Tuesday Morning Dump

The guys over at From the Barn are raising money for Japan Disaster Relief. We will be dropping this link all month, as it's more than a worthy cause.

- A great-read on Gus Johnson. Nothing else needs to be said

- Jeff Eisenberg defines the good and the bad of this year's tournament

- Eamonn Brennan provides his initial analysis of the brackets

- Blogger So Dear has a list of five Cinderella-hopefuls for the 2011 Tournament. Mid-Major Madness picks three Cinderella-hopefuls

- Andy Golckner took his talents to the video screen to discuss bracket pairings. Here is his wife's take on seeing him talk. Our take? stick to being a writer

- A gap is growing between tournament teams when it comes to graduation rates

- Word on the street is that North Carolina State is going to fire Sidney Lowe

- According to Jeff "The Scoopmaster" Goodman, Oklahoma has fired head coach Jeff Capel

- Akransas has fired head coach Mark Pelphrey. Florida coach Billy Donovan questioned the firing. Pelphrey thinks the school didn't give him enough time

- Eric Angevine provides a breakdown of all the coaches with tournament experience who have recently been fired.

- Jim Whitseell has been fired at Loyola (IL). The head coachw as there for seven years and compiled a record of 109-106

- The head coaches of two teams that got snubbed have differing opinions (I'd be pissed too if I got left out four years in a row)

- Speaking of Seth Greenberg, he thinks the committee may have a hidden agenda

- Diamond Leung says that Wofford has a plan to stop Jimmer Fredette

- Tournament odds according to Ken Pomeroy and his crazy statistics

- The NCAA tournament will have no shortage of story-lines, so sayeth Lost Letterman

- Ohio State recieved the overall No. 1-seed but did not get a favorable draw

- Eight Pac-10 schools received post-season births. four teams (Arizona, Washington, UCLA, and USC) got NCAA bids, while two (Washington State and Colorado) received N.I.T bids. Oregon also made the post-season receiving an invite from the C.B.I.

- Jason Lisk wonders how much team experience will play a factor in March

- NBA Draft Blog provides a solid list of players to watch in the Opening Round

- Matt Norlander pens a haiku for each of the Thursday/Friday games (NERD ALERT!, NERD ALERT!, I mean, what the hell is a haiku? is that a type of sushi?)

- Draft Express believes Richmond's Justin Harper could be the breakout performer of March Madness

- Iowa State freshman Eric McKnight will transfer

- Indiana head coach Tom Crean will work as a studio analyst for CBS and Turner Sports during the NCAA Tournament

- Northwesten came up short of making their first NCAA tournament appearence. But they still may have what it takes to win the N.I.T.

- Wait, you're saying that gambling on the NCAA tournament is illegal?

- It was just five years that George Mason shocked the world. Jim Weber reminds us of their amazing feat

- Apparently the NCAA won't allow Butler to bring their live mascot Blue II to the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. (Georgetown, who also has a live bulldog mascot, plays their home games at the Verizon Center)

- There are numerous ways to fill out your bracket. One school of thought is using minimal risk in your selections

- An idiot's guide to March Madness

- The great moments in college basketball recreated with legos

- Get to know the personalities of the different seeds (Very entertaining stuff)

- Saturday Night Live spoofed the Selection Sunday Show. (It's kinda funny. A bit forced, but well, anything Charlie Sheen-related is forced these days)

- Somebody over at Deadspin is really pissed off at the selection committee

- A neat video from the perspective of the bracket