College Basketball Top 25 And Key Games Ahead Of 2024 March Madness

Just a few more weeks of college basketball until the 2024 college conference tournaments (CCT’s) begin. The college basketball Top 25 teams and other leading contenders are pushing towards conference titles ahead of the CCT’s with the major conferences CCT’s starting in three weeks on March 12 and 13. Then it’s selection Sunday on March 17 and the biggest betting week of the college basketball season begins with March Madness and opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament on March 21-24.

Week 16 of the NCAA basketball season tipped off with some big upsets on Tuesday, Feb. 20. That included No. 15 Creighton (+3) over No. 1 ranked Connecticut (UCONN), 85-66. I update all the games below along with early college basektball Top 25 and schedule in my CBB updates and information you can bet on at Off Shore Gaming Association.

AP College Basketball Top 25

As of Feb. 19.

Rank	Team	Conference
1	Connecticut (24-2	Big East
2	Houston (22-3)	Big 12
3	Purdue (23-3)	Big Ten
4	Arizona (20-5)	Pac 12
5	Tennessee (19-6)	SEC
6	Iowa State (20-5)	Big 12
7	Marquette (19-6)	Big East
8	Duke (20-5)	ACC
9	Kansas (20-6)	Big 12
10	North Carolina (20-6)	ACC
11	Baylor (19-6)	Big 12
12	Illinois (19-6)	Big Ten
13	Alabama (18-7)	SEC
14	Auburn (20-6)	SEC
15	Creighton (19-7)	Big East
16	Dayton (21-4)	Atlantic 10
17	Kentucky (18-7)	SEC
18	St. Mary’s (21-6)	West Coast
19	San Diego State (20-6)	Mountain West
20	South Carolina (21-5)	SEC
21	Washington State (20-6)	Pac 12
22	Colorado State (20-6)	Mountain West
23	Texas Tech (18-7)	Big 12
24	Florida (18-7)	SEC
25	BYU (18-7)	Big 12

Others teams to watch and receiving more votes in the current AP Poll:

– Virginia (20-7)
– Gonzaga (20-6)
– Wisconsin (17-9)
– Michigan State (17-9)
– TCU (18-7)
– South Florida (19-5)
– New Mexico (20-6)
– Florida Atlantic (20-6)
– Utah State (21-5)

Basketball Bracketology

Basketball Bracketology by Joe Lunardi on ESPN is updated every Tuesday and Friday with a NCAA Tournament bracket watch.

Currently, these conferences are expected to place a majority of the teams into the 2024 NCAA Tournament. No. 4 seed UCONN went on to win the college basketball national championship over No. 5 seed San Diego State. It was the first time ever in NCAA Tournament history that a No. 1 seed did not make the Elite Eight. Another No. 5 seed (Miami) and No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic (FAU) made the Final Four in 2023.

– Big 12 (9)
– SEC (9)
– Big Ten (6)
– Mountain West (6)
– Big East (5)
– ACC (4)
– Pac 12 (2)
– American (2)
– West Coast (2)

College Basketball Key Games and Schedule

Results posted for tracking after games completed. Betting lines consensus for leading online sportsbooks, and subject to change along with props and live betting.

I updated key conference races and games last season as teams pushed towards conference titles and tournament time.

Tuesday, Feb. 20 

Connecticut (-2.5) at Creighton – Creighton wins 85-66
Tennessee (-12) at Missouri – Tennessee wins 72-67
Iowa at Michigan State (-10) – Iowa wins 78-71
Maryland at Wisconsin (-7) – Wisconsin wins 74-70
Akron at Toledo (-2.5) – Toledo wins 72-64
San Diego State Utah State (-2.5) – Utah State wins 68-63
TCU at Texas Tech (-5.5) – Texas Tech wins 82-81
Baylor at BYU (-4) – BYU wins 78-71
San Francisco at St. Mary’s (-7) – St. Mary’s wins 70-66

Favorites 7-2 SU, 3-6 ATS

Wednesday, Feb. 21

Illinois (-7.5) at Penn State – Penn State wins 90-89
Dayton (-3.5) at George Mason – George Mason wins 71-67
Duke (-6.5) at Miami – Duke wins 84-55
Florida at Alabama (-10) – Alabama wins 98-93 OT
Nebraska at Indiana (-1.5) – Nebraska wins 85-70
Kentucky (-6.5) at LSU – LSU wins 75-74
Ole Miss at Mississippi State (-6.5) – Miss State wins 83-71
Colorado State at New Mexico (-7.5) – New Mexico wins 68-66

