Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- and the envelope please...

Was Oscar night as disjointedly amazing for you as it was for me? For some reason the Anne Hathaway/James Franco combo seemed better suited for hosting "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve"-- not that that isn't something to be aspired for. Once you got out of the way that Hathaway was trying too hard and Franco wasn't trying at all you were fed the usual fare-- as period pieces, daring performances and technological envelope pushing were rewarded. Meanwhile the beltway boasted fine performances... with some schools struggling on the big stage or minus key actors.


Shamrock Shake Update-- already on a Charlie Sheen like roll through the district and dominion with 6 Shammys consumed: 2 on 1800ish M Street, 1 at the Verizon Center and 3 on Rte 28 in Centreville, Virginia. Old Line State, be warned. Word is too that because of last year's bitter winter the Shamrock harvest was blessed with bonus minty goodness-- or they're simply using green dye #2138 instead of #2243.


Maryland (18-11, 7-7-- 7th in the ACC with a first round game against Virginia) never led in an 87-76 loss at #19 North Carolina. Allowing 19 offensive rebounds and being unable to contain the Tar Heel fast break doomed the Terps in Chapel Hill; but keep in mind that nobody in the ACC is playing as well as UNC is nowadays. The Terps have to win at Miami and at home against Virginia plus tally two ACC tounament victories (Terps are 3-6 in ACC's since winning the 2004 tourney as a #6 seed) to feel good about their NCAA prospects.

Best Animated Feature-- Okay, so Gary Williams is on his way to the Hall of Fame... and he's doing his usual fine job meshing massive inexperience with a subpar senior class (they can't all be Greivis, Eric and Landon-- I'd even settle for Dave Neal). But there is nobody more fun to watch on the sidelines on so many levels. There's involved coaching and committed coaching. In other words, coach-- you take our first award of the night.

Cruising the Commonwealth-- Bye-bye, bubble! Virginia Tech (19-8, 9-5-- #4 with a quarterfinal contest against the Clemson-Wake Forest winner) defeated #1 in the nation Duke, using a 15-4 run to take command in the second half. With winnable but challenging games against Boston College and Clemson on the slate, the Hokies are far from a lock for the final 68 but a signature win is like a red flag on the resume. Virginia (14-14, 5-9--#10 with a first round game against Maryland) essentially has a "9th place game" on tap with North Carolina State-- whoever wins gets the tiebreaker regardless of what happens this weekend.

Best Supporting Actor-- every so often you have a performer who outshines the rest of the cast on a consistent basis... for instance, Kevin Spacey dominates every frame of The Usual Suspects yet wound up in the Supporting Category (deserved win). Jeff Allen was supposed to help Malcolm Delaney guide the Hokies to greatness this winter... and he's been the team's best player since ACC play began. Just like Spacey carried Stephen Baldwin-- Allen's getting the Hokies past the bubble..."the strangest thing..."

Georgetown (21-8, 10-7--#6 in the Big East with a round of twelve game against Cincinnati) lost a heartbreaker on Senior Day to Syracuse 58-51... even minus heart and soul point guard Chris Wright the Hoyas were able to rally past the Orange 45-43 with 10 minutes remaining before hitting an offensive wall: 1-for-13 from the field with four turnovers. Was it as many fans may say an "asterisk" win? Only if you want to give back that win from 2007-08 when the Orange were without Devendorf and Rautins. More importantly-- the Hoyas face a Cincinnati squad that held them to 46 points this Saturday... and they have to face the Bearcats on the road.

Best Adapted Screenplay-- with Wright on the mend... the Georgetown team that dominated the middle stretch of Big East play will be massively modified. In a week when practice is usually fine-tuning, coach John Thompson III will be doing some serious revamping. How well the Hoyas handle plan B over the next few weeks will determine how deep they'll go at MSG and into March.

Alma Mater Update-- (24-6, 11-6-#5 with a round of twelve game against Seton Hall). A huge sigh of relief from suite 305 and my fellow SU peeps during that 15-6 finising run. Scoop Jardine remains a mysterious enigma wrapped in a riddle (although last week he was an enigmatic riddle wrapped in a mystery) taking the classic "NO--NO-YES!" shots... notching 17 points and 7 assists. I would like for SU for give Kris Joseph more touches in the post... for some reason the Orange's leading scorer has notched 3 single digit efforts in the last 5 games-- not an ideal trend. Now if the Orange can dispose of last-place DePaul Saturday and get help-- SU may get the famed "double-bye" at the Big East Tournament (one of the reasons I oppose future expansion is the potential creation of the "bye-bye-bye").

