Ok, I’ll say it. If you’re not going to say it, I’ll say it.
Mizzou punked us.
We spent a lot of time earlier this week tapping The Internet™ on the shoulder to say, “Hey, The Internet™, just so you know, Mizzou might be kind of bad.” And then Mizzou went out and was like, “Hey, college basketball universe, we’re going to trail TCU by double digits with a few minutes left,” and the college basketball universe was prepared to be like, “Hey, that NIT blogger who writes notes about the NIT every day that not very many people read was probably right, I think Mizzou might be an NIT sleeper.”
And then Mizzou came back.
I mean how dare they?
Other notes:
- LSU snatched a good loss out of that. Good NIT candidates collapse when they need to. Especially against strong competition.
- Not as bad a win for Penn State as you might fear. It was at home. A lot can be forgiven if it happens in the home.
- Kansas keeps trying to be like Duke and Michigan State and not really Kentucky but maybe Kentucky in their heads? Long way to go for the Jayhawks.
- So Virginia Tech’s out of the NITuation for a bit.
- Oh, back to Duke, they also might be on the wrong side of the cut line now. That was a lot of points to win by. Didn’t like that for them.
- Georgia Tech got a nice win at home. Let’s all take a breather before we panic. This team lost to Georgia State and Mercer in Atlanta. Their part of Atlanta. They being Georgia Tech. Let’s not lose sight of that.
- Arkansas avoided what would’ve been a damaging road win.
- Nice, clean loss for the Stanfords. And on Bill Walton’s birthday! Wait, uh, I just googled and this says Bill Walton’s birthday was November 5th. I think I miss something with these cupcakes. I just always assumed it was his birthday when they had cupcakes. Why did they have cupcakes?
- Dayton beat Rhode Island in a bubble game. ‘spect. (That’s what the Dayton kids are saying instead of “respect” these days. It’s really douchey.)
- Notre Dame beat Pitt by a lot of points at Pitt, creating some concern surrounding Pitt’s legitimacy. As an NIT contender. The other kind’s been gone for a while.
- Georgetown beat Providence and Providence, like Pitt, is suddenly not feeling too good about things. NIT things, I mean. Again, probably weren’t feeling great about other things even before yesterday.
- Oh nice Toledo beat Bowling Green! Love that for us (us being society).
- Oooh, South Carolina, lost to Vanderbilt? Really? You guys thought that was a good idea?
- Belmont edged Murray State. Even bad Murray State gives us good Belmont games. Which could prove fruitful down the line (cue ominous auto-bid music, which is actually just a mashup of a few Avril Lavigne songs and In the Hall of the Mountain King).
- Grand Canyon beat NMSU again. They get to keep the canyon.
- BYU almost lost another terrible one. Even winning it required two overtimes. In Provo. Against Pacific. These guys are not dead yet.
- Speaking of the occult, Mick Cronin’s UCLA Bruins escaped Oregon State by five. Bummer.
- Both teams under 50 alert! UMKC 49, NDSU 47.
- Ooh Bryant got beat on the road by Fairleigh Dickinson. That’s…Fairleigh damaging! (Sorry I couldn’t help myself Bryant’s tied with LIU now atop those standings.)
- Colgate evaded Holy Cross, keeping the United States Navy at bay for at least another day.
- Cleveland State did their job. What’s their job? No, really. We’re asking. This is a test. Reading comprehension time, buddy.
- Oh man missed this one huge win for Utah they might be in the mix now. I mean they’ve gotta be in the mix. Colorado’s the anti-Mizzou. They’re, like, actually good. In that sense. Not in a Gonzaga/Baylor sense that’s obscene.
- Tulsa back on track (ish) with the win over ECU props Tulsa don’t give up. Don’t ever give up, Tulsa.
- Mississippi State fans poking their heads up asking if beating a shorthanded Iowa State team by 39 is cause to hope: Why not just hope? Can’t hurt, and that way we get the clicks on tomorrow’s NIT Bracketology update.
- Mmm Texas State lost to the Ragin’ Cajuns that changes things a little in the Sun Belt, where…is Coastal Carolina gonna be the favorite? In this sport too?
- Ok I think that’s it. Saturdays are busy. They’re only getting busier. Protect your health. But also get in shape because the NIT is (hopefully) coming.
- Big ones today: ALL OF THEM just kidding here are the leaders: Northwestern looking to knock off Rutgers and climb back up a couple rungs, Syracuse looking to hold water with a non-impressive home win over NC State, Marquette wants to beat St. John’s so probability doesn’t kick them out of the projected bracket, Michigan State doesn’t have much to lose but could still lose it, nothing else of too much note. Enjoy the Pro Bowl I’m going to pretend that’s happening for a moment and that people would watch it if it were happening. (EDIT: I have been told the Pro Bowl is happening? And that they’re using Madden? Amazing.)
