...grippin' your pillow tight." ~Metallica, "Enter Sandman" (1991)
Here is a list of surprise teams or low profile teams that are off to great starts. Butler does not count because they have even managed to crack the polls. I know that there are more undefeated teams, but most of these teams possess sterling records along with a big win or two. TBB will be keeping an eye on this group in the coming weeks.
Air Force (7-1). One bad half against Duke is the only thing keeping them from being undefeated. They outplayed K's boys in the 2nd half of that game. They also have chargrilled Stanford by 34 and Wake by 36. They currently have the highest offensive efficiency rating in the entire country, too.
Oklahoma State (8-0). They have not played a tough schedule, but they beat Missouri State on a neutral court. That's the Bears only loss so far.
San Diego State (6-0). Undefeated and handed Cal their only loss to date.
New Mexico (4-0). They have HAMMERED Colorado and Kansas State, but the Lobos have yet to leave The Pit.
Nebraska (3-0). Handed highly-regarded Creighton a double-digit loss, the Blue Jays' only blemish to this point.
Oregon (6-0). They took out G'town in DC last night. That probably will not happen many times this season.
Clemson (8-0). No huge wins yet, but the Tigers possess road wins at Old Dominion and Minnesota.
Purdue (6-1). The Boilers have already beaten Oklahoma, DePaul and Virginia. Their lone loss was to Georgia Tech.
Washington State (7-0). Lack a signature win, but has a road win and three neutral court wins in tow. The Cougars have a mammoth game on Tuesday when they host Gonzaga.
Western Kentucky (6-1). I am not just playing homer here. They were roasted by Florida, but have won at home over UAB and on the road at Georgia (the Dawgs only loss). Lots of meat left with SIU, Tennessee, and Nebraska still to come.
Last Night's GOI
--at Air Force 94, Wake Forest 58. Uh, AFA is good at basketball.
--at California 78, Kansas State 48. Bears are red hot, and let's cool the Huggy At-Large talk for now.
--Oregon 57, at Georgetown 50. Quack Attack is back! HUGE game at Nebraska on Dec 9.
--at Marist 84, Old Dominion 71. This is why you read TBB. Marist is a very good team that folks should follow. Plus, they are the Red Foxes. Who doesn't love a red fox?
--at Northern Iowa 70, Iowa State 57. The MVC looks to be quite deep (again) this year.
--at Oklahoma State 95, TAMU-CC 73. Sean Sutton is off to an 8-0 start in Stillwater.
--Butler 60, at Valparaiso 47. No letdown for the Dogs. There are not a lot of games on Butler's schedule that look like losses at this point.
ACC Big Ten Challenge
--at Boston College 65, Michigan State 58. This helps BC right the ship after a rocky start.
--Clemson 90, at Minnesota 68. Losing by 22 at home does not bode well for the season.
--at North Carolina 98, Ohio State 89. This one lived up to the hype. One cannot imaging these two being near the top of the seeding heap at season's end.
--at Purdue 61, Virginia 59. Purdue is quietly building a nice pre-conference resume.
Belt
--Colorado State 81, at Denver 73. It's going to be a long year for the Pioneers.
--at Memphis 86, Arkansas State 60. A-State hung in there for awhile, but it was all Memphis in the 2nd half.
--at Nebraska 76, North Texas 57. The Huskers could be the surprise of the Big XII this season.
--Nevada 86, at UL-Lafayette 74. Cajuns went 0-2 in their big games at home (Tennessee and Nevada).
Tonight's GOI
--Arkansas at Missouri. A combined record of 12-0 makes this a very meaningful game. Missouri has yet to be challenged and The Ark has exceeded expectations to this point.
Belt
--UL-Monroe at Auburn. ULM played 'Bama tough and Aubie is not nearly as good as 'Bama.
--UALR at Centenary. A road game that the Trojans and the Belt desperately need.
--Indiana State at Middle Tennessee. Trees are 3-1. This would be a nice win for MTSU.
--New Orleans at Mississippi. It will take more than Bo McCalebb to beat the Rebels.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
UAB Tangled in Spider's Big Red Web, 69-54
Wooden candidate Courtney Lee had an off night (4-11 from the field). Starting PG Daniel Emerson was saddled with foul trouble (just 9 mins of PT). Against a worthy opponent, the Tops needed a hero and they found one in a young freshman forward that they call "Spider."
Jeremy Evans is 6'9" tall...and weighs 184 pounds. He also possesses a 7'2" wingspan and was a state high jump champion in high school. His tarantula-like appendages serve him well when on the front of the press, tipping in misses, and blocking/altering shots. Last evening, Evans spun a web that netted 18 points and 6 rebs to lead WKU past UAB last night in Diddle Arena. Not only that, but he kept the Toppers afloat when they were struggling late in the first half. He scored 10 straight Topper points during one stretch.
While Evans was the solo star, the real difference in the game was the Topper depth and pace. UAB was gassed fairly early in the second half. Tied at 28 at the half, WKU ripped off a 15-2 run early in the second stanza to take a ten point lead and used another 14-3 run to put the game away. UAB wilted under WKU's fullcourt press and committed 11 2nd half turnovers.
Click here for more on the game.
Last Nights GOI
--at New Mexico 79, New Mexico State 76. This one did not disappoint. The Lobos are off to a 4-0 start.
--at Tulsa 75, Oral Roberts 57. Your love is like a (golden) hurricane.
ACC Big Ten Challenge
--at Duke 53, Indiana 51. It was not pretty, but Duke held on despite allowing Indiana to claw back from a double-digit deficit.
--Maryland 72, at Illinois 67. Terps look like a solid NCAA team to me. Their early resume is packed with wholesome goodness.
--at Wisconsin 81, Florida State 66. Badgers are so tough at Kohl. Read more from Wiscy guy Chris West.
Belt
--at Alabama 75, UL-Monroe 61. The Warhawks hung around for a LONG time in this before succumbing to the Tide.
--at Western Kentucky 69, UAB 54. See above.
Tonight's GOI
--Wake Forest at Air Force. Wake took down Bucknell at Sojka, so AFA needs to be on their game to avoid the upset.
--Kansas State at California. The Bears are off to a good start. This is a good resume game for both teams.
--Oregon at Georgetown. Let's see if the Ducks are for real.
--Old Dominion at Marist. Two of the stronger non-power conference teams in the country.
--Iowa State at Northern Iowa. In-state rivalry alert! Plus, ISU coach Greg McDermott faces his old homies. Good stuff.
--TAMU-CC at Oklahoma State. TAMU-CC is the Southland favorite, but going into Gallagher-Iba is never easy.
--Butler at Valparaiso. The Crusaders nearly clipped Marquette's wings. Bulldogs need to be ready.
ACC Big Ten Challenge
--Michigan State at Boston College. Two teams searching for an identity after losing major components from last season.
--Clemson at Minnesota. Tigers are 7-0; Gophers have lost four straight.
--Ohio State at North Carolina. Two teams with very real national title hopes.
--Virginia at Purdue. Two upwardly mobile teams that could be Bubble Boys down the road. That makes this one quite important.
Belt
--Colorado State at Denver. Both teams are off to slow starts.
--Arkansas State at Memphis. This could be the longest short trip the Indians make this year.
--North Texas at Nebraska. Two teams off to surprisingly good starts.
--Nevada at UL-Lafayette. The Cajuns took Tennessee to the wire. We'll see what they can do with Nick Fazekas and company.
Jeremy Evans is 6'9" tall...and weighs 184 pounds. He also possesses a 7'2" wingspan and was a state high jump champion in high school. His tarantula-like appendages serve him well when on the front of the press, tipping in misses, and blocking/altering shots. Last evening, Evans spun a web that netted 18 points and 6 rebs to lead WKU past UAB last night in Diddle Arena. Not only that, but he kept the Toppers afloat when they were struggling late in the first half. He scored 10 straight Topper points during one stretch.
While Evans was the solo star, the real difference in the game was the Topper depth and pace. UAB was gassed fairly early in the second half. Tied at 28 at the half, WKU ripped off a 15-2 run early in the second stanza to take a ten point lead and used another 14-3 run to put the game away. UAB wilted under WKU's fullcourt press and committed 11 2nd half turnovers.
Click here for more on the game.
Last Nights GOI
--at New Mexico 79, New Mexico State 76. This one did not disappoint. The Lobos are off to a 4-0 start.
