Preview Roundups
March 12, 2015
Michigan at Illinois 12:00 PM ET
Few rivalries have produced the dramatic finishes that Michigan and Illinois have since the end of last season. The ninth-seeded Wolverines and eighth-seeded Illini renew acquaintances for the fourth time in less than a year on Thursday when they square off in a second-round Big Ten tournament game in Chicago. Michigan blew a 13-point second-half lead in last season’s second-round matchup with the Illini, but recovered just in time to pull out a 64-63 win en route to runner-up finish.
Florida St. at Virginia 12:00 PM ET
Fourth-ranked Virginia begins its quest for a second straight ACC tournament title when it takes on ninth-seeded Florida State in the quarterfinals Thursday in Greensboro, N.C. The top-seeded Cavaliers saw their nine-game winning streak come to an end with a 59-57 loss at Louisville in the regular-season finale for only its second defeat in league play. Florida State, which lost 51-41 at Virginia last month, held off a late rally to edge Clemson 76-73 in Wednesday's second round.
Marquette at Villanova 12:00 PM ET
Third-ranked Villanova is the top seed in the Big East tournament and has its sights set on a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. However, a loss Thursday against ninth-seeded Marquette could potentially push the Wildcats down to a No. 2 seed in the field of 68, which would be a big disappointment for a team that has not lost since Jan. 19. The Wildcats carry a 12-game winning streak into their quarterfinal matchup with the Golden Eagles.
West Virginia at Baylor 12:30 PM ET
West Virginia leading scorer Juwan Staten may miss his fourth straight game on Thursday when the fifth-seeded Mountaineers face fourth-seeded Baylor in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City. The standout guard is dealing with knee and groin injuries and No. 18 West Virginia badly needs his services to make a run at the tournament title. No. 16 Baylor won both regular-season meetings with the Mountaineers by an average of 15 points and has won five of its last six contests.
Alabama at Florida 1:00 PM ET
A season ago, Florida didn’t lose an SEC game in cruising through the regular season and conference tournament en route to the Final Four. Now, though, the eighth-seeded Gators are staring at the prospect of the program’s first losing season since 1997-98 – back in coach Billy Donovan’s second year in Gainesville – as they prepare to for Thursday’s second-round SEC Tournament contest against ninth-seeded Alabama in Nashville. The winner faces top-ranked and unbeaten Kentucky on Friday.
North Carolina at Louisville 2:00 PM ET
No. 13 Louisville begins its maiden voyage in the ACC tournament when it takes on 19th-ranked North Carolina on Thursday in the quarterfinals at Greensboro, N.C. The fourth-seeded Cardinals have won four of their last five games, including a 59-57 victory over conference regular-season champion Virginia last Saturday at home. Fifth seed North Carolina has struggled down the stretch with six losses in its last 10 games, but dispatched Boston College 81-63 in the second round Wednesday.
Penn St. at Iowa 2:25 PM ET
Few teams played worse than Iowa at the end of last year, but only one conference rival carries more momentum into the postseason this time around. The fifth-seeded Hawkeyes look to build upon their longest league winning streak in 28 years Thursday when they meet No. 13 seed Penn State in the second round of the Big Ten tournament in Chicago. Iowa finished the 2013-14 season by losing seven of its final eight games, including first-round losses in the conference tournament and NCAA Tournament.
Providence at St. John's 2:30 PM ET
Providence finished fourth in the Big East this season, but it appears that the Friars have earned a tough draw in the conference tournament. The Friars open play at Madison Square Garden against St. John's on Thursday and, if they win, they'll advance to face either Marquette or, more likely, top seed Villanova. As its luck would have it, Providence has lost to two teams multiple times this season - St. John's and Villanova.
Texas Christian at Kansas 2:30 PM ET
Top-seeded Kansas is hopeful of having leading scorer Perry Ellis on the floor when it opens Big 12 tournament play by facing ninth-seeded TCU in Thursday’s quarterfinals in Kansas City. Ellis missed the No. 10 Jayhawks’ regular-season finale because of a sprained right knee and coach Bill Self told reporters that Ellis will be a game-time decision. “He’ll wear a brace the rest of the season regardless for precautionary measures,” Self said.
