Site Update

Over the past week, there has been sporadic production here at March Madness All Season, and that was because there was a loss in the family, and it has been difficult to put up consistent content the past few days. Moreover, there was computer trouble on Wednesday, and it has yet to been fixed. There are multiple posts ready to roll out once everything is fixed, and we should be back on track tomorrow at the latest. For the next couple of weeks, here is the schedule here:

Sunday: Player of the Week
Monday: Bracket Breakdown/Key Games
Tuesday: Mid-Major Madness
Wednesday: Stock Watch
Thursday: Bubble Watch
Friday: Weekend Preview

Thank you for your patience, and continue to keep it locked in to March Madness All Season for all your college basketball needs.

Stock Report, Feb. 3

Welcome back to another season of March Madness All Season’s weekly feature, “NCAA Tournament Stock Watch”. Essentially, it is a compilation of teams that are rising and falling with an eye on the NCAA Tournament. It will discuss teams whose potential seed is rising or falling, as well as clubs that are making moves either in or out of the at-large picture or could make noise in the coming weeks. Once we get closer to March, this will be replaced with “Road to Selection Sunday”, which will be released every Sunday night from mid-February until March 14.

Rising

Florida State: The Seminoles have won three of four and 10 of their last 13 overall. With the ACC in disarray, there is room for a team or two to make a move. Plus, FSU has a sweep over Georgia Tech in its back pocket to help its resume.

Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets have won three of their last four after showing some inconsistencies throughout the regular season. With everyone finally healthy, Georgia Tech could be ready to make a deep run come March.

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons are another ACC team on the rise. They have also won three of their last four, with the lone loss coming at Georgia Tech. Wake has a chance to continue its winning ways with two of the next three at home.

South Florida: How could I possibly leave the Bulls off, especially after their road win at Georgetown on Wednesday? They have now won four in a row, including one over the Hoyas and another one over Pittsburgh. They’re now 5-5 in the Big East.

Marquette: The Golden Eagles finally won a close game over the weekend, at Connecticut, and then followed it up with a win over DePaul on Wednesday. At 5-5 in the Big East, this team could be a club to watch down the stretch.

Illinois: Sure, the Fighting Illini had lost three in a row in mid-January and have a terrible RPI, but they are now 7-3 in the Big Ten after winning at Iowa on Wednesday. They face a brutal final stretch of the season, so they need to pad the record now.

Texas A&M: The Aggies have had a nice computer profile for awhile, and now they are getting some wins to go with it. They have won four of their last five, including a big-time road victory at Missouri on Wednesday, snapping their 32-game home winning streak.

Arizona: The Wildcats are the Pac-10 leaders after winning four in a row, including a big victory over California on Sunday. They don’t have an at-large profile yet, but they faced a tremendous non-conference schedule and are playing excellent ball.

Vanderbilt: They have a top-15 RPI and have won 11 of their last 12, including three road victories and home wins over Mississippi State and Florida. With Tennessee struggling, Vandy is the clear second-best team in the SEC.

Charlotte: After losing four of six around the turn of the calendar year, the 49ers have rebounded to win six in a row, including a road win at Richmond and a home victory over Temple. They are certainly in the mix for an at-large bid.

Rhode Island: The Rams have an outstanding RPI and decent wins over Oklahoma State and Dayton. Moreover, the Rams have won six of their last seven and get Richmond and Charlotte at home down the stretch.

Xavier: After Temple, the Atlantic-10 doesn’t have a sure-fire at-large bid, but Xavier is the closest thing. The Musketeers have won four in a row and eight of their last nine; however, the next two are at Dayton and at Florida.

UTEP: After its home win over Houston on Wednesday, UTEP has now won six in a row and is rising up the C-USA standings. The Miners own road wins at Memphis and UAB, and will be judged on their resume with Derrick Caracter.

Northern Iowa: With its home win over Wichita State on Wednesday, the Panthers now have a three-game lead in the Missouri Valley and is close to locking up a regular-season title. They can’t afford too many slip-ups down the stretch, though.

New Mexico: The Lobos aren’t getting as much attention as BYU, but don’t forget about them. They have won six in a row, including a win over the Cougars and are hanging right with them in the Mountain West standings.

