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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title>Tim Floyd Reportedly Takes Arizona Job</title><link>http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/04/01/tim-floyd-reportedly-takes-arizona-job/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/04/01/tim-floyd-reportedly-takes-arizona-job/</guid><comments>http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/04/01/tim-floyd-reportedly-takes-arizona-job/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/pac-10/" rel="tag">Pac-10</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/wcc/" rel="tag">WCC</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/tourney-coaches/" rel="tag">Tourney Coaches</a></p><img hspace="4" border="1" align="right" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/media/2009/04/85407247.edit.jpg" /><strong>Third Update: </strong>ESPN is reporting that <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/USC+/">USC </a>coach <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4035206">Tim Floyd will be Arizona's next coach</a>. ESPN's radio affiliate in Phoenix reports that the Trojan coach and Arizona athletic director <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Jim+Livengood/">Jim Livengood</a> are finalizing a deal and an announcement is expected Thursday. Floyd coached USC for four seasons, including three NCAA tournaments and proved to be a highly effective recruiter. <em>The Tuscon Citizen</em> is reporting that <a href="http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/sports/113396.php">Floyd flew in to discuss the job</a>, but citing an unnamed source, says it is unclear if the coach was offered the job or even visited the campus. The paper reports that no press conference is yet scheduled for Thursday.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Second Update:</span> ESPN SportsCenter just reported that <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Jeff+Capel/">Jeff Capel</a> is now the leading candidate. Rumors are swirling, but we will sit on this and keep it updated throughout the day.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>In less than 24 hours, the University of Arizona basketball coaching search has gone from frantic to favorable.<br /><br /><a href="http://arizona.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=930683">GoAzCats.com is reporting</a> that Arizona athletic director <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Jim+Livengood/">Jim Livengood</a> has locked down the next head coach. Speculation by media close to the situation is that it will be Gonzaga coach <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Mark+Few/">Mark Few</a>.<br /><br />Without revealing any names, the Rivals Web site had this to say about the search.<br /><blockquote>A press conference has yet to be scheduled, although it's believed that one could come as soon as Wednesday, although Thursday appears to be much more likely and it could even stretch to Friday. <br /><br />From what we were told, details of the contract have yet to be completed, but that a verbal agreement has occurred and that there is heavy confidence coming from both sides on the deal getting done.<br /></blockquote>Arizona had backed itself into a corner when news hit the Internet that <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/John+Calipari/">John Calipari</a> was interested and eventually <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/31/john-calipari-closer-to-kentucky-deal/">took the vacant coaching job</a> at <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Kentucky/">Kentucky</a>. With Calipari gone and <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Rick+Pitinio/">Rick Pitino</a> uncertain, the coaching board was moving <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/31/has-arizona-ruined-its-coaching-search/">towards lesser known guys</a> that wouldn't do what the Tucson faithful were hoping from their first secure coach since <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Lute+Olson/">Lute Olson</a>.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/04/01/tim-floyd-reportedly-takes-arizona-job/">Tim Floyd Reportedly Takes Arizona Job</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com">NCAA Basketball Tournament</a> on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:32:00 EST .  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/04/01/tim-floyd-reportedly-takes-arizona-job/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/forward/1504888/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/04/01/tim-floyd-reportedly-takes-arizona-job/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/04/01/tim-floyd-reportedly-takes-arizona-job/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>Jeff Capel</category><category>JeffCapel</category><category>Jim Livengood</category><category>JimLivengood</category><category>John Calipari</category><category>JohnCalipari</category><category>Lute Olson</category><category>LuteOlson</category><category>Mark Few</category><category>MarkFew</category><category>Rick Pitino</category><category>RickPitino</category><category>tim floyd</category><dc:creator>Shane Bacon</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:32:00 EST </pubDate></item><item><title>The Year of Goliath: UNC Makes It an Extremely Elite