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Preview Roundups
February 25, 2017
Virginia at N.C. State 12:00 PM ET
No. 19 Virginia looks to pull out of a puzzling four-game tailspin when it visits dangerous North Carolina State on Saturday afternoon for an ACC clash. The Cavaliers are averaging just 48 points the last three games and have dropped a pair of overtime thrillers during their losing streak while N.C. State won Tuesday for the first time since it was announced coach Mark Gottfried would be fired at the end of the season.
Wichita St. at Missouri St. 12:00 PM ET
No. 25 Wichita State travels to Missouri State on Saturday looking to clinch at least a share of the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title for the fourth consecutive year. The Shockers have won 11 in a row since their lone league loss to Illinois State on Jan. 14, and a victory Saturday coupled with an Illinois State loss would produce their fifth conference championship in the past six years.
Florida St. at Clemson 12:00 PM ET
Most of the talk around resurgent Florida State has centered around freshman sensation Jonathan Isaac and sophomore guard Dwayne Bacon, but unheralded Xavier Rathan-Mayes has proven to be as valuable as either. Coming off an outstanding defensive effort sparked by the junior point guard, No. 20 Florida State seeks to improve upon its seeding for the upcoming ACC tournament when it visits Clemson on Saturday in an attempt to complete a season sweep.
North Carolina at Pittsburgh 12:00 PM ET
Eighth-ranked North Carolina looks to avoid a letdown after a huge win over another top 10 team when they visit dangerous Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon for an ACC battle. The Tar Heels remained unbeaten at home with a 74-63 victory over No. 6 Louisville on Wednesday, extending their lead in the league to two games over four different teams with three contests left on the schedule.
Southern Methodist at Connecticut 12:00 PM ET
No. 21 SMU looks to regain sole possession of first place in the American Athletic Conference when it tangles with Connecticut in Hartford on Saturday. The surging Mustangs have won 10 consecutive games, including an impressive 76-66 road victory against Houston on Feb. 18, and hope to retake a half game lead over 16th-ranked Cincinnati by sweeping the season series with UConn for the first time since 2013-14.
Tulane at Temple 12:00 PM ET
A pair of bottom-feeders in the American Athletic Conference square off Saturday when Temple hosts Tulane with an eye on sweeping the season series. The Owls captured the first matchup 79-71 on Jan. 31 behind a 45-point second half to pick up one of their five league wins.
Georgetown at St. John's 12:00 PM ET
Georgetown has seemingly played its way out of contention for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid and it hopes to stop the bleeding Saturday at St. John's in a Big East matchup. The Hoyas began to show up on many lists of tournament bubble teams following a 4-2 stretch that included wins over three likely tourney participants, but back-to-back setbacks have altered the landscape.
Tennessee at South Carolina 1:00 PM ET

South Carolina’s recent slide is beginning to feel panic-worthy, and the team needs to stop the bleeding with a win over visiting Tennessee on Saturday. The Gamecocks have lost three straight and four of their last five and can’t afford a loss to a Volunteers team that has struggled to a 2-4 record this month.

Florida at Kentucky 2:00 PM ET
There is plenty of drama surrounding Saturday afternoon's showdown between No. 10 Kentucky and No. 12 Florida in Lexington, Ky., that will break a first-place tie in the SEC, and that was before a knee injury left Wildcats freshman De'Aaron Fox questionable to play. Kentucky coach John Calipari said it's a game-time decision as to whether his prized point guard, who averages 15.5 points and leads the SEC at 5.3 assists per game, takes the court.
West Virginia at Texas Christian 2:00 PM ET
After splitting a pair of thrilling overtime games in its quest to keep its hopes alive for a Big 12 regular-season title, West Virginia coach Bob Huggins gave the Mountaineer faithful another heart-stopping moment of the unwanted variety. With four full days to rest up following a scary incident against Texas earlier this week, Huggins is expected to resume his normal duties Saturday as No. 13 West Virginia visits TCU.
Texas Tech at Oklahoma St. 2:00 PM ET

Two Big 12 NCAA Tournament bubble teams close out their season series Saturday afternoon as Texas Tech visits Oklahoma State. The two squads, though, have been headed in opposite directions of late with the Red Raiders having lost four of their last five games while the high-scoring Cowboys have won nine of 10.

