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:
Code:
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
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1. Baylor (72) 24-1 1800 1 Big 12 Conference
2. North Carolina 21-3 1719 2 Atlantic Coast Conference
3. Arizona 21-3 1649 3 Pacific-12 Conference
4. Vanderbilt 21-3 1592 4 Southeastern Conference
5. Syracuse 21-3 1514 6 Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Maryland 20-4 1401 5 Big Ten Conference
7. Kentucky 21-3 1362 7 Southeastern Conference
8. Iowa State 20-4 1290 9 Big 12 Conference
9. Connecticut 20-5 1164 13 American Athletic Conference
10. Arkansas 21-4 1143 11 Southeastern Conference
11. New Mexico 22-3 1035 14 Mountain West Conference
12. Virginia 17-7 1025 10 Atlantic Coast Conference
13. Illinois 19-5 993 15 Big Ten Conference
14. Wisconsin 17-8 809 12 Big Ten Conference
15. Louisville 18-7 742 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
16. Wichita State 19-4 658 20 Missouri Valley Conference
17. Dayton 20-4 638 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
18. Texas A&M 17-7 625 19 Southeastern Conference
19. Boise State 18-6 592 18 Mountain West Conference
20. Notre Dame 18-6 419 23 Atlantic Coast Conference
21. Florida State 18-7 309 17 Atlantic Coast Conference
22. Michigan State 17-7 293 NR Big Ten Conference
23. Providence 18-5 228 25 Big East Conference
24. Gonzaga 20-6 130 NR West Coast Conference
25. Harvard 20-5 75 NR Ivy League
Others Receiving Votes:
UC Santa Barbara 19-5 50 Big West Conference
Nebraska 17-7 45 Big Ten Conference
UAB 18-5 41 Conference USA
Alabama 16-7 17 Southeastern Conference
Yale 19-5 17 Ivy League
UTEP 18-6 8 Conference USA
Washington 17-7 6 Pacific-12 Conference
Indiana 16-8 4 Big Ten Conference
Louisiana Tech 18-7 3 Conference USA
Niagara 21-6 2 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Georgetown 16-8 1 Big East Conference
Minnesota 16-8 1 Big Ten Conference
Kentucky stays put after their split this week, and welcome back Michigan State to the top 25! It's been a while. Alabama is still receiving a few votes while UCLA has lost all theirs.
Now for the mid-major top 25 going into next week:
Code:
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
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1. Connecticut (62) 20-5 1790 1 American Athletic Conference
2. New Mexico (10) 22-3 1736 2 Mountain West Conference
3. Wichita State 19-4 1623 5 Missouri Valley Conference
4. Boise State 18-6 1554 4 Mountain West Conference
5. Dayton 20-4 1535 3 Atlantic 10 Conference
6. Gonzaga 20-6 1363 8 West Coast Conference
7. UTEP 18-6 1314 9 Conference USA
8. Louisiana Tech 18-7 1298 10 Conference USA
9. UC Santa Barbara 19-5 1236 11 Big West Conference
10. UAB 18-5 1189 7 Conference USA
11. Harvard 20-5 1096 12 Ivy League
12. Yale 19-5 994 13 Ivy League
13. South Florida 18-7 908 6 American Athletic Conference
14. Indiana State 18-8 824 14 Missouri Valley Conference
15. Mercer 18-6 720 20 Southern Conference
16. Western Michigan 18-6 669 15 Mid-American Conference
17. Saint Louis 17-7 532 25 Atlantic 10 Conference
18. Oakland 18-6 482 22 Horizon League
19. Niagara 21-6 465 19 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
20. USC Upstate 20-6 341 17 Atlantic Sun Conference
21. North Carolina Central 18-6 288 NR Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
22. Northeastern 18-6 288 24 Colonial Athletic Association
23. SMU 16-8 276 23 American Athletic Conference
24. Drake 18-7 262 NR Missouri Valley Conference
25. San Diego State 14-11 156 16 Mountain West Conference
Others Receiving Votes:
Tulsa 16-8 107 American Athletic Conference
Richmond 15-7 104 Atlantic 10 Conference
UT Arlington 17-6 81 Sun Belt Conference
Samford 18-8 62 Southern Conference
Memphis 14-8 47 American Athletic Conference
Davidson 15-9 41 Atlantic 10 Conference
Northern Arizona 16-8 11 Big Sky Conference
North Dakota State 17-8 4 Summit League
Sacred Heart 18-7 3 Northeast Conference
Cincinnati 15-10 1 American Athletic Conference
So Tulsa drops out of the mid-major top 25, but is still receiving a lot of votes. Davidson continues to improve and get more votes, and Hartford loses their votes.
Now for this weeks edition of the Bubble Watch. We have 3 teams in this weeks edition of the Overall Bubble Watch.
Code:
OVERALL BUBBLE WATCH
Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
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Oregon 15-9 .553 (58) 1-5 6-2 4-2 4-0 69 In
Yale 19-5 .550 (65) 1-2 2-1 6-0 10-2 271 In
West Virginia 15-9 .560 (54) 2-5 0-2 8-1 5-1 63 In
Seton Hall 15-9 .552 (59) 3-3 1-3 6-2 5-1 105 In
Northern Arizona 16-8 .564 (45) 0-2 0-2 6-3 10-1 108 In
Virginia 17-7 .544 (72) 3-4 4-0 5-2 5-1 157 In
UCLA 16-8 .542 (75) 2-2 5-3 4-3 5-0 133 In
Memphis 14-8 .548 (69) 1-3 2-4 4-1 7-0 114 In
North Texas 15-9 .546 (70) 2-3 1-3 6-2 6-1 100 Out
TCU 15-10 .611 (12) 3-7 4-3 4-0 4-0 10 Out
Samford 18-8 .549 (66) 1-1 2-1 3-2 12-4 144 Out
Richmond 15-7 .541 (77) 0-0 3-4 3-3 9-0 206 Out
Davidson 15-9 .544 (71) 0-5 4-3 3-1 8-0 120 Out
Missouri 15-8 .527 (104) 2-2 6-3 1-2 6-1 222 Out
Pittsburgh 16-9 .531 (92) 3-3 4-3 3-2 6-1 164 Out
The fact that UCLA is on the bubble just shows how far they've fallen in the last couple weeks. If the tournament started today, there's a very good chance they'd be in a First Four game. Yikes! A few more wins though, and they'll be right off that bubble.
TCU is having a season to remember, at least by their standards. That RPI and SOS is what is keeping them around. I think by seasons end, they'll be on the outside looking in. The pieces aren't quite there yet, but hey, it's still been a great season no matter what.
Davidson is having a nice turnaround. 0-5 against teams in the RPI top 50 though are what is going to hurt them. They've got 1 more chance to get a top 50 win, and they'll need to take advantage of it.
Now for the rest of the FOFC teams, and if there are any changes in a teams status from last week, I'll make a note of it.
Locks:
Michigan State,
Kentucky,
Alabama
In:
Hartford,
Tulsa
Couple differences from last week, as
UCLA is no longer a lock and is fighting on the bubble now. Also,
Tulsa was on the bubble last week, but this week they are safely in.