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The Center for Artificial Indifference

Here We Go, Hoop de Hoop…

January 21st, 2008 | Category: Games We Play

New NCAA Mens Basketball rankings out today…

NCAA 012108
See that Big Orange Power T over there on the right. That’s my University of Tennessee Volunteers. The MEN, not the Lady Vols who we perennially expect to be there. As a matter of fact, the UT women continue to maintain the No. 2 spot in this week’s poll. But for the men to be up there in the thin air is astounding. The AP Poll even puts them at No.3! Many of you will readily recognize positions 2 through 4 as the Kansas Jayhawks, Duke Blue Devils, and North Carolina Tarheels. No one has ever actually spotted a jayhawk or tarheel, whatever the hell they are. Or a blue devil, for that matter.

Now, boys and girls, turn your attention to the extreme left end, to the school occupying the No. 1 position for the first time this year, or maybe since the earth cooled. That’s Memphis … the University of Memphis … or as we olde tymers around these parts are still fond of saying, Memphis State.

Tennessee owes its rise from the dregs of the SEC to 3rd year coach Bruce Pearl, while Memphis is guided by John Calipari. These two highly emotional and expressive basketball coaches … well, to say they don’t like each other would be like saying that there are people Hillary would rather invite for dinner than W. These guys reportedly despise each other, and that relationship has been growing for several years. Lucky they are 400 miles apart at opposite ends of the state.

Now mark your calendar for February 23 and listen for rumbling deep within the earth’s crust as the tectonic plates of Pearl in the east and Calipari in the west collide in Memphis. Something’s gotta give…

8 Comments so far

  1. John B. January 21st, 2008 11:44 pm

    Sigh.
    My beloved Longhorns (who defeated the Vols earlier this season, you know) are ranked 12th. The wages of sin (read: losing a couple of games) is a drop in the rankings. Anyway, congratulations to your team, and continued best wishes for the season.

  2. Here We Go, Hoop de Hoop… January 21st, 2008 11:58 pm

    [...] Here We Go, Hoop de Hoop… Now mark your calendar for February 23 and listen for rumbling deep within the earth’s crust as the tectonic plates of Pearl in the east and… [...]

  3. Elsie January 22nd, 2008 6:20 am

    “It’s never just a game when you’re winning.”

  4. Joy January 22nd, 2008 12:26 pm

    Sounds like some interesting times this season Winston. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for your beloved Tennessee Vols to persevere amidst all the possible fireworks between these two Tennessee teams. You sound as excited as a little kid Winston….

  5. Ingineer January 22nd, 2008 1:25 pm

    That sounds like it is going to be a great matchup.
    I see four teams from the Pac 10 in the top 25. Yet we still get no respect from the Eastern Sports Writers Syndicate out here on the coast.

  6. Eric January 22nd, 2008 6:04 pm

    …. Tennesseee is #5?….. I do believe that our latest cold snap may have reached the gates of hell……

  7. nobody asked… » Shoulda Knocked Wood… January 23rd, 2008 6:16 am

    [...] I should never have bragged about my Tennessee Volunteers high poll position in the NCAA rankings. Last night, they did it to me again. They lost to a Kentucky team that has [...]

  8. Lesley January 26th, 2008 1:12 pm

    Um, that team in the #1 spot was there back in 1983. Granted, for just a few hours, but still. But I think you can expect to see us still in that spot next week after today’s performance against Gonzaga.

    February 23…it’s gonna be a good one.