Maybe the frost's not on the Halloween pumpkin where you are, but here in Joisey it's been snowing like a SOB for a few hours, with almost an inch on the ground already. So, speaking of pumpkins, the preseason NCAA basketball polls are out, with many of the expected usual suspects cited. The minor differences between the AP (Writers') and ESPN/USA Today (Coaches') polls are simple displacements amongst the same 25 teams, and since both are totally meaningless aside from bragging rights and predicted (read "guesswork") expectations, I'll use the AP to begin my breakdown. This will likely take a few days, but with a solid week+ before they actually toss up the first orange, we have time.

So, without further ado, let's start the countdown to lift-off with:

# 1 - North Carolina = With their talent, depth, size, and experience, it's little wonder my Tar Heels are seen as an overwhelming favorite to begin the season. Some believe they will be the last team standing when Spring's sprung. Ehhh, ask me what I think in March, thank you. Some think they shall go undefeated. Yeah, right. We'll not likely ever see that happen again, what with the way the college game has changed. Some assume they'll not only win the ACC outright, but go unbeaten in a weakened league. Even if I didn't know Duke and Florida State might have different ideas, I'd know they every other conference team already has certain dates circled on their calendars, and they will be up for those games. And this is even without considering stuff like injuries or bad nights, or outstanding nights by an opponent. Bottom line, let's see how they play first before we crown them champs. Still, it's better to be thought good than to be known crappy.

# 2 - Kentucky = Unlike in his first two years in Lexington, Calipari has some experience left from his top-star recruits, which is a good thing for Wildcat fans. Like his first two, Cal has a ton of new talent coming into the program, which is a good thing and a bad one. One never knows how quickly freshmen will adapt, or how their reps will translate into production. Yet with 3 of the top 5 recruits, it is unlikely all of them will be busts, even to the point that it's more likely all 3 will excell. We will know more when they get a dozen games under their belts, but I expect them to be a tough challenge to anyone.

# 3 - Ohio State = The Buckeyes probably have the best big man in the nation, and he's not the only good player on this team. (Last year I was especially impressed with what I saw from that Craft-y guard) And I have no problem seeing them contending for a Final Four again, or even taking it all. But aside from an early test hosting Florida (11/15) and a match against Dook 11/29, their schedule won't tell us much about them until Big Ten, Thirteen, Twenty-Seven, whatever, play begins in earnest. And if Sullinger goes down for any appreciable period of time, the bottom might drop out of their season, quick.

# 4 - Connecticut = There is little doubt that the Huskies were under-rated last season. There is little doubt in my mind that they are over-rated this one. Sure, they'll have a good team, and will compete in what appears to be a disintegrating Big East. But without Kemba Walker's heroics in both the conference and national tournaments, UConn would have struggled to win the NIT last year. They will be without those heroics all this year, and have already had a few problems with injured and ineligable players, not to mention the NCAA looking at their 25% graduation rate with the stinkeye. I could be wrong, but keep your eye on them too.

# 5 - Syracuse = The Orange have a fair amount of talent, but most of their bigs are young, which can be a bit of a problem. Plus, their "star" hoopster Scoop sort of fell off the face late last year, so who knows which one will show up this season? And, typically for Boeheim's teams, we my need a while to see what they really have, since their pre-January schedule has more cupcakes than a kid's birthday party. Their zone will win them a good number of games, but I can't see it keeping them in the Top 5 unless their freshman catch fire.

# 6 - Duke = Here too I think the ranking is more a function of the program's and the coach's rep than the reality I see. True, they got the No. 1 recruit in the nation with Austin Rivers, who's supposed to be the real deal. Yet that remains to be seen. Seth Curry is quite good as an outside threat, but he's not his big brother. Andre Dawkins is pretty good too, though not a game-changer. The Plumlees have shown only flashes, and usually against donut teams, while even Coach K says they look ready to make a big step up this year. OK, maybe, but at best that's damning with faint praise. Also, don't forget they lost LAST year's super-frosh Irving, plus key veteran Nolan Smith, plus some other guy namer Singler or something like that. I do expect the Blue Devils to be a tough out (they almost always are), but I would be surprised if they were not, eventually, an out nonetheless.

