Preview Roundups
February 16, 2019
Auburn at Vanderbilt 12:00 PM ET
Auburn has seven regular-season SEC games remaining - plus the conference tournament - to prove it belongs in the NCAA Tournament and the process starts Saturday at struggling Vanderbilt. The Tigers, who have lost 10 straight in Nashville, are coming off a 60-55 loss to Ole Miss on Wednesday that left them in a four-way tie for seventh in the SEC and on the Big Dance bubble.
Oklahoma at Texas Christian 12:00 PM ET
After seeing its 12-game conference home winning streak come to an end, TCU will look to get back in the victory column when it hosts Oklahoma on Saturday. The Horned Frogs forced overtime after being down 12 points in the second half against No. 14 Kansas on Monday but were outlasted 82-77 for their first home loss to a Big 12 opponent in over a year.
North Carolina at Wake Forest 12:00 PM ET
Eighth-ranked North Carolina hopes to make its last game just a minor speed bump as the Tar Heels go after their eighth win in nine contests Saturday afternoon at struggling Wake Forest in an ACC matchup. North Carolina had won nine of its first 10 league games to put itself in the middle of the race for the regular-season title before suffering a 69-61 setback against fourth-ranked Virginia at home on Monday.
Clemson at Louisville 12:00 PM ET
No. 20 Louisville must lick its wounds from two straight heart-wrenching defeats and try to get back into the win column Saturday afternoon when it hosts Clemson for an ACC contest. Louisville coughed up a double-digit second-half lead in an 80-75 overtime loss at 19th-ranked Florida State last Saturday before seeing a 23-point lead erased in a 71-69 setback against No. 2 Duke at home Tuesday.
Maryland at Michigan 12:00 PM ET
Seventh-ranked Michigan looks to bounce back from its most humbling loss of the season when it hosts No. 25 Maryland on Saturday. The Wolverines held sole possession of first place in the Big Ten before dropping a 75-69 decision to cellar dweller Penn State on Tuesday, and hope to keep pace with No. 12 Michigan State at the top of the standings by extending their home winning streak to 22 games.
Texas A&M at South Carolina 1:00 PM ET
South Carolina looks to get back on track and boost its chances of a top-four finish in the SEC when it hosts Texas A&M on Saturday. The Aggies are trying for their third consecutive win following a 1-8 start to conference play.
Oklahoma State at Texas 1:00 PM ET
It has been a rough season for Oklahoma State and second-year coach Mike Boynton, but the Cowboys' seventh consecutive Big 12 defeat - their longest skid since losing 12 straight from 2015-17 - was one of their worst in school history. The Cowboys travel to play Texas on Saturday looking for a better effort to snap an overall four-game losing streak and sweep the season series versus the Longhorns for the first time since 2015.
Florida at Alabama 2:00 PM ET
Florida visits Alabama on Saturday in an SEC game that shapes up as a must-win situation for teams sitting mid-pack in the conference standings. The Crimson Tide are in sixth place after Tuesday's 81-62 loss at Mississippi State while the Gators are in a four-way tie for seventh after surviving Vanderbilt 66-57 on Wednesday despite its leading scorers having an off game.
Notre Dame at Virginia 2:00 PM ET
Virginia returns to the court to host Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon after its big road win at North Carolina on Monday evening. The Fighting Irish and Cavaliers are meeting for the second time this season after No. 4 Virginia cruised to an easy win in South Bend, Ind. on Jan. 26.
Xavier at Providence 2:00 PM ET
Providence was fortunate to escape with a win in its first meeting with Xavier. The rematch takes place Saturday, when the Friars host the Musketeers in Big East action.
Baylor at Texas Tech 2:00 PM ET
No. 15 Texas Tech is surging up the Big 12 standings with five wins in its last six games and will try to keep the heat on the league leaders - and seek a measure of revenge - when it hosts Baylor on Saturday. The Red Raiders have won by an average of 23.7 points during its three-game run, which includes back-to-back road wins at Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
Indiana at Minnesota 2:00 PM ET
Maybe Indiana will find the antidote for their malaise after dropping two straight at home and losing nine of its last 10 on Saturday afternoon against host Minnesota in a Big Ten game. Nebraska, Illinois and Michigan State have all found a cure for losing streaks this season when they've faced Minnesota.
