Championship Week Scoreboard

Everyone loves the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Four straight days jam-packed with 12 hours of do-or-die college hoops is more than most people can handle.

But for junkies like us, the next 13 days are just as good, for it is when the true Madness takes place. Over the course of these two weeks, we whittle some 347 teams down to 30 conference champions (the Ivy doesn't have a tournament). Auto-bids will be won. Bubbles will be burst. Buzzers will be beaten. And most importantly, a 68 team bracket will be made.

Below you will find a comprehensive schedule of all the conference tournaments, with scores updated regularly. This page is also acessibly by clicking the "Championship Week Scoreboard" tab at the top of the page.

America East Conference
Hartford, CT; (Higher Seeds)
March 1,3-4, 10
MVP: Brian Voelkel, Vermont

First Round
#9 Binghamton 73, #8 UMBC 67 OT
Quarterfinals
#6 Hartford 53, #3 Boston49
#4 Albany 63, #5 New Hampshire 45
#2 Vermont 50, #7 Maine 40
#1 Stony Brook 78, #9 Binghamton 69
Semifinals
#2 Vermont 77, #6 Hartford 73
#1 Stony Brook 57, #4 Albany 55
Finals
#2 Vermont 51, #1 Stony Brook 43


Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament
Atlanta, GA
March 8-11
MVP: Michael Snaer, Florida State

First Round
#10 Virginia Tech 68, #7 Clemson 63
#8 Maryland 82, #9 Wake Forest 60
#6 Miami 54, #11 Georgia Tech 36
#5 North Carolina State 78, #12 Boston College 57
Quarterfinals
#5 North Carolina State 67, #4 Virginia 64
#3 Florida State 82, #6 Miami 71
#2 Duke 60, #10 Virginia Tech 56
#1 North Carolina 85, #8 Maryland 69
Semifinals
#3 Florida State 62, #2 Duke 59
#1 North Carolina 69, #5 North Carolina State 67
Championship
#3 Florida State 85, #1 North Carolina 82


Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament
Macon, GA
Feb. 29 - March 3
MVP: Kerron Johnson, Belmont

Quarterfinals
#6 Florida Gulf Coast 71, #3 USC-Upstate 61
#4 East Tennessee State 68, #5 North Florida
#2 Mercer 61, #7 Lipscomb 53
#1 Belmont 76, #8 Jacksonville 62
Semifinals
#6 Florida Gulf Coast 62, #2 Mercer 58
#1 Belmont 69, #4 East Tennessee State 61
Finals
#1 Belmont 83, #6 Florida Gulf Coast 69


Atlantic-10 Conference Tournament
Atlantic City, NJ
March 6, 9-11
MVP: Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure's

First Round
#8 Massachusetts 92, #9 Duquesne 83
#7 LaSalle 80, #10 Richmond 72
#6 Dayton 67, #11 George Washington 50
#5 St. Joseph's 80, #12 Charlotte 64
Quarterfinals
#8 Massachusetts 77 #1 Temple 71
#4 St. Bonaventure's 71, 5 St. Joseph's 68
#3 Xavier 70, #6 Dayton 69
#2 Saint Louis 78, #7 LaSalle 71
Semifinals
#4 St. Bonaventure's 84, #8 Massachusetts 80
#3 Xavier 71, #2 Saint Louis 64
Finals
#4 St. Bonaventure's 67, #3 Xavier 56


Big East Tounament
New York, NY
March 6-10
MVP: Peyton Siva, Louisville

First Round
#14 Villanova 70 #11 Rutgers 4
#13 Pittsburgh 73, #12 St. John's 59
#10 Seton Hall 79, #15 Providence 47
#9 Connecticut 81, #16 DePaul 67
Second Round
#9 Connecticut 71, #8 West Virginia 67 OT
#7 Louisville 61, #10 Seton Hall 55
#6 South Florida 56, #14 Villanova 47
#5 Georgetown 64, #13 Pittsburgh 52
Quarterfinals
#7 Louisville 84 #2 Marquette 71
#4 Cincinnati 72, #5 Georgetown 70 2OT
#3 Notre Dame 57, #6 South Florida 53 OT
#1 Syracuse 58, #9 Connecticut 55
Semifinals
#7 Louisville 64, #3 Notre Dame 50
#4 Cincinnati 71, #1 Syracuse 68
Finals
#7 Louisville 50, #4 Cincinnati 44


Big Sky Conference Tournament
Higher Seed; Missoula, MT
March 3, 6-7
MVP: Kareem Jamar, Montana

Quarterfinals
#4 Eastern Washington 81, #5 Idaho State 75
#3 Portland State 75, #6 Montana State 53
Semifinals
#2 Weber State 69, #3 Portland State 63
#1 Montana 74, #4 Eastern Washington 66
Finals
#1 Montana 85, #2 Weber State 66


Big South Conference Tournament
Asheville, NC
Feb. 27 and 29, March 1 and 3
MVP: J.P. Primm, UNC-Asheville

First Round
#8 High Point 68, #9 Gardner-Webb 58
#7 VMI 55, #10 Radford 53
Quarterfinals
#7 VMI 85, #2 Coastal Carolina 68
#6 Winthrop 71, #3 Campbell 55
#4 Charleston Southern 88, #5 Liberty 74
#1 UNC-Asheville 86, #8 High Point 61
Semifinals
#7 VMI 75, #6 Winthrop 55
#1 UNC-Asheville 91, #5 Charleston Southern 64
Finals
#1 UNC-Asheville 80, #7 VMI 64


Big-Ten Conference Tournament
Indianapolis, IN
March 8-11
MVP: Draymond Green, Michigan State

First Round
#10 Minnesota 75, #7 Northwestern 68
#8 Iowa 64, #9 Illinois 61
#6 Purdue 79, #11 Nebraska 61
#5 Indiana 75, #12 Penn State 58
Quarterfinals
#4 Wisconsin 79, #5 Indiana 71
#3 Ohio State 88, #6 Purdue 71
#2 Michigan 73, #10 Minnesota 69
#1 Michigan State 92, #8 Iowa 75
Semifinals
#2 Ohio State 77, #3 Michigan 55
#1 Michigan State 65, #4 Wisconsin 52
Finals
#1 Michigan State 68, #2 Ohio State 64


Big-XII Conference Tournament
Kansas City, MO
March 7-10
MVP: Kim English, Missouri

First Round
#9 Texas AM 62 #8 Oklahoma 53
#7 Oklahoma State 76, #10 Texas Tech 60
Quarterfinals
#6 Texas 71, #3 Iowa State 65
#4 Baylor 82, #5 Kansas State 74
#2 Missouri 88, #7 Oklahoma State 70
#1 Kansas 83, #9 Texas AM 66
Semifinals
#4 Baylor 81, #1 Kansas 72
#2 Missouri 81, #6 Texas 67
Finals
#2 Missouri 90, #4 Baylor 75


Big West Conference Tournament
Anaheim, CA
March 8-10
MVP: Casper Ware, Long Beach State

Quarterfinals
#7 UC-Irvine 65, #2 Cal State-Fullerton 59
#4 Cal Poly 66, #5 UC-Riverside 54
#3 UC-Santa Barbara 72, #6 Pacific 52
#1 Long Beach State 80, #8 UC-Davis 46
Semifinals
#3 UC-Santa Barbara 64, #4 Cal Poly 52
#1 Long Beach State 68, #7 UC-Irvine 57
Finals
#1 Long Beach State 77, #3 Santa Barbara 64


Colonial Athletic Association Tournament
Richmond, VA
March 2-5
MVP: Darius Theus, Virginia Commonwealth

First Round
#9 UNC-Wilmington 70, #8 James Madison 59
#7 Northeastern 57, #10 William & Mary 49
#6 Georgia State 85, #11 Hofstra 50
#5 Delaware 72, #12 Towson 65
Quarterfinals
#4 Old Dominion 88, #5 Delaware 74
#3 George Mason 61, #6 Georgia State 59
#2 Virginia Commonwealth 75, #7 Northeastern 65
#1 Drexel 59, #9 UNC-Wilmington 47
Semifinals
#2 Virginia Commonwealth 74, #3 George Mason 64
#1 Drexel 68, #4 Old Dominion 51
Finals
#2 Virginia Commonwealth 59, #1 Drexel 56


Conference-USA Tournament
Memphis, TN
March 7-10
MVP: Joe Jackson, Memphis

First Round
#10 East Carolina 68, #7 Rice 66
#8 UTEP 67, #9 Houston 62 OT
#6 Marshall 74, #11 SMU 56
#5 UAB 72, #12 Tulane 64
Quarterfinals
#6 Marshall 105, #3 Tulsa 100 3OT
#4 Central Florida 64, #5 UAB 54
#2 Southern Miss 81, #10 East Carolina 78
#1 Memphis 65, #8 UTEP 47
Semifinals
#5 Marshall 73, #2 Southern Miss 62
#1 Memphis 83, #4 Central Florida 52
Finals
#1 Memphis 83, #5 Marshall 57