Seton Hall at DePaul 2:00 PM ET
If Seton Hall is an NCAA Tournament team, then Saturday's Big East game at DePaul is one they cannot lose. The Pirates, who beat the Blue Demons by 31 points in January, won four of their last six games to put themselves in the conversation for an at-large bid.
Creighton at Villanova 3:00 PM ET
Another challenge awaits second-ranked Villanova on Saturday, but at least it's not Butler this time. After losing to the Bulldogs for the second time this season, the Wildcats - who are 26-1 against every other team - look to regroup against visiting Creighton, the No. 23 team in the nation.
Penn St. at Minnesota 3:00 PM ET
Minnesota, one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten, looks to extend its winning streak to seven games when it hosts Penn State in a Saturday afternoon contest. The Golden Gophers sit in a three-way tie with Northwestern and Michigan State for fourth place in the league standings, while the Nittany Lions are looking to snap a two-game skid.
Missouri at Mississippi 3:30 PM ET
Ole Miss looks to continue its dominance over visiting Missouri as the teams face off Saturday afternoon. Ole Miss edged the Tigers in Missouri 75-71 back on Jan. 21, and can make it seven straight victories over their SEC rivals with a win at The Pavilion.
Mississippi St. at Vanderbilt 4:00 PM ET
Vanderbilt is making a late push for the NCAA Tournament and looks to take the next step when it hosts Mississippi State on Saturday. The Commodores have won three in a row and four of five to move squarely onto the bubble but must keep it going against the Bulldogs with showdowns against SEC leaders No. 10 Kentucky and No. 12 Florida looming.
Purdue at Michigan 4:00 PM ET
No. 14 Purdue looks to take a big step towards its first Big Ten regular-season title since 2009-10 when it visits Michigan on Saturday. The Boilermakers have rattled off six consecutive wins, including a 74-70 overtime victory against Penn State on Tuesday, to take a one-game lead over 15th-ranked Wisconsin at the top of the conference standings.
Baylor at Iowa St. 4:00 PM ET
Ninth-ranked Baylor entered February looking like the team that might finally dethrone Kansas in the Big 12 title race. But four losses in seven games later, the Bears find themselves in a three-way tie for second place as they visit red-hot Iowa State on Saturday.
Virginia Tech at Boston College 4:00 PM ET
Virginia Tech is no stranger to close games this season, going 7-3 in games decided by five points or fewer, including a thrilling one-point win over Clemson on Tuesday. Boston College on the other hand, riding an 11-game losing streak, would be happy for a close game at this point when they host the Hokies on Saturday.
Duke at Miami-Florida 4:00 PM ET
No. 11 Duke visits Miami on Saturday with the teams separated by a single game in the ACC standings and both needing strong finishes to potentially earn one of four coveted double-byes in the conference tournament. The Blue Devils find themselves in a four-way tie for second place behind No. 8 North Carolina following their last-second loss at Syracuse on Wednesday, while the Hurricanes upset No. 19 Virginia 54-48 in overtime on Monday for their third straight win.
Oregon at Stanford 4:00 PM ET
Oregon's best shot at winning the Pac-12 regular season title will likely come Saturday when the No. 7 Ducks play at Stanford, a few hours before conference leader Arizona hosts No. 5 UCLA. Oregon enters the weekend a game back of the No. 4 Wildcats with two games left, and the Ducks own the tiebreaker after beating Arizona earlier this month.
Marquette at Providence 4:00 PM ET
After languishing near the bottom of the stat sheet, Matt Heldt is starting to make a name for himself for Marquette, which could further its NCAA Tournament hopes with a win Saturday in a Big East game at Providence. Heldt, a sophomore, was inserted into the starting lineup two games ago and responded by averaging 10.5 points and 9.5 rebounds for the Golden Eagles.
Kansas at Texas 6:00 PM ET
Third-ranked Kansas made history when it clinched at least a share of its 13th straight Big 12 Conference title with a 87-68 win over TCU on Wednesday night. The Jayhawks can make it an outright championship with a victory at Texas on Saturday.
Louisiana State at Georgia 6:00 PM ET
Georgia has struggled to close out close games all season, but hosts LSU on Saturday having won three of its past four games – including a pair of critical road victories. The Bulldogs got 28 points from J.J. Frazier in Thursday’s 60-55 triumph at Alabama, five days after losing leading scorer Yante Maten to a knee injury, and less than two weeks after holding on for a one-point victory at Tennessee.
Iowa at Maryland 6:00 PM ET