Florida State at Georgia Tech 2:00 PM ET
No. 19 Florida State dropped four of its first five ACC games but has made up for it since, winning six games in a row and entering Saturday’s visit to struggling Georgia Tech just one victory shy of reaching 20 victories for the season. It’s been a strong 2 ½ weeks for the Seminoles who, after looking lost following a Jan. 20 defeat to Boston College dropped them to 1-4 in league play, rolled to an 88-66 home victory Wednesday over Wake Forest as 7-4 center Christ Koumadje dominated.
Missouri at Mississippi 3:30 PM ET
Streaky Ole Miss looks to keep the momentum going and bolster its hopes of a top-four finish in the SEC when it hosts Missouri on Saturday. The Rebels have won three straight following a four-game skid to pull into a fourth-place tie with South Carolina in the conference standings.
West Virginia at Kansas 4:00 PM ET
For all of its problems winning on the road, Kansas hasn't encountered any such issues at home. The 14th-ranked Jayhawks aim to remain undefeated at home this season and stretch their winning streak at Allen Fieldhouse to 18 games Saturday when they host West Virginia.
Penn St. at Purdue 4:00 PM ET
After falling on the road to one of the Big Ten's contenders, No. 11 Purdue sets its sights on a favorable stretch run, beginning with a visit by last-place Penn State on Saturday. The Boilermakers had won eight straight before losing 70-56 at No. 25 Maryland on Tuesday, leaving them a half-game out of first place entering the weekend.
Iowa State at Kansas State 4:00 PM ET
Kansas State hasn't won a conference championship since conquering the Big Eight title in 1977 but the No. 18 Wildcats are in excellent position to win their first Big 12 crown as they host No. 22 Iowa State on Saturday. Kansas State started 0-2 in conference before defeating every Big 12 team in succession, culminating with Tuesday's 71-64 victory at Texas, and leads No. 14 Kansas and No. 15 Texas Tech by 1 1/2 games.
Virginia Tech at Pittsburgh 4:30 PM ET
Seeking a school-record third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament, Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams understood the importance of a seemingly mundane victory over a struggling Georgia Tech team on Wednesday. The win snapped the 16th-ranked Hokies first losing streak of the season as they prepare for a road contest against Pittsburgh on Saturday followed by a rematch against No. 4 Virginia on Monday.
NC State at Duke 6:00 PM ET
In a season filled with superlatives, Duke’s 23-point comeback with under 10 minutes remaining against Louisville on Tuesday night might have been its most impressive feat yet. The second-ranked Blue Devils will look to build off it and win their ninth straight Saturday evening when they host North Carolina State.
Louisiana State at Georgia 6:00 PM ET
No. 21 LSU is flying high entering Saturday’s visit to struggling Georgia, after the Tigers stunned fifth-ranked Kentucky on a buzzer-beating tip-in on the road on Tuesday. But while LSU enters the weekend having won 13 of its past 14 games and faces a Georgia team that’s dropped five consecutive games, Tigers coach Will Wade worked overtime to say his team will maintain the focus that has vaulted his team to second place in the SEC, one game behind national No. 1 Tennessee.
Iowa at Rutgers 6:00 PM ET
No. 17 Iowa looks to build on its most memorable win of the season when it visits Rutgers on Saturday. Jordan Bohannon knocked down the game-winning 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds remaining to cap an improbable 80-79 comeback victory over Northwestern after the Hawkeyes trailed by 11 points with 2:09 remaining, and hope to stay in the hunt for their first Big Ten regular-season title since 1979 by extending their winning streak to four games.
