/24 vs. #4 Baylor (L 74-71).

A home split for the Horned Frogs, who gave top 5 Baylor all they wanted and then some. This is still a good TCU team, don't count them out yet.

#10 St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 13-2, 3-1 Big East.

1/3/24 at #5 Providence (W 81-78).
1/6/24 at #7 Georgetown (L 88-76).

A split for the Red Storm, who suffer their first conference loss. No shame in losing to a team like Georgetown though, they are tough, and it was on the road.

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

1/3/24 vs. #22 Indiana (W 93-83).
1/6/24 at Illinois (L 87-78).

A split for the Wildcats, who see a 5 game losing streak snapped with the loss at Illinois. It gets tough now, and we'll find out more about the boys, as their next 6 games are against teams with either an 11-3 or a 9-5 record (including a set of back to backs).

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 4-8, 1-1 Big West.

1/4/24 vs. Long Beach State (L 65-53).
1/6/24 at UC Riverside (W 87-67).

A split for the Warriors, which seems to be the theme of the week so far. Coach Gunn knows there are lofty goals, and he knows his time will be running out quick unless something big happens.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 6-8, 1-1 Conference USA.

1/4/24 vs. #24 North Texas (W 78-66).
1/6/24 at Rice- feature game, highlighted above.

The Golden Panthers really wanted to win 2 this week, but at least they won 1. They've still won 5 of their last 7, but the C-USA is tough, and they need to step up their game.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 10-3, 2-0 Conference USA.

1/4/24 at UTEP (W 85-59).
1/6/24 vs. FIU- feature game, highlighted above.

2 more blowout wins for the Owls, who are starting to look dominant again after 2 games in which they struggled. It's possible they could roll off 5 or 6 more wins in a row before they get into the meat of their schedule.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 7-7, 1-1 Pac 12.

1/4/24 at Washington (L 70-60).
1/6/24 vs. Gonzaga (W 66-47).

A split for the Buffaloes, who have won 3 of their last 4. They really need to take care of business next week because the schedule gets brutal in mid-January.

#19 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 10-4, 0-2 Pac 12.

1/4/24 vs. #3 Arizona (L 61-58).
1/6/24 vs. #9 Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.

Tough week for the Cardinal who suffer 2 pretty close losses to teams that figure to be in the conference title mix at the end of the season. They've got a great chance to bounce back over their next several games.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 11-4, 1-1 Pac 12.

1/4/24 at Arizona State (W 106-92).
1/6/24 at Washington (L 82-61).

We're being told that Lavar Ball made an appearance at the Bruins' games this week and threatened to pull the whole team from school if they didn't make the Final Four this year (Sorry, I couldn't resist, Lavar Ball makes it way too easy to make fun of him!). Needless to say, UCLA is feeling the grind of this road trip, as they are only able to muster a split this week.

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

1/4/24 vs. Oregon State (L 69-68).
1/6/24 at #19 Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.

1 lone point separated the Cougars from remaining undefeated this week, but at least they got back on track in a marquee win at Stanford. They'll look to continue their quest for their first postseason trip, of which they are off to a roaring start.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 7-6, 1-1 SEC.

1/3/24 at Texas A&M (L 75-66).
1/6/24 vs. Florida (W 91-50).

A split for the Crimson Tide, but they got their first conference win in convincing fashion, hammering Florida by 41 points. Wow!

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Jan. 8-14:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Virginia (71) 15-0 1799 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Arizona 13-1 1714 3 Pacific-12 Conference
3. Syracuse (1) 15-0 1671 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. Georgetown 13-2 1572 7 Big East Conference
5. Baylor 13-2 1469 4 Big 12 Conference
6. Creighton 15-1 1443 8 Big East Conference
7. Providence 13-2 1418 5 Big East Conference
8. Wisconsin 13-2 1287 6 Big Ten Conference
9. St. John's 13-2 1122 10 Big East Conference
10. Iowa 11-3 1063 16 Big Ten Conference
11. Washington State 12-1 1046 9 Pacific-12 Conference
12. Ohio State 9-3 1007 23 Big Ten Conference
13. Xavier 12-2 946 17 Big East Conference
14. Louisville 12-3 910 21 Atlantic Coast Conference
15. Iowa State 10-4 749 11 Big 12 Conference
16. UC Irvine 12-2 659 12 Big West Conference
17. Texas A&M 11-3 651 NR Southeastern Conference
18. UAB 11-2 574 13 Atlantic 10 Conference
19. St. Bonaventure 10-3 495 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
20. California 10-4 461 NR Pacific-12 Conference
21. Sam Houston State 12-2 379 NR Southland Conference
22. Florida Atlantic 12-2 320 15 Conference USA
23. Vanderbilt 10-4 255 18 Southeastern Conference
24. BYU 13-4 144 NR West Coast Conference
25. LSU 10-3 58 NR Southeastern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Yale 12-3 58 Ivy League
Indiana 11-3 32 Big Ten Conference
Purdue 11-3 28 Big Ten Conference
UCLA 11-4 22 Pacific-12 Conference
La Salle 11-3 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
Michigan State 9-4 13 Big Ten Conference
Florida Gulf Coast 12-3 11 Sun Belt Conference
North Texas 12-3 9 Conference USA
Stanford 10-4 1 Pacific-12 Conference

St. John's moves up a spot, and Washington State moves down 2 spots this week. Not sure about that, but ok. UCLA and Stanford both receive votes.. well Stanford receives 1 vote anyways, after losing 2 tough ones this week. UCLA receives a few more votes than just 1.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Jan. 8-14:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. UC Irvine (57) 12-2 1779 1 Big West Conference
2. UAB (8) 11-2 1706 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
3. St. Bonaventure (6) 10-3 1627 3 Atlantic 10 Conference
4. BYU 13-4 1550 10 West Coast Conference
5. Florida Atlantic 12-2 1510 4 Conference USA
6. Sam Houston State (1) 12-2 1506 6 Southland Conference
7. Yale 12-3 1319 9 Ivy League
8. La Salle 11-3 1260 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
9. North Texas 12-3 1209 5 Conference USA
10. Florida Gulf Coast 12-3 1136 19 Sun Belt Conference
11. Illinois State 11-4 1049 7 Missouri Valley Conference
12. Arkansas State 12-3 1026 18 Sun Belt Conference
13. Rice 10-3 875 23 Conference USA
14. Memphis 11-4 847 8 American Athletic Conference
15. Tulane 11-4 834 NR American Athletic Conference
16. San Francisco 11-4 676 11 West Coast Conference
17. George Washington 10-4 663 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
18. Detroit 10-4 505 NR Horizon League
19. Massachusetts 10-4 466 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
20. Drexel 10-4 419 13 Colonial Athletic Association
21. Richmond 10-4 310 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
22. Colorado State 11-4 299 NR Mountain West Conference
23. Houston 10-4 162 17 American Athletic Conference
24. Robert Morris 13-4 141 NR Northeast Conference
25. Western Carolina 10-4 88 NR Southern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Wichita State 12-5 74 Missouri Valley Conference
San Diego State 11-5 70 Mountain West Conference
USC Upstate 12-4 56 Atlantic Sun Conference
UCF 9-4 53 American Athletic Conference
South Dakota State 8-4 51 Conference USA
Central Michigan 9-4 35 Mid-American Conference
Delaware 12-4 34 Colonial Athletic Association
American 12-4 24 Patriot League
Northwestern State 10-4 22 Southland Conference
Fresno State 10-5 9 Mountain West Conference
Indiana State 11-5 7 Missouri Valley Conference
Albany 11-5 3 America East Conference

Huge jump for Rice after 2 solid wins this week. And by solid, I mean blowout wins. Unfortunately, it appears they might be the only FOFC mid-major team getting mid-major votes this season. It's down otherwise.

[rjolley]

LaVar Ball is welcome at any UCLA basketball game...as long as he cheers for the opposing team. That should disrupt the players enough to get us a few wins. :)

[bbgunn]

Wazzu's getting ready to take down the Pac-12!

[vex]

Tulsa would like to request a difficult OOC schedule next season.

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 8-14, 2024

28 games on the schedule this week, with 2 feature games. We'll start in the American with a battle between struggling teams.

1/10/24- Tulsa (Will Brown) @ UConn (Randolph Childress) -- A much needed solid performance for the Huskies, who held Tulsa to 17 first half points. UConn had a better free throw and three point percentage which led to a hugely important win.

Final Score: UConn- 63, Tulsa- 49

Now we move to the Pac 12 for a battle of teams seemingly going in different directions:

1/11/24- UCLA (Tim Shepard) @ Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- A three point battle in this one, as UCLA made 10 three pointers. Stanford topped that with 15 treys, and that was enough to get the win, as the Bruins struggle again.

Final Score: Stanford- 96, UCLA- 88

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 10-9, 2-4 America East.

1/10/24 vs. New Hampshire (L 66-56).
1/14/24 vs. UMass Lowell (L 65-47).

2 double digit losses for the Hawks this week, as they've lost 3 in a row and 4 of their last 5.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 5-11, 2-5 American.

1/10/24 vs. Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.
1/13/24 at Memphis (L 69-62).

A split for the Huskies, who broke a 5 game losing streak with the win against Tulsa, but started a new losing streak with the loss at Memphis.

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

1/10/24 at UConn- feature game, highlighted above.
1/13/24 vs. Temple (L 81-72).

The Golden Hurricane lose 2 this week and are on a 3 game losing streak themselves.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 9-8, 2-3 ACC.

1/10/24 vs. Georgia Tech (W 90-62).
1/13/24 at Georgia Tech (L 79-72).

A split for the Fighting Irish, as they played the same team twice this week and split: winning at home, losing on the road.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 11-5, 4-1 Big 12.

1/8/24 at Texas (W 82-80).
1/13/24 at Oklahoma State (W 87-74).

2 tough, grueling road wins for the Horned Frogs. Much needed, because they've got a lot of test coming up the rest of the month.

#9 St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 15-2, 4-1 Big East.

1/11/24 at McNeese State (W 75-46).
1/13/24 vs. Villanova (W 90-66).

2 blowout wins this week for the Red Storm, including one against a non-conference opponent. It does get tougher though, as they play 3 ranked teams in their next 5 games.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 8-8, 1-3 Big Ten.

1/10/24 at #10 Iowa (L 106-81).
1/13/24 at Purdue (L 94-85).

This Wildcats team can score, but they don't play much defense which has been a problem. They better figure it out, because they've lost 3 in a row after a 5 game winning streak.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 5-9, 2-2 Big West.

1/11/24 at Cal St. Northridge (W 69-68).
1/13/24 vs. #16 UC Irvine (L 82-63).

Another split for the Warriors, and Coach Gunn needs to understand splitting every week isn't going to be good enough to keep his job. Hawaii needs to go on a long, long winning streak.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 6-10, 1-3 Conference USA.

1/11/24 vs. South Dakota State (L 66-62).
1/13/24 vs. Louisiana Tech (L 72-69).

A pair of agonizing defeats this week for the Golden Panthers, who have now lost 3 in a row after an upset to open conference play.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 11-4, 3-1 Conference USA.

1/11/24 vs. Western Kentucky (W 82-68).
1/13/24 at Old Dominion (L 68-55).

A split this week for the Owls, who see a 4 game losing streak go away and they lose their first conference game. Still an inspiring start though.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 9-7, 3-1 Pac 12.

1/11/24 vs. Oregon State (W 85-76).
1/13/24 vs. Utah (W 72-60).

2 key wins for the Buffaloes, and it could be their only win for a while, as they have 5 of their next 6 games against teams with 10+ wins this season.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 11-5, 1-3 Pac 12.

1/11/24 vs. UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.
1/13/24 at Oregon (L 65-47).

A split for the Cardinal, who need to go on a run now, as they have a light schedule coming up, but they have to take care of business.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 11-6, 1-3 Pac 12.

1/11/24 at Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
1/13/24 vs. #2 Arizona (L 87-73).

The Bruins continue to slide, as they've lost 3 in a row and 4 of their last 6. The Pac 12 is still wide open though, well.. after Arizona anyways.

#11 Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 12-3, 1-3 Pac 12.

1/11/24 at Utah (L 84-80).
1/13/24 vs. Gonzaga (L 69-68).

2 close losses for the Cougars, and they are going to have to win some of those close games if they want to make their first postseason appearance in this dynasty.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 8-7, 2-2 SEC.

1/10/24 vs. Arkansas (L 95-87).
1/13/24 at Auburn (W 81-72).

A split for the Crimson Tide who have really start to fall off after a great season last year. Hopefully they can get it picked back up.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Jan. 15-21:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Virginia (68) 17-0 1796 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Arizona (4) 15-1 1732 2 Pacific-12 Conference
3. Georgetown 15-2 1655 4 Big East Conference
4. Syracuse 16-1 1517 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
5. Baylor 15-2 1512 5 Big 12 Conference
6. Providence 15-2 1506 7 Big East Conference
7. St. John's 15-2 1292 9 Big East Conference
8. Creighton 15-3 1220 6 Big East Conference
9. Louisville 14-3 1201 14 Atlantic Coast Conference
10. Iowa 13-3 1193 10 Big Ten Conference
11. Ohio State 11-3 1161 12 Big Ten Conference
12. Wisconsin 14-3 1041 8 Big Ten Conference
13. St. Bonaventure 12-3 935 19 Atlantic 10 Conference
14. Xavier 13-3 792 13 Big East Conference
15. BYU 15-4 695 24 West Coast Conference
16. Iowa State 11-5 637 15 Big 12 Conference
17. LSU 12-3 632 25 Southeastern Conference
18. La Salle 13-3 510 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
19. Texas A&M 12-4 454 17 Southeastern Conference
20. UC Irvine 13-3 452 16 Big West Conference
21. UAB 12-3 416 18 Atlantic 10 Conference
22. Yale 14-3 371 NR Ivy League
23. North Texas 14-3 262 NR Conference USA
24. Washington State 12-3 128 11 Pacific-12 Conference
25. Indiana 12-4 126 NR Big Ten Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Florida Atlantic 13-3 66 Conference USA
Memphis 13-4 56 American Athletic Conference
George Washington 12-4 28 Atlantic 10 Conference
Vanderbilt 11-5 10 Southeastern Conference
Michigan State 10-5 2 Big Ten Conference
Missouri 11-4 2 Southeastern Conference

St. John's moves up 2 spots as they get ready for a tough part of their conference schedule. Meanwhile, a lack of respect for Washington State, who drops 13 spots after 2 losses this week by a combined 5 points. Ouch!

Now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Jan. 15-21:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. St. Bonaventure (62) 12-3 1787 3 Atlantic 10 Conference
2. BYU (7) 15-4 1712 4 West Coast Conference
3. UC Irvine (1) 13-3 1622 1 Big West Conference
4. UAB (2) 12-3 1549 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
5. La Salle 13-3 1534 8 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. Yale 14-3 1427 7 Ivy League
7. North Texas 14-3 1351 9 Conference USA
8. Memphis 13-4 1330 14 American Athletic Conference
9. George Washington 12-4 1205 17 Atlantic 10 Conference
10. Florida Atlantic 13-3 1145 5 Conference USA
11. Detroit 12-4 1040 18 Horizon League
12. Wichita State 14-5 1026 NR Missouri Valley Conference
13. Western Carolina 12-4 827 25 Southern Conference
14. Robert Morris 15-4 806 24 Northeast Conference
15. Florida Gulf Coast 13-4 736 10 Sun Belt Conference
16. Arkansas State 13-4 678 12 Sun Belt Conference
17. San Diego State 12-5 676 NR Mountain West Conference
18. Tulane 12-5 638 15 American Athletic Conference
19. Rice 11-4 538 13 Conference USA
20. Sam Houston State 12-4 440 6 Southland Conference
21. Bradley 12-5 388 NR Missouri Valley Conference
22. Northwestern State 12-4 283 NR Southland Conference
23. Massachusetts 11-5 216 19 Atlantic 10 Conference
24. Oakland 11-5 126 NR Horizon League
25. Drexel 11-5 64 20 Colonial Athletic Association

Others Receiving Votes:
Saint Mary's 12-6 58 West Coast Conference
Colorado State 11-5 45 Mountain West Conference
Ohio 11-5 36 Mid-American Conference
USC Upstate 13-5 31 Atlantic Sun Conference
Cornell 11-5 20 Ivy League
Towson 12-5 14 Colonial Athletic Association
Houston 11-5 11 American Athletic Conference
UC Riverside 11-5 10 Big West Conference
UCF 9-5 9 American Athletic Conference
UC Davis 11-5 8 Big West Conference
Siena 12-5 7 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Illinois State 11-6 6 Missouri Valley Conference
Saint Peter's 12-5 1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

It's still just Rice representing the FOFC mid-major coaches, but they drop 6 spots after their first conference loss. Tough polls!

[bbgunn]

Wow, Wazzu drops like a dead fly. Need to pick up things fast if they want to get into the NCAAs.

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 15-21, 2024

28 games again this week, and 2 of them are feature games. Both in the Pac 12, both involving UCLA. Let's take a look:

1/18/24- #24 Washington State (DeShawn St. John) @ UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- The Cougars continue to battle, but once again fall short, and it was a free throw discrepancy that did them in. UCLA gets a much needed win, while the Cougars can't quite get over the hump.

Final Score: UCLA- 71, #24 Washington State- 68

1/20/24- Colorado (Rob Nielsen) @ UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- The Bruins forced 19 Colorado turnovers, and made 6 more three pointers than Colorado, which was enough to keep UCLA hot, as they pick up another victory.

Final Score: UCLA- 89, Colorado- 80

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 12-9, 4-4 America East.

1/17/24 at Binghamton (W 65-61).
1/21/24 at Vermont (W 69-50).

2 more wins for the Hawks, who are kind of going against percentages with a 7-3 road record on the season. They are on pace for that .500 conference record, but Coach Ginsberg definitely wants more.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 6-12, 2-6 American.

1/16/24 vs. Quinnipiac (W 67-58).
1/20/24 vs. Tulane (L 58-57).

A split for the Huskies, who win a non-conference game, but lose a heartbreaker in their only conference game of the week.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 7-12, 3-4 American.

1/17/24 vs. Cincinnati (L 74-54).
1/20/24 at ECU (W 55-46).

A split for the Golden Hurricane, as they break a 4 game losing streak with the win at ECU.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 11-8, 4-3 ACC.

1/17/24 vs. Miami (W 74-53).
1/20/24 vs. Wake Forest (W 83-72).

2 solid wins for the Fighting Irish this week to get back over .500 in ACC play. A big week next week with 2 extremely tough road games.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 12-6, 5-2 Big 12.

1/15/24 vs. West Virginia (W 79-66).
1/20/24 vs. Kansas State (L 77-61).

A split for the Horned Frogs, who are still feeling good about where they are at. They may not last much longer though, as they go on the road for 4 straight, all against teams with at least 12 wins on the season, and 3 of them currently ranked.

#7 St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 17-2, 6-1 Big East.

1/17/24 vs. Butler (W 77-69).
1/20/24 vs. #8 Creighton (W 90-77).

The Red Storm continue to roll, beating a very solid Creighton team, as Coach Hoo is fitting in nicely in his new job.

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

1/17/24 vs. Purdue (W 88-72).
1/20/24 vs. Minnesota (W 78-38).

Wow! This looked like a new Wildcats team this week, as they came out and played with a purpose in 2 blowout victories.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 7-9, 4-2 Big West.

1/18/24 at Cal State Fullerton (W 72-56).
1/20/24 vs. UC Davis (W 81-72).

2 solid wins for the Warriors this week, and if ever there were a season to take advantage, this is it in what is really a weak Big West overall. We'll see what happens next week though.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 7-11, 2-4 Conference USA.

1/18/24 at Old Dominion (L 63-50).
1/20/24 vs. Marshall (W 68-58).

A split for the Golden Panthers, and the win over Marshall breaks a 4 game losing streak, but they've got 4 tough opponents in a row coming up.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 11-6, 3-3 Conference USA.

1/18/24 vs. Marshall (L 58-55).
1/20/24 at Middle Tennessee (L 69-47).

Tough week for the Owls who have now lost 3 in a row. They better right the ship quickly.

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

1/18/24 at #2 Arizona (L 86-78).
1/20/24 at UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

Good efforts for the Buffaloes this week, but the competition was just too strong, as they are back to .500.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 12-6, 2-4 Pac 12.

1/18/24 at Arizona State (L 86-71).
1/20/24 at Utah (W 65-64).

A split for the Cardinal, but it took a last second shot to beat Utah. They have some work to do as well it seems.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 13-6, 3-3 Pac 12.

1/18/24 vs. Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.
1/20/24 vs. Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.

2 huge wins for the Bruins to get back to .500 in the conference, and the schedule is set up for them to go on a pretty nice winning streak, which they really need to do because their end of season schedule is more grueling.

#24 Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 13-4, 2-4 Pac 12.

1/18/24 at UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.
1/20/24 vs. Arizona State (W 83-80).

A split this week for the Cougars as they get a much needed win to break a 3 game losing streak. They been close all season long, and the chance for a marquee conference win will happen next week, as they travel to Arizona and California who are both ranked.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 10-7, 4-2 SEC.

1/17/24 at Florida (W 77-57).
1/20/24 vs. South Carolina (W 82-56).

2 much needed blowout wins for the Crimson Tide, and they also have a grueling schedule coming up.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Jan. 22-28:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Arizona (59) 17-1 1787 2 Pacific-12 Conference
2. Georgetown (4) 17-2 1705 3 Big East Conference
3. Virginia (8) 18-1 1689 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. Syracuse (1) 18-1 1552 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
5. Baylor 17-2 1546 5 Big 12 Conference
6. Providence 16-3 1432 6 Big East Conference
7. Louisville 16-3 1330 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. St. John's 17-2 1293 7 Big East Conference
9. Iowa 15-3 1268 10 Big Ten Conference
10. St. Bonaventure 14-3 1108 13 Atlantic 10 Conference
11. Iowa State 13-5 1053 16 Big 12 Conference
12. Wisconsin 15-4 959 12 Big Ten Conference
13. Ohio State 12-4 922 11 Big Ten Conference
14. LSU 14-3 839 17 Southeastern Conference
15. Xavier 14-4 766 14 Big East Conference
16. Creighton 15-5 694 8 Big East Conference
17. UAB 14-3 676 21 Atlantic 10 Conference
18. Indiana 14-4 558 25 Big Ten Conference
19. North Texas 16-3 424 23 Conference USA
20. Memphis 15-4 390 NR American Athletic Conference
21. George Washington 14-4 264 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
22. BYU 16-5 249 15 West Coast Conference
23. Oklahoma 12-6 225 NR Big 12 Conference
24. California 12-6 148 NR Pacific-12 Conference
25. Vanderbilt 13-5 146 NR Southeastern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
UC Irvine 14-4 76 Big West Conference
La Salle 14-4 75 Atlantic 10 Conference
Texas A&M 13-5 74 Southeastern Conference
Wichita State 16-5 48 Missouri Valley Conference
Villanova 12-6 45 Big East Conference
Florida Gulf Coast 15-4 24 Sun Belt Conference
Yale 15-4 15 Ivy League
Washington State 13-4 7 Pacific-12 Conference
Arkansas State 15-4 5 Sun Belt Conference
Robert Morris 17-4 4 Northeast Conference
DePaul 13-5 2 Big East Conference
Tulane 14-5 1 American Athletic Conference
UCLA 13-6 1 Pacific-12 Conference

Despite a top 10 win last week, the Johnnies of St. John's move down 1 spot. Huh? I expected Washington State to lose their ranking, but at least they are still receiving a few votes. UCLA also makes an apperance again, as they received a vote.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Jan. 22-28:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. St. Bonaventure (71) 14-3 1799 1 Atlantic 10 Conference
2. UAB (1) 14-3 1685 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
3. Memphis 15-4 1575 8 American Athletic Conference
4. BYU 16-5 1566 2 West Coast Conference
5. George Washington 14-4 1505 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. North Texas 16-3 1439 7 Conference USA
7. Wichita State 16-5 1391 12 Missouri Valley Conference
8. UC Irvine 14-4 1309 3 Big West Conference
9. La Salle 14-4 1228 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
10. Tulane 14-5 1129 18 American Athletic Conference
11. Yale 15-4 1093 6 Ivy League
12. Florida Gulf Coast 15-4 1031 15 Sun Belt Conference
13. Robert Morris 17-4 913 14 Northeast Conference
14. Arkansas State 15-4 838 16 Sun Belt Conference
15. Massachusetts 13-5 724 23 Atlantic 10 Conference
16. Florida Atlantic 14-4 723 10 Conference USA
17. Oakland 13-5 688 24 Horizon League
18. Drexel 13-5 545 25 Colonial Athletic Association
19. Houston 13-5 490 NR American Athletic Conference
20. San Diego State 13-6 449 17 Mountain West Conference
21. Western Carolina 13-5 352 13 Southern Conference
22. Bradley 13-6 321 21 Missouri Valley Conference
23. Sam Houston State 13-5 165 20 Southland Conference
24. Mercer 15-6 108 NR Southern Conference
25. Northwestern State 13-5 81 22 Southland Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Detroit 13-6 61 Horizon League
Richmond 12-6 50 Atlantic 10 Conference
Illinois State 12-7 44 Missouri Valley Conference
Colorado State 12-6 33 Mountain West Conference
Utah State 12-7 24 Mountain West Conference
Cornell 12-6 12 Ivy League
Fresno State 12-7 7 Mountain West Conference
Saint Peter's 13-6 7 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
UC Riverside 12-6 5 Big West Conference
Towson 12-6 4 Colonial Athletic Association
Indiana State 13-7 3 Missouri Valley Conference
USC Upstate 14-6 2 Atlantic Sun Conference
Louisiana Tech 11-6 1 Conference USA

Wow, I expected Rice to lose some significant votes, but I didn't expect them to lose all their votes. The mid-major FOFC teams are back to being shut out.

[law90026]

No respect for St Johns!

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 22-28, 2024

We have 27 games on the schedule this week, and 1 feature game. Once again, we head to the Pac 12:

1/25/24- Stanford (Benito Sanchez) @ Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- Stanford forced 14 Colorado turnovers and turned that into a few extra three pointers, as that was about the only thing that separated these 2 teams, but it is the Cardinal that get the road win.

Final Score: Stanford- 80, Colorado- 72

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 14-9, 6-4 America East.

1/24/24 vs. UMBC (W 79-43).
1/28/24 vs. Maine (W 72-65, OT).

The Hawks are getting hot at the right time, righting the ship and are on a 4 game winning streak. Next week is crucial though, as they go on the road for 2 games against solid competition.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 7-12, 3-6 American.

1/27/24 at SMU (W 89-70).

Just 1 game for the Huskies this week, but it was a much needed win as they go into another tough portion of the schedule.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 7-13, 3-5 American.

1/27/24 vs. South Florida (L 83-65).

1 game also this week for the Golden Hurricane, but it wasn't close, as they are dominated.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 11-10, 4-5 ACC.

1/24/24 at North Carolina (L 94-77).
1/27/24 at #3 Virginia (L 72-36).

The Fighting Irish took about 2 steps back this week in blowout losses, proving they aren't ready to handle the big time teams yet. Back under .500 in conference they go.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 12-8, 5-4 Big 12.

1/22/24 at #11 Iowa State (L 64-51).
1/27/24 at Texas Tech (L 81-76).

Good efforts for the Horned Frogs this week, but it wasn't to be, as they drop 2 tough ones. They have 2 more tough road games next week, and are hoping to at least steal one of them.

#8 St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 19-2, 8-1 Big East.

1/24/24 at Seton Hall (W 67-61).
1/27/24 at #15 Xavier (W 83-77).

A pair of 6 point road wins this week, and next week they'll get a chance at revenge against the team that's handed them their only conference loss so far, this time they'll be at home.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 12-8, 5-3 Big Ten.

1/24/24 at Minnesota (W 88-67).
1/27/24 vs. Illinois (W 73-65).

The Wildcats continue to stay hot, winning 4 in a row, most of them in convincing fashion. A tough one upcoming next week though.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 7-11, 4-3 Big West.

1/22/24 vs. Portland (L 73-64).
1/27/24 at Cal Poly (L 88-79).

The Warriors just can't get over the hump, losing 2 this week, including a non-conference game. It's looking more and more likely that Coach Gunn will be looking for a new school to coach at sooner than later.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 8-12, 3-5 Conference USA.

1/25/24 at #19 North Texas (W 72-69, OT).
1/27/24 at Louisiana Tech (L 72-70).

A pair of grueling road games for the Golden Panthers, who are able to split. That game at North Texas might have taken just enough out of them as they fell short at LA Tech.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 13-6, 5-3 Conference USA.

1/25/24 vs. Charlotte (W 82-55).
1/27/24 at Florida Atlantic (W 73-64).

A good recovery week for the Owls, who win 2 games, a much needed 2 wins. The Florida Atlantic game started a streak of 4 straight road games.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 10-10, 4-4 Pac 12.

1/25/24 vs. Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
1/27/24 at #24 California (W 67-64).

A split for the Buffaloes, who break a 3 game losing streak with the win at Cal. They still have some work to do though.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 14-6, 4-4 Pac 12.

1/25/24 at Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.
1/27/24 vs. Gonzaga (W 90-89, OT).

Grinder of a week for the Cardinal who pick up 2 victories, but they needed extra time to finally stave off Gonzaga. Next week a battle with #1 takes place.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 15-6, 5-3 Pac 12.

1/25/24 at Oregon State (W 65-57).
1/27/24 vs. Oregon (W 86-74).

The Bruins take care of business against the Oregon teams this week, and are starting to play like the team that competed for a Pac 12 title year in and year out. Here's hoping I didn't jinx it!

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 13-6, 2-6 Pac 12.

1/25/24 at #24 California (L 93-77).
1/27/24 at #1 Arizona (L 74-57).

Tough week for the Cougars, who were less than competitive against a pair of ranked conference teams. It does get easier though, as their next 3 opponents are all right around .500.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 12-7, 6-2 SEC.

1/24/24 at #25 Vanderbilt (W 86-71).
1/27/24 vs. Auburn (W 77-64).

2 more wins for the Crimson Tide who are playing great basketball right now. They've won 5 in a row, but they've got some more tests coming up. Fortunately most of them are at home.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Jan. 29-Feb. 4:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Arizona (61) 19-1 1789 1 Pacific-12 Conference
2. Georgetown (7) 19-2 1731 2 Big East Conference
3. Virginia (3) 19-1 1654 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. Baylor 19-2 1568 5 Big 12 Conference
5. Syracuse (1) 20-1 1537 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Louisville 18-3 1417 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. St. John's 19-2 1335 8 Big East Conference
8. Iowa State 15-5 1301 11 Big 12 Conference
9. Providence 17-4 1193 6 Big East Conference
10. Ohio State 14-4 1183 13 Big Ten Conference
11. Wisconsin 17-4 1120 12 Big Ten Conference
12. Indiana 16-4 955 18 Big Ten Conference
13. St. Bonaventure 15-4 862 10 Atlantic 10 Conference
14. Oklahoma 14-6 822 23 Big 12 Conference
15. Creighton 16-5 780 16 Big East Conference
16. Iowa 15-5 741 9 Big Ten Conference
17. Xavier 15-5 585 15 Big East Conference
18. George Washington 16-4 562 21 Atlantic 10 Conference
19. Texas A&M 15-5 458 NR Southeastern Conference
20. Memphis 16-4 452 20 American Athletic Conference
21. LSU 15-4 378 14 Southeastern Conference
22. UCLA 15-6 224 NR Pacific-12 Conference
23. California 13-7 219 24 Pacific-12 Conference
24. BYU 17-6 185 22 West Coast Conference
25. UAB 15-4 152 17 Atlantic 10 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Yale 17-4 44 Ivy League
North Texas 17-4 41 Conference USA
DePaul 14-6 37 Big East Conference
Florida Gulf Coast 17-4 34 Sun Belt Conference
Wichita State 17-6 12 Missouri Valley Conference
Stanford 14-6 11 Pacific-12 Conference
UC Irvine 15-5 11 Big West Conference
La Salle 15-5 7 Atlantic 10 Conference

St. John's moves back up 1 spot in the polls, and you gotta think they'll move up eventually as long as they keep winning, because 3 of the top 6 teams are in the ACC and will almost have to play each other at some point. Meanwhile, welcome back to the top 25 UCLA! It's been a long time coming, but they are back where they belong. Stanford is receiving votes this week, and no surprise that Washington State lost all their votes.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Jan. 29-Feb. 4:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. St. Bonaventure (43) 15-4 1762 1 Atlantic 10 Conference
2. George Washington (12) 16-4 1716 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
3. BYU (7) 17-6 1613 4 West Coast Conference
4. Memphis (7) 16-4 1600 3 American Athletic Conference
5. Wichita State (3) 17-6 1492 7 Missouri Valley Conference
6. UAB 15-4 1423 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
7. Florida Gulf Coast 17-4 1248 12 Sun Belt Conference
8. UC Irvine 15-5 1237 8 Big West Conference
9. Yale 17-4 1181 11 Ivy League
10. Tulane 15-6 1088 10 American Athletic Conference
11. Oakland 15-5 1077 17 Horizon League
12. San Diego State 15-6 1038 20 Mountain West Conference
13. North Texas 17-4 969 6 Conference USA
14. La Salle 15-5 899 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
15. Houston 15-5 793 19 American Athletic Conference
16. Bradley 14-6 669 22 Missouri Valley Conference
17. Richmond 14-6 609 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
18. Arkansas State 16-5 516 14 Sun Belt Conference
19. Massachusetts 14-6 492 15 Atlantic 10 Conference
20. Western Carolina 15-5 361 21 Southern Conference
21. Illinois State 13-8 238 NR Missouri Valley Conference
22. Indiana State 14-8 230 NR Missouri Valley Conference
23. Robert Morris 17-5 208 13 Northeast Conference
24. Drexel 14-6 189 18 Colonial Athletic Association
25. Florida Atlantic 15-5 138 16 Conference USA

Others Receiving Votes:
Portland 13-7 116 West Coast Conference
San Diego 14-8 96 West Coast Conference
Kent State 13-8 89 Mid-American Conference
Detroit 14-7 70 Horizon League
Mercer 16-7 61 Southern Conference
Colorado State 13-7 45 Mountain West Conference
Utah State 12-8 31 Mountain West Conference
North Dakota State 15-7 27 Summit League
Towson 14-6 26 Colonial Athletic Association
Old Dominion 13-7 23 Conference USA
Evansville 14-8 8 Missouri Valley Conference
Rice 13-6 8 Conference USA
Fresno State 12-8 6 Mountain West Conference
Furman 14-7 6 Southern Conference
Sam Houston State 14-6 1 Southland Conference
UC Riverside 13-7 1 Big West Conference

Rice is back receiving some mid-major votes after 2 wins this week, but we gotta get some more of our FOFC mid-major teams to step up.

[bbgunn]

Wow, Wazzu is being exposed as a fraud!

And yeah, B.B. Gunn should have taken the Wichita State or Creighton jobs. Hawaii is crashing and burning.

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 29-Feb. 4, 2024

28 games on the schedule this week, and 1 feature game. We go to Conference USA.

2/1/24- Rice (Charlie Shocker) @ FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- Both teams badly needing a win here, and it was FIU getting the homecooking in this one. FIU shot 40 free throws compared to just 11 free throws for Rice. (If there's one thing I hate about this game, it's the large free throw discrepancies that seem to happen far too often. That was enough for the Golden Panthers to come back from an 11 point halftime deficit and literally steal a win.

Final Score: FIU- 75, Rice- 70

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 14-10, 6-5 5th America East.

2/4/24 at New Hampshire (L 72-65).

Just 1 game this week for the Hawks, but they see their 4 game winning streak come to an end.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 7-14, 3-8 10th American.

1/31/24 vs. UCF (L 65-45).
2/3/24 at Tulane (L 86-72).

2 more blowout losses for the Huskies, who are in the midst of their worst season, probably ever.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 7-15, 3-7 9th American.

1/31/24 vs. Houston (L 89-77).
2/3/24 at SMU (L 83-73).

Although not quite as bad, the Golden Hurricane also lose twice this week. Both were by double digits though.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 11-12, 4-7 T-9th.

1/31/24 vs. Florida State (L 80-79).
2/3/24 at #6 Louisville (L 93-81).

A grueling loss to to Florida State, and the Fighting Irish have now lost 4 in a row. Coach Mighty won't be here long if this keeps up.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 12-10, 5-6 T-5th Big 12.

1/29/24 at #4 Baylor (L 68-60).
2/3/24 at #14 Oklahoma (L 84-60).

Remember when the Horned Frogs were 12-5, and 5-1 in the conference. That seems like a long time ago, as they are now under .500 in conference play with a 5 game losing streak.

#7 St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 19-4, 8-3 T-2nd Big East.

1/31/24 vs. #2 Georgetown (L 78-77).
2/3/24 vs. #9 Providence (L 87-80).

Good efforts for the Red Storm this week, but they take a step back with 2 close losses against top 10 teams. Those are the games they really need to win for RPI purposes, but as long as they right the ship now, they'll be fine.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 12-10, 5-5 T-6th Big Ten.

1/31/24 vs. Nebraska (L 73-63).
2/3/24 vs. #16 Iowa (L 85-59).

2 losses for the Wildcats as they break a 4 game winning streak. It's only going to get tougher from here on out.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 7-13, 4-5 T-5th Big West.

1/30/24 vs. UC Santa Barbara (L 100-91).
2/3/24 at Long Beach State (L 82-77).

2 more tough losses for the Warriors, they've lost 4 in a row now, and firecoachgunn.com is hotter than ever, with over a million hits now. The only saving grace might be the weakness of the conference, as Hawaii finds themselves just 2 games behind the leaders.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 10-12, 5-5 T-6th Conference USA.

2/1/24 vs. Rice- feature game, highlighted above.
2/3/24 at South Dakota State (W 74-55).

2 key wins for the Golden Panthers who are back up to .500 in conference play. If ever they were going to make a push, now would be the time, as they play only 3 more teams that currently have a winning record.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 14-7, 6-4 5th Conference USA.

2/1/24 at FIU- feature game, highlighted above.
2/3/24 at Western Kentucky (W 61-43).

Could be a different story for the Owls if not for that debacle of a game at FIU. However, they are still in good position, but unlike FIU, they have the tough end of the schedule in February.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 11-11, 5-5 T-5th Pac 12.

2/1/24 at Oregon State (W 74-48).
2/3/24 vs. #23 California (L 95-75).

A split for the Buffaloes, who continue to play .500 ball throughout the season. I don't see that changing next week.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 15-7, 5-5 T-5th Pac 12.

2/1/24 vs. Arizona State (W 86-78).
2/3/24 at #1 Arizona (L 91-64).

No shame in losing to Arizona, all but 1 team has this season. They are a legit national title contender. That doesn't make the Cardinal feel any better, as they are in the middle of the Pac 12 standings, with still a lot of challenges coming up.

#22 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 17-6, 7-3 T-2nd Pac 12.

2/1/24 vs. Gonzaga (W 86-67).
2/3/24 vs. Washington (W 92-64).

2 blowout wins for the Bruins this week, and it's good to finally see them playing UCLA basketball again. They should at least keep it up for a few more games.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 14-7, 3-7 T-9th Pac 12.

2/1/24 vs. Oregon (L 82-65).
2/3/24 at Arizona State (W 74-65).

An 11-0 record going into conference play might still not be enough to get the Cougars into the NCAA Tournament. They do have 5 more winnable conference games, but they also have 3 in which their hope is to keep it close. Even if they can go .500 in February, that should be enough for their first postseason berth.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 13-8, 7-3 T-2nd SEC.

1/31/24 vs. #19 Texas A&M (L 58-52).
2/3/24 vs. Ole Miss (W 68-63).

The Crimson Tide split a couple close ones this week, and they enter February on a brutal 4 game stretch that they'll have to be at their best for.

Here's a look at the national top 25 heading into the week of Feb. 5-11:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Arizona (71) 21-1 1799 1 Pacific-12 Conference
2. Georgetown 20-3 1710 2 Big East Conference
3. Virginia 21-1 1655 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. Baylor 21-2 1582 4 Big 12 Conference
5. Syracuse (1) 22-1 1534 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Louisville 20-3 1434 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Providence 19-4 1334 9 Big East Conference
8. Ohio State 16-4 1288 10 Big Ten Conference
9. Wisconsin 19-4 1217 11 Big Ten Conference
10. St. John's 19-4 1148 7 Big East Conference
11. Oklahoma 16-6 1059 14 Big 12 Conference
12. Iowa 17-5 1017 16 Big Ten Conference
13. St. Bonaventure 17-4 952 13 Atlantic 10 Conference
14. Iowa State 16-6 855 8 Big 12 Conference
15. Xavier 17-5 728 17 Big East Conference
16. BYU 19-6 677 24 West Coast Conference
17. Creighton 17-6 593 15 Big East Conference
18. UCLA 17-6 551 22 Pacific-12 Conference
19. UAB 17-4 442 25 Atlantic 10 Conference
20. Indiana 16-6 357 12 Big Ten Conference
21. George Washington 17-5 327 18 Atlantic 10 Conference
22. Yale 19-4 198 NR Ivy League
23. California 14-8 183 23 Pacific-12 Conference
24. LSU 16-5 166 21 Southeastern Conference
25. North Texas 19-4 161 NR Conference USA

Others Receiving Votes:
Texas A&M 16-6 159 Southeastern Conference
Memphis 17-5 100 American Athletic Conference
Florida Gulf Coast 19-4 82 Sun Belt Conference
DePaul 16-6 63 Big East Conference
Stanford 15-7 16 Pacific-12 Conference
Oakland 17-5 5 Horizon League
North Carolina 16-7 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
Tulane 17-6 4 American Athletic Conference

Despite losing both their games this week, St. John's didn't drop as far as one might think, only 3 spots. This is probably because both games were close and against top 10 teams. However, UCLA continues to bring it back to prominence, moving up 4 spots. Stanford also receives a few more votes this week, despite the .500 conference record.

Now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Feb. 5-11:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. St. Bonaventure (59) 17-4 1787 1 Atlantic 10 Conference
2. BYU (10) 19-6 1718 3 West Coast Conference
3. George Washington 17-5 1621 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
4. UAB (3) 17-4 1578 6 Atlantic 10 Conference
5. Memphis 17-5 1453 4 American Athletic Conference
6. Yale 19-4 1355 9 Ivy League
7. Florida Gulf Coast 19-4 1309 7 Sun Belt Conference
8. Wichita State 18-7 1283 5 Missouri Valley Conference
9. North Texas 19-4 1260 13 Conference USA
10. Oakland 17-5 1219 11 Horizon League
11. Tulane 17-6 1086 10 American Athletic Conference
12. UC Irvine 16-6 971 8 Big West Conference
13. Bradley 16-6 913 16 Missouri Valley Conference
14. La Salle 16-6 868 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
15. Richmond 16-6 790 17 Atlantic 10 Conference
16. Western Carolina 17-5 638 20 Southern Conference
17. Kent State 15-8 560 NR Mid-American Conference
18. Drexel 16-6 553 24 Colonial Athletic Association
19. Houston 16-6 548 15 American Athletic Conference
20. Illinois State 15-8 466 21 Missouri Valley Conference
21. Robert Morris 19-5 360 23 Northeast Conference
22. San Diego State 15-8 338 12 Mountain West Conference
23. Arkansas State 17-6 203 18 Sun Belt Conference
24. Massachusetts 15-7 158 19 Atlantic 10 Conference
25. North Dakota State 17-7 83 NR Summit League

Others Receiving Votes:
Portland 14-8 81 West Coast Conference
Indiana State 15-9 63 Missouri Valley Conference
Mercer 17-8 51 Southern Conference
Detroit 15-8 23 Horizon League
Colorado State 14-8 20 Mountain West Conference
Akron 16-7 12 Mid-American Conference
Loyola Marymount 15-10 10 West Coast Conference
Green Bay 14-8 7 Horizon League
American 17-7 5 Patriot League
Florida Atlantic 15-7 4 Conference USA
Old Dominion 14-8 3 Conference USA
Saint Joseph's 13-9 1 Atlantic 10 Conference
Saint Mary's 13-10 1 West Coast Conference
UNLV 12-8 1 Mountain West Conference

No big surprise there, as all our mid-major FOFC teams are left out (Making a pitch for more strong teams guys! I'm still taking sign-ups for 5 more teams, let's get some more representation in both polls!)

The first edition of the Bubble Watch for the 2023-2024 season is out, and 2 of our teams are featured in the Overall Bubble Watch, let's take a look.

OVERALL BUBBLE WATCH

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana State 15-9 .563 (50) 1-2 5-3 6-3 3-1 97 In
Illinois State 15-8 .551 (67) 2-2 2-3 8-3 3-0 100 In
San Diego State 15-8 .553 (65) 2-2 2-1 4-4 7-1 117 In
Purdue 15-7 .551 (69) 0-2 3-2 5-3 7-0 129 In
Richmond 16-6 .545 (77) 2-2 1-1 3-2 10-1 236 In
Portland 14-8 .551 (70) 0-3 4-1 6-3 4-1 110 In
Texas 14-9 .570 (44) 4-7 1-1 4-1 5-0 45 In
Rice 14-7 .546 (75) 1-2 2-3 5-1 6-1 223 In
Wake Forest 14-9 .568 (46) 1-6 4-3 4-0 5-0 50 Out
Loyola Marymount 15-10 .562 (51) 1-3 2-2 7-5 5-0 56 Out
Nicholls State 13-8 .559 (59) 1-2 1-0 5-4 6-2 82 Out
Houston 16-6 .542 (84) 1-2 1-0 6-4 8-0 214 Out
Albany 14-9 .566 (48) 0-4 3-1 2-2 9-2 64 Out
Washington State 14-7 .539 (89) 1-4 2-1 5-2 6-0 175 Out
Vanderbilt 15-7 .511 (148) 0-1 6-1 5-5 4-0 241 Out

Nice to see Rice hanging around, but they still have a long ways to go. The SOS is bad, as proven by the 11-2 record against teams ranked 101 or lower in the RPI. However, if they can keep winning in conference they've got a chance.

Meanwhile, let's be honest: Washington State still has a long ways to go before they are legit competitors in the Pac 12. Sure, the 11-0 start was nice, but the 175 SOS and the 11-2 record against 101 and lower RPI teams proves it wasn't against the toughest competition. I'll be frank, they really need to win quite a few more games to make the NCAA Tourney. However, they still have many winnable games on their schedule, and barring a complete collapse, they still have a pretty good shot to make their first postseason appearance.

Now for the rest of the teams, and remember, this reflects the NCAA Tournament only, not the other postseason tournaments.

Locks: St. John's, UCLA, Stanford

A bit surprised to see Alabama projected out, but so be it. I'm sure it'll change. I hope.

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 5-11, 2024

28 games on the schedule again this week, with 1 feature game, and we head to the Pac 12.

2/10/24- #18 UCLA (Tim Shepard) @ Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- Not much to say in this one, as UCLA shot 56.9% for the game, while Washington State shot just 36.1%. The result was a very, very easy UCLA victory.

Final Score: #18 UCLA- 105, Washington State- 74

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 15-11, 7-6 4th America East.

2/7/24 at Albany (W 81-72).
2/11/24 vs. Binghamton (L 69-52).

It could have been a great week for the Hawks, but it turned ugly quick with a bad home loss to Binghamton, so they stay just 1 game over .500 in conference.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 9-14, 5-8 T-7th American.

2/7/24 vs. Temple (W 62-45).
2/10/24 at South Florida (W 73-65).

A couple solid wins for the Huskies this week as they are fighting to at least get to .500 in conference play and salvage something from this season.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 8-16, 4-8 T-9th American.

2/7/24 at Cincinnati (L 71-63).
2/10/24 at Temple (W 87-73).

A split for the Golden Hurricane who break a 4 game losing streak with the win at Temple.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 12-13, 5-8 8th ACC.

2/7/24 vs. Duke (L 65-55).
2/10/24 at Virginia Tech (W 78-67).

A split for the Fighting Irish who break a 5 game losing streak with the win at Virginia Tech. If they can steal 1 game next week, they'll be doing good.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 14-10, 7-6 5th Big 12.

2/5/24 vs. Oklahoma State (W 79-74).
2/10/24 vs. Texas (W 83-74).

Very important week for the Horned Frogs who get 2 much needed wins after a 5 game losing streak. Next week on the road for 2, but both winnable.

#10 St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 19-5, 8-4 3rd Big East.

2/10/24 at Villanova (L 83-74).

The losses keep on coming for the Red Storm, who have now lost 3 in a row. Time to right the ship now, they are playing themselves out of a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 12-12, 5-7 T-8th Big Ten.

2/7/24 vs. #8 Ohio State (L 88-77).
2/10/24 at Michigan State (L 75-68).

2 more losses for the Wildcats, and that's 4 in a row, with several more games against ranked teams coming up.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 9-13, 6-5 T-4th Big West.

2/6/24 vs. UC Riverside (W 91-88).
2/10/24 vs. Cal State Northridge (W 78-70).

The Warriors just have to find some consistency, as they are back over .500 in conference. The way things are going, next week they'll lose their games. Coach Gunn remains on the hot seat, but if he can lead his team to a nice winning streak, it would go a long way.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 11-13, 6-6 8th Conference USA.

2/8/24 at Western Kentucky (L 81-69).
2/10/24 vs. Charlotte (W 71-62).

A split for the Golden Panthers, who really can't be losing to 7 win teams like Western Kentucky. The road has been tough, but they have 3 straight games to figure it out.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 15-8, 7-5 T-3rd Conference USA.

2/8/24 at #25 North Texas (L 80-57).
2/10/24 vs. UTEP (W 63-62).

A split this week for the Owls, who should feel very fortunate to beat UTEP. They are still in good position to have an overall winning record at the end of the season, but still work to do.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 13-11, 7-5 5th Pac 12.

2/8/24 vs. Washington (W 59-50).
2/10/24 vs. #1 Arizona (W 71-63).

A huge week for the Buffaloes, who shock Arizona, handing them just their second loss all season. Hopefully they can use that, as aside from a home game against UCLA next week, the rest of their schedule is pretty light. They could run the table, but only if the same team that beat Zona shows up the rest of the season.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 16-8, 6-6 6th Pac 12.

2/8/24 vs. Oregon (W 65-53).
2/10/24 at Gonzaga (L 83-70).

A split for the Cardinal, who aren't helping their NCAA Tournament chances by splitting all the time, or losing 2 of their last 3. Their schedule is also favorable down the stretch, if they can take care of business.

#18 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 19-6, 9-3 2nd Pac 12.

2/8/24 vs. Arizona State (W 91-67).
2/10/24 at Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.

2 more wins for the Bruins, and it's 8 in a row. Next week is huge however, as they are on the road for 2 games, and they just happen to be against Arizona, and Colorado, both looking for big wins, yet for different reasons.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 15-8, 4-8 T-8th Pac 12.

2/8/24 at Oregon State (W 84-70).
2/10/24 vs. #18 UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Cougars, and any win is important at this point. Next week will be tough to get one though, with Arizona and Stanford coming to town.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 15-8, 9-3 T-1st SEC.

2/7/24 at Georgia (W 54-50).
2/10/24 at Tennessee (W 78-50).

The Crimson Tide win 2 on the road and move into a 3 way tie for first in the SEC. Next week will be challenging though, with 1 of the co-leaders coming to town.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Feb. 12-18:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Arizona (65) 22-2 1792 1 Pacific-12 Conference
2. Georgetown (3) 21-4 1686 2 Big East Conference
3. Virginia (3) 23-1 1652 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. Baylor 22-2 1596 4 Big 12 Conference
5. Syracuse (1) 24-1 1554 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Louisville 22-3 1439 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Wisconsin 21-4 1346 9 Big Ten Conference
8. Providence 20-5 1298 7 Big East Conference
9. Ohio State 17-5 1189 8 Big Ten Conference
10. St. Bonaventure 19-4 1090 13 Atlantic 10 Conference
11. St. John's 19-5 1058 10 Big East Conference
12. Iowa State 18-6 1056 14 Big 12 Conference
13. Oklahoma 17-7 946 11 Big 12 Conference
14. Creighton 18-7 772 17 Big East Conference
15. Iowa 18-6 737 12 Big Ten Conference
16. Xavier 18-6 721 15 Big East Conference
17. UCLA 19-6 694 18 Pacific-12 Conference
18. Indiana 18-6 437 20 Big Ten Conference
19. Texas A&M 18-6 367 NR Southeastern Conference
20. Memphis 19-5 334 NR American Athletic Conference
21. California 16-8 333 23 Pacific-12 Conference
22. North Texas 21-4 305 25 Conference USA
23. Vanderbilt 17-7 248 NR Southeastern Conference
24. Villanova 15-9 245 NR Big East Conference
25. Yale 20-4 177 22 Ivy League

Others Receiving Votes:
BYU 19-7 109 West Coast Conference
DePaul 17-7 75 Big East Conference
UAB 18-5 54 Atlantic 10 Conference
LSU 17-6 26 Southeastern Conference
Oakland 19-5 24 Horizon League
George Washington 18-6 23 Atlantic 10 Conference
Florida Gulf Coast 19-5 9 Sun Belt Conference
UC Irvine 18-6 4 Big West Conference
North Carolina 17-7 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
Richmond 18-6 2 Atlantic 10 Conference

Despite losing their 3rd game in a row, St. John's only drops 1 more spot in the polls. Meanwhile, UCLA only rises 1 spot. They really need to win both next week to have a chance to move up big. Stanford loses their votes.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Feb. 12-18:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. St. Bonaventure (66) 19-4 1794 1 Atlantic 10 Conference
2. BYU (5) 19-7 1697 2 West Coast Conference
3. Memphis (1) 19-5 1639 5 American Athletic Conference
4. North Texas 21-4 1541 9 Conference USA
5. George Washington 18-6 1424 3 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. Yale 20-4 1398 6 Ivy League
7. UAB 18-5 1370 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
8. Oakland 19-5 1331 10 Horizon League
9. Wichita State 19-8 1140 8 Missouri Valley Conference
10. UC Irvine 18-6 1104 12 Big West Conference
11. Tulane 18-7 1085 11 American Athletic Conference
12. Richmond 18-6 1023 15 Atlantic 10 Conference
13. Florida Gulf Coast 19-5 998 7 Sun Belt Conference
14. Illinois State 17-8 892 20 Missouri Valley Conference
15. Kent State 17-8 756 17 Mid-American Conference
16. Drexel 18-6 755 18 Colonial Athletic Association
17. Bradley 17-7 637 13 Missouri Valley Conference
18. La Salle 17-7 624 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
19. Robert Morris 21-5 487 21 Northeast Conference
20. Western Carolina 18-6 416 16 Southern Conference
21. Akron 18-7 315 NR Mid-American Conference
22. San Diego State 16-9 291 22 Mountain West Conference
23. Mercer 19-8 227 NR Southern Conference
24. Houston 16-7 115 19 American Athletic Conference
25. Massachusetts 16-8 84 24 Atlantic 10 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Loyola Marymount 17-10 59 West Coast Conference
Old Dominion 16-8 53 Conference USA
North Dakota State 18-8 30 Summit League
American 19-7 29 Patriot League
Arkansas State 17-7 28 Sun Belt Conference
Colorado State 15-9 20 Mountain West Conference
UC Santa Barbara 16-9 9 Big West Conference
Detroit 16-9 8 Horizon League
Georgia Southern 16-8 8 Sun Belt Conference
Manhattan 17-9 3 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Northwestern State 17-7 3 Southland Conference
Indiana State 16-10 2 Missouri Valley Conference
San Diego 15-10 2 West Coast Conference
UNLV 13-9 2 Mountain West Conference
Rider 18-8 1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

No surprise here, another shutout for our FOFC mid-major teams.

