NCAA Tournament Bracket Scouting Daily: Duke, Michigan State, UT & More

Eleven ranked teams are in action Tuesday night, including five teams ranked in the top 10 and nine teams that are projected to earn a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament, according to Stadium’s latest NCAA Tournament projections.

Here’s a look at the biggest games on Tuesday night and how their results could affect the NCAA Tournament resumes of the teams involved.

Wake Forest at No. 4 Duke, 7 p.m. ET

Duke (25-4) | No. 3 NET | 8-3 Quadrant 1, 6-1 Quadrant 2, 7-0 Quadrant 3, 4-0 Quadrant 4

Stadium’s latest NCAA Tournament seed projection: No. 1 seed

Despite various injuries and illnesses to Zion Williamson, Cam Reddish and Tre Jones, Duke has avoided taking a single bad loss so far this season. The Blue Devils have only lost once at full strength and all four of their losses fall under Quadrant 1 or Quadrant 2.

There’s a chance Duke could return to full strength Tuesday as Williamson is in the fourth and final phase of his recovery from a knee sprain.

A home, Quadrant 4 loss to Wake Forest on Tuesday would by far be Duke’s worst loss of the season and it’s one that would likely knock the Blue Devils off the No. 1 seed line, especially considering Virginia and North Carolina are also candidates for a No. 1 seed within the ACC.

For that reason, Duke needs to win in Durham, which is something it has done in 13 of 15 opportunities this season.

[RELATED: Stadium’s Latest NCAA Tournament Projections]

Nebraska at No. 9 Michigan State, 7 p.m. ET

Michigan State (23-6) | No. 8 NET | 10-4 Quadrant 1, 4-2 Quadrant 2, 5-0 Quadrant 3, 4-0 Quadrant 4

Stadium’s latest NCAA Tournament seed projection: No. 2 seed

Coming off of a second loss to Indiana and with an upcoming regular season finale against Michigan, Michigan State can’t afford to overlook Nebraska. For all intents and purposes, Nebraska isn’t even on the NCAA Tournament bubble, but a road win over the Spartans could potentially change the Huskers’ postseason outlook. That was the case for Indiana last week as the Hoosiers vaulted back into the bubble conversation with a win over Michigan State, so the Spartans will have a target on their back.

Despite its projection as a No. 2 seed, Michigan State has just a 4-2 record in Quadrant 2 and a loss on Tuesday would put the Spartans at just one game above .500 in that quadrant entering the Big Ten Tournament. Plus, Michigan State needs to win its final two regular season games to have any chance of at least sharing the Big Ten regular season title.

No. 15 Virginia Tech at No. 14 Florida State, 7 p.m. ET

Virginia Tech (22-6) | No. 12 NET | 4-6 Quadrant 1, 6-0 Quadrant 2, 4-0 Quadrant 3, 8-0 Quadrant 4

Stadium’s latest NCAA Tournament seed projection: No. 4 seed

Florida State (23-6) | No. 19 NET | 5-4 Quadrant 1, 6-2 Quadrant 2, 5-0 Quadrant 3, 7-0 Quadrant 4

Stadium’s latest NCAA Tournament seed projection: No. 4 seed

This is Tuesday’s only matchup between ranked opponents and it’s an enticing one. Virginia Tech and Florida State are tied for fourth in the ACC and they’re both projected to earn No. 4 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

That means if that seeding holds, both of these schools could be playing in the Sweet 16 in three weeks.

The Hokies are riding the wave of their biggest win of the season – a 77-72 home victory over Duke – while the Seminoles have won 10 of their last 11 games. This is their first and only regular season meeting.

It’s hard to say if one team needs this Quadrant 1 win more than the other. Florida State’s Quadrant 1 record is slightly better than Virginia Tech’s, but the Seminoles also have two Quadrant 2 losses that the Hokies have avoided suffering. The winning team will likely finish in fourth in the ACC, which would mean a two-round bye in the ACC Tournament and a potential semifinal matchup against the No. 1 seed in the conference.

If Virginia Tech and Florida State finish fourth and fifth in the ACC in some order, there’s a good chance they’ll have a rematch in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament.

No. 19 Buffalo at Ohio, 7 p.m. ET

Buffalo (26-3) | No. 15 NET | 2-1 Quadrant 1, 5-1 Quadrant 2, 11-1 Quadrant 3, 7-0 Quadrant 4

Stadium’s latest NCAA Tournament seed projection: No. 7 seed

If Buffalo can win its final two regular season games, both of which fall under Quadrant 3 against Ohio and Bowling Green, the Bulls should solidify their status as an at-large team that earns a single-digit seed.

The Bulls are currently projected to be a No. 7 seed and they’re No. 15 in the NET.

No. 3 North Carolina at Boston College, 8 p.m. ET

North Carolina (24-5) | No. 7 NET | 8-5 Quadrant 1, 6-0 Quadrant 2, 6-0 Quadrant 3, 4-0 Quadrant 4

Stadium’s latest NCAA Tournament seed projection: No. 2 seed

North Carolina is one game up on Duke in the ACC and also ranked one spot ahead of the Blue Devils in the latest AP Top 25 Poll, so for as much hype as Duke has received this season, it’s not inconceivable for the Blue Devils to potentially receive a No. 2 seed, while the Tar Heels get a No. 1 seed.

Or, maybe Virginia, North Carolina and Duke all earn No. 1 seeds, akin to the old Big East with Pitt, UConn and Louisville in 2009.

But first, North Carolina has the chance to guarantee it enters the ACC Tournament without a loss outside of Quadrant 1. The Tar Heels are 6-0 in Quadrant 2, and they’ll have a seventh opportunity Tuesday at Boston College.

