Preview Roundups
February 23, 2019
Tennessee at Louisiana State 12:00 PM ET
Fifth-ranked Tennessee did not need its best effort to rebound from a loss for the first time since Thanksgiving, but must come up with a better performance Saturday afternoon when it visits No. 15 LSU for an SEC showdown. The first-place Volunteers followed up their loss at Kentucky by shooting just 41.1 percent and scoring a season-low 58 in a 12-point victory over last-place Vanderbilt on Tuesday.
Texas at Oklahoma 12:00 PM ET
If Oklahoma hopes to avoid missing the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years, Saturday’s home contest against Texas may be a critical turning point in its quest. The Sooners snapped their five-game losing streak with a 71-62 road triumph against TCU last Saturday, and they’ll return to Norman looking to claim their first conference victory since defeating the Horned Frogs on Jan. 12.
Boston College at Clemson 12:00 PM ET
As it fights for recognition from the NCAA Tournament selection committee, Clemson has picked an awful time for a three-game losing streak. The Tigers will try to end the skid Saturday afternoon when they host Boston College in an ACC matchup.
Marquette at Providence 12:00 PM ET
Marquette's Markus Howard had already established himself as one of the top offensive players in the Big East last season before a record-setting performance at Providence in early January made him a household name. The country's fourth-leading scorer in 2018-19 and his 10th-ranked Golden Eagles attempt to complete a regular-season sweep of a conference rival Saturday when they visit the Friars for the first time since that historic effort.
Virginia at Louisville 12:00 PM ET
Virginia attempts to maintain at least a share of first place in the ACC on Saturday afternoon when it visits Louisville. The No. 3 Cavaliers are on a three-game winning streak which includes a rivalry win over Virginia Tech earlier this week, while the 22nd-ranked Cardinals have lost three of four after falling at Syracuse on Wednesday.
Penn St. at Illinois 12:00 PM ET
Penn State looks to win back-to-back conference games for the first time this season when it visits Illinois on Saturday. The Nittany Lions mauled Nebraska 95-71 on Tuesday to earn their third win in five games after starting Big Ten play with 10 consecutive defeats, and have had some recent success against the Illini with four straight wins in the rivalry, including a pair of victories in Champaign by an average margin of 17.5 points.
Tulsa at Temple 12:00 PM ET
Temple has won four of its last five games and can avenge the only loss in that stretch Saturday when it hosts Tulsa in American Athletic Conference play. The Owls are one win away from hitting the 20-win plateau for the first time since 2015-16, which is also the last time they reached the NCAA Tournament.
Auburn at Kentucky 1:30 PM ET
Fourth-ranked Kentucky will be without one of its top scorers and rebounders when it hosts Auburn on Saturday in an SEC game. Reid Travis, a graduate student forward who averages 11.3 points and 6.9 rebounds, sprained his right knee in Tuesday's 66-58 victory at Missouri and it doesn't appear he'll be back in time for the showdown at No. 5 Tennessee next Saturday that could decide the conference regular-season title.
West Virginia at Baylor 2:00 PM ET
Baylor's latest resurrection of NCAA Tournament hopes can be pinned on the back of Freddie Gillespie, a former Division III player who walked on to the team last season. The 6-8 junior forward posted his first double-double in Tuesday's road upset over No. 20 Iowa State and will look to build on his performance as Baylor seeks a season sweep when struggling West Virginia comes calling Saturday.
Iowa State at Texas Christian 2:00 PM ET
After losing back-to-back games at home, No. 20 Iowa State might be glad to hit the road for Saturday’s matchup against TCU. The Cyclones fell two games behind first-place Kansas State in the Big 12 following last Tuesday’s 73-69 loss to Baylor and hope to bounce back against TCU, which has lost three in a row.
Ohio St. at Maryland 2:00 PM ET
Maryland remains in contention in the Big Ten race and finishes the regular season with three of its final four games at home, starting Saturday against Ohio State. The Buckeyes are still in the running for an NCAA Tournament berth and a road win against the No. 25 Terrapins would be a big addition to their credentials.
