Texas Snaps Back

Texas 99, Oklahoma State 74
Texas was due to break out of their slump at some point, and they were just unstoppable here. They couldn't miss a shot from anywhere on the floor, and Oklahoma State didn't have a chance. For a team that has absolutely no height (Oklahoma State is probably the smallest team in any of the BCS conferences, and I don't think it's even close), the Cowboys need good guard play. Committing ten more turnovers than your opponent isn't going to cut it. For a team that looked to be chugging along towards the Tournament just a few weeks ago, things are starting to get bleak for Oklahoma State. They are 3-6 in the Big 12, and that 5-9 record against the RPI Top 100 really looks bad. They haven't proven that they can win on the road (2-5 in true road games) or that they can collect a big scalp (their top win is probably over Siena, all the way back in November). A Big 12 team isn't going make the Tournament when their best win comes against a MAAC team. That said, their upcoming schedule is very friendly, and they have the ability to win a few games in a row if they can start playing better. If they can find a way to knock off Oklahoma in their final game of the regular season to get to 8-8 then they can sneak in if all goes right during the conference tournaments. But that's a long shot, especially as long as they play like this. For Texas, despite this win, they're still something of a bubble team. It's hard to see them actually missing the Tournament, but anything is possible at this point. They've got to keep taking care of business.

#11 Clemson 87, Boston College 77
A nice bounce back win out of Clemson. One thing that I really like about this team is their consistency. After every bad game they come right back with a good game. I note this because "consistency" was one of the last words anybody would have used to describe Clemson for much of the past few years. This steady play is why they're still in the ACC title hunt (currently one loss behind first place North Carolina), and why they're still a dark horse in the 1 seed debate. This game meant more for Boston College, and they did get the lead up to 7 points in the second half, but they did not have the firepower to hang in for 40 minutes. They really are the classic bubble team. They have big wins (North Carolina, Virginia Tech), bad losses (Harvard, Saint Louis), and solid-but-not special numbers across the board (6-5 in the ACC, 6-6 against the RPI Top 100, 50th-60th or so in all of the computer ratings). They'd be out of the Tournament if the season ended now, but they are no Tournament long shot by any means. They need another nice win (Duke or Florida State will both come into Boston, and both would qualify as a nice win), and they've got to get to at least 8 ACC wins. It's going to be hard to keep any 8-8 ACC team that wins at least one ACC tournament game out of the Tournament. Their upcoming game with Duke (Sunday evening) really has the ability to turn their season around, and Duke is vulnerable, so the Eagles have got to treat it as a must-win.

Kentucky 68, Florida 65
I was actually impressed that Florida hung in this game as well as they did. They actually led for most of the game before Kentucky squeezed this one out. I expected Kentucky to come out really fired up after that brutal three game losing streak, and they had the advantage of a total zero by Walter Hodge (2 points on 5 shots taken), but they still barely pulled this one out. I just don't think Kentucky is that good of a team, honestly. They've managed to create an absurd 4-way tie atop the SEC East at 6-3, but their overall resume is lacking because of a few bad losses (VMI being the worst), and only a 6-6 record against the RPI Top 100. The RPI is up there at 60th, and it's going to be tough for Kentucky to make the Tournament even at 10-6. I think they've really got to get to 11-5, or else go on a little run in the SEC tournament. The fact is that there really aren't any big scalps to be had in the SEC, so it's tough for Kentucky to make up ground on the bubble like other BCS conference teams that get the chance to play the likes of Duke, UConn, Oklahoma and Michigan State. Florida is also part of that 4-way 6-3 tie in the SEC East, but their overall resume is better than Kentucky's. They have a nice win out-of-conference (Washington), and have avoided any bad losses (if we judge by RPI ratings only, this is actually the worst team that Florida has lost to all season). They should lock up a Tournament bid if they get to 10-6 and win a game in the SEC tournament, but I'm sure that Florida's hopes are for something better than just sneaking into the Tournament.