- Jan 2, 2009
- 1,155
- 10
Duquesne beats Xavier.
The College Basketball Post
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by allen3xis,
- Start date
- Jan 13, 2001
- 6,597
- 10
Originally Posted by bballah3
Originally Posted by dreClark
K. Love.
Good taste
Yeah not with that jacket though
THAT BASTARD!
Tell your bro if he ever moves on to pass that my way.
- Jan 13, 2001
- 6,597
- 10
There's a couple of big, strong, quick teams this year... that are either going to make deep runs, or get beaten first round in upsets. Iconsider Memphis one of them.
I've won all my polls the last few years, but i expect myself to just completely bomb it this year along with everyone else.. it's a crapshoot rightnow.
- Jun 8, 2006
- 10,056
- 10
they look damn good right now.
Tyreke definitely has stepped up.
Tyreke definitely has stepped up.
- Feb 5, 2004
- 4,104
- 12
Up until about a month before he signed with Memphis I was expecting Tyreke to be in a Louisville uniform. Could really use him at the point right now
dacomeup
Supporter
- Jan 20, 2006
- 26,589
- 37,537
I didn't think Memphis was very good at the beginning of the season, which I should've expected with them losing Rose, Dorsey, and CDR. They beat us byabout 10 in Memphis earlier this year and I can say that I don't want to see them in NCAAs if we meet them. They are a matchup nightmare.
- Sep 23, 2004
- 14,132
- 285
I swear Hubert Davis laughs too damn much.
- Feb 13, 2001
- 10,062
- 2,203
Austin Daye is getting abused by Dozier
- Nov 15, 2007
- 7,904
- 2,187
I think we could be seeing a couple 5+ seeds making it very deep just because if a team gets hot, I can't say there are a lot of teams that have thecomposure to settle down after opening rough. Duke showed that against Clemson. I'm about to just make some crazy !!+ picks and hope it works bracket wise.
- Mar 14, 2005
- 6,807
- 2,211
I'm really pissed I took a 4 hour nap and missed the Noles win vs. Clemson. Down by 18 on the road and to comeback is
- Feb 5, 2004
- 4,104
- 12
I've never won a bracket. Probably, because the first thing I do is put Louisville winning the Championship.
- Nov 14, 2007
- 8,956
- 39
Memphis has stepped up. Tyreke at the point makes them a LOT better.
This game reminds me of our game.
This game reminds me of our game.
- May 12, 2002
- 16,448
- 2,155
The height in memphis lineup is ridiculous
- Mar 11, 2001
- 2,412
- 12
Does Memphis have the ability to be this good? or has Zaga fallen off this badly?
- Nov 14, 2007
- 8,956
- 39
Robinson didn't teach them offense
- Apr 24, 2005
- 43,678
- 8,689
Tyreke
I like to see when guys change up their game for the betterment of the team from HS to CBB.
I like to see when guys change up their game for the betterment of the team from HS to CBB.
jpzx
Supporter
- Feb 7, 2008
- 58,717
- 28,044
Weren't all of you talking 3 months ago about how you didn't think Tyreke would contribute much this year? I don't know maybe only one person saidit..
Tubby's Gophers are spiraling downward fast
Tubby's Gophers are spiraling downward fast
- Nov 28, 2007
- 2,200
- 14
My dudes can still bust from any area of the floor, and I think this streak has DEFINITELY helped our experience going into the tournament. We wont lostanother game in the regular season (stamp it) and I really think as Dre said that Reke running the point wins us games. Our advantage is obviously at lengthand he can honestly body any guard in the nation. His shot selection is much better now too. Another Elite 8 FTW? Lets hope so..
- May 12, 2002
- 16,448
- 2,155
Just saw what happened to Paulus
B. Griffin
B. Griffin
- Apr 6, 2005
- 5,140
- 12
greg paulus gets yammed on more than any player in the history of ever.
he's still one of my fav college players right now tho
.
duke is sort of slowing but i like their chances of advancing deep come march. kyle singler is ballin'.
adrien joined some quality company tonight with the 1000/1000 club.
hasheem thabeet is the single most influential player to any one game in college basketball right now.
