2/22 - College Hoops Week in Review: Not all bubbles are bursting

What we learned this week: While most of the talk this week is going to be about teams playing themselves off of the bubble, it is worth noting that not everyone is doing so. Here are just a few of the teams playing themselves into the tournament:

• Oklahoma State Cowboys: As of today, the Pokes are probably going to be considered a tournament team as they went 2-0 this week and have three straight wins overall. The Pokes have three wins over RPI top 25 teams (at K-State, Texas A&M, Baylor) and nothing too disastrous in the loss column. The issue for OK-State is their remaining schedule - at Texas, Kansas, at Texas A&M, Nebraska. If they beat Nebraska and split against the Texas school, they should be in.

• Florida Gators: Prior to this week, the Gators had lost two straight games, falling at South Carolina before getting beat by Xavier at home. They rebounded this week with wins against Auburn and at Ole Miss, putting themselves in good position for the stretch run. Like the Pokes, Florida as a loaded schedule down the stretch - Tennessee, at Georgia, Vandy, at Kentucky. They probably need to win two of those games to feel comfortable heading into the SEC Tournament.


• Maryland Terrapins: The Terps probably should feel very good about their chances to earn a bid right now. They are 19-7 overall and 9-3 in the ACC, good for second place. With four games left on their schedule, Maryland should be ok so long as they don't lose out. Two wins, whether they come during the regular season or the ACC Tournament, will be enough for a bid. Maryland's biggest negative right now is a lack of great wins - none of their three top 50 wins are top 25.
  


• Louisville Cardinals: Louisville should have felt good about their chances to make the dance after beating Syracuse last Sunday. But with a lack of depth in their resume, the 'Ville needed to keep winning. While neither of them were pretty - they needed two OT's to beat Notre Dame without Harangody and only beat DePaul by nine - Louisville needed those wins as the last four games on their schedule are rough. If they can win two against Georgetown, at UConn, at Marquette, and Syracuse, they will get in. One win, and they are going to need to do some damage in the Big East tournament.


• UTEP Miners: UTEP is still a ways from an at-large bid, simply because they just don't have quality wins. They have just one top 50 win and have only played three top 50 games, which is part of the reason their RPI is so low. But the Miners have been on a tear lately, winning 10 straight games, including Saturday's W over Tulsa. UTEP can afford, at the most, just one more loss this season, although that could mean trouble if they also lose early in the C-USA tournament.


• UConn Huskies: UConn's win over Villanova put them in a good spot for getting a bid - win out, and you'll be in. Granted, that's easier said than done, but its necessary. There are five teams tied for eighth in the Big East at 6-8. After getting WVU and Louisville at home, UConn has to travel to Notre Dame and South Florida, two other 6-8 teams with the same winning-out-hopes that UConn has. If the Huskies win out and pick up a game in the Big East, they should be dancing.


• Marquette Golden Eagles: Marquette lost at Pitt on Thursday, which was costly but as you know there is no shame in losing at the Peterson Events Center. The Golden Eagles did pick up a huge bubble win over Cincinnati on the road on Sunday, however.


• Virginia Tech Hokies: Like Marquette, Virginia Tech lost a game on the road this week - to Duke - but it didn't hurt them. The game that mattered was Tech's win over Wake Forest, a win that put the Hokies into the tournament, at least for now.
  


• Minnesota Golden Gophers: With wins over Wisconsin and Indiana this week, Minnesota put themselves back into the conversation for a bid. They need to win out, as the Gophers overall resume lacks enough oomph up top with the losses the Gopher's have. That's not impossible, even with the roster issues Minnesota has had. A bit of team bonding - everyone shaving their head to support a teammate's sister that has cancer - could be the spark to a great finish to the season.


• San Diego State Aztecs: After beating TCU and Utah this week, the Aztecs are officially back in the thick of the bubble. But with just three games left - two bottom feeders in the MWC and at BYU - it is unlikely that SDSU will significantly improve their profile. A trip to the MWC finals will be needed if BYU wins.


• Utah State Aggies: The Aggies picked up two big wins this week, beating Louisiana Tech and Wichita State at home. USU has a very good RPI, and after dropping roadies to NMSU and La Tech to open WAC play, the Aggies have won 12 straight. If they don't win the WAC Tournament, it will be interesting to see where the Aggies end up. Their win over BYU will probably be very important.
  

GAME OF THE WEEK: Maryland 76, Georgia Tech 74

What a finish out in College Park on Saturday afternoon. After a sluggish start, especially on the defensive glass, Maryland seemingly took control against Tech towards the end of the first half and early in the second half. But as Greivis Vasquez struggled with his shot, the Yellow Jackets made a run, outscoring Maryland 12-2 over a four minutes stretch as the Terps simply couldn't get a stop to go up 65-60 with 4:59 left.

The Terps wouldn't go away, as Eric Hayes would score five straight points to give them a 71-68 leadwith 1:24 on the clock. Derrick Favors would answer with a tip-in 30 seconds later, setting up a furious final minute. After Dino Gregory missed a lay-up, Georgia Tech called a time out, isolating DeAndre Bell, who drove to the rim and scored. But at the other end, Vasquez drove down the middle and hit a floater to take the lead back at 73-72. The rest, well, I'll let youtube explain it:



Vasquez struggled a bit in this one, finished with 18 points, 8 assists, and 5 boards, but hitting just 5-16 from the floor. Derrick Favors made NBA scouts drool as he went for 21 points and 18 boards, nine offensive.

Maryland is now in second place in the ACC, but they have a fatal flaw - a lack of an interior presence. A week after Brian Zoubek torched them inside, Favors overmatched Jordan Williams and Gregory (who, to their credit, put up an admirable fight).


