bracketdobber.net

Today, I am closing down BracketDobber.net.  But I’m certainly not giving up the bracket racket at this stage of the game, no way.  Instead, I’ve joined SBNation as their Bracketology blogger at Blogging the Bracket.  I’ll be around there all year, and I hope that the site turns into a place where college basketball lives all year long.  I look forward to working with the other bloggers over there to provide the best college basketball (and some football) coverage possible.  There are also a variety of features over there that I’ll be testing out during Championship Week and will be using frequently next season.

So hop on over to bloggingthebracket.com for all of your college basketball needs.

If you’re lucky enough to get ESPNU, you’ll get some Championship Week hoops.  If not, there are some compelling major-conference games to keep you occupied.

Big South Semifinals - Liberty vs. VMI and UNC-Asheville @ Radford (ESPNU, 6 EST) - The Flames look for a different result than the 37-point thrashing they suffered at the hands of the Keydets in Lynchburg last week.  If they don’t, this will be the last Seth Curry sighting we’ll have until next year.  The Highlanders look to hold serve at home against the Bulldogs.

Tennessee @ South Carolina (ESPN, 7 EST) - The Vols and surprising Gamecocks play for first place in the SEC East.  Both teams look to be in good shape for a bye at next week’s SEC tournament in Tampa.

Providence @ Villanova (ESPN2, 7 EST) - A big road win in their season finale would help the Friars’ case.  Meanwhile, the Wildcats are looking to lockdown an unexpected protected seed.

St. Joseph’s @ Temple (CBS CS, 7 EST) - After dropping two straight, the Owls are just looking to hold onto a bye in the A-10 tournament at this point.  The Hawks, who are having a disappointing year, are only a game behind them in the standings.

Stanford @ Arizona State (FS Arizona, 8:30 EST) - The Sun Devils, like their in-state rivals, look to rebound after being swept out of Washington last weekend.  The Cardinal have struggled of late, but they’re capable of building upon their win over USC at Maples on Saturday.  That loss effectively ended the Trojans’ at-large hopes.

Illinois @ Penn State (ESPN, 9 EST) - I really hope they score more than 71 total points tonight.  The Nittany Lions are in much better position than they were just a few days ago, thanks to losses by other bubble teams.  With Purdue’s loss to Northwestern last night, the Illini’s case for a protected seed improved.

Dayton @ Xavier (ESPN2, 9 EST) - Flyers can pretty much lock up a bid with a win tonight.  An XU loss would also create a 3-way tie between Dayton, Rhode Island, and the Musketeers at the top of the league,

Fresno State @ Boise State (Full Court, 9 EST) - I’ve only listed this one because it’s your last chance to see the Broncos ridiculous court design this season.  (Granted, it’s not as ridiculous as what they had a few years back.) The NCAA is installing a new floor for the first and second rounds of the tournament.

California @ Arizona (FSN/selected CSN outlets, 10:30 EST) - The Wildcats were swept out of the Evergreen State over the weekend, but you have to think the result in Seattle Saturday would’ve been different had Chase Budinger not fouled out and Jordan Hill not sprained his ankle.  Hill’s health will be a major factor tonight.  Cal needs a good performance after an up-and-down Saturday evening against UCLA that resulted in a loss.

There are a lot of bubble teams in action tonight, so let’s get right to the preview.

Northwestern @ Purdue (Big Ten, 6:30 EST) - The Wildcats lost a 63-61 decision to the Boilers in Evanston back on January 15.  It was just one of many close losses in a year of great improvement, but missed opportunities for NU.  Purdue is very much alive for a protected seed.  However, given the chance that a 4 seed may share their pod with a Western 5 seed at a Western site, do they really want one?

North Carolina @ Virginia Tech (ESPN, 7 EST) - Like Northwestern, VPI has suffered a lot of close losses this year and this game provides the Hokies’ last chance at a really big win for their resume.  UNC can’t be caught looking ahead to Sunday’s game against Duke, as Memphis is right behind them in the chase for a 1 seed.

