Well, Morehead does get the bid. Yuck!!!! I DO hope they have a good Dance though, and best of luck to 'em representing the OVC.

UK struggling in Knoxville, as expected. Liggins just fouled out on a horrible foul to make, but UK still up 3 with 2 to go.


Heh heh heh. Hate to root for the powder blue, but glad NC stomped Dook. I hope this helps ding their chance at a 1 seed. Funny how Dook seems to get the easy, close to home draws when they get a 1.
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Sorry, Joe. I was pulling for your Racers, but they just didn't show up. And yes there was altogether too much action for me to do it all proper justice.


Hey, Morehead State and your Racers were the 2 best teams, so I guess it's OK for one of them to represent the league in The Dance.

I managed to see bits and pieces of that UK/Vols game while herfing with a buddy, and it seemed a tight one through the 2nd half. It also seemed the Vols got a little too tight, and blew chances to win it, while the 'Cats made juuuust enough plays down the stretch to take the W.

Me, I don't see any meaningful distinction between a 1 or 2 seed anyway, aside from bragging rights, and maybe placement in a region closer to home. Other than that, you still have to win the games, regardless. Besides, Duke might get a 1-seed even if they get no help in the Big Ten, Big East, or Big 12tourneys, if they can win the ACC one. And it ain't powder blue, or baby blue, or whatever wimpy name you wanna call it. If you don't feel right saying Carolina blue, then just call it what it is . . . sky blue, and further proof that God Himself is a Tar Heel fan. :-)


Update soon.
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First of all, congratulations to our early entrants into the NCAA Tournament, as these have won the automatic bids in their conference:

Belmont = Clearly the best team in that league all year.

Indiana State = I reckon Larry Bird is happy today.

UNC Asheville = Their first time to receive a bid, so good for them.

Morehead State = With all apologies and sympathy to Joe, they won, and so deserve it.


So 4 of the 31 automatics are in the book, with 4 more to follow tonight. Otherwise, as I said above, there was too much for me to report it all, so I'll just hit the games with the biggest significance (to me, which means you're free to add your own). On Saturday:


Clemson 69 - Virginia Tech 60 = And why do I consider this a significant game. Well, we know Duke, UNC, and FSU will get bids in the ACC, and the league may get 2 more at-large, or maybe even 3. Here are 2 in the running for that, as they both end the regular season with 9-7 conference records. In a "normal" year, a winning ACC record would assure one of a bid, but with the Big Mouth getting 15 or 20 bids themselves ( :-) ) there may not be too many left for the rest of the nation. So, did this put the Tigers in, or knock the Hokies out? It all might come down to who can win a game or three in the ACC Tourney. But you can pretty much forget about . . .

Virginia 74 - Maryland 60 = The Cavaliers had about the same chance as . . . well, as the Cavaliers . . . of getting into the postseason, but the Terps were sorta kinda close to, mebbe. Not any more, and their only chance is to run the table in Greensboro over this coming weekend.

Harvard 79 - Princeton 67 = And this was huge because the Tigers could have clinched the Ivy with a win. Now, they have to beat Penn in their final game, then beat Harvard in a 1-game playoff to get to the Dance. So the Crimson has two chances to win the automatic, while Princeton has two shots at losing it.

Iowa 67 - Purdue 65 = This didn't get the Hawkeyes into the Tourney, nor will it keep the Boilermakers out. But you gotta admit, it's a hell of a good win for Iowa, and a pretty crappy loss for Purdue this late in the year.

Michigan 70 - Michigan State 63 = Much as is the case in the ACC, there is a question as to how many Big Ten schools will get bids. Hey, there are only 68 slots available, and once you subtract the 31 automatics, and the two or three dozen the Big Mouth will get ( :-) ), that don't leave us mere mortals with much on the table. These two in-state rivals are now both 9-9 in conferece play. Are both in? Is one out? Will it hinge on Big Ten Tourney play? I'll tell you sometime Sunday night.

North Carolina 81 - Duke 67 = Well, my Heels still didn't shoot great, but they did shoot a lot better than Dook, and they owned the inside play. Plus, they played decent defense, nor did they wilt when the Blue Devils made their runs. The win gave them what must be considered a rather improbable ACC regular season championship against a team that was handed that crown from Day One of the campaign. Now, people who have dissed them for a year and a half are wanting back on the bandwagon. Sorry, but if you weren't in back pushing when we were stuck in the mud, you can't hop on when we're coasting.


Now on Sunday there was:


Boston College 84 - Wake Forest 68 = The win itself is no shock, but it does put the Eagles into that 9-7 ACC record discussion. Are they in, or out? Do they need wins in the league tourney, or even help from other conferences? Again, I'll tell you in about a week.

St. Peter's 62 - Fairfield 48 = The Fairfield Stags had been the best team in the MAC all year. Now it looks like they won't even get into the gym for one little Dance, and will need to shake their booty in the NIT.

VCU 79 - George Mason 63 = I have been a casual VCU fan for decades, so forgive me if I refuse to confess that the main reason I revel in the result is that Geo. Mason knocked my Heels outta the Dance some years back. I figure GM will still get an at-large, while VCU's shot may still hinge on their next game, tonight, against . . .

ODU 77 - Hofstra 69 = As above, I sorta like Old Dominion because they run a quality mid-major program that has success year after year. I'm not sure the Pride will get an at-large, as I'm not sure the Colonial will get 4 teams in, and I would think both teams playing for the championship should get bids. But me, I don't get a vote.

Penn State 66 - Minnesota 63 = Two vital points here. First, this puts the Lions into that 9-9 Big Ten question mentioned above. In, or out? Second, what in the hell happened to the Tin Gophers this year? They were having a nice season, but now have lost 9 of 10 games. There are struggles, there are collapses, and then there's just giving up. Sheesh.

