Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Arizona outscores Colorado 11-7 in OT to win in Maui 91-87. And the UK 'Cats are all over Cleveland St. with 2 1/2 left - but they still ain't scoring like Calipari'd like.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

:banger

With 5 freshman with significant playing time and 1 senior, this could be a long year. First year coach Miller is going to have his hands full. We at Arizona aren't that accustomed to mediocrity with our basketball team.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

I should really learn to trust my instincts. Gary Williams has a habit of falling on his face, and I saw the chance he'd do so against Cincinnati. Sure enough, the Bearcats cracked the Turtles 69-57, and # 21 Maryland won't be # 21 next week. Plus the other ranked teams did little domination last night either. F'instance:

# 3 Texas 78 - Pitt 62 = The 'Horns won the game, but lost their starting guard Varez Ward, perhaps for a while.

# 8 West Virginia 69 - The Citadel 50 = The game wasn't in doubt, but The Citadel? Pleeze.

# 10 Syracuse 88 - Cornell 73 = Again, pleeze.

# 17 Ohio State 84 - Lipscomb 64 = Lipscomb? Must I say pleeze?

# 20 Illinois - 78 - Wofford 64 = This was tied @ 50 when the Illini went on an 8-0 run. And this was in Champaign to boot!

# 23 Notre Dame 80 - Kennesaw St. 62 = And another turkey undercooked.

# 24 Vanderbilt 68 - Chaminade 41 = OK, I can live with this one.

As for the games today, note that the Terrapins are in early trouble again, trailing Wisconsin late in the 1st half. The other games include:

# 1 Kansas vs. Oakland = This bird should be done before it starts.
# 5 Kentucky vs. Stanford = And if this was a contest of SATs, it would be over too.
# 7 Duke vs. Arizona State = Who cares?
# 13 U. Conn vs. LSU = Here might be a contest.
# 24 Vandy vs. Arizona = Here will be one.
# 25 Oklahoma vs. San Diego = And nobody cares here either.

Enjoy, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving (you turkeys).

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Maryland down 4 to the Badgers with 12 minutes left.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Now the Terps down 11 with 4 1/2 left.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Wisconsin hands Maryland second loss in a row, 78-69.

And BTW, for those of you who get sick of watching crappy football games tomorrow, you can check out these turkeys:

# 8 West Virginia vs. Long Beach State
# 12 Butler vs. # 22 Minnesota = Sort of a tortoise/hare matchup, but could be good.
# 19 Clemson vs. Texas A&M
# 25 Oklahoma vs. Houston

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Too much work to update today - will do so tomorrow.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

my Gators lookin' good against#2 Michigan State!

3:00 left in the first half

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

This is the kind of signature win the Gators have lacked the past 2 years.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Yes indeed, Donovan's Gators had their first big win in a while, topping # 2 Michigan State 77-72 last night. Earving Walker hit a 3 to put them up for good at 72-71 with 1:56 left, and they held on to celebrate as if they'd just won their 3rd championship. Congrats to them, yet calm down, Gators - not only is it November, not March, but the Spartans pretty much gave you the game by playing like crap. It's not often that Izzo's boys have 23 turnovers, or go 2 of 10 from deep. However, it's still a nice W, and at 5-0 these guys might find themselves ranked next week. Without a doubt there will be changes in the rankings upcoming - not unexpected, as ranks this early mean damn little - as this game was not the only "upset" over the last few days:

On Wednesday San Diego beat # 25 Oklahoma 76-64, and on Thursday the Sooners channelled the Terps by taking their second L in a row from Houston 100-93. Don't expect to see either of those teams in the top 25 come Monday, brothers. There were no other upsets on 11/25, though # 5 Kentucky had to outscore Stanford 10-2 in OT to steal one 73-65. Other Wednesday scores include:

# 1 Kansas 89 - Oakland 59
# 7 Duke 64 - Arizona State 53 = Likely too close for Coach K's angina.
# 13 U.Conn 81 - LSU 55
# 24 Vanderbilt 84 - Arizona 72 = Guess that high for the boys from the desert didn't last long.