Boston College @ NC State (ESPNU, 7 EST) - The Eagles look more and more like they’re going to be safe on Selection Sunday.  The fact they play the 10th and 12th place teams in the ACC to close the regular season should further pad their win total.

DePaul @ West Virginia (Big East/CST/MASN/FSN Pittsburgh/MSG+/Full Court, 7 EST) - The Mountaineers hope to capture their 10th Big East win, while the Blue Demons are still looking for their first.

Seton Hall @ Louisville (Big East/Full Court, 7 EST) - The Cardinals will find themselves in a tie with UConn at the top of the Big East with a home win over the Pirates.  U of L is definitely in the #1 seed conversation, especially with Pitt and UConn meeting on Saturday.

Marquette @ Pittsburgh (ESPN2, 7;30 EST) - The Panthers last two are pretty difficult; however, they get both the Golden Eagles and Huskies at home.  Marquette will play their second full game without Dominic James.  They need to show they can win without him, otherwise, they’re liable to slide down a seed line or two.

Memphis @ Houston (CBS CS, 8 EST) -A visit to the Cougars and a home game against Tulane (who can actually finish at .500 in the league if they beat Memphis) is all that stands between the Tigers and another 16-0 C-USA season.

BYU @ Wyoming (the mtn., 8 EST) - The Cougars were 24-point victors over the Cowboys in Provo on January 31.  Add info about Utah-UNM here.

Georgia @ Kentucky (Raycom Regional/FS South/Full Court, 8 EST) - Since this game is at Rupp, Jodie Meeks, Patrick Patterson, and the rest of the Wildcats should avoid a damaging loss, like the one Florida suffered when they faced the Bulldogs in Athens…but you never know.

Florida @ Mississippi State (Raycom Regional/FS Florida/SportSouth/Full Court, 8 EST) - The Gators have one last chance at a road win, but Starkville isn’t an easy place to get it.  UF lost by 14 in 2005 and the 04s won in 2007, but only by 3.

Wisconsin @ Minnesota (Big Ten, 8:30 EST) - The Big Ten bubble triangular continues.  The Badgers beat the Wolverines in Madison on Sunday.  Now they head to Minneapolis to face the Gophers, who are lucky enough to face both of their rivals at The Barn.

Texas A&M @ Colorado (ESPNU, 9 EST) - The Aggies must win this game to ensure a .500 finish in the Big 12.  Missouri, even in College Station, isn’t a team you want to play when in dire straits.

Oklahoma @ Missouri (Big 12/Altitude/MASN/Full Court, 9 EST) - ESPN really needs to kick Kansas-Texas Tech down to regional TV and put this on nationally.  This could very well be the game of the night.  Both teams need a win to keep their faint conference championship hopes alive.

Kansas @ Texas Tech (ESPN2, 9:30 EST) - If KU wins and Missouri beats Oklahoma, the Jayhawks win the Big 12 regular season crown.  Kansas will clinch at least a tie with a victory.

East Tennessee State vs. Stetson (A-Sun Tournament - CSS/Full Court, 9:30 EST) - The second seeded Bucs open up the Atlantic Sun tournament against the seventh seeded Hatters.  The two teams split their regular season meetings, each winning on the road.

Air Force @ UNLV (CBS CS, 10 EST) - The Falcons have yet to win an MWC game, while the Rebels really can’t afford to lose any more.  I’m really not sure a Mountain West team who’s three games out of first place can really consider itself safe, even with good non-league wins.

Colorado State @ San Diego State (the mtn., 10 EST) - The Aztecs are a game ahead of UNLV in the standings, but don’t have the non-league wins, which is why they’re in my “Also Considered” group.  However, they could very well face the Rebels in an elimination game at the conference tournament in the desert next week.

How time flies.  A week from today, the Big East tourney starts in New York, thanks to the opening round featuring the bottom half of the league.  In two weeks, we’ll be watching the Opening Round game from Dayton.

Michigan State @ Indiana (ESPN, 7 EST) - Remember when this game meant something?  Sure you do.  It wasn’t that long ago.  Tonight, all that’s really on the line is MSU’s drive for a 2 seed and IU’s dream of winning more than one conference game this season.