Horizon League Tournament
At Higher Seeds; (Valparaiso, IN)
February 28, March 2-3, and 6
MVP: Ray McCallum Jr., Detroit

First Round
#6 Youngstown State 77, #7 Green Bay 60
#5 Butler 70, #8 Wright State 52
#4 Milwaukee 68, #9 Illinois-Chicago 55
#3 Detroit 80, #10 Loyola (Ill.) 71
Second Round
#5 Butler 71 #4 Milwaukee 49
#3 Detroit 93, #6 Youngstown State 76
Semifinals
#3 Detroit 63, #2 Cleveland State 58
#1 Valparaiso 65, #5 Butler 46
Finals
#3 Detroit 68, #1 Valparaiso 50


Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament
Springfield, MA
March 2-5
MVP: Eric Etherly, Loyola

First Round
#8 Marist 64, #9 Saint Peter's 57
#7 Niagara 80, #10 Canisius 70
Quarterfinals
#6 Siena 84, #3 Manhattan 82
#4 Fairfield 65, #5 Rider 63
#2 Loyola (Md.) 86, #7 Niagara 73
#1 Iona 87, #8 Marist 63
Semifinals
#4 Fairfield 85, #1 Iona 75
#2 Loyola (Md.) 70, #6 Siena 60
Finals
#2 Loyola (Md.) 48, #4 Fairfield 44


Mid American Conference Tournament
Higher Seed; Cleveland, OH
March 5-10
MVP: DJ Cooper, Ohio

First Round
#12 Northern Illinois 55, #5 Eastern Michigan 52
#11 Central Michigan 54, #6 Bowling Green 53
#8 Western Michigan 69, #9 Ball State 63
#7 Toledo 60, #10 Miami 53
Second Round
#8 Western Michigan 71, #12 Northern Illinois 54
#7 Toledo 75, #11 Central Michigan 72
Quarterfinals
#4 Kent State 76, #8 Western Michigan 72
#3 Ohio 65, #7 Toledo 57
Semifinals
#3 Ohio 77, #2 Buffalo 74
#1 Akron, #4 Kent State 74
Finals
#3 Ohio 64, #1 Akron 63


Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament
Winston-Salem, NC
March 6-10
MVP: Kyle O'Quinn, Norfolk State

First Round
#11 Florida AM 74, #6 Coppin State 72
#10 Howard 51, #7 North Carolina AT 50
#8 Hampton 69, #9 Morgan State 65
#5 North Carolina Central 60, #12 Maryland-Eastern Shore 43
#4 Bethune-Cookman 62, #13 South Carolina State 53
Quarterfinals
#11 Florida AM 65, #3 Delaware State 55 OT
#8 Hampton 59 #1 Savannah State 46
#4 Bethune-Cookman 60, #5 North Carolina Central 59
#2 Norfolk State 71, #10 Howard 61

Semifinals
#4 Bethune-Cookman 81, #8 Hampton 72
#2 Norfolk State 58, #11 Florida AM 46
Finals
#2 Norfolk State 73, #4 Bethune-Cookman 70


Missouri Valley Conference Tournament
St. Louis, MO
March 1-4
MVP: Doug McDermott, Creighton

First Round
#8 Indiana State 66, #9 Southern Illinois 51
#7 Drake 65, #10 Bradley 49
Quarterfinals
#4 Illinois State 54, #5 Northern Iowa 42
#3 Evansville 72, #6 Missouri State 64
#2 Creighton 68, #7 Drake 61
#1 Wichita State 72, #8 Indiana State 48
Semifinals
#4 Illinois State 65, #1 Wichita State 64
#2 Creighton 99, #3 Evansville 71
Finals
#2 Creighton 83, #4 Illinois State 79 OT


Mountain West Conference Tournament
Las Vegas, NV
March 8-10
MVP: Drew Gordon, New Mexico

Quarterfinals
#4 Colorado State 81, #5 Texas Christian 60
#3 UNLV 56, #6 Wyoming 48
#2 New Mexico 79, #7 Air Force 64
#1 San Diego State 65, #8 Boise State 62
Semifinals
#2 New Mexico 72, #3 UNLV 67
#1 San Diego State 79, #4 Colorado State 69
Finals
#2 New Mexico 68, #1 San Diego State 59


Northeast Conference Tournament
At Higher Seeds
March 1, 4, 7
MVP: Julian Boyd, Long Island

Quarterfinals
#5 Quinnipiac 80, #4 St. Francis (Ny.) 72
#3 Robert Morris 87, #6 Monmouth 68
#2 Wagner 87, #7 Central Connecticut State 77
#1 Long Island 80, #8 Sacred Heart 68
Semifinals
#3 Robert Morris 71, #2 Wagner 64
#1 Long Island 78, #5 Quinnipiac 75
Finals
#1 Long Island 90, #3 Robert Morris 73


Ohio Valley Conference Tournament
Nashville, TN
Feb. 29 - March 3
MVP: Donte Poole, Murray State

First Round
#7 Jacksonville State 75, #6 Austin Peay 70
#5 Southeast Missouri 75, #8 Eastern Kentucky 65
Quarterfinals
#4 Tennessee Tech 77, #5 Southeast Missouri 73
#3 Morehead State 68, #7 Jacksonville State 54
Semifinals
#2 Tennessee State 59, #3 Morehead State 52
#1 Murray State 78, #4 Tennessee Tech 58
Finals
#1 Murray State 54, #2 Tennessee State 52


Pac-12 Conference tournament
Los Angeles, CA
March 7-10
MVP: Carlon Brown, Colorado

First Round
#9 Oregon State 69, #8 Washington State 64
#7 Stanford 85, #10 Arizona State 65
#6 Colorado 53, #11 Utah 41
#5 UCLA 55, #12 Southern California 40
Quarterfinals
#9 Oregon State 86, #1 Washington 84
#6 Colorado 63, #3 Oregon 62
#4 Arizona 66, #5 UCLA 58
#2 California 77, #7 Stanford 71
Semifinals
#6 Colorado 70, #2 California 59
#4 Arizona 72, #9 Oregon State 61
Finals
#6 Colorado 53, #4 Arizona 51


Patriot League Tournament
At Higher Seeds
Feb. 29, March 3, 7
MVP: C.J. McCollum, Lehigh

Quarterfinals
#5 Lafayette 84, #4 Holy Cross 76
#3 American 57, #6 Army 40
#2 Lehigh 70, #7 Colgate 57
#1 Bucknell 87, #8 Navy 63
Semifinals
#2 Lehigh 85, #3 American 66
#1 Bucknell 79, #5 Lafayette 52
Finals
#2 Lehigh 82, #1 Bucknell 77


Southeastern Conference Tournament
New Orleans, LA
March 8-11
MVP: John Jenkins, Vanderbilt

First Round
#11 Georgia 71, #6 Mississippi State 61
#8 Louisiana State 70, #9 Arkansas 54
#7 Ole Miss 68, #10 Auburn 54
#5 Alabama 63, #12 South Carolina 57
Quarterfinals
#7 Ole Miss 77, #2 Tennessee 72
#4 Florida 66, #5 Alabama 63
#3 Vanderbilt 63, #11 Georgia 41
#1 Kentucky 60, #8 Louisiana State 51
Semifinals
#3 Vanderbilt 65, #7 Ole Miss 53
#1 Kentucky 74, #4 Florida 71
Finals
#3 Vanderbilt 71, #1 Kentucky 64


Southern Conference Tournament
Asheville, NC
March 2-5
MVP: De'Mon Brooks, Davidson

First Round
#5N Appalachian State 93, #4S Charleston 81
#5S Furman 75 #4N Samford 66
#3N Western Carolina 68, #6S The Citadel 56
#3S Georgia Southern 76, #6N Chattanooga 70
Quarterfinals
#3N Western Carolina 82, #2S Wofford 59
#2N Elon 65, #3S Georgia Southern 58
#1N UNC-Greensboro 65, #5N Appalachian State 55
#1S Davidson 73, #5S Furman 54
Semifinals
#3N Western Carolina 82 #1N UNC-Greensboro 77
#1S Davidson 83, #2N Elon 67
Finals
#1S Davidson 93, #3N Western Carolina 91 2OT


Southland Conference Tournament
Katy, TX
March 7-8, 10
MVP: Mike James, Lamar

Quarterfinals
#4 McNeese State 78, #5 UT-San Antonio 74
#3 Lamar 76, #6 Northwestern State 69
#2 Stephen F. Austin 68, #7 Sam Houston State 46
#1 UT Arlington 96, #8 Nicholls State 48
Semifinals
#4 McNeese State 92, #1 UT-Arlington 72
#3 Lamar 55, #2 Stephen F. Austin 44
Finals
#3 Lamar 70, #4 McNeese State 49


Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament
Garland, TX
March 7-10
MVP: Cor-J Cox, Mississippi Valley State

Quarterfinals
#6 Alcorn State 103, #3 Prairie View A&M 79
#5 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 60, #4 Alabama State 56 OT
#2 Texas Southern 75, #7 Alabama A&M 62
#1 Mississippi Valley State 63, #8 Jackson State 60
Semifinals
#2 Texas Southern 60, #6 Alcorn State 55
#1 Mississippi Valley State 71, #5 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 64
Finals
#1 Mississippi Valley State 71, #2 Texas Southern 69


Summit League Tournament
Sioux Falls, SD
March 3-6
MVP: Nate Wolters, South Dakota State

Quarterfinals
#6 Southern Utah 84, #3 Oakland 82
#4 Western Illinois 58, #5 North Dakota State 53
#2 South Dakota State 77, #7 IUPUI 56
#1 Oral Roberts 71, #8 IPFW 67
Semifinals
#4 Western Illinois 54, #1 Oral Roberts 53
#2 South Dakota State 63, #6 Southern Utah 47
Finals
#2 South Dakota State 52, #4 Western Illinois 50


Sun Belt Conference Tournament
Hot Springs, AR
March 3-6
MVP: George Fant, Western Kentucky

First Round
#9 Arkansas State 70, #8 Florida Atlantic 55
#7 Western Kentucky 67, #10 Florida International 63
#6 South Alabama 87, #11 Troy 81
Quarterfinals
#9 Arkansas State 64, #1 Middle Tennessee 61
#7 Western Kentucky 66, #2 Arkansas-Little Rock 63
#5 North Texas 65, #4 Louisiana-Lafayette 62
#3 Denver 61, #6 South Alabama 50
Semifinals - Monday - 3/5
#7 Western Kentucky 67, #3 Denver 63
#5 North Texas 76, #9 Arkansas State 72
Finals
#7 Western Kentucky 74, #5 North Texas 70


Western Athletic Conference Tournament
Las Vegas, NV
March 8-10
MVP: Wendell McKines, New Mexico State

Quarterfinals
#6 Hawaii 72 #3 Idaho 70
#5 Louisiana Tech 72, #4 Utah State 70
#2 New Mexico State 65, #7 Fresno State 49
#1 Nevada 54, #8 San Jose State 44
Semifinals
#5 Louisiana Tech 78, #1 Nevada 73
#2 New Mexico State 92, #6 Hawaii 81
Finals
#2 New Mexico State 82, #5 Louisiana Tech 57


West Coast Conference Tournament
Las Vegas, NV
Feb. 29 - March 4
MVP: Matthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary's

Opening Round
#8 Portland 74, #9 Santa Clara 70
First Round
#6 San Diego 76, #7 Pepperdine 54
#5 San Francisco 87, #8 Portland 66
Quarterfinals
#5 San Francisco 67 #4 Loyola-Marymount 60
#3 BYU 73, #6 San Diego 68
Semifinals
#2 Gonzaga 77, #3 BYU 58
#1 Saint Mary's 83, #5 San Francisco 78
Finals
#1 Saint Mary's 78, #2 Gonzaga 74 OT

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Champ Week: Thursday Results and Friday Schedule

We are hitting the final stretch of Championship Week. If you love the first weekend of March Madness as much as us, you might want to spend the next 48 hour priming and preparing yourself for next week.

Skip work today. Cancel dinner plans. Blow off you Weekend errands with your wife. Have your kids go to somebody else's house.

Really hunker down and get into March-mode. If you are worrying about how you might pick your brackets, then use the next two days to really figure out which teams have what it takes to make a late-March push.

If you want to get ready for next week, it starts now.

If you want to get caught up with the rest of Championship week, make sure to check out the Comprehensive Championship Week Scoreboard

Below you will find the game scores from last night and a full schedule of games for Friday.

Thursday Results

Atlantic Coast Conference First Round
#10 Virginia Tech 68, #7 Clemson 63
#8 Maryland 82, #9 Wake Forest 60
#6 Miami 54, #11 Georgia Tech 36
#5 North Carolina State 78, #12 Boston College 57

Big East Conference Quarterfinals
#7 Louisville 84 #2 Marquette 71
#4 Cincinnati 72, #5 Georgetown 70 2OT
#3 Notre Dame 57, #6 South Florida 53 OT
#1 Syracuse 58, #9 Connecticut 55

Big-Ten Conference First Round
#10 Minnesota 75, #7 Northwestern 68 OT
#8 Iowa 64, #9 Illinois 61
#6 Purdue 79, #11 Nebraska 61
#5 Indiana 75, #12 Penn State 58

Big-XII Conference Quarterfinals
#6 Texas 71, #3 Iowa State 65
#4 Baylor 82, #5 Kansas State 74
#2 Missouri 88, #7 Oklahoma State 70
#1 Kansas 83, #9 Texas A&M 66

Big West Conference Quarterfinals
#7 UC-Irvine 65, #2 Cal State-Fullerton 59
#4 Cal Poly 66, #5 UC-Riverside 54
#3 UC-Santa Barbara 72, #6 Pacific 52
#1 Long Beach State 80, #8 UC-Davis 46

Conference-USA Quarterfinals
#6 Marshall 105, #3 Tulsa 100 3OT
#2 Southern Mississippi 81, #10 East Carolina 78 OT
#4 Central Florida 64, #5 UAB 54
#1 Memphis 65, #8 UTEP 47

Mid-Athletic Conference Quarterfinals
#4 Kent State 76, #8 Western Michigan 72
#3 Ohio 65, #7 Toledo 57

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Quarterfinals
#11 Florida A&M 65, #3 Delaware State 55 OT
#4 Bethune-Cookman 60, #5 North Carolina Central 59

Mountain West Conference Quarterfinals
#4 Colorado State 81, #5 Texas Christian 60
#3 UNLV 56, #6 Wyoming 48
#2 New Mexico 79, #7 Air Force 64
#1 San Diego State 65, #8 Boise State 62

Pac-12 Conference Quarterfinals
#9 Oregon State 86, #1 Washington 84
#6 Colorado 63, #3 Oregon 62
#4 Arizona 66, #5 UCLA 58
#2 California 77, #7 Stanford 71

Southeastern Athletic Conference First Round
#11 Georgia 71, #6 Mississippi State 61
#8 Louisiana State 70, #9 Arkansas 54
#7 Ole Miss 68, #10 Auburn 54
#5 Alabama 63, #12 South Carolina 57

Southland Conference Semifinals
#4 McNeese State 92, #1 UT-Arlington 72
#3 Lamar 55, #2 Stephen F. Austin 44

Southwestern Athletic Conference Quarterfinals
#6 Alcorn State 103, #3 Prairie View A&M 79
#5 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 60, #4 Alabama State 56 OT

Western Athletic Conference Quarterfinals
#6 Hawaii 72 #3 Idaho 70
#5 Louisiana Tech 72, #4 Utah State 70
#2 New Mexico State 65, #7 Fresno State 49
#1 Nevada 54, #8 San Jose State 44



Friday Schedule

Atlantic Coast Conference Quarterfinals
12:00PM - #8 Maryland vs. #1 North Carolina
2:00PM - #5 North Carolina State vs. #4 Virginia
7:00PM - #10 Virginia Tech vs. #2 Duke
9:00PM - #6 Miami vs. #3 Florida State

Atlantic-10 Conference Quarterfinals
12:00PM - #8 Massachusetts vs. #1 Temple
2:30PM - #5 St. Joseph's vs. #4 St. Bonaventure's
6:30PM - #7 LaSalle vs. #2 Saint Louis
9:00PM - #6 Dayton vs. #3 Xavier

Big East Conference Semifinals
7:00PM - #4 Cincinnati vs. #1 Syracuse
9:00PM - #7 Louisville vs. #3 Notre Dame

Big-Ten Conference Quarterfinals
12:00PM - #8 Iowa vs. #1 Michigan State
2:30PM - #5 Indiana vs. #4 Wisconsin
6:30PM - #10 Minnesota vs. #2 Michigan
9:00PM - #6 Purdue vs. #3 Ohio State

Big-XII Conference Semifinals
6:30PM - #4 Baylor vs. #1 Kansas
9:00PM - #6 Texas vs #2 Missouri

Big West Conference Semifinals
9:30PM - #7 UC-Irvine vs. #1 Long Beach State
12:00AM - #4 Cal Poly vs. #3 UC-Santa Barbara

Conference-USA Semifinals
3:00PM - #5 Marshall vs #2 Southern Mississippi
5:30PM - #4 Central Florida vs. #1 Memphis

Mid-American Conference Semifinals
7:00PM - #4 Kent State vs. #1 Akron
9:30PM - #3 Ohio vs. #2 Buffalo

Semifinals
6:00PM - #8 Hampton vs. #4 Bethune-Cookman
8:00PM - #11 Florida A&M vs. #1 Norfolk State

Mountain West Conference Semifinals
9:00PM - #4 Colorado State vs. #1 San Diego State
11:30PM - #3 UNLV vs. #2 New Mexico

Pac-12 Conference Semifinals
9:00PM - #9 Oregon State vs. #4 Arizona
11:30PM - #6 Colorado vs. #2 California

Southeastern Conference Quarterfinals
1:00PM - #8 Louisiana State vs. #1 Kentucky
3:30PM - #5 Alabama vs. #4 Florida
7:30PM - #7 Ole Miss vs. #2 Tennessee
10:00PM - #11 Georgia vs. #3 Vanderbilt

Southwestern Athletic Conference Semifinals
3:30PM - #6 Alcorn State vs. #2 Texas Southern
9:00PM - #5 Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. #1 Mississippi Valley State

Western Athletic Conference Semifinals
9:00PM - #6 Hawaii vs. #2 New Mexico State
11:30PM - #5 Louisiana Tech vs. #1 Nevada


Continue reading...

