Answers from the Editor - Bracket Style [Mid-Week Edition]

Late last night/early this morning, Clement posed a series of questions. Tonight, I provide answers to those questions that surround the NCAA Tournament.

"Quin Snyder Who?"
Blake Griffin goes for 16 and 20, yet the Oklahoma Sooners lose to Missouri (who is 18-0 at home btw). Meanwhile, Kansas loses @ (2-12 in conference) Texas Tech in a relative 19-point laugher.

Q: With that in mind: has Oklahoma ruined their chances at a #1 seed?
A: For starters, I projected Oklahoma was the #6 overall team in the Big XII despite projecting them to win their conference tournament. Why is this the case? They lack the quality wins that the top 3 Big East and top 2 ACC teams have. Not to mention, Oklahoma has often played to the level of their competition, needing to pull away late in games against inferior competition. While "style points" get scrutinized more often in college football, it will be difficult to argue that OU has a stronger resume than the aforementioned teams, as well as Michigan State and Wake Forest.

"Missing in Action"
Marquette thumped Pitt in the opening stretch of the second half - with a 21-5 run out of the gates - but couldn't seal the deal, ultimately losing 90-75 to DeJuan Blair and company (largely due to a 21-2 run of their own).
Q: Is the loss of senior guard and captain Dominic James simply too devastating to take the Golden Eagles seriously come tourney time?
A: Yes. It was already going to be tough sledding for Marquette with James. Without James, Jerel McNeal is a shell of himself. In two road games against Louisville and Pittsburgh, he has shot 11-for-43 from the field.

"Really an Upset?"
Q: Let's make it simple. Whose home loss was more surprising: LSU's to Vanderbilt or Purdue's to Northwestern?
A: Because of their horrible strength of schedule, I have not drank the LSU Kool-Aid yet. Don't get me wrong, they have some quality guard play and Trent Johnson is an excellent Xs and Os coach. That said, the Purdue's loss was more surprising, because I thought they were turning the corner. I thought wrong. That Kevin Coble is some player!

"Rambling Wreck!"
Q: Admit it, after tonight's loss to Georgia Tech...even the staunchest Miami (Florida-style) supporters have to shut their yaps. Right?
A: Absolutely. Miami lost a must-win game against an ill-disciplined yet talented Georgia Tech team. It was a must-win game because the value of their best OOC win is decreasing by the minute. It's not quite over for Miami because bubble teams continue to lose and they can make up plenty of ground during Championship Week.

"It's So Hard To Say Goodbye..."
Q: Is it possible that both SEC stalwarts Kentucky (losing to Georgia) and Florida (losing to Mississippi State) sealed their bubble fates with damaging losses tonight?
A: First off, thank you, Boyz II Men. Second, the Florida/Kentucky tussle this weekend is an at-large bid elimination game. Third, I think it is possible for the winner to have a chance an at-large bid if they make the SEC Tournament Final.

"Mired in the Muck"
Q: Is it possible a mid-major (i.e. Creighton, Siena, St. Mary's, Davidson) was the big winner with SO MANY bubble teams losing in the past 48 hours (Va. Tech, Maryland, Florida, Kentucky, Miami (Fl), Georgetown, Notre Dame, Kansas State)? Or, was it a major conference squad like Providence, Texas A&M, or Arizona (who does draw Cal tomorrow)?
A: It's too early to say. These smaller tournaments must first happen, but Creighton and Siena are definitely benefitting while St. Mary's and Davidson are not far behind. Other potential winners are Rhode Island and Washington State. Both are peaking at the right time and have resumes that look better with every passing loss by every bubble team.

