Bleacher Report - Articles by Matt Norlander

Five Reasons Why Memphis Won’t Win it All

Matt Norlander — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 10:31:53 -0400

1) DID YOU HEAR?!? THEY CAN’T MAKE THEIR FREE THROWS!!!

2) A team that loves to run the dribble-drive offense is going against three defenses that are very adept at drawing charges and tightening up in the paint.

3) Memphis also doesn’t pick-and-pop so well. If UCLA is able to force Memphis to take a lot of uncomfortable jumpers they could have a bad shooting day. This is a team that feeds off of their own momentum, so they can’t afford to be down on themselves early.

4) Almost always, the half-court game beats the sprinting one.

5) Don Chaney, jealous of his resume’s omission of a Final Four appearance, will threaten to kill Cal from the third row, egging on the coach into a fist fight.

One reason why the will

Athletically, they’ve had the best team in the field. If they control exactly what they want to do, they will win.

NCAA Tournament: Final Four Storylines

Matt Norlander — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:42:53 -0400

Just to put it all on the table, here’s what we’re looking at this weekend.

The four teams combine for almost 6,900 wins, over 300 Tournament wins, 17 national titles and 51 Final Fours.
Roy Williams will be coaching against his former team, Kansas, where he never won a national title, but made four Final Fours.
You can make the argument that there are 19 potential NBA players playing amongst the four teams involved.
- You want a list? Okay: Kansas — Rush, Chalmers, Sasha Kahn, Darnell Jackson, Darrell Arthur; Memphis — CD-R, Joey Dorsey, Rose; UNC — Wayne Ellington, Hansbrough, Danny Green, Lawson; UCLA — Darren Collison, Josh Shipp, Love, Luc Richard Mbah Moute, Russell Westbrook
Memphis and UCLA will be meeting for the second time in three years in The Tournament. UCLA defeated the Tigers 50-45 in the 2006 Elite Eight.
Memphis State (the same school) and UCLA met in the title game 35 years ago, when Bill Walton scored 44 points and only missed one shot in the process. The random twist: dunking was against the rules in ‘73.
Bill Self is coaching in his first Final Four against his predecessor, Williams. Most coaches who get there for the first time do not win it that same year. The last one: Jim Calhoun in 1999.
John Calipari is in his second Final Four, but his first with Memphis. His UMass team fell to Kentucky in 1996.
If UNC and UCLA meet in the final, it will be third time in Tournament history that the historic schools will have met. The Bruins defeated Carolina 78-55 in the 1968 title game.
Every single team has a competent, Top-10-in-the-nation point guard running its offense.
Memphis is the only team missing an inspirational white guy in its lineup.
It’s the first time since the field expanded in 1985 that all four No. 1 seeds are playing the final three games of the season.
UCLA is making its third consecutive trip to the Final Four. If they don’t win the national title, they will be the first school since Houston in ‘82-’84 to not win in three tries.
With a win over UCLA, Memphis will have 38, making them the winningiest school in single-season history.
UCLA (17), North Carolina (16) and Kansas (12) are three of the five most frequent visitors to the Final Four.
Three of the four teams (Kansas excluded) have a player that is represented on the AP All-American team.
The four teams are a combined 143-9 this season. The second-best field was in ‘98, when Kentucky, Utah, Stanford and UNC were 126-14.
Best of all, this could be Billy Packer’s last Final Four broadcast.

Five Reasons Why North Carolina Won’t Win It All

Matt Norlander — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:36:18 -0400

Rather than dissect each team and tell you why any squad can win, I’m going to go the opposite way. Let’s have some fun.

1. Because Roy Williams is a phony. He also says the word “crap” too much. It’s unsettling. How great would a loss to Kansas feel for all of us after his rant to Bonnie Bernstein in ‘03?

2. Because Ty Lawson, by Williams’ own admission, turned his ankle again at the end of the Louisville game. Lawson, you are no Ray Felton! Plus, Danny Green will finally sprain his ankle during his pre-game dance routine.

3. Because Hansbrough will outwork everyone in practice, leaving them to their own devices and staring them down with his frog eyes. Can’t get your team up in that fashion.

4. Because a title for this team would give Billy Packer and Dick Vitale a reason to continue in their professions for the next decade.

5. Because the games require them to hop on a plane in order to play them.

One reason why they will—Eve Carson.

March Madness: Taking Advantage of Charity

Matt Norlander — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:26:30 -0400

Got a close game that you just can’t decide on? Sometimes it all comes down to the freebies. Here’s the best and worst from the free throw line:

Good:

Indiana (76.8)
Cornell (76.3)
North Carolina (76.1)
Drake (75.6)
Xavier (75.0)

Not so much:

Memphis (59.2)
Winthrop (59.5)
Clemson (62.3)
Mississippi State (63.5)
Texas A&M (63.5)

NCAA Tournament: Five Must-See First Round Games

Matt Norlander — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 01:29:09 -0400

I wrote this piece for The Big Lead, but why not spread the know? Here ya go…

One of the things that makes a blank bracket so beautiful is those first matchups that you peek at on Sunday night. How will this game turn out? Oh, jeez, I don’t even know WHO to take in this one. Sometimes you can allow yourself to be tricked by a mere number next a team’s name. While everyone will want to talk snubs, let’s look at those who DID get in, what games are the five most intriguing matchups in the first two days…

Midwest: No. 6 USC vs. No. 11 Kansas State. You know why. With so much sex appeal, figure this game to be put in primetime for sure. You’ve got the freshman phenom factor with OJ Mayo and Michael Beasley, so everyone should be dialed in. USC’s got plenty of flare factor with Davon Jefferson and Daniel Hackett. Meanwhile, don’t forget about the fact that Kansas State has been struggling, losing five of its last seven games. (You could also make a reasonable argument that USC should be a 5 seed.) Beasley won’t be alone, as Bill Walker can really drop some jaws from time-to-time. Regardless, we’ve got some serious television draw with this one. Can Beasley single-handedly push the Wildcats? Will this begin a possible Elite 8 run for the Trojans? (more…)

NCAA Tournament: Region-by-Region, Game-by-Game Notes

Matt Norlander — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:46:14 -0400

I’m not picking anything yet (well, that’s not entirely true), but here are my quick initial thoughts following the release of those beloved brackets...

EAST

(1) North Carolina vs. Play-in Winner.

No issues here.

(8) Indiana vs. (9) Arkansas

The Arkansas placement is dead-on, but do we really think that Indiana’s an 8? Even if I thought about it for an hour, I can’t see myself taking Arkansas.

(5) Notre Dame vs. (12) George Mason

Mason’s not a 12. O’Connor, the chair of the selection committee, is the AD at Mason, so I question this seeding. Could they upset Dame? Sure, but Mason’s truly a 14 in my book.