17 and 12 with 6 swats. just nasty.
i say he goes 2nd after griffin in the draft but teams need to give him a serious look at #1.
.griffin's ability to get up, especially for a 4 is unreal.
he's still one of my fav college players right now tho
duke is sort of slowing but i like their chances of advancing deep come march. kyle singler is ballin'.
adrien joined some quality company tonight with the 1000/1000 club.
hasheem thabeet is the single most influential player to any one game in college basketball right now.
17 and 12 with 6 swats. just nasty.
i say he goes 2nd after griffin in the draft but teams need to give him a serious look at #1.
.griffin's ability to get up, especially for a 4 is unreal.
- Dec 27, 2002
- 16,335
- 13
Another big game loss.
- Oct 29, 2007
- 569
- 10
yikes @ blake griffin
Zags havent been the same since the Uconn loss, they lost their swagger that game (especially Pargo)...they showed up to the game 35 minutes too late and triedto make something of it but Memphis had it won already...Goodson needs to get some more PT (oop to Heytvelt was sick
), him and Downs were the only ones playing last night...and Daye needs to gohard every game
Zags havent been the same since the Uconn loss, they lost their swagger that game (especially Pargo)...they showed up to the game 35 minutes too late and triedto make something of it but Memphis had it won already...Goodson needs to get some more PT (oop to Heytvelt was sick
- Jun 25, 2008
- 2,714
- 10
Memphis
- Jun 25, 2008
- 2,714
- 10
Memphis
dacomeup
Supporter
- Jan 20, 2006
- 26,589
- 37,537
Thabeet casts a shadow on Michigan's upset bid as Huskies win 11th straight
Comment Email Print
Katz By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
Archive
STORRS, Conn. -- When will teams learn that taking the ball right at Hasheem Thabeet may be the only option they have to score in the post?
AP Photo/Bob ChildHasheem Thabeet had 17 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks as UConn beat Michigan for its 11th straight win.
Thabeet can't block every shot. He will alter countless and who knows how many he has changed before the offensive player crosses midcourt. Still, there isalways hope that Thabeet will bump you, foul you, do something to keep the possession alive.
Michigan launched 29 3s against Connecticut Saturday in the Huskies' 69-61 win. The Wolverines made nine to stay in the game, and were especially helped bythe six made by freshman guard Stu Douglass -- who had a shot fake on a 3 that looked like he had studied a skill-development tape to perfection. But theWolverines didn't dare take the ball to Thabeet. Zack Gibson had a few open looks at the basket, but hesitated for a few seconds and once he did a 7-foot-3shadow had engulfed his line of vision. He was scared of his new shadow at that point. Thabeet finished with 17 points, 12 boards and six blocks Saturday nightto continue his dominance for the top-ranked Huskies.
"No one is prepared for him until they see him,'' Michigan coach John Beilein said. "He had a tremendous presence.''
So why not at least attempt to challenge him?
"That's one of the big taboos, 'God forbid you get your shot blocked.' It's a man thing but people have to understand that if it happens,you get the ball back and go again,'' Beilein said.
Michigan's Manny Harris said he thought the Wolverines were going at Thabeet, but it sure didn't look like that live.
"You can't put a percentage on how many shots he changes,'' Connecticut senior guard A.J. Price said. "How many minds is he in beforethey go to the basket? I don't know where we would be without him.''
I do. The Huskies would have no shot at being ranked No. 1, the Big East leader at 11-1 and a favorite at this juncture to be a No. 1 seed in the East, whichwill be played in nearby Boston.
"He's got to be considered for the player of the year in the Big East,'' Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said. "We beat Louisville withoutmaking a 3 and we beat them pretty good [68-51 on Feb. 2].''