That's about a quarter of the field, and enough for one day anyway. I'll probably be back Monday afternoon with the next handful of teams receiving early props, properly or not. Please post any comments, questions, complaints, boasts, or public service announcements you wish. I welcome all and sundry. :-)
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If Roy Williams get UNC playing like they were at the end of the season right out the gate...I don't see anyone touching them.
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My first reaction is to say "From your lips to God's ear, Mac." But I'll refrain, and merely say that I don't care if they get touched a bit, as long as they don't get slapped around. :-)

I'm a bit fuzzy from two days without power, but I'll try to get a few more pre-season rankings in, beginning with:


# 7 - Vanderbilt = It's good to see some other SEC team foreseen to give UK a challenge, and it's even better as far as I'm concerned that it is a "quality" program like the Commodores. But I'm not yet convinced their frontcourt talent will be enough to carry them, at least on the road. In Nashville, however, on that funky elevated court of theirs, they will be tough.

# 8 - Florida = Though the Gators are not expected to be as good as their back-to-back team was, keep in mind that THAT team was not supposed to be as good as they turned out either. We know Donovan will have them ready to play . . . even though he didn't get them ready last year, at least early in the season. I don't expect he'll make the same mistake again.

# 9 - Louisville = Despite what Calipari believes, there's more than one team in Kentucky. I'm not much better a Pitino fan than I'm Cal's, but one must admit Rick knows his hoops. He likely won't be as distracted this year by off-the-court (or more precisely, in-court) issues, so I won't be surprised if they can make a little noise in the KFC/Yumi Crum Bucket. :-)

# 10 - Pittsburgh = Every year we seem to hear about how good the Panthers are, and how far they will go. Every year they have a nice season, then fall off the face of the earth when the chips are down. If they want to make their place in Big East history, they'd better do it soon, since they'll be moving to the ACC once they get all their bags packed and tickets punched. Me, I'll believe it when I see it, because I haven't seen it yet.

# 11 - Memphis = It is remarkable what a good job young Josh Pastner has done for the Tigers. Calipari robbed the cupboard bare when he fled to UK, yet Pastner managed to get his team back into the CUSA hunt by the end of last season. This year, they should be able to do what they are used to doing in conference play, and rule the roost.

# 12 - Baylor = Much like Vandy above, the Bears are supposed to have a superior frontcourt, which leads to this relatively high regard. Again, I have to say I want to see it first. It's not easy for a team that has little history of competing at a top level to be able to actually do so on the court night after night, and this is precisely the situation I see here. If I'm wrong, I'll admit it, but they will have to prove me wrong first.


This brings us about halfway through the Top 25, yet there are still some interesting teams to notice . . . including a few big names. I'll get back to those ASAP, but for now the fuzz in my brain has bugun to leak out my ears. Later, brothers.
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Good reviews!!!!!

As much as I despise :-):-) the "off-color" shades of blue, I agree with the rankings, and the Heels look to be VERY tough this season. And whether or not Dook has an off year, the Tobacco Road battles are NEVER settled merely on paper.

Looking forward to a good OVS season. Murray State has a new coach; it will be interesting to see how we do. Morehead should still be a VERY tough opponent, as will the Peay.

I'm also looking forward to SEC play, and how UK will stand against the Vols, Gators, Razorbacks, and Commodores. Nice on Vandy for the high, early ranking.


Toss it up, ref!!!!!!!
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Though the Tar Heel bandwagon is sizable, I really don't want so many hopping on the tailgate that the front end loses steering. :-) And you're of course right that the Blue Devils won't roll over when they see those North Carolina jerseys on the opposing bench.

