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

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

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

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

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

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

If not, I'll take UNC and UConn.

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

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

I think Colorado wants an annual shot at Northwestern.

I think I'll have Hartford face Yale.

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

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

Roll Tide!

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

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

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

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

Dec. 2-8, 2019

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

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

Final Score: ECU- 83, Norfolk State- 61

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

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

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No games this week for Coach Johnson and the Tigers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No games this week for Coach Shocker and the Owls.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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



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

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

TCU vs. Tulsa

Done.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dec. 9-15, 2019

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

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

Final Score: Clemson- 90, Tulsa- 71

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No games this week for Coach Shepard and the Bruins.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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



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

Done.

I guess UAB makes since

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

Dec. 16-22, 2019

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

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

Final Score: Florida- 79, Clemson- 76

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

Final Score: UCLA- 84, Michigan- 72

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dec. 23-29, 2019

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

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

Final Score: Hawaii- 70, Washington State- 42

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

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

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No games this week for Coach Sanchez and the Cardinal.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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



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

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

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

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

Dec. 30, 2019-Jan. 5, 2020

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

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

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

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

Final Score: Michigan State- 58, Stanford- 57

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No games this week for Coach Nielsen and the Buffaloes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No games this week for Coach Oppenheimer and the Gators.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here is the national top 25 heading into next week:



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

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



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

Jan. 6-12, 2020

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

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

Final Score: TCU- 83, Kansas- 77

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

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

Final Score: Stanford- 74, Washington State- 56

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

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

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

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

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

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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



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

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

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

Jan. 13-19, 202

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

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

Final Score: Michigan State- 79, Michigan- 57

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

Final Score: Stanford- 58, Colorado- 55

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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



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

boy do we stink

Jan. 20-26, 2020

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

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

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

Now we go to the American Conference.

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

Final Score: Tulsa- 79, ECU- 65

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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



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

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

Can't say I blame them. What is this, the fifth season? The Warriors should be at least topping the mid-major polls. I mean, come on, B.B. Gunn should have no trouble getting recruits to come play in tropical Hawaii. :)

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2020

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

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

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

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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



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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

Feb. 3-9, 2020

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

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

Final Score: Colorado- 75, Stanford- 62

Now to the ACC:

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

Final Score: Clemson- 105, Duke- 102

We finish in the Big 12.

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

Final Score: Kansas- 78, TCU- 65

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2/5/20 vs. #12 Louisville (L 76-56).
2/8/20 vs. Duke- feature game, highlighted above.

If nothing else, the Tigers will keep that win over Duke in the memory books. With the loaded schedule they have coming up, it might be their last win of the season. But hey, at least for right now, they can say they are no longer in the cellar!

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 13-10, 3-7 T-12th ACC.

2/5/20 vs. Virginia Tech (L 72-64).
2/8/20 at Clemson- feature game, highlighted above.

The Blue Devils continue to show their inconsistency with 2 losses this week against 2 teams they had no business losing to. Now they play 4 of their next 5 games against teams with 15+ wins. Wouldn't be surprised if they won at least 3 of those games. Coach Hoo has to be feeling the pressure right now, this is a Final Four caliber team but they aren't playing anything like it.

Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 12-9, 6-5 4th Big 12.

2/3/20 vs. Oklahoma (W 80-66).
2/8/20 vs. TCU- feature game, highlighted above.

The Jayhawks get back on track with a couple wins this week, including a revenge win over TCU. They can solidify their postseason chances by going on a nice little roll as they'll go on the road next week for a couple easy non-conference tests.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 13-10, 5-6 5th Big 12.

2/3/20 at #1 Baylor (L 91-47).
2/8/20 at Kansas- feature game, highlighted above.

Ouch, the Horned Frogs team that was once 13-7 appears to be gone. They've lost their last 3, including a really bad 44 point loss at Baylor. They've still got a lot of chances to add to their win total, but they can't have anymore weeks like this.

Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- 8-14, 4-6 10th Big Ten.

2/5/20 vs. #6 Maryland (L 57-55).
2/8/20 at Purdue (W 68-67).

A split for the Wolverines this week and a couple very close games. They were just seconds away from pulling the upset against Maryland but let it slip away.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 15-7, 7-3 T-1st Big Ten.

2/5/20 vs. Penn State (W 89-82).
2/8/20 at #6 Maryland (L 72-58).

The Spartans also split this week, but maintain their share of the Big Ten lead. It is a telling sign though when their in-state rivals fared better this week against Maryland than they did.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 12-10, 5-5 T-7th Big Ten.

2/5/20 vs. #14 Nebraska (W 74-67).
2/8/20 vs. #23 Iowa (W 71-60).

A good bounce back week for the Wildcats after losing 3 straight, as they beat 2 opponents this week with RPI's of 18 and 6, respectively.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 11-11, 4-5 T-5th Big West.

2/3/20 vs. Seton Hall (L 69-48).
2/8/20 vs. UC Irvine (L 64-59).

Well, the good news is no split this week for the Warriors. The bad news, they lost both their games. 1 was a non-conference game, but they are back under .500 in the conference and Coach Gunn is already making phone calls to see what jobs will be open next season, as it appears Hawaii will be one of them.

Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) -- 8-13, 6-4 T-3rd Conference USA.

2/6/20 vs. Florida Atlantic (W 80-62).
2/8/20 at UTSA (L 76-71).

The 49ers with a split this week, as the loss at UTSA breaks a 3 game winning streak.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 10-12, 5-5 8th Conference USA.

2/6/20 at Old Dominion (L 59-58).
2/8/20 at Middle Tennessee (W 79-71).

The Owls split 2 road games this week, but 1 point separated them from a 2 win week. They are still trying to get over the hump and get back over .500 in conference.

Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 11-13, 9-7 4th MAAC.

2/7/20 vs. St. Peter's (W 66-58).
2/9/20 at Canisius (L 71-64).

The Hawks continue to split in conference play, not able to get over that hump. Unless they can go on a run now, their record this season will be much worse than it was last season.

Norfolk State (Payten Carrano) -- 8-15, 5-5 T-7th MEAC.

2/3/20 at North Carolina A&T (W 85-77).
2/8/20 at Maryland Eastern Shore (W 65-55).

The Spartans are hitting their stride, winners of 5 in a row after winning 2 more this week. In a conference where no team is taking control, Norfolk State still has a very legit shot to finish on top, if they can keep winning.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 6-16, 3-7 10th Pac 12.

2/6/20 at Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
2/8/20 vs. California (L 74-46).

The Buffaloes split this week, including a big win over Stanford. Coach Nielsen is still looking over his shoulder though, as rumors are rampant that he could also be looking for a new job next season.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 12-9, 6-4 T-3rd Pac 12.

2/6/20 vs. Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.
2/8/20 vs. Oregon (L 81-78, OT).

Not a good week for the Cardinal, who drop 2, including an upset loss. They are starting to lose their grip near the top of the conference.

#21 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 16-6, 5-5 T-5th Pac 12.

2/6/20 vs. Arizona State (L 73-69, OT).
2/8/20 at #3 Arizona (L 71-67).

The Bruins drop 2 this week, both by 4 points. I wouldn't call it a slide necessarily, they are still a very good team despite losing 3 in a row.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 9-13, 1-9 12th (last) Pac 12.

2/6/20 vs. Oregon State (L 67-48).
2/8/20 at Arizona State (L 61-48).

A couple double digit losses for the Cougars this week, as they continue to stay in the cellar of the conference. They've gotten 1 win in their last 10 games.

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

2/5/20 vs. #17 Texas A&M (W 78-71).
2/8/20 vs. Ole Miss (W 78-62).