Cincinnati @ USF (ESPNU, 7 EST) - The Bearcats hopes are on life support after they completely collapsed in Syracuse Sunday afternoon.  They cannot afford a loss to the lowly Bulls, who are lucky the Big East tourney expanded.

Virginia @ Clemson (CSN Mid-Atlantic+, SUN Sports, FS South, 7 EST) - Terrence Oglesby and the Tigers have fallen to fifth in the league after their loss to FSU Saturday.  They look to rebound at home against a UVa squad who upset CU in OT in Charlottesville.

Kansas State @ Oklahoma State (ESPN2, 7:30 EST) - A win in their home finale would make the Cowboys 8-4 in their last 12.  Unfortunately, they have to go to Norman for Bedlam, Part II on Saturday.

Georgetown @ St. John’s (Big East/Altitude/MASN/MSG/CST/Full Court, 7;30 EST) - The Hoyas have life after their win over Nova Saturday.  They close with two of the league’s bottom feeders.  Winless DePaul is on deck Saturday.

Florida State @ Duke (Raycom/Full Court, 8 EST) - The Seminoles are 9-5 in the league, but (surprisingly) haven’t gotten a win over Duke, UNC, or Wake yet.  The Blue Devils are still very much in play for a 2 seed, perhaps even a 1 depending on how the ACC regular season and tourney titles shake out.

Rutgers @ Syracuse (ESPNU, 8 EST) - The Orange close out their home slate before heading to Milwaukee for a big one Saturday afternoon.  They can’t be caught looking ahead against a team they beat by 16 in Piscataway.

Ohio State @ Iowa (Big Ten, 9 EST) - The Buckeyes have two winnable games (this one and Northwestern in Columbus Sunday) to get to 10 wins in the Big Ten.  Not that 10 wins means anything (looks squarely at 9-7 Penn State).

Wake Forest @ Maryland (CSN Mid-Atlantic+, SUN Sports, FS South, 9 EST) - The Terps didn’t stumble in Raleigh on Sunday.  Now they have a chance to pick up another big home win before closing at UVa Saturday.

Utah @ New Mexico (the mtn., 9 EST) - The Lobos can tie the Utes (and with a win over Wyoming Wednesday, BYU) for the MWC lead.

You surely notice the big Cover It Live window at the top of the page.  If you go ahead and click the Play button, you’ll experience a new feature for this site, Welcome to the Big Dance,  brainchild of Jonathan Tannenwald over at Soft Pretzel Logic.  I’ll be a regular contributor, along with Eric Angevine and Marco Anskis from Storming the Floor.  If you blog about college hoops, you can join in by adding #bigdance to the end of your tweets.  This will be a great way to get the latest information during this most exciting time of the year, so I hope you follow along and contribute.

Well, March came in like a lion here in the greater DC area.  Thankfully, I didn’t fall and crack my head open while walking home this evening on the well-cared for sidewalks in my neighborhood, so I’m able to post today’s bracket (seed list, trends).  Tonight’s summary will be shorter than normal for one reason, and one reason only: Today’s bracket is the first time, in four seasons of pursuing this hopeless exercise, there were no substantive changes in the top four lines of the bracket.  It wasn’t a great weekend for the teams on the 4 line, but the teams on the 5 line didn’t do much better.  The biggest change among the top 16 is that Oklahoma moves up to the #2 overall seed, switching places with Pittsburgh.

At the bottom of the bracket, Michigan falls out, at least temporarily, after dropping the first of their two season-ending road games in Madison yesterday.  The Badgers pulled away at the end of what was the best game of the 2 p.m. window yesterday.   The Wolverines really need a big road win at this point of the season.  Another team in that boat is Florida, who has one chance left, Wednesday night in Starkville.   The Gators are also out, thanks to their uninspiring performance at home against Tennessee yesterday.  The Vols did what they usually do against UF, namely shooting from 3 at a higher percentage than normal.  But they also played smart defense against Nick Calathes.  Realizing that he’s not so good at driving to the hoop, they simply didn’t foul him when he did.  That kept him from getting easy points on the line and allowed Tennessee to hold their margin at the end.  Providence also falls out, despite two wins during the week.  Their lack of non-conference wins really hurts them when compared to the two at-large newcomers today, St. Mary’s and Texas A&M.  Patty Mills will be back for the Gaels in the West Coast tournament on Sunday, making my decision to return them a little easier.

