Wednesday's Scores

Top 25:

(7) Texas A&M 96 (24-5, 12-3) - Drop into a tie with Texas for 2nd.
(15) Texas 98 2OT - A win @ Kansas on Saturday would win the Big 12.

(24) Maryland 85 (23-7, 9-7) - Won 6 straight; Greatly improve their seed with a 3-0 record vs. Duke and North Carolina.
(14) Duke 77 (22-8, 8-7) - 4th home ACC loss; need a win @ UNC to stay above .500 in the ACC.

(19) Vanderbilt 99 (20-9, 10-5) - Barely squeak by, but secure 2nd in the SEC East.
South Carolina 90 OT (14-14, 4-11)

Other Scores:

Georgia 70 (17-11, 8-7) - Must win vs. Tennessee for any NCAA hopes.
Kentucky 82 (20-9, 9-6) - Much needed win; @ Florida on Sunday.

Baylor 74 (13-15, 3-12)
Texas Tech 85 (19-11, 8-7) - Can't slip up @ Iowa St. on Saturday.

Miami (FL) 70 (11-18, 4-11)
Clemson 74 OT (20-9, 6-9) - Need another ACC win badly.

Villanova 78 (20-9, 8-7) - Good road win to keep them in NCAA contention.
UConn 74 (17-12, 6-9)

Minnesota 47 (9-21, 3-13)
Purdue 66 (19-10, 9-7) - Still clinging on to some NCAA hopes.

Iowa 72 (16-13, 8-7) - Any NCAA hopes they had are now gone.
Penn St. 74 (11-17, 2-13)

St. Joseph's 62 (17-12, 9-6)
Xavier 72 (22-7, 12-3) - Won 7 straight.

UNLV 85 (24-6, 11-4) - Won 10 of last 12 which is important for making the tournament.
New Mexico 83 (15-15, 4-11)

Kentucky's Opponents:

LSU 68 (15-14, 4-11) - May miss the NIT even with the win over Florida.
Auburn 80 (17-13, 7-8) - Climb back into a 4-way tie for 1st in the SEC West.

Mississippi St. 58 (16-12, 7-8) - vs. Alabama on Sunday is huge.
Arkansas 67 (17-12, 6-9)

Mississippi 58 (18-11, 7-8) - vs. Auburn on Saturday to try to stay in 1st.
Alabama 69 (20-9, 7-8) - Another one of the 4 1st place SEC West teams.

Indiana 69 (19-9, 9-6) - vs. Penn St. on Saturday should be an easy 20th win.
Northwestern 65 (13-16, 2-13)

Houston 72 (15-14, 9-6)
UCF 75 OT (21-8, 10-5)

La Salle 63 (10-19, 3-12)
UMass 102 (22-7, 12-3)

Conference Tournaments:

Southern Conference:

Wofford 55 (10-20, 5-13)
Chattanooga 64 (15-17, 6-12)

Elon 65 (7-23, 5-13)
Western Carolina 69 (11-19, 7-11)

Georgia Southern 62 (15-15, 7-11)
The Citadel 46 (7-23, 4-14)

Sun Belt Conference:

LA Lafayette 78 (9-21, 7-11)
North Texas 93 (20-10, 10-8)

Ark. Little Rock 70 (13-17, 8-10)
New Orleans 77 (14-16, 9-9)

Middle Tenn. St. 72 (14-16, 8-10)
Troy 64 (13-17, 8-10)

Florida Intl. 88 (12-17, 7-11)
Florida Atlantic 91 OT (15-15, 10-8)

LA Monroe 83 (18-13, 11-7)
Denver 67 (4-25, 3-15)

Patriot League:

Colgate 44 (10-19, 5-9)
American 59 (16-13, 7-7)

Navy 43 (14-16, 4-10)
Bucknell 62 (21-8, 13-1)

Lafayette 53 (9-21, 3-11)
Holy Cross 83 (23-8, 13-1)

Lehigh 46 (12-19, 7-7)
Army 47 (15-15, 4-10)

Kentucky 82 Georgia 70

UK got a much needed win on Senior Night in Lexington over Georgia. Kentucky played with the same kind of attitude that they had in the 1st half vs. Vandy, but this time they kept it up throughout the whole game. The defense was pressuring the ball and getting in the passing lanes, and the offense moved the ball to create easy shots. Bobby Perry had 22 points on 8-12 shooting, including 4-7 3 pointers. When Perry plays like that, Kentucky is a totally different team. It opened up the middle for Morris who had 17 points in just 17 minutes. Tubby let the seniors play a lot tonight, and he mixed in the freshmen quite a bit also. Jasper and Porter combined for just 5 points, but they had a total of 9 assists. I think it's very important to get Porter more minutes, so Bradley can play more at shooting guard when Jasper isn't in the game. Bradley scored 18, had 6 rebounds, and 5 assists on what seemed to be a quiet night until I looked at the box score. Meeks also had another solid game with 11 points.

The main negative was once again turnovers. I thought that Kentucky did as good a job denying penetration tonight as they have all year, and it forced Georgia to shoot low percentage shots. But UK gave up the ball 17 times, much of them being just careless turnovers once again.

This gives Kentucky another 20 win season, and some momentum going down to Florida on Sunday. Hopefully the Cats will build on a good performance and go on a run at the most important time of the year.

Tuesday's Scores

Top 25:

(5) Florida 76 (25-5, 12-3) - Lost 2 straight and 3 of 4.
Tennessee 86 (20-9, 8-6) - Go undefeated at home; @ Georgia on Saturday.

West Virginia 66 (20-8, 8-7) - Lost 4 of 6; should get 1 more win vs. Cinci. on Saturday.
(12) Pittsburgh 80 (25-5, 12-3) - Big game @ Marquette on Saturday.

BYU 62 (22-7, 12-3) - Big road win; keep lead in the MWC.
(25) Air Force 58 (23-7, 10-6) - Lost 3 straight; 1st home loss all year; 3rd place in MWC.

Other Scores:

Kansas St. 70 (20-10, 9-6) - Really need a win vs. Oklahoma on Saturday.
Oklahoma St. 84 (20-9, 6-8) - Stops 4 game losing streak; still need to take care of business @ Baylor and Nebraska.

Michigan St. 56 (21-9, 8-7) - Stops 4 game winning streak; 1-7 on the road this year; @ Wisconsin on Saturday.
Michigan 67 (20-10, 8-7) - A win vs. Ohio St. on Saturday could put them in the tournament.

Horizon Tournament:

Detroit 80 (11-19, 6-10)
Youngstown St. 82 (14-16, 7-9)

Wis. Milwaukee 77 (9-22, 6-10)
Ill. Chicago 83 (14-17, 7-9)

Ohio Valley Tournament:

Samford 70 (16-15, 12-8)
Murray St. 60 (16-14, 13-7)

Tennessee St. 84 (12-20, 8-12)
Austin Peay 89 OT (20-10, 16-4)

Morehead St. 45 (12-18, 8-12)
Eastern Kentucky 63 (19-11, 13-7)

SE Missouri St. 60 (11-20, 9-11)
Tennessee Tech 88 (19-12, 13-7)

Big South Tournament:

Radford 73 (8-22, 3-11)
High Point 90 (22-9, 11-3)

Virginia Military 79 (13-18, 5-9)
Liberty 78 (14-17, 8-6)

Charleston Southern 42 (8-22, 2-12)
Winthrop 72 (26-4, 14-0)

N.C. Asheville 77 (12-18, 6-8)
Coastal Carolina 64 (15-15, 7-7)

Conference Tournaments

I've added links on the right side of the page, so you can follow all of the conference tournaments. Most of the matchups haven't yet been decided, but the brackets will fill out when all of the regular season games are done.

The Big South, Horizon, and Ohio Valley all get started with their tournaments tonight.

Big South: Winthrop is the clear favorite at 25-4 and 14-0 in conference. They have a chance to get in with an at-large bid, but they would probably need to get to the championship game. If somebody else wins the league, Winthrop may still get in and spoil another bubble team's hopes.

Horizon: Butler has been ranked almost all year, and are a lock for an NCAA bid. But, they lost homecourt advantage to Wright St. If someone other than Butler wins, this will be a 2 bid league.

OVC: Really rewards regular season play by only taking 8 teams to the tournament, and letting the top 4 teams host the first round. Austin Peay won the league and should be the favorite. The rest of the conference was jammed together with a 3-way tie for 2nd. This is a one bid league no matter who wins.

Monday's Scores

The first conference tournament games start on Tuesday, and I'll track every one of them up until Selection Sunday.

Top 25:

(3) Kansas 67 (26-4, 13-2) - #1 seed is looking more likely if they keep winning; vs. Texas on Saturday.
Oklahoma 65 (15-13, 6-9)

(9) Georgetown 58 (22-6, 12-3) - Stops 11 game winning streak; still in 1st in the Big East.
Syracuse 72 (21-8, 10-5) - Very big win that should make them a lock in the NCAA Tournament.