(4) Washington State vs. (13) Winthrop

I like WSU, but didn’t think they’d get such a gracious seed placement. This Winthrop team isn’t the same as last year, but an upset is possible.

(6) Oklahoma vs. (11) St. Joseph’s

What a boring game. There’s always an unbearable 6/11 and this seems to be it.

(3) Louisville vs. (14) Boise State

Louisville. Easily.

(7) Butler vs. (10) South Alabama

This is what everyone has to be talking about. What a gross, disgusting mis-seeding by the committee. Butler is a 5 at worst, but this is the second time in three years that they’ve been wrongly pegged. South Alabama is a sketchy at-large (really? a 10???), so I think Butler dismisses of Team USA. What’s worse: South Alabama gets to play in their home state. Butler got hosed.

(2) Tennessee vs. (15) American

Weird that Tennessee gets the 2 seed in the same region as the overall No. 1, North Carolina. So … you’re telling me that Tennessee is the eighth-best team? I hate the lack of consistency.

MIDWEST

(1) Kansas vs. (16) Portland State.

No issues here. This will be a 25-point blowout or worse.

(8) UNLV vs. (9) Kent State

Best 8/9 game out there. I won’t be picking this one until Wednesday night, I know it.

(5) Clemson vs. (12) Villanova

Intriguing. I think the seeds are dead-on.

(4) Vanderbilt vs. (13) Siena

Serious upset potential.

(6) USC vs. (11) Kansas State

Beasley. Mayo. Walker. Jefferson. Hackett. What a great game. I hope this one’s a 7:30 tip on Thursday night.

(3) Wisconsin vs. (14) Cal State Fullerton

Thought Wisconsin was a 2, but they get a good matchup.

(7) Gonzaga vs. (10) Davidson

Battle of the small guys again. I don’t like pitting the mids against each other, but this one really intrigues me.

(2) Georgetown vs. (15) UMBC

Love the local flavor. I’ll be pulling for UMBC more than any other 15 or 16.

SOUTH

(1) Memphis vs. (16) UT-Arlington

This will not be worth watching, unless you like a lashing.

(8) Mississippi State vs. (9) Oregon

Hmm..Oregon is definitely over-seeded. This will be a tough one.

(5) Michigan State vs. (12) Temple

An underwhelming 12 vs. 5, but maybe that’s why we love when a game like this really surprises us. Let’s be honest: Temple can certainly keep up with the Spartans. You wonder if MSU has the horses to get ahead early, though.

(4) Pittsburgh vs. (13) Oral Roberts

Eh. I’m never pumped about a Pitt game.

(6) Marquette vs. (11) Kentucky

Perfectly seeded and I like the matchup. Kentucky would have a lot of traction as an upset pick if they had Patrick Patterson (and might be a higher seed), but without him, they could have a hard time.

(3) Stanford vs. (14) Cornell

Battle of the smarties.

(7) Miami vs. (10) St. Mary’s

No one will like Miami. That probably means that I will.

(2) Texas vs. (15) Austin Peay

You can’t think Texas will lose in the first weekend.

WEST

(1) UCLA vs. Mississippi Valley State

I’m guessing they bury this game during the 5 p.m. hour on Thursday.

(8) BYU vs. (9) Texas A&M

BYU gets another 8/9 game. Remember that tight one against Xavier last year? This one’s pretty tough to read.

(5) Drake vs. (12) Western Kentucky

I’ll be supremely let down if Drake can’t beat the Towel Wavers.

(4) Connecticut vs. (13) San Diego

High upset potential. I think UConn’s a 5 anyway, but this could be 68-60 San Diego type of win.

(6) Purdue vs. (11) Baylor

Purdue as a 6? When they finished ahead of Michigan State, who is a 5? I don’t get it. I know it’s hard to make this thing perfect, but how do you screw that up?

(3) Xavier vs. (14) Georgia

I rooted for Georgia … until now.

(7) West Virginia vs. (10) Arizona

A tough game to pick if you think about what your thoughts on WVU were about a week ago.

(2) Duke vs. (15) Belmont

I truly see this as a 3-14 game, but Duke should win, regardless.

Tom O'Connor: VCU Tournament Control

Matt Norlander — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:46:33 -0400

Tom O’Connor has a dream job with tons of downside to it this year: he’s the chair of the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee.

So?

So he’s the also the athletic director at Virginia Commonwealth University, who is planted firmly on the bubble after their CAA semifinal loss to 17-15 William & Mary on Sunday night. (more…)

Memphis-Tennessee: That Felt Like March, Didn’t It?

Matt Norlander — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:47:10 -0500

There were nine threes made before the first TV timeout. Players were cramping up and crouching down. Dick Vitale dressed up like Elvis. Even Peyton Manning crawled out of his cave for a public appearance.

Yes, if you weren’t watching Tennessee-Memphis tonight, you better have had a damn good reason. Otherwise, you’ve stumbled upon the wrong website.

And if you are doubting Tennessee’s likelihood of getting a No. 1, think again. If this game is Memphis’ only loss heading into The Tournament, and the Vols only lose one or two more, then they’ll definitely be receiving a top line gig.

As for the game: It was basically glorified street ball.

Was it exciting? Definitely. Fast-paced? For sure. Upright-in-your-seat drama? Absolutely.

But it was a terribly executed basketball game. There was at least 15 layups missed. It’s probably fair to say that if either of these teams play like they did tonight in the second weekend of The Tournament, they’re going home.

I want to say it was the nerves, but both teams continue to play into the environment and make plenty of bad decisions.

Tennessee just seemed to allow Memphis to make some more mistakes down the stretch.

That Dozier-Dorsey rebound-into-travel was KILLER. If they could’ve kept the board, Memphis would’ve had the ball for about two minutes of game time after all of those missed shots and subsequent offensive rebounds.

They wouldn’t have allowed Tennessee to score until later in the final minute and could’ve had a chance for two more points.

Also, the foul on Derrick Rose (when Memphis was down by three) with under 10 seconds to go was such a great move. Memphis was exposed right then and there.

Some stats:

26 combined turnovers. (Though it felt like 40.)
Memphis had 10 steals.
Memphis didn’t score a field goal in the final 3: of the game.
Memphis shot 47 percent from the line.
Chris Lofton only had seven points, but two of them were the game-sealers from the foul line.
Derrick Rose led all scorers with his jersey number—23.
Memphis loses its first regular season game in 45 jumps.
The teams were a combined 14-46 from behind the arc.

Dancing on the NCAA Bubble (Feb. 20)

Matt Norlander — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 11:35:00 -0500

Do not hate on Freddy.

It really dawned on my yesterday: My God I cannot wait for Greg Gumbel’s voice on March 16.