Now a look at the bubble watch going into the week of Feb. 12-18, and again we have 2 teams in it:

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rice 15-8 .561 (54) 2-2 1-4 5-2 7-0 144 In
Alabama 15-8 .555 (63) 0-4 5-3 7-0 3-1 79 In
Tennessee 15-9 .558 (60) 3-2 3-2 6-4 3-1 86 In
Loyola Marymount 17-10 .569 (46) 1-3 3-2 9-4 4-1 55 In
UT Arlington 15-8 .571 (43) 2-1 4-2 2-1 7-4 91 In
Detroit 16-9 .570 (44) 2-3 1-0 7-2 6-4 68 In
San Diego State 16-9 .551 (69) 2-1 5-4 1-3 8-1 114 In
Old Dominion 16-8 .552 (67) 1-0 3-6 3-1 9-1 129 In
Mercer 19-8 .553 (66) 0-1 0-5 8-0 11-2 179 Out
Texas 15-10 .564 (50) 4-7 1-2 5-1 5-0 56 Out
Georgia Southern 16-8 .547 (74) 0-3 5-1 1-2 10-2 156 Out
Michigan State 15-8 .531 (101) 4-1 2-2 3-4 6-1 154 Out
Vanderbilt 17-7 .521 (127) 0-1 4-2 9-3 4-1 244 Out
Missouri 15-8 .539 (86) 0-4 2-1 9-3 4-0 140 Out
Massachusetts 16-8 .528 (111) 1-5 1-2 5-1 9-0 223 Out

Rice had a massive jump this week going from essentially the last team in, to being at the very, very top of the bubble. And that's after a 1-1 week. Pretty encouraging, but they still need to take care of business.

Meanwhile, Alabama is right behind them. After barely finishing .500 in non-conference play, the Crimson Tide have picked it up in conference. Unfortunately, their 5-7 record against the RPI top 100 is not looking good, especially the 0-4 against the top 50.

Now for the rest of the teams:

Locks: St. John's, UCLA, Stanford

The only change from last week is that Washington State is off the bubble and solidly projected out.

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 12-18, 2024

26 games on the schedule this week, but 3 of them are feature games. We'll start in the Pac 12, where all 4 of our FOFC Pac 12 Teams have a feature game.

2/15/24- #17 UCLA (Tim Shepard) @ Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- The Bruins got a big test in this one, trailing by 11 at halftime. They were able to power back though, getting just a few more three pointers to fall. That was the difference in a tough road win.

Final Score: #17 UCLA- 76, Colorado- 74

2/17/24- Stanford (Benito Sanchez) @ Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- Rebounding and three point shooting was the big difference in this one, as Stanford outrebounded Washington State by 13, and made 5 more three pointers. It wasn't easy, but they get the win.

Final Score: Stanford- 86, Washington State- 78

Now we move to the American where our 2 American FOFC teams have been struggling all season.

2/17/24- UConn (Randolph Childress) @ Tulsa (Will Brown) -- Another feature game barnburner that came down to who had the ball last. That happened to be UConn, who hit a buzzer beater to stun Tulsa on the road.

Final Score: UConn- 66, Tulsa- 64

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 16-12, 8-7 4th America East.

2/16/24 vs. Stony Brook (W 76-50).
2/18/24 at UMBC (L 98-82).

A split for the Hawks, who have a tough week coming up next week to finish their regular season schedule. With just 1 conference game left, they are locked into 4th place in the America East.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 11-14, 7-8 T-6th American.

2/14/24 vs. SMU (W 71-63).
2/17/24 at Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.

2 more wins for the Huskies, who are finishing strong, but still 3 more tough games coming up. Still though, a .500 conference finish is still in reason.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 8-18, 4-10, T-9th American.

2/14/24 at South Florida (L 69-65).
2/17/24 vs. UConn- feature game, highlighted above.

A pair of close losses this week for the Golden Hurricane, and Coach Brown has to be infuriated by the number of single digit losses this team has on the season.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 13-13, 6-8 T-7th ACC.

2/17/24 vs. Pittsburgh (W 87-77).

A much needed win for the Fighting Irish who have won 2 in a row and are back to .500 overall and in conference. Unfortunately, they've got a date on the road with a top 10 team next week.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 16-10, 9-6 4th Big 12.

2/12/24 at Kansas State (W 72-59).
2/17/24 at West Virginia (W 77-51).

The Horned Frogs win 2 next week, very important wins as they can finish no worse than .500 in the conference now. Next week will be a grind though, with a top 10 team coming to town.

#11 St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 19-7, 8-6 3rd Big East.

2/14/24 at #14 Creighton (L 67-55).
2/17/24 at Butler (L 72-70).

There is a major self destruction going on for the Red Storm, who have now lost 5 in a row. Forget about a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, they just need to worry about finishing strong and securing their bid.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 13-13, 6-8 T-7th Big Ten.

2/14/24 vs. Penn State (W 97-90).
2/17/24 at #18 Indiana (L 93-58).

A split for the Wildcats, who got completely thrashed at Indiana, a game they'll want to forget soon.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 10-14, 7-6 T-4th Big West.

2/13/24 at UC Irvine (L 98-90).
2/17/24 vs. Cal State Fullerton (W 81-62).

Another split for the Warriors, as that seat for Coach Gunn continues to get hotter and hotter. Running the table in their last 4 regular season games would get them to .500 overall. It's possible, but I'm not holding my breath.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 12-14, 7-7 T-7th Conference USA.

2/15/24 at Middle Tennessee (L 82-71).
2/17/24 at Marshall (W 67-55).

A split for the Golden Panthers in what has been a season to forget. The streak of consecutive 20 win seasons will certainly come to an end, unless FIU gets mad hot and doesn't lose another game the rest of the season, which isn't likely. Hopefully Coach Hawkins has bought himself some time.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 16-9, 8-6 T-4th Conference USA.

2/15/24 at George Mason (L 44-41).
2/17/24 vs. Southern Miss (W 85-80).

The Owls sure wish they could have traded some of those points in the Southern Miss game to the George Mason game. Definitely a tale of 2 different type games this week, and another split.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 14-12, 8-6 5th Pac 12.

2/15/24 vs. #17 UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.
2/17/24 at Arizona State (W 65-56).

A split for the Buffaloes, who were just 1 shot away from possibly being in the top 4 of the conference. 3 of their last 4 regular season games are on the road, but all are winnable. That doesn't mean they will win them though.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 17-9, 7-7 6th Pac 12.

2/15/24 vs. Oregon State (L 67-58).
2/17/24 at Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Cardinal, who need to win those home games, because they have 2 tough, ranked opponents yet to play, and neither will be easy.

#17 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 20-7, 10-4 2nd Pac 12.

2/15/24 at Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.
2/17/24 at #1 Arizona (L 77-50).

Arizona continues to be a thorn in the Bruins' side, and it won't get any easier, as 3 of their remaining 4 regular season games are against teams with an RPI of 38 or better.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 15-10, 4-10 11th Pac 12.

2/15/24 vs. #1 Arizona (L 66-48).
2/17/24 vs. Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.

2 more losses for the Cougars, and they really, really need to at least win 2 of their remaining regular season games to feel good about a postseason berth. They could win all of them, or they could lose all of them. Hard to know which Cougar team will show up.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 17-8, 11-3 1st SEC.

2/14/24 vs. Missouri (W 69-63).
2/17/24 vs. LSU (W 56-55).

2 more wins for the Crimson Tide, who now out first place outright in the SEC. They are a game up, with 4 to play, but 3 of those 4 are on the road.

Now for a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Feb. 19-25:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Arizona (72) 24-2 1800 1 Pacific-12 Conference
2. Baylor 24-2 1675 4 Big 12 Conference
3. Georgetown 22-5 1609 2 Big East Conference
4. Virginia 24-2 1590 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
5. Louisville 24-3 1555 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Syracuse 25-2 1491 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Providence 22-5 1358 8 Big East Conference
8. Wisconsin 23-4 1288 7 Big Ten Conference
9. Iowa State 19-7 1230 12 Big 12 Conference
10. Ohio State 18-6 1150 9 Big Ten Conference
11. Indiana 20-6 1025 18 Big Ten Conference
12. Iowa 20-6 902 15 Big Ten Conference
13. UCLA 20-7 849 17 Pacific-12 Conference
14. Creighton 19-8 843 14 Big East Conference
15. St. John's 19-7 691 11 Big East Conference
16. St. Bonaventure 19-6 662 10 Atlantic 10 Conference
17. Villanova 17-9 655 24 Big East Conference
18. Yale 22-4 594 25 Ivy League
19. Oklahoma 18-8 409 13 Big 12 Conference
20. UAB 20-5 408 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
21. North Carolina 19-7 336 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
22. Xavier 18-8 249 16 Big East Conference
23. Texas A&M 19-7 242 19 Southeastern Conference
24. California 17-9 199 21 Pacific-12 Conference
25. Memphis 20-6 174 20 American Athletic Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
North Texas 22-5 166 Conference USA
Vanderbilt 18-8 140 Southeastern Conference
UC Irvine 20-6 50 Big West Conference
George Washington 19-7 31 Atlantic 10 Conference
DePaul 18-8 13 Big East Conference
Drexel 20-6 13 Colonial Athletic Association
Oakland 20-6 3 Horizon League

I continue to be dismayed by these polls. No surprise that St. John's moved down 4 spots this week, they are slumping bad, but how does a team that barely won at Colorado, yet got thumped by Arizona, move up 4 spots?? I'm ok with it because it helps our FOFC teams, but I don't get it. And Alabama, on top of the SEC, doesn't even receive 1 vote? Crazy.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Feb. 19-25:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. St. Bonaventure (57) 19-6 1776 1 Atlantic 10 Conference
2. UAB (7) 20-5 1650 7 Atlantic 10 Conference
3. Yale 22-4 1609 6 Ivy League
4. Memphis 20-6 1539 3 American Athletic Conference
5. BYU (3) 19-9 1431 2 West Coast Conference
6. North Texas (2) 22-5 1398 4 Conference USA
7. UC Irvine (3) 20-6 1349 10 Big West Conference
8. Wichita State 20-8 1335 9 Missouri Valley Conference
9. George Washington 19-7 1244 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
10. Tulane 19-7 1116 11 American Athletic Conference
11. Illinois State 19-8 1091 14 Missouri Valley Conference
12. Oakland 20-6 1087 8 Horizon League
13. Drexel 20-6 914 16 Colonial Athletic Association
14. Kent State 19-8 900 15 Mid-American Conference
15. Richmond 19-7 794 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
16. La Salle 19-7 739 18 Atlantic 10 Conference
17. Florida Gulf Coast 20-6 665 13 Sun Belt Conference
18. Akron 20-7 594 21 Mid-American Conference
19. Houston 18-7 429 24 American Athletic Conference
20. Massachusetts 18-8 373 25 Atlantic 10 Conference
21. Mercer 21-8 313 23 Southern Conference
22. Robert Morris 22-6 198 19 Northeast Conference
23. Old Dominion 18-8 188 NR Conference USA
24. San Diego State 17-10 175 22 Mountain West Conference
25. American 21-7 92 NR Patriot League

Others Receiving Votes:
Bradley 17-9 87 Missouri Valley Conference
San Diego 17-10 59 West Coast Conference
Arkansas State 19-7 54 Sun Belt Conference
Indiana State 18-10 49 Missouri Valley Conference
Loyola Marymount 18-11 40 West Coast Conference
Manhattan 19-9 23 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Western Carolina 18-8 21 Southern Conference
Portland 16-10 17 West Coast Conference
Utah State 16-10 15 Mountain West Conference
Northwestern State 19-7 13 Southland Conference
UC Santa Barbara 17-9 11 Big West Conference
UT Arlington 16-8 6 Sun Belt Conference
USC Upstate 20-8 5 Atlantic Sun Conference
Radford 20-7 1 Big South Conference

No surprise here, as no FOFC representation here.

Now for another edition of the Bubble Watch. We start with the Overall Bubble Watch, in which just 1 of our teams is in.

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BYU 19-9 .566 (46) 3-3 3-2 7-2 6-2 94 In
Bradley 17-9 .576 (30) 2-3 3-2 3-3 9-1 58 In
San Diego 17-10 .564 (50) 3-2 1-2 8-5 5-1 71 In
San Diego State 17-10 .552 (63) 2-1 4-3 4-5 7-1 105 In
Old Dominion 18-8 .559 (55) 1-0 2-6 5-1 10-1 129 In
TCU 16-10 .593 (23) 2-7 3-2 9-0 2-1 14 In
UT Arlington 16-8 .569 (44) 0-1 5-2 3-1 8-4 107 In
Indiana State 18-10 .548 (69) 3-3 5-2 4-2 6-3 152 In
Mercer 21-8 .546 (71) 0-1 1-4 7-1 13-2 212 Out
La Salle 19-7 .543 (77) 1-4 5-2 4-1 9-0 214 Out
Detroit 16-10 .553 (62) 2-3 1-0 6-2 7-5 88 Out
Albany 17-10 .552 (65) 0-4 2-1 3-1 12-4 93 Out
Arkansas State 19-7 .543 (79) 0-1 1-3 1-2 17-1 240 Out
Portland 16-10 .545 (74) 2-5 1-0 9-5 4-0 108 Out
North Carolina State 15-10 .564 (49) 4-5 3-0 6-1 2-4 42 Out

Good to see TCU back on the bubble in a good way, as one of the Last 4 In. You gotta think the RPI has a lot to do with it, and that is helped by the SOS. They still need to win a few more games though. It'll be tough, it's gutcheck time now.

Now for the rest of our teams:

Locks: St. John's, UCLA, Stanford, Alabama

A couple changes this week, as both Rice and Alabama are off the bubble. 1 is now a lock, the other is projected clearly out.

[law90026]

Wow that's an ugly 5 game losing streak for St Johns ��

[bbgunn]

Can't believe Wazzu started out 11-0 and is now 15-10. Massive.

[thealmighty]

Who had the bright idea of moving to Notre Dame? At least I don't see Michigan State in the polls.

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 19-25, 2024

29 games on the schedule this week, and just 1 feature game. It's a big one though, in the Pac 12. Let's take a look:

2/24/24- Stanford (Benito Sanchez) @ #13 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- A shootout in this one, as both teams shot over 44%, but UCLA committed 17 turnovers. That doomed them, as Stanford took advantage and won it going away.

Final Score: Stanford- 92, #13 UCLA- 72

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 16-14, 8-8 4th America East.

2/23/24 at UMass Lowell (L 80-56).
2/25/24 vs. St. Peter's (L 78-65).

2 more losses for the Hawks, who end the regular season on a 3 game losing streak. They'll be the 4th seed in the America East Tournament and open up against 5th seed Vermont.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 13-14, 9-8 5th American.

2/21/24 vs. ECU (W 83-55).
2/24/24 at Houston (W 61-60).

2 more wins for the Huskies, who have gotten hot late in the season. They've won 6 in a row, and they'll finish at least .500 in conference. A remarkable turnaround.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 10-18, 6-10 9th American.

2/21/24 vs. #25 Memphis (W 52-41).
2/24/24 vs. ECU (W 73-52).

Nice week for the Golden Hurricane who shocked Memphis, but they finish up the regular season on the road. We'll see if they have a couple more shockers in them.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 14-14, 7-9 T-7th ACC.

2/21/24 at #6 Syracuse (L 100-77).
2/24/24 vs. Boston College (W 84-76, OT).

A split for the Fighting Irish, who had to come from behind just to beat BC. Coach Mighty better figure it out quick or his stay in South Bend may be short and sweet.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 16-12, 9-8 5th Big 12.

2/19/24 vs. Texas Tech (L 88-78).
2/24/24 vs. #9 Iowa State (L 87-63).

2 losses for the Horned Frogs as that breaks a 4 game losing streak. They have 2 more games next week, and one of them is a pretty tough non-conference game.

#15 St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 20-8, 9-7 T-3rd Big East.

2/21/24 vs. #22 Xavier (L 98-97, OT).
2/24/24 vs. Seton Hall (W 76-49).

A better week for the Red Storm, as they take Xavier to OT before a huge win over Seton Hall that breaks a 6 game losing streak. They'll finish off on the road in 2 more tough games.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 13-15, 6-10 T-9th Big Ten.

2/21/24 at Rutgers (L 88-77).
2/24/24 at #8 Wisconsin (L 104-61).

2 more losses for the Wildcats, and they need to win twice next week just to finish .500 overall.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 11-15, 7-7 T-5th Big West.

2/19/24 vs. Penn (W 81-59).
2/22/24 at UC Davis (L 77-68).

Well, another split for the Warriors, who win their non-conference game, but the more important game was the conference game, which they lost. Firecoachgunn.com now has over 1.5 million hits.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 12-16, 7-9 T-8th Conference USA.

2/22/24 at Florida Atlantic (L 67-61).
2/24/24 vs. UTEP (L 81-78).

2 more tough losses for the Golden Panthers. It looked like they were turning the corner, but this has been a disastrous season for Coach Hawkins. At least he can take solace in knowing that his former school, Troy, will probably finish with single digit wins this season.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 18-9, 10-6 3rd Conference USA.

2/22/24 vs. South Dakota State (W 82-64).
2/24/24 vs. Middle Tennessee (W 75-69).

2 more wins for the Owls, who still have a chance to get to 20 wins this season. This is only the second time since this dynasty started that they'll finish with double digit wins in conference play.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 14-14, 8-8 6th Pac 12.

2/22/24 at Gonzaga (L 80-74).
2/24/24 at Oregon (L 70-64).

A pair of aggravating 6 point losses for the Buffaloes this week, as they are now at .500 overall and in conference play.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 19-9, 9-7 5th Pac 12.

2/22/24 vs. Utah (W 88-84).
2/24/24 at #13 UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

A big win for the Cardinal, and that win at UCLA ensured they will finish no worse than .500 in conference play.

#13 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 21-8, 11-5 T-2nd Pac 12.

2/22/24 at Oregon (W 76-54).
2/24/24 vs. Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Bruins, but that loss to Stanford eliminated them from a chance to win the Pac 12 regular season title. They'll look to finish strong next week.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 16-11, 5-11 T-10th Pac 12.

2/22/24 vs. Washington (W 71-63).
2/24/24 vs. Utah (L 71-57).

A split for the Cougars, but at least 1 win is good. They are hoping to get 1 more next week as they go on the road for 2, but it won't be easy.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 19-8, 13-3 1st SEC.

2/21/24 at Arkansas (W 80-56).
2/24/24 at South Carolina (W 78-40).

2 blowout road wins this week, and all they have to do is win 1 of their 2 games next week to clinch a split of the SEC title. Win both, and they clinch the title outright. Lose both, and they could drop to 3rd.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Feb. 26-March 3:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Arizona (72) 26-2 1800 1 Pacific-12 Conference
2. Baylor 26-2 1701 2 Big 12 Conference
3. Louisville 25-3 1636 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. Georgetown 23-6 1535 3 Big East Conference
5. Virginia 26-2 1533 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Syracuse 26-3 1515 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Providence 23-6 1359 7 Big East Conference
8. Wisconsin 25-4 1297 8 Big Ten Conference
9. Iowa State 21-7 1228 9 Big 12 Conference
10. Ohio State 20-6 1145 10 Big Ten Conference
11. Iowa 22-6 1029 12 Big Ten Conference
12. Villanova 19-9 1008 17 Big East Conference
13. Creighton 20-8 914 14 Big East Conference
14. St. Bonaventure 21-6 773 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
15. Indiana 21-7 694 11 Big Ten Conference
16. Yale 24-4 689 18 Ivy League
17. St. John's 20-8 633 15 Big East Conference
18. Texas A&M 21-7 502 23 Southeastern Conference
19. North Carolina 21-7 485 21 Atlantic Coast Conference
20. UCLA 21-8 448 13 Pacific-12 Conference
21. Vanderbilt 20-8 419 NR Southeastern Conference
22. California 19-9 318 24 Pacific-12 Conference
23. Xavier 19-9 305 22 Big East Conference
24. DePaul 19-9 167 NR Big East Conference
25. UAB 21-6 115 20 Atlantic 10 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Memphis 21-7 40 American Athletic Conference
Oklahoma 19-9 39 Big 12 Conference
Oakland 22-6 30 Horizon League
North Texas 23-6 17 Conference USA
UC Irvine 21-7 12 Big West Conference
La Salle 21-7 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
BYU 21-9 3 West Coast Conference
Kent State 21-8 2 Mid-American Conference

Both of our ranked teams drop this week. St. John's drops 2 spots with their split, but UCLA drops 7 spots! A little tough love there apparently. And how the hell is Alabama not at least getting some votes? They are winning the SEC for gosh sakes. The voters must be punishing the basketball team because of the football team getting into the college football playoff after not even playing in their conference championship game. Haha sorry, I had to.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Feb. 26-March 3:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. St. Bonaventure (71) 21-6 1799 1 Atlantic 10 Conference
2. Yale 24-4 1675 3 Ivy League
3. BYU (1) 21-9 1591 5 West Coast Conference
4. UAB 21-6 1532 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
5. Memphis 21-7 1491 4 American Athletic Conference
6. Oakland 22-6 1416 12 Horizon League
7. Kent State 21-8 1406 14 Mid-American Conference
8. La Salle 21-7 1268 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
9. UC Irvine 21-7 1185 7 Big West Conference
10. George Washington 20-8 1104 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
11. Wichita State 21-9 1099 8 Missouri Valley Conference
12. North Texas 23-6 1052 6 Conference USA
13. Tulane 20-8 933 10 American Athletic Conference
14. Illinois State 20-9 915 11 Missouri Valley Conference
15. Drexel 21-7 748 13 Colonial Athletic Association
16. Massachusetts 20-8 687 20 Atlantic 10 Conference
17. Akron 21-8 607 18 Mid-American Conference
18. Old Dominion 20-8 542 23 Conference USA
19. Bradley 19-9 507 NR Missouri Valley Conference
20. American 23-7 386 25 Patriot League
21. Florida Gulf Coast 20-7 379 17 Sun Belt Conference
22. Mercer 22-8 282 21 Southern Conference
23. Houston 19-8 216 19 American Athletic Conference
24. Richmond 19-9 192 15 Atlantic 10 Conference
25. San Diego 19-10 154 NR West Coast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Utah State 18-10 71 Mountain West Conference
Robert Morris 23-7 41 Northeast Conference
Western Carolina 20-8 33 Southern Conference
Northwestern State 21-7 25 Southland Conference
Arkansas State 20-8 21 Sun Belt Conference
Indiana State 19-11 21 Missouri Valley Conference
San Diego State 17-11 21 Mountain West Conference
Detroit 18-10 1 Horizon League

A little surprised Rice didn't at least get some votes there.

Now for another edition of the Bubble Watch, and we'll start with the Overall Bubble Watch which sees one of our FOFC teams, and a former FOFC team.

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LSU 17-10 .576 (33) 2-3 3-2 11-5 1-0 40 In
San Diego 19-10 .559 (54) 1-2 2-2 10-5 6-1 91 In
Massachusetts 20-8 .546 (70) 3-6 1-1 4-1 12-0 185 In
Detroit 18-10 .557 (56) 2-3 2-0 5-2 9-5 98 In
Loyola Marymount 18-12 .556 (59) 1-3 3-2 8-6 6-1 60 In
Albany 18-10 .548 (64) 0-4 2-1 3-1 13-4 113 In
UT Arlington 16-10 .557 (58) 0-1 5-3 6-3 5-3 78 In
Vanderbilt 20-8 .541 (80) 0-3 4-1 12-3 4-1 179 In
North Texas 23-6 .543 (75) 0-0 4-2 7-2 12-2 290 Out
Indiana State 19-11 .543 (74) 4-3 5-2 4-3 6-3 142 Out
Michigan State 17-10 .544 (73) 1-3 5-2 5-5 6-0 119 Out
Richmond 19-9 .542 (77) 2-5 2-0 5-2 10-2 176 Out
Mercer 22-8 .545 (71) 0-1 1-4 7-2 14-1 237 Out
Arkansas State 20-8 .542 (76) 0-0 2-4 5-2 13-2 218 Out
Rice 18-9 .541 (79) 0-1 2-3 6-4 10-1 233 Out

Good to see Rice at least on the bubble, which means they will at least be in contention with a strong finish. Still though, you have to look at that SOS and RPI. It always seems to come down to that. I mean, a 16-5 record against teams 101 and lower in the RPI probably means not a very tough schedule.

Also, Coach Al Mighty might be happy to see that Michigan State is projected out of the NCAA Tournament as well, since he mentioned something about them recently. Although, I hate to say it, but the Spartans still have a better chance than Al's new team, Notre Dame does.

Now for the rest of the bubble watch:

Locks: St. John's, UCLA, Stanford, Alabama.

The same teams that have been locks for the last couple weeks are still locks. The changes include Rice being in the Overall Bubble Watch as one of the Last Four Out, as well as TCU going from being one of the Last Four In, to being off the bubble and definitely out.

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 26-March 3, 2024

27 games on the schedule this week, and 1 feature game, in the Pac 12. Let's jump to it:

3/2/24- Washington State (DeShawn St. John) @ Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- A close one here, but turnovers did Washington State in. They had 20 of them, allowing the Buffs to get several fast break points. That was enough to survive a tough game.

Final Score: Colorado- 77, Washington State- 72

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 17-14, 8-8 America East.

2/29/24- America East Quarterfinals vs. (5) Vermont (W 85-64).

A win at the most important of times for the Hawks, who break a 3 game losing streak, advance to the America East semifinals, and keep their very, very feint postseason hopes alive.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 14-14, 10-8 T-4th American.

3/2/24 vs. Cincinnati (W 55-47).

1 more for the Huskies, as they go into the conference tournament on a 7 game winning streak. Had they been able to produce like this earlier, they could be talking NCAA Tournament right now. As it stands, they'll go into the American Tournament as the #4 seed, getting a match-up against 5th seeded Houston. They still need to win out to have a chance at the postseason.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 12-18, 8-10 7th American.

2/28/24 at UCF (W 80-47).
3/2/24 at Tulane (W 61-58).

2 big road wins for the Golden Hurricane, who are also hot going into the conference tournament. That win over 2nd place Tulane was huge, and they could see them again. As it stands, they'll be the 7th seed and open up against SMU, in an all or nothing tournament. They have to win it to get into the postseason.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 16-14, 9-9 7th ACC.

2/28/24 at Clemson (W 80-73).
3/2/24 vs. N.C. State (W 67-56).

It's 3 in a row for the Fighting Irish. Love seeing some of our teams getting hot going into conference tournament play. They'll be the 7th seed and open up with the winner of a First Round game between (10) Duke and (15) Georgia Tech, a game that they must win. They probably need to win their semifinal too, to feel good about a postseason berth.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 17-13, 10-8 5th Big 12.

2/27/24 at Stephen F. Austin (L 75-65).
3/2/24 vs. Kansas (W 74-51).

A split for the Horned Frogs, who win the conference game this week to record their second best finish in the Big 12 since this dynasty started. They'll be the 5th seed in the Big 12 Tournament and open up in the Quarterfinals against 4th seed Oklahoma. They are in a much better position than last year, looking like an NIT team at least.

#17 St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 21-9, 10-8 T-4th Big East.

2/28/24 at #24 DePaul (W 68-60).
3/2/24 at Marquette (L 85-77).

A road split for the Red Storm, who could have clinched the 4th seed outright with a win over Marquette. Instead, they lose the tiebreaker and will be the 5th seed, facing 4th seed Creighton in the quarterfinals.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 14-16, 7-11 T-8th Big Ten.

2/28/24 vs. Maryland (W 91-82).
3/2/24 at Michigan (L 108-100).

A split for the Wildcats, and a terrible road loss at an awful Michigan team. That would have put them at .500 going into the Big Ten Tournament. As it stands, they lose all tiebreakers in a 3 way tie for 8th, and will be the 10th seed in the Big Ten Tournament. They'll open up against 7th seed Purdue and need to win the tourney to keep their season alive.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 12-16, 8-8 T-5th Big West.

2/29/24 vs. Cal Poly (L 78-71).
3/2/24 at UC Santa Barbara (W 91-84).

A split for the Warriors, and Coach Gunn has already started packing his suitcase. He knows it'll take a miracle to stay at Hawaii next season. They lost the tiebreaker for 5th, and will enter the Big West Tournament as the 6th seed, facing off against the team they just beat, 3rd seed UC Santa Barbara. They need to win the tourney to keep playing, and to keep Coach Gunn's job alive.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 13-17, 8-10 T-8th Conference USA.

2/29/24 vs. Southern Miss (L 69-54).
3/2/24 vs. George Mason (W 76-66).

A split for the Golden Panthers, who vastly underseeded expectations this season. They lost all tiebreakers in a 3 way tie for 8th, that means they'll be the 10th seed in the Conference USA Tournament, opening up against 7th seed UTEP.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 19-10, 11-7 T-3rd Conference USA.

2/29/24 vs. Old Dominion (W 65-55).
3/2/24 at Louisiana Tech (L 86-64).

A last second buzzer beater is the only thing that stopped the Owls from getting their 20th win of the season and 3rd place in Conference USA. Instead, they drop to 5th place in the C-USA Tournament after losing a 3 team tiebreaker for 3rd. They'll definitely be playing in the postseason, and should pick up win #20 as they'll face the winner of 13th seed George Mason and 12th seed South Dakota State in the Second Round of the C-USA Tourney.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 16-14, 10-8 6th Pac 12.

2/29/24 at Utah (W 73-69).
3/2/24 vs. Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.

The Buffaloes couldn't find a way to beat the best of the best, especially in conference, as they'll probably need to win a game or 2 to feel good about an NCAA berth. An NIT or CBI berth could still be good, but they'll enter as the 6th seed in the Pac 12 Tournament, and they'll open up against 11th seed Oregon State in a must win game.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 21-9, 11-7 T-3rd Pac 12.

2/29/24 at Washington (W 70-68).
3/2/24 vs. #22 California (W 85-77).

A couple close wins to end the regular season, as the Cardinal will go into the Pac 12 Tourney on a 5 game winning streak. They drew the right straw in a 3 team tiebreaker for 3rd place, and they'll get the 3rd seed and bye into the Quarterfinals, where they'll take on the winner of the Colorado/Oregon State game.

#20 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 23-8, 13-5 2nd Pac 12.

2/29/24 at #22 California (W 84-61).
3/2/24 vs. Utah (W 60-49).

The Bruins win 2 this week, and finish safely in 2nd place in the Pac 12. They will be back in the postseason, without a doubt, back where they belong, in the NCAA Tournament. As for the Pac 12 Tournament, they get the 2nd seed and a bye into the Quarterfinals where they'll take on the winner of a First Round game between 10th seed Washington State and 7th seed Gonzaga.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 16-13, 5-13, T-10th Pac 12.

2/29/24 at Gonzaga (L 87-60).
3/2/24 at Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.

Not a good week for the Cougars, as the Pac 12 continues to be a challenge for them. They won't finish last, which means Coach St. John will keep his job for another season, but what could have been. Even if they had won 2 or 3 more conference games, they'd feel good about their first postseason berth, but as it stands, they'll probably have to win a minimum of 2 games to continue their season. They won the tiebreaker for the 10th seed and will face 7th seed Gonzaga in the First Round.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 20-9, 14-4 1st SEC.

2/28/24 at VCU (L 76-65).
3/2/24 vs. Kentucky (W 80-52).

The Crimson Tide finished the regular season winning 13 of their last 15 games, including 8 of their last 9, and won the SEC championship outright! Congrats to Coach Rogers for being the only FOFC coached team to win a regular season conference title this season. Despite all that, they still can't get a frikkin vote in the polls. Anyways, they'll be the top seed in the SEC Tournament, getting a bye to the Quarterfinals where they'll take on the winner of a Second Round game between 9th seed Florida and 8th seed Ole Miss.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of March 4-10:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Arizona (72) 28-2 1800 1 Pacific-12 Conference
2. Louisville 27-3 1721 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Syracuse 27-4 1606 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. Virginia 27-3 1573 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
5. Georgetown 24-6 1552 4 Big East Conference
6. Baylor 26-4 1468 2 Big 12 Conference
7. Providence 23-7 1337 7 Big East Conference
8. Iowa State 23-7 1297 9 Big 12 Conference
9. Wisconsin 26-5 1234 8 Big Ten Conference
10. Iowa 24-6 1137 11 Big Ten Conference
11. Ohio State 22-6 1111 10 Big Ten Conference
12. Villanova 21-9 985 12 Big East Conference
13. Indiana 23-7 880 15 Big Ten Conference
14. Yale 26-4 879 16 Ivy League
15. UCLA 23-8 774 20 Pacific-12 Conference
16. Creighton 21-9 725 13 Big East Conference
17. St. Bonaventure 22-7 590 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
18. St. John's 21-9 516 17 Big East Conference
19. North Carolina 22-8 493 19 Atlantic Coast Conference
20. Texas A&M 22-8 393 18 Southeastern Conference
21. Xavier 20-10 346 23 Big East Conference
22. Memphis 23-7 302 NR American Athletic Conference
23. Vanderbilt 21-9 232 21 Southeastern Conference
24. UC Irvine 23-7 126 NR Big West Conference
25. Stanford 21-9 78 NR Pacific-12 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
La Salle 23-7 62 Atlantic 10 Conference
Oakland 22-6 53 Horizon League
Oklahoma 20-10 43 Big 12 Conference
Kent State 22-8 24 Mid-American Conference
George Washington 22-8 21 Atlantic 10 Conference
UAB 21-8 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
BYU 22-9 10 West Coast Conference
California 19-11 8 Pacific-12 Conference
North Texas 24-7 7 Conference USA
DePaul 19-11 3 Big East Conference
American 25-7 2 Patriot League
Bradley 23-9 1 Missouri Valley Conference

So UCLA moves up 5 spots after 2 big wins, while St. John's continues to slide, moving down 1 spot. Stanford is back in the top 25, and still no love for Alabama. How the **** does a regular season conference champion of a P5 conference not even receive 1 lousy vote? Unbeliveable.

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into the week of March 4-10:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. St. Bonaventure (43) 22-7 1764 1 Atlantic 10 Conference
2. Yale (14) 26-4 1722 2 Ivy League
3. Memphis (7) 23-7 1610 5 American Athletic Conference
4. BYU (7) 22-9 1581 3 West Coast Conference
5. La Salle 23-7 1465 8 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. Kent State (1) 22-8 1420 7 Mid-American Conference
7. George Washington 22-8 1334 10 Atlantic 10 Conference
8. UC Irvine 23-7 1313 9 Big West Conference
9. Oakland 22-6 1235 6 Horizon League
10. Wichita State 23-10 1127 11 Missouri Valley Conference
11. Bradley 23-9 1063 19 Missouri Valley Conference
12. UAB 21-8 1042 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
13. Massachusetts 22-8 965 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
14. North Texas 24-7 849 12 Conference USA
15. Tulane 21-9 810 13 American Athletic Conference
16. Drexel 23-8 725 15 Colonial Athletic Association
17. Akron 22-8 653 17 Mid-American Conference
18. American 25-7 558 20 Patriot League
19. Old Dominion 21-9 506 18 Conference USA
20. San Diego 20-10 392 25 West Coast Conference
21. Illinois State 20-11 376 14 Missouri Valley Conference
22. Arkansas State 22-8 296 NR Sun Belt Conference
23. Florida Gulf Coast 20-8 210 21 Sun Belt Conference
24. Utah State 19-11 142 NR Mountain West Conference
25. Western Carolina 22-9 57 NR Southern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Detroit 19-10 39 Horizon League
Mercer 22-9 36 Southern Conference
Robert Morris 23-8 28 Northeast Conference
Colorado State 19-11 23 Mountain West Conference
Richmond 19-11 17 Atlantic 10 Conference
San Diego State 18-12 17 Mountain West Conference
Houston 19-10 16 American Athletic Conference
Northwestern State 21-8 6 Southland Conference
Albany 19-10 1 America East Conference
Radford 23-9 1 Big South Conference
UT Arlington 18-10 1 Sun Belt Conference

More BS, as Rice can't crack a vote in the mid-major top 25. I still say the ranking system in this game has issues.

Now here's a look at the final edition of the Bubble Watch before Selection Sunday, starting with the overall bubble watch which features 1 of our teams:

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Illinois State 20-11 .550 (60) 3-4 4-3 6-3 7-1 98 In
San Diego 20-10 .557 (51) 1-2 4-2 9-5 6-1 101 In
Florida Gulf Coast 20-8 .548 (62) 0-2 3-3 7-2 10-1 201 In
Rice 19-10 .552 (57) 2-1 1-3 6-5 10-1 168 In
Detroit 19-10 .564 (48) 2-3 1-0 7-3 9-4 93 In
Michigan State 18-11 .546 (67) 1-4 6-2 5-4 6-1 94 In
Colorado State 19-11 .546 (66) 3-0 1-3 9-5 6-3 129 In
Albany 19-10 .546 (65) 0-4 3-2 3-0 13-4 132 In
Arkansas State 22-8 .543 (71) 1-1 1-3 4-3 16-1 244 Out
Richmond 19-11 .539 (77) 3-6 2-1 5-2 9-2 143 Out
Indiana State 19-12 .539 (79) 3-2 6-4 2-3 8-3 141 Out
South Alabama 18-11 .540 (75) 1-3 3-3 5-3 9-2 146 Out
Cal Poly 17-12 .570 (39) 3-4 1-0 9-6 4-2 31 Out
Loyola Marymount 18-13 .552 (58) 1-3 4-3 7-6 6-1 55 Out
Princeton 19-11 .542 (73) 0-3 1-2 6-3 12-3 153 Out

Rice is still in a good position, and although the SOS isn't great, it's not the worst of the teams that are projected in. The 2-1 record against teams in the RPI top 50 definitely helps. The Owls feel good where they are at, but would still like to win 1 or 2 games in the C-USA Tourney to leave no doubt.

Now for the rest of our FOFC teams:

Locks: St. John's, UCLA, Stanford
In: Alabama

Man, this game just does not like Alabama apparently, at least not this season. 1 loss in their last 9 games, and they go from a lock, to being just projected in. Just ridiculous in my opinion.

[bbgunn]

Voters are still upset that Alabama got into the College Football Playoff without even winning its division.

[collegesportsfanms]

March 4-10, 2024

24 games on the schedule this week, and 1 feature game. Let's get to it, in the Pac 12:

3/7/24- Pac 12 Quarterfinal - (6) Colorado (Rob Nielsen) vs. (3) #25 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- A good one in the Pac 12 Tournament, but Colorado forced 17 Stanford turnovers to get a much needed win, advancing to the semifinals.

Final Score: (6) Colorado- 73, (3) #25 Stanford- 65

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 19-14, 8-8 America East.

3/4/24- America East Semifinal vs. (1) UMass Lowell (W 79-54).
3/9/24- America East Championship vs. (6) UMBC (W 79-76).

The Hawks got more than they bargained for after routing the top seed in the semifinals, but they'll be making their 2nd straight NCAA appearance in this dynasty, and 3rd overall. Congrats to them, and it's almost a certainty that they'll be in the First four for the right to be a 16 seed.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 14-15, 10-8 American.

3/8/24- American Quarterfinal vs. (5) Houston (L 81-73).

Heck of a run for the Huskies to end the regular season and get to .500 overall, but their first conference tournament game put them back under .500 and ended their season. Tough going, but we'll see what next year brings.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 13-19, 8-10 American.

3/7/24- American First Round vs. (10) SMU (W 65-56).
3/8/24- American Quarterfinal vs. (2) Tulane (L 58-55).

Good effort for the Golden Hurricane, who needed to win the American Tournament to extend their season. They also played better late in the season, but not nearly good enough, as they'll be looking ahead to next season. The big question is will they have a new coach.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 16-15, 9-9 ACC.

3/6/24- ACC Second Round vs. (10) Duke (L 70-62).

Not at all what the Fighting Irish expected this season. A lot of disappointment. Gonna be hard for them to get into a postseason tournament, I think they'll probably be done for the season as well.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 18-14, 10-8 Big 12.

3/7/24- Big 12 Quarterfinal vs. (4) Oklahoma (W 78-61).
3/8/24- Big 12 Semifinal vs. (8) West Virginia (L 86-84).

The Horned Frogs might have sealed their trip to the NIT after losing a tough Big 12 semifinal. That 35 RPI is strong, but is it strong enough to get them an at-large bid? Teams with 14 losses normally don't get at-large bids, so I'm saying TCU will be hosting a First Round NIT game.

#18 St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 22-10, 10-8 Big East.

3/7/24- Big East Quarterfinal vs. (4) #16 Creighton (W 71-63).
3/8/24- Big East Semifinal vs. (1) #5 Georgetown (L 83-75).

The Red Storm really struggled the last month of the season, with that 6 game losing streak looming large. They will still be safely in the NCAA Tournament, but what could have potentially been a #1 or #2 seed is probably looking more along the lines of a #4 or #5 seed.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 15-17, 7-11 Big Ten.

3/7/24- Big Ten Second Round vs. (7) Purdue (W 95-73).
3/8/24- Big Ten Quarterfinal vs. (2) #11 Ohio State (L 101-84).

The Wildcats will also be staying at home this postseason. They did get a second round upset over Purdue, but they needed a lot more than that.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 12-17, 8-8 Big West.

3/7/24- Big West First Round vs. (3) UC Santa Barbara (L 92-87).

That loss definitely ended the Warriors' season, and there's a very good chance it ended Coach Gunn's tenure in Hawaii. He might get another year, but even if he does, he'll have to show a massive improvement.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 14-18, 8-10 Conference USA.

3/6/24- Conference USA Second Round vs. (7) UTEP (W 68-58).
3/7/24- Conference USA Quarterifnal vs. (2) North Texas (L 68-59).

A very, very disappointing season comes to an end for the Golden Panthers, who came into the 2023-2024 season predicted to finish in the top 3 of C-USA and return to the NCAA Tournament. Neither happened, and Coach Hawkins will have to regroup.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 19-11, 11-7 Conference USA.

3/6/24- Conference USA Second Round vs. (12) South Dakota State (L 78-73).

Disappointment for the Owls, who probably could have sealed their trip to the NCAA with a win over South Dakota State, who actually ended up making it all the way to the semifinals. As it stands, that RPI will probably see Rice dropping to the NIT as a top seed and First Round host.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 18-15, 10-8 Pac 12.

3/6/24- Pac 12 First Round vs. (11) Oregon State (W 78-67).
3/7/24- Pac 12 Quarterfinal vs. (3) #25 Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
3/8/24- Pac 12 Semifinal vs. (7) Gonzaga (L 57-36).

Tough break for the Buffaloes, who forgot to show up against Gonzaga. They got 2 wins, including a win over top 25 Stanford, but they are in the same position as TCU. Great RPI (25) but a lot of losses (15). This could go either way. That RPI has to be good enough to get the Buffs into the NIT, surely.

#25 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 21-10, 11-7 Pac 12.

3/7/24- Pac 12 Quarterfinal vs. (6) Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.

Not what the Cardinal needed. They should still be safely in the NCAA Tournament, but that seed line will drop a few spots, probably to a 6 or 7 seed.

#15 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 23-9, 13-5 Pac 12.

3/7/24- Pac 12 Quarterfinal vs. (7) Gonzaga (L 69-55).

The Bruins are going to be very happy to be back in the NCAA Tournament, but they know it could have been so much better. As it stands, they should be a 3 or 4 seed.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 16-14, 5-13 Pac 12.

3/6/24- Pac 12 First Round vs. (7) Gonzaga (L 78-76).

In case you didn't notice, 3 of our Pac 12 Teams fell to Gonzaga in the Pac 12 Tournament. You think our FOFC Pac 12 Teams will have eyes on Gonzaga from now on? I do. As for the Cougars, 11-0 non-conference, 5-13 in conference. That just goes to show there was a completely different level of competition in conference compared to out of conference. I'm afraid the streak of missing the postseason is likely to continue. Looks like Wazzou will still be the only FOFC coached team in this dynasty not to have made a postseason at some point during the dynasty.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 22-10, 14-4 SEC.

3/8/24- SEC Quarterfinal vs. (9) Florida (W 71-60).
3/9/24- SEC Semifinal vs. (4) Tennessee (W 62-58).
3/10/24- SEC Championship vs. (2) #20 Texas A&M (L 68-57).

The Crimson Tide are 1 of just 2 FOFC coached teams to make it to their conference championship game. Not good at all. As it stands, winning the SEC title should give them a seeding boost. I'd like to think they'll come in as a 5 or 6 seed.

Pretty disappointing performance overall for our FOFC teams in their conference tournaments. Congrats again to Hartford and Coach Ginsberg for winning the America East Tournament, and to Coach Rogers and Alabama for winning the SEC regular season title. As for our other FOFC coaches, well, they'll need to step it up a little! Selection Sunday on the way.

[collegesportsfanms]

Selection Sunday 2024

Stanford gets the 7th seed in the NCAA Midwest Region and will open up against 10th seed Oakland.

St. John's gets the 3rd seed in the NCAA Midwest Region and will open up against 14th seed Northern Illinois.

UCLA gets the 4th seed in the NCAA South Region and will open up against 13th seed North Dakota State.

Alabama gets the 7th seed in the NCAA South Region and will open up against 10th seed UMass.

Hartford gets the 14th seed in the NCAA South Region and will open up against 3rd seed Iowa.

Rice gets the 3rd seed in the NIT Midwest Region and will open up by hosting 6th seed Rider.

TCU gets the screw job this year. Well 1 of 2 anyways. They get dropped to the CBI and will be the 10th seed, opening up at 7th seed UC Davis.

And the other screw job goes to Colorado who.. gets left out completely! Unbelievable. That means that just 7 of our 15 FOFC coaches will be extending their season, a far cry from years past. How Colorado didn't at least get into the CBI or CIT is beyond me. Crazy.

[bbgunn]

I smell a Colorado conspiracy.

And yeah, B.B. Gunn... get out.

[Coffee Warlord]

We get screwed out of tourneys like every damn year!

[collegesportsfanms]

2024 Postseason

With only 7 of our teams playing in the postseason this year, this will probably be a quick post. No feature games, so let's get to it:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 19-15, 8-8 America East.

3/14/24- NCAA South Region First Round vs. (3) Iowa (L 97-89).

The Hawks snuck into the NCAA Tournament by virtue of winning their conference tournament, but they proved for the second straight year that they belong, taking Iowa to their limits. Coach Ginsberg has to be setting himself up nicely for bigger and better jobs, if he wants them.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 18-15, 10-8 Big 12.

3/12/24- CBI First Round at (7) UC Davis (L 91-69).

Ouch! Not the performance the Horned Frogs were looking for, as they came into the CBI being just 1 of 2 power conference schools. When you get to the postseason, that means nothing though. Coach Mighty will look to refocus for next season.

St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 28-10, 10-8 Big East.

3/15/24- NCAA Midwest Region First Round vs. (14) Northern Illinois (W 66-50).
3/17/24- NCAA Midwest Region Second Round vs. (6) George Washington (W 57-49).
3/22/24- NCAA Midwest Region Semifinal vs. (2) Baylor (W 77-75).
3/24/24- NCAA Midwest Region Final vs. (1) Virginia (W 66-65).
3/30/24- NCAA National Semifinal vs. (12E) Central Arkansas (W 79-71).
4/1/24- NCAA National Championship vs. (1W) Georgetown (W 82-71).

A huge, huge congratulations to the Red Storm and Coach Hoo, as he becomes the first coach ever to win a national championship in this dynasty. We've had some others win NIT championships and get to the final game, but none have won. They did it in impressive fashion too, beating some of the top teams in the nation. Admittedly, they got a little lucky in the national semifinal by getting a cinderella team, but they backed it up by beating their conference rivals Georgetown for the first time in 4 meetings this season. Great, great job by Coach Hoo, and he has proven that leaving Duke was the right choice, so far.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 19-12, 11-7 Conference USA.

3/13/24- NIT Midwest Region Second Round vs. (6) Rider (L 67-49).

An embarrassing way to finish the season, and not what the Owls expected. They feel good about where they finished, but Coach Shocker knows his team missed some golden opportunities.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 22-11, 11-7 Pac 12.

3/14/24- NCAA Midwest Region First Round vs. (10) Oakland (W 83-72).
3/16/24- NCAA Midwest Region Second Round vs. (2) Baylor (L 71-63).

Good effort for the Cardinal against a tough Baylor team, but they couldn't get it done. Coach Sanchez has to feel a little dissapointed, especially since Stanford started out going 10-2. Better luck next year.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 25-10, 13-5 Pac 12.

3/14/24- NCAA South Region First Round vs. (13) North Dakota State (W 73-63).
3/16/24- NCAA South Region Second Round vs. (12) Furman (W 78-62).
3/21/24- NCAA South Region Semifinal vs. (1) Georgetown (L 85-78).

The Bruins can feel good about making it back to the Sweet Sixteen, but they left a lot on the table, running into a hot Georgetown team that as we now know made it all the way to the national championship. Consistency is the key for Coach Shepard, as he needs to continue to get this team into either the NCAA Tournament or the NIT year after year.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 22-11, 14-4 SEC.

3/15/24- NCAA South Region First Round vs. (10) UMass (L 74-73).

Tough loss for the Crimson Tide who fell victim to a buzzer beater. It wouldn't be March Madness with at least one of those. A step back for Coach Rogers and his boys, but they can still take some pride in knowing they won the SEC regular season title, which still counts for a lot.

That concludes the postseason for our FOFC teams. Stayed tuned for more.

[collegesportsfanms]

2024 Postseason Recap

The NIT was wild this season, with 4 different number seeds making the Final Four. In the first semifinal, (6S) Louisiana Tech beat (5W) Akron 81-78. In the other semifinal, (4MW) Vanderbilt beat (3E) Cal Poly 62-60. The NIT championship saw Vandy beat LA Tech 72-63.

The CBI Championship Series went to 3 games this season, as (8) Portland beat (6) Western Michigan 2 games to 1. In the first game, Western Michigan won 68-66 in OT. The second game saw Portland win 97-88, and Portland also took the third game 62-58.

The CIT Championship saw (8) Green Bay beat (14) Montana State 78-58.

[rjolley]

Congrats to St John's and Dean Hoo on being the first of our teams to cut down the nets!

[law90026]

Someday the tale will be told of how I was forced out of the Blue Devils and proved to everyone that it was a mistake ... I mean go Red Storm!

[collegesportsfanms]

2023-2024 National Awards

St. John's had a player on the All-NCAA 1st Team and a player on the NCAA All-Freshman Team.

UCLA had a player on the All-NCAA 3rd Team.


2023-2024 Conference Awards

No awards for Hartford.

UConn had a player on the American 2nd Team.

Tulsa had a player on the American All-Frosh Team.

Notre Dame had the ACC Freshman of the Year, and also got that player on the ACC All-Frosh Team.

TCU had a player on the Big 12 1st Team and a player on the Big 12 2nd Team.

St. John's had a player on the Big East 1st Team and a player on the Big East All-Frosh Team.

Northwestern had a player on the Big Ten 1st Team and a player on the Big Ten All-Frosh Team.

No awards for Hawaii.

No awards for FIU.

Rice had a player on the C-USA 2nd Team.

Colorado had a player on the Pac 12 All-Frosh Team.

Stanford had the Pac 12 Freshman of the Year, and had that same player on the Pac 12 All-Frosh Team.

UCLA had 3 of the 5 players on the Pac 12 2nd Team.

No awards for Washington State.

Alabama had the SEC Freshman of the Year and had that player on the SEC All-Frosh Team.

[collegesportsfanms]

2023-2024 Recruiting Class Rankings

Hartford did a complete turnaround again this season, having the 164th best class in the nation, tops in the America East by a wide margin.

UConn had the 63rd best class in the nation, good for 4th in the American.

Tulsa had the 91st best class in the nation, good for 5th in the American.

Notre Dame had the 29th best class in the nation, good for just 9th in the ACC. Just to point out how hard it is to recruit in the ACC, the conference had 4 of the top 10 recruiting classes. NOW we all understand why Coach Hoo left Duke. It all makes sense now!