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: James Anderson, Oklahoma State

Anderson may end up winning Big XII player of the year this year, and performances like the one he had against Baylor on Saturday is why. Anderson went for 31 points and 12 boards, his third double-double of the season, as the Pokes knocked off Baylor at home to solidify, for now, an at-large berth.

James Anderson had 31 and 12 in a win over Baylor.
(photo credit: Austin American-Statesmen)

Anderson also had 20 points and 8 boards on Wednesday against Iowa State. For the week, he averaged 26.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg, and shot 50% from the floor and 9-15 from three. If OK State is to make the tournament, they are going to need more of those performances from Anderson. Their next three games are at Texas, home against Kansas, and at Texas A&M.

They were good too

• Greivis Vasquez, Maryland: Vasquez was fantastic in three games this week as the Terps went undefeated and remained just a game back in the loss column from Duke. In wins over Georgia Tech, Virginia, and NC State, Vasquez averaged 24.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg, and 6.3 apg. He may have had his best game of the season against UVa on Monday, going for 30 points, 8 boards, and 5 assists with no turnovers and 12-19 shooting.
• Randy Culpepper, UTEP: Fresh off of a 45 point game last Saturday, Culpepper went for 29 points as the Miners extended their winning streak to 10 games with a win at Tulsa. UTEP has an easy finish to the C-USA season, and are firmly in the driver's seat as we hit the stretch run in C-USA.
• Ali Faroukmanesh, Northern Iowa: With Jordan Eglseder suspended, someone was going to have to step up for UNI if they were to beat Creighton and Old Dominion, and Faroukmanesh was that guy. He had 17 in the win over Creighton, then dropped 23 on Friday night as the Panthers knocked off Old Dominion.
• Kemba Walker, UConn: Kemba averaged 22.5 ppg and 6.5 rpg as the Huskies went 2-0 this week, keeping their tourney hopes alive. The big win came Monday night, as UConn went into Philly and knocked off Villanova. Walker had 29 points and 9 boards in that game, outplaying everyone in Nova's vaunted backcourt.

TEAM OF THE WEEK: Purdue Boilermakers

The Boilermakers extended their winning streak to nine games this week by knocking off both Illinois and Ohio State. They were both big wins, as the Illini and the Buckeyes are two of the five teams battling for the Big Ten title. Purdue has now swept Illinois and split with Ohio State.

But that was far from the only good news Purdue got this week. On Sunday, that same Ohio State team went into East Lansing and knocked off Michigan State, which put Purdue in the driver's seat for the Big Ten title. They are all alone in first place with four games left, sitting a game in front of both Michigan State and Ohio State in the loss column.

Will Purdue be a #1 seed?
(photo credit: NBC Sports)

That wasn't all. Villanova also lost on Sunday, which means that Purdue is probably sitting as the fourth No. 1 seed if they season were to end today. Not a bad way to finish the week.

They were good too

• Kentucky Wildcats: Its too bad that Purdue had the week they did, because Kentucky was as deserving as anyone to win team of the week this past week. On Tuesday, Kentucky went into Starkville and knocked off Mississippi State in overtime despite being down 67-60 with three minutes left. Then on Saturday, Kentucky picked up their best win of the season, as they went into Nashville and took down a scrappy Vanderbilt team despite, once again, trailing late in the game. For those scoring at home, that's two comeback wins against tough teams on the road in conference play. For some, that was enough to officially make them a believer.
• Pitt Panthers: Pitt had a bit of a swoon midway through the season as they lost four of five games, but the Panthers have responded, as they have now won five straight, including two this week. Pitt picked up a win at Marquette on Thursday before knocking off Villanova at home on Sunday. The Panthers are currently tied with West Virginia for third in the league, but with their relatively easy schedule down the stretch combined with the difficult schedules of Villanova and WVU, don't be surprised if Pitt finishes second in the Big East.
  
• Maryland Terrapins: Once you get past the holiday tournaments, it is very rare to see a team play three games in a week, let alone four in eight days. But that's exactly when Maryland did, and they won all three this week, culminating in a thriller with two buzzer beaters to beat Georgia Tech. Maryland is once again all alone in second place in the ACC.
• Oklahoma State Cowboys: The Cowboys picked up two big wins this week, beating Iowa State on the road and knocking off Baylor at home, as they now seem to be in good position to earn the Big XII's seventh bid.
• Florida Gators: Florida, like OK State, picked up two big wins this week, including a nailbiter at Ole Miss, as they shored up their tourney hopes.
• Cornell Big Red: Cornell went 2-0 this week, picking up a big win at Harvard, which combined with Princeton's loss to Penn but Cornell in a commanding spot in the Ivy. If they beat Princeton on Friday, the race for the Ivy League's auto bid is all but over.
  

MATCHUPS OF THE WEEK

• 2/23 - 9:00 pm: Tennessee @ Florida
• 2/24 - 6:30 pm: Dayton @ Temple
• 2/24 - 9:00 pm: San Diego State @ BYU
• 2/24 - 9:00 pm: Texas A&M @ Baylor
• 2/24 - 9:00 pm: Oklahoma State @ Texas
• 2/26 - 12:00 pm: Kentucky @ Tennessee
• 2/26 - 2:00 pm: Texas @ Texas A&M
  
• 2/26 - 4:00 pm: Kansas @ Oklahoma State
• 2/26 - 4:00 pm: New Mexico @ BYU
• 2/26 - 4:00 pm: Maryland @ Virginia Tech
  
• 2/26 - 8:00 pm: Missouri @ Kansas State
  
• 2/26 - 9:00 pm: Villanova @ Syracuse
• 2/27 - 1:00 pm: Richmond @ Xavier
  
• 2/27 - 4:00 pm: Michigan State @ Purdue