The goal when I started this was to write every week about the games the previous week that will have implications on Selection Sunday and the eternal quest for the perfect bracket, the Holy Grail for any college hoops fan.
Sure enough, it took a grand total of one week for me to fall gravely ill (104 temp and bad things at every end) and blow deadline by two days. And my wife wonders why Sports Illustrated hasn't called yet.
Anyway, the past ten days or so...
JANUARY 15
Michigan State 66, Ohio State 60 — In my daily picks on my blog (Left Calf, catch the fever!) I wrote the following sentence about this game: "(The) Spartans will come out fired up at home after pathetic showing at Iowa."
Sure enough, the Spartans did indeed come out fired up, racing to a 32-11 lead with three minutes to play in the first half. Then Ohio State finished the half on a 10-2 run to cut the lead to 13 at the break. And then the Buckeyes went on a 12-5 run over the first five minutes of the second half to cut what was a 21-point lead down to five.
This was the second time in eight days that Michigan State blew huge first-half leads, nearly costing them the game. The Spartans led Purdue 29-13 on January 8, then completely lost the lead before rebounding for the three-point win. These things happen to all teams, but when they happen more than once, you need to worry.
(They toughed out a good road win over Minnesota on Sunday, but that doesn't get them off the "You're better off betting the stock market than these guys" list. Call it the YBOBTSMTTGL.)
Wisconsin 80, Penn State 55 — Beating the Nittany Lions isn't exactly USA/USSR (or even USA/Finland), but it's an opportunity to point out the Badgers are very much a threat (if not the favorites) to win the Big Ten and play into the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. (I'm not ready to give them the third weekend yet, especially not after they barely eked out a three-point home win over woeful Michigan on Monday.)
After losing two stalwarts like Alando Tucker and Kammron Taylor, who scored 47 percent of Wisconsin's points last year, it would have been natural for Bo Ryan's team to suffer through a bit of a rebuilding job. But with the emergence of sophomore Trevon Hughes (from under eight minutes per game to more than 30), and much improved shooting from senior Michael Flowers (from 44 percent to 49 percent overall, 31 percent to 41 percent from three), the Wisconsin offense is just as stout as it was last year (based off Ken Pomeroy's efficiency rankings). And their defense is even better (from sixth to third in adjusted defensive efficiency).
In other words, while Packers fans are understandably devastated by their team's choke job against the Giants, at least they have Ryan and the Badgers (and lots of beer) to buoy their moods.
(If Eli Manning had thrown that bad of a pick in OT, all we'd hear about now was how much he sucked. Just because it was Brett Favre instead doesn't make it any less horrendous.)
Boston College 76, Miami (FL) 66 — Speaking of offensive efficiency (or the complete lack thereof), Miami took an astounding 76 shots in this game, making only 26 (31.6 percent). The Hurricanes backcourt of Jack McClinton and James Dews combined to shoot 12-of-40. After losing this game, plus their next two at North Carolina State (79-77 on Saturday) and at home to North Carolina (98-82 on Wednesday), what was 12-0 is now 14-4 with a 1-3 record in the ACC. They need to beat Clemson at home on Sunday to maintain any national legitimacy.
JANUARY 16
Temple 78, Xavier 59 — If ever you needed proof Xavier is not to be trusted, consider:
The Owls shot 13 of 27 from three (48 percent). Xavier was 6-of-20 (30 percent).
Xavier had 12 assists to 12 turnovers. Temple had 21 assists to 9 turnovers.
The Temple backcourt of Mark Tyndale and Dionte Christmas scored 45 points on 16-of-24 shooting (7-of-12 from three), with 12 assists and 14 rebounds. The Xavier backcourt of Drew Lavender and Stanley Burrell combined for 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting (2-of-7 from three), with seven rebounds and six assists.
Now consider the fact the Musketeers were 14-3 heading into this game (with a six-game win streak), while the Owls were just 6-8 (coming off a three-game losing streak) and you can see how one might question the status of Xavier's gonadical fortitude. Even after beating George Washington on Saturday to run their record to 15-4 (3-1 in the A-10), this team is a big, big question mark.
