NCAA Basketball Tournament

Bruce Pearl Uses Memphis Interest for a Nice Bump From Tennessee

Chas Rich — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:33:00 EST

Filed under: C-USA, SEC, Tourney Coaches

Nothing like the threat of having a bitter in-state rival possibly poaching your coach to force another contract extension, even after a somewhat disappointing season. Memphis was hoping to land Bruce Pearl from Tennessee, with a whopping seven-year, $21 million contract according to some reports.

Memphis was reportedly looking to make a big splash after losing John Calipari to Kentucky. Rick Pitino was not going to be walking through that door. Neither was Tim Floyd coming from USC -- despite apparently listening. Bruce Pearl may or may not have been interested, but Tennessee was not going to let Pearl even appear to be considering an offer from Memphis.

The Tennessee athletic department issued a statement announcing the new deal for Pearl, with details of the renegotiated six-year deal coming soon. The press release came complete with statements from Pearl announcing his fealty to the Volunteers.

"I want to ensure the University of Tennessee and its fans that I'm 100 percent committed to this school, this program and our student-athletes.

"I truly love my job, and I want it to be clear that I'm not interested in any other job. There's no place in the country I'd rather be than the University of Tennessee. My children are happy here in the Knoxville community--one is in high school, one is in middle school and two are currently attending the university.

"My staff and I are building a consistent top-25 program and I'm honored and privileged to serve the greatest fans in the country. Tennessee has all the resources necessary to win championships, from our recently upgraded facilities to our ability to schedule.

"It's great to be a Tennessee Vol!"

It really is great. Especially when the salary keeps rising to stay one. Last year, Pearl got an extension that raised his average salary over the life of the contract to around $2.3 million.

Not bad after a season where the Volunteers were picked to be a preseason top-15 team, struggled in a very weak SEC, and were bounced in the first round of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 9 seed.

Bruce Pearl Uses Memphis Interest for a Nice Bump From Tennessee originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Will The Next Coach at Memphis Have Anyone to Coach?

Chas Rich — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:25:00 EST

Filed under: C-USA, Tourney Coaches

The fallout of John Calipari leaving Memphis looks to be immediate and swift. John Wall is obviously not going to Memphis without John Calipari. The disintegration of one of the best recruiting classes ever is the first and obvious casualty.

DeMarcus Cousins has not signed his Letter of Intent (LOI), so he is free to sign with another program with no encumbrance. All of the other recruits that have signed LOIs -- Xavier Henry, Will Coleman, Nolan Dennis and Darnell Dodson -- they apparently have an additional clause to their LOIs. Specifically, if Calipari is not the coach at Memphis, they will be released from their LOIs without restrictions.

Carol Dennis, the mother of University of Memphis recruit Nolan Dennis, told The Commercial Appeal Monday that the letter-of-intent her son signed last fall contains an addendum that would allow him to follow Calipari to another school.

All four players who signed with Memphis in the fall have the same unconditional release in their letters.

Carol Dennis said it was not fair to say that her son would definitely ask out of his letter if Calipari were to go to Kentucky.

It actually gets worse.

The same article notes that present members of the Memphis team -- Wesley Witherspoon, Roburt Sallie and Angel Garcia -- are already considering transfers without Calipari in charge. That would be in addition to seniors Robert Dozier and Antonio Anderson graduating.

To say nothing of Tyreke Evans not wasting any time in declaring for the NBA Draft after his freshman year. It is not exactly a shock, that Evans was one-and-done. That was expected from the talented guard, but he essentially declared as soon as he found out Calipari was leaving.

The only players that appear certain to return are the juniors Shawn Taggart, Robert Dozier, Pierre Henderson-Niles and Doneal Mack. Players that would have no eligibility left to transfer.

Memphis has money, a vibrant fanbase, excellent facilities and expectations to offer any coach they pursue. The one thing they may not have for a couple years are players.

Will The Next Coach at Memphis Have Anyone to Coach? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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John Calipari Says He's Kentucky Bound

Chas Rich — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:18:00 EST

Filed under: C-USA, SEC, Tourney Coaches

The Kentucky press conference to announce the hiring will not be until tomorrow. John Calipari, though, texted ESPN college basketball reporter, Andy Katz, to let him know that he would leave Memphis for the Kentucky job.

That Calipari is taking the job surprises no one. Despite Memphis reportedly offering him a more lucrative financial package to stay, it is not like Kentucky low-balled him.

The contract with Kentucky is worth $35 million over eight years. The richest in college basketball. Calipari will be getting a $2.5 million signing bonus, $3 million per year for the first 4 years, and then $4.5 million for the 4 years after that. The other $2.5 million would come from meeting incentives.

Kentucky needed a home run hire, and this is just that hire. The best guy for the job. A solid coach, and one of the best (if not the best) recruiters in college basketball. A natural charmer, schmoozer and salesman. A guy who enjoys the spotlight and wants to be the face of a program. A man that could sell Milton Friedman on socialism.

In short, it looks like a good fit.

NCAA Tournament Action

GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 21: Wayne Ellington #22 of the North Carolina Tar Heels drives against Garrett Temple #14 of the Louisiana State University Tigers during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum on March 21, 2009 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Wayne Ellington;Garrett Temple

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PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 21: A Washington Huskies cheerleader performs during a break in the action against the Purdue Boilermakers during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Rose Garden on March 21, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Manny Harris #3 of the Michigan Wolverines jumps to the basket for a lay up against Taylor Griffin #32 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Manny Harris

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Zack Novan #0 and Zack Gibson #32 of the Michigan Wolverines vie for the loose ball with Blake Griffin #23 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zack Gibson;Zack Novak;Blake Griffin

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Willie Warren #13 of the Oklahoma Sooners makes contact as he goes to the basket with Zack Gibson #32 of the Michigan Wolverines in the first hafl during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Willie Warren

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Taylor Griffin #32 of the Oklahoma Sooners goes up for the short jump shot against DeShawn Sims #34 of the Michigan Wolverines in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Taylor Griffin;DeShawn Sims

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PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 21: JaJuan Johnson #25 of the Purdue Boilermakers goes up for a shot over Jon Brockman #40 of the Washington Huskies in the second half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Rose Garden on March 21, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** JaJuan Johnson;Jon Brockman

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Taylor Griffin #23 of the Oklahoma Sooners and Zack Novak #0 of the Michigan Wolverines vie for position to the loose ball in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zack Novak;Taylor Griffin

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Head Coach Jeff Capel of the Michigan Wolverines yells from the sideline during their game against the Oklahoma Sooners in the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Capel

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PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 21: Lewis Jackson #23 of the Purdue Boilermakers goes up for a layup as Quincy Pondexter #20 of the Washington Huskies looks on during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Rose Garden on March 21, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lewis Jackson;Quincy Pondexter

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John Calipari Says He's Kentucky Bound originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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John Calipari Accepts Kentucky Job

FanHouse Newswire — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:58:00 EST

Filed under: C-USA, Tourney Coaches

John Calipari's courtship with Kentucky is over and the Memphis coach is heading to Lexington.

According to ESPN's Andy Katz, Calipari agreed to terms with the Wildcats on a eight-year, $35 million deal.

John Calipari Accepts Kentucky Job originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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John Calipari Reportedly Agrees to Coach Kentucky Wildcats

Matt Snyder — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:40:00 EST

Filed under: C-USA, SEC, Tourney Coaches

UPDATE: USA Today reports Calipari contacted former Wildcat coach Joe B. Hall to inform him he has taken the job. It appears as though Calipari intends to embrace the UK tradition from the get-go.

Earlier: According to Fox13 Memphis and Memphis' News Channel 3, John Calipari has officially accepted a very lucrative offer to become the head basketball coach at the University of Kentucky. More details to come on the amount and length of the contract, not to mention the expected roster turnover at both Memphis and Kentucky.

For now, though, the anticipation appears to be over. John Calipari seems to be the Kentucky Wildcats' basketball coach. He'll join up with one of the most hallowed basketball programs in the nation, as Kentucky has won more national championships than anyone but UCLA. "Coach Cal" sports a resume that fits the bill, though.

In 17 seasons, he's compiled a ridiculous 446-110 record. He's been to seven Sweet 16s, five Elite 8s, and two Final Fours -- and this was from the Atlantic 10 and Conference USA. Speaking of which, Calipari hasn't lost a conference game since the 2006 season, when his Tigers went 13-1 against Conference USA foes. Now, Calipari will be taking this resume to the hallowed halls of Lexington's Rupp Arena.

