College Hoops Thread 2011-2012

[jcruse64]

Ouch, FSU popped the Wolfpack, and it looks grim for their Dance chance.

REALLY surprised by the SDSU loss. That was a tough one.

What is up with UL????? You can't tell what you're going to get in any given half with them.

UCONN ladies and guys BOTH lose at home on the same game day for the first time since '93. What a bust on a home streak, for the ladies. Nice win for the Johnie girls though.

Nice comeback win for the Irish. Nova had them beaten down pretty good, I thought. That's the kind of come-back, never give up attitude to be having, about this time of the season.

Tough win for the Cats :r.

Racers win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Even though I'm no fan, having Dickie V in the house at Racer Arena was pretty nice. He went to both locker rooms to pep talk the teams, and talked to them a lot on the floor in pre-game warmups. Very good with the crowds also, and the cheerleaders got him to come out and dance with them on the floor. Also very nice things said about the school and town, very much appreciated. It was Senior Night at our last home game of the season, and it gave those 3 seniors something special to remember about their Racer career.

Great game for them also. Best defensive effort I've seen all season, and they did not let their lack of size be a focus for any intimidation inside. They play like this in the Dance, and it WILL be interesting. Definitely will help them get a look for an at-large, if they need it. The Gaels came in losing 2 of the last 3 games, after a long trip and without a key player. They made a good effort. Their #4 is one HECK of a guard and shooter. I noticed Dickie V talked with him for several minutes in pre-game.

Michigan holds of the Boilermakers, and 'Cuse wins against Rutgers, though they put up a good fight.

[The Poet]

State loses to the Seminoles. NIT here we come. Or maybe CIAA???

Jerry, you still have one more shot at that marquee win when my Heels bus down to Raleigh this week. I cant't give you much more than a shot at the upset, and I certainly can't root for you, but there's a chance. Besides, you can win a few more regular-season games, and if you can take a game or two in the ACC Tourney you'll get that 11-seed those bubble-teams desire.

Ouch, FSU popped the Wolfpack, and it looks grim for their Dance chance.

REALLY surprised by the SDSU loss. That was a tough one.

What is up with UL????? You can't tell what you're going to get in any given half with them.

UCONN ladies and guys BOTH lose at home on the same game day for the first time since '93. What a bust on a home streak, for the ladies. Nice win for the Johnie girls though.

Nice comeback win for the Irish. Nova had them beaten down pretty good, I thought. That's the kind of come-back, never give up attitude to be having, about this time of the season.

Tough win for the Cats :r.

Racers win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Even though I'm no fan, having Dickie V in the house at Racer Arena was pretty nice. He went to both locker rooms to pep talk the teams, and talked to them a lot on the floor in pre-game warmups. Very good with the crowds also, and the cheerleaders got him to come out and dance with them on the floor. Also very nice things said about the school and town, very much appreciated. It was Senior Night at our last home game of the season, and it gave those 3 seniors something special to remember about their Racer career.

Great game for them also. Best defensive effort I've seen all season, and they did not let their lack of size be a focus for any intimidation inside. They play like this in the Dance, and it WILL be interesting. Definitely will help them get a look for an at-large, if they need it. The Gaels came in losing 2 of the last 3 games, after a long trip and without a key player. They made a good effort. Their #4 is one HECK of a guard and shooter. I noticed Dickie V talked with him for several minutes in pre-game.

Michigan holds of the Boilermakers, and 'Cuse wins against Rutgers, though they put up a good fight.

See above, Joe, for my take on The 'Pack. And I too was shocked the Aztecs lost to the Falcons. As for Louisville, take some solace in the fact they are far from the only squads this year suffering from that disease.

Me personally, I don't care about U Conn streaks one way or the other. I'll note the one I DO care about shortly. And those Irish have stopped surprising me . . . I've learned to expect a good effort from them each time out, which cannot be said of 'Nova this year.

To me, the margin of your Racer win was one of the biggest shocks of the weekend. I figured the Gaels would play a better game. As for Vitale, I have never understood the dislike he's generated from people over the years. Yeah, he's over-the-top like a carney barker, but as a color guy it's his job to be an entertainer. Besides, he's the first to admit his flaws. He knows his hoops, so let him run his mouth.

Yeah, those two key Sunday games were pretty good contests. I expected one with MSU/Purdue, but dared not hope for one between the Orange and the Scarlet Knights.

Abbreviated update shortly.

[The Poet]

I mentioned above the streak that interested me, so lemme do that first:


North Carolina 74 - Clemson 52 = In and of itself, the outcome was perhaps expected, and its significance is that it keeps the Tar Heels in the ACC race with Duke and FSU. But here's the story that's been buried in many outlets. UNC played its first baketball game in 1910, and in 1926 Clemson rode their mules up to Chapel Hill to play against Carolina in this relatively young sport. UNC won that contest (I didn't bother to look it up, but I figure a score of 22-14 seems likely :D ). Since that time the Tigers have visited for a rematch 55 more times, and their present record at UNC-CH is 0-56. (FYI, overall their record is MUCH better, at 126-20 :r ) This is an NCAA record for one school against another in the same site, though of course not in the same venue. NOW, you might object that "Of course Carolina beats Clemson", but you need remember that not only have the Tigers had some very good teams over the years, but also that UNC's had some pretty bad ones. Hey, Roy's 2009-10 team went 17-17 in regular-season play. Matt Doherty's 2001-02 team mercifully ended the year with a 8-20 tally. And even in Dean Smith's early days, he was hung in effigy by the student body following losses . . . TWICE! So this zero-for-forever streak is really quite amazing. Oh, and it was also Roy's 666th victory-of-the-beast, putting him 23rd overall and just 2 Ws behind the retired Gary Williams.


Now for a select few games from the weekend, as I cannot possibly do them all. In the balance of Saturday action:


New Mexico 65 - UNLV 45 = I thought this would be a war, but it was an old-fashioned whippin'. I'm not surprised the Lobos won, but it is a bit of a shock the Runnin' Rebels could only score 18 points in the 2nd half, which turned a close one into a laffer.

UTEP 60 - Memphis 58 = But there's no doubt this one's a shock. The Miners beat one of the best teams in the CUSA, one with decided NCAA aspirations, to improve to a .500 season. Sometimes you just can't make this stuff up.

Air Force 58 - San Diego State 56 = Like this time. Yeah, OK, it was at altitude, and the Aztecs are not a deep team and may be tired, but this? C'mon.

Kansas State 57 - Baylor 56 = So far this year no Baylor fans have popped up on this thread to cuss me out for calling the Bears teddies-in-waiting, ripe for a big fall. Considering what's become of them lately, I don't expect they'll show up now. ;)

Washington 79 - Arizona 70 = A huge win for the Huskies to keep them in a tie for 1st with Cal at 12-3 Pac-12, and a huge loss for the 'Cats to drop them into tie for 4th at 10-5.

Nebraska 80 - Illinois 57 = Just when I thought it could not get any worse for the Illini, we get this debacle. OK, they are in turmoil, and their season's gone to hell in a handbasket over the last few weeks, but to get spanked by the putrid Cornhuskers? Oh wow. Hang it up, forfeit the balance of the year, and issue refunds.

Murray State 65 - St. Mary's 51 = A very good win for Joe's Racers in what I had hoped would be a tighter contest, even if just for the fun of it. This is absolutely the closest MSU has to a signature win this year, and if anything CAN get them into consideration for an at-large NCAA bid (if needed, of course), this will be it as much as their single-loss season.

Xavier 86 - Dayton 83 (OT) = Now THIS is the kind of game I'd hoped that Racers/Gaels one would be. It's college hoops at its best.

San Franciscon 66 - Gonzaga 65 = I checked to make sure, and yes, I did say I thought the Dons could win this game. And as I've also said before, I respect the 'Zags and Mark Few, but I love to see them lose, if only for the fact that, one of these days, it might just convince them the SHUT THE HELL UP!!! :r

Harvard 66 - Yale 51 = This win does not quite sew up the Ivy for the Crimson, but as it gives them a 2-game edge over Penn and 2 1/2 over Yale, it does put them in control of their own fate.

Notre Dame 74 - Villanova 70 (OT) = Actually, when you consider how these two have played this year, I'd not be too disappointed as a 'Nova fan with this effort. And on the other side, the Irish should be glad they faced a tough challenge and managed to escape with the W. Again, this is what I love about college basketball.

Michigan 56 - Ohio State 51 = Well, maybe my crystal ball cleared a tiny bit on this one too. Once more, the Logans fail to score as much as their football team regularly tallies. And once again, the Buckeyes manage to shoot even worse than a poor-shooting team from the state of Michigan. Plus remember, this is a team with pre-season Naismith candidate Sullinger down low. You want my opinion as to what's going on with OSU. Well, it's :sh.


I only saw one score of real interest os Sunday, as the Spartan and Orange road wins were pretty much what you'd have expected. Perhaps we also should have expected:


Iowa 78 - Indiana 66 = Yeah, I double-checked again, and I did give the Hawkeyes a good shot at "upsetting" the Hoosiers. I noted Iowa's not a bad team, and the Hoosiers have had some problems outside Bloomington. So here's more proof that I'm not a total idiot.


Tonight has very limited action, and I could find only two games worth watching:

U Conn vs. Villanova = Well, maybe that's "only ONE game worth watching", since the Philly 'Cats have been pretty disappointing all year, while the Huskies are in as bad a freefall as is Illinois. So this one may actually suck.

Baylor vs. Texas = And come to think of it, so might this one. The Longhorns have made something of a late push for relevance, yet they took a step backwards Saturday with a bad loss to Oak State. And we all know how many steps backwards from their undeserved heights the Bears have taken lately. Still, this one in Austin might just be a tight competitive game, and would even now be a big victory for the 'Horns towards their hopes for an at-large.


That's gonna be all for me today. See you later, and until then . . . enjoy.

[The Poet]

The two games I picked as being worth watching, maybe, last night actually were:


U Conn 73 - Villanova 70 (OT) = And it even took a 30-footer at the buzzer to keep this from going another extra 5 minutes, at the least. This win in Philly may not save the Huskies' season, but even against a poor Wildcat team it's better than another step in the wrong direction.

Baylor 77 - Texas 72 = The Bears had to rally in the 2nd half to take this one in Austin. I would give Scott Drew some credit for managing to coach his team past Rick Barnes' boys, but since I believe neither one of them can coach themselves out of a wet papar sack, I just can't do it. :r


Although there are not a ton of games this evening, there are quite a few with meaning. I'll begin with an unlikely candidate, namely:


Wofford vs. N. C. Greensboro = "Say what?", you protest? Well, the Terriers suffer from playing in the South division of the Southern Conference, which has been sewn up by the Davidson Wildcats for a while now, yet are still a dangerous team that could make a run for the league tourney title and the automatic bid . . . which is likely all they'll get. But to me the more interesting issue is the UNC-G Sapphos . . . uh, Spartans . . . who are a traditional basketball powerhouse of the Nth-cubed, who are 12-16 this year, and 10-6 in conference play, which is good for clinching the weaker North division, and a first-round bye in the tournament. Is it possible that a team that's had a long-standing history at sucking hugely can actually make the NCAAs this year? To a native North Carolinian like me, the thought is intriguing . . . and hilarious.

Illinois vs. Ohio State = The Illini are more than in free-fall, but have fallen into self-destruct mode. They have lost 8 of 9 now, and even with the Buckeyes having a few problems of their own you'd have to believe that will become 9 of 10 in Columbus tonight. Fact is, I could easily see the Illini going winless for the rest of the year, for following this one they face Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin. That's not an easy road for a good team playing well, so for this clusterfark it's a massive task.

Xavier vs. U Mass = The A-10 is one of the best mid-major leagues, and rightfully deserves multiple bids to the NCAAs. Yet the Committee can't go all that deep into it either. Temple and Saint Louis look fairly safe for now, but with the Musketeers in 3rd and the Minutemen in a 3-way for 5th, this one looms large for the hopes of both.

Kansas State vs. Missouri = The Prairie 'Cats have played very well at times this year, such as back when they spanked these Tigers by 16 in Manhattan, so you have to give them a chance to take this game. As their post-season plans may very well hinge on another good win or two (at 18-8 and 7-7, they are decidedly a bit bubbly), this one is big for them. On the other side, Mizzou could quite easily lose that #1-seed they think they've earned this week, for this one at home is followed by one against Kansas in Lawrence Saturday. If they lose two in a row, which is distinctly possible, it will open the door for an ACC or Big Ten team to sneak past them. This game is huge for both schools.

Auburn vs. Florida = The Gators ought to absolutely crush this particular troop of Tigers however. On the other hand, it wouldn't be the first time this year those Gators failed to make it to the game. I don't expect that to happen.

Illinois-Chicago vs. Butler = It may be a case of too-little-too-late for the national runner-ups the past two years. The Bulldogs are 17-12 overall, and at 10-3 in Horizon play they are 2 back of Valpo. Brad Stevens may need his guys to run the table at the tourney to even get a ticket to The Dance, so win or lose this one, they'd better hone their game tonight.

Georgetown vs. Seton Hall = I figure the Hoyas have done enough to earn a bid already, but the Pirates are still on that feared bubble, despite what they might think in South Orange. Hey, they are 18-9 now and 9th in Big East play at 7-8, so even if they close out the regular season with wins over Rutgers and DePaul they will be .500 in conference play. Also, their one "signature" win over then-#8 U. Conn back in early January now looks to be pretty meaningless, considering how the Huskies have fallen. But a victory over Georgetown in Newark tonight may just put them over that hump once and for all. I can't see it happening, but the young Hoya squad is not assured of a road win either. This should be interesting.

Michigan vs. Northwestern = And this one could be interesting as well. Yeah, the Wolverines are a better team than are the Smarty 'Cats, but as I've complained time and again, they CANNOT SCORE THE BALL!! Plus, N'western's not a total pack of stiffs, and are at home to boot. Keep an eye on this for a half or so, just to see if they can pull of the upset.

North Carolina vs. N. C. State = This is The Wolfpack's third, and final, chance to get that marquee win to secure an at-large out of the ACC. They spit the bit at Dook, then were spitted by the Semiholes at home, so it is possible their post-season hopes hinge upon how they handle the Tar Heels. For THEIR part, Carolina not only needs a win to remain in a position to win the ACC regular season, and gain the chance to steal a #1-seed if somebody (like mebbe Mizzou) stumbles a bit, they also need to play well on the road for their own self-confidence. Logically, you'd have to give my Heels the edge in this one, as much as Jerry'd love the upset . . . unless more former Wolfpack stars jump the scorer's table tonight and join the action on court. :r

Virginia vs. Virginia Tech = Another in-state ACC rivalry game here, albeit one without quite the history of the one just above. The Cavs are likely looking for some payback in Blacksburg after suffering the upset in Charlottesville by the Hokies earlier, and I myself would expect them to win. That's fine, as long as they get that winning out of their system before my Heels visit them Saturday. ;)

Kentucky vs. Mississippi = For a while I kept expecting the young Wildcats would suffer from their inexperience and trip a time or four. They did come very close those few times, but so far have managed to escape almost unbloodied. Can the Rebels draw any tonight? Ehhhh, doubtful. UK continues to roll towards an undefeated SEC season.

New Mexico vs. Colorado State = There is no doubt in my mind that the Lobos are a better team than are the Rams. Yet there was also no doubt in my mind that the SDSU Aztecs were a better team than the Air Force Falcons, who got the upset in Colorado Springs. This game's in Fort Collins, and since the Rams are probably better than the Falcons, and since the altitude may play a larger factor than home court normally provides, it is entirely possible we'll see another mile-high stunner this evening.


That's gonna be it for now. Until next time then, enjoy.

[Col. Kurtz]

...
..
North Carolina vs. N. C. State = This is The Wolfpack's third, and final, chance to get that marquee win to secure an at-large out of the ACC. They spit the bit at Dook, then were spitted by the Semiholes at home, so it is possible their post-season hopes hinge upon how they handle the Tar Heels. For THEIR part, Carolina not only needs a win to remain in a position to win the ACC regular season, and gain the chance to steal a #1-seed if somebody (like mebbe Mizzou) stumbles a bit, they also need to play well on the road for their own self-confidence. Logically, you'd have to give my Heels the edge in this one, as much as Jerry'd love the upset . . . unless more former Wolfpack stars jump the scorer's table tonight and join the action on court. :r
...


Hahahah. Our two best players were ejected last Saturday :tu.

They're being honored tonight.... Also, word on the street is that in a couple of years we are guaranteed to lose half as many to Carolina in the regular season. Sucks, really.

https://www.facebook.com/SaveTheRivalryACC

[never_enough]

Miss St. gave UK their best shot, but didn't matter in the end. Fun to be a UK fan this year.

[The Poet]

Hahahah. Our two best players were ejected last Saturday :tu.

They're being honored tonight.... Also, word on the street is that in a couple of years we are guaranteed to lose half as many to Carolina in the regular season. Sucks, really.

https://www.facebook.com/SaveTheRivalryACC

And Jerry, your third best one was ejected at the end of last season, wheh you fired Sidney Lowe. :D

As for The Rivalry, I'm a firm believer that expansion should NOT affect the home-and-home for all four ACC teams in North Carolina. Though I'm pretty sure nobody's dumb enough to suggest UNC/Duke occur only once a season, I feel it would be equally poor judgement were not Wake and State also "exempt" from rebalancing the schedule.

Miss St. gave UK their best shot, but didn't matter in the end. Fun to be a UK fan this year.


Yeah, I probably is fun to be a 'Cat this year . . . so far, anyway. They have done a superior job for Cal to date.

I've some work to do now, but maybe I'll get a chance to come back with my update.

[The Poet]

Time is short, so this is gonna be quick and dirty. Last night, aside from most of the expected:


Seton Hall 73 - Georgetown 55 = The Pirates get that big win they needed to put themselves over that bubble, or so I suspect anyway.

Kansas State 78 - Missouri 68 = Hey, I told you the 'Cats from Manhattan could beat the Tigers on the road. And with KU in Lawrence coming up, Mizzou may just drop like a stone.

North Carolina 86 - N. C. State 74 = Since the Heels have won the last dozen of these, the outcome is no surprise. But Jerry's 'Pack had 3 shots at that signature win they needed to earn an at-large, and lost all 3 of them, in different ways. They had Duke, but could not hold on. They had no shot against a hot FSU team, despite the heat generated from guys whose names are hanging in the rafters (Jerry understands, even if you don't). And they did manage to keep in touch with Carolina, but a monster night by Kendall Marshall (22 points, 13 assists, NO TOs!!) shut that door. I'm not saying they are now on the wrong side of the bubble, but they'd best do something over the next few weeks, or be NIT-bound.

Michigan 67 - Northwestern 55 (OT) = And I believe I said these Smarty 'Cats had a good chance to make a game of this one too. Told you so! :banger

Kentucky 73 - Mississippi State 64 = Another late run by the Wildcats saved this one . . . either that, or the Bulldogs just ran out of steam. In any case, it was closer than the final score.

Colorado State 71 - New Mexico 63 = The Curse of The Rockies strikes again, and the Lobos go down in much the same way Larry's Aztecs just did.


Tonight:


West Virginia vs. Notre Dame = The Irish have likely done enough already to get at-large consideration, but the Mountaineers have likely not. They need this one in the worst way, yet a win in South Bend won't be easy. Doable? Ehhh, maybe. I would not bet on it, however.

South Florida vs. Syracuse = Nor will a win by the Bulls in The Dome be easy, but I will give them a slightly better chance against the Orange than is the case above. Yet when I say slightly, I do mean slightly.

Temple vs. LaSalle = Now this one ought to be a total war, start to finish. The Owls are a little better team, but the Explorers are not stiffs. Besides, it's awfully hard to call these Big Five games, as everybody always psyched for them,

Rutgers vs. Marquette = I'm not sure how the Golden Eagles are doing it this year, yet I'm even less sure how the Scarlet Knights have managed the few good wins they've gotten so far. This would be their first in a while, if they can pull it off. I give them half-a-shot, but not much more.

Wichita State vs. Illinois State = The Shockers better be ready for this road test, as I expect it shall be precisely that . . . a test.

Michigan State vs. Minnesota = And I can see this one being a test for the Spartans also, though one they should be able to pass before the night is done.

Kansas vs. Texas A&M = And if the Aggies can manage to actually play up to their percieved potential tonight . . . well, they'd STILL be the underdogs to the Jayhawks. Their only chance is if KU's looking forward to that weekend game against Mizzou, and I don't think Bill Self (who reportedly got some face-to-face advise today from his mentor, Larry Brown) will allow that to occur.

Wyoming vs. San Diego State = If Larry's Aztecs do not want their whole season to crash amd burn in these last few weeks, they need to get off the stick and win this home game tonight . . . which is far from a gimme, believe me. SDSU has now lost 3 in a row, and has fallen into a tie for 2nd with UNLV in the Mountain West, a game-and-a-half back of New Mexico. They are not yet all that bubblicious, but they have been heading that direction for far too long now. With tough games against decent Colorado State and TCU teams still pending, this one's huge for them.


That's all I've time for. Enjoy.

[jcruse64]

Okay, I KNOW you said it could happen, but I did not expect Mizzou to suck THAT badly! It was like someone had a remote-controlled rim shrinker to use on Mizzou shots. Nothing would fall for them, especially in H1. That was ugly!

On the other hand, apparently someone used a rim enhancer for Miss St, 'cause they couldn't miss!!!:r I kept expecting them to start throwing some Meadowlark Lemon shots out there. While UK could hardly do anything right in most of the game, I give them credit for not giving up.

Irish win over WV, and SFU never really had a shot tonight against 'Cuse.

[The Poet]

Okay, I KNOW you said it could happen, but I did not expect Mizzou to suck THAT badly! It was like someone had a remote-controlled rim shrinker to use on Mizzou shots. Nothing would fall for them, especially in H1. That was ugly!


Well, I don't believe I ever said the Tigers suck, brother, no matter how ugly they may have looked in that game. :r What I did try to impress was they were totally over-rated when one considered how they got many of their wins. Consider that, despite the fact they have wins over good teams such as Notre Dame, California, Illinois (ehh), ODU, Kansas, and Baylor (2X), their Strength of Schedule in the RPI is STILL rated #80 in the nation. How can that soft a schedule warrent a #3 national ranking?

Hey, you live by the cupcake, you eventually choke on some crumbs. ;)


Update shortly, I hope.

[The Poet]

Not a lot of the scores from last night interest me much, as they were pretty much what you'd think. So then, I'll just hit a few:


Syracuse 56 - South Florida 48 = Joe says above the Bulls had no shot against the Orange in this game, and as I did not see it I can't dispute it. Yet it does seem by the scoring they hung pretty tough in the Dome, and weren't blown off the court. Were I Jim Boeheim, I'd be concerned about the poor shooting and getting outrebounded at home, and had not the Bulls had 19 turnovers, and the Orange had 19 more free throw attempts, this would have been a nail-biter. Hey, if wishes was fishes, right?

Temple 80 - LaSalle 79 (OT) = You young fellas may have no clue when I mention those Big Five battles one should expect, but if you live long enough, and see as many wars as this one, you'll start to understand. :r

Michigan State 66 - Minnesota 61 = And I expected a close one here too, which is turned out to be. I'm sure Izzo was happy to get out of town with this one.

Kansas 66 - Texas A&M 58 = OK, so I know it was in College Station, but that does not excuse such a relatively poor showing by the Jayhawks. Were they looking forward to that Mizzou game Saturday, or did the Aggies finally make it to the arena? If anybody saw this one, please tell me. :D

Northeastern 85 - George Mason 82 (OT) = This is one of two BIG upsets in small conferences that totally threw wrenches into league races. The Patriots are now tied at 14-3 with VCU for 2nd place in the CAC, behind Drexel at 15-2. In the meanwhile, the Huskies "improve" to 13-15 overall. With at-large bids of such rare value in these mid-majors, this one could be huge.

UTEP 76 - Southern Miss 68 (2OT) = As could this one in the CUSA, though they do tend to get a bit more at-large respect. This upset of the Golden Eagles puts them in a tie with Tulsa for 2nd at 9-4, with Memphis atop at 10-3. And those Miners get themselves above .500 by "improving" to 14-13. See, this is the kind of stuff I love about college hoops.

San Diego State 67 - Wyoming 58 (OT) = I had a feeling the Aztecs would have trouble again last night, but they did manage to outscore the Cowboys 12-3 in extra time. But I'd bet you Larry was sweating this one out, no doubt.


