<u>Nationally Televised Games</u> 12 PM EST - Georgetown (5) @ Memphis (2) - ESPN - 85-71 Memphis 12 PM EST - Coppin State (3-9) @ Indiana (13) - Big 10 Network - 73-46 Coppin State 2 PM EST - UCLA (8) @ Michigan (4-7) - CBS - 69-54 UCLA 2 PM EST - Tennessee (12) @ Xavier (8-2) - ESPN - 82-75 Xavier 4 PM EST - Florida (11-1)@ Ohio State (7-3) - CBS - 62-49 Ohio State 4:30 PM EST - Stanford (9-1) @ Texas Tech (6-4) - ESPN2 - 62-61 Stanford 6:30 PM EST - Texas (4) @ Michigan State (9) - ESPN2 - 78-72 Michigan State 7 PM EST - Santa Clara (7-4) @ Minnesota (7-1) - ESPNU - 68-50 Minnesota 8:30 PM EST - Illinois (6-4) @ Missouri (8-3) - ESPN2 - 59-58 Illinois 8:30 PM EST - Valparaiso (10-1) @ Wisconsin (8-2) - BIG 10 Network - 68-58 Wisconsin 9 PM EST - Oregon (23) @ Oakland (5-6) - ESPNU - 68-62 Oakland <u> </u> <u>Games of Interest </u>1 PM EST - UCSB (10-1) @ UNC (1) - 105-70 UNC 1 PM EST - Miami OH (6-4) @ Kansas (3) - 78-54 Kansas 3 PM EST - San Diego State (9-2) @ Arizona (19) - 74-58 Arizona 3:05 PM EST - Ark-Little Rock (9-1) @ Creighton (8-1) - 80-61 Creighton 4 PM EST - Florida State (10-3) @ Providence (7-3) - 101-95 Providence 5:30 PM EST - Clemson (15) @ Ole Miss (10-0) - 85-82 Ole Miss 6 PM EST - Utah (6-3) @ California (9-1) - 67-65 Utah 8 PM EST - Missouri State (7-3) @ Alabama (7-3) - 81-73 Alabama 8:05 PM EST - VCU (7-3) @ Bradley (7-4) - 79-64 VCU 12:30 AM EST - Ohio (8-3) @ St. Mary's (9-1) - 70-63 St. Mary's
I was surprised at how good Memphis looked after looking so ugly against my undermanned and under-talented Bearcats
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cpawfan @ Dec 22 2007, 03:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I was surprised at how good Memphis looked after looking so ugly against my undermanned and under-talented Bearcats</div> They've always been a real hot-cold type of team. That's why I'm never that confident in them when March rolls around. Their spread offense only works when their shots are falling, and their entire club is comprised of players who are athletes first, gunners second. If players like Chris Douglas-Roberts are hitting their shots, it compels the defense to play tighter on the perimeter, opening up the floor for cutters like Derrick Rose or Antonio Anderson. They won't be able to shoot like they did tonight on a normal basis though. How about that Michigan/UCLA game? Michigan's got all the components of a great team, minus the youth factor, and that's what burried them in the last minutes of that one. The final score doesn't really indicate much about the match-up, so for those who didn't watch, Michigan had the lead with nine minutes left. After that, a bunch of freshmen mistakes ensued. Harris rushed and missed a point-blank lay-up, then Ekpe Udoh took an ill-advised, yet wide-open three pointer, which of course was an air-ball, and the string of defensive mistakes that followed gave UCLA a 50-43 lead, deflating all confidence from Michigan's young bench. At least this game gives Michigan fans hope though. The only contributing senior on this year's squad is Ron Coleman (7 pts, 3 rbs tonight), so they'll have most of this team fully intact for a tournament run next season, provided Manny Harris doesn't leave early (which wouldn't surprise me). Not to mention, Amaker's players will be more accustomed to Beilein's system by then, and they'll have the help of Arizona transfer Laval Lucas-Perry to rely on too. This isn't the first time UCLA has had to come back from a large deficit to beat a team this season (Davidson, Michigan State), so this game says something about their squad as well. Collison had an awful game today from all aspects. His decision making was not on par with expectations, and while this is only my second time seeing him coming off a sprained knee, he's looking like he's only a shell of his former self this season. Onto the Tennessee/Xavier game, I was very impressed with the intensity that the Vols came out with after the Bruce Pearl technical, and I was likewise very unimpressed with the lack of intensity on Xavier's part. It was like they assumed they had the game wrapped up once that technical was handed to them. The only one who was playing with any poise in the last few minutes was Stanley Burrell. They've got a talented roster, a good coach, and wins over Indiana and Creighton on their resume, but they're definitely not a top 25 ball club. Tennessee, on the other hand, is shaping to be one of the nation's few legit title contenders. The addition of J.P. Prince is going to help them more than a lot of people realized. I played with him throughout high school, and he was even considered an elite level player back then, better in most people's opinions than fellow Memphis natives Thad Young and Shawne Williams. It's just unfortunate that his first year in the NCAA was spent burried on the bench at Arizona, because he lost all the hype around his name and seemingly dropped off the NBA radar. His 21 points tonight should vault him back into the national spotlight though. What'd I tell ya' J-Ray?