No. 11 Purdue at Minnesota, 8 p.m. ET

Purdue (22-7) | No. 11 NET | 7-6 Quadrant 1, 8-0 Quadrant 2, 3-1 Quadrant 3, 4-0 Quadrant 4

Stadium’s latest NCAA Tournament seed projection: No. 3 seed

Minnesota (18-11) | No. 56 NET | 2-8 Quadrant 1, 7-3 Quadrant 2, 4-0 Quadrant 3, 5-0 Quadrant 4

Stadium’s latest NCAA Tournament seed projection: No. 11 seed

Purdue is currently in sole possession of first place in the Big Ten but the Boilermakers have a lower seed projection than Michigan and Michigan State because of the contrast in those teams’ non-conference resumes. The Boilermakers have the opportunity to add an eighth Quadrant 1 win and continue their push for a No. 2 seed Tuesday night at Minnesota.

The Gophers, meanwhile, are a projected No. 11 seed, according to Stadium’s latest projections, because of their general lack of top-end wins. A victory over Purdue would be their best win of the season and it would maintain their trajectory on the right side of the bubble.

Mississippi State at No. 5 Tennessee, 9 p.m. ET

Mississippi State (21-8) | No. 22 NET | 8-5 Quadrant 1, 3-3 Quadrant 2, 6-0 Quadrant 3, 4-0 Quadrant 4

Stadium’s latest NCAA Tournament seed projection: No. 5 seed

Tennessee (26-3) | No. 4 NET | 7-3 Quadrant 1, 5-0 Quadrant 2, 7-0 Quadrant 3, 6-0 Quadrant 4

Stadium’s latest NCAA Tournament seed projection: No. 2 seed

A road win at Tennessee would be on the short list of the best wins of the entire regular season. That’s what’s at stake for Mississippi State as it looks to add to its impressive Quadrant 1 record. The Bulldogs could also potentially improve their projected seeding to a No. 4 seed with a win.

Tennessee recently fell off the projected No. 1 seed line, but the Volunteers finish the regular season with a pair of Quadrant 1 games against Mississippi State and Auburn. If they win both, they’ll win at least a share of the SEC regular season title and likely put themselves in position to get a No. 1 seed, depending on how they fare in the SEC Tournament and how the top three teams in the ACC finish the season.

No. 6 Kentucky at Ole Miss, 9 p.m. ET

Kentucky (24-5) | No. 5 NET | 9-4 Quadrant 1, 5-1 Quadrant 2, 5-0 Quadrant 3, 5-0 Quadrant 4

Stadium’s latest NCAA Tournament seed projection: No. 1 seed

Ole Miss (19-10) | No. 37 NET | 4-9 Quadrant 1, 3-1 Quadrant 2, 6-0 Quadrant 3, 6-0 Quadrant 4

Stadium’s latest NCAA Tournament seed projection: No. 8 seed

Kentucky is still a projected No. 1 seed after its loss at Tennessee, according to Stadium’s latest NCAA Tournament projections. The Wildcats can add a 10th Quadrant 1 win Tuesday night at Ole Miss.

Only Michigan State and Kansas have 10 Quadrant 1 wins as of Tuesday morning. Kentucky is a game behind LSU and Tennessee in the SEC standings, so it needs to win its final two games against Ole Miss and Florida to have a chance to at least share the regular season conference title.

The Rebels are safely in the NCAA Tournament for now, but their projected seed could trend toward a double-digit seed if their two-game slide snowballs. They finish the season at Missouri after hosting Kentucky.

No. 13 Kansas at Oklahoma, 9 p.m. ET

Kansas (22-7) | No. 16 NET | 10-6 Quadrant 1, 5-1 Quadrant 2, 5-0 Quadrant 3, 2-0 Quadrant 4

Stadium’s latest NCAA Tournament seed projection: No. 3 seed

Oklahoma (18-11) | No. 41 NET | 3-9 Quadrant 1, 6-2 Quadrant 2, 9-0 Quadrant 3, 0-0 Quadrant 4

Stadium’s latest NCAA Tournament seed projection: No. 9 seed

Kansas is 1.5 games behind Texas Tech and Kansas State in the Big 12 standings after Monday night’s games. “The Streak,” which looks like it’s going to end this season, is the most pressing issue in Lawrence.

All in all, the Jayhawks’ resume is still strong despite not having a roster that’s at full strength and having a tough time winning on the road in conference play. Kansas can pick up its national-best 11th Quadrant 1 win at Oklahoma, which could really put the Sooners against the wall as they chase an at-large bid.

Quadrant 1 is broken down into two levels and Oklahoma is just 1-7 in the higher-level Quadrant 1 games.

Oklahoma has no bad losses that fall under Quadrants 3 or 4, but it has done very little in the last two months to improve its resume. The Sooners’ final two regular season games are tough – home against Kansas then at Kansas State – but they provide massive opportunities for Oklahoma to solidify its at-large resume.

No. 17 Nevada at Air Force, 11 p.m. ET

Nevada (26-3) | No. 23 NET | 1-1 Quadrant 1, 7-1 Quadrant 2, 9-1 Quadrant 3, 9-0 Quadrant 4

Stadium’s latest NCAA Tournament seed projection: No. 5 seed

Nevada has no room for any more losses before Selection Sunday if it’s going to earn a top-four seed. Even a No. 4 seed might be hard to obtain, given the lack of Quadrant 1 opportunities in the Mountain West this season. The Wolf Pack finish the regular season against Air Force and San Diego State, two Quadrant 3 opponents, and losing either game would qualify as a horrible loss.

MORE: 2019 NCAA Tournament Schedule, Dates, Locations