Tonight has a handful of games with some potential, especially:


Duke vs. Florida State = At 10-2 each, they are a whoppin' 1/2-game behind UNC for 1st place in the ACC race. This of course means the winner moves into a tie, and the loser will have to start hoping somebody else can help them out. As my Tar Heels get no chance to avenge themselves on the 'Noles, but do have a trip to Durham coming soon, I'm certainly rooting for the Blue Devils to help US out this evening down in Tallahassee. It won't be easy, and this ought to be a fight to the finish.

Alabama vs. Arkansas = Though not a comparable factor in the SEC race, this could be important for the post-season hopes of both teams. At 17-9 and 17-10 overall resp't., they are pretty bubbly, and need some more wins to feel safe. The Tide and 'Hogs should both know this, and ought to come out with some fire. Since they are a fairly even match, this may be a lot of fun.

Murray State vs. Tennessee State = Back on Feb. 8th Racer fans printed up T-shirts extolling their unbeaten record. On Feb. 9th the Tigers came into town and beat them 72-68. Although the OVC regular-season race is over already, this final game for TS in Nashville gives them a shot at capping a good season for them, while at the same time belling the cat that's been those Racers by giving them BOTH their losses. If you're not interested in this one, you don't belong on this thread at all. :r

Louisville vs. Cincinnati = Though the Cardinals are getting much more national respect than are the Bearcats, you should note the are both 9-5 in Big East play, tied a hair above mid-pack for 6th place. Louisville's been all over the ballpark this year, while Cincy came out of that brawl with crosstown Xavier on a roll that's only stumbled several times. Flip a coin on this one, for though I think UL's a better team, I don't know if they are consistent enough to show up.

Stanford vs. Colorado = Although there are a number of other Pac-12 games this evening, most of them are mis-matches which ought to go to the favorites quite easily. USC at 'Zona? Cal at Utah? C'mon. But here we have a close one between two pretty good teams. Both would be in line to earn at-large bids . . . were they not in the (justifiably?? ehhh . . .) lowly-regarded Pac-12. Hey, seems to me last year people complained that too many Pac-10 teams made the NCAAs, and they continued to complain . . . up until those Left Coast teams knocked THEIR brackets into hats. :r In any case, I'm looking for a good game in Boulder tonight.

BYU vs. Gonzaga = And this ought to be a good one also, and one with more conference-standings import that the one above. These two are tied for 2nd in the WCC at 11-3, a full game back of St. Mary's at 12-2. I'd have little problem with the Selection Committe going 2-deep in this conference, but if they go 3-deep, and somebody like Jerry's Wolfpack has to sit because they don't go deeper than 4 into the ACC, I'm sure he'd be p!$$ED, and I wouldn't much like it either. But aside from that aside, this one's key for these two as they strive to get back to The Dance, one way or another.


That's gonna do it for me today. Until later then . . . enjoy.

[The Poet]

There were a few scores of note last night, but none larger than:


Duke 74 - Florida State 66 = The Blue Devils did exactly what they needed to do, for themselves, for my Heels, and for you guys. This moved them back into a tie with UNC for the ACC lead, while putting the 'Noles a game back of both. It also gives both Dook and Carolina a chance to control their own fates, for all they have to do now is win their remaining few games to take the regular-season title. And unless you are one of those fervent Duke and/or Carolina haters, you have to admit that what you really want to see is the Heels visiting Durham in about a week with all the marbles on the line. Well, keep your fingers crossed, as we're not there yet. Still, the odds of that improved due to this Duke victory. Good for them.

Murray State 80 - Tennessee State 62 = Not only did Joe's Racers avenge their only loss down in Nashville, they did it in a big way. Maybe they were focused, maybe they've gotten their second wind, or maybe they were just p!$$ed.

Cincinnati 60 - Louisville 56 = But to add a little rain to Joe's parade, we had another poor showing from Pitino's Yo-Yos. When they are good, they spin like a top. When they are not, the string breaks and they go rolling under the couch. Admittedly, the Bearcats needed a good win better than did the Cardinals, and maybe that was part of it. Still, you gotta wonder what sort of shelf life Louisville will have in the post-season.

Iowa 67 - Wisconsin 66 = I saw this one yesterday, and thought about mentioning how the Hawkeyes had another shot at pulling one out of their behinds. But on second thought, I figured they'd done about all you could reasonably expect from them already this year, and I didn't want to press my luck. Woulda, coulda, shoulda, right? Next time I'll follow my gut and not my head.

Stanford 74 - Colorado 50 = This is not a good enough win to get the Cardinal into the NCAAs, nor is it a bad enough loss to keep the Buffaloes out. All that will hinge upon how much, or how little, respect the Pac-12 receives from the Selection Committee. Yet when one considers how many "upsets" we've had in games played in the Rocky Mountain Heights over the last week or two, it is remarkable that a sea-level squad like the Trees can so totally dominate in Boulder.

Gonzaga 74 - BYU 63 = On the other hand, I'm not sure the 'Zags needed this win for (at least) an at-large, nor does it ruin the Cougars' shot at one all that much. But it will likely put those Bulldogs back into the bottom of the Top 25 rankings again, where they will stay until the NEXT time they pop off their mouths and end up losing again. :r


As is the norm, there's not a lot to choose from tonight:


Penn vs. Dartmouth // Princeton vs. Harvard // Columbia vs. Yale = I lump all these together because they are all lumped together. Duh. The Quakers are 2nd in the Ivy at 7-2, while Haa'vaad is 1st at 9-1 (with that one loss being to the Princeton Tigers), and the Elis are not completely out of it yet with their 7-3 mark. There are enough games left for most anything to happen, and it could begin tonight.

Butler vs. Valparaiso = Two teams with some NCAA pedigree,and we'll probably see at least one of them in March. Besides that, they are pretty decent teams, and should give us a nice close game here.

Fairfield vs. Iona = Same here. The Gaels were supposed to be head-and-shoulders above all else in the MAAC, but their 1st-place record of 13-3 is but a hair better that the Stags' 12-4 (tied with Loyola MD) in 2nd place. So this also should be a fun one.

Marquette vs. West Virgina = The Mountaineers got on a roll for a while and surprised a lot of people with their success. But lately they've lost 6 of 8 games, and seem to be on a downhill slide into the NIT. The Golden Eagles came into the season with equally "meh" expectations, yet are dreaming of taking the Big East away from Syracuse . . . maybe not in regular-season play, but in the Garden come tourney time. Marquette can stand a loss here, but WVA can't take many more. Keep you eye on this one, if only to see if the Mountain Men have refound their game, or not.


That's it for this evening. I'll take a quick smoke now, and if I get the chance I'll look at the early action Saturday. But if not . . . enjoy.

[The Poet]

So here's a few of the early games on tap for tomorrow:


Vanderbilt vs. Kentucky = As much as I might like to give the Comms a shot at knocking off the 'Cats in Rupp, there's no way in hell I can reasonably do so. UK's been tough enough to win big, and resiliant enough to edge out the squeakers. Meanwhile, Vandy's not been able to put a really good game together all year. If this one's still close with 10 minutes left, I'll be surprised.

Notre Dame vs. St. John's = And though it is true that the young Johnnies have shocked a few people on occasion, I can't give them much better a shot at the Irish, even in MSG.

Virginia Tech vs. Duke = And although I also can't give the Hokies any good chance at the upset in Cameron, it is true that they DID beat UVA in Charlottesville, not to mention at Oak State and Rhode Island too. Plus, Miami shocked the Blue Devils in Durham, while State came a lot closer than was comfortable for K's kids. It's worth watching for a while, just to see what shakes out, but put your money on Dook.

Oklahoma vs. Baylor = The Sooners are also a big underdog here, being a game over .500 all year, and are not a good road team either. On the other hand, althought the Bears haven't collapsed like Illinois has, they have lost 3 of 5 now, and their confidence must be smarting a little. Once more I can't see an upset happening, but you just never know.

Iowa State vs. Kansas State = Did that big win by the Wildcats over Mizzou get them refocused and hyped, or will it make them vulnerable to a pretty good Cyclones team? This by far seems to be our best chance at a close tight contest in the early action tomorrow, and I'd flip a coin on it.


That's the best of the lunchtime fun for Saturday, as I see it anyway. See you later then for other games, and scores from this evening. Until then, enjoy.

[jcruse64]

Watching a great game between Loyola-MD vs Rider right now. 15 lead changes and 13 ties, so far, so LOTS of action!

Butler is down 8 right now; not looking good.

I'll go out on a limb and call the upset tomorrow-dook loses to VT :D

[The Poet]

Watching a great game between Loyola-MD vs Rider right now. 15 lead changes and 13 ties, so far, so LOTS of action!

Butler is down 8 right now; not looking good.

I'll go out on a limb and call the upset tomorrow-dook loses to VT :D


Yeah, that game ended with 17 lead changes, and a Rider win 83-79. I'm a bit surprised the .500 Broncos could take the superior Greyhounds like that, but this is what college hoops is all about. And the result, coupled with Iona's 77-72 victory over Fairfield, gave the Gaels the conference too. I'm glad I'm not the only one who can enjoy games that don't involve the elite schools.

And yeah, Valpo spanked Butler pretty bad last night. I'm guessing we won't see the Bulldogs in the National Championship game again this season.

And as for the Hokies, they are hanging real tough with Dook so far. Then again, so is Vandy at Rupp against your 'Cats, so do you want TWO big upsets to start off the day? :r


Other close action last night:

Penn 57 - Dartmouth 54 = The Quakers did what they needed to do, even though they had more trouble than I figured. Yet it may have been for nought, considering . . .

Harvard 67 - Princeton 64 = The Crimson revenge their only Ivy loss, albeit barely, and retain the league lead. They've not yet earned their first NCAA bid since . . . lord, was it the Forties maybe? . . . but they are getting closer.

Marquette 61 - West Virginia 60 = The Mountaineers get what seems their umpteenth heartbreaking loss of the year, and see their post-season hopes swirling down the drain. Also, adding insult to injury, seems Buzz Williams tried to start a riot by dancing in front of the WVA student section after the Golden Eagles victory. Even though it was a waltz and not the funky chicken, it shows no class on his part.


Lemme go look at the later games today for a bit, and keep track of the earlir games too. Last time I looked, both Duke and UK were getting more than they want, and St. John's leads the Irish at the half. Back shortly.

[The Poet]

Both Duke and UK are still fighting for their lives on their own courts at the moment, but the Johnnies have built up a double-digit lead over the Irish. It's too soon to call however, so let me hit some of the higher points in action to follow today:


Villanova vs. Georgetown = The Philly 'Cats have shown next to nothing all year, and it's pretty much a lost season for Jay Wright. Still, they could salvage some pride if they could beat the Hoyas down in DC. I don't give them much of a chance, but the young Hoyas have had a few bad games, so you never know.

UCLA vs. Arizona = The predicted turnaround for the Bruins never seemed to materialize, though they have played better in the 2nd half of this season. But this is about 'Zona's post-season hopes. At 20-9 and 11-3, in 3rd for the Pac-12 behind Cal and Wash, an old fogey like me would think they are safely in the at-large picture. However, that league gets even less respect than my ACC does these days, so who knows? What I do know is that a home loss to UCLA won't help them much, so the 'Cats best win in Tucson today.

N. C. State vs. Clemson = As above, I would think that, at 18-10 and 7-6, the 'Pack would be squarly in line for an at-large, despite their lack of any marquee wins. But that ain't the case. A win in Littlejohn may not get them over the bubble, but a loss may put them behind it. This one's huge for Jerry's kids.

Florida vs. Georgia = OK, the Gators have stunk up the place from time to time. OK, the Bulldogs have beaten Notre Dame and Miss. State this year. Regardless, I can't see this on in Athens being another shocking loss to the Gators.

North Carolina vs. Virginia = But this one could be a nail-biter. The Heels need it to stay in a tie with Duke (assuming they outlast the Hokies, which I expect) for 1st place, and for their hopes to remain one of those teams juuuuust outside a #1-seed who hopes to maybe steal it late. The Cavs have no such ambitions, but would like to top off their outstanding season with a huge victory in front of their home crowd. As much as I hate to say it, this could go either way . . . unless my Heels finally put all their pieces together.

Missouri vs. Kansas = Not only is this one huge for both teams in conference play, it is huge in the national picture. Here are two other teams eyeing a #1-seed, and the loser of this one may lose their chance at it. I figure the Jayhawks can defend homecourt in Allen Fieldhouse, but you never know.

Memphis vs. Marshall = Though without the potential national implications of the games immediately above, these are two good teams with post-season hopes themselves. It ought to be a lot of fun.

Belmont vs. Mercer = As should this one.

Rutgers vs. Seton Hall = The Pirates seem to think they are safely OFF the bubble, but their 19-9 and 8-8 mark doesn't ice it in my book, even with the few good wins they've posted. Just as I feel the ACC and Pac-12 get too little respect these days, I feel the Big Mouth gets much too much. For over a decade now we've seen them get twice as many bids as other big conferences, and we've also seen the vast majority of those at-large picks crash and burn before the NCAAs were half-done, and often falling to teams whose conferences were dissed by the Selection Committee. But enough from my soapbox. For the Hall, they can't afford to stumble too often down the stretch, regardless of what they think. Considering how in-state rivals fight each other, here;s one they should not be looking past.

George Mason vs. VCU = These two are tied for 2nd in the CAC at 14-3, one back of Drexel at 15-2. Those Dragons travel to ODU, who maybe can beat them, which would put the winner of this one into a tie for the league. And with the Big Mouth getting twenty or so at-large, it's questionable how many will be left for guys in the Colonial. And who cares that BOTH these teams HAVE made Final Fours, which is something a ton of those over-hyped Big Mouth teams managed to do! Ohhh, I'm back on that soapbox again, ain't I. Well, suffice it to say that this is a big game in a smaller conference.

Purdue vs Michigan = And so's this. ;) The Wolverines have likely done enough to earn a Dance, but the Boilermakers are decidedly bubbly still. A win here may push them over that hump, and I can see them doing it too. As I've said before, I can't see how the Logans can keep winning, since they CANNOT SCORE THE BALL.

Mississippi State vs. Alabama = And I see these two as being bubble-boys too. Respectively, they are 19-9, 6-7 and 18-9, 7-6. Tell me how that's any more or less impressive than NCSU's record noted above, will ya? This game could go either way, and could make and break both teams.

Temple vs. St. Joseph's = The Owls may be safe out of the A-10, but the Hawks sure could use a big win over them. Their 18-11 and 8-6 record won't get them anything but a pat on the back for having a much better season than was last year's disaster. Plucking the Owls, however, will at least get people's attention.

Penn vs. Harvard = With the Quakers at 8-2 and the Crimson 10-1, this could decided the Ivy's sole bid today. OK, so maybe either one would be a "one-and-done" anyway, but that won't detract from the honor, the fun, and the money they so badly need . . . especially Haa'vaad, with their tiny endowment and their huge athletic scholarship budget. :r

Washington vs. Washington State = I don't expect the Huskies to blow their share of the Pac-12 here. At least, they'd better hope not. Everyone seems to feel bids will be few and far between out there, and a few late stumbles may cost dearly.

Nebraska vs. Michigan State = Nor would I expect the 'Huskers to visit the Spartans and pull off the upset. MSU is another of those teams thinking maybe they can swipe a #1-seed from mebbe a Mizzou or Kansas, so you'd figure Izzo would not let them fall asleep.

Murray State vs. Tennessee Tech = This could be a tough matchup for Joe's Racers, though I'm not sure if the game itself will mean anything. The Racers can win it big, yet STILL not receive a possible at-large, whether they've earned it or not. And they can LOSE it big, and lose a few spots in the rankings, yet not lose anything else that they maybe don't even have to begin with. Yeah, that's kind of confusing, but I figure Joe understands what I mean. :D No matter. The game itself could be a good one.

Syracuse vs. U. Conn = For different reasons, this game may mean nothing to the Orange either. They could lose this game, and maybe one more in the Big East tourney, and likely still retain a #1-seed. But for the Huskies, they could salvage a lot of pride from a season that suddenly went to $#!+ on them with a victory here. And despite my lack of faith in U Conn's team, I'll even give them half-a-shot at it.

Colorado State vs. San Diego State = With all due respect to Larry's Aztecs, an old fart like me can't help but wonder how a team tied for 2nd in the Mountain West with a 7-4 conference record can still be ranked amongst the Top 25 in the nation. Oh well, it really doesn't matter, as it's only bragging rights anyway. As for the game, with their opponent having a pretty decent team, and with the struggles SDSU has had lately, I could see another shocking home loss here. I'm not predicting one, but I can see it happening.

St. Mary's vs. San Francisco = This is the last game of the regular season for the Gaels and Dons, with those Gaels in 1st place in the WCC at 13-2, just ahead of Gonzaga's 12-3. Guess I don't need point out that, can St. Mary's win on the road tonight, it will not matter what those Bulldogs do. I've said before I like the Gaels, yet I'm not going to give them this one. They'll have to earn it, as those Dons can be awfully tough themselves.


Here's some early finals for you:


Duke 70 - Virginia Tech 65 (OT) = Well, Joe didn't exactly call it, but he came damned close. As much trouble as I've had figuring out my Tar Heels this year, I've had even more trying to figure out these Blue Devils. Just look at their season, why don't you? A call or two here and there, a bucket or a miss now and then, and they are fighting to stay above .500! OK, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but you know what I mean.

Kentucky 83 - Vanderbilt 74 = Just too much Cat for the Comms in the end, as it's been for so many others so far this year.

St. John's 61 - Notre Dame 58 = The Irish just could not ever seem to get the shot or the stop it needed, and the Red Storm surprises me, and maybe even themselves, by winning a big one in the Garden. It hurts ND a bit, yet won't help the Johnnies with anything beyond pride.


Lunchtime. Back later, brothers.

[The Poet]

I should have a few more early finals by the time I finish this my Sunday preview:


Cincinnati vs. South Florida = Though you can consider these two also-rans in the Big East, they are both capable teams, and ought to give us a really decent contest here. I sorta kinda like the Bulls, but I can't pick either one for you.

Indiana vs. Minnesota = After a hot start, then a few trip-ups, the Hoosiers seemto have found their way again. Yet the Gophers ain't no pushovers, so I'm hoping for another nice game here. I'd favor IU by a bucket or three, but it wouldn't shock me were I wrong.

Pitt vs. Louisville = Yet despite all the gawd-awful games the Cardinals have played this year, I would be shocked if the Panthers could finally win a big game.

Wisconsin vs. Ohio State = The Buckeyes have had a couple of putrid shooting nights lately, and when you consider that a low-scoring affair is right up the Badgers' alley, this one may just be their shot to knock OSU down another notch. I'd not expect anybody to win by more than two possessions here, which means you can flip a coin.

California vs. Colorado = The Golden Bears want to hold onto their 1st place tie in the Pac-12, and thus pretty much assure at least an at-large. But I don't think the Buffaloes are going to roll over in Boulder, so this could also be another tight one.

Florida State vs. Miami = Duke just gave the Seminoles a loss to drop them out of that 3-way atop the ACC. And the 'Canes are the ones who knocked off those Blue Devils in Cameron to keep them OUT of the outright lead. So despite the greater respect given FSU, and the fact the "experts" say Miami's now on the backside of the bubble, I figure on an in-state war here. Hey, a 'Cane win might just toss them across that bubble, and you've got to think they feel that way also, right?

Iowa vs. Illinois = I'm not sure if either of these two will get a ticket to The Dance, but the one who loses this game would be foolish to book any flights, that's for sure. Again, you have to believe they both know this, and will be focused for this one.

Oregon vs. Oregon State = As it is Pac-12 we're talking here, the Ducks may be out of luck for an at-large anyway, despite their great season. Once again, although a win might not help them all that much, a loss would hurt them badly. Their in-state rival would love to play the spoiler here, so again again we may have a good one.

Akron vs. Ohio = The Zips and the Bobcats may be the 2 best teams in the Mid-American, and it's entirely possible that neither one will make it to the NCAAs. Those at-large bids are scarce in leagues like this one. So a win or a loss may mean nothing in that regard, as it shall come down to the automatic in the conference tournament. Regardless, this should be one hell of a fight.


I have only two more meaningful finals for you so far:



Iowa State 65 - Kansas State 61 = The Prairie 'Cats go get that big win at Mizzou, then come home and are unable to defend their own court against Iowa State. I had that kinda sorta feeling about this one, which is why I told you to flip a coin on it.

Baylor 70 - Oklahoma 60 = Not a good win for the Bears over a .500 Sooner Squad, but it beats a terrible loss . . . which is the way it was headed for much of the game.


Georgetown is running away from 'Nova, Arizona's trying to edge away from UCLA late, and NC State just got the 1-point lead from Clemson with 5 minutes left. You may see me a little later, and you may not. Either way, enjoy.

[jcruse64]

Wow, lots of close games in the Top 30 today. Only caught glimpses, as I'm in the middle of tearing a barn down (could use Davis' reach :r).

Yeah, Vandy has played the Cats close both times, and Davis gave the Cats a spark today.

dook kills my projection, but they had to sweat it. UNC also had a close one, what, 4 points I think. NC State takes ANOTHER loss today...geez!

I really thought KU was toast today, but Mizzou could not close, and they'd better learn to fast! KSU...pitiful, to come home after that last win, and let a team stomp your butt like that.

'Bama beats Mississippi State badly, after a awful opening and exciting H1 close.

Georgetown lets one go, another pitiful loss. Definitely the Big Least Conference this season, though there's not much to brag on with the SEC this season either, as Florida got absolutely hammered by a bad Georgia team today.

Well, Murray State vs Tennessee Tech about to start.

GO RACERS!!!!!!!!!

[mikeyj23]

Go Jayhawks! Down by 12 at half, down by 19 in the second, sent it to OT, won 87-86.

[jcruse64]

Alright! Racers win and finish up their regular season at 28-1 and undefeated on the road, maybe the first time ever for them. Best regular season ever, also. Probably the 2nd toughest OVC game this season, as Tech had them good for most of this game, and they had to dig in hard to come back and hold the lead. Really great season, and hopefully a LOT more to go. Can't wait to get to Nashville Friday for their first OVC tourney game.

'Cuse wins TIGHT one. UCONN almost did it.

UL has let Pitt almost even the score at the end of H1 today. Oh, and got the Georgetown score wrong, sorry Hoyas! I had the Notre Dame loss on my mind. IU has taken Tubby's Minnesota team already today.

[The Poet]

As Joe said above, a lot of close ones this weekend, and even a fair number of upsets too. And as Michael said, the Jayhawks knocked Mizzou down another peg in what may well be the last game in a storied rivalry that's over a century old. I'll address it more below.

So, aside from those close ones and upsets already noted Saturday afternoon (Dook, UK, SJU, Iowa St., Baylor) we had these I've cherry-picked for one reason or another:


Clemson 72 - N. C. State 69 (OT) = Two weeks ago Jerry's Wolfpack was primed to grab an at-large bid to The Dance. Maybe 3 straight losses to Duke, FSU, and UNC did not totally kill their chances, but this one maybe did. Their only chance now is a run to, at least, the finals of the ACC tourney, and that might even be one win too few. You can't stick a fork in them yet, but you might as well pick it up.

North Carolina 54 - Virginia 51 = Ugly, ugly, ugly win for the Heels, though better than an ugly loss. Neither team could shoot worth a damn from the field, with both having long droughts without a hoop. UNC at least could hit from the stripe, and won it on FTs., and so keep pace with Dook atop the ACC race.

Kansas 87 - Missouri 86 (OT) = I'm a little surprised the Jayhawks had so much trouble defending home court, considering their record in Allen Fieldhouse. But like my Heels above, a win's a win. This one may have gotten KU a #1-seed (and may not have, if they stumble once or twice down the stretch), but this 2nd loss in a row for the Tigers almost certainly cost them one. Hey, didn't I tell you so beforehand? :D

Texas 71 - Texas Tech 67 (OT) = Not all that important a game overall, though it does keep the 'Horns alive for a possible at-large . . . for now. But such a strugge against a crappy TT team, even in Lubbock, does not bode well for that potential future.

Georgia 76 - Florida 62 = But as poor as that performance was in Lubbock, this one in Athens was much worse. What in the hell is up with the Gators? There is no reason whatsoever for them to let the Bulldogs spank them like this.

Rutgers 77 - Seton Hall 72 (OT) = Though not quite as damning as that NCSU loss to Clemson, this one certainly has put the Pirates back in the bubble discussion.

Alabama 67 - Mississippi State 50 = As for these Bulldogs from the Delta, what has happened to them? OK, so the Tide has a decent team, but Miss. State was ranked for half the season, then pulled an "Illini" and just collapsed. This was their 5th loss in a row, putting them squarly into that bubble discussion.

