College Hoops Thread 2011-2012

[The Poet]

Well, it's halftime in Lexington, with my Heels holding a slim 43-38 edge over the 'Cats. So far, so good, but there's a whole half to go. Lemme see if I can get some of this stuff out of the way before action gets serious again. Last night:


# 4 Syracuse 72 - # 10 Florida 68 = No big surprise here. What may be one is if the Gators don't drop more in the polls. One can't fault them much for losing on the road to the Buckeyes and the Orange, but on the other hand the only decent wins they have are against Wright State and Jacksonville . . . which ain't all that decent. Yet on the third hand, the 'Cuse finally have a decent win of their own, even if it was a close one at home.

Cincinnati 57 - Georgia 51 = This is not so decent a win for the Bearcats, but it sure beats some of the lousy losses they have had.

# 6 Louisville 62 - # 20 Vanderbilt 60 (OT) = A good game, and perhaps the one "good loss" the Commodores have had so far. However, as much as I'd like to see Vandy do well, I can't see how their 5-3 record can manage to keep them ranked. As for the Cardinals, they hung tough enough, and though not impressive they survived.

Columbia 69 - Loyola Marymount 61 = This battle of the Lions interests me for one reason only: After wins over UCLA and Saint Louis, LM fans may have gotten the idea that they were back. This loss to a 'meh" Ivy team should dissuade them of such fantasies for a while.


Aside from the early games already posted above, we have far too many to fully cover, even if I were not already distracted by that contest in Rupp Arena. However, here are a good number of picks:


BU vs. BC = This war in Boston could be some fun, especially considering that the Eagles seem to be struggling so far.

Valparaiso vs. Butler = Valpo's played pretty good, and Butler's down from the previous two seasons. I give Bryce Drew's boys an edge here.

Vermont vs. Yale = And for some reason I get the feeling this may be decent too.

Georgia Tech vs. Tulane = Here too, though the Jackets need to play a bit better than they have so far.

USC vs. Minnesota = I see the Trojans, who've been inept at scoring the ball, going down . . again.

Colorado State vs. Northern Iowa = However, this might go down to the final few minutes before it's over.

# 11 Xavier vs. Purdue = I give the Boilermakers a very good shot at knocking off the X-Men here.

# 8 U Conn vs. Arkansas = And I give the 'Hawgs a half-a-shot at taking the Huskies in a close one, though I'd not put money on it.

# 19 Gonzaga vs. Illinois = The same goes for the Illini here.

Arizona State vs. Tulsa = However, as much as I respect Herb Sendek, his Sun Devils haven't shown me any reason to believe they can take Tulsa.

# 9 Wisconsin vs. # 16 Marquette = The Badgers will be looking to bounce back from their loss in Chapel Hill. They may just do that, but I don't think it will be easy.

Texas vs. UCLA = Although the Longhorns don't seem to be nearly the team they've been of late, the Bruins need wins so badly they are looking for any sort of "quality" win. Yet Rick Barnes will want one too, quality or not, so this could be a lot of fun.

Oregon vs. BYU = And these two should be pretty closely matched also.

# 15 Kansas vs. South Florida = I can see Bulls hanging tough for a while, but the Jayhawks should prevail with relative ease.

# 17 Pittsburgh vs. Tennessee = I'm not sure the Vols have much to offer against the Panthers, but I'm also far from convinced the Panthers have all that much to offer either. If UT can hang close with 10 minutes left, this has some potential. Yet a blowout by Pitt would not shock me one bit.

Penn vs.Villanova = Penn was better than expected last year, and 'Nova seems a little down. I figure the war in Philly would go the Wildcats' way, but not by a ton.

LSU vs. Rutgers = I don't expect either of these two to have great seasons, but that may mean we'll have a great game.

# 25 Texas A&M vs. Stephen F. Austin = Please. If the Aggies don't win by at least 15, they should give up their ranking just on general principles.

# 23 Saint Louis vs. Portland = The Billikens want to rebound from their first loss, but Portland can give them game. I'm going with Majerus by 2 buckets.

# 22 Memphis vs. Austin Peay = Don't even bother.

# 21 Mississippi State vs. West Virginia = However, we have a chance for a good game here. The Mountaineers may be down, but the Bulldogs aren't worldbeaters either.

Indiana State vs. Boise State = And here's another that could go down to the final few possessions.

