A brutal non-conference schedule littered with Big Ten teams – and a big win against Tennessee – put Oakland (Mich.) on the college hoops map. And with good reason.
Those Grizzlies (12-8) have won five straight since losing to Ohio State on Dec. 23 and are on the verge of an historic season in the Summit League. Thus, tonight’s game at South Dakota State looms as the biggest roadblock to an unbeaten conference season.
For context: The only team to run the table in its conference last year was Butler. Just sayin’. (8 p.m. ET)
(All times ET)
Arizona at Washington, 10:30 p.m. (FSN): The Pac-10’s two best teams, its two best players (Derrick Williams and Isaiah Thomas) and a budding rivalry. What’s not to love?
Virginia Tech at Maryland, 9 p.m. (ESPN2): Big one for two teams trying to improve their NCAA tournament résumés. If you want die-hard Maryland fan’s perspective, check out my Q&A with Ben Broman of the Testudo Times. Then read his game preview. You’ll be a better person because of it.
Indiana at Wisconsin, 9 p.m. (ESPN): It really shouldn’t be much of a game -- the Badgers rarely lose at home, and never to also-rans like the Hoosiers -- so it’s worth mentioning for two reasons: Jon Leuer (perhaps the most underrated player in the game) and that blazingingly efficient Wisconsin offense. Bo Ryan’s got it all figured out.
EAST
Binghamton at Albany, N.Y., 7 p.m.
Fairleigh Dickinson at Bryant, 7 p.m.
UMBC at Hartford, 7 p.m.
Sacred Heart at Mount St. Mary’s, Md., 7 p.m.
Vermont at New Hampshire, 7 p.m.
Marist at Rider, 7 p.m.
Long Island U. at Robert Morris, 7 p.m.
South Florida at Rutgers, 7 p.m.
St. Francis, NY at St. Francis, Pa., 7 p.m.
Quinnipiac at Wagner, 7 p.m.
Stony Brook at Boston U., 7:30 p.m.
Cent. Connecticut St. at Monmouth, N.J., 7:45 p.m.
Manhattan at Loyola, Md., 8 p.m.
SOUTH
Florida at Auburn, 7 p.m.
Florida Gulf Coast at Campbell, 7 p.m.
W. Carolina at Coll. of Charleston, 7 p.m.
Davidson at Elon, 7 p.m.
Ark.-Little Rock at Fla. International, 7 p.m.
Samford at Furman, 7 p.m.
Charleston Southern at Gardner-Webb, 7 p.m.
VMI at Liberty, 7 p.m.
North Texas at Louisiana-Monroe, 7 p.m.
Jacksonville at Mercer, 7 p.m.
High Point at Presbyterian, 7 p.m.
Coastal Carolina at UNC Asheville, 7 p.m.
Georgia Southern at UNC Greensboro, 7 p.m.
Radford at Winthrop, 7 p.m.
Chattanooga at Wofford, 7 p.m.
Appalachian St. at The Citadel, 7:05 p.m.
North Florida at Kennesaw St., 7:30 p.m.
Troy at Middle Tennessee, 8 p.m.
SE Missouri at Tenn.-Martin, 8 p.m.
W. Kentucky at South Alabama, 8:05 p.m.
Tennessee Tech at Austin Peay, 8:30 p.m.
E. Illinois at Murray St., 8:30 p.m.
Jacksonville St. at Tennessee St., 8:30 p.m.
Virginia Tech at Maryland, 9 p.m.
MIDWEST
SIU-Edwardsville at Northwestern, 6:30 p.m.
N. Illinois at Cent. Michigan, 7 p.m.
Detroit at Cleveland St., 7:30 p.m.
Wright St. at Youngstown St., 7:45 p.m.
IPFW at N. Dakota St., 8 p.m.
Oakland, Mich. at S. Dakota St., 8 p.m.
IUPUI at UMKC, 8:05 p.m.
Utah Valley at North Dakota, 9 p.m.
Indiana at Wisconsin, 9 p.m.
FAR WEST
Arkansas St. at Denver, 9 p.m.
W. Illinois at S. Utah, 9 p.m.
Gonzaga at Santa Clara, 9 p.m.
Montana at Idaho St., 9:05 p.m.
Louisiana Tech at Utah St., 9:05 p.m.
Cal Poly at UC Riverside, 10 p.m.
Arizona St. at Washington St., 10 p.m.
N. Arizona at E. Washington, 10:05 p.m.
Weber St. at Portland St., 10:05 p.m.
N. Colorado at Sacramento St., 10:05 p.m.
New Mexico St. at Nevada, 10:30 p.m.
Portland at San Francisco, 10:30 p.m.
Stanford at Southern Cal, 10:30 p.m.
California at UCLA, 10:30 p.m.
Arizona at Washington, 10:30 p.m.
Fresno St. at Hawaii, Mid
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