VCU 89 - George Mason 77 = This win gives the Rams 2nd place in the CAC, with the Drexel Dragons taking the honors. With the automatic bid still to be determined in league tourney play, it will remain a question how many of these very good teams will get a chance to Dance.

Purdue 75 - MIchigan 61 = Though it may be too little too late, the Boilermakers continue to improve. As for the Wolverines, it's just a case of too little, as in scoring . . . which they've had upteen times now.

Penn 55 - Harvard 54 = The Quakers did what they had to do to give them a chance to do what Princeton did to Harvard last year . . . take the single NCAA bid for the Ivy away from the Crimson after they felt it was theirs all season long. Their 9-2 mark is still 1/2 back of Haa'vaad's 10-2, and their schedule is against them too (Brown, Yale, then @ Princeton vs. @ Columbia and Cornell), but we could see that 1-game-for-all-the-marbles game again this March.

St. Joseph's 82 - Temple 72 = Did this one by the Hawks over the Owls get St. Joe's into Dance mode? Well, it all depends on how deep into the A10 the Committee decides to dip. Me, I'd sooner see them get an extra bid or three than see them all go to Big Mouth teams that are sub.-500 in league play.

TCU 83 - New Mexico 64 = A week or so back the Lobos had a secure 2-game lead in the Mountain West race. Two Ls in a row, and they are now in a 3-way with UNLV and Larry's Aztecs. As that Committee likely will not (and probably should not) go any deeper in the MW as in the aforementioned A10, this could get real interesting . . . and maybe a little baitchy to boot. :r

Washington 59 - Washington State 55 = If the Huskies are as good as they seem to think, this one should never have been so tight. Still, they did do what they had to, and following a result which will appear below, they now hold a 1/2-game lead in the Pac-12 . . . for what that's worth. ;)

Syracuse 71 - U Conn 69 = The Orange could have almost certainly lost this game and still not lost their #1-seed, and the Huskies could have won it and still not insured themselves an at-large bid. So in that regard the game was not important. But considering how many problems U Conn has had, and how much crowing has been coming out of the 'Cuse fandom, this result may at least may explain why I won't be putting Syracuse in MY Final Four bracket.

Nevada 79 - Fresno St. 76 (3OT) = It doesn't matter if this game matters or not. Any time two teams give you a fight like this, they deserve some props.


Sunday we saw:


South Florida 46 - Cincinnati 45 = When you consider the kind of season the Bearcats have had, it's far from certain this is a good enough win to help the Bulls get an at-large. But if Cincy gets one and they do not, I'd be a little cheesed . . . if I really cared, that is. :D

Louisville 57 - Pitt 54 = And even if the Panthers had managed to get over the hump late at take this one in the Bucket, it wouldn't have helped their post-season in the least. But it does maybe give all those rabid Big East fans out there some more evidence as to why MY opinion of their league is NOT on as elevated a level as too many claim.

Wisconsin 63 - Ohio State 60 = A great road win for the Badgers, and another somewhat surprising home loss by the Buckeyes. Me, I would have penciled them in as a #1-seed before the season started, but now it seems a #2 is slipping away. Yeah, sure, you could say much the same about my Heels, but they at least have kept themselves in the hunt late.

Colorado 70 - California 57 = Once again Rocky Mountain Fever strikes a visiting team, and this time it put the Golden Bears that 1/2-game back of Washington as referenced above. Here is another good win for the Buffs.

Miami 78 - Florida State 62 = And not only is this the Seminoles's 2nd loss in a row, thus putting them out of the ACC race for first (hey, the math means they can't win now, no matter what), but this win by the Hurricanes gives them TWO signature wins. Remember, they beat Duke in Cameron too. How in the world could the Selection Committe deny them an at-large now? Well, they still might, but it would not be right of them.


There's next to no action tonight, save for:


Notre Dame vs. Georgetown = These are two of the better teams in the Big East, and both are somewhat surprisingly so. I feel they both are safely Dancing, but another win or two is always better than another loss or three. I'm hoping for a good one here.

Kansas vs. Oklahoma State = I would not expect the Jayhawks to p!$$ away their season in Stillwater tonight, as the Cowboys are not all that good. But you never know, as after that Border War with Mizzou their chalk may be a bit rocky. I'd not bet on that, yet keep an eye on the score for a while anyway.

Texas Tech vs. Baylor = And the Bears have already had about as much of a collapse as I figured they'd have, so I'd expect them to defend the court in Waco against TT tonight. Hey, the putrid Red Raiders have lost something like 15 of 16 now. So me, I wouldn't even bother with this one.

Gonzaga vs. Longwood = Nor would I bother with this one either. In fact, I can't even figure out why Gonzaga would bother with this one. What idiot scheduled the last regular-season game of the year against a garbage Independent team like the Longwood Lancers anyway? WTF???


That's all for me today. Back tomorrow with more of my crap. Until later then, enjoy.

[SD Beerman]

The Mountain West is rough with all the altitude games and travel. A lot of good teams, I did sweat out the OT game but they came through against Colorado State. 3 way tie for first in MWC. I would have said SDSU had the advantage but now they have to go to TCU after they beat New Mexico.

[mase]

The Hoyas defense was terrific last night. ND's Cooley was a non-factor in the game, after being the "go to" guy over the last 5 or 6 games.

[The Poet]

The Mountain West is rough with all the altitude games and travel. A lot of good teams, I did sweat out the OT game but they came through against Colorado State. 3 way tie for first in MWC. I would have said SDSU had the advantage but now they have to go to TCU after they beat New Mexico.

I'm close to becoming convinced the Mountain West is the cross-continent equivalent of the Atlantic 10, meaning it's a "Four A" league . . . better than Triple A, but not quite in The Majors yet. However, I am NOT YET convinced they deserve as many, or even more, bids than does their neighbors the Pac-12. I'm not saying the MW gets too much respect, but the performance of Pac-10 teams in last year's NCAAs, after the "experts" complained they got too many bids, should have shown people they are not as bad as the popular perception has become. Again, to make a similar transcontinental comparison, I feel the ACC has suffered nearly as badly from certain erroneous perceptions.

But aside from all that, I confess I do enjoy a nice tight conference race, with teams fighting for the crown down to the last second, as opposed to those that are over by Valentine's Day.

The Hoyas defense was terrific last night. ND's Cooley was a non-factor in the game, after being the "go to" guy over the last 5 or 6 games.

Georgetown's past success was always built upon their D, which is a good thing . . . not only because defense wins you games, but because they have been notoriously poor offensively. :r Hell, people always joke how the only man who held Michael Jordan below 20 points was Dean Smith, yet NOBODY'S ever complained that John Thompson was the man who kept Patrick Ewing from becoming the Wilt Chamberlain of his day. ;)

;s , but them's the facts, Jacks.


Update soon.

[The Poet]

The only score from last night I found to be of even the slightest interest was the one already noted by Kevin above:


Georgetown 59 - Notre Dame 41 = I don't know what else to say about this one that's not been said prior to now, so I'll just add it's a good win for the Hoyas as they prep for their post-season . . . and maybe even a good lesson for the Irish too.


There isn't a ton of games this evening, but it is remarkable how many of them hold some significance:


Kansas State vs. Texas A&M = I would think the K-State 'Cats have enough good wins to grab an at-large, and a win against the disappointing Aggies would not be another one, even in College Station. Still, a win's a win, so pad your resume when you get a chance. I'd expect they'd do so, since A&M hasn't shown up all year.

Michigan State vs. Indiana = And both of these have locked up bids regardless of what transpires, but if the Spartans want a shot at stealing a #1-seed they cannot lose this one. Me, I think they are the better team, but I also think the Hoosiers will be damn tough in Bloomington. If MSU loses, I'd not call it an upset.

Wright State vs. Butler = At 18-13 and 11-7 (3rd in the Horizon) the Butler Bulldogs are on the outside looking in. Their only chance of getting a bid at this point is by winning the conference tourney, which begins against the Raiders tonight. They ought to be able to survive this test, but for how long will they survive? Access your inner sailor, and keep an eye on the Horizon.

U. Conn vs. Providence = And speaking of last year's championship game, what are the Huskies' chances of missing The Dance too? At 17-11 and 7-9, they are pretty much in the same boat they were last year too, when Kemba Walker saved their season beginning in the Big East tourney with his remarkable feats. One thing I do know is that he won't be doing that this year. Another is that the Friars can poke another hole in U Conn's bobble by taking this one in RI this evening. This team is not as bad as their record, and with the Huskies' struggles on the road I could see another loss in their immediate future. I would not put any money on it, but it would not shock me either.

Mississippi vs. Arkansas = The 'Hogs are another bubbly team, with their 18-11 and 6-8 marks. A win over the Rebels won't add much to their shot, but a loss may be the coup-de-gras.

DePaul vs. West Virginia = It's the same for the Mountaineers too, with their 17-12 and 7-9 record. Though the win won't put them over any bubble, a loss might put them behind it.

Minnesota vs. Wisconsin = The Badgers are safe, and the Gophers are safely dead. Still, you know pride in the interstate rivalry is at stake, and I'm hoping it will be a good one. Aside from that, the Badgers still have an outside shot of moving up to a #2-seed, and an easier shot of moving to a #4. That should focus them, one would think.

Florida vs. Vanderbilt = Me, I figure both these teams are safely in possession of at-large bids already, but aside from that I figure nothing. Shoot, if you can figure out either one of these squads, I wish you'd tell me. My head tells me to favor the Gators on the road against the Comms, but if they can't beat Georgia in Athens what makes me think they can beat Vandy in Nashville? It ought to be fun, in any case.

UCF vs. Memphis = I talked above about "Four A" leagues, and one must consider the CUSA amongst these. The Tigers can clinch at least a tie for 1st place with a victory tonight, but the Knights are no pushovers. This one may go down to the wire.

Weber State vs. Montana = The Wildcats and Grizzlies are tied at 14-1 for the Big Sky, and it all comes down to this one tonight. True, that league will get only the automatic from the tournament championship, so maybe the NCAA is not on the line here. Regardless, you KNOW they both want the victory, and I expect a war.

Xavier vs. Saint Louis = The Musketeers have pretty much recovered from the bad karma from their brawl with Cincy, yet they've only had time to make it up to 3rd in the Atlantic 10. Standing between them and 1st-place Temple are these Billikens. I feel that, were I on the Selection Committee, I would give them both strong consideration for at-large bids, but sad to say they ain't listening to me . . . I don't pay as well as do the Big East lobbyists. ;) And because of that, this one is huge for both teams.

Duke vs. Wake Forest = Can I see Duke losing to the Deacs in Winston-Salem? No. Yes, stranger things have happened, but not only do I not expect it, I almost don't even want it to happen. See, with a Blue Devil win tonight against Wake (which is about as close to a given as one can get) and a win in Chapel Hill tomorrow by my Heels over the visiting Terps (a fair amount more difficult maybe, but certainly eminently doable), they will remain tied for 1st place in the ACC regular-season race, with only one game left to play . . . UNC at Duke, Saturday night. You telling me I'm the only one who wouldn't mind seeing that, again. :r


That's gonna do it for me tonight. See you tomorrow, fates willing. Until then, enjoy.

[The Poet]

Well, I'm back, and with a few notable scores from last night:


Providence 72 - U Conn 70 = Maybe you thought I was nutz when I gave the Friars a shot at this win. Well, I am nutz, and won't deny it. But I ain't stupid. The Huskies are again, as last season, dead in the water. There will be no miracle finish for them this year, as things like that don't repeat themselves . . . unless you're the NY Giants. ;)

Mississippi 77 - Arkansas 75 = And the Razorbacks may be sausage too, after this loss insures them of a losing record in the SEC.

Indiana 70 - Michigan State 55 = And though I did not actually call for this "upset", I did say it wouldn't be one to me if it occurred. Neither team gained nor lost their NCAA bid here, but the Spartans likely lost their shot at that (at present) fourth #1-seed . . . which is potential good news for . . .

Duke 79 - Wake Forest 71 = Though the win was no surprise, the margin likely did not please Coach K all that much. And it did give them the lead in the ACC, pending tonight's contest as noted below, and the inside track for that elusive #1-seed which is up for grabs . . . sort of, anyway.

Vanderbilt 77 - Florida 67 = The Comms get what may be their best win of the season, and the Gators take another loss. As I said with Hoosiers/Spartans, the effect on their at-large will be at best/worst the seeding, but it's got to give Vandy a bit of confidence.


Tonight's games, aside from some tournament action with importance for the Cinderella dreams of the little guys, will include these:


Penn State vs. Purdue = The late charge by the Boilermakers has probably secured them an at-large, and I'd not expect the Nittany Lions to derail them this evening.

Marquette vs. Cincinnati = But the Bearcats could derail the Golden Eagles, at least in their aspirations to attain a #1-seed. That seems a pipe dream to me, even if Michigan State's out of that race now, as Duke and UNC both stand in their way. In fact, if Cincy can win this one, their #2 may sink to a #3-seed. As this is more reasonable than the other scenario, I'm gonna call for it. The 'Cats, by a late bucket.

Maryland vs. North Carolina = However, for the Tar Heels to retain their OWN hopes, of an ACC regular-season title AND that potential #1-seed too, they have to take care of business at home against the Terps. Even if those turtles are still p!$$ed off at John Henson for dunking on them with one second left up in College Park, I'm not sure that anger would be enough to carry them to victory in Chapel Hill. What WOULD would be for the Heels to play another sub-par game, which they've been awfully awful about doing. As a Heel, I'm of course hoping for a UNC win. As a fan, I'm also hoping for one, as should you, as that will make the Duke/UNC finale on Saturday all that much more fun.

U Mass vs. Temple = The Owls were rolling along just fine, until that loss to St. Joe's. It did not surprise me that the Hawks won it, nor would it surprise me if the Minutemen also give Temple about all they can handle this evening. They may not win, but they will show up.

South Florida vs. Louisville = And if you don't think the Bulls will show up at the KFCrum Bucket tonight, you just haven't been paying much attention. Hey, they are presently 11-5 in Big East play, which by my math is better than the Cardinals' 10-6 mark. This ought to be a real fight.

Iowa State vs. Missouri = And this could be one also, believe it or not. The Cyclones (21-8, 11-5 Big "12") have a danged good team, so even in Columbia you gotta give them a chance at taking the Tigers. As for the Tigers, they maybe think they can regain that #1-seed they lost last week if they run the table, so you figure they'll be focused too. Those Tigers are WRONG to think that, as their RPI of 17 and SoS of (gulp!) 77 has already killed them in the eyes of the Selection Committee, but what is life without a little fantasy, right? :r Bottom line, this should be a fun matchup.

Mississippi State vs. South Carolina = I threw this one in because the Bulldogs have gone from a shoo-in to a shoo-ed away team, in a hurry. Five losses in a row has put them at 19-10 and 6-8, and made them extremely bubbly. The 'Cocks suck, so a win's not gonna help them much. However, a loss in Columbia (no, not that one above, the OTHER one :D ) may just puncture that bubble completely.

Ohio State vs. Northwestern = I figure the Buckeyes were celebrating last night when MSU lost to the Hoosiers, as it gave them a shot at getting back what probably should have been theirs all along . . . the Big Ten+ regular-season. I also figure the Smarty 'Cats will give them a tussle tonight, and may just smack them back to reality . . . said reality being the Buckeyes have not been playing as well as their talent ought to play. Yeah, I know . . . me, a Tar Heel, has no room to talk about that. Still, there it is. This could be one damned interesting game here.

Tennessee vs. LSU = So could this one. Hey, a month ago both these squads were dead in the water. Now, both have at least as good a chance of an at-large as do those Miss. State 'Dogs above, as both have better SEC records. Neither can clinch a bid with a win here, but one of them may lose one.

Oklahoma vs. Texas = And the only way the Sooners will get a bid is if they jump the gun and storm through the Big 12-2 tourney. But the Longhorns may have a chance at an at-large, despite their bad start. Yes, they are pretty bubbly, but closing out the season strong can help them eek in.

Miami vs. N. C. State = Talking of bubble-battles, here's a big one. The 'Canes (17-10, 8-6) and the 'Pack (18-11, 7-7) are both still in the mix, although Miami has the edge due to their 2 marquee wins, as opposed to State's zero. Those 'Canes have a better shot at losing a bid tonight than the 'Pack has of winning one, since Jerry's kids will need a good run in the ACC tourney, like maybe to the final with one of those signature wins thrown in. But you bet your bottom dollar they'll be rockin' in Raleigh tonight, knowing their seasons may hinge on the way they play over the next 10 days or so.

UNLV vs. Colorado State = Not only are the Rams able enough to give the Rebels a Run for their money, this again is another of those Rocky Mountain High games we've seen of late. Hey, if Air Force could beat the Larry's Aztecs in Colorado Springs, you better believe the Rams can beat UNLV in Fort Collins. Will this string of alpine upsets continue? Maybe, maybe not, but you gotta admit it is interesting.


That's it for me tonight. See you tomorrow, brothers, and until then . . . enjoy.

[The Poet]

Scores from last night include some more of my sterling picks: :r


Cincinnati 72 - Marquette 61 = Well, I actually blew this one. I said the Bearcats would win on a late bucket, so unless it was a 12-pointer I wuz wrong. The Golden Eagles don't have a snowball's chance at a #1-seed now, and may end up on the 3-line.

Temple 90 - U Mass 88 (OT) = I said about the Minutemen, and I quote they would ". . . give Temple about all they can handle . . . . They may not win, but they will show up." How much closer do you want me to call them? :rolleyes: :D

South Florida 58 - Louisville 51 = And the Bulls came through for me too, winning on the road against Pitino's Yo-Yos.

Purdue 80 - Penn State 56 = Though this likely did not make the 'Makers' grasp on an at-large any more secure, it helps more than a loss would have hurt.

North Carolina 88 - Maryland 64 = The only other blowout I'll report, not because it helped the Heels with a seat (much less seed) all that much, nor because it hurt the Terps, who were already roadkill, but solely because it sets up what we all want to see . . . UNC at Duke Saturday night for the ACC regular-season title.

Texas 72 - Oklahoma 64 = I'm not gonna guarantee the 'Horns have earned an at-large, much less that they deserve one, but this does keep their hopes moving in the right direction.

Tennessee 74 - LSU 69 (OT) = As does this for the Vols. Maybe both these UTs will need a win or three in conference tournament play to insure their Dance, but it don't hurt them none.

St. Bonaventure 98 - St. Joseph's 93 (2OT) = But this heartbreaker for the Hawks may have ended their aspirations for that potential at-large from the A-10. Yet these two certainly did give us a great show here.

Missouri 78 - Iowa State 72 = I did NOT call for the Cyclones to knock off the Tigers on their home court. I DID say it would be more of a fight than you might think, and by my lights it was precisely that.

Mississippi State 69 - South Carolina 67 (OT) = Hey, surprise surprise! The Bulldogs win a game . . . or was it the 'Cocks who lost another one? As I said yesterday, I'm not sure if this saves their season or not (not, in my book, but I don't get a vote), yet it did not doom it either.

Ohio State 75 - Northwestern 73 = And again, I did not actually call for the Smarty 'Cats to beat the Buckeyes, though I may have hinted strongly at that possibility. However, even if I had, I'd profess that a game which hinges on one bucket, one rebound, one turnover, one foul, one whatever is close enough for guv'mint work.

N. C. State 77 - Miami 73 = Can you count this as that one signature win Jerry's Wolfpack needed to get back into the "at-large" picture? Ehhhh, I'd say no, despite the fact that Miami had a few of their own. So figure NCSU still need to make an ACC tourney run to sneak over the bubble. Question is, did this pop said bubble for the Hurricanes? Me, I'll let you know in about 10 days.

Colorado State 66 - UNLV 59 = Another Rocky Mountain highlight film here, which is getting almost scary. The Runnin' Rebels were all over the Rams in the first half, scoring 41 points to their 26. But apparently they forgot to bring any O2 tanks into their visiting lockerroom, and they ran out of that gas in the 2nd stanza, scoring only 18 more and turning a rout into a riot.


Today's action includes a ton of action in small and mid-major tournaments, either continuing or beginning. This included leagues like the Big South, American East, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Atlantic Sun, and West Coast . . . damn few of which have any chance at all of anything more than the single automatic bid. So I'll hold off on these, despite the fact that many teams' hopes will be crushed today, and stick to games like:


Michigan vs. Illinois = At 17-12 and 6-10, the Illini are likely victims of their 2nd-half collapse, and should be NIT-bound shortly. Still, if the UTs and NCSUs of the world have some hope remaining, so should Illinois. A win over the Wolverines would help, even if it did not totally clinch an at-large, and as I've harped on long and often, the Logans can struggle to outscore their opponents. This is in Champaign, so you can't quite stick a fork in the Illini . . . yet.

Florida State vs. Virginia = Both these teams, now the "also-rans" in the ACC race, have bids safely in their hip pockets. All a win or a loss here will do is affect their seeding in both the league and NCAA tournaments, moving one up a line while sliding the other down. That's not a big deal, in my way of thinking, but sometimes every little bit helps.

Virginia Tech vs. Clemson = Why bother with this one? Well, all the experts seem to feel the ACC will get 4 bids to the NCAA, or maybe 5 if Miami or State get lucky. I say, "What about the Tigers?" They are 7-7 in conference play, with the 'Canes and 'Pack at 8-7, plus they have very good wins over Iowa, Florida State, Virginia, and NCSU too. How can people talk about sub.500 Big East or Big Ten teams, yet ignore this? Because their stupid, that's how. :rolleyes:

Georgia vs. Kentucky = Yeah, the Bulldogs shocked me some when they beat the Gators in Athens, so most anything can happen. But skin the 'Cats, in Rupp? Sure. Don't get me wrong . . . I'd kinda like to see it, and it might even be good for UK to lose one before The Dance begins, just to get their attention. Yet if this one isn't over with 10 minutes left, I'd consider it a moral victory for the Peaches . . . who will be creamed.

Washington vs. USC = With a conference 13-3 mark, against California's 13-4, the Huskies have their fate in their own hands. Considering how bad the Trojans have leaked this year, I give them as much of a shot at home as I game Georgia on the road above. And if, as I expect, they get past USC in LA tonight, they can assure with their next game they'll take it all by taking care of . . .

Washington State vs. UCLA = . . . the Bruins, who may just get booed off their home-away-from-homecourt tonight, following stories about what stupid spoiled drunked doped-up bozos they have become under Ben Howland. Hell, I'm a continent away, and even with my aged ears I can hear John Wooden spinning in his grave. Neither a win nor a loss, by either team, will make any difference whatsoever in the conference or national picture, and I even doubt that a total stomping by UCLA of the Cougars can turn their agony into ecstasy. Rave on! :banger


That's gonna be it for this evening. As always, I hope you . . . enjoy.

[The Poet]

Let's see if I can knock this out before the next busload of idiots stomp in to flush their paychecks down the Lotto toilet. Last night:


Florida State 63 - Virginia 60 = The Cavs lose another heartbreaker on their home court, so they'd best be glad they already have their NCAA at-large locked up. Otherwise, they'd be facing a 1st round loss in the NIT as they hosted some nobody. The result will marginally affect the seeding of both teams, but at this point it ain't no biggie. Good win for the 'Noles, regardless.

Michigan 72 - Illinois 61 = I can't say this is a good win for the Logans, though they DID manage to break 70 points on the road. As for the Illini, their collapse continues, and this is their 10th loss in their last 12 games. When you notice they have only 13 total Ls, that collapse becomes even more shocking.

Clemson 58 - Virginia Tech 56 = Not a great win for the Tigers, as the Hokies have not been great this year, but it does at least give Clemson one more reason to complain and whine when they don't get an at-large bid next weekend. :D

Washington 80 - USC 58 = No big surprise here, but it is notable in that the Huskies are now asssurred of at least a tie for the Pac-12 regular-season title.


Today there's already action in small and mid-level conference tournaments, including the start in the Colonial, Southern, and Metro Atlantic. But here's the more significant games, as I see it anyway:


Harvard vs. Columbia = In the Ivy, where there is no tourney, the Crimson have a 1/2-game lead over Penn and a game over Yale for the one and only bid that league will receive. The Lions are not as good, but I think they can at least scare the boys from Boston up in West Harlem tonight. Hey, were you a boy from Boston, wouldn't West Harlem scare you too? ;)

Brown vs. Penn = But I can't give Brown any chance at all against the Quakers down in Philly. So a loss above and a win here would reverse that 1/2-game edge. And to make things even more interesting . . .

