10 Dec13 - Don't Look Back

Volume XV, No. 6 - 10 Dec 13 - [] Top 25 Ballot

Don't Look Back

SEC suspension on the horizon, NCAA sanctions certain to come ... who cares!!?? CARPE DIEM! Why not grab the best win of the season so far (on the road at Pittsburgh)!? That's what Tennessee pulled off on Saturday, 83-@76. With the Vols undefeated, the only thing keeping them from a #1-ranking is their scoring margin. The likes of Kansas, Duke, Ohio State, Louisville and Brigham Young (20+ppg) are way above UTn (12ppg) in that department -- a sign of less than complete domination of their schedule. Still, it's hard to make the Panthers quit in front of their own crowd, which is exactly what happened.
     Earlier in the week, Kentucky borrowed Louisville's home floor to post a @72-58 win over Bluegrass Quartet rival Notre Dame. Arkansas' @71-62 win over Seton Hall gave the SEC a 3-1 win over the BIG EAST in their double-double-header INVITATIONAL. (Rutgers beat Auburn @63-54 in Pittsburgh.)
     Texas A&M held on for a @63-62 win over double-dipping Washington to clinch the final HARDWOOD SERIES for the BIG 12 over the PAC-10. (The last remaining game, Stanford at Oklahoma State on 21 December, can't topple a 7-4 lead.)

At the JIMMY V CLASSIC in New York, Syracuse kept Michigan State in a funk with a @72-58 "home" win. Kansas handled Memphis 81-68 in the other double-header game.

Louisville doesn't have the star power from other years, but a solid @77-69 win over tough UNLV in the BILLY MINARDI CLASSIC is worth taking notice. (The early season win over Butler has lost its lustre, but UofL hasn't looked back.)
     Missouri pulled out an OT win at home this time, over Vanderbilt @85-82(OT). Meanwhile, Temple knocked off Georgetown at home, @68-65. BYU pounded a talented Arizona squad, @87-65.

It's mostly showcase double-headers on tap for the week coming up.

-- Ron

P.S. Don't forget: the deadline for this year's Pigskin Pool Party (Ron's free College Football Bowl Season Pool) [http://www.RonMcBay.US/Pigskin/index.html] is THIS SATURDAY, 18 DECEMBER 2010 (2PMet).

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Top 25 - 10 Dec 13 - [] Column

1. Duke (10-0)
2. Louisville (8-0)
3. Kansas (9-0)
4. BYU (10-0)
5. Ohio State (8-0)
6. Tennessee (7-0)
7. Connecticut (8-0)
8. Syracuse (10-0)
9. Kansas State (8-1)
10. UNLV (9-1)
11. Pittsburgh (10-1)
12. San Diego State (9-0)
13. Baylor (6-0)
14. Georgetown (9-1)
15. Kentucky (7-2)
16. Notre Dame (9-1)
17. Illinois (10-1)
18. Purdue (9-0)
19. Minnesota (9-1)
20. Missouri (8-1)
21. Michigan State (6-3)
22. Vanderbilt (7-2)
23. Texas A&M (8-1)
24. Villanova (8-1)
25. Temple (7-2)

Honorable Mention:

Washington State (7-1).