The Crimson Tide are getting it together again, winners of 3 straight after 3 losses. They've had some crazy streaks since 2020 started: lose 2, win 3, lose 3, win 3. Hopefully the winning streak will continue.

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

2/5/20 at Ole Miss (L 61-53).
2/8/20 at #19 Texas A&M (L 85-52).

The Gators weren't very competitive this week, getting hammered by Texas A&M. Even the Ole Miss game required a massive 2nd half comeback to even make it close. Coach Oppenheimer better figure something out or his job could be on the line soon.

#5 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 20-2, 9-1 T-1st SEC.

2/5/20 at #4 Vanderbilt (W 87-83).
2/8/20 vs. South Carolina (W 74-47).

Great week for the Wildcats who hand Vandy their first conference loss and absolutely blitz South Carolina.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 12-9, 6-7 T-6th Sun Belt.

2/6/20 at South Alabama (L 75-61).

Just 1 game this week for the Trojans, and they are losing steam. After a 5 game winning streak, they've lost 3 in a row.

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


Crazy rankings this week, as Kentucky moves down 2 spots, even after handing Vanderbilt their first conference loss. UCLA is out of the top 25 for the first time in a long time, but still receiving votes. Alabama and Michigan State get quite a few more votes each this week. Not surprisingly, Duke has lost all their votes.

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



So Tulsa stays strong at #18, while Hartford picks up a few more votes. And say hello to Davidson again, who is receiving mid-major votes for the first time in a while. I'm ecstatic that we have 3 FOFC teams receiving mid-major votes. Hopefully this is just the start.

Now for this weeks edition of the Bubble Watch. We have 1 FOFC team in the Overall Bubble Watch this week, let's take a look.


That split this week has put Tulsa on the bubble. Last week they were safely in, this week, one of the Last Four In. Their RPI and SOS is borderline for an at-large bid, so the best thing they can do at this point is to win at either South Florida or UConn, who are the top 2 teams in the conference. No easy task.

Now for the rest of the FOFC teams. If there were any changes from last week for a team, I will highlight that in parenthesis.

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

The only difference among teams that are projected out this week is TCU. Last week they were on the bubble and projected in. This week they are projected out.

I cannot figure out what's going on at Northwestern at all. Almost wonder if it's best for both parties to go their separate ways.

I was actually going to say something about that. Along with the other interaction I have going on regarding choosing non-conference match-ups and stuff (and I realize there are a few users that have teams that haven't responded or been on in a while, I'm still trying to decide what to do about that), I was going to give you guys a chance in the offseason, before the head coach hiring period, to resign from your team if you chose to.

But, if you did resign, you would have to sign with one of the teams that offered you a job, you wouldn't just get to pick a new team. Does that make sense? Just something to throw out there for people that want a change. Some do, some don't.

I like that idea.

Feb. 10-16, 2020

A heavy week for feature games, as we have 5 of them this week. We'll start in Conference USA.

2/13/20- Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) @ Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- It was a tale of 2 halves in this one, as Rice went into the locker room at halftime leading by 6, but Charlotte outscored them 48-22 in the second half to improve their conference standings and get a big win.

Final Score: Charlotte- 82, Rice- 62

Now we move to the Pac 12:

2/13/20- Washington State (DeShawn St. John) @ Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- The number in this game was 5, as in that's how many turnovers Stanford had all game. It's hard to beat a team who takes that good of care of the basketball. While the Cougars played very well, the fact that Stanford only had 5 turnovers was enough to get them an important home victory.

Final Score: Stanford- 75, Washington State- 69

Now we step away from conference play for a huge mid-major non-conference battle.

2/14/20- Hartford (David Ginsberg) @ Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- It was all Hartford in this one, as they held Monmouth to just 31.5% shooting for the game and jumped out to a 19 point halftime lead. The Hawks continue to take care of business with a solid road victory.

Final Score: Hartford- 63, Monmouth- 47

Back into conference play, we head to the Big Ten:

2/15/20- Northwestern (Ess Vee) @ Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- A close one here, as both teams made a living at the free throw line. Northwestern shot 34 free throws and Michigan State shot 35. Not much separated these 2 teams, except for the fact that the Spartans made 4 more three pointers to get a key conference victory.

Final Score: Michigan State- 75, Northwestern- 73

And finally, an SEC showdown that used to be a big showdown, but isn't quite so much anymore.

2/15/20- #7 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) @ Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- If you wanted to watch a shooting clinic, you came to the right game. Both teams shot over 50% from the field, but Florida was lights out from behind the arc, making 13-22 three point attempts. This was enough to get a huge victory in what can only be considered an upset this season.

Final Score: Florida- 93, #7 Kentucky- 91

Now, after all that, we get back to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 17-8, 9-4 1st America East.

2/12/20 vs. UMass Lowell (W 59-48).
2/14/20 at Monmouth- feature game, highlighted above.
2/16/20 vs. Maine (L 74-59).

2 out of 3 for the Hawks this week, but the 1 loss was a huge loss. Maine has only one 6 games all season and hasn't been competitive, so that loss hurts.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 6-17, 1-12 11th (last) American.

2/12/20 vs. SMU (L 84-64).
2/15/20 vs. Memphis (L 68-46).

The Pirates took a step back this week, getting beat by 20+ points in both games. It looked like they might be finding a groove, but not so much.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 16-8, 8-4 T-3rd American.

2/12/20 at Cincinnati (L 74-73).
2/15/20 at Temple (W 72-64).

A split for the Golden Hurricane this week, but they'll be kicking themselves for that Cincinnati loss for a while, as they led by 11 at halftime and let it slip away.

Davidson (Randolph Childress) -- 15-9, 10-2 T-1st Atlantic 10.

2/12/20 at LaSalle (W 72-56).
2/15/20 at George Mason (W 78-51).

2 more solid wins for the Wildcats, who have won 4 in a row now and are playing solid basketball. They have won 8 of 9, and all 8 of those wins are by 15 or more points.

Clemson (Charles Johnson) -- 7-17, 2-10 14th ACC.

2/12/20 vs. #10 Virginia (W 79-70).
2/15/20 at #17 Florida State (L 77-67).

The Tigers split this week, shocking a top 10 Virginia team. This is just a sign of the type of basketball they can play when they put it all together.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 13-12, 3-9 13th ACC.

2/12/20 at #23 Notre Dame (L 78-46).
2/15/20 at #10 Virginia (L 64-54).

2 more losses for the Blue Devils as fans are wondering what in the world has happened to them. Talk about a mid-season collapse. They were 9-1 at one point and are just 4-11 since then.

Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 14-10, 6-6 T-4th Big 12.

2/10/20 at UMKC (W 84-59).
2/12/20 at Florida A&M (W 65-49).
2/15/20 vs. #1 Baylor (L 63-54).

The Jayhawks win 2 of 3 this week, but the 2 they won weren't the most important. They needed that win over Baylor and couldn't get it.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 15-10, 7-6 3rd Big 12.

2/10/20 vs. Texas Tech (W 88-55).
2/15/20 vs. Kansas State (W 74-68, OT).

2 more wins for the Horned Frogs, who are having the season of their lives right now. The top 2 spots in the Big 12 are all but locked up, but TCU is a serious contender to finish in the top 4 yet. Coach Mighty has to get some consideration for Coach of the Year, both at the national and the Big 12 levels.

Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- 9-15, 5-7 T-9th Big Ten.

2/12/20 at Penn State (L 73-56).
2/15/20 at Iowa (W 95-91, OT).

A split for the Wolverines this week, who continue to struggle to get over that hump. Coach Tribble could be in trouble at the end of the season.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 17-7, 9-3 T-1st Big Ten.

