My Teams Are Cursed

Mario's Shot...Allen Fieldhouse Reaction

2008-04-09T14:47:00.001-04:00

The Best Video Yet....

Photos From the Celebration

2008-04-09T11:45:00.001-04:00

Photos

2008-04-08T16:57:00.003-04:00

Mario For three...........

HE BURIES IT!!!!

Self loving life.....

Getting the Trophy...CHAMPS BABY!!!

Tha Hawks watch One Shining Moment

THE CURSE IS OVER!

2008-04-08T07:13:00.004-04:00

It's all over. My demons have been exorcised. 32 years of frustration have all melted away with a flick of Mario Chalmers wrist. This just doesn't happen to my teams. It doesn't. MY TEAMS are the ones that choke away a nine point lead with 2:12 left. MY TEAMS are the ones that don't make the insurmountable leads disappear. MY TEAMS are the one that experience excruciating heartbreak. But you know something. For once in my life and for once in this crazy, ridiculous world we live in, the good guys won and karma was on our side.

With a minute to go, the game seemed over. With 10 seconds to go, the game seemed over. That is when I received the following text message from my brother: "Come on dad! work your magic!" he was referring to our late father who was no doubt looking down and smiling last night. Just like that, Derrick Rose missed his first free throw and Chalmers tied the game with a shot that the Jayhawk Nation will never forget.

Seriously though, did this really happen? Did Memphis really miss four of their last five free throws in regulation? Did they really get an offensive rebound with 10 seconds to go and weather two different storms in the last 20 seconds, yet still give KU a chance to tie it? Did they really not foul right away and allow Chalmers a chance to tie it? YES! Did Roy Williams really put a KU sticker on his shirt and sit in the stands rooting for his old team?

I just can't believe this really happened. I was a wreck all night long, but when Derrick Rose hit that ridiculous bank shot fade-away with about four minutes left, I knew it was over and it wasn't meant to be. Was I ever going to get that championship feeling? I was convinced the answer was no. But then came the run.

A Sherron Collins inbounds pass and steal turned into a big three. The Joey Dorsey fifth foul away from the basket and the Chalmers free throws. The Darrell Arthur fadeaway. The missed Memphis free throws. The Chalmers three. WOW. Not until KU had the ball back down two with about 20 seconds left did I actually think there was a shot. Then Collins went OOC and drove wildly to the hole and was swatted. All of us in the room were cursing his poor decision. Still, Chris-Douglas Roberts granted us all a reprieve with two misses at the line. Yet, Arthur forgot to box out Robert Dozier and KU had to foul Rose. Now I was 100% SURE he would hit both and we'd be done. So much for "we will hit them when they count," right coach Calipari?

When the Chalmers three was in the air, it felt like five minutes went by. When it dropped, I screamed "OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!" I literally didn't believe it had just happened. On to OT we went and you just knew Memphis was done.

As the clock hit zero, I didn't know what to do. I hugged my boys, I teared up, I stood in disbelief watching as the KU players and coaches celebrated. But more than anything, it felt as though the weight of the world was off of my shoulders. I seriously felt different. Something that has lived with me for 32 years had died. One of my teams actually won it all and the championship I had so badly wanted was here.

I couldn't sleep all night. The boys went out in Chicago for some drinks to celebrate. I came back to Sean's apartment and we watched highlights. I was so geeked up. I'm up early again. The whole thing just feels so good. I came to a conclusion last night, it's over for me and the blog. I can now officially retire "My Teams are Cursed," because you know something, they aren't. Maybe my Cleveland teams still are, but my beloved Kansas Jayhawks have delivered something to me that I have always wanted and needed. Later today, I will post the article link roundup as well as game analysis, but after that, it's over folks. Thanks for everyone's well wishes, support, and love. This was truly one of the great nights of my life.

They did it! THE CURSE IS FINALLY DEAD!

"This Game is Over"

2008-04-07T08:30:00.000-04:00

One More!

2008-04-06T08:35:00.002-04:00

One more. That's all it is going to take. If Kansas wins Monday night and gets MTAC their first title, do we have to change the name of the website? Do we retire the site? Who knows. It's clearly not the right move to even think about having that conversation since my teams have been this close before, only to fail to seal the deal. Maybe though, just maybe, this team is different. Maybe, they are the ones to give MTAC that feeling that we have longed for our entire 32 years of existance. I said to my Mrs. MTAC last night that there is only one thing missing in my life, and we are 40 minutes away from it. I've got the coolest wife (who else could put up with all of my bullshit) and family, amazing friends, and the best son any man could ask for. Scott van Pelt on ESPN Radio said on Friday that when his beloved Maryland Terrapins won the national title in 2002, he said he knew what it meant when they said "now, I can die in peace." Is MTAC about to finally experience that feeling?

If last night was any indicator, Monday could be a wild ride. What a tale of three games this was. In all of my years of watching KU Basketball, I have never seen a first 15 minutes. It's almost as if the 'Hawks couldn't miss and the Tar Heels could hit anything. The defense was swarming. Everytimg you looked up, Russell Robinson or Mario Chalmers was taking the ball away or Cole Aldrich was blocking a shot, starting a fast break that would end in a layup or a Brandon Rush three. Before we could stop from holding in the giddyness, it was 40-12 and CBS's Billy Packer actually said "this game is over." Shots of a desponent Roy Williams brought smiles to the KU Nation watching on TV. We've seen that look too many times.

But you just knew the Tar Heels would make a run. Game two was just starting. The last five minutes of the half was dominated by UNC and their super sixth man Danny Green. Sherron C0llins buzzer-beating layup put KU up 44-27 at the half. Self diagrammed a beautiful screen and dish to the post for Darrell Arthur on the first possession and that is where the game turned. Tyler Hansbrough and company were attempting to make our worst nightmares come true. The run we were awaiting was happening. The Jayhawks decided to stop going into the post and started jacking up wild jumpers whole UNC couldn't miss. (Oh, I forgot to mention the various b.s. charge calls that Hansbrough received. If you bump into him going to the hole, its a charge). I felt myself getting sicker and sicker. A 28 point first half lead all of a sudden turned into a 54-50 game. UNC was on a 47-24 run.

But once again, the game turned. We don't remember whether it was the big Sherron Collins three, the Brandon Rush driving left-handed layup, or the renewed move to go into the post with Darnell Jackson, but KU put the game away with a 13-0 run and finished the game 20-7. The last two minutes, we finally had a safe feeling. Talk about a roller coaster of emotions. KU fans had the highest of highs, the lowest of lows, and the highest of highs again. Now, they are just one win away from winning it all. You can see it in Bill Self's face, he is having so much fun with this team. We can't imagine what he'll be like if his squad closes the deal Monday night.

The Whup

Cole Aldrich - Say it again. COLE ALDRICH! If you would have told us that Cole Aldrich would play 13 first half minutes, score six points, grab six boards, and block three shots in those 13 minutes, and while he was on the floor, KU ended a 17-10 lead to 40-12, we would have asked what you were smoking and where can we get some. Cole was sensational. This was by far his best game of the season. He was so active on the glass and on the defensive end, who knew HE'D be the one who gave Hansbrough fits. With Sasha Kaun and Jackson in foul trouble, he stepped up big time. “I thought Cole was the best player in the game for a stretch in the first half,” Self said. “He may have won the game for us as much as anybody because he bought us so many great minutes.” The best is that thanks to Cole, we no longer have to hear about Hansbrough working harder than anyone else in the world, well at least for nine months.

Rush to the Rescue - Everyone has been telling us that Rush is an NBA prospect. I think I finally saw it last night. He had the eye of a player trying to move up the draft board on the season's biggest stage. In 32 minutes, Rush was as aggressive as he has been all year, scoring 25 points and taking 17 shots. He grabbed seven boards and played his usual excellent defense. You can bet he will be the one who gets the assignment of Chris Douglas-Roberts on Monday night.

The Post Defense - Not many teams can hold "the great" Tyler Hansbrough to 17 and nine boards, but the KU rotation of bigs did the job. Jackson, Kaun, Darrell Arthur, and Aldrich all took turns guarding him and the double-teaming worked to perfection. You could see the difference in the two teams right there. KU has four agile, tough, and smart big men, UNC had one. Deon Thompson and Alex Stepheson? What do those two do?

The First 15 - This bears repeating. This was the single best 15 minutes of Basketball any KU team has ever played, especially in a game of this magnitude. The Hawks shot over 70%, nailed 4-5 threes, and were all over the Heels defensively. It was truly a thing of beauty.

The Real Sherron - OK, he turned the ball over seven times and played out of control at times, but KU's offense just rolls when he is on his game as he was late in the game. He shed the knee brace and finally looked 100%. This was the perfect kind of game and matchup for Sherron, because he wants to run, run, run. “Everybody keeps saying ‘their pace’, but it’s our pace." He said. "We’ve played like that all season. That’s the big thing. Everybody’s saying ‘How you gonna stop them? How you gonna run with them?’ How you gonna stop us? We run, too. I think that played into our hand, everybody’s worried about how we’re going to run with them and we ran them.”

The Glass Work - Kansas 42 North Carolina 33. Did you know that North Carolina led the country in rebound margin? That and a quarter would have gotten them a newspaper last night. Didn't matter. KU was the more physical team and it showed on the glass. UNC had no answer for Aldrich. Did we really just type that last sentence?

Vintage Roy - While his team was getting it's doors blown off, Roy Williams once again refused to slow things down with timeouts. Some things never change. You can also question why, with five minutes to go, trailing by nine, he had Ty Lawson on the bench in favor of Quinton Thomas. By the time he went back to Lawson with just over two left, it was too late. Credit him for the motivation to get his team back from a 28 point deficit to four. But late, Self outcoached him.

Game Quotes (courtesy of KUsports.com)

Rodrick Stewart on watching the game hurt and losing control of his emotions late: “They used it as motivation, and every time they came over in the timeout, they would just say ‘Keep your head up’ and stuff like that. But it’s all about the team. I don’t know if my knee really helped motivate us. I hope it did. It looked like it did. Whatever worked. Played with a lot of energy and had a lot of fun out there ... I was over there crying, trying to hold it in the whole time, but I think that set it off a little bit with the fans chanting my name.”

Sasha Kaun on Cole Aldrich’s contributions Saturday: “He played the best game of his career. I think he did a phenomenal job. He came out strong, got some boards, made some shots, and he was a huge, huge, huge help to us.”

Sasha Kaun on comparing going against Tyler Hansbrough to Michael Beasley: “They’re both great players. They’re so different from each other in a way that Beasley is more of a talent and Hansbrough’s such a hard worker, and he always fights. Beasley can just take you off the perimeter, so creative with the ball.”

Darrell Arthur on the efficiency KU played with: “If we keep playing the way we’ve been playing and come out like that (Monday), I don’t think anybody can beat us.”

Darrell Arthur on answering UNC’s second half run: “I think those guys got winded, because they were down 28 and had to make a massive comeback, so I think those guys got tired and we just took advantage of those guys on our offensive end.”

Sherron Collins on Memphis: “They’re tough. They’re fast, tough, strong, similar to our guards. We’ll be ready to play them, though ... We feel confident. We feel we’re one of the best teams in the country and it’ll be proven Monday.”

Sherron Collins on the game’s pace Saturday: “Everybody keeps saying ‘their pace’, but it’s our pace. We’ve played like that all season. That’s the big thing. Everybody’s saying ‘How you gonna stop them? How you gonna run with them?’ How you gonna stop us? We run, too. I think that played into our hand, everybody’s worried about how we’re going to run with them and we ran them.”

Mario Chalmers on the huge first half lead: “I kinda was surprised, but I knew a lot of it had to do with them missing a lot of shots and we were hitting our shots. Our defense was excellent tonight, so it was hard for them to get going ... Once we got them down, we just wanted to make sure we kept them down and were able to do that.”

Cole Aldrich on his performance against Tyler Hansbrough: “It was a blast. I don’t even know what to say, because he’s such a great player, and just being able to be on the same court, in the Final Four, in San Antonio, playing against him, it’s a huge honor ... We’ve got four really good big guys, and I don’t know if he’s quite gone against four big guys like that. We just tried to double the post, constantly deny the post and keep him off the glass.”

Cole Aldrich on literally taking a rebound away from Tyler Hansbrough: “I wasn’t gonna let it go. I got it, and I was like ‘He’s gonna try his dangdest to get this, and I won’t let him.’”

Bill Self on Cole Aldrich: “I thought Cole was the best player in the game for a stretch in the first half. We’re playing out of foul trouble, Sasha gets two minutes and Darnell gets seven the first half, and we didn’t have to play out of kilter because he was so good ... He may have won the game for us as much as anybody because he bought us so many great minutes.”

Bill Self on answering UNC’s run: “When I was at Tulsa, in my first NCAA Tournament game, we had College of Charleston down 52-26, and they missed a three to take the lead with a minute left, then we end up winning by nine ... We knew they were gonna make a run. We hoped they wouldn’t have got to four, but we went braindead for awhile. We kept clipping off shots when shots weren’t going down, and then their best offense was our offense because we just threw it to them to start the second half and they went and made layups ... The thing I was most proud of, on the biggest stage, they were in the attack mode for 40 minutes.”

Bill Self on where motivation came from Saturday: “All we talked about was Carolina (their players, not going against Roy Williams). Our players care about guarding Lawson, Ellington and Hansbrough. They were on the circuits together. Ty was the best point guard, Sherron was the second-best point guard coming out. That’s what everybody said. Mario wanted to go against Ellington. That’s what our motivation was.”

Bill Self on what is now guaranteed to be KU’s last game of the season: “I think it’s great, because we can all hibernate and get some rest in a little bit. Coaches are like this: They never want the season to end, but when they do, they’re really glad. I know Cal and I are both gonna be really happy that the season’s over - of course one of us is gonna be ecstatic and one of us will struggle for awhile. But I told our guys before, I’m really looking forward to practice tomorrow. And I am. When you get to this point, everything is the last ... And we’re ready for it to end. We just didn’t want it to end until Monday.”

Final Four Preview

2008-04-05T08:30:00.001-04:00

We have the Final Four that many people wanted to see. For the first time since the seedings began in 1979, all four #1 seeds have made it through. North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, and Memphis were clearly the best four teams in the country all year long. The lowest any of these teams was ranked at any time was 8th (Kansas). Their eight combined losses is the least amount combined for any Final Four in history. You’ve got three first-team All-Americans (UNC’s Tyler Hansbrough, UCLA’s Kevin Love, Memphis’ Chris Douglas-Roberts), two of the three best Freshman in the country (Love, Memphis’s Derrick Rose), and the best defensive backcourt in the nation (Kansas’ Russell Robinson and Mario Chalmers). The casual fan wants to be watching Cinderella this weekend, but the hardcore fan, like me, is salivating at these two matchups. Any one of these four teams could easily win it all. Let’s break it down:

UCLA (35-3) vs. Memphis (37-1)

Toughest Game Getting Here

UCLA – 2nd Round vs. Texas A&M 51-49 – If not for a blown non-call (sound familiar UCLA fans?) against A&M’s Donald Sloan on the final possession, who knows if the Bruins would still be playing today.

Memphis – 2nd Round vs. Mississippi State 77-74 – The infamous poor free-throw shooting Tigers allowed Mississippi State back into the game with a chance to tie on the last shot.
The Starters

PG Darren Collison (UCLA) vs. Derrick Rose (Memphis) – Talk about a Rolls Royce vs. a Bentley. Collison is the heart and soul of the Bruins and does everything. He handles, he is their go to scorer when they need a bucket late, and he is their lock down defender on the perimeter. Rose, on the other hand, is one of the most talented players in the country, a lock top three NBA pick who is a pass first point guard who can score if need be. He doesn’t play like a Freshman. You can’t go wrong with either guy. Advantage: Push – This is a copout, by while Rose probably is the better overall talent, Collison’s a veteran of three Final Four’s and one of the toughest and smartest players in the country.

SG Russell Westbrook (UCLA) vs. Antonio Anderson (Memphis) – Westbrook is another lottery pick waiting to happen. This kid has superior athletic ability, loves to play defense, and has greatly improved his offense game in his Sophomore season. Of all of the UCLA studs, Westbrook is most loved by NBA scouts. Anderson is a spot up, catch and shoot guy who is very streaky. The Tigers are at their best when he is hot. Advantage: Westbrook – Bottom line, he is more valuable to his team and does more than Anderson.

SF Josh Shipp (UCLA) vs. Chris Douglas-Roberts (Memphis) – Shipp is the guy who stepped into the scoring role vacated by Arron Afflalo. Unfortunately for him, he picked the worst time to be mired in a shooting slump. That said, if he gets going, it opens everything up inside for Kevin Love. Douglas-Roberts is an absolute scoring machine who gets to the hole or nails you with a superb mid-range game. He may have been a first team All-American, but he is probably the most underrated player in college basketball. Advantage: Douglas-Roberts – It’s really no contest. CDR could drop 30 on anyone. UCLA included.

PF Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (UCLA) vs. Robert Dozier (Memphis) – This is a battle of role players who are of the utmost importance to their teams. Mbah a Moute has been battling an ankle injury, but has been gutting it out. He is the ultimate garbage man; a mini-Dennis Rodman type who does the little things. Dozier is a skinny four man who can get you 12 and eight or completely disappear. Advantage: Mbah a Moute – A very close edge thanks to his intangibles and smarts on the court.

C Kevin Love (UCLA) vs. Joey Dorsey (Memphis) – This matchup may be the one that decides the game. Can Dorsey, the smack-talking defensive and rebounding tough guy stay out of foul trouble why trying to stop the man the UCLA offense runs through, Love? Dorsey can dunk with the best of them and is only counted on for garbage points in the paint. Love on the other hand can do it all; shoot from three, hit fade-aways, and show an array of post moves. Not to mention, he is the best passing Center you will find anywhere. Advantage: Love – He’s the best true post man in the nation west of Tyler Hansbrough and hasn’t been stopped all year.

The Bench

Alfred Aboya, James Keefe, Lorenzo Mata-Real (UCLA)

Vs.

Shawn Taggert, Doneal Mack, Willie Kemp, Jeff Robinson (Memphis)

Advantage: Memphis - Really, this isn’t a contest. UCLA literally gets nothing from there bench other than fouls and rebounding. Forget James Keefe’s double double in the Sweet 16, it was his career game and before that he rarely played. Meanwhile, the Tigers bench includes a solid backup PG in Kemp, their best three point shooter in Mack, and a savvy veteran PF in Taggert. They will be without Andre Allen who was suspended for violating team rules earlier this week.

The Pick: UCLA 65-64 – We desperately want to drink the Memphis Kool-Aid, we do. But there is a sneaking suspicion that Dorsey won’t be able to keep his hands off of Love and will be in foul trouble all night long. UCLA hedges better on high screens than any team you will see. Rose and Collison will cancel each other out and Westbrook will lock up CDR. Love’s massive offensive skills will be the difference.

North Carolina (36-2) vs. Kansas (35-3)

Toughest Game Getting Here

North Carolina – Elite Eight – Louisville 83-73 – This had the making of another classic Roy Williams choke-job as the Cardinals came all the way back from a 13 point deficit to tie it, but than Tyler Hansbrough took over down the stretch.

Kansas – Elite Eight – Davidson 59-57 – KU shot the ball poorly early and let Stephen Curry and company hang around long enough to scare the heck out of them. Sasha Kaun saved the day in the second half with his post play and Bill Self’s decision to go to the box and one on Curry was genius.

The Starters

PG Ty Lawson (UNC) vs. Russell Robinson (Kansas) – Lawson is lightning quick with the ball and the perfect point man for Roy Williams offense. He gets up and down the floor after a made basket in a blur. Since returning from his ankle injury, UNC hasn’t lost a game and has dominated their competition. As fro Robinson, his forte is defense and play-making. He is definitely the fifth option on offense, but has been known to knock down a big three when open. It’s his Senior season and he has played like one, saving his best for last; he has been brilliant in the tournament. Advantage: Lawson – Really it’s no contest. Not one coach would take Robinson over Lawson. He is superior offensively in every way, but don’t discount what Robinson means to KU.

SG Wayne Ellington (UNC) vs. Mario Chalmers (Kansas) – When Ellington is knocking down his deep jumpers, UNC is extremely tough to beat. His problem is consistency. He is as capable of scoring 28 as he is eight. He is a classic catch and shoot two-guard who has improved his driving game. Chalmers is the guy who wants the ball at the end of the game for the Jayhawks. He is a superior three point shooter, loves to drive to the hole for a floater, and is the best off the ball defender in the nation. Advantage: Push – We wanted to give this to Chalmers, but in reality, Ellington is a better offensive player, Chalmers the better defender, but Chalmers isn’t that far off offensively.

SF Marcus Ginyard (UNC) vs. Brandon Rush (Kansas) – Ginyard is UNC’s version of Russell Robinson. He is counted on for defense and can knock down the occasional three if he is open. Williams has said he reminds him of former KU Guard and current UNC assistant Jerod Haase. Rush is the enigma. He has the talent to be the best player on the floor anytime he is out there, but too often fades in and out, camping out at the three point line, where he is KU’s best shooter. His defense also cannot be discounted. Advantage: Rush – If he plays up to the level he should, this is a mismatch. You can bet Rush will be guarding Ellington at times as well. He is KU’s best on-ball defender.

PF Tyler Hansbrough (UNC) vs. Darnell Jackson (Kansas) – Should we join the parade of people who stroke Hansbrough? Nah. Lets just state the obvious and move on. He’s the best player in college basketball and is a lock for at least 25 and 12. He is truly an unstoppable force. As for Jackson, he improved dramatically this season, becoming a reliable offensive threat, while continuing his work on the glass and the defensive end. The last month, however, he has struggled. He’ll have his hands full with Hansbrough. Advantage: Hansbrough – Did you think we’d really say Jackson?

PF Deon Thompson (UNC) vs. Darrell Arthur (Kansas) – Thompson and Arthur worked out together for the team USA U-19 team this past summer and know each other’s games well. Thompson has a solid mid-range jumper and can be counted on in the post for board work. Arthur, like Rush, is a head-scratcher at times. This kid has all the makings of a star. His fade-away jumper is money and he is a beast on the glass, but too often he commits silly fouls on defense and can’t stay on the floor for long stretches. Advantage: Arthur – Arthur has the ability to take over the game if he can get his mid-range game going. He is the superior of the two players, but if Kansas is going to win, they will need the active “Shady” to show up.

The Bench

Alex Stepheson, Danny Green, Quinton Thomas, Will Graves (UNC)

Vs.

Sherron Collins, Sasha Kaun, Cole Aldrich, Jeremy Case (Kansas)

Advantage: Kansas – This game features two of the best sixth men in the country in Green and Collins. Both are the X-factor for their respective team. Thomas has improved greatly with his extended PT when Lawson was injured. Stepheson is a solid third big man who really isn’t that different of a player than starter Thompson. If you get the 100% healthy Collins, Kansas is a completely different team. Sources say he has ditched the knee brace in practice in the last two days and looks great. Kaun may be the most important player in this game. He will be the one spending most of the time on Hansbrough. He’s KU’s best defensive big man and against Davidson, the best offensive one as well. Aldrich will be used to throw his body at Hansbrough as well. The Jayhawks will miss Senior G Rodrick Stewart who broke his kneecap in practice Friday.

The Pick: Kansas 85-80 – Everyone’s been talking about Roy Williams vs. his old team all week long. Roy insists it’s not about him, it’s about the players. No Roy, you are wrong. This is about you. Want to know why? Because he is so personally invested on both sides, we truly believe this will cloud his judgment. Reality is both teams love to get up and down and Kansas matches up very well with North Carolina. They have four big bodies to throw at Hansbrough and have three lockdown defenders at the guard spots. If they can hold down Ellington and Green in check, KU could roll. We think that is exactly what happens with Chalmers and Rush having big nights.

Eat it, Mr. I

2008-04-04T22:46:00.003-04:00

While the Tribe bats are asleep (down 1-0 in the 4th as we type this), we have to get a little bash-sesssion going on those $137 million Motor City Kitties. This can't be what Massah Illitch was picturing when he unloaded the farm system and opened his checkbook every wider this offseason.

Today's 8-5 loss at home to Chicago makes the Tigers 0-4. The good news for Detroit fans is they scored five runs today. The bad news? They were held scoreless the final six innings. More bad news - the much maligned bullpen continued to be laughably bad. Today is was journeyman Jason Grilli's turn to be the gas can. Not like starter Nate Robertson was any good (5.0 IP, 7 Hits, 5 ER), but the Tigers tied the game at 5-5 when Grilli entered the fray in the seventh. Here is what ensued:

J. Grilli relieved Z. Miner
- P. Konerko doubled to deep center
- J. Dye singled to right, P. Konerko to third
- A.J. Pierzynski homered to deep right, J. Dye and P. Konerko scored
- C. Quentin singled to center
- J. Crede singled to center, C. Quentin to second

Just like that, it was 8-5 White Sox and the game was over. Tribe fans like myself LOVE it. Jim Leyland? Not so much: “We’ve just got bad combinations going. We got pretty good pitching the first three games. Today we swung the bat better, but we didn’t add runs and didn’t pitch quite as well."

"When you’re in this business, you have to understand that’s part of it, and if you don’t, you’re in the wrong business,” Leyland said. “I don’t blame people for being antsy and impatient. They’ve waited the whole winter, and we haven’t given them much to be excited about.”

Now they move to the #5 man in the rotation, Dontrelle Willis. The same guy who couldn't find the strike zone all Spring long. Leyland's pen arms aren't much to talk about either. Without the great Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney, guys like Zach Miner, Grilli, and Denny Bautista are playing key roles. They give new meaning to the nickname "The Nasty Boys."

It's imperitive that the Indians take advantage of the Tigers struggles early. Every game counts, whether it's in April or September. Plus, the Tigers are without Gary Sheffield (torn tendon in his finger) and Miguel Cabrera is battling through quad soreness. Regardless, we love watching the Tigers play like garbage.

Not A Chance

2008-04-03T09:48:00.002-04:00

I know this story is now two days old. but I must comment on it. Sean Sutton "resigned" as coach of the Oklahoma State Basketball team. Don't be fooled, he was fired. We've been hearing since late January that Sutton would be on his way out and Billionaire Booster Boone Pickens would throw $4-5 million at Bill Self to get him to come home and save his alma mater.

If you think that's happening, you are on crack. First off, you don't go from a Mount Rushmore program to a second tier one, regardless of whether or not it is your alma mater. It's not like Self is going to go into the poor house if he passes on the Oklahoma State job either. You can bet Kansas A.D. Lew Perkins will be sweetning Self's current deal to keep him happy and in Lawrence, especially since he has made it to the Final Four this season.

“Bill and I have been talking about a lot of things including his future. We’ve been doing that for quite a while,” Perkins said. “It’s premature to talk about it publicly. We’ll definitely talk about adding resources for him."

“We talk about a lot of scenarios. The bottom line is we have a good relationship,” Self said of him and Perkins. “We’ve said all along when the season is over we’ll evaluate what’s going on. I don’t anticipate just because this happens at this time that we change our game plan. Our game plan is that when the season is over, Lew and I get together and make sure this is a great fit for everybody. I certainly anticipate that being the case.”

Look at the pressure Self would be under if indeed he did take that gig. People would call him nuts for leaving a place like Kansas for a much lesser job. The scrutiny and pressure for him to bring a winner back to his alma mater would be greater than what he is going through at KU. What if he failed to land the top talent there? It's an absolute no-brainer to stay.

Meanwhile in other coaching news, MTAC is a big fan of the Tom Crean hire at Indiana. Give them credit - they hit a jackpot by being able to score one of the most well-respected young coaches in the game. In Crean, they are getting a master motivator and recruiter and a guy who is squeeky clean and highly regarded by his peers. How they landed him in the face of NCAA sanctions, losing pretty much their entire starting lineup as well as recruits who have asked out of their letters of intent, is a testament to the Indiana name.

The Ground Ball Machine

2008-04-03T08:10:00.003-04:00

Looks like Fausto Carmona picked up where he left off last year. This kid is a stud. Seemingly everytime he put a guy on base, his best friend, the double play ball, would make an appearance. He got three in the first four innings to help the Tribe move to 2-0 with a 7-2 win. Fausto went seven, allowing just one run on four hits. "Fausto threw a strong game for us," said manager Eric Wedge. "He was in control throughout." It is so nice to be able to send out a sinker-balling witch like Fausto every fifth day right after the reigning Cy Young Award winner C.C. Sabathia.

Offensively, the top of the order was all the Indians needed. Memo to Wedge: Put Asdrubal Cabrera in the two hole and leave him there. He was there last night after hitting 7th on opening day against lefty Mark Buehrle. The kid responded with three hits and two clutch RBI. There is no reason to be fooling around with Jason Michaels or David Dellucci there. AC knows how to handle the bat.

How about Grady? We smell a big season coming from #24. He was the pace-setter and the difference maker last night, going 3-5 with three RBI, all three coming with two out. "Grady had a big night," said Wedge. "He got us started with that hit with the bases loaded."

It was freezing down at the Jake (sorry, we won't call it the Prog) last night, but the Tribe bats stayed warm. We will say this: If the Indians put up offense the way they have in the first two games against two quality starting pitchers (Buehrle and Javier Vazquez), with their pitching, there is no telling how great they can be this season.

On the downside, David Dellucci. Can we end this already? he is the new Casey Blake. Last night he was 0-2 with two walks. Not so bad, right? What about when he swung at the first pitch and weakly grounded out to second with the bases loaded, two out, and the previous hitter, Franklin Gutierrez walked. Lame. Just like the rest of his game.

Good to see Masa Kobayashi's debut. We love the crazy windup. We didn't love his spotty control, but it was cold and his first major league game, so he gets a pass. Jorge Julio came in to close things out and gave up two hits and a run in the ninth.

We will be down at the Jake today for more Tribe action.

Lute Olson is a Bitch

2008-04-02T08:35:00.001-04:00

For the second time in a week, Arizona's old man coach Lute Olson held a press conference to talk about returning from his year long leave of absence. Remember, he told everyone it was not for health reasons, then said he had a health scare, and then claimed it was no big deal. Yes, he was getting divorced and you feel bad for him for that, but that doesn't give him the right to be a bitter old man.

Now interim/assistant coach Kevin O'Neill, who said last week he planned on being back next season, won't be returning. Olson clearly didn't like the defense first style O'Neill ran all year and the two clearly clashed. Check out these quotes from yesterday's presser:

"Frankly, even though I realize I'm a public figure, I don't think I need to go into every nuance of my private life. There were things going on in my life that did create some health issues that I needed time to address. But it was not a health scare."

"I hope you can see that I feel great. This issue, though, has raised my blood pressure all the way up to 113 over 65, and my resting heart rate has gone from 60 to 62. So I'm concerned about my health."

When asked if he had to provide a guarantee on his health to the A.D., he angrily replied "Do I look like I have a condition to you?"

Here he is throwing O'Neill under the bus again: "When he said he's coming back, or that he's going to fulfill the terms of his contract, he won't be on the staff. I apologize for what they had to go through this year in terms of the change. They came here to play a wide-open game, and they didn't. That's no one's fault, because that's not coach O'Neill's belief on the offensive end. It was his team once I left. But I said we're going to play Arizona basketball and we're going to have fun doing it."

Finally: "You know what, maybe the fans needed to realize that this program doesn't just operate -- we don't go into the gas station and fill the kids up with fuel and turn the key on."

Game Won

2008-04-01T09:04:00.003-04:00

A beautiful day in Cleveland for the home opener (for a change) ended with a Tribe W. One down, 161 to go. We are not going to break down the minutia of every single game, but since this was the opener, it deserves the attention. Again, it's only one game and there is no reason for concern on anything...except for Victor's hamstring.

They are telling us that it's "day to day," but the Tribe brass is very quiet. One of my Tribe insiders told me yesterday that the night before the season, Mark Shapiro said only two things keep him up at night, one of them is Victor Martinez getting hurt. Luckily for the Indians, Backup Catcher Kelly Shoppach is the best in the business. Seriously, you find us a better backup catcher in baseball. Shop has a cannon for an arm and has pop at the plate. He was stuck in the cleanup spot after Martinez left with the injury. He started the three run rally with a single off of Octavio Dotel in the 8th, which ended with Casey Blake's bases loaded, two out double that won the game for the Tribe 10-8.

Back to Victor. If he is out for a long period of time, it could be big trouble. He is the most indispensible player on the team, regardless of Shoppach's value. He is the best hitting catcher in the league and the Tribe's most clutch hitter. With the shaky head of Travis Hafner, it's of the utmost importance that Victor is not seriously injured.

How about Franky G! Seriously, we said it yesterday and Terry Pluto agreed in today's PD, this kid is going to have a breakout year. He was 3-3 yesterday with a walk and a three run Pizza. You knew Dotel wasn't going to give him anything to hit with Blake on deck in the 8th and the lead run at second. Who knew Casey would make the Sox pay? Certainly not this guy. I yelled "come on Casey, get lucky" as he stepped to the plate. He got down 1-2 in the count and laced a BB off the left field wall clearing the bases. I'm off his case for this week at least.

No Need to Worry, but the bullpen was very shaky yesterday. Jenson Lewis did a great job striking out two to bail out C.C. Sabathia (and Blake for booting a DP grounder) in the sixth, but got into trouble in the seventh, giving up two hits. Rafael Perez was brought in to face Jim Thome and he ripped one to the wall, where Jason Michaels saved Raffy Left with a great running catch against the wall. Perez wasn't so lucky with Paul Konerko who doubled home two to tie the game. Rafael Betancourt didn't look himself yesterday either, but somehow managed to get out of a bases loaded, nobody out jam unscathed. JoBo did his usual in the ninth. He gave up a HR to Jermaine Dye and walked Joe Crede to bring the tying run to the plate. Luckily, he got the final out for the 10-8 win. Again, nothing to worry about, it was only one game.

C.C. looked like the C.C. of the playoffs. He had some control issues, and couldn't spot his breaking pitches. Jim Thome, who cam in 0-11 with seven K's against Sabathia, homered in his first two at bats. He looked gassed in the sixth and probably shouldn't have started the inning. When you walk Alexi Ramirez, its not a good sign.

We finally saw the replays of the controversial plays, well, two of them at least. The play at the plate with Crede in the 8th looked like a phantom tag to us, but we will take it. Thome's double play ball was definitely interefernce by Orlando Cabrera, who reached out and grabbed Jhonny Peralta in attempts to break up the DP. Even Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen agreed: "I went down in the clubhouse tunnel and watched the replay, he grabbed Peralta."

One last thing about Jim Thome, anyone who booes him, yes - I am talking to the majority of the crowd yesterday - is an idiot. The guy gave this city everything he had. He has so much love for the city and the fans and continues to take the high road in the press. Like you wouldn't take a guaranteed extra $16 million dollars and play for a winner, rather than sit here through a rebuilding phase? Not to mention, had the Indians signed him to that big contract, it would have only been a matter of time before that contract would have hamstrung the organization and he would have been dealt. He is a great player, a great guy, and booing him is just plain dumb. Good for him for going deep twice yesterday.

Why Musburger is Still the Best

2008-03-31T21:14:00.002-04:00

"A Star is Born in the Teeth of a Lake Michigan wind."

It's Opening Day!