Costume Design-- to the Big East for dressing up the last four pigs in the cellar of the standings as "Big East Tournament Teams"-- Rutgers, Providence, South Florida and DePaul are a combined 11-53 (!) in league play... I want to see those four teams on a Tuesday? And if something strange happens in MSG (as it often does in March)-- do I want to see a 10-win South Florida team playing anytime, anywhere? They'll have 18 conference games to prove they're not in the bottom 25% of the league. That's more than enough for me.

George Mason (25-5, 16-2--#1 in the CAA with a quarterfinal clash against UNC-Wilmington- Georgia State winner) ended its regular season with an exclamation point. No top seed to play for... on the road (where GMU has had issues over the years)... and against a Panther team that showed it could beat VCU back when the Rams were playing good basketball in January. And the Patriots prevailed 65-58 with Cam Long leading the way with 19 points... GMU is ready for the NCAA's-- the question is how high will they be seeded? ESPN has the Patriots 7th... CBS has them 8th (although I think it's a typo because they have Old Dominion 7th).

Best Direction-- putting together a cast of varied actors is a challenge. Getting everybody to buy into an ensemble effort is a test of diplomacy. Knowing how to get the most out of every man in the production is incredible when it happens-- and frustrating when it doesn't. Jim Larranaga's ability to stir in the right ingredients at the right time during a 40-minute motion picture has been masterful this winter. Case in point-- freshman Vertrail Vaughns has come alive with four double digit scoring efforts over the last five games. Wasn't that the shirt Theo Huxtable wanted to buy on the Cosby Show?

George Washington (15-13, 8-6--#6 in the Atlantic Ten with a first round game against St. Louis) was 20 minutes away from ruining it's status as the mid-major thermometer... leading #24 Temple by three at intermission. Unfortuately, the Colonials collapsed at the Smith Center... shooting 6-for-33 in the second half en route to a 57-41 loss to the Owls. And the final week doesn't get that much easier for coach Karl Hobbs (18-10 Rhode Island followed by 19-10 Dayton).

Best Writing (Orignal Screenplay)-- I have a chance to read and follow a lot of college football and basketball in the Washington, D.C. region... and although I enjoy the Post and Examiner- I miss the Washington Times. The former "other sports section" had the better NCAA Tournament Preview (the Post gave you more but the Times was easier to digest the whole bracket)... and I always looked forward to what Maryland beat writer Patrick Stevens would dissect next. Thank goodness Patrick still writes about college athletics on "d1scourse.com"-- the 400-level course for those of my readers who want more than my HOOP 107.

Maryland Womens' Minute-- the Terps 78-69 victory at Boston College not only avenged their most lackluster shooting night of the winter (28-85FG, 12-27FT and 5-20 from three point range)...but also gave Coach Brenda Frese's team a 9-5 ACC mark and a first round bye in this week's tournament...the first round opponent the winner of Georgia Tech-Virginia Tech. And this came from a young team with no seniors many were saying was a year away.

Best Supporting Actress-- Alyssa Thomas is the likely freshman of the year... Lynetta Kizer is the most polished performer... and Kim Rodgers is the perfect infusion of points off the pine... but Anjale Barrett's steady hand at the point has been the glue that's kept this team winning while maturing-- even in the first semester when ten Terrapins averaged at least 17 minutes a game. Her numbers aren't Kristi Tolliveresque (just 6 points and 4 assists a game)... but Barrett's leadership on both ends of the floor allows for the rest of the team to just play.

American (21-8, 11-3--#2 in the Patriot League with a quarterfinal game against Colgate) wrapped up its regular season with a 95-92 overtime thriller at Lafayette... giving coach Jeff Jones enough ammunition for the next few Eagles practices. AU beat the Raiders by nine in both of their regular season matchups-- with Vlad Moldeveanu scoring 26 points on the road and Stephen Lumpkins netting 27 points at home.

Best Foreign Feature-- Okay... so this one was pretty easy. Not as easy as Gary Williams for Animated Feature, but close. Vlad Moldeveanu has averaged 19 points and 6 rebounds a game while shooting 36% from three point range. I often commend the complimentary play of Stephen Lumpkins (the anvil to Vlad's hammer) and Nick Hendra's clutch shooting and passing... but it all begins with the big man.

Howard (6-22, 4-11--#9 in the MEAC with a first round game against Delaware State) missed its final opportunity to take a true road game with a 73-63 loss at Maryland-Eastern Shore. The Bison turned the ball over 26 times and allowed a key 20-7 run in the second half where the Hawks took control. One bright spot in defeat: Anton Dickerson scored 25 points (including 5-of 8 from three point range)... the sophomore bouncing back from being held scoreless by Bethune-Cookman. Howard can still finish last in the league with a loss plus wins by UMES and South Carolina State... and the Bison have 20-8 Hampton remaining on their slate.

