Well, I'm back, and with a few notable scores from last night:
Providence 72 - U Conn 70 = Maybe you thought I was nutz when I gave the Friars a shot at this win. Well, I am nutz, and won't deny it. But I ain't stupid. The Huskies are again, as last season, dead in the water. There will be no miracle finish for them this year, as things like that don't repeat themselves . . . unless you're the NY Giants.
Mississippi 77 - Arkansas 75 = And the Razorbacks may be sausage too, after this loss insures them of a losing record in the SEC.
Indiana 70 - Michigan State 55 = And though I did not actually call for this "upset", I did say it wouldn't be one to me if it occurred. Neither team gained nor lost their NCAA bid here, but the Spartans likely lost their shot at that (at present) fourth #1-seed . . . which is potential good news for . . .
Duke 79 - Wake Forest 71 = Though the win was no surprise, the margin likely did not please Coach K all that much. And it did give them the lead in the ACC, pending tonight's contest as noted below, and the inside track for that elusive #1-seed which is up for grabs . . . sort of, anyway.
Vanderbilt 77 - Florida 67 = The Comms get what may be their best win of the season, and the Gators take another loss. As I said with Hoosiers/Spartans, the effect on their at-large will be at best/worst the seeding, but it's got to give Vandy a bit of confidence.
Tonight's games, aside from some tournament action with importance for the Cinderella dreams of the little guys, will include these:
Penn State vs. Purdue = The late charge by the Boilermakers has probably secured them an at-large, and I'd not expect the Nittany Lions to derail them this evening.
Marquette vs. Cincinnati = But the Bearcats could derail the Golden Eagles, at least in their aspirations to attain a #1-seed. That seems a pipe dream to me, even if Michigan State's out of that race now, as Duke and UNC both stand in their way. In fact, if Cincy can win this one, their #2 may sink to a #3-seed. As this is more reasonable than the other scenario, I'm gonna call for it. The 'Cats, by a late bucket.
Maryland vs. North Carolina = However, for the Tar Heels to retain their OWN hopes, of an ACC regular-season title AND that potential #1-seed too, they have to take care of business at home against the Terps. Even if those turtles are still p!$$ed off at John Henson for dunking on them with one second left up in College Park, I'm not sure that anger would be enough to carry them to victory in Chapel Hill. What WOULD would be for the Heels to play another sub-par game, which they've been awfully awful about doing. As a Heel, I'm of course hoping for a UNC win. As a fan, I'm also hoping for one, as should you, as that will make the Duke/UNC finale on Saturday all that much more fun.
U Mass vs. Temple = The Owls were rolling along just fine, until that loss to St. Joe's. It did not surprise me that the Hawks won it, nor would it surprise me if the Minutemen also give Temple about all they can handle this evening. They may not win, but they will show up.
South Florida vs. Louisville = And if you don't think the Bulls will show up at the KFCrum Bucket tonight, you just haven't been paying much attention. Hey, they are presently 11-5 in Big East play, which by my math is better than the Cardinals' 10-6 mark. This ought to be a real fight.
Iowa State vs. Missouri = And this could be one also, believe it or not. The Cyclones (21-8, 11-5 Big "12") have a danged good team, so even in Columbia you gotta give them a chance at taking the Tigers. As for the Tigers, they maybe think they can regain that #1-seed they lost last week if they run the table, so you figure they'll be focused too. Those Tigers are WRONG to think that, as their RPI of 17 and SoS of (gulp!) 77 has already killed them in the eyes of the Selection Committee, but what is life without a little fantasy, right?
Bottom line, this should be a fun matchup.
Mississippi State vs. South Carolina = I threw this one in because the Bulldogs have gone from a shoo-in to a shoo-ed away team, in a hurry. Five losses in a row has put them at 19-10 and 6-8, and made them extremely bubbly. The 'Cocks suck, so a win's not gonna help them much. However, a loss in Columbia (no, not that one above, the OTHER one
) may just puncture that bubble completely.
Ohio State vs. Northwestern = I figure the Buckeyes were celebrating last night when MSU lost to the Hoosiers, as it gave them a shot at getting back what probably should have been theirs all along . . . the Big Ten+ regular-season. I also figure the Smarty 'Cats will give them a tussle tonight, and may just smack them back to reality . . . said reality being the Buckeyes have not been playing as well as their talent ought to play. Yeah, I know . . . me, a Tar Heel, has no room to talk about that. Still, there it is. This could be one damned interesting game here.
Tennessee vs. LSU = So could this one. Hey, a month ago both these squads were dead in the water. Now, both have at least as good a chance of an at-large as do those Miss. State 'Dogs above, as both have better SEC records. Neither can clinch a bid with a win here, but one of them may lose one.
Oklahoma vs. Texas = And the only way the Sooners will get a bid is if they jump the gun and storm through the Big 12-2 tourney. But the Longhorns may have a chance at an at-large, despite their bad start. Yes, they are pretty bubbly, but closing out the season strong can help them eek in.
Miami vs. N. C. State = Talking of bubble-battles, here's a big one. The 'Canes (17-10, 8-6) and the 'Pack (18-11, 7-7) are both still in the mix, although Miami has the edge due to their 2 marquee wins, as opposed to State's zero. Those 'Canes have a better shot at losing a bid tonight than the 'Pack has of winning one, since Jerry's kids will need a good run in the ACC tourney, like maybe to the final with one of those signature wins thrown in. But you bet your bottom dollar they'll be rockin' in Raleigh tonight, knowing their seasons may hinge on the way they play over the next 10 days or so.
UNLV vs. Colorado State = Not only are the Rams able enough to give the Rebels a Run for their money, this again is another of those Rocky Mountain High games we've seen of late. Hey, if Air Force could beat the Larry's Aztecs in Colorado Springs, you better believe the Rams can beat UNLV in Fort Collins. Will this string of alpine upsets continue? Maybe, maybe not, but you gotta admit it is interesting.
That's it for me tonight. See you tomorrow, brothers, and until then . . . enjoy.