/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65933643/usa_today_12225615.0.jpg)
Note: At the bottom of the page, you’ll find a lineup broken down by telecast window with their quadrants. I’ve grouped them by importance, not tip time, within the window.
Reminders of the different groupings are in the table below. Since we still have quite a few neutral-site contests to come before 2019 closes, I’ve added those classifications to the table below.
NET Win Quadrants
Quadrant | Home | Neutral | Visitor |
---|---|---|---|
Quadrant | Home | Neutral | Visitor |
1 | 1–30 | 1–50 | 1–75 |
2 | 31–75 | 51–100 | 76–135 |
3 | 76–160 | 101–200 | 136–240 |
4 | 161–353 | 201–353 | 241–353 |
All NET numbers are from the NCAA’s website and reflect games played against D1 opposition only through Tuesday, December 17, 2019. All times are Eastern.
51—100 vs. Top 50 (1 Game)
Group 1 for the team on the left only; Group 2 for the team on the right (1/2)
64. Saint Mary’s Gaels (9-2) vs. 29. Arizona State Sun Devils (8-2) at Phoenix, approx. 9 p.m. (Pac-12 Networks National & Arizona)
The Gaels will play their second game in 10 days at Talking Stick Resort Arena, as they lost by 10 to the Dayton Flyers in the Jerry Colangelo Classic back on December 8th. Saint Mary’s will feature in another Naismith Hall of Fame event on Saturday night, as Randy Bennett’s team will meet Nevada in the fourth game of the Al Attles Classic in San Francisco. As for the Sun Devils, they’ll look to win their sixth in a row in a semi-home situation. ASU has only lost to Colorado (in China) and Virginia (at the Mohegan Sun in yet another Hall of Fame-sponsored event) so far this season.
Top 30 at 76–135 (1 Game)
Group 2 for the visitor; Group 1 for the host only (2/1)
24. Tennessee Volunteers (7-2) at 116. Cincinnati Bearcats (6-4), 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
The Bearcats continue their weird push through their 2019 NCAA Tournament pod tonight. While the Colgate Raiders stunned the Bearcats on Saturday, the Tennessee team that eliminated the Patriot champs visits Fifth Third Arena tonight. On Saturday night, Cincinnati meets the Iowa Hawkeyes in the nightcap of the Chicago Legends to complete this odd bit of scheduling. With the Vols looking to rebound from a home loss to the Memphis Tigers, it’s possible that John Brannen’s club heads into their NCAA rematch on a three-game skid.
51—100 vs. 51—100 (1 Game)
Group 2 for both teams (2/2)
66. Kentucky Wildcats (8-1) vs. 58. Utah Utes (8-2) at Las Vegas, 11 p.m. (ESPN2)
Not only are the Wildcats outside of the NET Top 50 heading into a pair of games in Vegas, but the Utes outrank them heading into tonight’s contest at T-Mobile Arena. Of course, Kentucky will likely find itself back among the elite with wins over Utah tonight (for the second year in a row) and Ohio State in Saturday’s CBS Sports Classic.
31–75 at 76–135 (1 Game)
Group 2 for both the host and the visitor (2/2)
50. VCU Rams (8-2) at No. 127 College of Charleston Cougars (4-5), 7 p.m. (FloHoops.com ($))
Note that the Cougars beat the Rams by an 83-79 score in Richmond last December. VCU has won two straight since dropping both of its games at the Emerald Coast Classic, while Charleston hasn’t defeated a Division I opponent since topping Providence on November 29th.
51–100 vs. 101–200 (2 Games)
Group 3 for the team on the left; Group 2 for the team on the right only (3/2)
97. Vanderbilt Commodores (6-3) vs. 165. Loyola Chicago Ramblers (6-4) at Phoenix, 6:30 p.m. (CBSSN)
51. Utah State Aggies (9-2) vs. 174. South Florida Bulls (6-4) at Houston, approx. 7:45 p.m. (ESPN3)
The second game from this group is the most interesting, mostly because the preseason Mountain West favorites are coming off a disappointing 68-64 loss to BYU on Saturday. This is the second of three neutral-site games in succession for the Aggies. Curiously, both Utah State and USF will next take the floor on Saturday in Sunrise, Fla. There, the Bulls will meet the Florida State Seminoles, while the Aggies face the Florida Gators.
