College Basketball: 2/19 to 2/25

[JohnBM01]

It's President's Day Weekend, so let's start a new week of college hoops.

LAST WEEK...
* Kevin Pittsnoggle recently became a father. The West Virginia Mountaineer fed off of his game play in leading WVU to where they are now. Unfortunately, they've been down in recent times. They didn't get any help from a few recent teams. It was a sad loss they've suffered after being pretty hot in past times. * Marquette may be Big East debutantes, but they have great signature wins against teams like Connecticut. They swept (I believe) Pittsburgh as the Golden Eagles pulled the upset over the Panthers. * On the topic of kittens, a little hometown love is going out to the Houston Cougars as they continue to do a great job in Conference USA. The Saturday after this coming Saturday, they have the in-conference match of their lives against the Memphis Tigers. * Eddie Sutton has been involved in a DUI car accident. With his leave of abscence, it still doesn't make the Oklahoma State Cowboys any more likely to put a run together for March. * Mike Davis is going to leave Indiana after this season. With the health problems M. Davis has, it doesn't make his Hoosiers far from recovery. Indiana played on Sunday (as in this Sunday), so find out how they did against Dee Brown and the Illinois Fighting Illini. * Many Bracketbusters sounded off on Saturday. Some of the winners include Creighton, a Northern Iowa upset, Albany, Virginia Commonwealth, and Missouri State to name a few.

We'll look at a few different points around America, starting with Philadelphia. The women will begin in my hometown of Houston, Texas. First, Autry Court with the red-hot Rice Owls. Then, a struggling Lady Cougar unit playing at Hoffheinz Pavillion after the Cougar men demolished Tulsa. How about a Sunday Sampler? I know you want one. So come get it, players!

SUNDAY SAMPLER
---MEN---
* #17 Georgetown at #4 Villanova (75-65; VILLANOVA)
* Miami at #2 Duke (92-71; DUKE)
+++++JOHN'S NOTE: Congratulations to J.J. Redick in becoming the all-time Duke scorer. He's 30-something behind the ACC record, which was a Wake Forest player whom I forget (look at Wake Forest now. They're 1-11, though I'm not including Wake Forest in the Sampler. WF loses to UNC 83-72, I believe).

* #? Texas at Oklahoma State (81-60; OKLAHOMA STATE) *upset!*
* #14 UCLA at Southern California ---RIVALRY GAME--- (71-68; SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA)
* Indiana at Illinois (70-58, ILLINOIS)
---WOMEN---
* Tulsa at Rice (78-62; RICE)
* SMU at Houston (63-61; Southern Methodist)
* Temple at Dayton (70-36; Temple)
+++++JOHN'S NOTE: Dayton = OWNED!

Sounds fun, huh? If any President's Day matches occured, you'll see some of the results of America's D1 games here in this thread. Okay? More hoops for all of you because you're my friends. Sorry to sound like Barney the Dinosaur, but thanks to everyone who checks out my reports each week. I am not perfect, but you will get your share of scores from me because that's what I do best. So, let's do [more] hoops next time out!

 

[JohnBM01]

MONDAY'S GAMES
Happy President's Day, GTPlanet! It's time to start a new week of scores, and we begin with what ESPN's family of networks will call "Judgment Week," so expect to see the title of this thread change.

SPECIAL NOTE: I would love to send my thoughts and prayers to Curt Gowdy and his family and friends. He died at age 86 after a long battle with leukemia. Curt Gowdy, you will be missed.

MEN'S DIVISION
West Virginia lost over the weekend, and so we start with WVU attempting a comeback.

* #15 West Virginia at Syracuse
People, we begin with the Big East as we head into Syracuse, NY. I don't know too much about the state of West Virginia. I do know that the boys from Morgantown are ready to head into a much colder New England. Kevin Pittsnoggle is at the Center as the Mountaineers look to keep their good form after struggling a bit. We're heading to New York, but not New York City. This is about upstate New York. Normally, seeing Syracuse lose football games is nothing rare. Seeing Syracuse lose a handful of men's basketball games is grounds for concern. Syracuse may not have J.J. Redick or Adam Morrison... but then, they don't need to. That's because they have Gerry McNamara. McNamara and his boys look to be the welcoming committee to West Virginia University. Don't expect them to be friendly, though. Don't feel blue, because the Orange are ready to rock. Welcome to Syracuse University, West Virginia. You got upset. Actually, it's not so much an upset, but it is a BIG win for Syracuse. They need this win to stay alive for NCAA consideration in March. Otherwise, the NIT is going to be their next trip. (60-58; SYRACUSE)

