The Dribble Drive

2010-03-14T16:34:00.000-07:00

I might have a slight man crush on Jay Bilas. I mean come on people he's got a Duke law degree. Simply put, he's getting into my tournament any day.

2010-03-14T15:39:00.000-07:00

Well, Florida snuck in. Bruce Weber has no one to blame but himself. If I played for him, I wouldn't show up to the NIT. He is a failure of all sorts as a Big Ten coach. Let's revisit Alex Legion transferring out of the Big Ten. The reason being, he was way out of his league. Hey Bruce, you should probably take after him before the Illini nation starts calling for your head.

2010-03-14T14:35:00.001-07:00

Hey committee, Minnesota just lost by 30 to tOSU. Hey committee, they beat up on a fading Purdue team playing without their best player. Hey committee, are you even still watching?

2010-03-14T14:17:00.000-07:00

Minnesota getting blown out right before the selection show is fantastic. Never know if the committee has Illinois/Minnesota at that last 12 spot hinging on today's game. Do I believe they do? Absolutely not, but it's a hope right?

2010-03-14T14:11:00.000-07:00

I have to believe that the committee knows Illinois has better wins than every bubble team - that's my ultimate hope. I truly hope they did rid of the "last 12 games" record and realize that it's the full season that matters, not a hot stretch in conference tournaments that, ultimately, don't mean all that much.

2010-03-14T13:53:00.000-07:00

Illinois, VTech, Miss St., and Florida are all contending for 1 spot. The reality is, Illinois has accomplished more. However, I am not convinced Illinois will sneak in given that Minnesota has locked a bid. In a ten member committee with representation from several different conferences, it's hard to believe politics won't come into play.

2010-03-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

Coming down the stretch, does Illinois make it? It seems the national media perception is pushing towards them being in - they have better wins than any other bubble team and it's not even close. The problem with conference tournaments is that they change the perception of an underachieving team throughout the entire year. Mississippi State, what have they done? Their best two SEC wins of the year came in the last 3 days, so how are they deserving? As well as Minnesota - they just lost by 30+ to Michigan a week and a half ago and all of the sudden we're anointing them the next great Big Ten team? People need to pay more attention to the regular season.

2010-03-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

tOSU has the best starting 5 in the nation. From my observations, the only way to beat them is to keep at least 2 of their 4 guards in single digits. If that doesn't happen, Diebler most likely went off and it spells trouble for any team.

2010-03-14T13:24:00.000-07:00

Jim Nantz has the best job in America. That's all.

2010-03-14T13:11:00.000-07:00

As much as it hurts to do it, I have to give Minny some credit. 4th game in as many days and they're playing the Buckeyes very close for the first 20 mins. Minus that embarrassing loss at Michigan, they're clicking at the right time. My committee would have them in easy. Illinois...keeping biting your fingernails.

2010-03-14T12:48:00.001-07:00

Bottom-line, Jay Bilas is the best analyst ESPN has. He is incredibly thorough in all of his points and presents a very intriguing argument for Cal's undeserving body of work. Joe Brackets has the Illini, Utah St., and Minnesota in. IMO, the latter two are definite locks regardless of what transpires in the Big Ten Tournament Championship.

2010-03-14T12:25:00.001-07:00

Unbelievable finish in the SEC Championship. Wall proved himself to be the nation's best point guard, but don't forget about Eric Bledsoe. If he plays within himself and demonstrates that kind of maturity, UK will be very tough to upset in the tournament. As far as Miss St. is concerned, too little too late. They might sneak in, but their resume is definitely inferior to that of the Illini and Golden Gophers. 2 and half hours left...can the Big Ten be a 5 bid league? Highly unlikely, but I've seen crazier things in March.

2010-03-14T11:49:00.001-07:00

If Illinois doesn't make the tournament, they can thank Minnesota for embarrassing them on their home court and Kentucky for shooting 50% from the charity stripe.

Day 3

2010-03-14T11:17:00.000-07:00

Here we are..Selection Sunday. Thank you to Grant for letting me contribute my thoughts, expressions, and hatred (mainly just for the Seth's). For Illinois, Florida, and Utah St. the equation is simple: Miss St. doesn't make any more threes and you still have life. Sorry VTech. You have one win against the top 25 and that was against UNC.

Day 2

2010-03-13T11:02:00.000-08:00

10:14 - Mick Cronin just told John Thompson to guard the inbounds pass - true story.

10:13 - Butler's terrible, terrible shot bailed out by an offensive rebound. No clue why he takes a corner three with 38 seconds left - the clock is your ally Butler.

10:12 - Austin Freeman drains it, dude can bomb that's for sure. I'm not sure I'll ever get any Georgetown team though. Ever since Jeff Green they all blend together for me.

9:59 - I think Deniz Kicili is the reason West Virginia has its mascot. Dude truly is a mountaineer.

9:58 - How far can West Virginia go? They have the size and athleticism to go a long way, but how much will not having a pure/real point guard hurt them? When Devin Ebanks ran the point against Purdue they got crushed.

9:56 - I could seriously do with less dramatic refs. I'm looking at you Tim Hightower, thankfully he's not a Big East official.

6:39 - Lunardi has Illinois in the last four out. I just don't see how you can justify having Mississippi State in over them. It makes no sense whatsoever.

5:28 - Wait, did CBS just flip off a blow out game? The apocalypse is now.

5:23 - How is Glen Rice's son a 52% free throw shooter?

5:11 - Is there a worse coaching combo out there right now? Sidney Lowe and Paul Hewitt?

5:07 - The less timeouts Georgia Tech has the better off they are. True story.

5:01 - Georgia Tech has to have some sort of record for total turnovers on the year. Incredible how often they're careless with the ball.

4:49 - Look I understand Hummel was important to this Purdue team, but there's no way they should be scoring 11 points in a half. They still have players. Although one does think he's a true NBA prospect (lookin' at you Jajuan).

4:38 - Do we really want a non deserving Mississippi State team winning the SEC tournament in back to back years and sneaking in the tournament? No thanks.

4:26 - Back on, had to get Chipotle. In terms of Illinois not getting a bid, I think it's important to note that Minnesota is the only team playing there way in right now. Mississippi State is not in the tournament - they don't win tomorrow (or choke this game away), they're not dancing. Their best win is Richmond. Even Ole Miss can boast better than that. Otherwise, who is ahead of Illinois? Rhode Island, Charlotte, Ole Miss, UAB, Memphis, Seton Hall all lost. They're done. Illinois is in.

3:02 - Dwyane Wade fouls out. About time, Illinois should have been driving at him all game. Oh and Evan Turner just dropped a triple double that I like to call the "Manny Harris".

2:52 - Evan Turner continues to get Dwyane Wade calls, but Illinois not getting a shot off at the end of regulation and OT is pathetic. You have to get a shot off.

2:39 - Indiana all over again right here McCamey? Illini nation is hoping so.

2:19 - Kentucky plays their best game of the year by far. Not even close. That team is going to the Final Four - it's just a matter of which team shows up.

1:46 - Bledsoe coming up big!!!! It'd be a blow out though if Cousins wasn't 3/13 from the line though. I haven't seen something like that since Ramar Smith went 0/12 from the line.

1:37 - Why is John Wall so insistent on shooting momentum killing three's?

1:22 - Kentucky starting to get sloppy - inevitable, but must weather that storm.

1:17 - Poor start by Kentucky - have to retain the defensive effort they had in the first half. Best defensive half of the year. When Cousins has 3 steals you're doing something right.

1:14 - Evan Turner gets the Dwyane Wade treatment. Does he ever get called for a foul? I'm not saying he fouls a lot, but it's interesting to note.

1:08 - There's been more lane violations this year than any other year I've seen. It's ridiculous.

1:06 - Someone tell these officials how the Big Ten works with its physical play.

1:05 - Illinois playing well so far, on a 6-0 run. They may be outmatched athletically, but slowing it down has kept them in it. Getting into a running game has killed them in their other 2 match-ups.

1:02 - Kentucky just played one of its best halves of the year. Bledsoe is still dumb as rocks, Cousins is still crying, but it didn't stop the defense from being absolutely suffocating. I think the next half will truly give a good gauge on how great this team truly can be. It also helps that Wall had an outstanding half as well - 9/6/4.

Day 1 2010 - Let's Do It

2010-03-12T13:01:00.000-08:00

11:57 - It's really sad that a Pac-10 tournament semifinal game is on and I don't care too much about it. Landry Fields and Quincy Pondexter may be sweet, but otherwise they're entirely irrelevant. Washington has exactly zero good wins. They beat Texas A&M after Derrick Roland's leg exploded - that doesn't count. Not one road win, and if you pay any attention, road wins are a true indicator of a good team.

11:44 - You know, I used to care about RPI and all of that, but you come to realize that all of that doesn't matter - if you win everything else takes care of itself. If you're worried about the numbers it means you're doing nothing when it comes to tournament time. But we don't have to worry about that once they expand to a 96 team tournament right? Then we'll be talking about how Georgia should have gotten a 24 seed instead of a 23 seed! What NCAA people don't realize is that the interest in the NCAA tournament won't go down - it's the regular season that will go down. How are you going to advertise for a game like UConn/Louisville this year that has little to no repercussions? You can't. The NCAA forgets that the season starts in November, and so does everyone else.

11:36 - I lie, actually. UNLV had all sorts of relevance under Jerry Tarkanian. The most underrated story for a youngster like me is that UNLV went into the '91 Final Four undefeated and lost to Duke. UNDEFEATED. Every single year these days we get all sorts of hype about teams who clearly aren't going to go undefeated or last nearly that long - but that team did it. Matt Sylvester killed Illinois' run in '05, Tennessee killed Memphis' run in '08, Xavier killed St. Joe's run in '05, Washington (my boys in '04) killed Stanford's run...and etc. Undefeated just can't happen - it won't happen. These days guys have too much ego and think they're too good to try for an entire game over the course of an entire year leading up to the tournament - and that's where you go wrong. Look at UNLV's schedule from '90-'91 and prepare to be blown away.

11:35 - I'll be honest, I don't care at all about New Mexico State or New Mexico, but does anyone in the country get more transfers than them? Oh, UNLV also. It truly amazes me. It's like kids think "hey if I'm gonna transfer, why not going somewhere warm and awesome and where I can lose lots of money gambling?" Danny Granger is the most relevant thing to ever come out of those 3 schools though.

11:30 - Worst team that Kentucky could face as an 8/9 seed - Notre Dame. Smart, can shoot, and have a consistent post player who, for the most part, doesn't get in foul trouble.

11:17 - For what it's worth, Evan Turner is by far the player of the year in college basketball. I love John Wall, but he has his limitations and he's not quite sure how to pick his spots yet. Evan Turner has turned in one of the most statistically dominating years, overall, in a long, long time. One of the most underrated factors of this year is that he BROKE HIS BACK. He broke his back, and within two games dropped 32 points and took over the game taking out Purdue at Purdue with Robbie Hummel in full white-witness mode. Wall has taken over, yes, but he hasn't done it with the consistency that Evan Turner has. 3-3 without Turner, Ohio State is an entirely different team without him. Danny Manning/Carmelo Anthony anyone? If you're not sure about Danny Manning, look it up. 1988.

11:11 - Luke Babbitt, of Nevada fame (see - Nick Fazekas and Kirk Snyder going off the wall), should have gone to Ohio State. Dude was formerly committed there and now he's been relegated to a career of total irrelevance. Although let's be honest, on a team with Evan Turner, you're irrelevant from the beginning.

11:03 - Mancrush note - Travis Leslie dropped 34 and 6 tonight. If Mark Fox gets competent guards in the near future, and I'm talking like one or two years, that team can be a serious contender. Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie form an awesome, underrated duo. One of the few teams in the country that came very, very close to having a great season.

11:00 - It cracks me up that people were clamoring for New Mexico to get a 1 seed. I'm sorry, and I don't fault them for it, but who did they beat? BYU twice? That's great, but mid-majors will never and can never get a 1 seed. Temple had a few under John Chaney and that's the last I can remember, but times are different now - mid-majors are borderline irrelevant. If one makes an argument that Kentucky shouldn't get a one seed because of their schedule, what does that say about New Mexico? No matter how down the SEC is, it will never touch how weak the Mountain West Conference is.

10:57 - To state the obvious, I think Kansas is the best team in the country by far. Kentucky may have the most raw talent, but they don't play with the effort that should be expected from them. Kansas is talented at every position, and almost as important, they are deep at every position. As long as Sherron Collins decides to give Cole Aldrich the ball in the tournament, they're winning it all. On a side note - Xavier Henry is soft. Yes, I said it. It's no coincidence that every highlight you see of him is shooting a three - people fawn over his build, but forget that he doesn't use that to his advantage.

10:53 - Why are people insisting on saying there's no dominant team this year? North Carolina had the perception all last year that they were the best team, and they were, no question. However, it was all perception because of their talent, but they didn't truly live up to it until the tournament. Remember they started 0-2 in the ACC? Good trivia. You look at the numbers, mainly Kenpom, and you'll realize Kansas is following UNC's exact trajectory.

10:49 - You think NC State fans now realize the mistake they made in running Herb Sendek off? Yeah, NC State won their last two games, but Sidney Lowe has been borderline pathetic. If he truly believes he's running a good program there he's delusional. If he doesn't get CJ Leslie (look him up) this year, where does he go?

10:40 - Why are players so intent on taking a long 3 to win a game? Tory Jackson had 8 seconds left to drive and dish, but takes a 3. Keep in mind he's a very poor shooter from out there - it truly amazes me. Either way, this game is, for the most part, irrelevant. Notre Dame is still a ridiculously dangerous team in the tournament.

10:34 - You know why Michigan State isn't winning? Because they don't have a red head. But seriously, their lack of a true post guy has and will kill them come tournament time. This is why their preseason #2 ranking made no sense. Everyone saw how poor they played last year without Suton and Izzo didn't/couldn't replace that.

10:25 - You know, it's pretty hard to watch two games at once.

10:23 - Spartans 54% from the line. How mad do you think Tom Izzo's going to be about that? Dude is going to challenge them to free throw contests all week.

10:16 - Not only does Luke Harangody look like his parents, his parents look like each other. Creepy.

10:15 - Why is Devin Ebanks not wearing a headband? No wonder he has only 6 points.

10:14 - First OT game of the day. About time. At least this means we'll get a game in the 60's. Last time Izzo and Tubby were in OT was '05 Elite Eight. Great memories.

10:12 - Jinx is in effect ladies and gentleman. Blake Hoffarber for the win?

10:10 - So how exactly is Kalin Lucas going to hit this shot? It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of how.

10:09 - Is there any doubt Gus Johnson is blessed by the sports gods? I mean, really. It's borderline ridiculous the amount of awesome games he gets. Thanks you sports gods.

10:08 - LAWRENCE WESTBROOK PLEASE GRADUATE FOR ALL OF OUR SAKES!!!

10:05 - Has anyone ever wondered why players run to that certain point on the court to call timeouts? Is there any reason besides getting a head start on getting yelled at or what?

10:03 - Seriously, I said it earlier, but these low scoring games have to stop.

9:59 - Tubby's evil eyes just don't do it anymore. Back in '03 ref would have melted to those things.

9:56 - During that mini MSU-Minnesota fight all I could think about is Paul Davis crying. Weird, huh?

9:45 - Who else is shocked that Colton Iverson is a white guy?

9:42 - Anyone else think it funny that Psycho T's brother is now playing with Psycho T's clone? Most underrated college player ever by the way, as much as he annoys me. (Luke Harangody)

9:31 - Tubster doin' his best right now. Michigan State just isn't very good this year - the loss of Goran Suton was completely underrated.

9:22 - So why exactly did it take Mike Brey an injury to one of the best players in Notre Dame history to figure out this team?

9:05 - If Bob Huggins had a real point guard on this team (see - John Wall), they would be by far the best team in the country. Maybe hyperbole, but a true creator on this team could truly wreak havoc. They're too long and athletic.

8:51 - This is the worst year of college basketball that I can remember. It really is sad that a team like WVU has an outside chance at a 1 seed. On that same note, Bob Huggins only has one Final Four in his career, incredibly underachieving for some of the teams that he's had over the years. Steve Logan, Kenny Satterfield, Peter Mychael, etc. Too bad Kenyon Martin broke his leg in '00.