2/12/20 vs. Rutgers (W 57-41).
2/15/20 vs. Northwestern- feature game, highlighted above.

The Spartans get 2 more wins this week, remain undefeated at home this season, and keep their grip on a share of the conference title. Unfortunately, their next 4 games are on the road in which they haven't been very good this season.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 12-12, 5-7 T-9th Big Ten.

2/12/20 vs. Ohio State (L 80-62).
2/15/20 at Michigan State- feature game, highlighted above.

The Wildcats lose 2 this week. They weren't very competitive against Ohio State but almost pulled a shocker against Michigan State. Needless to say, Coach Vee isn't surprising anybody like he did in his first season when he led Northwestern to 22 wins.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 12-12, 5-6 6th Big West.

2/13/20 at Long Beach State (W 70-60).
2/15/20 at UC Riverside (L 79-66).

Another week, another conference split for the Warriors. They just can't figure out how to get over the hump this season in what has truly been a disappointment.

Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) -- 9-14, 7-5 T-4th Conference USA.

2/13/20 at Rice- feature game, highlighted above.
2/15/20 at FIU (L 79-66).

Another split for the 49ers, who have lost 2 of their last 3. Surprisingly, they are only 2 games behind the conference leaders and they still have some very winnable games. It's a longshot, but don't count them out quite yet.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 10-14, 5-7 T-9th Conference USA.

2/13/20 vs. Charlotte- feature game, highlighted above.
2/15/20 vs. Marshall (L 87-82, OT).

The Owls lose 2 this week. At least they took a good Marshall team to overtime, but they still are having their struggles.

Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 13-14, 10-7 4th MAAC.

2/11/20 vs. Cornell (W 81-54).
2/14/20 vs. Hartford- feature game, highlighted above.
2/16/20 at Quinnipiac (W 61-53).

2 out of 3 for the Hawks, as they split a couple non-conference games but get a big conference victory. With 3 conference games to go, they need to win all 3 and get help to have a shot at the MAAC Title. It's quite unlikely, but very doable for them to at least win 3 straight.

Norfolk State (Payten Carrano) -- 8-17, 5-7 10th MEAC.

2/10/20 vs. Savannah State (L 89-80).
2/15/20 vs. Hampton (L 73-53).

Well, that about settles it, the Spartans are done for this season. Losing to Savannah State who has a 298 RPI and 5 wins on the season? Coach Carrano better make some changes next season, because they should be doing better than this.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 7-17, 4-8 T-9th Pac 12.

2/13/20 vs. Washington (W 57-56).
2/15/20 vs. #3 Arizona (L 85-56).

A split for the Buffaloes this week who get an upset win over Washington, but what happened against Arizona?? Granted, Arizona is good, but they shouldn't be beating the Buffs by 29 points.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 14-9, 8-4 T-2nd Pac 12.

2/13/20 vs. Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.
2/15/20 at Arizona State (W 48-41).

2 big wins for the Cardinal, and with Arizona all but having the Pac 12 Title locked up, Stanford is playing for 2nd at this point. They must like 48-41 games, because they had one earlier in the season too.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 16-8, 5-7 8th Pac 12.

2/13/20 vs. Oregon State (L 61-52).
2/15/20 at Oregon (L 88-71).

What is going on with the Bruins? I don't think they've ever had a 5 game losing streak since I started this dynasty, and they are just getting outplayed by everybody. A couple more losses, and god forbid, they could actually be on the bubble.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 10-14, 2-10 12th (last) Pac 12.

2/13/20 at Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
2/15/20 vs. USC (W 64-61).

A split for the Cougars, who get their 2nd conference win of the season. They still have a chance to finish outside the cellar, but they've got to find a way to pull some upsets in their last few games.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 16-7, 7-5 T-5th SEC.

2/12/20 at Georgia (W 83-72).
2/15/20 at Tennessee (L 73-67).

A split this week for the Crimson Tide, as the loss at Tennessee breaks a 4 game winning streak. They are still in position for a top 4 conference finish, but they can't have anymore losing streaks.

Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- 13-11, 6-6 T-7th SEC.

2/12/20 at VCU (W 79-63).
2/15/20 vs. #7 Kentucky- feature game, highlighted above.

2 important wins for the Gators this week, who have another chance to earn a marquee win as they take on the conference leaders next week.

#7 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 21-3, 10-2 T-2nd SEC.

2/12/20 vs. Missouri (W 88-61).
2/15/20 at Florida- feature game, highlighted above.

The Wildcats split, and that loss to Florida takes them out of the SEC lead. Plenty of chances to get it back though.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 12-11, 6-9 T-8th Sun Belt.

2/13/20 vs. Texas State (L 85-76).
2/15/20 vs. Georgia Southern (L 86-78).

It's been a rough go for the Trojans lately, as they've lost 5 in a row and what looked like a promising season has gone away fast.

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



Kentucky stays put after their split this week, and welcome back Michigan State to the top 25! It's been a while. Alabama is still receiving a few votes while UCLA has lost all theirs.

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



So Tulsa drops out of the mid-major top 25, but is still receiving a lot of votes. Davidson continues to improve and get more votes, and Hartford loses their votes.

Now for this weeks edition of the Bubble Watch. We have 3 teams in this weeks edition of the Overall Bubble Watch.


The fact that UCLA is on the bubble just shows how far they've fallen in the last couple weeks. If the tournament started today, there's a very good chance they'd be in a First Four game. Yikes! A few more wins though, and they'll be right off that bubble.

TCU is having a season to remember, at least by their standards. That RPI and SOS is what is keeping them around. I think by seasons end, they'll be on the outside looking in. The pieces aren't quite there yet, but hey, it's still been a great season no matter what.

Davidson is having a nice turnaround. 0-5 against teams in the RPI top 50 though are what is going to hurt them. They've got 1 more chance to get a top 50 win, and they'll need to take advantage of it.

Now for the rest of the FOFC teams, and if there are any changes in a teams status from last week, I'll make a note of it.

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

Couple differences from last week, as UCLA is no longer a lock and is fighting on the bubble now. Also, Tulsa was on the bubble last week, but this week they are safely in.

Feb. 17-23, 2020

3 feature games this week, and we start in the Big Ten.

2/19/20- #22 Michigan State (Al Mighty) @ Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- The Wolverines couldn't get anything going offensively, turning the ball over 16 times and shooting just 32.8% as Michigan State got a road victory over their in-state rivals.

Final Score: #22 Michigan State- 70, Michigan- 55

Now we move to the Pac 12.

2/20/20- Stanford (Benito Sanchez) @ UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- The Bruins needed to get back on track, and they did so tonight. Despite having 15 turnovers, they outrebounded Stanford 35-23. 15 of their 23 field goals made were three pointers so that was enough to run away with a victory.

Final Score: UCLA- 66, Stanford- 48

2/22/20- UCLA (Tim Shepard) @ Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- Home court advantage in this one, as Washington State shot 39 free throws and made 27 of them. That countered the three point makes, of which UCLA had 11 and Washington State 5. The Cougars also rebounded UCLA 38-25. Take all that into account and you have what most everybody would consider an upset.

Final Score: Washington State- 74, UCLA- 69

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 19-8, 11-4 1st America East.

2/19/20 at UMBC (W 72-69).
2/23/20 vs. Albany (W 71-53).

2 more wins for the Hawks, who can clinch the America East title outright with a win in their final conference game. What a story they've been!

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 7-18, 1-13 11th (last) American.

2/17/20 vs. Mt. St. Mary's (W 80-72).
2/19/20 vs. UCF (L 73-64).

