It's 12:11am, which means........

IT'S MARCH!!!!! BRING ON THE MADNESS!!!!!!!

Opening thoughts: Let me just say, it's great to have March Madness back, because I'm ready!!!! But, before that, let's talk about what happened on The Bachelorette season finale tonight. Jen, the girl who I loved when she was on the Bachelor, had whittled the field down to John Paul and Jerry. During the show, she took both fellas home to meet her family, they met her two girlfriends again, and they had one more night with her. John Paul, by far had everyone's vote of approval, including mine. He grew on me in the last couple of shows as I saw he and I had some things in common. The family loved him, her friends loved him, but when you saw he and her get in the jacuzzi on their last date, you had the feeling it wasn't going to be him. What do ya know, it wasn't. Nice guys again finish last. I don't understand how she couldn't have picked him, he would've treated her like a princess.

So, as the "After The Final Rose" show started, it seemed a forgone certainty that she would pick Jerry, the artificial boy toy who appeared to be on the show for a good time. He didn't win over the family and he didn't win over her friends, because he wasn't prepared to put his heart out (Woos, you've gotta go for it because that's what love is all about). Anyway, at the actual proposal, Jen said she wanted to wait, to "think about it", but obviously, it was to wait for this show. Then, she drops the bomb on Jerry at the reuniting, she doesn't want him anymore. I was in shock. The first thing I thought of was how ABC felt about this. They invested all this time and money into the show, and she got the nice apartment, all the great dates, clothes, publicity, and she ended up not picking anybody. Poor Jerry was shell-shocked, even though Jen said, "I thought we both felt like we should be just friends." As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, that Ohio University education was starting to shine through, and did it ever tonight.

I can't believe I wrote that much about it, anyway, let's talk basketball:

• Pittsburgh 72, Boston College 50. The Panthers righted their ship after losing their last 3 by playing tough defense and finding their offensive rhythm again. Pitt was just bigger and stronger than the Eagles tonight, playing as if their season was on the line. They won the glass 40-26, on the road against a Top 5 team, not exactly easy to do. Pitt put 5 in double figures and shot 48% from the floor, while limiting the Eagles to 31% shooting. For BC, Craig Smith got his, but Jared Dudley didn't, only scoring 4 points on 1/8 shooting. The Panthers are still alive for a 1st round bye in the Big East tourney, while the Eagles lost a chance to clinch the regular season Big East title.
• Oklahoma 74, Texas 58. The Longhorns just didn't have the horses to stay with Oklahoma, who is playing well again. The Sooners won the glass 38-29 and the OU guards played well, balancing the usual contributions from Taj Gray and Kevin Bookout. Texas is now 8-7 in the Big 12 with a trip to Oklahoma St. to finish out the year. Even if they lose that game, if they can win a Big 12 tourney game, I think they've done enough to get in.

My Northmont T-Bolts bowed out in the sectional finals tonight, losing to Centerville 52-34, their 3rd loss to the Elks this year. Still, in a year where not much was expected of them, 14-9 was pretty darn good. Good job boys, next year should be an even better one.

Wow, I guess that's it. Happy March Madness!!!!

"We're gonna run the Picket Fence at em....."

Opening Thoughts: Despite getting only 4 hours of sleep, today was a good day. Good brunch with the bro, good phone call from home. Then, got the micro homework done for tomorrow with Jason, who came over for some bratwurst. Finally, a great run, and, Hoosiers was on, including the original 1954 title game that spawned the movie. When Hoosiers starts to reappear on TV, you know March is just around the corner. Just 1 more day of February, and let the Madness begin. I'm really excited.

Before we talk hoops, let's talk Oscars, first up Best Dressed:

• Beyonce. Everytime I looked up, Beyonce was singing, in a new dress, looking amazing. She could've worn a rag and still looked hot. She is a true diva.
• Gisele Bundchen. Leo's girlfriend was stunning in her white dress, while nice and tanned and wearing her down. Gisele is my #1 all-time best looking model, hands down.
  
• Catalina Sandeno Moreno. I had never heard of her until tonight, but from now on, I will pay attention to Ms. Catalina. How can you not be beautiful with the name Catalina Sandeno Moreno?
• Kate Winslet. Her blond streaks went perfectly with her blue dress. It also helps keeping off the weight she lost since Titanic. She might have had the best dress of the night.
• Penelope Cruz. She's always been beautiful, but the way she wore her hair up, straight, combined with her killer dress. Excuse me for a moment......
  
• Halle Berry. Enough said.

Now, for the Worst. Granted, it wasn't as bad as the Golden Globes, but still, these people could've done better:

• Natalie Portman. My dear Natalie. Yes, your choice of dress was much better, but anything could've beaten the maid outfit you wore at the Golden Globes. When I take a closer look at what you're wearing, it looks like a long wool curtain.
  
• Renee Zellweger. The black hair, red dress, white as rice combination just doesn't do it for me. Stick to a hair color, preferably blond.
• Annette Bening. Everytime I see Annette, her hairstyle reminds me of a guy who puts too much gel in his hair.
• Scarlet Johansson. It looked like she was wearing a 3 piece dress, and I don't know what she was trying to do with her hair. Keep it simple, simple is good.

Anyway, congrats to Million Dollar Baby for cleaning house. Also, Chris Rock is no Billy Crystal. His monologue was too political for my taste and he's just not as witty as Billy.

Ok, time for the hoops:

• Villanova 67, Georgetown 56. Nova has now solidfied their NCAA status and appear to have a firm grip on a 1st round bye in the Big East tourney. The Cats made 19 free throws while the Hoyas only attempted 10. The Hoyas are on shaky ground at 8-6 in the Big East. Winning out plus a win in the Big East Tourney would get them in for sure. That includes winning at UConn this week.
• Indiana 78, Michigan St. 74, OT. The Spartans shot 55% from the floor, outboarded IU 32-19, 11-2 offensively, and still lost. The Hoosiers forced 18 turnovers, only committing 11 themselves, and made 22/32 free throws compared to only 9/15 for MSU. These are two surprising stats for such a young team, but as today showed, the Hoosiers are growing up quickly. Bracey Wright only needed 14 field goal tries to score 32 points, going 9/9 from the line. This was the best I've seen him play in awhile. I'm continually impressed by D.J. White, who had 17 today, although he's gotta get more than 1 rebound. Mike Davis has done a great job with this team AND HE DESERVES TO STAY!!!! The Spartans didn't play a bad game, but they couldn't come up with the plays when needed against a young team, which doesn't bode well come NCAA time. If IU can win out, which includes winning at Wisconsin this week, and win a game in the Big 10 Tourney, I think they should get in.
• Bowling Green 57, Miami 56. The Redhawks lead in the MAC is down to 1 as BG pulls back into a tie with Western Michigan for the MAC West lead. The top 8 teams in the league are separated by just 2 games with some interesting matchups in the final week. Miami's at-large status is up in the air, now needing to win out and make the MAC finals to have a chance. BG and Western play for the MAC West title this week.
• Maine 87, Vermont 66. In an interesting decision, Vermont's top two players sat out with injuries to rest up for the conference tournament, which ended up costing the Catamounts any chance of an at-large bid. They'll now need to win the conference tourney, in which they are the top seed and have home-court advantage.
• Nebraska 76, Iowa St. 69. After playing themselves back into the NCAA hunt, the Cyclones are playing themselves out again. 2 straight losses have ISU at 7-7 in the Big 12, and back on the outside looking in. Curtis Stinson only managed 9 points on 3/12 shooting, and the Cyclones only shot 38% from the floor, at home!!!!
• UCLA 75, Notre Dame 65. In a must-win game, the Bruins were in control throughout in this one, keeping themselves in the NCAA hunt. Dijon Thompson continues to play well for UCLA, getting 16 points and 10 rebounds. If the Bruins can win out, and win a game in the Pac 10 Tourney, they might get in.
• Kansas 81, Oklahoma St. 79. I'm disappointed I didn't get to see this game (homework), but it sounds like it was a classic. The Cowboys shot 57% from the floor, in Phog Allen Fieldhouse, and still lost because KU shot an unreal 70% from the floor!!!! Wayne Simien stepped up bigtime for KU, scoring 32 and grabbing 12 rebounds. He needs to put KU on his back if they're going to make a Final 4 run. OSU couldn't have played a better game, KU took it to another level today.
  
• North Carolina 85, Maryland 83. Another team back on the outside looking in is Maryland, my all-time most frustrating team. They couldn't beat a Rashard McCants-less team on their home floor. David Noel and Jackie Manuel picked up the slack for UNC, combining for 21 points and 14 rebounds. The Terps are now 7-8 in the ACC, having lost 3 in a row, making their game at Virginia Tech a must win.

Tomorrow is Pay Day!!!!!!

Tired with a capital T

Opening Thoughts: I apologize for slacking off last night, let's just say I was unable to post hehe. Last night was A LOT of fun, but it didn't help the fact I've had trouble sleeping all week, so I'm now tired to about the 25th power, so let's hope I can get a good night's sleep. Today was a day of work. Not sleeping well allowed me to get up early and be fairly productive.

Well, we've got a lot to talk about hoops-wise, let's get to it:

• George Washington 62, Dayton 59. GW may have won the A-10 West and clinched an NCAA berth on what may be the shot of the year so far in college hoops. Tied at 59, Dayton held the ball for the last shot. With about 3 sec left, Monty Scott's pass was knocked away by Carl Elliott. Elliott ran it down and with .7 sec left flipped the ball toward the basket like you would on the playground from about 30 feet, a trick shot that has no chance of going on. I've never seen one made, until today. The shot goes in, Elliott runs off the floor, and the Colonials steal a big one on the road despite 22 turnovers. Make sure you look at the highlight of the shot, it's truly unreal.
  
• Kentucky 78, Alabama 71. The Wildcats played a great 2nd half, becoming the first team to win in Tuscaloosa all year. Patrick Sparks was in the zone, draining 7 3s, the last couple from Birmingham as UK won their 43rd SEC regular-season title. Sparks led the way with 26 as UK shot 56% from the field, 68% from 3. UK's defense also was much better in the 2nd half, forcing the Tide into some bad shots after Bama got any shot they wanted in the 1st half. Maybe we'll get to see a rematch in the SEC tournament.
• Southern Illinois 65, Wichita St. 55. The Salukis won the rematch and along with it the MVC regular-season title and an NCAA berth. The Shockers are now relegated to winning the MVC Tournament for a berth.
• Rider 113, Niagara 106, OT. The two leaders in the MAAC showed why by playing an overtime classic. With the win, Rider ties Niagara for the regular-season crown, but Niagara has the tiebreaker and will be the top seed in the conference tournament. In their first meeting, Niagara won 102-97. Both teams are very good offensively, Rider being very efficient, while Niagara can shoot the 3. Hopefully the teams will get to play a 3rd time in the MAAC finals during Championship Week
  
• Minnesota 59, Purdue 57. It looked like Gene Keady would win his last home game as the Boilers led 31-18 at the half. Vincent Grier led the 2nd half comeback for the Gophers, keeping their NCAA hopes alive, by scoring 12 of his 15 in the 2nd half. The Gophers are 9-6 in the Big 10 with a must win season finale at Penn St. left.
• UConn 73, Pittsburgh 64. The Huskies continue to play well, knocking off the Panthers in Pittsburgh. UConn put 4 in double figures and outrebounded Pitt 36-31. Marcus Williams continues to play well for the Huskies, scoring 13 and dishing out 6 assists. Suddenly, Pitt has lost 3 straight to fall to 8-6 in the Big East. They're in danger of not getting a first-round bye in the Big East Tournament. Pitt needs to do better than 39% shooting if they're going to bounce back.
• NC State 74, Virginia Tech 54. The ACC is really jumbled, as the Wolfpack stay alive with the win, while seriously damaging Tech's hopes of a bid. Both teams must win out to stay in it.
  
