Wednesday Morning Dump

- This dunk really deserves its own post, but MemphisRoar won't let me embed the video. So enjoy.

- In case you missed it, a match-up between the #2 and #5 teams in the country won't be shown on television. All of this coming a week after a match-up between #4 and #7, which was hyped for nearly a month. Did we forget to mention that #2 and #5 are in-state rivals? Still not sure how TV execs screwed this one up. Seriously, this could be the blunder of the year. No joke. Nonetheless, here's a statistical breakdown of #2 and #5, otherwise known as #1 and #2 in the Big-12.... SERIOUSLY, they are #1 and #2 in the best conference in the country and it's NOT being shown on television? Again, blunder of the year (and we all saw what NBC did with the Olympics).

- As if the Sooners haven't already had a rough season, now they lose Willie Warren

- A great-read on Devan Downey the leader

- Oregon State coach Craig Robinson recieves bailout extension

- The 'Gody is still doubtful to play against UConn, Marquette game this weekend is more likely

- Jeff Goodman covers everything Southern

- Remembering Hank Gathers

- Paul Hewitt has beef with the Atlanta Journal Constitution

- Zone defense can't stop Kentucky

- Greg Monroe is the next Tim Duncan? As a Hoya fan, I am more than content with that comparison.

- When Jay Bilas writes, you read. Mmk?

- Gary Parrish tells us exactly what we need to know

- Mike DeCourcy tells us why Jerome Randle is underappreciated. DeCourcy also wonders if New Mexico can grab a 2-seed

- After a exciting year of conference play, Xavier and Temple remain atop the Atlantic-10 mountain

- Coach of the year candidates: Umm, why does no one put Fran Dunphy on these lists?

- Jay Wright thinks Villanova can get even better

- It's conference tournament time! First up, a preview of the Big South tournament

- More tournament week information

- Michigan State slumber parties

- A look at what a bracket might look like this week

- I wonder why this doesn't happen more often

- UNC wins 2,000th game in program history, still trail Kentucky in unnecessary celebration expenses

- A look at the biggest flops and surprises of the year

- So you are saying a Syracuse player is going to win PotY and it wont be Wes Johnson? Tell me more. Or maybe, you should just read BIAH. We said this a month ago.

- Did Evan Turner clinch PotY last night?

- Because shouldn't we all know the dunk statistics for every player on Cornell?

- Rick Barnes won't be upset if Texas doesn't win the National Championship

Continue reading...

Conference Tournament Preview: Six teams that can win a game in the NCAA's

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 65 team bracket will be made.

To kick off our preview of the conference tournaments, lets take a look at six teams that aren't going to be getting an at-large berth, but are capable of winning a game in March.


Siena Saints: 24-6, 17-1 MAAC

We've written this before, but Siena reminds me a lot of the Davidson team from 2008 that made that miraculous run to the Elite 8. After winning a game in each of the last two NCAA Tournaments, Siena had quite a bit of expectation coming into this season. But like Davidson in 2008, Siena lost all of their marquee games this season. Their best win? Northeastern, who finished in second place in the CAA. But rest assured, which ever four or five seed draws the Saints in the first round of the NCAA's will know what they are in for.

Ronald Moore doesn't score a lot, but he is probably Siena's MVP.
(photo credit: Albany Times-Union)

There are quite a few things to like about this Siena team. With Ryan Rossiter and Edwin Ubiles, they have the size and athleticism that many low- and mid-major teams lack, while Alex Franklin is your prototypical mid-major post -- undersized, but scrappy and productive. Throw Clarence Jackson in the mix, and they have four guys that are capable of going for 20 on a given night. They have arguably the most underrated point guard in the country in Ronald Moore. But most of all, this is a team that has already experienced wins in the tournament. They aren't going to be fazed by the bright lights of March.


Murray State Racers: 27-4, 17-1 OVC

Murray State rolled through OVC play, winning their first 16 games before losing to preseason favorite Morehead State on the road. Of their 17 league wins, 12 came by double digits. You would be hard-pressed to find a more balanced team in the country than the Racers. Ten players average at least 10 mpg, with no one playing more than 26.5 mpg. In one of the oddest statistics that you will see, Murray State has five players that average between 10.2 and 10.7 ppg. Murray State pressures the ball, forcing turnovers and bad shots as well as any team in the country. On the offensive end of the floor, they take smart shots and hit the offensive glass. Murray State has a number of talented players that can beat you in a variety of ways.


Portland Pilots: 19-9, 10-4 WCC

Portland made a lot of noise early in the season as they beat both Minnesota and UCLA en route to the finals of the 76 Classic back in November. They even managed to work their way into the top 25 for a week. That ranking went by the wayside as the Pilots proceeded to lose three straight and five of seven after beating the Gophers. As a result, the college basketball-watching public essentially forgot about the Pilots. But this is a team built for an upset. They are experienced -- their top seven scorers are all juniors or seniors. Luke Sikma and Robin Smuelders give them size and a couple scoring threats in the paint. They have an experienced and talented point guard in TJ Campbell that can beat you as a scorer or a playmaker. They are fourth in the country at shooting threes, led by the deadly Jared Stohl. It would be an upset for Portland to actually make the tournament, especially when you consider leading scorer Nik Raivio will be out for the WCC tourney, but if they can get there this is a team that may be able to shoot their way into the second round.


Cornell Big Red: 25-4, 11-1 Ivy

Cornell is all but a lock to make the tournament, so long as they can beat either Brown or Yale this weekend. When they do get there, don't expect Cornell to be much more than a 13 or 14 seed. That said, this is a team that can play with anyone in the country. Just ask Kansas, who trailed for most of the second half against Cornell playing in the Phog.

There are not many guys out there that can shoot it better than Ryan Wittman.
(photo credit: Syracuse.com)

There are three guys that make this team go -- point guard Louis Dale, sharp-shooter Ryan Wittman, and aptly named seven-foot center Jeff Foote. The Big Red are not a very athletic team and will struggle to defend against high-majors, but they execute with precision on the offensive end, shoot the heck out of the ball from three, and don't take many bad shots. If they get hot, look out.


Oakland Grizzlies: 23-8, 17-1 Summit

Oakland got smoked early on in the season. Wisconsin, Kansas, Memphis, Michigan State, and Syracuse all had their way with the Grizzlies before the conference regular season started. But since Summit League play began, all Oakland has done is win. It hasn't always been pretty. In fact, of Oakland's 17 wins in the Summit League, only two were blowouts of more than 14 points. This is a team that has been tested during the regular season, and as you know, "winning" is a learned skill. The Grizzlies have as good of a 1-2 punch as you are going to find at this level. 6'11" Keith Benson is an NBA prospect. Benson does not have a great back-to-the-basket game yet, he is capable on the block. But his best attribute is his ability to knock down shots from the perimeter. By forcing an opponent's center to guard him, it opens up space for Johnanthon Jones. Jones' number are a bit down from last season, when he was the nation's leader in assists, but the 5'11" point guard is still a nightmare to keep in front and one of the best playmakers in the country.


Radford Highlanders: 19-11, 13-5 Big South

Radford didn't even win their conference regular season title. With 11 losses on the season and a second place finish in a low-major league, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the Highlanders are going to be getting a pretty low seed if they do happen to make it to the dance. That said, I still think Radford could spring an upset thanks to their presence in the paint. Artsiom Parakhouski, a 6'11 Belarusian that averages 21 ppg and 13 rpg, is a load to handle no matter what level of basketball you are playing. He's joined up front by two 6'8" forwards in Lazar Trifunovic and Joey Lynch-Flohr, who both also average double figures. Radford is good defensively and excellent on the glass, which you probably would expect with that front line. Combined with a couple of talented wings and point guard Amir Johnson (a 5'9" senior that averaged 13 ppg as a sophomore, but has since taken over role of playmaker), the Highlanders will put a scare into a first round opponent if they can get there.
Continue reading...

