Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

SDSU is definetly getting worn out playing 7 players. Fisher needs to loosen up the bench and get these guys some minutes so they can get the starters some rest.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

You'd know better than me, Larry, but I'd agree in principle that if he has any bench at all Steve needs to get them some court time. Not only is there the issue of fatigue, there's the potential of injuries, foul trouble, and just the advisibility of having a bit of experience off the pine to help scramble or give fouls late in close games.

Update will hopefully follow, if I get a chance. Time is tight tonight.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Update just ain't gonna happen today. Customers keep coming in handing me money, damn them. Luckily, although there were a number of good games last night there were very few unexpected results, and although there are several important games tonight, only the Murray State/SE Missouri State and the Gonzaga/BYU games look to be potential "upsets".

I'll try to catch up tomorrow. Thanks for your understanding . . . if it is forthcoming. :r

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Again today my time is too tight to post an update. Luckily, again last night there were no shockers, and again tonight there are no huge games . . . with the possible exception of Harvard's hosting of Cornell and Penn's trip to Yale, which means a lot in the Ivy. Translation: It means little outside the Ivy.

I hope I can do some work here tomorrow, if I don't have to do too much work here tomorrow. :D

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

First, before I try to catch up some, lemme get the early Saturday games up:


Georgetown vs. South Florida = At this point the Hoyas are gelding the Bulls pretty badly. As there's less than 10 minutes left, that's not likely to change.

Syracuse vs. St. John's = The Johnnies hung tough for a while in MSG, but the Orange has grabbed control. There's plenty of time left for anything to happen, yet it's not looking good for the locals.

Seton Hall vs. U. Conn = The Huskies are trying to break their losing streak with George Blaney on the bench, as Jim Calhoun has left the team for medical reasons. Has he coached his last game? Maybe. The Pirates are still in this one in Hartford, but again there's lots of time.

Vanderbilt vs. Florida = If any SEC teams are going to challenge UK, it could be one of these two. Both have had good wins, and bad losses. The Gators have been a bit more consistent, and the game's in Gainesville. Still, the Comms could surprise us and actually have another good game in them.

Virginia vs. Florida State = And if any ACC team is going to knock a hole in the 'Noles' ambitions, the Cavs have as good a shot as anyone. Remember, FSU has the easier remaining schedule of the top league teams, so their tests are fewer and less taxing. This one could be vital in the ACC race.

Wake Forest vs. N. C. State = The Wolfpack need to make hay towards their at-large hopes, and here's one of their best shots before things get hairy for these canines. If they lose this one in Raleigh, I don't wanna hear no whining from Jerry.

Xavier vs. Memphis = I think both of these are relatively safe in their quests for NCAA bids, but they need to finish well, even if not strong. A win here helps greatly, so I'd expect a battle.

Marquette vs. Notre Dame = The Golden Eagles are quietly having a great season. Good for them. The Irish are tough in South Bend, and can give anybody game on any given day. Don't bet on an upset, but don't bet on a blow-out either.

Baylor vs. Oklahoma State = The Bears spanked the Cowboys at home, and they might spank them in Stillwater also. Yet Oak State did upset the OTHER Big 12 Minus 2 pretenders to the throne, those Mizzou Tigers, so anything is possible. This one's worth keeping an eye on.


I'll try to look back at missed action a bit later, as well as give you updates and other upcoming action. 'Til then then.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Georgetown has crushed South Florida 75-45, Syracuse is doing much the same against St. John's, and U Conn is taking control over Seton Hall. Other early action is just that . . . early. So lemme backtrack a bit. I can't possibly cover all important games so far this month, but I'll give a lick and a promise to those that struck me most. On Wednesday 2/1:


Delaware 65 - George Mason 60 = Looking for an upset? You may not need look any further than this one, unless you want to look at . . .

Rhode Island 81 - U Mass 78 (OT) = The Rams sneak up on the Minutemen and butt them into a ditch, and thus improve to 5-18 overall in what should have been a gimme to UM in the A-10.

Miami 90 - Maryland 86 (2OT) = Neither team seems to be going much of anywhere, but you gots to gives 'em props for a good show.

Southern Miss 75 - Memphis 72 = But this was a meaningful game in the CUSA, which once again this year is jammin' at the top.

Baylor 63 - Texas A&M 60 = The Bears escape with another tight victory, and the Aggies continue to disappoint their expectations and their fans.

San Diego State 58 - Boise State 56 = I reckon Larry's right about the Aztecs getting worn out. Still, a win's a win, so take it, say thank you, and move on.



Thursday 2/2, Groundhog's Day:


Elon 99 - Charleston 98 (2OT) = We may see neither of these teams come March, but we certainly saw some of them that evening.

Murray State 81 - SE Missouri State 73 = As I understand it, the game was closer than the final. I'm not surprised Joe's Racers got a game here, but am curious to see if they are in danger of hitting the wall.

Arizona 78 - California 74 = A very good win for the Desert 'Cats in Berkeley, which moved both teams into 2/3rds of the 3-way tie for 2nd in the Pac-12. This race gets more interesting day-to-day.

BYU 83 - Gonzaga 73 = I'm sorta locked in a dilemma here. I've more respect for the 'Zags program, but I don't like the way they pop off their mouths alla time. The Cougars pop off some too, though less obnoxiously, but I just don't much like them. As I have no real reason I can put my finger on for this, I'll be glad they beat Gonzaga, though I KNOW it STILL won't shut them up.


On Friday 2/3:


Yale 60 - Penn 53 = The Eli hand the Quakers their first loss in the Ivy, and help the Haa'vaad Crimson at the same time. Talk about your damned if you do/don't situations! :r


I also cannot possibly cover all the remaining games today, so here's my cherry-picks:


Ohio State vs. Wisconsin = The Badgers welcome the Buckeyes to Madison, and as they are a mere 1/2-game back in the Big Ten+ they further hope to gift them with a loss. It could just happen. This one should be fun.

Arizona vs. Stanford = As should this one, while the 'Cats try to road-sweep the Bay Area competition this week. They and the Golden Bears are 6-4 i Pac-12 play, and this one's key for both if they wish to stay in the hunt.

Texas A&M vs. Kansas State = Two teams with polar expectations and results. The Aggies were supposed to be good, and haven't been. The 'Cats were supposed to be down, and haven't been all that bad. Give K-State the edge in Manhattan, since A&M has yet to give much indication they've found their game.

North Carolina vs. Maryland = The Tar Heels have lost the last 3 times they visited College Park. It could happen again today, but only if the Heels play down to the Terps' level and beat themselves. And if UNC shows up to play, this could get ugly, fast.

UNLV vs. Wyoming = But this one in Laramie could be a huge struggle for the Runnin' Rebels. I won't call for the "upset", but I expect a good one here.

Creighton vs. Northern Iowa = And again here, in Cedar Falls.

Kentucky vs. South Carolina = And here, I don't know why the 'Cocks are even going to show up, even for a home game. Hell, they haven't shown up all season, so what makes them think they can today?

Indiana vs. Purdue = So watch this one instead. The Hoosiers are hoping to stop the bleeding, and the Boilermakers are desperately trying to turn themselves around. This should be a blast.

Murray State vs. Tenn-Martin = And this should be forfeited. Do you really think the Skyhawks can give Joe's Racers their first L of the year, and thus improve on their 3-21 record? OK, yeah, it can happen. And look out for those monkeys flying out of butts too.

Marshall vs. Tulsa = So again, watch this one, as it is a key CUSA contest to keep both in the conference race.

Kansas vs. Missouri = This one in Columbia, along with that OSU/Wisc. one, are the marquee games today. KU leads the Big12nomore at 8-1, with the Tigers 'way behind at 7-2. Yet nationally Mizzou's ranked slightly above the Jayhawks. They may need ambulances before this one's done.

Oregon vs. Colorado = They likely won't need those emergency vehicles for these two laid-back squads, but the game itself holds huge Pac-12 import. The Ducks visit Boulder sporting the same 7-3 record as the Buffs. This one ought to be fun too.


I'll take a break now before I return with early finals and some Sunday games. UNtil later then, enjoy.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Some more early finals for you, including more Big East blowouts:


Syracuse 95 - St. John's 70 = This was over midway through the first.

U Conn 69 - Seton Hall 46 = Had the Pirates scored more than 17 in the first half, they may have made sort-of a game of this.

Florida 73 - Vanderbilt 65 = An important win for the Gators, though the way Vandy's played at times I'm not sure how "good" it is.

Florida State 58 - Virginia 55 = And an even more important W for the 'Holes, though the Cavs did make a great effort of it.

N. C. Statte 87 - Wake Forest 76 = The Deacs managed to give the 'Pack a scare midway through the 2nd, but NCSU pulled away for an important win for their hopes. It's a little surprising Wake scored as much as they did, consdering how paltry they've been in that department. Did the 'Pack D suck, or did the Deacs finally find the range?

Memphis 72 - Xavier 68 = The Tigers get a nice victory, and the Musketeers get some more bad karma from that now-infamous brawl.

Notre Dame 76 - Marquette 59 = On a persona level, I love this. No, I'm not an Irish fan, nor do I hate Marquette. But this week one of the basketball "experts" on Yahoo gave his predicted Field of 68 for the NCAAs based upon performance so far, and made Marquette a 2-seed and No. 7 overall, with UNC also a 2 at No. 8. Hey, I have no problem if he wants to put my Heels on the 2-line, and in the 8th spot, as I know they've shown some holes. I also grant the Golden Eagles have had a very good season up to this point. But that perception of his . . . well, I flat-out called him nuts, or high. Maybe this spanking will let him realize I'm not just some brain-dead homer. :r


There are not a lot of games tomorrow, but there are a few:


West Virginia vs. Providence = The Mountaineers have been better than the Friars, but both have had ups and downs. I would expect WVA to take it on the road, yet anything can happen.