Yale vs. Princeton = The Tigers can be awfully hard to beat in Jadwin, but if the Eli can manage to do so, and they are likely favored by a bucket or two, they will remain in touch themselves. In fact, if BOTH those previous games end in "upsets", we'd have a 3-way tie, at least in the loss column. Wouldn't that be fun?

Tennessee Tech vs. Murray State = Joe's Racers need to win the OVC tourney, for even their great season does not assure them of a bid if they fail. Fair or not, there it is. This won't be an easy task, as everyone they play will be gunning for them. TT is a pretty good team too, so I'd figure Joe will gnaw a few fingernails before this night is done. And if the Racers survive this one, they will turn around and face the winner of . . .

Morehead State vs. Tennessee State = . . . two MORE pretty good teams in the OVC, and it includes the one team that has already beaten them once, which gave them their 1st and (so far) only loss. Oh, and did I mention that these games are in Nashville, not in the Bluegrass State somewhere? Better take a chill pill or three, Brother Joe. :r

Providence vs. Notre Dame = Going by the book, you'd have to say the Irish should be able to handle the Friars in South Bend. But for some damn reason I just got that itchy feeling again, so keep your eye on this one.

Drake vs. Creighton = And the same might be said of the Bulldogs' chances against the Bluejays, but once more my nose just started twitchin' when I saw this one. Yet maybe that's because I wonder why Drake is another of a countless pack of bulldogs instead of, say, a duck or a mallard . . . or a scrooge. :D

Butler vs. Wisc. Milwaukee = Speaking of Bulldogs, Butler beat a crappy Wright State team last night to survive the 1st round in the Horizon, but will face a much tougher opponent in the Panthers this evening. If Butler loses, or if Butler does not continue to win right through the Horizon championship game, they will NOT be the national runner-up for a third year in a row . . . unless maybe if they lose in the championship game of the NIT ;) . And with those OTHER dogs, the U Conn Huskies, being eminently bubbly at this point, we could easily see an NCAA without either one of them present. Brad Stevens should have his guys focused . . . yet I expect Jim Calhoun's pain meds has him out-of-focus.


That's all for now. If I feel froggy I may jump on some early games tomorrow, although many of the match-ups in conference tournaments are, quite naturally, pending today's results. In any case, enjoy.

[The Poet]

I'm getting a late start today, plus I have some work I'm supposed to do, so lemme knock this out ASAP. Last night:


Princeton 64 - Yale 57 = I put this first because it knocks the Eli out of the Ivy race, as the Tigers play spoilers to deny Yale a shot at the league and the automatic bid. They will both get a chance to be spoilers again, considering . . .

Penn 54 - Brown 43 = . . . that the Quakers remain a 1/2-game back, and face a tough road to tie the Crimson for the Ivy with their final two games being against Yale and Princeton. Meanwhile . . .

Harvard 77 - Columbia 70 (OT) = . . . the Crimson could have used Jeremy Lin on the court, instead of in the stands, last night. Yet they did manage to pull it out in OT to hold onto their slim conference lead, and with only crappy Cornell standing in the way they seem assurred of at least getting a tie for the Ivy crown. This would mean they'd have another one-game playoff, which would also be a play-in to their first NCAA invite since Ted Williams was the man in Baa'sten.

Murray State 78 - Tennessee Tech 58 = Joe's Racers not only did what they needed to do in the semis of the OVC, they sent a message that they are ready for today's final against . . .

Tennessee State 59 - Morehead State 52 = . . . the Tigers, who are the only team to beat the Racers so far this year. As it is highly likely that the OVC will receive only one bid to The Dance (be that fair or not to Murray State), this one in Nashville will be huge, and should be fun.

Butler 71 - Wisc. Milw. 49 = Much like those Racers, the Bulldogs sent the message that they are not dead yet. It remains to be seen, however, if they are terminal and on life-support, with a DNR awaiting any setback.


Today's early action is well under way already, mainly in smaller conference tourneys, with the only surprises being that VMI is hanging tough with a superior UNC-Asheville team in the Big South. Other early games of import include:


West Virginia vs. South Florida = This is in the 2nd half, and is presently a 2-point Bull lead. Both these teams are fairly bubbly, so they both want it. I figure it will stay close.

Nebraska vs. Wisconsin = And if the Golden Gophers want to remain bubbly themselves, they have to beat the poor 'Huskers. They are up 8 at the break.

Georgetown vs. Marquette = There is nothing bubbly about either of these teams, but it should be a damn good game.

Tennessee State vs. Murray State = The great season of the Racers all comes down to what transpires in Nashville between 2 and 4 PM today. Do you think Joe will be watching this?

Washington vs. UCLA = A win here and the Huskies will take the Pac-12 regular season title. When one considers how few bids that league may get, this becomes even bigger than that. Although the Bruins did manage to play well despite the off-court turmoil out there, I would be surprised if they can win this homeless home game and regain a bit of pride.

Southern Miss vs. Marshall = The CUSA may get as many bids as will that aforementioned Pac-12, and you'd think that the Golden Eagles would be safe, at 2nd in the league behind Memphis. As for the Thundering Herd, they'll need to take the conference tourney to get a Dance in, so they can consider this as a tough scrimmage to prepare. The Eagles can use another insurance win, but the looser Herd may jsut give them more game than they'd prefer.

Boston College vs. Miami = Back to bubbles now, for the Hurricanes are certainly so. A win over the low-flying Eagles won't help their case much, but a loss would all but kill it. The 'Canes need to win this, and maybe a game or two in the ACC tourney too. That can start today, but it could also end.

Illinois State vs. Wichita State = The Shockers are a better team than the Redbirds, but they are not all that much better. For some reason I can see Ill. State knocking the boys from Wichita out of the MVC tourney this afternoon. It won't prevent the Shockers from getting an at-large, but if the 'Birds gain the automatic it WILL take an at-large from someone else. This stuff happens every year, so don't be shocked if it happens this one too.


That takes care of the early action. Lemme do a few tasks now before I get back to later games, including the marquee matchup we all know is coming. Later.

[The Poet]

A few early finals:


N. C. Asheville 80 - VMI 64 = UNC-A takes the Big South and punches a ticket to The Dance.

U Conn 74 - Pitt 65 = But if the Husky fans think a win over the aptly-named Pitts gets them to dancing, I fear they yet may have some work to do. Shoot, just about anybody could beat the Panthers this year.

West Virginia 50 - South Florida 44 = This might have gotten the Mountaineers in, and may have made the Bulls a little nervous.


With 5 minutes left, Joe's Racers are down 7 and in serious trouble, at risk of blowing their whole season. There's still time, but they'd best get to it, now.

Other action today, which is too vast to properly cover, includes:


Louisville vs. Syracuse = The way the Cardinals have played at times, it's hard to give them a shot at deflating the Orange in the Dome. Yeah, they could, but you better not bet on it.

Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee = The Vols likely need this to stay on the right side of the bubble. Vandy should be the better team, yet has not played like it too often. This could be interesting.

Alabama vs. Mississippi = The Tide may be safe, and may not, but Ole Miss definitely needs another win or two.

Arkansas vs. Mississippi State = I'm not sure either one of these can save their season at this point, but today would be a good start at a good finish.

Baylor vs. Iowa State = Hey, I can see the Bears losing another one, and dropping another line in the NCAAs, with Iowa State moving up . . . or even in altogether.

San Diego State vs. TCU = The Aztecs may be safe, but better safer than sorrier. TCU ain't bad, and can win this game. That might not help them, but it will hurt Larry's boys.

Harvard vs. Cornell = If the Crimson does not win this game, they don't deserve to win the Ivy.

Yale vs. Penn = This is the first of 2 "must" wins for the Quakers, to keep pace with Harvard.

North Carolina vs. Duke = Do I really have to say any more? Tied 13-2 in ACC play, this one's for the regular-season, top seed in the ACC tourney, and maybe even a top seed in the NCAAs. They don't get much bigger.

Butler vs. Valparaiso = I can see the Bulldogs' run ending this evening. Yeah, they are capable of beating Valpo, but the "do-or-die" pressure has got to be getting to them.

Texas vs. Kansas = The 'Horns have made a late charge for an at-large, and would get a firmer grasp on one with the upset here. I can't see it happening, but the Jayhawks do have flaws, so it could happen.

San Francisco vs. St. Mary's = The WCC won't get much at-large consideration, so this match-up in the tourney could be the whole season. The Dons and Gaels are both good teams, so this could go either way, as could . . .

BYU vs. Gonzaga = . . . which is the back-half of this WCC tourney battle. Put all 4 teams in a box, shake well, and pick one.

Wyoming vs. UNLV = The Rebels will get a chance to run in the NCAAs. But will the Cowboys? Not if they lose this one in the desert.


Just FYI, Jerry's probably breathing again. His Murray State Racers made a late run to edge Tenn. State 54-52 and win the OVC title, and so he's now Dancing around the room.


A few Sunday games shortly, if I don't get interrupeted too much.

[The Poet]

There will be a number of conference championship games tomorrow, but as they a) are still in many cases undetermined as to who's playing who, and b) involve what are almost certainly "one-and-done" teams, I'll stick to these few bigger games below:


Clemson vs. Florida State = Most seem to feel the Tigers are completely dead in the at-large discussion, but a win against the 'Noles, and maybe a win or two in the ACC tourney, and you never know. No doubt they are thinking that way.

Kentucky vs. Florida = If the Gators had shown any sort of consistency this year, I'd give them a good chance at smacking a second loss on the Wildcats. That not being the case, however, I'd really be shocked if UK does not finish its run of the table in the SEC.

Virginia vs. Maryland = Believe it or not, but losses to UNC and FSU has, in some people's minds, put the Cavaliers on the bubble. That's foolish to me, but I learned years ago that some people HAVE no minds to begin with, so who cares what they say? Regardless, UVA needs a win to take the bitter taste out of their mouths before tourney time starts.

Creighton vs. Wichita State = This is an exception to what I said above, as it is the championship game of the Missouri Valley tourney. Yet even were it not, it would be exceptional anyway. You wanna see a war? Check this one out on Sunday.

Ohio State vs. Michigan State = Or this one. Much like the UNC/Duke game, this one is huge even outside of the league. The Spartans have a game up on the Buckeyes and the Wolverines in the Big Ten+, and a MSU win here means the regular-season, the top seed in the conference tourney, and maybe that single #1-seed floating about for the NCAAs. The Buckeyes likely have no shot at that particular prize, but would still like to tie up the league. This should be a war.

Arizona vs. Arizona State = This should not be a war. The Desert 'Cats are much better than the Sun Devils, but they may not be good enough in the eyes of the Committee to get an at-large out of the Pac-12. A win here won't help them secure one, although a loss may justify them NOT getting one . . . in everyone's eyes but their own, that is. If you know anything about college hoops, you know damn well they will be whining and crying if they don't get a ticket to Dance. :r

Purdue vs. Indiana = The Boilermakers may not whine if they don't get one, but if they can beat the surprising Hoosiers in Bloomington they may not need to sweat that.


That's all I have time for today. Until Monday then, enjoy.

[jcruse64]

Nail biting...you got THAT call right. I have no fingernails left, and definitely have no voice left! Probably the closest OVC championship game I've seen, this one went down to the last second. MSU trailed a bunch in this game, and with 3 minutes left, I had that sinking feeling I had when TSU came to our house and killed the perfect season. TSU plays good D, and is not afraid of anyone; I give them a LOT of credit. A lot of MSU's big time guys did fair to poor today, and TSU killed on rebounds. But MSU hung in until late in H2, and then got a great shot to take the lead with 4 seconds left, and then got a good hold for the end. We haven't been to a tourney in a few years, but got tickets this year, and are glad we did. There was blue and gold all over Nasvhille, and MSU's crowd turned out 10-1 over TSU, which is in Nashville. I will also say that TSU has one of the BEST bands of any school I have ever heard.

Saw Vandy go down in flames to UT, one of the better free throw shooting teams not able to buy one today.

Just watched your 'Heels absolutely annihilate dook, so good for you! I do have to tell you; my wife asked if there was any way both teams could lose :r

Uconn pops Pitt. And UL continues to confound Ricky P with the loss to 'Cuse.

Texas at KU is on in H1, and after opening hot, the 'Horns are getting crapped on by the Jaybirds.

[SD Beerman]

Congrats on your victory!:noon

[The Poet]

Nail biting...you got THAT call right. I have no fingernails left, and definitely have no voice left! Probably the closest OVC championship game I've seen, this one went down to the last second. MSU trailed a bunch in this game, and with 3 minutes left, I had that sinking feeling I had when TSU came to our house and killed the perfect season. TSU plays good D, and is not afraid of anyone; I give them a LOT of credit. A lot of MSU's big time guys did fair to poor today, and TSU killed on rebounds. But MSU hung in until late in H2, and then got a great shot to take the lead with 4 seconds left, and then got a good hold for the end. We haven't been to a tourney in a few years, but got tickets this year, and are glad we did. There was blue and gold all over Nasvhille, and MSU's crowd turned out 10-1 over TSU, which is in Nashville. I will also say that TSU has one of the BEST bands of any school I have ever heard.

Saw Vandy go down in flames to UT, one of the better free throw shooting teams not able to buy one today.

Just watched your 'Heels absolutely annihilate dook, so good for you! I do have to tell you; my wife asked if there was any way both teams could lose :r

Uconn pops Pitt. And UL continues to confound Ricky P with the loss to 'Cuse.

Texas at KU is on in H1, and after opening hot, the 'Horns are getting crapped on by the Jaybirds.

If it's any consolation, Joe, I was sweating that Racer game myself . . . a little, anyway. My main focus was on MY upcoming trial at Cameron. ;) Congratulations on your season (so far) and the automatic bid, and I'm glad you enjoyed your trip to the Music City.

Too bad that other Nashville team did not have as good a weekend, though you gotta give the Vols credit for putting themselves in bubble consideration.

You can tell your wife that, yes, there is a way both Duke and Carolina could lose the game . . . that being if the winner would have their season vacated by the NCAA for violations. But the odds are slim there, as we are talking Dook/UNC, and not UK/UT. :r

U Conn's win does not, in my mind, get them off any bubble, nor did the Cardinal's loss put them on one. But that Texas loss did not help their case any, even though it may have been expected.

Congrats on your victory!:noon


Thank you, Larry. 'Grats on the way your Aztecs blew the Horned Frogs off the court also. :r


Before I do my update, I need to report that a story has just come out regarding Syracuse basketball. No, it's not more on those pederast accusations against Ass't. Coach Fine, but one that states that at least 10 basketball players over the past 10 years have failed school-mandated drug tests, which by university requirements would have demanded their suspension from the team. However, NONE OF THEM WERE PENALIZED! This is not, as of yet, an investigation by the NCAA, which has no formal policy about "recreational drug use", leaving that up to the member schools themselves. Yet the NCAA does require that, if you do have such rules, you must follow them or risk being found guilty of breaking the "Willful Violations" policy of the NCAA, meaning that any time restrictions placed upon investigations, and punishments, would not apply. Worst case for the Orange: They could have wins vacated by the NCAA going back to 2001, which would include their 2002-03 National Championship year.

Hmmmmmmm. Very interesting.

Back shortly, I hope.

[The Poet]

Too little time, too many games. Saturday:


UCLA 75 - Washington 69 = The Bruins at least salvage a little pride by preventing the Huskies from winning the Pac-12 outright . . . even though they did back into it Sunday.

Marquette 83 - Georgetown 69 = Not surprising Marquette won, but the margin does not bode well for the Hoyas' post-season hopes. Their youngsters may be getting tired.

Illinois State 65 - Wichita State 64 = This one shocked me so much it moved me to an unforced error. I put the Shockers in the league championship game, and they did not make it there. They will probably still get an at-large, however.

Mississippi - Alabama 51 = A good win for Ole Miss, though it may be too little too late for them. Like many other schools, they could need a run in the conference tourney to get off the bubble.

Tennessee 68 - Vanderbilt 61 = And I'm not sure this gets the Vols off either, though it does go a good ways towards putting them into serious consideration. But the SEC is so top-heavy the league may not get as many at-large as they are accustomed to receive.

Syracuse 58 - Louisville 49 = Hey, if you score less than 50 points, you don's deserve to win. Yet if you score less than 60 points, you may find yourself in serious trouble down the road. If you are an aspiring Cinderella, wish for the Orange in your bracket. :D

San Diego State 98 - TCU 92 (OT) = Here's that blow-out I referenced above with Larry. Though his Aztecs came into the game with much better odds of getting an at-large than did Joe's Racers in his game, I feel certain Larry was sweating this one out also.

Penn 68 - Yale 47 = That's one of the wins the Quakers needed to tie Harvard for the Ivy. One more, against Princeton, and we'll have that play-in game again this year, with the Crimson maybe NOT snapping their NCAA-less streak going back to 1946 once more.

Iowa State 80 - Baylor 72 = I think I told you I could see this one coming. And I know I told you long ago that the Baylor Bears were not as good as the polls said they were 6 weeks ago.

North Carolina 88 - Duke 70 = Can you say revenge? Or can you say hubris, since the Blue Devils decided to poke the bear before the game started by playing highlights of their win in Chapel Hill, and the crowd started chanting insults at Zeller. Well, go ahead, Dookies, have your fun. Let's see who's laughing now. :r BTW, that 48-24 halftime deficit was the largest in Cameron Indoor Sty-dium history. :gary

Harvard 67 - Cornell 63 = The Crimson tried awfully hard to hand the Ivy to Penn here, and there's no excuse for them letting Big Red play them this tight. There's also no way they can feel disrespected if they are not granted an at-large if they cannot win the conference, based on this poor performance in a must-win situation. Yeah, they got the W. Big whup.

Valparaiso 65 - Butler 46 = Valpo shatters Butler's dream of making it back to the Dance. Well, it was a good run for Brad Stevens and the Bulldogs.

Kansas 73 - Texas 63 = As with the 'Cuse win above, it is not a very impressive victory by a probable #1-seed. And the 'Horns really could have used the win to get a better grasp on an at-large.


Sunday:


Stanford 75 - California 70 = I start with this one as it's the backhalf of that UCLA/Wash game above. The Huskies needed help from the Trees to win the Pac-12, with the Golden Bears end up in a tie for 2nd with the Ducks. Will all three of these teams get bids? Will somebody else steal the league tourney and grab the automatic, sending one of these to the pine? This could get real interesting.

Kentucky 74 - Florida 59 = The 'Cats looked real good in this one . . . either that, or the Gators looked awfully bad. Me, I'd split the difference, and give UK props for playing well, and Billy Donovan none for having his team ready for this one.

Florida State 80 - Clemson 72 = I'm not sure the Tigers would have gotten any serious at-large consideration had they taken this one, but you can be pretty sure they'll need a run in the ACC tourney to get a look now.

N. C. State 70 - Virginia Tech 58 = And I'm not sure the W over the "meh" Hokies helped the hopes of Jerry's Wolfpack much either. They too likely need to win maybe 2 this week in the tourney to feel safe . . . or at least to have a legitimate reason to moan-and-cry if they get dissed.

Michigan 71 - Penn State 65 = Another case of a better team playing down to their opponent this weekend. OK, so the Logans did break that 65-point mark I've been harping on so long. Yet for a team tied with 2 others for the Big Ten+ crown to win by two possessions against the Nuttin'ly Lions? Pretty poor, you ask me.

Virginia 75 - Maryland 72 (OT) = I was shocked last week to hear some experts putting UVA on the bubble. OK, so this one was in College Park, but even if I still do not buy that, I can at least understand where they were coming from.

Creighton 83 - Illinois State 79 (OT) = Did you watch this Missouri Valley championship game? Man, it was great. Both teams played well, both fought to the finish, and the Redbirds will likely get nothing out of it save a pat on the back . . . and maybe an invite to the NIT.

Arizona State 87 - Arizona 80 = What? What are you telling me? The Sun Devils beat the Desert 'Cats, and thus put the final nails in their coffin for any hope at all for an at-large bid? Wow. I like Herb Sendek, so I'm happy he could play the spoiler. Now 'Zona's only chance at all it to win the Pac-12 tourney . . . and ruin the at-large hopes of some other team to boot.

Ohio State 72 - Michigan State 70 = Another great game, fought down to the last second. Me, I'm of two minds here. I like the Spartans and Izzo, and I don't much like the Buckeyes and Matta. On the other hand, this result coupled with UNC's spanking of Duke pencils my Heels into that final #1-seed in the NCAAs (though I'm not going to ink it in yet). Regardless, I enjoyed watching this one. And the Spartans have no reason to complain, seeing as how they jumped out on OSU about as badly as my guys did against the Blue Devils, yet could not close it out on their own court. Them's the breaks, but you make most of your own in that regard.


There will be a few more automatics handed out this evening:


VCU vs. Drexel = Both these Colonial teams deserve a ticket to The Dance, and I expect them both to get one. Still, one never knows, so nail it down when you get the chance. This one could be a total war. Flip a coin.

Western Carolina vs. Davidson = The Catamounts and the Wildcats square off for what will likely be the sole Southern Conference dancer. Me, I'm picking the feline from the Old North State in this one. ;)

Gonzaga vs. St. Mary's = Like that Colonial one above, both these WCC teams should have bids in their pockets already. Since I do like the Gaels, and only respect the loud-mouthed 'Zags, I'll pull for St. Mary's tonight.


That's all for me for now. I am looking forward to the end of small-and-midlevel conference tournaments to end, and for the big ones to kick off tomorrow. If nothing else, the reduction in the number of games will mean less work for me here. :r

Until later then, enjoy.

[jcruse64]

VCU is looking like it will win the CAA, w/ under 3min to go. Loyola is besting Fairfield in the MAAC, w/ less than 4 min to go, but they are both under 50pts, so it's not pretty.

I got home yesterday and saw that H1 UNC/dook score and grinned, knowing you were just lovin' it :r.

Speaking of UK, I heard this morning that Bob Knight was asked to name his top 5 players and teams for the season, and no mention of UK or Davis. Now, I know he hates Calipari's guts, and can kinda understand the disrespect to the team, but Davis is probably going to be one of the best players for the season, and I can't believe he doesn't get a sniff from the General. However, this is what, the 3rd season for Coach Cal, and I just keep waiting for the shoe to drop. Time will tell.

Now Drexel is within 3 of VCU...tight finish.

[mase]

VCU - Drexel really interesting right now with 45 seconds to go. VCU up by 4.

[The Poet]

VCU is looking like it will win the CAA, w/ under 3min to go. Loyola is besting Fairfield in the MAAC, w/ less than 4 min to go, but they are both under 50pts, so it's not pretty.

I got home yesterday and saw that H1 UNC/dook score and grinned, knowing you were just lovin' it :r.

Speaking of UK, I heard this morning that Bob Knight was asked to name his top 5 players and teams for the season, and no mention of UK or Davis. Now, I know he hates Calipari's guts, and can kinda understand the disrespect to the team, but Davis is probably going to be one of the best players for the season, and I can't believe he doesn't get a sniff from the General. However, this is what, the 3rd season for Coach Cal, and I just keep waiting for the shoe to drop. Time will tell.

Now Drexel is within 3 of VCU...tight finish.

No, neither the Colonial nor MAC finals were pretty wins, exciting as they were. Prettier and more exciting were the Southern and WCC ones, as I'll note below.

Thanks for the thought about my Heels, but that's the past. It's time for me to focus on the ACC Tourney now. :tu

I always had a lot of respect for Bobby Knight (yeah, Bobby, I'm old enough to call you that, and not the Bob you started insisting upon back about the time you started tossing chairs around), but I never liked the man much. I have to agree with you that it's just his foul and stubborn personality which moved him to diss some teenage kid who has clearly had an outstanding season. Me, I have my problems with the program at Kentucky also, and neither respect nor like Calipari. Still, fair is fair, no matter one's personal opinions. Finally, as for that "other shoe dropping" point, I'm still giving even odds which comes first . . . a championship, or probation. :r

VCU - Drexel really interesting right now with 45 seconds to go. VCU up by 4.

But the Rams do hang on and survive a furious comeback by the Dragons to edge them out. It's too bad that Drexel's marvelous season ends, as the Colonial will likely get no at-large. To get to specifics, last night:


VCU 59 - Drexel 56 = What need be said has already, betwixt the three of us, and VCU get the automatic ticket to Dance.

Loyola (MD) 48 - Fairfield 44 = That other ugly conference final, this one in the MAC for their sole automatic. Remember back in November, when I reported the experts predicted Iona would be this season's Cinderella in the NCAA tournament? Well, guess what . . . it ain't gonna happen. Congratulations to the Greyhounds in besting the Stags.

