Tribe, by a pug whisker

Things are getting pretty tight all around in the Bog Poll. Might be unfair to drop Georgetown two spots because of a close loss at Villanova, but William and Mary has won four straight and ODU's win at Georgetown still pulls weight. Virginia Tech's resume is beginning to tarnish as losses at UNC and Florida State look worse and wins over Miami and Seton Hall are more meh than yeah. ACC as a whole is looking at a down year.

Richmond is pushing hard, but has to get a little more consistent on the road (4-5) to challenge for the A-10 title and an NCAA at-large bid. Tony Bennett has the Cavaliers bamboozling opponents with his slowdown, defense first style. And I am sure that Terps fans are howling about a #8 ranking but I see them about the same as VCU, struggling for steady play. Big drop to GW at #9, who has to be better than La Salle, even on the road, if they want us to believe their improvement will take them further than a return to just the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Any further slipups by the Colonials or Morgan State will precipitate a reappearance by George Mason or the debut of Radford in the Bog Poll Top 10.

For the record, the pithy comments below are the direct result of spending Monday at Valley Forge. More on this later in the week, perhaps.

1/18/10
1. William and Mary (14-3)
If the Tribe doesn't go down the tubes soon, I expect to hear Pat Robertson predict a typhoon in Williamsburg.
2. Old Dominion (14-5)
Won their fifth straight game, taking down Drexel, the only Division I school that rhymes with Nick Van Exel.
3. Georgetown (13-3)
Austin Freeman, Greg Monroe and Chris Wright possess on-court chemistry not seen in Washington since Warren, Brennan and Frankfurter.
4. Virginia Tech (13-3)
Hokies make an impression with a win over Miami but the impression fades with a loss at Florida State, leading to an unimpressive week.
5. Richmond (14-5)
Spiders beat UMass and La Salle, so why can't I get the Paul Simon lyric "shades of mediocrity" out of my head?
6. Virginia (11-4)
Suddenly Charlottesville is a Top 25 slaughterhouse, the Abattoir of the ACC.
7. VCU (12-4)
Rams win at Hofstra, get another victory by beating the traffic on the Long Island Expressway.
8. Maryland (11-5)
Greivis Vasquez can shimmy all he wants but the Terps can't shake their NIT label.
9. GW (11-5)
Aaron Ware's 16 points against La Salle were no match for the Explorers' Aaric Murray's 21 aas the Colonials fell aapaart aagainst their aadversiaries in aan aagonizing aadventure.
10. Morgan State (11-7)
Just trying to get my head around the fact that the Bears beat a team with a player named Arsenio.

Hoyas, Hokies, Hahaha!

Virginia Tech had a tremendous opportunity to step to the head of the Bog Poll class, but could not withstand UNC's shooting and depth in Chapel Hill yesterday, so the nod goes to Georgetown, who put down UConn with a steely performance down the stretch on Saturday. William and Mary stumbled badly at home against UNC Wilmington, and the rest of the CAA teams struggled in the opening of conference play. On the other hand, Maryland and Virginia bolstered Big Conference cred with impressive wins. Richmond and GW need to improve to push the A-10 past the CAA and the final spot in the poll is absolutely up for grabs. This week it goes to Morgan State strictly on strength of schedule.

1/11/09
1. Georgetown (12-2)
The only way to improve Austin Freeman's performance against UConn would be to have Morgan Freeman voice over the highlights. "I always knew Austin could shoot the trey, but until that game, I never knew just how many he could make." Also, have Clint Eastwood direct the clip.
2. Virginia Tech (12-2)
That thunderous scratching sound you just heard was Associated Press voters crossing the Hokies off their Top 25 ballots.
3. William and Mary (12-3)
Andrew Pavloff has made 100 percent of his free throw attempts this year, but David Schneider has to ring a bell every time Pavloff steps to the line.
4. Old Dominion (12-5)
Monarchs shoot 20-for-60 from the field and 14-for-34 from the line against Hofstra and still win. Insert Gilbert Arenas, Plaxico Burress or Dick Cheney joke here.
5. Maryland (10-4)
After the first big drop, the roller coaster goes shooting up another incline to dizzying heights on its way to a series of corkscrews just before it screams into a stretch of stomach-churning peaks and valleys for the exhilarating finish! The Terrorpin Train is definitely my favorite ride in Garyland! So much better than the the Friedgen Funhouse!
6. Richmond (12-5)
Chris Mooney blames road losses on flight delays. Should probably take James Carville off the travel party list.
7. Virginia (9-4)
There hasn't been this much excitement in Charlottesville since Izod merged with Lacoste.
8. VCU (10-4)
Rams' future in this poll more uncertain than Jimmy Fallon's at NBC
9. GW (11-4)
Colonials get their calendar mixed up, instead of No Pants Metro Ride Day, celebrate No Second Half Offense Day against Xavier.
10. Morgan State (9-7)
Hoping that the Bears' six-game road trip inspires a Kerouacesque return of Blogging with Boze.

Tribe Still Rules

William and Mary's non-upset upset at College Park keeps them atop the poll. Is there another team in the country that has beaten two ACC teams at home this year? Georgetown starts the very tough Big East schedule with two solid wins after falling to Old Dominion. Virginia Tech is getting no national recognition, but a win at Carolina this Sunday would almost certainly do the trick and get the Hokies into the Top 25. After the top three, my rankings are a pudding of five teams in search of themselves, still. If any of them (VCU, ODU, GW, Maryland and Richmond) get their act together, they can contend for an NCAA bid. After that are the surging Virginia Cavaliers and Loyola Greyhounds who need to keep winning to stay in the unfamiliar territory of my Bog Poll Top 10.

