Question: Does Tennessee have the 2 best WINS this season???

As the final seconds tick down, despite a furious Kentucky rally, Tennessee appears on the verge of a HUGE victory (at home) against #2 Kentucky.

Pair that with a win over (former and now current) #1 Kansas earlier this season (the Jayhawks' only blemish)...and color me impressed.

Sure, both wins were at home. Sure, Kansas and Kentucky had to lose their 1st and 2nd games respectively eventually. Sure, this is the same Tennessee who kicked it's best player off the team...and also lost to Georgia.

Nevertheless, does any other team in the country have two more impressive victories this season??? I bet J.P. Prince (below) is also struggling to find one.

At least it helps them forget about this TOOL. No, not you JP.

Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Saturday Morning College Basketball Musings...

Far from a STACKED lineup today; nevertheless, it's still an entertaining set of matchups.

#20 Syracuse @ #17 Villanova
Note: I started this post before tip-off, by the time I finished typing it was 12-2 Villanova. Crocodile tears are ready to flow.
Syracuse and 'Nova split last year (each winning by double-digits on the other's home court). While neither may be "bubbling it" come March, both have a somewhat realistic shot at the coveted 4-seed (UCONN, Marquette, Louisville, & Pitt have the inside track). Keys for the road Orange have to center around the healthy of there center (yes, I just said that) Arinze Onuaku and 'Nova will need backcourt balance combined with an ability to force the Cuse into sloppy passes and lazy turnovers.
Call it: 'Nova trades baskets for the first 35 minutes, pulling away mid-way through the second-half for a 8 point victory.

Notre Dame @ #15 UCLA
Notre Dame dropped to 3-7 in conference with a brutal 2nd half showing at Cincinnati. With Louisville, UCONN, and Villanova still on their schedule, the Fighting Irish need to start piling up impressive victories. While this tussle in Pauley Pavilion won't help their conference standing, it'd be a MAJOR boost before Thursday's visit from Rick Pitino and company. Meanwhile, UCLA has been under the radar - even for a West Coast team - and can't afford a slip up against the struggling Irish.
Call It: UCLA withstand an early 3-point barrage and balances their way - on both sides of the ball - to a hard fought 6-point victory.

Miami (FL) @ #2 Duke
Miami has had an up-and-down campaign to say the least. Forcing OT against Tech two weeks back was trivial as they lost down the stretch in OT. However, pounding Wake (Mistake?) Forest has them 4-5 in conference. Unfortunately, they will need another upset - at Cameron of all places - to reach .500 and respectability in conference. Statements wins are the only way the Cannes will be dancing in March.
Call It: Duke rebounds - by shooting the 3 better and Henderson enforcing the middle - and pounds Miami by 20+. It's gonna be ugly.

Indiana @ #13 Michigan State
Remember when this game mattered? Indiana is 1-8 in the Big 10 and you can't blame Tom Creen yet, can you? Seems a lot like Rich Rodriguez over here. Except Kelvin Sampson can take the majority of this blame. It's great he still assumes little to no responsibility.
Call It: Indiana will be competitive, for around 8 minutes, before Michigan State cruises to a W. In the Big Ten, that means they win by 10.

Florida State @ #10 Clemson
A couple ACC friends of mine claim that there will be two spots for Boston College, Virginia Tech, and Florida State. While the Noles and Hokies are 4-3 in conference, FSU still has two shots to beat a top 10-team like Clemson; whereas the Hokies blew a 15-point lead (at home, no less) to the Tigers. While FSU appears to easily be the team "outside" the aformentionmed equation, no time like the present to make a statement. Meanwhile, Clemson is riding high off of perhaps its most impressive regular season showing in the last 10 years.
Call It: The word letdown has to have been talked about in the locker room. It will be close, but it won't happen today. Clemson wins a squeaker by 5.

#19 Minnesota @ Ohio State
I can't figure out either of these teams. If someone much smarter than me can shed some light, I'll owe you. I will enjoy the coaching matchup though. You call it, I'm too scared.

