[quote=The Poet;1065129]

# 25 San Diego State 79 - # 11 Gonzaga 76 = Here's one that shocks me. I mean no diss to the Aztecs, despite my predictions regarding them, but the Zags just don't lose games like this in Spokane. What factor the loss to injury of their star forward Elias Harris late in the game was to Gonzaga getting nipped, I can't say. But if they have lost him for a good portion of the season, and if their performance here is a true indication, the Zags may have a longer (or would that be shorter?) season than they are accustomed to. As for the Aztecs, good for you. Keep it up.

I've been watching the Aztecs for several years and they have been getting better over the last few. I watched that game and they led the entire game. They kept Harris down all game. And winning in Spokane says a lot about this team. Hopefully they can keep it going.:-)
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Well, they were certainly better than Few that night. :-)


My Heels are rapidly approaching the century mark, and Hofstra just bested 50. Meanwhile, in other Old North State action, Moo You and Eazy Teasy are in one tight war, at least in the first stanza. A few will get that joke.
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Final: UNC 107- Hofstra 63. Nothing to brag about, but better than their first game, for sure.


I'm out. Later.
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Before I get into scores and schedules, there's one sizable story to present. The SEC has suspended Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl for the first 8 conference games for "violating NCAA rules and misleading investigators". It is important to note that this is a move by the SEC commissioner, persuant to his authority to do so, and will NOT preclude any additional or more severe future sanctions which the NCAA itself may impose, following the conclusion of their own investigations.


Some of the other scores from yesterday not yet covered, which jumped out at me:


# 3 Kansas State 76 - Presbyterian 67 = Good lord. Presbyterian? Are you kiddin' me? Talk about your bad wins. For at least the next month, I don't wanna hear any K-State fans cryin' that they ain't gettin' no respect.

# 5 Pitt 79 - Maryland 70 = Now here is a good 9-point win for you.

Texas 90 - # 13 Illinois 84 = And here's an even better 6-point one for the Longhorns.

# 15 Missouri 66 - Western Illinois 61 = Well, at least one team from the Land of Lincoln showed up to play. Or maybe the Big 12 ain't nearly as big as it thinks it is.

Santa Clara 66 - Rice 65 = One nice tight victory for Santa Clara here. It's not the biggest win the Broncos have ever had, but it's a good one nonetheless.

Iona 81 - Richmond 77 (2OT) = And here's an even nicer, tighter win for the Gaels over the Spiders.


So far today, West Virginia has sent Vandy packing from Puerto Rico, 74-71, while ODU's dispatched St. Peter's 59-52. Neither game was high-powered, but both were competitive. In action to follow:

# 1 Duke vs. Colgate = Colgate? Hey, everybody eats some cupcakes in November, I realize that. But I took a look at Dook's non-conference schedule, and they aren't playing much of anybody all year! OK, after this they have Marquette and Oregon, then Michigan State and Butler, then Bradley, St. Louis, Elon, UNC-G, UAB, St, John's, Temple . . . yes, there are a few tests in there, but mostly they are pop-quizzes.

# 5 Pitt vs. Texas = Now here, here we have us a game. Let's see if the Longhorns can build upon their "upset" of the Illini, or if the Panthers keep moving beyond their win against the Terps.

# 7 Kansas vs. North Texas = Ehhhhh. Pass.

# 8 UNC vs. Minnesota = This will be the Heels first real test. Seems that Roy Williams wants to run again. If the Gophers try to do so, heels may be all they see, all night long. But if they can control the pace and limit the possessions, they could keep the score lower and have at least a decent shot.

# 11 (for now) Illinois vs. Maryland = Here are two good teams, both coming off of painful losses. It shapes up to be a total war.

# 12 Kentucky vs. Portland = As would you, I'd expect this one to be over early.

N.C. State vs. George Mason = This pits the darling of the 2006 NCAA Tourney against a previous one . . . if anyone beside me is old enough to remember 1983. I'd expect the Wolfpack to have about as easy a time as they did yesterday against ECTC, but with young talent one can never tell.

Xavier vs. Iowa = And this matches a perennial mid-major factor against a perennial Big Ten non-factor. Still, it could be reasonably close.