Again, this feature is not about projecting the field or anticipating what might happen. This is how I see the field of 65 and who I think should be in right now.

After all, we all complain about who WE think should have/should not have gotten in on Aftermath Monday. And no, I do not read any Bracketology. As I’ve stated before, Lunardi is just too good at what he does that he takes the fun out evaluating the field for me.

What defines a “lock” to me? Simple: If you can afford to lose every single game for the remainder of the season and still be granted an at-large berth despite that, you’re a lock.

I’m litigious with this, I know, but I do it purposefully in order to really be able to get a full scope of the at-large field.

Understand that there are only 34 at-large berths handed out each year, and the ratio of locks/bubblers will certainly become a lot tighter once February comes to an end. For the sake of this column, I’m assuming the worst right now. That means that I’m assuming that every single conference tournament will produce a winner that has no at-large chances.

There are now 15 locks. The at-large field after that? We’ve trimmed it down to 45 teams.

The math: 34 at-large berths - 15 locks= 19 spots left.

The good news? Those spots will inevitably grow because some of the locks will earn the auto bids, clearing up more room for bubble teams. God, I love March.

If you have any questions, gripes, serious disagreements, or love letters you’d like to send me, I can be reached at editor@collegehoopsjournal.com. Or you can just post in the comments, which is always welcomed.

Gone from last week’s edition: North Carolina State, Duquesne, George Mason, and Illinois State.

Previous dumpees in the past two weeks: Virginia Tech, San Diego State, Providence, Charlotte, Wake Forest, and Seton Hall. Texas Tech, Minnesota, Virginia, Creighton, Boston College, Florida State.

Villanova and Wake Forest are back from the dead. Those schools could enter back into the fold, but it’s going to take a lot. For all of your NCAA Tournament questions, needs and curiosities, follow me. (more…)

Mike Krzyzewski, Coaching His Own Damn Duke Team

Matt Norlander — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:46:49 -0500

The sky is anything but falling in Durham.

However, we’ve seen Duke lose back-to-back games now, so many will take plenty of glee in the ability to gasconade that their proclamations about the K’s have been confirmed.

Still, Duke will be, at worst, a third seed (count on it) so we can all just sit back and only hope they are felled by a six or an 11 in the second round.

As for Miami’s win: It probably is the one that gets Miami into The Tournament—if they don’t screw it up down the stretch. It’s also their second win against Duke in history (the first one coming back in that memorable game in 1962).

Also, no floor storm for Miami last night. A commenter over at the Miami Herald’s website explains.

Still, this kind of loss for this kind of Duke team doesn’t feel quite as good as in years past.

What are your thoughts? Is Duke finally playing to their true ability, or are they still Elite Eight (or further) bound?

Around the Top 25: Wednesday's Results

Matt Norlander — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:12:03 -0500

I love this time of year for three things: great skiing, great basketball and my re-discovery of Cadbury Mini Eggs. If you prefer Cadbury Creme Eggs over the Minis, then I don’t think we can be friends. I’m sorry.

–UPSET–Miami 96, No. 5 Duke 95. Duke got way behind way too early. I obviously wasn’t able to watch this game, but just looking at the highlights and the stats, you see that Duke was extremely undermanned in the paint and Miami was able to have their way with them. Still, they almost folded and allowed the Blue Devils to nearly steal this one. ‘Canes shot better than 57 percent from the floor.

–UPSET–Nebraska 71, No. 24 Kansas State 64. Beasley (17 and 10) records his 22nd double-double of the year (tying ‘Melo’s record) but Kansas State stubs its toe on the road here. Seeding this Wildcats team might be a bit of a challenge. And of course I’ll mention the pitiful, unnecessary floor storm from Nebraska fan as well. Really, there was about 84 kids on the floor and Kansas State has had exactly one relevant season in the past 25 years.

–No. 1 Memphis 97, Tulane 71. The line was a pretty tame 13 points for the visiting Tigers. Calipari notches career win No. 400.

–No. 2 Tennessee 89, Auburn 70. Everything’s butta heading into the huge game against Memphis on Saturday night.

–No. 3 North Carolina 84, North Carolina State 70. Roy Williams is also coaching his damn team. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: Hansbrough is the POTY. I’ll take your arguments for Beasley, CD-R, ‘Gody and the like, but Psycho T’s 32 and 12 (with five steals) only continue to help out his stone-solid campaign numbers.

–No. 8 Butler 51, Illinois-Chicago 46. A.J. Graves hits a 3 in the final minute to save the game for the Bulldogs. This has become a somewhat-disturbing trend this season. Still, I want to see it happen again at some point in March. And I want Gus Johnson on the call.

–No. 11 Wisconsin 71 , Illinois 57. With Shaun Pruitt (two points) unable to score in the second half, the Illini never had a shot.

–No. 19 Michigan State 86, Penn State 49. Spartans have to start playing like this a lot more frequently if they want to safely make the Sweet 16. Raymar Morgan also has to be scoring 16 points (like he did last night) if the former statement remains true.

–No. 25 Marquette 73, St. John’s 64. Where’s JohnnyJungle? I want an explanation for this loss from the Johnnies.

Notable:

UAB 101, Houston 99. Yeah, how about 200 points for a bubble game? How’s that doin’ ya? Glorius. Get this: Houston shot better from the field, better from 3 and better from the foul line yet still lost the game. Rob McKiver had 41 for Houston in the losing effort.

Mississippi 74, Mississippi State 63. This was a pretty big bubble game that no one (me included) was talking about. A win that the Rebels absolutely had to have. The schools now split the season series and you have to give the edge currently to Ole Miss (18-7) over the Bulldogs (17-8).

Florida 85, South Carolina 82. Gators are still trailing the at-large pack, but they grind out a tough win at home.

Virginia Commonwealth 66, Northeastern 62. VCU would’ve been toast if they lost to the Huskies.

Virginia Tech 69, Maryland 65. A home loss to mediocre Tech kind of exemplifies what this Maryland team is all about. They’ll probably sneak their way to an 11 seed, but they’re not to be trusted this year.

Arkansas 87, Louisiana State 61. Hogs are now 18-7. This has been your weekly Hogs update.

Villanova 78, West Virginia 56. Villanova resuscitates itself at the hands of the hot-and-cold West Virginia Mountaineers. Neither is in The Tournament right now. (Dancing on the Bubble post is coming later.)

College Hoops: Tuesday's Top 25 Results

Matt Norlander — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:25:56 -0500

It’s starting to get a little kooky.

UPSET: Bradley 72, No. 18 Drake 71

I’m openly pulling for Drake. (Love The Drake!) But you just can’t blow an eight-point lead in the final three minutes against a Bradley team that’s only praying to get to the NIT this year. Still, the Bulldogs only have two losses in the MVC, so they’re still okay (for now).

