Being in the Patriot Center tonight with the Green Machine, George Mason's band to my left, I finally felt as if the season had arrived.  The matchup between the Patriots and visitors Liberty was one that looked to be getting out of hand at the half, but turned into a thriller at the end.  GMU had opened up a 13-point lead at the end of the first, thanks to the effective execution of their uptempo offense.  Point guard Cam Long had GMU's offense humming.  He played 18 minutes in the first half, scoring 7 points and dishing out 3 assists in that time.

But he only played two more minutes the entire game.  Postgame, GMU coach Jim Larranga said that Long had gone out with cramps, a persistent issue throughout his collegiate career.  That meant 5-9 shooting guard Andre Cornelius had to shift over to the 1 spot, which hinderered his production.  Cornelius scored 9 in the first, making 3 of 4 threes, but he only made one more field goal on the night.  He did finish as GMU's leading scorer with 17, but he was unsettled at the point, turning the ball over 3 times, while he handed out 4 assists.

With such a young lineup (Mason has six freshmen and four sophomores on the roste)r, Larranaga expects there to be ups and downs throughout the season and even within games.  However, one thing he said his team needs to particularly work on is their transition from offense to defense.  Dale Layer's Flames were able to get back into the game in the second half by running right by the Patriots D, which had backed off a little.  That led to a lot of easy baskets and the comeback.  

Kyle Ohman led the way for the visitors with 23, making 4 of his 5 three point attempts on the night.  Jesse Sanders had 15, while David Minaya ended up with 12 on a poor shooting night (4 for 14 from the field, though he was 2 for 3 from the perimeter).  

George Mason fans have to be mostly happy with how the frontcourt started their season.  Sophomores  Mike Morrison and Ryan Pearson each had 12, while freshman Luke Hancock managed 11 in his first college game.  Larranga used him as a shooting guard, small forward, and power forward on the evening, and he hit a pressure shot in the final minute with 2 seconds left on the shot clock   If he can play like that consistently, Hancock has a bright future in the CAA.  However, It was a disappointing night for GMU's lone senior. Louis Birdsong.  He only managed 5 points in his first start at the small forward position.  

As for myself, I had a close encounter of the Lakeland kind with 6-7 redshirt freshman forward Kevin Foster, who went to high school about four miles from where I used to live in Central Florida.  He crashed into my table on press row going after a loose ball.  

Both squads will be in action again over the weekend.  Liberty hosts NAIA Southern Virginia tomorrow night, while George Mason faces Dartmouth on Sunday afternoon in Fairfax.

On Saturday afternoon, there are two big mid-major contests that are only on local television, which is a shame.  Creighton visits A-10 favorite Dayton at 1 Eastern, and Butler hosts Davidson an hour later in a rematch of a BracketBusters matchup from last season.

There's so much going on this weekend at all levels of the bracket that I decided to combine the rundown of today's bracket (seed list, trends) with my regular TV preview post, so let's get started.

Saturday

Georgia Tech @ North Carolina (CBS, 12 EST) -The Tar Heels currently remain the #4 overall seed. It was a tough week for seeding the top line, thanks to losses by Oklahoma and Pitt. UConn moves back up to #1 overall. The Heels should take care of business here and hold off Memphis.

Georgetown @ Villanova (ESPN, 12 EST) - The Wildcats remain a 4, though you could argue they should be higher. The Louisville loss Monday further confirms that the Hoyas' only chance is to win five in five days at New York. Good luck with that.

Cleveland State @ Butler (ESPN2, 12 EST) - The Bulldogs have already sewed up the Horizon League regular season crown, so they'll host the bulk of the conference tournament. The Vikings, like so many before them, were never able to build upon their big non-conference win. If they win today, they may have the confidence to repeat the feat during Championship Week.

Iowa State @ Texas A&M (Big 12/Altitude/Full Court, 1:30 EST) - The Aggies are firmly in my "Also Considered" group. The bubble is such that they may remain there even if they lose this one. Note that Baylor is also still there despite losing to the Cyclones Tuesday only because of their non-league wins. Wins over LSU and Arizona mean that the A&M will continue to get a look.

Notre Dame @ Connecticut (CBS, 2 EST) - The Irish are in my "Next Four Out" group, but they'll certainly move higher if they get this one. If the Huskies do drop this one, the top line is going to be fun to sort out for Monday.