1/4/09
1. William and Mary (10-2)
In modern revisions of the classic fable, "The Tortoise and the Hare," the tortoise is defeated by the pug, the wren, and the phoenix.
2. Georgetown (11-1)
John Thompson wisely passes up Gilbert Arenas' invitation to the weekly Verizon Center poker game.
3. Virginia Tech (12-1)
In just two short years, Dorenzo Hudson has gone from vomiter to victor, from hurler to hero, from puker to preeminent-three point shooter. Talk about your boot and rally.
4. VCU (9-2)
Rams led UNC-Wilmington 51-17 in the second half last week. When was the last time a team had triple its opponent's points in the second half? Paging Marty Aronoff ...
5. Richmond (11-4)
Spiders starting to fade like Charlotte after the State Fair. Pass the tissues please.
6. Old Dominion (9-5)
Monarchs are unbeaten at home, unlike Tiger Woods, if that email I got last week is to be believed.
7. Maryland (9-4)
Terps lose to William and Mary, key recruit Terrence Ross decommits and, since bad things happen in threes, I can only guess that Greivis Vasquez go back to the white sneakers with yellow laces look he sported earlier this season.
8. GW (10-3)
Not many coaches have the courage to schedule such a brutal Boston road trip with stops at Harvard and Holy Cross, but Karl Hobbs has never been one to duck the tough opponents. At 5'8'', he doesn't have to. (Ouch, two cheap shots in one pithy comment!)
9. Virginia (7-4)
Cavaliers defeated UAB despite 27 points and 11 rebounds from Elijah Millsap, whose game fortunately resembles neither the Prophet Elijah's nor Ronnie Millsap's.
10. Loyola (8-5)
Greyhounds win at Indiana was the biggest upset the Hoosier State has seen since Jimmy Chitwood's teammates refused to run the picket fence against Muncie Central (/Simmonsed).

Tribe, Indubitably

Really hard to believe that William and Mary pose the greatest threat to Georgetown for the top spot in this poll, but the Tribe have earned their spot. Playing at Radford next week will be tougher than you might think, but at Maryland the following week won't be a shock, after all, W&M beat Wake at Wake.

Virginia Tech could also sneak up on the Hoyas as the Hokies schedule is Charmin-soft until they get Seton Hall leading into ACC play. The next four (VCU, Richmond, Maryland, GW) have consistency issues but are much more squared away than ODU and Morgan. After that, there are about five teams struggling around .500 vying for the 10-spot. This week, that one goes to Mason.

12/14/09
1. Georgetown (8-0)
Hoyas likely to win more games in December than the entire NFC East.
2. Willam and Mary (6-2)
This Saturday, the Tribe plays Vassar, a school whose most notable athletic achievement to date is the hosting of the first intercollegiate Quidditch match.
3. Virginia Tech (8-1)
Hokies won a game by two points when Penn State missed a last-second shot. Somebody get me a copy of the Virginia Tech charter because I'm pretty sure that's a violation of the school's founding principals.
4. VCU (6-2)
Beat Richmond in The Battle of a Major Thoroughfare That Was at One Time Named After Jefferson Davis.
5. Richmond (7-2)
During the Civil War, the Battle of Richmond took place in Richmond, Kentucky, which explains why the Richmond Spiders looked lost against VCU.
6. Maryland (5-3)
The return of Dino Gregory to the Terps' lineup had the same impact that "Christmas with Dino" had on my family's tree-trimming festivities. Enjoyable, with some moments of sparkling entertainment, but not essential.
7. GW (7-2)
In the category of Most Effective Washington Area Athletes You've Never Heard Of, Lasan Kromah was just overtaken by Quinton Ganther.8. Old Dominion (6-4)
Monarchs split a pair, always a good strategy with aces or eights at the blackjack table, not so good in college basketball.
9. Morgan State (6-4)
After Tuesday's game against Towson, the Bears go on the road for seven straight. Maybe Todd Bozeman should get scheduling advice from someone other than Fang Mitchell.
10. George Mason (5-5)
Beat Creighton and lost to Dayton. Impossible to predict how they'll fare against Bo Bayton and Fee Fi Mo Mayton.

Hoya Eterna

Week 3 in the Bog Poll finds Georgetown still up top after easy wins over AU and the Mount. William and Mary announces that the Colonial Athletic Association championship road runs through Colonial Williamsburg with a win over VCU, and Richmond and Virginia Tech keep pace. VCU needs to rebound over Richmond this week, and, don't look now, but GW is playing a lot like the good teams that Hobbs had a few years ago before it all blew up in his face. Maryland has lost to three good teams, but they have not really looked competitive on the boards or on defense (plus Vasquez has been bad, bad, bad). The bottom three in the poll are pretty weak, but less weak than Virginia and Mason, who need to get over .500 for any consideration.
1. Georgetown (6-0)
Georgetown-American game marred by Michaele Salahi's attempt to join the cheerleading squads' halftime routines.
2. Willam and Mary (6-2)
Founded in 1693, William and Mary's streak of 316 years without an appearance in the NCAA Tournament could be in jeopardy this year.
3. Richmond (7-1)
Justin Harper was hotter than Justin Bieber in the Spiders' win over Old Dominion. Readers who are not prepubescent girls can be forgiven for not getting that reference. I cannot be forgiven for writing it.
4. Virginia Tech (6-1)
The funny thing about Virginia Tech beating Georgia is that Seth Greenberg is a great admirer of the artist Georgia O'Keefe, whose powerful abstract images of the American Southwest make Greenberg long for his hometown of Plainview, Long Island. Did I mention that my wife is also from Plainview?
5. VCU (5-2)
Lose to William and Mary? Time for Shaka Smart to switch to Shaka Zulu mode!
6. GW (6-1)
Foggy Bottom, stand up! You know, because this is your stop ... you get off here, right ... Foggy Bottom - GWU ... hurry up, the doors are closing.
7. Maryland (5-3)
Terps. As in terpsichorean, defined by my Websters to mean of or relating to dancing. Hmm, not unless they get their act together. Also, in the time it took you to read that, Scottie Reynolds knocked down another three.
8. Old Dominion (5-3)
Monarchs beat the Blue Hens, who played as if they practice with blue balls, which, for their sake, I sincerely hope they do not.
9. Morgan State (5-3)
Bears lost to crosstown rival Loyola, largely because Jimmy Patsos decided to sit on his bench and coach his team for the entire game.
10. James Madison (4-3)
In their three losses, the Dukes have scored in the forties. Actor John Wayne, also nicknamed the Duke, also scored in the forties. Born in 1907, I'm guessing he scored in several other decades in the 20th Century.

Gate Crashers - No, not those knuckleheads!