Baby Korver can’t get the shot off at the buzzer and suddenly Drake might not be all that good.

This Saturday the Drake-Butler matchup looms as a bit game for Bracket Busters.

No. 15 Indiana 77, No. 14 Purdue 68

Purdue should have lost this game by 20, I think. I’m sure it’ll be discussed, but it must be iterated here: Indiana has looked pretty confident in their past two games, even amidst the media circus hovering in Bloomington.

I was happy to see Erin Andrews hit Sampson with the tough questions after the game, but I can’t blame Sampson for his abruptly walking away from her, either. He’s embarrassed and it’s showing.

Meanwhile, IU brings Purdue back to the Big Ten pack and helps to shape an interesting race, with IU, Purdue, Michigan State, and Wisconsin all vying for the regular season crown.

No. 13 Connecticut 65, DePaul 60

Was it a comeback (for UConn) or a collapse (for DePaul), as a 53-40 Blue Demons lead with 11 minutes to go evaporated in Hartford?

UConn is slowly becoming almost as overrated as Georgetown, and I look forward to their over-seeding.

Thabeet continues to push for Big East POTY, however, going for 16 and 13.

Notable

Oklahoma 92, Baylor 91 (OT)

You have to see the video of this one. It was one of the 10 best games of the year. The back-and-forth nature of the game leads me to give the Sooners the advantage. In at-large terms, anyway.

Oklahoma had this puppy sewn up, but they got careless and allowed the scrappy (an appropriate adjective, I think) Bears team to fight back and bring it to overtime.

With a little more than a minute to go, Blake Griffin had a fantastic block on Jerrells and just stared him down after the facial. It was a great moment, and truly spoke to the competitive nature of this matchup. I enjoy a good battle with some peppered, controlled hatred.

As for the four-point play, the missed free throws, and the drama, just sit tight. I’ll be bringing it all to you very soon.

Oh yeah, and there was a fracas that caused a couple of ejections for Baylor and an Oklahoma strength coach as well.

Florida State 64, Clemson 55

I almost had Clemson as my 25th team in the BlogPoll (coming later today) this week. Glad I hesitated. Can anyone really trust this team? I’m going to find it very hard to pick them to win a game in the Tournament.

Davidson 75, UNC Greensboro 66

Bobcats remain perfect in conference (18-0).

Around the Top 25: College Basketball President’s Day Results

Matt Norlander — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 08:34:59 -0500

Being in the newspaper business doesn’t allow me to take random Mondays off. I envy.

No. 7 Texas 77, No. 22 Texas A&M 50

Longhorns avenge the loss to the Aggies from earlier in the season, prove they’re a much better team. D.J. Augustin toyed with the Aggies, scoring 27 and dishing out nine. Texas A&M appears to have peaked and could be on pace for an eight seed, which would’ve been pretty shocking news to hear back in January.

No. 10 Xavier 81, Rhode Island 77

Xavier is officially a lock and Rhode Island lets an opportunity slip away. I was supposed to go to this game last night, but again, the whole work thing got in the way. Drats. I’m supposed to have a guest post on this affair later on today, but we’ll see if the guy who once invited me to his dorm room for some dinner during The Tournament—then went on to offer me day-old macaroni-and-cheese sitting in a two-gallon pot on his stove—comes through.

No. 12 Georgetown 68, Providence 58

Hoyas avoid a two-seed-crushing loss to the Friars, but still don’t impress all that much in the win. Sure, they came from behind late in the second half to steal this one, BUT THEY WERE PLAYING SINKING PROVIDENCE. The bad news is here actually the fact that even your casual-fan buddies will catch wind of Georgetown's overrated status and not pick them to go to the Final Four (which I’m still hoping happens).

No. 18 Louisville 61, Syracuse 50

I suspected that Syracuse wouldn’t have the horses to keep up with Louisville and boy was I right. Syracuse was positively gassed by the time the two-minute mark hit. The Orange(men) still have plenty of opportunities (Notre Dame this week) to play themselves into the Tournament, but it’s probably going to take at least 20 wins to earn it. Right now they’re at 17 with four games to go.

No. 23 Saint Mary’s 100, Pepperdine 64

I think their offense is...clicking. Patty Mills puts in 18 points to lead the Gaels, who are tip-toeing closer to lock status.

Notable

Longwood 96, N.J.I.T. 78: One more loss to glory. It goes down on Saturday at 4 p.m. against 12-14 Utah Valley State. Don’t worry, a post on it will be coming Friday.

LaSalle 90, St. Joseph’s 89: The at-large picture continues to keep itself murky. After Rhode Island’s loss, this win would have put St. Joe’s in the No. 2 spot in the A-10. Alas, a bad loss to the Explorers (one of the five worst nicknames in all of college basketball) is an ugly, black ink spot on the Hawks’ resumes.

Gonzaga 59, San Diego 55: Bulldogs hang on in an absolute dogfight to avoid a rough loss. If Gonzaga were to lose in the WCC semis or finals, this win could be the one that makes sure they sneak into the field of 65.

Around the Top 25: Saturday’s Late Results

Matt Norlander — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 01:15:38 -0500

I’m fairly certain that Dwight Howard would’ve been considered the great college freshman of all-time had he ever been forced to play D-I.

No. 13 Indiana 80, No. 10 Michigan State 61

“It’s not about me,” Kelvin Sampson said to Erin Andrews after the game.

Actually, it is about you, coach.

This whole deal is about you.

I was hoping ESPN could show us a little more access to Sampson, who appeared to be somewhat welcoming. But they didn’t quite deliver as much as I would’ve hoped.

As for the game, so much for any distraction.

D.J. White’s knee injury looked ba-a-a-d, but it appears that he’ll probably be okay.

Is Michigan State going to cash out earlier than many of us expected?

I don’t know. What I do know is that Raymar Morgan (three freaking points in this one) isn’t nearly consistent enough to help this team, and not all of the shots are going to fall for Drew Neitzel when MSU is going to need them to.

No. 1 Memphis 79, Alabama-Birmingham 78

If you’re rooting against Calipari, this game would make you pull a few hairs out.

UAB had Memphis on the damn ropes and couldn’t close.

Memphis, trailing by four with less than a minute to go, gets a shoddy call to get CD-R to the line.

You can say this team can’t make free throws, but their star made the one he needed to in order to get the win and keep the perfect campaign alive.

UAB’s Lawrence Kinnard just barely doesn’t get the game-winner off in time. Oh what a highlight that would’ve been.

Is Memphis wilting, or did they steal one from a pretty decent Blazers club?

It’s up for you to decide.

