Quote:
Originally Posted by jcruse64
Pitt vs ND just starting.
No, MSU wont have a prayer for a bid if we don't win our tourney, and we really need to get a home opener for it, too. The committee will never pick 2 from the OVC, if it didn't back in the late 80's/early 90's. And they shouldn't; it's not that good a mid-major conference.
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Always an honest post from you, Joe, and I appreciate it. It's great you can be a fan without being a homer. Oh, and that Pitt/ND game's now over:
Notre Dame 56 - Pitt 51 = Well, I said the Irish had a shot at stealing one, and it didn't hurt with the Panthers playing like the Pitts. But looking at the stats, the loss is hard to understand. Pitt didn't shoot great, but neither did ND. The fouls, the rebounds, and the turnovers were pretty equal too. But hey, everybody has nights like that, and if you don't show up you don't deserve to win.
Kansas State 69 - Baylor 61 = I can't say I would have been surprised regardless of which way this one went. Both teams have had their good and bad moments, and last night belonged to the 'Cats.
Morehead State 50 - Ball State 48 = I debated yesterday mentioning this one, as I thought it might be close, but then gave it a pass. Shows how dumb I am.
Hofstra 92 - James Madison 90 (OT) = But I didn't skip this one, since I saw last night as an important one midway through the CAC schedule. The Pride just had a little more of that than did the Dukes.
VCU 80 - Towson 76 = And though I mentioned this in passing, I did not post it separately, as I did not think the Tigers had a snowball's chance against the Rams. Again, how dumb am I? Though I won't call ANY conference win a "bad" one, I might just consider this a "good" loss for Towson.
Furman 73 - Wofford 68 (OT) = Yet, dumb as I am, I did call this as being tight for a key Southern Conference game. It's a great win for the Paladins . . . but much like Joe's Murray State, it won't earn them a bid.
AR Pine Bluff 90 - Prairie View A&M 85 (2OT) = And though this SWAC game will prove to be totally meaningless over the long haul (these 2 teams have a collective 8-31 record), it behooves us to give some attention to anybody who puts on such a show.
Tonight has a decent selection of good games, or at least important games with the potential to be good:
Richmond vs. Dayton = Unlike some of the smaller mid-majors listed above, the A-10 will receive multiple bids. However, they won't go 6 deep in it, so this one's big for both teams if they want to stay near the top.
N.C. State vs. Clemson = And unlike some of the big conferences, they may not go 6 deep in the ACC. It likely won't matter one way or the other to these two, but neither wants to end up down in the Demon Deacons' personal hell. As this one's down in Littlejohn, give the Tigers an edge over the Wolfpack.
Florida vs. Georgia = And this one is in Athens, so I'm tempted to give the 'Dawgs a tiny edge too, despite the fact that I think the Gators have a better team. Yet Florida has been as changeable as their weather, so who know which Gator team will make it up the highway?
Syracuse vs. Seton Hall = It's been a bad week for the Orange, losing their first AND their second game all year, back-to-back. I suspect that trend will turn around against the Pirates in the Dome tonight.
Kansas vs. Colorado = And it's not been a great week for the Jayhawks either, losing both their first game of the season AND their home winning streak. They are on the road in Boulder tonight, so cannot restart both streaks . . . and might not even begin one. They are better than the Buffaloes, but despite their 2 losses in a row coming into this Colorado has posted wins against Missouri and K-State. Plus, they are used to playing at altitude, so they do have a chance here.
Belmont vs. Lipscomb = The Bruins have taken control of the Atlantic Sun, and I would not expect that to change tonight. OK, the Bisons are fairly decent, and can win, but the last time these 2 faced off, Belmont spanked them 88-52. You can't plan on such a margin every night, yet Lipscomb's home court can't be worth 30+ points!
U. Conn vs. Marquette = But this one should be a lot closer. I won't say the Golder Eagles will beat the Huskies in Milwaukee, but they have played well enough at times to beat anybody. Regardless of the final, this one should be fun.
Ohio State vs. Purdue = And if the Boilermakers can hit a few shots, this one could be too. You have to give the Buckeyes the advantage, up to the point when somebody actually proves otherwise, but despite their 20-0 record they have NOT played dominant ball. So far they have dodged bullets fired by Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Penn State, and Illinois. Someday, somebody's bound to hit something.
Virginia Tech vs. Georgia Tech = The Hokies have thumped Wake and Maryland (and Longwood, for what that mean) of late, and have hopes of hanging around for an at-large bid. The Wreck is not yet dead either, but they need this one just as badly to stay on life support. If nothing else, both should be focused.
That's what I see up this evening. Take your pick, and enjoy.