Preview Roundups
March 08, 2018
Southern Methodist at Connecticut 12:00 PM ET
Connecticut and SMU have each had plenty of success at the American Athletic Conference Tournament. But the former champions, thanks in large part to injuries and rebuilding seasons, kick off the tournament Thursday in Orlando, Fla.
Louisville at Virginia 12:00 PM ET
Ninth-seeded Louisville needed to make a statement in the ACC Tournament and they did just that Wednesday, surviving a second-half comeback from No. 8 seed Florida State in the second round at the Barclays Center to defeat the Seminoles 82-74 and fortify its NCAA Tournament resume. Now the Cardinals get another crack at upending top-seeded Virginia, who earned a double bye into the quarterfinals after capturing the regular-season ACC championship, with the winner moving on to the tourney semifin
St. John's at Xavier 12:00 PM ET
No. 4 Xavier already has its first Big East title and a school record for regular season victories on its resume - but the Musketeers have much bigger goals in mind. The No. 1 seeds begin their quest for the Big East Tournament championship Thursday night as they take on No. 9-seed St. John's in quarterfinal action at New York's historic Madison Square Garden.
Texas Christian at Kansas State 12:30 PM ET
TCU will end its 20-year NCAA Tournament drought next week but first the Horned Frogs would like to tack on some victories in the Big 12 Championship in Kansas City. Fifth-seeded TCU faces fourth-seeded Kansas State in Thursday's quarterfinals and has won four of its last five games entering the conference tournament.
Alabama at Texas A&M 1:00 PM ET
Eighth-seeded Texas A&M looks to beat No. 9 Alabama for the second time in five days when they meet in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday in St. Louis, Mo. The Aggies, who have won seven of their last 10 games, edged the Crimson Tide 68-66 on Saturday to wrap up the regular season with 20 wins and hope to ride the momentum to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015-16.
South Florida at Memphis 2:00 PM ET
Memphis seeks some stability - as well as revenge - when it takes on South Florida in the first round of the American Athletic Conference Tournament at Amway Center in Orlando on Thursday afternoon. The 12th-seeded Bulls come in having won two straight, including a 24-point rout of the fifth-seeded Tigers a week ago that has helped fuel speculation that Memphis coach Tubby Smith may be on his way out.
Boston College at Clemson 2:00 PM ET
No. 20 Clemson enters the ACC Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday in Brooklyn, N.Y. looking to build upon a breakthrough season, one in which the fourth-seeded Tigers have won 22 games and all but assured themselves of returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011. Clemson’s quarterfinal matchup against Boston College is what coach Brad Brownell sees as a continuation of his program’s maturation process despite the Tigers losing four of their past six games.
Providence at Creighton 2:30 PM ET
Both Providence and Creighton hope to have done enough to merit an NCAA Tournament berth, but a long run this week at the Big East Tournament would cement the honor. The fifth-seeded Friars and fourth-seeded Bluejays begin their postseason runs when they meet in the quarterfinals of the event Thursday afternoon at New York's Madison Square Garden.
Oklahoma State at Kansas 2:30 PM ET
Top-seeded Kansas will be without sophomore center Udoka Azubuike when it begins its quest to win the Big 12 Tournament championship with Thursday's quarterfinal matchup with ninth-seeded Oklahoma State at Kansas City. The 7-foot Azubuike sprained the MCL in his left knee during a scrimmage on Tuesday and the ninth-ranked Jayhawks hope to have the nation's most efficient shooter (77.4 percent) back for their first game in next week's NCAA Tournament.
Colorado at Arizona 3:00 PM ET
Everything is right again for No. 17 Arizona, which enters the Pac-12 Tournament as the prohibitive favorite following a controversy-filled week. After happily stepping away from the spotlight for a few days, the top-seeded Wildcats will be at full strength for Thursday’s quarterfinal matchup against No. 8 seed Colorado at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
UNLV at Nevada 3:00 PM ET
Nevada claimed an outright regular-season Mountain West title for the second straight year, finishing two games ahead of Boise State in the standings. Now the 22nd-ranked Wolf Pack, who face in-state rival and eighth-seeded UNLV in Thursday's quarterfinals, will try and make history by also winning the Mountain West Tournament for a second straight year at Las Vegas.