The third at-large spot goes to a team who was in Saturday’s bracket as an automatic qualifier, Creighton.  Northern Iowa currently holds the Valley’s auto bid, thanks to the league’s insane tiebreaker.  I kept the Blue Jays not so much because of their good, but not spectacular non-league wins (New Mexico, Dayton, George Mason - only one of whom is probably going to be in) - but because of the fact they’re 11-1 in their last 12 games.

Next update will be Saturday morning before I head down to Richmond for the CAA quarterfinals.

There’s so much going on this weekend at all levels of the bracket that I decided to combine the rundown of today’s bracket (seed list, trends)  with my regular TV preview post, so let’s get started.

Saturday

Georgia Tech @ North Carolina (CBS, 12 EST) -The Tar Heels currently remain the #4 overall seed. It was a tough week for seeding the top line, thanks to losses by Oklahoma and Pitt.  UConn moves back up to #1 overall.  The Heels should take care of business here and hold off Memphis.

Georgetown @ Villanova (ESPN, 12 EST) - The Wildcats remain a 4, though you could argue they should be higher.  The Louisville loss Monday further confirms that the Hoyas’ only chance is to win five in five days at New York.  Good luck with that.

Cleveland State @ Butler (ESPN2, 12 EST) - The Bulldogs have already sewed up the Horizon League regular season crown, so they’ll host the bulk of the conference tournament.  The Vikings, like so many before them, were never able to build upon their big non-conference win.  If they win today, they may have the confidence to repeat the feat during Championship Week.

Iowa State @ Texas A&M (Big 12/Altitude/Full Court, 1:30 EST) - The Aggies are firmly in my “Also Considered” group.   The bubble is such that they may remain there even if they lose this one.  Note that Baylor is also still there despite losing to the Cyclones Tuesday only because of their non-league wins.  Wins over LSU and Arizona mean that the A&M will continue to get a look.

Notre Dame @ Connecticut (CBS, 2 EST) - The Irish are in my “Next Four Out” group, but they’ll certainly move higher if they get this one.  If the Huskies do drop this one, the top line is going to be fun to sort out for Monday.

Illinois State @ Creighton (ESPN2, 2 EST) and Evansville @ Northern Iowa (FS Midwest/CSN Chicago, 8:30 EST) - The Blue Jays and Northern Iowa are tied at the top of the Valley.  The Panthers have, arguably, the easier game to close their regular season, at home against Evansville.  If they both win, the Valley’s needlessly complicated tiebreaker comes into play.

Clemson @ Florida State 0r Wake Forest @ Virginia (Raycom Regional/Full Court, 2 EST) - Clemson probably should’ve dropped after their loss to bracket newcomer Virginia Tech Wednesday, but Marquette goes down to the 4 line instead because of Dominic James’ foot injury.  The Noles were positioned to move into a protected slot, then they lost to BC Tuesday night.  Wake remains on the 3-line, but their stay there depends on how well their youngsters’ finishing kick.

Arizona @ Washington (FSN/selected CSN outlets, 3 EST) - The Wildcats fall down to a 10 after their offense deserted them in the second half in Pullman.  They really don’t want to lose a second game in the state.  The Huskies replace Arizona State as a 4 after beating the Sun Devils Thursday evening.  UW can clinch the Pac-10 regular season title with a win this afternoon.

Oklahoma @ Texas Tech or Duke @ Virginia Tech (ABC Regional/Full Court, 3:30 EST) - The Sooners should have Blake Griffin back, making the Red Raiders’ task so much more difficult.  The Blue Devils remain a 2 seed, but they should have a tougher time against the Hokies than they did in Durham on January 4.