I saw no early Saturday games of much interest, so I will wait until noonish to report. Until then . . . enjoy.
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At the half, Illinois over Maryland 40-36. Just about what you'd expect.
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Illini up 10, but still 7 minutes to go.
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At the half NC State over Geo. Mason 45-38. Meanwhile, Hofstra at the break leads Western Kentucky 24-21 . . . perhaps on a late 35-yard fieldgoal kick.
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Gophers knock off the Tarheels. Didn't see the game, but from what I've read, Sampson and Mbakwe were all over the place. This is the 3rd straight year Tubby has knocked off a top 10 team. Could they make a big run this year? Who knows? But I'll bet it's fun to watch. :-)
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Yes they did, and congrats to the Gophers for a big win. It is NOT the "stunning upset" some reports want us to believe, however. Minnesota is always a tough Big Ten team, and Tubby an excellent coach (one who keeps getting run outta town for no damn good reason, it seems). The Gophers kept the score low enough to handle, with a LOT of help from the Heels. There were only 14 fewer shots taken collectively than in UNC's rout of Hofstra, but the Heels couldn't hit $#!+. For instance, "super-freshman" Harrison Barnes took 12 shots, and hit none. Here's why I don't buy into hype. Minnesota may deserve at least some credit for that . . . like Wanger, I did not watch it. Minnesota could very well have a nice, if not big, run this season. As for Carolina, they may progress into a good team, just as Barnes may become a great player. Neither is the case for now.

In other action yesterday:

# 5 Pitt 68 - Texas 66 = The Longhorns may have shown they are for real, despite the loss. Pitt hasn't shown they are a #5 team yet, and this provides no additional evidence. It's a good win for them, but that's about all you can say.

# 13 Illinois 80 - Maryland 76 = Pretty much the same story here. It's a nice bounce-back victory for the Illini, but a second painful loss by the Terps indicates just about as much of their abilities. Remember, they are still trying to adjust to life after Vasquez.

Rhode Island 75 - Charleston 66 = Man, I don't know how I missed this one. Two good mid-majors, head-to-head? It was bound to be a nice game.

Kent State 78 - Furman 74 (OT) = But nobody could have predicted this one, so gimme a pass here.

Mississippi State 76 - Appalachian State 74 = In Starksville, no less! And remember, the Mountaineers beat Tulsa in Oklahoma in their opener. Maybe the Southern Conference is getting another dawg in the pound.

ODU 59 - St. Peter's 52 = Games like this, especially early in the season, interest me. Are either of these teams any good, or are they both crap? That's part of the fun.

Xavier 86 - Iowa 73 = But you can almost always expect the X-men to field a decent squad. When a mid-major beats a team from a "big" conference by double-digits, it means something . . . even if it is the Hawkeyes.


Let's move on to contests today. These, for various reasons, pop out:


# 4 Ohio State vs. N.C. Wilmington = Yeah, OK. Well, I guess they both have to play somebody, right?

# 6 Villanova vs. Lafayette = " " . " , " " " " " " " " , " ?

# 15 Missouri vs. North Florida = North Florida? There's a NORTH Florida? Who'da thunk?

# 16 Butler vs. Ball State = Butler wants to rebound from their spanking in Louisville. Ball State may be in for a long day. Yet Butler may be in for a considerably shorter season.

# 25 San Diego State vs. Wisc. Green Bay = I'm not gonna pick against the Aztecs again, until they show me something otherwise. That goes twice today.

# 23 BYU vs. Chicago State = The Cougars will win this game against the Cougars, and will NOT post a boastful taunt on their scoreboard afterwards. And yes, I know this is "out-of-order" re the rankings, but I have my reason. Namely . . .

Utah State vs. Southern Utah = The Aggies were the target of said taunt, after their loss the other night to BYU, where they were encouraged to enjoy it. But here's the odd thing that struck me: Is Utah State not allowed out of the state of Utah for some reason? They opened against Weber St., lost that BYU game, play SU today, then face Utah. WTF?

Wisconsin vs. UNLV = Talk about your contrast of programs, not to mention universities! The Badgers love to plod along, and welcome all the contact. The Rebels want to be . . . well, Runnin' . . . and the only contact that interests them is with an agent. :-)

UAB vs. Arizona State = These two want to move up in the world. UAB has been there (sort of) in the past, and the Sun Devils got a tiny taste that ended bitterly last season. Might be a nice tight contest.

Dayton vs. Mississippi = Hey, I could say much the same thing about this one. So, I won't. Why repeat myself?