* #20 Oklahaoma at Texas Tech
Syracuse hasn't had a stellar season, and neither has Texas Tech. The women's team is doing better, but the men need PLENTY of help. They won't get it against Oklahoma, though. That is because the Red Raiders simply stink compared to other years. How stinky is their season? Well, all the breath mints, air freshener, mouthwash, cologne, deodorant, and even baby poweder can't make them fresh again. It is not only because the new reality show "Knight School," but because they just haven't had as stellar of a season as past times. Oklahoma's probably playing their best right now as the Sooners are looking to succeed sooner than later. (71-70; Oklahoma)

"West Coast Offense" #5 Gonzaga at Pepperdine
Adam Morrison leds his Gonzaga boys into Stockton, CA. It's a sad thing when Gonzaga can't play at The Kennel, because Gonzaga students won't be able to simply go to the arena and see their favorite team kill the other team. That's okay. It's because the Gonzaga Bulldogs are battle-tested, water-resistant, radioactive-proof, meteor-proof, and Michael Jackson-proof. Well, many of those are true. I don't know about meteors and radioactivity, though. A team who is actually quite disappointing in the West Coast Conference is Pepperdine University. It is told that Pepperdine University is one of the most beautiful universities on the West Coast. Find out for yourself at { http://www.pepperdine.edu }. Their campus may be sugar-sweet, but the Malibu boys are avoiding the surfing and go for basketball. Surfing should give you a hint as to Pepperdine's nickname, because Pepperdine is ready to make Waves in taking on Gonzaga. By day, it is a lovely university around the Pacific Ocean. By game day or game night, it's an ugly place to play... if you're the away team, that is. Gonzaga wasn't treated kindly in this physical game. While physical, Gonzaga kept it moving, kept it real, and kept on winning. With another win, they'll tie George Washington for the longest active Division 1 win streak. (81-71; Gonzaga)

"Flame Session" Winthrop at Liberty
Away from the Big East and into the Big South (I believe). Winthrop may be new to you if you follow football, because they don't have a team. Winthrop may be the away team, but they are not afraid to fly. So much so, that they call themselves by the most majestic winged creature in all of the world- the Eagles. You know, like Donovan McNabb Eagles. And on the other end, is a team that is the Savannah State of their conference, Liberty. Their season is probably burned all the way up, considering they call themselves the Flames. I didn't know Winthrop has won about 19 or 20 games at this point. They didn't add another "W" as Winthrop basically got upset by Liberty. (78-71; LIBERTY)

"Will.We.Are." Hofstra at William and Mary
Let's stay on the East Coast, okay? We virtually visit The College of William and Mary to see a crew who love college sports. When you are part of William and Mary, you represent the almighty Tribe. But do the Tribe have enough pride to take down Hofstra's Pride? Two words: HELL NO! (82-57; Hofstra)

* St. Mary's at San Diego
Let's talk about San Diego, California. San Diego is the biggest, southernmost California city. The University of San Diego can be found in NCAA Football as part of the Great West. In basketball, they are part of the Big West, if I'm not mistaken. No matter how you put it, the Toreros are all business, all the time. So are their counterparts in this game. St. Mary's College is another California school, full of Gaels who love to play basketball and beat anyone who daresay threatens the peace of St. Mary's. (81-77, OT; St. Mary's)

* FAMU at Howard
Black College Basketball in the house. And it was the boys from Washington D.C.-based Howard University who led this charge. In the end, Howard's Bison pick up a win they normally don't win very well. All the while, giving the Florida A&M Rattlers the shaft. (89-71; HOWARD)

* Furman at The Citadel ---RIVALRY GAME---
The Citadel Bulldogs share their long feud with the Furman Paladins. In this Rivalry battle, Furman upped their win count giving The Citadel plenty to cry about. (64-41; Furman)

* Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Texas Pan-American ---RIVALRY GAME(?)---
The state of Texas will win, but it is win #18 for the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders. The Islanders left the Texas Pan-American Broncs stranded on the court. (74-55; Texas A&M-Corpus Christi)

