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I Slept On It: Iowa Is On Fire, Virginia Is Not

The Hawkeyes continue to solidify themselves as a Big Ten favorite, especially with Michigan State falling, while it would be very hard to call the Cavaliers an ACC contender at the moment. Plus, a Vine of one of the stupidest decisions you will ever see on a basketball court.

By ChrisDobbertean
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

ACC

That's because 13th-ranked Virginia (13-4, 2-4) has now dropped three of four, following a 69-62 loss at Florida State (12-5, 2-3), which got its profile a nice little boost with the victory. Dwayne Bacon led the Seminoles with 18, while the Cavaliers' London Perrantes led all scorers with 19. Virginia will have to sweep this week's two game homestand—Clemson on Tuesday and Syracuse on Saturday—to get back to .500 in the ACC. On the other hand, the Seminoles will play two games that could further improve their stock, at Louisville on Wednesday and Pittsburgh back in Tallahassee on Saturday.

Big East

Creighton (13-6, 4-2) is now in a third-place tie with Georgetown, a half-game up on 3-2 Seton Hall and Providence after a 91-80 victory over DePaul (6-12, 0-6). The Blue Demons actually started the game on an 11-0 run. It didn't last long.

Big Ten

Wisconsin (10-9, 2-4) might not be dead after all, as the Badgers finally won a close game, toppling No. 4 Michigan State (16-3, 3-3), 77-76 on an Ethan Happ bucket with 10 seconds to go. The Spartans, who looked to be the a co-favorite for the Big Ten title back in late December, alongside Maryland, now sits three losses behind league leaders Indiana and 16th-ranked Iowa (14-3, 5-0). Look for the Hawkeyes to rocket up the polls following their 82-71 home win over Michigan (13-5, 3-2). Jarrod Uthoff led the way again for Fran McCaffrey's team, with 23 on the afternoon.

Pac-12

Colorado (14-4, 3-2) prevented Oregon (14-4, 3-2) from moving into a three-way tie for the conference lead, 91-87. Instead there is now a four-way tie for third in the Pac-12, featuring the the Ducks, Buffs, Arizona, and Stanford. Oregon State (11-5, 2-3) was unable to join that group, as they fell at Utah (13-5, 2-3), 59-53. The Utes trailed the Beavers at halftime, but a boneheaded move by Oregon State's Jarmal Reid late helped turn the game in the host's favor.

American Athletic

Once again, it looked like UConn (12-5, 3-2) would taste the disappointment of defeat at Houston (13-4, 3-2), until the Huskies scored 16 of the game's final 19 points to top the Cougars, 69-57. Houston has now dropped two straight, with the defeats coming to the American's two best at-large hopes.

As expected, no. 10 SMU (17-0, 6-0) remained perfect with a 60-45 victory at Tulane (8-11, 1-5).

Elsewhere

Provided Monmouth defeats Siena tomorrow at home, the Hawks will be the lone MAAC team in Tuesday's projection, as Iona (9-8, 6-2) fell at Rider (6-11, 2-5), 79-75, in the first game of a two-game suspension for the Gaels' Jordan Washington.

Wichita State (12-5, 6-0) had no interest in a logjam at the top of the Missouri Valley. The Shockers blew past Indiana State (10-8, 4-2), 82-62, to keep sole possession of first. The Sycamores dropped to fourth place, while Southern Illinois (16-3, 5-1) remained in a second-place tie with Evansville, thanks to a difficult 81-76 win at Drake (5-13, 0-6).

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