Eight</title><link>http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/28/the-year-of-goliath-unc-makes-it-an-extremely-elite-eight/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/28/the-year-of-goliath-unc-makes-it-an-extremely-elite-eight/</guid><comments>http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/28/the-year-of-goliath-unc-makes-it-an-extremely-elite-eight/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/acc/" rel="tag">ACC</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/wcc/" rel="tag">WCC</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/south-region/" rel="tag">South Region</a></p><img hspace="4" vspace="4" border="1" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/media/2009/03/ncaa-gonzaga-ncarolin_kim.jpg" alt="Ty Lawson was more than ready to go for North Carolina in its Sweet Sixteen matchup against Gonzaga" />Gonzaga was Cinderella once. It's been too good for too long to wear that particular dress now, but by late Friday night it was the closest thing this tournament had left. Once Louisville destroyed Arizona in the night's first game, the Zags, a four, were the highest seed left in the field.<br /><br />And then they were promptly dismantled by a very healthy-looking <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Ty+Lawson/">Ty Lawson</a> and North Carolina.<br /><br />If Lawson's toe is all better and he can play like this, there may be nothing anybody can do. Remember back in the early part of this season, when North Carolina looked head-and-shoulders better than everybody else in the land? Yeah. That wasn't that long ago, and if you had to make a pick right now because your life depended on it, you'd take the Heels, wouldn't you?<br /><br />But you're also happy your life doesn't depend on it, because that toe injury is a tricky thing, and Lawson might not feel as good Sunday, after only one day off, as he did Friday after four. And <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Blake+Griffin/">Blake Griffin</a>'s Oklahoma Sooners still have something to say about whether UNC makes it to the Final Four, let alone the Final One. And even if the Heels do get past Oklahoma, every other team left in the field is a monster.<br /><br />Welcome to the Year of Goliath. The year the mid-majors got kicked back down the ladder and the Big Guys duked it out for the title. Twelve of the teams in the Sweet 16 came from the Big East, Big 12, Big Ten or ACC. And the Elite Eight is even more big-conference-heavy: four from the Big East, two from the Big 12, one each from the Big 10 and the ACC, and that's it. These teams are basketball <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Sasquatch/">Sasquatches</a> who spend timeouts and off-days picking pieces of the glass slipper out of their massive paws.<br /><br />Louisville-Michigan State? Good luck taking an uncontested breath.<br /><br />Pitt-Villanova? A Big East brawl.<br /><br />UConn-Missouri? A full-court press for the ages against a Big Man who can't be stopped.<br /><br />North Carolina-Oklahoma? They'll all reminisce together at future NBA All-Star games.<br /><br />Cinderellas are fun. The great upsets are, to a certain extent, the thing on which this tournament's popularity was built. But when it comes time to settle the question of which team is the best, it's nice to see the big dogs getting together to sort it all out.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/28/the-year-of-goliath-unc-makes-it-an-extremely-elite-eight/">The Year of Goliath: UNC Makes It an Extremely Elite Eight</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com">NCAA Basketball Tournament</a> on Sat, 28 Mar 2009 00:06:00 EST .  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/28/the-year-of-goliath-unc-makes-it-an-extremely-elite-eight/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/forward/1500892/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/28/the-year-of-goliath-unc-makes-it-an-extremely-elite-eight/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/28/the-year-of-goliath-unc-makes-it-an-extremely-elite-eight/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>blake griffin</category><category>BlakeGriffin</category><category>gonzaga bulldogs</category><category>GonzagaBulldogs</category><category>north carolina tarheels</category><category>NorthCarolinaTarheels</category><category>sasquatch</category><category>ty lawson</category><category>TyLawson</category><dc:creator>Dan Graziano</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 28 Mar 2009 00:06:00 EST </pubDate></item><item><title>Sweet 16 Live Blogging</title><link>http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/27/round-three-liveblogging-reaction-and-action/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/27/round-three-liveblogging-reaction-and-action/</guid><comments>http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/27/round-three-liveblogging-reaction-and-action/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/acc/" rel="tag">ACC</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/big-12/" rel="tag">Big 12</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/big-east/" rel="tag">Big East</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/big-ten/" rel="tag">Big Ten</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/pac-10/" rel="tag">Pac-10</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/wcc/" rel="tag">WCC</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/tourney-rumors/" rel="tag">Tourney Rumors</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/midwest-region/" rel="tag">Midwest Region</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/west-region/" rel="tag">West Region</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/south-region/" rel="tag">South Region</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/east-region/" rel="tag">East Region</a></p><img hspace="4" border="1" align="right" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/media/2009/03/fieldsbrownblair.jpg" alt="" />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />Stop on by around <em><strong>6:30 PM ET</strong></em> to talk about the action from yesterday and the games tonight. Plus, there is always the coaching carousel and what happens next at Kentucky.