a good loss?

-- Let's see...Whose columns haven't I read in weeks? That's right, Larry Vaught's. In his latest installment form the Danville (KY) Advocate-Messenger, Vaught writes up Kentucky's chances of going undefeated in the SEC. As noted earlier, UK's success in 2004-2005 is more the result of the SEC's weaknesses rather than the Wildcats' strengths – at least when compared to past Kentucky clubs.

-- Barry Jacobs of the North Carolina Tar Heel Daily put the chimps to work, learning the ACC's cumulative free throw percentage for 2004-2005 is more or less the same as the conference's cumulative percentage twenty years ago. In other words, don't believe everything you read regarding the decline of "fundamentals" in today's game.

-- The Albuquerque (NM) Tribune's Jeff Carlton, himself a blogger, pens a piece about the Lobos' alley-oop passes to senior wing Alfred Neale. A very slow news day, eh Jeff?

-- Seth Davis suggests that both Boston College and Illinois would be better off were they to lose a game before the NCAA Tournament. Fair enough. Though I believe the case is stronger for Illinois than for BC. Illinois players are currently deluged with media coverage. Despite their perfect record, Al Skinner's Eagles continue to fly more or less under the regional and national radar. And Illinois is a much, much better team than Boston College, suggesting that while the Fighting Illini might suffer from high expectations, the Eagles could be well served to continue benefiting from the big mo'.