As with most mid-majors, the OVC will be both interesting and unpredictable. In these leagues, the addition of one good player on one decent team can change the whole season, for everyone. Good luck to your Racers. I took a quick look at their schedule, and aside from the conference rivals you mention, I see four tough games outside the league: UAB, Dayton, Memphis, and Lipscomb. If MSU can take one or two of them, it will help their post-season odds.

The SEC should be dominated by UK, but they won't go unscathed. You can also throw The Tide into that mix. Lucky for the 'Cats, they only face them once, and that in Rupp.

More rankings to follow.
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We move into the backend of the Top 25 with a name normally seen much closer to the roof:


# 13 - Kansas = The Jayhawks have been bitten heavily of late by early withdrawals, and they've also had personal personnel problems to deal with too. Already a pair of players have been shut down for their first two exhibition games. Those are of course meaningless, but it's not a good sign. I feel confident Bill Self will do his best with what he has, and we'll see if they move up, or crash.

# 14 -Xavier = I have a lot of respect for the Musketeer program, and for the A-10 at large. They have a few good guards, and a few transfers from other schools to give them depth and experience. But to be among the top 15? With a suspension for their center Frease, and star guard Holloway sitting out their opener for a "violation"? In a league with Temple, Richmond, Duquesne, GW, RIU, St. Bonnies, UMass, La Salle, and Sts. Louis oad Joe's? Plus non-conference foes Georgia, Vandy, Purdue, Butler, Cincy, Zags, and Memphis on their plate? Hey, if they stay where they are in the polls, they with EARN it!

# 15 - Wisconsin = The Badgers will coast . . . well, plod, actually . . . through their first few weeks of cupcakes, but will get an early quiz when they visit Chapel Hill 11/30. Were I Bo Ryan, I might let PG Jordan Taylor wear sneakers for that one, but everybody else should be in Wolverines: If they try to run with the Heels, the game's already over. I can see the boys from Madison competing for the Big Seventy-Eight regular season witn OSU, the Michigan schools, and maybe Purdue, but I'll believe they'll be a national contender when it happens.

# 16 - Arizona = This sounds about right to me, with 'Zona being a Sweet Sixteen come March. If I remember correctly, the Desert 'Cats did a lot better last year than was expected, so they might even move up. This can occur with a team that's been there before, and though I don't much care for the program I am glad to see SOME Pac-47 teams get some respect. Speaking of which:

# 17 - UCLA = Remember these guys? I've been told they used to win a game or three from time to time. In a way, it's good to see them get at least partway back. In another way, I'm not so pleased. See, the joke around my alma mater is that the Blue-and-Gold is Carolina Lite, what with the Wear twins getting back on the court this year, and He-Whose-Name-Will-Not-Be-Mentioned maybe playing for the Bruins next year . . . MAYBE, if he plays well enough to get off the bench, and if he doesn't go crying home to Mommie once again. As with those other fuzzy creatures above, the Badgers, I can see UCLA competing in conference, though maybe not outside of it. And maybe not even that, when you consider that they have NO HOME GAMES this year: Pauley is closed for renovations, and not only will John Wooden not be in the stands, his name won't be on the court as well.

# 18 - Michigan = These guys started off like crap last year, and turned it around to get up as high as decent. To tell you the truth, I don't know which team will show up this season, and I'm not sure anybody will until the dust clears next spring. The Logans haven't scheduled much out-of-conference (Memphis, UVA, Bradley being the only potential non-pastry squads), so we may not know much at all until league play is well under way. For some reason, I see them going down instead of moving up, but as I said, who knows?


