College Hoops Thread '09-'10

[The Poet]

Hokies hold on to edge BC 63-62. Vandy, Syracuse, and West Virginia all doubling up on opponents in second half to take leads.

[The Poet]

Finals: Ole Miss 73 - LSU 63. Texas A&M 67 - Colorado 63. Vanderbilt 82 - Auburn 74. Plus Syracuse and West Virginia getting close to wins, unless something odd happens.

[The Poet]

Syracuse 76 - Marquette 71 = I said they'd give the Orange all they'd want, and they did . . . just not enough.

West Virginia 71 - Ohio State 65 = A game of two different halves. OSU outscored WVA 40-28 in the first, then were beaten 25-43 in the second.

Oh, and Kansas only 20 better than Iowa State with a minute left.

[The Poet]

Kansas wins, California wins. Wake and Baylor well up early, Texas/U.Conn tied at 20 midway first.

[The Poet]

Well, it's almost quittin' time for me, so's I'll sees y'all Monday afternoon. As always, enjoy.

[The Poet]

Turns out there were a lot of good games this weekend, and even a couple you'd call upsets . . . well, maybe I wouldn't, but you would. So here's a few scores of note, discounting the blowouts and those already given, on Saturday:

U. Conn 88 - Texas 74 = And here's one of those "upsets". It doesn't shock me as much as it might you, as the Huskies are a little better than they have played much of the season, while the 'Horns are not as good as they once thought they were. Besides, George Blaney is a wily old codger, and Rick Barnes . . . well, is not.

Georgia 78 - Tennessee 63 = OK, now this one snuck up on me a bit. I knew the Bulldogs could maybe maybe win, if they played as well as they have once or twice this season, but I expected the Vols to continue to play well. Plus, the 15-point margin is 'way out of my expectations, much as:

Duke 60 - Clemson 47 = Here I figured the Blue Devils would win, but again that margin is greater than I would have called, just like:

Maryland 88 - N. C. State 64 = Yeah, I know I said I was going to ignore the blowouts, but c'mon! The 'Pack took Dook early in the week, then didn't even show up in College Park. I was thinking the score would be more like:

Florida 58 - South Carolina 56 = Now here you have a tough conference contest, much like:

BYU 71 - San Diego State 69 = And here's a score I really don't get. Don't misunderstand me . . . I had no great confidence in BYU. However, I had none at all in SDSU. Can you say "bad win"? Now, if you want a good one:

Oklahoma State 73 - Kansas State 69 = This is the same K-State team that beat Texas early in the week, only to lose this one on their home court. And it gets no easier for them either, as Baylor and Kansas are next in line. Finally on Saturday we had:

Purdue 69 - Michigan 59 = Actually, there's nothing much of note in this, since it is about what one would call. Purdue's been good but not great, and Michigan's been poor but improving. That final makes sense.

As for the games on Sunday, we had:

Florida State 68 - Georgia Tech 66 = Just another one of those tough conference wars.

Seton Hall 64 - Pittsburgh 61 = And just another one of . . . wait, Pirates over Panthers? Looks like the Hall DID learn a few things from those early tough losses, and now are able to get a few tough wins. As for Pitt . . . well, they are not the biggest disappointment amongst the NCAA elite this season (that's totally my Heels), but they are not all that far behind.

Louisville 68 - Cincinnati 60 = Here we have two teams searching for their identity. Most nights neither can find their @$$ half the time, but either is capable of giving an effort. Maybe by season's end one or the other will locate theirs.

Wisconsin 79 - Penn State 71 (OT) = OK, Badgers, there's just no stinkin' excuse for this. The Nuttin'y Lions came into this matchup at 8-10 overall, 0-6 in Big Ten play, and they ain't even that good. And here you had to pull one out in OT, when it should have been done by the half? Sheesh.

There's not a lot tonight, though there are two potential really nice games. And no, I'm not referring to the St. Joe's/Penn contest . . . in previous years this Big 5 matchup would be a total battle, but both squads stink this season. Yet we do have:

Syracuse vs. Georgetown = I really don't need to say any more than that, do I?

Kansas vs. Missouri = The Jayhawks will likely rule from the get-go, but games such as this one can always sneak up on you and bite you where it hurts. Keep your eye on the score, as weird $#!+ happens.