<br /><br /><iframe height="550" frameborder="0" width="425" scrolling="no" src="http://www.coveritlive.com/index2.php/option=com_altcaster/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=1f236a6df2/height=550/width=425">&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=1f236a6df2&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Round 3 Reaction and Action&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;</iframe><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/27/round-three-liveblogging-reaction-and-action/">Sweet 16 Live Blogging</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com">NCAA Basketball Tournament</a> on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:00:00 EST .  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/27/round-three-liveblogging-reaction-and-action/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/forward/1500537/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/27/round-three-liveblogging-reaction-and-action/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/27/round-three-liveblogging-reaction-and-action/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>arizona wildcats</category><category>ArizonaWildcats</category><category>gonzaga bulldogs</category><category>GonzagaBulldogs</category><category>kansas jayhawks</category><category>KansasJayhawks</category><category>louisville cardinals</category><category>LouisvilleCardinals</category><category>michigan state spartans</category><category>MichiganStateSpartans</category><category>north carolina tarheels</category><category>NorthCarolinaTarheels</category><category>oklahoma sooners</category><category>OklahomaSooners</category><category>syracuse orange</category><category>SyracuseOrange</category><dc:creator>Chas Rich</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:00:00 EST </pubDate></item><item><title>Gonzaga Will Heel North Carolina</title><link>http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/27/gonzaga-will-heel-north-carolina/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/27/gonzaga-will-heel-north-carolina/</guid><comments>http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/27/gonzaga-will-heel-north-carolina/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/acc/" rel="tag">ACC</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/wcc/" rel="tag">WCC</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/south-region/" rel="tag">South Region</a></p><img hspace="4" vspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/media/2009/03/gonzaga-425cbk-032709.jpg" alt="" /><br />North Carolina has been<a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/24/sweet-16-odds-north-carolina-favored-to-win-national-title/"> established as the tournament favorite</a> by the odds makers. But before we blaze a path for them into the Final Four (or even the Elite Eight), perhaps we should take a quick trip down memory lane.<br /><br />The Tar Heels and the Bulldogs have a fairly interesting history together. One that people are drawing on when looking at Friday's game.<br /><br />But memories can be a funny thing.<br /><br />It seems like nearly every basketball fan in the world remembers <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Josh+Heytvelt/">Josh Heytvelt</a> dominating <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Tyler+Hansbrough/">Tyler Hansbrough</a> in the 2006 preseason NIT. That's one of the top storylines heading into Gonzaga and North Carolina's Sweet 16 showdown. That story is a nice yarn, and certainly makes for some pretty decent copy. And hell, there are even some grains of truth in it. But the perception certainly isn't 100 percent reality.<br /><br /><iframe height="215" frameborder="0" width="205" align="right" src="http://webcenter.polls.aol.com/modular.jsp?template=1386&amp;view=165238&amp;pollId=165520&amp;channel=aol_us_sports&amp;popup=yes"></iframe>Yes, Heytvelt did have a great game that night. A true breakout game on a national stage. <br /><br />The then-sophomore scored 19 points, grabbed eight rebounds and had four blocks. He was a force in Gonzaga's 82-74 win over No. 2 North Carolina. Hansbrough did struggle with only nine points and nine rebounds. But you have to give <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/David+Pendergraft/">David Pendergraft</a> and <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Abdfullahi+Kuso/">Abdullahi Kuso</a>, who both graduated in 2007, some credit for that effort, too. <br /><br />So to call it domination or at least imply any predictive value is a stretch. Heytvelt was awesome, but he wasn't the defensive stopper people seem to remember. <br /><br />Besides, the two players have traveled different paths since that night. Hansbrough has gone on to all-world status, and has become the leading scorer in ACC history. Heytvelt has fought through an arrest, a stress fracture and has recently started to get back to the lofty heights he set back in November of 2006.<br /><br />But what does that matter now? If you were hanging on Heytvelt's domination while filling out your office bracket, that might have been misguided. But don't worry, you may still survive.<br /><br />Gonzaga can still surprise everyone.