Did everyone make their way into Saturday’s action? It was a day full of emotional matches and some spectacular upsets. Auburn got a win against South Carolina, but they could deal with the loss of Johni Broome for a lot of time. Broome’s loss is a huge blow for the Tigers. Iowa State prevailed against a tough Texas Tech in a thrilling overtime finish. Meanwhile, Duke and Houston both swept their respective opponents, with Duke crushing Notre Dame and Houston losing to Kansas State. Iowa delivered a strong performance against Indiana at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and Alabama defeated Texas A&M in a convincing win. Overall, these are the results we hope to see.
But where does the drama lie? USC went to Champaign and beat Illinois. It was a real shock because Illinois seemed completely out of the game. In other action, New Mexico dealt a major blow to San Diego State, leaving the Aztecs with a lot of work ahead of them to regain their place in the Mountain West.
Cincinnati finds itself in a tough spot, falling to 0-4 in the Big 12. Many predicted the Bearcats would finish at the top of the conference, and while that may still be the case, their recent performances raise serious concerns. The final matchup against Kansas was an ideal opportunity for a long-awaited morale boost. Can Cincinnati find an NCAA tournament berth? Doubts remain. In the nation’s capital, Georgetown suffered a home loss to UConn. The Hoyas put in an admirable effort this season, but this setback cost them a great opportunity to win.
Lower division schools are also eager to hear. One of the featured games of the day featured UC Irvine battling UC San Diego for Big West dominance. The Anteaters fell to the Tritons, who are now 5-0 in the conference, taking a significant advantage in the tiebreaker. UC San Diego fell to 14-3 overall but their chances of an additional bid were hurt by the loss. On a more positive note, Alcorn State finally recorded a win, defeating Alabama A&M. In addition, the St. Thomas has been great, being one of the two remaining undefeated teams in the Summit League along with Omaha.
After a busy Saturday with almost 150 games, Sunday offers a lighter schedule, with 21 games, although many carry more weight in the major conferences. The Big Ten will continue to dominate, hosting games every day, and this Sunday is no exception. Besides the Big Ten matchups, expect action in the Southern Conference, MAAC, NEC, American and the Horizon League.
The highlight of the day will be a Big Ten matchup as Purdue hosts Nebraska. The Cornhuskers are looking to regain confidence after a heartbreaking overtime loss at Iowa a few days ago, which saw a 15-point lead disappear. To complicate matters for Nebraska, Purdue will be playing at Mackey Arena, where victories for visiting teams are rare.
In another important Big Ten matchup, the Penn State Nittany Lions will host the Oregon Ducks. The Ducks made the long cross-country trip to face a Penn State team hungry for a big win. Oregon has been the surprise of the season so far, but traveling cross-country has its own set of challenges. Sit back and enjoy the basketball action!