Minnesota vs Nebraska = The Gophers also are on the road, but I don't think they'll be roadkill in Lincoln. They are better than the 'Huskers, who are not yet competitive in the Big Ten+.

Michigan vs. Michigan State = There's not a lot more that needs to be said here. I ALWAYS pull for the Spartans over the Wolverines, mainly because I've more respect for the program and the coach. However, either can win this rivalry game, in any given year. So watch this one.

Villanova vs. Pittsburgh = Or if you're interested to see if either of these Big East teams can make a late run, and get a legitimate shot at an at-large, watch this one. Considering how they've played, I'd say flip a coin here too.

Miami vs. Duke = And flip a coin in Durham also, but only to decide if you're gonna flip back and forth between this and the Stupidbowl pregame marathon. Otherwise, don't bother. Dook may not be a Final Four team, but the 'Canes are fighting to remain above .500 in the ACC, and should get blown right out of Cameron.

Northwestern vs. Illinois = The Illini got that big win over Michigan State, and have been as tough in Champaign as have those aforementioned Blue Devils in Durham, holding at present a 12-1 home mark. Yeah, you can get better than that, but not much. The Smarty 'Cats may give them a contest, yet it's become hard to bet against Illinois on their court.


I may be back today, or may not. Either way, continue to enjoy.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Two more early finals I'll get out of the way now:


Baylor 64 - Oklahoma State 60 = The Bears get another close win, with this one over the Cowboys being the eighth by a margin of 5 or fewer points. As that's about 40% of ALL their wins, you'd have to say they're pretty damn lucky.

Ohio State 58 - Wisconsin 52 = About the type of close fight you'd expect. A good win for the Buckeyes, and a tough loss for the Badgers.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Tough loss on the Cowboys. I thought they were going to pull it out.

The Gators got a nice win, and I still agree with you on Vandy; you never know what will walk on the floor to play ay given day.

MSU is ahead of UT-Martin, but it does not appear, from the ESPN scorebox, that they are putting the knife in yet. They oughta be up 15. Went to the SEMO game, and was shocked at the lack of effort on defense in H!. Almost like they were spotting points, to make it more exciting in H2. I love my Racers, but definitely not top 10, and capable of a couple of losses, if they start letting up on OVC teams, or anyone else. A killer instinct is required at this point in the season.

As for the Gamecocks, I believe those WERE actual birds dressed out to play UK tonight, given the score throughout the game. Davis makes the SEC rookie blocks record today, dethroning Shaq. I really enjoy watching that kid play.

The Irish looked awfully good in their game today.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

You're right in all regards there, Joe, at least as I see it. As for your Racers, that was NOT the kind of win I expected over UT-M. Are they tired, or complacent, or have they become too cocky to believe they need to come out focused every night? You've seen them all year, so you tell us.

Will do my upmost for a full update shortly.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Again, I haven't time to hit all the good or important games over the balance of the weekend, so here's my cherry picks. Saturday:


Arizona 56 - Stanford 43 = The Desert 'Cats complete a road sweep in the Bay Area, and are making a late move to be relevant in the Pac-12 race . . . if the Pac-12 is relevant at all, that is.

Mississippi State 91 - Auburn 88 = OK, so the Tigers are a little better than they've been in the recent past, but for a supposed Top 25 team to have so much trouble on their own court is not a good sign for their long-term prospects.

North Carolina 83 - Maryland 74 = College Park has never been too kind to the Tar Heels. Be they good, bad, or indifferent, the Terps always get up for this contest, dating back at least to Lefty Driesell's days. This, and the fact that the Heels were down 9 in the 2nd, with Zeller and Marshall benched with 4 fouls each, yet won by 9 and thus made an 18-point turnaround for the victory makes this a good one in my eyes.

Wyoming 68 - UNLV 66 = Some of you may have thought me nuts to give Wyoming a shot at this "upset". Well, maybe I am, but not this time.

Northern Iowa 65 - Creighton 62 = Nor this one, come to think of it. Maybe those meds are starting to work for me.

Indiana 78 - Purdue 61 = The Hoosiers do stop their bleeding, and get a larger win on the road than I thought they might.

Murray State 65 - Tenn-Martin 58 = As Joe said, and as I concurred, this is NOT a good sign for his Racers. Yeah, they kept the string going and got the W, but they really should have chased the Skyhawks right out of their nest. They didn't, and I wonder why.

Alabama 69 - Mississippi 67 (2OT) = OK, we're not talking two hoops powers here, and neither may make any noise come March. And true, that's not a lot of points for double-OT. Still, it was a good show, so give 'em both some props.

Missouri 74 - Kansas 71 = And give, reluctantly or not, some props to the Tigers for defending their home court against THE traditional Big 12 Minus 2 power, and forging a 3-way tie with the Jayhawks and Baylor Bears above this disintegrating league.


On Sunday, I begin with:


Miami 78 - Duke 74 (OT) = It is odd when the Blue Devils lose in Cameron. It is odder still when they lose twice. One might forgive the one to Florida State, but to the 'Canes? In Durham? In OT? I'm sure Coach K won't forgive them, or at least won't forget how they've dropped out of a tie for the ACC lead . . . right before they travel to Chapel Hill, no less.

West Virginia 87 - Providence 84 (OT) = I said I expected the Mountaineers to take the Friars on the road, but that anything could happen when you considered how both teams have played (or not played) at times. Well, here you go.

Michigan State 64 - Michigan 54 = I watched much of this game, and still don't understand why it was so close. The Spartans seemed to be dominating in all aspects, yet the Logans held on with their adamantium claws until the end. The game was ugly at times, but fun nonetheless.

Pittsburgh 79 - Villanova 70 = Don't look now, and don't bet on it meaning much over the long haul, but the Panthers have won 4 in a row now. They have enough time, and enough potential victories left on their schedule, to actually re-enter the NCAA discussion again, but they cannot afford many more stumbles. Keep your eye on this team, just to see what happens.

Northwestern 74 - Illinois 70 = This one shocks me almost as much as the Miami/Dook one. OK, the Smarty 'Cats do not suck, and the Illini have holes. But they have been tough in Champaign, and I see little excuse for a lapse like this one.


There are not a lot of games tonight, but there are a few notable ones:


U Conn vs. Louisville = This one's in the KFC Yumi Crum Bucket, but I'm not sure if that means anything much. Both teams have had their ups-and-downs, and either could win . . . due to their own efforts or the lack of same from the opponent. Me, I wouldn't bet this one with YOUR money.

Wofford vs. Davidson = These are two of the better teams in the Southern Conference, and ought to give us a good show down Charlotte way tonight.

Missouri vs. Oklahoma = The Sooners did beat the K-State 'Cats twice, and this is in Norman. Still, you've got to favor the Tigers here by at least 3 or 4 possessions, for unlike Baylor, they have only maybe 3 or 4 squeaker victories so far. :r

Marquette vs. DePaul = The Golden Eagles got spanked by the Irish, and this might be bad news for the Blue Demons. Yet DePaul did beat Pitt (back before that meant anything much, but still), and it is in the Rosemont. If this is a game at the half, it might be one at the end also.


That's all for me for now, so until tomorrow . . . enjoy.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Last night's limited action yielded:


Louisville 80 - U Conn 59 = The way the Cardinals have played on occasion, and the way the Huskies have played once they finished their Homemade Cupcake run, I'm not surprised at the result, even if the margin seems a tad lopsided. Gee, I guess U Conn really is as bad as I thought.

Missouri 71 - Oklahoma 68 = And here's another clue as to why I've my doubts regarding the Mizzou Tigers. Even on the road, a one-possession win over the "meh" Sooners does not lend much credence to their lofty ranking. But on the bright side, they are making a late run at Baylor's string of squeakers. :D

Texas 70 - Texas A&M 68 = Another loss for the Aggies, and in College Station too. This team began with a pre-season ranking of # 20, and I even thought that was reasonable. But they lost their coach, Joe's boy from the Racers Billy Kennedy, to illness before they even started, and are now 12-11 and 3-8. Meanwhile, the 'Horns have started playing better, and still hope to make a late push for a bid in March. Had they the luck of Baylor, they'd already be in . . . UT has LOST 6 games by 5 points or fewer.

Marquette 89 - DePaul 76 = This keeps the Golden Eagles in the hunt for the Big East lead, and they have a fairly easy road through the balance of the regular season. If the Orange, the Hoyas, and the Irish stumble, they could actually steal it.


Tonight also has limited action, but a few important games. OK, ones like Maryland/Clemson, Providence/Villanova, and Alabama/Auburn may be competitive ones amongst BCS-level schools, but they may mean little, compared to:


Florida vs. Kentucky = It's in Rupp, and the Gators have been iffy from time to time. Still, they have to be given a shot at getting the upset here, and as they are about the only competition the 'Cats seem to have in the SEC they should be focused for this test.

Iowa State vs. Oklahoma State = Maybe you haven't noticed, but the Cyclones have huffed-and-puffed their way to a 17-6 and 7-3 record, which is good enough for 4th in the Big 12 Less 2 Conference. A few more wins and they'll earn an at large, and this one in Stillwater is a good chance for one.

Creighton vs. Evansville = Can the Bluejays bounce back from the loss to Northern Iowa that broke their loooong winning streak? Likely, as the Aces . . . well, aren't.

Purdue vs. Ohio State = And can the Boilermakers stun the Buckeyes in Columbus? Ehhh, yeah, I guess they maybe could. Yet as that would really be a stunner, I would not hold my breath.