Illinois State @ Creighton (ESPN2, 2 EST) and Evansville @ Northern Iowa (FS Midwest/CSN Chicago, 8:30 EST) - The Blue Jays and Northern Iowa are tied at the top of the Valley. The Panthers have, arguably, the easier game to close their regular season, at home against Evansville. If they both win, the Valley's needlessly complicated tiebreaker comes into play.

Clemson @ Florida State 0r Wake Forest @ Virginia (Raycom Regional/Full Court, 2 EST) - Clemson probably should've dropped after their loss to bracket newcomer Virginia Tech Wednesday, but Marquette goes down to the 4 line instead because of Dominic James' foot injury. The Noles were positioned to move into a protected slot, then they lost to BC Tuesday night. Wake remains on the 3-line, but their stay there depends on how well their youngsters' finishing kick.

Arizona @ Washington (FSN/selected CSN outlets, 3 EST) - The Wildcats fall down to a 10 after their offense deserted them in the second half in Pullman. They really don't want to lose a second game in the state. The Huskies replace Arizona State as a 4 after beating the Sun Devils Thursday evening. UW can clinch the Pac-10 regular season title with a win this afternoon.

Oklahoma @ Texas Tech or Duke @ Virginia Tech (ABC Regional/Full Court, 3:30 EST) - The Sooners should have Blake Griffin back, making the Red Raiders' task so much more difficult. The Blue Devils remain a 2 seed, but they should have a tougher time against the Hokies than they did in Durham on January 4.

LSU @ Kentucky (CBS, 4 EST) - The Tigers sewed up the SEC regular season crown with their win over Florida Tuesday night. The Wildcats are a game behind South Carolina in the East division, but the Gamecocks own the tiebreaker by virtue of their season sweep of UK. Still, a win here would be good for Big Blue's resume.

Ohio State @ Purdue (ESPN, 4 EST) - The Boilermakers remain a 4, even after their loss to Michigan on Thursday. The Buckeyes ended a three-game slide with a home win over Penn State (who's out of today's field), but a loss here would drop them further down the S-curve.

Georgia State @ VCU (Comcast Network/CSN New England/CSS, 4 EST) - The Rams can make it easy on everyone by winning this and taking the CAA regular season crown. If they lose, the rest of the evening becomes very interesting, thanks to the CAA's tiebreakers.

Mount St. Mary's @ Robert Morris (NEC/MASN/FSN Pittsburgh/Full Court, 4 EST) - The Colonials have already clinched the NEC regular season title, but with the Mountaineers right behind them, this is a possible preview of the conference championship game (though the Mount's possible semifinal opponent, Sacred Heart, may have something to say about it).

Temple @ Dayton (A10/CSN Philadelphia/WHIO, 4 EST) - The Owls are out of today's field, thanks to their loss to LaSalle on Thursday. After dropping road trips to St. Louis and Rhode Island, the Flyers need to get back on a winning note.

Utah @ BYU (CBS CS, 5 EST) - The Utes can clinch the MWC regular season crown by beating the Cougars today and New Mexico on Tuesday. The problem for Utah is that they'll have to win in two of the toughest arenas in basketball to complete the task. BYU needs this win to solidfy a rather shaky resume, outside of their computer numbers.

Arizona State @ Washington State (FSN/selected CSN outlets, 5 EST) - The Sun Devils try to recover from their loss in Seattle by taking on another team who plays a slow deliberate style. This game could make Illinois-Penn State look like Loyola Marymount-Michigan in the 1990 tournament.

Texas @ Oklahoma State (ESPN, 6 EST) - Like BYU, the Cowboys have good computer numbers that just don't make sense when you look at their actual schedule. Even if the Longhorns are a bit down, they're still a tournament team, so a win here would help OK State's case.

Indiana @ Penn State (Big Ten, 6 EST) - It's seems pretty obvious, but Lions absolutely cannot afford to lose this.

Auburn @ Mississippi State (FS South/Sun Sports/FSN Florida/Full Court, 6 EST) - Would you believe that both of these teams are 7-6 in the SEC? Unfortunately, both appear to be NIT-bound, particularly the Tigers, who have a very thin resume.

Old Dominion @ Northeastern (CSN Mid-Atlantic/CSN New England/CSS, 6 EST) - The Huskies have a shot at the CAA crown if VCU loses their 4 p.m. start. The Monarchs are playing for a bye.

Long Beach State @ Cal State-Northridge (Prime Ticket, 6 EST) - The 49ers and Matadors are tied at the top of the Big West at 9-4. They'll each have two games next week, so things won't totally be settled tonight.