Favorites 5-3 SU, 3-5 ATS

Thursday, Feb. 22

SMU at Florida Atlantic (-5.5) –  FAU wins 80-70
Rutgers at Purdue (-16) – Purdue wins 96-68
Ohio State at Minnesota (-3.5) *MIN 8-0 ATS run – MIN wins 88-79
Washington State at Arizona (-12) – WSU wins 77-74
Morehead State (-5) at Western Illinois – Morehead State wins 78-57

Favorites 4-1 SU/ATS

Friday, Feb. 23

Yale at Cornell (-2) – Cornell wins 65-62
Fairfield at Quinnipiac (-3) – Fairfield wins 85-81

Favorites 1-1 SU/ATS

Saturday, Feb. 24

Houston (-2.5) at Baylor – Houston wins 82-76 OT
Duke at Wake Forest (-1.5) – Wake Forest wins 83-79
Iowa at Illinois (-9.5) – Illinois wins 95-85
South Carolina at Ole Miss (-3.5) – SC Wins 72-59
North Carolina (-2) at Virginia – NC wins 54-44
Alabama at Kentucky (-2) – Kentucky wins 117-95
Texas at Kansas (-8.5) – Kansas wins 86-67
Villanova at Connecticut (-12) – UCONN wins 78-54
Utah at Colorado (-6.5) – Colorado wins 89-65
Colorado State at UNLV (-1) – UNLV wins 66-60
Cal Irvine at San Diego (-1) – San Diego wins 92-88 OT
Grambling at Southern (-5) – Grambling wins 63-57

Favorites 9-3 SU/ATS

Sunday, Feb. 25

SMU (-1.5) at South Florida – So. Florida wins 79-68
FAU (-1.5) at Memphis – Memphis wins 78-74
Minnesota at Nebraska (-7) – Nebraska wins 73-55

Favorites 1-2 SU/ATS

 Tuesday, Feb. 27

Pittsburgh at Clemson (-7.5) –  Clemson wins 69-62
Kentucky at Mississippi State (-4) – Kentucky wins 91-89
BYU at Kansas (-7.5) – BYU wins 76-68
Texas at Texas Tech (-3.5) – Texas wins 81-69
Nevada at Colorado State (-7) – Nevada wins 77-74

Favorites 1-4 SU, 0-5 ATS

Wednesday, Feb. 28

Auburn at Tennsessee (-7) – Tennessee wins 92-84
Oklahoma at Iowa State (-9.5) – Iowa State wins 58-45
Minnesota at Illinois (-12) – Illinois wins 105-97
Alabama (-5) at Ole Miss – Alabama wins 103-88
Seton Hall at Creighton (-9.5) – Creighton wins 85-64
South Carolina at Texas A&M (-6) – SC wins 70-68

Favorites 5-1 SU, 4-2 ATS

Thursday, Feb. 29

Gonzaga (-3.5) at San Francisco – Gonzaga wins 86-68

Favorite 1-0 SU/ATS

Friday, March 1

Dayton at Loyola-Chicago

Saturday, March 2

Florida at South Carolina
Kansas at Baylor
Villanova at Providence
Illinois at Wisconsin
Mississippi State at Auburn
Iowa at Northwestern
VCU at Richmond
Virginia at Duke
Cornell at Princeton
Michigan State at Purdue
Houston at Oklahoma
Tennessee at Alabama
New Mexico at Boise State
TCU at BYU
Gonzaga at St. Mary’s

Sunday, March 3

Seton Hall at Connecticut

Monday, March 4

Duke at NC State
Texas at Baylor

Tuesday, March 5

Purdue at Illinois
Alabama at Florida
Nevada at Boise State
San Diego State at UNLV

Wednesday, March 6

Villanova at Seton Hall
Northwestern at Michigan State
Tennessee at South Carolina
BYU at Iowa State

Thursday, March 7

Colorado at Oregon

Friday, March 8

VCU at Dayton
Boise State at San Diego State

Saturday, March 9

Marquette at Xavier
Connecticut at Providence
Creighton at Villanova
Oklahoma at Texas
South Carolina at Mississippi State
Richmond at George Mason
Kansas at Houston
Connecticut at Tennessee
Clemson at Wake Forest
Baylor at Texas Tech
North Carolina at Duke
Utah at Oregon
NC State at Pittsburgh
New Mexico at Utah State
Minnesota at Northwestern
UNLV at Nevada

Sunday, March 10

Wisconsin at Purdue
Michigan State at Indiana
Illinois at Iowa

ss.