NCAA Basketball Tournament http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com NCAA Basketball Tournament http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif NCAA Basketball Tournament http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Central Florida's Chicago Connectionhttp://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/04/07/central-floridas-chicago-connection/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/04/07/central-floridas-chicago-connection/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/04/07/central-floridas-chicago-connection/#commentsFiled under:

Central Florida's basketball program recently landed two Chicago-area players for next year's recruiting class -- one of whom has very ample basketball bloodlines. Marcus Jordan -- yes, that Jordan's son -- and Nik Garcia both orally committed to play for the Knights on Monday.

Jordan, the second son of Michael Jordan, helped his team win a State championship in March, and he grew up playing club basketball with Garcia. Jordan will join former teammate, A.J. Rompza, who made Conference USA's all-freshman team this past season, so they'll enter with some familiarity.
"I think we can be real good," Garcia said. "They have other good recruits coming and they have AJ already. It's a program that is a sleeping giant, really. A lot of people don't know about them, but soon a lot of people will."
Well, we'll see about that, but with the departure of John Calipari from Memphis, Conference USA just got a lot more winnable.

Central Florida's Chicago Connection originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>marcus jordanMarcusJordanmichael jordanMichaelJordannik garciaNikGarciaMatt SnyderTue, 07 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST Calipari to Kentucky Rumors Swirlinghttp://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/30/calipari-to-kentucky-rumors-swirling/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/30/calipari-to-kentucky-rumors-swirling/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/30/calipari-to-kentucky-rumors-swirling/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

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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]]>billy donovanbilly gillispieBillyDonovanBillyGillispiejohn calipariJohnCalipariMatt SnyderMon, 30 Mar 2009 16:45:00 EST Sweet 16 Live Blogginghttp://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/27/round-three-liveblogging-reaction-and-action/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/27/round-three-liveblogging-reaction-and-action/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/27/round-three-liveblogging-reaction-and-action/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Last night's action had one tight game, a blowout that tightened near the end, a walloping, and a game that never became a blowout though the outcome was never in doubt.

Tonight, Louisville takes on that, uh, Cinderella team from the desert in Arizona. Syracuse and Oklahoma should be a lot of fun in the early games. Later tonight Kansas and Michigan State looks like it should be gem. Also North Carolina gets Gonzaga, the original West Coast Cinderella that has not been that for some time.

Stop on by around 6:30 PM ET to talk about the action from yesterday and the games tonight. Plus, there is always the coaching carousel and what happens next at Kentucky.

Sweet 16 Live Blogging originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>arizona wildcatsArizonaWildcatsgonzaga bulldogsGonzagaBulldogskansas jayhawksKansasJayhawkslouisville cardinalsLouisvilleCardinalsmichigan state spartansMichiganStateSpartansnorth carolina tarheelsNorthCarolinaTarheelsoklahoma soonersOklahomaSoonerssyracuse orangeSyracuseOrangeChas RichFri, 27 Mar 2009 21:00:00 EST Speculation Begins About Billy Gillispie's Future at Kentuckyhttp://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/18/speculation-begins-about-billy-gillispies-future-at-kentucky/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/18/speculation-begins-about-billy-gillispies-future-at-kentucky/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/18/speculation-begins-about-billy-gillispies-future-at-kentucky/#commentsFiled under: ,

A report has been circling around the Internet the past day that says Kentucky basketball coach Billy Gillispie could be out after just two years on the job because of a players' mutiny against the coach.

Leoweekly.com reported late Tuesday afternoon that a source with some University of Kentucky connections who has been "spot on in the past" said that Gillispie is "Going, going gone...only way, I'm told to prevent mass exodus....expect announcement soon." After the initial report, the website came back with another post, this time with even more confirmation.

Since my last post, I have spoken with several sources, and it now appears as if Billy Clyde Gillispie's departure from UK is imminent. This info comes from people well placed within the UK community, people who have provided reliable information to me in the past about UK personnel moves.

The termination, I'm told, will happen soon after UK's last game.