Utah State: The experienced Aggies are hitting their stride at the right time. They have won seven in a row in WAC play to move into a first-place tie. Utah State doesn’t have a very good at-large resume, but it did beat BYU in December.

Falling

Clemson: Despite the Tigers’ win over Maryland on Sunday, they are still on the decline. They had lost three in a row prior to the victory, and have still defeated just one sure-fire NCAA Tournament team so far this season.

Miami: The Hurricanes were right in the mix for an at-large bid once ACC play came around, and then they completely collapsed. They have lost five of their last six, and are just 2-6 in the conference. Four of the next six are at home, though.

UNC: I don’t think anyone realized how dire the situation in Chapel Hill was until their televised debacle against Virginia on Sunday night. The Tar Heels have now lost four of their last five and five of their last seven. Six of the final 10 are on the road.

Connecticut: Another 2009 Final Four participant on the verge of not making the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies lost by 13 at Louisville on Monday, and have lost six of their last eight games. At 3-6 in the Big East, they have a lot of work to do.

Pittsburgh: What happened to the Panthers? They were rolling along as one of the biggest surprises in the country and then suddenly collapsed, losing four of their last five, including contests to Seton Hall and South Florida. Three home games could be the remedy.

Minnesota: Everything is going wrong for the Golden Gophers lately. Their non-league losses to Portland and Miami are looking worse every day, and they have also lost four of their last five games to drop to 4-5 in the Big Ten.

Michigan State: Don’t get me wrong, the Spartans aren’t in any sort of trouble of losing a top-four seed or anything like that; after all, they still have a two-game lead in the Big Ten. However, they were destroyed by Wisconsin and could lose Kalin Lucas for at least one game with an ankle injury.

Tennessee: The Volunteers’ attrition in early January could be catching up to them, as they lost two in a row before escaping by one point at home over Florida. Three of the next four and five of the next seven are on the road; keep an eye on this situation.

Mississippi: If not for a non-conference win over Kansas State, would Ole Miss even be an NCAA team right now? They are .500 in the SEC and have lost two in a row, including a home defeat to a sub-.500 Arkansas team with an RPI of 122.

Mississippi State: After the Bulldogs’ loss at Vanderbilt Wednesday, they have lost three of four and are teetering on the edge of the NCAA Tournament. Their best non-league win is over Old Dominion and they own three sub-100 losses.

Dayton: The preseason favorite in the Atlantic-10 is still in the hunt for an at-large bid, but they are fading. They had lost three of four before a win over St. Bonaventure last weekend. They get Xavier and Charlotte at home in the next two games, which will make or break the season.

William & Mary: Another fascinating fall from grace, the Tribe have lost four of their last five, including a defeat to James Madison and a sweep at the hands of Old Dominion. They are only 7-5 in the CAA, and the wins over Maryland, Wake Forest and Richmond are a distant memory.

UAB: On paper, the Blazers had clearly the best resume in Conference-USA; however, in reality, they have struggled – and it is finally rearing its ugly head. They have lost two in a row after winning every league game by 10 or fewer points.

Wichita State: The Shockers won the first meeting against Northern Iowa, but they fell short in the return game on Wednesday. As a result, Wichita State is now three games behind the Panthers in the MVC race and doesn’t have many chances to boost its at-large resume.

Louisiana Tech: 17-2 and hitting on all cylinders, the Bulldogs looked like a potential first-round sleeper come March. However, they have since lost two of three, including a surprising 14-point defeat at home against New Mexico State.

Gonzaga: It was only one loss, on the road, to San Francisco. With the loss, though, the Bulldogs allowed Saint Mary’s and Portland to stay in the WCC race and also put an enormous eyesore on their resume for seeding purposes on Selection Sunday.

Mid-Major Madness

Who's this year's Davidson?

First of all, to address the above question: the answer is most likely going to be a simple, “no one.” Ever since George Mason reached the Final Four four seasons ago and the Wildcats made it to the Elite Eight two years ago, everyone assumes that there will be one or two non-BCS teams making deep runs to the Promised Land. Unfortunately, though, those were rare occurrences that we might not see every year. Despite that, the main topic on everyone’s mind heading into the NCAA Tournament is the mid-major darkhorses that can pull upsets and advance past the first weekend.