On Thanksgiving, while you people were watching 3 turkeys of football games, there was some great action going on 'way up the dial:

# 8 West Virginia 85 - Long Beach State 62 = OK, maybe not here.
# 22 Minnesota 82 - # 12 Butler 73 = But here.
# 15 Michigan 83 - Creighton 76 (OT) = And here, where the Logans outscored the Jays 14-7 in OT to survive a scare.
Texas A&M 69 - # 19 Clemson 60 = And here, where the Tigers disappointed their fans, again.

Then yesterday:

# 1 Kansas 112 - Tenn.Tech 75 = Zzzzzzzzzz.
# 7 Duke 68 - # 13 U.Conn 59 = Get the feeling Coaches K and C don't much like each other?
# 8 West Virginia 73 - Texas A&M 66 = A good win, seeing how well A&M been playing early, but not impressive.
# 9 Tenn 86 - Charleston 69 = Hit the snooze button again.
# 10 Syracuse 85 - Columbia 60 = And again.
# 12 Butler 69 - UCLA 67 = Is this a bounceback win, or just a bullet dodged? I vote bullet.
Marquette 79 - # 15 Michigan 65 = Well, the Wolverines didn't survive this scare.
# 19 Clemson 87 - Long Beach St. 79 = Yeah, and so?
Utah 60 - # 20 Illinois 58 = Got the feeling yet that this wasn't a good long weekend for the Big 10?
Portland 61 - # 22 Minnesota 56 = How about now?
Northwestern 72 - # 23 Notre Dame 58 = Northwestern? Say bye-bye to the Irish.

Yeah, the top 25 will be shaken up like a sockful of marbles, and it's hard to tell who'll fall where, but you know damn well who'll fall out that hole in the toe.

Today you can catch:

# 2 Michigan State vs. U. Mass
# 4 Villanova vs. LaSalle
# 6 Purdue vs. Central Michigan = This one's almost over now - if it wasn't before it started.
# 16 Louisville vs. UNLV
# 17 Ohio St. vs. St.Francis (PA) = :rolleyes:
# 18 Georgetown vs. Lafayette = This one's pretty much done too.
# 20 Illinois vs. Bradley
# 23 Notre Dame vs. St.Louis
# 25 Okla. vs. Nicholls St.

On Sunday:

# 3 Texas vs. Rice
# 8 West Va. vs. Portland
# 11 UNC vs. Nevada
# 12 Butler vs. # 19 Clemson = Both teams need this one.
# 14 Washington vs. Montana
# 15 Michigan vs. Alabama
# 22 Minnesota vs. Texas A&M = A spot in the 25 may rest on this game.

Enjoy.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Boilermakers and Hoyas both win, big.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Detroit and DePaul tied, in 1st OT. Villanova up slightly over La Salle, early.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Well, DePaul tried to give this game away, not only by going under .300 from beyond the arc but by hitting .500 from the line - including 2 misses with 16 ticks left to ice it. But they hold on for a 68-66 victory in OT. Villanova up double-digits with 4 minutes left in 1st, but they're not yet playing like a # 4 team against La Salle.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

'Nova with an 8-point lead at the half, which is hardly comfortable. The Running Rebels have an early lead over Pitino's Cardinals.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

With just under 6 minutes in the half, UNLV up 30-22 over Louisville. The Cards are shooting like they've had too much pre-game Jack, Jack.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

As any fool could foresee - which means I qualify - there was a lot of movement in the Top 25 rankings due to all those "upsets" over the last few days. Oklahoma's out, Notre Dame's out, Illinois' out, Minnesota's out, Michigan's out, and others moved up or down or in. Meaningful games Saturday include:

Bradley 72 - Illinois 68 = The Illini go from # 20 to out.
# 9 Michigan State 106 - U.Mass 68 = This spanking didn't keep the Spartans from dropping from # 2, badly.
# 3 Villanova 81 - La Salle 63 = Nice Philly win, but beyond that so what?
# 24 UNLV 76 = # 20 Louisville 71 = Pitino's boys drop four spots, and Rebels run into ranks.