TCU had the 184th best class in the nation, good for 7th in the Big 12.

St. John's might have won the national title this season, but unless they keep a lot of those same players, next year might be different. They had the 337th best class in the nation, good for 9th in the Big East, with only 1 team lower than them.

Northwestern had the 56th best class in the nation, good for 8th in the Big Ten.

Hawaii had the 177th best class in the nation, good for 6th in the Big West. Probably moot though, as we expect to hear the announcement of B.B. Gunn being fired anytime now.

FIU had the 47th best class in the nation, good for 2nd in the C-USA, behind only......

Rice, who had the 45th best class in the nation, obviously tops in the C-USA. A good omen for our FOFC coaches in the C-USA? I hope so.

Colorado had the 8th best class in the nation, 3rd best in the Pac 12. This proves that Pac 12 recruiting is no easy ball game either. Time for Coach Nielsen to get back to the NCAA Tournament.

Stanford had the 15th best class in the nation, good for 4th best in the Pac 12.

UCLA had the 2nd best class in the nation, tops in the Pac 12. Since you're all wondering, the only team that had a better recruiting class was.... Syracuse.

Washington State had the 83rd best class in the nation, good for 8th in the Pac 12.

Alabama had the 122nd best class in the nation, good for 10th in the SEC.

[collegesportsfanms]

I think I've heard from most of you throughout the season regarding your coaches, so I guess if there's an FOFC coach out there that I might not have heard from, they get a free pass this season, only because I'm on a roll and want to move this forward.

There was some conference movement in the offseason, but nothing that effects any of our human coaches. Oakland went from the Horizon to the MAC, and Miami (OH) went from the MAC to the Horizon.

And now, it's time for human coach offers, and time to see if Coach Gunn gets the axe, or survives for another season.

And the answer is.... dun dun dun. Effective immediately, B.B. Gunn has been removed from his coaching duties at the University of Hawaii, we wish him the best on his future endeavors. We'll see what kind of offers B.B. gets now that he is a free agent.

6 of our coaches got job offers, and I've got to be honest, most of them, I wouldn't touch if it were me.

Since B.B. Gunn is the only one that's unemployed, let's start with his offers. He got 3. Presbyterian, Mt. St. Mary's, and Arkansas Pine Bluff. Um.. yeah. bbgunn, you can either accept one of those offers or stay unemployed this season and hope for something better next offseason.

Roy Rogers got offers from Clemson, Florida, Kansas, Marquette, Oregon State, Utah, and Virginia Tech. Some quality schools there, but most of them are down, and Alabama still seems to be the best option. It's your choice though ntndeacon.

Benito Sanchez got offers from Florida, Kansas, Marquette, Oregon State, Utah, and VA Tech. Again, probably no reason for him to move, but it's your choice rjolley.

Tim Shepard got offers from Kansas, Oregon State, Utah, and VA Tech. You have 2 choices to make rjolley.

Rob Nielsen got 1 offer: Utah. Considering he just pulled in a top 10 class at Colorado. well, yeah. But, the decision is yours Coffee Warlord.

David Ginsberg got the most tempting offer of all our coaches, Princeton has come a calling. This one is definitely worth some thought, as there's a lot of prestige at Princeton, and the Ivy League altogether. What do you think DavidCorperial? Hit the Ivy League, or stay and keep trying to build at Hartford?

[collegesportsfanms]

Crap, I also forgot to mention, if any of you want to resign from the school you are currently at and see what kind of offers you would get if you were unemployed, let me know. You can always go back to your old school at no penalty (hey, my dynasty, my rules, right? ;))

Also, if you are set in stone at your school and do not want to hear about any job offers, ever, let me know that too, and I'll make a note of it. I think Coffee Warlord might have told me once that he was staying at Colorado no matter what.

I'm on my way out of town, so you've got until at least Monday to make your decisions guys. And I haven't forgotten, 4 of you signed up for another coach, so I'll get them in the game as well.

[Neuqua]

Crap, I also forgot to mention, if any of you want to resign from the school you are currently at and see what kind of offers you would get if you were unemployed, let me know. You can always go back to your old school at no penalty (hey, my dynasty, my rules, right? ;))


I don't mind using backdoor methods to find out what other offers might be out there :)

[ntndeacon]

Rogers will stay at Alabama,

Let's see where Childress can go. (Though I suspect he stays put)

[rjolley]

Top 15 classes at Stanford and UCLA? Yeah, those coaches aren't going anywhere.

Looks like the Pac-12 will be tough this year.

[DavidCorperial]

I'll stay at Hartford, that recruiting class looks too good.

[law90026]

Wow apparently I'm bad at recruiting

[Coffee Warlord]

Rob never leaves.

[bbgunn]

...
And the answer is.... dun dun dun. Effective immediately, B.B. Gunn has been removed from his coaching duties at the University of Hawaii, we wish him the best on his future endeavors. We'll see what kind of offers B.B. gets now that he is a free agent...

Since B.B. Gunn is the only one that's unemployed, let's start with his offers. He got 3. Presbyterian, Mt. St. Mary's, and Arkansas Pine Bluff. Um.. yeah. bbgunn, you can either accept one of those offers or stay unemployed this season and hope for something better next offseason.

Let the record show that, when you get a chance to hop to a bigger program, you take it! :banghead:

I don't think the offers will get any better next year; B.B. probably needs to prove himself all over again. Any information on the three schools?

[collegesportsfanms]

So the coaches at Hartford, Stanford, UCLA, Colorado, and Alabama are staying put.

Something that I think I'm going to do every season, as I know some of you are also involved in the NCAA 53 sim forums, and the guy that runs that does a great job in the offseason of simming job offers for the human coaches, so I'm going to do that too.

So, B.B. Gunn was fired. I went ahead and had the other 9 coaches resign (not counting the 4 new coaches that have signed up), and all of those 10 coaches got the exact same disappointing offers.. Presbyterian, Arkansas Pine Bluff, Mount St. Mary's, and Western Illinois. Since I can't see any of our other 9 coaches even wanting to sniff those other jobs, this info is mostly for B.B. Gunn. But hey, if somebody wants to try one of those other jobs, that's fine too. I'm just disappointed there wasn't more offers for some of our other coaches:

Arkansas Pine Bluff - Plays in the SWAC, prestige of 29, this past season they were 19-14, 13-5 in the SWAC. Have made the NIT 4 of the last 5 seasons, but never gotten past the Second Round. Roster consists of just 10 players, and only 2 of them have any sort of decent potential, they are both upperclassmen.

Mt. St. Mary's - Plays in the Northeast Conference, prestige of 20. 10-21, 8-10 last season. Haven't made the postseason in 5 seasons, but roster does consist of 4 players that are blue or green potential, but all but 1 are upperclassmen.

Presbyterian - Plays in the Big South, prestige of 27. 17-16, 12-6 record last season. Played in the NCAA First Four, but lost. Also has an NIT or CBI appearance. 5 players with blue or green potential, 3 of those are upperclassmen.

Western Illinois - Plays in the Southland Conference, prestige of 22. 19-14, 13-5 last season, last in the First Round of the NIT. Also have a CIT appearance. 8 players with blue or green potential, unfortunately all but 2 are underclassmen.

So again, I can't see any of our other 9 coaches who I test resigned (Ess Vee, Randolph Childress, Will Brown, Dean Hoo, Al Mighty, Bee Mighty, DeShawn St. John, Charlie Shocker, or Brett Hawkins) taking any of those jobs. They don't need to, they already have jobs, and even the jobs they are at are better than what's offered.

However, B.B. Gunn, well he does need a job, and unfortunately those are his 4 choices. Simply put, wherever you decide to go, it's going to be a challenge.

[bbgunn]

Yep, definitely a challenge.

OK, let’s go for Arkansas-Pine Bluff. (Are there any places near Pine Bluff to surf?)

As for DeShawn St. John, keep him at Wazzu.

[collegesportsfanms]

Sounds good bbgunn. I'll get that change made, get the new coaches in, and try to get the new season going sometime this weekend.

[collegesportsfanms]

ok, I have B.B. Gunn moved to Arkansas Pine-Bluff.

Everybody else will stay put, and I've added 4 new coaches.

Also, Dean Hoo has another decision to make, he got a coaching skill upgrade, and has 20 extra points that he can use in either scouting, or defensive coaching, or both. Recruiting and Offensive Coaching are already maxed out for him. So let me know what you want to do there.

[collegesportsfanms]

2024-2025 Hot Seat Ratings and Coach Goals

Coaches on a Warm Seat

Will Brown (Tulsa) -- Things have got to change down in Red Dirt territory. This is probably strike 1 for Coach Brown. The board doesn't have high expectations, they just want to see the season extended by making ANY postseason tournament. Even the CIT would be fine. If Coach Brown can't get it done, expect his seat to be on fire next season.

Ess Vee (Northwestern) -- It's getting testy at Northwestern. The board is pretty displeased with Coach Vee, as they seem to do decently for a couple seasons, then struggle for a couple. The board has made it clear they think Northwestern is good enough to be playing in a postseason tournament every season, and they expect the Wildcats to be there this season, no matter which one. Just get there.

Rob Nielsen (Colorado) -- Coach Nielsen has told anybody that will listen that he will be at Colorado for life, that he won't move. Well.. his hands might be tied soon. Granted, I think he's gotten a bit of a screw job from postseason committees the past couple seasons, but the Buffaloes haven't exactly overachieved. They never have gotten over that hump, but the board says it is time. Being in the top 2 or 3 in the Pac 12 this season is a must. If it doesn't happen... well.. Rob might be moving after all.

Coaches on an Average Seat

Randolph Childress (UConn) -- Things have not been rosy for Coach Childress since coming to UConn. Amazingly his seat status hasn't changed, but the board still thinks UConn is good enough to win the AAC Championship, so the expectations remain high.

Al Mighty (Notre Dame) -- A subpar season for Coach Mighty in his first season at Notre Dame last year, and that was his grace period. Now things have changed. The board expects a massive improvement, and an NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance.

Felix Abel (North Florida) -- 1 of 4 new FOFC head coaches in the dynasty, and 3 of them are at schools in a conference with a prestige of 1 or 2, so a good chance for some more mid-major representation. The expectations are already high, as the board would like to see an Atlantic Sun championship.

Bee Mighty (TCU) -- Coach Mighty continues to be the status quo at TCU, doing just enough to keep his seat where it is at. The Horned Frogs made a postseason tournament for only the 3rd time since I started this dynasty, and the board would like to see Coach Mighty make it 4 this season. Any postseason will do.

Brett Hawkins (FIU) -- Last season was a huge disappointment for Coach Hawkins and FIU, who were expected to finish near the top of Conference USA, but fell way short. This season the board has the same expectation, compete for a C-USA title, which might not be as doable this season as it can be in the next couple seasons. We'll see.

Charlie Shocker (Rice) -- The prestige has increased quite a bit for Rice since this dynasty started, but the goal has been pretty consistent: all the board seems to care about is a .500 finish overall. That's the goal this season, and it's been the goal in quite a few of the seasons.

Ariel Pryde (Fairfield) -- Another new coach in the mix, and he inherits a team that isn't really that good. The board would like to see a .500 or better finish in the MAAC. Expecting anymore than that, would just be uncivilized. :)

Thomas Sheppard (San Jose State) -- Coach Sheppard might have inherited the best possible situation of any of the 4 new coaches. Since this dynasty started, the Spartans' prestige has risen from 18 to the 42 it is currently at. With that, you would think expectations would be high. They really aren't. All the board is concerned with is staying out of the cellar in the Mountain West. If they do that, they consider the season a success.

DeShawn St. John (Washington State) -- Coach St. John is the only coach of the original coaches that has yet to lead his team to the postseason. Many thought last season would do the trick, as they ran through a very easy non-conference schedule undefeated. But then the reality of the Pac 12 sat in, and they were on the outside looking in during March. Despite that, the board hasn't wavered. All they care about is mediocrity apparently, because they continue to want the same thing: for the Cougars to avoid last place in the Pac 12.

B.B. Gunn (Arkansas Pine Bluff) -- Poor B.B. He could have left Hawaii last offseason and moved to either Wichita State or Creighton. He chose not to, and Hawaii had another crapper of a conference season. This resulted in Coach Gunn becoming the first FOFC coach to get fired. Now, he's stuck coaching a team in a conference that hardly, if ever, does better than a #16 seed in the NCAA Tournament. However, the board has high hopes for B.B. They think he can lead Pine Bluff to a SWAC championship this season.

Benton Gale (Troy) -- The last of our new FOFC coaches, Benton might be coming in facing the toughest challenges of all our new coaches. Troy has made the postseason only once in this dynasty, and have won just 20 games combined in the past 2 seasons. Yet, the board sees this as an NCAA Tournament team, and expects Coach Gale to lead the Trojans there, this season.

Coaches on a Cool Seat

David Ginsberg (Hartford) -- 2 straight NCAA Tournament appearances have Coach Ginsberg feeling a little cool right now, and the board doesn't seem to be too concerned about the struggles in America East. The goal is simple: get back to the NCAA Tournament either by winning the America East Tournament again, or earning an at-large bid.

Dean Hoo (St. John's) -- What more can Coach Hoo do. His first season at St. John's, and they come out of nowhere to win the NCAA Tournament. A repeat would be the only thing to top that. Nevertheless, if there was a seat option colder than cool (and there actually is, I've seen it, but I don't think this particular save has it), then Coach Hoo would have it. He's got a nice board too, as all they want him to do is have the Red Storm competing for the Big East title.

Benito Sanchez (Stanford) -- Coach Sanchez is in a good position, even though he hasn't gotten his team to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen since the first year of this dynasty, in which he followed up the next year with an NIT championship. Still, the consistency has been there, except for a couple season. The board wants the Cardinal to continue to compete for the Pac 12 Title.

Tim Shepard (UCLA) -- Being the coach at one of the most high prestige schools in the nation comes with tough expectations every season. 2 seasons ago, UCLA had their worst ever finish, missing the postseason. That coming on the heels of 3 seasons in a row in which they finished either 1st or 2nd in either the NCAA or the NIT. Then last season they got right back to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. The board wants more. They've only been to the NCAA Final Four once, the year they got hammered in the National Title game. The board is ready for another Final Four appearance.

Roy Rogers (Alabama) -- Consistency at its best for Coach Rogers and Alabama, who are regulars in the postseason now. After last seasons SEC regular season title, the board has gotten spoiled. They'd like to raise the trophy for a second straight season, whether it be the SEC regular season or the SEC Tournament.

[law90026]

ok, I have B.B. Gunn moved to Arkansas Pine-Bluff.

Everybody else will stay put, and I've added 4 new coaches.

Also, Dean Hoo has another decision to make, he got a coaching skill upgrade, and has 20 extra points that he can use in either scouting, or defensive coaching, or both. Recruiting and Offensive Coaching are already maxed out for him. So let me know what you want to do there.

Scouting thanks. Defence is overrated.

[collegesportsfanms]

Team Prestiges to Start the 2024-2025 Season

Hartford- 38 (+5)
UConn- 69 (-1)
Tulsa- 58 (-3)
Notre Dame- 83 (-3)
North Florida- 25 (New FOFC Coach)
TCU- 69 (+2)
St. John's- 84 (+10), Winning the national championship will do that for you
Northwestern- 65 (-1)
FIU- 54 (No change)
Rice- 41 (+4)
Fairfield- 29 (New FOFC Coach)
San Jose State- 42 (New FOFC Coach)
Colorado- 74 (No Change)
Stanford- 87 (No Change)
UCLA- 93 (+1)
Washington State- 55 (+1)
Alabama- 84 (+2)
Arkansas Pine Bluff- 29 (Coaching Change)
Troy- 28 (New FOFC Coach)

[collegesportsfanms]

2024 Season Tournaments

Stanford will be the 3rd seed in the 2024 Battle 4 Atlantis and will open up against 6th seed DePaul.

Tulsa will be the 6th seed in the 2024 Brooklyn Classic and will open up against 3rd seed St. Bonaventure.

Washington State will be the 7th seed in the 2024 Brooklyn Classic and will open up against 2nd seed Michigan State.

Rice will be the 2nd seed in the 4 team 2024 Chattanooga Regional and will open up against 3rd seed Youngstown State.

UCLA will be the 2nd seed in the 2024 Diamond Head Classic and will open up against 7th seed Michigan.

TCU will be the 6th seed in the 2024 Diamond Head Classic and will open up against 3rd seed Florida State.

Notre Dame will be the 2nd seed in the 2024 Great Alaska Shootout and will open up against 7th seed Elon.

Alabama will be the top seed in the 16 team 2024 Las Vegas Classic and will open up against 16th seed Idaho.

FIU will be the 7th seed in the 2024 Las Vegas Invitational and will open up against 2nd seed Creighton.

St. John's will be the top seed in the 2024 Legends Classic and will open up against 8th seed Stephen F. Austin.

Colorado will be the 2nd seed in the 2024 Main Event and will open up against 7th seed North Texas.

UConn will be the 3rd seed in the 2024 Main Event and will open up against 6th seed Bradley.

San Jose State will be the 2nd seed in the 4 team 2024 Michigan Showcase and will open up against 3rd seed Furman.

Hartford will be the 7th seed in the 2024 NIT Season Tip-Off and will open up against 2nd seed Rutgers.

Northwestern will be the 4th seed in the 16 team 2024 New York Classic and will open up against 13th seed Denver.

Arkansas Pine Bluff will be the 2nd seed and Fairfield will be the 3rd seed in the 4 team 2024 Toledo Regional and will open up by facing off against each other.

Troy will be the 2nd seed in the 4 team Utah Tournament and will open up against 3rd seed Northern Arizona.

North Florida will be the 4th seed in the 2024 Wooden Legacy and will open up against 5th seed Jackson State.

[collegesportsfanms]

[collegesportsfanms]

2024-2025 Preseason Top 25

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Providence (25) 0-0 1703 9 Big East Conference
2. Villanova (14) 0-0 1690 13 Big East Conference
3. Baylor (12) 0-0 1645 5 Big 12 Conference
4. UCLA (15) 0-0 1596 17 Pacific-12 Conference
5. Arizona 0-0 1480 1 Pacific-12 Conference
6. Wisconsin (1) 0-0 1421 8 Big Ten Conference
7. Iowa State 0-0 1334 7 Big 12 Conference
8. VCU (3) 0-0 1271 NR Southeastern Conference
9. Michigan State (1) 0-0 1208 NR Big Ten Conference
10. Syracuse 0-0 1157 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Vanderbilt (1) 0-0 1113 NR Southeastern Conference
12. Virginia 0-0 1000 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. Gonzaga 0-0 984 NR Pacific-12 Conference
14. Georgetown 0-0 880 2 Big East Conference
15. Iowa 0-0 827 11 Big Ten Conference
16. Miami 0-0 678 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
17. Oklahoma 0-0 672 NR Big 12 Conference
18. Florida State 0-0 541 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
19. Stanford 0-0 393 NR Pacific-12 Conference
20. Louisville 0-0 369 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
21. Mississippi 0-0 358 NR Southeastern Conference
22. Minnesota 0-0 274 NR Big Ten Conference
23. Tennessee 0-0 133 NR Southeastern Conference
24. Ohio State 0-0 130 10 Big Ten Conference
25. Davidson 0-0 115 NR Atlantic 10 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
St. Bonaventure 0-0 68 Atlantic 10 Conference
Nebraska 0-0 54 Big Ten Conference
San Diego State 0-0 51 Mountain West Conference
Illinois State 0-0 26 Missouri Valley Conference
West Virginia 0-0 25 Big 12 Conference
Memphis 0-0 24 American Athletic Conference
Pepperdine 0-0 16 West Coast Conference
Illinois 0-0 15 Big Ten Conference
Indiana State 0-0 15 Missouri Valley Conference
Marquette 0-0 15 Big East Conference
Washington 0-0 13 Pacific-12 Conference
BYU 0-0 11 West Coast Conference
Colorado 0-0 10 Pacific-12 Conference
Kentucky 0-0 10 Southeastern Conference
Oregon 0-0 8 Pacific-12 Conference
Florida 0-0 7 Southeastern Conference
Seton Hall 0-0 6 Big East Conference
Western Michigan 0-0 6 Mid-American Conference
Eastern Michigan 0-0 5 Mid-American Conference
Northwestern 0-0 5 Big Ten Conference
Boise State 0-0 4 Mountain West Conference
California 0-0 4 Pacific-12 Conference
DePaul 0-0 4 Big East Conference
Oklahoma State 0-0 4 Big 12 Conference
Loyola Chicago 0-0 3 Missouri Valley Conference
Oakland 0-0 3 Mid-American Conference
Bradley 0-0 2 Missouri Valley Conference
LSU 0-0 2 Southeastern Conference
Michigan 0-0 2 Big Ten Conference
North Carolina 0-0 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
St. John's 0-0 2 Big East Conference
Tulsa 0-0 2 American Athletic Conference
Green Bay 0-0 1 Horizon League
New Mexico 0-0 1 Mountain West Conference
Northern Illinois 0-0 1 Mid-American Conference
TCU 0-0 1 Big 12 Conference

Nice to see UCLA getting some preseason recognition again, but no love for the defending national champions. They must not have a lot coming back.. then again, I don't put much stock into these preseason polls.

[collegesportsfanms]

2024-2025 Preseason Mid Major Top 25

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Davidson (42) 0-0 1657 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
2. St. Bonaventure (11) 0-0 1482 3 Atlantic 10 Conference
3. Memphis 0-0 1183 5 American Athletic Conference
4. Indiana State (5) 0-0 1163 NR Missouri Valley Conference
5. Illinois State (2) 0-0 1119 21 Missouri Valley Conference
6. San Diego State (9) 0-0 1100 25 Mountain West Conference
7. Pepperdine 0-0 716 NR West Coast Conference
8. Wichita State 0-0 671 9 Missouri Valley Conference
9. BYU 0-0 581 7 West Coast Conference
10. Southern Miss 0-0 566 NR Conference USA
11. Kent State 0-0 563 8 Mid-American Conference
12. Boise State 0-0 489 NR Mountain West Conference
13. Cincinnati 0-0 478 NR American Athletic Conference
14. Richmond 0-0 429 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
15. New Mexico 0-0 415 NR Mountain West Conference
16. George Washington 0-0 394 6 Atlantic 10 Conference
17. Akron 0-0 349 19 Mid-American Conference
18. UAB 0-0 349 17 Atlantic 10 Conference
19. Buffalo 0-0 320 NR Mid-American Conference
20. Connecticut 0-0 302 NR American Athletic Conference
21. Western Michigan (1) 0-0 282 NR Mid-American Conference
22. Massachusetts 0-0 276 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
23. Saint Mary's 0-0 256 NR West Coast Conference
24. Saint Joseph's 0-0 253 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
25. Eastern Michigan 0-0 250 NR Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
La Salle 0-0 217 Atlantic 10 Conference
Fresno State 0-0 212 Mountain West Conference
Portland 0-0 201 West Coast Conference
San Diego 0-0 195 West Coast Conference
UC Irvine 0-0 193 Big West Conference
South Florida 0-0 186 American Athletic Conference
Utah State 0-0 185 Mountain West Conference
Oakland 0-0 182 Mid-American Conference
SMU 0-0 172 American Athletic Conference
Tulane 0-0 171 American Athletic Conference
Loyola Chicago 0-0 165 Missouri Valley Conference
Northern Iowa 0-0 165 Missouri Valley Conference
Louisiana Tech 0-0 164 Conference USA
Rhode Island 0-0 153 Atlantic 10 Conference
Harvard 0-0 152 Ivy League
Temple 0-0 149 American Athletic Conference
Santa Clara 0-0 145 West Coast Conference
Georgia State 0-0 141 Horizon League
Old Dominion 0-0 137 Conference USA
Evansville 0-0 130 Missouri Valley Conference
Bradley 0-0 125 Missouri Valley Conference
William & Mary 0-0 125 Colonial Athletic Association
Colorado State 0-0 120 Mountain West Conference
Yale 0-0 118 Ivy League
FIU 0-0 112 Conference USA
Drexel 0-0 111 Colonial Athletic Association
UC Santa Barbara 0-0 111 Big West Conference
Loyola Marymount 0-0 109 West Coast Conference
Tulsa 0-0 109 American Athletic Conference
Middle Tennessee 0-0 104 Conference USA
Toledo 0-0 103 Mid-American Conference
UNLV 0-0 102 Mountain West Conference
Duquesne 0-0 98 Atlantic 10 Conference
Mississippi State 0-0 98 Atlantic 10 Conference
East Carolina 0-0 97 American Athletic Conference
Northern Illinois 0-0 87 Mid-American Conference
Mercer 0-0 86 Southern Conference
Fordham 0-0 85 Atlantic 10 Conference
Columbia 0-0 83 Ivy League
USC 0-0 82 West Coast Conference
Elon 0-0 80 Colonial Athletic Association
Southern Illinois 0-0 72 Missouri Valley Conference
Nevada 0-0 70 Mountain West Conference
UNC Wilmington 0-0 68 Colonial Athletic Association
Dayton 0-0 67 Atlantic 10 Conference
UCF 0-0 60 American Athletic Conference
Green Bay 0-0 59 Horizon League
Pacific 0-0 59 West Coast Conference
Princeton 0-0 59 Ivy League
Houston 0-0 55 American Athletic Conference
American 0-0 54 Patriot League
Air Force 0-0 52 Mountain West Conference
Belmont 0-0 47 Ohio Valley Conference
Towson 0-0 46 Colonial Athletic Association
Northeastern 0-0 45 Colonial Athletic Association
San Francisco 0-0 43 West Coast Conference
Illinois Chicago 0-0 39 Horizon League
Eastern Illinois 0-0 37 Ohio Valley Conference
James Madison 0-0 37 Colonial Athletic Association
Florida Gulf Coast 0-0 36 Sun Belt Conference
SIU Edwardsville 0-0 34 Ohio Valley Conference
Long Beach State 0-0 33 Big West Conference
Western Illinois 0-0 32 Southland Conference
Chicago State 0-0 29 Western Athletic Conference
Lehigh 0-0 27 Patriot League
San Jose State 0-0 27 Mountain West Conference
Bucknell 0-0 23 Patriot League
Central Michigan 0-0 23 Mid-American Conference
Louisiana Lafayette 0-0 23 Sun Belt Conference
Montana 0-0 23 Big Sky Conference
Milwaukee 0-0 22 Horizon League
Montana State 0-0 22 Big Sky Conference
Oral Roberts 0-0 22 Summit League
Seattle 0-0 22 Western Athletic Conference
Detroit 0-0 21 Horizon League
Georgia Southern 0-0 21 Sun Belt Conference
Penn 0-0 21 Ivy League
Eastern Washington 0-0 20 Big Sky Conference
Manhattan 0-0 20 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
North Dakota State 0-0 20 Summit League
Savannah State 0-0 20 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Austin Peay 0-0 19 Ohio Valley Conference
Cal Poly 0-0 19 Big West Conference
Kennesaw State 0-0 19 Atlantic Sun Conference
McNeese State 0-0 19 Southland Conference
Bowling Green 0-0 18 Mid-American Conference
Drake 0-0 18 Missouri Valley Conference
Louisiana Monroe 0-0 18 Atlantic Sun Conference
North Dakota 0-0 18 Big Sky Conference
Tennessee Martin 0-0 18 Ohio Valley Conference
Cal State Northridge 0-0 17 Big West Conference
Charlotte 0-0 17 Conference USA
Florida Atlantic 0-0 17 Conference USA
Southern Utah 0-0 17 Big Sky Conference
Tennessee State 0-0 17 Ohio Valley Conference
Tennessee Tech 0-0 16 Ohio Valley Conference
Utah Valley 0-0 16 Western Athletic Conference
East Tennessee State 0-0 15 Southern Conference
George Mason 0-0 15 Conference USA
Northwestern State 0-0 15 Southland Conference
Weber State 0-0 15 Big Sky Conference
Chattanooga 0-0 14 Southern Conference
Jacksonville State 0-0 14 Ohio Valley Conference
Radford 0-0 14 Big South Conference
Southeastern Louisiana 0-0 14 Southland Conference
Cal State Fullerton 0-0 13 Big West Conference
Dartmouth 0-0 13 Ivy League
Lafayette 0-0 13 Patriot League
Southern 0-0 13 Southwestern Athletic Conference
VMI 0-0 13 Southern Conference
Hampton 0-0 12 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Robert Morris 0-0 12 Northeast Conference
Lipscomb 0-0 11 Atlantic Sun Conference
Norfolk State 0-0 11 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Ohio 0-0 11 Mid-American Conference
UC Riverside 0-0 11 Big West Conference
Wyoming 0-0 11 Mountain West Conference
Liberty 0-0 10 Big South Conference
Nicholls State 0-0 10 Southland Conference
North Carolina Central 0-0 10 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Florida A&M 0-0 9 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Hawaii 0-0 9 Big West Conference
Longwood 0-0 9 Big South Conference
Northern Kentucky 0-0 9 Sun Belt Conference
Western Carolina 0-0 9 Southern Conference
Grambling State 0-0 8 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Marshall 0-0 8 Conference USA
Sacramento State 0-0 8 Big Sky Conference
UC Davis 0-0 8 Big West Conference
New Orleans 0-0 7 Southland Conference
St. Francis PA 0-0 7 Northeast Conference
Niagara 0-0 6 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Quinnipiac 0-0 4 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Cal State Bakersfield 0-0 3 Western Athletic Conference
North Florida 0-0 3 Atlantic Sun Conference
College of Charleston 0-0 2 Colonial Athletic Association
UNC Greensboro 0-0 2 Southern Conference
UTEP 0-0 2 Conference USA
Hofstra 0-0 1 Colonial Athletic Association

[collegesportsfanms]

Milestone Win Watch for 2024-2025 Season

Coaches Within 25 Wins of 200 Career Wins

Al Mighty (Notre Dame)- 8 wins away
Benito Sanchez (Stanford)- 3 wins away

[thealmighty]

The way last season went, Al might not get those 8 wins this season!!

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 15-17, 2024

As per usual, that first weekend is always very short. Only 5 games, no feature games, and I'll only be covering teams that actually played.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 1-0, 0-0 American.

11/17/24 at Rhode Island (W 74-64).

A solid road win to start the season for the Huskies.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 1-0, 0-0 ACC.

11/17/24 at Cincinnati (W 75-60).

The Fighting Irish also open up with a solid road win. We're off to a good start.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 2-0, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/15/24- New York Classic First Round vs. (13) Denver, W 61-52.
11/17/24- New York Classic Quarterfinal vs. (5) Duquesne, W 83-67.

Good start for the Wildcats, who might be postseason or bust for their coach this season. That semifinal game gets much tougher though, as they take on the #1 seed.

#19 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 1-0, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/17/24 vs. Kansas State (W 91-63).

Well, I don't like the fact that the Cardinal blasted one of my favorite home state schools, but so be it. Good win for them as they look ahead.

A perfect week for our teams! Granted, it was only 5 games, but it's still something to hang our hat on. Here's a look at the national top 25 heading into the first full week of the season, Nov. 18-24:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Villanova (52) 2-0 1769 2 Big East Conference
2. Baylor (9) 1-0 1691 3 Big 12 Conference
3. Providence 0-0 1595 1 Big East Conference
4. UCLA (8) 0-0 1554 4 Pacific-12 Conference
5. Iowa State 2-0 1524 7 Big 12 Conference
6. Arizona 0-0 1417 5 Pacific-12 Conference
7. Virginia (3) 2-0 1334 12 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Wisconsin 0-0 1329 6 Big Ten Conference
9. VCU 0-0 1211 8 Southeastern Conference
10. Michigan State 0-0 1175 9 Big Ten Conference
11. Syracuse 0-0 1110 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
12. Vanderbilt 0-0 1044 11 Southeastern Conference
13. Georgetown 0-0 927 14 Big East Conference
14. Iowa 0-0 879 15 Big Ten Conference
15. Oklahoma 0-0 747 17 Big 12 Conference
16. Florida State 0-0 665 18 Atlantic Coast Conference
17. Stanford 1-0 593 19 Pacific-12 Conference
18. Louisville 0-0 491 20 Atlantic Coast Conference
19. Mississippi 0-0 477 21 Southeastern Conference
20. Tennessee 0-0 284 23 Southeastern Conference
21. Ohio State 0-0 280 24 Big Ten Conference
22. Davidson 0-0 253 25 Atlantic 10 Conference
23. St. Bonaventure 0-0 157 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
24. Nebraska 0-0 128 NR Big Ten Conference
25. Florida 2-0 81 NR Southeastern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
San Diego State 0-0 74 Mountain West Conference
Gonzaga 0-1 59 Pacific-12 Conference
Memphis 1-0 57 American Athletic Conference
Marquette 1-0 55 Big East Conference
BYU 2-0 52 West Coast Conference
Illinois State 0-0 46 Missouri Valley Conference
West Virginia 0-0 46 Big 12 Conference
Northwestern 2-0 39 Big Ten Conference
Illinois 0-0 22 Big Ten Conference
New Mexico 1-0 20 Mountain West Conference
Portland 1-0 15 West Coast Conference
San Diego 1-0 15 West Coast Conference
Kentucky 0-0 14 Southeastern Conference
Seton Hall 0-0 14 Big East Conference
South Carolina 2-0 13 Southeastern Conference
Loyola Chicago 1-0 11 Missouri Valley Conference
LSU 1-0 10 Southeastern Conference
Western Michigan 1-0 10 Mid-American Conference
Oklahoma State 1-0 9 Big 12 Conference
Washington 0-0 8 Pacific-12 Conference
DePaul 0-0 7 Big East Conference
Missouri State 2-0 7 Missouri Valley Conference
Connecticut 1-0 6 American Athletic Conference
Eastern Michigan 0-0 6 Mid-American Conference
Air Force 1-0 5 Mountain West Conference
Colorado 0-0 5 Pacific-12 Conference
Oakland 0-0 5 Mid-American Conference
St. John's 0-0 5 Big East Conference
California 0-0 4 Pacific-12 Conference
Green Bay 0-0 4 Horizon League
Michigan 0-0 4 Big Ten Conference
Northern Illinois 0-0 4 Mid-American Conference
Tulsa 0-0 4 American Athletic Conference
Cal State Northridge 1-0 3 Big West Conference
Notre Dame 1-0 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
Oregon 0-0 3 Pacific-12 Conference
Southern Illinois 0-0 3 Missouri Valley Conference
Wichita State 1-0 3 Missouri Valley Conference
Central Michigan 0-0 2 Mid-American Conference
Delaware 2-0 2 Colonial Athletic Association
Mercer 1-0 2 Southern Conference
Boise State 0-0 1 Mountain West Conference
Detroit 0-0 1 Horizon League
East Tennessee State 2-0 1 Southern Conference
Eastern Kentucky 2-0 1 Ohio Valley Conference
Georgia 0-0 1 Southeastern Conference
Harvard 1-0 1 Ivy League
Illinois Chicago 0-0 1 Horizon League
North Carolina 0-0 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
Texas 1-0 1 Big 12 Conference

UCLA loses a few FPV, but stays pat at #4, while Stanford moves up 2 spots. Northwestern has that big test next week, a win there could possibly move them that much closer to the top 25.

[collegesportsfanms]

Here's a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Nov. 18-24:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Davidson (38) 0-0 1646 1 Atlantic 10 Conference
2. St. Bonaventure (11) 0-0 1449 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
3. Memphis (2) 1-0 1317 3 American Athletic Conference
4. Illinois State (7) 0-0 1128 5 Missouri Valley Conference
5. San Diego State (8) 0-0 1105 6 Mountain West Conference
6. BYU (3) 2-0 941 9 West Coast Conference
7. Wichita State 1-0 716 8 Missouri Valley Conference
8. Missouri State 2-0 652 NR Missouri Valley Conference
9. Western Michigan (1) 1-0 605 21 Mid-American Conference
10. Delaware 2-0 577 NR Colonial Athletic Association
11. New Mexico 1-0 571 15 Mountain West Conference
12. Connecticut 1-0 527 20 American Athletic Conference
13. Southern Miss 0-0 517 10 Conference USA
14. SMU 1-0 468 NR American Athletic Conference
15. Eastern Kentucky 2-0 462 NR Ohio Valley Conference
16. Portland 1-0 401 NR West Coast Conference
17. Loyola Chicago 1-0 397 NR Missouri Valley Conference
18. Harvard 1-0 396 NR Ivy League
19. San Diego 1-0 385 NR West Coast Conference
20. East Tennessee State 2-0 364 NR Southern Conference
21. Boise State 0-0 281 12 Mountain West Conference
22. William & Mary 1-0 255 NR Colonial Athletic Association
23. Richmond 0-0 251 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
24. Akron 0-0 236 17 Mid-American Conference
25. Eastern Michigan 0-0 218 25 Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Mercer 1-0 218 Southern Conference
Buffalo 0-0 213 Mid-American Conference
Fresno State 0-0 212 Mountain West Conference
Air Force 1-0 207 Mountain West Conference
Saint Joseph's 0-0 203 Atlantic 10 Conference
UC Irvine 0-0 203 Big West Conference
UAB 0-0 201 Atlantic 10 Conference
Massachusetts 0-0 198 Atlantic 10 Conference
Oakland 0-0 196 Mid-American Conference
Cal State Northridge 1-0 189 Big West Conference
La Salle 0-0 185 Atlantic 10 Conference
Utah State 0-0 183 Mountain West Conference
Towson 1-0 169 Colonial Athletic Association
Northern Iowa 0-0 168 Missouri Valley Conference
Santa Clara 0-0 162 West Coast Conference
Elon 1-0 159 Colonial Athletic Association
Evansville 0-0 145 Missouri Valley Conference
UNC Wilmington 1-0 137 Colonial Athletic Association
Northern Illinois 0-0 136 Mid-American Conference
Temple 0-0 135 American Athletic Conference
Tulsa 0-0 132 American Athletic Conference
Toledo 0-0 130 Mid-American Conference
UC Santa Barbara 0-0 126 Big West Conference
UNLV 0-0 123 Mountain West Conference
Southern Illinois 0-0 119 Missouri Valley Conference
Loyola Marymount 0-0 115 West Coast Conference
Tulane 0-0 115 American Athletic Conference
Florida Atlantic 1-0 109 Conference USA
Drexel 0-0 108 Colonial Athletic Association
Yale 0-0 106 Ivy League
Houston 0-0 102 American Athletic Conference
Louisiana Tech 0-0 101 Conference USA
Green Bay 0-0 91 Horizon League
USC 0-0 88 West Coast Conference
Nevada 0-0 87 Mountain West Conference
Georgia State 0-0 86 Horizon League
Northern Kentucky 1-0 85 Sun Belt Conference
Columbia 0-0 84 Ivy League
Fordham 0-0 82 Atlantic 10 Conference
Arkansas State 1-0 72 Sun Belt Conference
Sacramento State 1-0 68 Big Sky Conference
Western Carolina 1-0 67 Southern Conference
FIU 0-0 65 Conference USA
Holy Cross 1-0 65 Patriot League
Princeton 0-0 65 Ivy League
Pacific 0-0 64 West Coast Conference
Bowling Green 0-0 58 Mid-American Conference
Middle Tennessee 0-0 58 Conference USA
San Francisco 0-0 47 West Coast Conference
Manhattan 0-0 46 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Ohio 0-0 45 Mid-American Conference
Wofford 1-0 45 Southern Conference
Lehigh 0-0 44 Patriot League
Central Michigan 0-0 43 Mid-American Conference
Illinois Chicago 0-0 42 Horizon League
Long Beach State 0-0 38 Big West Conference
SIU Edwardsville 0-0 37 Ohio Valley Conference
Western Illinois 0-0 35 Southland Conference
Mississippi State 0-0 32 Atlantic 10 Conference
Chicago State 0-0 31 Western Athletic Conference
Hofstra 0-0 31 Colonial Athletic Association
Quinnipiac 0-0 31 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
San Jose State 0-0 30 Mountain West Conference
Bucknell 0-0 28 Patriot League
UCF 0-0 26 American Athletic Conference
USC Upstate 1-0 26 Atlantic Sun Conference
UTEP 0-0 24 Conference USA
Hawaii 0-0 23 Big West Conference
Montana 0-0 23 Big Sky Conference
Louisiana Lafayette 0-0 22 Sun Belt Conference
South Dakota 1-0 22 Summit League
Detroit 0-0 21 Horizon League
Georgia Southern 0-0 21 Sun Belt Conference
North Dakota State 0-0 21 Summit League
Seattle 0-0 21 Western Athletic Conference
Eastern Washington 0-0 20 Big Sky Conference
Penn 0-0 20 Ivy League
Savannah State 0-0 20 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Kennesaw State 0-0 19 Atlantic Sun Conference
McNeese State 0-0 19 Southland Conference
Austin Peay 0-0 18 Ohio Valley Conference
Cal State Fullerton 0-0 18 Big West Conference
Louisiana Monroe 0-0 18 Atlantic Sun Conference
Weber State 1-0 18 Big Sky Conference
George Mason 0-0 17 Conference USA
Wyoming 0-0 17 Mountain West Conference
Morgan State 1-0 16 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Radford 0-0 16 Big South Conference
Northwestern State 0-0 15 Southland Conference
Tennessee State 0-0 15 Ohio Valley Conference
Utah Valley 0-0 15 Western Athletic Conference
VMI 0-0 15 Southern Conference
Ball State 0-0 14 Mid-American Conference
Southeastern Louisiana 0-0 14 Southland Conference
UC Riverside 0-0 14 Big West Conference
Brown 0-0 13 Ivy League
Chattanooga 0-0 13 Southern Conference
Norfolk State 0-0 13 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Southern 0-0 13 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Charlotte 0-0 12 Conference USA
UC Davis 0-0 12 Big West Conference
Lafayette 0-0 10 Patriot League
Jacksonville State 0-0 9 Ohio Valley Conference
Saint Louis 0-0 8 Atlantic 10 Conference
Lipscomb 0-0 7 Atlantic Sun Conference
North Florida 0-0 7 Atlantic Sun Conference
Robert Morris 0-0 7 Northeast Conference
Cornell 0-0 6 Ivy League
Grambling State 0-0 6 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Stetson 1-0 6 Atlantic Sun Conference
New Orleans 0-0 5 Southland Conference
North Texas 0-0 4 Conference USA
Stephen F. Austin 0-0 1 Horizon League

UConn with a huge jump up after winning this week, hopefully they can maintain that.

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 18-24, 2024

25 games on the docket this week, and 1 feature games, so let's start there.

11/21/24- Troy (Benton Gale) @ FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- A tough game, but Troy was doomed by shooting just 32.2% from the field and 21.7% from three point land. They needed just a couple more shots to fall.

Final Score: FIU- 58, Troy- 55

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

11/18/24 vs. Iona (W 85-80).
11/20/24 vs. Niagara (W 85-71).

A couple solid home wins against MAAC opponents for the Hawks, as they were consistent, scoring 85 points each game.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 2-0, 0-0 American.

11/20/24 vs. Texas A&M (W 56-53).

Nice comeback win for the Huskies in their only game of the week, as they trailed by 9 at halftime.

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

11/22/24 vs. Prairie View A&M (L 72-66).

Yikes! The Golden Hurricane lay a total egg in a home game against a team they should have handled easily. This certainly doesn't bode well for Coach Brown's future.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 2-0, 0-0 ACC.

11/19/24 at DePaul (W 80-71).

Another good win for the Fighting Irish to start the season, as they've won 2 tough road games going into their season tournament.

North Florida (Felix Abel) -- 1-1, 0-0 Atlantic Sun.

11/18/24 vs. Norfolk State (L 71-61).
11/23/24 vs. Savannah State (W 79-68).

A split for the Ospreys this week in the debut games of Coach Abel.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 2-0, 0-0 Big 12.

11/18/24 vs. Texas A&M (W 76-68).
11/21/24 at Cincinnati (W 82-68).

A pair of very good wins to open the season for the Horned Frogs as they continue their quest to keep their postseason run alive.

St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 1-0, 0-0 Big East.

11/21/24- Legends Classic First Round vs. (8) Stephen F. Austin (W 102-69).

An easy tune up game for the Red Storm as they open up their season tournament, with the semifinals next week.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 2-1, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/21/24- New York Classic First Round vs. (1) #25 Florida (L 81-73).

Hard fought game, but the Wildcats fall short, as they lose to the eventual tournament champs.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 1-0, 0-0 Conference USA.

11/21/24 vs. Troy- feature game, highlighted above.

The Golden Panthers got a tad lucky that Troy had an off shooting night, but hey, a win is a win to start the season.

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

11/18/24 at Texas-Rio Grande Valley (W 75-57).
11/20/24 at UT Martin (W 83-67).

A pair of easy road wins for the Owls this week to begin the season.

Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) -- 0-2, 0-0 MAAC.

11/18/24 at Princeton (L 77-64).
11/21/24 at Drexel (L 79-59).

2 blowout losses on the road to start the season for the Stags, and the career of Coach Pryde.

San Jose State (Thomas Sheppard) -- 1-1, 0-0 Mountain West.

11/22/24- Michigan Showcase First Round vs. (3) Furman (L 101-98).
11/24/24- Michigan Showcase 3rd Place Game vs. (1) North Dakota State (W 80-68).

A split this week for the Spartans, as they finish 3rd in their first tournament under their new head coach. This was also Coach Sheppard's career debut.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 1-0, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/21/24 vs. Western Illinois (W 66-46).

An easy win for the Buffaloes in their only game of the week, heading into their season tournament.

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

11/23/24 at San Francisco (W 72-48).

Domination for the Cardinal in their only game of the week, as Coach Sanchez is now just 1 win away from career win #200.

#4 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 2-0, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/19/24 at USC (W 69-60).
11/23/24 at Loyola Marymount (W 73-53).

A pair of tough road games to start the season for the Bruins, including a game at old conference rival USC, but they survive both in fairly easy fashion.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 1-0, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/18/24 at St. Francis (PA) (W 83-50).

Another non-conference win for the Cougars, but that streak is in jeopardy next week as they start their season tourney against Michigan State.

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

11/21/24 vs. Jackson State (W 61-39).

Domination in the first game of the season for the Crimson Tide.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 1-0, 0-0 SWAC.

11/19/24 at Kentucky (W 76-74).

Big win for Coach Gunn and the Golden Lions, in Coach Gunn's first game here as they shock Kentucky on the road.

Troy (Benton Gale) -- 0-1, 0-0 Sun Belt.

11/21/24 at FIU- feature game, highlighted above.

Tough shooting night doomed the Trojans in this one.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Nov. 25-Dec. 1:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Providence (43) 3-0 1762 3 Big East Conference
2. Villanova (5) 4-0 1704 1 Big East Conference
3. Baylor (10) 2-0 1661 2 Big 12 Conference
4. UCLA (11) 2-0 1607 4 Pacific-12 Conference
5. Wisconsin 1-0 1481 8 Big Ten Conference
6. Michigan State (1) 2-0 1416 10 Big Ten Conference
7. Vanderbilt (2) 2-0 1397 12 Southeastern Conference
8. Syracuse 1-0 1302 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. Iowa 2-0 1208 14 Big Ten Conference
10. Georgetown 1-0 1178 13 Big East Conference
11. Florida State 2-0 1049 16 Atlantic Coast Conference
12. Stanford 2-0 930 17 Pacific-12 Conference
13. Florida 4-0 670 25 Southeastern Conference
14. Iowa State 2-1 663 5 Big 12 Conference
15. Ohio State 1-0 628 21 Big Ten Conference
16. St. Bonaventure 1-0 490 23 Atlantic 10 Conference
17. Nebraska 1-0 466 24 Big Ten Conference
18. Arizona 1-1 465 6 Pacific-12 Conference
19. Tennessee 0-0 390 20 Southeastern Conference
20. Memphis 2-0 341 NR American Athletic Conference
21. VCU 1-1 310 9 Southeastern Conference
22. Virginia 2-1 296 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
23. West Virginia 1-0 196 NR Big 12 Conference
24. Illinois State 1-0 159 NR Missouri Valley Conference
25. Seton Hall 2-0 137 NR Big East Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Gonzaga 0-1 122 Pacific-12 Conference
Texas Tech 3-0 116 Big 12 Conference
LSU 2-0 88 Southeastern Conference
Marquette 1-0 88 Big East Conference
Wichita State 2-0 69 Missouri Valley Conference
UNLV 2-0 58 Mountain West Conference
Tennessee State 3-0 48 Ohio Valley Conference
Notre Dame 2-0 46 Atlantic Coast Conference
Pittsburgh 2-0 46 Atlantic Coast Conference
Evansville 3-0 45 Missouri Valley Conference
William & Mary 2-0 43 Colonial Athletic Association
Mississippi State 2-0 41 Atlantic 10 Conference
TCU 2-0 37 Big 12 Conference
Alabama 1-0 36 Southeastern Conference
Wyoming 2-0 36 Mountain West Conference
Oklahoma State 2-0 33 Big 12 Conference
Arkansas 1-0 32 Southeastern Conference
UC Davis 2-0 28 Big West Conference
Colorado 1-0 27 Pacific-12 Conference
Connecticut 2-0 27 American Athletic Conference
Boise State 1-0 24 Mountain West Conference
Drexel 3-0 24 Colonial Athletic Association
Duke 1-0 24 Atlantic Coast Conference
Loyola Chicago 2-0 23 Missouri Valley Conference
Oregon 1-0 23 Pacific-12 Conference
UC Riverside 2-0 23 Big West Conference
San Diego 1-0 22 West Coast Conference
Northern Illinois 2-0 21 Mid-American Conference
Oklahoma 2-1 21 Big 12 Conference
Richmond 1-0 18 Atlantic 10 Conference
Washington State 1-0 18 Pacific-12 Conference
Penn State 2-0 17 Big Ten Conference
St. John's 1-0 17 Big East Conference
Michigan 2-0 14 Big Ten Conference
Georgia 1-0 13 Southeastern Conference
Utah 1-0 13 Pacific-12 Conference
Eastern Michigan 1-0 12 Mid-American Conference
Missouri 2-0 12 Southeastern Conference
UC Irvine 1-0 12 Big West Conference
Utah State 1-0 12 Mountain West Conference
East Tennessee State 2-0 9 Southern Conference
Fresno State 1-0 9 Mountain West Conference
Sacramento State 2-0 7 Big Sky Conference
Towson 2-0 6 Colonial Athletic Association
Massachusetts 1-0 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
Murray State 2-0 5 Ohio Valley Conference
Purdue 2-0 4 Big Ten Conference
Florida Atlantic 2-0 3 Conference USA
Middle Tennessee 1-0 3 Conference USA
Montana 1-0 3 Big Sky Conference
Saint Joseph's 1-0 3 Atlantic 10 Conference
Miami 1-1 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
Nevada 1-0 2 Mountain West Conference
Princeton 2-0 2 Ivy League
Clemson 1-0 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
UC Santa Barbara 1-0 1 Big West Conference

UCLA stays at #4, but Stanford has a nice 5 spot jump in the polls. Good to see a number of our teams receiving votes, but they'll obviously have to win to get it to continue.

[collegesportsfanms]

Here's a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Nov. 25-Dec. 1:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. St. Bonaventure (41) 1-0 1628 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
2. Memphis (16) 2-0 1585 3 American Athletic Conference
3. Illinois State (9) 1-0 1326 4 Missouri Valley Conference
4. Wichita State (1) 2-0 1102 7 Missouri Valley Conference
5. Connecticut 2-0 951 12 American Athletic Conference
6. Evansville 3-0 915 NR Missouri Valley Conference
7. UNLV (4) 2-0 874 NR Mountain West Conference
8. Tennessee State 3-0 863 NR Ohio Valley Conference
9. Drexel 3-0 840 NR Colonial Athletic Association
10. Loyola Chicago 2-0 682 17 Missouri Valley Conference
11. Mississippi State 2-0 635 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
12. William & Mary 2-0 576 22 Colonial Athletic Association
13. Towson 2-0 563 NR Colonial Athletic Association
14. SMU 2-0 535 14 American Athletic Conference
15. UC Davis 2-0 485 NR Big West Conference
16. Boise State 1-0 448 21 Mountain West Conference
17. Northern Illinois 2-0 418 NR Mid-American Conference
18. Richmond 1-0 403 23 Atlantic 10 Conference
19. Wyoming 2-0 377 NR Mountain West Conference
20. Brown 2-0 332 NR Ivy League
21. San Diego 1-0 330 19 West Coast Conference
22. UC Riverside 2-0 299 NR Big West Conference
23. Eastern Michigan (1) 1-0 290 25 Mid-American Conference
24. Saint Joseph's 1-0 284 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
25. Saint Peter's 2-0 274 NR Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Penn 2-0 271 Ivy League
Utah State 1-0 271 Mountain West Conference
Massachusetts 1-0 252 Atlantic 10 Conference
Princeton 2-0 252 Ivy League
UC Irvine 1-0 245 Big West Conference
Fresno State 1-0 239 Mountain West Conference
Rice 2-0 235 Conference USA
Ohio 1-0 198 Mid-American Conference
Sacramento State 2-0 194 Big Sky Conference
Murray State 2-0 186 Ohio Valley Conference
FIU 1-0 181 Conference USA
Florida Atlantic 2-0 181 Conference USA
North Texas 1-0 179 Conference USA
Nevada 1-0 178 Mountain West Conference
UC Santa Barbara 1-0 171 Big West Conference
Boston University 2-0 170 Patriot League
Youngstown State 1-0 168 Summit League
East Tennessee State 2-0 159 Southern Conference
Charlotte 1-0 156 Conference USA
Middle Tennessee 1-0 153 Conference USA
Holy Cross 2-0 140 Patriot League
UTEP 0-0 139 Conference USA
Texas State 1-0 131 Sun Belt Conference
Cal State Northridge 1-0 127 Big West Conference
Presbyterian 2-0 127 Big South Conference
Northern Kentucky 1-0 118 Sun Belt Conference
Air Force 1-0 113 Mountain West Conference
Hartford 2-0 109 America East Conference
New Hampshire 2-0 107 America East Conference
Bucknell 1-0 105 Patriot League
Montana 1-0 98 Big Sky Conference
Arkansas Pine Bluff 1-0 89 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Norfolk State 1-0 88 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Northwestern State 1-0 83 Southland Conference
USC Upstate 1-0 81 Atlantic Sun Conference
Incarnate Word 1-0 80 Southland Conference
Utah Valley 1-0 80 Western Athletic Conference
Sam Houston State 0-0 73 Southland Conference
LIU Brooklyn 2-0 69 Northeast Conference
Morgan State 2-0 68 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Southeastern Louisiana 0-0 64 Southland Conference
Northern Colorado 0-0 59 Big Sky Conference
Southern 0-0 55 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Navy 1-0 47 Patriot League
Northern Arizona 0-0 47 Big Sky Conference
Portland State 0-0 34 Big Sky Conference
Davidson 2-1 15 Atlantic 10 Conference

UConn has a huge jump up 7 spots, and great to see a lot of our mid-major teams getting votes. Based on our history though, I don't expect it to continue. I'm hopeful though.