Other Scores:

Gonzaga 74 (21-10, 11-3) - Win another WCC title.
San Diego 64 (16-13, 6-8)

Kentucky's Opponents:

Santa Clara 82 (20-9, 10-4) - Lose last 2 games, and blow their chance at winning the WCC.
Pepperdine 89 OT (8-22, 4-10)

Grambling St. 55 (10-13, 8-8)
Miss. Valley St. 64 (15-14, 12-5)

Sunday's Scores

Top 25:

(1) Wisconsin 48 (26-4, 12-3) - Lost 2 straight; short stay at #1.
(2) Ohio St. 49 (26-3, 14-1) - Won 13 straight.

(5) North Carolina 87 (24-5, 10-4) - Allow Virginia and Virginia Tech to climb into a tie for 1st in the ACC.
Maryland 89 (22-7, 8-6) - Won 5 straight; @ Duke on Wed.

Houston 64 (15-13, 9-5)
(7) Memphis 77 (25-3, 14-0) - Won 17 straight; could they get a #1 seed if they don't lose all the way up until Selection Sunday?

Kentucky 65 (19-9, 8-6) - Lost 4 of 5; really need a win vs. Georgia on Wed.
(17) Vanderbilt 67 (19-9, 9-5) - Pretty much a lock for 2nd place in the SEC East now.

(18) Duke 67 (22-7, 8-6) - 2 big game left vs. Maryland and @ UNC.
St. John's 50 (15-14, 6-9)

(20) Louisville 76 (21-8, 11-4) - Won 5 straight including 3 on the road.
UConn 69 (17-11, 6-8) - It's amazing how little you hear from the media about their poor season.

Other Games:

Arizona 61 (18-9, 9-7) - Any win is good for them right now; 2 away games @ Stanford and California remaining.
Arizona St. 58 (7-20, 1-15)

Vanderbilt 67 Kentucky 65

Once again Kentucky choked down the stretch to lose yet another game. For the first time in 4 games, UK actually got off to a good start. They played hard for 30 minutes, but when Vandy committed to playing a zone, UK had no chance. Kentucky looked like they were just doing a walk-through on offense against Vandy's zone. Woo and Perry both had good games, but bad play from Bradley, Crawford, and Morris cost the Cats. The 3 juniors combined for 21 points and 10 turnovers.

Point guard play killed Kentucky today. Jasper is pretty much dead weight on the court now. He had 3 turnovers in 10 minutes and didn't attempt a shot. He also only plays defense with his arms, and never moves his feet. This makes it simple for his man to drive right past him. Bradley is also failing at the point. He doesn't even seem to attempt to get the rest of the team involved on offense, and makes turnovers at the worst times.

Some might think that there were positives to take away from today's game. After all, UK did manage to go into a hostile environment and almost pull off an upset. But, this game sums up the play of the whole year, especially in late game situations. It doesn't matter how well you shoot when you turn the ball over so much. Kentucky was even with Vandy in rebounds at 28, but Vandy had 15 more shot attempts. The defense was good, and the shooting was good, but the turnovers killed UK. The guards have to just not give the ball away. They don't have to take over and be heroes, they just have to not lose the game.

Saturday's Scores

Top 25:

(3) Florida 56 (25-4, 12-2) - Might have been looking ahead to @ Tenn and vs. UK.
LSU 66 (15-13, 4-10) - I don't think there is any question that they don't play better without Glenn Davis; could make some noise in the SEC Tournament.

Stanford 61 (17-10, 9-7) - Really need a win vs. Arizona on Thursday.
(4) UCLA 75 (25-3, 14-2) - Clinched at least a tie for the Pac-10 crown.

Iowa St. 52 (14-14, 5-9)
(6) Kansas 89 (25-4, 12-2) - Last 6 have been easy, but @ Oklahoma and vs. Texas may be harder.

Baylor 87 (13-14, 3-11)
(8) Texas A&M 97 (24-4, 12-2) - @ Texas on Wednesday.

(9) Washington St. 58 (23-5, 12-4) - Still in 2nd in the Pac-10; last 2 are vs. UCLA and USC.
Oregon St. 54 (11-19, 3-14)

(10) Pittsburgh 53 (24-5, 11-3) - 1st road loss in the Big East.
(12) Georgetown 61 (22-4, 12-2) - Now in first by themselves in the Big East.

(11) Nevada 95 (26-2, 13-1) - Last road game @ Utah St. on Thursday.
Boise St. 81 (16-11, 8-6)

Evansville 69 (14-16, 6-12)
(13) Southern Illinois 76 (25-5, 15-3) - Won 11 straight; win MVC by 2 games.

(14) Air Force 66 (23-6, 10-5) - Can't win the MWC after this loss; lost 2 in a row; vs. BYU on Tuesday.
TCU 71 (11-15, 3-11) - Stops 11 game losing streak.

Detroit 36 (11-18, 6-10)
(15) Butler 56 (26-5, 13-3) - Need a good showing in their conference tournament after losing 3 of 6.

(16) Marquette 73 (22-8, 9-6) - Lost 4 of 5; vs. Pittsburgh on Saturday.
Notre Dame 85 (22-6, 10-5) - Won 4 straight.

(19) Texas 68 (21-7, 11-3) - Big road win; still have vs. A&M and @ Kansas.
Oklahoma 58 (15-12, 6-8)

(21) BYU 74 (21-7, 11-3) - @ Air Force on Tuesday to try to clinch the conference.
San Diego St. 86 (20-8, 9-5) - Could make a run in the MWC tournament.

Washington 85 (16-12, 6-10)
(23) Oregon 93 (22-7, 10-7) - Just 1 game left, vs. Oregon St. on Saturday.

Georgia Tech 69 (18-9, 6-7) - Really need a win vs. UNC or BC.
(24) Virginia 75 (19-8, 10-4) - Stay tied for 2nd in the ACC; huge game vs. Va. Tech on Thursday.

Auburn 86 (16-13, 6-8)
(25) Alabama 77 (19-9, 6-8) - Swept by Auburn; lost 4 of 5.

Other Games:

Oklahoma St. 57 (19-9, 5-8) - Must win last 3 to get to .500 in the conference.
Texas Tech 59 (18-11, 7-7) - Good chance to get to 9-7 in the Big 12 with vs. Baylor and @ Iowa St.

Kansas St. 87 (20-9, 9-5) - 20+ wins and a winning conference record should help them get in.
Colorado 71 (6-18, 2-12)

Clemson 54 (19-9, 5-9) - Lost 9 of last 12; can't finish at .500 in the ACC.
Boston College 59 (19-9, 10-5) - Stops 3 game losing streak; @ Ga.Tech to close out the regular season on March 4th.

Miami (FL) 57 (11-17, 4-10)
Virginia Tech 73 (20-8, 10-4) - Still in 2nd place in the ACC.

Syracuse 71 (20-8, 9-5) - vs. Georgetown on Monday could be a huge win.
Providence 67 (17-10, 7-7) - @ South Fla. and St. John's could help them get into the tournament.

Rutgers 51 (10-18, 3-12)
Villanova 74 (19-9, 7-7) - Manage to stay alive for another day.

Illinois 68 (21-9, 9-6) - Probably are in the tournament with this win.
Penn St. 50 (10-17, 1-13)

Purdue 75 (18-10, 7-7) - Could get to 20 wins with vs. Minnesota and Northwestern.
Northwestern 68 (13-15, 2-12)

California 66 (14-14, 6-10)
USC 84 (21-8, 11-5) - Can still climb into 2nd place with wins next week.

Gonzaga 86 (20-10, 10-3) - Still have good chance at an automatic bid due to difficult nonconference schedule.
San Francisco 79 OT (12-17, 7-6)

Winthrop 83 (25-4, 14-0) - Go undefeated in the conference; only losses to UNC, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Texas A&M.
Coastal Carolina 69 (15-14, 7-7)

Wichita St. 54 (17-13, 8-10) - Big let down after starting out 9-0.
Creighton 71 (19-10, 13-5) - Big win after losing 2 straight; should be in for sure now.

Drake 74 (16-14, 6-12)
Missouri St. 92 (21-9, 12-6) - This was a must win and they did just that.

Davidson 87 (26-4, 17-1) - Win the Southern Conference with just 1 loss.
Citadel 70 (7-22, 4-14)

Kentucky's Opponents:

Mississippi 63 (18-10, 7-7) - I guess nobody want to win the SEC West.
South Carolina 76 (14-13, 4-10) - Gearing up for another NIT; could surprise Vandy on Wednesday.

Mississippi St. 73 (16-11, 7-7) - Just 1-5 vs. the SEC East.
Georgia 86 (17-10, 8-6) - 2 big games left: @ UK, vs. Tenn.

Tennessee 83 (20-9, 8-6) - vs. Florida on Tuesday.
Arkansas 72 (16-12, 5-9)

Indiana 58 (18-9, 8-6) - Lost 5 of 7, but last 2 are @ Northwestern and vs. Penn St.
Michigan St. 66 (21-8, 8-6) - Won 4 in a row, and go for the sweep @ Wisconsin on Saturday.

