Renewed rivalries and bubbly nights

College basketball thrives on its rivalries. The sport flourished thanks to intense, memorable games between schools in the same town, county, or region, the kind of games you probably remember most as a kid. Heck, ESPN2 was practically built on the back of the North Carolina-Duke rivalry.

So most of today is dedicated to the game's best rivalries, which kick off this weekend. We'll also take note of results from Thursday that could come back to haunt some teams on Selection Sunday.

1. Bad night for some bubble teams

Usually, there is a major upset or performance that warrants a headline to recap the slate. But last night, it wasn't just one game; several bubble teams hurt themselves.

So let's take a look at all the programs that had a setback, using the Field of 68's most recent projections as a guide.

Drexel 70, College of Charleston (11 seed) 69That's now back-to-back losses for the Cougars. Losing to Hofstra was understandable, but this is a Quad 4 setback. Any hopes of an at-large bid are gone.

Charleston (21-3, 9-2 in CAA) was up eight points at halftime, but Drexel (13-10, 7-4) was able to come back, led by 19 points from Amari Williams and the game-winning shot from Justin Moore with just a few seconds left. Dalton Bolon had 19 for the Cougars.

UAB 86, Florida Atlantic (8 seed), 77FAU and College of Charleston have been linked together, but in reality, the Owls have a stronger at-large case, including two Quad 1 victories. They couldn't make it three, falling at UAB (16-7, 7-5 in CUSA), which finally got Jelly Walker back from injury. Walker scored 13 points and tallied six assists off the bench. Eric Gaines put it away for the Blazers, scoring a game-high 21 points.

Nick Boyd had 18 for FAU (21-2, 11-1), while Johnell Davis chipped in with 17 off the bench on 5-of-19 shooting. The Owls' 20-game win streak is over, but their hopes for an at-large aren't.

Wisconsin (First Four Out) 65, Ohio State (Out), 60The Buckeyes (11-11, 3-8 in Big Ten) have a top-30 NET ranking and five Quad 1 and 2 wins but are now at .500 overall. The Badgers (13-8, 5-6) led by as many as 16 and survived a nervous final few minutes, but 17 points and seven rebounds from Connor Essegian helped seal it. Wisconsin's NET ranking is above 70, and this Quad 1 road victory ended a three-game losing streak.

Michigan (Out) 68, Northwestern (8 seed) 51This one isn't going to look good for Northwestern (15-7, 6-5 in Big Ten). Boo Buie had 23 points, but that was about it in a game that will drop it a few seed lines. As for Michigan (12-10, 6-5), it's a Quad 1 win, but they still have work to do. Hunter Dickinson had 19 points, but it was the best game for Kobe Bufkin, who finished a couple of assists shy of a triple-double with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and eight dimes.

Stanford 78, Utah (Out) 72Lazar Stefanovic had 26 points for the Utes (15-9, 8-5 in Pac-12), but the Cardinal shot 53 percent from the field and had 22 points from sharpshooter Michael Jones. Stanford (10-12, 4-7) could play spoiler going into February. This will be a blemish on Utah's profile, along with a home loss to Sam Houston State.

Other key results:

Houston 70, Wichita State 61This was tied with four minutes to go before a Jarace Walker bucket gave No. 3 Houston (21-2, 9-1 in AAC) a lead that it wouldn't relinquish. All five starters finished in double figures, led by Walker with 15 points. Wichita State (11-11, 4-6) has played much better lately and had a big night from Jaykwon Walton, who had a game-high 24 points.

UCLA 70, Washington 61Don't be fooled by this final score. The Bruins (18-4, 9-2 in Pac-12) were in control from start to finish. Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 15 points and 10 rebounds to lead the way, while freshman Amari Bailey had 13 on 6-of-9 shooting in the starting lineup. It was a nice individual game for Keion Brooks of Washington (13-11, 5-8), scoring a game-high 23 points.

Youngstown State 91, Wright State 89, 3OTThe game of the night. Trey Calvin dropped a career-high 44 points in 53 minutes for the Raiders (13-11, 6-7 in Horizon). But the Penguins (18-6, 10-3) offset that, with 51 points and 27 rebounds combined from Adrian Nelson and Malek Green, along with 19 points and the game-winning layup from Dwayne Cohill.