Best Makeup-- Coach Kevin Nickelberry had to rely on three sophomores during his first winter in the District. And although Mike Phillips, Dadrian Collins and Anton Dickerson have a lot more to learn-- the foundation for the future appears to be in place at Howard. Add to the mix Calvin Johnson -- who went out in November with a torn ACL-- and there's talented base to welcome coach Nickelberry's first full recruiting class. Although the Bison have had it rough recently, the right mix of players appear to be gelling at Burr Arena for a run next year.

Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- all about the Shake...

Great news friends... Shamrock Shake season is here! Every year during the final days of February participating McDonalds unveil a vessel of minty goodness. And each year the start and end dates change as do the participating locations. Like a team striving for a spot in the tournament, you hope your Shammy intake doesn't peak too soon nor can you afford being unable to find the beloved shake as the season gets underway.

Maryland (18-10, 7-6--#5 in the ACC with a first round game against Wake Forest) played its most complete 40 minutes of the season in a 78-62 win Florida State... shooting 52% against one of the nation's top defensive teams and holding the Seminioles to 24 points after halftime. Terrell Stoglin's recent play has given the Terps an outside threat they'll need if they're to make a run in the ACC Tournament. Sunday provides one more chance for an impact win-- as they visit #19 North Carolina.

Cruising the Commonwealth-- one teams trash is another's treasure. Virginia Tech (18-8, 8-5--#4 with Md-Wake winner the quarterfinal opponent) wants to avoid another trip to the NIT. The Hokies can go a long way towards reaching the field of 68 with a victory over #1 Duke Saturday night in Blacksburg. Virginia (14-13, 5-8-- #9 with Miami their first round matchup) has consecutive wins in ACC play for the first time this winter and plays a somewhat manageable schedule (Maryland, BC and NC State) so there's no reason why 7-9 isn't a possibility.

Georgetown (21-7, 10-6--#5 in the Big East with a first round game against the winner of Seton Hall-Rutgers) lost in more than one ways to Cincinnati. The Hoyas shot 25% from the field and scored just 20 points after halftime in a 58-46 loss to the Bearcats... and also lost guard Chris Wright to a broken hand. The guard had surgery on his non-shooting hand and hopes to be back at some point this season. Not ideal with Syracuse on deck and Cincinnati again next week.

Alma Mater Update-- Optimism is high surrounding the Orange. Syracuse (23-6, 10-6--#6 with a first round date against the West Virginia-Providence winner) has gotten everything together in the last two weeks with three straight wins. SU wraps up the regular season with shorthanded Georgetown and cellar dweller DePaul.

George Mason (24-5, 15-2--#1 in the CAA with a quarterfinal game against UNC-Wilmington or Georgia State) wrapped up its first regular season conference title in eleven years with a 67-61 win over Northeastern... Ryan Pearson finding that late-season gear with 18 points and 15 rebounds.

George Washington (15-12, 8-5--#6 in the Atlantic Ten with a first round matchup against St. Louis) enjoyed its first double-digit home win since January 12th. Tony Taylor tallied 15 points and was sharper at the end because coach Karl Hobbs limited his minutes to keep him fresh. They can take fifth place away from Rhode Island by beating the Rams next week-- GW also has 24th ranked Temple in its finishing run.

Maryland Womens' Minute-- senior night came and went in College Park with no seniors being honored and another Terrapin triumph. The team of six freshmen, four sophomores and four juniors beat Virginia Tech 61-48. At 8-5 in the conference, the Terps need a win over Boston College Sunday plus a Georgia Tech loss against Miami to wrap up a #4 seed and a first round bye in the ACC Tournament. Otherwise, it's a first round reunion with Virginia Tech.

American (20-8, 10-3--#2 in the Patriot League with a quarterfinal game against Colgate) needed Nick Hendra's clutch shooting to dispose of Navy 69-58 on senior night. Hendra scored the Eagles last eight points and canned a pair of three-pointers to turn the game from a two-possession affair into a double digit decision. After their regular season finale against Lafayette-- all eyes will be on Bender Arena for the conference tournament.

Howard (6-21, 4-10--#9 in the MEAC with a first round battle against Delaware State) has one more chance to win on the road Saturday against last place place Maryland-Eastern Shore... and if you're the Bison you take your victories where you can.

Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- planting seeds...

In a single elimination situation... seeding is paramount. Who's on your side of the bracket? How do you match up with your first round opponent? Are there other bad matchups that loom? What I like about college hoops is everybody has something to play for in late February-- from conference tournament position to national tournament seeding... and there is plenty of hope and a little bit of nope around the beltway this week.

