For Those of You Just Joining Us

Give lots of credit to Gregg Marshall. He coaches Winthrop's men basketball team, which has made the NCAA tournament six of the eight years in which he's been the head coach. He quelled rumors last year by sticking with Winthrop and his name is sure to be included come March and April.

You might remember them from your bracket last year when you labeled them as your sleeper because you thought Tennessee stunk, and also because you thought Wichita State would handle Tennessee in the next round.

Last year, Marshall scheduled Marquette, Alabama, South Carolina, Auburn, and Memphis away from home in one-offs (i.e. not a home & home series).

This year, same story, different opponents. Thus far, the Eagles played North Carolina in Charlotte, at Mississippi St., Maryland, and Wisconsin. Are we done yet? No, they battle it out with Texas A&M in College Station and CAA frontrunner Old Dominion in Norfolk around the new year. Needless to say, they'll be a part of the bracketbuster and the odds are 1.05:1 that they'll be away from the friendly confines.

While Winthrop hasn't really hit their stride (yet), they will be a feared team should they get the automatic bid out of the Big South conference. Come March, this is a team that major conference schools will not want to see on any court - home, away, or neutral.