One word to describe the Thursday schedule of games was almost. There were almost some upsets, there were almost some teams who picked up huge wins, and there was almost chaos. Ohio State almost got another huge win over Oregon. The Ducks were down most of the game until a late Jackson Shelstad three gave them the lead for good. It was a missed opportunity for Ohio State who desperately needs some good wins. Oregon survived its first test to the Midwest.
Here are some other games that had some results that almost had good wins. Oregon State almost beat Santa Clara. The Beavers desperately need signature wins to qualify for the postseason. The win over Santa Clara would have been a good win, given that it was a road game. UMass Lowell almost beat Vermont. That win would have been huge for the River Hawks as they are trying to establish a new order in the America East. Taking down Vermont would have been a huge first step. Finally, Troy almost avoided a loss at home. The Trojans had the lead over Texas State with 1 second left before the Bobcats made two free throws to win the game. Troy is still the team to beat in the Sun Belt.
Then there were the games that went as we all thought. Purdue dominated Rutgers in New Jersey. Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey did play, but the Scarlet Knights get nothing from anyone else on the Roster, and they can’t win with that. Purdue used their superstar trio to win again. Braden Smith, Trey Kaufmann-Renn, and Fletcher Loyer were great once again. Michigan State looks like a Final Four team right now. They are destroying teams at Breslin. They beat Washington by 34 points. The Huskies are not great this year, but the Spartans also beat a good Nebraska team by that same margin in East Lansing. The Spartans are a force in the Big Ten this season.
If you like mid and low-major basketball, then today is the day for you. It is the calm before a huge Saturday of games. There is one huge game in the Big Ten today. Outside of that, there is MAAC, MAC, and NEC conference play. Picks for day 64 January 10, 2025, are below.
Winner | Loser |
|---|---|
Merrimack | Sacred Heart |
Kent State | Buffalo |
Niagara | Saint Peter's |
Stonehill | Long Island |
Wisconsin | Minnesota |
St. Francis | Mercyhurst |
Le Moyne | Fairleigh Dickinson |
Central Connecticut | Wagner |
Quinnipiac | Siena |
Manhattan | Mount St. Mary's |
Rider | Canisius |
Iona | Fairfield |
Maryland | UCLA |
Toledo | Central Michigan |
There are only two power conference games today, but one of them is going to likely be a blowout. Wisconsin hosts Minnesota at the Kohl Center in what will likely be a double-digit win for the Badgers. The game of note takes place in College Park, MD. The Maryland Terrapins welcome UCLA to town. UCLA has now lost two straight games to two good Big Ten teams. The Bruins lost at Nebraska and then got blasted in Westwood by Michigan. After the Michigan game, head coach Mick Cronin called his team soft.
UCLA must travel the length of the country for the game tonight and head to the Xfinity Center, where Maryland doesn’t lose much. This is going to be a physical game, and it will be interesting to see how the Bruins respond after their head coach called them out. Maryland is back at home, where they always win. They are hard to beat at home, and UCLA is going to have to play a lot better to get the job done. Enjoy the hoops.