St. Mary's vs. Cal Poly = The Gaels have had good teams for a while, while the Mustangs are completely off the radar. But CP's beaten San Jose State and USC, so they may be more than just a blip. Keep a eye on this one, if you can stay awake for it.


I gotta get back to my game. See you later today with more.

[The Poet]

It's over in Lexington, with Kentucky holding onto a slim late margin to take a 73-72 win over the Tar Heels. A great game that wasn't over until the final buzzer. Though I'd a bit disappointed in how some of my guys shot the ball, I can't fault them for effort. Congratulations to the 'Cats, who may or may not hold onto their # 1 ranking for now. Hey, I still think it's possible that Ohio State's drubbing of Duke will split the votes enough to make it close.

[jcruse64]

Wow!!! Great, up-and-down game for the 'Heels and Cats! One thing that surprised me was that KY never got into team foul trouble in the 2nd, but the Heels had UK shooting freebies, which helped out. Really fun game to watch. Fantastic ball played on both sides.

I really thought Fl and Vandy would get a win, but ya gotta play all game.

[kelmac07]

Great game between NC and UK!! Kinda disappointed that after Hinson had his shot blocked in the final seconds, the Tarheels just gave up...with like 5 seconds left.

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by jcruse64

Wow!!! Great, up-and-down game for the 'Heels and Cats! One thing that surprised me was that KY never got into team foul trouble in the 2nd, but the Heels had UK shooting freebies, which helped out. Really fun game to watch. Fantastic ball played on both sides.

I really thought Fl and Vandy would get a win, but ya gotta play all game.

I'm still licking my wounds, so can't comment much more on Heels/'Cats yet. As for Gators and Comms, I'm personally not all that surprised at the outcomes. Although I'm not convinced either Syracuse or Louisville are as good as their rankings, I have started to conclude that the early evidence leads one to believe the SEC is as "top-heavy" as is the ACC, while neither Vandy nor Florida have yet demonstrated they are all that good. That could change before the season's over, however . . . it's early December after all.

Originally Posted by kelmac07

Great game between NC and UK!! Kinda disappointed that after Hinson had his shot blocked in the final seconds, the Tarheels just gave up...with like 5 seconds left.

I'm at work, Mac, so you'd know better than me. All I will say is that the outcome was about what I expected, being a tight one going either way.

I suppose I could add, were I of a mind, that Carolina won a tight one in Chapel Hill last year only to fall to UK in the Elite Eight. Maybe turnaround will be fair play.

[The Poet]

While I'm waiting for a few more early games to go final, let's talk briefly about some Sunday games:


New Mexico State vs. Southern Miss = I've got that feeling again that this one will be fun.

Dayton vs. Murray State = And even though Joe's Racers have played a bit better than the Flyers, this one has potential also. Keep your fingers crossed, Joe.

VCU vs. George Washington = Most years I'd call this a gimme for VCU, but they've struggled a bit so far. I still think they'll take it by double-digits, yet it may be tighter.

South Carolina vs. Clemson = This Palmetto war is in Littlejohn, but I don't much care where they play it considering how the 'Cocks have been limp. Tigers, fairly easily.

# 7 Baylor vs. Northwestern = Yet even if this was down in Tejas, and not up in Evanston, I'd give the Smarty 'Cats a good shot at skinning the Bears here. They have already beaten LSU and Tulsa there, plus at Seton Hall and Georgia Tech. Meanwhile, the only decent team Baylor's played was hosting the SDSU Aztecs, so their undefeated record doesn't mean as much as does Northwestern's. If you're looking for an "upset", here's a place to start.

N. C. State vs. Stanford = And though I don't see Jerry's Wolfpack pulling of anupset here, I do think they can keep it competitive with the Trees.

# 18 UNLV vs. Wichita State = After surviving UCSB in OT, the Runnin' Rebels should be looking to make a statement here. Even on their homecourt, the Shockers should not shock them. However, I don't expect a blowout either.

Indiana vs. Stetson = I would be shocked if Stetson's still around at halftime. The Hoosiers have played above expectations, and I'd not be shocked to see them creep into the Top 25 next week.

Notre Dame vs. Maryland = The Irish haven't shown us much so far, but the Terps have shown us even less. The game's in DC, which is much closer to College Park than South Bend, but I don't know if that will be enough to help Maryland here.