With almost a month of conference play finished, the picture is starting to become clearer in several conferences. However, for the one-bid conferences, their March Madness starts a few weeks before Selection Sunday, when the conference tournaments begin. In other words, the team in first place right now doesn’t really matter. It will only matter in early March. What sleepers are out there looking to create chaos in your bracket? I’ll guarantee that it comes from one of the teams listed below. And you can hold me to that.

Multiple-Bid Conferences

Atlantic-10: The A-10 is clearly the best non-BCS conference in the country this season, with a legitimate chance of getting five bids to the NCAA Tournament. Currently, there are six teams in the mix for invitations to the Big Dance, but only one lock. Temple has a shot at a top-four seed, as the Owls have a top-20 RPI and three top-25 wins. After that, though, it’s wide-open. Xavier is probably in the best shape of the bunch, with the No. 11 SOS and four top-50 wins. Unfortunately, the Musketeers are 1-5 against the top-25. Rhode Island has the best RPI in the league, No. 12 in the country. The Rams are 5-3 against the top-100 and 8-2 away from home. Next in line would be Richmond, which has very solid non-conference wins over Mississippi State, Missouri, Florida and Old Dominion but a No. 38 RPI and a bad loss to Saint Louis. Dayton was the preseason favorite to win the league and looked good after beating Georgia Tech in the second game of the season. However, now the Flyers are only 4-3 in the A-10 and have a loss at Saint Joseph’s on their resume. They have just two top-100 wins and are 0-5 against the top-25. Charlotte has snuck up on some people this year, and the 49ers are building quite a resume. They have a terrible non-conference SOS (No. 214), but wins at Louisville and Richmond, as well as over Temple. Moreover, they are on a five-game winning streak.

• Champion: Temple
  
• NCAA Tournament Teams: Temple, Xavier, Rhode Island, Richmond, Dayton
  

Conference-USA: With Memphis falling back this season, Conference-USA has been a joy to watch. There are three teams tied atop the conference at 6-1, and there is not an at-large lock in the bunch. In the best shape of the group is clearly UAB, which owns a top-30 RPI and wins over Butler and Cincinnati. The Blazers own a ton of close wins, which could come back to bite them later in the season. Following UAB in the pecking order would likely be UTEP, which needs to be judged on its resume with Derrick Caracter. Overall, the Miners are 4-4 against the top-100, including road wins at UAB and at Memphis. They do need to improve on their No. 72 RPI, though. Tulsa was the preseason favorite, but the Golden Hurricane have just one top-100 win and nothing too noteworthy on their resume. They do have road games at Duke, Memphis and UTEP remaining, as well as a pair of games with Marshall, so opportunities remain. Memphis is slipping, especially after its loss to SMU over the weekend. The Tigers are 2-4 against the top-100 with its best win coming at Marshall. Speaking of Marshall, the Thundering Herd have been competitive this season, but their 0-5 top-100 record won’t cut it.

• Champion: UTEP
  
• NCAA Tournament Teams: UAB, UTEP
  

Mountain West: Another fun conference to keep an eye on, the Mountain West is almost guaranteed at least three bids this season. BYU is the best team in the conference, and could be a team to watch come March. The Cougars are 20-2 overall, with a top-20 RPI. They don’t have a truly marquee win, although road wins at Arizona, UTEP and San Diego State are looking better. They are 7-2 against the top-100. New Mexico, with its No. 11 RPI and 8-2 top-100 record, is in good shape as well. The Lobos could be in the mix for a top-four seed if they keep this up. They own wins over BYU, Texas A&M, California, Dayton and Texas Tech. The third in line is UNLV, which has six top-100 wins and an RPI around 40. The Runnin’ Rebels non-conference SOS was in the 200s, but wins over Arizona, Louisville, New Mexico and San Diego State are solid. They will need to keep winning, though. San Diego State has lost three of six, and doesn’t have much on its resume besides wins over New Mexico and Arizona. With a 2-5 top-100 record, the Aztecs need to add heft to their resume.

