VCU and Nebraska Headline a Light Wednesday of Hoops

Michigan isn’t just a Wagon but the entire caravan. That is how they were described to me by a friend earlier tonight as Villanova became the next victim of the Wolverines. Michigan is blowing everyone out, and while Arizona may have the best current resume, Michigan looks like the best team.  In the rest of the Big Ten, Illinois hung on to beat Ohio State, and Indiana blew out Penn State.  The Nittany Lions are not going to win much in the Big Ten.  

The Jimmy V Classic was the highlight of the night, and the fans were treated to two fantastic games at Madison Square Garden.  BYU went to halftime down 20 against Clemson, but a huge second half and a buzzer-beater three by Rob Wright III led BYU to a win.  Then in the nightcap, the UConn Huskies beat the Florida Gators.  The Gators' backcourt played much better, but it still leaves a lot to be desired.  Florida is 5-4.  UConn has all of the pieces again to make a deep run into March, and right now the Huskies are a giant threat to cut down the nets in April.

The Wednesday schedule has only two games of note, but both will have significant implications in conference races and for teams' extensive resumes.  As always, there will be a pick for the winners of each game.

New Mexico Lobos at VCU Rams - Two teams playing a Havoc style, hoping for a huge win

New Mexico has looked a lot better with each passing game under current head coach Eric Olen.  The Lobos force a ton of turnovers on defense, and they will press the entire game.  The turnovers are turned into quick transition buckets, which is how New Mexico gets the majority of its baskets.  Jake Hall is a fantastic three-point shooter and can make a lot of threes quickly.  If New Mexico can get hot from deep, they can stay in this game.

VCU and head coach Phil Martelli Jr. don’t look all that much different from other VCU teams of the past.  They play fast on offense, shoot a ton of threes, and force a ton of turnovers.  Terence Hill Jr. is the Rams' leading scorer and one of the best three-point shooters in the country.  It will be a resume-building win for whoever wins the game.  If you enjoy turnovers and three, then this is the game for you.

Wisconsin Badgers at No. 23 Nebraska Cornhuskers - Three-point shooting battle in Lincoln

The Badgers come into Lincoln as one of the top three-point shooting teams in the country, doing so with an elite backcourt in John Blackwell and Nick Boyd.  Each of those guys is scoring over 20 points, and they have their hands all over every Wisconsin win. Boyd has not only helped Wisconsin with his scoring, but has also helped the Badgers play at one of the fastest paces in the country.  The Badgers will pose the biggest test for the Huskers so far this season.

Nebraska comes in ranked for the first time since the 2018 season and has earned it, starting 9-0.  The Huskers are one of the best shooting teams in the country and appear to have regained their massive home-court advantage in Pinnacle Bank Arena. Even with that, the Huskers are still going to have to play a full 40 minutes to win this game.  The good news, though, is that Rienk Mast should be able to move freely in this game and will get open looks.  Pryce Sandfort looks like he is ready to go on another heater, and Sam Hoiberg and Jamarques Lawrence are playing an elite level point guard right now.   The Huskers win at home.

Here are the picks for the rest of the games on Wednesday: