College Hoops Thread '10-'11

[The Poet]

OK, I'm back with the Saturday games scheduled to tip by 1:00 PM EST:


Notre Dame vs. South Florida = If the Irish don't just hammer the Bulls, I'll be surprised . . . though to be fair, 7 of the Bulls 8 wins came on their home court. But so did 6 of their 17 losses, so there's that too.

Syracuse vs. Louisville = And speaking of losses, both of these are coming off of one. Also, both of these teams are in that 8-way Big Mouth cluster with records between 7-4 and 6-5 in conference play. Put those facts together, and you can figure on a war out in the Crum Bucket.

Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt = By comparison, the SEC East is a cakewalk, as their are only 4 2nd place teams with 5-4 marks. Kentucky has more talent, and less depth. Vandy has home-court, and a short turnaround time. And that's ignoring the fact that the SEC has had the consistency of a bride's first gravy this year . . . lots of lumps and bumps. Pick 'em.

North Carolina vs. Clemson = The Tar Heels are 3/4ths the way through their single toughest stretch of the ACC season (@ BC, FSU, @ Dook), and so far 2-1 is about as good as one could expect. They need to visit the Tigers and take care of business to remain above the Semiholes in 2nd place. It won't be easy, but I'd give them a slight edge.

Maryland vs. Boston College = And this one might even be more important in the ACC, and I'll tell you why. At 5-4 and 5-5 resp't, neither one will make it to the top of the regular season standings. Yet, barring a possible run in the ACC Tourney, this one may determine whether or not one or the other (and likely not both) will receive a bid to the NCAAs. Can the Terps travel up to Chestnut Hill and take one from a struggling Eagle squad? It should be a lot of fun to watch.

Temple vs. Dayton = The Owls may be ranked, and may even deserve to be, but they are in 3rd place in the A-10. Just barely, mind you, at 8-2 as opposed to the Dukes and X-Men at 8-1, but still. Also, and still still, they are tied for third with . . .

Richmond vs. St. Louis = Though the Owls above may have problems with the Flyers, I can't see the Spiders having all that much with the Billikens. So pencil in Richmond with the W, which means the Owls HAVE to beat Dayton, or fall to 4th in the A-10 race. Hey, I figure all four may get bids anyway, but it's best not to gamble on such stuff.


Tomorrow I'll give you more weekend action, plus some early scores.

[jcruse64]

If I were a betting man, I'd say UK will flame out down at Vandy.

The St John's win was great! They ain't too shabby.


Go Racers!!!!! Will be there tomorrow to see if the streak continues.

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by jcruse64

If I were a betting man, I'd say UK will flame out down at Vandy.

The St John's win was great! They ain't too shabby.


Go Racers!!!!! Will be there tomorrow to see if the streak continues.

A. Well, it certainly would not be the first time the 'Cats got their tails stuck under a rocker.

B. The Johnnies made a bit of a move last year, and Steve Lavin seems to have them on a positive track. Let's see if they can continue to climb back to where they were once, without landing on the NCAA's $#!+list. Hey, it wouldn't be Lavin's first time there.

C. As by this time you're already in the stands, I won't tell you to enjoy. Still, I hope you do . . . and if they win, you likely shall.


Back soon with an update.

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by The Poet

C. As by this time you're already in the stands, I won't tell you to enjoy. Still, I hope you do . . . and if they win, you likely shall.

My bad. That game's tonight, so only the janitors are in the stands now.


Last night Harvard edged Yale 78-75 to stay in touch with Princeton in the Ivy, while East Tennessee State just spanked Jacksonville 80-64 to grab 2nd in the Atlantic Sun behind Belmont. Today there is far too much going on for me to do proper justice to it all, so by throwing out the mismatches and the bottom-feeders I'm left with:


Texas A&M vs. Texas Tech = Well, actually one of these is a bottom-feeder, but as the Aggies are ranked I have to mention their game, even if I don't think it will be much of one.

LSU vs. Arkansas = And the only way I see the Tigers giving the 'Hogs much of one resides in the fact that the SEC has been all over the map, so there's that.

Missouri vs. Oklahoma = And with Missou being ranked at 18-6, with the Sooners just above .500 at 12-11, this seems a mismatch too. But they are both 4-5 in the Big 12, so you can never tell. It could actually be close, at least for a while.