Maryland (17-10, 6-6--7th place with a first round ACC game against #10 Virginia) won a necessary game against North Carolina State to stay in the national conversation... albeit barely. The RPI and SOS aren't at-large worthy... but the emergence of Terrell Stoglin (25 points and 9 assists against the Wolfpack-- the fourth straight double digit scoring output) has been a nice development. Beat Florida State and North Carolina (combined 19-5 in the ACC) this week-- and then you'll have something.

Cruising the Commonwealth-- Way to find your way back to the bubble, Virginia Tech (17-8, 7-5--4th place with a quarterfinal matchup against Clemson/Wake winner). A 61-54 loss to Virginia deflated whatever excitement there was in Blacksburg after beating Maryland...getting swept by an ACC bottomfeeder decidedly not awesome. Can Seth Greenberg's group turn things around in time for a visit to Wake Forest? If so-- Saturday night's duel with #1 Duke could deliver a tournament ticket punching performance. If not-- I'm sure they can purchase group seats at the Verizon Center for the first two rounds. Virginia (13-13, 4-8--10th place with a first round matchup against Maryland) is actually tied for 8th place with Miami and North Carolina State-- but tiebreakers have them tenth. They play the Wolfpack March 1st.

Georgetown (21-6, 10-5--3rd place in the Big East with a quarterfinal matchup against whomever triumphs out of the #6 Syracuse-#11 Marquette-#14 Providence trio) was able to shake off a 2-for-10 performance by Austin Freeman in a 61-55 win over South Florida. The Hoyas now have an intriguing final two weeks: a showdown against arch-rival Syracuse sandwiched by a home-and-home against a Cincinnati team that's won three of four.

Alma Mater Update-- the Orange somehow held off Rutgers in overtime and then prevailed at Villanova (holding the Wildcats to 5-of-26 from three point range) to slide up the standings of the Big East. While they're currently sixth-- SU is a half game out of third and a two game losing streak could drop them to tenth. Nice to see Scoop Jardine score 20 points against the Wildcats--although Rick Jackson has been just as big a factor during the three game surge (15ppg and 9rpg). Safe to say we're ready for Saturday's showdown with the Hoyas.

George Mason (23-5, 14-2--#1 in the CAA with a quarterfinal game against the Delaware-Georgia State winner) is officially the hottest team in the nation. Saturday's Bracket Buster 77-71 win at Northern Iowa saw Ryan Pearson notch his 3rd double-double of the last month... while Andre Cornelius posted his 3rd 20 point effort of February. The Patriots wrap up the outright CAA title with a win over Northeastern or at Georgia State (combined 11-21 in the league).

George Washington (14-12, 7-5--6th in the A-10 with a first round matchup against #11 St. Louis) squeaked by LaSalle to keep its reputation as the middle ground of the Atlantic Ten. Tony Taylor tallied 17 points and 11 assists... making me realize how happy I am the junior has one more year of me saying "Tony Taylor tallied". Technically GW is tied for 5th in the A-10 with Rhode Island; they play there March 2nd.

Maryland Womens' Minute-- free throw shooting plagued the Terps in a 72-66 loss at Florida State... and now the Terps are 7-5 in the ACC with two conference games remaining. A sweep of Virginia Tech and Boston College plus 1-1 finishes by North Carolina and Georgia Tech would result in the Terps getting an ACC Tournament first round bye.

American (19-8, 9-3--#2 in the Patriot League with a quarterfinal contest against Colgate) locked up home court advantage through the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament-- the hammer and anvil combo of Vlad Moldeveano and Stephen Lumpkins assisted by Nick Hendra and his nine assists against Holy Cross. On the Shamrock Shake front-- I've been two a few McDonalds-- to no avail. I think a trip to Bender Arena is just what the doctor ordered.

Howard (6-20, 4-10-- #9 in the MEAC with a first round game against Delaware State) split its weekend games... topping Florida A&M but losing to Bethune Cookman. The Bison still have one final chance to win a road game... Saturday against Maryland-Eastern Shore.

Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- Bubble Bubble, Toil and Trouble...

College basketball's moving month means the emergence and building of the NCAA Tournament bubble. Schools can salvage subpar non-conference slates with impressive runs in league play (Alabama) while some teams go from flying high to floundering in February (Cincinnati). Others do just enough to reach the threshold but not enough to get the dream. Every college hoops expert has their "bubble watch" and while a few are rather well done, a few seem to have more schools on the bubble (in reality probably 10-15 at-large schools) than actually play Division I basketball.

