Brackets BUSTED: Rock, Chalked Edition

So that happened. Rock, Chalk-nation just got a case of STONES!!!

Countless expert and novice brackets had Kansas winning it all.
So much for that.
Maybe my Georgetown pick wasn't so awful after all...
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

#1-overall seed Kansas was given an early exit, on Saturday of the opening weekend, by the 9-seed Northern Iowa, losing 69-67. More than just the Midwest "Bracket of Death" is shaken up now.

Although somewhere, Evan Turner is smiling a little bigger.

Hopefully, you saw the game. Assuredly, you'll see a detailed break-down of how things went down. Nevertheless, here's the 1 fact you need to know. STONES!

It took serious STONES for Northern Iowa's Ali Farokhmanesh to drain a wide-open 3 with 34 seconds remaining. With his team up 1 and the Jayhawks completely locking down the in-bounds attempts of the Panthers, a cross-court pass to Farokhmanesh left him wide open and behind the arc. Instead of waiting to be fouled or passing the ball to a teammate to help kill time, Farokhmanesh turned and drained the deep 3, clinching (by far) the tournament's biggest upset.

The announcers weren't the only ones in the building completely stunned at the shot attempt. I won't repeat the words I uttered. But funny thing is, I knew it was going in. So did Farokhmanesh, obviously. STONES!

I've getting too repetitive, but I can't stress enough that taking that shot takes incredible STONES. You know you are going to make it when you put up a shot like that. No need to pass to a teammate, attack the hoop (they had a 2-on-1 advantage), or wait to be fouled and go to the charity stripe. Show your STONES, drain the 3, and become another highlight in tournament (and of course, Northern Iowa basketball) history.

KU will still be loaded. Nevertheless, this one will sting for quite some time.
This was a LOADED roster and a clear-cut national title contender all season long.
Brackets across the nation...shattered.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

A few other quick notes...
-Bill Self has a ring, but I still question this guy's coaching ability. He isn't in the class of the elite coaches...not yet.
-Sherron Collins was awful today. He knows it, too.
-Cole Aldrich isn't come back to Kansas. Don't pretend he will Jayhawk-nation.
-Something tells me Xavier Henry is 1-and-done as well. DraftExpress.com has him projected to be in the lottery.
-Northern Iowa is don't yet. This team is too well coaches and too gritty to stop now. -All of the 1-seed (even that one in the West I love) are on notice now.

What I'm thinking now??? Can Ish Smith hit open shots and keep Wake in contention to pull off another major upset? In the tournament, these things happen in pairs, not 3s.

Note: Running commentary isn't going anywhere tonight. I'll check in at HALFTIME of the Kentucky/Wake Forest game. BYU/Kansas State is also ongoing.

NCAA Tournament Running Commentary: Saturday Afternoon Edition

Note: I will be in and out today/tonight with some observations from the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Feel free to comment and be aware that the MOST RECENT updates will be found at the top of the post, although nothing will be deleted from earlier action.

7:20 PM

3 game currently on tap, 2 at the half and one 5 minutes to go in the 1st. Scroll DOWN to get re-caps of today's earlier action.

-Old Dominion has rallied to tie Baylor at 47. An early 11-2 run got the Monarchs right back in the game. ODU is 5-10 from behind the arc including a pair (3 total) from Ben Finney. Baylor has gone cold (as I fortold) and the pace has shored up to ODU. Nevertheless, do you favor the Monarchs in a game that may reach the 70s? ODU takes its first lead at 49-47 with 12:21 left. Baylor seems rattled.

Northern Iowa leads Kansas 52-43 in the second half as we're nearing the under-8 timeout. Because I'm a girlish corward, I've avoided watching the game. When does this become Must See TV? A lead with 5 minutes left? Or is it already now? Northern Iowa has maintained a 8-12 point lead the entire second half. Is a MAJOR story developing? I still have too many doubts...

Washington is controlling New Mexico 44-34 as we're 2 minutes into the second half. While New Mexico made a run against Montana on Thursday, the pace of this game completely favors the Huskies. Nevertheless, if this lead is under 8 with less than 10 to go, the Lobos should have plenty of chances.

6:45 PM

Careful to put up the finger too quickly. Kansas can put a 10-0 run together in less than 60 seconds far too easily. Especially if Aldrich starts blocking shots left and right.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

3 game currently on tap, 2 at the half and one 5 minutes to go in the 1st.

Washington has controlled the pace and is shooting 60% from the field against the Lobos of New Mexico. The Lobos are 3-11 from the behind the arc and are playing uglier than Steve Alford's jacket. Ouch. Isaiah Thomas Jr. and Quincy Pondexter already have combined for 17 in the 1st half. Both also have 2 fouls. Washington leads 34-25 with 4:412 to go.

Northern Iowa leads #1-overall seed Kansas (I know, do I need to add that?) at the half 36-28. The first 5 minutes of the second-half will be HUGE. If Northern Iowa wants to make the loudest statement of the tournament thus far, they must: value possessions, hit over 50% of open 3s, limit fast break opportunities for the Jayhawks, and not allow Collins to have an and-1 festival when attacking the hoop. That shouldn't be too hard, right?

Baylor leads ODU 38-28 at the half. The Bears have this game at the EXACT pace they want. Question is: when Baylor goes cold for 4-6 minutes (and believe me, they will), can ODU turn possessions into points??? The Monarchs don't hit 3s, but they can pass the ball well from the post - specifically through Gerald Lee - and leave themselves with wide open perimeter looks. ODU can't afford this lead to spread to 15+. They did trail Notre Dame by 6 at the half, but in a much lower scoring affair.

