College Hoops TV Guide
By Steve Merril
Covers.com
Wednesday - Villanova at Xavier
Both teams come into this game with 24-3 SU records, but the first meeting wasn’t close. Villanova embarrassed Xavier by 31 points (95-64) as the Wildcats played a perfect game that will be impossible to duplicate. Villanova shot 63.2% from the field, 52% from three-point land, and 90.9% from the free throw line. Xavier grabbed 12 offensive rebounds, so if they combine that with better shooting and better defense, the Musketeers have a good shot at revenge.
Thursday - SMU at Memphis
SMU is 22-4 SU on the season, but unfortunately for the Mustangs, they are banned from post-season play. SMU only has four games remaining in their season, so they’ll likely come with a good effort in every game. Memphis is just 3-7 SU during their last ten games, so the Tigers are not in good current form. However, six of those games came on the road, and Memphis is 16-5 SU at home this season.
Friday - Valparaiso at Wisc-Milwaukee
Valparaiso is flying under the national radar, but the Crusaders have a fantastic team. Valparaiso is 24-5 SU on the season, and they handled Wisconsin-Milwaukee 68-56 earlier this season. The Panthers are 7-3 SU at home, but their three losses have come by a combined 6 points with two of those defeats coming in overtime. Valparaiso is the better team, but this will be a difficult challenge for the Crusaders on Friday night.
Saturday - Arizona at Utah
Arizona and Utah are two of the best teams in the Pac-12 conference. The Wildcats have two remaining road games; they’ll play at Colorado prior to this game. This two-game trip has proven to be tough on the traveling team, so Arizona will have to be at their best. Utah will finish their regular season with three consecutive home games with Arizona in the middle. The Utes are 13-1 SU on their strong home court as of this writing, so they are an extremely tough out in the thin air and altitude.
Sunday - Michigan at Wisconsin
Michigan and Wisconsin have had similar seasons. The Wolverines and Badgers were both in rebuilding mode early on this season, and their easy schedules inflated their records. Both teams have had trouble when stepping up in class, but that won’t be the case here since the two teams are equals. Wisconsin will be playing their final home game of the season, so they’ll be ready for a peak performance against Michigan.
Monday - Syracuse at North Carolina
Syracuse was in an excellent scheduling spot when they hosted North Carolina earlier this season. But that wasn’t enough as the Tar Heels beat the Orange 84-73. Now the second meeting will come in Chapel Hill with North Carolina playing their final home game of the season. The Tar Heels are now the team in the good scheduling spot, so Syracuse will have to play one of their best games of the season to stay competitive.
Tuesday - Indiana at Iowa
Indiana will play their final road game of the season against Iowa on Tuesday night. The Hoosiers beat the Hawkeyes 85-78 on their home court, but this game will be a stiff challenge. Iowa will be playing their final home game of the season, so the veteran team will be amped-up for this game. The Hawkeyes have yet to lose in Carver-Hawkeye Arena as of this writing, so Indiana has their work cut out for them.