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Preview Roundups

March 13, 2014

Florida St. at Maryland 12:00 PM ET

Maryland will go into its final ACC tournament with plenty of confidence when it meets Florida State in the second round Thursday at Greensboro, N.C. The eighth-seeded Terrapins, who move to the Big Ten next season, knocked off ACC regular-season champion Virginia 75-69 in overtime Sunday and look poised to make a run in the conference tournament again. Ninth seed Florida State comes in with four victories in its last six games, but dropped a 74-58 decision to Syracuse on Sunday.

Illinois at Indiana 12:00 PM ET

Illinois lost any chance of garnering an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament with a long midseason losing streak, but the Illini’s strong finish figures to make them a threat as they face Indiana on Thursday in a first-round Big Ten tournament game in Indianapolis. Illinois lost in eight in a row and 10 of 11 during a slide that dropped it to the bottom of the conference. The ninth-seeded Illini rebounded with four victories in their final five games, including wins at Michigan State and Iowa.

Seton Hall at Villanova 12:00 PM ET

Not only is Villanova the top seed in the Big East tournament, but the better news for the third-ranked Wildcats is that they cannot possibly face Creighton until the tournament's title game. The Wildcats have won 17 of 19 games since New Year's Eve, losing only their two meetings with the Bluejays by a total of 49 points. Villanova has defeated Seton Hall twice this season - by 16 and 17 points - and will face the Pirates again Thursday in the quarterfinals in New York.

Kansas St. at Iowa St. 12:30 PM ET

Iowa State star Melvin Ejim proved unguardable in two regular-season meetings against Kansas State and the defensive-minded Wildcats will attempt to slow him down when they play the No. 16 Cyclones in Thursday’s Big 12 tournament matchup. Ejim, the Big 12 Player of the Year, averaged 25 points and 12.5 rebounds as the teams split the regular-season meetings.

Houston at Southern Methodist 1:00 PM ET

Southern Methodist lost its final two regular-season games to finish in a three-way tie for third in the American Athletic Conference, but the Mustangs still managed to hold on to the No. 3 seed heading into the quarterfinals of the league tournament Thursday, when they take on sixth-seeded Houston in Memphis. The Mustangs landed the Cougars as their opponent and avoided opening against Memphis on its home floor when Louisville beat Connecticut in the regular-season finale Saturday.

Texas A&M at Missouri 1:00 PM ET

Teams in desperate need of a win to improve their postseason resumes square off in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday when No. 9 seed Texas A&M faces eighth-seeded Missouri at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The winner gets top-seeded, well-rested and No. 1- ranked Florida (29-2), which has a bye into the quarterfinals, on Friday afternoon.

Wake Forest at Pittsburgh 2:00 PM ET

Fifth-seeded Pittsburgh steadied itself by winning three of the last four games and looks to build on that when it faces Wake Forest in the second round of its first ACC tournament on Thursday at Greensboro, N.C. The Panthers beat the No. 12 seed Demon Deacons 80-65 during the regular season. “It’s exciting,” Pittsburgh point guard James Robinson told the Pittsburgh Gazette. “We are going to try and take the best of what we learned during the season and go down and play the best we can.”

Purdue at Ohio St. 2:25 PM ET

No team seems to enjoy the Big Ten tournament more than Ohio State, which will put its run of five straight title-game appearances on the line starting Thursday when it faces No. 12 seed Purdue in a first-round matchup. The fifth-seeded Buckeyes claimed their third tournament championship over the last four seasons last March and have won 18 of their last 22 games at the event. Overall, Ohio State has four tourney titles and has reached the final seven times in 10 seasons under coach Thad Matta.

St. John's at Providence 2:30 PM ET

St. John's and Providence square off Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament in a game where the loser is likely headed to the NIT. The fifth-seeded Red Storm and fourth-seeded Friars enter this matchup with identical records - in the league and overall - and each team needs a win to feel comfortable about reaching the NCAA Tournament. The squads split a pair of meetings this season, with each winning on the other's home court.

Utah at Arizona 3:00 PM ET

Arizona appears to have a firm hold on a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, regardless of what happens at this week’s Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas - beginning with a quarterfinal matchup against Utah on Thursday. Things are more unclear for the No. 8 seed Utes, who remain squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble even after defeating Washington 67-61 in Wednesday’s first round. Utah has lost nine straight to top-seeded Arizona.