<br /><br />While the hyped Heytvelt and Hansbrough duel will provide some excitement on Friday, there are some other myths surrounding the game that need to be stripped away. Once you do, Gonzaga's chances seem better.<br /><br />Many critics of Gonzaga still view the Bulldogs as this weepy team from the Pacific Northwest that can't seem to win the big one. <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Demetri+Goodson/">Demetri Goodson</a> erased that notion with his mad dash and basket against Western Kentucky. And if you don't think that one basket can change the fortunes of a program, then Tyus Edney would like to have a word with you. <br /><br />But Gonzaga doesn't play defense, playing as soft as a paper bag wilted in a Washington rain storm, right? Wrong. Gonzaga is holding opponents to only 37 percent shooting, one of the best marks in the country. You don't roll off 11 consecutive wins without playing a little bit of defense. Gonzaga is a better defensive team than you think. <br /><br />But this is Carolina, right? They are invincible. Well, not really. <br /><br /><!-- START SWF PUBLISHER -->
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<h2><a href="?feeddeeplinkNum=0">NCAA Tournament Action</a></h2>
<ul>
    <p class="caption"> 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</p>
    <p class="credit">Getty Images</p>
    <p class="caption"> 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)</p>
    <p class="credit">Getty Images</p>
    <p class="caption"> 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</p>
    <p class="credit">Getty Images</p>
    <p class="caption"> 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</p>
    <p class="credit">Getty Images</p>
    <p class="caption"> 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</p>
    <p class="credit">Getty Images</p>
    <p class="caption"> 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</p>
    <p class="credit">Getty Images</p>
    <p class="caption"> 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</p>
    <p class="credit">Getty Images</p>
    <p class="caption"> 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</p>
    <p class="credit">Getty Images</p>
    <p class="caption"> 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</p>
    <p class="credit">Getty Images</p>
    <p class="caption"> 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</p>
    <p class="credit">Getty Images</p>
</ul>
</div>
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<!-- END SWF PUBLISHER --> <br />North Carolina's <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Ty+Lawson/">Ty Lawson</a> will likely be less than 100 percent with a lingering turf toe-like condition. ESPN's talking heads like to say that 80 percent of Lawson is better than most point guards. And that's true. Just maybe not as true when going up against <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Jeremy+Pargo/">Jeremy Pargo</a>. Lost in Heytvelt's performance two years ago, was Pargo reaching double figures. <br /><br />Or <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Matthew+Bouldin/">Matthew Bouldin</a> who scored 14 points and was outstanding as a freshman. Bouldin did a little bit of everything against <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Western+Kentucky/">Western Kentucky</a> with 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists. He's been unbelievable for Gonzaga.<br /><br />Add Goodson, and Gonzaga certainly matches up very well with North Carolina. While Heytvelt vs. Hansbrough is the marquee matchup, this game will be decided by the guards. And this certainly shapes up as one that will come down to the wire. After watching Saturday's miracle, the Bulldogs seem to have something on their side.<br /><br />The reality? Gonzaga will win this game, though if you're looking at Heytvelt and Hansbrough for reasons why, you might be looking in the wrong spot.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/27/gonzaga-will-heel-north-carolina/">Gonzaga Will Heel North Carolina</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com">NCAA Basketball Tournament</a> on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST .  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/27/gonzaga-will-heel-north-carolina/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/forward/1498852/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/27/gonzaga-will-heel-north-carolina/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/27/gonzaga-will-heel-north-carolina/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>Jeremy Pargo</category><category>JeremyPargo</category><category>Josh Heytvelt</category><category>JoshHeytvelt</category><category>matt bouldin</category><category>MattBouldin</category><category>Ty Lawson</category><category>TyLawson</category><category>Tyler Hansbrough</category><category>TylerHansbrough</category><dc:creator>Adam Papagiorgio</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST </pubDate></item><item><title>Gonzaga's Sweet Dash</title><link>http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/21/gonzaga-gets-to-play-another-day/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/21/gonzaga-gets-to-play-another-day/</guid><comments>http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/21/gonzaga-gets-to-play-another-day/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/sun-belt/" rel="tag">Sun Belt</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/wcc/" rel="tag">WCC</a></p><img hspace="4" vspace="4" border="1" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/media/2009/03/zaga-150ttt.jpg" />Gonzaga and Western Kentucky are two programs outside of the power conferences that have had a profound influence on the NCAA tournament and college basketball. <br /><br />Appropriately, and as it turned out dramatically, the two schools finally met.<br /><br />The Zags have become one of the marquee mid-major programs, thanks in large part to their tournament success. Western Kentucky has been the launching pad for many coaches, including Gene Keady, Clem Haskins, and last year, <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Darrin+Horn/">Darrin Horn</a>.<br /><br />Ultimately, this showdown went to Gonzaga in the final seconds, but not without a bit of controversy. <br /><br /> <hr width="90%" size="2" color="#eeeeee" align="center" />
