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.