***Bonus Question***
"Isn't this a FOOTBALL Conference?"
No it isn't a trivial question this time. Minnesota moves to 9-8 in the Big 10 with a HUGE home victory against Wisconsin. Next up: Michigan.
Q: What are we mere mortals to make of Big Ten bubble squads Penn State, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Minnesota, Michigan, and even Northwestern? A simple in/out (as of tonight) would suffice.
A: Here are my thoughts ...
Penn State: IN
Wisconsin: IN
Ohio State: IN
Minnesota: IN
Michigan: OUT
Northwestern: OUT

Our Time Is Now: ACC Breakdown and pre-Tournament Forecasting

A few nights ago, I broke down the Big East and predicted what each non-lock Big East team still vying for an at-large bid needed to do in order to dance in two weeks. Today, it’s the ACC’s turn.

To date, I posit that no less than five ACC teams have punched their ticket for The Big Dance and no more than three teams will be considered outside of the mix unless they win the automatic bid at the ACC Tournament in Atlanta. That leaves four teams vying for at-large bids. This piece takes a look at each of these teams’ key wins, projects their remaining regular season games, and determines what work needs to be done. To make the projected record somewhat objective, I am once again using KenPom.com’s projected record, which is based on cumulative probabilities of winning each game and may not equal the individual game predictions.

IN: UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, Florida State, Clemson
OUT: NC State, Virginia, Georgia Tech
NOT YET IN: Boston College, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Miami-FL

Boston College 20-9 (8-6)
Key Wins: @ UNC, v. Duke, UAB (N), v. Florida State, @ Maryland, v. Providence
Remaining Games: @ NC State (L), v. Georgia Tech (W)
Projected Record: 21-10 (9-7)
Record v. ACC Top 5: 3-3

Maryland 18-10 (7-7)
Key Wins: v. UNC, Michigan State (N), Miami-FL (S), v. Virginia Tech, v. Michigan, v. Vermont
Remaining Games: v. Wake Forest (L), @ Virginia (W)
Projected Record: 19-11 (8-8)
Record v. ACC Top 5: 1-6

Virginia Tech 17-11 (7-7)
Key Wins: @ Wake Forest, Clemson (AS), @ Miami-FL, Boston College (S)
Remaining Games: v. UNC (L), @ Florida State (L)
Projected Record: 17-13 (7-9)
Record v. ACC Top 5: 3-5

Miami 17-10 (6-8)
Key Wins: v. Wake Forest, Florida State (S), Boston College (2), Maryland (S)
Remaining Games: @ Georgia Tech (W), v. NC State (W)
Projected Record: 19-10 (8-8)
Record v. ACC Top 5: 4-5

As a result of this exercise, Boston College finishes 9-7, which ties them with Clemson; however, Clemson wins the head-to-head tie-breaker. That said, BC earns the 6th seed. Maryland takes the tie-breaker for 7th place over Miami by virtue of their win over North Carolina. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech would finish 7-9 (even though I think they will split their last two) and would face Miami in the 8/9 clash.

********

So, what does that leave each team to do secure an at-large bid?

Boston College: Nothing (so long as they have 9 conference wins given their high number of quality wins)

Maryland: Win at least 1 game (likely versus NC State) and compete admirably against the #2 seed (likely Duke)

Miami: Win at least 1 game (likely versus Virginia Tech) and play like they belong in the NCAA Tournament against UNC

Virginia Tech: Win 1 game (likely versus Miami) and hope that no bids are stolen in the Horizon League, Conference USA, the Mountain West, the A-10 and the West Coast Conference. Also, Tech would definitely be in the NCAA Tournament with 2 wins (likely versus Miami and UNC).

Answers from the Editor - Bracket Style

Last night, Clement went where no man has gone before (except himself) and asked a series of questions pertinent to the NCAA Tournament. Today, I answer them. Is this deja vu? I think so.

Q: "On the Outside Looking In...Sorta"
Who has the best shot at a #1 seed: Memphis or Michigan State? And please, don't tell me neither (even if that's the case).

A: Neither has a realistic chance, but if you put a revolver to my head, I’d go with Michigan State. Memphis has zero chance of a #1 seed, because they have zero signature wins and zero additional opportunities for them. Michigan State has none either, but they have a number of very strong wins and could catapult to a #1 with a lot of help coupled with regular season and conference tournament championships in the Big Ten.