The Pirates split this week, winning a non-conference game, but still can't get it done in the conference.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 16-10, 8-6 T-4th American.

2/19/20 at South Florida (L 75-71).
2/22/20 vs. #9 UConn (L 78-77).

2 agonizing defeats for the Golden Hurricane this week. The upside is they lost to 2 teams that will most likely be playing in the NCAA Tournament, but man did they need those wins.

Davidson (Randolph Childress) -- 16-10, 11-3 T-2nd Atlantic 10.

2/19/20 at Duquesne (W 60-58).
2/22/20 vs. Rhode Island (L 81-72).

A split for the Wildcats this week, and losses to Rhode Island are definitely not good losses at this point in the season. Those kind of losses really put the pressure on Davidson.

Clemson (Charles Johnson) -- 7-19, 2-12 T-14th ACC.

2/19/20 at #5 Syracuse (L 71-54).
2/22/20 at N.C. State (L 93-85).

2 more losses for the Tigers, who are in a dogfight to stay out of the cellar of the ACC.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 14-13, 4-10 13th ACC.

2/19/20 at Pittsburgh (L 59-46).
2/22/20 vs. Wake Forest (W 76-73).

A split for the Blue Devils, who break a 5 game losing streak with the win over Wake Forest.

Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 15-11, 7-7 4th Big 12.

2/17/20 at Kansas State (W 88-79).
2/22/20 at Texas Tech (L 78-75).

The Jayhawks split a couple road games this week. Losing 7 conference games wouldn't even be a thought in reality for Kansas.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 17-10, 9-6 3rd Big 12.

2/17/20 at West Virginia (W 118-113, OT).
2/22/20 at Texas (W 65-55).

2 road wins for the Horned Frogs this week, including a marathon win at West Virginia. A 20 win season isn't out of the question yet, nor is a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- 10-16, 6-8 T-9th Big Ten.

2/19/20 vs. Michigan State- feature game, highlighted above.
2/22/20 vs. #13 Illinois (W 65-59).

A split for the Wolverines, who would have loved to have beaten their in-state rivals, but I think they'll settle for a win over a ranked team.

#22 Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 18-8, 10-4 1st Big Ten.

2/19/20 at Michigan- feature game, highlighted above.
2/22/20 at Ohio State (L 79-74).

A split for the Spartans, who hold a 1 game lead for the conference title at the moment. They've got their hands full though as 3 of their last 4 conference games are against currently ranked teams. The most important thing for them though, still undefeated at home this season.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 13-13, 6-8 T-9th Big Ten.

2/19/20 vs. Penn State (W 74-40).
2/22/20 at Indiana (L 74-45).

A split for the Wildcats, which means all the Big Ten teams split this week. Definitely not a good showing against Indiana though.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 12-14, 5-8 7th Big West.

2/20/20 vs. UC Santa Barbara (L 60-58).
2/22/20 vs. UC Davis (L 69-65).

2 close losses for the Warriors, and a team that was picked to win the conference championship is now fighting to stay out of the cellar. firecoachgunn.com is now well over a million hits.

Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) -- 11-14, 9-5 T-3rd Conference USA.

2/20/20 vs. Old Dominion (W 61-52).
2/22/20 vs. Western Kentucky (W 69-48).

Good week for the 49ers who win a couple convincingly. Winning the C-USA regular season title is still a possibility, but they can't afford anymore losses.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 12-14, 7-7 T-7th Conference USA.

2/20/20 at UAB (W 82-76).
2/22/20 at UTSA (W 63-55).

The Owls also win 2 this week, and are still making their case for a top half finish in the conference.

Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 15-14, 12-7 4th Conference USA.

2/21/20 at Fairfield (W 71-61).
2/23/20 vs. Iona (W 71-48).

2 wins for the Hawks this week, who will set a career high for most conference wins in a season regardless of what happens. They can't win the MAAC regular season title, but can finish no worse than 4th. A much better position for them.

Norfolk State (Payten Carrano) -- 9-17, 6-7 7th MEAC.

2/22/20 vs. Coppin State (W 69-49).

1 game for the Spartans this week, and they win convincingly. Still trying to get to that .500 range in the conference.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 9-17, 6-8 T-8th Pac 12.

2/20/20 vs. USC (W 67-61).
2/22/20 at Arizona State (W 79-70).

2 wins for the Buffaloes, who seem to have recovered from that smashing Arizona gave them last week. .500 in the conference is still doable considering the way they started the season.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 14-11, 8-6 4th Pac 12.

2/20/20 at UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.
2/22/20 at Utah (L 52-51).

Very tough week for the Cardinal, who get hammered by one of the weaker Bruins teams we've seen, then lose a buzzer beater to Utah. Their NCAA chances just took a huge hit.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 17-9, 6-8 T-8th Pac 12.

2/20/20 vs. Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
2/22/20 at Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.

Well, a split for the Bruins, but they certainly won't be happy about the Washington State game. Coach Shepard was actually fined for his comments towards officiating after the Washington State game.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 11-15, 3-11 T-11th Pac 12.

2/20/20 vs. #3 Arizona (L 69-54).
2/22/20 vs. UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

A split for the Cougars, who actually played decent against Arizona for a while. That UCLA win is a marquee win of sorts for them, even if it was controversial.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 18-7, 9-5 T-4th SEC.

2/19/20 vs. Missouri (W 74-60).
2/22/20 vs. LSU (W 75-65).

The Crimson Tide get a couple important victories this week to stay in the hunt for a bye in the SEC Tournament. They've got a split schedule the rest of the way, 2 games that they should win fairly easily, and 2 games they'll have to play their absolute best to win.

Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- 14-12, 7-7 T-7th SEC.

2/19/20 vs. #4 Vanderbilt (W 80-72).
2/22/20 at South Carolina (L 60-44).

The Gators split this week, expending so much energy to upset Vanderbilt that they got hammered by South Carolina. They'll want to shake that off quickly, but they know that loss could be the difference between dancing in March and falling to the NIT.

#7 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 22-4, 11-3 2nd SEC.

2/19/20 at Ole Miss (L 66-65).
2/22/20 at Auburn (W 97-41).

A split for the Wildcats this week, and you gotta feel sorry for Auburn. After the Cats lost a heartbreaking buzzer beater to Ole Miss, they took it out on Auburn in a big way. This week is important for the Cats as they have to take care of business against their 2 opponents this week, because the final week of the season will have a couple big tests for them.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 13-12, 6-10 9th Sun Belt.

2/17/20 vs. San Francisco (W 71-65).
2/20/20 at Appalachian State (L 78-67).

The Trojans split this week, winning their non-conference game, but are still having their conference struggles.

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



Kentucky only lost 1 spot in the rankings after their 1 point loss this week. Alabama is creeping closer to being back in the top 25, and to no surprise, Michigan State falls out, but are still receiving a few votes.

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



I can't remember, at any point in this dynasty, when we've had 3 FOFC mid-major teams receiving votes this late in the season. Can you guys? Hartford gets back in the mix with a couple wins this week, while Tulsa and Davidson hang on to some of their votes. Tulsa was especially surprising considering they lost 2 games this week.

Now it's time for this weeks edition of the bubble watch, and 2 of our FOFC teams made the Overall Bubble Watch. Let's take a look:


Tulsa is only on the bubble because they have lost 4 out of their last 5. Otherwise, they'd be safely in. 3 of those 4 losses are by a combined 6 points, which tells you just how close they are to be a very good team.

UCLA can't afford anymore losses like they had at Washington State this week, as they have lost 6 of their last 7. Definitely not a typical UCLA team as they try to get back on track. All they have to do is win 3 of their next 4 to be a 20 win team, and it's hard to leave out a 20 win team that plays in a power conference.

