Seeing as everyone in the sports world seems to have seen this, I figure I should probably weigh in on it.
The other day, Pat Knight tore into his team, specifically his seniors, after his Lamar team fell to Stephen F. Austin. Knight seemed to take a page out of his father's playbook by calling out the team's work ethic, their off the court issues, and even declaring that the will not win another game this season at the rate that they're going.
Now, I've wavered on whether or not I liked or disliked this rant, and I think I know why. I liked the honesty and the idea of calling out the players in order to fire them up for the end of the season, but I don't think I like how it happened or how it was delivered.
For one, the whole tirade starts by Knight kicking a player out of his press conference by saying that he was next because the player "didn't have a clue of what it takes to win." For me, this just set a bad tone. It's one thing for a coach to come in guns blazing on a press conference, but it's quite another to call out and insult a player, to his face, in front of the media.
Knight went on to talk about how his seniors don't know how to win and that their work ethic and demeanor on the court was terrible. This part I didn't have as much of a problem with, as I think it was a tactic to try and light a fire under the team for the final stretch. We've seen coaches at every level do this before, albeit rarely, but with Pat Knight, as well as the entire Knight family, it almost isn't even shocking to hear stuff like this. It's in the Knight DNA to not pull any punches.
The part when I took issue was where he was talking about off the court issues, and specifically mentioning drug issues. Through this point, there had been no reports or mentions of drug issues surrounding Lamar, and Knight's comment just opened up Pandora's box. Are people on the team taking drugs? Are they selling drugs? Which drugs? How many players?
While the calling out of the team was one thing, I think that the drug comment as well as his other mentions of issues off the court went a bit overboard, and actually created a different distraction that may follow this team the rest of the year.
By the way, Lamar pummeled Same Houston State in their next game, 72-49.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
College Basketball Always Surprises
Just when you think you have it all figured out, college basketball likes to throw you a curveball, and I think that's why I love it so much.Tuesday was a great example of the college basketball world just not making a lick of sense.
Enter the 0-26 Binghamton Bearcats. The Bearcats are widely accepted as the worst team in Division I college basketball, evidenced by their awful record, and the fact that they struggle to even be competitive in most games, losing 19 times by at least double digits this season, including being drilled 92-51 in a game earlier this year. Just to add to their misery, the Bearcats are dead last in points per game, and towards the bottom of the country in every other statistical category.
Then there's the Vermont Catamounts. Vermont was working on a respectable 19-10 season, and were atop the America East conference at 12-2 after smashing formerly first place Stony Brook 68-49 to take hold of first for themselves. Earlier in the season, Vermont played Binghamton, and promptly disposed of the Bearcats 73-53.
On Tuesday night, Vermont visited Binghamton for their second meeting of the season. In the battle between the first place team and the last place team, normal conventions would tell us that the first place team would cruise to a victory. And in the game, a team led nearly wire to wire on their way to a 57-53 victory.
But it wasn't the Catamounts.
Somehow, someway, Binghamton, the worst team in college basketball, the team in last place, and the team that many said would not get a win all season, beat the best team in their conference. And it wasn't a fluke, it wasn't luck, it wasn't pity. They outright beat Vermont.
It's games and stories like this why we continue to watch college basketball, because at the end of the day, it doesn't matter who has been better all season. All that matters is who is better that night. Binghamton's coach Mark Macon said after the game that it didn't matter if the Bearcats were playing the New York Knicks Tuesday night, they were going to win that game. After a season of embarrassment and frustration, the Binghamton players had had enough, and took it out on Vermont.
Is Binghamton going to the tournament this year? No. Will they win another game this season? Probably not. But for one night, they grabbed the spotlight and were shown in all of their glory on Sportscenter, and that's why I love college basketball. On any given night, any team can be the star, and on this night, it was little old 1-26 Binghamton.
