The end is finally here. The last week or so of the college basketball regular season, before the tournaments put on their championship tournaments. Selection Sunday is only 13 days away. It is kind of crazy how quickly the season goes by in many respects. This past week we saw Iowa State get another win, another #1 team go down, and Saint John's beating another top team in their conference. It is almost March, and a lot of the fun is just beginning for those of us following the sport beyond our own teams.
Iowa State Recap:
The hardwork finally paid off! Iowa State took down a Nebraska team that was on the bubble in a must win game in front of the Hilton faithful. After the Texas game earlier in the week, and honestly even before that, I wondered if we would see another Iowa State win. But we did, and I'm glad. Now Iowa State has a shot to have a winning record this season with one more regular season victory.
Ken Pomeroy Ratings:
This week: #76, projected to go 16-15 (3-13)
Last week: #78, projected to go 15-16 (2-14)
Pomeroy gives us a 55% shot to beat CU on Wednesday night.
Big 12 Power Rankings, Top 16, and TV Picks After The Jump!
Big 12 Power Ratings:
1. Kansas State
2. Kansas
3. Texas
4. Colorado
5. Baylor
6. Texas A&M
7. Missouri
8. Nebraska
9. Oklahoma State
10. Texas Tech
11. Oklahoma
12. Iowa State
So the power ratings look a little goofy relative to the Big 12 standings, but here's the deal. I think Kansas State is playing the best basketball in the Big 12 right now. Do you think anybody wants to face them in the Big 12 tournament? And A&M and Missouri are in the NCAA tournament, I have not been impressed with how they have looked recently. Colorado and Baylor are bubble teams in my mind, but they have chances to get in the tournament. I think the Big 12 tournament is going to be very interesting.
Top 16:
1. Ohio State
2. BYU
3. Duke
4. Purdue
5. Kansas
6. Wisconsin
7. Pittsburgh
8. Texas
9. North Carolina
10. Syracuse
11. Notre Dame
12. Louisville
13. San Diego State
14. Utah State
15. St. John's
16. Villanova
I have San Diego State fall kind of far, because although they are a pretty good team, they only have to get up for a a handful of games, and have gotten schooled by BYU by 13 points twice. UNC continues to stay hot, while the Big East continues to fluctuate because they all beat each other up, and this Utah State team looks to be good, despite playing in the WAC.
TV Picks
Monday: ESPN Doubleheader: 6pm Villanova vs. Notre Dame and at 8pm is a red hot K-State team vs. Texas
Tuesday: 6pm CST, Alabama vs. Florida, ESPNU. Alabama is on the bubble and needs a big win like this to get their tournament ticket stamped. At 8pm CST on ESPNU, the Boston College vs. Virginia Tech game features a likely NCAA team against a team on the bubble as well.
Wednesday: 6pm CST, UNC vs. Florida State, ESPN. A chance to see Harrison Barnes and a game against two likely NCAA tournament teams. UNC is tied with Duke at the top of the ACC standings. At 8pm CST, Texas A&M takes on Kansas on ESPN2.
Thursday: 8pm CST, UCLA vs. Washington, ESPN2. The Pac 10 is still down, and it is crazy to see UCLA not ranked, or picked to go to a Final Four, but that's the way it is these days. This should be a pretty good game against two NCAA tournament teams.
Friday: Watch some NBA or go to a movie, because nothing exciting is on today
Saturday: 12:30pm is Iowa State vs. K-State on ESPN3.com, ESPN Full Court, and either on WOI or Mediacom locally in Central Iowa. It's the last regular season game of the year, and with me having to work on the opening game in the Big 12 tournament, it might very well be the last game I see from this team this season.
Later in the day, there are some big time, big time games:
At 3pm on CBS, Villanova vs. Pittsburgh; at 5pm on ESPN, Florida vs. Vanderbilt; And then it gets tricky. At 7pm on CBS there is Duke and UNC, a game that could very well determine the #1 seed in the ACC tournament. And at 8pm on ESPN, there is Texas vs. Baylor, a game that Baylor must win if they want to get into the NCAA tournament.
Sunday: 3pm CST on CBS is Wisconsin vs. Ohio State
And from there, that is pretty much it. The rest is conference tournaments and all of that jazz.
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