On Sunday:

# 2 Texas 77 - Rice 59 = Another "meh" win for the 'Horns.
# 7 West Virginia 84 - # 25 Portland 66 = Despite this whipping, Portland gets ranked. Enjoy it - it won't last long.
# 10 UNC 80 - Nevada 73 = The Heels shake of pesky Wolf Pack late to get Roy his 600th.
# 12 Washington 63 - Montana 59 = And this is the 12th-best team in the nation? Pleeze.
Alabama 68 - Michigan 66 = This loss alone didn't knock those Logans from # 15 to out, but it didn't help.
# 18 Clemson 70 - # 23 Butler 69 = Had Butler pulled this out, they would not have dropped as far from 12th.
# 19 Texas A&M 66 - Minnesota 65 = A good weekend for the Aggies, yet maybe not that good.

Bottom line: Although rankings don't mean jack yet, the previous 5 days makes it seem the Big Ten may be in for a loooooong season. Maybe not, but they ain't shown much so far.

Tonight's pretty light on top-notch action, with only:

# 5 Kentucky vs. N.C. Asheville
# 10 Syracuse vs. Colgate
# 16 Georgetown vs. Mount St. Mary's

Yawn.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

You know, that Virginia/Penn State game tonight may be fun to watch. There's no "national" implications, but it should be a decent matchup.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

As everyone expected, those games with ranked teams last night were no contest, with the smallest of the 3 margins being 21 points. And as I expected, that Penn State/Virginia game was the one worth watching, with the Nittany Lions topping the Cavs 69-66. Tonight's interesting game out of the Top 25 is Maryland visiting Assembly Hall to take on the Indiana Hoosiers. The Terps have a better team, but it's not easy to win in Bloomington - though of late it's not been easy for the Hoosiers to win, period. Yet there are also a few good games scheduled within the ranked:

# 4 Purdue vs Wake Forest = This too could be a good one.
# 13 Florida vs. Florida A&M = Will the Gators come back to earth? Likely not this evening.
# 22 Cincinnati vs. Texas Southern = Well, the Bearcats care. Anybody else?

And the big one, the rematch of last year's championship:

# 9 Michigan State vs. # 10 UNC = Don't expect the Heels to blow the Spartans off the court in this one. They may win it, if they play well, but any blowout would more likely be them getting blown off their own court.

Enjoy - I won't know if I shall, until about midnight anyway.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

I must admit, I did not expect my # 10 Tar Heels to do again pretty much what they did to the # 9 Spartans last season, yet they ran them off the court once more in the first half, 50-34, then held on while Michigan State came back for the 89-82 victory. Looking at the stats, it's a bit of a shock that the Spartans even made it that close, seeing as how they went 2-20 from beyond the arc, and only 7-42 from outside the paint. Well, I'll take it, regardless. Other scores from the evening's Big Ten/ACC challenge:

# 4 Purdue 69 - Wake Forest 68
Maryland 80 - Indiana 68 = I thought this might be closer, but looks like the Hoosiers are still in slide mode.
Virginia Tech 70 - Iowa 64 = A decent game.
Northwestern 65 - N.C. State 53 = An indecent one, for Sidney's sad-sack Pack.

Two other games worth watching last night were:

Temple 76 - Western Michigan 70
Evansville 91 - Tennessee Tech 90 in 2OT = Wanna bet there are some sore throats croaking in Cookeville today?

There are plenty of games involving ranked team tonight, and not just the balance of the Big Ten/ACC matchups:

# 1 Kansas vs. Alcorn State = OK . . . and?
# 3 Villanova vs. Drexel = Ditto.
# 6 Duke vs. Wisconsin = Now THIS could be interesting. Can Dook move that bulk outta the paint?
# 11 Tennessee vs. E. Tennessee State
# 14 U. Conn vs. Boston U.
# 15 Ohio State vs. Florida State = And this could be a good game too.
# 17 Gonzaga vs. Washington State
# 18 Clemson vs. Illinois = This too may be a good 'un.
# 19 Texas A&M vs. Prairie View A&M = This too will be a stinker.
# 20 Louisville vs. Stetson = Sheesh.
# 23 Butler vs. Ball State = Ehhh.
# 24 UNLV vs. Arizona = This one's in Tucson - look for the Rebels to run outta runs.
# 25 Portland vs. Portland State = Sounds like it will be played in cement, don't it?