# 24 California vs. San Diego State = Even before the latest news out of Berkeley, I'd have expected a pretty good game here. But Cal has just announced it has suspended their sophmore forward Richard Solomon for "conduct contrary to academic department values". Kudos to them for actually being a school which HAS academic department values, considering that so many others do NOT. They may not miss his 6 PPG, but his team-leading 7.3 rebounds will leave a hole. Here's a shot for the Aztecs to pull off a signature victory, if they can take advantage of it.

Nebraska vs. Creighton = The Cornhuskers don't seem to have much to work with, whereas the Bluejays have racked up nice wins over UAB, Iowa, and the aforementioned SDSU Aztecs. Go with Creighton here.

Kansas State vs. Virginia Tech = The Manhattan 'Cats are apparently down from previous years, and the Hokies are about what the Hokies always seem to be . . . feisty, if not great. In Blacksburg, so I give them the narrow edge.

Mississippi vs. Penn State = Both teams are in major conferences, yet both are "also-rans" respectively. Flip a coin.


Some of those early finals I promised:


# 2 Ohio State 64 - Texas Pan American 35 = You expected something different? My only quibble is that 64 points seems awfully low against such awful competition . . . if you can even call it that.

# 14 Michigan 76 - Iowa State 66 = Again, just about what one might expect.

ODU 69 - Northeastern 59 = Maybe a slightly bigger margin than I thought, but still about right.

Miami 83 - U Mass 75 = Not quite the same thing here, but pretty close.

Virginia 86 - Longwood 53 = Just as meaningless a score as that Buckeye one above. Good for the Cavs . . . now go play somebody, will ya?

Richmond 70 - Wake Forest 62 = I thought it could be closer, but I'm far from surprised that the Spiders won. They have been good for a long time, and better than the Deacons for a while also.


I may be back later, I may not see you until Monday. But regardless, enjoy.

[rebelknight]

# 2 Ohio State 64 - Texas Pan American 35 = You expected something different? My only quibble is that 64 points seems awfully low against such awful competition . . . if you can even call it that.

I couldn't find the game on tv any where but after looking at the stats it looks like Matta used a lot of subs and didn't push his starters to hard. That and Sullinger being out with back spasms could help to explain the lack of offensive production.

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by rebelknight

I couldn't find the game on tv any where but after looking at the stats it looks like Matta used a lot of subs and didn't push his starters to hard. That and Sullinger being out with back spasms could help to explain the lack of offensive production.

Valid point about Sully, as I'd forgotten he was out. And my quibble was no diss, since I don't much like a team that runs up the score either . . . like that high-school game recently. Did you hear about that one? The program is facing suspension because it beat the opponent 100-2.


Some more scores from Saturday:


Valparaiso 77 - Butler 71 (OT) = A very good game here, with Bryce Drew getting the slim edge I thought he IImight.

Xavier 66 - Purdue 63 = I gave Purdue a shot at winning this one, and they gave it a good one . . . just not quite good enough.

Illinois 82 - Gonzaga 75 = And I gave the Illini half-a-shot at taking this one, which they did, for a good victory over a decent team.

Arizona State 67 = Tulsa 63 = But I don't believe I gave the Sun Devils a chance here, yet they pulled off their best win of the year so far.

Charleston 87 - Chattanooga 85 (2OT) = Just one damn good hard-fought contest.

Marquette 61 - Wisconsin 54 = I fugured this one wouldn't be easy for the Badgers, and it certainly wasn't.

# 17 Pittsburgh 61 - Tennessee 56 = I waffled a lot on this one, saying both that the Vols may keep it fairly close and that Pitt might roll. I still have no idea what UT has, but I'm more and more convinced that Dixon's boys are going to be dixon around all year, as usual.

Weber State 91 - San Jose State 89 (2OT) = As with that C/C one above, an extra 10 minutes in an extra tight fight.

St Mary's 59 - Cal Poly 54 = Who exactly are these Cal Poly guys? True, they did not win, but they sure gave the Gaels all the game they wanted.


In Sunday action:


Maine 76 - Rhode Island 74 (OT) = Another good fun match-up.

Murray State 75 - Dayton 58 = With all due respect to Joe's team, I never thought the Racers could handle the Flyers with such ease. Good for them.