Week Two of the Bog Poll sees two unfamiliar names dangerously near the top of the Bog Poll. Two names but one school, so that would be William and Mary, which jumped from unranked to #3, largely on the strength of a major upset at Wake Forest. Now I know Wake was only picked sixth in the ACC preseason poll, but winning in Winston Salem makes this doubly impressive. Richmond also had a very good week beating Missouri and Mississippi State in the South Padre Island Invitational, but the 6-1 Spiders only rose to #4 because their lone loss is to ... William and Mary.

The Hoyas claim the top spot based on their undefeated record, a mark that will be much more impressive if they keep it against the likes of Butler and Washington over the next few weeks (no offense to Mount Saint Mary's tonight). VCU advances to #2 with medium wins against Nevada and at Hampton.

Slots five thru ten are a big blob of meh starting with the Terps, who need to get Greivis Vasquez on track and soon. If they do, memories of their Maui struggles will fade like a rainbow, but right now Greivis is shooting 33% from the field and 26% from three, not good numbers from the guy who leads your team in field goal attempts. ODU went to the same tournament as Richmond but came away with two losses, not exactly legitimizing their status as champions of the 2009 Collegeinsider.com postseason tournament. Virginia Tech blew a chance to move up with a lackluster output against Temple, losing 61-50 after trailing 27-17 at the half. Perhaps of even greater concern, the Hokies needed overtime to beat Delaware the following night.

Morgan beat the bad big name (2-4 Arkansas) but stumbled against an average App. State squad. Still, the Bears are averaging more than 80 ppg with leading scorer Reggie Holmes at 23.7. Might have to go see him in person. GW got starry-eyed in the presence of the president and spotted Oregon State a 14-0 lead, but the Colonials might have to be taken seriously this year, for a change. And Virginia clung to its ten spot by beating Cleveland State, but the Cavs will have to hold off challenges from outliers George Mason, James Madison, Loyola and the Mount.

11/30/09
1. Georgetown (4-0)
Hoyas' position atop this poll about as secure as a White House State Dinner.
2. VCU (4-1)
Larry Sanders has 14 blocks this seasons, three more than the Redskins' starting left tackle.
3. Willam and Mary (4-2)
Wake Forest students so upset by Demon Deacons' loss, they take to the streets and burn massive bales of tobacco.
4. Richmond (6-1)
Spiders win the South Padre Island Invitational; Chris Mooney celebrates by taking his top off in the postgame press confrence.
5. Maryland (4-2)
Terps score some Maui Owie on their trip to the Hawaiian Islands.
6. Old Dominion (4-2)
Monarchs drop two at South Padre Island. I said two, not trou.
7. Virginia Tech (4-1)
Hokies split a pair in Philly, get booed by Eagles' fans.
8. Morgan State (4-2)
If you had Morgan beating Arkansas and losing to Appalachian State this week, you are really wasting your time reading this poll.
9. GW (4-1)
Colonials get their first loss of the season, Obama get his first clear win in just over a year.
10. Virginia (4-2)
Cavaliers win the consolation game in the Cancun Challenge, a contest that strangely did not require the consumption of any tequila.

Guess who's back? Bog is back!

Getting a "better late than never start," the Bog Poll, orchestrated by Dan Steinberg, makes its return to the Washington Post today. As always, I'll be participating until I get bored with it. For the uninitiated, the poll ranks the 27 Division I men's basketball teams in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. Not surprisingly, Georgetown and Maryland are often near the top, but participating in the process has given me a new appreciation for schools like VCU and Morgan State. I also find myself watching UMBC-Loyola games with more enthusiasm than you'd think possible.

With the season underway, we find several teams still undefeated. Morgan's one loss came is a reasonably close game at Louisville and VCU bounced back from a bad loss at Western Michigan with a thorough beating of Oklahoma at home, so both of those teams stay ahead of some of the undefeated. Virginia and GW return from exile and, after a year where VMI and Liberty were a steady presence, the Big South has fallen hard (although Radford could climb in).

Without further ado:

1. Maryland (3-0)
Opened with a win against Charleston Southern. Will have to prove themselves in a tough stretch that includes Union Pacific, Burlington Northern Santa Fe and the Panama Limited.
2. Old Dominion (4-0)
Monarchs' leading scorer Gerald Lee is from Uusikaupunki, Finland, which is also the home of the Bonk Museum. Bonk Business is a fictional corporation that has produced amazing inventions such as bilateral wave transformation and the gnagg booster.
3. Georgetown (3-0)
John Thompson III coaching against Fran Dunphy in a game where the teams totalled fewer than 100 points. Was that Georgetown-Temple in 2009 or an ESPN 30-30 study of recent Ivy League Basketball history?
4. Morgan State (3-1)
Very disappointed in Todd Bozeman. Sure the Bears are 3-1, but no blog posts since March 6? And the only Todd Bozeman I can find on Twitter is a guy named Todd who lives in Bozeman, Montana? What happened to Coach Wired 2.0?
5. VCU (2-1)
Rams fans hoping that The Larry Sanders show doesn't jump the shark in its third season.
6. Virginia Tech (2-0)
Hokies beat Brown by 14 and UNC Greensboro by 13, but Tech fans know that buzzer beaters and last second losses await just as certainly as castrated turkey jokes at Thanksgiving.
7. GW (3-0)
Colonials at 3-0? Time for the Post to start sniffing around GW's recruiting trail.
8. Virginia (3-1)
"Cavaliers, this is the Bog Poll. Bog Poll, meet the Cavaliers. It's been a few years, so I'll let you two get reacquainted."
9. Richmond (3-1)
Spiders must have been looking past William and Mary to their matchup with perennial college basketball powerhouse, the Chattanooga Mocs.
10. George Mason (3-2)
Patriots drop two out of three in Puerto Rico, Jim Larranaga blames team's insistence on seeing a midnight screening of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

Top Bog Heavy

No change in the Top Three this week as Georgetown and Maryland dominated American and GW, respectively, and Virginia Tech asserted itself over Navy just in time. The Mids made the big move to #4 because the loss to Tech was their first in eight games. By beating UVa, George Mason and William & Mary, Liberty can be included in a discussion of the best teams in Virginia. As can VMI, so here's hoping we get to see them on TV both times that they play. George Mason only has two losses (LIberty and Hampton), so the Patriots should be able to move up if those teams keep winning. VCU won just enough to claw back in, but GW appears to be in disarray and a good bet to fall back out. Virginia had better beat Longwood next week; if they don't, it could take a Tobacco Road sweep to get them back in the Top 10.