• Texas A&M 85, Texas Tech 63. Suddenly, the Aggies are 7-7 in the Big 12, and if they win out, which would include a win at Oklahoma St., they have a legitimate case for a bid. Antoine Wright led the way with 29 as the Aggies went on a 31-6 run in the 2nd half to pull away. I have to say the Aggies have the UGLIEST floor in college basketball. What color is that anyway?????
• Washington 93, Arizona 85. In a game that defined the word athleticism, the Huskies are in the drivers' seat for the Pac 10 title. The Huskies were hot in the 1st half, and continued into the early part of the 2nd, building a 12 point lead. But, Arizona got back into it, as Channing Frye was unstoppable down low and Salim Stoudamire finally hit a couple of shots. The lead was trimmed to 1 when Nate the Great Robinson took over at the end, making a big 3 in the last minute to seal it for UW. Both of these teams are very athletic and play great perimeter defense, but don't play great interior defense, which may be their doom come March.
• Georgia Tech 76, Miami 72. With the win, Tech stays alive and The U may be headed to the NIT. Jarret Jack had 21, BJ Elder bounced back with 15, but it was the usually unproductive Tech bench that made the difference, scoring 33 points.
  
• Penn 80, Columbia 72. Congratulations to the Quakers, they are the first team officially in the NCAA Tournament.
  
• Stanford 58, Oregon 56. Matt Haryasz's jumper with 14 sec left helped the Cardinal stay alive for the NCAAs while avoiding the Oregon sweep. The Cardinal are in good shape, now 10-6 in the Pac 10.
  
• Louisville 53, Memphis 44. In a defensive struggle, Louisville got the revenge that they were looking for after getting embarassed at home by Memphis 17 days ago. The Tigers only shot 20% from the field and only made 1/23 3s, losing a chance to solidify their late NCAA run. Louisville wasn't much better, shooting 30% better, but they competed better defensively and on the boards than in the first meeting.

Let's preview tomorrow's games because there are some good ones:

• Villanova at Georgetown. The Hoyas need a win to improve their NCAA status and stay in position for a 1st round bye in the Big East Tourney.
• Michigan St. at Indiana. Must win for the Hoosiers at home to make the NCAAs.
• Miami at Bowling Green. With Akron losing at Kent, a Redhawk win puts them 2 up in the MAC with 2 to play. They need to win to keep their at-large hopes alive.
• UCLA at Notre Dame. Both teams need this game, but the Bruins need it a little more.
• Oklahoma St. at Kansas. Both teams are coming off losses, but the Jayhawks need this to win the Big 12 regular season crown and get their confidence back after losing 3 straight.
• North Carolina at Maryland. The Tar Heels will be without Rashard McCants for a 2nd straight game. The Terps need to take advantage to get off the bubble and avenge the beating they took in Chapel Hill earlier. Since the game is on TV and at home, I'm fully confident Maryland will show up.

In other news, Da Bears signed Mushin Muhammad after the Panthers couldn't afford him. Chris DiMarco will battle David Toms for the Match Play title at La Costa. Maurice Clarett laid an egg at the Scouting Combine, running a 4.72 and 4.82 40, then decided not to participate in the remaining drills. And oh yeah, the Oscars are tomorrow night. We'll have our Best and Worst Dressed report just as we did for the Golden Globes.

Now, hopefully I can get some sleep.

I'll be working on the weekend

Opening thoughts: Tomorrow, macro test, followed by basketball against the Econ professors. Hopefully, it is a good Friday. Then, after micro class, it's back here to grade exams the rest of the night. I know, so much fun.

Let's talk hoops:

• Michigan St. 77, Wisconsin 64. Suzy Kolber couldn't have said it better on Sportscenter, Alan Anderson had a Christian Laettner kind of night, going 10/10 from the floor, 7/7 from the line for a career-high 28. The Spartans as a team shot 56% from the floor, which is awfully good against the Badgers, even at East Lansing. MSU will be interesting to watch in the NCAAs. Can they go out of the Big 10 and beat anyone good? It's still hard to believe they're ranked 9th in the country.
• Arizona 57, Washington St. 56, OT. Pullman is a tough place to play, but the Wildcats get out with a big road win. Arizona will be another team to watch in the NCAAs. Can they go out of the Pac 10 and beat anyone good? Channing Frye had 26 points and 8 boards tonight to make up for the Arizona backcourt, which combined to only go 6/23 tonight (Salim Stoudamire: 1/7).
• St. Mary's 81, San Francisco 77, 3OT. The Gaels will get in for sure if they at least make the WCC finals. They were impressive early in the year without their best player, and at 23-7 currently, it would be hard to deny them a bid.
  
• Oregon St. 84, Stanford 83. The Beavers clinched their first winning season in 15 years since the days of Gary Payton I believe. Stanford got another great effort from Chris Hernandez, who had 29, but this was a bad loss. The Cardinal must win at Oregon this weekend, or they're back on the bubble. It's going to be tough without Dan Grunfeld, their leading scorer.
• Washington 90, Arizona St. 82. In maybe the worst officiated game of the year, the Huskies took care of business at home to setup the showdown for Pac 10 supremacy with Arizona on Saturday. Lil' Nate Robinson was in foul trouble most of the 2nd half, but came up with some big shots down the stretch, including the clincher that put the Huskies up 5 with 40 sec. left. Ike Diogu for ASU was as advertised, scoring 29 and getting a double-double, but his supporting cast just isn't consistent enough. Washington is ANOTHER team to watch in the NCAAs. Can they win a game outside of the Pac10 against anyone good? Can the teams from the weaker SEC, Big 10 and Pac 10 win big games in March after playing in mediocre conferences? That'll be interesting to see.

In Survivor, Ashlee, the student was voted off as Oolong? lost the immunity challenge for the 2nd straight time, although they did win reward. Her biggest thing was she didn't eat after her tribe caught fish and looked weak, despite Kim not contributing much physically during the challenge.

The collegians showed some creativity in The Apprentice, delivering the better graffiti ad to Sony Playstation, winning only their 2nd challenge. Alex, project manager, actually thought outside of the box, asking Harlem residents (where the graffiti wall was being painted) what they would like to see from the ad, which would get them to buy the game. Tara, PM for the high schoolers, tried to do too much. Instead of an advertisement, she did her best to become President of the Harlem Chamber of Commerce by coming up with art that was more for the community. During the whole task, she, by herself, took credit for coming up with the idea, which was her downfall as she didn't take advice from her team.

I'm getting ancy for the Madness to start, 4 days until March, 8 days until Championship Week starts.

"Is the mean the average???"

Opening thoughts: Econ humor is getting me through this very busy time. The above question was asked earlier in the lab while working on an assignment. Michelle, we love ya!!!! Anyway, did I mention I was tired.

Hoops time, but quickly, my bed is calling me:

• Duke 60, Georgia Tech 56. Despite shooting 39% from the field and 59% from the line, the Dukies stayed alive in the ACC and have put Tech in a position where they must win out. B.J. Elder: 1/8, 2 points.
  
• Holy Cross 69, Bucknell 54. The Crusaders all but clinch the Patriot League regular season title with the win. If they make the NCAAs, teams be wary. In recent years, Holy Cross has come oh so close a couple of times to knocking off someone in the first round (see Marquette the year they made it to the Final 4).
• West Virginia 70, Pittsburgh 66. Suddenly, the Mountaineers are back in the NCAA picture after sweeping Pitt. Tonight, they came from 14 down with 9 minutes to play to win. Now 7-7 in the Big East, 17-8 overall, and with winnable games at home vs. Rutgers and at Seton Hall, win out, win a game in the Big East tourney and who knows.
• Akron 55, Miami 49, OT. In a defensive struggle to say the least, the Zips reopened the MAC for discussion, pulling to within a game of the Redhawks with 3 to play. For at-large consideration, Miami must win at Bowling Green Sunday. The MAC now has 4 teams in the RPI Top 50. 17 turnovers are way too many for Miami. Romeo Travis was unstoppable in the post. He would've made a former teammate named James proud.
• Charlotte 80, Memphis 77. Memphis got 29 from Darius Washington Jr. and 22 from Rodney Carney, but the 49ers were just a tad better, putting 4 in double figures, led by Eddie Basden's 24. This was a well-played game that was close throughout. The 49ers have won 6 straight are setting themselves up for a showdown with Louisville for the CUSA title. Memphis is still in good shape for the NCAAs, but they need to take care of business down the stretch in order to help their low RPI.
• Tennessee 80, South Carolina 72. NIT, Gamecocks, NIT. A valiant comeback from 23 down to make it close, but not good enough.
• Florida 69, Vanderbilt 61. Gators, in; Commodores, out.
• Xavier 81, George Washington 62. After it seemed the Colonials were back on track, they have now fallen into a tie with Dayton for the A-10 West and must go to Dayton Saturday. The A-10 should only get 1 team in. The Colonials aren't consistently tough enough, evidenced by losing the boards 37-25 and allowing 49% shooting.
• Minnesota 65, Iowa 57. The Gophers need to keep winning, now 8-6 in the Big 10. Vincent Grier again led the way with 17 for UM.
• Illinois 84, Northwestern 48. 28-0, enough said.
• Villanova 76, Boston College 70. I don't want to play Villanova right now. Even without starting point guard Mike Nardi, the Cats led throughout at home and are locks for the NCAAs. Nova didn't make many shots, but the ones they did make were huge (8/17 from 3s). They also went 36/41 from the line, which isn't bad either. BC isn't explosive, but I was impressed with the way they never lost their calm, stayed in it, and gave themselves a decent chance of winning at the end. They would be unbeatable if they had one guy that could step up and be a consistent 3-point threat for them.

In some other news, Randy Moss is on his way to the Raiders, Drew Bledsoe is officially a Cowboy, and it seems Chris Webber is heading to the 76ers.

"I'm what Willis was talking about!!!!"

Opening thoughts: The above quote was on a shirt 5'9" Washington guard Nate Robinson in pregame last weekend. He's tired of getting the "Gary Coleman" chants, which I would be to, especially considering how good he is.

I've contracted a headache in the last couple of hours. I'm pretty tired, but I might as well get used to it. I'm going to be tired until spring break, so in the words of Prince, "so sue me if it goes astray."