• Champion: BYU
  
• NCAA Tournament Teams: BYU, New Mexico, UNLV
  

Potential Multi-Bid Leagues

Colonial: The CAA has four teams with at least 14 wins, but none are locks for an at-large bid and the way they keep beating up on each other could lead to trouble. William & Mary looked well on its way towards a berth with non-conference wins over Richmond, Wake Forest and Maryland, but three consecutive losses in late January have put those chances in peril. With an RPI hovering around 50, William & Mary needs to get back on the winning track. Old Dominion might have the best at-large profile right now, with a 9-2 conference record to go with non-conference wins over Georgetown, Marshall and Charlotte. The Monarchs have also already defeated William & Mary. Northeastern is also 9-2 in the league, but the Huskies have bad losses to Boston University, Western Michigan and twice to Drexel. However, they are 5-4 against the top-100 and have a rising RPI. Keep an eye on them. VCU owns wins over Rhode Island, Richmond and Oklahoma, as well as a victory over William & Mary. However, the Rams already have four CAA losses and need to finish strong to have a chance. George Mason leads the league with a 10-1 record, but the Patriots have no shot unless they win the automatic bid.

• Champion: Northeastern
  
• NCAA Tournament Teams: Northeastern, Old Dominion
  

Missouri Valley: Unlike in some past years, the MVC does not have a litany of teams with similar resumes and potential at-large hopes. This season, Northern Iowa leads the conference with a 10-1 record and by far the league’s best profile. The Panthers are 19-2 overall and 6-1 against the top-100. Unfortunately, they don’t own any marquee victories, and their best non-league wins are over Siena and Boston College. If they win out until the MVC title game, they will still likely get a bid – but it isn’t a sure thing. Wichita State is the only other team with a legitimate shot at a bid. The Shockers have defeated Northern Iowa, and also own a win over Texas Tech. They are 4-1 against the top-100, but have some bad losses against sub-100 MVC teams. Their non-conference SOS (No. 329) is an eyesore.

• Champion: Northern Iowa
  
• NCAA Tournament Teams: Northern Iowa
  

West Coast: The WCC is once again Gonzaga’s league to lose, but there are still at-large possibilities in the conference. The Bulldogs have surprised some this season, and were in line for a top-four seed before their loss to San Francisco over the weekend. They have seven top-100 wins, including victories over Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Illinois and Saint Mary’s. One thing going against Gonzaga and its seeding is the fact it plays its last six games against sub-180 RPI teams. Saint Mary’s looks solid right now, with its 18-3 record and No. 35 RPI. The Gaels are 6-3 against the top-100, with wins over Utah State, San Diego State and Northeastern. However, none of those are marquee wins. The Gaels lost the first meeting with Gonzaga, and a road win against the Bulldogs would be huge.

• Champion: Gonzaga
  
• NCAA Tournament Teams: Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s
  

One-Bid Conferences Unless Favorite Loses

Horizon: Although Butler isn’t playing as well as predicted in the preseason, the Bulldogs are hitting their stride and will more than likely wear white jerseys during the first round of the NCAA Tournament. They have wins over Ohio State, Xavier and Northwestern and are undefeated in the Horizon League. However, Butler is only 3-4 against the top-100, and only a BracketBusters match-up with Siena remains for the Bulldogs against the top-100. They should solidly make the Big Dance, but they shouldn’t slip up too many times down the stretch.

Ivy: With its shellacking of Harvard over the weekend, Cornell clearly established itself as the team to beat in the Ivy League. The Big Red have the No. 33 RPI and are 11-2 away from home. However, their best wins are over middling majors Alabama and St. John’s, and Harvard is their only top-70 win. Of course, there are not many opportunities in league play to enhance their profile, meaning that the return battle at Harvard will decide a lot. A loss to the Crimson, and (providing Harvard wins the rest of its games) the two teams will need to play a one-game playoff for the right to go to the NCAA Tournament. I’m not sure Cornell has the profile to get a bid if it loses to Harvard twice.