Liberty @ Radford (MASN, 6 EST) - Seth Curry's Flames got blown out by VMI on Tuesday night. They lost a 2OT outing to the Highlanders in Lynchburg earlier in the year. RU has the Big South regular season crown all to itself.

St. Mary's @ Loyola Marymount (FSN Regional/Prime Ticket/CSN BayArea+, 8 EST) - The Gaels fell out of the bracket today, thanks to the rise of Virginia Tech, Providence, and Michigan. They've done well without Patty Mills, and if he returns for the WCC tourney and they look good, they'll have a good chance at an at-large. SMC is now tied with Portland for second in the WCC, which also helps their case.

Towson @ George Mason (CAA/MASN/Full Court, 8 EST) - The Patriots have a top-4 seed for Richmond tied up. They can grab a share of the conference title if VCU loses. I'll be in attendance at the Patriot Center tonight.

Western Kentucky @ Middle Tennessee (Sun Belt/CSS/CST/Full Court, 8 EST) - The Hilltoppers move into the bracket this week (as I didn't read the Sun Belt's tiebreaker rules (oops)). UALR can steal it back if WKU loses, since the Trojans have a potentially easier game at home tonight against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Nebraska @ Kansas State (Big 12/Full Court, 8 EST) - Two teams hovering around .500 in the Big 12 and on the fringe of the bubble meet up in Manhattan.

North Dakota State @ Oral Roberts (FCS Central/Full Court, 8 EST) - The Bison (15-2) meet the Golden Eagles (14-3) for the Summit League regular season crown. I've yet to see the Bison play this year, so I'll certainly be DVRing this one.

San Diego State @ TCU (the mtn., 8:30 EST) - After dropping games at New Mexico and at home to BYU, the Aztecs are looking more and more like an NIT team.

Pittsburgh @ Seton Hall (Big East/FSN Pittsburgh/SNY/Full Court, 8:30 EST) - The Panthers are #2 overall, even after losing at Providence on Thursday. They'll look to recover (and stay at those lofty heights) by winning in Newark tonight.

UCLA @ California (ESPN, 9 EST) - The Bruins really struggled in Palo Alto on Thursday, while the Bears are coming off a hard-fought OT win over USC. Even though UCLA isn't a vintage Bruin club, a win here would help the case of a team that's been swept by Oregon State tremendously.

South Carolina @ Vanderbilt (ESPNU, 9 EST) - The Gamecocks look to keep ahold of the SEC East lead. They beat Vandy by 10 in Columbia.

Sunday

Marquette @ Louisville (CBS, 12 EST) - OK, Golden Eagles...how will you play without Dominic James?

Buffalo @ Ohio (ESPNU, 12 EST) - The Bulls have lost four in a row, meaning they now share the MAC East lead at 9-4 with Akron and Bowling Green. The Bobcats are in last place in the division, but they're only two games back.

Missouri @ Kansas or Tennessee @ Florida (CBS, 2 EST) - The battle of Big 12 3-seeds is a rematch of the Tigers 62-60 win over the Jayhawks in Columbia three weeks ago. Will the Mizzou D be able to wear down KU a second time? In the other game, the Gators will be glad to be at home, as they can't buy a road win. Both teams need a win to stay in the hunt for a bye in Tampa.

Providence @ Rutgers (ESPNU, 2 EST) - The Friars are in today's bracket after their dominating win over Pitt Thursday. They can't afford to lose at the RAC.

Michigan @ Wisconsin (Big Ten, 2 EST) - The Wolverines are also new today, but they need to win one of their last two road games (the other is at Minnesota) to truly have a chance.

Cincinnati @ Syracuse (Big East/Altitude/CST/FS Ohio/MASN/SNY/Full Court, 2 EST) - The Bearcats will be confident after they got a win in Bob Huggins' return on Thursday night. The Orange look to stop their slide toward the bubble.

Michigan State @ Illinois (CBS, 4 EST) - The Spartans (12-3) can clinch the Big Ten regular season title outright by beating the second-place Illini (11-5).

West Virginia @ USF (Big East/MASN/MSG/Full Court, 4 EST) - The Mountaineers face a different away experience than the one they encountered on Thursday.

Maryland @ NC State (FSN/selected CSN outlets, 7:30 EST) - The Terps are still hanging in my projection, even after losing to Duke Wednesday night. This is exactly the type of road trip that has caused Maryland trouble in the past.

Next projection will be out Monday evening.

Normally, I'd do a big separate BracketBusters preview, but real life intervened a bit this week (which is why there wasn't a TV preview at any other point this week), so I'm going to give these games special attention within my normal weekend preview. My next bracket will be out Saturday morning.