For a break, I may have to go see North College Hill in the high school playoffs and see these guys in person. NCH is the Phi Slamma Jamma of high school basketball. They have been appropriately called "The High School Highlight Reel". They feature O.J. Mayo, the kid who played varsity ball in Kentucky when he was in 7th grade who has since transferred to NCH, a Division 3 private school in Cincinnati who is thinking about going to the NBA right out of high school. The team also features at least 2 other Division 1 college prospects, who along with Mayo, provide a high entertainment value in front of standing room only gyms.

Let's talk bball, because as soon as I thought we were starting to figure some things out, everything's messed up again after tonight:

• Miami 65, Florida St. 49. The U has beaten everyone they should have and lost to everyone they should have, which puts them at 7-7 in the ACC. They have Georgia Tech at home and Duke at Cameron to finish out. Win those two, and you're in Hurricanes. It's no surprise the Seminoles laid a big fat egg in this one, the game wasn't on national television.
• Indiana 79, Purdue 62. Yes, the Hoosiers are still in the NCAA hunt, improving to 8-5 in the Big 10. If they can beat Sparty at home this weekend and avoid losing to Northwestern in the season finale, they'll get in. I will say the Hoosiers have made great strides the last month of the year. Defensively they're strong, and offensively they're starting to find themselves a little more. 49% shooting, 12/22 from 3 and Bracey Wright looked strong, scoring 27, only having to take 19 shots. Here's a message to the IU athletic director: DON'T FIRE MIKE DAVIS!!!!! Next year, IU will be preseason Top 15, as they return ALL of their key players, plus another good recruiting class.
• Clemson 97, Maryland 93. Answer this one for me. How does a team sweep Duke, but get swept by Clemson??? And, how do you lose a game which you attempt 26 more shots, grab 23 offensive rebounds, have 18 assists, and force 18 turnovers???? Well, Maryland is your answer to both of these questions, a team that is still full of questions. At the Comcast Center, Clemson got to the foul line 41 times. 41!?!?!!?!? And, the Tigers shot 58% from the floor. Maryland is now 7-7 in the ACC, certainly not a lock if they keep playing like this.
• North Carolina 81, NC State 71. The Tar Heels, without Rashard McCants, beat a hot NC State team on their floor, in impressive fashion. 5 players in double figures, 49% shooting, and only 11 turnovers were just part of a performance that shows why the Tar Heels can win it all in April. The Wolfpack are now 5-8 in the ACC. To get in, I think they need to win out, which includes beating Wake at home, then win a game in the ACC tourney.
• Texas Tech 69, Texas 65. Texas scored 25 in the first 10 minutes, but Tech stepped up the D and only gave up 40 in the last 30 minutes to get their first win in 8 tries over the Longhorns in Lubbock. The outstanding freshman for Texas, Daniel Gibson, was outstanding, scoring 22, but Tech got their balanced offensive attack going as the game went on, putting 4 in double figures. I think the Longhorns will get in, they are playing a lot better as they have found their new identity as a team. They have a tough finish though with Oklahoma at home then finishing at Oklahoma St.
• Nebraska 74, Oklahoma St. 67. Just as I proclaim the Cowboys as the team to look out for, they lose in Lincoln to the Huskers, allowing them to shoot 58% from the floor, inconceivablely poor defense by an Eddie Sutton-coached team. Just as quickly as they gained the outright Big 12 lead, they slipped back into a tie with the Jayhawks with the grudge match with KU this weekend. JamesOn Curry had 6 turnovers in this one; the Cowboys had 17 as a team.
• LSU 61, Alabama 59. 3 straight quality wins have the Tigers in as a lock for the NCAAs right now. They are 9-4 in the SEC with 3 games left they should win. The Tigers got a tip-in at the buzzer to win this game that was well-played between two equally matched teams. The two stars came to play, Kennedy Winston had 22 for Bama, Brandon Bass had 15 and 9 for LSU. Alabama only has one quality win away from home, a 102-101 win at Charlotte earlier in the year, but the 49ers have vastly improved since.
  
• Texas A&M 75, Iowa St. 59. It had to end sooner or later for the Cyclones, but College Station wasn't the place I was thinking of. The Aggies were ready, limiting ISU to 29% shooting, and Antoine Wright had one of his better games, scoring 21. ISU is still in good shape. They have 3 games left they should win. The Aggies can sneak back onto the bubble by winning 2 of their last 3, beating Baylor and either Texas Tech at home or at Oklahoma St., which would get them to 8-8 in the Big 12.
  

Reason #2568 I don't like baseball: Barry Bonds. As much as I'd like to believe him, I just can't. How can you "unknowingly" take steroids. If it were me, I'd want to know everything that was going on so I wouldn't be tainted as a player. I wouldn't be able to look him in the eye and believe him. I know I'm jumping to conclusions, but I just don't see how he's telling the truth.

On a brighter note, this was the 25th anniversary of the Miracle On Ice. We will never see that kind of sports moment ever again. The way sports and politics merged for that hockey game and the way the country was energized after the upset victory will never be seen. It's one of those things where if you weren't there or alive, you will never fully comprehend the meaning of that hockey game and the after effects of it.

Did you miss me?

Opening thoughts: So much for a relaxing 3-day weekend. I was either doing schoolwork or other things that had to be done, such as getting my car e-checked and new license plates. Sunday, we traveled to the Jeffersonville Outlet malls. If you'd like to know, my favorite places to shop are: Nike, Polo, Eddie Bauer, Brooks Brothers, and Le Gourmet Chef (so many free samples, so delicious). It was also my mom's birthday. Today, before coming back, the grandparents came over for barbecued chicken (yummy). Now, a very busy and stressful 3 weeks awaits until we reach Spring Break.

We have a lot of hoops to talk about, so let's start with Saturday:

• Miami 65, Wichita St. 58. It was just a normal home game for Miami. The Hawks ran out to a big lead, let it slip away, but made the plays down the stretch to win. Danny Horace was the best player on the floor, scoring 24 and grabbing 9 rebounds. Nate VanderSluis was the difference for Miami, scoring 8 points and playing by far his best game in a Miami uniform. The Shockers' two leading scorers combined for just 3 points, and overall, WSU wasn't too impressive. 3 straight losses have the Shockers in bubble trouble. Miami can clinch the MAC East with a win at Akron on Wed. night.
• Illinois 75, Iowa 65. The Hawkeyes wouldn't go away, but Illinois was too much in the end. Dee Brown and Deron Williams took their respective games to another level in the 2nd half when they needed it. Both guys looked for their shot more and controlled Iowa defensively.
  
• Iowa St. 63, Kansas 61, OT. Curtis Stinson scored all 7 Cyclone points in overtime and had 29 for the game, dissecting KU's zone all by himself. 7 straight wins have them in the NCAAs right now and Stinson is making a late run for Big 12 player of the year. More on Kansas's woes later.
• Nevada 74, Vermont 64. Nevada may be the most improved team in the nation this year. At the beginning of the year, they got served, big-time, at Kansas. Now, they have the makings of another Sweet 16 run, I was that impressed. Nick Fazekas fre-zekeed Vermont, scoring 31 and grabbing 14 boards, dominating at the offensive end, and by far outplaying V's Taylor Coppenrath. The America East finals may not be enough for Vermont to get in the NCAAs. They're a gritty team, but they still lack a quality win.
• LSU 77, Florida 73. The Tigers had one of the better weeks of any team in the nation, playing their way into the NCAAs right now. Brandon Bass has stepped up for LSU, scoring 27 to lead the way in this one.
  
• Alabama 87, South Carolina 68. Thanks for playing Gamecocks, you now enjoy one-hit wonder status. The Tide hit 13/27 3s in the win. Bama has games with LSU, UK, and Mississippi St. left. They have a chance to end up with as high as a 2 seed if they finish strong.
• Oklahoma St. 85, Texas Tech 56. You don't want to play the Cowboys right now, they're rolling. They are much better offensively, and surprisingly defensively with JamesOn Curry in the starting lineup. He frees up everyone else to play their game. This was one of the worst offensive games I've seen a Bob Knight-coached team play. They struggled coming off their win vs. KU.
  
• Cincinnati 72, UAB 69. UAB is in real trouble now, falling to 6-6 in CUSA. The Bearcats still aren't getting consistent point guard play, which will be their eventual downfall, but they made enough plays inside to win the game.
• Minnesota 52, Ohio St. 50. The Gophers cling to the bubble after pulling this one out at home. 9-7 in the Big 10 I don't think is good enough to warrant a bid, so the Gophers need to win out to finish 10-6 in the league.
• Boston College 65, Syracuse 60. The Eagles needed this win for their confidence after everyone has told them they're overrated since losing at Notre Dame. Syracuse is the one that's overrated. I could camp out at the foul line in the middle of that zone and score 10 points. You can't play zone defense with your hands by your sides. Take advantage of your long arms and athleticism, play with your hands up Orange. It will lead to deflections and turnovers and make it hard for teams to score and move the ball around. The game was won up front by BC. Smith and Dudley combined for 37 points and 20 boards, and the Eagles won the glass 37-28, 16-8 on the offensive glass.
  
• Kentucky 94, Mississippi St. 78. You know you've played bad defense if Kentucky scores 94 on you. The Bulldogs had no fight in them whatsoever in this game. By the end, it was a laugher, and I was watching the NBA Slam Dunk contest, that in itself should tell you something. The Bulldogs are 6-6 in the SEC and need help to get in the NCAAs.
• Pacific 73, UTEP 66. Pacific showed they're worthy of a Top 20 national ranking beating a very game UTEP team. UTEP showed that if they make it to the WAC finals, I think they should get in. Omar Thomas is a quality inside player who can hang with anyone, as he went for 21 and 12 against a strong Pacific front line. UP is very efficient on offense, shooting 48% in this game and they can do it inside and outside.

Sunday:

• Georgia Tech 76, Florida St. 75. Ironically, it was B.J. Elder's 2 free throws with less than a second left that kept Tech in the NCAAs for now. Elder led the way with 22 as they avoided the trap that is Tallahassee. Tech is 6-6 in the ACC with Duke coming to their house this week.
  
• Villanova 80, Pittsburgh 72. Nova showed why they're dangerous, dictating tempo with their shot-making, forcing the Panthers to play offense, which isn't their forte. The Cats shot 47% from the floor, outstanding against a usually stout Pitt defense. Nova was 12/23 from 3, simply outstanding.
• Stanford 78, UCLA 65. The 3rd bid from the Pac10 is Stanford's to lose, now that they have swept UCLA, their closest challenger. Even more impressive, they did it without leading scorer Dan Grunfeld, who is out with a knee injury. However, Chris Hernandez had 37 for Stanford. Can he keep that kind of play up the rest of the year?
• Indiana 70, Michigan 63. I can't believe I'm saying this, but the Hoosiers are still alive for the NCAAs. Now 7-5 in the Big10 and with Bracey Wright back, if they can finish 10-6 and win a game in the Big 10 tourney, they'll probably get in. To do that, they'll have to beat Purdue and Northwestern at home, and either Michigan St. at home or win at Wisconsin.
• Duke 102, Wake Forest 92. This game is why Wake seems incapable of winning a national championship. PLAY DEFENSE!!!! They have not proven they can play defense away from home. Duke repeatedly drove through the Wake defense as if the Red Sea had just parted. This was a Coach K kind of game. This was a throw everything and the kitchen sink into the game, we aren't going to lose. Starting 3 walk-ons, he sent the message, "Get in their face, be physical, send a message." 5 seconds, a hard foul on Chris Paul. Later in the possession, another hard foul. Coach K gets upset, yelling at the officials to call it both ways. The crowd then really got into it, the starters came in for Duke, and it was over. The tone was set, and J.J. Redick was, en fuego.
  