Some other potential good games this evening, out of the ranked, include:

Arkansas vs. Oklahoma
Old Dominion vs. Richmond = Two quality mid-majors here.
Minnesota vs. Miami = More Big Ten/ACC action.
Boston College vs. Michigan = Ditto.

And believe it or not:

Georgia Tech vs. Siena = The Saints have a nice program, and their two losses were on the road to Temple (by 4) and St. John's (by 9). Meanwhile, The Wreck hasn't played much of anybody yet, and the one they did was a loss to Dayton - a close one, also by 4 - yet their wins haven't been awe-inspiring.

Enjoy the games.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Not all the big games last night were part of the Big Ten/ACC challenge, but let's get that out of the way first. Speaking of firsts, the Big Ten won the challenge 6 games to 5 for the first time in its 11-year run. Congratulations to the Big Ten for this, and it just shows to go ya what can happen if you just hang in there and try - unlike the chicken$#!+ Big Mouth Conference, who backed out of a similar challenge against the ACC years ago because they were tired of getting their butts kicked. Of course, the ACC still holds a 67-41 overall lead, but if the Big Ten can keep repeating this year's success they can catch the ACC - in about 2026. However, it does help make up for the crappy week before this one for the Big Ten boys.

Scores from these games, and others that weren't stompings:

Wisconsin 73 - # 6 Duke 69 = I could smell this one coming.
# 15 Ohio State 77 - # 21 Florida State 64
Illinois 76 - # 18 Clemson 74 = I could smell this too; Clemson normally chokes.
Miami 63 - Minnesota 58
Boston College 62 - Michigan 58 = Remember when the Wolverines were ranked?

Other scores among the ranked:

# 17 Gonzaga 74 - Washington State 69
# 23 Butler 59 - Ball State 38 = OK, only 59 points scored, for a team looking for a top 10 rank just 2 weeks ago? Sheesh.
# 24 UNLV 74 - Arizona 72 in 2 OT = I figured the 'Cats could win this one, and they almost did.
Portland State 86 - # 25 Portland 82 = As I predicted (somewhere above), hello and goodbye to Portland's ranking.

But don't think all the hoops action is just amongst the ranked teams. You should check out the scores of other matchups last night, such as: Holy Cross/Brown; Cornell/Bucknell; Sacramento St./UC Irvine; Yale/Hartford; Northern Iowa/Iowa St.; LA Tech/La Monroe; Richmond/ODU; UAB/Middle Tenn. St.; and VCU/Rhode Island. All of these were fun fun fun.

Not much action tonight:

# 2 Texas vs. USC = Sounds like a BCS game, don't it?
# 12 Washington vs. Texas Tech = Washington is carrying the burden for the entire Pac-10 at the moment. Will it be too much?

Have fun.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Last night # 2 Texas held Southern Cal to 30% shooting, and it's a good thing for them they had good D, for their O still stinks. There's no shame in winning 69-50, but there's little glory either - especially when you're ranked so high. And apparently it was too heavy a burden for # 12 Washington, hauling the whole Pac-10 around on its shoulders, as they lost to Texas Tech 99-92 in OT. Interesting factoid: Tech scored 30 points in the second half, yet managed 19 in the extra 5 minutes. Guess the Huskies could have used a bit of Longhord D themselves.

Again, there were a number of good games scattered all over the country yesterday: Furman/App.State; Baylor/Ariz.State; CSU Northridge/Idaho; Belmont/Kennseaw St. (OT); Murray St./Eastern Kentucky; High Point/Presbyterian; Eastern Ill./Tenn.St (3OT); and Radford/Winthrop (OT). There is likely a good game tonight near you, wherever you are out there, so why don't you get off yer dead @$$ and catch one?