Enter the 0-26 Binghamton Bearcats. The Bearcats are widely accepted as the worst team in Division I college basketball, evidenced by their awful record, and the fact that they struggle to even be competitive in most games, losing 19 times by at least double digits this season, including being drilled 92-51 in a game earlier this year. Just to add to their misery, the Bearcats are dead last in points per game, and towards the bottom of the country in every other statistical category.
Then there's the Vermont Catamounts. Vermont was working on a respectable 19-10 season, and were atop the America East conference at 12-2 after smashing formerly first place Stony Brook 68-49 to take hold of first for themselves. Earlier in the season, Vermont played Binghamton, and promptly disposed of the Bearcats 73-53.
On Tuesday night, Vermont visited Binghamton for their second meeting of the season. In the battle between the first place team and the last place team, normal conventions would tell us that the first place team would cruise to a victory. And in the game, a team led nearly wire to wire on their way to a 57-53 victory.
But it wasn't the Catamounts.
Somehow, someway, Binghamton, the worst team in college basketball, the team in last place, and the team that many said would not get a win all season, beat the best team in their conference. And it wasn't a fluke, it wasn't luck, it wasn't pity. They outright beat Vermont.
It's games and stories like this why we continue to watch college basketball, because at the end of the day, it doesn't matter who has been better all season. All that matters is who is better that night. Binghamton's coach Mark Macon said after the game that it didn't matter if the Bearcats were playing the New York Knicks Tuesday night, they were going to win that game. After a season of embarrassment and frustration, the Binghamton players had had enough, and took it out on Vermont.
Is Binghamton going to the tournament this year? No. Will they win another game this season? Probably not. But for one night, they grabbed the spotlight and were shown in all of their glory on Sportscenter, and that's why I love college basketball. On any given night, any team can be the star, and on this night, it was little old 1-26 Binghamton.
Monday, February 20, 2012
My Thoughts on Bracketbusters
This past weekend, we saw ESPN give their annual dedication to the mid-majors in the form of ESPN Bracketbusters. All weekend there were matchups between some of the country's top mid-major teams, as decided upon by ESPN, broadcasted on their various networks. Bracketbusters has its fair share of pundits and critics, and I personally am a fan of the concept.
For one, I'm a huge mid major fan. Say what you will, but there's something about that underdog story that I love, and for mid majors, every game feels like do or die, and this is especially true in the Bracketbuster weekend, where many teams get their last big shot to impress the committee with a key out of conference win.
The games are also a nice break from conference play, and gives the committee a shot to see how much the teams have changed since conference play began. Look at the CAA for instance. Early in the season, their out of conference play was terrible, but since December, they have got healthy and become comfortable, and are really different teams, as Drexel, VCU, George Mason, and ODU proved on Friday and Saturday.
The games also give some much needed widespread attention to mid majors. Teams like Buffalo and Weber State, who have quietly put together very nice seasons, have been buried by the attention given to BCS schools. This is their chance to take center stage and show the country why they should keep these teams in mind come March.
Now, the system isn't perfect. Unfortunately, with the designation of "Home" and "Away" teams every year, matchups can get quirky and a bit lopsided for who they can help. This year, for instance, a lot of "Home" teams had high RPIs, yet they couldn't match up with one another, due to them both being home teams. With ESPN deciding who gets TV time and who doesn't as well, some teams who really need the exposure to try and get an at-large bid don't get it.
But overall, I'm a fan of the concept and what it has done. Bracketbusters has propelled teams like George Mason, Butler, VCU, Northern Iowa, and Witchita State to deep runs in the tournament in March, and at the end of the day, that's enough reason for me to consider it a success.
For one, I'm a huge mid major fan. Say what you will, but there's something about that underdog story that I love, and for mid majors, every game feels like do or die, and this is especially true in the Bracketbuster weekend, where many teams get their last big shot to impress the committee with a key out of conference win.
The games are also a nice break from conference play, and gives the committee a shot to see how much the teams have changed since conference play began. Look at the CAA for instance. Early in the season, their out of conference play was terrible, but since December, they have got healthy and become comfortable, and are really different teams, as Drexel, VCU, George Mason, and ODU proved on Friday and Saturday.