Memphis at Central Florida 6:00 PM ET
Central Florida seeks revenge for its most lopsided loss of the season and tries to keep the pressure on the league leaders in the American Athletic Conference when it hosts Memphis on Saturday. The Knights have won two in a row and three of their last four since a 77-57 loss to the Tigers on the road last month.
Temple at South Florida 6:00 PM ET
With just over a month remaining until Selection Sunday, Temple knows that it has little margin for error if it hopes to reach the NCAA Tournament. The Owls continue their American Athletic Conference schedule Saturday when they pay a visit to South Florida.
Tennessee at Kentucky 8:00 PM ET
Tennessee has led a bit of a charmed life throughout its 19-game winning streak with only three of the contests decided by fewer than 10 points, but things figure to get a bit tougher in that regard soon. The top-ranked Volunteers open a stretch in which they play three of the teams sitting directly below them in the SEC standings a total of four times over the next two weeks beginning Saturday with a visit to No. 5 Kentucky.
DePaul at Butler 8:00 PM ET
In the midst of one of his team's better seasons in recent memory, Dave Leitao is trying to keep DePaul, which plays a Big East game at Butler on Saturday, at an even keel. The Blue Demons have already posted their highest win total in more than a decade and have a chance at a winning league record provided they can finish strongly, starting against the Bulldogs.
Southern California at California 8:00 PM ET
USC freshman wing Kevin Porter Jr. was expected to make an immediate impact this season, but injuries and a brief suspension have limited the NBA prospect to 14 games. The Seattle native is hoping for a strong finish with the struggling Trojans, who look to end a three-game losing streak Saturday when they visit California.
Washington at Washington St. 8:00 PM ET
Washington has had a week off to recharge after suffering its first loss in Pac-12 play at Arizona State. The Huskies, who hold a comfortable 2.5-game lead over second place Utah with just seven games remaining, travel to the Palouse on Saturday to face in-state rival Washington State.
Mississippi State at Arkansas 8:30 PM ET
Arkansas returns home looking to end a two-game losing streak when it hosts Mississippi State Saturday night in an SEC contest. The Bulldogs come into the game off an 81-62 win over Alabama, although they've lost three of their last five, while the Arkansas fell to South Carolina and Missouri on the road in the last week after winning three straight.
Northwestern at Nebraska 8:30 PM ET
Nebraska attempts to start a winning streak Saturday night against visiting Northwestern after ending its seven-game slide earlier this week with a dramatic one-point victory. Northwestern carries into the matchup a five-game skid that includes two recent losses by a total of four points.
Gonzaga at San Diego 10:00 PM ET
Third-ranked Gonzaga aims to register its 16th consecutive victory when it visits San Diego in West Coast Conference play on Saturday. The Bulldogs are coming off a 73-60 road win over Loyola Marymount on Thursday and the 13-point margin matched its lowest in its 11 WCC games this season.
Arizona State at Utah 10:00 PM ET
With only a third of the season remaining, the
fight for a coveted top-four Pac-12 finish is heating up. Arizona State and
Utah would be among that top quartet if the season ended today, and they meet
Saturday night in Salt Lake City to conclude their home-and-home series.
UCLA at Stanford 10:00 PM ET
Stanford looks to avenge an earlier loss to UCLA and continue its climb up the Pac-12 standings when the teams meet at Maples Pavilion on Saturday. The Cardinal have won four of its last five games while UCLA needed overtime to get past last-place California and snap a three-game losing streak Wednesday.
Nevada at Wyoming 10:00 PM ET
Sixth-ranked Nevada only lost three games during its run to a Mountain West regular season championship last season. One of those was a wild 104-103 double overtime loss at Wyoming where the Wolf Pack, winners of nine straight games, will try to avoid another slip-up Saturday night when they face the Cowboys in their only meeting of the season in Laramie.
Oregon at Oregon St. 10:30 PM ET
Oregon State is eyeing its first season sweep of
rival Oregon in nine years when it hosts the Ducks late Saturday night. It’s
also a big game in the Pac-12 standings as the teams fight for a top-four
finish and a first-round bye in the conference tournament.