11:00 pm: St. Mary's @ Gonzaga: Tonight's game may very well decide the WCC champion. Gonzaga is actually in second place in the conference right now (they've played one less game than the Gaels), but they own a win over St. Mary's from their first matchup.
This one ought to be a lot of fun to watch. Gonzaga, after beating St. Mary's, struggled for a couple of games before losing to San Francisco two weeks ago. But since that loss, the Zags have posted two good wins, blasting Portland at home before beating Memphis in Memphis just 40 hours later. St. Mary's, on the other hand, has been playing very well since their loss to Gonzaga, winning six in a row.
The Gaels are anchored by Omar Samhan, who may actually be the best post player in the country not named DeMarcus Cousins. The last time these two teams played, he went for 31 and 12 boards, and in his last two games, the seven footer is averaging 23.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg, and 7.5 bpg. But if you collapse on Samhan, the Gaels have some shooters (Mickey McConnell at 52% and Matthew Dellavedova at 41% in particular) that will kill you.
The issue for St. Mary's is going to be how to slow down Elias Harris. The Gaels don't have anyone with the combination of size, strength, and athleticism that Harris has. And he's not even their best player, Matt Bouldin is. St. Mary's is going to have their work cut out for them on the road tonight, and they probably need this win if they want a legitimate shot at making the tournament.
7:00 pm: Louisville @ St. John's: The only reason this game has any intrigue is Rick Pitino. Does anyone else find it ironic that news broke of his rumored interest in the Nets job the morning of his trip to play the Johnnies in the Garden? Louisville cannot afford the distraction tonight, however. This game is a must win for them, simply because their bubble status cannot afford the loss.
9:00 pm: Ole Miss @ Mississippi State; 9:00 pm: Washington @ Cal: Quick, what's worse: the SEC West of the Pac-10? That's a tough one, right? There is a very good chance that neither will send an at-large team to the dance. But if anyone is going to, these four teams have the best shot. This might be the last chance for Washington. They haven't won anything away from home this season, and their only impressive win came against a team that saw their senior leader have his leg literally snapped in half. The Huskies play five of their last seven on the road, and Cal is the only game with any sustenance. Cal, on the other hand, has a better looking resume, but probably cannot afford to get swept by Washington.
Mississippi State desperately needs the win as well. Their profile is really lacking and they have lost four of their last five. Believe it or not, a loss for the Bulldogs puts them two and a half games behind Arkansas in the SEC West. Ole Miss isn't much better. They do have a win over Kansas State that they can hang their hat on, but the rest of their resume if fluffernutter. MSU has already beaten Ole Miss, and like Cal, I'm not sure Ole Miss can survive being swept.
Bubble Watch
Other notable games
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Thursday's Pregame Beat |
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