Utah St. at San Diego St. 3:00 PM ET

No. 7 San Diego State starts its quest for a Mountain West tournament title to go with its regular-season crown with Thursday's matchup against a Utah State squad that it beat twice during the conference campaign. The top-seeded Aztecs are certainly hoping to improve their seeding in the eyes of the NCAA Tournament committee as well, hoping for a few upsets of the teams above them in the rankings to help them move up should they take the MWC crown.

Rutgers at Louisville 3:00 PM ET

You don't have to tell seventh-seeded Rutgers that No. 5 Louisville is playing its best basketball of the season heading into Thursday's American Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinals in Memphis, Tenn. The Scarlet Knights hung with the defending national champion in January before suffering a 102-54 loss to the Cardinals last month. Louisville won nine of its final 10 games to claim a share of the AAC regular-season title but lost a coin flip with Cincinnati for the tournament's top seed.

Oklahoma St. at Kansas 3:00 PM ET

Top-seeded Kansas will be without standout center Joel Embiid when it begins Big 12 tourney play with a quarterfinal matchup against Marcus Smart-led Oklahoma State on Thursday in Kansas City. Embiid, the conference Defensive Player of the Year, has a stress fracture in his back and will miss at least two weeks, including the first week of the NCAA Tournament. Smart had a terrific all-around game as the eighth-seeded Cowboys beat ninth-seeded Texas Tech in Wednesday’s opening round.

South Carolina at Arkansas 3:25 PM ET

Arkansas seemed to be building up a lot of momentum for the SEC tournament with six straight wins before ending the regular season with a 83-58 clunker at Alabama, falling behind 39-16 in the first half in the process. "We burned it," head coach Mike Anderson said on Monday's SEC teleconference when asked if he would use video from that game as a teaching tool." The fifth-seeded Razorbacks will try to get that bitter taste out of their mouths against 13th seed South Carolina on Thursday.

Colorado at California 5:30 PM ET

An NCAA Tournament berth could be on the line Thursday when No. 5 seed Colorado meets fourth-seeded California in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas. The game is a rematch from last Saturday, when the Golden Bears edged the Buffaloes 66-65 in overtime in Berkeley despite going without a field goal in the extra period. The win earned California a first-round bye in the league tournament, where Colorado edged upset-minded USC 59-56 in Wednesday's first round.

Penn St. at Minnesota 6:30 PM ET

Perhaps no team in Indianapolis has more to gain this week than Minnesota, which will try to bolster its NCAA Tournament resume starting with Thursday's first-round game at the Big Ten tournament. The sixth-seeded Golden Gophers sport the nation’s seventh-best strength of schedule, but figure to be squarely on the bubble thanks to their uneven play in conference action. Minnesota helped its cause with Sunday’s 81-63 victory over the Nittany Lions for its second win in three games.

Alabama at Louisiana State 7:00 PM ET

LSU looks to rebound from two losses in its last three regular season games as it prepares to face No. 10 seed Alabama in the second round of the SEC Tournament in Atlanta on Thursday. The seventh-seeded Tigers lost 69-61 at home to Georgia on Senior Day, which likely ensured they will miss the NCAA tournament for the fifth consecutive year. "We've got to make sure that we're prepared for a real tough conference tournament," coach Johnny Jones told reporters.

Miami-Florida at N.C. State 7:00 PM ET

The key for any team playing North Carolina State is to slow down T.J. Warren, but opposing offenses have found that task very difficult. The ACC Player of the Year leads the Wolfpack into Thursday’s second round of the conference tournament against defending tournament champion Miami (Fla.), and the league’s leading scorer enters the postseason off consecutive games of 40-plus points, the first time an ACC player has accomplished that feat since 1990.

Baylor at Oklahoma 7:00 PM ET

Oklahoma ended the regular-season with three consecutive double-digit victories but the second-seeded Sooners will see another hot club in Baylor when they open play in Thursday’s quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City. The No. 18 Sooners fared well against the seventh-seeded Bears in the regular season, winning both matchups, including a 16-point win in the second meeting. Baylor is playing well with eight wins in nine games after Wednesday's 80-62 victory over Texas Christian.

DePaul at Creighton 7:00 PM ET

Doug McDermott has enjoyed a remarkable senior season and can add to his lure by leading No. 14 Creighton to a Big East tournament title in its first year in the conference. The second-seeded Bluejays begin their first appearance at the event Thursday when they face 10th-seeded DePaul in the quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden in New York. McDermott, the likely National Player of the Year in college basketball, leads the nation in scoring at 26.5 points per game.