Q: "East Coast Bias"
Which team west of the Mississippi isn't getting enough respect: Washington, Arizona State, or Utah?

A: Actually, I think all of these teams are getting enough respect. Perhaps, many of Utah’s non-conference wins (Wisconsin-Green Bay, Ole Miss, Morgan State, Weber State, LSU, Gonzaga) have gone under the radar but they are respected, since they hold a 2-game lead in the hotly-contested Mountain West with only three to play. I would not be shocked if two of these play into the second weekend of the tournament.

Q: "Bengals from the Bayou"
How has LSU remained under the radar so much? Is SEC basketball that unexciting and uninspiring this season (outside of Mr. Meeks)? Are they a legitimate threat in the tournament?

A: LSU has remained under the radar as a result of their OOC schedule, which ranks 22^nd from the bottom of Division I. Additionally, they play 10 of their conference games in the frail SEC West (enough said). That said, they are starting to gain respect with every victory (4-0) against the sturdier SEC East. While LSU has performed admirably as we reach March, I do not see the Tigers outplaying their seed.

Q: "Hurricane Season???"
Which team is more likely to have a costly hiccup in their remaining games: Miami (Fl) or South Carolina?
A: Sadly, Miami is more likely to have that hiccup, despite being the more potent team in my opinion. South Carolina (9-4 in conference) has a realistic chance at 11 wins in conference with a visit from Rocky Top sandwiched between trips to Nashville and Athens. It’s no secret that the Hurricanes are battered and bruised, but they have started to play well in the clutch, and if they win at Georgia Tech and defeat NC State at home, then they are 8-8 in the nation’s top-ranked conference. That may keep them in the Last Four In, but we have seen that bids may be stolen in even the power conferences (e.g. Georgia).

Q: "(Mid) Major Dilemma!"
What's the (updated) prognoses on teams like Utah State, Creighton, and Siena, assuming neither of the three wins their conference tournament?

A: If Utah State does not win their conference tournament, then they should be prepared for a high NIT seed. If Creighton and Siena win the rest of their regular season games and lose in the final to the next best team, then they both should be in. Of course, a lot of this depends on other variables (i.e. teams other than Butler and Gonzaga winning their conference tournaments).

Question #6: "50/50"
Pick an ACC and a Big Ten team - out of each pairing - who you favor as being more likely to secure an at-large birth: Big Ten (Penn State or Michigan) & ACC (Virginia Tech or Maryland).

In the Big Ten, I’d give the nod to Penn State, as they have defeated the 1^st and 3^rd best team in their conference on the road. In the ACC, I would select Virginia Tech by a very slim margin based on the same rationale. That said, much can change at the conference tournament.

***Bonus Question***
What did you answer for the poll (Chalmber is Chalmers, btw...thanks Clement) and why? Just a sentence or two will do.

A: This is a great question, because I was only able to eliminate three players (Chalmers, Brewer, Noah) from this list due to the composite strength of their respective teams. I went with Juan Dixon, because fans forget exactly how dominant he was in the final two minutes of a game. Any time that Maryland needed a play to either lead a spurt or to kill a crowd, Juan Dixon did it.

NCAA Tournament Bracket Projections - February 9, 2009

For the third straight set of projections, UConn tops the charts. This pick was solidified by exemplary defense as well as two subtractions from the UNC roster (Marcus Ginyard ruled out by injury and Will Graves suspended for reasons that Roy Williams decided not to elaborate).

Though they have only one loss (to Arkansas), Oklahoma remains on the 2-line. Due to a matchup conflict, I placed them in the 6^th overall spot, though we project them to be higher than Louisville, who greeted February with a setback on Monday and an uninspiring performance on Sunday.

In terms of whose stock rose, look no further than the Tigers of Memphis and Missouri.

* I expected Memphis to be competitive against Gonzaga, but I did not expect to punish and demoralize the Bulldogs. John Calipari's management of Tyreke Evans - who came in with a selfish tag and is suddenly one of the best floor generals in the country since his move to the point – is worthy of Hall of Fame consideration on its face.