There are plenty of storylines to follow -- assuming these reports are true. The aforementioned roster turnover will likely include departures from both Kentucky and Memphis. Hanging in limbo is the already top-ranked Memphis recruiting class, not to mention the most talented prep point guard in the nation, John Wall.

Once the dust settles on all that, Calipari will enter into a fierce in-state rivalry with Louisville and Rick Pitino.

Stay tuned.

NCAA Tournament Action

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John Calipari Reportedly Agrees to Coach Kentucky Wildcats originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Calipari and Kentucky Pause the Coaching Carousel

Chas Rich — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:44:00 EST

Filed under: A-10, Big 12, C-USA, Pac-10, SEC, Tourney Coaches

Everyone keeps tuned to sports sites and ESPNews for the latest plumes of smoke from Memphis and/or Lexington regarding John Calipari and whether he stays at Memphis or goes to Kentucky. The flip side is that the move has paralyzed nearly every other coaching search as programs and coaches in-demand wait to see what happens.

Oh, sure some little things have happened. Viginia Commonwealth has apparently hired Shaka Smart to be their next head coach. As with the last hire of VCU's former coach, Shaka Smart is a Florida assistant.

Everything else, though, appears to be on hold, if only for a moment.

Georgia may be offering up to $2 million per year to Mizzou head coach Mike Anderson. A number that trumps the reported $1.3 million bump in salary that Mizzou put forth. Or Georgia could be going after Oklahoma head coach Jeff Capel, who reportedly makes around $1 million per year in Norman. Either way, both will be getting big raises even if they stay.

Yet Anderson and Capel are wise to wait since Memphis or even Kentucky might come calling. Even if the Wildcats do not, the money reportedly involved to get ($35 million for 8 years) or keep Calipari will surely push the pricetag up for other coaches.

Xavier head coach Sean Miller may have rejected overtures from Virginia out-of-hand, but what if a program like Memphis comes calling with over $2 million per year? Coaches in comfortable positions like Pitt's Jamie Dixon and Villanova's Jay Wright, will find themselves having to at least listen and consider the possibility of a new job if the money gets much higher. What had seemed like a realtively quiet year in the coaching carousel could turn into one of the most tumultuous.

Then there is Arizona, a program with allure, but not nearly the money. Their athletic director Jim Livengood, spoke before of winning the press conference with the hire. That means paying big money, and the big money has only increased in the months since that quote.

At the moment, there is lots of watching and waiting. When Calipari makes his decision, expect the coaching carousel to spin rapidly.

Calipari and Kentucky Pause the Coaching Carousel originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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John Calipari Recruiting Ripple Possible, Where Will John Wall Go?

Matt Snyder — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:53:00 EST

Filed under: ACC, C-USA, SEC, Tourney Coaches

With the seemingly inevitable move of John Calipari from Memphis to Kentucky, there promises to be a scramble of young talent in the wake. Not only will there be obvious upheaval at both Kentucky and Memphis -- again, assuming Calipari takes the job -- but the move has the potential to reverberate throughout the nation.

John Wall, the top-rated point guard in the nation, has previously expressed plans to attend Memphis and play for Calipari. With the coaching status of Memphis currently a bit in limbo, however, Mike Krzyzewski of Duke has swooped right in.

"He told me the program had not had a point guard in a while that could penetrate and create," Wall said. "Duke has lots of great players and players who can really score. I would be surrounded by great players there."

For the record, Wall's list of potential teams has never changed. Duke was always in the running, but Memphis had been the leader in the clubhouse for quite some time. Wall, however, needs to know who the coach is going to be.

"I talked to Memphis [Sunday], and they said it was too early to know what will happen," Wall said. "I'm waiting."

As are all of us, John. This possible coaching move would send a ripple effect through college basketball's balance of power. Memphis already has the top-ranked recruiting class without Wall. Keeping Calipari and adding Wall would make them the most talented team in the nation in 2010. If Calipari goes, though, they could be left clinging to some scraps.

John Calipari Recruiting Ripple Possible, Where Will John Wall Go? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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John Calipari Closer to Kentucky Deal

Matt Snyder — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: C-USA, SEC, Tourney Coaches

As things progress on the John Calipari-to-Kentucky coaching front, one can't help but get a feeling of inevitability. Monday, we covered the swirling rumors and now it appears Calipari is going to accept the offer any minute. According to a source for the New York Times, one claiming to be a longtime friend of Calipari's, he will accept a very lucrative deal to become the Wildcats' next coach. It's worth noting Calipari is already one of the highest paid coaches in college basketball, so he'd likely become far-and-away the highest paid coach in the nation.

More interesting, perhaps, could be the immediate impact of talent to Kentucky -- at the expense of Memphis' once vaunted recruiting class.

More Coverage: Calipari Hire Could Cause Recruit Ripple

Highly touted recruits Nolan Dennis, DeMarcus Cousins and Xavier Henry would reportedly likely follow Calipari to Lexington, and it's possible C.J. Henry -- Xavier's brother -- would head north as well. These moves would decimate Memphis' nationally envied recruiting class, and make Kentucky an instant power.

In addition to the extra money, not having to go through a rebuilding process would likely be attractive to Calipari.

UPDATE: In a televised report, ESPN's Andy Katz stated that Calipari is "sleeping on" an 8-year, $35 million deal. Obviously, this is a significant pay bump from Calipari's current $2.3 million annual salary.

Also, a local Memphis TV station has a streaming video and chat room running -- if you want to keep up to date with where Calipari's car is parked.

John Calipari Closer to Kentucky Deal originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Calipari to Kentucky Rumors Swirling

Matt Snyder — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: C-USA, SEC, Tourney Coaches, Tourney Rumors

Once Kentucky finally showed Billy Gillispie the door last week, rumors immediately turned to Florida coach Billy Donovan as his successor, for obvious reasons. It took Donovan mere hours to say he wasn't interested in leaving Florida, and ever since then the hot name in the rumor mill has been John Calipari. A Memphis TV station even put up a streaming video feed outside Calipari's office.

Depending on where you get your information, Calipari is either ready to be offered the job, or he hasn't yet met with officials from Kentucky. We do know that, Monday, the Wildcats' brass received permission from Memphis to talk to Calipari.

There are myriad storylines tied to this job search. First of all, Kentucky -- while some think it's a horrible job -- is one of the elite college basketball programs. You have North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, UCLA, Indiana and Kentucky. Those are the destination jobs in college basketball. This alone should make it quite easy for the UK administration to woo a big name from somewhere. Should Calipari decide to take the job, Michigan State fans would surely breathe a sigh of relief, not to mention Oklahoma State fans as well -- both MSU's Tom Izzo and the Cowboys' Travis Ford are other possible targets if the Calipari situation does not accelerate forward.

I don't know John Calipari personally, but I can't imagine this job wouldn't be attractive to him. It's a destination job. No offense to fans/alumni of Memphis, but it's simply not a destination job. Plus, he's mired in the maligned Conference USA. Even though he's recruiting tons of talent and playing a solid non-conference schedule, it will be hard for his team to be battle-tested come tourney time. All things considered, the run to the championship game in 2008 was probably the ceiling for Calipari's program in Memphis. In Kentucky, he could make that trip a routine one.

It's worth mentioning that several of the players reportedly believe he's already made up his mind that he's leaving to take the job.

For the Wildcats, grabbing someone with the recruiting acumen of Calipari would be a relative coup. This seems like a good match on the surface, so we'll see how things progress this week.

Calipari to Kentucky Rumors Swirling originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Missouri's Long Buzzer-Beater

Matt Snyder — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:40:00 EST

Filed under: Big 12, C-USA

For all the "Memphis was overrated" talk since Thursday night's loss to Missouri, we seem to have fallen short on giving credit to the winning team. Missouri entered the NCAA Tournament on fire, having won the Big 12 conference tournament. They've now won 31 games and head to the Elite 8. A defining moment from this run is Thursday night's three-quarter court shot at the first-half buzzer from the hands of Marcus Denman. Enjoy:

Missouri will head straight into a tilt with top-seeded Connecticut Saturday afternoon. Should be a douzy. At stake? The first Final Four trip in Missouri school history.

Missouri's Long Buzzer-Beater originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Second Thought, Memphis Was Definition of Overrated

Dan Graziano — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 08:14:00 EST

Filed under: Big 12, C-USA, West Region

Having slept on it, I've come up with no reason to change this viewpoint. But when you use the O-word, you get reaction, and some of it just isn't reasonable. Saying Memphis was overrated isn't the same thing as saying they weren't good. They were. Memphis was a good team that played a terrible game at a time of year when one terrible game ends your season.