Speaking of good games tonight, the only one I foresee is Manhattan/Niagara, but there may be others hiding in the weeds. However, it's likely none of them will involve ranked teams, since all we have are:

# 9 Michigan State vs. Wofford
# 13 Florida vs. Jacksonville
# 19 Texas A&M vs. Akron

Now Saturday is an entirely different matter, yet I'll only mention the two early games for now. At noon # 15 Ohio State takes on Eastern Michigan, which could be a decent game for a while anyway, and could even be another loss for the Buckeyes if they try to phone it in. But the big game at 12:30 involves the two winningest programs in the nation, when # 5 Kentucky (1995 Ws) hosts # 10 North Carolina (1991 Ws) in what should be a war between two schools that don't like each other one damn bit. We'll keep an eye on this starting early tomorrow afternoon, and will have a final before we lock this up until Monday.

Enjoy, fellas - I hope I shall too, and with a Tar Heel victory I will.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Sorry to say, that Manhattan/Niagara game did not live up to my expectations, yet there were a dozen great contests outside of the ranks last night. As for the ranked teams, they all won - however, none were very impressive:

# 9 Michigan State 72 - Wofford 60 = Yeah, so?
# 13 Florida State 85 - Jacksonville 67 = Ditto.
# 19 Texas A&M 74 - Akron 62 = Dit-two.

Already today Ohio State is beating Eastern Michigan like a toy drum on Christmas morning, while Kentucky/UNC is about to tip off. Again, aside from a slew of good matchups outside the rankings, the rest of today's schedule include:

# 4 Purdue vs. Buffalo = Yawn.
# 6 Duke vs. St. John's = Maybe we'll see if the Redman are relevant again today.
# 8 Syracuse vs. Maine = Should not be a contest.
# 16 Georgetown vs. American = Will not be a contest.
# 17 Gonzaga vs. Wake Forest = Will be one.
# 20 Louisville vs. Charlotte = Will likely be one too.
# 23 Butler vs. Valparaiso = Has some potential, but I wouldn't bet the farm.

Sunday's lineup includes these games:

# 1 Kansas vs. UCLA = I bet the Jayhawks thought this would be a test when they scheduled it. It won't.
# 3 Villanova vs. Maryland = Now THIS will be a test, for both teams.
# 12 Washington vs. CSU Northridge = Now this won't.
# 14 U.Conn vs. Harvard = If they matched graduation rates, the Crimson wins in a cakewalk.
# 18 Clemson vs. South Carolina = An instate rivalry that will be a war.
# 21 Florida State vs. Florida International = And one that will not be one.
# 25 Portland vs. Idaho = Portland could lose its second in a row, but even if they win by 100 points you won't see them ranked come Monday.

Enjoy, my brothers.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Great Thread Thomas.
Thanks for all the work.

ROCK, CHALK, JAYHAWK..... KU

http://graphics.fansonly.com/schools...halk-chant.mp3

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Thank you, Jeff - I love my hoops. I just wish some other folks would jump in with their :2 too.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Ohio State has already won their game, and it's only halftime. The score is 62-25 at the break. Kentucky is kicking my Heels butts midway through the first half, to the point where it's getting shameful. Carolina better either wake up or go home.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

UK leads UNC by 15 at the half. Quite a hill to climb, and if Roy doesn't convince them to make some adjustments the Heels won't top it.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Heels cutting into lead with 15 minutes left, but need to make some stops.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

If UNC wasn't missing layups and open shots, they'd have the freakin' lead. There's still time, but that time is now.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Heels have cut it to 6 with 5 1/2 left, and are already in the bonus. There's still a chance.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

TV timeout with 3:34 left. Heels down three, with the ball.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Wildcats are hitting their freethrows, so this one's over.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Hold on a second - one shot for OT!