Now for the rest of the bubble watch, and keep in mind this is only for the NCAA Tournament, and if a team isn't listed as a lock or safely in, they are projected out.

Locks: TCU, Michigan State, Kentucky, Alabama.
In: Hartford.

Some changes from last week, as Tulsa moved off the safely in category and is now on the bubble.

Davidson played themselves off the bubble from last week, and not in a good way. They are projected out this week.

TCU also played themselves off the bubble, as they are now projected as a lock.

Wow! TCU as a lock? Kansas projected out? This definitely isn't mirroring real life! I like it!

So close to beating UCONN. That would have been great.

Wazzu can build upon that UCLA victory. Carry some momentum into next season.

And Hawaii... that might be B.B. Gunn's worst coaching job.

Feb. 24-March 1, 2020

Just 1 feature game on the schedule this week, a battle in the American Conference.

2/29/20- ECU (Al Hutt) @ Tulsa (Will Brown) -- Despite the fact that Tulsa committed 17 turnovers in the game, they shot 60% and held ECU to 33.3% shooting. All that led to a very easy victory.

Final Score: Tulsa- 94, ECU- 59

Now to the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 20-8, 12-4 1st America East.

2/26/20 at New Hampshire (W 69-67).

Just 1 game for the Hawks this week, but it was a win that clinched the regular season title for them. They'll be the #1 seed in the America East Tourney and assure themselves at the very least a berth in the NIT. They'll take on (8) Vermont in the America East Quarterfinals, but before that, a non-conference game.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 7-20, 1-15 11th (last) American.

2/26/20 at #9 UConn (L 94-85).
2/29/20 at Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.

The Pirates lose 2 this week, and actually played better against a top 10 UConn team than they did against Tulsa. No matter what happens next week, they are assured a berth in the cellar again this season.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 17-11, 9-7 T-4th American.

2/26/20 vs. Memphis (L 64-56).
2/29/20 vs. ECU- feature game, highlighted above.

The Golden Hurricane split again this week, with the win over ECU snapping a 3 game losing streak. All they need to do is win 1 game next week to assure themselves of a finish no worse than 5th. Regardless, they can do no better than 3rd in the conference.

Davidson (Randolph Childress) -- 17-11, 12-4 T-2nd Atlantic 10.

2/26/20 vs. #15 Dayton (L 65-56).
2/29/20 at Mississippi State (W 66-40).

A split for the Wildcats this week, who are in the midst of a 3 way tie for 2nd place. They can still win the Atlantic 10 outright, but they must win both games next week and get some help. No matter what happens, they can finish no worse than 5th.

Clemson (Charles Johnson) -- 8-20, 3-13 14th ACC.

2/26/20 vs. Georgia Tech (W 70-51).
2/29/20 at #2 North Carolina (L 88-63).

The Tigers split this week and hold the advantage when it comes to staying out of the cellar. If they can somehow win a game next week, they'll avoid the cellar.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 15-14, 5-11 T-11th ACC.

2/26/20 at #20 Florida State (L 78-53).
2/29/20 vs. Georgia Tech (W 80-78).

A split for the Blue Devils who are still in the midst of one of their worst seasons ever. Regardless of what happens next week, they are going to finish in the bottom half of the conference.

Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 16-12, 8-8 4th Big 12.

2/24/20 vs. West Virginia (W 75-50).
2/29/20 vs. Texas (L 82-78).

What seems to be a theme for our FOFC teams this week is a split, and that's what the Jayhawks did. Fortunately, the conference is so bad this season (only 4 of the 10 teams in the Big 12 have a .500 or better conference record) that they can still finish 3rd or 4th in the conference with a win or 2 next week. However, 2 losses could drop them to the Play-in round.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 17-12, 9-8 3rd Big 12.

2/24/20 vs. #7 Iowa State (L 86-54).
2/29/20 vs. Oklahoma State (L 76-74).

The Horned Frogs ran into a buzzsaw in an Iowa State team whose only conference loss is to undefeated (in conference) Baylor. They almost beat Oklahoma State though. Still an incredible season, but winning their final conference game next week would all but clinch 3rd place in the conference. If they lose, they will still finish no worse than 4th.

Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- 11-17, 7-9 T-7th Big Ten.

2/26/20 at #11 Wisconsin (L 94-74).
2/29/20 at Nebraska (W 76-61).

A split for the Wolverines, who would have loved a better effort against Wisconsin. The Big Ten is a logjam in the middle, as Michigan is one of 6 teams with a 7-9 record, so it's impossible to figure anything out yet.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 20-8, 12-4 1st Big Ten.

2/26/20 at #23 Minnesota (W 82-80, OT).
2/29/20 at #24 Indiana (W 74-49).

2 big wins for the Spartans, who have won 5 of their last 6. They control their own destiny in the Big Ten race. All they have to do is win 1 of their final 2 games to clinch at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title. Win both, and they finish the regular season with a perfect home record and the title.

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

2/26/20 at Rutgers (W 73-69).
2/29/20 at #11 Wisconsin (L 75-58).

The Wildcats split this week and are another one of those 6 teams with a 7-9 conference record, and are fighting for at least an NIT berth. They need to find a way to win at least 1 game next week to keep pace.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 13-15, 6-9 6th Big West.

2/27/20 at Cal State Northridge (L 88-64).
2/29/20 at Cal State Fullerton (W 72-64).

The Warriors split this week, with the win over Fullerton breaking a 4 game losing streak. With 1 conference game to go, they will finish somewhere between 5th and 8th depending on the result.

Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) -- 11-16, 9-7 T-5th Conference USA.

2/27/20 at UTEP (L 88-77).
2/29/20 at Middle Tennessee (L 66-65).

2 losses for the 49ers this week, and they lose a lot of ground for a bye in the C-USA Tournament. They can still finish in the top 4, but they'll have to win both games next week and get help.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 12-16, 7-9 T-8th Conference USA.

2/27/20 vs. North Texas (L 78-62).
2/29/20 vs. Louisiana Tech (L 89-85, OT).

2 losses for the Owls, who fought hard against LA Tech and need 2 wins next week just to finish even in the conference.

Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 16-14, 13-7 T-3rd MAAC.

2/28/20 vs. Fairfield (W 59-57).

The Hawks win their only game of the week, finishing the regular season on a 4 game winning streak. They win the 3rd place tiebreaker with Quinnipiac even though the teams split their 2 meetings, and get a bye into the Quarterfinals of the MAAC Tournament where they'll take on either (11) Siena or (6) Rider. Even with the great finish in the conference, I think they need at least another win or 2 to feel good about playing on in March.

Norfolk State (Payten Carrano) -- 9-19, 6-9 T-9th MEAC.

2/24/20 at North Carolina Central (L 82-59).
2/29/20 vs. Howard (L 63-51).

2 more losses this week for the Spartans. 1 more conference game to go, and they can finish anywhere between 7th and 11th based on the result of that game.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 9-19, 6-10 9th Pac 12.

2/27/20 at Oregon (L 76-56).
2/29/20 at Oregon State (L 76-64).

The trip through Oregon wasn't pleasant for the Buffaloes, as they lose both games. They won't be able to finish .500 now, and games against Washington State and Utah next week will decide if they finish 9th, 10th, or 11th, as those are the 2 teams directly behind them in the standings.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 15-12, 9-7 T-4th Pac 12.

2/27/20 at #3 Arizona (L 70-53).
2/29/20 vs. California (W 54-44).