JANUARY 17
Louisville 71, Marquette 51 — This was one of the more surprising results of the week. Going in, I thought the advantage Marquette had in the backcourt (Jerel McNeal and Dominic James vs the Louisville pu pu platter of Edgar Sosa, Jerry Smith, Earl Clark and Andre McGee) would be more than enough to give the Golden Eagles the game. But two factors turned the outcome the other way:
1. Though McNeal and James outscored the Louisville Four 30-18, Marquette had only two assists in the entire game. They also didn't hit a single three-pointer (0-12). Credit Louisville's perimeter defense for shutting down what is still one of the best backcourts in the conference.
2. Louisville's David Padgett and Terrence Williams made 15-of-22 shots (68 percent) for a combined 37 points, while Marquette's Lazar Hayward was only 2-of-10 for six points. The Cardinals' dominance inside (finished with a 40-28 rebounding advantage) was more than enough to counter Marquette's scoring advantage outside.
George Mason 85, Hofstra 78 (2OT) — On its own, this result isn't all that impressive. As one of the best teams in the conference, the Patriots shouldn't have had to go into double overtime to put down a Hofstra team in complete ruins (4-13 after losing to VCU on Wednesday). However, when you add the fact GMU senior forward Will Thomas scored 29 points (12-of-15 shooting) in this one to the fact junior guard Dre Smith scored 34 (with a record-breaking 10-for-10 from three) in the Patriots' 96-75 win over James Madison on Saturday, and George Mason has the inside-outside scoring capability that is critical to pulling an NCAA Tournament upset.
The Colonial is going to be a one-bid conference this year. It's likely to come down to Mason or the Eric Maynor-led VCU Rams (first in the conference with a 7-1 record). Either way, be prepared to pick another upset from the Colonial on your bracket.
(Note: Mason and VCU play next Tuesday at the Patriot Center in Fairfax. The game will be on ESPN2. If you can break yourself away from day 10 of unnecessary Super Bowl hype, I highly recommend you tune in.)
Cleveland State 56, Butler 52 — Butler is going to be an interesting debate come Selection Sunday. On the one hand, the Bulldogs' only two losses are at Wright State and this game at Cleveland State. As one of the top ranked teams in the nation (number 12 when this game tipped), two close road losses in conference play shouldn't be looked down upon. Stuff happens, especially on the road.
But with just 10 games left in the regular season, you have to wonder if Butler could survive losing in the Horizon tournament and still land an at-large bid. They have some nice wins along the way (Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Florida State), but the W over Southern Illinois gets less impressive by the week (one of the causes for their less-than-stellar 146 non-conference strength of schedule). Their RPI is still a very-strong 23, but we learned from Missouri State a few years ago that an RPI in the twenties is no guaranteed ticket to dance.
Right now, Butler is in, and with a decent seed (Joe Lunardi has them at a 5). But they need to win their return games against Wright State and Cleveland State, and need to avoid a slip during a three-game road swing to Valparaiso, Wisconsin-Green Bay, and Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Otherwise, they could be looking at a situation where they have to get the auto bid in order to have a shot at reprising their Sweet 16 run of a year ago.
St. Louis 68, Rhode Island 61 — The Rams really couldn't afford to lose to a Billikens team just a week removed from scoring 20 points total in a loss to GW. As was the case in Rhode Island's loss at Dayton, Rams forward Kahiem Seawright (3-of-12 from the field) failed to support leading scorers Will Daniels (12 points on 5-of-12 shooting; fouled out in only 18 minutes) and Jimmy Baron (10 points on 4-of-12 shooting). If Seawright doesn't get his act in gear and start contributing to the offense, this Rams team is NIT at best.