12/8/08

1. Georgetown (5-1)
After losing to Tennessee, Georgetown beat Maryland and American by a combined score of 148-97. Don't poke the Hoya, kids.
2. Maryland (6-2)
Landon Milbourne's supremacy over GW was more impressive than the Milbourne identity against Michigan, but my personal favorite was the Milbourne ultimatum against Youngstown State.
3. Virginia Tech (5-3)
Hanging on to the #3 ranking like Barack Obama clutching his last Marlboro.
4. Navy (7-2)
Coach Billy Lange has proposed changing academy motto of "from knowledge, seapower," to "from knowledge, three-pointers."
5. Liberty (6-2)
Flames snuffed at Clemson, which is big in the south, but not in the Big South.
6. George Mason (6-2)
Patriots' overtime loss at Liberty presents tremendous opportunity for political statement about Patriot Act and civil liberties that would have been so witty in 2003, but not so much now. Why couldn't they have lost to the Citibanks?
7. GW (3-2)
Karl Hobbs still weighing offer from the Obama Administration to become Undersecretary of Barely Controlled Rage.
8. VCU (5-3)
Larry Sanders is averaging three blocks per game; expect him to start at tackle for the Redskins next week.
9. VMI (6-2)
Keith Gabriel > Peter Gabriel > Roman Gabriel
10. Hampton (5-3)
Beat Howard 45-39 in Madison Square Garden; fortunately, Knick fans in attendance able to appreciate a game where the winner shoots 32%.

Bog Update

Way too many Bog matchups going on to wait a whole week for an update, so here goes. #1 Georgetown's battering of #2 Maryland earned the Hoyas a nice break until they face #8 American on Saturday. G'town should coast but the Eagles are in a Bog do-or-die period for the next two weeks. After gagging at home against the Mount, they have games against #7 GW, UMBC and Maryland after they play Georgetown. Going to be tough for them to stay in the Top 10 if they go less than .500 in that stretch.

Speaking of the Terps, they can extend their Big 10 win streak to seven games against Michigan tonight. The Wolverines are 5-1, but only one impressive win (UCLA); still, when you've lost 20+ games three straight years, you take 5-1 and run. Maryland get's GW in the BB&T on Sunday, so 6-2 is just as likely as 4-4.

Beating Maryland could mean a big move up for the Colonials due to losses by UVa, VaTech, and #4 George Mason. To be fair, Tech nearly knocked off Wisconsin and the Hokies three losses have been by a total of seven points to quality teams. Still, they'd better take care of Navy on Sunday, or they could find themselves in the bottom half of the Top 10, or out altogether.

Virginia, on the other hand, is still reeling from its home loss to Liberty; that, and the fact that teams have figured out they'd better guard Sylven Landesberg. In the Cavs three wins, he had 28, 21, and 22 points; in their three losses, 17, 16, and 10. Fortunately, they've got a couple weeks to get ready for Longwood.

And what to make of Liberty? The Flames have beaten William and Mary, UVa, and George Mason, and freshman Seth Curry has shown flashes of big bro' Steph's jumpshot and big play demeanor. Having already played Montreat and Coker, Liberty should be able to pad its win total with contests against Anderson and Cincinnati Christian, but also has yet to face Clemson, St. Louis and Northern Colorado in its non-con. Hard to believe that the Bog Games of the Year could be the two between VMI and Liberty.

VMI fell out of my Top 10, but a home win against Winthrop tonight would certainly get them back on track. As for the rest of my Top 10, #5 Navy is another team with a chance to move up but Tech at Cassell will be tough sledding. #4 George Mason had better put the Liberty game behind them and get ready for CAA opener Drexel. #9 JMU should take note of recent Bog team "upsets" tonight and not take Longwood for granted. The Lancers have already got four wins this season.

Tonight, the TV is thick with Bog action. I'll be watching Maryland-Michigan, Towson-UMBC, Richmond-ODU, and even a little VMI-Winthrop.

Big South Bog

Another week, another Big South team enters the poll. With wins over Montreat and Coker, the Liberty Flames' 4-1 record is a bit deceiving, but the victory at UVa gives them a legitimate entry into the Bog Top 10. At the other end of the spectrum, Georgetown dominated Maryland so thoroughly in the Old Spice Classic at Disney World that the Terrapins' impressive performance against Michigan State faded like Cinderella's dress after midnight. Virginia's fairy tale season imploded with a home loss to Liberty followed by a road downer at Syracuse; not coincidentally, Sylven Landesberg was held under 20 in both losses. Navy has won five straight since dropping its opener at Towson and George Mason has been strong save for a slipup against Hampton. GW is back in also, but nobody in the 6-10 spots is safe with all the quality looking on from just outside.

1. Georgetown (4-1)
Hoyas' win over Maryland was so anticlimactic, the band played "Don't Stop Believing" at the final buzzer as the arena faded to black.
2. Maryland (4-2)
Terps' performance at the Milk House over the weekend only slightly worse than Gus Van Sant's political biopic, "Milk."
3. Virginia Tech (4-2)
Hokies are 38-118 from three-point range this season. Who is their shooting coach, Plaxico Burress?
4. George Mason (5-1)
A loss to Hampton is all that stands between the Patriots and a Number One ranking; that, and BCS voter bias.
5. Navy (5-1)
Academy officials surprised that the Village People's "In the Navy" doesn't jazz the home crowd quite as much as "YMCA."
6. Virginia (4-2)
Home loss to Liberty means Virginia misses chance for a Big South sweep, a feat not achieved since William Tecumseh Sherman marched from Atlanta to Savannah in 1864.
7. GW (3-1)
Colonials fans incensed that the Washington Post gave more coverage to Georgetown-Maryland than GW-UMBC.
8. American (4-2)
Eagles haven't played a home game since November 17; apparently Bender Arena is the temporary home of the Obama transition team.
9. James Madison (4-2)
JMU went 1-1 on the weekend; the Duke won at Fordham but nobody beats New York City holiday traffic.
10. Liberty (4-1)
Toughest part of the Flames schedule is finding Montreat and Coker.

