Some good college basketball action

There were a couple of very good games on TV that I was able to watch (in between studying for 2 tests), as well as some other solid games that took place. Here's what I saw:

Texas Tech 77, Texas A&M 75
Just a great finish to this ballgame. With the Aggies down by 3 late, they went to Acie Law IV, and the man continued to show that he has ice in his veins. He got a solid look at a 3, and as he has done with so many big shots, he buried it. But that wasn't the end of things. Jarrius Jackson got the inbounds pass for Tech, drove the length of the floor, and buried a midrange jumper as time expired. This is why even though Texas Tech is very much on the bubble, I would not want to face them in the Tourney. They are coached by Bob Knight, Jarrius Jackson is a great scorer (31 points against A&M, averaging 20 PPG), and Martin Zeno provides a nice second fiddle (16.7 PPG). They have some head-scratching losses, but they can really play.

Tennessee 89, Kentucky 85
The previous game had the better ending, but I found this game to be a little more entertaining throughout. Both teams got up and down the court, hit shots, and didn't really play that much defense. Kentucky was down by as many as 16 in the 2nd half, which made me think it was over, but some big shots from Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford brought them back. But the play of the Vols' freshmen posts and speed of the guards were a little too much for Kentucky to overcome. Last year in the tourney the Vols were overrated with a 2 seed, this year I think they'll be a little overlooked. Their posts are very athletic and cause tons of matchup problems with their ability to get up and down the court, and the style of play is very difficult to play against if you don't have great ballhandlers (19 turnovers for Kentucky). Look out for the Vols.

Virginia Tech 81, North Carolina 80
This is why I have grown a little leery about the Tar Heels. When they're on their game, they are probably one of the top 2 teams in the country. When they're not, they can be beat by anybody. The Hokies are a solid club, but 33 points and 19 trips to the FT line for Zabian Dowdell?

Southern Illinois 51, Missouri St. 47
Missouri St. could have locked up their NCAA bid with a win here, but its just a tight loss. The Salukis continue to show that they're the best team in the MVC, and again showing that they might be the best defensive team in the country. It's not easy to hold Blake Ahearn to 2/8 shooting and 7 points.

San Diego St. 67, UNLV 52
I was really high on the Aztecs before the season, then they made me look a little foolish by losing 7 of 12 during one stretch in the middle of the year. However, they have put that behind them and are playing very well right now. They've won 5 straight games, including a 21 point drubbing of Air Force and now this 15 point victory over a 21-6 UNLV team. I kind of sound like a broken record, but if SDSU can get into the Tourney, they are more than talented enough to win a game or two.

What stuck out to you on Tuesday?

dan

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