I'll take a break now, and come back with some Sunday games to keep your eyes on, plus maybe an update of afternoon action.
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There are some scores from today already, but aside from Siena taking Northeastern the only one of note is Butler handling Ball State handily, leading by about 20 midway thru the 2nd. As for Sunday, there are more games with potential than we'll see today:


# 8 (for now) UNC vs. Vanderbilt = We will see if the Heels learned their lesson from the Gophers, and show up to handle the Comms.

# 9 Florida vs. Morehead State = Should be over by the half, but you've got to watch the supposed "good" teams in these, just to see what they have . . . if anything.

# 10 Syracuse vs. William & Mary = Ditto.

# 14 Purdue vs. Oakland = Ibid.

# 19 Memphis vs. LSU = This one's a harder call. Memphis had problems with Miami, but LSU lost to powerhouse Nicholls State. Me, I'm betting the farm that the Tigers will win.

# 20 Georgetown vs. N.C. State = OK, now this is more like it. I could see this going down to the wire.

# 22 Va. Tech vs. N.C. Greensboro = And I could see this going south . . . well, actually "north" . . . by the half.

# 25 San Diego State vs. IUPUI = I already told you . . . I'm going with the Aztecs until somebody cuts their hearts out.

Davidson vs. West. Kentucky = Davidson's not what they were, but W Ky. ain't exactly the big boys of that state.

Indiana vs. Evansville = And Indiana's not been what it was in a looooong time, but they are getting closer. This in-state game should get them one step nearer.

Miami vs. Rutgers = Given that nobody knows nuttin' about nobody so far, this one is interesting, as we have no idea at all who these two will be.

Michigan vs. Gardner-Webb = OK, on the surface you might think this one is a gimme for the Wolverines. That could be the case, but remember that Gardner-Webb beat Charlotte, while UM has beaten . . . nobody.

USC vs. New Mexico State = Another of those "who are these guys gonna be" games.

Creighton vs. Iowa State = This just smells like a competitive one to me.

Bradley vs. TCU = I smell that smell again.

ODU vs. Clemson = Sniff sniff.

Minnesota vs. West Virginia = Neither of these teams were forecast to compete in their conference. This may give us some indication if either, or both, can do so.

Xavier vs. Seton Hall = Anytime a good mid-major goes up against a poor big-conference squad, fun things can happen.


That's gonna be about it until Monday, unless some striking news breaks. So until then . . . enjoy.
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No, I'm not late in getting back to this because my Heels dropped their second game in a row Sunday. Rather, these crazy women I work with keep ordering this crap that will never sell . . . German Spatlese Eiswein, semi-sweet reds from that Georgia without the peaches, Armenian brandy in crystal shoes, fer Krissakes! . . . then leave it for me to price and find some freakin' place to put it, usually by moving the crap that will never sell that they bought LAST week! So this one's gonna be quick and dirty, so feel free to add you own insights.


On Saturday 11/20, on my list there was:


Arizona State 69 - UAB 66 = Good showing by both teams.

Campbell 61 - Auburn 54 = They fired my boy Jeff Lebo at the end of last season, after they went 15-17 following their 24-12 campaign the previous year, and gave the task to Tony Barbee. This loss to Campbell was preceeded by ones to N.C. Asheville, and Samford . . . I said SAMford, not Stanford.

Chattanooga 69 - Marshall 68 = Another good game.

Dayton 78 - Ole Miss 71 (OT) = I figured this one could be close.

San Jose State 75 - Oregon 72 = I didn't figure this one would.

Georgia 61 - St. Louis 59 = Early this year, there's a trend for "also-rans" to challenge the big conferences.

UC Riverside 73 - SMU 69 (OT) = See what I mean?


On Sunday 11/21:

TCU 74 - Bradley 68 = I think I picked this one as one to watch also.

Coastal Carolina 79 - Charlotte 75 = I think nobody picked this one.

Auburn 68 - Middle Tenn. State 66 = Well, good for the Tigers, who get their first win of the season . . . barely.

Florida 61 - Morehead State 55 = It's a win, I guess, but jeez.

Iowa State 91 - Creighton 88 = And I believe I gave this one a nod too.

ODU 61 - Clemson 60 = Here too, and another tight fight.

Texas Southern 66 - Oregon State 60 = OK, maybe I'm not one to talk, but are you kiddin' me?

Syracuse 63 - William & Mary 60 = And you thought the Gators' win was iffy.