Georgia Tech at Miami-Florida 2:00 PM ET
Miami briefly halted its slide toward the bottom of the ACC standings by snapping a five-game losing streak, but it has dropped two of three since that game entering Saturday’s home contest against Georgia Tech. The Hurricanes fell 64-57 on Sunday at Boston College, their 10th conference loss in 13 games, and Miami begins the weekend in a three-way tie for 12th with road games still looming at top-ranked Duke and No. 18 Virginia Tech.
Purdue at Nebraska 2:00 PM ET
Purdue lurks a half-game behind Big Ten co-leaders Michigan and Michigan State and could join them at the top of the standings with a win Saturday afternoon at Nebraska. The No. 13 Boilermakers have won four of their last five road games after losing four in a row away from home.
Georgetown at Creighton 2:30 PM ET
Georgetown's chances of make the NCAA Tournament are, for the moment, alive but that can change in an instant with a loss Saturday in a Big East game at Creighton. The Hoyas, who have dropped four straight to the Bluejays, played their best game of the season Wednesday in beating No. 16 Villanova and can help their cause by winning at least four of their last five games.
Georgia at Mississippi 3:30 PM ET
Perhaps it is a good thing Georgia travels to Ole Miss for Saturday’s contest considering the Bulldogs' 11th consecutive SEC loss on Wednesday ended in a one-point defeat after a fan threw a stuffed toy onto the court, resulting in a technical foul with 0.5 seconds remaining. It is just the latest stumble in a miserable league slate for Georgia, which began SEC play at 1-1 but its lone victory since came in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
Florida State at North Carolina 3:45 PM ET
Florida State is battling hard for a top-four finish in the ACC to earn a double-bye in the conference tournament. The 17th-ranked Seminoles are sitting in that fourth spot after defeating Clemson 77-64 Tuesday, but they face a huge challenge on Saturday afternoon as they finish up their three-game roadswing at No. 9 North Carolina, which has won two in a row after manhandling fierce rival Duke 88-72 on Wednesday.
Missouri at Florida 4:00 PM ET
Florida looks to continue its surge in the SEC standings — and perhaps toward an NCAA Tournament berth — when it hosts Missouri on Saturday. The Gators have won three straight to move above .500 in conference play and into a tie for sixth place in the league standings.
Virginia Tech at Notre Dame 4:00 PM ET
Virginia Tech looks to keep its place in the crowded top half of the ACC standings as it visits Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon. The 18th-ranked Hokies are coming off a loss against No. 3 Virginia and have No. 1 Duke on deck, while the Fighting Irish might have hit the lowest point of their season in a loss to Wake Forest earlier in the week.
Oklahoma State at Kansas State 4:00 PM ET
Big-12 leading Kansas State would like nothing better than to put perhaps the final nail in the coffin of in-state rival Kansas' hopes of a 15th consecutive piece of a conference regular-season title. However, first, the 21st-ranked Wildcats must get by a visiting Oklahoma State squad that just snapped an eight-game conference losing skid and is looking to close the season strong.
Duke at Syracuse 6:00 PM ET
A tumultuous week for both No. 1 Duke and Syracuse comes to an end Saturday when the Blue Devils visit the Orange in ACC action. The focus was on the court last month, when Syracuse upset Duke on the road in overtime, but much has changed over the course of the last few days.
Vanderbilt at Alabama 6:00 PM ET
Alabama looks to end a three-game losing streak and get back on track for a postseason berth when it hosts SEC rival Vanderbilt on Saturday. The Crimson Tide haven't won since the last time they played the Commodores on Feb. 9, falling most recently 65-56 at Texas A&M, while Vanderbilt is still looking for its first conference victory this season, having dropped 14 games in a row overall.
South Carolina at Mississippi State 6:00 PM ET
South Carolina continues to exceed expectations in SEC play and has a chance to pick up another big win on Saturday, when it visits Mississippi State. Despite sitting just two games over .500 overall, the Gamecocks are fourth in the conference standings and hold a two-game advantage over the Bulldogs.
South Florida at Houston 6:00 PM ET
No. 8 Houston returns home from a two-game road trip sporting a 10-game winning streak. The Cougars have a one-game lead over Cincinnati in the American Athletic Conference as they gear up to face a South Florida team that has lost its last two conference matchups, including a heartbreaking 70-69 overtime loss to Temple.