But they were overrated. They were a 2-seed. The 3-seeds were Villanova, Kansas, Syracuse and Missouri. Having watched the tournament so far, can you really believe Memphis was better than any of those teams? I might even have seeded 4-seed Xavier ahead of them, having watched the Musketeers nearly take out Pitt last night. So the point is, while the Tigers were one of the top 15 teams in the country heading into the tournament, they weren't one of the top eight. Hence, overrated. According to the actual meaning of the word.

As long as it can continue to replace it star freshman every year (does anybody really think Tyreke Evans is going to stay?), Memphis should keep finding itself in this position. Rolling into the tournament on a winning streak no one really knows how to evaluate. It wasn't just that Conference USA was weak this year. Memphis did what it could, scheduling Big East teams in December and teams like Tennessee and Gonzaga in the middle of their cotton-candy conference schedule. They did what they thought they had to do to toughen up and project legitimacy as an elite team.

But they weren't challenged, and therein lay the problem. Missouri answered the opening bell last night by punching Memphis in the mouth and knocking them down. And the Tigers, to whom such a thing had not happened since December, if all year, didn't know how to handle it.

Conversely, look at what Pitt did last night. They got beaten up in the first half by Xavier, went into the locker room and were able to say, "OK. They beat us up. We're behind. But we've been here before. We know what we need to do to come back." When Memphis got to the halftime locker room, the Tigers were in a position with which they were wholly unfamiliar. They didn't have anything in their playbook or memory banks that was going to help them come back from 13 down against the champions of the Big 12 tournament. (Even if those champions were going to play a rotten second half, miss all their free throws and do everything but engrave an invitation for Memphis to get back into the game.)

Nobody ever wins this tournament without overcoming something -- without playing at least one game that tests toughness. Memphis failed that test last night, and it's because nothing they did this year prepared them to handle it. All Memphis' schedule did was inflate its record artificially and push it into a two-seed when the Tigers really should have been a three or four.

That is the very definition of overrated.

On Second Thought, Memphis Was Definition of Overrated originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 08:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Was Memphis Overrated?

Dan Graziano — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:16:00 EST

Filed under: Big 12, C-USA, West Region

This is too easy, right? You watch all year as Memphis rolls through Conference USA without a challenge. You listen to the debates about whether it'd finish any better than sixth in the Big East. You ponder its tournament seeding, weighing the impressive lack of losses against the unimpressive quality of the competition against which the record was built. And then Memphis gets smacked in the mouth and knocked out in the Sweet 16 by a team from the Big 12 and you get to say, "See?? See?? We TOLD you they couldn't play with the teams from the real conferences! Oh-ver-RAY-ted!"

This was supposed to have been put to bed a year ago, when Memphis hit all its free throws and steamrolled its way to within one miracle Mario Chalmers 3-pointer of the national championship. But looking back now, in the wake of this follow-up season, it becomes easier than ever to dismiss the 2008 run as a Derrick Rose phenomenon (anybody else wish we'd got to see Rose and Tyreke Evans play together?) and file these 2009 Tigers in the same bin as those that preceded Mr. Rose.

The history books will tell you that Memphis' four losses this season were to Xavier, Georgetown, Syracuse and Missouri. That's three Sweet 16 teams and another team from the Big East. No shame in any of those losses (our mighty Hoyas still looked good back in mid-December when that happened, and it was an overtime loss), but the 27 wins the Tigers piled up in between the Syracuse loss and the Missouri loss can't mean much now that they have to watch the tournament's final three rounds on TV.

On this night, Missouri was just the better team. In a zany game that saw both teams shoot over 49 percent from the field and under 67 percent from the free-throw line, Missouri got more defensive stops (in transition and in the half-court) and made more plays on offensive (including a dazzling 70-footer at the halftime buzzer to go up by 13 at the half). Memphis' second-half comeback attempt was valiant and drawn-out, but by the end it had as much to do with Missouri's inability to put the game away from the line as it did with Memphis' ability to play with them. Both teams were gassed about midway through the second half, and the difference was that Missouri had the massive lead.

In an earlier post, I outlined some reasons why I don't like the UConn-Missouri matchup for Missouri, and I stick by that analysis. Missouri was brilliant in the first half of this game, but it was sloppy in the second half, and UConn is going to play much tougher defense than Memphis did. As long as the UConn guards can handle the press (they should be able to), the Huskies will get Missouri into enough half-court sets to accentuate their advantages in size and strength. Missouri will contest shots and passes, but UConn likes to do those things too, and its players are better. Much as I loved watching Missouri tonight, its next game is going to be a lot tougher, and probably part of this ongoing coronation of the Big East.

Was Memphis Overrated? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Great Expectations for All 16

Ray Holloman — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:04:00 EST

Filed under: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, C-USA, Pac-10, Midwest Region, West Region, South Region, East Region

What happens when the Sweet 16 is comprised entirely of storied powers? You get 16 teams all feeling the pressure to succeed. Ray Holloman takes an in-depth look at the expectations being heaped upon every team left in the Big Dance.

There is no room here for the little guy.

Were the Sweet 16 a country club, Tiger Woods might have to pull some strings to get a tee-time. Meanwhile Goliath might find himself picking splinters out of his warm-up-clad rear on any one of these rosters.

More Coverage: Mariotti on UConn Scandal | View Bracket | Forum

Thanks for trying, Siena. Enjoyed the one-night stand, Cleveland State. We promise we will write, Western Kentucky. But gentlemen in suits that cost more than your head coach's salary will now escort you to the other side of the velvet rope.

The floor is now closed for the little fella.

Heck, sub-six foot point guard Sherron Collins may have to show ID just to get into the practice facility. Ty Lawson better hope his toes are in shape because he'll need to stand on all 10 of them just to get in. Spud Webb, please leave your tickets at the gate for a taller patron.

And, given this is the season of the steroid scandal, someone should check to see if March Madness spent its summer in the Dominican Republic.

For the first time in tournament history, every top three seed has advanced to the Sweet 16. In the Midwest bracket alone, every team or coach has won a national title since 1996. Thirteen of the 16 remaining schools have been to the Final Four and nine of them have combined for 14 of the 24 national championships awarded since the advent of the 64-team field.

So the little guys can sit quietly and watch their brackets turn to scrap paper like everyone else. After all, In a tournament with more chalk than an elementary school, you've only survived this far if you're so risk averse you store money under your mattress, look both ways, then up and down before crossing the road, and think picking out your clothes for the next day is simply spitting in the eye of fate.

But the only thing heftier than these oversized reputations is the burden of expectations each of these teams carry into the Sweet 16.

This is college basketball's highest-stake poker room. And the antes couldn't be any higher.

"This is do or die," said Lawson, the North Carolina point guard who has turned a nation of sportswriters into armchair podiatrists. "If you lose, you go home and it's the end of the season."

And if any of these teams lose, and be certain eight of them will before you get down to your weekend chores, there will be no joyous welcome home parades.

At most programs, a Sweet 16 berth is something to hang a banner for and talk about over beers years after the fact. For the 16 teams left, it's all but as worthless as a participation ribbon. Or a Grammy.

Your Cinderella in this event? Arizona, the 1997 national champion and the longest-staying current house guest in the NCAA tournament. It was a quarter of a century and four Final Four appearances ago the last time this team missed March Madness. Note to the Cinderella promotions board, Donald Trump may lose a few billion dollars, but he'll never be a small businessman.

And for a team that's already beaten a quarter of the top 16 teams in the Pomeroy Ratings, just being here rings as hollow as a beauty queen prattling on about world peace.

"We don't consider ourselves a Cinderella," forward Chase Budinger said. "We feel we can play with anyone and the label of Cinderella does not come to mind.

"This is a good opportunity to show people we're better than what they've been saying all year. We're rising to the occasion."

Latest Tourney Cheerleader Photos

Do not adjust your computer monitors: That is definitely a Memphis Tigers cheerleader wearing the face of head coach John Calipari. Click through the gallery to see more cheerleaders showing their March Madness spirit.

