Game #149.  The Kemba Walker Show moves on at UConn tonight as the Huskies play their first game after getting hit with sanctions by the NCAA.

Although Joe Lunardi has Marquette slated as a #11 seed in his latest Bracketology (February 21^st), Buzz Williams and his squad will no doubt be treating their game with UConn, as well as their remainder of games in the regular season, as “play-in” games for the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament. Standing at 16-11 overall and 7-7 in the Big East, the Golden Eagles are 5-7 in their last 12 games, but do have solid wins against Syracuse and Notre Dame during this stretch; a “W” versus Connecticut would certainly make them feel better about their standing heading into the Big East Tournament as this is their last chance to pick up a signature win against a top team. The Huskies—like Marquette—have had a rollercoaster ride in their past six games, going an even 3-3, but prior to that they were 17-2. While there is no doubt UConn is a tournament team, a win versus Marquette would definitely help their seed come selection time. Kemba Walker is back to his old ways of making the competition look like glorified AAU squads as he is averaging 23 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.7 rebounds over the past three games. Before these games he was in a mini slump—if you want to call it that—averaging just over a shade of 15 points a night. In the first meeting between these two squads, Marquette held Walker to a pedestrian 14 points, but it was the play of freshman Jeremy Lamb who poured in a career high 24 points that led UConn to the win. Buzz Williams and his troops are well aware how important this game is for their tournament hopes: win and you’re probably in, lose and the bubble becomes that much thinner. Join me on Thursday evening from the XL Center in Hartford, CT for a great night of Big East Hoops.

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Game #146.  One of the better BracketBuster games of the day is in SoCal, as Big Sky leader Montana visits Big West leader Long Beach State.

Finishing up BracketBusters Saturday, we’ve got a battle between two conference-leading teams, in an odd sort of matchup that is little more than a glorified exhibition. The outcome of this game will have no impact on either team’s NCAA Tournament resume, as both the 49ers and the Grizzlies will need to win their conference tournaments in order to advance to the Big Dance. And, this inter-conference game will also have no effect on the seeding of either team in their conference tourneys. However, the absence of any tangible importance to this game will have little effect on the players on these squads, getting a rare chance for each team to appear on national television in the form of an ESPN2 broadcast. And, the matchups between the two teams are enticing. The Niners come into the game riding a five-game winning streak and have a two-game lead in the Big West, while the Grizzlies have won three straight, including an important win over Northern Colorado a week ago tonight to give Montana a half-game lead in the Big Sky. For the 49ers, all five starters average double-figure scoring, junior point guard Casper Ware is the reigning Big West Player of the Week and junior forwards Larry Anderson and T.J. Robinson have also won that honor this season. On the other end of the court, sophomore guard Will Cherry should provide a good match for Ware, while the size in the middle of the Grizzly lineup (6’11 senior center Brian Qvale and 7’0 junior forward Derek Selvig) will challenge the 6’5 Anderson and 6’8 Robinson. Qvale just recently became the all-time leader in blocked shots in Big Sky history (he has 232 career blocks and a blocked shot on 11% of all opponents two-point field goals this season), and the combination of the great size in the middle of the defense and Cherry’s excellent defense on the perimeter (he adds a steal in over 5% of all defensive possessions, good for sixth in the nation) will undoubtedly give Long Beach trouble. But LBSU’s history of playing a tough schedule (they had the third toughest non-conference slate this year according to KenPom, with games against San Diego State, Washington and North Carolina, among others), combined with their athleticism should make this a fascinating matchup. We hope you’ll join us to wrap up your college basketball Saturday with an entertaining game and some good chat.

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Game #147.  The Bracketbuster game of the day comes from tiny McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, California between the WCC and WAC leaders.

It’s being billed as the game of the day in the BracketBusters, and without question that assertion is true.  Both Utah State and St. Mary’s are currently ranked in the Top 25 polls (#23 and #25 in the RTC poll, respectively), and while both are presumptively into the NCAA Tournament as things stand right now, neither is an incontrovertible lock.  Utah State comes in at a gaudy 24-3, but the Aggies have zero top 100 wins and are trending in the lower reaches of the at-large pool as it stands today.  St. Mary’s is at 22-5, but the Gaels are coming off an incomprehensible loss at five-win San Diego Wednesday night, the worst team in the WCC.  The key point here?  Both of these perennial mid-major powers need tonight’s win to impress the NCAA Selection Committee.  The victor here tonight could arguably earn a full seed line bump given that their schedules will be relatively soft the rest of the way.  Expect a raucous crowd tonight in Moraga’s McKeon Pavilion, quickly becoming one of the toughest places to play on the west coast.