Detroit Mercy 85, Cleveland State 67Antoine Davis continues his push for the NCAA all-time scoring record, dropping 35 points on 10-of-19 shooting in the upset win for Detroit Mercy (9-15, 5-8 in Horizon). Cleveland State (14-10, 9-4) is now a game back on the top three teams in League.

Kennesaw State 90, Bellarmine 84, 2OTOne of the biggest turnarounds this season has been Kennesaw State (18-6, 10-1 in ASUN), which is now tied with Liberty atop the ASUN after this thriller. Terrell Burden had 27 points to lead all scorers, while Peter Suder (24 points) paced Bellarmine (10-14, 5-6).

Southeast Missouri State 99, Little Rock 98The top vs. the bottom of the Ohio Valley nearly went Little Rock's way. The Trojans (7-17, 3-8) dropped a 50-point first half, but SEMO (13-11, 8-3) rallied with 58 points in the final 20 minutes of regulation. Phillip Russell tied a team record with 37 points and 10 assists in the win for the Redhawks.

BYU 89, LMU 61LMU (16-8, 6-4 in WCC) stayed in third in the WCC, despite going down by 20 points early on the road. It was the best offensive performance of the season for BYU (15-10, 5-5), including 11 points and 13 rebounds from forward Fousseyni Traore.

Pacific 81, Pepperdine 72Defense again undermines the Waves (7-17, 0-10 WCC), who can't find a conference win. Pacific (12-12, 5-4) got 39 points of production off the bench. Maxwell Lewis had another good game on the stat sheet for Pepperdine, going for 18 points and five rebounds.

Cal State Bakersfield 82, UC-Riverside 76 (OT)This was a big slip-up for Riverside (15-8, 8-3 Big West), as it lost ground on both UC-Irvine and UC-Santa Barbara, who both won on Thursday night. Antavion Collum dropped a game-high 31 points to lead the Roadrunners (7-15, 3-8).

Arizona 91, Oregon 76The Player of the Night was easily Ažuolas Tubelis: a career-high 40 points, including 27 in the first half for Arizona (20-3, 9-3 in Pac-12). Oregon (13-10, 7-5) didn't have an answer. Will Richardson's 22 points stopped this from being an embarrassing blowout.

USC 80, Washington State 70The Trojans (16-6, 8-3 in Pac-12) were trailing in the second half at home to Wazzu (10-14, 5-8). But once again, Boogie Ellis had another big second half, scoring 17 of his 23 points in the final 20 minutes. It spoiled a career-high 31 points and 12 rebounds for Mohamed Gueye.

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2. A new era of coaches headlines Duke vs UNC matchup

Neither team is ranked, but that doesn't mean much. North Carolina wasn't ranked when it beat Coach K and Duke in the ACC finale last season. As the cliché goes, throw the records out the window when these two play. Considering the series is 50-50 over the past 100 games, it's not just talk.

Despite the history, it's got some freshness. It'll be the first time Duke's Jon Scheyer and North Carolina's Hubert Davis will face off as coaches. Considering that Davis already has a national title appearance, one would think he has the edge. It also adds a bit of pressure on Scheyer to deliver in front of the home crowd.

It's been hard to do that with a roster that's been in flux all season. Five-star freshmen Dereck Lively and Dariq Whitehead have missed a combined eight games due to injuries, and Whitehead is coming off yet another injury. Jeremy Roach missed three games recently with a toe injury. With all that, the 16-6 (7-4 in ACC) record is understandable.

North Carolina has dealt with its own injuries (two missed games from Armando Bacot, four from Pete Nance), and it has a similar record (15-7, 7-4). Still, it has four starters back from last season's squad, but its struggles have been plain since December when the Heels became the quickest team to go from No. 1 in the preseason poll to unranked. They're coming off yet another home loss to Pitt by one point. When coach Davis was asked if his team brought the fight to Pitt, he responded, "Not consistently... I do think we met it. I just don't think it was as consistent as it needed to be tonight."

Matchup to watch: Armando Bacot and Pete Nance vs Kyle Filipowski and the Duke frontcourt.

Keep an eye on this production. The Tar Heels are one of the top teams in free-throw attempts. Bacot, in particular, draws a ton of fouls. But Duke is one of the few teams that can throw bodies at frontlines for 40 minutes. Lively could foul out, but Ryan Young is a solid backup. They don't want leading scorer Filipowski to deal with Bacot, as he and Mark Mitchell will have their hands full with Nance at the four-spot.

