The Weekend Ahead, February 13-15

The Weekend Ahead, February 13-15

Return of the MAC

Friday, February 13, 6:00PM Kent St. @ Toledo – Kent St. has fallen on hard times of late having lost 3 of 4. Even so, they are only a game back of first in the MAC East. The schedule gets easier after this game with Toledo, but a loss might put the regular season championship out of reach for the Golden Flashes. Toledo is clinging to a one game lead in the MAC West and has won 6 games in a row. This stretch is among their toughest all season. They had Buffalo last week, Kent St. this weekend, and Akron next week - all three teams in the hunt for the MAC East championship. Toledo beat Buffalo already. The next test is Kent St.

Poison Ivy League

Friday, February 13, 6:00PM Columbia @ Harvard – No Ivy League conference tournament means the regular season games take on that much more value. Columbia still has an outside shot to win the Ivy League title, especially if they beat the Crimson, but really this game is more about Harvard. The Crimson lost a shocker at home to bottom-dweller Dartmouth, but rebounded by winning their next four, including a huge win on the road against Yale last week. That loss is Yale’s only conference loss so far, though, so Harvard needs to win this game against Columbia to keep pace.

Saturday, February 14, 6:00PM Yale @ Princeton – This matchup is a mirror image of the Columbia/Harvard game on Friday night. Yale, tied for first place in the Ivy League, is looking to stay even with Harvard, but faces a test in a good Princeton team. Princeton still has a shot at the Ivy League title, sitting just a game behind Harvard and Yale. If the Tigers can upset Yale, this becomes a three-team race. Yale, on the other hand, can take control of the Ivy League with a Harvard loss and a win over Princeton. The most likely scenario for the Ivy League, though, is a two-team race between Harvard and Yale. They face each other on March 6, a game which could determine the automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament.

Look to the Horizon

Friday, February 13, 7:00PM Green Bay @ Valparaiso – The winner of this game will remain in first place in the Horizon League, while the loser will fall into third. Valpo comes in having won 9 of their last 10. The only loss? By one point on the road against, you guessed it, Green Bay. Green Bay boasts the best non-conference win in the Horizon League this season – a 13 point victory at Miami – but they are just 1-2 against the top 4 teams in the Horizon League this year. The one win, of course, was over Valpo. Valpo is a great rebounding team, so they need a big rebounding margin if they’re going to win. Green Bay plays solid defense, so a low-scoring affair would be in their best interest.

MAAC Attaack

Friday, February 13, 10:00PM Iona @ Manhattan - Iona is starting to run away with the MAAC. They have opened up a 2 game lead over second place Rider. Manhattan is sitting in third place and needs a win to stay alive in the regular season race and bring Iona back to the pack.

A-10 Out of 10

Saturday, February 14, 12:30PM St. Bonaventure @ Dayton - My how things change. Just a week ago the A-10 looked like VCU's to lose. Now, with an injury to their defensive all-star Briante Weber, the Rams look vulnerable. Two of the teams ready to pounce are St. Bonaventure and Dayton. The Bonnies are coming off a win over VCU, but they still sit 2 games out of first place. Dayton is currently in first, tied with three other teams, but they are just 3-3 over their last 6 games. If they're going to stay in first, they need a win. If St. Bonaventure is going to make their move, they also have to win. It's an intriguing matchup with A-10 standings and NCAA Tournament bubble implications.

Saturday, February 14, 2:00PM VCU @ George Washington – VCU handled George Washington with ease just two weeks ago when the two teams met in Richmond. That was before Briante Weber’s season ending injury, however. The Rams are still figuring out how to play without him and have all of a sudden lost 3 of 4, including a buzzer-beater loss on the road against St. Bonaventure and a double overtime loss at home to La Salle. George Washington has also lost 3 of 4 to put themselves in jeopardy of missing the NCAA Tournament altogether. They are coming off perhaps the most shocking result of the week last week: a convincing loss to Duquesne. A win over the Havoc of VCU would go a long way to showing the Selection Committee that the Colonials are still deserving of a tournament bid. No matter how you slice it, both teams need victories here. 