6:15 PM

As much as he's tortured Big East opponents, Scottie Reynolds will still be missed.
He's Villanova's finest guard - in my book - since Kerry Kittles.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

So there are 32 teams still alive, with far fewer possessing legit Final Four aspirations. Then again, crazier things have happened.

On the docket today is a lot of the excitement remaining from Thursday's MUST-SEE schedule (Friday was so-so at best, to be honest).

While my bracket is in pieces (2 Final Four teams = GONE), Syracuse took the #1 seeds to 104-0 against the lowly 16s. Gus Johnson seemed totally devastated Vermont didn't bury a barrage of 3s early on the in the second half to make it another "Game for the Ages". Oh well, Gus.

As for Gonzaga/Cuse, I am worried about Onuaku's absence. Rick Jackson will have to play a TON of minutes and not commit fouls. The outside shooting of Rautins, Jardine, Johnson, and (somehow) Triche should end up being a MAJOR factor. We shall see, I suppose.

As for today...let's check in.

The Vols' defense led them to victory today.
A matchup with Naismith-frontrunner Evan Turner next is likely.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

The weather in central Virginia (R-I-C!) has been absolutely stellar today and between softball practice (@11), lunch with some teammates, and a trip to Dick's for some new cleats...I haven't seen a ton of early action. Fear not, I'll be with you until the conclusion of tonight's matchups. Thanks, Five Hour Energy!!!

Currently in progress...
Old Dominion can't be happy with the pace of their game early on against Baylor. Trying to play a game in the 50s, Baylor is attacking the hoop early and holds an early 20-8 lead with 11+minutes left in the half. ODU can't afford to fall too far behind early on, as they aren't an efficient 3-point shooting team; especially considering Baylor's ability today thus far to use their team speed to attack the hoop at will.

Northern Iowa is shooting the ball very well and playing confidently against #1-overall seed Kansas. The Jayhawks started quietly on Thursday night and should have far too much size and athleticism - specifically via Collins and the Morris twins - to allow Northern Iowa to shoot themselves into a big enough lead to worry Rock, Chalk nation. Northern Iowa leads 19-15 mid-way through the 1st half.

New Mexico and Washington may be a more entertaining game than you think, although you may need a satellite to see it from your house (especially on the East Coast). The Lobos started poorly on Thursday, though they are an uber-talented team who shouldn't be dismissed because of their conference affiliation. My eyes will be on Washington's Quincy Pondexter, who single-handedly took over their matchup against Marquette down the stretch, sealing the game with less than 2 seconds with an impressive runner to secure the W for the Pac-10's Huskies. Could the Pac 10 join the WCC with a 3-0 record after 3 days? The game is tie at 19 nearing the 10-minute mark in the first half. This game could have plenty of fireworks.

Later tonight...
-In the East, Kentucky looks to keep it going against Wake Forest. How DeMarcus Cousins handles the duo of Yellow Jacket big men is of the utmost importance for Coach Cal.
-In the West, BYU tries to make the trip to Salt Lake City for the regional semi-final. However, red hot Kansas State - one of the most impressive performers of the opening day's games - has an extremely talented backcourt of their own and must be the early favorite to advance.

South Region
#2 Villanova vs. #10 St. Mary's
Fortunately I caught the last 10 minutes of each of the halves of Villanova and St. Mary's. Many people ignored Nova's recent struggles - and a complete LACK of rebounding an interior presence - and decided their region was weak enough to allow the Wildcats to return to the Final Four. No so much. Scottie Reynolds struggled all day, reverting to far too much 1-on-1 play in the closing possessions, as St. Mary's became the first team to punch a ticket to the Sweet Sixteen, defeating the 2-seeded Wildcats 75-68.

Omar Samhan, who makes Sam Perkins circa-96 look like he had LeBron's vertical, may be the emerging star of the tournament thus far. After completely dominating the Spiders of Richmond in the opening round (29 and 12), Villanova had ABSOLUTELY no answer for Samhan (32 and 7 on 13-16 shooting from the field). Samhan sealed the game with a late block as well. The Gaels leave the WCC 3-0 and should be considered a legit contender out of the South region in Houston next weekend.

Midwest Region
#6 Tennessee vs. #14 Ohio
It may be difficult to think of a team who played a more complete game - on both sides of the ball - than the Bobcats did in the opening round; especially considering their opponent (Georgetown). That momentum couldn't be carried over against the Volunteers, who led by 11 at the half and kept that lead for the majority of the second half - outside of one brief spurt by Ohio that cut the Tennessee lead to 5 - due to the Vols' superior athletes and shooting 55% from the field. 12 missed free throws (14-26) from the Bobcats certainly didn't help.

If you had Tennessee in the Sweet Sixteen after Tyler Smith's exit from the team...you are far more adept than I am. The true question is if Bruce Pearl and the Vols can finally advance to the Elite Eight, after being frequent second weekend participants in years past.

West Region
#5 Butler vs. #13 Murray State
This one will sting for the Racers. Leading by 3 with less than 90 seconds to go, the charity stripe was good to Butler; meanwhile Murray State struggled to find quality shots. On the last possession of the game, the Racers failed to get off a 3, thanks in large party to gritty, tenacious defense from the Bulldogs behind the 3-point line. Cinderella took a backseat unfortunately as this game slipped away from the underdog.