That's about all I can handle for one day, and I wanna go out and have a short smoke before the sun goes down. Pipe up and pipe in, brothers, and I'll be back later.
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OK, let's see if I can finish off this Top 25 list, plus maybe mention the best of the rest:


# 19 - Alabama = I'm not exactly sure where this optimism comes from. Yes, the Tide won the Western Division of the SEC last year, but half the teams in the Eastern half could have done so, and that only got them into the NIT. They haven't made the NCAAs in about 5 prior tries. They have only one senior and two juniors, and even with 2 foreign 7-footers on the squad (both sophs) they are considered small down low. Well, more power to them if they can make some noise, but they are still a football school, so don't expect them to stick around after the first month or two.

# 20 - Texas A&M = But the Aggies might be for real. They surprised a lot of people last year, and they have a lot of experience returning. Their biggest problem early may be a factor of the fact that their new coach Billy Kennedy (Joe's old buddy from Murray State) has benched himself due to illness: Parkinson's, which is no minor issue. If this does not distract the team too much, they may not only stick around, but also move up.

# 21 - Cincinnati = The Bearcats had a winning season in the tough Big East last year (11-7), which isn't an easy task. They have a nice balance of both experience and youth, and backcourt/frontcourt players. They may not compete for the top of their disintegrating conference, but they will come to play every night, and will most likely earn an at-large come March.

# 22 - Marquette = The Golden Eagles did NOT have a winning Big East season, going 9-9, but they won a few big games and shocked a few people. They might do so again this year, yet the problem I see is a lack of depth. Their official roster lists only 12 players, so a few key injuries could send them off the rails quickly. If they can avoid this, and maybe get a couple decent walk-ons (at least to practice against), they should be OK. However, I'm not sure they'll be OK enough.

# 23 - Gonzaga = Mark Few's crew had a see-saw season, and barely saved their well-earned rep before their year ended. I have enough respect for the coach and the program to give them the benefit of the doubt, at least for one more go-around, unless they prove me wrong. Still, their biggest problem has always been hubris: They always think they are much better than they actually are. Every year they whine that they don't get the respect they deserve, and brag they have the best guard, the best forward, the best whatever in the nation. And nearly every year they have a great regular season, then fall on their face in March because they DON'T. Until they can actually pull off a Butler or a George Mason or two, I'd expect the same from them.

# 24 - California = The Golden Bears had a "meh" season in the equally "meh" Pac-47 last year . . . which was a bit of a shock. According to them anyway, they have the most experience in the conference, and more depth than they did a year ago, which could put them above the "meh" mark in the league. It remains to be seen what that will mean on the national scale. As with many others, I'll believe it when I see it.

# 25 - Missouri = The Tigers make the 4th team from the Big-12 ranked in the polls, but none of them are foreseen to be a Top 10 squad. This may mean Missou has a shot as the conference champ, yet they may be more a factor of the league's slippage than this team's quality. We won't know that until conference play is nigh well over, as I see it. And we might not learn much early about this team, for all the "quality" opponents they face in the first few weeks . . . Notre Dame, Villanova, William&Mary, Illinois, and ODU . . . are not expected to be world-beaters. Aslo, I see a potential problem in their new head coach, Frank Haith. Shoot, if he couldn't get 'er done in Miami, what makes you think he can do it there?


There are a number of name-brand also-rans who got some votes too. Missouri made the cut with 139 AP points, and here's the best of the rest coming in between 131 and 21 each:

Florida State = They WILL move up.

Michigan State = They will to, of Izzo has to suit up himself.

Temple = By the time the tough A-10 gets rolling, so shall the Owls.

Washington = The last few years they got more respect than they deserved. This year, they likely got the right amount.

New Mexico = I am interested to see if this team can perform as well as they did last season. Other than that . . . ? ? ?

Butler = Hey, you really didn't think these guys could stick around forever, did you? Still, they surprised me last year, so do't give up on them yet.