Orlin Wagner, AP

BOISE, ID - MARCH 22: A cheerleader for the Missouri Tigers performs during the game against the Marquette Golden Eagles in the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Taco Bell Arena on March 22, 2009 in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

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MINNEAPOLIS - MARCH 22: A cheerleader for the Michigan State Spartans performs against the USC Trojans during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome on March 22, 2009 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

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Texas A&M's Sydney Carter (4), Skylar Collins (25), La Toya Micheaux (12) and Kelsey Assarian (40) dance with cheerleaders after a 80-45 win over Evansville in a first-round women's NCAA college basketball tournament game in South Bend, Ind., Sunday, March 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

MIAMI - MARCH 22: The cheerleaders of the Arizona State Sun Devils fly through the air during their game against the Syracuse Orange during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the American Airlines Arena on March 22, 2009 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

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A University of Connecticut cheerleader does a flip during a timeout while playing against Texas A&M during the second half of their second round NCAA tournament basketball game in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 21, 2009. REUTERS/Tim Shaffer (UNITED STATES)

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PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 21: The Gonzaga Bulldogs cheerleaders perform during a break in the action while taking on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Rose Garden on March 21, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

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GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 21: The North Carolina Tar Heels cheerleaders perform during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament against the Louisiana State University Tigers at the Greensboro Coliseum on March 21, 2009 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

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GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 21: A cheerleader for the Louisiana State University Tigers cheers against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum on March 21, 2009 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

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Top seeds have always had bigger targets on their backs than DeJuan Blair's rump, but even moreso this year after Pitt, Louisville and North Carolina each withstood stiff challenges in the opening weekend. Connecticut, meanwhile, marched through its first two opponents like they were Patton marching through a Risk game, but now the Huskies have a recruiting scandal simmering in the background.

"I'm really much more worried that I think [Purdue's E'Twaun] Moore is a terrific player," Calhoun said yesterday. "So I worry much more about that than I do about the other things ... We don't want to ever look back upon this and say we didn't give it our best.

Meanwhile, Memphis, the team Connecticut bumped from the top seed line, still has a chip on its shoulder that would rival the rain forests. The Tigers have the longest winning streak in the nation, topped only by the number of jabs thrown at the quality of opposition in Conference USA.

"Each round we go, more and more people pick us to lose," Calipari says. "Sometimes I don't know if it is their opinion or their hope, but they more and more pick us to lose."

Across from the Tigers, Missouri coach Mike Anderson is one round from equaling the school's best ever showing in the NCAA tournament. But that doesn't simplify Mizzou's mission as one might think.

"Right now we are in the hunt for something," coach Mike Anderson said. "I don't know what it is. We are in the hunt."

Purdue and Villanova, who meet Connecticut and Duke respectively, are two resurgent powers in search of a more modern signature moment that has happened since, say, the advent of the Macarena.

"I just made this mistake a couple weeks ago," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "I was referencing the national championship team [in 1985] and just in general said, 'How old were you when we won it? And they all looked at me, and said, 'We weren't even born.'

"The final eight team [in 2006], believe it or not, in recruiting ... they don't really know."

At Michigan State and Kansas, two of the six schools still alive with national championships this decade, expectations of a Final Four are practically handed out with dorm assignments. The Spartans, who have a reputation for winning but with the general aesthetics of an offensive line turned ballet artists, and the Jayhawks, who answer with Collins' tailback speed and size, met earlier this year in a decisive victory for Tom Izzo's team.

"I was telling [my wife] that it was a little bit different making the Sweet 16 here than with Tulsa," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "At Tulsa there were parades and everything else going on and now it feels like that's what we are supposed to do."

Mid-majors in name only, Gonzaga and Xavier face the postseason like a high school student who only gets graded on the SAT, even if they're trying to build major programs independent of their mid-major conferences.

"When you add the fact that we're alive in the Sweet 16 this year, we've now been in the Sweet 16 three times in the last six years," Xavier coach Sean Miller said. "And that, I think, speaks for itself.

"It's so much more about your program than the name on the front of your jersey and what you stand for than whether you're in this conference or that conference."

The Bulldogs haven't returned to the Elite Eight since their Cinderella run in 1999 turned the small Spokane school into an NCAA tournament regular. But the Zags have grown from charming Cinderella to bracket buster in the wrong way. Mark Few's teams are known as much for their second-round exit as a second-seed in 2004 and their near-miss in 2006 with Adam Morrison as their '99 Cinderella turn.

But even college basketball's highest regarded programs are feeling the pinch.

Oklahoma has never won a national title despite four trips to the Final Four. Short of yanking every phone out of the wall, there's no better way to say goodbye to the Kelvin Sampson era than for third-year head coach Jeff Capel and player of the year favorite Blake Griffin to ride into the Final Four.

Facing the Sooners, Syracuse has capped a season of chaos with a memorable March run, including seven overtimes worth of Big East tournament play that didn't win the Orange a title, but should've won their conditioning coach a Nobel Prize. But star Eric Devendorf's suspension and constant on-court trash talking couldn't be more of a black eye on one of college basketball's most storied program if he had it tattooed somewhere. Which he may.

But the pressure may be most intense on Tobacco Road. For ACC rivals North Carolina and Duke, the 2009 NCAA tournament is almost a referendum on the programs.

At North Carolina, the Heels have produced back-to-back-to-back top-seeded teams and have two ACC players of the year on their roster, senior center Tyler Hansbrough, who, at least seems like he's been on every All-America team since the stitches came off the ball, and Lawson, this year's player of the year.

But the duo, as well as shooting guard Wayne Ellington and swingman Danny Green have yet to claim North Carolina's fifth NCAA tournament championship.

Yet North Carolina withstood a stiff challenge from LSU in the second round of the tournament before Lawson and each of his 10 toes walked all over the Tigers, making it hard to believe this is the same team that exited the last two tournaments in stunning fashion. Coach Roy Williams used a golf analogy to say he'd probably have preferred to leave the drama for the university's theater department -- "I've never thought it was great for me to triple bogey a hole," he quipped -- but if the Heels had a moment of panic it was over faster than Lawson could go end-to-end.

"I loved our toughness," Williams said. "I think this team has been able to handle a lot of adversity this year."

NCAA Tournament Action

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Meanwhile Duke returned to the Sweet 16 for the 10th time in 12 seasons. But it was the first trip since 2006, after a pair of humbling opening-weekend upsets, leading more than one analyst to write about Duke's return in tones that seemed like the results of the Blue Devils' last Sweet 16 trip were only recently discovered somewhere on a cave wall.

"That's also a sign of respect," coach Mike Krzyzewski said after Duke's win over Texas, "because they hate talking about what you have done."

But the Blue Devils' five-year absence from college basketball's final weekend has been a relative epoch in Krzyzewski terms. Senior guard DeMarcus Nelson became just the second scholarship player to play four years for Krzyzewski since his 1983 recruiting class not to play in a Final Four last season (the other was current assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski). Now Greg Paulus and redshirt senior David McClure could become the next. Should junior star Gerald Henderson leave for the NBA, what was once a statistical anomaly could be a trend.

Yet Duke has worn the weight of expectations as easily as their blue-and-white duds thus far. The Blue Devils survived a one-point scare against Boston College in the ACC tournament quarterfinals and another near-loss against Texas, a game that culminated with a Jon Scheyer moonshot of a save in the waning seconds to stave off the Longhorns.

"When we won today I was exhilarated and not relieved," Krzyzewski said after the second-round win. "That is the message I want to send to my players so they never feel that pressure. I told our Olympic team and I told our team, we need to play because of anticipation, not expectation. Anticipation gets you forward, expectation inhibits. I thought our team has done that, especially in the last few weeks."

But like everyone else, when Duke tips off against Villanova tonight, just two hours short of midnight, the stakes will be much bigger than just a game.

The competition will be historically large in the Sweet 16. And so too will the bets riding on it.

Great Expectations for All 16 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who's the Sweetest?

Ray Holloman — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:36:00 EST

Filed under: ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, C-USA, Pac-10, Midwest Region, West Region, South Region, East Region

It's shaping up to to be one of the best Sweet 16s of all time with top-three seeds alive by the dozen. So who's heading back home in time for the weekend and whose moment will continue to be oh so shining? Find out as we rank the last 16 teams and explain why your favorite team is going to lose. We're 15/16 certain of it.

Somebody, pass a cup around. Cinderella needs bus fare to get back home.

Taking a page out of Jay Cutler's playbook, college basketball's patron saint of upset flat-out asked for a trade this week after the favorites marched all over the little guys. All top-three seeds advanced for the first time in modern tournament history and the closest thing you've got to a Cinderella story is 12th-seeded Cinderella.

And just because Donald Trump may lose a few billion doesn't make him a small businessman.

So to sort the sanity out, FanHouse's college sports editor and writers got together to rank the remaining 16 teams and explain why you're club is going down. Find out why we love the Heels and are selling short on the two seeds.

Ballots come from college sports editor Ray Holloman and writers Chas Rich, Shane Bacon, Chris Burke, Jacob Wheatley-Schaller, Matt Snyder and Adam Papagiorgio.

