St. John's, Purdue, and UCLA and more picks for college basketball big games tomorrow

There was another loaded Saturday schedule and the Sunday schedule does provide a little bit of a break. There are still some huge games on Sunday with some teams that desperately need a win to improve their tournament standings. 

UConn at No. 10 St. John’s prediction and pick

The Huskies are fickle. One day, they can come to Omaha and beat Creighton, and then the next game, lose to Seton Hall. That isn’t just a tongue in cheek comment that did happen last week and head coach Dan Hurley was at a loss for words. UConn did beat Villanova the last time out and had to do it using a huge run at the end of the game to get the job done. The Huskies don’t inspire much confidence as the year goes on that they can repeat as a champion or at least make a deep run in the NCAA tournament. UConn is going to be in this game, but they did lose a hard-fought game in Storrs. The Huskies should still get into the tournament, but wins are going to help.

The turnaround is real for the Red Storm and it is all a credit to Rick Pitino and his ability to get kids motivated to play basketball. The Red Storm can win in a lot of different ways. They can win a low-scoring defensive battle, which is what they prefer to play, and they can win a game when they are going to have to score a little more. UConn isn’t the explosive team they have been over the last few seasons, but it will give the Johnnies a game. St. John’s needs to win to keep their hold of the top spot in the Big East.

No. 13 Purdue at Indiana prediction and pick

Purdue is the much better team than Indiana and should win the game. Keep in mind, though, that Purdue is another team that is still trying to put it all together after losing Zach Edey. They are in no danger of missing the NCAA tournament, and they are still a feather in the cap for any team that beats them. The Boilers are still in the running for the top of the Big Ten, but they have to win as many games as possible in order to get there. The Hoosiers gave them a game until the final whistle last time. Rivalry games are like that.

Indiana is playing with house money for the rest of the season. They will have a new coach at the beginning of next year and no one is expecting them to do much this year. The Hoosiers are still a bubble team but need to start getting some good wins. They do have the win on the road over Michigan State, and a win over Purdue would do well for them to get into the field. Assembly Hall will be packed and ready for a Hoosier win. This game means a lot to each team.

Ohio State at UCLA prediction and pick

The Buckeyes are reeling and it is time for them to figure out if they want to make the tournament or not. They have the wins over Texas, Kentucky, and Purdue which is elevating the resume but they also go pounded by Northwestern at home in their last outing. That loss moved Ohio State back to the bubble. Now it is about loss avoidance for Ohio State on their quest to make the NCAA tournament. The Buckeyes are starting to get into must-win territory with every game they play. Unfortunately they have to make cross country trip to Pauley Pavilion to play a very motivated Bruins team.

UCLA is fresh off a loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers, in which they blew a 17-point lead and missed 10 free throws down the stretch to lose the game. Coach Mick Cronin was unhappy and he has been able to motivate his guys this season after a tough loss. The Bruins have not lost much at home, and they are going to be motivated to show that the Minnesota game was a one-off. Ohio State knows they are better than they showed against Northwestern, so expect this one to be physical. 

Here are the rest of the games for a good Sunday of hoops. Enjoy the hoops!