Were I to comment on every close game that ended one year and began another, I'd tire and bore myself much more than you. So, skipping all the blowouts and the who-gives-a-fark contests, I can trim this down to a manageable number of meaningful scores.
To finish up for Friday 12/31:
Michigan State 71 - Minnesota 62 = A good win for the Spartans, who lost their mojo for a time, and may be getting some back.
U. Conn 66 - South Florida 61 (OT) = OK, the Bulls are not total crap, but they are nearly that. They had lost 5 of their previous 6 coming into Hartford for this one, whereas the Huskies had moved from pre-season nobodies up to # 4 in the polls. So tell me . . . is this how a supposedly top team performs in what is essentially a home game against a sub. 500 opponent? U. Conn is seriously over-rated, and is due for a equally serious comeuppance.
On Sat. 1/1/11:
Dayton 76 - New Mexico 73 (2OT) = Had I had had the time last Friday, I would have told you to catch this one. The only bad thing about this game was the relatively poor shooting by both teams, and thus the low score for a double-OT game. Collectively, they were 49-128 from the field, and together gathered 92 rebounds . . . nearly twice as many as shots made.
St. John's 67 - Providence 65 = You may recall last year, when the Red Storm (god, I hate that name!) got off to a very good start, only to come down to earth again. Well, the Johnnies are at it again, and this win coupled with their previous one over WVU gives them a boost to begin conference play. Hey, at 2-0 they are ahead of U. Conn, Georgetown, and Notre Dame . . . all ranked squads.
Arizona State 60 - Oregon 55 = This marks the Ducks 4th L in succession. I told you the Ducks suck, didn't I Bryan?
And speaking of Bryan . . .
On Sunday 1/2:
Duke 74 - Miami 63 = I guess this is a good enough win for the Blue Devils. Yes, Dook is the unanimous # 1 in both major polls, yes it was in Cameron, and yes the Hurricanes are not total garbage, though they have yet to beat any team this year that is, has been, or is likely to be ranked. But it is the ACC, so I reckon a measly 11-point victory is reason enough to be, if not happy, at least content.
Memphis 91 - Tennessee State 86 = However, if anybody in yodeling distance of Graceland is happy with this poor-ass showing by the Tigers, they oughta be horse-whipped. To edge Tenn. State like this, what with their 6-8 record, and only "boasting" 4 D-1 wins . . . in your own house? Whatta loadda crap.
Illinois 69 - Wisconsin 61 = Much like the Duke win, I guess this is fine for the Illini, and even a bit better. They are not supposed to be as good as Dook, while the Badgers are better than is Miami. And, as with the ACC, wins in the Big 10 ain't that easy to come by, so you take what you can get.
Michigan 76 - Penn State 69 = Like this.
Oregon State 76 - Arizona 75 = For those of you desert Wildcat fans who thought your team was back, this does not of necessity mean otherwise. Yet when you consider that the Beavers will struggle to remain a .500 squad, it does not bode well either.
Charlotte 86 - Georgia Tech 83 (2OT) = In the long run, it is unlikely this game will mean much to either team, as neither seem likely to make much noise this season. But it was one hell of a fight, and they both deserve some props for the entertainment value alone.
Bucknell 62 - Richmond 61 = Here's one that catches me by surprise. The Spiders have played very well, and the Bison have been . . . well, the Bison. Hey, I guess that's why they play the games, right?
There are a number of games tonight, but only a few offer the reasonable expectation of being any damned good:
Kentucky vs. Pennsylvania = This ain't one of them. The Wildcats will probably win by a higher number than they can count. But that's no problem, as the Quakers can always give them the derivative in base 8.
Kansas State vs. Savannah State = And this won't be one either. These Wildcats might even win by a greater margin.
Texas A&M vs. Nicholls State = And though this may be a bit closer, it won't be close enough to be worth watching.
Georgetown vs. St. John's = OK, now here we could have about 3/4ths a game here. I'd expect the Hoyas to prevail in the end, but I don't expect the new and improved Johnnies to fold up like a cheap tent.
Michigan State vs. Northwestern = The Spartans are trying to regain their poise, and need to win big to maintain some forward momentum. Yet, although this particular pride of Wildcats are not what those noted above are, they are not total pushovers either. Could be fairly close, for a half or so anyway.
Rhode Island vs. Florida = And this one could actually be one damn nice one, start to finish. The Gators are up-and-down, and the Rams are pretty decent most nights. It could go either way.
Jacksonville vs. Campbell = And this one will actually be one damn nice one, you can count on it. The Dolphins might be slightly better, but it is in the Fighting Camels' oasis, so plan on it going down to the wire.
That's it for now. Enjoy.