Santa Clara 66 (20-8, 10-3) - Loss hurts their WCC champion chances; tied with Gonzaga for 1st.
Loyola Marymount 67 (13-16, 5-8)

Cincinnati 45 (10-18, 1-13)
DePaul 58 (17-12, 8-7)

St. Louis 50 (17-11, 7-7)
UMass 53 (21-7, 11-3)

Eastern Kentucky 65 (18-11, 13-7)
Tennessee St. 53 (12-19, 8-12)

Jackson St. 70 (16-12, 10-5)
Miss. Valley St. 77 (14-14, 11-5)

N.C. Greensboro 68 (16-13, 12-6)
Chattanooga 61 (14-17, 6-12)

Buffalo 68 (11-16, 3-10)
Miami (OH) 80 (15-12, 10-4)

Charleston 65 (20-10, 13-5)
Georgia Southern 74 (14-15, 6-12)

Thursday's Scores

Top 25:

California 75 (14-13, 6-9)
(4) UCLA 85 (24-3, 13-2) - Now 2 full games ahead of 2nd in the Pac-10.

Rice 63 (13-13, 7-6)
(7) Memphis 99 (24-3, 13-0) - Still going for the conference season and tournament sweep.

(9) Washington St. 59 (22-5, 11-4) - Not a bad road loss; still have vs. UCLA and USC.
(23) Oregon 64 (21-7, 9-7) - Very big win; last 2 are @ home.

(11) Nevada 84 (25-2, 12-1) - @ Boise St. and @ Utah St. could be losses, but they've put together an impressive resume already.
Idaho 68 (3-24, 1-13)

Loyola Chicago 75 (20-9, 10-5)
(15) Butler 71 (25-5, 12-3) - Lost 3 of 5; these 3 conference losses are going to hurt their seed significantly.

(18) Duke 71 (21-7, 8-6) - Should have no trouble at St. John's on Sunday.
Clemson 66 (19-8, 5-8) - Tournament hopes are really starting to fade; lost 8 of 10; still have @ BC and @ Va. Tech.

Other Scores:

Stanford 65 (17-9, 9-6) - Lost 4 of 7; @ UCLA on Saturday.
USC 69 (20-8, 10-5) - Good win to break tie with Stanford for 3rd in the Pac-10.

Furman 57 (14-14, 8-9)
Davidson 75 (25-4, 16-1) - won 9 of 10 and 20 of 21; making a strong push for an NCAA bid.

Kentucky's Opponents:

Citadel 40 (7-21, 4-13)
Charleston 50 (20-9, 13-4)

Eastern Kentucky 68 (17-11, 12-7)
Austin Peay 77 (19-9, 16-3)

Thursday

Wednesday's Scores

Top 25:

Penn St. 60 (10-16, 1-12)
(2) Ohio St. 68 (25-3, 13-1) - vs. Wisconsin on Sunday to decide the Big 10.

South Carolina 49 (13-13, 3-10)
(3) Florida 63 (25-3, 12-1) - Should still easily be a #1 seed.

N.C. State 64 (14-12, 4-9)
(5) North Carolina 83 (24-4, 10-3) - Still have @ Maryland, @ GT, and vs. Duke.

(8) Texas A&M 66 (23-4, 11-2) - Stay in a tie with Kansas for 1st in the Big 12.
Oklahoma St. 46 (19-8, 5-7) - Need some conference wins; if they don't get them vs. the rest of their easier schedule, then they're in trouble.

(12) Georgetown 75 (21-5, 11-2) - Won 10 straight; vs. Pittsburgh on Saturday.
Cincinnati 65 (10-17, 1-12)

(13) Southern Illinois 58 (24-5, 14-3) - Keep improving their seed.
Indiana St. 50 (12-16, 5-12)

(17) Vanderbilt 70 (18-9, 8-5) - Loss brings them into a tie with Kentucky for 2nd in the SEC East; vs. UK on Sunday.
Mississippi St. 83 (16-10, 7-6) - Tied for 1st with Ole Miss in the West.

St. John's 48 (15-13, 6-9)
(20) Louisville 72 (20-8, 10-4) - @ UConn and vs. Seton Hall should be wins to close out the season.

Colorado St. 67 (15-11, 5-9)
(21) BYU 76 (21-6, 11-2) - Won 7 straight.

(24) Virginia 60 (18-8, 9-4) - bad road loss takes them out of 1st in the ACC.
Miami (FL) 68 (11-16, 4-9)

(25) Alabama 66 (19-8, 6-7) - Need to win 2 of 3 to get to .500 in the SEC.
Tennessee 69 OT (19-9, 7-6) - Still undefeated at home and still host Florida next week.

Other Scores:

Florida St. 55 (17-11, 5-9) - Lost 5 in a row; must win last 2 to have a chance at an NCAA bid.
Maryland 73 (21-7, 7-6) - Won 4 straight, but still have vs. UNC and @ Duke left.

Boston College 62 (18-9, 9-5) - Lost 3 straight.
Virginia Tech 79 (19-8, 9-4) - Good win to move back into a tie for 2nd in the ACC.

Wake Forest 61 (13-14, 4-10)
Georgia Tech 75 (18-9, 6-7) - Should be in with one more win.

Michigan 42 (18-10, 6-7) - Only shot to get in would be to win out, including vs. Ohio St.
Illinois 54 (20-9, 8-6) - Should win last 2, but they're both on the road.

Purdue 59 (17-10, 6-7) - Needed this game badly; should win last 3.
Iowa 78 (16-12, 8-6) - 8-6 nonconference record hurts them even with their pretty good Big 10 record.

Kentucky's Opponents:

Arkansas 59 (16-11, 5-8) - Is this Stan Heath's last year? I'd hope so if I were an Arkansas fan.
Auburn 67 (15-13, 5-8)

Georgia 49 (16-10, 7-6) - In bad shape with last 3 vs. Miss. St, @ UK, vs. Tenn.
Mississippi 67 (18-9, 7-6) - It's going to be hard to keep the winner of the SEC West out of the tournament, and they are tied for 1st.

Minnesota 59 (9-19, 3-11)
Indiana 71 (18-8, 8-5) - Could really help their seed with a win @ Michigan St. on Saturday.

St. Bonaventure 44 (6-20, 3-10)
UMass 83 (20-7, 10-3)

Tulane 70 (13-12, 6-7)
Houston 78 (15-12, 9-4)

Akron 62 (20-6, 10-3)
Miami (OH) 64 OT (14-12, 9-4)

Tuesday's Scores

Top 25:

(1) Wisconsin 55 (26-3, 12-2) - They're a very good team, but they have been beating weak teams to get this rating.
Michigan St. 64 (20-8, 7-6) - Very good win, but still have 3 games that could all go either way.

(14) Air Force 50 (23-5, 10-4) - Loss brings them into a tie with UNLV for 2nd.
UNLV 60 (23-6, 10-4) - Good payback win to solidify NCAA bid.

Texas Tech 51 (17-11, 6-7) - vs. Okla. St. on Saturday is huge.
(19) Texas 80 (20-7) - still have @ Oklahoma, vs. A&M, and @ Kansas.

(22) West Virginia 61 (20-7, 8-6) - Gone 1-2 since beating UCLA, but their ranking has gone up.
Providence 64 (17-9, 7-6) - Good shot at finish 3-0, and getting to 20 wins.

Other Scores:

LSU 63 (14-13, 3-10)
Kentucky 70 (19-8, 8-5) - Stops 3 game losing streak; @ Vandy on Sunday.

DePaul 54 (16-12, 7-7)
Notre Dame 78 (21-6, 9-5) - Won 3 straight.

Missouri St. 71 (20-9, 11-6) - Get to 20 wins which will help NCAA chances.
Wichita St. 65 (17-12, 8-9)

Northern Iowa 79 (17-12, 8-9)
Bradley 70 (19-11, 9-8) - I think they have too many losses to get in.

Creighton 55 (18-10, 12-5) - This loss hurts after losing their Bracket Buster; must win vs. Wichita St. on Saturday.
Illinois St. 65 (15-14, 6-11)

High Point 60 (20-9, 10-3)
Winthrop 72 (24-4, 13-0) - Just one more game to finish a perfect conference season.

Tuesday's Update

I just arrived back home at 3:15 am after attending the UK vs. LSU game. Tuesday's Scores will be posted Wednesday afternoon.

Monday's Scores

Top 25:

(6) Kansas 71 (24-4, 11-2) - Just waiting for any of the teams above them to fall.
Kansas St. 62 (19-9, 8-5) - Good conference record, but still have @ Ok. St, and vs. Okla.

(10) Pittsburgh 71 (24-4, 11-2) - @ Georgetown on Saturday will probably decide the Big East winner.
Seton Hall 68 (12-14, 3-10)

(15) Butler 68 (25-4, 12-2) - Must win last 2 to have a chance at the conference title.
Wisc. Green Bay 58 (16-13, 7-8)

Villanova 67 (19-9, 6-7) - Need maybe 2 wins out of last 3.
(16) Marquette 80 (22-7, 9-5) - Stops 3 game losing streak. Last to are @ ND and vs. Pittsburgh.

Other Scores:

Wofford 73 (9-18, 4-12)
Davidson 80 (24-4, 15-1)

Kentucky's Opponents:

Houston 69 (14-12, 8-4)
Southern Miss. 74 (17-8, 7-5)

Charleston 80 (19-9, 12-4)
Furman 77 2OT (14-13, 8-8)

Elon 59 (6-21, 4-12)
Chattanooga 62 (14-16, 6-11)

Miss. Valley St. 63 (12-14, 9-5)
Texas Southern 47 (13-11, 9-4)

Saturday & Sunday's Scores

Here's a 2 in 1 update with the whole weekend's results.