<div align="center"><strong>No. 4 Gonzaga 83, No. 12 WKU 81: <a href="http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/game/20090321/western_kentucky-hilltoppers-vs-gonzaga-bulldogs/200903210233?type=recap">AP Recap</a> | <a href="http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/game/20090321/western_kentucky-hilltoppers-vs-gonzaga-bulldogs/200903210233?type=boxscore">Box Score</a> | <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/viewbracket">Bracket</a> | <a href="http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/scores-and-schedules">Scores</a></strong> </div>
<hr width="90%" size="2" color="#eeeeee" align="center" /><br />Gonzaga held a two-point lead with under 25 seconds left. The Hilltoppers ran a play that freed <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Orlando+Mendez-Valdez/">Orlando Mendez-Valdez</a> for a three-point look. The shot was off, but Steffphon Pettigrew was there for a put-back to tie the game with 7.2 seconds left.<br /><br />Gonzaga did not waste any time, though, on the inbounds. The Bulldogs took the ball and gave it to freshman <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Demetri+Goodson/">Demetri Goodson</a>, who took off down the length of the court. Western Kentucky could not get anyone in place to even foul Goodson before he laid it in for the lead with 0.9 seconds left.<br /><br /><iframe height="185" frameborder="0" width="205" align="right" src="http://webcenter.polls.aol.com/modular.jsp?template=1386&amp;view=164835&amp;pollId=165117&amp;channel=aol_us_sportsbasketball&amp;popup=yes"></iframe> As soon as the ball dropped in, Western Kentucky coach <a href="http://www.fanhouse.com/tag/Ken+McDonald/">Ken McDonald</a> started signaling for a timeout. The problem was the officials never looked back or heard him as the Rose Garden went crazy. <br /><br /> Western Kentucky inbounded the ball and heaved a shot well short as time expired. You could see McDonald running to the officials, still making the timeout signal as the Gonzaga players celebrated. It was too late, of course. McDonald. in an interview after the game, did say that the officials should have looked back at him. At the same time, he conceded that his players inbounded the ball too quickly and never looked at him or called the timeout on their own.<br /><br />It is tough to believe that it would have made a difference. Setting up an inbound play and tossing up a prayer with 0.9 seconds left is not exactly a high-percentage play. It always has a chance, so it stinks that Western Kentucky did not get a chance to try. <br /><br /> <!-- START SWF PUBLISHER -->
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<h2><a href="?feeddeeplinkNum=0">Stunning Tournament Finishes</a></h2>
<ul>
    <p class="caption">Thanks to Demetri Goodson, the Bulldogs are moving on to the Sweet 16. Goodson streaks the length of the court and drains a running bank shot with 0.9 seconds left to lift Gonzaga over Western Kentucky in the second round. <strong>Click through to see more incredible finishes from past NCAA tournaments.</strong></p>
    <p class="credit">Jonathan Ferrey, Getty Images</p>
    <p class="caption"><strong>2008 Ty Rogers, Western Kentucky</strong> - The Hilltoppers blew a big lead in the second half to fifth-seeded Drake, but Rogers made that a footnote when he drilled a 26-foot 3-pointer in between three defenders for the 101-99 overtime win. <font color="#ff0000"><strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UESh8d0Hddg">Watch the Play</a></strong></font></p>
    <p class="credit">John Raoux, AP</p>
    <p class="caption"><strong>1990 Tate George, Connecticut -</strong> As time expired, George's jump shot slipped through the rim to give Connecticut a 71-70 victory over the Clemson, moving them to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1964. <font color="#ff0000"><strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4CxbjRXwhY">Watch the Play</a></strong></font></p>
    <p class="credit">Getty Images</p>
    <p class="caption"><strong>2000 Mike Miller, Florida -</strong> Miller scored the game-winning leaner in overtime to send an upset-minded Butler home. <font color="#ff0000"><strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t3rg_AptzM#t=0m22s">Watch the Play</a></strong></font></p>
    <p class="credit">Chuck Burton, AP</p>
    <p class="caption"><strong>1990 Christian Laettner, Duke -</strong> Laettner made his first of two tournament buzzer-beaters in 1990 when he sunk a final-second shot to sent Connecticut home and Duke to the Final Four. <font color="#ff0000"><strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t3rg_AptzM#t=2m18s">Watch the Play</a></strong></font></p>
    <p class="credit">Susan Ragan, AP</p>
