ESPN Men's Basketball

We have now entered conference realignment's Stage 3. Or is it Stage 4? It's hard to keep track.

Part of the reason it's so hard to definitively describe the where we are in the realignment process is because Stage 1 remains alive and well. Conference realignment isn't Harold Hill. It doesn't stop by one conference, convince university presidents they need a bigger television deal, and then skip town when the con is up. Conference realignment is a virus. It infects cells one by one, but remains thriving in its previously infected hosts, even as it spreads further and further outward. We're almost two years past the Big Ten's opening moves, and the Big East is still flailing, the Big 12 is still looking, and UConn is still trying to get into the ACC. ("Come on, Boston College, let's bury the hatchet!")

The only difference now, as our Dana O'Neil examined in today's look at realignment's latest stage, is that everybody's in on the game. The WAC, the Mountain West, Conference USA, the Sun Belt -- there is no untouched, pristine land left. As Sun Belt Conference commissioner Karl Benson told Dana:

"I still think there are other changes that will occur, and it's all linked,'' said Sun Belt Conference commissioner Karl Benson, himself a realigned leader, having dashed from the fading WAC to the Sun Belt in March. "If the Big 12 does something, the Big East will react. If the Big East does something, Conference USA will react. If Conference USA does something, we'll react. You're already seeing the Colonial, Horizon and Atlantic 10 with changes, conferences that had been untouched through all of this. I think there's still a lot of movement that will occur.''

To wit: On Thursday, the Associated Press reported that Oakland, the dominant Summit League team of the past five seasons, is openly pushing for an invitation to the Horizon League. Long-time Oakland coach Greg Kampe tried to make the push a decade ago, but the University of Detroit, skeptical of sharing the Detroit market with an in-conference foe, kept the Golden Grizzlies at bay. From the AP:

"I know that's a fact because I called the athletic director then, Brad Kinsman, and he told me," Kampe said.

Kinsman said Wednesday that Kampe's recollection is accurate.

"The feeling back then was that it didn't make sense to share this market with another school in the same conference," said Kinsman, who retired in 2006. "Times have changed, coaches have changed, but I don't know what the thinking is now."

From a sheer performance standpoint, Kampe's desire is hardly outlandish. The Golden Grizzlies would have been near the top of the Horizon League in the past three seasons in attendance and RPI, which is what really matters. In terms of actual on-court performance, the Golden Grizzlies' Ken Pomeroy average adjusted efficiency rank over the past four seasons is 116.5; that would have put them right in the thick of last season's Horizon League, whose average KenPom rank was 174.6 and had only four teams rank higher than the Grizzlies overall. (In 2011, Oakland's best season in decades, Kampe's team ranked No. 66 in efficiency. Only Butler, at No. 41, ranked higher.)

Plus, there are good common sense reasons why it could work. Kampe cites the travel footprint as beneficial; teams could play Oakland and Detroit within two days' time and "wouldn't even have to change hotels." And then there's the potential of a budding rivalry:

"I think an Oakland-Detroit rivalry would be huge in southeast Michigan," he said. "When we played, there would be full houses, we'd be on the front page of the Detroit News and Free Press. There also would be television exposure that would help both schools and the Horizon. I don't see how it would be a negative for Detroit to have us in the same league."

I admit I'm not as familiar with the dynamics of the Detroit college hoops scene as some; would an Oakland-Detroit rivalry really generate front page local interest? That seems a little ambitious, right? (Commenters, please enlighten us). But even if Kampe is overstating the case, the points are valid. Oakland almost feels like a Horizon League already. This makes sense.

But the point of this isn't the suspense -- oh, the suspense! -- of a possible Oakland-to-Horizon move. It is, as Dana wrote, that realignment is no longer merely about the big boys. It is not longer just about football. Football is still a major concern, of course, but now that conferences large and small are doing everything in their power merely to survive as leagues, the doors are opening and closing everywhere. Basketball is a concern. In many cases, it is the only concern.

I don't know what we call this stage of realignment. The "technology adoption lifecycle," originally developed by three researchers studying agricultural innovation patterns at Iowa State University, produced the Rogers' bell curve, which looks like this. Maybe we're in the "late majority" stage? Or maybe agricultural innovation adoption has nothing to do with conference realignment, and this entire paragraph was pointless?

Maybe so. But rest assured, no school and no league wants to end up labeled a "laggard." No one -- and for what seems like the first time since this whole thing started, I mean no one -- wants to risk being left behind. Everyone is moving; everyone is looking. The question is: Where do we stop?

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Here's a look at the evening action at New Mexico's famed Pit:

No. 6 UNLV (26-8) vs. No. 11 Colorado (23-11), 9:57 p.m. ET

The beauty of any playoff structure is that momentum can carry a team to a title.

The best teams don't always match up in a championship. Who's hot, at the right time, can ultimately be the difference.

Connecticut wasn't the best team a year ago. The Huskies had one of the top players and certainly were one of the hottest teams after winning the Big East tournament with a run of five wins in five days.

Momentum is on the side of Vanderbilt and Florida State, two teams that weren't supposed to win their respective conferences in the SEC and ACC.

But no power six conference had more of a stunner in the conference tournament than the Pac-12. Colorado had been a nice home team this season, but the Buffaloes couldn't match that productivity on the road. So there was no reason to believe it would occur on a neutral floor in Los Angeles. But it did.

And as a result Colorado won the automatic bid out of the Pac-12 and, after Cal's First Four loss Wednesday night, is now the only remaining representative of the once-mighty conference.

"It's about being the hottest team and who is playing the best right now," second-year coach Tad Boyle said. "We're playing as good as anybody because of our toughness and grit and determination."

The Buffs are riding the momentum of knocking off Utah, Oregon, Cal and Arizona on successive days and now have an 11 vs. 6 matchup Thursday against UNLV at the Pit.

"We've talked about the confidence factor that Colorado played with with four very good games in four days," UNLV coach Dave Rice said. "They're coming in on a roll. So we understand the confidence they're playing with."

UNLV got beat on its home floor by league champ New Mexico in the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference tournament last week at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Colorado has momentum. UNLV does not. The Rebs went just 5-4 down the stretch. The familiarity of playing in the Pit may favor UNLV because the players have been on the floor here, but the distance from Boulder, Colo., as opposed to from Las Vegas shouldn't give one team an advantage over the other.