Homecourt advantage propels Blackbirds to second straight NCAA Tournament appearance

The Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center in Brooklyn, NY is not big at all. When empty, it does not look like it's home to a back-to-back Division-I Conference Championship team.

It's small, narrow, and very bright. It looks more like a state-of-the-art intramural gym than anything else. But when you stuff 1,700 frenzied LIU-Brooklyn fans inside a gym the size of a squash court, it makes for an environment unlike anything else in college basketball.

With a NCAA Tournament birth on the line, the atmosphere on Wednesday night for the NEC Tournament Championship game between the Blackbirds and Robert Morris University had all the characteristics of a "One Night Only" rock concert.

The crowd noise was in a constant state of high-pitched chaos. Flash-bulbs went off every five seconds. fans were practicially spilling out of the bleachers. At halftime, fans had to be corralled by police officers because so many people were trying to get near Spike Lee.

Yup, Spike Lee was there.

That should give you a good idea as to the type of home-court advantage the Blackbirds were dealing with. "We needed them, definitely," said NEC Tournament Julian Boyd, who finished with 18 points and ten rebounds. "If we didn't have them tonight, we wouldn't have won by as much as we did, we may not have even won. It was fantastic, I love playing in front of crowds like that."

Boyd's play was driven by the fans. When C.J. Garner found him for a half-court alley-oop, the sell-out crowd erupted into a frenzy. Boyd cracked a smile as bright as the flash-blubs, and back-peddled down the court urging the fans to get even louder.

"With an atmosphere like that, you want to have fun," Jamal Olasewere said, clutching the NEC Tournament trophy with both hands. "You know, with the way we play, why can't you have fun, going up and down like that, catching oops and and dunking the ball. Especially with a crowd like that. we're truly blessed to have fans who will come out and bring it like that."

But it wasn't always like that. Just a year ago, the Blackbirds were the hunters, trying to dethrone a Robert Morris team that had won back-to-back NEC Tournament championships. The two teams met in the same gym with the same prize at stake. Long Island prevailed in overtime 85-83, and the culture surrounding the program shifted.

"Last year was the beginning of something great. They started to support us more and more after every game. I mean, after the year we had, how can thy not support something like that?"

With two consecutive NEC Tournament titles, the Blackbirds are now the team to beat in the NEC. But that's something opposing teams can play for next year. As for now, they have a NCAA Tournament win to get.

"Last year we got the experience of just getting to the NCAA Tournament," Boyd said. "But this time, we can go in focused at the task at hand and get the job done."

Continue reading...

Comprehensive Championship Week Review

Conference Tournament Week is finally over and we are left with the 68 best teams in the country. We have put together a comprehensive wrap-up of anything and everything involving conference tournament week.

Use this page for all your March Madness research. We have provided a recap of every day of Championship Week, as well as a full tournament scoreboard so you can see what teams are hot, and what teams are not.

(NOTE: in the Championship Week Scoreboard section, tournament champions are highlighted in blue and teams that received at-large bids are italicized.)

Conference Tournament Week Recap:

The Real March Madness: Day 1
The Real March Madness: Day 2
The Real March Madness: Day 3
The Real March Madness: Day 4
The Real March Madness: Day 5
The Real March Madness: Day 6
The Real March Madness: Day 7
The Real March Madness: Day 8
The Real March Madness: Day 9
The Real March Madness: Day 10
The Real March Madness: Day 11
The Real March Madness: Day 12


News and Notes:

- Only eight regular season champions won their conference tournaments. Six of the regular season champions did not win a single game in their conference tournament.

- Xavier lost to No. 9 Dayton in the Atlantic-10 quarterfinals, Pittsburgh lost to No. 9 UConn in the Big East quarterfinals, UAB lost to No. 9 East Carolina in the Conference-USA quarterfinals, Murray State lost to No. 4 Tennessee Tech in the Ohio Valley Conference semifinals, and Arkansas State and Florida Atlantic lost to Arkansas-Little Rock and North Texas in the Sun belt quarterfinals.

- More No. 2 seeds (10) won conference tournaments than No. 1 seeds (8). Four No. 3 seeds won their conference tournaments, while three No. 4 seeds and two No. 5 seeds also won tournament titles. Akron was the only No. 6 seed to win a conference tournament, and UT-San Antonio was the only No 7 seed to win a conference tournament.

- Only three teams played more than four games during Championship Week. Akron and Arkansas-Little Rock won four games in four days to capture tournament championships from the No. 6 and No. 5-seeds respectively. UConn became the first team in NCAA history to win five games in five days. The Huskies were the highest seed (No. 9) to win a conference tournament this year.

- All eight teams that participated in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals received bids to the NCAA Tournament, and seven of the eight teams in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals did as well.

- UConn's Kemba Walker played 190 of a possible 205 minutes and scored a tournament-record 130 points during UConn's run to the Big East Tournament Championship.

- BYU's Jimmer Fredette was the only player from a non-championship team to win a tournament MVP award. Fredette scored a career-high, tournament-high and school-high 52-points against new Mexico in the Mountain West Conference semifinals. His personal best was greater than the single-game outputs of 45 teams during Championship week.


All-Championship Week Team:

Kemba Walker, UConn - Walker single-handily carried the UConn Huskies to their seventh Big East tournament championship. He averaged 26.0ppg, 6.4rpg, 4.2apg, and 2.8spg over the course of the five-game run, and hit a game-winning buzzer beater over No.1 Pittsburgh in the quarterfinals. He shot 41-87 (47%) from the field and was 46-54 (86%) from the charity stripe, but went only 2-19 (10%) from behind the arc. Nonetheless, Walker's five-game performance was sensational, and he was by far the best player in the country during Championship Week.

Nolan Smith, Duke - Smith score only seven points and injured his toe during the Blue Devils quarterfinal game against Maryland. His status was questionable going into the semifinal match-up against Virginia Tech, a team that had beaten them in the last week of the season. Smith fought through the pain and scored 27 points and had 6 assists in the 14-point win. In the ACC title game, against rivals North Carolina, Smith hit all seven of his free throws and scored 20 points and had 10 assists as the Blue Devils won their 19th ACC tournament title, a conference record.

Devin Gibson, UT-San Antonio - The senior guard was the only player in the country to record a triple-double during conference week, scoring 28 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists in the Southland Conference quarterfinals. Gibson nearly had back-to-back triple-doubles, as he recorded 26 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists in the semifinals against Sam Houston State. Over the three-game tournament stretch, Gibson averaged 23.0ppg, 8.3rpg, and 6.3apg.

Isaiah Thomas, Washington - For the second year in a row, Thomas led the Huskies to a Pac-10 Tournament Title and was named Tournament MVP. In the finals against Arizona, he scored 28 points, including the game-winning buzzer-beater in overtime on a beautiful step-back jumper. Thomas averaged 19.6ppg and 10.1apg during the Huskies three game stretch.

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State - The freshman big man recorded three double-doubles in three tournament games en route to Tournament MVP honors and a tournament title for the Buckeyes. Against Northwestern he had 20 points and 18 rebounds. Against Michigan he had 14 points and 13 rebounds and in the finals against Penn State he 15 points and 11 rebounds. Sullinger was constantly double-teamed and harassed down low, evidence by his free-throw numbers. he attempted at least ten free-throws in each game and went 25-38 from the line during the tournament.



