College Hoops Thread 2011-2012

[The Poet]

OK, to get firstly to those scores already mentioned above:


Duke 78 - N. C. State 73 = The 'Pack came into Cameron hot, but could not cool down the Curry to hold off the Blue Devils. NCSU led by 16 at the break, and got it up to 20 or so, yet could not keep Dook from surging back to steal it away from them. Well, they did play well, and have two more shots at that "upset" they want to follow, both in Raleigh. And congrats to Duke for playing tough when it really counted.

Florida State 48 - Virginia Tech 47 = The 'Noles dodged a bullet on their home court also, and the Hokies missed a shot at their best win since they got the Cavs in Charlottesville earlier. Again, good for them for playing tough, but I'm not going to give 'grats to the Semiholes for exhibiting more luck than skill. If they play that way in Raleigh Saturday, Jerry may have something to grin about.

Michigan State 69 - Wisconsin 55 = Long ago, in a galaxy far far away, the Spartans started off 0-2 and were predicted to crash and burn. Meanwhile, in a distant star system, the Badgers were supposed to be the singular challenge to The Evil Empire in Columbus OH for control of The Force in Big Ten+ play. How things can change when a Jedi like Tom Izzo gets his lightsaber humming. (Hell, I don't know why I went there, aside from being bored, unless I've been tempted by The Dark Side.)

West Virginia 66 - Pittsburgh 48 = It has stopped being surprising when the Panthers lose, but even against a decent Mountaineer squad this one puzzles. Pitt was only down 1 at the half, yet were still blown out . . . AT HOME! Pitiful.

Vanderbilt 102 - Mississippi 76 = Speaking of blowouts, the Comms got one I did not expect here. Sure, they had to be favored over the Rebels, but just as I said I'd about been convinced they are not for real, they just purely stomp their opponent, on the road.


Tonight gives me only a pair of games I've even the slightest interest in:


Cornell vs. Penn = With Harvard at 7-1 and Yale at 6-2, both Big Red (5-3) and the Quakers (5-2) are gonna need some help along the way to take the Ivy. Still, they have to win tonight to keep those hopes reasonably alive, and as they both can't do so this one's huge.

Valparaiso vs. Loyola-Marymount = One of ESPN's early Bracket Buster games, and it should be a pretty good one to boot.


And since I've got a little time, lemme also get some early Saturday action posted here now:


Drexel vs. Cleveland State = Another BB game, and with the same potential to be a Barn-Burner.

Louisville vs. DePaul = A pretty important game for the Cardinals in Rosemont, as at the least Pitino wants his kids gearing up for post-season play in hostile environments. As for the Blue Demons, it would be a huge upset for them were they to take this one, though its meaning over the long haul would be next-to-nothing. Unless they run the table in the Big East Tourney, they're already dead.

Marquette vs. U. Conn = The same might even hold true for the Huskies . . . kinda like it did last year. A win in Hartford would go some ways towards saving U Conn's season, though with the way they've played this last month deems that unlikely. And even though they are safely out of the cellar, another loss would put them 2 games under .500 in league play. Me, I'm expecting just that.

Wichita State vs. Davidson = Another Bracket Buster, but though I'd like to give the Wildcats a decent chance in Charlotte (well, its suburbs, anyway) here, I really think the Shockers are the better team. Would it be a shocker if Davidson won? No, but it would be at least a minor upset.

UCLA vs. St. John's = No, NOT a BB-matchup, though maybe it might as well be one. Much like DePaul, the Johnnies ain't going nowhere without a miracle. The Bruins might not either, although their play of late has improved . . . if that's really saying anything. Hey, even the Wear twins have contributed in big ways recently, and this Tar Heel has no problem saying "Good for them." This is in MSG, and it's a hard one to call. SJU has talented freshmen who show up to play about every 3rd or 4th game, and UCLA's seemingly played down to their opponents all year. Flip a coin over these two legendary programs.

Maryland vs. Virginia = The Terps haven't done much this year, while the Cavs have done a lot more than was expected of them. Yet they have also lost 3 or their last 4, which isn't a good sign. It's in Charlottesville, and UVA's only lost to VT there so far, and I'd lean towards them in this one.

Florida State vs. N. C. State = Here's the Wolfpack's second chance for that signature win they need to solidify that at-large they lust for, badly. I'm gonna give them at least as good a shot at it as I did last night against Duke, and you know how close that one was. Plus, of the 'Noles' 7 losses, 4 of them came on the road. On the other hand, 4 of State's losses have come at home, so there's that too.

UNLV vs. New Mexico = The Runnin' Rebels are coming off a big upset loss at TCU, while the Lobos are coming off a huge win at San Diego State. So one wants to turn things around, and the other wants to continue on its roll. I'm looking for a war in Albuquerque.

Tennessee vs. Alabama = Can the Vols continue to surprise people by finally winning some games, and will the Tide continue to recede by losing them? I'd say it's about 50/50.

Kansas State vs. Baylor = The 'Cats have dropped two in a row already now, and are likely to make that four, what with this one in Waco followed by a visit to Missouri. As I'm not a big fan of of Frank Martin, I'd have to say it couldn't happen to a much-nicer guy.


That's about all for the moment. If I don't see you here later today, I'll be back tomorrow with later weekend action. Until when then, enjoy.