* As for Missouri, they are living up to their gaudy eye test metrics (top 25 national rating in offensive and defensive efficiency). Because they are now the 3^rd team in the Big XII, they will be the hunted and will not catch teams off guard.

Meanwhile, stock is plummeting in Austin, Lafayette, Las Vegas and State College.

* On the heels of three consecutive conference losses to teams not named Oklahoma or Kansas, Texas is in the midst of an identity crisis and it is due in part to being banged up and not having an NBA-caliber point guard in the backcourt. However, this is why Rick Barnes gets paid the big bucks. He will have this team turned around, though it may not be immediate.

* While I do not think Robbie Hummel is the best player for the Boilermakers, his absence has been felt in two losses this week. If he remains out, expect more of the same. The beneficiaries of this loss will no doubt be Ohio State, Illinois and Minnesota, who are all battling for a 'protected' seed (i.e. 4 seed or better).

* UNLV is playing awful. When you lose close games, the finger will undoubtedly be in the direction of either the best player or the point guard. In this case, it's the same player. Yeah, I'm calling you out Wink Adams. Another week like this and my stretch of a Mountain West championship becomes no more. Utah is starting to normalize.

* As highlighted by other folks, in a week that Penn State needed a split, the Nittany Lions came out empty-handed and they have three halves of utter futility to thank for it. After winning unexpectedly in East Lansing, Penn State tanked against fellow bubble teams with back-to-back double-digit losses. That's toxic for a resume and I cannot emphasize that enough.

Moving down to the last four in, I went in with the notion that I am choosing the best 34 at-large teams. Miami-FL may finish 7-9 in the ACC and may garner serious at-large consideration, especially if Kentucky (who they defeated at Rupp Arena) rights the ship and Ohio State (who they would have beaten had Jack McClinton not been wrongfully ejected) continues to play well. In the end, it came down to Arizona and Kansas State. While I think that it is slightly irresponsible to have six from the PAC 10, Arizona has a better resume than Kansas State.

On a final note, Georgetown, who was a protected seed, is out of the field. The tipping point was an overtime loss against Cincinnati, which I happened to attend. If the Hoyas can go 8-10 in the Big East given their tougher than average schedule with a semifinal run at Madison Square Garden, they carry a strong argument for an at-large bid. At this point, however, it is unrealistic to see Georgetown win four of their last seven and win at least two at MSG.

If you have any questions, comments, or just wish to send a shout, shoot me a line at phashemi@gmail.com.

The Seedings

1: UConn (Big East), North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Duke (ACC)

2: Louisville, Oklahoma (Big XII), Michigan State (Big Ten), Wake Forest

3: Memphis (C-USA), Villanova, Clemson, UCLA

4: Marquette, Xavier (A-10), Kansas, Ohio State

5: Butler (Horizon), Syracuse, Illinois, Purdue

6: Minnesota, Washington, Gonzaga (WCC), Missouri

7: Arizona State, Florida State, West Virginia, Texas

8: Tennessee (SEC), Davidson (Southern), California, Florida

9: Boston College, Dayton, Virginia Tech, UNLV (MWC)

10: Utah State (WAC), LSU, USC, Utah

11: Cincinnati, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Miami-FL

12: Siena (Metro Atlantic), BYU, Kentucky, Arizona

13: Creighton (MVC), VCU (CAA), Buffalo (MAC), Western Kentucky (Sun Belt)

14: Stephen F. Austin (Southland), North Dakota State (Summit), Vermont (America East), Cornell (Ivy)

15: VMI (Big South), American (Patriot), Tennessee-Martin (Ohio Valley), Belmont (Atlantic Sun)

16: Weber State (Big Sky), Long Beach State (Big West), Morgan State (MEAC), Robert Morris (Northeast), Alabama State (SWAC)

IN: Wisconsin, BYU, Miami-FL, Cincinnati, Creighton, Tennessee-Martin

OUT: Penn State, Georgetown, Northern Iowa, St. Mary's, Providence, Austin Peay

Last Four In: Miami-FL, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Arizona