LSU @ Kentucky (CBS, 4 EST) - The Tigers sewed up the SEC regular season crown with their win over Florida Tuesday night.  The Wildcats are a game behind South Carolina in the East division, but the Gamecocks own the tiebreaker by virtue of their season sweep of UK.  Still, a win here would be good for Big Blue’s resume.

Ohio State @ Purdue (ESPN, 4 EST) - The Boilermakers remain a 4, even after their loss to Michigan on Thursday.  The Buckeyes ended a three-game slide with a home win over Penn State (who’s out of today’s field), but a loss here would drop them further down the S-curve.

Georgia State @ VCU (Comcast Network/CSN New England/CSS, 4 EST) - The Rams can make it easy on everyone by winning this and taking the CAA regular season crown.  If they lose, the rest of the evening becomes very interesting, thanks to the CAA’s tiebreakers.

Mount St. Mary’s @ Robert Morris (NEC/MASN/FSN Pittsburgh/Full Court, 4 EST) - The Colonials have already clinched the NEC regular season title, but with the Mountaineers right behind them, this is a possible preview of the conference championship game (though the Mount’s possible semifinal opponent, Sacred Heart, may have something to say about it).

Temple @ Dayton (A10/CSN Philadelphia/WHIO, 4 EST) - The Owls are out of today’s field, thanks to their loss to LaSalle on Thursday.  After dropping road trips to St. Louis and Rhode Island, the Flyers need to get back on a winning note.

Utah @ BYU (CBS CS, 5 EST) - The Utes can clinch the MWC regular season crown by beating the Cougars today and New Mexico on Tuesday.  The problem for Utah is that they’ll have to win in two of the toughest arenas in basketball to complete the task.  BYU needs this win to solidfy a rather shaky resume, outside of their computer numbers.

Arizona State @ Washington State (FSN/selected CSN outlets, 5 EST) - The Sun Devils try to recover from their loss in Seattle by taking on another team who plays a slow deliberate style.  This game could make Illinois-Penn State look like Loyola Marymount-Michigan in the 1990 tournament.

Texas @ Oklahoma State (ESPN, 6 EST) - Like BYU, the Cowboys have good computer numbers that just don’t make sense when you look at their actual schedule.   Even if the Longhorns are a bit down, they’re still a tournament team, so a win here would help OK State’s case.

Indiana @ Penn State (Big Ten, 6 EST) - It’s seems pretty obvious, but Lions absolutely cannot afford to lose this.

Auburn @ Mississippi State (FS South/Sun Sports/FSN Florida/Full Court, 6 EST) - Would you believe that both of these teams are 7-6 in the SEC?  Unfortunately, both appear to be NIT-bound, particularly the Tigers, who have a very thin resume.

Old Dominion @ Northeastern (CSN Mid-Atlantic/CSN New England/CSS, 6 EST) - The Huskies have a shot at the CAA crown if VCU loses their 4 p.m. start.  The Monarchs are playing for a bye.

Long Beach State @ Cal State-Northridge (Prime Ticket, 6 EST) - The 49ers and Matadors are tied at the top of the Big West at 9-4.  They’ll each have two games next week, so things won’t totally be settled tonight.

Liberty @ Radford (MASN, 6 EST) - Seth Curry’s Flames got blown out by VMI on Tuesday night.  They lost a 2OT outing to the Highlanders in Lynchburg earlier in the year.  RU has the Big South regular season crown all to itself.

St. Mary’s @ Loyola Marymount (FSN Regional/Prime Ticket/CSN BayArea+, 8 EST) - The Gaels fell out of the bracket today, thanks to the rise of Virginia Tech, Providence, and Michigan.  They’ve done well without Patty Mills, and if he returns for the WCC tourney and they look good, they’ll have a good chance at an at-large.  SMC is now tied with Portland for second in the WCC, which also helps their case.

Towson @ George Mason (CAA/MASN/Full Court, 8 EST) - The Patriots have a top-4 seed for Richmond tied up.  They can grab a share of the conference title if VCU loses.  I’ll be in attendance at the Patriot Center tonight.

