If there are two words to describe college basketball right now, it would be “hot mess.” There is not one trustworthy team, the new quadrant system for determining bracket seeding is leaving the #2 team in the nation out of the 1 line, and to top things off, there are 8 non-power 6 teams in the top 25. So what does all this mean? First and foremost it means nobody is going to get a perfect bracket this year no matter how many people decide to fill one out; and secondly, it means that this season coming to an end will be as wild and unpredictable as ever before.

Hot Takes:

Oklahoma has been solved:

I’ll start off by saying I saw this coming. If Trae Young is not performing at an elite level, then neither is Oklahoma. Opposing teams have finally figured out how to shut down Young, and therefore the Sooners haven’t won since January. To cap off their embarrassing losing streak, they lost to Kansas by 30 points Monday night. A team that was once a projected one seed may not even make the tournament. Even if they do, they will likely be an early exit. Teams that don’t have depth like Oklahoma are in trouble as we get closer to March.

What bubble teams need to do this week:

The ultimate goal for any team that is on the edge of making the tournament is to win out, but along the way, some teams need to beat quadrant one and two teams. With a win this week over West Virginia, red hot Baylor can continue to inch closer to a spot in the tournament. According to Joe Lunardi, four Pac-12 teams are on the bubble. One of the biggest games of the week will be between UCLA vs. USC. The team that wins that matchup is in the tournament in my books.

Tuesday:

West Virginia at Baylor:

All of a sudden, the Baylor Bears are red hot. They are riding a five-game win streak with monumental dubs over Kansas, Texas, and Texas Tech. Three key players have really paved the way in getting the Bears back onto the bracket bubble. Senior Manu Lecomte has been Baylor’s go-to player in tight situations, while 7-footer Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. has established his dominance in the paint against opposing programs. The one player that fans need to pay attention to is Terry Maston. Towards the middle of the season he would typically come off the bench, but when he dropped a career-high 23 points against Iowa State, he solidified his role as a starter. He is going to be Tuesday’s X-factor. Especially with the West Virginia Mountaineers coming off a loss, there is nothing that indicates to me that Baylor will lose this game. Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles Jr. won’t do enough in order to put West Virginia over the top.

Games to Watch:

West Virginia at Baylor

Creighton at Butler

Kentucky at Arkansas

Picks:

Baylor beats West Virginia

Butler beats Creighton

Arkansas beats Kentucky

Wednesday:

Xavier at Georgetown:

On paper, this game does not look good at all. Xavier is one of the best teams in the nation, while Georgetown won’t be in the top five of the Big East for quite some time. However, when you look past the statistics, this game looks a whole lot better. Back on February 3, Xavier narrowly beat the Hoyas at home. Trevon Bluiett had a four-point play with under a minute to go that sent the game to overtime, a game that should not have been that close. After that loss, Georgetown went on to beat Seton Hall and Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse. They have certainly improved since the last time they played the Musketeers, which should make this contest just as entertaining. Jessie Govan has been Patrick Ewing’s star player, but two other names to watch for are Marcus Derrickson and Trey Dickerson. Derrickson has the ability to play as a player in the paint along with a shooter from around the basket. Dickerson had a big game against Butler and may even get a start. The thing that makes this game tough to predict is that Xavier does not lose tight games. They are still 9-0 in games decided by 8 or less points, however they are coming off a sole-crushing loss to Villanova. Georgetown will shut down Trevon Bluiett, but it will not be enough. The Musketeers may have the most depth in the country. That is why they are so difficult to beat. I like X to win this game by a point.

Games To Watch:

Xavier at Georgetown

Texas Tech at Oklahoma State

Clemson at Virginia Tech

North Carolina at Syracuse

Louisville at Duke

Alabama at Auburn

Picks:

Xavier beats Georgetown

Texas Tech beats Oklahoma State

Duke beats Louisville

Thursday:

Purdue at Illinois:

The Illinois Illini may have the toughest week in college basketball. They have to play Michigan State Tuesday night, then two days later take on Purdue on their home court. Do they even have a chance at winning any of these games? The answer is surprisingly yes. They aren’t going to beat the Spartans, but they have a chance to beat the struggling Purdue Boilermakers. Purdue lost recently lost to Michigan State and Ohio State. Okay, respectable. Last week, however, they lost to an awful Wisconsin Badgers team, then nearly lost to Penn State at home. That is a red flag. Carson Edwards has been doing his job, but nobody else has. The Boilermakers need more out of Isaac Haas and Vincent Edwards. In the Illini’s most recent win over a surprisingly good Nebraska team, Leron Black put up a whopping 28 points, while Trent Frazier and Kipper Nichols both added 12. This year I have not made enough upset picks, and yet they are happening every day. Purdue’s struggles are going to continue. Illinois fits the profile as an upset team. It is always tough to pick against teams like the Boilermakers, but given how this college basketball season has gone and Purdue’s recent misfortunes, I am taking the Illini.   

