Letdown and Lexington
Missouri State finally looked vulnerable last night in their loss at Arkansas. I was wrong. But the Bears should have won that game. Arkansas played incredibly on defense, holding MSU to 39% from the field and just 18% from 3-point range in the first half. On the season, the Bears are averging 51% and 46%, respectively. Even Blake Ahearn, statistically the best free throw shooter in NCAA history and Missouri State's leader, shot terribly (5-18 from the field).
Arkansas, on the other hand, has made it through the meat of their non-conference schedule with only two losses, to Connecticut and Maryland. Since then, they've won 5 straight.
I, for one, am excited about the SEC this year. All 12 teams have a winning record at this point, with a little over 2 weeks until conference play starts.
Which brings us to Lexington. Gregg Doyel said just about everything there is to be said in his Top 10 Games.
Countdown to Davidson-Syracuse is at 2 days, 15 minutes.
HOO-AH!
Anyone else thinking Taquan Dean is a darkhorse for Player of the Year? Yeah, didn't think so. Louisville has an excellent big man as well, 6'11" soph David Padgett. He's averaging 10 ppg and 7 rpg, which will shoot up as conference play starts. Oh yeah. One more thing. He's doing it shooting 72%.
Washington in action tonight against Eastern Washington. Talk about exciting teams, the Huskies are averaging 96.4 ppg?!? In all 8 games, they have scored at least 80 points, eclipsing 90 in 5 games and scoring over 110 in 2 contests.
Deep breaths.
One other top 25 team, #12 Michigan State, playing at home tonight against an awful Cleveland State team. No upset here.
--Dave