That's it for now. See you later. Enjoy.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

With less than 5 minutes left, the Gators look MUCH worse than iffy, down 20 points. Good H1, but the Cats really kicked it up in H2.

Don't look now, but the Murray State Racers are ranked higher than the dook Blue Devils!!! Be on the alert; pigs MAY begin flying at any moment :r:D:banger. Wow! 2 home losses. The Tobacco Road Duel is going to be interesting.

Nice win for the Cards, and Uconn looks horrible.

Marquette is kinda looking good, and here's Pitt trying to kick-start the season. I kinds like the Irish though. I think they will be dangerous, come Dance time.

I think the Racers are playing to the level of their competition, a dangerous game to play. St. Marys is going to be a harsh test, especially in the paint. The guard play will have to be superb to have a shot here.

I look at the top 25, and think, "they're in there???". Interesting season.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

The Mountain West is tough this year. And playing in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming are tough road games....

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Again, no argument from me. As for that Racers/Gaels Bracket Buster that WILL be your boys first loss if they continue to play down to their competition. St. Mary's has been here before, and will not be complacent. I'm not sure I can say the same for Murray State in either regard. Should be fun, admittedly.


Your Aztecs may have benefitted some last year by catching opponents by surprise also. They were not expected to be that good. Once you gain a reputation, you paint a target on your back.

Update shortly, I hope.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

In one way or another, each of these scores from last night are surprising, beginning with:


Kentucky 78 - Florida 58 = It's no shock at all the 'Cats won in Rupp, but for the Gators to be so ineffective does surprise me somewhat. I figured they could at least make a competitive game of it, and not a practice scrimmage.

Oklahoma State 69 - Iowa State 67 = The Cowboys derail the Cyclones in their push for respect, and I'm shocked they did not take advantage of this opportunity in Stillwater against lesser opposition. Still, it was not the biggest upset of the evening, which was instead . . .

Evansville 65 - Creighton 57 = What? The Aces top the Bluejays, and improve to .500 twice with their 12-12 and 7-7 marks? What? I can make no sense of this at all, and Creighton has as little excuse as Dook did against Miami Sunday. Pitiful, just pitiful.

Ohio State 87 - Purdue 84 = Yeah, OK, I guess I did say the Boilermakers could maybe sorta have a chance in Columbus against the Buckeyes. Still, for them to come this close to a HUGE upset . . . well, moral victories don't count in the standings, but it does count in my book.


Tonight's action has a few games of marginal interest, beginning with:


Penn State vs. Michigan State = Last year the Nittany Lions gained at least a little late respect by winning some games they were not supposed to. Those wins have been fewer this season, and I would not expect them to take this one in East Lansing from a superior (albeit flawed) Spartan squad.

Florida State vs. Boston College = And even though this one's in Chestnut Hill, I wouldn't give the Eagles a snowball's chance against the red-hot 'Noles.

Kansas vs. Baylor = Therefore, skip those two games and watch this match-up in Waco instead. The Jayhawks lost a heartbreaker to Mizzou to put them into a 3-way tie for the league lead with those Tigers and these Bears. This one is not only huge in the regional sense, but on the national level as well.

Pittsburgh vs. South Florida = And this one . . . not so much. But if you're like me, you want to see if the Panthers can continue their late push against the Bulls tonight. This ought to be a tight and competitive fight to the finish.

Georgetown vs. Syracuse = As should this one, which pits two of the best of The Beast against each other in the Dome. No doubt the line goes to the Orange at home, but I'd say you may as well flip a coin. The Hoyas seem to be the only team trying to challenge 'Cuse in the conference race, and should be ready to play. As they are young, and subject to excitement, that could be a bad thing. So keep an eye on this one, for if it's close at the half it will be close at the end.

Wake Forest vs. Virginia = And this should be over by the half. Still, remember the Cavs did lose to the Hokies at home, and VT's not all that much better than the Deacs.

Michigan vs. Nebraska = The Wolverines are better than the Cornhuskers, but as I've said often this season they do have trouble scoring the ball. You can win games in the 60s, true . . . if you hold the other guy in the 50s, however. I can't see that being a big problem, but you never know.

Notre Dame vs. West Virginia = The Mountaineers got hot for a while, then cooled off somewhat. They are still pretty good. By contrast, the Irish has made more noise recently, with wins over Syracuse, U Conn, and Marquette. Hey, if they can take those guys, they can take WVA, even in Morgantown. But you gotta do it first. Both teams want this badly, and it should be fun, though maybe not as much fun as our nightcap . . .

Duke vs. North Carolina = Do I really need to say any more than that? OK, if you insist. The Heels need a win to stay tied atop the ACC with FSU, since they cannot reasonably expect any help from BC tonight. The Blue Devils REALLY need a win tonight, for following their loss to the 'Canes they are in eminent danger of falling out of that race entirely with a third conference loss . . . which would not only tie them with 3 others in the L-column, but with games still remaining at FSU and hosting UNC would make wins there absolute necessities, barring outside help from someone. True, Carolina has the harder row to hoe from here out, for after this game they host UVA, visit Miami, host Clemson (ehh), then visit NCSU and UVA before hosting the Terps and ending at Dook. Hey, would you want that schedule? I make no prediction here. Let's just toss it up and let them settle it in the Dean Dome tonight.


That's gonna be it for now. I hope you enjoy this evening's fare. Me, I won't know about that until about 11 PM. :r

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Man, a tough one to lose for the Hoyas. Overtime and played Cuse tight. Really wanted that one.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

We finally have our superstar. Austin Rivers for president.


I know Carolina is a better team but dammit that was awesome.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Hey, I don't wanna hear it, considering . . .


Indeed, just one more verse in the epic poem of Duke/Carolina.


More to follow.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Duke/Carolina!!...what a game...woke my wife up, 2 floors up, when Rivers hit that trey!!:tu

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

I woke her up long before that, and jumped out the window when you whooped. :r (That's for bustin' my stones, Keith! ;) )


Though I don't feel all that talkative today, lemme do this, starting with:


Duke 85 - North Carolina 84 = The Heels had this one in their pocket, and Dook took it away from them. Hey, it's happened before, both ways. A great win for the Blue Devils to steal, and they needed it after that Miami fiasco. As for Carolina, the only thing that even partly saved the night was . . .

Boston College 64 - Florida State 60 = That result above should not have shocked anybody who knows jack about college hoops, but this is a stunner. The Seminoles could have grabbed the ACC lead for themselves, but due to this huge upset there is again a 3-way tie atop the league between the Big Dawgs, with NCSU and UVA both just a game behind. Fun fun fun! As for BC, well I guess they deserve a little fun this year too.


Syracuse 64 - Georgetown 61 (OT) = I can see why Hoya fans would be disturbed by this, but take solace in the fact that this young team has played well above expectations and acquitted themselves admirably against the Orange on their court. It only bodes well for their future. Good win for 'Cuse however.

Kansas 68 - Baylor 54 = And a good win for the Jayhawks in Waco too.

South Florida 63 - Pittsburgh 51 = Either the Panthers took a step backwards, or the Bulls got themselves another nice victory. They do that, several times each year.

Notre Dame 55 - West Virginia 51 = As do the Irish, and this one on the road counts as another.


Tonight:


Mississippi vs. Mississippi State = Could be a pretty decent in-state rivalry game in Starkville, though without the import of the one in Chapel Hill last night.

N. C. State vs. Georgia Tech = Jerry 'Pack has 17 wins so far, and at 6-3 are still in the ACC race. They may have already earned an at-large, though a few more wins would ice it. Here's a great shot at one in Atlanta tonight.

Wisconsin vs. Minnesota = And this Big Ten+ battle should be a close battle, with post-season import for both teams.

Tennessee State vs. Murray State = Joe's Racers may get a bit of a game at home tonight, but if they can regain some of the focus they've let slip lately they ought to prevail by 3 or 4 possessions.

Illinois vs. Indiana = It's hard to tell whose going to show up on any given night with either of these two. In Bloomington I'd give the Hoosiers an edge, but the Illini are capable of making it one hell of a game.

Colorado vs. Arizona = And this should be one hell of a fight in the desert for two of the better Pac-12 teams. Even in Tucson, the Buffs have a good chance of skinning the 'Cats. I'd flip a coin on this one.

Virginia Tech vs. Miami = The 'Canes got their signature win Sunday, and at 14-7 and 5-3 they even have a shot for at-large consideration. But they need to build on that upset of Dook, and cannot stumble against the Hokies here. This could get interesting.

St. Mary's vs. Gonzaga = And this will almost certainly be interesting in Spokane late tonight. The Big Boys on the Left Coast may be "meh" squads, but there are several mid-majors who can hoop with the best. Here's two of them. I'm not sure my head can follow my heart, which picks the Gaels over the Zags, so bet this one at your own peril.


That's about all I can stands for one night, and likely you feel the same. Enjoy.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

OK, I guess I'd best start with what's the biggest news of last night, that being:


Tennessee State 72 - Murray State 68 = And then there were none. I figured the Tigers might give Joe's Racers a game, but I also thought MSU would have learned from surviving a few scares that they needed to close out games. Apparently they haven't, and blew a late lead to drop their first one of the season. Furthermore, they STILL had a chance to pull it out late, but played the sloppiest last 10 seconds you've seen in a loooong time. It started with a stolen pass off an inbounds with the Racers down one, followed by a loose-ball foul off a fumbled dribble, with THAT followed with a fullcourt baseball pass that went to the stands. Pundits are asking if Murray State jinxed itself by printing T-shirts proclaiming them the "last of the unbeaten" . . . much like Syracuse jinxed themselves with their "20-0" shirts earlier this year. Yeah, OK. And the real reason they lost is that Joe forgot to turn his cap inside out. :D (That's also the likely reason Middle Tennessee State also won over Western Kentucky last night, thus making it a miserable night for Joe.) Regardless, congratulations to Murray State for getting this deep into the season without a loss.