California at Arizona 3:00 PM ET
California stunned Arizona when the Wildcats were the top-ranked team in the nation last season, and the Golden Bears will try to pull a similar upset Thursday when they meet the top-seeded Wildcats in the Pac-12 tournament quarterfinals in Las Vegas. California won 60-58 on a last-second shot Feb. 1, 2014, ending Arizona's school-record 21-game winning streak. The Wildcats haven't shown any signs of a relapse this season, beating the eighth-seeded Golden Bears by 23 and 39 points.
Central Florida at East Carolina 3:30 PM ET
The league's top freshmen scorers will meet Thursday when UCF battles East Carolina in the opening round of the American Athletic Conference tournament at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. The Pirates' B.J. Tyson and the Knights' B.J. Taylor lead their teams - and all AAC freshmen - in scoring at 12.5 points each while UCF freshman Adonys Henriquez adds 10.6 points. The ninth-seeded Knights, who enter the postseason on a four-game skid, lost both meetings to the eighth-seeded Pirates.
Auburn at Texas A&M 3:30 PM ET
Texas A&M may need to make some noise in the SEC tournament in order to impress the selection committee and reach the NCAAs. That quest begins Thursday in Nashville, Tenn., where the fifth-seeded Aggies take on 13th-seeded Auburn in the second round. Texas A&M did not help its cause with a lackluster finish to the regular season, dropping its last two games and three of its final four to lose the coveted double-bye.
Southern California at UCLA 5:30 PM ET
After opening the Pac-12 tournament with its biggest win in two seasons under coach Andy Enfield, 12th-seeded USC looks to pull another surprise in Thursday’s quarterfinals against No. 4 UCLA at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The teams are meeting for the second time in nine days after the Bruins closed the regular season with an 85-74 win at Pauley Pavilion on March 4. The Trojans are riding high after rallying from a 15-point second-half deficit to upset No. 5 seed Arizona State 67-64 in Wednesda
Houston at Tulane 6:00 PM ET
First-year coach Kelvin Sampson knows his Houston team is playing its best basketball as it enters Thursday's first round of the American Athletic Conference tournament at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn., against seventh-seeded Tulane. A three-game win streak - including a 68-63 overtime victory at Tulane - has given the 10th-seeded Cougars encouragement for the future. "I wish we could start the season now," Sampson said after Saturday's regular-season finale.
Northwestern at Indiana 6:30 PM ET
Indiana finds itself squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble thanks to a three-game skid to end the regular season. The No. 7 seed Hoosiers look to avenge the first of those defeats Thursday when they face 10th-seeded Northwestern in second-round action at the Big Ten tournament in Chicago. Although Indiana hasn’t won two in a row since a four-game run in January, eight of its nine conference losses have come against opponents that finished above them in the standings.
Tennessee at Vanderbilt 7:00 PM ET
Barring an unlikely four-day title run, Vanderbilt and Tennessee essentially will be looking to pad their NIT resumes Thursday when they square off for the third time this season in a second-round SEC tournament contest in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. The seventh-seeded Commodores, who closed the regular season with five straight wins and eight victories in their last 10 outings, appear to be in decent shape for an NIT bid at 19-12.
N.C. State at Duke 7:00 PM ET
March is the time when elite teams cement their legacy by winning close games in pressure-packed situations. Second-ranked Duke begins its quest for spring greatness in Thursday’s ACC tournament quarterfinals against North Carolina State, aiming for its 12th victory in a row. Freshman Jahlil Okafor comes into his first postseason contest after posting 11 20-point efforts and 11 double-doubles, and the Blue Devils have won seven games during their streak by 10 points or fewer.
Creighton at Georgetown 7:00 PM ET
No. 23 Georgetown handled Creighton easily on two occasions during the regular season and seeks a third victory against the Bluejays when the teams square off in Madison Square Garden on Thursday in the Big East tournament quarterfinals. The Hoyas led comfortably throughout most of the second half on Jan. 3 en route to a 76-61 triumph against Creighton. The rematch on Jan. 31 proved to be a mismatch as Georgetown won 67-40.
Iowa St. at Texas 7:00 PM ET
Second-seeded Iowa State looks to win the Big 12 tournament for the second straight season and opens play against Texas in Thursday’s quarterfinals at Kansas City. The No. 15 Cyclones were the No. 4 seed when they won last season’s crown but won’t be sneaking up on anybody this time around. The seventh-seeded Longhorns cruised past Texas Tech on Wednesday but badly need a victory over Iowa State to spruce up their NCAA Tournament resume.