Indiana 65, Minnesota 60 — It's an easy game to pass up on the scoreboard, but the Gophers played inspired in this one. They forced 24 turnovers from the Hoosiers, held Eric Gordon to just 12 points (in large part due to foul trouble), and had a chance late despite getting out-rebounded 39-21 and shooting just 3-of-17 from three. I know Tubby Smith has had far greater success in his career (the Gophers are 2-3 in conference after losing to Michigan State 78-73 on Sunday), but his coaching job this year may be his best ever.
Stanford 56, Arizona 52 — Odd story from this one: Arizona freshman guard Jerryd Bayless broke his shoe. For some reason, the Wildcats don't travel with extra pairs of shoes. Unfortunately, not a single other Arizona player wore the same size to give to Bayless (or at least nobody who could afford to be without shoes), so the Wildcats actually had to borrow a pair of shoes from Stanford so Bayless could keep playing. Bayless, averaging over 19 points per game, shot just 3 for 12 on the night and finished with 9 points. Arizona lost by four.
January 18
Bucknell 73, Holy Cross 65 — Check out the video highlights on the ESPN.com team home pages for some quality physical violence and coaches completely losing their cool.
January 19
Vanderbilt 92, LSU 76 — What in the name of Big Baby is going on with the Tigers? Now mired in a seven-game losing streak, LSU has gone 24-26 and just 5-15 in the SEC since their 2006 run to the Final Four. Losing Tasmin Mitchell after the first three games of the season hurt, but that doesn't cover all that ails John Brady. They can't shoot (SEC-worst 43 percent), don't pass (SEC-worst 11.94 assists per game), can't rebound (SEC-worst –3.1 rebounding margin), and aren't very good on defense (eighth in the conference in points allowed at 68.8 per game). When LSU football fans sober up from the "we'll just pretend it was legitimate" national title game, they're going to be mighty disappointed with what's become of their basketball program.
Purdue 74, Illinois 67 — So how is it that a 14-5 team with a 5-1 record in one of the premiere conferences in the country can't get even one vote in either poll? Well, the fact they haven't really beaten anybody good yet helps explain it (Louisville was a different team back then, Ohio State is still up and down), as does the fact the Big Ten basically stinks this year. But when Wisconsin comes to Mackey Arena on Saturday, they best come with their best. Matt Painter's crew will be ready to play.
Drake 79, Illinois State 73 — And welcome to the Top 25, Keno Davis. Drake's run may not be making major national headlines in the days of Tom Brady's footwear and the tainted bloodstream of baseball's record book, but the Bulldogs' 17-1 run is second only to the Patriots' drive for perfection in terms of improbable sports stories. It's incredible! It's fantastic! It's lots of adjectives that should be spelled out in caps and followed by numerous exclamation points!
Histrionics aside, this is a problem. Virtually nobody outside of the Valley's very limited regional television packages has seen Drake play. They've got a couple of games on ESPN's Full Court package, but who really spends that kind of dough on a pay-per-view package when there so many other games I can get for free? When the Bracketbusters pairings come up (February 4), ESPN has to give Drake a big-time opponent and feature them prominently on the TV schedule.
Drake is going to be on your bracket. Lunardi has them as a four seed right now. A four! And we know virtually nothing about them. Scary.
USC 72, UCLA 63 — Told you not to give up on the Trojans.
Maryland 82, North Carolina 80 — Told you the Tar Heels had a great shot at going undefeated.
Cincinnati 62, Pittsburgh 59 — Give Mick Cronin credit. He had a lot of work to do to turn the program around after the nuclear bomb that was the end of the Bob Huggins era. The Bearcats are winning with defense (Panthers only shot 42 percent), ball control (only 11 turnovers), and good shot selection (only 8 threes attempted — Nick Van Exel must be turning over in his grave).
You can't heap too much praise on a coach whose team is just 9-10 after losing to Connecticut on Wednesday, but they're still 4-3 in a Big East that's clean out of teams who can't be beat. An NIT berth (still a reach at this point) this year would be a very positive step forward for the program.
