Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch Changes

Ah, how about a song reference sever score past it's timeliness to kick off the week... yes, the constant striving for headline greatness will never cease here at MarchManiacs baby!

Last year was a top-heavy year in college hoops, with three Goliaths from the BEast claiming top seeds, offset by mighty North Carolina.  One short year later?  The BEast may indeed lay claim to at least two #1 seeds in March, but it certainly won't come from last year's triumvirate of UConn, Louisville and Pitt.  As for UNC?  They are one more bad home loss away from "seeding" being the least of their concerns.  They might be struggling to earn a home game in the Not Invited Tourney...

Two of last year's behemoths clash tonight in what has the look of a back-to-wall classic.  Both Louisville and UConn enter tonight's contest with non-winning conference records and honest to goodness bubble status.  Louisville is desperately devoid of a "quality win", though they came within a bucket (and some controversy) of beating both Pitt and West Virginia in the last two weeks.  UConn has the good win (Texas) and high quality non-conference losses (@ Kentucky, @ Duke), and looked like they were poised to not only make the tourney but be a threat to get out of the first weekend.  A funny thing happened after the upset of Texas (who has major issues themselves these days).  The bottom fell out.  Back to back bad losses; by 13 at Providence and at home to Marquette have left the Huskies at 13-8 (3-5) and desperate for a win tonight.

The winner stacks a major chip in their pile for an at-large bid.  The loser picks up their ninth loss of the year with more than a month of grueling conference games still to play.  That's not a place you want to be on February 1st.

Pitt was supposed to be rebuilding this year.  Then they were supposed to be this dominant force, knocking off conference big shots in their gyms seemingly every week.  This week, clear the deck for the crash landing.  The loss to Georgetown was understandable, particularly on the heels of a game they were very very fortunate to escape with a win over Louisville.  The losses to Seton Hall and South Florida have me rethinking just how firm of footing the Panthers our on for  March.  Road wins over the Cuse, Cincy and UConn go a long way, but their non-conference resume is glaringly bare; a fact that was overlooked during their hot conference start, likely because no one was paying attention to Pitt in December.  At the time, they simply weren't relevant. 

With games this week AT West Virginia and hosting Seton Hall, the Panthers find themselves a few more losses away from being relevant in another discussion; the bubble.

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