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Game #145.  St. John’s has established relevancy, but do they have what it takes to take down the Big East’s best team?

#4 Pittsburgh puts a 12-1 conference record, one that includes a five-game winning streak, on the line Saturday as the Panthers take on the Red Storm of St. John’s University in Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Garden is Pitt’s self-proclaimed “home away from home.” The Panthers were named Madison Square Garden’s “Team of the Decade” last year and have played 37 games on the Garden floor since 2000-01. Pittsburgh has advanced to seven of the last 10 Big East Tournament Finals, winning the tournament twice in the decade (2003 and 2008). Thinking of the Garden as “home” however, may not work to Pittsburgh’s advantage, as the Panthers are a better road team in conference play (6-0) than home team (6-1). Pitt’s only two losses this season were “at home.” Sidelined point guard Ashton Gibbs has been cleared to play and will most likely get some court time, especially if the Panthers are in great need of long range shooting. St. John’s, 8-5 in conference play and 16-9 overall is looking for their first NCAA bid in nine postseasons. The Johnnies have compiled a resume that should give the Selection Committee a lot to chew on, as the members will have to balance losses to St. Mary’s, Fordham and St. Bonaventure against wins over (then #11) Georgetown, (#10) Notre Dame, (#2) Duke and (#10) Connecticut. Rookie Coach Steve Lavin and his band of seniors would love to bump their resume with a win over #4 Pittsburgh. Will it be “business as usual” for the Pitt Panthers, or will the St. John’s Giant Killers strike again? Join RTC Live noon on Saturday at Madison Square Garden as Pittsburgh visits St. John’s.

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Game #144.  Back in the Northeast for a Big East battle between two teams trending…  the only question is which way?

Connecticut and Georgetown are teams going in different directions.  Connecticut has lost three of its last five games; Georgetown has won its last eight.  However, the two teams are more similar than you might think.  Both teams have lost to Saint John’s, Notre Dame and Pitt.  Georgetown’s other two losses were at Temple and against West Virginia; Connecticut’s other two losses were against Louisville and Syracuse.  Georgetown’s success is predicated on the play of its outstanding, experienced backcourt.  Chris Wright, Austin Freeman and Jason Clark are the keys to the Hoya’s offense.  When Wright plays well, the Hoyas generally win.  Freeman is much more consistent and should probably getting some love fore Big East Player of the Year in a few weeks.  On Connecticut’s side you have Kemba Walker, Alex Oriakhi and three freshmen.  Walker has been struggling of late: that’s to be expected in tough conference games.  A little more surprising, for me, have been Oriakhi’s struggles: in Connecticut’s last six games, he’s only scored in double figures once and never had more than eight boards.  People rush to blame the Huskies’ troubles on Walker, as he was the national Player of the Year leader only a few weeks ago.  But I think Oriakhi is critical for forcing defenses to pack the middle and find the weak side on Walker’s drives for offensive boards or open dunks.  Just by being in the game, Walker is a huge factor: you can’t help off him; you have to send help when he gets into the lane; and you have to chase him off screens.  Adding Oriakhi’s presence should leave Jeremy Lamb and Roscoe Smith much more open on the wings while relieving some of the scoring burden on Walker.

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Game #142. RTC Live is back in Newark for an interesting game between the semi-reeling Villanova Wildcats and always dangerous Seton Hall.