1. North Carolina | Seed: 1 | Region: South | High: 1 | Low: 3

Why They Could Win It All: They're the most efficient offensive team in the country and with a healthy Ty Lawson, they're the single best transition team in the country. You don't have to try and beat North Carolina, you have to outlast them. So what if the Tar Heels play defense with the enthusiasm you have for the treadmill? They're 35th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency, so they're hardly a Maginot line in Alexander Julian shorts. That number isn't as good as the last two teams, and certainly not the '05 title team, but the Heels have a great scoring power forward, a great point guard, an elite scoring shooting guard, tremendous front court depth and

Why They Will Lose: Coaching? Offensive droughts? Ty's Toe using its new popularity to be elected as President Toe-bama? Lawson's health is a major concern for the Heels, but so too should be their last two exits from the NCAA tournament, both in stunning fashion. Two years ago, North Carolina hit just one-of-23 field goals over a near-15 minute span in the end of regulation and overtime against Georgetown, to turn a 75-65 lead into a 96-84 loss. Last year the Heels fell behind 40-12 against Kansas in the FInal Four and ran out of gas during the subsequent comeback. Now led by seniors and juniors, will these Heels have the poise to withstand a run?
-Holloman

2. Louisville | Seed: 1 | Region: Midwest | High: 1 | Low: 4

Why They Could Win It All: The Cards have the look of a team peaking at the end of the season. Their pressing defense can keep them in any game and Earl Clark has played the last couple weeks like a guy who intends to ace his NBA draft lottery audition. Plus, Terrence Williams has simply refused to let Louisville lose focus on the court.

Why They Will Lose: That said, the Cards can't press if they aren't scoring. Missed shots -- especially off of threes -- tend to give teams the chance to get out in transition and circumvent Louisville's press entirely. Edgar Sosa, especially can be prone to just hoisting long, errant three after three.
-Rich

3. UConn | Seed: 1 | Region: West | High: 3 | Low: 6

Why They Could Win It All: The team seems energized and inspired for the first time in a month. The Huskies actually played as a team and Stanley Robinson seemed to have something click to play close to his ability for two straight games, which allows Jeff Adrien not to have to do as much inside. With Hasheem Thabeet and A.J. Price providing the inside-out game to make the Huskies a nightmare.

Why They Will Lose: Both Robinson and Thabeet have tended to disappear as the games get bigger, and now that the first weekend is over, why should all the evidence of the past season and prior years be discarded?
-Rich

4. Memphis | Seed: 2 | Region: West | High: 1 | Low: 7

Why They Could Win It All: The Tigers already had their wake-up call in the first round against Cal State-Northridge and rebounded by plastering Maryland. When it's going well, Memphis offers the type of length and athleticism that few teams in the country can contend with. They have the potential to give teams fits defensively, but are able to put points on the board as well. Oh, and the Tigers have been here before -- coming within one defensive stop of a national title last season, a loss that several remaining players lived through.

Why They Will Lose: There are questions about Memphis' level of competition throughout the season (a point that a strength-of-schedule ranking of 55 seems to support), so we can't be sure that even the Tigers' best will be good enough to run off four impressive wins in a row.
- Burke

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5. Pitt | Seed: 1 | Region: East | High: 5 | Low: 9

Why They Could Win It All: After one close game and a game it deserved to lose, Pitt is back in a more comfortable psychological place with diminished national expectations and something of an underdog. With the pressure off, the team plays looser and Levance Fields started looking physically better in the last game. That helps the perimeter defense and allows DeJuan Blair and Sam Young to provide plenty of headaches on offense.

Why They Will Lose: On the other hand, if Fields is still struggling with his groin injury, that makes the perimeter defense weaker and allows opposing players to get right into Blair and create foul problems for the big guy. That takes away Pitt's rebounding advantage and their major offensive weapon.
-Rich

6. Michigan State | Seed: 2 | Region: Midwest | High: 5 | Low: 9

Why They Could Win It All: While the Spartans can be inconsistent, they can find ways to combat individual bad games due to depth. They have 10 players who have scored at least 16 points in a game this season, which makes it easier to overcome a horrible shooting game by Goran Suton -- like he had against USC. They can run or grind it out defensively, whichever needs to be done. Finally, they are as good a rebounding team as anyone in the nation.

Why They Will Lose: Michigan State's offense can desert it in long stretches. Kansas and Louisville won't put up with a game in the 50s, so the Spartans need to keep finding scoring.
-Snyder

7. Villanova | Seed: 3 | Region: East | High: 6 | Low: 13

Why They Could Win It All: The guard-heavy lineup seems built to dominate in March. With the entire team playing inspired, physical defense, Villanova is able to get out in transition or the fast break for easy baskets and get to the free throw line. Add in Dante Cunningham to provide even more offense inside, and they are hard to stop.

Why They Will Lose: The risk for the Wildcats is against teams that aren't afraid to press right back and get Villanova shooting nothing but jump shots. It neutralizes Cunningham, and the Wildcats can't create foul problems.
-Rich

8. Duke | Seed: 2 | Region: East | High: 5 | Low: 12

Why They Could Win It All: For the first time in recent memory, the Blue Devils are playing like they've got nerves minted from a Detroit assembly line. Forward Gerald Henderson is a matchup problem for any team in the nation and, when he doesn't fall in love with his jump shot, can take over any game. Power forward Kyle Singler can play inside or outside and unconventional point guard Jon Scheyer both takes care of the ball (a better than 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio since taking over at the point ) and can score (just under 20 points per game in the same time frame). Duke also has a knack for creating extra offensive possessions. The Blue Devils are an excellent offensive rebounding team as well as in the top 25 in the nation in defensive and offensive turnover percentage. And should the Blue Devils beat Villanova, they've got history on their side in the Elite Eight. Mike Krzyzewski has only lost once in the Elite Eight, and that required a blown 17-point lead against Kentucky in 1998.

Why They Will Lose: The Blue Devils have proven that, despite conventional wisdom, they can handle larger frontcourts. Duke beat Florida State three times, a team that's tall enough to make roof repairs without a ladder, and held Texas' city-block of a center Dexter Pittman to eight points. But they continue to struggle against dribble penetration, so if the Wildcats can spread out further and drive quicker than Duke's help defense can collapse, the Blue Devils could be back home by Friday. Watch foul trouble too. Duke has depth, but it's difficult to replace scorers Singler and Henderson.
-Holloman

9. Oklahoma | Seed: 2| Region: South | High: 4 | Low: 10

Why They Could Win It All: Blake Griffin. He had 28 points and 13 rebounds in the first round and 33 and 17 in the second. He is one of those players that we rarely see in the tournament that can basically take over a game and will his team to victory because, frankly, he's bigger and tougher than everyone else on the court. He plays big and stays out of foul trouble. This team can go as far as the big dude will take them.

Why They Will Lose: If Oklahoma faces an athletic team, they just aren't deep enough to compete. In the second round win over Oklahoma, the bench for the Sooners combined for a total of one point and two rebounds. If Oklahoma has to keep up with North Carolina or face the press of Louisville, they will need able bodies to come in and produce. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like they have any.
-Bacon

10. Kansas | | Seed: 3 | Region: Midwest | High: 4 | Low: 11

Why They Could Win It All: The Jayhawks have the classic hallmark of a Final Four team with an adjusted and defensive efficiency inside the top 25 (This year joining Gonzaga, Memphis, Connecticut, Missouri and Duke, with North Carolina and Syracuse just slightly outside defensively). In fact, Kansas does the two most important things in basketball exceptionally well, shoot and keep their opponent from shooting the shots they want. Bill Self's team is a great upset candidate in the Sweet 16 against a Michigan State team that already struggles to shoot without Kansas' halfcourt defense in its face. That's without trying to figure out who in this tournament can stop point guard Sherron Collins or Cole Aldrich, who joined the handful of triple-double artists in tournament history.

Why They Will Lose: Turnovers. They commit too many of them and the Jayhawks don't force enough. They're not a great offensive rebounding team despite Aldrich (though they aren't bad), so if you have fewer offensive possessions than your opponent, then you put a lot of pressure on each possession. If Collins has an off game, like the end of the road loss to Missouri, the Jayhawks will be in trouble, particularly against a great offensive rebounding team like Michigan State.
-Wheatley-Schaller

11. Gonzaga | Seed: 4 | Region: South | High: 7 | Low: 15

Why They Could Win It All: As Demetri Goodson's end-to-end chasing-the-ghost-of-Tyus-Edney dash against Western Kentucky might've hinted, this isn't the same sort of fragile team that might end up in tears at center court. The Zags have lost just once in 2009 -- and that was to Memphis -- and destroyed a tournament-worthy team in Saint Mary's in the WCC tournament. Their guard play will match up with anyone and Austin Daye and Josh Heytvelt round out a team with plenty of scoring options. And the Zags hit nearly 40 percent of their 3-point attempts, so no lead is safe against the Bulldogs.