Boyle said the Buffaloes aren't cocky. They're confident. A year ago, the Big 12's Buffs were miffed that they were snubbed by the selection committee. That team lost Alec Burks and Cory Higgins. This team has a collection of players that defends with more attention to detail and there is more balance, led by Andre Roberson, Austin Dufault, Spencer Dinwiddie and former Utah wing Carlon Brown.

"This year's team is much more committed to defense," Boyle said. "There's no pressure. But we're not just happy to be here."

Rice said that the Buffaloes' ability to get into the lane, to get to the free throw line and to rebound the ball well are all basic keys. UNLV has had its moments where it has looked the part of a second-weekend team when Mike Moser is rebounding at a high clip and Anthony Marshall is making shots. Vegas beat North Carolina early in the season when the Tar Heels were No. 1 in the country. The potential is there for the Runnin' Rebels to go on a run in this bracket. But UNLV doesn't have the momentum.

"I feel like we may have lost our legs down the stretch a little bit," Moser said. "Just got a little distracted from the major goal as far as seeding and winning a tournament. But I feel like it's kind of a new season and we've just got to refocus and go out and play."

Three players to watch

Carlon Brown, 6-5, Sr., Colorado: Brown was the Pac-12 tournament's most outstanding player. He averaged 15.8 points and made half of his shots in the tournament. Brown, like Moser, is a four-year transfer player after starting his career at Utah.

Mike Moser, 6-8, So., UNLV: Moser has had more impact than any other four-year transfer on the West Coast this season after transferring from UCLA. He has been a double-double machine for the Runnin' Rebels. If UNLV is to advance, it'll need a huge game from Moser.

Chace Stanback, 6-8, Sr., UNLV: The Rebels have more talent on the court than the Buffs. That may not translate into a win, but the combination of Moser rebounding and Stanback getting his business done on the wing with more than a dozen points a game makes them even more formidable.

No. 3 Baylor (27-7) vs. No. 14 South Dakota State (27-7), 7:27 p.m. ET

There were games this season when Baylor looked like it could win the national title. And then there were times when the Bears had the look of an over-hyped team that was long on athleticism and short on patience and production.

But the Bears recaptured their early-season success by knocking off Kansas in the Big 12 semifinals before losing to Missouri.

"We've got a lot of that momentum from the tournament for the fact that we all trust each other," said Baylor's Perry Jones III. "We've all got confidence in each other and we're all looking for each other for support. We're being aggressive and playing together."

The Bears have the length to seriously fluster the Jackrabbits. If Jones III, Quincy Acy and Quincy Miller use their size and reach to their advantage, then the game should be over. But South Dakota State can shoot as well as any team in this bracket, and if the game is more up-tempo then it could negate the Bears' ability to control the post.

"Everyone has talked about their length, but quite honestly, it's the smallest guy who concerns me the most," said South Dakota State coach Scott Nagy of Baylor lead guard Pierre Jackson, who has arguably been the difference for this team. "I know having coached junior college players that it takes a little while for them to adjust. They're almost like freshmen and then by the end of the senior year, they're tremendous."

Nagy said the Jackrabbits will have to contain Jackson if they want a shot to win. He knows the length of Baylor's bigs is a concern -- as well as the potential for Jackson to dictate everything.

"My biggest concern is how are we going to stop them? When we do stop them, how are we going to rebound the basketball?" Nagy said. "And with these guys, it's going to be the best team we've ever played at South Dakota State. Let's just put it that way. We know it. In order to stay in the game, we'll have to play the game of our lives."

Baylor coach Scott Drew said that South Dakota State reminds him of Missouri with its ability to shoot the 3-pointer. Nate Wolters has some Bryce Drew in his game, too, according to Drew.

Baylor should win. The Bears have the athleticism, the quickness, the length, the talent. But the Jackrabbits do have the ability to negate that with the 3.

"It's had to be for us since we're not a huge team," Nagy said of the 3-pointer being a difference for the Jackrabbits. "When we do shoot the ball well it really opens up the floor for Nate."

Wolters will have to have a dominating performance to pull off this upset.

Three players to watch

Perry Jones III, 6-11, So., Baylor: Jones is more than capable of a 30-plus-point, 15-rebound performance. When he's focused and into the game, he can be as dominant a player as there is in the country.

Pierre Jackson, 5-10, Jr., Baylor: Jackson was the missing piece to ensuring the Bears were an NCAA team this season. He has been the most consistent player on the team, ensuring this group never lost its way for more than a few games. He is the ultimate playmaker for a fast-paced, long team like Baylor that can run the break and finish on dump-down passes in the lane.

Nate Wolters, 6-3, Jr., South Dakota State: Wolters averages 21.3 points and 5.2 rebounds a game. He has the ball in his hands quite a bit and that's a good thing for SDSU. He makes plays and isn't afraid to take any shot.

You’ve kept up with his projections for the past few months, but Joe Lunardi doesn’t go into hibernation once the real bracket comes out. Our resident Bracketologist is a hardcore basketball fan who knows his stuff. Here are his picks for the Big Dance:

SOUTH

Second round
1 Kentucky over 16 Western Kentucky
9 Connecticut over 8 Iowa State
5 Wichita State over 12 VCU
13 New Mexico State over 4 Indiana
6 UNLV over 11 Colorado
3 Baylor over 14 South Dakota State
7 Notre Dame over 10 Xavier
2 Duke over 15 Lehigh

Third round
1 Kentucky over 9 Connecticut
5 Wichita State over 13 New Mexico State
3 Baylor over 6 UNLV
2 Duke over 7 Notre Dame

Sweet 16
1 Kentucky over 5 Wichita State
3 Baylor over 2 Duke

Elite Eight
1 Kentucky over 3 Baylor

WEST

Second round
1 Michigan State over 16 LIU Brooklyn
9 Saint Louis over 8 Memphis
5 New Mexico over 12 Long Beach State
4 Louisville over 13 Davidson
6 Murray State over 11 Colorado State
3 Marquette over 14 BYU
7 Florida over 10 Virginia
2 Missouri over 15 Norfolk State

Third round
1 Michigan State over 9 Saint Louis
5 New Mexico over 4 Louisville
3 Marquette over 6 Murray State
2 Missouri over 7 Florida

Sweet 16
1 Michigan State over 5 New Mexico
2 Missouri over 3 Marquette

Elite Eight
2 Missouri over 1 Michigan State

EAST

Second round
1 Syracuse over 16 UNC Asheville
8 Kansas State over 9 Southern Miss
5 Vanderbilt over 12 Harvard
4 Wisconsin over 13 Montana
6 Cincinnati over 11 Texas
3 Florida State over 14 St. Bonaventure
10 West Virginia over 7 Gonzaga
2 Ohio State over 15 Loyola (Md.)