--at Tulsa 75, Oral Roberts 57. Your love is like a (golden) hurricane.
ACC Big Ten Challenge
--at Duke 53, Indiana 51. It was not pretty, but Duke held on despite allowing Indiana to claw back from a double-digit deficit.
--Maryland 72, at Illinois 67. Terps look like a solid NCAA team to me. Their early resume is packed with wholesome goodness.
--at Wisconsin 81, Florida State 66. Badgers are so tough at Kohl. Read more from Wiscy guy Chris West.
Belt
--at Alabama 75, UL-Monroe 61. The Warhawks hung around for a LONG time in this before succumbing to the Tide.
--at Western Kentucky 69, UAB 54. See above.
Tonight's GOI
--Wake Forest at Air Force. Wake took down Bucknell at Sojka, so AFA needs to be on their game to avoid the upset.
--Kansas State at California. The Bears are off to a good start. This is a good resume game for both teams.
--Oregon at Georgetown. Let's see if the Ducks are for real.
--Old Dominion at Marist. Two of the stronger non-power conference teams in the country.
--Iowa State at Northern Iowa. In-state rivalry alert! Plus, ISU coach Greg McDermott faces his old homies. Good stuff.
--TAMU-CC at Oklahoma State. TAMU-CC is the Southland favorite, but going into Gallagher-Iba is never easy.
--Butler at Valparaiso. The Crusaders nearly clipped Marquette's wings. Bulldogs need to be ready.
ACC Big Ten Challenge
--Michigan State at Boston College. Two teams searching for an identity after losing major components from last season.
--Clemson at Minnesota. Tigers are 7-0; Gophers have lost four straight.
--Ohio State at North Carolina. Two teams with very real national title hopes.
--Virginia at Purdue. Two upwardly mobile teams that could be Bubble Boys down the road. That makes this one quite important.
Belt
--Colorado State at Denver. Both teams are off to slow starts.
--Arkansas State at Memphis. This could be the longest short trip the Indians make this year.
--North Texas at Nebraska. Two teams off to surprisingly good starts.
--Nevada at UL-Lafayette. The Cajuns took Tennessee to the wire. We'll see what they can do with Nick Fazekas and company.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Belted
It is still very early in the season, but enough games have been played to recognize that the Sun Belt is not good this season. It is worse than last season and that is not good news for the league. Being a IA football league is supposed to lift all boats, but the Belt has added fledging programs and RPI anchors in FAU and UL-Monroe this season. In addition, Denver and UL-Lafayette look to be way down from the past few seasons and only two teams have any real early season optimism: Western Kentucky (5-1, only loss to Florida with a road win at Georgia) and North Texas (4-1, wins over Charlotte, Rice, and Tulsa). If North Texas had not laid an egg at home against TX-Arlington, they could be causing some serious buzz.
Last night, the Belt had it's worst night to date, going 1-5 on the evening. UL-Lafayette played Tennessee tough at home, but lost by ten. UALR was annihilated by Texas A&M and FIU was buried by George Mason. Arkansas State lost to previously winless South Dakota State. Troy scored a whopping TWELVE first half points on their way to a loss at Alabama State and Denver lost to Southern Utah. At least Middle Tennessee was able to defeat Belmont at home. WKU will try to continue carrying the banner when they face Mike Davis' UAB Blazers tonight. The Tops extinguished the Blazers last season in Birmingham by 16, so UAB will have revenge on their minds. Recap coming tomorrow.
Last Night's GOI
--at Syracuse 72, Holy Cross 64. It was not easy, but the 'Cuse hung on. HC is going to be a factor in the Patriot this season.
--Tennessee 77, UL-Lafayette 67. The Cajuns dug a double digit hole and climbed all the way back, but could not get over the hump in this one. Chris Lofton singlehandedly save the Vols' bacon.
--Marquette 65, Valparaiso 62. This one was tied LATE in the game.
ACC Big Ten Challenge
--at NC State 74, Michigan 67. Crazy game of runs. Michigan led by double digits early, NC State stormed back and took a 20-point lead, then Michigan rallied to make it close at the end.
Tonight's GOI
--New Mexico State at New Mexico. In-state rivalry alert!!!
--Oral Roberts at Tulsa. Cross-town rivarly alert!
ACC Big Ten Challenge
--Indiana at Duke. Always a fun game, but Dukies are in Cameron.
--Maryland at Illinois. Both are 7-0. Maryland has looked good early on.
--Florida State at Wisconsin. This could be the signature win that the 'Noles need for their resume come March. However, the Badgers are terribly tough in the Kohl Center.
Belt
--UL-Monroe at Alabama. Another tough matchup for the Belt.
--UAB at Western Kentucky. Someone will come away feeling like they have a quality win in tow.
Last night, the Belt had it's worst night to date, going 1-5 on the evening. UL-Lafayette played Tennessee tough at home, but lost by ten. UALR was annihilated by Texas A&M and FIU was buried by George Mason. Arkansas State lost to previously winless South Dakota State. Troy scored a whopping TWELVE first half points on their way to a loss at Alabama State and Denver lost to Southern Utah. At least Middle Tennessee was able to defeat Belmont at home. WKU will try to continue carrying the banner when they face Mike Davis' UAB Blazers tonight. The Tops extinguished the Blazers last season in Birmingham by 16, so UAB will have revenge on their minds. Recap coming tomorrow.
Last Night's GOI
--at Syracuse 72, Holy Cross 64. It was not easy, but the 'Cuse hung on. HC is going to be a factor in the Patriot this season.
--Tennessee 77, UL-Lafayette 67. The Cajuns dug a double digit hole and climbed all the way back, but could not get over the hump in this one. Chris Lofton singlehandedly save the Vols' bacon.
--Marquette 65, Valparaiso 62. This one was tied LATE in the game.
ACC Big Ten Challenge
--at NC State 74, Michigan 67. Crazy game of runs. Michigan led by double digits early, NC State stormed back and took a 20-point lead, then Michigan rallied to make it close at the end.
Tonight's GOI
--New Mexico State at New Mexico. In-state rivalry alert!!!
--Oral Roberts at Tulsa. Cross-town rivarly alert!
ACC Big Ten Challenge
--Indiana at Duke. Always a fun game, but Dukies are in Cameron.
--Maryland at Illinois. Both are 7-0. Maryland has looked good early on.
--Florida State at Wisconsin. This could be the signature win that the 'Noles need for their resume come March. However, the Badgers are terribly tough in the Kohl Center.
Belt
--UL-Monroe at Alabama. Another tough matchup for the Belt.
--UAB at Western Kentucky. Someone will come away feeling like they have a quality win in tow.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Turkey Hangover
After fully flexing my flexitarianism over the long holiday weekend (I indulged in four turkey dinners), my food pendulum will undoubtedly swing to the meat-free side for quite some time. While indulging in the turkeyfest and subsequent turkey hangover, the formless mass of college hoops took a bit of shape.
1. Butler is full of P-NITy goodness. They rolled up a pile of good wins that will make their resume hard to ignore if they hold form during the Horizon season.
2. Florida is outstanding (see game vs Western Kentucky), but not unbeatable (see Kansas).
3. Arkansas deserves a second look as a contender for the SEC West title.
4. The ACC looks deep and balanced at this point, while the Big East looks to be down overall from last season.
Congrats to these winners of early season events:
--2k Classic (Coaches vs Cancer): Maryland
--CBE Classic: Marquette
--Preseason NIT: Butler
--Great Alaska Shootout: California
--Las Vegas Invitational: Kansas (4-0 record)
--Old Spice Classic: Arkansas
--Paradise Jam: Alabama
--Top of the World Classic: Utah State
--South Padre Island Classic: Oklahoma State
Tonight's GOI
--Holy Cross at Syracuse. If Bucknell falters, the HC is right there to pick up the Patriot League.
--Tennessee at UL-Lafayette. Dangerous game for the Vols in the Cajundome.
--Marquette at Valparaiso. Big Six teams do not make road trips like this one too often.
ACC Big Ten Challenge
--Michigan at NC State. Both are undefeated going in, so someone will suffer their first blemish.
Belt
--Troy at Alabama State. The Trojans are coming off a good showing in the South Padre Island classic (2-1 with wins over Drake and Rhode Island) and Saturday's win over Southeast Louisiana.
--FIU at George Mason. The Golden Panthers are 3-1 in their last four after an 0-2 start.
