Due to the amount of important games played yesterday, CTM will summarize today’s roundup by conference. Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for tomorrow’s roundup covering Sunday’s games, and the first edition of CTM’s weekly bracketology.

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Cross-Conference Games

Louisville (19-6, 8-4 ACC) took down Baylor (13-12, 3-9 Big 12) yesterday by 11 in a neutral game in Fort Worth. Baylor already sat on the low-end of the bubble, and will fall all the way off the bubble after the loss. A win would have been a Quad 1 victory for the Bears, but instead they fall short, and will have to look ahead to next season.

Virginia (22-3, 10-2 ACC) defeated Ohio State (16-9, 8-6 Big Ten) in a neutral site game in Nashville that might end up having a huge impact on Ohio State’s tournament odds. Ohio State was the last team out of the tournament prior to this one, and a win may have moved them into the field. Instead, they’ll have to wait until Tuesday to try to get back into tournament contention, when they’ll take on a hot Wisconsin team, who have won two straight against Top 10 teams. Virginia’s win may help improve their seeding, as several teams ahead of them in the NET suffered losses this past weekend.

Atlantic 10

Only one big game happened in the A10 this weekend, as VCU (20-6, 11-2 A10) took down Richmond (14-12, 4-9 A10) on the road to win their 9th straight game. The Rams sit just a game and half back of first place in the conference, and even though the odds of them passing St. Louis are low, they’ll continue to boost their tournament odds as long as they stay hot. The Rams are currently projected in CTM’s “Next Four Out”, but a win on the road against St. Louis next Friday could completely reshape their tournament chances.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Several big games took place in the ACC last night, with five involving bubble teams and one involving two tournament locks.

Duke (23-2, 12-1 ACC) took down Clemson (20-6, 10-3 ACC) by 13 at home, a game that they were expected to win, but nevertheless helps secure their position as a 1 seed for the time being. Clemson is firmly in the tournament, likely as a top 7 seed, but winning on the road in Durham would’ve been a major boost to their seeding.

Five different games involving bubble teams took place last night in the ACC, three of which may have a huge impact on tournament odds. California (18-8, 6-7 ACC) picked up a necessary win against Boston College (9-16, 2-10 ACC) on the road. Cal is currently projected to be one of the last teams out of the tournament, but this win helps keep their chances alive.

Virginia Tech (17-9, 6-7 ACC) was blown out by Florida State (12-13, 5-7 ACC) at home in a devastating loss. The Hokies picked up a big road win against Clemson earlier in the week and positioned themselves into the tournament, but yesterday’s blowout loss to a weak Florida State team may have moved them back into the “First Four Out”. Virginia Tech will need to pick up a win on the road against Miami on Tuesday to move themselves back into the field.

Syracuse (15-11, 6-7 ACC) took down SMU (17-8, 6-6 ACC) on the road, picking up a Quad 1 win to cap off a massive week for the Orange. Syracuse played themselves back into the bubble conversation this week after last night’s win and a home win against fellow bubble team California in Double OT on Wednesday. Though they’re definitely on the low-end of the bubble for now, they’ll have two chances to pick up Q1 wins this week, as they take on Duke on the road on Monday and UNC at home on Saturday.

Wake Forest (13-12, 4-8 ACC) took down Stanford (16-10, 5-8 ACC) at home, knocking the Cardinal out of the bubble picture after what looked like a promising start to the season. The Cardinal have not made an NCAA tournament since 2014, and were hoping to break the curse this year, but now they’ll have to win their conference tournament for a chance to get there.

Miami (20-5, 9-3 ACC) took down NC State (18-8, 9-4 ACC) on the road in a game that featured two teams slightly above the bubble. The Hurricanes had a very impressive late game comeback, that featured a foul with 3 seconds left to go and a trio of made free throws to put them up a point and hand them the victory. Miami is now firmly in the field, joining NC State around the 8-9 seed line.

America East

Nothing that changed the standings of the America East happened yesterday, but all three of the top three teams in the standings picked up wins in what is shaping up to be a very interesting conference race. NJIT (15-12, 10-2 America East) has never made a tournament, but sits in first place right now sitting on a six game win streak. UMBC (16-8, 9-2 America East) sits half a game back but still has a chance at winning the conference title and is also coming off an impressive four game win streak. In third sits Vermont, the most decorated team in the conference, just one game back of the NJIT Highlanders. Vermont (17-10, 9-3 America East) has won three straight and has a big game against UMBC on Thursday to decide who will sit in the second place spot in the conference.

American Athletic Conference

One important game took place yesterday in the AAC, as Wichita State (16-10, 8-5 AAC) took down Tulsa (20-6, 8-5 AAC) to officially end the Golden Hurricane’s at large chances. Tulsa was already on the ropes after a tough loss to UAB (16-10, 7-6 AAC) at home on Wednesday, but the 4 point road loss has officially ended their hopes of gaining a bid. Tulsa will now have to duke it out with South Florida in the conference tournament if they want a spot in the Big Dance.