Third round
1 Syracuse over 8 Kansas State
4 Wisconsin over 5 Vanderbilt
3 Florida State over 6 Cincinnati
2 Ohio State over 10 West Virginia

Sweet 16
4 Wisconsin over 1 Syracuse
2 Ohio State over 3 Florida State

Elite Eight
4 Wisconsin over 2 Ohio State

MIDWEST

Second round
1 North Carolina over 16 Lamar
9 Alabama over 8 Creighton
5 Temple over 12 California
4 Michigan over 13 Ohio
11 NC State over 6 San Diego State
3 Georgetown over 14 Belmont
7 Saint Mary's over 10 Purdue
2 Kansas over 15 Detroit

Third round
1 North Carolina over 9 Alabama
4 Michigan over 5 Temple
11 NC State over 3 Georgetown
2 Kansas over 7 Saint Mary's

Sweet 16
1 North Carolina over 4 Michigan
2 Kansas over 11 NC State

Elite Eight
1 North Carolina over 2 Kansas

NATIONAL SEMIFINALS
Kentucky over Missouri
North Carolina over Wisconsin

NATIONAL TITLE GAME
Kentucky over North Carolina

As you all are filling out your brackets, you’re searching for possible upsets. Well, put down your pens and read about the following mid-major stars who could send shockwaves through the field of 68:

[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Ricardo ArduengoIona point guard Scott Machado will lead the Gaels against BYU in the tournament's first round.
1. Scott Machado (Iona): Now that Iona is in the field, the field has to worry about Iona. The Gaels have star power with Machado, Michael Glover and Lamont “Momo” Jones. Machado is one of the best point guards in America, as he’s leading the nation with 9.9 apg. And he’s the key to Iona’s top-ranked scoring offense (83.3 ppg). The Gaels open up the tournament with a matchup against BYU in Dayton. Machado will be the best player on the floor.
2. Will Cherry (Montana): He’s scored 20 or more in 10 games this season. He’s a versatile scorer (16.0 ppg) and he’s also a stubborn defender (2.6 spg, sixth in the nation). He’s the explosive, under-the-radar star that could break a multitude of brackets. Wisconsin is a strong defensive team, but Cherry could give the Badgers a lot of problems on both ends of the court.
3. Doug McDermott (Creighton): He’s a finalist for the Wooden Award. A true star. Yes, everyone knows what McDermott is capable of. But he will shift to another gear in the Big Dance. Proof? He’s averaged 25.3 points in his team’s last six games. I think the 8-seed is low for the Bluejays. But the Midwest region presents an opportunity for McDermott to meet former high school teammate Harrison Barnes in a third-round matchup against North Carolina. McDermott could be the star of that game.
4. Joe Ragland (Wichita State): The Shockers open up the tournament with a tough matchup against VCU. But with Ragland, a senior guard averaging 13.4 ppg, they can get through the first weekend. Ragland had 30 points during a BracketBusters matchup against Davidson. Most casual fans have never heard of the senior from West Springfield, Mass. Well, give it a few days, especially if the Shockers end up in the Sweet 16.
5. Nate Wolters (South Dakota State): I saw the Minnesota native in high school. Even as a prep, he had the same offensive savvy that’s translated to the collegiate level. The Jackrabbits star is averaging 21.3 ppg, ninth in the nation. He’s the reason some Baylor fans are worried about their team’s matchup against South Dakota State in the second round. He’s scored 30 or more in six games.
6. Casper Ware (Long Beach State): The 49ers won’t be complete without Larry Anderson (knee injury). But even if the defensive standout can’t go against New Mexico, Long Beach State will still be dangerous. Ware (17.4 ppg) is a 5-foot-10 assassin. He scored 33 points in the 49ers’ Big West tournament title game victory over UC-Santa Barbara. Not impressed? He scored 29 against North Carolina, 26 against San Diego State and 16 against Kansas. Don’t let the mid-major tag fool you. Ware has high-major game.
7. D.J. Cooper (Ohio): The junior guard is averaging 14.6 ppg for the Bobcats. He’s a threat, however, for a multitude of reasons. He’s an efficient distributor (5.7 apg). He’s a game-changing defender (2.4 spg). And he’s experienced. Two years ago, the Bobcats played in the NCAA tournament. Cooper was only a freshman then, but those early experiences helped him and the other youngsters on that team prepare for tough matchups away from home. I don’t think the Bobcats will beat the Wolverines. But John Beilein won’t take them or Cooper lightly in their second-round matchup.
8. Kerron Johnson (Belmont): One of the catalysts for a Belmont team that averages 81.5 ppg, Johnson could help the Bruins send Georgetown home early. In the Bruins’ first two games of the year -- road losses to Memphis and Duke -- Johnson recorded 28 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds and five steals combined. If he can keep his turnovers down (2.4), he might lead Belmont to an upset against the Hoyas.
9. Ray McCallum Jr. (Detroit): It has taken McCallum (15.6 ppg) two seasons to really showcase his potential. But he dominated the Horizon League tournament and looked like the coveted prospect who had a multitude of high major offers before he decided to play for his father at Detroit. Great players show up in March, and McCallum has really taken his game to the next level in recent weeks during his team’s five-game winning streak.
10. Wendell McKines (New Mexico State): He’s an interesting guy (just check his Twitter feed). But he’s also an underrated athlete. McKines (18.8 ppg, 10.8 rpg) scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in his team’s 82-57 victory over Louisiana Tech in the WAC title game. With McKines leading the way, the Aggies have won nine out of their last 10 games.

Check back Friday morning for Joe Lunardi's full bracket, but here are his basic projections through Thursday night's action.

SINCE THE LAST UPDATE

• Texas moves above “Last Four In” (No. 47 overall) with its victory over Iowa State.
• Mississippi State drops to “Last Four In” with its loss to Georgia.
• South Florida stays in the field (No. 46 overall) despite its loss to Notre Dame.
• Oregon moves from "First Four Out" to the last spot on "Next Four Out."

LAST FOUR IN

Washington
Mississippi State
Drexel
Seton Hall

FIRST FOUR OUT

Tennessee
Northwestern
NC State
Miami (Fla.)