No. 11 Texas 82, Baylor 77

Baylor should’ve been able to steal this game away, but they were too sloppy in too many spots.

Do that against a team that’s better than you, and you’re probably not going to win.

Dominic James puts 19 and 10 in the stat sheet for the ‘Horns, who can still steal a two-seed before it’s all said and done.

No. 18 Kansas State 100, Missouri 63

Kansas State hangs a hundred on the Tigers.

It’s just getting ridiculous at this point.

Beastley brings his first 40-point performance of the season. And oh yeah, Michael also added 17 boards.

He’s one game away from trying ‘Melo’s 22-in-a-season, double-double record.

I now have to compare his year to Durant’s of last season. (I still give the edge to KD, but if K-State advances further in The Tournament this year, Beastley probably gets the edge.) Third 40-and-10 game in the past 12 years from a freshman (he and Hansbrough had the other two).

No. 19 Purdue 71, Northwestern 56

Expected. Next.

No. 21 Washington State 62, Oregon 53

Oregon, suddenly you’re about the eighth-best team in the Pac-10.

How’d that happen? Ducks have lost six of their last nine and probably needs to steal a game against Southern Cal and/or UCLA this week.

No. 25 Saint Mary’s 80, Loyola Marymount 49

Lowly Marymount never had a shot.

Saint Mary’s, unfortunately, won’t be taken seriously until they play Gonzaga again.

Notable:

Auburn 90, Mississippi 78

Two words: Bad. Loss.

Two more: Good. Bye.

And two more: For. Now.

California 76, Arizona State 73

A win like this will probably get Cal in.

You had to make the argument before the day began that ASU was more deserving of a bid, but when the Pac-10 keeps helping itself out by beating itself up, it’s hard to not invite at least seven teams to dance.

Oklahoma 66, Texas Tech 64

Shot of the day happened in this one.

Did you miss it?

David Godbold’s heave from 37 feet keeps Oklahoma on the good side of the bubble.

There’s nothing of it on YouTube at the moment, but I’ll try and put it on the site as soon as I can get it.

Dayton 77, Temple 66

Dayton cures their woes; Temple sees the NCAA door shut.

Brigham Young 74, UNLV 48

Ugly, damaging loss for the Rebels. BYU avenges their 70-41 shellacking at the hands of Vegas from earlier in the season.

Mississippi State 80, Arkansas 74

Could have some bubble implications, but Miss. St. needed this game more than Arkansas.

Chicago State 86, N.J.I.T 76

0-27…two more! Two more!

Around the Top 25: Saturday’s Early Results

Matt Norlander — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:50:31 -0500

Here’s the first batch, nice and fresh. Let them cool though!

UPSET–Syracuse 77, No. 8 Georgetown 70

‘Cuse manhandled G’Town in the first half and managed to withstand every single run that the Hoyas put together in the second.

Impressive performance for Syracuse, but they’re not on the good side of the bubble yet.

They have to have more consistency from Donte Green and Paul Harris. Both of those guys had some big shots, but also made some very bad decisions throughout the game.

Georgetown, you have been exposed.

UPSET–Oklahoma State 59, No. 16 Texas A&M 54

Alright, we now know that A&M is an inconsistent team that cannot be trusted.

No. 3 Kansas 69, Colorado 45

Kansas beats Colorado the way that they best beat opponents: with balance.

Mario Chalmers led all KU scorers…with just 13.

No. 4 Tennessee 74, Georgia 71

The margin itself is a head scratcher.

The tough game is supposed to be NEXT week, Vols. (Against Memphis.)

No. 5 North Carolina 92, Virginia Tech 53

The game was over at the first TV timeout.

Hansbrough adds a tame 23, while Virginia Tech’s at-large chances sink down the drain.

Va. Tech shot just 26 percent from the floor.

No. 7 Stanford 67, Arizona 66

Best game of the day so far.

It was pretty much the Bayless and Budinger show for ‘Zona.

My real issue with this game was the fact that it appeared as though three different refs came out for the second half.

In the first half it was all physical—and pretty refreshing—on both ends of the floor.

The physical play in the second half definitely hurt Arizona, who loss Jordan Hill to a foul out.

Arizona…will they be a six seed or an 11?

We really have no idea right now.

No. 9 Butler 51, Cleveland State 46

Butler avenges one of their two losses of the season (Wright State was the other) and improves to a stunning 24-2.

Matt Howard—another player you should get familiar with—went for 17 and eight to help the cause.

Also, if you’re trying to figure out where Butler can finish for seeding, consider this: there’s only two more losses, tops, that they will suffer. They’re likely going to finish with a 30-3 record, maybe better, and should receive a four seed.

No. 14 Drake 65, Northern Iowa 55

No second-loss blues for the Bulldogs, who might slip into the 20s in the rankings by Monday.

I hope I’m wrong though.

With the win, Drake secures its first regular season title in the Missouri Valley since 1971.

No. 15 Wisconsin 65, Minnesota 56

I put Wiscy as a lock earlier in the week, but the taking care of business against upset-minded Minny really cements their March status.

No. 17 Connecticut 74, South Florida 73 (OT)

First half: 27-26, UConn. Second half: 39-38, South Florida. Overtime: 9-8, UConn.

Feisty little Bulls, aren’t they?

Craig Austrie hits a Ray Alenn-esque runner in the lane with 0.2 seconds to go in overtime to keep UConn’s nine-game winning streak alive (along with their hopes of getting a five seed or better).

No. 24 Vanderbilt 61, Florida 58

The win almost definitely makes Vandy (22-4) a lock.

Florida oh Florida, where have you gone? Gators have dropped four out of five.

Notable:

Kent State 72, Ohio 62

Golden Flashes will be in the Tournament if they don’t do anything really stupid in the next three weeks.

Indiana State 76, Illinois State 72

The Redbird's at-large chances go poof.

Clemson 71, North Carolina State 64

The at-large field continues to shrink. Buh-bye, Wolfpack.

Maryland 82, Florida State 72

Same to FSU (who was done anyway).

Maryland: are they in right now? Gotta be.

ESPN Better Be on the Phone with Kelvin Sampson

Matt Norlander — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:53:31 -0500

As everyone well knows by now, ESPN has hit an absolute television gold mine by having their broadcast of College Gameday take place at Indiana University this Saturday as it coincides with the less-than-startling news of Kelvin Sampson’s love for his cellphone plan.

That deafening roar on Bristol’s door is Opportunity. I have to implore The Jug to get Kelvin Sampson (every other Gameday has a lighthearted interview with a coach) interviewed TONIGHT if possible to talk about whatever he can or is willing to. (I don’t expect him to willingly go live on set tomorrow to talk about this.)