2008-03-31T13:04:00.002-04:00

Could this be the season? It all starts today for our beloved Wahoos. MTAC, fresh off of the weekend in Detroit, will be down at the Jake...errrr....the Prog today to hopefully witness the first of about 95-100 wins for the Indians. Obviously, I am emersed in Kansas Jayhawks Basketball, but my first love will always be Tribe ball. I bleed Red, White, and Blue. My father, brother, and I went to so many opening days together. I cannot wait to take my son to opening day with me in the years to come. But it's such a great day. I love the pagentry, the bloom of the new season, the expectations, the smell of the Hot Dogs and Peanuts, the sold out stadium. Its all good. But, with a new season upon us, there are also a whole new batch of high bars the Indians must get over. In 2007, The Indians were just one win away from the World Series, with three chances to get there. This season, everyone is back and it most likely will be C.C. Sabathia's last ride on the Indian Express. So what does MTAC think about the 2008 season?

There is no way Travis Hafner repeats 2007 - The pressure of the contract negotiations followed by the pressure of the actual big contract weighed on Pronk heavily. He was so poor during the Red Sox series that it got in his head. With a clear mind, Pronk will hit .280 with 35 HR's and 115 RBI.

Franklyn Gutierrez and Ryan Garko become stars - The talk of Winter Haven was certianly not David Dellucci, it was Franky G. The talented Rightfielder raked all spring long and looked like he is primed for a breakout season. There is no platoon for him; he is now an everyday player. We think his offense catches up with his defense. Garko was near or above .300 all year, but didn't drive in as many runs as he should have. He looks thinner this Spring and the ball continues to jump off his bat. With Hafner hopefully getting back into form, Garko will see a lot of pitches and he will be lining doubles into the gaps for the next six months.

The rotation will be a rock - We here at MTAC are no fans of Cliff Lee, but you could do a lot worse as the #5 starter. C.C. and Fausto are the best 1-2 punch in the AL. Jake Westbrook is the model of consistancy and can be penciled in for 15 wins and an ERA around 3.50. Paul Byrd is the master of deception and somehow continues to win games. With Jeremy Sowers, Aaron Laffey, Adam Miller, and Brian Slocum in reserve in Buffalo, the Tribe starters will be money all year.

and the bullpen... - The depth is the envy of the rest of the league. Rafael Betancourt and Rafael Perez, along with Jenson Lewis will be stellar again. Masa Kobayashi, to be honest, we don't know what to make of him. Jorge Julio and Craig Breslow will not be long for this team. Tom Mastny and Brendan Donnelley will take those spots by mid-season. The issue is still closer Joe Borowski. By June, Betancourt will be closing.

Left Field - Eric Wedge is giving David Dellucci just enough rope to hang himself. We think he struggles out of the gate again, and by June, he's still hitting .215 and is released. Ben Francisco will become the Leftfielder with Jason Michaels getting plenty of AB's against lefties. Make no mistake, Francisco MUST and should be on this team.

Andy Marte - Ugh...did he really make the team? He's lucky the Tribe has such an organizational hole at Third base, or he'd be long gone. Errors in the field will do him in, as well as his long, pull everything swing. This kid is 4A. He's not Brandon Phillips.

The Prediction: Last year, we said 90 wins and missing the playoffs. This year, we say 94 wins and the AL Central Crown. The difference: Too much Tribe pitching depth and the Tigers bullpen is really THAT bad.

More on the Final Four

2008-03-31T10:32:00.003-04:00

Reading all of these articles really makes me smile. It's so solid. It just keeps getting better. Now we get to play against Roy Williams? I am a member of the Roy Williams fan club. The is a big faction of the KU fan base that is anti-Roy and still harbor major resentment towards him. Not me. He did what he had to do. He has never once bashed Kansas. In fact, nobody shows more love for the school than he does. I promise you, this week, 100 times you will hear the following from him: "For 15 years, I gave my heart, my body, and my soul to that school." But as Ryan Greene from the Lawrence Journal-World put it:

"Now, of course, it’s time for Roy Williams to face the Kansas music. You’d have to think he’ll have much more pressure on him from the media in the upcoming week than Bill Self will because, first, he’s the only one with ties to both schools and Self is just more of a cool customer in the public arena, while Williams has a tendency to provide the emotional moment. Either way, KU fans now have what they truly want Saturday night.”

Two quick thoughts before the article rundown: Sasha Kaun saved the Jayhawks yesterday. Seriously. I have so much respect for him. For three years, he seemed to regress and not be able to figure out to do with his thick frame. After being benched early in the year, he embraced his role as a reserve and continued to get better. There was no better illustration of that improvement than yesterday. He was 6-6 from the field, led KU with 13 points, and grabbed seven boards. “I just wanted to play good," Kaun said. "I was committed to trying to give everything I could to the team. I thought we had a good mindset about everything...It was just a sense of urgency that it might be over. We had to step up and get some good possessions...I’ve been waiting for this game for so long to go to the FInal Four, and last year we came up short, it’s an unbelievable feeling right now.”

Credit Bill Self for going to the Box and One on Stephen Curry in the second half yesterday. Other than the three he hit with 58 seconds left, KU defenders held him down for the final 10 minutes of the game. The junk defense didn't let Curry get the screens he needed to get free. Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers, Russell Robinson, and Sherron Collins all took turns harrassing him.

Kansas-Davidson Game was Great, but Less Fullfilling - Jason Whitlock, KC Star

When it was over, your sigh of relief felt a bit empty, a little less satisfying than you’d imagined. You were happy the team you love escaped, but you were unimpressed with the route the Jayhawks climbed to safety.

Kansas’ cakewalk to the River Walk turned bittersweet on Sunday.

You were hard-pressed to find any evidence inside Ford Field that the champion of the Big 12 is superior to the champion of the Southern Conference. Kansas’ biggest lead was six points, and the boys from the tiny Carolina school of 1,700 students controlled the tempo, the action, from start to finish. With 16.8 seconds left, they had possession and the ball in the hands of the tournament’s best player, shooting star Stephen Curry.

Credit Kansas for denying Curry the game’s final shot. Other than that, thank the basketball gods for KU’s good fortune.

A trip to the Final Four should never taste sour, especially when you’ve knocked at its door four times and been denied, but Bill Self had the damnedest time explaining his emotions Sunday.

•“This game has a different feel to it than a lot of other games,” he said.

•“I don’t want to say we played poorly, because that takes away from Davidson,” he said.

•“Our guys didn’t handle it great, but we were tough enough to get the win, which is all that matters,” he said.

•And finally, Self said: “I would say instead of jubilation, it was probably more relief. You know, you picture the way you are winning a big game like that. You make a shot. You celebrate…. This was not one of those deals. I just wanted to make sure that I hurried up and shook hands and the officials left the court, so they couldn’t put any more time back on the clock.”

Jayhawks Shaky Play Surprises Self - Joe Posnanski, KC Star

Pressure will do strange things to men. The pressure on this Jayhawks team was immense. First, none of them had ever been to a Final Four. The seniors had lost in the first round twice, they had been beaten down by UCLA in the Elite Eight last year — they knew the score.

“I really feel like without a win today,” Self would say, “their careers would be incomplete.”

Second, they were playing America’s darling — a team that seemed to be touched by magic this whole tournament. Everyone was rooting for Davidson. Third, this was the last regional final — and the first three No. 1 seeds had already made it into the tournament. If Kansas lost, then the Jayhawks alone would be seen as a No. 1 failure.

And fourth, probably the most important factor, everyone wanted so much to win this game for Self. Nobody wanted to see him go through the suffering of another Elite Eight defeat — especially to a tiny and feisty No. 10 seed like Davidson. Self is a good guy. Everyone likes him.

Players respect him. Nobody wanted to see him lose again.

Feel Good Story of the Year Ends with KU, Self Headed to the Final Four - Pat Forde, ESPN.com

But as America sagged over the demise of its endearing underdog, a freshly unburdened Bill Self heaved himself up from his knees on the sideline. The Kansas coach looked briefly into the stands and blew a gust of air through his cheeks.

As one Kansas staffer said, "It looked like 400 pounds of pressure had just left his body."

Self had been asked a day earlier what the emotion would be upon winning and reaching his first Final Four. He said probably joy, then acknowledged that there would be some relief, as well.

Given the way this went down, relief won in a landslide.

"I would say instead of jubilation, it was probably more relief," Self said. "You picture winning a big game like that, you make a shot, you celebrate, or something happens and you're able to go congratulate all your coaches and your players. This was not one of those deals.

"I just wanted to make sure that I hurried up and shook hands and the officials left the court so they couldn't put any more time back on the clock."

Self Feels Sense of Relief After Davidson Scare - Jeff Goodman, Fox Sports.com

Bill Self would have been crucified. The fans in Lawrence would have gladly pushed him out the door to return to Oklahoma State — for the $3 million or so per year that billionaire Boone Pickens is reportedly willing to toss around to lure Self back to his alma mater.

It wouldn't have mattered that Self took the Jayhawks to their third Elite Eight in five seasons.
The whispers had gotten louder. Self could recruit against just about anyone, but was he a big-time X's and O's guy?

He had a pair of first-round exits on his resume in his five postseason appearances — and this year's road couldn't have been paved any smoother.

A walk-over Portland State. Then an overachieving UNLV team in the second round. Villanova, the final at-large team in the tournament and a No. 12 seed, in the Sweet 16.

Then No. 10 Davidson in the regional finals.

A Final Four is the measuring stick for those in Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk-land. The Jayhawks had been to a dozen of them, but won just twice — with the last coming 20 years ago when Danny Manning led them to the national championship.

Well, Self has finally silenced the skeptics who questioned his coaching ability with a Final Four appearance, courtesy of a down-to-the-last-shot, 59-57 victory against Davidson.

"I was nervous the whole time," Self admitted.

The Big Stop - Stewart Mandel, SI.com

The play was called "Flat," short for flat ball-screen. Under normal circumstances, Richards handles the point and Curry flies around the floor bouncing off screens, looking for his opening, but "the amount of time left was an issue," said Curry. "Usually I have 30 to 35 seconds to fight through screens."

The goal was to draw a big man out to the top of the key, allowing Curry to drive, pop a three or kick to the open man. But Kansas is 35-3 first and foremost because of its perimeter defense. With the Jayhawks' season on the line, it was only fitting that they prevailed by stopping the hottest shooter in the country, putting four guards (Rush, Collins, Mario Chalmers and Russell Robinson) on the floor so that when Rush got screened off Curry, as was the plan, another guard, Collins, was right there to pick him up.

"It kind of defeated the purpose of the play," said Curry.

It was also emblematic of Curry's entire night. Though he finished with an impressive 25 points, 20 of them came in the game's first 22 minutes. In the second half, his open looks started disappearing, his shots looked increasingly rushed and off the mark. Defenders like Robinson and Rush were never more than a step away from him. Curry would finish just 9-of-25 from the field.

Kaun Inspires Hunted - Tom Keegan, Lawrence Journal-World

And through it all, there was Kaun, the least offensively gifted of the nine players who appeared in the game for Kansas, clapping his hands to demand the ball, tossing bodies aside to get into position for rebounds, challenging so many shots and blocking one, not looking anything but energized by the heat of the moment.

Kansas played a terrific defensive game, most notably on the final possession, and made superstar Stephen Curry work so hard for his 25 shots. Still, KU needed all Kaun’s field goals to fall for that effort not to go down as a footnote swallowed by tales of failure. Kaun contributed 13 points and six rebounds and shot 6-of-6 from the field, 1-of-3 from the line.

His offensive output came in handy because Davidson reserve Bryant Barr evoked bad memories of Texas Tech’s Darryl Dora and Marchello Vealy of Oral Roberts, lesser-known players for whom the basket grew so large in victories against Kansas.

The Monkey - Gone!

2008-03-31T08:07:00.005-04:00

Before we get into anything, let me just say that we at MTAC could not be any happier for Kansas Head Coach Bill Self. A class act across the board finally gets to his first Final Four. We were there again yesterday, now 3-0 live at Regional Finals. As we have said in the past, our job is to get them to the Final Four, once they get there, they should bring it home. No need to rehash what you already know; The KU defense put the clamps down on Davidson's Stephen Curry on the final possession with the Wildcats down two. Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers, and then Sherron Collins all switched onto him and wouldn't allow him to get a look. Eventually, the ball ended up in the hands of Jason Richards, who's NBA three for the win was wide left. Just like that, the monkey was lifted off of Self's back, a country was disappointed, but the Jayhawk nation rejoiced as they have returned to the Final Four. 59-57. What a game.

Our Experience: As stated Saturday, the set up and atmosphere at Ford Field was attrocious. Friday was definitely worse. Had Davidson not been KU's opponent, the crowd would have been dead. Everyone was caught up in the Davidson story and rightfully so. We would have been as well if we weren't diehard KU fans. The way it went, there was one section of Davidson fans - their entire student body - and one section of KU fans. The rest of the the reported 57,563 (no chance there was 57k there) had no real rooting interest, but took up for the Wildcat cause. So my boy Sean and I were essentially the only two real fans in our section with hardcore interest.

As the game went on, it was clear Davidson was not going away. In fact, several times we both thought we were done. I couldn't take it. Late in the first half, as Kansas continued to miss bunnies and open jumpers, Rush spotted up for a three. He hadn't hit a shot yet. I yelled "One Time Brandon!" Brick. I then jumped up and screamed "BRANDON! WAKE UP! JESUS CHRIST!" Keep in mind, the building is like a library and nobody else around me is standing. I sit down, look up and 40 people are staring at me. I've yelled at games before and I'll do it again. But this one was reminiscent of my late father, who loved to melt down on occasion during Tribe Playoff games. But we digress.

As poorly as KU played in the first half, they were still up two. But our main concern was that they had played good defense, but they were getting nothing in the post outside of Sasha Kaun, weren't hitting outside shots, and seemed to be committing too many dumb turnovers (see Cole Aldrich's outlet pass right to Jason Richards). Seemed like the UCLA game all over again. Mario Chalmers and Kaun really were the only two who showed up in the first half, and Kaun had gone to the bench with two fouls with eight minutes left in the half.

The second half gets going and with 15 minutes left, Andrew Lovedale hit a layup to give Davidson a lead and the crowd roared. We sat in disbelief. This was the first of two times where we thought The Jayhawks were done. A short three minutes later, KU went up six at 43-37, and this is where we figured we would pull away. But oh, the ups and downs of sports. This is why we love this game so much. Fast forward three minutes, Davidson's Bryant Barr, a guy I had never heard of until the second half of this game, hit back to back three's, Lovedale scored inside, Barr hit his third straight triple, and Davidson led 49-45. We sat with our heads in our hands while the parisan Wildcat crowd stood and screamed. I believed it was here when Sean turned to me and said "this is when it is no longer fun. This is painful." At the under eight TV timeout, KU trailed 51-47. This is where the game changed and the KU defense kicked into high gear. Kaun's layup and Sherron Collins' three - his only basket of the game (1-8) - put KU on top 52-51, a lead they would never relinquish.

The final minute felt like it took an hour. A 59-53 lead almost disappered. Curry, who was hounded all game, hit the three to cut it to two. Davidson had one more chance to win it with 16 seconds left. Coach Bob McKillop, a master X's and O's guy, called a timeout. I had to walk out to the aisle and pace. I was in full freak out mode. Later I was told by my brother that the woman behind him said "That poor guy is going to have a heart attack." Everyone in the building knew, heck, everyone in the country knew Curry was going to take a three for the win. I could just visualize it: Another classic loss by one of my teams. This one was going to hurt more than any other KU loss. I said to Sean, "lets see what my dad has up there for me." I am not a religious man and I don't pray. That was the best I could ask for, my father looking down, who had been to the 2003 regionals with me the year before he passed away, helping my boys out. Sure enough, Curry ended up with the ball, but couldn't get any sort of look, instead, it was Jason Richards who got the look. It was wide right.

I don't know if I was more happy or more relieved. Relieved probably, but so happy for Self, who now has shed the "best coach to never get to the Final Four" tag. Thrilled for Darnell Jackson, who despite playing very poorly, wanted it more than anyone else. For guys like fifth year Senior Jeremy Case, the last Roy Williams recruit, and Senior Rodrick Stewart who rarely plays, but is the epitome of a team player. But nobody deserved it more than Self. It was a pleasure watching him cut down the nets.

There will be more to follow....

Being There

2008-03-29T15:23:00.003-04:00

First things first, another big win. One more win closer to the Final Four. A great first half by the backcourt set the tone. The second half was a snooze-fest, but the game was long over. One more win and Bill Self gets over the hump.

I was at Ford Field last night. I couldn't wait to see what the "new set-up" was all about. 55,000 people allegedly attended. The number was more like 40,000, but it sounded more like 5,000. It was the single worst atmosphere of any major sporting event I've ever attended. The set up with the court in the middle of an football stadium made it so completely non-intimate. The crowd was a complete non-factor. Other than the Davidson section, you could hear a pin drop in the stadium. It was like watching a game in a library. We tried so hard to get into the game, but it was a real struggle, even with the stakes being as high as they were. The place was a morgue.

How can they players feed off of the energy of the crowd when there was no energy? The biggest group of fans were from Wisconsin and now they are out. People couldn't give their tickets away for Sunday's Final last night. By the second half of the KU/Nova game, the place completely emptied out and there couldn't have been more than 5,000 people left. Our seats were in the risers section on the floor of the football field. Unless you were sitting where we were, the players looked like ants. When we walked up from our seats, it was a serious hike. Everytime I turned around, the players and the court got smaller and smaller. Anyone who would pay for seats behind the baskets should have their heads examined. Tak about bad seats. You were seemingly miles from the court.

The whole set up to maximize the amount of fans is an abomination. Wait until they see how few people the game Sunday. They will e lucky to get 20,000, which will make the place look and sound empty. You know what else? I don't care as long as I am there an my Jayhawks win.

A Scout's View on KU

2008-03-26T14:01:00.002-04:00

SI.com's Luke Winn grabbed a great scouting report on Kansas from an opposing assistant coach who faced the Jayhawks this year. It's a very interesting read.

"The biggest issue is keeping [Kansas] out of transition. They're a team of great spurts, and early in the year their margins of victory were so large because they were going on 3-4 big spurts per game, getting out in the full-court, and it was always the deciding factor.

"They're a very balanced team, so you have to choose something to take away. They're a team that ball-screens a lot, and out of their screens they get a lot of layups for their bigs off penetration, and they get a lot of lobs. The way I think you handle the the screening action is to push up and try to contain the guards, which is easier said than done, but it means their big men are going to have a tougher time getting easy looks.

"You have to be conscious of keeping them off the offensive glass, too, since they're usually plus-8 or plus-9 in that category. Off of pick-and-roll plays, they get the ball to the rim and then always seem to have two bigs crashing the glass, and on top of that, [Brandon Rush] is a very good offensive rebounder himself. So there are a lot of block-out responsibilities there.

"We felt like Mario Chalmers was a huge key; he's the one guy who attacks the rim constantly off of ball screens and can score. Rush is more of a catch-and-shoot guy -- he's the best shooter in the Big 12, and he's 6-foot-6, but he's not great off the dribble with his mid-range game. Nor is Russell Robinson. But Chalmers is terrific; he can get to the basket, he can stop and shoot at 15 feet, he can step behind the screen and hit a three, all with a lot of effectiveness. From our view Chalmers was their best player.

"Now that Sherron Collins is healthy, you have to find a way to keep him in front of you, because he's so big and powerful. If he gets his body by you, you're not going to get back around him, and he's a very effective finisher at the rim. He's good at setting big guys up for easy little dump-off passes. So you have to keep him contained and make him shoot over the top instead.

"There are a couple of things that seem to go unnoticed with Kansas. The first is that their bigs sprint to their screens; if you watch Sasha Kaun or Darnell Jackson or Darrell Arthur, they sprint from the post to set a screen. So the big guys guarding them are at a disadvantage, because they never get in the right defensive position. They'll run some double ball-screens on the outside, too, where the first guy slips [to the basket] and that forces you to help.

"The second is that they're an unbelievable passing team. That's why they're very hard to zone. They're always in attack mode, and their guards catch the ball where they want it, close to the three-point line in triple-threat position. They'll run some high-low sets that are effective, especially with Darnell Jackson, whose shooting has expanded the floor for them. Last year they didn't have a big man who could shoot that well. Arthur is so strong and quick on offense that we wanted to make sure he didn't get deep post-ups. We tried to be physical with him before he got into the post and not allow him to get the ball. When he does have it, his main move is a fadeaway over his right shoulder, and he'll counter that with a jump-hook -- but he always needs a dribble to get that off, so you can attack him that way.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time, [Kansas] is going to play man against you. Chalmers is as good a defender as you'll find anywhere in the country; he's a great anticipator, has quick hands and causes havoc in passing lanes. He and Robinson are constantly looking to create steals. Rush is a very underrated on-ball defender because of his length, and they're throwing a lot of different big guys at you. They're efficient defensively because of their quickness and their length, and the fact is that they dominate the glass, so you rarely get multiple shots.

"One thing you can do is try to take their big men away from the basket. For guys like Arthur and Jackson, and much more so Kaun and [Cole Aldrich, their comfort zone is within 7-8 feet of the basket, and once you get them away from it, they don't guard as well or rebound nearly as well. Arthur has been prone to foul trouble, too, and if a team attacks him and gets him out of that comfort zone, there's a chance he'll pick up some early fouls. Sometimes he's overly aggressive, or a half-step out of position, or just trying to make a play that sometimes he shouldn't make. If you get him out and they have to bring in Kaun or Aldrich, who aren't as athletic, then you try to lure them out to the perimeter.

"There are two intangible things that are just as important with Kansas. First, you can't lose your composure against them, because they're so well-coached that their effort never varies. You have to match the mental toughness of an experienced team. The second is the tempo of the game. You have to try to control your pace, because if you get running with them, they're going to run you out of the gym. That's what they like to do, and you have to be smart enough to avoid it."

The Bullpen is Set....We're Not Happy

2008-03-26T12:25:00.002-04:00

Our boy, Tom Mastny, otherwise known as "Thomas Nasty" has become the odd man out, despite having a great spring. Offseason pickup Jorge Julio has made the team, as has journeyman lefty Craig Breslow, picked up off of waivers two days ago. Here's a prediction: Breslow won't last through May. The obsession wiht keeping two lefties is the only reason he is still around. Meanwhile, a quality reliever in Mastny is going down to AAA. The guy spent the entire year on the big club last year. This shows you the depth of the Tribe pen. Mastny would be the key set up man for 80% of the teams in this league. He can't even make the Indians. So here is the Tribe pen as it stands:

Joe Borowski - Closer
Rafael Betancourt
Rafael Perez
Jenson Lewis
Masa Kobayashi
Jorge Julio
Craig Breslow

Poor Nasty. He deserves better than this. Now all the Indians have to do is figure out a way to get rid of OF David Dellucci so Ben Francisco can play Left Field. On the link below, make sure you scroll down and read the comments. The fans despise DD.

Mastny Optioned to Buffalo

Is This a Foul?

2008-03-25T08:34:00.002-04:00

According to officials who do UCLA games, the answer is no.

ITS OVER FOR KWAME!!!

2008-03-24T20:57:00.005-04:00

Readers of MTAC know we have been obsessed with this story. The Mayor of Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick and his former lover....errrrr...chief of staff Christine Beatty were formally charged with perjury, obstruction of justice, conspiracy, and misconduct after being busted lying under oath about the affair the two had after secret text messages were uncovered linking the two. According to the Detroit Free Press story, Kilpatrick is being charged with eight felonies.

“This has been a very flawed process from the beginning,” Kwame said. “I look forward to complete exoneration once all the facts in this matter have been brought forth.”

The mayor's attorney, Dan Webb, said the mayor will be found innocent of the charges and will not resign. “This man, my client, the mayor, is entitled to his day in court,” he said. “If this man is required to resign his office before his jury trial, that means he’s going to be punished before his day in court.”

You have got to love this story. For a refresher, here are some of the text messages:

Free Press columnist Stephen Henderson is one of the many who say it's time for Kwame to quit. The Detroit News' Daniel Howes says the real victims are the people of Detroit. Here is the national view from CNN.

It's Stiff

2008-03-24T12:52:00.003-04:00

It looks as though th Indians brass has finally made their decision on the 5th starter. In a shock to nobody, Cliff Lee has taken the job thanks to a solid spring. In his last outing, he went five scoreless and most likely nailed it down with that performance.

Our take: This was bound to happen. Stiff Lee is a bad guy and a clubhouse cancer. Notice the team's performance picked up when he was sent to Buffalo? We think it was no coincidence. He is a head-case and when things go bad for him, he loses his control. Maybe we will see the guy who won 18 games a few years back this year. We hope so, but the good news is that Aaron Laffey and Jeremy Sowers will be in the Buffalo rotation getting regular work.

More good news for the Indians pitching staff; veteran lefty reliever Aaron Fultz will be released, while fellow lefty Craig Breslow was claimed off of waivers from Boston and could take Fultz's spot.

Our take: Goodbye and Good Riddance Fultzy. This guy never showed anything after mid-May last year, throws a flat pitch with no zip on it, and could not be counted in an key situations. The main issue is that the Indians were dumb enough to pick up his option in December and now essentially cost themselves his $1.5 million salary. Give props to Shappy for cutting his losses with Fultz. The Breslow thing I don't get. His numbers were unimpressive and reportedly his big issue is control problems. It's nice to be a lefty, isn't it? Why claim this 27 year old scrub instead of keeping both Tom Mastny and either Jorge Julio or Scott Elarton (potential long man)?

Weekend Recap

2008-03-24T08:19:00.003-04:00

The sea has parted in the Midwest for the Kansas Jayhawks. The same can be said for the UCLA Bruins in the West. North Carolina looks dominant in not being tested in either of their two wins, while Memphis' free throw shooting nearly cost them a game they were in control. Only the East held form, Two #2 seeds are out, while two #10's, and a #12, are still around. Lets take a look at what happened during the first weekend of the greatest event in American Sports.

The East

Oh, Carolina - Maybe no team in the entire field looked better in it's two wins than #1 North Carolina. They put up 113 against Mount St. Mary's and 108 in a 31 point blowout of Arkansas to get to the Sweet 16. The partisan crowd in Raleigh loved every minute of it. The Tar Heels claim they aren't happy or finished yet. Said SF Marcus Ginyard after the Arkansas game: "We've got another two-game tournament to play next weekend and that's what we're focused on right now. At this point, this game does not mean anything to us anymore. This is just not where this team wants to end up."

The Half-court Clinic - Mad props go out to Tony Bennett's Washington State Cougars. Most experts were picking Notre Dame to knock them off in the second round, but Wazzu literally took the Irish apart on both ends of the floor. Their slow down, halfcourt offensive style ran their sets to perfection, thanks to PG Taylor Rochestie. Their defense was even better. The double-teaming of ND's Luke Harangody worked so well, the Big East Player of the year was 3-17 from the floor. He is a Power Forward. The Cougars slow down style could really give UNC fits in the Sweet 16. It should be a great contrast to watch.

Pitino Does it Again - If North Carolina was the most impressive team in the first weekend, Louisville has to be a close second. After easily dispatching Boise State in round one, the Cardinals throttled a very good Oklahoma team by 30. They did it with balance. Seven players scored at least seven points, led by Earl Clark's 14. They shot 59% and held OU to 31%. Said Coach Rick Pitino "Offensively and defensively, we did a beautiful job. You really can't find a weakness in the way the guys played."

Teetering Tennessee? - Like the old saying goes, survive and advance. That is exactly what Tennessee did this weekend. Their opener with American was way closer than they would have liked. This was a two point game with 5:45 left, before the Vols pulled away. Sunday they were tested again by a solid Butler team. Give Bruce Pearl's kids credit, they surrendered the lead for the first time in the entire game with just over one minute left in OT, and then finished the game on an 8-3 run to close out the Bulldogs. Their lack of a true point guard was exposed by Butler, as they forced 20 turnovers. The way they played and the way Louisville played, you'd have to say the Cardinals are the favorite in their Sweet 16 matchup.

The Midwest

Two Down, Four To Go - The Kansas Jayhawks were very business-like in their two wins over Portland State and UNLV. They did it with offense against Portland State, and defense against the Runnin' Rebels, holding them to 26% shooting. Bill Self showed a lot of the four guard offense against the smaller UNLV team and it worked. All four KU guards, Mario Chalmers (17), Russell Robinson (13), Brandon Rush (12), and Sherron Collins (10) were in double figures. The draw looks good for KU as well. They get upstart #12 Villanova Friday, and the bottom half of the draw no longer has #2 Georgetown.

The Big East's Beast? - Who knew that the one Big East team left in the Midwest would be Villanova? Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher have been magnificent since the second half of the Clemson game and Jay Wright has his team back in the Sweet 16 for the third time in four years. Reynolds and Fisher combined for 45 points in the second round W of Siena. More impressive was the way they handled the Clemson press Friday night. The Wildcats were down 36-18 in the first half and looked bad. After blitzing the Tigers by 18 in the second half, Wright said "It's incredible what happened here today."

Just Win, Baby - Nobody talks about them, nobody gives them any chance, yet here they are again in the Sweet 16. You want to know why we said Wisconsin's Bo Ryan is the most underrated coach in America? Take a look at what he has done this year. The Badgers sit at 31-4 and handled the great Michael Beasley and Kansas State with ease 72-55 on their way to Detroit. Trevon Hughes' 25 set the pace for Wisconsin. If they can hit their threes (9-22) and defend the way they did against K-State (39%, 0-13 from deep), they will be really tough to beat.

Everyone's Cinderella - The darlings of the tournament are the Davidson Wildcats and the star of the tournament is clearly Stephen Curry. Curry went off for 40 in the win over Gonzaga, but was held to just five in the first half as Georgetown shut him down and led by as many as 17 early in the second half. Then Curry woke up and Bob McKillop outcoached John Thompson III. Curry scored 25 after the break, including one back-breaking three after another. Davidson fed off of the crowd who jumped on their backs and pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament. "I'm numb right now," said McKillop. Curry has played three NCAA Tournament games in his career. he has scored 30, 40, and 30. Not bad for a Sophomore who was overlooked by all of the big schools. They took down mighty Georgetown, the Big East Champ, why can't they do it again to Wisconsin? The Hoyas loss also signaled the end of the careers of Jonathan Wallace and Roy Hibbert, perhaps the most overrated player in the country.

The South

Will The Freebees Do Them In? - Memphis Coach John Calipari can tell us all he wants that his team will make their free throws when it counts, but is that really going to happen? Sunday, they had the game well in hand in the end against Mississippi State, before a barrage of threes and missed free throws gave the Bulldogs a chance to tie it with a last second three, which was missed by Jamont Gordon. For the game, the shot 15-32, 46%. They only won by three. You tell is if that doesn't make a difference. It doesn't matter to Calipari, who said after the game "I love the frame of mind we are in. We may not be the best team. We may be one of them, we not be anywhere near it, but I like the mental attitude." If they can get past Michigan State, they will be in for a tough matchup with either Stanford's post players or Texas's shooters and the home crowd in Houston.

Izzo's the Master - You have got to give props to coach Tom Izzo. With his team underachieving all year long, he finds a way to turn things around and get them to the Sweet 16. PG Kalin Lucas was spectacular in both games, and is the shot in the arm the Spartans need. He was blowing by Pitt's Levance Fields all game long in the second rounf win over the Panthers. Drew Neitzel was on in the second half as well, nailing five threes and leading the way with 21. Expect MSU to give Memphis a tough game Friday night.

Feed The Beast - This is the year of the big man. The three best are all still playing. UNC's Tyler Hansbrough and UCLA's Kevin Love get all of the press, but is Brook Lopez the best of the three? Everyone knows he is going to get the ball, and he still can't be stopped. With his team needed him badly while trailing to Marquette in the second half, Lopez went nuts, scoring 28 points in the last 25 minutes, including the game winner with 1.2 seconds left. Take Lopez off this team and they'd be lucky to be .500. Give credit to his brother Robin, who played his best game of the season, with 18 and nine boards. PG Mitch Johnson played 44 of the 45 minutes and dished out 16 assists. These three saved Coach Trent Johnson from serious embarrasment as he was ejected in the first half for receiving two technicals. After the game, Johnson had no problem falling on the sword: "The bottom line was, the responsibility was on me, and I was out of line. Just leave it at that if you would, please."

Houston, Here We Come - The Texas Longhorns escaped against Miami after almost gagging away a 17 point second half lead. The good news is that now they head to Houston, where you can expect a partisan Burnt Orange crowd. that should help them big time. Their matchup with Stanford is the marquee game of the Sweet 16. Its guards vs. the bigs, and both teams are Final Four caliber. Expect to see a lot of zone to try and limit Brook Lopez's touches in the post. The Horns will do it from deep, like they did against Miami to the tune of 13-26. All five starters hit a three as well. Will Texas run out of gas? Their bench played just 21 minutes combined and scored two points.

The West

Thank You, Pod System - Anyone who thinks the pod system doesn't give an advantage to certain teams should have watched the UCLA/Texas A&M game in Anaheim. They might as well have played in Pauley Pavilion. With A&M in the lead most of the second half, the crowd, and Kevin Love, willed the Bruins to a 51-49 win, a game they probably stole. Love was unbelievable. His two fall away jumpers in the last two minutes were unstoppable. Darren Collison, not to be outdown, went to the hole and hit the game winning runner with five seconds left. The question remains though, can UCLA win it all playing essentially no offense and being a two man team? Love and Collison scored 40 of the Bruins 51 points. Russell Westbrook was the next high man with 5. Like Texas, UCLA is relying heavily on its starters. Their bench played 20 minutes combined and scored four points. They have a walk to the regional final as Western Kentucky awaits.

The Belt Way - For the first time in 15 years, the Sun Belt's Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are headed to the Sweet 16. The almost didn't get out of the first round. Their game with Drake was probably the best first round game as Drake fought all the way back from a 16 point second half lead to force OT, but Ty Rogers hit a buzzer-beating three to win it 101-99. PG Tyrone Brazelton was the man against Drake with 33, then star SG Courtney Lee took over the reigns in the win over San Diego. He had 29 including 4-5 from deep. This has been a nice story, but its all going to come to an end against UCLA.

The Hardest Draw Toughens Up The Musketeers - You tell us, if the committee got this right: In the first round, Xavier was dealt Georgia as their #14 seed. This is a Georgia team that plays in the SEC and is used to battling against top talent. Meanwhile, fellow #3 seed Stanford got the Ivy League Champ Cornell who was out of the game by the first eight minutes. They gutted out the win over Georgia after trailing by nine at the half. In the second round, a very well coached and solid Purdue team gave them a run, but in the end, the Xavier balance did the Boilers in. Four starters were in double figures, with C.J. Anderson and Drew Lavender both scoring 18. "We have a number of different players that can answer the bell on offense," said coach Sean Miller. "It's really a unique team to guard, because on different nights different people can beat you."

You Gotta Love Huggins - Everywhere the man goes, Bob Huggins just keeps winning. After lucking into a first round win over Belmont, Duke wasn't so lucky against a well oiled West Virginia machine. Joe Alexander has become a superstar over the last month of the season and the X-factor Joe Mazzulla came off the bench to score 13 points, grab 11 boards, and dish out eight assist. This is a typical tough-minded Huggins team. There is not reason they can't keep this run going.

Two Down - Four to Go

2008-03-23T09:52:00.002-04:00

In today's Lawrence-Journal World, Tom Keegan wrote a column about Bill Self, the coach, the teacher, and the man. I found one set of quotes from PF Darnell Jackson particularily interesting:

“The first time I met coach Self, I just knew there was something about him,” Jackson said. “I couldn’t figure it out when I first got here. When he kept staying on me so hard, kept pushing me so hard, I understood that he was trying to get the player that was in me out of me. I couldn’t understand that, and now I do understand that. I understand that I have to be responsible when I’m on the court and when I’m off the court. Coach Self, man, he’s just a great coach, he’s a great father, he’s a great person, and he’s a great friend. That’s why every day I see coach Self, I just smile because he’s the father figure in my life that I want to be like when I grow up.”