The games also give some much needed widespread attention to mid majors. Teams like Buffalo and Weber State, who have quietly put together very nice seasons, have been buried by the attention given to BCS schools. This is their chance to take center stage and show the country why they should keep these teams in mind come March.
Now, the system isn't perfect. Unfortunately, with the designation of "Home" and "Away" teams every year, matchups can get quirky and a bit lopsided for who they can help. This year, for instance, a lot of "Home" teams had high RPIs, yet they couldn't match up with one another, due to them both being home teams. With ESPN deciding who gets TV time and who doesn't as well, some teams who really need the exposure to try and get an at-large bid don't get it.
But overall, I'm a fan of the concept and what it has done. Bracketbusters has propelled teams like George Mason, Butler, VCU, Northern Iowa, and Witchita State to deep runs in the tournament in March, and at the end of the day, that's enough reason for me to consider it a success.
Analyzing Draymond Green
With Michigan State's high profile and very strong schedule, they happen to be on ESPN and its networks a lot, so this season, I've seen more Michigan State games than I ever thought I would so far. Just about every time I watch the Spartans, I come away thinking the same thing: senior forward Draymond Green is really good.
The physical things about him are easy to like. He's a big brute inside, has a nice jump shot, exceptional passing, and has decent range, as he can hit the three pointer when necessary. This season alone, he's averaging a double double and is clearly Michigan State's best player.
But what I think I like most about him is his high basketball IQ and his leadership on the floor. The guy seems to know defenses better than they know themselves, and every moment that he is on the floor, he's barking directions to younger players, getting them in position, picking them up when they need it, and basically being a coach when he plays. Green is one of those players that's absolutely invaluable to a team, as he's not only a physically gifted player, but a mentally savvy one as well.
I was reading the other day that Green is projected as a late second round pick by many draft experts, and some don't even see him getting drafted. I just refuse to believe that there is no team out there that can't benefit from a smart player like Green. The guy hasn't had injury problems aside from a scare every now and again, has improved his skill set every season, plays in the Big 10 against future NBA stars every game, has played for Tom Izzo, one of the best coaching minds out there, and is one of the smartest basketball players in the country. If this guy isn't a first round pick, who is?
I think this next month will be big for Green for his future. This is the time where college basketball begins to head to the forefront of sports, and if he can have a big month, particularly on the big stage of the NCAA Tournament, I think we'll certainly be seeing Draymond Green wearing an NBA jersey soon enough.
The physical things about him are easy to like. He's a big brute inside, has a nice jump shot, exceptional passing, and has decent range, as he can hit the three pointer when necessary. This season alone, he's averaging a double double and is clearly Michigan State's best player.
But what I think I like most about him is his high basketball IQ and his leadership on the floor. The guy seems to know defenses better than they know themselves, and every moment that he is on the floor, he's barking directions to younger players, getting them in position, picking them up when they need it, and basically being a coach when he plays. Green is one of those players that's absolutely invaluable to a team, as he's not only a physically gifted player, but a mentally savvy one as well.
I was reading the other day that Green is projected as a late second round pick by many draft experts, and some don't even see him getting drafted. I just refuse to believe that there is no team out there that can't benefit from a smart player like Green. The guy hasn't had injury problems aside from a scare every now and again, has improved his skill set every season, plays in the Big 10 against future NBA stars every game, has played for Tom Izzo, one of the best coaching minds out there, and is one of the smartest basketball players in the country. If this guy isn't a first round pick, who is?
I think this next month will be big for Green for his future. This is the time where college basketball begins to head to the forefront of sports, and if he can have a big month, particularly on the big stage of the NCAA Tournament, I think we'll certainly be seeing Draymond Green wearing an NBA jersey soon enough.