2010's Fab Five: So to Speak...

Note: Check out Pay's bracket reflections for 2010 HERE.

After last night's rather lengthy introduction, I'll make things short and sweet today, introduction-wise.


Here are 5 names you need to know before the tournament tips off.

Some you may know quite well, whereas others are names you've never even considered (or even heard of) having an impact on this tournament.

Nevertheless, they may end up mattering much more than you think.

In recent years, names like Will Thomas/Josh Pace/Courtney Lee/Rashad Anderson/Lee Humphrey/Danny Green and many many more popped up far more often than you might've expected, much to some people's surprise.



It can't always be the Okafor/Carmelo/Hansbrough/Battier/Dixon star of the favored teams that get all the praise, right?

Is there a better college hoops' pre-game than, "We are Georgetown"???

I doubt it.

Credit: DayLife.com

Midwest Regional: Chris Wright (PG, Georgetown)
It might be an oversimplication, but as Wright goes...the Hoyas' tournament chances go. Greg Monroe may be the MVP and Austin Freeman might be the team's #1 offensive impact player, but if Hoya Paranoia will sweep past the likes of a potential trio of opponents consisting of Tennessee, Ohio State, and Kansas...Wright has to be THE man. He also has to do it for 40 minutes - on both sides of the ball - during all three matchups. After seeing him play in the Big East Tournament, it isn't nearly the stretch it might've seemed earlier this season. Who does Wright remind me of? Ben Gordon and the UCONN Huskies (of both '03 and '04). Don't assume I'm putting Wright on equal footing skill-wise with Gordon. No dice. However, as Gordon went...so went the Huskies' Final Four aspirations. Check his stats during the '04 title run. Sick!

It's impossible to find a picture of Riley in game-action. That should tell you a lot.
This guy sees more court time than Riley...for now.

Credit: RootZoo.com

West Regional: DaShonte Riley (C, Syracuse)
Of course I had to go Syracuse. But stick with me for a minute. While Arinze Onuaku's "quad" injury has been anything but underreported, it still remains to be seen/guessed how Jim Boheim - for a game, two games, or the tournament - will balance his 7-man rotation. Especially if Onuaku struggles physically, with his conditioning, or avoiding fouls with heavy legs. Does Mookie Jones see increased minutes? Or is DaShonte Riley, a freshman who's played sparringly and produced even less, the man asked to fill the paint? Both seem unlikely. Nevertheless, a 6-man rotation (no matter how talented) can only get you so far in late March. If Rick Jackson finds himself in foul trouble, does Riley stand on a front line with Wesley Johnson and Kris Joseph? Or (gasp) do Riley and Jones somehow see playing time together. Scary, even borderline terrifying, questions for even the most adament Cuse supporters.

Kinda fun to look at that top 10, isn't it?

Credit: CNNSI.com

East Regional: Isaiah Thomas, Jr. (PG, Washington)
You want to make a name for yourself young man...here is your chance. The last Washington basketball player to come into the tournament with any legit hype was Nate Robinson (sorry, Spencer Hawes). Robinson's translated that - alongside considerable talent and grit - into NBA notability. The kid can sorta dunk well, too. As for Zeke Jr., he's been under the radar a little more than I expected. Ala Patrick Ewing Jr, perhaps. While Washington isn't advancing very far in many brackets, Jr remains a talented scorer and is playing his best basketball of the year right now (Baby Zeke took home MVP of the Pac-10 Tournament...yeah, they still had one). A glaring weakness does appear to be his assist-to-turnover ratio (92 assists to 76 turnovers); however, you gotta love a sophomore shooting over 93% from the charity stripe. He has the pedigree, but does he have the moxy to keep his team alive after the first weekend?

It's hard to find a player from Finland to root for. Too bad (for me) he's a Monarch.
Credit: ODUSports.com

South Regional: Gerald Lee (PF, Old Dominion)
I had to go mid-major. I had to go CAA. Double duh! With Eric Maynor out of the picture (finally, George Mason fans), star billing in one of America's premiere mid-major conferences fell to - of all people - a Finish import named Gerald Lee. He's also a mid-major European big man who isn't overly obsessed with shooting the 3-ball. A rare, athletic talent at his size (6'10), Lee was the only Monarch to score (14.6) in double digits this season. A sign for concern? Hardly. ODU plays suffocating defense, crashes the glass on both sides extremely effectively, and Lee plays as well with 2 fouls in the first half as any player I've seen in the country. Especially those who aren't Dookies being protected by the shield. Yeah, I said it. Adding to that, Lee also owns two wins over Georgetown. Not too many others can say that in the past four seasons. Notre Dame has a talented frontcourt; however, I want to see Gody and company contain the 6'10 Finn inside the paint. ODU may even be able to force Notre Dame into old bad habits, chucking up countless 3s against a tough 3-2 zone, thanks in large part to Lee's ability to guard off the ball and rebound in the paint against lankier opponents. Silky smooth may be overused, but it describes Lee to a T. Hey, that rhymed!!!

Seriously, watch It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. PLUG!


Credit: HoustonPress.com

Wild-Card: Green Man (Location: TBA)
He'll show up in a variety of colors and at more locations than you may expect. Nevertheless, the spawn (or at least the best usage ever) of an It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia-cult classic is one of the funniest and most welcome sites in student sections across the country. Do your thing, Green Man. For all of us.

