It’s a big Saturday. Too big a Saturday for one preview, but what can we do? We are but humble mortals, tasked by fate with trying to grapple with a tournament that outbounds the limits of human comprehension. It’s a Saturday so big that some of these games have started, and I’ve probably missed some others. But here we are. Here are the chosen games. There may be more. My lowly attempts at explanations here may not suffice. Please use the tools available (our college basketball model, NIT Bracketology, the Episcopal Church’s Book of Common Prayer) to help with any questions you have, or reach out to me on Twitter. We’re all in this together. All times Eastern.
Risky Road Games
William & Mary at Drexel (2:00)
Richmond at George Mason (2:30)
Oregon State at Washington State (4:00)
Tennessee at Vanderbilt (6:00)
Utah State at Boise State (10:00)
New Mexico State at Seattle (10:00)
You’re familiar with the concept. The road team has a lot to lose, a little to gain, and a significant possibility of losing rather than gaining. Good luck.
Risky Home Games
Marquette at Georgetown (2:00)
Oregon at Washington (3:45)
More rare is the risky home game. Georgetown and Washington should not win today, but there’s a chance they will. Pull out all the stops, men.
Don’t Mess Up: Win
La Salle at Rhode Island (12:30)
St. Bonaventure at VCU (2:00)
Hartford at Vermont (2:00)
Toledo at Akron (2:00)
Georgia State at Troy (3:00)
Northern Arizona at Northern Colorado (4:00)
Radford at Presbyterian (4:00)
Merrimack at Robert Morris (4:00)
Saint Peter’s at Quinnipiac (4:30)
Charlotte at Western Kentucky (5:00)
Morehead State at Belmont (5:00)
Austin Peay at UT-Martin (5:00)
Murray State at Southeast Missouri State (5:00)
Central Arkansas at Stephen F. Austin (5:30)
Maryland-Eastern Shore at Norfolk State (6:30)
Northeastern at UNC-Wilmington (7:00)
Youngstown State at Wright State (7:00)
Cleveland State at Northern Kentucky (7:00)
Chattanooga at UNC-Greensboro (7:00)
In each of these games, one team has an NIT shot, but would really fire it in the wrong direction were they to lose. Some will lose. Chaos lurks.
Don’t Mess Up: Lose
Kansas at Texas (2:00)
Iowa State at Texas Tech (4:00)
Texas and Iowa State are in good shape without a win today. With a loss, it’s more uncertain. Don’t try anything, folks.
Elimination Games (But Not Really)
UNC at Pittsburgh (12:00)
Temple at SMU (8:00)
They don’t give you press credentials if you don’t, at least a few times a year, say something way too dramatic about things. It’s part of the gig. Don’t lose, UNC and Pitt and Temple and SMU (two of you will lose). We won’t stop talking about you but we’ll act like we’re going to.
NIT Previews?
Syracuse at Virginia Tech (12:00)
Clemson at North Carolina State (2:00)
TCU at Oklahoma (2:00)
Stanford at USC (6:30)
Georgia at Mississippi State (8:30)
Don’t be surprised if you see these games again come March—or even April.
Big Opportunities on the Bottom Side
UConn at Villanova (12:00)
Baylor at Oklahoma State (12:00)
Seton Hall at St. John’s (12:00)
Florida State at Miami (1:00)
Butler at DePaul (1:00)
West Virginia at Kansas State (2:00)
Missouri at Alabama (3:30)
Half of these teams are looking to hit the reset button and vault themselves either back into contention or into contention for the first time. Good luck.
Big Opportunities on the Top Side
Saint Mary’s at Pepperdine (4:00)
Providence at Creighton (4:30)
Northwestern at Illinois (5:00)
Indiana at Nebraska (7:00)
Virginia at Georgia Tech (8:00)
Similarly, half of these teams want to get into the NIT picture. They’re coming from the opposite direction, though, and therefore might consider dropping one.
Conference Showdowns
North Texas at Louisiana Tech (2:00)
Hofstra at College of Charleston (4:00)
Boston University at Colgate (5:00)
Northern Iowa at Bradley (6:00)
Prairie View A&M at Grambling State (6:30)
Sacred Heart at St. Francis (PA) (7:00)
East Tennessee State at Western Carolina (7:00)
Finally, we have the automatic-bid leagues with high-stake games today. They might not be your taste. But they matter. Some more than others, of course.
