Feb. 18-24, 2019
A heavy week for feature games this week, as we have 5, count em, 5 of them. 5 different conferences got a feature game this week. We'll start in the Big 12.
2/18/19-
TCU (Bee Mighty) @
Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- The final score of this game does not indicate how close it was, as it was only a 4 point game at halftime. Kansas shot 52.2% for the game, and outscored TCU 50-22 in the second half, rolling to victory.
Final Score: Kansas- 95, TCU- 63
Now to the Big Ten:
2/20/19-
Michigan (Cillian Tribble) @
Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- The teams combined to shoot 60 free throws in the game, but the difference was turnovers. Michigan had 20 turnovers and Michigan State got 15 more shots off. This led to several more made shots as Sparty gets a big, much needed victory.
Final Score: Michigan State- 86, Michigan- 76
We head out east to the SEC:
Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) @
#25 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- This one was also a 4 point game at halftime, and you'd have thought it went Florida's way as they outrebounded the Wildcats 43-34, but 34.4% shooting for Florida compared to 44.6% shooting for Kentucky led to the Wildcats pulling away.
Final Score: #25 Kentucky- 74, Florida- 57
We stay out east for a Conference USA matchup:
2/21/19-
Rice (Charlie Shocker) @
Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) -- A bit of a shocker here (bit of irony there) as the 49ers controlled this game from start to finish. Rice was called for 25 fouls, to just 15 for Charlotte. Surprisingly, the 49ers only shot 2 more free throws, but they did make more free throws, three pointers, and field goals.
Final Score: Charlotte- 83, Rice- 67
And finally, we travel cross country and end our feature games in the Pac 12:
2/23/19-
Colorado (Rob Nielsen) @
Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- Colorado got 12 more shots off than Washington State, including 10-18 from three point land. Despite Washington State having a better shooting percentage overall, the Buffaloes dominated the arc, and this game, becoming the only road team to win a feature game this week.
Final Score: Colorado- 66, Washington State- 52
Now, finally to the rest of the weekly recap:
Hartford (David Ginsberg) -- 7-21, 5-10 T-7th America East.
2/20/19 vs. Vermont (L 64-53).
2/24/19 vs. New Hampshire (W 72-63).
A split for the Hawks, who played surprisingly decent against conference leading Vermont. It wasn't enough though, as they'll end their regular season next week and can still finish anywhere between 6th and 9th (last) in the conference.
ECU (Al Hutt) -- 5-22, 2-13 11th (last) American.
2/20/19 vs. Houston (L 74-62).
2/23/19 at UCF (W 94-85).
A split for the Pirates, who are well in last place in the conference. Their win at UCF broke an 8 game losing streak.
Tulsa (Will Brown) -- 11-16, 6-8 7th American.
2/20/19 at Tulane (W 96-64).
2/23/19 vs. SMU (L 66-55).
The Golden Hurricane just ran into a buzzsaw in SMU, who is undefeated in conference. They played well, but not good enough. They'll be happy with a split for the week.
Davidson (Randolph Childress) -- 14-12, 9-5 T-5th Atlantic 10.
2/20/19 vs. Richmond (W 69-56).
2/23/19 at Rhode Island (L 75-65).
The Wildcats split this week, and with just 1 game separating them from the 4 teams tied for 1st place, they need to win both next week against teams with losing records overall.
Clemson (Charles Johnson) -- 7-20, 4-11 14th ACC.
2/20/19 vs. Boston College (W 71-48).
2/23/19 at #8 Notre Dame (L 74-46).
The Tigers split this week, and know for a fact they'll be staying out of the cellar. They've clinched that, but not much else.
#20 Duke (Dean Hoo) -- 21-6, 11-3 T-2nd ACC.
2/20/19 vs. Miami (L 72-70).
2/23/19 at Boston College (W 83-73).
A split for the Blue Devils this week, who are just hoping that loss to Miami doesn't cost them a chance at an ACC title.
Kansas (Dave Johnson) -- 17-9, 8-6 T-4th Big 12.
2/18/19 vs. TCU- feature game, highlighted above.
2/23/19 vs. #3 Iowa State (L 67-52).