Championship Week Scoreboard

America East Conference Tournament
Hartford, CT
March 3-12
Tournament MVP: John Holland, Boston

First Round
#9 Binghamton 91, #8 UMBC 65
Quarterfinals
#6 Hartford 66, #3 Maine 63
#5 Stony Brook 67, #4 Albany 61
#2 Boston 69, #7 New Hampshire 60
#1 Vermont 57, #9 Binghamton 46
Semifinals
#5 Stony Brook 69, #1 Vermont 47
#2 Boston 55, #6 Hartford 49
Final
#2 Boston 56, #5 Stony Brook 54



Atlantic Coast Conference
Greensboro, NC
March 10-13
Tournament MVP: Nolan Smith, Duke

First Round
#9 Miami 69, #8 Virginia 62
#7 Maryland 75, #10 NC State 67
#6 Virginia Tech 59, #11 Georgia Tech 43
#5 Boston College 81, #12 Wake Forest 67
Quarterfinals
#6 Virginia Tech 52, #3 Florida State 51
#4 Clemson 70, #5 Boston College 47
#2 Duke 87, #7 Maryland 71
#1 North Carolina 61, #9 Miami 59
Semifinals
#2 Duke 77, #6 Virginia Tech 63
#1 North Carolina 92, #4 Clemson 87 OT
Final
#2 Duke 75, #1 North Carolina 58



Atlantic-Sun Conference Tournament
Macon, GA
March 2-5
Tournament MVP: Mick Hedgepeth, Belmont

Quarterfinals
#6 North Florida 68, #3 Jacksonville 64
#5 Mercer 73, #4 Lipscomb 63
#2 East Tennessee State 54, #7 Campbell 53
#1 Belmont 72, #8 Kennesaw State 57
Semifinals
#6 North Florida 59, #2 East Tennessee State 55
#1 Belmont 80, #5 Mercer 72
Final
#1 Belmont 87, #6 North Florida 46



Atlantic-10 Conference Tournament
Atlantic City, NJ
March 8, 11-13
Tournament MVP: Kevin Anderson, Richmond

First Round
#12 St. Joseph's 71, #5 George Washington 59 OT
#10 La Salle 75, #7 St. Bonaventure 73 2OT
#9 Dayton 78, #8 UMass 50
#6 Rhode Island 70, #11 St. Louis 61
Quarterfinals
#12 St. Joseph's 93, #4 Duquesne 90 OT
#9 Dayton 68, #1 Xavier 67
#3 Richmond 55, #6 Rhode Island 44
#2 Temple 96, #10 La Salle 76
Semifinals
#9 Dayton 64, #12 St. Joseph's 61
#3 Richmond 58, #2 Temple 54
Final
#3 Richmond 67, #9 Dayton 54



Big East Conference Tournament
New York City, NY
March 8-12
Tournament MVP: Kemba Walker, UConn

First Round
#15 South Florida 70, #10 Villanova 69
#13 Rutgers 76, #12 Seton Hall 70 OT
#11 Marquette 87, #14 Providence 66
#9 UConn 97, #16 DePaul 71
Second Round
#11 Marquette 67, #6 West Virginia 61
#9 UConn 79, #8 Georgetown 62
#7 Cincinnati 87, #15 South Florida 61
#5 St. John's 65, #13 Rutgers 63
Quarterfinals
#9 UConn 76, #1 Pittsburgh 74
#4 Syracuse 79, #5 St. John's 73
#3 Louisville 81, #11 Marquette 56
#2 Notre Dame 89,. #7 Cincinnati 51
Semifinals
#9 UConn 76, #4 Syracuse 71 OT
#3 Louisville 83, #2 Notre Dame 77 OT
Final
#9 UConn 69, #3 Louisville 66



Big Sky Conference Tournament
Greeley, CO
March 5-9
Tournament MVP: Devon Beitzel, Northern Colorado

Quarterfinals
#4 Northern Arizona 65, #5 Montana State 62
#3 Weber State 79, #6 Eastern Washington 70
Semifinals
#2 Montana 57, #3 Weber State 40
#1 Northern Colorado 73, #4 Northern Arizona 70
Final
#1 Northern Colorado 65, #2 Montana 60



Big South Conference Tournament
Conway, SC
March 1-5
Tournament MVP: Matt Dickey, UNC-Asheville

Quarterfinals (at higher seed)
#7 High Point 66, #2 Liberty 60
#4 VMI 78, #5 Winthrop 73
#3 UNC-Asheville 72, #6 Charleston Southern 63
#1 Coastal Carolina 83, #8 Gardner-Webb 72
Semifinals
#3 UNC-Asheville 62, #7 High Point 45
#1 Coastal Carolina 89, #4 VMI 81
Final
#3 UNC-Asheville 60, #1 Coastal Carolina 47



Big Ten Conference Tournament
Indianapolis, IN
March 10-13
Tournament MVP: Jared Sullinger, Ohio State

First Round
#8 Northwestern 75, #9 Minnesota 65
#7 Michigan State 66, #10 Iowa 61
#6 Penn State 61, #11 Indiana 55
Quarterfinals
#7 Michigan State 74, #2 Purdue 56
#6 Penn State 36, #3 Wisconsin 33
#4 Michigan 60, #5 Illinois 55
#1 Ohio State 67, #8 Northwestern 61 OT
Semifinals
#6 Penn State 61, #7 Michigan State 48
#1 Ohio State 68, #4 Michigan 61
Final
#1 Ohio State 71, #6 Penn State 60



Big-12 Conference Tournament
March 9-12
Kansas City, MO
Tournament MVP: Marcus Morris, Kansas

First Round
#10 Oklahoma 84, #7 Baylor 67
#9 Oklahoma State 53, #8 Nebraska 52
#6 Missouri 88, #11 Texas Tech 84
#5 Colorado 77, #12 Iowa State 75
Quarterfinals
#5 Colorado 87, #4 Kansas State 75
#3 Texas A&M 86, #6 Missouri 71
#2 Texas 74, #10 Oklahoma 54
#1 Kansas 63, #9 Oklahoma State 62
Semifinals
#2 Texas 70, #3 Texas A&M 58
#1 Kansas 90, #5 Colorado 83
Final
#1 Kansas 85, #2 Texas 73



Big West Conference Tournament
Anaheim, CA
March 10-12
Tournament MVP: Orlando Johnson, UC-Santa Barbara

Quarterfinals
#7 UC-Riverside 70, #2 Cal Poly 66 OT
#5 UC Santa Barbara 79, #4 Pacific 67
#3 CS-Northridge 75, #6 Cal St. Fullerton 54
#1 Long Beach State 79, #8 UC Irvine 72
Semifinals
#5 UC-Santa Barbara 83, #3 CS-Northridge 63
#1 Long Beach State 74, #7 UC-Riverside 63
Final
#5 UC-Santa Barbara 64, #1 Long Beach State 56



Colonial Athletic Association Tournament
Richmond, VA
March 4-7
Tournament MVP: Frank Hassell, Old Dominion

First Round
#11 William & Mary 72, #6 James Madison 68
#9 Georgia State 58, #8 UNC Wilmington 52
#7 Delaware 60, #10 Northeastern 58
#5 Drexel 75, #12 Towson 69
Quarterfinals
#4 VCU 62, #5 Drexel 60
#3 Hofstra 72, #11 William & Mary 56
#2 Old Dominion 59, #7 Delaware 50
#1 George Mason 68, #9 Georgia State 45
Semifinals
#4 VCU 79, #1 George Mason 63
#2 Old Dominion 77, #3 Hofstra 69
Final
#2 Old Dominion 70, #4 VCU 65



Conference USA Tournament
El Paso, TX
March 9-12
Tournament MVP: Joe Jackson, Memphis

First Round
#10 Rice 58, #7 SMU 57
#8 East Carolina 75, #9 UCF 60
#6 Marshall 97, #11 Houston 87
#5 Southern Miss 63, #12 Tulane 47
Quarterfinals
#8 East Carolina 75, #1 UAB 70 OT
#4 Memphis 66, #5 Southern Mississippi 63
#3 UTEP 77, #6 Marshall 65
#2 Tulsa 81, #10 Rice 72
Semifinals
#4 Memphis 76, #8 East Carolina 56
#3 UTEP 66, #2 Tulsa 54
Final
#4 Memphis 67, #3 UTEP 66



Horizon League Tournament
Milwaukee, WI
March 1-8
Tournament MVP: Matt Howard, Butler

First Round (at higher seed)
#6 Wright State 60, #7 Green Bay 50
#5 Detroit 90, #8 Loyola 69
#4 Valparaiso 80, #9 Youngstown State 71
#3 Cleveland State 73, #10 Illinois-Chicago 61
Second Round (Milwaukee, WI)
#4 Valparaiso 88, #5 Detroit 78
#3 Cleveland State 73, #6 Wright State 59
Semifinals
#2 Butler 76, #3 Cleveland State 68
#1 UW-Milwaukee 70, #4 Valparaiso 63
Final
#2 Butler 59, #1 UW-Milwaukee 44