Ill. Chicago 74 - Rhode Island 66 = The result, and the margin, both surprise me.

Minnesota 74 - West Virginia 70 = A nice hard-fought championship game down in Puerto Rico.

Vanderbilt 72 - UNC 65 = What can you say? The Heels are getting shots, and missing them, just like they did too much of last year. Hey, you play like crap, that's what you are. Congratulations to the Comms for beating a ranked (for now) team for the first time in about 2 years.

Wofford 82 - George Mason 79 (OT) = See? You don't have to go all that far, or spend all that much, to catch a good game.


So far today, U. Conn has edged Wichita State 83-79, and two more "also-rans" showed up to play, what with St. Peter's taking Alabama 50-49 and Long Beach St. over Iowa 78-72. In action to follow:


# 1 Duke vs. Marquette = OK, it's not a total cupcake game, so maybe we'll see if Dook can actually play a little.

# 4 Kansas State vs. # 22 Gonzaga = And here too, maybe the Wildcats will get a test.

# 8 Kentucky vs. Oklahoma = I don't expect a whole lot from the Sooners, but I'm not sure it will take nearly as much to push these Wildcats this year. Maybe this game will give some evidence, one way or the other.

# 12 Baylor vs. Lipscomb = On the one hand, Lipscomb gave UNC a pretty good game. On the other, maybe that ain't sayin' all that much. I'll know better tomorrow . . . at least about Lipscomb.

# 13 Washington vs. Virginia = Ehhh, could be interesting, and may give us some idea what these 2 teams really are.

# 18 San Diego State vs. Miami OH = Go Aztecs! Fried quetzalcoatl for the whole team!

Seton Hall vs. Clemson = I don't expect either team to make any serious noise this year, but I do expect they will both show up to play.

Princeton vs. James Madison = Same here.

Xavier vs. ODU = Halfway the same way here, in that the X-men may toot a bit, and ODU's been known to tweet some also.


That's about all I have time for. Sorry for the hit-and-miss coverage. Fill in all the gaps you wish. Until later then. Enjoy.
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There were a fair number of interesting scores last night, and even more potential for good action this evening, so lemme get to it. Last night:

# 1 Duke 82 - Marquette 77 = In their first real test of the season, the Blue Devils were indeed tested by the Golden Eagles. Maybe Marquette is better this year than they have been in recent campaigns, maybe Dook is still trying to find its game, or maybe they ain't quite as good as they want to think they are. We may find out more later today.

#2 Michigan State 82 - Chaminade 74 = OK, it's not the 1982 upset over Ralph Sampson's # 1 Virginia team, but it is still a damn good showing . . . again . . . by the Silverswords. As for the Spartans, not so much.

# 17 Baylor 72 - Lipscomb 60 = And OK, so maybe the similiar-sized win by UNC over Lipscomb was not a fluke. No, I don't mean that the Heels are that bad, and thus by extension so are the Bears (though that could be the case), but that Lipscomb might just have a pretty decent team.

Hampton 51 - Boston U. 50 = Agreed that these are not marquee teams, and nobody much cares, but it sure was a tight one.

Clemson 64 - Seton Hall 58 (OT) = Though not as tight as this one, with two teams that are, if not "above the fold", at least are on the front page.

Dayton 61 - Savannah State 59 = Who the hell is Savannah State? And why did the Flyers have such problems with them?

U. Conn 83 - Wichita State 79 = It remains to be seen if either of these two teams are "back", but they sure gave us an entertaining matchup.

James Madison 65 - Princeton 64 = Pretty much the same story here, albeit on a slightly lower plane.

Mississippi State 82 - Detroit 76 = I seem to recall that Miss. St. had a damn decent team last year. Does anybody know why they had so much trouble with Detroit?

Niagara 65 - Mount St. Mary's 63 = Anyone with even a reasonably lengthy working knowledge of NCAA hoops history has a soft spot for Mount St. Mary's, thanks entirely to Jim Phelan's legacy. So it's nice to see them compete well, even if they lose.

Winthrop 83 - Wake Forest 74 = As has been stated already, everyone expected the Deacs to be down this year. However, I'm not sure they were expected to be dead. Winthrop? Please.


