With just over three weeks before the field of 68 is set for the NCAA Tournament there is still a lot left to be determined. 144 games will be played tomorrow, four of which will be ranked vs ranked matchups. Teams on the bubble and fighting to get into the tournament have a big weekend ahead of them as well, including two matchups with huge implications in the Big 12 and AAC. Here is what to keep your eye on this busy basketball weekend as we hit the final stretch run of the regular season.
Texas Tech travels to Austin in a rematch with Texas
These two teams met a little over two weeks ago in Lubbock where Chris Beard made his return to his former team and got stomped. Texas Tech had a very hostile environment when the Longhorns visited, and it helped propel the Red Raiders to a convincing 77-64 victory. This time the teams will meet on Texas’ home floor as they look for revenge.
Texas earned a hard-fought win at Oklahoma on Tuesday night in overtime and now will head home to play Texas Tech in a Big 12 battle. Since the loss to Texas Tech, Texas has gone on to win three of four including a win against a top-10 Kansas team and they have a chance to improve their seeding even further with a win tomorrow.
Leading scorer Timmy Allen has scored 20-plus points in two of the last three games, including 24 in their win against Kansas. Allen has been a guy Texas can turn to in crunch time and in what should be a close game tomorrow we will see if they turn to him again.
After a win against seventh ranked Baylor on Wednesday night, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has the Red Raiders as a 2-seed. They got the win against Baylor without Kevin McCuller, one of their leading scorers, who sprained his ankle last Saturday against TCU and his status for tomorrow’s game is up in the air. Texas Tech is firmly in the tournament and has a chance to be a top tier seed while also battling for a chance at a Big 12 regular season title. A win tomorrow in Austin would be big for Mark Adams and company.
Illinois and Michigan State look to get back on track
Both Illinois and Michigan State suffered losses earlier this week on the road and will both look to get back in the win column against one another in East Lansing tomorrow afternoon in the second and final regular season meeting between the two teams.
Illinois sits just half a game back of Purdue in the Big Ten standings, even with its loss to Rutgers on Wednesday night. The Illini have been great in Big Ten play despite losing two of their last three and they currently sit as a 4-seed if the tournament started today, according to Lunardi. Junior center Kofi Cockburn has been a force both scoring the ball and on the glass, averaging a double-double. Cockburn averages 21.4 points per game, second in the conference only behind Iowa’s Keegan Murray. Cockburn will need to have a big game for Illinois, especially being on the road if they want to stay on the 4-seed line or better.
Michigan State had a bad loss Tuesday evening on the road at Penn State, blowing a 14-point second half lead and losing to the Nittany Lions 62-58. The Spartans have had an up and down season in Big Ten play and sit in sixth place in the standings, two games back of Purdue. The offense has struggled, scoring 65 or more points just three times in their last nine games, leading to a measly 4-5 record over that stretch. Michigan State has been much better at home in conference play with a 5-2 record and they will rely on the home crowd to give the offense an extra boost.
Oklahoma visits Iowa State in a crucial matchup
The bubble has become very bubbly over the last couple of weeks and two teams squarely on the bubble will meet tomorrow in a huge Big 12 matchup. Iowa State will host Oklahoma in a game that is key for each team’s tournament chances, as Lunardi has both-teams in the “last four byes” category, so a win will go a long way.
One of the worst offenses in college basketball this season has been Iowa State’s, as they rank 272nd out of 358 Division I teams averaging just 67.3 points per game. The inability to score points has led to the Cyclones 4-9 conference record, including a stretch where they have lost four of their last five games. The offense will need to pick it up in tomorrow’s game and down the stretch to make the dance and that means someone other than Izaiah Brockton will have to step up and score.
Oklahoma first year head coach Porter Moser has seen first-hand the gauntlet that is the Big 12 and how much harder it is to win games on a consistent basis compared to the Missouri Valley. Oklahoma sits in a tie for second to last with Iowa State in the conference standings, but they still find themselves in the tournament, for the time being.
The Sooners came close to a huge win over a ranked Texas team at home on Tuesday night but came up short in overtime. This team is very balanced with four players averaging 10 or more points per game, and their leading scorer Tanner Groves is someone they can rely on to get them a bucket. Groves, a transfer from Eastern Washington, is a big man who can also facilitate which is a big reason why they have four guys averaging double figures. He will need to do more of that on the road tomorrow to hold steady on the bubble.
Bubble teams meet in the AAC
Memphis has been on a surge over the last four weeks riding a six-game winning streak and getting themselves back into the tournament discussion. Head coach Penny Hardaway has faced a lot of criticism this year as his talented Tigers have struggled for much of the season, but they have gotten hot at the right time and are playing with much more confidence. Their opponent on Sunday is SMU, the last team to beat Memphis before their winning streak. SMU sits on the wrong side of the bubble now in the “first four out” category, but they can possibly get on the right side with a win over Memphis.
Penny Hardaway’s group came into this season ranked as the 12th best team in the AP poll but quickly fell out of the rankings after a 6-5 start. Memphis had the number one recruiting class in the country coming into this season, according to 247Sports. Emoni Bate and Jalen Duren were five and six ranked nationally and while their inexperience plagued them in the beginning, they seem to be figuring things out. Memphis had a gigantic win over a top-10 Houston team on the road last Saturday helping them get on the right side of the bubble and avenging their loss from a few weeks ago on Sunday will further help their resume.
The big reason why SMU finds themselves with a chance at an at-large berth is Senior guard Kendric Davis, who has been a star for this team. He leads the AAC with 19.1 points per game and is third in the conference in assists. Davis has not been the problem for SMU over the last couple of weeks going 2-2 and losing games they should have won to Wichita State and Temple. Those losses have pushed the Mustangs to the wrong side of the bubble even with their win against Houston and now face a close to must win game on Sunday when they welcome Memphis to Moody Coliseum.
A lot of change could be coming to the projected bracket for March Madness not just this weekend but over the next few weeks. Now is the time for teams on the bubble and those who have already locked up a bid tournament to make their moves and set themselves up for a run at a title.
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