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Clu is back with his third installment of the College Basketball Jones. What delectable topics will he cover this week?

Another week, another group of stories to cover from the realm of college hoops. Unlike last week (a la Florida State), there wasn’t much excitement going on in the top 10 this weekend. I found some great stories that I have deemed worthy of discussions. So, without any further interruption, here is the 3rd installment of the College Basketball Jones.

Time to Party Like It’s 2010!

Towson’s win over UNC-Wilmington snapped a 41-game losing streak.

Yes thats right people, the Towson University Tigers have finally won!……their first game since Dec. 29th, 2010….. They were finally able to snap that dreaded NCAA record streak of 41 straight losses with a win against UNC Wilmington, 66-61. Despite trailing 32-29 at the half, Towson outscored UNC Wilmington 37-29 in the second half and held the Seahawks to 37% shooting. Good-D Towson! However, the real hero here is Tigers first year coach Pat Skerry for his unorthodox method of motivation, which ignited this Tigers team. And just what was his idea? Why, having his team watch the famous “rope-a-dope” boxing match between the Great Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. I say keep showing them this film for the rest of the season. It might help put together some sort of winning streak!

Noteworthy Top 10 Upsets

The Rams upset San Diego State for their first win against a ranked opponent in eight years.

For a change this week, there were a couple of upsets that did not include Duke, Baylor, UNC or Ohio State. This time, it was #2 Missouri, and #9 Georgetown that got upset. After a huge upset over Baylor last week, Missouri received their highest AP ranking in recent history (#2). The Tigers then faced a tough Oklahoma State Team in Stillwater and decided, “Hey, I think it would be great to just take the night off. We’ve earned it.” With that attitude, they were stunned 79-72…..a big no-no in the Big-12. They managed to rebound on Saturday with a solid win over Texas Tech 63-50, but the damage was done. So, would you kindly hand over your #2 card and get back to the end of the line please?

Number nine ranked Georgetown, meanwhile, happens to be one of the top contenders in the Big East Conference this year. Their matchup in Pittsburgh against the Panthers last week seemed to be a pretty meaningless game. It turned out to be a rare win for the Panthers, who have been de-clawed for relatively the entire season by teams like Wagner University, Rutgers, and even DePaul!! I give another kudos out to Pitt coach Jamie Dixion for sticking it out and getting a much needed win over much hated Georgetown. Now he’s just waiting for his team to get heathy. It might be too late to make an impact for the Big East tournament, but they might be able to make a late push and even squeak into the NCAA tournament as a bubble team, or head to the NIT.
Free Pizza and T-shirt night!!

Who wouldn’t turn down a date to head out to Ft. Collins, Colorado for free pizza and t-shirt night at Moby Arena at Colorado State University? Not too many people!! And, as it turned out, the fans were treated to one heck of a upset. The Colorado State Rams shocked #13 San Diego State 77-60 on Saturday, for their first home win against a ranked team in eight years. Their last win? Dec 30th 2003 against Purdue. The fans in the student section were so ecstatic with the win that they rushed the floor to join the celebration. Some were even seen waving cardboard cutouts of Rams coach Tim Miles and Broncos QB Tim Tebow! And, as I have heard, he’s a Player! He’s a Baller!

One More Upset for the Road, Chief…

Iowa State shocked #5 ranked Kansas!

Since we have been on the topic of upsets and snapping streaks, I figured I would end this post with one more upset. This one took place at Iowa State and it happened to #5 Ranked Kansas at the hands of the unranked Iowa State Cyclones. This one was mostly due in part to Royce White. Statistically, White is freakishly bad at Free throw attempts (6 of 11 in the game), but made two of the biggest of his career, and ended up with 18 points and 9 rebounds as Iowa State upset Kansas 72-64 Saturday night. The loss snapped the Jayhawks’ ten game winning streak and it came as no surprise, as Kansas was certainly aware of what Iowa State was capable of. After all, these very same Cyclones gave the Jayhawks a run for their money two weeks ago in Lawrence, KS. For Kansas, the real test is just about to begin as four of the ten games left on their schedule are against ranked teams, mostly on the road.

I hope everyone has enjoyed these last few college basketball posts. Come back in a week or so, as I will be bringing you some different frost brewed Clu! But don’t you worry, College Basketball Jones will be back in time for March Madness!

Ram image courtesy of: Lynn Bartels/The Denver Post)
Towson image courtesy of: Towson University photo
Iowa State image courtesy of: Charlie Neibergall / AP
Colorado State image courtesy of: Barry Gutierrez / AP

About Big League Clu

Clu Haywood leads the league in most offensive categories, including nose hair. When he sneezes, he looks like a party favor. Also, he's been known to hit the ball "too high" and alleges to have illegitimately fathered Jake Tayor's non-existent children. You can also find him on Twitter @bigleagueclu