There's plenty of other names out there. (*Cough* Kevin Anderson of U of R)
YOU tell ME who they are...for you.

Man, you gotta experience this live. It's unmatched in my book.
Even as a loyal Cuse fan.



Note: Check out Pay's bracket reflections for 2010 HERE.

5 Bracket Scenarios: Which is Most Intriguing???

Plenty of scenarios have come up lately from major media outlets this week in relation to brackets and the overall madness we have in March, including:

-2 Big East matchups BEFORE the regional finals (CBS)
-Sticking it to sound reasoning and filling our your bracket in 64 seconds (CNNSI)
-A truly wide-open tournament in which even Kansas, Syracuse, Duke, and Kentucky are far from locks to advance deep into the bracket (Yahoo!)
-BYU, who hasn't won a two tournament games in one postseason since 1981, is potentially Elite Eight bound. (ESPN)

Chalk city, right? No? Tell us YOUR sleeper. And please, no 2 or 3-seed sleepers.
Credit: None needed. It's a picture of chalk.

Nevertheless, I have 5 scenarios of my own I'd like to throw out there...

1) Is it completely unrealistic to believe that the Big East can put in two, three, or (gasp!) even four teams into the Final Four. Take that 1985! Syracuse is the 1-seed in the West (Onuaku's health a MAJOR factor), Georgetown is a lethal 3-seed in the Midwest (although Kansas and Evan Turner lay in the weeds), Villanova is the #2 (which they shouldn't be) in a weak South region headlined by the Dookies, and West Virginia (the nation's "should've been a #1-seed") is the top nemesis in the East for the young pups (does that work with a team mascot of a Wildcat) of Kentucky.

2) If this isn't a chalk bracket, could anything possibly top 2000?
-Two 1-seeds out in the first weekend (Arizona & Stanford)
-Three 2-seeds out in the first weekend (St. John's, Cincinnati, & Temple)
-Two 8-seeds in the Final Four (North Carolina & Wisconsin)
-Elite Eight with matchups of a 3 vs. 5, 7 vs. 8 (with Tulsa included), 8 vs. 6, and a solitary 1 vs. 2
Although I can't go without saying that #1-seed Michigan State did end up cutting down the nets when all was said and done. Nevertheless, could such chaos be replicated again?

3) Are the 12-seeds getting a little too much respect? Is Cornell really prepared to take down such a highly underrated (in terms of the brackets) Temple? Is Butler being too easily dismissed against UTEP? Are people bold enough to go against Tom Izzo in March with New Mexico State as their opening round flyer!?!?

4) Statistics have been flying around that you can't win it all without at least 3 NBA players on your team. They don't all need to be All-Stars or even perennial starters, but you better have at least three. Want an exception? It's not so easy, unless you're me (and that's not due to my intellect, believe me). Syracuse in 2003. Carmelo Anthony, Hakim Warrick, and ??? Keep wondering, because there wasn't another. Not even sitting on the end of the bench, waiting to play.

5) Might the tie-breaker (typically total points) in the championship game not be enough? A ton of chalk is behind Kansas (for good reason). Syracuse and Kansas State dominate the West's bracket favorites. Duke and Villanova (don't call them a sleeper, please) for the South. West Virginia still hasn't passed Kentucky in the East, either. While there are other selections out there, outside of these eight, - i.e. Baylor, Ohio State, Georgetown, and even Texas A&M - you might be 1 of MANY in your office, work, or social networking pools that has Kansas v. Kentucky in the final. That means you better correctly identify the winners of those pesky 8/9 and 7/10 games (forget the major upsets) and target your 2-seed that falls the earliest. Otherwise, total points it may be...

...unless bracket managers get crafty and come up with a SITUATIONAL set of 5 questions. Let's say it is chalk-city and it's Kansas vs. Kentucky. Here are my 5 (you?):

Pay and I can't be alone when noticing this guy's bullishness, right?
Credit: CommercialAppeal.com

1) How many actual fouls will DeMarcus Cousins commit?
2) How many NBA scouts will be in attendance?
3) How many times will we hear Sherron Collins described as "gutsy"?
4) How long until they void this Final Four for Coach Cal (he's already lost two)?
5) How many hours in the hotel room before tip-off will Jim Nantz practice his not-so-famous final lines (i.e. "Simon Says Championship")?

Saturday Afternoon Running Blog

Check out Pay's latest brackets.
Jim Calhoun haters, rejoice!!!

7:00 pm

The afternoon becomes the evening...

The health of Robbie Hummel is much more important than Purdue winning tomorrow afternoon.
It wouldn't hurt the Boilermakers though.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

* #1 UNC goes down to Florida State in a great game. Derwin Kitchen sinks two clutch free throws and Ellington/Green misfire on late three-point attempts. Two games to remember for Kitchen in back-to-back-days (see: game winning layup against Georgia Tech in the closing seconds). Toney Douglas ia an amazing talent; however, he's very fortunate to be surrounded by a rock solid sidekick. Fear not Tar Heel fans, you're going to get a #1 seed. Your team more than earned it. In fact, you'll still be in Greensboro. Start snapping up tickets soon.

