BASKETBALL COLLEGE BASKETBALL ARTICLES

After a slow start to conference play, the Louisville Cardinals have bounced back to get into the thick of the standings. They don’t have much room for error in such a competitive ACC, and needs to take care of business at home against the Clemson Tigers.... 

The Connecticut Huskies’ tough season continued last time out, when they blew a big lead and lost a squeaker to Georgetown. A national champion just a couple years ago, UConn seems destined to miss the postseason and may be reduced to spoiler down the stretch. They will hope to pull off the upset of the Southern Methodist Mustangs in a nationally televised showdown.... 

The Michigan Wolverines are finding themselves underperforming early season expectations once again. Michigan has already dropped six games this season, three out-of-conference, and needs to start winning games in a hurt if it wants to ensure it has a spot in March Madness. The Wolverines will face the Wisconsin Badgers, a team that has only lost to ranked teams this season, and has played a monster of a schedule to this point.... 

Could Shaka Smart be the next high-profile Texas coach to lose his job? Even though it might be hard to imagine Smart losing his job after just two seasons in Austin, the Texas Longhorns have been awful this season. They have lost three in a row to conference opponents, and although these have been close losses, through a year and a half, the team looks worse than it did under former coach Rick Barnes. Texas will face another tough test when they travel to Waco to face the Baylor Bears on Tuesda... 

Butler has been the more impressive team this season and gets this one at home, so clearly it should be the favorite. Xavier has its share of wins over high-major foes but has yet to defeat a ranked team this year.Don't miss the hardwood action from the Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 14, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on FS1.... 

Texas has struggled mightily this season, and while it is the home team, the Mountaineers should be able to come in and take care of business as the favorite. West Virginia has been one of the best teams in the nation this season, further evidenced by its impressive win over Baylor last time out.Don't miss the hardwood action from the Frank Erwin Special Events Center in Austin, Texas at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 14, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on CBS.... 

The Red Storm are 8-10 coming into this matchup, and are looking to put an end to its current three-game losing streak. St. John’s captured a win against No. 13 Butler on December 29th, the only team to defeat Villanova this season.Villanova may not be unblemished any longer but it is clearly the superior team in this matchup and will be a heavy favorite despite having to go on the road. St. John’s will need to play close to a flawless game to pull out the win.... 

UT-Arlington must hit the road for this showdown but has the superior squad and will certainly be favored despite the travel. South Alabama has struggled mightily of late and could be hard-pressed to turn it around in this one.At 3 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN2 for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Monday, January 16, 2017, at the Mitchell Center in Mobile, Alabama.... 

Mississippi State is the home team and has the better record, so it could be favored in this one. The Aggies have struggled badly out of the gate in the conference and would love to turn it around with a victory.If the Bulldogs have a shot at making March Madness, they will need to play well down the stretch, and that includes picking up this one in a winnable home contest.... 

Syracuse will certainly be a sizable underdog in this matchup so will need to play nearly flawlessly to have a shot at the win. North Carolina isn’t as dominant as it has been in some past years but has plenty of talent and should be considered a March Madness threat once again.This war on the floor will go down Monday, January 16, 2017, at 7 p.m. ET at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The game will be televised live on ESPN.... 

Gonzaga has a better record and plays at home so it will be favored, but Saint Mary’s has enough talent to make this a competitive game and possibly spring the upset. The Bulldogs would love to remain undefeated but must play well in this one to stay that way.This war on the floor will go down Saturday, January 14, 2017, at 10 p.m. ET at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington. The game will be televised live on ESPN2.... 

While Seton Hall is a decent team, it must hit the road to face off against one of the best teams in the nation. Villanova will be the clear favorite and should have no problem taking care of business as it aims to remain atop a crowded Big East.Don't miss the hardwood action from the The Pavilion in Villanova, Pennsylvania at 6:30 p.m. ET on Monday, January 16, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on FS1.... 

Kansas is an elite team and plays this game at home, so there is little reason to believe Oklahoma State can spring the upset. The Cowboys played well in the non-conference season but have struggled as the competition has gotten tougher.At 2 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN2 for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Sunday, January 14, 2017, at the Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas.... 

