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Sunday’s Pregame Shootaround: Wisconsin-Michigan, Villanova-Creighton

Ethan Wragge

GAME OF THE DAY: No. 6 Villanova vs. No. 18 Creighton, 5 p.m. (Fox Sports 1)

Back on Jan. 20, Creighton went into Philadelphia, and shot lights out from three. The Bluejays went 21-of-35 (60 percent) from beyond the arc including nine triples from Ethan Wragge in a 96-68 win over then-No.4 Villanova.

The second matchup is Sunday evening with Omaha, with first-place in the Big East on the line. Villanova enters, looking to avenge its worst performance of the season, and land a road victory. A win will give the Wildcats a game and a half lead over the Bluejays. If Creighton sweeps Villanova, it will have a half game lead with five games left before the Big East tournament.

THE OTHER GAME OF THE DAY: No. 21 Wisconsin vs. No. 15 Michigan, 1 p.m. (CBS)

Michigan is atop the Big Ten standings. Wisconsin appears to be back on track after losing five out of six. On Sunday afternoon, both teams will look to boost its resume with another win over a ranked opponent.

Michigan is in the middle of a four-game stretch against ranked opponents. The Wolverines were dominated by Iowa, followed by a win in Columbus over Ohio State. Michigan wraps up this slate next Sunday against rival Michigan State. Wisconsin, winners of three straight, beginning a two-game road trip starting Sunday in Ann Arbor and ending next Saturday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

MID-MAJOR GAME OF THE DAY: No. 4 Wichita State vs. Evansville, 5 p.m. (ESPN3)

The Shockers are one of two remaining unbeaten teams, putting an unblemished 26-0 record on the line, on the road, against Evansville. Wichita State may not land a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, but the Shockers are good enough to make another run in March.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

1) Michigan State, like rival Michigan, will look to remain in the top spot in the conference when the Spartans host Nebraska on Sunday afternoon.

2) Georgetown has won four games after losing five consecutive. St. John’s won four in a row, and seven of its last eight games. A win today for either team would bump them above .500 in Big East play.

3) Two of the top three teams in the American are in action with SMU on the road against Temple and Louisville hosting Rutgers.

4) The basketball version of the Civil War -- Oregon State vs. Oregon -- is today at Sunday evening. The Beavers have previously defeated the Ducks this season.

5) Iona hold a two and a half lead in the MAAC standings. Three teams will vie for second place on Sunday:


  • Canisius vs. Siena, 2 p.m.
  • Niagara vs. Manhattan, 2 p.m.
  • St. Peter’s vs. Quinnipiac, 2 p.m.

THE REST OF THE TOP 25:


  • Nebraska vs. No. 9 Michigan State, 3 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
  • Rutgers vs. No. 13 Louisville, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
  • No. 23 SMU vs. Temple, 2 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)

NOTABLES:


  • Bryant vs. Wagner, noon (CBS Sports Network)
  • Northern Kentucky vs. Mercer, 2 p.m.
  • Oregon State vs. Oregon, 3 p.m. (Fox Sports 1)
  • Notre Dame vs. Boston College, 6 p.m. (ESPNU)
  • Minnesota vs. Northwestern, 6 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
  • Georgetown vs. St. John’s, 7 p.m. (Fox Sports 1)
  • Colorado vs. USC, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)

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