* Meanwhile, the Seminoles will meet the Blue Devils of DOOK tomorrow afternoon. I just might post a few questions tonight to Pay concerning the ACC Tournament Championship. Although I gotta wonder out loud: how many Seminole fans thought they'd win the ACC Championship...in basketball. By the way, the Dookies won't get a #1-seed, even if they wack the 'Noles AND the Orange defeat the Cardinals in MSG. Why? Duke needed to beat UNC to get the 1-seed, despite an uber-impressive resume. Disagree?

* Michigan State lost out on their only chance at a 1-seed, further dare-I-say-guaranteeing Louisville a chance to secure a #1-seed tonight at MSG. Pitino's boys are HEAVILY favored. For good reason, too. Ohio State just moved up a line or two as well, far away from the bubble.

* Is LSU trying to get the SEC a third bid by losing to Mississippi State? No. Is LSU as likely a top seed as there is to be upset VERY early next weekend? Yes. No wait. YES! The Bulldogs will match up with the Vols, who may have ended the season for the Tigers of Auburn. Somewhere, Chris Porter isn't happy. I remain unfazed altogether about SEC basketball.

* Temple leads Duquesne 42-37 at the half. Both teams aren't "stealing" bids. Why? Because every team on the bubble has dug their own grave. Two times over.

* Purdue defeated Illinois, avoiding their third straight loss. That's as sexy as a one-liner you'll get from a Big Ten result.

* Missouri leads Baylor by 4 points at the half. It's fun watching the Bears pull upset after upset, unlike Georgia last season. That team was very very bad, while I believe Baylor is a good team.

* Arizona State leads USC by 15 at the break. While USC worked their way closer to the bubble, an ugly loss here proves that the Trojans aren't going to be "in".

* San Diego State is one of the roughest bubble teams to gauge I've seen in the last 3-4 years. They can avoid any conflict and a sleepless night if they upset the Utes of Utah tonight. Will they? No. Why? To make the life of the Selection Committee more difficult. Seriously? No. But it sounds better, doesn't it?

* Also out west, in the WAC, Utah State could become the first 27-win team to NOT make the tournament. How? They might lose the automatic bid to mainstay Nevada. What changed the Wolfpack's season? Please don't mention the ,"Coach's ejection that led to a Friday night Bracketbuster weekend against VCU and my boy Eric Maynor who was too tired to carry his entire team who stood around and watched him play and wouldn't step up and make even one shot on the road, although I'm glad they did; especially Larry Sanders in the CAA Championship Game." Call it a hunch, but I'm predicting a Wolfpack upset. Why? To be a pain in every bracketologist's butt. Sorry Pay.

* There's also that aforementioned primetime game involving the "Overtime Orange" and the talented Cardinals of Louisville. Terrance Williams is licking his chops; meanwhile, Johnny Flynn and Eric "K-Fed" Devendorf better be ready for another 40-minute dogfight. Or will it be 40-minutes plus? You decide.

Back later. Maybe Pay can interject more sensible bracket banter.

3:30 pm

Coach Cal and Memphis cut down their yearly nets at the Conference USA Tournament.
Might as well be called the "Memphis Tigers Challenge".
By the way, could Memphis inch closer to a 1-seed if Louisville was upset by the (insert: tired) Orange?
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

* Mississippi State joined Baylor (Big XII) & USC (Pac-10) as "Georgia's of 2009", aka teams trying to "steal bids with spots in their respective championship games". Although let it be know that Georgia was horrific last year and their coach was going to be fired any second. The Bulldogs and Trojans largely underachieved this season, thus far.

Note: Nobody should feel bad for any of the bubble teams. Nobody - even the most bleeding heart Maryland fans (who remember, lost to UVA on Sunday) - will be robbed of a birth this year.

* Pay proves to me yet again why he's the "bracket master", proving to me why many experts - including himself - has Arizona (with 3 wins against Conference Champions - Washington, Kansas, & Gonzaga) outside the bubble.

* Tony Kornheiser can rejoice as Binghamton is in the big dance, via the American East automatic bid. I'm always happy when Vermont is absent.

* Memphis keeps on winning. By a lot. There should be no debate about them being a 1 or 2 seed. If they are tired of the disrespect Conference USA is getting, leave the conference or share the wealth of your recruiting classes.

* Ohio State is ending the argument for Michigan State to earn a #1-seed, leading the Spartans 69-58 during the under-4 timeout at Conseco Field House. The Buckeyes will also lock down a spot in the Big Dance, recently a 10-seed with a few lingering questions in today's bracket from Pay.

* Florida State and UNC are enjoying the game of the afternoon. Psycho T with a rare "frustration foul" to earn his 4th. He won't earn a 5th. Mark it down. Seminole fans have been asking for the calls to even out; however, the refs have been steady. Toney Douglas is a baller, folks. This kid could carry this underrated team DEEP into the tournament. Welcome Wayne Ellington to playing well in a big time game. Yes, the Heels are still sans-Lawson.

* Auburn and Tennessee are prepared to tip off. If the Tigers want to go dancing, they need to pull off the upset.

InClement Weather: Midnight Musings

Check out Pay's latest bracket projections.
Also check out the schedule for conference tournaments.

A few highlights from the night of college basketball...

Close to a brawl at MSG. No dice though. Shocker. K-Fed was involved.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Dexter Pittman led Texas past Colorado. No surprise. The Buffs have lost 22 games this season. One word. OUCH!

Robert Morris received a lucky bounce down the stretch and defeated Mount St. Mary's 48-46 to secure their first NCAA Tournament bid since 1984 as Northeast Conference Champions. In case you didn't know, "The Mount" took out Robert Morris the past two seasons in the Championship game, on their own homecourt no less. Did any of that interest you?

