clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

College Basketball Viewing Guide For Tuesday, March 3, 2020

The first four conference tournaments of the season begin tonight, but there are plenty of other late regular season contests too. For a more traditional look at today’s college basketball schedule, visit MattSarzSports.com.

NCAA Basketball: Penn State at Michigan State Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Tables may not appear optimally on mobile devices.

Note: Before the breakdown by Quadrant, you’ll find a lineup broken down by telecast window. Within each window, I’ve listed games by tip time with the quadrants on the left.

Reminders of the different groupings are in the table below.

NET Quadrants

A game falls under this quadrant For the home team when the visiting team ranks between For the visiting team when the home team ranks between
A game falls under this quadrant For the home team when the visiting team ranks between For the visiting team when the home team ranks between
1 1–30 1–75
2 31–75 76–135
3 76–160 136–240
4 161–353 241–353

All NET rankings are from the NCAA’s website and reflect games played against D1 opposition only through Monday, March 2, 2020. Records reflect all games played through the same date. All times are Eastern.

Chronological Schedule

Tue., 03/03/2020 Early ET

Tip Time (ET) Host/Visitor Quads Matchup Outlet
Tip Time (ET) Host/Visitor Quads Matchup Outlet
6:30 p.m. 2/1 52. Mississippi State at 65. South Carolina SECN
7 p.m. 1/1 7. Michigan State at 26. Penn State ESPN
7 p.m. 2/3 71. Syracuse at 149. Boston College ESPN2
7 p.m. 2/2 53. Cincinnati at 121. South Florida ESPNU
7 p.m. 1/1 15. Maryland at 34. Rutgers BTN
7 p.m. 2/1 74. Davidson at 48. Richmond NBCS Washington Plus/ESPN+ ($)
7 p.m. 3/1 96. Duquesne at 55. VCU MASN/ESPN+ ($)
7 p.m. 4/2 271. Albany at 80. Vermont ESPN+ ($)
7 p.m. 3/2 136. Little Rock at 131. Georgia State ESPN+ ($)
7 p.m. 3/2 150. Bowling Green at 126. Kent State ESPN+ ($)
7:30 p.m. 4/1 166. Ohio at 75. Akron CBSSN

Tue., 03/03/2020 Late ET

Tip Time (ET) Host/Visitor Quads Matchup Outlet
Tip Time (ET) Host/Visitor Quads Matchup Outlet
8 p.m. 1/2 25. Marquette at 81. DePaul FS1
8:30 p.m. 4/1 170. Vanderbilt at 42. Alabama SECN
8:30 p.m. 3/3 79. Stephen F. Austin at 190. Abilene Christian ESPN+ ($)
9 p.m. 2/1 69. Tennessee at 14. Kentucky ESPN
9 p.m. 2/1 59. Texas at 41. Oklahoma ESPN2
9 p.m. 1/2 21. West Virginia at 88. Iowa State ESPNU
9 p.m. 2/1 35. Purdue at 29. Iowa BTN

Tue., 03/03/2020 Conference Tournaments

Tip Time (ET) Conference Round Matchup Outlet Season Series
Tip Time (ET) Conference Round Matchup Outlet Season Series
7 p.m. ASUN Quarterfinal 8. NJIT at 1. Liberty ESPN+ ($) LU 2-0
7 p.m. ASUN Quarterfinal 5. North Alabama at 4. Stetson ESPN+ ($) SU 2-0
7 p.m. ASUN Quarterfinal 7. Jacksonville at 2. North Florida ESPN+ ($) UNF 2-0
7 p.m. Big South First Round 10. High Point at 7. USC Upstate ESPN3 HPU 2-0
7 p.m. Big South First Round 11. Campbell at 6. UNC Asheville ESPN3 CU 2-0
7 p.m. Big South First Round 9. Presbyterian at 8. Charleston Southern ESPN3 Home split
7 p.m. Patriot First Round 9. Loyola (Md.) at 8. Lehigh PLN LU 2-0
7 p.m. Patriot First Round 10. Holy Cross at 7. Bucknell PLN BU 2-0
7 p.m. Horizon First Round 8. Milwaukee at 5. Youngstown State ESPN+ ($) Road split
7 p.m. Horizon First Round 7. Cleveland State at 6. Oakland ESPN+ ($) OU 2-0
8 p.m. ASUN Quarterfinal 6. FGCU at 3. Lipscomb ESPN+ ($) Home split
8 p.m. Horizon First Round 9. IUPUI at 4. UIC ESPN+ ($) UIC 2-0

Quad 1 For Both Teams (1/1: 2 Games)

Top 30 at Top 75

7. Michigan State Spartans (20-9, 12-6 T2nd Big Ten) at 26. Penn State Nittany Lions (21-8, 11-7 T5th), 7 p.m. (ESPN)
15. Maryland Terrapins (23-6, 13-5 1st Big Ten) at 34. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (18-11, 9-9 T8th), 7 p.m. (BTN)

With two games left, the Big Ten race is still wide open heading into a crucial night. Penn State, currently in a two-way tie for fifth, hosts Michigan State, part of a three-way tie for second, with the Nittany Lions looking to complete a season sweep and move closer to one of the four byes to the quarterfinals in Indianapolis. In Piscataway, the stakes are high for Rutgers, which has slid toward the bubble thanks to a complete inability to win away from the RAC. A win over Maryland tonight would give the Scarlet Knights a late boost and likely knock the Terps into a tie for first in the league.