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Well, no shot now - UK wins 68-66. It was a sloppy game for both teams, but at least my Heels turned what looked like a disgrace into a nailbiter. Maybe Roy's boys will learn to show up for both halves of a game.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Dook has a narrow lead over St. John's midway through the first, but are already in the bonus. The Redmen must be drawing some blood.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Blue Devils on a 10-0 run to open this up.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Say, did anybody catch that Pitt/New Hamshire shootout last night? The score was 15-7 at the half, ending at 47-32. Pitt shot .263 for the first half, and NH shot .235 - for the game. The teams combined for 29 shots made, and 30 turnovers committed.


Hayzeus farkin' Christmas.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Dook by 16 at the half - at Cameron. The Crazies are going so, no doubt.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Bummer, but if I were to choose a team to lose to early in the season, Kentucky would be on the short list. Good game anyway. Can't wait for ACC season at the Dean Dome! You comin out for any of the games? I *should* be at all of the home ones... Heels Herf?

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Kansas 73 handles UCLA 61
Markieff Morris with a career-high 19 points.
This is Kansas' 1,977th victory, third-best in NCAA Division I history.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Yes indeed, KU is a great program with a great history. But let's get real for a second. Imprimis, a 12-point victory over the Bruins is all well and good, but the Jayhawks have been top-ranked all year while UCLA came into the game at 2-4 with losses to such powers as CSU Fullerton and Long Beach State. Twelve points is hardly a spanking under such circumstances, even though the game was in Pauley. Secundus, KU seems to have the best team at this point in the season, but they do not have the best talent. They may still have the best team come March, yet teams such as Kentucky or UNC might develop into some stiff competition for the Jayhawks.

Don't get me wrong - I like Kansas, both this year's team and in general. There is a connection between KU and my Tar Heels (one often overlooked in Lawrence, but never in Chapel Hill) which goes back at least to 1957's triple-overtime championship. They gave us Dean, we gave them Larry Brown (and welcome to him) and Danny Manning, and we loaned them Roy Williams. I never have a problem when Kansas wins - as long as they aren't beating my boys.

Scores from games of interest that were NOT complete stompings of the overmatched, with updated rankings:

# 8 Duke 80 - St John's 71 = Duke kicked SJU all over Cameron for the first half, then had to hold on. Is Dook weak, or are the Redman for real again? Time will tell.

# 18 UNLV 66 - Santa Clara 63 = Santa Clara has proven themselves a tough little nut several times in the past, so this close score does not - necessarily - mean the Runnin' Rebels are wanna-bes.

Charlotte 87 - formerly # 20 and now unranked Louisville 65 = I felt the 49ers had a shot at winning this one, but I admit I did not expect this whuppin'.

Wake Forest 77 - # 21 Gonzaga 75 = I predicted a war, and we got one.

Sunday's scores of note, aside from the KU/UCLA at top:

# 3 Villanova 95 - Maryland 86 = A nice win in a competitive matchup.

# 14 U. Conn 79 - Harvard 73 = A bad win in what shouldn't have been competitive, no matter how you slice it.

# 17 Washington 88 - CSU Northridge 76 = A win, period.

Clemson 72 - South Carolina 61 = And although a good win for the Tigers over instate rival Gamecocks, it was not enough to keep Clemson within the ranked teams.

There's not a lot of action at the top this evening, and none of them should be close, as all we have are:

# 2 Texas vs. Long Beach State
# 12 Michigan State vs. The Citadel
# 19 Texas A&M vs. North Texas

However, the Siena/Iona game may be fun. Whatever - enjoy.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Lets get real for another second..
I thought this was a College hoops thread, not a why tarheels are better than whoever thread.:confused:

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Whats the difference? :confused:

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Pre-update reply, to Jeff: The Tar Heels are not better than anyone else, and I have never said so. In fact, I began this thread by stating quite definitively that this would be a tough year for UNC, especially compared to the last few. Furthermore, I said immediately above that your Jayhawks are - at present anyway - the best team in the nation (though I feel Villanova might just be as good). Furthermore, I plainly stated (or strongly implied anyway) that I'd have no problem if Kansas won it all this season. All I did say to prompt your confusion is that KU is playing the best early, but they do not have the most talent. If you look at the rosters, this is an objective fact. I freely, and proudly, admit to being a Tar Heel, yet I try not to let this skew my assessments here. If you want to allow your loyalties to skew your own - well, it's a free country, or still relatively so. Regardless, your imput is not merely appreciated, but also happily encouraged - as is anyone else's. :tu

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Well put, brother!