A split for the Jayhawks, who just can't handle Iowa State. Kansas has no chance to win the Big 12 championship, which will be the first season in a long time this hasn't happened, and Iowa State ruined their perfect home record for the season.
TCU (Bee Mighty) -- 8-18, 2-13 10th (last) Big 12.
2/18/19 at Kansas- feature game, highlighted above.
2/23/19 at Oklahoma (L 76-67).
The Horned Frogs lose 2 more after beating Texas. They are all but assured a finish back in the cellar, but still have 1 more chance to beat a Texas team next week.
Michigan (Cillian Tribble) -- 12-14, 6-8 T-8th Big Ten.
2/20/19 at Michigan State- feature game, highlighted above.
2/23/19 vs. Rutgers (L 60-58).
2 more losses for Michigan after they had gotten over .500 a couple weeks ago. They've lost 4 in a row. Considering their last 4 regular season games are against the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 6th best teams in the conference, that losing streak could end up at 8.
Michigan State (Al Mighty) -- 12-13, 5-9 T-10th Big Ten.
2/20/19 vs. Michigan- feature game, highlighted above.
2/23/19 at Penn State (L 63-59).
A split for the Spartans, and a total letdown losing to Penn State after beating their in-state rivals.
Northwestern (Ess Vee) -- 8-18, 6-8 T-8th Big Ten.
2/20/19 vs. #14 Iowa (L 93-60).
2/23/19 vs. #5 Wisconsin (L 89-52).
About what we expected from the Wildcats this week, as they get hammered by 2 of the top teams in the Big Ten. They also may finish the regular season on a hefty losing streak.
Hawaii (B.B. Gunn) -- 12-13, 6-7 6th Big West.
2/21/19 at Cal Poly (W 74-66).
2/23/19 vs. Long Beach State (L 73-64).
Another split for the Warriors, who just continue to decline. They've got 3 more regular season games coming up, and all 3 are very winnable, but I bet they don't win them all.
Charlotte (Timmy Tribble) -- 9-16, 5-9 T-9th Conference USA.
2/21/19 vs. Rice- feature game, highlighted above.
2/23/19 vs. Middle Tennessee (L 62-61).
Tough split for the 49ers, who lost a buzzer beater to Middle Tennessee, but are playing much better basketball this month.
Rice (Charlie Shocker) -- 12-13, 5-9 T-9th Conference USA.
2/21/19 at Charlotte- feature game, highlighted above.
2/23/19 at UAB (L 82-48).
The Owls are a mess right now, no doubt about it. They need to get it turned around, starting with an 8 win UTSA team next week.
Monmouth (Thomas Carrano) -- 18-11, 10-9 T-4th MAAC.
2/18/19 at Colgate (W 66-56).
2/20/19 vs. UNC Wilmington (L 64-53).
2/22/19 vs. Niagara (W 77-74).
2 out of 3 for the Hawks this week, and 2 of the games were non-conference games. They split those and won their conference game. With 1 to go, it's a jumbled mess. It's not out of the realm of possibility that if they win their final regular season game, they could finish in 2nd place in the MAAC. Or.. they could lose it and finish as low as 9th.
Norfolk State (Payten Carrano) -- 10-16, 4-9 11th MEAC.
2/18/19 at Coppin State (W 47-46).
2/23/19 vs. Howard (L 73-53).
A split for the Spartans, who just can't beat the top teams this season. They narrowly escaped at a terrible Coppin State team.
Colorado (Rob Nielsen) -- 13-13, 7-7 T-5th Pac 12.
2/21/19 vs. #19 Arizona (L 61-60).
2/23/19 at Washington State- feature game, highlighted above.
A split for the Buffaloes, and give them credit. They played Arizona tough all game, but just couldn't hit the big shot. However, they had 21 turnovers. Cut those in half and they may win by a half dozen or so.
Stanford (Benito Sanchez) -- 17-9, 8-6 T-3rd Pac 12.
2/21/19 vs. Oregon (W 53-45).
2/23/19 at California (W 53-52).
It wasn't easy, but consistency was the key in the Cardinal winning 2 games this week. They scored 53 points in both games, but the defense was spot on.