Portland State and Montana State are tied up at 50 at the under-16 timeout in the Big Sky Championship. I'm not watching. Sorry, folks.

I can't feign an interest in the A10 Tournament yet. Sorry yet again. Ditto for the opening rounds of the SWAC, Mountain West, Conference USA, MEAC (quarterfinals), and the Pac-10 opener (Stanford over Oregon State and Oregon vs. Washington State). Oh yeah, Oregon has 22 losses too. Symmetry is cool.

...as for the rating draw of the night...

The Big East left ESPN360 and hit the "real networks" to broadcast the (real) opening round of the Big East Tournament.

As expected, teams 1-8 survived.

DePaul flirted with Providence, but ran out of gas down the stretch to a better team. Pay was right, this win meant nothing for Providence (who is squarely on the bubble). As Pay's second team out, the Friars may not get their at-large bid with just a valiant effort against #1-seed Louisville. In this writer's opinion, the Friars need the outright W for the outright bid. Don't worry symmetry opponents, DePaul has 24 losses.

Marquette broke a 4-game winning streak, leading by as much as 38-10 at the half. Don't get too excited. They were playing St. John's.

West Virginia took an early lead on Notre Dame and never looked back. In case you didn't know, I l-o-v-e watching Notre Dame lose. Here is a memo to Mike Brey:
1) Wear a tie.
2) Luke Harangody is the WORST defensive player I have ever seen.
3) Kyle McAlarney is a liability as he can't score inside 23-feet (and not efficiently enough outside of it).
4) Seriously dude, wear a tie.

Syracuse fought off a scrappy Seton Hall team, who actually led the Orange 37-36 in the second half. Turning point (outside of Cuse having superrior talent) was a scuffle between Arinze Onuaku and John Garcia (who?). AO taunted with a sissy-clap, earning a technical after Garcia shoved him, and a play later a flagrant foul (which should have led to an immediate ejection) led to Cuse opening up a 20-point lead in the next 8 minutes. Eric Devendorf going white-trash on the crowd was just a perk, I suppose. Jay Bilas then gave a 10-minute lecture. Not so good.

Luke didn't look faxed after getting posterized. Why? It happens a lot.

Thursday NCAA Tournament Streaming Updates & Re-Caps

Welcome to our live streaming updates at PHSports, beginning Thursday afternoon and concluding Sunday evening as we go from 64 to a Sweet 16.

Check in throughout the day for score updates, reactions, insights, and potential reactions to an upset or two. (Or so we hope.)

You can find "10 reactions to Opening Thursday" HERE tonight after the final games end.

...Completed Games...

East Region

Mike Brey doesn't wear a tie. He also has a Duke-pedigree.
Translation: His team shoots a TON of threes and flops on defense extremely well.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

#4. Washington State 71
#13. Winthrop 40 [Final Score]
The game was tied at halftime; however, the Cougars annihilated Winthrop in the second-half 42-11. OUCH.

#5. Notre Dame 68
#12. George Mason 50 [Final Score]
Will Thomas was a MAN; however, Notre Dame was extremely prepared for this matchup. Interesting Saturday matchup vs. WASU, indeed for the Irish.

Midwest Region

UNLV's Curtis Terry helped lead the effort against Kent State for the W.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

#1. Kansas 85
#16. Portland State 61 [Final Score]
Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk. Nothing else left to say as the winner of Kent St./UNLV has a nightmarish matchup awaiting them. Good luck to that team!

#8. UNLV 71
#9. Kent State 58 [Final Score]
Kent State's performance (tying a tourney record with only 10 first-half points) is embarassing. I underestimated Coach Kruger a little too much.

#6. USC 67
#11. Kansas State 80 [Final Score]
Beasley wins the scoring battle and earns the W. How again was KSU an 11-seed?

#3. Wisconsin 71
#14. Cal-State Fullerton 55 [Final Score]
Wisconsin didn't exactly put away last year's first-round opponent until late either.

South Region

Jerel McNeal and the Golden Eagles were willing to force Kentucky to milk possessions and take difficult shots at the end of the shot clock.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

#5. Michigan State 72
#12. Temple 61 [Final Score]
When your star player can't buy a bucket...bye bye tourney run. Michigan State vs. Pitt (if they beat Oral Roberts) is an official bracketbuster.

#6. Marquette 74
#11. Kentucky 66 [Final Score]
Crawford (35 points) and Bradley (played with 4 fouls the final 10+minutes) tried their best, but Marquette was the better team - especially on the defensive front - today. No first-round loss for Marquette this season.

#4. Pittsburgh 82
#13. Oral Roberts 63 [Final Score]
Nothing like an 18-0 run first-half run to blow open your first-round matchup. If Field plays like this, Pitt may be Final Four-bound.

#3. Stanford 77
#14. Cornell 53 [Final Score]
Stanford's size will match up quite nicely with Marquette's phenomenal team-speed.

West Region

Henderson's coast-to-coast layup with under 12 seconds to play allowed Duke to escape the MAJOR upset.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

#3. Xavier 73
#14. Georgia 61 [Final Score]
Throughout their SEC Tournament-run, Georgia slipped up in the second-half. They weren't able to survive such a defensive slip-up against the Musketeers, who were lights out, especially at the free throw-line, in the second half rally.