While it does seem to make sense with Kentucky's history, there is no confirmation from any of the big news sources in the area. Neither the Lexington Herald-Leader and Louisville Courier-Journal have confirmed any of this information, so take the report for what it's worth.

But, with that said, the notion that "Billy Clyde" could be done shouldn't come as a shock to anyone. Gillispie went to Kentucky to bring the program back to being a storied powerhouse, but it lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2008 and didn't even make the big dance this season, snapping a streak that dates back to 1991. This coming after Gillispie took both the University of Texas El Paso to the NCAA Tournament in just his second season with the program and Texas A&M to the Sweet Sixteen in his third season.

On Tuesday night, Kentucky beat UNLV in the first round of the NIT to advance to the field of 16.

Speculation Begins About Billy Gillispie's Future at Kentucky originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Billy GillispieBillyGillispieShane BaconWed, 18 Mar 2009 12:08:00 EST Add More Teams? That's Madnesshttp://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/17/add-more-teams-thats-madness/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/17/add-more-teams-thats-madness/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/17/add-more-teams-thats-madness/#commentsFiled under: ,

Every year, Selection Sunday officially kicks off the beginning of March Madness. Usually, the three-day lull between the release of the almighty brackets and the actual beginning of games is marked by complaining, whether it's Memphis not getting a No. 1 seed -- which is going to end up being the best thing that ever happened to the Tigers, by the way -- the Big Ten or Pac-10 being allegedly overrated, or the dwindling of mid-major entrants. It's always something.

Still, we can put up with that. Debate and discussion are good things. There is one suggestion, however, that is so absurd I'm almost embarrassed to dignify it: Some people, including several predominant commentators, want to expand the tourney field to 128.
More NCAA Tournament Coverage: Morehead State Marches On

Usually this talk stems from a team who all of a sudden becomes America's sweetheart. This year, it's St. Mary's. People who can't name more than one player (Patrick Mills) on the Gaels have anointed themselves Gaels' apologists on talk-radio shows and internet message boards. We hear cries about what is fair, and what conferences have been given too many teams. Their best player was injured, after all (I don't know if you heard, because it hasn't been mentioned much). Please understand, their fans have every right to complain; I have no bone to pick with their real fans. I've just never heard so many "St. Mary's fans" across the country. They have assembled a Dallas Cowboys-sized following in just one weekend.

Honestly, much of it is valid. St. Mary's had a better resume than Arizona, and I agree it should be in the tournament. On the other hand, the Gaels were not a lock to make it. So the next logical step is for people like Bob Knight to proclaim the tournament should include 128 teams.

Why stop there, Bob? What if Portland State (RPI 113!) got screwed out of the field of 128? Oh, I know ... it's time to expand to 256 teams. I mean, we're all about socialism, right? If every team doesn't get a chance to play, it's just not fair. They've really got to find a way to include all 343 Division 1 teams in the tournament. That's the only way we can ensure a fair shake. Otherwise someone gets "screwed," and we can't have that. This is a life and death matter, you know. We can't squeeze out a potential 11-seed.

How laughable, only it's not funny. Teams have the chance to play themselves into the tournament. It's called the regular season. You want to make the NCAA Tournament? Be better. Control what you can control. You can't control the selection committee, so take care of your own business. Don't lose to UTEP at a neutral site, as St. Mary's did in November.

Bracket Busters

    Florida State Seminoles: How tall are the Seminoles? Let's just say they could change every light bulb in your house without borrowing a ladder. They're long and athletic and have Toney Douglas, a dynamic guard who is exactly the type of player you want to avoid in the NCAA tournament.

    Kevin C. Cox, Getty Images

    American Eagles: Coach Jeff Jones says he hasn't watched the whole tape from last year's opening-round loss to Tennessee, but the Vols might not have either. American put a scare into Tennessee last year and return with seven seniors, including Garrison Carr, the school's all-time leading 3-point shooter.