Thabeet blocked four shots in that game, but seemed to affect countless others. Louisville's Samardo Samuels attempted just two shots. Earl Clark was2-for-16.
"He's developing into something special,'' Calhoun said of Thabeet. "The people that understand basketball can see how important he is.Hopefully it continues to get better.''
The Huskies are embracing the top ranking, but are also welcoming playing against different types of styles. Michigan forced UConn to grind out a win. Pitt,which plays Connecticut twice in the coming weeks, may do the same and certainly would provide a more comparable inside game with DeJuan Blair and Sam Young.Running with Marquette and dealing with Syracuse's zone will also be unique challenges prior to the Big East tournament. Still, the ultimate goal of a topranking on Selection Sunday isn't lost on this team.
"We're paying attention, watching a lot of ACC basketball,'' Connecticut senior forward Jeff Adrien said. "We don't play them but toget a No. 1 seed we've got to watch what Wake Forest, Duke and North Carolina do. We want to get that No. 1 in the East, in Boston. It's a long way togo, but we're definitely watching.''
What else did we learn on Saturday?
Welcome Cincinnati into the NCAA discussion. The Bearcats beat Georgetown Saturday 64-62 in OT, sweeping the Hoyas this season to improve to 6-5 in the BigEast, 16-8 overall. Cincinnati is above Providence, West Virginia, Georgetown and Notre Dame in the standings and tied with Syracuse. The NCAA tournamentselection committee can easily leapfrog teams if the overall résumé isn't as strong, but that may not be the case with Cincinnati. The Bearcats did win atUNLV and their three non-league losses look like they'll be to NCAA teams: Florida State, Xavier and Memphis.
Deonta Vaughn scored 16 points to lead Cincinnati to a win over Georgetown -- the Bearcats sixth win in Big East play.
"We're giving ourselves a chance to make a run,'' Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said by phone after the win in D.C. "We're gettingbetter. It's going to be hard to keep us out if we're 10-8 in the Big East. You can't take Georgetown or Notre Dame over us since we beatthem.''
The Bearcats have games they should -- or rather must win -- against St. John's and Seton Hall at home, and then may have to beat Louisville and WestVirginia at home, too. That would give Cincinnati 10 league wins with plenty of depth on the résumé, too. If the Bearcats hold serve at home, losing at Pitt,Syracuse and maybe even South Florida is palatable. The beauty of this squad is it's improvement as Deonta Vaughn gets more help from Mike Williams, AlvinMitchell and Dion Dixon. "This is a young team that is playing hard,'' Cronin said. "If we can hold our position, finish in the top six, thenwe're a lock. I could write a book about coming back from the ashes here.'' Not sure how much it would sell, but it's at least worth a shortstory with the Bearcats in play for a bid despite losing freshman point guard Cashmere Wright to a season-ending knee injury in the preseason.
Villanova has found its groove. The Wildcats, notably Dante Cunningham (31 points), are scoring at a high-octane pace. 'Nova put 102 on Syracuse, which issliding closer to the bubble if it doesn't shake this road funk soon. The Wildcats should be comfortably in at 19-4, 7-3 in the Big East.
Notre Dame and Georgetown are flirting with an NIT vs. CBI decision. The Irish slide continued as Luke Harangody had just five points in the loss at UCLA.Notre Dame's 12-10 record doesn't look even remotely NCAA-worthy. Georgetown, meanwhile, has been swept by Cincinnati, lost at Seton Hall and has to goon a major run at 13-9, 4-7 to be considered a bubble team again.
UCLA's defense has powered the Bruins' offense. UCLA scored just 58 points in an overtime loss to Arizona State at home on Jan. 17. They went on tobeat Washington State with just 61 points in Pullman and then lost the usual track meet with Washington 86-75. Since then, UCLA forced 21 turnovers againstCal, 19 against Stanford, 23 against USC and didn't need much more than 11 against Notre Dame on Saturday. UCLA has scored 81, 97, 76 and 89 in its currentfour-game win streak.