March Madness starts tonight!

Believe it or not, March Madness officially kicks off tonight as the Big South, the Ohio Valley, and the Horizon League all begin conference tournament play.

Who is going to steal a bid? What teams can win a game in the tournament? Who is this year's Stephen Curry?

We'll answer those questions and more over the coming days, but until then here is the full schedule of all the conference tournament games and sites:



(Big h/t to Rush the Court for the chart)
Continue reading...

Tuesday's Pregame Beat

Bubble Watch

• 8:00 pm: Georgia Tech @ Clemson: How many teams from the ACC are going to be dancing this season? We know that Maryland and Duke are in. After that, Georgia Tech and Clemson are mixed in with a group of five teams looking to play their way off the bubble. Georgia Tech cannot win on the road. They are 1-6 in league play away from home, having beaten only UNC with losses to Miami and UVA as well as Georgia out of conference. At home, however, they have picked up some nice wins, beating the likes of Duke, Wake Forest, Siena, and these very Tigers. Clemson looks to be in a bit better position. They lost four out of five in the middle of the season, but that stretch came while starting point guard Demontez Stitt was battling an ankle injury. Clemson's issue is that they just don't have that many quality wins -- they've beaten Butler, Maryland, and swept Florida State. Both teams really need this win.

• 9:30 pm: Louisville @ Marquette: The Cardinals and the Golden Eagles are tied for fifth in the Big East standings, and are both close to locking up an at-large bid for the tournament. Whoever wins tonight will basically be in and whoever loses is going to need to pick up another win, either in their last game of the season or in their first game of the Big East tournament.
  


• 7:00 pm: Vanderbilt @ Florida: This is probably the game of the night. Vanderbilt is the second best team in the SEC, playing to ensure a first round bye in the SEC tournament and better seeding in the dance. Florida, on the other hand, still needs to do some work if they are to get a bid. If the tournament started today, the Gators would likely be in. They have a couple good wins out of conference (Michigan State, Florida State) and beat Tennessee last week. But they still have to play Vanderbilt and Kentucky. Losing three in a row to end the season is not the way to earn an at-large bid. Vanderbilt is a well-coached team with some size on the inside, which is precisely the kind of team the Gators have struggled against.


• 7:00 pm: Villanova @ Cincinnati: This is a do or die game for the Bearcats tonight. The bubble may be weak this year, but its not weak enough to get a team with a losing record in the Big East into the tournament. If Cinci loses, that is exactly where they will be. With Villanova and Georgetown left on their schedule, the Bearcats have the opportunity to play their way in. Cinci has a couple nice out of conference wins (Vanderbilt, Maryland), but the only thing close to a good win in conference came against Notre Dame and UConn (a sweep), and neither of those teams are a lock to make the tournament. This is a good matchup for the Bearcats. Nova has been sliding a bit of late. They struggle on the defensive end of the floor and don't have the size that Cincinnati does. The Bearcats are pretty good defensively, but I'm not sure they have the perimeter defenders to slow down Nova's talented backcourt.


• 9:00 pm: Illinois @ Ohio State: The Illini desperately need this win. After moving into a tie atop the Big Ten standings, Illinois has fallen quick and hard. They've lost three out of four and still have to play the Buckeyes as well as Wisconsin. Illinois may actually need to win both to get in. The Illini don't have an overly impressive RPI or SOS and they already have 11 losses on the year (including L's to Utah, Bradley, Northwestern, and Georgia). don't expect Ohio State to roll over tonight, either. It is senior night for the Buckeyes, and a win clinches at least a share of the Big Ten title.


• 7:00 pm: UTEP @ Marshall: The Miners have already clinched at least a share of the C-USA title, but if they want to feel safe heading into the conference tournament, they are probably going to need to win their last two regular season games.


• 7:00 pm: Minnesota @ Michigan: Minnesota is another team right on the edge of the bubble. If the Gophers want to earn a bid, they are going to need to win their last two regular season games and at least one in the Big Ten Tournament.
  

Other notable games

• 7:00 pm: St. John's @ Syracuse
• 8:00 pm: Baylor @ Texas Tech
• 8:00 pm: Missouri @ Iowa State
• 8:00 pm: Miami FL @ North Carolina
  
• 9:00 pm: Cal State Bakersfield @ Gonzaga
  

Continue reading...

Public Opinion: Tournament Expansion

Every sport has "hot-button issues". For the NFL, it's concussion safety and collective bargaining agreements, The MLB's is obviously steroids, and college football has the BCS debate. No college hoops topic has been more "hot-button" this year than tournament expansion talk.

Nearly every blogger, columnist, analyst, commentator and coach has voiced their opinion on the matter in some fashion. But after 3-4 months of discussion, it is very easy to forget who said what, who was for it and who was vehemently against it.

We are here to help draw that line in the sand. I could sit here and tell you my opinion on the matter, but somebody probably already said what I was thinking in a much more educated and constructive manner.. It's a much better waste of my time to construct a list of the coaches and media-type who have addressed the matter.

Coaches

Scott Drew - Baylor

I think we should expand even more. Go up to 128. I've thought that for several years. There's that many good teams, and it gives everybody one more game.

To everyone who says, 'What about a missed class?'—trust me, those players would trade a day of class for a chance to play in this tournament any day.

Jim Boeheim - Syracuse

I've been for expansion for years. The NCAA tournament has always been expanded when there's been a need. It started out with eight teams and then went to 12, to 16, to 24, to 32, to 48, to 64.

I mean, it's been expanded seven or eight times. Expansion is nothing new. And we're in the longest time between expansions in history. The fact is, we have better teams. We have more good teams than ever before. And they should get the chance to play in the Tournament.

Paul Hewitt - Georgia Tech

We have [347] Division I teams now, and only 65 are going. We've increased it by one since 1985. That just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

It should be expanded. The obvious cry is going to be, ‘Well, coaches are just trying to save their jobs.' I look at the bowl season, and I see that 50 percent of the teams play in bowl games. And I see the emotion those kids have after they win a bowl game, how good they feel about themselves. That should be a part of college basketball. I think you should have more kids participate in the NCAA tournament.

Billy Donovan - Florida

I felt bad for our kids the last couple of years. You’re right there, a game or two away from maybe being in and then they don’t get a chance to go.

And then there’s a perception that if you’re in the NIT, it’s quote-unquote a loser’s tournament. And I think that any time you expand something, where you’re playing for that main trophy that everyone’s trying to play for, I think it’s always good to have more opportunities for more people.

Bruce Pearl - Tennessee

I think the public conversation is great; I can’t believe it starts in January. But you’ve got a lot of good teams that aren’t going to make the tournament every year; this year might be the most in a long, long time.

Now I know the purists, and I’m one of them, are going to say, ‘If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. It’s a great tournament, don’t lessen the quality.’ My favorite weekend … is the first weekend. It’s all those crazy matchups that just have you glued. We’ll still have that if 32 teams get a bye and you pick it up from there.

When you’ve got 20-something win teams not going to the NCAA tournament and you’ve got 6-5 really bad football teams going to the toilet bowl, it’s not equal. I do think we need some expansion. Is 96 teams too many? Maybe. … I’ve gotta represent my side of things. … Right now, for fans, making the NCAA tournament doesn’t mean anything. They just expect you to make the NCAA tournament It’s HARD to make the NCAA tournament.

Jay Wright - Villanova

There are so many great teams, and I think coaches' jobs are being determined on whether they are picked in the 65 rather than are they are doing a good job. If more teams got into the tournament, I think you could see coaches concentrate on what they all want to do, and that is teach and educate.

Al Skinner - Boston College

I can’t be against it because coaches are penalized tremendously for not making the tournament.To me, too much attention is paid to (making the tournament), but I understand it because everybody needs dollars and it generates dollars. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s about.

