Daily Word: Wisconsin chasing a No. 1 seed

By ESPN.com | ESPN.com

Every weekday, some of our college hoops experts discuss the biggest issues, trends and themes in and around college basketball.

1. What are the chances Wisconsin eventually replaces Kentucky, Virginia, Duke or Gonzaga as a No. 1 seed?

Andy Katz: High. Wisconsin could replace Gonzaga or Virginia there shortly. The Zags would have no issue being dropped down a line. They aren't clamoring for the attention or the pressure. And they aren't debating the premise, either, that Wisconsin should be a No. 1 seed. UVa will need to lose a game, but it could happen if Justin Anderson doesn't come back from his fractured finger.

C.L. Brown: I'm not so sure it happens. Sure, Duke and Gonzaga could lose. And all of a sudden Virginia is vulnerable without Anderson, not to mention the crazy collision casting doubt on London Perrantes' immediate status. But Wisconsin doesn't have a clear path on its schedule either, with tough games remaining at Maryland (Tuesday), Ohio State and a surging Michigan State team at home. There's still a lot that has to play out.

John Gasaway: The correct NCAA answer here is that there are no No. 1 seeds to "replace" because no one, not even Kentucky, is a top seed yet. But I'm not the NCAA: Kentucky is a top seed, and so, I think, is Virginia. That leaves Gonzaga and Duke. One loss for the former or two for the latter (a Duke loss at North Carolina would be forgiven) could open the door for the Badgers.

2. Is Texas playing its way out of the NCAA tournament?

Katz: The Longhorns have opportunities with games at West Virginia (Tuesday) and Kansas, and a home game against Baylor. Win two of three and it will silence the critics. But get swept and Texas could easily be out.

Brown: It seems like the Horns are trying to miss it, the way they've collapsed in Big 12 play. I still think they'll win a couple and find a way to stop the sliding. For starters they need to realize their frontcourt is better than most and pound the ball inside instead of launching 3-pointers. It's not a coincidence that Texas attempts about four more 3s per game in losses (20.4) than it has in its wins (16.8).

Gasaway: In theory, no. Coach Rick Barnes' guys still have about a dozen at-larges between them and life on the outside of the bracket. But the Horns' next two games are at West Virginia and Kansas. Lose both of those and do the players start asking themselves this same question? That's when things can get dicey.

3. How will North Carolina bounce back from an emotional week and a tough loss against Duke?

Katz: The Tar Heels proved they are fine when they beat Georgia Tech. UNC has a monster game coming up against NC State (Tuesday). The Wolfpack desperately need another quality win. But the Tar Heels should be past any issues.

Brown: The Tar Heels have already bounced back. The performance against Georgia Tech was one of their most complete of the season. Coach Roy Williams called out the home crowd, too, so Tuesday's game against N.C. State will be a charged atmosphere. Saturday's road trip to Miami comes on what would have been Dean Smith's 84th birthday. "Emotional" will continue to describe this team for the rest of the season.

Gasaway: By telling themselves they'll get another shot at Duke -- this time in Chapel Hill -- and that they had the Blue Devils put away in that first game, only to see it slip away. The Heels began the recovery process with an easy win over Georgia Tech and should continue to recover nicely, provided their sometimes questionable defense can pull it together.


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Games To Watch

No. 5 Wisconsin at No. 14 Maryland
7 p.m. ET, ESPN

Wisconsin's lead in the Big Ten standings is now holding at three games with four to play. Maryland is among the pack of teams vying for second place, but it would take an absolute collapse for the Badgers to lose their grip on the conference.


Texas at No. 20 West Virginia
7 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Looking for Texas' only top-50 RPI win of the season? It came on Jan. 17, when the Longhorns hosted West Virginia. Texas held WVU to just 50 points and 24 percent shooting from the field. A similarly dominant performance will be needed to get a win in Morgantown.


NC State at No. 15 North Carolina
8 p.m. ET, ESPN3

The past two meetings between these two teams have been decided by a combined three points. The Wolfpack are among Joe Lunardi's last four teams into the NCAA tournament if the field were seeded today. A win in Chapel Hill would bring some bubble insurance.

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