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are one of the most offensively gifted teams in the nation and will look to put their skills to the test when they face the Miami Hurricanes on Thursday night. Notre Dame is currently undefeated in ACC play, knocking off Pittsburgh, Clemson, and Louisville in conference action. Meanwhile, Miami is looking to bounce back from a brutal road loss to Syracuse last week and will try to replicate the success it had against Notre Dame last year.... 

Even though the Spartans are atop the standings and the Buckeyes are winless at the bottom, this outcome isn’t cut and dried. Ohio State is playing at home and has the talent to compete, but must start stringing some victories together in order to have a shot at making it to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.At 1:30 p.m. ET, tune into CBS for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Sunday, January 15, 2017, at the Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio.... 

Butler recently knocked off No. 1 Villanova but is coming off a loss to Creighton so needs this victory as everyone fights for good seeding heading into March Madness. The Golden Eagles need to play well down the stretch to make the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and a road win over Butler would be a huge feather in their cap.The Bulldogs are a tough team and the home court advantage makes them the clear favorite in this matchup.... 

Kansas hasn’t lost since its season opener, and even on the road should enter this showdown as the favorite. However, Iowa State has a lot of experience and is a team playing well. A rabid home crowd should be a boost as the Cyclones aim for the upset in this matchup.At 9 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Monday, January 16, 2017, at the James H. Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.... 

It’s hard to believe North Carolina won’t be the favorite playing at home, but it’s impossible to count out the Seminoles based on how well they have been playing.This war on the floor will go down Saturday, January 14, 2017, at 2 p.m. ET at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The game will be televised live on ESPN.... 

Xavier is on their tails while Villanova and Butler are also in the mix, so it is going to be an intriguing race down the stretch. Xavier needs to win this game at home in order to keep pace but it won’t be easy as Creighton comes in with a top-10 rankings and plenty of momentum.This war on the floor will go down Monday, January 16, 2017, at 2 p.m. ET at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. The game will be televised live on FS1.... 

Connecticut has won two national championships in the past four years but is far below .500 right now and is in serious danger of missing the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. The Huskies could be underdogs even though they have been better than Georgetown in recent years.... 

Kentucky is one of the most talented teams in the country and should be able to run past an Auburn team which lost by 25 points to the only ranked opponent on its schedule. The Wildcats will look to keep moving up the rankings and solidify their position as a top seed in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament with another win.... 

The Maryland Terrapins finally got the big win they were looking for two nights ago. Maryland has been on the outside looking in at the Top 25 rankings, despite a 15-2 record, because of its weak non-conference slate. However, a win against Indiana is going to five the Terps the respect they deserve and attention from voters. Now, they must go on the road and take on the Illinois Fighting Illini, a team that Maryland already defeated in College Park earlier this season.... 

It will be a battle of the last two undefeated teams in the Missouri Valley Conference when the Illinois State Redbirds host the Wichita State Shockers this weekend. However, whereas Wichita State comes into this game with some name wins and a lot of preseason hype, Illinois State is more of a mystery. The Redbirds do have a win against New Mexico, but losses against Tulsa, San Francisco, and Murray State. The winner of this one will take sole possession of first place in the MVC.... 

Coach Mike Krzyzewski won’t be on the sidelines for his Duke Blue Devils for the next few weeks due to back surgery as his team enters a tough stretch. Following a tough road tilt at Florida State, Duke travels north to take on Rick Pitino and the Louisville Cardinals. Louisville knocked off Duke the last time these teams squared off and the Cardinals are looking to pick up a statement win against a Blue Devils side that is looking increasingly vulnerable. A Duke loss here would be a big blow to... 

The Georgia Bulldogs have never been a basketball power, but have been pretty respectable under Mark Fox. Georgia has made the NCAA Tournament twice under his watch and has tallied 20 wins in three straight seasons heading into this year. However, after some rough results in out-of-conference play, the Bulldogs have some work to do to get to 20 this year. That makes their game against the Florida Gators all the more important over the weekend....