Two more wins and the stigma of the guy who can't win big in March will go away. Self deserves it. I've met him in person. This guy is the genuine article. Nobody wants it more and maybe nobody deserves it more. We'll have more on yesterday's 19 point win over UNLV. Here are some more quotes for you courtesy of kusports.com:

Mario Chalmers on the Rebels’ early defensive pressure: “We could tell. We knew they were a pressure team. I think they tried to come out and punk us, but we didn’t back down, we just kept fighting with ’em.”

Sherron Collins on KU’s depth paying off: “Somebody like Terry or Wink went out, it was a little bit easier to handle the pressure and handle their guards because they weren’t all scorers like that. They got in foul trouble, and it played into our hand.”

Sherron Collins on KU’s guard-heavy offensive attack: “Every time we threw the ball into the bigs, everybody collapsed on them. When we went small, it was a mismatch problem out there somewhere. We just ran a lot of cutting, moving, caught them at awkward times and were able to make a play.”

Sherron Collins on being healthy entering regionals: “I think it’s good for our team, because I’m able to do a lot of things, like break down defenses and get easy shots for my teammates. I’m like the release button. If the pressure’s out there, I take pride in getting the ball and making something happen. Being a spark plug off the bench, that’s what I do.”

Bill Self on Russell Robinson and Sherron Collins: “I thought that those two took the game over. We went to a little spread-and-drive-it mode and they did a great job of getting in there. Mario was solid, Brandon was solid, our bigs didn’t score as much because of the way they defended, but I really felt like midway through the second half it was those two’s game.”

Bill Self on his team’s defense: “Our first shot defense was good. I’ll be excited to see the film to see if it was as good as I thought it was. We rebounded it pretty good, we defended it pretty good, we just put our hands on them too much. And they put their hands on us too much. it was obviously a tightly-called game. But that was a good defensive effort.”

Bill Self on having Sherron Collins healthy in the Tournament’s second weekend unlike last year: “The thing about it is Sherron, he didn’t practice yesterday. He couldn’t move. The doctors talked to him today and told him ‘Hey, you’re fine. You’ve got a bruised knee again. It’s gonna be sore, but you’ve gotta suck it up and go do it.’ I thought he was really good. And he’s a different element to our team. Because he can go get you a basket. The biggest basket of the game may have been five seconds on the shot clock and he goes and makes a play. That’s not coaching. That’s just getting the ball to a guy and getting out of his way. And he can go make a basket that you don’t have to run offense for or break the defense down. So it’s great to have guys like that, especially this time of year.”

Coast to Coast...like Tyus Edney against Mizzou

2008-03-21T07:41:00.002-04:00

I love the first day of the tournament. You know nobody is paying attention to their job, everyone is checking their brackets, but most importantly, there are games on all day long. There is nothing better. We went to a bar to watch Kansas at noon. It was a nice, relaxing. pasting of Portland State, but had our eyes on the other games. Props to CBS for going all HD this year and doing an excellent job of switching around. What I don't understand is tonight's main game here at 7:00 is North Carolina/Mount St. Mary's. Brutal. Back to yesterday, the day session didn't have too much excitement, but the night session was great. Oh Belmont, couldn't you have just hit one more shot? Unless you were a Duke grad, there is no way you were rooting for the Blue Devils. That is what makes the tournament so great.

#2 Duke 71 Belmont 70 - This was the game of the day. The Belmont Bruins of the Atlantic Sun had the mighty Duke Blue Devils on the ropes, but Gerald Henderson, who seemed to be the only Devil who showed up, saved the day by driving the length of the floor and laying one in with 11.9 seconds left to give Duke a one point lead. Belmont had two chances to win it. A botched out of bounds play with four seconds left was a killer. In the end, they came up just short. "The last two or three minutes, I was sitting there thinking, 'We're really in this game.' We were so close to winning," Belmont's Henry Harris said. "There's a bit of amazement in your brain, just sitting there: 'Wow!' " A good read: ESPN's Dana O'Neil says Duke's intimidation factor is long gone.

#11 Kansas State 80 #6 USC 67 - Well, there goes my elite eight team! Didn't way say earlier in the year that K-State would be a legit team in March because they have two stars in Michael Beasley and Bill Walker? Well, they were out in full force last night. Beasley had 23 and 11 boards, despite sitting most of the first half in foul trouble. Walker picked up the slack with 17 first half points and finished with 22. As good as these two were, it was K-State's other two Freshman who were the difference. Unheralded Ron Anderson came off the bench to score 10 points and grab eight boards. PG Jacob Pullen had 11 off the bench as well. The Wildcats dominated the glass all night long 40-27, including 18 offensive rebounds. O.J. Mayo was great for USC with 20, but the Trojan big men spent the entire night in foul trouble. Taj Gibson and Davon Jefferson fouled out, and Keith Wilkinson played most of his second half minutes with four fouls.

#9 Texas A&M 67 #8 BYU 62 - Another big win for the Big 12. Josh Carter played the game of his life for the Aggies. He nailed six of 12 threes on his way to a career-high 26 points to lead his team to the W. Joseph Jones and Brian Davis were in double figures up front and played excelptional defense on BYU's star big man Trent Plaisted. He scored just 13 and was a non-factor all night.

#7 West Virginia 75 #10 Arizona 65 - A disappointing season comes to an end for Arizona at 19-15. They were as close as two with four minutes left, but they ran out of gas, while the Mountaineers continued to nail clutch shots down the stretch. Led by Alex Ruoff's five, WVU nailed 11 three-pointers. Ruoff's stroke was pure, going 8-11 from the field on his way to 21. Da'shawn Butler had 19 , Darris Nichols and Joe Alexander each chipped in 14 in this total team effort. Do not be shocked if West Virginia beats Duke Saturday. They play great perimeter defense and have scores. Chase Budinger led the Wildcats with 23. Their lack of bench really hurt. Jerryd Bayless, Budinger, Jawaan McClellan, and Nic Wise each played 38 minutes or more. Jordan Hill played 33, and would have played more if he didn't pick up his fourth foul so early in the second half.

#3 Xavier 73 #14 Georgia 61 - This one was closer than the score indicated. The Bulldogs continued to ride the success of their SEC Tournament title and had a nine-point lead at the half. But like Arizona, they just had nothing left in the tank. They won four games in three days less than a week ago, and their three best players essentially played the whole game. They were run out of the building in the second half 47-26. Josh Duncan had 20 and Derrick Brown 19 for the X-men. Yes, they struggled most of the game, but they enough to pull away in the end. Is it just me, or did Xavier kind of get screwed with this first round matchup? Who would you rather play as a 14 seed, an SEC team who won their conference tournament or Ivy League champ Cornell?

#5 Notre Dame 68 #12 George Mason 50 - Many people picked the Patriots to win this one. Mike Brey's Irish had other plans. Perhaps the most impressive non-big seed team of the day was Notre Dame. Mason had nothing in the post to stop Luke Harangody who had 18 and 14. They owned the glass 42-31 and the underrated Irish defense held the Patriots to 33% from the field and 3-17 from deep. Meanwhile, they hit 9-21 threes and blew away Jim Larranaga's club. Follaren Campbell, GMU's best perimeter player, shot 1-12 for the game. "If I would get past or have one [defender] on my hip, there was another big guy right beside him," Campbell said. "I mean, Notre Dame just played great defense. All my shots were contested. I tip my hat off to their defense."

#6 Marquette 74 #11 Kentucky 66 - The Golden Eagles superb backcourt was in charge all game long and Lazar Hayward gave the post play they have needed all year long. Jerel McNeal, Dominic James, and Wesley Matthews combined to score 48 points and turned the ball over just four times. Hayward scored 16 and grabbed seven boards as Marquette advances. UK's tumultous season comes to an end, as do the careers of guards Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley. Crawford went out with a bang, scoring 35. Bradley had 19.

#6 Purdue 90 #11 Baylor 79 - Who would have thought the Baby Boilers could score 90 points? Well that's what happens when you play against the run and gun, all O, no D Baylor Bears. Five Boilers scored in double figures, none of whom was star Robbie Hummel, who played just 17 minutes in foul trouble. Keaton Grant (17) and E'Twan Moore (16) went stride for stride with five different Baylor guards and that helped Purdue cruise to victory. Curtis Jerrells had 27 in losing cause.

#5 Michigan State 72 #12 Temple 61 - Who says the Big Ten can't score points? If we would have told you Drew Neitzel would go 2-11, would you have thought the Spartans would have controlled the game from start to finish? It was their defense that was the difference. Temple's star guard Dionte Christmas, who averaged 20 points a game coming in, was held to 1-12 shooting for just three points. Temple shot 6-23 from downtown and never was close enough to make a serious run. Raymar Morgan led the Spartans with 15. Freshman guard Chris Allen had 12 off the bench.

Got It Done....Bring on the Rebels

2008-03-20T16:50:00.005-04:00

The Recap: Its what you expect form a #1 vs. #16 game. Kansas just has more athletes and Portland State seemed overwhelmed after the first initial wave of Jayhawk pressure on their way to a 85-61 win. Four Jayhawks were in double figures, led by Brandon Rush with 18. Darrell Arthur was unstoppable in the post with 17 points on 8-10 shooting, and Mario Chalmers chipped in with 16 including three triples. Kansas won the battle of the boards 36-25, shot 54% from the floor, and hit 12-25 from deep. The swarming KU D held Portland State to just 38% shooting and forced 16 turnovers.

The Whup

Brandon and Mario Continue to Shine - The Junior tandem were sensational again, combining to score 34 points and hit seven three-point shots. Again, it was men against boys out there today, but Rush and Chalmers again looked so smooth, especially from deep. Mario's off the ball defense was exceptional again. He was all over the passing lanes, collecting three steals. If these two continue to play at such a high level, KU will be in great shape.

Shady in the Post - Early and often, KU guards fed the beast, and he was hungry. Portland State obviously didn't have the size to contend with the KU big men, especially Darrell Arthur. Shady had it going on early and finished with 17 on 8-10 shooting. He was all over the glass as well.

The Jayhawks on Fire, For Openers - What a first half it was for KU. Jumping out 13-3 made the game all but academic with the gap in talent. They shot 64% in 18-28 field goals. They hit 8-13 from deep. Rush had 15, Chalmers 10, Arthur and Collins had nine each. It was almost as if they were toying with the Vikings. "Not that they didn't have a chance," Self said, "but when we got up 13-3, I think our guys felt pretty good about themselves."

The Weak Beav

Starters Minutes? - Memo to Coach Self, you are doing a terrific job and its hard to nitpick when you win by 24, but with the game never in doubt and KU leading by 20 plus the entire second half, any particular reason Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur, and Russell Robinson were still on the floor with three and a half minutes left? You are just asking for trouble with that. Play Jeremy Case, Tyrel Reed, Cole Aldrich, Rodrick Stewart, and anyone else the last seven minutes and call it a day.

Sasha's Free Throws - We are big fans of the Big Russian's game this season, but his free throw shooting has been terrible the last month. Today was no different. He was 1-6. It didn't hurt the Jayhawks, but he cannot be on the floor late in a close game if this shooting is going to occur. The way Arthur tends to be in foul trouble, this could be the case as we go deeper into the tournament.

Overall

This is a ho-hum, to be expected, blowout win. But after watching Duke struggle to beat Belmobt 71-70, it makes me feel that much better about the Hawks. Duke is so one dimensional and they weren't hitting their threes. KU does it inside and out. They hit 12-25 from deep for the game. All we know is if they continue on this shooting streak as they did in the Big 12 tournament semis and finals and now today, KU will be extremely hard to beat. "This is the part of the season where everyone has to be clicking on all cylinders," senior guard Russell Robinson said. "We're doing a great job of that so far." "I thought we'd have some first-game jitters," Self said. "But all in all, I thought we played pretty well."

Up Next: Saturday vs. #8 UNLV

The Road To San Antonio Starts Today

2008-03-20T09:20:00.004-04:00

We've been previewing every region for you, but you know this is all about the Kansas Jayhawks for us. This is the best shot Bill Self has had and may have for a long time. He's got a nine-man rotation where Seniors Darnell Jackson, Russell Robinson, Sasha Kaun, and Rod Stewart will all be done when this Tournament is over. Junior Brandon Rush and Sophomore Darrell Arthur have one foot out the door. It was also shock nobody if Mario Chalmers left as well. So Coach Self, this is it for you. There is no tomorrow.

It's tough to view this team's chances without bias and thinking with my head rather than my heart. There is so much to love about this team. Talent galore, veterans, and no egos. Seven different players led this team in scoring during a game this season. They can do it inside with Arthur, Jackson, and Collins or outside with Chalmers, Sherron Collins, and Rush. Robinson and Chalmers are the best defensive backcourt in the nation. The team is loaded.

The pressure for Self to get this team to the Final Four is immense. The Kansas fan base wants it badly and another early exit could really turn the Jayhawk Nation on him. He is a great guy, an excellent recruiter, but his in-game coaching at times can be questioned. This year, there has been no doubt about his abilities, especially the way he has turned this team into such a selfless bunch. But as we stated before, this has to be his year.

Can they do it? We think so. With Sherron Collins 100% healthy, which he wasn't most of the year and wasn't during the NCAA Tournament last year, this team plays at a whole different level. Collins will be the reason this team gets to the Final Four. After that, its a crap shoot. One thing is for sure, meeting North Carolina in the Final Four would be a game KU fans would want to win almost as much as a National Title. Nothing would be sweeter than beating Ole' Roy on the way to a championship.

Keep in mind its the 20 year anniversary of the 1988 Danny and the Miracles Championship team. Kansas started in the state of Nebraska (Lincoln), then went to the regionals in Detroit. This year its Nebraska (Omaha) to Detroit. Can the magic happen again? We hope so.

Preview: The West Regional

2008-03-20T08:06:00.002-04:00

This happens to be the softest draw of the four by leaps and bounds. UCLA should thank the committee for doing them a real solid. They were granted a shaky #2 seed in Duke, a #3 Xavier team who’s PG Drew Lavender has a severely sprained ankle, and #4 Connecticut may have peaked in mid-February. This side does have great stories with #11 Baylor, SEC Tournament Champion #14 Georgia, and the 5/12 matchup of mid-major powers Drake and Western Kentucky. Watch out for #13 San Diego and the sleeping giant 10 seed Arizona.

Final Four Contenders

To this corner, its UCLA’s region to lose. In fact, we’ll say it, unless Kevin Love’s back flairs up, or Luc Richard Mbah a Moute’s ankle is more injured than they are letting on, the Bruins are a lock to come out of the West. They start out in Anaheim for two games, where they will be playing essentially home games; then they move on to Phoenix where they again will have a huge crowd advantage. That’s just the fan aspect. What about the fact that they have a superb big man in Kevin Love who gets a double-double in his sleep? Love is the main difference in this year’s Bruins club compared to the back-to-back Final Four teams that preceded him. Those teams were guard oriented and didn’t have anything in the post that resembled half of Love’s talent. PG Darren Collison has been their catalyst for two years after backing up Jordan Farmar as a Freshman. He is known for his sticky hands on defense and the ability to hit the dagger from deep. His backcourt mate Russell Westbrook may be the best athlete in college basketball today. His dunks are legendary (just youtube his name and you will see three beauties), his defense is stifling, and he gets up and down the court with lightning speed.

On the wing is Josh Shipp, who has quietly taken Arron Afflalo’s spot as the key perimeter threat and the Bruins haven’t lost a step. Mbah a Moute is their Mr. everything at the power forward position. He is an exceptional offense rebounder, garbage man, and defender. Bench bigs Lorenzo Mata-Real and Alfred Aboya have played major minutes for each of the last three seasons and know what it takes to succeed in March. If there is one hole with the Bruins, its depth in the backcourt. Collison and Westbrook rarely come out of games. In fact, they both played all 40 in the Pac-10 title game win over Stanford. Shipp also rarely comes out. They really miss three point specialist Michael Roll, who has missed all but six games this season and hasn’t played since late December. With this draw though, nothing should derail Ben Howland’s team. They have played so many tight games this year and know how to close.

Is #2 Duke really a Final Four caliber team? We don’t think so. While they have the legendary Coach K pulling the strings, the lack of a post game will really hurt them when they get into a half-court game. They do have shooters galore and always have four guys on the floor that can hurt you from deep. PG Greg Paulus has stepped up his game in a major way this season and looking like the player everyone expected him to be when he came in three years ago with such promise and hype. His turnovers were cut in half from last season and he is a 43% three point shooter. Paulus is one of five Duke players who averages in double figures. Senior SF Demarcus Nelson leads the way at 15.2 per game, while grabbing six boards. Freshman Kyle Singler lived up to his advance billing as a 6-9 face-the-basket forward who can stroke it from anywhere. Sophomore Guards Gerald Henderson and Jon Scheyer provide scoring ability on the perimeter as well. Henderson is more of a drive to the hole kind of player, Scheyer is perhaps the Devils most clutch shooter. Coach K benefited from watching Phoenix Suns Coach Mike D’Antoni during the summer, and plays a similar four out, one in style that has worked well for this particular group. Their bugaboo is going to be scoring and defending the post. Teams wants to slow them down and make them play a half-court game. We see them as a Sweet 16 team and no better.

If you were a regular reader of our stuff during the season, you know we are very high on #3 Xavier and the Atlantic 10 conference. They have one of the best young coaches in the game in Sean Miller, who if we were Indiana’s A.D., we’d be after immediately to run our program. This is a veteran laden team with guys who have been here before. Six players score in double digits, led by Senior Sixth man Josh Duncan, Duncan does it inside and out. At one point this season, he had back to back perfect games, going 15-15 from the field including all eight of his triple tries. PG Drew Lavender’s sprained ankle is a concern; he has not been himself over the last couple of weeks, but Miller says he is 100%. SG Stanley Burrell seems like he has been around forever. Also watch out for the C.J. and B.J. show (Anderson and Raymond) on the perimeter. This is a very dangerous team.

Don’t sleep on UConn either. A month ago, we would have told you there were a chic Final Four pick because of their two dominating post players (Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien) and solid point guard play (A.J. Price), but they have been struggling of late. Thabeet is a game-changer on the defensive end and the best shot blocker in the nation. Adrien goes hard on both ends of the floor and is NBA strong. This is a young team with a great coach in Jim Calhoun. Keep in mind, no team who lost in the first round of their conference tournament has even won the National Championship.

Sleepers

We’ve been waiting for 10th seeded Arizona to break out all year long. There is so much talent there in the starting five. PG Jerryd Bayless is one of our favorite players in the country. He can drop 30 on you at any time. Sophomore Chase Budinger has the sweetest stroke in the nation on the wing, and PF Jordan Hill is the muscle on the inside. They’ve been banged up all year, but played the toughest schedule in the country and can play with anyone.

Don’t be surprised if #12 Western Kentucky pulls off two upsets and gets into the Sweet 16. There two best players, Courtney Lee and Tyrone Brazelton are seniors and Lee is a first round NBA prospect. They went 27-6 and 16-2 in their league. Trust us, this team can play.

Can #13 San Diego continue their improbable run and knock off Connecticut? The Torreros knocked off Gonzaga and St. Mary’s to win the WCC conference tournament and steal the automatic bid. Behind Brandon Johnson and Gyno Pomare, anything is possible.

Best Backcourt

Baylor – Curtis Jerrells, Henry Dugat, Ladarius Dunn, Aaron Bruce, Tweety Carter

Scott Drew’s club plays four guards at all times and they are all interchangeable scoring threats. All five have led the team in scoring in at least one game, and Jerrells was a first team all Big 12 performer. They love to penetrate and kick out for triple attempts. Close call, but on sheer depth, the Bears win out over Duke and UCLA.

Best Frontcourt

Connecticut – Jeff Adrien, Hasheem Thabeet, Stanley Robinson, Gavin Edwards

This is all about the three starters. They play the majority of the minutes and each excel in their own way. Thabeet is an incredible shot blocker. Adrien controls the glass. Robinson is the lockdown defender and improved greatly on the offensive end.

Best Coach

Mike Krzyzewski – Duke – You can’t go against a guy who has been to 10 Final Fours in this era. That is unprecedented. This year has been one of his finer coaching jobs. His team has been near the top of the heap the entire season despite having zero low post threat. He has played four, sometimes five perimeter guys at once and it has worked. Ben Howland of UCLA wins in any other region except this one.

First Round Upset Alert

#13 San Diego over #4 Connecticut – The Huskies have played up and down ball since the return of Jerome Dyson from suspension, going 3-3. San Diego is rolling after winning the WCC Tournament. They won at Kentucky earlier this year. They will not be intimidated and the Huskies won’t have any sort of home court advantage in Tampa.

Juiciest Potential Matchups

2nd Round – #2 Duke vs. #10 Arizona – If these two meet, it could be curtains for the Devils since Jerryd Bayless is too quick for Greg Paulus and there is nobody who will be able to stop Jordan Hill in the post. Duke, on the other hand, will try to run the Wildcats until they drop, since ‘Zona literally goes six deep.

Sweet 16 – #3 Xavier vs. #2 Duke – Two teams who love to get up and down and shoot the three. Sean Miller is one of the best young coaches in the country and he’ll meet up with the legend that is Coach K. Would love to see this one.

Elite Eight – #1 UCLA vs. #2 Duke – Two programs on the Mount Rushmore of College Basketball. Coach K vs. Ben Howland. The main question would be who on Duke could possibly stop UCLA’s Kevin Love?

Players With the Most to Prove

Robbie Hummel – Purdue – The 6’9 Freshman has carried the Baby Boilers over the last few weeks and is one of the toughest players to guard in this country. If he gets it going, Purdue could go deep. If he is off, they could lose to Baylor in the first round.

Joe Alexander – West Virginia – Bob Knight called him the best player in college basketball over the last month. He averaged 28 points a game in his last seven contests and turned a bubbling West Virginia team into a seven seed. He has to keep it going if The Mountaneers are going to make noise.

Courtney Lee – Western Kentucky – There may be no player in this bracket with more on the line with NBA scouts than Lee. The swing man led his team in scoring could vault himself into the lottery with a great NCAA Tournament. He has the size and strength to be an NBA two guard.

The Pick

Is there really any question? The only real question is who will finish second. We think it will be Xavier. UCLA was granted quite the draw and an ultra-soft bracket. They have been here before. This will make three straight years. They defend so well, have great talent, and play so smart thanks to the genius that is Ben Howland on the bench. Kevin Love will be the difference this time around.

Lavin Lets His Hair Down

2008-03-19T10:13:00.000-04:00

So Good....Brent tools on him....

Preview: The South Regional

2008-03-19T08:17:00.002-04:00

The Committee certainly did top seeded Memphis no favors. At 33-1, they may have been rated the second best #1 seed, but they were given the toughest route to San Antonio. Not only could they see a rugged, hot, and finally healthy Pittsburgh squad in the Sweet 16 as the four seed, but the bottom half has in our opinion the best #2 seed in Texas as well as the best #3 seed in Stanford. More reasons to fret if you are Memphis: If you do survive an athletic Mississippi State team in the second round and Pittsburgh, they could be facing a potential road game to get to the Final Four against Texas in Houston, where UT has a huge alumni base. It will be tough sledding for the Tigers.

Final Four Contenders

#1 Memphis has been a constant in the top three all year long. They have a magnificent backcourt with depth, speed, and scoring ability. Wing Chris Douglas-Roberts should be a first team All-American. He is a scoring machine when he wants to be and has to be. Freshman PG Derrick Rose has been described by Coach John Calipari as “the ultimate teammate.” When he is called upon to score, he scores. When he needs to run the offense and feed the hot hand, he does it. He is a special talent. The depth in the backcourt is pretty amazing. Junior Antonio Anderson is a savvy veteran; Doneal Mack loves to shoot the three-ball. Of his 84 field goals made this year, 63 of them were from deep. Willie Kemp gets 15 minutes a night and can handle the ball if need be. If need be, Freshman Jeff Robinson can be used in a pinch. Late in the season, Calipari went to him and struck gold.

Up front, you have bruiser Joey Dorsey who is as physical as any big man in the country. His main issue is keeping his emotions in check. When he plays smart and stays out of foul trouble, the Tigers are extremely tough to beat. He is a beast on the glass and their best post defender. Next to him is beanpole Robert Dozier. A 6-9, 215, Dozier is more of a finesse guy who scores about 10 a game and grabs six boards. However, he is inconsistent, only scoring in double figures three times in his last 10 games. Iowa State transfer Shawn Taggert has been a godsend for Calipari. He gives them a quality, battle-tested big man to spell Dozier and the often foul plagued Dorsey. This may be Calipari’s best team at Memphis, but the lack of quality opponents over the past three months could derail them if they are locked in a close game late.

We love #2 Texas. This is a team who shoots as well as any in the country. Point Guard D.J. Augustin is a First team All America. He is brilliant with the ball and deadly when shooting. He and SG A.J. Abrams play so well off of each other. Abrams is one of the best catch and shoot players you will find on the college level. The two combine to average 36 points per game. That is what you call production. Then you add in PF Damion James, who has taken his game to another level during conference play. He is a double-double machine and can step out and hit the three. He is an extremely tough guy to defend; he is too strong for a wing player and too quick for normal four men. Center Connor Atchley rebounds like a big man and nails jumpers like a shooting guard. What makes him so different is that he draws his man away from the basket and opens up the lane for Augustin and Abrams to cut to the hole. Justin Mason is the glue guy that Coach Rick Barnes just loves. If this team has a hole, it’s their lack of depth. They play a lot of zone and that keeps them out of foul trouble and more fresh than you’d think, but if James or Atchley gets two quick fouls, Barnes must go to little used bigs Alexis Wangmene and big Dexter Pittman because Freshman sixth man Gary Johnson is nursing an ankle injury. You can bet Abrams and Augustin will play the full 40 in any game that isn’t a blowout. This is a team that could go the distance. Don’t forget, they own wins over UCLA, Kansas, and Tennessee.

Stanford would most likely be a #2 seed if not for two poor officiated games against UCLA during the season. If it’s possible for a team this highly seeded to be under the radar, than the Cardinal are just that. Everyone knows about the Lopez Twins, Brook and Robin, but many don’t know that Brook averaged 19 and eight and outside of Tyler Hansbrough was probably the best pure post player in the nation. The offense runs through him and the opponents know it, yet he manages to come up big in big games. An intriguing matchup would be if he met up with Memphis’ Joey Dorsey in the Elite Eight. His brother Robin is no slouch himself, averaging in double figures and playing solid defense. The Cardinal’s fortunes will rest with their guard play. Anthony Goods is a very capable scorer and a clutch performer. Mitch Johnson is a solid defender and role player who does all the little things. Senior SF Fred Washington provides a veteran presence on the floor and usually guards the opponent’s best perimeter player. Lawrence Hill and Taj Finger provide experience and depth off the bench. Trent Johnson reminds us a lot of Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan, as he gets the most with the least amount of talent of any coach west of the Mississippi.

While ESPN’s Bob Knight (it still feels weird saying that) picks #4 Pittsburgh to win the National Championship, we just don’t see how they can come out of this tough region, but they deserve mention. PG Levance Fields is back and healthy and has transformed the Panthers into contenders again. Watch out for SF Sam Young and PF Dejuan Blair when they meet Memphis in the Sweet 16.

Sleepers

Not many people are talking about #8 Mississippi State, but we are. They have a very good shot at knocking off Memphis in the second round because they have three game changers on their squad. Wing Jamont Gordon is one of the best players you’ve never heard of. He is a two time all SEC performer, can score on anyone off the dribble, and is as savvy as they come. PF Charles Rhodes is a force on the block, scoring 17 points per game. Jarvis Varnado is the best shot blocker west of UConn’s Hasheem Thabeet. His wingspan changes the game for any guard trying drive to the hole or any big man trying to post him up. Watch out for the Bulldogs.

#12 Temple comes out of the rough and tumble A-10 conference as the Tournament Champs. As a 12 seed, they get a winnable first round game with under-achieving Michigan State. They have two solid guards in Dionte Christmas and Mark Tyndale leading the way. Together they average over 35 points and 13 boards per game. They lack depth, but have the guards to play into the second weekend of the tournament.

Best Backcourt

Memphis – Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Antonio Anderson, Doneal Mack, Willie Kemp, Jeff Robinson

This is a backcourt loaded region with Marquette, Texas, St. Mary, and Temple. As good as D.J. Augustin, A.J. Abrams, and Justin Mason are for Texas, there is no depth behind them. The Tigers can bring three guys in who give quality minutes. Plus, Rose is a lottery pick and CDR is a first team All-American.

Best Frontcourt

Pittsburgh – Dejuan Blair, Sam Young, Tyrell Biggs, Gilbert Brown

Blair gets you 15 and 10 seemingly every night. Sam Young went from a bench player to a star this year, leading the team in scoring at 18.3 points per game. When these two stay on the floor together, they give opponents fits with the strength and athleticism. Biggs is an excellent role player and Brown, since the injuries to guards Mike Cook and Levance Fields, has gotten more and more minutes and has responded.

Best Coach

Jamie Dixon - Pittsburgh

This is another loaded coaching bracket with guys like Tom Izzo, John Calipari, and Rick Barnes. We almost went Barnes who has done a magnificent job this year, putting together a better team without Kevin Durant, but the nod goes to Dixon who has continued the legacy left behind by Ben Howland when he went to UCLA. His teams aren’t littered with McDonald’s All Americans, yet they are always tougher than the team they play and play solid defense. Dixon’s players would run through a wall for him.

First Round Upset Alert

#12 Temple over #5 Michigan State – The Spartans only seem to play well in East Lansing. They struggled all year away from home. This one is played in Denver, a neutral site, but as this game is close and gets later and later, the crowd will undoubtedly by cheering for the underdog Owls. They have the guards (Christmas and Tyndale) who can outscore and wear down MSU’s Drew Neitzel and Kalin Lucas. It’s not as though they haven’t played good competition this year in a league (A-10) that was better than the Big Ten this year.

Best First Round Matchup

#12 Temple vs. #5 Michigan State – We looked at Mississippi State/Oregon and Miami/St. Mary’s, but truly, there are few first round games we’d rather see than Temple/Michigan State. Great guard play on both sides, battle-tested teams, smart coaches in Tom Izzo and Fran Dunphy. Should be a good show at 10:30 am mountain time.

Juiciest Potential Matchups

2nd Round – #1 Memphis vs. #8 Mississippi State – The Tigers better watch out. They will have a hard time scoring in the post against the beast that is Jarvis Varnado. Who is going to attempt to stop Jamont Gordon on the wing? Can Joey Dorsey slow Charles Rhodes? On the other side, will Memphis makes enough outside shots to set up their press? Chris Douglas-Roberts will be the difference in this one, but it would be no shock to us if the Bulldogs pulled off this stunner.

Sweet 16 – #2 Texas vs. #3 Stanford, #1 Memphis vs. #4 Pittsburgh – This is what makes the South so brutal. All four of these teams are Final Four caliber. Texas/Stanford would be a great contrast in styles. Texas wants to play the game in the 80’s, Stanford in the 60’s. Memphis/Pittsburgh would be an ultra-physical game in the post. We’d love to see this doubleheader.

Elite Eight

#1 Memphis vs. #2 Texas – These two teams will get up and down the court all game long. There will be scorers galore on the floor, plus a great coaching matchup in John Calipari vs. Rick Barnes.

Players With the Most to Prove

Anthony Goods – Stanford – The best Guard Stanford has must be the outside compliment to Brook Lopez in the post or else the Cardinal could be done earlier than they would like.

Jamont Gordon – Mississippi State – The ultra-talented Bulldog is usually the best player on the court when he plays, yet he gets no national publicity. This tournament is where he is going to make his NBA money.

Joey Dorsey – Memphis – The Tigers flat out will not go to the Final Four if Dorsey gets in major foul trouble or loses his cool. He is their best big man and an extremely physical presence in the post, but he can be easily rattled.

The Pick

As we said earlier, this is a brutal region with four legitimate Final Four threats. There is one major advantage here though – Texas gets to play the regionals in Houston, where you can bet there will be burnt orange every where. Memphis will meet them in the Elite Eight, but will be out shot by D.J. Augustin, A.J. Abrams, Connor Atchley, and Damion James. The type of game the Tigers don’t want to get into is a three-point shooting contest. They aren’t great from deep, but love to shoot threes anyways. It will be their undoing and Rick Barnes will take his Longhorns to the Final Four.

Preview: The Midwest Regional

2008-03-18T13:01:00.002-04:00

In the rankings of toughest to easiest within the four regions, we’d put the Midwest third. To me, there really is only one team in the side that can win it all, Kansas. The #2 seed Georgetown has talent, but so many times this year, they lucked into wins they didn’t deserve. #3 Wisconsin had a great season at 29-4, but they over-achieved all year, have trouble scoring, and weren’t tested at all once conference season started in the below-average Big Ten. We aren’t buying Vanderbilt as a #4 seed when they couldn’t win on the road in conference. The team to watch is #5 Clemson.

Final Four Contenders

Readers of my columns know that I graduated from Kansas and live and die with this team. Since the bad one point loss at Oklahoma State on February 23rd, this ship has been righted. KU ripped off seven wins in a row, including the Big 12 Tournament championship. It seems like it’s now or never for Bill Self this time around. This team is nine deep with talent and experience galore. The front court has star Sophomore Darrell Arthur, the team’s leading scorer, whose 15 foot jumper is money. He stands next to two Seniors, Darnell Jackson and Sasha Kaun. Jackson is the heart and soul of the team and one of the most improved players in the country. Kaun is the best defensive big man KU has and is extremely physical. They rotate with Freshman Cole Aldrich who is a defensive specialist and the team’s best shot-blocker. On the wing, Brandon Rush has picked up his game in the last few weeks, sensing this is it for him as well. He was MVP of the Big 12 Tournament and is the team’s best deep shooter and perimeter defender. Mario Chalmers is no slouch either. He and Russell Robinson are the best defensive backcourt in the country and Chalmers is the guy who wants the ball in his hands at the end of the games. He had 30 in the Big 12 final against Texas.

As great as this team is, they won’t go deep without PG Sherron Collins being the player he has been since getting back to 100% after battling leg and knee injuries most of the year. It’s no coincidence that the team began to peak once Collins got healthy. That was after the loss at Oklahoma State. He runs the floor with break-neck speed and penetrates to the hole better than almost anyone in the college game. This team moves the ball better than any team you will see and is so unselfish, almost sometimes to a fault. There is also the specter of Bill Self not being able to get over the hump and get to the Final Four. Will this year be different?

Many experts think Georgetown is the squad that could come out of the Midwest. The core of this team got to a Final Four last year and they are an excellent defensive team, something that always goes a long way in March. Five guys score at least nine points a game, and they have a big shot maker in PG Jonathan Wallace. Wallace did not have the Senior campaign he had hoped. His scoring, assists, and shooting percentages all went down, while his turnovers went up. That said, he still shoots 45% from deep and is extremely clutch. SG Jesse Sapp, like Wallace, has the knack for hitting the big shot. He hits 40% from deep and has started every game over the last two seasons. Forward DaJuan Summers improved his game this season and scores 11.3 points per game and is very athletic. The X-factor for this team is Patrick Ewing Jr., one of the best sixth men in the country. He is a guy who does it all on both ends of the floor and is the emotional leader of this team. Did I forget to mention the 7’2, 275 lbs beast in the middle Roy Hibbert? We’ve been saying all year that he is the most overrated player in the country, but he is still a force. He leads the Hoyas in scoring and in rebounding. He needs to stay out of foul trouble or Georgetown will be in trouble. John Thompson III is an excellent game coach. Remember though, this team won three games in the end on controversial officiating. That will catch up to them at some point.

