Andy Katz
College Basketball Analyst & Writer
My own rule is to avoid using bubble words before February 1st.
Well, in less than 10 days, there are a number of teams heading to the NCAA Tournament cutline.
Blue Blood, once thought to be going in the wrong direction, has regained his sanity.So don’t worry, there’s no reason to believe north carolina, duke When kentucky It will not become a field. Seeds may be on a roller coaster ride, and if it ends 7-10 or 8, it’s out of the question that the historic matchup between Kentucky and Duke could end in the first or second round. No. -9 games.
The list of teams in the 11th to 12th seed line are either on the field without going to Dayton for the first four, or heading to the first night of the tournament. And that list will change weekly over the next 40 days.
Here’s my current list of 20 teams that need to be done to attend the Big Dance, leading up to Sunday’s game.
1. Boise State (15-5): The Broncos have won five of their first seven games in Mountain West, coming within one possession. new mexico Working overtime in the pit.their supreme victory was opposed Texas A&Mso St. Louis, over- Pac-12 team State of Washington When colorado in a neutral court.Broncos still have to play San Diego (Feb. 3), New Mexico (Feb. 22), Aztecs (Feb. 28) at home.And they end the season with Utah (March 4). It seems like Boise State must be 2-2 in his four games if they want to play. Of course, the Broncos cannot lose a game against the bottom of the league.
2. clayton (11-8): The Blue Jays shouldn’t be in this position, but injuries and a six-game losing skid put them in a tough spot. Clayton should be healthy and in safe position to hit the field. But trying not to lose the game will help. big east. texas tech When Arkansas Maui has an expiration date. The Blue Jays will be doomed in five games from his Feb. 11 to his Feb. 25. U Connso providenceso St. John’s, Marquette and Villanova.
3. Arizona (15-5): The Sun Devils could have been #1 on the Pac-12, but now need more work. ASU was wiped out at home UCLA When USCASU has already lost to Arizona at home and Texas Southern 37 point loss in San FranciscoThe Sun Devils should be fine, but the final four games of the season will put them to the test.they host Utah Then go to Arizona, UCLA and USC.
Four. Maryland (12-7): Terps started 8-0, Wisconsinto Tennessee In Brooklyn, my home was blown up from UCLA.Terps are on a four-game losing streak big ten load game. The good news is that Maryland is home to his next three. Terps should be in position to win the bid, but the season ends at Ohio When Pennsylvania It could put them in a position where they need a win in the Big Ten Tournament.
Five. pit (13-7): The Panthers were the #1 ACC team after being beaten a few weeks earlier. north carolina When Virginia at home.In addition to those two wins north carolina, should quell any fears. But the Panthers would do well to avoid completely flattening out.Pitt still has to play Miami Twice we go to North Carolina and face tricky opponents. Floridawhich is starting to play much better, beating the Panthers last weekend.
ACC among the most competitive conference races
Andy Katz talks about the best college basketball conference races left this season and breaks them down into tiers.
6. memphis (15-5): The Tigers must stay in the top two in America. of the temple win houston Separation is a concern, but Memphis has already beaten Temple in Philadelphia.Tigers also win auburn in a neutral court. The resume favors Memphis as the top team for Americans not named Houston. The Tigers can allay anxiety by beating Houston in his one of two matchups. Away or home on February 19th, ending the season on March 5th. .
7. Ohio (11-8): The Buckeyes are on this list because Nebraska and at home MinnesotaThey also missed out on potentially high-profile wins with losses to San Diego State at Maui, at Duke, and North Carolina at New York. Ohio’s concern is the rest of the schedule. Sure, a few Buckeyes wins would help a lot, but we have to go. Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Purdue When Michigan There is not much room for error.
8. Pennsylvania (13-6): The Nittany Lions missed out on some chances, including against the vans. Virginia Tech in a neutral court, Clemson (double OT loss) and in Wisconsin. The Nittany Lions are talking about a bid with a road trip win in Illinois and home wins over Indiana and Iowa. But Penn State can easily win the road game. Rutgers, Purdue, Ohio, and Maryland are still on schedule. Nebraska, Minnesota, Northwest. yes, That’s seven more road games on the slate.