N. C. State 61 - Georgia Tech 52 = Not an unexpected victory for Jerry's Wolfpack, considering how crappy the Wreck is this year, but one that may have sealed an at-large for State. As this would be their first trip to the NCAAs since they (wrongly, IMHO) fired Herb Sendek, this is big in Raleigh.

Wisconsin 68 - Minnesota 61 (OT) = A very good, hard-fought battle, which unsurprisingly either team could have won. The one odd thing about this game is that the Badgers managed to score only 19 points in the 2nd half, yet tallied 17 in OT. WTF?

Indiana 84 - Illinois 71 = Nothing unexpected here, and maybe the young Hoosiers have gotten their second wind.

Arizona 71 - Colorado 57 = Though I'm not surprised the Desert 'Cats won in Tucson, I did expect more of a challenge from the Buffs. But that's my problem, not yours or theirs. What is germaine is that this result ties these two for 2nd place in the Pac-12 at 8-4, along with . . .

Oregon 82 - Washington 57 = . . . the Ducks, who spanked the Huskies to make that a 3-way for 2nd place. And as for those Huskies, this decisive loss drops them to 9-2 and into a 2-way tie for 1st with . . .

California 75 - USC 49 = . . . da Bears. So what's with all the blowouts in the Pac-12 last night? Or maybe it was for the entire Left Coast, considering . . .

Gonzaga 73 - St. Mary's 59 = Again, I'm not so much surprised by the result as I am with the margin of victory. A good win for the 'Zags, and a pretty ugly performance by the Gaels. And speaking of the Gaels . . .


Tonight's very limited action includes:


Iona vs. Loyola (MD) = Believe it or not, the all-but unknown Greyhounds are tied with the Gaels for 1st place in the MAAC with their identical 11-2 records. I should not need say more as to the importance of this game. One less important in a conference race is . . .

Wisc. Milwaukee v.s Detroit = . . . because the Horizon race seems to involve only Valpo and Cleveland State. Yet this should be a very good game between well-matched teams. Still, if you want to concentrate on those with true league-meaning, you can choose either . . .

Harvard vs. Penn = In the Palestra, so you have to give the 4-1 Quakers a shot at knocking off the 6-0 Crimson. And if they can manage to give Haa'vaad their first Ivy loss, it could move them into a tie with their arch-enemy . . .

Yale vs. Cornell = . . . for with the Eli at 5-1, they too are part of the hotly-contested Ivy race. And keep in mind that the Ivy has NO conference tourney and NEXT TO NO chance of getting more than a single NCAA bid, so each and every league game is almost a must. This is in Ithaca, but unlike the Crimson the Big Red pretty much suck, so I'd go with the Yalies here.


That's gonna be it for me tonight. I'd planned on previewing some early games tomorrow, but with a 300+ million dollar Powerball drawing I've been bugger every couple of minutes with pennyante gamblers who actually think they got a snowball's chance. However, speaking of snowballs, it's supposed to snow a bit tonight, so maybe I'll be slow enough tomorrow to do some work here . . . meaning here on this thread, not here at work. Hey, if I wanted to work, I'd get a REAL job, right? Until later then, enjoy.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Big game for the Aztecs in Vegas. It should be a great game either way. Mountain West is tough this year.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Well, at least they lost at home, where the crowd's not gonna shout "over-rated" -(P. Tough loss for the Racers, and they actually played the best H1 I've seen from them in a few games. Then go up by 13 early in H2, and I caught the faint whiff of the brakes, and a shift into cruise control. While there were some calls that no home team should be on the end of (horrible "contact" call with an emmy nomination by TSU's leading scorer, and the "foul" against Caanan in the last 15 secs as he drove in and the ball was knocked away and he knocked to the floor), the Racers BLEW it. Several minutes w/o a FG; not hitting freebies; lack of offense from the bench and EVERYONE else but Caanan. When TSU took the lead and at the 3:30 mark, I could see panic in their eyes AND their play ( we lucked into front row bench seats). The 1st year coach showed his inexperience with the serious lack of any plan on 2 inbounds plays with less than 30 secs left (although we almost caught the across-the-court-pass). My hat's off to TSU players and staff for coming in and being a road team giant killer. They deserved to win.

Quite simply, the Racers bought the hype, and thought the swagger would win the season out. TSU did them a BIG favor, I think/hope. Also hope we stay out of the top 20 till after the Dance. Now, let's start another win streak :banger. Tough 2 weeks coming up.

Well, Harvard has popped Penn.
Looking forward to seeing UK/Vandy tomorrow. I know Vandy's all over the place, but I will not be surprised to see a 2nd Cats loss here.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Thanks for the play-by-play, Joe. I agree that a team can often learn more from a loss than a win, if they are capable of learning. And as the OVC may not get an at-large (whether they deserve one or not), it is important your Racers close out the season and league tourney, and forget about rankings and streaks. Play them one at a time, brother. :tu

Aside from that 'Cats/Comms game, there are a lot of big games today. I'll try to get back ASAP with some of those.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

I picked four games from the slim pickin's last night, and hit gold with them all:


Harvard 56 - Penn 50 = As Joe observed earlier, the Crimson took out the Quakers, though I'd opine calling it a "pop" is a bit of a stretch. :D But they did what they needed to do to take control of the Ivy for now, as the win put them 2 1/2 up over Penn, as well as . . .

Cornell 85 - Yale 84 (OT) = A full 2 over the Eli following this upset at Ithaca to the Big Red. I am truly shocked that Yale could not take this one.

Loyola (MD) 87 - Iona 81 = And I'm a bit shocked that the Greyhounds beat the Gaels, but mainly because I've paid not attention to them so far this season, so they've snuck up on me out of nowhere. This huge win for them puts these 'Dawgs atop the MAAC.

Detroit 58 - Wisc. Milwaukee 57 = Aside from being the good tight contest I expected, this may have little import. Yet it is fun, when you consider this result makes it a 4-way tie for 3rd place in the Horizon. This race may also be affected by the first game I'll note below.


Early action today includes:


Butler 52 - Cleveland State 49 = This early final affects that Horizon race, as the Bulldogs were part of that 3rd place tie before this big win over the Vikings . . . which also knocked them down out of a loss-column tie with Valpo.

Louisville vs. West Virginia = At this moment it's just past halftime in Morgantown, with the Mountaineers up 10 over the psycho Cardinals. Anything can still happen, and I expect a war before it's done. If not, Pitino will be cheesed.

DePaul vs. Notre Dame = And midway through the 2nd the Irish are up a couple buckets over the Blue Demons. Again, anything can happen, as both teams have played good and bad games this year. I'd favor ND in South Bend, but their recent push may have made them complacent.

Virginia vs. North Carolina = The Heel have NO reason to be complacent in Chapel Hill, even before they p!$$ed away that Dook game. This one seems slow in starting, but I always only ask two things from my Tar Heels . . . the lead, and the ball. With that, I'm happy. UNC need a win to stay in that tie atop the ACC, and the Cavs need it to stay in touch with that. I'll keep you posted, you can believe that.

Miami vs. Florida State = The Seminoles dropped that shocker to BC, and also need a win to stay with the Heels and Blue Devils. Meanwhile, the 'Canes have one signature win on the road over Dook, and another at FSU today may punch them a ticket come March. This one could be fun, as well as important.

U. Conn vs. Syracuse = And even though the Huskies have come 'way back down to earth, they are capable of giving the Orange a contest in the Dome. At the moment it's tied, but it's too early to attribute any meaning to that.

AR Little Rock vs. Middle Tennessee State = And why would I put these two No-Names in with the Big Boys? Well, this is a huge game in the Sun Belt Conference, so in all fairness we ought to give them some thought.

Baylor vs. Missouri = Just as we ought to give these two some thought. Yeah, I know I've been busting on both of them all year as being over-ranked, yet the importance of this game on the conference and national levels is large. I'm hoping for a good one here.


I'll be back a bit later with updates and later games. Bye for now.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Another early final:


Notre Dame 84 - DePaul 76 = A pretty good game on both sides, and another nice win for the Irish.

WVA still leads Louisville with about 3 left, but only by one possession. Speaking of one possession, FSU's up that over Miami at the break, as is my Heels over the Cavs.


As is normal, I can't cover all the upcoming games. Here's my picks:


Kansas State vs. Texas = This has all the makings of a battle. K-State's been iffy of late, and UT's been a little better. Should be fun in Austin.

Saint Louis vs. LaSalle = There's a logjam near the top of the A-10, and these two are in the midst of it. It's huge for them both. Me, I'll favor the Billikens, mainly because I like typing "Billikens" instead of all the Wildcats, Tigers, and Bears I usually get. Oh my!

VCU vs. ODU = As above, the Rams are in a 3-way for 1st in the Colonial, with ODU just one back. Need I say more?

Cincinnati vs. Marquette = A key Big East battle for these two "also-rans" for the league's elite.

Tennessee vs. Florida = I've learned not to have a lot of faith in the Gators, but I have even less in the Vols. Hey, strange things happen, but I don't think it shall here.

California vs. UCLA = Remember me speaking of bears above? Well, the Golden ones need to take care of the Bruins down in La-La to stay in the Pac-12 lead.

Maryland vs. Duke = And the Blue Devils need to defend home turf against the Terps to do the same in the ACC. If they're not still too jazzed by that win in Chapel Hill, they should be able to.

Oklahoma State vs. Kansas = I can't give the Cowboys much of a shot against the Jayhawks in Lawrence, can you?