South Carolina 58 - Clemson 55 = And I never thought the Gamecocks could win this one in Littlejohn. As I've little reason to hate USC any longer, I'll say good for them too.

Stanford 76 - N. C. State 72 = And I didn't give Jerry's 'Pack much of a chance to win this one either. They didn't, but they did at least make a very respectable showing.

Wichita State 89 - UNLV 70 = This is sort of a shocker by the Shockers, for not only did they win, they spanked the Runnin' Rebels. After UNLV's upset of my Heels, they needed OT against Santa Barbara, then dropped this one badly. Hubris, I imagine, and they're now runnin' away.

San Diego State 64 - California 63 = But here I gave the Aztecs a shot at knocking off the Big Bears from upstate, and they hit just enough of them to pull it off. Good for them.


There are about 16 games tonight, but to be honest I didn't see a single one worth watching. Don't get me wrong . . . some could be fun, but I doubt any will mean much over the long haul. Post your own ideas if you have any, but that's it for me tonight. Enjoy.

[jcruse64]

I'd have to say I did not think South Carolina would win that one either, so good for them. Also loving this Racer start!!!

[never_enough]

Finally got to watch the UK vs. UNC game on replay. What a great game, and it helps that the team I'm a fan of won Wish I could have been at rupp for that one.

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by jcruse64

I'd have to say I did not think South Carolina would win that one either, so good for them. Also loving this Racer start!!!

So far so good for your boys, Joe.

Originally Posted by never_enough

Finally got to watch the UK vs. UNC game on replay. What a great game, and it helps that the team I'm a fan of won Wish I could have been at rupp for that one.

And so far so good for yours too. As long as you're not the too-typical UK fanatic, who believe it's them and nobody else, it's OK with me if you like your 'Cats.

Update coming.

[The Poet]

There were a number of close games last night, such as Siena/Albany, Yale/Sacred Heart, Fordham/Hampton, Long Island/Lafayette, and Elon/UNC-G, but only one had much long-term potential significance:

Detroit 69 - St. John's 63 = Detroit has a decent mid-major program, so the win's no surprise. The Red Storm has aspirations to get back to their glory days, but after winning their first 3 they've now lost 5 of 6. Wait 'til next year . . . or the next.


Tonight's games include:


# 4 North Carolina vs. Evansville = E'ville's not a total cupcake, but the Heels should not have too much trouble handling them this evening. But "should not" and "will not" are two different matters, so pay attention for a half or so.

# 10 Missouri vs. Villanova = Part of me wants to do what I did with Georgetown, and call for an upset here, but so far Wright's team hasn't shown me quite enough for that. Still, I can't see a blowout here, and thus it could be a lotta fun before it's over.

Kent State vs. James Madison = And this one should be fun, with the two pretty evenly matched.

# 3 Syracuse vs. Marshall = I give the Herd half-a-shot at giving the Orange their first loss. I don't think they can do so, not in the Dome, but keep your eye on the scoreboard here too.

Texas Tech vs. TCU = Though I'd not think either one of these will make noise come March, they ought to raise a bit of ruckus tonight.

# 15 Pittsburgh vs. Virginia Military = Don't even bother, unless you're a Panther.

George Mason vs. Virginia = I'd expect this one to be a close one too, with maybe a slight edge going to the Cavs . . . who've not played badly at all.

Robert Morris vs. Duquesne = This is another one of those with the potential to be exciting.

U Mass vs. East Carolina = Here too.

Iowa vs. Northern Iowa = But here, my gut tells me the Hawkeyes will be overmatched with the defensive intensity of NIU.

# 21 Memphis vs. Miami = The Tigers have not played up to their early hype. But the 'Canes have not played well enough for me to pick them here. It could be close for a while, and if Memphis does not show up, like they've not shown up a couple of times already, Miami has a shot. Me, I wouldn't bet on it, but you boys can if you like.

# 13 Kansas vs. Long Beach State = Actually, if you're looking for the upset, you might just have a better shot here. I personally think the Jayhawks will roll, but as with Memphis they have to show up to do so. If you're feeling lucky, take LBS and the points . . . whatever that may be.

# 11 Marquette vs. Washington = So far this season nobody, and I do mean NOBODY, in the PAC-12 has shown me all that much. Go with the Golden Eagles here, by a sizable margin.


That's my picks for the good, or at least meaningful, action tonight. Enjoy.