MAAC: This league is not definitely going to get two bids if Siena loses in the conference tournament, but with the way the Saints are playing, that might not matter. The Saints are rolling through conference play, sitting at 12-0 and owning the nation’s longest current winning streak at 13 games. However, the at-large profile isn’t all that impressive, with the best win coming over Northeastern. A victory over Butler in BracketBusters is necessary. This team will be squarely on the bubble should they lose in the MAAC Tournament.

WAC: The WAC will likely not get two bids to the NCAA Tournament, but it will feature a good race for the league title and could produce a team on the periphery of the bubble. Utah State and Louisiana Tech – along with New Mexico State – are tied atop the conference at 6-2. USU has won six in a row after struggling a bit, and a win over BYU will look good on the resume come March. Losses to Utah and Long Beach State don’t help. Louisiana Tech lost two of three after starting 17-2, and its at-large hopes are faint, at best. The Bulldogs’ best non-league win is over Murray State – that won’t cut it. NMSU and La Tech have more firepower than Utah State, but the Aggies have the experience to get the nod.

One-Bid Conferences

America East: Vermont. Marquis Blakely is the league’s best player, and he is impossible to stop on the interior. Former Michigan State transfer Maurice Joseph provides perimeter punch for the Catamounts.

Atlantic Sun: Lipscomb. It should be a wide-open hunt for the auto-bid, with six teams above .500 in the league. The Bisons have been inconsistent, but they have the inside-outside combo to get it done in Josh Slater and Adnan Hodzic.

Big Sky: Weber State. Northern Colorado was a nice story for most of the season, but Weber State has the most experience in the league. Guard Damian Lillard is one of the more productive all-around guards at the mid-major level.

Big South: Radford. Coastal Carolina and Radford should battle for first-place all season long, but the Highlanders have Art Parakhouski down low and two more dominant frontcourt players in Lazar Trifunovic and Joey Lynch-Flohr.

Big West: Pacific. The Tigers might not have the most firepower in the conference, but they are leading the league with a 7-1 record, with the only loss coming by one point. They are deep and balanced, and have enough to get the bid.

MAC: Kent State. The Mid-American is an absolute debacle at the top of the conference this year, with five teams currently within one game of each other. Kent State, though, with Justin Greene on the inside and Tyree Evans on the outside, looks tough.

MEAC: Morgan State. The MEAC won’t feature much of a race, as the Bears are currently undefeated and coasting towards a title. Reggie Holmes can absolutely fill it up from the perimeter, while Kevin Thompson is a double-double machine down low.

Northeast: Quinnipiac. Although the winner could be destined for the play-in game, the Bobcats vs. Robert Morris could be a good battle. In the end, Quinnipiac’s scoring balance and versatility – especially James Feldeine and Justin Rutty – will make the difference.

Ohio Valley: Murray State. Look out for the Racers in the NCAA Tournament. They are undefeated in the OVC, and are very deep and talented. Five players average in double-figures, and MSU is dynamite defensively.

Patriot: Lehigh. No team really stands out in this league, but the Mountain Hawks look solid. C.J. McCollum can really shoot it from distance, while Marquis Hall is an excellent distributor. Gabe Knutson and Zahir Carrington are effective down low.

Southern: Wofford. There are several candidates in this league, but the edge goes to Wofford. The Terriers have won 11 of their last 13, including seven of eight conference games. Forward Noah Dahlman is good enough to carry them, but they are ridiculously deep as well.

Southland: Sam Houston State. The Bearkats are undefeated in conference play, and their offense is hitting on all cylinders. Corey Allmond and Ashton Mitchell form an excellent backcourt, while Gilbert Clavell is the main man up front.

Summit: Oakland. The Golden Grizzlies have the weapons to throw a scare into a first-round opponent. Keith Benson is a legit big man down low, while Johnathon Jones is a terrific distributor. Derick Nelson can fill it up at forward.

Sun Belt: Troy. With seven teams above .500 in the league (not including Western Kentucky), it is basically a crapshoot at this point. However, the Trojans are loaded on the perimeter with scorers and shooters, and former Alabama transfer Yamene Coleman is a load down low.

SWAC: Texas Southern. Jackson State has a one-game lead on the Tigers, but Tex. Southern already won at JSU. DeAndre Hall and Junior Treasure are a very explosive guard duo, and forward Travele Jones provides scoring and rebounding.