San Diego State vs. UNLV = As Larry noted above, this is a huge game for the Aztecs against the Runnin' Rebels, and one that could go either way. You can pick one if you choose, but it's a gamble. But it is in Vegas, so you're in the right place for one.

Wichita State vs. Creighton = And here's another big game, with the two best teams in the MVC facing off in Omaha for the league lead. The Shockers hold it at this moment (21-4, 12-2), but just barely over the Bluejays (21-4, 11-3). For a "small" conference, they don't get much bigger.

Washington State vs. Oregon = When one considers how the Pac-12 has been slipping towards "small" status in hoops lately, you might think this one's huge too. Well, for the Ducks it is.

Michigan State vs. Ohio State = And here's another "small" conference match-up for you. :D With the Spartans 8-3 and the Buckeyes 9-2 in Big Ten+ play, they don't get a lot bigger. I'd give MSU a chance in Columbus, but they'd better bring their A game.

Harvard vs. Princeton = The Tigers don't look like they're going to compete for the Ivy this year, but they may be able to muddy the waters some if they can upset the Crimson in Jadwin Gym. You know they'd like to play spoilers, again, so this may be some fun.

Austin Peay vs. Murray State = Will Joe's Racers rebound from their first loss of the season? Well, if they can't beat the crappy Governors, they ought to just up and quit.

Xavier vs. Temple = And here's another key game in the jammed-up A-10, with the X-Men fully capable of knocking the Owls down into the rest of the pack . . . if they have exorcised the bad karma still floating around them from that Cincy brawl.

Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt = OK, it's in Nashville, on that funky floating court suspended above the benches. OK, the Commodores have won a few big games. But do you really think they've shown enough consistency to pick them over the 'Cats? I'm not a gambling man, and certainly not a UK fan, but if you do I'll take some of that action.

Santa Clara vs. St. Mary's = The Left Coast Gaels got spanked pretty badly by Gonzaga, and may just take it out on the Broncos late tonight. As those Broncs have been whipped more than once already, and are pretty well broken, I'd expect as much.


One final while I was typing all that crap above:


Louisville 77 = West Virginia 74 = The Cardinals do just enough late to take this one, and hand the Mountaineers another heartbreaker. Not a bad game, if you like Big Mouth basketball. :r


Back a little later, guys. I gotta keep an eye on my Heels for a bit now.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Only one more final so far, though a few are getting close:


North Carolina 70 - Virginia 52 = An ugly, ugly ugly win for the Heels. Neither team could shoot worth a doodly-squat from the field. But it does bounce them back from that Duke fiasco, and put the Cavs a bit out-of-reach in the ACC for now. And FYI, John Henson again dunked the ball at the end, like he did against the Terps, and so has likely p!$$ed them off as well. :r


Lunch time. I'll return shortly with some more scores and some Sunday games too.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

As promised, or threatened, here's some more early finals:


Florida State 64 - Miami 59 = The 'Canes made a game of it, but were unable to help out my Tar Heels by stealing this one. On the bright side, they were also unable to help Dook too.

Syracuse 85 - U Conn 67 = Though I'd hoped for a slightly better game, I'm not shocked at the outcome. The Huskies have now lost 8 of their last 11 games, lost their head coach due to health issues, and lost their appeal to the NCAA to allow them to swap regular-season games in exchange for a post-season ban imposed in 2013 for sanctions following their abysmal academic standing. Not a good time to be in Storrs, I'd imagine.

Missouri 72 - Baylor 57 = And though not as precipitous as with U Conn, the Bears have now lost 4 or their last 8 contests. Seem to me I kept saying that, once cupcake-time was over, so would be Baylor.

Georgia 70 - Mississippi State 68 (OT) = This would have been a shocker in Athens, but in Starkville, it's just nuts.


Sunday's limited action includes:


Pittsburgh vs. Seton Hall = Aside from being important when it comes to future positioning in the Big East tourney, we have two teams squarly on the bubble here. A few wins or losses here or there will spell the difference, so I'd look for a war in this one. Besides, most of us are curious to see if Pitt can actually get its act together, before it's too late.

Illinois vs. Michigan = And I'd assume both these are safely off the bubble, on the plus side. Still, it's two pretty good Big Ten teams head-to-head, and either one can win this game. As I'm wary of the Wolverines' scoring woes, I'd not expect a huge margin either direction.

St. John's vs. Georgetown = And I'd assume both of THESE are safely off the bubble too, yet on differing sides. The Red Storm seems to have blown out to sea, and the Hoyas have done much more than expected. If this one in DC's still a contest with 10 minutes left, I'd be surprised.

Washington vs. Oregon State = Yeah, seems like nobody much cares about the Pac-12 anymore, but that does not mean this one ain't huge, particularly for the Huskies on the road.

Northwestern vs. Purdue = And now we're back on that damned bubble again. I could see one, or both, or neither of these two getting an at-large, so every game down the stretch could be the deciding factor. You figure they have a better chance grabbing Ws against the also-rans as opposed to the kingpins, so you can also figure they will be focused for this one.


I may be back today, I may not see you until Monday. In either case, enjoy.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

This one was a lot closer than anticipated. The final score is not indicative of how close this game was.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Did the Hoyas play down to their competition, Kevin, or did the Johnnies play up?


Regular update shortly.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

OK, let's try to do this now. There were a lot of good close games, and too many to cover, so I'll again just hit the ones I feel most notable:


Texas 75 - Kansas State 64 = For a while these two teams were headed in different directions. Guess what? They still are. The 'Horns have won three in a row, and the Prairie 'Cats have lost 3 of their last 5 games. With 6-6 records, they are presently tied for 5th in the Big12Minus2 Conference. Both may get to Dance, but neither may Dance for long.

Charleston 86 - Davidson 78 = Though CoC's not been bad this year, they're not as good as they've been in the past. The Wildcats have been the class of the Southern Conference, but have stumbled a few times lately. Either one of these can get hot and make a run to the NCAAs, or get cold and fall flat. Keep an eye on this.

Tennessee 75 - Florida 70 = One of several big "upsets" this weekend, and one I would not have called. Yes, the Gators have been spotty, and the Vols have had a good win or three. But for UT to beat this ranked team in Gainesville? Beats me too.

UNLV 65 - San Diego State 63 = The sort of tough game Larry and I expected, and the tough loss Larry was hoping his Aztecs could avoid.

Wichita State 89 - Creighton 68 = Another "upset", though in my eyes only by the sizable margin by the Shockers on the road. And if you've followed college hoops, you know these two have been dooking it out like Dook/Carolina for decades, so it's really not a shocker at all.

Michigan State 58 - Ohio State 48 = But this one may be one, not so much for the Spartan win but for the fact the Buckeyes could not break 50 on their own court. Yet take nothing away from MSU's great win.

Princeton 70 - Harvard 62 = And take nothing away from this Tiger one in Jadwin Gym. Princeton may not be going anywhere this year, but you know they love to spoil things for the Crimson.

Youngstown State 71 - Valparaiso 53 = Much like that MSU/OSU one above, the result's not as surprising as is the margin. Valpo's been not all that much better a team, yet a spanking like this was not expected.

Kentucky 69 - Vanderbilt 63 = Do you give the Comms any props for making a decent game of this? Me, I won't give them much, considering how many times they've already disappointed me this year. On the other hand, it's hard to give much props to the 'Cats either. Yeah, they won. Good for them. But even on the road, the "best team in the country" should have maybe done better against one that's struggled as much as Vandy.


And speaking of struggling, on Sunday we saw:


Seton Hall 73 - Pittsburgh 66 = The Panthers looked for a week or so that they'd finally found their game. Well, apparently they haven't. Meanwhile, after losing 6 in a row, the Pirates are trying to make a late push for an at-large. As the Selection Committee may again give a .500 . . . or sub. . . . Big Mouth team a bid (the Hall's 6-7 in conference play), they do have a shot, if they don't blow it over the next few weeks.

Michigan 70 - Illinois 61 = And speaking of sub .500 in league play, the Illini are midpack in the Big Ten+ at 5-7, and with 5 of their last 6 being potential tough ones (Purdue, OSU, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin) they are in danger of getting that kiss-from-your-sis NIT invite.

Georgetown 71 - St. John's 61 = I did not see this one, so don't know if it was truly as close as Kevin says (though I've no reason to doubt him). As for me, I'll take a 10-point win any day. Yeah, the Johnnies have pretty much stunk this year, but remember they do have some young talent that did win as Cincinnati and at home over West Virginia, so they can hoop a bit . . . from time to time, anyway. Hey, on any given night, right?


And tonight's few games include a couple worth noting:


Syracuse vs. Louisville = Can Pitino's Cards get up for the Orange in the Crum Bucket, and get that one signature win they've failed to so far? (Hey, at this point it's hard to count those against Vandy, Pitt, or U Conn :D ) Maybe. They have enough talent, and Rick does know how to bust up that zone. This could be fun.

Iowa State vs. Baylor = And even though this one's in Waco, this one could be fun also. The Bears may have had their confidence shaken lately, and the Cyclones have played quite well on occasion. It's at least worth keeping watch on, for a half or so anyway, to see how things are shakin'.

MeNeese State vs. Northwestern State = Say what? Who? Well, these two look to be amongst the class of the Southland, with the Cowboys at 8-2 and the Demons at 7-4 in the East Division, good for 1st and a tie for 2nd place. And I'll let you find out for yourself which one's the Cowboys and which the Demons, and which one's hosting in Natchitoches. Where? :r

Mississippi Valley State vs. Southern = And this one pitting the 12-0 Delta Devils against the 9-3 Jaguars is a key one in the Southwestern Athletic Conference race. Yeah, you and I might not give a damn, but rest assured somebody does.

