Northeast: Mount St. Mary's vs. LIU Brooklyn- ESPN2, 7 PM

The hot choice here is Mount St. Mary's, currently on a 9-game win streak. But LIU has the 6th highest scoring offense in NCAA (20th in offensive efficiency) and they rebound the ball much better than MSM. They lost less than a month ago to MSM on the road... but two months ago on a neutral floor, LIU got the job done. I'm going against the grain with LIU here.

Guy to watch: Jamal Olasewere. Leading scorer and rebounder for LIU. His foul trouble likely cost LIU the game on the road. He's averaging over 20 and 9 since that game. Can he stay on the court?

Horizon League: Wright State vs. Valpo- ESPN, 9 PM

Valpo is just better. They've shot 48% from the field in their two wins against Wright State this year, holding them to a little over 42%. Valpo is turnover-prone, ranking 298th out of 347 in turnovers per possession. The only way Wright State wins is by keeping Valpo from shooting the ball by forcing turnovers.

Summit League: North Dakota State vs. South Dakota State- ESPN2, 9 PM

CROSS DAKOTA RIVALRYYYYYYY! On paper, this should be all South Dakota State. Nate Wolters is no goddamn joke-- if you've never gotten to see him play, check this one out. He shoots the ball especially well for a point guard, he makes smart savvy passes, and his team's offense is so efficient largely due to him. This is a team that beat New Mexico at New Mexico, beat Montana at Montana, and nearly beat Alabama at Alabama.

However, don't totally discount the Bison. They play a slower-paced game, relying on efficient possessions on offense and stingy defense. They are a top ten defense in points allowed, nearly top 25 in margin of victory, they don't allow opponents to get rebounds, and they'll look for the upset here.

These teams split during the regular season, and in the game NDSU lost on the road, they won the first half but went dead-ass cold in the second, shooting 25% and letting SDSU shoot 57%. Odds of that happening again?

I say toss-up, with the Jackrabbits as the safe pick, as they have the star to lean on when the spotlight shines... but don't be surprised if the Bison pull it off.

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