01/12/2024

Pro Athlete

The Professional Athlete

Ness Notes (Feb 17)

Ness Notes (Feb 17)

The NBA’s final night time of action prior to the 4-day All Star split featured two previous-fashioned blowouts! The Bulls conquer the 76ers 117-84 for their most lopsided gain of the 12 months and the Suns routed the Rockets, 109-75.

Imagine it or not, that game was not as close as the closing score. Phoenix led by 32 at the half (most significant 1st-half guide of any staff this yr) and by 98-53, right after 3 quarters. The All Star sport is on Sunday, with the West favored by five details and a whole of 259.

My free of charge perform on Friday is Cornell about Princeton at 7:00 ET. The Bulls’ easy gain (117-84) upped my latest NBA run to 13-2-1 because Feb 3. On the other hand, I’ve struggled in faculty hoops these days, with past night’s half-level loss on Washington (a 22* participate in), currently being reasonably Regular of my latest LUCK, or absence thereof. I’m passing on Friday, finding ready for a Major Saturday.

Two of the 3 best-25 teams in motion on Thursday won. No. 13 Boston University conquer Miami 65-54 and No. 20 Washington edged Oregon, 75-72. Nonetheless, No. 17 Georgetown dropped its next straight (next a seven-activity profitable streak), 57-51 at Marquette.

The Citadel dropped at household to the College of Charleston, 72-52 on Thursday. The Bulldogs (-13 in the Southern Conference), join South Florida (-11 in the Major East) and Texas State (-11 in the Southland) as the only a few Division I schools even now winless in conference participate in.

ESPN’s BracketBuster games get underway tonight with three online games, two televised by ESPNU. Albany visits Va Commonwealth at 7:00 ET in a match in which the Rams are favored by 8 details with a overall of 132 1/2.

The late sport at 9:00 ET is a lot more fascinating, as Akron 19-5 and 12-2 in the MAC visits Nevada, 19-5 and 9-3 in the WAC. Nevada, a school that is won 25 video games every of the past two several years, like Three games in the NCAA event, is favored by 6 points with a overall of 133 1/2.

Penn, 7- in the Ivy League (and one of just Six remaining colleges still unbeaten in conference play), is at Columbia tonight (7:00 ET). The Quakers are favored by 14 1/2 details with a complete of 133 1/2.

It will be a MONSTER weekend in higher education basketball, as alongside with the common glut of Television online games carried on Saturday and Sunday (just about 20), the ESPN loved ones of networks will air 11 BracketBuster game titles. The most intriguing will be No. 24 Bucknell at Northern Iowa on ESPN2 at 12:00 midday ET.

Bucknell (21-3) is ranked for the 1st time in college heritage and heads into the recreation on a 12-activity profitable streak (2nd to only George Washington’s 13-video game streak). The Bison are also a single of just 6 faculties nevertheless unbeaten in convention perform (12- in the Patriot League) and whilst this is not a meeting recreation, it will be the school’s most significant showcase because upsetting Kansas in the 1st round of past year’s NCAA match.

Northern Iowa was ranked at No. 25 a several months in the past (the school’s 1st major-25 visual appeal in its 106-record) but enters on a two-recreation getting rid of streak. The 21-6 Panthers have been to the NCAA tournament in each individual of the last two yrs.

No. 2 Duke (12- in the ACC), No. 3 Memphis (9- in C-United states of america), No. 5 Gonzaga (10- in the WCC) and No. 7 George Washington (11- in the A-10), be part of Bucknell and Penn as the only faculties even now winless in their respective conferences. ALL will be in action over the weekend.

No. 2 Duke hosts Miami-Florida on Sunday, No. 3 Memphis is at Tulane on Saturday, No. 5 Gonzaga is at Loyola-Marymount on Saturday and No. 7 George Washington is at Richmond on Sunday. As talked about earlier, GW owns the nation’s longest present-day winning streak at 13 straight wins but both equally Memphis and Gonzaga sign up for Bucknell, just a person get powering with 12 straight victories.

The Citadel is off for the weekend (a blessing) but South Florida will acquire a 13-activity losing streak as very well as its -11 Big East record into a residence video game with Rutgers on Saturday. Texas Condition, losers of 12 straight and -11 in the Southland, host Texas-San Antonio, also on Saturday.

Ness Notes is obtainable Monday by way of Friday by 1:00 ET. This weekend’s “feature tale” will be on the 2005-06 Detroit Pistons.