[The Poet]

OK, since we've already mentioned it, let's start with that OSU/MSU game:


Ohio State 71 - Michigan State 61 = To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what to make of this. Is it a good bounce-back win for the Buckeyes after their first loss of the year, or is it a good loss for a Spartan team that hasn't shown us much for a while? Are all those close wins OSU got earlier an indication they are NOT as good as people think, or has Izzo managed to turn his boys around? One thing for sure, this game was not so much settled on the court, but at the stripe . . . and maybe even BY the stripes, if you can believe Izzo over Matta. The Buckeyes went 23-29 from the line. The Spartans? 5 of 6. Do you really expect me to believe that, in a Big Ten game, only a few shooting fouls occurred? Please.

St. John's 80 - Marquette 68 = Yeah, I know, I picked Marquette to win this one. Maybe you think I should have noticed how the Red Storm has gotten hot. Maybe you think I haven't given Lavin enough credit for showing his veteran players that they need not lose once they fall behind. But can you blame me? They broke a streak of 11 straight losses to this team last night, and if I recall correctly haven't beaten them since 1966! So, call me dumb, but don't call me clueless.

Kentucky 85 - Mississippi State 79 = This is probably closer than it should have been, but considering the struggles UK's had at times, I believe they'll take it. Speaking of taking it . . .

North Carolina 78 - Wake Forest 64 = Yeah, I'll take it, but I am not happy. The Heels played without focus and intensity, and just sort of puttered to a fairly easy win . . over a team they should have beaten like a rented mule. If the coach says his team played poorly, you might take it with a grain of salt. If the players say as much about themselves, you know it's a fact. This ain't gonna cut it, what with BC, Terps, and some other local team visiting the Dean Dome soon. Roy, I have one word for you . . . "Suicides!!"

Villanova 60 - Seton Hall 57 = Well, at least the Philly 'Cats have the excuse that they were on the road. That ain't much of one, and if anybody except me was paying attention, the Big Mouth Conference would NOT have 7 of the Top Twenty ranked teams in the nation.

Missouri 92 - Texas Tech 84 = And here's another one that's hard to understand. OK, I don't think Missouri is that great a team, but TT has been PP all year. Well, maybe all these are just due to late-season doldrums. Again, speaking of which . . .

Virginia Tech 91 - Maryland 83 = I figured the Hokies would win, so no surprise they did just that. But the Terps need two or three more quality Ws to have any shot at a NCAA bid, and they are running short of chances. OK, they can beat remaining teams NCSU, Miami, UVA . . . CAN, if they but DO . . . but if they don't, what chance do they have against FSU and UNC?

George Mason 71 - VCU 51 = I'm a little surprised here that GM won so easily. But what with VCU helping them out so much by only scoring 19 in the first half, I guess it's to be expected.

Wichita State 80 -Evansville 74 // Missouri State 60 - Drake 51 = I luimp these two together because they are most definitely lumped together. With both teams winning, they are tied at 13-3 each atop the Missouri Valley. Both have one "winnable" conference game left on the schedule, before they end the season in a face-off for the marbles. Talk about your fun!


Tonight there are too many games, so let me briefly hit the highlights:


Wisconsin vs. Purdue = Though without some major help neither will catch OSU for the Big Ten, they both still have an outside shot. Can the Badgers build on their huge win? Can the 'Makers make it to their Buckeye game without another loss? I figure this will be close, start to finish.

Vanderbilt vs. Georgia = Vandy's been more consistent than the 'Dawgs, but that hasn't meant much in the SEC this year. It's in Athens, but the home court hasn't meant much more either. Flip a coin.

Rider vs. Loyola MD = Who cares, you ask? Well, MAAC-leading Fairfield faces garbage Marist tonight, so figure they will win. Meanwhile, these two are tied for 2nd in conference play. So there's your answer . . . they care.

Xavier vs. St. Joseph's = As much as it pains me to say so, St. Joe's reeks this year. The X-Men had some early struggles, yet lead the A-10 over Temple . . . by a whole 1/2-game. They cannot afford to lose focus, and let the Hawks swoop down on them.

Duke vs. Virginia = In Charlottesville, if that matters. Although the Cavs have some guards who can hit from deep, I don't expect they'll give Dook much of a challenge. Still, the Blue Devils are not an overpowering physical team, and if UVA gets hot from outside, you never know.

South Carolina vs. Tennessee = On the one hand, the 'Cocks have lost three in a row. On the other, the Vols . . . have lost three in a row. I expect one of those streaks to end in Knoxville tonight.

UAB vs. Memphis = The CUSA race looks like a NASCAR sprint restart at the moment, and it's anybody's game. So's this game.

Pitt vs. South Florida = The Panthers, big, and that's no Bull.

Louisville vs. Cincinnati = But this Big East one could go either way. The Cardinals have a better conference record, but you may recall all those they pulled out of their @$$ in the final seconds. Despite some stumbles by the Bearcats, they can play some ball when they try. I think it will be close, so pick 'em.

Georgetown vs. U. Conn = Lately it's been all about the Hoyas, and not so much about the Huskies. Me, I'm not so sure either one of them is nearly as good as their ranking might indicate . . . though don't ask me who I'd put in their place, as I have no clue there either. Since I have more respect for G'town than for Calhoun's pre-prison majors, I'll go with them, by two possessions.

Murray State vs. SE Missouri State = Joe's Racers have the OVC lead, and now all they have to do is hold onto it. If they don't do that against a crappy SEMS tonight, they have no one but themselves to blame.

Texas A&M vs. Iowa State = And here's another mis-match in a different conference. The Aggies won't win the Big 12, but if they lose to the cellar-dweller Cyclones . . . well, I'll be blown away. And not in a good way, mind.

Michigan vs. Illinois = And neither of these will win the Big Ten. But will both of them earn a bid come March? It's not etched in stone yet, what with their 16-10 and 16-9 records, and may well depend on what they do in these last few weeks. Tonight would be a good time for them to start. Pick 'em.

Texas vs. Oklahoma State = I think there's a pretty good chance the Longhorns will get a bid, and would even be willing to bet you on that. And though the Cowboys have a few good wins on their resume (Stanford, K-State, Missouri), I don't give them much of a shot in Austin tonight. But if they bulldog the 'Horns, it would go a loooong way of getting them off any potential bubble. Don't expect a miracle, but keep half-an-eye on this.

Utah State vs. . . . Montana-Western???? = Are you freakin' kidding me? Montana-Western?? And on the Aggies home court to boot, for cryin' out loud? This team is supposed to be good, based on the fact that they have beaten people some high-school teams could take? They can take their # 25 AP ranking, couple it with their RPI Strength Of Schedule rating of 144, and kiss my hairy white @$$. Sheesh, stuff like this just p!$$es me off, no end.

San Diego State vs. New Mexico = The Lobos have a few good wins, such as Colorado and BYU, so if the Aztecs don't stay focused and walk into their own building with the intention to win, they could easily lose, and lose their lead in the Mountain West. Much like that UT/Oak State game above, keep an eye on the scoreboard here.


That's it for tonight. Enjoy. Screw Drew.