North Carolina A&T at Morgan State
At one point, Morgan State was one of only two teams to be winless. The Morgan State Bears lack the winning touch, and the North Carolina A&T Aggies didn't make things any easier. (56-52; North Carolina A&T)

"U. of S.A. of the U.S. of A." South Alabama at Florida International
Meow! Time for more kitties to go at it. The University of South Alabama is uniquely American. That's due in large part to the Mobile, AL's acronym. USA is understandable to any American. These Jaguars are also American enough to welcome any challenge head-on, and succeed one way or the other. South Alabama meets some more kittens, but in Miami. The best sporting school of southern Florida? Miami, of course. Unlike Miami (who calls Miami suburb Coral Gables home), Florida International is all Miami, all the time? You dig, player? You can also dig how Golden Panthers play basketball... they don't do it too well. South Alabama were more than reluctant in downing FIU in this match. (-; South Alabama)

* Southern at Alabama State
Let's give the SWAC a little love with two HBCUs. My brother's girlfriend is an alum of Southern University. But I'm the one usually watching the games, \35-24 as Alabama State led at the half. Believe it or not, Alabama State has the only husband and wife as respective head coaches. Can you imagine that? At one point, you have the boys play. Afterwards, the wife gets the Women's team running after the boys. Regardless, Southern was clawing into the spread, but Alabama State was too strong. Later, see if the women could avenge the men's loss. (63-59; ALABAMA STATE)

* Texas Southern at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
I hate to say this... but the Texas Southern Tigers won a freaking game! Sad performance for the Golden Lions of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, who weren't so golden. (65-64; Texas Southern)

---RAPID FIRE---
* Nevada at Idaho (74-68; Nevada)
* VMI at Coastal Carolina (76-63; COASTAL CAROLINA)
* Longwood at Hampton (69-66; Longwood)





WOMEN'S DIVISION
If you're not ranked, you're not one of the top two teams to start this report. Both teams in the first two games I've selected are ranked. So let's

---RAPID FIRE---
* #23 Boston College at #2 North Carolina (69-62; NORTH CAROLINA)
* #14 Michigan State at #7 Ohio State (69-38; OHIO STATE)
* Southern at Alabama State (69-61; Southern)
* Bethune-Cookman at Maryland-Eastern Shore (87-50; MARYLAND-EASTERN SHORE)
* Texas Southern at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (64-49; ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF)
* Saint Francis at Saint Francis College (67-58; SAINT FRANCIS COLLEGE)
* Valparaiso at IUPUI (63-55; INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY-INDIANAPOLIS)
* Oral Roberts at Oakland (55-54; Oral Roberts)



That's all from me. Tuesday's games are coming up when I get a chance to get scores down and ready for posting.

 

[JohnBM01]

TUESDAY'S GAMES
I fell asleep overnight, so many scores won't be availble in full text. In fact, I haven't seen a single game because I was playing my GameCube for the first time in a while. Other than that, I have two big upsets in Men's hoops, then maybe a few in the Women's games. When I just want to hurry up and get scores in, I call it "Rapid Fire." Having said this, two big games, and then RAPID FIRE. You ready?

MEN'S DIVISION
"Dee-Stroyed!" #8 Illinois at Michigan
As you may well know, Michigan kicks ass in football. Their men's basketball team has been hit-or-miss at best. The Wolverines need some big hits if they want to dance against 64 other teams. Looking to start a fight with Michigan were Illinois. Ann Arbor has Wolverines, but Champaign has Fighting Illini. And they hope to win an easy fight. I think they are slihgtly overrated as they haven't duplicated their dominating performance from last season, whereas they won 29 games, all to lose to Ohio State in the Regular Season. Then they'd go all the way to the National Championship game, and lose to North Carolina. Michgan thought they were COMPLETELY overrated, and made them pay by losing in Ann Arbor. (72-64; MICHIGAN) *upset!*

"Die Hard With a Virginia" #11 Boston College at Virginia
Boston College and Virginia makes a nice football matchup as both teams are real solid. In basketball, Boston College is slightly better than Virginia. When I think Boston College, I think of Doug Flutie in 1984 knocking off Miami with the infamous Hail Mary with time running out. I don't think of Eagles' basketball too well with BC. Yesterday (as in 2/22/2006), sopranoist turned pop star (not very good at it) Charlotte Church turned 20. Charlottesville, VA wants to turn 40 minutes into a win, something the Virginia Cavaliers look to make happen. After 40 wild minutes, Boston College loses a game on the road. Not just lose, but lose bad. Only upset worse than this was last season when Villanova upset (then) #2 Kansas by about 32 points. This loss still stings, though. (72-58; VIRGINIA) *upset!*

Now, let's progress with RAPID FIRE. I'll make comments where I'd like to.
---RAPID FIRE---
* Alabama at Arkansas (65-63; ARKANSAS)
* Kent State at Bowling Green (82-66; Kent State)
* Texas A&M at Missouri (54-51; Texas A&M)
+++++JOHN'S NOTE: The University of Missouri president wants an investigation into why Quin Snyder left his seat.