--Belmont at Middle Tennessee. Blue Pegasi are 0-4 and still seeking that first W.
--Arkansas State at South Dakota State. Indians have won four in a row after an 0-3 start.
--Denver at Southern Utah. Pioneers are licking their wounds after a recent 41-point pasting at Stanford.
--UALR at Texas A&M. Trojans have another Texas-sized task on the road.
1. Butler is full of P-NITy goodness. They rolled up a pile of good wins that will make their resume hard to ignore if they hold form during the Horizon season.
2. Florida is outstanding (see game vs Western Kentucky), but not unbeatable (see Kansas).
3. Arkansas deserves a second look as a contender for the SEC West title.
4. The ACC looks deep and balanced at this point, while the Big East looks to be down overall from last season.
Congrats to these winners of early season events:
--2k Classic (Coaches vs Cancer): Maryland
--CBE Classic: Marquette
--Preseason NIT: Butler
--Great Alaska Shootout: California
--Las Vegas Invitational: Kansas (4-0 record)
--Old Spice Classic: Arkansas
--Paradise Jam: Alabama
--Top of the World Classic: Utah State
--South Padre Island Classic: Oklahoma State
Tonight's GOI
--Holy Cross at Syracuse. If Bucknell falters, the HC is right there to pick up the Patriot League.
--Tennessee at UL-Lafayette. Dangerous game for the Vols in the Cajundome.
--Marquette at Valparaiso. Big Six teams do not make road trips like this one too often.
ACC Big Ten Challenge
--Michigan at NC State. Both are undefeated going in, so someone will suffer their first blemish.
Belt
--Troy at Alabama State. The Trojans are coming off a good showing in the South Padre Island classic (2-1 with wins over Drake and Rhode Island) and Saturday's win over Southeast Louisiana.
--FIU at George Mason. The Golden Panthers are 3-1 in their last four after an 0-2 start.
--Belmont at Middle Tennessee. Blue Pegasi are 0-4 and still seeking that first W.
--Arkansas State at South Dakota State. Indians have won four in a row after an 0-3 start.
--Denver at Southern Utah. Pioneers are licking their wounds after a recent 41-point pasting at Stanford.
--UALR at Texas A&M. Trojans have another Texas-sized task on the road.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Topper Phalanx Marches Over Towson
The phalanx was one of the most feared battle formations of ancient times. Soldiers would line up in ranks four or so lines deep and lock their shields together while pointing all spears forward. This created a wall of shields with many pointed spears protruding out in front. The opposing army's options were to either try to break the formation or find its weakness.
Last night, the Topper phalanx poked holes in Towson to the tune of 95-72. The Tops had ten players play double-digit minutes and two others logged eight minutes. There were simply too many spears for Towson to avoid. Furthermore, the Tigers' superstar guard Gary Neal was held to just 13 points (half his average coming into the game) on 3-13 shooting. WKU's star, Courtney Lee, certainly outplayed Neal in this game. Lee pierced the Tigers for 21 points and 5 rebs on 9-16 shooting including 3-6 from downtown. The Tops ran fresh bodies at Neal all night and kept him on the run throughout the entire game.
As good as the Toppers were, the weakness of their phalanx was exploited. Granted, the game was never in doubt after the Toppers used a 13-2 run to go up 22-10 with under 11 mins to in the first half, but Towson shot 16-22 from the field in the second half and most of those buckets came by getting into the halfcourt and tossing the ball over the Topper defenders. Much like the Greeks' phalanx, the weakness of the Topper army is its backside. WKU will have to shore up the interior defense before they meet the vaunted Florida Gators on Friday (Sun Sports and FOX South at 9.30 CST). I am no fan of polls, but most everyone in the country believes Florida is the best team in the land. This will be a great opportunity and important experience for WKU.
Let's hope the Topper phalanx is not countered by a Gator atomic bomb. Spears tend to be ineffective against more advanced weapons.
Last Night's GOI
--at Clemson 69, Mississippi State 66. Clemson is 6-0, but they did this last year and faded in ACC play.
--at Michigan State 66, Vermont 46. Sparty at home was too much for the Catamounts.
--at Penn 68, Drexel 49. Are we back to Old Dominion as the CAA fave?
CBE Classic
--Air Force 67, Texas Tech 53. AFA should have been left out last year, but they look like an NCAA team right now.
--Marquette 73, Duke 62. Marquette's experience and intensity were the difference at the end in a close game.
Maui Invitational
--Georgia Tech 92, Memphis 85. GT trailed by 19 early before roaring back to take down the Tigers.
--UCLA 73, Kentucky 68. UK's freshmen looked solid, but a late turnover by junior PG Ramel Bradley halted a big comeback win. UCLA should be happy, but they frittered away a 17-point lead in this one.
--Purdue 74, Oklahoma 71. Boiler fans have cause to feel good about their squad for the first time in awhile.
Belt
--at North Texas 65, Tulsa 63. IF not for that inexplicable hiccup at home against TX-Arlington, the Mean Green would be turning some heads. They have beaten Charlotte, Rice, and Tulsa already this season.
--at Oral Roberts 54, UL-Lafayette 51. Much closer than most would have dreamed.
--at South Florida 79, FIU 50. Fortunately, margin of victory does not hurt the conference.
--at Western Kentucky 95, Towson 72. See above.
Tonight's GOI
--Boston College at Providence. Old Big East rivals hook up.
Maui Invitational
--Purdue vs DePaul. The fifth-place game in Maui.
--Kentucky vs Memphis. For third place and to gather up a quality non-conference win.
--Georgia Tech vs UCLA. For all the Maui marbles.
Preseason NIT
--Gonzaga vs North Carolina. There will be a lot of talented youth on the court.
--Butler vs Tennessee. The Bulldogs have made noise, now they look to amplify it on a national scale.
Belt
--UL-Monroe at SMU. The Warhawks (2-2) have performed better than expected.
--UALR at Texas State. The Trojans need this roadie to help heal the nationally televised whipping they took at Texas Tech and the subsequent loss at Tulsa.
--New Orleans at Lamar. Bo McCalebb needs help for UNO to succeed.
--Florida Atlantic at North Florida. Someone will get their first win tonight.
Last night, the Topper phalanx poked holes in Towson to the tune of 95-72. The Tops had ten players play double-digit minutes and two others logged eight minutes. There were simply too many spears for Towson to avoid. Furthermore, the Tigers' superstar guard Gary Neal was held to just 13 points (half his average coming into the game) on 3-13 shooting. WKU's star, Courtney Lee, certainly outplayed Neal in this game. Lee pierced the Tigers for 21 points and 5 rebs on 9-16 shooting including 3-6 from downtown. The Tops ran fresh bodies at Neal all night and kept him on the run throughout the entire game.
As good as the Toppers were, the weakness of their phalanx was exploited. Granted, the game was never in doubt after the Toppers used a 13-2 run to go up 22-10 with under 11 mins to in the first half, but Towson shot 16-22 from the field in the second half and most of those buckets came by getting into the halfcourt and tossing the ball over the Topper defenders. Much like the Greeks' phalanx, the weakness of the Topper army is its backside. WKU will have to shore up the interior defense before they meet the vaunted Florida Gators on Friday (Sun Sports and FOX South at 9.30 CST). I am no fan of polls, but most everyone in the country believes Florida is the best team in the land. This will be a great opportunity and important experience for WKU.
Let's hope the Topper phalanx is not countered by a Gator atomic bomb. Spears tend to be ineffective against more advanced weapons.
Last Night's GOI
--at Clemson 69, Mississippi State 66. Clemson is 6-0, but they did this last year and faded in ACC play.
--at Michigan State 66, Vermont 46. Sparty at home was too much for the Catamounts.
--at Penn 68, Drexel 49. Are we back to Old Dominion as the CAA fave?
CBE Classic
--Air Force 67, Texas Tech 53. AFA should have been left out last year, but they look like an NCAA team right now.
--Marquette 73, Duke 62. Marquette's experience and intensity were the difference at the end in a close game.
Maui Invitational
--Georgia Tech 92, Memphis 85. GT trailed by 19 early before roaring back to take down the Tigers.
--UCLA 73, Kentucky 68. UK's freshmen looked solid, but a late turnover by junior PG Ramel Bradley halted a big comeback win. UCLA should be happy, but they frittered away a 17-point lead in this one.
--Purdue 74, Oklahoma 71. Boiler fans have cause to feel good about their squad for the first time in awhile.