Greg Marshall - Wichita State

My point is, that's ridiculous. Obviously there's the bias that the 7th place team in a BCS league is better than the second or third place team in our league. With the non-conference performance from our league this year and the wins we have against BCS teams, I just don't think that's the case.

Rod Barnes - Georgia State

You have teams with great records being left out. When these kids play on teams that have won 23 and 24 games but don't get in because their team didn't win their conference tournament, I just don't agree with that. I just think that if you go out every night and play decent against the teams that are on your schedule and in your conference and you win 23 and 24 games, you should get in.

Oliver Purnell - Clemson

George Mason could have easily been left out. Obviously, they're a deserving team. If you expand it, you decrease the possibility of leaving out more deserving teams.

Rick Barnes - Texas

You see what expansion has done around the country in all these leagues, in some ways it's diluted it. I don't know that there is a benefit. You talk about expansion, but it does start in your conference tournament. That's really the beginning of the N.C.A.A. tournament.

Pat Knight - Texas Tech

If you're talking about adding more teams, I don't think the games would change a bit. They'd be just as competitive and I think you'd see more Cinderella stories, more teams people didn't think had a chance and there'd be a lot more upsets if the NCAA expanded the tournament.

Mike Krzyzewski - Duke

That would add more relevance to the regular season, instead of just having big games being bracket busters and things like that.I could see it going to 96, but if they do, I would like to see the regular season champs rewarded. That would give the conferences who don't get more than one bid a chance to have two bids. If you expand, you would want that to happen.

Ken Bone - Washington State

I think it makes it a really special tournament when only 64 get in. I really like the way it is right now.

Ben Jacobson - Northern Iowa

I like it where it's at. I like the 65. Obviously it's difficult to make that field but that's why it's the best sporting event of the entire year, regardless of college or professional.

Mark Few - Gonzaga

I like the way the tournament is right now. I think it's an honor when that name flashes up there on Selection Sunday. It's a sense of accomplishment -- not everybody gets invited. I mean, just think of the teams that aren't going to make it this year.

To reach the tournament should be a very special accomplishment. There are not 96 teams that are deserving to go.

Bruiser Flint - Drexel

I can understand why they might say it and want it, but I like it the way it is. With the NIT the way it is now [40 teams], you're putting 100 teams in the postseason. That's about one-third of Division I. Sixty-four teams gives it a little bit of legitimacy.

Jim Calhoun - UConn

The basketball tournament takes 98 percent of all the money the NCAA makes; it's another way in which they can use basketball to take money. If I thought it benefited the student-athletes and, most importantly, benefited basketball ... I'm opposed to it only in the sense that it means we'll make 99 percent of the money. That's the only reason I'd be necessarily opposed to it because I just don't think everything should be on our back.

I know that's a funny, different answer, but I think it's the reason they want to go to 96 because it's so many more games being televised which means advertising spots during those times.

Mark Fox - Georgia

Having come from a school [Nevada] where we looked at that process very closely, I think the NCAA tournament would be best served and most easily adjusted by going to 68 teams. You would not have to add any more TV weekends. You wouldn't have to change the basic structure of the tournament.

Usually there are not many more than one or two teams that have a legitimate argument about being left out. I don't think you should dilute the tournament by going much bigger than that.

There are not 96 programs that schedule in the non-conference in a way that says they're dying to get to the NCAA tournament and are willing to do what it takes.

Thad Motta - Ohio State

The greatest thing I ever heard was from John Wooden and he said, ‘People put too much emphasis on the last game of the year.’ There is so much excitement along the way and I think that we lose the sight of what’s happening now as it’s all geared toward getting into the NCAA Tournament. There is so much great basketball to be played in the month of February and even in early March.

[A larger tournament] allows you to be a little more risky in your non-conference schedule. We’ve [played] Tennessee, we’ve done Florida and we’ve done LSU, but you can get out and do those things a little bit better and know that you’re going to be rewarded.

Bill Carmody - Northwestern

If you expand it this much, it seems like you'd dilute it a little bit.

Doug Elgin - Commissioner of Missouri Valley Conference

The early rounds are the riveting part of the tournament. If we had an expansion, it would deepen the tournament in the middle. You're going to see much more balance and maybe more upsets in these first and second round games. I know there's going to be whining and moaning when the 97th and 98th teams don't get in, but right now, they're leaving out a lot of teams that are worthy.

Bernadette McGlade - Commissioner of Atlantic-10

I'm a proponent of the tournament expanding. There's so much parity in the game today, it's become necessary.

The Media

Gene Wojciechowski - ESPN

Yes, of course, we should absolutely expand the NCAA men's basketball tournament to 96 teams. And while we're at it, let's rework the opening of Clapton's "Layla," tell Penelope Cruz she needs a nip and tuck, and replace all the azaleas and pines at Augusta National with strip-club signage.

Tracee Hamilton - Washington Post

It's so great, it's co-opted the name of an entire month. We don't have April Ennui or May Mania or December Delirium. Well, we may have all those things, but they aren't official national monikers. March Madness is. As the great Andy Williams sang, "It's the most wonderful time of the year."

So of course the NCAA wants to screw it up.

The good ol' NCAA, the burr under the saddle of college sports, is considering expanding the men's basketball tournament field from 65 to 96 teams. This would lengthen the tournament by a week, give the top 32 seeds a first-round bye and make zillions of dollars for the NCAA and some lucky TV network, probably ESPN.

In other words, this is the worst idea in the history of ideas. Well, Jay Leno at 10 p.m. was the worst idea in the history of ideas. This is the worst idea in the history of sports ideas, and that includes the Bowl Championship Series, the previous leader in the category.

John Feinstein - Sports Illustrated, Washington Post

The important part of the story concerned the make-up of the tournament. Apparently the NCAA is looking into expansion—going from the current 65 teams to 96 in order to add a week of TV that would add more money to the new contract.

I can’t call this the worst idea I’ve ever heard because the BCS still exists. But it is a solid No. 2.

Chris Chase - The Dagger

It would be a flop on par with New Coke, the Edsel or Adam Morrison in the NBA: The NCAA is exploring the possibility of expanding the field of the NCAA tournament.

It's the worst idea the NCAA has ever had, and it has had a bunch of them. Decisions based solely on financial reasons inevitably fail. And since money is the only -- ONLY -- reason the NCAA would consider expanding the tournament, this would be a disaster. (And that's assuming expansion would make money, which I don't think it would in the long run.)

Seth Davis - Sports Illustrated, CBS

Do. Not. Expand.

I'm sure you've heard about the crusade led by coaches such as Syracuse's Jim Boeheim and Georgia Tech's Paul Hewitt to get more teams into the NCAA tournament. Their central argument is that, aside from the addition of the opening round game in 2001, the tournament has not expanded since it went to 64 teams in 1985. But when you actually sit down, crunch the numbers and try to find 34 teams deserving of an at-large bid, the problem isn't that you have too many good teams to choose from. The problem is you don't have nearly enough. As you look at all the résumés, all you can see are warts.

Pat Forde - ESPN

In what might be the dumbest idea since "Rocky VI," a movement has emerged to double the size of the NCAA Tournament to 128 teams.

If you want to know how galvanizing the 128-team tournament might have been, scan the final pre-tournament RPI from the 2005-06 season. When you reach triple digits, cue the CBS tournament theme music in your head and feel your pulse pound as you envision the Drexel Dragons taking the floor in the first round.

That's 15-16 Drexel, the No. 128 team in America.

Do you want to be the guy who draws up the bracket for this thing? Plans the sites, does the seeding, arranges the team hotels, the practice schedules, the interview schedules? It's a mammoth undertaking as it is. Doubling it for the sake of Siena and UMass is silly.

Gary Parrish - CBS

I never want to hear about expanding the NCAA tournament field again.

Never.