Oregon St. at Southern California 6:00 PM ET
Oregon State holds a half-game lead for third place in the Pac-12 over USC and Utah heading into Saturday afternoon's Senior Day with the host Trojans. And for the Beavers to earn a split of their Los Angeles road trip, which began with a tough 68-67 loss at UCLA on Thursday night, they'll have to find a way to cool down red-hot USC forward Bennie Boatwright.
Kansas at Texas Tech 8:00 PM ET
Despite sitting only one game out of first place in the Big 12, time is running out for No. 12 Kansas and No. 14 Texas Tech to catch league-leading Kansas State with only a handful of games remaining. The Red Raiders hope to deliver a sizable blow to the Jayhawks' chances of earning a 15th consecutive regular-season title and avenge their only loss over the last month when Kansas visits Saturday.
Seton Hall at St. John's 8:00 PM ET
St. John’s followed up an inspiring triumph with a disappointing performance and gets a second chance to post its 20th victory Saturday night when rival Seton Hall pays a visit for a key Big East contest. The Red Storm rallied for a confidence-building win over No. 16 Villanova last Sunday, but fell flat three days later at Providence in a 78-59 setback and will look for revenge after losing at the buzzer against the Pirates on Dec. 29.
East Carolina at Tulane 8:00 PM ET
East Carolina tries to snap a five-game losing streak when it visits Tulane on Saturday for an American Athletic Conference contest. The Pirates have lost two of their last three contests in overtime, including a 77-73 setback to Tulsa on Sunday after rallying from 17 points down to force the extra period, while the Green Wave are still looking for their first conference victory and have dropped 15 straight overall.
Memphis at Wichita St. 8:00 PM ET
Three days after setting the American Athletic Conference single-game scoring record, Jeremiah Martin will lead Memphis when it visits Wichita State for the first time in over four decades on Saturday. Martin was doing it all for the Tigers in Wednesday's 102-76 victory over Tulane as the senior scored a career-high 43 points to go along with eight assists, seven rebounds and five steals.
Utah at Washington St. 8:00 PM ET
Utah’s late-season push for a coveted top-four Pac-12
finish has hit some speed bumps with back-to-back losses to Arizona State and
Washington. But the Runnin’ Utes will try to get back on track Saturday night
when they visit Washington State.
Fresno St. at Nevada 8:00 PM ET
Sixth-ranked Nevada’s lead in the Mountain West has dwindled to just a half-game over Utah State after Wednesday night’s 65-57 loss at San Diego State with five games remaining, including a road date with the Aggies. The Wolf Pack, trying to become the first team in league history to win three consecutive outright regular season titles, begin a two-game homestand on Saturday afternoon when it hosts third-place Fresno State.
Texas A&M at Arkansas 8:30 PM ET
The emergence of Savion Flagg has helped Texas A&M win three of its last four games, and the Aggies hope for more from their sophomore guard as they visit Arkansas on Saturday for an SEC game. Flagg has averaged 21 points and eight rebounds in his last two contests, including 18 points and nine boards in Tuesday's 65-56 victory over Alabama.
Wisconsin at Northwestern 8:30 PM ET
No. 23 Wisconsin looks to stay in the mix for the Big Ten regular-season championship when it visits struggling Northwestern on Saturday. The Badgers bounced back from a pair of defeats against seventh-ranked Michigan (62-51) and No. 11 Michigan State (67-59) with a 64-58 win against Illinois on Monday, and hope to pull within two games of the first-place Wolverines and Spartans by earning their fourth victory in their last five road tilts.
Brigham Young at Gonzaga 10:00 PM ET
Second-ranked Gonzaga has already wrapped up its seventh straight West Coast Conference title as it enters Saturday's home contest against Brigham Young. The Bulldogs own the nation's longest winning streak of 17 games and figure to ascend back to No. 1 in the country if they defeat the Cougars.
Oregon at UCLA 10:00 PM ET
UCLA’s tumultuous season took yet another turn earlier this week as the Bruins turned in one of their best performances in Thursday’s 68-67 victory over Oregon State. UCLA looks to build on the strong showing Saturday against visiting Oregon, which has dropped to ninth place in the Pac-12 standings following two straight losses.
Colorado at Washington 10:30 PM ET
Washington continues to dominate on defense, and
in the process added another half-game to its Pac-12 lead Wednesday night. The
Huskies will look to add to their roll and maintain their unblemished home
record when they host Colorado late Saturday.