NEXT FOUR OUT

Iona
Arizona
Saint Joseph's
Oregon

Also considered: Dayton, Marshall, Ole Miss

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN

Big East (10)
Big Ten (6)
Big 12 (6)
SEC (5)
ACC (4)
Mountain West (4)
Atlantic 10 (3)
West Coast (3)
Colonial (2)
Conference USA (2)
Missouri Valley (2)
Pac-12 (2)

AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS

Belmont (Atlantic Sun)
Creighton (Missouri Valley)
Davidson (Southern)
Detroit (Horizon)
Harvard (Ivy)
Lehigh (Patriot)
LIU Brooklyn (Northeast)
Loyola-Md. (MAAC)
Montana (Big Sky)
Murray State (OVC)
Saint Mary's (West Coast)
South Dakota State (Summit)
UNC Asheville (Big South)
VCU (Colonial)
Western Kentucky (Sun Belt)

South Dakota State beat Western Illinois 52-50 in overtime to win the Summit League championship.

Saddle Up is our semi-daily preview of the night's best basketball action. Conspiracy Keanu just totally blew its mind.

The Big East tournament is officially underway, so keep your eyes peeled for updates from Kieran Darcy and Dana O'Neil throughout the afternoon and evening. For now, though, let's preview the three games with automatic bid implications on the docket tonight -- conference championships in the Sun Belt, Summit and Horizon. One quick observation: The following three games include appearances from the Leathernecks, Jackrabbits, Titans, Crusaders, Hilltoppers and Mean Green. The obvious conclusion: Having an awesome team nickname guarantees a trip to your conference's tournament title game. That's the only explanation.

Western Kentucky vs. North Texas, Sun Belt championship, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2: The way most conferences (i.e., all of them except the Ivy League) handle their automatic bids (with the AQ going to the conference tournament champs, as opposed to the winners of the regular season), is a trade-off between fairness and fun. All things considered, Middle Tennessee, which was clearly the Sun Belt's best team all season, would be the league's best representative in the NCAA tournament. Until its second-round loss to Arkansas State, the Blue Raiders were even a fringe at-large contender. But, well, they lost to Arkansas State. That means an otherwise excellent season will probably end in the NIT, while one of these two teams will fly the Sun Belt flag in next week's NCAA tournament. And that, particularly in the case of Western Kentucky, is where "fairness" can happily take a backseat to good, old-fashioned March fun.

See, the Hilltoppers have not had a good season. You can tell as much from their 14-18 overall record, or their 7-9 mark in the Sun Belt, or their No. 197 overall rank in Ken Pomeroy's adjusted efficiency. Or, you could harken back to Jan. 5, when Louisiana-Lafayette beat WKU with six men on the floor on the final possession, a comedy of errors that ended with then-WKU coach Ken McDonald's firing. And look at the Hilltoppers now: If they beat North Texas tonight -- a team led by former elite (and academically ineligible) Missouri recruit Tony Mitchell -- they'll be in the NCAA tournament. How cool is that? OK, if you're a Middle Tennessee fan, don't answer that. But for the rest of us, I'd say the trade-off at work here is one we'll happily continue to make.

Detroit at Valparaiso, Horizon League championship, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN: After the losses of Shelvin Mack, Matt Howard and Gordon Hayward (and a handful of other key players from two straight miracle runs to the Final Four), the Horizon League no longer finds itself wedged beneath the steel-toed boot of a dominant Butler program. Valpo saw to that this past weekend, when it dumped Butler 65-46 in the league's tournament semifinals. On the other side of the bracket, Detroit's talented bunch -- including guard Ray McCallum Jr., who two years ago spurned top high-major schools in favor of playing for his dad at Detroit -- advanced past a fading Cleveland State squad. It's hard not to give the advantage to the Crusaders, given the way they systematically handled Butler and its anemic offensive attack Saturday.

But this game will have a different feel: Neither team specializes in defense (Valpo and Detroit finished ranked No. 5 and No. 7, respectively, in adjusted defensive efficiency in the Horizon League this season), but both are excellent on offense. And Detroit's attack -- McCallum's athletic prowess mixed with the stellar offensive rebounding of former Indiana transfer Eli Holman -- is sure to give Valpo some serious issues on its own floor. But that's another huge advantage: This game takes place on Valpo's campus, in Valpo's gym, the benefit of owning the top record in Horizon play this season. Should be a good one.

Western Illinois at South Dakota State, Summit League championship, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2: If you're an average college hoops fan, chances are you haven't seen South Dakota State's Nate Wolters on live television yet this season. If so, man, are you missing out. Wolters, a 6-foot-4 guard, leads his team in points (21.5), rebounds (5.1), assists (6.1) and steals (1.7) per game, and he has produced those stellar numbers while posting a top-10 usage rate nationally (32.4 percent) and still maintaining a glittery 117.4 offensive rating. The dude can ball. Chances are the Jackrabbits take this title home tonight; they're playing a hot but clearly inferior Western Illinois team on their own floor in Sioux Falls, S.D., and they have one of the best players in the country, forget the conference, on their side. If they don't win, it would be a massive upset and a major bummer for the NCAA tournament, which is always at its best when as many Nate Wolters types are involved as possible. But hey, upsets happen. Crazy things happen. Look at Western Kentucky. Best bet: Watch Wolters tonight. You can never be too safe.

Editor’s note: This update does not include BYU-Gonzaga in the WCC tournament.

NOTABLE

• North Carolina moves up to top line as projected No. 1 seed.
• Belmont (Atlantic Sun) clinches fifth NCAA bid in seven years.
• Texas falls out of field, replaced by Xavier (“Last Team In”).

Last Four In
Xavier
Northwestern
South Florida
Colorado State

First Four Out
Texas
VCU
Oregon
NC State

Next Four Out
Miami
Tennessee
Saint Joseph’s
Dayton

BRACKET MATH

Take the “solid” at-large candidates (current Tournament Odds at 90% or better) and there are now 34 teams in the field. Add in the remaining automatic qualifiers and that’s another 20 spots. All told there are 54 of the 68 spots accounted for, with 14 still up for grabs among current “Bubble” teams.