#14 Memphis @ #18 Gonzaga
The WCC is entirely different with St. Mary's sans-Patrick Mills; meanwhile, Memphis may never again lose a Conference USA game. The Tigers haven't seen much - outside of Tennessee I suppose - since a tough home loss to Syracuse. Tyreke Evans has turned it around and Coach Calipari has his few veteran leaders playing much better. Nevertheless, this is a brutal matchup in Spokane and I'm take the home team.
Call It: Memphis has plenty of athleticism and momentum; however, the only thing I love more than semi-colons in this post, is picking the sturdier home team.

Enjoy the matchups.

(Sweet) Sixteen Candles: Part II

Don’t worry, I’m not here to reminisce about THIS (Anthony Michael Hall was a complete bad*** though).

Instead, there’s 1 thing each of the remaining tournament teams is just DYING for (or is that just me?).

What might those things be?

Lucky for you…I KNOW!!! (If only I could grant a wish or two…)

The East and Midwest got there pub already, so now let’s move on to the South and West.

South Region

Memphis wishes their depth would be simply too much for the Spartans to handle. One of the major reasons Drew Neitzel was finally able to get his shot going was the extreme fatigue on Ronald Ramon’s legs from chasing him. Fortunately for the Tigers, their rotation is athletic from top to bottom. They’ll be able to run and run … and run as the Big Ten’s Spartans try their best to slow the game down.
Translation: Run, run and run some more!

Michigan State wishes Memphis would continue their terrible performance from the free throw line (15-for-32 against Mississippi State). While it may not be enough to single-handedly take out the Tigers, missing front ends of 1-and-1s in both halves can afford the Spartans an opportunity to further milk the clock and reduce possessions for both teams.
Translation: FOUL FOUL FOUL...whenever necessary.

Stanford wishes the Lopez twins could duplicate their efforts against Marquette for the next
40 minutes of playing time. Despite Texas’s guard-play advantage, the Longhorns don’t have
the bigs up front, much like Marquette, to take away the advantages that the Lopez twins give the Cardinal. Feed them down low early and often and hope their combined 14+-feet can detract Longhorn slashers from attacking the hoop.

West Region

UCLA wishes Kevin Love enjoyed blocking 7 shots against Texas A&M, as they need him to continue his dominance for their interior defense. Due to the incredible proficiency from behind the arc, Western Kentucky can’t be allowed to accumulate easy buckets and second-chance points off of offensive rebounds (long and short). Without Love avoiding ticky-tack fouls and clogging the paint with his long arms, the Bruins might be in for a long night inside and outside of the 3-point line.

Western Kentucky wishes Courtney Lee would have one of those nights that could propel him into the NBA Lottery. A likely first-rounder, Lee would be well off to have a near-40 point night for a variety of reasons. The Hilltoppers need their star to be as good as he can be, if only to open up high-percentage opportunities for his teammates (as well as himself). It’s time for a star to shine out of the Sun Belt.

Xavier wishes they’ll be able to find a lockdown defender to toil with West Virginia’s Joe Alexander. While Xavier’s Stanley Burrell may be the best perimeter defender in the tournament, he isn’t likely to draw Alexander (who can be found all over the court). This means that guys like Josh Duncan and Derrick Brown better have fresh legs and short memories when drawing a scoring talent like Alexander .

West Virginia wishes it could see phenomenal play out of more of its bench. While the Mountaineers relied on 4 of their 5 starters to carry them against Arizona in the first round (68 of their 75 points), without the play of Joe Mazzulla (13, 11, and 8), WVU would’ve had little chance of upsetting the 2-seeded Blue Devils. Problem is, outside of Mazzulla, is there a reliable Mountaineer reserve? That’s why they’re wishing.

And there we have it.

Of course, you may have a wish or two of your own for March Madness. Or an answer or two.

Either way, LET US KNOW!

Until next time…

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(Sweet) Sixteen Candles

Don’t worry, I’m not here to reminisce about THIS (Anthony Michael Hall was a complete bad*** though).

Instead, there’s 1 thing each of the remaining tournament teams is just DYING for (or is that just me?).

What might those things be?

Lucky for you…I KNOW!!! (If only I could grant a wish or two…)

I’ll give the East and Midwest their just-due late tonight, while the South and West will get theirs in 24 hours or so.

East Region

North Carolina wishes they could dictate the pace, up tempo and basket-to-basket running, right from the start. While a replay of their Arkansas game is unlikely, it’s essential that Ty Lawson gets going as early as possible on the offensive side of the ball (especially his jumper).
Translation: Ty Lawson making shots early.