"We're getting out in transition because we're forcing those turnovers,'' UCLA assistant Scott Duncan said by phone after the Bruinsthrottled Notre Dame 89-63 Saturday at Pauley Pavilion. "The difference in our team is our defense. We're getting easy baskets.''
UCLA was running as well as it has been all season with Darren Collison and Jrue Holiday leading the break. Alfred Aboya is becoming much more offensive (19points vs. Luke Harangody's five) and Nikola Dragovic has become a tough matchup with his long-range shooting. UCLA appears to be on a mission to win thePac-10 and still get a high enough seed to warrant being placed in Portland as the top team in the West in the first and second round.
Gerald Henderson scored 18 of his 19 points after halftime, leading Duke's late surge in an overtime win over Miami.
Duke is done with feeling sorry for itself. Duke assistant coach Chris Collins said by text late Saturday that the Blue Devils were still feeling the effectsof the Clemson loss (74-47) in the first half against Miami. It showed. The Hurricanes took the game right to Duke and led 32-19 at the half. But Duke'sfight in the second, outscoring Miami 49-36 before overtime, was proof enough for Collins and the staff that Duke is back after the three-half hiatus -- justin time for Wednesday's showdown against North Carolina. The Blue Devils couldn't stop Miami's Jack McClinton (34 points), but he wasn't ableto carry Miami in overtime. The Canes (15-8, 4-6) have the look of an NCAA team, but they've got to win more games -- and beating North Carolina at homewould be a clincher. Taking out Florida State on the road could be a must if the Tar Heels beat Miami on Feb. 15. Road wins at Virginia and Georgia Tech areimperative as well.
Leonard Hamilton may finally be at an NCAA tournament podium the third week of March. Hamilton has had nine lives at Florida State, sticking around inTallahassee despite never making the NCAAs. Well, the Seminoles finally won a significant road game in February by beating Clemson 65-61 to move to 5-3 in theACC, 18-5 overall. The Seminoles have bankable wins over Florida, Cincinnati and Cal that could pay dividends for the selection committee. Playing Pitt, evenin a close loss, will help the profile, too.
Wayne Ellington is scorching right now. North Carolina's best 3-point shooter scored 20 points, making four 3s in a 76-61 win over Virginia. He was comingoff 34 points and seven 3s against Maryland.
Texas will have better talent than its seed. The Longhorns lost their third straight game, this time to Nebraska, 58-55. The Horns have an NCAA profile and aretalented enough to be a top four or five seed. But the more the losses rack up, the more likely Texas will be a double-digit seed. If they play up to theirpotential, that's a tough chore for any higher seed the Longhorns may face.
Kansas State has joined the party. The Wildcats won at Texas A&M, 65-60, on the heels of beating Texas in Austin a week ago. The Wildcats are in play foran at-large bid at 5-4 in the Big 12, 16-7 overall as they enter the stretch run in league play.
Kansas-Missouri rivalry is on. The Tigers beat Iowa State, 82-68, to go to 7-2 in the Big 12. Kansas beat Oklahoma State, 78-67, to stay undefeated at 8-0.They play on Big Monday in Columbia. When this rivalry is heated and actually means something, the game and the conference is better off.
Arizona is still breathing. The Wildcats swept the Oregon schools to get above water at 6-5 in the Pac-10. The Wildcats still have some of the bestnonconference wins in the Pac-10 with Gonzaga, Kansas and San Diego State on their résumé.
Jim Boylen's crew can shoot. Utah made 11 3s and beat Wyoming by 10 in Laramie, sweeping a TCU-Wyoming road trip and staying atop the Mountain West at 7-2.The Utes are a serious threat to earn a bid even if they don't win the MWC.
