All those comments above are on point. I'd reply individually, but work's gotten in the way again, and I'm pressed for time. So I need to skip a number of really good games and give you here only the relevant highlights:
# 1 Kentucky 81 - St. John's 59 = Pretty much what one would expect. Both teams are young, but the 'Cats are by far the more talanted.
Murray State 70 - Western Kentucky 59 = And maybe what Joe expected, or at least hoped for. So far so good for the Racers.
Ole Miss 70 - DePaul 68 = Did I not tell you this would be close? There were others I also called, which I'll let slide, but the one I won't skip is . . .
Georgetown 57 - Alabama 55 = Well, you can't say I didn't warn you. Not only did the Hoyas get the "upset" victory I predicted, it pretty much came down to the late 2 possessions I called for. Send my commission checks out by the end of the fiscal quarter.
There aren't many games tonight, but a few should be worth watching:
# 10 Florida vs. # 5 Syracuse = I might give the Gators a shot were this not (of course) in the Carrier Dome. They still have a slim one, but I figure the Orange will bounce north, like most of them do this time of year.
Cincinnati vs. Georgia = Neither team has played particularly well, so this could be some fun.
# 13 Missouri vs. Northwestern State = And this one should not be.
Auburn vs. Seton Hall = I'm tempted to do what I did yesterday, going with the Pirates over the Tigers here. But since it would be no upset either way, I'm just interested to see what these two have, if anything.
Washington vs. Nevada = And for some reason this one too strikes me as having the potential for being entertaining.
# 20 Vanderbilt vs. # 6 Louisville = We have some idea what Vandy is, and that's inconsistent. We have less idea what the Cardinals are, mainly doe to the fact that with the exception of one trip to a "down" Butler squad, they haven't played anybody, and all of them in the Crum Bucket too boot. If the Commodores show up tonight, we may find out a thing or three. If they don't, we still won't know if Pitino's boys are real or not.
To be quite honest, Saturday's early schedule (tipoffs by 1:00 PM) is much better than tonight's fare. Consider this line-up:
# 1 Kentucky vs. # 5 North Carolina = I don't know what else needs to be said. UNC has more experience, and UK has at least as much young talent. Toss it up and let 'em play.
# 2 Ohio State vs. Texas Pan American = The Buckeyes can't help their chances of taking the #1 ranking by spanking these bozos. But the votes are already split, so even if the 'Cats win the above matchup in a tight one, the tally may be confused enough to put OSU on top.
# 14 Michigan vs. Iowa State = The Wolverines have not been so good that they can feel comfortable about this one. They may win, but they may not win by much.
Richmond vs. Wake Forest = Had I noted this game before the season started, I'd have picked the Spiders big. But the Deacons have played much better than I expected them to, so this could be a lot of fun.
U Mass vs. Miami = So could this one, as neither team is a world-beater, and neither one outright stinks.
ODU vs. Northeastern = Same thing here.
Vermont vs. Yale = Ditto.
And all that's before a late lunch, brothers! I'll talk about the rest of Saturday tomorrow afternoon, between checking the score of UK/UNC. Until then then, enjoy.