Azubuike24
This thread is mostly to discuss some games and topics that probably don't get much coverage on the boards or in the media. I'll throw out a few and then others can discuss those and/or add some of their own.
Missouri 74, #10 Kansas State 68 - As of now, these two teams have clearly put themselves (along with Baylor) as the 2nd tier NCAA Tourney teams from the Big 12. Not sure either can hang at the top of the standings with KU or UT, but both are very good teams. It will be interesting to see if one more team from the Big 12 (Iowa State, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State) can also make a push in the conference.
Alabama 74, LSU 56 - This was a statement game from the Tide. Many people, myself included, lumped the Tide in with the bottom half of the SEC, but after today, I have to think they are a notch above everyone else and right there with the likes of Florida and the current Tennessee roster for an NCAA bubble spot. I think UK, Vandy, Ole Miss and Miss. State are going to roll to the Tourney, but don't be surprised if this Alabama team rises up and steals a bubble spot. They do have 4 losses, but now that you look at them (Cornell, Florida State, Purdue and Kansas State), none of them are that bad. Wins over Baylor and Michigan look a little better now than a few weeks ago as well.
UNLV 74, #15 New Mexico 62 - Two conference losses this week for the Lobos brings them back to earth and firmly puts BYU as the class of the Mountain West. With that said, this conference might actually be good enough to get 4 teams in, although 3 is most likely. UNLV, BYU, New Mexico and San Diego State all in the discussion.
Northern Iowa 59, Illinois State 44 - Very good win on the road, and one that might just make UNI the best mid-major in the country. A roster of great experience, a very good big man in Egleseder and a team who is NCAA Tournament tested. The MVC, with the parity in the major conferences may also be looking at multiple bids with possibly UNI, Wichita State and Missouri State being NCAA caliber.
Baylor 91, Oklahoma 60 - An absolute thumping from teams heading in totally different directions. Baylor has been red hot while Oklahoma has taken a nose-dive to the bottom of the Big 12. Not as many weapons from the outside as the Baylor team from 2 years ago, but much more depth inside and better production on the boards and in the paint. Another horrid game for Willie Warren.
Strong Parity in the ACC - Normally I'm not a huge ACC fan, but with Duke losing today and UNC struggling mightily, this conference is as wide open as it has been since I was a really little kid. There isn't a bad team in the league and although they probably beat each other up and only get 6 teams in the dance, that group of 6 could be made up of probably 9 different teams (excluding Virginia, Boston College and N.C. State) from what I've seen. With that said, any of those 3 teams could beat any of the other teams in the conference. Should be a wild league this year and one that is dramatic night in and night out. In year's past, you could usually count on either Duke or UNC or one other team to simply be better than everyone else. Not this year.
How Weak Is The Pac-10: Nobody in this league has less than 3 losses, they have the most OOC losses of any BCS league and there isn't a single team who you figure can avoid having 3-4 bad losses in conference play. It might be the worst BCS conference as a whole as we have seen in a long time. Amazingly, the only team with a very good OOC resume is USC (wins over Tennessee, St. Mary's and UNLV) isn't eligible for the NCAA Tourney. It's going to be a long year for Pac-10 fans, and it should mean the Mountain West, WCC and a few other smaller leagues out there will have some room to shine.
The Year of the Mid-Major: Almost every power conference is very up in the air after the top few teams in the league, and I think that means the mid-major NCAA bids might be up from years past. Look for leagues like the Atlantic 10 to get 4 bids, Missouri Valley, Conference USA and Mountain West to get 3 bids, the West Coast Conference to get 2 and quite possibly the Colonial to be a multiple bid league as well.
Oklahoma's been disappointing. They shouldn't be struggling as much as they are.
For a Xavier fan it is pretty comical that Sean Miller leaves for Arizona and immediately the next season Xavier is the better team and the Atlantic 10 is the better conference.