Western Kentucky @ Middle Tennessee (Sun Belt/CSS/CST/Full Court, 8 EST) - The Hilltoppers move into the bracket this week (as I didn’t read the Sun Belt’s tiebreaker rules (oops)).  UALR can steal it back if WKU loses, since the Trojans have a potentially easier game at home tonight against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Nebraska @ Kansas State (Big 12/Full Court, 8 EST) - Two teams hovering around .500 in the Big 12 and on the fringe of the bubble meet up in Manhattan.

North Dakota State @ Oral Roberts (FCS Central/Full Court, 8 EST) - The Bison (15-2) meet the Golden Eagles (14-3) for the Summit League regular season crown.  I’ve yet to see the Bison play this year, so I’ll certainly be DVRing this one.

San Diego State @ TCU (the mtn., 8:30 EST) - After dropping games at New Mexico and at home to BYU, the Aztecs are looking more and more like an NIT team.

Pittsburgh @ Seton Hall (Big East/FSN Pittsburgh/SNY/Full Court, 8:30 EST) - The Panthers are #2 overall, even after losing at Providence on Thursday.  They’ll look to recover (and stay at those lofty heights) by winning in Newark tonight.

UCLA @ California (ESPN, 9 EST) - The Bruins really struggled in Palo Alto on Thursday, while the Bears are coming off a hard-fought OT win over USC.  Even though UCLA isn’t a vintage Bruin club, a win here would help the case of a team that’s been swept by Oregon State tremendously.

South Carolina @ Vanderbilt (ESPNU, 9 EST) - The Gamecocks look to keep ahold of the SEC East lead.  They beat Vandy by 10 in Columbia.

Sunday

Marquette @ Louisville (CBS, 12 EST) - OK, Golden Eagles…how will you play without Dominic James?

Buffalo @ Ohio (ESPNU, 12 EST) - The Bulls have lost four in a row, meaning they now share the MAC East lead at 9-4 with Akron and Bowling Green.  The Bobcats are in last place in the division, but  they’re only two games back.

Missouri @ Kansas or Tennessee @ Florida (CBS, 2 EST) - The battle of Big 12 3-seeds is a rematch of the Tigers 62-60 win over the Jayhawks in Columbia three weeks ago.  Will the Mizzou D be able to wear down KU a second time?  In the other game, the Gators will be glad to be at home, as they can’t buy a road win.  Both teams need a win to stay in the hunt for a bye in Tampa.

Providence @ Rutgers (ESPNU, 2 EST) - The Friars are in today’s bracket after their dominating win over Pitt Thursday.  They can’t afford to lose at the RAC.

Michigan @ Wisconsin (Big Ten, 2 EST) - The Wolverines are also new today, but they need to win one of their last two road games (the other is at Minnesota) to truly have a chance.

Cincinnati @ Syracuse (Big East/Altitude/CST/FS Ohio/MASN/SNY/Full Court, 2 EST) - The Bearcats will be confident after they got a win in Bob Huggins’ return on Thursday night.  The Orange look to stop their slide toward the bubble.

Michigan State @ Illinois (CBS, 4 EST) - The Spartans (12-3) can clinch the Big Ten regular season title outright by beating the second-place Illini (11-5).

West Virginia @ USF (Big East/MASN/MSG/Full Court, 4 EST) - The Mountaineers face a different away experience than the one they encountered on Thursday.

Maryland @ NC State (FSN/selected CSN outlets, 7:30 EST) - The Terps are still hanging in my projection, even after losing to Duke Wednesday night.  This is exactly the type of road trip that has caused Maryland trouble in the past.

Next projection will be out Monday evening.

There are quite a few interesting storylines tonight.  Bob Huggins returns to Cincy for the first time as coach at WVU.  Illinois will try to break 40 against Minnesota.  Arizona State visits Washington with the Pac-10 lead on the line.  And, for the second straight game. Memphis faces a serious challenge to its C-USA win streak.