Sleepers

It’s hard to call a #5 seed a sleeper, but to this eye, the one team who could give Kansas the most trouble is Clemson. Four times this season, the Tigers gave North Carolina and Duke all they wanted. True, they only won one of those games, but taking the #1 team in the country to OT twice should count for something. They have solid low post threats in Trevor Booker and James Mays (a shot-blocking extraordinaire). Guards K.C. Rivers (JR) and Cliff Hammonds (SR) are savvy veterans and lead the team in scoring, and SG Terrance Oglesby is one of the best three point shooters in the country. Oliver Purnell loves to full court press and goes 10 deep.

If you are looking for a mid-range seed to get to the Elite Eight, than #6 USC is your squad. You know all about Freshman star O.J. Mayo, but what you may not know is that for all of the flash and hype, he has become the ultimate team guy and the Trojans have responded to it. Credit Coach Tim Floyd for that development in Mayo. Fellow Freshman Davon Jefferson is an extremely athletic Forward who has gotten better and better as the season has gone on. Taj Gibson is solid in the post and was the difference maker on last year’s Sweet 16 team. This team cannot be counted out because of how Floyd’s changing defenses. Whether its man, zone, box and one, or triangle and two, Floyd always seems to pull the right strings with his club.

The biggest sleeper potentially in the Tournament because of their draw, where they are playing, and their ability to shoot the ball is Davidson. A #10 seed, the Wildcats come in with a nation’s best 23 game winning streak. They played North Carolina to a four point game, lost to Duke by just six, and had an 18 point lead in the first half on UCLA in Anaheim before losing. Stephen Curry and Jason Richards are the best backcourt you’ve never heard of. Curry is a lights out shooter, averaging 25 points a game and nailing 43% from deep. They are playing their first two games in Raleigh, a short two hours from their Charlotte campus. Don’t be surprised if they give Georgetown fits in the second round.

Best Backcourt

Kansas – Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers, Russell Robinson, Sherron Collins

Not only is this the best backcourt in the region, it’s the best in the nation. Collins is the straw that stirs the drink, Rush and Chalmers are big time shot makers, Robinson runs a steady point and is a lock-down defender. They are all interchangeable and Chalmers, Collins, and Robinson can all handle the ball.

Best Frontcourt

Kansas – Darrell Arthur, Darnell Jackson, Sasha Kaun, Cole Aldrich

Call me a homer if you will, but you go and find me another team that has four solid post players, one who is a budding lottery pick, two battled-tested Seniors who love to do the dirty work, and a McDonald’s All-American Freshman who is a great shot blocker and rebounder.

Best Coach

Bo Ryan – Wisconsin

Nobody does more with less than Ryan. Every year, no matter how little talent he may have, his team defends, shoots the ball well, and just flat out wins. They don’t beat themselves. That is all coaching.

First Round Upset Alert

#13 Siena over #4 Vanderbilt – Vandy is a team that lives and dies with the three ball. The same can be said for Siena, who plays a five out, none in, style. Their tallest player is just 6’7. If Siena is hot and Shan Foster and company aren’t, the Saints could pull the stunner. Vandy was a poor road team in conference and if this game is close, you know the fans will pull for the little guy.

Best First Round Matchup

#6 USC vs. #11 Kansas State – This is probably the best first round matchup in the tournament. Lots of storylines here: K-State’s Michael Beasley, the best player in the country, against fellow Super-Frosh O.J. Mayo. Mayo’s high school teammate for three years, Bill Walker, is K-State’s second leading scorer. Big 12 vs. Pac-10, two of the three best conferences in the country this season. Should be a lot of fireworks in Omaha.

Juiciest Potential Matchups

2nd Round - #3 Wisconsin vs. #6 USC – Two of the better coached teams in the country who will probably keep the score in the 50’s. The difference in this matchup is that USC has O.J. Mayo and Wisconsin doesn’t.

Sweet 16 - #2 Georgetown vs. #6 USC – The Trojans lack of depth in the post will be tested, and it wouldn’t shock us to see all-everything defender Patrick Ewing Jr. attempt to stop Mayo. This will be another game played at a snails pace.

Elite Eight - #1 Kansas vs. #2 Georgetown – Lets see how Roy Hibbert handles the bevy of big bodies Kansas will throw at him. The battle of the backcourts, Jesse Sapp and Jonathan Wallace vs. Mario Chalmers, Russell Robinson, and Sherron Collins will be great to watch. The Hoyas will attempt to slow the Jayhawks down.

Players With the Most to Prove

Roy Hibbert – Georgetown – He should have gone pro after his NCAA Tournament performance last year. His stock has dropped because he can’t stay out of foul trouble and can’t get up and down the floor. He has the next three weeks to redeem himself.

Stephen Curry – Davidson – Most college hoops experts know he is an exceptional scorer, but he is far from a household name. Two wins this weekend and he will be.

Brandon Rush – Kansas – Like Hibbert, his NBA stock has fallen considerably this season. He began to make up for it with his Big 12 Tournament MVP performance, but if Kansas is going to get to the Final Four, Rush has to play that way, rather than the passive player we saw for a month and a half.

The Pick

Don’t expect to see Georgetown in the regional final. We think USC gets past both Wisconsin and the Hoyas to meet up with Kansas for the second time this year. They Jayhawks have everything working in their favor. Their draw seems very manageable. They are playing their best basketball of the year and they’ve got karma on their side. Check this out: It’s the 20 year anniversary of the 1988 National Championship team. That year, they went through Nebraska and Detroit to get to the Final Four. This year, they start in Nebraska to get to the regionals in Detroit. Nobody in this region has the depth and the talent that the Jayhawks possess, and Bill Self is due to finally get over that hump. Kansas will head to San Antonio and take their chances there.

Coast to Coast...like Tyus Edney against Mizzou

2008-03-18T08:31:00.003-04:00

Obviously there are no college hoops games to recap, but lots of things to cover. The worst part of having the NCAA Tournament on CBS only is no Erin Andrews. Last night was the MTAC Fantasy Baseball draft. We went wire to wire last year and lost in the world series thanks to a Trevor Hoffman blown save (he's been on my shit list for years too). We had our best season ever, because we dominating the pitching categories. So we went that route last night again. We picked #7 in a 12 team league. Somehow, Chase Utley fell to us. In round two we snagged the second best SP in fantasy, Jake Peavy. Here is the rest of the squad: We've got two Indians, and (sorry Tribe fans), two Tigers.

1B Paul Konerko (9, 103)
2B Chase Utley (1, 7)
SS Carlos Guillen (5, 55)
3B Ryan Zimmerman (7, 79)
OF Magglio Ordonez (3, 31)
OF Torii Hunter (6, 66)
OF Jeff Francouer (8, 90)
C Benjie Molina (21, 247)
UT Ryan Theriot (16, 186)
SP Jake Peavy (2, 18)
SP C.C. Sabathia (4, 42)
SP Chad Billingsley (11, 127)
SP A.J. Burnett (12, 138)
RP Manny Corpas (10, 114)
RP Matt Capps (14, 162)

OF Pat Burrell (13, 151)
1B Ryan Garko (17, 199)
3B Kevin Kouzmanoff (20, 234)
OF David DeJesus (22, 258)

SP Jered Weaver (15, 175)
SP Gil Meche (19, 223)
RP B.J. Ryan (18, 210)

Lets Link..

So everyone loves this Elliot Spitzer/hooker story. Well, yesterday on the Howard Stern show, Jason Itzler, the self proclaimed "King of all Pimps" said that he set up a threesome with Charlie Sheen and another girl a few years back. This story just keeps getting better. Perth Now

The Rapper DMX is a complete piece of crap. He's been arrested for drugs, guns, assault, you name it. Not that his opinion on anything matters, but don't miss his views on the election and in particular, Barack Obama. It's a must read. Can't Stop the Bleeding

Want to know who will be the announcers for your favorite college team's first two NCAA Tournament games? Click Here. KU fans, we are getting Kansas grad Kevin Harlan (right between the eyes!) and Dan Bonner. Awful Announcing

More reasons to have a baby, you get cans. Isn't that right, Nicole Richie? Bricks and Stones

Sam Smith, the best NBA writer in the business, is taking the buyout at the Chicago Tribune. How long before one of the big boys comes in and snags him? The Big Lead

A horrible day for the economy yesterday. When a giant investment bank like Bear Stearns gets bought by J.P. Morgan Chase for $2 a share when a year ago it was trading for $170 a share, that's not a good sign. Could Lehman Brothers be next? We hope not, our sister in law works there. Wall Street Journal

Amidst the firestorm that has occurred because of his friendship with crazy Reverand Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama will deliver a speech on race and politics today in Philadelphia. ABC News

We HATE Heather Mills. You want more proof there is no God? This c-rag bitch gets $48.5 million in her divorce settlement from Paul McCartney. She was married to him for four years. She was nothing but a money-grubbing user and Paul, who is so into love, didn't even make her sign a pre-nup. AP

More on our girl Ashley Alexandra Dupree. Now her family is weighing in. People

Our favorite SI.com College Hoops writer, Seth Davis, previews the Midwest region where he picks our boys, Kansas, to win it. Sports Illustrated

A nice piece on Danny Manning, assistant coach by Cleveland native Joe Posnanski. Kansas City Star

Florida Coach Billy Donovan doesn't like going to the NIT. ESPN

Mike and Mike are such cheese dicks. David Letterman knows it too. Sox and Dawgs

East Regional Preview

2008-03-17T14:58:00.002-04:00

While the East boasts the overall #1 seed in North Carolina, the committee really did the Tar Heels no favors with their region, despite the fact that they will not have to leave the state of North Carolina to get to the Final Four. Strangely, in our humble opinion, the #2 seed Tennessee could have been a #1 seed over Kansas and nobody would have said a word about it. #3 Louisville is extremely dangerous now that they are healthy, and the winner of a potential #4 Washington State vs. #5 Notre Dame could give the Tar Heels are run for their money. You also have quality in the middle with teams such as a top 10 team in Butler, who got jobbed as a #7 seed; Indiana (8), Arkansas (9), and St. Joseph’s (11). This region is loaded.

Final Four Contenders

It obviously starts with the #1 team in the nation, North Carolina. The Tar Heels are led by a guy you may have heard of, PF Tyler Hansbrough. In the last 20 years, there has never been a player so beloved by the press than Hansbrough. If we have to hear “nobody works harder” one more time, we may stick a fork in our eye. Seriously, the guy is a seminal college talent who does everything well. Along with the Junior big man, PG Ty Lawson is the key guy. He missed six games with a high ankle sprain and when 100%, is one of, if not the quickest point guard in the nation. Since coming back, he hasn’t shown that burst we are used to seeing. The best thing that came out of this injury was backup Quinton Thomas has now become useful. Before, he was a turnover machine, but now he has become a steady party of the rotation and can be used in tandem with Lawson. Sixth man Danny Green is a three-point shooting, energy guy who is a Roy Williams favorite. SG Wayne Ellington must be on his game. When he is hot, he can take over a game and be the difference maker. When he is off, he tends to disappear. This is a classic Williams team; they get up and down the floor, work their offense through the post, and have a point man who runs the secondary break to perfection. Their one bugaboo is their defense. They can be scored upon and other than Marcus Ginyard, don’t really have anyone consider an above average defensive player. With all of that said, they will be playing two games in Raleigh, and two more in Charlotte. There will be no excuses for not winning this region when you don’t have to leave your own state.

As we stated earlier, #2 Tennessee got jobbed by the committee. This team is the only team to beat Memphis (on the road by the way), they beat Xavier (a #3 seed on the road), and Gonzaga (a #7 seed on the road); they won their conference going away, and go ten deep with quality. Oh, did we mention they have the hottest coaching commodity in the nation in Bruce Pearl? Their full court pressure, three-point gunning style is extremely tough to beat. Senior SG Chris Lofton is still the most clutch player in the country and has been hitting big shots at big times for four years. Tyler Smith is an extremely athletic PF who can step out and hit threes as well as play with his back to the basket. Next to him in the five spot is big Wayne Chism, who has taken a quantum leap during his sophomore year. Backing him up are two high-quality post men in thick Freshman Brian Williams and Sophomore Duke Crews, who has returned from a heart ailment. Then you have the guys that make the pressure defense go, Ramar Smith, JaJuan Smith, and J.P. Prince. All three are great off the ball defenders and solid three-point shooters. All of these ingredients make up for a Final Four run. But they tend to live and die by the three. If they are off and can’t set up their press, will they get knocked out early? We did pick Tennessee as our preseason National Champion. We aren’t ready to hand that to them today, but it certainly is a possibility.

Some people love #3 Louisville as a Final Four sleeper. We don’t. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t one. Any Rick Pitino coached club has a fighting chance, especially when you have the talent the Cardinals do. SF Terrance Williams has been described by Pitino as “the best athlete I’ve ever coached.” 5th year Senior David Padgett is a coach on the floor and is one of the best passing big men you will fine. The talented and mercurial PF Derrick Caracter shares the post minutes with Padgett and when he wants to, can dominate. Forward Earl Clark is another guy who seems to fade in an out, but is capable of being the teams #1 offensive threat. The guards are the question mark. Can PG Edgar Sosa find himself? Can Jerry Smith and Andre McGee make enough shots to keep the post men from being double-teamed? Will Juan Palacios become a factor again after battling through injuries all season? As we said earlier, we don’t buy this team coming out of the East.

Sleepers

#11 St. Joseph’s comes from the vastly underrated Atlantic 10 conference. They beat Xavier, a Final Four contender, twice in the past two weeks, and are a veteran laden team behind Seniors Pat Calathes and Rob Ferguson and Junior Ahmad Nivens. Phil Martelli can coach ‘em up with the best of them. With a draw of a banged up #6 Oklahoma, and a potential second round matchup with Louisville, it wouldn’t shock us to see the Hawks in Sweet 16.

#7 Butler got the screws put to them by the committee. They have been a top 10 for the last month and won their conference regular season and tournament. They have to go to Birmingham to face South Alabama, which will now become a de-facto road game. How’s that for being jobbed? If they can get by South Alabama, which won’t be easy, they have the ball handlers and the shooters to break the Tennessee press and cause them fits.

Best Backcourt

Tennessee – Chris Lofton, JaJuan Smith, Ramar Smith, Jordan Howell

This is a tough call over Derrick Low, Kyle Weaver, and Taylor Rochestie at Washington State and Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington at UNC. The depth, defense, and shooting ability of the Vols backcourt is second to none in this region. Plus, Lofton is the most clutch shooter in the nation.

Best Frontcourt

North Carolina – Tyler Hansbrough, Deon Thompson, Alex Stepheson, Will Graves

The truth is Hansbrough makes this group the best. Thompson and Stepheson are good complimentary parts, but it’s Psycho T that makes this group great. A close second is Notre Dame with Big East Player of the Year Luke Harangody, Rob Kurz, Zach Hillesland, and Luke Zeller.

Best Coach

Rick Pitino – Louisville

Not an easy choice with a region that boats back to back Big East coach of the year Mike Brey, Roy Williams, and SEC Coach of the Year Bruce Pearl. But give me one game to win and I can choose any coach in this region, and I’m picking Pitino because he is a genius motivator, a solid X’s and O’s guy, and he has been there before.

First Round Upset Alert

#12 George Mason over #5 Notre Dame – It’s the old 5/12 game. Mason coach Jim Larranaga has said this year’s team is better than the one who went to the Final Four two years ago and they still have two players who played major roles in Follaren Campbell and Will Thomas. We don’t think this will happen as N.D. is solid, but you never know.

#11 St. Joseph’s over #6 Oklahoma – This one would be an upset by seed only. The Hawks have beaten quality teams and know how to win, as they played in a rugged A-10 conference all year long. Also, it’s tough to go against a veteran club with a great coach in Phil Martelli. They will have their hands full with OU’s stud Freshman Blake Griffin in the post.

Best First Round Matchup

#7 Butler vs. #10 South Alabama – Nobody knows it, but South Alabama received an at large bid, went 26-6, 1602 in the Sun Belt and have a terrific SG in Demetric Bennett. Butler in the meantime went 29-3, are ranked in the Top 10 in the last regular season poll, and have five guys on the floor at all time who can nail a three. Should be a very intriguing matchup.

Juiciest Potential Matchups

2nd Round - #1 North Carolina vs. #8 Indiana – The thing about the Hoosiers is they were a four seed until Kelvin Sampson was let go, then the players essentially quit on Dan Dakich. If they can recapture their play from late January, early February, they could win this game, especially with D.J. White’s ability to wear down Tyler Hansbrough on both ends.

Sweet 16 - #2 Tennessee vs. #3 Louisville – Who doesn’t want to see two teams who want to force their style on the opponent and love to full court press? Plus, Bruce Pearl vs. Slick Rick Pitino on the sidelines. Nice. A close second would be UNC/Notre Dame. Hansbrough vs. Harangody.

Elite Eight - #1 North Carolina vs. #2 Tennessee – Many feel Tennessee got shafted by getting a two seed, the lowest two seed at that. This matchup actually works for them as UNC is not known for their defense and this could turn into a shootout, which the Vols would LOVE.

Players With the Most to Prove

Eric Gordon – Indiana – The uber-talented Freshman has been very quiet lately, but has the talent to carry his team very deep. If he catches fire, he can score from anywhere on the court. We hope he and his teammates wake up before it’s too late.

Edgar Sosa – Louisville – He went from star to backup in the span of nine months in Louisville, but the truth is he is extremely tough to guard when he gets going. The problem is, that doesn’t happen often enough. The kid from the Bronx has to play like he did in last year’s tournament or the Cardinals season will end sooner than they’d like.

Matt Howard – Butler – Nobody knows about this Freshman in the State of Indiana, but if Butler goes deep in the tournament, it will be because of his inside presence; something the Bulldogs have lacked in the past. Howard wants the country to know he can bang with the big boys.

The Pick

We struggled big time with this one. Back and forth, UNC…Tennessee….UNC….Tennessee…. When the two teams meet for the right to get to San Antonio, there is going to be one big difference, that will be the pressure of the Tennessee guards. Ty Lawson and Quinton Thomas are not at their best when they see the swarming full court press and will turn the ball over a ton. Tyler Hansbrough will be bodied by Wayne Chism, Duke Crews, and Brian Williams all game long. Chris Lofton will come up big once again and the Vols will sneak there way out of Charlotte with a Final Four berth.

Vitale Has Lost His Mind

2008-03-17T10:03:00.002-04:00

Bob Knight's facial expression is priceless

Three Gets Them a #1

2008-03-17T08:11:00.002-04:00

I know this is going sound ridiculously biased, but yesterday's Big 12 championship game between Kansas and Texas was one of the best games i've seen all year. It was played at such high level. The shooting was spectacular. The intensity was Final Four-caliber. According to ESPN.com's Andy Katz, who spoke with NCAA Tournament Committee chair Tom O'Connor, some of the eight contingency plans the committee was working on Sunday had to do with the No. 1 seed line with the Kansas-Texas Big 12 result. Sounds to us as though the winner of this game was getting the #1 seed in the Midwest, while the loser would be shipped to the South, where they would be the #2 seed with Memphis. This worked out perfectly for both teams in the end, as Texas now gets to play the South regionals in Houston, a city with a large UT alumni contingent.

But we digress.

The display of shooting put on by both teams in the first half was astounding. KU shot 63% in the first half and hit eight three's, yet they trailed 46-45. D.J. Augustin's first half performance of 18 points was a thing of beauty. Whether it was Russell Robinson, Sherron Collins, Brandon Rush, or Mario Chalmers, nobody could stop him in the first half. As good as Augustin was, Chalmers matched him shot for shot. “It was like we were out there playing horse,” KU’s Darnell Jackson said. “D.J. makes a three. Mario makes a three.”

Then in the second half, KU's defense picked back up. Augustin didn't hit a field goal the entire second half and scored just two points. In the end they pulled away and won by 10, but the game was much closer. Said coach Bill Self: “That’s about as well played a game as you can get. It was one of the best games I’ve been a part of. It was humbling sitting on the sidelines watching those guys play. There were some hard-rocking guys out there today.”

The Whup

Super Mario - What a time for Mario Chalmers to have his greatest game in a Kansas uniform. His 30 points were not only a career high, but every one of his shots seemed like it came in a big spot. His eight threes were the most since Billy Thomas's eight in 1998, also against Texas. "’Rio was hot. ’Rio kept shooting the ball and giving his little ‘yap-yap’ to everybody," said Brandon Rush. If Chalmers continues to shoot from deep this well, the Jayhawks will be scary good.

The Real Rush - Just like last year at this time, the real Brandon Rush seems to have appeared. After his 28 point, career-high game in the semifinal win over Texas A&M Saturday, Rush again was assertive and hitting his shots. He nailed 6-9 from deep for 19 points, but also added six assists, six rebounds and blocked three shots. Brandon knows this is the end for him and he is playing like a guy who wants to go out on top. "We’ve got five seniors leaving, then some people might be leaving early, so yeah, there’s a sense of urgency right now to try to get it done, try to make a run for it.”

Sherron on the Floor - Little has been said about this, but Bill Self has finally done what he knows is best for this team; at the end of tight games the last two games, it was Sherron Collins on the floor running the point, not Russell Robinson. Collins played 24 minutes, one more than Robinson's 23, and scored nine points, dished out seven assists, and grabbed five boards. Robinson played stellar second half defense, but took only two shots, didn't score, and had three assists. This team is clearly more potent offensively with Sherron on the floor.

Shady the Zone Buster - As great as KU's long range shooters were yesterday, the real key is how well they move the ball against a zone. Texas plays a ton of it because of their lack of depth. Their may be no better big man to be in the middle of the zone than Darrell Arthur. When Shady gets into space and gets the ball, he either catches and drills the mid-range jumper, quickly hits either Sasha Kaun or Darnell Jackson on the baseline for a layup, or kicks it out to a three point shooter. Yesterday he was on his game, hitting 6-9 shots and all four of his free throws for 16 points, while snatching nine rebounds. “The guards did a good job just finding me in the zone, I found Sasha a couple times in their gaps, thought we just did a good job against their zone. Like I said, Mario exploited the zone, hitting eight threes, and we just kept finding him,” Arthur said.

Sasha is Legit - I am here to eat crow on Sasha Kaun. The guy can play. In 24 minutes off the bench, he grabbed eight boards, scored seven points, and blocked two shots. Ok, so he is still a bad free throw shooter, but he is so aggressive going to the hole and uses both hands pretty well. He also plays great post defense. Kansas loses nothing when Sasha comes in to replace Darnell Jackson. Sasha also deserves credit for the improvement in Cole Aldrich's game thanks to their battles in practice.

Props to the Longhorns - That is a Final Four team wearing White uniforms yesterday. The backcourt of D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams is one of the best in the country with Augustin clearly the best Point Guard in the country. PF Damion James doesn't get the credit nationally he deserves. He can beat you inside and out and is a beast on the glass. We love Connor Atchley's game as a big man with shooting guard range. Justin Mason is the ultimate glue guy. Their only negative is a lack of depth. They are our pick to go to the Final Four out of the South.

Don't Miss This - The Midwest region of the NCAA Tournament bracket - the one in which KU is the top seed - has plenty of story lines tying back to the Jayhawks. First, there’s the fact that KU could play in both Nebraska and Michigan - the same path taken in 1988. That year, KU also played Vanderbilt and Kansas State in the road to the Final Four. Both are in the Midwest region. KU could potentially face UNLV in the second round, coached by former K-State guard and head coach Lon Kruger. Most of his staff is from the state of Kansas, too. As for KSU, it plays Southern Cal. Not only does that pit Michael Beasley against O.J. Mayo, but it faces up Mayo and Bill Walker, who grew up together in Huntington, W.V., and were high school teammates for three years. Also, don’t forget Gonzaga’s Micah Downs in the bracket. He came in to KU in the class with Chalmers and Rush, in case you forgot.

Game Quotes (courtesy of kusports.com)

Darrell Arthur on the incredible first half: “That’s what coach said at halftime. He said there ain’t been ball played like this since ‘88 when Danny played. I guess it was, because we were just trading baskets back and forth. It was a high level game tonight.

Darrell Arthur on getting back at Texas: “Like I said, it was a big-time revenge game for us. We let it slip away in Austin, got kinda punked. We came out with the urgency to attack, I thought we attacked the whole game, and I thought Mario carried us the whole way.”

Darrell Arthur on returning offensively: “The guards did a good job just finding me in the zone, I found Sasha a couple times in their gaps, thought we just did a good job against their zone. Like I said, Mario exploited the zone, hitting eight threes, and we just kept finding him.”

Sherron Collins on the offensive flow: “I just think they played a lot of zone, and zone is something we thrive off of playing against. Teams play us in zones, we’re able to penetrate against it, especially Shady and Sasha and Darnell, they made some good plays and passes to each other on or around the baseline. Even to the guards. I just think we did an overall good job running our offense today.”

Sherron Collins on there being pride on the line between the guards for each team: “I think there was a lot of pride on the line. We know they’ve got one of the best backcourts in the country and we do as well, and we knew we had to stop their backcourt, they had to stop ours, and today we prevailed.”

Brandon Rush on the go-to-guy thing again: “The go-to-guy is the person who’s hot at the time, doing everything for our team. Tonight it was (Chalmers), I helped him out and I was the second option.”

Brandon Rush on defensive keys to the win: “With this game, we’re definitely going to have some games like this, where it’s an up-and-down game, everybody’s hot. But the key to the game is getting stops at the end, and against Texas we got some stops, forced them into some bad shots and that’s what’s going to happen in the (NCAA) Tournament sometimes.”

Brandon Rush on a sense of urgency Sunday and from here on out: “We’ve got five seniors leaving, then some people might be leaving early, so yeah, there’s a sense of urgency right now to try to get it done, try to make a run for it.”

Brandon Rush on the pride between the backcourts: “Especially with us three and them three. Me, Russ and Rio, they were talking back to us every time they’d score, so it was going up-and-down, and that’s what happens, somebody gets hot and you’re going to talk a little smack...You can’t let that become a negative, you’ve just got to build that into a positive. Spin that around, and make that a positive and play your heart out...Just kept shooting the ball, I was hot, Rio was hot, Rio kept shooting the ball, he was giving his little yap-yap to everybody. We spun it into a positive that way, then we got a win, too, so that helped it out.”

Mario Chalmers on the pride: “Pride played a huge factor. Me, Russ, Sherron, Brandon, Shady, I mean, it was a big win for us. Shady’s from Texas, he wanted to go out there and beat Texas. He wanted to go out there and beat Texas, and it’s a big rivalry between us.”

Bill Self on KU’s Tourney draw: “We’re happy that we’re a one-seed. I’m not sure that it really makes that much of a difference, to be honest with you, but I’m happy we’re going to Omaha. I don’t know much about Portland State yet, I’ll know a lot more by tonight, but they shoot a lot of threes based on the stats. Of course, also in the same bracket, because it’s a two-game tournament, you have two very good teams that I haven’t had a chance to see play a lot. But I’ve seen enough of Vegas to know how good they are, and everybody tells me Kent State is terrific. We’re excited to be playing, right now I’m just worn out. I know our players are, too. I’m ready to just go home, get a good night’s rest and get the batteries re-charged.”

Bill Self on the year so far and what a No. 1 seed means: “The only thing it says is that we’ve had a great year. If we were a two-seed, our year’s probably been just as good, but I think in people’s minds, if you’re a one-seed, they feel you’re one of the best four teams in the country...The one-seed was not the goal. The goal was to position ourselves to have a favorable path. And although there’s no easy path, at least we do get to stay in the Midwest, which I think is positive.”

Bill Self on K-State going to Omaha, too: “I was surprised by that. I was really surprised by that, and then you have Lon Kruger there, too. I think they want all the K-State fans to cheer against us if we’re fortunate enough to play (UNLV). I think the storyline on that is not Beasley vs. O.J. The storyline will be Walker vs. O.J. That’ll definitely take some of the local distractions away from us, because you guys will be busy chasing all those sidebars.”

Bill Self on the style of Sunday’s game: “I told our guys after the game, and I can’t speak for Rick, but he’s a class guy and I’m sure he’d admit it was a fabulous game. It was humbling, setting on the sidelines and watching the guys play. It was humbling. There were some hard-rocking guys out there today, and that was some high-level stuff. Probably about as high-level as I’ve ever been a part of when you have that many great shot-makers making plays on both sides.”

Bill Self on the Big 12 landing six teams in the Big Dance: “I’m really happy for our league. I was surprised, to be honest with you, but happy. Pleasantly surprised. It turned out great. I’m really disappointed for Tim, for (Illinois State coach Jankovich), because the numbers show that he was right there, real close, and maybe Georgia winning today may have knocked them out...I was thinking, from my standpoint, that the ACC would get five and not four. And from my not looking at it, if the ACC got four, how could they justify the (number) two RPI league getting six when the (number) one RPI league got four?

Up Next: Thursday vs. Portland State, 12:30 EST.

At First Glance....

2008-03-16T18:32:00.003-04:00

The Brackets are out....Let the dissecting begin. At first glance, I wrote down some quick notes:

The East

-North Carolina gets the overall #1. No beef there. If they cannot get out of a Raleigh/Charlotte draw, four home games, than i'll be very surprised.

-Indiana ends up an #8 seed, showing the committee had no respect for the Big Ten conference. This is where IU belonged after they played like a bunch of sulking babies once Kelvin Sampson was let go.

-Butler got screwed in their seeding. At 29-3 with wins over Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Florida State, and Texas Tech, they deserved better than a #7. Not to mention they must play South Alabama in Birmingham.

-According to the committee, UNC was the overall #1. Tennessee, which looked like a #1 seed until they lost in the semis of the SEC Tournament, ended up the lowest #2 seed, despite winning the SEC regular season and giving Memphis there only loss of the season.

The Midwest

-Kansas earns there way to a #1 seed by winning the Big 12 Tournament. They are the last #1 seed according to the S-curve.

-Once again, the Big Ten gets no respect. Wisconsin, the Big Ten regular season and tournament champion with a 29-4 record, ends up a #3 seed.

-Check out the committee with their witty sense of humor. #6 USC vs. #11 Kansas State, the two best Freshman in the country will face off with O.J. Mayo and Michael Beasley. Watch out for USC going deep in the bottom half of the draw. They will beat Wisconsin in round two.

-#10 Davidson will be playing two games right in their backyard in Raleigh. They come in on fire and have played teams like UCLA, Duke, and North Carolina tight. Could they jump up and beat Georgetown in round two?

The South

-The Committee did Memphis no favors. For the Tigers to get to the Final Four, they will have to go through the Big East's toughest team in #4 Pittsburgh, and either #2 Texas or #3 Stanford.

-#2 Texas is the pick for us here. If they get to the Sweet 16, they get their next two games in Houston, the city with the biggest UT alumni base in the state.

-Looks like the Pac-10 got props as a bubble team, Oregon, got a #9 seed.

-Michigan State as a #5 seed? What did they do to warrant that? They finished a distant 4th in a bad Big Ten.

-Speaking of getting no love, Kentucky won 12 games in the SEC and ended up an 11 seed and were one of the last four at large teams in.

-Miami gets a #7 seed? They were .500 in the ACC in a down year. The league was so poor, it got only four teams in the Tournament. It won't matter when they lose in round one to St. Mary's.

-Stanford is the best #3 seed in our opinion. The Texas/Stanford Sweet 16 matchup should be great.

The West

-If anyone has an "easy route" to San Antonio, its #1 UCLA. We don't buy #2 Duke one bit. The one worry spot could be #4 Connecticut. They have the post men to stop Kevin Love.

-Drake gets a #5 seed, but Butler is a #7? How does that work? These are two evenly matched teams. Don't be shocked if they go down to #12 Western Kentucky.

-Back to Duke. They probably feel as though they were screwed in the home pod system, being shipped to D.C. rather than staying eight miles from home in Raleigh. Losing to Clemson in the ACC semis could not have helped them.

-The Big East got mad love, with West Virginia going from bubble team to a #7 seed with their two win performance in the Big East Tournament. Their "reward" is #10 Arizona, a team who underachieved all year long, but has great talent. This should be an indicator of who is the real Power Conference, The Big East or the Pac-10.

-Lock this in: #3 Xavier beats #2 Duke in the Sweet 16.

-One last bash of the Big Ten - Purdue was great all year, but since they were upset by Illinois, they ended up as a #6 and must face a good #11 Baylor cub whose four guard offense could give the Boilers fits.

Overall Stats

-The last four at large teams in were #12 Villanova, #11 Kansas State, #11 Kentucky, and #11 St. Joseph's.

-The Big East tied a record with eight at large teams. The Pac-10, Big 12, and SEC each got six, thanks to Georgia's unbelievable SEC Tournament win. They were rewarded with a #13 seed and a date with Xavier.

-28 at large bids came from the Power Conferences, six from the Non-Power Conferences. Western Kentucky and South Alabama received two of them and rightfully so.

-Do we think anyone got screwed? Other than Arizona State, nobody has a legitimate beef. Their bid was stolen by Georgia.

Coast to Coast...like Tyus Edney against Mizzou

2008-03-16T07:47:00.004-04:00

Wow. What a day we had yesterday. We don't even know where to start, so we will just do a quick conference roundup of the action and what this means for certain schools.

SEC - We've got to start with the craziness in Atlanta. I happened to be watching the Alabama/Mississippi State game live Friday night when the Tornado ripped through the downtown area, causing major damage to the Georgia Dome. It truly was a crazy sight. From what I saw, the game was at a stop and all of a sudden a real loud noise rocked the dome and fans in the stands began to flee upwards towards the exits. Nobody had any idea what was going on and it was quite scary as a catwalk and camera bay began to sway back and forth. Don't ask me why, but I sat through the delay riveted. You probably know by now, but the night-cap between Kentucky and Georgia had to be postponed until Saturday morning. So the winner of that game would have to play two games Saturday. All action for the rest of the tournament would be moved to Alexander Memorial Coliseum on the campus of Georgia Tech. Since the venue only holds 9,100 and over 30,ooo tickets had been sold for the semis and finals, no tickets would be honored. Therefore, the only people allowed to watch the SEC Tournament in person were families of the players and coaches, the bands, and the cheerleaders.

Georgia 60 Kentucky 56 OT - The sixth seed in the SEC East won this battle, which is exactly what these teams didn't need, thanks to a game winning three by an unlikely hero, Zac Swansey. It was only his second field goal of the game and he went for broke, hitting a fadeaway triple that eliminated the Wildcats. The finish was not without controversy as a no-call on a brilliant move by Billy Gillispie on the final out of bounds play was not called. The UK coach left the court following the officials into the tunnel. Now Georgia had to move on to play Mississippi State at 8:30 PM. How much would they have left?

Arkansas 92 #4 Tennessee 91 - This could be a damaging loss for Tennessee when it comes to grabbing a #1 seed. With Kansas and Texas rolling and meeting in the Big 12 final, one of these two teams could take that #1 seed. Arkansas in the meantime has locked themselves in with this win. Steven Hill hit his only bucket of the night with 5.3 seconds left to win it for the Razorbacks. Charles Thomas was sensational with 24 and 10 rebounds off the bench for the victors. Chris Lofton's 25 and Tyler Smith's 24 weren't enough for the Vols.

Georgia 64 Mississippi State 60 - How about them Dawgs? Talk about resiliant. After playing an OT barn-burner a few hours earlier, Dennis Felton's club somehow managed enough to knock off a rested Mississippi State club. Sundiata Gaines' 20 led the way for UGA, but he fouled out with five minutes left. Even with missing several free throws late, the Bulldogs pulled it out and now meet Arkansas with a chance to get to the big dance at 16-16. "To win two games in one day at the SEC tournament is not easy," said Gaines, who held an ice bag on his sore right hip but insisted "I'm not tired."