Belt
--at North Texas 65, Tulsa 63. IF not for that inexplicable hiccup at home against TX-Arlington, the Mean Green would be turning some heads. They have beaten Charlotte, Rice, and Tulsa already this season.
--at Oral Roberts 54, UL-Lafayette 51. Much closer than most would have dreamed.
--at South Florida 79, FIU 50. Fortunately, margin of victory does not hurt the conference.
--at Western Kentucky 95, Towson 72. See above.
Tonight's GOI
--Boston College at Providence. Old Big East rivals hook up.
Maui Invitational
--Purdue vs DePaul. The fifth-place game in Maui.
--Kentucky vs Memphis. For third place and to gather up a quality non-conference win.
--Georgia Tech vs UCLA. For all the Maui marbles.
Preseason NIT
--Gonzaga vs North Carolina. There will be a lot of talented youth on the court.
--Butler vs Tennessee. The Bulldogs have made noise, now they look to amplify it on a national scale.
Belt
--UL-Monroe at SMU. The Warhawks (2-2) have performed better than expected.
--UALR at Texas State. The Trojans need this roadie to help heal the nationally televised whipping they took at Texas Tech and the subsequent loss at Tulsa.
--New Orleans at Lamar. Bo McCalebb needs help for UNO to succeed.
--Florida Atlantic at North Florida. Someone will get their first win tonight.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Give Thanks
TBB will be in full-on holiday travel mode Wed-Sun, so I truly do not know what this blog will look like for the remainder of the week. I will try to find time to maintain the GOI, but even that may prove to be a challenge. So, let me take this opportunity to set up the Thanksgiving hoopfeast.
1. WKU (3-0) welcomes Towson (2-1) to town this evening. Gary Neal (26.0 ppg) will bring his high-falutin' game to Diddle Arena in an attempt to besmirch the Toppers' currently blemish-free resume. As good as Neal is, Towson may lack the depth to hang around for the entire game.
2. Also, to tide you over, click here for the full listing of home and away teams for this year's ESPN BracketBusters event. In a couple of weeks, I will start posting full standings for the Buster teams.
3. Looking ahead to some tasty treats later this week:
--Maui Invitational games beginning at 12 pm CST (5th place), 2 pm (3rd place), and the championship game is at 8 pm tomorrow. All games on ESPN2.
--Preseason NIT Final Four plays on Wed. as well. Gonzaga vs North Carolina and Tennessee vs Butler will be two games that feature fours teams with a combined 14-0 record at this point.
--Great Alaska Shootout and the Old Spice Classic will be in full swing on Turkey Day.
Lots more on the weekend, but there will be an update before then. Hopefully. Safe travels to all and a Happy Thanksgiving.
Last Night's GOI
--at Maryland 71, Winthrop 60. The Terps are playing well early on. They built a nice lead and kept the Eagles at bay for the entire game.
CBE Classic
--Duke 71, Air Force 56. AFA got off to a rough start, then cut Duke's lead to five in the second half, but never could quite get over the hump. Duke's freshmen delivered in a big way.
--Marquette 87, Texas Tech 72. MU looks like contender. TX Tech...
Maui Invitational
--Kentucky 87, DePaul 81. Both teams looked better than expected. But, where was the D?
--Memphis 77, Oklahoma 65. Memphis is picking up where they left off last season.
--Georgia Tech 79, Purdue 61. Purdue stayed close for most of the way, but GT's young 'uns were too much late in the game.
Paradise Jam
--Alabama 63, Xavier 56. Close game that will turn out to be a nice win for Bama when NCAA selection time rolls around.
--Villanova 89, Iowa 60. Curtis Sumpter found his groove. Iowa has a long way to go.
Belt
--Arkansas State 68, at Tennessee-Martin 63. Any road win is a good road win, especially for a team struggling early on.
Tonight's GOI
--Mississippi State at Clemson. This is a meaningful game for two teams that figure to be mid-pack in their respective power conferences.
--Vermont at Michigan State. Rematch of a great NCAA Tourney game two years ago.
--Drexel at Penn. CAA and Ivy faves go head to head.
CBE Classic
--Texas Tech vs Air Force. Both look to bounce back from their first losses last night.
--Duke vs Marquette. Fancy early season match up.
Maui Invitational
--Memphis vs Georgia Tech. LOTS of athletes on the floor in this one.
--UCLA vs Kentucky. LOTS of history on the floor in this one.
--Purdue vs Oklahoma. LOTS of rebuilding pieces on the floor in this one.
Belt
--North Texas at Tulsa. NT already has a road win over Charlotte.
--UL-Lafayette at Oral Roberts. Eagles looking to build on Kansas win.
--FIU at South Florida. FIU has won two in a row after a rough start.
--Towson at Western Kentucky. Gary Neal (Towson) and Courtney Lee (WKU) are two of better non-power conference players in the land.
1. WKU (3-0) welcomes Towson (2-1) to town this evening. Gary Neal (26.0 ppg) will bring his high-falutin' game to Diddle Arena in an attempt to besmirch the Toppers' currently blemish-free resume. As good as Neal is, Towson may lack the depth to hang around for the entire game.
2. Also, to tide you over, click here for the full listing of home and away teams for this year's ESPN BracketBusters event. In a couple of weeks, I will start posting full standings for the Buster teams.
3. Looking ahead to some tasty treats later this week:
--Maui Invitational games beginning at 12 pm CST (5th place), 2 pm (3rd place), and the championship game is at 8 pm tomorrow. All games on ESPN2.
--Preseason NIT Final Four plays on Wed. as well. Gonzaga vs North Carolina and Tennessee vs Butler will be two games that feature fours teams with a combined 14-0 record at this point.
--Great Alaska Shootout and the Old Spice Classic will be in full swing on Turkey Day.
Lots more on the weekend, but there will be an update before then. Hopefully. Safe travels to all and a Happy Thanksgiving.
Last Night's GOI
--at Maryland 71, Winthrop 60. The Terps are playing well early on. They built a nice lead and kept the Eagles at bay for the entire game.
CBE Classic
--Duke 71, Air Force 56. AFA got off to a rough start, then cut Duke's lead to five in the second half, but never could quite get over the hump. Duke's freshmen delivered in a big way.
--Marquette 87, Texas Tech 72. MU looks like contender. TX Tech...
Maui Invitational
--Kentucky 87, DePaul 81. Both teams looked better than expected. But, where was the D?
--Memphis 77, Oklahoma 65. Memphis is picking up where they left off last season.
--Georgia Tech 79, Purdue 61. Purdue stayed close for most of the way, but GT's young 'uns were too much late in the game.
Paradise Jam
--Alabama 63, Xavier 56. Close game that will turn out to be a nice win for Bama when NCAA selection time rolls around.
--Villanova 89, Iowa 60. Curtis Sumpter found his groove. Iowa has a long way to go.
Belt
--Arkansas State 68, at Tennessee-Martin 63. Any road win is a good road win, especially for a team struggling early on.
Tonight's GOI
--Mississippi State at Clemson. This is a meaningful game for two teams that figure to be mid-pack in their respective power conferences.
--Vermont at Michigan State. Rematch of a great NCAA Tourney game two years ago.
--Drexel at Penn. CAA and Ivy faves go head to head.
CBE Classic
--Texas Tech vs Air Force. Both look to bounce back from their first losses last night.
--Duke vs Marquette. Fancy early season match up.
Maui Invitational
--Memphis vs Georgia Tech. LOTS of athletes on the floor in this one.
--UCLA vs Kentucky. LOTS of history on the floor in this one.
--Purdue vs Oklahoma. LOTS of rebuilding pieces on the floor in this one.
Belt
--North Texas at Tulsa. NT already has a road win over Charlotte.
--UL-Lafayette at Oral Roberts. Eagles looking to build on Kansas win.
--FIU at South Florida. FIU has won two in a row after a rough start.
--Towson at Western Kentucky. Gary Neal (Towson) and Courtney Lee (WKU) are two of better non-power conference players in the land.
Monday, November 20, 2006
WKU Depth and Chelonaphobia
I. Tops Wear Down Tennessee State, 87-69
Playing a dizzying array of bodies, coach Darrin Horn's Hilltoppers put the cement shoes on the Tennessee State Tigers in the second half of Sunday's game. TSU played the Tops tough for 20 mins, but an intensified defense and the contribution of fifteen players were too much for the wearied visitors. Thirteen Toppers scored and nine players played double-digit minutes (two others played nine mins) as WKU used a monster 25-3 run early in the 2nd half to put away the Tigers.