Top 25:

(1) Florida 70 (24-3, 11-1) - Very tough place to play.
Vanderbilt 83 (18-8, 8-4) - Should clinch and NCAA bid.

(2) Ohio St. 85 (24-3, 12-1) - Will be number 1 even though there will be 3 teams right below them that they've lost to.
Minnesota 67 (9-18, 3-10)

Penn St. 49
(3) Wisconsin 75 (26-2, 12-1) - Probably the new number 2. The weak Big 10 is really helping them and Ohio St. out.

(4) North Carolina 77 (23-4, 9-3) - Good road win to keep them in a tie for 1st in the ACC.
(21) Boston College 72 (18-8, 9-4) - Lost 2 straight.

(5) UCLA 81 (23-3, 12-2) - Still on top in the Pac-10.
Arizona 66 (17-9, 8-7) - Last 3 are all on the road. Could they miss the tournament if they go finish 1-2?

(6) Texas A&M 56 (22-4, 10-2) - @ Texas should be the only challenge left.
Oklahoma 49 (15-10, 6-6)

Washington 61 (16-10, 6-8)
(7) Pittsburgh 65 (23-4, 10-2) - Still have 3 tough games @ Georgetown, vs. WVU, and @ Marquette.

(8) Memphis 78 (23-3, 12-0) - 1st challene in a long time.
Gonzaga 77 OT (18-10, 8-3) - Their difficult schedule will still probably get them in.

Nebraska 39 (15-10, 4-7)
(9) Kansas 92 (23-4, 10-2) - Could end up with a 1 seed due to their easy schedule to end the season.

Northern Iowa 64 (16-12, 7-9)
(11) Nevada 79 (24-2, 11-1) - No problem with a MVC team.

Louisville 61 (19-8, 9-4) - Another huge win; don't have to worry about not making the tournament anymore.
(12) Marquette 59 (21-7, 8-5) - Lost 3 straight.

(16) Southern Illinois 68 (23-5, 13-3) - Great road win to improve their seed.
(13) Butler 64 (24-4, 11-2) - Need to avoid any more slip ups just to be safe.

(14) Georgetown 58 (20-5, 10-2) - Won 9 straight a might end up winning the Big East.
Villanova 55 (18-8, 6-6) - No big non-conference wins could hurt them.

(15) Oregon 69 (20-7, 8-7) - Lost 6 of 8.
Stanford 88 (17-8, 9-5) - A good week vs. the 2 LA teams, and they're in good shape.

Colorado St. 58 (15-10, 5-8)
(17) Air Force 67 (23-4, 10-3) - Big game @ UNLV on Tuesday.

Missouri 75 (16-9, 5-7)
(18) Oklahoma St. 64 (19-7, 5-6) - Lost 4 of 5, and still have vs. A&M and @ Tech.

(20) Kentucky 61 (18-8, 7-5) - Lost 3 straight; Must win vs. LSU on Tuesday.
(25) Alabama 72 (19-7, 6-6) - Should be in, but they're also capable of losing any (or all) of their remaining games.

(22) USC 58 (19-8, 9-5) - Odd things happen after big wins.
Arizona St. 68 (7-19, 1-14) - I thought they'd finally get a Pac-10 win soon.

Seton Hall 71 (12-13, 3-9)
(23) West Virginia 81 (20-6, 8-5) - next 2 are on the road.

(24) Indiana 55 (17-8, 7-5) - Lost 3 of 4.
Michigan 58 (18-9, 6-6)

Other Scores:

Bradley 73 (19-10, 9-7)
VCU 64 (22-6, 14-2) - Ends at large hopes.

Davidson 92 (23-4, 14-1) - Still have NCAA hopes.
Western Carolina 59 (10-17, 7-9)

Appalachian St. 60 (21-6, 12-3)
Wichita St. 58 (17-11, 8-8) - Either of these teams will have to win their conference tournament to get in.

Florida St. 70 (17-10, 5-8) - Lost 4 straight after winning @ Duke.
Virginia 73 (18-7, 9-3) - Still in a tie for 1st in the ACC, but still not rated.

UConn 63 (16-10, 5-7)
Syracuse 73 (19-8, 8-5) - Probably are in good enough shape.

UNLV 70 (22-6, 9-4) - Good road win; vs. Air Force on Tuesday.
Utah 57 (9-16, 4-8)

Drexel 64 (20-7, 11-5)
Creighton 58 (18-9, 12-4) - This home loss hurts alot.

Virginia Tech 56 (18-8, 8-4) - Can beat anybody, but can also lose to anybody.
N.C. State 81 (14-11, 4-8)

Maryland 82 (20-7, 6-6) - Playing themselves back into the tournament.
Clemson 66 (19-7, 5-7) - Lost 7 of 9.

Georgia Tech 62 (17-9, 5-7)
Duke 71 (20-7, 7-6) - 2 good wins after 4 straight losses.

Notre Dame 76 (20-6, 8-5)
Cincinnati 64 (10-16, 1-11)

Kentucky's Opponents:

Tennessee 64 (18-9, 6-6) - Bad loss with a tough remaining schedule left.
South Carolina 81 (13-12, 3-9)

Mississippi St. 56 (15-10, 6-6)
LSU 50 (14-12, 3-9)

Auburn 79 (14-13, 4-8)
Georgia 86 (16-9, 7-5)

Mississippi 66 (17-9, 6-6)
Arkansas 83 (16-10, 5-7)

Charleston 71 (18-9, 11-4)
Wofford 58 (9-17, 4-11)

DePaul 75 (16-11, 7-6)
South Florida 62 (12-15, 3-10)

Miami (OH) 70 (13-12, 8-4)
Indiana St. 58 (12-15, 5-11)

San Diego 72 (15-12, 5-7)
Santa Clara 80 (20-7, 10-2)

UAB 64 (13-13, 5-7)
Houston 70 (14-11, 8-3)

Eastern Kentucky 61 (17-10, 12-6)
Youngstown St. 66 (12-15, 6-8)

Miss. Valley St. 45 (12-14, 9-5)
Prairie View A&M 47 (6-19, 4-9)

UMass 77 (19-7, 9-3)
Dayton 69 (16-9, 6-6)

Jacksonville St. 64 (8-20, 6-12)
Chattanooga 75 (13-16, 5-11)

Alabama 72 Kentucky 61

Another game, another early deficit for Kentucky. This time Kentucky was down double digits with 13:17 left in the 1st half. The lead was stretched to 14 when UK was down 20-6 with 8:02 remaining in the 1st. Tubby has got to prepare his team better to put them in a position to win the game. They're fighting an up hill battle, and the pattern is becoming obvious. Even though UK came back to cut it to 2, it never seemed like they could win. They once again let the guards drive by them at will, and gave up way to many wide open 3's. They've fallen to 3rd in the SEC East, and are in big trouble.

Tubby changed the starting five, allowing Thomas to start. He played 20 minutes and totaled 0 pts, 1 reb, 2 turnovers, and 4 fouls. The other senior forward, Bobby Perry, played 10 minutes and had 2 pts and 2 reb. Perry Stevenson played 9 minutes and had 2 pts, 3 reb, and a dunk that Thomas or Bobby Perry would have probably missed. It's obvious to everybody in Kentucky that Stevenson should be playing more, but Tubby doesn't see it. The whole team played better with Stevenson, and he gave them some needed energy. But he'll probably be the 3rd option again in the next game.

Stevenson first came in with 3:41 left in the 1st half. He was replaced just 1:39 later. How can he possibly contribute when he's not given a chance to play? Tubby is determined that Sheray and Bobby are better, but it isn't true. Stevenson next entered the game at the 12:04 mark when UK trailed by 11. He left with 8:09 remaining, and the Cats had cut the lead to 2. Why Tubby doesn't see Stevenson's importance is beyond me. When your team has lost 3 in a row, it's time to make some adjustments. It's obvious that Thomas and Perry haven't been able to make a difference throughout their careers. Tubby has to just put his pride behind him and admit that Stevenson is the answer. But, I think Tubby will instead go with his usually substitution patterns, and UK will continue to struggle.

Friday's Bracket Buster

Tomorrow is Bracket Buster Saturday, but Friday's game might have busted Missouri State's bracket hopes. Tomorrow is a huge day for all of the Mid-Majors to prove they belong in the tournament.

Winthrop 77 (23-4, 12-0) - Won 13 straight; Only losses were to UNC, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Texas A&M; making a strong case for an at-large bid.
Missouri St. 66 (19-9, 10-6) - This was bad for their tournament chances. Will probably finish 3rd in the MVC, and they needed this win to show they were better than the Mid-Majors from other conferences. Instead, they suffered their worst home loss of the season.

Thursday's Scores

Top 25:

(5) UCLA 67 (22-3, 11-2) - @ Arizona on Saturday.
Arizona St. 61 (6-19, 0-14) - They're going to get a Pac-10 win soon; lost last 4 by a total of 14 points.

(15) Oregon 61 (20-6, 8-6) - Lost 5 of 7.
California 63 (13-12, 5-8)

(22) USC 80 (19-7, 9-4) - Good road win to stay ahead of Arizona in the Pac-10.
(19) Arizona 75 (17-8, 8-6) - 0-4 vs. 3 teams ahead of them in the conference.