I, on the other hand, will be making all sort of smart@$$ comments about every other team regardless of my team's standings or talent.

:D

Seriously though I am always happy to see Kansas and Kentucky win, especially this year. I was in the front row of the final four last year cheering my Tarheels on, and although I am a diehard supporter and would love to make the trip to Indianapolis this year, I would not presume to say that they are better than anyone else. Not even convinced we are a final four team this year. We're not better than everyone...

Except Duke. We will always be better than Duke. :fu2

:gl everyone else!

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

There was not a lot of action last night, and there's not much tonight either - perhaps it's exam time, which means light schedules. From last night:

# 12 Michigan State 69 - The Citadel 56 = It's the first time the Bulldogs have hosted a ranked team since Tim Duncan's Deacs visited 'way back in 1996, and these cadets nearly made the Spartans pay for it by hitting 12 of 20 from downtown. Izzo's boys were overranked at #2, and need to turn it up several notches to prove # 12 isn't too high also.

# 19 Texas A&M 75 - North Texas 65 = Here's another of those "bad" wins. There's no points for style - until Selection Sunday, anyway, when the RPI can spell RIP.

As for # 2 Texas -- well, I'll wait until they finally play somebody before I comment much on them. Wins over Iowa, Pitt, Rice, USC, or Long Beach are better than losses, but do not justify much respect either. No offense, Longhorn fans, but there it is - relax, and enjoy your BCS for now. :)

That Siena/Iona game let me down, but the Auburn/Virginia and App.State/Wofford ones were exciting.

Tonight's light rollcall includes:

# 15 Georgetown vs. # 22 Butler = Here's a gome both teams need, so let's hope both show up.
# 23 Texas Tech vs. TCU = One can never tell how instate rival games will go. I don't expect an "upset", but you never know.

As for potential good matchups out of the ranked, we have:

Vanderbilt vs. Illinois
Xavier vs. Kansas State
Arizona State vs. BYU

As always, enjoy.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

I'm having some internet problems this afternoon, so will update if possible. If not, I'll catch up tomorrow - or one of youse other freaks can do it. :)

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

OK, my internet connection seems to be working better today, so let's play a little catchup.

On Tuesday:

# 15 Georgetown 72 - # 22 Butler 65 = So far, Butler has lost to every ranked team they have played. This one to the Hoyas might have finally knocked them off the radar, but if they can't beat Ohio State on Saturday that certainly shall.

# 23 Texas Tech 80 - TCU 70 = I rarely put much stock, one way or the other, in "close" contests between instate rivals. Tech got the win, but I'm unsure if it means anything save bragging rights to either squad.

Last night:

It has not been my practice to report on total @$$whuppin's in Goliath/David games, yet as I've already p!$$ed Jeff off :D , I'll give him:

# 1 Kansas 99 - Radford 64 = No doubt everyone in Phog Allen Fieldhouse was sorely disappointed that the Jayhawks did not hit the century mark. Other than that, the game was meaningless.

Also:
# 3 Villanova 97 - St. Joseph's 89 = See my TT/TCU comment above - the same logic applies here.

# 4 Kentucky 64 - U. Conn 61 = This makes the 4th bullet that the Wildcats have dodged, and the season's barely gotten going yet. You think Calipari's aged much lately? Heavy lies the head crowned the most overpaid in NCAA history.

Wisconsin Green Bay 88 - # 20 Wisconsin 84 (OT) = The Big Ten can console itself by noting that, no matter how soft and creamy its center is, it has more texture than the Pac-10 does.