#4 UCLA (Tim Shepard) -- 23-3, 11-3 2nd Pac 12.
2/21/19 vs. Utah (W 84-60).
2/23/19 vs. Arizona State (W 71-58).
The Bruins win 2 more games this week and stay the course for a game next week at Arizona that may very well decide the Pac 12 title.
Washington State (DeShawn St. John) -- 12-13, 5-9 10th Pac 12.
2/21/19 vs. Oregon State (W 77-57).
2/23/19 vs. Colorado- feature game, highlighted above.
A split for the Cougars, as they break a 4 game winning streak with the hammering of Oregon State.
Alabama (Roy Rogers) -- 19-8, 9-5 4th SEC.
2/20/19 at Ole Miss (W 93-73).
2/23/19 at #10 Texas A&M (L 64-53).
The Crimson Tide, while still having a great season for their standards, are struggling to get that big win since beating Kentucky back in early January. They've got a couple more chances in the upcoming weeks.
Florida (Noah Oppenheimer) -- 11-15, 4-10 T-13th SEC.
2/20/19 at #25 Kentucky- feature game, highlighted above.
2/23/19 vs. Auburn (L 66-55).
The Gators continue to have their worst season since this dynasty started, losing 2 more this week to teams they shouldn't be losing to.
#25 Kentucky (Patrick Hutt) -- 19-7, 10-4 T-2nd SEC.
2/20/19 vs. Florida- feature game, highlighted above.
2/23/19 vs. Georgia (W 81-66).
The Wildcats get back to business with 2 wins this week. They finish off the season against middle of the pack teams. What may cost them an SEC title is the fact they don't get revenge games against the 4 teams they've lost to in the SEC, which just happen to be among the top 6 teams in the SEC.
Troy (Brett Hawkins) -- 10-15, 5-11 10th Sun Belt.
2/21/19 at Texas State (L 70-68, OT).
The Trojans will be kicking themselves at this one for a while, as they gave up a nice lead late only to lose in overtime. This was their only game of the week.
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. Virginia (55) 23-3 1779 1 Atlantic Coast Conference
2. Iowa State (7) 23-4 1703 3 Big 12 Conference
3. Gonzaga (10) 26-2 1696 2 West Coast Conference
4. UCLA 23-3 1588 4 Pacific-12 Conference
5. Ohio State 19-5 1461 6 Big Ten Conference
6. Wisconsin 21-5 1422 5 Big Ten Conference
7. Maryland 20-6 1325 11 Big Ten Conference
8. Texas A&M 23-4 1305 10 Southeastern Conference
9. Notre Dame 21-5 1274 8 Atlantic Coast Conference
10. Vanderbilt 20-6 1108 7 Southeastern Conference
11. Iowa 19-7 1015 14 Big Ten Conference
12. Providence 23-4 969 15 Big East Conference
13. Georgetown 20-6 930 13 Big East Conference
14. Arizona 22-5 878 19 Pacific-12 Conference
15. Syracuse 21-5 861 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
16. Northern Iowa 24-5 616 12 Missouri Valley Conference
17. Illinois State 22-6 615 16 Missouri Valley Conference
18. Kentucky 19-7 510 25 Southeastern Conference
19. Oakland 25-4 505 22 Horizon League
20. Baylor 21-6 486 18 Big 12 Conference
21. San Diego State 19-7 336 NR Mountain West Conference
22. SMU 22-5 261 NR American Athletic Conference
23. Wichita State 22-5 212 NR Missouri Valley Conference
24. North Carolina Central 23-4 168 NR Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
25. Duke 21-6 144 20 Atlantic Coast Conference
Others Receiving Votes:
Pittsburgh 18-8 110 Atlantic Coast Conference
Saint Mary's 21-6 64 West Coast Conference
Boise State 19-6 18 Mountain West Conference
Manhattan 22-5 17 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Villanova 19-8 17 Big East Conference
Alabama 19-8 4 Southeastern Conference
Green Bay 22-6 3 Horizon League
So UCLA stays at #4, and they probably won't get ahead unless the 3 teams in front of them have winless weeks. Kentucky wins a couple games, albeit not against the strongest competition, but still gains 7 spots. Duke loses 5 spots after their 2 point upset loss, while Alabama is hanging on by a thread, receiving just enough points to be mentioned still.