S-CURVE PROJECTIONS

1-KENTUCKY 2-SYRACUSE 3-KANSAS 4-NO. CAROLINA
8-Ohio State 7-Missouri 6-Duke 5-Michigan State*
9-Marquette 10-Georgetown 11-Baylor 12-Michigan
16-UNLV 15-Florida 14-Indiana 13-Wisconsin
17-Louisville 18-Wichita State 19-Florida State 20-TEMPLE
24-CREIGHTON 23-Notre Dame 22-Murray State 21-Vanderbilt
25-Gonzaga 26-New Mexico 27- San Diego State* 28-MEMPHIS
32-Purdue 31-Kansas State 30-Iowa State 29-SAINT MARY’S
33-Alabama 34-Cincinnati 35-Virginia 36-Southern Miss
40-Connecticut 39-Washington* 38-California 37-Saint Louis
41-West Virginia 42-Seton Hall 43-Harvard* 44-LONG BEACH STATE
48-Colorado State 47-Mississippi State 46-Brigham Young 45-Arizona
49-South Florida 50-Northwestern 51-Xavier 52-IONA
56-NEVADA 55-ORAL ROBERTS 54-DREXEL 53-MIDDLE TENNNESSEE
57-Belmont 58-DAVIDSON 59-AKRON 60-VALPARAISO
64-UNC Asheville 63-UT ARLINGTON 62-MONTANA 61-BUCKNELL
65-LONG ISLAND 66-STONY BROOK 67-MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 68-SAVANNAH STATE
72-NC State 71-Oregon 70-VCU 69-Texas
73-Miami (Fla.) 74-Saint Joseph’s 75-Dayton 76-Tennessee

Bold - automatic qualifier; * - current conference leader.
ALL CAPS: Regular-season champion (NIT auto-bid if needed)

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN

Big East (10)
Big Ten (7)
Big 12 (5)
SEC (5)
ACC (4)
Mountain West (4)
Atlantic 10 (3)
Pac-12 (3)
West Coast (3)
Conference USA (2)
Missouri Valley (2)

NCAA AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS

UNC Asheville (Big South)
Murray State (Ohio Valley Conference)
Belmont (Atlantic Sun)

1. Saint Mary’s loss to Murray State 10 days ago seemed to temporarily zap the buzz out of the Gaels. But they didn’t fret. They returned to winning and swept a road trip at Portland and San Francisco. The Gaels clinched their first conference title in 23 years and snapped Gonzaga's 11-straight WCC regular-season title run. You cannot underestimate what this title will do for the program’s perception on the West Coast. Saint Mary’s will still have to survive a likely matchup against Loyola Marymount in the the semifinals of the conference tournament before a showdown with either BYU or Gonzaga in the finals in Las Vegas.

2. One of the selection committee's most intriguing decisions will be where to seed Murray State. The Racers need two wins in the OVC tournament in Nashville later this week to finish the season with just one loss. They will likely have to beat Tennessee State, essentially on the road, for the automatic berth. Murray State should at least be considered for a protected seed and play in Nashville in the second and third round. Where they will be seeded is still to be determined.

3. One of the toughest potential tournament title games could be in Sioux Falls, S.D., where top seed Oral Roberts may have to face No. 2 South Dakota State in a final. It would be cool to see SDSU in the NCAA tournament, if for no other reason than to get fuller representation from the states. Aside from South Dakota, only Maine and Alaska (no Division I teams) have yet to send a school to the dance. Oh, and I’ve never hidden my fondness for the nickname and logo. For whatever reason, I love the Jackrabbits as a nickname. And this team is no fluke. Nate Wolters is a serious player who averages 21.2 points, five boards and 6.1 assists a game. SDSU crushed Washington in Seattle on Dec. 18 in its most impressive win of the season. The Jackrabbits also beat ORU at home by 15.

Join our ESPN.com college basketball experts as they look ahead to this weekend's games.

Contribute your thoughts and questions beginning at 1 p.m. ET. See you there.

It's OK to admit it: This is hardly the best Saturday we've seen this season. But here's the good news: It's Feb. 18. We're well within sniffing distance of Selection Sunday, and so every game is meaningful -- including, but certainly not limited to, the various BracketBusters matchups around the country. We're in crunch time, the time when tourney hopefuls have to go out and actually prove they belong. That's exactly what Kansas State did at Baylor this afternoon. Let's start there.

[Editor's note: Per usual, we encourage you to stay with the blog all day for on-site reports from our writers across the country and, later, our recaps of all the big-time Saturday night action, including Saint Mary's-Murray State and Ohio State-Michigan.]

Kansas State 57, No. 10 Baylor 56: I found myself defending Baylor quite a bit in recent days. Myron Medcalf and I have been pretty hard on the Bears at times this season, and for good reason -- this team should be much better than it is. Frankly, it should be dominant. But for all of the struggles and frustrations and close scrapes with obviously inferior teams, it was important to remember one thing: Two teams had beaten Baylor all season. One of them was Kansas. The other was Missouri. There's something to be said for that.

At least there was before Saturday. Kansas State went ahead and spoiled that line, toppling Baylor in Waco in an ugly, questionably officiated contest. Not that the Wildcats minded. For obvious reasons, this was the win of the season for Frank Martin's team. K-State has long been dogged in the bubble discussion by an inexplicably anemic RPI figure, one that threatened to derail a mediocre but otherwise tourney-worthy at-large résumé. The Wildcats needed a big win down the stretch to compensate for that RPI number. An escape from Baylor with a one-point margin, aesthetically displeasing though it may have been, is just what the doctor ordered.

As for the Bears, well, what's left to say? You know the drill by now: This team is as talented as any in the country. It is also every bit as suspect. For whatever reason -- growth, personality, sheepishness, your guess is as good as mine -- Perry Jones III continues to register games like this: 6 shots, 4 points, 4 rebounds, 5 fouls and zero (yes, zero) free throw attempts. In each of Baylor's past four losses, Jones posted single-digit scoring and rebounding efforts. We hate to be openly critical of a college kid, but for a player of Jones' talent, isn't that inexcusable? For a team as long and active as this one, why are the Bears so blasé on the boards, so mediocre on the defensive end? Why, after a 2010-11 season derailed by constant turnovers, haven't these guys learned to value the ball?

It's not like Baylor is having a bad season. (Though since starting 17-0 they are a disconcerting 5-5 in their past 10 games.) The standard defense in the first paragraph still, for all intents and purposes, makes sense. But it's impossible to watch this team and not know that the product on the floor is merely a fraction of what it could be. We only ever get hints. That's what's frustrating.

New Mexico 65, No. 11 UNLV 45: If you failed to notice what New Mexico did earlier this week (winning at San Diego State, moving to 7-2 and alone atop the Mountain West conference standings) and haven't seen just how good this team has been playing over the past three weeks (before Saturday, UNM had won six in a row and risen to No. 11 overall in Ken Pomeroy's adjusted efficiency rankings) it's officially time to take note. The Lobos are rolling, kids -- and Saturday was no different.

