3 Intersting Starts

Three teams that are on the Maniac's Radar...not ready to slot them in Bracketeering, but they have made interesting blips.

Florida State (7-0)

Seven wins, including victories over Cal and Cincinnati make for a solid start. A closer look at some of the scores makes them an intersting team to track. 2 Point win over Jacksonville, 4 points over LaSalle, by two over STETSON. Then by 11 over Cincy and a 3-point margin over Cal. It seems no matter the quality of the opponent, FSU beats 'em close... Let's see if they can keeo it up against Wake, Miami and Duke (UNC intentionally ommited.)


Jacksonville St. (4-1)

Agreed, they are not a Top 25 team, but if you want a team to keep on your radar as a possible 14 or 15 seeded roll-of-the-dice, consider the Gamecocks. They opened with a 13 point loss to the "Gamecocks"; meaning the one's you HAVE heard of at USC. They rebounded with wins over Georgia St, UMass, and a 28 point drubbing of VMI... who beat Kentucky...who beat West Virginia and Kansas St on back-to-back nights.... I'm just saying....

Dayton (6-0)

A perfect 6-0 start with wins over Auburn and then #15 Marquette. The Flyers hope to avoid a repeat of last year's injury plagued second half swoon.

Maniac picks

* Gonzaga (-2) over Tennessee
* Wake Forest -1 over Baylor (really good "under the radar" game)
* Vandy -1 over VCU




Pargo and the Zags are Final 4 Strong...

On 'Top

What Has 2 Thumbs and Loves an Upset Win Over Louisville?

THIS Guy!

Bracketeering - Nov 30th

Take it or leave it - the Maniac's second edition of Bracketeering for 08-09

FINAL FOUR:

1. UNC - Thrashings of Notre Dame and Kentucky looked routine. Is there any doubt they do the same thing to Michigan St. this Tuesday?

2. UCONN - Wins over Miami and Wisconsin. UConn will have some competition for certain, but appears to be ready to tangle with a tough Big East.

3. Duke - We'll find out how tough Duke is this week against Purdue. My guess? Tough enough.

4. Oklahoma - Played a tough Davidson squad last week in what had the feel of a "third round" tourney game. Took care of Purdue this week in a "Regional Final."

ELITE EIGHT:

5. Gonzaga - This is written before their tilt with #12 Tennessee. I think the Zags win it, and gear up for the Duke tilt later this month.

6. Notre Dame - Yes, Carolina had their way with them, but they are going to make a lot of good teams look very pedestrian. Notre Dame's win over Texas and steady play in 08 are enough to erase the memory of the Ty Lawson track meet in Maui.

7. Pitt- OK, I give in. This is one of a small handful of the best teams in the country. For now.

8. Xavier - Originally an admitted homer pick, but with every team around them taking losses or ducking competition, the Muskies hang on to the 8th slot for another week. Upcoming games against Butler, Cincinnati, Auburn, Virginia and Duke will settle whether they belong.

Sweet and lurking: The next tier
Texas, Syracuse, Wake Forest, Davidson, Tennessee, Baylor, LSU, Louisville, Michigan St, Villanova

Bracket Busts: Some early season disappointments
Lousiville, USC, Marquette, Southern Illinois

Half Court Heaves: Long shots worth keeping an eye on
Dayton, Seton Hall, Minnesota, Cincinnati, St. Mary's, Air Force, Kentucky (forget the VMI game, this will be a tourney team) and Western Kentucky (bad 28-pt. loss to Murray St last week, but gets a temporary nod after dismantling the 'Ville in Freedom Hall)

Not as big as last year's tourney run, but a nice win for the 'Toppers in Louisville.

Flyin' High

Dayton stockpiled an important non-conference scalp by taking down #15 Marquette yesterday. It is also a big win for a A-10 conference that has disappointing early (Charlotte, St. Joes, UMass) other than Xavier.

Dayton was led by a surprising scoring outburst from junior guard Rob Lowery. Prior to the Marquette game, he had scored: 5,9,2,5 and 2 points respectively.