8:34 - Tubby taking on Tom Izzo. Good luck to you Tubby, it will probably turn out bad, like always.

8:25 - Georgia Tech pulls out the win. As much as I think Paul Hewitt is awful and their team is dumb as rocks, I wouldn't want to face them in the tournament. Too much talent that can get hot at the right time.

7:47 - So I guess Paul just told them to slow down as much as possible and not play into Maryland's pressing and up and down play. Good coaching move. Although I could have done that. 56-48 Ga Tech leads.

7:43 - Northwestern done, Mike Schmitz owes me money.

7:39 - Chris Kramer running the fast break is also entertaining. Northwestern giving him an and-1 next time down the court was as well.

7:37 - Seriously, just watch this Georgia Tech team play. They're so horribly coached it's entertaining.

7:21 - Paul Hewitt in the huddle - "Guys I don't know how to stop this run, any ideas? We're screwed."

7:17 - Gary Williams is the master of putting together the most uninteresting teams possible. Ever since Drew Nicholas hit that shot against UNC-Greensboro in '04 I don't remember a thing.

7:15 - The "baby-faced assassin" (Gus Johnson) with a dirty move on the baseline for the and one. No clue when Jon Shurna went from post man in high school to swing man in college.

7:08 - Seems clear that the main difference between good and great teams comes down to big men. Love Northwestern's guard play. Everything else? Not so much.

7:03 - Yeah, yeah Georgia Tech is winning, but Lawal and Favors have 8 FGA combined? Are you kidding me? Oh Paul Hewitt.

7:01 - "Matt Painter ready to come out of his Italian loafers" - Gus Johnson.

6:55 - So Paul Hewitt has had only one winning season in ACC play in 10 years. And dude still has a job. Really?

6:09 - It's still too bad that Kevin Coble was out for the entire year, this team would more than likely be tourny bound. Solid guard and perimeter play, just missing a big man.

6:04 - Gus better be doing some good regionals this year in the tournament, otherwise that'd be a massive disappointment.

5:55 - Why would you not shoot over Lewis Jackson every single trip down the court? Especially as perimeter oriented as NW is? (Not saying they haven't already, however)

5:52 - Bobby Maze on Kentucky fans - "They travel like it's the Million Man March." Truth Bobby, truth.

5:49 - Anyone who claims Purdue is the same team without Hummel isn't paying too much attention. 4 points in 9 minutes thus far. This isn't the same as UConn losing Jerome Dyson last year either.

5:41 - A lineup of 5 Funkhouser's goes 3/24 from three. How's that possible?

5:39 - Drew got rid of the mustache...first step towards being a baller. Next step is to get rid of the sleeves as we've all been saying all year.

5:35 - Drew, I wouldn't mind you dropping 45 on Purdue. It would mean one less game I have to see Chris Kramer.

5:30 - Session two of the night starting now, about time. Purdue/Northwestern kicking it off, Gus Johnson on the game. That means automatic great game.

4:31 - Lafayette just threw out a Funkhouser white lineup. Not even sure he can compare to that.

4:28 - Craig Brackins (Iowa State Junior) going pro. A year too late. Probably means Willie Warren is right behind, two poster boys for how staying in school too long can affect a player so negatively.

4:27 - Arinze Onuaku has a right quad injury, day-to-day, good news. As much as I despise Syracuse's players, their zone and their coach, I hate injuries that much.

4:24 - Patriot League - The Great White Hope(s).

4:17 - Watching Lehigh and Lafayette play for Patriot League championship. Pretty random, basically a play-in game to lose by 50, but entertaining nonetheless.

3:30 - BOOM! Illinois the first team to step up and grab a bid. Good work, I thought they had no chance after their showing last Sunday.

3:29 - A miss is what Wisconsin gets for Hughes having lines shaved all over his body.

3:27 - Jeffrey needs to channel his father right now. Also, clock issues, color me shocked.

3:25 - Here comes the "THEY JUST DON'T QUIT" cliche. They haven't though. Trevon Hughes Novaking right now.

3:23 - It's just amazing the way Illinois has played not to lose the last 3 minutes. I just pray they're in the double bonus.

3:22 - MIKE DAVIS BABY!!!!!! BRINGIN THE CONFIDENCE!!

3:21 - Matt Jones Tweet - "Cats universally say they weren't ready to play today and didn't realize how hungry other teams would be. They say tomorrow will be different." Haven't we heard this before?

3:17 - Why won't Wisconsin just go away? Story of their program. By the way, was anyone else aware that Stan Van Gundy coached Michael Finley and Wisconsin for one year and got fired?

3:16 - On a side note, Illinois can probably still make the tournament if they lose. That's how bad the bubble is this year. Which is why Kentucky can still make the Final Four.

3:12 - Am I the only one who wants Virginia Tech to make the tournament just so we don't have to hear Seth Greenburg complain on National TV and to everyone who will listen?

3:10 - MCCAMEY DOING IT AGAIN

3:08 - Is it just me or have conference tournaments been ridiculously low scoring this year?

3:05 - As I said, no turnovers, nothing dumb and Illinois follows through with the exact opposite. Have to get a stop here.

3:02 - And I'm back up. Illinois needs to play to win, rather than not to lose to pull this one out. Wisconsin's liable to bomb a few three's in a row given that Leuer's injury mid-season forced them to become entirely perimeter oriented. Let's do it!

Day 3

2009-03-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

1:59 - Mississippi State manhandles LSU. Sick, way to go Kentucky, could have been you.

1:47 - They haven't been on the last 4 or 8 out yet because they haven't done anything to warrant a bid, Jimmy.

1:43 - I remember when someone wrote an article about Florida getting a 2 seed in January. This was under the assumption that they ran the table in the SEC and the SEC tournament. Great call.

1:37 - Florida State turns it over 15.7 times a game, a rate of 22.5% of their possessions - never a good sign for a team who can look so good. Sounds like a bad match-up could send them home early.

1:36 - Thornton has body control that Meeks needs, Meeks has the quicks that Thornton needs. Thornton will be a solid NBA player - reminds me of Mario Chalmers actually.

1:35 - Garrett Temple is the most underrated defender in this conference.

1:33 - Thoughts on Marcus Thornton's NBA prospects?

1:31 - Mississippi State looking to put this game away, and can't say I'm all that surprised. They've had some bad breaks this year and deserve a few good ones. On that note, think this is the first time ESPN has ever had any SEC tournament games (outside of the next 15 years).

1:18 - Thank you Lunardi for actually putting Auburn up there. How many times do you have to deny Auburn before backtracking hardcore? After the regular season it was "no chance Auburn fans have no hope" now after one win it's looking likely? Come on.

1:15 - As I said, Mississippi State should not have been as bad as they were this year. There's no question about it.

1:13 - UNC is still a very good team without Lawson, but not great. It's clear the difference he makes to this team.

1:12 - In order to win championships you have to have swagger in the same way Toney Douglas does.

1:11 - Oh and USC. Tim Floyd did yet another brilliant coaching job this year with the talent he has.

1:06 - And I'm awake. No real reason to wake up unless you wanted to see Memphis take care of business for the 13346th time in the Conference USA. Who are we rooting for today? The underdogs. Miss. State, Baylor, Maryland. Love to see, now that Kentucky is nowhere near the bubble, teams come out of nowhere and steal bids. Should be a fun day.

2009-03-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

8:11 - I'll be back later, but Maryland just brought it...one of the few bubble teams to really stand up and say they actually want a bid. Congrats to them.

7:42 - I'll never understand why teams as talented as Wake, yet inexperienced have so much difficulty having consistency. Don't give me the "senior leadership" argument either.

7:40 - Gary Williams can coach, there's no question about that. The guy is going through a Tubby Smith faze unfortunately. Not playing the AAU game will get you way behind. It's too bad because I respect the guy more than most, but afraid he's going to be gone someday because of his inability to adapt to modern age.

7:31 - Louisville outscored Villanova by 15 in the first 5 minutes. Who wants to play this team?

7:28 - Maryland making the committee know they want into the tournament...haven't really seen the game much, but I imagine it's classic Wake Forest inconsistency.

7:22 - Good win by Illinois, basic domination from start to finish - play the winner of Penn State/Purdue, a team they got swept by and a team they swept. I'd like to see Penn State win so they can solidify their bid and also so we can see another 38-33 showdown.

7:19 - Poor Legion.

7:14 - Key word Louisville - patience!

7:12 - 13-0 run as Michigan has begun to play loosely and Illinois contracted the McCamey sleep disease.

7:03 - On that note, anyone who was claiming Weber a bad coach in his down years are eating their words now. College basketball is all about recruiting, that's it, and Weber hadn't done it well - that should have been where the criticism started and ended. Now? It's not a problem. Jerrance Howard is to thank.

7:01 - Funny how after '05 Weber has gone from offensive genius to defensive genius.

7:00 - Michigan is so not passing the "eye" test right now. Just sayin'.

6:57 - Jamal Crawford still has eligibility right?

6:55 - I may not watch enough, but does anyone think Beilein's system doesn't allow Harris enough room to do what he can? Of course he still gets it done, but he's talented enough to do it in any system, and if there's anything I've learned it's that coaches have issues forming a system around their players. Something to think about.

6:51 - Michigan is a pretty sad team when they get behind, they're just letting Illinois walk all over them...it hurts that they don't have a legitimate PG. I say they have Harris bring the ball up, decision making aside. Get something going.

6:43 - Davis is a major defensive problem for Michigan, they don't have anyone with his size, length, or athleticism to guard him. And Weber is making Michigan pay for it. On that note, do Tisdale and Davis ever miss 12-footers?

6:40 - Louisville tends to give up on their game plan to easily when they get behind, relying on jump shots rather than what they do well with their length and athleticism. This is usually spearheaded by Williams, and he needs to stop it. He needs to do what he does well - be a playmaker.

6:37 - Why doesn't Manny Harris use his talent on a guy not nearly as talented (Brock)? It makes little sense. He shows flashes of being a stud and then disappears for long stretches that Michigan can't afford. His decision making must improve.

6:32 - They bring up a good point...Villanova really is a bunch of unknowns who are all extremely talented. Not flashy (outside of Fisher's streetball moments) but they all get the job done. Although I have to ask, has Scottie Reynolds progressed much, if at all, since Freshman year?

6:30 - Three fouls on James Johnson in 10 minutes. How can Gaudio leave him in after a quick two? It amazes me how young, big guys have such problems staying out of foul trouble.

6:27 - Who else thinks Vazquez and Devendorf would be great friends?

6:24 - Which Wake team will show up today? Think it'll be the one who dominated UNC from start to finish or the one who let Jack McClinton walk all over them? So far it's the latter, but this team has no reason they shouldn't be a consistent top 5 team. Only thing they're missing is consistent outside shooting, but right now they have 3 NBA first round players in their starting lineup, no excuses.

6:21 - Shane Clark just airballed a lay-up. Yeah, it just happened.

6:19 - Remember when Louisville got killed by Western Kentucky and lost to UNLV and Minnesota? Yeah, neither do I.

6:17 - 25-24 Illinois at half, both teams visibly lacking anyone to create, and Manny Harris not surprisingly settling for jumpers rather than using his NBA-type skills.

6:15 - Legion already benched. He's a pathetic defender.

6:13 - Alex Legion is a sad case. He knows what he's doing on the floor even less than McCamey, just with less talent. He needs to let the game come to him rather than shoot as much as possible in the minutes he actually does play.

6:10 - By the way, Allan Ray's eye is still rolling around MSG.

6:09 - Villanova is definitely taking over as "Guard U", there's a never ending supply for Jay Wright and that's why he has been able to maintain such consistency. Huge fan of him.

6:05 - Louisville/Villanova is about to be a massive game. Two high powered offenses for different reasons loaded with talent at every position. Williams is underrated in my book, but his statline is as impressive as they come.

Louisville 87 Villanova 81

6:03 - I'm not a fan of McCamey running the point for more offense, he's not near smart enough to lead a team when he has no idea whath e's doing from play to play. He's a playmaker when he thinks, but it's rare.

6:01 - Everyone can learn from Davis's moves. His floaters and turn arounds are all money.

5:56 - We need to get a few "RISE AND FIRE!"s from Gus.

5:52 - Most improved player this year is definitely Mike Davis, a major reason this team won 6 more Big Ten games than last year.

5:49 - Nothing looks better than when Illinois runs their offense like they should. Weber offense is great.

5:46 - Should probably check the facts but I think Harris is the only player to have a triple-double with turnovers.

5:44 - McCamey isn't sleepwalking today, good to hear.

5:43 - 6,000 calories diet. 6,000

5:42 - Gus Johnson shout-out!

5:41 - Last year I stated - "Frazier after three years is still trying to be Dee Brown, poor form." I'm hear today to tell you I'm wrong.

5:39 - Key to the game "contain Meacham". I think I speak for most when I say huh?

5:35 - Illinois/Michigan upcoming...not having Frazier will be huge for Illinois, one of the best defenders in Big Ten and their undisputed leader. McCamey can't survive without constant guidance, let's see if his head is actually there today.

Prediction - Illinois 56 Michigan 52

4:35 - I'll be back soon...

4:30 - The possibility of two bids for the SEC is getting higher and higher, absolutely pathetic for a high major conference. Homers will say they beat each other up - yeah, bad teams beating on worse teams. None of these teams besides LSU and sometimes Tennessee deserve a bid. You know it's bad when a team goes 10-6 in their conference and has almost no chance of an at-large (Auburn).

4:27 - You know Kentucky is still relevant when the major headline of the day thus far is "KENTUCKY STRUGGLES". I guess any pub is good pub, but it's worthless to say they're "irrelevant" as a program. All great programs go through lulls (sup UNC 8-20).

4:25 - Why don't teams foul more before the ball gets into play? Sure you play for a steal, but that is very, very rare. Besides, half these teams even forget to foul when they need to and allow way too much time run off.

4:22 - Downey just, and I quote, "dribble drived". Thanks for the plug guys!

4:22 - Here comes a free throw shooting contest. It's 4:22 now, 1:29 to go. Let's see how long this takes.

4:18 - I don't know what it is, but Miss. State makes USC look like they don't know how to play basketball. They just wait for a defensive breakdown and hope it happens before the shot clock runs out, it's a sad offense. They're doing a great job not allowing Downey to dictate the game like he has done so many times this year. Again, Downey makes this team look much more talented and better coached than they are.

4:13 - Darrin Horn is a good coach, but I'm not exactly excited about the talk of him being "great" because of this turnaround. When you're left with a guard like Downey and a wing like Frederick it makes the transition much easier - besides, Dave Odom was senile by the time he left.

Also, Dennis Felton did far better at WKU than Darrin Horn did and look what happened to him. It's not always a sure thing, never is.

4:07 - If South Carolina loses here and Florida wins tonight, USC is done. Just my opinion, but when your best win in non-conference play is Baylor and you are 0-3 against the top 2 teams in the SEC, you're not deserving. I won't bother to lay any more numbers on you, although against Kentucky they did pass the "eye" test!

4:05 - Raycom can't think of a better nickname for Varnado than "Swat". That's why ESPN bought them out for a 15 year SEC deal.

4:04 - Am I the only one who immediately assumes that a guy with an arm sleeve is a good shooter?

4:01 - How can you have a team full of 3 point shooters (with NBA range), one of the best big men in the country, and a very solid freshman PG, yet not even be on the bubble for the Tournament? I realize they had some bad breaks, but that's still no excuse for this team. I guess Stansbury is still wondering why all his great players have left to go pro way too early. (Jamont Gordon, Mario Austin anyone?)

3:58 - Read my posts from last year regarding Devan Downey. Same points still apply, this guy is fantastic and is a classic case of why guards are most valuable than big men in college.

3:50 - "When a reported suggest that any UK basketball coach is a public figure with public responsibilities, Gillispie said, 'That wasn't on the job description'". Look, I know you have personality issues and whatever else may be wrong with you, but if you don't believe you need to be a public face for the most moronic fanbase on this planet, you have no clue what you're getting into.

3:48 - Not that I really care to watch, but the Ghosts of Szatko is playing America. Nice.