Monday, February 13, 2012
My Take on JMU-Towson
Because I'm a college basketball junkie, I tend to find myself watching odd mid-major games jus to pass time or just because they strangely interest me. Well, this Saturday I sat and watched one of those games that not a ton of people care about, and that game was James Madison at Towson. Here's a couple of my thoughts and musings from watching the game:
Towson's still not very good. The Tigers made headlines a few weeks back for finally winning a game, defeating UNCW and snapping a historic losing streak dating back to December 29th, 2010. Sadly, this hasn't made the Tigers any better as a team overall. There were points watching this game where I had no faith that Towson would score, although I'll give them this much: they at least look like a Division I team these days.
JMU is not much better. James Madison has struggled this season, and you could see why during this game. Their offense is based heavily around the three point line, but they only have a few true three point shooters, which seems counterproductive. Their rebounding is also atrocious, and they just gave Towson far too many opportunities for easy baskets.
This became of battle of who wanted it least. The ending of this game was incredible, in that JMU continued to give Towson chances to win it, and Towson continued to refuse to take them. After JMU hit a couple of free throws to stretch their lead to three, they fouled Towson intentionally with five seconds to play. Towson hit their first free throw, and purposely missed the second. JMU got their hands on the rebound...and knocked it out of bounds with three seconds left, giving the Tigers one last shot. Naturally, Towson airballed their final attempt at a win.
Give the Towson faithful credit. It actually looked like the Tigers had a decent sized crowd, and they were quite loud as the game's final moments started. It's nice to see that Towson still has some strong support, even if they are 1-24.
Towson's still not very good. The Tigers made headlines a few weeks back for finally winning a game, defeating UNCW and snapping a historic losing streak dating back to December 29th, 2010. Sadly, this hasn't made the Tigers any better as a team overall. There were points watching this game where I had no faith that Towson would score, although I'll give them this much: they at least look like a Division I team these days.
JMU is not much better. James Madison has struggled this season, and you could see why during this game. Their offense is based heavily around the three point line, but they only have a few true three point shooters, which seems counterproductive. Their rebounding is also atrocious, and they just gave Towson far too many opportunities for easy baskets.
This became of battle of who wanted it least. The ending of this game was incredible, in that JMU continued to give Towson chances to win it, and Towson continued to refuse to take them. After JMU hit a couple of free throws to stretch their lead to three, they fouled Towson intentionally with five seconds to play. Towson hit their first free throw, and purposely missed the second. JMU got their hands on the rebound...and knocked it out of bounds with three seconds left, giving the Tigers one last shot. Naturally, Towson airballed their final attempt at a win.
Give the Towson faithful credit. It actually looked like the Tigers had a decent sized crowd, and they were quite loud as the game's final moments started. It's nice to see that Towson still has some strong support, even if they are 1-24.
The Curious Case of Murray State
This past week, the last of the unbeatens in college basketball finally fell, when Murray State lost at home to Tennessee State, 72-68.
This has started to create a very interesting debate among college basketball people. What do we now make of Murray State?
The Racers had made their way up to #7 in the country, purely because of the undefeated record. Despite this, many people were skeptical of Murray State, mainly because of the quality of opponents that they had beaten on the way to their outstanding record.
The Racers currently have an RPI of 54, which is not too shabby, until you look at their strength of schedule. Murray State's SOS is a whopping 262, giving them easily the lowest of the top 10 teams from last week. To add in to their issues, Murray State plays in the Ohio Valley, a conference that has an average RPI of 158 outside of Murray State.
So now here's the two big questions: Where does Murray State fall in the next poll, and will they make the tournament? Honestly I would not be shocked to see the Racers fall to as low as #20 in the most recent coach's poll, and as for the tournament, I'm not sure if this is a definite dilemma yet.
Murray State is still the heavy favorite in the Ohio Valley tournament, and if they win that, they get an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, and from there its just a matter of seeding. What will interest me more is if they lose that tournament. The Ohio Valley has never got multiple teams into the tournament, so Murray State would go from shoo in to bubble team in a heartbeat.