[jcruse64]

Well, Mizzou started rolling on them hard after the 10 minute mark in H1. Don't see it changing in H2.

Jimmy V Classic. Whatever your views were on Jimmy V, that ESPY speech will ALWAYS get you to stop and listen. I was watching that night, and have watched it several times since. Tonight, I'll watch again. I hate cancer.

[never_enough]

Originally Posted by The Poet

So far so good for your boys, Joe.



And so far so good for yours too. As long as you're not the too-typical UK fanatic, who believe it's them and nobody else, it's OK with me if you like your 'Cats.

Update coming.

No I don't think like that. Do I think we can win it all this year? Of course. But **** happens and there are several other good teams at the top. But when its a single elimination tourney, you never know what will happen. Who the hell thought last years team would go farther than the team UK had two years ago? Not me.

[never_enough]

Small crowd at the mizz game.

[never_enough]

Originally Posted by jcruse64

Well, Mizzou started rolling on them hard after the 10 minute mark in H1. Don't see it changing in H2.

Jimmy V Classic. Whatever your views were on Jimmy V, that ESPY speech will ALWAYS get you to stop and listen. I was watching that night, and have watched it several times since. Tonight, I'll watch again. I hate cancer.

Yep, cancer sucks.

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by jcruse64

Well, Mizzou started rolling on them hard after the 10 minute mark in H1. Don't see it changing in H2.

Jimmy V Classic. Whatever your views were on Jimmy V, that ESPY speech will ALWAYS get you to stop and listen. I was watching that night, and have watched it several times since. Tonight, I'll watch again. I hate cancer.

A reasonably good win for the Tigers, though against a "down" 'Nova team. As for the crowd in The Garden, it's not surprising. NYC turns into a college basketball town for the Big East Tourney, and that's about it.

Don't get me started on Jimmy V. To my way of thinking, his positive points were so largely offset by his negative ones that his early tragic death by cancer was the ONLY thing that saved his reputation. Just my , and worth every penny.

Originally Posted by never_enough

No I don't think like that. Do I think we can win it all this year? Of course. But **** happens and there are several other good teams at the top. But when its a single elimination tourney, you never know what will happen. Who the hell thought last years team would go farther than the team UK had two years ago? Not me.

Well, that's good to know, but I wasn't so much talking about having hopes and ambitions for your school as I was about the attitude that UK is without question the greatest basketball program in history, bar none, and that anyone who thinks otherwise is a "jealous hater", to use their own words . . . especially if they voice even the slightest criticism at the Wildcats, or the way they have too often conducted themselves. If I hear one of them proclaim as justification the phrase "Everybody cheats" one more time, I'm gonna puke!


Update ASAP.

[The Poet]

Here's my choice of scores from last night, starting with one already referenced:


# 10 Missouri 81 - Villanova 71 = 'Nova made something of a game of this, so they weren't embarrassed. As for the Tigers, a decent enough win, but no huge statement.

Monmouth 69 - Navy 67 = My man King Rice gets his first victory as a head coach against the Midshipsmen. Only 900+ to go, and he can start to challenge Coach K.

Robert Morris 64 - Duquesne 60 = I believe I said this one could be fun. Seems it was too.

# 3 Syracuse 62 - Marshall 56 = And I believe I gave the Herd a tiny shot at taking this one in the Dome. Maybe if they hadn't scored a stinkin' 18 points in the first half, they would have.

# 4 North Carolina 97 - Evansville 48 = The ONLY reason I bring up this double-down blowout is to advise you that, speaking for myself anyway, a win like this is an embarrassment to a Tar Heel. Move along, nothing to see here.

U Mass 63 - East Carolina 58 = I figured this one to be close also, and 2 possessions count in my book anyway.

TCU 75 - Texas Tech 69 = Ditto.

Virginia 68 - George Mason 48 = But I was 'way off here. Yeah, I gave the Cavs an edge, and I realize GM's not the Cinderella they were back when. Yet I never expected such a spanking. Speaking of spankings . . .

Northern Iowa 80 - Iowa 60 = Again, I picked the winner, but I did not think they'd win so big.

# 13 Kansas 88 - Long Beach State 80 = Though I did not actually call for the upset here, I did figure the surfer boys could give the Jayhawks game. They did just that. And once again, speaking of giving game . . .