Ohio State vs. Wisconsin = Can the Buckeyes travel up to Madison and stay undefeated? Sure they can. Can the Badgers plod them into frustration, and steal one at home? Sure they can. If somebody scores more than 70, go with OSU. Under that, it could be anybody's game.

ODU vs. VCU = This one should be tons of fun. VCU is tied for 1st in the CAC, with ODU 'waaaay down in 3rd place. Break out the sharp knives.

Virginia vs. Florida State = On the one hand, the Cavs seem to be safely a few steps out of the ACC basement. On the other, the 'Noles want to stay in touch with UNC for 2nd in league play, as well as hope that Duke stumbles somewhere. I can't see UVA winning, yet I do expect they'll show up and give 'em game.

Mississippi vs. Alabama = The Tide want to bounce back from that squeaker at Vandy, and further strengthen their hold atop the SEC West. The Rebels don't want to drop any lower than 3rd, and would love to get back to .500 there. As this is the SEC, and the West to boot, flip a coin.

Indiana vs. Michigan = Two young teams with more pride and tradition than ability, though both have shown flashes. The Logans hold home court, so give them a 3-possession edge over the Hoosiers. Then, wait 'til next year, when both may open some eyes.

UCLA vs. Oregon State = The Bruins may be the surprise of the Pac-10, and may be the only one who can steal the conference from Arizona. As this one's at Pauley, and as the Beavers are as flat as their tails, go UCLA here.

Texas vs. Baylor = The Longhorns don't have a lot of competition left on their schedule, with the Bears being one of the few with half-a-shot. Unless the 'Horns assume they're winning and slack off, they should take it by 10 or better. But Baylor can play a bit, so UT best not fall asleep.

West Virginia vs. DePaul = Although the Blue Demons have come close a time or two of actually winning a conference game, they have as yet not managed to do so. I do not expect they shall today either, despite the fact that the Mountaineers have also fallen off the ridge a time or three themselves.

Kansas vs. Iowa State = And if the Jayhawks drop this one in Lawrence, Bill Self should shoot the mascot.

Georgia vs. South Carolina = Neither team seems likely at this point to make much noise nationally, but both have demonstrated they can play on occasion. Even were this NOT in the SEC, it would be a pick 'em.

George Mason vs. James Madison = Gentlemen, choose your weapons. This duel in the CAC impacts that ODU/VCU game above, as GM is the one tied with VCU. I'm not sure the Dukes can give the Rams any help on the Patriot's court, but JM can play a little themselves, so who knows? If you have any mid-major interest at all, keep an eye on this one, as well as the one above.

Florida vs. Tennessee = Can the Gators grab a stranglehold on the SEC East down in Gainesville today. No doubt. Can the Vols actually show up for a change and throw a wrench in the works? Well, maybe. They have enough skill available, but problems on and off the court have kept them off-balance all season. Yet if they want to make a late push, today would be a good time to start. If it's close at the half, it could be close at the end also.

Southern Mississippi vs. Memphis = And if you think the picture in YOUR conference is muddy, take a look at the CUSA! Amongst the top 6 teams there, one has a 6-2 record, two are at 7-3, and three at 6-3! Hell, you could throw a rock and hit all six! These two are amongst that clusterfark, so you know damn well they will be focused.

BYU vs. Utah = The first time these 2 met, the Utes only lost by 25 points. I don't expect much better a showing today.

California vs. Washington State = They may not be the class of the Pac-10, but at 6-6 each they both want this victory. This might be a nail-biter.

San Diego State vs. UNLV = The Aztecs only have a few more shots at p!$$ing away their tie with BYU atop the Mountain West, and a good piece of their national rep to boot. Tonight in Sin City is one of those. I vowed I'd not pick against them until they fell on their obsidian knives, so I shan't. Still, stay tuned with this one.

Detroit vs. Butler = Neither one of these will win the Horizon without a lot of help from others, yet they are decent teams and will most likely give us one heck of a contest.

Wright State vs. Valparaiso = But here, here we have a truly vital Horizon game. With Valpo leading at 10-3, Cleveland State on their necks at 10-4, and the WS Raiders all the way back at 10-5 . . . well, you get the picture.

Murray State vs. Jacksonville State = If Joe's Racers do not beat the 'Cocks into bloody stumps, he has no reason to complain. On paper, it's no contest.

