Bubbling Hoops

It’s the beginning of March and for some teams this means its time to take a bubble bath.  Like zits on a teenage boy’s forehead, bubbles are meant to burst.  So without further ado, LittyHoops gets down to business.

Here are four teams that we believe can keep their bubble afloat longer than a late 90’s .com  company.

Southern Illinois (22-5, 16-2) RPI: 39

LittyHoops fav ludicrous Jermaine Dearman loves March basketball more than his nickname sake and look alike loves hoes.

Creighton and their star surfer boy Kyle have received all the press in the MVC, but the Salukis may very well be the best team in the conference and proved that last Saturday with a home win against the Bulldogs. So. Illinois has won 17 of its last 19 and has non-conference wins against Colorado St. and Murrey State.  They had a chance early in the season to pick up a quality non-conference road win but fell to both St. Louis and Charlotte.

Bruce Webber’s Salukis made it all the way to the Sweet 16 last year, and have Seniors Kent Williams and ludicrous Jermaine Dearman to provide the scoring and leadership to once again go dancing. A few wins in the conference tournament and the Salukis (dogs that pull sleds) are in.

Texas Tech (16-10, 6-9) RPI: 41
Tech will finish under .500, and according to Andy Katz (quickly becoming a Mel Kiperesque authority) that won’t get it done this year.  But Tech does play in the Big 12, the toughest conference in the nation.   The Red Raiders have lost 5 of their last 8 games, but should beat Baylor this weekend.  The master Bob Knight should be able to pick up at least one win in the conference tournament and thereby get Tech back to the tournament for the second straight year.

N.C. State (16-10, 9-6) RPI: 60
It would be hard to imagine that the ACC only receive three bids to the dance.  But State has a poor RPI, only 2 road wins this season, and bad losses against Umass and Temple.  The Wolfpack have a respectable conference record and a win against Duke.  Their hopes might come down to a crucial showdown on Saturday against Wake Forest.  A win will guarantee a bid for Mr. Hodge and company.  A loss and State will have to win a few games in the ACC tournament to solidify an at-large bid.N.C.

Michigan State (17-11, 9-6) RPI: 37
After being defeated by the almighty  (err, probated) Wolverines the Spartans were 10-8 and their season was on the verge of disaster.  But Tom Izzo was able to straighten the ship and MSU is in prime position to make some noise this March.  Three straight wins have almost solidified a spot in the field, but a victory at Ohio State is necessary for Spartan fans to sleep easy for the next week.

Chris Hill has taken control of the team, and Paul Davis has stepped in to give the Spartans some punch off the bench.  Any Izzo team is dangerous, and although this year’s squad is young and might not have the talent of past teams, they seem to be peeking at the perfect time of year.