BYU gets 2 shots at marquee wins to help its case for a bid to March Madness
BYU enters a big week for its NCAA Tournament chances.
The Cougars (17-8, 8-6 Big 12) get a pair of chances for a resume-topping Quadrant 1 win. BYU hosts No. 23 Kansas on Tuesday, then travels to No. 19 Arizona on Saturday.
BYU's record was 3-6 in Quadrant 1 games and 4-2 in Quadrant 2 as of Monday, while BracketMatrix.com's average of 87 mock brackets had the Cougars hovering on the right side of the bubble as a No. 11 seed and appearing in 80 projected fields.
BYU ranked 36th in the NET , and anywhere from 26th to 35th in analytics rankings by KenPom , Bart Torvik and Evan Miyakawa .
Vanderbilt at No. 17 Kentucky, Wednesday. The Commodores (17-8, 5-7 Southeastern Conference, No. 41 NET) are in the mix under first-year coach Mark Byington, though they're just 2-7 in Quad 1 games.
Wake Forest at N.C. State, Saturday. This starts a do-no-harm stretch for the Demon Deacons (19-7, 11-4 Atlantic Coast Conference, No. 58 NET) after last week's late collapse at home against Florida State resulted in a Quad 3 loss. There's only one game left to really boost their chances (at No. 3 Duke on March 3), so there's little margin for error.
No. 13 Purdue at Indiana, Sunday. The Hoosiers (15-11, 6-9 Big Ten, No. 57 NET) are just 2-11 in Quad 1, with this being the biggest game remaining on the schedule.
Oklahoma: The Sooners (No. 52 NET) have lost four straight, though Tuesday's trip to No. 2 Florida is a shot at a fifth Quad 1 win.
VCU: The Rams (No. 34 NET) have positive metrics, such as being ranked 29th for Miyakawa and in the 30s for KenPom and Torvik. But they're just 1-1 in Quad 1 games and might need the league's automatic bid.
Xavier: The Musketeers (No. 54 NET) are just 1-8 in Quad 1 games and don't have another ahead.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
37 minutes ago
- USA Today
‘He's going to help take our team to the next level' Coach Earley speaks on new hiring
'He's going to help take our team to the next level' Coach Earley speaks on new hiring Texas A&M baseball had a disappointing season. While they showed signs of brilliance, they ultimately lacked the swagger and consistency needed to make a postseason run. After failing to reach the SEC Tournament championship, A&M was left out of the NCAA Tournament. However, they decided to retain coach Michael Earley, with the understanding that changes would be made. The first move was bringing in former Aggie All-American and Dallas Baptist assistant coach Cliff Pennington. This is a great first step for the A&M baseball program as they look to return to Omaha next season. Pennington is regarded as one of the best assistant coaches in the nation and excels in areas where the Aggies need greater attention to detail, base running and fielding. Coach Earley is excited to have Pennington on his staff and spoke about what he brings to the program: "We are thrilled to welcome Coach Pennington and his beautiful family back to Bryan-College Station, I wanted to find the best infield and base running coach in the nation and after many talks with Cliff, it was evident he was the guy and a perfect fit into our culture. He is a top-notch baseball coach and that is proven by his work. His values, character and determination are off the charts. He's going to help take our team to the next level and I couldn't be more excited to work beside him." While this is an elite move, more changes are still needed before fans will feel optimistic about the team heading into the 2026 season. Nevertheless, this is a strong step toward making the Aggies a contender once again. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Women's College World Series: How to watch Texas vs Texas Tech Game 3
A first-time champion will be crowned Friday in Oklahoma City. Texas softball and Texas Tech are dueling for their first ever NCAA championship. The in-state rivals have split the first two games of the Women's College World Series and will meet in a decisive Game 3 on Friday at Devon Park. Advertisement Texas took Game 1 behind ace Teagan Kavan and a clutch late hit, but lost Game 2 after Texas Tech took a lead it would never relinquish. Texas Tech star Nijaree Canaday has thrown every inning for this series — and started the past nine games on this 10-game NCAA Tournament run for the Red Raiders. GOLDEN: Teagan Kavan's late arrival hurt Horns in WCWS game 2 Kavan will likely start Game 3 after throwing just 12 pitches in relief Thursday and Canaday is almost assured to throw every last pitch for TTU. Wondering how to watch Texas vs Texas Tech softball? Here is schedule, streaming and TV info for Game 3 of the 2025 Women's College World Series: Texas vs Texas Tech start time Friday Each game in the College Softball World Series final starts at 7 p.m. local time. Advertisement Date: June 6 Time: 7 p.m. CT Location: Devon Park in Oklahoma City What channel is Texas vs Texas Tech? Women's College World Series TV info The final game of the WCWS will be televised nationally on ESPN and on ESPN's digital platform, ESPN+. You can also get live updates at TV channel: ESPN Streaming: ESPN app/ESPN+ College Softball World Series results Game 1: Texas 2, Texas Tech 1 Game 2: Texas Tech 4, Texas 3 Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Access all of our best content with this tremendous offer. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas vs Texas Tech softball: TV channel, time, game info
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Report: Wisconsin football 2025 opponent loses top offensive weapon to significant injury
Report: Wisconsin football 2025 opponent loses top offensive weapon to significant injury Wisconsin football may face a less-than-full-strength Oregon Ducks team when the two meet in Eugene, Oregon, on Oct. 25, 2025. That is the current sentiment after On3's Pete Nakos reported on Friday that Ducks standout wide receiver Evan Stewart suffered a torn patellar tendon during practice and will miss anywhere between three and 12 months. Many others have since confirmed the news, with varying levels of specifics. ESPN's Pete Thamel said that Stewart "suffered a knee injury that's expected to impact his availability for the 2025 season," while 247Sports' Matt Zenitz only reported that the injury is "feared to be significant." While the Badgers and Ducks do not meet until Week 9 of the 2025 season (4 1/2 months from the time of the report), Stewart's status for that matchup appears already in doubt. The 5-foot-11 wideout played a significant role on the Ducks in 2024, catching 48 passes for 613 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Those totals were each second-most among Oregon wide receivers, trailing only second-team All-Big Ten WR Tez Johnson. With Johnson off to the NFL, Stewart was a popular breakout pick entering 2025. The status of this injury will obviously dictate whether that comes to fruition. The rising senior originally began his career at Texas A&M, which he joined as a five-star recruit and the No. 11 overall player in the class of 2022. He appeared in 18 games over two seasons with the Aggies, catching a combined 91 passes for 1,163 receiving yards and six scores. The 2025 Oregon Ducks will look far different from the team that narrowly edged Wisconsin in Week 12 of last season. The team returns just 43% (No. 104 nationally) of its production, with most of its top contributors gone to the NFL. However, it still ranks among the top teams in the Big Ten and the entire sport, per both ESPN SP+ and its Football Power Index. Wisconsin is in a similar situation, though for a different reason. Luke Fickell overhauled the program's offense this offseason, hiring coordinator Jeff Grimes and adding Maryland transfer quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. Unfortunately, like Oregon, Wisconsin saw its season outlook change due to an offseason injury, as starting left tackle Kevin Heywood suffered a season-ending ACL injury during spring practice. With or without Stewart on the field, the Badgers are likely to be a significant underdog when they visit the Ducks. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