* South Florida at Providence (77-56; PROVIDENCE)
+++++JOHN'S NOTE: Providence finally wins, and South Florida can't win. Maybe they should go back to Conference USA (for basketball) if they don't get any more wins.

* Baylor at #16 Kansas (71-61; KANSAS)





WOMEN'S DIVISION
---RAPID FIRE---
* #9 Oklahoma at Kansas State (78-64; Oklahoma)
* Wayne State at IPFW (80-51; INDIANA-PURDUE-FORT WAYNE)
+++++JOHN'S NOTE: Wayne State is a Mississippi school.

* Cincinatti at Georgetown (63-47; Cincinatti)
* Longwood at South Carolina (99-48; SOUTH CAROLINA)
* Savannah State at Wake Forest (100-51; WAKE FOREST)



More scores next time. Until then, glad to be of service.

 

[JohnBM01]

WEDNESDAYS GAMES

MEN'S DIVISION
Let me start with the SEC for a change, people. We'll begin with FoolKiller's alma mater, those meowing, roaring Wildcats. Let's see if his team can claw into the SEC cupcake Ole Miss.

"Killing Fools" Mississippi at Kentucky
After all the compliments I've made for Kentucky, I figured I'd pay homage to my buddy and Kentucky alma mater, FoolKiller. So this game is dedicated to you, man. It's also devoted to the Lexington Crazies who make Rupp Arena hell to play at. The Kentucky Wildcats have had some very sad losses. If people think Kentucky's had a less than stellar year, I say that you NEVER have a horrible season until you lose to a team you can REALLY beat. It's exactly how I felt when the Houston Texans beat Arizona, but not San Francisco. So that's when I said "NOW you have a horrible season." They finished 2-14, of course. The best team in Mississippi in football is Southern Miss. Best basketball team in Mississippi is likely Mississippi State. If Kentucky loses to the Ole Miss Rebels, then Kentucky REALLY messed up their season. Thankfully, Kentucky got it done, and major. Warm up the bus, sweetheart! Nothing to see here. (80-40; KENTUCKY)

* Duke at Georgia Tech
Redick and company helped take care of the Yellow Jackets. The Blue Devils pick up win #26 and still undefeated in conference. (73-66; Duke)

* Texas at Kansas State
Texas narrowly survives the Kansas State Wildcats. However, the Longhorns will take a win in a close fight than a blowout like at Oklahoma State. (65-61; Texas)

---RAPID FIRE---
+++++JOHN'S NOTE: Speaking of Oklahoma State...
* Oklahoma State at Iowa State (68-52; IOWA STATE)
* DePaul at Louisville (65-53; LOUISVILLE)
* Texas-El Paso at #3 Memphis (66-56; MEMPHIS)
* SMU at Tulsa (73-56; TULSA)
* Bradley at Northern Iowa (71-49; Bradley)
+++++JOHN'S NOTE: Maybe I don't know too much about Bradley, but this is a dissapointing loss for Northern Iowa.

* Missouri State at Illinois State (72-61; Missouri State)
+++++JOHN'S NOTE: Missouri State (formerly Southwest Missouri State) can get #20 if they down their next opponent.

* Wichita State at Drake (60-58; Wichita State)
* Maryland at Florida State (71-60; FLORIDA STATE)
* Rhode Island at St. Louis (73-62; SAINT LOUIS)
* California State-Northridge at Pacific (79-51; PACIFIC)
* Hawaii at Idaho (70-66; Hawaii)





WOMEN'S DIVISION

---RAPID FIRE---
* Virginia Tech at #1 Duke (93-51; DUKE)
* Colorado at #10 Baylor (86-40; BAYLOR)
* #8 Rutgers at Marquette (71-50; Rutgers)
* UNLV at Utah (75-64; UTAH)
* Kent State at #25 Bowling Green (62-50; BOWLING GREEN)

 

[FoolKiller]

Hey, FoolKiller! How about your Wildcats pounding SEC cupcake Ole Miss 80-40?