Big picture: It was about this time last year that the Heels started their run from the bubble to the title game. They're safely into the field of 68 right now and don't have that same urgency. And that might be the issue with this team, as there just hasn't been that "must-win" moment for them. If they can't muster enough emotion and desire to capture victory this weekend, we shouldn't expect them to make another potential deep run in March. (6:30 pm ET, ESPN)

3. TJD's biggest test yet: Zach Edey and No. 1 Purdue

Some drama in the National Player of the Year race would be nice. But ... Zach Edey can go ahead and clear space on his mantle. He's averaging 22.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.1 blocks on the unanimous No. 1 team in the country in Purdue (22-1, 11-1 in Big Ten). It's the ideal combo of production and winning.

He's also the clear favorite for Big Ten Player of the Year, though that could be closer. In the past nine games, Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis is averaging 23 ppg and 14.6 ppg, including a pair of 30-plus point games and three with at least 20 rebounds. He recently led Indiana (15-7, 6-5) to a five-game win streak to put them safely in the NCAA Tournament field; they're only one game out of second in the conference race.

But it's the defense that makes Saturday's showdown so compelling — beyond the historical nature of this rivalry. Foul trouble could singlehandedly decide this game. Jackson-Davis played just 11 minutes when the Hoosiers held court last year, then followed it with 15 points in 32 minutes when Indiana nearly pulled off the season sweep. Purdue will likely be 2-point road favorites. If TJD stays on the court, that line will be spot on.

Matchup to watch: Jalen Hood-Schifino vs Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith

Both teams rely on freshmen guards to provide balance. Indiana's Hood-Schifino can go for 20-plus points but has scored six or fewer in three of the last four games, including a 1-of-14 shooting performance in Tuesday's loss to Maryland. Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer don't have as high a ceiling but have been steady players and are a key reason why Purdue is at No. 1.

Big picture: Purdue isn't an overwhelming title pick. (Yet.) The concern is that the freshmen guards could struggle against athletes and star power that aren't in the Big Ten. Indiana will be a good test of that theory.

After a couple of tight games, the Boilermakers dominated Michigan State and Penn State. Indiana has the player to pull off the upset in Jackson-Davis, but will he get enough support around him to make it happen? (4 pm ET, ESPN)

4. Gonzaga, Saint Mary's ready for Moraga showdown

Ahead of a massive game this weekend, the WCC's top two teams took on a couple of capable threats at home. Gonzaga (19-4, 8-1) jumped out to an early double-digit lead against Santa Clara and didn't have much trouble, winning 88-70.

It was harder for Saint Mary's (20-4, 9-0). San Francisco rallied and took the lead with four minutes left. But a massive 3-pointer from Aidan Mahaney sparked a 15-4 run to end the game for Saint Mary's. The Gaels won, 68-59, and gave coach Randy Bennett a milestone win.

Now comes one of the rare times when Gonzaga is a WCC underdog. Saint Mary's is favored in just about every metric and will play at home, where the Gaels had a program-record 25-game win streak before losing to New Mexico in the non-conference.

At the same time, this is a test that Mahaney and the Gaels haven't faced lately. They lost to New Mexico and Colorado State, two of the most athletic opponents the team has faced, along with BYU, who they recently needed a last-second shot to win last Saturday. If they struggle against the athletic guards of the Bulldogs, this could get very interesting.

Matchup to watch: Drew Timme vs Mitchell Saxen

The Bulldogs' No. 1 scoring offense (86.3 ppg) faces the No. 4 scoring defense (57.1 ppg). Drew Timme (21.4 ppg) is the WCC's best player but has to deal with the favorite for Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Mitchell Saxen. If Timme doesn't take over, Gonzaga is vulnerable. Julian Strawther won't go for 40 against this defense.

Big Picture: If Saint Mary's wins at home, they'll be up two games in the WCC standings with six contests to go. That could all but clinch the regular-season title. On the other hand, a road win by the Bulldogs ties things up with a return game in Spokane that will likely determine a winner.