If rivalries are measured by duration and number of games played, when the Pirates of Seton Hall and the Wildcats of Villanova look to each other, they see long and strong rivals. In a series that predates the Big East, the Big 5 and even the NIT. The two teams will play their 100^th game Tuesday night in a series that dates back to February of 1921, Villanova’s first “season of record” in NCAA basketball. Seton Hall is only the second opponent to play Villanova 100 (or more) times, and Villanova is Seton Hall’s first 100 game opponents. The road this season has many twists and turns as both teams have taken a few bumps and bruises on the way. The Pirates lost Jeremy Hazell for nearly two months when the senior wing broke his wrist two games into the Pirates’ schedule. First year Coach Kevin Willard dismissed senior Keon Lawrence and Jamel Jackson earlier this week. Villanova lost freshman prospect JayVaughn Pinkston before the season began, and has limped along with the slow rehabilitation of freshman guard/forward  James Bell and the loss of senior Corey Stokes, who cannot shake a nasty case of turf toe he picked up late in January. These old rivals would like to get their season’s back on track. And the place to start is the Rock on Tuesday night. Join RTC Live for the 8:00 tip-off at the Rock in Newark, New Jersey as Villanova visits Seton Hall.

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Game #142: We head back to one of the great venues of the game for a late-season SEC match-up.

You don’t think guys like Dee Bost, Renardo Sidney and Ravern Johnson would relish a win at Rupp Arena, to be responsible for ruination of the second-longest home winning streak in college basketball, and the chance to play a spoiler role in the late-season SEC shakedown? Then you haven’t been following this conference at all this season. Kentucky is back home, and the Big Blue Nation is thankful for it. The Wildcats are well aware how every game, whether it ends in a win or a loss, is magnified at this time of year and they want to show the nation they’re still a bunch who will have to be taken very seriously in March. We can’t wait to see how UK defends Sidney, especially if John Calipari puts Terrence Jones on him for a trip or two. This is going to be a blast, and we’ll kick it off just before 7 PM ET. See you there.

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Game #141.  It’s an unanticipated A-10 battle at the top between Xavier and Duquesne in Pittsburgh this afternoon.

Welcome college basketball fans to snowy Pittsburgh for a match up between Xavier and Duquesne at the Consol Energy Center in what could very conceivably determine the #1 seed for the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Both teams come into the game tied for the lead in the A-10 with Temple and Richmond right on their heels. Xavier has a significant height advantage in this one with seven players 6’7 and taller. Duquesne, who has relied on their speed and ability to distribute the basketball, will once again have to venture into the forest to get it done. Xavier will look to shut down Bill Clark and Damian Saunders for Duquesne, while the Dukes will look to take a page out of UNC Charlotte’s playbook by shutting down leading scorer Tu Holloway. Xavier has a storied history of making the tournament, so they will be comfortable with what is at stake in the A-10, while Duquesne will look to re-write history in their pursuit of getting to the Big Dance.

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Game #140.  The Hoyas are streaking toward the top of the Big East with Marquette coming to town for a Sunday afternoon matchup.

Georgetown has been the hottest team in the Big East since their 1-4 start in the league. The Hoyas’ Big Three of Austin Freeman, Chris Wright, and Jason Clark have returned to the form that had everyone think that they were one of the best backcourts in the country, but that hasn’t been the difference. Julian Vaughn, the Hoya’s center, has always been a shotblocker and a rebounder but over the last month he’s become a legitimate double digit scoring threat on the block. The other difference in this team has been the move of Nate Lubick into the Georgetown starting line up. Lubick is a bigger body and a better rebounder, while Thompson gives the Hoyas a scoring threat off the bench.  Marquette has been one of the most competitive teams in the Big East, but they haven’t been able to win close games against marquee competition. They are in pretty good position in terms of an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, but the Golden Eagles could use a quality win to feel safe. Marquette matches up with the Hoyas very well. Both teams have a ton of backcourt talent, but Marquette’s forwards — Jae Crowder and Jimmy Butler — could be a matchup problem for Georgetown. They can match up with Vaughn on the interior, but Vaughn cannot cover them defensively.

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Game #139.  It’s a clash between two surprising teams not named Gonzaga for the conference lead in the West Coast Conference this evening.

Bay Area rivals Saint Mary’s and San Francisco square off in what may be the last good opportunity for someone to knock the Gaels out of first place in the West Coast Conference. Saint Mary’s is 9-1 and San Francisco 8-2 heading into tonight’s 7:30 p.m. Pacific game in San Francisco. A win tonight and Saint Mary’s will have a two-game lead over its nearest rivals with three conference games left on the schedule. An upset by the Dons would give them a tie for first.  Join us tonight for the action on RTC Live.

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