A split for the Cardinal, who had to go through conference leading Arizona and failed just as every Pac 12 team has done this season. Still a wide range of possibility for them, as they can finish anywhere between 2nd and 8th based on their results next week.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 19-9, 8-8 T-6th Pac 12.

2/27/20 vs. Utah (W 63-43).
2/29/20 at USC (W 68-59).

The Bruins step it up this week against the weaker teams in the Pac 12. Next week is much tougher, but with 2 wins and a ton of help, they can still finish 2nd in the conference. They are looking at anywhere between a 2nd and 9th place finish.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 13-15, 5-11 10th Pac 12.

2/27/20 vs. Washington (W 70-67).
2/29/20 vs. Utah (W 71-67).

Another big win for the Cougars this week as they beat a good Washington team. All they need to do is win 1 game next week to accomplish their season goal of staying out of the cellar. Losing both, however, could put them there.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 20-7, 11-5 T-3rd SEC.

2/26/20 at #12 Arkansas (W 89-58).
2/29/20 at South Carolina (W 56-43).

The Crimson Tide get a big win this week over Arkansas, and I do mean big. They can still win the SEC regular season title, but it'll take 2 wins next week and some help. They close out the season with Kentucky, and that game could very well decide who wins the SEC title.

Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- 16-12, 9-7 T-6th SEC.

2/26/20 vs. Auburn (W 70-62).
2/29/20 vs. Georgia (W 78-67).

The Gators have won 5 of their last 6 after 2 good wins this week, and stay in the hunt for a postseason berth. They can still finish 3rd in the conference, but no better. They'll finish anywhere between 3rd and 8th.

#8 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 24-4, 13-3 T-1st SEC.

2/26/20 vs. VCU (W 89-69).
2/29/20 vs. Tennessee (W 68-54).

The Wildcats have won 3 straight after a minor 2 game setback. If not for those 2 losses by a combined 3 points, the Cats would have already clinched the SEC regular season title. As it stands, 2 wins next week would clinch at least a share, but neither game will be easy.. at least it shouldn't be.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 13-14, 6-12 10th Sun Belt.

2/27/20 at Arkansas State (L 92-75).
2/29/20 at Arkansas Little Rock (L 74-65).

The might Trojans have fallen! What might have been a historical season at one point is now a fight to stay out of the cellar. On January 25th, the Trojans were feeling pretty good about themselves, as they were 12-6 overall, 6-4 in the Sun Belt. Since then, they've lost 8 of their last 9 games, including 8 straight conference losses. They need to win at least 1 game next week to avoid the cellar. Losing both will probably put them there.

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



So Kentucky stays at #8 after 2 wins this week, and welcome back Michigan State and Alabama to the national top 25 after good weeks.

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



So Hartford loses some votes even after winning the America East regular season title this week. Davidson keeps a few votes, while Tulsa loses all theirs.

Now for this weeks edition of the Bubble Watch. We have 3 FOFC teams in the Overall Bubble Watch this week.


Most power conference teams that are 19-9, with the history of UCLA, wouldn't be on the bubble watch, but that RPI of 71 and the SOS of 162 has the Bruins sweating it out. A better effort in Pac 12 play and they'd be safely in. They are still projected as one of the Last Four In.

TCU is projected out this week. I thought it was a little extreme to have them as a lock last week. They are much improved, yes, and their SOS (17) and RPI (7) are both outstanding, but they are just 8-12 against top 100 teams.

Tulsa is projected out because they have lost 5 of their last 7. Not to mention they are just 2-8 against teams in the RPI top 100. That is just not going to cut it.

Now for the rest of the FOFC teams.

Locks: Michigan State, Kentucky, Alabama
In: Hartford

The only changes this week from last week involve 2 of our 3 FOFC teams in the Overall Bubble Watch.

Tulsa was on the bubble and projected in last week, this week they are still on the bubble but projected out.

TCU was projected as a lock last week, this week not only are they on the bubble, but they are projected out.

Just caught up with the games. What a bad stretch for the Bruins and the Cardinals. Hopefully, they'll get back on track and make noise in the Pac 12 tourney.

I just saw that for whatever reason my post for March 2-8 is showing up as a blank screen. I wish I could figure out why this happens every so often, because I didn't have this particular post saved anywhere. Damn message boards anyways.

I'm not going to go back and retype the whole post, sorry guys. It won't take long to see where all your teams are out for the March 9-15 post anyways. If anybody else has had any issues with posts showing up blank, please let me know or if anybody knows why. Or if it actually showed up on your guys end but not on mind, let me know too. It's just weird. Anyways, March 9-15 coming up.

sigh...

March 9-15, 2020

We finish up the conference tournaments this week, and only had 2 feature games, both on the same day, and both early on in the tournaments. Let's take a look.

3/12/20- Big 12 Quarterfinals- (5) TCU (Bee Mighty) vs. (4) Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- A tightly contested contest that seemed to be decided at the free throw line as TCU hit 71% of their free throws and Kansas only hit 43% of theirs. Ouch! Despite having almost double the turnovers Kansas had, the Horned Frogs survive and move to the Big 12 Semifinals.

Final Score: (4) TCU- 69, (5) Kansas- 66

3/12/20- Pac 12 Quarterfinals- (5) UCLA (Tim Shepard) vs. (4) Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- The Bruins took advantage of rebounding in this one, as they outrebounded Stanford 36-25 and hit 7 more shots from the field. That was enough to move on to the Pac 12 Semifinals.

Final Score: (5) UCLA- 70, (4) Stanford- 60

Now for the rest of the weekly recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 22-9, 12-4 America East.

3/9/20- America East Semifinals vs. (5) Albany (L 74-53).

Ouch! The Hawks didn't fare very well in this one. Maybe the pressure of actually being the best team in the conference got to them. They've been projected in the NCAA Tournament in most of the bubble watches, and I think they'll still get an at-large berth.

ECU (Al Hutt) -- 8-23, 1-17 American.

3/12/20- American First Round vs. (6) Tulane (W 73-58).
3/13/20- American Quarterfinals vs. (3) Memphis (L 63-48).

Better effort for the Pirates once they got to the American Conference Tournament, as they got a nice victory, but Memphis was just too tough, so their season will be over.

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 18-13, 10-8 American.

3/13/20- American Quarterfinals vs. (4) SMU (L 93-82).

Not a good showing for the Golden Hurricane who forgot to play defense. They won't be in the NCAA Tournament, but I could see them hosting a First Round NIT game.

Davidson (Randolph Childress) -- 21-12, 14-4 Atlantic 10.

3/13/20- Atlantic 10 Quarterfinals vs. (7) Rhode Island (W 79-48).
3/14/20- Atlantic 10 Semifinals vs. (6) George Washington (W 75-66).
3/15/20- Atlantic 10 Championship vs. (8) Richmond (L 74-57).

Tough championship game for the Wildcats, who never really could get going. No matter though, as just making it to the championship should have been more than enough to get them an At-Large berth. They are a possible contender for a First Four game.

Clemson (Charles Johnson) -- 10-23, 3-15 ACC.

3/10/20- ACC First Round vs. (10) Virginia Tech (W 69-58).
3/11/20- ACC Second Round vs. (7) Virginia (W 74-66).
3/12/20- ACC Quarterfinals vs. (2) #2 North Carolina (L 85-70).

Nice run for the Tigers, who really picked it up in the postseason and actually had North Carolina on their heels for parts of the Quarterfinal game. Unfortunately, they needed to win the ACC Tournament to keep their season alive, so they are done.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 19-16, 6-12 ACC.

