Game #158.  It’s been another rough season for Tom Crean at Indiana, but the Hoosiers will get a shot to play spoiler against the visiting Badgers tonight.

Welcome to Bloomington, Indiana and to Assembly Hall.  Tonight’s matchup features the #10-ranked Wisconsin Badgers (22-6, 12-4 Big Ten) vs. the Indiana Hoosiers (12-17, 3-13 Big Ten).  This game is a rematch of a January 20 tilt between the Hoosiers and Badgers in front of the “Grateful Red” at Madison’s Kohl Center.  That game ended 69-60 in favor of the Badgers. Any and all fans who follow this game live, on tv, or on the web will be offered free admission to the Jordan Taylor show.  The Wisconsin junior out of the Twin Cities is arguably the nation’s finest all-around point guard, averaging a 4.1 assists to turnover ratio and 17.8 points per game.  Patience is a virtue at Wisconsin, and Ryan will attempt to make the Hoosiers play a half court game.  The Badgers do not take many bad shots.  However, easy shots are tough to come by on the road in the Big Ten. What’s more, this is no ordinary road game.  It is senior night in Bloomington, which means it is a night to honor Jeremiah Rivers.  The senior guard has meant a great deal to the resurrection of the Hoosier program under Coach Tom Crean.  Can the Hoosiers walk off Branch McCracken Court for the last time this season with some momentum for next week’s in-state Big Ten Tourney? Catch all the action LIVE Thursday evening. 

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Game #159.  The surging Johnnies head across the Hudson River to take on Seton Hall in the Rock this evening.  Can Lavin’s boys keep it up?

The red hot St. John’s Red Storm will look to make it seven wins in a row when they travel across the Hudson River to New Jersey tonight to pay a visit to the Seton Hall Pirates. St. John’s has gone from a bubble team to a club looking at a top four seed in the NCAA Tournament thanks to this recent run. Since losing to Georgetown on January 26, the Johnnies have lost only once, a 66-59 setback at UCLA in early February. Another win tonight would likely seal the deal for a double-bye in next week’s Big East Tournament, played on their home floor at Madison Square Garden. Should they win tonight, St. John’s would only need to beat South Florida at home on Saturday to hold off Syracuse for the #4 seed in the conference tournament. Big East Player of the Year candidate Dwight Hardy has been the catalyst for Steve Lavin’s team, averaging 25.1 PPG over SJU’s 8-1 run since the Georgetown loss. As for Seton Hall, problems off the court, injuries and a lack of ability to put the ball in the basket have crushed their season, one that appeared somewhat promising back in the fall. The Pirates are 11-17 (5-11) and will look to finish strong with two games at home, starting tonight. Join us from the Prudential Center as we cover this New York City area rivalry.

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Game #157.  It’s a battle of rapidly fading bubble teams in the last week of the regular season.  Pretty much a knockout game, in the best-case scenario.

Northwestern wraps up its Big Ten Conference season with a game against reeling Minnesota on Wednesday night. It’s Senior Night for Juice Thompson, Northwestern’s career leader in assists, minutes, games played and starts. It’s also the Wildcats’ final tune-up before they head to Indianapolis needing to win the Big Ten Tournament in order to make their first-ever NCAA Tournament. For Minnesota it’s a key bubble game. The Gophers have lost seven of their past eight games and look to be out of the field of 68 right now. Even wins against Northwestern and Penn State in the regular season finale might not be enough to guarantee a spot, but it’d be a good start. Interestingly enough, this might also be a preview of a first round Big Ten Tournament contest. Join John Templon from Welsh-Ryan Arena at 8:15 p.m. ET for all the action.

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Game # 156.  Notre Dame has been the surprise team in the Big East this season; can they once again protect home court against the visiting (and slumping) Wildcats? 