West Virginia @ Cincinnati (ESPN, 7 EST) - At halftime, Bob Huggins takes on Nancy Zimpher in a winner-take-all cage match.  OK, maybe not.  The Mountaineers are a game up on the Bearcats in the Big East race, and they’ve been dominating their fellow Big East bubble brethren (only losing to Syracuse).

Xavier @ St. Joseph’s (ESPN2, 7 EST) - The A-10 race is tightening and the Musketeers need a win to stay ahead Temple, Dayton, and now Rhode Island (93-91 OT winners over the Flyers last night).

Minnesota @ Illinois (Big Ten, 7 EST) - The Illini only managed 36 points when they visited Williams Arena last month.  Has a team ever won double-digit games in a major conference in the shot clock era and while not managing to crack 40 in two games?

Miami @ Virginia (Raycom Regional/Full Court, 8 EST) - The Canes are pretty much finished if they drop this one.

Wake Forest @ NC State (Raycom Regional/Full Court, 8 EST) - The Demon Deacons look to avenge an 82-76 loss in Raleigh 15 days ago.

Purdue @ Michigan (ESPN, 9 EST) - The Wolverines should be up for this one, since it is a ranked opponent at home.  Michigan closes with road games against Wisconsin and Minnesota, two other teams looking to sneak in.

Memphis @ UAB (ESPN2, 9 EST) - 54 games ago, the Blazers were the last C-USA opponent to beat the Tigers (back on March 2, 2006).  They may be able to end the streak tonight.

Arizona @ Washington State (FSN Regional, 9 EST) - With  the Bay Area schools visiting next weekend, the Wildcats need at least a split of their trip to the Northwest.

UCLA @ Stanford (Prime Ticket/CSN Bay Area/FCS Pacific, 10:30 EST) - The Bruins have dropped three of four.  They should get back on track against a team they beat by 34 at Pauley.

USC @ California (CSN California, 10:30 EST) - Thanks to non-conference performance, the Trojans need this one more than the Bears, even if Cal did get swept by Oregon State.

Arizona State @ Washington (FSN Regional, 11 EST) - The Sun Devils can take sole possession of first place from the Huskies with a win tonight.

It’s a little quieter tonight than I anticipated, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some monstrous matchups on TV.

Connecticut @ Marquette (ESPN, 7 EST) - Every political activist’s favorite person goes for win #800.   Jim Calhoun’s team seeks to hold off the charging Golden Eagles and stay in a first place tie with Louisville.  If Marquette wins, they’ll join the Cardinals atop the league.

Rutgers @ Notre Dame (ESPNU, 7 EST) - The Irish look for their second straight win.  Of their last four, only two are truly winnable (tonight and St. John’s on March 6).   A road trip to UConn and visit from Villanova fall in between.  I don’t envy Fred Hill’s team this evening.

Kentucky @ South Carolina (Raycom/FS Florida/FS South/Full Court, 7 EST) - Since the Gators and Vols dropped their last games, this one is for first in the SEC East.  The Gamecocks are going for the season sweep of the Wildcats.

Dayton @ Rhode Island (local TV only in both markets, 7 EST) - The Rams are a game behind Xavier for the A-10 lead.  Dayton and Temple are a half-game out.   While the Flyers have a strong case for an at-large, URI will have to win the auto bid.

Virginia Tech @ Clemson (ESPN2, 7:30 EST) - The Hokies lost to the Tigers 86-82 in Blacksburg.  They desperately need to break a three-game skid to get back in the conversation.

Navy @ American (CBS CS, 8 EST) - The Eagles clinched a tie for the Patriot League title by beating Holy Cross Saturday.  They can wrap up the one seed (and homecourt advantage throughout the conference tournament) by beating the third-placed Middies tonight.

Duke @ Maryland (ESPN, 9 EST) - The Terps look for their second straight huge home win, which would pretty much sew up a bid.

Kansas State @ Missouri (ESPNU, 9 EST) - The Tigers can’t be caught looking ahead to their matchup at KU on Sunday.  (They also host OU in one week’s time.)  This is the Wildcats’ last chance at a big regular season win.