3/10/20- ACC First Round vs. (14) Boston College (W 90-85).
3/11/20- ACC Second Round vs. (6) #17 Florida State (W 84-69).
3/12/20- ACC Quarterfinals vs. (3) #9 Louisville (W 69-66).
3/13/20- ACC Semifinals vs. (2) #2 North Carolina (L 73-57).

The Blue Devils also had a good run, lifting their postseason chances just a bit. Had they played like this all season, they'd be a lock for the NCAA Tournament. With that 6-12 conference record, I think they'll still get passed over, and I wouldn't be surprised if the NIT passes them over as well. I think they may be demoted to the CBI.

Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 17-14, 9-9 Big 12.

3/12/20- Big 12 Quarterfinals vs. (4) TCU- feature game, highlighted above.

The Jayhawks needed to win this one to feel good about an at-large berth. I think they are on the outside looking in, and they'll be in the NIT.

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 18-14, 9-9 Big 12.

3/12/20- Big 12 Quarterfinals vs. (5) Kansas- feature game, highlighted above.
3/13/20- Big 12 Semifinals vs. (8) West Virginia (L 73-64).

The Horned Frogs missed a golden opportunity to get to the Big 12 Championship, falling to West Virginia. I don't think they can feel good about their NCAA chances quite yet. A First Four game maybe, but I think they'll also be in the NIT.

Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- 13-18, 9-9 Big Ten.

3/12/20- Big Ten Second Round vs. (14) Rutgers (L 57-44).

Ouch! The Wolverines put up a pitiful offensive display in losing a game that they should have won. They needed to win the Big Ten Tournament to have postseason chances, so their season is over.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 20-11, 12-6 Big Ten.

3/13/20- Big Ten Quarterfinals vs. (14) Rutgers (L 67-55).

Wow! The Spartans also fall victim to a Cinderella Rutgers team. Bad, bad loss for them, as they will go into the NCAA Tournament with a 3 game losing streak. Yes, I still think they are safely in, but that 3 game losing streak surely knocked them down a couple seed lines.

Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 14-17, 7-11 Big Ten.

3/11/20- Big Ten First Round vs. (13) Ohio State (L 69-58).

The Wildcats fell short, another team that needed to win the Big Ten Tournament to see the postseason, so they'll end their season.

For those wondering about Rutgers after they took care of both Michigan and Michigan State, they kept going by winning their semifinal game against 7th seed Purdue, but lost the Big Ten Championship to 4th seed Minnesota. Despite only having a 5-13 conference record and last place in the conference, they actually might make the postseason because their overall record is 19-16. Crazy.

Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 13-16, 6-10 Big West.

The Warriors failed to qualify for the Big West Tournament, ending their season at 13-16. Coach Gunn now gets the honor of seeing all those extra hits on firecoachgunn.com, wondering if his days in Hawaii are over.

Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) -- 14-17, 11-7 Conference USA.

3/12/20- Conference USA Quarterfinals vs. (5) UAB (W 80-78).
3/13/20- Conference USA Semifinals vs. (1) UTEP (L 68-60).

Tough luck for the 49ers in the C-USA Semis, as even though they finished 4th in the conference, their record overall was under .500, so they'll end their season with a 14-17 record.

Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 12-19, 7-11 Conference USA.

3/10/20- Conference USA First Round vs. (14) Western Kentucky (L 66-55).

The Owls fizzled out late in their C-USA Tournament game and will end their season with a 12-19 record.

Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 18-15, 13-7 MAAC.

3/9/20- MAAC Championship vs. (4) Quinnipiac (L 56-46).

The Hawks did great by making it to this game, but really needed to win it to assure themselves of a postseason berth. The way FBCB has snubbed our FOFC teams in the past, I have a bad feeling Monmouth is going to get left out completely.

Norfolk State (Payten Carrano) -- 10-20, 7-9 MEAC.

3/9/20- MEAC First Round vs. (8) Savannah State (L 69-62).

So the Spartans finish off their worst overall season in the young history of Coach Carrano. They did better in conference play, but worse overall. They'll finish with a 10-20 record.

Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 10-21, 7-11 Pac 12.

3/11/20- Pac 12 First Round vs. (8) Arizona State (L 74-62).

A sad effort to end what has been a sad season for the Buffaloes. They'll finish with a 10-21 record and Coach Nielsen will hope that his job is safe for another season.

Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 16-14, 10-8 Pac 12.

3/12/20- Pac 12 Quarterfinals vs. (5) UCLA- feature game, highlighted above.

The Cardinal needed a couple wins to feel good about the postseason, now they will have to wait it out, and I don't just mean for the NCAA, I mean all the postseason tournaments. With a 16-14 record and an 87 RPI, I have a feeling they are going to get left out as well.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 22-11, 9-9 Pac 12.

3/11/20- Pac 12 First Round vs. (12) USC (W 66-51).
3/12/20- Pac 12 Quarterfinals vs. (4) Stanford- feature game, highlighted above.
3/13/20- Pac 12 Semifinals vs. (1) #3 Arizona (L 73-65).

A good run for the Bruins, but they ran into a really, really good Arizona team. 11 losses is way too many in a season for this proud college. They are a borderline NCAA team, and I think they'll sneak in, barely.

Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 14-18, 5-13 Pac 12.

3/11/20- Pac 12 First Round vs. (6) Oregon State (W 83-74).
3/12/20- Pac 12 Quarterfinals vs. (3) Oregon (L 65-60).

Great effort by the Cougars in the Quarterfinal loss, unfortunately they needed to win it plus 2 more to make a postseason tournament, so they'll end their season with a 14-18 record.

#16 Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 22-8, 13-5 SEC.

3/13/20- SEC Quarterfinals vs. (11) Ole Miss (L 75-67).

The Crimson Tide ran into a very determined Ole Miss team in the Quarterfinals. Regardless, they'll be dancing, probably as a 3 or 4 seed.

Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- 16-15, 9-9 SEC.

3/12/20- SEC Second Round vs. (11) Ole Miss (L 73-68).

The Gators can take some solace in knowing they weren't the only team to be upset by Ole Miss, the problem was they needed this game a lot more than Alabama did. At 16-15 and with an RPI of 84, I have to think they have played their last game this season.

#10 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 27-6, 14-4 SEC.

3/13/20- SEC Quarterfinals vs. (8) Missouri (W 80-74).
3/14/20- SEC Semifinals vs. (4) #15 Arkansas (W 94-88).
3/15/20- SEC Championship vs. (2) #6 Vanderbilt (L 77-72).

The Wildcats can't close the door on another SEC Championship, falling to a very good Vanderbilt team in the championship game. No matter, they'll still be in the NCAA Tournament with ease, probably as a #1 seed, maybe a #2 seed.

Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 14-15, 7-13 Sun Belt.

The Trojans failed to qualify for the Sun Belt Tournament, meaning their season will be over with a 14-15 record. This gives both the players and Coach Hawkins a chance to sit down and figure out how they had a monumental collapse at the end of the season, losing 9 of their last 11.

And now for the moment everybody has been waiting for, Selection Sunday!

Ah well, somewhat of a good try from Wazzu. As for Hawaii, well... Coach Gunn might want to stock up on some cardboard boxes.

Rice ends another seasons of crappy play as well

2020 Selection Sunday

Kentucky gets the top seed in the NCAA West Region and will open up against (16) Illinois State.

Michigan State gets the 6th seed in the NCAA South Region and will open up with the winner of a First Four game between Davidson and Mercer.

Davidson will play a First Four game in the NCAA South Region. They'll be taking on Mercer, and the winner will be the 11th seed and take on Michigan State.

Hartford did much better than expected this season and gets the 9th seed in the NCAA East Region, opening up against (8) Georgetown.

