Memphis Rocks Gonzaga

#15 Memphis 68, #18 Gonzaga 50
Somebody who only tuned in for the last eight minutes of this game might be completely confused as to how the final score came about. Somebody turning on the game then would have seen Gonzaga turn a 26 point deficit into a 12 point deficit in only about seven minutes. What made it even stranger was that the comeback came with several Gonzaga stars on the bench. One guy who I really liked, even if his performance didn't show up in the box score, was freshman Demetri Goodson. He was tentative about shooting, but he was aggressive on offense and defense. I really don't know what to make of the Gonzaga stars - Jeremy Pargo, Josh Heytfelt and Austin Daye. All three have vastly underperformed compared to expectations this season, and it's remarkable but true that Gonzaga might be better off with those guys spending more time on the bench. Memphis was already more athletic, and with a higher level of motivation it just seemed like they were playing at a different speed. They could get open shots at will. On a side note, I want to comment on how impressed I am with the improvement of Tyreke Evans since November and December. He is a much more efficient scorer, and he also does a much better job of creating offense for his teammates. He is the reason that Memphis has improved from the mediocre team that went 0-3 against the RPI Top 100 in 2008, to the elite team that might make a decent case for a 1 seed before all is said and done in 2009.

Ohio State 64, #19 Minnesota 58
Don't look now, but Ohio State has now won four straight games to move to 7-4 in the Big Ten. They are a very solid 8-5 against the RPI Top 100, and have excellent computer numbers. There's no question that they'd be in the Tournament if the season ended now. That said, their remaining schedule really is brutal, with every single game being a possible loss. With six wins against the RPI Top 50, Ohio State would probably make the Tournament if they finish 9-9, but really need to get to 10-8 to feel confident about a bid. They can get there by just taking care of business at home (Illinois, Penn State, Northwestern). Minnesota has a similar resume to Ohio State (6-5 in the Big Ten, 8-5 against the RPI Top 100, and similarly good computer numbers), but they're heading in the wrong direction, with four losses in their last six games. That said, their remaining schedule is much easier. Like Ohio State, they'll be in the Tournament if they win the games they're supposed to win the rest of the season.

New Mexico 73, UNLV 69, OT
Tony Dandridge powered New Mexico to a huge victory here that further muddies the Mountain West pecking order. New Mexico grabs full possession of third place with a 6-3 record, while UNLV slips all the way to fifth at 5-4. New Mexico is only 3-6 against the RPI Top 100, and has very weak computer numbers (79th in the RPI), but both of those stats will improve if they keep winning in this conference. But the bigger story here is UNLV, and whether this loss temporarily drops them out of the bracket. They are a solid 6-4 against the RPI Top 100 (including 3-2 against the RPI Top 50), but their computer numbers have gotten weak as well (59th in the RPI). They still have that win over Louisville, but that win is getting further in the rear view mirror. The Mountain West is approximately as good as the SEC, but since only a few SEC teams could make the Tournament at 10-6, it's hard to argue that a 10-6 Mountain West team should have a great shot at the Tournament, especially with only one good out-of-conference win. Certainly they'll be a real long shot if they fall to 9-7, which means that they really need to win at least five of their final seven regular season games. They're also going to need a solid performance in the MWC tournament. The Mountain West really is in flux because of all of the chaos in the standings. The conference could end up with anywhere between two and four Tournament teams.