Fun fact for Tuesday: Bill Self’s never won at Texas Tech. Not in 2005, 2007 or 2009, when the Jayhawks won at least a share of the Big 12 title. Hell, they lost just two conferences games in ’07 and ’09.
And the Raiders won just three. Yet Kansas was one of ‘em. Figure that one out.
“Maybe it’s just a jinx or something,” junior Marcus Morris told the Kansas City Star.
I’ll buy that. Tonight’s game (9 p.m. ET, ESPNU) should be a Kansas rout, but that goes for the ’09 matchup, too. Kansas lost that one 84-65. I doubt Self thinks tonight will be a pushover.
(All times ET)
Purdue at Wisconsin, 7 p.m. (ESPN): After a thrashing by Ohio State, the Boilermakers acquitted themselves well with a 73-61 win against Minnesota. Now 18-4 overall and 7-2 in the Big Ten, Purdue faces another obstacle with a trip to Wisconsin. The Badgers have their problems right now – no reliable third scorer and an offense that vanished during Saturday’s loss to Penn State – but they rarely lose at home.
Vanderbilt at Florida, 9 p.m. (ESPN): Vandy finally won a road SEC game, yet followed that with a home loss to Arkansas. If the Commodores (15-5, 3-3) expect to be considered more than a middling SEC team, it must do better than a .500 conference record. Not that Florida (16-5, 5-2) is any better. The Gators sport a better conference mark, yet have lost at home to South Carolina at Miss State and barely escaped two other games. Who’s luck changes tonight?
North Carolina at Boston College, 9 p.m. (ESPN3): Now that the Heels (15-5, 5-1) have won three straight and eight of their last nine, people are starting to forget about their early season struggles. But the Eagles (14-7, 4-3) are hardly a pushover because of their incredibly efficient offense. They don’t run like the Heels, but they certainly score like Roy Williams’ best teams.
Penn State at Illinois, 9 p.m. (BTN): The Nittany Lions (12-8, 5-4) are perhaps the Big Ten’s hottest team. They’ve won four of their last six and lost road games at Ohio State and Purdue by a combined four points. Contrast that with the Illini (14-7, 4-4), who’ve won one game since Jan. 7.
EAST
N.J. Tech at Fairleigh Dickinson, 7 p.m.
Maine at Boston U., 7:30 p.m.
North Carolina at Boston College, 9 p.m.
SOUTH
Wake Forest at Florida St., 7 p.m.
Presbyterian at High Point, 7 p.m.
Kentucky at Mississippi, 7 p.m.
Winthrop at Radford, 7 p.m.
Arkansas St. at Savannah St., 7 p.m.
Vanderbilt at Florida, 9 p.m.
MIDWEST
Ball St. at Miami (Ohio), 7 p.m.
Purdue at Wisconsin, 7 p.m.
Wichita St. at Indiana St., 7:05 p.m.
Creighton at Bradley, 8:05 p.m.
Penn St. at Illinois, 9 p.m.
SE Missouri at SIU-Edwardsville, 9 p.m.
SOUTHWEST
Baylor at Oklahoma, 7 p.m.
Marshall at Houston, 9 p.m.
Kansas at Texas Tech, 9 p.m.
FAR WEST
New Mexico at Air Force, 8 p.m.
Iowa St. at Colorado, 9 p.m.
UC Santa Cruz at Santa Clara, 10 p.m.
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