Maryland (16-10, 5-6) suffered the second half of a double-whammy when the Terps lost at Virginia Tech. Too many turnovers (15 to the Hokies 8), poor three-point shooting (4-14) and lack of rebounding (Terps were beaten on the boards by BC and Va Tech) putting coach Gary Williams' team in a difficult spot... especially with North Carolina and Florida State on the horizon.

Cruising the Commonwealth-- Steps forward and steps backward for the Dominion Duo. Virginia Tech (17-7, 7-4) completed a necessary sweep of fellow bubble resident Maryland... but can the Hokies put together consecutive ACC road wins (Seth Greenberg's club is 2-2 in the conference away from Blacksburg)? Thankfully Virginia and Wake Forest aren't UNC and Duke, although the Cavaliers won at Cassell Coliseum in December. Virginia (12-13, 3-8) slips in the standings with a 56-41 loss to Duke. I always thought the ACC was like the SAT... and just like one gets 400 points for signing their name-- schools get 50 points for rolling the balls out.

Georgetown (20-6, 9-5) finally saw their surge up the Big East standings end with a 78-70 loss at Connecticut... as talk of a #1 seed in the NCAA's will die down. The second best shooting team in Division I had a rare off night (43% with Austin Freeman and Chris Wright going 11-for-30) and one can expect they'd get back in gear for their final four regular season games: a home and home with bubble team Cincinnati, a breather against South Florida and a home date with archrival Syracuse.

Alma Mater Update-- Okay, everyone-- here's a newsflash: the Orange 2-3 zone has trouble defending the three-point shot. Even in a win over West Virginia SU allowed 11 threes...
and they face Villanova and Georgetown again (two teams that burned Boeheim's bunch from outside the arc). Rutgers is next (a rare 4pm tipoff) and while the Scarlet Knights may be off to another sub-.500 finish in the Big East-- I request that SU pay atteention to Jonathan Mitchell (42.7% from outside the arc). He may have the green light. In other SU news-- the Washington DC alumni group is proud to have former quarterback Marvin Graves guest-bartending at Sign of the Whale on M Street during the Rutgers game. Unfortunately, my non-alumni friends aren't familiar with SU's best quarterback between the Don McPherson and Donovan McNabb... prompting the exchange "you got Marvin Gaye to guest bartend?"--"no, Marvin Gaye's been dead almost thirty years"-- "didn't he die because somebody poured burning grits on his back?"-- "no, that was Al Green... and he's alive". These are my friends.

George Mason (22-5, 14-2) enters bracket buster weekend with a ridiculous amount of momentum. After smacking fellow big dog VCU by 20 points in Richmond thanks in part to devastating defense (GMU held the Rams to 19 first half points... and 37% shooting for the game) the Patriots stand alone atop the CAA with a perceived chasm between coach Jim Larranaga's crew and the field. While Cam Long has provided steady senior play and Luke Hancock has made the leap, Ryan Pearson's play this month has been smothering- a pair of double-doubles, 18 points against VCU and 12 second half points against JMU.

George Washington (13-12, 6-5) may get a preview of their first round A-10 touranment matchup saturday when the 7th place Colonials clash with LaSalle. GW beat the Explorers 72-67 in Foggy Bottom earlier this winter thanks to 28 points from Tony Taylor-- and he could use memories of that game; the senior's made over 50% of his shots just once since.

Maryland Womens' Moment-- Happy Birthday, indeed. The Terps topped #7 Duke 69-47 on the birthdays of coach Brenda Frese's twin sons... but should this be a surprise? In 2008 Maryland beat the Blue Devils in Cameron the very day Markus and Tyler were born. Duke has asked the ACC not to schedule any more February 17th meetings between the two schools. This was a huge victory for a Terps team that had dropped two straight and needs to complete a sweep of Virginia Tech, Boston College and Florida State to have hopes of a first round bye in the ACC Tournament.

American (18-8, 8-3) now needs a clean sweep plus a Bucknell collapse to win the Patriot League. The Eagles received a nice effort from Nick Hendra (18 points and 7 assists) in a 65-59 win over Army to clinch homecourt for the first round of the conference tournament. AU closes with Holy Cross, Navy and Lafayette...schools that are all capable of shocking coach Jeff Jones' team. On a much more important note, late February at Bender Arena means the McDonald's will start offering the Shamrock Shake as an option... although I'm not pleased with the see-through plastic cups used for milkshakes at the Golden Arch. There are certain things I'd like not to have transparancy about.