South Florida at Connecticut 8:00 PM ET
Defending national champion Connecticut has the American Athletic Conference's top scorer and a home-court advantage as it opens the league tournament against USF on Thursday at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. The Huskies went 6-1 at the XL Center - including a 4-1 record against the AAC - on the way to a sixth-place finish. Senior Ryan Boatright leads the league with 17.8 points while the 11th-seeded Bulls have the nation's youngest roster.
Minnesota at Ohio St. 8:55 PM ET
Ohio State’s D'Angelo Russell was the most impressive freshman among a loaded class of Big Ten rookies, although Minnesota likely saw the best and worst of him in their only meeting. The league’s second-leading scorer will get his first taste of conference tournament action Thursday when his sixth-seeded Buckeyes meet the Golden Gophers in a second-round game in Chicago. Russell was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, edging out Maryland’s Melo Trimble and Indiana’s James Blackmon Jr.
Oklahoma St. at Oklahoma 9:00 PM ET
Oklahoma is aiming to defeat its biggest rival for the third straight time this season when it faces sixth-seeded Oklahoma State in Thursday’s quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City. The No. 14 Sooners – who are seeded third – won the two meetings by an average of 12.5 points and are solidly assured of an NCAA Tournament bid no matter what happens in the tournament. That is not the case for the Cowboys, who have lost five of their last six games.
UNLV at San Diego St. 9:00 PM ET
Steve Fisher, coach of No. 25 San Diego State, has made it be known he's not pleased that the Mountain West Conference tournament is being held at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of one of the league's teams, UNLV. Now Fisher is hoping his team doesn't prove his point when the second-seeded Aztecs face the seventh-seeded Rebels in Thursday's quarterfinals. UNLV has won three of its last four on its home floor, including Wednesday's rout of Nevada in the opening round of the tournament.
Colorado at Oregon 9:00 PM ET
Colorado closed the regular season with four losses in its final six games, but the Buffaloes are back in their comfort zone at the Pac-12 tournament. The 10th-seeded Buffaloes are 8-2 all-time in the league tournament heading into Thursday’s quarterfinals against No. 2 seed Oregon at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Ducks guard Joseph Young, who was named Pac-12 player of the year after averaging a league-high 19.8 points, scored 23 points in a 73-60 win over Colorado in Eugene on Feb. 18.
Miami-Florida at Notre Dame 9:00 PM ET
Notre Dame finished the regular season with 26 victories, the program’s highest total in more than a century, but the Fighting Irish know what they accomplish starting in Thursday’s ACC quarterfinals against Miami (Fla.) will determine the success of their campaign. A victory for the third-seed and No. 9 ranked Fighting Irish would match the 2010-11 team for second-most in program history (33 in 1908-09). Senior guard Jerian Grant leads the ACC in assists while averaging 16.8 points per game.
Xavier at Butler 9:30 PM ET
Xavier appears to be in good shape as Selection Sunday nears, but a win over No. 22 Butler in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament in New York on Thursday would certainly clinch a berth in the field of 68. The sixth-seeded Musketeers have been up and down over the last month but they posted a resounding 73-56 win over the Bulldogs last month. "We definitely played up to our potential," Xavier guard Myles Davis told reporters that night. "I think there's still more to come."
South Carolina at Mississippi 9:30 PM ET
The last time Ole Miss played in the SEC tournament in Nashville in 2013, it put together a magical run that continued into the NCAA Tournament. The sixth-seeded Rebels hit the floor at Bridgestone Arena once again Thursday, taking on No. 11 seed South Carolina in a second-round matchup, this time with its status for the Big Dance up in the air. Andy Kennedy's team is on the tournament bubble after dropping three of its last four games, including an 86-77 home loss to Vanderbilt on Saturday.
Stanford at Utah 11:30 PM ET
Utah has much loftier expectations than it had in previous Pac-12 tournament appearances and the third-seeded Utes will take their first step toward a much-coveted title when they meet No. 6 Stanford in the second round Thursday in Las Vegas. Utah received a bye into the quarterfinals thanks to their 13-5 mark during Pac-12 play. The Utes missed a chance at a No. 2 seed when they lost their regular-season finale to Washington, a team Stanford beat by two points in Wednesday’s opening round.
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