    <p class="caption"><strong>1995 Tyus Edney, UCLA -</strong> With only 4.8 seconds left in the game, Edney takes the ball the length of the court and makes the game-winning layup as the Bruins top Missouri 75-74. <font color="#ff0000"><strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHceOvR464s">Watch the Play</a></strong></font></p>
    <p class="credit">Getty Images</p>
    <p class="caption"><strong>1981 U.S. Reed, Arkansas -</strong> Reed hit a 49-foot halfcourt shot to send Louisville, the defending champions, home in the second round. <font color="#ff0000"><strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-TtGo8CwUM">Watch the Play</a></strong></font></p>
    <p class="credit"> James D. Smith, Time Life Pictures / Getty Images</p>
    <p class="caption"><strong>1998 Bryce Drew, Valparaiso -</strong> In perhaps the ultimate father-son team-up, Homer Drew draws up the final shot for his son, Bryce Drew. Bryce hit the game-winning three-point shot to stun Mississippi 70-69 in the first round. <font color="#ff0000"><strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FADAN3Bznwg">Watch the Play</a></strong></font></p>
    <p class="credit">John Gaps III, AP</p>
    <p class="caption"><strong>1983 Lorenzo Charles, North Carolina State -</strong> Charles collected an airball and dunked it as time expired to give N.C. State a 54-52 win over heavily-favored Houston. <font color="#ff0000"><strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l5N2eKdvL4">Watch the Play</a></strong></font></p>
    <p class="credit">AP</p>
    <p class="caption"><strong>1992 Christian Laettner, Duke -</strong> Just two years after his previous buzzer-beater, Laettner shoots another one. Laettner dribbled once, turned and hit a jumper as time expired for the 104-103 win. <font color="#ff0000"><strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY-iq58_oz4">Watch the Play</a></strong></font><strong></strong></p>
    <p class="credit">Charles Arbogast, AP</p>
</ul>
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<!-- END SWF PUBLISHER --><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/21/gonzaga-gets-to-play-another-day/">Gonzaga's Sweet Dash</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com">NCAA Basketball Tournament</a> on Sat, 21 Mar 2009 23:16:00 EST .  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/21/gonzaga-gets-to-play-another-day/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/forward/1494779/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/21/gonzaga-gets-to-play-another-day/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/21/gonzaga-gets-to-play-another-day/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>gonzaga bulldogs</category><category>GonzagaBulldogs</category><category>Western Kentucky Hilltoppers</category><category>WesternKentuckyHilltoppers</category><dc:creator>Chas Rich</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 21 Mar 2009 23:16:00 EST </pubDate></item><item><title>Seed-By-Conference Analysis: Committee Loves the Big East and ACC</title><link>http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/16/seed-by-conference-analysis-committee-loves-the-big-east-and-ac/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/16/seed-by-conference-analysis-committee-loves-the-big-east-and-ac/</guid><comments>http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/16/seed-by-conference-analysis-committee-loves-the-big-east-and-ac/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/a-10/" rel="tag">A-10</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/acc/" rel="tag">ACC</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/big-12/" rel="tag">Big 12</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/big-east/" rel="tag">Big East</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/big-ten/" rel="tag">Big Ten</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/america-east/" rel="tag">America East</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/a-sun/" rel="tag">A-Sun</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/big-south/" rel="tag">Big South</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/bsc/" rel="tag">BSC</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/bwc/" rel="tag">BWC</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/caa/" rel="tag">CAA</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/c-usa/" rel="tag">C-USA</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/great-west/" rel="tag">Great West</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/horizon-league/" rel="tag">Horizon League</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/ivy-league/" rel="tag">Ivy League</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/maac/" rel="tag">MAAC</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/mac/" rel="tag">MAC</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/meac/" rel="tag">MEAC</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/mvc/" rel="tag">MVC</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/mwc/" rel="tag">MWC</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/nec/" rel="tag">NEC</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/ovc/" rel="tag">OVC</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/pac-10/" rel="tag">Pac-10</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/patriot-league/" rel="tag">Patriot League</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/sec/" rel="tag">SEC</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/socon/" rel="tag">SoCon</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/southland/" rel="tag">Southland</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/swac/" rel="tag">SWAC</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/sun-belt/" rel="tag">Sun