The one game I miss watching all season! And what is with Preston LeMaster (the who dat senior) scoring 12 points? He had 15 points career before this game.

Anyway, it is a huge morale boost that we need going into the end of our season with LSU, Tennessee, and Florida. LSU and Tennessee are both away and we need some energy going into those.

LSU should be a win, and better be to keep the momentum going for any hope against Tennessee and Florida. At Tennessee will be a pain, but ol' Rockytop will hear the Wildcats' roar all the same.

Florida is coming into the cats' den, Rupp Arena. We are still licking our wounds from before but they are also a painful reminder of how bad we want to beat them.

Florida and Tennessee have both taken some unexpected losses recently and hopefully it means they are wearing out just as we are finally getting our stuff together. Perhaps the new line-up the Cats are running will give both teams a shock.

You had better be ready when you come in here because we don't show mercy.

I just found this. Even in a galaxy far far away they feel the passion of Wildcat basketball.

 

[JohnBM01]

FoolKiller, I've updated my post with more info on the Kentucky game. So check it out. Meanwhile, here are delayed Thursday scores:

[B}THURSDAY'S GAMES[/B]
I've fell asleep and didn't really seem to have enough energy to get in my scores. I'll rectify all of this in RAPID FIRE. I'll proceed with RAPID FIRE results, but not before I Show you some upsets on Thursday. If you see any asterisks by any teams, that means the team has accumulated 20 or more wins up to Thursday, or got their 20th on Thursday. I'm just going to give them a little love from me.

MEN'S DIVISION
I'll proceed with RAPID FIRE results, but not before I Show you some upsets on Thursday. If you see any asterisks by any teams, that means the team has accumulated 20 or more wins up to Thursday, or got their 20th on Thursday. I'm just going to give them a little love from me. My source is ESPN's scoreboard, so be sure to check out other Men's scores at: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/scoreboard?confId=50&date=20060223

---RAPID FIRE---
* South Carolina at Georgia (48-47; GEORGIA)
* North Carolina-Greensboro at Appalachian State (75-70; APPALACHIAN STATE)
* Old Dominion* at James Madison (75-58; Old Dominion)
[/COLOR="Blue"]* #25 George Mason* at Hofstra (77-66; HOFSTRA) *upset!*
* North Carolina-Wilmington* at Virginia Commonwealth (61-54; North Carolina-Wilmington)[/COLOR]

Let's give the Mid-Continent some love...
* Oakland at Southern Utah (78-75; Oakland)
+++++JOHN'S NOTE: Oakland's record is now 11-16. Compared to last season, this is not a bad job by the Golden Grizzlies.

* IUPUI at Chicago State (74-66; CHICAGO STATE)
* Oral Roberts at Centenary (83-57; Oral Roberts)
* Valparaiso at UMKC (73-70; MISSOURI-KANSAS CITY)

* Texas-Arlington at Nicholls State (78-63; Texas-Arlington)
* Lamar at Northwestern State (80-67; NORTHWESTERN STATE)
+++++JOHN'S NOTE: One more win, and NW State picks up #20.

* Western Kentucky* at Middle Tennessee State (80-74; MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE)
* Texas State at Sam Houston State (75-61; SAM HOUSTON STATE)





WOMEN'S DIVISION
I chose five ranked teams this time around. Let's see how these ranked ladies did in their games.

---RAPID FIRE---
* LSU at Alabama (86-61; Louisiana State)
* Washington at Stanford (100-69; STANFORD)
* #16 Michigan State at Michigan ---RIVALRY GAME--- (68-42; Michigan State)
* New Mexico State at #20 Louisiana Tech (86-53; LOUISIANA TECH)
* Kentucky at #23 Vanderbilt (72-55 VANDERBILT)
* Clemson at #4 Maryland (89-63; MARYLAND)

 

[JohnBM01]

FRIDAY'S GAMES

GTPlanet, Friday is where I take my break from scores and treat it like Sunday. Besides, the real action happens on Saturday. Why waste my time with scores for Friday? I will give you some scores for the teams who did play on Friday, though.