[rjolley]

USC is our old conference rival? Did Gonzaga replace them?

[collegesportsfanms]

USC is our old conference rival? Did Gonzaga replace them?

Yes, I believe USC was demoted and Gonzaga was promoted. I think this happened a few seasons ago.

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2024

A whopping 45 games on the schedule this week, with many of them season tournament games. 3 feature games, so we'll start there.

11/25/24- Toledo Regional First Round- (3) Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) vs. (2) Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- This one was close at halftime, but Pine Bluff went on a run early in the second half to establish a double digit lead, holding Fairfield to just 36.1% shooting. Pine Bluff gets the win and advances to the Toledo Regional Championship.

Final Score: (2) Arkansas Pine Bluff- 79, (3) Fairfield- 65

11/26/24- Main Event Semifinals - (3) UConn vs. (2) Colorado -- Colorado doomed themselves in the 2nd half by making very few shots, and ended up shooting just 36.4% for the game. UConn was able to come back and get to the Finals of the Main Event Tournament.

Final Score: (3) UConn- 70, (2) Colorado- 66

11/29/24- Brooklyn Classic Consolation Game - (7) Washington State vs. (6) Tulsa -- A 22 point first half put Tulsa in a hole they weren't able to climb out of as the Cougars begin a new non-conference win streak and advance to the 5th place game.

Final Score: (7) Washington State- 60, (6) Tulsa- 48

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

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

11/27/24- NIT Season Tip-Off First Round vs. (2) Rutgers (L 68-66).
11/28/24- NIT Season Tip-Off Consolation Game vs. (3) USC (L 81-75).
11/29/24- NIT Season Tip-Off 7th Place Game vs. (8) Austin Peay (W 72-57).

A couple tough losses in the NIT Season Tip-Off for the Hawks, who played well enough and probably deserved better results.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 4-1, 0-0 American.

11/25/24- Main Event First Round vs. (6) Bradley (W 69-62).
11/26/24- Main Event Semifinal vs. (2) Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.
11/27/24- Main Event Championship vs. (4) Marquette (L 78-61).

Tough luck for the Huskies in the Main Event championship game, but things are looking better for them to start this season.

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

11/26/24- Brooklyn Classic First Round vs. (3) #16 St. Bonaventure (L 72-59).
11/29/24- Brooklyn Classic Consolation vs. (7) Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.
11/30/24- Brooklyn Classic 7th Place Game vs. (8) Radford (L 71-70).

Things are looking down for the Golden Hurricane, as Coach Brown might want to start taking a look at potential job openings for next season.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 4-1, 0-0 ACC.

11/27/24- Great Alaska Shootout First Round vs. (7) Elon (W 65-49).
11/29/24- Great Alaska Shootout Semifinal vs. (3) Missouri (L 79-59).
11/30/24- Great Alaska Shootout 3rd Place Game vs. (5) Utah (W 77-74).

The Fighting Irish also seem to be playing better basketball right now, even though Missouri took them to the woodshed. Things look promising early on though.

North Florida (Felix Abel) -- 2-3, 0-0 Atlantic Sun.

11/28/24- Wooden Legacy First Round vs. (5) Jackson State (L 70-66).
11/29/24- Wooden Legacy Consolation vs. (1) Siena (W 65-55).
11/30/24- Wooden Legacy 5th Place Game vs. (6) LIU Brooklyn (L 68-61).

Tough week for the Ospreys, as they lose 2 out of 3 in their tourney, and now have an extensive road trip coming up.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 2-1, 0-0 Big 12.

12/1/24 vs. Seattle (L 75-72).

Just 1 game for the Horned Frogs this week, and this might not be that bad of a less come tourney time, as Seattle has a good RPI. It's still early though, so we'll see.

St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 3-1, 0-0 Big East.

11/25/24- Legends Classic Semifinal vs. (5) #24 Illinois State (W 88-65).
11/26/24- Legends Classic Championship vs. (2) Indiana (L 71-63).
12/1/24 vs. Clemson (W 61-32).

Good week for the Red Storm, no shame in losing to a solid Indiana team, but they still have improvements to make.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 3-2, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/29/24 at UTEP (L 65-57).
12/1/24 at Valparaiso (W 85-75).

A split for the Wildcats this week on the road, as they suffered a close loss, but really needed to win that game. They've got a decent non-conference schedule that they can pile up some wins on though.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 3-2, 0-0 Conference USA.

11/25/24- Las Vegas Invitational First Round vs. (2) Creighton (W 79-74, OT).
11/28/24- Las Vegas Invitational Semifinal vs. (6) Southern Illinois (W 94-71).
11/29/24- Las Vegas Invitational Championship vs. (1) #8 Syracuse (L 93-85).
12/1/24 at #2 Villanova (L 66-56).

Big week for the Golden Panthers, as they split, but do make it to the Las Vegas Invitational Championship as a #7 seed. They also played Syracuse and Villanova tough, so there is reason to believe Coach Hawkins will have this team playing at a high level this season.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 3-2, 0-0 Conference USA.

11/27/24- Chattanooga Regional First Round vs. (3) Youngstown State (W 71-53).
11/28/24- Chattanooga Regional Championship vs. (1) Loyola Chicago (L 76-59.
12/1/24 at SMU (L 84-76).

Tough week for the Owls who lose 2 of 3 including a blowout loss in their season tournament championship. Now it's on to business as their non-conference schedule starts out slow but gets tougher.

Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) -- 0-5, 0-0 MAAC.

11/25/24- Toledo Regional First Round vs. (2) Arkansas Pine Bluff- feature game, highlighted above.
11/26/24- Toledo Regional 3rd Place Game vs. (4) UNC Greensboro (L 78-69).
12/1/24 at Fordham (L 68-60).

3 more losses for the Stags this week, as Coach Pryde is still looking for his first collegiate win.

San Jose State (Thomas Sheppard) -- 1-1, 0-0 Mountain West.

No games this week for Coach Sheppard and the Spartans.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 4-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/25/24- Main Event First Round vs. (7) North Texas (W 84-61).
11/26/24- Main Event Semifinal vs. (3) UConn- feature game, highlighted above.
11/27/24- Main Event 3rd Place Game vs. (8) Cal State Fullerton (W 81-65).
12/1/24 at #14 Iowa State (W 75-66).

Great week for the Buffaloes, winning 3 out of 4 with the only setback being the loss to UConn. Coach Nielsen has to happy about the results so far, but there's still a lot of work to do.

#12 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 4-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/27/24- Battle 4 Atlantis First Round vs. (6) DePaul (L 67-65).
11/28/24- Battle 4 Atlantis Consolation vs. (7) William & Mary (W 84-74).
11/29/24- Battle 4 Atlantis 5th Place Game vs. (8) Louisiana Tech (W 90-71).

Good recovery for the Cardinal this week, after the tough loss to DePaul they battle back for 5th, even if it was against the bottom 2 seeds. The win over William & Mary was career win #200 for Coach Sanchez.

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

11/25/24 vs. Central Arkansas (W 98-58).
12/1/24 vs. Bethune Cookman (W 80-53).

2 dominating performances against teams that have yet to win a game yet, but still, you gotta play who is scheduled. Not the toughest non-con schedule for UCLA, but it does get a little tougher, and then there's always the grind of the Pac 12.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 3-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/26/24- Brooklyn Classic First Round vs. (2) #6 Michigan State (L 98-88).
11/29/24- Brooklyn Classic Consolation vs. (6) Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.
11/30/24- Brooklyn Classic 5th Place Game vs. (4) Eastern Michigan (W 96-72).

So the Cougars see their non-conference winning streak come to an end after going perfect in non-conference games last season, but have started a new streak, winning 2 in a row. And they did play Michigan State fairly tough. Maybe this will be the year the Cougars see a postseason berth? We can only hope.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 2-0, 0-0 SEC.

11/29/24 vs. James Madison (W 73-48).

Just 1 game this week for the Crimson Tide, another win against an overmatched team, but as usual, the Tide scheduled tough, and they'll start getting tested next week.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 3-0, 0-0 SWAC.

11/25/24- Toledo Regional First Round vs. (3) Fairfield- feature game, highlighted above.
11/26/24- Toledo Regional Championship vs. (1) UTSA (W 72-71).

So far, so good for the Golden Lions, and Coach Gunn in his new gig. A big buzzer beater victory over UTSA, as Pine Bluff becomes the first FOFC coaches team to win a season tournament this season. Well done!

Troy (Benton Gale) -- 0-3, 0-0 Sun Belt.

11/27/24- Utah Tournament First Round vs. (3) Northern Arizona (L 84-82).
11/30/24- Utah Tournament 3rd Place Game vs. (1) Monmouth (L 75-66).

A couple more tough losses for the Trojans, as they are still looking for their first win of the season, and Coach Gale is looking for his first career collegiate win.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Dec. 2-8:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Villanova (37) 7-0 1750 2 Big East Conference
2. Providence (9) 4-0 1694 1 Big East Conference
3. Baylor (12) 4-0 1688 3 Big 12 Conference
4. UCLA (11) 4-0 1605 4 Pacific-12 Conference
5. Vanderbilt (3) 5-0 1520 7 Southeastern Conference
6. Syracuse 4-0 1455 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Georgetown 4-0 1374 10 Big East Conference
8. Florida State 3-0 1226 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. Nebraska 4-0 1055 17 Big Ten Conference
10. Michigan State 4-1 1030 6 Big Ten Conference
11. Florida 6-0 973 13 Southeastern Conference
12. Arizona 3-1 867 18 Pacific-12 Conference
13. Marquette 4-0 764 NR Big East Conference
14. Wisconsin 3-1 755 5 Big Ten Conference
15. Virginia 4-1 712 22 Atlantic Coast Conference
16. SMU 6-0 644 NR American Athletic Conference
17. Missouri 5-0 612 NR Southeastern Conference
18. Richmond 5-0 461 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
19. Evansville 5-0 428 NR Missouri Valley Conference
20. VCU 1-1 396 21 Southeastern Conference
21. Texas Tech 4-0 258 NR Big 12 Conference
22. Indiana 3-0 217 NR Big Ten Conference
23. Towson 5-0 200 NR Colonial Athletic Association
24. Middle Tennessee 4-0 197 NR Conference USA
25. UC Santa Barbara 4-0 170 NR Big West Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Loyola Chicago 4-0 165 Missouri Valley Conference
Duke 3-0 151 Atlantic Coast Conference
Oklahoma 2-1 133 Big 12 Conference
Miami 2-1 111 Atlantic Coast Conference
UNLV 3-0 99 Mountain West Conference
Alabama 2-0 88 Southeastern Conference
Tennessee State 4-0 79 Ohio Valley Conference
Wyoming 3-0 69 Mountain West Conference
Stanford 4-1 66 Pacific-12 Conference
USC Upstate 4-0 63 Atlantic Sun Conference
Princeton 3-0 59 Ivy League
Michigan 2-0 54 Big Ten Conference
Brown 3-0 49 Ivy League
Mississippi State 2-0 43 Atlantic 10 Conference
Northern Arizona 2-0 30 Big Sky Conference
Boston University 3-0 28 Patriot League
Northwestern State 3-0 25 Southland Conference
Arkansas Pine Bluff 3-0 22 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Portland State 1-0 11 Big Sky Conference
New Hampshire 2-0 4 America East Conference

Tough week for our FOFC teams. UCLA stays at #4, Stanford falls out of the top 25 but is still receiving votes, and Notre Dame, Colorado, UConn, St. John's, and Washington State all lose their votes. Good to see Arkansas Pine Bluff receiving some votes though.

[collegesportsfanms]

And now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Dec. 2-8:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. SMU (40) 6-0 1704 14 American Athletic Conference
2. Evansville 5-0 1615 6 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Richmond (10) 5-0 1596 18 Atlantic 10 Conference
4. Middle Tennessee (1) 4-0 1497 NR Conference USA
5. Loyola Chicago (2) 4-0 1425 10 Missouri Valley Conference
6. Towson (8) 5-0 1393 13 Colonial Athletic Association
7. UC Santa Barbara (11) 4-0 1365 NR Big West Conference
8. Tennessee State 4-0 1247 8 Ohio Valley Conference
9. UNLV 3-0 1222 7 Mountain West Conference
10. USC Upstate 4-0 1155 NR Atlantic Sun Conference
11. Brown 3-0 1011 20 Ivy League
12. Mississippi State 2-0 970 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
13. Wyoming 3-0 948 19 Mountain West Conference
14. Princeton 3-0 929 NR Ivy League
15. Boston University 3-0 892 NR Patriot League
16. Northwestern State 3-0 734 NR Southland Conference
17. Arkansas Pine Bluff 3-0 704 NR Southwestern Athletic Conference
18. Northern Arizona 2-0 632 NR Big Sky Conference
19. New Hampshire 2-0 545 NR America East Conference
20. Portland State 1-0 436 NR Big Sky Conference
21. Indiana State 4-1 352 NR Missouri Valley Conference
22. Davidson 3-1 295 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
23. Memphis 3-1 274 2 American Athletic Conference
24. Connecticut 4-1 96 5 American Athletic Conference
25. Ohio 4-1 79 NR Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Fresno State 3-1 58 Mountain West Conference
Wichita State 3-1 39 Missouri Valley Conference
George Washington 3-1 28 Atlantic 10 Conference
Long Beach State 3-1 28 Big West Conference
UAB 2-1 24 Atlantic 10 Conference
Charlotte 3-1 18 Conference USA
Pepperdine 2-1 15 West Coast Conference
Drake 4-1 14 Missouri Valley Conference
Sacramento State 4-1 14 Big Sky Conference
Saint Joseph's 2-1 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
Air Force 3-1 7 Mountain West Conference
Northern Illinois 3-1 6 Mid-American Conference
Seattle 3-1 5 Western Athletic Conference
Western Michigan 1-1 5 Mid-American Conference
Georgia Southern 2-1 3 Sun Belt Conference
George Mason 2-1 2 Conference USA
Lamar 4-1 2 Southland Conference
Montana 2-1 2 Big Sky Conference
Old Dominion 2-1 2 Conference USA
East Tennessee State 3-1 1 Southern Conference
Louisiana Lafayette 1-1 1 Sun Belt Conference
Mercer 1-1 1 Southern Conference

Rice, FIU, and Hartford all lose their votes, while UConn falls a whopping 19 spots, and Arkansas Pine Bluff jumps into the mid-major top 25. So far, a lot of our teams are still successful early.

[vex]

Tulsa lookin' UGLY.

[bbgunn]

Nice start for Pine Bluff! The B.B. Gunn redemption train is picking up steam!

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 2-8, 2024

Short week, with 26 games on the schedule, and no feature games, so we'll jump right into things:

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

12/2/24 vs. Maryland (L 64-49).
12/4/24 at Yale (W 76-61).

A couple 15 point decisions this week for the Hawks, as they split those decisions.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 4-2, 0-0 American.

12/24/24 at #6 Syracuse (L 89-52).

Just 1 game for the Huskies this week against an old Big East foe, and they were pretty much destroyed. This proves that Coach Childress has a long ways to go to get UConn back to greatness.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 2-4, 0-0 American.

12/3/24 vs. Southeastern Louisiana (W 71-47).
12/7/24 at Kansas State (W 72-68).

The Golden Hurricane get their first win of the season, then follow that up with a road win against a really, really bad Kansas State team. Still, coach Brown will say wins are wins at this point.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 5-1, 0-0 ACC.

12/4/24 vs. Kent State (W 74-55).

1 game for the Fighting Irish this week, an easy victory as Coach Mighty edges closer to career win #200.

North Florida (Felix Abel) -- 2-3, 0-0 Atlantic Sun.

No games this week for coach Abel and the Ospreys.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 3-1, 0-0 Big 12.

12/3/24 at Charleston Southern (W 92-88).

1 game this week for the Horned Frogs, a much tougher win than expected. The schedule really gets tougher the rest of the month.

St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 4-2, 0-0 Big East.

12/3/24 vs. Fresno State (W 87-63).
12/6/24 at Boston University (L 95-71).

Ouch! Painful loss for the Red Storm. Boston U is currently undefeated with an RPI of 2, but still, these are the kind of losses coach Hoo will not be able to tolerate, as they got hammered. At least they won their first game of the week against Fresno State.

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

12/7/24 vs. Southern Illinois (L 98-95, OT).

Tough loss for the Wildcats in their only game of the week, as they battled back from a 13 point halftime deficit to force OT, but ran out of gas.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 4-2, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/5/24 vs. Savannah State (W 81-55).

Just the 1 game for the Golden Panthers this week, but they needed a feel good win after a couple tough losses to top 10 teams.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 4-2, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/4/24 at UL Monroe (W 85-84).

A road buzzer beater win for the Owls in their only game of the week, and they look to keep it going next week.

Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) -- 0-6, 0-1 MAAC.

12/8/24 at Manhattan (L 66-56).

1 game for the Stags this week, and they are still looking for their first win of the season, and Coach Pryde is still looking for his first career win. Not sure why the MAAC starts their conference season so early, think I had this same question when we had another FOFC coached MAAC team in this dynasty. Weird.

San Jose State (Thomas Sheppard) -- 1-3, 0-0 Mountain West.

12/5/24 vs. St. Mary's (L 96-72).
12/8/24 at Santa Clara (L 91-59).

A couple blowout losses for the Spartans this week, as they were completely dominated by a couple other West coast teams.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 5-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/5/24 vs. Northern Arizona (W 83-77, OT).

A win for the Buffaloes in their only game of the week, but improvements need to be made, as they go on the road to face a top 10 opponent next week.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 6-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/4/24 at UNLV (W 80-68).
12/6/24 vs. Kansas (W 78-69).

2 more wins for the Cardinal, who keep on rolling after a tough loss to DePaul to open their season tournament. A lot of creampuffs on the schedule, so Coach Sanchez can keep adding to that win total.

#4 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 5-0, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/6/24 vs. Maryland (W 84-53).

Just 1 game this week for the Bruins, but they absolutely dismantle a decent Maryland team. They've got a couple more easy games coming before their season tournament.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 3-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

No games this week for Coach St. John and the Cougars.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 4-0, 0-0 SEC.

12/3/24 vs. Kansas (W 81-72).
12/5/24 vs. Charleston Southern (W 61-52).

2 more wins for the Crimson Tide, but the tough part of their non-conference schedule begins next week.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 5-1, 0-0 SWAC.

12/2/24 vs. UL Lafayette (W 56-53).
12/4/24 vs. #17 Missouri (W 68-57).
12/7/24 vs. St. Mary's (L 79-46).

Huge win for the Golden Lions over a ranked Missouri team, but they might have celebrated a little too hard as they were crushed by St. Mary's. We'll find out a lot more about this team as they get set for a 5 game road trip in which 4 of the 5 teams are either ranked or receiving votes. Give the brass at Pine Bluff credit for scheduling tough in non-con though.

Troy (Benton Gale) -- 1-4, 0-0 Sun Belt.

12/2/24 at Mississippi State (L 64-61).
12/6/24 vs. South Florida (W 48-46).

After some near misses, the Trojans finally get their first win of the season against South Florida. This is also Coach Gale's first career win and they'll look to keep it going next week.

Here's a look at the national top 25 heading into the week of Dec. 9-15:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Providence (32) 6-0 1746 2 Big East Conference
2. Baylor (13) 6-0 1689 3 Big 12 Conference
3. Vanderbilt (18) 8-0 1685 5 Southeastern Conference
4. Villanova 8-0 1595 1 Big East Conference
5. UCLA (9) 5-0 1560 4 Pacific-12 Conference
6. Syracuse 6-0 1443 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Florida State 4-0 1225 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Michigan State 6-1 1207 10 Big Ten Conference
9. Arizona 5-1 1176 12 Pacific-12 Conference
10. Florida 9-0 1132 11 Southeastern Conference
11. Nebraska 5-0 1106 9 Big Ten Conference
12. Wisconsin 5-1 1037 14 Big Ten Conference
13. Virginia 5-1 897 15 Atlantic Coast Conference
14. SMU 7-0 756 16 American Athletic Conference
15. Richmond 7-0 739 18 Atlantic 10 Conference
16. VCU 3-1 710 20 Southeastern Conference
17. Georgetown 4-1 641 7 Big East Conference
18. Loyola Chicago 6-0 573 NR Missouri Valley Conference
19. Alabama 4-0 505 NR Southeastern Conference
20. UC Santa Barbara 5-0 401 25 Big West Conference
21. Stanford 6-1 378 NR Pacific-12 Conference
22. Tennessee State 5-0 309 NR Ohio Valley Conference
23. USC Upstate 5-0 226 NR Atlantic Sun Conference
24. Wyoming 4-0 175 NR Mountain West Conference
25. Miami 2-1 174 NR Atlantic Coast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Boston University 4-0 121 Patriot League
Mississippi State 3-0 68 Atlantic 10 Conference
New Hampshire 4-0 51 America East Conference
Tennessee 4-1 24 Southeastern Conference
Air Force 6-1 10 Mountain West Conference
Marquette 5-1 9 Big East Conference
Memphis 5-1 9 American Athletic Conference
Evansville 6-1 8 Missouri Valley Conference
Minnesota 2-1 7 Big Ten Conference
Ohio State 4-1 4 Big Ten Conference
Pepperdine 5-1 2 West Coast Conference
Illinois 4-1 1 Big Ten Conference
Sacramento State 6-1 1 Big Sky Conference

UCLA drops a spot, but is still receiving FPV. Alabama and Stanford jump back into the national top 25. The only other team that was receiving votes was Arkansas Pine Bluff. Unfortunately they lost their votes, even though they won 2 of 3 this week.

Now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Dec. 9-15:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. SMU (44) 7-0 1749 1 American Athletic Conference
2. Richmond (12) 7-0 1697 3 Atlantic 10 Conference
3. Loyola Chicago (2) 6-0 1614 5 Missouri Valley Conference
4. Tennessee State 5-0 1544 8 Ohio Valley Conference
5. UC Santa Barbara (10) 5-0 1490 7 Big West Conference
6. USC Upstate 5-0 1457 10 Atlantic Sun Conference
7. Boston University (4) 4-0 1375 15 Patriot League
8. Wyoming 4-0 1315 13 Mountain West Conference
9. Mississippi State 3-0 1231 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
10. New Hampshire 4-0 1155 19 America East Conference
11. Memphis 5-1 1077 23 American Athletic Conference
12. Evansville 6-1 946 2 Missouri Valley Conference
13. Air Force 6-1 856 NR Mountain West Conference
14. Pepperdine 5-1 813 NR West Coast Conference
15. Ohio 5-1 749 25 Mid-American Conference
16. UNLV 5-1 624 9 Mountain West Conference
17. Sacramento State 6-1 604 NR Big Sky Conference
18. Saint Joseph's 4-1 529 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
19. Long Beach State 4-1 465 NR Big West Conference
20. Arkansas Pine Bluff 5-1 428 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference
21. UAB 3-1 415 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
22. Princeton 4-1 232 14 Ivy League
23. Presbyterian 5-1 210 NR Big South Conference
24. Saint Mary's 2-1 149 NR West Coast Conference
25. Brown 3-1 126 11 Ivy League

Others Receiving Votes:
Old Dominion 3-1 123 Conference USA
Mercer 3-1 88 Southern Conference
Temple 2-1 77 American Athletic Conference
Northern Arizona 3-1 74 Big Sky Conference
LIU Brooklyn 4-1 64 Northeast Conference
Incarnate Word 2-1 56 Southland Conference
Northern Colorado 3-1 49 Big Sky Conference
Indiana State 6-2 18 Missouri Valley Conference
Illinois State 4-2 1 Missouri Valley Conference

Arkansas Pine Bluff drops 3 spots in the mid-major poll, even after a 2-1 week, and UConn, with their terrible loss, loses all their votes.

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 9-15, 2024

37 games on the schedule this week, and 2 feature games, both involving TCU. Let's start with that.

12/13/24- TCU (Bee Mighty) @ Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) -- Another tight game where the stats were pretty even, but Fairfield was able to get a few more chances thanks to a 7 point rebounding edge. Those chances were enough to give the Stags their first victory of the season.

Final Score: Fairfield- 86, TCU- 79

12/15/24- TCU (Bee Mighty) @ Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- Hot shooting in this one by both teams, but turnovers did TCU in. Aside from that, things were pretty even, but the points off turnovers were enough for Colorado to get a home victory.

Final Score: Colorado- 95, TCU- 85

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

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

12/9/24 at Hofstra (W 63-50).
12/14/24 vs. UMass (L 87-53).

A split for the Hawks this week, as they have a bad taste in their mouth after a 34 point loss to UMass.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 4-5, 0-0 American.

12/9/24 at #4 Villanova (L 94-64).
12/12/24 vs. Northeastern (L 56-46).
12/15/24 at #1 Providence (L 73-63).

The Huskies lose 3 more games this week, and have now lost 5 in a row. In their defense, the competition lately has been staggering. However, losses to teams like Northeastern just can't happen.

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

12/10/24 vs. South Dakota (L 74-64).
12/15/24 at Utah (W 75-62).

A split for the Golden Hurricane, who have won 3 of their last 4, but that loss to South Dakota is damaging. They start conference play next week.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 5-2, 0-0 ACC.

12/11/24 vs. Indiana State (L 82-76).

Just 1 game this week for the Fighting Irish, who lose to a very good MVC team that could make some noise in March. A good test for ACC play, and they have a couple more next week.

North Florida (Felix Abel) -- 3-4, 0-0 Atlantic Sun.

12/10/24 at The Citadel (L 93-83).
12/14/24 at South Florida (W 66-64).

A road split for the Ospreys this week, as they get a nice win at South Florida. They continue their road stretch next week.

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

12/13/24 at Fairfield- feature game, highlighted above.
12/15/24 at Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.

Tough week for the Horned Frogs, who lose 2 road games to other FOFC coached teams. They'll want to rectify that situation and get back over .500 next week.

St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 4-3, 0-0 Big East.

12/9/24 vs. Kansas (L 80-71).

1 game for the Red Storm who have a 2 game losing streak now with the loss to Kansas. They are starting to struggle a bit.

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

12/12/24 vs. Akron (L 59-56).
12/14/24 at IUPUI (W 86-72).

A split for the Wildcats, who lose at home and win on the road.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 4-3, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/9/24 at BYU (L 86-64).

1 game for the Golden Panthers this week, a bad loss at BYU. The schedule remains tough as they have 1 more home game before 4 straight road games.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 5-3, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/9/24 vs. Northwestern State (L 68-52).
12/12/24 vs. Sam Houston State (W 55-47).

A split for the Owls, and that loss to Northwestern State could prove to be a good loss come March, as they are a pretty good team.

Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) -- 2-7, 1-1 MAAC.

12/11/24 at William & Mary (L 64-45).
12/13/24 vs. TCU- feature game, highlighted above.
12/15/24 at Marist (W 88-57).

Great week for the Stags, as Coach Pryde has his first 2 career wins. Hopefully they can turn a corner and that this wasn't just a lucky week.

San Jose State (Thomas Sheppard) -- 3-4, 0-0 Mountain West.

12/11/24 at UC Irvine (W 111-109).
12/13/24 at Illinois State (W 74-68).
12/15/24 at Cal State Fullerton (L 76-67).

A wild week for the Spartans, who finish 2-1 and had an absolute shootout with UC Irvine. Amazing that the game didn't go OT. By the time they got to Fullerton, they had ran out of gas. Still a promising week.

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

12/13/24 at #6 Syracuse (L 108-76).
12/15/24 vs. TCU- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Buffaloes, who are going to have to do better than that against the top teams. A 32 point loss won't cut it in Pac 12 play.

#21 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 8-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/9/24 at Northern Arizona (W 76-55).
12/15/24 vs. James Madison (W 103-64).

2 more easy wins for the Cardinal in non-conference play. A couple more creampuffs on the schedule before conference play gets going.

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

12/12/24 vs. Kent State (W 82-66).
12/15/24 vs. Jackson State (W 76-52).

2 easy wins against bad competition for the Bruins, as they have their season tournament coming up soon.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 5-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/9/24 vs. Montana State (W 87-54).
12/11/24 at Hawaii (L 73-65).
12/15/24 vs. Chattanooga (W 74-59).

2 out of 3 this week for the Cougars, as they lose their annual showdown with Hawaii, but this time no B.B. Gunn on the sidelines. A couple tough road games next week against decent mid-major competition.

#19 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 5-2, 0-0 SEC.

12/9/24 at #12 Wisconsin (L 71-62).
12/12/24 at Iowa State (W 63-55).
12/14/24 at #13 Virginia (L 55-53).

Tough week for the Crimson Tide as they faced a tough stretch. They battled against a pair of top 15 teams but came up short. They'll start their season tournament next week.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 5-2, 0-0 SWAC.

12/9/24 at Iowa (L 94-77).

Just 1 game this week for the Golden Lions, a loss to Iowa. It doesn't get any easier, as their next 3 opponents are all ranked with a combined record of 24-1, and all 3 games are on the road.

Troy (Benton Gale) -- 2-5, 0-0 Sun Belt.

12/9/24 at UNC Wilmington (W 65-63).
12/11/24 vs. St. Bonaventure (L 91-72).

A split for the Trojans, another team that won on the road and lost at home this week. They kick off conference play next week.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Dec. 16-22:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Baylor (20) 8-0 1720 2 Big 12 Conference
2. Providence (21) 8-0 1719 1 Big East Conference
3. Villanova (14) 10-0 1687 4 Big East Conference
4. Vanderbilt (8) 9-0 1575 3 Southeastern Conference
5. UCLA (9) 7-0 1557 5 Pacific-12 Conference
6. Syracuse 8-0 1462 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Wisconsin 7-1 1292 12 Big Ten Conference
8. Arizona 6-1 1227 9 Pacific-12 Conference
9. Nebraska 7-0 1217 11 Big Ten Conference
10. Michigan State 7-1 1156 8 Big Ten Conference
11. Florida 10-0 1054 10 Southeastern Conference
12. Georgetown 7-1 1029 17 Big East Conference
13. VCU 5-1 950 16 Southeastern Conference
14. Virginia 7-1 917 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
15. Stanford 8-1 781 21 Pacific-12 Conference
16. Tennessee State 7-0 627 22 Ohio Valley Conference
17. UC Santa Barbara 6-0 602 20 Big West Conference
18. Florida State 5-1 595 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
19. Miami 4-1 542 25 Atlantic Coast Conference
20. New Hampshire 6-0 451 NR America East Conference
21. Memphis 7-1 384 NR American Athletic Conference
22. Air Force 8-1 227 NR Mountain West Conference
23. Loyola Chicago 7-1 157 18 Missouri Valley Conference
24. Pepperdine 7-1 154 NR West Coast Conference
25. SMU 7-1 82 14 American Athletic Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Richmond 7-1 50 Atlantic 10 Conference
Marquette 7-1 35 Big East Conference
Sacramento State 7-1 33 Big Sky Conference
UAB 6-1 31 Atlantic 10 Conference
Princeton 6-1 26 Ivy League
UNLV 6-1 20 Mountain West Conference
USC Upstate 7-1 13 Atlantic Sun Conference
Texas Tech 6-1 10 Big 12 Conference
Oklahoma 4-2 5 Big 12 Conference
South Carolina 5-1 4 Southeastern Conference
Temple 4-1 4 American Athletic Conference
Brown 5-1 2 Ivy League
Mercer 5-1 2 Southern Conference
Presbyterian 7-1 1 Big South Conference

UCLA stays exactly where they were, 5th with 9 FPV. Stanford moves up 6 spots after their wins. No surprise to see Alabama lose their votes after a 1-2 week. Look at how close it is at the top of the poll though, only 1 point separating #1 and #2.

Now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Dec. 16-22:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Tennessee State (40) 7-0 1751 4 Ohio Valley Conference
2. UC Santa Barbara (15) 6-0 1685 5 Big West Conference
3. New Hampshire (9) 6-0 1636 10 America East Conference
4. Memphis (6) 7-1 1606 11 American Athletic Conference
5. SMU (1) 7-1 1411 1 American Athletic Conference
6. Air Force 8-1 1389 13 Mountain West Conference
7. Pepperdine 7-1 1347 14 West Coast Conference
8. Loyola Chicago (1) 7-1 1260 3 Missouri Valley Conference
9. UAB 6-1 1254 21 Atlantic 10 Conference
10. Richmond 7-1 1161 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
11. UNLV 6-1 1053 16 Mountain West Conference
12. USC Upstate 7-1 974 6 Atlantic Sun Conference
13. Sacramento State 7-1 959 17 Big Sky Conference
14. Princeton 6-1 923 22 Ivy League
15. Presbyterian 7-1 768 23 Big South Conference
16. Temple 4-1 687 NR American Athletic Conference
17. Brown 5-1 678 25 Ivy League
18. Mercer 5-1 660 NR Southern Conference
19. Indiana State 7-2 536 NR Missouri Valley Conference
20. Northern Colorado 4-1 497 NR Big Sky Conference
21. Massachusetts 6-2 226 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
22. Evansville 6-2 158 12 Missouri Valley Conference
23. Davidson 5-2 153 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
24. Middle Tennessee 6-2 112 NR Conference USA
25. Ohio 6-2 94 15 Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
George Washington 6-2 79 Atlantic 10 Conference
Wichita State 5-2 72 Missouri Valley Conference
Long Beach State 5-2 62 Big West Conference
UC Riverside 6-2 47 Big West Conference
Central Michigan 6-2 40 Mid-American Conference
Hawaii 4-2 23 Big West Conference
Northwestern State 5-2 23 Southland Conference
Western Michigan 5-2 17 Mid-American Conference
Arkansas Pine Bluff 5-2 15 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Harvard 4-2 13 Ivy League
Manhattan 5-2 11 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Utah Valley 4-2 7 Western Athletic Conference
Wyoming 5-2 4 Mountain West Conference
Oakland 4-2 3 Mid-American Conference
Drake 6-2 2 Missouri Valley Conference
Florida Atlantic 5-2 2 Conference USA
Old Dominion 4-2 1 Conference USA
Quinnipiac 5-2 1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

So Pine Bluff falls out of the mid-major top 25 but does receive some votes still.

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 16-22, 2024

24 games on the docket this week, with 2 of those being a feature game. We'll start there.

12/18/24- Rice (Charlie Shocker) @ TCU (Bee Mighty) -- Free throws were the difference in this one. Rice got to the line, but shot just 20% from there. Oh boy! TCU made their free throws, Rice didn't. Aside from that, the stats were pretty darned even.

Final Score: TCU- 81, Rice- 68

12/20/24- UConn (Randolph Childress) @ St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- This one was over before it started, as UConn shot just 29.3% from the field, while St. John's shot 50%. Despite turning the ball over twice as many times, the Johnnies roll to victory.

Final Score: St. John's- 76, UConn- 53

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 7-5, 0-0 America East.

12/17/24 at Northeastern (W 78-68).
12/19/24 at St. Mary's (W 71-64).
12/21/24 at Brown (L 73-65).

2 out of 3 for the Hawks this week, all on the road. Brown is a pretty decent team, so all in all a successful week.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 4-6, 0-0 American.

12/20/24 at St. John's- feature game, highlighted above.

Just 1 game this week for the Huskies, who continue to slide. They've lost 6 in a row, but almost all 6 of those wins have been against really good competition. Still, Coach Childress needs to find a way for his team to win some of those games.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 4-5, 0-0 American.

12/17/24 at Valparaiso (W 66-56).

2 in a row for the Golden Hurricane, and 4 of the last 5. Coach Brown would like to tell you that his guys are turning the corner, but he just can't. Not yet.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 6-2, 0-0 ACC.

12/18/24 vs. Illinois State (W 89-68).

1 game for the Fighting Irish this week, but they get back to their winning ways against a middle of the pack MVC team. Still a few more potential tests before conference play starts.

North Florida (Felix Abel) -- 6-4, 0-0 Atlantic Sun.

12/16/24 at Appalachian State (W 75-71).
12/18/24 at UCF (W 60-58).
12/22/24 at College of Charleston (W 76-67).

What a week for the Ospreys who are now 2 games over .500. A great road trip, as Coach Abel has his team playing excellent basketball right now.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 4-3, 0-0 Big 12.

12/18/24 vs. Rice- feature game, highlighted above.

Just the 1 game this week for the Horned Frogs, and Coach Mighty can thank his opponents for being lousy free throw shooters. That might be the only reason they won. Things get brutal from here on out, as their season tournament is next week followed by conference play.

St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 5-3, 0-0 Big East.

12/20/24 vs. UConn- feature game, highlighted above.

No trouble for the Red Storm in their only game of the week. When you shoot 50%, you're likely to win most games. The next month won't be fun for Coach Hoo and the boys though, as they are about to embark on almost a month long road trip in which they'll play 6 games on the road before returning home in mid-January.

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

12/16/24 at Tennessee Tech (L 106-103, OT).
12/19/24 vs. Indiana State (L 106-60).

A week to forget for the Wildcats, who were nothing if not consistent, giving up 106 points each game. That loss to Tennessee Tech will sting for a while.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 5-3, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/16/24 vs. Stetson (W 80-68).

1 game for the Golden Panthers this week, as they get back to their winning ways, but they also have a lengthy road trip coming up. 4 games to be exact.

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

12/16/24 vs. Nicholls State (L 73-67).
12/18/24 at TCU- feature game, highlighted above.

Tough week for the Owls who drop to .500. They weren't helped by an inept FT shooting display against TCU. They better figure it out soon as they still have 3 more games on the road.

Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) -- 4-7, 3-1 MAAC.

12/20/24 vs. Siena (W 72-64).
12/22/24 vs. Niagara (W 76-72).

4 in a row for the Stags who are clicking at the right time. Still a lot of work to do, but the MAAC seems to be pretty wide open.

San Jose State (Thomas Sheppard) -- 3-4, 0-0 Mountain West.

No games this week for Coach Sheppard and the Spartans, who get some much needed time off after a marathon week last week.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 6-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/20/24 at Iowa (L 99-84).

Tough setback for the Buffaloes in their only game of the week, as they are starting to show the inconsistency that has Coach Nielsen's job on the line. They better right the ship quick, because the Pac 12 awaits, but first, 3 more tough non-conference games.

#15 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 8-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

No games this week for Coach Sanchez and the Cardinal, who can prepare for a couple more putz opponents next week.

#5 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 8-0, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/21/24 at St. Mary's (W 95-56).

1 game this week for the Bruins who absolutely crush St. Mary's on the road. Next week, their season tournament awaits.

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

12/18/24 at Manhattan (L 76-68).
12/22/24 at Seattle (W 105-74).

A road split for the Cougars, who can't be losing to teams like Manhattan. Even though Manhattan is good, those are the kind of RPI building wins Coach St. John needs.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 7-2, 0-0 SEC.

12/18/24- Las Vegas Classic First Round vs. (16) Idaho (W 69-48).
12/20/24- Las Vegas Classic Quarterfinals vs. (8) Northern Illinois (W 78-70).

2 wins in the Las Vegas Classic, and they should catch a break next week in the semifinals as they'll play the 12th seed. They win that, and it's on to the ship!

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 5-3, 0-0 SWAC.

12/16/24 at #4 Vanderbilt (L 68-66).

1 game this week for the Golden Lions, as the murderers row of games continues. They gave Vandy all they wanted and them some in this one though, even leading by 3 at halftime. Do not sleep on this Coach Gunn team. We'll see what happens next week.

Troy (Benton Gale) -- 2-6, 0-1 Sun Belt.

12/21/24 vs. Arkansas Little Rock (L 75-55).

Maybe 10 days off was too long for the Trojans, as they didn't show up in their only game of the week, also the Sun Belt opener. Like the MAAC, this Sun Belt Conference looks to be pretty wide open, but Coach Gale has to get his team into a higher gear.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Dec. 23-29:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Baylor (53) 11-0 1772 1 Big 12 Conference
2. Villanova (7) 12-0 1697 3 Big East Conference
3. Providence (3) 10-0 1671 2 Big East Conference
4. Vanderbilt (9) 11-0 1619 4 Southeastern Conference
5. Syracuse 9-0 1502 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. UCLA 8-0 1459 5 Pacific-12 Conference
7. Michigan State 9-1 1340 10 Big Ten Conference
8. Arizona 8-1 1273 8 Pacific-12 Conference
9. Nebraska 8-0 1177 9 Big Ten Conference
10. Virginia 9-1 1148 14 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. VCU 6-1 1129 13 Southeastern Conference
12. Georgetown 7-1 1026 12 Big East Conference
13. Stanford 8-1 849 15 Pacific-12 Conference
14. Tennessee State 9-0 811 16 Ohio Valley Conference
15. Florida State 6-1 769 18 Atlantic Coast Conference
16. Wisconsin 8-2 753 7 Big Ten Conference
17. Florida 10-1 608 11 Southeastern Conference
18. Miami 6-1 607 19 Atlantic Coast Conference
19. Memphis 8-1 566 21 American Athletic Conference
20. Marquette 8-1 447 NR Big East Conference
21. Loyola Chicago 8-1 349 23 Missouri Valley Conference
22. Princeton 9-1 285 NR Ivy League
23. South Carolina 8-1 225 NR Southeastern Conference
24. Sacramento State 8-1 170 NR Big Sky Conference
25. New Hampshire 7-1 57 20 America East Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Mercer 7-1 52 Southern Conference
Northern Colorado 5-1 15 Big Sky Conference
Temple 5-1 13 American Athletic Conference
Ohio State 8-2 9 Big Ten Conference
Alabama 7-2 1 Southeastern Conference
Central Michigan 8-2 1 Mid-American Conference

UCLA moves down a notch, even after a dominating win, while Stanford moves up 2 spots without even playing this week. Interesting. Meanwhile, Alabama is back in the mix, as they got a single vote.

Now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Dec. 23-29:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Tennessee State (67) 9-0 1795 1 Ohio Valley Conference
2. Memphis (4) 8-1 1719 4 American Athletic Conference
3. Princeton 9-1 1614 14 Ivy League
4. Loyola Chicago (1) 8-1 1587 8 Missouri Valley Conference
5. Sacramento State 8-1 1465 13 Big Sky Conference
6. New Hampshire 7-1 1459 3 America East Conference
7. Mercer 7-1 1351 18 Southern Conference
8. Temple 5-1 1282 16 American Athletic Conference
9. Massachusetts 8-2 1142 21 Atlantic 10 Conference
10. Northern Colorado 5-1 1121 20 Big Sky Conference
11. SMU 8-2 1029 5 American Athletic Conference
12. Evansville 8-2 931 22 Missouri Valley Conference
13. George Washington 7-2 905 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
14. Central Michigan 8-2 844 NR Mid-American Conference
15. Pepperdine 7-2 684 7 West Coast Conference
16. Hawaii 7-2 680 NR Big West Conference
17. USC Upstate 8-2 653 12 Atlantic Sun Conference
18. UAB 6-2 616 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
19. Richmond 7-2 585 10 Atlantic 10 Conference
20. Harvard 6-2 457 NR Ivy League
21. Brown 6-2 316 17 Ivy League
22. Drake 7-2 300 NR Missouri Valley Conference
23. Presbyterian 8-2 233 15 Big South Conference
24. Utah Valley 6-2 229 NR Western Athletic Conference
25. UC Santa Barbara 6-2 165 2 Big West Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Old Dominion 5-2 105 Conference USA
Indiana State 8-3 70 Missouri Valley Conference
Florida Atlantic 6-2 63 Conference USA

A blank for the FOFC coached mid-major teams, and we're back to this. I would have given Pine Bluff a vote though, if nothing else, for how well they played at Vandy. Unfortunately, my vote doesn't count.

[bbgunn]

Good showing against Vandy for UAPB. The redemption train continues to chug away!

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 23-29, 2024

A lot of games on the schedule this week, 38 to be exact. None of them feature games, so let's get to the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 9-5, 1-0 America East.

12/27/24 vs. Rhode Island (W 92-89, OT).
12/29/24 vs. UMass Lowell (W 93-72).

A pair of home wins this week for the Hawks. Although Rhode Island isn't anywhere near as good in this game as they are in real life, still a nice win.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 5-7, 1-0 American.

12/23/24 at St. Bonaventure (L 88-80).
12/25/24 vs. Tulane (W 73-63).

A split for the Huskies, who break a 7 game losing streak by winning their conference opener.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 4-7, 0-1 American.

12/25/24 vs. Houston (L 62-55).
12/27/24 at Missouri (L 73-38).

2 more losses for the Golden Hurricane, including losing their conference opener, as the road to termination continues to heat up for Coach Brown.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 6-5, 0-0 ACC.

12/24/24 at Western Michigan (L 70-62).
12/26/24 vs. LaSalle (L 82-79).
12/28/24 at Kansas (L 80-63).

A huge egg laid this week by the Fighting Irish, who lose all 3 games to teams that they quite frankly shouldn't have lost to. Not a good sign going into ACC play. Coach Mighty might have been right, he might struggle to get career win #200 this season, as he remains 2 short.

North Florida (Felix Abel) -- 6-5, 0-0 Atlantic Sun.

12/25/24 vs. Arizona State (L 76-62).

Just 1 game for the Ospreys this week, as it was a loss to a decent Arizona State team. Still more tests coming up next week.

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

12/23/24- Diamond Head Classic First Round vs. (3) #15 Florida State (L 82-74).
12/24/24- Diamond Head Classic Consolation vs. (7) Michigan (L 99-89).
12/26/24- Diamond Head Classic 7th Place Game vs. (8) UTEP (W 95-86).

The Horned Frogs manage to salvage 7th place in their season tournament, but that Florida State game may loom large as they led at halftime.

St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 7-3, 0-0 Big East.

12/25/24 at UMass (W 91-62).
12/28/24 at LaSalle (W 76-60).

2 dominating road wins for the Red Storm as they get ready to tackle the grind that is Big East play, and they'll stay on the road for 4 more games.

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

12/25/24 vs. Green Bay (W 95-71).

Just 1 game this week for the Wildcats, a christmas gift as they handle Green Bay. 1 more tune-up next week before conference play starts.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 5-5, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/24/24 at Iowa (L 80-59).
12/26/24 at #18 Miami (L 83-81, OT).

Tough week for the Golden Panthers who lose 2 road games, but at least they competed against Miami. Still 2 more tough road non-conference games before C-USA play gets going.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 5-6, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/27/24 at Texas (L 80-60).

Another lowout loss for the Owls this week, who have lost 3 in a row and 4 of 5. They get next week off, and you can bet Coach Shocker will be working them hard as conference play begins after that.

Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) -- 5-8, 4-2 MAAC.

12/27/24 vs. Monmouth (W 70-55).
12/29/24 at Monmouth (L 85-53).

A split for the Stags this week, as they did it against the same team in MAAC play. A total difference between the 2 games, as they forgot to show up on the road.

San Jose State (Thomas Sheppard) -- 5-5, 1-0 Mountain West.

12/23/24 vs. Portland State (W 84-80).
12/25/24 vs. Utah State (W 91-83).
12/28/24 at Seattle (L 91-81).

2 out of 3 for the Spartans this week, as they get their conference opener. Losing at Seattle killed the momentum a bit, as they have 2 tough Mountain West games next week.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 6-5, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/23/24 vs. BYU (L 85-78).
12/25/24 vs. Oklahoma (L 86-77).

3 losses in a row for the Buffaloes, who have 1 more non-conference game before Pac 12 play starts. The game against Yale next week is a must win.

#13 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 9-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/27/24 at UC Davis (W 91-75).

The Cardinal come back from a holiday break with a road win in their only game of the week. 2 more non-conference games next week, then Pac 12 play heats up.

#6 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 9-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/23/24- Diamond Head Classic First Round vs. (7) Michigan (W 66-52).
12/24/24- Diamond Head Classic Semifinal vs. (3) #15 Florida State (L 81-69).
12/26/24- Diamond Head Classic 3rd Place Game vs. (5) Akron (L 64-57).

2 out of the in the loss column for the Bruins this week, as they lose their first 2 games of the season at the Diamond Head Classic. The loss to Florida State can be forgiven: the loss to Akron, not so much.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 7-3, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/25/24 vs. Idaho State (W 82-68).

Just 1 game for the Cougars this week, as they win easily. 2 more non-conference games next week that should be wins, then they start Pac 12 play with about the tough 3 game schedule you could have: UCLA, Arizona, and Stanford. Zoikes!

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 8-3, 0-0 SEC.

12/23/24- Las Vegas Classic Semifinal vs. (12) Lehigh (W 77-43).
12/24/24- Las Vegas Classic Championship vs. (15) Western Carolina (L 80-66).

A split for the Crimson Tide this week who lose the Las Vegas Classic Title game to a cinderella team. They have a huge top 10 non-conference test next week before SEC play begins.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 5-6, 0-0 SWAC.

12/23/24 at #5 Syracuse (L 74-35).
12/25/24 at #19 Memphis (L 55-44).
12/28/24 at Louisville (L 78-70).

Gotta give Coach Gunn and the Golden Lions credit for finishing non-conference play with a brutal, and I do mean brutal road schedule. They lost them all, and really weren't too competitve this week. Thankfully, SWAC play starts next week, and things should be a lot different.

Troy (Benton Gale) -- 2-8, 0-3 Sun Belt.

12/26/24 at Appalachian State (L 83-75).
12/28/24 vs. UL Lafayette (L 87-78).

Better efforts this week for the Trojans, but still nothing to show for it other than 2 more L's. They better right the ship in a hurry, or Coach Gale might not be here long.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Dec. 30, 2024-Jan. 5, 2025:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Baylor (57) 12-0 1780 1 Big 12 Conference
2. Providence (9) 12-0 1731 3 Big East Conference
3. Villanova 12-0 1650 2 Big East Conference
4. Syracuse 12-0 1576 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
5. Vanderbilt (6) 11-0 1543 4 Southeastern Conference
6. Michigan State 10-1 1432 7 Big Ten Conference
7. Virginia 10-1 1325 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Florida State 9-1 1206 15 Atlantic Coast Conference
9. Wisconsin 10-2 1198 16 Big Ten Conference
10. UCLA 9-2 1066 6 Pacific-12 Conference
11. Miami 9-1 1036 18 Atlantic Coast Conference
12. Stanford 9-1 990 13 Pacific-12 Conference
13. Tennessee State 11-0 960 14 Ohio Valley Conference
14. Nebraska 10-1 944 9 Big Ten Conference
15. Memphis 10-1 775 19 American Athletic Conference
16. Georgetown 9-2 750 12 Big East Conference
17. VCU 8-2 695 11 Southeastern Conference
18. Loyola Chicago 10-1 586 21 Missouri Valley Conference
19. Princeton 11-1 490 22 Ivy League
20. South Carolina 10-1 441 23 Southeastern Conference
21. Sacramento State 10-1 353 24 Big Sky Conference
22. Arizona 8-3 212 8 Pacific-12 Conference
23. Mercer 9-1 199 NR Southern Conference
24. New Hampshire 9-1 196 25 America East Conference
25. Temple 7-1 83 NR American Athletic Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Ohio State 9-2 76 Big Ten Conference
Florida 10-2 49 Southeastern Conference
Pepperdine 9-2 21 West Coast Conference
Indiana 9-2 20 Big Ten Conference
Marquette 9-2 6 Big East Conference
George Washington 8-2 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
Central Michigan 9-2 3 Mid-American Conference
USC Upstate 10-2 3 Atlantic Sun Conference

No surprise to see UCLA move down, they drop 4 spots after losing their first 2 games of the season this week. Stanford rises a spot after another win over a putz team. Alabama loses their votes after an upset loss to a Cinderella team in the championship of their season tournament.

And now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Dec. 30, 2024-Jan. 5, 2025:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Tennessee State (58) 11-0 1786 1 Ohio Valley Conference
2. Memphis (11) 10-1 1726 2 American Athletic Conference
3. Princeton (1) 11-1 1614 3 Ivy League
4. Loyola Chicago (2) 10-1 1595 4 Missouri Valley Conference
5. Sacramento State 10-1 1471 5 Big Sky Conference
6. New Hampshire 9-1 1466 6 America East Conference
7. Temple 7-1 1340 8 American Athletic Conference
8. Mercer 9-1 1335 7 Southern Conference
9. George Washington 8-2 1192 13 Atlantic 10 Conference
10. Central Michigan 9-2 1124 14 Mid-American Conference
11. Pepperdine 9-2 1118 15 West Coast Conference
12. USC Upstate 10-2 1041 17 Atlantic Sun Conference
13. Richmond 7-2 863 19 Atlantic 10 Conference
14. Indiana State 9-3 847 NR Missouri Valley Conference
15. Old Dominion 7-2 845 NR Conference USA
16. Massachusetts 8-3 659 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
17. Fresno State 8-3 634 NR Mountain West Conference
18. Evansville 9-3 515 12 Missouri Valley Conference
19. SMU 8-3 419 11 American Athletic Conference
20. Air Force 9-3 355 NR Mountain West Conference
21. Boise State 7-3 331 NR Mountain West Conference
22. Long Beach State 8-3 297 NR Big West Conference
23. Harvard 8-3 247 20 Ivy League
24. UC Riverside 9-3 170 NR Big West Conference
25. UAB 7-3 136 18 Atlantic 10 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
McNeese State 7-3 58 Southland Conference
Brown 7-3 55 Ivy League
Hawaii 7-3 45 Big West Conference
Northwestern State 7-3 38 Southland Conference
Quinnipiac 8-3 37 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Wyoming 7-3 25 Mountain West Conference
Florida Atlantic 7-3 12 Conference USA
UC Santa Barbara 6-3 4 Big West Conference

No big surprise here, as none of our FOFC coached mid-major teams even sniff a vote. Rubbing salt in the wound of Coach Gunn after a terrible week, he has to look at his former team, Hawaii, getting votes with a 7-3 record. Ugh! I really wish this game was kinder to our mid-major teams, I really wanted us to have more success, but so be it I guess.