Howard (5-20, 3-9) has a home MEAC weekend with games against Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman (combined 15-9 in the league)... but Burr Arena has been quite the home for coach Kevin Nickleberrry's bunch lately as the Bison have won three straight league games in the district.

Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- broken hearts and revised dreams...

Valentine's Day is the most beautiful and the most heartbreaking day of the year. Some couples get engaged while some proposals get rebuffed. People get dumped in the most unceremonious ways. Kids pass cards that say "I CHOO-CHOO-CHOOSE you to be my Valentine" while others are too shy to give the card to that girl they've been into for far too long... and she leaves for her bus... and you have a crappy card you made in art class that makes no sense when you pass it on to your sister. College hoops is a landscape filled with equal parts hope and heartbreak. There are possibilities for greatness and the reality of just not being good enough. Welcome to another heartbreaking Valentine's Week around the beltway.

Maryland (16-9, 5-5) saw their at-large profile take a major hit with Saturday's loss at Boston College. Getting swept by another bubble team is not ideal... and they try to avoid getting swept by permanent bubble resident Virginia Tech Tuesday.

Cruising the Commonwealth-- the Hokies (16-7, 6-4) also have separation games with Boston College and Clemson plus a February 26th date with Duke. A victory over the Blue Devils and a 4-1 mark in the other five ACC games could change the question from will they be seeded to where will they be seeded. Virginia (12-12, 3-7) shot 28% in the first half against Florida State... and we wait for Lacrosse to get into high gear.

Georgetown (20-5, 9-4) is the hottest team in the Big East and was actually mentioned on ESPN.COM's Forde Minutes as a dark horse for a #1 seed. In a guard's game the duo of Chris Wright and Austin Freeman has this team as dangerous as anyone in the nation. And two of their last five remaining regular season games are against ranked teams-- with both UConn (on a 2-3 slide) and Syracuse (2-6) slumping somewhat.

Alma Mater Update-- My mother always told me "defense doesn't end until you get the rebound". Unfortunately teams have been shooting so well from three point range against the Orange the rebound opportunities are few and far between. Even in a victory over West Virginia they gave up 11 threes. Ahem-- I think a weakness in the 2-3 has been spotted. On another note--they took down the Whale Tail Tap Prefab at Sign of the Whale... and SU lost 2 straight. That straight from the department of "too much time spent on a trivial matter".

George Mason (21-5, 11-2) is getting attention as an at-large possibility if they don't win the CAA. Cam Long and company beat a solid James Madison team to set up a major matchup with Virginia Commonwealth-- only the Rams have dropped two of their last four (both by double digits). Can the Patriots prevail in on the road in Richmond? Can they contain VCU leading scorer Jamie Skeen like Old Dominion did last weekend (1-5, 7 pts against the Monarchs).

George Washington (13-12, 6-5) after an impressive win at UMass has a legitimate shot at finishing with a winning A-10 record... as bottom-feeders LaSalle and Charlotte are next and if anything GW takes care of teams below them in the standings.

Maryland Womens Minute-- back to back losses derail the Terps momentum momentarily. Twenty turnovers in the first half against Miami and a lackluster start against Virginia were the culprits-- making Thursday's game with league-leading Duke all the more important.

American (17-8, 7-3) bounced back from a tough loss to Bucknell to beat Colgate-- and with four games remaining on the Patriot League slate it looks as though AU is on a collision course with the #2 seed (they'd need Bucknell to go at least 1-3).

Howard (5-20,3-9) fell to 0-12 on the road with losses at Norfolk State and North Carolina A&T... with one more shot at a road win coming February 26th at Maryland-Eastern Shore (alma mater of Art Shell).

Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- February Frenzy...

It's not March Madness. Not even April elation. But the frenzied moving month of February means the creation and expansion of the bubble... broken hearts and presidential aspirations. Maryland Womens' coach Brenda Frese titles it "February Frenzy"... although I'm sure I used it in an open for a broadcast three years ago (no legal action pending).


Maryland (15-8, 5-4) bounced back from an 18 point loss to Duke by drilling Wake Forest... now the Terps get a breather against independent Longwood (aka the Washington Generals of Division I) before resuming ACC play. And that means two games against schools the Terps have already lost to (Boston College and Virginia Tech) at home... plus two more on the horizon involving ACC contenders Florida State and North Carolina. Coach Gary Williams' teams have earned a reputation over the years (2008 the exception) as one that plays its way into the Tournament after strong play on the "back-eight" of the ACC schedule. Time for the new generation of Terps to follow suit.

Cruising the Commonwealth-- Virginia Tech (15-7, 5-4) has assumed the usual position as a bubblicious bunch... and with Malcolm Delaney slumping from the field the Hokies need more production from the likes of Jeff Allen. Virginia (12-11, 3-6) faces a gauntlet of contender Florida State, league leader Duke and revenge minded Virginia Tech. Sayonara, season.