Texas = What happened, did Rick Barnes not land a bunch of top one-and-dones again? Did Calipari steal them all away? :-)


You may have noticed a few names you're used to seeing missing from the above. These include Villanova, Purdue, Belmont, WVA, and Illinois, all of whom have had success in the past, and all of whom got a little love from the voters. Perhaps more of a shock are several that got no points at all, most notably names like Georgetown, Maryland, and Kansas State. I'd espect a few of these handful to make a move upwards before the season ends, as I can't believe they all will suck. But I guess that's why they play the games . . . and it can't start soon enough to suit me.


Jump in anytime you wish with your comments, complaints, cheers, or whatever crap you want.
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Hey, believe it or not, I actually have a score worth reporting. True, it was just an exhibition game, but under the circumstances it is interesting:


Northern State 53 - Butler 50 = The national runner-up for the past two seasons shot under 40% for the night, and this Division II team from South Dakota made them pay for it. The Bulldogs did have a 50-41 lead with 4 1/2 left, but didn't score again. Meanwhile their opponent managed 9 whole points during the vast majority of that remaining time, which is a point every 30 seconds for you math-challenged, then hit a 3 at the buzzer to cap their 12-0 run and steal the victory. Nobody knows what a team can develop into through the course of a year, but if this is any true indication it might be a loooooong one for the Butler faithful.
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Don't worry, I'll be out on the road in front, digging potholes for the powder-blue bandwagon to get lost in...:-):-):-)


Also looking forward to see what happens in the Big East, and am wondering just how Big it will be in the near future.

Saw on FoxSports.com that the NCAA has been compared to the mafia. The next story noted that it was a bad comparison, as the mafia did not mind getting their hands dirty when needed, which is quite the opposite of the NCAA. I think I can't get more disgusted with the NCAA, and then I see the story on the stipends. The kids ought to have their own "Occupy" movement, lay down the gameball, and organize their own league.
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Do what you need to do, Joe, but remember we have enough tar to patch most holes you'll dig. And if you don't want to call it what it is, Carolina-blue, you could at least call it what inspired it . . . sky-blue. I'll not bore you with the legend unless you ask for it.

Though I have some sympathy for the Big East fans, I have none for the league. They formed themselves by robbing other leagues in order to grab a slice of newly-minted (read ESPN) basketball money, and signed their own DNR papers when they gave short-shrift to football, baseball, track, fencing, tennis, whatever other sports constitute a REAL conference. I think they will survive in some way or another by again robbing other leagues . . . which would bother me less if they did not whine so much about their OWN league being robbed. Live by the sword, etc.

I saw that report about some politician (from Indiana, I believe) calling the NCAA a Mafia, but as it was a politician I did what I normally do . . . I ignored it. I have no interest in what any of them think, and no faith in their ability to hold a valid opinion on any topic. I also am reluctant to get into any long discussion about the pros and cons of the NCAA, and shall limit myself to confessing I am NOT one of those who hate the organization, and admitting I prefer rules to the lawlessness of the Wild Wild Midwest. :-)
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Here are two more exhibition-game scores I found interesting:


# 18 Michigan 47 - Wayne State 39 = Yes, this is a basketball score, not a football one. The Wolverines struggled with their shots in Ann Arbor, hitting 5-24 from three-point-range, and seemed reluctant to push the ball down low against a smaller team. This is not a good sign, but they did survive a meaningless game, unlike . . .

Northern Kentucky 77 - West Virginia 74 = In Morgantown, the unranked but respected Mountaineers dropped a close one to this Division II program. Perhaps they can file another lawsuit, and get the unfavorable outcome overturned in court. :-)
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Good Grief!!! A win is a win, but WOW!

Yeah, I know you'll tar the holes....it's too early to say anything for sure, but UK will likely have its hands full with the 'Heels this time.

On the NCAA, yeah, it could be debated for pages. Not sure I prefer their rules though. There is SO much money in football and basketball now, and all on the backs of the students playing these games. I cringe to see high school games shown on The Worldwide Leader; just more money and opportunity for shenanigans.
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Hopefully it will be an up year for the ACC. Of coarse the top dogs will be good but hopefully FSU and Miami will step up.
Posted via Mobile Device
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A) - Wow, indeed. The Logans need to show some claws once the season starts, or you can scratch them off.