Unfortunately for Michigan fans, they will need to get use to disappointment as Beilein's system leaves his team very vulnerable to teams that pound the boards.
A game just ended that may not have had the nation's attention but definitely has tournament implications: Florida @ Ohio State. Ohio State wins 62-49, with Koufos leading all scorers with 17 (no boxscores are reporting rbs, ast, or blks yet). Also, Clemson and Ole Miss are in a dogfight right now, with Ole Miss up 41-32. While this is a game that guarantees a loss for two teams with illegitimate undefeated records, it's also a game that'll vault the winner into an even more overrated status, especially if Ole Miss wins and cracks the top 25. If that happens, it'll be a sad day for college basketball fans. Less than 30 minutes until Texas takes on Michigan State in the Palace! Hopefully this Stanford/Texas Tech game doesn't go into overtime. I'd have a mental breakdown if I couldn't watch the top 10 slugfest that is UT/MSU because two mediocre squads can't finish out their game on time.
I don't mind Michigan now that they got rid of that jackass Tommy Amaker. How about Seton Hall outscoring James Madison 69-59 in the 2nd Half to force OT and win 112-110, today.
Michigan State's lone loss on the season was at UCLA, a game which Texas also played and won. However, Drew Neitzel was sick that game, now he's healthy. If Michigan State wins, does that mean that Texas > UCLA, therefore a healthy Michigan State > UCLA? I think so.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kid Chocolate @ Dec 22 2007, 6:17 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'>Voodoo, I gather you're a Spartan fan?</div> That was actually my old screenname - "SpartanFan". <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cpawfan @ Dec 22 2007, 06:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Lay off Ole Miss Andy Kennedy > your favorite coach</div> I grew up outside of Oxford; my hatred's not that unfounded.
Because of how fast life is for me down in New Orleans, this is my first chance to really see the Spartans play this season (compared to the last five or six where I watched mostly every game they played with ESPN Full Court), so I know all of the returning players' games, but I'm not that acquainted with the freshmen yet (Lucas, Allen, Summers --- all 4-star recruits). Lucas is impressing the hell out of me. The announcer said that Izzo calls him the quickest recruit he's ever had, and I can see that. The Charlie Bell comparison they made is dead on in that sense as well. I had never seen a player bring the ball down the court quicker than Bell, that is, until now that I've seen Lucas. He's a lot better at attacking the basket than Bell though, a lot more fearless. For a freshman, you'd expect some timidity, but he's taking all the necessary shots. He's got great body control too, making a layups where he had to contort his body mid-air to get them to fall.
No. 10 Michigan State knocked off No. 5 Texas just now, 78-72. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=273560127 Top Performers: <u>Michigan State</u> Kalin Lucas (Fr.) - 18 pts, 7 rbs Raymar Morgan (So.) - 18 pts, 3 rbs Goran Suton (Jr.) - 12 pts, 8 rbs <u>Texas</u> A.J. Abrams (Jr.) - 24 pts, 4 rbs Damion James (So.) - 15 pts, 16 rbs D.J. Augustin (So.) - 18 pts, 3 rbs Go Green!