Enjoy.

The 'Cuse dismantled Georgetown, and are looking mighty strong.

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by Resipsa

The 'Cuse dismantled Georgetown, and are looking mighty strong.

Yes they did, to the tune of 73-56, and yes they are. In fact, at this point I'd have to predict them as one of the # 1 seeds. Yet to be fair, if history is any judge, I'd also have to predict they'd be one of the two # 1s to get knocked off by the second weekend.

In the other big game last night, Kansas took Missouri 84-63, which shouldn't shock anyone. It also shouldn't shock anyone that they are another of my early # 1s, and one of the OTHER two who I'd say are more likely to survive.

There is not a ton of action tonight, but there are a fair number of important games, for one reason or another:

Kentucky vs. South Carolina = Even at home, I can't give the Gamecocks much of a chance here. But one can never tell . . . the 'Cats have to have a bad night, sooner or later.

Michigan State vs. Michigan = And I can't give the Logans much of a shot either, though in-state rivals often seem to step up, or step down.

Boston College vs. Clemson = The ACC may not be quite as wide open as the Pac-10 race, but it ain't far off. I give the Tigers the edge here, although they are not nearly as good on the road as in Littlejohn.

Miami vs. Maryland = If the Terps TCOB like they did against NCSU, this one's NC.

Kansas State vs. Baylor = I hate to keep dissing these two programs, but I gotta be honest . . . I have no faith in either one to win this game. Toss a coin.

UAB vs. Tulsa = And here we might very well have the best contest nobody much cares about. Expect a war.

West Virginia vs. DePaul = Expect a slaughter. Although losing their coach has seemed to focus the Blue Demons a bit, it will take more than focus for them to win this one . . . like maybe the Mountaineers missing their bus.

UNC vs. N. C. State = The Tar Heels are in desperate need of a little redemption, and the Wolfpack needs to rebound from their embarassment by the Terps. Can the 'Pack do to the Heels what they did to Dook on that same court in Raleigh last week? Yes, they can. Will they? I'll let you know tomorrow.

Enjoy.

Originally Posted by The Poet

Kentucky vs. South Carolina = Even at home, I can't give the Gamecocks much of a chance here. But one can never tell . . . the 'Cats have to have a bad night, sooner or later.

Oooopppsssieees.....

And this is why we play the game. The little ***** cats go down.

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by Resipsa

Oooopppsssieees.....

And this is why we play the game. The little ***** cats go down.

Yessirree, Bob . . . uh, Vic. That is indeed why they toss that orange up before they post the final score. And in case some of you missed it:

South Carolina 68 - Kentucky 62 = And in some ways the game wasn't even that close, as the 'Cats needed a 14-3 run midway thru the 2nd to grab a short-lived lead back from those game 'Cocks. S.C. wins their 3rd straight matchup against UK, which might cost them their # 1 ranking. It will certainly cost the Gamecocks $25,000 for rushing the court afterwards.

Hey, despite some vehement protests to the contrary, I've been saying it for weeks now: The Wildcats have had the tendency all too often this season to either let an opponent hang around or let them get right back into it after having them on the mat. It had to bite them in the butts eventually . . . and may again and again, if they keep planning on pulling it out of the fire at the end.

There were also a few other games last night, believe it or not, such as:

Michigan State 57 - Michigan 56 = And this one too was damn close to being an upset, as it not only took a jumper from Lucas with 3.5 ticks left to get the lead, it also took an alley-oop rolling of the iron with 0.9 to preserve the victory for the Spartans. I keep telling you these in-state conference games can be rough.

Kansas State 76 - Baylor 74 - Even the out-of-state ones, too. Seems like I advised you to flip a coin on this one, and seems like these two almost did just that.

Boston College 75 - Clemson 69 = OK, this was in Chestnut Hill, yet I really didn't think the Tigers would spit the bit here. They are better than the Eagles, but not last night.

UNC 77 - N. C. State 63 = The Tar Heels end their 3-game skid, while the Wolfpack have followed their defeat of Dook with 2 Ls of their own. Biggest item of note to me is that Carolina did this as much on the defensive end as on the other side of the court, which is more like UNC ball than their prior efforts. The 'Pack was held scoreless for 8+ minutes in the 2nd half as the Heels went on a 22-4 run, and State shot only 29% from the field that half. Maybe this will give the Heels a bit of much-needed confidence . . . as for me, it will take 3 or 10 more like this to do the trick.