Davidson 93 - Western Carolina 91 (2OT) = Now THIS is more like it! Two teams just a 2-hour busride (if that) from each other fighting like wet cats in a sack for the Southern Conference automatic, and taking an extra 10 minutes to wrap it up for the Wildcats. I wonder if Lefty Dreisell will now start whining that, since the Terps did not name their court after him, they should name the one at Davidson after him instead of some damn store clerk. :D

St. Mary's 78 - Gonzaga 74 (OT) = Another tight fight, and one with my preferred Gaels stuffing a sock, for now anyway, in the Bulldogs's maws. I figure they'll both be Dancing regardless, but I love it when a braggart gets some comeuppance.


Aside from more conference tourney action today, much of it already over, and including the start of Big East play . . . upon which hinges the hopes of bobble teams like U Conn and Seton Hall . . . we have four huge games this evening:


Penn vs. Princeton = If the Quakers win this one, they earn a share of the Ivy League and force another 1-game playoff with Harvard (as did Princeton last season) for the automatic bid. Of course, if the Tigers win, the Crimson get to Dance for the first time since 1946. Do you think Tommy Amaker and his boys will be watching this one?

Valparaiso vs. Detroit = This is for the Horizon championship, and likely the only bid they'll see. Bryce Drew won't be on the court hitting shots for Valpo tonight, but he shall be on the sidelines calling the shots. I don't know about you, but I'm gonna pull for them to win this one.

North Texas vs. Western Kentucky = And this is for the automatic in the Sun Belt, and their sole shot at a "one-and-done" appearance. Maybe Joe's pulling for WK here, but even though I've a brother in San Antonio, I've no dog in this fight. Let's just hope it's a good clean contest.

South Dakota State vs. Western Illinois = And here's the Summit final, and another "one-and-done" automatic Dance. I know little about either team, and truthfully care even less. Again, let's hope we are entertained.


That's all I'll give you for now, save to report for those Big East fans that both U Conn and Pitt survive their first tests towards miracle runs, putting DePaul and St. John's out of The Garden on the first day. Until later then, enjoy.

[The Poet]

OK, Joe, I need your input on this one, seeing as how you're the closest thing I've found to a rational Kentucky Wildcat fan. Today the entrants into the National Collegiate Hall of Fame were announced. Amongst the 10 named are Patrick Ewing, Earl Monroe, Willis Reed, Clyde Lovellette, Phil Ford, and Joe. B. Hall.

Joe B. Hall? How does he fit in this list? OK, so he is one of only three guys to win national championships as both players and coach (with Dean Smith and Bobby Knight), getting the former in 1949 under Adolph Rupp at UK (before transferring out of the school, then later transferring back to finish his career), then as a coach in 1978. But his coaching career of 13 years there resulted in a so-so (by UK standards anyway) 297-100 record, and numerous allegations of recruiting violations and illegal payments made to players.

Is it just me, or does this leave a sour taste in other's mouths also? I value you honest opinions here, brother.

[jcruse64]

Joe B will get the pass every time, because he coached AND played at UK, and, most importantly, he won a Dance for them as coach. In the Bluegrass, that covers a LOT of sinning, and a Dance covers for that with a lot of people who have say. Me personally, I could go either way, but it would not kill me if he were never voted in. It IS special, VERY special, to win a championship as a player AND as a coach though, so on that "little" fact he probably should go in, given the rarity.

Joe B was pretty well loved in the Bluegrass. I was 13 when they won the Dance with him in '78. I always thought he was a good recruiter, but not so great a coach (kinda like what we have now). I am 47, so I'm not old enough to have watched Rupp run a team. The coaches I have watched in my lifetime are not exactly what I'd call elite, to be honest. I have great sympathy for his problems, but Sutton was horrible for us, and landed our great program on probation. I have respect for Tubby, but he was not destined for that kind of pressure, and I don't like his style of ball. Billy G...? 'Nuff said, though I sympathize with the need to party w/ pretty young things. Coach Cal? Very good recruiter, but in very few cases has he shown me elite coaching skills for the college game. I do think he helps his kids try to prepare for the pro game. And he tried hard to get Cousins to grow up a little before he hit the Big Time. But he has been flat out outclassed at times in coaching, and no other time as significant as against Huggins in last years' loss in the Dance. I know you can't stand Pitino, and I'm not a fan anymore, but I enjoyed his UK years, and thought he did a good job, for the most part. Especially the early times, when we were on probation, but were able to improve each season. Also a good job in recruiting Mashburn. Also in getting Ashley Judd to show up at all the games so I could lust after her :r:D.

Oh, and Joe B was pretty well known to Bluegrass faithfuls as not being too righteous in getting and keeping players in UK uniforms, but at least he did it on very good players ;).

Close game here for the Sun Belt invite- NT up on Western by 4, late in H2. Actually not a Western fan, as they are still in-state rivals :D. But am rooting for them, I guess.

[SD Beerman]

That was a huge win for SDSU. They are the 1 seed in the conference tournament in Vegas. That means UNLV and New Mexico have to play each other to get to State. All in all, they have done extremely well considering this is their rebuilding year.

[The Poet]

Joe B will get the pass every time, because he coached AND played at UK, and, most importantly, he won a Dance for them as coach. In the Bluegrass, that covers a LOT of sinning, and a Dance covers for that with a lot of people who have say. Me personally, I could go either way, but it would not kill me if he were never voted in. It IS special, VERY special, to win a championship as a player AND as a coach though, so on that "little" fact he probably should go in, given the rarity.

Joe B was pretty well loved in the Bluegrass. I was 13 when they won the Dance with him in '78. I always thought he was a good recruiter, but not so great a coach (kinda like what we have now). I am 47, so I'm not old enough to have watched Rupp run a team. The coaches I have watched in my lifetime are not exactly what I'd call elite, to be honest. I have great sympathy for his problems, but Sutton was horrible for us, and landed our great program on probation. I have respect for Tubby, but he was not destined for that kind of pressure, and I don't like his style of ball. Billy G...? 'Nuff said, though I sympathize with the need to party w/ pretty young things. Coach Cal? Very good recruiter, but in very few cases has he shown me elite coaching skills for the college game. I do think he helps his kids try to prepare for the pro game. And he tried hard to get Cousins to grow up a little before he hit the Big Time. But he has been flat out outclassed at times in coaching, and no other time as significant as against Huggins in last years' loss in the Dance. I know you can't stand Pitino, and I'm not a fan anymore, but I enjoyed his UK years, and thought he did a good job, for the most part. Especially the early times, when we were on probation, but were able to improve each season. Also a good job in recruiting Mashburn. Also in getting Ashley Judd to show up at all the games so I could lust after her.

Oh, and Joe B was pretty well known to Bluegrass faithfuls as not being too righteous in getting and keeping players in UK uniforms, but at least he did it on very good players ;).

Close game here for the Sun Belt invite- NT up on Western by 4, late in H2. Actually not a Western fan, as they are still in-state rivals :D. But am rooting for them, I guess.

Thanks for the fair and balanced input, Joe. I fully understand, and can even appreciate, the loyalty of fans to a coach or player who has done something to help the home team, and my objection to Joe B. was based more on the basis of my feeling his accomplishments pale in comparison to others in the HoF. Had he coached at UK twice as long, and garnered 600 Ws and 2 rings, I'd stick a sock in it. Still, as I said, I get it. In my home state, and elsewhere, Jimmy V. is revered for what he did at NCSU, but he too was a great recruiter of flawed personalities who wasn't a great practice or bench coach, and who spent entirely too much time in pursuit of other interests to maintain proper discipline amongst his players. Several of his players got into legal difficulties while in Raleigh, most notably a kid from my home town of Hickory, Chris Washburn, who broke into another student's dorm room to steal his stereo system. When asked about it, Valvano's response was that he "was not their father" . . . this while splitting his time between being head coach, AD, part-time TV analyst for CBS Sports, and cookbook author. I am of the opinion that his tragic early death was the sole reason his reputation was not merely saved, but elevated to near-sainthood. :confused:

But enough of that, and suffice it to say again, I do get it.

As for Pitino, he's not high on either of my list, naughty or nice, but I'd say I do not detest the man. Hey, I have my problems with Larry Brown too, despite the fact that he's a Tar Heel! I try not to look at the world through Carolina-blue glasses, as any tint can cloud one's vision.

And as for Ashley Juggs . . . yeah, I'd hit that, if she took off that damned UK sweatshirt first. :D

That was a huge win for SDSU. They are the 1 seed in the conference tournament in Vegas. That means UNLV and New Mexico have to play each other to get to State. All in all, they have done extremely well considering this is their rebuilding year.

Congratulations, brother, and good luck in your league tournament. Yet may I suggest you worry more about who your Aztecs face in the first round before you concern yourself with the potential competition in the championship? :r

Back soon with update.

[The Poet]

Action kicked off last night in the A-10, which is one of the best mid-majors. But there were no shockers there, though I am a bit disappointed the Richmond Spiders lost, and lost any chance to Dance. Shoot, in my book any team calling itself an arachnid instead of another unimaginative moniker such as any feline, ursine, bovine, equine, or raptor deserves some props.

Scores of most NCAA-import include:

Princeton 62 - Penn 52 = I told you the Quakers had a tough row to hoe to steal the Ivy away from Harvard, and the Tigers did what they did last season by acting the spoilers. Congratulations to the Crimson for getting to Dance for the first time since 1946. Now let's see if one of those math whizzes in Cambridge can figure their odds for surviving even a first-round loss. Where's Matt Damon when you need him?

South Dakota State 52 - Western Illinois 50 (OT) = And here's your Summit Conference automatic for you, which will almost certainly be an automatic "one-and-done" for somebody. Serves them right for naming themselves Summit, instead of a more-appropriate Nadir.

Detroit 70 - Valparaiso 50 = I'm not all that surprised that Detroit could steal the Horizon from Valpo, as they've had a good team all season also. But Bryce Drew's boys were better, yet did not show up for this one. I sort of feel for them, but you don't play well enough to win, you don't deserve to do so.

Western Kentucky 74 - North Texas 70 = If your team is on the bubble, count your lucky stars that the Sun Belt will NOT get any at-large consideration, for this Cinderella sub.500 champion would steal away a slot from somebody. Joe may not like WK, but he can at least take solace in the fact that (by my unofficial count) his Bluegrass State will have at least 4 teams Dancing.


Big East tourney games yesterday:


U. Conn 81 - DePaul 67 = No surprise the Huskies beat the crappy Blue Demons, though their high level of play was reminiscent of their miracle run last year. Did this get them off the bubble? Maybe not by itself, but see below.

Pitt 73 - St. John's 59 = A game between two who needed to run the table in or der to Dance. One survived, for now.

Seton Hall 79 - Providence 47 = Though the Friars were better than DePaul this year, they sure didn't play like it in this one. Again, this one was huge for the bubbly Pirates.


Following up on those Big East scores above, today we've seen:


U. Conn 71 - West Virginia 67 (OT) = The Mountaineers had this one, and let it get away from them at the end of regulation. Does this get the Huskies off that dreaded bubble. Likely so. Does it put WVA back on it? Maybe, maybe not. I personally hate the idea of the Big Mouth getting twice as many bids as do the other power conferences, but with the chairman of the Selection Committee being a U Conn guy . . . well, I don't need to say it, do I?

Georgetown 64 - Pitt 52 = The Panthers lost season ends with a thump. They would have had to make it at least to the championship game to even get ON the bubble, much less get over it. The Hoyas move on, as one may have thought unlikely in November, but figured would happen come March.


Action kicks off in some other name conference tourneys today, such as the Big 12Minus2, the Pac-12, and the CUSA. It will also continue in other leagues, and will end in three other automatic berths:


Robert Morris vs. Long Island = This will give us the automatic in the Northeast Conference. Who will win? I don't much care.

Lehigh vs. Bucknell = Nor do I care much about who's Dancing out of the Patriot, as it won't last long.

Weber State vs. Montana = And pretty much the same for the Big Sky automatic bid. Don't get me wrong . . . I congratulate any and all these winners, when it happens, as I fully realize that making the NCAAs may very well be the highlight in the careers of these young men. But I'll get excited about it when they manage to give somebody a scare, even if they cannot manage the Cinderella upset.


Two more Big East games may have NCAA implications tonight:


Seton Hall vs. Louisville = I'm not sure the Pirates are over the bubble yet, and I'm not sure the Cardinals will hang around long even if they are safe, considering how they closed out their season. This becomes big for both teams, as one tries to set their sails while the other tries to right the ship.

Villanova vs. South Florida = As with several other teams, I'm not as sure as some that the Bulls are safely over the bubble yet. As I've said already, I don't much like the idea of one conference getting half or more of their teams into the Dance. As for the Wildcats, I have no such concerns; they will have to win the league tourney in order to get Wright's boys right.


That's all for me this evening. Pick your poison, from either these or the other league tournament action not specified, and enjoy.

[SD Beerman]

Congratulations, brother, and good luck in your league tournament. Yet may I suggest you worry more about who your Aztecs face in the first round before you concern yourself with the potential competition in the championship? :r

Back soon with update.[/QUOTE]

I'm pretty sure we can take Boise State, after that, who knows?:gary

[The Poet]

I'm pretty sure we can take Boise State, after that, who knows?:gary


Well, you could be right, seeing as how they were up 11 with about 5 1/2 to play the last time I checked. On the other hand, we were both pretty sure your Aztecs could take Air Force in Colorado Springs, and we know how that turned out. :r

Before I give my update, there's a huge potential story I need to report. Suspended Auburn point guard Varez Ward is under investigation for possible point-shaving, notably in games this year against Arkansas and Alabama. Officials at Auburn got reports from his teammates that Ward tried to recruit him into the scheme, and forwarded this information to both the NCAA and the FBI. Both agencies will be involved in the investigation.

Now this, this is huge. This is not some over-zealous recruitment by an assistant coach, or a no-show job to some player from some booster, or even an outright illegal payment to a prospect. Not only can this result in a death-penalty type probation slapped upon Auburn athletics, regardless of their culpability or their willingness to co-operate, but it could land the young man in prison for a looooong time too. We need to REALLY keep an eye on this story.

Back soon, I hope.

[The Poet]

Action has begun today in the last big conference tournaments like the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and Pac12. But before we get to that, more scores of note from yesterday:


Long Island 90 - Robert Morris 73 = Here is your Northeast automatic bid.

Lehigh 82 - Bucknell 77 = And in a close one, here's your Patriot champ.

Montana 85 - Weber State 66 = And this is the Big Sky guy. Congratulations to all three for punching their tickets.

Louisville 61 - Seton Hall 66 = A win by the Pirates may have gotten them off the bubble, but now they will have to sweat it out with all the other also-rans.

South Florida 56 - Villanova 47 = Me, I figure this one put the Bulls in. As for 'Nova, they were toast without a sweep, so they are burnt.



In early action today we've already had a few interesting outcomes:


Iowa 64 - Illinois 61 = I'm not sure about the post-season statue of the Hawkeyes, but the complete collapse of the Illini is completely complete now. Is the career of Bruce Weber in Champaign done also?

Syracuse 58 - U Conn 55 = The Orange bogarted the Big East regular season, and now tries to roll another one in the tournament. As for the Huskies, their roll of 13 straight post-season wins is over, though their season likely isn't.

Cincinnati 72 - Georgetown 70 (2OT) = The rather remarkable success of the Bearcats since that brawl with Xavier continues in this all-out war. The young Hoyas get a quick lesson on tourney play.

N. C. State 78 - Boston College 57 = This first-round win over the Eagles will not put Jerry's Wolfpack over the bubble, but it does keep their hopes alive, for at least one more day.

San Diego State 65 - Boise State 62 = As Larry predicted, his Aztecs could handle Boise State . . . though not so handily. :D

Oregon State 86 - Washington 84 = Whoh! Here's your shock of the afternoon, as the Pac-12 regular-season champ goes down in the first round. This opens the door for some darkhorse to take the automatic bid, and swipe an at-large from one of those hopeful bubble teams. Hey, $#!+ happens!

Marshall vs. Tulsa = This is winding down, and with the CUSA one of those leagues who's number of bids is in question, it is huge for both squads. As I type, the Golden Hurricanes are up a few possessions over the Thundering Herd, but with 3+ to play it is far from over.

UCLA vs. Arizona = Recall my remark above about a Pac-12 darkhorse? Well, you have two going head-to-head here. And with the experts saying this conference won't get more than a couple of bids, this one is huge for the Bruins and the Wildcats, both of which are extremely bubbly.

Nebraska vs. Purdue = The Boilermakers may be slightly less bubbly than those two, but they are still pretty evervescent. A win over the Cornhuskers won't help much, but it will give them another shot to improve their resume.

Stanford vs. California = Were I on the Committee, I'd likely have these two in regardless. But the last time I checked, they pay even less attention to me than do you guys. In light of that, this is big, and not only for them. Hey, if the Tree can knock the OTHER favorite out of the tourney, that imrpoves the odds for that theoretical darkhorse . . . and decreases the odds for your bubble team.

South Florida vs. Notre Dame = Like I said earlier, I've got the Bulls in already. Yet as I said right above, my vote don't count. However, a win over the ranked Irish squad would sew it up good.

Texas vs. Iowa State = And even though it may not sew it up for the Longhorns, a win here would greatly improve their chances of landing an at-large.

Georgia vs. Mississippi State = But unlike those 'Horns, who made a late charge to get into the discussion, the MSU Bulldogs made a late slide to get out of it. They are not totally dead maybe, but a loss to these OTHER 'Dogs (in both senses of the word) might be the DNR they've slipped towards for almost a month now.

Colorado vs. Oregon = And speaking of dogs, here are two pretty good underdogs in the Pac-12 chase who could easily put themselves in that darkhorse picture . . . if you'll excuse the mixed-breed metaphor.


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

[SD Beerman]

Well, you could be right, seeing as how they were up 11 with about 5 1/2 to play the last time I checked. On the other hand, we were both pretty sure your Aztecs could take Air Force in Colorado Springs, and we know how that turned out. :r



Back soon, I hope.

Nothing to it, in control all the way....:noon

[The Poet]

Nothing to it, in control all the way....:noon


Yeah, and that off-balance trey at the buzzer by Jamaal Franklin over a double-team for the 3-point victory was nothing but the cherry atop the icing on the cake. Easy-pesy. ;) :r


Update soon.

[The Poet]

Other important, or at least more interesting, scores from last night:


LSU 70 - Arkansas 54 = This did not make the Tigers' season, but it might have ended it for the 'Hogs.

Southern Miss 81 - East Carolina 78 (OT) = The Pirates fought hard to keep their season alive, but fell just short.

Marshall 105 - Tulsa 100 (3OT) = But that CUSA conflict was as nothing compared to this one, with the Herd finally edging away before the 4th buzzer sounded.

Arizona 66 - UCLA 58 = The 'Cats still have a slim chance of salvaging their season, and the Bruins have maybe managed to survive their homeless one with only their coaching staff, team chemistry, and reputation destroyed.

Minnesota 75 - Northwestern 68 (OT) = And these 'Cats have likely had their hopes of getting an at-large crushed because they could not do in the extra 5 minutes what they'd done for the previous 40.

Virginia Tech 68 - Clemson 63 = And these cats, of the Tiger-ous variety, only had an outside shot at a bid to start. Well, that's done.

Louisville 84 - Marquette 71 = And if the Cardinals had played as well all year as they have in this tourney so far, maybe they would be the ones as over-rated as are the Golden Eagles.

Notre Dame 57 - South Florida 53 (OT) = I've been saying for a while that I'd give the Bulls a bid, were it my call. Man, I sure hope they did not p!$$ that away in the extra 300 seconds of this one.

Texas 71 - Iowa State 65 = I'm not sure the Longhorns can yet breathe easily about their chance for an at-large, but they ought to breathe easier anyway.

Georgia 71 - Mississippi State 61 = As should the Bulldogs here, and I mean both teams by that. Neither one deserves a bid, as one collapsed and the other never showed up in the first place.


Today's early finals:


North Carolina 85 - Maryland = About the same sort of spanking the Heels gave the Terps a week or so back in Chapel Hill, and a good start to their ACC tourney . . . if John Henson's wrist injury sustained in the 1st half is no more than a minor sprain.

U Mass 77 - Temple 71 = Maybe a shock to some, but not for those who've seen U Mass play well, and the Owls play poorly at times, this year . . . or for those who know that anything can happen come tournament time.

Michigan State 92 - Iowa 75 = It's no surprise to me that Izzo had his boys ready for this one, following that home loss to the Buckeyes where they coulda shoulda won the regular-season championship, and didn't.

Kentucky 60 - LSU 51 = And it's no surprise to me that the 'Cats came sleepwalking into this one, against a team they shoulda blown out of the stadium, considering how loudly Cal has baitched about not caring one dinky-dang for conference tournaments. Well then, forfeit, and stay the hell in Lexington, Cal! Sheesh.

N. C. State 67 - Virginia 64 = Has the Wolfpack put themselves over the bubble, while putting the Cavaliers squarely on it? Hmmmmm. I'll let you know on Sunday. :D

Wisconsin 79 - Indiana 70 = Two of the Big Ten+ darkhorses for the tourney title have to face each other, and only the Badgers survive the day.

Florida vs. Alabama = And here's the darkhorses for stealing the SEC from UK, who doesn't want it in the first place. Last I looked, they were tied with under 6 to play.

Minnesota vs. Michigan = The Golden Gophers likely need another win or two to get un-bubbly, and this one would be huge for them. As for the Wolverines, who snuck into a share of the regular season 1st place, I'm not sure what this means to them. Could be an interesting contrast, between a team that wants it and a team that could care less.

LaSalle vs. Saint Louis = What with the Temple Owls out of the A-10, not to mention the Bonnies taking out their raptor neighbors St. Joe's already today, here the fight for the tourney champ and the automatic becomes more interesting too. With at-large bids at such a premium, bubble teams need take note.

Virginia Tech vs. Duke = The Blue Devils get their first taste of ACC action since their whuppin' in Durham, and might just do the same thing to the Hokies that the Spartans did to the Hawkeyes. Yet it remains to be seen what adjustments they need to make after losing forward Kelly for a while to a (supposedly) minor injury.

Cincinnati vs. Syracuse = I keep expecting one of these teams who've faced that Orange zone to bust them wide open some night, but so far nobody's done it. It will happen. Can the Bearcats prove me right, or shall I have to wait for another days?

Mississippi vs. Tennessee = Here's two more of those bubbly teams in need of some sort of run. I don't know if either can win a bid tonight, but either one could lose one.

Baylor vs. Kansas = And neither one of these can lose a bid tonight, but only one can get a firmer grasp on a #1-seed in the NCAAs. The Jayhawks might retain it even if they do lose, but it would open the door for bidders like Michigan State, Duke, Ohio State, or Missouri . . . though the low RPI and SoS for Mizzou may preclude that, even if they win the Big12Minus2. Baylor's chance? In this game, ehhh, OK I guess. Overall? Forget it.

Purdue vs. Ohio State = In my book, I'd sooner see the Boilermakers get an at-large than the umpteenth Big Mouth team slated to lose in the first round (hey, you can look it up if you think that's just some insult). If they can knock off the Buckeyes they'll not only remove them from that 1-seed discussion above, they will probably insure their chance to Dance.

Oregon State vs. Arizona = But with the lack of respect the Pac12 gets, neither of these are safe, regardless of the results of this game. The old saw, "survive and advance" applies to these guys even before Selection Sunday comes, since they may just need to win the automatic to even get a ticket.

Colorado State vs. San Diego State = Larry's Aztecs tried awfully hard to p!$$ away a large late win to Boise State yesterday, and almost "succeeded". They give CSU that sort of shot, and they may be sorry.

Miami vs. Florida State = The 'Canes need another good win to get firmly into the bubble group. The 'Noles need nothing save to play well. I could see Miami taking this one, as it means much more to them.

Louisville vs. Notre Dame = I don't much care either way, but it ought to be a pretty good game.

Texas vs. Missouri = As with a number already mentioned, the Longhorns need every win they can garner to get safely out of Bubbleville. One over Mizzou would probably do that once a for all, and as I've thought for a while that the Tigers can be taken, I'll give them a shot at it. Of secondary importance, it would also take Mizzou out of any possible late discussion for a #1-seed.

New Mexico vs. UNLV = Most of the main competition for that Mountain West crown Larry wants for his Aztecs square off here, though I'd imagine he'll pull for the Lobos over the Rebels, if only for the fact that the neutral court for this thing is in Vegas. :rolleyes:

Colorado vs. California = I wonder, as does any Pac12 fan, just how many or how few bids they will receive out there. Bottom line, if you want to make sure you get to Dance, you'd better win the whole damn thing so you don't have to sweat it out. Cal stumbled late to lose the regular-season to the Washington Huskies, who themselves stumbled early in the tournament by losing to Oregon State. This opens it up somewhat for the Golden Bears to regain their "edge" out west. The Buffaloes have different ideas, and won't roll over for them. This ought to be fun.