(24) Indiana 68 (17-7, 7-4) - 1-4 on the road in the Big 10.
Purdue 81 (17-9, 6-6) - Last 4 games should be at least 3 wins, which would total up to 20. Do they still have a chance at an NCAA bid?

Other Scores:

Oregon St. 55 (10-17, 2-12)
Stanford 70 (16-8, 8-5) - Stops 2 game losing streak; next 4 are vs. Oregon, @ USC, @ UCLA, vs. Arizona.

Providence 78 (15-9, 5-6)
Notre Dame 81 (19-6, 7-5) - Had to have this win after losing to South Florida and DePaul.

Kentucky's Opponents:

UMass 74 (18-7, 8-3)
Fordham 59 (13-11, 6-6)

Jacksonville St. 51 (7-18, 6-12)
Eastern Kentucky 63 (15-9, 12-6) - Won 7 in a row.

Wednesday's Scores

Top 25:

(25) Alabama 67 (18-7, 5-6) - 2 huge games vs. Kentucky and @ Tennessee coming up; need at least a .500 SEC record.
(1) Florida 76 (24-2, 11-0) - Able to come from behind and stay undefeated in the SEC; @ Vandy on Saturday will be pretty hard.

(2) Ohio St. 64 (23-3, 11-1) - Almost blew a 21 point halftime lead.
Penn St. 62 (10-14, 1-10)

(3) Wisconsin 75 (25-2, 11-1) - Are Wisconsin and Ohio St. really this good, or is the Big 10 just down this year?
Minnesota 62 (9-17, 3-9)

(8) Memphis 69 (22-3, 12-0) - Go outside of the C-USA @ Gonzaga on Saturday.
Tulsa 52 (15-9, 5-6)

(9) Kansas 75 (22-4, 9-2) - Move into a tie with A&M for 1st in the Big 12.
Colorado 46 (6-15, 2-9)

(10) Washington St. 65 (22-4, 11-3) - Big road rivalry win.
Washington 61 (16-9, 6-8) - Had been playing more like a potential tournament team, but this hurts. Still have @ Pittsburgh, @ Oregon, vs. USC, vs. UCLA.

San Jose St. 60 (4-21, 3-10)
(11) Nevada 68 (23-2, 11-1) - Their Bracket Buster game vs. Northern Iowa should end up being pretty easy.

(12) Marquette 67 (21-6, 8-4) - Lost 2 in a row after winning 8 straight; vs. Louisville on Saturday is now to break the tie for 3rd in the Big East.
DePaul 72 (15-11, 6-6)

Utah 43 (9-15, 4-7)
(17) Air Force 69 (22-4, 9-3)

Duke 78 (19-7, 6-6) - Good win after losing 4 straight.
(21) Boston College 70 (18-7, 9-3) - vs. North Carolina on Saturday.

Other Scores:

Clemson 65 (19-6, 5-6) - Started off 3-0 in the ACC, but are in danger of having a losing conference record. Still have vs. Maryland, vs. Duke, @ B.C., @ Va. Tech.
Wake Forest 67 (12-13, 3-9)

Maryland 85 (19-7, 5-6) - Should be in with 20 wins playing in the ACC.
N.C. State 70 (13-11, 3-8)

Wichita St. 58 (17-10, 8-8) - Another MVC team that just has too many losses to get a NCAA bid. The wins over LSU and Syracuse just aren't very impressive anymore.
Drake 62 (14-13, 5-11)

New Mexico 83 (14-12, 3-8)
BYU 96 (20-6, 10-2) - Continue to lead the MWC; can you put Air Force and UNLV ahead of them if they finish below them in the conference?

Kentucky's Opponents:

LSU 70 (14-11, 3-8) - Would have to win out to finish at .500 in the SEC. It's not going to happen.
Mississippi 71 (17-8, 6-5) - Take over 1st by themselves in the SEC West; pretty favorable schedule remaining to stay on top and maybe make it into the NCAA Tournament.

South Carolina 68 (12-12, 2-9)
Vanderbilt 78 (17-8, 7-4) - Now tied for 2nd in the SEC East; a win vs. Florida on Saturday would put them in without a doubt.

Arkansas 60 (15-10, 4-7) - Lost 7 of last 10, and are probably not even a bubble team anymore.
Mississippi St. 84 (14-10, 5-6) - Their talent could really spoil some teams seasons for the rest of the year.

Kennesaw St. 66 (11-17, 7-8)
Georgia 75 (15-10, 6-5)

South Alabama 66 (20-7, 13-2) - Won 13 straight.
Houston 61 (13-11, 7-3)

Chattanooga 69 (12-16, 5-11)
Appalachian St. 85 (20-6, 12-3)

Miami (OH) 45 (12-12, 8-4)
Kent St. 61 (16-9, 9-3)

Tuesday's Scores

Top 25:

Virginia Tech 81 (18-7, 8-3) - Huge road win; in a 3-way tie for 2nd in the ACC.
(4) North Carolina 80 OT (22-4, 8-3) - 1st home loss of the year; swept by Va. Tech.

Texas Tech 77 (16-10, 5-6) - Stops 5 game losing streak; impossible to figure this team out.
(6) Texas A&M 75 (21-4, 9-2) - Home loss opens up a chance for Kansas and Texas to move into 1st in the Big 12, especially with 3 road games left @ Oklahoma, Ok. St., and Texas.

Florida Gulf Coast 65
(13) Butler 79 (24-3, 11-2)

(16) Southern Illinois 51 (22-5, 13-3) - 8 straight wins; dominating the MVC.
Missouri St. 47 (19-8, 10-6) - A win would helped the NCAA hopes, but are still alive.

(20) Kentucky 85 (18-7, 7-4) - Weren't prepared once again, and couldn't quite come back once again.
Tennessee 89 (18-8, 6-5) - Playing so much better than they did in January.

Other Games:

Michigan 44 (17-9, 5-6)
Michigan St. 59 (18-8, 5-6) - Had to have this for NCAA hopes to stay alive.

Georgia Tech 63 (17-8, 5-6) - Won 4 straight, and could get an NCAA bid with statement wins with games vs. Duke, Virginia, North Carolina, and Boston College left.
Florida St. 57 (17-9, 5-7) - 2 straight home losses.

Northern Iowa 55 (16-11, 7-9) - Need to win the MVC tournament to get into the dance.
Creighton 66 (18-8, 12-4) - Should be in.

UNLV 52 (21-6, 8-4) - Need to be careful @ Utah on Saturday; still have vs. Air Force also.
San Diego St. 67 (18-7, 7-4) - Won 5 straight and could easily win the conference tournament which would screw up the bracket.

Kentucky's Opponents:

Samford 38 (14-12, 11-6)
Eastern Kentucky 46 (16-9, 11-6)

Tennessee 89 Kentucky 85

Kentucky once again got too far behind and couldn't stop a Tennessee team who did whatever they wanted to against the Cats. This was maybe the worst defense I have seen Kentucky play since Tubby has been the coach. I can understand a team being able to shoot 3's all night and light up Kentucky, but tonight UT got to the rim at will. A team with a severe size disadvantage made UK look pathetic. While Kentucky was able to make it close and put up a lot of points of their own, they once again couldn't finish down the stretch.

However, this game shouldn't have even been this close. If Kentucky could keep from getting so far behind their opponents, they wouldn't spend so much energy trying to catch up often just to fizzle out at the end. I don't know why they are so unprepared, but I put most of the blame on the coaching staff. I've never been a "fire Tubby" kind of person, and you still can't fire him due to the success of the '03-05' teams, but he isn't putting UK in a position to win every game.

Look at some of the double digit deficits Kentucky has faced this year. This includes the earliest double digit margin, the largest margin, and the result.

vs. Miami (OH): -10 @ 11:39 (1st), -10 @ 6:48 (1st) = W +7
vs. UCLA: -10 @ 12:02 (1st), -17 @ 8:29 (1st) = L -5
vs. Memphis: -11 @ 15:20 (2nd), -23 @ 8:23 (2nd) = L -17
vs. North Carolina: -12 @ 13:11 (2nd), -15 @ 11:04 (2nd) = L -12
@ Arkansas: -10 @ 18:40 (2nd), -14 @ 16:45 (2nd) = W +8
vs. Florida: -11 @ 12:26 (1st), -16 @ 7:38 (1st) = L -3
@ Tennessee: -10 @ 3:31 (1st), -16 @ 16:38 (2nd) = L -4

The 2 teams that Kentucky came back to beat after being down by double digits are the 2 worst teams on that list. Tubby's teams have had a tradition of getting down and coming back, including the 1998 National Champions. This isn't anything new, and it really makes me question what goes on before the game. Why aren't the players fired up to start games?

Many people are saying that the UCLA, UNC, Florida, and even this game could have gone Kentucky's way, but the fact is that it didn't. Sure, I'd rather lose by 4 than get blown out, but a loss is a loss. Poor preparation coupled with poor quality senior and sophomore (actually the only one is hurt) classes is really hurting Kentucky. If Crawford, Morris, and Bradley were surrounded by supporting players like Erik Daniels, Cliff Hawkins, Jules Camara, Heshimu Evans, or Allen Edwards that are not the main go-to guys, but can contribute consistently, then Kentucky would be a top 10 team. Instead, the supporting players can't be counted on to produce.