Turkey in the Bog

Hoyas fend off the Drexel Dragons to stay unbeaten and unchallenged atop the poll this week, but their upcoming trip to the Old Spice Classic could get interesting, especially if they cross paths with the Terps. Maryland barely escaped Vermont, and Virginia seems to have filled the void left by Sean Singletary's departure. Rankings get pretty tricky after that, but I'll keep VATech up on quality losses (Xavier and Seton Hall), and Mason below VCU because of a bad loss to Hampton, despite two decent road wins (Vermont and East Carolina). Sort of a pick 'em after that, but Mount stays after an idle week and VMI still riding on the win at Kentucky, but they need to start getting some D1 wins to stay in the top 10. Lots of teams waiting in the wings, including GW, Navy, ODU, UMBC, and James Madison. Trying to sort them out is more sleep-inducing than second helpings on Thursday.

1. Georgetown (2-0)
Hoyas chase the Dragons out of Verizon Center.
2. Maryland (3-0)
Overtime win against the Catamounts means free Vermont Teddy Bears for all fans in attendance at Comcast Center.
3. Virginia (3-0)
Sylven Landesberg is now my second favorite Landesberg, behind Steve Landesberg - whose portrayal of Detective Arthur Dietrich on "Barney Miller" remains unparallelled in television history.
4. Virginia Tech (3-2)
Three straight wins followed by two straight losses - another proud tradition of Hokie basketball.
5. VCU (2-1)
VCU's loss at Rhode Island featured hot Ram-on-Ram action.
6. George Mason (3-1)
Patriots lose to Hampton Pirates, beat East Carolina Pirates, have yet to face Seton Hall Pirates, Somali Pirates, Pirates of Penzance, or Johnny Depp.
7. Mt. St. Mary's (1-1)
Mount legend Jim Phelan went into the College Basketball Hall of Fame Sunday with Billy Packer, Charles Barkley and Dick Vitale. The acceptance speeches are still going on.
8. American (3-1)
AU running new offensive scheme, "Dude, where's Garrison Carr?"
9. VMI (3-1)
Keydets' leading scorers are identical twin brothers, Travis and Chavis Holmes, the best Holmes ballers since Baskerville.
10. Towson (2-1)
Because there needs to be a sports story from Towson that doesn't contain the phrase "record-setting Olympic swimmer."

New Bog Blood

With a stunning season-opening win against Jacksonville, Georgetown remains atop the Bog Poll this week. Virginia Tech posted shaky wins - barely holding off Mount St. Marys and needing overtime to take out Gardner Webb, who lost to Longwood. Most impressive win of the week goes to new Top 10 entrant VMI, who beat Kentucky at Kentucky but could not do the same at Virginia, which reentered the poll after falling out last season. Old Dominion gets runner up in the "Best Win" category with a victory at Charlotte, and the Terps, VCU, and Mason held serve. The "Blown Opportunity of the Week (BOOTW?)" Award is a tie between Towson, who trounced Navy and then lost at Niagara, and Howard, who followed an impressive win over Oregon State with a loss at Navy.

1. Georgetown (1-0)
Over-under on "Monroe Doctrine" references for the 2008-2009 season set at 324.
2. Virginia Tech (2-0)
Malcom Delaney made as many free throws as Mount Saint Mary's attempted, one of the little-known perks of ACC membership.
3. VCU (1-0)
TJ Gwynn went 8 for 8 against The Citadel, the best performance by a Gwynn since Tony hit .394 in the strike-shortened 1994 season.
4. George Mason (2-0)
George Mason's new mascot inspired the Patriots to a 37-point victory in their home opener. The fact that their opponent was an Ivy League cellar dweller was of no significance.
5. Maryland (2-0)
Bucknell guard Darryl Shazier went to Menchville High School. So we know he's good people.
6. ODU (1-0)
Gerald Lee is from Finland; curously, his teammate Ben Finney is not from Leeland.
7. Mt. St. Mary's (1-1)
Having beaten Loyola, Mount sets its sites on Georgetown and the Bog Poll's prestigious Cardinal Hickey Cup.
8. Virginia (1-0)
The Sylven Learning Center, where Cavalier opponents get schooled.
9. VMI (2-1)
After losing to UVa, Keydets thump Maryland Bible.
10. Morgan State (1-1)
Head coach/blogger Todd Bozeman tracks opponents substitutions on Twitter during games.

Bog Poll - Return of the Hoya

Okay, so college basketball starts this week, and that means it's time for a new Bog Poll. Last year, Georgetown went wire-to-wire as my top-ranked team. The competition was so weak not even a second round NCAA Tournament upset by Davidson could knock the Hoyas off the Number One perch. Yes, five other teams in the Poll made the NCAA and a bunch more went to the NIT and CBI but none were able to win consistently enough to throw a scare into Georgetown. So for now, the men from the Hilltop are still in the top spot.

Lots of questions follow the Hoyas. Can Virginia Tech's youngsters improve enough to offset the loss of Deron Washington? Can the CAA get two or even three teams to the NCAA Tournament, after missing last year's Big Dance? Are American, Mount St. Mary's, and UMBC one-year wonders? Can Virginia and Maryland avoid the ACC basement? Will the MEAC or the Patriot Leaague have more teams in my Top 10? My friends, only time will tell.

1. Georgetown
Obviously, Jeremiah Rivers was the player to be named later in the Patrick Ewing Junior transfer.
2. Virginia Tech
The Hokies basketball team will be better than the football team? Ha! Good one. Next you'll try to convince me that the state voted for a Democrat in the presidential election.
3. VCU
Jamal Schuler is not walking through that door! Will Fameni is not walking through that door! Eric Maynor is not walking ... what? Wait a sec' ... Okay, Eric Maynor is back - apparently his petition for a 15th season of eligibility was approved.
4. George Mason
Patriots' most promising newcomer is a 7-footer- their mascot.
5. UMBC
Jay Greene averages fewer turnovers per game than Jason Campbell.
6. American
Can someone please explain to me why American Eagle Outfitters is not the official outfitter of the American Eagles?
7. Maryland
Terps' three and four-guard offenses more effective than their don't-guard defense.
8. Mount St. Marys
Mount St. Mary's hasn't been ranked this high since the Princeton Review published the "Top 10 Colleges Your Parents Don't Know Are Party Schools."
9. ODU
Gerald Lee's signature dunk at the end of a fast break is known as the Finnish finish.
10. Morgan State
It's a Bear market, right?