Big Ten Conference

The Big Ten featured a pair of big blowouts yesterday, as Michigan and Purdue both proved their dominance and hopes of gaining top 2 seeds. Michigan (24-1, 14-1 Big Ten) took down UCLA (17-8, 9-5 Big Ten) by 30 at home, in their 10th 30+ point victory of the season! The Wolverines are doing something not previously done in the past 30 seasons, as the last time a power conference team had this many 30 point victories through 25 games was Duke in 1998-1999.

Purdue (21-4, 11-3 Big Ten) had their own blowout victory, beating Iowa (18-7, 8-6 Big Ten) by 21 on the road. The Hawkeyes are firmly in the tournament, but their seeding has been slipping the past week as they’ve suffered back to back losses. Purdue is hoping to climb into a top two seed, as they’re currently projected to be a 3, but could climb with a big win over Michigan at home on Tuesday.

Big 12 Conference

TCU (16-9, 6-6 Big 12) picked up their second Quad 1 win of the week this Saturday, defeating Oklahoma State (16-9, 4-8 Big 12) on the road. This comes after a huge upset over Iowa State at home earlier in the week. TCU has positioned themselves above the cut line with these back to back Quad 1 wins, and has another Q1 chance coming up as they’ll take on UCF on the road this week. That win could place them even further above the cut line, because at the moment they’d likely have to play in a play-in game in Dayton to make the first weekend.

Iowa State (22-3, 9-3 Big 12) demolished Kansas (19-6, 9-3 Big 12) by 18 at home in a game that saw Darryn Peterson back in the lineup for the Jayhawks. The Cyclones picked up this win after a tough loss to TCU on the road earlier in the week, and will hope to stay in the conversation for a 2 seed with the victory. Kansas knocked off Arizona earlier in the week, giving the Wildcats their first loss of the season, and did so without star player and potential number 1 draft pick Peterson. The Jayhawks may have to face the reality that Peterson’s questionable actions, such as sitting out against four of their top six opponents this season, may have an impact on the team’s chemistry when he opts to play. Kansas still likely sits as a top 4 seed, but rocky chemistry could end up hurting their chances of holding this spot.

West Virginia (16-9, 7-5 Big 12) took down UCF (17-7, 6-6 Big 12) on the road, knocking off the Knight’s for a huge Quad 1 victory. West Virginia was likely in the “First Four Out” prior to the game, and probably still sits in this spot, but a few more wins could get them into the field. UCF is firmly in for now, and a win may have even locked them into the tournament, but they’ll have to wait a few more days now for another chance.

Texas Tech (19-6, 9-3 Big 12) picked up what was perhaps the biggest win of the entire season, beating Arizona (23-2, 10-2 Big 12) by 2 on the road in overtime. The Red Raiders have now won three straight, and continue to improve their seed by the game, currently standing in position for a 3 seed. Meanwhile, Arizona has lost two straight, and will most likely drop out of the #1 spot in the AP Top 25 on Monday, and also the tournament’s top seed.

Big East

The Big East did not feature any games that will have an impact on the tournament field, but there was one interesting highlight from St. John’s (20-5, 13-1 Big East) at Providence (11-15, 4-11 Big East) yesterday afternoon. Providence’s Duncan Powell had a very hard foul on Bryce Hopkins of St. John’s, and proceeded to start a brawl afterwards. The foul earned Powell a 3 game suspension, and the brawl ended with 6 players total from both teams ejected. St. John’s ended up pulling off the win by 10, showing Providence who is the conference’s dominant team.

Big Sky

The Big Sky’s top team Portland State (17-7, 11-2 Big Sky) dropped a loss on the road to Northern Colorado (17-10, 7-7 Big Sky) yesterday. Portland State still holds the conference lead by 2 games, but this loss brings Montana State (15-11, 9-4 Big Sky) back into the regular season title race, as the Bobcats took down in-state rival Montana on the road. Portland State is still the conference’s projected auto bid, but the Bobcats could sneak up on them and end up being a problem for the Vikings, who are seeking their first tournament appearance since 2009.

Conference USA

Liberty (22-3, 14-0 Conference USA) took down UTEP (10-16, 6-9 Conference USA) on the road to continue their perfect conference season, now standing at 14-0 in conference play. The Flames could end up being a dangerous Cinderella team in March as a 12 seed, and would secure their second straight appearance in the Dance with a conference tournament title. Liberty also places themselves into the bubble conversation with this win, although it is unlikely they secure an at large with the amount of power 5 contenders still in the picture.

Ivy League

Yale (20-4, 8-2 Ivy League) picked up a win in a huge rivalry game on the road against Harvard (14-10, 7-3 Ivy League), securing the top spot for the moment in the Ivy League. The teams went into yesterday tied for first, but Yale’s 1 point victory in OT has given them the top spot. The teams split the season series, each team winning at the opposing team’s court. Yale is currently the favorite to secure the conference’s auto bid, and officially locked in a spot in the conference’s 4 team tournament with the victory.