Memphis' regular-season league winning streak is hard to top. Davidson went down to College of Charleston to end the Wildcats' 43 straight wins in theSouthern Conference. Xavier saw its undefeated Atlantic 10 season go down at Duquesne. Siena lost at Rider to see its undefeated quest in the MAAC dissolve. OnFriday night, Marquette, which probably had no shot at going undefeated in the Big East, lost at South Florida. Earlier in the week, Butler saw its undefeatedseason in the Horizon end at Green Bay. Cornell lost its first Ivy League game at Princeton on Friday. That's why Memphis winning 50 games in a row againstConference USA opponents has to be one of the most impressive streaks in recent memory. Beating Gonzaga handily in Spokane in a key nonconference matchupisn't bad for the Tigers' résumé either. The Tigers aren't going anywhere, America. Get used to it.
Northwestern won't make the NCAA tournament yet again. The Wildcats' streak of never making the NCAAs is likely to continue after losing to Iowa,56-51. Taking out the Hawkeyes isn't a prerequisite for a bid, but the Wildcats couldn't afford to lose to lower-level Big Ten teams and still get abid. NU is 4-6 in the Big Ten, 13-8 overall.
Comment Email Print
Katz By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
Archive
STORRS, Conn. -- When will teams learn that taking the ball right at Hasheem Thabeet may be the only option they have to score in the post?
AP Photo/Bob ChildHasheem Thabeet had 17 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks as UConn beat Michigan for its 11th straight win.
Thabeet can't block every shot. He will alter countless and who knows how many he has changed before the offensive player crosses midcourt. Still, there isalways hope that Thabeet will bump you, foul you, do something to keep the possession alive.
Michigan launched 29 3s against Connecticut Saturday in the Huskies' 69-61 win. The Wolverines made nine to stay in the game, and were especially helped bythe six made by freshman guard Stu Douglass -- who had a shot fake on a 3 that looked like he had studied a skill-development tape to perfection. But theWolverines didn't dare take the ball to Thabeet. Zack Gibson had a few open looks at the basket, but hesitated for a few seconds and once he did a 7-foot-3shadow had engulfed his line of vision. He was scared of his new shadow at that point. Thabeet finished with 17 points, 12 boards and six blocks Saturday nightto continue his dominance for the top-ranked Huskies.
"No one is prepared for him until they see him,'' Michigan coach John Beilein said. "He had a tremendous presence.''
So why not at least attempt to challenge him?
"That's one of the big taboos, 'God forbid you get your shot blocked.' It's a man thing but people have to understand that if it happens,you get the ball back and go again,'' Beilein said.
Michigan's Manny Harris said he thought the Wolverines were going at Thabeet, but it sure didn't look like that live.
"You can't put a percentage on how many shots he changes,'' Connecticut senior guard A.J. Price said. "How many minds is he in beforethey go to the basket? I don't know where we would be without him.''
I do. The Huskies would have no shot at being ranked No. 1, the Big East leader at 11-1 and a favorite at this juncture to be a No. 1 seed in the East, whichwill be played in nearby Boston.
"He's got to be considered for the player of the year in the Big East,'' Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said. "We beat Louisville withoutmaking a 3 and we beat them pretty good [68-51 on Feb. 2].''
Thabeet blocked four shots in that game, but seemed to affect countless others. Louisville's Samardo Samuels attempted just two shots. Earl Clark was2-for-16.
"He's developing into something special,'' Calhoun said of Thabeet. "The people that understand basketball can see how important he is.Hopefully it continues to get better.''
The Huskies are embracing the top ranking, but are also welcoming playing against different types of styles. Michigan forced UConn to grind out a win. Pitt,which plays Connecticut twice in the coming weeks, may do the same and certainly would provide a more comparable inside game with DeJuan Blair and Sam Young.Running with Marquette and dealing with Syracuse's zone will also be unique challenges prior to the Big East tournament. Still, the ultimate goal of a topranking on Selection Sunday isn't lost on this team.
"We're paying attention, watching a lot of ACC basketball,'' Connecticut senior forward Jeff Adrien said. "We don't play them but toget a No. 1 seed we've got to watch what Wake Forest, Duke and North Carolina do. We want to get that No. 1 in the East, in Boston. It's a long way togo, but we're definitely watching.''