Look at how much that Bradley, Crawford, and Morris are doing in comparison to the rest of the team.

60% pts
42% reb
46% ast
50% stls
65% made 3's (this is actually just Bradley & Crawford)
46% minutes
58% made FT's

If the rest of the players could step up it would really help out. Meeks is just about the only other player that can be counted on at all. Jasper sometimes has a good game, but hasn't played nearly as well lately as he did in the first 2 months of the season. Perry is actually playing worse than he did last year. Look at his stats from last year compared to this year.

Last year = 7.1 pts, 3.9 reb, 35% 3FG, 43% FG, 82% FT
This year = 7.0 pts, 3.7 reb, 31% 3FG, 39% FG, 78% FT

Those differences in his numbers aren't huge, but is playing 2.2 more minutes a game and was supposed to be counted on as a senior leader. Perry continues to start even with his poor play, and I doubt that will change.

I'm not writing these comments to try to bash any of the players. I know they all work very hard and I would love for them to win. I don't want to wait for a different coach with different players. I want Tubby and all of his players to win. Hopefully they will undergo a serious change and start playing like a basketball powerhouse.

Monday's Scores

Top 25:

Louisville 66 (18-8, 8-4) - This win will likely get them in the tournament if they just take care of the lower competition remaining.
(7) Pittsburgh 53 (22-4, 10-2) - Seemed surprised by UL's play.

(17) Oklahoma St. 54 (19-6, 5-5) - Lost 3 of 4; 0-5 on the road in the conference.
Texas 83 (18-7, 8-3) - Good win to get some more national attention, and keep them up close to the top in the Big 12.

West Virginia 53 (19-6, 7-5) - Not a big surprise to let down after their big win over UCLA.
(22) Georgetown 71 (19-5, 9-2) - Climbing very close to 1st place in the Big East.

Kentucky's Opponents:

Santa Clara 84 (19-7, 9-2) - Now lead the WCC by 1 game over the Zags.
Gonzaga 73 (18-9, 8-4) - Difficult schedule will help them get into the tournament, but they can't have many more conference losses; still have vs. Memphis.

Davidson 73 (22-4, 13-1)
Charleston 63 (17-9, 10-4)

Chattanooga 75 (12-15, 5-10)
Western Carolina 72 (10-15, 7-7)

Southern 63 (6-19, 5-8)
Miss. Valley St. 62 (12-13, 9-4)

Sunday's Scores

Top 25:

(16) Duke 60 (18-7, 5-6) - Lost 4 straight; tied for 7th in the ACC.
Maryland 72 (17-7, 4-6)

(25) Stanford 52 (15-8, 7-5) - Very difficult schedule remaining.
Washington 64 (16-8, 6-7)

Other Games:

Boston College 68 (17-6, 9-2) - Should climb back into the Top 25.
Florida St. 67 (17-7, 5-5)

UConn 52 (15-9, 4-6)
Georgia Tech 65 (16-8, 4-6) - Too bad this wasn't an ACC win.

Kentucky's Opponents:

UMass 89 (17-7, 7-3)
Temple 98 (11-12, 5-5)

Saturday's Games

Top 25:

(1) Florida 64 (23-2, 10-0) - Survived a late scare and have pretty much secured an SEC title.
(20) Kentucky 61 (18-6, 7-3) - Losing to number 1 isn't awful, but they have to rebound fast for next 2 @ Tennessee and @ Alabama.

(2) UCLA 65 (21-3, 10-2) - I'm not sure why they even played this game so late in the season.
West Virginia 70 (19-5, 7-4) - Big win that will secure them a spot in the tournament.

Purdue 56 (16-9, 5-6)
(3) Ohio St. 63 (22-3, 10-1) - Still just waiting for Wisconsin to come to town.

Iowa 62 (14-11, 6-5)
(4) Wisconsin 74 (24-2, 10-1) - While Ohio St. is their hardest game left, they could lose one of the 2 meetings left with Michigan St. who really needs wins.

Wake Forest 67 (11-13, 2-9)
(5) North Carolina 104 (22-3, 8-2) - 2 big games vs. Va. Tech and @ Boston College this week.

(6) Texas A&M 66 (21-3, 9-1) - Try for revenge vs. Texas Tech on Tuesday.
Nebraska 55 (14-9, 3-6)

Providence 68 (15-8, 5-5)
(7) Pittsburgh 74 (22-3, 10-1) - Still flying under the radar.

Tulane 51 (11-11, 4-6)
(8) Memphis 95 (21-3, 11-0) - 4 of last 6 are on the road, but does it really matter?

(9) Kansas 92 (21-4, 8-2) - Could go on a big run to close out the regular season with a pretty easy schedule.
Missouri 74 (14-9, 3-7)

(10) Butler 65 (23-3, 11-2) - They had some impressive early wins, but losses to Indiana St., Illinois Chicago and now Wright St. will bring their seed down quite a bit.
Wright St. 77 (19-8, 12-2)

(11) Marquette 58 (21-5, 8-3) - This loss brings them to 3rd in the Big East.
(22) Georgetown 76 (18-5, 8-2) - Won 7 straight and just dominated this game.

(24) Arizona 77 (17-7, 8-5) - Good road win, but need to keep up this kind of play vs. USC and UCLA this week.
(13) Oregon 74 (20-5, 8-5) - Lost 4 of 6.

California 46 (12-12, 4-8)
(14) Washington St. 59 (21-4, 10-3) - In a good position, but the remainder of the schedule is pretty hard, including 3 straight road games.

(15) Air Force 60 (21-4, 8-3)
New Mexico 51 (14-11, 3-7)

Texas Tech 91 (15-10, 4-6) - Lost 5 straight, and have to go to Texas A&M Tuesday.
(17) Oklahoma St. 93 2OT (19-5, 5-4) - Played a total of 8 overtimes this year in 4 overtime games (4-0).

(18) Alabama 69 (18-6, 5-5) - Have struggled and the toughest part of their schedule is coming up with @ Florida, vs. Kentucky, and @ Tennessee.
Mississippi 75 (16-8, 5-5) M- 4-2 vs. SEC West and are now tied for the lead.

Creighton 68 (17-8, 11-4) - Stops 5 game winning streak, but are still in good shape.
(21) Southern Illinois 72 (21-5, 12-3) - Won 7 in a row and have taken control in the MVC.

(23) Vanderbilt 57 (16-8, 6-4) - Non-conference losses to Wake Forest, Furman, and Appalachian St., mean that Vandy needs to really finish strong.
Tennessee 84 (17-8, 5-5) - Big game vs. UK on Tuesday.

Other Games:

Virginia 57 (16-7, 8-3) - Stops 7 game winning streak; pretty easy remainder of schedule.
Virginia Tech 84 (17-7, 7-3) - @ UNC on Tuesday.

N.C. State 65 (13-10, 3-7) - Their hype after beating Va. Tech and UNC was short lived.
Miami (FL) 80 (10-15, 3-8)

Kentucky's Opponents:

Georgia 73 (14-9, 6-5)
South Carolina 54 (12-11, 2-8)

Arkansas 67 (15-9, 4-6) - In big trouble after losing 6 of 9.
LSU 71 (14-10, 3-7) - Stops 6 game losing streak; could still make the tournament with wins vs. Kentucky and Florida, but would also need to win the easier games too.

Mississippi St. 91 (13-10, 4-6) - Just 1 game out of the SEC West lead even with their poor play in the conference.
Auburn 83 (14-12, 4-7)

South Florida 63 (12-13, 3-8)
Louisville 83 (17-8, 7-4) - 2 huge games @ Pittsburgh and Marquette this week.

Illinois 61 (18-9, 6-6)
Indiana 65 (17-6, 7-3) - Still hanging around in the top of the Big 10.

East Carolina 59 (5-18, 0-10)
Houston 83 (13-10, 7-3)

Santa Clara 76 (18-7, 8-2)
Portland 53 (7-19, 3-7)

Ball St. 44 (8-16, 4-7)
Miami (OH) 66 (12-11, 8-3)

Eastern Kentucky 66 (15-9, 10-6)
SE Missouri St. 61 (10-16, 8-9)

Citadel 43 (7-17, 4-9)
Chattanooga 73 (11-15, 4-10)

Alcorn St. 63 (8-15, 7-5)
Miss. Valley St. 76 (12-12, 9-3)

Florida 64, Kentucky 61

Kentucky barely came up short tonight against number 1, Florida. The score was where the Cats wanted it, Morris was dominant offensively on the inside and UK out rebounded Florida, but they still were unable to get a win. Yesterday I talked about how UK couldn't afford to get behind by a large margin, but that is exactly what they did. They were down by 16 in the first half, and even though they made great adjustments and probably out played Florida for the rest of the game, they had still dug themselves into too deep of a hole. It might have been nerves or Florida's quickness, but I still don't see how UK got off to such a bad start. It was obvious that this was a huge game, but UK still wasn't prepared for the start.