This is college basketball at one of the premier programs in the country. It’s big business and it’s a hot media topic. If ESPN merely details the accusations, talks about his murky past/future and the state of college basketball coaching and recruiting WITHOUT having Sampson discuss what he’s done, then they deserve more criticism than they normally get.

Bilas, you were all over that Bobby Knight story. I expect you to be in a dimly lit room and asking tough questions to Sampson and really asking questions like, “Did you really think you were obeying the rules by participating in these phone calls?”

I want more than the predicted puppet act of Sampson criticisms that will be coming out of those four guys’ mouths.

Around the Top 25: College Basketball Valentine’s Day Results

Matt Norlander — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 09:58:19 -0500

Thoughts and prayers are with everyone affiliated with Northern Illinois University...

–UPSET–Arizona State 72, No. 7 Stanford 68 (OT)

A great win for ASU, a team on the verge of being bumped out of the at-large picture. Perhaps this is the most clear-cut sign that the Pac 10 has the most talent of any conference this season.

You have Arizona State—a team that had recently dropped five straight games in conference—absolutely losing their edge against the Cardinal, only to storm back and take this game (with authority!). The game was in Stanford’s hands with less than eight minutes to go, but this was a definite “lose your focus” moment for the Cardinal.

The Sun Ds have a meeting with Cal on Saturday that would probably put the winner in the driver’s seat for the conference’s sixth bid.

–No. 9 Butler 89, Youngstown State 73

Just get me to Bracket Busters already.

–No. 21 Washington State 70, Oregon State 57

The Beavers have not won a single game in conference this year. They really could be the worst team in any of the big six.

A game like this is good for Washington State though. You’ve got a guy in Taylor Rochestie, who averages 10/game, scoring 24 to lead the Cougs and develop that much more confidence that will only help this team come March.

Notable:

Fordham 76, Massachusetts 72

UMass was in the Top 25 in RPI before last night’s game. Today they are 38th. One more loss to a sub-.500 team and the M’Men can kiss the Tournament goodbye.

Arizona 83, California 73

Cal is a win-three-then-lose-two type of team. That means they should be on pace to defeat Arizona State on Saturday.

Oregon 72, Washington 58

Ducks probably would’ve been knocked off my bubble list for good if they lost this game last night. They didn’t, so they’re still alive. Still, I’m not that confident in their ability to win in March.

NCAA Tournament: Dancing on the Bubble

Matt Norlander — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 11:29:22 -0500

This feature is not be about projecting the field or anticipating what might happen. No, this is how I see the field of 65 and who I think should be in. After all, we all complain about who WE think should have/should not have gotten in on Aftermath Monday.

All of this is according to my eyes and my judgment. And no, I do not read any Bracketology. As I’ve stated before, Lunardi is just too good at what he does that he takes the fun out evaluating the field for me.

Locks? Yeah, I’ve got some. But first let me give you my definition of “lock”. If you can afford to lose every single game for the remainder of the season and still be granted an at-large berth despite that, then you’re a lock.

I’m litigious with this, I know, but I do it purposefully in order to really be able to get a full scope of the at-large field.

There are now 12 locks.

The at-large field after that? We continue to cut the fat and get a healthier set of 49 teams still rolling around in the cement truck.

There are others, and I call them the “fringers”, that are not even worthy of consideration yet (Kentucky, Akron, Utah State, etc…), but could eventually fight their way into the at-large picture.

That door, however, is almost closed; those teams have about a week left to enter the discussion. If you have any questions, gripes, serious disagreements or love letters you’d like to send me, I can be reached at editor@collegehoopsjournal.com.

Understand that there are only 34 at-large berths handed out each year and the ratio of locks/bubblers will certainly become a lot tighter once February comes to an end.

For the sake of this column, I’m assuming the worst right now. That means that I’m assuming that every single conference tournament will produce a winner that has no at-large chances.

Gone from last week’s edition: Virginia Tech, San Diego State, Villanova, Providence, Charlotte, Wake Forest and Seton Hall.

The week before that I rid the list of: Texas Tech, Minnesota, Virginia, Creighton, Boston College, Florida State.

Those schools could enter back into the fold, but they’re not there today. For all of your NCAA Tournament questions, needs and curiosities, follow me…

Around the Top 25: Wednesday’s Results

Matt Norlander — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:42:26 -0500

–UPSET–Southern Illinois 65, No. 14 Drake 62

On all that is good and holy I swear to you that yesterday I almost submitted a "Will Drake Fall Tonight to Southern Illinois?” post. I decided against it because I'd posted so much already. Just got a little lazy. Apologies.

Leave it up to So. Ill., a team that has underachieved all year but still has the weapons, to win the MVC tournament. Drake’s 21-game winning streak is now kaput.

–UPSET–Texas Tech 84, No. 18 Kansas State 75

Little Knight secures career win number one. It’s just incredible, he seems so much more likable than Papa.

This loss will probably be a non-factor for K-State in every sense except Big XII standings.

No. 15 Wisconsin 68, No. 13 Indiana 66

Brian Butch launched a huge three off the glass to win the game for Wisky.

I really feel for the IU kids, like D.J. White, who had nothing to do with this garbage, but had to face (rightfully) questions from the media. If I had been able to see this game (damn you, Big Ten Network) I’m not even sure I even would’ve been able to tell which team was really better.

And I don't think you can hold IU totally responsible for the loss. Why? I saw the highlights and the box score and it seemed like the Hoosiers rallied, instead of retracting.

No. 20 Notre Dame 84, No. 17 Connecticut 78

I couldn’t even watch this game in my own state. Good matchup between Harongody (32 and 16) and Thabeet (10 rebounds, six blocks). A.J. Price supplied a career-best of 26 points (and added nine dimes) to up UConn’s winning streak to eight. The Huskies had only eight turnovers to boot. Maybe they really are improving.

No. 1 Memphis 68, Houston 59

To everyone who thought that Houston might’ve had a puncher’s chance, well, sorry. The Tigers' 32-to-2 advantage from the free throw line kept them undefeated.

No. 2 Duke 77, Maryland 65

Random trivia: Can you tell me who handed Duke their only loss this season? No, don’t look it up. You'll find the answer at the end of this post.

Duke has five players averaging double figures and they could, much to your chagrin, make it to San Antonio this season.

No. 4 Tennessee 93, Arkansas 71

JaJuan Smith is getting better every week. He scored 32 points and didn’t miss a three-point attempt, going six for six.

I suppose my vision of Arkansas' talent is clouded at times; they really do have games like these. Anyway, their 40 percent shooting night was doomed to end in a loss. The Vols really had it going from behind the arc, and I think when they play like that only Duke and Memphis are capable of beating them.

No. 12 Xavier 62, Charlotte 60

The Niners needed this one, but failed as Xavier crept up to the win.