This evening there are a slew of good games, some of which are already in progress. For instance, Belmont leads the aforementioned Winthrop by 15 at the break, and Virginia's over Oklahoma by the same amount. To follow, we'll have:


# 1 Duke vs. # 4 Kansas State = This has to be the "top" matchup, not only of the night but of the season to date . . . at least, if the ranking have any basis in reality. This game may give us some indication if one or the other of these teams are for real. Or, it may not. But it should be fun regardless.

# 2 Michigan State vs. U. Conn = And one could easily, at least in past years, see this as the last game of the year, for all the marbles. Give the Spartans the decided edge in it, but don't be shocked if it gets a bit hairy at times.

# 3 Ohio State vs. Morehead State = Here too we have two teams, and they will play a game of basketball. :-)

# 5 Pittsburgh vs. Robert Morris = Yep, here too.

# 6 Kansas vs. TAMU Corpus Christi = Body of the Islanders, offered up to Jayhawks.

# 8 Kentucky vs. # 13 Washington = Now this one is more like it. We don't really know which, if either, of these teams are for real, but at least we know they both have some talent.

# 10 Purdue vs. Austin Peay = And one of these two has some talent also.

# 11 Missouri vs. Wyoming = I know nothing, NOTHING, of the Cowboys. I don't need to know all that much to go with the Tigers here.

# 14 Memphis vs. Tenn - Martin = And I'll stick with the Tigers here.

# 16 Florida vs. Fla. Atlantic = Yeah, right.

# 19 Illinois vs. Yale = Seems the Illini won't be atop the Big Ten this year, but I think they could compete in the Ivy.

# 20 Texas vs. Sam Houston State = This should be the Alamo for the Bearkats . . . who, apparently, cannot even spell C-A-T.

# 22 Gonzaga vs. Marquette = Here's a danged interesting one. We have no idea if the Zags are as good as they have been in the past, and have some indication that Marquette may be better. This could tell us something.

# 23 BYU vs. Mississippi Valley St. = The Delta Devils visit Provo . . . if they are allowed in. :-) If not, the forfeit would be the same result as the game.

# 25 UNC vs. N.C. Asheville = The Heels need to right their ship, or put themselves in danger of sliding down the same slope which hurt them last year. Asheville did beat Auburn, so they are not a push-over. But Carolina's back in the Dean Dome, so let's hope the home-cooking helps. Or not, if you're one of those "ABC" fans. :-)

LaSalle vs. Providence = As we speak, LaSalle has a double-digit lead, but the 2nd half's not half done. I'd not be surprised if it tightens up.

Butler vs. Siena = This matches up a pair of solid mid-major programs. This game may give us an early clue if either will step up this year.

Wake Forest vs. Marist = And this might give us a clue if Wake is just bad, or absolutely horrible.

UAB vs. South Alabama = Here's one of those games about which I've just got that feeling.


I might be back to post a few early finals, or I may not. In eithe case . . . enjoy.
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Belmont has totally creamed the Winthrop team that beat Wake yesterday, by a 71-44 margin. Also, it seems both Virgina and LaSalle will hold on for wins over Oklahoma and Providence, respt.
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I tried to get an earlier start on this today, but $#!+ happens. So I'm finally going to jump into last night's games:

# 1 Duke 82 - # 4 Kansas State 68 = The Dook win does not surprise me, but the margin does a little. But on the other hand, I have already confessed that I haven't much faith in K-State (or Pitt or Texas or a few others) until they actually do something. Last night, they didn't do nearly enough.

U. Conn 70 - # 2 Michigan State 67 = OK, now this one does surprise me. The Huskies weren't much last year, and are supposed to be in shambles on and off the court this one, while the Spartans are already pencilled into the Final Four by many. Well, not if they play like this.

# 3 Ohio State 64 - Morehead State 45 = And although the margin is at least OK here, the fact that the Buckeyes only scored 64 against a weaker team hit by sanctions does not please Thad Matta, and should not please the OSU fans.

# 8 Kentucky 74 - # 13 Washington 67 = This is about the tight contest you'd expect, although the scoring seems a bit low. Still, a fairly well-played competitive game all around.

# 11 Missouri 72 - Wyoming 62 = Not very impressive for the Missou Tigers, especially when you note that Wyoming only scored 20 in the first half. But a win is a win, I guess.