Morris had 18 pts, 9 reb, and 2 blks, and kept Kentucky in the game. Bradley shot just 3-10 on 3's and 3-8 FT, but he still managed to get 20 pts. Thomas also had a pretty good game with 4 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, and some good defense. Bobby Perry and Joe Crawford didn't show up at all. They were a combined 4-19 FG, 0-10 3 FG, and attempted zero free throws. Crawford did manage to get 8 rebounds, but that was the only postive out of those 2. Kentucky can be really good, but they can't afford to get so little out of 2 starters.

Hopefully when Kentucky goes to Florida at the end of the season, they will see that they have to make it a halfcourt game from the beginning to get a win. Florida wasn't able to guard Kentucky inside without fouling, and the Cats have to exploit that weakness next time around.

Now UK has to focus on Tuesday's game at Tennessee, who just demolished Vanderbilt 84-57. Losing to the number 1 team isn't terrible, but they have to finish out the rest of the SEC schedule strong.

Kentucky vs. Florida

It's another big weekend for Kentucky and this time it's Florida coming to town. It seems like almost every UK game is considered a "must win" this year. Last Saturday it was @ Arkansas, before that it was vs. Tennessee. UK has had a lot of big games this year, but this one might be the biggest. Everybody know this game is big, but what can Kentucky do to actually win?

First, they need to believe they can win. Florida hasn't lost since December 3rd, but win they struggle it's been on the road, and they haven't seen an environment yet like what they're going to see tomorrow at Rupp. The crowd will be huge and crazy, and Kentucky needs to feed off of this advantage.

Second, UK can't afford to come out sluggish and get behind. Tubby's teams have always been great at coming back from double digit margins, but Florida is probably too good to allow a big comeback.

I'm not worried about UK being able to score against Florida, because I think that they will. I'm much more worried about the defense. If Florida is able to drive past the perimeter defenders, it might look alot like the loss to Memphis. The Gators are great finishers around the basket and they can also drive and dish for a 3. Even though Florida can shoot, I still think that UK might be most successful in a zone. If Florida is forced to shoot from outside, then UK is in good shape, but if they are able to penetrate and pass out for wide open 3's then UK will be in trouble.

I'm going to predict a 68-62 UK win.

Thursday's Scores

Top 25:

(8) Memphis 70 (20-3, 10-0) - Won 12 straight; @ Gonzaga next Saturday.
UAB 56 (11-12, 3-6)

(10) Butler 92 (23-2, 11-1) - vs. SIU next Saturday is shaping up to be a great game.
Cleveland St. 50 (8-18, 2-11)

(12) Nevada 81 (22-2, 10-1) - Good road win that could have been much tougher.
Fresno St. 68 (16-8, 5-6)

Arizona St. 51 (6-17, 0-12)
(13) Oregon 55 (20-4, 8-4) - vs. Arizona on Saturday.

(25) Stanford 45 (15-7, 7-4) - Still have a tough conference schedule left.
(14) Washington St. 58 (20-4, 9-3) - Now in 2nd place by themselves in the Pac-10.

(24) Arizona 72 (16-7, 7-5) - Try to pay back Oregon for a home loss on Saturday.
Oregon St. 66 (9-16, 1-11)

Other Scores:

George Mason 49 (13-11, 7-7)
VCU 63 (21-4, 13-1)

Indiana St. 45 (12-12, 5-9)
Wichita St. 61 (16-9, 7-7)

Drake 67 (13-12, 4-10)
Northern Iowa 59 (16-9, 7-7) - Lost 5 of 6 and the next 3 are vs. Missouri St. and @ Creighton and @ Nevada.

California 71 (12-11, 4-7)
Washington 79 (15-8, 5-7)

Kentucky's Opponents:

Notre Dame 66 (18-6, 6-5) - Another conference road loss (1-5).
DePaul 67 (14-11, 5-6)

Rhode Island 55 (14-10, 7-3)
UMass 77 (17-6, 7-2) - Take the lead in the A-10.

Eastern Kentucky 64 (14-9, 9-6)
Murray St. 62 (12-12, 10-6)

Wednesday's Scores

Top 25:

(1) Florida 71 (22-2, 9-0) - Won 15 straight; @ Kentucky on Saturday.
Georgia 61 (13-9) - Lost 3 straight, and in danger of falling below Tennessee in the East.

(19) USC 65 (18-7, 8-4) - Swept by their crosstown rivals; @ Arizona next week.
(2) UCLA 70 (21-2, 10-2) - 5 of next 7 are on the road including @ West Virginia on Saturday.

(4) Wisconsin 71 (23-2, 9-1) - Looks like the Big 10 will come down to @ Ohio St. on Feb. 25th.
Penn St. 58 (10-12, 1-8)

(5) North Carolina 79 (21-3, 7-2) - Good road win to try and keep pace with the leaders in the ACC.
(16) Duke 73 (18-6, 5-5) - Lost 3 straight; 5 of last 7 are on the road.

(7) Pittsburgh 60 (21-3, 9-1) - Big win at a difficult place to play.
West Virginia 47 (18-5, 7-4) - 1st home loss of the year (11-1)

Kansas St. 70 (17-7, 6-3)
(9) Kansas 97 (20-4, 7-2) - This game was actually between the 2 2nd place teams in the Big 12.

Rutgers 47 (9-15, 2-9)
(11) Marquette 67 (21-4, 8-2) - Won 8 straight; next 2 @ G-town, @ DePaul.

(17) Oklahoma St. 60 (18-5, 4-4) - 0-4 on the road.
Oklahoma 67 (14-8, 5-4) - Big win to put them in the top half of the conference.

Mississippi St. 79 (12-10, 3-6)
(18) Alabama 80 (18-5, 5-4) - Won 3 straight, but next 2 are on the road including @ Florida.

South Carolina 89 (12-10, 2-7)
(20) Kentucky 95 (18-5, 7-2) - Biggest game in the SEC vs. Florida on Saturday.

Bradley 50 (16-10, 7-7)
(21) Southern Illinois 60 (20-5, 11-3) - Won 6 straight.

(22) Georgetown 73 (17-5, 7-2) - Good road win; underrated in my opinion.
Louisville 65 (16-8, 6-4) - Needed this win @ home, especially with @ Pittsburgh and @ Marquette coming up next week.

Other Scores:

Michigan St. 38 (17-8, 4-6) - This was a pathetic offensive effort; lost 4 straight; fall to 8th in a weak Big 10.
Purdue 62 (16-8, 5-5)

Florida St. 58 (17-7, 5-5) - You never know what you'll get from this team.
Clemson 71 (19-5, 5-5) - Stops 3 game losing streak.

Boston College 75 (17-6, 8-2) - Stay on top in the ACC.
Miami (FL) 68 (9-15, 2-8)

TCU 67 (10-12, 2-8)
UNLV 82 (20-5, 7-3)

Evansville 74 (12-13, 5-9)
Creighton 79 (17-7, 11-3) - face co-leaders SIU on Saturday.

Kentucky's Opponents:

Auburn 57 (14-11, 4-6)
Arkansas 65 (15-8, 4-5) - Next 2 are on the road where they are just 1-5.

Miami (OH) 74 (11-11, 7-3)
East. Michigan 64 (8-15, 3-7)

Houston 64 (12-10, 6-3)
SMU 49 (13-10, 2-7)

Tuesday's Scores

Top 25:

Michigan 63 (16-8, 4-5) - Lost 4 in a row.
(3) Ohio St. 76 (21-3, 9-1) - Won 7 in a row and are undefeated at home.

(15) Air Force 41 (20-4, 7-3) - These conference losses are really hurting their seed; lost lead in the MWC.
San Diego St. 62 (16-7, 5-4)

Other Scores:

N.C. State 65 (13-9, 3-6) - This loss kills the momentum they had after beating UNC and Va. Tech.
Georgia Tech 74 (15-8, 4-6) - I still think this team should be in the top half of the ACC, but you never know what you're going to get from them.

Virginia 69 (16-6, 8-2) - Good road win; why aren't they ranked?; won 7 in a row.
Maryland 65 (17-7, 3-6)

Nebraska 61 (14-8, 3-5)
Texas Tech 59 (15-9, 4-5) - 4th straight loss after beating Kansas and Texas A&M.

BYU 77 (18-6, 8-2) - Take over 1st place by themselves in the MWC.
Wyoming 73 (13-11, 4-6)

Kentucky's Opponents:

LSU 67 (13-10, 2-7) - Lost 6 in a row and in dead last in the SEC West.
Tennessee 70 (16-8, 4-5) - Still haven't lost at home (11-0); big game vs. Vandy on Saturday.

Chattanooga 57 (10-15, 3-10)
Davidson 87 (21-4, 12-1)

Monday's Scores

This is a big week for Kentucky basketball. UK is rated in both polls (18th in the ESPN/USA Today, and 20th in the AP), and they are coming off a big road win at Arkansas. The Cats are 2nd in the SEC and trail only Florida who just happens to be number 1 in both polls and visiting Lexington this Saturday. If that isn't enough, ESPN's Gameday will be at Rupp and the whole country will be watching.

Of course, South Carolina also visits on Wednesday night in a game that I will get to attend. I rarely get to make the long trip to Lexington, and this time it looks like I'll have to travel through the snow, but it's always worth it.