It’s pretty incredible that Xavier is able to get these over and over. No, it’s not luck—they’re just that tight as a team. Josh Duncan hit a huge three-pointer with 16 seconds to go, giving the Muskies the lead and the win. After mauling opponents a few weeks back, Xavier has now defeated its past three opponents by four points or less.

Notable

Alabama 76, Mississippi 67. I…I just don’t get it. The Rebels are 3-6 in the SEC and showing their Hyde side more and more.

La Salle 87, N.J.I.T 65. 0-26 for the Highlanders. There can only be one!

Temple 92, Rhode Island 89 (OT). The Rams are starting to slip a little here. Look for them in the "Dancing on the Bubble" post later today.

Oklahoma State 93, Baylor 83. I’d hate to see the Bears throw away their Tournament opportunities this year.

Louisiana State 85, Florida 73. The baby Gators come back down to earth. LSU shoots better than 60 percent. That’s especially impressive when you crack 80 points.

Duquesne 63, Dayton 61. The plot thickens.

Davidson 83, UNC-Greensboro 78. The plot thickens some more.

——————————————————–

*Duke was beaten by Pittsburgh 65-54 in an overtime game at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 20.

February 13, NCAA Basketball BlogPoll

Matt Norlander — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 11:57:55 -0500

Each week, a handful of us college hoops bloggers put together our own version of a Top 25 poll to make ourselves feel just a little more important (our tiny voices matter, too!).

Here is what we have assessed, as a group, with any of the AP rankings that significantly differ from any of ours for each team set in parentheses and first place votes at the top in bold.

Obviously, if there are no numbers in parentheses, then our rankings match the AP voters’ or are within three voting points. And for the sake of putting the poll out mid-week, most voting is done as soon as Monday night’s games are finished.

We hardly agree with the AP when it comes to exact numbers in the poll, but almost all of our placements are within two or three standing points of each other.

Memphis–13–
Duke–2–
Tennessee
Kansas
North Carolina
UCLA
Stanford
Texas
Georgetown
Xavier
Drake
Michigan State
Butler (9)
Wisconsin
Connecticut
Indiana
Kansas State
Washington State
Texas A&M
Louisville
Notre Dame
Purdue
Saint Mary’s
Vanderbilt
Marquette (NR)

The three who just missed the cut: Pittsburgh, Arizona, Arkansas.

College Basketball: Tuesday's Top 25 Results

Matt Norlander — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:19:42 -0500

No. 19 Purdue 60, No. 10 Michigan State 54 –UPSET–

Everybody pile on that Purdue bandwagon. No, really—they’re good engineers at that school, so the vehicle can probably support the weight. 11-1, the Boilers are in conference play, so you have to have them as close to a lock as humanly possible right now.

Robbie Hummel had himself a ballgame. Damn, it’s like there are all of these impact freshman all around the country, you know? Purdue appears to be a legitimate team (or the Big Ten could be this weak.) Spartans have dropped two of their past three.

No. 5 North Carolina 75, Virginia 74

What’s up with Carolina? They keep escaping in these games, but they’re showing a lot of vulnerability. And by a lot of vulnerability I mean not a lot of defense and a helluva lot of luck.

Hansbrough threw up one of those awkward types of shots. One of those: I’m-falling-away-but-I’m-Tyler-Hansbrough-so-this-will-go-in-even-though-I’ll-probably-fall-on-the-floor-anyway type of shots. You know the type. He’s probably one of the best ever at it, too. Then Singletary sinks a huge three, but UVA can’t foul immediately and after Ellington misses the front end of a one-and-one, the ball just kind of bounces off of everyone’s hands, giving Baby Blue the win.

No. 9 Butler 83, Wisconsin-Milwaukee 75

U Dubs (that’s the other school for those in the back of the class) hit a three right before the buzzer to tie the game and send into an extra session, but Butler escapes again, keeping their hopes for a three-seed alive and keeping their hopes for national respect alive.

Mike Green, aka The Best Player You Don’t Know About, had 24 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Yet, here’s what I love about Butler: By shutting Green down, you don’t really handicap this team; they’ve got too many weapons and work too well as a unit to allow that to happen.

No. 22 Pittsburgh 82, Providence 63

And the Big East really starts to separate the water from the oil now. Ronald Ramon drained five treys; Sam Young put 22 points down. Still, we all can agree that Pittsburgh would have to get a huge break to make the Sweet 16 this year, right?

If you think otherwise, let me know: editor@collegehoopsjournal.com.

No. 24 Vanderbilt 93, Kentucky 52

What a grease fire. Nugget you might like to know: Vanderbilt is 5-4 on the road, undefeated at home.

Notable

Marquette 89, Seton Hall 64: Losing by 25 at home is one way to prove you were a pretender.

Kent State 79, Central Michigan 66: Golden Flashes get 20 wins in their first 25 games (they’re 9-2 in the MAC). It’s hard to argue an at-large case against them right now.

Northern Illinois 88, Akron 78: Why is this notable? Well, the Zips (17-7) were on the bubble before losing at home to 6-17 Northern Illinois.

Around the Top 25: Monday’s College Basketball Results

Matt Norlander — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 01:12:12 -0500

I’m a bit late to the party on this band, but I implore you to check out Umphrey’s McGee. If you like Dispatch, moe., Phish, John Butler Trio, etc., then you’ll certainly dig this band.

Okay, now down to business.

UPSET–No. 11 Texas 72, No. 3 Kansas 69

This was one of those games with results not all that surprising—you could really sense that Texas was due for a win like this.

I believe the loss doesn’t hurt Kansas in terms of seeding, only helps UT to secure a five seed (at worst) come March. To me, Texas is on a collision course with a three seed, though. I think Damion James making two free throws (he’s barely above 50 percent this season) is what lifted the Longhorns to the win.

If you missed the game you, missed the kind of high-octane, balanced basketball you never get to see from the likes of the Big Ten.

No. 8 Georgetown 55, Villanova 53

Sean McDonough was dead on when he (to paraphrase) declared the ending call of this game a travesty. I think we all wanted an encore for this one.

But forget the call; let’s look deeper. This game was exactly the kind Villanova wanted to play, yet G’Town gets the win on the road. Few teams can adapt to an opponent’s play like the Hoyas can.

The Wildcats should’ve put together some sort of run (which they’ve failed to do in the past three weeks) to finish off the game.

But no, there’s a bad foul call before overtime and Jonathan Wallace drains two freebies. Georgetown escapes yet another game this year.

Villanova may now be unable to recover from the dramatic fall they’ve suffered.

No. 25 Saint Mary’s 54, Santa Clara 50

I thought the Gaels would take care of business here, but eventually they acquiesced to a style of play out of their genre.