Mid-American Conference Tournament
Cleveland, OH
March 8-12
Tournament MVP: Zeke Marshall, Akron

First Round
#8 Buffalo 64, #9 Central Michigan 50
#7 Bowling Green 74, #10 Northern Illinois 54
#6 Akron 67, #11 Eastern Michigan 53
#5 Ohio 74, #12 Toledo 57
Quarterfinals
#6 Akron 82, #3 Miami (OH) 75 2OT
#4 Ball State 76, #5 Ohio 73 OT
#2 Western Michigan 67, #7 Bowling Green 56
#1 Kent State 73, #8 Buffalo 62
Semifinals
#6 Akron 79, #2 Western Michigan 68
#1 Kent State 79, #4 Ball State 68
Finals
#6 Akron 66, #1 Kent State 65  OT



MAAC Tournament
Bridgeport, CT
March 4-7
Tournament MVP: Jeron Belin, St. Peter's

First Round
#9 Marist 73, #8 Niagara 61
#7 Siena 68, #10 Manhattan 66 OT
Quarterfinals
#4 St. Peter's 70, #5 Loyola 60
#3 Rider 79, #6 Canisius 64
#2 Iona 94, #7 Siena 64
#1 Fairfield 55, #9 Marist 31
Semifinals
#4 St. Peter's 62, #1 Fairfield 48
#2 Iona 83, #3 Rider 59
Final
#4 St. Peter's 62, #2 Iona 57



Mideastern Athletic Conference Tournament
Winston-Salem, NC
March 8-12
Tournament MVP: Darrion Pellum, Hampton

First Round
#10 Maryland-Eastern Shore 87, #7 Florida A&M 85 2OT
#9 South Carolina State 64, #8 Delaware State 59
#6 Norfolk State 68 #11 Howard 53
Quarterfinals
#6 Norfolk State 55, #3 Coppin State 53
#4 Morgan State 77, #5 North Carolina A&T 59
#2 Hampton 77, #10 Maryland-Eastern Shore 55
#1 Bethune-Cookman 66, #9 South Carolina State 50
Semifinals
#4 Morgan State 61, #1 Bethune-Cookman 48
#2 Hampton 85, #6 Norfolk State 61
Final
#2 Hampton 60, #4 Morgan State 55



Missouri Valley Conference Tournament
St. Louis, MO
March 3-6
Tournament MVP: Aaron Carter, Indiana State

First Round
#10 Bradley 63, #7 Drake 48
#8 Southern Illinois 57, #9 Illinois State 54
Quarterfinals
#5 Creighton 60, #4 Northern Iowa 57
#3 Indiana State 52, #6 Evansville 50
#2 Wichita State 70, #10 Bradley 56
#1 Missouri State 58, #8 Southern Illinois 56
Semifinals
#3 Indiana State 61, #2 Wichita State 54
#1 Missouri State 60, #5 Creighton 50
Final
#3 Indiana State 60, #1 Missouri State 56



Mountain West
Las Vegas, NV
March 9-12
Tournament MVP: Jimmer Fredette, BYU

First Round
#9 TCU 70, #8 Wyoming 61
Quarterfinals
#5 New Mexico 67, #4 Colorado State 61
#3 UNLV 69, #6 Air Force 53
#2 San Diego State 64, vs. #7 Utah 50
#1 BYU 64, #9 TCU 58
Semifinals
#2 San Diego State 74, #3 UNLV 72
#1 BYU 87, #5 New Mexico 76
Final
#2 San Diego State 72, #1 BYU 54



Northeast Conference Tournament
At higher seeds
March 3-9
Tournament MVP: Jamal Olasewere, Long Island

Quarterfinals
#4 Central Connecticut State 64, #5 St. Francis (NY) 62
#3 Robert Morris 78, #6 Wagner 74
#2 Quinnipiac 78, #7 Mt., St. Mary's 59
#1 Long Island 90, #8 St. Francis (PA) 75
Semifinals
#3 Robert Morris 64, #2 Quinnipiac 62
#1 Long Island 69, #4 Central Connecticut State 67
3/9 - Final
#1 Long Island 85 #3 Robert Morris 82 OT



Ohio Valley Conference Tournament
Nashville, TN
March 2-5
Tournament MVP: DeMonte Harper, Morehead State

First Round
#8 Tennessee-Martin 68, #5 Tennessee State 64
#7 Southeast Missouri 65, #6 Eastern Kentucky 49
Quarterfinals
#4 Tennessee Tech 83, #8 Tennessee-Martin 59
#3 Austin Peay 76, #7 Southeast Missouri State 60
Semifinals
#4 Tennessee Tech 64, #1 Murray State 59
#2 Morehead State 68, #3 Austin Peay 49
Final
#2 Morehead State 80, #4 Tennessee Tech 73



Pac-10
Los Angeles, CA
March 9-12
Tournament MVP: Isaiah Thomas, Washington

First Round
#9 Oregon State 69, #8 Stanford 67
#7 Oregon 76, #10 Arizona State 69
Quarterfinals
#7 Oregon 76, #2 UCLA 59
#3 Washington 89, #6 Washington State 87
#4 USC 70, #5 Cal 56
#1 Arizona 78, #9 Oregon State 69
Semifinals
#3 Washington 69, #7 Oregon 51
#1 Arizona 67, #4 USC 62
Final
#3 Washington 77, #1 Arizona 75 OT



Patriot League Tournament
At higher seeds
March 2-11
Tournament MVP: Mike Muscala, Bucknell

Quarterfinals
#6 Lafayette 77, #3 Holy Cross 70
#4 Lehigh 87, #5 Navy 75
#2 American 69, #7 Colgate 53
#1 Bucknell 78, #8 Army 51
Semifinals
#6 Lafayette 73 #2 American 71 2OT
#1 Bucknell 66, #4 Lehigh 64
Final
#1 Bucknell 72, #6 Lafayette 57



Southeastern Conference Tournament
Atlanta, GA
March 10-13
Tournament MVP: Darius Miller, Kentucky

First Round
#5E Tennessee 74, #4W Arkansas 68
#4E Georgia 69, #5W Auburn 51
#3W Ole Miss 66, #6E South Carolina 65
#3E Vanderbilt 62, #6W LSU 50
Quarterfinals
#3E Vanderbilt 87, #2W Mississippi State 81
#2E Kentucky 75, #3W Ole Miss 66
#1W Alabama 65, #4E Georgia 59
#1E Florida 85, #5E Tennessee 74
Semifinals
#2E Kentucky 72, #1W Alabama 58
#1E Florida 77, #3E Vanderbilt 66
Final
#2E Kentucky 70, #1E Florida 54



Southern Conference Tournament
Chattanooga, TN
March 4-7
Tournament MVP: Noah Dahlman, Wofford

First Round
#5N UNC-Greensboro 71, #4S Davidson 64
#3N Appalachian State 65, #6S Georgia Southern 57
#3S Furman 61, #6N Samford 48
#4N Elon 85, #5S The Citadel 74
Quarterfinals
#1N Western Carolina 77, #5N UNC-Greensboro 66
#2S Wofford 69, #3N Appalachian State 59
#3S Furman 61, #2N Chattanooga 52
#1S Charleston 78, #4N Elon 60
Semifinals
#2S Wofford 86, #1N Western Carolina 72
#1S Charleston 63, #3S Furman 58
Final
#2S Wofford 77, #1S Charleston 67



Southland Conference
Katy, TX
March 9-12
Tournament MVP: Devin Gibson, Texas-San Antonio

Quarterfinals
#7 Texas-San Antonio 97, #2 Northwestern State 96
#4 Texas State 72, #5 Southeastern Louisiana 68
#3 Sam Houston State 61, #6 Stephen F. Austin 45
#1 McNeese State 61, #8 Nicholls State 54
Semifinals
#7 Texas-San Antonio 79, #3 Sam Houston State 70
#1 McNeese State 91, #4 Texas State 83
Final
#7 Texas-San Antonio 75, #1 McNeese State 72



Southwest Athletic Conference
Dallas, TX
March 9-12
Tournament MVP: Tremayne Moorer, Alabama State

Quarterfinals
#6 Grambling State 65, #3 Mississippi Valley State 62
#4 Alabama State 81, #5 Alabama A&M 61
#2 Jackson State 50, #7 Prairie View A&M 38
#1 Texas Southern 50, #8 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 45
Semifinals
#6 Grambling State 81, #2 Jackson State 75 OT
#4 Alabama State 73, #1 Texas Southern 66
Final
#4 Alabama State 65, #6 Grambling State 48



Summit League
Sioux Falls, SD
March 5-8
Tournament MVP: Keith Benson, Oakland

Quarterfinals
#5 South Dakota State 85, #4 IPFW 75
#3 IUPUI 79, #6 UMKC 55
#2 Oral Roberts 72, #7 North Dakota State 65
#1 Oakland 82, #8 Southern Utah 66
Semifinals
#2 Oral Roberts 88, #3 IUPUI 73
#1 Oakland 110, #5 South Dakota State 90
Final
#1 Oakland 90, #2 Oral Roberts 76