Washington State wishes Wayne Ellington wouldn’t be able to consistently knock down his outside shot. It’d be put more pressure on Green, Lawson, and Ginyard to make the big play outside the paint. Ellington also might then struggle to get to the hoop and effectively aid in breaking down the Cougar attack.
Translation: Don’t let Wayne Ellington bury you from behind the arc.

Louisville wishes Edgar Sosa could play heady-basketball 100% of his on-court playing time. Rather than having to sit him after a few early mistakes (i.e. Oklahoma game), Coach Pitino needs his most talented shotmaker to remain both consistent and careful with the basketball.
Translation: Edgar Sosa…BEHAVE!

Tennessee wishes senior shooting guard Chris Lofton would put on a shooting exhibition. Rather than let the game come to Lofton, the Vols need their senior leader to take charge and knock down early shots. Without it, they will struggle mightily, especially down the stretch matching 3s with the Cardinals.
Translation: Chris Lofton needs to be a better Chris Lofton.

Midwest Region

Kansas wishes they’d realize early in their game that Villanova was a 12-seed for a reason and run them out of the gym before halftime. Exploiting Villanova’s lack of depth and their complete dependence on Scottie Reynolds should allow the Jayhawks to run'n'gun for 40 minutes.
Translation: Run, Chalk, Open Shot, Three is Good, Jayhawk.

Villanova wishes they’d push Kansas to the brink by making their free throws, limiting transition buckets for the Jayhawks, and forcing Kansas into tough decisions with little time on the shot and game clock.
Translation: Make Kansas out-coach and out-execute you in the final minutes.

Wisconsin wishes they would continue to allow the 3-point shot to be an effective part of their offensive arsenal. An above-average 3-point shooting team most of the season, the Badgers were lights out in both halves against the Beasleys. It’s essential the Badgers use this shot – alongside their interior game and the slashing ability of their guards – to have an effective three-pronged attack against resilient Davidson.
Translation: It isn’t just Stephen Curry who needs to make threes early and often.

Davidson wishes Wisconsin would keep the game close throughout the first half. The Wildcats have shown time and time again in this tournament (okay, it’s only been two games) that they aren’t scared of their opponent or any second-half deficit they might face. With that being said, it’s not a good idea to fall behind big to the Badgers. Especially with their suffocating defensive attack and slow-down offense pace being Bo Ryan stalwarts.
Translation: The halftime score better not be approaching double-digits.

See you soon with the South and West regions.
Maybe this post should've been called Eight Candles.

John Hughes would not be happy.

Until next time…

The Bubble: 7 Minutes in Heaven or …

As we welcome the entrance of the “mid-major” conference tournaments and the final weekend of play for the “big timers” [Duke/UNC anyone?], there are more than enough teams clinging to desperate hopes of a bid on Selection Sunday .

Some have seen their entire conference struggle down the stretch (that’s you, A-10), others have watched promising seasons wash away (Syracuse), while others have seen the highest of the high and lowest of the low (Texas Tech beats Texas and loses to Oklahoma & Kansas by over 100 points combined in the span of a week).

Nevertheless, there are plenty of schools out there – from those aforementioned “power conferences” – which need as many as 3 or 4 more wins to secure a selection.

While it remains to be seen if teams like Syracuse, Villanova, Texas Tech and St. Joe’s have put themselves in a position to only secure a bid via the automatic circuit (i.e. winning their conference tournament), at least, we have drama.

Along with that drama are the anticipated performances of star players. For, as you will soon see, X-factors on the bubble are not your key swingman off the bench or even your third option.

It’s the #1 guy, stud or dud, who might have to pull a Gerry McNamara and will their team into the NCAA Tournament.

Maryland – Grievis Vasquez

Capable of a triple-double most nights...with turnovers likely the third statistic.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Remaining Game(s): March 9 - @ Virginia
Comment: Vasquez has the unique ability to keep both teams on the floor in the game (thanks Kevin Sheehan of Redskins Radio for that gem). The Terps can ill afford a letdown on the road in Charlottesville, as they don’t have the playmaking ability required to make a deep ACC Tourney run.

