Feb. 28-Mar. 5, 2028
29 games on the schedule this week, and 4 of them are feature games. We'll start there, going to the Northeast first.
3/1/28- Northeast Quarterfinal -
(7) Bryant (Rob Nielsen) vs.
(2) Wagner (Will Brown) -- This one turned out to be closer than expected, especially since Wagner led by 14 at halftime. 50.9% shooting was enough though, as Wagner moves on.
Final Score: (2) Wagner- 82, (7) Bryant- 73
Next we go to the ACC:
3/4/28-
North Carolina (Ariel Pryde) @
Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- Carolina was held to just 30.4% shooting, and that was their downfall in this ACC game, despite the rest of the stats being almost even.
Final Score: Notre Dame- 74, North Carolina- 66
Moving to the Big Ten:
3/4/28-
#12 Ohio State (Brett Hawkins) @
Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- Another close game, but free throws were the difference in this one, as Ohio State made 6 more free throws.
Final Score: #12 Ohio State- 76, Northwestern- 71
And finally, the SWAC:
3/4/28-
Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) @
Alabama State (Randolph Childress) -- Both teams really needed a win, but it was Alabama State who came through. They forced 20 turnovers and led by 15 points at halftime, holding on to get a much needed win.
Final Score: Alabama State- 75, Arkansas Pine Bluff- 67
Now to the rest of the weekly recap:
North Carolina (Ariel Pryde) -- 17-12, 9-9 7th ACC.
3/1/28 vs. Clemson (W 80-68).
3/4/28 at Notre Dame- feature game, highlighted above.
The Tar Heels split to end the regular season, holding 7th place all by themselves. They'll be the #7 seed in the ACC Tournament.
Notre Dame (Al Mighty) -- 14-16, 7-11 T-8th ACC.
3/1/28 at #5 Duke (L 82-67).
3/4/28 vs. North Carolina- feature game, highlighted above.
A split for the Fighting Irish, who finished by winning 4 of their last 6. They ended up in a 5 way tie for 8th place, unfortunately drew most of the short straws. They'll be the #11 seed in the ACC Tournament.
North Florida (Felix Abel) -- 16-14, 9-5 Atlantic Sun.
2/29/28- Atlantic Sun Quarterfinal vs. (7) Stetson (L 69-56).
Tough way to end the season for the Ospreys, who are going to need a miracle to be selected for a postseason tournament. Even the CIT seems unlikely.
TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 12-17, 6-12 9th Big 12.
2/28/28 vs. #8 Iowa State (W 85-83).
3/4/28 vs. West Virginia (W 75-73).
They say it's not how you start, it's how you finish. The Horned Frogs have won 4 in a row, 3 of those against teams with winning records. They are playing well right now. They'll be the #9 seed in the Big 12 Tournament, but Coach Mighty will still need a miracle to keep his job.
#6 St. John's (Dean Hoo) -- 24-6, 14-4 1st Big East.
3/1/28 vs. #24 Seton Hall (W 82-58).
3/4/28 vs. Creighton (W 95-77).
2 blowout wins for the Red Storm, who ease into the Big East regular season title. They'll be the top seed in the Big East Tournament.
Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 17-13, 8-10 T-8th Big Ten.
3/1/28 vs. #4 Minnesota (L 60-50).
3/4/28 vs. #12 Ohio State- feature game, highlighted above.
The Wildcats take 2 more losses this week, ending the season on a 4 game losing streak against really good competition. They lost the coin flip for the 8 seed and will instead be the #9 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.
#12 Ohio State (Brett Hawkins) -- 22-8, 11-7 4th Big Ten.
3/1/28 at Rutgers (W 89-81).
3/4/28 at Northwestern- feature game, highlighted above.
2 more wins for the Buckeyes, who end the regular season on a positive note. They'll be the #4 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.
#25 Wichita State (David Ginsberg) -- 22-8, 13-5 MVC.
3/3/28- MVC Quarterfinal vs. (7) Bradley (L 68-65).
The Shockers get upset in the MVC Tournament, and will likely lose their national ranking. Never fear, they should still be safely in the field on Selection Sunday.
San Jose State (Thomas Shepard) -- 17-13, 9-9 T-6th Mountain West.
3/1/28 at UNLV (W 71-61).
3/4/28 at San Diego State (W 62-49).
The Spartans finish the regular season by winning 3 of 4 and have put themselves in position for a postseason bid. They win the tiebreaker and will be the #6 seed in the Mountain West Tournament.
Bryant (Rob Nielsen) -- 13-17, 7-11 Northeast.
3/1/28- Northeast Quarterfinal vs. (2) Wagner- feature game, highlighted above.
The season ends for the Bulldogs, and there will be no cinderella run this season. However, Coach Nielsen could be in consideration for Coach of the Year in the Northeast Conference. How you ask? Well, he led Bryant to their best conference finish in 5 years.
