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NET Viewing Guide For Wednesday, February 20, 2019

There’s one game that dominates tonight’s slate. You know which one it is. But there are some appetizing undercards. For a more traditional look at the schedule, visit MattSarzSports.com.

NCAA Basketball: ACC Conference Tournament-Duke vs North Carolina
The cast may change from season to season but UNC-Duke is almost always worth checking in on.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

At the bottom of the page, you’ll find a lineup broken down by telecast window with the group designations in bold to the left of the game. Instead of ordering these by tip time, however, I’ve grouped them by importance.

Reminders of the different groupings:

  • Group 1 (home games): Visitor is ranked 1-30
  • Group 1 (away games): Host is ranked 1-75
  • Group 2 (home games): Visitor is ranked 31-75
  • Group 2 (away games): Host is ranked 76-135
  • Group 3 (home games): Visitor is ranked 76-160
  • Group 3 (away games): Host is ranked 136-240
  • Group 4 (home games): Visitor is ranked 161-353
  • Group 4 (away games): Host is ranked 241-353

All NET numbers are from the NCAA’s website and reflect games played through Tuesday, Feb. 19. Records reflect games played through the same date. All times are Eastern.

Top 30 at Top 75

Group 1 for both the host and visitor (1/1)

No. 16 Louisville Cardinals (18-8, 9-4) at No. 48 Syracuse Orange (17-8, 8-4), 7 p.m.
No. 9 North Carolina Tar Heels (20-5, 10-2) at No. 1 Duke Blue Devils (23-2, 11-1), 9 p.m. (ESPN/Raycom)

Obviously, UNC-Duke is the matchup of the night, particularly regarding the ACC race, as the Tar Heels are a game behind the Blue Devils for the conference lead. Duke has arguably the easiest schedule left of the three main contenders (adding the Virginia Cavaliers, currently a half-game out, to the mix). Louisville-Syracuse, on the other hand, is both an important matchup in the race for the No. 4 seed in the ACC Tournament, and the bye to the quarterfinals that goes with it. However, it’s doubly important for the Orange, who really need to pick up some marquee wins in their backloaded conference schedule. This might be their best shot with a visit from Duke looming on Saturday and trip to UNC coming up on Tuesday.

31-75 at Top 75

Group 1 for the visitor only; Group 2 for the host (1/2)

No. 33 Florida Gators (14-11, 6-6) at No. 13 LSU Tigers (21-4, 11-1), 7 p.m.
No. 70 Arkansas Razorbacks (14-11, 5-7) at No. 24 Auburn Tigers (17-8, 6-6), 8:30 p.m. (SECN)
No. 49 Butler Bulldogs (15-11, 6-7) at No. 20 Marquette Golden Eagles (21-4, 10-2), 9 p.m. (CBSSN)

Florida, one of the last teams in today’s seed list, and Butler, one of the first teams out, can really improve their chances by winning on the road tonight. However, the Gators will get a chance to beat the Tigers in Gainesville in two weeks. The Bulldogs already lost their home matchup with the Golden Eagles. However, thanks to three straight losses, Arkansas cannot do much more than improve their position in the NIT pecking order by winning at Auburn tonight.

31-75 at 76-135

Group 2 for both the host and the visitor (2/2)

No. 26 Mississippi State Bulldogs (18-7, 6-6) at No. 123 Georgia Bulldogs (10-15, 1-11), 6:30 p.m. (SECN)
No. 44 St. John’s Red Storm (19-7, 7-6) at No. 88 Providence Friars (14-12, 4-9), 8:30 p.m. (FS1)
No. 62 Creighton Bluejays (13-13, 4-9) at No. 99 DePaul Blue Demons (13-11, 5-8), 9 p.m. (FSN)

Miss. State and St. John’s will both want to avoid costly road losses tonight. And that could be a difficult task for the Red Storm, a team Providence handled easily at Madison Square Garden just 11 nights ago. At this point, the Creighton-DePaul matchup is listed as a courtesy, as the teams’ NET rankings don’t quite mesh with their records. Curiously, this will be the first meeting between the two this season, much like the more prominent matchup on Tobacco Road.

Top 30 at 76-135

Group 2 for the visitor; Group 1 for the host only (2/1)

No. 22 Villanova Wildcats (20-6, 11-2) at No. 81 Georgetown Hoyas (15-10, 5-7), 6:30 p.m. (FS1)

A sweep of Georgetown would do wonders for Nova following Sunday’s surprising road loss to St. John’s.

76-160 at Top 75

Group 1 for the visitor only; Group 3 for the host (1/3)

No. 111 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (12-13, 5-10) at No. 7 Michigan State Spartans (21-5, 12-3), 6:30 p.m. (BTN)
No. 126 Boston College Eagles (13-11, 4-8) at No. 31 N.C. State Wolfpack (18-8, 6-7), 7 p.m. (ACC RSNs/ACC Network Extra)
No. 94 Xavier Musketeers (13-13, 5-8) at No. 60 Seton Hall Pirates (16-9, 7-6), 7 p.m. (CBSSN)
No. 80 Northwestern Wildcats (12-13, 3-11) at No. 45 Ohio State Buckeyes (16-9, 6-8), 8:30 p.m. (BTN)
No. 96 Stanford Cardinal (14-11, 7-6) at No. 68 Arizona State Sun Devils (17-8, 8-5), 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 101 Utah Utes (14-11, 8-5) at No. 30 Washington Huskies (20-5, 11-1), 11 p.m. (FS1)

Arizona State, which has already lost at Stanford, is the team from this group that has the most to lose. Ohio State, which has dropped three in a row, is a close second.