Friday

Illinois State @ Niagara (ESPN2, 9 EST) - It will be nice to see the great atmosphere at the Gallagher Center on national TV. The Purple Eagles have already surrendered their chance at the MAAC regular season crown to Siena. The Redbirds still have a shot at the MVC regular season crown, as they sit a game behind both Creighton and UNI, facing both to close the regular season. Sadly, neither team has a real shot at an at-large, even if IL State was one of the last remaining unbeatens.

VCU @ Nevada (ESPNU, 9 EST) - The rematch next fall in Richmond may be a better game (though that's arguable as Eric Maynor will have graduated). Now that the Rams lead the CAA, a loss to a down Wolf Pack squad could hurt them from a seeding perspective.

Saturday

Northeastern @ Wright State (ESPN2, 11 a.m. EST) - When the BracketBuster pairings were announced, there were a lot of complaints about the Huskies' matchup. Now that they've dropped four of their last five and surrendered the CAA lead to VCU, that talk has died down.

Liberty @ Old Dominion (ESPNU, 11 a.m. EST) - Seth Curry makes a (sort of) national TV appearance.

Butler @ Davidson (ESPN, 12 EST) - You better believe I'm heading to a bar before I go to Holy Cross @ American (no TV, 2 EST). This game has added importance now that the Bulldogs are dropping games in the Horizon and the Wildcats are struggling in Stephen Curry's absence. The two big questions are "Will Curry play?" and "How will Butler's freshmen deal with the pressure of Belk Arena?"

Boston College @ Miami (FL) (NESN/CSN Mid-Atlantic/FS Florida/FS South/Full Court, 12 EST) - This is precisely the type of game the Hurricanes have to win if they want to stay in the at-large discussion.

Notre Dame @ Providence (Big East/SNY/CST/MASN/Full Court, 12 EST) - After losing to West Virginia on Wednesday night, the Irish look to rebound with this winable game. The Friars have at-large hopes of their own that they want to keep alive.

Tennessee @ Kentucky (CBS Regional, 1 EST) - Remember what Jodie Meeks did in their meeting in Knoxville? They may need an even bigger game out of him if Patrick Patterson doesn't return. Both teams are in a logjam at the top of the SEC East.

Buffalo @ Vermont (ESPN2, 1 EST) - This should be a great one between the leaders of the MAC and America East. The Bulls have lost two straight in the league. If they manage to hold on and claim the auto bid in Cleveland in a couple of weeks, a loss here could be detrimental to their seeding.

Baylor @ Oklahoma State (Big 12/Full Court, 1:30 EST) - This is a virtual elimination game for these two Big 12 clubs.

Marquette @ Georgetown (ESPN, 2 EST) - The Hoyas' at-large chances would be bolstered with a win over the Golden Eagles.

Southern Miss @ UAB (CBS CS, 2 EST) - The Blazers were challenged in their last two wins, but now face a Golden Eagle team they beat by 17 in Hattiesburg two weeks ago.

Louisville @ Cincinnati (Big East/MASN/MSG/FS Ohio/Full Court, 2 EST) - The Bearcats at-large chances would be boosted with a victory over a team that still has an outside chance at a one seed.

Northern Iowa @ Siena (ESPN2, 3 EST) - This game doesn't look quite as good as it did when the BracketBusters pairings were announced, since the Panthers are now in a first-place tie in the Valley standings with Creighton. The Saints have already clinched the MAAC regular season title and are looking to keep that momentum heading into the postseason. For UNI, a win could give them confidence heading into Arch Madness.

Washington State @ UCLA (FSN/selected Comcast Sportsnet outlets, 3 EST) - The Bruins look to sweep the Washington schools and boost their chances for the Pac-10 regular season crown.

San Diego State @ New Mexico (Versus, 3 EST) - The Aztecs are a game behind Utah for the league lead, while the Lobos are two games back. SDSU is looking for the season sweep.

Vanderbilt @ Florida (Raycom/Full Court, 3 EST) - The Commodores are looking to build off their win over UK Tuesday night, but the Gators want a repeat of their 25-point triumph in Nashville.

North Carolina @ Maryland (ABC, 3:30 EST) - Terps get Duke at home on Wednesday. If they can sweep the Heels and Blue Devils, they'll have a better claim to an at-large. That's a huge IF at this point.