# 14 Memphis 102 - Tenn-Martin 80 = Well, we now know that these Tigers can score a little. And we also know that they can defend a damn little. Giving up 80 to Tennessee-Martin? When the Skyhawks only scored 59 against their only other "name" opponent so far this year, LSU? And in Memphis no less? Yes, I know the team and the coach are young, as I've said before. But crap like this will age them fast, if it does not kill them first.

# 16 Florida 79 - Florida Atlantic 66 = It's pretty much the same story here. If the Gators (who got stomped by the Buckeyes) can only manage this, what will they do when the SEC wars start?

# 22 Gonzaga 66 - Marquette 63 = To me, this one's not so much about the winner, but rather about the loser. After winning their first 4 games, Marquette gave both Dook and the Zags all they could handle. Keep you eye on the Golden Eagles. Maybe they are back.

# 25 North Carolina 80 - N.C. Asheville 69 = And maybe Carolina is back to the same garbage they pulled last year. After building up a 20+ point lead in the second half, they p!$$ed most of it away, then had to turn up the engine a few notches in the last five minutes to earn the "meh" victory. Roy's not happy, I'm not happy, but it is what it is, and better than a loss.

North Texas 68 - Rice 65 = And I thought this one interesting, for "WTF?" reasons. Alright, I realize Rice ain't no powerhouse in college hoops, but still . . . .

Ohio 78 - Valparaiso 75 = One of those nice mid-majors matchups I like. We all remember Valpo's run back in '98, what with Bryce Drew's buzzer-beater, and some of you (especially you Hoyas) may remember OU knocking Georgetown out last year. And I'd betcha 20 bucks coulda got you seats to this game too.

St. Mary's 121 - Chicago State 52 = What? One-twenty-one to fitty-too? Are you freakin' kiddin' me? By St. Mary's, and not a vintage UNLV or Loyola-Marymount team? And in case you think they were just running up the score, take note: This is the fourth loss by Chi. State of over 100 points, out of the 5 games they have played. This, THIS is the reason I'm not so much in favor of expanding the NCAA Tournament as I am of shrinking the number of Division 1 teams . . . maybe by as much as half.

Appalachian State 0 - Tennessee Tech 0 = That's because the game was "postponed", and will not be rescheduled. And THAT'S because App. State forgot to provide any officials to call the game, and these two teams don't have an open date to make it up later. And speaking of "making it up" . . . well, you really can't sometimes.


Action has already begun today, with Chaminade getting another good upset by beating the Sooners out in Maui 68-64, while # 2 Michigan State has an early (and meaningless) lead over # 13 Washington. Games to follow include:


# 7 Villanova vs. UCLA = The Bruins are not what they once were, but then again 'Nova ain't exactly been blowing the doors off their competition either. It could be pretty tight, at least for a while.

# 8 Kentucky vs. U. Conn = And if the Huskies can follow up on what they did to the Spartans, this WILL be a tight one.

# 11 Missouri vs LaSalle = Missou's been playing decent, for their rating. LaSalle's been playing well, for their lack of one. Could be a decent game here.

# 15 Minnesota vs. North Dakota State = And this one could be over by the break.

# 24 Tennessee vs. VCU = Like the Missou/LaSalle game, we might have some nice action here.

Rhode Island vs. Drexel = Don't know what Drexel has this year, but they normally show up to play. As for the Rams, they ain't half bad. Might be fun.

Virginia vs. Wichita State = Same here. Neither of these teams suck, so the game probably won't.


And then, for those of you who get gorged on all the football on Turkey Day, you can ease your pants open a bit with these games:


# 21 Temple vs. California = The Owls are supposed to be pretty good, and the Golden Bears weren't half-bad last year, so this may be worth watching.

Boston College vs. Texas A&M = This may give us a clue as to whether or not either of these two can actually ball a little.

DePaul vs. Okla. State = Same here.

Georgia vs. Notre Dame = Yep'per.

Stanford vs. Murray State = And the song remains the same.

UNLV vs Tulsa = Starting to see a theme here?


Don't know if I'll be back before Friday, so if not, have a Happy Thanksgiving, and enjoy.
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You're kidding right? They will face 5 tournament teams in a row (Marquette, K State, Oregon, Mich St then Butler) before going into the conference schedule which is tough enough, as you know. Who else will do that?
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Yeah, I'm kidding a little, but not as much as you protest. Nobody expected Marquette to give Duke the problems they did, K-State was not scheduled but only a potential opponent out in Kansas City (and are not known for winning big games either), Oregon out of the "meh" Pac-10 ain't exactly unbeatable, Michigan State . . . well, I'll give you that one, though it's beginning to look like they are not yet up to snuff (as we speak Washington's up by one over them), and if anybody expects Butler to be what they were last year they are nuts.