Big 12 - Consider this: Say Texas beats Kansas in the Big 12 title game. They will be the Big 12 regular season and tournament champions. They will have a resume that sports three wins over Oklahoma, two over Kansas, and wins over UCLA and Tennessee. How can they be denied the #1 seed, especially with Tennessee losing in the semis of the SEC. Kansas, if they win, also looks like a team that deserves a #1 seed. They'd sit at 31-3, champions of the Big 12 regular season and tournament, a league with the #2 RPI, and sport wins over Texas, USC, Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas A&M (2), and Baylor. What a battle it should be Sunday in Kansas City.

Texas 77 Oklahoma 49 - The Longhorns blitzed OU in the second half 41-20 and cruised into their third straight Big 12 title game. A.J. Abrams broke out of his mini-slump with 24 points, hitting seven three pointers. D.J. Augustin added 17.

Kansas 77 Texas A&M 71 - This was the game everyone had been waiting for from Brandon Rush. With Darrell Arthur once again in foul trouble, Rush decided it was his time to be the first option. He hit five triples on his way to a career high 28. They needed it, as KU was outrebounded by a game A&M club.

ACC - The final everyone wanted to see (sorry Dukie V) won't be happening. Give both Virginia Tech and Clemson a lot of credit for not rolling over and playing dead against the powers that be in the ACC (UNC and Duke). Even though they lost, Virginia Tech's Seth Greenberg made an impassioned plea for his team to get the 5th ACC bid. "Anyone who watched that game that knows anything about basketball, if you don't think this team is one of the top 65 teams in the country, you're certifiably insane," Greenberg said. "Because I don't know who else could come into this environment, basically play a road game, and play those guys the way we just played them. The only thing we didn't do is win the game." Too bad their best wins are two over Maryland, who won't be in the tournament.

#1 North Carolina 68 Virginia Tech 66 - It was a loose ball that ended up in Tyler Hansbrough's hands. With 0.8 seconds left, he buried a jumper that propelled the Tar Heels to a two point win. He was great again with 26 and nine boards, but Virginia Tech controlled this game throughout. They just forgot to finish. They forced 17 UNC turnovers and shot more free throws than the Heels. But they came up just short against the #1 team in the nation.

Clemson 78 #7 Duke 74 - We've said it all year abou Duke; live by the three, die by the three. Yesterday, they died by it. 6-26. Clemson meanwhile ended a 22 game losing streak to the Blue Devils and will play for their first ACC Tournament title since 1962. Trevor Booker killed Duke in the post with 18 as the Tigers were the aggressor all game long. Duke's hopes for a one seed came crashing down to earth.

Pac-10 - While the final was a terrific game, the team that gets the most discussion when it comes to the bubble is Arizona State. How can this even be a conversation? To us, this is a no-brainer. They are in. They beat Arizona twice, Stanford, USC, and Xavier. Not to mention they at a minimum would have gone to OT with USC Thursday had it not been for the bad officiating the Pac-10 has been known for of late. Oregon and Arizona are sweating as well.

#2 UCLA 67 #11 Stanford 64 - These two heavyweights are so evenly matched, yet the Bruins seem to have the Cardinal number. When it comes down to winning time, Darren Collison is as good of a closer as there is. He had 28 points and led UCLA in their decisive 22-8 second half run. "I felt real confident," he said. "They had a hard time stopping the pick-and-roll. That was a big key for us, so we kept going to it." The Bruins have locked up the #1 seed out West and will be tough to beat starting in Anaheim and going through Phoenix. Stanford should be a #2 seed.

Big East - We think West Virginia answered any naysayers with their performance in New York. Syracuse is out. Villanova is squarely on the bubble, but the team that was the most impressive was Pittsburgh. As the #7 seed, the won four games in four days to capture the Big East crown. Georgetown was great for two games and look primed for a deep tourney run. This league should get no less than seven bids. In other Big East news, Providence coach Tim Welsh was fired.

Pittsburgh 74 #9 Georgetown 65 - A balanced attack and a domination of the glass (39-25) propelled the Panthers to the Big East championship. Jamie Dixon only went seven deep, but all seven contributed. Ronald Ramon led Pitt with 17 and Sam Young added 16. Gilbert Brown came off the bench with 12, Dejuan Blair had a double double of 10 and 10, and while Levance Fields struggle with his shot (2-10, 5-13 from the line), he had 10 points, six assists, and five rebounds while shutting down Hoya guard Jonathan Wallace. "We are one of those teams that does whatever it takes, we always have," Fields said. "We take pride in our defense and none of the teams we played here got 70 points and this was the only team that shot over 40 percent. We outrebounded them by 12. But at the end of the day the biggest thing is we got the win."

Big Ten - Not a good weekend for the Big Ten. People have been dogging this league all year as being soft, and this tournament has done nothing to dispel that. Indiana, playing like a bunch of sulking dogs since Kelvin Sampson left, was upset by Minnesota. Purdue, failed to show up in a glorified home game in Indianapolis, and lost to a bad Illinois team. Ohio State, playing for its tournament lives, laid an egg against Michigan State in a must win. Is anyone interested in watching a Wisconsin/Illinois final? We know we aren't.

#6 Wisconsin 65 #19 Michigan State 63 - This game was a microcosm of both team's seasons. The Badgers struggled to score most of the game, and in the end, used a big run keyed from their defense to stun the Spartans. Michigan State blew a 12 point second half lead and had four players foul out. Drew Neitzel's 26 weren't enough to save Tom Izzo's club. Michael Flowers' steal and lay-in with the score tied at 63 put the Badgers ahead. The Spartans had two chances to tie it, but Kalin Lucas wildly turned the ball over and Neitzel's three at the buzzer was off.

Illinois 54 Minnesota 50 - There would be no Blake Hoffarber magic in this one for the Gophers. Bruce Weber's chance at redemption for a sub-.500 season continued as the Illini advanced to the finals. Shawn Pruitt led Illinois with 16 in a game that you couldn't have paid us to watch. I'm sure CBS was thrilled that this wasn't a rematch of Purdue and Indiana, two ranked teams and hated rivals.

Other Scores of Note

#3 Memphis 77 Tulsa 51 - Boy, that Conference USA Tournament certainly prepared Memphis for the big dance. They literally didn't play one team who is even NIT worthy. They will be the #1 in the South.

UNLV 79 #23 BYU 61 - Looks like the Mountain West will be getting at least two bids. Can they get three with New Mexico?

Temple 69 St. Joseph's 64 - Props to Fran Dunphy for getting Temple back to the NCAA Tournament in his first year. Temple's win takes away a spot from another bubble team.

Coast to Coast...like Tyus Edney against Mizzou

2008-03-14T08:33:00.001-04:00

With so many games and so much drama on the first big day of a great weekend of basketball, we are going to have a lot less links are more college recap. Was it just me, or did every single bubble team lose yesterday? Bob Knight made his ESPN debut on Wednesday with little fanfare. The Washington Post's Len Shapiro penned a solid recap column.

Our Favorite Sports Blog is The Big Lead. People stroke Deadspin, but the Big Lead is really the best and most interesting. Well our friends have not only hit it big, but they have been revealed in this SI.com article. They have truly been legitmized. Props to them.

We love Charles Barkley. Listen to him pontificate on Elliot Spitzer, gambling, smoking weed, and prostitution.

Speaking of Spitzer, check out the photos of his babe. No wonder he threw it all away.

One can only hope this is true. is the Stephen A. radio show coming to an end?

Big East

#9 Georgetown 82 Villanova 63 - Enjoy this one Hoya fans, you won't see this one again. Led by Jesse Sapp (6-9), the Hoyas hit a school record 17 three pointers on their way to the romp of Nova. Jonathan Wallace hit five of his own, all in the first half. Interestingly, Roy Hibbert was held scoreless and fouled out in just 14 minutes. JT3's boys were as impressive as any team all day in any league.

West Virginia 78 #15 Connecticut 72 - Here's one we didn't see coming. The Huskies are one and done and must wait to see there seed Sunday after being run over by the streaking Mountaineers who punched their ticket with this win. Joe Alexander is playing as well as any player in the country right now. He led all scorers with 34. Its the fifth time in six games that he has scored at least 29. This is the fourth consecutive year UConn has lost their first Big East Tournament game.

Pittsburgh 76 #13 Louisville 69 OT - What a huge win for the Panthers. No team plays in this tournament better than the Panthers, who are now just one win away from their sixth championship game in seven years. We said it in our preview, the key guy for Pitt would be Sam Young. He came up huge with 21 points and 11 boards next to Dejuan Blair's 16 and 9. The Cards hope for a top two/three seed probably disappered with this loss. Their deep shooting (4-19) failed them.

#24 Marquette 89 #14 Notre Dame 79 - Like the Pitt win, Marquette knocking off the Irish is extremely impressive. Jerel McNeal was sensational with 28 and big man Lazar Hayward pitched in down low with 15 while holding Big East Player of the Year Luke Haragody to 13. The Eagles, dowm six at the half, exploded after the break, scoring 57 points. They've got a great shot to get to Saturday's final. Meanwhile, the #2, #3, and #4 seeds have all been eliminated, this shows you balance and depth of this league.

Pac 10

USC 59 Arizona State 55 - This could be a damaging loss for ASU who now sit at 19-12. O.J. Mayo's 23 and stellar Trojan defense were the difference here. The Sun Devils shot just 5-23 from deep and wee killed on the glass 32-19. The refs got the Sun Devils in the end. A bad over the back call on a tying tip in killed their momentum with less than 10 seconds remaining.

#1 UCLA 88 Cal 66 - Well Cal had their chance last weekend to beat the Bruins. You just knew it wasn't going to happen this time around. UCLA dominated this one from start to finish. Darren Collison had 19 and Josh Shipp 18 in this romp. Tomorrow's rubber match between the two LA schools should be fabulous. They spilt their two meetings this season and play a third game in LA at a third different venue, the Staples Center.

#21 Washington State 75 Oregon 70 - A tough loss for the Ducks who needed this one badly. Tajuan Porter and Malik Hairston both had 20, but it wasn't enough as the Cougars took them down. Derrick Low had 18, Taylor Rochestie 16, and Kyle Weaver 14 for a Wazzu backcourt that completely owned the Ducks.

#11 Stanford 75 Arizona 64 - Just like the Ducks and ASU, Arizona cannot be happy that they lost this one. Tied at the half, Brook Lopez took over. He finished with 20 and 15 boards for a Cardinal club that cleaned up on the glass, outrebounding the Wildcats 47-25. Stanford got the balance they were looking for, with five guys in double figures. Arizona played essentially six guys, and got zero points off the bench. Jerryd Bayless scored 18 for the losers.

Conference USA

#3 Memphis 75 Tulane 56 - Bor-ring. Just hand the Tigers the title already and end the madness. Chris Douglas-Roberts led Memphis with 17.

Tulsa 78 UAB 68 OT, UTEP 80 Houston 77 - Well the only two teams with a miniscule shot of beating Memphis have now both been eliminated and probably lost their shot at the NCAA Tournament. How can Memphis win it all coming from a one bid league?

Big 12

Colorado 91 Baylor 84 OT - Could this be the damaging loss the Bears didn't need? You cannot lose to 3-13 and #12 seeded Colorado and not look suspect. CU's Richard Roby and Marcus Hall combined for 57 points as the Buffs move on to meet Oklahoma.

Texas A&M 60 Iowa State 47 - The Aggies can now feel safe after their win over the Cyclones. Playing without the flu-ridden DeAndre Jordan, the Aggies D'd up Iowa State just enough to advance. Donald Sloan and Dominique Kirk had 12 apiece.

Atlantic 10

#12 Xavier 74 Dayton 65 - The Flyers were game, but in the end, the talent of Xavier took over and send Dayton most likely to the NIT. Five Musketeers were in double figures, with Josh Duncan's 16 off the bench leading the way. Drew Lavender struggled with his ankle, but hit three big threes. C.J. Anderson added 15. Marcus Johnson had 26 in a losing cause.

St. Joseph's 61 Richmond 47 - The Hawks must get their next one against Xavier to cement themselves in the committee's eyes. Rob Ferguson was a perfect 6-6 from the field, including 3-3 from downtown. Phil Martelli essentially went six deep and controlled the tempo.

ACC

Miami 63 N.C. State 50 - The ACC only deserves four bids tops. Miami probably has the inside track for that fourth bid and looked good in dominating N.C. State. The Wolfpack's season ends at 15-16 and Sidney Lowe should worry about his job. This was a preseason top 25 team.

Boston College 71 Maryland 68 - Sorry Terps, you are done. Nothing like losing to the last place team in the conference after leading by 15 in the first half. This was a disgraceful loss in a season full of them for Gary Williams team. This program looks miles away from being where they were a short six years ago.

SEC

#17 Vanderbilt 92 Auburn 83 - Shan Foster can play for our team anytime. He hit 6-9 threes on his way to 26 points in the Vandy win. As good as Foster was, his interior teammate A.J. Ogilvy was even better, going 12-13 from the field and leading all scorers with 27. Up next for Vandy is a rematch with Arkansas. The Razorbacks won the only meeting between the two clubs this year and need this win to get off the bubble.

Alabama 80 Florida 69 - We can now say there will 100% be a new National Championship. The Tide burst the Gators bubble with this win that wasn't as close as the score. Freshman Nick Calathes and Jai Lucas were off all night long and Florida never recovered. Bama now moves on to face Mississippi State.

Mountain West

#23 BYU 89 Colorado State 62 - Lee Cummard's 18 led five Cougars in double figures in this romp over the Rams. Nobody talks about BYU, but they can play with anyone.

San Diego State 53 Air Force 49 - Steve Fisher's club moves onto the semis in this underrated league. At 20-11, at a minimum they are an NIT team.

Utah 82 New Mexico 80 - Yet another bubble team is a loser. Don't blame J.R. Giddens. The All-Mountain West stud scored 28 and grabbed 17 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to stop Utah's Luke Nevill, who scored 26 off the bench.

UNLV 89 TCU 88 - The MWC's best shot now at a second bid is UNLV. They escaped with a one point win over 14-16 TCU. Wink Adams had 29 to lead the way.

Big Ten

Michigan 55 Iowa 47, Illinois 64 Penn State 63, Minnesota 55 Northwestern 52 - Honestly, these three games were garbage and none of these teams have a shot today to win again.

Ripping on Boehein and Thursday's Slate - Games To Watch

2008-03-13T10:05:00.005-04:00

In typical fashion, of all days for my cable boxes to not be working, today is that day. For some reason, there is a strange glitch and my 60 in HD screen box isn't working, as is the one in my basement, where I usually have a game on while watching my son. The only one that works is in my bedroom and the TV in my office works straight from the wall. Guess when the first appointment Time Warner could give me is? Next Tuesday! So that means I get no package games for the rest of the weekend, unless I want to sit in bed, which I will be doing Friday night at 7 for the KU game. What a joke!!

Anyways, in yesterday's action, the big news was that Syracuse is done. Jim Boeheim should wake up every single day and that God that Carmelo Anthony came to his school for one year. Had that not happened, wouldn't people be calling for his head at this point? Nobody's teams seem to under-achieve more than Boeheim's. This season, his team was young and lost SG Eric Devendorf to a torn ACL, but the amount of leads they choked away was appalling. That 2-3 zone is tired and lazy. And as Bud Poliquin put it in today's Syracuse Post-Standard, in the biggest game of the year, Boeheim's team fell flat.

Notice that West Virginia, Pittsburgh, and Marquette all took care of their business when they needed to. Today's Big East quarterfinals is a quadruple header that you don't want to miss:

No. 1 Georgetown vs. No. 8 Villanova (ESPN, noon)

No. 4 UConn vs. No. 5 West Virginia (ESPN, 2:30 p.m.)

No. 2 Louisville vs. No. 7 Pittsburgh (ESPN, 7 p.m.)

No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 6 Marquette (ESPN, 9:30 p.m.)

Seven NCAA Tournament locks with Villanova on the cusp of being the 8th, especially if they can knock off Georgetown this afternoon. Remember, The refs handed the Hoyas their win over Villanova earlier this season on a phantom foul call with less than a second remaining 75 feet away from the hoop.

The Atlantic-10 Tournament is also going to be one to watch. The Noon opener between Xavier and Dayton could be a final. Dayton spent most of the year battling injuries and are very capable of spring the upset. They come in winners of five straight and have first team all- A-10 guard Brian Roberts. A win over the Musketeers could put them back on the bubble. Remember, when they were 100%, they were a top 20 team with wins over Louisville and Pittsburgh.

St. Joseph's ended up the #5 seed, but they have a very good shot at getting into the big dance, but they must get past #4 Richmond, and hope they can knock off Xavier for a second time in the semis. Pat Calathes can really fill it up for the Hawks and he must if they are going to win today against a Dan Geriot and the Richmond Spiders.

Who knew Fran Dunphy's Temple team finished 11-5 and grabbed the #2 seed? The highlighted game of the evening is #3 Massachusetts vs. #6 Charlotte. If UMass wants to get into the tournament, the cannot afford to lose this one. They have won six straight and have wins over fellow bubble teams Syracuse, Houston, and Dayton on their resume. Plus, they have two great scorers in Gary Forbes and Ricky Harris.

No. 1 Xavier vs. No. 8 Dayton (Noon)

No. 4 Richmond vs. No. 5 Saint Joseph's

No. 2 Temple vs. No. 7 La Salle (6:30 p.m.)

No. 3 Massachusetts vs. No. 6 Charlotte (9 p.m.)

If we were giving you a viewing guide, here are some other matchups you should be watching:

ACC

No. 5 Miami vs. No. 12 NC State (2:30 p.m.)

No. 6 Maryland vs. No. 11 Boston College (9:30 p.m.)

Big 12

No. 8 Texas Tech vs. No. 9 Oklahoma State (ESPN2, 12:30 p.m.)

No. 5 Baylor vs. No. 12 Colorado (ESPNU, 3 p.m.)

No. 6 Texas A&M vs. No. 11 Iowa State (ESPN2, 9:30 p.m.)

Conference USA

No. 2 UAB vs. No. 7 Tulsa (1 p.m.)

No. 3 Houston vs. No. 6 UTEP (3:30 p.m.)

No. 1 Memphis vs. No. 9 Tulane (7 p.m.)

Mountain West

No. 4 San Diego State vs. No. 5 Air Force (5:30 p.m.)

No. 3 New Mexico vs. No. 6 Utah (11:30 p.m.)

Pac-10

No. 4 Southern California vs. No. 5 Arizona State (3 p.m.)

No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 9 Cal (5:30 p.m.)

No. 3 Washington State vs. No. 6 Oregon (9 p.m.)

No. 2 Stanford vs. No. 7 Arizona (11:30 p.m.)

Conference Tournament Preview: Big 12

2008-03-13T08:01:00.001-04:00

Big 12 Tournament - Kansas City - Thursday-Sunday

Storylines: At the top, you've got Kansas and Texas who both have an outside shot at a #1 seed if either wins the Big 12 title. They tied for the regular season crown at 13-3, with Texas getting the #1 seed thanks to their head to head win in Austin. You've got six teams that look like locks for the NCAA Tournament and will be playing for seeds, including Baylor, who hasn't been to the tournament since the mid-80's. This is the first year the tournament is back in Kansas City since it's brand new Sprint Center was built. It should be a fun week.

Thursday's opener is the #8/#9 game between Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. These are two interesting teams. Tech is Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. They lost to Texas A&M by 44 on a Wednesday, beat Texas on a Saturday, then got smoked by 58 at Kansas two days later. Pat Knight has taken over the reigns from his father and has had mixed results. They do have solid guards in Senior Martin Zeno and Junior Alan Voskuil. They get very little out of their post players. The Cowboys on the other hand seemed to have played their best basketball down the stretch. They knocked off Kansas, played Texas to the wire, and went 7-3 in their last 10. Their leading scorer is Freshman Wing James Anderson, but PG Byron Eaton is their leader. During the 10 game stretch, he really stepped up his play, including 26 against Kansas and 25 against Baylor. Marcus Dove is one of the best defenders in the country and Terrel Harris is a deadly three-point shooter. This should be an entertaining game.

The winner gets #1 Texas. The Longhorns have the deep shooters that can cause any defense serious problems. D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams are maybe the best backcourt in the nation. Augustin's penetrating ability opens everything up for guys like Abrams, Connor Atchley (a five man with deep range) and Justin Mason. PF Damion James has been playing like an All-American over the last month of the season, and Gary Johnson continues to improve. You will see them in the finals barring something strange.

#5 Baylor has to be one of the best stories of the year in college basketball. Scott Drew has turned this program around in a hurry and has them primed for an NCAA Tournament bid. You will see a lot of four guard looks, with any combination of Curtis Jerrells, Aaron Bruce, Tweety Carter, Ladarius Dunn, and Henry Dugat. They have a rebounding beast in Kevin Rogers and a decent shot blocker in Mamadou Diene, but their scoring comes for the most part on the perimeter. They should have no problem with #12 Colorado. For the fifth or so year in a row, the Buffs were bottom feeders. They do have talented Wing Richard Roby, but this is a young team that new coach Jeff Bzdelik struggled with.

The game to watch on Friday could be Baylor against #4 Oklahoma. In their last meeting, Baylor controlled the tempo in Norman, before choking two big leads away. One in regulation, the other in OT on a four point play by Tony Crocker. The Sooners has perservered through injuries to star PF Blake Griffin to put themselves in the four hole in a good Big 12 conference. Longar Longar is playing with a broken bone in his leg and Griffin had his knee scoped less than two weeks ago. Credit coach Jeff Capel for keeping things together. Watch out for role players Austin Johnson and David Godbold.

#7 Nebraska faces #10 Missouri for the right to face Kansas in the quarterfinals. The Huskers have a quality big man in Aleks Maric who scores 16 a game. Like Baylor, they don't have much size, and play 6'4 Ryan Anderson playing the four. Steve Harley, Ade Dagundoro, and Cookie Miller all can chip in from the outside, but there isn't much to love coming out of Lincoln. Mike Anderson's Missouri Tigers had a trying year of their own. Leading scorer Steffon Hannah was kicked off the team after a fight an an on-campus club. Five others were suspended. Leo Lyons, Keon Lawrence and J.T. Tiller took over as the team leading scorers once Hannah was let go, and DeMarre Carroll did his best to man the post. They love to play pressure D and force the tempo.

Luckily for #2 Kansas, these are two teams hey had no problem handling twice each this season. Bill Self brings his team the short 45 minutes to Kansas City on a role and playing their best Basketball. It starts with the healthy return of PG Sherron Collins. Since he has been himself again, KU is crushing opponents. Feeding the beast that is Darrell Arthur inside is a must for the Jayhawks. When "Shady" is on, the perimeter opens up for Collins, Mario Chalmers, and Brandon Rush. The key for KU is keeping Arthur out of foul trouble. They want a rematch with Texas in the final badly. We think you will see a hungry Jayhawk team this weekend, especially with the home crowd behind them.

If there is a team that has a must win game in this tournament to make sure they are safe, its #6 Texas A&M. They catch #11 Iowa State in the night cap Thursday. They don't want to lose this one and have to sweat out selection Sunday. Their post depth is solid with tough guy Bryan Davis, Senior Joseph Jones, and Freshman DeAndre Jordan. SG Josh Carter must hit shots for the Aggies to do damage. When he is cold, their game is severely limited due to their lack of deep shooters. #11 Iowa State doesn't have much to write home about. A&M smoked them by 18 in their only meeting this season, and the Cyclones have trouble scoring. Not a great recipe against a good defensive team like Texas A&M. Wesley Johnson and Jiri Hubalik are a decent tandem, but really, they have no shot here.

The #3 seed Kansas State Wildcats should get the Aggies in the quarters. Should we throw more bouquets at PF Michael Beasley? Sure. The guy is a scoring machine and can do it all. If he had anything besides the head case that is SF Bill Walker next to him, the 'Cats could be scary good. PG Jacob Pullen played well for half of the season, but seemed to wear down of late. We do like hard-working role player Dominque Sutton and his energy, as well as Clent Stewart for proposing to his girlfriend on Senior Night last week. One thing to watch is the sideline antics of coach Frank Martin. The guy is flat out nuts and looks like he belongs on Gotti's crew.

Best Potential Quarterfinal Matchup

#5 Baylor vs. #4 Oklahoma - The first two matchups were great, both won by OU. You know the Bears want a third crack at the Sooners, especially with the way Oklahoma stole the game in Norman.

Juiciest Potential Matchup

#1 Texas vs. #2 Kansas - Like Duke/UNC in the ACC, there really is no other game that holds a candle to this one in conference. The two have created quite the rivalry over the past ten years. Texas won this year's battle, but KU has won the last two Big 12 Tournament titles knocking off the Longhorns both times. It's only fitting that they meet one more time.

Players to Watch

Blake Griffin, Oklahoma - When he is healthy, he is an absolute dominator. The problem is he had his knee scoped less than two weeks ago and won't be full strength. Half of Griffin is better than 100% of most guys.

Sherron Collins, Kansas - The KU X-factor. He makes them go and when his penetrating game is going, the Jayhawks are tough to beat.

Connor Atchley, Texas - He may play Center for ther Longhorns, but when he steps out to the three point line and hits, he gives Texas a whole new dimension.

Bill Walker, Kansas State - The talented sidekick to Michael Beasley has to keep his head on straight for K-State to make a deep run.

DeAndre Jordan, Texas A&M - The people in College Station expected way more from this over-hyped 7-footer. He has to play more like a man and less like a project.

Predictions

First Round

#9 Oklahoma State 65 #8 Texas Tech 60

#5 Baylor 89 #12 Colorado 70

#10 Missouri 80 #7 Nebraska 75

#6 Texas A&M 89 #11 Iowa State 72

Quarterfinals

#1 Texas 72 #9 Oklahoma State 58

#5 Baylor 83 #4 Oklahoma 78

#2 Kansas 90 #10 Missouri 65

#3 Kansas State 75 #6 Texas A&M 72

Semifinals

#1 Texas 89 #5 Baylor 82

#2 Kansas 82 #3 Kansas State 72

Finals

#2 Kansas 75 #1 Texas 71

Conference Tournament Preview: ACC

2008-03-12T12:02:00.000-04:00

ACC Tournament - Charlotte - Thursday-Sunday

Storylines: You know there is really one story in this league, the North Carolina/Duke rivalry. The two heavyweights spilt there two regular season meetings with North Carolina winning the league and Duke finishing just one game behind them. Other than Clemson who finished third at 22-8 and 10-6, there may not be another team in this year's NCAA Tournament. There are bubble teams aplenty here: Virginia Tech (18-12), Miami (21-9), and Maryland (18-13), all could use a win or two to bolster their resumes, but this league was majorly down this year and reeked of parity. Five teams finished 8-8 or 7-9 in the league. But let's not fool ourselves, this weekend in Charlotte is all about a potential UNC/Duke III in the finals. More bad news - Dick Vitale is doing the ACC semi's and finals (big shocker).

Thursday afternoon's opener pits #8 Wake Forest and #9 Florida State. Wake is a young team that is capable of pulling off an upset, as they did against Duke earlier this year. They are led by the Freshman inside/outside duo of James Johnson (14.8 ppg) and Jeff Teague (13.8 ppg). Coach Dino Gaudio did an excellent job keeping the program together after the passing of coach Skip Prosser in the offseason. To go 17-12 with a rotation of Freshman and Sophomores and a new coach is impressive. Florida State was one of the five middle of the pack teams that did nothing special this season. They come in on a mini-hot streak, winners of four of five, including a W over Clemson. They are very guard-centric, with Toney Douglas, Jason Rich, and Ralph Mims. Their only real inside presence is Uche Echefu.

#1 North Carolina awaits the winner and frankly, should romp either team. Playing in Charlotte where there will be loads of Tar Heel fans in the crowd. Roy Williams' club is playing for the coveted Raleigh/Charlotte cake-walk into the Final Four where they would never have to leave the state and essentially play four home games. Winning the ACC Tournament, which we believe they will do, will lock them in. Now that PG Ty Lawson is back healthy, Carolina looks like the wrecking ball they were earlier this season. Talking about how great Tyler Hansbrough is is getting redundant, so we won't. The man to watch for UNC is Danny Green. When he is on coming off the bench, he gives the Heels an added dimension. Other than Duke, nobody in this draw will even push UNC.

The second first round game is an important one for #5 Miami. They face #12 N.C. State and at first glance you'd think Miami should have no problems here. While the Wolfpack finished 4-12 in conference play and come in on an eight game losing skid, they were picked to finish third preseason and have two excellent talents in the post in Brandon Costner and J.J. Hickson. Costner's game took a downturn this season because Hickson became such a huge part of the offense. Sidney Lowe also never got any sort of consistent play from the point position after Farnold Degand went down. Javier Gonzalez has given his best effort, but he looks lost most of the time. The Hurricanes can probably snag the fourth ACC bid unless they lose this one. Jack McClinton is an all-ACC performer as a scoring guard and James Dews plays well next to him. Dwayne Collins and Anthony King are bangers in the post and they have shown a propensity to play up or down to the level of their competition. Case in point, they beat Duke and lost to N.C. State.

#4 Virginia Tech gets either Miami and N.C. State in the quarters. At 18-12, 9-7, the Hokies may be the worst #4 seed in ACC Tournament history. Their resume lacks any sizzle. After losing three straight, they won four in a row before losing in the season finale at Clemson. They do nothing special, but are well coached by Seth Greenberg. The best dunker in college basketball, Deron Washington, is back for what seems like his 10th year. He is their energy guy and best defender. A.D. Vassallo is their leading scorer at over 16 a game, and shoots over 40% from deep. Freshman Jeff Allen, best known for bumping an official earlier in the year, is very underrated and is solid on the glass. It wouldn't shock anyone if they were one and done, but they are playing for an NCAA bid and winning a game or two would go a long way with the committee.

#7 Georgia Tech is a strange team. Talk about a team who plays to the level of their competition. Earlier in the season, they gave Indiana, Kansas, and North Carolina all they wanted. They also beat Clemson. But somehow they finished the season 14-16. They are the team nobody wants to play in this tournament. Jeremis Smith is solid in the post, Lewis Clinch is a sharp-shooting guard who can stroke it from anywhere, Anthony Morrow is another solid veteran on the perimeter. Freshman Gani Lawal is an energy guy off the bench. Paul Hewitt's in game coaching leaves a lot to be desired. The Yellow Jackets meet #10 Virginia. Another in the long line of disappointing ACC teams. Sean Singletary came back for his Senior year and didn't expect this. All year long, he received little help and saw a steady diet of double teams. He still managed to average 20 a game. Mamadi Diane and Adrian Joseph tried there best, but the Cavs were a porous 5-11 in a down ACC.

#2 Duke catches the winner of this tilt. While the experts say an ACC Tournament title should get them a #1 seed, we don't see it. Other than a win at UNC (when Ty Lawson was out), running through a bad ACC doesn't impress us. That said, they still went 13-3 in league and shoot it as well. They live and die by the deep ball, but when they are on, look out. Duke is always a well-coached team with Coach K. They are a balanced club with five guys averaging in double figures, led by Senior Demarcus Nelson. Freshman Kyle Singler and Lance Thomas must hit the glass hard as the Duke bugaboo is their post play. There isn't any reason they won't get to the finals to meet North Carolina.

The one team who could use the most help is #6 Maryland. At 18-13, the Terps are right there on the bubble and probably need a first round win over #11 Boston College. They are a maddening bunch. They went into North Carolina and beat the #1 Tar Heels before Ty Lawson was hurt. They won six of seven, then lost four of five to finish the season. Bambale Osby and James Gust can give other teams fits in the post, but other than PG Greivis Vasquez, they've got little on the perimeter. Beating BC and upsetting Duke could do wonders for them. Beating BC won be easy, as they do have talent, despite their 4-12 conference record. Tyrese Rice can score on anyone (46 against UNC), and Rakim Sanders is a nice complimentary piece.

The favorite in the quarterfinal finale will be #3 Clemson. Oliver Purnell's team is a lock for the tournament and is clearly the third best team in the ACC. They have one of the best shooters in the league in Terrance Oglesby, two legit big men in Trevor Booker and James Mays, and a great leader in the backcourt in K.C. Rivers. They are very up and down though. They had both Duke and North Carolina (twice) on the ropes and couldn't finish. You can be sure the Tar Heels are happy the Tigers are on the other side of the draw.

Best Potential Quarterfinal Matchup

#3 Clemson vs. #6 Maryland - Either team could win this game by a mile by either team, or it could very close. This is a must win for Maryland. They have the advantage in the post, but Clemson's Guards as a whole are far superior.

Juiciest Potential Matchup

#1 North Carolina vs. #2 Duke - Lets be honest, does anyone care about seeing any other game in this tournament than Duke/Carolina III? Dick Vitale is salivating. The third time around, we think North Carolina pounds Duke.

Players To Watch

Ty Lawson, North Carolina - Now that the talented PG is healthy, North Carolina has kicked it into high gear. He now has to stay healthy.

James Mays, Clemson - The oft-injured big man is gutting it out through a variety of ailments, but he is still the defensive presence most ACC teams do not possess.

Greg Paulus, Duke - The Devils PG must have his shot going for his team to get to the finals. When he is hot, Duke rarely loses.

Bambale Osby/James Gist, Maryland - If Maryland wants to beat BC and upset Clemson to get to a potential rematch with Duke, the talented big man duo must dominate in the post. If they aren't on their games, they could be one and done and headed for the NIT.

Brandon Costner, N.C. State - As a Freshman, Costner looked like a sure-fire NBA talent who was dropping 20 plus on everyone he faced. Whether it was a Sophomore slump or his inability to play next to J.J. Hickson, Costner's game completely fell off. If he can re-discover his game, The Wolfpack could make a run.

Predictions

First Round

#8 Wake Forest 80 #9 Florida State 77

#12 N.C. State 75 #5 Miami 74

#7 Georgia Tech 68 #10 Virginia 62

#6 Maryland 70 #11 Boston College 61

Quarterfinals

#1 North Carolina 95 #8 Wake Forest 76

#12 N.C. State 68 #4 Virginia Tech 67

#2 Duke 85 #7 Georgia Tech 70

#3 Clemson 78 #6 Maryland 66

Semifinals

#1 North Carolina 98 #12 N.C. State 78

#2 Duke 90 #3 Clemson 77

Finals

#1 North Carolina 80 #2 Duke 68

Conference Tournament Preview: Big Ten

2008-03-12T08:32:00.001-04:00

Big Ten Tournament - Indianapolis - Thursday-Sunday

Storylines: All year long, this has essentially been a four team race for the top. Wisconsin came out ahead at 16-2 thanks to the ridiculous unbalanced Big Ten schedule where they only had to play Indiana and Michigan State once each. Purdue was the surprise of the conference. Nobody expected anything from the Baby Boilers, let alone a 15-3 regular season. Indiana spent the second half of the season dealing with the Kelvin Sampson scandal and subsequent resignation, and finished shaky. They are the #3 seed at 14-4. Michigan State couldn't win on the road, but looked incredible at home. They won only one of their last six road games. Unfortunately for them, the tournament isn't played in East Lansing. After Ohio State, the rest of the teams are bottom feeders.

The first round games are snooze-fests. The Noon tip Thursday is #8 Iowa vs. #9 Michigan. Talk about a game devoid of talent. Iowa is led by guards Tony Freeman and Justin Johnson. In their last eight games, the Hawkeyes are 2-6, with both wins coming against Northwestern. Will the Michigan basketball program ever recover? Coach John Beilin had a tough first year, finishing 9-21 with losses to such powerhouses as Harvard, Central Michigan, and Northwestern. They do have a nice young talent in Freshman Guard Manny Harris, their leading scorer at 16.4 per game.