And, tonight:

• UConn 88, Notre Dame 74. UConn is young, but they are going to be awfully good. Marcus Williams, the sophomore point guard, had 17 points, 12 assists, and 9 boards. Wow. If he and Charlie Villaneuva can keep this kind of play up, you never know. Then again, they did this against Notre Dame, not the greatest of defensive teams. But, the progress UConn has shown, especially in the last month has them on track for some kind of March run.
• New Mexico 65, Utah 54. If you don't bring your A game to The Pit, you will lose, which was what happened to the Utes. This is what worries me about Utah in the Tourney. Andrew Bogut had 15 points and 13 rebounds, but no one else stepped up. The supporting cast of Utah is lacking, which is why I think they'll go out in the 1st round. New Mexico is 20-6, and their coach said they deserve to be on the bubble if they won tonight. Well, they won, so let's give them a look. They're 7-4 in the MWC and did beat Tennessee, but they're a bottom-feeder in the SEC. Nothing really stands out, but 20 wins I think does put them at least on the bubble.
• Oklahoma 71, Kansas 63. The Jayhawks have lost 3 straight for the first time since 1994. They didn't show up at all in the 1st half, came back in the 2nd half, but the Sooners were too much, and frankly deserved to win this game. For a team with 3 senior starters, I'm asking this question too much: Where's the sense of urgency???? That, and I don't think Kansas is that outstanding. They're not a good perimeter shooting team, they have trouble creating their own shots, and like tonight, they get outrebounded too often. You look at the stats and I see they shot 53% from the floor, but most of that was in the 2nd half. KU has made the Big 12 wide open and now must play one of the hottest teams in the country this weekend in Oklahoma St.

As mentioned earlier, I watched some of the Slam Dunk contest, and came away impressed with the creativity shown by Amare Stoudamire and the winner J.R. Smith. When Smith jumped over Kenyon Martin, took his pass and windmilled it home was impressive. But All-Star weekend was at its best when Michael Jordan was in the Slam Dunk, and Larry Bird was in the 3 point shootout. I'll never forget Bird's last Shootout championship. He needed to make his last 5 shots to win. After making the first 4, he shot the 5th, turned, put his finger in the air (#1) and started walking away, knowing the shot was going in, and it did.

1 week until the beginning of March, less than 2 weeks until Championship Week, and less than 3 until Selection Sunday. Yesssssss!!!!!

Sweet Revenge

Opening thoughts: I enjoyed my first Jungle Jim's experience. It's a very entertaining store, with a singing Elvis tiger, actual live fish in the seafood section and lots of props. It was a good way to start the day. I'm very excited to be going home for the weekend. It will give me a chance to rest up and get some work done and be ready for the tough 3 week stretch that will lead in to Spring Break.

Time for the hoops, where a couple of teams were looking for payback:

• Louisville 64, Marquette 61. Earlier in the year at Louisville, the Cards beat a Travis Diener-less team by 47. Tonight, it looked like the Golden Eagles would exact some revenge, leading by 11 with 4 minutes to go. But the Cards, led by Francisco Garcia scored the last 14, including a 3 by the man himself with 3 seconds left to win the game. The play of the game was Marquette freshman Ryan Amoroso inexplicably pushing down Otis George after the first of 2 free throws by UL's Larry O'Bannon. This gave UL 4 points in one trip with under a minute to go, which tied the game setting the stage for Garcia. Louisville was sleep-walking through this game, until their offense got going late, which sparks their defense. The Cards need to play with a more consistent effort at both ends. The difference between tonight and the blowout loss vs. Memphis was Garcia stepped up and the defense played well enough to keep UL in the game. Marquette is heading to the NIT as they drop to 5-7 in CUSA.
• Virginia Tech 67, Duke 65. The Hokies got their revenge in front of a racuous home crowd, answering every Duke challenge in the 2nd half. Just a month ago in Cameron, Duke beat Tech by 35. Tonight, the Hokies came ready to play, outrebounding the Devils by an astounding 45-27 margin. No one on Duke could guard Carlos Dixon, and how about the inspired play of football player, walk-on Jeff King? This game is a perfect example of how vulnerable Duke is when they don't play their best game. Duke can beat the really good teams, but they can lose to the mediocre ones as well. Tech is now 6-6 in the ACC, which now gives the conference 8 contenders for the NCAA tournament. If Tech can complete the sweep of Miami this weekend, they put themselves in a good position to get in.
• Arkansas Little-Rock 55, Western Kentucky 53. The two teams are now tied for first in the Sun Belt East.
• Arizona St. 75, Oregon St. 73. The Beavers become another example of a team falling off the bubble just as they got on. Of course, watch them pull the upset at Arizona this weekend to get back on.
• Stanford 71, USC 62. Stanford is 8-5 in the Pac10, and with UCLA currently ahead at Cal (which would put them at 8-6), UCLA at Stanford becomes an elimination game this weekend. Although, both teams still might get in because unbelievably, the Pac10 ranks 2nd, yes 2nd in overall conference strength.

Ok, since I'll be gone beginning tomorrow and won't post again until Monday night, I'm going to go ahead and give quick previews of all the big games this weekend:

• Wichita St. at Miami. The first Bracket Buster game of the day sees both teams needing a win to keep their at-large hopes alive. This especially applies to the Shockers after losing their last 2 Valley games. Can the Hawks slow the Shockers down and match their toughness, and can the Shockers get their confidence back. Miami still hasn't lost at home this year.
• Illinois at Iowa. Some people think the Illini will slip here. It is an early tip, 11am local time, but without Pierre Pierce, the Hawks will need a career day from Jeff Horner to pull the upset.
• Iowa St. at Kansas. The Cyclones are one of the hottest teams around, winning 6 in a row to get in the NCAA tourney upset. Unfortunately, they'll be catching an angry Kansas team steaming after their road loss at Texas Tech on Monday.
• Vermont at Nevada. Nevada is in, but Vermont is on the bubble despite their Top 20 RPI. The nation gets to see Taylor Coppenrath, but someone else besides he and T.J. Sorrentine will have to step up if Vermont is going to win. Nevada is very balanced and is always tough to beat in Reno.
• Florida at LSU. LSU would be definitely back in if they can knock off the Gators. Both teams need to start showing some consistency. The SEC is not one of the Top 5 conferences in America according to the RPI currently, can you believe that??? Well, I can.
• South Carolina at Alabama. Can the Gamecocks keep it going after knocking off Kentucky? The Tide are awfully tough to beat at home.
• Texas Tech at Oklahoma St. The Red Raiders would be Team of the Week in the USA if they can pull this win off after beating Kansas Monday night. Watch out for the Cowboys, they seem to be getting it together at just the right time.
• UAB at Cincinnati. A must win for the Blazers, especially after losing at home to East Carolina. A home loss would give the Bearcats 5 losses in conference play, and put them in the kind of precarious spot teams like Georgia Tech enjoy right now. Should be in, but on the edge when they shouldn't be.
• Ohio St. at Minnesota. Must, must, must, must win for the Gophers. They must finish ahead of the Bucks in the Big10 to get back in the NCAA picture. You can't let a team barred from postseason play finish ahead of you.
• Syracuse at Boston College. Are the Eagles for real and is Syracuse a Final 4 contender. Both questions will be answered tonight, especially Syracuse's because they're too talented to be struggling the way they are.
• Miami at Virginia Tech. An elimination game in the ACC. Loser won't make the NCAA Tournament.
• Mississippi St. at Kentucky. Both teams need wins after losing games this week. With a loss, the Bulldogs would be 6-6 in the weak SEC, which is not NCAA tournament material.
• UTEP at Pacific. The country needs to stay up and see how good this Pacific team really is. If UTEP can somehow pull this game out, it puts them in the NCAAs if they win out and at least make it to the WAC finals.

Sunday

• Pittsburgh at Villanova. The Panthers can solidify, at least in my mind, their place as the best team in the Big East if they can slow down the Nova offense.
• UCLA at Stanford. Mentioned above, possible elimination game in the Pac10.
• Wake Forest at Duke. If Wake wins, they're in the drivers' seat for a #1 seed. Duke is trying to avoid losing 3 in a row, when has that last happened????

Tonight began the 54th edition of Survivor (it seems like it at least). The field of 20 was whittled to 18 when the last two people not picked to be on a tribe let go. This included Wanda, the singing English teacher, who in no disrespect to her, everyone, including the country was glad to see go so they wouldn't have to hear her sing for the rest of the show. Then, Jolanda, who won the role as a tribe captain in the swim to the island, was voted off after her team lost due to her decision to try and grab everything in an obstacle course race when all they needed was flint to build a fire.

In the Apprentice, Michael was fired (finally!) after the collegians lost to the high schoolers, again. The collegians' mobile spa came up just short to the high schoolers' open casting call, which means the collegians still have only won one task (ironically, Michael was the project manager for that one). Michael was the scapegoat for a team that has no creativity whatsoever, and is made up of too many lawyers. The only thing they have going on for them is Erin, who's attractive and witty.

Everyone have a great President's Day weekend, see you on Monday.

Big Beta

Opening Thoughts: Today in micro class, Dr. Sullivan proceeded to give an example of a person who would rather waste away their day instead of working a little bit for a lot of money. The example happened to describe someone, who would rather watch ACC basketball and ESPN than work. Of course, everyone looked at me, and I was shocked. It was a random example, but it was unbelievable and a little scary how dead on he was in describing, "How this person always has ESPN on in the background, no matter what." Now I don't watch ESPN ALL of the time, but clearly it's the network that's on the most during the day. The rest of the year, an image of Dr. Sullivan will be present as I watch basketball. Big Beta is my new nickname since I, in Dr. Sullivan's example, have a high preference towards leisure in the labor supply model.

So, of course, let's talk basketball:

• Michigan St. 81, Minnesota 62. The Spartans' #10 national ranking is too high, but they were impressive tonight. 57% shooting, a 35-23 advantage on the boards, and 23 assists (maybe a season high for a single team) is good enough to beat anyone. Paul Davis: 14 points, 12 rebounds = victory. The Gophers are now 6-6 in the Big 10, and I don't think an 8-8 Big 10 mark is good enough to warrant an at-large bid. Vincent Grier does continue to play well for Minn., scoring 19 tonight.
  