Kansas State 75, Texas A&M 54 — This one was even more surprising than the Louisville/Marquette game. The Wildcats just wrecked the Aggies every which way there was. If Michael Beasley (24.8 ppg, 12.6 rpg) and Bill Walker (16.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg) keep this up, they could very well knock off Kansas next Wednesday.
Arizona 79, California 65 — Two points:
1. Bayless had his own shoes. He scored a team-high 24 points with five assists. Arizona won.
(It's gotta be the shoes!)
2. Stats alone don't do Cal sophomore Ryan Anderson justice (30 points on 10 of 13 shooting, 7 rebounds in this one). The guy is so smooth. At 6-foot-10 and 240 lbs, he can play the power game with the conference's best. But he can also run the floor (and shoot) like a guard. On one play, Cal was on a fast break after an Arizona turnover and Anderson got the ball on the run a few steps shy of the three-point line. Normally, you wouldn't want a big guy to get the ball that far from the rim. Too many things can go wrong. But Anderson pulled up for a sweet three-pointer. Nothing but net. How many other 6-10 guys are doing that? If you like watching good basketball, you've got to watch this kid play.
And if you don't believe me, the stats tell the rest of the story: 21.9 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 52 FG%, 87 FT%, 46 3P%.
Kansas 76, Missouri 70; Virginia 84, Boston College 66 — I put these together because Missouri and Virginia are not to be trusted under any circumstances. Prototypical YBOBTSMTTGL. If you ever think about betting on either one of them, slap yourself in the face and think about something else. They have the talent to cover any spread, and the mental fragility to blow any lead. I'm telling you — stay away from Missouri and Virginia.
Let's just pray neither makes the tournament.
January 20
New England 21, San Diego 12 — Fourth-and-10 at the New England 36, down two scores, 9:21 to go. Chargers punt. Two timeouts left.
Kevin Faulk fair catches the punt at the New England 13. A little over nine minutes left.
Laurence Maroney for 12. Brady sacked for –8. Brady to Faulk for 7. Brady to Faulk (great diving catch) for 11. First down. A little over seven minutes left.
Maroney for 1. Timeout San Diego. One left. Brady to Donte Stallworth for 6. Brady to Faulk for 14. First down. A little over five minutes left.
Maroney for 2. Maroney for 3. Timeout San Diego. Last one. Maroney for 5. First down. A little over three minutes left.
Maroney for 4. Maroney for 2. Two-minute warning. Maroney for five. First down. A little over one minute left.
Kneel down. Kneel down. Super Bowl.
Of all the scoring drives the Pats put together this year, it was this non-scoring drive that was the most impressive. Brady was playing horrible (relatively speaking). The Chargers defense was swarming and desperate to get the ball back. And the Pats kept it for the final nine minutes of the game.
Say what you will about controversy this or controversy that, but you can't deny their greatness.
January 21
This is when I got sick. I'm sure I said something during the football game to deserve it. Whatever.
Georgetown 64, Syracuse 62 (OT) — Not to beat up on the Orange, because they've had a rough go since losing Eric Devendorf, but Jonny Flynn took 23 shots and had 2 assists. This was on the heels of 19 shots vs. 2 assists in a loss to Villanova a few days earlier. That's 42 shots to 4 assists in two games, not exactly what you're looking for out of your point guard.
January 22
Billy Gillispie's Reputation 72, Tennessee 66 — I'm not being snide. Kentucky is finally starting to look like the program Gillispie built with Texas A&M. They wear people out and find a way to score just enough points to get the W. With a relatively favorable schedule the rest of the way, don't be surprised to see the 8-9 Wildcats play their way into the bubble conversation.
January 23
Florida State 69, Virginia 67 — Told you not to trust the Cavs.
Memphis 56, Tulsa 41 — Next Wednesday, at Houston, the Tigers will be tested.
Seth Doria is a writer based out of St. Louis. For the only daily column that mixes sports, politics, and entertainment news in one, visit The Left Calf.
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