Why They Will Lose: Gonzaga doesn't turn the ball over, but they don't do a very good job of turning opponents over or rebounding, which will lead to more possessions for their opponents. Rebounding, in particular, will be a huge challenge against North Carolina, which gets back some 40 percent of its misses. But don't forget, the last time these two teams played in the 2007 season, Heytvelt dominated Tyler Hansbrough and Gonzaga beat then-No. 2 North Carolina.
-Papagiorgio

12. Syracuse | Seed: 3 | Region: South | High: 9 | Low: 15

Why They Could Win It All: Jonny Flynn never rests and never tires, while Eric Devendorf continues his unprecedented effort at playing as part of the team. The Orange backcourt has actually looked cohesive and playing defense in the 2-3 zone. It has also taken some pressure off of Paul Harris and Arinze Onuaku and let them play freer.

Why They Will Lose: The questions still remain with Devendorf, as he can be prone to try and go 1-on-4 at times and seems to be the only one unaware of his less than sure-handed way of handling the ball. Then Andy Rautins never gets the open looks on the perimeter. The defense slips and so does the whole team.
-Rich

13. Purdue | Seed: 5 | Region: West | High: 11 | Low: 14

Why They Could Win It All: If the Boilers who played the first half against Washington show up, UConn is going to have its hands full. Purdue can't afford to play like it did in the second half, though you have to give the Boilermakers credit for weathering in the storm in a virtual road game. They'll need JaJuan Johnson to continue his dominant play inside, and will need two of the three outside shooters -- Robbie Hummel, E'Twaun Moore, Keaton Grant -- to get hot per game. If that happens, they are strong enough defensively to play a fifth-seed Cinderella like in-state rival Indiana did in 2002?

Why They Will Lose: Can Hummel stay healthy? If not, Purdue doesn't stand chance.The Boilermakers can get muscled down low, so losing Hummel would be a death sentence.
-Snyder/Burke

14. Missouri | Seed: 3 | Region: West | High: 11 | Low: 14

Why They Could Win It All: Pressure. Not even Louisville can match the intensity of Mike Anderson's full-court pressure when it's at its most suffocating. Pit a team that doesn't take great care of the ball against this group and its like throwing a match into a bucket of gasoline. Even if you beat the the Tigers' press, it will keep you out of a comfortable rhythm on offense. Missouri is also the deepest remaining team in the tournament. Memphis will be an interesting matchup. Both teams will press and both teams will cause turnovers, but the Memphis Tigers are much more prone to turning the ball over themselves than their Missouri counterparts

Why They Will Lose: The Tigers cannot keep opponents off the glass, part of the trade-off for their extended defensive pressure. And if you do break the press, odds are you'll be able to get a good look at the basket. The Tigers tend to foul too much, which could be a problem against a great free throw shooting team and you have to wonder how effective the full-court pressure will be away from teams of their fans. The Tigers lost both of their non-conference neutral court contests this year and allowed a much higher offensive efficiency rating against Marquette than they did on average during the regular season and particularly at home.
-Wheatley-Schaller

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15. Xavier | Seed: 4 | Region: East | High: 14 | Low: 16

Why They Could Win It All: The Musketeers are a great 3-point shooting team, even though their offense isn't built around long-range shooting. But it hit 40 percent of those it took, so should Xavier fall behind, it's certainly got the shooters to come back. But the Musketeers shine on defensive and on the glass. They're eighth in the nation in adjusted field goal percentage allowed and one of the best rebounding teams in the nation on both sides of the ball.

Why They Will Lose: Turnovers. Like Kansas, the Musketeers give up way too many of them and create too few. Pitt should be able to limit Xavier's effectiveness on the offensive glass (though you would've assumed the same thing about East Tennessee State, yet the Panthers couldn't keep the Buccanneers at bay), so it will have to make every possession count against Pitt. Should the Musketeers sneak by Pitt, they could have an Elite Eight rematch against Duke, a team that dispatched the Musketeers by 18 in December, and the same school that squashed the Musketeers' 2004 Elite Eight appearance.

16 . Arizona | Seed: 12 | Region: Midwest | High: 15 | Low: 16

Why They Could Win It All: Probably the best way for the Wildcats to win the National Championship is if all the other 15 teams ate the same meal this Thursday and became incredibly sick, forcing them to forfeit the rest of March Madness. No 12-seed has ever won the Big Dance since it expanded to 64 teams and, although this run has been nice for this storied school, the only way Arizona could come out on top is if Jordan Hill can average 25 points and 15 rebounds without getting in any foul trouble, Nic Wise can keep shooting lights out and Chase Budinger takes his game to another level. Like, a Carmelo Anthony-in-2003 level.

Why They Will Lose: The team has been a player (or in the case of Friday's game against Louisville, two players) short all season. The team had the opportunity to win a couple of games in the tournament based solely on the talent of the two likely NBA lottery picks, but the 'Cats fourth position on just isn't talented enough to keep advancing. If Jerryd Bayless had stayed another year or Brandon Jennings hadn't jumped ship to Europe or any of the other 20 scenarios would have played out, this team might have a real shot. Unfortunately for the '09 Cinderella, there just isn't enough depth on the roster.
-Bacon

Who's the Sweetest? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Memphis Sends Maryland, Greivis Vasquez's Mouth Home

Matt Snyder — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 17:45:00 EST

Filed under: ACC, C-USA, West Region

Greivis Vasquez probably should have kept his mouth shut. I guess I should specify, considering this is a guy who never shuts up. He's cussed out his own fans for God's sake. As the saying goes, it's probably best to keep your mouth shut when people think you are a fool -- rather than opening your mouth and removing all doubt.

Prior to Saturday's contest against highly-touted Memphis, Vasquez once again just couldn't help himself.

No. 2 Memphis 89, No. 10 Maryland 70: AP Recap | Box Score | Bracket | Scores

Memphis had not said one negative word about Maryland, yet here he came.

"If [Memphis] played in the ACC Conference, they'd have a losing record in the league," Vasquez said. "They'd probably win all of their games outside the league and have a losing record in the league. The ACC is too tough."

There's more.

Memphis "needs some competition," Vasquez said. "It's going to be a fight. I don't care who guards me. I'm going to go at him and at the whole team. I'm such a competitor. I don't care who's in front of me. I'm going to compete."

Where to begin? Vasquez's vaunted ACC -- you know, the one where Memphis would allegedly have had a losing record -- currently sits 3-5 in the NCAA Tournament. Boston College was easily handled by USC, 12-seed Wisconsin took down Florida State, Clemson lost to Michigan, and Wake Forest was embarrassed by Cleveland State (a 13-seed).

Again, Greivis, you probably should have just shut your mouth.

Possibly fueled by Vasquez's comments, the Tigers of Memphis came out and dismantled Maryland from the get-go. This was never a game -- it was 17-4 before five minutes had been played. Had Memphis kept their foot on the gas, they could have easily won by 40. They shot well, they rebounded well, and they hit their free throws. Most of all, they were just too athletic for the Terrapins.

As for Vasquez, he did score 18 points, but the overwhelming majority came when the game was already out of hand. He scored his fifth and sixth points on a layup with 1:35 left in the first half -- to cut Memphis' lead to 20.

I'm sure Memphis can agree with Vasquez on one thing: They could certainly use better competition. Vazquez and Maryland sure as hell didn't provide any.

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Memphis Sends Maryland, Greivis Vasquez's Mouth Home originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Sat, 21 Mar 2009 17:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sallie Saves Memphis From Huge Upset

Chris Burke — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:10:00 EST

Filed under: C-USA, Big West, West Region

For about 30 minutes, Big West champion Cal State Northridge looked like it was going to go down in the March Madness annals with 15-seed Cinderellas Hampton, Coppin State, Santa Clara and Richmond, the only four No. 15 seeds with first-round wins. Northridge nearly became the fifth, holding a 62-56 lead over No. 2-seed Memphis with 10:02 left.

Memphis -- a team that many argued should have been a No. 1 seed -- dominated the game's final 10 minutes, though, outscoring Northridge 25-8 down the stretch and surviving a huge scare for an 81-70 victory on Thursday. The Tigers really have just one guy to thank for their come-from-behind win, and he was an unlikely star.