The lopsided outcome wasn't a foregone conclusion from the opening tip, and UNLV was in solid shape in a typically frenzied Pit atmosphere for nearly 30 minutes. But with 12:15 remaining, the Lobos did what they do best: They locked down on the defensive end. At that point, the score was 36-36. Just four minutes later, after a handful of impressive plays by Tony Snell, Demetrius Walker and Drew Gordon, the Lobos led 48-36. UNLV scored just nine points the rest of the way.

This is where New Mexico really shines. For as good as UNLV and SDSU have been this season, the Lobos are the MWC's best defensive team. They rank No. 1 in the league (and No. 11 in the nation) in adjusted defensive efficiency, primarily thanks to really good first-shot defense. The Runnin' Rebels have been struggling lately -- this week's 101-97 loss at TCU was profoundly strange, and they're now just 5-6 on the road this season, with four of those coming to unranked teams. But they're still awfully talented, and their struggles today had as much to do with the Lobos' pressure as any self-inflicted cause.

In the game's final moments, as Walker poured in another bucket and Gordon topped off his beast-mode 27-point, 20-rebound performance (Gordon was just the eighth player in the past 10 seasons to drop a 20-20 game on a Top-25 team, and just the fifth to do so in regulation), CBS play-by-play man Tim Brando said the affair had "become a New Mexico coronation." He was absolutely right. For too long, the Lobos slipped slightly under the radar. Their gaudy efficiency numbers belied a team that, when you got right down to it, hadn't beaten a team better than Saint Louis all season. It was easy to cast doubt.

No more. In the past week, New Mexico has held Wyoming to 38 points, beaten San Diego State in Viejas Arena by 10, and coasted right by a very good UNLV team. Steve Alford has built a beast in Albuquerque. If you were sleeping on UNM before, it will be impossible to do so now.

Washington 79, Arizona 70:Both of these teams' at-large pictures remain in flux, and that didn't change much today. A win over Arizona won't put Washington in the tournament in any definite way; a loss to Washington won't drop Arizona off the bubble. This is life in the current Pac-12, a power-six league in name only. (PSINO? PINO? We'll work on it.) This league was 2-31 against the RPI top 50 in nonconference play and 0-15 against the top 25. Simply put, this conference offers zero opportunities for marquee wins. At this point, the best the at-large contenders can do is just keep winning.

On Senior Day, the Huskies did exactly that, dinging the defensively resurgent Wildcats in the process. Terrence Ross was fantastic, and his line -- 25 points, 5 rebounds, 5 steals, 1 assist, 1 block -- was the stuff of fantasy basketball fever dreams. That's a pretty good example of why this Washington team has been so frustrating this season. With Ross and freshman guard Tony Wroten (not to mention Aziz N'Diaye and Abdul Gaddy and so on) this team has obvious Top-25 talent. But here it is, struggling to get in the field. The Huskies have been better in Pac-12 play and are 12-3 atop the standings, but as recently as last week were absolutely drubbed 82-57 at Oregon.

If this team makes a run in the NCAA tournament, I won't be the least bit surprised. A first-round loss wouldn't shock me, either. Everything is on the table here. But the Huskies have to get there first. With their final three games on the road, and opportunities for bad losses -- at Washington State, at USC, at UCLA -- any and all outcomes are on the table. Should be interesting.

No. 21 Florida State 76, NC State 62: This is not what NC State needed. OK, sure, Thursday night's loss at Duke -- wherein the Wolfpack coughed up a 20-point second-half lead -- was hard to swallow. I get that, and I empathize. But NC State still has much to accomplish in Mark Gottfried's first season, chief among it a possible NCAA tournament bid. And so Saturday's game could have gone two ways: Either NCSU would come out angry at Thursday's letdown and focused on fixing it, or the Wolfpack would be emotionally (and physically, on one day's rest) exhausted.

Turns out it was the latter. Gottfried's team committed 17 turnovers and it shot just 29 percent. (Some of that is FSU's lockdown defense, but still.) In doing so, the Pack saw a chance to get a quality résumé win slip away. Will NC State's tourney chances, already very much in doubt, do the same?

For the Seminoles, this win was their 10th in the ACC. In each of the past four years, Leonard Hamilton's team has won at least 10 league games. FSU has stamped its position as the third-best team in its conference as Hamilton has built a program with staying power at a school that has traditionally treated its basketball as an only occasionally worthwhile diversion from breathless updates about the next great football recruiting class. Really impressive.

Wichita State 91, Davidson 74: Davidson, with that December win over Kansas in its back pocket, desperately needed a win here if it wanted to hold on to any scant hope of an at-large look. Obviously, that's done now. Wichita State just keeps beating up on people. Forget the mid-major label -- there are few teams in the country, regardless of conference, playing as well as this team right now. How many? Five? Maybe six? If that?

Anyway, before we move on, let's pause and reflect on the insane performance Joe Ragland unleashed Saturday. He scored 30 points and grabbed seven boards at the guard position. Even better? His points came on 11-of-14 from the field. He shot 3-of-4 from 3 and 5-of-5 from the charity stripe. He was about as close to offensive perfection as a college basketball player can ever get. Bravo, sir.

Other observations from the afternoon action:

