[The Poet]

OK, let me do this quick and dirty, and hopefully it won't get lost in the ozone today. Monday scores of some note:


Syracuse 52 - Louisville 51 = A disappointing loss for the Cardinals, and maybe even a disappointing win for the Orange, though better than a loss.

Baylor 79 - Iowa State 64 = The Bears bounce back from the skinning they took from Mizzou.

Kansas 59 - Kansas State 53 = Not quite the offensive offensive of the 'Cuse/L'ville game, and not a very impressive win for the Jayhawks over the struggling 'Cats, even in Manhattan.


Last night gave us a few big upsets, if there's really any such thing in college hoops:


Clemson 60 - Virginia 48 = Littlejohn's almost as tough a place to play as is Cameron or the Dean Dome, and the Tigers took advantage of a Cav team that again could not shoot the ball.

TCU 102 - UNLV 97 (OT) = Wow. I may not be a huge believer in the Rebels, but I never thought the Horned Frogs could take them. Honestly, did you?

LSU 69 - Mississippi State 67 (OT) = This one's not nearly as big a shock to me. True, the Bulldogs came into it at 19-6, but had lost 3 of their last 7 games. This makes 4 of 8 now, which for you mathematically-challenged ones is 50%.

Texas 69 - Oklahoma 58 = And even in Norman I'm not surprised at this. The 'Horns continue to make their late move towards an at-large.

Florida 61 - Alabama 52 = With both teams hobbled by suspensions and injuries, this was a toss-up. The Gators rebound from what must have been an embarrassing loss to the crappy Volunteers.

Seton Hall 94 - St. John's 64 = Are the Pirates for real, or is it that the Johnnies just suck? Maybe, and almost certainly.


Tonight:


Northwestern vs. Indiana = The Hoosiers have earned national ranking . . . or have they? Yes, they have won a lot more games than was predicted, but don't forget they are only 7-6 in Big Ten+ play. I give the Smarty 'Cats at least half-a-shot at an upset in Bloomington to drop IU to .500.

Rutgers vs. Notre Dame = And I'll even give the Scarlet Knights a half-a-half-a-shot at an upset over the Irish in South Bend. No, I don't think it's gonna happen, but I also don't think ND's good enough to be consistent night after night.

Detroit vs. Wright State = A big game in a smaller conference, which may mean it means even more.

North Carolina vs. Miami = The Heels have been spotty, and more so on the road. Yeah, they ought to beat the 'Canes handily. However, if Miama could beat Dook in Durham, they can also beat Carolina in Coral Gables.

Murray State vs. SE Missouri State = Has Joe's Racers learned their lesson? If not, I could see a tight one on the road tonight.

Purdue vs. Illinois = At 16-9 each, both of these are bubblicious for now. The Illini have the signature wins (Gonzaga, OSU, MSU), but have lost 6 of 7 lately. The Boilermakers don't have those good wins (unless you count one over Illinois) and have lost 6 of their last 10 games. Big as this is for both, you're best off if you flip a coin.

Oklahoma State vs. Missouri = Hey, if TCU can beat UNLV, the Cowboys can beat the Tigers. They WON'T, but they can.

New Mexico vs. San Diego State = The Aztecs face another tough challenge here, and could drop their 2nd in a row. At present they are tied with the Lobos for the Mountain West lead at 6-2, with the Runnin' Rebels just 1/2-back at 6-3 (thanks to those TCU Frogs). This should be a dogfight.

Loyola Marymount vs. St. Mary's = And this could be one also. LM's not as good as the Gaels, who are at home to boot, but they can hoop enough to make a game of it.


I could give you more, but if it goes away again I've just wasted more of my time . . . not to mention yours. So I'll see you later. Enjoy.