No. 2 Memphis 81, No. 15 Northridge 70: AP Recap | Box Score | Bracket | Scores

Memphis guard Roburt Sallie played the hero for the unexpectedly-threatened Tigers. Sallie, who averaged a mere 4.5 point per game during the regular season, poured in a whopping 35 and hit on 10-of-15 from behind the arc.

Sallie's shooting, for much of the game, was the one thing that Memphis could turn to consistently against Northridge's active defense. The Matadors varied their defensive looks, but found the most success when they slid into zones, utilizing a 2-3 attack particularly well as they kept Memphis from getting into the lane.

The strategy worked for much of the game, a point highlighted by the fact that Memphis' talented senior forward Robert Dozier scored just one point in the first half as the Tigers limped to a 34-31 halftime edge.

Memphis eventually found enough openings, and hit enough shots, to stem the major upset bid. On the other side, Northridge's offense -- which was stunningly successful against a sensational Memphis defense -- fell apart. After taking a 64-61 lead with 9:06 remaining, Northridge suffered through a five-minute-plus scoreless drought that included two turnovers and eight consecutive misses.

Sallie Saves Memphis From Huge Upset originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Seed-By-Conference Analysis: Committee Loves the Big East and ACC

Matt Snyder — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: A-10, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, America East, A-Sun, Big South, BSC, BWC, CAA, C-USA, Great West, Horizon League, Ivy League, MAAC, MAC, MEAC, MVC, MWC, NEC, OVC, Pac-10, Patriot League, SEC, SoCon, Southland, SWAC, Sun Belt, The Summit, WCC, WAC, Big Sky, Big West, Midwest Region, West Region, South Region, East Region

Among the big story lines from Sunday's filling out of the NCAA basketball tournament field, discussions of conferences who are "overrated" and "underrated" dominated the discussion. Specifically, fans of so-called mid-major teams cried foul, and the masses proclaimed the selection committee was biased in favor of the Big Ten and Pac-10 conferences.

The biggest issue I have with this instant "analysis" is that it's not analysis at all. Saying the NCAA thought the Big Ten was on-level with the ACC and Big East simply because they were allotted the same number of teams is -- with apologies to Bob Knight -- just plain stupid.

You see, it's easy to just look at the number of bids and act like that's how the NCAA views individual conferences. It's simple, and people like simple. Thus, it's the approach simpletons take, because they aren't capable of more analytical thought. Dive deeper, though. Do you really think the committee thought the Big Ten was on-level with the Big East when the Big East got three number one seeds and the Big Ten only received one Sweet 16 seed? Does that really, honestly sound even to you?

So here we are, with your guide on judging how the selection committee seriously judged conference strength. I went through every game and just picked the favored seed to win. Meaning eight beats nine, but then loses to one. And so on. We'll call the figure the "expected record," and this will give us a gauge on how strong the selection committee truly felt a conference was.

Big East

Number of teams: 7
Seeds: 1, 1, 1, 3, 3, 6, 6
Expected record: 20-6 (including three Final Four teams and one National Champion
Comments: See, this is far and away the strongest conference according to the committee. Look at those seeds. The seventh entrant from the league was awarded a six-seed. In fact, this has to be the best conference of all-time in terms of what they received from the committee -- as long as you don't get hung up on the number of bids. Their average seed is a three.

ACC

Number of teams: 7
Seeds: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 7, 10
Expected record: 13-7
Comments: Another conference that impressed the NCAA enough to get lots of favorable seeds. An interesting discrepancy -- which Seth Davis pointed out on the Selection Show -- is seeing Maryland receive a 10-seed while Wisconsin garnered a 12. How about Boston College landing a seven-seed despite an RPI of 60? These are just two illustrations of how highly the committee favored the ACC to other conferences (aside from the Big East, of course).

Big 12

Number of teams: 6
Seeds: 2, 3, 3, 7, 8, 9
Expected record: 9-6
Comments: They received less teams than the Big Ten and equal to the Pac-10, but got much better bang for their buck with three Sweet 16 seeds and an Elite Eight.

Big Ten

Number of teams: 7
Seeds: 2, 5, 5, 8, 10, 10, 12
Expected record: 6-7
Comments: Seriously? This is an overrated conference? They finished 2nd in conference RPI, and only got one Sweet 16 seed. Three of their seeds are of the one-and-done variety. Knowing this, can you seriously tell me the committee had bias toward the conference? The strength of the conference this year was the depth, but there was an admitted lack of elite teams. The seedings accurately reflected this. By the way -- Minnesota (42), Michigan (44), and Wisconsin (45) were all a bit better than Maryland (55) in the RPI. They were all seeded equal to or worse than the Terrapins. If Penn State made the tourney, the Big Ten haters would have a case. Instead, they don't.

Pac-10

Number of teams: 6
Seeds: 4, 6, 6, 7, 10, 12
Expected record: 5-6
Comments: Arizona (62 RPI) is the one team in the whole tourney that seems egregiously invited. Other than that, though, the conference didn't get a ton of credit. Only one Sweet 16 seed, and a four at that.

Mountain West

Number of teams: 2
Seeds: 5, 8
Expected record: 2-2
Comments: Well, they liked the teams they allowed in the tourney. Obviously, it's tough to imagine San Diego State sporting a 34 RPI in a "major" conference and not making the Dance. I'm actually very surprised they gave BYU an eight and then dropped everyone else off the board. It's not like BYU and Utah were playing at such a different level than New Mexico, SDSU, and UNLV.

Atlantic 10

Number of teams: 3
Seeds: 4, 11, 11
Expected record: 2-3
Comments: Again, a head-scratcher. Was Xavier really seven whole seeds better than Dayton?

SEC

Number of teams: 3
Seeds: 8, 9, 13
Expected record: 1-3
Comments: Simply put: The committee believes the SEC sucks this year. In fact, had Butler won the Horizon League tourney, it's conceivable to think they would have flipped seeds with LSU and the SEC would have come away with zero expected wins. If you want to proclaim power conference bias, you better look elsewhere.

Everyone Else

There are only six wins left from teams not in the above eight conferences. Memphis, as a two-seed, is expected to win three games before bowing out. Gonzaga, a four, is slated to take two. The lone remaining win? Well, someone has to win the play-in game. Every other team in the field, 21 of them from non-"power" conferences, has a worse seed than their first-round foe.

And yes, though I'm a Big Ten fan, it's really easy for me to admit St. Mary's got jobbed. We're talking about a 48 RPI from a team who was missing their best player for a decent chunk of the season. He's healthy enough to play now, so they should have included them in the field. This is the type of error (Mary's and/or SDSU vs. 'Zona and/or Maryland) that makes people believe the committee is biased.

Final Thought

This is how you should judge conference performance in the tournament. Don't be a simpleton. To illustrate the point, here's an example: If the Big East goes 14-7 and the Big Ten goes 10-7, I'm guessing there will be a bunch of people hanging their hats on the superior performance by the Big East. In actuality, as outlined above, the Big Ten would be exceeding expectations with a 10-7 record. Thus, they were underrated. The Big East would have fallen short of the lofty expectations, which means they were overrated.

We'll see how everything shakes out, but just remember -- it's not all about the number of teams per conference, and it's not necessarily about the won-loss record when judging if the committee was biased or "overrated" someone. It's much more complicated than that.

Seed-By-Conference Analysis: Committee Loves the Big East and ACC originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feel The Excitement: College Basketball Invitational Madness

Chas Rich — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 01:08:00 EST

Filed under: Big East, C-USA, MVC, MWC, Pac-10

Well, the third banana in college basketball post-season action has been announced (PDF). I know, like many of you, it was with baited breath to find out the field of sixteen.

The CBI did secure teams from the Pac-10, Big East and Mountain West. So, well, they can claim major conference participation. Whether anyone watches the games is a different matter. Four of the eight opening games will be airing on something called HD Net. I'm reasonably certain I have it, but I can't say I've ever watched it.
I guess it is better to keep playing then just end the season. See if the gyms can get a few thousand people to show up on short notice for a game that might have been a decent non-conference game back in December.

Anyways, here are the exciting match-ups that play on Tuesday and Wednesday:

Boise State-Stanford
Buffalo-Wichita State

UTEP-Nevada
Northeastern-Wyoming

Houston-Oregon State
Vermont-Green Bay

St. John's-Richmond
Charleston-Troy

Whoo-hoo!

Feel The Excitement: College Basketball Invitational Madness originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Mon, 16 Mar 2009 01:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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West Region Breakdown: Did UConn Deserve No. 1 Seed?