9. USC (14-6): The Trojans should be fine, as their victory over Auburn was a milestone for them and beating ASU at Tempe was also a big part of their resume. They nearly won UCLA at Pauley and lost by one possession. The Trojans will host UCLA this week, travel to Colorado, Utah, and finish out the season with a grueling schedule to host Arizona and Arizona.
Ten. west virginia (11-8): The Mountaineers started 10-2, but have lost six in their last seven games. One win was big in takeout TCU, but mountaineers have a lot to do. Hosting Auburn in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge helps make it an opportunity they can’t pass up. His final three games will be a major test. Kansas When Iowaand end-of-season home games Kansas.
11. Nevada (15-5): The Wolf Pack had a great chance to win the Resume Maker on November 22nd, but lost to Kansas State by one point in overtime. His two-point win over Boise State contributed to the Mountain’s victory in the West. But then at Boise he was blown away by 15 and the cause didn’t advance. He has three games to round. New at home and home He has a game against Mexico and a game at home against San Diego State.
12. Utah (16-4): The Aggies have a number of quality wins, but have yet to win a single against a team they are confident will be on the field. Or there’s a lot of pressure to get a win against New Mexico in Boise.
13. Northwest (12-5): The Wildcats have victories in Michigan, Indiana and their home state of Illinois. If the season ended today, the Wildcats would be on the verge of entering the field. But they’re on his second straight loss, and his week-long COVID suspension means his schedule is jam-packed over the next two weeks. They have to find a way for him to win three in his next six games to still feel on the right track. Finishing the season with his 3 of his 4 games at Illinois, Maryland and Rutgers will be a test for this team.
14. Oklahoma (11-8): The Cowboys turned heads after Saturday’s victory over Iowa State. OSUs are 3-4. big 12The Big 12 offer plenty of chances to become an NCAA Tournament team, so it’s too early to rule OSU out of contention. TCU, Kansas, Kansas, and Baylor In Stillwater it could be a game changer.
15. Oklahoma (11-8): I’m not very bold against the Sooners after losing to Oklahoma State. But if the Sooners can beat them, OU has a huge chance to turn the story in their favor Alabama At the Big 12/SEC Challenge. With Kansas, Kansas State and TCU at home, postseason plans could change as well.
16. wake forest (14-6): The Demon Deacons have the goods to enter the field with wins over Wisconsin, Duke and Clemson. Wake will have to keep his course and not lose to the team at the bottom of the ACC. Wake still has North Carolina and North Carolina at home, but road games in Pitt, North Carolina and Miami could change that fortune.
17. Texas A&M (13-6): Aggies hinted at the possibility of a non-conference, so that work should be done with the SEC. A loss in Kentucky doesn’t hurt as long as Texas A&M can pick up some important wins. The Aggies still play against Auburn, Alabama, and Arkansas, where he has played twice and won Tennessee at home.
18. Utah (14-7): The Utes were on the NCAA map with a win over Arizona on December 1, but Utah are still looking for a second big win. At home he didn’t help due to his failure to beat TCU. Utes at his home he gets UCLA and his USC but still has to go to school in Arizona. Getting two of them will go a long way toward winning bids.
19. Michigan (11-8): The Wolverines missed all nonconference resume games, losing to Arizona State in Brooklyn, Kentucky in London, North Carolina in Charlotte, and Virginia at home.Pitt’s win in Brooklyn looks better now, but his loss at home Central Michigan stab. Michigan State will have to beat teams like Purdue (Home), Michigan State (Home), Rutgers (Road), Indiana (Home and Home) and Illinois (Road) who are competing for the top of the Big Ten.
Hunter Dickinson rules Minnesota
The Michigan star had 23 points and 9 rebounds in a 60-56 win over the Golden Gophers.
20. Temple (12-9): The Owls are now in the picture after their victory in Houston on Sunday. VCUsOwls have 6 out of 8 wins in America. Temple is still home to Houston and still has a chance to make it to Memphis in his series after losing his first series.end the season with Tulane It can be a dangerous situation if Temple needs it.
Andy Katz is a longtime college basketball writer, analyst and host. He can be seen on the Big Ten Network, March Madness, NCAA.com, and hosts the podcast “March Madness 365.” Katz said he worked for ESPN for nearly 20 years, and before that, for the newspaper, where he worked for 9 years.
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