Notre Dame will look to finish their home season undefeated, as the suddenly sputtering Villanova Wildcats enter the Purcell Pavilion on Monday evening. Mike Brey’s Fighting Irish are 16-0 on their homecourt this season and need a win over the Wildcats to move closer to earning a double bye in what will be an ultra-competitive Big East tournament. Following Pittsburgh’s loss to Louisville on Sunday, the Irish possess an outside shot of winning the Big East regular season title outright. Villanova had a week to forget last week with home losses to Syracuse and St. John’s. A feature of this year’s Wildcat squad has also been that they have not been very strong on the road, as they have lost at both Providence and Rutgers along with barely defeating dreadful DePaul. On a night where Notre Dame will honor seniors Ben Hansbrough, Tom Kopko and Tyrone Nash, the Irish will look to offset the Wildcat attack that is led by senior guards Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes. If Mike Brey’s team is able to jump out to an early lead and get strong contributions from Hansbrough and forward Tim Abromaitis, then it is likely that Notre Dame will finish their home season undefeated.

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Game #154.  Notre Dame has put together a fantastic regular season, and they seek to finish up strong with a home game today against Seton Hall.

After a close call victory over Providence on Wednesday evening, Notre Dame returns home after a three game road trip that featured stops at South Florida, West Virginia, and Providence. The Irish are undefeated at home this season, as the Seton Hall Pirates enter the Purcell Pavilion on Saturday evening. Kevin Willard’s squad has struggled mightily in his first year, as the Pirates are just 11-16 and have faced a myriad of personnel problems. The Irish led by seniors Ben Hansbrough, Tim Abromaitis, and Carleton Scott will look to defeat Seton Hall to continue their quest of ensuring the possession of the number two seed in what will be an ultra-competitive Big East tournament. Seton Hall will attempt to play spoiler, as well as getting a win to highlight the illustrious career of their senior guard Jeremy Hazell. Irish coach Mike Brey will look to lead his team to a victory on a night where Notre Dame will honor one of its legends- Austin Carr- by inducting him into the Irish Ring of Honor- currently only occupied by former ND great Luke Harangody and Irish women’s legend Ruth Riley. If the Irish march out to an early lead then it is reasonable to conclude that the Irish will provide its fans with a stirring home victory.

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Game #155.  Texas travels to Boulder to take on a team fighting for its NCAA Tournament life — will it be another road nightmare for the Horns like last week?

Colorado enters Saturday’s contest against No. 5 Texas with a lot to prove, considering they 1-4 against the conference’s top four teams this season. With the win, the Buffs can improve to 7-7 in conference play and earn its second big victory in Big 12 play. As for the Longhorns, they can improve to 25-4 with a win, but must contain the Buffs star, guard Alec Burks. The sophomore has been was dominant as any player in the conference from Jan. 8 to Feb. 9. Although he has cooled off, UT cannot afford to let him get comfortable at home. Playing at a higher elevation could hurt the Longhorns, who should be looking to use their bench more than usual. The team’s best players are apparent, but they will need to win with a solid team effort today as the Buffs want to play the upset card against the top team in conference. The match-up today boils down to the Longhorns defense, No. 14 in the nation, versus the fast-paced Buffalo offense, No. 15 in the nation with 79 points per game.

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Game #153.  It’s all come down to this single game for the MVC regular season championship for 2010-11.

