I love my life. When I start whining about it getting in the way of my college basketball “work,” it is a stark reminder how good things are for me. Hopefully for you, too. (I’ve whined a lot the past three days.)
All four of tonight’s games are 7pm tips.
Here’s everything you need to know about VCU at UNCW. Here’s what I say: do the math. We also utilize another of CAA: LAMMs guidelines: in a tumultuous situation, the second game is always much more difficult, emotionally, than the first.
VCU 85, UNCW 67.
The last five meetings between George Mason and Georgia State have finished with a margin of victory of six points or fewer. Rod Barnes has to hope the Panthers can force tempo–the more Mason rushes, the more apt the Patriots are to turn the ball over GSU is second in the conference in forcing turnovers (turnover rate of 23%) and Mason is eighth in the conference in turnovers committed.
Other than that, Mason carries a huge advantage, most notably in the category of “talent.” I’m not buying Mason looking ahead, either. Jim Larranaga sounds more nervous now than he has in any postseason. Mason 66, Georgia State 58.
Hofstra has won 10 straight over James Madison. This one will likely be the evening’s “most fun” game. Both teams are on the upswing and getting comfy in their own skins. Both have talented rosters.
And the past two seasons a Hofstra player drive the lane and hit a game-winner in the final seconds. Last year Chuck Jenkins scored with 1.9 seconds to play; two seasons ago Antoine Agudio drilled a shot with nine seconds to play then stole the inbounds pass to seal the win).
We like Hofstra’s upswing a little better. Pride 68, Dukes 65.
Tonight’s biggie has The Pugs visiting ODU at The Ted. we were in full Pugmania when the two teams last met, a narrow ODU victory when a David Schneider three bounded away at the horn.
We learned a lot over the weekend: The Pugs were slapped in the face by Drexel–a solid slapping team–and responded with a victory. ODU was pummeled by NU in Boston. In fact, ODU gave up more points in the first half against NU than in the entire Georgia State game.
The Monarchs are getting a little out of sorts, but NU was an attention-getter. ODU 64, W&M 55.
February 4th, 2010 at 8:11 am
Looks like Mason did look ahead…or at least get beat by a team that always plays us well (remember, Ga. State almost beat us in the 1st round of the CAA tourney in 2006, before we won it in OT). Oh, well. Now we actually have to win games vs. the top half of the league standings…oh, that should be easy.