Luckily, the Racers still have a major chance to impress this Saturday against St. Mary's in the Bracketbuster game. If Murray State wins that, I think they punch their ticket to March Madness. If they don't, it may be a very stressful month for the Racers.
This has started to create a very interesting debate among college basketball people. What do we now make of Murray State?
The Racers had made their way up to #7 in the country, purely because of the undefeated record. Despite this, many people were skeptical of Murray State, mainly because of the quality of opponents that they had beaten on the way to their outstanding record.
The Racers currently have an RPI of 54, which is not too shabby, until you look at their strength of schedule. Murray State's SOS is a whopping 262, giving them easily the lowest of the top 10 teams from last week. To add in to their issues, Murray State plays in the Ohio Valley, a conference that has an average RPI of 158 outside of Murray State.
So now here's the two big questions: Where does Murray State fall in the next poll, and will they make the tournament? Honestly I would not be shocked to see the Racers fall to as low as #20 in the most recent coach's poll, and as for the tournament, I'm not sure if this is a definite dilemma yet.
Murray State is still the heavy favorite in the Ohio Valley tournament, and if they win that, they get an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, and from there its just a matter of seeding. What will interest me more is if they lose that tournament. The Ohio Valley has never got multiple teams into the tournament, so Murray State would go from shoo in to bubble team in a heartbeat.
Luckily, the Racers still have a major chance to impress this Saturday against St. Mary's in the Bracketbuster game. If Murray State wins that, I think they punch their ticket to March Madness. If they don't, it may be a very stressful month for the Racers.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
My Take on Miami's Upset
Being an avid New York Giants fan, I was far too nervous to watch the 150th hour of Super Bowl previews, so instead I decided to flip to ESPNU and watch some college basketball just to get my mind off things. There I found the Miami Hurricanes, who I find it hard to root for since the took our coach Jim Larranaga, and the Duke Blue Devils.
A couple of things I noticed about the game:
Reggie Johnson is an absolute beast. The Miami center is just a huge body, and it seemed like no matter how many people Duke threw on him, he found a way to power through for an easy layup. The guy dominated for 27 points, and honestly, I was baffled that Miami didn't just keep feeding him the ball as the game went into crunch time.
When Duke is cold from three, they're extremely beatable, no matter where they play. The Blue Devils were an ugly 9-31 from beyond the arc. For a team who lives and dies off the jump shooter, they sure died last night, and there were times in the game where it actually felt like they just could not score.
Shane Larkin is going to be a star. The freshman at Miami is quick, has good hands, and a nice three point stroke. It'll be fun to watch him develop over the years.
Now on to overtime, there were two odd things that went on.
Duke went 0-6 from the free throw line in the extra session. This is baffling, as Duke is historically an incredible free throw shooting team, and for them to go 0-6 when they need it most is truly staggering. It really is proof that free throws win, and in some cases lose, many games.
Somehow Coach K didn't get his timeout granted on his home floor. With the final play breaking down and the team down by 3, Austin Rivers ended up deep in the corner, double covered, with 4 seconds left, needing a 3. Coach K was screaming for a timeout, but it wasn't granted. I honestly can't believe this slight on Duke's home court, but when you sleepwalk through the first 30 minutes of a game, you probably deserved to lose anyway.
A couple of things I noticed about the game:
Reggie Johnson is an absolute beast. The Miami center is just a huge body, and it seemed like no matter how many people Duke threw on him, he found a way to power through for an easy layup. The guy dominated for 27 points, and honestly, I was baffled that Miami didn't just keep feeding him the ball as the game went into crunch time.
When Duke is cold from three, they're extremely beatable, no matter where they play. The Blue Devils were an ugly 9-31 from beyond the arc. For a team who lives and dies off the jump shooter, they sure died last night, and there were times in the game where it actually felt like they just could not score.
Shane Larkin is going to be a star. The freshman at Miami is quick, has good hands, and a nice three point stroke. It'll be fun to watch him develop over the years.