That's it for me today. Pick a spot to sit, grab a brew or two, and enjoy.

[SD Beerman]

New Mexico vs. UNLV = Most of the main competition for that Mountain West crown Larry wants for his Aztecs square off here, though I'd imagine he'll pull for the Lobos over the Rebels, if only for the fact that the neutral court for this thing is in Vegas. :rolleyes:



You got that right!:tu

[The Poet]

You got that right!:tu


Well, that makes one! :tu

Update soon.

[The Poet]

Update soon.

OK, I lied. I was midway thru my post when 9/10ths of it disappeared, and now my game has started. Screw it . . . do your own update today. Me, I got irons in the fire. :r

[jcruse64]

I've not seen a lot of the tourney action the last couple of days, just highlights, but there have been some good ones, it appears. Big Least Tourney is VERY interesting, and the Bearcats are playing Ricky P's Cards right now for the title, and both playing for a decent Dance seed; I think they'll both get in now. Mick's Maniacs are looking dangerous.

So Kansas goes down, and Mizzou wins the Big 12 Tourney; does KU lose the #1 seed to the Tigers now????? I would think so, personally.

SEC shaping up to be a Cats victory tomorrow, but Vandy getting to the title game is definitely a possible monkey wrench.

So, did the Tarheels get help with some calls/non-calls? I was working and did not see, but Gottfried is not a happy camper. Oh, and dook losed to FSU again :r:r:r.

[jcruse64]

Oh yeah, I saw a quick byte on the Auburn point-shaving scheme, and definitely agree this is HUGE. Definitely death penalty-type stuff for the Tigers. Really sad.

[jcruse64]

OK, so UK overall #1 and a 1 seed, even after the "gimme" game to Vandy today. Horrible game, and the Cats better wake up quick.

UNC gets a 1 seed, and though it surprises me after the loss today, I don't know who else t would go to. Congrats, Poet!

I can see 'Cuse getting the 1 seed, and I guess the same for the "other" MSU.

A little disappointed in Murray State's 6 seed, as we were all hoping for a 4, but it's still our (or any other OVC team that I'm aware of) best seeding ever. Gotta do some lookup on Colorado State now. Also trying to score tickets, as they have us playing just a couple of hours away in Louisville, which was nice!!!!

Looking forward to an exciting week.

[jsnake]

MIZZOU BIG XII CHAMPIONS!!!!

Woot Woot

What a game and what a way to leave the BIG XII.

[DaBear]

So can we leave the ACC? I mean seriously, this (http://www.statefansnation.com/index.php/archives/2012/03/10/2-media-report-acc-referee-tells-coach-gottfried-shut-your-****ing-ass-up-during-unc-game/)(note: NSFW due to language, also change the stars to the f word if you want to read, don't know why they had to use it in the page link) on top of the tape incident in the BC game(theres a link to that story in the linked page). Here's hoping we don't have any ACC refs in the tourney.

[The Poet]

Instead of regressing to talk about action that's already past, I feel it is best to move on to the tournament now. OK, so every 1-seed save for the Spartans lost in their conference tournaments, and some teams felt they got worst seeds (or their nemesis got better seeds) than they had earned, but now's the time has come to get over it and strap them up. Survive, and advance. Yet I'll take a while to address a few of the things mentioned above:

The Big East tourney is always a good show, which I appreciate. But so were virtually all of the tourneys, and not just The Big Boys. Look at, for instance, the A-10, where the Bonnies got themselves in by running the table. My only problem with these tourneys stems from my personal history as an ACC guy. For 30 years we were the only conference with a tourney, and everybody called us fools and idiots for doing this. We, well we'd just smile and say "OK, whatever. You don't get it, and that's just fine. You do your thing, we'll do ours." Now all but the Ivy has a league tournament, giving some in-conference Cinderella a shot at the Dance, and everybody and their cousin crows about how great it is, especially their OWN particular league tourney. Me? I'm left with pretty much the same reaction . . . "OK, whatever."

I felt Kansas came into THEIR tourney with an inside shot at a 1-seed, and much like Carolina would potentially secure it by making the Big12 championship game. Nota bene, I said MAKING the final, not WINNING it. As evidence, see UNC. Meanwhile, the Spartans needed to not only make, but win the Big Ten to grab that spot. Ohio State was likely a little lower on the chart, and probably a 2-seed regardless, while Mizzou's poor RPI and SoS put them out of the picture despite their league success. All that being said, I don't believe there's any difference whatsoever between a 1- and a 2-seed, and no significance difference between these and a spot on the 3-line. Regardless, you still have to win your early games, then knock off the same guys to get to the Final Four, so who cares? It's bragging rights, that's all, and with the way the NCAA schedules first-round games close to home for the marquee teams anyway (the Heels are the top-seed in the MidWest, and open in Greensboro, for instance) it's no big wuff.

Joe, I'm not sure your Racers deserve a 4-seed, but maybe a 5 would have been more fair than a 6-spot. But as above, you win your first game or two, and where's the problem? Again, you gotta win your games, no matter who you face, so just be ready to play ball, and forget about the rest.

Jake, congratulations to the Missouri Tigers for taking the Big12Minus2 Conference tournament title, and leaving that sinking ship in style. ;) Good luck in the Dance. You should not need much against Norfolk State, but you may need some against either the Gators or the Cavaliers in your next game. With your guard-heavy style, neither will be a cakewalk, believe me.

And Bear, that link led me to a page that was "no longer available", but I'm assuming you're still whining about what you thought were a few non-calls in that UNC/NCSU game. I'm tempted to merely remind you that you got your bid (even if you had to sweat it out until the very final end yesterday), and that you didn't have that bid before the ACC tourney started, so why are you still bellyaching when you should be preparing for Larry's SDSU Aztecs instead. But let me point out that it was the Wolfpack who decided to turn that game into a hard-contact contest, and who started fouling hard durnig player introductions. Whining about a call or two that did not go your way is like those two former 'Pack players who thought they had the right to interfere with the scorers' bench while they cussed out the officials, then whined about the insult after they were kicked out of the arena. You want to leave the ACC? OK, if that's gonna be the @$$hole attitude you want to bring back into the league, one that hasn't been a part of the conference since Frank McGuire took the Gamecocks out of the mix, then go join the Big Ten, where muggings are common. :rolleyes:

Maybe tomorrow we can actually talk about some hoops, OK?

[jcruse64]

Heh, a 4 seed, at a 12 ranking would have been SWEET, but yeah, a 6 is fair. I've noted before that I thought we were no better than a 18-20 ranking during the season, even w/ the St. Mary's win. It is pretty fantastic for this team to get the best seed ever for the OVC ( I think). Unfortunately, the last, best seed we had was an 8, and a game against a Rhode Island team we should have popped, but we were tagged in the nose instead. As Herm would say, "You PLAYYYY to WIN the Game!!!!" :D:r.

Best thing is, we play in Louisville Thursday, and hopefully Saturday. But...Colorado State is coming in to win too, and the boys gotta play their game like there's no tomorrow. Can't wait to see it in person!

Looks to me like a good Dance is coming. I still am not sure I like the format for the play-ins. Why the mix of 16's and 14's and such-like? Make all the play-in winners get the 16 seed to play the 1 seed on Thursday/Friday.

And DaBear; welcome to college ball. SEC has horrible refs that make poor calls. The OVC is in the same boat, and so are most of the conferences. Some good refs out there too, but some are sub-standard, and some are maybe even rotten on purpose. I don't know how to fix it though. I would NOT want to ref.

[DaBear]

And Bear, that link led me to a page that was "no longer available", but I'm assuming you're still whining about what you thought were a few non-calls in that UNC/NCSU game. I'm tempted to merely remind you that you got your bid (even if you had to sweat it out until the very final end yesterday), and that you didn't have that bid before the ACC tourney started, so why are you still bellyaching when you should be preparing for Larry's SDSU Aztecs instead. But let me point out that it was the Wolfpack who decided to turn that game into a hard-contact contest, and who started fouling hard durnig player introductions. Whining about a call or two that did not go your way is like those two former 'Pack players who thought they had the right to interfere with the scorers' bench while they cussed out the officials, then whined about the insult after they were kicked out of the arena. You want to leave the ACC? OK, if that's gonna be the @$$hole attitude you want to bring back into the league, one that hasn't been a part of the conference since Frank McGuire took the Gamecocks out of the mix, then go join the Big Ten, where muggings are common. :rolleyes:

Wasn't even complaining about the calls in the game. Hell if we would have been able to pass the ball the last 15 damn seconds we would have had at least gotten it to OT.

The article is about one of the refs yelling back at Gottfried after he yelled "Thats a charge!" on one of the no-calls with "Shut your f***ing a** up." I would rather not be attending and supporting a school that is a member of an athletic conference that allows its refs to behave in that manner.

I wasn't even going to bring up the whole Karl Hess thing, but since you went ahead and did that for me, lets go ahead and discuss that. Yes, I will concede Hess has a right to eject any fans he deems belligerent, its part of the risk of going to any sporting event as a fan. But, it is entirely unprofessional to not follow your own protocol when doing so. Also, I would like to note that Gugliotta and Corchiani used no profanity when yelling at the refs as your post indicates. I can guarantee that Hess heard worse coming from the student section and did nothing. I'm not arguing he singled out Gugliotta and Corchiani, just that he used them as an example, and in doing so had them removed from the game in an entirely improper manner.

Then lets throw on top the whole shoes issue in our game against BC which just adds more fuel to the fire of how the refs obviously came in with a grudge, however light. They wore tape on their shoes with the initials KH for Karl Hess for ONLY the opening match of the tourney, us vs BC, and took it off after the end of the game. If it was meant as a form of protest against the ACC and how the reprimanded Hess, then that tape would have stayed on the entire tournament, or until the ACC told them to remove it. The fact that it was removed as soon as our game wrapped up and the refs came back and reffed the following game minutes later without the tape is an entirely classless act and demonstrates a blatant bias, despite being employed to not have a bias.

Jcruse, CSU is comin in hot, but I feel like they'll fizzle out after that first game. I've got New Mexico as my sleeper to sneak into the Final 4, that whole bracket they're in is weak and could be anyone's to take. I don't think Syracuse will make it past the first weekend, especially after how they played in the Big East tourney, though that could just be the part of me that hates Cuse talking. :r

[The Poet]

Bear, I apologize if I jumped on you for misguided reasons, but as I said your link took me nowhere, so fault me for jumping to conclusions based on a false assumption. I'd agree in principle about the Googs and Corchiani issue, for in principle their verbosity would justify the referees throwing about 9000 people out of Cameron Indoor Stadium each and every game. But specifically, I was led to understand that they leaned far over the scorer's table between the men trying to do their job in order to voice their objections, which to me is unacceptable. As for holding onto grudges and expressing protests well after the fact, I've never been much of a fan of such attitudes, even if I understand their motivation, since it seems poor sportsmanship. That holds for my own team as well. Gerald Henderson was roundly booed in his return to Chapel Hill the year after he broke Tyler Hansbrough's nose, which was fine, but the signs in the stands that put a target on him went too far. Hell, it's just a game, brothers and sisters. Calm down.

Now, I do agree that a ref should not react in such a vulgar manner to a protest by a coach. My only question, which maybe you can answer, would be how hard had Gottfried been riding the refs all game. It was a rough contest, at least by ACC standards, with a lot of fouls called on both teams. If the ref blew up so badly with this merely being an understandable objection by Gottfried at a critical point of the game, that's one thing. However, if the coach had been riding him all afternoon, screaming and yelling at each and every call that did not go his way, or maybe wasn't made at all, it may not forgive the ref's vulgarity but it could somewhat explain it.

Can we get to some new news now, and leave the other stuff alone for now at least? The biggest news today is, sadly for Syracuse fans, not the fact that action starts this evening in Dayton with the so-called "play-in" first round action. It has been announced that starting center for the Orange, Fab Melo, has been declared ineligable for play throughout the entire NCAA tournament. This suspension has come from the university, not the NCAA, and the reason has yet to be released. However, the young man was suspended for (I believe) 3 games earlier this year for academic reasons. We cannot assume this is the case here, but it does indicate it may be a possibility.

Now if you know me, and have read my posts here throughout the year, you won't be surprised to hear I did not give Syracuse much of a chance to make the Final Four even before this announcement. Partly this is due to the fact that, despite the fact they have a number of very good athletes, they do not seem to have one true stud they can count on to get them a basket when they really really need one. But mainly it is because I do not trust that zone of theirs to fair especially well against quality opposition in "one-and-done" games night after night throughout tournament play. Historically, it hasn't, and I see no good reason to think it would this year, expecially without a Carmelo on the team. Now that they won't have another Melo available . . . well, I hope you haven't filled out your bracket yet.

This makes the third hit the Orange has taken this season. It began with the child molestation charges against ass't. coach Bernie Fine, then took another hit a week or so back with the story about former players failing drug tests without receiving the suspensions the university rules demanded. Now, coming into the tourney, only UK has played better as a team than the Orange (OK, Joe, maybe your Racers, but we're sort of talking apples and, uh, oranges here). Will this third strike against them destroy the team chemistry they have built all year, or will they refocus and fight even harder to overcome all the distractions and adjustments? I'd vote for the former, but it will be interesting to see what transpires. Specifically, I can't give UNC-Asheville much more than a puncher's shot at knocking them out, thus becoming the first 16-seed to take out a 1-seed, but their next game against either K-State or Southern Miss might be pretty interesting. Down the road, there's potential opponents like Vandy, Wisconsin, Florida State, and Ohio State. That ain't easy, even at full strength.

Maybe I'll get a chance to get back here and talk tonight's games, but for now I have some work to do . . . dammit.

[The Poet]

There are actually two NCAA games tonight, as you likely know, and so let's talk about them a bit.


Mississippi Valley State vs. Western Kentucky = These two mid-majors will battle for the right to get spanked by the UK Wildcats come Thursday. Hey, on the bright side, one of them will get a win in the NCAAs, right? The Delta Devils won the SWAC, and if they can survive and advance this evening it shall not be the first time this season they have faced top-flight opposition. Already this year they played Notre Dame, UNC, Arkansas, Northwestern, Ole Miss, Florida, and Wisconsin. That's a tough non-conference schedule by anyone's account. Of course, they lost them all, but at least they know what it is like to face tough matchups. The SWAC is not that tough, and the only quality non-conference win they got was against Tennessee State, the school that spoiled Joe's Racers perfecto. As for the Hilltoppers, they stunk up the Sun Belt all year long, but made a run to take the conference tourney and snag the automatic as a sub.500 team. Oddly, their only quality win this year was against Tenn. State too, but their "quality" losses were not as good, being to St. Joe's, VCU, Louisville, and Joe's Racers of Murray State. Western Kentucky has a better program historically, but I feel that the Delta Devils may have the better team this year. Still, I admit I don't know enough about either squad to give you a gimme here.


BYU vs. Iona = Nor do I here either, though again I am confident that the WCC is better than the MAAC. The Cougars finished 3rd in that league, yet still got the at-large, while the Gaels finished 1st in the regular season but failed in their tourney, and was a surprise to many that they got the at-large in the first place. That should tell you something. Speaking of Gaels, those from St. Mary's, as well as Gonzaga and San Francisco, give you some idea how tough the WCC could be. BYU had good wins over Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Virginia Tech, with the Lobos being the only one that truly impresses me, while they lost to Wisconsin and Baylor outside the league. Iona lost to Purdue and Marshall, both a step down from those Ls above, with good wins over Maryland, St. Joe's, Richmond, Vermont, and those Nevada Lobos again. At the start of the season many experts picked Iona to be the main Cinderella story this year, and I give them a fair chance of surviving a Fredette-less BYU team. On the other hand, I do believe the Cougars have faced some consistently tougher competition, so they won't back down either. Flip a coin, enjoy the game, then wait to see who gets a shot at Marquette on Thursday.


If you have any insight, input, questions, objections, complaints, whines, boasts, whatever, feel free to pipe up. And if you wanna talk any NIT or other alphabet-soup tournament, just say so. Until later then, enjoy.

[jcruse64]

Hilltoppers advance on a wild last 5 minutes, with WKU coming back from double-digit deficit to win. Pretty exciting start...only wish it was carried on basic cable so we could see it too -(P.

Yeah, I'm with both of you on 'Cuse. One story on #1 seeds has been that the SEC has not helped UK prepare for the Dance this year, but I say 'Cuse has a similar issue. With Melo now out, it's gonna be rough. K State will not be easy for them.

I'd LOVE to score tickets for game 2 Thursday, after Murray's game, but ain't EVEN gonna spend that much $$$! Will be listening on the drive home, I guess.

And I'm with ya, DaBear, on there being no excuse for a ref to go back on a coach like that for arguing a call. Coaches get tossed for talking to refs in such a manner, and it should go both ways.

[gettysburgfreak]

Slightly worried about my hometown team the CUSE since Fab Mello wont be playing in the tourney. We were a bad rebounding team with him and without him its really going to be an exploited weakness. Hopefully they can shoot the ball well compared to how they have been shooting recently to make up for it.

[The Poet]

For some damn reason the nice weather has brought out all the nutz and bozos, so I've been pressed for time. Two very strange games last night:


Western Kentucky 59 - Mississippi Valley State 58 = The Delta Devils had this in the bag, with a 16-point lead and under 5 to play. Well, I guess an ugly loss was appropriate, as this was an ugly game by both teams, with the possible exception of the late run by the Hilltoppers.

BYU 78 - Iona 72 = In contrast, this was 2 halves of very good hoops, albeit from opposing sides. The Gaels came out like a vintage Loyola-Marymount or UNLV team and ran the Cougars off the court, building a huge 25-point lead. Then they ran themselves out of gas, and BYU made the adjustments on both ends to erase the largest deficit in NCAA history to advance.


Tonight's games:


Lamar vs. Vermont = This has the potential to be another close one, and will decide who gets to challenge my Tar Heels on Friday. Pat Knight does not have the players his daddy used to get, and isn't the floor general Bobby was either, but he does seem to have inherited Papa's sparkling personality. Outside of league play, his Cardinals have "good" losses against quality competition like Louisville, Ohio State, Kentucky, and George Mason, but their best wins were with Charlotte and Tennessee Tech. The Catamounts lost to such guys as South Florida, Harvard, and Saint Louis, but toss into that a terrible loss to the Binghamton Bearcats, who had only 2 Ws all year. VT did get a nice win against ODU, so give them that. As I'm not about to pick who I want UNC to face, I'll leave that up to you.

South Florida vs. California = Now this could actually be a pretty decent game, like that BYU/Iona one. The Bulls had no good wins outside the Big East, and considering how Cincy and Louisville played at times this year I'm not sure how good those Ws actually were. Yet they did lose to some good teams, like ODU, VCU, Kansas, and Southern Miss, so they learned some things from that. As for the Golden Bears, I count myself amongst those who don't believe the Pac-12 is as abysmal as many others feel. True, I see no quality wins outside the league for Cal, but losing to Missouri, San Diego State, and UNLV counts for something in my book . . . especially when you consider that Mizzou had them as about the ONLY "tough" non-conference opponent, whereas Cal at least tried to play somebody else. I'm leaning towards the Bulls here, but it would not shock me if the Bears could shock the nation. Remember last year the Pac-10 was bad-mouthed all year, yet did pretty well in the NCAAs.


If I get a chance I'll come back to talk of early action scheduled tomorrow, when the fun kicks off for real. But if I don't get that chance, I hope you'll do what I plan on starting noon tomorrow, and enjoy.

[yourchoice]

I can't wait to get home so I can watch a ton of basketball tonight on the big screen!

Anyone predicting any upsets for the rest of Thursday's games? I thing Long Beach State will upset New Mexico, and I could see Colorado challenging UNLV, but I don't know if I'd call that an upset.

It looks like Syracuse is struggling without Melo against NC-Asheville. Like a lot of people, I had them losing early...but certainly not this early. Game is a long way from over, but they certainly shouldn't be down 4 at the half.

[The Poet]

I can't wait to get home so I can watch a ton of basketball tonight on the big screen!

Anyone predicting any upsets for the rest of Thursday's games? I thing Long Beach State will upset New Mexico, and I could see Colorado challenging UNLV, but I don't know if I'd call that an upset.

It looks like Syracuse is struggling without Melo against NC-Asheville. Like a lot of people, I had them losing early...but certainly not this early. Game is a long way from over, but they certainly shouldn't be down 4 at the half.


Well, what do you consider an upset? Is that a 6-11 game? From what I saw last weekend against Arizona, I can't give Colorado much of a shot against UNLV. How about 5-12? Can Harvard knock Vandy out? As psycho as the Comms have been this year, I could see the Crimson giving them all they can handle, especially if Vandy has another of their off nights . . . which they have had too often. Or maybe VCU over Wichita State? That may be your best shot at a 12 beating a 5 right there, though I don't expect VCU will make a run to the Final Four again this tourney, like they did last year. But they are confident, and they have been there before, so who knows?

I would expect that the Orange will come back in the 2nd half to survive their scare against UNC-A, but don't put all the onus on Melo being out. Not only have I expressed my doubts about that zone getting one through a tourney for YEARS now, you need take note that the Bulldogs have played some pretty good non-conference opponents this season, and are not intimidated by the fact. They started off at NCSU, hosted UNC-CH, visited U Conn and Tennessee, and played host to Charleston and Utah. If nothing else, they've seen some "big" names on the fronts of jerseys before today.

Update shortly.

P.S. - As for Long Beach vs. NM, I will point out that the 49ers lost at my Tar Heels by only 6, and won at Xavier by 10, so I agree they have a shot. At the moment, 8 left in the 1st, the Lobos are only up a point.

[The Poet]

With 4 1/2 left, Marquette is on the verge of putting the game against BYU out of reach. Maybe I'll have a final before I finish this, but as for last night:


Vermont 71 - Lamar 59 = The Catamounts take care of business in a very competent manner, and move on to face UNC tomorrow.

South Florida 65 - California 54 = So maybe I was wrong about the Pac-12 being under-rated, though after seeing how lousy that Colorado/Arizona championship game in the league finals was, I have no good excuse. On the other hand, I guess the Golden Bears did do pretty good at making their loss somewhat respectable, considering they scored only 13 stinkin' points in the first half. :rolleyes:


In afternoon action today:


Murray State 58 - Colorado State 41 = Congratulations to Joe's Racers for knocking off the Rams to advance, though CSU helped them a ton in the 2nd half with bad shots and TOs. As this is the first time I've seen Joe's boys all year, I have no idea if this game was typical of their play or not. But from what I saw they have very nice perimeter defense, a few pretty effective scorers, and the hustle to force some action and create some of those loose balls. On the other hand, I have to say that, if you assume that Hornung kid is not the new Kurt Rambis, I fear that if they don't learn to box out a little better some team down the road is gonna kill them off the glass.

Kansas State 70 - Southern Miss 64 = The Manhattan 'Cats made enough good plays down the stretch to edge out a feisty SM team, who made enough late plays of their own to keep the issue in question until under a minute to go. All in all, a pretty good game on both sides.

Wisconsin 73 - Montana 49 = Both teams normally want a glacial style of play, but for the Badgers to rack up that many points . . . well, for them that's Runnin' Rebels scoring. I didn't get to see this, but they must have cleaned up on the defensive boards off Montana misses to get that many possessions, and maybe even a few breakaways.

Louisville 69 - Davidson 62 = Here's another game I did not see, but I'm not surprised the Wildcats gave Pitino so good a fight. Firstly, they have a pretty good team themselves. Secondly, the Cards have played down to their opponents all year long, so why should that be any different today?


As I figured, I now have that final:


Marquette 88 - BYU 68 = The Cougars fell 'way behind the Iona Gaels in their play-in game, yet came back to grab a victory. Well, they could not do the same today. The Golden Eagles jumped on them early and often, and kept the pressure going well enough to cruise into their match-up with Joe's Racers on Saturday. So Joe, if your guys really truly believe they should have gotten a higher seed, they can prove it then by knocking Marquette out of The Dance. From what I saw, that won't be easy.


Syracuse has taken control of their game against UNC-A, and are up 8 with 2:10 to go. It ain't over, but it is looking better for the Orange faithful. All the other games are too early and too close to even mean anything yet.


Back later.

[yourchoice]

Well, what do you consider an upset?

I use the betting line to gauge an upset. If the spread is around 3-4 or less, I consider it a mild upset. 4-5 or more, an upset. Sometimes just a higher seeding isn't indicitive of an upset, IMO.