• After the big win, I thought it was pretty much impossible (or unpossible!) for Steve Alford's day to get any better. And then it did: San Diego State fell to lowly Air Force on Saturday, 58-56, thanks to an 18-of-52 mark from the field and -- even worse for this perimeter-oriented team -- a 3-of-16 mark from behind the line. The Aztecs got to the line with relative ease. But they went 17-of-25, and when you're shooting that poorly on the road, and you leave eight points on the board, look out.
• Following UConn's home loss to Marquette -- the Huskies' seventh loss in their past nine games -- guard Shabazz Napier, who has tried (and failed) all year to emerge as a bona fide leader of a UConn team that desperately needs just that, told reporters the following: "I hate to say it, but I have to question some of these guys' heart." Anyone who's seen Connecticut play this season has no choice but to agree. What a timid, lifeless bunch. That's the polar opposite of the Golden Eagles' scrappy style, and it showed all 40 minutes Saturday. (For colleague Andy Katz's dispatch from this game, click here)
• A win at Cleveland State doesn't quite look as great as it might have, say, three weeks ago, but no matter: Drexel's 20-point road victory was its 15th win in a row and 21st in its past 22 games. The committee may have a problem getting past the Dragons' cruddy performances in November (including the loss to Norfolk State), and those nonconference issues are part of the reason the CAA isn't getting much at-large love or even remotely passable RPI numbers for top teams like Drexel, VCU and George Mason. But 21-1 in 22 games? That's awfully hard to ignore.
• Speaking of mid-major teams with gaudy records that haven't earned much of a tourney look, how about Oral Roberts? The Golden Eagles held on to top Akron in their BracketBusters affair, moving to 25-5 overall in the process. ORU is 18-1 in the Summit League. If it wins out but loses in the conference tournament, can it get a bid? We'll see. Unlike those CAA squads, this team's RPI is certainly in the picture. The question is whether the committee can look past ORU's lack of quality wins (the victory at Xavier came just a few days after the Dec. 10 brawl against a skeletal, half-suspended Musketeers lineup) and ugly nonconference strength-of-schedule figure. ORU might want to play it safe and just go ahead and win the tournament. Why leave it to chance? Either way, this is an undeniably above-average team.
• Missouri is really good. Texas A&M is not. Our research group passed along two stats that rather tidily demonstrate as much: (1) This victory was Missouri's first win in College Station since 2001, and (2) Missouri's 56 percent shooting made the Tigers the first team to shoot better than 50 percent against A&M all season. Just a solid, workmanlike win from a really self-assured club. Fun to watch.
• DePaul is a little unlucky to be just 2-9 in Big East play after today's overtime loss to Louisville. It's not that the loss itself was particularly unlucky -- DePaul played well for 40 minutes, but the Cardinals were too much in OT -- it's just that this team's obvious improvements on the floor haven't quite shown up in its record. Such is life at a rebuilding project, I suppose.
• Nice win for Iona. The Gaels were probably a bit hard done by their BracketBusters matchup -- they needed a higher-profile game to really make a dent in the bubble picture -- but we can't fault the aesthetic quality of the end result. In other words, this was still a pretty awesome game. Iona won 90-84, and the replay is available on ESPN3. It's worth your while. Iona's offense was scorching hot: The Gaels went 33-of-53 from the field (62.3 percent) and 8-of-14 from beyond the arc, and had five players score 13 points or more. Point guard Scott Machado had 15 assists, which is nothing new; Machado's 9.9 assists per game lead the nation (his assist rate of 44.3 percent is the nation's third-highest; word to Tim Frazier!) and his brilliance is emblematic of this team in general. With Machado, MoMo Jones and Michael Glover, Iona might the most talented mid-major squad in the country. The only problem? The Gaels don't really defend. But if that changes even marginally in the coming weeks, look out. Points in bunches, and all that.
• Kentucky and North Carolina both easily handled their middling conference foes, and both looked great doing so. The Wildcats' win was their 50th in a row at home. John Calipari doesn't lose at Rupp Arena. That's just the way it goes.
• And then there's Binghamton. The nation's last winless team had its best remaining opportunity to notch a victory on the road at 5-23 Radford. Unfortunately, the Bearcats lost 64-59, and so the sad story of their brutal season rolls on. Binghamton's next two opponents (Vermont, Albany) are both much better than lowly Radford (though the Bearcats do get both games at home, so that's good), and their season finale at New Hampshire isn't a totally insurmountable challenge (though Pomeroy's predictive model gives the Bearcats just a 7 percent chance of winning). Bottom line? This team could very well go the entire length of its season without a win. Poor Binghamton. Can you say Bottom 10?

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The matchups for the 10th annual BracketBusters event were announced Monday night, but projecting how important some of these games will be three weeks before they happen is hardly an exact science.

Nevertheless, the evidence exists that BracketBusters usually help at least one team’s profile. Historically, George Mason is the most obvious example of the event helping a team’s cause. In 2006, the Patriots’ win at Wichita State was a large reason they received a controversial at-large berth -- one they used to reach the Final Four.

Every matchup may not move the meter for the 10-member selection committee, but there is a chance. So with that mind, here are my initial thoughts on what should be the top games. (Keep in mind, the home and road designations are pre-set before the season).

Editor's Note: The non-TV matchups can be found here.

All times ET

1. Saint Mary’s at Murray State, Feb. 18 (6 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2): You can debate whether the Gaels should be going to Creighton instead. I made that case in Tuesday’s 3-point shot. The Gaels are winning the WCC. The Bluejays are atop the Missouri Valley. Both conferences play at a higher level than the Ohio Valley.

That said, there’s certainly nothing wrong with this matchup. If Murray State is still unbeaten, it becomes fascinating because the Gaels will be the Racers’ best opponent this season. The best matchup is Matthew Dellavedova against Isaiah Canaan at the point. Rob Jones trying to keep Ivan Aska off the glass also will be critical.

Saint Mary’s is going to be in the NCAA tournament. Murray State will be as well barring some sort of collapse. So this is a game that won’t put a team in the tournament, but could affect seeding. And for drama, this is the game that could prevent the Racers from running the table prior to March. I’m convinced Saint Mary’s has second-weekend potential. Does Murray? This game will help us find out.

2. Long Beach State at Creighton, Feb. 18 (10 p.m., ESPN2): Hey, the 49ers are on the road again. They should be used to it. Long Beach State went to Kansas, Louisville, San Diego State, North Carolina, Montana and Pitt in the nonconference. They also played in Hawaii at the Diamond Head Classic. This is a legit team. Dan Monson has his best unit at Long Beach with a star guard in Casper Ware. The 49ers are running the table so far in the Big West and with a 34 RPI should have a spot in the NCAAs regardless. Creighton, which is atop the RPI among these teams at 14, has a national player of the year candidate in Doug McDermott. Antoine Young will have his hands full with Ware, but he can also cause problems himself. Creighton has the Omaha home court advantage, but this is a matchup that could easily be seen in the NCAA tournament between two teams that could win a game.

3. Nevada at Iona, Feb. 18 (4 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2): The Wolf Pack are undefeated in the WAC. Iona is tied with Loyola (Md.) and Manhattan in the MAAC. But both teams aren’t locks for the NCAAs if they don’t win their respective conference tournaments. That’s why this game will be critical to the cause. A win by Nevada thousands of miles from Reno will get the Pack credit with the selection committee. Neither team has a standout nonconference win but there is star power on the court. Deonte Burton is a legit scorer for the Wolf Pack. Scott Machado is one of the top four point guards in the country. This will likely be an up-tempo game and a good watch. Iona coach Tim Cluess didn’t want a West Coast team for return travel. But he can’t dismiss the good fortune of at least getting a conference leader.