Adam Papagiorgio — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 21:59:00 EST

Filed under: ACC, Big East, C-USA, West Region

You can't blame Jim Calhoun if he's whistling "Route 66" over the next couple of days because he certainly loves to travel west. Both of Calhoun's national championship teams, in 1999 and 2004, came out of the West Region. So Calhoun's probably feeling like a million bucks right now -- or $1.6 million bucks, as we all now know he makes (But he's worth it, just ask him.) -- with Connecticut grabbing the top spot out west.

Print Bracket | Bracket Games | First-Round Pairings | Schedule

Of course, UConn's No. 1 seed will be the source of debate until Thursday, especially with the folks down in Memphis. UConn grabbed the top seed despite not winning the Big East regular season crown, nor the conference title. Can a team really be a No. 1 seed if it doesn't have any claim to any part of the conference title? Well, according to the NCAA selection committee, it can.

Memphis has to feel slighted, especially after going undefeated in the conference and capturing the conference-tournament crown (to give at least one bubble team life). Conference USA certainly isn't the Big East, but a conference title is a conference title.

Storylines

How Does Memphis React to Being a No. 2 seed?
The Tigers didn't seem too thrilled when shown during the NCAA selection show. Memphis could be that proverbial "team on a mission." That could be bad news for No. 15 seed Cal State-Northridge. The Matadors leading scorer Deon Tresvant was arrested earlier this year and hasn't returned. Point guard Josh Jenkins had internal injuries from a car crash, and Bobby Braswell is considered one of the worst coaches on the West Coast.

John Calipari will have his team ready to play that's for sure.

Cal is Reborn Under Coach Mike Montgomery
The Golden Bears can shoot the 3-pointer, and could be a team to watch despite struggling in the Pac-10 tournament. Jerome Randle has the ability to score from anywhere and could be one of the tournament darlings this year.

Does Maryland Take Advantage of Its Bid?
The major conferences are going to be under the microscope to win, especially with so many mid-majors being left on the sidelines. Maryland played its way into the tournament with a win over Wake Forest in the ACC tournament (in addition to regular-season wins over North Carolina and Michigan State), but the Terps have been maddeningly inconsistent this year. If they don't show up against Cal, the howls from mid-majors will turn into a roar.

Other Region Breakdowns: East | Midwest | South

Team That'll Break Your Bracket

Marquette -- But not for the reason that you think. A lot of you will be tempted to pick Utah State in your bracket because the team is without point guard Dominic James. But consider this: The Aggies aren't so strong against teams missing their star point guard. Utah State lost at St. Mary's in the BracketBuster this year, and it is a fraudulent team. Don't get sucked into looking for upsets early in the bracket. Utah State will be the pick-to-click here, but don't do it. Take Marquette and laugh at everybody else.

Honorable Mention: Washington - If a No. 4 team can qualify as a sleeper, look out for the Huskies. Maybe it will be Washington that ends up breaking your heart by making such a long run.

Team That'll Break Your Heart

Mississippi State -- Again, a lot of you will be looking for upsets and the Bulldogs provide a reasonable case. Don't be that guy. Washington is a very good team that rebounds well and has great guard play. Avoid trying to get too cute with your tournament choices. Besides, how far do you think the Bulldogs are going to go anyway? Washington has a chance in this bracket. And don't forget the last SEC tournament Cinderella -- Georgia was bounced in the first round last year.

Honorable Mention: Utah State

Latest College Basketball Images

Johnny Abello, race and sports book director at the Wynn Las Vegas, talks about the odds on the NCAA men's college basketball tournament Sunday, March 15, 2009, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

AP

Sports bettors watch the screens in the race and sports book at Wynn Las Vegas, Sunday, March 15, 2009, in Las Vegas, as teams in the NCAA college basketball tournament are displayed on screens. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

AP

Former Indiana coach Bob Knight, left, and one of his players at Indiana, Isaiah Thomas, laugh during a taping of Billy Packer's "Survive and Advance" television show Sunday, March 15, 2009, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

AP

Sports bettors watch the screens in the race and sports book at Wynn Las Vegas, Sunday, March 15, 2009, in Las Vegas, as teams in the NCAA college basketball tournament are displayed on screens. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

AP

Former Indiana coach Bob Knight, left, and former Indiana players Isaiah Thomas and Quinn Buckner appear on sportscaster Billy Packer's television show Sunday, March 15, 2009, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

AP

Sportscaster Billy Packer, left, and former Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight tape a television show at the race and sports book at Wynn Las Vegas, Sunday, March 15, 2009 in Las Vegas. Knight says he doesn't think that the Big Ten deserves seven teams in the NCAA college tournament. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

AP

Sportscaster Billy Packer, left, and former Indiana and Texas Tech coach Bob Knight tape a television show at the race and sports book at Wynn Las Vegas, Sunday, March 15, 2009, in Las Vegas. Knight says he doesn't think that the Big Ten deserves seven teams in the NCAA tournament. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

AP

Idong Ibok, foreground, and his teammates react to the announcement in the Spartans' team room as Michigan State is picked as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest region Sunday night, March 15, 2009, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Detroit News, Dale G. Young) ** DETROIT FREE PRESS OUT **

AP

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo and his wife Lupe, right, watch the NCAA selection show with players and other staff at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan, on Sunday, March 15, 2009. State found out they will play the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Minneapolis, Minn., on Friday. (Julian H. Gonzalez/Detroit Free Press/MCT)

MCT

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo holds press conference to talk about their selection for the upcoming NCAA tournament at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan, on Sunday, March 15, 2009. State found out they will play the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Minneapolis, Minn., on Friday. (Julian H. Gonzalez/Detroit Free Press/MCT)

MCT

Player You Should Know

Isaiah Thomas -- Washington's freshman point guard got the name "Isaiah" after his father lost a bet during the 1989 NBA Finals. You don't need to be told that his father was a Lakers fan. Thomas has pushed Washington over the top this season. The Huskies were picked to finish in the middle of the Pac-10 this season, but Thomas has been the difference. He's not a true point guard, but his ability to make plays made Washington the top team in the Pac-10.

Predictions

Utah State's mascot will not get into trouble. (Huge one right there.) Northern Iowa is your upset special here. Thomas becomes a star.

But Memphis takes this regional by beating the Huskies -- the Washington Huskies.

Round 1: UConn over Chattanooga, Texas A&M over BYU, Northern Iowa over Purdue, Washington over Mississippi State, Memphis over Northridge, Cal over Maryland, Missouri over Cornell, Marquette over Utah State.
Round 2: UConn over Texas A&M, Washington over Northern Iowa, Marquette over Missouri, Memphis over Cal.
Sweet 16: Washington over UConn, Memphis over Marquette
Elite 8: Memphis over Washington

West Region Breakdown: Did UConn Deserve No. 1 Seed? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Sun, 15 Mar 2009 21:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NIT Field Announced, Second Banana Battle Gets Underway

Chas Rich — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 21:45:00 EST

Filed under: A-10, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, CAA, C-USA, MVC, MWC, Pac-10, SEC

The snubbed teams like St. Mary's, Creighton, San Diego State and Penn State will get their chance to make their argument that they were deserving of an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament over Arizona, Minnesota, and well... that's about it.

The top four seeds in the NIT are San Diego State, Auburn, Creighton and Florida. The SEC packed the second tier tournament with four teams.

Penn State, one of the final teams that missed the NCAA tournament cut, ended up seeded No. 2 in Florida's bracket. The Nittany Lions start out with George Mason and could be looking at a rematch with Rhode Island. The Rams beat Penn State in the non-conference schedule and played a significant role in keeping the Nittany Lions out of the Tournament.

Here are the games for the first round:

No. 1 San Diego State-No. 8 Weber State
No. 4 Kansas State-No. 5 Illinois State
No. 3 South Carolina-No. 6 Davidson
No. 2 St. Mary's-No. 7 Washington State

No. 1 Auburn-No. 8 UT-Martin
No. 4 Tulsa-No. 5 Davidson
No. 3 Baylor-No. 6 Georgetown
No. 2. Virginia Tech-No. 7 Duquesne

No. 1 Creighton-No. 8 Bowling Green
No. 4 Kentucky-No. 5 UNLV
No. 3 New Mexico-No. 6 Nebraska
No. 2 Notre Dame-No. 7 UAB

No. 1 Florida-No. 8 Jacksonville
No. 4 Miami-No. 5 Providence
No. 3 Niagara-No.6 Rhode Island
No. 2 Penn State-No. 7 George Mason

Other things of note from the opening round: The Big East, Big 12 and Mountain West all put three teams in the NIT. The Miami-Providence game is actually going to be played in Providence because Miami's court has already been booked.

NIT Field Announced, Second Banana Battle Gets Underway originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Sun, 15 Mar 2009 21:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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