76–160 at 76–135 (Games)
Group 2 for the visitor only; Group 3 for the host (2/3)
81. UNCG Spartans (7-3) at 91. Vermont Catamounts (6-4), 7 p.m. (ESPN+ ($))
153. Radford Highlanders (2-6) at 88. Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-2), 8 p.m. (SEC Network+)
Two quality mid-majors meet in Burlington, Vermont, with both the Spartans and Catamounts decent bets to win their respective conference titles this year. In Starkville, meanwhile, the Big South favorites will look to defeat a second power conference team, as the Highlanders won at Northwestern back on November 19th.
Top 30 at 136–240 (2 Games)
Group 3 for the visitor; Group 1 for the host only (3/1)
22. Richmond Spiders (9-1) at 162. Old Dominion Monarchs (3-8), 7 p.m. (ESPN3)
30. Michigan State Spartans (7-3, 1-0 Big Ten) at 168. Northwestern Wildcats (5-4, 0-1), 8 p.m. (BTN)
Speaking of the Wildcats, they’ll be hard-pressed to keep home teams perfect in Big Ten play. Yes, of the 13 conference games played so far in the early window, all of them have seen the visitors head home unhappy. Down in Norfolk, the visiting Spiders will look to defeat their former CAA rivals for the first time since December 16, 2015.
76–160 at Top 75 (4 Games)
Group 1 for the visitor only; Group 3 for the host (1/3)
104. Western Carolina Catamounts (6-2) at 71. Xavier Musketeers (9-2), 6:30 p.m. (FS1)
106. ETSU Buccaneers (7-2) at 26. LSU Tigers (7-2), 7 p.m. (SECN)
98. North Carolina Tar Heels (6-4) at 5. Gonzaga Bulldogs (11-1), 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
120. Montana Grizzlies (3-4) at 17. Oregon Ducks (8-2), 11 p.m. (Pac-12 Networks National & Oregon)
With the Tar Heels without Cole Anthony and having lost four of their last five, it shouldn’t be a surprise that their matchup at Gonzaga has lost some of its luster. However, it is a bit of a shock to see the game down in this category. Elsewhere, a pair of SoCon contenders will look to grab noteworthy power-conference road wins, while a 2/15 or 3/14-type March matchup is scheduled for Eugene.
31–75 at 241–353 (1 Game)
Group 4 for the visitor; Group 2 for the host only (4/2)
45. DePaul Blue Demons (9-1) at 296. Cleveland State Vikings (3-7), 7 p.m. (ESPN3)
The Blue Demons play an increasingly rare contest tonight—a mid-major road game. Last November 28th, DePaul defeated the Vikings by an 83-73 score in Chicago.
51–100 vs. 201–353 (1 Game)
Group 4 for the team on the left; Group 2 for the team on the right only (4/2)
96. Alabama Crimson Tide (4-5) vs. 259. Samford Bulldogs (3-6) at Legacy Arena, Birmingham, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+ ($))
This is almost a mid-major road game for the Crimson Tide, but the fact they’re playing the Bulldogs in downtown Birmingham means the crowd is likely to be on Bama’s side.
161–353 at 76–135 (3 Games)
Group 2 for the visitor only; Group 4 for the host (2/4)
339. Kennesaw State Owls (1-9) at 92. Belmont Bruins (6-3), 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+ ($))
172. Texas Southern Tigers (2-6) at 102. Nevada Wolf Pack (7-4), 10 p.m. (MWN)
271. San José State Spartans (2-8) at 89. Santa Clara Broncos (8-2), 10 p.m. (WCC Network)
The four home teams are 13-0 in Quadrant 4 games so far this season, with the Broncos responsible for four of those victories.
Top 50 vs. 201–353 (1 Game)
Group 4 for the team on the left; Group 1 for the team on the right only (4/1)
42. Oregon State Beavers (8-1) vs. 273. UTSA Roadrunners (2-6), 5:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
The Beavers have quietly won six in a row since dropping their Phil Knight Invitational contest to the Oklahoma Sooners back on November 12th. That streak should grow to seven tonight at Toyota Center, even if the Roadrunners have suddenly won three straight (including a non-D1 victory on Sunday).
161–353 at Top 75 (6 Games)
Group 1 for the visitor only; Group 4 for the host (1/4)
192. Stony Brook Seawolves (6-5) at 36. Virginia Cavaliers (8-1), 6:30 p.m. (ACCN)
304. Saint Peter’s Peacocks (2-4) at 70. UConn Huskies (6-3), 7 p.m. (SNY/ESPN3)
342. Houston Baptist Huskies (0-8) at 73. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (8-2), 7:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
179. Oakland Golden Grizzlies (4-6) at 75. Syracuse Orange (5-5), 8 p.m. (ESPNU)
261. Albany Great Danes (5-6) at 67. St. John’s Red Storm (9-2), 8:30 p.m. (FS1)
234. Miami (Ohio) RedHawks (4-5) at 7. Louisville Cardinals (10-1), 8:30 p.m. (ACCN)
201–353 vs. Top 50 (1 Game)
Group 1 for the team on the left only; Group 4 for the team on the right (1/4)
312. UT Martin Skyhawks (2-6) vs. 6. Baylor Bears (8-1) at Houston, approx. 10 p.m. (ESPNU)
The seven Top 75 teams above have gone 28-1 in Quad 4 win opportunities so far. The lone defeat? UConn’s Charleston Classic on-campus contest against Saint Joseph’s back on November 13th.
