College Hoops Thread '10-'11

The Poet · 01-07-2011, 11:18 AM

For what it's worth, here's the scores that jumped out at me from last night:

Villanova 83 - South Florida 71 = As I thought, the Wildcats were not hard-pressed. Yet, as I thought, the Bulls weren't bullied either. All in all, just about what you'd expect.

Charleston 76 - Furman 72 = Again, I felt this would be a good one, and it certainly was.

Arizona 73 - California 71 = Though I cannot say I'm at all surprised at the closeness of this final, I will confess I really have little idea what it truly means, if anything. It is a good win for the Wildcats, but not by any means a dominant performance against the Golden Bears . . . who sometimes play well, and sometimes play like crap.

Boise State 102 - San Jose State 101 (4OT) = That's right, 4OT. So this game turned into a game-and-a-half, and nearly went further than that. Two other interesting notes here. This was the first time the SJS Spartans have scored 100 points since 1979, or a span of 914 games. And, this was the first time the BS Broncos have played an overtime game . . . ever.

There's not one hell of a lot happening tonight, not even the normally-expected Ivy action we're accustomed to seeing on Fridays. In fact, I found only two which jazzed me even a teeny bit:

Cleveland State vs. Butler = The Bulldogs have the name and rep, but the Vikings have the record, at 15-1 overall and 4-0 conference. True, Butler has played a slightly better schedule, but CS hasn't exactly been dogging it either, what with wins over decent teams like South Florida, St. Bonnie's, Wisc. Milwaukee (who beat Butler Monday by 24), and Iona. Speaking of the Gaels . . .

Iona vs. St. Peter's = . . . although neither they nor the Peacocks are world-beaters, they are both at least OK, and are fairly well matched. This one could be some fun.

Now Saturday will be an entirely different matter altogether, with altogether too many games to choose from. I'll get a jump on it now by posting the contests which tip off early (meaning before 2 PM):

Syracuse vs. Seton Hall = Though this is a home game for the Pirates, I can't see any way in hell they can beat the Orange. That's not because I think Syracuse is as great as their record, but rather because the Hall is "meh" on their best nights.

Georgetown vs. West Virginia = And again, though the Hoyas have had their troubles at times, the Mountaineers are about 3/4th the team they've been in recent years. This should be closer than the one above, but unless the Hoyas' inability to score bites them in their big blue butts again, they should prevail.

Michigan State vs. Penn State = The Spartans have had a good season so far, but they were expected to have a great one. That could still happen, and they are likely to school the NotMuch'enly Lions in State College.

Kansas State vs. Oklahoma State = Now here, we just might have us a pretty decent game down in Stillwater. The "other Manhattan" Wildcats have the rep, but they haven't played much of anybody for over a month . . . and when they did (Florida & UNLV), they lost. The Cowboys have a good shot of making a run at them, believe it or not.

North Carolina vs. Virginia = The Tar Heels are still only hitting on about 5 of 8 cylinders, which should be enough to give them the edge in Charlottesville, especially in the paint. But the Cavs are actually decent so far this year, at 10-5 and with wins over Minnesota and Va. Tech, and their guards will hurt you if you don't guard them first. So, all in all, this one could be a toss-up.

Missouri vs. Colorado = Here too, you have to give the Tigers an edge, as they have played better than have the Buffaloes. But again, the Buffs have not been bad themselves, and this game is in Boulder, so the altitude might give the lowlanders some problems before it's all said and done. Keep an eye on the second half, to see if it becomes a factor.

Tennessee vs. Arkansas = The Vols posted a big, and badly needed, win over Memphis Wednesday, but it is not a given that they have righted their ship. As for the 'Backs, they have a good record, but have lost their games against "quality" opponents, and were embarrassed by the Longhorns in their last contest, losing by 33. This one is hard to call because A) We don't know which UT team will show up down in Fayetteville, and B) We don't know what the Razorbacks are, period.

Austin Peay vs. Murray State = And here we have one of those classic mid-major matchups that could, before all is said and done, actually become the best game of the day. Flip a coin on this one.

If I don't make it back here later today, I'll chat on you tomorrow afternoon. Until then then . . . enjoy.