Since joining the Missouri Valley Conference in 1990, there’s one thing Missouri State has never done: win a regular season title. That’s why Saturday’s contest with Wichita State, a six-time MVC champion, at the sparkling JQH Arena is one of the most important games in program history. The two teams are tied at the top of the standings at 14-3, so the city of Springfield is effectively hosting the Missouri Valley regular season championship game this weekend. MSU won at Koch Arena in January, a stunning result at the time because the Shockers are traditionally so dominant in that building. Wichita State has since lost three more home games, but it’s looked more comfortable on the road– the Shockers’ only road loss this season came at San Diego State. Saturday’s game is all about toughness. Wichita State thinks it’s tougher than you, and it wins by crashing the offensive glass and feeding the paint. That doesn’t intimidate Missouri State, because former Purdue assistant Cuonzo Martin takes a tough-nosed approach with his program, too. As far as individual match-ups go, WSU’s J.T. Durley may be the Valley’s best back-to-the-basket scorer. He’ll have his hands full with the Bears’ frontcourt tandem, which consists of POY candidate Kyle Weems and the fiery Will Creekmore. Gregg Marshall has a deeper roster with more athleticism, and he has the ability to pressure teams full court whenever he likes. Without consistent point guard play, though, his team’s been prone to offensive droughts in the half-court, and he’ll need more out of guard Toure’ Murry, who made just one shot in that January meeting. The two teams are long shots for at-large bids, so Arch Madness next week is the more important event, but a conference championship is on the line Saturday. How’s that for some drama?

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Game #152.  A timeless classic reconvenes in the District on a Saturday afternoon.  We’re pleased to be there.

Game #151.  RTC Live is back to cover one of its favorite mid-major rivalries, Gonzaga visiting St. Mary’s in Moraga this evening.

At the mid-point of the WCC season, it appeared that this annual second clash between the two best teams in the conference may not mean much.  At the time, St. Mary’s was on a roll, having started off 5-0 in league play before taking down the Zags in their own building for the first time in fifteen long, wrenching seasons.  Since that time, SMC has dropped games at Portland in a letdown, at home in a second-half disaster to Utah State in the BracketBusters, and an inexplicable road loss at horrible San Diego that still has people scratching their heads.  Gonzaga, on the other hand, hasn’t exactly hit its stride, but since the loss to the Gaels, they’re trending much better.  Other than a home loss to Memphis, the Zags have won six WCC games in a row and currently only sit one game back from St. Mary’s in the standings.  With a win tonight, the two teams would effectively be tied heading into the last conference game of the season (SMC vs. Portland; Gonzaga at San Diego), setting up an interesting scenario for the weekend and making tonight’s game especially important.  It should be a competitive and intense battle tonight on a cold night in Moraga.  Join us on RTC Live for all of the action.

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Game #150.  RTC Live brings you a look at the Summit League, as UMKC looks to pull an upset over Oakland, who has clinched the conference crown with two games remaining.

While the Oakland Grizzlies have already clinched the Summit League title, coach Greg Kampe is charged with keeping his team motivated to finish strong entering the conference tournament. They’re lead by 6’11 center Keith Benson, who has made waves as the Summit League’s first bona fide NBA prospect in a number of years. Averaging a double-double (17.6/10.0), Benson has helped guide the Grizzlies through conference play as well as through Oakland’s grueling slate of power conference foes. Confident that his team could handle the conference, Kampe sought out “big six” teams in an effort to get his team ready for the challenges they figure to face in the Big Dance. The result was an unenviable slate that included battles against West Virginia, Purdue, Illinois, Michigan State, Tennessee (who the Grizzlies upset) and Ohio State. Benson deservedly receives much attention, but he’s complemented by a pair of long-range assassins in freshman Travis Bader (45.3%) and 5’11 guard Reggie Hamilton (38.3%). On the other side of the scorer’s table, UMKC head coach Matt Brown (a John Beilein disciple) can improve his team’s seeding for the conference tournament with a win tonight. If they are to turn the trick, it will be behind the hot hand of senior Jay Couisnard, who has averaged 23.5 points per game in his last six outings. Senior Spencer Johnson, the heart and soul of UMKC, has the challenge of matching up with Benson on the glass. Despite his size, he became the school’s all-time leading rebounder recently, and has 695 career boards entering tonight’s game. Another card in the ‘Roos’ back pocket is their flawless 7-0 record at Swinney Recreation Center, one of their two home courts. IUPUI has been the only Summit League team to figure out Oakland, and their solution was simple – get Benson in foul trouble. Perhaps that’s not the only recipe, though so tune in at 8:00 EST to see if the Kangaroos can stun the Grizzlies.

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