And when I say never, what I mean is as long as I live -- plus as long as my 6-year-old son lives -- plus as long as all eight of Octo-Mom's kids live -- and then like 600 more years after that. Seriously, never again. Because it's ridiculous. So ridiculous, in fact, that I'm ready to cut the field of 65 to 32 -- just give automatic bids to the champions of the 16 best leagues, then dish out 16 at-large bids and call it a day.

I have no desire to watch 65 schools be rewarded with a trip to the NCAA tournament when roughly 30 of them are mediocre. And if you sat around Wednesday night watching college basketball and tracking scores right here at CBSSports.com, then you know why I feel this way, and you probably feel this way, too.

John Gasaway - The Mid-Majority

Personally, I am very leery of changing the tournament, for the simple reason that when you find yourself in the rare and treasured moment of having something that you actually venerate, you don't set about knocking down walls and adding whole new wings. Careful preservation and simple upkeep are enough.

To the depths of my sports being, I am hard-wired with the same protective impulse that drives this outrage. No, the 65-team tournament isn't perfect, but then again neither are any of us. Good grief, I watched this tournament for years--decades--when it was announced by Billy Packer. Need I say more? March Madness is quite simply the gold standard to which all other American team-sport postseasons are held. (Ask college football.) You don't trifle with the gold standard lightly.

Jeff Eisenberg - The Dagger

Have you ever had an inkling that something awful was about to happen and you were powerless to stop it? That's the way I feel about the possibility of the NCAA Tournament expanding to 96 teams.

Andrew Sharp - SB Nation

Oh, right. It's always good to have more opportunities for people. We should just go ahead and expand to 128, just to make sure not a single underachieving team (like Florida the past few years) ever gets left out of the NCAAs.

Like last year, the Florida team that started 16-2, and then finished the year losing five of eight in an SEC down year. That team totally should've made the tournament. Nick Calathes!!

In college basketball, there are no true losers. And you know what that means? Everyone gets a spot in the tournament... AND a trophy!

Darren Everson - Wall Street Journal

The NCAA is in the very early stages of exploring making changes to its men's basketball tournament. One idea that's been batted around: expanding it to 96 teams. Here's a simple suggestion: Stop exploring. Start doing.

Expanding the 65-team tournament—the NCAA's universally beloved, crown-jewel property—is the biggest no-brainer in sports right now. Far bigger, even, than all the talk of imposing a playoff on college football.

Most important of all, adding an extra round or stage to the tournament would mean an extra helping of what fans love most about the event: the early rounds, the unpredictable festival of games that go on all day and create wild excitement all across the country.

Gregg Doyel - CBS

You don't want the NCAA tournament to expand because you're used to it the way it is.

Never mind that the NCAA tournament has been at 65 teams only since 2001. And that before that, it was at 64 teams for 16 years. Before that? It was 53 teams for one year. After being 52 teams for one year. And 48 teams for three years. And 40 teams for one year. And that takes us back to just 1979.

The NCAA tournament started with eight teams in 1939, but grew to 16 in 1951, then to 22, and to 25 and to 32 in 1975. Then came 1979, and those 40 teams.

You follow? Expansion won't hurt the tradition of the NCAA tournament -- expansion is the tradition of the NCAA tournament. So if tradition is your biggest concern here, I'm sorry, but you just lost.

There's not a single valid argument against the NCAA tournament growing to 96 teams.

So If you are keeping score at home, Thats 12 coaches/commissioners for expansion and 10 of them against expansion with three undecided.

Obviously the media was less welcoming of the idea of a 96-team post-season. Seven journalists are avidly against expansion, while just two media people are for some sort of expansion.

While this list could have been as long as Kelvin Sampson's cell phone bill, I think after reading nearly 50 quotes, you should get the picture: some coaches like it, others don't, but everybody watching it thinks it 's the dumbest idea since the XFL.
Continue reading...

E'Twuan Moore and JaJuan Johnson returning to school?

In an article from the Indy Star, both E'Twuan Moore and JaJuan Johnson are quoted as saying that they will be returning to Purdue for their senior seasons.

In situations like this, we always warn you to take these quotes with a grain of salt.

This is especially true for Johnson and Moore. The last week has been extremely disappointing for the Boilermakers. They lost Robbie Hummel for the season on Thursday, sending them from Final Four contender to potential first round upset. Then on Sunday, Purdue lost to Michigan State at home, ending their hopes of an outright Big Ten title.

With a bitter taste that fresh in your mouth, it would only make sense that Moore and Johnson would say they want to return. They are competitors, and having such a successful season likely ruined this late in the year is no doubt disappointing.

Like I've always said when dealing with NBA Draft early entries, don't assume anything until it is official.

That said, Moore and Johnson are not exactly John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. Don't get me wrong, both are fantastic college players (I'd put Moore on the top 10 most underrated players list), but neither is really flying up NBA Draft boards. Johnson's a jump shooting center that lacks NBA bulk. Moore is undersized and lacks the athleticism of most NBA two-guards. Both players would be smart to return to school.

So if the Boilermakers get Johnson, Moore, and Robbie Hummel back, where does that leave them next season?

The loss of Chris Kramer's defense and leadership will hurt, as will the graduation of Keaton Grant. But Kelsey Barlow and John Hart have both shown flashes of potential this season. Depending on what happens with guys like Evan Turner, William Buford, Kalin Lucas, and Demetri McCamey, Purdue could very well be the Big Ten favorite next season.

Continue reading...

Tuesday's Shootaround: Hoyas continue to slide, while Texas rebounds

West Virginia 81, Georgetown 68: West Virginia went on a 29-10 run midway through the first half last night as they put a thorough beating on the shorthanded Hoyas. The Mountaineers went up by as much as 27 in the second half before Georgetown rallied to get the lead down to nine, but they never really threatened.

Georgetown never got into an offensive rhythm in the first half. The Hoyas turned the ball over way too much, and it resulted in a number of easy baskets for the Mountaineers. They scored 24 points off of 20 turnovers. By the time they started to click, the hole was too big to dig out of. If I'm Georgetown, I don't get too worried yet. Remember, they played this game without Austin Freeman. The Hoyas are not all that deep, especially on the perimeter, and Freeman is a huge part of their offense. With him healthy, they are a different team.

Da'Sean Butler led West Virgina with 22 points, 6 boards, and 6 assists as the Mountaineers clinched a double-bye in the Big East tournament.

Texas 87, Oklahoma 76: Texas became the first team since 2003 to be ranked No. 1 and then drop out of the AP Poll on Monday, and they played like it for much of Monday. The Longhorns allowed Oklahoma to catch fire at the start of the both halves, twice digging themselves an 11 point hole. But in the second half, the Longhorn's talent took over. Damion James (24 points, 8 boards), Jordan Hamilton (12 points, 11 boards), and J'Covan Brown (15 points, 5 assists) started attacking the basket and the Longhorns went on an extended second half surge to turn a 51-40 deficit into a 74-65 lead.

There is no question this Texas team has talent, but given their recent slide they are likely going to end up somewhere around a six seed come Selection Sunday. I'm torn thinking about this team. On the one hand, they look really good on paper. A frontline of Damion James, Dexter Pittman, and Gary Johnson is serious and their back court has guys with talent. But when you look at what they have done this season, it is not really all that impressive. They beat Pitt before the Panthers had gotten Jermaine Dixon and Gilbert Brown back. They beat USC before Gerrity joined the team. The win over UNC does not look impressive at all right now. They did beat Michigan State and Texas A&M and sweep Oklahoma State, but could it be that we just had overrated Texas this whole time? Maybe they really were just a top 20-25 team all season.

Continue reading...

Patrick Patterson to participate in Senior Day

According to a very well respected Kentucky sportswriter, Patrick Patterson will be celebrating his senior night on Sunday afternoon alongside Perry Stevenson, Ramon Harris, and Mark Krebs.

There has been no official announcement that Patterson will be part of the Senior Day ceremony and Patterson has yet to confirm he will enter the NBA Draft when the season ends. But both are going to happen.