Wagner (Will Brown) -- 21-10, 12-6 Northeast.
3/1/28- Northeast Quarterfinal vs. (7) Bryant- feature game, highlighted above.
3/4/28- Northeast Semifinal vs. (5) Mt. St. Mary's (L 73-67).
The Seahawks exit the Northeast Tournament much earlier than expected. That early exit will probably cost them an NCAA Tournament berth. It's possible they could still get in if nobody steals a bid, but most likely they are headed to the NIT.
Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 18-12, 9-9 T-6th Pac 12.
3/2/28 vs. Oregon (L 78-72).
3/4/28 at Colorado (L 89-67).
Rough finish to the regular season for the Cardinal, who have lost 3 in a row. They'll be the #7 seed in the Pac 12 Tournament.
UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 20-10, 11-7 T-2nd Pac 12.
3/2/28 vs. Utah (W 87-60).
3/4/28 at Arizona State (L 72-65).
The Bruins split this week, and also lose the tiebreaker for the #2 seed. They'll be the #3 seed in the Pac 12 Tournament.
Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 10-20, 4-14 12th Pac 12.
3/2/28 vs. Arizona State (L 62-56).
3/4/28 at California (L 72-64).
Good effort for the Cougars this week, but the results are the same: 2 more losses. They'll be the #12 seed in the Pac 12 Tournament.
Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 17-13, 9-9 T-8th SEC.
3/1/28 at Kentucky (L 80-72).
3/4/28 at Tennessee (W 94-63).
A split for the Crimson Tide who didn't have the best of seasons. They lost the tiebreaker for the #8 seed and will be the #9 seed in the SEC Tournament.
Alabama State (Randolph Childress) -- 8-21, 7-11 T-8th SWAC.
2/28/28 vs. Mississippi Valley State (L 81-68).
3/4/28 vs. Arkansas Pine Bluff- feature game, highlighted above.
The Hornets win their regular season finale, giving coach Childress career win #200! Unfortunately the rest of the season has been a disaster for a team that was supposed to be in the mix for the conference title. They at least win the tiebreaker for the #8 seed and will be the #8 seed in the SWAC Tournament.
Arkansas Pine Bluff (B.B. Gunn) -- 12-18, 9-9 5th SWAC.
2/28/28 at Alabama A&M (L 87-81).
3/4/28 at Alabama State- feature game, highlighted above.
The season ending trip through Alabama wasn't kind to the Golden Lions, who also vastly underperformed this season. They were also expected to compete for the SWAC Title. They'll be the #5 seed in the SWAC Tournament.
Troy (Benton Gale) -- 19-11, 14-6 2nd Sun Belt.
3/2/28 at #21 Georgia Southern (W 85-71).
A big win to finish the regular season for the Trojans, who upset a ranked team on the road. They'll be the #2 seed in the Sun Belt Tournament.
San Diego (Charlie Shocker) -- 15-16, 8-10 WCC.
3/4/28- WCC Quarterfinal vs. (4) Pacific (L 97-89).
The Toreros will end their season with a losing record, although I guess it's possible the CBI or CIT could send them an invite. Not likely though.
Here's a look at the national top 25 as we head into the final week of the season before the postseason tournaments, Mar. 6-12:
Code:
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
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1. Wisconsin (72) 28-2 1800 1 Big Ten Conference
2. Syracuse 24-6 1718 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Virginia 24-6 1612 3 Atlantic Coast Conference
4. Minnesota 24-6 1585 4 Big Ten Conference
5. Duke 23-7 1525 5 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. St. John's 24-6 1443 6 Big East Conference
7. Pepperdine 26-6 1340 7 West Coast Conference
8. Iowa 22-8 1312 10 Big Ten Conference
9. Providence 23-8 1160 13 Big East Conference
10. Ohio State 22-8 1124 12 Big Ten Conference
11. UAB 25-5 1089 14 Atlantic 10 Conference
12. Louisville 22-9 1030 15 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. Indiana 21-9 896 19 Big Ten Conference
14. Iowa State 21-9 769 8 Big 12 Conference
15. Florida State 22-8 685 18 Atlantic Coast Conference
16. Texas 22-8 633 16 Big 12 Conference
17. Loyola Marymount 24-7 627 22 West Coast Conference
18. LSU 22-8 593 11 Southeastern Conference
19. California 22-8 509 NR Pacific-12 Conference
20. Texas A&M 21-9 508 9 Southeastern Conference