FRIDAY APPETIZERS
---MEN---
* Canisius at St. Peter's (91-84; Canisius)
* Hampton at South Carolina State (69-64; Hampton)
* Brown at Columbia (68-56; COLUMBIA)
* East Tennessee State at Lipscomb (76-56; East Tennessee State)
* Dartmouth at Princeton (63-60; PRINCETON)
* Kennesaw State at Belmont (83-64; BELMONT)
+++++JOHN'S NOTE: Dartmouth sucks at college hoops. They were so bad, that they were winless during the 1917-1918 season. They went 0-26 that season. Dartmouth College is easily the worst in Men's Ivy League hoops.

---WOMEN---
* George Washington at #1? Temple (55-50, OT; George Washington) *upset!*
* North Carolina State at Boston College (82-71; North Carolina State) *upset!*
* Richmond at St. Bonaventure (75-72, 2OT; ST. BONAVENTURE)
* Rice at UAB (83-69; Rice)
* Houston at Memphis (70-62; Houston)

Now that Friday's done, not only is it time to start Saturday, but also think about who will advance to the NCAA Tournament in March. March is closer and closer than you think.

If you have some time on your hands, feel free to visit my latest college basketball thread to talk about "Phi Slamma Jamma," when my homwtown's best team, the Houston Cougars had a sensational roll during 1982 to 1984. It's at: { https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?p=2149622 }. Anyhow, get ready for Saturday!

 

[JohnBM01]

SATURDAY'S GAMES
You college football fans love Saturday Football, so how about Saturday basketball, players? Well, we got it. You want basketball? I got it for you. I am certain to get 35% or more of today's games. So let's see how these Weekend Warrors roll.

MEN'S DIVISION
This time around, I'll begin in the state of Texas and two teams I'm proud of so far. We begin outside of my hometown as Texas is in action, then we go west to El Paso to see if the Houston Cougars can extend their win streak to nine games and inch up the ladder before their date with Memphis next Saturday.

"Stone Cold Austin" #17 Kansas at #7 Texas
Let's begin with my state for this batch of games, and a critical match for one Lawrence team. Kansas University is like Kentucky- blue is the color of choice. Theyt are also like Kentucky in that their seasons are in a slight slump. Kansas basketball has no equal. It looks time once again for the Jayhawks to migrate to Austin, TX. Can Jayhawks fly? You bet. They can fly in for the dunk and all. It will take more than pet tricks to get the job done in Texas. Texas has been on a roll recently in college sports, eh? They win the College World Series (and recently won again in college baseball today), next the ADT Championship Trophy in college basketball, and have a chance to win the National Championship in basketball. But before they can think about the Triple Crown of major college sports, the Longhorns need to concentrate their efforts on the boys from Lawrence, KS. Oh, they concentrated all right! All the way to a hellacious b**** slapping! Texas gets it done real major. (80-55; TEXAS)

* Houston at UTEP
No matter who wins this game, Texas wins. But which Texas school- the red hot Houston unit, or the Glory Road boys? Let's begin with the road team. How about Houston? They'd beat LSU on the road and Arizona at home. That makes two sensational wins for this rapidly-improving unit under "Turnaround" Tom Penders. The Houston Cougars have a tough task ahead of them- go into El Paso, TX, and shut down (and up) the UTEP faithful. Believe me, this won't be easy. When you mess with one UTEP Miner, you mess with ALL the UTEP Miners. Houston can back it up, though. But only back UTEP gave them was a warmed-up bus back to the Bayou City. Houston's eight-game win streak is snapped and fall to 18-5 overall. Houston's biggest game is at Memphis March 4th. Sad loss down the stretch for Houston. (69-63; TEXAS-EL PASO)

* San Diego at #5 Gonzaga
Let's face it. Gonzaga doesn't suck, especially not in the WCC. That's because the Bulldogs have plenty of fight in these puppies. Only a miracle performance can stop Gonzaga at this point. Perhaps the San Diego Toreros can try their luck at stopping the Gonzaga freight train. San Diego tried to derail Gonzaga, but Gonzaga stayed on the train tracks all the way to victory. (75-59; GONZAGA)

* #?? Iowa at #8 Illinois
The Illinois Fighting Illini made Bruce Webber proud as they OWNED the Iowa Hawkeyes. (71-59; ILLINOIS)

