Florida falls, Michigan holds serve at home and Michael Snaer strikes again ...
RISERS
* Michigan. The Wolverines split their season series with Ohio State, needing overtime to put the Buckeyes away 76-74 in Ann Arbor. It was only the fifth victory by single digits this season for Michigan, and its second in Big Ten play.
* Michael Snaer. It's far too soon to know if Florida State (13-9) is starting a late-season surge. But even if the Seminoles have a questionable profile, they have the sort of player who would make the postseason a lot more fun. That would be Snaer, the senior guard who hit his third game-winner within the last month last night as Florida State upended Georgia Tech on the road.
TREADING WATER
* Kentucky. The Wildcats ripped South Carolina at home; in other words, they did exactly what they should have.
* Villanova. Beat DePaul, the power conference equivalent of a tap-in from less than a foot out.
DECLINERS
* Florida. The Gators' 10-game winning streak came to an end with an 80-69 thumping at Arkansas. It is waaaaay too early to consider this a serious hindrance to Florida's chances of chasing down a No. 1 seed; the Razorbacks, as bad as they are outside of Fayetteville, are nearly as imposing at home. But it does represent a slight step back, however temporary it might be.
* Wichita State. The Shockers are struggling, losing their third straight after a stunning setback at Southern Illinois. Random but kind of interesting: Only one Missouri Valley team since 2000 has dropped three straight league games and gone on to earn an at-large bid (2006 Bradley).
--- Patrick Stevens
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