Million Dollar Movie

Opening thoughts: It was a good day all-around, so I'll give it to you in detail. I felt like the exam went well. I walked out, feeling my preparation was good, which is all I can ask for. Usually when I feel like that, I did pretty well, so we'll see what the actual result was. Then, my brother came over and delivered his Christmas present. Was it worth the wait!!!! He made, using PhotoShop, a photo collage of Lance Armstrong during his 6 Tour victories. It looks great, thanks bro!!! Next, my buddy Ryan from ATL and I took in "Million Dollar Baby". What a great movie, seriously. It deserves every award it's nominated for. Hillary Swank was very good in her role. It makes you smile, and it makes you cry, just what a movie should do. We finished our evening by eating at Macchiano's, which was awesome. If you go, get the Family Serving for $23.95. You get an appetizer, salad, pasta, main course, and dessert. Let's just say it's sitting well in my stomach. I will definitely be heading back soon.

All right, it's Friday night, which means time to preview tomorrow's hoops:

• Wisconsin at Minnesota. If I'm able to get up, it'll be my first in-depth look at the Gophers to see whether or not they're a legit NCAA team. Williams Arena has always given them a huge advantage, but Wisconsin has shown some ability to go on the road and win. It's not a must-win, but it's pretty close for the Gophers.
• Stanford at Arizona. This IS a must-win for the Cardinal, especially after losing at Arizona St. Thursday night. The Wildcats need to show some consistency if they want to be a Final 4 sleeper. They have the talent, but can they put forth the effort necessary.
• Georgia Tech at Duke. A win for Tech would be huge, but I don't see it, especially when you have to go to Cameron to play a Duke team coming off of a tough loss. A Tech loss drops them to 4-5 in the ACC. Where have you gone, B.J. Elder? Jarret Jack needs to step up for the Jackets, he hasn't been getting it done lately.
  
• George Washington at Temple. One has to think that the loser of this game has lost all chance at making the NCAAs. If the Colonials can win, they can put this win next to their wins against Maryland and Michigan St. and show they're coming back. Temple needs to win to show they're more than a team that has come up short against a tough schedule. The matchup to watch is Marty Collins vs. Mike Hall. Both are long, athletic and get it done in crunch time.
• Michigan St. at Iowa. A win by Iowa can go a long way to showing the NCAA Selection Committee that they are a good team without Pierre Pierce. They have a chance against the Spartans, especially with the Spartans coming off of a disappointing performance at home vs. Illinois. MSU, get Paul Davis the ball and work inside-out!!!
• Alabama at Florida. The Gators are another team trying to prove themselves NCAA-worthy. Alabama might be the best team in the SEC, and they can show it with a convincing win in Gainesville, a very difficult place to play.
• Maryland at Miami. The U needs to beat someone. The Terps need to show some toughness and some consistency. The U must win this game to stay on the bubble. Maryland must win to stay off of it.
• Buffalo at Miami. A Redhawk win will most likely guarantee an ESPN date with Wichita St. on Bracket Buster Saturday. It will also keep them 2 ahead in the MAC East and on the Bubble.
• Old Dominion at UNC Wilmington. This is a battle for first in the Colonial. ODU probably has to win their conference tournament to get in, especially after their loss at VCU earlier. A win here probably ensures the #1 seed in the conference tournament for the Monarchs.
• Cincinnati at Charlotte. Is Charlotte any good and can Cincinnati beat anyone worthy, especially on the road. Name a real quality win for either team. That's what I thought. Charlotte is looking for payback after UC drilled them earlier. Charlotte has had the Bearcats' number in Charlotte recently.
• UCLA at Washington. UCLA stayed on the bubble with their ugly overtime win at Washington St. last night. A win in Seattle puts them in the pole position for the 3rd Pac10 bid.
  
• Davidson at UNC Greensboro. Davidson is 10-0 in the Southern Conference, which is not a pushover by any means.
• Louisville at UAB. Somehow, UAB has slid under the radar, despite having basically the same team that went to the Sweet 16 last year. This game will tell us how good Louisville really is. This should be an exciting, high-scoring affair. UAB needs to win to get back in the national picture and into the NCAAs.
• Notre Dame at Syracuse. Both teams are in right now, but have something to prove. The Irish are barely in right now, they need to keep winning. Syracuse needs to show they can play with teams like Illinois and North Carolina by making a statement.
• Texas Tech at Oklahoma. Bob Knight's crew have beaten everyone they're supposed to, but don't have any standout wins. This would qualify as one if they can pull it off. At some point, they have to win one of these games to make the NCAAs.

Enjoy the hoops tomorrow, I know I will!!!!