I never said they weren't good, and they will be tested some this season. But you also didn't note that they follow those games you posted with Bradley, Saint Louis, Elon, and N.C. Greensboro . . . not exactly top-flight talent. Be a fan, but be fair, my brother of a different blue color. :-)
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Compared to who? UNCA, CoC, Evansville, Long Beach St., William and Mary, Rutgers or St. Francis? :-)

I don't know about you, but I knew Marquette was a very tough team this year and so did most of the talking heads on tv and radio. Everybody and their brother knew they would be facing K State. Yeah, Pac 10 sux but Oregon is still a tourny team and that is a very, very tough place to play on the road. Agreed on Butler but they are also still a tourny team. And Mich St. has always had Duke's number no matter how good or bad they are. That games scares me most as Izzo is the K-Buster.

I'm as fair as anyone. All teams have "cupcakes" as you can't and don't wanna schedule all top 25 teams for the non-con. But when you contrast those cupcakes with tough teams in Duke's schedule, it seems quite balanced to me.

BTW, I watched Harrison Barnes play three games and even though he went off in one of them, he is about as All American as a Zippo knock-off from China. :-)
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I could argue that Charleston is a tough team (just ask the Terps), and that Rutgers is improving. But I won't. I could also protest that you left Illinois, Kentucky, and Texas off your list of UNC opponents above. But I won't. And I could argue that, after losing to the Heels for the previous three years, and crapping out of the NCAA Tourney early to boot, the Dookies have been crowing for the last one about how much better they are than the Heels, and thus SHOULD have a tougher schedule than their neighbors over in Chapel Hill. But I won't. Yet I must insist that not all schools have cupcakes in their non-conference schedule, since those self-same cupcakes always have a tough row to hoe, and are working low cotton all fall long. :-)

As for Barnes, I myself have said I never buy into pre-season hype, much less the pre-career hype that was dumped on this young man. Until you prove it on the court, both you and everyone else should just hold their peace. There's a big difference between potential and production. However, I will submit that, had he signed with Duke, as most experts thought he would before he shocked them by going to the Heels, you may have a bit more patience and tolerance with his learning-curve. :-)

I'll be back sometime today with the post-holiday update.
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Well,

that was a nice slap to the back of the head of Calipari & Co :-).
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Indeed. And to be honest (for a change :-)), my only problem with it was that Cal and Calhoun couldn't both lose. :-)

For those who don't know what we're talking about, I shall start my update with some Wednesday scores, including:


U. Conn 84 - Kentucky 67 = The Huskies came into this season unranked and with low expectations. That has been dramatically changed in the last few days, what with back-to-back wins over the Spartans and the Wildcats. I would never have predicted this. But in my defense, nobody else did either. And I did predict that UK would not be as good as they were last year. So it's not a "glass half-empty or half-full" issue . . . I just need a different glass. :-) I did not think U. Conn would win either game, and I certainly did not think they would spank UK this badly.

# 2 Michigan State 76 - # 13 Washington 71 = Those aforementioned Spartans bounce back with a nice win against the presumed class of the Pac-10, and had to come back from 15 or so down to do so. Is it early-season growing pains? Are they overrated, or these Huskies "underrated"? Ask me again in a few months.

# 7 Villanova 82 - UCLA 70 = I'm not sure what this means. 'Nova hasn't exactly been a world-beater so far, and the Bruins may be as weak as they were in their last campaign, yet may be improved, and so this win by a dozen either may or may not be a good one. But it is a W, regardless.

# 24 Tennessee 77 - VCU 72 = Again, this one bothers me. VCU has often been a quality mid-major, but this is awfully close against a ranked team. Plus, the Vols only beat Missouri State by 4, so they could be in trouble once the SEC kicks off their wars. It is worth keeping an eye on, for sure.

Cincinnati 54 - Savannah State 41 = It is not rare, but it is uncommon, for two college teams to score under 100 points collectively. I won't diss Savannah for their showing, but the Bearcats should be concerned.

Presbyterian 69 - Princeton 67 = The Tigers are supposed to contend for the Ivy this year, and they may do so. Nobody can fault them for losing to Duke in Cameron, but this one and the L against James Madison does not bode well.