Alabama gets the 2nd seed in the NCAA East Region, opening up against (15) Albany.

UCLA gets the top seed in the NIT West Region. Remember, I set the NIT back to 40 teams in an effort to get more of our FOFC teams a postseason chance, so the Bruins actually await the winner of a Play-in Game between (9) Maryland East Shore and (8) Coastal Carolina. UCLA will host the winner of that game.

TCU will be the 4th seed in the CBI. And damnit if this game hasn't done it again. They will host (13) Texas in the First Round, a Texas team that is in the same conference. This should not happen!

Duke will be the 14th seed in the CBI, and Tulsa will be the 3rd seed in the CBI. Duke will travel to Tulsa, and the Blue Devils are just happy to still be playing.

Kansas will be the 11th seed in the CBI and will open up by travelling to (6) Pepperdine.

Monmouth will be the 13th seed in the CIT and will open up by travelling to (4) Georgia State.

So we have some firsts this postseason. Hartford is making their first postseason appearance in this dynasty. We have 4 teams in the CBI, marking the first time in this dynasty that we've had any teams in the CBI. That tournament has neglected the FOFC teams, until this season. And, we have at least 1 team in all 4 of the postseason tournaments. The changes in the offseason definitely helped somewhat, but still a long way to go. 11 teams in the postseason isn't bad though.

Both teams dancing! woohoo!

2020 Postseason

We have 3 feature games out of this years postseason, so let's get to it.

3/17/20- CBI First Round -- (14) Duke (Dean Hoo) @ (3) Tulsa (Will Brown) -- A great game that needed extra time to be settled, but in the end, the Dukies prevailed despite shooting just 52% from the free throw line, and they advance to the CBI Quarterfinals.

Final Score: (14) Duke- 88, (3) Tulsa- 82 (OT)

3/19/20- NCAA South Region First Round -- (11) Davidson (Randolph Childress) vs. (6) Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- A bit of a shocker here, as Davidson forced 16 turnovers and shot 52.5%, as they put an early end to the Spartan's postseason, advancing in the NCAA Tournament.

Final Score: (11) Davidson- 99, (6) Michigan State- 85

3/23/20- CBI Quarterfinals -- (14) Duke (Dean Hoo) @ (11) Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- In a game that quite frankly should be an NCAA Tournament type game every season, the Jayhawks jumped out to a 15 point halftime lead in this one, as they outrebounded Duke 43-31, but had to hang on for the victory, advancing to the CBI Semifinals.

Final Score: (11) Kansas- 86, (14) Duke- 80

Now for the rest of the postseason recap:

Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 23-10, 12-4 America East.

3/20/20- NCAA East Region First Round vs. (8) Georgetown (W 73-55).
3/22/20- NCAA East Region Second Round vs. (1) Maryland (L 66-47).

What a season it was for the Hawks, who got a much higher than expected seed in the big dance, and even won a game! Another season or 2 like that, and Coach Ginsberg could get some job offers!

Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 18-14, 10-8 American.

3/17/20- CBI First Round vs. (14) Duke- feature game, highlighted above.

Tough finish for the Golden Hurricane, who ran into a team that quite frankly has no business playing in such a low level tournament.

Davidson (Randolph Childress) -- 23-13, 14-4 Atlantic 10.

3/17/20- NCAA First Four vs. Mercer (W 74-66).
3/19/20- NCAA South Region First Round vs. (6) Michigan State- feature game, highlighted above.
3/21/20- NCAA South Region Second Round vs. (3) Iowa State (L 66-57).

A gallant effort for the Wildcats, who got a nice win against Michigan State and actually led Iowa State for part of their game. Expect Coach Childress to have some offers in the offseason.

Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 20-17, 6-12 ACC.

3/17/20- CBI First Round at (3) Tulsa- feature game, highlighted above.
3/23/20- CBI Quarterfinals at (11) Kansas- feature game, highlighted above.

Tough to see the Blue Devils playing in the CBI for goodness sakes. A massive game that the CBI got a treat to be able to have, but it went against Duke who will definitely be looking to improve off this.

Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 22-14, 9-9 Big 12.

3/18/20- CBI First Round at (6) Pepperdine (W 59-52).
3/23/20- CBI Quarterfinals vs. (14) Duke- feature game, highlighted above.
3/25/20- CBI Semifinals at (1) West Virginia (W 69-66).
3/30/20- CBI Championship Series, Game 1 at (8) Loyola MD (W 77-57).
4/1/20- CBI Championship Series, Game 2 vs. (8) Loyola MD (W 70-67).

What a run for the Jayhawks, who would have much preferred this be an NCAA Tournament run, but if they can use it and build on next season, all will be ok in Lawrence. Also, congrats to Coach Johnson for nabbing the CBI championship!

TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 19-15, 9-9 Big 12.

3/18/20- CBI First Round vs. (13) Texas (W 63-58).
3/23/20- CBI Quarterfinals vs. (12) Rutgers (L 80-78).

Great season for the Horned Frogs, who almost got the 20 win plateau, but not quite. Now, Coach Mighty will be expected to duplicate this performance next season.

Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 20-12, 12-6 Big Ten.

3/19/20- NCAA South Region First Round vs. (11) Davidson- feature game, highlighted above.

Tough season for the Spartans, who still improved on last season and won 20 games, but they should be a legit Final Four contender every season.

Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 18-16, 13-7 MAAC.

3/18/20- CIT First Round at (4) Georgia State (L 74-71).

Tough game for the Hawks, who made their second straight postseason appearance, but actually declined from last season.

UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 27-11, 9-9 Pac 12.

3/19/20- NIT West Region Second Round vs. (8) Coastal Carolina (W 74-45).
3/20/20- NIT West Region Semifinal vs. (4) Northeastern (W 79-55).
3/26/20- NIT West Region Final vs. (3) Samford (W 76-67).
3/31/20- NIT Final Four vs. (4S) Virginia (W 83-77).
4/2/20- NIT Championship vs. (2MW) Buffalo (W 70-59).

Great run for Coach Shepard and the Bruins, who take the NIT with relative ease, although they only had to face 1 school from a power conference. In the history of this dynasty, we've had 2 postseason tournament winners, both in the NIT, and both from the Pac 12.

Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 23-9, 13-5 SEC.

3/20/20- NCAA East Region First Round vs. (15) Albany (W 86-82).
3/22/20- NCAA East Region Second Round vs. (10) UAB (L 73-64).

Again the Crimson Tide fail to make it out of the first weekend, and we kind of saw some signs of doom against Albany, as they trailed by 5 at halftime in this one. The corner that Alabama needs to turn now is making it to the Sweet Sixteen.

Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 30-7, 14-4 SEC.

3/19/20- NCAA West Region First Round vs. (16) Illinois State (W 87-78).
3/21/20- NCAA West Region Second Round vs. (8) Gonzaga (W 72-66).
3/26/20- NCAA West Region Semifinal vs. (4) UTEP (W 85-55).
3/28/20- NCAA West Region Final vs. (6) Florida State (L 95-78).

For all the dominance the Wildcats have had over the regular season (5 straight SEC titles, although 3 of them have been shared) the postseason has been a different story. Only 1 SEC Tournament title, and while they do have 3 Elite Eight appearances in the NCAA Tournament, only once have they been to the Final Four. It's tough to say about a coach that has won 138 games in 5 seasons, but if Kentucky doesn't reach the Final Four in the next couple seasons, Coach Hutt may be out the door.

That concludes the 2020 regular season. I am getting ready to go out of town for a few days, but when I get back, I will take care of offseason stuff.

Nice to see the Bruins rebound from a poor season and win the NIT. Congrats Coach Shepard.