Quad 2 For Host/Quad 1 For Visitor (2/1: 5 Games)

31–75 at Top 75

52. Mississippi State Bulldogs (19-10, 10-6 T4th SEC) at 65. South Carolina Gamecocks (17-12, 9-7 6th), 6:30 p.m. (SECN)
74. Davidson Wildcats (15-13, 9-7 7th A 10) at 48. Richmond Spiders (22-7, 12-4 T2nd A 10), 7 p.m. (NBCS Washington Plus/ESPN+ ($))
69. Tennessee Volunteers (16-13, 8-8 T7th SEC) at 14. Kentucky Wildcats (24-5, 14-2 1st), 9 p.m. (ESPN)
59. Texas Longhorns (18-11, 8-8 T4th Big 12) at 41. Oklahoma Sooners (18-11, 8-8 T4th), 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
35. Purdue Boilermakers (15-14, 8-10 T10th Big Ten) at 29. Iowa Hawkeyes (20-9, 11-7 T5th), 9 p.m. (BTN)

The two biggest bubble games of the night are in the SEC and Big 12, as Mississippi State and South Carolina are both on the outside looking in as they enter a rematch of the Bulldogs’ narrow 79-76 win in Starkville back on February 19th. Meanwhile, wins over Texas Tech and West Virginia have put both Oklahoma and Texas back in the picture, with the Sooners in and the Longhorns just out of my Monday bracket. OU won the first meeting in Austin on January 8th and there’s a decent chance the two teams may meet next Thursday in the Big 12 Tournament’s 4 vs. 5 game in Kansas City.

Richmond needs to keep winning for its at-large hopes, and recording a second win over Davidson would be a decent boost with the Spiders looking to secure second place in the Atlantic 10. At 35th in the NET and just a game over .500, Purdue probably needs four more wins to sneak into the field. The Boilermakers will look for an unlikely repeat of their 104-68 home win over Iowa tonight, while the Hawkeyes will look to improve their home record to 15-1. Tennessee, meanwhile, will have to defeat the SEC champs in Lexington to further improve its chances after Saturday’s home victory over Florida.

Quad 1 For Host/Quad 2 For Visitor (1/2: 2 Games)

Top 30 at 76–135

25. Marquette Golden Eagles (18-10, 8-8 T5th Big East) at 81. DePaul Blue Demons (14-15, 2-14 10th), 8 p.m. (FS1)
21. West Virginia Mountaineers (19-10, 7-9 T6th Big 12) at 88. Iowa State Cyclones (12-17, 5-11, T8th), 9 p.m. (ESPNU)

Marquette has seen its seeding take a hit thanks to losing four of five, and a game at DePaul isn’t a gimme either since the Golden Eagles only defeated the Blue Demons by four in Milwaukee to open February play. Speaking of struggling teams, since defeating Iowa State in Morgantown on February 5th, West Virginia has gone 1-7 and is dancing with bubble danger.

Quad 2 For Both Teams (2/2: 1 Game)

31–75 at 76–135

53. Cincinnati Bearcats (18-10, 11-5 3rd AAC) at 121. South Florida Bulls (13-16, 6-10 T8th), 7 p.m. (ESPNU)

A loss in Tampa would knock Cincinnati, loser of two of its last three, out of the projected field.

Quad 3 For Host/Quad 1 For Visitor (3/1: 1 Game)

76–160 at Top 75

96. Duquesne Dukes (20-8, 10-6 T4th A 10) at 55. VCU Rams (18-11, 8-8 8th), 7 p.m. (MASN/ESPN+ ($))

VCU snapped its five-game skid by crushing George Washington on Saturday, and the Rams will look to knock Duquesne out of top four seed position at the Atlantic 10 Tournament with a win in their home finale tonight.

Quad 2 For Host/Quad 3 For Visitor (2/3: 1 Game)

31–75 at 136–240

71. Syracuse Orange (16-13, 9-9 T5th ACC) at 149. Boston College Eagles (13-16, 7-11 10th), 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Syracuse walloped BC by 26 at the Dome on January 15th. Sweeping the Eagles won’t do much for the Orange’s microscopic at-large hopes, however.