[bbgunn]

See? Hawaii should have appreciated Coach Gunn a bit more. He left the cupboard stocked for his successor!

As for UAPB, three road games in five days against major teams, two of whom are ranked nationally? No problem. We only got annihilated in one of them, and thank you for the paycheck!

I can't wait for the upcoming UAPB-Hawaii matchup in the NCAAs or NIT. That will be classic.

EDIT: And when did VCU join the SEC? Who did they replace?

[ntndeacon]

I think it was Miss St.

[bbgunn]

I think it was Miss St.
I see. Fair enough. :)

[collegesportsfanms]

EDIT: And when did VCU join the SEC? Who did they replace?

It was long, long ago, after the 2016-2017 season. Mississippi State went to the A-10, and VCU joined the SEC.

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 30, 2024-Jan. 5, 2025

33 games on the schedule. No feature games, but a lot of ranked opponents on the schedule this week. Let's get to it:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 10-6, 2-1 America East.

1/1/25 vs. Binghamton (L 71-59).
1/5/25 vs. Vermont (W 82-71).

A home split for the Hawks, who stay over .500 in conference play as they now head on the road for 4 games.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 6-8, 2-1 American.

1/1/25 at ECU (W 70-45).
1/4/25 at #15 Memphis (L 69-58).

A road split for the Huskies, who lose to a very good Memphis team. Still, these are the type of games UConn needs to be winning the most.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 4-9, 0-3 American.

1/1/25 vs. SMU (L 69-58).
1/4/25 at #25 Temple (L 61-45).

Warm up the bus, warm up the bus. That's the chant going around Tulsa in regard to Coach Brown as the Golden Hurricane lose 2 more this week, and have lost 4 in a row.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 6-7, 0-2 ACC.

1/1/25 vs. #11 Miami (L 82-71).
1/4/25 at #4 Syracuse (L 95-79).

2 more losses for the Fighting Irish, as Coach Mighty continues to sit 2 games short of career win #200. Fortunately, the schedule gets easier, so those 2 wins should come soon. Hopefully.

North Florida (Felix Abel) -- 6-8, 0-0 Atlantic Sun.

1/1/25 at Auburn (L 64-55).
1/3/25 at #13 Tennessee State (L 77-62).
1/4/25 vs. St. Louis (L 62-51).

3 more losses for the Ospreys to finish up non-conference play, and now they jump into Atlantic Sun play where they are predicted to finish pretty high. Aside from 1 other team, the conference is pretty weak.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 5-7, 0-2 Big 12.

12/30/24 at Texas (L 109-101, OT).
1/4/25 at #1 Baylor (L 96-82).

Our teams are on a losing trend, and it needs to stop soon, as the Horned Frogs lose 2 more. They fit in another non-conference game next week before going back to Big 12 play.

St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 8-4, 1-1 Big East.

1/1/25 at Xavier (L 74-64).
1/4/25 at #2 Providence (W 71-70).

A road split for the Red Storm, but they get a huge road win over a top 5 team. They got 2 more games on the road next week against solid competition, with one of those games being a non-conference game.

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

12/30/24 at Idaho State (W 89-66).

Just 1 game this week for the Wildcats, and they get a feel good win at Idaho State. At least they'll be .500 going into Big Ten play. After that, who knows.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 7-5, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/30/24 at Missouri (W 77-72).
1/2/25 at Oregon (W 76-67).

A couple huge road wins against solid non-conference teams should give the Golden Panthers a confidence boost going into C-USA play. We'll see starting next week.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 5-6, 0-0 Conference USA.

No games this week for Coach Shocker and the Owls, who used the off week to prepare for a couple road games to open conference play.

Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) -- 6-9, 5-3 MAAC.

1/3/25 vs. Marist (L 72-68).
1/5/25 at Niagara (W 87-78).

A split of the rare variety for the Stags, who lose at home and win on the road. They are still in good shape though.

San Jose State (Thomas Sheppard) -- 6-6, 2-1 Mountain West.

1/1/25 at UNLV (L 97-83).
1/4/25 at Fresno State (W 92-82).

A road split for the Spartans, who are starting to open a few eyes among Mountain West teams. They were predicted to finish last, and although it's early, they are playing pretty good ball.

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

1/1/25 vs. Yale (L 71-58).

The Buffaloes have lost 4 in a row and 5 of 6 after a strong start. They need to right the ship soon now that Pac 12 play is about to begin.

#12 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 11-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/30/24 at Portland State (W 95-79).
1/1/25 vs. LaSalle (W 74-62).

2 more wins for the Cardinal, who do what other FOFC coached teams couldn't do this season: beat LaSalle. Now they go into the Pac 12 portion of the schedule.

#10 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 10-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

1/1/25 vs. Louisiana Tech (W 95-63).

Just 1 game this week for the Bruins, who get back to their winning ways with a smasher over LA Tech. They'll also start conference play next week.

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

12/30/24 vs. Cal State Fullerton (L 85-81).
1/3/25 vs. Portland State (W 101-67).

A split for the Cougars this week, as they'll start conference play next week with the murderers row of Pac 12 teams. We'll learn more about them early.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 10-3, 0-0 SEC.

12/30/24 at #8 Florida State (W 67-65).
1/4/25 vs. Mississippi State (W 69-67).

A pair of 2 point wins this week for the Crimson Tide, including a win over former SEC foe Mississippi State, which was the answer to a trivia question by Coach Gunn earlier this week. Now, the Tide get into SEC play for real.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 5-7, 0-1 SWAC.

1/4/25 vs. Mississippi Valley State (L 65-61).

Just a single game this week for the Golden Lions, but they can't start SWAC play by ending the losing streak, as they drop a tough one to what might be the worst team in the conference. That can't be a good sign.

Troy (Benton Gale) -- 3-9, 1-4 Sun Belt.

1/2/25 vs. Arkansas State (W 74-61).
1/4/25 at Arkansas Little Rock (L 90-67).

A split for the Trojans this week, who might have celebrated a bit too much after getting that win, as they went on the road and got trounced after that.

Here's a look at the national top 25 as we go into the week of Jan. 6-12:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Baylor (68) 14-0 1796 1 Big 12 Conference
2. Syracuse (3) 13-0 1724 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Vanderbilt (1) 12-0 1664 5 Southeastern Conference
4. Villanova 13-1 1580 3 Big East Conference
5. Michigan State 11-1 1497 6 Big Ten Conference
6. Stanford 11-1 1399 12 Pacific-12 Conference
7. Providence 12-2 1393 2 Big East Conference
8. UCLA 10-2 1204 10 Pacific-12 Conference
9. Georgetown 11-2 1196 16 Big East Conference
10. Tennessee State 14-0 1170 13 Ohio Valley Conference
11. Wisconsin 10-2 1156 9 Big Ten Conference
12. Nebraska 11-1 1004 14 Big Ten Conference
13. Florida State 10-2 906 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
14. Miami 10-2 755 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
15. Princeton 12-1 708 19 Ivy League
16. Arizona 9-3 692 22 Pacific-12 Conference
17. Ohio State 10-2 545 NR Big Ten Conference
18. Sacramento State 11-1 532 21 Big Sky Conference
19. South Carolina 10-1 455 20 Southeastern Conference
20. Mercer 11-1 443 23 Southern Conference
21. Memphis 11-2 405 15 American Athletic Conference
22. VCU 9-3 351 17 Southeastern Conference
23. Temple 9-1 230 25 American Athletic Conference
24. Florida 11-2 171 NR Southeastern Conference
25. Indiana 10-2 95 NR Big Ten Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Virginia 10-3 88 Atlantic Coast Conference
Loyola Chicago 11-2 76 Missouri Valley Conference
Pepperdine 11-2 72 West Coast Conference
Oklahoma 10-3 53 Big 12 Conference
George Washington 9-2 29 Atlantic 10 Conference
USC Upstate 11-2 10 Atlantic Sun Conference
Penn State 10-2 1 Big Ten Conference

UCLA moves up 2 spots this week, while Stanford moves up 6 spots. Unfortunately, Alabama, who probably should have gotten a few votes, didn't.

Now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Jan. 6-12:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Tennessee State (72) 14-0 1800 1 Ohio Valley Conference
2. Princeton 12-1 1696 3 Ivy League
3. Memphis 11-2 1596 2 American Athletic Conference
4. Sacramento State 11-1 1551 5 Big Sky Conference
5. Mercer 11-1 1537 8 Southern Conference
6. Temple 9-1 1441 7 American Athletic Conference
7. George Washington 9-2 1343 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
8. Loyola Chicago 11-2 1343 4 Missouri Valley Conference
9. Pepperdine 11-2 1268 11 West Coast Conference
10. USC Upstate 11-2 1169 12 Atlantic Sun Conference
11. Massachusetts 9-3 1025 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
12. Boise State 9-3 963 21 Mountain West Conference
13. Long Beach State 10-3 951 22 Big West Conference
14. Central Michigan 10-3 832 10 Mid-American Conference
15. Air Force 10-3 745 20 Mountain West Conference
16. New Hampshire 10-3 696 6 America East Conference
17. UC Riverside 10-3 653 24 Big West Conference
18. Hawaii 9-3 557 NR Big West Conference
19. McNeese State 9-3 491 NR Southland Conference
20. Old Dominion 7-3 402 15 Conference USA
21. Northwestern State 9-3 373 NR Southland Conference
22. Richmond 7-3 223 13 Atlantic 10 Conference
23. St. Bonaventure 8-4 199 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
24. Florida Atlantic 9-3 182 NR Conference USA
25. Fresno State 9-4 112 17 Mountain West Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Evansville 10-4 87 Missouri Valley Conference
Davidson 8-4 71 Atlantic 10 Conference
SMU 9-4 26 American Athletic Conference
Harvard 9-4 22 Ivy League
Saint Joseph's 8-4 22 Atlantic 10 Conference
Ohio 9-4 12 Mid-American Conference
Middle Tennessee 8-4 6 Conference USA
Northern Illinois 8-4 5 Mid-American Conference
BYU 11-5 1 West Coast Conference

If only the board had been more patient with Coach Gunn, then we might have an FOFC coached team in the mid-major top 25, as Hawaii is there. Go figure. Ugh!

[bbgunn]

Yup... see, there was a plan there in Hawaii, but they jumped the gun too early. :)

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 6-12, 2025

34 games on the schedule this week, and 3 of them are feature games. We start in the Pac 12, where UCLA has a pair of them.

1/9/25- Washington State (DeShawn St. John) @ #8 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- To say this one was over after the opening tip would be an understatement. Washington State committed more turnovers than they made field goals, turning it over 19 times and making just 14 field goals, shooting 22.6% for the game. They trailed by 40 at halftime and it didn't get any better.

Final Score: #8 UCLA- 98, Washington State- 36

1/11/25- #8 UCLA (Tim Shepard) @ Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- Nobody would believe this was a 2 point game at halftime. The Bruins again played lock down defense, especially in the second half. They held Colorado to just 27.5% shooting, although the Buffs only had 9 turnovers. They were outscored 41-20 in the second half though, as UCLA rolls again.

Final Score: #8 UCLA- 75, Colorado- 52

Now we move to the American for our final feature game:

1/11/25- Tulsa (Will Brown) @ UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 20 turnovers did in the Huskies in this one, as they shot well enough, but Tulsa just had more opportunities and more makes. They get their first AAC win in a big way.

Final Score: Tulsa- 80, UConn- 62

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 11-6, 3-1 America East.

1/10/25 at Stony Brook (W 87-75).

The Hawks keep it going with a nice road win to start a 3 game road trip. It finishes up next week with a conference and non-conference game.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 7-9, 3-2 American.

1/8/25 at Houston (W 77-76).
1/11/25 vs. Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Huskies, who win on the road but lose at home. Their home loss was bad, and next week they continue with 2 games against sub-.500 teams.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 5-10, 1-4 American.

1/8/25 at South Florida (L 65-56).
1/11/25 at UConn- feature game, highlighted above.

A road split for the Golden Hurricane this week, as they get their first conference win in a big way. Next week they play Memphis twice, once at home, once on the road in one of those funny weeks against the same team.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 7-8, 0-3 ACC.

1/8/25 at Louisville (L 78-70).
1/10/25 at Chicago State (W 67-61).

A road split for the Fighting Irish, who go outside the conference to break a 6 game losing streak. Coach Mighty just needs 1 more win now to get career win #200.

North Florida (Felix Abel) -- 7-9, 1-1 Atlantic Sun.

1/9/25 at Kennesaw State (L 97-90).
1/11/25 at UL Monroe (W 68-63, OT).

The Ospreys keep up the streak of road splits, as they get their first conference win of Coach Abel's career in overtime.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 6-8, 1-2 Big 12.

1/8/25 vs. St. Peter's (L 104-101, OT).
1/11/25 vs. Texas Tech (W 80-62).

A home split for the Horned Frogs, who give up over 100 points for the second time this season. They can score, but defense? Coach Mighty's team doesn't need defense!

St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 9-5, 1-2 Big East.

1/6/25 at Boise State (W 91-89, OT).
1/11/25 at #9 Georgetown (L 71-68).

A pair of road thrillers for the Red Storm on the road, as they get by a tough Boise State team, but drop a heartbreaker at Georgetown. Next week should be easier as they face a pair of sub-.500 teams at home.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 7-7, 1-1 Big Ten.

1/8/25 vs. Minnesota (W 65-54).
1/11/25 vs. #17 Ohio State (L 75-74).

A split for the Wildcats, and they will be kicking themselves for a while after that Ohio State game. They led by 16 at halftime, but couldn't hold it, only to lose on a buzzer beater. Ugh!

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 7-7, 0-2 Conference USA.

1/9/25 vs. Louisiana Tech (L 79-65).
1/11/25 at UTEP (L 82-81).

2 losses to start conference play for the Golden Panthers, and it doesn't get easier as the next 3 teams they face have double digit wins already.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 6-7, 1-1 Conference USA.

1/9/25 at South Dakota State (L 79-75).
1/11/25 at Marshall (W 59-50).

A road split for the Owls who lost a tough one at South Dakota State, but recovered nicely at Marshall to break a 4 game losing streak.

Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) -- 7-10, 6-4 MAAC.

1/10/25 at Siena (W 67-59).
1/12/25 vs. Manhattan (L 70-60).

Another rare split for the Stags as they win on the road and lose at home again. We'll see if they can keep up that streak next week.

San Jose State (Thomas Sheppard) -- 8-6, 4-1 Mountain West.

1/8/25 at New Mexico (W 90-77).
1/11/25 vs. Colorado State (W 95-91).

2 more wins for the Spartans, who are coming out hot early on in MWC play, a surprise to many. They'll get tested their next 3 games though, so we'll see what happens.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 7-7, 1-1 Pac 12.

1/9/25 vs. Washington (W 75-65).
1/11/25 vs. #8 UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Buffaloes to open conference play as they faded in the 2nd half against UCLA.

#6 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 13-1, 2-0 Pac 12.

1/9/25 at Oregon (W 74-66).
1/11/25 vs. Arizona State (W 99-78).

2 more wins for the Cardinal who continue to roll, but at least this time around was against better competition.

#8 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 12-2, 2-0 Pac 12.

1/9/25 vs. Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.
1/11/25 at Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.

A dominating week for the Bruins, who absolutely smash their first 2 conference games in convincing fashion.

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

1/9/25 at #8 UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.
1/11/25 at #16 Arizona (W 79-70).

A split this week on the road for the Cougars, and let's give them credit. They could have packed it in for the season after that 62 point loss at UCLA, but they came back and beat Arizona on the road. Might be the first time they've beaten Arizona in this dynasty. Part 3 of the murderers row test comes next week.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 10-5, 0-2 SEC.

1/8/25 vs. Arkansas (L 77-76, OT).
1/11/25 at #22 VCU (L 54-51).

A tough way to open conference play for the Crimson Tide as they lose a couple heartbreakers. They've got 3 more on the road before returning home.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 7-7, 2-1 SWAC.

1/6/25 vs. Alcorn State (W 73-57).
1/11/25 vs. Southern (W 71-55).

The Golden Lions are back on the winning side of things after a pair of 16 point home victories this week, breaking a 7 game losing streak. They have the talent to run through the conference, let's see if Coach Gunn can get them there.

Troy (Benton Gale) -- 4-10, 2-5 Sun Belt.

1/9/25 at Arkansas State (W 64-53).
1/11/25 vs. UT Arlington (L 94-84).

A split for the Trojans, winning on the road and losing at home. Tough week coming up next week as they take on 2 of the better teams in the conference.

Here's a look at the national top 25 as we head into the week of Jan. 13-19:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Baylor (67) 16-0 1795 1 Big 12 Conference
2. Syracuse (2) 15-0 1720 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Vanderbilt (3) 14-0 1669 3 Southeastern Conference
4. Stanford 13-1 1535 6 Pacific-12 Conference
5. Providence 14-2 1461 7 Big East Conference
6. Villanova 14-2 1453 4 Big East Conference
7. Georgetown 13-2 1339 9 Big East Conference
8. UCLA 12-2 1281 8 Pacific-12 Conference
9. Wisconsin 12-2 1276 11 Big Ten Conference
10. Michigan State 12-2 1165 5 Big Ten Conference
11. Tennessee State 16-0 1139 10 Ohio Valley Conference
12. Ohio State 12-2 983 17 Big Ten Conference
13. Virginia 12-3 893 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
14. Princeton 13-1 807 15 Ivy League
15. Miami 11-3 736 14 Atlantic Coast Conference
16. Mercer 13-1 728 20 Southern Conference
17. Florida State 11-3 709 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
18. Pepperdine 13-2 551 NR West Coast Conference
19. Arizona 10-4 524 16 Pacific-12 Conference
20. USC Upstate 14-2 408 NR Atlantic Sun Conference
21. VCU 10-4 268 22 Southeastern Conference
22. Sacramento State 12-2 243 18 Big Sky Conference
23. South Carolina 11-2 191 19 Southeastern Conference
24. Nebraska 11-3 186 12 Big Ten Conference
25. Memphis 12-3 145 21 American Athletic Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Oklahoma 11-4 54 Big 12 Conference
Indiana 11-3 44 Big Ten Conference
Loyola Chicago 12-3 34 Missouri Valley Conference
George Washington 10-3 20 Atlantic 10 Conference
Georgia 11-3 14 Southeastern Conference
Penn State 11-3 10 Big Ten Conference
UC Riverside 12-3 9 Big West Conference
Iowa 10-4 7 Big Ten Conference
Tennessee 10-4 3 Southeastern Conference

Stanford moves up 2 spots, but for whatever reason, UCLA, even after dominating in both games this week, stays put.

Now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Jan. 13-19:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Tennessee State (71) 16-0 1799 1 Ohio Valley Conference
2. Princeton (1) 13-1 1709 2 Ivy League
3. Mercer 13-1 1653 5 Southern Conference
4. Pepperdine 13-2 1585 9 West Coast Conference
5. USC Upstate 14-2 1490 10 Atlantic Sun Conference
6. Memphis 12-3 1411 3 American Athletic Conference
7. Sacramento State 12-2 1363 4 Big Sky Conference
8. George Washington 10-3 1322 7 Atlantic 10 Conference
9. Loyola Chicago 12-3 1252 8 Missouri Valley Conference
10. UC Riverside 12-3 1134 17 Big West Conference
11. McNeese State 11-3 959 19 Southland Conference
12. Massachusetts 10-4 946 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
13. Evansville 12-4 935 NR Missouri Valley Conference
14. Boise State 10-4 826 12 Mountain West Conference
15. Temple 9-3 750 6 American Athletic Conference
16. Northwestern State 11-3 746 21 Southland Conference
17. Saint Joseph's 10-4 625 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
18. Central Michigan 11-4 505 14 Mid-American Conference
19. SMU 10-4 468 NR American Athletic Conference
20. Middle Tennessee 10-4 440 NR Conference USA
21. Air Force 11-4 398 15 Mountain West Conference
22. Harvard 10-4 305 NR Ivy League
23. Robert Morris 13-4 202 NR Northeast Conference
24. Hawaii 10-4 139 18 Big West Conference
25. Northeastern 10-4 125 NR Colonial Athletic Association

Others Receiving Votes:
New Hampshire 11-4 97 America East Conference
San Diego 12-5 79 West Coast Conference
Old Dominion 8-4 59 Conference USA
Fresno State 10-5 27 Mountain West Conference
Richmond 8-4 24 Atlantic 10 Conference
Florida Atlantic 10-4 18 Conference USA
Davidson 9-5 4 Atlantic 10 Conference
Ohio 10-5 3 Mid-American Conference
Long Beach State 10-5 2 Big West Conference

Still no FOFC mid-major teams ranked, probably won't be the rest of the season unless one of them just gets smoking hot.

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 13-19, 2025

37 games on the schedule this week including 2 feature games. Both feature games are in the Pac 12, and both involve Stanford.

1/16/25- #4 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) @ Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- A close one here, as both teams shot well. Turnovers were key though as the Cougars had 21 turnovers which gave Stanford more shot opportunities and more makes, including three point makes. Gallant effort by Washington State, just not enough.

Final Score: #4 Stanford- 96, Washington State- 86

1/18/25- Colorado (Rob Nielsen) @ #4 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- Another tight game, but again Stanford does just enough. This time it was free throws that made the difference, as Stanford shot 8 more free throws, and made them all. Literally, that was the difference.

Final Score: #4 Stanford- 92, Colorado- 84

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 13-7, 4-2 America East.

1/13/25 at Sacred Heart (W 73-66).
1/15/25 at New Hampshire (L 68-57).
1/19/25 at UMBC (W 88-84).

2 out of 3 for the Hawks this week, all on the road. They split their 2 conference games and also had a non-conference win, so all in all a good week.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 9-9, 5-2 American.

1/15/25 vs. UCF (W 66-61).
1/18/25 at Cincinnati (W 70-51).

Good week for the Huskies who win a couple, including a nice domination of Cincinnati on the road.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 7-10, 3-4 American.

1/15/55 vs. #25 Memphis (W 48-47).
1/18/25 at #25 Memphis (W 64-62).

Big week for the Golden Hurricane as they beat the same opponent twice, even if it was only by a combined 3 points. Hopefully that will be the spark they need to save Coach Brown's job.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 8-9, 1-4 ACC.

1/15/25 vs. Pittsburgh (W 68-58).
1/8/25 at N.C. State (L 66-65).

The Fighting Irish split this week, continuing to struggle. The win over Pitt got Coach Mighty his 200th career win though, something he honestly wasn't sure if he'd get this season or not.

North Florida (Felix Abel) -- 7-11, 1-3 Atlantic Sun.

1/16/25 vs. Stetson (L 81-43).
1/18/25 vs. #20 USC Upstate (L 74-50).

A week to forget for the Ospreys, who were thoroughly dominated in 2 games this week. The plus side is that both teams are pretty good, and the schedule gets a bit lighter for the next few games, so they have a chance to string some wins together.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 7-9, 2-3 Big 12.

1/13/25 vs. Oklahoma (L 101-76).
1/18/25 vs. Iowa State (W 95-88).

A home split for the Horned Frogs, who give up 100 point or more in their 3rd game this season. Not a trend that needs to continue, but it probably will, at least this season.

St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 11-5, 3-2 Big East.

1/15/25 vs. Creighton (W 74-66).
1/18/25 vs. Butler (W 68-44).

Good week for the Red Storm who get a couple convincing wins. They go on the road next week for 2 games that will be pretty tough, including a game against a top 10 team.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 8-8, 2-2 Big Ten.

1/15/25 vs. Maryland (W 59-43).
1/18/25 at Illinois (L 83-72).

A split for the Wildcats, more of a traditional split as they win at home and lose on the road. The grind continues, as their next 4 opponents are ranked.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 7-9, 0-4 Conference USA.

1/16/25 at Florida Atlantic (L 64-58, OT).
1/18/25 at Middle Tennessee (L 80-70).

2 more games, 2 more losses for the Golden Panthers who are still looking for their first conference win this season. The schedule lightens up some, but this FIU team just isn't there yet. They are young though, which is a good sign for the future, hopefully.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 6-9, 1-3 Conference USA.

1/16/25 vs. Southern Miss (L 85-83).
1/18/25 vs. North Texas (L 71-70).

More heartbreak for the Owls who gave up a 10 point halftime lead against Southern Miss only to lose the game late, while they rallied from a 13 point halftime deficit against North Texas, but couldn't come all the way back.

Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) -- 8-11, 7-5 MAAC.

1/17/25 at Quinnipiac (L 76-70).
1/19/25 vs. Rider (W 82-75).

Another split in conference play for the Stags, who seem to like playing that .500 ball. So far it's been enough to stay in the top 4 of the conference, but stringing together multiple wins in a row is going to be key going forward.

San Jose State (Thomas Sheppard) -- 10-6, 6-1 Mountain West.

1/15/25 vs. Air Force (W 87-79).
1/18/25 at San Diego State (W 72-68).

The Spartans continue to shock the Mountain West world, winning 2 more this week. Next week is huge, as they face the conference leaders, but the start is definitely promising.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 8-8, 2-2 Pac 12.

1/16/25 at Oregon (W 65-63).
1/18/25 at #4 Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Buffaloes, who also need to win multiple games in a row, as the pressure continues to be on Coach Nielsen.

#4 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 15-1, 4-0 Pac 12.

1/16/25 at Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.
1/18/25 vs. Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.

2 more wins for the Cardinal who are off to a hot start. Big game next week though as they take on the other undefeated conference team, which brings us to....

#8 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 14-2, 4-0 Pac 12.

1/16/25 vs. California (W 72-54).
1/18/25 at Utah (W 80-47).

2 very convincing wins for the Bruins, who look ready for that road showdown against the aforementioned Stanford next week.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 10-6, 2-2 Pac 12.

1/16/25 vs. #4 Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
1/18/25 vs. Oregon State (W 73-56).

A split for the Cougars, and if ever there was a season to break that postseason drought, this would be it. The Pac 12 seems like it could give Coach St. John at least a .500 record, but we'll see. A lot of basketball left to play.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 11-6, 1-3 SEC.

1/15/25 at Missouri (L 83-75).
1/18/25 at LSU (W 83-69).

A split for the Crimson Tide, who finally get their first SEC win of the season. They also have a fairly easy path, at least for the next few games which they really need to get.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 9-7, 4-1 SWAC.

1/13/25 at Texas Southern (W 79-69).
1/18/25 at Prairie View A&M (W 75-67).

2 road wins for the Golden Lions who look like they've shaken off that conference opening loss. The key now is to continue, as Coach Gunn is really making a case to impress here so he can get back into a higher conference.

Troy (Benton Gale) -- 6-10, 4-5 Sun Belt.

1/16/25 vs. Northern Kentucky (W 61-58).
1/18/25 at Florida Gulf Coast (W 91-79).

Good week for the Trojans who win 2 in a row and have a good chance to keep that going next week, at least for 1 of the games.

Now a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Jan. 20-26:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Baylor (72) 18-0 1800 1 Big 12 Conference
2. Syracuse 15-1 1719 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Vanderbilt 15-1 1654 3 Southeastern Conference
4. Providence 16-2 1567 5 Big East Conference
5. Wisconsin 14-2 1488 9 Big Ten Conference
6. UCLA 14-2 1415 8 Pacific-12 Conference
7. Stanford 15-1 1404 4 Pacific-12 Conference
8. Michigan State 14-2 1291 10 Big Ten Conference
9. Villanova 15-3 1222 6 Big East Conference
10. Tennessee State 18-0 1131 11 Ohio Valley Conference
11. Georgetown 14-3 1112 7 Big East Conference
12. Virginia 14-3 1034 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. Miami 13-3 863 15 Atlantic Coast Conference
14. Mercer 15-1 845 16 Southern Conference
15. Princeton 14-1 842 14 Ivy League
16. Ohio State 13-3 725 12 Big Ten Conference
17. USC Upstate 16-2 606 20 Atlantic Sun Conference
18. Georgia 13-3 498 NR Southeastern Conference
19. Florida State 12-4 495 17 Atlantic Coast Conference
20. Sacramento State 14-2 481 22 Big Sky Conference
21. Arizona 11-5 382 19 Pacific-12 Conference
22. Pepperdine 14-3 345 18 West Coast Conference
23. South Carolina 12-3 145 23 Southeastern Conference
24. Iowa 11-5 99 NR Big Ten Conference
25. DePaul 12-4 81 NR Big East Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Oklahoma 12-5 77 Big 12 Conference
Boise State 12-4 27 Mountain West Conference
Tennessee 11-5 23 Southeastern Conference
George Washington 11-4 10 Atlantic 10 Conference
Penn State 12-4 8 Big Ten Conference
Clemson 12-5 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
UC Riverside 13-4 4 Big West Conference
Harvard 12-4 1 Ivy League
Illinois 11-5 1 Big Ten Conference

While UCLA moves up 2 spots, Stanford moves down 3 spots. Apparently the voters didn't view Stanford's wins as being so impressive. Something to play for as they get ready for their big showdown next week.

Now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Jan. 20-26:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Tennessee State (72) 18-0 1800 1 Ohio Valley Conference
2. Princeton 14-1 1713 2 Ivy League
3. Mercer 15-1 1665 3 Southern Conference
4. USC Upstate 16-2 1565 5 Atlantic Sun Conference
5. Sacramento State 14-2 1495 7 Big Sky Conference
6. Pepperdine 14-3 1470 4 West Coast Conference
7. Boise State 12-4 1343 14 Mountain West Conference
8. George Washington 11-4 1315 8 Atlantic 10 Conference
9. Harvard 12-4 1165 22 Ivy League
10. New Hampshire 13-4 1000 NR America East Conference
11. UC Riverside 13-4 996 10 Big West Conference
12. Evansville 13-5 986 13 Missouri Valley Conference
13. San Diego 14-5 919 NR West Coast Conference
14. Memphis 12-5 879 6 American Athletic Conference
15. Old Dominion 10-4 800 NR Conference USA
16. Temple 10-4 624 15 American Athletic Conference
17. Loyola Chicago 12-5 622 9 Missouri Valley Conference
18. Saint Joseph's 11-5 564 17 Atlantic 10 Conference
19. McNeese State 12-4 543 11 Southland Conference
20. Central Michigan 12-5 346 18 Mid-American Conference
21. Northwestern State 12-4 295 16 Southland Conference
22. SMU 11-5 281 19 American Athletic Conference
23. Middle Tennessee 11-5 200 20 Conference USA
24. Davidson 11-5 179 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
25. Indiana State 12-6 174 NR Missouri Valley Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Air Force 12-5 170 Mountain West Conference
Hawaii 11-5 99 Big West Conference
Northern Illinois 11-5 56 Mid-American Conference
Northeastern 11-5 48 Colonial Athletic Association
Massachusetts 10-6 31 Atlantic 10 Conference
Quinnipiac 11-5 14 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Louisiana Tech 10-6 13 Conference USA
Wagner 13-5 11 Northeast Conference
Wichita State 11-6 7 Missouri Valley Conference
Fordham 10-5 6 Atlantic 10 Conference
Florida Atlantic 11-5 5 Conference USA
UC Santa Barbara 10-5 1 Big West Conference

Status quo for our FOFC mid-major teams: no votes.

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 20-26, 2025

34 games on the schedule this week, and 1 feature game. It's a big one though, a top 10 matchup in the Pac 12.

1/23/25- #6 UCLA (Tim Shepard) @ #7 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- The hype for this game went away quickly, as Stanford couldn't find the bottom of the barrel in this one. They shot just 28.3% compared to 50% for UCLA. The Bruins led by 15 at halftime and extended that lead in the second half to take control of the Pac 12 early.

Final Score: #6 UCLA- 76, #7 Stanford- 45

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 14-8, 5-3 America East.

1/22/25 vs. Maine (W 79-61).
1/26/25 at Binghamton (L 79-68).

A pair of double digit results for the Hawks as they split, winning at home and losing on the road.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 10-10, 5-3 American.

1/20/25 vs. Quinnipiac (W 78-59).
1/25/25 vs. SMU (L 64-55).

A home split for the Huskies, who win a non-conference game, but lose the more important conference game with 2 more tests coming next week.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 7-11, 3-5 American.

1/22/25 vs. Cincinnati (L 68-61).

It's 1 step forward, 2 steps back for the Golden Hurricane. After stunning ranked Memphis twice last week, they drop their only game of the week this week to a team with an RPI in the mid 200's. Next week: 2 road games, 1 of them non-conference.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 9-10, 2-5 ACC.

1/22/25 vs. Virginia Tech (W 67-66).
1/25/25 at Clemson (L 79-66).

A split for the Fighting Irish as they get the narrowest of home wins before losing convincingly on the road. They also have 2 tough ones next week.

North Florida (Felix Abel) -- 8-12, 2-3 Atlantic Sun.

1/20/25 vs. New Orleans (L 88-77).
1/23/25 at Lipscomb (W 77-47).

A split for the Ospreys, after a damaging non-conference loss, they get back into conference by hammering what might be one of the worst teams in the Atlantic Sun. They have 2 more road games next week, both could be winnable.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 7-11, 2-5 Big 12.

1/20/25 at West Virginia (L 64-55).
1/25/25 at Oklahoma State (L 92-84).

2 road losses for the Horned Frogs this week, and they are ad home for their next 3. All are winnable, and they have to have them all, at least 2 of 3.

St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 12-6, 4-3 Big East.

1/22/25 at Marquette (W 76-63).
1/25/25 at #9 Villanova (L 67-64).

A split for the Red Storm on the road. The Villanova loss will sting for a while, as they led at halftime but couldn't hold on. They have 2 tough home games next week.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 9-9, 3-3 Big Ten.

1/22/25 at #16 Ohio State (W 90-78).
1/25/25 at #24 Iowa (L 72-66).

A road split for the Wildcats, who get a nice win at Ohio State, but can't finish it off at Iowa. Next week is another tough week as they get Iowa at home.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 8-10, 1-5 Conference USA.

1/23/25 vs. Middle Tennessee (L 71-65).
1/25/25 vs. North Texas (W 76-62).

A split for the Golden Panthers at home, and the win against North Texas breaks a 5 game losing streak. They have a chance next week to get back to .500 overall, but it'll be tough.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 8-9, 3-3 Conference USA.

1/23/25 vs. Marshall (W 73-72).
1/25/25 at Western Kentucky (W 64-56).

A pair of tough wins for the Owls who are back to .500 in conference play and they look to extend that next week.

Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) -- 8-12, 7-6 MAAC.

1/24/25 at Rider (L 57-54).

Just 1 game this week for the Stags, but they drop a tough one at Rider, a team they just beat. A split seems likely next week as they face a tough non-conference game, and what should be a pretty easy MAAC game.

San Jose State (Thomas Sheppard) -- 10-7, 6-2 Mountain West.

1/25/25 vs. Boise State (L 92-69).

Just 1 game this week for the Spartans, but they were brought back down to earth a little bit, as they were hammered by the conference leaders at home. Next week they have a tough non-conference game before they get back into MWC play.

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

1/23/25 vs. Oregon State (W 77-71).
1/25/25 at California (L 68-65).

Mediocrity has been the theme for the Buffaloes the last few seasons, as they again split, winning a tough one at home and dropping a tough one on the road. If Coach Nielsen is going to stay off the hot seat, he has to find a way to get this team to go on a nice winning streak.

#7 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 16-2, 5-1 Pac 12.

1/23/25 vs. #6 UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.
1/25/25 at Gonzaga (W 92-89).

A split for the Cardinal, who didn't bring their A game against UCLA, but a nice recovery at Gonzaga to get back on track.

#6 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 16-2, 6-0 Pac 12.

1/23/25 at #7 Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
1/25/25 vs. Oregon State (W 69-65).

The Bruins stay undefeated in conference with 2 wins, although I would have expected the results to be reversed. I would have thought they'd dominate Oregon State and play Stanford close. Basketball is a funny game.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 12-6, 4-2 Pac 12.

1/23/25 at Gonzaga (W 97-88).
1/25/25 at Oregon (W 77-70, OT).

A very surprising week in a good way for the Cougars, as they get 2 road wins, 1 in overtime. If they are going to break the postseason drought, this is the year to do it as they'll lose 3 very talented seniors in the offseason.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 11-8, 1-5 SEC.

1/22/25 at Florida (L 63-51).
1/25/25 vs. Auburn (L 70-59).

Things are not too peachy for the Crimson Tide right now, as they are struggling to start SEC play after 2 more losses this week. They have a chance to get back on track next week, but every game seems to be tough right now.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 10-8, 5-2 SWAC.

1/20/25 vs. Grambling State (W 68-53).
1/25/25 vs. Jackson State (L 88-75).

A split this week for the Golden Lions, as the loss to Jackson State breaks a 5 game winning streak. They are about to begin a 4 game road stretch, with the toughest of the 4 coming next week.

Troy (Benton Gale) -- 7-11, 5-6 Sun Belt.

1/23/25 at Georgia Southern (W 92-88).
1/25/25 at UT Arlington (L 87-81).

A split for the Trojans, who are nowhere near being in competition for the NCAA Tournament, but they continue to hover around that .500 or better mark in Sun Belt play. Coach Gale really needs to get these guys to pick it up.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Jan. 27-Feb. 2:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Baylor (72) 20-0 1800 1 Big 12 Conference
2. Syracuse 17-1 1726 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Providence 18-2 1637 4 Big East Conference
4. UCLA 16-2 1564 6 Pacific-12 Conference
5. Vanderbilt 16-2 1496 3 Southeastern Conference
6. Villanova 17-3 1436 9 Big East Conference
7. Michigan State 16-2 1409 8 Big Ten Conference
8. Stanford 16-2 1294 7 Pacific-12 Conference
9. Wisconsin 15-3 1203 5 Big Ten Conference
10. Virginia 16-3 1141 12 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Tennessee State 20-0 1102 10 Ohio Valley Conference
12. Georgetown 15-4 1010 11 Big East Conference
13. Miami 14-3 888 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
14. Mercer 17-1 876 14 Southern Conference
15. Georgia 15-3 789 18 Southeastern Conference
16. Ohio State 14-4 748 16 Big Ten Conference
17. USC Upstate 18-2 640 17 Atlantic Sun Conference
18. Princeton 15-2 558 15 Ivy League
19. Pepperdine 16-3 554 22 West Coast Conference
20. Florida State 13-5 425 19 Atlantic Coast Conference
21. Sacramento State 15-3 350 20 Big Sky Conference
22. VCU 12-6 178 NR Southeastern Conference
23. Evansville 15-5 153 NR Missouri Valley Conference
24. Iowa 12-6 142 24 Big Ten Conference
25. Memphis 14-5 120 NR American Athletic Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Boise State 13-5 37 Mountain West Conference
Loyola Chicago 14-5 32 Missouri Valley Conference
Oklahoma 13-6 29 Big 12 Conference
Tennessee 12-6 13 Southeastern Conference
Penn State 13-5 11 Big Ten Conference
Arizona 11-7 10 Pacific-12 Conference
Davidson 13-5 8 Atlantic 10 Conference
George Washington 12-5 8 Atlantic 10 Conference
Air Force 14-5 5 Mountain West Conference
Northwestern State 14-4 5 Southland Conference
DePaul 12-6 2 Big East Conference
UC Riverside 14-5 1 Big West Conference

UCLA moves up 2 spots after another perfect week, including a smashing at Stanford. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Stanford only moved down 1 spot, as the pollsters still consider these 2 to be the best in the Pac 12.

Now for the mid-major poll heading into the week of Jan. 27-Feb. 2:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Tennessee State (72) 20-0 1800 1 Ohio Valley Conference
2. Mercer 17-1 1711 3 Southern Conference
3. Pepperdine 16-3 1596 6 West Coast Conference
4. Princeton 15-2 1590 2 Ivy League
5. USC Upstate 18-2 1583 4 Atlantic Sun Conference
6. Evansville 15-5 1358 12 Missouri Valley Conference
7. Memphis 14-5 1320 14 American Athletic Conference
8. Sacramento State 15-3 1287 5 Big Sky Conference
9. Boise State 13-5 1231 7 Mountain West Conference
10. George Washington 12-5 1117 8 Atlantic 10 Conference
11. Loyola Chicago 14-5 1080 17 Missouri Valley Conference
12. Davidson 13-5 979 24 Atlantic 10 Conference
13. SMU 13-5 859 22 American Athletic Conference
14. Middle Tennessee 13-5 829 23 Conference USA
15. Air Force 14-5 778 NR Mountain West Conference
16. San Diego 15-6 739 13 West Coast Conference
17. Harvard 13-5 689 9 Ivy League
18. Northeastern 13-5 490 NR Colonial Athletic Association
19. Northwestern State 14-4 457 21 Southland Conference
20. Wichita State 13-6 448 NR Missouri Valley Conference
21. UC Riverside 14-5 394 11 Big West Conference
22. Saint Joseph's 12-6 347 18 Atlantic 10 Conference
23. Temple 11-5 178 16 American Athletic Conference
24. Akron 12-7 114 NR Mid-American Conference
25. Central Michigan 13-6 104 20 Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Manhattan 15-6 98 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
UC Santa Barbara 12-5 85 Big West Conference
McNeese State 13-5 77 Southland Conference
Eastern Michigan 13-6 27 Mid-American Conference
Massachusetts 11-7 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
New Hampshire 13-6 11 America East Conference
Radford 15-6 5 Big South Conference
Louisiana Tech 11-7 3 Conference USA
Utah State 12-7 2 Mountain West Conference

No surprise here, as none of our FOFC mid-major teams even sniffed a vote. Coach Gunn might be happy to know that his former job, Hawaii, has started to revert back to their old ways and have lost all their mid-major votes.

[bbgunn]

Serves Hawaii right.

[collegesportsfanms]

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2025

36 games on the schedule this week, with 1 feature game in the Pac 12. Let's get to it:

1/30/25- Colorado (Rob Nielsen) @ Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- Someone should tell Coach Nielsen that next time he goes on the road, he needs to bring his team with him. Colorado committed 22 turnovers in the game and allowed the Cougars to shoot 54.2%. They trailed by 31 at halftime as Washington State rolled to a surprising victory.

Final Score: Washington State- 99, Colorado- 65

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 16-8, 7-3 2nd America East.

1/31/25 vs. Albany (W 91-74).
2/2/25 vs. Stony Brook (W 81-77).

2 more home wins this week for the Hawks who continue to improve. They are on good pace for another 20 win season.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 11-10, 6-3 T-1st American.

2/1/25 at Temple (W 62-49).

Just 1 game this week for the Huskies, who get a nice road win and sit atop the American with 3 other teams in what has been a wild first half of conference play.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 7-13, 3-6 T-9th American.

1/28/25 at Missouri State (L 51-50).
2/1/25 at UCF (L 68-59).

A pair of tough road losses this week for the Golden Hurricane who continue to struggle and find themselves tied with 2 other teams for last place in the conference.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 10-11, 3-6 T-12th ACC.

1/29/25 vs. Louisville (L 107-69).
2/1/25 at Duke (W 84-68).

A split for the Fighting Irish, but Coach Mighty is pulling his hair out with this team, as they just can't seem to put anything together.

North Florida (Felix Abel) -- 10-12, 4-3 3rd Atlantic Sun.

1/30/25 at NJIT (W 79-63).
2/1/25 at Jacksonville (W 75-66).

2 more convincing wins for the Ospreys who now find themselves with a 3 game winning streak.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 8-12, 3-6 T-7th Big 12.

1/27/25 vs. Kansas (W 96-85).
2/1/25 vs. Kansas State (L 84-75).

A home split for the Horned Frogs who continue to fall into mediocrity in the Big 12 after a few good seasons in a row.

St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 14-6, 6-3 4th Big East.

1/29/25 vs. Seton Hall (W 71-55).
2/1/25 vs. DePaul (W 77-67).

The Red Storm get back on track with a couple home wins this week and they've now won 5 of their last 6.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 9-11, 3-5 T-9th Big Ten.

1/29/25 vs. #24 Iowa (L 96-74).
2/1/25 at #9 Wisconsin (L 93-84).

No big surprise here as the Wildcats lose 2 more this week in convincing fashion and have now lost 3 in a row.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 9-11, 2-6 T-13th Conference USA.

1/30/25 at North Texas (W 93-64).
2/1/25 vs. UTEP (L 95-89).

The Golden Panthers continue to struggle as they split this week. Coach Hawkins inherited a good situation a couple seasons ago at FIU, but things have gone downhill since.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 9-10, 4-4 T-5th Conference USA.

1/30/25 vs. Western Kentucky (L 69-60).
2/1/25 vs. Charlotte (W 64-51).

A split for the Owls who are about to go on a long homestand. They might be tied for 5th in the conference, but so is half the conference.

Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) -- 9-13, 7-7 T-5th MAAC.

1/28/25 at Harvard (W 71-59).
1/31/25 vs. Canisius (L 69-57).

Total confusion this week for the Stags, who get a good road win against a strong Harvard team in non-conference, then go back home and get beat by double digits to the worst team in the MAAC. Huh? Basketball is a funny game.

San Jose State (Thomas Sheppard) -- 10-9, 6-3 3rd Mountain West.

1/30/25 vs. UC Davis (L 70-68).
2/1/25 at Nevada (L 100-96).

Things might be falling apart a bit for the Spartans after a very surprising start to conference play. They lost 2 games this week, although one of them was a non-conference game, and both were close.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 10-10, 4-4 T-4th Pac 12.

1/30/25 at Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.
2/1/25 at Arizona State (W 98-97, OT).

Common procedure for the Buffaloes this week, as they split, something they've done every week since conference play started. As hot as some of the other conference teams are, that season goal of competing for the Pac 12 Title? Not likely to happen.

#8 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 18-2, 7-1 2nd Pac 12.

1/30/25 vs. California (W 73-58).
2/1/25 vs. Utah (W 98-53).

2 dominating performances this week for the Cardinal, who stay on pace in the conference, right behind the leaders who they'll see again soon.

#4 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 18-2, 8-0 1st Pac 12.

1/30/25 at Oregon (W 63-55).
2/1/25 vs. Gonzaga (W 76-73).

2 more wins for the Bruins who stay undefeated in conference play, although they were tested a bit more this week.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 14-6, 6-2 3rd Pac 12.

1/30/25 vs. California- feature game, highlighted above.
2/1/25 at Washington (W 73-65).

The Cougars continue to roll, winning 2 more this week. They are in the midst of their best season ever. It's obvious that they are ready for the postseason, but do they have enough firepower left to get there?

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 13-8, 3-5 T-9th SEC.

1/29/25 at Auburn (W 74-71).
2/1/25 vs. Texas A&M (W 95-92, OT).

A pair of 3 point wins this week for the Crimson Tide, who really needed to get back on track as they've already lost more conference games this season as they did all of last season.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 11-9, 6-3 T-2nd SWAC.

1/27/25 at Alabama State (L 60-55).
2/1/25 at Alabama A&M (W 66-57).

Another split for the Golden Lions, who are missing opportunities to get atop the SWAC. Coach Gunn still has high confidence they can get there, but he can't go back to the splits and winless weeks like he had in Hawaii.

Troy (Benton Gale) -- 8-12, 6-7 7th Sun Belt.

1/30/25 at UL Lafayette (L 70-69).
2/1/25 vs. Appalachian State (W 84-76).

1 lousy point separates the Trojans from a 2-0 week and a winning conference record. They seem to be playing better ball, winners of 4 of their last 6, but the real grind starts now.

Now a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Feb. 3-9:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Baylor (72) 22-0 1800 1 Big 12 Conference
2. Syracuse 19-1 1719 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Providence 19-2 1640 3 Big East Conference
4. UCLA 18-2 1563 4 Pacific-12 Conference
5. Villanova 19-3 1508 6 Big East Conference
6. Michigan State 18-2 1432 7 Big Ten Conference
7. Wisconsin 17-3 1362 9 Big Ten Conference
8. Vanderbilt 17-3 1307 5 Southeastern Conference
9. Stanford 18-2 1258 8 Pacific-12 Conference
10. Georgetown 17-4 1171 12 Big East Conference
11. Tennessee State 21-1 1066 11 Ohio Valley Conference
12. Georgia 16-4 924 15 Southeastern Conference
13. Virginia 16-5 843 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
14. Miami 14-5 753 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
15. Princeton 17-2 687 18 Ivy League
16. Ohio State 14-6 654 16 Big Ten Conference
17. Mercer 18-2 647 14 Southern Conference
18. Florida State 14-6 633 20 Atlantic Coast Conference
19. Iowa 14-6 563 24 Big Ten Conference
20. Oklahoma 15-6 343 NR Big 12 Conference
21. USC Upstate 19-3 333 17 Atlantic Sun Conference
22. Pepperdine 17-4 332 19 West Coast Conference
23. Arizona 13-7 256 NR Pacific-12 Conference
24. Memphis 16-5 249 25 American Athletic Conference
25. VCU 13-7 119 22 Southeastern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
St. John's 14-6 108 Big East Conference
Missouri 14-6 55 Southeastern Conference
Sacramento State 16-4 30 Big Sky Conference
Louisville 14-6 17 Atlantic Coast Conference
Evansville 16-6 16 Missouri Valley Conference
Boise State 14-6 7 Mountain West Conference
Loyola Chicago 15-6 4 Missouri Valley Conference
SMU 15-5 1 American Athletic Conference

UCLA stays at #4, and probably won't move up unless 1 of the 3 teams in front of them loses. Stanford, despite another 2-0 week, moves down another spot. St. John's comes out of nowhere to miss the top 25 by 11 points. I guess when you're the defending champs, that's what happens. You get recognition out of nowhere lol.

Now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Feb. 3-9:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Tennessee State (60) 21-1 1788 1 Ohio Valley Conference
2. Princeton (5) 17-2 1670 4 Ivy League
3. Memphis 16-5 1603 7 American Athletic Conference
4. Mercer 18-2 1570 2 Southern Conference
5. Pepperdine (7) 17-4 1559 3 West Coast Conference
6. Evansville 16-6 1433 6 Missouri Valley Conference
7. USC Upstate 19-3 1331 5 Atlantic Sun Conference
8. Boise State 14-6 1275 9 Mountain West Conference
9. Loyola Chicago 15-6 1189 11 Missouri Valley Conference
10. SMU 15-5 1145 13 American Athletic Conference
11. Saint Joseph's 14-6 1045 22 Atlantic 10 Conference
12. San Diego 16-7 1013 16 West Coast Conference
13. Wichita State 14-7 906 20 Missouri Valley Conference
14. Davidson 14-6 822 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
15. Sacramento State 16-4 757 8 Big Sky Conference
16. Middle Tennessee 14-6 647 14 Conference USA
17. George Washington 12-7 605 10 Atlantic 10 Conference
18. Akron 13-8 549 24 Mid-American Conference
19. Air Force 14-6 419 15 Mountain West Conference
20. Massachusetts 12-8 348 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
21. Central Michigan 14-7 325 25 Mid-American Conference
22. Northeastern 14-6 239 18 Colonial Athletic Association
23. Furman 14-7 148 NR Southern Conference
24. Indiana State 13-9 147 NR Missouri Valley Conference
25. UC Riverside 14-6 143 21 Big West Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Long Beach State 13-8 83 Big West Conference
Hawaii 13-7 77 Big West Conference
BYU 14-10 75 West Coast Conference
Northwestern State 15-5 73 Southland Conference
Illinois State 12-10 72 Missouri Valley Conference
Old Dominion 12-6 55 Conference USA
Richmond 12-6 51 Atlantic 10 Conference
Robert Morris 17-6 51 Northeast Conference
Eastern Michigan 14-7 39 Mid-American Conference
Manhattan 15-7 38 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
New Hampshire 14-7 28 America East Conference
Utah State 13-8 21 Mountain West Conference
Harvard 13-7 19 Ivy League
Boston University 14-7 11 Patriot League
Colorado State 12-7 9 Mountain West Conference
UT Arlington 13-7 7 Sun Belt Conference
Kent State 12-8 5 Mid-American Conference
Radford 16-7 5 Big South Conference
Wagner 16-6 3 Northeast Conference
San Diego State 11-9 1 Mountain West Conference
South Alabama 13-7 1 Sun Belt Conference

Another week with none of our mid-major teams receiving a vote. Frustrating!