Mountain West Conference

The Mountain West’s biggest game of the day featured bubble team San Diego State (18-6, 12-2 MWC) taking down Nevada (17-8, 9-5 MWC) at home. The Aztecs are currently projected as the last team in the tournament field, and this win over the Wolfpack will be a huge help in keeping them above water. Unfortunately for Nevada, the loss likely ended their own tournament chances, as they drop below New Mexico and sit in fourth in the MWC. A bid for San Diego State would mean their sixth straight tournament appearance, which would tie their previous longest streak, a stretch which lasted from 2010 to 2015.

Ohio valley conference

CTM previously discussed the race for the OVC title on Thursday’s roundup, but it feels necessary to once again show the standings after a very impactful Saturday. Saturday featured all six of the conference’s top teams facing each other, in a day that may end up determining the conference tournament picture and eventual regular season champion.

Morehead State took down Tennessee State at home, knocking the Tigers out of the conference’s top spot and into a three way tie for second. Morehead State also moved themselves into the tie with this win, now sitting just a game back of first, coming off a three game win streak.

UT Martin won on the road against SIU Edwardsville, becoming the lone team to sit in the conference’s top spot, and dropping SIUE to two games back, and into a tie for fifth with Lindenwood. The Skyhawks are currently the favorite to take home both the regular season title, and the conference’s auto bid.

Southeast Missouri State won on the road against Lindenwood, positioning themselves into a three way tie for second place. The loss dropped Lindenwood down to two games back, and in a tie for fifth. SEMO is one of the conference’s hottest teams, winning 7 of their last 8 games.

Take a look at the incredibly tight regular season race below:

1. UT Martin (20-7, 12-4 OVC)
T-2. Southeast Missouri State (16-11, 11-5 OVC)
T-2. Tennessee State (17-9, 11-5 OVC)
T-2. Morehead State (15-12, 11-5 OVC)
T-5. SIU Edwardsville (17-10, 10-6 OVC)
T-5. Lindenwood (16-11, 10-6 OVC)

Southeastern Conference

SEC play saw four teams hovering right around the bubble lose, and a statement victory for the conference’s top team. We’ll start off discussing Saturday’s marquee game, and move into discussing what happened around the SEC bubble.

Florida (19-6, 10-2 SEC) defeated Kentucky (17-8, 8-4 SEC) at home by 9, solidifying themselves as the conference’s top team. The Wildcats hung around with a solid Gators team for the majority of the game, but ultimately fell short, and potentially out of the AP Top 25. Both teams are locks to make the Dance in March, but Florida has a great chance to improve their seeding, potentially getting onto the 2 seed line. The Gators have now won five straight and are one of the nation’s hottest teams.

Vanderbilt (21-4, 8-4 SEC) picked up a 13 point victory against Texas A&M (17-8, 7-5 SEC), handing the Aggies their fourth straight loss. A&M has now gone from firmly in the field to the high-end of the bubble, sitting in a projected play-in game in Dayton. The Aggies need to pick up a few more wins if they hope to hear their name called on March 15th.

Arkansas (19-6, 9-3 SEC) smoked Auburn (14-11, 5-7 SEC) on Saturday, leading for the majority of the game and ultimately winning by 13. Auburn has now lost three in a row, and has dropped out of CTM’s projected field and into the “First Four Out”. Many projections still have the Tigers in position to receive a 9 seed due to their amount of Quad 1 wins, but with that loss they sit just three games above .500 and have been consistently trending down. If Auburn can take down Kentucky next Saturday, we may be having a different conversation about their tournament chances.

Georgia (17-8, 5-7 SEC) was blown out on the road by Oklahoma (13-12, 3-9 SEC), in a game that was just one in a series of unfortunate losses over the past few weeks. The Bulldogs have now lost five of their past six, and are out of CTM’s projected tournament field, and into the “First Four Out”. Georgia will need to pick up a win on the road against Kentucky on Tuesday to move back into the field of 68.

Western Athletic Conference

Utah Tech (16-11, 9-4 WAC) defeated California Baptist (19-7, 9-4 WAC) at home, resulting in the teams sitting in a two way tie for first place. With five games left to go, the conference has three teams in contention for the regular season title, as Utah Valley (18-7, 8-4 WAC) sits just a half game back of both teams. Utah Tech and California Baptist won’t face each other again, but each team will take on Utah Valley, making for an interesting final five game stretch of conference play. No other teams sit within three games of first, so one of these three teams will likely end up as the regular season champion.

West Coast Conference

The game of the season for the WCC took place last night, with Gonzaga (25-2, 13-1 WCC) going on the road to take on the conference’s first place team Santa Clara (22-6, 13-2 WCC). The Broncos suffered an 8 point loss to the Bulldogs and surrendered the conference’s top spot. A win would have likely secured them a spot in the tournament, but now they’ll have to question their odds come Selection Sunday. Although they lost, Santa Clara still sits above the cut line, but Saturday’s game was one of their final two chances to pick up a Quad 1 win this season. Their final opportunity will come on February 25th, where they’ll head to Moraga, California to take on the Gaels of St. Mary’s (23-4, 12-2 WCC).