• North Carolina 85, Virginia 61. Virginia can take consolation in the fact they played the Heels 10 points closer this time than when they met in January.
• Charlotte 66, DePaul 62. Charlotte only went 2/19 from 3, Branden Plavich only made 1/11 from the floor, but the 49ers were able to win anyway, which, I have to admit, impresses me. Charlotte hung tough with DePaul on the boards and forced 19 turnovers, which is a lot for the 49ers to force in one game.
  
• Notre Dame 70, Georgetown 64. The Irish couldn't force to lose this one at home if they wanted to stay off the bubble. Notre Dame's backcourt was the difference, combining to go 11/25 from the field, 22/24 from the line and score 52 points. Both teams are in right now, but have to finish strong to assure their places in the field of 65.
• Texas 75, Texas A&M 40. Definitely the Longhorns' most impressive win since losing P.J. Tucker and they have now relegated the Aggies to the NIT unless something miraculous happens. The Aggies only shot 26% from the floor and were outboarded 40-20, ouch. Texas's inside duo of Buckman and Klotz combined for 25 points and 22 boards to lead the way. Texas is back to 6-5 in the Big 12, and right now, the Big 12 would get 6 teams in.
• LSU 80, Mississippi St. 72. The SEC continues to defy all logic as the Tigers, coming off a loss to Arkansas, beat the Bulldogs in Starkville to complete the season sweep. LSU is 2nd in the SEC West, a game ahead of MSU, who is now just 6-5 in the league with a road game at Kentucky Saturday night. The Bulldogs are in a little trouble and need to finish strong. The SEC won't get more than 5 teams in, that's my prediction.
• Creighton 82, Wichita St. 68. What was the most impressive mid-major team in the land is struggling to hang onto its at-large bid. The Shockers were outscored 51-30 in the 2nd half, at home!!!! Their trip to Miami Saturday is now a must win as WSU is now a game behind Southern Illinois in the Valley. Nate Funk (great name) led the way for CU with 35 points as CU sweeps the season series with the Shockers.
• East Carolina 67, UAB 64. Bad, bad, bad, bad loss for UAB at home to a team that never wins on the road. In fact, it was the Pirates' first road win of the year. UAB is now just 6-5 in CUSA, tied for 6th with TCU. To get in, UAB must win out, which includes this Saturday at Cincinnati.
• NC State 82, Maryland 63. Naturally, after you complete the season sweep of Duke, you get swept by NC State???? I guess the Terps like living on the edge, as they're back to 6-6 in the ACC after giving up 22 assists on 25 made field goals, which I don't think is solely attributable to the smooth Princeton offense (translation-bad Terp defense). NC State is back to 5-7 in the ACC with home games remaining against Carolina and Wake, so they have an outside chance of getting back into the NCAA hunt.
• Northmont 55, Butler 32. The T-Bolts win their 1st round sectional game over the Purple Pansies, advancing to a Monday night date with Fairmont, whom the Bolts have already beaten this year. A possible rematch with Centerville (the Bolts lost 44-21 earlier, yuck) in the sectional finals looms.

The NHL season was cancelled, darn! Pitchers and catchers are reporting, noooo!!!! But, a month from now, I'll be in the RCA Dome for 1st round NCAA Tourney action, yesssssss!!!! Tomorrow is my first trip to Jungle Jim's (I'm excited), and possibly some Risk with the Econ geeks (doubly excited).

"What a day for a daydream...."

Opening thoughts: Today in Oxford, the temperature reached 68 and it was absolutely gorgeous. If I didn't have afternoon classes, I would've been heading to the driving range to enjoy the day. Unfortunately, winter and 30 degree temperatures return, but for one day, spring came and teased us. It was a legit 68, with a nice SW breeze and sunshine. Ahhhhh. Also, I'm guaranteed to have a good weekend now that I won't get my time series test back until next week.

Let's talk hoops:

• Miami 59, Marshall 51. The Redhawks survived their sandwich game and kept their 2 game lead in the MAC over the winner of tomorrow's Akron/OU game. The Hawks got some help with Buffalo's win over Kent tonight that puts the Flashes 3 behind with 4 to play. Marshall started fast in both halves, but the Hawks gradually reestablished control and played well enough to win. Key stats for the Redhawks tonight: 14/18 at the foul line, and outrebounding a bigger, more athletic Marshall team 36-20. For Miami, it's onto Bracket Buster Saturday and their audition for the NCAA Selection Committee against Wichita St.
• Ohio St. 57, Indiana 44. Just as the Hoosiers got back on the bubble, they fell off. 44 points, are you kidding me??? The Hoosiers only attempted 3 foul shots the entire game. 3!!!!! The rest of the stats were pretty close, but the Bucks made 13/16 at the line, which ultimately was the difference. D.J. White should be Freshman of the Year in the Big 10. He did his part scoring 17 tonight.
• Wake Forest 68, Miami 63. The U is now 6-6 in the ACC, putting them squarely on the bubble. I think they have to win 3 of their last 4, one of them being at Virginia Tech on Saturday to get in. Guillermo Diaz stepped up for the Canes, scoring 20, but the team only shot 39% from the floor, 3/18 from 3. For the first time all year, Wake has posted back-to-back stellar defensive performances. If they can play any defense, they're a Final 4 team. Chris Paul: 13 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, great floor game.
  
• Iowa St. 57, Kansas St. 42. 6 in a row for the Cyclones has them now at 6-5 in the Big 12, good for 5th place currently. If they win 4 of their last 5, which would include splitting their upcoming road trips to Kansas and Texas A&M, they would be 10-6 in the Big 12, which would make them a lock. 9-7 may be good enough, but 10-6 would get them in for sure. Curtis Stinson continues to be on a tear, going 7/12 from the floor scoring 16 tonight.
• South Carolina 73, Kentucky 61. If they can play like this the rest of the year, the Gamecocks will get the 4th bid from the SEC. At the time of the game in the 2nd half when UK's depth has taken control, it was SC that found an extra gear, pulling away from UK. Carlos Powell and Terrence Kinsey were superb inside and the Gamecock defense was also as a whole, forcing the young Cats into 19 turnovers. SC is now 14-8, 6-5 in the SEC East, with a tough finish that includes going to Alabama Saturday, a home game with Florida, followed by a road trip to Vanderbilt next week. With this win, and a win in one of the three games I just mentioned plus winning their other two should put them in. Kentucky is vastly overrated with a #3 national ranking. They're a 2 seed in my mind. Great depth and great defense, but they're tough to watch offensively. They're so young and inexperienced, but Tubby Smith will have them ready.

The NHL has rejected the owners' final offer to play a shortened regular season, so tomorrow's news conference appears to be one of cancellation. Drew Bledsoe was released by the Buffalo Bills, making the Bills J.P. Losman's team, which should be interesting. The Bengals placed a franchise tag on Rudi Johnson giving them a month to negotiate the long-term deal he wants. Finally, I don't tallk much about the NBA because it doesn't compare to college ball, but this performance is deserved of recognition. Grant Hill in Orlando's 99-94 win over the Clippers, scored 39 points, going 12/16 from the field, 15/16 from the foul line. Great job Grant, and it's great to see you playing well.

Have a good night everyone.

Happy Valentine's Day

Opening Thoughts: I'd like to wish all of you and yours a Happy Valentine's Day. Let's see, my test is over, that's right now the only good thing about my test I can think of. I did have a good workout though. This is the best shape I've been in on February 14th since high school, so I hopefully I can keep this up. Let me tell you, it was just nice to relax tonight and watch some basketball, and was it good!!!!!

• Pittsburgh 68, Syracuse 64. Right now (and I can't believe I'd ever say this), but Pitt is the best team in the Big East. Syracuse looked to have this game under control, leading 58-50, with a little over 5 minutes to go. Then, it became Carl Krauser's game and ball and he took it home. 3 big 3s down the stretch got Pitt back in it, and some big foul shots from Chevy Troutman gave Pitt the season sweep over the Cuse, despite committing 17 turnovers and giving up 12 offensive rebounds. For having just played Saturday in big games and having to travel to Syracuse, both teams played very well that made for a good game. I thought the Cuse was over the hump, with Gerry McNamara getting 16 points and 10 assists, and the defense becoming more active, even putting on some full-court pressure that gave Pitt trouble. But Krauser stepped up, and Pitt is on a roll.
• Texas Tech 80, Kansas 79, 2OT. I'm trying to think of a better game I've watched this year and right now I can't think of one. Kansas is clearly the more talented game, but Tech made up for it with their gutty play, and smooth Bob Knight motion offense. I honestly thought when the game went into overtime, Tech had lost their chance. When it went to a second overtime, I thought there was no way Tech would win, especially then falling behind by 5 in the second overtime. But Coach Knight found his mismatch against KU's 3-2 zone, putting Martin Zino on the baseline against bigger, but slower Sasha Kaun, getting him to the foul line. Then, with 3.6 seconds left, Darryl Doba hit a deep 3 at the top of the key to put Tech ahead. Finally, Aaron Miles's 35 foot runner clanged off the glass. Consider this: Tech's starting backcourt (3 guards), played 148 of the possible 150 minutes!!!!! Bob Knight has to like how his team plays. 46% shooting, got to the foul line 26 times, only committed 10 turnovers and had 16 assists. This, by far, is his best coaching job. Nothing was expected from Texas Tech at the beginning of the year, but with this win, barring an unforeseen collapse, they're in the NCAAs and remain in 3rd place in the Big 12. What a great college basketball game.
• Florida A&M 49, Savannah St. 44. In the Toilet Bowl, Savannah St. lost their last game of the year to finish 0-28. They're an independent, so they don't get to play in a conference tournament. They're the first team to go winless since beloved Prairie View A&M in the 1991-92 season.

Jeff Garcia was released by the Browns after only one season. You have to think the Browns will draft a quarterback with the #3 pick in the draft, who right now would be Aaron Rodgers from Cal. Also, the NHL will cancel their season on Wednesday. I'm not the biggest hockey fan, but I will miss playoff hockey, that always filled up the months of April and May nicely on weeknights instead of having to watch NBA playoff basketball.

Jen narrowed the field to 2 on The Bachelorette, letting Ryan go, keeping John Paul and Jerry. I love Jen, but I disagreed with her choice here (hopefully the Ohio University education isn't clouding her judgment). Jerry seems to be putting on a show now, which I don't like, while Ryan was very genuine and caring. So in 2 weeks, it will either be John Paul, the youngster, or Jerry, Mr. Romantic. But next week is the tell-all special that will even include none other than Mr. Andrew Firestone himself.

And, I think that is all for tonight.

Just call me Mr. Rump Shaker

Opening thoughts: I found a Best of Old-School Hip Hop CD at WalMart today that is now my running companion. I am in heaven. Tomorrow is the most dreaded test of the year up to this point, so let's hope that goes well. And, tomorrow is Happy Valentine's Day, so I wish you and your loved one the best. For the first time in 4 years, I don't have a Valentine officially, but that's ok. Love will come my way again someday.