3:44 - The infamous "eye" test. I don't like it. If a team looks like a tournament team, but never performs like it, they're not a tournament team. It doesn't matter if you look good, it matters if you win games. That's why I get a laugh out of people discounting all the numbers used to determine the 34 at-large teams. There's a strong correlation between winning and making the tournament - figure it out.

3:42 - Losing Lighty crushed this OSU team, but let's be real. Are wins over Notre Dame, Miami, and Butler really wins to hang your hat on? Eh, I just think this team benefitted from the Big Ten beating each other up. Overrated conference in all reality, way below the ACC and Big East, yet still the third best conference. Sums up college basketball this year though.

3:40 - Kai looks like Thad Matta.

3:39 - Who's the better version of PJ Hill? Football or basketball?

3:38 - Let's get one of those whites to hit a three here, Wisconsin.

3:37 - And the dream dies. Shumpert thought there was like 30 seconds left. YOU GOTTA GO DUDE.

3:35 - And Hamilton draws up a nice play, shocking. Terrible defense though, they teach you to cut off baseline in 3rd grade man.

3:34 - Running a weave at the top of the key and running to the corner is what I'd do too Leonard.

3:34 - Leonard Hamilton timeout - using that NBA experience to draw up a nasty play.

3:33 - PEACOCK!

3:30 - I don't think we fully gave credit for how unbelievable Georgia's run in the SEC tournament was last year. Remember, they won 2 games in one day against two legitimate teams in Kentucky and Mississippi State (although Stansbury is TERRIBLE). Still unbelievable, something I'll never forget.

3:28 - How was a team (FSU) with so much talent picked to finish 10th in the ACC? Even Leonard Hamilton can't stop Douglas and crew.

3:25 - John Feinstein claims the Big Ten deserves two bids. Thanks for that, guy.

3:20 - I guess LSU. But still, come on. The recruiting advantage you get from making a Final Four should be enough to be a contender for awhile, not a complete joke. But congrats on Derrick Favors, Paul Hewitt. You've got work to do in one year to keep your job.

3:20 - Has any program that made a Final Four ever bottomed-out faster than Georgia Tech?

3:19 - Hm. I thought Bohannon graduated in '04. Pulling what is called a "Paul Davis".

3:17 - If anyone's listening, Lavin says "that's a bad 'straturgy'".

3:14 - Leonard Hamilton recruiting tip - recruit positions, not like 6 big guys and a walk-on PG. He finally got it these past two years. Must be that NBA experience! (19-63 career)

3:11 - Bo Ryan, you're a great coach, but are you ever going to try to make a Final Four? Example - stop recruiting big stiff white guys and no name guards who hit three's all day. It's not going to work. You're great, but try somethin' different for your sake and the fans. We hate watching you play.

3:09 - Georgia Tech channeling their inner Sundiata Gaines...

3:08 - It's been a few minutes since Jimmy Dykes said "violent cuts" and "hoss". Alert the media.

3:04 - Toney Douglas transferred from Auburn after his freshman year because they wouldn't let him play PG...good choice, Jeff Lebo. (Who did a great job with Auburn this year, for what it's worth)

3:01 - Why is the Big Ten consistently so boring? Over the past 3-4 years they've consistently been the slowest (possessions/game) in the country. A high major conference at that, get with it dudes.

2:59 - By the way, thanks for the season Kentucky, it was great, really. Meeks has his worst game of the year, Patterson continues his getting blocked party. Good luck on testing the waters guys, they're not going to tell you want you want.

2:52 - And we're back. Get ready for another Seth Greenberg meltdown about missing the tournament, folks, should be a good one. On another ACC note, it's pretty hilarious that Leonard Hamilton might get CoTY. I mean seriously, dude's brought in more talent than almost anyone in the country in the past years and has done even less with it than Mark Gottfried had. Two dynamic coaches there, hope you're having fun at home, Mark.

All right here we go...

2008-10-25T16:04:00.001-07:00

Last spring was a test run on this blog, but now I'm going to start the real deal. To all my few loyal readers out there, I appreciate the time. Any requests on anything you want me to write/talk about let me know, I should start updating sometime this week.

The Showdown

2008-04-07T17:26:00.000-07:00

Apologies to my loyal 4-5 readers out there who have been missing my updates. I've been gone on Spring Break with no computer to post from and realistically, no desire.

Well, here it is, the game we've all been waiting for. For once, it's clear that these are the two best teams in the nation, (okay, not clear, but you can make arguments that they are) and they both managed to win 5 straight on their way to the title game. They are both two of the best defensive teams in the country and both possess size, athleticism, depth, future NBA players, and on and on.

Seeing Rose and CDR match-up against Kansas' stud defensive perimeter players (albeit short) will be a great match-up, as well as seeing the 4 horsemen take on Taggart/Dozier/Dorsey. It's gonna be a great one folks, I'll have a full write-up on it after. Enjoy.

Prediction - Memphis 83 Kansas 78

Syracuse Meltdown - Again

2008-03-25T18:09:00.000-07:00

First off, I'd like to mention that no one cares about the NIT. No one cares whether you're the 66th best team in the country - no, really. It helps teams get experience I guess, but watching reject teams beat up on each other in a reject tournament is pretty lame.

However, I found myself paying attention Syracuse tonight, as they underachieved all year even with a dynamic trio of Flynn/Greene/Harris, who had been known for blowing leads quite frequently. (See 7 point lead on Georgetown under 4 to play. See up 9 on Pitt with 3 to play, somehow managing to lose by 5. See first round of Big East Tournament up 9 with minute left in first half, getting outscored 55-35 in second half.) Well, up 22 with 14 minutes left to play they somehow, someway, manage to totally beat themselves and allow UMass to come back in a hurry and lose by 4. Quite a fitting end to the season for a team as erratic as they have been all year, when it should have never been that way.

I understand that they have little depth and little scoring outside of their top 4, and were unfortunate to have Devendorf go down, but there is no reason why this team shouldn't have been in the NCAA Tournament.

Jonny Flynn, a freshman, was impressive all year as he could hurt you from outside, creating off the dribble, and has great court vision in finding his teammates.

Paul Harris is a guy with incredible athleticism who was put back at his natural spot this year (Small Forward), where he could use his versatility and uncanny rebounding sense to hurt you. A guy with his athleticism and ability to hit mid-range jumpers, there's no reason why he shouldn't be getting more shots than he has, like he did near the end of the season. I love Harris and all the things he can do, and see little limitations in his game.

Donte Greene is a future lottery pick if he sticks around another year, and a first rounder most likely if he heads out this year. That's about all that needs to be said, but Boeheim was never able to or didn't realize how to control Greene. He often settled for outside shots, rather than using his size, his length, and his superior athleticism to create big time mismatches for opposing teams. It was frustrating watching a guy with his talent seemingly never knowing what he's doing out on the court and watching Boeheim never adjusting to Greene's strengths.

Arinze Onuaku is a guy who I'll admit I don't enough or much about. I do know that he thrived off of his teammates ability to get him the ball around the rim for easy lay-ins or garbage points. He plays mostly with his back to the basket and loves the hook shot. Even with his limited size of 6'9" at the 5, he seemed to be Syracuse's unsung hero for the season, and their most consistent performer, putting up 12.5 and 8.1 a game along with 64% from the field. Look out for this guy in the coming years, as he had to bounce back quickly after missing all of last season due to rehab for surgery he had on his left knee.

This team, in my opinion, probably had top 5 talent in the Big East, yet somehow Boeheim could never get them all on the same page and to perform consistently. This seems to have been a pattern with Boeheim's teams though, as a year almost never goes by without hearing about Syracuse's bubble hopes. I've always been a believer that Jim Boeheim is an overrated coach. The 2-3 zone in itself is overrated, and believe it's way past its time - basically an excuse to run a lazy man-to-man (except when used to throw different looks at offenses at various times). There's a reason he didn't have a great amount of success until Carmelo Anthony put the team on his back and single-handedly won the title for his team (apologies to McNamara and Warrick, but it's the truth).

Every year Boeheim's teams are plagued by inconsistency and a failure to get the most out of players as talented as he gets year in and year out. Ironically though, he's been lauded for his ability to get the most out of his teams - when they're less talented. These types of coaches are interesting to watch, because you never quite know what they're doing or why they can't get it done with higher talents (ie Tubby Smith). Maybe it's his stubbornness with the outdated 2-3 zone. Maybe it's his stubbornness in his entire system and the fact that he won't willingly change anything to adjust to guys like Harris. I don't know what it is, but it's mind-boggling.

The guy is a very good coach, no doubt. He's consistently produced solid teams and has won big many times, especially his '03 team (who not surprisingly was the most talented team of his time at Syracuse). But if I'm a Syracuse fan, I'm frustrated at how similar and monotonous his teams have gotten over recent years, and am concerned as to when it will change. Will he just wait for his next Carmelo to really get something done? Who knows, but for now, he has to convince Greene, Flynn, and Harris to come back next year in order to have a shot next year.

Round 2, Day 1

2008-03-22T22:36:00.000-07:00

Seems to be the most consistently exciting day every year...not sure why, but it has been for awhile now, and today didn't disappoint. My bracket is an absolute wreck at this point, but by now I just want to see some good basketball regardless of the outcome.

Xavier/Purdue - Well, Xavier proved something to me. I thought Purdue's size, along with the amount of shooters they possess, would be able to handle Xavier. The Musketeers used their quickness and ability to get out in transition off of forced turnovers to keep Purdue in check. Although Xavier has never been known for their frontline, they were even able to take advantage of Purdue with their dominance in size relative to both teams. Not having an interior post presence was heavily missed on Purdue's defensive sets, as Xavier continued to pound it inside for easy baskets without much of a contest. I'm sure Painter will have this problem covered.

Duke/West Virginia - It never gets old seeing Duke go out early in the tournament. 2 years ago they go out as the #1 overall seed to a much more athletic team in LSU. A year ago they go out as a 5 seed in the first round to a much quicker, athletic team in VCU. This year they go out as a 2 seed in the second round to a team who again exploited the total lack of anything resembling a post presence on both sides of the floor. Joe Alexander is a tough match for anyone, as he has the skills of a guard in the body of a power forward, and he used this to his advantage wisely. Duke relied heavily on the perimeter shot all year long, and the saying "live and die by the three" had never been truer than it was in this game, as they missed shot after shot after shot, leading to WVU transition points and long droughts of scoring. You would think after awhile you would get the ball to the two players who West Virginia would easily have the toughest time matching up with - Henderson and Nelson - yet he stuck with the game plan; not much of one. It was only fitting to see yet another overrated Duke team go out early, as Coach K's teams are becoming known for their reputation for flaming out in February and on full burn out in March. It never gets old.

Marquette/Stanford - After an odd sequence in which Trent Johnson was given a double technical and thrown out of the game, Stanford struggled heavily. Marquette used their quickness in the backcourt to try to run the Lopez twins out of the game, and for awhile it worked. They were hitting outside shots (not you of course, Dominic James) and were able to use this ability to counteract whatever Stanford threw at them. Brook Lopez had early foul trouble in the first half, and was held to 2 points, allowing Marquette to jump out to an early 11 point lead, but once he got started it never stopped. Scoring 28 of his 30 points in the second half and overtime, he presented a problem Marquette couldn't fix. No one could guard him, but how many can? Barro tried. Hayward tried. Burke tried. But nothing worked. The only thing that worked was backup coach Doug Oliver taking out the Lopez twins for a 4 minute stretch in the second half that allowed Marquette right back into the game when it looked like they had it put away. Stanford's game plan to get it to the Lopez twins works, and they run it to perfection every game. It's simple really, and Mitch Johnson surely understands it (16 assists).

Kansas State/Wisconsin - Bo Ryan is a great coach. His teams never look like they're very good, but I challenge you to find a team who is as efficient as they are on both ends of the floor game in and game out. They may not have the most talent, but a guy like Bo Ryan has the rare ability to get the absolute most out of it. I also challenge you to find a team who hits more big shots at key moments in the game than this team does. It astounds me, as they consistently hit these big time shots and every time it's a different guy. Whether it's Hughes, Flowers, Butch, Bohannon and etc. someone can do it. Their ability to stop Beasley from doing whatever he wanted down low and allowing Kansas State (a poor 3 point shooting team) to take as many three's as they wanted was what won this game. As boring as his teams may be to watch, it's fascinating to watch a team as well-coached as they are.

Notre Dame/Washington State - The fact that Harangody shot 3/17 from the floor, a guy as consistent as he has been all year, is the only thing that needs to be said about this game. Washington State, who lacks a true force down low, was able to force Harangody out of his comfort zone - whether it was double teaming him, forcing him away from the basket, or making him play as a face-up forward, it worked. He's the anchor for Notre Dame, and once he stopped going, so did Notre Dame. This allowed Wazzu to dominate from beginning to end. I will be the first to tell you I underestimated WSU's defense.

UNLV/Kansas - Not much to say about this game really. Kansas rolls, as is expected, and will continue to roll as they face the winner of Villanova/Siena, neither of which presents any sort of match-up problem or anything resembling an issue. The only thing to mention is that when fully healthy, Sherron Collins is highly underrated.

Pittsburgh/Michigan State - I know Michigan State is fairly athletic and Izzo's teams have always been known for how well they perform on the glass, but how in the world did Pittsburgh allow themselves to be outrebounded 33-20? No one was in foul trouble or anything. Sam Young grabbed just 1 rebound, as this set the tone for the entire game. It seemed out of reach for Pittsburgh almost the entire second half, as Michigan State rode Kalin Lucas' and Drew Neitzel's shooting to victory. Not to pinpoint anything, but Ronald Ramon's shot selection has been and was a problem for Pittsburgh, as he took three's way out of his range at times when they were not needed. Also, it didn't help that they had just 4 assists on a mere 17 field goals made. With guys as big as Young and Blair down low, it shouldn't be very tough to get them the ball - but Michigan State's quickness was able to shut down this area of their offense. And it worked.

Texas A&M/UCLA - Yes, UCLA won this game, but for a team most have coined a team meant to win it, they sure didn't look like it. All game long they struggled to score in long stretches, and luckily for them A&M was just as bad. Why did Josh Shipp only get 4 shots? For a guy who is a very capable scorer and has been all year long, presenting a match-up problem with someone who possesses his size and his athleticism, they sure looked like they didn't know how to use him. That's not going to work when they get deeper into the tournament and play teams who have actually proven themselves to be a very good team (no offense A&M, but you've been horrible all year). UCLA's defense is still outstanding, as Ben Howland's teams are known for this, and their talent can win plenty of games by itself, but their continued trend of playing to the level of their opponent is something I would be worried about if I were a Bruin fan. I have them winning it all and don't see that changing, but I would not be surprised at all if they fall earlier than expected.

Day 2

2008-03-21T22:44:00.000-07:00

Day two is officially over, and in general it was much more exciting than Day 1. There weren't nearly the amount of blowouts, actual contested games, upsets, and buzzer beats - something March Madness is made of.

The day started off with one of most entertaining games we'd seen thus far of the tournament in Davidson/Gonzaga. Now it wasn't exactly a secret that Stephen Curry was a very good player and one of the best shooters in the country, but I'm not sure anyone knew he was this good. He was impressive in the first half with a nice 10 points, but in the second half he took over, scoring 30 of Davidson's 46. Every single time he touched the ball you just knew he was going to score. It was that type of game for this kid - he was unconscious. Clearly one of the purest strokes around, it amazes me that no other big time D-I school discovered this kid, especially given that his dad, Dell, was one of the better shooters the NBA has ever seen. He was smooth, he was calm, and he lulled Gonzaga to sleep with his seemingly lackadaisical attitude before hitting shot after shot after shot. At the 14:50 mark in the second half, with Davidson down just 11 with the ball, Billy Packer was quoted as saying "this is a dangerous time for Davidson, they can't let it slip away too fast!". First off, there was way too much time to say that, and second, when you have a shooter like Stephen who is liable to go off at any time, you can never put them to rest. And he proved exactly that.

By the way Gonzaga, would you stop losing so early in the tournament? I mean, I don't mind it, and there was a reason you were slept on this year unlike in years past, but stop trying to make a claim as being one of the top programs in the country when you struggle so heavily so often in the tournament. You're a cut above a high level mid-major team, but nothing else until proven otherwise.