Rhode Island 74 - Drexel 68 = I had me that feeling this could be a good one, and seems like it was. Watch out for these Rams . . . they won't be an easy out.

St. John's 78 - Ball State 73 (OT) = Some contests are a game of 2 halves, but this was one of three. The Johnnies outscored BS 34-22 in the first, ended up tied in regulation by going 29-41 in the second, then won with a 15-10 extra session. As this was part of the so-called Great Alaska Shootout, maybe it was a factor of only one side of the gym being heated, thus making it "cold" at one end.


On Turkey Day, we had a few games that weren't turkeys:


California 57 - # 21 Temple 50 = All the talk last season was about how weak the Pac-10 had become. I never totally bought into that, and their performance in the NCAAs showed they were not the pansies everyone thought. As for the Owls, I questioned their relatively high regard from the get-go. Hey, they ain't bad, don't get me wrong. But aside from this loss, keep in mind they only got by Seton Hall 62-56 earlier, so may not be the giant-killers some of their fans hoped.

Notre Dame 89 - Georgia 83 (2OT) = Here was a total war between the Irish and the Bulldogs, and those in the seats got their money's worth. My only problem is, with two "name" teams going head-to-head, that's really not a lot of points for 50 minutes of play.

Oklahoma State 60 - DePaul 56 = Another good game, and a nice win for the 'Boys from Stillwater.

Murray State 55 - Stanford 52 = And I don't care if the Pac-10's down or not, this win by the Racers over the Tree is a good one.

Boston College 67 = Texas A&M 65 = And here's a good one for a projected mid-pack ACC squad.

UNLV 80 - Tulsa 71 = It's much too soon to know if either of these will do much this year, but both have had success in the past, and they gave us a decent matchup.


Today, the Wisconsin Badgers have already rained on BC's one-day parade by knocking them out of the Old Spice Classic (:-)) 65-55 with a strong second-half comeback. To follow we have:


# 3 Ohio State vs. Miami OH = Oh oh. Unless you're a Buckeye, don't waste your time, as this Battle of Ohio won't be one.

# 4 Kansas State vs. Texas Southern = Nor will this border war.

# 6 Kansas vs. Ohio U. = And even though OU took out the Hoyas last March, don't look for them to shoot down the Jayhawks.

# 7 Villanova vs. # 24 Tennessee = This one could be a real good fight, though when one considers how iffy both teams have played so far, it may not have the significance one might believe.

# 9 Syracuse vs. Michigan = On paper, the Orange should own the Wolverines. But there's two buts, or perhaps just two cheeks to one butt. First, both team are undefeated so far. Second, neither team has actually played anybody so far. This is the first test for both squads, so is worth watching in that regard at least.

# 10 Purdue vs. Southern Illinois = Here's another feasting on leftover turkey.

# 18 San Diego State vs. San Diego Christian = I wouldn't watch this one if you paid me. Well, maybe if you paid me, but not otherwise.

#21 Temple vs. Georgia = Now here, here's a game I'd watch. At this point, both teams have something to prove, and I expect both to come out focused.

# 23 BYU vs. South Florida = Persuant to our previous discussion regarding cupcake schedules, quiz me this one: Are the Stormin' Mormons ever gonna play somebody?

UCLA vs. VCU = This is one of those game that might tell us if either, or both, of these programs are coming back. Could be a tight one.

Oklahoma State vs. Virginia Tech = And I'd almost bet you this will be a good one.

California vs. Notre Dame = Here's another good shot at a nice one.

UTEP vs. Georgia Tech = And again.

Richmond vs. Wright State = Ditto.

Santa Clara vs. Arizona = Dit-three.

Tulsa vs. Stanford = Ibid.

Weber State vs. Arizona State = And here, coupled with a handful already mentioned above, could give us a better indication regarding the strength or weakness of the Pac-10.

UAB vs. Arkansas = Another potential very nice game.

St. Mary's vs. Texas Tech = Not only have the Gaels already beaten St. John's, they embarassed Chi. State 121-52 . . . for what that's worth. The Red Raiders may win down in South Padre, but they won't do it in a walk.

UNLV vs. Murray State = A generation back, and this would be a laffer. Today, it could be a squeaker.


That's all I got for now. I migth pop back after I gag down my lunch, but in any case . . . enjoy.
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