Quad 3 For Host/Quad 2 For Visitor (3/2: 2 Games)

76–160 at 76–135

136. Little Rock Trojans (21-9, 15-4 1st Sun Belt) at 131. Georgia State Panthers (18-12, 11-8 5th), 7 p.m. (ESPN+ ($))
150. Bowling Green Falcons (21-8, 12-4 T1st MAC) at 126. Kent State Golden Flashes (18-11, 8-8 4th MAC East), 7 p.m. (ESPN+ ($))

Quad 4 For Host/Quad 1 For Visitor (4/1: 2 Games)

161–353 at Top 75

166. Ohio Bobcats (15-14, 7-9 5th MAC East) at 75. Akron Zips (22-7, 12-4 T1st MAC), 7:30 p.m. (CBSSN)
170. Vanderbilt Commodores (9-20, 1-15 14th SEC) at 42. Alabama Crimson Tide (16-13, 8-8 T7th), 8:30 p.m. (SECN)

Sun Belt play concludes tonight with the Trojans already assured of passage to New Orleans as the No. 1 seed. Georgia State, meanwhile, is playing for home games to help get there. Akron and Bowling Green will be the top two seeds in the MAC Tournament next week, and they’ll hope to meet in a rubber match to determine the conference’s auto bid.

In the lone bubble game out of these two groups, a home loss against Vandy would undoubtedly burst Alabama’s already fading bubble hopes.

Quad 3 For Both Teams (3/3: 1 Game)

76–160 at 136–240

79. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (26-3, 17-1 1st Southland) at 190. Abilene Christian Wildcats (19-10, 14-4 2nd), 8:30 p.m. (ESPN+ ($))

A possible Southland championship preview? The 2019 champion Wildcats lost at SFA by 10 on January 29th.

Quad 4 For Host/Quad 2 For Visitor (4/2: 1 Game)

161–353 at 76–135

271. Albany Great Danes (14-16, 7-8 T5th AE) at 80. Vermont Catamounts (23-7, 13-2 1st), 7 p.m. (ESPN+ ($))

America East play concludes tonight with Vermont having already locked up the No. 1 seed in the playoffs and Albany playing for position in the 4 to 6 seed range.

Conference Tournaments

Visit Conference Tournament Central and the 2020 Conference Tournaments Hub for full coverage.

ASUN Quarterfinals

ESPN+ ($) will stream all four games.

Game 1: No. 8 NJIT Highlanders (9-20, 6-10) at No. 1 Liberty Flames (27-4, 13-3), 7 p.m.
The Flames swept the season series.

Game 2: No. 5 North Alabama Lions (13-16, 8-8) at No. 4 Stetson Hatters (15-16, 9-7), 7 p.m.
The Hatters swept the season series.

Game 3: No. 6 FGCU Eagles (10-21, 7-9) at No. 3 Lipscomb Bisons (14-15, 9-7), 8 p.m.
The season series was a home split.

Game 4: No. 7 Jacksonville Dolphins (14-17, 7-9) at No. 2 North Florida Ospreys (20-11, 13-3), 7 p.m.
The Eagles swept the season series.

Tonight’s four winners will advance to Thursday night’s semifinal round.

Big South First Round

ESPN3 will stream all three games.

Game 1: No. 10 High Point Panthers (9-22, 6-12) at No. 7 USC Upstate Spartans (12-19, 7-11), 7 p.m.
The Panthers swept the season series.

Game 2: No. 11 Campbell Fighting Camels (15-15, 6-12) at No. 6 UNC Asheville Bulldogs (14-15, 8-10), 7 p.m.
The Fighting Camels swept the season series.

Game 3: No. 9 Presbyterian Blue Hose (10-21, 7-11) at No. 8 Charleston Southern Buccaneers (13-17, 7-11), 7 p.m.
The season series was a home split.

The top five seeds await tonight’s victors. The quarterfinal round is set for the Radford Highlanders’ home floor on Thursday.

Horizon League First Round

ESPN+ ($) will stream all three games.

Game 1: No. 9 IUPUI Jaguars (7-24, 3-15) at No. 4 UIC Flames (15-16, 10-8), 8 p.m.
The Flames swept the season series.

Game 2: No. 8 Milwaukee Panthers (12-18, 7-11) at No. 5 Youngstown State Penguins (17-14, 10-8), 7 p.m.
The season series was a road split.

Game 3: No. 7 Cleveland State Vikings (11-20, 7-11) at No. 6 Oakland Golden Grizzlies (13-18, 8-10), 7 p.m.
The Golden Grizzlies swept the season series.

The Horizon League will reseed after the first round. The lowest-seeded team will visit the Green Bay Phoenix on Thursday, with the two remaining squads will pair up for the other quarterfinal game. The top two seeds, the Wright State Raiders and Northern Kentucky Norse, are already ticketed for the semifinals in Indianapolis on Monday night.

Patriot League First Round

PLN will stream both games.

Game 1: No. 9 Loyola (Md.) Greyhounds (15-16, 7-11) at No. 8 Lehigh Mountain Hawks (10-20, 7-11), 7 p.m.
The Mountain Hawks swept the season series.

Game 2: No. 10 Holy Cross Crusaders (3-28, 2-16) at No. 7 Bucknell Bison (12-19, 8-10), 7 p.m.
The Bison swept the season series.

Tonight’s winners advance to on-campus quarterfinals on Thursday, with the 8/9 game winner taking on the Colgate Raiders and the 7/10 survivor visiting the American Eagles.

Enjoy this post? Follow Blogging the Bracket on Twitter and Like the site on Facebook.