[SD Beerman]

SDSU is a 6 seed and they are 2 point dogs to NC State......

[yourchoice]

SDSU is a 6 seed and they are 2 point dogs to NC State......

Exactly. :tu

[The Poet]

We've already talked some about later games today, like the VCU/Wichita St. one, and some of them don't much interest me all that much. Loyola MD vs. Ohio State? South Dakota State vs. Baylor? Even in-state "rivals" Western Kentucky vs. UK doesn't do it for me. But there are a few that look to have some potential, such as:


West Virginia vs. Gonzaga = Both schools have had better teams in the past, yet both still have some fairly decent players who can ball a bit. This could be a lot of fun, and may go down to who executes in the last 2 minutes.

U Conn vs. Iowa State = The Huskies have talent from the neck down, and air from the neck up. Plus, they don't fair well out of their comfort zone, which is no more than 30 miles from Storrs. Meanwhile the Cyclones have faced tough competition, and has had good success against it, beating the like of Kansas, Missouri, Baylor, and K-State (2X!). I'm looking for one of two things here; an all-out war, or the Cyclones blowing the Huskies right out of the Bucket.

New Mexico State vs. Indiana = Don't get me wrong, as I'm not gonna pick a 13 to knock off a 4 here, though it does happen. The Hoosiers are certainly the better team, no doubt. Plus, I'm not about to pick against baby brother Cody Zeller, even if he's wearing red and not blue. But IU just lost their point guard Verdell Jones III to a torn ACL, so it will be interesting to see how they adjust.


Vandy's gone up 10 at the break over Harvard, and LBS is hanging with NM. Otherwise:


Syracuse 72 - UNC-A 65 = The Orange have to fight to survive, yet manage to escape being the first 1 to fall to a 16-seed. How much longer they survive remains to be seen. Sometimes a fight like this can focus a team, and sometimes it just shows how vulnerable they are.

Maybe back later, maybe not. Regardless, enjoy.

[The Poet]

I use the betting line to gauge an upset. If the spread is around 3-4 or less, I consider it a mild upset. 4-5 or more, an upset. Sometimes just a higher seeding isn't indicitive of an upset, IMO.

SDSU is a 6 seed and they are 2 point dogs to NC State......


Well, I'm just a country boy, and not a Vegas bookie. So talk to Charles Barkley, not to Kenny Smith. :r

[The Poet]

Back briefly with two non-hoops stories:


It seems like a few members of Southern Miss's band is in deep doo-doo with their dean. They started chanting "Where's your green card?" at a K-State player born in Puerto Rico. When you couple the ignorance of the chant itself with the ignorance of the fact that a child born in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is a citizen of the United States and NEEDS no green card leads one to question the academic standards down them there parts. The school has already issued an apology, yet you can expect some discipline for the offenders.

Do you remember that Christian Laettner shot 'way back in the 1991 East Regional that beat Kentucky? Do you remember the great pass that Grant Hill made to his teammate which led to the bucket? Well, not only do the people at UPS remember, it seems the folks in Lexington do too. You may have seen the commercial UPS has been running which touts the guy who makes the delivery. The Big Blue Nation objects to said commercial, and has requested (Demanded?? That seems more like them.) that UPS stop running the commercial. Hey, 'Cats, why don't you concern yourself more with the present, and win the games this time, instead of obsessing over something 21 years in the past? Jeez, makes sense to me.

[jcruse64]

We watched the 1st half of the Marquette game before going on home, and they were roughing the Cougars up pretty good. Got within 6, before Marquette slammed the door.

Good analysis on the Racers. Really good defenders that use this to create scoring, and can move the ball quickly. If Caanan either can't hit the 3, or is getting double/triple teamed, they have other guards more than capable of scoring. But... the last 3 weeks or so of play, they have let the boards go. Especially troubling is the lack of offensive rebounding, which could be turning into 2nd-chance points. This killed the Racers today in H1. For some reason, in the last few weeks, Daniels has decided to become a pacifist, and Aska is not paying attention. They'd better have received the wakeup call today, because Marquette will make them pay for this. On the other hand, in H2, Daniels and the others REALLY upped the defensive intensity. Really, Colorado State outshined MSI in many categories: shooting %, 3 point %, Freebies%, and rebounds. But they kept them from scoring, and won.

I think Prohme will be a good coach for the next level very soon, but he still needs some polish and experience. He will probably get an offer he can't refuse this off-season, but I hope he sticks around for at least 3 seasons. MSU has hosted more than a few up and comer coaches, and they've mostly had a tough go of it in the higher tier programs. Hope to see Cronin have more success at Cincy.

WKU started off well against UK, but it was no contest.

UNC-A almost did it!!! They had a chance. The refs did not help, for sure, but they blew it. I don't see 'Cuse going much farther.

Harvard falls to the up-and-down, southern Ivy League school, Vandy.

VCU has a 3 point lead w/ 12 secs left...wow!

[The Poet]

I'll post more later, but at the moment I'm involved in seeing if Jerry's Wolfpack can hold on to knock out Larry's Aztecs. With 4 minutes left, the 'Pack up 8.

[The Poet]

Sorry I've not been back, but I got wrapped up in that NCSU/SDSU game, and then the Fla. State/Bonnies war, then my Heels as it took them a while to get ahold of VT, and now Mizzou fighting for their lives against Norfolk State. We'll play some catch-up tomorrow, I promise.

[jcruse64]

Wolfpack survives; good on them!

1st BIG upset; Norfolk State hangs on to knock off Mizzou Woooohhhhh!!!!

Racers vs Marquette upper level tickets were $150 per when we got home last night. Over $300 per today; will be watching from the recliner tomorrow!!!

As always, a fun tourney so far. Hope you guys are enjoying it.

[kelmac07]

Norfolk State beating Mizzo is all everyone is talking about here...oh and VCU as well.

[mase]

Down goes Duke! Down goes Duke!

[Col. Kurtz]

I'll post more later, but at the moment I'm involved in seeing if Jerry's Wolfpack can hold on to knock out Larry's Aztecs. With 4 minutes left, the 'Pack up 8.


http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc267/jdubx2/gottfather.jpg



Found this on the interwebz. Looks like the faithful like Gottfried...:r

[Col. Kurtz]

Down goes Duke! Down goes Duke!

:garyBet that just screwed up EVERYBODY'S brackets...

[SD Beerman]

Wait until next year......


great games today......lovin it!

[jledou]

Duke and the Zoo go down ... KU had better pay attention here....

[Stephen]

Down goes Duke! Down goes Duke!
Like I said earlier; Dookie = Overrated (at least this year)
:garyBet that just screwed up EVERYBODY'S brackets...
Eh, I had them losing to Xavier, so I'm not hurt too bad by it. The Mizzou loss though...:gary

[Stephen]

How's everyone's brackets looking so far? Mine isn't in the best shape, but still have a chance to make a nice run. Only missing two Sweet 16 teams (picked Davidson & Michigan) and a Final 4 team (Missouri).

[kelmac07]

How's everyone's brackets looking so far? Mine isn't in the best shape, but still have a chance to make a nice run. Only missing two Sweet 16 teams (picked Davidson & Michigan) and a Final 4 team (Missouri).

23 of 32 picks correct... :bh :bh :bh

[The Poet]

Hey, I stopped doing brackets years ago. Why do you think they call it Madness?

I'll be back a little later to talk about a common statement that has bothered me for years, and came home to roost big-time yesterday. I bet you can't wait for that. :r

[The Poet]

If nothing else, it was an interesting day of hoops on Friday, as tons of people had their brackets totally torn apart. Not only did Mizzou and Dook go down, but the Ohio Bobcats knocked Michigan, co-champs of the Big Ten regular season, out of The Dance, while South Florida bulled the Temple Owls out, thus depriving many of one Cinderella pick. But the Tiger and Blue Devil losses in particular point out something that has bothered me for years, and that being the bold statement:


Guards win you championships.


Now, I am not about to denigrate the importance of quality guard play, and the statement is not a total fallacy. Yet I find it a misconception, or at least a flawed perception, for if you don't have some horses down low you are unlikely to survive. Mizzou came into the game touted for their unusual 3-guard offense, which was said to make them difficult to defend. True as that is, it only goes so far. If you've been reading this thread all along, you know how many times I have stated that the Tigers may be good, but they were not as great as the perception of their fans, and even of too many "experts". As for Duke, you can lament that they badly missed injured Kelly, but one thing they missed from this 6'10" player was his outside range, which was hard to defend and which opened up the lane for teammates by stretching the opponent's D. That's well and good, as far as it goes, but a big man is of more value in the paint! Me, I've never been overly impressed with the Plumlees, but last night they were the most effective option Dook had, and those guards did not do enough to get them the damn ball! Even the analysts said that they needed to play inside-out, not outside-in, and that was not only big man Charles Barkley but PG Kenny Smith too. Jet may have feigned backhanding the Round Mound when he spouted the old saw about dying by the three, but he also knows it is the truth.

As I said, good guard play is important. But the most important part of it is not the scoring, but the handling of the ball and the getting of it to the other guys in the right place at the right time. Yesterday Tyler Zeller got his double-double points and rebounds (17&15) in good part because Kendall Marshall did his job. Marshall's 11 points (on 5 for 7 shooting, not the 5 for 20 we saw from some other guards yesterday) was just icing on his 10 assists.

This idea of guards ruling the NCAAs may be sexy, but it does not hold up under tight scrutiny. Every year CBS opens up their pregame with the Michael Jordan shot which gave UNC the lead over Georgetown back in 1982. But nobody seems to talk about James Worthy getting 26 points in that game, nor the fact that the story going in was that Sam Perkins of Carolina could not handle the Hoyas' freshman man-child Patrick Ewing. And speaking of Ewing, it is true he won only one ring, but he did get to 3 championship games. Is that too old a reference for you? Well, let's go back to the last time the undisputed best team in the nation won it all, that being the Tar Heels in 2009. I was proud of the way I was able to handicap all those games, but particularly proud of the way I parsed perhaps the most interesting match-up of that run . . . UNC against upset-minded Oklahoma. Going into it, the experts were saying that Blake Griffin would eat Tyler Hansbrough for lunch, as he was much the superior athlete. I could not dispute the possibility, and agonized over the keys to that contest for a Heel victory to ensue. Finally, I asked myself two questions: "Could Blake have a monster game, yet Oklahoma still lose?" Yes, I decided. "Did Carolina need Tyler to have a monster game to win?" No, I also decided. From that point, I was not worried. If you recall, Blake did have a huge game, while Tyler got only (if I rememeber correctly) only 8 points. The Heels won that game from the outside, with scoring from guys like Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and Danny Green. On the surface, this seems to dispute the point I'm trying to make. Yet look at it more closely. Coming into that game, the Sooners knew they had no shot at all without Blake Griffin on the court, and they also knew that Hansbrough was perhaps the best man ever at drawing fouls. So they double-teamed him throughout the game in order to deny him the ball (and thus protect Blake), and triple-teamed him when he did get touches. The result of this was that it left those outside jumpshooters for UNC open looks at good shots, and they took full advantage. But nobody, NOBODY!, seemed to take note of that, despite the fact that, as I had predicted, it was the key to the game.

Bottom line, I am surprised that Duke and Missouri got beaten by Lehigh and Norfolk State respectively. However, I am NOT surprised that they did not make it far in the NCAA Tournament this year. For every Tyus Edney, Bryce Drew, or Stephan Curry hero in the history of the NCAAs, there are 10 or 12 chuckers or fumblers or ballhogs who shoot their teammates in the foot.

I'm off my soapbox now. Let's do some hoops.

[The Poet]

It looks like the Orange will survive at least one more round, as they are up double-digits on K-State with about 2 minutes left.

[The Poet]

Final:


Syracuse 75 - Kansas State 59 = The Orange do advance, and with more ease than with their war with UNC-A. Maybe they got focused, maybe they got accustomed to playing without Fab Melo, and maybe they can lve up to their 1-seed . . . though I figure the winner of the Vandy/Wisc game will give them a lot to handle. As for K-State, they had a better season than was expected, which might keep Frank Martin from going postal . . . and may not. But this one wonders: With this loss, and with Texas and Missouri dropping out early, plus with Baylor struggling with South Dakota State. was the Big 12 again a one-league team, the Jayhawks and everybody else? OK, Iowa State did take care of U Conn, but I'm not sure how much that is worth. We'll know better today, when the Cyclones face Kentucky, and Baylor takes on Pac-12 champ Colorado . . . though maybe not so much in that 2nd one.


Other games today:


Ohio State vs. Gonzaga = There is no doubt which one has the most talent. But if Sully does not shake off his sophomore slump and bring it today, the Buckeyes' dependence upon Buford and Kraft to survive may get them into trouble with the 'Zags. I think they can overcome a poor offensive game by Sully, as long as he defends and rebounds, but without that this could get scary.

Murray State vs. Marquette = And this one is scary from the get-go, for both teams. Joe's Racers may be outclassed by the Marq-uee opponent, especially off the glass. But on the other hand, I doubt if Marquette knows a ton about Murray State, and may be looking past their 1-loss season as being merely a product of the lower-level competition they faced in the OVC. True as that may be, it does not mean the Racers cannot hoop, nor does it mean the Golden Eagles can't be beaten by a lower-seed . . . as Mizzou and Dook found out.

Vanderbilt vs. Wisconsin = To me this is one of the more interesting match-ups of the day. Both teams have some quality bigs, both want to control tempo, and both want a shot at what they think is a vulnerable Syracuse team. I expect a war here.

VCU vs. Indiana = Yeah, I know what VCU did last year, and yeah I know I was pumping their league all year as one of the better and underrated mid-majors in the nation. But despite the weaknesses the Hoosiers can show from the perimeter players at times, they play tough-nosed D, and the have the difficult-to-defend Cody Zeller in the paint. I see no miracle run for VCU this year.

Iowa State vs. Kentucky = The Cyclones have faced, and defeated at times, some quality teams all year, but they have not faced a team like the Wildcats. If UK plays like they did in their opener, this could get ugly. Iowa State's only chance is to control the pace, get inside either on drives or good post passing, and get those 'Cat bigs into some foul trouble. You can rattle a young team like UK, even if they are no longer really freshmen and sophomores, and rattled kids will make mistakes. Me, I would not bet on it, but it could happen.

Colorado vs. Baylor = And me, I don't like either one of these teams. I was surprised that the Buffaloes won their opener over UNLV, based upon the lousy play I saw from them in the Pac-12 championship game, which was unwatchable. As for the Bears, they have several good players, and nearly no team chemistry whatsoever. Why don't both of them go ahead and lose this one, so then we don't have to see them anymore? :D

New Mexico vs. Louisville = This is a tough one. The Lobos have had some very good wins, and have a good young coach to boot. The Cardinals have a "storied" (to be kind) coach of their own, and have had some terrible losses this year. They are like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates . . . you never know what you're gonna get. I'm leaning towards New Mexico here, but only because I'm not sure how much longer Louisville can continue to play well . . . their string may have run out.


If I get a chance to get back, I'll deal a bit with Sunday games, though all I really care about is if my Heels can get past Creighton, with or without John Henson. Until whenever then, enjoy.

[jcruse64]

Love your point about guard play vs viable post play/ers. This, in fact, was key to the Racer's loss today. The Racer guard corp was able to do some work, but overall, did not score enough to win the game, in spite of the EXCELLENT defensive work they did. Their 2 main big men are less than 6' 9", and were smaller than Marquette's big guys, and in the last 3 minutes, it was all the difference. Aska got inside looks, and almost never converted or rebounded his misses. Daniels was decently effective on offense, but got wore down by the battle and Marquette's big guys still had legs to make shots and rebounds. Daniels, again, was a beast on defense and quick opportunities, but at the end, was too tired to keep it up. I hope Murray has a big guy in wating (and we might. In fact, the one we do have can score and D, but needs more lbs next season).

So.. My wife and I are still here in the recliners, cleaning up our kleenexes. Murray was in the game till the last 2 minutes, but Marquettes size and strength gave them the legs to hang on 2 more minutes and preserve the lead. Great, tough game, with lots of lead changes throughout. My thanks to UK fans who bought up all the tickets, and then didn't go to this one, so the rest of us rooting for an in-state team could not go and show OUR support -(P. It was truly a fantastic season for the Racers, and I can't wait for next season. Be interesting to see if Caanan tries to leave early, or if Prohme gets an offer he can't refuse.

'Cuse wins, and shot that side of the bracket for me. Very surprised, to be honest.

UK is up about 20 on Iowa State, with less than 2m to go. Haven't watched it really. Just came in from smoking a Tat black PC on the back porch, and thinking about how great it would have been to have gotten to fly to Arizona to watch the Racers...

UL and New Mexico are in a close game, early in H1.

Vandy goes down to Wisconsin, which was no surprise.

Another mid major also bit the dust, with VCU falling to IU in a very close, hard fought game. Really enjoy watching Shaka's teams. THE OSU beats the 'Zags as well.

[elderboy02]

My 2 favorite teams are in the Sweet 16 (Cincinnati and Ohio State) and they are playing each other on Thursday.

I am definitely rooting for the Cincinnati Bearcats! :banger

[The Poet]

Joe, I feel your pain. Remember, as a Tar Heel, I've seen more than my share of hearbreaking losses in the NCAAs myself. Just do what I do and congratulate yourself and your team for having an outstanding season, and move on.

My point about guards may or may not be all that valid, but it may have brought me some bad karma. Kendall Marshall broke a bone in his wrist yeaterday against Creighton. He had a screw put into it today, and is "unlikely" for the game Friday. True, Carolina has enough other talent to have reasonable faith that they should . . . SHOULD! . . . be able to handle the Ohio Bobcats. Hell, they probably have enough to give the Charlotte Bobcats a decent game. Still, it is a hit for their possible future down the line, even if he comes back at, what we'd assume, is less than 100%.

And Dan, as for your Cincy/OSU match-up, you sure can pick 'em. Both of those teams can play very well, and both can come out and absolutely stink up the joint. :D Should be interesting.

[jcruse64]

Kudos on the Ohio teams making the Sweet 16!!!!! Wish there were 2 KY teams there with ya. The Racers are looking forward already to the 2012/13 season, and getting past the Sweet 16; love that attitude!!!

Very interested to see Ohio and Cincy match up. Looks like Cincy is still drawing ire as a "thug" team from the internet chatter. I'm glad to see Cronin have success in the bigger program, after leaving the Racers, and appreciate his time here. Also see another Racer coaching alum having success, as Gottfried's team gets a Sweet 16 spot.

Poet, I'm definitely no Tarheel fan, but I hate to see any kid go down, especially at this time. Kids play hard all year long, and making it here, deserve to get to enjoy playing in the Dance. I hope he can somehow get in to play. If the Tarheels make it to play UK, I want to see the very best of your team going after the very best of the team I root for, win or lose. No jinx there, it's just an unfortunate reality of good, all-out play sometimes.

One thing about this tourney I heard brought up on Evan and Phillips this morning: the last game ended well after midnight Eastern Time. That is WAY too late to have these games going, both for the players AND me!!!

[The Poet]

So, lemme get this straight . . . the internet is a-chatter with Cincy being a thug, as they prepare to go up against Big Ten opponent Ohio State? Have those guys ever watched a basketball game? :confused: :D

It's beginning to look like this year's UNC team has become as snake-bit as their 1977 one. That year they lost to injuries Tommy LaGarde, Walter Davis, and Phil Ford . . . who did manage to play in the tournament, but was not nearly as effective. This year's team lost guard Leslie McDonald before the season, Dexter Strickland in January, lost John Henson for a few games, and now will have, at best, a one-handed point guard in Kendall Marshall. On the bright side, the 1977 team went on to the championship game before losing to Marquette. Also, this year's final is in New Orleans, where Dean Smith won both his banners. And, perhaps best news of all, when Dean lost that '77 final to Al McGuire, Al celebrated by announcing his retirement. Perhaps if we can somehow make it to the championship and lose to Kentucky, John Calipari will do us all the same favor. :r

[DaBear]

All I'm gonna say is Carolina better win on Friday. I want another crack at em, this time with no ACC refs to be ACC refs.

[The Poet]

All I'm gonna say is Carolina better win on Friday. I want another crack at em, this time with no ACC refs to be ACC refs.


Well, while you're looking past Kansas, I'll concern myself with getting past Ohio. ;)

[The Poet]

Oh, Bear, BTW . . . though I've said I don't care about Vegas oddsmakers, I did a check anyway. My Heels are still a 10 1/2-point favorite over the Ohio Bobcats, even without Marshall projected to play. On the other side of the bracket, your 'Pack is an 8-point 'dog against the Jayhawks.

That may mean jack, and I reaffirm I do not pay attention to it at all. Yet I also reaffirm you need to play them one at a time. :D

[DaBear]

Oh, Bear, BTW . . . though I've said I don't care about Vegas oddsmakers, I did a check anyway. My Heels are still a 10 1/2-point favorite over the Ohio Bobcats, even without Marshall projected to play. On the other side of the bracket, your 'Pack is an 8-point 'dog against the Jayhawks.

That may mean jack, and I reaffirm I do not pay attention to it at all. Yet I also reaffirm you need to play them one at a time. :D

Well we managed to beat a team I had in the championship game in my bracket, so I'm feelin good about the matchup. Just hope the team doesn't cool off before the game, we were on fire in the Georgetown game.

[The Poet]

Well we managed to beat a team I had in the championship game in my bracket, so I'm feelin good about the matchup. Just hope the team doesn't cool off before the game, we were on fire in the Georgetown game.


Brother, that may mean you have a Final Four team coming out of Raleigh . . . or it may just mean you're lousy at filling out a bracket. :r


To be serious, take note that Georgetown is historically a defense-first team who often struggles at the offensive end of the court. As for this particular team, they were not expected to compete in the Big East this season due to their youth, and overachieved, much to the delight of Hoya fans. And your "on fire" Wolfpack won the game by a 66-63 margin . . . although, to be fair, the margin may have been a bit larger had they been able to hit a few foul shots, as opposed to handing Georgetown every opportunity to take the game away from you late.

Hey, I wish you all the luck in the world against Kansas, don't get me wrong. I'm just advising you that it is ill-advised to start frying up your chickens before they even hatch.

[Col. Kurtz]

.... I'm just advising you that it is ill-advised to start frying up your chickens before they even hatch....


Noted Thomas. However, it is a very fun time to be on campus. One of my friends over there sent me this video. Borderline sacrilegious, but still cool. Says she can't remember a time like this in quite a while.... It's all everybody wants to talk about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH98EBwDkTM&feature=youtube_gdata_player (NSFThePoet)

Win or lose, looks like Yow has hit a home run :tu

[jledou]

Looking forward to the games starting back up tonight. Work is going to go sloooooowwwwww today!

[longknocker]

Looking forward to the games starting back up tonight. Work is going to go sloooooowwwwww today!

:tu Pulling For Baylor, Here!:banger

[The Poet]

Noted Thomas. However, it is a very fun time to be on campus.


As it should be, Jerry. After suffering through the disappointing seasons your 'Pack endured under Sidney Lowe (not that I'm blaming him), you should be enjoying a trip to the 2nd weekend of the NCAAs, and the hope for better things to come. All I was saying to Bear was that, considering two weeks ago NCSU seemed dead in the water, with their bubble burst due to late-season losses before the ACC tourney wins got them in as one of the last few to make the cut, it is a bit presumptuous to start planning for a trip to New Orleans.


:tu Pulling For Baylor, Here!:banger


The Bears have better talent than do the Xavier Musketeers, but they seem to struggle at playing as a team. That cannot be said about the X-Men. You should be able to get past them, but getting past the UK/Hoosier winner won't be easy . . . especially if Xavier picks another fight, and gets half your guys suspended from play. :r

[The Poet]

Looking forward to the games starting back up tonight. Work is going to go sloooooowwwwww today!


Hey, that's right! We get to see some hoops this evening.


Wisconsin vs. Syracuse = This is a very interesting match-up. The Badgers want to play a half-court game most of the time, and Boeheim's zone defense is made for that. But Wisconsin has size enough to shoot over the zone, and if they hit some shots it could be a problem for the Orange. And if they miss some shots, they also have the size to grab offensive boards for second chances, which is one of the inherent flaws of a zone. It is harder to box out an area than it is a specific player. On the other side of the court, the 'Cuse may suffer from not having their big man Melo in the paint, and if Jardine isn't scoopin' it into the bucket the Badgers will likely own that glass also . . . and they will run on you if you give them the chance. This may come down to the final few possessions.