# 11 Marquette 79 - Washington 77 = This one's as big a shock to me as that UVA margin. OK, Marquette won, but they were more than just nervous about it, I am sure.

Louisiana Tech 94 - Northwestern State 93 (2OT) = And this one's just one of those hard-fought battles, with both teams deserving props.


Tonight's action will include:


# 12 Florida vs. Arizona = The Gators have not shown all that much against better teams, and 'Zona needs a big win to start turning their poor start around. Figure on a fight here.

# 7 Duke vs. Colorado State = And figure that Dook bounces back from their spanking by the Buckeyes.

Ohio vs. Oakland = This is just another of those that pop out at me. Might be fun.

Michigan State vs. Central Conn State = This one probably won't be, but as the Spartans have won 6 in a row since dropping openers to UNC and Duke we need to notice. The run goes to 7 this evening.

Vanderbilt vs. Davidson = The Commodore faithful likely had this one chalked up as a win before the season started. At this point, I'm not so sure of that. Keep an eye on the scoreboard, as the Wildcats may actually show up at home to give Vandy a scare . . . if not more.

Temple vs. Toledo = I just got that tingly feeling about this one too.

Boston U vs. St. Joseph's = Same here, I'm not sure why.

# 16 Alabama vs. Dayton = Can the Flyers regain altitude after being out-Raced by Joe's guys? If so, this could be tighter that the Tide would like. I give them the nod, but by 3 or 4 possessions only.

Georgia Tech vs. Georgia = This in-state rivalry pits two 4-4 teams against each other. Neither is all that good, but neither purely stinks either. Figure on a fun one here.

# 5 Louisville vs. IUPUI = But speaking of "stinks", this one has P-U written all over it.

# 14 Wisconsin vs. Green Bay = It's been a rough ride for the Badgers lately, losing to UNC and Marquette. They stop the bleeding tonight.

Wichita State vs. Tulsa = Another of those games with damn-good potential.

# 22 Texas A&M vs. Sam Houston State = Will the Aggies win? Sure. Will they ever play anybody that matters? Ehh, maybe. Consider that, to date, their best opponents resulted in a loss to Mississippi State and a 1-point victory over St. John's. And they are a Top 25 team? WTF?

Southern Miss vs. South Alabama = Here's another of those decent match-ups for you.

Oklahoma State vs. Missouri State = And for some odd reason I see this as maybe being one also.

Weber State vs. BYU = But I am more confident that this one shall be fun.

# 8 Xavier vs. Butler = And despite the fact that the 2-time national runner-up Bulldogs are presently 4-4, and despite the fact that I don't think they'll make a 3-peet of that, I do think they can hang with the Musketeers for most of the game anyway.

Iona vs. Denver = The Gaels are supposed to be giant-killers this year, and have beaten OK teams like Western Michigan, Maryland, and St. Joe's. Plus, their only loss was to Purdue by a point. Their visit to Colorado should be successful, yet for some odd reason I've got that funny feeling again.

# 24 Illinois vs. St. Bonaventure = But I don't have one here. I'm not sure the Illini are for real, but I'm fairly certain the Bonnies aren't. You can probably skip this one by the half.

San Diego State vs. San Diego = The Aztecs are likely the overwhelming favorite in everybody's book, including mine. However, these crosstown rivalries can sneak up on you if you're not careful. Keep your sleepy eyes on this one for a bit, just to see if a game shows up.


That's if for now. Enjoy.

[The Poet]

I'm pressed for time again today, so let me hit the highlights, starting with:


Dayton 74 - # 16 Alabama 62 = Well, I need to trust my instincts to distrust any and all SEC West teams. I thought the Flyers could keep this one tight, but I never figured they would so totally roll back the Tide . Let's face it . . . considering the hype (or lack of same re Dayton), this is a complete blowout.

# 12 Florida 78 - Arizona 72 (OT) = I told you to figure on a fight here. It even went extra rounds. A good win for the Gators, and another disappointment for the Desert 'Cats. Speaking of 'Cats . . .

Vanderbilt 87 - Davidson 83 = These 'Cats didn't win either, but they sure gave the Comms a damn good contest, and the scare I predicted.

Ohio 84 - Oakland 82 = Another one I thought would be close.

Purdue 65 - Western Carolina 60 = I didn't pick this one yesterday, mainly because I really didn't think the Catamounts could mount much against the Boilermakers. See, I can be wrong too!

