The conference fun is underway, and one of the more exciting things about this part of the season is that every night there are impactful games all across the country. Regardless of the conference, the results that take place now will be looked back upon in March as the reason a team is either in the tournament conversation or is not. January (and February) are where tournament resumes are made, and before we know it, those key resume opportunities will dwindle, and for some, it will be too late to recover.
One thing we are always reminded of every season, when conference play gets underway, is that whether you play in a power conference or a one-bid league, winning on the road in conference play is difficult. We’ve seen this in action this week with both Iowa and UCF falling on the road and Michigan, which has dominated nearly everyone, almost letting an eight-point lead with less than three minutes to play slip away at Penn State. With the gauntlet going at full force, it’s time to see what kind of impact it has had on the latest field.
West Region (San Jose)
San Diego
1.) Arizona vs. 16.) Grambling/Howard
8.) USC vs. 9.) Saint Mary's
Tampa
5.) Virginia vs. 12.) Tulsa
4.) Alabama vs. 13.) Utah Valley
Portland
6.) Tennessee vs. 11.) Wisconsin/Baylor
3.) Gonzaga vs. 14.) Oakland
Oklahoma City
7.) SMU vs. 10.) Oklahoma State
2.) Nebraska vs. 15.) Vermont
The West remains the same, with the Arizona Wildcats as the No. 1 seed, and with Michigan’s defeat, the Wildcats become the field’s top seed. Tommy Lloyd’s team spent the week sweeping both Kansas State and TCU, giving them an unblemished 8-0 record across the first two quads. Road tests at UCF and BYU stand out the rest of the month before things really pick up in February with a four-game stretch against Kansas, Texas Tech, BYU, and Houston. In the West, let’s look at the No. 5 seed, the new-look Virginia Cavaliers. Under Ryan Odom, the 14-2 Cavaliers are a far cry from the plodding style we’re used to seeing. Virginia is getting 36% of their points from the three-point line, and it hasn’t played at a pace this fast since 2009.
Midwest Region (Chicago)
Buffalo
1.) Michigan vs. 16.) Tenn.-Martin/Long Island
8.) Utah State vs. 9.) St. John's
Tampa
5.) Arkansas vs. 12.) Belmont
4.) North Carolina vs. 13.) Liberty
Oklahoma City
6.) Clemson vs. 11.) Ohio State
3.) Houston vs. 14.) High Point
Greenville
7.) UCF vs. 10.) Indiana
2.) Vanderbilt vs. 15.) East Tennessee State
The No. 1 seed in the Midwest region remains the Michigan Wolverines. The undefeated Wolverines were knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten earlier week. After surviving a trip to Penn State, they fell at home to Wisconsin. A top-25 schedule, domination in quad 1 on the scoreboard, and top-10 metrics across the board keep Michigan on the top seed line. Also in the Midwest region is a who 's-who of college coaches. Rick Pitino’s St. John’s Red Storm (No. 9 seed), John Calipari and Arkansas (No. 5 seed), and Kelvin Sampson’s Houston squad (No. 4 seed) are among the teams that stand between Michigan and a Final Four.
South Region (Houston)
Philadelphia
1.) UConn vs. 16.) Navy
8.) Auburn vs. 9.) Miami
San Diego
5.) Florida vs. 12.) McNeese State
4.) Texas Tech vs. 13.) Hawaii
Portland
6.) Villanova vs. 11.) Yale
3.) BYU vs. 14.) Saint Thomas
St. Louis
7.) Georgia vs. 10.) NC State
2.) Purdue vs. 15.) Portland State
After beating DePaul on Saturday, the only loss on UConn’s docket has been to the aforementioned Arizona Wildcats. Four quad 1A wins with a top-10 schedule and metrics to match carry the Huskies to the No. 1 seed in the South Region after a switch with Iowa State. UConn will get its biggest league test so far when it travels to Seton Hall. The South region has a couple of teams that have been flying under the radar. The No. 9 seed Miami Hurricanes are 14-2 under new coach Jai Lucas while ranking in the top-50 in both efficiencies on KenPom. No. 7 Georgia is also 14-2 and one of the fastest teams in the country. The Bulldogs rank 2nd in adjusted tempo and 3rd in average possession length while also being in the top-50 in both efficiencies.
East Region (Washington, D.C.)
St. Louis
1.) Iowa State vs. 16.) Troy
8.) Iowa vs. 9.) Kentucky
Philadelphia
5.) Louisville vs. 12.) Akron
4.) Illinois vs. 13.) Hofstra
Buffalo
6.) Kansas vs. 11.) Texas A&M/Creighton
3.) Michigan State vs. 14.) Austin Peay
Greenville
7.) Seton Hall vs. 10.) Saint Louis
2.) Duke vs. 15.) Marist
The East Region sees a change at the top this week as the Iowa State Cyclones claim the top seed because of a procedural issue involving BYU not being able to play on Sundays. Beating Baylor on the road and Oklahoma State at home gives the Cyclones a 16-0 record with a slightly better metric average (5.5 to 6.3) than Duke, and that dominating win on the road at Purdue gives Iowa State the edge as the fourth No. 1 seed. The No. 9 seed in the East Region is Kentucky, and the Wildcats have been sliding seed list of late. Defense has been a big problem for Mark Pope’s team lately, having given up over 78 points per game over their last four games, going 2-2 in that span. The Wildcats are creeping closer to the cut line, and the Big Blue Nation is not happy about it.
The Bubble
Last four in
The last four teams in the field have some teams that are trending in the right direction. Texas A&M has gone 11-1 over its last 12 and has a huge road trip to Tennessee and Texas this week. Wisconsin went and knocked off Michigan in Ann Arbor on Saturday, and Creighton is 4-2 over their last six, including a win at Villanova, which could become key. The last team in this group is trending in the wrong direction. Baylor has lost three straight, and with games against Oklahoma State, Kansas, and Texas Tech on deck, things could get dicey for the Bears.
Just missed the field
Just on the outside are New Mexico, Stanford, TCU, and LSU. The Lobos are in the thick of a Mountain West race (behind Utah State) that is stronger than expected. Since hitting league play, LSU has hit the skids, losing three straight. TCU is in the same boat, losing back-to-back games to Kansas and Arizona with BYU next on Wednesday. The next four out include another Mountain West team, San Diego State, Stanford’s rival, California, Missouri, and UCLA. We’re still early enough in league play where these groupings change daily, and teams can still get that key signature win.