Quick Takes: Carolina keeps rolling

North Carolina has won 11 of its past 12 games.  Victories in that stretch include Virginia Tech, Louisville, Duke, Florida State, and Syracuse.  The Tar Heels’ lone loss? Virginia.  If you look at the ACC standings this morning, you’ll find Carolina a half-game up on Virginia; tied in the loss column.  UNC is not only in contention for an ACC regular-season title, the Heels are also in contention for a No. 1 seed.

Kentucky need a little Hero Ball from Tyler Herro, whose 29 points allowed the Wildcats to avoid a home stumble against Arkansas.  The victory will keep UK on the one-line when the next bracket arrives on Thursday.

Additional Quick Takes: 

• Memphis took down Temple at the Pyramid; a bubble loss for the Owls and a slight resume gain for the Tigers.  If Memphis wants some real at-large traction prior to the AAC tourney, there’s a trip to Cincinnati this weekend.
• Ohio State held serve at home against Iowa.  Considering the Buckeyes have a tricky two-game road swing through Purdue and Northwestern ahead, a loss could really have put the screws on OSU.
• As for Iowa, the loss likely means the Hawkeyes will land on the 6/7 line unless they can gain traction in the B10 tourney.  It’s also worth noting that Iowa finishes with road games to Wisconsin and Nebraska.
• About Wisconsin, the Badgers dropped a double-overtime result at Indiana – meaning they have some work to finish up to preserve a protected seed.  The competition around them is pretty fierce.
• TCU presents a tough resume.  The Horned Frogs swept Iowa State and have a win over Florida, but the rest of their profile is very blah – which includes Tuesday’s triple-overtime loss at West Virginia.  Safe to say, TCU’s upcoming home-stand against Texas Tech and Kansas State could end up being pretty important.
• Alabama gathered in an important victory at South Carolina.  The Tide now get two at home – LSU and Auburn – before a closing trip to Arkansas.  Their SEC tournament will be a lot more enjoyable with at least two more wins in tow.
• Providence knocked off Butler at Hinkle, which really puts the Bulldogs in a tough spot.  Butler has been good at home this season and not-so-good on the road; their final three include trips to Villanova and Providence.
• In closing, VCU and Dayton took care of business in the A10, and Utah State managed its home game with San Diego State, setting up a huge opportunity this weekend when Nevada arrives in Logan.

Enjoy a busy Wednesday on the court.