Georgetown (18-5, 7-4) escaped a nailbiter with Providence (more than a trend: the third straight one-possession game for the Hoyas)... and find themselves in the Carrier Dome this week for a duel with #12 Syracuse. The Big East's signature rivalry deserves a Big Monday moment-- but I'll settle for wings on Wednesday. Watch Austin Freeman and Chris Wright tonight-- if they're hitting from three point range... Hoya Saxa-- if not, Hoya Suxa.

Alma Mater Update-- back to back wins have ended the slide that was the worst for the Orange since '06. They also dropped four straight in 1992... and won the Big East Tournament that season as well. So there's precedent for the SU fans who think with their orange-tainted hearts (of which I am one). Can Scoop Jardine run the half-court offense effectively against the Hoyas? And shouldn't "Scoop" be the name of a character from a 1930's newspaper film starring Cary Grant?


George Mason (20-5, 12-2) turned a suspect season into a sensational one over the last month... the ten straight victories include a 17-point beatdown of CAA contender Old Dominion and sets up a huge February 15th faceoff with second place Virginia Commonwealth. Cam Long's steady hand is proving the difference-- during the 10-game run he's had just one game with more turnovers than assists.


George Washington (12-11, 5-4) after disposing of bottom-feeder Charlotte returns to the haves... by hosting tied for third in the Atlantic Ten Richmond. Tony Taylor tallied 25 points and 9 assists against the 49ers... what will he do against the Spiders?

Maryland Womens' moment-- February Frenzy, indeed. The Terps (20-3, 6-2) have won 6 straight ACC games to slide up the standings into first round bye territory; Sunday's 88-59 beatdown of North Carolina State saw a 15-6 run to close the first half plus a 21 point run to put the game away in the second half. Kim Rodgers' recent play has been huge-- her three-pointer won the game at Georgia Tech and a key three started the rally against the Wolfpack. With her emergence, Lynetta Kizer now has room to operate underneath (ACC Player of the Week). Thursday, another step towards the top involves a trip to the team they're tied for third in the league with-- Miami.

American (16-7, 6-2) battles Bucknell for first place in the Patriot League... and the Eagles fell to the Bison at Bender Arena. The inability to handle Mike Muscala (24 of his 33 points came after halftime) and poor three-point shooting (21%) contributed to AU's defeat. Which perimeter presence will show up-- the bunch that hit 53% against Lafayette or the group that made 5 of 17 against Lehigh?

Howard (8-15, 3-7) avoided the MEAC's cellar by defeating South Carolina State 65-53. Sophomore sensation Mike Phillips tallied 10 of his 26 points during a key 18-6 run for the Bison... giving the HU faithful plenty of confidence in tomorrow as there's a young nucleus emerging at Burr Arena.

Super Sunday-- when girlfriends and mistresses meet..

The big day is finally here... after 5 preseason, 17 regular season and 4 postseason weeks the grand finale is here. Two legacies... a world of uncertainty and plenty of food with questionable nutritional value. Plus a hall call.

First, let the record show I will be at my friend Larry's house for the game. So that means plenty of buffalo wing dip (chicken puree, bleu cheese dressing and wing sauce) and butter bars (60% butter, 30% sugar and 20% shortening... don't tell me its bad math because I have consumed about 50 or so over the years and trust me, it adds up)... while being asked every five minutes if I'm having a good time.

Team of the 60's against the team of the 70's-- in 2011. Two stories franchises facing off for the title... and do I admit I like both? You see... I grew up in New England and have had family in the Patriots employ over the years. So I was somewhat stomach punched when they lost to the New York Jets. Growing up in an era when the Pats were usually home by Christmas I would often look elsewhere in he playoffs... and let's just say I took on a mistress. The Steelers were charming and they always seemed to do things the right way. My AFC mistress wears black and gold. Now in the northeast one was fed a steady diet of how great the NFC East was... and the constant chest thumping turned my sympathetic eye to a badly run smalltown franchise. There- I said it. The Packers are my NFC girlfriend. Do I paint my face for them? No, but I like how both teams are run and like to see them do well. And I won't leave my NFL wife, EVER.

Actual game analysis-- expect plenty of points on the fast track -- I think that with Pittsburgh's OL issues will be a problem. And it just seems like Aaron Rodgers' year. Packers, 30-24.

Labor Pains-- it appears as though management and the union are at an impasse... and a lockout looms wit issues lime health care... 18 game seasons and revenue streams the focus. It's millionaire players battling billionaire ownersand the fans wind up losing out.