Syracuse – Donte Greene

Three straight seasons on the bubble has fans grimacing more than Boeheim.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Remaining Game(s): March 5 - @ Seton Hall, March 9 – Marquette
Comment: Sadly, it took Greene nearly 30 games into his freshman year in upstate New York to abandon the idea of chucking up sixteen 3-balls a game. Unfortunately, Cuse’s 6-man rotation has reeked [sic] havoc on their play in conference. Likely needing to sweep this week and make as many as 2 or 3 major statements in New York in two weekends, it may be two years in a row Syracuse is toiling with NCAA tournament talent in the NIT.

Ohio State – Jamar Butler

From star to role player to star again. The circle of college basketball life.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Remaining Game(s): March 9 – Michigan State
Comment: Pay and I made sure to target in our talking points that Ohio State was afforded a tremendous opportunity drawing ranked-Purdue and Michigan State in the final week of the regular season. Holding serve at home against Purdue Tuesday night went a long way in affording the Buckeyes a crucial banner win. Pulling the upset at home on Saturday versus the Izzos would almost assuredly secure them a tournament bid. Jamar Butler’s 25 against Purdue will need to be repeated, at least, for the Spartans to fall on Saturday.

St. Joseph’s – Pat Calathes

You can't spell A-10 without hustle. Oh wait, maybe you can.
Credit: CollegePublisher.com

Remaining Game(s): March 6 – Xavier, March 8 – @Dayton
Comment: Their 1-point loss to Temple on Sunday night hurt the entire conference potentially. Even worse, the Hawks may wind up on the wrong side of every conceivable bracket projection after losing two games this week they’re more than likely not favored to win. In fact, their showdown at Dayton will almost assuredly knock one of at-large bid contention. That is, unless the Hawks can strike down the top-10 Musketeers and potentially expose their #2 or #3 seed potential.

Kentucky – Joe Crawford

Now that he's hurt (Patterson), we can mention the "other" Kentucky Wildcats.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Remaining Games: March 5 - @South Carolina, March 9 – Florida
Comment: You’ll notice more than a little symmetry with the next two teams. Kentucky lost Patrick Patterson for the season and still played Tennessee to a close 3-point game in Knoxville. Suddenly, that 39-point loss to Vanderbilt back before Valentine’s Day seems a distant memory (or does it?). Much like Maryland and their UVA game, Kentucky can’t afford to fall into the trap-door game at South Carolina tonight. As for Sunday’s matchup with Florida, it’s going to be for more than just positioning in the SEC Tournament. Already losers in OT over a month ago in Gainesville, the Wildcats may not be on the smiling side of the bubble if they drop two of their next three (or worse).

Florida – Marreese Speights & Nick Calathes

So wait, you're telling me that we don't get an automatic bid despite being two-time defending champs?
Credit: TheHype.com

Remaining Games: March 5 – Tennessee, March 9 - @Kentucky
Comment: Almost a mirror image of Ohio State (ironically last year’s national title game opponents), the Gators have plenty of upcoming opportunities this week to impose their will on the Selection Committee. The two-time defending champs have only faced four ranked opponents this season, yet face a potential #1 seed tonight and another bubble team from the SEC East on Sunday. Two losses and even an upset in the SEC Tournament might not be enough for Billy Donovan’s crew.

Dayton – Brian Roberts

Okay, not THAT Brian Roberts. But come on! Catch the fever of O's Baseball!!!
Credit: Journals.AOL.com

Remaining Game(s): March 5 - @ St. Bonaventure, March 8 – St. Joseph’s
Comment: 14-1 seems so long ago. In fact, too long ago (Come back, Chris Wright). One of the ultimate arguments behind closed doors must focus on the Flyers (who at 6-8 in conference right now) own victories @ Louisville and over Pittsburgh (then ranked #6). However, they also have damaging in-conference losses and may end up losing a critical season finale to St. Joe’s. Suppose this team is out by the A-10 semi-finals … good luck keeping them in or out in under three hours of deliberation.

…also considering attention…
Oklahoma State – Byron Eaton
Virginia Tech – A.D. Vassallo
Southern Illinois – Randal Falker
Texas Tech – Martin Zeno
Villanova – Scottie Reynolds

Who is MISSING? It’s not Waldo. However, we’d like to hear YOUR teams and YOUR impact x-factor PLAYERS that will make our jobs as bracket projectionists easier…or much more difficult.

Until next time…

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