Sweet Sixteen Non-BCS Rankings

• 1. BYU
  
• 2. New Mexico
  
• 3. Butler
  
• 4. Northern Iowa
  
• 5. Temple
  
• 6. Gonzaga
  
• 7. Siena
  
• 8. Cornell
  
• 9. Saint Mary’s
  
• 10. UAB
  
• 11. UNLV
  
• 12. Xavier
  
• 13. UTEP
  
• 14. Old Dominion
  
• 15. Rhode Island
  
• 16. Murray State
  

Other Teams to Watch: Dayton, Richmond, Tulsa, Charlotte, Northeastern, William & Mary, Wichita State, Oakland, Utah State, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, San Diego State, VCU, Harvard

Bracket Breakdown/Key Games

AS OF FEBRUARY 1, 2010

This Week’s Bracket

Breakdown by Conference

• ACC (6): Duke, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Florida State, Clemson, Maryland
  
• Big East (6): Syracuse, Villanova, Georgetown, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati
  
• Big Ten (5): Michigan State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Illinois
  
• Big 12 (7): Kansas, Kansas State, Texas, Baylor, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M
  
• Pac-10 (2): California, Arizona
  
• SEC (6): Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Florida
  
• Atlantic-10 (5): Temple, Xavier, Rhode Island, Richmond, Charlotte
  
• Colonial (2): Old Dominion, George Mason
  
• Conference-USA (1): UAB
  
• Mountain West (3): BYU, New Mexico, UNLV
  
• West Coast (2): Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s
  

One-Bid Conferences (20): America East (Stony Brook); Atlantic Sun (Jacksonville); Big Sky (Weber State); Big South (Coastal Carolina); Big West (Pacific); Horizon (Butler); Ivy (Cornell); MAC (Kent State); MAAC (Siena); MEAC (Morgan State); Missouri Valley (Northern Iowa); Northeast (Robert Morris); Ohio Valley (Murray State); Patriot (Lehigh); Southern (Charleston); Southland (Sam Houston State); Summit (Oakland); Sun Belt (Arkansas State); SWAC (Jackson State); WAC (Utah State)

• Last Four In: Richmond, Mississippi State, Charlotte, Illinois
  
• Last Four Out: Dayton, William & Mary, Louisville, Wichita State
  
• Next Four Out: Minnesota, Connecticut, UTEP, North Carolina
  

Key Games this Week

Connecticut at Louisville (Monday): A must-win for both teams, neither of which would be in the NCAA Tournament field if it was chosen today.

Texas at Oklahoma State (Monday): Texas has lost three of four, and its seed is dropping quickly. Oklahoma State could use another marquee win.

Seton Hall at Villanova (Tuesday): Villanova is moving closer to solidifying itself as a No. 1 seed, while Seton Hall has to get a big win to stay in the hunt.

Miami (Fl.) at Wake Forest (Tuesday): Miami is barely an at-large candidate at this point, but a road win against the Demon Deacons would do wonders.

Mississippi at Kentucky (Tuesday): Ole Miss was upset by Arkansas on Sunday, and need to get back on the right track. UK is cruising to a No. 1 seed.

Kansas State at Nebraska (Tuesday): Will Kansas State bounce back from its home loss to Kansas? Nebraska is never easy to beat on its home court.

Michigan State at Wisconsin (Tuesday): Battle in the Big Ten. Michigan State is rolling right now, while Wisconsin is not the same without Jon Leuer.

Pittsburgh at West Virginia (Wednesday): Pittsburgh has struggled mightily lately, but the Panthers are still in good shape. WVU is a top-four seed.

William & Mary at Old Dominion (Wednesday): Huge CAA contest. William & Mary snapped a three-game losing streak over the weekend, while ODU needs to win to stay in the at-large mix.

North Carolina State at Virginia (Wednesday): If you had told me that these two teams were going to be 27-14 at this point, I wouldn’t have believed you.

Maine at Vermont (Wednesday): Two of the top teams in the America East look to stay on Stony Brook’s heels in the conference race.

South Florida at Georgetown (Wednesday): South Florida is on a roll right now, winning three in a row, while Georgetown is rapidly rising.