Patterson is just a junior, but he will be receiving his degree at the end of this semester and in all-likelihood is headed to the NBA.

Patrick Patterson will apparently be participating in this year's Senior Day.
(photo credit: MSNBC)

This is not unheard of. UConn's Emeka Okafor graduated in three years and participated in Senior Night as a junior in 2004.

No one should be surprised, or upset, if Patterson actually does leave school. The kid will have completed his degree and is headed for the lottery. To be perfectly honest, I would have supported Patterson going pro after last season.

I'm not a Kentucky fan by any stretch, but Patterson is one of the guys that I find myself rooting for. A good kid and hard worker, he was stuck putting up all-american caliber numbers for a NIT-caliber coach in his first two seasons. When he came back this season, he was more than willing to take a back seat to the uber-talented freshmen populating Kentucky's roster. A star his first two seasons, Patterson had no issues embracing his new role as a screener, a rebounder, and (believe it or not) a jump shooter.

In fact, Patterson might have even improved his draft stock. We all know how much ability Patterson has, but I still don't know if he will ever be a star in the NBA. If he proved anything this season it is that he is a team player; that he has no qualms doing his job and playing his role.

An athletic and strong 6'9" forward with all-american talent as a post, the ability to knock down a 20 footer jumper, the smarts to graduate in three years, and the selflessness to be a role player when necessary?

What team wouldn't want Patterson?

I'm calling it now - Patterson will be our generation's version of Charles Oakley, only friendly.
Continue reading...

Le Moyne is now playing the waiting game

Le Moyne, better known as "that DII school that beat Syracuse", kicked off conference tournament play last night.

It did not exactly go swimmingly for the Dolphins. (Ed. Note: That was terrible. Apologies.)

Le Moyne lost to St. Anselm in the 4-5 game of the Northeast-10 conference tournament 74-67, putting the Dolphins on a very large bubble to reach the DII NCAA Tournament. Selection Sunday is March 7th, and the Dolphins hope their fate is different this year than it was last season.

Le Moyne lost in the NE-10 tournament last night.
(photo credit: Syracuse.com)

"This is what it is now," Le Moyne head coach Steve Evans said. "We've just got to sit back. We've got to do a little praying. If we don't (get in), we're in the same place we were last year – on the outside looking in."

If they do get left out, that would be kind of ridiculous, no?

I mean, Le Moyne has done something that only two other schools at any level has done this season - beat the current No. 1 team in the country. I know that there is so much more to a tournament resume than one win even at the DII level, but two weeks ago people were saying that beating Syracuse in the Dome saved Louisville's season.

It can't save Le Moyne's?
Continue reading...

Tuesday Morning Dump

- Good read on a good kid.

- Calipari has been in Kentucky one season and he's already got his own whiskey. Remarkable.

- A great-read on big crowds

- I really enjoy these articles by Seth Davis - getting scouting reports on teams from opposing coaches.

- Another edition of Projection the Field (now w/ epic Scheyer-face photo!)

- Boilermakers need to keep spirits high

- Patriot League Awards

- Wagner head coach Mike Dean3 gets the axe after a 5-26 season (not to mention that loss to 0-25 Bryant). Do we already have a replacement?

- Interview with Ekpe Udoh

- Paul Hewitt boycotted the AJC?

- Gary and Greivis have Maryland peaking at the perfect time

- Remember Wayne Simien?

- Gonzaga nearly makes a clean-sweep of the WCC awards

- What if I told you a match-up between #2 and #5 wasn't going to be aired on TV?

- I was just thinking the same thing over the weekend

- Gary Parrish got ripped on Twitter for ranking Syracuse second and making a pretty nasty comment on his blog. She is apparently considering a lawsuit. Umm, this is the internet sweetheart. If you can't handle it, get off line and go read a book.

- In Parrish's Poll Attacks, he alerted readers to Tom Keegan, who voted Syracuse third. Keegan, naturally, responded.

- Didn't know this...

- You gotta feel bad for the St. Pat's kids

- Tennessee can't let up on the gas pedal

- Former Volunteer Tyler Smith signs with team in Turkey

- March Madness and vasectomies have always gone hand-in-hand

- Syracuse picks up double #-1 rankings (sorry, but I have an obligation to my sport)

Crazy time lapsed video of the Carrier Dome filling up.

The Game - and 34,616 Fans In Less Than A Minute

Continue reading...

Injury notes: Harangody, Raivio, Freeman, Brown

Luke Harangody may be done for the season, at least according to Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey.

"There's a chance he would not come back this season. There's a chance he could. I think we're week to week," coach Mike Brey said Monday.

The injury that Harangody has is a bone bruise which, as Rush the Court explains, is exactly what it sounds like:

When talking about a bone bruise of the knee, you're usually talking about a force that goes through the joint, meaning along the length of the bone. In other words, there's been a downward, compressive force that has caused the femur (the big bone in the thigh) to press down on the tibia (the biggest of the two lower leg bones). When that happens, vessels break along the tough, thick outer covering of the bone, leaking blood and other fluid into the bone space. Because of that thick outer covering, that inflammatory fluid tends to build up and stay in that part of the bone — and that's what causes the pain.

The issue is that this kind of injury takes time to heal, and Brey has admitted that part of the reason he is holding Harangody out is to protect the senior's potential as a pro. (Side Note: How many coaches would a) do that, risking a trip to the tournament, and b) admit it to the media?) With how well Carleton Scott and Jack Cooley have been playing, the Irish have bought themselves some time.

Personally, I hope Harangody can get back on the court. Hate him or love him, you have to agree that Harangody has been one of the best players in Big East history. Before getting injured, he was on pace to set the Big East scoring record. It would be a shame to see him end this career on the sidelines.


Portland's Nik Raivio has been out of the line-up since mid-January with an achilles strain. Yesterday, news came down that Raivio, who is the younger brother of former Gonzaga star Derek Raivio and was the leading scorer for the Pilots at the time of his injury, will not be available for the the conference tournament.

Its a big blow for Portland. If you remember back in November, Portland played their way into the top 25 as they made a run to the finals of the 76 Classic out in Anaheim. The Pilots have since come back to earth, finishing third in the WCC, but this was still a team that had the parts to make a run through the WCC and win a game in the tournament. That may still be true without Raivio (they did beat St. Mary's without him in the line-up), it will be a more difficult task.


And last night, Austin Freeman missed Georgetown's game against West Virginia with the same stomach virus that slowed him against Notre Dame, while J'Covan Brown was in the line-up for Texas against Oklahoma.
Continue reading...

What does a "public reprimand" actually do? Nothing? Oh, ok

By now, you have all seen the video of Steve Alford and Jonathon Tavernari getting into it after New Mexico beat BYU on Saturday.

You have also likely seen the video of Alford and Tavernari apologizing to each other after the game.



And if that's not enough, you surely saw the video or read somewhere about Alford's appearance on ESPN's First Take and his apology to BYU head coach Dave Rose. Apparently, that wasn't enough for the MWC, as they decided to further punish Alford ... by publicly reprimanding him.

From the MWC:

University of New Mexico Men's Basketball Head Coach Steve Alford has been issued a public reprimand for his unduly provocative language toward an opposing student-athlete following the February 27, 2010 New Mexico at BYU men's basketball contest. Coach Alford's action was in violation of MWC Sportsmanship Rule 4.4.3.

The Mountain West Conference will have no further comment regarding this case. The provisions of the MWC Sportsmanship Policy can be found in Rule 4 of the MWC Handbook - which can be accessed via the www.TheMWC.com Web site.

That's it. That's their entire punishment.

Fair warning to all you MWC coaches. Do not violate Sportsmanship Rule 4.4.3., or you risk facing a two paragraph press release that ... well, what exactly does it do?

Lets Alford, and the nation, know that he made a mistake?

