Time is short, so this is gonna be quick and dirty. Last night, aside from most of the expected:
Seton Hall 73 - Georgetown 55 = The Pirates get that big win they needed to put themselves over that bubble, or so I suspect anyway.
Kansas State 78 - Missouri 68 = Hey, I told you the 'Cats from Manhattan could beat the Tigers on the road. And with KU in Lawrence coming up, Mizzou may just drop like a stone.
North Carolina 86 - N. C. State 74 = Since the Heels have won the last dozen of these, the outcome is no surprise. But Jerry's 'Pack had 3 shots at that signature win they needed to earn an at-large, and lost all 3 of them, in different ways. They had Duke, but could not hold on. They had no shot against a hot FSU team, despite the heat generated from guys whose names are hanging in the rafters (Jerry understands, even if you don't). And they did manage to keep in touch with Carolina, but a monster night by Kendall Marshall (22 points, 13 assists, NO TOs!!) shut that door. I'm not saying they are now on the wrong side of the bubble, but they'd best do something over the next few weeks, or be NIT-bound.
Michigan 67 - Northwestern 55 (OT) = And I believe I said these Smarty 'Cats had a good chance to make a game of this one too. Told you so!
Kentucky 73 - Mississippi State 64 = Another late run by the Wildcats saved this one . . . either that, or the Bulldogs just ran out of steam. In any case, it was closer than the final score.
Colorado State 71 - New Mexico 63 = The Curse of The Rockies strikes again, and the Lobos go down in much the same way Larry's Aztecs just did.
Tonight:
West Virginia vs. Notre Dame = The Irish have likely done enough already to get at-large consideration, but the Mountaineers have likely not. They need this one in the worst way, yet a win in South Bend won't be easy. Doable? Ehhh, maybe. I would not bet on it, however.
South Florida vs. Syracuse = Nor will a win by the Bulls in The Dome be easy, but I will give them a slightly better chance against the Orange than is the case above. Yet when I say slightly, I do mean slightly.
Temple vs. LaSalle = Now this one ought to be a total war, start to finish. The Owls are a little better team, but the Explorers are not stiffs. Besides, it's awfully hard to call these Big Five games, as everybody always psyched for them,
Rutgers vs. Marquette = I'm not sure how the Golden Eagles are doing it this year, yet I'm even less sure how the Scarlet Knights have managed the few good wins they've gotten so far. This would be their first in a while, if they can pull it off. I give them half-a-shot, but not much more.
Wichita State vs. Illinois State = The Shockers better be ready for this road test, as I expect it shall be precisely that . . . a test.
Michigan State vs. Minnesota = And I can see this one being a test for the Spartans also, though one they should be able to pass before the night is done.
Kansas vs. Texas A&M = And if the Aggies can manage to actually play up to their percieved potential tonight . . . well, they'd STILL be the underdogs to the Jayhawks. Their only chance is if KU's looking forward to that weekend game against Mizzou, and I don't think Bill Self (who reportedly got some face-to-face advise today from his mentor, Larry Brown) will allow that to occur.
Wyoming vs. San Diego State = If Larry's Aztecs do not want their whole season to crash amd burn in these last few weeks, they need to get off the stick and win this home game tonight . . . which is far from a gimme, believe me. SDSU has now lost 3 in a row, and has fallen into a tie for 2nd with UNLV in the Mountain West, a game-and-a-half back of New Mexico. They are not yet all that bubblicious, but they have been heading that direction for far too long now. With tough games against decent Colorado State and TCU teams still pending, this one's huge for them.
That's all I've time for. Enjoy.