There were a few surprises last night, and even one huge upset:
Seton Hall 90 - Syracuse 68 = And in the Carrier Dome, no less! I did not think there was a chance in hell the Pirates could beat the Orange, no matter where they played the game. Yet for them to whip up on them like this, it's totally unbelievable. But the Hall hit 10 threes, and even outrebounded the 'Cuse . . . for which there's only one excuse. Need I say it again? Boeheim's zone will win him many games, but will turn and bite him in the @$$ from time to time. This makes the third time in a row, and as they travel to Marquette and U. Conn next, it still may not be over.
Georgia Tech 72 - Virginia Tech 57 = This one is nearly as big a surprise. I know the Wreck has played a few good games . . . hey, they wrecked my Heels not long ago . . . but the Hokies have been playing consistently better. And I could more easily accept a close victory down in Hot 'Lanta, but a 15-point one? You can't make this $#!+ up.
Lipscomb 73 - Belmont 64 = Here again, I'm surprised that the Bisons gored the Bruins. Belmont is a better team, so for them to lose by 3 full possessions shocks me.
Ohio State 87 - Purdue 64 = OK, so maybe this isn't as big a shock as the others. One might have expected the Buckeyes to win, even if not by such a margin. However, the Boilermakers have had the tendency to struggle from the field. Last night they shot under 40%, and OSU grabbed more defensive rebounds than Purdue had in total.
Kansas 82 - Colorado 78 = But this one's no surprise at all. The Jayhawks bounce back from their loss to Texas, and yet the Buffaloes hung tough too. All in all, as good a game as you could reasonably expect.
Florida 104 - Georgia 91 (2OT) = Pretty much the same story here, and an even tighter contest. The Gators needed a good win, and the Bulldogs wanted one too.
U. Conn 76 - Marquette 68 = Another pretty decent conference game, and a nice road victory for the Huskies.
Clemson 60 - N.C. State 50 = But this one, not so much. The margin is close enough, I suppose, but for these guys to score so poorly does not speak well of their offensive capabilities. And no, although I did not see the game, I will not believe it was caused by their tenacious defenses.
Richmond 70 - Dayton 61 = This is a little more like it. The Spiders get an important A-10 victory on the road, and stay within reach of the league lead at 5-1.
Florida Gulf Coast 111 - Stetson 103 (3OT) = Wow. Wanna bet those guys slept good last night?
There are many good conference matchups tonight, and I can't post them all. Here are two handfuls which jumped out at me:
Louisville vs. West Virginia = Both of these teams have played well, and played poorly. If both come in focused, and they both have good reason to do so, this could be a war.
Drexel vs. James Madison = Another of those big games in a small conference. The CAC seems to have twice as many teams who deserve a bid to the NCAA than they will likely receive, so each win counts hugely.
Georgetown vs. St. John's = The Red Storm have shown great improvement over past seasons, and are capable of beating the Hoyas, even down in DC. In fact, they are actually a 1/2-game ahead of Georgetown in the Big Mouth at this point. But honestly, I don't think they will be so tomorrow. Well, truth be told, I KNOW they won't, one way or the other.
East Carolina vs. Southern Mississippi = These two are not the usual suspects in the CUSA, but they both are still in the race. Considering how badly they'd like to stay there, this one should be fun.
Villanova vs. Providence = The Wildcats are coming off a huge victory over Syracuse. The Friars are coming of an even bigger one, for them anyway, over Loiuisville. Though this one is in Rhode Island, I don't think the home court will be a deciding factor. If 'Nova shows up, this one won't be close. If Providence does, and 'Nova struggles even a bit, it just might. But don't bet on that, for sure.
Texas vs. Oklahoma State = The Cowboys have played very well at time, yet have had problems in conference play. The Longhorns just got one of the biggest wins in their history, yet this is the traditional time of the year when they start to crash and burn. If you're anywhere near Stillwater tonight, you know where you should be. This one will either be a romp by the 'Horns, or a real barnburner.
North Carolina vs. Miami = One so-called "expert" has cited a report from Chapel Hill that the Tar Heels are "close to turning the corner". I don't know what the hell that means, and I won't believe it anyway until I see it on the court. The only good sign I've seen lately is the improved play of freshman gruad Kendall Marshall, and subsequent increased minutes granted by Roy. The Heels will likely need at least 6 more conference wins to grab a bid in March. They'd better get one of them against the bottom-feeding 'Canes in Coral Gables tonight.
LSU vs. Tennessee = The Tigers were not supposed to challenge in the SEC this season, and so far they've accomplished precisely that. The Vols were supposed to have at least a shot at challenging Kentucky, and so far they have repeatedly disappointed expectations. I have little faith in either of these teams, so flip a coin.
Murray State vs. SIU Edwardsville = As important as it is for my Heels to win some conference games against the bottom-feeders, it is much more important for Joe's Racers to do so. This should be a spanking, and if not, shame on them.
Minnesota vs. Northwestern = The Golden Gophers just lost their point guard to injury, so if there's any time for the Wise'Cats to pounce on them, it is tonight. They are in general not as good a team, but they don't suck, and the Gophers may have problems adjusting with Al Nolen cheering from the bench while nursing his broken foot.
SMU vs. Tulsa = Here's two teams with a bit of history (some good, some bad) which are trying desperately to remain better than .500 squads. This one could get nasty.
Rutgers vs. Cincinnati = The Bearcats have home court, and a better team. The Scarlet Knights are probably still a year or two away. But hey, if Providence can beat Louisville, and Seton Hall beat Syracuse, then Rutgers can beat Cincy . . . right?
Rhode Island vs. LaSalle = The Rams have beated good teams, and have lost to crappy ones. The Billikens are a crappy team. As above, who knows?
Creighton vs. Northern Iowa = Both of these teams are decent, and both are chasing teams above them in the Missouri Valley. If this one is not close, I'd be shocked.
San Diego State vs. BYU = And we end the day with a game I've been looking forwards to all month. The Aztecs is the only other undefeated team left in the country (other than the Buckeyes, that is), and their remaining schedule does not offer them the challenges OSU will face. But here is one of them. Although I don't believe the 19-1 Cougars are truly the 9th best team in the nation, I do know they can give the 20-0 and 4th-ranked Aztecs as much as they can handle . . . especially at home. Ultimately, this game in Provo may not provo anything, one way or the other, but it still should be of interest to any college hoops fan.
That's all for now. See you tomorrow, if I don't get snowed in. Until then . . . enjoy.