What else did we learn on Saturday?
Welcome Cincinnati into the NCAA discussion. The Bearcats beat Georgetown Saturday 64-62 in OT, sweeping the Hoyas this season to improve to 6-5 in the BigEast, 16-8 overall. Cincinnati is above Providence, West Virginia, Georgetown and Notre Dame in the standings and tied with Syracuse. The NCAA tournamentselection committee can easily leapfrog teams if the overall résumé isn't as strong, but that may not be the case with Cincinnati. The Bearcats did win atUNLV and their three non-league losses look like they'll be to NCAA teams: Florida State, Xavier and Memphis.
Deonta Vaughn scored 16 points to lead Cincinnati to a win over Georgetown -- the Bearcats sixth win in Big East play.
"We're giving ourselves a chance to make a run,'' Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said by phone after the win in D.C. "We're gettingbetter. It's going to be hard to keep us out if we're 10-8 in the Big East. You can't take Georgetown or Notre Dame over us since we beatthem.''
The Bearcats have games they should -- or rather must win -- against St. John's and Seton Hall at home, and then may have to beat Louisville and WestVirginia at home, too. That would give Cincinnati 10 league wins with plenty of depth on the résumé, too. If the Bearcats hold serve at home, losing at Pitt,Syracuse and maybe even South Florida is palatable. The beauty of this squad is it's improvement as Deonta Vaughn gets more help from Mike Williams, AlvinMitchell and Dion Dixon. "This is a young team that is playing hard,'' Cronin said. "If we can hold our position, finish in the top six, thenwe're a lock. I could write a book about coming back from the ashes here.'' Not sure how much it would sell, but it's at least worth a shortstory with the Bearcats in play for a bid despite losing freshman point guard Cashmere Wright to a season-ending knee injury in the preseason.
Villanova has found its groove. The Wildcats, notably Dante Cunningham (31 points), are scoring at a high-octane pace. 'Nova put 102 on Syracuse, which issliding closer to the bubble if it doesn't shake this road funk soon. The Wildcats should be comfortably in at 19-4, 7-3 in the Big East.
Notre Dame and Georgetown are flirting with an NIT vs. CBI decision. The Irish slide continued as Luke Harangody had just five points in the loss at UCLA.Notre Dame's 12-10 record doesn't look even remotely NCAA-worthy. Georgetown, meanwhile, has been swept by Cincinnati, lost at Seton Hall and has to goon a major run at 13-9, 4-7 to be considered a bubble team again.
UCLA's defense has powered the Bruins' offense. UCLA scored just 58 points in an overtime loss to Arizona State at home on Jan. 17. They went on tobeat Washington State with just 61 points in Pullman and then lost the usual track meet with Washington 86-75. Since then, UCLA forced 21 turnovers againstCal, 19 against Stanford, 23 against USC and didn't need much more than 11 against Notre Dame on Saturday. UCLA has scored 81, 97, 76 and 89 in its currentfour-game win streak.
"We're getting out in transition because we're forcing those turnovers,'' UCLA assistant Scott Duncan said by phone after the Bruinsthrottled Notre Dame 89-63 Saturday at Pauley Pavilion. "The difference in our team is our defense. We're getting easy baskets.''
UCLA was running as well as it has been all season with Darren Collison and Jrue Holiday leading the break. Alfred Aboya is becoming much more offensive (19points vs. Luke Harangody's five) and Nikola Dragovic has become a tough matchup with his long-range shooting. UCLA appears to be on a mission to win thePac-10 and still get a high enough seed to warrant being placed in Portland as the top team in the West in the first and second round.
Gerald Henderson scored 18 of his 19 points after halftime, leading Duke's late surge in an overtime win over Miami.
