[The Poet]

OK, so the Geek Squad cancelled, at the precise time they were supposed to be here, because the geek did not have his needed tools. What a geek, indeed. So lemme try to do at least a quick report of weekend action, of the more important scores. Hey, if I went into all the good games, I'd be here until midnight.

In the balance of Saturday there were some upsets and battles, including:


Gonzaga 68 - Baylor 64 = In previous years this would be no news, but as te Bears have been playing much better than the 'Zags (for a change), you'd have to call this an upset.

Florida 57 - Kansas State 44 = And the Gators once again access their bipolar personality, and beat an overrated K-State team which played like garbage. Forty-four points? Fifteen of 55 from the field, and 11-19 from the stripe? Crapola.

UCLA 86 - BYU 79 = Like the first game mentioned above, this would not have shocked you in the past. And, like the second, an overrated BYU squad got beat fairly convincingly. A much-needed quality win for the Bruins, who've had danged few lately.

Illinois Chicago 57 - Illinois 54 = And, unlike all the other ones above, there's just no gawddamn excuse for this. Are you kidding me? The Flames, coming in at 4-7, and on a 4-game losing streak, burn the Illini? Double-crapola, with a side of sheesh.

Syracuse 83 - Iona 77 = And this was not an upset, but it was too darn close to one to please Jim Boeheim, I guarantee you.

Texas A&M 71 - Arkansas 62 (OT) = Nor was this one, but if the Aggies were gonna outscore the 'Backs 11-2, like they did in OT, then why the hell couldn't they do it sooner?

Texas 78 - UNC 76 = Nor was this. But is was a quality victory for the Longhorns, and considering the problems the Tar Heels have been having, a quality loss for them . . . if there is such a thing, that is.

St. Bonaventure 112 - Ohio 107 (4OT) = And this . . . well, this was just a game-and-a-half, with neither team giving up, so both deserve some props.


As I said, I could mention a dozen other great games, some even of some significance, but there's just too many. If you have any you wish to note, or want some input on, feel free to bring them up. And, following this logic, there were a double-handful of fun games Sunday too. However, as none of them were truly "important", I'm gonna skip them all.

To move on to today's schedule, the first thing to note is the Florida Gators have already done what they've done all year . . . followed a good win with a bad loss, dropping one to Jacksonville 71-68 in OT. So, their shiny-new # 20 ranking is already gone, thank you very much and see you later. Other games later tonight include:

# 1 Duke vs. Elon = Well, this won't be much of a game at all, barring some miracle, and the only significance it will have is to Coach K himself. A victory will tie him with Dean Smith with 879 wins. Maybe it means something to him, and it almost certainly does to Dook fans. It almost certainly means little to Coach Smith, and nothing to me. K could win 10K games, and still not be as loved in North Carolina as Deano.

# 4 U. Conn vs. Coppin State = This must be a Christmas present for Jim Calhoun, to help take his mind off the fact the women's team is getting all the press, what with them tying the UCLA men's record of 88 straight wins.

# 5 Syracuse vs. Morgan State = And here's another gimme, though with the Orange zone there's always a shot a shooter can keep it close.

# 16 Memphis vs. TAMU Corpus Christi = Seems to me I recall TAMU playing some good team tough last year sometime. That being said, I'd expect this to be done by the half.

Vermont vs. Fairfield = And this is just one of those nice matchups.

Davidson vs. St. John's = Same here, and could be fun.

Stephen F. Austin vs. UTEP = And, although UTEP is a better team, SFA ain't all that bad either.


So, enjoy.