II. ACC foes may have a case of chelonaphobia (fear of turtles) this season. Maryland is your 2k Classic champion. After a couple of years of hiding in their comfy shell, the Terps have now taken care of Vermont, St. John's, and Michigan State in the early going. They welcome a very tough Winthrop team coming off a win at Mississippi State into College Park tonight.
III. Speaking of Winthrop, I had this to say on Friday (see post below):
IV. Tonight's GOI. It's fortified with nine essential vitamins and minerals.
--Winthrop at Maryland. Is this the best team Maryland has played so far?
CBE Classic
--Air Force vs Duke. AFA has been razor-sharp early on and this is in Kansas City, not Durham or New Jersey. Big opportunity for the Falcons.
--Marquette vs Texas Tech. Good barometer for both teams.
Maui Invitational
--DePaul vs Kentucky. DePaul looked horrid in their opening two games. Then, they routed Eastern Illinois by 30. UK has not been overly impressive, either.
--Oklahoma vs Memphis. Both have creamed lesser teams in their opening games.
--Georgia Tech vs Purdue. Two teams that expect to be much improved over last season.
Paradise Jam
--Xavier vs Alabama. A couple of clubs that are likely to be solid NCAA teams.
--Villanova vs Iowa. Two teams in revamping mode after major personnel losses from last season.
Belt
--Arkansas State at Tennessee-Martin. ASU has struggled mightily early on. They did beat Bowling Green last week.
Playing a dizzying array of bodies, coach Darrin Horn's Hilltoppers put the cement shoes on the Tennessee State Tigers in the second half of Sunday's game. TSU played the Tops tough for 20 mins, but an intensified defense and the contribution of fifteen players were too much for the wearied visitors. Thirteen Toppers scored and nine players played double-digit minutes (two others played nine mins) as WKU used a monster 25-3 run early in the 2nd half to put away the Tigers.
II. ACC foes may have a case of chelonaphobia (fear of turtles) this season. Maryland is your 2k Classic champion. After a couple of years of hiding in their comfy shell, the Terps have now taken care of Vermont, St. John's, and Michigan State in the early going. They welcome a very tough Winthrop team coming off a win at Mississippi State into College Park tonight.
III. Speaking of Winthrop, I had this to say on Friday (see post below):
--Winthrop at Mississippi State. Everyone now knows how capable Winthrop is of winning this game.And they pulled it off. They have now played UNC-Chapel Hill to the end (lost by seven) and defeated Mississippi State in Starkville. Winthrop has had near misses in the NCAA Tourney in each of the last two seasons (Gonzaga in 2005, Tennessee in 2006). This may be their best team to date.
IV. Tonight's GOI. It's fortified with nine essential vitamins and minerals.
--Winthrop at Maryland. Is this the best team Maryland has played so far?
CBE Classic
--Air Force vs Duke. AFA has been razor-sharp early on and this is in Kansas City, not Durham or New Jersey. Big opportunity for the Falcons.
--Marquette vs Texas Tech. Good barometer for both teams.
Maui Invitational
--DePaul vs Kentucky. DePaul looked horrid in their opening two games. Then, they routed Eastern Illinois by 30. UK has not been overly impressive, either.
--Oklahoma vs Memphis. Both have creamed lesser teams in their opening games.
--Georgia Tech vs Purdue. Two teams that expect to be much improved over last season.
Paradise Jam
--Xavier vs Alabama. A couple of clubs that are likely to be solid NCAA teams.
--Villanova vs Iowa. Two teams in revamping mode after major personnel losses from last season.
Belt
--Arkansas State at Tennessee-Martin. ASU has struggled mightily early on. They did beat Bowling Green last week.
Friday, November 17, 2006
The Game
Most of America cares only about "The Game" this weekend. It's that other sport with the oddly shaped ball and the one that refuses to have an undisputed national champion. Apparently, a lot folks care about the game between Michigan and Ohio State. I even hear it will be televised. There are rumors that tickets are very expensive. There are charges that this has pseudo-National Championship ramifications.
Well, I'll leave all that to the experts. Here is the good stuff in college hoops.
Last Night's GOI
--Maryland 92, St. John's 60. Maybe it actually is time to fear the turtle again.
--Michigan State 63, Texas 61. This one surprised me a bit. Maybe Izzo can do more with less.
Weekend GOI
Friday
--Texas at St. John's [6 pm CST, ESPN2]. To salvage something in MSG.
--Maryland vs Michigan State [8 pm, ESPN2]. For all the 2k Classic marbles.
--Indiana State at Indiana. In-state rivalry alert! Note to Kelvin Sampson: might want to win this one.
--College of Charleston vs Villanova. CofC is up and Villanova is adjusting. Dangerous game for 'Nova.
Belt
--Sacremento State at Denver. Both teams are 0-2 and Denver has been awful.
--Middle Tennessee vs Alabama. MTSU is ravaged by injuries. Tough game for the Blue Pegasi.
--Alcorn State at FIU. FIU hosts their own invitational this weekend.
Saturday
--Wichita State at George Mason [3 pm, ESPN2]. The return game from last year's BracketBusters classic.
--Air Force at Colorado. In-state rivalry alert! AFA just ripped Stanford. Colorado was recently buried by 41 at New Mexico.
--Northwestern State at Lousiville. NW'n State will not be a pushover. Cards must play well, and they usually do at home. If this were neutral or on the road...
--Creighton at Nebraska. In-state rivalry alert! CU is a heavy favorite even on the road.
--California at San Diego State. In-state game alert! Very important for SDSU's long-term at-large hopes.
--Drexel at Vermont. VERY nice non-TV conference match up.
--UMass at Pitt. Monster game for the Minutemen. Good chance to show that they are worth of at-large and A-10 title chatter.
Belt
--North Texas at Rice. NT has won at Charlotte and lost at home to TX-Arlington. Wow.
--UALR at Tulsa. UALR looked awful at Texas Tech. Hopefully, they can right the ship here.
--Morehead State at South Alabama. Jags look to go 3-1.
--MTSU vs TBA.
--FIU vs TBA.
Sunday
--Winthrop at Mississippi State. Everyone now knows how capable Winthrop is of winning this game.
--Bucknell at Saint Joseph's. The Bison desperately need a W. SJU is never an easy place to get a win.
Belt
--Northern Colorado at Denver. In-state game alert.
--New Orleans at Florida State. Tall test for struggling UNO.
--UL-Monroe at LSU. In-state game alert...another tough test for a Belt team.
--FAU at Marist. The Red Foxes are really up this season.
--Tennessee State at Western Kentucky. Early games connected to the Vegas Invitational.
--Troy vs TBA.
Well, I'll leave all that to the experts. Here is the good stuff in college hoops.
Last Night's GOI
--Maryland 92, St. John's 60. Maybe it actually is time to fear the turtle again.
--Michigan State 63, Texas 61. This one surprised me a bit. Maybe Izzo can do more with less.
Weekend GOI
Friday
--Texas at St. John's [6 pm CST, ESPN2]. To salvage something in MSG.
--Maryland vs Michigan State [8 pm, ESPN2]. For all the 2k Classic marbles.
--Indiana State at Indiana. In-state rivalry alert! Note to Kelvin Sampson: might want to win this one.
--College of Charleston vs Villanova. CofC is up and Villanova is adjusting. Dangerous game for 'Nova.
Belt
--Sacremento State at Denver. Both teams are 0-2 and Denver has been awful.
--Middle Tennessee vs Alabama. MTSU is ravaged by injuries. Tough game for the Blue Pegasi.
--Alcorn State at FIU. FIU hosts their own invitational this weekend.
Saturday
--Wichita State at George Mason [3 pm, ESPN2]. The return game from last year's BracketBusters classic.
--Air Force at Colorado. In-state rivalry alert! AFA just ripped Stanford. Colorado was recently buried by 41 at New Mexico.
--Northwestern State at Lousiville. NW'n State will not be a pushover. Cards must play well, and they usually do at home. If this were neutral or on the road...
--Creighton at Nebraska. In-state rivalry alert! CU is a heavy favorite even on the road.
--California at San Diego State. In-state game alert! Very important for SDSU's long-term at-large hopes.
--Drexel at Vermont. VERY nice non-TV conference match up.