* Providence at Pittsburgh
The prominence in Providence College went to Hell. Credit the Pitt Panthers for their demolishing of the Friars. (81-68; PITTSBURGH)

* Arkansas at #?? Tennessee
Here is an upset, GTPlanet. The Tennessee Volunteers got a HUGE shocker in losing to the Arkansas Razorbacks. (73-69; Arkansas)

* Boston College at North Carolina State
This was perhaps the most exciting match among the big schools. The Boston College Eagles soared to new heights giving North Carolina State a lot to cry about. It was an exciting fight on the hardwood. Instead of 40 minutes, this one took 50. (74-72, 2OT; Boston College)

* Tulsa at #3 Memphis
The Memphis Tigers are impervious to almost all of Conference USA competition... including Golden Hurricanes. (78-69; MEMPHIS)

* #6 George Washington at Fordham
GW's "Pops" has season-ending injuries, so this GW big man is going to have to have some good talent in his abscence. George Washington's Colonials have a lot to gain in this game, as the Washington D.C. team enters New York City. Beautiful New York City, and the classic Fordham University. NYC fans have to hope (78-67; George Washington)

* Oakland at Chicago State
Let's meet two teams you will not find in football- Oakland and Chicago State. Oakland University made The Big Dance last year despite a bad record. I believe they won only nine games overall, but the Golden Grizzlies were still golden in making an apperance last year. The Rochester, MI (remember, Oakland University in Michigan, not Oakland, CA) boys are heading to Chicago State. I think Chicago State's logo looks like an elementary school logo than a collegiate logo. Chicago State doesn't play like an elementary team, though. That's because the Cougars simply don't play around. And this time around, they SURELY didn't play as this was sort of a blowout. (90-81; CHICAGO STATE)

"Waves of Change" Louisville at #15 West Virginia
What trasnsistion... Louisville goes from being unbeaten, all to be bottomdwellers in the Big East. On a lighter note, they aren't South Florida right about now (see how South Florida did in their game later in this report). What began with an upset loss in Rupp Arena has snowballed into a tumultuous season... now they have to go to Morgantown. And guess what? Daniel Boone as a mascot and blue/gold as uniforms... sounds like Mountaineer country. West Virginia gives tall mountains to all of their competition, and only the chosen few can reach the top of the mountain and beat West Virginia. Was Louisville one of the chosen few? Nope, and I'll give you four reasons why- 1 point, 2 points, 3 points, 4 points. West Virginia was on point and never let up. (68-64; WEST VIRGINIA)

"Georgetown of the Jungle" Syracuse at Georgetown
It's Washington D.C., our Nation's Capital! It's also the MCI Center (I heard it was recently changed to the Verizon Center, is that true?) You can see the Washington Wizards for NBA hoops, but you can also see the Georgetown Hoyas at home. At home, they are facing a team that may barely make it into The Big Dance- Syracuse. For Syracuse to make the dance, they'll need to do much better than past times. That can help the Orange see gold. Syracuse was edged out by the Hoyas by a nice margin. (68-53; GEORGETOWN)

"Redick-ulous!" Duke at Temple
There were 2,590 points for Redick as his Blue Devils knocked off the rather unwise Temple Owls. (74-66; Duke)

* Long Beach State at California-Davis
In an overtime shootout between two California schools, the Long Beach State 49ers picked up the win against the Aggies of UC-Davis. (95-92, OT; Long Beach State)

"Mardi Coup de Gras" Kentucky at LSU
You know, Rupp Arena is an intimidating place to play in. It's so big, so spacious, and playing there is like being at a heavy metal concert- LOUD! But Rupp Arena isn't going to see their hardwood heroes hoop it up in Lexington. You see, the Wildcats are ready for a huge SEC cat fight. I hope you love cats like I do. Because they are going to meet some kitties in Baton Rouge. No, it's not the Southern Jaguars (at least, not yet), but LSU. LSU has a sensational women's team, but their men's team aren't slouches either. Baton Rouge's hardwood heroes are the purple and yellow (or gold?) Tigers who will wear their white colors to represent the home team. The homies are looking to warm up the bus and send Kentucky back to Lexington with a loss. Tubby Smith can't believe how this season is going. He'll have to break the bad news to about... I don't know... several thousand or ten-thousand Kentucky Wildcat fans in Lexington. If Kentucky doesn't make the NCAA or NIT tournaments this season, they will need a lot of help and support to aid them next season. Even if they do make it in, they'll have to play much better if they want to advance in any tournament. (71-66(?); LOUISIANA STATE)