Sweet Tea in the Big South

Saturday, February 14, 1:00PM Gardner-Webb @ Winthrop – Remember the glutton of teams at the top of the Big South? The number of teams in first has shrunk to 3, but there are now 4 teams tied in the loss column in second place. Gardner-Webb and Winthrop among them. Both teams are coming off losses and both teams cannot afford to drop two in a row if they have any hopes of winning the Big South title. It's another crucial game in the top-heavy Big South.

Race You to the Summit

Saturday, February 14, 5:00PM North Dakota St. @ South Dakota St. – The top two teams in the Summit League will meet on Saturday in a matchup that could determine the number one seed in that conference tournament. North Dakota St. beat the Jackrabbits by 3 at home in their first meeting. Since that game, South Dakota St. has won 9 of 10 to set up the rematch. North Dakota St. has won 5 in a row overall and already holds a one-game lead over South Dakota State, so the Jackrabbits need the win more. Only three conference games will remain for both teams after this game.

MWC You in March

Saturday, February 14, 8:00PM Colorado St. @ San Diego St. – Colorado St. is currently a game behind San Diego St. in the Mountain West standings. Colorado St. beat San Diego St. in their game earlier this season, but they have split their season series with Boise St. and lost twice to Wyoming. They are just 6-4 since starting the season 14-0. Another win over San Diego St. would prove that start was no fluke and give legitimacy to their at-large considerations. The Aztecs are coming off a convincing win over Wyoming and could prove that they are the team to beat in the Mountain West with a win over the Rams. As is always the case, San Diego St. will try to shut down the offensive attack of Colorado St. A low scoring game greatly benefits the Aztecs here.

I'm Feeling Very Colonial Today. Powdered Wigs for All!

Saturday, February 14, 8:00PM Northeastern @ UNC-Wilmington - Both teams sit a game behind William & Mary for first place in the CAA. A loss makes it much harder to claim the regular season title. A win keeps William & Mary in striking distance.

C-USA: From Sea to Shining...Texas

Saturday, February 14, 9:00PM Old Dominion @ UTEP – There was a time when Old Dominion looked like a lock for an at-large bid to the Big Dance. Those days are fading fast. The Monarchs are just 3-3 over their last 6 games and currently sit in 5th place in C-USA. UTEP doesn’t have the shiny non-conference wins Old Dominion does, but they have put together a solid season and sit a game ahead of ODU in the C-USA standings after winning their last 5 games. Their NCAA Tournament hopes rest on winning the Conference USA Tournament, though. A win over Old Dominion would keep them in the hunt for the regular season title and set them up with good seeding. A loss for either team probably means no first round bye and slogging through the early rounds of the C-USA Tournament.

Next Week's Games We Have Our Eye On

• Coastal Carolina @ Radford - The Big South race is so close, we will probably have our eye on at least one game from here until the conference tournament.
• Toledo @ Akron - Toledo faces their third MAC East opponent in as many games. If they come out of that stretch 2-1 or 3-0, they'll be sitting pretty for MAC Tournament seeding.
• Gardner-Webb @ High Point - See above for Big South madness.
• UNC Asheville @ Winthrop - Did we mention the Big South is crazy?
• Davidson @ George Washington - This has become a huge game for both A-10 standings and for NCAA Tournament hopes. Both teams are desperate for a quality win at this point.
• William & Mary @ Northeastern - The Colonial Athletic Association could come down to this game. Northeaster has UNC-Wilmington before, but if they win that one, this game is for first place.
• UMass @ Rhode Island - Rhode Island is coming off a bad loss to St. Joe's. UMass has won 5 straight. Both are still alive for at-large hopes, but they can't afford to lose many more.
• Mercer @ Chattanooga - Wofford is in first place, but this game is for second. The loser shouldn't expect to win the regular season title. The winner stays alive in the Southern Conference.
• Western Kentucky @ UAB - Western Kentucky is tied for first in the loss column, and UAB sits just a game behind. C-USA is full of good teams who are probably going to fall just short of at-large bids. Seeding in the C-USA Tournament is crucial because winning that tournament is the only chance at the Big Dance for both teams.
• UC Davis @ Long Beach St. - LBSU is two games behind UC Davis in the Big West, so a win is a must if they want to take hope the regular season championship.