Now for a special review of tonight's Grammy Awards:

• I must say the live performances outnumber the acutal number of awards given out at least 3:1. However, they did allow Lance Armstrong and Sheryl Crow to hand out Record of the Year, so I can't complain too much. But most of these performances were of songs that you hear 4 times every hour on the radio. Why would I want to hear these songs again when I can get in my car and guarantee I'll hear it in the span of 10-15 minutes. Let's hear something fresh!!!!!
• Record of the Year: "Here We Go Again", Ray Charles and Norah Jones. This had to win, when you combine two of the greatest piano players and recording artists of all time.
  
• Song of the Year: "Daughters", John Mayer. How????? Alicia Keys's "If I Ain't Got You," should've gotten it over that horny, stoner of a singer. As you can tell, I'm not a John Mayer fan.
• Best New Artist: Maroon 5. I can't argue with this pick. They've shown some diversity in their hit singles and their songs are fun to sing along to. Solid choice.
• Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: "Sunrise", Norah Jones. Either this or Gwen Stefani's "What You Waiting For" should've won this one. Norah Jones is just very soothing. She helps you relax when you're stressed out.
• Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: "Daughters", John Mayer. BOOOOOOOOO!!!!! My pick here would've been "You Raise Me Up", Josh Groban.
• Best Pop Vocal Album: "Genius Loves Company", Ray Charles and friends. Again, nothing would've beaten this, although Norah Jones and Brian Wilson's "Smile" would've been good choices also.
• Album of the Year: "Genius Loves Company", Ray Charles and friends.
  
• Also winning Grammys: Bill Clinton for Spoken Word Album, Jon Stewart for Comedy Album, Lord of the Rings, Score Soundtrack, Britney Spears for Dance Recording, and many, many others trust me. There are so many categories I'm bound to be nominated for something someday.

And you thought all I talk about is basketball, well, YOU'RE WRONG, and this proves it!!!!!

But let's get back to our business, which is basketball:

• North Carolina 77, UConn 70. The Tar Heels got over their Duke hangover in the 2nd half as the real Raymond Felton and Rashard McCants stood up, leading the comeback effort. Stat of the game, Turnovers: Carolina 11, UConn 22. UConn is just too young in the backcourt to repeat. Sean May is Carolina's MVP right now, another impressive double-double for the big man (16 and 13).
• Oregon St. 90, Washington 73. Oops. A program learning how to win runs into every one of these type of games sometimes. That team learns they're still not at the point where they can get by while not putting forth the effort necessary to win on the road in conference. Oregon St. shot 60% from the floor and forced 21 turnovers. Oregon St.????? In the Huskies' defense, they did play a tough overtime game in Eugene Thursday night, but you still have to come to play. The Beavers are 6-6 in the Pac10, are they the 3rd NCAA team in the conference???
• NC State 53, Georgia Tech 51. I thought the Jackets were over the hump after win at Clemson, but they did not look good tonight. 18 turnovers and 39% shooting in a slowdown game doesn't even come close to getting it done. It's amazing they only lost by 2. BJ Elder only went 2/10 from the floor, scoring 8 points.
  

Here's my form of Bubble Watch:

* In: Vermont, St. Joe's, George Washington, North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Gardner-Webb, Kansas, Oklahoma St., Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Boston College, Syracuse, Georgetown, UConn, Villanova, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Portland St., Winthrop, Illinois, Michigan St., Wisconsin, Pacific, Old Dominion, Louisville, DePaul, Cincinnati, UAB, Charlotte, UW-Milwaukee, Niagara, Penn, Oral Roberts, Miami, Coppin St., Wichita St., Utah, Monmouth, Samford, Washington, Arizona, Holy Cross, Kentucky, Florida, Alabama, UT-Chattanooga, Denver, SE Louisiana, Alabama A&M, Gonzaga, Nevada
* Bubble: Virginia Tech, Miami, Texas, Texas A&M, Iowa St., Minnesota, Indiana, Memphis, Houston, Marquette, S. Illinois, UCLA, Stanford, Oregon St., Arizona St., Mississippi St., LSU, St. Mary's, UTEP

Phil Mickelson shot a final round 73 to win Pebble Beach by 4. He may have the cutest family between his gorgeous wife Amy, and his two fun daughters that run out onto the green after he finishes.

Have a good Monday, I will after this test is over.

Bertie Higgins

Opening thought: Bertie Higgins's song, "Key Largo" claimed the #6 spot in the Most Awesomely Bad Love Song countdown. He should've been #1, wow, that's all I have to say.

Alright, a lot of hoops to talk about, let's get to it:

• Pittsburgh 68, Notre Dame 66. What a great game to start the day. Notre Dame today was the perfect example of "live by the 3, die by the 3." Early on, they died, falling behind 25-12. Then, they couldn't miss, coming back to take a 49-44 second half lead. In fact, they went 20 minutes without making a 2 point basket. Then the momentum went back to Pitt, which took a 5 point lead with 3 minutes to go. But it swung back to the Irish after 6 straight Chris Quinn points to take a 1 point lead. Yet Pitt regained control, only to give ND a chance at the end to tie, but Chris Thomas's shot was no good. A great basketball game in which both teams left it all out on the floor.
• Syracuse 90, Villanova 75. This was definitely not the Syracuse team I've been accustomed to seeing this year. 57% shooting and 90 points??? This can't be Syracuse. Well, it was. Hakim Warrick: 32 points, 12 rebounds, Curtis Sumpter: 13 points, 3 rebounds. Villanova only made 8/26 3s as the Orange zone became more active and used its length to its advantage. Syracuse gets its rematch with Pitt Monday night in the Dome.
• Miami 83, Clemson 77. This victory sets up a must win home game vs. Wake Tuesday night for any chance at an NCAA berth.
• Illinois 70, Wisconsin 59. The game was played at Wisconsin's pace, but Illinois was in control of the tempo throughout, pulling away after some deep balls courtesy of Dee Brown. The Illini did a great job of limiting Mike Wilkinson to just 4 shot attempts in the game (he did make them all), and of staying patient offensively, waiting for their opportunities. Luther Head may be National Player of the Year. He had a measly 26 points and 8 rebounds, taking control in the 2nd half.
• Missouri 68, Oklahoma 65 (OT). This win may help Quin Snyder keep his job for another year.
• Texas 75, Kansas St. 72 (OT). Texas is hanging on for an NCAA bid. Daniel Gibson came up big for the 'Horns in OT, scoring 14 of his 23.
• UNLV 93, San Diego St. 91 (OT). UNLV trailed by 10 with 22 seconds left in regulation, yet came back, forced overtime, and won it. Amazing.
• Indiana 71, Minnesota 56. Another head scratcher. The Hoosiers are now 6-4 in the Big 10, which puts them in 4th, a half-game ahead of the Gophers. A week after appearing on the NCAA radar screen, Minnesota has that quickly disappeared from it. You deserve to lose if Pat Ewing Jr. scores 15 on you, on 6 shot attempts, and add in the fact that Bracey Wright didn't play??? It just may be 3 teams from the Big 10 getting in for the 2nd straight year. IU was efficient on offense, shooting 50%, making 8/13 3s
• Arkansas 65, LSU 62. LSU is now just 6-4 in the weak SEC West. The SEC may only get 3 teams in as well at this rate.
• DePaul 85, Cincinnati 66. UC should've forfeited this one and saved themselves the trip because they did not come to play today. I could've scored 10 points the way UC played defense today. But, I don't want to take anything away from DePaul, they showed why they belong in the field of 65. 47% shooting, a 35-26 advantage on the glass, and only 9 turnovers translate into a very efficient offensive game for the Demons.
• Iowa St. 81, Texas Tech 68. The Red Raiders got caught looking ahead to their Monday home date with Kansas. Meanwhile, the Cyclones have quietly won 5 straight to get to 5-5 in the Big 12 and are making a late run at an NCAA berth.
• Boston U. 61, Vermont 55. Despite 37 from Taylor Coppenrath (24 straight at one point), Vermont will most likely have to win their conference tourney to assure themselves of an NCAA berth.
• Ohio 61, Miami 57. The same may be true of the Redhawks after their loss in Athens today. A win would've given the Hawks a 3 game lead over everyone in the MAC with 5 to play, but some costly missed layups by Chet Mason denied Miami their 8th straight win.
• Old Dominion 82, Virginia Commonwealth 76. The Monarchs avenged their lone conference loss on national TV, and made a strong case for an at-large berth if they don't win the Colonial tourney. What impressed me about ODU was their teamwork. 57% shooting that was buoyed by 19 assists on their 32 made field goals. That is outstanding.
• Oklahoma St. 66, Texas A&M 59. The Cowboys may be starting to peak at the right time with wins over the Sooners and the Aggies this week. Aggie leader Antoine Wright only made 4/16 from the floor in a game the Aggies had to have for their NCAA chances. Even though JamesOn Curry only scored 5, OSU is a much better team with him in the starting lineup, evidenced by John Lucas getting free to score 18.
  
• Arizona 83, UCLA 73. The Wildcats took control early in the 2nd half, led by Salim Stoudamire's 22. All 5 UA starters scored in double figures, and the Wildcats shot 50% from the floor. The Bruins need to win out and go far in the Pac10 tourney to make the NCAAs.
• Charlotte 83, St. Louis 78 (OT). A perfect example of why Charlotte drives me nuts. The lights go on, they're a Top 15 team. But in a game like this, they don't show up and play down to the level of their competition. Show some consistency, please!!!!
• Maryland 99, Duke 92 (OT). The difference in this game was Duke's foul problems that forced them to go deep into their nonexistent bench in the overtime. J.J. Redick only made 5/19 from the field, and the Terps got to the foul line early and often, making 29/39. It took Duke a half to get their legs back from Wednesday's emotional win over Carolina, but Maryland had one more spurt in them after falling behind by 9 with 9 minutes to go. Now, can Maryland build off this week, or will they regress as they did before.
• Nevada 62, UTEP 60. This pretty much gives Nevada the WAC title and forces UTEP to win their bracket buster to have any chance at an at-large bid.
  
• Pacific 64, Utah St. 63. Another incredible comeback as Pacific trailed by 8 with 27 seconds left, yet on the road, came from behind to win. Pacific is in as far as I'm concerned and if they win out could end up with as high as a 7 seed.
• Right now, the ACC, Big East, Big 12, and Conference USA should get between 5-7 teams in. The SEC will get in 4-5 at the most. The Big 10 and Pac 10 are looking at 3 each, maybe 2 for the Pac10. The "mid-major" conferences like the MVC, WAC, MAC, and WCC deserve multiple bids this year, and with the mediocrity from some of the power conferences, it may actually happen this year.
• Big games tomorrow: N.Carolina at UConn, and NC State at Georgia Tech (more for how Tech will play in B.J. Elder's 2nd game back).

4 weeks until Selection Sunday!!!!!!

What a long week

Opening thought: I'm tired. I'm so tired, I almost forgot to do this tonight, but I'm ready.