#6. Purdue 90
#11. Baylor 79 [Final Score]
Purdue just squashed any chance of a Baylor-run in the second half. Baylor did not deserve to be in this field. I said it Selection Sunday evening. I meant it.

#2. Duke 71
#15. Belmont 70 [Final Score]
I honestly thought that half-court prayer might fall. If only...

#8. BYU 62
#9. Texas A&M 67 [Final Score]
BYU's can blame themselves for this loss: make your free throws (7-14 FTs)!

#7. West Virginia 75
#10. Arizona 65 [Final Score]
Is there anything better than ANOTHER 1st-round exit for the Wildcats? NO!!!

#1. UCLA 70
#16. Mississippi Valley State 29 [Final Score]
UCLA should allow people in the stands to walk-on and play tonight for them in the second half. (Sorry MVS.)

Arizona & WVU provided some late-game theatrics, at least inbetween the under-8 and under-4 timeouts for insomniacs.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Big props to Armin for helping with these posts this afternoon. Amazing work, bro.

Stick with us all day and night Friday, and this weekend, for enhanced updates, analysis, and one-liners!!!!

Note: If you’re feeling a little down in-between games, feel free to check out:
-Players we LOVE in March Madness
-Upsets we LOVE in March Madness
-Games we LOVE in March Madness
-A Dozen Thoughts on the Bracket and Selection Sunday

Until next time...

Six Thoughts on the Field of 65: Pay & Clement Vent

Here were our final bracket projections
We were proud of our work (63 out of 65), but less than enthused with several unfair major-biased outcomes and several odd-seedings.

Chris Wright might be the most talented player NOT in the field,
but his injuries were not a reason Dayton should have been allowed in the field.
Credit: ViewImages

1) Mid-Majors Get the Rawest of Deals

34 at-large bids. 28 go to “Majors” and 6 go to “Mid-Majors”. How sweet! Sadly, ESPN’s Jay Bilas (picking the four #1 seeds, pansy) openly stated during ESPN's watered-down Bracketology 101 that mid-majors get a break on their schedules (please, who will schedule 95% of them?) while CBS’s brilliant duo of Nantz/Packer (hah!) believe the mid-majors are going to continue to lose steam as conferences continue to expand. I'm asking this to all parties involved: explain to me how Illinois State isn’t getting half the pub of half-runs like Dayton, UMASS, Virginia Tech, and even UAB (since when was Conference USA reputable in the least bit?) as being snubbed? Point is: ESPN needs to cancel Bracketbusters. They don’t matter. It just excites those of us who support the little guys and boosts established mid-majors in that particular season (i.e. Kent State, Gonzaga, Drake, and Butler.) VCU’s win at Akron (or winning the CAA by 3-games) was useless and the MVC (8-2 in Bracketbusters) couldn’t land a second team in the field while the Sun Belt got 2 and the WCC 3 (Illinois State again, anyone?)

2) Sheet of Integrity: Who Cares!

I’m not going to hide my emotions. I’m far from excited about this bracket. It’s going to be #1-team heavy in most Final Four predictions, experts and novices (not me though!). UNC, Kansas, and UCLA will be in at least 75% of most bracketeer’s Final Fours. Is Memphis, as a #1 seed, truly a wild-card? At least Bob Knight picked Pittsburgh to win the while thing. With so few mid-majors present (go Mason!), Oregon a 9-seed, several rather ludicrous seedings (Kansas State all the way down to #11, Kent State a 9-seed, and USC only a 6-spot?) and plenty of undeserving teams (nearly every seed 10 through 12)…how can I be excited??? Nice try tournament committee matching up UNC/Indiana potentially and offering up Beasley/Mayo in the opening round. Pay and I instantly realized that both were simply TV-based matchups. Those typically don’t work out, either. I have to fairly admit though, a small portion of my skepticism is rooted in the fact that my childhood team is the Orange and I am an alum of VCU.

3) Last Two Out?

I’m ecstatic Ohio State (2-10 vs. the RPI Top 50) and Virginia Tech (1-7 against the RPI Top 50) didn’t ride overrated final weeks to get in. As inspiring as Seth Greenberg (who I love) tried to be following Tech’s 2-point last-second loss to the Heels, Greenberg yelled and screamed because his team didn’t have the credentials to lay out for anyone. You don't get into the tournament for "almost-beating" anyone either. No matter how close it seems or where the game is played. As for the Buckeyes, two home wins against Big Ten squads just ain’t enough. My frustration with Oregon’s #9 seed is only quenched minimally with the exclusion of the Buckeyes and Hokies.

4) Switching Around a Few Things…

Interesting, to say the least, to see Georgetown acquiesced so much (first for not being able to play in DC and for Texas not being able to be grouped in the same region as Texas). In fact, they might’ve moved down two full rankings and allowed Kansas a much easier pass to the Final Four (remember who coaches them though) and an easier path for them to the Elite Eight against Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk. Tennessee was arguably the 5^th or 6^th overall seed and is now in the same bracket as overall #1 UNC. Is this fair? Probably not.