Kansas vs. Kansas State = In fact, you may not give a damn about this one either. The Jayhawks no longer have a stranglehold on the Big12NoMore lead, being tied at 10-2 with the Mizzou Tigers. And the 'Cats aren't going to challenge either one of those, as they've slipped into that mid-pack tie mentioned above with the 'Horns at 6-6. Still, this is in Manhattan, not Lawrence, and I also have been led to understand that these two teams don't much care for each other. The knives might come out tonight.


That's all for now. Enjoy.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

FYI, I did my regular update, but when I clicked Post Reply it would not load, would not load, would not load, would not load . . . then it went away.

Hell, I ain't doing it again. ;s :td

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

OK, let me do this quick and dirty, and hopefully it won't get lost in the ozone today. Monday scores of some note:


Syracuse 52 - Louisville 51 = A disappointing loss for the Cardinals, and maybe even a disappointing win for the Orange, though better than a loss.

Baylor 79 - Iowa State 64 = The Bears bounce back from the skinning they took from Mizzou.

Kansas 59 - Kansas State 53 = Not quite the offensive offensive of the 'Cuse/L'ville game, and not a very impressive win for the Jayhawks over the struggling 'Cats, even in Manhattan.


Last night gave us a few big upsets, if there's really any such thing in college hoops:


Clemson 60 - Virginia 48 = Littlejohn's almost as tough a place to play as is Cameron or the Dean Dome, and the Tigers took advantage of a Cav team that again could not shoot the ball.

TCU 102 - UNLV 97 (OT) = Wow. I may not be a huge believer in the Rebels, but I never thought the Horned Frogs could take them. Honestly, did you?

LSU 69 - Mississippi State 67 (OT) = This one's not nearly as big a shock to me. True, the Bulldogs came into it at 19-6, but had lost 3 of their last 7 games. This makes 4 of 8 now, which for you mathematically-challenged ones is 50%.

Texas 69 - Oklahoma 58 = And even in Norman I'm not surprised at this. The 'Horns continue to make their late move towards an at-large.

Florida 61 - Alabama 52 = With both teams hobbled by suspensions and injuries, this was a toss-up. The Gators rebound from what must have been an embarrassing loss to the crappy Volunteers.

Seton Hall 94 - St. John's 64 = Are the Pirates for real, or is it that the Johnnies just suck? Maybe, and almost certainly.


Tonight:


Northwestern vs. Indiana = The Hoosiers have earned national ranking . . . or have they? Yes, they have won a lot more games than was predicted, but don't forget they are only 7-6 in Big Ten+ play. I give the Smarty 'Cats at least half-a-shot at an upset in Bloomington to drop IU to .500.

Rutgers vs. Notre Dame = And I'll even give the Scarlet Knights a half-a-half-a-shot at an upset over the Irish in South Bend. No, I don't think it's gonna happen, but I also don't think ND's good enough to be consistent night after night.

Detroit vs. Wright State = A big game in a smaller conference, which may mean it means even more.

North Carolina vs. Miami = The Heels have been spotty, and more so on the road. Yeah, they ought to beat the 'Canes handily. However, if Miama could beat Dook in Durham, they can also beat Carolina in Coral Gables.

Murray State vs. SE Missouri State = Has Joe's Racers learned their lesson? If not, I could see a tight one on the road tonight.

Purdue vs. Illinois = At 16-9 each, both of these are bubblicious for now. The Illini have the signature wins (Gonzaga, OSU, MSU), but have lost 6 of 7 lately. The Boilermakers don't have those good wins (unless you count one over Illinois) and have lost 6 of their last 10 games. Big as this is for both, you're best off if you flip a coin.

Oklahoma State vs. Missouri = Hey, if TCU can beat UNLV, the Cowboys can beat the Tigers. They WON'T, but they can.

New Mexico vs. San Diego State = The Aztecs face another tough challenge here, and could drop their 2nd in a row. At present they are tied with the Lobos for the Mountain West lead at 6-2, with the Runnin' Rebels just 1/2-back at 6-3 (thanks to those TCU Frogs). This should be a dogfight.

Loyola Marymount vs. St. Mary's = And this could be one also. LM's not as good as the Gaels, who are at home to boot, but they can hoop enough to make a game of it.


I could give you more, but if it goes away again I've just wasted more of my time . . . not to mention yours. So I'll see you later. Enjoy.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

OK, this is weird. I just went to Yahoo to check the latest RPI rankings, as it takes at least this long in the season for it to begin to make even the slightest bit of sense. Well, I don't know why, but at this moment they list at the top of the rating:

Nebraska Omaha!!


:confused:


They apparently have a 10-16 overall record, and against other rated teams they are 0-2 against RPI 1-50 teams, 0-1 against 51-100, 0-2 against 101-150, 0-0 against 151-200, and 1-8 against 200+ teams. I'm assuming their other 9 wins came against non-D1 squads.

Somebody's screwed up badly here, and it wasn't me this time. :r

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Many of last night's game were about what you'd expect, so I'm limiting my notes to:


Indiana 71 - Northwestern 66 = The 'Cats hung tough in Bloomington, but the Hoosiers and little brother Zeller did enough to get the win. Maybe their mid-season slump is over, and they've gotten a second wind.

Murray State 75 - SE Missouri State 66 = Unless I'm mistaked, Joe, this should clinch the regular season league championship for your Racers. I'm not sure what that gets you, however, since the NCAA may still insist you win the tournament to get a ticket to the Dance. I'm also not sure how I feel about that either, as it's both unfair if it happens, and unfair to a bubble-team that's played a tougher schedule who gets left out in the cold if the OVC gets an at-large.

North Carolina 73 - Miami 64 = Most of the Heels' wins have come off of outscoring and outrebounding opponents. Last night UNC again struggle from the field, and the 'Canes kept the battle of the boards close too. Thus the Heels had to win on the defensive end, making key stops and scoring off forced turnovers. I guess in a way that's a good thing, but I'd REALLY like to see them put it all together at least ONCE this year! Still, a W's a W, and at 9-2 it puts UNC 1/2-game up in the ACC.

Tennessee 77 - Arkansas 58 = And what's up with the Vols all of a sudden? They have won 5 of their last 6, with their only loss in that stretch being AT Kentucky, and improve to 14-12 and 6-5. They may need to run the table to earn an at-large at this point, or make that run in the SEC Tourney, but at least the folks in Knoxville have something to cheer about . . . for now.

Purdue 67 - Illinois 62 = On the other side of that coin, the Illini are in freefall, and Bruce Weber's on the hotseat for it. Since they got that huge win over Ohio State, Illinois has lost 7 of 8, and that one win was by a single point over MSU, an ugly 42-41 "triumph". Meanwhile the Boilermakers continue their late push for an at-large, improving to 17-9 and 7-6. I can see at least 2 more Ws in their future, hosting Nebraska and Penn State. They have no signature wins so far, yet they do have 3 more shots at that too, hosting MSU and at Michigan and Indiana. Should be interesting.

New Mexico 77 - San Diego State 67 = Did I not tell you the Aztecs could lose their 2nd in a row? The Lobos grab the Mountain West lead, and in San Diego to boot.

Loyola-Marymount 75 - St. Mary's 60 = And did I not also tell you LM could hoop enough to give the Gaels problems on THEIR homecourt. Yet even I did not expect such a lop-sided victory as this one was.


Tonight has some very important games, including:


Wisconsin vs. Michigan State = The Badgers are 4th in the Big Ten+ race at 8-4, with the Spartans in 2nd at 9-3, with the Buckeyes a whole 1/2-game on top at 10-3. Need I say any more about the vitalness of this for both teams? Yeah, both likely have bids already, but still.

Virginia Tech vs. Florida State = And the Seminoles need this one to regain a tie with the Tar Heels atop the ACC. I can't give the Hokies much of a shot for the upset down in Tallahassee, but I can always hope for the best. :D

West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh = At this point of the season I'm just curious about both these squads. Neither may Dance in March, or at least not for long if they do, but as both have good traditions and "meh" performance . . . well, as I said, I'm curious. Ain't you?

N. C. State vs. Duke = Like FSU above, the Blue Devils need the win to get back into that tie with UNC. But the Wolfpack may need this even more. They do have records of 18-7 and 7-3, which puts them alone in 4th place behind those Big Boys, and which one might think would assure them an at-large already. But their RPI is fairly low (around 50 the last I looked), and their win over Indiana 'way back on Nov. 30 can't be counted as a signature win, as the Hoosiers hadn't found their footing at that point. It would be great for Jerry's 'Pack to get one, and if they don't get it tonight in Durham they can try again in their next two chances in Raleigh . . . against FSU and UNC. If you look at the Big Picture for all 4 teams, you see how huge this could be.

Arizona vs. Washington State = And this could be as huge in the equally-logjammed Pac12. The Desert 'Cats are in a 3-way tie for 3rd in the league at 9-4, a full game behind Cal and Washington at 10-3. Couple this with . . .

Oregon vs. California = In Berkeley, where the Golden Bears have only lost twice all year (which is maybe twice too many, but whatever), and with the Ducks being another of those 3rd-place 9-4 squads, and with . . .

Arizona State vs. Washington = The Huskies almost assured of a victory at home against the putrid Sun Devils, and you can see what a big night it will be on the Left Coast this evening.

Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi = I threw this in for much the same reason I did the WVU/Pitt one . . . because I'm curious. Yeah, maybe Vandy's been a bit better than those 2 Big Mouth Conference teams, yet they've been no more consistent. By this time of the year one normally knows if a team's for real or not, but the Comms still have me baffled . . . though I'm leaning towards NOT.

Gonzaga vs. Santa Clara = The stumble by St. Mary's last night has opened the door for the Bulldogs to steal the WCC from them late. A win over Santa Clara tonight would put the 'Zags just a game behind the Gaels, and even-up on the loss-side. I don't expect the Broncos can defend their home court tonight, as they pretty much suck this year.