It's time to take a look at this seasons first edition of the Bubble Watch. We'll start with the Overall Bubble Watch which features 1 of our teams:

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Iowa 14-6 .550 (69) 1-2 6-1 2-2 5-1 153 In
George Washington 12-7 .601 (19) 3-3 1-3 8-1 0-0 20 In
Alabama 13-8 .560 (56) 3-5 1-1 4-2 5-0 91 In
Akron 13-8 .612 (13) 3-4 1-0 6-3 3-1 2 In
Clemson 13-8 .583 (34) 3-5 1-0 6-1 3-2 26 In
Harvard 13-7 .553 (65) 1-3 3-0 2-0 7-4 116 In
Hawaii 13-7 .547 (75) 2-1 3-1 2-3 6-2 130 In
Central Michigan 14-7 .546 (76) 0-0 3-1 6-4 5-2 128 In
Long Beach State 13-8 .578 (37) 2-1 3-3 4-2 4-2 33 Out
Penn State 14-6 .542 (84) 2-3 1-1 4-1 7-1 200 Out
Air Force 14-6 .528 (104) 1-1 2-1 6-3 5-1 230 Out
Arizona 13-7 .538 (92) 4-2 3-1 2-1 4-3 119 Out
Sacramento State 16-4 .532 (98) 1-1 0-0 5-0 10-3 297 Out
Illinois 13-7 .523 (110) 1-3 3-2 5-2 4-0 192 Out
UC Riverside 14-6 .503 (161) 0-2 2-1 5-2 7-1 291 Out

Good to see Alabama so high on the Bubble Watch, but they wouldn't even be in this position if not for a slow conference start. Even with a fairly low RPI, they are still in good shape, as long as they don't fall apart in the SEC.

Now for the rest of the teams:

Locks: St. John's, UCLA, Stanford
In: Washington State

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 3-9, 2025

36 games on the schedule this week, and 1 very important feature game in the Pac 12, so we'll start there:

2/8/25- #4 UCLA (Tim Shepard) @ Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- The Cougars struggled in the first half of this one, trailing by 24 at halftime. They turned it over 17 times, and while they were able to cut into the halftime lead, it wasn't enough.

Final Score: #4 UCLA- 79, Washington State- 67

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 17-9, 8-4 2nd America East.

2/5/25 at UMass Lowell (L 70-52).
2/9/25 vs. New Hampshire (W 62-45).

If anything, I'd have expected those results to be reversed, as UMass Lowell came into that game with just 4 wins. Ouch! Not a good loss at all for the Hawks, but they salvage a split for the week.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 11-12, 6-5 T-3rd American.

2/5/25 vs. Houston (L 83-63).
2/8/25 at SMU (L 70-36).

The Huskies flat out didn't come to play ball this week, as they were hammered in 2 games. Granted, SMU is one of the favorites to win the conferences, but still, a better effort was needed.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 8-14, 4-7 T-10th (last) American.

2/5/25 vs. ECU (L 51-40).
2/8/25 at Tulane (W 73-52).

A split for the Golden Hurricane this week, as the win at Tulane broke a 4 game losing streak, and the loss to a 4 win ECU team was pretty embarrassing. Not good for a coach already on the hot seat.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 10-12, 3-7 T-13th ACC.

2/8/25 vs. North Carolina (L 83-72).

Just 1 game this week for the Fighting Irish, but another loss. Coach Mighty will be finding himself on the hotseat soon if things don't pick up.

North Florida (Felix Abel) -- 10-14, 4-5 T-4th Atlantic Sun.

2/6/25 vs. UL Monroe (L 86-68).
2/8/25 vs. Kennesaw State (L 75-67).

2 more losses this week for the Ospreys have them back under .500 in conference play, as they can't seem to turn the corner in a pretty week conference.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 9-13, 3-7 10th (last) Big 12.

2/3/25 vs. Binghamton (W 98-71).
2/8/25 at Texas Tech (L 83-80).

A split for the Horned Frogs this week, who win a non-conference game easily. That game at Texas Tech could haunt them for a while though, as they led by 16 at halftime only to blow it.

St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 15-7, 7-3 T-3rd Big East.

2/6/25 vs. Georgia State (L 63-61).
2/8/25 vs. #10 Georgetown (W 107-85).

A completely head scratching week for the Red Storm, who hammered a top 10 team at home, but lose to a non-conference team with a sub-.500 record. If they want to defend their national title, they have to win the gimme games.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 9-13, 3-7 T-11th (last) Big Ten.

2/5/25 at Minnesota (L 90-73).
2/8/25 vs. Illinois (L 95-94).

The losing streak is up to 5 now for the Wildcats, as they almost broke it against Illinois, but not quite. They sit in a 4 way tie for last place in the conference.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 10-12, 3-7 T-13th (last) Conference USA.

2/6/25 vs. Southern Miss (L 88-72).
2/8/25 vs. Florida Atlantic (W 64-52).

A split for the Golden Panthers, as their total collapse continues. They haven't been able to put together any kind of winning streak, and Coach Hawkins might need to start filling out job applications again soon.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 10-11, 5-5 T-6th Conference USA.

2/6/25 at Louisiana Tech (L 81-72).
2/8/25 at North Texas (W 85-72).

A split for the Owls, who are in a 4 way tie for 6th in the conference, as they've split their games the past 2 weeks.

Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) -- 9-15, 7-9 7th MAAC.

2/7/25 vs. St. Peter's (L 84-63).
2/9/25 at Canisius (L 63-57).

The slide continues for the Stags who lose 2 more this week, including another loss to conference dweller Canisius. Huh? Crazy.

San Jose State (Thomas Sheppard) -- 11-10, 7-4 3rd Mountain West.

2/5/25 vs. New Mexico (L 83-64).
2/8/25 at Boise State (W 80-78).

Another split for the Spartans, but that win at Boise State does break a 4 game losing streak. Even though they are only a game over .500 overall, they continue to turn heads in conference play.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 11-11, 5-5 T-5th Pac 12.

2/6/25 at Oregon State (L 72-65).
2/8/25 vs. California (W 82-74).

Another split for the Buffaloes, something they've done all season. Coach Nielsen won't make any new friends unless he can put together a winning streak, which doesn't seem likely.

#9 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 19-3, 8-2 2nd Pac 12.

2/6/25 at #23 Arizona (L 96-88).
2/8/25 at Utah (W 90-79).

A split for the Cardinal, who lose ground in the race to catch up to conference leader UCLA, but their loss was to Arizona, and that's not a bad loss at all.

#4 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 20-2, 10-0 1st Pac 12.

2/6/25 at Gonzaga (W 81-71).
2/8/25 at Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.

2 more wins for the Bruins who continue to roll, but next week will be tough as they get both Arizona and Stanford.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 14-8, 6-4 T-3rd Pac 12.

2/6/25 at California (L 76-67).
2/8/25 vs. #4 UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

2 losses for the Cougars this week, and that breaks a 5 game losing streak. They need to right the ship now, as they can't afford any setbacks. 0-2 weeks won't cut it when they are fighting for their first postseason berth.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 14-9, 4-6 10th SEC.

2/5/25 at South Carolina (W 65-58).
2/8/25 vs. #25 VCU (L 66-64).

Another split for the Crimson Tide, who might be in jeopardy of seeing their postseason streak come to an end. A tough loss to VCU with another ranked team on the schedule next week.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 11-11, 6-5 6th SWAC.

2/3/25 at Southern (L 87-81).
2/8/25 at Alcorn State (L 72-71).

2 close losses for the Golden Lions, and this scene might be starting to feel all too familiar for Coach Gunn: A late season collapse.

Troy (Benton Gale) -- 10-12, 7-7 5th Sun Belt.

2/3/25 vs. Jacksonville (W 76-68).
2/6/25 at Northern Kentucky (W 81-63).

2 more wins for the Trojans, who might finally start to be hitting their stride. They've evened up their conference record and have a pretty light schedule continuing into February.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Feb. 10-16:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Baylor (72) 24-0 1800 1 Big 12 Conference
2. Syracuse 21-1 1726 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Providence 21-2 1643 3 Big East Conference
4. UCLA 20-2 1590 4 Pacific-12 Conference
5. Wisconsin 19-3 1504 7 Big Ten Conference
6. Villanova 20-4 1435 5 Big East Conference
7. Michigan State 19-3 1378 6 Big Ten Conference
8. Stanford 19-3 1302 9 Pacific-12 Conference
9. Georgetown 17-5 1218 10 Big East Conference
10. Vanderbilt 18-4 1164 8 Southeastern Conference
11. Miami 16-5 1063 14 Atlantic Coast Conference
12. Virginia 18-5 980 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. Memphis 18-5 799 24 American Athletic Conference
14. Tennessee State 21-3 776 11 Ohio Valley Conference
15. Arizona 15-7 769 23 Pacific-12 Conference
16. Ohio State 15-7 672 16 Big Ten Conference
17. Princeton 18-3 571 15 Ivy League
18. Oklahoma 16-7 502 20 Big 12 Conference
19. Mercer 19-3 501 17 Southern Conference
20. Tennessee 15-7 363 NR Southeastern Conference
21. Georgia 16-6 336 12 Southeastern Conference
22. Florida State 15-7 289 18 Atlantic Coast Conference
23. VCU 14-8 284 25 Southeastern Conference
24. Iowa 15-7 237 19 Big Ten Conference
25. Pepperdine 18-5 203 22 West Coast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
USC Upstate 20-4 130 Atlantic Sun Conference
Sacramento State 18-4 82 Big Sky Conference
St. John's 15-7 61 Big East Conference
Davidson 16-6 7 Atlantic 10 Conference
Indiana 15-7 6 Big Ten Conference
Louisville 15-7 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
Missouri 15-7 3 Southeastern Conference

No major changes here, as UCLA stays at #4, Stanford moves up a spot even though they split this week, and the St. John's split cost them some votes, but they are still receiving their fair share.

Now a painful look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Feb. 10-16:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Memphis (53) 18-5 1780 3 American Athletic Conference
2. Tennessee State (3) 21-3 1703 1 Ohio Valley Conference
3. Princeton (7) 18-3 1629 2 Ivy League
4. Pepperdine (8) 18-5 1569 5 West Coast Conference
5. Mercer 19-3 1495 4 Southern Conference
6. Wichita State (1) 16-7 1365 13 Missouri Valley Conference
7. USC Upstate 20-4 1330 7 Atlantic Sun Conference
8. SMU 16-6 1246 10 American Athletic Conference
9. Boise State 15-7 1231 8 Mountain West Conference
10. George Washington 14-7 1125 17 Atlantic 10 Conference
11. Davidson 16-6 1063 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
12. Loyola Chicago 16-7 1043 9 Missouri Valley Conference
13. Sacramento State 18-4 953 15 Big Sky Conference
14. Evansville 16-8 872 6 Missouri Valley Conference
15. San Diego 17-8 798 12 West Coast Conference
16. Saint Joseph's 14-8 624 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
17. Akron 14-9 487 18 Mid-American Conference
18. Middle Tennessee 15-7 479 16 Conference USA
19. Furman 16-7 455 23 Southern Conference
20. Colorado State 14-7 275 NR Mountain West Conference
21. Boston University 16-7 245 NR Patriot League
22. St. Bonaventure 13-9 215 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
23. Eastern Michigan 16-7 209 NR Mid-American Conference
24. Robert Morris 19-6 198 NR Northeast Conference
25. Harvard 15-7 179 NR Ivy League

Others Receiving Votes:
UC Riverside 15-7 100 Big West Conference
Massachusetts 13-9 99 Atlantic 10 Conference
UT Arlington 15-7 89 Sun Belt Conference
Long Beach State 14-9 79 Big West Conference
Indiana State 14-10 58 Missouri Valley Conference
Richmond 13-7 57 Atlantic 10 Conference
Radford 18-7 50 Big South Conference
BYU 15-11 49 West Coast Conference
Air Force 14-8 42 Mountain West Conference
Louisiana Tech 13-9 40 Conference USA
Northwestern State 16-6 39 Southland Conference
Northeastern 15-7 35 Colonial Athletic Association
Temple 14-7 21 American Athletic Conference
San Diego State 13-9 18 Mountain West Conference
Central Michigan 14-9 15 Mid-American Conference
Utah State 14-9 14 Mountain West Conference
UC Davis 15-8 10 Big West Conference
Illinois State 13-11 5 Missouri Valley Conference
Kent State 13-9 5 Mid-American Conference
Missouri State 15-10 4 Missouri Valley Conference
Ohio 14-9 3 Mid-American Conference

No representation here. I'm making some changes in the offseason, I'm tired of this. ALL coaches will go up to the highest prestige possible. We're gonna try to make some noise.

This weeks edition of the Overall Bubble Watch features 2 of our teams, so let's take a look:

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
San Diego 17-8 .575 (36) 0-1 3-3 8-4 6-0 85 In
Nebraska 14-8 .569 (44) 2-2 2-4 7-0 3-2 59 In
Iowa 15-7 .548 (65) 2-3 5-0 3-3 5-1 131 In
Washington State 14-8 .571 (43) 0-4 2-1 6-3 6-0 57 In
Harvard 15-7 .551 (59) 0-3 4-0 4-0 7-4 139 In
Oklahoma State 15-8 .547 (68) 0-3 3-1 7-2 5-2 166 In
Alabama 14-9 .559 (54) 3-6 3-2 3-1 5-0 69 In
South Carolina 13-8 .549 (64) 3-3 1-4 4-0 5-1 96 In
Akron 14-9 .609 (15) 2-4 3-0 7-4 2-1 3 Out
Seton Hall 14-9 .573 (38) 1-5 3-3 6-1 4-0 36 Out
Missouri State 15-10 .550 (63) 5-2 1-3 5-3 4-2 115 Out
Long Beach State 14-9 .579 (31) 3-1 2-1 6-4 3-3 26 Out
New Hampshire 14-9 .554 (56) 2-0 2-2 5-3 5-4 75 Out
Illinois 14-8 .522 (112) 1-3 5-4 4-0 4-1 204 Out
Richmond 13-7 .518 (119) 3-1 2-2 2-2 6-2 254 Out

Washington State is still happy to be in mention, which means they would also be a consideration for all postseason tournaments, and that's all they want, to be in the postseason. However, 2-5 against the RPI top 100 doesn't look too good.

As for Alabama, they are very fortunate to be in the last 4 in, as they are 6-8 against the RPI top 100, but have played a pretty tough schedule. Not tough enough though, as you can see, other teams have played a tougher schedule, so they have work to do.

Now for the rest of the teams, and remember, this bubble watch is only for the NCAA Tournament:

Locks: St. John's, UCLA, Stanford

The only changes from last week are that Alabama is on the bubble, and they were projected out last week. Also, Washington State was safely in, now they are on the bubble.

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 10-16, 2025

36 games on the schedule this week, with 2 of them being feature games. Let's start in the American:

2/15/25- UConn (Randolph Childress) @ Tulsa (Will Brown) -- Hot shooting for both of these teams, as there wasn't a lot of defense to be played. Tulsa scored over half their points from the three point line, hitting 15 three pointers. Unfortunately for them, they were outshot everywhere else, and that proved to be the difference as the Huskies get a much needed road win.

Final Score: UConn- 81, Tulsa- 72

Now to the Pac 12:

2/15/25- #8 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) @ #4 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- The Bruins are just unstoppable right now, as they shot better from the field and the three point line. Despite everything else being even, UCLA had 13 blocks, which really helped the difference as they were able to turn them into easy points and stay undefeated in conference.

Final Score: #4 UCLA- 91, #10 Stanford- 78

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 19-9, 10-4 2nd America East.

2/12/25 at Vermont (W 97-83).
2/16/25 at Maine (W 73-43).

The Hawks get 2 big road wins to stay in the hunt for an America East title. Unfortunately they have to win both of their games next week and get help. They lost both games to conference leader Binghamton, so the only possible scenario for Coach Ginsberg to cut the nets is if Binghamton loses 2 of their 3 remaining conference games and Hartford wins both of theirs. Another scenario I just thought of is if Hartford splits next week and Binghamton loses all 3 of their remaining conference games.. either way, the Hawks need to take care of business and get help.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 12-13, 7-6 5th American.

2/12/25 vs. ECU (L 75-71).
2/15/25 at Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Huskies, and another embarrassing loss to what was the conference dwellers in ECU. However, the win at Tulsa did break a 3 game losing streak.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 8-16, 4-9 11th (last) American.

2/12/25 at Houston (L 53-50).
2/15/25 vs. UConn- feature game, highlighted above.

2 more losses for the Golden Hurricane, and coach Brown has to be concerned about keeping his job after the season. It's going to take a miraculous run for Tulsa to make the postseason.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 10-14, 3-9 13th ACC.

2/12/25 at Boston College (L 60-52).
2/15/25 vs. N.C. State (L 95-81).

2 more losses for the fighting Irish, and with their upcoming schedule, it's quite possible they don't win another game in the regular season. They have 2 more games on their schedule against non-ranked teams, but even those aren't gimmes at this point. Coach Mighty might be wishing he would have stayed in East Lansing.

North Florida (Felix Abel) -- 12-14, 6-5 T-2nd Atlantic Sun.

2/13/25 at Stetson (W 73-58).
2/15/25 at USC Upstate (W 91-83).

2 huge road wins for the Ospreys this week, including a monumental win over conference leaders USC Upstate, who were receiving a lot of votes in both polls. They have 4 more regular season games, and 3 of them are in conference. All of them are winnable, if they continue to play like they did at Upstate.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 9-15, 3-9 10th (last) Big 12.

2/10/25 at Iowa State (L 81-68).
2/15/25 at #18 Oklahoma (L 89-81).

2 more losses for the Horned Frogs, who are having their worst season in quite some time. Another team in which it's going to take a huge run at the end of the season to make the postseason. I don't see it happening.

St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 17-7, 9-3 T-3rd Big East.

2/12/25 at Butler (W 76-66).
2/15/25 at Creighton (W 70-38).

2 road wins this week for the Red Storm, who are 1 of 4 teams separated by just 1/2 game for first place. They have a huge test next week which will be pretty telling. Win that, and this time might be for real again.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 10-14, 4-8 T-11th Big Ten.

2/12/25 vs. Rutgers (W 96-94, OT).
2/15/25 vs. Penn State (L 81-78).

Eureka! The Wildcats finally break the losing streak with an OT win over Rutgers, then start a new losing streak against Penn State. They aren't playing terrible ball lately, but they also have a lot of work to do.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 11-13, 4-8 T-12th Conference USA.

2/13/25 vs. Marshall (W 75-63).
2/15/25 at George Mason (L 59-50).

A split for the Golden Panthers, who continue to underwhelm this season. A lot more was expected of this team, but hopefully with the changes I'll be making in the offseason, they'll be one of many teams benefiting.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 11-12, 6-6 7th Conference USA.

2/13/25 at Southern Miss (L 81-70).
2/15/25 vs. UTEP (W 67-60).

The Owls split again this week, as they continue to fight for a .500 record, which was the goal coming into the season.

Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) -- 10-16, 8-9 6th MAAC.

2/13/25 vs. Valparaiso (L 80-67).
2/16/25 at Iona (W 88-67).

A split for the Stags this week, who lose a tough non-conference game, but get a huge win in conference play. They'll have to win all 3 of their remaining conference games to finish over .500 in MAAC play, which is the goal. They'd probably be happy winning 2 of 3 and finishing .500 though. Anything less will be a disappointment.

San Jose State (Thomas Sheppard) -- 12-11, 8-5 4th Mountain West.

2/12/25 vs. UNLV (L 77-57).
2/15/25 at Colorado State (W 78-63).

Another split for the Spartans, who just need to win 1 of their remaining 5 conference games to ensure a .500 finish in Mountain West play. This is a team that could still win the Mountain West, or if they really hit a slump, could still finish under .500. Still, they've been exceeding expectations so far.

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

2/13/25 at Washington (L 76-73).
2/15/25 vs. Arizona State (W 81-74).

Guess what the Buffaloes did this week guys? Anybody? You're correct, they split. Again. 6 weeks of conference play, 6 splits. If there were a consistency award, Coach Nielsen would get it. Unfortunately, that's not enough. However, looking at the schedule ahead, I'm fully expecting a .500 record from here on out.

#8 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 19-5, 8-4 2nd Pac 12.

2/13/25 vs. Oregon (L 56-51).
2/15/25 at #4 UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

Not a good week for the Cardinal, who drop both games this week and have lost 3 out of 4. Their remaining schedule is promising though, so if they can take care of business and win out, that would put them in position for a top 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

#4 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 22-2, 12-0 1st Pac 12.

2/13/25 vs. #14 Arizona (W 76-58).
2/15/25 vs. #8 Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.

The Bruins continue to roll, and stay in line for an undefeated Pac 12 run. They schedule is favorable as they don't play another team over .500 the rest of the regular season. It's all about keeping focus now.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 14-10, 6-6 T-5th Pac 12.

2/13/25 at Oregon State (L 77-54).
2/15/25 vs. Gonzaga (L 83-64).

The Cougars are sliding right now, losers of 4 in a row. They MUST find a way to right the ship, because they are starting to be in danger of missing the postseason yet again.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 15-10, 5-7 T-10th SEC.

2/12/25 vs. #10 Vanderbilt (L 74-57).
2/15/25 vs. Ole Miss (W 66-58).

This is just not the best Crimson Tide team. They continue to struggle, and are also in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament, unfortunately they still have a tough schedule ahead.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 12-12, 7-6 T-5th SWAC.

2/10/25 vs. Prairie View A&M (W 57-51).
2/15/25 vs. Texas Southern (L 77-58).

Another split for the Golden Lions, who are just 2 games out of 1st in the SWAC, and their schedule is favorable. 4 of their remaining 5 conference games are against teams with losing records, and 3 of those 4 are against teams with single digit wins. If ever there was a time for Coach Gunn to bear down and get a team to finish strong, this is it.

Troy (Benton Gale) -- 11-13, 8-8 5th Sun Belt.

2/13/25 at South Alabama (L 71-68).
2/15/25 vs. Georgia Southern (W 95-85).

A split for the Trojans this week, and another crushing loss, as they led South Alabama by 10 at halftime. Coach Gale needs his team to sweep next week as they are playing Texas State back to back, and they are 7-16 and next to last in the conference. Gotta win them both.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Feb. 17-23:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Baylor (64) 25-1 1792 1 Big 12 Conference
2. Syracuse (8) 23-1 1730 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. UCLA 22-2 1659 4 Pacific-12 Conference
4. Villanova 22-4 1583 6 Big East Conference
5. Michigan State 20-4 1481 7 Big Ten Conference
6. Providence 22-3 1470 3 Big East Conference
7. Wisconsin 19-5 1345 5 Big Ten Conference
8. Georgetown 19-5 1292 9 Big East Conference
9. Vanderbilt 20-4 1231 10 Southeastern Conference
10. Stanford 19-5 1164 8 Pacific-12 Conference
11. Virginia 20-5 1082 12 Atlantic Coast Conference
12. Memphis 20-5 943 13 American Athletic Conference
13. Tennessee State 23-3 941 14 Ohio Valley Conference
14. Arizona 16-8 865 15 Pacific-12 Conference
15. Miami 16-7 668 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
16. Louisville 17-7 581 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
17. Princeton 19-4 569 17 Ivy League
18. Mercer 20-4 520 19 Southern Conference
19. St. John's 17-7 438 NR Big East Conference
20. Pepperdine 19-5 434 25 West Coast Conference
21. Sacramento State 20-4 371 NR Big Sky Conference
22. Iowa 16-8 311 24 Big Ten Conference
23. Oklahoma 17-8 257 18 Big 12 Conference
24. Florida State 16-8 243 22 Atlantic Coast Conference
25. Indiana 17-7 144 NR Big Ten Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Georgia 16-8 109 Southeastern Conference
VCU 15-9 91 Southeastern Conference
USC Upstate 21-5 61 Atlantic Sun Conference
Tennessee 16-8 14 Southeastern Conference
Penn State 17-7 6 Big Ten Conference
Robert Morris 21-6 4 Northeast Conference
Ohio State 15-9 1 Big Ten Conference

UCLA finally moves up 1 spot after their run this week, while Stanford only drops 2 spots after 2 losses. Nice position to be in. And welcome St. John's back into the national top 25 after another strong week.

Now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Feb. 17-23:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Memphis (69) 20-5 1797 1 American Athletic Conference
2. Tennessee State 23-3 1714 2 Ohio Valley Conference
3. Pepperdine (3) 19-5 1624 4 West Coast Conference
4. Princeton 19-4 1580 3 Ivy League
5. Mercer 20-4 1491 5 Southern Conference
6. Sacramento State 20-4 1291 13 Big Sky Conference
7. San Diego 19-8 1249 15 West Coast Conference
8. Davidson 16-8 1173 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
9. USC Upstate 21-5 1166 7 Atlantic Sun Conference
10. Boise State 16-8 1156 9 Mountain West Conference
11. SMU 17-7 1098 8 American Athletic Conference
12. Saint Joseph's 16-8 1004 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
13. Loyola Chicago 16-8 771 12 Missouri Valley Conference
14. Furman 18-7 763 19 Southern Conference
15. Middle Tennessee 17-7 762 18 Conference USA
16. St. Bonaventure 15-9 706 22 Atlantic 10 Conference
17. Evansville 17-9 655 14 Missouri Valley Conference
18. Robert Morris 21-6 604 24 Northeast Conference
19. Wichita State 16-9 525 6 Missouri Valley Conference
20. Boston University 18-7 487 21 Patriot League
21. Massachusetts 15-9 366 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
22. Northeastern 17-7 221 NR Colonial Athletic Association
23. Indiana State 16-10 187 NR Missouri Valley Conference
24. San Diego State 15-9 168 NR Mountain West Conference
25. Akron 15-10 165 17 Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
George Washington 14-9 147 Atlantic 10 Conference
Long Beach State 15-9 103 Big West Conference
BYU 17-11 98 West Coast Conference
Eastern Michigan 17-8 80 Mid-American Conference
Central Michigan 16-9 67 Mid-American Conference
Richmond 14-8 63 Atlantic 10 Conference
Utah State 15-9 43 Mountain West Conference
Harvard 16-8 36 Ivy League
UC Riverside 16-8 23 Big West Conference
Oral Roberts 17-7 6 Summit League
Temple 15-8 4 American Athletic Conference
Louisiana Tech 14-10 3 Conference USA
Northern Illinois 15-9 3 Mid-American Conference
Southern Miss 15-9 1 Conference USA

Another blank for our mid-major teams.

Now a look at the Bubble Watch for the week. We have 1 FOFC coached team in the Overall Bubble Watch:

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pepperdine 19-5 .548 (65) 2-0 2-2 7-1 8-2 243 In
BYU 17-11 .557 (51) 2-5 5-1 4-4 6-1 61 In
Long Beach State 15-9 .580 (26) 2-1 4-2 6-4 3-2 26 In
Harvard 16-8 .551 (60) 0-3 4-0 5-1 7-4 142 In
Indiana State 16-10 .553 (57) 0-5 0-4 10-1 6-0 96 In
Central Michigan 16-9 .546 (69) 3-0 2-3 6-4 5-2 112 In
Kentucky 15-9 .546 (71) 6-7 1-0 6-2 2-0 80 In
UT Arlington 15-9 .549 (63) 0-1 2-0 4-7 9-1 121 In
St. Bonaventure 15-9 .546 (70) 1-3 4-1 7-4 3-1 93 Out
George Washington 14-9 .574 (33) 4-3 2-3 6-3 2-0 30 Out
Alabama 15-10 .565 (43) 4-7 2-0 4-3 5-0 44 Out
Florida 15-10 .585 (24) 3-7 2-2 6-1 4-0 18 Out
Akron 15-10 .596 (16) 2-4 3-1 7-4 3-1 4 Out
Utah State 15-9 .543 (74) 2-1 3-5 5-2 5-1 118 Out
Mercer 20-4 .535 (91) 1-2 1-0 4-1 14-1 322 Out

Alabama has work to do, as it's going to be hard for them to get into the NCAA Tournament with a losing SEC record. They need to go on a good winning streak and at worst finish 1 game under .500 in the SEC. They aren't terrible against the RPI top 100 (6-7), but their record against the RPI 101-200 needs work, as they are just 4-3 there.

Now it's time for the rest of the Bubble Watch and our FOFC teams:

Locks: St. John's, UCLA, Stanford

The only changes are Washington State and Alabama, who lost week were on the bubble but projected in. This week Alabama is on the bubble and projected out, and Washington State is projected out, and off the bubble completely.

[vex]

I assume that Will Brown will get fired after the season, but if not have him leave Tulsa anyway. Just not working there.

[collegesportsfanms]

I assume that Will Brown will get fired after the season, but if not have him leave Tulsa anyway. Just not working there.

Deal. If he doesn't get fired, I'll have him resign and see what offers he gets as an unemployed coach

[law90026]

St Johns finally back in TOP 25. Lack of respect for the defending champs.

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 17-23, 2025

35 games on the schedule this week, and 2 feature games. A Pac 12 doubleheader so to speak, so let's get to it:

2/20/25- Colorado (Rob Nielsen) @ #3 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 17 turnovers and 37.9% shooting doomed the Buffaloes in this one, but what doomed them more was the free throw line. UCLA was 16-21, Colorado 4-4. Home cooking for sure.

Final Score: #3 UCLA- 80, Colorado- 61

2/20/25- Washington State (DeShawn St. John) @ #10 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- Another game in which Washington State will be kicking themselves, as they led by 9 at halftime but couldn't hold it. Stats were pretty even, but Stanford made 3 more shots and an extra free throw to complete the comeback.

Final Score: #10 Stanford- 94, Washington State- 87 (OT)

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 20-9, 11-4 2nd America East.

2/23/25 at Albany (W 83-53).

Just 1 game this week for the Hawks, a very convincing win. They can't win the America East regular season title outright, but they can still share it if they beat UMBC and Binghamton loses their final conference game. A win gives them 2nd seed in the A-East Tourney. A loss could bump them to 3rd. Still, Coach Ginsberg has led this team to their first 20 win season in 4 seasons.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 12-15, 7-8 7th American.

2/19/25 vs. Temple (L 73-70).
2/22/25 at UCF (L 75-71).

2 tough losses for the Huskies this week, by a combined total of 7 points. Definitely frustrating, as now they'll have to fight to get a .500 conference record.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 9-17, 5-10 11th (last) American.

2/19/25 vs. UCF (L 77-69).
2/22/25 vs. South Florida (W 65-57).

The Golden Hurricane split this week, and they don't have much to play for but pride at this point, as Coach Brown has already informed everybody this will be his last season at Tulsa. Whether he will be fired or resign still remains to be seen.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 11-15, 4-10 T-13th ACC.

2/19/25 vs. #11 Virginia (L 69-47).
2/22/25 vs. #24 Florida State (W 72-52).

A split for the Fighting Irish, who get a convincing win over top 25 Florida State. Where has that been all season?? Coach Mighty has 4 more conference games left with this team this season, and the possibility of a split is there.

North Florida (Felix Abel) -- 14-14, 7-5 T-2nd Atlantic Sun.

2/17/25 vs. UMass Lowell (W 74-53).
2/20/25 vs. Lipscomb (W 74-56).

The Ospreys win 2 more this week, and seem to be hitting their stride at the right time. They have 2 more conference games this season. While they can't finish in 1st, they can still finish 2nd with 2 more wins.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 9-17, 3-11 10th (last) Big 12.

2/17/25 vs. Oklahoma State (L 80-73).
2/22/25 vs. West Virginia (L 79-74).

Better efforts this week for the Horned Frogs, but the result is still the same. That's 5 straight losses now, and their best chance to end the losing streak comes next week.

#19 St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 19-7, 11-3 1st Big East.

2/19/25 vs. #4 Villanova (W 86-78).
2/22/25 vs. Marquette (W 72-62).

Don't look now, but the Red Storm are atop the Big East! Granted it's only by half a game, with 4 more to go, but they have really turned the corner since that upset loss to Georgia State a couple weeks ago. They still have a couple more tests on their schedule, but they are playing much better basketball as of late.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 11-15, 5-9 T-10th Big Ten.

2/19/25 vs. #5 Michigan State (L 107-100).
2/22/25 at Maryland (W 100-91).

There was no defense to be found this week for the Wildcats, who split 2 games but gave up.. well.. a bunch of points. At least they were consistent at 100 points a game. It's got to be tough for Coach Al Mighty to see his former team doing so well.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 12-14, 5-9 T-10th Conference USA.

2/20/25 vs. Charlotte (W 66-64).
2/22/25 at Louisiana Tech (L 100-69).

Another split for the Golden Panthers, as they barely got by Charlotte, but got a reality check at LA Tech. This just isn't a very good team right now, and they haven't been for a while.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 12-13, 7-7 T-7th Conference USA.

2/20/25 vs. Middle Tennessee (L 85-69).
2/22/25 at Old Dominion (W 72-52).

A split for the Owls, as their final four conference opponents of the season are all in the same boat as them: around the .500 mark and looking to make a move late.

Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) -- 10-18, 8-11 T-7th MAAC.

2/21/25 at St. Peter's (L 69-54).
2/23/25 vs. Iona (L 76-58).

2 blowout losses this week for the Stags, who have 1 more conference game left. Go figure, it's against the conference leaders, which isn't looking too promising.

San Jose State (Thomas Sheppard) -- 14-11, 10-5 2nd Mountain West.

2/19/25 vs. Nevada (W 83-75).
2/22/25 at Air Force (W 88-81).

2 more wins for the Spartans, who continue to shock the Mountain West. Keep in mind, this team was predicted to finish dead last, and here they are with 3 conference games remaining and a very good chance of winning it. Unbelieveable!

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 13-13, 7-7 T-4th Pac 12.

2/20/25 at #3 UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.
2/22/25 vs. Utah (W 103-98, OT).

To the shock of absolutely nobody, the Buffaloes split again this week. 7 weeks of conference play, 7 splits. The consistency amazes me. Or is it inconsistency? Who knows, either way, the board can not be happy with Coach Nielsen at all.

#10 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 21-5, 10-4 2nd Pac 12.

2/20/25 vs. Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.
2/22/25 vs. Gonzaga (W 84-74).

Good recovery for the Cardinal after 2 losses last week, as they win 2 this week. It's going to take an absolute miracle for any team other than UCLA to win the Pac 12 though, so for now, Coach Sanchez is just continuing to fire his team up for a potential #1 or #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

#3 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 24-2, 14-0 1st Pac 12.

2/20/25 vs. Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.
2/22/25 vs. Arizona State (W 72-69).

2 more wins for the Bruins, but the pressure of going undefeated in Pac 12 play might be starting to get to them a little bit, as they actually trailed at halftime against Arizona State. The schedule is favorable for 18-0 and what should be a no doubt #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but they have to take care of business.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 15-11, 7-7 T-4th Pac 12.

2/20/25 at #10 Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
2/22/25 vs. Oregon (W 76-57).

The Cougars split again this week, and their next 3 games are very, very important. They face Arizona in the last game of their regular season, so winning the remaining 3 games against sub-.500 competition is critical.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 15-12, 5-9 13th SEC.

2/19/25 vs. LSU (L 75-60).
2/22/25 vs. Missouri (L 70-62).

Forget the NCAA Tournament, at this point the Crimson Tide just need to worry about staying out of the cellar after 2 more losses this week. Coach Rogers is going to have to get it figured out, because right now this Alabama team is the worst one in quite some time.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 13-13, 8-7 T-5th SWAC.

2/17/25 at Jackson State (L 72-69).
2/22/25 at Grambling State (W 76-63).

Another split for Coach Gunn and the Golden Lions, as it has to feel like Hawaii all over again. It's not a total February collapse yet, they can salvage it by winning their remaining 3 conference games, but at least 2 of 3 would be good.

Troy (Benton Gale) -- 11-15, 8-10 6th Sun Belt.

2/20/25 at Texas State (L 86-76).
2/22/25 vs. Texas State (L 80-63).

The Trojans with a pair of embarassing losses this week, both to Texas State. Now Coach Gale must rally the troops as they need to win both of their remaining conference games to finish .500 in the Sun Belt.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Feb. 24-Mar. 2:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Baylor (64) 27-1 1792 1 Big 12 Conference
2. Syracuse (7) 25-1 1724 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. UCLA (1) 24-2 1668 3 Pacific-12 Conference
4. Providence 23-4 1539 6 Big East Conference
5. Villanova 23-5 1536 4 Big East Conference
6. Michigan State 22-4 1456 5 Big Ten Conference
7. Wisconsin 21-5 1371 7 Big Ten Conference
8. Stanford 21-5 1271 10 Pacific-12 Conference
9. Georgetown 20-6 1221 8 Big East Conference
10. Vanderbilt 21-5 1173 9 Southeastern Conference
11. Virginia 21-5 1071 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
12. Tennessee State 25-3 963 13 Ohio Valley Conference
13. Arizona 18-8 962 14 Pacific-12 Conference
14. St. John's 19-7 794 19 Big East Conference
15. Memphis 21-6 791 12 American Athletic Conference
16. Louisville 19-7 762 16 Atlantic Coast Conference
17. Mercer 22-4 638 18 Southern Conference
18. Oklahoma 18-8 519 23 Big 12 Conference
19. USC Upstate 23-5 420 NR Atlantic Sun Conference
20. Princeton 20-5 404 17 Ivy League
21. Pepperdine 20-6 372 20 West Coast Conference
22. Miami 17-8 235 15 Atlantic Coast Conference
23. Sacramento State 21-5 229 21 Big Sky Conference
24. Indiana 18-8 176 25 Big Ten Conference
25. Iowa 17-9 90 22 Big Ten Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Ohio State 17-9 79 Big Ten Conference
Missouri 18-8 37 Southeastern Conference
San Diego 21-8 30 West Coast Conference
Seton Hall 17-9 24 Big East Conference
Georgia 17-9 23 Southeastern Conference
Davidson 18-8 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
Boston University 20-7 7 Patriot League
Furman 20-7 4 Southern Conference
SMU 19-7 4 American Athletic Conference
Loyola Chicago 18-8 3 Missouri Valley Conference
Boise State 18-8 2 Mountain West Conference
Middle Tennessee 19-7 1 Conference USA

While UCLA stays put at #3, they do get a FPV this week. They still need to continue to dominate, and hope for Baylor or Syracuse to lose so they can move up and gain more FPV. Stanford moves back up 2 spots after their 2 wins this week, and St. John's moves up 5 spots after 2 wins, including a big win over previously #4 Villanova.

Now a look at the Mid-Major Top 25 going into the week of Feb. 24-Mar. 2:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Tennessee State (48) 25-3 1771 2 Ohio Valley Conference
2. Memphis (20) 21-6 1739 1 American Athletic Conference
3. Mercer 22-4 1584 5 Southern Conference
4. Pepperdine (4) 20-6 1563 3 West Coast Conference
5. Princeton 20-5 1457 4 Ivy League
6. San Diego 21-8 1397 7 West Coast Conference
7. Davidson 18-8 1343 8 Atlantic 10 Conference
8. Boise State 18-8 1266 10 Mountain West Conference
9. USC Upstate 23-5 1157 9 Atlantic Sun Conference
10. Saint Joseph's 18-8 1101 12 Atlantic 10 Conference
11. SMU 19-7 1094 11 American Athletic Conference
12. Loyola Chicago 18-8 1016 13 Missouri Valley Conference
13. Middle Tennessee 19-7 878 15 Conference USA
14. St. Bonaventure 17-9 840 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
15. Wichita State 18-9 792 19 Missouri Valley Conference
16. Furman 20-7 777 14 Southern Conference
17. Sacramento State 21-5 761 6 Big Sky Conference
18. Boston University 20-7 592 20 Patriot League
19. Akron 17-10 518 25 Mid-American Conference
20. Harvard 18-8 357 NR Ivy League
21. Evansville 18-10 351 17 Missouri Valley Conference
22. Robert Morris 22-7 221 18 Northeast Conference
23. Massachusetts 16-10 194 21 Atlantic 10 Conference
24. Utah State 17-9 162 NR Mountain West Conference
25. Indiana State 17-11 124 23 Missouri Valley Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Long Beach State 16-10 63 Big West Conference
Northeastern 18-8 52 Colonial Athletic Association
Eastern Michigan 18-9 41 Mid-American Conference
Louisiana Tech 16-10 38 Conference USA
Arkansas Little Rock 17-8 30 Sun Belt Conference
Southern Miss 17-9 30 Conference USA
Oral Roberts 19-7 29 Summit League
Temple 17-8 29 American Athletic Conference
Richmond 15-9 15 Atlantic 10 Conference
Central Michigan 17-10 7 Mid-American Conference
Radford 20-8 5 Big South Conference
Illinois State 16-12 4 Missouri Valley Conference
Hawaii 16-10 1 Big West Conference
San Diego State 15-11 1 Mountain West Conference

You know the drill, a big fat blank.

Now a look at this weeks Bubble Watch. We'll start with the Overall Bubble Watch, which features none of our teams this week:

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Massachusetts 16-10 .582 (26) 3-5 2-2 8-3 3-0 20 In
Clemson 16-10 .570 (37) 3-5 1-3 7-1 5-1 38 In
SMU 19-7 .556 (53) 0-2 2-1 7-1 10-3 197 In
Louisiana Tech 16-10 .595 (13) 2-3 3-2 6-5 5-0 10 In
St. Bonaventure 17-9 .546 (70) 3-3 4-2 5-4 5-0 112 In
Long Beach State 16-10 .581 (28) 4-2 1-2 7-3 4-3 15 In
New Hampshire 17-10 .553 (58) 2-1 3-0 4-5 8-4 98 In
Indiana State 17-11 .556 (52) 1-6 2-4 6-1 8-0 64 In
Temple 17-8 .547 (66) 0-3 2-1 3-0 12-4 161 Out
Oklahoma State 17-10 .544 (71) 0-4 3-1 7-3 7-2 132 Out
Mercer 22-4 .539 (82) 1-2 2-0 5-1 14-1 327 Out
Iowa 17-9 .539 (81) 1-3 7-2 4-3 5-1 134 Out
UT Arlington 16-10 .540 (78) 0-0 1-4 5-5 10-1 120 Out
Sacramento State 21-5 .534 (91) 1-1 0-0 4-1 16-3 328 Out
Virginia Tech 16-8 .508 (148) 1-3 3-3 2-1 10-1 291 Out

Here's a look at all 19 of our FOFC teams. Remember, if you don't see your team list as a lock or in, that means they are projected out.

Locks: St. John's, UCLA, Stanford

The only difference this week is Alabama. They have played themselves off the bubble, and not in a good way. They are squarely out this week.

[collegesportsfanms]

Feb. 24-Mar. 2, 2025

Only 34 games on the schedule this week, and 2 of them feature games. We'll start in the Pac 12:

2/27/25- #8 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) @ Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- Another game in which Colorado will be kicking themselves, as they led by 11 at halftime, but couldn't hold on. Stanford turned it up in the 2nd half. While the stats were pretty even, it was just a few more makes by Stanford that made the difference.

Final Score: #10 Stanford- 91, Colorado- 84

Now we move to Conference USA:

3/1/25- FIU (Brett Hawkins) @ Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- Not much to talk about in this one, as Rice didn't use much of the shot clock, taking 16 more shots than FIU. Because of that, they made 10 more shots and 7 more three pointers. It also didn't help that FIU turned it over 21 times leading to many easy points for Rice. The result: A major butt whooping.

Final Score: Rice- 95, FIU- 66

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 21-9, 12-4 2nd America East.

2/26/25 vs. UMBC (W 82-68).

Just 1 game for the Hawks as they finish the regular season on a 5 game winning streak, and winners of 7 of their last 8. Unfortunately they didn't get any help from any Binghamton opponents the last 2 weeks of the season. They'll be the #2 seed in the America East Tournament which starts next week, and they'll open up against 7th seed Albany. This ties the best conference record for Coach Ginsberg and the Hawks, as they were also 12-4 in the 2019-2020 season.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 13-16, 8-9 6th American.

2/26/25 vs. #15 Memphis (L 69-56).
3/1/25 at Tulane (W 60-55).

A split for the Huskies, who need to win their final conference game to finish .500 in the American. One has to wonder if Coach Childress will explore other options if he has another season like this, as UConn has not been kind to him.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 9-19, 5-11 11th (last) American.

2/24/25 at Xavier (L 57-50).
2/26/25 vs. Temple (L 53-38).

2 more losses for the Golden Hurricane, who were absolutely dismal offensively this week. It's almost as if the team has given up on the season, knowing they'll have a new coach next season. Still 2 more chances to salvage a 10 win season, which would be a miracle at this point.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 11-17, 4-12 14th ACC.

2/26/25 at #22 Miami (L 89-78).
3/1/25 at Georgia Tech (L 81-66).

2 more losses for the Fighting Irish, and it's gotten so bad that they are now consistently losing to teams that they should be beating. Coach Mighty's time in South Bend will be up very soon unless something changes next season.

North Florida (Felix Abel) -- 15-15, 8-6 T-2nd Atlantic Sun.

2/27/25 vs. NJIT (W 79-73).
3/1/25 vs. Jacksonville (L 86-80).

A split for the Ospreys, who with that loss to Jacksonville missed a chance to get 2nd place outright. They still won the tiebreaker with UL Monroe and will be the 2nd seed in the Atlantic Sun Tourney, opening up against 7th seed Stetson.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 10-18, 4-12 10th (last) Big 12.

2/24/25 at Kansas State (W 82-69).
3/1/25 at Kansas (L 87-73).

A split for the Horned Frogs, and it's been a long time since they were in the cellar of the big 12. Barring a miracle next week, that's where they'll finish.

#14 St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 21-7, 13-3 1st Big East.

2/26/25 at DePaul (W 74-65).
3/1/25 at Seton Hall (W 74-61).

The Red Storm continue to roll, having won 7 in a row now. They still hold a slim half game lead over 3 teams. They have a huge test next week against 1 of those teams, so they could still finish anywhere between 1st and 4th in the conference.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 11-17, 5-11 T-12th (T-last) Big Ten.

2/26/25 vs. Michigan (L 97-84).
3/1/25 at Nebraska (L 80-61).

2 more losses for the Wildcats who are still in danger of finishing last in the conference. Coach Vee knew it wouldn't be easy here at Northwestern, but his good run may be over.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 13-15, 6-10 T-10th Conference USA.

2/27/25 at Old Dominion (W 81-71).
3/1/25 at Rice- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Golden Panthers who continue to underwhelm this season. They'll need a miracle finish to make the postseason again.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 14-13, 9-7 T-4th Conference USA.

2/27/25 vs. South Dakota State (W 70-69).
3/1/25 vs. FIU- feature game, highlighted above.

Great week for the Owls, who are over .500 for the first time since December. They still aren't anywhere near a reasonable candidate for the postseason, but can really make some noise by finishing strong.

Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) -- 10-19, 8-12 T-7th MAAC.

2/28/25 vs. Quinnipiac (L 80-76).

Just 1 game this week for the Stags, as they lose their final regular season game. They drew the 2nd start in a 3 way tiebreaker for 7th place, and will be the 8th seed in the MAAC Tournament, opening up against 9th seed Marist.

San Jose State (Thomas Sheppard) -- 14-13, 10-7 4th Mountain West.

2/26/25 vs. Fresno State (L 102-77).
3/1/25 at Utah State (L 82-57).

A pair of 25 point setbacks this week for the Spartans puts a damper on things and takes them out of the running for a Mountain West title. They still have 2 more games though, including a non-conference game that should be very easy to win. They can finish no better than 2nd in the conference, but no worse than 6th, not bad for a team projected last.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 13-15, 7-9 T-6th Pac 12.

2/27/25 vs. #8 Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
3/1/25 vs. Gonzaga (L 78-63).

Well the good news is that the Buffaloes didn't split this week, breaking that streak. The bad news is that they lost both their games, putting them 2 games under .500 both overall and in the Pac 12. They can still get back to .500 but it won't be easy.

#8 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 22-6, 11-5 T-2nd Pac 12.

2/27/25 at Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.
3/1/25 at Arizona State (L 76-67).

A split for the Cardinal, and not a good loss, as losing to 10 win teams won't cut it. They have 2 games on the schedule next week against sub-.500 teams. It's imperative that they take care of business.

#3 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 25-3, 15-1 1st Pac 12.

2/27/25 at Oregon State (W 71-58).
3/1/25 at California (L 89-81).

A split for the Bruins this week, as they've found out just how incredibly difficult it is to go through a conference season undefeated. What's worse is that they led by 12 at halftime in the Cal game. They are still in a great position for a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but need to win out.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 16-12, 8-8 T-4th Pac 12.

2/27/25 vs. Washington (W 87-78).
3/1/25 vs. Utah (L 110-100).

A split for the Cougars, who continue to toe that line, but aren't making any ground. They have a tough schedule next week going through Arizona, but if they can somehow win both, it would set a lot of records for them.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 15-14, 5-11 14th (last) SEC.

2/26/25 vs. Tennessee (L 53-48).
3/1/25 at Arkansas (L 70-59).

The total collapse for the Crimson Tide is in full effect. They are now dead last in the SEC, and with next weeks schedule, they may not be able to work out of it. Coach Rogers might definitely be in some trouble after the season.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 15-13, 10-7 4th SWAC.

2/24/25 vs. Alabama A&M (W 62-46).
3/1/25 vs. Alabama State (W 69-60).

2 more wins for the Golden Lions, who can still win the SWAC, but a lot of pieces would have to go right for that to happen. With 1 conference game left against an 8 win team, things are looking good for a top 3 finish at least.

Troy (Benton Gale) -- 13-15, 9-10 6th Sun Belt.

2/27/25 vs. Florida Gulf Coast (W 65-57).
3/1/25 at Florida A&M (W 88-72).

There is still life for the Trojans who can finish .500 in the conference. It'll be tough though, even with 2 wins this week. With a loss, they could still miss the Sun Belt Tournament which only takes the top 8 teams.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Mar. 3-9, 2025:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Baylor (69) 28-1 1797 1 Big 12 Conference
2. Syracuse (3) 26-2 1729 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Villanova 25-5 1638 5 Big East Conference
4. UCLA 25-3 1591 3 Pacific-12 Conference
5. Providence 24-4 1510 4 Big East Conference
6. Michigan State 24-4 1454 6 Big Ten Conference
7. Wisconsin 22-6 1359 7 Big Ten Conference
8. Georgetown 22-6 1301 9 Big East Conference
9. Virginia 23-5 1184 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
10. Stanford 22-6 1172 8 Pacific-12 Conference
11. Vanderbilt 21-7 1053 10 Southeastern Conference
12. Arizona 20-8 1008 13 Pacific-12 Conference
13. St. John's 21-7 899 14 Big East Conference
14. Tennessee State 26-4 813 12 Ohio Valley Conference
15. Louisville 20-8 801 16 Atlantic Coast Conference
16. Memphis 23-6 723 15 American Athletic Conference
17. Oklahoma 20-8 638 18 Big 12 Conference
18. Indiana 20-8 600 24 Big Ten Conference
19. Pepperdine 22-6 526 21 West Coast Conference
20. Mercer 23-5 444 17 Southern Conference
21. USC Upstate 25-5 358 19 Atlantic Sun Conference
22. Sacramento State 23-5 289 23 Big Sky Conference
23. Miami 19-8 229 22 Atlantic Coast Conference
24. Princeton 21-6 120 20 Ivy League
25. SMU 21-7 87 NR American Athletic Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Middle Tennessee 21-7 27 Conference USA
Boise State 20-8 26 Mountain West Conference
Saint Joseph's 20-8 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
Tennessee 18-10 8 Southeastern Conference
Loyola Chicago 20-8 5 Missouri Valley Conference
Florida 19-10 1 Southeastern Conference
Missouri 19-9 1 Southeastern Conference

UCLA loses their FPV and drops a spot after their split, while Stanford drops back to 10th. St. John's rises a spot.

[bbgunn]

Wazzu just can't get over the hump.

[muns]

Rice ups and downs. Story of their lives

[collegesportsfanms]

Mar. 3-9, 2025

34 games on the schedule this week, but no feature games. Let's get to it.

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 22-9, 12-4 America East.

3/6/25- America East Quarterfinal vs. (7) Albany (W 75-52).

An easy win to open the America East Tourney for the Hawks. Semifinals and championship (hopefully) next week.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 13-17, 8-10 T-6th American.

3/8/25 vs. South Florida (L 76-66).

1 game for the Huskies this week, and they end the regular season with a loss. They finished in a 3 way tie for 6th place, and took 2nd out of those 3 teams, giving them the 7th seed in the American Tournament. They'll open up against 10th seed ECU.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 10-20, 6-12 11th (last) American.

3/5/25 at #25 SMU (L 74-65).
3/8/25 at Cincinnati (W 58-57).

A split for the Golden Hurricane, who have clinched the worst season in Tulsa history (at least since this dynasty started). They'll go into what will be Coach Brown's last tournament at Tulsa, as they'll be the 11th seed in the American Tournament and open up with 6th seed South Florida.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 11-19, 4-14 T-14th (T-last) ACC.

3/5/25 vs. #2 Syracuse (L 82-64).
3/8/25 at Wake Forest (L 92-78).

2 more losses for the Fighting Irish in an absolutely terrible season. Fans are already calling for coach Mighty to resign and never come back to South Bend. They tied for last in the ACC, but won the tiebreaker with Pittsburgh. They'll be the 14th seed in the ACC Tournament and open up against 11th seed Wake Forest.

North Florida (Felix Abel) -- 16-16, 8-6 Atlantic Sun.

3/4/25- Atlantic Sun Quarterfinal vs. (7) Stetson (W 71-52).
3/6/25- Atlantic Sun Semifinal vs. (6) NJIT (L 94-70).

Just a terrible loss for the Ospreys in the Atlantic Sun Semifinals, made slightly less terrible by the fact that NJIT also beat the #1 seed USC Upstate in the Atlantic Sun Championship. This will almost certainly end the season for Coach Abel in his first season as a coach. They could sneak into the CIT, but highly doubtful.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 11-19, 5-13 T-9th (T-last) Big 12.

3/3/25 vs. Texas (W 92-83).
3/8/25 vs. #1 Baylor (L 109-75).

A split for the Horned Frogs, and no surprise with the bad loss to Baylor. They've made a lot of teams look bad this season. They tied for last in the Big 12, but won the tiebreaker over Kansas and will be the 9th seed in the Big 12 Tourney. They'll open up against 8th seed Kansas State.

#13 St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 23-7, 15-3 1st Big East.

3/5/25 vs. Xavier (W 84-80).
3/8/25 vs. #5 Providence (W 83-71).