UAB 65 - Tulsa 55 = I expected this to be closer . . . and again, it actually way. Tulsa had a 46-44 lead late due to the icy shooting of UAB, so since they could not hit from the field the Blazers hit 13 straight FTs to grab the W.

Washington 123 - Seattle 76 = OK, this is the kind of blowout I usually ignore, but hey . . . 123 points? Talk about your balanced scoring, that was 61 in the first half and 62 in the second. Holy crud.


There are a good number of nice games on tap this evening, such as:

Temple vs. Charlotte = The Owls are having a good season, and the '49ers are always dangerous.

Penn State vs. Illinois = OK, this may not be a great game. However, if PSU wants to get off the snide and win their first conference game, this might be a good time for it.

Villanova vs. Notre Dame = This may be a better game, but 'Nova should take it rather safely.

Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt = The Vols have had some better good wins, and both have had a few bad losses. This one's in Knoxville, which is the only thing that moves me to give UT the slight edge.

U. Conn vs. Providence = Can the Huskies build on their big win last weekend? I'd guess probably so, although Providence is better than you may think.

Georgia vs. Florida = Neither of these teams can seem to figure out who the hell they are, so what chance do I have? Again, I'll give the Gators that homecourt edge, if pushed.

Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma State = These two are both 3-2 in conference play, and both want to stay in contention . . . just in case the Jayhawks and the Longhorns get into a huge rumble and both get suspended from play. Should be a war.

Memphis vs. Marshall = Here are two decent teams to whom nobody seems to pay much attention. Both seem likely at this point to make the tourney, so maybe you should scout them out. This one ought to be fun as well.

Ohio State vs. Iowa = This one, not so much. Buckeyes by a bunch.

Iowa State vs. Oklahoma = And these two don't wanna let Colorado and Nebraska out of the basement, so this may be a battle too.

Texas vs. Texas Tech = The 'Horns need to find themselves again. Expect them to do so, though the Red Raiders won't roll over and die on them.

Duke vs. Florida State = For the first time in a while the Blue Devils want to prove they are the top of the ACC, and the Seminoles have pretensions themselves. This game is in Cameron, so give Dook and the Crazies the nod.

BYU vs. New Mexico = The Lobos and the Runnin' Rebels of UNLV seem to be the only conference threats facing BYU. As these are two more of those teams in which I have little long-term faith, I don't know who to pick . . . nor do I much care.

Enjoy.

[The Poet]

So do you know what happened last night, guys? Not such big news as the night before, but a few things worth noticing:

Charlotte 74 - Temple 64 = I told you those '49ers are dangerous. Guess the Owls didn't believe me.

Duke 70 - Florida State 56 = OK, so this one you had down in pencil before the tip-off. Me, I had it inked.

Florida 87 - Georgia 71 = Decent win for the Gators, who are trying to regain some balance. They started off with a string of Ws, then lost 3, won 3, lost 2, and now have won 4. As for the Bulldogs, they have good wins against Ga. Tech and UT, plus gave UK, Ole Miss, and Miss. State good games, but didn't show it last night. Hey, I guess they are who they are, no more and no less.

Ohio State 65 - Iowa 57 = I can't truly class this as a "bad" win for the Buckeyes, but I did expect a bigger margin . . . even in Iowa City.

Memphis 75 - Marshall 72 = Did I not tell you this would be a game?

New Mexico 76 - BYU 72 = I still don't much care, but give the Lobos some credit for putting the fear of God into those Mormons. New Mexico has a good team, yet were never as good as their proir ranking. Same goes for the Cougars. The Mountain West may be better than the Pac-10 this season, but that does not make them one of the Big Boys.

Oklahoma State 76 - Texas A&M 69 = And here's a good W for Oak State. Those Aggies haven't beaten any team better than "meh" since the end of November, and here have lost to one.

Providence 81 - U. Conn 66 = So maybe this is the shocker of the night, though I did say that the Friars are better than you think. But this good? Hey, 15 points is damn close to a spanking.