That's gonna be all for me for now. Enjoy.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Oh, and I forgot to tell you, Nebraska-Omaha beat Nebraska-Kearney 85-68 last night to improve to 11-16 and retain their spot on top of the RPI Ratings . . . according to Yahoo, anyway. :r

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Amazing season so far. Much better that expected in Gottfried's debut. (even if he is a 'bama boy). The schedule is one thing he vowed to fix in his first interview here. He seems to be real competitor. He said he'd rather lose close games to the best in the country than win against Belmont Abbey.... He won me over right there.

Of course we've been getting spanked by some of the best in the country just down 70 and 54 for many years now. :tf

However, I suspect Bryan will be crying tonight....



or I'll be saying "Just wait till football season!"

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Col,

we liked Gottfried just fine, when he was here at Murray State. I hope he does well for ya'll too.

Murray wins a road game, but rival SEMO did not fold on them. Good match for the Racers to get ready for the weekend's BracketBuster.
Also, that DID clench the regular season title, but will likely mean nuthin if the OVC tourney title is lost, even with a win this weekend. I would hate it, but can also understand it, unless the selection they lose goes to a 17-win program...

This FSU/VT game is ending.....

Holy Cow!!!! What a finish!!! VT can't hit 2 freebies w/ 10s left, and FSU goes down and hits a 3 t win. VT pops the rim at the buzzer to lose. Wow!!! And VT had FSU down BADLY in H2. Wow! Gotta hit your freebies.

Okay, now to watch Pitt/WV and Vandy/Ole Miss.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Just wait for till football season, Jerry . . . even though "Duke football" is sort of an oxymoron. :r

Well, your 'Pack had its shot, but the Blue Devils made another late comeback to steal it from you. Hey, I know how you feel there, brother. :D But had you held on, and had the Hokies done the same, it would have been a GREAT night for both of us.

I agree about State's surprising season so far, and with the job Gottfried's done. Plus, if that stellar recruiting class he's got coming in next year lives up to expectations it will only get better at Moo U.


Yeah, like Jerry's 'Pack (and my Heels also) the Hokies just could not catch a break last night. And though I felt NCSU could give Dook a game, I never thought VT could hang so tough on the road at FSU. Once more, shows what I know.

As for your Racers maybe getting dissed by the Selection Committee if they don't take the OVC tourney, I will feel you pain, or even anger. Yet you do seem to have a good handle on reality, and thus won't let it completely ruin a magical season . . . or your sleep and digestion. :tu

Back with details in update shortly.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

OK, to get firstly to those scores already mentioned above:


Duke 78 - N. C. State 73 = The 'Pack came into Cameron hot, but could not cool down the Curry to hold off the Blue Devils. NCSU led by 16 at the break, and got it up to 20 or so, yet could not keep Dook from surging back to steal it away from them. Well, they did play well, and have two more shots at that "upset" they want to follow, both in Raleigh. And congrats to Duke for playing tough when it really counted.

Florida State 48 - Virginia Tech 47 = The 'Noles dodged a bullet on their home court also, and the Hokies missed a shot at their best win since they got the Cavs in Charlottesville earlier. Again, good for them for playing tough, but I'm not going to give 'grats to the Semiholes for exhibiting more luck than skill. If they play that way in Raleigh Saturday, Jerry may have something to grin about.

Michigan State 69 - Wisconsin 55 = Long ago, in a galaxy far far away, the Spartans started off 0-2 and were predicted to crash and burn. Meanwhile, in a distant star system, the Badgers were supposed to be the singular challenge to The Evil Empire in Columbus OH for control of The Force in Big Ten+ play. How things can change when a Jedi like Tom Izzo gets his lightsaber humming. (Hell, I don't know why I went there, aside from being bored, unless I've been tempted by The Dark Side.)

West Virginia 66 - Pittsburgh 48 = It has stopped being surprising when the Panthers lose, but even against a decent Mountaineer squad this one puzzles. Pitt was only down 1 at the half, yet were still blown out . . . AT HOME! Pitiful.

Vanderbilt 102 - Mississippi 76 = Speaking of blowouts, the Comms got one I did not expect here. Sure, they had to be favored over the Rebels, but just as I said I'd about been convinced they are not for real, they just purely stomp their opponent, on the road.


Tonight gives me only a pair of games I've even the slightest interest in:


Cornell vs. Penn = With Harvard at 7-1 and Yale at 6-2, both Big Red (5-3) and the Quakers (5-2) are gonna need some help along the way to take the Ivy. Still, they have to win tonight to keep those hopes reasonably alive, and as they both can't do so this one's huge.

Valparaiso vs. Loyola-Marymount = One of ESPN's early Bracket Buster games, and it should be a pretty good one to boot.


And since I've got a little time, lemme also get some early Saturday action posted here now:


Drexel vs. Cleveland State = Another BB game, and with the same potential to be a Barn-Burner.

Louisville vs. DePaul = A pretty important game for the Cardinals in Rosemont, as at the least Pitino wants his kids gearing up for post-season play in hostile environments. As for the Blue Demons, it would be a huge upset for them were they to take this one, though its meaning over the long haul would be next-to-nothing. Unless they run the table in the Big East Tourney, they're already dead.

Marquette vs. U. Conn = The same might even hold true for the Huskies . . . kinda like it did last year. :r A win in Hartford would go some ways towards saving U Conn's season, though with the way they've played this last month deems that unlikely. And even though they are safely out of the cellar, another loss would put them 2 games under .500 in league play. Me, I'm expecting just that.

Wichita State vs. Davidson = Another Bracket Buster, but though I'd like to give the Wildcats a decent chance in Charlotte (well, its suburbs, anyway) here, I really think the Shockers are the better team. Would it be a shocker if Davidson won? No, but it would be at least a minor upset.

UCLA vs. St. John's = No, NOT a BB-matchup, though maybe it might as well be one. Much like DePaul, the Johnnies ain't going nowhere without a miracle. The Bruins might not either, although their play of late has improved . . . if that's really saying anything. Hey, even the Wear twins have contributed in big ways recently, and this Tar Heel has no problem saying "Good for them." This is in MSG, and it's a hard one to call. SJU has talented freshmen who show up to play about every 3rd or 4th game, and UCLA's seemingly played down to their opponents all year. Flip a coin over these two legendary programs.

Maryland vs. Virginia = The Terps haven't done much this year, while the Cavs have done a lot more than was expected of them. Yet they have also lost 3 or their last 4, which isn't a good sign. It's in Charlottesville, and UVA's only lost to VT there so far, and I'd lean towards them in this one.

Florida State vs. N. C. State = Here's the Wolfpack's second chance for that signature win they need to solidify that at-large they lust for, badly. I'm gonna give them at least as good a shot at it as I did last night against Duke, and you know how close that one was. Plus, of the 'Noles' 7 losses, 4 of them came on the road. On the other hand, 4 of State's losses have come at home, so there's that too. :r

UNLV vs. New Mexico = The Runnin' Rebels are coming off a big upset loss at TCU, while the Lobos are coming off a huge win at San Diego State. So one wants to turn things around, and the other wants to continue on its roll. I'm looking for a war in Albuquerque.

Tennessee vs. Alabama = Can the Vols continue to surprise people by finally winning some games, and will the Tide continue to recede by losing them? I'd say it's about 50/50.

Kansas State vs. Baylor = The 'Cats have dropped two in a row already now, and are likely to make that four, what with this one in Waco followed by a visit to Missouri. As I'm not a big fan of of Frank Martin, I'd have to say it couldn't happen to a much-nicer guy. ;)


That's about all for the moment. If I don't see you here later today, I'll be back tomorrow with later weekend action. Until when then, enjoy.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

The NC State meltdown was bad. But not as bad as VT against FLA State. I expect SDSU to bounce back Sat.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

The Pack played 30 minutes of great basketball. However, the last ten is what counted.. It looked like the Pack was worn out. Dook put the full court press on in the second half and just outran our guys. It's easy to do when you have three first strings. The pack seems to have about 4/5 of a first string. That and foul troubles were too much.... Perhaps next year...

Of course the local radio callers are saying the officials threw if for Duke. :tf

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

From the perspective of THIS Tar Heel, BOTH meltdowns sucked. :r

I've not looked yet - who's your Aztecs facing tomorrow Larry?

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

I was rootin' for them, Jerry, though for somewhat selfish reasons. ;)

And yeah, the zebras always get the blame . . . and even on rare occasions deserve some. :r

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Speaking of "zebra blame"; I do not claim to know all the rules of the college game, so I will ask you guys. Saw a weird "call" at the last Racer home game. Racers are on D, and covering pretty good, when the ref blows the whistle. Everyone stands there for about 5 s, and the ref NEVER makes a signal or vocal call. After about 5s, he goes to the scorers' table without making the call and asks to see the display for a replay. Stands there with another ref and watches relay for a couple of minutes, and then walks back on-court and signals the foul (I don't even remember now, I was so shocked by the actions). Is that even LEGAL?!?!?!?!? I thought the rule was, you blow the whistle, you make your call, NOT "I think there's gonna be a foul here, so I'll blow, then go look and see".

I thought this on par with last year during the Racer's BracketBuster game, when the refs stopped play and actually went to the ESPN crew and ASKED THEM what they thought they saw. We have had some horrible refs the last few seasons, and I've seen some awful calls made against Racer opponents also, so I do not say this out of "homerism".

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Having not seen it, I'd be foolish to comment specifically on that call brother. But off the top of my head I'd have to agree with the oddness of such a "replay" call. As far as I know, refs only consult replays to make a determination of time, not of fouls or possessions. As with baseball, what the official calls at the point of play IS WHAT IS, right or wrong. True, you do on occasion see refs consult with each other on the validity of the initial call, yet this is much more common in football than other team sports.

