OK, I took a deep breath, had a short smoke (JR Ult Habanito, if you care to know), and calmed down a bit, so lemme give a quick preview of Saturday's early games:
Cleveland State vs. Butler = The Vikings hod a slim lead atop the Horizon, while the Bulldogs are just about out of it for this year. C-State can put them at .500 in league play, and put themselves a bit further out of reach with a victory here.
West Virginia vs. Villanova = Both teams have strengths and weaknesses, and either one can win. The Mountaineers are on the road, so maybe the Philly 'Cats have a slight edge. But this one will go to whichever plays best, and so pick your poison here.
Georgetown vs. Providence = This one's not much different, though I'd favor the Hoyas more than the Friars here.
VCU vs. James Madison = VCU is tied with George Mason at 10-1 in CAC play, so they really want this one badly. It won't be a gimme, as JM can play a bit too. Should be a good one.
St. John's vs. UCLA = Can the Johnnies knock off another non-conferece foe this weekend? Hey, if they can beat Dook, they can beat the Bruins, that's for sure. But me, I gotta see it happen again before I believe it. Steve Lavin's return to Pauley Pavilion might turn into a disaster for him, in more ways than one.
Illinois vs. Northwestern = The Illini should not have any problems with the Windy 'Cats, yet games are not won on should'as and coulda's. If they don't show up, they might drop one they need to win, if only to keep them respectable in the Big Ten.
Wake Forest vs. Maryland = The Terps lost their last home game, but that was to Dook. I don't expect them to drop two inna row in College Park . . . not when they're facing Wake, anyway.
Virginia Tech vs. Boston College = Though it is unlikely either of these two can reach the top of the ACC, 2nd place is still a possibility for them. They need to win this one, however, and I'd bet on a good game.
Clemson vs. Georgia Tech = The Tigers are still in the mix a bit too, and need to make a Wreck of Tech to rebound from a stinker against Virginia. I figure they will do just that.
Vanderbilt vs. South Carolina = If you've been paying attention, you realize that it has become damn-near impossible to handicap the SEC. It's in Nashville, and the Charlie Daniels may be favored, but me . . . I'm gonna flip a coin.
Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State = Oak State has been more consistent, but the Sooners have surprised a few people this year too. In Stillwater, I'd pick the Cowboys, but you just can't predict these in-state conference games.
Kansas State vs. Iowa State = Although I never bought into the pre-season hype for K-State, I never thought they would be as mediocre as they have been. Can the Cyclones steal one in Ames? Well, as that would give them only their 2nd victory in conference play, my guess would be no. The other Manhattanites may not be great, but they don't stink that bad. Yet on second thought, their team seems to be falling apart at the seams, so who knows? Stay tuned.
ODU vs. George Mason = Hey, do you remeber 'way up at the top of this post, when I talked about the CAC race? Well, here's another huge game in that scrum for the league lead, with the 9-3 Monarchs looking to tie the 10-2 Patriots. You can figure on a close one here.
That's all I'll do for now . . . partly because some butthole in an SUV is illegally parked outside, shining his brights into my eyes through the window. God, I can't see a damn thing! So now, I'm p!$$ed again. Will this day ever end?