4. Wichita State at Davidson, Feb. 18 (12 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2): The Shockers lost in triple overtime at Drake over the weekend. Davidson lost at Samford. That takes a bit of the luster out of both teams’ ability to possibly move up in the matchups. But each team has a shelf-life win that could catch the selection committee in March. Wichita State blew out UNLV at home and Davidson beat Kansas in Kansas City. A road win by Wichita State would enhance its strength of schedule and likely bump up the 31 RPI. Davidson, at 67, could use a top-40 RPI win, too. Wichita will want to push at every opportunity. Davidson may be a bit more deliberate. No one should be shocked if both of these teams are in the tournament and in position to win a first-round game. This game may not knock the other out from contention for a bid. But clearly Wichita State may need it more since Davidson has a better shot to earn the automatic berth out of the Southern than Wichita does in the more competitive Missouri Valley.

5. Drexel at Cleveland State, Feb. 18 (11 a.m., ESPNU): The Dragons are a game behind George Mason in a cluttered group in the Colonial with ODU and VCU. Cleveland State is atop the Horizon League. Cleveland State could get an at-large bid due to its win at Vanderbilt if the Vikings lost in the Horizon League final. Drexel can’t get an at-large bid. But what if the Dragons won at Cleveland State? That’s not enough, but it would help in possible seeding. Both teams are undersized and would prefer a defensive approach. Expect a lower scoring affair that will be a grinder. And Gary Waters and Bruiser Flint, the two head coaches, love to work the sidelines in animated fashion.

6. Akron at Oral Roberts, Feb. 18 (2 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2): The Zips are in first place in the MAC and have the defensive presence in Zeke Marshall. His ability to block and alter shots will be a potential difference maker going forward. The Zips, if they can win the MAC tournament, proved that they have the ability to step up in play when they won at Mississippi State. But that was a lifetime ago. Oral Roberts is undefeated in the Summit (although that may change with a game at South Dakota State on Thursday). The Eagles’ best win was over a depleted Xavier in Cincinnati. ORU would be an interesting case for the selection committee if it doesn’t lose again and has four losses. Akron probably can’t get in without winning the MAC tournament -- the MAC can’t seem to get multiple bids.

7. Valparaiso at Loyola Marymount, Feb. 17 (9 p.m., ESPNU): The Crusaders have been the surprise of the Horizon League, a half-game behind Cleveland State. LMU has wins over Saint Louis, Villanova and BYU and is a top-four WCC team, although the Lions couldn’t stop Saint Mary’s at home last week. LMU isn’t going to make the NCAAs unless it goes on a run at the WCC tournament in Las Vegas. Valpo, though, could win the Horizon League. So this could be an opportunity to see one team in the Dance as Bryce Drew has done a solid job in his first year at Valparaiso.

8. Northern Iowa at VCU, Feb. 17 (7 p.m., ESPN2): The Rams are headed in the right direction and are a threat to win the CAA. VCU, a Final Four team last year, is tied with Old Dominion and Drexel for second place. But the Rams didn’t get any favors in this event. VCU needed a better game. Northern Iowa has slumped to 4-7 in the Valley. This game won’t move the meter for the selection committee.

The rest of the TV games (all on Feb. 18):

Buffalo at South Dakota State, 1 p.m. ESPNU: Buffalo rocked Dayton on the road and South Dakota State crushed Washington on the road. And SDSU’s Nate Wolters is a star. Oh, and I love the Jackrabbit nickname, my favorite in the sport. Go Bunnies!

Drake at New Mexico State, 3 p.m., ESPNU: Drake has come on a bit lately with the weekend win over Wichita State. NMSU is the second-best team in the WAC. This game has potential between teams that could be pests in their respective conference tournaments.

Old Dominion at Missouri State, 5 p.m., ESPNU: The Monarchs are tied for second in the CAA. Missouri State has slipped a bit to 6-5 in the Valley. This will be a grinder between teams that have been all over the place this season.

UNC Asheville at Ohio, 7 p.m., ESPN3: Ohio has D.J. Cooper and is one of the four best teams in the MAC. Asheville is atop the Big South standings. A bit stunned that Asheville got a TV game, but the Bulldogs have been solid.

UT-Arlington at Weber State, 8 p.m., ESPN3: Weber State has one of the top five NBA-level point guards in the country in Damian Lillard. Arlington is atop the Southland West division at 7-0, but there were probably better choices for this slot.

Notable omissions: Loyola (Md.) coach Jimmy Patsos has a right to be peeved that his team was left out of the TV portion of BracketBusters. The Greyhounds and Manhattan are tied with Iona atop the always-competitive MAAC, but only Iona made the cut in terms of television selections. It is important to note that both Loyola and Manhattan were designated home teams, so they couldn't have replaced, say, UTA. George Mason is also atop the CAA, but the Patriots are nowhere to be found on this list of TV games. Butler hasn’t played well and didn’t deserve a high spot, but it’s still a stark reminder of how much the Bulldogs are rebuilding this season that they didn’t even make the TV cut. Wow.

1. The BracketBusters pairings will be unveiled at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU Monday night. I have no idea what they will be but I’m on the show to discuss the Feb. 17-19 event. I’ve bounced around plenty of pairings and here are my top four: Saint Mary's at Creighton; Long Beach State at Murray State; Wichita State at George Mason; Drexel at Iona; Akron at Loyola (Md.); Nevada at Oral Roberts; Valparaiso at VCU.

2. Let’s hope Kevin Parrom makes a full recovery from a broken right foot. The Arizona junior guard has suffered enough. He was shot in the right leg and left hand in September. He lost his mother to cancer in October. I interviewed Parrom in New York prior to the 2K Sports Classic in November. He handled the pain well at the time, but it was clear he was still hurting. He deserves some good news over a long stretch. He has proven that he’s strong enough to deal with adversity and this is yet another hurdle.

3. The College of Charleston didn’t reveal the health crisis facing coach Bobby Cremins. But if he doesn’t return to coaching, he has proven that coming back after a long respite and going from a high-profile, high major to a lower-profile program can be revitalizing. Cremins has given the Cougars’ program a national identity and plenty of pop in the Southern Conference during his tenure. His path back to coaching is one that might be repeated by others -- somebody who needed a break but then wanted to get back in and be effective when older. Hopefully Cremins will be well again soon.

Join ESPN.com writers Eamonn Brennan and Myron Medcalf at 1 p.m. ET to discuss all things college basketball as we head into a weekend slate full of games.