College Basketball Winners, Losers From Week 16

College basketball winners and losers from Week 16 of the 2015-16 season.

Every game is huge during the month of February, and the college basketball world keeps a close eye on who’s winning and who’s losing every time the ball is tipped.

Every win or loss, however, is not built the same.

Some teams are still looking to build their resumes for the tournament. Others are working on seedings, and their stock can go up or down depending on the outcome every time the team hits the floor.

This weekend’s action was filled with upsets and meaningful performances that will reverberate well into March. Here’s a look at two teams that really helped their NCAA Tournament chances, and three more that stumbled.

Winners

Texas Longhorns 19-10 (10-6 in Big 12)

After losing on the road to Oklahoma, Iowa State and at home to Baylor in recent weeks, Texas was in desperate need of a win down the stretch. The victory over West Virginia two weeks ago was great, but proving its three-point loss to the Sooners earlier this month wasn’t a fluke was huge, and the 76-63 win showed the Longhorns are going to be a headache from here on out. Next up, Kansas Monday, which means another chance to make a statement.

Virginia Cavaliers 22-6 (11-5 in ACC)

Virginia was feeling the sting of losses at Duke and Miami (Fla.), and it needed to close the deal vs. a top opponent to convince people the Cavaliers were worthy of a No. 1 seed. Consider the mission accomplished. By knocking off North Carolina at home, UVA proved it can close out a game. With a road trip to Clemson and a homer vs. Louisville left on the schedule, Virginia is going to have a chance to sneak into a conference title if it gets some help.

Losers

Vanderbilt Commodores 18-11 (10-6 in SEC)

Anytime a team upsets Kentucky, it is bound to raise some eyebrows. But for a Vanderbilt team that has looked a little shaky at times, scoring a double-digit win at home vs. the Wildcats is going to go a long way toward making Selection Sunday a lot more comfortable. Matthew Fisher-Davis was fantastic on both ends of the floor vs. UK, and Vandy’s balance was too much for the Wildcats to handle.

Notre Dame 19-9 (10-6 in ACC)

Is there a more frustrating team in America than Notre Dame? The Fighting Irish have looked great at times this year, such as when they beat North Carolina and Louisville in the past couple of weeks. But getting hammered by 21 at Florida State was ugly by any measure, and it makes you wonder if Notre Dame peaked a bit too early.

Xavier Musketeers 25-4 (13-4 in Big East)

Oh, Xavier. You had a shot at earning a No. 1 seed, but you let it slip away at Seton Hall. Look, the Pirates aren’t terrible, and their win over the Musketeers likely locked up an NCAA Tourney bid for them. But this was a hugely painful loss for XU, which had started to overcome the double-digit loss to Creighton a few weeks back and gain some momentum. Beating Villanova showed what this team is capable of in the best of circumstances. Losing big to the Hall showed that XU might not be ready for prime time.

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