2 more wins for the Red Storm, who are absolutely rolling in defense of their NCAA Title. They've won the Big East regular season championship, and will be the #1 seed in the Big East Tourney. They'll open up against either 9th seed Marquette or 8th seed DePaul.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 12-18, 6-12 T-10th Big Ten.

3/5/25 at Purdue (W 76-63).
3/8/25 at #18 Indiana (L 89-71).

A split for the Wildcats this week, and they finished in a 4 way tied for 10th. Out of that they were 3rd, so they'll be 12th seed in the Big Ten Tourney and open up against 13th seed Michigan. This could very well be Coach Vee's last Big Ten Tournament, at least with Northwestern.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 15-15, 8-10 T-8th Conference USA.

3/6/25 vs. Western Kentucky (W 72-63).
3/8/25 at South Dakota State (W 88-80, OT).

The Golden Panthers win 2 games this week, taking some momentum into the C-USA Tourney. They tied for 8th place with South Dakota State, and by virtue of beating them just this week, they won the tiebreaker. They'll be the 8th seed in the C-USA Tourney and will open up against.. 9th seed South Dakota State. A favorable draw.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 16-13, 11-7 T-4th Conference USA.

3/6/25 at Florida Atlantic (W 79-61).
3/8/25 at George Mason (W 72-66).

2 solid road wins for the Owls this week, who are playing some really good basketball going into the conference tournament. They tied for 4th with North Texas and lost the tiebreaker. They'll be the 5th seed in the C-USA Tourney and will open up against either 13th seed Charlotte or 12th seed Old Dominion.

Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) -- 11-20, 8-12 MAAC.

3/6/25- MAAC First Round vs. (9) Marist (W 72-57).
3/8/25- MAAC Quarterfinal vs. (1) Quinnipiac (L 84-77).

The Stags fought hard, but will end their season at 11-20 after another tough loss to Quinnipiac. Not the initial season Coach Pryde wanted, but hopefully they'll bounce back.

San Jose State (Thomas Sheppard) -- 16-13, 11-7 T-2nd Mountain West.

3/3/25 vs. Cal Poly (W 84-69).
3/8/25 vs. Wyoming (W 98-88).

2 strong performances this week for the Spartans, who win both a conference and non-conference game this week. If Coach Sheppard doesn't get some consideration for MWC and maybe even national coach of the year, it'll be very disappointing. This team was not even projected to win 10 games, and last in the MWC. They tied with 2 other teams for 2nd, and won the tiebreaker with both. They'll be the 2nd seed in the Mountain West Tourney and open up against either 10th seed Air Force or 7th seed Fresno State.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 14-16, 8-10 T-6th Pac 12.

3/6/25 at #12 Arizona (L 91-73).
3/8/25 vs. Oregon (W 68-54).

Another split for the Buffaloes, as Coach Nielsen might be coaching his last games with Colorado. They finished on top of a 3 way tie for 6th, and will be the 6th seed in the Pac 12 Tourney. They'll open up against 11th seed Arizona State.

#10 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 24-6, 13-5 T-2nd Pac 12.

3/6/25 vs. Washington (W 84-66).
3/8/25 at Oregon State (W 86-72).

The Cardinal rebound to win their last 2 games, and 5 of their last 6 games. Unfortunately they lost the tiebreaker to Arizona for the #2 seed. They'll be the 3rd seed in the Pac 12 Tourney and will open up against either 11th seed Arizona State or 6th seed Colorado.

#4 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 27-3, 17-1 1st Pac 12.

3/6/25 vs. Utah (W 101-40).
3/8/25 at Washington (W 73-61).

Domination city for the Bruins, who took that California loss out on Utah in a big way, holding them to 15 second half points and 27.1% shooting. They win the Pac 12 Regular Season Title and will be the #1 seed in the Pac 12 Tourney. They'll open up against either 9th seed California or 8th seed Oregon.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 17-13, 9-9 t-4th Pac 12.

3/6/25 at Arizona State (W 89-76).
3/8/25 vs. #12 Arizona (L 94-87).

A split for the Cougars, who have tied the team record for most season and overall wins, but they can break the overall win record for a season with a win in the Pac 12 Tourney. Speaking of, they won a tiebreaker with Gonzaga for 4th place, and will be the 4th seed in the Pac 12 Tourney. They'll open up against either 12th seed Oregon State or 5th seed Gonzaga.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 16-15, 6-12 14th (last) SEC.

3/5/25 at Georgia (L 58-50).
3/8/25 at Kentucky (W 67-66).

A disaster of a season for the Crimson Tide, who split this week, with the win over Kentucky breaking a 5 game losing streak. They'll be the 14th seed in the SEC Tourney and open up against 11th seed VCU, hoping to get hot.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 16-13, 11-7 T-3rd SWAC.

3/8/25 at Mississippi Valley State (W 60-48).

A win for the Golden Lions to finish the regular season on a 4 game winning streak. They lost the tiebreaker for 3rd to Jackson State and will be the 4th seed in the SWAC Tourney. They'll open up against 5th seed Alcorn State.

Troy (Benton Gale) -- 14-15, 10-10 6th Sun Belt.

3/6/25 vs. South Alabama (W 80-78).

Just 1 game for the Trojans this week, but they get a nice momentum building win to clinch a spot in the Sun Belt Tourney. They'll be the 6th seed and open up against 7th seed Florida Gulf Coast in a weird and wacky tourney format.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Mar. 10-16, the final week before Selection Sunday.

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Baylor (70) 30-1 1798 1 Big 12 Conference
2. Syracuse (2) 28-2 1722 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. UCLA 27-3 1654 4 Pacific-12 Conference
4. Villanova 26-5 1592 3 Big East Conference
5. Wisconsin 24-6 1467 7 Big Ten Conference
6. Michigan State 26-4 1453 6 Big Ten Conference
7. Providence 24-6 1402 5 Big East Conference
8. Georgetown 23-7 1291 8 Big East Conference
9. Vanderbilt 23-7 1185 11 Southeastern Conference
10. Arizona 22-8 1094 12 Pacific-12 Conference
11. Stanford 24-6 1062 10 Pacific-12 Conference
12. Virginia 24-6 1049 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. St. John's 23-7 962 13 Big East Conference
14. Memphis 25-6 856 16 American Athletic Conference
15. Tennessee State 28-4 799 14 Ohio Valley Conference
16. Indiana 22-8 686 18 Big Ten Conference
17. Oklahoma 22-8 676 17 Big 12 Conference
18. Mercer 26-5 593 20 Southern Conference
19. Pepperdine 23-6 504 19 West Coast Conference
20. USC Upstate 27-6 322 21 Atlantic Sun Conference
21. Princeton 23-6 315 24 Ivy League
22. Louisville 21-9 263 15 Atlantic Coast Conference
23. SMU 23-7 166 25 American Athletic Conference
24. Middle Tennessee 23-7 157 NR Conference USA
25. Tennessee 20-10 148 NR Southeastern Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Boise State 22-8 117 Mountain West Conference
Saint Joseph's 22-8 29 Atlantic 10 Conference
Sacramento State 23-7 20 Big Sky Conference
Florida 21-10 11 Southeastern Conference
Loyola Chicago 22-9 7 Missouri Valley Conference

UCLA moves up 1 spot and puts themselves in position for a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Stanford, with their split, moves down a spot, while St. John's stays right where they are at.

And now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Mar. 10-16:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Memphis (66) 25-6 1792 1 American Athletic Conference
2. Tennessee State 28-4 1696 3 Ohio Valley Conference
3. Pepperdine (6) 23-6 1631 2 West Coast Conference
4. Boise State 22-8 1506 4 Mountain West Conference
5. Mercer 26-5 1496 6 Southern Conference
6. Saint Joseph's 22-8 1344 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
7. SMU 23-7 1326 7 American Athletic Conference
8. Princeton 23-6 1285 8 Ivy League
9. Davidson 21-9 1257 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
10. Middle Tennessee 23-7 1202 12 Conference USA
11. Wichita State 23-10 1197 14 Missouri Valley Conference
12. Loyola Chicago 22-9 1051 10 Missouri Valley Conference
13. USC Upstate 27-6 944 9 Atlantic Sun Conference
14. Harvard 21-8 781 18 Ivy League
15. San Diego 21-10 741 13 West Coast Conference
16. St. Bonaventure 20-10 720 17 Atlantic 10 Conference
17. Eastern Michigan 21-9 625 20 Mid-American Conference
18. Akron 19-11 538 21 Mid-American Conference
19. Furman 21-9 431 16 Southern Conference
20. Sacramento State 23-7 411 15 Big Sky Conference
21. Boston University 22-9 300 NR Patriot League
22. Illinois State 20-13 255 NR Missouri Valley Conference
23. Indiana State 19-12 235 22 Missouri Valley Conference
24. Robert Morris 24-8 147 19 Northeast Conference
25. Temple 20-9 130 NR American Athletic Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Utah State 19-11 128 Mountain West Conference
Long Beach State 19-11 79 Big West Conference
Louisiana Tech 19-11 77 Conference USA
Evansville 19-12 29 Missouri Valley Conference
Cleveland State 21-11 16 Horizon League
Hartford 22-9 13 America East Conference
Oral Roberts 21-8 6 Summit League
Southern Miss 19-11 4 Conference USA
Northeastern 20-10 3 Colonial Athletic Association
Hawaii 19-11 2 Big West Conference
New Mexico 17-12 1 Mountain West Conference
Quinnipiac 21-10 1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference


Well I had to do a double take, but we have our first representation in the Mid-Major top 25 in quite a while. Hartford can continue to make noise by winning the America East Tournament.

Now for the final edition of the Bubble Watch and we have 1 team represented in the Overall Bubble Watch:

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SMU 23-7 .569 (37) 0-2 4-1 7-1 12-3 179 In
Utah State 19-11 .558 (50) 2-2 4-5 6-3 7-1 66 In
Evansville 19-12 .557 (51) 4-7 3-0 5-3 7-2 57 In
Indiana State 19-12 .558 (49) 0-10 2-1 8-0 9-1 59 In
St. Bonaventure 20-10 .543 (70) 3-2 4-2 8-5 5-1 130 In
Temple 20-9 .546 (63) 1-4 1-1 4-0 14-4 169 In
Penn State 19-11 .545 (65) 3-4 4-3 4-2 8-2 125 In
Iowa 18-12 .544 (69) 2-6 6-3 5-3 5-0 85 In
Illinois 18-12 .538 (76) 3-6 5-3 5-3 5-0 111 Out
Southern Miss 19-11 .536 (80) 1-4 3-1 7-4 8-2 151 Out
Minnesota 17-12 .569 (38) 1-5 8-2 4-4 4-1 28 Out
Northeastern 20-10 .538 (79) 0-2 1-1 8-3 11-4 178 Out
New Mexico 17-12 .546 (62) 1-4 5-3 4-3 7-2 55 Out
Hartford 22-9 .519 (117) 0-1 2-2 4-5 16-1 318 Out
Sacramento State 23-7 .528 (98) 1-1 1-0 4-2 17-4 326 Out

Nice to see that the committee is giving Hartford a fighting chance at an at-large birth, but let's get real here. With that SOS and RPI, the only chance they have of making the NCAA Tournament is by winning the America East Tournament. I suppose if they win their semifinal game by about 50 or so and lose by 1 in the championship, they could make a case, but it's highly unlikely.

Now for the rest of the teams:

Locks: St. John's, UCLA, Stanford

No real changes from the past couple weeks.

[law90026]

Wow 2 wins and still stuck at #13

[collegesportsfanms]

Mar. 10-16, 2025

27 games on the schedule, and 2 feature games, both in the Pac 12. We'll start there.

3/13/25- Pac 12 Quarterfinal- (6) Colorado (Rob Nielsen) vs. (3) #11 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- A shocker here, as the Buffs got it going in the second half, outscoring Stanford by 13. They held the Cardinal to just 32.4% shooting, while shooting 53.2% themselves. That was enough to move into the Pac 12 Semifinals and keep hope alive.

Final Score: (6) Colorado- 85, (3) #11 Stanford- 74

3/15/25- Pac 12 Championship - (6) Colorado (Rob Nielsen) vs. (1) #3 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- No such luck for the Buffs in this one, as UCLA rolled to a 19 point halftime lead and never looked back to win yet another Pac 12 Tournament Championship.

Final Score: (1) #3 UCLA- 79, (6) Colorado- 62

Now for the rest of the weekly recap.

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 23-10, 12-4 America East.

3/10/25- America East Semifinal vs. (3) UMBC (W 75-69).
3/15/25- America East Championship vs. (1) Binghamton (L 74-58).

Maybe the 4 days off before the championship effected the Hawks. In any case, Coach Ginsberg and the Hawks have extended their season for a 3rd straight year. It won't be in the NCAA Tournament, but the NITs should come a callin.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 14-18, 8-10 American.

3/13/25- American First Round vs. (10) ECU (W 83-79, OT).
3/14/25- American Quarterfinal vs. (2) #23 SMU (L 69-56).

The Huskies end the most disappointing season in the Coach Childress tenure, finishing under .500 overall and in the conference. This is sure to heat up Randolph's seat as they will miss the postseason again.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 11-21, 6-12 American.

3/13/25- American First Round vs. (6) South Florida (W 59-56).
3/14/25- American Quarterfinal vs. (3) Temple (L 67-58).

We know one thing for sure, Coach Brown has coached his last game at Tulsa, as he has already tendered his resignation, not even giving the board a chance to fire him, which they most likely would have done anyways. We'll see where he ends up next season, as the offers for any of our coaches weren't exactly top notch last offseason.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 11-20, 4-14 ACC.

3/11/25- ACC First Round vs. (11) Wake Forest (L 108-82).

It's obvious that Coach Mighty lost this team weeks ago, as they just flat out didn't show up this week. While not on the hotseat, just barely winning 10 games this season will certainly fire up the board in South Bend, not to mention the fans. Next season better be a huge turn around.

North Florida (Felix Abel) -- 16-16, 8-6 Atlantic Sun.

No games this week for Coach Abel and the Ospreys, who await their postseason fate. It's very slim to none, and slim probably is already out the door.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 11-20, 5-13 Big 12.

3/12/25- Big 12 First Round vs. (8) Kansas State (L 100-98, OT).

A disappointing end to the first losing season in 6 seasons for the Horned Frogs. Coach Mighty has done enough to get a grace season, but he can't let TCU become regular bottom feeders again, as they'll miss out on the postseason again this year.

#13 St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 25-8, 15-3 Big East.

3/13/25- Big East Quarterfinal vs. (9) Marquette (W 81-68).
3/14/25- Big East Semifinal vs. (4) #7 Providence (W 68-58).
3/15/25- Big East Championship vs. (2) #4 Villanova (L 70-60).

Don't let the Red Storm loss in their conference championship game startle you, as the Big East is really, really tough, maybe one of the tougher conferences in the nation this season. They are postseason ready, and should be anywhere between a #2 and #4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 12-19, 6-12 Big Ten.

3/12/25- Big Ten First Round vs. (13) Michigan (L 97-86).

One and done for the Wildcats, as Coach Vee also has to be considered about his job going into the offseason. His seat was already warm, but this seasons effort may be too much to overcome.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 15-16, 8-10 Conference USA.

3/12/25- Conference USA Second Round vs. (9) South Dakota State (L 57-52).

The Coach Hawkins experiment at FIU has gone south over the past couple years. After a great first season, Coach Hawkins has been unable to recreate that magic. He might be just another FOFC coach that has to worry about his seat being warm next season.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 16-14, 11-7 Conference USA.

3/12/25- Conference USA Second Round vs. (12) Old Dominion (L 65-46).

Well... certainly not what I expected, as the Owls laid a complete egg in the conference tournament. Not gonna lie, while they do have a winning record, their RPI of 160 makes me think they'll be on the outside looking in after all the secondary tournaments send out their invites.

Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) -- 11-20, 8-12 MAAC.

No games this week for Coach Pryde and the Stags, who have packed it up for the season. They know they won't be playing another game this season.

San Jose State (Thomas Sheppard) -- 16-14, 11-7 Mountain West.

3/13/25- Mountain West Quarterfinal vs. (7) Fresno State (L 98-83).

Another bad loss by a high seed in their conference tournament, as the Spartans have really hurt their postseason chances. Still, the fact they have a chance to continue their season is a shock, as nobody expected them to be nearly this good. They might squeeze into the CBI or CIT.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 17-17, 8-10 Pac 12.

3/13/25- Pac 12 Quarterfinal vs. (3) #11 Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
3/14/25- Pac 12 Semifinal vs. (2) #2 Arizona (W 85-83, OT)
3/15/25- Pac 12 Championship vs. (1) #3 UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

With the screw jobs the Buffaloes have gotten the past few seasons by tournament selection committees, they came within 1 game by taking it all out of their hands. Surely the wins over Stanford and Arizona will mean something, but with a .500 record, it's hard to imagine anything but another screw job this season.

#11 Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 24-7, 13-5 Pac 12.

3/13/25- Pac 12 Quarterfinal vs. (6) Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.

Tough loss for the Cardinal, who lost to a team on a mission. No worries though, Coach Sanchez was already going to take his team dancing this postseason, but their seed line might have dropped to a 3 or 4 with the loss.

#3 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 30-3, 17-1 Pac 12.

3/13/25- Pac 12 Quarterfinal vs. (8) Oregon (W 72-61).
3/14/25- Pac 12 Semifinal vs. (12) Oregon State (W 84-48).
3/15/25- Pac 12 Championship vs. (6) Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.

While the Bruins might have gotten a much easier path to winning the Pac 12 Tourney than expect, you still have to play who is in front of you. I will be shocked if they aren't the #1 seed out West. I'll be even more shocked if they aren't a #1 seed somewhere.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 17-14, 9-9 Pac 12.

3/13/25- Pac 12 Quarterfinal vs. (12) Oregon State (L 75-67).

Well, another of our FOFC teams drops the ball in their opening conference tournament game. This one is huge. Like San Jose State, it might have cost the Cougars their first postseason bid since this dynasty started.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 17-16, 6-12 SEC.

3/12/25- SEC First Round vs. (11) VCU (W 74-70).
3/13/25- SEC Second Round vs. (6) South Carolina (L 68-61).

A disappointing season for the Crimson Tide, who never really could find any consistency. With an RPI in the 70's, they might get into the CBI or CIT on name alone, but anything better than that.. just won't happen.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 17-14, 11-7 SWAC.

3/12/25- SWAC Quarterfinal vs. (5) Alcorn State (W 68-64).
3/14/25- SWAC Semifinal vs. (1) Alabama State (L 64-52).

The expectations were high for the Golden Lions coming into the season, but they fell a little short. Still, Coach Gunn has to be happy with his first season here, especially since it was the first season in quite a while that he coached a team to both a winning overall and conference record. As far as the postseason goes, that's gonna be tough. They have an RPI of 123. I'm afraid to say they'll probably be out.

Troy (Benton Gale) -- 14-16, 10-10 Sun Belt.

3/13/25- Sun Belt First Round vs. (7) Florida Gulf Coast (L 89-82, OT).

A golden opportunity missed for the Trojans, who fall way short of expectations in Coach Gale's first season. Let's be honest though, those expectations were way, way too high. They'll be sitting at home this postseason.

Not the greatest postseason for our FOFC coached teams. Lots of higher seeded teams fell short in their first game. Colorado almost ran the table but not quite. Congrats to UCLA and Coach Shepard for another Pac 12 Tournament Title and 30+ win season.

[collegesportsfanms]

2025 Selection Sunday

I am completely stunned by this first selection as UCLA is given the #2 seed in the NCAA Midwest Region. Are you f'ing kidding me?? That is absolutely ridiculous. I know Coach Shepard and the Bruins will have a chip on their shoulder as they'll take on 15th seed UTSA in their first game.

St. John's gets the #2 seed in the NCAA South Region. Now that is much more sensible. They'll open up against 15th seed Alabama State.

Another surprising decision, as Stanford gets the #6 seed in the NCAA South Region. A little lower than I thought they deserved, but they will open up in a game to watch against 11th seed Davidson.

Hartford gets the #4 seed in the NIT South Region, and will open up by hosting 5th seed Columbia.

Rice gets the 16th seed in the CIT, and they'll open up by travelling to top seed Tennessee Tech.

Arkansas Pine Bluff gets the 7th seed in the CIT. Congrats to them, as they'll open up at home against 10th seed Southern Utah.

Other FOFC teams that had the next best chances to make the postseason but missed out include North Florida, San Jose State, Colorado, Washington State, and Alabama. No other team really had a decent chance. They all missed out though, as the lack of a postseason streak continues for Washington State. Really disappointed San Jose State couldn't sneak in somewhere. Colorado can't call screw-job this season, they just flat out didn't do enough, nor did Alabama.

So 6 of our 19 teams make the postseason. That's terrible. I'm definitely bumping up coaching stats for all our coaches next season.

[bbgunn]

Yay, Pine Bluff makes the CIT!

How did Hawaii do, by any chance? :D

[collegesportsfanms]

Yay, Pine Bluff makes the CIT!

How did Hawaii do, by any chance? :D

They actually made the postseason as well. I believe they were a #4 seed in the NIT, but don't quote me on that.

[rjolley]

Good rookie season for Coach Sheppard at San Jose State. Hopefully, it's a sign of things to come.

Happy to see Stanford do well, though the stumble in the Pac-12 tournament wasn't good.

Bad seeding for UCLA, but fun to see them take on my daughter's current school in UTSA. Now I want to beat them by 40. :)

[Coffee Warlord]

Rob's so getting fired.

[collegesportsfanms]

2025 Postseason

Just 6 teams in the postseason this season, down 1 from last season. This ought to be another quick post, but before we get into the postseason recap, we have a feature game to look at:

3/28/25- NCAA South Region Semifinal - (6) Stanford (Rob Nielsen) vs. (2) St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- A shootout to say the least, but the difference was at the free throw line. St. John's had more buckets and three pointers, but Stanford shot 27 more free throws than the Johnnie's, making almost double what Stanford attempted. Ouch! Tough way to go out (I hate that FBCB seems to have such high free throw discrepancies quite often).

Final Score: (6) Stanford- 94, (2) St. John's- 86

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 25-11, 12-4 America East.

3/19/25- NIT South Region Second Round vs. (5) Columbia (W 79-64).
3/24/25- NIT South Region Semifinal at (1) Indiana State (W 106-104, OT).
3/27/25- NIT South Region Final vs. (4) Oklahoma State (L 86-63).

Probably not the way the Hawks wanted their season to end, getting absolutely pasted against a good Oklahoma State team (obviously road/home in the tournaments isn't based on higher seed, as Hartford should have went to Oklahoma State otherwise), but still a fantastic season, and one that should see Coach Ginsberg get some higher profile job offers.

St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 27-9, 15-3 Big East.

3/20/25- NCAA South Region First Round vs. (15) Alabama State (W 80-54).
3/22/25- NCAA South Region Second Round vs. (10) USC Upstate (W 60-49).
3/28/25- NCAA South Region Semifinal vs. (6) Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.

Tough way for the Red Storm to go out, as they just couldn't stay away from fouls against Stanford. When you send a team to the line that many times, justified or not, you're setting yourself up for trouble. Still another tremendous season though, following up a national championship with a Sweet Sixteen appearance.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 20-14, 11-7 Conference USA.

3/18/25- CIT First Round at (1) Tennessee Tech (W 78-74).
3/24/25- CIT Second Round at (8) Seattle (W 64-62).
3/26/25- CIT Semifinals at (5) UC Riverside (W 71-65).
4/1/25- CIT Championship at (6) Western Carolina (W 75-57).

Congrats to Coach Shocker and the Owls who have to go on the road for every game in the CIT (ok, so the CIT does do home/away by higher seed, why doesn't the NIT? Weird), but they have 3 tough battles before blowing out Western Carolina to win the CIT. Coach Shocker really needs to follow this up by getting into one of the other tournaments and having success next season, but for now, he'll enjoy the moment.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 28-8, 13-5 Pac 12.

3/21/25- NCAA South Region First Round vs. (11) Davidson (W 80-77).
3/23/25- NCAA South Region Second Round vs. (3) Florida (W 83-67).
3/28/25- NCAA South Region Semifinal vs. (2) St. John's- feature game, highlighted above.
3/30/25- NCAA South Region Final vs. (9) San Diego (W 90-81).
4/5/25- NCAA National Semifinal vs. (1W) Baylor (L 105-99, OT).

Another great run for the Cardinal, who might have been very fortunate to beat St. John's, but they gave Baylor all they wanted and them some. I expect Coach Sanchez to have Stanford in a good position for a long time.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 35-4, 17-1 Pac 12.

3/21/25- NCAA Midwest Region First Round vs. (15) UTSA (W 83-68).
3/23/25- NCAA Midwest Region Second Round vs. (7) Wichita State (W 87-75).
3/27/25- NCAA Midwest Region Semifinal vs. (3) Georgetown (W 110-96).
3/29/25- NCAA Midwest Region Final vs. (1) Michigan State (W 65-54).
4/5/25- NCAA National Semifinal vs. (4E) Virginia (W 70-59).
4/7/25- NCAA National Championship vs. (1W) Baylor (L 68-60).

The Bruins were 1 game away from making it back to back NCAA national championships for our FOFC coached teams. Coach Al Mighty might be a little upset to see Michigan State in the Elite Eight after he chose to leave a couple seasons ago. No shame in losing to Baylor though, as they were by far the best team all season. I think they held that #1 ranking for most of the season, and although UCLA really should have been a #1 seed, they played with a chip on their shoulder and got all the way to the title game.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 19-15, 11-7 SWAC.

3/18/25- CIT First Round vs. (10) Southern Utah (W 65-57).
3/24/25- CIT Second Round at (2) Murray State (W 73-61).
3/26/25- CIT Semifinal at (6) Western Carolina (L 67-55).

Good run for the Golden Lions, coming 1 game short of giving us a feature game in the CIT Championship. Coach Gunn might be disappointed that his team underperformed a little bit and didn't get an NCAA bid by winning the SWAC, but he will be happy to know that Hawaii lost in their first game of the NIT, meaning his new school went farther in the postseason than his old school.

[collegesportsfanms]

2025 Postseason Recap

We already know the results of the NCAA Final Four and the CIT championship, but how about the NIT and the CBI?

Well, in the NIT Final Four (8W) continued an NIT Cinderella run by beat (2W) 71-61 in the first semifinal, then (2E) Oklahoma State beat (3MW) UT Arlington 88-79 in the other semifinal. In the NIT Championship game, Oklahoma State beat Delaware 61-58, ending their run. I guess Hartford has nothing to be ashamed of, losing to the eventual NIT champions.

As for the CBI, (10) Clemson swept (9) Ole Miss in the CIT Championship Series, 2 games to 0. The first game was close, as Clemson got a buzzer beater at Ole Miss to win 66-65. Ole Miss never recovered and had to go to Clemson next, and it wasn't even close, as Clemson won 77-49.

[rjolley]

Congrats to Coach Sanchez and Stanford for making it to the Final Four. Great run!

Congrats to Coach Shepard and UCLA for making it to the championship game and getting a better performance than their last appearance.

Let's do it again next season, coaches!

csfms, can you change Thomas Sheppard to Thomas Shepard. He should be Tim's younger brother. :)

[law90026]

Game against Stanford was obviously rigged ...

[bbgunn]

Good run for UAPB. They're poised to do bigger things next season... if Gunn stays.

[collegesportsfanms]

2024-2025 National Awards

FIU had a player on the NCAA All-Freshman Team.

UCLA had 2 players on the NCAA 3rd Team.

Washington State had a player on the NCAA 1st Team.

2024 Conference Awards

Hartford had the America East Freshman of the Year, along with a player on the America East 1st Team, 2 players on the America East 2nd Team, and a player on the America East All-Freshman Team.

UConn had a player on the American 1st Team.

Notre Dame had a player on the ACC 2nd Team.

North Florida had a player on the Atlantic Sun 1st Team, a player on the Atlantic Sun 2nd Team, and a player on the Atlantic Sun All-Freshman Team.

TCU had a player on the Big 12 2nd Team.

St. John's head coach Dean Hoo was named Big East Coach of the Year. The Johnnies also had 2 players on the Big East 2nd Team.

Northwestern had 1 player on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.

FIU had the Conference USA Freshman of the Year, as well as a player on the Conference USA 2nd Team and a player on the Conference USA All-Freshman Team.

No awards for Rice.

Fairfield had 1 player on the MAAC All-Freshman Team.

San Jose State had the Mountain West Freshman of the Year, as well as having 2 players on the Mountain West 2nd Team and a player on the Mountain West All-Freshman Team.

Colorado had a player on the Pac 12 All-Freshman Team.

Stanford had a player on the Pac 12 1st Team and 2 players on the Pac 12 2nd Team.

UCLA head coach Tim Shepard was named Pac 12 Coach of the Year. In addition, the Bruins also had the Pac 12 Player and Freshman of the Year. They had 3 players on the Pac 12 1st Team and 1 player on the Pac 12 All-Freshman Team.

Washington State had 1 player on the Pac 12 1st Team.

No awards for Alabama.

Arkansas Pine Bluff had the SWAC Freshman of the Year, 1 player on the SWAC 1st Team, 1 player on the SWAC 2nd Team, and 2 players on the SWAC All-Freshman Team.

Troy had 1 player on the Sun Belt 1st Team.

[collegesportsfanms]

2024-2025 Recruiting Class Rankings

Hartford had the 74th best class in the nation, tops in the America East.

UConn had the 188th best class in the nation, good for just 9th in the American.

Notre Dame had the 4th best class in the nation, good for 2nd in the ACC. Might be now or never for Coach Mighty.

North Florida had the 133rd best class in the nation, good for 4th in the Atlantic Sun.

TCU had the 33rd best class in the nation, good for 4th in the Big 12.

St. John's had the 190th best class in the nation, good for 7th in the Big East.

Northwestern had the 63rd best class in the nation, unfortunately good for just 11th in the Big Ten. This conference recruited really well.

FIU had the 351st best class in the nation, last in Conference USA. They didn't sign a recruit this season.

Rice had the 145th best class in the nation, good for 4th in Conference USA.

Fairfield had the 243rd best class in the nation, good for 7th in the MAAC.

San Jose State had the 65th best class in the nation, good for 3rd in the Mountain West.

Colorado had the 189th best class in the nation, good for 11th in the Pac 12.

Stanford had the 34th best class in the nation, good for 4th in the Pac 12.

UCLA had the 5th best class in the nation, tops in the Pac 12.

Washington State had the 247th best class in the nation, last in the Pac 12.

Alabama had the 22nd best class in the nation, good for just 5th in the SEC.

Arkansas Pine Bluff had the 192nd best class in the nation, good for 2nd in the SWAC.

Troy had the 73rd best class in the nation, good for 2nd in the Sun Belt.

[collegesportsfanms]

5 of our coaches received job offers this offseason, and of course there is Will Brown who is looking for a new job. I didn't take the team to resign any other coaches and check their offers. I can go back and do so, but I've decided I'm only going to do it if someone tells me they want me to. For instance, let's say one of our FOFC coaches didn't receive job offers, especially ones on the hotseat, if they wanted to temporarily resign and see what offers they got, then decide whether to take one of those or go back to their old job, they could. Hope I'm not confusing anybody.

Anyways, here are the coaches that have received job offers so far:

We'll start with Will Brown, since he is currently unemployed. Not much to choose from here, as only Longwood, Wagner, and Houston Baptist are willing to give him work. Any of those sound good to you vex?

David Ginsberg is a highly sought man. The list of schools wanting his services is about 30 deep: Bethune Cookman, Chattanooga, Coastal Carolina, Iona, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Longwood, Siena, SIU Edwardsville, Stony Brook, Toledo, Vermont, Furman, Illinois State, Kent State, Manhattan, Northwestern State, Princeton, Sacramento State, St. Joseph's, Loyola Chicago, Mercer, Oral Roberts, San Diego, UC Davis, Utah State, Wagner, Loyola Marymount, South Alabama, Tennessee Tech, UC Santa Barbara, UC Riverside. Since you have so many offers DavidCorperial, if you want to break it down to your top 5 or so that you are curious about, then I can give you info, or if you have one you just really want to go to, let me know.

Our 2nd most sought after coach is Charlie Shocker, and he got some tempting offers. Pacific, Rice, Illinois State, Princeton, St. Joseph's, Wichita State, Loyola Chicago, San Diego, UC Davis, Utah State, Loyola Marymount, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Riverside. Princeton and Wichita State would be on my short list for sure, but what do you think muns?

Next we have Tim Shepard. Not that he even wants to think about moving from UCLA, but if he were, these schools would like to give him a job: Arkansas, Auburn, Duke, Michigan, Missouri, Virginia, and Indiana. Virginia is clearly the top choice there, with their 100 prestige, but Tim has a really good thing going at UCLA. What do you think rjolley?

Last, but certainly not least, Benito Sanchez. He got the exact same offers as Tim did: Arkansas, Auburn, Duke, Michigan, Missouri, Virginia, Indiana. What are you thinking about him rjolley?


Again, if any other FOFC coaches want to resign and try their luck elsewhere, let me know and I'll list your job offers as an unemployed coach, but to be honest, based on the results of last offseason, they will probably be similiar to what Will Brown got. I'll give it a few days before I start the next season.

[Coffee Warlord]

They didn't fire me? I knew those blackmail photos of the Dean would pay off.

[collegesportsfanms]

They didn't fire me? I knew those blackmail photos of the Dean would pay off.

Nope, still there, but you are one of several coaches on the hotseat. Well, maybe not several, but a few at least.

[vex]

Can you tell me what the recruiting class rankings and conference standings were for Longwood, Wagner, and Houston Baptist? Thanks

[law90026]

It's so bizarre that Dean is bad at recruiting

[rjolley]

Shepard and Sanchez will stay and continue their family rivalry.

[Breeze]

I'll just wait to be fired...

[DavidCorperial]

I don't think I see anything special in any of those teams, but could you tell me if any have a better recruiting class than Hartford coming in?

[ntndeacon]

My coaches will stand pat

[bbgunn]

I doubt that B.B. Gunn would get anything better than UAPB right now, especially since he didn't get any offers. So he'll stay put. St. John will stay at Wazzu, too.

[collegesportsfanms]

Sorry for the delay in getting some questions answered, real life got in the way the past couple weeks. First off, muns? I haven't heard from you, do you have an opinion on your coach, or should I just keep him where he's at?

[collegesportsfanms]

Can you tell me what the recruiting class rankings and conference standings were for Longwood, Wagner, and Houston Baptist? Thanks

Longwood had the 328th best recruiting class, 7th best in the Big South. They were a respectable 8-10 in conference last season, bumping their prestige up from 8 to 10.

Wagner had the 268th best recruiting class, 4th best in the Northeast. They were 12-6 in conference last season, and made it to the 3rd round of the NIT. They were 23-11 overall.

Houston Baptist had the 292 best recruiting class, 12th best in the Southland. They were 8-10 in conference last season, 9-21 overall.

The rosters are all about the same really, so it's quite a toss-up for sure.

[collegesportsfanms]

I don't think I see anything special in any of those teams, but could you tell me if any have a better recruiting class than Hartford coming in?

3 schools have a better recruiting class than Hartford coming in:

Sacramento State at 59
Princeton at 67
UCSB at 71

Hartford's was 74th

Loyola Marymount is the only other school in the top 100 at 98

[DavidCorperial]

Let's try going to Sacramento State.

[vex]

Longwood had the 328th best recruiting class, 7th best in the Big South. They were a respectable 8-10 in conference last season, bumping their prestige up from 8 to 10.

Wagner had the 268th best recruiting class, 4th best in the Northeast. They were 12-6 in conference last season, and made it to the 3rd round of the NIT. They were 23-11 overall.

Houston Baptist had the 292 best recruiting class, 12th best in the Southland. They were 8-10 in conference last season, 9-21 overall.

The rosters are all about the same really, so it's quite a toss-up for sure.

Wagner it is! Thanks

[muns]

Sorry for the delay in getting some questions answered, real life got in the way the past couple weeks. First off, muns? I haven't heard from you, do you have an opinion on your coach, or should I just keep him where he's at?

Ya, Does anybody else have a better set up in the list you quoted? Looking for your opinion here. Pacific and San Diego how are their recruits classes and rosters currently?

[collegesportsfanms]

ok, David Ginsberg is going to Sacramento State and Will Brown is heading to Wagner. Everybody else is staying put except for Charlie Shocker, who is still looking for info. muns, I'm getting you some info now

[collegesportsfanms]

Ya, Does anybody else have a better set up in the list you quoted? Looking for your opinion here. Pacific and San Diego how are their recruits classes and rosters currently?

Of all the schools I mentioned, only 2 of them had a worse recruiting class than Rice. All the others were better. Princeton leads the way at 67. Specifically, Pacific was 109, San Diego 119. Rice was 145.

As far as rosters go:

San Diego definitely has the better roster than Pacific, but it's about on par with the roster at Rice. UC Santa Barbara has a good, young roster, with lots of potential. They may struggle for the next season or 2 though. Same thing with Wichita State. There really aren't any teams that have a roster with a lot of players in current blue/green status, but most of them have a fair share of potential blue/green players. That help at all? Or need more specifics?

[muns]

Let's go with San Diego please.

Sorry for the delay all.

[collegesportsfanms]

sorry for the lack of posts lately guys, real life has hit me hard over the past couple weeks. I'm hoping to get the next season started this weekend, but it's possible it won't be until next week. Thanks for your patience.

[vex]

No worries, thanks for continuing to do this dynasty.

[collegesportsfanms]

2025-2026 Hot Seat Ratings and Coach Goals

Coaches on the Hot Seat

Randolph Childress (UConn) -- Randolph has been a disappointment for UConn since taking over there a few years ago, and it's quite simple: the board expects him to lead the Huskies to an AAC championship this season, or else he'll be looking for a new job.

Ess Vee (Northwestern) -- It's now or never for Coach Vee. The board doesn't care that the Wildcats play in a very tough conference, they just want to see results. A postseason tournament is a must for Northwestern, or Coach Vee will be out.

Rob Nielsen (Colorado) -- Coach Nielsen becomes our 3rd coach to be on the hotseat in the upcoming season after a mediocre first 10 years at the helm (wow, this dynasty has been running for 10 years? Impressive.) The Buffs have only made the postseason twice, and have just 2 seasons of 20+ wins. Again, it's now or never for Coach Nielsen. They aren't concerned with a postseason tournament, all they want is for the Buffs to be near the top of the Pac 12 at seasons end. Coach Nielsen said he would never leave Colorado.. well he may have to after this season.

Coaches on a Warm Seat

Brett Hawkins (FIU) -- Things are getting testy for FIU. After a strong season in Coach Hawkins' first season there, things have gone majorly south over the last couple seasons. At worst, FIU needs to finish with a winning record this season. The board definitely wants to see FIU compete for the C-USA title this season.

Coaches on an Average Seat

Al Mighty (Notre Dame) -- It's pretty amazing that Al is only on an average seat right now, given his failures with the Irish. The board is staying patient though, but they haven't changed their wish list. A trip to the Sweet Sixteen is still expected.

Felix Abel (North Florida) -- A .500 season for Coach Abel last season in his first as an NCAA coach. This season the board would like to see the Ospreys in contention for an Atlantic Sun title, and they'd prefer a conference championship win.

Bee Mighty (TCU) -- Still a lot of patience being exhibited at TCU, as the mild successes have been enough to keep Coach Mighty there. The board things TCU is good enough to play in a postseason tournament, even if it is the lowly CIT.

David Ginsberg (Sacramento State) -- After success at Hartford, Coach Ginsberg has changed coasts, and is now starting from scratch at a new school. He comes in with high expectations, as the board would like to see him and the Hornets win the Big Sky Conference title right off the bat.

Ariel Pryde (Fairfield) -- Not the greatest first season for Coach Pryde last season, but the board understands what he has to work with, which isn't much. That's why they just want to see Fairfield finish above .500 in MAAC play this season.

Thomas Shepard (San Jose State) - Coach Shepard was a very pleasant surprise in his first NCAA season last season, as San Jose State was competing for a Mountain West title at one point. They faltered late though, but the board took notice. Although not much has changed, the board still just wants the Spartans to stay out of the MWC cellar, another season like last season and the younger Shepard may get some looks.

Will Brown (Wagner) -- Coach Brown actually resigned from Tulsa before they could fire him, but it was inevitable anyways. He landed at Wagner, another tough spot, as their demands are pretty strong. They'd like to see Wagner compete for the Northeast Conference championship.

DeShawn St. John (Washington State) -- Nothing has changed for Coach St. John, who continues to do just enough to keep his seat where it is at. The demands are getting a little tighter though. This season, the board wants to see the Cougars playing in the postseason.

Roy Rogers (Alabama) -- Last season was a complete disappointment for the Crimson Tide, who missed the postseason for the first time in 4 years. That has wavered the board, as Roy's seat has warmed up a bit. The demands haven't changed though, the board still wants the Crimson Tide to win the SEC Title.

B.B. Gunn (Arkansas Pine Bluff) -- A decent season in Coach Gunn's first at Pine Bluff (And no, unfortunately there are no good places to surf there that I know of), and the board hasn't swayed from what they want. They want the Golden Lions to win the SWAC Title this season.

Benton Gale (Troy) -- The board at Troy is tough, and Coach Gale is going to have to step it up. For the 2nd straight season, the board thinks Troy should be good enough to make the NCAA Tournament, via either an at-large berth or by winning the Sun Belt Tournament. Tough go for Coach Gale, we'll see what happens.

Charlie Shocker (San Diego) -- Coach Shocker is the 2nd coach to move out to the West Coast this season, after probably doing all he could at Rice. Many see this as a lateral move, but just the culture change will be enough to shock Coach Shocker (get it? Ok, terrible pun). As it stands, the San Diego board just would just like to see Coach Shocker finish above .500 in WCC play after last season in which they won 14 conference games and made it to the NCAA Elite Eight. I'm not sure of Coach Shocker should be relieved they don't expect him to match that, or insulted that they don't think he can.

Coaches on a Cool Seat

Dean Hoo (St. John's) -- Another stellar season for the Johnnies last year, as Coach Hoo has definitely found his groove there. The board is being less than demanding this season, as they'd just like to see Coach Hoo lead St. John's to the top 3 of the Big East. They don't even have to win it, just compete for it. Sounds easy enough.

Benito Sanchez (Stanford) -- Another great season for the Cardinal, and Coach Sanchez keeps rolling. A Final Four appearance last season didn't sway the board, as they are still just going to be content with a Sweet Sixteen appearance.

Tim Shepard (UCLA) -- Coach Shepard has a real chance to be our first FOFC coach to hit 300 career wins this season, as he is 23 away. Unless they have a major collapse like they did 2 seasons ago, he should get that milestone. UCLA made it all the way to the NCAA Title Game last season but fell short. The board wants another trip to the Final Four this season.

[collegesportsfanms]

Team Prestiges to Start the 2025-2026 Season

UConn- 67 (-2)
Notre Dame- 78 (-5)
North Florida- 25 (No Change)
TCU- 67 (-2)
St. John's- 89 (+5)
Sacramento State- 44 (Coaching Change)
Northwestern- 63 (-2)
FIU- 54 (No change)
Fairfield- 30 (+1)
San Jose State- 48 (+6)
Wagner- 25 (Coaching Change)
Colorado- 73 (-1)
Stanford- 91 (+4)
UCLA- 97 (+4)
Washington State- 59 (+4)
Alabama- 79 (-5)
Arkansas Pine Bluff- 31 (+2)
Troy- 29 (+1)
San Diego- 67 (Coaching Change)

[collegesportsfanms]

2025 Season Tournaments

UCLA will be the 2nd seed in the 2025 Battle 4 Atlantis and will open up against 7th seed Michigan.

Alabama will be the 2nd seed in the 2025 Charleston Classic and will open up against 7th seed Stephen F. Austin.

San Diego will be the 4th seed in the 2025 Charleston Classic and will open up against 5th seed Oakland.

UConn will be the 8th seed in the 16 team 2025 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic and will open up against 9th seed UC Irvine.

Notre Dame will be the 4th seed in the 2025 Diamond Head Classic and will open up against 5th seed St. Bonaventure.

FIU will be the 12th seed in the 16 team 2025 Hall of Fame Classic and will open up against 5th seed Arkansas.

Northwestern will be the 5th seed in the 2025 Hall of Fame Tip-Off and will open up against 4th seed SMU.

Stanford will be the top seed in the 16 team 2025 Las Vegas Classic and will open up against 16th seed Norfolk State.

St. John's will be the top seed in the 2025 Las Vegas Invitational and will open up against 8th seed Valparaiso.

TCU will be the 6th seed in the 2025 Legends Classic and will open up against 3rd seed Duke.

Washington State will be the top seed in the 4 team 2025 Los Angeles Classic and will open up against 4th seed St. Francis-NY.

Colorado will be the top seed in the 2025 Maui Invitational and will open up against 8th seed Manhattan.

Fairfield will be the 4th seed in the 4 team 2025 Michigan Showcase and will open up against top seed Boston College.

Wagner will be the 4th seed in the 4 team 2025 Michigan Tournament and will open up against top seed Towson.

San Jose State will be the 3rd seed in the 2025 NIT Season Tip-Off and will open up against 6th seed UC Davis.

Troy will be the 4th seed in the 4 team 2025 New Jersey Regional and will open up against top seed Quinnipiac.

Sacramento State will be the 2nd seed in the 4 team 2025 New Orleans Classic and will open up against 3rd seed Charlotte.

Arkansas Pine Bluff will be the 3rd seed in the 4 team 2025 Rainbow Classic and will open up against 2nd seed East Tennessee State.

North Florida will be the 7th seed in the 2025 Wooden Legacy and will open up against 2nd seed LIU Brooklyn.

[collegesportsfanms]

2025-2026 Preseason Top 25

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Oklahoma (43) 0-0 1754 18 Big 12 Conference
2. Arizona (9) 0-0 1699 13 Pacific-12 Conference
3. Villanova (10) 0-0 1640 2 Big East Conference
4. VCU (8) 0-0 1588 NR Southeastern Conference
5. Florida State (1) 0-0 1467 22 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Providence 0-0 1371 6 Big East Conference
7. Virginia 0-0 1369 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
8. Wisconsin 0-0 1303 7 Big Ten Conference
9. Gonzaga (1) 0-0 1267 NR Pacific-12 Conference
10. Vanderbilt 0-0 1173 9 Southeastern Conference
11. San Diego State 0-0 1042 NR Mountain West Conference
12. Louisville 0-0 1003 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
13. Baylor 0-0 910 1 Big 12 Conference
14. Iowa State 0-0 725 NR Big 12 Conference
15. Syracuse 0-0 670 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
16. Arkansas 0-0 642 NR Southeastern Conference
17. St. John's 0-0 500 11 Big East Conference
18. Georgetown 0-0 479 8 Big East Conference
19. Minnesota 0-0 346 NR Big Ten Conference
20. California 0-0 336 NR Pacific-12 Conference
21. Tennessee 0-0 306 25 Southeastern Conference
22. Wichita State 0-0 260 NR Missouri Valley Conference
23. Texas A&M 0-0 222 NR Southeastern Conference
24. Davidson 0-0 159 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
25. Maryland 0-0 93 NR Big Ten Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Butler 0-0 91 Big East Conference
Memphis 0-0 86 American Athletic Conference
Alabama 0-0 79 Southeastern Conference
LSU 0-0 69 Southeastern Conference
Seton Hall 0-0 64 Big East Conference
Northwestern 0-0 48 Big Ten Conference
North Carolina 0-0 45 Atlantic Coast Conference
Ohio State 0-0 42 Big Ten Conference
North Carolina State 0-0 39 Atlantic Coast Conference
UCLA 0-0 30 Pacific-12 Conference
St. Bonaventure 0-0 26 Atlantic 10 Conference
Stanford 0-0 22 Pacific-12 Conference
Washington 0-0 21 Pacific-12 Conference
Florida 0-0 19 Southeastern Conference
Illinois 0-0 18 Big Ten Conference
Fresno State 0-0 17 Mountain West Conference
Mississippi 0-0 17 Southeastern Conference
Saint Joseph's 0-0 17 Atlantic 10 Conference
Illinois State 0-0 14 Missouri Valley Conference
Kent State 0-0 14 Mid-American Conference
Penn State 0-0 14 Big Ten Conference
DePaul 0-0 13 Big East Conference
Michigan State 0-0 13 Big Ten Conference
Texas 0-0 13 Big 12 Conference
Washington State 0-0 13 Pacific-12 Conference
BYU 0-0 11 West Coast Conference
Seattle 0-0 11 Western Athletic Conference
Buffalo 0-0 10 Mid-American Conference
Loyola Chicago 0-0 10 Missouri Valley Conference
Oregon 0-0 10 Pacific-12 Conference
Boise State 0-0 9 Mountain West Conference
Eastern Michigan 0-0 9 Mid-American Conference
Eastern Washington 0-0 9 Big Sky Conference
Miami 0-0 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
Marquette 0-0 8 Big East Conference
Massachusetts 0-0 8 Atlantic 10 Conference
Pittsburgh 0-0 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
Western Michigan 0-0 8 Mid-American Conference
Northern Illinois 0-0 7 Mid-American Conference
Oakland 0-0 7 Mid-American Conference
Oklahoma State 0-0 7 Big 12 Conference
Bradley 0-0 6 Missouri Valley Conference
Green Bay 0-0 6 Horizon League
Indiana 0-0 6 Big Ten Conference
Michigan 0-0 6 Big Ten Conference
Tulsa 0-0 6 American Athletic Conference
Colorado 0-0 5 Pacific-12 Conference
Fordham 0-0 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
Kentucky 0-0 5 Southeastern Conference
Pepperdine 0-0 5 West Coast Conference
South Florida 0-0 5 American Athletic Conference
Southern Illinois 0-0 5 Missouri Valley Conference
Illinois Chicago 0-0 4 Horizon League
Central Michigan 0-0 3 Mid-American Conference
Eastern Illinois 0-0 3 Ohio Valley Conference
Iowa 0-0 3 Big Ten Conference
Columbia 0-0 2 Ivy League
Duke 0-0 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
FIU 0-0 2 Conference USA
Kansas 0-0 2 Big 12 Conference
New Mexico 0-0 2 Mountain West Conference
Oral Roberts 0-0 2 Summit League
SIU Edwardsville 0-0 2 Ohio Valley Conference
Detroit 0-0 1 Horizon League
Manhattan 0-0 1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Portland 0-0 1 West Coast Conference
Utah State 0-0 1 Mountain West Conference

[collegesportsfanms]

2025-2026 Preseason Mid Major Top 25

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. San Diego State (69) 0-0 1796 NR Mountain West Conference
2. Wichita State (1) 0-0 1505 9 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Davidson (2) 0-0 1442 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
4. Memphis 0-0 1297 1 American Athletic Conference
5. Kent State 0-0 1001 NR Mid-American Conference
6. Fresno State 0-0 678 25 Mountain West Conference
7. Illinois State 0-0 633 23 Missouri Valley Conference
8. BYU 0-0 572 NR West Coast Conference
9. St. Bonaventure 0-0 559 13 Atlantic 10 Conference
10. Saint Joseph's 0-0 554 6 Atlantic 10 Conference
11. Akron 0-0 549 19 Mid-American Conference
12. Boise State 0-0 528 4 Mountain West Conference
13. Pepperdine 0-0 522 2 West Coast Conference
14. Eastern Michigan 0-0 474 18 Mid-American Conference
15. Massachusetts 0-0 442 20 Atlantic 10 Conference
16. UAB 0-0 394 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
17. SMU 0-0 335 5 American Athletic Conference
18. Richmond 0-0 317 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
19. Cincinnati 0-0 308 NR American Athletic Conference
20. New Mexico 0-0 291 NR Mountain West Conference
21. Western Michigan 0-0 269 NR Mid-American Conference
22. Utah State 0-0 257 NR Mountain West Conference
23. Buffalo 0-0 247 NR Mid-American Conference
24. Connecticut 0-0 244 NR American Athletic Conference
25. South Florida 0-0 239 NR American Athletic Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Loyola Chicago 0-0 221 Missouri Valley Conference
George Washington 0-0 216 Atlantic 10 Conference
Indiana State 0-0 203 Missouri Valley Conference
Louisiana Tech 0-0 202 Conference USA
La Salle 0-0 194 Atlantic 10 Conference
Tulane 0-0 192 American Athletic Conference
FIU 0-0 183 Conference USA
Fordham 0-0 174 Atlantic 10 Conference
Harvard 0-0 173 Ivy League
Oakland 0-0 169 Mid-American Conference
Middle Tennessee 0-0 165 Conference USA
Temple 0-0 159 American Athletic Conference
Northern Illinois 0-0 157 Mid-American Conference
Evansville 0-0 151 Missouri Valley Conference
Rhode Island 0-0 146 Atlantic 10 Conference
Columbia 0-0 139 Ivy League
Old Dominion 0-0 138 Conference USA
Bradley 0-0 136 Missouri Valley Conference
San Diego 0-0 135 West Coast Conference
Georgia State 0-0 131 Horizon League
Northern Iowa 0-0 127 Missouri Valley Conference
William & Mary 0-0 126 Colonial Athletic Association
Houston 0-0 124 American Athletic Conference
UCF 0-0 118 American Athletic Conference
Saint Mary's 0-0 117 West Coast Conference
Mississippi State 0-0 112 Atlantic 10 Conference
Portland 0-0 110 West Coast Conference
Princeton 0-0 106 Ivy League
UC Irvine 0-0 105 Big West Conference
Yale 0-0 94 Ivy League
Santa Clara 0-0 90 West Coast Conference
East Carolina 0-0 89 American Athletic Conference
Mercer 0-0 89 Southern Conference
Northeastern 0-0 88 Colonial Athletic Association
Loyola Marymount 0-0 82 West Coast Conference
Drexel 0-0 81 Colonial Athletic Association
Duquesne 0-0 81 Atlantic 10 Conference
Manhattan 0-0 79 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Southern Miss 0-0 76 Conference USA
Southern Illinois 0-0 75 Missouri Valley Conference
Colorado State 0-0 70 Mountain West Conference
UNLV 0-0 62 Mountain West Conference
Bowling Green 0-0 61 Mid-American Conference
Elon 0-0 61 Colonial Athletic Association
Towson 0-0 61 Colonial Athletic Association
UC Santa Barbara 0-0 59 Big West Conference
USC 0-0 59 West Coast Conference
Tulsa 0-0 58 American Athletic Conference
Green Bay 0-0 52 Horizon League
Illinois Chicago 0-0 52 Horizon League
UNC Wilmington 0-0 52 Colonial Athletic Association
Cornell 0-0 49 Ivy League
Eastern Illinois 0-0 49 Ohio Valley Conference
Toledo 0-0 49 Mid-American Conference
Niagara 0-0 47 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Hofstra 0-0 46 Colonial Athletic Association
SIU Edwardsville 0-0 46 Ohio Valley Conference
San Jose State 0-0 45 Mountain West Conference
Western Illinois 0-0 43 Southland Conference
Nevada 0-0 42 Mountain West Conference
Colgate 0-0 41 Patriot League
Chicago State 0-0 40 Western Athletic Conference
Long Beach State 0-0 39 Big West Conference
Iona 0-0 38 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Florida Atlantic 0-0 36 Conference USA
Florida Gulf Coast 0-0 36 Sun Belt Conference
Canisius 0-0 34 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
James Madison 0-0 32 Colonial Athletic Association
Pacific 0-0 31 West Coast Conference
Army 0-0 29 Patriot League
Albany 0-0 27 America East Conference
Dayton 0-0 27 Atlantic 10 Conference
Florida A&M 0-0 27 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Furman 0-0 27 Southern Conference
San Francisco 0-0 27 West Coast Conference
UTEP 0-0 26 Conference USA
Siena 0-0 25 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Bucknell 0-0 24 Patriot League
Louisiana Lafayette 0-0 24 Sun Belt Conference
Seattle 0-0 24 Western Athletic Conference
Binghamton 0-0 23 America East Conference
Central Michigan 0-0 23 Mid-American Conference
Eastern Washington 0-0 23 Big Sky Conference
Montana 0-0 22 Big Sky Conference
Oral Roberts 0-0 22 Summit League
Penn 0-0 22 Ivy League
Jacksonville State 0-0 21 Ohio Valley Conference
Milwaukee 0-0 21 Horizon League
North Dakota State 0-0 21 Summit League
Dartmouth 0-0 20 Ivy League
Detroit 0-0 20 Horizon League
Lehigh 0-0 20 Patriot League
Montana State 0-0 20 Big Sky Conference
St. Francis NY 0-0 20 Northeast Conference
Drake 0-0 19 Missouri Valley Conference
Marist 0-0 19 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
North Dakota 0-0 19 Big Sky Conference
Portland State 0-0 19 Big Sky Conference
McNeese State 0-0 18 Southland Conference
North Florida 0-0 18 Atlantic Sun Conference
Southern Utah 0-0 18 Big Sky Conference
American 0-0 17 Patriot League
Cal State Fullerton 0-0 17 Big West Conference
George Mason 0-0 17 Conference USA
Louisiana Monroe 0-0 17 Atlantic Sun Conference
Utah Valley 0-0 17 Western Athletic Conference
Lafayette 0-0 16 Patriot League
Northwestern State 0-0 16 Southland Conference
Weber State 0-0 16 Big Sky Conference
Belmont 0-0 15 Ohio Valley Conference
Cal State Northridge 0-0 15 Big West Conference
Radford 0-0 15 Big South Conference
Southern 0-0 14 Southwestern Athletic Conference
VMI 0-0 14 Southern Conference
Air Force 0-0 13 Mountain West Conference
LIU Brooklyn 0-0 13 Northeast Conference
Norfolk State 0-0 13 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Robert Morris 0-0 13 Northeast Conference
Stetson 0-0 13 Atlantic Sun Conference
UC Davis 0-0 13 Big West Conference
Bethune Cookman 0-0 12 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Hampton 0-0 12 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Quinnipiac 0-0 12 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Southeastern Louisiana 0-0 12 Southland Conference
Cal Poly 0-0 11 Big West Conference
Jacksonville 0-0 11 Atlantic Sun Conference
Longwood 0-0 11 Big South Conference
New Orleans 0-0 11 Southland Conference
Liberty 0-0 10 Big South Conference
Saint Louis 0-0 10 Atlantic 10 Conference
Wagner 0-0 10 Northeast Conference
Nicholls State 0-0 9 Southland Conference
St. Francis PA 0-0 9 Northeast Conference
UC Riverside 0-0 9 Big West Conference
Delaware 0-0 8 Colonial Athletic Association
Grambling State 0-0 8 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Sacramento State 0-0 7 Big Sky Conference
North Texas 0-0 6 Conference USA
Charlotte 0-0 5 Conference USA
Stony Brook 0-0 5 America East Conference
Cal State Bakersfield 0-0 4 Western Athletic Conference
Marshall 0-0 4 Conference USA
Stephen F. Austin 0-0 3 Horizon League
Hawaii 0-0 2 Big West Conference
Wyoming 0-0 2 Mountain West Conference
Ball State 0-0 1 Mid-American Conference
Ohio 0-0 1 Mid-American Conference

[Coffee Warlord]

We've been sucking for a few seasons, but hey, we get Maui. All is well.