And as for refs in general, I myself have seen too many bad calls over the years to allow myself to agonize over them overly. If it goes against my team, I just say "What's that $#!+??", and move on. If it goes for them, I just say "Well, OK, I'll take it, thank you", and hope it does not determine the outcome of the game. This is one reason I, as a long-time Tar Heel, so valued the equally long-time radio announcer for UNC, Woody Durham, who retired after the end of last season. He always called it like he saw it, and if it was a bad call either way he'd say so. This seemed to me not only just, but vital for a radio play-by-play voice, since we then knew we could trust him to tell us exactly what had happened without any taint of "homerism" . . . which I consider a fault to be avoided at all costs.

Thanks for bringing up an interesting issue, Joe, and also thanks for exhibiting a balanced attitude about it. :tu

Back shortly with update.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

So here's a few scores from last night:


Penn 73 - Cornell 66 = The Ivy race may be decided more today with the upcoming Yale/Harvard game, but this win was vital for the Quakers to keep their hopes alive.

Loyola-Marymount 61 - Valparaiso 53 = I guess it was a decent enough BracketBuster game, and I've not much more to say about it.

VCU 77 - Northern Iowa 68 = But this one may have more meaning in the long run . . . and may not. The Rams improve to 23-6 (13-3 in the Colonial Athletic), and remain in the hunt for a bid. But it's hard to predict how deep the NCAA will go into the CAC, and with a RPI of 75 at the moment, it does not look good for VCU . . . unless they keep winning, that is. Keep your eye on them.


The one early final today was a blowout, with Drexel taking Cleveland State 69-49. I'd hoped for a better game, but what can you do? Meanwhile, Marquette is spanking U Conn at the break 43-29 (no surprise), and DePaul is up 10 over Louisville at halftime (somewhat a surprise), but there's plenty of time for anything to happen.


Later games today include:


Missouri vs. Texas A&M = It's in College Station, but the Aggies haven't done it all year, so who can think they'll do it against the surging Tigers?

Arizona vs. Washington = With their competition facing what should be "gimme" games today, this is the key contest in the Pac12 today. The Desert 'Cats are 3rd in the league at 10-4, with the Huskies tied with Cal on top at 11-3. When you consider how far the conference has dipped in the respect it receives (justified or not), and the NCAA possibly giving few at-larges to them, each win is huge.

Nevada vs. Iona = One of those BB games that could be a lot of fun.

Seton Hall vs. Cincinnati = At 18-8 each, you'd have to feel the post-season hopes of both hinge upon how they close out the balance of the year. A win may not get the victor safely over the bubble, but a loss may put them on the backside. Then again, maybe not, since the Selection Committee seems to labor under the fantasy that a losing record in the Big Mouth Conference does not mean you should not Dance.

Clemson vs. North Carolina = OK, so Clemson's not all that good this year, despite the fact they did beat UVA in Littlejohn, and have 3 Ws in a row. And OK, so the Tigers have struggle a little bit when they play in Chapel Hill, where their record stands presently at 0-55 there. Still, I've got that funky feeling about this one. The Heels have been winning ugly lately, and their loss to Dook was ugly too. If both team play their best, it will be a blowout for UNC. However, as the Heels have only played their best for about 5 minutes at a time all season, I think this may be closer than Roy would wish.

San Diego State vs. Air Force = Larry said yesterday he expected SDSU to bounce back today. Hey, me too. Yes, the game's in Colorado Springs, but I figure the Aztecs will make feathered cloaks out of the Falcons.

Texas vs. Oklahoma State = I'm not a Longhorn fan, though I don't really hate them. My main problems stem from Mac Brown's (understandable, but still) desertion from UNC to coach at UT, and Rick Barnes' verbal arrogance against Dean Smith while he was at the aforementioned Clemson. Still, I am intrugued by their late push towards a possible at-large bid, which I figure will continue today in Stillwater.

Mississippi vs. Kentucky = Please. Do you really think the Rebels can upset the rolling 'Cats in Rupp?

Illinois vs. Nebraska = The Illini are reeling, but have a good shot at stopping the bleeding against the 'Huskers in Lincoln. And if they don't, they might as well just hang it up. They're toast.

St. Mary's vs. Murray State = Even though a tiny bit of the lustre's off this one following the Racers' first loss, this is still one hell of a great match-up between two very good mid-major programs. Me, I won't call it, even if I had a clue. On the one hand, I like and respect Joe's devotion to MSU. On the other, I like and respect the Gaels. So just sit back and enjoy the fun.

Florida vs. Arkansas = And I'm not going to pick this one either, because both teams have been good and lousy. Since they don't seem to know who they are, how the hell can you expect me to know it?

LaSalle vs. U Mass = Like that Racers/Gaels one above, this is another very good match-up which could go down to the final few possessions.

Yale vs. Harvard = Here's the key Ivy game of the day, and maybe of the year. The Eli are in 2nd at 7-2, and the Crimson in 1st at 8-1. And don't forget, there is NO IVY TOURNEY!, so whoever takes the regular season gets the league's only bid. Need I say more? I didn't think so.

Georgetown vs. Providence = Yeah, it's true the Friars spanked Louisville 90-59 a while back. But that was after a 4-game losing streak, which was followed by another 4-game losing streak, then after a W against Rutgers has been followed by a 3rd 4-game losing streak. Even in RI, and even with the Hoya youth, that streak should go to 5 this evening.

Gonzaga vs. San Francisco = I'm gonna give the Dons a decent chance of knocking off the 'Zags in The City By The Bay tonight. Not only does SF have a good team, they have had the Bulldogs number on their home court lately, winning the last 3 there. They well could make that 4 before the day is done.

Dayton vs. Xavier = Another of those mid-major match-ups, and one that could go a ways towards determining the possible post-season ambitions of both teams.

Texas Tech vs. Kansas = Come on. The Red Raiders have one conference win all year. Do you really think they will get their 2nd in Lawrence? Jeez.

Ohio State vs. Michigan = If you've been reading this thread, you know I've been busting the Wolverines all year for their lack of scoring. Then the Buckeyes went a scored a whole 48 points in their loss to the Spartans . . . AT HOME! Hmmm. Could be damned interesting, at least.

Notre Dame vs. Villanova = Much like that Mizzou/Tex.A&M game, I see no reason to expect the Philly 'Cats can stop the roll those Irish have made lately.

Long Beach State vs. Creighton = I do believe the Bluejays are a better team, but the 49ers ain't no pushovers. This is in Omaha, but it still could be a pretty tight game.


While typing the above, both U Conn and Louisville have made good comebacks, while Wichita State has put a 2nd-half stomping on the Davidson Wildcats. I'll be back a little later with some finals, and with some Sunday games.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

Louisville has opened up an 8-point lead in OT with 49 ticks left, and looks like they will dodge a bullet here. Meanwhile:


Marquette 79 - U Conn 64 = The Huskies tried for a time to make a game out of this, but ran out of steam in the last 10 minutes.

Wichita State 91 - Davidson 74 = And the Queen City 'Cats were only down one at the half, but didn't manage to find their way out of their own lockerroom for the second stanza.

Also, New Mexico has started to open up a nice lead over UNLV with 8 minutes left. St. John's is up a few possessions over UCLA in The Garden, Memphis is in a dogfight with UTEP, and Florida State is flat-out skinning Jerry's Wolfpack with time running low.


Sunday's games include:


Michigan State vs. Purdue = The Boilermakers are capable of giving the Spartans a good game at home, but I can't really see them winning. They've not been consistent enough for that. Still, it would not be a HUGE upset if they could pull it off.

Syracuse vs. Rutgers = Now this would be one for the Scarlet Knights. It's been a long time since wins in Piscataway against Florida and an over-rated U Conn team, and of late RU's lost 7 of 9. Make that 8 of 10 tomorrow.

Vanderbilt vs. Georgia = If the Commodores can't beat this "meh" Bulldog team in Athens, their trip back to The Athens Of The South (that's Nashville, for you unenlightened) will be long and sad . . . as it should be.

Penn State vs. Wisconsin = As anyone would be foolish to bet on a Lion win or Badger loss, or find somebody foolish enough to take a bet, your best one would be the over-under: Will these two team collectively score 100 points?

Duke vs. Boston College = If you haven't seen the trend here so far, please note that there's not a lot of top-flight competition scheduled.

Indiana vs. Iowa = But this could be an exception. Yeah, the Hoosiers are likely superior to the Hawkeyes, but of their 6 losses they've had 5 on the road. And Iowa's not a bunch of total stiffs either. Keep an eye on this one for a half or so, as it could turn into a battle.

Oregon vs. Stanford = And this one better be a battle, since both teams need to win here. As mentioned previously, the NCAA may not go all that deep into the Pac-12 this year, and their 18-8 records (9-5 Ducks and 8-6 Trees conference) do NOT insure an at-large so far. Me, I think they are both Field of 68 quality, but I don't get a vote.


Only one more final while typing the above, though some are getting close . . . or are almost over anyway, such as that FSU/NCSU debacle, or the one developing in Charlottesville, with UVA outscoring the Terps nearly 4-1 in the second half. And that final? :

Louisville 90 - DePaul 82 (OT) = I'm unsure whether I should give the Blue Demons props for hanging so tough, or bash Pitino's boys for being such wussies . . . again. Yet a win is better than a loss, so I guess he'll take it, like it or not.


Lunchtime. I'll probably be back with some more finals for you, but if not, enjoy.

Re: College Hoops Thread 2011-2012
 

State loses to the Seminoles. NIT here we come. Or maybe CIAA???