Last Four Out: Kansas State, Mississippi State, San Diego State, Michigan

Next Four Out: Penn State, Georgetown, St. Mary's, Nebraska

Seeding Summary (Multi-Bid Conferences Only in Order of Percentage)
ACC: 8/12

Pac-10: 6/10

Big East: 8/16

Big Ten: 6/11

SEC: 5/12

Big XII: 4/12

Mountain West: 3/9

A-10: 2/14

March Madness: 8 Questions to Pose…in Advance…on Sunday

It’s a spin on our typical 5-NFL Questions columns you saw for nearly 6 straight months worth of Sunday mornings.

However, it just HAS to be March Madness-style.

In case you’ve missed our work due to tourney-fever, check out the lineup:
Thursday Streaming
Thursday Analysis
Friday Streaming
Friday Analysis
Saturday Streaming

As for today…can you answer THESE 8 questions???

...games are ordered by region and by order of start time...

After wowing the majority of the country Friday afternoon with his 40-point effort v. Gonzaga, what does the son of Dell Curry have in store for us this Easter Sunday?
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Midwest Region

#12. Villanova vs. #13. Siena
-Will Siena again be able to dictate the tempo of the game, start to finish, due to the incredible ability to isolate mismatches all over the court (mainly through their insane athleticism)?

#2. Georgetown vs. #10. Davidson

-Can Stephen Curry take a beating? While he can keep the scoreboard close, you better believe the G-Town defenders will be battering and bruising the 40-point opening round phenom.

West Region

#12. Western Kentucky vs. #13 San Diego
-Simply put, which one is better fit as Cinderella of the opening weekend?

East Region

#2. Tennessee vs. #10. Butler
-If the Bulldogs can play half as well as they did Friday, can the Volunteers rebound from such a putrid performance of their own and knock out one of the few remaining mid-major powers?

#3. Louisville vs. #6. Oklahoma
-Can Oklahoma continue to quiet the naysayers by taking care of the ball, staying out of foul trouble, and limited the impact of Louisville’s 3-point attack?

#1. North Carolina vs. #9. Arkansas
-All I can ask is, how does Arkansas plan to stop the Tar Heels from pushing it to triple digits for the second straight game?

South Region

#2. Texas vs. #7. Miami [FL]
-Can the Hurricanes ditch chucking the 1^st half and put up a 40-minute upset bid effort?

#1. Memphis vs. #8. Mississippi State
-Can the Bulldogs stay in this game by Memphis struggling from either behind the arc or at the charity stripe?

If YOU have the answers…then by all means, let us know!

See you Sunday afternoon!

Thursday FourCast: Bracket & Bubble Banter

by Chris Clement

Since I enjoyed adding “talking points” so much to Pay’s work last night, let’s do it again!

Here’s the Thursday edition. Oh yeah, here’s yesterday’s bracket projections.

1) A-10 Quarterfinals: Dayton/Xavier & Big East Quarterfinals: Villanova/Georgetown
-So maybe both don’t deserve to share the top spot; however, they both face tall mountains to climb against their conference’s regular season champions. While the Wildcats seem a much safer bubble-in squad (a 19-point brutalization over the ‘Cuse) than the Flyers, both might seal their ticket with wins early-Saturday afternoon. This could also mean relax, relief, or pure terror from the likes of Temple, UMass and St. Joe’s.

2) PAC-10 Quarterfinals: Arizona State vs. USC
-Though we have Arizona State in the field, they are not a lock to have their name called on Selection Sunday. This is not an ideal that is shared by all bracketologists. In fact, as often one of the last four in/last four out wins games they are not expected to win, the room for error for the PAC-10's #5 seed may be thinning by the day. Enter O.J. Mayo and the streaking Trojans who have the juice to drive a buzzsaw through the PAC-10 Tournament. While a loss to the Trojans might not throw them on the wrong side of the bubble, might a terrible one combined with Arizona and Oregon booking trips to the semis?

