WASHINGTON — As candidates scurry from Iowa to New Hampshire to South Carolina to the state of Super Tuesday (where’s Howard Dean to whoop us up into a frenzy when we need it?), the area’s college basketball teams are hot on the campaign trail as well.
While they aren’t necessarily running for the same office (blame conference realignment), some are campaigning for that elusive No. 1 seed, while others just hope to get on the big debate stage.
Truth be told, I had wished that the Republicans referred to the “undercard” as the NIT — or at least have the candidates around a Thanksgiving-style kiddie table.
Vote early and often…
No. 2 Maryland (21-3, 10-2 Big Ten) tallied 3 wins in less than a week to make its case for a top seed. At home or abroad, the Terps appear to be a winning candidate … as Melo Trimble compensates against No. 18 Purdue for a 2-for-12 shooting effort by tallying 5 rebounds and 7 assists. The win ties the Terrapins for second in the conference with Indiana, one half-game behind Iowa.
The Hoosiers remaining road is the toughest of the three schools, with six of their seven remaining games against ranked foes. Maryland meets No. 18 in a few weeks, while also having dates with streaking Wisconsin, a Michigan team they lost to in Ann Arbor and a season-ending trip to Indiana.
Iowa has two games with the Hoosiers and a date with Michigan. The dark horse candidate to take the Big Ten nomination? A Michigan State that has found itself.
As for the bracket racket, CBSSports.com’s Jerry Palm has the Terps No. 3 in the South, with a first round game against UAB in Brooklyn. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi tickets the Terrapins to the East as a No. 2, still in Brooklyn but facing UNC-Asheville.
Georgetown (14-11, 7-5 Big East) got a necessary home win over hapless St. John’s Monday night, 92-67. For one night, the Hoyas shot effectively and shared the game (21 assists in 32 field goals) while denying their foes on the glass (+12 rebounding advantage). They hadn’t looked this good since a 93-73 win over the Red Storm in January. Sadly, they won’t play St. John’s — or 9th place DePaul — again in the regular season.
Lost in the glow of last night’s game was Bradley Hayes’ inability to stay out of foul trouble (he picked up No. 4 with 18 minutes left in the second half), and with three of their last six games against ranked foes the road to the tournament will be difficult. Not impossible, but definitely difficult. Bracket racket–Hoyas are listed as “next four out” on ESPN and not in the CBS equation.
Cruising the Commonwealth — So much for Tony Bennett’s team being soft on foreign policy. No. 7 Virginia (19-4, 8-3 ACC) has won three straight away from Charlottesville, the latest a 64-50 triumph over Pitt. Six straight victories ties the Cavaliers with the team that will not play in the postseason for 2nd in the conference, and they get league-leading North Carolina at home this winter.
Before a campaign stop in always inhospitable Durham this weekend, they’ll hold a revenge rally at John Paul Jones Arena to face the school from Blacksburg. Both models have UVa playing in Raleigh as a No. 2 seed; ESPN has them in the Midwest facing Stephen F. Austin while CBS them in the South bracket playing Belmont.
Virginia Tech (13-11, 5-6) visits Virginia after snapping a five-game losing streak: they beat the Cavaliers last month thanks to 9-of-17 shooting from three-point range and 16 Virginia turnovers. Zach LeDay had one of his better games of the season (22 points and 7 rebounds) as well. Expect him to get plenty of attention Tuesday night on the campaign trail.
George Washington (18-5, 7-3 Atlantic 10) is coming off a season-transforming win over previously unbeaten in the conference VCU 72-69. Was it more impressive than Reagan’s “I paid for this microphone!” or Gary Hart throwing a hatchet four years later? It’s one thing to beat the league-leading Rams, another to bounce them in their gym.
Richmond is far from an easy place to steal a victory… and the Colonials did so thanks to taking care of the ball (only 10 turnovers) and locking down defensively (VCU scored one field goal in the last 5:45). Senior Patricio Garino enjoyed his final game at Siegel Center by scoring 27 points, but the overcrowded A-10 field gives 4th place GW little time to celebrate.
Saint Joseph’s and St. Bonaventure are 3rd and 5th in the league and “Big Mo” can vanish with one or two stray possessions on any given night. ESPN has GW 9th in the South facing Indiana at Oklahoma City while CBS has the Colonials in the First Four as a No. 11 in the East playing Cincinnati.
George Mason (8-15, 2-8) would be ticketed as a potential Vice Presidential candidate, hard-working and scrappy on the campaign trail, but lacking the necessities to win consistently. They tried to debate No. 24 Dayton but were dismantled 98-64 as the conference’s best rebounding team was crushed on the glass by 17. There is hope for the next campaign cycle as freshmen Otis Livingston II and Jaire Grayer have each made contributions in their initial season for the Patriots.
American (7-16, 5-7 Patriot League)- What happened to the HOTTEST TEAM INSIDE THE BELTWAY? AU’s five game winning streak came to an end at Lehigh…a school that should still be called the Engineers instead of the Mountain Hawks.
The 72-49 loss saw the Eagles revert to the form that saw them start 0-6 in the conference: 32 percent shooting with 14 turnovers while getting out-rebounded by nine. Just like nobody saw this team starting 0-6 in conference play and based on those games nobody saw this team going 5-1 in the second third of their league schedule, does anybody have any idea how AU will finish? Polls will be open until Feb. 27.
Howard (10-14, 4-5 MEAC) dropped a pair of heartbreakers at home, a double overtime loss to Norfolk State and a three-point defeat against league-leading Hampton. Instead of being conference contenders, the Bison are wondering how long this four-game drought will continue.
Coppin State and Maryland-Eastern Shore are next–and while both are in the bottom half of the league, Howard lost at UMES by double digits a few weeks ago. What’s encouraging has been the emergence of Marcel Boyd: the junior from Accokeek, Maryland has notched three straight double-doubles. Anything to alleviate the pressure on James Daniel III.