Western Kentucky-Drake was the game of the tournament, no question. It was a blowout for much of the way. Down 16 with 11 minutes left, Drake started hitting shots and clawed their way back slowly. Western Kentucky was careless with the ball and tried everything to give the game away, allowing Drake to force overtime. In overtime it looked like Drake had finally taken control of the game and was ready to put it away until a few big shots by Tyrone Brazelton (who was on fire all game, putting up 33) and the final play run to perfection to Ty Rogers, of all people, who connected from way, way out to win it. An unbelievable game, involving a record 30 combined 3 pointers made, by 2 of the top mid-majors in the country all year long. Although I dislike how the committee pairs up mid-majors in the first round every year, this certainly made for an epic battle, and was well worth it.

Butler was clearly pissed about their seeding. They embarrassed a team who was a trendy upset pick and who many even had advancing over Tennessee...well so much for that. This team is a scary match-up for Tennessee, who has struggled so badly all year long both defending and scoring in half-court sets. Butler thrives at both of these. It will be interesting to watch the talent and athleticism of Tennessee face up with the smarts and patience of the Bulldogs. An upset here wouldn't be surprising in the least.

An awful showing by Connecticut. Props to San Diego for the upset, who has been a rather underrated team ever since their abysmal start in the non-conference, but this was bad. I understand AJ Price is their leader, their front man, their point guard, and the guy who creates the opportunities for everyone, but guys like Austrie and Wiggins needed to step up in his place. San Diego is a solid team, no doubt, but there's no way Thabeet and Adrien should have been relatively shut down by guys like Pomare and Jones. Those guys are decent talents, but it was clear when Adrien and Thabeet got the ball, they couldn't be stopped. UConn looked heartless once Price went down. Rather than giving themselves a chance to win it for him, to prove it's not all about Price, they widdled away slowly. They let the game slip away as San Diego seemed to care so much more than Connecticut did. I don't know what the problem was, but it was ugly, and Calhoun can't be very happen - AJ Price or not.

I'd like to again express my disdain for Vanderbilt. They proved the point I've been trying to make all year: away from Memorial Gymnasium this team is worthless. They can't shoot, they can't defend, and they play afraid. They play so passive, let the other team determine the tempo and they go along with it. It's quite entertaining to watch, as it is so predictable to watch Stallings team look so unprepared for what's to come. Siena completely and utterly dominated this game. Vanderbilt did not lead one time. Wonderful Vanderbilt. Props to Siena for the win, as Hasbrouck and Fisher presented two problems that couldn't be stopped. Vanderbilt never seemed to even give an effort. Congrats Vandy.

Speaking of teams who barely seemed to give forth an effort, heres to Indiana for looking asleep and to Eric Gordon for regressing more and more as it got further and further into the season. Gordon looked awfully content taking unnecessary 35 foot three's when he can step forward a good 2 or 3 full steps, being passive when he needed to be aggressive, and still having no clue how to get his teammates involved. He's eventually going to be a very good player, no doubt, but for what he was billed to be he was by far the most disappointing player all year.

Indiana followed Gordon's path as they coasted their way to a lose, allowing Arkansas to dictate the tempo all game long and never figuring out how to handle Arkansas' athleticism and penetration. 33 FT attempts to Indiana's 12 sounds like your typical Big Ten officiated game, but this was more a case of Arkansas knowing how to exploit Indiana's lazy defense. I feel bad for DJ White who went down fighting, along with Bassett who you felt would never miss a shot, but this team was not supposed to win. Half of them reeked of a team with no heart, no passion, and didn't seem to care one bit about whether they won or lost. Once Sampson was given the axe and Dakich took over, they felt they had nothing to play for. No pride, no dignity. I feel for Indiana fans, as Kentucky fans had felt this for the last 2 years. It's pathetic, and I hope for them they get a coach who will bring back the fire and pride that Indiana is made of.

Good win by Villanova, but my lord how bad are Oliver Purnell and Terence Oglesby? Villanova's weakness is in their frontcourt, yet they don't attack it at all. Mays and Booker, who combined for 34 and 11 in a big win over Duke last weekend (who also lacks anything resembling a frontcourt, apologies to Brian Zoubek) combined for 10 and 7 on a total of 6 shots. Yeah, you heard that right. Purnell decided to rely on his own backcourt, which isn't quite as quick or as talented as Villanova's, and his lame trapping attempts to beat them. It worked at the beginning, but Villanova fought back, and once it was apparent to Clemson that Nova wasn't going away, they folded - not surprising however, as this has been a common theme for the Tigers all year. Purnell just never knew how to tap into this teams potential. Sure, they got a 5 seed, but this team is talented at every position and is incredibly versatile.

And about Oglesby? He had the classic case of "let's see how far I can make this three from" that has plagued guys like Chris Lofton and Eric Gordon. It was hilarious to see him take shot after shot early in the shot clock, contested, and never running any sort of offense before attempting. In 19 minutes he fired up 11 shots, making just 1-8 from 3. Wonderful. The saying is "shooters keep shooting", but once it starts killing your team, it needs to stop. Bad decisions plagued this Clemson team, as they did all year.

It was an entertaining round 1. Not one of the best, that's for sure, but it had its moments - but I'm ready for round 2. The Saturday of the second round seems to be the most consistently fun day of the tournament. Don't ask why, but it does. A bunch of great games tomorrow, and I know I'm ready. Hope you are too.

Day 1 Conclusion

2008-03-20T23:19:00.000-07:00

I didn't get the chance to put up a preview of all the regions and etc. and I'm sorry for my 4 readers out there, just didn't have the time, surprisingly. The first day of March Madness is over, and quite honestly, it was underwhelming. Not that I was expecting 12 OT games and multiple buzzer beaters, but there just wasn't much good basketball, and plenty of blowouts. Notes -

- The day started off with Xavier/Georgia, and to be honest, who didn't expect a blowout in Xavier's favor? For this Georgia team it seemed as if the longer they waited between games the more likely it was that they'd revert back to their 4-12 SEC form, not what we saw last weekend.

The first thing that was noticeable in this game was the fact that Georgia should not have been as bad as they were. There's a reason people were calling for Dennis Felton's job before the SEC Tournament (although having to kick Mike Mercer, arguably their best player entering the season, off the team certainly didn't help). Although they lack a true point guard, as Sundiata Gaines is more of a combo guard who's not truly great at anything, but can do everything on the floor, they have the size and the shooters to make up for it. Terrance Woodbury is a much better shooter than his stats indicate, given that he has the size to shoot over almost anyone matched up with him and is so good on step-back street ball type shots...Guys like Dave Bliss (special shout out to him, we weren't rooting for you dude), Jeremy Price, and Albert Jackson are all solid rebounders who can occasionally contribute something offensively, but for opposing teams it's tough to match-up with 3 guys as consistently physical as they are...Humphrey can create off the dribble and has range from 3, as him and Woodbury are fairly similar players, it's just how to get them the ball that has always been the problem for Georgia...They also have fairly solid depth with guys like Swansey, Butler, and Brewer to come in and hit the occasional shot, or just to spell one of the big 3 mentioned...although I can't give you a great insight on Georgia, it's pretty obvious they should have been better than they were. When you have 3 scorers as good as they do and being as physical as they are, you shouldn't lose 12 SEC games, I don't care how many other players you lost, this was inexcusable.

Xavier, on the other hand, showed why they have been so good yet so bad at times. Losses by 19 to Temple and 22 to Arizona State leave you shaking your head for a team that's been so hyped for their versatility, depth, and balance. They got down 11 at one point and let Georgia dominate them on the glass and let them control the tempo for much of the game. Once Xavier woke up and started believing they could come back the game was over. They played solid defense for long stretches of the second half, cutting off Georgia's penetration and cut off all the easy baskets they let up in the first half, which allowed them to get out and running. Being the smaller, more athletic team who thrives in transition and off of the perimeter ball, they finally started hitting shots, and forced Georgia into bad shots and turnovers when it really counted. They can put up points in a hurry, but if you get them out of their game they don't seem very tough to beat - I see Purdue matching up really well with them next round and taking out an overrated team that has yet to beat anyone that truly matters.

- As I was watching the games with my friends all day, a good point was brought up. If you're a mid-major playing in a 1/16 or 2/15 type game, why not just shoot as many three's as possible? Belmont tried the strategy for the most part (a team who averaged 29 three point attempts per game on the year) and it almost worked. If you hit a hot streak, the three pointer allows you to bury teams in a hurry, so why not try it?

- Tim Floyd is a bad coach. All year long he tried to slow the game down as much as possible with guys as athletic as Jefferson, Mayo, Gibson and guys like Johnson, Lewis and Hackett who are all very quick and can all handle the ball. Look, once Beasley gets 2 fouls in 4 minutes, you can't let Bill Walker tear you apart in every possible way. You can't. When Beasley comes back in with foul trouble why are you still settling for perimeter jump shots? Get the best player in the country out of the game, simple. Why did Taj Gibson get 5 shots and Dwight Lewis gets 10? Why is Dwight Lewis settling for outside shots when his game has been made off of slashing and Mayo creating easy opportunities for him? Why is OJ Mayo settling for outside jumpers when no one on Kansas State could truly match-up with him? This has been an issue for Floyd all year however, and it's not at all surprising that his team went down in a relatively easy fashion, no matter how much talent they have. It was a sad showing for a team so loaded with talent. As my dad told me, Tim Floyd coaches like he looks.

- Washington State's defense looks absolutely fantastic, outscoring Winthrop 42-11 in the second half to win by 31. Winthrop seemed to be a popular upset pick with a guy as explosive as Michael Jenkins leading the way, but Kyle Weaver showed why he's one of the best defenders in the country, holding him to 1-9 shooting, setting the pace for Washington State's route.

- I was never worried about Marquette's backcourt. I was fairly confident we'd let the trio of James/McNeal/Matthews get theirs, but I didn't bank on Lazar Hayward being the difference maker he was. He's been a steady player all year, but against a team as weak in the front court as Kentucky, he thrived, getting big time offensive boards, and hitting big shot after big shot, including two killer three's to set the pace for what was to come. His athleticism and size allowed Marquette to out rebound Kentucky by a margin of 7, even smaller than what it felt like.

- Joe Crawford went out with a bang. 35 points. I challenge you to find me someone who has improved more over the course of the year than this guy. He went from a guy who dribbled through traffic with his head down which was almost certainly a charge or a turnover every single time, to a guy with fantastic body control, the ability to score on anyone, and the ability to take over games when he needed to. An outstanding performance by a guy much maligned his entire career by Kentucky fans (myself included) for not living up to who he was supposed to be. We found out who he could have been though, and if Gillispie was here all 4 years you can only wonder, what if?

- Purdue is a sleeper team. They can run with anyone, they can shoot with anyone, and they can defend with the best of them. Matt Painter has this team and this program headed in the right direction, and guys like Moore, Kramer, Hummel and co. leading the way, look for this team to be at the top of the Big Ten for years to come.

- Arizona proved yet again that they're a team who can never do much with the amount of talent they have. Bayless looked out of it, Mclellan ended his career in a familiar fashion (0-4 0 points), Nic Wise with bad shot selection, and etc. Jordan Hill, as much as I make fun of him for his goofy under-armour tights undershirt and his horrible dreads, he yet again put up a solid performance with 16 and 12. Outside of Bayless, he has been their most consistent performer all year, and he has to be given credit, and only being a Sophomore, he has plenty of room to improve and become one of the best big men in the country. Wow, did I just say that? He's not flashy, but he gets the job done. I still can't stand this team though. Same erratic, boring, annoying team every year. It's not going to change once crazy old overrated Lute comes back. Bayless will be replaced by Brandon Jennings, who's going to be a stud, but they won't do anything yet again.

- How is it possible to score 10 points in a half and then follow it up with 48 in the second? I mean I know there's less defense and more of an initiative to score when you're down that badly, but that doesn't make a lot of sense. A disappointing performance by Kent State, a team who many believe should have gotten higher than the 8 seed they were rewarded by the committee. Came out lethargic and the game was never in doubt. UNLV cruised the minute the game started.

- How epic would Coach K's meltdown have been had Duke lost? Would have been awesome to see him, Scheyer, and Paulus bawl their eyes out losing to the second best Bruins in the field. Poor form, Belmont.

Fun day in basketball regardless of what I say, but I hope tomorrow is better. A lot of great match-ups to look forward to, and the first session of the day is the full 4 games, rather than 3 plus one random awful game at 4 ET that no one watches. Thank you CBS.

Oh, and CBS HD is incredible.

SELECTION SUNDAY

2008-03-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

Sometime this week I will give a full synopsis of the bracket, the regions, and etc. but for now I'm way too excited to be able to do that logically and thoughtfully. Few notes though -

- North Carolina being the number one overall seed and not having to leave their home state is a huge advantage, and it's not like any of the teams in their bracket cause any big time match-up problems. Louisville's front line could cause a lot of problems, but as of right now I don't see them losing. But as we all know, picks change minute-to-minute.

- The Big Ten got abused. Wisconsin was a debatable two seed who got matched up with the best 6 and best 11 seed (in my opinion) in the tournament. Indiana got hit hard by how they responded to Dakich and how they finished out the year - losing to Penn State and Minnesota and struggling heavily with Northwestern. Their overall profile was never a thing of beauty, but an 8 seed is a little low. Michigan State was fairly seeded. I always saw Purdue as a 5 seed over a team like Notre Dame, but I think their non-conference schedule and a loss to Wofford hurt them in the end unfortunately (even though we know all that means nothing in the end).

- Watch out for USC in the Midwest region. Don't let Michael Beasley fool you, Kansas State isn't going anywhere, and they match up favorably with Wisconsin. They play a similar style but with much better players and have played with and beaten very, very good teams all year. Mayo, Jefferson, and Gibson are a scary match-up for any team.

- I don't necessarily love Memphis like I did in the beginning of the year due to how terrible they are from the line, but who's going to beat them in that region? The contender I see the most likely would be Pittsburgh, who would be very physical on Memphis and frustrate them heavily. Also, never doubt a Ben Howland disciple in the tournament - Jamie Dixon is a very good coach.

- I love Kentucky's first round game with Marquette. Not only are they match up with a team that is perimeter oriented, but just like the Wildcats, they have little low post presence. I think they will frustrate James and McNeal enough to get by them with their defensive pressure and scrappiness. And did I mention that Gillispie is 10 times the coach that Crean is? There's a reason Marquette hasn't won an NCAA game since Dwyane Wade.

- I like UCLA to win it all; they have everything. A star power forward, a stud point guard, and skill and athleticism at every position. Their defense is superb as always under Howland, and they are highly efficient on the offensive end. They have so many weapons on both sides of the floor that's they're going to be a very, very tough out. Never doubt a Ben Howland team come tournament time, and now that he has a true low post threat compared to years past, I think Love is the key.

6:22 - Jay Bilas says the RPI sucks. Jay Bilas then follows up by saying teams like Ole Miss are more deserving than Kentucky because of their RPI. Jay Bilas then follows that by saying that Ole Miss is more deserving than Kentucky because we were rewarded too heavily for how we finished. Jay Bilas doesn't realize that we had 5 more wins in conference then Ole Miss. End of discussion. Jay Bilas is awful.

5:43 - We made it. Marquette is our match-up. After all the bad talk of Dominic James on here, Kentucky better follow up.

4:44 - Selection Show begins in 16 minutes. I'm nervous, as are thousands and thousands across the country.

4:32 - Georgia about to pull it out. If I was rational right now with my thoughts I would be extremely excited for this Georgia team - it's truly unbelievable what they're about to accomplish. They're about to match their total of SEC wins in the regular season in 4 days. 4 days.

4:17 - HERE WE GO RAZORBACKS!

4:13 - Kansas pulls it out over Texas in an incredibly high paced game, sealing up their 1 seed...great effort by Illinois but it wasn't enough in the end, they'll tear up the CBI.

4:03 - This Georgia game just blows my mind. I truly cannot believe what I am witnessing. If this knocks Kentucky out of the tournament I will never forgive that Swansey dude.

3:51 - Arkansas attempting a comeback...fatigue will certainly kill Georgia down the stretch. Sorry Georgia, you're a great story, but you need to go down.

3:44 - John Pelphrey, please win this game for your alma-mater. Please.

3:29 - I still don't understand how a guy as small as Abrams and as great of a shooter as he is, gets as open as he does. When he gets an open look, it's good.