No NET Impact (1 Game)
(Non-D1) San Diego Christian at No. 1 San Diego State Aztecs (10-0), 10 p.m. (MWN)
Yes, the Aztecs replaced the Kansas Jayhawks (who replaced the Ohio State Buckeyes) at the top of the third set of NET rankings for the 2019-20 season. But since SDSU is playing a non-D1 opponent tonight, it’s not a guarantee the Aztecs will be at the top on day four.
Chronological Schedule
Wednesday, 12/18/19 Early Evening
Tip Time | Visitor/Home Quads | Matchup | Outlet |
---|---|---|---|
Tip Time | Visitor/Home Quads | Matchup | Outlet |
7 p.m. | 2/1 | 24. Tennessee at 116. Cincinnati | ESPN2 |
7 p.m. | 2/2 | 50. VCU at 127. College of Charleston | FloHoops ($) |
6:30 p.m. | 3/2 | 97. Vanderbilt vs. 165. Loyola Chicago (at Phoenix) | CBSSN |
7 p.m. | 2/3 | 81. UNCG at 91. Vermont | ESPN+ ($) |
7 p.m. | 3/1 | 22. Richmond at 162. Old Dominion | ESPN3 |
6:30 p.m. | 1/3 | 104. Western Carolina at 71. Xavier | FS1 |
7 p.m. | 1/3 | 106. ETSU at 26. LSU | SECN |
7 p.m. | 4/2 | 45. DePaul at 296. Cleveland State | ESPN3 |
7:30 p.m. | 4/2 | 96. Alabama vs. 259. Samford (at Legacy Arena) | ESPN+ ($) |
7:30 p.m. | 2/4 | 339. Kennesaw State at 92. Belmont | ESPN+ ($) |
5:30 p.m. | 4/1 | 42. Oregon State vs. 273. UTSA (at Houston) | ESPN3 |
6:30 p.m. | 1/4 | 192. Stony Brook at 36. Virginia | ACCN |
7 p.m. | 1/4 | 304. Saint Peter's at 70. UConn | SNY/ESPN3 |
7:30 p.m. | 1/4 | 342. Houston Baptist at 73. Stephen F. Austin | ESPN3 |
Wednesday, 12/18/19 Late Evening and Late Night
Tip Time | Visitor/Home Quads | Matchup | Outlet |
---|---|---|---|
Tip Time | Visitor/Home Quads | Matchup | Outlet |
9 p.m. (approx.) | 1/2 | 64. Saint Mary's vs. 29. Arizona State (at Phoenix) | Pac-12 Networks National & Arizona |
11 p.m. | 2/2 | 66. Kentucky vs. 58. Utah (at Las Vegas) | ESPN2 |
7:45 p.m. (approx.) | 3/2 | 51. Utah State vs. 174. South Florida (at Houston) | ESPN3 |
8 p.m. | 3/1 | 30. Michigan State at 168. Northwestern | BTN |
9 p.m. | 1/3 | 98. North Carolina at 5. Gonzaga | ESPN2 |
11 p.m. | 1/3 | 120. Montana at 17. Oregon | Pac-12 Networks National & Oregon |
8 p.m. | 2/3 | 153. Radford at 88. Mississippi State | SECN+ |
10 p.m. | 2/4 | 172. Texas Southern at 102. Nevada | MWN |
10 p.m. | 2/4 | 271. San José State at 89. Santa Clara | WCCN |
8 p.m. | 1/4 | 179. Oakland at 75. Syracuse | ESPNU |
8:30 p.m. | 1/4 | 261. Albany at 67. St. John's | FS1 |
8:30 p.m. | 1/4 | 234. Miami (Ohio) at 7. Louisville | ACCN |
10 p.m. | 1/4 | 312. UT Martin vs. 6. Baylor (at Houston) | ESPNU |
10 p.m. | N/A | (Non-D1) San Diego Christian at 1. San Diego State | MWN |
Enjoy this post? Follow Blogging the Bracket on Twitter and Like the site on Facebook.