Another score of interest to me was:

St. John's 66 - Georgia 56 = Except for a fairly close loss to Duke (in Cameron, no less) the Redman (sorry, I refuse to call them the Red freakin' Storm), St. John's has won every game so far. Many of you young whippersnappers may not remember when they were a perennial power in college basketball, yet the possibility that they may be one again intrigues old farts like me. That has yet to be demonstrated, but it is a situation worthy of attention until more evidence is uncovered. BTW, I know precisely the reason why they fell off the map for so long, and if anyone is interested I will tell you.

Tonight's games include:

# 7 Syracuse vs. # 10 Florida = On paper, this is a good game. However, it is played on hardwood, and though paper is made of wood it is not itself wood.

# 12 Michigan State vs. Oakland = On paper, this is no game at all.

# 19 Cincinnati vs. Miami (OH) = Of the spate of instate matchups we've seen lately, this may be the least interesting.

Enjoy.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Florida-Syracuse is turning out to be a good game. Get 'em Gators!!!

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

Yeah, it was a pretty good game, until the last 3 1/2 minutes anyway. Then it was the Gators who got got, ending down to the 'Cuse 85-73. Not a good week in Gainsville, all in all. And speaking of bad weeks, # 19 Cincinnati barely escaped Miami (OH) 63-59, which is an unimpressive win just after a shocking loss - of their football coach.

One other score from last night that I found interesting: California Baptist, an NAIA school, beat Pepperdine 67-65 - in Malibu no less - on a layup with 8 ticks left. The Waves have had competitive teams often in the past (believe it or not), and though this loss puts them at 3-7, it is still odd for a "mid-major" to lose to NAIA teams.

Tonight there's only one game involving the ranked, and that is:

# 9 Tennessee vs. Middle Tennessee State = Again, instate rivals. Don't expect an upset, but don't be surprised by a nice effort.

Aside from this, the ODU/Dayton matchup should be fun to watch.

Tomorrow's games will pop up here tomorrow, but as I'll not be "here" until early afternoon I shall mention the two big games which tip off at noon:

# 4 Kentucky vs. Indiana = At Assembly Hall, so I'm gonna go out on a limb here and predict this will be the 5th bullet UK ducks.

# 13 Ohio State vs. # 22 Butler = The Buckeyes want it, but the Bulldogs need it. This should be a battle till the last.

Talk at you tomorrow - enjoy.

Re: College Hoops Thread '09-'10
 

As one might expect, # 9 Tennessee had little problem with Middle Tenn. State, winning by 21 points. As this one expected, the ODU/Dayton game was much better, with the Flyers prevailing 58-50.

So far today, the game between # 13 Ohio State and # 22 Butler appears a study in ineptitude, with only 12 total points scored collectively in the first 5 minutes. But Indiana does have an early lead over # 4 Kentucky, 12 to 7. I'll keep an eye on both games for you.

Other games today include:

# 1 Kansas vs. La Salle = Should be no contest.
# 2 Texas vs. Texas State = Ditto.
# 5 Purdue vs. Alabama = Now here might be a game.
# 6 West Virginia vs. Coppin State = Now here won't.
# 11 UNC vs. Presbyterian = A scrimmage.
# 15 Georgetown vs. # 17 Washington = A scrum.
# 16 Texas A&M vs. New Mexico = I could see the Aggies losing this one.
# 18 UNLV vs. Kansas State = Or the Rebels this one.
# 20 Wisconsin vs. Marquette = Or the Badgers this one.
# 21 Gonzaga vs. Davidson = But not the Zags this one.
# 25 Ole Miss vs. McNeese State = Ibid.

As usual, there are other good matchups today, such as Va. Tech/Penn State, so don't just concentrate on the ranked teams.

For the lighter Sunday schedule, we have:

# 3 Villanova vs. Temple = An old rivalry that could be a great game.
# 7 Syracuse vs. St Francis (NY) = Oh pleeze.
# 19 Cincinnati vs. Xavier = And this could be good also.

Updates on today's action to follow. Enjoy.