B) - If the Wildcat freshman live up to their hype, that #1/#2 matchup will be a toss-up war.

C) - Shenanigans aside, I find too many people confused by the "big money" question in college athletics. True, some schools make money on football and basketball, but many just break even. And what "profit" schools make from the sports that generate revenue is normally spent, and then some, on other athletic programs. What school makes money on fencing, wrestling, gymnastics, swimming, track and field, tennis, field hockey, or even soccer and baseball? If "profits" from hoops and the gridiron are funnelled elsewhere, the only two options schools are left with are to either cut non-generating sports or raise student fees. I don't like either of those choices.


Aside from UNC, Duke, and maybe Florida State, I can't see many other ACC teams making much noise, sad to say. I do think maybe three more earning at-large bids come March, yet I'd be surprised (pleasantly) were any of them to survive for the second weekend. Next year may be different however, as the Wolfpack has managed to scarf up several top-notch recruits. :-)


Though the action does not kick off in earnest until Friday, there are a few REAL games slated tonight:


Willaim & Mary vs. St. John's = This could be one hell of a game. Wm.&Mary has a decent mid-major program, and the Johnnies are already facing some "personnel" problems which might retard the progress they made last year.

Eastern Kentucky vs. Mississippi State = And this might be decent too. The Colonels are not total cookies, and the Bulldogs are facing some "personnel" problems of their own.

Valparaiso vs. # 16 Arizona = Valpo's day in the sun has long set, so despite my reservations about the Desert 'Cats I can't see this one lasting more than a half. But if it does, the rest of the Pac-63 may take heart. :-)


That's not a lot, but it's more action than you'll see in the NBA tonight. :-) So pull up a chair, pull on a beer, and enjoy.
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I'm not feeling all that good about my first predictions, though looking deeper I guess they weren't that bad:


St. John's 74 - William & Mary 59 = The final was not the great game I thought it could be, but note that Wm&M had a 33-26 lead at the half. Maybe during the break they went out and grabbed a few Nathan's dogs, which slowed them down in the second frame.

Mississippi State 76 - Eastern Kentucky 66 = And note that I never said the Colonels would beat the 'Dogs on their own court. I just said it could be decent. A 10-point margin is within MY margin of decency.

# 16 Arizona 73 - Valparaiso 64 = But in this case, a margin under 10 is indecent. Fact is, 'Zona only had a 32-30 halftime bulge. If the Desert 'Cats are supposed to be amongst the elite on the Left Coast, this might just be another season when they are largely left out come March.


There is no action tonight, and damn little tomorrow. I'll get into that then, and maybe even get a jump on the monstrous long list come Friday.

No action tonight, and not much tomorrow either.
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Tonight's there's four games on tap, which look to be easy wins for the home teams. Yet looks can be deceiving, and I'd expect one or two of these to be nail-biters with 5 minutes left. So, who's visiting who this evening? Well, it's:


Akron vs. Mississippi State = The Zips had a really good mid-majors campaign last year, and the Bulldogs are . . . the Bulldogs, and not the Butler ones. I'd expect MSU to pull it off, as they have better talent and home court, but it won't be a cakewalk.

Lehigh vs. St. John's = And the Mountain Hawks flew pretty high too last year, so I figure they can at least keep it fairly respectable in the Louie Bowl. A road win? No. A road embarrassment? Also, no.

Liberty vs. # 16 Texas A&M = Though they too were OK last year, I can't see the Flames hanging for long with the Aggies, save by the grace of a fundamentalist God on their side. ( :-) ) It's my guess those young Christians will go down in flames.

Duquesne vs. # 16 Arizona = And it's about the same story here. The Dukes will need a good amount of help from the Desert 'Cats to steal a victory, though they are capable of taking advantage of this situation, were it to occur. It will probably be a 10+ final margin, but there could be some anxious moments in Tucson before it's done.