Stanford vs. Washington = The Huskies stopped their 3-game losing streak by beating one NoCal team, and hope to keep the wins coming against the other tonight. They likely will, as the Cardinal is pretty much a .500 team at best. Still, the fact remains that the Huskies are not nearly as good as they were supposed to be, so who knows? Stranger things have happened.

Pitt vs. Villanova = Only one of these has been consistently good all year, but again the fact remains that 'Nova can beat almost anybody on a given night. This may not be that given night, however, and I won't pick a Big East team to knock off the Panthers until they give me some evidence to the contrary. It should be close for a while, yet the Wildcats have had problems sealing the deal. Pitt by 3 possessions.

Kansas State vs. Colorado = Along with the MSU Spartans, K-State's Wildcats have had the most disappointing collapse this season. But the Buffaloes have been no better of late, dropping 6 of their last 7. Hey, maybe they both suck! Pick 'em, if you dare.

Utah State vs. Fresno State = The Aggies dropped their first game in two months on Wednesday. I don't think they'll drop one to the aptly-named 'Dogs today.

SMU vs. UTEP = Remember above, when I talked about the moshpit CUSA race? Well, here's two more in the thick of it. I'd give the Miners a slim edge over the Mustangs, but it could go either way.

Wichita State vs. Northern Iowa = And here, in the Missouri Valley, is another key game. The Shockers are tied on top with Missouri State at 11-3, with the Panthers in 3rd place at 9-5. Both want it bad. I think the Shockers are a little better, but the game's in Cedar Falls, which might be worth a few points. Regardless, it should be a good one.

St. Mary's vs. San Francisco = It should not shock people who follow college hoops that the Gaels have a good team, and are on top of the WCC race. But unless your beard and memory are both loooong, you'd not expect the Dons to be in 2nd place, ahead of Gonzaga, Santa Clara, Pepperdine, Portland, Loyola Marymount - all names from more recent times. Hey, I know at least one other person who'll have an eye on this one, besides me, and that's Bill Russell.


It's getting to crunch time in my game, so I'll be back later with early scores and Sunday games. Later.

[jcruse64]

The Cards hung in for the win over 'Cuse.

UK...tight game in Nashville with 5 left to play.

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by jcruse64

The Cards hung in for the win over 'Cuse.

UK...tight game in Nashville with 5 left to play.

Indeed, two times, so first some early finals:


Louisville 73 - Syracuse 69 = A close one in the Crum Bucket, with Pitino giving Boeheim another tough loss. Though the Orange are not dropping like a stone, they are approaching lead balloon territory.

Vanderbilt 81 - Kentucky 77 = Not to gloat, but I love it. Me, I have a lot of respect for what Vandy manages to do, year after year, and still maintain a high academic standard. As for UK . . . well, they have half of that going for them anyway.

Notre Dame 78 - South Florida 55 = Just about what I expected here. The Irish are hot, and the Bulls are gelded.

Boston College 76 - Maryland 72 = A very good home win for the Eagles over the Terps. The middle of the ACC's quickly becoming a muddle.

Richmond 64 - Saint Louis 52 = And the only shock here is that the Spiders had such a relatively hard time with the Billikens.

UNC 64 - Clemson 62 = Well, I said it wouldn't be easy, with the Heels having a slight edge. Harrison Barnes broke a tie at 51 with a dunk with 3:01 to play to give Carolina the lead for good . . . though it would have been for gooder had they hit a few more stinkin'g FTs late, or even earlier.

Temple 75 - Dayton 63 = I'd hoped for a closer one, but I'm not surprised the Owls took it. This one just about ends the Flyers' hopes . . . and maybe their whole season.

Arkansas 80 - LSU 61 = Well, what do you know? One SEC game that actually turns out to be what you'd think.

Missouri 84 - Oklahoma 61 = I figured the Tigers would get to the Sooners sooner or later. Seems like it was sooner.

Texas A&M 70 - Texas Tech 67 = Hunh? You mean the Aggies let the Red Raiders stay so close? WTF?

And now, for the biggie:


Wisconsin 71 - Ohio State 67 = And the last one bites the dust. Not just a great win for the Badgers, but one which defines modern college hoops: Nobody goes home without a scratch.


Back soon with some Sunday picks.