3:20 - It's gotten to the point where these teams are so afraid of losing to Georgia that they forget to play. In all four games this weekend they've had double digit leads early and no team has come back to win it. I mean come on this team is now on their 3rd game in 28 hours. They're bound to run out eventually, but Arkansas clearly doesn't know how to take advantage of that. They've never been the smartest team.

3:13 - I've yet to find a better team than Wisconsin at hitting back-breaking, momentum killing shots. They hit big shot after big shot every game when they need it.

2:57 - 17 three's combined in the first half for Kansas/Texas, 17/26 overall. What an exciting half, both teams are just not missing.

And Georgia, I really, really dislike you right now. Up 24-9 on Arkansas early - this team is bound to run out of gas right? Right?

2:51 - Georgia leads 15-5 early...if this team pulls this off, it'll be one of the most impressive four days runs I can remember in some time, matching their entire regular season SEC win total in 4 days.

2:47 - Kansas so far - 11 FG's, 11 assists. This team's passing ability, their IQ, and their talent can carry them as far as Bill Self can take them.

2:35 - Georgia/Arkansas and Illinois/Wisconsin are now underway...bubble teams are certainly rooting against Georgia and Illinois who could take two bids away from deserving teams.

2:17 - Kansas/Texas is underway. Winner of this game gets a #1 seed, much as stake here. I expect Kansas to take this one, even though Texas won the first battle with a struggling DJ Augustin (1-13 shooting).

2:09 - There's a reason people don't give Memphis a good shot at winning the title due to their free throws - Clemson has blown many opportunities due to this, shooting 63% as a team on the year (310th in the country). When it comes down to it, it's so hard to win games if you can't make those free throws, as teams can strategize around this so easily. Free throws are so important, especially when winning tournament games. If you can't make them it's too hard to put away a team when it needs to be done.

1:59 - When all these announcers say "THIS TEAM NEVER QUITS!" sure, you have a point, but how often do you see a team quit. Seriously?

1:55 - Tip: If you want to look like you try hard, just fall over all the time.

1:52 - Controversial call goes against Hansbrough, unbelievable.

1:41 - Game over. North Carolina is too talented for this Clemson team who was pretty much constantly melting down in the second half through bad decisions, giving up easy transition points, and missing layup after layup. UNC locks up the #1 seed in the East, meaning they will not leaving the state of North Carolina - talk about an advantage.

1:29 - Clemson starting to make bad decisions and their offensive sets have been non-existant for the last few minutes. Their press is pathetic too, these guys just run around and hope to get a lucky trap rather than having some set to it. Reminiscent of Tennessee's.

1:15 - Tyler Hansbrough is the only player in the country who work hard. I mean every time he goes up for a rebound or a put back, he is so focused. It amazes me. No one else ever focuses on the basket when they go up for it. Thanks Dick Vitale for pointing this out to me!

12:51 - Mike Patrick is honestly the worst. I don't really need to elaborate, but his obsession with the ACC is over-the-top, especially for North Carolina and Duke.

It amazes me that North Carolina struggles to handle the ball so consistently, given that most of their guys can control the ball fairly well. They just tend to make bad decisions frequently, which kills them and allows the opposing team to stay close, something that doesn't bode well for the tournament.

12:44 - It's finally here, the day we've all been waiting for since Midnight (well, not anymore) Madness. Can't say I could be much more excited than I am now.

Starting off the day is Clemson and UNC, and thus far you can tell this Clemson team wants it bad, after losing 2 heartbreaking games, blowing leads in both games, latter of the two losing an 11 point lead in the final 3 minutes.

North Carolina is having trouble taking care of the ball, and they seem to be unprepared for what Clemson's athletes have brought at them so far. I'm telling you, this Clemson team is scary, and truly should have been better than they were this year given the talent they possess.

Day 3

2008-03-15T09:18:00.000-07:00

2:12 - After taking a few hours off from basketball, I'm back to recap the day -

The day began with rather interesting circumstances. Kentucky and Georgia tipped off in front of a little less than 1200 people at Georgia Tech's stadium. After a rather bad start to the game by Kentucky both teams picked it up - but you could tell both, mainly Kentucky, weren't quite prepared for what this game had brought. Kentucky looked lackluster and unprepared through, as Ramel Bradley struggled heavily for the second straight game - looking more like the Bradley we used to know and love rather than the 1st Team All-SEC'er.

The technical foul on Perry Stevenson was an awkward moment; how often do you see someone straight up block a free throw? Even though Gillispie didn't know the exact rule on blocking a free throw, and didn't know it was a technical, this just shows the man is always thinking. Kentucky fans have a great one we can all be proud of. I never had this amount of faith in Tubby, and it's nice to know that the guy truly knows what he's doing.

With that said, the game is still a bad loss and puts them in a precarious position for a tournament bid. I believe they're still in, but what if Georgia and Illinois both win tomorrow and take 2 more auto-bids? Who does that push out? I know I'll be sweating it out come 5 pm central tomorrow.

I didn't catch any of the MSU-Georgia, but according to my dad and my brother, Rick Stansbury was absolutely horrible. What else is new? He consistently has no idea how to attack teams with his personnel, but the talent makes up for it - how they managed to lose to a team who played a full out game, overtime included, that afternoon, with their skill level amazes me. I don't quite understand how you can allow that to happen under any circumstances.

Tennessee was beat at their own game today. That's the first time all year that someone has allowed Tennessee to impose their style on them and come out with a victory. In their other losses they scored 78, 66, and 69 points - today 91. Arkansas has the players to match-up with Tennessee, but so do a lot of teams they're going to face in the tournament. This bodes terribly for them, as they not only blew the #1 seed, but they also managed to showcase yet another way they can be beat. I don't expect to see this team very deep in the tournament. Especially not the Final Four.

After Mike Cook went down for Pittsburgh in late December during the Duke game this Pittsburgh team struggled to find it's identity. It's clear they've found it. As a whole this team is just massive. Guys like Blair, Young, and Brown handle their business down low and their guard play is about as physical as you can be. Have you seen how built Levance Fields is at the point guard position? They can attack you in so many ways, and are so balanced all around it's tough to pinpoint one thing to stop as an opposing defense.

Congratulations to Clemson as they beat Duke after losing the past 22. They also advanced to their first ACC Tournament Final since 1962. I'm not really sure what to think about this team. On paper they have the personnel to match-up with a lot of teams, and it starts with Mays and Booker who are beasts down low. They have the guard play, namely KC Rivers who can do just about everything on the floor, and Cliff Hammonds who has a solid mid-range game and can make it rain from anywhere on the perimeter. They have even have the obligatory guy in Oglesby who has unlimited range and can come in at any given time to put up points in a hurry. I think this team could be a sleeper, but I fear for Oliver Purnell's in-game coaching and inconsistency from each position.

Duke on the other hand proved again that if they can't hit three's, not much is going to work for them. Henderson and Nelson both need to be more aggressive than they have, as they're both by far the most athletic players they have and the key to their lack of interior defense. Sorry, but Zoubek isn't going to stop much of anything. Unless this team finds another way to run their offense without totally relying on their perimeter shooting, it could get ugly fairly quickly.

If you want a sleeper pick for the Final Four, take Stanford. (Note - As Mike just informed me, Stanford is not a sleeper pick. However, I decided to use that word when I really meant 'You want to know a great team that has a legit shot at the Final Four that no one knows anything about?' Thank you Mike, what would I do without your input.) Not many teams are going to be able to guard Brook Lopez, much less both twins. Brook is far ahead of Robin in terms of their offensive games, but Robin is the better defender, who has great timing on blocks and is disruptive even when not doing that. The best part about this team is that they understand what the offensive game plan is and they execute is so well every game - pound it down low. It seems simple, yet so many teams have a hard time grasping this concept.

I would assume Virginia Tech's loss to North Carolina today eliminates them from their at-large hopes. Best win being over Miami, and that closely followed by a sweep of a team in Maryland who hit the wall about as hard as you possibly can. 1-6 over the RPI Top 50, 3 sub-100 losses, and no true great win that they can hang their hats on, and this team isn't dancing. And no, Dick Vitale, 9-7 in the ACC does not guarantee you a bid, especially when it's probably the 3rd best conference in the country. You have to give Virginia Tech credit, as they were winning games at a time when no other bubble teams were, but this is a classic case of "too little too late".

A shout out to the Atlantic 10 who will probably be sending 3 teams dancing this year in Temple, Xavier, and Saint Joseph's. Although the latter of the three isn't the most deserving bubble team in the country, they did what they had to do and won when no one else was in defeating Xavier twice in 8 days. Regardless, the committee is certain to reward a league that consistently beat each other up all year; although I don't like that phrase because it's usually an excuse for being a mediocre team in a mediocre league, I don't think that necessarily applies here.

Cheers to Illinois and Bruce Weber, who tanked all year long in Big Ten play, in a league about as down as it has ever been, for bouncing back and learning how to finish off a game in the tournament. Finishing off a game is something they struggled with since their early season loss to Arizona in which they blew a late double digit lead, and that luck continued throughout the year as they continually kept games close but could never get over the hump. Partially due to abandoning the game plan, lack of confidence, lack of consistent point guard play, and Chester Frazier's one man wrecking crew, they could never get it done. Whatever it was that sparked this Illini team, it is impressive and is certain to set a precedent for next year and years to come, as there is a little excitement back around Weber and his program. Win or lose tomorrow this team should be proud of what they have accomplished, and proud that they went down fighting, even when it seemed like they had given up.

With all this said, tomorrow is SELECTION SUNDAY. So begins one of the best weeks of the year as the excitement of filling out brackets, running pools, and skipping school/work/whatever to watch basketball in the middle of the day. Who else is pumped?

7:19 - Tennessee gets beat at their own game, I love it. I love how overrated this team is, it amazing. They're going to exploited so bad. STEVEN HILL FOR THE WIN!

7:11 - Ramar Smith does a horrible job at attempting to be a point guard. He's always looking shot first and has little to no patience at all times. This is a lot like most of Tennessee, but it starts with him.

On the other hand, who wants to play this Arkansas team? They're playing their best basketball of the year at this point, and have talents at every position. Honestly I'm not sure how they weren't better all year.

7:07 - ...and UCLA locks up their 1 seed. I also believe Stanford will sneak in there as the last 2 seed.

6:59 - I am currently flipping between the dumbest team in college basketball and the smartest team in college basketball. This is entertaining - Tennessee continually comes down the court, doesn't run anything resembling an offense, and the play ends with one of the Smiths making some horrible attempt to make something out of nothing. UCLA-Tennessee is a match-up I want to see; you think Ben Howland wouldn't absolutely love to game plan for Bruce Pearl's Vols? If Gillispie can totally undress Pearl with the type of players he has, what do you think Howland can do with those guys?

6:46 - Tyler Smith is Tennessee's best player. It still blows my mind that he got a free waiver by the NCAA to play this year. Out of all the horrible rules and everything the NCAA does bad, and this passes? Come on. Tennessee owes the NCAA.

6:34 - Josh Shipp and Eric Gordon lead the nation in most unnecessary bomb three's.

6:28 - How did Stanford manage to land two sets of twins this good? Pretty random if you ask me. And seriously, how ironic was Brook Lopez being academically ineligible for a semester at Stanford?

6:26 - Jordan Howell and Brian Williams are the classic garbage minute players. Those guys never contribute anything, and Williams is almost always complaining about some foul call against him.

6:22 - GO GOLDEN FLASHES!

6:17 - Have people figured out that Tennessee's frontline is pretty weak on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court? Crews and Chism are intimidating, but they're pretty soft - Chism is too busy trying to find an open three to be a legitimate big man, and Crews still hasn't fully bounced back from early season heart troubles (which were unfortunate).

And seriously Lofton, you don't need to leg kick and fadeaway every time.

6:04 - Tied up at halftime, Stanford-UCLA 32-32. Darren Collison has to be one of the most underrated players in the country. The guy gets love, but in terms of his importance to the team and how skilled he truly is, he's underrated. Don't be fooled by his size, he can do everything.

5:57 - Arkansas, you have the personnel to run a half-court offense efficiently. I know you have the lead at half by 2, but if you keep running with Tennessee there is no way you will win. It's been proven time and again that if you slow this team down they are totally worthless. Their talent keeps them in it and allows them to still pull out games, but you have enough talent to run in that half-court and pull it off.

5:50 - Tip: When judging how good defenses are, never look at how many points they give up per game, rather look at their efficiency.

5:41 - Why is it that Lorenzo Mata decided to be called by his full name, Mata-Real, this year? It's odd.

5:38 - Hard foul on Duke Crews during Arkansas-Tennessee game, and we are 100% positive Tom Hammond said he was "raped". DVR playing 10 times may have confirmed this.

5:33 - Illinois advances to the Big Ten Final. Unbelievable. There is no reason to believe they can't take down Wisconsin tomorrow either.

5:22 - Randle bad foul number 3,100 in his career.

5:18 - Inevitable meltdown by Illinois. If a guy is going at the basket and you know he's going to score, either take him down hard or don't touch him - I hate when guys get little touch fouls.

5:15 - 10 second violations should never, ever happen.

5:07 - Clemson takes out Duke. Wonderful. The one time we root for Duke they go down. Not too excited about Duke's tournament prospects, and I couldn't be happier. I'm sorry but sitting out on the perimeter and bombing three's all game without a legitimate big man isn't going to work - especially given that their defense has been exploited so much in the last few weeks.

5:04 - Three years later Chester Frazier still thinks he's Dee Brown. Poor form.

5:00 - Randle has two fouls with 6:51. Amazing.

4:59 - What're the odds that a team has two Lawrence's on the same team?

4:56 - Is anyone really rooting for Clemson today?

4:53 - And for the 10th time in two days I'd like to mention that McCamey is going to be a star - he's exactly what Bruce Weber needs. This guy is a big-time player.

4:37 - Tubby still can't draw up in-bounds plays. Guess he should probably go back throwing it towards the other basket to even try to get it in. Nothing more frustrating than a 5 second violation - a result of laziness really.

4:28 - Meacham needs to come off more curls, it seems to be where he's most comfortable shooting. Off the dribble he's never quite what to do with it.

4:22 - Two things. First, Sasha Kaun has been at Kansas since the Paul Pierce days. Two, I worry that this Kansas team will struggle when they need to find a guy to make that big shot, to take over the game. They're almost too balanced - when it comes down to it who's going to step up and be that guy?

4:19 - Why has Gerald Henderson been getting more passive as the season has gone on? He's the most athletic, big-time scorer they have, and that will be needed come tournament time. They're not always going to be draining from the perimeter - spread it out.

4:11 - DeAndre Jordan line through 15 minutes - 1 point, 3 fouls. Sounds about right. He's been awful in Big 12 play, getting in constant foul trouble and limited minutes. If anything he's regressed as the season has gone along - I'll chalk that up to Mark Turgeon magic.

4:10 - Illinois leads at the half 29-23. The plan of giving the ball to McCamey and Pruitt continues to work.

3:53 - Randle foul-out watch - Charges to get his first foul at the 6:07 mark. Dude leads the country in charges.

3:51 - McCamey missing early, but they're playing solid defense on an already offensively inept Minnesota team. 1/6 from the line isn't going to help much.

3:45 - Chester Frazier on a fast break is a guaranteed score for the other team.

3:44 - Shaun Pruitt is now 3-3 from the line. To anyone who has the time, has this ever happened?

3:39 - In a discussion of bubble teams and who's in and who's out, when you say a bubble team should be in no matter what, you have to say who you take out. Only 34 at-large bids are available, you can't take everyone. It's pretty easy to say a team should get in (see: Dick Vitale on Virginia Tech, baby) yet it's hard to say who should get snubbed.

3:33 - How long will it be before they stop talking about how undervalued Tubby Smith was at Kentucky? Next year? A few years? Look, in the end the guy left on his own. He knew what he got himself into at Kentucky, he knew what he had to do, and he gave up. He simply gave up. So stop it.

3:28 - How long until Brian Randle fouls out of the game?

3:14 - In other news Tim Welsh was fired from Providence. He's had solid teams but has never, ever won in March and it's clear people got sick of it. It's hard to win at a place like that, but it was time for him to go. As my lone Providence friend Bill tells me, look for Jim Larranaga to get the first call.