Sun Belt Tournament
Hot Springs, AR
March 5-8
Tournament MVP: Solomon Bozeman, Arkansas-Little Rock

First Round
#6E Florida International 53, #3W Denver 49
#5W Arkansas-Little Rock 82, #4E South Alabama 68
#4W North Texas 83, #5E Troy 69
#3E Western Kentucky 66, #6W Louisiana-Monroe 50
Quarterfinals
#5W Arkansas-Little Rock 59, #1W Arkansas State 52
#4W North Texas 78, #1E Florida Atlantic 64
#3E Western Kentucky 81, #2W Louisiana-Lafayette 76
#2E Middle Tennessee 73, #6E Florida International 38
Semifinals
#5W Arkansas-Little Rock 65, #2E Middle Tennessee 56
#4W North Texas 81, #3E Western Kentucky 62
Final
#5W Arkansas-Little Rock 64, #4W North Texas 63



Western Athletic Conference Tournament
Las Vegas, NV
March 9-12
Tournament MVP: Brockeith Payne, Utah State

First Round
#8 San Jose State 75, #5 Hawaii 74
#6 Nevada 90, #7 Fresno State 80
Quarterfinals
#8 San Jose State 74, #4 Idaho 68
#3 New Mexico State 66, #6 Nevada 60
Semifinals
#2 Boise State 81, #3 New Mexico State 63
#1 Utah State 58, #8 San Jose State 54
Final
#1 Utah State 77, #2 Boise State 69



WCC Tournament
Las Vegas, NV
March 4-7
Tournament MVP: Marquise Carter, Gonzaga

First Round
#8 Loyola Marymount 72, #5 Portland 68
#6 Pepperdine 84, #7 San Diego 81
Quarterfinals
#4 Santa Clara 76, #8 Loyola Marymount 68
#3 San Francisco 76, #6 Pepperdine 59
Semifinals
#2 Gonzaga 71, #3 San Francisco 67
#1 St. Mary's 73, #4 Santa Clara 64
Final
#2 Gonzaga 75, #1 St. Mary's 63

Continue reading...

Previewing the Madness: The SEC

Just like we all expected, the SEC West stunk this year while the SEC East can send five teams to the NCAA Tournament.

Florida pulled away from the SEC pack late in the season, as the team that lacked leadership and point guard play consistently won close game after close game. The Gators barely edged out Alabama for the outright SEC title. The Crimson Tide finished 12-4 in the SEC, but thanks to an absolutely atrocious performance in the non-conference portion of their schedule, 'Bama still has some work to do is they are going to go dancing.

After Florida, its tough to really decipher who is the second best team. Common sense says Kentucky, but the Wildcats needed to beat Tennessee on the road in the regular season's final game just to avoid a four-team tie at 9-7. Kentucky has been terrific at home, but inept on the road, and while the fact that a team with the talent that Kentucky has finished 10-6 in a weak SEC, they are not the most confounding SEC team.

Tennessee is. The Vols beat Villanova and Pitt early in the season, but then struggle to find any modicum of consistency the rest of the season. Georgia, like Alabama, needs to win a game or two to feel comfortable about their bubble standings. Vanderbilt is in the dance safely.

Where: Atlanta, GA

When: March 10th-13th

Final: March 13th, 1:00 pm, ESPN


Favorite: Florida Gators

It feels weird saying that Florida is the favorite to win anything, but this is a very good basketball team. Chandler Parsons, a versatile, 6'10" small forward, was named SEC player of the year as he really came on strong in conference play. Parsons creates matchup problems for opponents as he is able to put the ball on the floor, has three point range, but also is one of the best rebounders in the SEC. In the post, Vernon Macklin has become a fairly reliable back to the basket scorer, and with Erik Murphy and Alex Tyus joining him, the Gators have a solid trio. Erving Walker has come along as a point guard, improving his shot selection, but he is still more of a scoring guard than he is a natural point. The x-factor for this team is Kenny Boynton, who may be the streakiest shooter in the country. He has a knack for hitting big jumpers.

• Other Contenders: Kentucky is the most talented team in the SEC. Terrence Jones was named the freshman of the year, but Brandon Knight may have been better than him down the stretch of the season. Those two are the best 1-2 scoring punch in the conference, and when Doron Lamb and Darius Miller are also hitting jumpers, this is a very dangerous basketball team. The key, however, may be the play of DeAndre Liggins, John Calipari's defensive stopper, and Josh Harrellson, the rebounder, bruiser, and enforcer in the paint.
  
  After those two, Vanderbilt probably has the best chance to win this tournament. John Jenkins and Jeff Taylor could both end up being first round picks when they eventually go to the NBA, and Fetsus Ezeli has developed into a very good post player.
  

Sleeper: Tennessee Volunteers

They fit the definition of a sleeper to a T. They are a talented group of players that have proven they can beat quality teams. They have just never been able to put it together, especially down the stretch of games. But, like I said, the Vols have talent. Scotty Hopson is as good of a scorer as there is in the country when he is aggressive attacking the rim. Tobias Harris has the skill set to be a lottery pick. The issue is at the point, where Melvin Goins is simply just not a very good offensive player.

• Deeper Sleepers: I really like Alabama this season. Travis Releford has come along as a point guard, JaMychal Green is one of the best big men in the conference, and Tony Mitchell may be the most exciting player in the league to watch. Don't sleep on Georgia, either. Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie are both going to end up in the first round of the NBA Draft while Gerald Robinson and Dustin Ware are capable back court options.

Players to Watch:

• Travis Leslie and Trey Thompkins, Georgia: I am a big fan of both of these players. Thompkins is a terrific post player with a back to the basket game and range on his jumper while Leslie is one of the best slashers in the league and arguably the best dunker in the country.
• Tony Mitchell, Alabama: Mitchell is simply one of the most entertaining players in the country to watch. He's athletic, he's aggressive going to the glass, and he finishes above the rim and in transition.
• Chris Warren, Ole Miss: Warren is one of those guys that was never fortunate enough to play on a good team in college. He's a terrific scorer with range on his three that is good enough to win a game on his own.
  

Continue reading...

Previewing the Madness: The ACC

The unlikeliest conference finish of the season belongs to the ACC, where North Carolina, the team that everyone had left for dead heading into conference play, is champ.

Duke was the favorite coming into the season. Not the favorite to win just win the ACC, but to win everything. Hell, if was just three months ago that we were talking about the possibility of the Blue Devils going undefeated. Seems like a long time ago, doesn't it?

The rest of the ACC has been mired in mediocrity all season long, with teams like Florida State and Virginia Tech going from ranked in the top 25 to the bubble conversation. And while that mediocrity has made for, at times, some ugly basketball, it hasn't caused a like of excitement or intrigue heading into the league tournament.

With three teams -- Boston College, Virginia Tech, and Clemson -- sitting on the bubble's cut line and a fourth -- Maryland -- a run to the final away from a bid, there will be plenty decided over the next four days in Greensboro Coliseum.

Where: Greensboro, NC

When: March 10th-13th

Final: March 13th, 1:00 pm, ESPN


Favorite: Duke Blue Devils

I know, I know, I know. North Carolina just ran Duke off of the court in the regular season finale, locking up the regular season title in the process. And while North Carolina is currently the hottest team in the conference, if not the country, I am not yet ready to hand over the title of tournament favorite just yet. Duke is experienced. They've won titles before, including last year's national title. For my money, the national player of the year is on Duke's roster in the form of Nolan Smith. Seth Curry is turning into a dangerous complimentary scorer. And Kyle Singler? Well, if you remember, last year's Final Four most outstanding player had a relatively ho-hum regular season in 2009-2010 as well.

• Other Contenders: Having said all that about the Dukies, if they are the favorite, then North Carolina is the favorite with an asterisk. Since Larry Drew was benched in favor on Kendall Marshall, the Tar Heels are one bad half away from winning out. Harrison Barnes is finally living up to the hype he had coming into the season. John Henson and Tyler Zeller are playing as well as they have in their entire careers. But winning under pressure is a learned skill. North Carolina has a young roster that hasn't experienced much success in their careers. I may end up looking foolish here, but I am not ready to hand over the title of tournament favorite just yet.
  

Sleeper: Virginia Tech Hokies

Ugh. I hate putting any kind of faith in Seth Greenberg's teams late in the season. But at some point, they have to come away with some big wins, right? Outside of Duke and UNC, the Hokies are probably the most talented team in the conference with Malcolm Delaney and Jeff Allen on their roster. They also knocked off Duke two weekends ago, which gives me some faith that this team can still wake up before the season is over.