Maryland 78 - Mount St. Mary's 75 = And I didn't pick this one either, for much the same reason. Now, I am old enough to remember when Jim Phelan was the nation's winninngest coach at MSM, but that was a ways back now. And despite my knowledge of how the Terps are struggling lately, I never figured they'd have this kind of struggle here. This is one of those embarrassing wins. Another one was . . .

# 24 Illinois 48 - St. Bonaventure 43 = Man, I missed this by a mile too. This one should not have lasted until the half, yet it went down to the wire. My only rerdeeming grace is that I DID say I wasn't sure the Illini were for real. Hey, maybe they aren't.

Iona 80 - Denver 78 (OT) = And maybe the Gaels are not as real as the experts felt. Still, I told you I had that funny feeling about this one, and my gut didn't fail me this time.

Oklahoma State 72 - Missouri State 67 = Nor this time, as it was about as good a match-up as you can reasonabley expect.


There's not a lot of quality games this evening, but the few with potential are:


Cleveland State vs. Robert Morris = Here's just another of those I get that feeling for.

# 8 U Conn vs. # 25 Harvard = The Crimson are ranked for the very first time in their long history. Good for them. However, despite my misgivings about the Huskies, I can't see that lasting past this one up in Storrs (Of course in Storrs. I'm beginning to suspect Jim Calhoun's wearing one of those tracking bracelets. ). Yet I also don't think Haa'vaad's gonna just roll over and play dead either. Keep an eye on this one, as it could turn into one of those unexpected shockers. Hey, if UCF can beat UConn, these guys can too.

Oral Roberts vs. Oklahoma = Ehh, maybe it's just the slim pickin's tonight, but this one popped a bit for me. Don't ask me why.

West Virginia vs. Kansas State = I do know why this one popped. These are two programs trying to rebuild after having good success in recent years. A win here would get neither one back, but it would be a step in a positive direction. Both teams and coaches want this one, so I figure on an all-out war.


Talk to you later, guys. In the meantime . . . enjoy.

[The Poet]

There are only a few notable scores from last night, and a few more notable games this evening:


# 9 U Conn 67 - # 25 Harvard 53 = It's no surprise the Huskies won, yet I felt the margin might be tighter. But if the Crimson had shown up for the second half, seeing as how they only trailed by 2 at the break, it may have been so.

Cleveland State 62 - Robert Morris 58 = The type of close game I expected.

West Virginia 85 - Kansas State 80 (2OT) = And the type of all-out war I expected here too, considering how badly both teams wanted a "quality" win.


Tonight's limited action includes:


# 12 Florida vs. Rider = Please. Don't bother.

Iowa vs. Iowa State = Instead, watch this one, as it should be a lot better, though maybe not as good as . . .

Richmond vs. VCU = Another in-state rivalry, bot one pitting teams with more recent good history.

ODU vs. Fairfield = And I can see this one being some fun too.

Wyoming vs. Colorado = As with this one.

Idaho vs. Oregon State = Despite the travails of PAC-12 teams so far, the Beavers have done pretty well in comparison. They haven't faced a lot of top teams, but they did beat Texas by 5, and their only loss was to Vandy (for what that's worth ) by a deuce. The Vandals may not give them enough of a game to convince me that THIS OSU is for real, yet if they do do so it could nudge me towards the belief that they are NOT.


While I have the time, lemme give you some of the early games on Saturday as well:


# 18 Georgetown vs. Howard = The Hoyas were off the radar at the start of the season. This one won't put them more in focus, but it won't knock them out either.

# 7 Duke vs. Washington = This one has a better chance of being a decent game, though I figure the Blue Devils will stretch out a sizable lead before it's over.

# 19 Creighton vs. St. Joseph's = And this one could even be better, considering that the Hawks don't seem to be as down as they were last year.

# 8 Xavier vs. Cincinnati = The Bearcats have had a really rough start, and need a big win (or at the least a tight loss) in the worst way. Meanwhile, the Musketeers have had an excellent start, but there's no way in hell they are as good as their ranking. Their good wins were over a "meh" Georgia, an apparently over-rated Vandy, and the decent-but-down Purdue (by only 3) and Butler. That's better than Cincy's done, for sure, but a win here is no lead-pipe cinch for the X-Men.


That's it for me for now. Until tomorrow then, enjoy.