Predictions for Feb 7th

Record: 40 - 16 ( 2-2 GOTD )


Games of the day

North Carolina at Duke
I got sick of hearing about Duke - UNC around the time the season started. Even if I was gushing about this game, I still couldn't watch it in hi def because of the ESPN blackout in ACC markets. When do you think Lincoln Financial Sports ( always JP Sports to me ) will go HD? My guess is..never.

Since everybody else has analyzed this game to death, I probably don't have much to add. I'll just leave you with this video.

North Carolina 77 Duke 71

Florida State at Clemson
Toss a coin on this one. Clemson hasn't been playing well, but they were a shot clock malfunction away of taking Duke to OT and were blowing Virginia out over a week ago before collapsing at the end. FSU has obviously improved on the road as the year has gone on but Clemson HAS to have this win considering their tough schedule down the stretch. Go with the desperate team I say.

Clemson 71 Florida State 70

Kansas State at Kansas
Kansas has seemed to back bounce well after losses so far this season. After their home loss to Oral Roberts, they won in Las Vegas over Florida. After the bad DePaul loss, they came back home, beat USC, and thrashed Boston College by 18 ( and that was with Sean Williams ). I see the same thing happening tonight. Kansas won't mess around and the Wildcats will be put away early.

Kansas 83 Kansas State 71

Oklahoma State at Oklahoma
I'm absolutely shocked Doug Gottlieb is calling this game tonight. I wonder who he's rooting for.

Oklahoma State is 0-3 on the road so far in the Big 12 by a margin of 20 points a game. That included this past Saturday's blowout loss to the worst team in the league ( and maybe one of the worst in any BCS conference ) Colorado. OSU has also been getting beaten on the boards throughout Big 12 play and I think it continues tonight. Couple OU's rebounding proficiency ( top 40 in the country in all rebounding categories along with top 4 in the Big 12 ) and their mauling defense, I think Oklahoma will get the job done here. The Sooners really seem to be hitting their stride in Big 12 play in an attempt to get into bubble consideration.

Oklahoma 73 Oklahoma State 67

Georgetown at Louisville
Louisville's another team that can't afford to miss a big win at home considering they don't have, well, any particularly good wins yet. I'll take Georgetown's stifling defense, experience, and as of recently, dominating inside game to lead the Hoyas to a nice road win.

Georgetown 66 Louisville 60

Pittsburgh at West Virginia
West Virginia is, once again, another team that's on the edge of the tournament and the bubble right now. They have two crucial games coming up against Pitt and UCLA. If they want to get in, they're going to need to win one of those. Gray obviously poses a matchup problem for the 'Neers and it'll be interesting to see if they can stop him in any way.

WVU is undefeated at home this year; though the best team they've beaten is Villanova. They haven't faced anybody like Pitt at home this year but I don't believe Pitt will be involved in a more hostile environment the rest of the year than tonight in Morgantown. I'm sure Marquette fans will disagree with me on that one. This is much more of a need game for West Virginia and I think they pull off the upset.

West Virginia 76 Pitt 73

USC at UCLA
USC is one of the hottest teams in the country right now and came within a last second shot by Arron Afflalo of beating UCLA last month. Though I think it'll be close, I don't see a way USC can win at Pauley tonight.

UCLA 73 USC 64

Florida at Georgia
First time Florida slips up in the SEC? I think so. Georgia desperately needs this game to take themselves off the bubble and into the tournament. They've also been playing very well at home in SEC play with a blowout win over South Carolina and other wins against Vanderbilt, LSU, and Kentucky. For Georgia, their only true "big man" Takais Brown has been playing extremely well this past month. The problem is, they don't have two Browns to guard Horford and Noah. I really don't see Steve Newman, Dave Bliss, or Albert Jackson being able to stay with whoever Takais doesn't guard. My guess is they play zone which opens them up for even more problems. Green, Humphrey, Brewer, and Hodge can shoot over that zone and get them out of it like that. The good thing for Georgia, though, is even in a zone they can rebound very, very well with all of their athletic guards getting in on the action ( their guards contribute 18.6 rpg ).

With all of that being said, I still think Georgia pulls it out. Florida's due to drop an SEC game and Georgia's playing very well at home in SEC play. Brown has an official coming out party for Georgia and Stukes goes for 20. The 'Dawgs by 3.

Georgia 71 Florida 68

Mississippi State at Alabama
Which Alabama team will show up? Is it the team that showed up in Baton Rouge or is it the team that struggled to put away South Carolina until the final minute? The problem tonight for Alabama will be if Mississippi State can drain threes like almost every other team ( sans LSU ) in the SEC has done to the Tide. It's especially concerning for them considering State has six players that can all shoot it deep. Alonzo Gee and Mykal Riley ( Riley coming off the bench I assume ) really have to pick it up on defense tonight because one of them is going to have to guard Jamont Gordon. Why do I keep imagining him draining wide open 3s after a set screen or taking Gee off the dribble to the bucket with nobody sliding over for help defense? Thankfully for Alabama he's also a turnover machine averaging 4 a game.

On the other hand, Mississippi State is 1-6 on the road this year and I'm not sure who they have that can guard Davidson AND Hendrix. Charles Rhodes has been a huge disappointment for them so far this season and minus a game against Ole Miss over a week ago, he hasn't done anything in almost a month. If Rhodes gets in his usual foul trouble, I don't see Jarvis Varnado or Vernon Goodridge being near strong enough to guard Hendrix. This rivalry is almost always decided by less than a couple of buckets. Well, other than that one time. Hendrix goes for a double double and the Tide win by 7.

Alabama 70 Mississippi State 63

AEC
Albany 71 Maine 66

A-10
Dayton 72 Fordham 68
Temple 81 St. Bonaventure 65
Duquesne 106 La Salle 101
Xavier 64 St. Louis 59
Charlotte 77 Richmond 58

ACC
Boston College 80 Miami 70

Big East
St. John's 65 South Florida 61
Marquette 82 Rutgers 61

Big Sky
Montana 84 Sacramento State 66
Eastern Washington 85 Weber State 80

Big South
UNC-Asheville 75 Brevard College 44

Big Ten
Illinois 63 Northwestern 54
Iowa 74 Minnesota 67
Purdue 65 Michigan State 62
Wisconsin 69 Penn State 55

CAA
UNC-Wilmington 63 Delaware 61
Northeastern 78 Towson 72
Old Dominion 82 Georgia State 63
James Madison 64 William & Mary 59

C-USA
UCF 66 East Carolina 52
Houston 76 SMU 71
Tulane 73 UTEP 72
Tulsa 65 Marshall 58
Rice 74 Southern Miss 66

Horizon
Wright State 72 Illinois-Chicago 64
Loyola ( IL ) 67 Detroit 50

MAC
Akron 78 Central Michigan 57
Buffalo 68 Ball State 63
Miami U. 62 Eastern Michigan 60
Bowling Green 65 Northern Illinois 60

MVC
Creighton 80 Evansville 64
Southern Illinois 62 Bradley 53

Mountain West
Colorado State 70 Utah 66
UNLV 81 TCU 63

Patriot
Lafayette 60 Colgate 54
Lehigh 68 Navy 56

SEC
Kentucky 76 South Carolina 65
Arkansas 82 Auburn 63

Southland
Stephen F. Austin 72 Central Arkansas 61

WAC
Boise State 84 Idaho 55