Men’s Basketball Games of the Week 2/13 – 2/17
As we approach two weeks remaining in the regular season, many conferences are coming down to the wire and some are on the line this week. The week starts with a Big East showdown and closes with an ACC matchup, but games in the Southland, Colonial Athletic Association, and Patriot League are among the top matchups this week. Many major leagues like the ACC and Big Ten are coming down to the last games, meaning things will be very exciting.
No. 2 SYRACUSE at No. 14 LOUISVILLE (7 p.m. Monday at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky)
Time is running out for Louisville to win the Big East Conference title, but the Cardinals can sure improve their tournament seeding hopes with a win over one of the nation’s top programs. Syracuse (25-1, 12-1) needed overtime to beat Georgetown in the past week, and it had an easier time with Connecticut as Scoop Jardine had 21 points and six assists in an 85-67 win. Louisville (20-5, 8-4) is three and a half games behind the Orange and could do Marquette a huge favor if it wins this game. The Cardinals have won six in a row, the last game a perilously close 77-74 win over West Virginia. A Syracuse win and Marquette loss will shut the door further on a Big East title for anyone but the Orange, but there is always the conference tournament.
McNEESE STATE at NORTHWESTERN STATE (8 p.m. Monday at Prather Coliseum in Natchitoches, Louisiana)
McNeese State (12-10, 8-2) hasn’t done well outside of the Southland Conference, but it does lead the East Division by a game and a half over Lamar and Northwestern State. Should McNeese State win, the likelihood of a division title is quite good, especially with five games remaining. Northwestern State (14-11, 7-4) lost to Lamar and Southeastern Louisiana in the last week but has beaten McNeese State this season, 64-61. It may be time for Northwestern State to win a game, since it hasn’t had a three-game losing streak this season. McNeese State also lost in Southland play to Texas State, which is in last place in the West Division. In short, the conference isn’t really good, but someone has to win a division title.
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE at SOUTHERN (8:30 p.m. Monday at F.G. Clark Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
With six games remaining for most clubs in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and Mississippi Valley State three games up on Southern, time is running out. A win by Mississippi Valley State (13-11, 12-0), which has already beaten Southern this year 77-56, pretty much closes the door on the conference championship. In reality, Mississippi Valley State started out the season 1-11 and has fed on a pretty bad conference. Still, these are the top two league teams, so it merits a little consideration. Southern (13-12, 9-3) lost to Texas Southern and Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the latter loss breaking Southern’s five-game winning streak.
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH at GEORGE MASON (9 p.m. Tuesday at Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia)
The Colonial Athletic Association has a three-way tie going into this week, and three will become two in the lead following this contest. Virginia Commonwealth (22-5, 13-2) has won 11 in a row following a two-game losing streak, and that winning includes victories over Towson and Old Dominion in the past week. The race isn’t necessarily over because these teams face each other again on February 25 to close the regular season. George Mason (21-6, 13-2) has lost to Drexel and Delaware but is on a three-game winning streak. Drexel is the other team tied with VCU and George Mason for the league lead, and Drexel faces William and Mary on Tuesday. Its last game is against Old Dominion.
TEXAS-ARLINGTON at STEPHEN F. AUSTIN (8 p.m. Wednesday at William R. Johnson Coliseum in Nacogdoches, Texas)
The Southland Conference’s West Division effectively comes down to this game, and a win would put Texas-Arlington four games up with five to play. Since a 4-5 start, Texas-Arlington has won 15 in a row, and that includes a 63-54 win over Stephen F. Austin. Texas-Arlington is a better team than some people might think, with top 30 marks in points per game (28th, 76.6) and rebounds (13th, 39.6). Stephen F. Austin (13-10, 8-3) has won five of six, including victories over Nicholls State and UTSA. Jereal Scott and Antonio Bostic combine to average 24.7 points per game.
NEW MEXICO at No. 19 SAN DIEGO STATE (10:15 p.m. Wednesday at Viejas Arena/Aztec Bowl in San Diego, California)
Like in the CAA, the Mountain West Conference has a three-way tie atop the league, as these two teams and UNLV share the league lead. New Mexico and San Diego State sport identical 20-4 overall and 6-2 league records. The first encounter with these teams was close, with San Diego State winning 75-70, so expect a close game this time around. New Mexico has also lost to UNLV, so history would suggest this might be the odd team out, but you never know at this late stage of the season. New Mexico beat Wyoming 48-38 in its last game behind Kendall Williams’ 10 points and five assists. San Diego State just lost 65-63 to UNLV following wins over Boise State and TCU. The nearest teams in the league are 4-4, followed by a drop-off to 1-7, so whichever team loses here might be in trouble for a conference title.
LEHIGH at BUCKNELL (7 p.m. Thursday at Sojka Gymnasium in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania)
The Patriot League championship is on the line this evening. Bucknell (20-6, 10-0) leads Lehigh and American by three games with four games remaining. American faces Navy, which is winless in the league, on Wednesday, but Bucknell can clinch a tie for the title with a win here. Lehigh (19-7, 7-3) lost 68-61 to Bucknell in the last go-round but has won five of six since then, including an 89-69 victory over Colgate. As for Bucknell, it hasn’t lost since a 72-67 setback to Loyola-Maryland, a span of 12 games. Even though Bucknell has won 20 games, keep in mind it’s largely beaten up on Patriot League competition, so it may not have much to crow about come tournament time.
No. 20 WISCONSIN at No. 8 MICHIGAN STATE (7 p.m. Thursday at Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan)
By virtue of Michigan State’s win over Ohio State, the teams are tied atop the Big Ten Conference. Don’t look now, however, because Wisconsin isn’t too far behind. Wisconsin (19-6, 8-4) lost in overtime to MSU 63-60 earlier in the season, so the precedent is there for a very close game. The Badgers lost to Ohio State to have a six-game winning streak snapped, but Wisconsin recovered for a 68-61 win in overtime against Minnesota. The Spartans (20-5, 9-3) have won five of six, including the 58-48 victory over Ohio State, but Michigan State has a tough schedule ahead at the end of the season with games against Indiana and Ohio State at season’s end. Adreian Payne’s 15 points were high score in the Ohio State game.
NORTH CAROLINA STATE at No. 6 DUKE (9 p.m. Thursday at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina)
The latest chapter of “As the ACC Turns” features a game between one of the conference co-leaders and a team that isn’t too far behind. North Carolina State (18-7, 7-3) is one game behind Duke (21-4, 8-2), North Carolina and Florida State in the division, and the Wolfpack get one more shot at each team in rapid succession. Losses to all three undoubtedly will knock NC State out of the title hunt, but a win or two will position the Wolfpack as a strong NCAA tournament contender. C.J. Williams’ 15 points were high in a 61-52 win over Georgia Tech, which extended NC State’s win streak to three games. Duke just beat North Carolina by one point and Maryland by a wider margin, and it has one more game against Florida State and the Tar Heels.