"Baton Rouge Rogues" Southern at Alcorn State
On to Baton Rouge's other kittens. This is a SWAC match. So if you want to win, you better bring it. Deep in the heart of all that's good in HBCU basketball, the SWAC is all about great action, but also great fans who follow and love games their teams play. Southern University has a number of campuses in Louisiana. We're talking (of course), about Baton Rouge. You know Baton Rouge for LSU, but do you know them for the Southern Jaguars? You do now! And the Jags hope to stick it right into the hearts of the Alcorn State Braves. And they weren't brave enough to fend off Southern. (69-57; Southern)

"Just Say N.O." Arkansas State at New Orleans
Recently, students returned to the University of New Orleans since the horrors of the hurricane damage. I heard that Katrina missed UNO despite the horrible damage to Tulane (featured next!). Regardless, the Privateers of the Sun Belt are going to do what they do best, and win under pressure. Is it possible to win against Arkansas State? When you can win against Arkansas State's Indians, anything is possible in the Sun Belt. New Orleans felt like new champions as they won a sweet game against Arkansas State. (62-58; NEW ORLEANS)

* Tulane at East Carolina
Unlike the University of New Orleans, we've seen Tulane preservere not only in football, but basketball as well. UNO used to have a football team, but Tulane still has theirs. The Tulane football team is gearing up for 2006-2007, but the Green Wave is going to impact East Carolina in hopes to splash the Pirates into oblivion. And that's what happened. Case closed. Tulane wins on the road against an inferior C-USA team. (66-53; Tulane)

* Savannah State at Longwood
Savannah State sucks. Their Tigers rarely win games. Nothing to see here. Now for a treat. Did you know that Longwood is probably one of the best newcomers this season? Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is easily the best Independent team, and the Longwood Lancers have a little Evo IX in them because they are turbocharged and ready to conquer all. Apparentely, if the Lancers actually are Mitsu Lancers, then Savannah State may as well be shopping carts compared to Longwood. Savannah State may need to consider going into Division 2 where they can compete against teams like Alaska-Anchorage, Chaminade, Elizabeth City State, Arkansas-Monticello, and in-state team- Georgia College and State University. They can't keep staying in Division 1 and lose all the time. Even their football team is bad. They simply need help. A damned lot of help. You dig me, players? (82-71; LONGWOOD)

* Michigan at Ohio State ---RIVALRY GAME---
This game is bigger in football than basketball. Ohio State sweeps the Michigan Wolverines as OhSU won by 10. It's another big Buckeyes win. (64-54; OHIO STATE)





WOMEN'S DIVISION
Let's begin with The Big Game and a Big Win!

"Mocha Latta" #1 Duke at #2 North Carolina ---RG: The Battle for Tobacco Road---
Ivory Latta is the big girl on campus for North Carolina. UNC may lose games every now and then, but they don't lose often. If you're a girl looking to play in Division 1, you are encouraged to play like there's no tomorrow. Despite a shocking loss to Maryland earlier in the season, the Lady Tar Heels are ready for any and every challenge. That includes you too, Duke. Duke and North Carolina absolutely HATE each other. Even the ladies share the same hate the guys normally exhibit. Some debate as to whether men or women are more aggressive than the other. Duke can't wait to get out of their corner and fight for 12 rounds. Duke is seemingly impervious in both genders almost every year. It doesn't make the Lady Blue Devils any different. Duke knows full well that they aren't North Carolina-Asheville, East Carolina, or any other North Carolina women's cupcake teams. It wasn't long until the Lady Tar Heels brought Duke to reality. This was an upset in terms of rankings, but a hellacious win among two teams who hate each other. (77-65; NORTH CAROLINA) *upset!*

* Belmont at Jacksonville
Leave it to Belmont and their Lady Bruins to defeat the oh so cute Jacksonville Lady Dolphins. (66-59; Belmont)

* St. John's at Syracuse
The Lady Red Storm of St. John's University got it done against the Syracuse Lady Orange. (72-53; St. John's)

* Bowling Green at Ohio
Bowling Green continues their success as the Lady Falcons gave the Lady Bobcats of Ohio a good whacking. Close game, though. (65-61; Bowling Green)



Next week will filter into March. That's all for these scores. Thanks for taking a look!