It's Friday night which means a preview of tomorrow's big games:

• Notre Dame at Pittsburgh. A road win here for the Irish cements their place in the NCAAs. Can they match the physical toughness of the Panthers??? It will be an interesting contrast of styles. Can the fluid, high-octane Irish offense score on the tough, aggressive Pitt defense?
• Syracuse at Villanova. Syracuse may not be playing much zone in this one, especially if the Wildcats continue their hot shooting from outside. The Cuse need to start tightening up their zone and show some consistency on offense if they're going to make a Final 4 run. Curtis Sumpter vs. Hakim Warrick should be an interesting matchup.
  
• Wisconsin at Illinois. Illinois won't lose at home, period. The Badgers will keep it close, especially if they decide to change defenses as Indiana and Michigan have done lately. I just don't see the Illini losing at home.
• Cincinnati at DePaul. The loser is out of the Conference USA title race. DePaul needs to prove they can beat someone noteworthy, while the Bearcats need to prove they can do it on the road.
• Vermont at Boston U. Vermont sews up the regular season America East title with a win.
  
• Miami at Ohio. The rivalry renews in Athens as the Bobcats try to avenge their tough loss in Oxford earlier this year. If Miami wins, it would be their 8th straight, strengthening their hold on the regular-season title. OU needs to win to stay in position for a chance at the 3 seed and a first-round bye in the conference tournament.
• Virginia Commonwealth at Old Dominion. I get a chance to look at the Monarchs and see if they are capable of a first-round upset in the NCAAs if they make it. They go against the only conference opponent to beat them thus far.
• Oklahoma St. at Texas A&M. An Aggie win gets them to 5-5 in the conference and gives them a legitimate shot at making the NCAAs. A .500 record in the Big 12 will get you in this year.
• Arizona at UCLA. If the Bruins don't win this game, they'll likely have to make a run in the Pac10 tourney to get in the NCAAs. Pauley Pavillion should be rockin for this one.
• Duke at Maryland. The Terps are firmly back in the field if they can sweep the regular-season series with Duke. Duke put a lot into their win against Carolina this week. How much will they have left Saturday night?
• Nevada at UTEP. This is a battle for 1st in the WAC. The loser will most likely have to win the WAC tourney to get in the NCAAs. What a great season for Nevada, especially after losing their coach and 2 best players that led them to the Sweet 16 last year. Then, starting out the year getting pounded at Kansas and coming back to lead the WAC is quite an achievement for this team.
  
• Pacific at Utah St. If Pacific wins, they will probably finish the Big West regular season unbeaten and have a clear road to the Big West finals where they would play Utah St. most likely. Right now, they're in as an at-large.

Phil Mickelson shot a 2nd round 67 to lead Pebble Beach by 4. Karl Malone has decided to retire from the NBA after scoring more than 36,000 points. He and John Stockton made the pick-and-roll an art form, but failed to win a championship, even after going to the Lakers last year. I was never a big fan of Karl Malone and still am not. He helped make the NBA the 1on1 league it is today with his many isolation play jump shots where he'd be lucky to shoot 40% on a given night. Some of his comments also weren't very professional, from his feelings about Magic Johnson playing after he contracted AIDS to Kobe Bryant's personal life. He didn't do much for me.

I'm off to bed after I watch the Oprah rerun at 1:35. Why do you ask? Because Lance Armstrong will be on, that's why!

Not one I'll remember too fondly

Opening thought: So the metrics test didn't go very well. It basically cancels out my performance on the first homework assignment, so I'm squarely on the border right now, my usual spot at this time of year as it always seems. Anyway, I ordered our NCAA tickets and I got a nice phone call from my parents, so it's all good. I can't wait to spend this weekend studying time-series, wahoo!

Now time for the thing that brings joy to my heart, basketball:

• Western Kentucky 84, Denver 79. The battle between the Best of the East and West in the Sun Belt goes to the East with the Hilltoppers winning at home. This game was highlighted by Elgrace Wilborn (former Springfield South product and Tennessee transfer). Wilborn is not the greatest basketball player, but he is one of the better athletes you'll find. He's 6'8", long, and he can jump. He had 11 points and 10 rebounds tonight, but what made him stand out tonight were his 3 highlight reel dunks that were good to make #3 in tonight's Sportscenter Top 10.
• Wichita State 76, Illinois St. 62. A good road win for the Shockers, who are a NCAA lock barring collapse.
• Tennessee Tech 72, Murray St. 68. The love for the little guys continues tonight, as Tech stays in a tie for first in the Ohio Valley Conference.
• Cincinnati 65, Xavier 54. This Crosstown Shootout was a yawner as the Bearcats sleptwalked through this one while Xavier shot a dismal 32% from the floor, with a lot of those misses coming from inside 4 feet. Another telling stat for the Muskies: of their 17 made field goals, only 3 were assisted.
• Pacific 78, Idaho 56. Rest assured I'll be staying up to watch the midnight matchup of Pacific/UTEP on Bracket Buster Saturday. This is essentially the same team that beat Providence then played Kansas tough for 30 minutes in last year's NCAA tournament. Tonight, they shot 54% from the floor, made 9/18 3s, held their opponents to 36% shooting and won the glass 40-22. Not bad.
• UCLA 95, Arizona St. 76. The Bruins have set themselves up nicely with their Saturday home game vs. Arizona. A win against the Wildcats puts UCLA in position to get an at-large bid. It's hard to imagine a Ben Howland-coached team scoring 95 points, but it helps when Dijon Thompson gets 39 by himself, and the team as a whole shoots 60% from the field!!!!
• Washington 95, Oregon 88. This was an impressive win for the Huskies in one of the toughest places to play in America, MacArthur Court in Eugene. The Ducks may be young, but they protect their home court better than anybody, and had this one until Wil Conroy hit a 3 with 26 seconds left to send the game to overtime. Then, it was the Conroy and Nate Robinson show, dominating the extra session. Robinson continues to amaze me with how he jumps, along with his intensity and basketball savvy, which often goes unnoticed, especially when he flies through the air. I like the Huskies a lot. They're not big, but they're athletic, have guys who can drive and shoot, they rebound, and they're the best at filling their lanes in transition.
• Gonzaga 82, Pepperdine 75. One of the more underrated rivalries because the schools aren't close to each other, these two get after it, especially when the game is played in Malibu as tonight's was. This was one of the better games I've seen Ronny Turiaf play for the Zags. 20 points and 12 rebounds, but more importantly, he stayed out of foul trouble. Adam Morrison is the second coming of Larry Bird, I'm convinced of that, and what can you say about Derek Raivio, who will get carded maybe for the rest of his life. The little guy knows how to play. Stat of the night: The Zags outrebounded the Waves 44-20.

In The Apprentice, both teams had to go to the boardroom after neither impressed Donny Deutsch and the people at Dove. The high schoolers thought Dove body wash was a face moisturizer, while the collegians created a commercial that looked more like porn than anything else. The Donald fired high schooler project manager Kristen, because she had no control over her team and wasn't well-liked. I can't believe collegian Bren wasn't fired for his porn idea.

Phil Mickelson shot a Spyglass Hill record 62 to lead the Pebble Beach Pro-Am by 3 after the 1st round. Also, sources say Reggie Miller will retire at the end of the year. Reggie is a great shooter, but his reliance solely on the 3, in my opinion, has helped deteriorate the NBA by making the 3-pointer the only resemblance of a jump shot that exists in most professionals' games.

Sure felt like March tonight

Opening Thoughts: I'm still not sure what I'm giving up or going to do extra for Lent. Any ideas would be welcomed. My oral presentation in micro was ok. It was going pretty well until I stumbled at the end by handing out the wrong table (I could've distributed a better one to support my presentation better), so oh well.

Now, for tonight's basketball roundup:

• Memphis 85, Louisville 68. It says something when you go into Freedom Hall and win by 17!!!! It also says something when you shoot 51% from the field on as the visiting team and hold the home team to 33% shooting. Memphis's Rodney Carney showed why he is one of the top 5 freshmen in America, scoring 24 tonight. With this win, don't count the Tigers out for the NCAAs. Sitting at 14-10, 7-3 in Conference USA, they are back on the bubble and have come together as a team after finally getting rid of troublemaker Sean Banks. A road trip to Charlotte and a home date against Louisville provide the Tigers two more chances to rack up quality wins. They also still have to play Cincinnati, but that's a home game. Unfortunately, Memphis's only quality win is tonight's at Louisville, so they need to win out to give themselves a chance. Every team has a major slipup in February, but it's how Louisville bounces back that will determine how far they will go in March. This should be the last 1/8 night of the year for Francisco Garcia.
• Miami 54, Ball St. 52. The Redhawks literally stole one tonight as Nathan Peavy's layup, although I have not personally seen it, has been heard to have been a half second after the buzzer. But since there was no TV, the play couldn't be reviewed and the basket counted. The Redhawks are now firmly the #1 team in the MAC, 2 games ahead of Kent in the East and 3 games ahead of the 4 way log jam that is 1st place in the West. Miami has to be concerned with their foul shooting. The Hawks only made 7/16 tonight.
• Michigan St. 83, Ohio St. 69. The Buckeyes will be better off when Thad Matta brings his own players in and Jim O'Brien's players leave (see Brandon Fuss-Cheatham and Tony Stockman). Against big-time opponents, they are unable to sustain 40 minutes of effort. Tonight, they played a great half, but didn't have it in the 2nd half to win. The Spartans shot 52% from the floor, only committed 10 turnovers, and outrebounded the Bucks 37-20!!!! The Spartans will not be going down in the 1st round this year, they play hard and understand what they do well and know how to play together.
• Northwestern 55, Minnesota 53. Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad loss for the Gophers. To lose to a bottom-dweller on your home floor after the week you just had is devastating. Vincent Grier did his part, scoring 32 for the 2nd straight game, making 9/16 shots. The problem was the rest of his team only made a combined 6/22 and committed 23 turnovers. Against Northwestern!!!! How do you commit 23 turnovers against a team that runs the Princeton offense???? Did I mention this was a bad loss?
• TCU 63, Marquette 62. Marquette is now 4-6 in Conference USA. That's not going to get it done, especially if Memphis finishes strong. Memphis beat Marquette at the beginning of the year so they have the head-to-head edge.
• Duke 71, North Carolina 70. Duke deserved to win this game because of their ability to control the tempo and the intensity they displayed on the defensive end. Yet Carolina had a shot at the end to win, but they doomed themselves by calling timeout, which allowed Duke to set up their defense. Coaches, please listen: Don't call timeout to set up your offense at the end of games!!!! It doesn't work!!!! The defense can set up and defend, whereas if you don't call timeout, the defense can't prepare for what you're going to run. Of course, Coach K told his team what to look for, which they got. The Heels ran a play that beat UConn last year, but the Dukies had it scouted and were ready. Even though Daniel Ewing and J.J. Redick hit big shots, my MVP was DeMarcus Nelson. 16 points, including 2 big 3s and tenacious defense gave Duke the working margin they maintained for most of the 2nd half. Sean May was a beast for Carolina, scoring 23 points and 18 rebounds, almost as many as Duke had as a team. But what cost Carolina was Raymond Felton's freshman-like play. 13 points on 5/10 shooting, but 8 turnovers???? Too many times, Felton was playing too quickly or penetrating too deep into no man's land, giving the ball up carelessly. In UNC's two toughest games, at Wake, and tonight, Felton has been outplayed by his counterpart. Until tonight, I didn't think Illinois could beat Carolina if they were to meet because Carolina is deeper, bigger, more talented, and more physical. But watching Duke, not as talented as Illinois, control the tempo the way they did against Carolina, leads me to believe Illinois's fine guards can do the same against the Tar Heels. Finally, say what you want about Duke, but they play balls out every minute, every night. On paper, they should've lost this game by 10, but they fight hard and they don't take winning for granted. In my opinion, this is Coach K's best coaching job of his career, getting this team into a tie for 1st in the ACC.
  