Iowa State at Baylor (Wednesday): Baylor is in good shape after beating Texas on the road Saturday, but they have to continue winning.

Mississippi State at Vanderbilt (Wednesday): Mississippi State leads the SEC West, but its overall profile is mediocre. Vandy is the second-best in the SEC.

UAB at Memphis (Wednesday): After Memphis’ loss to SMU, the Tigers need a win in order to stay in the mix. UAB is in a three-way tie atop the conference.

Marshall at Tulsa (Wednesday): Another C-USA showdown. Marshall has faded a bit, losing four in a row. Tulsa, however, is still in the at-large hunt.

Wichita State at Northern Iowa (Wednesday): The top two teams in the Missouri Valley. Wichita State needs a win to keep its hopes alive.

Texas A&M at Missouri (Wednesday): Bubble battle in the Big 12. A&M defeated Texas Tech over the weekend, while Mizzou dominated Oklahoma State.

Georgia Tech at Duke (Thursday): Rematch of Tech’s win over Duke in early January. They are the two best teams in the ACC; should be a great one.

Florida at Alabama (Thursday): Florida missed a huge chance against Tennessee on Sunday, while ‘Bama has picked off some good teams at home.

Detroit at Butler (Thursday): Butler is undefeated in the Horizon, while Detroit is in second, four games back. A win here and Butler essentially locks up a title.

Troy at Middle Tennessee State (Thursday): The Sun Belt is a mess right now, but Troy is just one game back of MTSU in the East Division.

North Carolina at Virginia Tech (Thursday): North Carolina is a half-game out of last place in the ACC, and struggling. Tech has to keep winning to stay in the at-large hunt.

Cincinnati at Notre Dame (Thursday): Cincinnati improved to 5-4 in the Big East over the weekend, while Notre Dame is coming off a loss to Rutgers.

Arizona State at Washington State (Thursday): The two best overall records in the Pac-10 belong to these two teams, but neither is much of an at-large threat.

Arizona at Washington (Thursday): After its win over California on Sunday, Arizona moved into first place in the conference. Washington is still struggling.

Iona at Siena (Friday): Siena is undefeated in the MAAC, three and a half games ahead of Iona. They would be tough to pass with a win here.

Weber State at Montana (Friday): Weber State is atop the Big Sky, at 8-1. Montana is still in the mix, sitting in third at 6-4. It should be a good one. 

Player of the Week: Devan Downey, South Carolina

Sometimes, picking a Player of the Week is difficult. In some weeks, one has to go through dozens and dozens of box scores, seeing which players had two good games during the week, which teams did well and were carried by a certain player and then narrow it down to eight or nine players. After that, you have to pick a few of the marquee performers and then eventually choose one. This week, however, was easy. Forget West Virginia’s Da’Sean Butler and his 27 points against Louisville; forget Illinois’ Demetri McCamey’s 19 points, eight assists and buzzer shot vs. Indiana; forget Dominique Jones of South Florida and his phenomenal week against Seton Hall and Pittsburgh; forget Quincy Pondexter of Washington averaging 28.0 points and 11.5 rebounds this week; forget everything.

The clear Player of the Week honor this week has to go to Devan Downey of South Carolina. In case you don’t follow college basketball, or sports in general – and I’m guessing that’s doesn’t cover any of the people reading this, since you’re, well, reading this – Downey had 30 points and single-handedly led the Gamecocks to an upset of No. 1 Kentucky on Tuesday. While he did shoot just 9-for-29 from the field against the Wildcats, Downey’s craftiness and scoring ability late in the game enabled South Carolina to get the victory. Downey also grabbed five rebounds, dished out three assists and banned two steals. That performance would have likely won him this week’s honors anyway, but Downey wasn’t done. The diminutive 5-9 waterbug of a guard dropped 33 points and hit the game-winning basket with 50 seconds left to give South Carolina a one-point victory over Georgia.

In the two games this week, Downey averaged 31.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals – and only 1.5 turnovers per game. Overall this season, Downey is now averaging 22.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.1 steals per game. While his shooting percentages are not overly attractive, it is Downey’s clutch scoring ability and innate knack for getting into the lane that makes him so difficult to contain. If he continues to play like this – and leads South Carolina to some more big victories – Downey and the Gamecocks could be in the thick of things come Selection Sunday.