Bog Poll Boils and Bubbles

We are coming down to the end of the Bog Poll, so I will have to find something else to write about, but more importantly, soon we will have final rankings. Over at Big Stein's place, the Terp lovers have Maryland ahead of VIrginia Tech, even though they have nearly the same record and the Hokies have beaten the Terps twice. For me, it's more interesting that Norfolk State lost to South Carolina State over the weekend, and fell out of the poll. I actually watched the end of this game on TV, and SCSU needs to work on its endgame, i.e. making free throws, inbounds plays, boxing out on defense. Speaking of endgame, the 7-10 teams below are really on a tear right now. Almost no way Georgetown won't finish the season #1, VCU is solid at #2, and UMBC has won its way to #3. The Hokies shoved Maryland out of the way and George Mason made it easy to keep the Terps at #5 with the bracketbuster loss to Ohio. Another week of 1-1 for the Patriots and we could see them passed by any or all of American, Morgan, Loyola, or Old Dominion. Lots of postseason action for the Top 10 will keep the rankings bubbling for a few more weeks at least.

1. Georgetown
Over the weekend, Rich Chvotkin filled in for Georgetown’s wrestling announcer: “Hoyas pin! Hoyas pin! Hoyas pin! Hoyas pin! Hoyas pin! Hoyas pin! Hoyas pin! Hoyas pin! Hoyas pin!”
2. VCU
Rams thought they were going to Akon, not Akron, took out their anger on the Zips.
3. UMBC
Retrievers are Baltimore’s first 20-game winner since Jim Palmer.
4. Virginia Tech
Vomit jokes will be harder for Dorenzo Hudson to get rid of than … than …well, than the smell of puke.
5. Maryland
Greivis Vasquez still struggling with English idiom, said he meant to challenge Hudson to “throw down right now.”
6. George Mason
With at-large prospects fading, Patriots counting on endorsements from NCAA Selection Committee super delegates.
7. American
Eagles hold Army to 40 points; Black Knights’ coach blames inferior body armor.
8. Morgan State
Bears’ successful season spurs growth of the school’s fundraising committee, the Morgan Donors.
9. Loyola
Davis Love > UC-Davis > Mac Davis
10. Old Dominion
Great week for Blaine Taylor. His team won its fifth straight, and he won the CAA Academy Awards pool, ending Pat Kennedy’s dominant four-year reign.

Remember the Spartans?

Hottest team in the Bog Poll has to be the UMBC Retrievers with six straight wins, and American University gets special mention for five in a row, but the award for the out-of-nowhere, given-up-for-dead-on-the-side-of-the-road, stick-a-fork-in-them (they're-done), comeback story has to go to the Norfolk State Spartans, who have won eight of their last nine and are tied for first place in the MEAC with Morgan State. Yes, they lost to Longwood and Prairie View, and Richmond is their only nonconference win over a .500 team, but the Spartans have had their act together in conference play and have made the MEAC into a three-team race. Welcome to the Bog Poll, Norfolk State!

In other news, Georgetown steals another win and loses on the road again (to Syracuse), but splits or worse by everyone else in the Top Five keeps the Hoyas at the top spot. Greivis Vasquez' three-point shooting brings the Terps back against Florida State, but I don't think Maryland can count on that from him every game. VCU stumbles at home against ODU, and the CAA finds itself dining at the one-bid table. UMBC is in the driver's seat in the America East but has three of its last four on the road including trips to the second and third place teams. George Mason is strong enough for second in the CAA but got swept by UNC Wilmington and ill likely see them in the league semis. Virginia Tech's only win in the top two-thirds of the ACC is against Maryland more than a month ago. American has been hot, but the Eagles' most recent loss was to second-place Navy and they head to Annapolis for the grudge match next week. Morgan doesn't get the same chance for redemption against Norfolk State, so Bog Poll bragging rights (and an NCAA bid) will have to wait until the conference tournament. And Loyola finally jumps back in the Top 10 for the first time since Week One. Still some decent teams hanging in the wings: Richmond, Hampton, William and Mary. And some pitiful ones: Virginia.

1. Georgetown
Rich Chvotkin’s play-by-play call from the Villanova game now a part of NPR’s “This I Believe” series.
2. Maryland
Terps lose at Duke, Dick Vitale blames Kelvin Sampson.
3. VCU
Rams maintain ranking in Bog Poll, but Anthony Grant slips from #1 spot on South Carolina AD’s speed dial.
4. UMBC
Enraged by the choice of Uno the beagle as Best in Show at Westminster, Retrievers vow to track and kill every opponent in the America East.
5. George Mason
Being named Homecoming King is little comfort to Will Thomas after losing to UNC Wilmington.
6. Virginia Tech
Hokies beat Virginia on February 2, which makes their record ½-3 in their last four contests.
7. American
Eagles’ dominance of the Patriot League reportedly began shortly after Jeff Jones and his wife attended a party at the home of Jose Canseco.
8. Morgan State
Todd Bozeman promotes a Morganic basketball lifestyle as the cornerstone of his team’s success and the future health of the planet.
9. Loyola
After Greyhounds struggle at Niagara again, Jimmy Patsos decides to play next year’s game on the Canadian side.
10. Norfolk State
Spartans follow 2-8 start with 11-2 run. Let’s just hope they can stay on their meds for the rest of the season.

The Bog Poll Comes in on Little Cat Feet

These Terps look familiar, don't they? Not the individual players - I think it's safe to say we haven't seen anyone quite like Greivis Vasquez or Bambale Osby before. And not just the style of play - that is pretty typical of a Gary Williams team. No, I am referring to the arc of the season, the plot line, as it were. I have no stats to back this up, but I am willing to bet that over time, Williams' teams have had great second half records that almost always come on the heels of disappointing second quarters (or Decembers or whatever you want to call it). One of the voter's in Big Stein's poll described Maryland's bad stretch as nauseatingly familiar and not made better by the probability that they would come through and hit their stride, which is exactly what has happened. Watching them win against NC State the other night impressed me almost as much as the win at UNC and more than the "gallant" home loss to Duke. If Vasquez can eliminate the poor second-half decisions (launching a three with a lead and 10 seconds on the shot clock, taking a steal downcourt for a missed layup instead of pulling back and running some clock), then the Terps could be a Final Four team. Seriously. They have corrected the defensive lapses that led to career performances by opposing guards and Osby and James Gist are more than most teams can handle inside. But keep your eyes on Vasquez to see where this team is truly headed.