161-353 at Top 75

Group 1 for the visitor only; Group 4 for the host (1/4)

No. 300 Tulane Green Wave (4-20, 0-12) at No. 64 Memphis Tigers (15-11, 7-6), 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
No. 171 New Mexico Lobos (11-14, 5-8) at No. 34 Utah State Aggies (20-6, 10-3), 11 p.m. (ESPNU)

Utah State jumped into the bracket, thanks to Davidson’s loss last night, and the Aggies will stick around if they sweep New Mexico—a team they only defeated by two in Albuquerque on January 26th. On the other hand, a win over Tulane won’t do anything to help Memphis’s slim hopes.

Top 30 at 136-240

Group 3 for the visitor; Group 1 for the host only (3/1)

No. 11 Nevada Wolf Pack (24-1, 11-1) at No. 141 San Diego State Aztecs (16-9, 8-4), 11 p.m. (CBSSN)

Nevada will meet their nemeses from last season’s Mountain West Tournament semifinals tonight and back in Reno to close the regular season.

31-75 at 136-240

Group 3 for the visitor; Group 2 for the host only (3/2)

No. 73 Colorado Buffaloes (16-9, 7-6) at No. 173 Washington State Cougars (10-15, 3-9), 10 p.m. (Pac-12 Networks)

While the Cougars couldn’t burst Washington’s bubble last Saturday, they can pick up their third win in four games over theoretical Pac-12 at-large contenders tonight. Colorado won the first meeting by 32.

31-75 at 241-353

Group 4 for the visitor; Group 2 for the host only (4/2)

No. 38 Lipscomb Bisons (21-5, 12-1) at No. 244 FGCU Eagles (11-17, 6-7), 7 p.m. (ESPN+ ($))

A bit of bracket housekeeping here. With the Liberty Flames off for this window of ASUN games, the Bisons will resume the role of conference leader with a win in Fort Myers tonight. That will open up another at-large spot for the moment. Lipscomb won the first meeting 89-81 in Nashville back on January 24th.

Chronological Schedule

Grouped by quality in each tip window.

Early Evening Tips

1/1 No. 16 Louisville Cardinals (18-8, 9-4) at No. 48 Syracuse Orange (17-8, 8-4), 7 p.m.
1/2 No. 33 Florida Gators (14-11, 6-6) at No. 13 LSU Tigers (21-4, 11-1), 7 p.m.
2/2 No. 26 Mississippi State Bulldogs (18-7, 6-6) at No. 123 Georgia Bulldogs (10-15, 1-11), 6:30 p.m. (SECN)
2/1 No. 22 Villanova Wildcats (20-6, 11-2) at No. 81 Georgetown Hoyas (15-10, 5-7), 6:30 p.m. (FS1)
1/3 No. 111 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (12-13, 5-10) at No. 7 Michigan State Spartans (21-5, 12-3), 6:30 p.m. (BTN)
1/3 No. 126 Boston College Eagles (13-11, 4-8) at No. 31 N.C. State Wolfpack (18-8, 6-7), 7 p.m. (ACC RSNs/ACC Network Extra)
1/3 No. 94 Xavier Musketeers (13-13, 5-8) at No. 60 Seton Hall Pirates (16-9, 7-6), 7 p.m. (CBSSN)
1/4 No. 300 Tulane Green Wave (4-20, 0-12) at No. 64 Memphis Tigers (15-11, 7-6), 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
4/2 No. 38 Lipscomb Bisons (21-5, 12-1) at No. 244 FGCU Eagles (11-17, 6-7), 7 p.m. (ESPN+ ($))

Mid-Evening Tips

1/2 No. 70 Arkansas Razorbacks (14-11, 5-7) at No. 24 Auburn Tigers (17-8, 6-6), 8:30 p.m. (SECN)
2/2 No. 44 St. John’s Red Storm (19-7, 7-6) at No. 88 Providence Friars (14-12, 4-9), 8:30 p.m. (FS1)
1/3 No. 80 Northwestern Wildcats (12-13, 3-11) at No. 45 Ohio State Buckeyes (16-9, 6-8), 8:30 p.m. (BTN)

Late Evening Tips

1/1 No. 9 North Carolina Tar Heels (20-5, 10-2) at No. 1 Duke Blue Devils (23-2, 11-1), 9 p.m. (ESPN/Raycom)
1/2 No. 49 Butler Bulldogs (15-11, 6-7) at No. 20 Marquette Golden Eagles (21-4, 10-2), 9 p.m. (CBSSN)
2/2 No. 62 Creighton Bluejays (13-13, 4-9) at No. 99 DePaul Blue Demons (13-11, 5-8), 9 p.m. (FSN)
1/3 No. 96 Stanford Cardinal (14-11, 7-6) at No. 68 Arizona State Sun Devils (17-8, 8-5), 9 p.m. (ESPN2)

Late Night Tips

1/3 No. 101 Utah Utes (14-11, 8-5) at No. 30 Washington Huskies (20-5, 11-1), 11 p.m. (FS1)
1/4 No. 171 New Mexico Lobos (11-14, 5-8) at No. 34 Utah State Aggies (20-6, 10-3), 11 p.m. (ESPNU)
3/1 No. 11 Nevada Wolf Pack (24-1, 11-1) at No. 141 San Diego State Aztecs (16-9, 8-4), 11 p.m. (CBSSN)
3/2 No. 73 Colorado Buffaloes (16-9, 7-6) at No. 173 Washington State Cougars (10-15, 3-9), 10 p.m. (Pac-12 Networks)

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