Up next is the completely unwatchable #7 Penn State/#10 Illinois tilt. Poor Bruce Weber. I guess this is what your program looks like when Bill Self isn't around to recruit talent for you. 13-18 and a 10th place conference finish is a far cry from the days of Deron Williams and Dee Brown. Penn State meanwhile comes in on a high after upsetting Indiana Sunday. Give Ed Dechellis credit: he is doing it without his top two players who are lost for the season with injuries (Geary Claxton and Jamelle Cornley).

The finale pits #6 Minnesota against #11 Northwestern. Tubby Smith did a nice job in his first year in obscurity. His Gophers finished a respectable 8-10 in the Big Ten and 18-12 overall. Seniors Dan Coleman, Lawrence McKenzie, and Spencer Tollackson really took to their new coach. Freshman three-point shooter Blake Hoffarber showed a lot of promise, averaging nine a game off the bench and hitting 44% from deep. As for Northwestern, what can you really say about a team that one only one game in a bad Big Ten other than their season will be over soon?

The quarters will feature the rematch from Sunday: #5 Ohio State vs. #4 Michigan State. The Buckeyes are sweating even harder now that San Diego snagged a bid that would have gone to an at large team. For the Buckeyes to win, they will have to pound the post with Freshman Kosta Koufos and hope it opens up shots the way it did for Jamar Butler and David Lighty in OSU's win in the season finale. That day Lighty was a perfect 5-5 from the floor and Butler had 20. Freshman Three-point specialist Jon Diebler will also be counted on to hit his shots. There isn't much depth in the post behind Koufos and Othello Hunter, so staying out of foul trouble will be big. The Spartans need to get more consistency from Senior Guard Drew Neitzel. He was preseason Big Ten Player of the Year and literally fell off the face of the earth. It's probably the same reason the Spartans struggled in conference play. When he doesn't play well, the Spartans usual lose. Raymar Morgan is a singular talent, but he too has the tendency to fade in and out. The guy to watch for Michigan State is Freshman PG Kalin Lucas. He has cat-like quickness and is the team's spark. When he gets going, the rest of the team responds. They get little in the post from a bevy of players like Drew Naymick, Goran Suton, and Marquise Gray.

Then we move to the to three seeds. #1 Wisconsin gets the Iowa/Michigan winner and should have no trouble. Bo Ryan's got his team playing well again behind Senior Center Brian Butch and Sophomore Guard Trevon Hughes. This is a team full of role players, and they have perhaps the ultimate glue guy in Joe Krabbenhoft. He does it all and his teammates love him for it. We are sure the Badgers want another crack at Purdue in the finals. The Boilers swept the Badgers this year, their only two conference losses. First they'll have to beat the Michigan State/Ohio State winner.

Speaking of the #2 Purdue Boilermakers, they will dispatch of either Penn State or Illinois Friday. Matt Painter is a lock for Big Ten Coach of the Year and must have had a fun time watching his young team develop. Freshman Robbie Hummel is a matchup nightmare for wing players in this league. At 6-8 he is too big for guards and too quick for big man. Another Frosh, E'Twaun Moore, is their leading scorer, and Sophomore Chris Kramer is the straw that stirs their drink. Watch for our favorite left off the bench, Scott Martin. Our boy loves to jack threes.

Sitting in the #3 spot is Indiana. The Hoosiers may have the best talent of any team in the Big Ten with All-Big Ten Eric Gordon in the backcourt and D.J. White up front. White, our runaway choice for Big Ten player of the year, is the leader of the team and the one who has kept them sane throughout this tumultuous time. Interim Coach must get this team to play hard for him. It seems as though they have sulked their way through the games he has coached. Jarmarcus Ellis is expected back from his suspension for violating team rules. He is a key piece. Jordan Crawford also must play under control for the Hoosiers to win this tournament. It also helps when the games will be played 45 minutes from campus.

Best Quarterfinal Matchup

#4 Michigan State vs. #5 Ohio State - Really, the other games look like duds compared to this one. The Buckeyes are trying to fight their way off the bubble and a second win over Michigan State in less than a week could really help them. The Spartans are trying to regain their lost magic from early in the season.

Juiciest Potential Matchup

#1 Wisconsin vs. #2 Purdue or #3 Indiana - Tough call on this one, but consider this: Wisconsin beat Indiana on a bank-shot three by Brian Butch in Bloomington in their only meeting while Purdue handed Wisconsin both of it's losses in conference. Either way, we win with a final featuring a combo of these teams.

Players To Watch:

Armon Bassett, Indiana - While Eric Gordon gets all the publicity, the best shooter the Hoosiers have is the Sophomore from Terre Haute. He must play big for the Hoosiers to get past Purdue and make their way to the finals.

Drew Neitzel, Michigan State - Does the Senior Guard realize his career is coming to an end and his NBA stock is at a three year low? He is averaging over five points a game less than he was last year. Time for him to wake up.

Robbie Hummel, Purdue - When he wants to be, he is an unstoppable force. If Hummel plays that way for three straight games, the Boilers could take home the gold trophy.

Michael Flowers, Wisconsin - He runs a very controlled point for the Badgers and that must continue during this tournament. Plus, as a Senior, this is his last rodeo for his hometown team.

Jamar Butler, Ohio State - As Butler's game goes, so go the Buckeyes. He has had games this year where he has dropped 30, and others where he has been shut out. The Senior has been here before, he just needs to shine now that the pressure is on him and his club.

Predictions

First Round

#8 Iowa 56 #9 Michigan 52

#7 Penn State 65 #10 Illinois 50

#6 Minnesota 61 #11 Northwestern 49

Quarterfinals

#1 Wisconsin 77 #8 Iowa 59

#4 Michigan State 66 #5 Ohio State 65

#2 Purdue 70 #7 Penn State 65

#3 Indiana 64 #6 Minnesota 61

Semifinals

#1 Wisconsin 68 #4 Michigan State 67

#3 Indiana 70 #2 Purdue 68

Finals

#3 Indiana 69 #1 Wisconsin 64

Conference Tournament Preview: Pac-10

2008-03-11T12:21:00.001-04:00

Pac-10 Tournament - Los Angeles - Wednesday-Saturday

Storylines: All year long, we have touted the Pac-10 as the best and deepest conference from top to bottom. All you have to do is look at a team like Cal. The Bears were screwed by the refs out of a win at top dog UCLA this past weekend, and finished the season 15-14, 6-12 in the league. They have wins at Arizona State, at Washington State, and USC, three lock Tournament teams. The Pac-10 is the only major conference that plays a true round round and the Staples Center should be in for quite a show this weekend. UCLA is playing for a #1 seed while Oregon, Arizona, and Arizona State are playing to lock in their NCAA bids. To us, the Pac-10 is a seven bid league.

Wednesday Night opens with a doubleheader. The first tilt is between #8 Washington and #9 California. Both are very capable teams that boast big wins. The Huskies are one of only two teams that knocked off UCLA in conference play and have one of the best post men in the country you don't hear about in Jon Brockman. The 6-7 Junior averages 17 and 11. Their Guard play is very inconsistent with three-point specialist Ryan Appleby and Tim Morris and Justin Dentmon running the point. Quincy Pondexter is a capable wing, but suffered through a Sophomore slump. They will have there hands full with Cal's Ryan Anderson, who is our pick for Pac-10 Player of the Year. He averaged 21 and 10 for the year and can drop 30 on anyone at any time. Patrick Christopher is his his running mate. He too can score for anywhere on the court. DeVon Hardin is a defensive presence in the post that will find his way onto an NBA roster. The Bears don't possess much depth, and have little margin for error. The winner gets UCLA - you know Cal wants another crack.

The night-cap will be blowout city as #7 Arizona meets #10 Oregon State. The Wildcats have been in the news quite a bit of late with announcement of the return of coach Lute Olson coming next season coupled with the rumored riff between Olson and interim coach Kevin O'Neill. The team is probably in the Tournament, but could use two wins to solidify their status. One thing about the Cats is they have they have three NBA talents in G Jerryd Bayless, SF Chase Budinger, and PF Jordan Hill. PG Nic Wise returned after missing seven games where the team was 2-5 without him. They lack depth, but their five on the floor is usually as talented if not more talented than any team they face. They are an enigma though. They could easily win this whole tournament, or lose to Stanford in the quarterfinals. Oregon State in the meantime is the only team in Pac-10 history to not win a conference game. All you need to know is they finished 0-18 and haven't won a game since December 19th.

Thursday's quarterfinal day rivals the day the Big East will have across the country in New York. The 3 PM opener features #4 USC and #5 Arizona State. USC is a team that nobody wants to face. Not only to they have the great O.J. Mayo and another great Freshman in Davon Jefferson who has really come into his own, but coach Tim Floyd's changing defensive styles can really frustrate an opponent. They have shown they can shut anyone down, as they did in wins over UCLA, Stanford, and Arizona. Don't be surprised to see a box and one on Arizona State star James Hardin. The Freshman lefty leads the Sun Devils in scoring at 17.7 per game. The experts say they are on the bubble, so beating USC would really help their resume. The two teams split their regular season meetings and this should be a highly entertaining game. A matchup to watch will be USC's Taj Gibson and ASU's Jeff Pendergraft in the post.

#1 UCLA gets the winner of Cal and Washington. The Bruins come in as the Pac-10 regular season champion for a third straight year. They have battled injuries all year and have gotten their fair-share of luck, especially in the past week. The blown call against Stanford and the non-call against Cal won them two games on their home floor that they should have lost, but the one thing you can't discount is how this veteran team continues to fight through the final siren. They play stellar D, especially in the backcourt with Russell Westbrook and Darren Collison, and have something they didn't have during their last two Final Four runs; a true stud on the block in Kevin Love.

The evening session starts off with #3 Washington State and #6 Oregon. The Cougars couldn't be called a minor disappointment during the season. At 11-7 in league, they finished third, but this is a Senior laden team which lost on one player from their best team ever last year. They are as smart of a team as you will see, and are backcourt heavy, with Derrick Low, Kyle Weaver, and Taylor Rochestie as their three leading scorers. Australian big man Aron Baynes must stay out of foul trouble. Forward Daven Harmerling may not have big numbers, but he is extremely clutch. Oregon is another bubble team that really could use a win in this game to feel safe. PG Tajuan Porter's ball-hogging caused a rift with his teammates during the season, but late in the year, he curbed it the team played better. the win over Arizona last weekend got them to 9-9 and put them close to a bid. A win over the Cougars is a must. They have an athletic advantage with Malik Hairston, and Bryce Taylor. Maarty Leunen should set out and bring Baynes away from the basket to open up the driving lanes for Porter.

After Arizona dispatches Oregon State, they will face the #2 seed Stanford. We felt the Cardinals got a raw deal at UCLA last week and they never recovered two days later against USC. This shouldn't spoil a great under the radar Pac-10 season. Brook Lopez is the best big man in the league (sorry Kevin Love) and single-handedly won several games for the Cardinal. His twin brother Robin is a defensive stopper and glue-guy in the post. Lawrence Hill has been sensational of late, but the key guy for Stanford is Anthony Goods. He is the team's only other double-digit scorer and the only guard who can create his own shot. Trent Johnson coaches a very smart ball club, but they have little margin for error when they play. We have a feeling for some reason that Arizona jumps up and bites them in the quarters.

Best Quarterfinal Matchup

#3 Washington State vs. #6 Oregon, #4 USC vs. #5 Arizona State, #2 Stanford vs. #7 Arizona

How can you pick between these three games? All of them carry major significance for the NCAA Tournament committee one way or another.

Juiciest Potential Matchup

#2 Stanford vs. #1 UCLA - You know the Cardinal want this one badly after they were jobbed big time by the refs last Thursday. We've seen the Lawrence Hill block...errrr....foul call on Darren Collison probably 20 times. It was still clean. A Stanford win would lock them into a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Players To Watch

Davon Jefferson, USC - Everyone talks about O.J. Mayo, but Jefferson is the real key Freshman playing for the Trojans. He plays lock down D and his a superior athlete.

Tajuan Porter, Oregon - The pint-sized PG has been chastised for his gunner mentality several times during the year, but when he gets going, watch out.

Chase Budinger, Arizona - The sweetest stroke in college hoops has been shaky of late. When Budinger is on, it opens up everything for the 'Cats offense and they have the ability to beat anyone.

Anthony Goods, Stanford - The one issue Stanford has is getting an outside game going as teams don't triple team Brook Lopez on the block. Goods is the man who will have to make shots for the Cardinal.

Aron Baynes, Washington State - The Australian big has to play up to his potential for the Cougars to make a deep run. When he stays out of foul trouble and is being fed all game long, Wazzu is a different team.

Predictions

First Round

#9 Cal 90 #8 Washington 88

#7 Arizona 95 #10 Oregon State 68

Quarterfinals

#1 UCLA 75 #9 Cal 62

#4 USC 58 #5 Arizona State 55

#6 Oregon 77 #3 Washington State 76

#7 Arizona 82 #2 Stanford 79

Semifinals

#4 USC 54 #1 UCLA 51

#7 Arizona 89 #6 Oregon 85

Finals

#4 USC 70 #7 Arizona 63

CSU/Butler Quick Preview

2008-03-11T11:05:00.005-04:00

Note: This was written by one of our correspondants in Indianapolis who is a follower of the Butler program and is a very knowledgeable College Hoops Head like us. Though it is spring break at Butler University, judging by the enormous line in which I waited to purchase tickets yesterday during my lunch break, historic 80 year-old Hinkle Fieldhouse (where not only was "Hoosiers" filmed two decades ago, but John Wooden's Martinsville High School lost the Indiana State High School hoops title game in the Fieldhouse's first year (1928)) will be full and rocking---as it has been for the other "big games" I have attended there the past two years (vs Ohio States and Bracket Busters vs Southern Illinois and Drake).

While Cleveland State (21-11, 13-6) has had a surprising, uplifting and topsy-turvy season, Butler (28-3, 17-2) has been consistently strong, as was expected after last year's 29 win season where they reached the Sweet 16 for the second time in the past five seasons. Butler's only losses were on the road at defending Horizon League champ Wright State (where they also lost twice last season), the aforementioned Drake tilt, and to Cleveland State in C-town.

When the Vikings made the return visit to Indy in mid-Februrary, the teams combined for just 97 pts with Butler holding off CSU for a five point win. Butler also uncharacteristically made barely half of their 20 free throws. Nothing really indicates that tonight's game will be an easy win for the favored Bulldogs, who have won 37 of their past 40 home games.

If Butler has been consistent and pedestrian this year, Cleveland State has been the Horizon League's Drake.

Picked to finish, as they have for much of the past decade, in the lower half of the league, CSU won 20 regular season games, and was undefeated in conference and leading the Horizon until late January when they dropped five straight---four of those on the road consecutively though. But the Vikings rebounded with wins in seven of their last eight, including an impressive triumph over Valparaiso in the semifinals three days ago. Cleveland State's only loss in the past five weeks was at Butler.

Tonight should be excellent, indeed. Game is 9pm EDT on ESPN.

Posted by Ari

Coast to Coast...like Tyus Edney against Mizzou

2008-03-11T09:08:00.000-04:00

The morning roundup is back and we've got lots to discusss. First off, the next few weeks are obviously going to be College Hoops heavy here at MTAC. We want to get you as prepared as possible for the Tournament, which starts just a short nine days from now. Last night was the start of Championship Week and we have already had games that will affect teams fighting for the final at large spots. The West Coast Conference Tournament was won by San Diego, with a 69-62 win over top seeded Gonzaga. With the Bulldogs and #2 seed St. Mary's already locks for the Tournament, a slot was snagged by the Torreros. Meanwhile, a second at large bid will probably be taken away from another bubble team as 26-6 South Alabama was upset by Middle Tennessee State in the semi's of the Sun Belt Tournament. Most experts think South Alabama is a lock regardless with a resume including wins over Mississippi State and a sweep of 26-6 Western Kentucky, plus an OT at Vanderbilt and a three point loss at Mississippi. This is bad news for Ohio State, Syracuse, Florida, and a few others.

Let the link-fest begin....

More from our favorite Mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick. The king of text messages has been busted again. More texts show Kwame gave his friend Bobby Ferguson inside information on city projects, discussed whether he would be in or out of certain jobs and helped Ferguson get paid promptly when he urgently needed a check from the city.

Former Indian scrub Catcher Jesse Levis busted for public masturbation. Nothing like standing outside a window with your pants down spanking it.

Kansas' Sasha Kaun and a great story about facing adversity in life.

A brilliant idea if you are a guy who wants to be done having kids: get snipped the day before the Tournament starts. We actually know someone who did this too.

It was announced yesterday that Lute Olson is returning to Arizona next year when he will be age 74. Earlier last week SI's Seth Davis wrote a great piece describing Olson's attempts to undermine interim coach Kevin O'Neill. We were never a fan of Lute. We think he is a phony and after reading the Davis, it's been confirmed. Sounds like the original plan of having O'Neill take over eventually won't happen.

Your Championship Week Announcing Schedule.

We are not ones to play the race card ever, but CBS Sportsline's Mike Freeman has a point regarding Tyler Hansbrough.

The scandal that is busting up New York: Governor Elliot Spitzer is a part of a high-end protitution ring.

I'm sure nobody saw this one coming, Star Jones and her gay husband Al Reynolds are spiltting up.

Jessica Simpson is on a USO Tour in Kuwait. She is so beav.

Conference Tournament Preview: Big East

2008-03-11T08:31:00.002-04:00

Big East Tournament - New York City - Wednesday-Sunday

Storylines: You seriously may never see a better conference tournament than the one taking place at the Garden. Any one of nine teams is capable of winning it. Wednesday's first round has four games that are all worth watching. You can't say that about any other conference quarterfinals let alone first round. Thursday's quarterfinals will have four games where any team can win. There are great coaches, great traditions, and great players. Plus, it all takes place in the world's mot famous arena. We can honestly say we will be glued to the TV watching this event.

Wednesday's first game between #8 Villanova and #9 Syracuse is an elimination game for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. They both finished at 9-9 in conference and split their two games, each winning on the other's home floor. You know Jim Boeheim's club will be in their trademark 2-3 zone attempting to slow down 'Nova guards Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher while trying to stay fresh. They only play six guys and PG Jonny Flynn, SF Paul Harris, and PF Donte Greene never come out. The question for the Cuse will be can they finish. They have choked away several games this year which would have already put them in, instead, for like the 90th year in a row, they are America's bubble team. The loser of this one heads for the NIT.

Awaiting either Villanova or Syracuse in the quarters is #1 Georgetown. The Hoyas come in after their last second win over Louisville where they captured the Big East crown. Unlike the Cuse, Georgetown has the knack for finding ways to win in the end. Whether it's the veteran smarts of Jonathan Wallace, Roy Hibbert, and Jesse Sapp, or the youthful exuberance of DaJuan Summers and Vernon Macklin, JT3's club always seems to be there in the end. Interestingly, the Hoyas lost just three games in conference play, one was to Syracuse. They beat Villanova on a controversial call with less than a second remaining, 70 feet from the basket.

Game two Wednesday features Bob Huggins #5 West Virginia team and the #12 seeded Providence Friars. West Virginia has locked in an NCAA bid with 11 Big East wins and a 22-9 record overall. They are a vintage, tough minded Huggins club. They don't shoot it extremely well, but have three capable scorers in Joe Alexander, Alex Ruoff, and Da'Sean Butler. Through in the Senior who drives the bus, Darris Nichols, and you've got a dangerous team. Watch out for Joe Mazzulla, the Football team's backup QB is one heck of an athlete. The Friars on the other hand don't feature any household names, but they are extremely capable. They have five players that average in double figures, led by Guard Jeff Xavier, but are very streaky. They were swept this year by West Virginia, but strangely, they beat UConn twice.

Waiting for the winner of this game on the other side are those #4 Connecticut Huskies. After a slow start, the Huskies won 10 straight in January and February and really hit their stride. They dominate the post thanks to the duo of PF Jeff Adrien and C Hasheem Thabeet. Adrien is a double-double machine and ultra-strong. Thabeet is a one-man zone. You flat out cannot drive the lane against home without him blocking or severely altering your shot. PG A.J. Price has made this team his own and could be first team all-Big East. Glue guy Stanley Robinson averages 10 and six and defends the other team's best player. Veterans Doug Wiggins and Craig Austrie coming up big when they need it. We flat out love this team.

As loaded as the top half of the Big East draw is, the bottom ain't to shabby either. The evening session starts with #7 Pittsburgh facing off again Mick Cronin's #10 Cincinnati Bearcats. We were big Pitt fans early in the year, but injuries derailed them. Remember, a healthy Panthers club beat Duke in this same building. Big man Dejuan Blair is an absolute stud in the post and when he gets going, he can be unstoppable. PG Levance Fields, the heart and soul of the team, has returned from the foot injury that sidelined him for the first 11 conference games. Ronald Ramon got valuable time running the team, sliding over from the SG position and opening up minutes for Keith Benjamin. The guy to watch on the Panthers is Sam Young. If he gets on a role, the Panthers could end up playing into Saturday. The Bearcats come in on a five game losing streak including the weather delayed debacle against UConn where they were smoked by 45 and at one point had a 30-0 run dropped on them. Deonta Vaughn and John Williamson must get the inside/outside game going or their season will end. At 13-17, they are not eligible for the NIT.

The #2 Louisville Cardinals will get the winner of Cinci/Pitt. The have to be smarting after the heartbreaking loss at Georgetown that cost them the Big East regular season title. You can be sure they will see a lot of zone the rest of the way, as it seems to be the best way to defend them. They have two legit post men in David Padgett and Derrick Caracter that keep the defenses honest, while opening up the perimeter for Andre McGee, Terrance Williams, Edgar Sosa, and Jerry Smith. The key guy is Williams. He is always the best athlete on the floor whenever he plays and at 6'8, is a tough matchup for opposing teams wing players. Padgett is their coach on the floor, despite being their Center. A Big East crown could put them in range for a 2-3 seed.

The late game Wednesday night should be a good one as #6 Marquette gets the #11 Seton Hall Pirates. The Golden Eagles are playing for seeding. A run to the finals could put them in the 4/5 line, especially if they are able to knock off Louisville and Notre Dame in the process. Tom Crean's team is guard-centric, with Dominic James, Jerel McNeal, and Wesley Matthews making them go. Lazar Hayward has been inconsistent all year as their lone post threat and as he goes, so goes the team. He must play well or they can lose to the Pirates. Bobby Gonzalez's team can run with anyone, but have been banged up most of the year. Brian Laing leads four Pirates in double figures at 19 a game, but have lost eight of their last 10.

The surprise of the conference this season has to be #3 Notre Dame. Mike Brey should win coach of the year and PF Luke Harangody should be the Big East Player of the Year. We love the way Kyle McAlarney runs the point and Rob Kurz is a perfect compliment to Harangody in the post. They come in hot, winners of 11 of 13 and could win this tournament if they shoot it well.

Best First Round Matchup

#8 Villanova vs. #9 Syracuse - Probably the best first round game of any conference tournament. So much on the line. Scottie Reynolds vs. Jonny Flynn battling at the point. The Nova shooters against the Cuse 2-3 zone. The winner has a great shot to get in the big dance. The loser is 100% NIT bound.

Juiciest Potential Matchup

#3 Notre Dame vs. #2 Louisville, #4 Connecticut vs. #1 Georgetown - If these are the Big East Semifinals, we are all in for a big treat on Friday night.

Players To Watch

Donte Greene, Syracuse - The uber talented Freshman cannot spend his time camped out at the three point line if the Cuse is going to win a game or two. He must stay in the post and use his superior quickness to his advantage.

Edgar Sosa, Louisville - The single most important key to Louisville winning this tournament. If the up and down Sosa can find his game from last year's NCAA Tournament, the Cards are Final Four good. So far this year, that hasn't happened and he has been relegated to the bench.

Lazar Hayward, Marquette - The best big man Tom Crean has must play like it, or the Eagles could be one and done. When he plays big, Marquette can beat anyone.

Sam Young, Pittsburgh - While Dejuan Blair gets all the love in the post, it's Young who is the key guy. He can beat you inside and out. He has to be the man if the Panthers plan on playing this weekend in the Garden.

Jerome Dyson, Connecticut - When he was suspended for 30 days, he left the team as the leading scorer. He returned to a team who won 10 in a row without him and really hit their stride. As he has come back into the fold, he has yet to fit back in 100%. If he gets going, look out.

Predictions

First Round

#9 Syracuse 80 #8 Villanova 77

#5 West Virginia 68 #12 Providence 56

#7 Pittsburgh 70 #10 Cincinnati 54

#6 Marquette 89 #11 Seton Hall 75

Quarterfinals

#1 Georgetown 65 #9 Syracuse 62

#4 Connecticut 74 #12 West Virginia 71

#2 Louisville 62 #7 Pittsburgh 60

#3 Notre Dame 90 #6 Marquette 78

Semifinals

#4 Connecticut 68 #1 Georgetown 65

#3 Notre Dame 71 #2 Louisville 68

Finals

#4 Connecticut 76 #3 Notre Dame 74

Conference Tournament Preview: SEC

2008-03-10T11:53:00.005-04:00

NOTE: This will be the first in a series of previews for the major conference tournaments that begin this week. SEC Tournament - Atlanta, GA - Thursday - Sunday

Storylines: The league is full of bubble teams who could use a big week in Atlanta to enhance their status or play their way into the big dance. Perhaps no league has more teams squarely on the bubble than the SEC. The top two teams in each division receive a first round bye.

It's Tennessee's world, and the rest of the SEC teams are just squirrels, trying to get a nut. The Volunteers ran through the league at 14-2 and are essentially trying to play themselves towards lock status of a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. With Senior SG Chris Lofton, the three Smith's (Tyler, JaJuan, Ramar), and Wayne Chism in the post, we just cannot see this team losing to anyone in this tournament unless they get bored. Their style of play is extremely tough to play, unless you have heady veteran ball handlers, which many in this conference do not possess. They are obviously the #1 seed coming out of the SEC East.

Awaiting a loss to Tennessee in the quarters will be either West #4 LSU or East #5 South Carolina. We'll be honest; these are two teams not worth discussing really. LSU fired coach John Brady in midseason, but finished up winning four of five, including a win at South Carolina. They have NBA talent Anthony Randolph in the post and near 20 point per game scorer Marcus Thornton on the perimeter. South Carolina will also be looking for a new coach at season's end, with Dave Odom stepping aside to retire. He thought it would be a big year, with transfers Devin Downey (Cincinnati) and Zam Frederick (Georgia Tech) coming in, but it didn't translate. They lost five of their last six and finished 13-17.

The second quarter final bye team is one of our favorites, the bubblicious West #2 Arkansas Razorbacks. We ranked them 13th preseason and with talented Patrick Beverley and Sonny Weems back to lead the way, we expected more than a 20-10, 9-7 record. With that said, they are probably in, but must win their quarterfinal matchup to feel safe. This team goes as PG Gary Ervin does. The turnover machine must be in control or it could be a short stay for the Razorbacks.

The two teams looking to knock them off in the quarters will be East #3 Vanderbilt or West #6 Auburn. Vandy has an RPI rating in the top 10 and spent the majority of the season ranked in the top 10. They boast the odds on SEC Player of the Year in Shan Foster and a beast of a post presence in Aussie big man A.J. Ogilvy. Like Tennessee, they live and die by the three, and have the capability to win this tournament if they are hot. They must get consistant guard play from Jermaine Beal and Alex Gordon and something off of their much maligned bench. Kevin Stallings club won't have any problems with Auburn, who finished last in a down SEC at 4-12, including 10 of their last 12. On top of that, they Tigers are without their best player, Kovotney Barber, who has a broken hand.

The Bottom half of the draw features the West #1 seed Mississippi State. This is a team nobody wants to play right now. Perhaps nobody has a better inside/outside scoring game than the Bulldogs, who have two first-team all-SEC type performers in Wing Jamont Gordon and PF Charles Rhodes. Both scored 17 a game and can take over. Add in the double digit scorers Barry Stewart and Ben Hansbrough (yes, Tyler's brother), and the best shot-blocker west of Hasheem Thabeet in Jarvis Varnado, and you've got a special team.

East #4 Florida needs a first round win over West #5 Alabama and probably an upset of Mississippi State if they plan on getting a shot to defend their back to back titles. The Gators looked good a few weeks back, but lost their last three games and finished 8-8 in the SEC. They have two great talents in Freshman Wing Nick Calathes and big man Marreese Speights, but their penchant for close losses has really hurt them. Bama is really playing for nothing more than an NIT bid and even that seems iffy at 16-15. They do have a great big man in Richard Hendrix and a sharpshooter in Alonzo Gee, but all yera they struggled with a lack of a true point guard.

Anyone else have East #2 Kentucky finishing 12-4 in the SEC after they lost to Gardner-Webb, San Diego, UAB, and Houston in December? We know we didn't. What about almost beating Tennessee on the road without Patrick Patterson? You have got to give it to Billy Gillispie. People were calling for his head two months ago, and he could end up SEC Coach of the Year. Right now, they are living and dying by what guards Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford do. They are playing four guards a lot now with Patterson lost to injury, along with ultra-thin PF Perry Stevenson. Again, we don't know how Gillispie is doing it, but he has UK playing their best ball of the season.

Disappointing bubble-team West #3 Ole Miss will face East #6 Georgia for the right to face Kentucky. When people were plotting the end of Kentucky's season two months ago, everyone was lauding the Rebels, who we had ranked as high as #10. Then the gigantic collapse hit, they finished 7-9 in conference and 21-9 overall, but come into the SEC tournament winner of three straight. They have a solid frontcourt with Dwayne Curtis (14 and nine a game) and banger Kenny Williams, plus capable guards in Freshman Chris Warren, the team's leading scorer, and Eniel Polynice. They meet Georgia in the rematch of Saturday's Ole Miss 76-62 win in Athens. It's been an extremely tough year for Dennis Felton's club, losers of 11 of their last 13. Rumors are swirling that his next loss could be his last. It's going to happen Thursday.

Best First Round Matchup

East #4 Florida vs. West #5 Alabama (Thursday 7:30, Full Court) - This is like choosing the hottest of four ugly women. The opening round of the SEC Tournament is loaded with trash. There is no doubt the Gators have the most to play for, so we are going with their first game, since Bama is capable of pulling the upset, as they did against Vandy this past weekend.

Juiciest Potential Matchup

East #1 Tennessee vs. East #3 Vanderbilt (Friday 1, Full Court) - The two in-state rivals split a pair of games during the regular season and Vandy's win knocked the Vols off of the #1 spot in both polls. You just know Vandy would love to ruin their chances at a #1 seed as well. Plus, anytime two of the most clutch shooters in the country, Chris Lofton amd Shan Foster, meet, its must see TV.

Players To Watch:

Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State - One major advantage the Bulldogs have is that Varnado is a game-changer in the post. The disadvantage when they play Tennessee is he gets drawn away from the basket.

Gary Ervin, Arkansas - If the Razorbacks PG stays within himself, his team usually wins. If he is out of control, turning the ball over, it could be one and done for Arkansas.

Dan Werner, Florida - Everyone knows Nick Calathes is the main guy for the Gators, but for them to spring the upset they will need to get into the NCAA Tournament, Werner must not disappear like he has over the last three games, all losses.

Derrick Jasper, Kentucky - The talented Sophomore has been thrusted into being the third option on offense now that Patrick Patterson is hurt. Everyone will be keying on Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford, opening things up for him.

J.P. Prince, Tennessee - The X-factor for the Vols attack. If he gets going, they are awfully tough to beat.

Predictions

First Round

(W4) LSU 65 (E5) South Carolina 57

(E3) Vanderbilt 85 (W6) Auburn 62

(E4) Florida 78 (W5) Alabama 77

(W3) Mississippi 75 (E6) Georgia 60

Quarterfinals

(E1) Tennessee 65 (W4) LSU 50

(E3) Vanderbilt 80 (W2) Arkansas 75

(W1) Mississippi State 85 (E4) Florida 82

(W3) Mississippi 62 (E2) Kentucky 61

Semifinals

(E1) Tennessee 90 (E3) Vanderbilt 81

(W1) Mississippi State 72 (W3) Mississippi 67

Finals

(E1) Tennessee 85 (W1) Mississippi State 78

The MTAC Power 16

2008-03-10T07:43:00.003-04:00

Your friends at MTAC are back healthy and ready to give you full access into the best month of of our year. It’s Championship Week, which to us, is as underrated as a week in sports as there is. Monday and Tuesday you have leagues the Horizon, Summitt, and Sun Belt punching their tickets to the big dance. Wednesday you have the Big East Tournament starting at Madison Square Garden with four games. Thursday the rest of the Big conferences join in the fray. No year in recent memory have there been more high seeds up for grab with so much uncertainty. So many questions are still un-answered.

Will North Carolina or Duke be able to grab the covered Raleigh/Charlotte road to San Antonio? Last year it certainly helped UCLA get to the Final Four as they never had to leave the state of California and essentially played four home games. Will Texas or Kansas be able to jump up and grab a #1 seed if they win the Big 12 Tournament? How will the horrific officiating in LA affect Stanford’s seeding? Is Georgetown a #2 or a #3? What will the committee make of the Big 10 powers Wisconsin, Purdue, and Indiana? How high of a seed does Butler get?

The Conference Tournaments will hopefully help answer a lot of those questions. We waited until the regular season ended to give you our weekly overview. Later this week you will see previews of the Big conference tournaments and what we are watching for. Instead of our usual schedule for the week, we gave you where we think the Power 16 teams will be seeded, a long with a glimpse at some of the bubble teams and the reasons they are in or out.

Get ready folks, it’s our favorite time of the year. March Madness has arrived.