Central Florida at Cincinnati 7:00 PM ET

Cincinnati enters Thursday's American Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinal in Memphis, Tenn., with one of the league's top defenses, but ninth-seeded Central Florida will have a little confidence after scoring 198 points in its past two games. The No. 12 Bearcats won four of their last six games to claim a share of the AAC title and won a coin flip over Louisville for the top seed. Cincinnati, which swept the Knights by a combined 46 points, has held 28 opponents to fewer than 70 points.

Northwestern at Iowa 8:55 PM ET

Little has come easy for Iowa recently, making Thursday’s first-round Big Ten tournament game in Indianapolis against Northwestern all the more appealing. The sixth-seeded Hawkeyes appeared to be a lock for the NCAA Tournament in mid-February, but losses in five of their final six contests have made the Big Dance much less of a certainty. "I think we're a little bit fragile. I think that's safe to say," coach Fran McCaffrey told Hawkeyes Insider.

Memphis at Connecticut 9:00 PM ET

Connecticut will try to beat fifth-seeded Memphis for a third time this season when the teams meet Thursday in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference tournament in Memphis. In their most recent meeting, Shabazz Napier scored a career-high 34 points as the senior guard led the Huskies to an 86-81 overtime victory on Feb. 15. Connecticut, seeded fourth, missed out on the third seed when it was blown out at No. 2 Louisville on Saturday.

Georgia Tech at Clemson 9:00 PM ET

Clemson opens the ACC tournament against Georgia Tech in Thursday’s second round at Greensboro, N.C. as the sixth seed, and the road ahead is one the Tigers have navigated well this season. Clemson has defeated 11th seed Georgia Tech twice and, should the Tigers advance, they would face No. 3 seed Duke in Friday’s quarterfinals – a team the Tigers beat in their only matchup. The Yellow Jackets advanced out of the opening round with a 73-70 overtime victory Wednesday over Boston College.

Fresno St. at New Mexico 9:00 PM ET

New Mexico begins its pursuit of a third straight Mountain West Conference tournament title when it takes on Fresno State in a quarterfinal matchup Thursday in Las Vegas. The second-seeded Lobos utilized their trademark staunch defense to soar to the crown last season - holding opponents to an average of 50.7 points - before falling flat in a first-round loss in the NCAA Tournament.

Oregon at UCLA 9:00 PM ET

UCLA looks to slow down one of the hottest teams in the country Thursday when the second-seeded Bruins face No. 7 seed Oregon in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas. The Ducks won their eighth straight Wednesday with an 88-74 victory over No. 10 seed Oregon State, which faded down the stretch against the deeper Oregon squad. The Ducks bench outscored the Oregon State reserves 46-6, and coach Dana Altman was able to rest his starters for much of the second half.

Mississippi St. at Mississippi 9:25 PM ET

Sixth-seeded Mississippi begins its quest to defend its SEC tournament crown when it faces in-state rival Mississippi State in the second round in Atlanta on Thursday. The Rebels need to run the table once again to ensure a berth in the NCAA Tournament after a disappointing regular season, which saw them drop six of their last eight games. "I think we might have a setup where we can make a run," senior guard Marshall Henderson told reporters. "We feel like we can beat any team."

West Virginia at Texas 9:30 PM ET

West Virginia ended the regular season with an impressive victory over top-seeded Kansas but the Mountaineers have more work to do if they want to be part of the NCAA Tournament field. Sixth-seeded West Virginia opens Big 12 tournament play in Kansas City against third-seeded Texas on Thursday and is in need of a strong run after enduring a 2-5 stretch prior to the victory over the Jayhawks. The third-seeded Longhorns suffered a late-season swoon, finishing 4-5.

Marquette at Xavier 9:30 PM ET

Xavier appears to be on the NCAA Tournament bubble, and a loss to Marquette in Thursday's Big East quarterfinals in New York would do the Musketeers no favors as they seek a return to the Big Dance. The Musketeers missed the NCAAs last year for the first time since 2005 and last failed to reach the Tournament in back-to-back years in 1999 and 2000. Their resume includes wins over Creighton, Tennessee and Cincinnati, although a loss to Marquette would mark three straight defeats.

Stanford at Arizona St. 11:30 PM ET

It should come as no surprise if Arizona State’s Jahii Carson comes up aces at the Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas, where the third-seeded Sun Devils face No. 6 seed Stanford in Thursday’s quarterfinals. Carson scored 34 points in a first-round win over the Cardinal in last year’s tournament and has averaged 28.8 points on 59.6 percent shooting in five career games in Las Vegas. The 5-10 point guard averaged 25 points in two games this season against Stanford.