--UMass at Pitt. Monster game for the Minutemen. Good chance to show that they are worth of at-large and A-10 title chatter.
Belt
--North Texas at Rice. NT has won at Charlotte and lost at home to TX-Arlington. Wow.
--UALR at Tulsa. UALR looked awful at Texas Tech. Hopefully, they can right the ship here.
--Morehead State at South Alabama. Jags look to go 3-1.
--MTSU vs TBA.
--FIU vs TBA.
Sunday
--Winthrop at Mississippi State. Everyone now knows how capable Winthrop is of winning this game.
--Bucknell at Saint Joseph's. The Bison desperately need a W. SJU is never an easy place to get a win.
Belt
--Northern Colorado at Denver. In-state game alert.
--New Orleans at Florida State. Tall test for struggling UNO.
--UL-Monroe at LSU. In-state game alert...another tough test for a Belt team.
--FAU at Marist. The Red Foxes are really up this season.
--Tennessee State at Western Kentucky. Early games connected to the Vegas Invitational.
--Troy vs TBA.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
900 Foot Tall Jesus
The buzz around many a water cooler this morning centers on Oral Roberts' shocking win in Lawrence, Kansas, over the highly touted Jayhawks. Now, in most cases, an upset like this is chalked up (pun intended) to an anomaly of some sort. Like, say, a sophomore named Marchello Vealy going Bonkers fruit candy from Threeland. The giant fruit just kept dropping on the Jayhawks as he drained his first SEVEN treys and finished 7-8 for the game. This from a guy who was only 1-13 from downtown all of last season. This makes one wonder if something more than statistical anomaly was at play here. Maybe something supernatural was at work for ORU; maybe it was 900 Foot Tall Jesus redux.
The namesake of Oral Roberts U. was a popular television evangelist in the 1980s. Oral Roberts founded the university in 1963, but it was not until 1977 that he met 900 Foot Tall Jesus. It was then that Roberts claimed that he had a vision of Jesus, all 900 feet of him, that told him to build a "City of Faith." Roberts opened his City of Faith medical center in 1981. Then, in 1986, Roberts said that God had told him:
"I want you to use the ORU medical school to put My medical presence in the earth. I want you to get this going in one year or I will call you home [meaning, he would die]. It will cost $8 million and I want you to believe you can raise it."By April of 1987, Roberts supporters has sent in $9.1 million to simultaneously build this medical school and save Oral's life. But, in November, Roberts shut down the medical center and the medical school at ORU, leading to massive criticism of Roberts and accusations of financial chicanery.
So, did Marchello Vealy see a 900 Foot Tall Jesus before the game in Lawrence? We may never know. But more likely, this is ORU making good on a stockpile of talent. Ken Tutt and Caleb Green are tough, seasoned seniors with talent. Vealy had a great night, but ORU has been a good team for several years. This is merely one of those November games to savor when a lesser known, veteran club took down a powerhouse program built on youthful future pro's.
But, we are watching you, Mr. Vealy.
Last Night's GOI
--
--at UCLA 82, BYU 69. The Cougars led by three at half before UCLA turned it on in half #2.
--Nevada 75, at Oregon State 47. No sweat for the 'Pack. They look strong again this season.
--Air Force 79, at Stanford 45. A surgical offensive performance by AFA.
--Kansas State 55, at Rutgers 41. Two middling Big Six schools looking to establish early momentum.
--at North Carolina 73, Winthrop 66. Once again, Winthrop looks poised to send some 3/4 seed into a clammy sweat on Selection Sunday.
Tonight's GOI
--St. John's vs Maryland. Let's see if the Terps are as good as they looked in College Park.
--Texas vs Michigan State. Both of these teams lost a lot from last season. A win here helps them get their footing.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
O Brother! Tops Clip Dawgs, 70-67
“Sing in me, O muse!”
The Tops were shackled early by turnovers. They played like their legs were chained to one another. They committed 16 first half miscues which allowed UGA to get up nine more first half shots than did WKU. Both teams shot over 50% from Three, but UGA made five more field goals en route to a 43-36 halftime lead. The Tops got up two more shots than did UGA in the second half and held the Dawgs to 27% FG shooting.
I am the Man of Constant Sorrow.
And the man we are referring to is Dennis Felton. For a team to lead literally 99% of a game and not come away with a victory is painful. To do it at home in an important non-conference game against your former employer is enough to make a man choke on his gopher.
He's bona fide.
Watch lots of games this season and make a list of wing players that are better than WKU guard Courtney Lee. He is a super athlete, can shoot the Three, drives the ball, has a mid-range game, shoots 85% from the line, and plays great defense. He is for real.
Well, I don't want Fop! I'm a Dapper Dan man!
Topper F Daniel Emerson does a lot of work inside, but he carried WKU in the first half with 3-4 Three-point shooting that kept Western in the game early. He finished with 14 points and 6 rebs.
We're in a tight spot!
With 6.07 to play, UGA led 65-55 and looked to have finally put the Toppers in the noose. But, the Tops were able to dam the river and sweep the dogs away with a rush of eight straight points helped by some slippery UGA turnovers in crunch time. From there, Tyrone Brazelton tied the game with a floater, and WKU made 3-4 FT's down the stretch to pull out the win.
The sy-reen song of victory was sweet for Darrin Horn’s Hilltoppers last evening. WKU has opened the season with two straight road wins for the first time since 1953-54. I've spoken my piece and counted to three, so click here for more on the WKU-UGA tilt if need be.
Last Night's GOI
--Wake Forest 86, at Bucknell 83. Tough loss for the Bison. WF has hope.
--at Northwestern 49, DePaul 39. And I had DePaul in my preseason bracket.
--at Texas Tech 93, UALR 59. UALR backs up the Akron win with a huge dud.
--Air Force 69, vs Long Beach 68. The Falcons did get a test as predicted, but survived.
--at Marquette 87, Detroit 45. MU sent a clear message that the Idaho State game was not indicative of their team.
--at Butler 60, Indiana 55. Butler now owns wins over fellow in-state clubs ND and IU.
Tonight's GOI
--
--BYU at UCLA. A lot of folks like BYU in the Mountain West this season. Tough match up here.
--Nevada at Oregon State. These are the types of games Nevada needs to keep the at-large resume in neat order.
--Air Force at Stanford. This is a nice game out West. Whoever wins makes a statement.
--Kansas State at Rutgers. Two middling Big Six schools looking to establish early momentum.
--Winthrop at North Carolina. The Eagles SHUT DOWN Iona last night 57-38.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
It's Simply November
Every year, November offers some eye-popping scores. Most of the time, it is eye-popping due to the ridiculous lopsided-ness. For example, Georgia 97-Southern U. 37 , or Illinois 80-Austin Peay 35. Other times, it is of the Big Six Upset variety, like say, Northern Arizona 75-Arizona State 71, Butler 71-Notre Dame 69, or Bradley 78-DePaul 58. Of course, the most ballyhooed results are when ranked teams getting unexpectedly beaten: Virginia 93, Arizona 90. Or not just beaten, but, well, BEATEN: Vermont 77, Boston College 63. All of this is part of the wonderful mosaic of college hoops. It is partly what makes November fun.
There are some other surprising wins that have flown under the radar and ESPN cameras that could have lasting impacts later this season. Albany's win over Bucknell is great for the Danes, but could negatively impact Bucknell's at-large resume if the Great Danes do not make good on their American East favorite role. The Am East is off to a good start at the top. Vermont is also an Am East team and they have looked good early in wins over UNO and BC. They lost to Maryland in College Park, but so will lots of teams.
UALR topped MAC favorite Akron on a neutral court in Lubbock, TX. The Trojans were picked to win the Sun Belt West, but that division looked like a scramble among four or even five pretty average teams in the preseason. Now, with UALR's win and North Texas' 18-point walloping of Charlotte on the road, those two have created some early season buzz.
Duquesne's 81-75 victory over Youngstown State has to be considered a bit unexpected due to the Dukes' 3-24 record last year and the fact that several of their players were wounded in a shooting incident two months ago. Here's to a good season for the Dukes and a speedy recovery for the wounded players who continue the long road to recovery.
These things happen in college hoops. And, prepare yourself for more of the same in the Thanksgiving tourneys. It's not unusual and it's not puzzling. It's simply November.
Last Night's GOI
--UALR 81, Akron 79. BIG win for the Trojans and for the Belt. Akron should be a good club this season.