Miami (OH) @ Evansville (ESPNU, 3:30 EST) - With the way the MAC and Valley races are, it wouldn't be surprising to see these two claim their leagues' auto bids. The Redhawks' chances may be a bit better as they're only a game behind Buffalo in the MAC East. The Purple Aces actually have a losing mark (7-9) in the MVC.

Memphis @ UTEP (ESPN, 4 EST) - A potentially challenging road trip for the Tigers as they attempt to sweep the 11 dwarves again.

Radford @ VMI (MASN, 4 EST) - The Keydets dropped another one (Monday at Presbyterian). That means the Highlanders are now two games up in the standings. A win here would give Radford home court advantage throughout the Big South tourney.

Nebraska @ Kansas (Big 12/YES/Altitude/Full Court, 4 EST) - A Cornhusker win in Lawrence would do wonders for their at-large chances. Jayhawks have an excellent shot at a protected seed (but an outside shot of playing in Kansas City) at the moment.

Utah State @ St. Mary's (ESPN2, 5 EST) - If the Gaels can win this without Patrick Mills, their resume would receive a tremendous boost. However, an Aggie loss here may be fatal to their chances, provided they don't win the WAC tournament.

Green Bay @ Long Beach State (ESPNU, 5:30 EST) - This is really one to watch, as the 49ers lead the Big West and the Phoenix may the beneficiary of Butler's late-season swoon.

Alabama State @ Southern (CST, 5:30 EST) - The Hornets are trying to hold off Jackson State for the SWAC lead.

Florida International @ Western Kentucky (Sun Belt/CSS/Full Court, 6 EST) - The Hilltoppers won at Arkansas-Little Rock Thursday to move into a tie at the top of the Sun Belt. They can't follow that performance with a loss to the Golden Panthers.

Washington @ USC (selected FSN outlets/FCS Pacific, 7 EST) - The Huskies look to recover from their loss at UCLA Thursday night. The Trojans need a win here to boost their slim at-large chances.

Boise State @ Portland State (ESPNU, 7:30 EST) - This matchup of last year's WAC and Big Sky champions features two teams who could cause their league leaders trouble come Championship Week. The Broncos actually own a win over Utah State, but Weber State swept the Vikings.

Florida State @ Virginia Tech (CSN-Mid-Atlantic+/FS South, 8 EST) - The Seminoles look safe, but the Hokies are reeling after dropping road games to Maryland and Virginia.

Dayton @ St. Louis (local TV in both markets only, 8 EST) - The Billikens dropped a 47-46 decision in Dayton on January 29. Since then, SLU has won five of six. The Flyers now have the league lead thanks to Xavier's recent road troubles.

Oklahoma @ Texas (ESPN, 9 EST) - Even though the Longhorns have struggled of late (dropping four of six), this is the first of two straight (Kansas in Norman on Monday is the other) that could result in the Sooners finally losing a Big 12 game.

George Mason @ Creighton (ESPNU, 9:30 EST) - Can I just say that I'm really looking forward to when these two meet up in Fairfax next season? This game deserves better than an ESPNU broadcast, as both teams have a great chance at making it to the Dance and getting a good matchup (5 vs. 12 or 6 vs. 11).

BYU @ UNLV (CBS CS, 11 p.m. EST) - The Rebels need this one after dropping their visit to Wyoming on Wednesday. The Cougars have quietly risen to a second-place tie in the conference.

Sunday

Illinois @ Ohio State (CBS Regional, 1 EST) - Both teams are looking to recover from Wednesday night, when the Illini had that terrible 38-33 loss to Penn State and the Buckeyes lost a close one to Northwestern.

Villanova @ Syracuse (CBS Regional, 1 EST) - Hopefully, there will be three refs for this one and they won't manage to call 52 fouls. A win may very well seal a bid for the Orange.

Wisconsin @ Michigan State (ESPN, 3 EST) - The Badgers look to follow up their six-game losing streak with a six-game winning streak.

Michigan @ Iowa (Big Ten. 5 EST) - After a good win over Minnesota, the Wolverines can't manage a bad loss in Iowa City.

Northwestern @ Minnesota (Big Ten, 7 EST) - The Gophers have dropped four of five to fall to .500 in the league. The Wildcats next play at Indiana and at home against Iowa, so they have a good chance to get to .500 if they win this one.

Wake Forest @ Duke (FSN/selected Comcast Sportsnet outlets, 7:30 EST) - If this one is half as thrilling as the matchup between these two in Winston-Salem, you'd be foolish to watch anything else. Given how inconsistent these two teams have been since that game, however, this doesn't have the top line implications it would've had just a couple of weeks ago.