There's still no marquee match-ups here, as one might expect this early in the season. Truth be told, there are only a handful of them coming up on a loaded Veteran's Day of action Friday. But like the Third Army, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Until then then . . . enjoy.
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Huge UCLA fan here...

Funny seeing your take on the UNC transfers to the Bruins. I think most fans view taking Drew II as a mixed bag...his attitude problems are well documented (as well as his overbearing mother), but so far the Wears are getting pretty good reviews. David looks to be playing a lot of time at the 3 this year since our frontcourt is so loaded, the major question is whether or not he can guard the position. And Howland absolutely LOVES the Wears.

The game plan is going to be simple this year...feed the bigs. Josh Smith looks about the same weight as last year, which isn't good since he's probably at least 50 lbs over where he should be. However, even at 365 lbs (or whatever he is) I don't think there are many players in the country that can stop him if he can stay out of foul trouble. He went for 26 pts (on 14 of 18 free throw shooting) in our first exhibition win over the weekend.

Regarding Arizona...I think they are going to miss Derrick Williams A LOT. I've seen both their exhibitions and the opener against Valpo..they really don't have a guy outside of the freshman Nick Johnson who seems like he wants the ball in his hands. I see them losing a lot of games early but getting better by the end of the season as the freshmen gain more experience. Keep in mind, they've already lost to Division 2 Seattle Pacific in their opening exhibition game.

I think Cal or Washington will be challenging UCLA for the Pac 12 title this year, not Arizona.

Good thread, I'll definitely be following.
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I myself would like to see the Bruins get back to, at least, relevance, though I don't desire (nor anticipate) their long-gone dominance occurring again. As for the "Carolina Lite" observation, let me say this: I had little problem with the Wear twins leaving UNC. I thought it put last year's squad in a bind, what with them being thin down low, but if they felt Chapel Hill was not right for them, they were right. We don't want players who aren't happy to be there. And even though their departure was a surprise, they at least waited until the end of the season before they sprung the news. However, when it comes to He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, to split in the middle of a campaign, in his junior year, solely because he lost his job to a better player, and felt he hadn't received the respect he hadn't earned on the court, and because he allowed his parents to tweet and chirp about how great he was . . . well, that's just wrong on many levels.

Unless both his attitude and his game changes a lot, I can't see him being more than a back-up for UCLA next year. His problems at Carolina were that he played east-west, not north-south, which killed the secondary break, and he was reluctant to make the pass to the scorers, which meant they got it too late to take advantage of position before the defense recovered. He-Who-Etc. was a game-changer . . . for the opposition.

I also think Smith will be your key post-player, and if the Wears can be "Plumlee-like" subs for 15-20 minutes a game each, you should be OK. And I also think Arizona might struggle some, and would not be shocked if they fell out of the rankings for a while.

Regular update ASAP.
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Last night's games went pretty much as I anticipated, with one minor surprise:


# 16 Arizona 67 - Duquesne 59 = The Desert 'Cats had about all they wanted from the Dukes, and maybe a bit more. I'll stick with their 16th rank for now (though it may NOT stick with them :-) ) because I think they will improve. Still, it gives one pause.

# 20 Texas A&M 81 - Liberty 59 = And like I thought, the Flames went down in them, lacking the size and talent to bring a cropper to the Aggies.

St. John's 78 - Lehigh 73 = It took a late run by the Red(men)Storm to edge the Mountain Hawks, even with the inspiration (or distraction) of Steve Lavin's return to courtside following his prostate-cancer surgery. I said Lehigh would not win, but would acquit themselves respectfully. They did so.