#1 North Carolina (29-2) – The Heels went into Cameron Indoor Stadium with the ACC title on the line and controlled the game from start to finish. Whole Duke made a run to take a lead with less than six minutes to go, UNC hunkered down and held the Devils scoreless for the last five and a half minutes and avenged the earlier season loss. The Tar Heels bugaboo is supposedly their D, but if they defend the way they did late in the game Saturday night, you’d have to say they are favorites to win it all as of today. But that is always subject to change. Projected Seed: #1

#2 Tennessee (28-3, #2) – Barring a strange first loss in the SEC Tournament, we think with the wins last week over Kentucky and at Florida, the Vols have locked up a #1 seed and are the SEC Champs. The Florida win was especially impressive as the Gators came out smokin’ hot, nailing their first nine shots and led most of the way. In the end, Tennessee’s veteran savvy and the board work of Tyler Smith saved them. We are this close to voting Bruce Pearl as our coach of the year. Projected Seed: #1

#3 Kansas (27-3, #6) – Now this was the KU team we love to see. Three games; three big time performances. First they avenged their loss to Kansas State, completely shutting down everyone in a Black uniform that wasn’t named Michael Beasley. Two days later came the annihilation of Texas Tech by 58; the same Tech team who beat Texas two days earlier. Bill Self’s bunch seemed to have begun to play its best ball at the right time. There is only one key to discuss: The return of Sherron Collins to 100% health. There is no more important role player to any team in the country than the lightning-quick point man. If they win the Big 12 Tournament and beat Texas in the final, can they grab a #1 seed? Projected Seed: #2

#4 UCLA (28-3, #1) – Our #1 team 10 days ago drops to #4? Shows you how fickle this whole thing can be and how two average performances can affect you from week to week. The bottom line is that thanks to two horribly officiating finishes against Stanford (the Lawrence Hill block on Darren Collison which was cleaner than the board of health) and Cal (Ryan Anderson was mugged for a no call before Josh Shipp’s illegal over the backboard shot was allowed) have clinched the Pac-10 and a #1 seed for the Bruins who look very beatable all of a sudden. Projected Seed: #1

#5 Memphis (30-1, #3) – Back to the normal week of boring, blowout, Conference USA basketball games. The Tigers could have slept through games at Southern Miss and at home with SMU and still won. The home thrashing of bubble team UAB deserves respect. They are a lock #1 seed in the South, and will go into the tournament at 33-1, yet we just don’t give them a shot to win it all. Sorry Coach Cal, those are the facts. Whoever their #2 seed is will feel good with their chances of getting to the Final Four. Projected Seed: #1

#6 Texas (25-5, #5) – Why did we drop them below KU when the Horns beat them straight up? Well, they lost to Texas Tech who then got pounded by KU by 58. The truth is that these two teams are on a collision course for their third straight Big 12 Tournament title game. The last two were in Dallas, both won by KU. This year, the scene will turn to Kansas City, with a possible #1 seed on the line. Projected Seed #2

#7 Duke (26-4, #7) – ESPN’s Jay Bilas made the assumption that if Duke and North Carolina meet again in the ACC Finals that it will be for a #1 seed. Come on dude. Duke’s signature win over UNC was when they were playing their first game without Ty Lawson. When Lawson did play, the Heels took down the Devils on their home floor. Their other signature win was over Wisconsin in early December when the Badgers were nothing. Don’t forget to add in the fact that the ACC is the weakest it has been in 10 years by a long shot. That said, an ACC Finals appearance locks them into a #2 seed. Projected Seed: #2

#8 Xavier (26-5, #9) – Sean Miller’s club was streaking to the finish line before getting tripped up at St. Joe’s Thursday night. Not a bad loss though; Phil Martelli’s bunch is fighting for an NCAA bid, it was Senior Night at Hawk Hill, they were honoring former coach Dr. Jack Ramsey and the legends of St. Joe’s hoops were all in attendance. What is a concern is the ankle injury to PG Drew Lavender. He clearly was not himself in the loss and the coaching staff chose to sit him in the regular season finale win over Richmond. The A-10 tournament will be a great test for the Musketeers and prepare them for the big dance. Win that and you get a #2 seed. Projected Seed: #2/3

#9 Stanford (24-6, #8) – Maybe to you, they should drop lower than one spot after losing both games in LA, but not us. Realistically they were robbed by the officials at UCLA and seemed shell shocked by the USC changing defenses two days later. In our heads, they get the W against UCLA. The key for the Cardinal in going deep in the NCAA is going to be their guard play. Can Anthony Goods play like a star? Projected Seed: #3

#10 Georgetown (25-4, #13) – Have you ever seen a team come up big at the end of close games thanks to big shots and timely whistles for an entire season the way the Hoyas have in 07-08? When it came down to the showdown for it all in the Big East, Roy Hibbert failed to show, but DaJuan Summers three with 16 seconds left beat Louisville and bailed the Hoyas out. It was an out and out slug-fest, defensive struggle that was the type of game Georgetown will have to win with in the Tournament. Let’s see how they do in New York this week. Projected Seed: #2/3

#11 Louisville (24-7, #12) – Tough loss for the Cardinals who had Georgetown on the ropes but couldn’t finish. A couple of things we learned about them during said game; They run the perfect system to beat a zone, especially with David Padgett moving the ball so well in the middle, but unless Jerry Smith, Edgar Sosa, and Terrance Williams hit shots, they can be beaten. They don’t have that zone buster the way they have had in the past with a guy like Francisco Garcia. Also, Williams is a superior talent who can play for us anytime. Winning the Big East Tournament could vault them to a possible two seed if things shake out their way. Projected Seed: #3

#12 Connecticut (24-7, #10) – Come on Huskies, you don’t want to start regressing at this time of year. Had the Tournament started three weeks ago, they’d be everyone’s sheik pick to get to the Final Four. But the last three/four games they haven’t shown their best, including being manhandled by Providence for the second time this year. Maybe Jim Calhoun shouldn’t have brought back Jerome Dyson after all. Oh, but then Sunday happened and everything we said below could have been erased. They absolutely destroyed Cincinnati. We still love their frontcourt and want to see the Huskies meet Georgetown in New York this weekend. Projected Seed: #3/4

#13 Wisconsin (26-4, #15) – Can’t fault the Badgers for their schedule. They played everyone in front of them and won 26 regular season games including just two losses in the Big Ten. Pretty impressive since nobody had them higher than third in the preseason. We still don’t but them for some reason. The last two years they flamed early in the NCAA’s with more talent than they have now. More good fortune: They won’t have to see both Purdue and Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament. Projected Seed: #3/4

#14 Indiana (26-5, #11) – Have to say that we are very disappointed in the way the team has played since Dan Dakich has taken over. The loss at Penn State shouldn’t have happened. But we get this underlying feeling that the Hoosier players are still sulking over the loss of their coach. Jamarcus Ellis was left behind on the trip to Happy Valley for a violation of team rules. Will they turn back into the team we saw in the last three weeks of the Sampson era? We cannot wait for the rematch with Purdue in the Big Ten Semi’s Saturday. Projected Seed: #4/5

#15 Butler (28-3, NR) – Nobody nationally is talking about Butler/Cleveland State III, but we will. The two are both playing for huge stakes. The Bulldogs are vying for a high seed in the NCAA’s and the Vikings are looking to get back into the Tournament for the first time since 1986. The two teams split this season, each winning on its home floor, but the Vikings hung with Butler in Hinkle for 38 minutes. Win or lose, Butler will be a team that high-major programs want no part of in March. Horizon League Player of the Year Mike Green is playing out of his mind right now. Projected Seed: #5

#16 Notre Dame (24-6, NR) – You know we love Bruce Pearl, but maybe the most underrated coaching job of the year was done by Mike Brey. Raise your hand if you had Notre Dame 24-6 with a bye in the Big East Tournament? They lost starting SG and leading scorer Russell Carter and got better? Luke Harangody will be Big East Player of the Year and the smart Irish club will be a tough out in March. This is another Big East team we will be curious to watch in New York this week. Projected Seed: #4/5

On The Cusp of a Top Four Seed:

Drake – The Bulldogs literally bulldozed their way the Missouri Valley regular season, and then won the conference tournament smoking Illinois State by 30 in the final.

Vanderbilt – Shan Foster locked in SEC Player of the year when he dropped 42 on. Losing in OT on the road to Mississippi State won’t hurt them. Neither will a top 10 RPI number.

Mississippi State – Nobody talks about the Bulldogs, but this is their best team since their 1996 Final Four team with Erick Dampier and Donta Jones. We love the frontcourt duo of Jarvis Varnado and Charles Rhodes. If they win the SEC Tournament and beat Tennessee, shouldn’t they be considered for a top four seed?

Marquette – Not that this will happen, but get to the title game of the Big East Tournament, and a Top four seed isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Looking For Their Dancing Shoes:

Syracuse (19-12, 9-9 in conference) – Best Wins: Georgetown, Marquette. Key Losses: Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Rhode Island. The classic part about the Cuse is that youth/stupidity combined with below average coaching from Jim Boeheim is what is keeping them on the bubble. The Pittsburgh loss where they led by double digits with three and a half minutes left at home could be the killer. They also lack a decent road win and are 5-5 in their last 10. The Big East Tournament first round game against Villanova should be viewed as an elimination game for both teams.

Villanova (19-11, 9-9) – Best Wins: Connecticut, Pittsburgh. Key Losses: Five Game losing streak in January. The Wildcats have been much better of late and because of two bad calls, they are 19-11 instead of 21-9. The screw-job at Georgetown has cost them a key resume building win and an over .500 record in the Big East, which would have put them in. Spilt with Syracuse, both teams winning on the road. Have to beat Syracuse Wednesday or they have no shot.

Arizona (18-13, 8-10) – Best Wins: at USC, at Houston. Key Losses: Swept by Arizona State, Stanford, Oregon, and UCLA. Normally you would look at a team at 8-10 in conference and with 13 losses and say they are out right away. The Cats however are #1 in strength of schedule and were 14-5 with both Nic Wise and Jerryd Bayless in the lineup together. Without them: 4-8. They have the talent to beat anyone, yet can also be one and done. It wouldn’t be advisable to lose their first game in the Pac-10 tournament.

Oregon (18-12, 9-9) – Best Wins: Stanford, Arizona (twice). Key Losses: at Nebraska, Oakland. With their late season win over Arizona, they fought back to .500 in the best conference in basketball. Still have some work to do, but two wins in the Pac-10 tournament would give them 20 wins, you cannot deny them a bid at that point. The one that will keep them out was the loss to Oakland in Detroit. Look up bad loss in the dictionary and that box score is the definition.

Florida (21-10, 8-8) – Best Wins: Vanderbilt, Kentucky. Key Losses: at Ohio State, at Arkansas, LSU. The young Gators bubble may have burst Sunday with their loss at Kentucky, playing without their best player, Patrick Patterson. Nobody expected them to even be this close after losing their entire rotaion. A strong run in the SEC Tournament could save them.

Arkansas (20-10, 9-7) – Best Wins: Vanderbilt, Mississippi State. Key Losses: Appalachian State, lost five of six on road. Like Michigan State, this is a completely different team away from home. Wins over Vandy and Mississippi State show they can hang with the big boys, but they are so schitzo sometimes. Remember, they lost to Appalachian State and not only do they lose on the road, they get blown out.

Virginia Tech (18-12, 9-7) - Best Wins: Maryland (twice). Key Losses: at Penn State, at Richmond. The #4 seed in the ACC Tournament may needs two wins to get in after their tough loss at Clemson Sunday. The Hokie resume lacks sizzle, but they finished winning four of five.

Maryland (18-13, 8-8) – Best Wins: at North Carolina. Key Losses: Va Tech (twice), Ohio, American. More proof how weak the ACC is, but because of the name, teams are on the bubble. Maryland, to us, is out. Take the UNC win away and their resume is empty. Last night’s loss to last place Virginia is not going to help them one bit.

St. Joseph’s (18-11, 9-7) – Best Wins: Xavier, UMass (twice). Key Losses: at Syracuse, at Dayton. How many teams should the A-10 get? Four? Well, the Hawks finished in the meaty middle at 9-7 where Eight teams reside between 7-9 and 9-7. The sweep of UMass is something the committee cannot ignore, but losses to fellow bubble teams Syracuse and Dayton hurt; especially the loss to the Flyers just two days after beating Xavier. Make a Semi’s run in the A-10 Tournament and we think you’ll be fine.

Ohio State (19-12, 10-8) – Best Wins: Syracuse, Purdue, Michigan State. Key Losses: at Michigan, Texas A&M lost four straight before beating Penn State in OT. No signature wins on the road, inconsistent play all season, and faltering at the end of the season won’t help them. Yes, they beat Syracuse, but that was in mid-November. If both OSU and Florida fail to make the NCAA Tournament, this will be the first time since the field expanded in 1985 that neither finalist from the previous year made it the big dance.

Apologies

2008-03-05T10:41:00.002-05:00

To all of our loyal readers, we must apologize to you for the lack of posts this week. MTAC, is 95% written by one man. That one man has been in bed with the flu for three straight days. We can't seem to break this fever and our energy level is at 10%. We will do our best to get you new material when we feel better, but consider this week a "vacation."

Lazy Monday Blogging

2008-03-03T09:21:00.003-05:00

MTAC us sick as a dog...AGAIN...in bed with a 101 fever. Going to the dr today. That is why you saw no morning link-fest. There is a lot going on between the Browns free agency, the last home game for five Kansas Seniors, the Cavs injury bug, and the Tribe Spring Training action. Here is a quick breakdown, lazy man style, full of links, and we will be back with opinions and insight tomorrow.

Browns

Browns Re-tooling Highlights - Peter King, SI.com

At about 8:15 Saturday night, I asked Cleveland general manager Phil Savage (The Man Without A 2008 Draft) how he felt after completing one of the craziest 48 hours in free-agency history.

This offseason, Savage has locked up better-than-anyone-thought running back Jamal Lewis for three years, signed quarterback Derek Anderson for three years and a pricey $24 million in the early hours of free agency, sent a second-round pick to Green Bay for franchised defensive tackle Corey Williams, traded a third-round pick plus underrated cornerback Leigh Bodden to Detroit for defensive lineman Shaun Rogers and then shocked general managers all over football by throwing a $35 million contract ($10 million guaranteed) at peripatetic wide receiver Donte' Stallworth, who will be wearing his fourth uniform in 27 months when he suits up with the Browns.

"We've worked hard at filling some holes,'' Savage said via the cell phone. "It's an unorthodox way of filling the holes; but at the end of the day, I think we answered an awful lot of questions we had about our team, and we put ourselves in position to be a pretty good team.''
But he didn't feel great about his answer, and I asked him to get back to me if anything else happened -- specifically if he got the last gem on his list: Tennessee defensive end Travis LaBoy.

The Browns entered free agency thinking the right signings would help them play along the defensive front the way the Giants did in beating New England in Super Bowl XLII. They envisioned sending waves of rushers at Carson Palmer and Ben Roethlisberger over the next few years.

The LaBoy deal, though, wasn't forthcoming Saturday night; and an hour or so later, Savage sent me a text message that read: "Relieved would be the word, I think. Our roster looks pretty good on paper -- QB, Jamal and DL were the priorities, and that's what we did. Thanks, Phil.''

*****

So Cleveland, having fixed the running game by re-signing Lewis, progressed to fixing its quarterback depth chart the night before free agency began. Savage was at the office until 5 Friday morning, making sure Anderson didn't get away.

Though Anderson had spit the bit in the biggest game of the year, playing poorly in a Week 16 loss at Cincinnati that cost the Browns a playoff spot, he clearly was the first big-time quarterback Cleveland had suited up since resuming its NFL life in 1999.

Signing him for three years means the Browns still have the ability to have two promising quarterbacks (Anderson and Brady Quinn) for at least one more year before deciding to keep one or both for the 2009 season. "The war that we won was the three-year deal,'' said Savage. "We didn't have to sign him for four or five years. And we still keep the Brady Quinn flame alive.''

Coach Romeo Crennel wanted to add at least two pieces to the defensive line. Once the Browns found they could get the up-and-coming Corey Williams from defensive-line-rich Green Bay for a low-second-round pick, they focused on Rogers.

At one point Friday, it looked like rival Cincinnati had Rogers in the fold for third- and fifth-round picks. But when the Bengals balked at paying Rogers a $1 million roster bonus for being on the team on Feb. 29, the trade got nixed. Cleveland was back in the game.

The Browns offered a third-round pick plus cornerback Leigh Bodden. Now, on his own, Bodden, at $1.75 million in 2008, was as valuable to the team as the terminally inconsistent Rogers. But Bodden wanted more money. Lots more money. And Cleveland wasn't willing to pony up.
Plus, a couple of Cleveland coaches loved Rogers, and Savage felt strongly that Crennel could get more out of Rogers than any Detroit coach ever could. (Dubious thinking, but that's what happens on the first weekend of free agency.)

"It's a change of scenery for a guy who had a lot expected of him,'' said Savage. "It's a new lease on life. Is he going to live up to the expectations that everyone has had for him over the years? Maybe not. Is he going to be better than what we had? Absolutely.''

The Browns plan to play Rogers at defensive end in the standard 3-4, and move him inside when they go to a four-man front. They hope the versatility of Williams -- who has been a good interior and exterior rusher for the Packers (one Green Bay official told me Williams "loves football, is one of those first-guys-off-the-bus types, and was available only because we had so much depth on the line") -- will make teams not focus so heavily on Rogers. We'll see. There's a reason Rogers' nickname was "Big Baby'' in Detroit, and it had something to do with his maturity and passive approach to football.

It's going to be fun to watch the Browns this year.

Browns Moves are Inspired - Terry Pluto, Cleveland Plain Dealer

Then you have to be impressed by them trading veteran cornerback Leigh Bodden and second- and third-round picks for defensive linemen Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers. Both of them are in their late 20s and should be in the prime of their careers.

As Savage said: "We were not going to get guys like this in the second and third rounds. And we had to do something about the defensive line."

Williams had seven sacks for Green Bay last season. Rogers had seven for Detroit. Linebacker Kamerion Wimbley led the Browns with five last season. The Browns went from having only two viable starters on the line (Shaun Smith and Robaire Smith) to four for the three spots in coach Romeo Crennel's defense.

They actually have . . . depth!

Terry's Talkin' - Terry Pluto, Cleveland Plain Dealer

General Manager Phil Savage knows the Quinn/Anderson situation can get heated with the fans and media, especially if Anderson has a couple of bad games early. He knows that eventually someone (probably Quinn, although he won't say it) will take over and the other will leave. But he'd rather deal with those possible distractions and be sure he's safe at quarterback than see all the momentum built up from the 10-6 season in 2007 drain away with one injury to a quarterback.

Because he was the 22nd pick, Quinn's contract is salary-cap friendly. He'll make about $2 million as a backup next season, and that's about what most veteran backups are paid. That's why money is not an overriding concern in terms of keeping both. It's hard to criticize the Browns for keeping Anderson at their price.

While Anderson's agents said they had possibilities of trades, none apparently were willing to give the Browns the required first- and third-round picks. And Savage was not backing off that price. If someone really wanted Anderson, they would have offered a $40 million deal and paid the price with the Browns. You can be sure that Anderson did not walk away from a lot of money to stay with the Browns. You also can know that the Browns are able to retain two young quarterbacks without busting their salary cap, which is critical to the future.

Not only is the three-year $24 million deal good for the Browns' cap (and it brings Anderson more than $12 million guaranteed), but it also makes him very tradable now or a year from now. The team is in excellent position with two quarterbacks at a reasonable price.

Kansas Basketball

Hello, Goodbyes - Gary Bedore, Lawrence Journal World

The fan support has helped this senior class total 107 victories against 23 losses. The seniors have won three straight regular season Big 12 titles, two straight postseason tourney crowns and are currently tied with Texas atop the league with two games left.

“They’ve won 82.3 percent of their games. That’s a ridiculous amount for any class to do that well,” coach Bill Self said of his first recruiting class (Case is a fifth-year senior; Stewart arrived as transfer from USC in 2004-05).

“You always hope guys will pan out to be what you thought. Out of Russell, Darnell, Sasha .. all have equaled and exceeded what I originally had planned for them when we recruited them. I knew they’d be good. I had no idea they’d be as good as they are and represent the university as well as they have. All will graduate in four years and are great ambassadors for the school.

“There were no McDonald’s All-Americans,” Self added. “These guys came in and gave their heart and soul to this place. It’s been a fabulous class. I hope everybody ... our fans, players and coaches need to make sure they go out right on Monday. It won’t be easy. We’re playing a team in Texas Tech (16-12, 7-7) that is coming in very confident after the way they played against Texas. They controlled that game,” he said of the Raiders’ 83-80 victory over the Longhorns on Saturday.

Seniors Embody Class - Tom Keegan, Lawrence Journal World

When Robinson, Case, Stewart, Jackson and Kaun start, it won’t be the force job it is on most Senior Night games. The five played together for a stretch early in November. Look for them to get off to a strong start, fueled by a grateful crowd that appreciates the effort this class of seniors put forth.

Robinson, missing New York, hung tough and grew up in a hurry after a frustrating freshman season. Every team needs a glue guy. Robinson makes the all-Elmer’s team. Case never did earn a spot in the rotation, and never did complain about that. Stewart, a transfer after a year at USC, rode the pine his first two seasons at Kansas, never stopped trying to get better and finally earned a spot in the rotation. Jackson’s year-by-year growth, in the face of so much personal tragedy, embodies all that is good about college basketball. Kaun went from starter to reserve this season, a demotion, at least in name, that didn’t poison his passion.

After tonight, they’ll be gone from the Fieldhouse. Gone and not soon forgotten.

Cavaliers

Trade Looking Better Everyday - Terry Pluto, Cleveland Plain Dealer

You'd trade Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes and the rest for a Joe Smith, Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak and Ben Wallace. You'd not worry if Hughes averages 20 points for the Bulls -- and he might -- because it wasn't going to happen here.

Especially when Hughes said before the game: "We had 50-plus wins, made the Finals and I learned from it. I was unhappy, I wasn't myself. I'd rather enjoy the game than all that."

Hearing that, you absolutely, positively would make the trade. Because the Cavs need players willing to sacrifice parts of their games for the good of the whole team. That's how teams contend for a title.

Yes, they needed this trade -- desperately.

It seems the injuries never end. Now Zydrunas Ilgauskas is sidelined for at least two weeks with back problems.

He joins Daniel Gibson and Sasha Pavlovic on the Cavs' hurtin' real bad list.

So it's a relief for coach Mike Brown to turn to Smith, to Szczerbiak, to Wallace, to West. And he did in the fourth quarter Sunday when the Cavs outscored the Bulls, 30-18.

A Star's Time To Shine - Brian Windhorst, Akron Beacon-Journal

''Trying to stop LeBron, I kind of got the other end of the stick,'' said new Bull Drew Gooden, who has seen James carry the Cavs to numerous such victories. ''You know how it goes.''
Both Gooden, who had 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Larry Hughes, who had 23 points, though he needed 20 shots, played well in their return. For a while, as the Cavs struggled on offense without the services of injured center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, it looked like they might be able to get the win.

Caught in a gamelong malaise with the exception of James, the Cavs and the old Bulls broke out late. After not being involved in the offense much in the first three quarters, the Cavs remembered Joe Smith.

Smith made three shots to help with the comeback in the fourth quarter and fellow former Bull Ben Wallace drew a key charge, came up with a steal and made a block down the stretch to make difference.

Now That Was Fun

2008-03-02T11:31:00.006-05:00

The Recap: The Kansas Jayhawks got their revenge and then some Saturday night in front of a national TV audience, blowing out the Kansas State Wildcats 88-74 in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicated, yet had a feel of a closer game. Brandon Rush had a season-high 21 to pace KU, including five three-pointers. Sherron Collins had his best game of the season with 18 off the bench in an extremely productive 29 minutes. Russell Robinson was solid as well, with 14 points, five assists, and four steals. The consensus #1 pick and resident K-State stud Michael Beasley had 39 points, despite spending nine first half minutes on the bench with two fouls. No other Wildcat scored in double figures. It was a solid and inspiring performance from the Jayhawks who fed off the crowd and looked focused and ready to put their February struggles behind them. “The reasons why we were better tonight, we’re running the same stuff, just guys had energy and bounce and they played with a little bit of a swagger tonight,” said coach Bill Self.

The Whup

Allen Fieldhouse in a Fever Pitch - Take it from someone who was there, the Fieldhouse was as loud as it has ever been. The opening video before they announce the team's starters never gets old and mad props to Lew Perkins and his staff for feeding the beast that is the Allen Fieldhouse crowd. New this year (to me at least) was just before tip when they played a quick montage of highlights with Bob Davis' play by play call that ended with Darrell Arthur urging the fans to get ready and go nuts. It was phenomenal. Also during a big time out in the second half, they did the same thing with highlights from the game and played ACDC's "Thunderstruck" which the crowd went crazy for as well. They have modernized the AFH experience without going overboard and respecting the traditions. There is still nothing better than the Rock Chalk chant and the alma mater. As for the game, the players fed off the emotion of a fan base and crowd who wanted this one as badly as they players seemingly did.

The X Factor was Back - Man, was it nice to see Sherron Collins turn in his signature performance of the season. With Mario Chalmers struggling, Collins stepped up his game with 18 points (three triples) and four steals. It was good to see he was on equal standing in the minutes department with Chalmers and Russell Robinson as well - Collins played 29 while the other two got 28 each. The second half was where he really took over. Sherron's 13 point outburst helped bury the Cats. In the first half, his shot looked short and he lacked legs, but that all changed after the break. "I thought he was great tonight," said Self. "That’s what we’ve been missing for the most part of the entire year to have somebody that’s that explosive who can change a game, and he certainly was a great spark tonight.”

Balance, Balance, Balance - We sound like a broken record, but the KU balanced attack was huge all night long. The offense started through Arthur early and it opened up shots on the perimeter for Rush, Robinson, and Collins. Five Jayhawks scored in double figures and Sasha Kaun just missed with nine points. Arthur and Jackson had 10 a piece despite both being saddled with foul trouble because as we found out last night, if you breath on Beasley, the whistle blows.

Let Beasley Get His and Shut Everyone Else Down – That was the game plan and it worked. Bill Walker, who torched KU with 25 in the loss at Bramlage, was a complete non-factor. Seven of his nine points came in garbage time with KU up comfortably. The unsung hero of that game, Jacob Pullen, scored just three points and played 11 minutes, an interesting move by Sopranos cast member/head coach Frank Martin. Pullen’s dribble penetration killed the Jayhawks in Manhattan and he had 20 that night. Other than Beasley, no Wildcat scored in double digits. KU also forced 20 turnovers with Robinson and Collins each collecting four steals.

The Zone Appears! – We called for it, and we got it. Bill Self showed some 3-2 zone with Brandon Rush at the top and the Wildcat shooters didn’t respond. They shot just shot just 6-21 from deep. They have seen a ton of zone lately and it’s no wonder they have now lost four in a row and five of six.

K-State’s Uniforms – We LOVED those all black “K-State” uni’s the Cats were in last night. Straight thug style, like their coach and the ball they play.

The Weak Beav

The Officiating – On both sides, the officiating in last night’s game was as bad as we can remember seeing. The first half felt like it took an eternity, since Rick Hartzell, Mike Thibodeux, and John Higgins called a ridiculous 24 first half fouls. Both teams were in the bonus seven minutes into the game. Even more ridiculous were some of the block calls on KU defenders while attempting to guard Beasley. He should have been called for three charges in the first half that were blocks when he had two fouls. It was almost as though the refs thought “Oh, it’s Beasley? He has two fouls? It’s a block then.”

Cole Aldrich’s Offensive Game is Offensive – My man Cole needs to stick to defense and rebounding. He was awful again during his six minute first half stint where he committed two fouls, turned the ball over once and missed two shots. Next year he is going to be needed big time, but this offseason is going to be extremely important for him. He has got to develop and offensive game.

Mario’s Control Problem – While we are huge Mario Chalmers people here at MTAC, he was back to the out of control, turnover machine last night. He scored just six points and had four turnovers and overall seemed a little out of it last night. Hopefully it was just an aberration.

Bill Walker’s Attitude Issues – No wonder this kid was bounced from his high school team and left high school early. When things don’t go his way, the talented red-shirt Freshman tunes out and sulks. That’s exactly what happened last night. His third foul was a cheap-shot push in the lower back to Sasha Kaun as he was going to the glass. During a scrum for a loose-ball in the first half, Walker was right in the middle of all the action and had to be separated from KU players as he looked as though he was ready to throw down. “I don’t think he is a real tough-minded guy,” said Russell Robinson. “He got on a bad track and stayed on it.” “In the second half, he didn’t want to be out there,” said Brandon Rush of Walker. “He sat on the bench because he lost his composure, lost his poise.”

Analysis: The Jayhawks played well and got a big time confidence boost with the way they played on both ends. The offense worked inside out, but Shady and Darnell Jackson both went a half literally doing nothing. Shady came out firing and nailed three jumpers early, but after that, he wasn’t really involved. When K-State went zone, with Shady on the bench, the Hawks had real trouble scoring. In the second half, with the threat of him in the middle, KU’s offense expanded. Rush’s jumper was on, Collins was “back,” and Robinson played the type of game we want to see out of him, playing stifling defense and making good decisions at the point. Do we think KU has their swagger back? Maybe a little, but we’ve got to see this all the way through the Big 12 Tournament. To us, both Texas and KU will win out and tie for the regular season title. Whoever wins the Tournament will get that coveted #1 seed in the NCAA’s. The goals are all within reach now, thanks to the Texas loss at Texas Tech. The Hawks just have to reach out and grab them.

Game Quotes (courtesy of kusports.com)

Russell Robinson on the crowd: “The crowd in Manhattan was good, and our guys were 10 times better. And it was so loud, I couldn’t even hear coach Self. Just a lot of emotions, and Game Day, all that stuff was in it. We just came out and played with a lot of energy...my ears were ringing, as well, and I love it. It just kept us intense. And since we had so much energy, it made up for a lot of our mistakes.”

Russell Robinson on taking Bill Walker out of the game mentally: “We got him in foul trouble, which got him thinking a little. And I don’t think he’s a real tough-minded guy, and once he got on a bad track, he stayed on it. And we were able to just not let him get back into it.”

Sherron Collins on the progress of his right knee: “Once you get the energy going, the adrenaline flowing, you forget about a lot of stuff, especially injuries. I probably felt it twice, pain-wise. Other than that, everything was going good. I’m a little bouncier right now...I wouldn’t say (it feels like) years (since feeling at full-strength), but I’d say it feels like months. It was just good to get out there, get a little bit back and finally turn the corner on getting healthy.”

Bill Self on the home crowd: “The crowd was fabulous. It was a good setting for a basketball game. Matter of fact, you could take the game in Bramlage and the game here and combine it, and it’ll be the best atmosphere in a rivalry game in the country this year. Hands down.”

Bill Self on Sherron Collins: “The last two days, he’s moved better, the doctor says he’s just going to keep getting better, the bruise is going to continue to heal and he’ll be where he’s pain free here real soon. But I thought he was great tonight. That’s what we’ve been missing for the most part of the entire year to have somebody that’s that explosive who can change a game, and he certainly was a great spark tonight.”

Bill Self on what was different Saturday from late February: “The reasons why we were better tonight, we’re running the same stuff, just guys had energy and bounce and they played with a little bit of a swagger tonight.”

Bill Self on the Texas loss at Texas Tech: “I don’t think we needed that as motivation, but there’s no question we caught a break today. This is how geeked-up our players were. At pregame meal, after we eat, we always turn on the TV and watch the games while we eat, we always do that. We turn on the Texas Tech game, I asked the guys if they want to watch it, they said no...It may have been a little bit of motivation, but I don’t think it had anything to do with us playing well.”

Bill Self on Brandon Rush: “He was terrific offensively. He looked like a pro jumping up and shooting the ball. He was aggressive, he looked good shooting it, if you look at his stats, he still didn’t shoot an unbelievable percentage, but he was good beyond the arc.”

Bill Self on Russell Robinson: “Russell, that’s Russell. Russell was good defensively and created havoc and also made some shots, we just haven’t had consistent perimeter play like we got tonight. And so hopefully this can kind of springboard our guys into better performances closing out the year.”

Bill Self on Michael Beasley: “He’s hard to guard because I don’t really know how you guard him because he creates contact. And when you create contact and shoot a lot of free throws, he’s hard to guard. We saw Durant last year probably have if not his two best games, two of his best four games against us both times. And I think that’s fair to say when he had outscored us 20-12 both games 10 minutes into it. So I feel like we’re kinda experts on good performances, and tonight ranks right up there with what Kevin was able to do last year against us. He’s a fabulous guard, and he’s the best player in the country. He may not win National Player of the Year, but he’s the best player. Hansbrough’s having a fabulous year, and you can make a strong case for him, but from a talent standpoint, this guy’s got some stuff that there’s not a lot of guys in the (NBA) that have everything he’s got.”

Bill Self on the senior class, which will finish its home career Monday: “It’s an unheralded class. There’s no McDonald’s All-Americans, there’s just guys that came and basically gave their heart and soul to this place...107-23, which isn’t the winningest class ever at KU, but it ranks right up there pretty high. A lot of guys get more attention, but this has been a fabulous class. I hope that everybody - all our fans and of course our other players and coaches - we need to make sure they go out in style on Monday, and it won’t be easy because we’re playing a team obviously that should be pretty confident because of the way they performed today.”

Up Next: Monday Night, Texas Tech, 9 PM ESPN. Senior Night at Allen Fieldhouse as we say goodbye to Sasha Kaun, Russell Robinson, Darnell Jackson, Rodrick Stewart, and Jeremy Case. Will this also be the last Fieldhouse appearance for Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur, and Mario Chalmers as well?

What to Watch

2008-03-01T09:01:00.001-05:00

West Virginia (20-8) at #16 Connecticut (22-6) – Saturday Noon – This won’t be an easy task for Bob Huggins’ Mountaineers, but a road win here you would have to think would lock them in a bid.

#10 Georgetown (23-4) at #21 Marquette (21-6) – Saturday 2 PM – Here’s a chance for Marquette to jump up and get into that top four in the Big East tournament where the first round bye is so important. The Hoyas still have to show us they can beat a decent team on the road.

#22 Washington State (22-6) at #8 Stanford (23-4) – Saturday 4 PM – The Cougars will be out for revenge after the Cardinal stole one in OT in Pullman a month ago. They also are trying to distinguish themselves from the seven teams bunching up in the middle of the conference.

Kansas State (18-9) at #7 Kansas (25-3) – Saturday 9 PM – The Jayhawks will be out for blood after the Wildcats ended the 26 year losing streak in Manhattan in January. There are two questions that will make all of the difference in this one: 1. Can Kansas figure out how to stop Michael Beasley? 2. Can Darrell Arthur stay out of foul trouble? Tune into ESPN to watch this one as you won’t see a more hyped up crowd that the one inside Allen Fieldhouse. Included in that crowd will be yours truly.

Pittsburgh (20-8) at Syracuse (17-11) – Saturday Noon – The Orange must have this one at home as they sit squarely on the bubble. The Panthers are still trying to find themselves now that Levance Fields is back.

Texas A&M (21-7) at Oklahoma (18-10) – Saturday 2 PM – This could be a play-in game for the sixth Big 12 spot in the tournament, though the Aggies have to feel a little more safe than the Sooners do. Blake Griffin will go off in the post for OU. You will see.

USC (18-9) at Arizona State (17-10) – Saturday 3 PM – Another battle of the middling Pac-10 teams who are looking for their dance ticket. Southern Cal has grabbed the #4 spot after their huge road win at Arizona and are now looking for the state sweep. ASU needs this one desperately.

#23 St. Mary’s (24-4) at Gonzaga (22-6) – Saturday 8 PM – This one is for all the marbles in the WCC. The winner gets the regular season title and the #1 seed in the conference tournament. These are both NCAA Tournament locks, but interestingly it’s been St. Mary’s who’s spent the season in and out of the top 25, not the Zags.

Kentucky (16-10) at #1 Tennessee (25-3) – Sunday Noon – The Vols will have revenge on their mind after UK handed them a loss earlier in conference play. Not to mention they are coming off the tough loss at Vandy. This one is in Knoxviile. Not a great recipe for a Wildcats upset win.

#12 Indiana (24-4) at #15 Michigan State (22-6) – Sunday 2 PM – Boy have the Spartans gone south of late, but they a much different team at home. The Hoosiers meanwhile have been dealing with their own turmoil, but just keep on winning. That said, they are so due for a loss and Spartans PG Drew Neitzel is even more due for a big game.

#4 UCLA (25-3) at Arizona (17-11) – Sunday 4 PM – This is danger time for the Wildcats who were dominated at home by USC Thursday night and now have to see the best team in America (by our standards) come to town; the same UCLA club that thrashed them a month ago in Westwood. The Cats need PG Nic Wise back badly.

Clemson (20-7) at Maryland (17-11) - Sunday 7:30 PM – Maryland may have saved their season with the win at Wake Thursday night, but it is of the utmost importance that they hold serve over the third best team in the ACC if they want that fourth ACC bid.

Pittsburgh (20-8) at West Virginia (20-8) – Monday 7 PM – The Backyard Brawl Part II. Round one went to Pitt as Ronald Ramon’s buzzer-beating three sunk the Mountaineers earlier this season.