Now on to overtime, there were two odd things that went on.
Duke went 0-6 from the free throw line in the extra session. This is baffling, as Duke is historically an incredible free throw shooting team, and for them to go 0-6 when they need it most is truly staggering. It really is proof that free throws win, and in some cases lose, many games.
Somehow Coach K didn't get his timeout granted on his home floor. With the final play breaking down and the team down by 3, Austin Rivers ended up deep in the corner, double covered, with 4 seconds left, needing a 3. Coach K was screaming for a timeout, but it wasn't granted. I honestly can't believe this slight on Duke's home court, but when you sleepwalk through the first 30 minutes of a game, you probably deserved to lose anyway.
A Quick Look at the Bracketbuster Matchups
This past week, ESPN's televised Bracketbuster matchups were announced, so let's get right into them and a quick look at what I think of them.
Northern Iowa at VCU: Some people are saying VCU got a raw deal on this one, but I disagree. Considering UNI's upset over Creighton on Saturday, I think that this will be a hotly contested game, and although I struggle to see either of these teams getting an at large bid, the winner of this game may have one last gasp.
Valparaiso at Loyola Marymount: This is going to be a very interesting game. Valpo has played a good amount of top teams, but is yet to win any of them. Loyola has been stuck in a conference with heavyweights Gonzaga and St. Mary's, and has struggled against them. Both teams need this one to have a shot at an at large bid come Selection Sunday, and I think that desperation will make for a good game.
Drexel at Cleveland State: Drexel can make a case that they're one of the hottest teams in basketball, now riding an 11 game winning streak. Cleveland State has been dominating the Horizon league. Drexel still doesn't have a signature out of conference win, and I think they have the most to gain of the three CAA teams in the event by beating a strong Cleveland State on the road.
Wichita State at Davidson: This is a matchup of very hot teams, as Wichita State has lost twice since November 20th: once to a ranked Creighton team and once in a triple overtime war with Drake. Davidson, meanwhile, has also won 10 of 11. Davidson has scored a win at Kansas this season, so a win here could make a strong case for an at large come March.
Buffalo at South Dakota State: This is going to be a solid matchup between two strong teams who don't really have an eye popping win between the both of them. Expect these teams to come out firing on a rare ESPN appearance.
Akron at Oral Roberts: Akron has played a great schedule, but they just can't seem to beat anyone of merit, including going 0-4 against other televised Bracketbuster teams. Oral Roberts has a win against the, at the time, #9 Xavier Musketeers, and has dominated the Summit League. This game will be close, but it's hard for me to see Oral Roberts losing.
Drake at New Mexico State: I'll be honest, I'm baffled as to how Drake is televised. They've lost 4 of 5 and are sitting in 6th place in the Missouri Valley Conference. New Mexico State has performed much better, but like many other teams here, has no signature win. For my money, this may be the blowout of the weekend.
Nevada at Iona: I'm particularly excited about this matchup. Nevada was riding a 16 game win streak before finally dropping one on Saturday, but make no mistake, they're still a dangerous team. Iona is a sexy pick to make some serious noise in the big tournament in March, so this game may be a matchup of Cinderellas, and I'm always a fan of that.
Old Dominion at Missouri State: As a George Mason person, I'm a bit offended that ODU got televised over GMU, but that nonwithstanding, this should be a good game. Both teams are very physical and I expect this one to be a hard fought, close game between two teams who are trying to hold onto that last gasp of at large consideration.
Saint Mary's at Murray State: Here's your marquee matchup. Two ranked teams in primetime. Murray State may be undefeated, but their doubters point to their easy schedule as one of the reasons why their record is unblemished. I feel they need this game to prove they're for real, so we will learn a lot about Murray State after this one.
UNC Asheville at Ohio: UNC Asheville may have the most exciting offense in basketball and it will be on full display at Ohio. I just can't see the Bobcats finding a way to stop the 4th highest scoring offense in the nation, even if it is on the road.