In the poll, Maryland is closing fast on Georgetown, leaving the various Virginia teams behind. VCU has to finish strong to have a shot at an at-large bid if they lose in the CAA Tournament, Virginia Tech drops two spots with two straight ACC losses, but Mason can't pass them with a CAA split last week. UMBC is catching up with a win over Mr. Tony's Binghamton Bearcats, but they'd better keep the wisdom of Satchel Paige in mind because the Morgan State Bears are hotter than Amy Winehouse's hair dryer right now. William and Mary looks like a decent spoiler bet in the CAA and American is looking more phoenix than eagle, with a sudden resurgence. As for Virginia, well it doesn't look very good for the Wahoos right now, does it?

1. Georgetown
Rick Pitino changes from a white suit to a black suit at halftime, and his team goes from losing by eight to winning by eight. After the game, Al Sharpton calls a press conference and demands an apology.
2. Maryland
When the Terps’ dramatic turnaround season is made into a feature film, I’ve got Dennis Hopper playing Gary Williams, John Leguizamo as Greivis Vasquez, but for Bambale Osby, I keep getting stuck on ‘70s TV stars. Lawrence Hilton Jacobs? The guy who played Coolidge on the White Shadow? How about a little help here?
3. VCU
Rams win at Georgia State and Delaware, which is about the same as winning at Delaware State and Georgia, I think.
4. Virginia Tech
I keep reading that Seth Greenberg got an extension, but you have to get more than one if you are trying to get rid of the bald look, Coach.
5. George Mason
Following GMU’s loss at Old Dominion, Jim Larranaga announces that his team has suspended its campaign for an at-large bid.
6. UMBC
In his pregame pep talk, Binghamton alumnus Tony Kornheiser asked the team to win one for his ailing comrade, Michael Wilbon, but, apparently, the Bearcats prefer Around the Horn to PTI.
7. William & Mary
William and Mary’s leading scorer against Northeastern made three field goals, but the Tribe’s failure to recognize the Huskies’ zone-blitz packages doomed their three-game win streak.
8. Morgan State
Seven-game win streak has the Bears’ swag approaching Kanye West level, the Defcon One of arrogance.
9. American
First place in the Patriot League! Tenleytown hasn’t been this excited since the Red Line was extended to Shady Grove.
10. Virginia
Cavaliers are staring into the abyss, a pit of hopelessness more bitter than the heart of Jim Fassel.

Hot Bog Poll

Things are getting a little testy, which is better than little testes, over at Big Stein's, where this week's voting results + jet lag = an irritable poll host. He also anointed Jamie Paquette and me as some kind of Supervoters, so you have to like that. Anyway, I've still got Georgetown #1 of course, Tech and Maryland push ahead of VCU because of the Rams' loss at George Mason, so tough for them going from #2 to #5. Mason can't go ahead of the other two because they lost at UNCW, though. Still a slight edge for the Hokies over the Terps until Maryland shows a couple more wins in the current "hot streak." After the Top Five, UMBC by default over Virginia, which has replaced James Madison as the worst team in the poll. William and Mary won two so they move up and Morgan State reenters just ahead of Hampton. If I could give an 11th, it would be tough to choose between Loyola and Richmond.

1. Georgetown
Hoyas’ five-game winning streak meets South Florida’s eight-game losing streak Tuesday night. Who made this match, Dr. Neil Clark Warren?

2. Virginia Tech
Hokies are 3-1 in overtime games this season, but a woeful 0-7 in games in which they trailed at the end of regulation

3. Maryland
Terps had five players in double figures against Georgia Tech, the kind of balanced effort that has made the Flying Wallendas an international success, except for the rare occasions when one or more of them has fallen and died or suffered crippling injuries.

4. George Mason
In the four games since he shot 10-10 from three-point range at James Madison, Dre Smith has shot 3-23. Might be a good time to switch to southpaw.

5. VCU
Rams’ forward Larry Sanders blocked seven shots against Towson, then celebrated the team’s win with dinner at Hank’s Lookaround Café.

6. UMBC
Retrievers carry injured opponents to their bench where coach Randy Monroe humanely puts them out of their misery by quickly wringing their necks.

7. Virginia
“Hey, JR, it’s Sean … How you been …. Good, good, the team’s doing real good … No, no, nothing’s wrong, I was just calling to say hey, you know, see what’s up … ”

8. William & Mary
In churches, the sexton is responsible for maintaining the grounds and digging graves. For William and Mary, freshman guard John Sexton has assumed the responsibility for burying the opposition.

9. Morgan State
Bears beat Delaware State after becoming enraged when they discover that Hornets don’t make honey.

10. Hampton
Jerry West > Rashad West > Adam West

Super Bowl Bog Poll

Actually, I got nothing on the Super Bowl, except that we were almost going to be on a plane at kickoff. See, the Doc has a conference this weekend in Orlando, and we are taking the kids so they can do the Disney/Universal thing, and when she originally booked the flight, take off was at just about kickoff. Seeing as how my sons would rather go to an Orlando Magic game than Magic Kingdom, this could not stand. So we changed our flight arrangements and should be safely parked in front of the TV for the big game on Sunday. As far as a prediction, boy, it's hard for me to muster up any tender feelings for either team. Give me a 10-9 borefest of a defensive battle with Brady failing on fourth down to end the game on his knees wishing he had accepted the marriage proposal from the reporter at Media Day.

As far as the poll, Georgetown absolutely stole the game in West Virginia, a brazen act considering the Mountaineers are usually the larcenous party on their home court. VCU still strong atop the CAA, but losing to Mason last night will hurt them in next week's rankings. Virginia Tech is a tough, ugly team with an ugly record, but the Hokies have every right to their spot in the poll. Mason dropped a bad one to UNCW, Maryland should have beaten Duke, and Virginia could find itself cozying up to Morgan State at the bottom of the poll next week if the Cavaliers lose at Maryland. Very likely to see two MEAC teams next week and Richmond has its work cut out against URI coming up.