Vanderbilt 85 - Tennessee 76 = So maybe this is another shock, albeit a minor one. Both teams have had good and bad games, and so perhaps the biggest part of the "shock" is that 9-point margin . . . in Knoxville, not Nashville.

Texas 95 - Texas Tech 83 = So maybe this is a third minor shock, though not that the 'Horns got off their mini-slide but because they only beat this so-so squad by a dozen . . . in Austin.

And what do we have in store tonight? Well, I see a handful with some potential:

Pittsburgh vs. St. John's = The Panthers have not been as good as they should, and the Johnnies have snuck up on a few people this year. I wouldn't bet it, but I wouldn't have a stroke if this one was fairly close.

Georgia Tech vs. Wake Forest = Just your typical ACC slugfest, as is:

Virginia Tech vs. Virginia = The Cavs are the surprise of the conference so far. That may last the night, but it will not last until March.

Wisconsin vs. Purdue = And here's your Big Ten battle. Better alert the rescue squad.

Stanford vs. Arizona = This Pac-10 fiasco is fascinating. Both these teams are 10-9 overall, and 4-3 in conference play. And speaking of 4-3 in conference:

California vs. Arizona State = The Sun Devils are also 4-3, whereas the Bears have a commanding Pac-10 lead . . . at 5-2. But getting back to that 4-3 thing:

USC vs. Oregon State = The Trojans are also 4-3, as are:

UCLA vs. Oregon = Their crosstown rivals, the Bruins. Jesus, just close your eyes and throw a dart, why don'tcha?

Miss. State vs. Arkansas = The Razorbacks have been Piglets this year, so go with the OTHER Bulldogs in the SEC.

Mississippi vs. Auburn = Again, my heart's with Lebo's boys, but my head's with the Ole Miss Rebels.

Gonzaga vs. Santa Clara = This should be no contest. THESE Bulldogs, meaning the 'Zags (to distinguish them from all the other Dogs, Cats, Bears, or Birds out there), are not the only decent team in the WCC . . . but Santa Clara is not one of the others.

And as always, enjoy.

[Col. Kurtz]

Congrats to your 'heels Thomas. Go ahead and fire 'em up

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by Col. Kurtz

Congrats to your 'heels Thomas. Go ahead and fire 'em up

Not yet, Jerry. I am presently 1-0 in the head-to-head, and you're 1-0 in the tiebreaker. As both these games were in Rahlee, I have the homecourt edge 2-1 to your 0-2. Advantage, Poet . . . but the fat lady ain't even on stage already.

[The Poet]

No big shockers in last night's action, though there were a few items of some note:

Arizona 76 - Stanford 68 = After jerking around for the first half of the season, the Wildcats have started to play better, moving themselves into contention in the Pac-10 with:

California 78 - Arizona State 70 = And after playing pretty well for the most part of this month, the Sun Devils have dropped two inna row to fall into a 5-way tie for 3rd place in conference play. That's right . . . half of the Pac-10 is 4-4 now.

Arkansas 67 - Mississippi State 62 = Now here's a bit of a surprise, since the 'Backs have not played well this year. This is a good win for them . . . in a conference where they've got that snowball's chance of winning.

Mississippi 84 - Auburn 74 = Unlike the Rebels, who have a good shot at winning the West half of the SEC.

Georgia Tech 79 - Wake Forest 58 = It's getting so the ACC's as confusing as the Pac-10, albeit at a somewhat higher level. Both these teams have had great wins and crappy losses, and nobody knows who's gonna show up for the next game.

Oregon 71 - UCLA 66 (OT) = This loss by the Bruins put them in that 4-4 logjam previously mentioned, while the Ducks' victory jump them into a 3-way tie for 8th . . . at 3-5 in Pac-10 play.

Oregon State 51 - USC 45 = Same exact story here, only different teams in the same states, literal and figurative.

Pittsburgh 63 - St. John's 53 = Pretty much what one should have expected. Johnnies did OK, Panthers did OK enough to win.

Purdue 60 - Wisconsin 57 = And pretty much the same expectations met here too . . . a war until the end.

Virginia Tech 76 - Virginia 71 (OT) = And pretty much the same here too . . . the Cavs slip back into the pack, starting on their way down the basement steps of the ACC.

