Topic: CBB 2/18 - 2/24
Bracketbusters are up soon and for some conferences there are two weeks left in the regular season.
Monday
Xavier at Rhode Island, 7pm (FSN Ohio) - Xavier has had a few close calls recently while URI could use a big win to boost its profile.
Texas A&M at Texas, 9pm (ESPN HD) - Lone Star Shootout means a lot to the Aggies, who had a somewhat iffy non-conference profile and have been only slightly above average in Big 12 play. Texas got the wins they needed over Kansas and Baylor and have a reasonable chance at the conference title.
Gonzaga at San Diego, 11pm (ESPN2) - No one really knows it outside of WCC followers, but USD is in play for the conference regular season title (and a guaranteed postseason birth in at least the NIT). Both of these squads have St. Mary's on the schedule next week.
Tuesday
Purdue at Indiana, 7pm (ESPN HD) - Purdue looks very real now, while Indiana is just trying to get itself away from the Kelvin Sampson mess.
Wednesday
UW-Milwaukee at Cleveland St., 7pm (ESPN Full Court) - This one is important for Horizon League conference seeding. Cleveland St. can get closer to the 3rd place side of the bracket with a win and avoid Butler as long as possible, maybe even spring an upset.
Thursday
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame, 7pm (ESPN HD) - Levance Fields is back for Pitt, making a very strong Big East even stronger. Notre Dame can still challenge Louisville and Georgetown for the top of the conference.
S. Alabama at W. Kentucky, 8pm (WKYU/Fox College Sports) - USA won the first meeting, but this meeting is at Diddle Arena. The winner gets closer to at worst a guaranteed postseason birth.
Friday
Davidson at Winthrop, 7pm (ESPN2) - #1 SoCon vs. #1 Big South. Both conference recruit the same areas and sometimes are misidentified. Davidson needs this since it didn't have the non-conference win they could have had over the ACC or UCLA.
Saturday
Drake at Butler, 5pm (ESPN2) - #1 MVC vs. #1 Horizon. Both are top 15 teams and Drake has already clinched a postseason birth by clinching the MVC regular season title, but they don't have a real good OOC win, unlike Butler. Much like last year's SIU-Butler game, Hinkle Fieldhouse will be rocking.
Tennessee at Memphis, 9pm (ESPN HD) - Game of the week and maybe the last chance for someone to nip Memphis before the end of the year. Both of these teams can still end up as #1 seeds and the state of Tennessee looks quite strong this year.
Rider at CSU-Northridge, 9pm (ESPNU) - #1 MAAC vs. #1 Big West. Neither conference has a chance at a 2nd big through an at-large, but its an intriguing east-west matchup.
Siena at Boise St., 10pm (ESPN360.com) - If you can get ESPN360.com, you'll get to see the MAAC's other #1 team vs. #1 from the WAC.
Kent St. at St. Mary's, Midnight (ESPN2) - The 2nd best game of the day and what could be the beginning of a brutal three game stretch for St. Mary's, who get the other two WCC 1st place teams, San Diego and at Gonzaga, after this Bracketbuster game. Kent St. needs this one a little bit more as St. Mary's does have a decent OOC profile.
Sunday
Louisville at Pittsburgh, 12pm (ESPN+/Full Court) - Pitt can continue to get itself back into the Big East top four with a win here.