Cincinnati vs. Ohio State = That brawl with Xavier seemed to have turned the Bearcats around, but I still don't think they are all that great a team. Yet although the Buckeyes have more talent, they too have had their problems. Kraft and Buford have been solid, if not outstanding, but Sullinger has not made a step forward from his freshman year . . . and perhaps has even taken a step back. Regardless, I truly can't see how Cincy can hang with THE OSU for a full forty minutes, and expect a 4 or 5 possession Buckeye win.

Louisville vs. Michigan State = In the other half of this Big East/Big Ten donnybrook, I see much the same thing. The Cardinals have both played very well and played like garbage, and as they've played well lately I can easily imagine it is time for Pitino's kids to start stinking up the joint again. The Spartans, however, have been much more consistent, and Green has shown a capacity to take over a game all by his lonesome. Yeah, I could be wrong about Louisville, but I don't think I'm wrong about MSU. Spartans, by double-digits.

Florida vs. Marquette = The situation here is about the same also, although I do believe the talent level is more even. The Gators have played very well of late, but lost a lot of games to teams they should have absolutely killed. As for the Golden Eagles, they were much more consistently a good team, even considering late stumbles in the penultimate regular-season visit to Cincy and their loss to Louisville early in the Big East tourney. Despite that, I have more confidence in what team I'll see from Marquette than I am of the one I'll see from Florida . . . but it is closer. Like with the Badger/Orange game, I feel this will go down to the final few possessions . . . unless, as has happened (by my count) in 6 of their 10 losses, Donovan's team does not bother to even make it out of the lockerroom. And yes, I am counting 2 of the 3 Ls to Kentucky there. Losing to this year's Wildcat team is no disgrace, but losing by 20 the first time and 15 the second is not much of a positive statement. :D


So there's you action today. I wish your team, whoever they may be, all the best of luck, and be sure to enjoy.

[The Poet]

OK, just for the halibut, I checked out the Vegas odds for those 4 games to see how fishy my picks above may be. According to these experts, the favorites are:

Syracuse by 3 1/2

Ohio State by 7 1/2

Michigan State by 5 1/2

Marquette by 2


Hey, maybe I'm not quite as crazy as I think I am.

[jcruse64]

Exciting night so far!

'Cuse moves on with a 1 point win over Wisconsin, in a tough game.

Halfway through H2, the Cards are holding a slim lead over Michigan State, in a very low-scoring, defensive battle. And the refs are pretty much letting both sides play.

[jledou]

Here's to 4 more good games tonight ... hopefully I can stay awake to watch my hawks this evening!

Rock Chalk!

[DaBear]

Here's to 4 more good games tonight ... hopefully I can stay awake to watch my hawks this evening!

Rock Chalk!

Get the box of tissues ready, you'll need em. :r

GO PACK!

[jledou]

Get the box of tissues ready, you'll need em. :r

GO PACK!

Why I ought to :sl

All will depend on which team shows up for KU tonight .....

[The Poet]

Here's to 4 more good games tonight ... hopefully I can stay awake to watch my hawks this evening!

Rock Chalk!

Get the box of tissues ready, you'll need em. :r

GO PACK!


:rolleyes: :r And that's all I'll say about the game for now.


Last night's games, save for one, went about the way one may have expected. The Orange survive another headshot, for the umpteenth time this year. Ohio State just outmanned the Bearcats. The "good" Gators showed up, and took Marquette to the woodshed. The one shocker:


Louisville 57 - Michigan State 44 = One ugly, ugly game. Pitino's Cardinals were bad on the offensive end. Izzo's Spartans were just horrible. I have never seen one of Izzo's teams play as poorly in a big game as that. Yeah, my Heels blew them off the court in the final back in '09, but that was a great Carolina team that took advantage of some poor shooting by MSU. Last night they could not shoot, did not rebound, did not hustle, and pretty much did not even show up. This team should be relieved the season is over, for if not Tom Izzo would be running them to death today. Lord knows, he might be doing that anyway, even to the seniors.


The games tonight will round out the regional finals:


Xavier vs. Baylor = It is possible that Tu Holloway of the Musketeers will go off on the Bears tonight and send them shuffling back to Texas. If nothing else, the X-Men are tough hardnosed competitors. And me, I've been dissing Baylor all year as being overrated, with a good amount of talent that play together about as well as a yardful of spoiled kindergarteners hyped up on sugar, with only one ball between them. I'll stick to that, even though they have done a little better of late. But they do have more talent, and that should make the difference. I give Xavier a shot, if they play a near-perfect game. If not, Baylor could walk away with it.

Indiana vs. Kentucky = Tom Cream is the only coach who was able to beat Calipari's team during the regular season . . . and may be regretting that signature victory today. You just KNOW the 'Cats want some revenge for that, and the way they have played so far you also know they are fully capable of dishing some out. Yeah, I would personally like to see the Hoosiers knock UK out tonight, for a full fistful of reasons. Yet my expectations of this occurring are equal to my expectation that it will be over by the break, with Kentucky coasting to the buzzer.

Ohio vs. North Carolina = With Kendall Marshall almost certainly in a suit and tie tonight, it will be a different style of play for my Tar Heels this evening. The Bobcats will have an edge on perimeter speed, and may be able to utilize that to get open shots from outside. If they hit them, it will be a very interesting contest. If they do not hit all that many, it will probably get ugly for them very quickly. Carolina should own the glass on both ends of the court, so their outside misses may lead to 2nd-chance stickbacks. But you never know how a team will react when a key piece is missing. I'll let you know about 10 PM tonight . . . though I won't click "submit reply" until tomorrow afternoon. ;)

N. C. State vs. Kansas = OK guys, I told you I'd get back to this one. I could see this one being close, start to finish, and I can see the Wolfpack losing it late and blaming the refs for it. They are talented, but not all that deep, and they are prone to get themselves into foul trouble. Plus, they seem to have a tendency to miss their FTs when it matters most, so that's why I feel the whistle will determine the Jayhawks the victors. And understand, this is not a Tar Heel putting down the Wolfpack, either as an ACC rival or due to some sort of "connection" between Lawrence and Chapel Hill (real as that might be). Plus you should also know I fully understand why they are so excited by this down in Raleigh. Not only has it been nearly 30 years since Lorenzo Charles put in that "pass" from Derek Wittenberg at the buzzer, with Jimmy V running around the court looking for somebody to hug 'way back in '83, but it's been nearly as long (1986) since they've even been in a regional final, much less a national one. I would not be shocked if they can harness the emotion and make it to one tonight, but I fear that they (like some here) may be looking past KU at another shot at UNC for a trip to New Orleans. Look past the Jayhawks at your peril, 'Pack . . . they were listed near the top of the rankings all year for a reason, believe it or not.


Can I go out now and have a quick smoke? I need it, for even if Jerry and the Bear are not getting nervous about their game, I'm getting a bit antsy about mine. :tf

[The Poet]

All I'm gonna say is Carolina better win on Friday. I want another crack at em, this time with no ACC refs to be ACC refs.


Well, it wasn't easy, but we got there. So where the hell are you? :confused: :sh


;s I just could not resist that one, Bear. Your Wolfpack had an unexpectedly good season, and managed to a) win 2 ACC tourney games, b) win 2 NCAA tourney games, and c) push the #2-seed Kansas to the brink of elimination. There's no shame, no blame, and plenty of positives there.

Back in a bit with the update.

[The Poet]

If nothing else, last night's games were fascinating, and often for differing reasons:


Baylor 75 - Xavier 70 = The Bears showed you how much talent they possess, and Xavier showed you how a team is supposed to play together. They were tougher and more feisty than was Baylor, but just didn't have enough horses to get them past the wackos from Waco. Yet give the Bears some credit too, for making the plays they needed to make when they needed to make them.

North Carolina 73 - Ohio 65 (OT) = This one shook out about the way I felt (read, "feared") it would, though it didn't start out that way. My Heels jumped out to a big lead early, but then the Bobcats got over their nerves and started hitting from deep. In the meanwhile, Barnes could not hit the side of a barn from inside or out, yet this fact did not deter him from chucking. As I hoped, the game hinged off the boards . . . Ohio got 28 rebounds, and UNC got 33 MORE than that. Had they not also had 24 TOs, this would not have been close. The good news is that Stilman White had none of them in 32 minutes. The bad news is that he's not Kendall Marshall. The important news is the Tar Heels survived and advanced.

Kentucky 102 - Indiana 90 = What was this, an ABA matchup between the Colonels and the Pacers? Yeah, it was fun to watch, if you don't care if nobody plays any defense whatsoever. OK, that's not fair . . . for a short time in the 2nd half the Hoosiers did play a little D to keep themselves on the edge of tying the game, or even regaining the lead. Then both teams started running and gunning again, and the 'Cats kept away. The athleticism was impressive, and the lack of fundamentals was astounding. When was the last time you saw an Indiana team that didn't box out? Kentucky may be unbeatable this year in any case, but in a track meet like this they almost certainly are.

Kansas 60 - N. C. State 57 = This was a hard-fought between the overachieving Wolfpack and the underachieving Jayhawks, which was fun but ugly, especially on the offensive end. KU was bad from the field and worse from the line, while State was absolutely horrid from the floor and not enought better at the line to make up the difference. And unlike my prediction, it was the 'Hawks who were Brick Choke from the stripe late, giving the 'Pack a chance to swipe the W away. And they had their shot too . . . or would have had their shot, had they not shot themselves in the foot when said foot stepped out of bounds without getting off that shot. Still, they had a despairation heave at the buzzer . . . or would have had a better one, had the pass been better. All in all, it was an ugly win for Kansas, which is pereferable to the ugly loss the Wolfpack suffered.


Back a little later to preview the regional finals.

[The Poet]

Two teams will punch their tickets to New Orleans today, and two more tomorrow. First off will be the West Regional final:


Florida vs. Louisville = It is amazing how similar these two teams have played this year, as both have had huge wins and horrible losses. As I'd stated before, it's Forrest Gump's box of chocolates here, so the issue is uncertain depending on what team you get coming out of the lockerrooms. I do think the Gators have a talent edge, and the Cardinals maybe a slight chemistry edge. As for the coaching, I feel it is pretty much a wash, since Donovan's just a younger version of Pitino. I do think Florida played better in their last game than did Louisville, for even though the Cards knocked the region's top-seed out, that was more a factor of extremely bad play on the part of the Spartans. I believe that Vegas is giving Pitino the slim edge, but I think this is a real good opportunity for Donovan to get back in the Finals.


In the East Regional final:


Ohio State vs. Syracuse = I'm not sure the Orange could have found much a worse matchup in their region for this game. The Buckeyes can shoot from outside, have big men and slashers who can take advantage of the rebounding weaknesses of the 'Cuse, and their PG is Craft-y enough to get into the gaps of that zone and create, either for himself or others. Plus, at the other end, he can create havoc and force turnovers, many of which can lead to scoring opportunites before Boeheim's kids can get back. Sure, getting open shots and hitting them are two different things, but I could also see OSU getting 10 or 15 buckets off stickbacks following misses. This might be the best chance you have for seeing a 2 knock off a 1-seed . . . or maybe not. :D


Tomorrow will round out the action before championship weekend, beginning with the South Regional final:


Baylor vs. Kentucky = So far the Wildcats have given me no reason to believe anybody is going to beat them. But Baylor has given me some reason to believe they may have the talent to play with them. The question will remain as to whether or not they can harness that talent into sufficient teamwork to pull off the upset. Rest assured, it would be an upset if this 3-seed could send the overall top-seed back to Lexington before Calipari even gets the chance to play for his first trophy. However, although I might be surprised by it, I would not be stunned. Not only could the Bears run up and down at least as well as did the Hoosiers last night, it is always possible that UK could have a bad night. Hey, their bigs had some early foul trouble last night, if you recall, and if IU had not had similar problems with baby brother Cody Zeller, they may have been able to pound it inside more to create even bigger problems for the 'Cats. Still, I need end how I began: If you plan to beat Kentucky, you need to show me first.


In the Midwest Regional final:


Kansas vs. North Carolina = Well, you could not ask for much bluer a blueblood matchup than this one, pitting two of the most storied programs in college hoops against each other. Last night the Heels struggled without Kendall Marshall at the helm, yet did what they needed to do to survive. In the nightcap, the Jayhawks did much the same against the upstart Wolfpack, despite the fact that THEIR PG Taylor was only slightly more effective than was a suited-and-tied Marshall for UNC. Bottom line, neither team played all that well. If they both play equally crappy ball Sunday, I'd give my Heels the slight edge. If both improve fairly equally, I'd also give UNC that same slim edge. But if Harrison Barnes has as awful a night as his NCAAs have been so far, and if Zeller, Bullock, Hairston, and McAdoo can't make up for his poor shooting, and if KU can improve somewhat over the putrid shooting percentage against NCSU, then it's back to Chapel Hill for Roy's boys.


That's how I see it, anyway. Feel free to stick your :2 in here . . . or not, for all I care. Me, I'm just glad I'm not trying to watch these games from a hospital recovery room, the way I was this time last year. :r But pipe up or pipe out, in either case enjoy.

[jcruse64]

The Cards are in the Final 4. Took a licking through most of the game, and had serious foul troubles, with Siva fouling out and others at 3-4 not so late in the game. Then, the switch came on, and they took the lead, then the win. The 3 point shot failed the Gators at the worst time.

OSU gets the win against 'Cuse. Can't say I like either to win, but did not think 'Cuse would get this far.

[jcruse64]

The game was not too exciting after the 7 minute mark, really, but the Cats get the win and the Final 4 invite over Baylor. Through the 1st couple of minutes, I really thought we had a classic fight on our hands, and that Baylor was the team with the horses to run with UK. Then...they were down 20 points. Gotta say I was surprised Calipari played Davis so much after he banged the knee up, but he's saying they were trying to help keep it loose.

Did not get to see game 2, but it appears that KU had a heck of a run to seal the game. Again, I'm way, far away from being a Tarheel fan, but I wanted to see all the kids playing here; everyone has worked hard to get here and it's a shame to see someone get hurt and not get their shot to shine. Also hate to see 2 great teams hit the floor and one is not at their full strength, no matter who they are.


UK; UL; OSU; KU. May the best team win (hope it's the Cats :D)

Kind of wish UL was running into UK from the other side of the brackets. An all KY final would be slick, IMO.

[longknocker]

Go Kentucky! At Least I Have One Pick In The Final Four! All The Way!:banger

[Stevez]

Go CARDS! This team has really gutted it out this year and used solid defense to make it a lot further than most would have expected. Even me and I'm a season ticket holder and long, long time Cardinal fan. I just love the grit that this team has and look forward to a rematch with the Cats. Kentucky is stacked again this year and it will be a huge uphill climb, but I'm pulling for the Cards. Steve:noon

[jledou]

KU shot better and took advantage of UNC's injury to move on ... Next up a rematch with a full Ohio State squad ... going to be a tougher time than they had in Lawrence earlier this season.

Best news on schedule for next Saturday ... The OSU/KU game starts after my daughter's dance competition :noon

[The Poet]

As most of you know, even those who only start paying attention to college hoops come Selection Sunday, we have the Final Four slated to do battle down in Nawlins. Results of regional finals Saturday:


Louisville 72 - Florida 68 = I am a bit surprised to see that Pitino's team has gotten this far, but I am not surprised to see they managed to beat the Gators. Neither team has been great all year, yet when you have a 4-seed facing a 7-seed you gotta figure it could be anybody's game. As for the game, it was fairly well-played on both sides, and close enough to remain exciting. I'm not a follower of the expressed opinion of many, who claim Donovan was outcoached at the end, andthis is the reason the Cards took it away from them late to advance. To my knowledge, Billy-boy hasn't taken a shot in competition for a loooong time, and it was his players who could not hold onto the lead. Congratulations to Louisville, and good luck in their meeting with the Wildcats . . . I think they are going to need it.

Ohio State 77 - Syracuse 70 = I am NOT surprised to see the Buckeyes got this far, just as I am not surprised to see the Orange exit before the finals. Shoot, I'm actually more surprised they didn't bow out a little sooner. Sully played well for OSU, but to me the key was Aaron Craft, who seemed totally unfased by Boeheim's zone, driving the gaps fearlessly to either make the dish down low or the kick to the open shooters. Congratulations to the Buckeyes.


On Sunday:


Kentucky 82 - Baylor 70 = If you saw this game, you know it was not nearly as close as that final score. The Bears managed to play better than the Wildcats for about 5 minutes to begin the game, then were totally outclassed for the rest of the game. Davis got his knee banged up a bit, yet still played better than anybody from Baylor, with the possible exception of Acy. And that still left a half-dozen 'Cats clawing all over the court. I did see a little more defense in this one than in their previous matchup with the Hoosiers, though that may have been more a function of the Bears' not running and gunning to IU's extent. Congratulations to Kentucky, although that may be a bit premature of me, for they and their fans will not be satisfied with anything less than all the marbles.

Kansas 80 - North Carolina 67 = And if you saw this game, you know it was a LOT closer than that final score. Both teams played an exceptional first half, and both shot the lights out, going into the break tied at 47-up. I was especially impressed at how well the Heels played without Kendall Marshall, althought they still could not get the ball down low to Zeller and Henson nearly enough. Still, they were only down one point with 4 minutes left, plus they had the ball. From that point, the loss of Marshall was most keenly felt, as they were unable to make any offensive plays whatsoever. That is where the game got away from them, and where the Jayhawks moved away. Congratulations to Kansas for a good win, even despite the extenuating circumstances. Hey, bad breaks happen, and in this case it was literally one.


I'll let you guys fight it out amongst yourselves for a day or three before I preview the big weekend in the Big Easy. Until later then, enjoy the downtime. :D

[OLS]

GDMF Calipari! Ba$tard.

OK, got that out of my system. For the sake of our host from the Shack, I am pulling hard for the Buckeyes tonight.
Let's hope they play well and win this one big. I also need them to obliterate Kentucky. I can't figure out how they can
get it done, been a while since I have seen a gigantor like Kentucky has going on. Just unbelievable shooting and
athleticism. And not fer nuttin, Kensas narrowly beat Memphis to win the championship a couple years ago, and it pi$$ed
me off. so I really don't want to see them in the final. Go Buckeyes!!! There's the tip....

[The Poet]

Go Buckeyes!!! There's the tip....


And there's the lane violation with 2.8 seconds left. :r


;s , but I just couldn't resist. Besides, as I watched that OSU/KU game, I was constantly astounded that Aaron Craft kept palming the ball on each and every possession, and was not whistled for it. WTF? Don't get me wrong, I like the kid and the way he plays, and I don't totally hate the Buckeyes either (I don't LIKE them, but I don't totally HATE them). Still, rules is rules.

Tonight's championship game of KU/UK is not one bit kooky, as both are among the elite programs in the nation. This is the first time we've had this since 2009, with UNC/MSU, since Butler's butted in the last two years. ;) I reckon one has to give the edge to the Wildcats, but like most of the nation I'll be pulling for the Jayhawks tonight. Aside from the obvious reasons, I'll only quote from last night's episode of Family Guy:


Kentucky is a state,
Kentucky is a state,
Everybody's there's a dick,
Kentucky is a state.


:D


Of course, I suppose I could counter that with a recent one from Bill Maher:


I love March Madness, the only place where you'll ever hear the phrase "Kansas is advancing."


Hey, you gotta admit, that's :r

[jledou]

15 minutes left ... I don't get the feeling we are going to pull this one back to even a respectable game. Congratulations to Kentucky and I can't say it wasn't a better season for KU than was predicted at the beginning of the season so not really a disappointment.

We will have some holes to fill again next year so we will see.

Rock Chalk!

[Theo Cincy]

Go CATS!!! RESPECTFULLY OF COURSE. T ROB is a great player and young man. Best of luck

[The Poet]

Congratulations to the Kentucky Wildcats for winning the national championship over Kansas in New Orleans last night. Celebrations in Lexington got a bit out of hand afterwards, with numerous fires and arrests as many fans lost their heads, but so far only one has lost his foot . . . that being the man who was shot in the leg and had said appendage amputated today. This is the first national championship for the Wildcats since 1998, which is a great relief for them. Next on their list will be the ending of their losing streak to produce a Rhodes Scholar, as the last one was back in 1955. :D


When John Calipari first accepted the job at Kentucky, about a week after he told the world he had absolutely no intention of leaving Memphis, I proposed that the odds were about 50/50 as to which would come first . . . another national championship banner in Rupp Arena, or another bout of probation for the program from the NCAA. Cal dodged that particular bullet in his first season, with John Wall's problems following illicit AAU funding and Eric Bledsoe's investigation for academic fraud at his Alabama high school, where his math grades miraculously jumped from a C- to an A within a few months. Cal also dodged the bullet in his second season, what with all that "Free Enes" nonsense which followed said player's disqualification due to monies he received from a Turkish pro team for which he played. Cal also dodged a bullet in this his third season in Lexington, at least for now, when the reports from a Chicago newspaper alledging that super-freshman Anthony Davis has received $200,000 from UK to sign their letter-of-intent was quashed by the legal team from the university. And so, to date anyway, he has managed to end up on the plus-side of the bargain he struck with the loyal Kentucky fans.


Again, congratulations to UK, their coach, their team, and their fans. I have enjoyed posting my garbage on this thread from roughly Halloween to April Fools Day, and I hope you too have . . . enjoyed. ;)

[SD Beerman]

Thank You for all your work.

[The Poet]

Thank You for all your work.



It was nothing . . . and too often, quite literally. :r

[jcruse64]

Boy, did Johnny C have that "deer in the headlights" look in the last 6 minutes or so?????? Reliving some bad memories, no doubt. As a UK fan, I'm glad they won and brought the trophy back to Lexington for another season. As a KU hater, I'm glad to see the Jayhawks go down. But I sure give them credit; those kids have learned how to hold on till the last second; well...last 2.8 seconds.

Once again, Calipari was mostly out-coached, but this time, most of the free throws went down when needed, and the talent carried them on. 2 minutes into H2 and I'm scratching my head. 6 minutes in, and I'm shouting at my TV, "Take your foot off the brake pedal, Cal!!!!!!!" You build a double-digit lead in H1 with the heat, then hook your studs to a buggy and insist on a Sunday drive for H2?!?!?!?!?!? He's not going to be able to put this kind of team on the floor, year in and year out. He'd better learn to coach a little better.

Here's to a fun season, and I'm ready for the next one. Both Prohm and Caanan will be returning to Murray State for the 2012-2013 season, and I gotta go get some season tickets!!!!!

[jcruse64]

Well, season's over, and now the recruiting wars for player and for coaches.

UK got its replacement for Davis, it appears, but did not get Shabbazz, who is going to the Bruins.

Son Of Ricky P is going off to his first head coach gig, replacing Isaiah Thomas at FIU, Probably couldn't do any worse.

Here at home, rumors are again swirling that Mississippi State is prowling after Murray State coach Prohm, even after he signed a new deal with the Racers.

[The Poet]

UK got its replacement for Davis, it appears, but did not get Shabbazz, who is going to the Bruins.


As for Shabbazz, keep in mind that a few weeks ago the NCAA warned every school that they were looking into Mohammad for possible violations regarding his time with AAU teams and possible payments made to him from them, and thus he might be found ineligible.

As for UK's replacement for Davis, I assume you mean Noel. I am curious as to what folks in Kentucky made of that story from him that, down in New Orleans during the Final Four, some UK alumnus told the kid that if he signed with the Wildcats he could take his wife home that night.

Hey, I don't make this stuff up . . . I leave that to others. :r

[never_enough]

As for Shabbazz, keep in mind that a few weeks ago the NCAA warned every school that they were looking into Mohammad for possible violations regarding his time with AAU teams and possible payments made to him from them, and thus he might be found ineligible.

As for UK's replacement for Davis, I assume you mean Noel. I am curious as to what folks in Kentucky made of that story from him that, down in New Orleans during the Final Four, some UK alumnus told the kid that if he signed with the Wildcats he could take his wife home that night.

Hey, I don't make this stuff up . . . I leave that to others. :r

I'm a UK fan, and I 100% believe someone said that to him................and it probably won't be the last time.

Some UK fans are REALLY crazy!!!:r

[The Poet]

I'm a UK fan, and I 100% believe someone said that to him................and it probably won't be the last time.

Some UK fans are REALLY crazy!!!:r



Well, d'uh! :r


And doubtless more than one of them's named Ashley. ;)

[tupacboy]

woot bruins with #1 recruiting class.. :)

[The Poet]

woot bruins with #1 recruiting class.. :)


Well, let's hope they landed a point guard who's able to play, for as this Tar Heel can tell you, He Who Shall Remain Nameless II cannot do the job for them. :r