Gonzaga 71 - Santa Clara 64 = And pretty much a "WTF were they doing here?" for the 'Zags, who should have totally outclassed this sub .500 squad. Yet it took a 12-0 run by Gonzaga in the last 5:55 to pull this one out of the fire. Sheesh. I don't wanna hear no whinin' from them come March that they didn't get seeded high enough. Know what I mean?

Xavier 86 - Duquesne 50 = And pretty much the kind of game I normally ignore, except for the fact that I've become fascinated with this X-Men team. Who are they? Sometimes they play like world-beaters, and sometimes like scrubs. Guess they had their Wheaties yesterday.

There really not much to keep your attention tonight, as usual on mid-winter Fridays, unless you're really into the Ivy League race. In fact, the only game which piqued my noodle is the Butler/Wisc. Green Bay matchup, and it could be a good one. But as usual, there are a buttload of games on Saturday, so as usual I shall mention some that tip off early tomorrow:

U. Conn vs. Marquette = Wow. I mean, wow. Both these teams are good, and neither has been great except in spurts. Here's an early toss-up.

Temple vs. LaSalle = Here . . . not so much. The Owls are coming off their loss to Charlotte, so should be focused. And LaSalle has not been much of a challenge this year. Don't plan on any classic Big 5 magic in this one.

West Virginia vs. Louisville = The Mountaineers have a better team, yet the Cardinals have managed to show up for a few games so far, and do have some talent. Go with WVA, but not as heavy as one might think from the simple stats.

Georgetown vs. Duke = Again . . . wow. As has become the custom, once again all the pundits are lauding the Big East and dissing the ACC, and shall continue to do so . . .until the ACC once again escorts the Big East out of the NCAAs. This one should be a real battle, as both are quite good. Me, I cannot wait.

George Washington vs. Rhode Island = And why the hell would I bring this turkey up? Well, here's the thing. RI is 16-3, so may be better than you might believe. And GWU? They may only be a so-so 12-7, but they are an impressive 6-3 on the road. It's games like this one that can sneak up on you, if you're not paying attention.

Georgia Tech vs. Kentucky . . . State = Kentucky STATE?? Who are they? Where are they, save I presume somewhere in Kentucky? And most importantly, why are the Yellow Jackets playing a November game at the end of January? Ramblin' Wreck, indeed!


I'll give you more tomorrow afternoon. Until then, enjoy.

[The Poet]

Maybe by the time I finish this breakdown of upcoming action, I'll have some meaningful scores to report. Until then, you can look forward to this additional action today:

Syracuse vs. DePaul = But don't expect a lot of it here. The 'Cuse is 7-1 in conference, while DePaul is 1-7. That ratio will only increase.

Indiana vs. Illinois = OK, neither one is the power they have been in the paast, but that does not mean this won't be fun to watch.

LSU vs. Mississippi State = Unlike this one, which should not be fun at all. MS is pretty decent, and LSU pretty much sucks.

N.C. State vs. N.C. Central = Hey, what's with these November games in January? Do you reckon the Wolfpack will bounce back from their loss to the Tar Heels today?

Oklahoma State vs. Missouri = This one should be a blast, from start to finish.

Boston College vs. Florida State = This one could be OK too. The Seminoles are a bit better than the Eagles, but the game's in chilly Chestnut Hill. May go down to the end.

Arkansas vs. Mississippi = PPD until tomorrow, due to a dusting of winter weather in the Delta. Despite the 'Hogs big win over Miss. State earlier this week, they'd probably prefer it to be postponed even longer.

Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt = That loss to the Gamecocks may have focused the Wildcats, so this has the potential to get real ugly real quickly in Rupp this afternoon. However, the Comms are better than the Cocks, and have been preparing for this one . . . and if Vandy holds any edge against UK, it's in the study hall.

Stanford vs. Arizona State = Remember me telling you about all those 4-4 squads in the Pac-10 race? After this game, one of these won't be in that group. Expect a fight.

Auburn vs. Alabama = What's the motivation here? Well, Auburn is 10-11 overall and wants to reach .500, whereas 'Bama is 3-3 in conference, and wants to STAY at .500 there. Besides, they don't much like each other either. Shields up.

ODU vs. Northeastern = And here we have one of those mid-major clashes that most ignore, at the peril of missing one hell of a game.

