VCU gives 18 reasons why they belong

The Rams slap the taste out of the Hoyas mouths 74 to 56

Virginia Commonwealth are on a mission, Special Ed style. In the interest of full disclosure we picked USC to beat VCU but does it matter? We also picked this:



Georgetown was ripe to fall. But that shouldn't diminish from the type of ass kicking basketball the Rams are bringing. If you hinder their ability to shoot from the perimeter they'll bury you in the paint. If you play the bully role in the lane as Georgetown did they'll just shoot threes all day. Pick your poison.

So henceforth we shall no longer disrespect VCU. They truly belong here and they are one team the Selection Committee got right.

Beautiful Agony

Folks who are regular visitors know how much we love well executed screens, so here is the screen of the day...



Seen during the Valparaiso/Milwaukee game. And if you came here based on the post title expecting to see orgasms we're sorry. But welcome anyways!

Musketeers brought something heavy to the deal

Xavier 100 - La Salle's morale 0

Ok, La Salle did score 62 points. But does it really matter? Xavier rained threes on the Explorers early and did not let up until midway through the second half. La Salle was inept from ANY range (34% FG shooting, 23% 3PT shooting). Just to bring home how breathtaking the Musketeers domination was last night just take a look at this chart. Shhhhh.... Don't speak, citizens. Just look....



And the fans. Cruel cruel fans. Their bloodlust was insatiable. Something straight out of Gladiator we tell ya. In the end it means absolutely nothing for Xavier. But it was morbidly fun to watch.

Temple beats up on Richmond for damn tacos

Temple 73 - Richmond 53

Tacos... The Owls put on a clinic and embarrassed the Spiders just so students could get free tacos at the local Qdoba Restaurant. The NCAA Selection Committee will remember this, Richmond:

Temple - IN
Richmond - BUBBLE BUT OUT

Bill Self: This is a beatdown

Kansas State 84 - Kansas 68

They said that KSU would need to play for their tournament lives and boy howdy did they. Kansas State played a perfect game on both offense and defense although guard Jacob Pullen needed to score 50% of the Wildcats total offensive production for them to win the game.

On the Kansas side there were looks of absolute shock. Like "Wow, is this is really happening? Weren't we ranked #1 just 6 hours ago?!" We were actually surprised the Jayhawks allowed themselves to get smacked like that.

And it looks like we may get our wish with Texas being ranked #1 next Monday.

That's not a foul. Where's the blood?

For all of you who don't believe that basketball is a contact sport.

(HT: Ballin' is a Habit)

2-3 Zone don't matter if you can't score!

Syracuse 72 - USF 49

One thing we noticed is that South Florida properly defended against Syracuse's vaunted 2-3 Zone with aggressive cuts and screens. But none of that matters if you can't put the damn ball into the bucket... Oi vey.

Hammer meets nail

Texas 69 - TAMU 49

Well then. Maybe we should give more credit to the Longhorns. From the opening tip off Texas mercilessly pounded A&M. The Aggies couldn't even come close enough for people to start saying "Hey, it looks like they are staging a comeback!"

Wait a sec. Looks like we are getting a tweet from the Big 12 Commissioner now...



Ok, so where were we? Oh yeah, the Longhorns own the Aggies plain and simple.

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)

Best played simultaneously:

   

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep


Welcome to conference play in the Mountain West. Woot!

Jimmer Fredette owns the night

BYU 71 - SDSU 58

Somewhere Spenser is laughing. So first, to all the Mormons out there. Chanting overrated to the opposing team actually insults your team. Your basically saying that the team wasn't good enough for that ranking and you beat a not so good team.

Anyways, we know that's a pot-kettle thing. Fredette was Fredette, torching us for 43+ points. And our problems came back to haunt us: poor 3 point shooting, missed shots in the paint. We knew that once the crowd got behind the Cougars when they made a run it could be over. Kawhi Leonard was fantastic as usual, but we needed near perfect performances by Gay and White. 20 and 1 is not so bad. Come Monday we'll probably be ranked #15 which isn't so bad either.

So congrats BYU. For one night we were the center of the college basketball universe. See you Feb 26 and in the tournament (MWC and NCAA).


(Credit: CBSSports.com)

Know your enemy

Introducing the Brigham Young University Cougars...

Attack of the clones!

The one and only key to this game?

Stopping Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette

We have no answer. We will never have an answer. As good as D.J. Gay, Billy White and Kawhi Leonard are they do not come close. If all three brought their 'A' games and James Rahon was shooting lights out from 3 point land then maybe. If this game was at home we would say it will be a close one but we would lose. But this being at the Marriott Center we are going to get destroyed.