Texas-Arlington at Weber State: This matchup is going to feature two potential NBA stars in Lamarcus Reed III and Damian Lillard, so regardless of the outcome, it will be fun to see these two guys duke it out.
Long Beach State at Creighton: Probably the second most intriguing matchup of the weekend, I think both of these teams will be playing March regardless of the outcome of this game, so it will be fun to see a nice tune up game for these guys.
Northern Iowa at VCU: Some people are saying VCU got a raw deal on this one, but I disagree. Considering UNI's upset over Creighton on Saturday, I think that this will be a hotly contested game, and although I struggle to see either of these teams getting an at large bid, the winner of this game may have one last gasp.
Valparaiso at Loyola Marymount: This is going to be a very interesting game. Valpo has played a good amount of top teams, but is yet to win any of them. Loyola has been stuck in a conference with heavyweights Gonzaga and St. Mary's, and has struggled against them. Both teams need this one to have a shot at an at large bid come Selection Sunday, and I think that desperation will make for a good game.
Drexel at Cleveland State: Drexel can make a case that they're one of the hottest teams in basketball, now riding an 11 game winning streak. Cleveland State has been dominating the Horizon league. Drexel still doesn't have a signature out of conference win, and I think they have the most to gain of the three CAA teams in the event by beating a strong Cleveland State on the road.
Wichita State at Davidson: This is a matchup of very hot teams, as Wichita State has lost twice since November 20th: once to a ranked Creighton team and once in a triple overtime war with Drake. Davidson, meanwhile, has also won 10 of 11. Davidson has scored a win at Kansas this season, so a win here could make a strong case for an at large come March.
Buffalo at South Dakota State: This is going to be a solid matchup between two strong teams who don't really have an eye popping win between the both of them. Expect these teams to come out firing on a rare ESPN appearance.
Akron at Oral Roberts: Akron has played a great schedule, but they just can't seem to beat anyone of merit, including going 0-4 against other televised Bracketbuster teams. Oral Roberts has a win against the, at the time, #9 Xavier Musketeers, and has dominated the Summit League. This game will be close, but it's hard for me to see Oral Roberts losing.
Drake at New Mexico State: I'll be honest, I'm baffled as to how Drake is televised. They've lost 4 of 5 and are sitting in 6th place in the Missouri Valley Conference. New Mexico State has performed much better, but like many other teams here, has no signature win. For my money, this may be the blowout of the weekend.
Nevada at Iona: I'm particularly excited about this matchup. Nevada was riding a 16 game win streak before finally dropping one on Saturday, but make no mistake, they're still a dangerous team. Iona is a sexy pick to make some serious noise in the big tournament in March, so this game may be a matchup of Cinderellas, and I'm always a fan of that.
Old Dominion at Missouri State: As a George Mason person, I'm a bit offended that ODU got televised over GMU, but that nonwithstanding, this should be a good game. Both teams are very physical and I expect this one to be a hard fought, close game between two teams who are trying to hold onto that last gasp of at large consideration.
Saint Mary's at Murray State: Here's your marquee matchup. Two ranked teams in primetime. Murray State may be undefeated, but their doubters point to their easy schedule as one of the reasons why their record is unblemished. I feel they need this game to prove they're for real, so we will learn a lot about Murray State after this one.
UNC Asheville at Ohio: UNC Asheville may have the most exciting offense in basketball and it will be on full display at Ohio. I just can't see the Bobcats finding a way to stop the 4th highest scoring offense in the nation, even if it is on the road.
Texas-Arlington at Weber State: This matchup is going to feature two potential NBA stars in Lamarcus Reed III and Damian Lillard, so regardless of the outcome, it will be fun to see these two guys duke it out.
Long Beach State at Creighton: Probably the second most intriguing matchup of the weekend, I think both of these teams will be playing March regardless of the outcome of this game, so it will be fun to see a nice tune up game for these guys.
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