Mississippi State @ Tennessee (Raycom/FS Florida/FS South/Full Court, 9 EST) - Thanks to their non-league wins, the Vols are in better shape for a bid than the Bulldogs, but UT needs to start winning again.

Texas Tech @ Texas (ESPN2, 9:30 EST) - The Longhorns look to build on their win Saturday night over Oklahoma, and a Pat Knight-less Tech team stands in their way.  (OK, so maybe “stands in their way” isn’t the right term.)

UNLV @ Utah (the mtn., 10 EST) - BYU beat San Diego State last night, snapping the Aztecs’ 10-game home win streak.  That sets up a huge game in Provo on Saturday, even if the Utes drop this one.  The Rebels need this road win for their resume.

Oklahoma State @ Colorado (FSN Rocky Mtn./Cowboy Sports/Full Court, 10:30 EST) - Well, Baylor failed in their attempt to stay alive last night, while A&M pulled out a close one on the road.  Now, it’s the Cowboys turn to win a road game against a beatable North Division opponent.

After a couple of relatively quiet Tuesday nights, Shrove Tuesday more than comes through in the action department.   It’s hard to believe that two short weeks from now, we’ll be in the thick of Championship Week.

Penn State @ Ohio State (ESPN, 7 EST) - After dropping three straight, the Buckeyes are firmly on the bubble with the Nittany Lions, the last team in my bracket.  While OSU has better out-of-conference wins to brag about, it won’t matter much if they finish markedly behind PSU in the Big Ten standings.  Right now, the gap is only a game, in favor of Penn State.

Pittsburgh @ Providence (Big East/FSN Pittsburgh/CST/MASN/SNY/Full Court, 7 EST) - Pitt looks to be in the best position to grab the tournament’s #1 overall seed.   The Friars, meanwhile, are on tourney life support thanks to losses to Louisville and Notre Dame.  Pulling the upset would immediately move PC, who lacks a marquee win, back into the conversation.

Syracuse @ St. John’s (Big East/Full Court, 7;30 EST) - The Orange, now 7-7 in the Big East (for those of us keeping track), desperately need to get back on track.  4-10 St. John’s in the Garden is the first of three very winnable games for SU (Cincy on Sunday and Rutgers on Tuesday, both in the Dome, are the others).

TCU @ New Mexico (the mtn., 8:30 EST) and BYU @ San Diego State (the mtn., 10:30 EST) - The winner between the Cougars and Aztecs will rise to second in the MWC.  The Lobos can join them with a win over the Horned Frogs.

Florida @ LSU (ESPN, 9 EST) - The Bayou Bengals look for a win to cap Mardi Gras.   At 11-1, LSU is running away with the SEC regular season title.  The Tigers already have beaten the two East frontrunners they’ve met:  South Carolina, 85-68, in Baton Rouge and Tennessee, 79-73, in Knoxville.  Meanwhile, the Gators are looking for their third win in a row and fifth straight victory over an SEC West opponent.

Florida State @ Boston College (ESPNU, 9 EST) - The Eagles need a win after suffering an 11-point thumping at the hands of Miami Saturday.  The Seminoles are a 3-point loss at UNC away from being in first in the ACC.  However, a loss here could hurt their seeding.

Baylor @ Iowa State (Big 12/Altitude/YES/MASN/Full Court, 9 EST) - The Bears need to win their last four (@ISU, Colorado, @Texas, Nebraska) to get to .500 in the Big 12.  If they do that, they’ll definitely be in the conversation because of the win in Austin.  However, they have to take care of business in Ames first.

Texas A&M @ Nebraska (ESPN2, 9:30 EST) - Like Baylor, the Aggies have a schedule that is favorable to reaching .500 in the league (@NU, ISU, @Colorado, Missouri).  A&M has the added advantage of being 5-7 instead of 4-8, however.  If they win in Lincoln, 8-8 is a near certainty and 9-7 is within reach, since they get the Tigers in College Station instead of Columbia.