[The Poet]

Well, what do you know? I managed to get a few right last night:

Tennessee 63 - Alabama 56 = As I thought, the Vols got the W, but did not spank the Tide.

Georgia Tech - Clemson 64 = And this was the battle I predicted, coming down to a pair of FTs with 2 ticks left.

Boston College 79 - Miami 75 = And another war here too. Man, am I good!

Texas A&M 65 - Oklahoma 62 = The hits just keep on coming. I said Aggies by two possessions or so . . . so, is 3 points one, or one-and-a-half?

Purdue 84 - Illinois 78 = OK, here maybe I slipped a bit. I figured the Boilermakers would stomp Illinois, and they didn't. But hey, a W's a W, right?

Ohio State 76 - Northwestern 56 = OK, here maybe I slipped a lot. Though I did not give the Buckeyes an official nod, I did favor them in my heart . . . but not by 20 points. Yet the Wildcats need take much of the blame here, as nobody can figure out what they are. First they win 9 inna row to get people interested, then they lose 2, win 2, then L - W - L. Sheesh, you guys are supposed to be smart, so will you please make up your minds?

Wichita State 60 - Northern Iowa 51 = Help me out here, fellas, since I've lost count. How many times already this season has a team crept into the polls only to immediately fall on their face? It's getting so it's expected.

Tonight there are a goodly number of decent and meaningful games of note:

Michigan State vs. Iowa = Well, maybe not this one. The Spartans should own the Hawkeyes. But it is a conference game anyway.

Temple vs. Xavier = So is this one, and both are unbeaten in the A-10. That ends tonight, and it should be a hoot. The Owls have been a bit more consistent, but the X-men have the talent to take them.

Pittsburgh vs. Georgetown = Do I really need to say anything here? Panthers/Hoyas. There it is.

UNC vs. Wake Forest = And I have no idea what to say here either, but for different reasons. On paper the Tar Heels have as much talent as anyone else in the nation, and should dominate the Deacs. Their problem, however, is that the game is played on hardwood, not on paper, and they haven't been doing that . . . playing, I mean.

Texas Tech vs. Iowa State = Tech's national ranking disappeared a long time ago, and they are presently 0-3 in conference play. I expect that ends tonight.

BYU vs. Wyoming = The Cougars are ranked #14, with an 18-1 record . . . which tells you two things. Imprimis, they should own Wyoming. Secundus, nobody much cares.

Villanova vs. Rutgers = Imprimis above holds here for these felines over the Knights. However, being the Bid East, a lotta people care.

Auburn vs. LSU = These are both 0-3 in the SEC. I'm willing to bet that one of them get off the snide this evening.

Kansas vs. Baylor = When you're counting up those "rank" losers re my question re Northern Iowa above, don't forget the Bears. The Jayhawks should add to their pain, and then some.

Wisconsin vs. Michigan = The Badgers have not been playing as well as most expected, while the Wolverines have started to do better. This one just might be a blast.

Mississippi vs. South Carolina = And don't be too shocked if the Gamecocks give Ole Miss a cocky game also. I won't call the upset, but don't give too many points away.

Duke vs. N. C. State = Ehhhhh, as much as I'd like to give the Wolfpack a shot in this one, I really cannot do so. They have played better than I thought they would, but so has Dook . . . and I though the Devils were decent to begin with. However, stranger things have happened.

West Virginia vs. Marshall = And I'm not giving you this one simply because the Mountaineers are ranked, or because it is a non-conference in-state rivalry matchup. Maybe you don't know it, but the Thundering Herd is 15-2 (10-0 at home, 4-0 in CUSA play), plus they have a 6' 11" freshman hight Hassan Whiteside who averages 5.6 blocks/game. When you have a force like that in the paint, anything can happen.

Enjoy.