Georgia at Missouri 3:00 PM ET
No more maybes or game-day decisions – freshman phenom Michael Porter Jr. plans to play for fifth-seeded Missouri when it takes on 12th seed Georgia in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday afternoon in St. Louis. The nation’s top recruit a year ago, Porter hasn’t played since leaving the Tigers’ season opener after two minutes with a back injury that required surgery, but he stated on Wednesday that he plans to be back on the court to help Missouri try to advance
Stanford at UCLA 5:30 PM ET
UCLA is hoping an impressive victory over rival USC in its regular-season finale serves as the springboard for a deep run at this week’s Pac-12 Tournament. The fourth-seeded Bruins look to carry that momentum into Thursday’s quarterfinal matchup against No. 5 seed Stanford at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Louisiana State at Mississippi State 7:00 PM ET
Seventh-seeded Mississippi State looks to recover from a disappointing end to the regular season when it faces No. 10 seed LSU in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday in St. Louis, Mo. The Bulldogs dropped back-to-back games by an average margin of 21.5 points, including a 78-57 setback to the Tigers on Saturday, to fall out of the NCAA Tournament picture and hope to play their way back into contention with a deep run in the conference tourney.
Tulane at Temple 7:00 PM ET
No. 7 seed Temple and 10th-seeded Tulane are set for their rubber match Thursday in the first round of the American Athletic Conference Tournament. The winner will advance to Friday's quarterfinal matchup with No. 2 seed Wichita State.
Notre Dame at Duke 7:00 PM ET
Defending champion Duke enters the ACC Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday in Brooklyn, N.Y., playing some of its best basketball of the season, as the second-seed and fourth-ranked team in the nation aims for its 12th league title in 20 seasons. The Blue Devils face 10th seed Notre Dame after closing the regular season with six wins in their final seven games, allowing just 58 points per game in that stretch since playing more zone defense.
Texas at Texas Tech 7:00 PM ET
No. 13 Texas Tech hopes to be getting healthy enough to make a run through the Big 12 Tournament. The second-seeded Red Raiders - with leading scorer Keenan Evans back on the floor - plays Texas in Thursday's quarterfinals at Kansas City.
Marquette at Villanova 7:00 PM ET
Villanova coach Jay Wright knows that by the time mid-March arrives, his team can be a few weeks away from winning the national championship, or a few games away from its season ending. Wright hopes to see a complete performance from his team Thursday when second-seeded Villanova faces No. 7 seed Marquette in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament in New York City.
Baylor at West Virginia 9:00 PM ET
Baylor stumbled at the end of the season and looks to avoid further troubles in the Big 12 Championship when it faces No. 18 West Virginia in Thursday's tournament quarterfinals at Kansas City. The sixth-seeded Bears were believed to be solidly in the NCAA Tournament but three defeats in the final four regular-season contests have dropped them toward the bubble and a one-and-done showing in the conference tourney could make for some nervous moments come Selection Sunday.
East Carolina at Central Florida 9:00 PM ET
Central Florida is hoping the momentum from a win in its regular-season finale will carry over to its contest against East Carolina on Thursday in the first round of the American Athletic Conference Tournament at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. The sixth-seeded Knights topped Tulane on Sunday to snap their three-game losing streak, while the 11th-seeded Pirates come into the tournament having lost five straight.
South Carolina at Arkansas 9:00 PM ET
Arkansas appears to be safely in the NCAA Tournament field, but the Razorbacks can solidify their status and perhaps improve their seed with a win or two in the SEC Tournament. The sixth-seeded Razorbacks play their tournament opener when they take on No. 11 seed South Carolina in the second round Thursday in St. Louis.
Oregon St. at Southern California 9:00 PM ET
USC will try to win a Pac-12 Tournament game for the fourth straight season when the second-seeded Trojans meet No. 10 seed Oregon State in the quarterfinals Thursday night in Las Vegas. The Trojans finished runner-up in conference play for the first time since 2002 but were unable to enter the postseason on a high note after losing for the second time this season to crosstown rival UCLA last Thursday.
North Carolina at Miami-Florida 9:00 PM ET
No. 25 Miami (Fla.) hopes to carry over the momentum from a four-game winning streak to end the regular season when it takes on 11th-ranked North Carolina in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The third-seeded Hurricanes won those four games, including a buzzer-beater at sixth seed North Carolina, by a combined eight points.
Butler at Seton Hall 9:30 PM ET
Six days after closing the regular season together, No. 6 seed Butler and third-seeded Seton Hall will meet again Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Pirates, behind the play of Khadeen Carrington and Angel Delgado, pulled out a 77-70 victory Saturday at home to complete a sweep of the season series with the Bulldogs.
Oregon at Utah 11:30 PM ET
Third-seeded Utah begins its climb toward a first Pac-12 Tournament title with a quarterfinal game Thursday against No. 6 Oregon at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and there's a possibility the Utes will be without starting center David Collette. The 6-for-10 senior injured his ankle in the first half of a 64-54 victory against Colorado in the regular-season finale Saturday, and coach Larry Krystkowiak told reporters Wednesday that he did not think his second-leading scorer (12.8) would play in the