 |
 |
|
| | Tuesday, December 28 | |||||
Special to ESPN.com | ||||||
| 'Twas the time before conference and all through the land, the coaches were fretting, "Who has the upper hand?" For the ACC favorite there's three you may choose; Right now even Horton's not hearing the Hoos.
the Devils, the Pack; There's Summer in winter with a 6-6 attack. That barking you're hearing is from the Big East, Where Geno may joke, "We're not awful, at least." That kind of sarcasm can work as it should, Though the Russian translation's not always so good. The defense was built by coach Stringer with care, in hopes Rutgers' offense will soon be there. The Irish have Ratay and Riley and pluck, But to win that league title they'll also need luck. Big Ten will have upsets, even novices know. And Grentz's one-liners can be quite a show. Penn State hopes to shake tourney woes of the past; Hey, its volleyball team won the big one at last. Purdue tries to repeat its last-season high, With an angel named Tiffany always nearby. Big 12 senior stars will seek one last great ride, Wanna see something great? Watch Edwina and Pride. It's Frese-ing in Ames as the Cyclone winds blow, Texas Tech visits early and prays there's no snow. The unlucky Buffs wonder, "Who broke the mirror?" While the Cornhuskers say, "Folks, let's get it in gear." Postseason's been mean to the C-USA, But it hopes in 2000, it won't be that way. 'Borg and 'Burg lead the charge once again at Marquette; And no Tulane foe's stopped Amazing Grace yet. So who in the Pac-10 is the team to beat? When Yamasaki returns will she stay in her seat? Bruins and Ducks and 'Cats hope to shed, a lot of that blood that's Cardinal red. Does the SEC have yet one more heavyweight? You can't help but pull for the Bulldogs of State. At Georgia, they think that a title is due, With their posts and their coach and their power of two. Is it Jolly in Knoxville if Kellie's not there? And is poor Tyler staring at Meek's empty chair? Don't fret, says Pat Summitt, just look here at this, Kara Lawson takes shots as if she'll never miss. That's not even all of the teams who'll make noise, There's Gauchos (in Spanish that means the cowboys). And don't worry, Leon, don't say, 'What the heck?' Think we'd do this poem and not mention La. Tech? The goal is by March to be playing so well, You'll go to the town with the Liberty Bell. For now players rest on their well-deserved break, But remember what coach said about too much cake. So dream of your wins as the fans cheer your names, Good luck to you all, and to all, some great games. Mechelle Voepel of the Kansas City Star is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. She can be reached via e-mail at mvoepel@kcstar.com. |  | |||||