3:10 - The interviews on CBS with random guys from the Selection Committee are always fascinating, as they always give in-depth, details responses. I mean honestly, do you really think they're going to tell you what's going on behind the scenes? The answers are the exact same every year.

3:05 - If Kentucky doesn't make the tournament based on this random dude's lucky, game winning shot, I'll have a meltdown. And there should have been a foul on that last play - dude trucked Ramel Bradley, and everyone knows it. Dykes knows it, Lavin knows it, Gillispie knows it, and they got screwed. Reffing all over the country has been extremely poor.

3:00 - On a random note, why is it that teams getting the last shot always stand around and wait until 6 seconds to try to create something? They're so concerned with getting the last shot that they forget to get an actual good shot off. I understand worrying about letting the other team get one last go at it, but you make the shot first and then you worry about that - they think too far ahead.

2:55 - After two bricked free throws, Neitzel finally touches the ball and gets off a great look, just not good enough. Wisconsin will face the winner of Illinois/Minnesota coming up next. This will be strangely exciting, as all of the sudden both teams have a chance at the tournament. The NIT and CBI should hold the phones for now!

2:54 - Rather than learning from his mistakes, Lucas goes directly at the rim with a full 10 seconds left in the game and throws up a prayer. Absolutely horrid decision by Lucas, Neitzel has to touch the ball.

2:52 - You have to love when a player dribbles through the lane, has nowhere to go, panics and throws it back only to be picked for free transition points. Inexperience on the part of Kalin Lucas, they had too much time to go that quickly - Neitzel needs the ball.

2:46 - For Illinois' sake, go Michigan State. This team is liable to put up huge numbers, but let's be honest, they haven't forgotten their roots of that wonderful 34 point output against Iowa. This team is about as erratic as you can be, while Wisconsin has been the same team for a good 5 years now. They're not going to beat themselves, they'll always keep it close, and they won't blow you out. They're tough to beat, but on any given day they can be beat.

2:39 - Every year Dick Vitale goes on his good old "over .500 in the ACC is enough for a tournament bid baby!" No dude, it's not. 1-6 over the RPI Top 50 and 3 sub-100 RPI losses is not worth of a tournament bid no matter how you want to put it. This team didn't consistently beat the actual good teams in the ACC, rather they beat up on the bottom of the conference and attempt to make it LOOK like they're a decent team. They didn't win the games needed to warrant a bid, enough said.

The ESPN ACC bias is getting so old. No, it's been old for years now it's just people still manage to eat up everything they say about it.

2:37 - Roy Williams manages to run a horrible play, waits until 7 seconds and has Lawson put up a rushed, off-balance shot before Hansbrough gets the offensive rebound and hits the mid-range jumper for the win. Unreal.

2:36 - There's about a 130% chance Tyler Hansbrough gets fouled here.

2:34 - Are there two teams more similar year in and year out than Michigan State and Wisconsin? Honestly they fill out each position with the same exact guys every single year, color and all.

2:31 - Mike Patrick and Dick Vitale are the worst announcing duo ever.

2:29 - And on cue Deron Washington fouls Ellington on a three to foul out, right after he hit back-to-back. Guys you don't block three's very often, especially on a guy with as quick and smooth of a release as anyone in the country.

2:28 - Does anyone in the world like Deron Washington? His dunks are sick but that guy is one of the most obnoxious players in the country. His cheap shots especially on Duke are totally uncalled for.

2:17 - I swear if North Carolina lets Virginia Tech into the tournament...

1:33 - The love child of Drew Neitzel and Terence Oglesby hits a turn around, fadeaway three for the win. I'll give him that shot all day, but so be it, as long as this loss doesn't keep Kentucky out of the tournament I'm fine with it - if anything it drops them out of the 8/9 game which is an atrocious game to be in. Guess we'll see.

1:09 - And to make it worse, this game goes to overtime. Ramel Bradley is doing his best Dominic James impression as he's 3-15 and having quite possibly his worst game since December. Oh, and he missed 3 straight potential game-winning shots. Come on.

11:56 - First half over. Start was terrible, teams were both clearly out of it and Georgia took advantage of it, but Kentucky ended on a 21-6 run to take a 25-22 lead at halftime. Crawford continues his recent tear, scoring 10 in the first half. As always Ramon Harris is attacking the boards and just seems to be in the right place at the right time, as is Stevenson.

Mark Coury is still worthless. Why he starts I don't know, but I have to say that seeing him do the jump ball is unintentionally hilarious.

11:18 - The day begins as Kentucky and Georgia play in front of a stadium of a few thousand fans, at most. It looks like a high school game and it's pretty funny. Georgia starts off hot, but let's be honest, both teams are a little spaced out right now after what's happened, and given how long Kentucky's just been hanging out in Atlanta they're a little rusty.

On a side note, get Memphis out of the Conference-USA, it's a waste.

The March Continues...

2008-03-14T10:04:00.000-07:00

2:21 - As day two comes to an end, we find the bubble no more clear than it was at the end of yesterday. Not many teams have decided to step up and make the decision for the committee, and quite honestly this will be one of the toughest years ever when it comes down to those last few teams in the tournament. However, on the day the bubble teams performed better than they did yesterday, which isn't truly saying much. With that said, I should probably note that there weren't many games with true bubble implications today; they all lost yesterday.

Teams whose bubble was burst -

Ohio State - Maybe this team has a slight chance, but I highly doubt they'll be in now. They had 2 legitimately good wins on the season over MSU and Purdue, but given the inconsistency of both teams, neither was a marquee win that other bubble teams can boast. Even the bubble teams that can't boast that one true great win can actually present the committee with solid wins all year long, something Ohio State cannot.

Charlotte - Kidding. Just wanted to mention how sweet of a name Leemire Goldwire is. I'm sad to see him go.

Teams who will be sweating it out on Sunday -

Kansas State - Poor Frank Martin. He has the best player in the country, a total nutjob, and a point guard who is convinced he's the best there is. Outside of that I challenge you to find someone who can name another player. This has showed up recently as they've dropped 5/7 at a time the committee values heavily. Given a blind resume I don't think this team deserves a bid. Don't be fooled by Beasley, this team's profile is about as weak as an apparent "lock" can get - Their best non-conference win was over California, and they totally whiffed on other opportunities against Oregon, Notre Dame, and Xavier; in conference wins over Kansas, A&M, and @Oklahoma. Based on these, I guess they're in, but 6-10 over top 100 an abysmal finish, a team loaded with headcases and cry babies, and a coach named "Crazy-eyes" Martin, and you're not looking so good.

Teams who helped their case -

Virginia Tech - Look, I'm still laughing at the prospect of this team getting in the tournament, but since they're still being mentioned, a win over Miami by 14 certainly looks solid. Still, 0-6 over the RPI Top-50 along with 3 sub-100 RPI losses isn't going to cut it.

Texas A&M - At this point a game against KSU almost became a must-win situation. They had to show the committee that they can play one game consistently, as their stretch of games to end the year was a win by 44, a loss by 27, a win by 14, and then another loss by 17. Given that the committee rewards teams who finish strong and they had lost 5/7, a decent run in the Big 12 tournament was a must. Beating ISU and KSU all but seals up a bid for them. Congrats to Mark Turgeon who has done a horrid job at handling the pressures of a relatively big job and an abysmal job at coaching a team with the talent he was given.

Teams who locked it up -

Arkansas - They're in. They were before, but any doubters are now silent. Not a team I'd like to face in the tournament, cause a lot of match-up problems with guys like Weems, Thomas, and Townes.

Notes -

You know Chris Lofton, it's not ALWAYS necessary to fade-away when no one's on you. Really, you don't have to make it harder for yourself every single time just to show off. You're a great shooter, we know.

Leonard Hamilton shows his great skills at getting every single team he has to finish the season just strong enough to creep a little bit onto the bubble before falling short in the ACC tournament. You can set your watch to it. Same as him picking up big-time recruits, never to be heard of again. Von Wafer knew to get out quick, he did all right for himself. Cheers to you Chris Singleton!

I'm fairly positive I've been totally wrong about Georgetown. I've been blinded by the fact that they've had 4 games almost handed to them in the end. Regardless, this team can play however they want. They can run, they can grind-it-out, pound it down low, and on and on. With guys like Freeman, Macklin, Wallace, and Sapp and their ability to shoot from anywhere on the floor, it's going to open up so many options for a guy as big as Hibbert. JTIII's Princeton offense is run to perfection - you can just tell each of his players are so well coached and so well taught that the offense comes second nature. Their cuts and passes are so crisp time and again.

Vanderbilt, the NCAA Tournament isn't played a Memorial Gymnasium. Just thought I'd remind you, because everytime you're not there you forget how to play, you forget how to shoot. Guess not having the benches under the basket is a huge disadvantage huh?

Seriously though, Dominic James is either really bad or really stupid. It's one of the two. He's the most erratic, streaky, dumb player I've seen in a long time. He's got the talent but he has no idea how to use it, and neither does Tom Crean, but does that surprise you?

Congrats to Illinois. I feel like I brought up the CBI too early and owe them an apology. When they lay a beat down on Minnesota tomorrow for the third time this year and take down the most consistently boring team in America in Wisconsin on Sunday, a 3 or 4 seed is going to be pretty upset. I realize they didn't know how to finish games all year, but there's no way this team should have been 5-13 in what was the weakest Big Ten in recent memory. McCamey is going to be a stud. He's exactly the type of player Weber needs but has failed so horribly in trying to get - but don't worry, the future is bright. And by future I mean Selection Sunday, baby.

I know I've abused Mark Gottfried in a bunch of posts already, but it needs to be said again - he's horrible. This team has the talent in their starting five to match up with anyone in the SEC, and has one of the most underrated players in the country in Richard Hendrix. It's sad to see such talent go to waste every single year there, as he's consistently kept the top talent in Alabama to stay there. (Jamychal Green and Andrew Steele say hello). Maybe one day he'll figure it out, but I doubt it.

On a related note, it's sad to see a guy like Ronald Steele sitting on the sidelines each and every game. He was one of the most promising young players in the country following his sophomore year until injuries plagued him throughout all of last year and now this year. He struggled to consistently get that explosive first step and all of his mobility back, I just hope for him he can come back next year fully healthy and ready to play.

I love trendy Final Four picks every year. I know Xavier is a solid team and all because the media loves to hype up underrated teams that no one else sees just to prove their knowledge, but come on. This is the same team that got bombed by ASU by 22, Temple by 19, Miami (Oh), and has now lost to St. Joseph's twice in 8 days. They're a pretty decent team, I'll give them that, but don't be fooled by how much they dominated the A-10 - the media loves a conference who beats each other up and then blames the lack of tournament bids on that. Maybe they'll prove me wrong, but this team has yet to beat a truly legitimate team. No, Indiana and Kansas State do not count.

In related news, Jamont Gordon is STILL celebrating his big putback in OT.

If you haven't yet figured it out, Tennessee is not very hard to beat. Allow them to shoot all the three's they want, slow the game down and you've got a formula.

Indiana is wonderfully awful. At this point you've got to wonder how much they care, if at all. This team is probably the easiest upset pick in the tourney if there ever was a sure thing.

Tim Floyd's teams play about how he looks. Pretty awful.

If there was ever some stat for jump-stops or most effective use of them, OJ Mayo would run away with it. I don't think I've ever seen someone use them as well or as often as he does. One of the many ways he can create for himself, and although it was disappointing that he missed that last shot due to a hesitation, this team will be deadly next weekend. Who wants to face this type of talent?

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute hurt his ankle tonight falling on Taj Gibson...he's out for tomorrow's game, but I just hope it's not very serious. Hate to see big-time teams go down early because of an injury on a fluke type play.

Final note on the SEC Tournament - Looks like it's going to be played at Georgia Tech tomorrow and tickets will be on a first come first serve basis. Who knows how this is going to work, but it'll be interesting, as the crowd of Kentucky fans alone in Atlanta is probably double what Georgia Tech's stadium can even hold. No word on the times yet, but all signs point to an early morning game between Georgia and Kentucky and the winner of that will play later that night against MSU. Only realistic scenario.

12:28 - Brook Lopez is one of the best big men in the country. He's got a full offensive arsenal, and especially loves that little baby hook from the right corner, along with impressive athleticism for a guy his size. He's so good at getting into the lane and getting garbage points off of offensive rebounds, and is improving defensively, although he could learn from Robin.

12:23 - It always amazes me hearing about unknown players who became stars and their offers/options out of high school. For instance, it was just mentioned that Kyle Weaver had just two offers - Bradley and Washington State. Yet he has become one of the most versatile and best defenders in the country, much less the Pac-10.

12:18 - Washington State's defense is overrated. Just because a team plays a very slow, grind-it-out style and keeps it very low scoring doesn't necessarily mean their defense is good. I've always found that how many points a team gives up in terms of overall defense is a horrible way to judge it.

11:29 - Still no word on what the SEC is going to do about scheduling the tournament from here on out, and quite frankly it's pathetic. There is only one legitimate option and that is to play 2 games tomorrow for whoever wins Kentucky-Georgia. It's unfair, yes, but you can't do it on Sunday, and not a chance it's extended past Selection Sunday. It shouldn't be very hard to announce a time for the games tomorrow - they're leaving thousands hanging here waiting for news. The moment they postponed the game they should have had a plan, otherwise they should have waited as long as possible until they were cleared to play.

10:45 - TUBBY PULLS ONE OUT! FULL COURT HAILMARY PASS TURN AROUND JUMPER FOR THE WIN! BLAKE HOLFLEKWRJWER DRAINS IT!

The basketball gods come through in the clutch for the Tubster. That was one of the craziest endings I've seen in my entire life. Now we get to see Minnesota and Illinois battle it out for a spot in the Big Ten Tournament Final.

10:33 - Minnesota is up 2 with 10 seconds to go. Gordon drives gets fouled with 3.4 seconds left, misses first free throw, purposely misses second...a lucky bounce and DJ White tips in, and one. Misses free throw, loose ball Minnesota fouls DJ White again, misses first free throw makes second. This is the most ridiculous ending I've ever seen.

10:27 - The Kentucky-Georgia game is being postponed until tomorrow. How in the world does that work? Both teams are getting shafted, and by the way, how can you keep fans in the building because it's safer, yet can't play the game?

10:22 - Minnesota leads Indiana 53-48 with 3:22 left. We'll keep you updated as the Tubby train rolls through Indianapolis.

9:57 - To expand on an earlier point, the Dominic James love is hilarious. Dude is 0-11 on the night. Just look at his game log from this year and you'll find much of the same. He's very quick, but settles for the outside shot way too often. If I hear another mention of him in the breath of the best PG's in the country I think I'll be sick.

For reference, he's averaging 12.5 ppg on 40.4% fg and 30.4% 3fg, and 65.1% FT. Amazing.

9:54 - After a 64 minute delay MSU pulls out a close one. Riley got off the best shot he could have with .5 seconds left, rimmed in and out. They now await the winner of Georgia-Kentucky.

9:37 - And the games shall go on - 10 minute warm-up and back on the court to play it out. Great quote from Billy Gillispie via Matt Jones, from Kentucky Sports Radio - Best story though comes from Brett Dawson of the Courier Journal who was standing with Coach Gillispie when it happened. He told me that Gillispie took it in stride and said, “I just thought it was the Kentucky fans coming in.”

9:29 - Pittsburgh continues their romp through the Big East tournament - but honestly, how overrated is Marquette? Every single year they've got the same players, same inconsistency problems and haven't had an actual big man since Robert Jackson back in the D-Wade days.

Their jersey's are sweet though.

9:26 - Indiana down by 7 at halftime to Minnesota. How awesome would a Minnesota-Illinois Big Ten Semifinal match-up be? Considering that Minnesota contributed to half of Illinois' Big Ten wins this year, that would bode well for them. They're looking at the Big Dance, SCREW THE CBI!

8:58 - They hope to resume play within 10-20 minutes. Everything seems to be okay.

On a side note, USC-UCLA is probably the game of the night...USC controlling the game through the first half 34-28.