When Saint Mary's plays Gonzaga, they're usually viewed as a plucky underdog. But this is a true toss-up game. Stay up late for it. (10:30 pm ET, ESPN)

5. Hokies' ultimate opportunity against Hoos

At one point, Virginia Tech (13-9, 3-8 in ACC) was 1-7 in conference play. Back-to-back wins over Duke and Syracuse provided a sliver of hope, but it needs a signature victory. What better time than against rival Virginia (17-3, 9-2)?

These two played just a couple of weeks ago, with the Cavaliers winning at home, 78-68. All 10 starters in the game were in double-digits, but 20 points and five assists from Kihei Clark proved to be the difference. But thanks to this past week, this game means much for both sides. Virginia is in the thick of the ACC regular-season title race, just half a game back from Clemson for first in the standings.

Matchup to watch: Hunter Cattoor and Sean Pedulla vs Kihei Clark and Reece Beekman

The usual offense vs. defense storyline applies here, as Virginia Tech's sharpshooting Hunter Cattoor and Sean Pedulla take on strong defenders in Clark and Reece Beekman. In the first go-around, Virginia's guards outplayed their Tech counterparts, which is why they won.

Big Picture: The Cavaliers are a projected 3 or 4 seed, and while the conference doesn't offer many opportunities to improve its résumé, a Quad 1 win at Virginia Tech would do wonders. Meanwhile, The Hokies have just a road game against Duke as a Quad 1 opportunity after this, along with Quad 2 games against Miami and Pittsburgh.

The underdogs will need to find a way to win this game in a true "must-win" battle. Their NCAA Tournament hopes depend on it. (Noon ET, ESPN2)

Kent State, Akron: The perfect rivalry to kick off the weekend

Friday night is for the MAC, where Akron (16-6, 8-1) and Kent State (18-4, 8-1) are tied for first place. But the "Wagon Wheel" is more than just for first place in the league. As Kent State coach Rob Sendroff said in our Four Questions last month:

"It is unquestionably one of college basketball's great rivalries. Anyone who's been a part of the game, anyone who's been to either the JAR (James A. Rhodes Arena) or to the M.A.C. Center for one of those games knows how great it is. For 20 years now, every game has been sold out. ... We're just 12 miles from each other. We're as close as North Carolina and Duke are to each other and that creates such an intense rivalry."

Need an example? Take last season when these two teams were set to meet in the MAC title game; the winner goes to the NCAA Tournament. A Snapchat video surfaced where multiple Kent State players said, "F--- Akron." Those four players were suspended for the first half of the title game, including the second-leading scorer Malique Jacobs. It proved costly, as Akron secured a 75-55 win and a ticket to the Big Dance.

Both teams are as good (maybe better) as last season. It was expected out of the Golden Flash, who returned MAC Player of the Year, Sincere Carry (17.1 ppg and 5.0 apg). After losing Ali Ali to Butler in the offseason, it wasn't a sure bet for the Zips. But Xavier Castaneda Castaneda (20.9 ppg) and Enrique Freeman (15.1 ppg and 10.7 rpg) have blossomed into stars themselves and now have them making a case for the best team in the league ahead of this matchup. The star forward definitely is ready for what's to come on Friday.

"Going into rival games, you kind of expect that chippiness," added sophomore forward Enrique Freeman. "We're not going to try to lose our mind to try to get overly emotional and just kind of play to our standards."

These teams play at Kent State to end the regular season and the title may be on the line then. But whoever gets this one would be huge, just in case they slip up before the rematch on March 3rd. (Friday, 9 pm ET, ESPNU)

Lots on the line for these Big Ten duds

Sometimes, the most interesting games are between two struggling programs whose respective fanbases are getting annoyed. Amazing, Ohio State (11-11, 3-8 in Big Ten) vs Michigan (12-10, 6-5) is a game where neither team are in the NCAA Tournament picture and the loser will be even further back.