Yes, we are Aztec fans and alumni. But we are also realists. Give us any shred of statistical proof that we will be victorious. If we are wrong then great. We are still a great team but we know our limits. Wonder what Vegas has for the line on this game?

Go Aztecs anyway.

Your Punch-Out game of the night

Seton Hall 90 - Syracuse PNWDED

Ummmm... Can we just start with this first? The Pirates were 8-12 overall and 2-6 in Big East action. Seton Hall had previously lost to Clemson, Arkansas, Dayton and Rutgers (if the Jersey boys sick together). They played this game at Syracuse. At the Carrier Dome. And they go in there and DESTROY the 10th ranked Orange by 22 fucking points!

This was as epic of a collapse as we have seen happen to a team. It was almost like Syracuse was HIGH out there. They really should piss test those guys immediately to see. The folks over at Troy Nunes are having full blown kiniption fits right now (really, wait a few hours before you click on that link). Some of them are actually counting down the days until the FOOTBALL season begins.

Wow. At Syracuse.

This was the only good thing that happened in Vegas last night

Lorena Peril, star of the semi-nude Fantasy show at the Luxor prepares to sing to UNLV fans.

Then those fans quickly lost their erections as that powerhouse Colorado State demolished the Rebels on their home floor. Ouch.

So the question is where does UNLV go from here? It only gets worse with remaining games at New Mexico, at Brigham Young and vs. San Diego State (maybe). If they can't notch a quality win from one of these three then they might just need to win the MWC tournament outright to get into the Madness.

And another turnover

Louisville 88 - St. John's 63

The Red Reign is officially over coach Lavin. And when you turn the ball over 25 times you will get blown out.

Owl crash

Duquesne 78 - Temple 66

Now that was a "fuck you" statement by the Dukes. Temple has been maddeningly inconsistent. And to get caned like that at the hands of the 71st ranked team in the country is stunning to say the least. The Owls have bounced in and out of the polls all season and after this performance they might be out for good (and possibly NIT bound).

Something's burning

Too much at stake
Ground beneath me shake
And the news is breaking

Shock!

Watch the monkey get hurt, monkey

Shock!


Pittsburgh 72 - Georgetown 57

Wow, that was some ass pounding the Panthers gave the Hoyas. From beginning to end in almost every statistical category Pitt dominated. They really proved their ranking this time around. Or was it that Georgetown is not top 25 material?

We are: Penn State

Not Michigan State. PWND.

And not Illinois. PWND^2.

This is Sparta, Nittany Lions. Congrats.

Hoosiers disapprove of you, Sullinger.

Ohio State 85 - Indiana 67

So there was that. And here is your reference point.

You're sorry?!

Look away. The Hilltoppers are hideous.

On December 1st Western Kentucky played Vanderbilt and got disciplined to the tune of 82 to 62. It was embarrassing. So embarrassing in fact that Hilltoppers coach Ken McDonald issued a public apology and offered refunds to their fans:

"I told anyone that came to the game I'm going to write them a check for the gas money," McDonald said. "It's not right. It's not right."

We do admire his honesty. But with WKU sitting at 5 and 7 coach McDonald may be writing a few more checks to fans.

(HT: Ballin' is a Habit)

No freedom for Ben Hansbrough

Kentucky 72 - Notre Dame 58

Notre Dame basically fell apart like smoked chicken in this game. With the score 42 Wildcats 40 Irish at the half Notre Dame came out in the second half and did... nothing. Except shoot 36% from the field and 26% from beyond the arc. There were so many missed shots by the Fighting Irish that the word "Really?" started being bandied about by a few of us. It was essentially like watching two different teams. On the other hand Kentucky was the same as a few days ago really. Inexperienced, dumb errors but this time were able to pull it out because of Notre Dame's mental collapse.


San Diego State 77 - UC Berkeley 57

"We've never been ranked, so everything is positive when it happens. We embrace it. We think we deserve to be there. I told our team today, I want to look on December 9 and see if we're still there."
- SDSU coach Steve Fisher

Oh yes, it is December 9th and you are still here. And we are speechless. On the road the Aztecs played an even more complete game than last time. And finally SDSU was on target with their three point shooting. In fact it was that aspect that put the game out of reach for Cal. The Golden Bears played a great game and we were right to fear Gutierrez. But in the end great defense and terrific perimeter shooting (can't believe we are saying that) won the day. Go Aztecs.