Scores of note - to me, in any case, last night:
Pittsburgh 73 - Providence 71 = Regular readers of this space (if there are any) may recall my mention in the past of "bad wins." Here we go again. A performance like this won't get the Panthers very far, in either the Big East or NCAA Tourneys.
Michigan State 67 - Penn State 65 = And here's some more of the same, but worse. OK, so maybe the Nuttin'ly Lions have been playing a bit better the last few weeks, but still, jeez.
Richmond 60 - Dayton 56 = I don't care if the Spiders are a game back of Temple and Xavier in the A-10. I don't care if you think the A-10 should not get 3 bids. If Richmond does not receive one, considering what they've done and who they have beaten, there is no freakin' justice.
Arizona State 59 - USC 54 = And I really don't much care if the Pac-10 is down this year. If the Sun Devils don't get in too, as well as California . . . even if a third team wins the bid in their tourney . . . when a dozen teams from never-have-and-never-will conferences get an automatic, there's even less justice. Shoot, 21 wins in a bad Pac-10 is worth as much as 50 wins in some Mickey Mouse collection of crap schools with crap teams in crap conferences who's only reason for existence is getting this one-and-done check from the NCAA every year. Just
, but I'm right.
There is a lot of action this evening, mostly in conference tourney action (Colonial, Ohio Valley, West Coast, Southern, Missouri Valley), and some of these games are amongst groups of programs who do NOT fall under the umbrella of my rant above. But there is one game bigger than any of these others this evening, and that is:
Cornell vs. Brown = Here is Big Red's first shot to grab that first slot on The Dancecard. A win against Brown, or losses by Haa'vad and Princeton, will give them the Ivy, and the automatic.
The games tomorrow with an early tip-off time include:
Georgetown vs. Cincinnati = The Hoyas need to right their ship if they want to make more than a squeek in the NCAAs. The Bearcats need to right theirs if they want a check or two from the NIT folks. As both are struggling AND needy, this one could be pretty close.
Villanova vs. West Virginia = The winner here could win themselves a 2-seed. The loser could get themselves a 4-seed. And that works either way, my brothers. Should be a war, and if both show up it will be one.
Florida State vs. Miami = The Seminoles are tied with two other ACC teams for 3rd with a 9-6 conference mark. Since there is always a chance that some team below them will take the ACC Tourney, and get the automatic, these 3 need all the cushion they can get to earn an at-large. They should be able to handle the 'Canes, but you never know until the horn sounds.
Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma = A&M is safely in, and Oklahoma's safely out. But the Aggies would LOVE to get off that 5 or 6-line and move up to a 4-seed. They'll need to do well in the Big 12 tourney, and will need some help too, in order to accomplish that, but they can start here . . . and they'd better, too.
Talk at you tomorrow. Until then . . . enjoy.