Games to Watch:

Connecticut at Cincinnati

Purdue at Illinois

Arizona State at Oregon

Picks:

Cincinnati beats Connecticut

Illinois beats Purdue

Oregon beats Arizona State

Friday:

Ohio State at Indiana:

The Ohio State Buckeyes would like to just forget about last week. They got rammed by Penn State, a team they have now lost to twice this season, then lost to their arch rival Michigan by 12. Now, how do Chris Holtmann and OSU respond? Keita Bates-Diop needs to do more. He is a phenomenal athlete and much to his credit is why the Buckeyes are a top 15 team. He struggled in their two most recent games leading to offensive struggles. Ohio State’s defense has been mediocre, but has been good enough to win games. The key for the Buckeyes to win and stay within Big Ten regular season champion conversation is to get Bates-Diop going. That is all there is to it. In the games where he goes off, like when they beat Purdue, they win. One important thing to note is that Indiana is winners of four straight, however they have all been wins against teams that the bottom of their conference. Ohio State will get out to an early lead and will be able to maintain that in the second half in order to beat the Hoosiers.

Games to Watch:

Dayton at Rhode Island

Ohio State at Indiana

Harvard at Princeton

Picks:

Rhode Island beats Dayton

Ohio State beats Indiana

Harvard beats Princeton

Saturday:

Kansas at Texas Tech (Blockbuster of the Week):

Last week we had the game of the year in the Big East. Now it is the Big 12’s turn. This game doesn’t just have a conference title lying on it, but also history. The Kansas Jayhawks have won 13 straight Big 12 championships and need one more to beat UCLA’s streak. This time, the title will run through Lubbock, not Lawrence. Texas Tech beat the Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse back in January by 12 points. Who’s to think the result will be different at United Supermarkets arena? You would be surprised. Kansas is now winners of three straight including a 30-point blowout win over Oklahoma Monday night. The last time they met up Devonte Graham carried the Jayhawks with little support from the rest of his teammates. Malik Newman, who has now blossomed into an elite talent, only scored nine points off the bench. There is no doubt this team has gotten better. On the other hand, Texas Tech’s Keenan Evans is now making a case for Big 12 player of the year. Jarrett Culver and Zhaire Smith are both averaging 10.8 points a game and have been liable options for Evans to go to.My only concern with the Red Raiders is the loss they are coming off of against Baylor. Their defense was phenomenal, but so was the Bears. Keenan Evans only had four points while Zhaire Smith lead the way with 15. This is the game of the week for a reason. Winner takes the Big 12. These are two teams that wouldn’t surprise me if they made the final four. We get the treat of watching them duel it out Saturday evening. As tough as this game should be to predict, one team comes out as the clear favorite. I’ll end the preview on this… Rock. Chalk. Jayhawk.

Games To Watch:

Syracuse at Duke

Missouri at Kentucky

Villanova at Creighton

Kansas at Texas Tech (Blockbuster of the Week)

Auburn at Florida

Arizona at Oregon

Picks:

Kansas beats Texas Tech

Creighton beats Villanova

Florida beat Auburn

Sunday:

Michigan State at Wisconsin:

All MSU has to do at this point is knock off Wisconsin Badgers and the Big 10 is theirs. The Badgers have had a brutal season. They won’t make the tournament and only have one good win over Purdue. Ethan Happ has underperformed and Greg Gard’s team has been haunted with injuries. Despite all the negativity that has surrounded this team, Wisconsin has the capability to beat even some of the best teams in the Big Ten. Don’t believe me? Look what they did to Purdue last week. The toughest player on the court Sunday afternoon will not be Miles Bridges, Nick Ward, or even Ethan Happ. It will be Brad Davison. The hardest working freshman that you haven’t heard of. This kid can shoot, pass and is aggressive player on defense. Wisconsin wins this game if they hold the Spartans under 65 points. The Badgers may have had a brutal year, but it will end on a high note. The #2 team in the nation will go down. If both Purdue and Michigan State lose this week as predicted, the pathway will be paved for Ohio State to take the title.

Games to Watch:

Michigan State at Wisconsin

Minnesota at Purdue

Florida State at NC State

Picks:

Wisconsin beats Michigan State

Purdue beats Minnesota

NC State beats Florida State

And just like that, we will be in tournament season. The Big 10 tournament will begin next Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. Even in the weeks that do not present many upset opportunities, they continuously occur. Selection Sunday is only a few weeks away. Thought this season has been crazy? Just wait and see what happens next.

Last week’s record:

(8-7)

Overall:

(128-71)