[collegesportsfanms]

Milestone Win Watch for 2025-2026 Season

Coaches Within 25 Wins of 300 Wins

Tim Shepard (UCLA)- 23 wins way

Coaches Within 25 Wins of 200 Wins

Roy Rogers (Alabama)- 16 wins away
Dean Hoo (St. John's)- 12 wins away

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 14-16, 2025

As usual, just a short weekend here, so I'll only cover the teams that actually played, as there were only 6 games.

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 1-1, 0-0 American.

11/14/25- Coaches vs. Cancer Classic First Round vs. (9) UC Irvine (W 82-77).
11/16/25- Coaches vs. Cancer Classic Quarterfinal vs. (1) #7 Virginia (L 82-75).

Not a terrible effort in this tournament for the Huskies, as they gave Virginia all they could handle. Still need to be winning those kind of games though.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 0-1, 0-0 Conference USA.

11/14/25- Hall of Fame Classic First Round vs. (5) #16 Arkansas (L 66-64).

Tough one for the Golden Panthers here. They fought hard and hung tough, but just couldn't quite get the win.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 1-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/14/25- Los Angeles Classic First Round vs. (4) St. Francis-NY (W 79-71).
11/15/25- Los Angeles Classic Championship vs. (2) Bucknell (L 81-76, OT).

The Cougars really needed to win this tournament, but there is no shame in losing to Bucknell who is always a pretty solid team. Still though, if they can't beat those kind of teams, it's going to be hard for them to compete in the P12.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 1-0, 0-0 SWAC.

11/15/25- Rainbow Classic First Round vs. (2) East Tennessee State (W 84-65).

A great win for the Golden Lions here, coming in as the lower seed. They'll play for the tournament championship next week before they start on a grueling non-conference schedule. One thing about Coach Gunn, he schedules tough. (Well, ok, the AI does, but still, no favors).

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the first full week of the season, Nov. 17-23:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Oklahoma (48) 1-0 1761 1 Big 12 Conference
2. Villanova (10) 1-0 1670 3 Big East Conference
3. Arizona (5) 0-0 1655 2 Pacific-12 Conference
4. Virginia (6) 2-0 1553 7 Atlantic Coast Conference
5. VCU (2) 0-0 1546 4 Southeastern Conference
6. Florida State (1) 1-0 1436 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Wisconsin 1-0 1377 8 Big Ten Conference
8. Providence 0-0 1303 6 Big East Conference
9. Vanderbilt 0-0 1225 10 Southeastern Conference
10. Louisville 1-0 1114 12 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. San Diego State 0-0 1074 11 Mountain West Conference
12. Baylor 0-0 965 13 Big 12 Conference
13. Arkansas 1-0 837 16 Southeastern Conference
14. Syracuse 0-0 747 15 Atlantic Coast Conference
15. St. John's 0-0 586 17 Big East Conference
16. Georgetown 0-0 561 18 Big East Conference
17. Minnesota 0-0 413 19 Big Ten Conference
18. Davidson 1-0 408 24 Atlantic 10 Conference
19. California 0-0 401 20 Pacific-12 Conference
20. Tennessee 0-0 329 21 Southeastern Conference
21. Butler 1-0 293 NR Big East Conference
22. Wichita State 0-0 278 22 Missouri Valley Conference
23. Memphis 1-0 223 NR American Athletic Conference
24. Texas A&M 0-0 223 23 Southeastern Conference
25. Gonzaga 1-1 125 9 Pacific-12 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Alabama 0-0 96 Southeastern Conference
LSU 0-0 77 Southeastern Conference
Fresno State 2-0 62 Mountain West Conference
Northwestern 0-0 60 Big Ten Conference
Ohio State 0-0 57 Big Ten Conference
North Carolina 0-0 52 Atlantic Coast Conference
North Carolina State 0-0 51 Atlantic Coast Conference
BYU 2-0 48 West Coast Conference
Richmond 2-0 40 Atlantic 10 Conference
Delaware 2-0 36 Colonial Athletic Association
St. Bonaventure 0-0 31 Atlantic 10 Conference
La Salle 1-0 30 Atlantic 10 Conference
West Virginia 1-0 30 Big 12 Conference
Illinois State 1-0 28 Missouri Valley Conference
DePaul 1-0 27 Big East Conference
UCLA 0-0 26 Pacific-12 Conference
Kent State 0-0 24 Mid-American Conference
Auburn 2-0 23 Southeastern Conference
Columbia 1-0 22 Ivy League
Texas 0-0 21 Big 12 Conference
Bucknell 2-0 20 Patriot League
Stanford 0-0 20 Pacific-12 Conference
Washington 0-0 20 Pacific-12 Conference
Loyola Chicago 1-0 18 Missouri Valley Conference
Saint Joseph's 0-0 18 Atlantic 10 Conference
Mississippi 0-0 16 Southeastern Conference
Buffalo 0-0 15 Mid-American Conference
Florida 0-0 15 Southeastern Conference
Boise State 1-0 14 Mountain West Conference
Eastern Michigan 1-0 14 Mid-American Conference
Eastern Washington 0-0 13 Big Sky Conference
Illinois 0-0 13 Big Ten Conference
Oregon 0-0 13 Pacific-12 Conference
Penn State 0-0 13 Big Ten Conference
Iowa 1-0 12 Big Ten Conference
Kentucky 1-0 12 Southeastern Conference
Michigan State 0-0 12 Big Ten Conference
Kansas 1-0 11 Big 12 Conference
Florida Atlantic 2-0 10 Conference USA
Green Bay 1-0 10 Horizon League
Hawaii 2-0 10 Big West Conference
Northern Illinois 0-0 10 Mid-American Conference
Canisius 1-0 9 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Massachusetts 0-0 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
Miami 0-0 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
Western Michigan 0-0 9 Mid-American Conference
Marquette 0-0 8 Big East Conference
Oakland 0-0 8 Mid-American Conference
Oklahoma State 0-0 8 Big 12 Conference
Bradley 0-0 7 Missouri Valley Conference
Fordham 0-0 7 Atlantic 10 Conference
Michigan 0-0 7 Big Ten Conference
Pepperdine 0-0 7 West Coast Conference
Tulsa 0-0 7 American Athletic Conference
Southern Illinois 0-0 6 Missouri Valley Conference
Colorado 0-0 5 Pacific-12 Conference
South Florida 0-0 5 American Athletic Conference
Detroit 0-0 4 Horizon League
Illinois Chicago 0-0 4 Horizon League
Oral Roberts 0-0 4 Summit League
Eastern Illinois 0-0 3 Ohio Valley Conference
Stony Brook 1-0 3 America East Conference
USC 1-0 3 West Coast Conference
Louisiana Tech 0-0 2 Conference USA
New Mexico 0-0 2 Mountain West Conference
Portland 0-0 2 West Coast Conference
SIU Edwardsville 0-0 2 Ohio Valley Conference
Louisiana Monroe 2-0 1 Atlantic Sun Conference
Rutgers 0-0 1 Big Ten Conference
San Francisco 1-0 1 West Coast Conference
Texas Tech 1-0 1 Big 12 Conference
USC Upstate 2-0 1 Atlantic Sun Conference
Utah State 0-0 1 Mountain West Conference
Western Illinois 0-0 1 Southland Conference

It slays me that Stanford and UCLA aren't in the top 25, especially with their consistent success.

[collegesportsfanms]

Now a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Nov. 17-23:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. San Diego State (68) 0-0 1790 1 Mountain West Conference
2. Davidson (3) 1-0 1526 3 Atlantic 10 Conference
3. Wichita State (1) 0-0 1435 2 Missouri Valley Conference
4. Memphis 1-0 1416 4 American Athletic Conference
5. Kent State 0-0 963 5 Mid-American Conference
6. Fresno State 2-0 958 6 Mountain West Conference
7. BYU 2-0 801 8 West Coast Conference
8. Richmond 2-0 795 18 Atlantic 10 Conference
9. Delaware 2-0 685 NR Colonial Athletic Association
10. Illinois State 1-0 602 7 Missouri Valley Conference
11. Florida Atlantic 2-0 519 NR Conference USA
12. Bucknell 2-0 511 NR Patriot League
13. Eastern Michigan 1-0 500 14 Mid-American Conference
14. Loyola Chicago 1-0 475 NR Missouri Valley Conference
15. Boise State 1-0 461 12 Mountain West Conference
16. Hawaii 2-0 443 NR Big West Conference
17. USC Upstate 2-0 400 NR Atlantic Sun Conference
18. La Salle 1-0 398 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
19. Louisiana Monroe 2-0 385 NR Atlantic Sun Conference
20. Green Bay 1-0 309 NR Horizon League
21. St. Bonaventure 0-0 286 9 Atlantic 10 Conference
22. Saint Joseph's 0-0 263 10 Atlantic 10 Conference
23. Columbia 1-0 248 NR Ivy League
24. Saint Louis 1-0 240 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
25. Toledo 1-0 219 NR Mid-American Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Pepperdine 0-0 215 West Coast Conference
Buffalo 0-0 212 Mid-American Conference
Massachusetts 0-0 204 Atlantic 10 Conference
UAB 0-0 192 Atlantic 10 Conference
South Florida 0-0 182 American Athletic Conference
SMU 0-0 171 American Athletic Conference
Fordham 0-0 166 Atlantic 10 Conference
Cincinnati 0-0 163 American Athletic Conference
Western Michigan 0-0 162 Mid-American Conference
Louisiana Tech 0-0 150 Conference USA
USC 1-0 147 West Coast Conference
Jacksonville State 1-0 145 Ohio Valley Conference
Tulane 0-0 135 American Athletic Conference
Furman 1-0 133 Southern Conference
Oakland 0-0 127 Mid-American Conference
Canisius 1-0 121 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Indiana State 0-0 121 Missouri Valley Conference
San Diego 0-0 121 West Coast Conference
Utah State 0-0 119 Mountain West Conference
New Mexico 0-0 116 Mountain West Conference
Northern Illinois 0-0 111 Mid-American Conference
San Francisco 1-0 108 West Coast Conference
Middle Tennessee 0-0 105 Conference USA
Old Dominion 0-0 102 Conference USA
Yale 0-0 102 Ivy League
Portland 0-0 97 West Coast Conference
Drexel 0-0 93 Colonial Athletic Association
Bradley 0-0 92 Missouri Valley Conference
William & Mary 0-0 91 Colonial Athletic Association
Northeastern 0-0 90 Colonial Athletic Association
Evansville 0-0 89 Missouri Valley Conference
UCF 0-0 89 American Athletic Conference
Santa Clara 0-0 87 West Coast Conference
Towson 0-0 81 Colonial Athletic Association
Loyola Marymount 0-0 78 West Coast Conference
Northern Iowa 0-0 76 Missouri Valley Conference
Houston 0-0 75 American Athletic Conference
Cal State Fullerton 1-0 72 Big West Conference
Mississippi State 0-0 71 Atlantic 10 Conference
Niagara 0-0 71 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Southern Illinois 0-0 64 Missouri Valley Conference
UNLV 0-0 62 Mountain West Conference
UC Santa Barbara 0-0 60 Big West Conference
Dartmouth 0-0 55 Ivy League
Cornell 0-0 52 Ivy League
Illinois Chicago 0-0 52 Horizon League
Southern Miss 0-0 52 Conference USA
Eastern Illinois 0-0 49 Ohio Valley Conference
Florida Gulf Coast 0-0 49 Sun Belt Conference
Quinnipiac 0-0 48 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
SIU Edwardsville 0-0 44 Ohio Valley Conference
Hofstra 0-0 43 Colonial Athletic Association
San Jose State 0-0 43 Mountain West Conference
UNC Wilmington 0-0 41 Colonial Athletic Association
Western Illinois 0-0 41 Southland Conference
Arkansas Pine Bluff 1-0 40 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Long Beach State 0-0 39 Big West Conference
Stony Brook 1-0 38 America East Conference
Tulsa 0-0 38 American Athletic Conference
Chicago State 0-0 37 Western Athletic Conference
Lehigh 0-0 37 Patriot League
Nevada 0-0 36 Mountain West Conference
Colgate 0-0 33 Patriot League
Morgan State 1-0 32 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Nebraska Omaha 1-0 32 Summit League
Iona 0-0 30 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Belmont 0-0 25 Ohio Valley Conference
Eastern Washington 0-0 24 Big Sky Conference
Florida A&M 0-0 24 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Army 0-0 23 Patriot League
Cal State Northridge 0-0 23 Big West Conference
Bowling Green 0-0 22 Mid-American Conference
Oral Roberts 0-0 22 Summit League
Detroit 0-0 21 Horizon League
Milwaukee 0-0 21 Horizon League
Montana State 0-0 21 Big Sky Conference
Albany 0-0 20 America East Conference
Drake 0-0 20 Missouri Valley Conference
North Dakota State 0-0 20 Summit League
Brown 0-0 19 Ivy League
Cal Poly 0-0 19 Big West Conference
Siena 0-0 19 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Binghamton 0-0 17 America East Conference
George Mason 0-0 17 Conference USA
Northwestern State 0-0 17 Southland Conference
Portland State 0-0 17 Big Sky Conference
North Dakota 0-0 16 Big Sky Conference
UC Riverside 0-0 16 Big West Conference
North Florida 0-0 15 Atlantic Sun Conference
Southern Utah 0-0 14 Big Sky Conference
UTEP 0-0 14 Conference USA
Norfolk State 0-0 13 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Penn 0-0 13 Ivy League
Sacramento State 0-0 13 Big Sky Conference
Southern 0-0 13 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Weber State 0-0 13 Big Sky Conference
Air Force 0-0 12 Mountain West Conference
Hampton 0-0 12 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Marist 0-0 12 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Southeastern Louisiana 0-0 12 Southland Conference
New Orleans 0-0 11 Southland Conference
Northern Kentucky 0-0 11 Sun Belt Conference
UMBC 1-0 11 America East Conference
LIU Brooklyn 0-0 10 Northeast Conference
Nicholls State 0-0 10 Southland Conference
Stetson 0-0 10 Atlantic Sun Conference
Longwood 0-0 9 Big South Conference
Bethune Cookman 0-0 8 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Lafayette 0-0 8 Patriot League
Rider 0-0 8 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Liberty 0-0 7 Big South Conference
Grambling State 0-0 6 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Wagner 0-0 6 Northeast Conference
Wyoming 0-0 6 Mountain West Conference
Ohio 0-0 5 Mid-American Conference
South Alabama 0-0 5 Sun Belt Conference
Lipscomb 1-0 4 Atlantic Sun Conference
Robert Morris 0-0 4 Northeast Conference
North Texas 0-0 3 Conference USA
Cleveland State 0-0 1 Horizon League
Stephen F. Austin 0-0 1 Horizon League

Still nice to see some of our mid-major FOFC teams receiving votes, but honestly that means nothing until they play some games.

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 17-23, 2025

A much heavier schedule this week, 29 games, but no feature games. Let's get started:

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 1-1, 0-0 American.

No games for Coach Childress and the Huskies this week. Rumor has it he cancelled all practices for the week, saying "practice? We don't need no stinkin practice. I'm gonna get canned after the season anyways, so what do I care?"

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 1-1, 0-0 ACC.

11/19/25 at Xavier (L 69-65).
11/21/25 vs. Loyola Chicago (W 100-95, OT).

A split for the Fighting Irish this week. I guess it's better than nothing, but Coach Mighty really needs to find a way to get this team going.

North Florida (Felix Abel) -- 0-2, 0-0 Atlantic Sun.

11/17/25 vs. Chattanooga (L 87-78).
11/22/25 vs. Charleston Southern (L 86-81).

Not a good start for the Ospreys, losing 2 at home. They'll play their season tournament next week.

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

11/20/25- Legends Classic First Round vs. (3) Duke (W 65-58).

A bit of a surprise out of the gate for the Horned Frogs, pulling an upset as a lower seed in their season tournament. They'll play the semifinals next week.

#15 St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 2-0, 0-0 Big East.

11/18/25 at Idaho State (W 82-52).
11/21/25 vs. Drexel (W 87-43).

A couple tune up wins for the Red Storm next week, as they handled 2 opponents going into their season tournament next week.

Sacramento State (David Ginsberg) -- 2-0, 0-0 Big Sky.

11/17/25 at Delaware State (W 63-44).
11/22/25 vs. Cal Poly (W 63-53).

The Coach Ginsberg era at Sacramento State got off to a strong start with 2 wins this week. They'll also head to their season tournament next week.

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

11/18/25- Hall of Fame Tip-Off First Round vs. (4) SMU (W 91-85).
11/22/25- Hall of Fame Tip-Off Semifinal vs. (1) #14 Syracuse (W 86-78).
11/23/25- Hall of Fame Tip-Off Championship vs. (3) UMass (W 113-104, OT).

Congrats to the Wildcats and Coach Vee, as he certainly coached this season tournament like his job was on the line, because.. well.. it is! A nice tournament win and they have a chance to win a few more, as their non-conference schedule isn't overly tough. Nothing like stacking the deck to get some wins piled up!

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 0-1, 0-0 Conference USA.

No games this week for Coach Hawkins and the Golden Panthers.

Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) -- 2-0, 0-0 MAAC.

11/21/25- Michigan Showcase First Round vs. (1) Boston College (W 76-67).
11/23/25- Michigan Showcase Championship vs. (3) Samford (W 80-72).

Congrats to the Stags, who become the 2nd team early on to win a season tournament, and they did it as a #4 seed in a 4 team tournament. Well done!

San Jose State (Thomas Shepard) -- 0-1, 0-0 Mountain West.

11/21/25 at Santa Clara (L 87-83).

Tough loss to open the season for the Spartans, as they drop a close one going into their season tournament next week.

Wagner (Will Brown) -- 1-1, 0-0 Northeast.

11/21/25- Michigan Tournament First Round vs. (1) Towson (L 86-55).
11/23/25- Michigan Tournament 3rd Place Game (3) Western Carolina (W 81-53).

Good recovery for the Seahawks after getting hammered in their first game in the Coach Brown era.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 1-0, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/20/25 vs. Denver (W 75-53).

A good week for the Buffaloes as they take care of business in their only game of the week. Next up is their season tournament next week.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 1-0, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/22/25 at Portland State (W 76-63).

Not the best season opening performance for the Cardinal, but they get a win on the road. They'll have to play better though.

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

11/19/25 vs. Bethune Cookman (W 58-45).

Also not a great season opening performance for the Bruins, but a win is a win. They also need to pic it up as they start their season tournament next week.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 1-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

No games this week for Coach St. John and the Cougars.

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

11/20/25- Charleston Classic First Round vs. (7) Stephen F. Austin (W 89-65).
11/21/25- Charleston Classic Semifinal vs. (3) Utah State (W 85-75).
11/23/25- Charleston Classic Championship vs. (5) Oakland (W 81-76).

Congrats to the Crimson Tide and Coach Rogers, now the 3rd team to win a season tournament this week. As per usual, they have a tough non-conference schedule, but hopefully this will be some nice momentum to jump start it.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 1-1, 0-0 SWAC.

11/17/25- Rainbow Classic Championship vs. (4) Nebraska Omaha (L 88-65).

Maybe a bit of overconfidence, but the Golden Lions were hammered tonight against a team they quite frankly should have beaten. They needed to beat this team because getting another win in non-conference play may be tough.

Troy (Benton Gale) -- 0-2, 0-0 Sun Belt.

11/21/25- New Jersey Regional First Round vs. (1) Quinnipiac (L 109-87).
11/23/25- New Jersey Regional 3rd Place Game vs. (2) Detroit (L 89-83).

Not a good start for the Trojans, as they were pretty well handled in their first 2 games this season. They definitely need to shore up the defense, as they gave up 99 points a game in the New Jersey Regional.

San Diego (Charlie Shocker) -- 2-1, 0-0 WCC.

11/20/25- Charleston Classic First Round vs. (5) Oakland (L 98-71).
11/21/25- Charleston Classic Consolation vs. (8) Drake (W 69-66).
11/23/25- Charleston Classic 5th Place Game vs. (7) Stephen F. Austin (W 63-51).

Good recovery for the Toreros, coming back to win 2 in a row after a blowout loss. Even if the wins were against the 7 and 8 seeds, they still will build some confidence going forward.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Nov. 24-30:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Oklahoma (58) 3-0 1777 1 Big 12 Conference
2. Villanova (6) 2-0 1684 2 Big East Conference
3. Virginia (7) 4-0 1665 4 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. VCU (1) 2-0 1622 5 Southeastern Conference
5. Florida State 2-0 1522 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Louisville 3-0 1396 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
7. Vanderbilt 1-0 1372 9 Southeastern Conference
8. San Diego State 1-0 1253 11 Mountain West Conference
9. Baylor 1-0 1174 12 Big 12 Conference
10. St. John's 2-0 1017 15 Big East Conference
11. Alabama 3-0 848 NR Southeastern Conference
12. Memphis 3-0 800 23 American Athletic Conference
13. Wichita State 2-0 790 22 Missouri Valley Conference
14. Georgetown 1-0 783 16 Big East Conference
15. Kent State 4-0 583 NR Mid-American Conference
16. Davidson 2-0 534 18 Atlantic 10 Conference
17. Arizona 1-1 509 3 Pacific-12 Conference
18. California 1-0 505 19 Pacific-12 Conference
19. Tennessee 1-0 453 20 Southeastern Conference
20. Texas A&M 1-0 389 24 Southeastern Conference
21. Northwestern 3-0 353 NR Big Ten Conference
22. North Carolina 2-0 243 NR Atlantic Coast Conference
23. Ohio State 2-0 234 NR Big Ten Conference
24. Butler 1-0 223 21 Big East Conference
25. Providence 2-1 222 8 Big East Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
LSU 1-0 133 Southeastern Conference
Gonzaga 1-1 88 Pacific-12 Conference
Delaware 4-0 79 Colonial Athletic Association
La Salle 3-0 78 Atlantic 10 Conference
Eastern Michigan 3-0 64 Mid-American Conference
Kentucky 2-0 64 Southeastern Conference
Buffalo 2-0 59 Mid-American Conference
Louisiana Monroe 4-0 55 Atlantic Sun Conference
UCLA 1-0 54 Pacific-12 Conference
Iowa 2-0 52 Big Ten Conference
Georgia 2-0 49 Southeastern Conference
Saint Joseph's 2-0 47 Atlantic 10 Conference
West Virginia 2-0 43 Big 12 Conference
Wisconsin 1-1 42 Big Ten Conference
South Florida 2-0 39 American Athletic Conference
Oklahoma State 2-0 36 Big 12 Conference
Boise State 2-0 35 Mountain West Conference
Stanford 1-0 35 Pacific-12 Conference
Columbia 2-0 31 Ivy League
Florida A&M 3-0 31 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Florida 0-0 28 Southeastern Conference
Xavier 2-0 26 Big East Conference
Illinois 1-0 24 Big Ten Conference
San Francisco 2-0 24 West Coast Conference
Eastern Illinois 2-0 21 Ohio Valley Conference
Towson 2-0 18 Colonial Athletic Association
Texas Tech 2-0 15 Big 12 Conference
Cal State Northridge 2-0 14 Big West Conference
Niagara 2-0 14 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Western Michigan 1-0 14 Mid-American Conference
Penn State 1-0 13 Big Ten Conference
Colorado 1-0 12 Pacific-12 Conference
Milwaukee 2-0 11 Horizon League
South Alabama 2-0 11 Sun Belt Conference
New Mexico 1-0 10 Mountain West Conference
Rutgers 1-0 10 Big Ten Conference
Indiana State 2-0 9 Missouri Valley Conference
Tulane 1-0 9 American Athletic Conference
Albany 2-0 8 America East Conference
Kennesaw State 3-0 8 Atlantic Sun Conference
Sacramento State 2-0 7 Big Sky Conference
Stony Brook 2-0 6 America East Conference
Nebraska Omaha 3-0 5 Summit League
Northeastern 2-0 5 Colonial Athletic Association
Valparaiso 2-0 3 Horizon League
Middle Tennessee 1-0 2 Conference USA
Northern Colorado 2-0 2 Big Sky Conference
Quinnipiac 2-0 2 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Rice 2-0 2 Conference USA
New Mexico State 2-0 1 Western Athletic Conference
Old Dominion 1-0 1 Conference USA

Welcome back to the national top 25 Alabama and Northwestern! Neither have been there for a while. And hello Sacramento State, who has gotten a few votes this week.

[collegesportsfanms]

And here's a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Nov. 24-30:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. San Diego State (64) 1-0 1785 1 Mountain West Conference
2. Memphis (6) 3-0 1659 4 American Athletic Conference
3. Wichita State 2-0 1613 3 Missouri Valley Conference
4. Kent State (2) 4-0 1479 5 Mid-American Conference
5. Davidson 2-0 1464 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. Delaware 4-0 1036 9 Colonial Athletic Association
7. La Salle 3-0 1026 18 Atlantic 10 Conference
8. Eastern Michigan 3-0 970 13 Mid-American Conference
9. Boise State 2-0 846 15 Mountain West Conference
10. Louisiana Monroe 4-0 846 19 Atlantic Sun Conference
11. Saint Joseph's 2-0 824 22 Atlantic 10 Conference
12. Indiana State 2-0 733 NR Missouri Valley Conference
13. Florida A&M 3-0 585 NR Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
14. Towson 2-0 551 NR Colonial Athletic Association
15. Buffalo 2-0 540 NR Mid-American Conference
16. Nebraska Omaha 3-0 466 NR Summit League
17. Valparaiso 2-0 457 NR Horizon League
18. San Francisco 2-0 451 NR West Coast Conference
19. Cal State Northridge 2-0 361 NR Big West Conference
20. South Florida 2-0 316 NR American Athletic Conference
21. Western Michigan 1-0 300 NR Mid-American Conference
22. Quinnipiac 2-0 297 NR Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
23. Rice 2-0 295 NR Conference USA
24. Columbia 2-0 264 23 Ivy League
25. Kennesaw State 3-0 254 NR Atlantic Sun Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Eastern Illinois 2-0 248 Ohio Valley Conference
Milwaukee 2-0 243 Horizon League
New Mexico 1-0 221 Mountain West Conference
Northeastern 2-0 173 Colonial Athletic Association
South Alabama 2-0 170 Sun Belt Conference
Tulane 1-0 165 American Athletic Conference
Lehigh 2-0 160 Patriot League
Niagara 2-0 154 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Fairfield 2-0 146 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
UAB 0-0 143 Atlantic 10 Conference
Middle Tennessee 1-0 141 Conference USA
North Texas 1-0 140 Conference USA
Albany 2-0 139 America East Conference
Old Dominion 1-0 139 Conference USA
Sacramento State 2-0 130 Big Sky Conference
Southeastern Louisiana 2-0 114 Southland Conference
Stony Brook 2-0 112 America East Conference
Loyola MD 2-0 111 Patriot League
North Carolina Central 2-0 98 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
UMKC 1-0 96 Western Athletic Conference
UTEP 0-0 90 Conference USA
Northern Colorado 2-0 85 Big Sky Conference
Texas State 1-0 82 Sun Belt Conference
Winthrop 2-0 75 Big South Conference
New Mexico State 2-0 73 Western Athletic Conference
Wofford 1-0 69 Southern Conference
Army 1-0 66 Patriot League
Northern Arizona 2-0 63 Big Sky Conference
Idaho 2-0 60 Big Sky Conference
Montana State 0-0 51 Big Sky Conference
UMass Lowell 2-0 51 America East Conference
Holy Cross 1-0 48 Patriot League
Prairie View A&M 1-0 48 Southwestern Athletic Conference
South Carolina State 0-0 48 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Texas-Rio Grande Valley 0-0 30 Western Athletic Conference

Good to see Fairfield and Sacramento State still receiving some mid-major votes.

[collegesportsfanms]

Nov. 24-30, 2025

31 games on the schedule this week, no feature games though. Let's get to it:

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 2-1, 0-0 American.

11/30/25 vs. Stephen F. Austin (W 71-63).

It wasn't the easiest of victories, but the Huskies pulled it out in their only game of the week.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 2-2, 0-0 ACC.

11/25/25 at Longwood (W 109-79).
11/28/25 at Seton Hall (L 78-70).

A road split for the Fighting Irish, tough loss to Seton Hall, but a good stretch coming up.

North Florida (Felix Abel) -- 3-2, 0-0 Atlantic Sun.

11/27/25- Wooden Legacy First Round vs. (2) LIU Brooklyn (W 72-71).
11/28/25- Wooden Legacy Semifinal vs. (6) Delaware State (W 89-65).
11/30/25- Wooden Legacy Championship vs. (5) Appalachian State (W 84-71).

Great job by the Ospreys this tournament, as they continue the trend of low seeded FOFC teams coming through and winning a tournament.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 3-1, 0-0 Big 12.

11/24/25- Legends Classic Semifinal vs. (2) #19 Tennessee (L 78-66).
11/25/25- Legends Classic 3rd Place Game vs. (1) Illinois (W 68-59).
11/30/25 at Arkansas Little Rock (W 75-44).

Good week for the Horned Frogs, winning 2 of 3 and taking 3rd place in their season tournament.

#10 St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 5-1, 0-0 Big East.

11/24/25- Las Vegas Invitational First Round vs. (8) Valparaiso (W 92-44).
11/27/25- Las Vegas Invitational Semifinal vs. (5) South Florida (W 83-61).
11/28/25- Las Vegas Invitational Championship vs. (6) Toledo (L 81-70).
11/30/25 at Fordham (W 76-57).

3 of 4 this week for the Red Storm, but a tough loss in their season tournament championship. Good recovery to stay on the road, 4 games in a week is tough!

Sacramento State (David Ginsberg) -- 4-0, 0-0 Big Sky.

11/28/25- New Orleans Classic First Round vs. (3) Charlotte (W 71-61).
11/30/25- New Orleans Classic Championship vs. (1) USC (W 88-71).

Great week for the Hornets, as Coach Ginsberg continues to impress in his new job.

#21 Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 3-1, 0-0 Big Ten.

11/30/25 vs. Western Michigan (L 77-74).

Go figure, I talk about the easy non-conference schedule the Wildcats have, and they drop a tough one. It really does get easier from here, and it'll be important to pile up some wins.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 1-1, 0-0 Conference USA.

11/30/25 at #8 San Diego State (W 84-73).

Excellent win for the Golden Panthers in their only game of the week. They took control early and got a solid road win.

Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) -- 2-0, 0-0 MAAC.

No games this week for Coach Pryde and the Stags.

San Jose State (Thomas Shepard) -- 1-4, 0-0 Mountain West.

11/26/25- NIT Season Tip-Off First Round vs. (6) UC Davis (L 77-75).
11/27/25- NIT Season Tip-Off Consolation vs. (7) Oral Roberts (L 97-82).
11/28/25- NIT Season Tip-Off 7th Place Game vs. (5) Northern Kentucky (L 93-85).
11/30/25 at The Citadel (W 91-84, OT).

It doesn't appear that the Spartans will be sneaking up on anybody this season, taking 8th place in their season tournament. They did finally get their first win of the season, in OT. Maybe that'll be a jumpstart.

Wagner (Will Brown) -- 1-1, 0-0 Northeast.

No games this week for Coach Brown and the Seahawks.

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

11/24/25- Maui Invitational First Round vs. (8) Manhattan (L 46-36).
11/25/25- Maui Invitational Consolation vs. (5) UAB (L 63-61).
11/26/25- Maui Invitational 7th Place Game vs. (3) Florida (L 53-44).
11/30/25 vs. Columbia (W 76-59).

Terrible trip to Maui for the Buffaloes, who came in the #1 seed but left with an 0-fer. At least they did salvage a win on the week.

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

11/26/25 at Idaho State (W 94-64).

Much better effort this week for the Cardinal in their only game, a dominating road win.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 3-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/26/25- Battle 4 Atlantis First Round vs. (7) Michigan (W 79-69).
11/27/25- Battle 4 Atlantis Semifinal vs. (3) #12 Memphis (W 64-50).
11/28/25- Battle 4 Atlantis Championship vs. (4) Missouri (L 74-62).

Tough one for the Bruins, who fall in the championship game in Atlantis. 2 solid wins before that though.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 3-1, 0-0 Pac 12.

11/24/25 vs. Abilene Christian (W 63-61).
11/26/25 at St. Francis (PA) (W 68-60).

A couple hard fought victories for the Cougars, but they are going to have to play a lot better if they are gonna win enough games to make the postseason.

#11 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 3-0, 0-0 SEC.

No games this week for Coach Rogers and the Crimson Tide, who are still celebrating their season tournament championship.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 1-1, 0-0 SWAC.

No games this weekend for Coach Gunn and the Golden Lions, who had some hard practices this week to get ready for their absolute grind of a non-conference schedule.

Troy (Benton Gale) -- 0-2, 0-0 Sun Belt.

No games this week for Coach Gale and the Trojans, who also had some hard practices after an 0-2 finish in their season tournament.

San Diego (Charlie Shocker) -- 2-1, 0-0 WCC.

And no games this week for Coach Shocker and the Toreros.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Dec. 1-7:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. VCU (72) 6-0 1800 4 Southeastern Conference
2. Virginia 6-0 1727 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Louisville 5-0 1647 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. Baylor 3-0 1549 9 Big 12 Conference
5. Wichita State 5-0 1376 13 Missouri Valley Conference
6. Oklahoma 4-1 1362 1 Big 12 Conference
7. Tennessee 3-0 1285 19 Southeastern Conference
8. Villanova 3-1 1178 2 Big East Conference
9. Arizona 3-1 1064 17 Pacific-12 Conference
10. North Carolina 4-0 1053 22 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Davidson 3-0 1050 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
12. Alabama 3-0 1042 11 Southeastern Conference
13. Iowa 4-0 796 NR Big Ten Conference
14. Xavier 5-0 781 NR Big East Conference
15. Missouri 4-0 619 NR Southeastern Conference
16. Penn State 4-0 580 NR Big Ten Conference
17. Florida State 2-1 574 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
18. Delaware 6-0 550 NR Colonial Athletic Association
19. Gonzaga 2-1 398 NR Pacific-12 Conference
20. Wisconsin 2-1 392 NR Big Ten Conference
21. Providence 3-1 304 25 Big East Conference
22. Nebraska Omaha 5-0 274 NR Summit League
23. Georgia 3-0 258 NR Southeastern Conference
24. Milwaukee 4-0 241 NR Horizon League
25. West Virginia 3-0 233 NR Big 12 Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Stanford 2-0 187 Pacific-12 Conference
Kennesaw State 5-0 180 Atlantic Sun Conference
Sacramento State 4-0 116 Big Sky Conference
St. John's 5-1 108 Big East Conference
Florida A&M 3-0 88 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Southeastern Louisiana 4-0 82 Southland Conference
Loyola MD 3-0 62 Patriot League
UMKC 3-0 62 Western Athletic Conference
South Alabama 2-0 60 Sun Belt Conference
Towson 2-0 59 Colonial Athletic Association
UTEP 2-0 58 Conference USA
Northern Colorado 4-0 50 Big Sky Conference
Holy Cross 3-0 44 Patriot League
Albany 2-0 39 America East Conference
Northern Arizona 3-0 29 Big Sky Conference
Stony Brook 2-0 18 America East Conference
Fairfield 2-0 14 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Army 1-0 8 Patriot League
California 2-1 2 Pacific-12 Conference
Auburn 5-1 1 Southeastern Conference

Alabama drops 1 spot after not playing this week, and several of our FOFC coached teams are on the cusp of making the top 25. Good weeks next week, and we could see several of our teams in.

[collegesportsfanms]

Now for the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Dec. 1-7:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wichita State (64) 5-0 1791 3 Missouri Valley Conference
2. Davidson (7) 3-0 1712 5 Atlantic 10 Conference
3. Delaware (1) 6-0 1576 6 Colonial Athletic Association
4. Nebraska Omaha 5-0 1407 16 Summit League
5. Milwaukee 4-0 1401 NR Horizon League
6. Kennesaw State 5-0 1366 25 Atlantic Sun Conference
7. Sacramento State 4-0 1256 NR Big Sky Conference
8. Towson 2-0 1107 14 Colonial Athletic Association
9. Loyola MD 3-0 1067 NR Patriot League
10. Florida A&M 3-0 1035 13 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
11. Northern Colorado 4-0 1029 NR Big Sky Conference
12. Northern Arizona 3-0 1024 NR Big Sky Conference
13. Southeastern Louisiana 4-0 915 NR Southland Conference
14. Holy Cross 3-0 881 NR Patriot League
15. UMKC 3-0 847 NR Western Athletic Conference
16. UTEP 2-0 819 NR Conference USA
17. Albany 2-0 779 NR America East Conference
18. South Alabama 2-0 722 NR Sun Belt Conference
19. Fairfield 2-0 648 NR Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
20. Stony Brook 2-0 538 NR America East Conference
21. Army 1-0 408 NR Patriot League
22. Kent State 5-1 356 4 Mid-American Conference
23. Louisiana Tech 4-1 131 NR Conference USA
24. Hawaii 5-1 123 NR Big West Conference
25. Fresno State 3-1 97 NR Mountain West Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
South Florida 4-1 72 American Athletic Conference
Richmond 4-1 54 Atlantic 10 Conference
Toledo 4-1 36 Mid-American Conference
San Diego State 3-2 35 Mountain West Conference
Eastern Michigan 4-1 33 Mid-American Conference
Massachusetts 2-1 29 Atlantic 10 Conference
Connecticut 2-1 15 American Athletic Conference
Western Michigan 3-1 15 Mid-American Conference
Louisiana Monroe 5-1 14 Atlantic Sun Conference
Boise State 2-1 10 Mountain West Conference
Eastern Illinois 2-1 7 Ohio Valley Conference
Cal State Northridge 3-1 5 Big West Conference
Harvard 2-1 5 Ivy League
Illinois State 1-1 5 Missouri Valley Conference
San Diego 2-1 4 West Coast Conference
St. Francis NY 3-1 4 Northeast Conference
Green Bay 1-1 3 Horizon League
Oakland 2-1 3 Mid-American Conference
Seattle 0-1 3 Western Athletic Conference
St. Bonaventure 0-1 3 Atlantic 10 Conference
FIU 1-1 2 Conference USA
Loyola Marymount 2-1 2 West Coast Conference
New Mexico 2-1 2 Mountain West Conference
Marist 2-1 1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Tulane 3-1 1 American Athletic Conference
UAB 2-1 1 Atlantic 10 Conference
UMass Lowell 3-1 1 America East Conference

Nice to see 2 of our FOFC coached mid-major teams in the top 25, and a few others receiving votes. This is the type of trend I want to continue.

[collegesportsfanms]

Dec. 1-7, 2025

30 games on the docket this week, and 1 of them a feature game between old Big East rivals, so let's start there:

12/4/25- Uconn (Randolph Childress) @ St. John's (Dean Hoo) --Not much to talk about with this one, as the Johnnies shot almost 60% for the game and hit 16 three pointers. Coach Hoo has this team continuing to play on a high level.

Final Score: St. John's- 110, UConn- 76

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

UConn (Randolph Childress) -- 3-2, 0-0 American.

12/2/25 vs. NJIT (W 95-81).
12/4/25 at St. John's- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Huskies, but that game at St. John's just goes to show how much work they still have to do, especially if Coach Childress is going to keep his job.

Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 3-2, 0-0 ACC.

12/7/25 vs. Cincinnati (W 65-55).

The Fighting Irish go back over .500 for the season with a nice win over Cincinnati, but they also still have a lot of work to do.

North Florida (Felix Abel) -- 3-3, 0-0 Atlantic Sun.

12/7/25 at Florida (L 65-59).

Good effort for the Opsreys in their only game of the week, but they still fell short against an in-state team. What really hurts is they led by 7 at halftime but couldn't put it away.

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

12/2/25 vs. North Texas (W 83-60).
12/5/25 vs. Missouri State (W 75-72).

Good week for the Horned Frogs who pick up 2 more victories, and can really add to that total over the next couple weeks. They are playing well.

St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 6-1, 0-0 Big East.

12/4/25 vs. UConn- feature game, highlighted above.

Just 1 game this week for the Red Storm, but it was an impressive performance as they dominated from start to finish.

Sacramento State (David Ginsberg) -- 4-0, 0-0 Big Sky.

No games this week for Coach Ginsberg and the Hornets.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 4-1, 0-0 Big Ten.

12/6/25 vs. Western Illinois (W 85-59).

1 game this week for the Wildcats, an easy victory over a team still looking for their first win.

FIU (Brett Hawkins) -- 2-1, 0-0 Conference USA.

12/6/25 vs. Florida Gulf Coast (W 72-52).

Just 1 game for the Golden Panthers this week, but another good win, that's 2 in a row.

Fairfield (Ariel Pryde) -- 5-0, 1-0 MAAC.

12/1/25 at Drexel (W 70-48).
12/4/25 vs. Hartford (W 81-77).
12/7/25 vs. Monmouth (W 70-60).

Great week for the Stags, who won all 3 games, including their conference opener. Another game of note is they got a win over Coach Ginsberg's former team, Hartford.

San Jose State (Thomas Shepard) -- 2-4, 0-0 Mountain West.

12/4/25 vs. Cal Poly (W 67-57).

The Spartans win their only game of the week, that's 2 in a row now. Hopefully they are picking it up, but we will find out more about them as they stay on the West Coast for 3 road games in a row against pretty stiff competition.

Wagner (Will Brown) -- 4-1, 0-0 Northeast.

12/3/25 vs. Colgate (W 68-53).
12/5/25 vs. Western Michigan (W 78-69).
12/7/25 vs. Richmond (W 83-73).

Great week for the Seahawks, who have won 4 in a row after a season opening loss. They are playing great basketball right now.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 2-4, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/2/25 at #2 Virginia (L 62-54).

Not a bad effort for the Buffaloes in their only game of the week. Still a loss though, and the schedule doesn't get any easier. The writing is on the wall in Boulder.

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

12/1/25 vs. Kent State (L 82-70).
12/3/25 at UC Davis (W 86-82).
12/6/25 at Utah State (L 68-67).

The Cardinal lose 2 out of 3 this week, and I feel like they could be in for a down season. They are struggling a bit so far.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 5-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/1/25 vs. Auburn (W 77-67).
12/5/25 vs. Evansville (W 79-64).
12/7/25 at Loyola Chicago (L 72-62).

The Bruins got a good win to start the week over Auburn, then a head scratching loss to Loyola to end the week. Hopefully the inconsistencies they had a few seasons ago don't come back.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 4-2, 0-0 Pac 12.

12/3/25 at Loyola (MD) (L 87-78).
12/5/25 vs. Portland (W 68-55).

A split for the Cougars, as they are just added to the list of victims Loyola is wracking up in an incredible start to their season. A couple road games next week.

#12 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 4-0, 0-0 SEC.

12/4/25 vs. Mississippi State (W 76-51).

Just 1 game for the Crimson Tide this week, but it was a good win over a former SEC foe that quite frankly, still isn't very good.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 2-2, 0-0 SWAC.

12/1/25 vs. Texas A&M (W 75-71).
12/6/25 at Vanderbilt (L 87-60).

A split for the Golden Lions, who will take any wins they can get in this non-conference grind. All these games will just help them be more prepared for conference play, hopefully.

Troy (Benton Gale) -- 1-3, 0-0 Sun Belt.

12/2/25 vs. Georgia Tech (L 76-72).
12/6/25 at Jacksonville State (W 85-79).

A split for the Trojans, who get their first win of the season, and almost had a 2-0 week, but a bad first half against Tech heard them.

San Diego (Charlie Shocker) -- 3-1, 0-0 WCC.

12/6/25 vs. Cal State Fullerton (W 90-71).

Just 1 game this week for the Toreros, but it was a good win over a pretty decent team.

Here's a look at the national top 25 going into the week of Dec. 8-14:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Virginia (65) 7-0 1793 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. VCU (7) 7-0 1734 1 Southeastern Conference
3. Louisville 7-0 1649 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. Baylor 4-0 1560 4 Big 12 Conference
5. Davidson 6-0 1411 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. Tennessee 5-0 1381 7 Southeastern Conference
7. Oklahoma 5-1 1380 6 Big 12 Conference
8. Wichita State 5-0 1239 5 Missouri Valley Conference
9. Arizona 3-1 1188 9 Pacific-12 Conference
10. Alabama 4-0 1148 12 Southeastern Conference
11. Delaware 8-0 986 18 Colonial Athletic Association
12. Providence 4-1 973 21 Big East Conference
13. Penn State 5-0 939 16 Big Ten Conference
14. Georgia 5-0 807 23 Southeastern Conference
15. Wisconsin 3-1 800 20 Big Ten Conference
16. Loyola MD 6-0 678 NR Patriot League
17. Towson 5-0 658 NR Colonial Athletic Association
18. Milwaukee 5-0 576 24 Horizon League
19. Georgetown 6-1 559 NR Big East Conference
20. St. John's 6-1 481 NR Big East Conference
21. Fairfield 5-0 447 NR Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
22. Sacramento State 4-0 354 NR Big Sky Conference
23. Villanova 5-2 242 8 Big East Conference
24. Kent State 6-1 156 NR Mid-American Conference
25. North Carolina 5-1 84 10 Atlantic Coast Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Purdue 7-1 54 Big Ten Conference
Fresno State 5-1 26 Mountain West Conference
Mississippi 4-1 18 Southeastern Conference
Iowa 5-1 15 Big Ten Conference
Massachusetts 4-1 11 Atlantic 10 Conference
Northwestern 4-1 10 Big Ten Conference
Florida State 3-2 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
Xavier 6-1 7 Big East Conference
California 3-1 5 Pacific-12 Conference
Michigan State 4-1 5 Big Ten Conference
Hawaii 5-1 3 Big West Conference
Kentucky 4-1 3 Southeastern Conference
Texas 5-1 3 Big 12 Conference
Illinois State 4-1 2 Missouri Valley Conference
Oakland 4-1 2 Mid-American Conference
Gonzaga 3-2 1 Pacific-12 Conference
Kennesaw State 5-1 1 Atlantic Sun Conference
TCU 5-1 1 Big 12 Conference
Wagner 4-1 1 Northeast Conference

I'm ecstatic to see this many teams receiving votes at this point in the season. Brilliant.

[collegesportsfanms]

Here's a look at the mid-major top 25 going into the week of Dec. 8-14:

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Davidson (65) 6-0 1793 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
2. Wichita State (7) 5-0 1723 1 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Delaware 8-0 1643 3 Colonial Athletic Association
4. Loyola MD 6-0 1533 9 Patriot League
5. Towson 5-0 1511 8 Colonial Athletic Association
6. Milwaukee 5-0 1456 5 Horizon League
7. Fairfield 5-0 1362 19 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
8. Sacramento State 4-0 1317 7 Big Sky Conference
9. Kent State 6-1 1205 22 Mid-American Conference
10. Fresno State 5-1 1082 25 Mountain West Conference
11. Massachusetts 4-1 921 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
12. Hawaii 5-1 886 24 Big West Conference
13. Oakland 4-1 789 NR Mid-American Conference
14. Illinois State 4-1 655 NR Missouri Valley Conference
15. Southern Miss 5-1 639 NR Conference USA
16. Kennesaw State 5-1 551 6 Atlantic Sun Conference
17. San Diego State 4-2 501 NR Mountain West Conference
18. Louisiana Monroe 5-1 454 NR Atlantic Sun Conference
19. Wagner 4-1 440 NR Northeast Conference
20. South Alabama 4-1 401 18 Sun Belt Conference
21. San Diego 3-1 350 NR West Coast Conference
22. UCF 4-1 266 NR American Athletic Conference
23. Marist 4-1 204 NR Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
24. Princeton 3-1 183 NR Ivy League
25. UTEP 3-1 181 16 Conference USA

Others Receiving Votes:
Holy Cross 4-1 179 Patriot League
UMass Lowell 4-1 177 America East Conference
IPFW 4-1 137 Summit League
FIU 2-1 118 Conference USA
George Washington 2-1 106 Atlantic 10 Conference
Stony Brook 3-1 95 America East Conference
UMKC 4-1 93 Western Athletic Conference
Army 3-1 81 Patriot League
New Mexico State 4-1 80 Western Athletic Conference
UT Arlington 2-1 74 Sun Belt Conference
Central Michigan 1-1 61 Mid-American Conference
UC Riverside 1-1 54 Big West Conference
Northern Colorado 4-1 51 Big Sky Conference
Idaho 4-1 43 Big Sky Conference
Memphis 5-2 5 American Athletic Conference

And still a lot of representation in the mid-major poll. This season is fun, so far. It's still early.

[bbgunn]

Hawaii. :(