Thursday, January 22, 2009

About last night...

There were three Big XII games on TV last night and all of them were worth watching for one reason or another.

Baylor 83 K-State 65
This one got away from Frank's team early and they never recovered. Now at 0-4 in the league, they HAVE to win in Boulder Saturday to have any prayer of saving this season. Meanwhile, tip of the cap goes to the Bears. Beating K-State is no grand achievement, but it's a big step toward competing for the league and keeps the pressure on the other favorites to keep winning their road games as well.

Nebraska 61 Oklahoma 72
A big bravo to the Huskers for fighting all the way to the end in this one as it was much closer than the nine point disparity reveals. They led throughout, but in the end they lost Dagunduro to fouls and just couldn't stop Blake Griffin - who wasn't too far off my 30/20 prediction, falling just short with 27 & 18. This should again prove that OU is by no means infallible and also that Nebraska shouldn't be overlooked, even if they have no size whatsoever and lost to Baltimore-Maryland County.

Missouri 97 Oklahoma State 95
I'll never make anyone apologize for a conference road win - especially in GIA - but damn if Missouri didn't do everything possible to lose this one before getting bailed out by the referees. After leading comfortably throughout most of the game, the Tigers completely imploded giving OSU a few chances to tie or win in the last minute. One of those chances, Eaton went in for layup, was fouled/blocked by Missouri - yet the zebra called for a...jump ball? Despite only one hand ever being on the ball and the ball continuously moving in one direction, this excuse for a referee panicked and went with the "safe call." Given the situation, it was, without a doubt the worst call I've seen this season. And I don't say that out of hatred for Missouri. If he really thought they got a hand on it, I would have been fine with him judging it a block and not making a call - he would have been wrong, but it would have made sense. A jump ball did not.

As for the ramifications, OSU has now lost two straight nail-biters and been on the wrong end of questionable calls in both taking them to 1-2 in the league. Meanwhile, the Tigers have won three straight and none meant more than this one. If they can win in Manhattan, they'll enter Februrary no worse than 5-2 with a chance to be 6-1 if they can take care of Baylor at home. Neither one of these teams can do anything in the halfcourt.

Some shit went down outside of the league as well. Wake Forest lost AT HOME to mighty Virginia Tech and proved again that no one in the ACC plays any defense whatsoever. The sooner everyone accepts this, the better. Of more significance to Kansas fans, Northwestern was able to go into the Breslin Center and do what we couldn't - knocking off the Spartans and ending their 11 game winning streak. So that stings a little. As did Arizona blowing their game against ASU. I realize we saw two different teams than the ones that played last night, but it's a shame we weren't able to steal one of those games. Could I be getting a little greedy?

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