Tonight's GOI
--Wake Forest at Bucknell. The Bison endured a tough loss at Albany. They certainly do not want an 0-2 start.
--Western Kentucky at Georgia. Both teams annihilated their opening opponents. Both teams have outside hopes as at-large teams, so they really need games against fellow potential Bubble Boys.
--New Orleans at Tulane. In-city rivalry alert!
--DePaul at Northwestern. In-city rivalry alert! Again!
--UALR at Texas Tech. The Trojans should not be taken lightly by Knight's Raiders.
--Air Force vs Long Beach. Keep an eye on this one. This is probably Long Beach's best club in awhile. The Falcons could get a test in this one.
--Detroit at Marquette. MU was taken to OT by Idaho State last night before surviving. I repeat: Idaho State.
--Indiana at Butler. In-state rivalry alert! IU vs. Butler in Conseco. Gene Hackman in character as Norman Dale HAS to be in attendance, doesn't he?
There are some other surprising wins that have flown under the radar and ESPN cameras that could have lasting impacts later this season. Albany's win over Bucknell is great for the Danes, but could negatively impact Bucknell's at-large resume if the Great Danes do not make good on their American East favorite role. The Am East is off to a good start at the top. Vermont is also an Am East team and they have looked good early in wins over UNO and BC. They lost to Maryland in College Park, but so will lots of teams.
UALR topped MAC favorite Akron on a neutral court in Lubbock, TX. The Trojans were picked to win the Sun Belt West, but that division looked like a scramble among four or even five pretty average teams in the preseason. Now, with UALR's win and North Texas' 18-point walloping of Charlotte on the road, those two have created some early season buzz.
Duquesne's 81-75 victory over Youngstown State has to be considered a bit unexpected due to the Dukes' 3-24 record last year and the fact that several of their players were wounded in a shooting incident two months ago. Here's to a good season for the Dukes and a speedy recovery for the wounded players who continue the long road to recovery.
These things happen in college hoops. And, prepare yourself for more of the same in the Thanksgiving tourneys. It's not unusual and it's not puzzling. It's simply November.
Last Night's GOI
--UALR 81, Akron 79. BIG win for the Trojans and for the Belt. Akron should be a good club this season.
Tonight's GOI
--Wake Forest at Bucknell. The Bison endured a tough loss at Albany. They certainly do not want an 0-2 start.
--Western Kentucky at Georgia. Both teams annihilated their opening opponents. Both teams have outside hopes as at-large teams, so they really need games against fellow potential Bubble Boys.
--New Orleans at Tulane. In-city rivalry alert!
--DePaul at Northwestern. In-city rivalry alert! Again!
--UALR at Texas Tech. The Trojans should not be taken lightly by Knight's Raiders.
--Air Force vs Long Beach. Keep an eye on this one. This is probably Long Beach's best club in awhile. The Falcons could get a test in this one.
--Detroit at Marquette. MU was taken to OT by Idaho State last night before surviving. I repeat: Idaho State.
--Indiana at Butler. In-state rivalry alert! IU vs. Butler in Conseco. Gene Hackman in character as Norman Dale HAS to be in attendance, doesn't he?
Monday, November 13, 2006
High Five
1. The Louisville Courier-Journal posted a season TV guide for college hoops games in their college basketball preview section yesterday. Who knows how long this link will be active, so my advice is to print one of these dudes. Prime hoops viewing time is rapidly approaching now that the BCS is close to (once again) making a mockery of itself.
2. To quickly pick up a Bracket Board theme from seasons past, let me once again reiterate how difficult it is to win on the road. Especially against competitive teams. See: Arizona's loss at Virginia. The Cavs were a 10-seed in my preseason bracket, so it's not totally unexpected, but 15,000+ fans certainly helped UVA open the new John Paul Jones Arena in a winning fashion.
3. Buzzer beaters are powerful events. Miami-OH was on the receiving end of a body blow by a Wright State buzzer beater this weekend. It's too early to feel this kind of pain.
4. While a parade of Belt teams went down in road games against Big Six-type opponents, North Texas scored a nice win on the road at Charlotte. The Mean Green lit it up from downtown (13-23) and outscored the 49ers by nine in each half. Charlotte star F De'Angelo Alexander suffered a miserable shooting effort (5-22, 2-13 from 3) in the loss.
5. The WKU Hilltoppers pummeled the Kennesaw State Owls on Saturday night, 96-55. Lots of Toppers saw extended action as Wooden List G Courtney Lee led the way with 20 points. True FR guard A.J. Slaughter rang up 18 points off the bench in support. Nine players logged double-digit minutes and two others played nine minutes.
Tonight's GOI
--Akron vs UALR. There are lots of lopsided matchups tonight, but both the Zips and Little Rock figure to be in the mix at the top of their leagues.
On TV
--Loyola Marymount at Mississippi State. FOX South at 7 pm CST. The Lions are probably the second best team in the WCC behind Gonzaga. Miss State is looking to bounce back from a subpar year last season. This is probably the most competitive game on the tube tonight.
2. To quickly pick up a Bracket Board theme from seasons past, let me once again reiterate how difficult it is to win on the road. Especially against competitive teams. See: Arizona's loss at Virginia. The Cavs were a 10-seed in my preseason bracket, so it's not totally unexpected, but 15,000+ fans certainly helped UVA open the new John Paul Jones Arena in a winning fashion.
3. Buzzer beaters are powerful events. Miami-OH was on the receiving end of a body blow by a Wright State buzzer beater this weekend. It's too early to feel this kind of pain.
4. While a parade of Belt teams went down in road games against Big Six-type opponents, North Texas scored a nice win on the road at Charlotte. The Mean Green lit it up from downtown (13-23) and outscored the 49ers by nine in each half. Charlotte star F De'Angelo Alexander suffered a miserable shooting effort (5-22, 2-13 from 3) in the loss.
5. The WKU Hilltoppers pummeled the Kennesaw State Owls on Saturday night, 96-55. Lots of Toppers saw extended action as Wooden List G Courtney Lee led the way with 20 points. True FR guard A.J. Slaughter rang up 18 points off the bench in support. Nine players logged double-digit minutes and two others played nine minutes.
Tonight's GOI
--Akron vs UALR. There are lots of lopsided matchups tonight, but both the Zips and Little Rock figure to be in the mix at the top of their leagues.
On TV
--Loyola Marymount at Mississippi State. FOX South at 7 pm CST. The Lions are probably the second best team in the WCC behind Gonzaga. Miss State is looking to bounce back from a subpar year last season. This is probably the most competitive game on the tube tonight.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Opening Weekend
It is finally here. The basketball calendar is stuffed with games for the first time in what seems like an ice age. The 2K Classic has given us some hors dourves this week, but dinner is served starting tonight. The vast majority of DI teams are in action this weekend.
I have sorted through them all and flagged many games of import. Enjoy.
Last Night's GOI
--at Michigan State 86, Youngstown State 61. The Spartans bounced back from Wednesday night ghastly performance against Brown to prevent a march of the Penguins.
--at Texas 103, Alcorn State 44. This one, uh, was not close.
Weekend GOI
Friday
--Eastern Washington at Gonzaga. Rodney Stuckey is about as good as it gets. No Adam Morrison means a different kind of Zag squad than we've seen the last two years....for better or worse.
--Hawaii at UNLV. One of the more evenly matched contests on the docket this weekend.
--UTEP vs Pennsylvania. This is a nice opening game between two solid clubs.
Saturday
--Bucknell at Albany. Patriot fave vs Am East fave. This is an early land mine for the Bison's at-large profile.
--DePaul at Bradley. DePaul is trending upward and Bradley lost a lot from last season's Sweet 16 club. The Braves will be tough in Peoria, though.
--Hofstra at Charlotte. Immediate road test for a Hofstra team with CAA title and possible at-large hopes.
--Toledo at Missouri State. MAC favorite against a good MVC team. Tasty game for Nov 11.
--Marist at Ohio. The Red Foxes are the MAAC preseason darling and Ohio is a talented MAC club that underachieved last year.
--Siena at Stanford. The Saints are good and Stanford has had some problems in the early going in recent seasons.
Sunday
--Arizona at Virginia. In TV Conference Land, this might be the game of the weekend.
--UAB at UW-Milwaukee. Two perennial non-BCS, NCAA teams.
Sun Belt Slate
Friday
--Troy at Auburn. Not quite the Iron Bowl, but an in-state game alert, nonetheless.