Top 25:

Texas 82 (16-7, 6-3) - Durant is great, but the rest of the team is just not that good. A first round exit in the tournament wouldn't surprise me at all.
(6) Texas A&M 100 (20-3, 8-1) - I doubted this team for a long time, but they've proven they belong as one of the best in the country.

Other Scores:

Syracuse 60 (16-8, 5-5) - Lost 4 of 5 and are in big trouble for an NCAA bid.
UConn 67 (15-8, 4-6) - I guess they might still have some chance at an NCAA bid, but they would really need a win @ Georgia Tech on Sunday.

Northern Iowa 46 (16-8, 7-6) - Lost 4 of 5 and 6 of 9. They now need to win the MVC tournament to reach the NCAA tournament.
Indiana St. 59 (12-11, 5-8) - This team once had an 11-4 record with wins over Butler, Purdue, Creighton, and Wichita St., but then they lost 7 in a row.

Kentucky's Opponents:

San Francisco 62 (9-15, 5-4)
Santa Clara 74 (17-7, 7-2)

Western Carolina 64 (9-14, 6-6)
Charleston 76 (16-8, 9-3)

Miss. Valley St. 52 (11-12, 8-3)
Alabama St. 44 (7-15, 5-6)

Sunday's Scores

Top 25:

Florida St. 68 (17-6, 5-4) - Great win that will more than likely get them in the tournament. Wins over Florida and Duke go along way.
(8) Duke 67 (18-5, 5-4) - This was a huge loss at home with the hard part of their schedule coming up. They have 8 left including:

vs. UNC
@ Maryland - this is always a close game
@ Boston College
@ Clemson - payback for the clock malfunction?
@ UNC

Duke has good computer numbers, but if they continue to lose, their seed is going to drop fast. I think Wednesday will be their 3rd straight loss.

Saturday's Scores

Top 25:

Tennessee 78 (15-8, 3-5) - 5 of last 8 are at home, where they almost have to win.
(1) Florida 94 (21-2, 8-0) - Nobody can claim they deserve this spot more than Florida.

Northwestern 52 (11-11, 1-8)
(2) Wisconsin 69 (22-2, 8-1) - Should have no problems until @ Michigan St. on Feb. 20th.

(3) North Carolina 79 (20-3, 6-2) - Perfect example of looking ahead? @ Duke on Wednesday.
N.C. State 83 (13-8, 3-5) - Beat 2 ranked teams this week (Va. Tech).

(4) Ohio St. 63 (20-3, 8-1) - Now playing up to their ranking.
Michigan St. 54 (17-7, 4-5) - 3rd straight loss; is it time to worry?

Oregon St. 35 (9-15, 1-10)
(5) UCLA 82 (20-2, 9-2) - 3 of next 4 are away.

(10) Texas A&M 69 (19-3, 7-1) - Great road win; can't let down vs. Texas on Monday.
(6) Kansas 66 (19-4, 6-2) - Choked at end and that is why you can't count on this team in March. They might do great, or they might lose early again.

(9) Oregon 68 (19-4, 7-4) - Swept by the L.A. schools this week; lost 3 of last 4.
USC 71 (18-6, 8-3) - Big win; next 2 @ UCLA, and @ Arizona.

SMU 52 (13-9, 2-6)
(11) Memphis 88 (19-3, 9-0) - @ Gonzaga on Feb. 17 will be a good change of pace.

(12) Oklahoma St. 77 (18-4, 4-3) - Bad loss to a team that is really struggling; rest of the schedule is pretty tough.
Colorado 89 (6-13, 2-7)

Wisc. Milwaukee 47 (8-17, 5-7)
(13) Butler 66 (22-2, 10-1)

Providence 62 (14-7, 4-4)
(14) Marquette 69 (20-4, 7-2) - Won 7 straight.

Hawaii 68 (13-10, 4-6)
(15) Nevada 69 (21-2, 9-1)

(16) Virginia Tech 59 (16-7, 6-3) - Lost 2 straight.
Boston College 80 (16-6, 7-2) - Back on top in the ACC. Of course the "experts" claimed their season was over a couple of weeks ago.

Wyoming 43 (13-10, 4-5)
(17) Air Force 88 (20-3, 7-2)

(18) Washington St. 48 (19-4, 8-3) - This was almost a disaster; next 2 at home vs. Stanford and Cal.
Arizona St. 47 (6-16, 0-11)

South Carolina 61 (12-9, 2-6)
(19) Alabama 64 (17-5, 4-4) - Lead the SEC West.

Washington 54 (14-8, 4-7) - This could have been a big win, but losing like this pretty much puts them out of the NCAA.
(20) Arizona 84 (15-7, 6-5) - Taking out some anger after losing 2 straight.

(21) Notre Dame 63 (18-5, 6-4) - This bad loss will hurt their seed in March.
South Florida 69 (12-11, 3-6)

Kansas St. 73 (17-6, 6-2) - Won 7 straight and tied for 2nd in the Big 12.
(22) Texas 72 (16-6, 6-2) - Might have been looking ahead to @ Texas A&M on Monday.

(23) Stanford 90 (15-6, 7-3) - Good road win to keep up in the Pac-10.
California 71 (12-10, 4-6)

Georgia 61 (13-8, 5-4) - Lost 2 straight; @ Florida on Wed.
(24) Vanderbilt 66 (16-7, 6-3) - Good rebound after loss @ Florida.

(25) Clemson 62 (18-5, 4-5) - Lost 5 of last 6.
Georgia Tech 80 (14-8, 3-6) - Stops 4 game losing streak.

Other Scores:

Kentucky 82 (17-5, 6-2) - Big road win at a tough place top play; stay in 2nd in the SEC East.
Arkansas 74 (14-8, 3-5) - Lost 5 of last 7; their NCAA hopes are fading.

Southern Illinois 54 (19-5, 9-3)
Wichita St. 46 (15-9, 6-7) - This home loss along with the other big names in the MVC winning, will probably end NCAA hopes.

UNLV 63 (19-5, 6-3)
BYU 90 (17-6, 7-2) - Continue to lead the MWC with Air Force.

Kentucky's Opponents:

LSU 78 (13-9, 2-6) - Lost 5 straight, and it might be 7 with the next 2 @ Tenn., and vs. Ark; last place in the SEC West, which is the weak division.
Mississippi St. 85 (12-9, 3-5)

Mississippi 82 (15-8, 4-5)
Auburn 59 (14-10, 4-5)

Indiana 75 (16-6, 6-3) - 2-5 on the road this year.
Iowa 81 (13-10, 5-4)

Louisville 53 (16-7, 6-3) - This isn't a bad loss, but 3 of next 4 are vs. Georgetown, and @ Pittsburgh and Marquette; lose all 3 and they're in a lot of trouble.
Villanova 57 (15-7, 4-5) - Had to have this win; next 3 are pretty easy.

DePaul 69 (13-11, 4-6)
Syracuse 75 (16-7, 5-4)

Houston 71 (11-10, 5-3)
UTEP 79 (13-10, 5-4)

Richmond 56 (5-17, 1-8)
UMass 72 (16-6, 6-2)

Santa Clara 63 (16-7, 6-2)
St. Mary's 57 (13-11, 5-3)

W. Michigan 59 (10-12, 5-4)
Miami (OH) 62 (10-11, 6-3)

Chattanooga 62 (10-14, 3-9)
Georgia Southern 57 (10-12, 3-8)

Tennessee Tech 90 (14-10, 10-5)
Eastern Kentucky 92 2OT (13-9, 8-6)

Miss. Valley St. 65 (10-12, 7-3)
Alabama A&M 54 (7-14, 2-8)

Thursday's Scores

Top 25:

(9) Oregon 57 (19-3, 7-3) - Need to regroup fast for @ USC on Saturday.
(5) UCLA 69 (19-2, 8-2) - Get revenge for their earlier loss; alone in 1st now in the conference.

(8) Duke 66 (18-4, 5-3) - They won the games they had too, and now their schedule is going to determine how good they really are.
Virginia 68 OT (14-6, 6-2) - Great win for their 5th in a row. This is a team that can beat anybody at home, and have managed to move into a tie for 2nd in the ACC.

(18) Washington St. 72 (18-4, 7-3) - Sweep the Wildcats this year, and should have no problem with ASU on Saturday. Still in a good position to potentially win the Pac-10.
(20) Arizona 66 (14-7, 5-5) - Continue to struggle in and out of the conference; lost 6 of 8 and are slipping in the Pac-10; 0-5 vs. the teams ahead of them in the conference.

Other Scores:

Georgetown 72 (16-5, 6-2) - I know St. John's isn't , but Syracuse and Notre Dame couldn't win there; tied with Louisville and Marquette for 2nd in the Big East; next 2 @ UL and vs. Marquette.
St. John's 48 (12-10, 3-6)

Washington 66 (14-7, 4-6) - Still trying to play their way back into an NCAA bid; a win @ Arizona on Saturday would help.
Arizona St. 61 (6-15, 0-10)

Oregon St. 56 (9-14, 1-9)
USC 73 (17-6, 7-3) - Move into a 3 way tie for 2nd in the Pac-10.

Kentucky's Opponents:

Eastern Kentucky 69 (12-9, 7-6)
Morehead St. 61 (10-12, 6-8)