5) An Arizona Argument Not Involving John McCain

Arizona proved how mighty a fantastic (#2 overall) SOS is. While the RPI had to matter behind closed doors, it’s clear conferences and conference marks didn’t (according to the tourney chairman, at least). That’s the only reason I can conceive ASU (who swept Arizona and owns a win versus Stanford which Zona doesn’t) was the first Pac-10 team out and Arizona was the last Pac-10 team in (again, don’t get me STARTED on Oregon). Arizona State had a putrid out-of-conference schedule. Then again, it is their fault LSU and Illinois stunk up the joint? ASU also won against #3-seed Xavier by 22 points! I knew Arizona would be in, but I don’t like it at the expense of ASU, no matter how many RPI Top 100 opponents they had. (I also HATE Arizona. Yeah, I said it.)

6) Predictions and Projections

For the last eight years, I have taken my pre-season champion pick immediately after I first see the field of 64/65. At least when it’s humanely possible. At the beginning of the season, here was my Final Four: North Carolina, UCLA, Kansas, and Michigan State (whoops). I won’t reveal who I picked as my pre-season champs; however, it’s fair to say they will be a popular pick to cut down the nets in San Antonio. Oh yeah, MJ didn’t play there. There’s one clue.

Note: The four-letter network has angered me a lot over the past few weeks. However, their special 'Black Magic' (Documentary about athletes who attended black colleges and universities, specifically during the Civil Rights Movement) is powerful and moving. It should be mandatory viewing in ALL classrooms (and will be in my own).

…Pay will be up shortly to rant and rave much more effectively…

Clement has cited many of the bones that I was to pick, so to avoid being redundant, I will mention some other things on my mind following the Tournament Selection Show.

1) Bracket Results

As Clement stated, we successfully picked 63 of 65 teams in correct fashion. Here are the unofficial bracket metrics:

Correct Teams: 63/65

Exact Seeds: 32/65

Within One Seed: 52/65

In sum, I am not too happy with the results given the amazing work that both Clement and I put in. Did I mention humility was among my strongest attributes? While I am not surprised by the inclusion of either South Alabama or Oregon (they were our last two out), their seedings remain curious. This leads us to ...

2) What On Earth Were You Thinking?

As a fan, I love that George Mason (my alma mater) is in a pod with Notre Dame (i.e. the team that every mid-major wants to play) and Washington State. As someone who projects brackets, I was shocked. Up until Arkansas choked, WASU was our top #7 seed and was immediately ousted from the conversation for a #4 seed. Why? Try 0-5 against the conference brass. If you don't buy that one because UCLA and Stanford are really superb, why don't you consider their 4-7 mark against the RPI Top 50? Were the road wins versus Boise State, Baylor and Gonzaga in non-conference play more important than a 10-8 finish?

3) Do Vanderbilt's Wins at Memorial Gymnasium Count As Neutral Court Victories?

That's the only way they deserve a #4 seed. Yes, I understand that they defeated mighty Tennessee. So did the team that forgot how to play basketball, Arkansas - not to mention, they did it on an actual neutral court. Oh wait. They also defeated the Commodores twice. I laud Kevin Stallings for his amazing coaching job the last two seasons and his ability to craft a schedule that largely avoids facing off against the lower-third of Division I college basketball. With that said, the bulk of Vandy's results were within the friendly confines of Memorial Gymnasium (a very underrated home court advantage). They sustained 3 losses of 16 points or more away from home, two of which were against non-tournament teams. I apologize if I sound hostile. I just provide the facts, rather than some distorted, politically correct hogwash.

4) While I Love Blake Griffin, I Am Not In Love With Oklahoma's #6 Seed

Since January 27, you have had floor seats to my somewhat unhealthy man crush on Blake Griffin. Though the Sooners sustained injury after injury (by the way, their medical team deserves an award) this season, they had 11 losses, went 6-8 against the RPI Top 50 and were a meager 8-8 on road and neutral settings. Oklahoma had zero signature victories and had its best victory (by the seedings) in Charleston against West Virginia. Meanwhile, Phil Martelli has to be licking his chops with this favorable matchup and a veteran team led by Pat Calathes. If the team that beat Xavier twice comes out, then this may be decided by the third media timeout.

5) Let's Not Fake The Funk

Over the course of a few months in which you become familiar with team resumes, it's comical to think that conference affiliation is not brought up. It's irrelevant. Why? Because if you actually know the resumes of teams, then you know their credentials. If you still have a few brain cells remaining, you can extrapolate the conference in which the team plays. Since everyone knows exactly who is being discussed, let's talk about conference affiliation. Let's bring up the records of double-digit seeds from major conferences in years past. Let's just be honest and lay it all out there. Then, we can all have our ice cream celebrating your informed decisions.

6) Penalize Conferences That Play Their Tournaments on Home Courts Of Non #1 seeds

I'm talking to you, Mountain West and West Coast Conferences. UNLV earned a #8 seed with two home wins against BYU (only wins against the RPI Top 50), the second leading to an automatic bid. Mind you, the Runnin' Rebels required late-game heroics against basketball giants Texas Christian and benefited immensely from the home crowd against a determined yet considerably weak Utah squad. In the West Coast Conference, we all know about San Diego. If you watched the tournament, you could not have scripted better choke jobs from St. Mary's (15-2 run to end regulation forcing overtime) and Gonzaga (they fell two seed lines for not showing up entirely). As a result, the tournament selection committee made an unprecedented decision to include three teams from the 14th-rated conference in what was a perfect storm scenario - both Gonzaga and St. Mary's are legit. In addition to punishing conferences that play tournaments on the home court of a team that did not win the regular season, let us punish teams that lose their conference tournament on their home floor (South Alabama), especially when it's not to the team that wins the automatic bid.