There were only two ranked teams that played on Thursday night. Friday night gives us zero ranked games, but given that it is Valentine's Day and the day before a huge Saturday of college basketball, that is not surprising. There is one game of extreme significance on Friday.
UCLA at Indiana prediction and pick
A week ago, this would not have been much of a game and likely would not have warranted a second glance. Not so fast though. UCLA has not won a game in the Midwest all season long, they only have two losses in the Pacific Time zone, but heading East has been unkind to the Bruins. UCLA is coming off a close loss to Illinois. The Bruins are a lock to make the NCAA tournament so a win against Indiana at Assembly Hall will only help their seeding. UCLA is a tough matchup for Indiana considering how they play.
Indiana, who most recently beat Michigan State at the Breslin Center, is hoping for a little season resurgence now that they know their head coach, Mike Woodson, is retiring at the end of the year. I am a firm believer in “win these games for coach” mentality. Indiana does have a Big Ten schedule that would allow them to play their way into the NCAA tournament if they can secure some wins here down the stretch. The Hoosiers have talent and have some momentum now that they beat Michigan State.
Given that it is Valentine's Day and the Saturday schedule is loaded, there are only 15 other games to pick. Most of the schedule is the MAAC and Ivy League on Friday. Here are the rest of the teams I think will win. Enjoy the hoops!
Winner | Loser |
|---|---|
Dartmouth | Columbia |
Niagara | Mount St. Mary's |
Loyola Chicago | Saint Louis |
Cornell | Harvard |
Yale | Penn |
Princeton | Brown |
Northern Kentucky | Green Bay |
Kent State | Ohio |
Fairfield | Saint Peter's |
Siena | Marist |
Merrimack | Manhattan |
Iona | Rider |
Quinnipiac | Sacred Heart |
Milwaukee | Wright State |
San Jose State | Nevada |