--Denver at Colorado. Another Belt team against another Big State U.
--Florida Atlantic at Oklahoma State. The Owls are new to the Belt and have a tall order tonight in Sean Sutton's debut as the Cowboy coach.
--Middle Tennessee State at Tennessee. Yet another in-state game alert for a Belt team.
--South Alabama vs UC-Irvine. Good early opportunity for a Jag win. This game is at Fresno State.
--Arkansas State vs Clemson. Game played at Old Dominion. Big game for an Indian club with some preseason buzz.
Saturday
--Western Kentucky at Kennesaw State. KSU has billed this as the biggest home game in their history to date. WKU opens the season as the Belt favorite.
--Florida International at Miami-FL. In-state game alert, yada yada...
--Jacksonville State at New Orleans (0-2). UNO had a rough start in College Park, MD. They need find their groove and pick up a win here.
--South Alabama at Fresno State. USA's Part II out in Fresno this weekend.
--Arkansas State at Old Dominion. A-State's Part II at ODU this weekend.
--UL-Monroe at Iowa State. The Warhawks' first game as a Belt member.
Sunday
--North Texas at Charlotte. The Mean Green will try to improve by 0.6% this season...like they have for about 38 seasons in a row.
--Arkansas State vs Monmouth. A-State's Part III at ODU.
I have sorted through them all and flagged many games of import. Enjoy.
Last Night's GOI
--at Michigan State 86, Youngstown State 61. The Spartans bounced back from Wednesday night ghastly performance against Brown to prevent a march of the Penguins.
--at Texas 103, Alcorn State 44. This one, uh, was not close.
Weekend GOI
Friday
--Eastern Washington at Gonzaga. Rodney Stuckey is about as good as it gets. No Adam Morrison means a different kind of Zag squad than we've seen the last two years....for better or worse.
--Hawaii at UNLV. One of the more evenly matched contests on the docket this weekend.
--UTEP vs Pennsylvania. This is a nice opening game between two solid clubs.
Saturday
--Bucknell at Albany. Patriot fave vs Am East fave. This is an early land mine for the Bison's at-large profile.
--DePaul at Bradley. DePaul is trending upward and Bradley lost a lot from last season's Sweet 16 club. The Braves will be tough in Peoria, though.
--Hofstra at Charlotte. Immediate road test for a Hofstra team with CAA title and possible at-large hopes.
--Toledo at Missouri State. MAC favorite against a good MVC team. Tasty game for Nov 11.
--Marist at Ohio. The Red Foxes are the MAAC preseason darling and Ohio is a talented MAC club that underachieved last year.
--Siena at Stanford. The Saints are good and Stanford has had some problems in the early going in recent seasons.
Sunday
--Arizona at Virginia. In TV Conference Land, this might be the game of the weekend.
--UAB at UW-Milwaukee. Two perennial non-BCS, NCAA teams.
Sun Belt Slate
Friday
--Troy at Auburn. Not quite the Iron Bowl, but an in-state game alert, nonetheless.
--Denver at Colorado. Another Belt team against another Big State U.
--Florida Atlantic at Oklahoma State. The Owls are new to the Belt and have a tall order tonight in Sean Sutton's debut as the Cowboy coach.
--Middle Tennessee State at Tennessee. Yet another in-state game alert for a Belt team.
--South Alabama vs UC-Irvine. Good early opportunity for a Jag win. This game is at Fresno State.
--Arkansas State vs Clemson. Game played at Old Dominion. Big game for an Indian club with some preseason buzz.
Saturday
--Western Kentucky at Kennesaw State. KSU has billed this as the biggest home game in their history to date. WKU opens the season as the Belt favorite.
--Florida International at Miami-FL. In-state game alert, yada yada...
--Jacksonville State at New Orleans (0-2). UNO had a rough start in College Park, MD. They need find their groove and pick up a win here.
--South Alabama at Fresno State. USA's Part II out in Fresno this weekend.
--Arkansas State at Old Dominion. A-State's Part II at ODU this weekend.
--UL-Monroe at Iowa State. The Warhawks' first game as a Belt member.
Sunday
--North Texas at Charlotte. The Mean Green will try to improve by 0.6% this season...like they have for about 38 seasons in a row.
--Arkansas State vs Monmouth. A-State's Part III at ODU.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
2K Classic Results
Last Night's GOI
--Hampton 74, New Orleans 73. UNO had a shot at the end off a missed FT to win it, but it was not to be. Tough loss for the Privateers.
--at Michigan State 45, Brown 34. Games at this slow of a pace should come with a prescription and should be viewed ONLY under a doctor's supervision. The Spartans only got up 32 shots the entire game!!! Both teams made just 13 FG's each. Oy.
--at Maryland 81, Vermont 63. The Catamounts' blistering shooting did not continue. The Terps broke free near the end of first half and kept Vermont at arm's length the rest of the game.
Tonight's GOI
--Alcorn State at Texas. This is not the Texas team of the past couple of years, but they are still a player in the Big XII.
--Youngstown State at Michigan State. The Penguins rolled up Central Michigan by 24 last night. Any team capable of scoring 74 points has to scare MSU a little after last night's game.
--Hampton 74, New Orleans 73. UNO had a shot at the end off a missed FT to win it, but it was not to be. Tough loss for the Privateers.
--at Michigan State 45, Brown 34. Games at this slow of a pace should come with a prescription and should be viewed ONLY under a doctor's supervision. The Spartans only got up 32 shots the entire game!!! Both teams made just 13 FG's each. Oy.
--at Maryland 81, Vermont 63. The Catamounts' blistering shooting did not continue. The Terps broke free near the end of first half and kept Vermont at arm's length the rest of the game.
Tonight's GOI
--Alcorn State at Texas. This is not the Texas team of the past couple of years, but they are still a player in the Big XII.
--Youngstown State at Michigan State. The Penguins rolled up Central Michigan by 24 last night. Any team capable of scoring 74 points has to scare MSU a little after last night's game.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Tops Defeat Kentucky State, 80-58
WKU started slowly, but early substitutions sparked some excellent defensive pressure that put the Tops in the driver's seat midway through the first half. In total, the Tops forced 29 KSU turnovers and scored 32 points off of those TO's. In typical exhibition fashion, lots of players played lots of minutes, and the Tops looked disorganized at times. The glaring weakness was rebounding, as the Thorobreds outrebounded WKU 46-31. Read more about the game here.
The Tops open the regular season on Saturday night at Kennesaw State.
Last Night's GOI
--at Maryland 102, Hampton 75. The Terps put six into double figures and made 39 FT's in this lopsided affair.
--Vermont 82, New Orleans 65. The Catamounts barrelled straight into plaid by making 16-21 from Three.
Tonight's GOI
--Hampton vs New Orleans. UNO need one for themselves and for the Belt.
--Vermont at Maryland. The Catamounts may need to replicate last night's spectacular display from downtown to have a chance in College Park.
--Brown at Michigan State. Our first look at the new-look Spartans.
The Tops open the regular season on Saturday night at Kennesaw State.
Last Night's GOI
--at Maryland 102, Hampton 75. The Terps put six into double figures and made 39 FT's in this lopsided affair.
--Vermont 82, New Orleans 65. The Catamounts barrelled straight into plaid by making 16-21 from Three.
Tonight's GOI
--Hampton vs New Orleans. UNO need one for themselves and for the Belt.
--Vermont at Maryland. The Catamounts may need to replicate last night's spectacular display from downtown to have a chance in College Park.
--Brown at Michigan State. Our first look at the new-look Spartans.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Season Tipoff Tonight
The beloved WKU Hilltoppers will be playing an exhibition contest against Kentucky State tonight, but four teams also play for keeps this evening. Thus, here is the first installment of the GOI (Games of Importance).
TONIGHT'S GOI
The 2k Classic
--Hampton at Maryland. Terps have been absent from the nation's elite for a couple of seasons.
--New Orleans vs Vermont. The early game in College Park. UNO tries to bounce back from their insane misfortune last season (hurricanes, displacement, broken wrists, torn ACL's, coach leaving...).
TONIGHT'S GOI
The 2k Classic
--Hampton at Maryland. Terps have been absent from the nation's elite for a couple of seasons.
--New Orleans vs Vermont. The early game in College Park. UNO tries to bounce back from their insane misfortune last season (hurricanes, displacement, broken wrists, torn ACL's, coach leaving...).
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