I think we all realized that from the get go. I spend my fair share of time on the internet, and I have yet to come across someone defending Alford's actions. Hell, he didn't even defend his actions. Once cooler heads prevailed, he and Tavernari apologized to each other. Alford apologized to Rose. Its pretty obvious that all parties, including the blogging and sport-watching public, involved realize both people, particularly Alford, were in the wrong.

And we didn't need a public reprimand to tell us that.

Watch this video. The kid in this video does something dumb, namely trying to jump into a pool with his eyes shut. Now, whether or not this kid's mom yells at him, I think he is going to learn pretty quickly that it is not a smart idea to try and do any physical activity with your eyes closed. Because, you know, you could end up with some scraped knees.

The same goes for Alford. I think that, as the video of him calling an opposing player an "a--hole" went viral, Alford learned pretty quickly that it is, in fact, a bad idea to have a verbal altercation with an opponent, especially when cameras are around. He doesn't need the MWC "publicly reprimanding" him when there are plenty of blogs out there to do the job for them.

Just like that kid doesn't need his mom yelling at him about running with his eyes open when the scabs on his knees teach him just fine.

(Side Note: This isn't the first time this season that we have had incidents with coaches yelling at people. Remember when Roy Williams threw a fan out of a game against Presbyterian? What about when Coach Cal was caught on camera telling Reginald Delk that "he'll beat your ass after the game.")

Continue reading...

How will the Big Ten tiebreakers shake out?

Right now, the top of the Big Ten looks like this:


Pretty close, right?

It gets worse. Take a look at the remaining schedules:

• Ohio State: Illinois
  
• Purdue: Indiana, at Penn State
  
• Michigan State: Penn State, Michigan
  

I'm sure I am not the only one that expects OSU, Purdue, and MSU to win all five of those games. And if that were to happen, all three teams would be tied at 14-4 atop the Big Ten standings.

So who would be the #1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament?

The tiebreaker goes as follows:

1. Results of head-to-head competition during the regular season.

• When comparing records against a single team or a group of teams, the higher winning percentage shall prevail, even if the number of games played against the team or group are unequal (i.e., 2-0 is better than 3-1); in the case of tied percentages vs. the team or group of 1.000 or .000 the following shall apply: 2-0 is better than 1-0; 0-1 is better than 0-2.
• After the top team among the tied teams is determined, the second team is ranked by its record among the original tied teams, not the head-to-head record vs. the remaining team(s).

Purdue and Michigan State split during the regular season, as did Purdue and Ohio State. But Ohio State beat Michigan State in their only match-up this season.

So that means that Ohio State went 2-1 against the other two teams, Purdue went 2-2, and Michigan State went 1-2. If my math is correct, then that means that Ohio State gets the 1 seed, Purdue the 2 seed, and Michigan State the 3 seed.

Make sense?

Good.
Continue reading...

3/1 - College Hoops Week in Review

What we learned this week: Some conference's are likely going to come down to some form of tiebreaker (the Big Ten or A-10) and some have had their regular season winners essentially determined for weeks (the Big XII). If you were paying attention this week,

• Big East: On Saturday night, Syracuse locked up the top seed in the Big East Tournament with a win over Villanova. The Orange still need to pick up one more win to claim the outright Big East title, but thanks to owning the tiebreaker with Villanova, the Orange will be playing their first BET game at noon on the 11th.
  

• Pac-10: Cal has been up and down this season, but the consensus has always seemed to be that the Bears were, in fact, the best team in the league. On Saturday, they locked up at least a share of the Pac-10 title by putting on a dominating defensive display over the last 10 minutes against Arizona State. All Cal needs is a win at Stanford (they beat the Cardinal at home by 26 earlier in the year) or a loss by Arizona State to either USC or UCLA (the Sun Devils lost to both schools earlier in the year) to win the outright Pac-10 championship. This is the first time in 50 years, however, that Cal has won even a share of the Pac-10 regular season crown.


• Mountain West: In the most anticipated game in the history of the MWC, New Mexico went into the Marriott Center and left with a share of the league title. A game up in the loss column on the Cougars with just one game left on their schedule, all the Lobos need to do is to beat TCU at home to win the outright conference title.
  


• Conference USA: UTEP's win on Saturday over Rice -- their 12th straight victory -- combined with the Memphis loss to Southern Miss on Wednesday clinched at least a share of the C-USA title. UTEP leads both the Tigers and UAB by two games with two games left. A win at Marshall or against UAB at home will clinch UTEP's first conference title as a member of C-USA.


• West Coast: Gonzaga struggled to hold off San Francisco Saturday night as they managed to clinch their fifth straight WCC title. Gonzaga swept both St. Mary's, but lost games to San Franciso and Loyola Marymount to finish the conference season at 12-2.
  


• Colonial: Old Dominion went 2-0 this week to win the CAA outright. A win over VCU on Saturday afternoon sealed the title. The Monarchs caught a break when Northeastern, who was tied with ODU atop the league standings, lost to Hofstra at home on Tuesday.


• America East: One of the best stories of this season. Just two years removed from going 3-13 in the league, Steve Pikiell led his Stony Brook Seawolves to the outright league title. On Wednesday, Stony Brook beat Vermont, who finished in second place, to clinch the title.

Who else has clinched at least a share of their regular season title?

• Weber State in the Big Sky
• Coastal Carolina in the Big South
• Butler in the Horizon League
• Cornell in the Ivy League
• Oakland in the Summit League
• Sam Houston State in the Southland
• Wofford in the Southern Conference
• Lehigh in the Patriot League
• Murray State in the Ohio Valley
• Quinnipiac in the Northeast
• Northern Iowa in the Missouri Valley
• Morgan State in the MEAC
• Siena in the MAAC

GAME OF THE WEEK: Xavier 78, Richmond 76 2OT

Honestly, how many people knew this game was happening? With first place in the A-10 on the line, the Spiders and the Muskies played a classic in the Cintas Center. A back and forth game through out, Richmond's David Gonzalvez knocked down a three with 24 seconds left in regulation to tie the game. At the other end, Xavier's Jordan Crawford put up a tough, fadeaway, 25 footer that clanged off the back of the rim and we were headed to overtime.

In the extra frames, Terrell Holloway took over for Xavier. He had scores driving to the rim in the first overtime, but Crawford once again missed a tough shot at the end of the period, and we were off to double OT. In the second overtime, Holloway scored seven of the Muskies eight points (he had 11 of 14 overall in the two OT's), and Xavier survived a last second drive from Justin Harper to hang on for the win.

Holloway had 24 points to lead Xavier, while Jason Love and Jamel McClean combined to add 25 points and 22 boards. Richmond was led by 18 and 9 boards from Gonzalvez. Kevin Anderson had 17 for the Spiders, but he took 21 shots and all his points came after the half.

They were good too

• Louisville 78, UConn 76: Louisville was down by as much as 15 in the first half before they caught fire. As a team, the Cardinals knocked down eight straight threes to take the lead. UConn would eventually tie the game before Edgar Sosa scored on a tough drive through the lane to give Louisville the lead. Kemba Walker would drive into traffic, but he never got a shot off.
• Maryland 104, Virginia Tech 100 2OT: There is too much to really go over in one paragraph, but watching Greivis Vasquez and Malcolm Delaney exchange blows was quite enjoyable. At the end of regulation, Maryland took a three point lead with 19 seconds left. JT Thompson tied it on a three that was reviewed to see if he stepped on the line. Eric Hayes answered with a long jumper at the other end with 5 seconds left, but Delaney went the length of the court for a layup at the buzzer to force the first overtime.
  
• We already showed you this great list of buzzer beaters this morning.
  