#19 Purdue (22-6) at Ohio State (17-11) – Tuesday 7 PM – Here is the Buckeyes last chance to make a statement to the committee on a resume that really lacks quality wins. Purdue needs this one to stay with Indiana and Wisconsin in the race for the Big Ten title.

UNLV (21-6) at New Mexico (22-7) – Tuesday 9 PM – The Rebels are quietly putting together another solid season. If the Mountain West is going to get two bids, its BYU and one of these two teams. Watch out for the Lobos J.R. Giddens who is reborn in his fifth year.

Mississippi State (19-8) at #14 Vanderbilt (24-4)– Wednesday 8 PM – Everyone is loving the Commodores again right now, but do not sleep on the Bulldogs who have stars in Jamont Gordon in the backcourt and Charles Rhodes up front. Watch Jarvis Varnado D-up Vandy’s AJ Ogilvy all night long.

#1 Tennessee (25-3) at Florida (21-7) – Wednesday 9 PM – A brutal stretch continues for the Vols who played at Memphis, at Vandy, home to Kentucky, and now at Florida. Winning three of four here would be extremely impressive to us. Florida is squarely on the bubble and a win over a top three team would go a long way with the committee.

Texas A&M (21-7) at Baylor (19-8) – Wednesday 9 PM – The Big 12 deserves 12 teams, but like A&M’s game against Oklahoma, the winner here gets a big push from a resume standpoint. Baylor’s four guard attack will give the big time Aggies trouble. Acie Law ain’t walkin’ through that door.

#11 Xavier (24-4) at St. Joseph’s (17-8) – Thursday 9 PM – The Red Hawks are another bubble team who could use a win over one of the hottest teams in the country to improve their standing. Not likely. Xavier is supremely talented.

#8 Stanford (23-4) at #4 UCLA (25-3) – Thursday 11 PM – In a conference full of great games, this would be the game of the year. UCLA took down Cardinal in January in Palo Alto, but Brook Lopez and company matchup about as well as anyone does against the Bruins. We salivate at the thought of the Lopez/Kevin Love low post matchup. Too bad this one starts at 11 PM and nobody East of the Mississippi will see it.

The MTAC Power 16

2008-02-29T12:41:00.006-05:00

Let us start off by saying we have never been more confused about what to do at the top. Memphis loses to Tennessee. Tennessee loses to Vanderbilt. UCLA struggles at home before finishing off Oregon. North Carolina pounds Wake Forest, but is still without Ty Lawson. Texas garners two more big time wins. Who is #1 right now? Not even the experts know. ESPN's Power Rankings has 16 voters. Five different teams received #1 votes with UNC leading with five, followed by UCLA with three. Yet, they rank UCLA #4. So what do we do? Right now we are going with our gut and who we think will have the best success in March.

#1 UCLA (25-3, last week #4) - After their thrashing of Arizona State on the road and with the experience they have going going to back to back Final Fours, we think you'd have to say that right now, UCLA is in the best position to win it all. Yes, they struggled with Oregon for a half, but their veteran presence of Darren Collison and Josh Shipp on the perimeter and the power of double-double machine Kevin Love in the post and they are never out of any game. Plus, these Bruins no how to finish. This Week: Arizona, Stanford

#2 Tennessee (25-3, #2) - So they were only #1 for 36 hours. So what. You can't take the win at Memphis away from them. Going into a hostile Fed Ex Forum and controlling the game with their pressure defense was extremely impressive. Bruce Pearl showed why he is one of the game's most underrated X's and O's men when he ran sets down the stretch to get Tyler Smith touches in the post, and when up three under 10 seconds left, he chose to foul instead of play defense, which worked magically. You knew they were going to let down in Nashville three days later. It's not as if they lost to a bad team. Vandy is undefeated at home and beat the Vols by just three. Remember who told you last week the Vols would lose one of these two games. This Week: Kentucky, at Florida

#3 Memphis (27-1, #1) - Free throw shooting and rebounding did them in against Tennessee. The good news is, they have gotten their loss out of the way and the enormous pressure that came with being undefeated is now gone. They can concentrate on getting better. The bad news is this free throw shooting problem isn't going away. It must be repeated: the Tigers are ranked 326th out of 328th nationally in free throw percentage. This Week: at Southern Mississippi, at SMU

#4 North Carolina (26-2, #5) - Give Roy Williams credit. He has been without the man that drives the bus, Ty Lawson, for six games and after the first game loss to Duke, they won five straight. PG Quinton Thomas has improved steadily and Tyler Hansbrough has taken his game to another level offensively. There is little to no seperation between UNC and the three teams listed ahead of them. We have UNC 4th because we still think they don't have the defensive goods to win it all. This Week: at Boston College, Florida State

#5 Texas (24-4, #6) - With all that said about the four teams above, the hottest team is Texas. Coming off a great week where they spanked a good Oklahoma team by 17 and went into Manhattan and controlled Michael Beasley and company, they are the most dangerous team out there. Why? Because unlike Tennessee and Memphis who like to shoot a lot of threes, Texas actually makes theirs. Plus, nobody has a Center that can bang at hit three's the way Connor Atchley does. This Week: at Texas Tech, Nebraska

#6 Kansas (25-3, #3) - Wow did the Jayhawks blow their chance to win the Big 12 title. With the inexplicable loss at Oklahoma State, Texas now can coast to the conference title since they hold the tie-breaker over KU and lead by one game with four to play. When Darrell Arthur figures out how to stay out of foul trouble, the Jayhawks will be much better. But this season looks like it may end like a lot of others have recently unless they wake up. This Week: Kansas State, Texas Tech

#7 Duke (24-3, #7) - Spent the week taking out their anger on St. John's and Georgia Tech after losing two straight on the road in conference. The bad news is that their three point shot is starting to come back down to earth. While they beat Tech by 13, they shot just 2-15 from deep after poor performances last week. Coach K has also decided to dust off injured Center Brian Zoubek to see if he can get anything going in the post. It isn't working. This Week: at NC State, at Virginia

#8 Stanford (23-4, #7) - We said this before, but since they are on the West Coast and play the majority of their games by the time most of us go to sleep in the East, they are flying way under the radar. If they can go into Pauley and knock off UCLA next Thursday, do we start talking about the Cardinal as a #1 seed? 12-3 in the best conference in America is extremely impressive. That's another reason why we have UCLA #1 right now. This Week: Washington State, at UCLA

#9 Xavier (24-4, #9) - The Musketeers continue to impress us with another solid week, beating Duquesne by 27 and winning at Dayton, something Louisville couldn't do. This team has all of the makings of a sleeper Final Four pick; they are deep, veteran, and are a great deep shooting team. How long until Sean Miller gets run for the Indiana job? This Week: GW, at St. Joseph's

#10 Connecticut (22-6, #10) - Some may scoff at this seeing as though th Huskies 10 game winning streak came to an end at Villanova, but in our eyes, this is still the best team in the Big East. Jerome Dyson came back Tuesday after his 30 day suspension, allowing Jim Calhoun to play more than seven guys. Getting him re-acclimated is essential for entering the Big East Tournament. This Week: West Virginia, at Providence

#11 Indiana (24-4, #11) - Ok, so there two wins this week were squeekers against Northwestern (road) and Ohio State (home), but don't they deserve a pass for all of the b.s. they have had to deal with on account of the coaching situation? Has this team responded to Dan Dakich or are they still bitter? We don't know, but we do know that D.J. White and Eric Gordon are monsters, but its what they get out of Armon Bassett and Jordan Crawford that is going to make all of the difference. This Week: at Michigan State, Minnesota

#12 Louisville (23-6, #15) - Why did we jump them ahead of Georgetown, Wisconsin, and Purdue? Simple, these teams are all pretty much equal and the Cardinals impressed us big time with wins over Syracuse and at Pittsburgh. The final five games of their schedule is brutal, but they are off to a good start at 3-0, after last night's win over Notre Dame. When asked if he thinks his team will make a deep tournament run, Rick Pitino said "I do. I think we have depth and we execute well, and that's the key." This Week: Villanova

#13 Georgetown (23-4, #12) - Another ho-hum week with two more wins. Struggling with St. John's after Duke just throttled them by 30 is a concern. This team just doesn't seem to have the killer instinct needed to win the four straight to get to the Final Four. We don't know what they can do to make us change our minds either. This Week: at Marquette

#14 Purdue (22-6, #13) - Let the Gophers hang around way too long on their home floor, but teams play bad games from time to time. Nothing to worry about. The end of the Big Ten regular season should be fun and should tell us more about this team. They close with three winnable games and could end 16-2 playing nothing but Sophomores and Freshman. Pretty Impressive. This Week: Northwestern, at Ohio State

#15 Wisconsin (24-4, #14) - Might as well list them as tied with Purdue. A very impressive spanking of Michigan State last night has them in a half game agead of Indiana and Purdue at 14-2 with two bottom feeders left on their schedule. Bo Ryan is a genius. This Week: Penn State

#16 Vanderbilt (24-2, NR) - Mad props to Kevin Stallings for righting this ship. They are on a high after knocking off #1 Tennessee and have won seven straight. They also haven't lost at home and have a huge advantage with the baseline benches. Shan Foster is coming strong to make his bid for an All-American candidacy. They went through a rough patch in early January, but are peaking at the right time. This Week: at Arkansas, Mississippi State

On the Outside...Looking in

Notre Dame - On the cusp, but lose out after the beat down at the hands of Louisville. Luke Harangody locked in Big East Player of the Year with this 40 point outing.

Drake - Won the battle of the best mid-majors going into Hinkle Fieldhouse and beating Butler. The bad news was stubbing their toes against Missouri State three days later.

BYU - Nobody is talking about them, but the Cougars are back on the radar after winning 10 of 11 and leading the tough Mountain West at 11-2.

Butler - Hanging on by a thread here after the loss to Drake, but still dominating the Horizon League and will host the conference tournament.

Kent State - That's right, we said it. The Golden Flashes are amongst the hottest teams in America and are ranked for the first time since Antonio Gates wore basketball shoes. the Bracket Buster win at St. Mary's most likely locks them in an at-large bid, regardless of what happens in the MAC tournament.

Marquette - We've been on their case most of the year, but they remain near the top of the Big East at 11-5 and have win five straight.

Falling....Can they get up?

Kansas State - Dropping like a stone and in-fighting while doing so. Michael Beasley is still the best talent in America, but nobody seems to be helping him like they were earlier in the season. Either that, or the zone they now see every game has neutralized the rest of the team.

Mississippi - Wow, the Rebels are falling off the map. Remember when they were 15-1 and ranked as high as #10? They are now 18-9 and won't make the Tournament.

Miami-FL - Just a week ago, they were the toast of the ACC after beating Duke and Maryland. Then Clemson taught them a lesson and they sit 6-7 in the mediocre ACC which will be lucky to get a 4th bid.

Oklahoma - The Sooners were a lock two weeks ago, but losses at Texas and at Nebraska and scoring just 45 points in both games won't endear you to the committee. Remember this fact - the Big 12 has never had a Tournament team that finished 8-8 in the league.

BREAKING BROWNS NEWS - DA SIGNS A DEAL

2008-02-29T10:16:00.003-05:00

According to ESPN.COM and AP, Derek Anderson has agreed to a multi-year contract to remain with the Browns. We haven't been able to find this on Cleveland.com or the Browns website, but it is on ESPN.com. More details to follow as they come available.

EDIT: It's now up on Cleveland.com

Derek Anderson Signs - Cleveland.com

Quarterback Derek Anderson has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Browns, the Associated Press reported Friday morning, citing sources.

Terms of the deals were not immediately available and the Browns have not confirmed the report.

Anderson became a restricted free agent at 12:01 Friday morning after failing to reach an agreement by that time. But he was only available to other teams for a matter of hours before reportedly agreeing to terms with the Browns.

General Manager Phil Savage said during a press conference on Thursday that if Anderson had received an offer from another team, the Browns probably wouldn't have been able to match it. If he did sign with another team, the Browns would have received a first- and third-round pick as compensation.

The Browns offer as of Thursday afternoon was worth $20 million over three years, including about $10 million guaranteed. But the Browns may have increased their offer to get the deal consummated.

The re-signing of Anderson sets up a training camp battle between Anderson and Brady Quinn for the starting quarterback job. A source close to Quinn said he has every intention of winning the job in camp.

Savage said Thursday that the Browns could win with either Quinn or Anderson.

The signing does not preclude the Browns from trading Anderson before the draft. They are still without a No. 1 pick because they used it last season to move up to select Quinn.

DA - As Good as Gone?

2008-02-29T09:21:00.002-05:00

According to several media sources, Derek Anderson and his agents have rejected the Browns three year, $20 million deal, which could all but signal the end of the DA era as QB of the Browns. They tendered him the one year offer, which means any team that signs him must give the Browns a first and third round pick. Dig deeper and you can see why Anderson seemingly is out the door and the Brady Quinn era is about to begin.

Anderson was a sixth round pick making next to nothing. The Browns drafted their QB of the future last year and traded a first round pick to get him. Anderson wants to maximize the amount of money he can get, especially since this is a QB starved league and his lackluster second half doesn't seem to faze other teams. Anderson's agents must know they can get more than the three for $20 million from the Browns, otherwise why would he reject $10 million guaranteed?

GM Phil Savage on what he is thinking: "I think that if another team were to get involved, they'd try to make it extremely difficult for us to match it," said Savage, adding that he doubted Anderson would play out the one-year tender.

Savage also made it clear that the Browns would accept nothing less than the first- and third-round picks. Last year, the Houston Texans traded two second-rounders for quarterback Matt Schaub, despite the fact he originally received the first- and third-round tender.

"We've told them we wouldn't do it," said Savage. "We value the player."

We think what the Browns are doing is smart. You have no first-round pick this year. The Browns would love to jump back in to the first round to get an impact defensive player. Plus, something to consider: The Browns have apparently traded this year's second round pick to the Packers for their franchised player, D-Lineman Corey Williams. That would leave the Browns without a first day pick if they were keeping Anderson.

See, it's all coming together isn't it? The Browns could get back a first and third round pick if a team signs Anderson, and they have their QB of the future, Brady Quinn, with one year under his belt learning the Rob Chudzinski system, ready to go.

This is a win/win situation for the Browns in our opinion.

Coast to Coast...like Tyus Edney against Mizzou

2008-02-29T08:07:00.002-05:00

MTAC is off to Lawrence for our annual pilgrammage to the greatest place to see a College Basketball game in the country, Allen Fieldhouse. Ah the aura. The alma mater, the Rock Chalk Chant, the confetti, the new york - NEW YORK. All of it. I cannot wait to soak it all in. You can find MTAC 100% at some point this weekend throwing down Vodka/soda's at Quinton's, burying a Pocket Za at Rudy's (the best piece of food in Lawrence), and a Penny Club at Mr. Goodcents. We are eagerly anticpating the whole weekend (The Outhouse included!)

Here's one we knew was coming: Bob Knight will join ESPN as a studio analyst for championship week and the NCAA Tournament. We'll say this, seeing Bob Knight talking about other teams, players, and coaches will be must see television. Although, putting him next to one of his suck-boys, Digger Phelps, could turn into a love fest. Awful Announcing

We are big fans of ESPN's Doug Gottlieb. In fact, Mrs. MTAC grew up with him. USA Today wrote a great piece profiling the ESPN College Hoops analyst that is a good read. USA Today

Always looking for solid blogs out there. We were emailed this one from the great Mark P himself. The name says is all: Stuff White People Like. It's topical. Such beauties as "Bottles of Water," "Gentrification," "Standing Still at Concerts," and "Expensive Sandwiches." Stuff White People Like

Did Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez and an unnamed assistant coach get into a fist fight on the way to the locker room during a game two weeks ago? The Big Lead

Can this story possibly be true? A newborn baby girl fell through the toilet in a moving train and onto the tracks moments after her mother prematurely gave birth. AP

The Browns make their final deadline offer to QB Derek Anderson. Anderson rejected the deal, and now the Browns may turn to Brady Quinn. Phil Savage has already said he won't match any long term offer DA may get on the open market. ESPN.com

Jay Mariotti is calling all Cub fans to rally against Sam Zell and the selling of the Wrigley Field name. Chicago Sun-Times

Just because we can't get enough of the site, here is an off-shoot: The Top 10 Rap Songs White People Love. Cats and Beer

Hugh Hefner wants Lindsay Lohan in Playboy. So do we! That would be the highest selling issue of all time. Show Biz Spy

Jerry Jones and Steve Urkel, gettin down. The photo needs to be seen to be believed. With Leather

#18 Louisville 90 #17 Notre Dame 85 - We guess it's time to jump on the Cardinals bandwagon. Their brutal five game finish has started 3-0 and they are nipping at the heels of Georgetown after this big win. David "Wilt Chamberlain" Padgett scored a season-high 26 points in 28 minutes to lead five Cardinals in double figures. Jerry Smith and Andre McGee completely outplayed Kyle McAlarney and Tory Jackson. The starting Irish backcourt combined to shoot 4-21 and the team turned the ball over 16 teams, negating their 12 threes. Got to give love to ND Center Luke Harangody, who will get our vote for Big East Player of the Year after his career-high 40 and 12 boards almost single-handedly brought the Irish back after being down by as many as 19.

#9 Wisconsin 57 #15 Michigan State 42 - Once again, Bo Ryan's team is more physical than their opponent and win a game they are supposed to win. Once again, Tom Izzo's team, fails to show up for a big road game. Drew Neitzel continued his miserable Senior season going 1-10 from the field, socring just three points. The lack of MSU's aggressiveness can be illustrated in the fact they only shot five free throws the entire game. Brian Butch led the Badgers with 16.

#13 Butler 66 Wright State 61 - The Bulldogs won yet another Horizon League title with their hard fought win over second place Wright State. Again, they didn't shoot it well from deep (9-28), but they showed great balance as four starters scored in double figures. Julian Betko led the way with a career-high 17. "They adjusted a little bit. They put their best defender on me and I didn't get that many looks" in the second half, Betko said. "But it doesn't matter, because it made other guys open."

#8 Stanford 82 Washington 79 - The Cardinal led from start to finish and knocked off a game Washington squad. Brook Lopez led all scorers with 21 and grabbed seven boards. G Anthony Goods chipped in 16. Jon Brockman had 20 and 14 for the losers. Next Thursday's showdown with UCLA looks like it could be for the Pac-10 title.

#4 UCLA 70 Arizona State 49 - This one wasn't even this close. The Bruins outdid the Sun Devils in every aspect of the game. They killed them on the glass 33-19, hit 50% of their threes (10-20), and forced 13 turnovers. Darren Collison had a huge night, hitting five of six from deep on his way to 17 points. Kevin Love had another double-double, 18 and 12. Wing Josh Shipp had 17 and eight assists.

#22 Washington State 70 Cal 49 - The big time perfomance the Cougars desperatley needed came in this one. Taylor Rochestie had 18, Kyle Weaver 17, and Derrick Low 15 and Wazzu put the hammer down on the bubbling Cal Bears. Star Wing Ryan Anderson was the only Bear in double figuers, but was held to just 5-17 shooting. "We really played their pace of game. They really controlled the tempo the whole way and kind of took us out of our game plan," Anderson said. "We're normally a good shooting team. Everybody has their off nights. We struggled from the 3-point line, which is something that we don't normally do."

Other Scores of Note:

USC 70 Arizona 58 - Talk about a big time road win. USC completely shut down Arizona's Jerryd Bayless and Chase Budinger. After averaging over 30 points in his last five games, Bayless was able to squeeze off just six shots, scoring eight points. Budinger, who scores 17 a games, was held to just seven. O.J. Mayo led USC with 20.

St. Louis 64 St. Joseph's 55 - An A-10 stunner. The Red Hawks were looking good for an NCAA bid just a few short weeks ago, but when are on the bubble, its not advisable to lose home games to 15-12 teams.

Maryland 74 Wake Forest 70 - A much needed road win for the Terps and a potential bubble bursting loss for Wake.

Back on Track?

2008-02-28T10:49:00.003-05:00

The Recap: Darrell Arthur wanted the ball and coach Bill Self was determined to get it to him early and often. KU's best offensive threat came out firing. Shady scored 18 points and took 18 shots, hitting nine. He also grabbed 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. The three point game was working as well for the Jayhawks; they hit 7-11, including three each from Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers. Rush and Chalmers each had 15 points, Chalmers starring in the first half, while Rush did his work in the second stanza. KU shot 46% from the field, 14-18 from the line, and outrebounded the Cyclones 41-28, led by Arthur and PG Russell Robinson with 10 a piece. Wesley Johnson led ISU with 20. He hit five of the Cyclones eight three-point shots.

The Whup

Feed The Beast - If the Jayhawk guards didn't see last night that the offense must run through Arthur, than they never will. He took a career-high 18 shots and scored in a variety of ways. At first glance, 18 shots seems like plenty, but actually it the amount of shots he should be taking every game. It also means Shady has spent the night on the floor rather than on the bench in foul trouble. “Coach told me to get more shots. I had the opportunity to score,” said Arthur, who indicated it was “real fun” roaming inside without a team trapping him on the post for “the first time I can remember in a long time (courtesy of kusports.com). His 15 foot jump shot was money again all night long. The bottom line is that KU must run everything through Shady first.

Mario's First Half - As good as Shady was early, Chalmers may have been even better. He scored 10 points in seemingly the blink of an eye, including two triples that helped to take the Ames crowd out of the game. He looked more aggressive in the first 20 minutes and defensively he was again working his magic off the ball, getting in passing lanes and wreaking havoc on the ISU guards. “Coach says to knock down the open shots,” Chalmers said. “People had been hesitant lately. The coaches said, ‘Let it fly,’ and I think we did that. I think it was a team effort. We had the mind-set to getting back to playing Kansas basketball today.”

Brandon's Second Half - The Brandon Rush we all want to see was on display in the final 20 minutes. He nailed two threes, scored 12, and played solid defense on Wesley Johnson. Now if there was just some way we could bottle that up and turn it into a full 40 minutes, KU would be in great shape.

The Seven Man Rotation - With Rodrick Stewart missing due to the death of his brother and Cole Aldrich not needed because Arthur actually stayed out of foul trouble, Coach Self stuck with his "seven-starters" all night and did a nice job rotating them. He got eight points and three blocked shots out of Sasha Kaun (who played another solid game by the way) in 16 minutes and seven from Sherron Collins in 18 minutes. Rush and Chalmers played the most minutes (37 and 36), but nobody seemed tired. We expected to see Tyrel Reed or Jeremy Case, but that never materialized.

The Weak Beav

Sherron's Not The Same - You could see it again last night and ESPN's Stephen Bardo pointed it out: "Collins is a shell of himself out there." He just doesn't have the lift on his jumper and his explosive speed off the dribble isn't there. Give him a ton of credit for gutting it out, but I think we need to realize he will not be close to 100% at any time this season, and that's a shame. During the middle of last year when Collins was crossing over everybody and knocking down open threes, we all expected that this woul dbe his break-out year. Injuries have ruined that. You saw it last night when he turned the ball over four times and seemed unsure of himself at times.

Rush's First Half - As much as we praise him for his second half play, this trend of one good half, one bad half that Rush is currently caught in is getting annoying. Why can't he play a full 40 minutes of inspired, aggressive ball? He hit a three-pointer two minutes into the game, then didn't score again the rest of the half. Not only did he not score, but you wouldn't even have noticed he was on the floor. If the Jayhawks are going to go deep in the tournament, they need the good Brandon Rush to show up, especially since Collins is going half speed.

Mario's Second Half - Chalmers scored 10 in the first 10 minutes of 4-5 shooting. I thought this would be the game Mario decided that he was going to be the lead perimeter player. But in the second half, he took just three shots and seemed more intent on getting his teammates involved. Mario has so much ability as a scorer and why he is taking only eight shots, three in the second half, baffles me. He has the most pure three-point stroke on the team (sorry, Brandon) and as stated in yesterday's preview, we would like to see him shoot it more.

Cole's J - Memo to Cole Aldrich. You have a fine future in front of you at Kansas. You have done a lot of things the right way this year and said all of the right things. But we beg you - never take a jump shot from 15 feet again the rest of the season.

Letting Them Back In - Continuing a disturbing trend, the Jayhawks take a big lead, 21 points, the decided to coast for a few minutes and before you knew it, Iowa State had cut it to 10. To start the second half, they allowed the Cyclones to score the first seven points to cut the lead to six. The whole team seems to fade in and out each game for some period of time. That isn't going to fly in the Tournament.

The Ames Crowd - Every year it's the same. Any call that doesn't go their teams way, they freak out and boo. Last night was no different. There is no bigger bunch of whiners that the Hilton Coliseum crowd.

Analysis: It was good to get back on the winning track no doubt. While the 'Hawks played much better and shot the ball well, they still didn't overly impress. It's amazing when you are at a school where the expectations are so high that 25-3 doesn't seem quite good enough at this point. It's not that the record isn't impressive, it's the way they've been playing of late. The good news was that the offense ran inside/out through Arthur and it opened up the perimeter for Rush and Chalmers. KU again dominated the glass and unlike some of their last few performances, were the aggressor. Kaun gave big minutes in the post off the bench and the Seven-man rotation worked for us. Now comes the fun part, the rematch with those kitties from Manhattan.

Bill Self on whether the ship needed to be righted Wednesday: “I think when you’re 24-3, you shouldn’t be able to say that the ship needs righting, but our players all know that it did. We felt it did, too. I don’t know if we did or not, only time will tell, but we were a better team tonight than we were the last 2-3 weeks...I do think this is big, but I don’t think that we’re back where we were. I don’t think you go from playing poor to playing great consistently. I think it’s still a process, and it was a great start.”

Bill Self on Darrell Arthur’s play and his influence on the game’s outcome: “We don’t talk about it being a calming force, but certainly the team has more confidence when you have your best players in the game the majority of the minutes...I think we’ve got really good players, but our players are a lot better if things come to them rather than go force the issue. And playing through Shady on the post is great for our team. Also, running and trying to get easy baskets is great for our team, but also getting the ball to the third side a lot is great for our team. We have been impatient of late because I think individuals are saying ‘I need to go make a play’ as opposed to thinking ‘We need to go have a great possession.’

Bill Self on Sherron Collins: “Oh, he was better than Saturday. He’s still a shadow of himself, but that’s by far the best he’s moved since he’s been with us, playing the last three weeks. He’s not close to being himself, hopefully that bruise will continue to get better, the doctors say it’s just time away, so hopefully that’s the case. He says he’s feeling better.”

Bill Self on getting ready for Saturday’s game with K-State: “The thing about it is Saturday night, I think our guys will be as excited to play as they have all year - I hope not too excited. I think K-State guys will be excited to play. I think Gameday adds to the excitement probably for both teams, because it’s gonna be a hyped up game and all that stuff. But the bottom line is they handled us the first time. And that, right there, in itself, our players know they handled us, there’s no other way to sugarcoat it, that will be great motivation...I would be totally disappointed if - we may not play great, who knows, but I’d be totally disappointed if it wasn’t an unbelievable effort game for us...a great effort game for us.”

Bill Self on preparing for Kansas State: “If you go back and watch the tape, (Jacob Pullen) made eight free throws in the last two minutes. Even though he got 20, he played well, he was the best guard in the game, without question. He was the best guard in the game. And I think we have better players than that and hopefully we’ll do a better job trying to contain him, but it’s kind of a unique situation, watching tape for the next two days. Teams have struggled playing them one way, they’ve had success playing them the same way. Teams have had success guarding them one way, then if you guard Beasley and Walker one-on-one, they can go for 75. But Baylor won. We double-teamed Beasley a lot, they kicked our butt. There’s gonna be some thinking going on on how’s the best way to defend them.”

Sherron Collins on the health of his knee: “It’s getting better. I didn’t like (the brace) either, but the first couple of times I wore it it was for support and help. But now, that’s turned around here a little bit, so I don’t have to wear it...I just couldn’t open it up and turn it into that second gear. It’s coming back, it won’t be too long. I won’t know how long it will be, but at the rate it’s getting better at now, it won’t be too long...I think I’m healthy enough to be the spark off the bench. Because of the injury, stuff doesn’t go well and I’m not at full speed and I can’t really do what I want to do, but I think I’m able to be that spark.”

Darrell Arthur on working the offense through the post: “Yeah, we got to the post a lot, we had a lot of mismatches down there. They had Wesley (Johnson) playing the four, so we just attacked him down low. He usually plays the two or the three, so we just saw the opportunity to attack...We were going inside and out, so if they trapped the posts we were going to kick it out, but if we had one-on-one situations, they wanted us to take them, so that’s basically what we did the whole game...That was the first time (I’ve played one-on-one) in awhile. I don’t even remember (the last time). They never trapped the posts or anything.”

Mario Chalmers on the three-point shooting: “I think it was just having the confidence to take the open shot when you have it. I think a lot of people have been hesitating a little bit lately, and today the coaches were just like ‘let it fly,’ so we did that.”

Up Next: Kansas State, Saturday Night, 9 PM ESPN

Coast to Coast...like Tyus Edney against Mizzou

2008-02-28T08:17:00.004-05:00

We don't think it has stopped snowing here for three days. We've gotten two feet here. our obsession with shoveling my walk way is getting harder and harder, but we soldier on and continue. Today is my son's first birthday. Time flies. He is the best and continues to amaze us every single day. He is a walking machine and is all over the place these days. A year ago today was the single greatest moment of my life. It needed to be acknowledged. Happy Birthday Little Man! So on with the link roll.

One of the greatest and kookiest sports announcers of our time has no passed away. Myron Cope, the creator of the Terrible Towel, and the phrase "Yoi and Double Yoi," died at the age of 79. Mondesi's House

Our favorite Mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, is a lock for jail. Detroit Free Press

Get a DUI, get cut by the Cardinals. Sounds just a tad hypocritical to us, seeing as though Tony Larussa just a year ago got a DUI during Spring Training. St. Louis Post Dispatch

Billy Wagner, Red-ass. Newsday

Nothing like going on national TV and admitting to cheating on her husband while he is sitting right in front of her. Some people will do anything for fame.
Dlisted

A man stabbed his brother in law because he supports Barack Obama, not his choice Hillary Clinton. Quite a country we live in these days. The Smoking Gun

William F. Buckley, the founder of the conservative movement past away at 82.

Maybe Roger Clemens can share a jail cell with Kwame Kilpatrick. Gene Wojciechowski says Clemens has given the Feds a lot to work with. ESPN.com

New Cubs owner Sam Zell is not exactly endearing himself to Cubs fans with the news that he will sell the naming rights of Wrigley Field. Chicago Tribune

What a difference three weeks make. The Kansas State Basketball program is surrounded by negativity, from their fans to the players, says Jason Whitlock. Kansas City Star

Natalie Portman wants to get it on with Scarlet Johansson. Yeah, so do we. Digital Spy

#7 Kansas 75 Iowa State 64 - It was a nice bounce back to get the W for Kansas, but they seemed in and out of this one. They led by as many as 21 1in the second half, but allowed two different runs to cut the lead into single digits. The difference for the Jayhawks was having Darrell Arthur on the floor most of the game. He was a beast with 18 and 10 rebounds and got whatever he wanted in the post. Mario Chalmers had a great First half, Brandon Rush had a great Second half. Both scored 15. KU shot 7-11 from the deep and outrebounded the Cyclones 41-28. Much more on this game later.

#3 Memphis 82 Tulsa 67 - This game wasn't anywhere close to the final score. You had to feel sorry for Tulsa who caught an angry Tigers team coming off the loss to Tennessee. Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose combined for just 18, but the bench came up huge. Willie Kemp had 14, Doneal Mack 12, and Sean Taggert 12 to lead Memphis to the easy win. The Tigers led by as many as 28 and hit 13-25 threes, by far their best night of the season.

#6 Duke 71 Georgia Tech 58 -The Devils let the Yellow Jackets hang around most of the night, but was never in any real danger. For the third straight game, they didn't shoot it well, just 42% from the field and 2-15 from three. Demarcus Nelson and Gerald Henderson each had 15. It looks as though Duke and UNC, both 11-2, are headed for a showdown for the ACC title in the final game of the regular season.

#10 Georgetown 64 St. John's 52 - Dejuan Summers hit five three-pointers on his way to 21 points and Roy Hibbert chipped in 17 points and yet another boring, low scoring, Hoyas win. Letting St. John's hang for 35 minutes on your home floor doesn't do much for us. They did hit 10 threes and cause 15 turnovers.

#19 Purdue 65 Minnesota 53 - E'Twan Moore hit scored 22 as the Boilers pulled away late to finish off the Gophers. They did nothing spectacular; they shot just 40%, hit 13-20 free throws, and were outrebounded by 12. They did cause 20 Minnesota turnovers. Purdue now sits in a three way tie atop the Big Ten at 13-2.

Other Scores of Note:

Pittsburgh 73 Cincinnati 67 - The Panthers were in dire need of a W and got it. Dejuan Blair had 18 and 10 to go with Sam Young's 20. Both teams now sit at 8-7 in the Big East.

Texas A&M 98 Texas Tech 54 - Mark Turgeon must be thrilled with his team's performance last night during this much needed win. The Aggies nailed 12 threes and cruised to victory.

Nebraska 63 Oklahoma 45 - Not a good sign when you are a bubble team and you put up 12 points in the first half. 12.

Kentucky 58 Mississippi 54 - Who knew UK would be 10-3 in the SEC at this point? Ole Miss has collapsed like no other team in the country has.

Florida 77 Georgia 64 - Big time road win for the young Gators who are fighting for an at large bid. Nick Calathas led the way with 22.

Mississippi State 89 Auburn 78 - The Bulldogs are the closest thing the SEC has to a third NCAA lock. Charles Rhodes had 30 and Jamont Gordon had 20 as the MSU starters combined for 86 of their 80 points.

Clemson 79 Miami 69 - It seems like every bubble team played last night. As good as Miami was last week, this was a tough one for them to win on the road at Littlejohn.

My Teams Are Cursed

Mario's Shot...Allen Fieldhouse Reaction

Photos From the Celebration

More Photos and Video

Photos

THE CURSE IS OVER!

"This Game is Over"

One More!

Final Four Preview

Eat it, Mr. I

Not A Chance

The Ground Ball Machine

Lute Olson is a Bitch

Game Won

Why Musburger is Still the Best

It's Opening Day!

More on the Final Four

The Monkey - Gone!

Being There

A Scout's View on KU

The Bullpen is Set....We're Not Happy

Is This a Foul?

ITS OVER FOR KWAME!!!

It's Stiff

Weekend Recap

Two Down - Four to Go

Coast to Coast...like Tyus Edney against Mizzou

Got It Done....Bring on the Rebels

The Road To San Antonio Starts Today

Preview: The West Regional

Lavin Lets His Hair Down

Preview: The South Regional

Preview: The Midwest Regional

Coast to Coast...like Tyus Edney against Mizzou

East Regional Preview

Vitale Has Lost His Mind

Three Gets Them a #1

At First Glance....

Coast to Coast...like Tyus Edney against Mizzou

Coast to Coast...like Tyus Edney against Mizzou

Ripping on Boehein and Thursday's Slate - Games To Watch

Conference Tournament Preview: Big 12

Conference Tournament Preview: ACC

Conference Tournament Preview: Big Ten

Conference Tournament Preview: Pac-10

CSU/Butler Quick Preview

Coast to Coast...like Tyus Edney against Mizzou

Conference Tournament Preview: Big East

Conference Tournament Preview: SEC

The MTAC Power 16

Apologies

Lazy Monday Blogging

Now That Was Fun

What to Watch

The MTAC Power 16

BREAKING BROWNS NEWS - DA SIGNS A DEAL

DA - As Good as Gone?

Coast to Coast...like Tyus Edney against Mizzou

Back on Track?

Coast to Coast...like Tyus Edney against Mizzou