Game of the Night, Jan. 28

Game of the Night: No. 16 Wisconsin at No. 10 Purdue (7:00 PM, ESPN)

With February right around the corner, the stretch drive is officially here in college basketball. Some conferences are at the mid-point in league play, meaning it’s time for teams to start making moves with an eye towards the NCAA Tournament. Thursday is a perfect example of that, with plenty of solid battles. The best one, however, is a Big Ten showdown between Wisconsin and Purdue, two teams chasing Michigan State in the conference standings. Wisconsin (16-4, 6-2 in the Big Ten) won the first meeting between the two teams, knocking off the Boilermakers, 73-66, in Madison. The Badgers have also defeated Duke, Ohio State, Maryland, Northwestern, Marquette and Arizona, although they have a loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay on the resume as well. On the other side, Purdue (16-3, 4-3) had lost three in a row in Big Ten play before winning its last two games heading into Thursday. The Boilermakers own big wins over West Virginia, Tennessee and Wake Forest, as well as victories over Alabama, Illinois and Minnesota.

Wisconsin has looked like a different team without forward Jon Leuer, the team’s second-leading scorer who has missed the last four games with a broken wrist. In his absence, guard Jordan Taylor has gotten the starting job; he’s a solid all-around player who can do a little of everything. Guard Trevon Hughes has had a huge senior season, averaging 16.4 points per game and hitting 40.4 percent of his threes. Shooter Jason Bohannon is also averaging double-figures. Swingman Tim Jarmusz also starts on the perimeter, while big man Keaton Nankivil holds down the fort inside. Wings Ryan Evans and Rob Wilson get double-figure minutes off the bench for the relatively thin Badgers.

Purdue has everything a team needs to make a deep run in March – except for a consistent point guard. With Lewis Jackson missing the entire season, Keaton Grant has tried to play the role, but he is better-suited to play off the ball. Chris Kramer starts next to him; he is a defensive stopper who might play harder than anyone in the country. Leading scorer E’Twuan Moore can really fill it up on the offensive end, and can carry the Boilermakers. Robbie Hummel is one of the most versatile players in the country, and JaJuan Johnson is a go-to option in the paint for Purdue. Purdue utilizes its bench well, bringing Kelsey Barlow and Patrick Bade off the pine up front, with shooters Ryne Smith, D.J. Byrd and Mark Wohlford also seeing minutes.

This is going to be a half-court contest filled with plenty of banging in the paint. The interesting match-up will be Purdue’s lockdown defender, Chris Kramer, against Wisconsin’s go-to scorer, Trevon Hughes. If Kramer can shut Hughes down, Wisconsin will be in trouble. Also, will the Jon Leuer-less Badgers be able to hang with Robbie Hummel and JaJuan Johnson up front? On the other side, will Wisconsin’s tough defense combined with Purdue’s point guard problems make for a rough night offensively for the Boilermakers? I think that Kramer will slow down Hughes, and Hummel and Johnson could have monster games up front. Don’t forget E’Twaun Moore, either.

Prediction: Purdue 68, Wisconsin 61

Wednesday, Jan. 27 Predictions

Prediction Record:

Temple at Charlotte (+1.5): Prediction: Temple 72, Charlotte 68

Vanderbilt at Tennessee (-6.5): Prediction: Tennessee 78, Vanderbilt 69

Notre Dame at Villanova (-11): Prediction: Villanova 84, Notre Dame 70

Illinois State at Wichita State (-6.5): Prediction: Wichita State 67, Illinois State 61

Texas A&M at Oklahoma State (-5.5): Prediction: Oklahoma State 80, Texas A&M 70

Memphis at Marshall (+2): Prediction: Marshall 74, Memphis 69

Texas Tech at Texas (-16.5): Prediction: Texas 85, Texas Tech 67

Florida State at Duke (-12.5): Prediction: Duke 76, Florida State 66

BYU at New Mexico (-1.5): Prediction: New Mexico 77, BYU 74