Texas vs. Baylor = The Longhorns have slipped a bit of late, and the Bears are trying to hang tough. Rick Barnes may convince his guys to show up today, and if so the 'Horns have the decided edge. However, first someone has to convince Barnes himself to show up also.

Iowa vs. Michigan = Just like that Hoosier/Illini game above, here are two Big 10 teams that ain't all that good . . . but the game itself just might be, due to that very fact.

USC vs. Oregon = And just like EVERY Pac-10 game, this one can put a squad either into or out of contention.

New Mexico vs. TCU = After hitting a holiday slump, the Lobos have won 5 inna row. Make that six.

Michigan State vs. Northwestern = The Spartans are playing better and better, while the Brainiacs have come to the realization that basketball is not an academic endeavor. The Spartans take over in the 2nd half to win by 2 handfuls.

Kansas vs Kansas State = This one is in that slightly smaller Manhattan, so one has to give K-State a shot here . . . they are fairly good, most nights. But the Jayhawks are, to be fair, both better and more experienced. It may be a 1 or 2 possession game late, yet I'd go with KU.

Georgia vs. South Carolina = Here are two teams with good, or even great, wins . . . and some pretty crappy losses too. Should be fun, since we don't know who'll show up on either side.

UCLA vs. Oregon State = And we're back into that Pac-10 clusterfark again.

Providence vs. Cincinnati = Furthermore, there's a bunch of Big East teams fighting to stay in the hunt. Here's a pair of them, and both are good.

UAB vs. UTEP = And come to think of it, so's the CUSA, and here's the fight for the lead.

Oklahoma vs. Nebraska = And come to think of it, this would be a good football game . . . but not so much in hoops. The Sooners are OK, but the Huskers not so much.

BYU vs. Utah = An in-state rivalry? Don't count on it.

Gonzaga vs. San Francisco = If Bill Russell's there for the alumni game and suits up for SF, they have a shot. Otherwise, NFW.

Then on Sunday we have a decent number of good games also. Aside from that Arkansas/Mississippi make-up, there is:

Pittsburgh vs. South Florida = Alright, so maybe not this one. Pitt has not been great, but they should be good enough to take this one fairly easily.

Virginia Tech vs. Miami = And the Hokies should take this one too, since the 'Canes can't do much of anything this year.

Tennessee vs. Florida = But here, if the Gators show up . . . like they do about every other game . . . we could have a war.

Ohio State vs. Minnesota = Here too, though I'd lean towards the Buckeyes.

Purdue vs. Penn State = Pleeze. The Nuttin'ly Lions remain "perfect" in the Big 10, and will go to 0-9.

California vs. Arizona = This one likely will not decide the Pac-10 for good, but it will determine if Cal will stay on top, or if 'Zona can add another tie to the league.

Maryland vs. Clemson = The Terps find themselves atop the ACC. The Tigers will end this in Littlejohn.

UNC vs. UVA = Can the Tar Heels finally get on a roll? Can the Cavaliers get back on one? Beats the livin' crap outta me.

This has taken much too long, so let me go see if I have some finals to report yet. I'll be back, so until then, enjoy.

[The Poet]

Temple 64 - LaSalle 52 = An OK win for the Owls, though I thought the margin might be higher.

Louisville is up 10 over WVA second half, and G'town even more over Dook late first. Marquette is giving U.Conn a real fight, like I expected.

[The Poet]

Marquette 70 - U. Conn 68 = That "early toss-up" was just that.

West Virginia by 2 with 5.8 ticks left, Hoyas still have Dook in hand, and DePaul up big over the Orange . . . but it's real early there.

[The Poet]

West Virginia 77 - Louisville 74 = Yeah, like I said . . . go with WVA, but not by much.

Blue Devils cutting into Hoya lead, and Blue Demons kicking Orange butt . . . but it's STILL early.

[The Poet]

Hoyas survive Dook push, and open it up to 15 with 7 1/2 left. Still time, but none to waste. Syracuse comes back strong to be down only 35-31 at the break.

[The Poet]

It's not over, but it really is - Georgetown has Duke down big late. Syracuse cuts it to one stinkin' point. In other action, Rhode Island takes George Washington 72-66 . . . I told you it would be a good one. Indiana/Illinois tied at 36 at the break . . . I told you that too.