How does every Carolina/Duke game come down to the last possession??? It's amazing how EVERY game is so close. You can't find that anywhere else.

40 Days and 40 Nights

Opening thoughts: Today's test was as tough as I expected, which means it was really, really hard. I think I held my own, so we'll see what happens. I can't remember being that lightheaded for so long after a test. My mind didn't clear up until about 4 hours afterwards, during that time I filled my apartment with smoke as I forgot about something on the burner. Tomorrow, I start getting ready for my Time Series test on Monday, which will be another toughie. My life can be very exciting.

Now for today's college basketball segment:

• Notre Dame 68, Boston College 65. My first look at the Eagles, and of course they lose. If basketball games were only 5 minutes long, Notre Dame would be #1 in the nation. They had 2 5-minute stretches tonight where not even North Carolina would've beaten them. They can be the best offensive team in America with their combination of guards shooting from the outside and their big people finishing strong on the inside. Defensively, they can force you into bad shots which turn into easy transition baskets. For the rest of the game however, they become mediocre, taking bad shots, committing stupid turnovers and fouls and showing no defensive intensity. The difference for the Irish was Chris Thomas played like a senior. 19 points, 9 assists, and 4 rebounds with the important stat being the 9 assists that allowed Colin Falls to get his 23 points tonight. As Thomas goes, so go the Irish. Boston College is not great at anything, but they are good at a lot of things despite losing tonight. I can't believe Jared Dudley was only being recruited by San Diego St. and St. Mary's. He is a very good all-around player. BC can defend and rebound with the best of them, but their one weakness was exposed tonight: consistent outside shooting. They only make 3 3s a game, and it showed tonight as they had trouble solving the Irish zone. The zone also took Craig Smith out of the game for the Eagles. He only had 9 points for the game, most, if not all coming very early in the game. BC is solid, but not a Top 5 team, maybe a fringe Top 10 team. That doesn't change the fact that Al Skinner is one of more underrated and underappreciated coaches in America.
• Illinois 57, Michigan 51. And then there was one, it was almost no one. Illinois jumped out to a 14-5 lead, taking care of business, until Michigan started changing defenses as Indiana did Sunday, forcing Illinois outside and taking them out of their rhythm. The last 15 minutes was all Illinois defensive intensity. Michigan started spreading the floor, so the Illini started challenging them, which created some turnovers and easy opportunities for the Illini. Luther Head hit some big shots down the stretch, and how about Dee Brown's pass to James Augustine. SICK!!! However, two discouraging things come out of this for Illinois. First, they took 24 3s, which is too many. They need to keep driving and pounding the ball inside and not rely on the 3 ball. Second, we saw that a longer, taller, more athletic team can give Illinois problems. Michigan isn't nearly as talented as teams Illinois could face down the road, i.e. North Carolina, Arizona, Syracuse, and Kansas just to name a few.
• Georgia Tech 70, Clemson 62. Put a big circle around this game because this could be the start of a big run for the Yellow Jackets. Welcome back B.J. Elder, 4/8, 11 points in 20 minutes off the bench. After a slow start in which Clemson led by 8 at the half, Tech got it rolling in the 2nd half. For the game, Tech shot 58%, led by Jarret Jack's 16, who made 5/11 from the floor, one of his better percentages lately. As Elder gets healthier and the Tech chemistry comes back, the Jackets will begin to open things up. This is a team you won't want to play in March, especially if they look anything like they did in December.
• Kentucky 69, Florida 66. This was a well-played game. Florida showed they have matured and are a legit team, and Kentucky is making progress with their young, deep talented squad. Kentucky's depth was the deciding factor in this one, wearing out the Gators in the 2nd half to come from behind. The only things you can be upset about if you're Florida, are -7 on the glass and 16 turnovers. The Gators shot 49% in Rupp Arena, not an easy fate, and took good shots. David Lee needs the ball more inside, only 7 shot attempts for 9 points isn't good enough. Kentucky is the best team in the SEC, Florida isn't that far behind. I'm looking forward to Kentucky/Alabama to see if the Tide's performance Saturday was a fluke.
• Maryland 86, Virginia Tech 71. This was a must-win game for each team. Right now, Maryland is in and the Hokies are out. Nick Caner-Medley and John Gilchrist combined for 40 points, enough said.
• Colorado 88, Texas 79. The Longhorns are now 4-5 in the Big 12 and falling fast. Despite 27 points and 21 rebounds from Brad Buckman, not a misprint, believe me I double-checked, super frosh Daniel Gibson played like a regular frosh, only scoring 6 points and committing 8 turnovers. Texas is out right now, and quickly running out of scholarship players. They're now down to 7, unbelievable.

Freddy and Kendra won The Amazing Race by just minutes over Kris and Jon. Adam and Rebecca were a distant 3rd, still arguing.

Song of the day: "Help Me Rhonda", The Beach Boys.

Anyone have good ideas on what I should give up for Lent?

"These Bad Things Just Blow In....."

Opening Thoughts:

• If you would like an unlimited amount of laughs, go here: www.ebaumsworld.com/awfulweatherman. This is why Ohio University deserves to be made fun of. This guy is a graduate student in journalism. I can't stop laughing whenever I see this.
• Tomorrow's test is now open-notes, open-book, open-you name it. That doesn't change the fact that it will still be hard.
• My workout tonight consisted of 10 minutes on the rower, 25 on the bike and a 7 minute mile. Not bad for February 7th.

Now, let's talk hoops!!!!!!

• In tonight's ESPN.com poll question, 60% of you said March Madness is the thing you're most looking forward to, compared to the 22% who said spring training. Way to go America!!!!!!
• UConn 74, Syracuse 66. Syracuse is staring to become one of those bewildering teams. When will Gerry McNamara stop having the 4/18 shooting nights that are becoming the norm for him. When, if ever, will the 4th offensive option for Syracuse step up. And when will the Cuse get to the foul line more than 14 times a game and play more aggressively???? They have the talent to win it all, but right now, they're playing like a team destined for a 2nd round exit. Freshman Rudy Gay for UConn is progressing nicely. He had 18 points and 7 rebounds tonight, not bad for his first trip to the Carrier Dome. 19 turnovers is still too many for UConn.
• Oklahoma St. 79, Oklahoma 67. JamesOn Curry got the start tonight and he made the most of it, scoring 22 while making 9/13 shots, 3/4 from 3. The addition of Curry into the starting lineup makes the Cowboys more athletic and makes them more of an offensive team. Curry opens things up for John Lucas, who responded with 15 points tonight, more than making up for his performance in the 1st meeting between the two.
  

I didn't get to watch The Bachelorette tonight, so I have no idea what happened. I'll catch up next week I guess.

Let Me Blow Ya Mind

Let's start off by first talking about the good of Super Bowl Sunday:

• Phil Mickelson shot a final round 68 to easily win the FBR Phoenix Open. Phil made a 26-footer on 18 to close out his round, bringing a smile to his lovely little girls, and smokin hot wife Amy. His girls then told him for winning that there will be "treats" tonight. Congrats Phil, and you may have the cutest children.
  
• The one thing the 4 day long pregame show got right was the tribute to our men and women in uniform. It definitely got my emotions going seeing the D-Day survivors and the Tuskegee Airmen. Add the combined choir and it definitely hit home.
• The game was actually pretty good. A sloppy beginning, but both teams got going as the game went on. Terrell Owens somehow caught 9 balls on his bum ankle, but the Patriots were too much in the end.
• I liked the Pepsi commercial that when you unscrewed the cap, music played, including Gwen and Eve's "If I were a Rich Girl," which was then followed by an appearance by the two in the second commercial. Thank you, thank you.
• The Diet Pepsi commercial with P. Diddy arriving in the truck was good. Also good was the "Stayin Alive" bit with a Cindy Crawford appearance, the Lays commerical with M.C. Hammer, "Hammer, where have you been???", and of course, the commercial with Jim McMahon, the Fridge, and a certain Coach Ditka.

And now for the bad:

• Philadelphia's 2-minute offense, or lack of.
• The 7 hour long pregame show.
• Any of the commercials with the monkeys, that's overdone.
• The rugby bit with Gladys Knight. Stick to singing Gladys.
• The Ford Mustang commercial. Sweet car, horrible commercial.
• The FOX team of announcers. Joe Buck needs to stick to baseball, Troy Aikman says the same thing repeatedly, and someone please tell Cris Collinsworth that the Patriots beat the Steelers 2 WEEKS AGO, NOT LAST SUNDAY!!!! He said that at least 3 times during the broadcast.

Now, college basketball steps into the spotlight with March Madness just a month away.

• Illinois 60, Indiana 47. I will say this for Indiana, they play their tails off. They did a great job of switching defenses during the game and taking Illinois out of their rhythm offensively. Yet Illinois still put 4 in double figures and Deron Williams, who only scored 1 point, had 11 assists. Illinois had 15 assists on their 19 field goals, which is an amazing statistic.
  
• North Carolina 81, Florida St. 60. This was a one point game with 14 minutes left, but when the game clock malfunctioned, so then did the Seminole offense for the rest of the game. UNC was sleepwalking through this one until the last 12 minutes when they played like their dominating selves. I'm a huge Marvin Williams fan. 13 points, 8 rebounds, and his game is very mature. He's not overly brash, but he has the right balance of cockyness and confidence to play well every night. UNC-Duke Wednesday night, I can't wait!!!

Alright, let's see who's in and who's on the bubble (current conference leaders in low-major conferences are in right now):

• In: Vermont, St. Joe's, North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Gardner-Webb, Kansas, Oklahoma St., Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Boston College, Syracuse, Georgetown, UConn, Villanova, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Portland St., Winthrop, Illinois, Michigan St., Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pacific, Old Dominion, Louisville, DePaul, Cincinnati, UAB, Charlotte, UW-Milwaukee, Rider, Penn, UMKC, Miami, Delaware St., Wichita St., Utah, Monmouth, Samford, Washington, Arizona, Holy Cross, Kentucky, Florida, Alabama, UT-Chattanooga, Denver, SE Louisiana, Alabama A&M, Gonzaga, Nevada
  
• Bubble: George Washington, Virginia Tech, Miami, Texas, Texas A&M, Memphis, Houston, Marquette, S. Illinois, UCLA, Stanford, Arizona St., Mississippi St., LSU, St. Mary's, UTEP

Currently, 16 teams are fighting for the remaining 11 spots. We'll be updating this weekly until Selection Sunday.