01-07-2011, 11:18 AM	#11
The Poet Il megglior fabbro Join Date: Jun 2009 First Name: Thomas Location: Hickory, NC Posts: 8,420 Trading: (2)	Re: College Hoops Thread '10-'11 For what it's worth, here's the scores that jumped out at me from last night: Villanova 83 - South Florida 71 = As I thought, the Wildcats were not hard-pressed. Yet, as I thought, the Bulls weren't bullied either. All in all, just about what you'd expect. Charleston 76 - Furman 72 = Again, I felt this would be a good one, and it certainly was. Arizona 73 - California 71 = Though I cannot say I'm at all surprised at the closeness of this final, I will confess I really have little idea what it truly means, if anything. It is a good win for the Wildcats, but not by any means a dominant performance against the Golden Bears . . . who sometimes play well, and sometimes play like crap. Boise State 102 - San Jose State 101 (4OT) = That's right, 4OT. So this game turned into a game-and-a-half, and nearly went further than that. Two other interesting notes here. This was the first time the SJS Spartans have scored 100 points since 1979, or a span of 914 games. And, this was the first time the BS Broncos have played an overtime game . . . ever. There's not one hell of a lot happening tonight, not even the normally-expected Ivy action we're accustomed to seeing on Fridays. In fact, I found only two which jazzed me even a teeny bit: Cleveland State vs. Butler = The Bulldogs have the name and rep, but the Vikings have the record, at 15-1 overall and 4-0 conference. True, Butler has played a slightly better schedule, but CS hasn't exactly been dogging it either, what with wins over decent teams like South Florida, St. Bonnie's, Wisc. Milwaukee (who beat Butler Monday by 24), and Iona. Speaking of the Gaels . . . Iona vs. St. Peter's = . . . although neither they nor the Peacocks are world-beaters, they are both at least OK, and are fairly well matched. This one could be some fun. Now Saturday will be an entirely different matter altogether, with altogether too many games to choose from. I'll get a jump on it now by posting the contests which tip off early (meaning before 2 PM): Syracuse vs. Seton Hall = Though this is a home game for the Pirates, I can't see any way in hell they can beat the Orange. That's not because I think Syracuse is as great as their record, but rather because the Hall is "meh" on their best nights. Georgetown vs. West Virginia = And again, though the Hoyas have had their troubles at times, the Mountaineers are about 3/4th the team they've been in recent years. This should be closer than the one above, but unless the Hoyas' inability to score bites them in their big blue butts again, they should prevail. Michigan State vs. Penn State = The Spartans have had a good season so far, but they were expected to have a great one. That could still happen, and they are likely to school the NotMuch'enly Lions in State College. Kansas State vs. Oklahoma State = Now here, we just might have us a pretty decent game down in Stillwater. The "other Manhattan" Wildcats have the rep, but they haven't played much of anybody for over a month . . . and when they did (Florida & UNLV), they lost. The Cowboys have a good shot of making a run at them, believe it or not. North Carolina vs. Virginia = The Tar Heels are still only hitting on about 5 of 8 cylinders, which should be enough to give them the edge in Charlottesville, especially in the paint. But the Cavs are actually decent so far this year, at 10-5 and with wins over Minnesota and Va. Tech, and their guards will hurt you if you don't guard them first. So, all in all, this one could be a toss-up. Missouri vs. Colorado = Here too, you have to give the Tigers an edge, as they have played better than have the Buffaloes. But again, the Buffs have not been bad themselves, and this game is in Boulder, so the altitude might give the lowlanders some problems before it's all said and done. Keep an eye on the second half, to see if it becomes a factor. Tennessee vs. Arkansas = The Vols posted a big, and badly needed, win over Memphis Wednesday, but it is not a given that they have righted their ship. As for the 'Backs, they have a good record, but have lost their games against "quality" opponents, and were embarrassed by the Longhorns in their last contest, losing by 33. This one is hard to call because A) We don't know which UT team will show up down in Fayetteville, and B) We don't know what the Razorbacks are, period. Austin Peay vs. Murray State = And here we have one of those classic mid-major matchups that could, before all is said and done, actually become the best game of the day. Flip a coin on this one. If I don't make it back here later today, I'll chat on you tomorrow afternoon. Until then then . . . enjoy.