gpb@msdc.UUCP (George P. Burdell) (01/01/86)
Happy New Year to you from George and the people who run him. We apologize
to you for getting this out a little late but we imagine the holidays hit
everyone as well as George.
George had a not so good week. There were a lot of upsets in the holiday
tournament and in the week. Poor Hoyas. Wait to you see where they landed
after their loss to UTEP 78-64. Out of 75 (our most so far) games last week,
George picked 34 correctly, missed 25, and lost 16 to his spread. For
the season his record is 157-66-67==290 which translates to a pitiful
54% right for the season. Maybe he will pick up his average now that
conference play begins this week. His spread record was interesting last
week. Here it is (along with the season's percentages):
Dates 0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-up Total
12/23-12/29 20 30 7 8 5 5 75
Season 83 98 48 27 20 14 290
Percentages 28 34 17 9 7 5
Well, Georgetown dropped from #8 to #20, the biggest drop I can remember
of any team in the top twenty from one rated loss. We also have the most
newcomers in the top twenty or so this week. Georgia, Michigan State,
Oklahoma, TCU, and Louisville (the last two were in the list previously).
So here is George's list for this week:
George's top twenty (or so) - Week five
1. North Carolina Tar Heels (1) 13. Kentucky Wildcats (11)
2. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2) 14. Alabama Crimson Tide (19)
3. Michigan Wolverines (3) 15. Oklahoma Sooners (*)
4. Duke Blue Devils (7) 16. Tennessee Volunteers (13)
5. Kansas Jayhawks (4) 17. Alabama-Birmingham Blazers (18)
6. Memphis State Tigers (6) 18. Virginia Cavaliers (14)
7. Syracuse Orangemen (5) 19. Texas Christian Horned Frogs (*)
8. Indiana Hoosiers (12) 20. Georgetown Hoyas (8)
9. Virginia Tech Hokies (9) 21. Louisiana State Tigers (15)
10. Illinois Fighting Illini (10) 22. St. John's Redmen (16)
11. Michigan State Spartans (*) 23. Louisville Cardinals (*)
12. Georgia Bulldogs (*)
Well, conference play starts this week as the new year begins. All the teams
and coaches have been saying they were looking forward to conference play.
Now, let's see if that's true. Some key games this week are Thursday night
in the Big East. Boston College at Syracuse (Syr by 13), Georgetown at Pitt
(Pitt by 4), and Villanova at Seton Hall (Pirates by 4). Maybe Georgetown
can get some power rating points back by demolishing Pitt but I doubt.
A big SEC game has Kentucky going to Auburn (Auburn by 2). If the Tigers
win, they will win by more than that but I think Kentucky will pull it out.
That's it for this week. We hope everyone had a safe New Year's celebration
and that good things come your way in 1986. Keep the cards and letters
coming. Til next week...
George P. Burdell
George's Basketball Picks
Atlanta, Georgia
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