• Deeper Sleepers: Can I call Florida State a sleeper? Even if Chris Singleton comes back for the tournament? He's been participating in some non-contact drills, so may his foot heels up in time. Regardless, this team has been better on the offensive end of the floor without Singleton and they still have size inside and some good defenders on the perimeter. Boston College's Reggie Jackson could very well be the best player in the ACC not named Nolan Smith, and when he gets help in the form of Joe Trapani, Corey Raji, and Biko Paris, the Eagles are a tough out.
  

Players to Watch:

• Jordan Williams, Maryland: Williams may very well be the best big man in the ACC. He's physical on the block, he can create position, and he is an excellent rebounder. When he is finishing inside and hitting his free throws, Williams is a legitimate 20-10 guy.
• Reggie Jackson, Boston College: I'm not talking about Mr. October. Jackson is an excellent scorer with range that can create for his teammates as well. He is also a tremendous leaper that has his share of poster dunks in his career.

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Previewing the Madness: The Pac-10

The Pac-10 is down this season, there really isn't a question about that.

But just because the league is down doesn't mean there hasn't been exciting, competitive basketball.

Washington was the runaway favorite in the preseason, but they really struggled down the stretch of the season, losing three of their last five games and falling to third in the conference standings. Arizona had control late in the season, but an ugly 0-2 road trip to the LA schools forced them into a situation where they had to sweep the final weekend to win the regular season title. UCLA was the surprise team. For all the flack they have gotten the last couple of years, the Bruins finished all alone in second place in the Pac-10 tournament.

Now, with teams like Washington State, USC, and Cal playing some of their best basketball of the season, don't be surprised when you see some upsets in this tournament. It may not have the number of tournament teams that the Big East has, but that should do nothing to diminish the entertainment value, to say nothing of the competition on the bubble for the teams sitting in 3rd-6th.

Where: Staples Center, LA

When: March 9th-12th

Final: March 12th, 6:00 pm, ESPN


Favorite: Arizona Wildcats

Right now, Arizona is the best team in this conference. Derrick Williams is not just the best player in the Pac-10, he is one of the best in the country and will likely be a first team all-american when things are all said and done. One of Arizona's bigger problems is that they haven't had a consistent second option step up alongside Williams. There is talent there -- Solomon Hill, Kevin Parrom, Jordin Mayes, Jesse Perry -- but that talent is inexperienced. Jamelle Horne and Kyle Fogg provide some of that leadership, but it gets to the biggest problem for the Wildcats -- point guard play. Momo Jones has had some big games this season, but he is inconsistent and is not enough of a playmaker.

• Other Contenders: Washington and UCLA are the two other teams that should be considered favorites to win this thing. The Huskies are, easily, the most talented team in the conference. But they have been completely out of whack down the stretch. Throw in Veony Overton's suspension and Justin Holiday's concussion on top of Abdul Gaddy's knee injury, its tough to know what to expect out of this team. UCLA has played much better late in the season, as they are finally starting to play defense like a Ben Howland team. With guys like Tyler Honeycutt, Reeves Nelson, Joshua Smith, and Malcolm Lee on the roster, there is plenty of talent for the Bruins. Will they play like it?
  

Sleeper: Washington State Cougars

I like Wazzu this season. Klay Thompson is as good of a shooter and scorer as there is in the country. With Faisal Aden and Reggie Moore playing alongside him in the back court, the Cougars can match up with anyone in the conference. Inside, DeAngelo Casto and Marcus Capers are both above-average Pac-10 players. Better news? They play Washington in the first round, a team they swept this season. When the Cougar's shots are dropping, they are a tough team to beat.

• Deeper Sleepers: The Cal Bears has one of the most fun players in the conference to watch in Jorge Gutierrez, but with the emergence of Allen Crabbe late in the season as a secondary scorer on the perimeter, the Bears have become a threat to pull an upset. Also keep an eye on USC. This team has a number of impressive wins this season, and while they also have some questionable losses, those losses came before Jio Fontan was eligible. Nikola Vucevic is the best low-post scorer in the conference.
  

Players to Watch:

• Jorge Gutierrez, Cal: Gutierrez plays as intense as anyone in the Pac-10. He's a terrific defender that has really developed his offensive game this season. One of the benefits of the Bears winning the Pac-10 Tournament will be that the rest of the country gets a chance to see Gutierrez play. He's worth it.
• Klay Thompson, Washington State: Like I said, Thompson is one of the best scorers in the country. He led the Pac-10 in scoring at 21.4 ppg and is a pleasure to watch work off the ball.
• Nikola Vucevic, USC: As anyone ever averaged 17.7 ppg and 10.3 rpg and been more anonymous on a national level than Vucevic?
  

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Previewing the Madness: The Big 12

The Big 12 was wild this season.

It was considered by many to be the best conference in the country in the preseason, but with the way that teams like Kansas State, Baylor, Missouri, and Texas played early in the season, that notion went out the window pretty quickly.

We may have been too quick to judge, however. Kansas has been the favorite just about the entire season, with the exception of the start of Big 12 play, when the Longhorns made their surge. Bolstered by a punishing defense, the Longhorns at one point held a two game lead on the Jayhawks late in February before a stretch of three losses in four games.

Kansas State was the next team to surge, rebounding from a 4-6 start in the league to win their last six games and finish the season tied for third in the conference. Will Baylor or Missouri be the team to make their run this week?

Another interesting storyline of this tournament is the bubble. Both Baylor and Colorado are sitting squarely where you don't want to be -- the cut line. Both will probably want to win two games to feel comfortable, but their first round matchups -- Colorado against Iowa State and Baylor against Oklahoma -- come against teams that knocked them off this season.

Where: Kansas City, MO

When: March 9th-12th

Final: March 12th, ESPN, 5:00 pm


Favorite: Kansas Jayhawks

The Jayhawks have to be considered the favorite to win this tournament, as they, along with Ohio State, are the two favorites to win the national title. Kansas is as efficient and balanced as anyone in the country. It starts with the Morris twins inside, who are both versatile scorers. They also rebound the ball and defend, combining with Thomas Robinson off the bench to provide one of the best front lines in the country. The Jayhawk back court is deep and talented, as well. Tyshawn Taylor is their best point guard, but they also have Josh Selby, who is capable of going for 20 on a given night despite his struggles down the stretch, and Elijah Johnson, who proved he is a starting point guard in the Big 12 when Taylor was suspended late in the season. Tyrel Reed and Brady Morningstar are the leaders and the knock down jumper shooters that keep the floor spread.

• Other Contenders: There are two that fit into this category. Texas has slipped up the past couple of week, but the Longhorns are terrific defensively. Tristan Thompson has become a force on the block and arguably the best low-post player in the conference. The question mark is going to be Jordan Hamilton, and to a lesser extent J'Covan Brown. Will those two rediscover the selectiveness that made them dangerous scorers this season, and if they don't, will they continue to struggle defensively?
  
  Kansas State is the other contender. Their resurgence has been sparked by Jacob Pullen (more on him in a bit), but the Wildcats have also started to play like the team we expected them to be early in the season. They are playing aggressive, physical, and intense basketball once again, as their front court is overwhelming opponents while their back court are ball hawking defensively.
  

Sleeper: Missouri Tigers

The Tigers, for my money, have the best chance at stealing this title. For starters, they will be playing in an arena that is actually in Missouri, a place they have played twice already this season. They also play the most unique system, one that is difficult to plan for on short notice. They are deep and they press for 40 minutes. When tired legs start to become a factor, the Tigers may be the best equipped to not only deal with it, but to take advantage of it in their opponents.

• Deeper Sleepers: Baylor is arguably the most talented team in the conference, with an all-american caliber scorer in LaceDarius Dunn and a long and athletic front line. Texas A&M is a team I am not sold on, but they defend and they rebound consistently, and Mark Turgeon always fields teams that don't make mistakes. Colorado is another option, as the Buffaloes have proven to be a tough out and can claim two of the best scorers in the league in Cory Higgins and Alec Burks.
  

Players to Watch:

• Jacob Pullen, Kansas State: He's been awesome during Big 12 play and taken his game to another level down the stretch. He's hitting his jumpers now, he's getting to the basket and to the foul line, and he's executing when he has the ball in his hands at the end of a clock. There is a legitimate argument to be made that he was the Big 12 player of the year -- he averaged 21.4 ppg, he led all guards in field goal percentage, and he was top ten in steals and assists.
• Marcus Denmon, Missouri: The Tigers high scoring guard has really come on as a junior. He's perfect for Missouri's system -- he is a lights out shooter, a quality defender, and capable of making plays in the open floor.
• Alec Burks, Colorado: Burks is a terrific slasher that doesn't get the publicity he deserves because he plays for Colorado. Its not a mistake that he averaged 19.5 ppg and 6.4 rpg.
  

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