8:40 - Don't even know what happened, but all of the sudden it sounded like there was a train going through and the building started to shake. The jumbo-tron was going back and forth, and the picture is getting fuzzy due to the cameras. This isn't looking good, hopefully it's nothing severe - they also mentioned there's a tornado warning, maybe it hit? Miss. St. and Alabama were both taken off the floor quickly.

8:38 - But really, this Alabama team was 5-11 in the SEC? That's absolutely horrid, I mean look at their players. Gee, Riley, and Hendrix alone should be able to win at least 9 or 10 games in the SEC, given how weak it was this year.

8:32 - MYKAL RILEY MY MAN-CRUSH CONTINUES! Hits an off balance, awkward, contested 3 pointer for the tie. OT BABY.

8:25 - Surprisingly, they drew up a good in-bounds play to Hendrix, who I believe is one of the more underrated players in the country, but he got stuffed. Jarvis Varnado is an outstanding defensive player, and one of the better shot-blockers in recent memory. Wouldn't want to face this guy.

8:21 - The good news? Alabama has a chance to tie or win it with 20 seconds left. The bad news? Mark Gottfried called a timeout.

7:54 - Illini nation breathes a sigh of relief as they finally pull out a game. Congrats to them, I'm hoping to see them take down the Big Ten title, and at this point, who knows?

Although one does have to wonder, where has this team been all year?

7:40 - In other news, St. Joe's takes out Xavier, guaranteeing a second bid for A-10, which is rightfully deserved, as this conference beat up on each other all season long. Just hope that St. Joe's wins in the final and doesn't bring in a probable third bid.

7:35 - Demetri McCamey. Are you serious?

7:32 - Breaking news - Shaun Pruitt just missed a free throw. Spread the word.

7:29 - Alabama starts off game down 10-0 to Miss. State, yet finds their offensive mojo just like last night and ends the half on a 36-19 run. My man-crush on Mykal Riley stands.

7:26 - Is this the first time Brian Randle hasn't been fouled out of a game all year? Serious question.

7:24 - I'll be the first to admit I am probably overcritical of Georgetown for no reason. They're a good team, but have gotten so many lucky breaks it's hard to like them. However, I'm not sure many teams can look so different on a game-to-game basis than they do. Yesterday? 17/28 from three, Roy Hibbert 0 points. Today? 6/13 on three, Roy Hibbert 21 points.

7:21 - Funny stat of the day: Illinois is the unluckiest team in the country according to Ken Pomeroy and his insanely in-depth statistics. Shout-out to Mike on that one, but who actually looks at that?

7:18 - Does Purdue ever miss? No?

Demetri McCamey is going to be a star - book it.

7:15 - It has become painfully obvious that Illinois shouldn't have been as bad as they were all year. I guess pounding it down low was never an option for this team even though their frontline can be pretty big down there. Hopefully this isn't Illinois' last game, I don't really want to see them in the CBI.

7:11 - I'm back - so what did I miss? I see Ohio State lost their chance to play themselves into the tournament. I see that Vandy found yet another way to lose away from home - color me shocked. I see that Virginia Tech got their first decent win on the year, but the simple fact that Miami is a lock for the tournament is how weak college basketball is as a whole. I see that Tennessee barely pulled one out over South Carolina. I know it's cliche, but there's no doubt South Carolina is the best terrible team in the country. Oxy-moron I know, but true. Didn't miss all that much really, tonight is sure to be awesome though.

2:01 - As Tennessee does their best to show every team how to beat them, I have to leave. On a day like this, I have somewhere to be, not exactly excited about it. I'll be back for more later.

1:42 - While we discuss this Tennessee-South Carolina game I'd like to bring up the fact that Billy Gillispie and Bruce Pearl were co-SEC coaches of the year. Okay, that's great and all that Bruce Pearl is coach of the year, but isn't this award for the coaches who did the BEST JOB with their team? When comparing, you have Tennessee who has far, far more talent than anyone in the SEC, and can match-up in that category with almost anyone in the country. Given that, didn't Pearl just maintain this teams level rather than do a great job with them? How many coaches in the country would die for players like Tyler Smith, Chris Lofton, and JaJuan Smith running your team? Their balance is almost unfair, yet with guys as athletic and as talented as they are, Bruce still doesn't know how to coach a half-court offense.

Gillispie on the other hand was scrutinized throughout the first two months of the season. People didn't quite understand what it takes to install your system into a team that for the past few years had become complacent and almost uncaring - just like Tubby, unfortunately. Kentucky fans got what they wanted in Gillispie, yet weren't quite sure what to do when we weren't winning right away. We never got him as a quick fix to our problems, but for the long-term. Given that, the team struggled. Jasper missed the first 2 months, Meeks has been in and out all year, Bradley missed two SEC games, Harris missed the first four games, and Patterson is now out for the year. The team was never at one point in the year fully healthy, yet with all of this, and the lack of talent left behind by the previous regime, Gillispie was able to right the ship come SEC play. Going 6-7 in non-conference play and left for dead, the players finally bought what Gillispie was selling, and it showed immediately. 12 wins later and Kentucky with a win tonight is an absolute lock for the NCAA Tournament. Try showing that stat to me back in December and I'm laughing fairly hard at you.

This is the coach of the year. I'd even go as far to say National Coach of the year. I could go on and on about what Gillispie has done in terms of the turnaround, the improvement in players more in a few months than in years under the previous staff, the team first attitude, the actual recruiting going on, the new energetic Rupp Arena, and the fact that him and his players actually truly care. It's amazing. I'll spare you the details, but I think it's fairly obvious what's happening here.

1:38 - On the note of overrated head coaches, what's the fascination with Dave Odom? Similar to Tom Crean, he owes Tim Duncan half his pay check every year, as he's done little since that time. Unless of course back-to-back NIT Titles is your thing. Not too sad to see him leave the SEC - will be interesting to see who they get, but I'm guessing if they call Anthony Grant the search will stop there.

1:37 - Seriously though, Tennessee, stop pressing Devan Downey.

1:31 - Texas pulls it out over Oklahoma State...I'm hoping their recent turn around allows Sean Sutton to keep his job. Although I don't believe Gillispie would ever leave Kentucky on his own, I don't want to hear about it. Besides that could only look bad for recruiting.

12:58 - Okay I'm a little upset that Zam Frederick trimmed his beard.

12:53 - Texas is the ultimate enigma - they can beat anyone in the country yet can also lose to anyone in the country. I'm not sure what that means for their tournament prospects, but they better hope they don't see a team like Pittsburgh or Mississippi State in the second round. I always make fun of depth and bench scoring because usually it means your starting five sucks, but in Texas' case, they have absolutely none. Can you name a player that comes off their bench to contribute? Gary Johnson maybe?

12:45 - I'd like to think that people figured out how poor Tennessee's press is. Kentucky, with a horrible lack of ball handlers was able to break it with ease in both of their match-ups. It's so overrated, as is this team as a whole. I mean, how many stupid players can you have on one team?

12:40 - Oh and I forgot to mention - rumor has it that Hansbrough signed a lease to live in the same place with the same guys next year. That must mean he's coming back to school again. How many years of eligibility does this guy have? And if this news surprised you, I'm sorry, but dude obviously isn't going pro.

12:37 - For what it's worth, Leonard Hamilton is among the worst coaches in high D-I basketball. This guy is the definition of "doing less with more". Whatever, I guess his 19-63 record in the NBA is enough to convince players he can do what it takes to get them to the next level. And maybe that's why he got his contract extended this year...for what?

12:36 - Tyler Hansbrough does all the dishes AND invented the game red dot. What a guy!

12:08 - Day two is underway. This afternoon there's really not all that much to watch in terms of the bubble/good match-ups. The three games to keep an eye on -

Michigan State/Ohio State - A win for Ohio State would be it's third in a row, second over MSU. This would put them on the right track towards an at-large bid as they would now actually have 3 quality wins, whereas 2 weeks ago they were on the bubble discussion based on their wins over Syracuse and Florida (who both tanked out in their respective tournaments). Will be interesting to watch a desperate team against a rather inconsistent MSU team.

Miami/Va Tech - Well, I guess Virginia Tech is still on the bubble. Exactly why I'm not sure, but maybe, just maybe they can actually get a few quality wins in the tournament. But really, this team doesn't deserve to be in the discussion at all.

Vanderbilt/Arkansas - If yesterday had been a good day for bubble teams I might be saying this is a must win for Arkansas, but it wasn't. Their profile from a distance is pretty solid, as they can boast wins over Vanderbilt, Baylor, Ole Miss, and MSU, but this is balanced out by their 5 sub-100 RPI losses and their inability to beat any quality opponent on the road - in many chances. With that said, they're in the tournament, and they can thank everyone that participated yesterday - this should be an exciting game though. I mean, who knows, maybe Vanderbilt can win away from Memorial Gymnasium?

The Madness Begins

2008-03-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

1:23 - As day one of the conference tournaments comes to a close we really didn't learn much. We saw plenty of bubble teams lose. In fact, I can't think of one bubble team that did anything to help themselves today, as has been the case for the past few weeks. It's not being called the weakest bubble in years for nothing.

Teams who's bubbles burst today -

Dayton - Sorry, but 9-9 in the A-10 isn't going to cut it. They win this game and they've got a real shot, but their inability to get consistently solid wins in conference ultimately killed them.

UAB - Why did people consider this team "on the bubble" in the first place? One decent win over Kentucky, a win that at the time was nothing to hang your hat on. 5 sub-100 RPI losses to add and this team had to win the conference tournament in order to get the bid. I think the infatuation with Robert Vaden might have been a bit much.

Houston - Another joke of a Conference USA team who also had a "good" win over Kentucky. Pretty laughable that they were ever in the discussion as well. Guess that loss over East Carolina (252 RPI!) isn't looking so good anymore.

Florida - Losing their last 4 games of the season is never a good thing, especially given that before those 4 losses you were on the bubble. They need to win at least one over MSU/Tennessee/Kentucky, and they couldn't do it. Coming out lazy and lacking any sort of pride against an Alabama team that has struggled all year doesn't show too much. The 2 time defending champs are headed for the NIT. Donovan even had this to say about his players afterwards.

Massachusetts - I have a hard time believing this team deserved it in the first place, given that their out of conference wins (at Syracuse, Houston, and Boston College) turned out to be worthless, and they couldn't manage to do better than 10-6 in the A-10. The league is pretty solid this year, but it shouldn't be confused for a power conference quite yet.

Mississippi - This game was enjoyable to watch, as we saw them get break after break yet couldn't manage to get over the hump against a team they beat by 14 just four days ago. It's funny how analysts consistently complain about how weak the SEC is, yet claim that with a run to the semi's or finals of the SEC tournament this Ole Miss team is in. Want to elaborate on that? 10-10 (assuming a loss in the SEC final) is still .500. They would still have wins in conference over just Vandy, Arkansas, and MSU all at home. They managed just one road win, and yet because of their start to the year (13-0), this team is given a break. Every single year a team is given the benefit of the doubt because they're seemingly a good story. It's laughable.

Maryland - Oh the Terrapins. You were barely hanging on to the bubble before the Clemson game almost two weeks ago, and were looking oh so good to seemingly lock up a bid 30 minutes into it. And then you blew a 20 point lead just like that. You take a week off, sure to bounce back right? No, you go out and lose to Virginia by 15, quickly followed by a loss to BC in which led by 15 early on. Gary Williams simply isn't getting it done on the recruiting trail, and the results have shown in the past few years.
Teams that lost but still have a fighting chance -

Here's an ode to the three bubble Pac-10 teams in Arizona State, Oregon, and Arizona who all managed to lose today. All of their resumes are fairly similar, as they each ended up 9-10 in Pac-10 play and all have fairly solid wins inter-conference. If I could I would take all three of these teams, but with how they performed today there is no way the Pac-10 gets 7 in. Each team has a legit argument for an at-large bid, but in the end I only see Arizona making it. Again, this is one of the weakest bubble years in recent memory - an 18-14 (9-10) record in most years isn't going to cut it, no matter the conference strength, schedule strength or whatever. At some point you have to win these games.

You never really advise losing in the first round of your conference tournament. Baylor clearly didn't take that advice as they went down to Colorado, who won just 3 games in conference play this year. As I mentioned earlier, I still believe this team is benefiting from two things - a great start to the season and being a great story because of what this program has gone through. They have 3 decent wins - Notre Dame on a neutral floor, at Texas A&M in 5 OT's, and at home against Kansas State. Okay I'll give you credit for Notre Dame, but the latter two teams still have work to do themselves if they're even going to make the tournament. 3-8 over the RPI Top 50 and this team is a lock? I'll never understand what the perception of teams like Baylor is, really. The media has such a blind infatuation to them that they'll do anything they can to keep them on the right side of the bubble. Losing as a 5 seed in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament, which had never happened in its 10 year history and you're on your way to the wrong side. Good thing the rest of the bubble was just as bad today.

Teams that helped themselves -

Well this was certainly rare today. Usually the first major day of conference tournaments is moving day on the bubble, and separates a lot of teams, but now the committee is left to do that. No one team has yet stood up to truly make a case for themselves.

St. Joseph's - To have a shot they have to make the A-10 finals, and that would involve beating Xavier tomorrow (5:30 CT). Beat Xavier and you're in. The committee knows they have to take two teams from the A-10, and this would give them good reason. Oh and there would be an auto-bid up for grabs that Xavier wouldn't be a part of, so could they make it three?

Miami - Another team that has benefited from everyone else being so weak. What have they really done this year besides beat Duke? Beat up on mediocre ACC teams I guess? They were a lock before and with a win over NC State, there's no more doubt.

Texas A&M - Was interested what would happen in this game. Knowing what the Aggies have done this year, who knows, they would have lost by 31 today and I wouldn't have been surprised. One of the most erratic teams in the past years and it's very hard to judge whether they're truly one of the best 34 at large teams in the country. Big match-up tomorrow with KSU - win and they're in, lose and they're sweating it out.

Overall a fun day in conference tournament play, but what else do you expect? This is easily the best time of year, something I truly look forward to every year and its one thing that never disappoints. Should be a great time tomorrow, I look forward to day 2 as we come upon Selection Sunday.

12:32 - Arizona goes down to Stanford. Another bubble team - pretty much total domination in the second half, as Stanford's size did Arizona in.

12:17 - Even though Trent Johnson may not be the best coach, this guy can't even mess up having two 7'0" white big men with multiple skills. How can you defend two of them? They're not exactly stiffs either. Terrible match-up for anyone.

11:47 - And for what it's worth we can go ahead and add Ole Miss to the teams whose bubble burst today. 7-10 in the SEC this year with non-conference wins over Clemson and South Alabama isn't going to cut it.

11:37 - Closing out the day is Arizona-Stanford, already tied up at 35-35, this is a game that if Arizona wins, they're in. If not they're probably still in but truly sweating it on come Sunday. Wouldn't mind seeing their 22 consecutive NCAA tournament appearance streak come to an end, I've always disliked a team that has so much talent but does so little with it.

11:34 - Georgia runs an absolutely flawless play, Ole Miss plays no defense and Dave Bliss gets off a wide open bank shot to win it. Great play, great win for both Georgia and Kentucky. Thank you Dennis Felton.

11:31 - Warren makes all three free throws, just like Huertas did. Georgia should probably attempt to get a shot off here, just a thought.

11:30 - THEY JUST FOULED ON A THREE AGAIN? ARE YOU SERIOUS?

11:24 - My blog just got an inadvertent name drop. Nice.

11:13 - Georgia decides to hold the ball for a tie. No need to go for the win in regulation.

11:10 - Did they really just foul Huertas on a 3 with 7 seconds left? Really?

10:58 - Forgot to mention that it would be big to knock of another SEC bubble team that Kentucky is competing with. Although Kentucky is in a much better position than Ole Miss at this point in time, a win over Kentucky gives them another shot at what's most likely to be MSU who've they already beaten once. Do that and Ole Miss is in very, very good shape.

10:54 - I'll be relieved if Kentucky gets to face a Georgia team they've handled with relative ease tomorrow rather than an Ole Miss team who might outrebound them by no less than 30 without Patterson in there. Ole Miss isn't a great team, but they can beat people, and Chris Warren is liable to put up big numbers at any time.

10:30 - Does Tom Crean ever sit down? Dude paces the sidelines the entire game, no matter what. He's probably looking for his next Dwyane Wade - he owes half his paycheck to him. I'm thankful to this day that Kentucky didn't give this guy a second look in their coaching search.