Belt</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/the-summit/" rel="tag">The Summit</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/wcc/" rel="tag">WCC</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/wac/" rel="tag">WAC</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/big-sky/" rel="tag">Big Sky</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/big-west/" rel="tag">Big West</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/midwest-region/" rel="tag">Midwest Region</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/west-region/" rel="tag">West Region</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/south-region/" rel="tag">South Region</a>, <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/category/east-region/" rel="tag">East Region</a></p><img hspace="4" border="1" align="middle" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/media/2009/03/conferences.jpg" alt="" /><br />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.<br /><br />The biggest issue I have with this instant "analysis" is that <span style="font-weight: bold;">it's not analysis at all</span>. 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 -- <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/16/knight-big-ten-not-anywhere-close-to-big-east-acc/">with apologies to Bob Knight</a> -- just plain <span style="font-weight: bold;">stupid</span>.<br /><br />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? <br /><br />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. <br /><br /><font color="#5c5858" size="+1">Big East</font><br /><br /><strong>Number of teams:</strong> 7<br /><strong>Seeds:</strong> 1, 1, 1, 3, 3, 6, 6<br /><strong>Expected record: </strong>20-6 (including three Final Four teams and one National Champion<strong><br />Comments:</strong> 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 <span style="font-style: italic;">average</span> seed is a<span style="font-style: italic;"> three</span>. <br /><br /><font color="#5c5858" size="+1">ACC</font><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Number of teams:</span> 7<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Seeds:</span> 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 7, 10<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Expected record:</span> 13-7<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Comments: </span>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). <br /><br /><font color="#5c5858" size="+1">Big 12</font><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Number of teams:</span> 6<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Seeds:</span> 2, 3, 3, 7, 8, 9<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Expected record:</span> 9-6<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Comments:</span> 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. <br /><br /><font color="#5c5858" size="+1">Big Ten</font><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Number of teams:</span> 7<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Seeds:</span> 2, 5, 5, 8, 10, 10, 12<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Expected record:</span> 6-7<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Comments: </span>Seriously? This is an <span style="font-style: italic;">overrated</span> 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. <br /><br /><font color="#5c5858" size="+1">Pac-10</font><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Number of teams:</span> 6<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Seeds:</span> 4, 6, 6, 7, 10, 12<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Expected record: </span>5-6<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Comments:</span> 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. <br /><br /><font color="#5c5858" size="+1">Mountain West</font><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Number of teams:</span> 2<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Seeds:</span> 5, 8<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Expected record:</span> 2-2<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Comments:</span> 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. <br /><br /><font color="#5c5858" size="+1">Atlantic 10</font><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Number of teams:</span> 3<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Seeds:</span> 4, 11, 11<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Expected record:</span> 2-3<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Comments:</span> Again, a head-scratcher. Was Xavier really seven whole seeds better than Dayton? <br /><br /><font color="#5c5858" size="+1">SEC</font><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Number of teams:</span> 3<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Seeds:</span> 8, 9, 13<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Expected record:</span> 1-3<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Comments: </span>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. <br /><br /><font color="#5c5858" size="+1">Everyone Else</font><br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br /><font color="#5c5858" size="+1">Final Thought</font><br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/16/seed-by-conference-analysis-committee-loves-the-big-east-and-ac/">Seed-By-Conference Analysis: Committee Loves the Big East and ACC</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com">NCAA Basketball Tournament</a> on Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST .  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