There was a ton of good action this weekend, and a good number of surprises also. Aside from those already noted above, this happened in the balance of Saturday games:
UCLA 73 - Arizona State 72 (OT) = This can be considered a surprise on several fronts. First, the Bruins have been playing better than the Sun Devils, so they maybe should not have had as much trouble with them as they did. And second, UCLA was still supposed to be a year or two away from competing in the Pac-10, yet with this victory they improve to 6-3, and are only a game back of leaders Arizona and Washington.
Marquette 76 - Syracuse 70 = It is no longer a shock that the Orange lost, as this is their 4th in a row. It is also no shock that Marquette beat them, as they have played well at times this year. What is surprising, however, is that this loss puts the 'Cuse in a 4-way tie for 7th place in the Big Mouth. Two weeks ago, who'd a thunk?
Kentucky 66 - Georgia 60 = And it is really no surprise that the Wildcats got some revenge for their earlier loss to the Bulldogs down in Athens. Yet when one considers that they are generally considered to be a Top 20 team, it is a bit odd that they managed only a 2-possession win in Rupp. Hey, it's still a good win, and better than a loss for sure, but still.
Marshall 85 - Memphis 70 = And although I have lost all faith that the young Tigers will ever get it together this season, this is one I'd not have guessed. OK, the Herd has played some good ball from time to time, and a close victory would not have been unforeseen. But this approaches a spanking.
New Mexico 86 - BYU 77 = So does this one. Again, I realize the Lobos have had some success, and for them to edge the traditionally overranked Cougars on their home court is no biggie. But a 3-possession win, when BYU has a shooter who can score 77 points himself (
) . . . well, let's just say I wouldn't have bet on this.
Ohio State 58 - Northwestern 57 = Here we have the second-biggest shock of the weekend. The Buckeyes dodge another bullet by getting a steal with 17 seconds left, then breaking a tie with the traditional dog of the Big Ten by hitting one from the line. They improve to 22-0, and even earned more than half of those victories.
Penn State 56 - Wisconsin 52 = So maybe this is no longer a reason for surprise. Not only is this the Nittany Lions' 3rd win against a nationally-ranked conference opponent, but they lost 2 others, to OSU and Purdue, by a combined 4 points. However, this is the first time they have beaten the Badgers since 2003, which has to mean something anyway. Furthermore, if they can steal a few moe wins and get themselves a bid to the NCAAs, they will be one of those 10-seeds you do NOT want to face that first weekend.
Portland 85 - St. Mary's 70 = Earlier the Gaels gained a ranking, and grabbed control over the WCC race by beating Gonzaga. Well, they spat the bit here. OK, so they are still atop league play, but they have opened the door they just slammed shut a tiny crack here.
Pitt 65 - Rutgers 62 = This one is nearly as bad a win as was the Buckeye one above. There is no way the Scarlet Knights should have been a shot away from taking this game, and the Panthers are lucky they got out of Jersey alive. Hey, they wouldn't be the first!
UAB 74 - UCF 69 = Speaking of Knights, the Orlando Mickeys continue to plunge into the depths. I have no problem believing UAB beat them. Yet when a team wins 14 in a row, then goes on a 6-game losing streak, something is not right.
Arkansas 89 - Vanderbilt 78 = Once again, I've seen enough of Vandy's up-and-down play to understand how they could lose to the Hogs . . . who have themselves played a few good games. But to lose by 11, in Nashville no less? I thought these guys were smarter than that.
Wake Forest 76 - Virginia 71 = What's that? The Demon Deacons actually won an ACC game? Really? Wow. They are on a roll now, and look to improve on their 8-13 record.
There were even a few puzzlers on Sunday, most notably:
St. John's 93 - Duke 78 = And if you saw this game, you know it wasn't even that close. The Blue Devils needed a flurry of late 3s to even get the final score up to "embarrassing". Last year's National Championship team was often described by experts as being "spectacularly unathletic", and from what I saw they are just as stunningly so this year. The Red Storm out-quicked and out-hustled them all game long, and totally deserved a great victory for them by dominating the game from tip to buzzer.
Washington State 87 - Washington 80 = Though not nearly the shocker as the one above, this one surprises me a bit too. Hey, I don't believe the Huskies are all that good, but I also don't think the Cougars are any damn good either. It is as good a win for them as the one for the Johnnies, and as a conference one, it is even more meaningful.
Michigan State 84 - Indiana 83 (OT) = In East Lansing, keep in mind. Now, the Hoosiers are not the worst team in the Big Ten, but they are pretty damned close. And although, as always, a win is better than is a loss, I would not be surprised if Tom Izzo is developing a serious drinking problem. If he pulls out any more of his hair, he might be drinking Rogaine.
Maryland 74 - Georgia Tech 63 = And what is possibly surprising about this one? Everybody knows the Terps are a fairly decent team, and the Jackets have struggled most of their games. Still, it is important to note that this is their first conference loss in Atlanta, so give them some props for holding serve up to now, and UM some for breaking it.
There is not a lot of top-class action scheduled for tonight, but still there are two big games for you:
Louisville vs. Georgetown = The Cardinals want to stay within reach of league-leading Pitt, while the Hoyas don't wish to drop to .500 in the conference. The teams, and the coaches, are fairly evenly matched, so I'd expect a tight one, start to finish, down in DC.
Texas vs. Texas A&M = And it is pretty much the same story down in College Station, although the Longhorns are 6-0 with the Aggies two back at 4-2 in Big 12 play. They'd better check their guns at the door for this war, pardner.
That's all for me until tomorrow, brothers. Enjoy.