On a side note, bubble teams are struggling today. Oregon, Arizona State, UAB, Houston, Dayton, Baylor, Maryland, Villanova, and Florida all go down...while Ole Miss is struggling with a Georgia team they beat on the road by 14 just 4 days ago.

On the day no bubble teams truly helped themselves, just making it harder for the committee. No one seems desperate to get off of it, although half the teams I just mentioned had to make deep runs in their respective tournaments anyways.

Arizona-Stanford still to come.

10:05 - Pac-10 bubble teams 0/2 on the day. Arizona up next.

Maryland still doing their best to get invited to the NIT. Enjoy, Gary.

10:01 - The 5 second call sucks. Refs can pretty much call it whenever they want. Does the guy have to be guarding you closely or if you're dribbling in one place for 5 seconds do they call it then too? I don't get it.

9:55 - Seriously though, what is wrong with Tajuan Porter's ear?

9:53 - Ernie Kent just called a timeout and ran off the floor...at least he didn't go Bill Walker on us.

9:43 - Hey did you guys know the Lopez twins like drawing and cartoons? I swear, I had no idea either. Oh yeah, Disney too.

9:12 - Malik Hairston looks strangely similar to Joe Crawford. True story.

8:54- I have a man crush on Mykal Riley.

8:34 - Mark Gottfried sweats one out, he tried his best to blow it though. Alabama-MSU match-up would be interesting if Gottfried knew how to utilize his best players.

8:20 - As Louisville goes down and makes this Big East tournament incredibly mediocre all of the sudden I question what I think about this team. Are they really that good? They've got the personnel but can they put it all together in time for a deep run? I don't really know, but I do know that Pittsburgh was just too tough for them tonight.

8:08 - As Louisville and Pittsburgh head to overtime, Florida has already cut the deficit to 9 in just 10 minutes. Mark Gottfried working his magic.

7:40 - With 8:15 left in the game Terence Williams scores his first points. Pitt continues to out-muscle Louisville with guys like Blair, Young and Brown. Their frontline can give plenty of teams trouble.

7:24 - At the half Alabama leads Florida 46-23. Tips for the second half for Florida - When a team breaks your press 4 or 5 times in a row all leading to points, you should probably stop it. I don't know, that could just be me. Marreesse Speights should probably have more than 0 shots. And when you have 3 guards who can all get to the rim, why do you have 1 free throw? They all happen to be solid free throw shooters too. Stop relying so much on the outside shot (3-12 on 3, 7-26 overall).

Tips for Alabama. Whatever Gottfried tells you, don't listen. Just play.

7:02 - Color commentator says, and I quote - "Alabama can't relax on Florida. Remember, these are the defending champions!" Not that this year's Florida team is different or anything.

6:57 - Star powered Alabama continues its romping 26-5. Don't worry though Mark Gottfried is just getting lucky, he's not actually coaching. Still.

6:50 - Florida giving the committee reason number 8,000 why they shouldn't be near the bubble, down 19-3 to Alabama 6 minutes in. Barring a major turn around by both Florida and OSU I expect to see neither in the field, the first time the prior year's final two do not make the tournament since 1980.

6:40 - I don't care how Louisville started the year, how many internal problems they've had, or how dumb they often tend to play. They're a Final Four team. They have it all. They have size, athleticism, quickness, and shooters. When Sosa decides he doesn't think he's the man and plays within a team concept he can run the point with the best of them. People also tend to forget that they were plagued by injuries, mainly to Padgett and Palacios for much of the first 2+ months.

I always made fun of Padgett and his importance to the Cardinal squad, but he turned out to be the missing piece to their team. He provides leadership that was missing for so long, because guys like Sosa and Caracter think they can run this team. He brought this team together since he came back prior to the Kentucky game in early January.

If this team decides to stop shooting so many three's, as they've gotten better at lately, there's no telling how far they can go. They have the talent to match up with anyone in the country.

6:00 - Second session of games underway, finally. I was getting a little bored watching Minnesota and Northwestern battle it out.

4:38 - Congratulations to Colorado who becomes the first 12 seed in Big 12 Tournament history to win a game. This makes for a lame match-up in Oklahoma-Colorado tomorrow, but somewhere the Sooners are cheering, even though their last game turned out to be a blow out - for Colorado.

I still believe Baylor is in the NCAA Tournament, as their numbers indicate they should be. However in my personal opinion I've never understood how they've gotten the benefit of the doubt in terms of the bubble. They have 3 good wins over Notre Dame, Kansas State, and @Texas A&M. That's as far as it goes. What else has this team really proven to be a tournament team? 3-8 vs. the RPI Top 50 is fairly weak for a team many consider to be a "lock". This loss will hurt them much more than it may look as of now based on how other bubble teams do.

4:20 - Baylor-Colorado goes to double overtime, tied at 74.

Forgot to mention that our man Joe Alexander ended up with 34 in a big time win over UConn. Yesterday it was a question as to whether WVU was on the right side of the bubble as they struggled throughout with Tim Welsh's Friar's; now it's a matter of how high WVU can go.

They controlled the glass against a tough UConn team with a relative ease which was the most surprising part of this game. There is nothing more frustrating than giving up offensive rebound after offensive rebound, especially down the stretch of the game. Although I still believe the Huskies are the better team, I wonder how this team will bounce back from a game like this. It seemed all game long as if they never knew how to handle WVU's defense, and became complacent enough to begin shooting three's. We all know how that works for them.

4:10 - Before I congratulate USC on their win I would like to mention that ASU got robbed in a chance to tie it up with just over 15 seconds to go. Off a missed shot Pendergraph came in and followed up with a dunk, but there was a whistle. Originally it was assumed that it was offensive goal tending, but on a closer look it wasn't. The whistle turns out to be over the back, when everyone going for the rebound under the basket was straight up. The USC player going for the rebound was straight under the basket, and Pendergraph was able to cleanly grab the rebound and score. This play could all but eliminate ASU from an at-large bid and that's too bad.

However, USC controlled the tempo of this game as Mayo continually hit big shot after big shot off of curls, screens and whatever else they could muster for him. His mid-range game and body control has improved as the year has gone along and he showed why he is a big time prospect all game long. As I mentioned earlier, if they were able to get Jefferson and Gibson consistently involved they would win: Both players had 11 points and 9 rebounds, as they controlled the glass out-rebounding ASU 33 to 18.

I would hate to play this USC team in the tournament. They have too much talent and have multiple players who can step up big when they're needed.

Also, how did I not mention in my earlier post that Daniel Hackett is USC's best defender?

4:05 - In the obligatory upset/choke watch we see Colorado force overtime against Baylor. Yeah, the same Colorado who went 3-13 in the Big 12 this year and has an overall 166 RPI. This is also the same Baylor team who is fighting for their at-large lives. They're certainly not playing like a team desperate to make the NCAA tournament. Tip: Don't lose this game Baylor. Historically the 12 seed in the 10 years of the Big 12 Tournament has never won a game, now would not be a good time to stop that.

Oh, and when people say that players should leave college the moment they hear their name mentioned as a first round pick, believe them. Just ask Richard Roby.

3:38 - ILLINOIS WINS! ILLINOIS WINS! This is certainly something we haven't heard all year, being close in so many games but never being able to pull them out. This marks just their 5th Big Ten win in one of its worst years in a long time. It's sad to think about what this program was just a few years ago until Weber became complacent in recruiting. However, he's been on fire lately, getting big time commits from the '08 (Legion transfer), '09, '10, and even a rumored '11 commitment. It was only a matter of time before he figured out what he needed. As they march on to play tomorrow, Illinois fans only dream of what's to come. In future years that is.

3:23 - I'm really sick of commentators calling Davon Jefferson "the X-factor". When a player has been a big time scorer and an important part of your offense and overall scheme the entire year he is ineligible to be "the X-factor". The X-factor to me has been a guy who randomly can come in and put up points in a hurry for a team desperately in need, or a guy who although he doesn't look like he's doing much, brings the team together upon his arrival. Daniel Hackett is USC's X-factor. He doesn't score much, and doesn't do anything truly special, but they are much better with him on the floor.

On a side note, the refs in the UConn-WVU game are getting hilariously whistle happy.

3:09 - I like Connecticut. A lot. Enough to believe they are a potential Final Four team. However, if you can't find a way to get Thabeet active against a relatively undersized team in West Virginia you're not going much of anywhere. He's 7'3", mobile, and athletic, rare for a guy his size, yet they can't find ways to get him the ball. It also doesn't help that they one of the worst perimeter shooting teams in the country.

And to update on my last post, Alexander has 21 points through 28 minutes. The guy can just score - his 5th straight 20 point game including two 32 point outputs.

2:41 - As West Virginia leads Connecticut 42-36 at halftime, I find myself thinking, who is Joe Alexander? The guy has been one of the most effective/important players in the Big East all year, yet no one knows who he is, where he came from, or why he's having such a good year. If anyone knows, please inform me. And the public.

2:29 - Remember OJ Mayo? That guy everyone talked about like he was going to come to USC, put up 40 shots a game, cause a bunch of problems and go pro? You remember him? Well at this point he's been so overhyped, so scrutinized that the ultimate irony has occurred - he's become underrated. He distributes, he creates off the dribble, and even though I criticized him for taking too many three's in the beginning, he's proved he can hit from all over the floor. The elevation on his shot is NBA style. He's just so smooth, rarely gets out of control, and is a very, very smart player. NBA teams are going to regret passing on him in the draft.

2:11 - The most anticipated tournament for me begins - the Pac-10. First up Arizona State-USC. This game is a must-win for Arizona State who according to most is on the wrong side of the bubble, but as we saw a few weeks ago, they can handle it. If Gibson and Jefferson don't get in foul trouble I look for USC to take this, but watch out for Harden to come up with big numbers in a big game as he has all year. We'll see how Arizona State responds when they're playing a big time team not on their home floor. The neutral court is what it's all about - no advantages either way.

1:49 - For those who don't catch much SEC play, and who would given how weak it is this year - Devan Downey is the real deal. In my opinion one of the most underrated players in the country due to being at a school as irrelevant as South Carolina. Outside of maybe DJ Augustin he's the quickest guard I've seen all year, is an outstanding passer who can see the floor with the best of them. One of the best defenders in the SEC at a meager 5'9", he averages upwards of 18 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2.4 steals a game. He can control the tempo of the game so well, it's just too bad he decided to go from Cincinnati to South Carolina where he'll never really be heard of again (unless Anthony Grant comes in and makes them relevant).

1:29 - Dayton goes down to Xavier 74-65, fully ending their bubble hopes. This was a team that started off the year so strong, winning at Louisville (although that team was nearly the same as they are now) and over Pittsburgh by 25, they hit a wall when they started A-10 play, going 8-8 in a league many believe just beat up on themselves. This may have been in part to the loss of Chris Wright, who hasn't seen action since January 9th, but even when they romped Pittsburgh he only saw 14 minutes and scored a measly 4 points. I don't know much about this team and don't know why they collapsed, but it's too bad - they were very fun to watch early on in the year.

1:22 - Flipping over to the Texas Tech-Oklahoma State game, I realize that Byron Eaton has been there for 7 years now. Is this guy ever going to run out of eligibility? Exciting game, too bad it's absolutely worthless in the grand scheme of things.

1:13 - Georgetown wins 82-63, and puts on an offensive clinic. 25 assists on 28 field goals is an incredible rate, and when you shoot 17/28 from the three (60.7%) you're not going to lose many games. They need Hibbert for defensive reasons and just to have a body down low for a team seeming to lack in size, but this team without him surely isn't hurting. All of these guys are very smart players, are pass-first, and are able to shoot it. Wouldn't expect less from a JTIII team.

12:56 - And right as I say that Hibbert comes back in for all of a minute and picks up his fifth foul. Final stat line - 15 minutes, 0-1 FG, 0 points, 4 rebounds. Good work, Roy.

12:46 - I've always thought Roy Hibbert was overrated, but for the most part he's a pretty decent player. However, once Roy Hibbert went out with his 4th foul Georgetown began to settle into their offense much better. Being that JTIII's offense is run primarily like a Princeton offense (but clearly with a bunch of athletic guys) there's more space for guys like Wallace and Summers to get into the lane and make an easier pass to the cutters, or kick it back out to guys like Sapp and Freeman who are both very skilled perimeter shooters. Hibbert can be dominant in streaks because he's so tall, but if a team is able to make him move around and double him with quicker, more athletic guys he's can be so ineffective. Stat line through the second half? 0-1 FG, 0 points, 3 rebounds. For a guy who some believe is a lottery pick, come on. I'll be updating this throughout most of the day with ramblings on my observations.

12:24 - Watching the Villanova-Georgetown game I realize that Villanova is just not a team you want to face in the tournament. Still on the bubble, but easily the right side of the bubble due to their significant and easy win over Syracuse yesterday, they can put up points in a hurry. They have guards who can control the game, and much like yesterday in the second half against Syracuse can hit three's at any spot from the floor. You don't immediately look at this team and believe they have a formidable frontline, but they can rotate guys like Pena, Cunningham, Clark, and Drummond pretty well and make it work. I wouldn't want to face a fiery team like this in the tournament because they can do so many things to win.

Don't let the early 5 game losing streak in the Big East fool you, this team is much better now than they were then.

Oh yeah and it didn't help their resume that their losses against NC State and Georgetown were two of the worst end of game calls I've seen in a long time. The committee absolutely has to look at this.

The RPI - Is it relevant?

2008-03-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

Throughout the past years, the Ratings Percentage Index has been a major topic of discussion in college basketball, especially come March. It's used to organize teams based on their quality of victories, losses, strength of schedule, and give a general indicator as to how strong a team is. No other system of numbers or statistics has been discovered that has trumped the RPI.

In terms of it's importance to the selection committee, I believe they use it more frequently than what they admit. They claim they use it as a tool to organize the teams and nothing more. If that were the case then why do we find ourselves year after year breaking down a team's numbers based on this exact formula? If it was so worthless then why are analysts and so-called "experts" breaking down teams based on their record against the RPI Top 50 and their actual percentage index?

Because it is so simple to use, the RPI can be very effective. As qualifying for the NCAA Tournament has always been about the "body of work" of a team attempting to make a case, the RPI makes it easier to discern against teams on the bubble and the difference in the two. It rates your wins, your losses, and is able to rate the quality of conference said team competes in. It helps in the argument of whether Team A or Team B should be in the tournament and who is more deserving.

The main argument against the RPI has always been that one should judge a team based on how they play on the court rather than what their numbers looked like. However, I've always found these statements to be non-mutually exclusive. If a team is truly a good team, their numbers will reflect this, as it means they're accumulating wins against quality opponents. I've always found this statement to be a little odd and easy to de-bunk due to how the numbers are actually calculated.

The other argument against the RPI is how good wins can decrease in value, and bad losses can look better and better as the year goes along. I understand this argument, as it's true. The RPI of a team fluctuates on a daily basis. For the most part it is a legitimate concern when looking at a teams resume. However, if a good win at the time begins to look worse, it usually means that said team has been losing frequently due to it's falling RPI. Wouldn't this mean that the team wasn't very good in the first place? Therefore the win looking worse is justified based on the fact that they didn't turn out to be quite as good as advertised by early numbers, usually inflated by a poor early season schedule (see teams like Clemson last year at 17-0, beating up on low level D-I teams to build up early confidence, who we found out was the definition a pretender).

When looking at it from an opposite standpoint, bad losses looking better and worthless wins looking better, this is definitely a weakness. The simplest example of this is Indiana's win over Kentucky in early December. This was a Kentucky team who, quite honestly, wasn't in the top 150 teams in the country in November/December. Their non-conference RPI was a massive 204 before mounting a comeback in SEC play that has catapulted them to 49th overall. Is Kentucky the same team now that they were then? Absolutely not, therefore it's worthless to count this as a "good" win.

I believe the RPI is effective in being able to compare teams simply based on what they have accomplished during the year. It has its faults, but it works. Those who continue to discount its importance/effectiveness seem to be the same ones who compare teams using these same numbers to support their numbers. Of course you can and should still have your own opinions based on what you've seen the teams do on the court, but what they do on the court directly affects these numbers, so how can it be as worthless as some say?