Now for the mid-major top 25:
Code:
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
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1. Gonzaga (72) 26-2 1800 1 West Coast Conference
2. Illinois State 22-6 1673 3 Missouri Valley Conference
3. Northern Iowa 24-5 1657 2 Missouri Valley Conference
4. San Diego State 19-7 1542 5 Mountain West Conference
5. Oakland 25-4 1492 4 Horizon League
6. SMU 22-5 1414 6 American Athletic Conference
7. Boise State 19-6 1389 8 Mountain West Conference
8. Wichita State 22-5 1332 9 Missouri Valley Conference
9. Saint Mary's 21-6 1190 7 West Coast Conference
10. North Carolina Central 23-4 1121 11 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
11. Manhattan 22-5 1097 14 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
12. Buffalo 19-8 1019 10 Mid-American Conference
13. Bucknell 22-6 956 13 Patriot League
14. Green Bay 22-6 898 15 Horizon League
15. UTEP 20-6 775 12 Conference USA
16. Belmont 21-7 717 19 Ohio Valley Conference
17. Dayton 20-6 637 22 Atlantic 10 Conference
18. Massachusetts 20-6 591 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
19. Rhode Island 18-8 496 17 Atlantic 10 Conference
20. St. Bonaventure 19-7 434 18 Atlantic 10 Conference
21. Toledo 19-7 330 NR Mid-American Conference
22. Eastern Kentucky 21-6 293 24 Ohio Valley Conference
23. Stephen F. Austin 19-6 179 NR Southland Conference
24. Saint Joseph's 18-8 117 21 Atlantic 10 Conference
25. Cincinnati 18-8 91 20 American Athletic Conference
Others Receiving Votes:
UC Santa Barbara 19-7 57 Big West Conference
South Florida 18-8 29 American Athletic Conference
Georgia State 19-10 23 Horizon League
American 20-8 19 Patriot League
Louisiana Tech 18-8 16 Conference USA
Utah State 17-9 6 Mountain West Conference
Howard 19-8 5 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Pepperdine 17-10 3 West Coast Conference
Harvard 18-8 1 Ivy League
Stony Brook 19-9 1 America East Conference
Big surprise, nothing.
Onto the bubble watch, and this weeks edition of the Overall Bubble Watch doesn't have any of our teams in it.
Code:
OVERALL BUBBLE WATCH
Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
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UTEP 20-6 .555 (56) 0-1 4-1 6-4 10-0 193 In
Rhode Island 18-8 .590 (30) 0-4 4-1 9-3 5-0 33 In
Nebraska 16-10 .570 (46) 4-4 5-3 4-3 3-0 45 In
VCU 16-10 .580 (38) 4-6 5-2 5-1 2-1 19 In
Louisville 16-10 .574 (44) 4-5 4-3 4-2 4-0 29 In
St. Bonaventure 19-7 .552 (60) 1-1 4-2 8-2 6-2 217 In
Butler 16-10 .590 (28) 3-6 3-4 6-0 4-0 15 In
Howard 19-8 .552 (61) 1-3 2-1 7-4 9-0 136 In
Saint Joseph's 18-8 .562 (49) 1-1 3-1 9-5 5-1 173 Out
Georgia State 19-10 .555 (57) 3-4 3-2 2-1 11-3 121 Out
Pepperdine 17-10 .549 (62) 2-4 2-1 7-4 6-1 85 Out
Illinois 18-9 .545 (67) 4-6 1-2 6-0 7-1 143 Out
Eastern Michigan 17-10 .545 (66) 2-1 3-2 4-4 8-3 139 Out
American 20-8 .541 (74) 1-2 1-1 4-3 14-2 221 Out
Delaware State 16-11 .580 (41) 1-3 2-2 8-2 5-4 40 Out
Here's a look at where all our teams stand, as none were in the overall bubble watch:
Locks: Duke, Kansas, UCLA, Alabama, Kentucky
In: Stanford