Arizona @ Arizona State (FSN/selected Comcast Sportsnet outlets, 10 EST) - The Wildcats are looking to win their eighth straight, and who would have imagined that after they lost to ASU in Tuscon a month ago. The Sun Devils will look to slow the Wildcats down. A win here would boost their case for a protected seed.

BB&T Classic - Here are some pictures from the BB&T Classic in downtown Washington last night. I had a difficult time getting good shots with the lighting in the Verizon Center, even though my position in the arena was quite good. I recommend that if you're a college basketball fan that you try to sit behind the Maryland bench at least once. Listening to Gary Williams is an experience that isn't for the faint-of-heart. However, as an intense person myself, I enjoyed the evening.

It wasn't the most compelling evening of basketball. Navy had a six-point lead at the interval, but couldn't really compete with Virginia Tech in the second half. Kaleo Kina fouling out late didn't help the Middies' cause. The Hokies lived up to expectations and were more than content to play to their opposition's level for much of the night. This is seldom a problem in the ACC, but doing this against Navy and Mount Saint Mary's is begging to be beaten (and to give the committee reason to leave you out in March).

Inconsistent Maryland is currently showing its upside. First, the Terps' win over Michigan in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge looks even better after the Wolverines got a split in their impromptu season series with Duke. Secondly, unlike the win over Michigan State at Disney, Maryland actually managed to build on their earlier victory, dominating a team they should dominate. Greivis Vasquez had a great night going for 17 and picking up 11 boards, but the contributions of Milbourne, Bowie, and Hayes can't be discounted. As for George Washington, it could be a very long season at the Foggy Bottom for the Colonials. I didn't see much improvement from their home opener against Binghamton, and against superior opposition, that was only going to lead to a loss.

Bowl Projections - All-in-all, not too bad for a first effort. I'm disappointed in myself for not sticking with Notre Dame going to Hawai'i and Ole Miss NOT going to the Capital One. The Ole Miss error led to many of my SEC picks being completely wrong.

Taking a look at my errors:

Western Michigan-Hawai'i in the Hawai'i Bowl and Notre Dame-Rice in the Texas Bowl - WMU and ND switch.

Ball State-NC State in the Motor City, Central Michigan-Tulsa in the GMAC - Ball State and Central switch places. NC State goes to the Papa John's.com Bowl to play Rutgers.

Rutgers-Buffalo in the International, UConn-Florida Atlantic in the Papa John's.com. Rutgers and UConn switch places. FAU goes to the Motor City to play CMU.

Louisiana-Lafayette-Louisiana Tech in the Independence - Looks like they didn't want that local of a matchup in Shreveport. Northern Illinois replaces the Cajuns, who don't go bowling.

My SEC bowl order - Ole Miss (Capital One), Georgia (Outback), South Carolina (Chick-fil-a), LSU (Cotton). Correct SEC bowl order - Georgia (Capital One), South Carolina (Outback), LSU (Chick-fil-a), Ole Miss (Cotton).

12/9 - One more I forgot to mention, Florida State-Vanderbilt in the Music City and Boston College-Wisconsin in the Champs Sports. Those two teams flipped places.

And we're off on the road to Detroit. There were two mid-/low-major wins over power conferences last night. Kentucky's early season struggles under Billy Gillispie are now into their second year, as the Wildcats fell 111 to 103 to the shock and awe attack of the VMI Keydets. I witnessed the other, which was not anywhere near as high scoring. (And Gardner-Webb, conquerors of UK a year ago, almost picked off Va. Tech in Blacksburg.) When I mentioned I was at a game yesterday evening, a friend in the Cactus State remarked (completely jokingly), "It's college basketball season! When did that happen?" Well, it appears to have definitely snuck up on Howard and Oregon State, as the final scoreboard at Burr Gymnasium looked like this.

The Bison actually led for most of the game, with the Beavers surrendering the lead for good with 12:15 left in the first half after a Eugene Myatt 3-pointer. Howard almost gave it away at the end, with Chris McHenry and Curtis White missing the front ends of consecutive one-and-ones, and Eugene Myatt missing the back end of one with 8 seconds left. Despite having some chances to pull even or ahead, the Beavers couldn't capitalize. It looks like it's going to be another long season in Corvallis. The First Brother-in-Law-Elect, Craig Robinson has a long road ahead of him to make his team competitive.

Oregon State coach Craig Robinson with his team during introductions"]here's a link to my full photo album from Friday night.

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