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Message: [QUOTE="OrangeXtreme, post: 2097774, member: 41"] [B][URL="http://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/index.ssf/2017/03/bubble_watch_syracuse_basketballs_precarious_position_in_the_ncaa_field_march_1.html"]Bubble watch: Georgetown, Georgia Tech don't help Syracuse basketball (March 1)[/URL][/B] [B]Wednesday's games of note[/B] [B]Michigan at Northwestern (7 p.m., BTN)[/B] Northwestern fans are getting a little nervous. The Wildcats have lost five of their last seven and now face Michigan and Purdue on their home court to close out the season. The 'Cats are solidly in the field according to the matrix as something close to a 9 seed. But they are trending down in other brackets. To save everybody's sanity in eager Cat Country, Northwestern needs to win at least one of its final two games. [B]Rhode Island at St. Joseph's (7 p.m.) [/B]Rhode Island is 19-9 overall and 10-5 in the Atlantic 10. Its biggest wins, I guess, are over Cincinnati on a neutral floor and at home against VCU. The Rams are the first team out in the matrix and cannot afford a loss at struggling St. Joe's. [B]Michigan State at Illinois (9 p.m., BTN)[/B] The Spartans, for all their difficulties this season, seem to be reasonably safe. But Illinois is starting to creep into conversations with its 7-9 Big Ten record and a solid OOC schedule. If the Illini can beat MSU, it closes the season with Rutgers and then heads to the Big Ten tournament with some momentum. [B]Louisville at Wake Forest (9 p.m., ACCN)[/B] Wake, despite its 1-9 record against the Top 50, is still somehow hanging on, taking up valuable bubble space. A loss, at home, to Louisville, won't benefit the Demon Deacons' chances. A win would obviously help. [B]Kansas State at TCU (9 p.m., ESPNU) [/B]This is a sort of survivalist game between two 6-10 Big 12 teams clinging to bubble hopes. (Hey there, Jamie Dixon.) [B]Marquette at Xavier (9 p.m., FS1) [/B]This is a weird sort of pick 'em game, though I'd maybe lean toward supporting Xavier at this fragile point in the season. Both teams are 8-8, but Xavier is riding a five-game losing streak without guard Edmund Sumner, lost for the season to a balky ACL. It finishes with Marquette and hapless DePaul. Marquette has beaten Villanova, Creighton and recently, Xavier. Marquette is right at the edge of the field. [B]Washington State at USC (10 p.m., Pac12) [/B]USC seemed like a sure thing a couple weeks ago, but the Trojans are trending in the wrong direction. They are riding a four-game losing streak and have struggled to beat good teams in the Pac 12. They close with Washington State (6-10 in Bill Walton's conference of champions) and Washington (2-14) at home, which should help. [/QUOTE]

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