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Darington Hobson, New Mexico

Hobson didn't put up the best numbers this week, but they were pretty darn respectable. In two (road) wins against BYU and Colorado State, Hobson averaged 17.5 ppg, 12.0 rpg, and 3.5 apg, which, admittedly, is fairly standard for the underrated Hobson. But perhaps the most important stat that he had this week was his one block, because that block came on a layup attempt by BYU's Noah Hartsock with the Lobos up two in the final seconds against BYU. That block essentially won the game for the Lobos, and clinched at least a share of the MWC regular season title.

Hobson has flown under the radar much of the season, in large part due to the fact that he plays in the Mountain West, a league whose only nationally televised games come on the MTN Network, which very few people get, and CBS College Sports. But he's not the only player on this New Mexico team. Fellow forward Roman Martinez has hit so many big shots for the Lobos this year. Point guard Dairese Gary has outplayed Jimmer Fredette in their two meetings this year, winning both games. The Lobos haven't built up their gaudy record against cupcakes either, beating teams like Cal, Texas A&M, and Dayton as well as BYU twice. Watch out for this team in March.

They were good too

• Adnan Hodzic, Lipscomb: Hodzic was nothing short of monstrous this week. He had 24 points and 20 boards in a win over Kennesaw State and then went for 37 points and 17 boards as Lipscomb knocked off Mercer to earn a share of the Atlantic Sun regular season title.
• Anthony Johnson, Fairfield: Hodzic was only a bit more impressive than Johnson, who went for 28 points and 12 boards against Iona and 24 points and 23 rebounds against Niagara. The Stags were 2-0 on the week.
• Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State: Varnado doesn't get the credit he deserves. He set the all-time record for blocked shots this past week and had averages of 18.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg, and 4.5 bpg as the Bulldogs went 2-0 and kept their bubble hopes alive.
  
• Greivis Vasquez, Maryland: Vasquez led the Terps to a 2-0 week, setting up a showdown with Duke for not just the ACC lead, but also possibly the lead for ACC player of the year. In wins over Clemson and at Virginia Tech, Vasquez averaged 28.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, and 9.5 apg.
• Rick Jackson and Andy Rautins, Syracuse: Syracuse moved to the No. 1 spot in the national rankings today thanks to two wins last week. Rautins (20.0 ppg, 6.0 apg, 10 3's) and Jackson (23.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg) led the way.
• Lazar Hayward, Marquette: Hayward continued his tremendous play this week, averaging 22.5 ppg and 7.5 rpg as the Golden Eagles won two overtime games on the road. I wonder when people are going to start mentioning him when talking about Big East player of the year.
• Hassan Whiteside, Marshall: There's no chance that Whiteside comes back next season, right? He had his third triple double of the year on Saturday, going for 14 points, 11 boards, and 13 blocks in a 3OT win over Central Florida. That came on the heels of a 19 point, 17 board, 4 block night in a win over Rice.
  

TEAM OF THE WEEK: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

This was a pretty easy selection to make. Last Tuesday, Notre Dame was a team playing for seeding ... in the NIT. They had just lost three in a row -- to Seton Hall, St. John's, and Louisville -- and lost big man Luke Harangody with a bone bruise in his knee. So how did the Irish respond?

By hitting damn near every shot they took this week. In a 68-53 win over Pitt on Tuesday, the Irish shot 50% from the floor and 10-18 from three. In their 78-64 win at Georgetown, they were even better, knocking down 57% from the field, including 71% in the second half. To get an idea of how well Notre Dame shot, think about this: they are the second most efficient team in the country on the offensive end of the floor, and those two games in the top five for the Irish this season. The other three? Against North Florida, IUPUI, and St. Francis PA.

The Irish are far from a lock for the NCAA Tournament right now, but there is no question this week put them back into the conversation.

They were good too:

• Marquette Golden Eagles: The knock on Marquette early in the season was that they could not win a close game. They lost seven of their first eight games decided by five points or less. I think it is safe to say they have bucked that trend. Marquette has won three straight overtime games on the road -- against Cincinnati, St. John's, and Seton Hall -- effectively playing their way into the tournament. The Golden Eagles play a unique style and are battle tested. They are going to be a tough out in the tournament.
  
• Xavier Musketeers: The Muskies went 2-0 in a tough week this week, winning at St. Louis (who knocked off both Dayton and URI at home) 73-71 in a dogfight and then beating the Spiders in double overtime at home. Xavier is currently sitting atop the A-10, tied with Temple.
  
• New Mexico Lobos: If the Lobos haven't proven themselves to you, you don't watch enough basketball. New Mexico went 2-0 this week, winning at Colorado State and at BYU (in what is one of the most impressive wins of the season by anyone) to lock up a share of the MWC regular season title and the #1 seed come tournament time.
  
• Syracuse Orange: The Orange went 2-0 this week, beating Providence and Villanova, as they locked up the top seed in the Big East Tournament. And for those that questioned the Orange offensively, does 194 points in two games mean anything to you?
  

MATCHUPS OF THE WEEK

• 3/1 - 7:00 pm: Georgetown @ West Virginia
• 3/2 - 7:00 pm: Vanderbilt @ Florida
• 3/2 - 9:00 pm: Illinois @ Ohio State
• 3/2 - 9:30 pm: Louisville @ Marquette
• 3/3 - 8:00 pm: Kansas State @ Kansas
• 3/3 - 9:00 pm: Duke @ Maryland
• 3/3 - 9:00 pm: Oklahoma State @ Texas A&M
• 3/6 - 12:00 pm: West Virginia @ Villanova
• 3/6 - 2:00 pm: Syracuse @ Louisville
• 3/6 - 2:00 pm: Kansas @ Missouri
• 3/6 - 4:00 pm: Texas @ Baylor
• 3/6 - 6:00 pm: Tennessee @ Mississippi State
• 3/6 - 9:00 pm: UNC @ Duke
• 3/7 - 12:00 pm: Florida @ Kentucky
  

Continue reading...

Monday's Pregame Beat

7:00 pm: Georgetown @ West Virginia: The Hoyas suffered a big blow before this game even started as Austin Freeman, who played just 23 minutes against Notre Dame, was sent back to DC as he is still suffering from the same stomach virus. Freeman is Georgetown's leading scorer and a huge part of what they do on both the offensive and defensive end. Against Notre Dame, Georgetown's biggest issue was on the defensive glass. Notre Dame got far too many offensive rebounds (10 in the first half on 11 missed shots) and second chance points. West Virginia is one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country. If the Hoyas don't box out, they could be in for a long night.

That is where the injury to Freeman is going to hurt. Freeman doesn't get the most rebounds in the world, but he is the strongest of Georgetown's wings. Can Jason Clark or Chris Wright keep a guy like Da'Sean Butler off the offensive glass?

9:00 pm: Oklahoma @ Texas: Well, this one has significantly less intrigue than it did at the start of the season. The good news for Texas is that J'Covan Brown, who took a nasty spill in the Longhorns loss at Texas A&M, is cleared to play tonight.

The key for Texas is going to be slowing down Tommy Mason-Griffin, who has shown the ability to go for 30, but also the ability to go 3-19 and shoot the Sooners out of a game. The latter would be preferable for Texas, who can absolutely not lose this game. Given how weak the bubble is this season, Texas is not going to play their way out of the tournament. But they could play their way into a bad enough seed that they don't make it out of the first weekend.

9:05 pm: Fresno State @ Utah State: Two reasons to watch this game: 1) Utah State has a very good chance of making the NCAA Tournament if they can win out and make the finals of the WAC tourney. 2) Paul George might be the best dunker in college basketball.

Continue reading...

POSTERIZED: Deuce Bello

Deuce Bello is a 6'3" guard in the class of 2011. He's being recruited by a number of high-major schools. You may actually recognize the young man from this video, which managed to make it on to Sportscenter.

But trust me, he is capable of much more. Check out these two mixtapes:





Coming soon to a dunk contest near you.

Continue reading...

Purdue is a different team without Robbie Hummel

So its true.

Purdue is going to miss Robbie Hummel.

And it may be worse than we all expected.