1. Georgetown
I haven’t seen such an obvious Patrick Ewing goaltending call since the 1982 National Championship game against North Carolina.
2. VCU
Rams have won their last five games against Drexel, making them the best Dragonslayers since Peter MacNicol.
3. Virginia Tech
After the Hokies win in overtime at Boston College, the first question to Seth Greenberg from the Boston media is whether he has any information on the status of Tom Brady’s ankle.
4. Maryland
Not surprisingly, Landon Millbourne is the Terrapins’ team champion in Milles Bournes, the internationally acclaimed French card game of road racing.
5. George Mason
Patriots lose to a UNC-Wilmington team led by two guys named Vlad and Chad, who also host a drive-time morning radio show that is the #1 Arbitron-rated program in the Greater Cape Fear media market.
6. Virginia
Virginia correctly went to a box-and-one defense in overtime against Georgia Tech, but mistakenly guarded Matt Causey with the “one” instead of the “box.”
7. UMBC
Retrievers get their Alpha Dog swag back against Boston University, marking the Case Gym as their territory in a 62-40 win.
8. Hampton
Pirates have righted the ship that strayed off course in December, set sail for March Madness.
9. Richmond
Richmond forward Oumar Sylla is a terror in the lane, but he was tiwce as effective with his high school teammate, Joe Charybdis.
10. William & Mary
Contrary to widely held belief, William and Mary’s Kaplan Arena is not named for standardized testing guru Stanley Kaplan, but rather, Gabe Kaplan, who won the arena in a high-stakes poker game from College President, Gene Nichol.

Slow and Steady Bog Poll

Georgetown loses for the second time, so if wind conditions were perfect, the other teams in the poll could get a whiff of the Hoyas, but they still can't see them. VCU stays strong atop the CAA. Virginia Tech pushes ahead with a win at Virginia, but it's a weak statement when combined with a bad loss at Georgia Tech. Mason still stalking VCU, squeezes ahead of UVA, who could have made a bid for #2 by beating BC. Maryland moves up two spots with the big win at #1 UNC. Voters in Big Stein's poll moved the Terps all the way to #3, but I still have memories of American to temper my enthusiasm. Put it this way, if Maryland beats Duke this week, they are #3, probably #2. If they don't, 5 or 6 is about right. Big moves by Hampton (undefeated in the MEAC) and William & Mary (third place in the CAA).

1. Georgetown
Georgetown PR Office trying to squelch the announcement that New Jack has been voted Best New Mascot by NAMFLA, the North American Man Furry Love Association.

2. VCU
Temperatures dropped to 15 degrees during Rams win at Old Dominion. Fortunately, the game was being played indoors.

3. Virginia Tech
In his apology following his two-game suspension, Hokies’ Jeff Allen promises that he “ain’t gonna bump no more with no big fat referee.”

4. George Mason
James Madison’s scouting report identified the Patriots’ primary scoring threats, but they forgot about Dre.

5. Virginia
Cavaliers’ Mamadi Diane attributes his inspired play against Boston College to the outrageous hilarity of the student section cheer sheets.

6. Maryland
When the smoke clears over College Park, Terps disappointed to find that they are still in seventh place in the ACC.

7. UMBC
Retrievers try to turn the corner against Binghamton, but lose their footing on the Events Center’s freshly waxed hardwood floor.

8. James Madison
If this keeps up, Tom Petty will dedicate “Free Fallin” to the Dukes at halftime of the Super Bowl.

9. Hampton
Five-game win streak has the Pirates feeling “zestangicy.”

10. William & Mary
Linus Pauling > Linus Kiselius > Linus van Pelt > Scott Van Pelt

Bog Poll: No Rhymes, Not Much Reason

Okay, here we go: Georgetown still Number One by leaps, bounds and pirouettes. When you win a game on a Roy Hibbert three-pointer, it's a good day to play the lottery, too. VCU might not be better than Virginia, but the Rams did not lose their last two games by 60 points either. Virginia Tech grabbed a win against something called Charleston Southern and shoved Maryland back down to the bowels of the ACC and the Bog Poll. George Mason, James Madison, and UMBC all had nondescript losses but paired them with at least one unimpressive win, so not much change there. Splits for the bottom three also with Richmond feeling like John Edwards hanging on to the #10 spot with a triple-overtime win against LaSalle. Lots of teams waiting in the wings including Hampton at 7-6, GW at 5-6 with a 49-20 (!) win over St. Louis, and if VMI (9-6)can get two straight wins over teams I have heard of, they might get in.

1. Georgetown
Georgetown radio man Rich Chvotkin’s summary of the season thus far: “Hoyas win, Hoyas win, Hoyas win, Hoyas win, Hoyas win, Hoyas win, Hoyas win, Hoyas win, Hoyas lose, Hoyas win, Hoyas win, Hoyas win, Hoyas win, Hoyas win.
2. VCU
Rams move up in the rankings with wins over Georgia State and Hofstra, a.k.a. the Maryland and Georgia Tech of the CAA.
3. Virginia
10 days after losing by 38, the Cavaliers lost by 22; if they can just continue to improve at this rate, they’ll get their next win on January 27 and go on to win the national championship game on April 7 by 104.4 points.
4. Virginia Tech
Seth Greenberg throws up when his team loses close games? So that’s how he keeps so trim.
5. George Mason
On the minus side, the Patriots lost at Delaware. On the plus side, they stayed overnight and had a whole day of sales tax-free shopping.
6. UMBC
Retrievers roll over and play dead against the Maine Black Bears, an excellent survival tactic in the wild, not so good on the basketball court.
7. James Madison
Dukes cannot overcome William and Mary’s dramatic homecourt advantage in Williamsburg, the town where CAA title dreams go to die.
8. Maryland
After Terps lose to Virginia Tech, Gary Williams takes away sneakers, forces players to practice in Birkenstocks
9. American
Winning at Lehigh about as impressive as winning the Wyoming primary.
10. Richmond
Spiders need three overtimes to score 75 points against LaSalle. Over-under for total score in Richmond’s game against St. Louis University currently hovering at 50.