3) PAC-10 Quarterfinals, Take 2: Oregon vs. Washington State
-Could the Ducks become the first PAC-10 squad with a losing record to enter March Madness? With a recent sweep of ASU/Arizona, the Quack Attack (admit it, you like it) might seem as close to a bubble-lock as possible with a win over the Cougars. Lose the game and suddenly bubble-bound Arizona surpasses you for good and potentially 60%, rather than 70%, of the conference is tourney-bound.

4) Bubbly Bubblitis: UNLV/TCU & Miami(FL)/NC State & Florida/Alabama & Georgia/Ole Miss
-Okay, I could go on for hours. Perhaps, I could talk about the entire A-10 tournament. Instead, I selected these four games to break down the situations (or plights) of four types of bubble squads.
UNLV: Take the lead from San Diego and defend home court all the way into March Madness. Without a conference tournament title, you and New Mexico may bump each other into the last four out column.
Miami (FL): You appear more than safe after finishing 5th in the ACC and owning a win over Duke: An embarrassing loss to last year’s ACC Tournament runner-up NC State.
Florida: You now know reaching the SEC Tournament Finals may be the worst you can do. With such a young squad, does Billy “the Kid” have any magic left for the two-time defending champions to cling to?
Ole Miss: You’ve been called out by Pay as a potential sleeper. Who is my team to watch come conference tournament time? Anybody say…Nebraska??? ME!

See you Friday morning…hopefully with a little clarity.

Wednesday Night Musings

It's another Wednesday and all the more pivotal with huge games taking place in every corner of the country. We've got our eyes on a few themes.

First, I really hate Duke. Growing up a UNC fan, I normally have little trouble mustering up disgust for the Blue Devils. This year, it's been difficult. Why? Because Mike Patrick is unwatchable and he covers EVERY GAME! That said, kudos to whomever gave Greg Paulus a black eye. That's what he gets for incessant instigation and flops (Coach K calls it "leadership"). Meanwhile, UVa just broke a six-minute scoreless streak and Duke is up 12 at JPJ.

Second, could there be a changing of the guard in the Patriot League? The conference staples, Bucknell (AKA Bucky ... sorry, Wisconsin ... go beat Kansas as a #14 seed and you'll get the name back) and Holy Cross are road dogs in the Patriot League Conference Tournament, which topped off at 7pm. Right now, Bucky is down 10 at the half to Navy and Holy Cross is up 5 after the first media timeout at top-seed American.

Third, from the bubble, here are some early one-liners ...

• Patrick Patterson, who? Kentucky is up 9 at the half at South Carolina. Realistically speaking, the 'Cats can't shoot 63% or better in the second half - not even against the 'Cocks.
• In a game that Miami badly needs, they're down 7 to BC Rices. Tyrese has 18 of the Eagles' 27 points at the half. If my math is correct, that's a greater points percentage than his output on Saturday versus North Carolina.
• Dayton blew an early 12-point lead and is tied at St. Bonaventure.
• Will Jim Boeheim write the sequel to "How To Blow A Double-Digit Lead in Three-And-A-Half Minutes"? It's possible.
• UMass apparently doesn't want to be a part of the A-14. They are actually winning in a game that they are supposed to win.
• I wish I had ESPN Full Court, so I can hear Ron Franklin utter the words, "It's Bedlam". Beyond being "Bedlam", Oklahoma is in the NCAAs with a win and no further injuries. It's a tall order against a Cowboys squad that is rejuvenated and playing at home.