Duke is done with feeling sorry for itself. Duke assistant coach Chris Collins said by text late Saturday that the Blue Devils were still feeling the effectsof the Clemson loss (74-47) in the first half against Miami. It showed. The Hurricanes took the game right to Duke and led 32-19 at the half. But Duke'sfight in the second, outscoring Miami 49-36 before overtime, was proof enough for Collins and the staff that Duke is back after the three-half hiatus -- justin time for Wednesday's showdown against North Carolina. The Blue Devils couldn't stop Miami's Jack McClinton (34 points), but he wasn't ableto carry Miami in overtime. The Canes (15-8, 4-6) have the look of an NCAA team, but they've got to win more games -- and beating North Carolina at homewould be a clincher. Taking out Florida State on the road could be a must if the Tar Heels beat Miami on Feb. 15. Road wins at Virginia and Georgia Tech areimperative as well.
Leonard Hamilton may finally be at an NCAA tournament podium the third week of March. Hamilton has had nine lives at Florida State, sticking around inTallahassee despite never making the NCAAs. Well, the Seminoles finally won a significant road game in February by beating Clemson 65-61 to move to 5-3 in theACC, 18-5 overall. The Seminoles have bankable wins over Florida, Cincinnati and Cal that could pay dividends for the selection committee. Playing Pitt, evenin a close loss, will help the profile, too.
Wayne Ellington is scorching right now. North Carolina's best 3-point shooter scored 20 points, making four 3s in a 76-61 win over Virginia. He was comingoff 34 points and seven 3s against Maryland.
Texas will have better talent than its seed. The Longhorns lost their third straight game, this time to Nebraska, 58-55. The Horns have an NCAA profile and aretalented enough to be a top four or five seed. But the more the losses rack up, the more likely Texas will be a double-digit seed. If they play up to theirpotential, that's a tough chore for any higher seed the Longhorns may face.
Kansas State has joined the party. The Wildcats won at Texas A&M, 65-60, on the heels of beating Texas in Austin a week ago. The Wildcats are in play foran at-large bid at 5-4 in the Big 12, 16-7 overall as they enter the stretch run in league play.
Kansas-Missouri rivalry is on. The Tigers beat Iowa State, 82-68, to go to 7-2 in the Big 12. Kansas beat Oklahoma State, 78-67, to stay undefeated at 8-0.They play on Big Monday in Columbia. When this rivalry is heated and actually means something, the game and the conference is better off.
Arizona is still breathing. The Wildcats swept the Oregon schools to get above water at 6-5 in the Pac-10. The Wildcats still have some of the bestnonconference wins in the Pac-10 with Gonzaga, Kansas and San Diego State on their résumé.
Jim Boylen's crew can shoot. Utah made 11 3s and beat Wyoming by 10 in Laramie, sweeping a TCU-Wyoming road trip and staying atop the Mountain West at 7-2.The Utes are a serious threat to earn a bid even if they don't win the MWC.
Memphis' regular-season league winning streak is hard to top. Davidson went down to College of Charleston to end the Wildcats' 43 straight wins in theSouthern Conference. Xavier saw its undefeated Atlantic 10 season go down at Duquesne. Siena lost at Rider to see its undefeated quest in the MAAC dissolve. OnFriday night, Marquette, which probably had no shot at going undefeated in the Big East, lost at South Florida. Earlier in the week, Butler saw its undefeatedseason in the Horizon end at Green Bay. Cornell lost its first Ivy League game at Princeton on Friday. That's why Memphis winning 50 games in a row againstConference USA opponents has to be one of the most impressive streaks in recent memory. Beating Gonzaga handily in Spokane in a key nonconference matchupisn't bad for the Tigers' résumé either. The Tigers aren't going anywhere, America. Get used to it.
Northwestern won't make the NCAA tournament yet again. The Wildcats' streak of never making the NCAAs is likely to continue after losing to Iowa,56-51. Taking out the Hawkeyes isn't a prerequisite for a bid, but the Wildcats couldn't afford to lose to lower-level Big Ten teams and still get abid. NU is 4-6 in the Big Ten, 13-8 overall.