    Evan Vucci, AP

    Siena Saints: How do we know Siena can turn your brakcets into scrap paper in a single game? The Saints did it last year, dispatching Vanderbilt as a No. 13 seed. Led by Kenny Hansbrouck, they return their three top scorers from a year ago and played a schedule that took them to Kansas and Pittsburgh.

    Tim Roske, AP

    Virginia Commonwealth Rams: Mike Krzyzewski couldn't stop this team in the opening round two years ago, and the Rams have only gotten better. Back is point guard Eric Maynor, who almost single-handedly beat Duke and this time he's part of one of the best inside-outside combos in college basketball with double-double forward Larry Sanders. They don't have the depth of a power conference school, but they've probably got better coaching with Anthony Grant, Billy Donovan's former right-hand man.

    Scott k. Brown, AP

    Boston College Eagles: The Eagles seem to be a team in need of motivation. They knocked off North Carolina in Chapel Hill only to lose to Harvard. They beat Duke only to lose to N.C. State and then came within a single point of knocking Duke off again in the ACC tournament. Needless to say, no one takes teams lightly in the NCAA tournament, so good luck stopping a fired up Tyrese Rice.

    John Bazemore, AP

    West Virginia: You might like the Mountaineers, but the computers love them. A year after their surprising run to the Sweet 16, West Virginia is one of only three teams with efficiency ratings in the top 16 on both offense and defense, a great sign that they'll outperform their seed. The other two? Duke and Gonzaga.

    Julie Jacobson, AP

    Gonzaga: Gonzaga turned a Cinderella 1999 run into a regular spot in the NCAA tournament and has now almost made the leap in the public's mind to overrated major. But this year, the 'Zags are for real. They've lost just once since January and are the only team in the nation in the top 10 in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency.

    Jae C. Hong, AP

    North Dakota State Bison: They punched their ticket to the dance in their first opportunity (Take notes, Northwestern) and have a great formula for mid-major success, an excellent senior core and a great touch from 3-point range. The Bison shot better than 40 percent from long range, 10th best in the nation.

    Eric Landwehr, AP

    BYU Cougars: The Cougars are rated 18th in the nation by Ken Pomeroy, which suggests they could vastly out-perform their seed. They haven't lost a game by more than six points since Jan. 17 and do the single most important thing in basketball well, shoot. They're effective field goal percentage is seventh in the nation.

    Ethan Miller, Getty Images

    Michigan Wolverines: The Wolverines have already proven they can beat the nation's best, ousting UCLA on a neutral court in November and dumping Duke at home in December, and they're exactly the kind of team that can cause trouble in any one-game scenario -- nearly half of all Michigan shots are 3-pointers. Don't pick them to win six, but watch out in the first round.

    Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images


You also have the conference tournament. Don't get blown out by 25 points on national TV in the finals. Be more than a one-man team. Oh, I know they aren't, but the way everyone is painting the picture, you'd have thought they were helpless without the services of Mills. On Feb. 7, in fact, they were. They lost by 18 to a team ranked almost 200 in the RPI. If they aren't a one-man team, they've got to play better in that game. Again, be better if you want to dance by controlling what you can control.

The part St. Mary's couldn't control was the injury to Mills. If we're going to give them a free pass for those losses without him, though, that's a really slippery slope. Are you going to go through and check out every team in America who had injury woes and adjust their value? Injuries are part of the game. Sure, it's not fair, but life ain't fair. The Gaels suffered a huge setback when their star player got hurt. It happens. From a personal standpoint, I do feel sorry for the players on the team -- it really sucks how things transpired over the past month and a half. Then again, things that suck happen in life from time to time. When it happens, you are allowed to complain, but eventually you have to turn the page.

Expanding the tournament field to 128 teams is not the way to reconcile with a team who suffered an unfortunate circumstance. It would be a way to further deteriorate the meaning of each regular-season game.

Worst of all, it would change March Madness, the greatest event in sports.

You know what you do with something that's not broken, right?

Add More Teams? That's Madness originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>bob knightBobKnightpat millsPatMillspatrick millsPatrickMillspatty millsPattyMillsMatt SnyderTue, 17 Mar 2009 16:30:00 EST