Checking back in at 8:45pm

• Jack McClinton has awaken from his slumber! Once down by 11 in the 2nd half to BC, the 'Canes are now up 8. Both teams are streaky, so don't be shocked if Miami blows this with five and change to go.
• Minnesota took a brief lead at Indiana on Senior + Eric Gordon Night. Yes, the whole purpose of this one-liner was to take a knock at one & down players. I had to.
• Hopes fading fast for Bucky. Down 6 with 2 to go at the Naval Academy. You can go ahead and shred the pages on the Patriot League in the Blue Ribbon Yearbook.
• Temple and Dayton are doing their best to live up to the standard of losing must-win games and have this be a 2-bid league.
• The 'Cuse lead is down to single digits and Clement is likely pulling his hair out.
• Mississippi State is up 3 late in the 1st half at Vanderbilt. Despite their 2-6 mark against the top 50, if the Bulldogs win this one, they are absolutely in the NCAA Tournament in everyone's mind.

9:30pm

• Kentucky, Dayton, Temple and Miami score crucial wins this evening. At 8-7 in the ACC with a signature win against Duke and holding non-conference wins versus VCU on a neutral court and at Mississippi State, Miami is a 99.9% lock for the NCAAs. As for Joe Crawford, who Clement highlighted in this article earlier tonight, he shot 10-for-19 from the field and sank 11 of 12 from the charity stripe en route to a cool 35 in Columbia.
• Syracuse actually holds on. Does it speak to how well the Orange played or how much control that Bobby Gonzalez has lost from Seton Hall?
• American eeks out a close one against Holy Cross. The Jeff Jones Dream is still alive. Perhaps, one mid-major from the DC area will make the NCAA Tournament.
• Meanwhile, once dead, Bucky fights on. They're in the 3rd OT with Navy. The Midshipmen's Greg Sprink had 32 points after regulation.

...Clement hacks in at 10:05pm...

• Florida is up 55-45 on Tennessee at the half. How? Shooting 68% from the field and hitting 7 of 12 from behind the arc doesn't hurt. Not to mention, Bruce Pearl's squad has 11 team fouls (including several starters with two a piece).
• Mississippi State and Vandy are notched at 74 as we enter (at least) 5 minutes of OT. The SEC is on fire tonight!
• Plenty of teams avoided a costly upset (Indiana, Duke, Notre Dame, Memphis, and Wisconsin appears to be joining them, already up 34-17 on Penn State at the half).
• Bucky took down #2-seeded Navy out of the Patriot League in 3 OT 87-86. What an incredible quarterfinal pair of matchups this conference offered up today. [I am intensely loyal to Bucknell forever due to the victory over Kansas in the '05 tourney.]
• New Orleans beat Denver. NBA Playoff implications? Nah. Just good ole' fashioned Sun Belt Conference action. GOTCHA!
• Tony Crocker did his best Blake Griffin impersonation tonight. Sooners with a nice W in Stillwater.
• Yes, I'm a Cuse fan. They held on due to opportunistic rebounding late; however, they turn the ball over WAY too much to beat ranked-Marquette...even with maybe 30,000 screaming fans in the Dome this weekend.
• I'm pumped for the CAA Awards tomorrow. It can't just be me, can it? Any predictions on Defensive Player of the Year? Anyone?
  

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

Pay is back at 10:55pm and he thanks Verizon Online DSL for a service stoppage.

• On the Bucky win, John Griffin nailed a desperation 40-footer to seal that victory. If that's not what Bucky is all about, then I don't know what is.
• Up 8 with less than two minutes to go, it looks like A&M is going to get a much-needed road victory against Baylor. The Aggies have held the Bears to 34% from the field. Curtis Jerrells has a grand total of 7 points.
• JaJuan Smith and Chris Lofton are stepping up in the second half on senior night. It's too bad that this is Florida's senior night. With under three minutes in regulation, Tennessee holds a slim advantage. Even if they win this game, Tennessee is failing the subjective "eye test" despite the second strongest set of wins (Texas).

Final words at 11:15pm

• While it's great to win close games, Bruce Pearl has to be slightly concerned. I understand that it's been a hellacious 11 days dating back to the Memphis game, but I expect more poise in March from the Volunteers.
• Big Winners: Texas A&M, Miami, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Shan Foster, A-14, Tony Crocker
• Big Losers: Florida, Baylor, Mississippi State, Navy
• Under the Radar: UAB, Houston