No. 24 Maryland looks to snap a two-game skid and re-establish some momentum heading into the postseason when it hosts Iowa on Saturday. The Hawkeyes are aiming for a second straight victory following a three-game slide of their own.

Kansas St. at Oklahoma 6:00 PM ET
Kansas State is trying to build its case for an NCAA Tournament at-large berth, but the Wildcats’ closing argument keeps coming apart at the seams. Coach Bruce Weber’s team looks to keep its hopes alive Saturday as the Wildcats visit Oklahoma, which has lost nine of its last 10 games.
Alabama at Texas A&M 8:00 PM ET
After putting together one of its worst offensive showings of the season, Alabama will look to finish on a strong note as it begins the final three games of the regular season in the SEC at Texas A&M on Saturday night. The Crimson Tide's chances of nabbing an at-large tournament berth took a significant hit with Thursday's 60-55 loss to shorthanded Georgia, leaving coach Avery Johnson's team struggling for answers.
Northwestern at Indiana 8:00 PM ET

With only three games remaining in the regular season, the pressure is mounting for Northwestern as it seeks its first NCAA Tournament berth. And the Wildcats have been shaky of late, dropping four of their last six contests entering Saturday night’s game at Indiana.

UCLA at Arizona 8:15 PM ET
Arizona had success isolating its speedy guards and driving to the basket the last time it played UCLA and the No. 4 Wildcats will likely try that strategy again when they host the No. 5 Bruins in a key Pac-12 game Saturday night. Arizona beat UCLA 96-85 at Pauley Pavilion in January and freshman guard Kobi Simmons scored a season-high 20 points in the game, often taking advantage of his matchup against Bryce Alford of UCLA.
Arkansas at Auburn 8:30 PM ET
Arkansas' chances of returning to the Big Dance after a year away looked to be slim following unexpected setbacks to Missouri and Vanderbilt earlier this month. However, the Razorbacks have stormed back with four straight victories, and they will attempt to carry a wave of momentum into next week's showdown at SEC co-leader No. 12 Florida on Saturday when they visit Auburn.
Santa Clara at St. Mary's 10:00 PM ET
Saint Mary's concludes its regular season by hosting Santa Clara on Saturday as it makes final preparations for the West Coast Conference tournament. The No. 18 Gaels, who were not invited to the 2016 NCAA Tournament despite a 27-5 record, are coming off a 78-49 victory at Pepperdine on Thursday as they continue to mow through the WCC competition with the only blemishes a pair of losses to No. 1 Gonzaga.
Brigham Young at Gonzaga 10:15 PM ET
Top-ranked Gonzaga is carving up opponents and attempts to complete an undefeated regular season when it hosts Brigham Young in West Coast Conference play on Saturday. The Bulldogs steamrolled San Diego 96-38 on Thursday while continuing the dominance that has seen them rack up 21 consecutive double-digit victories as part of a 29-0 record.