Hall Hell-- congratulations to former Redskins LB Chris Hanburger for getting into the HOF. I'm sure he'll give the Canton festivities humility in the face of Deion Sanders...btw will the neon one be enshrined as a Redskin? I just wish they'd put Ray Guy in Canton... Marvin Miller in Cooperstown... and the Moody Blues in Cleveland.

Beltway Basketball Bonanza--seeing one's shadow...

Who doesn't love Groundhog Day? Bill Murray (with Andie Macdowell and Chris Elliot) helped turn a calendar blip into a big deal-- as the Buddy Hackett-voiced groundhog in the claymation "Jack Frost" failed to inspire (check this one out-- it's a badly done, tired "we've run out of ideas but not clay" production by Rankin Bass). Teams have six weeks to set the record straight on their destiny-- are they in the shadow of greatness... or of missed opportunities?



Maryland (14-8, 4-4) rallied against #5 Duke but couldn't get closer than five points in the second half en route to an 18 point loss. Once again the lack of a three point shooter (2-9 outside the arc) haunted a team that in the absence of a "sit up and listen" victory will have to win at least 6 of 8 remaining league games to be in the NCAA conversation. The good news is they still have tilts against Wake Forest, Miami and NC State (combined 4-18 in the ACC).



Commonwealth Commotion-- Virginia Tech (15-6, 5-3) and Virginia (12-10, 3-5) mark the beginning and end of the ACC's middle class. Thanks to Jeff Allen's 18 points and 11 rebounds against Miami, the Hokies appear five wins shy of being on the bubble as they usually are in March; the Cavaliers even after their 49-47 win over Clemson (let the record show the UVa football team also had three 40 point efforts this season) need a monster run to secure an NIT bid.



Georgetown (17-5, 6-4) enjoyed back to back three point victories over ranked teams for a nice Saturday-Monday sweep. What's impressive about the win over Louisville is that Austin Freeman was held to 13 points and 6 turnovers by the Cardinals yet the Hoyas had Chris Wright (fresh off going scoreless against Nova) pouring in 24 points. It was just the second time during conference play that Wright shot more than 50% of his shots.



Alma Mater Update-- after four straight losses, Syracuse began it's game at UConn by not scoring for the first 5:27. Somehow the Orange rallied (thank you Huskies for shooting 29% in the first half) and held on 66-58. This may not cure all that ills SU, but the team's first big road win of the winter gets things in gear for a monstrous February: twice against Georgetown plus trips to Louisville and Villanova... plus unranked but should be ranked West Virginia at the Dome.


George Mason (18-5, 10-2) has gathered major steam over the last few weeks; during their current 8 game winning streak-- 7 have come by double digits. Luke Hancock continues to make the leap from fringe player to major contributor... averaging six assists over GMU's last three games. CAA co-leader VCU looms as the Patriots play the Rams in Richmond February 15th in the only regular season meeting between the two schools.


George Washington (11-11, 4-4) straddles the Atlantic Ten midpoint...tied for 7th place in the fourteen team league that has the number ten in the title. So far they've handled the teams they should be beating and have lost to the schools that are having better seasons-- kind of like a mid-major Maryland if you will. Tony Taylor's the bright spot offensively-- he's the only Colonial averaging in double figures.

Maryland womens' moment-- the Terps (18-3, 4-2) begin February chasing down a top four spot in the ACC (and the first round bye it provides). Currently there are five teams ahead of the Terps in the standings-- and Maryland plays four of them over the next eighteen days. The rubiks cube of a roster has settled into a late-season rotation (for a big part of the winter 10 players averaged from 17 to 24 minutes a game)... and while freshman of the year candidate Alyssa Taylor is taking the headlines-- a lot of credit goes to point guard Anjale Barrett. The junior's not a natural at the point-- but is able to run the offense efficiently.

American (15-7, 5-2) after a hiccup at Navy reasserted itself in a double digit win over Lafayette. The hammer-anvil duo reveals who the bellwether is; Stephen Lumpkins (21 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks against the Leopards) has been held to single digits twice in Patriot League play-- and AU has dropped both of those games. On the horizon: trips to

Lehigh and league-leading Bucknell... the only other Patriot League schools with overall winning records. A sweep would be sweet.


Howard (4-17, 2-7) picked up a pair of wins over the weekend against Maryland-Eastern Shore and Delaware State by a combined seven points. Mike Phillips came up huge for the Bison in both games-- averaging 15 points and 9 rebounds in the sweep. Howard has another home weekend with North Carolina Central and South Carolina State coming to Burr Arena; both are winnable games.