Both coaches are on the "lukewarm" seat, and the loser on Sunday will have a rough upcoming week. It's truly a "must-win" on both sides, and with no NFL action to provide any distraction, this will have many eyeballs on it. (Sunday, 1 pm ET, CBS)

Other games to watch (All times ET)

Friday

• VCU (17-6, 8-2 A-10), at Saint Louis (15-7, 7-2), 7 pm (ESPN2)

• Harvard (12-9, 3-4 Ivy), vs Yale (14-6, 4-3), 5 pm (ESPNU)

• Boise State (18-5, 8-2 Mountain West), at San Diego State (17-5, 8-2), 9 pm (FS1)

Saturday

• Kansas (18-4, 6-3 Big 12) at Iowa State (15-6, 6-3), Noon, ESPN

• Michigan State (14-8, 6-5 Big Ten) at Rutgers (15-7, 7-4), Noon, FOX

• Texas Tech (12-10, 1-8 Big 12) at Baylor (16-6, 5-4), 1 pm (CBS)

• Auburn (17-5, 7-2 SEC) at Tennessee (18-4, 7-2), pm (ESPN)

• TCU (17-5, 6-3 Big 12) at Oklahoma State (13-9, 4-5), 2 pm (ESPN+)

• Illinois (16-6, 7-4 Big Ten) at Iowa (14-8, 6-5), 2:30 pm (FOX)

• Miami (17-5, 8-4 ACC) at Clemson (18-5, 10-2), 3 pm (ACC Network)

• Alabama (19-3, 9-0 SEC) at LSU (12-10, 1-8), 4 pm (ESPNU)

• Texas (18-4, 7-2 Big 12) at Kansas State (18-4, 6-3), 4 pm (ESPN2)

• Florida Atlantic (21-2, 11-1 CUSA) at Charlotte (13-9, 4-7), 4 pm (ESPN+)

• St. John's (14-9, 4-8 Big East) at Xavier (18-5, 10-2), 5 pm (FOX)

• Washington State (10-14, 5-8 Pac-12) at UCLA (18-4, 9-2), 7 pm (Pac-12 Network)

• Villanova (10-12, 4-7 Big East) at Creighton (14-8, 8-3), 7:30 pm (FOX)

• Oklahoma (12-10, 2-7 Big 12) at West Virginia (13-9, 2-7), 8 pm (ESPN2)

• Florida (13-9, 6-3 SEC) at Kentucky (15-7, 6-3), 8:30 pm (ESPN)

• Oregon (13-10, 7-5 Pac-12) at Arizona State(16-7, 7-5), 9:30 pm (ESPN2)

• Oregon State (9-14, 3-9 Pac-12) at Arizona (20-3, 9-3), 9:30 pm (Pac-12 Network)

• Washington (13-11, 5-8 Pac-12) at USC (16-6, 8-3), 9:30 pm (FS1)

Sunday

• Fordham (18-4, 6-3 A-10), at Richmond (11-12, 4-6), Noon, (USA Network)

• Houston (21-2, 9-1 AAC), at Temple (14-9, 8-2), 6 pm (ESPN2)

• Northwestern (15-7, 6-5 Big Ten), at Wisconsin (13-8, 5-6), 6:30 pm (Big Ten Network)

• Stanford (10-12, 5-7 Pac-12), at Colorado (13-11, 5-8), 7 pm (FS1)

Flying coach(es)

The question "who would you start your program with?" is a fun one for college basketball fans to debate. Do you lean on an older, proven coach like Bill Self or turn to a younger up-and-comer like Nate Oats? On The Field of 68 AFTER DARK, Jeff Goodman, Terrence Oglesby and Tyler Hansbrough weigh in.

Subscribe to The Field of 68 AFTER DARK on YouTube and click here subscribe to the AFTER DARK podcast.

Links as you give props to Brevin Galloway for securing the bag after his... situation.

• ESPN's Dan Muprhy talks about how the NCAA is going about NIL enforcement.

• Cincinnati lands class of 2023 JUCO guard DaVeon Thomas and Florida got Austrialian big man Alex Condon.

• Contract extensions for Steve Pikiell and Nate Oats.

• More light is shed on the issues between Pitt assistant and former UNC guard Jason Capel and his former school.

• Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim denies bullying student reporter despite being caught in 4k.

• Iona HC Rick Pitino truly emptied the bench in practice due to injuries.

Thanks for reading The Field of 68 Daily! If you have a news tip or feedback, email us at [email protected]

And don't forget to listen to The Field of 68 AFTER DARK every night at 11 pm ET on Sirius XM radio, or watch it on YouTube and Twitter.

CORRECTION: We had Utah Valley beating New Mexico in yesterday's Daily. It should've been Utah State.