Dribblings 12/13/2004 (Late-Nite Cramming Edition)

Florida International 65, Florida State 60 (story) - This is not the site you go to if you want thoughtful analysis of the ACC, but people who run those sites are saying that the conference might get seven Tournament bids this season. Team number eight is FSU, whose only convincing win so far is over Shawnee State. FIU, a team that's been the Sun Belt's spitoon for many years, lost to Connecticut by 51 points two weeks ago and didn't exactly put in a stellar performance here either. But the Seminoles were even more stinky-poo, falling behind by 15 in the second half and shooting 35% for the game. The Golden Panthers had never beaten an ACC school before, ever.

Cal Poly 98, Santa Clara 89 (story) - Santa Clara has a rich basketball tradition, is the alma mater of Steve Nash and Kurt Rambis, and looks like a strong contender to knock Gonzaga off the top of the WCC with early wins over North Carolina and Stanford. Cal Poly... has a weird fight song. But the Mustangs prevailed in this particular horse show, nearly dropping a century on the Broncos on the way to their first win of the year. Cal Poly's Nick Enzweiler (22 points) drained threes like they were going out of style, hitting 6 of 6.

This is the week of final examinations at many colleges throughout the land, and as such is very light on hoop action - only about ten games per night or so. But that doesn't mean you have to stop visiting here on your daily readaround. Starting tomorrow, we will be celebrating Mid-Majority Finals Week - your opportunity to test your knowledge of mid-major college basketball, and our first-ever audience-participation number. You could win great stuff... maybe a knick-knack from the TMM Swag Closet, a Mid-Majority t-shirt or ballcap, perhaps even a game-used jersey from a team that made the Tournament last season! Wow!

Here's how it will work. There will be a 10-question quiz posted each day for the rest of the week, on four different topics of study.

Tuesday: History
Wednesday: Geography
Thursday: Mathematics
Friday: Bracketology

The entrants with the three highest cumulative scores will get to pick their own prizes. More information on deadlines, submission guidelines, tie-breakers and how to properly use a Scantron sheet will come tomorrow.

Rice head coach Willis Wilson discusses the lost art of free throw shooting over at College Insider.

IUPUI's Ron Hunter puts on one of the best sideline jump-and-stomp acts in college basketball, but did you know he's also quite the diplomat too? Discussing his team's recent visit to Ball State: "I think their students are a little weird, but they're nice kids."

If you ever wanted to know what it's like being Dick Vitale (but not necessarily in the Malkovich sense of the phrase), this feature article from Tampa Bay Online is for you. My only question is about his license plate. "T-O BABY"? (Turnover? Time Out? Toronto? Terrell Owens?)

The 100 Games Project This Week:
Mon 12/13: Wake Forest at Temple
Tue 12/14: Fordham at Villanova

Sat 12/18: Lehigh at Harvard
Sun 12/19: Yale at Boston College

"Oh my God! These are the Aces..."

Twenty-seven years ago today, the entire Evansville basketball team was wiped out in a plane crash. The Washington Times looks back on the one of the most horrible tragedies in college basketball history.

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