On Sunday afternoon, the Boilermakers hosted Michigan State, a team they beat pretty soundly in East Lansing earlier this month. And as Purdue is wont to do, they played a terrific game on the defensive end of the floor. They held Michigan State to just 53 points while forcing the Spartans into 22 turnovers, notching a season-high turnover percentage of 36%.

Without Robbie Hummel, Purdue is a different team.
(photo credit: USA Today)

The problem?

As good as they were defensively, Purdue was worse offensively and on the glass.

As far as scoring the ball is concerned, Purdue was terrible. They shot just 30% from the floor. Their eFG was just 32%. They only made 15 field goals. They only got six offensive rebounds. Perhaps most disturbing was their offensive efficiency, which was a horrific 67.5, 45 points below their average and 22 points below their previous low on the season.

Michigan State wasn't all that much better. The Spartans committed 22 turnovers and shot just 40% from the field. The difference? Michigan State's work on the glass, as the Spartans outrebounded Purdue 46-20.

I don't think its any coincidence that Purdue has their worst game offensively and on the glass in the first game they play without Robbie Hummel.

And its a shame, really.

I mean, had Purdue not lost Hummel and beaten Michigan State they would be right there with Syracuse and Kansas in the discussion for No. 1 in the country. Now, a top ten ranking may be getting generous. A push to the Sweet 16 should be considered a success. You may disagree, but Purdue played extended minutes with Chris Kramer at the four on Sunday.

I love Kramer's game. He's a great defender, a tough rebounder, and one of those kids that you love to play with and hate to play against. But if your team is forced to play a 6'3" two-guard at the four, I think it is time to officially admit your season is in trouble.

That said, it is very unlikely that the Big Ten will end in anything other than a tie, and likely a three-way tie. MSU has to play just Penn State and Michigan. Purdue's schedule is even easier, as they get Indiana and the Nittany Lions. Ohio State's only game is at home against an Illinois team they beat by 19 on the road a few weeks back.

Even without Hummel, Purdue should not be upset by either Indiana or Penn State.

If they are?

Well, you might be able to kiss a win in the NCAA Tournament goodbye.
Continue reading...

Buzzer Beaters this weekend

There were some fantastic finishes this weekend, including at least four buzzer beaters. Did we miss any?

Brendan McKillop hits a three with three seconds left, and Steve Rossiter steals the ensuing in bounds and wins the game at the buzzer.



A fantastic block by Derrick Williams leads to Momo Jones banking in a 15 footer for the win.



The great finish to regulation starts at the 4:00 minute mark.



Edgar Sosa scored on a tough, tough drive to the rim to beat UConn.



Evansville has been playing well lately, and that streak continued as the Purple Aces downed Drake on their senior night.

 

Continue reading...

Steve Alford channeled his inner Bobby Knight

New Mexico picked up what was likely their biggest win of all-time as they went into the Marriott Center and knocked off BYU.

For those that are unaware, BYU is one of the most difficult places to play on the road, regardless of conference affiliation. Prior to New Mexico's win on Saturday, the Cougars had not lost in Provo in 21 games.

Not only did New Mexico win, they clinched at least a share of the MWC crown and earned the top spot in next week's conference tournament. But despite the impressive victory by the Lobos, it seems that everyone is talking about an incident in the postgame handshake than the actual win.

Darington Hobson saved the game with a block on Saturday afternoon.
(photo credit: B/R)

It started with just under a minute left. Jonathon Tavernari of BYU was defending New Mexico's Darington Hobson when New Mexico head coach Steve Alford called a timeout. What happened next is a bit unclear, but the general consensus seems to be that Tavernari played defense a little bit to physically for a little bit too long, and Hobson gave him a nice little elbow to the ribs for his trouble. Tavernari reacted and had to be held back by multiple teammates.

Officials checked the monitor but didn't give Hobson a technical.

That brings us to the post-game handshake. According to multiple reports, Alford tried to congratulate Tavernari on an excellent career at BYU, but Tavernari didn't take too kindly too the words. What happened next was caught on tape.



A couple things about this incident. For starters, the only thing you can clearly make out from either party is Alford saying "I'm gonna tell you you're a good player and you act like that? You're an a**hole."

Then, he had this to say after the game to Andy Katz:

"I was telling him he had a phenomenal year and career at BYU," Alford said of the senior. "He was obviously upset and had words for me. But he came into the locker room afterwards and apologized. It was a class act. He's a great kid and it was senior day so I felt for him. I understand what happened. He's one of my favorites in the league."

Confrontation aside, New Mexico has to be considered a contender for a #2 seed and, dare I say, a threat to reach the Final Four?

Seriously.

The Lobos have now swept BYU, beat Pac-10 champ Cal, knocked off Texas A&M on a neutral court in Houston, and beat both Texas Tech and Dayton when those two teams were peaking. They have won 13 straight conference games after dropping their first two to San Diego State and UNLV.

The Lobos have made it very clear that they are not afraid of playing anyone this season.

Maybe the country should take note.

Continue reading...

Bruce Pearl gets another big win, but are the Vols really that good?

So how good is Tennessee?

Well, they are a team that has lost to USC by 22 and Georgia by 15. They're a team that has lost an all-SEC player due to legal troubles. They are a team that was swept by Vanderbilt. They are currently sitting in third place in an SEC that could end up with just three teams in the tournament. And while they may be in the top 20 in the RPI and the polls, they are 30th in the all important KenPom rankings.

But they also have what may actually be the best two wins in the country, as they have beaten both Kansas an Kentucky at home.

Can anyone else in the country boast two wins as good as those?

(Hint: No)

Scotty Hopson did the John Wall dance after beating Kentucky/
(photo credit: Kentucky.com)

Which is the real Tennessee? What team is going to show up in March?

Maybe it will depend on what seed Tennessee gets.

Let me explain.

Bruce Pearl has, for a long time, been known as a big game coach. He's developed a reputation for being a coach that excels at winning games as the underdog. I'll let Pat Forde explain it:

After the Vols lost a 19-point lead against Kentucky, then regrouped to close the game on a 9-0 run for a 74-65 victory, Pearl is now 17-12 against ranked opponents. Six of those wins have come against teams ranked sixth or higher: No. 6 Texas in 2005; No. 2 Florida in 2006; No. 5 Florida in 2007; No. 1 Memphis in 2008; and this year alone, Tennessee has beaten No. 1 Kansas and now the No. 2 Wildcats. In Pearl's tenure, four top-five opponents have played at Thompson-Boling Arena. All four have lost.

Let's not forget that Pearl also led Wisconsin-Milwaukee to a Sweet 16 in 2005 as a 12 seed.

As good as Pearl has been as the underdog, he's never been able to use that to get a team past the Sweet 16.

Could this be the group that does?

Well, if there is one thing that we can be certain of, its that Tennessee can beat anyone in the country. And in a change from the last few seasons, that is a result of their defense. Tennessee isn't pressing as much as they used to in the past, instead playing tough man-to-man defense in the half court. They are very good at forcing turnovers and force opponents into taking difficult, low-percentage shots.

As good as Tennessee looked in building that 19 point lead against Kentucky, the team that will stick with me is the one that couldn't score in the second half. The team that struggled so much to find any shot, let alone a good one; Tennessee has to lead the country in shot clock violations.

Its not like the Vols are devoid of talent on the offensive end. Scotty Hopson is turning into one of the best players in the SEC. Wayne Chism is an above-average post scorer. Guys like Bobby Maze, Cam Tatum, and JP Prince show flashes of being very dangerous scorers.

There just seems to be a piece missing at times.

I like this Tennessee team. I love Bruce Pearl. This group has overcome a lot this season, and their win over Kansas with just six scholarship players -- and walk-on Skylar McBee hitting the game-winner -- is the kind of game that will be talked about in Knoxville 30 years from now.

But I just don't see this team making an extended tournament run with these offensive struggles.

Continue reading...