[The Poet]

Well, the two "no contest" contests last night were exactly that, what with big wins by BYU and K-State. As for other action, where there actually was some:

Kentucky 85 - Mississippi 75 = But it wasn't really even that close, though Ole Miss did pull to within 3 with 14 minutes left. However, UK was pretty much in control all night, what with John Wall trying to play his way out of Cal's doghouse and into the NBA in front of 20 pro scouts.

Northwestern 67 - Michigan 52 = And these Wildcats . . . oh, yeah, I already did that . . . played themselves to a 4-6 Big 10 standing.

Syracuse 85 - Providence 68 = I told you the Friars didn't have a prayer, didn't I?

Villanova 81 - Seton Hall 71 = Yet it seems these piratical preachers did, until they ran out of gas anyway. Their 50% shooting helped them to a 58-56 lead over the . . . what else? Wildcats . . . but then they hit the wall and went 6-21 the rest of the way.

Wake Forest 62 - Miami 53 = Yeah, OK . . . the Deacs use their better squad and home court to get the 9-point victory. No big shock here.

Wisconsin 67 - Michigan State 47 = One big shock here. No, not that the Badgers won, as the Spartans haven't won in Madison since 2001. Yet for them to score only 47 points? That's pretty par for Wisconsin's plodding play (in fact, they themselves scored 47 in their loss to MSU back on Jan. 6th), but it's pretty poor for a running Spartan team.

In tonight's action we have the following:

Ohio State vs. Penn State = The Nuttin'ly Lions attempt to keep their perfect conference record by going 0-10. I expect that will be no problem.

William & Mary vs. Old Dominion = Yeah, another of my good mid-major contest picks, to go along with:

George Washington vs. Charlotte = GW's fairly decent, and the 49ers are even better, with wins over Louisville, Richmond, and Temple.

Maine vs. Vermont = And although this one sounds more like a good hockey game, take note that they are fighting with Stony Brook for the lead in the American East conference. OK, so I don't care either, but no doubt somebody does.

N.C. State vs. Virginia = The Wolfpack's trying to get back on track and stay relevant in the ACC, and the Cavs are trying to build on their win in Chapel Hill and challenge for the top of it. Could be a real battle.

Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia = Here too, though it's the Big East instead.

Temple vs. Duquesne = Here, not so much. The Owls are pissed, and Duquesne pretty much reeks.

Georgetown vs. South Florida = On the surface you may not think this one worth noting, especially after the Hoyas dismantled Dook Saturday. However, they will not shoot 71% from the field . . . maybe ever again . . . and the Bulls were fairly good even before their victory over Pitt. G'town should win, but it may be closer than you'd believe.

Baylor vs. Iowa State = Hey, this could be that very same deal too. The Bears may be ranked in the top 20, but they are only 7th in the Big 12. Plus, there may be a hangover from their W over the Longhorns.

Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State = And here we have two SEC squads trying to stay in the hunt, so it's another potential war.

UAB vs. Memphis = And the hits just keep on coming. UAB's in a 3-way tie at 6-1 for 1st in the CUSA, while perennial master Memphis is on their heels at 5-2. You think they both want the win?

Northern Iowa vs. Wichita State = And here's another of those great games nobody will watch. These two teams match up well, and will fight to the finish.

Texas A&M vs. Missouri = And these two . . . well, just because the national ranking hype has long gone does not mean we don't have a pair of good teams going head-to-head, just trying to keep their own above water in the Big 12.

Kansas vs. Colorado = And these two teams . . . well, not so much. If the Jayhawks win by less than 20, Self should pluck them all.

Enjoy.