March 4th and 5th College Basketball Update

In today’s post I am going to go over the meaningful games from March 4th and 5th along with their potential impact on the bracket.

March 4th

Baylor vs 7. Houston (64-77)

Houston picked up a big win over Baylor, boosting their long but potential shot at getting a 1-seed in the upcoming tournament. They would need some help from Arizona and other teams to jump into the 1-seed, but there is still an outside shot. For Baylor, this was not a loss they could afford to take. I currently have them as the last slot in the first four out but dropping after this loss. They will need several wins in the Big 12 tournament to have a shot at the NCAA tournament.

15. Purdue vs Northwestern (70-66)

Purdue escaped from Northwestern, winning only by four in what was a hostile environment. This win stopped the 2-game losing skid they were on, but only have two wins out of their last five. They play Wisconsin at home in their final game of the year, a win that they need to get the triple bye in the Big Ten Tournament and make a statement before post season play comes around. 

Texas vs 20. Arkansas (85-105)

Arkansas blows Texas out of the water, winning by 20 at home. This was a big win for the Razorbacks, with other losses above them meaning they can potentially move up to a 4-seed. They have one regular season game remaining against Missouri, a team closer to the bubble than they want. Looking at Texas, this was a loss they could take, but the margin of the loss was detrimental to them. They should be in the tournament, but this loss could drop them to an 11-seed and potentially further towards the last four in. They will need a convincing win against Oklahoma and then multiple wins in the SEC tournament to avoid slipping further. 

22. Miami vs SMU (77-69)

Miami takes down SMU in Dallas, beating the Mustangs by eight. Miami has had a great season in a solid ACC, with this win bringing them up to a 5-seed in my bracket. They have one game remaining against Louisville on Saturday with a win locking up the 3 spot for the ACC tournament. A loss here for SMU means that they slip further towards being on the wrong end of the bubble. They are in the bottom half of the ACC and will have a long road in the conference tournament. A few wins should keep them safe. 

Loyola Chicago vs 25. Saint Louis (65-79)

Saint Louis bounces back and beats Loyola Chicago. The Billikens have won three of their last five games but have a strong team in VCU right behind them in the standings. While Saint Louis should be in the NCAA tournament even if they lose their conference tournament, the A-10 is one to watch out for as a potential 2-bid and bid stealing conference. 

Minnesota vs Indiana (47-77)

Indiana takes care of Minnesota in dominant fashion, winning by 30 at home. While Minnesota hasn’t been the greatest team this year, they have knocked off some quality opponents so not a bad win for the Hoosiers. This was a win they desperately needed to stay on the right side of the bubble heading into the final game of the season. They go to Ohio State this weekend, a game they need to win to keep their hopes alive. 

Ohio State vs Penn State (94-62)

Ohio State stays firmly on the bubble by going to and beating Penn State by 32. Penn State has struggled all year so OSU taking care of business was needed. The Buckeye should be in the tournament at this point, but can bolster their resume with a win against Indiana this weekend. 

Maryland vs Wisconsin (45-78)

Wisconsin blows out a struggling Maryland team in their final game at the Kohl Center this year. They jumped out to an early lead and never let the Terrapins get back in the game. The Badgers are finding their stride at the right time with consistent huge performances out of Nick Boyd and John Blackwell along with Braeden Carrington making an impact off the bench. Something to keep an eye out for is the injury status of Nolan Winter who took a bad fall late in the game. 

Villanova vs DePaul (76-57)

Villanova beats DePaul by 19, but is not necessarily a “needle-moving” win. This win won’t move them up in the bracket and they have locked up the 3rd place spot in the Big East. They are 2-2 over the last four games, but the two losses were against UConn and Saint John’s. The Wildcats will be an interesting team to watch come tournament time. 

Colorado State vs New Mexico (82-74)

New Mexico loses a shocking game against Colorado State, taking them off the bracket as an at-large bid. New Mexico is widely viewed as the second best team in the Mountain West, right behind Utah State. This was not a loss the Lobos could take, but it is not all doom and gloom for them. Utah State took a bad loss this week as well so come conference tournament time, they still have a path towards the NCAA tournament. 

USC vs Washington (72-91)

With this loss, USC is firmly out of the NCAA tournament unless they make a deep run in the Big 10 tournament. The Trojans were a long shot to begin with, but this keeps them far away from the bubble. Washington on the other hand boosted their longshot odds of being one of the final at-large teams. They have a long way to go but the possibility is still there. 

March 5th

3. Michigan vs Iowa (71-68)

Iowa posted that there was a court storm warning going into the game and they were mighty close to making it happen. This game is not going to move either team too much in terms of bracket or Big Ten seeding. It was a close game as it should be between two tournament teams. Despite the loss, this should be a confidence building loss for Iowa. 

Rutgers vs 8. Michigan State (87-91)

Michigan State escapes Rutgers at home, winning by just four points. A high scoring second half saw the Spartans eventually pull away, but questions remain for their road trip to Michigan for the final Big Ten game of the season. Michigan State remains in the 2nd place position in the Big Ten where a deep run in the tournament will likely bring them a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament. 

South Florida vs Memphis (96-89)

This win for USF showed the country yet again showed the country that they are not a team you want to face in the first round. The Bulls can shoot most teams out of the gym and are a scary team when their offense is clicking. They are the favorites to win the American tournament and I would pick them to win a game or two come NCAA tournament time as well.