All it took was a 12-foot fadeaway from Santa Clara to tie this one, but still it wasn’t to be.

Question: How will Saint Mary’s be rewarded if Drake (whose only loss came to SMC) enters the Tournament with only, say, two losses? Anything less than an eight seed would probably be a crime.

Notable:

Nevada 85, Utah State 80

After this loss, the Aggies are not likely to make their way to the selection committee’s set list for March.

College Hoops: Monday Top 25 Results

Matt Norlander — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:14:05 -0500

No. 11 Texas 72, No. 3 Kansas 69. –UPSET–

One of those games that wasn’t all that surprising—you could really sense that Texas was due for a win like this.

I believe that the loss doesn’t hurt Kansas in terms of seeding, but only helps UT to ensure themselves an, at worst, five seed come March. To me, Texas is on a collision course with a three seed, though.

I think Damion James’ two made free throws (he’s barely above 50 percent for the season) is what lifted the Longhorns to the win. If you missed it, you missed some high-octane, balanced basketball that you’d never see in a place like the Big Ten.

No. 8 Georgetown 55, Villanova 53.

Sean McDonough was dead on when he called the ending to this game a travesty (that’s a paraphrase). I think we all wanted an encore for this one. And no, the photo to the right isn’t the final play of the game, but it served as an omen. I’m also sure there’ll be plenty of ESPN pub today with this call (February is the slowest media month behind July). But forget the call, let’s look deeper.

The game was exactly the type in which Villanova wanted to play, yet G’Town gets the win on the road. Few teams can morph into their opponent’s game like the Hoyas can.

The Wildcats should’ve put together some sort of run (which they haven’t been able to do in the past three weeks) and put the game away. But no, there’s a bad foul call before overtime, then Jonathan Wallace drains to freebies and Georgetown escapes yet another game this year.

Villanova may not be able to climb back from how far they’ve fallen.

No. 25 Saint Mary’s 54, Santa Clara 50.

I thought that the Gaels would take care of business here, but like any good band would do (sticking with this theme, I guess) they acquiesced to play a style out of their own genre.

All it took was a 12-foot fadeaway from Santa Clara to tie this one, but ’twas not to be.

Question: How will Saint Mary’s be rewarded if Drake (whose only loss came to SMC) enters the tournament with only, say, two losses? Anything less than an eight seed would probably be a crime.

Notable

Nevada 85, Utah State 80. After this loss, the Aggies are not likely to be written on the selection committee’s set list for March.

Around the Top 25: Saturday’s Early Results

Matt Norlander — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 19:13:51 -0500

One of the reasons why I love this site is because I get to do massive rundowns of college basketball like this. God bless these Saturdays.

Part Two will be up by early tomorrow.

–UPSET–No. 22 Notre Dame 86, No. 16 Marquette 83

I’m still waiting to see what tonight brings, but this has to be the game of the day. ‘Gody had a huge one for the Irish (he really adds so much on the floor for them) and Marquette was able to hang around when it seemed that Notre Dame would put them away. Dominic James’ 3 went begging, and Notre Dame has now won a remarkable 34 games in a row at home. This is Notre Dame!

No. 1 Memphis 85, Central Florida 64

UCF kept it close until about the 8:00 mark, when Memphis started doing what you’d expect them to do. What else am I supposed to write here? Memphis’ isn’t worth making the news in the next two weeks unless it’s a loss, a close win, or a game against Tennessee.

No. 2 Duke 90, Boston College 80

Was rooting for BC to keep this one close (coming off that UNC win, Duke looked tired), but Duke had the legs, which was surprising to see. Could Duke completely swiftboat all of us and be among the three biggest favorites to win it all? What a sad, but familiar, world that would be.

No. 7 Tennessee 47, Louisiana State 45

The Tigers almost stole away a great game for the former coach, John Brady. Tennessee’s win was the best/most dramatic one of the day.

Have you seen the highlight? JaJuanuanaan (sorry, I tend to do that) Smith stole the ball in true pickpocket fashion and put it in the hoop on the breakaway with about :11 to go. Then LSU kind of…didn’t have….anything really drawn up…and a dunk from LSU’s Chris Johson was just beaten by the buzzer.

The 47-point-producing Volunteers (?) shouldn’t have won this game—Tennessee completely blew a 12-point lead in the second half in lackluster fashion—but then again, this is why Tennessee will be a No. 2 this year.

No. 12 Texas 71, Iowa State 65 (OT)

Stupid ABC didn’t switch from the blowout that was the USC/Wazzu game (see below) to bring me to an overtime/potential upset of a top 15 team in the country. Why? Who knows, but if there’s some sort of dumb law about it, let’s change it. As for the game, ABC’s updates were very helpful in getting my hand to my hair. So, as a result, I bring you a picture of Saturday’s pink-out: Rick Barnes kind of fits right in, doesn’t he?

No. 17 Washington State 74, Southern California 50

Derrick Low and Co. really needed to have this one after losing four of its past five. It was Kyle Weaver, who really jump-started this team in both halves, that was responsible for the rout. To me, Washington State is the quiet girl in the front of the classroom: She doesn’t knock you out, but there’s something there that makes you want to keep rooting for her.

No. 18 Texas A&M 77, Missouri 69

The lead from the AP: ” Every time he bends over to catch his breath, Donald Sloan sees “Not” on top of his left shoe and “Tired” on top of his right shoe.” I love those kind of antidotes. Don’t look now, but the Aggies have hit the 20-win plateau.

No. 19 Connecticut 80, Georgia Tech 68

Ga. Tech had the Huskies’ number in the early point of the game, but UConn keeps getting these wins that make you wonder, “How?” To me, it appears as though UConn is on a collision course with a 6 seed. I just KNOW I will be trapped into picking that 11 in that game because I’m not buying what they are selling; have to see a lot more from them, I guess.

Notable

Houston 66, Tulane 56. Just an update: Houston is 18-4, but the SOS is weak, so a win over Memphis on Wednesday would be more than optimal.

Miami (FL) 74, Virginia Tech 71. The Hokies’ chances for dancing officially end; ‘Canes are 16-7, yet still an unimpressive 3-6 in conference play.

Florida 77, Georgia 67. The Gators (ranked in the Coaches) should hop back into the AP Poll on Monday again.

Old Dominion 72, George Mason 64. The Patriots are now 9-4 in the weaker-than-recent CAA and will likely have to run the table to end the regular season in order to keep their Player’s card.

Texas Christian 68, San Diego State 62. Aztecs probably can’t recover from this loss to stake claim for an at-large berth.

Ohio 57, Western Michigan 54. Bobcats (16-7) remain relevant.

Colorado 72, Oklahoma 58. The Sooners lose and, in turn, make themselves quite the ultimate bubble case.