21. Northeastern 24-6 368 NR Colonial Athletic Association
22. Villanova 21-9 281 17 Big East Conference
23. Georgia Southern 24-5 221 21 Sun Belt Conference
24. Seton Hall 22-8 197 24 Big East Conference
25. Memphis 21-9 176 NR American Athletic Conference
Others Receiving Votes:
Jacksonville State 25-7 92 Ohio Valley Conference
Texas A&M Corpus Christi 23-5 56 Southland Conference
Virginia Tech 21-9 28 Atlantic Coast Conference
Arkansas 20-10 17 Southeastern Conference
Wichita State 22-8 6 Missouri Valley Conference
And here's a look at the Mid-Major Top 25 going into the week of Mar. 6-12:
Code:
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference test test test test
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1. Pepperdine (71) 26-6 1799 1 West Coast Conference
2. UAB (1) 25-5 1725 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
3. Loyola Marymount 24-7 1588 5 West Coast Conference
4. Memphis 21-9 1561 6 American Athletic Conference
5. Northeastern 24-6 1537 8 Colonial Athletic Association
6. Jacksonville State 25-7 1452 3 Ohio Valley Conference
7. Wichita State 22-8 1367 4 Missouri Valley Conference
8. Georgia Southern 24-5 1333 7 Sun Belt Conference
9. Texas A&M Corpus Christi 23-5 1210 11 Southland Conference
10. Nebraska Omaha 23-8 1084 13 Summit League
11. Eastern Michigan 20-10 1006 12 Mid-American Conference
12. Southern Miss 21-8 964 9 Conference USA
13. Colorado State 20-10 888 16 Mountain West Conference
14. Rice 22-8 833 17 Conference USA
15. Buffalo 20-10 830 10 Mid-American Conference
16. Dayton 19-9 648 15 Atlantic 10 Conference
17. Santa Clara 19-11 607 21 West Coast Conference
18. New Mexico 20-10 487 22 Mountain West Conference
19. Cleveland State 23-9 471 23 Horizon League
20. Akron 19-11 394 25 Mid-American Conference
21. South Florida 20-11 370 19 American Athletic Conference
22. Utah State 19-12 257 14 Mountain West Conference
23. VMI 20-10 224 NR Southern Conference
24. Oakland 19-11 164 NR Mid-American Conference
25. Princeton 20-10 112 20 Ivy League
Others Receiving Votes:
Loyola Chicago 19-12 80 Missouri Valley Conference
High Point 22-9 61 Big South Conference
George Washington 19-11 60 Atlantic 10 Conference
Pacific 19-12 57 West Coast Conference
Toledo 18-12 56 Mid-American Conference
Nevada 17-11 52 Mountain West Conference
The Citadel 20-11 36 Southern Conference
Drexel 19-12 27 Colonial Athletic Association
Mercer 20-12 26 Southern Conference
Massachusetts 17-13 13 Atlantic 10 Conference
Boise State 18-12 8 Mountain West Conference
Grand Canyon 19-10 4 Western Athletic Conference
Wagner 21-10 4 Northeast Conference
Central Michigan 17-12 2 Mid-American Conference
Eastern Kentucky 20-10 2 Ohio Valley Conference
Cal State Fullerton 18-11 1 Big West Conference
The final bubble watch of the season is out, let's take a look at the Overall Bubble Watch, in which 2 of our teams is there:
Code:
Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
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VMI 20-10 .554 (40) 0-0 3-4 8-5 9-1 147 In
Baylor 18-12 .547 (63) 2-6 7-2 4-3 5-1 40 In
Stanford 18-12 .569 (26) 3-6 3-2 10-2 2-2 28 In
Drexel 19-12 .546 (64) 2-4 2-4 9-1 6-3 73 In
South Florida 20-11 .548 (61) 1-2 3-3 11-3 5-3 123 In
Nevada 17-11 .550 (50) 2-3 2-3 7-4 6-1 82 In
Toledo 18-12 .552 (47) 1-4 6-3 5-4 6-1 51 In
Eastern Michigan 20-10 .543 (65) 2-5 2-2 7-2 9-1 132 In
Mercer 20-12 .541 (68) 3-3 1-3 8-5 8-1 122 Out
VCU 19-11 .534 (79) 3-5 4-3 7-3 5-0 160 Out
Georgetown 18-12 .542 (67) 4-8 1-1 3-0 10-3 104 Out
Michigan State 17-12 .549 (55) 6-8 2-0 5-3 4-1 54 Out
North Carolina 17-12 .579 (14) 1-8 6-3 4-1 6-0 4 Out
Rutgers 17-12 .571 (21) 2-9 3-1 5-2 7-0 17 Out
Arizona 18-12 .536 (75) 4-5 4-1 5-4 5-2 85 Out
Stanford is on the bubble, but they really could use a win in the Pac 12 Tournament to feel good about things. The more surprising bubble team is North Carolina. Even with that high RPI and SOS, the loss to Notre Dame was damaging. They may need 2 wins in the ACC Tournament.
Now for the rest of the bubble watch:
Locks:
St. John's,
Ohio State,
UCLA
In:
Wichita State