Akron 68 - Mississippi State 58 = Had I the stones, and had it been later in the season, giving me more info to go on, I may have called for the "upset" here. I hedged my bet by saying it would be no cakewalk, yet felt that the homecourt should give the Bulldogs a boost over the Zips. And maybe it did, though not enough of one. Nobody expected MSU to be amongst the class of the SEC, yet this could be a sign that the conference is very top-heavy . . . again.



There are no games this evening, but with all the action slated for Friday I might be back with some early previews, just to get a jump on it. Either way, I'll be back soon.
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Let me start on Friday's full schedule with the "ranked" games, though most of those shall be just that . . . rank. There should be a few exceptions however, including:


# 1 North Carolina vs. Michigan State = They are calling this the Carrier Classic, even though San Diego is a long way from Syracuse. But this Veteran's Day celebration will be played on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson, with most of the spectators being military personnel, from CoC POTUS to lowly seamen (insert your favorite Clinton joke here). I'd expect my Tar Heels to win, but I'd also expect the Spartans to play much better than they did in that 2009 championship blowout in Detroit. Though the Spartans may be a bit down this year, you know Tom Izzo will have them ready to play . . . as I hope Roy Williams shall the Heels. In a strange venue like this, with odd sigthlines on a temporary court, anybody can have a cold night, so for that reason alone this could be tighter than the experts predict. That won't be the case with ;

# 2 Kentucky vs. Marist = The Wildcat faithful won't be leaving Rupp early, but there will be little reason for them to stay.

# 3 Ohio State va. Wright State = I have the feeling this may be a game for a half or so, but the Buckeyes will pull away by double-double-digits before the horn.

# 4 U Conn vs. Columbia = The Huskies will win the game, but the Lions will graduate, then get their revenge when they refuse to hire drop-outs from Storrs. :-)

# 6 Duke vs. Belmont = An in-state scrimmage at Cameron for the Blue Devils.

# 7 Vanderbilt vs. Oregon = Hmmm. This one could actually be OK for a while. Though I'd like to think the Commodores are good enough to compete with UK in the SEC, I need to see it first. And though I don't see the Ducks being a PAC-12 power, they aren't total cupcakes either. As it's on that funky floating court in Nashville, give another edge to the more-talented Music City Robber-Barons . . . though I don't know why they're tipping off at 10 PM. :-)

# 8 Florida vs. Jackson State = The first half may be a bit sweaty for the Gators, but they'll be chillin' before it over.

# 9 Louisville vs. Tenn-Martin = I'm not sure Pitino's got a Top Ten team, but they won't have a problem in the KFC Yumi Crum Bucket here.

# 10 Pittsburgh vs. Albany = The Panthers don't lose games like this, and will roll.

# 12 Baylor vs. Texas Southern = Another in-state scrimmage.

# 13 Kansas vs. Towson = Please. The Jayhawks may be down, but not this far. It's over by halftime.

# 14 Xavier vs. Morgan State = I like the X-Men, but I'm not sure they are THIS good. However, they are good enough to romp here.

# 17 UCLA vs. Loyola Marymount = We will learn little here about the Bruins, as LMU can't score all game what they used to do in a half. This should be ugly.

# 18 Michigan vs. Ferris State = Though maybe not as ugly as this one. Ferris State? In Ann Arbor? I thought the exhibition season was over!

# 19 Alabama vs. North Florida = As with all but 3 or 4 SEC schools, I have reservations about the league. Still, the Tide ought to survive this one with few problems.

# 22 Marquette vs. Mount St. Mary's = Two storied programs here, yet the ending will only be happy for the Golden Eagles.

# 23 Gonzaga vs. Eastern Washington = The Zags had a slow start last year, and Mark Few has likely pounded that into this squad. This may last a half or so, but no longer.

# 24 California vs. UC Irvine = Still one more of those local scrimmages.

# 25 Missouri vs. SE Missouri State = And again. Unless you're a Tiger, don't even check the score.


I'll look tomorrow to see if I spot any other interesting games. Well, truth be told, I already have seen a few. But until then then, that's it for now.
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