Kentucky 64 - Tennessee 58 = As talked about briefly above, the 'Cats kept close in Knoxville, and made the plays in the last six or eight minutes the Vols could not. So there's also two questions here. Does Kentucky have the depth to win more than a game or two in the NCAAs? And do the Volunteers even get a ticket to the Dance at all? Before you automatically say "Of course they do", consider that their 8-8 and 18-13 record is "meh" at best, and perhaps more so when one considers how weak the SEC West division truly is, while the admittedly much better East has only 2 teams in the national rankings (Florida and Kentucky), and both are merely middlin' in those ranks. And the Vols have lost 6 or their last 9 to boot. In my eyes, it's not a layup.

Ohio State 93 - Wisconsin 65 = I have watched the Buckeyes play a few times this year, and came away with the impression that they were good, but far from great. Well, if they can bottle what they did yesterday, and play in the NCAAs the way they did against the Badgers, they could cakewalk through the "competition", if you could call it that. They have both size and perimeter play, both youth and experience, and play hard on both ends. What they don't have is depth, and that could hurt them if somebody . . . or three . . . tweeks a hammie or commits some stupid fouls early. Otherwise, they are clearly at this point the Number 1 Number 1.


Tonight, action continues in the Sun Belt and Summit tourneys, while it ends in others, as four more tickets get punched this evening:


VCU vs. ODU = As I said above, I'd put both the Colonial teams in, regardless. But if they want to insure a seat on the bus, all they have to do is win this game. I'm hoping for a great one.

Iona vs. St. Peter's = And this will determine the MAC's automatic, and will give one of these the chance to get beaten in the opening round.

Charleston vs. Wofford = This one is the Southern Conference championship, and there will be no at-large for the loser. I think the Cougars are better than the Terriers, and they have the better record to indicate that, plus they have already beaten them twice. But the third time, for all the marbles, is a different situation altogether. This could be an all-out war.

Gonzaga vs. St. Mary's = The Gaels have struggle down the stretch, but still are capable of beating anybody in the WCC. And, after their early problems, the 'Zags have managed to get back into contention for a seat they believe should be kept warm for them, year after year. The WCC may get both in regardless of the results tonight, but better safe than sorry. So, just win bay-bee!!


That's all for me for now. Back tomorrow. Enjoy. Screw Drew.
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KU vs. MU..??????
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A game? Yes. A big game? For fans of both teams maybe, but not in the big picture. Kansas is pretty safe as a 1-seed, and a loss may not have changed that. Missou was in, win or lose also. I did not mention Arizona's or UCLA's games for much the same reason, nor Pitt's nor Notre Dame's. They were big for those teams, but not big for the NCAA scene as a whole. Plus, I invited people to put in their own comments about games, not only in the post above but from Day One of this thread. So if you would like to add something in a little more depth than just "KU vs. MU?", I would not only welcome it, I would encourage it . . . and others, too.
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K-State vs. Iowa State...??????
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Don't worry, I won't! :-):-):-)

ODU has been given a rough 2nd half from VCU. This is a good game.

The MAAC is in the last 30 seconds, with St Pete up 5...no, 6.
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Texas Tech vs. Pat Knight ...????



:-)
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Within the parameters I set, you'd have a better case with Texas vs. Baylor. K-State already earned their way into the Tourney, and Iowa State already "earned" their way out of it. With 'Horns/Bears, there was the question of one staying in contention for a 1 or 2-seed, while the other needed a signature win to get some late consideration for any sort of bid at all.


OK, now you're just %^@&in' with me. :-)
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Feeling around here is that both Michigan and Michigan State will get in, but if one was going to be out would likely be MSU.

Not sure I 100% agree, but that is the local sports talk radio vibe.
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WHAT!! After the way I pulled for your stinkin' Racers all year long! Well, that's some damn gratitude for you. :-)

Hey, I straight out told you, and have been telling you all year long, that these two play some decent ball. 'Grats to ODU for winning the automatic in the Colonial. Now we'll have to wait and see how many at-large they get.

And 'grats to the Peacocks from Joisey City too, edging a feisty Gaels squad by 2 possessions for the MAAC automatic.

I'm a bit of two minds about both schools, to be honest. The Spartans played the first 3/4th of the season like they didn't even care, when I felt they had the talent to make a run for the Big Ten crown. Meanwhile, the Wolverines started very slowly, as might be expected for a young team, but that talent began to jell late. Too late? I dunno. I could see both getting a bid, one or the other, or . . .least likely . . . both missing out. It may all hinge on the conference tourneys, and not just the Big Ten one. For instance, if there's an upset in another big conference (NCSU wins the ACC, Rutgers the Big East, Oklahoma the Big 12) that means fewer at-large slots available, and could push bubble teams over the back edge. It has happened in the past, and will happen in the future too.


Update soon.
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As mentioned above, a few more automatic bids were awarded last night:


ODU 70 - VCU 65 = Just precisely the type of hard-fought battle I expected.

St. Peter's 62 - Iona 57 = Another tight game that could have gone either way.

Wofford 77 - Charleston 67 = This one surprises me a little bit, as I felt CoC was the pick of the Southern this year. But the Terriers were tougher when it counted most, and will Dance next week.

Gonzaga 75 - St. Mary's 63 = Yet this one does not shock me any. The Gaels were one of my early faves out west, but they faded late in the year. The Bulldogs, on the other hand, turned around their early struggles and have gotten hot when it counted most. Gonzaga wins the automatic in the WCC. Will the Gaels get an at-large? They have a case . . . and strange as it seems, that case is not yet closed. Back in February an additional game was added to their schedule against Weber State, so they still have one more chance to make an impression . . . good, or bad.


Three more automatic bids will be won (or lost, depending on your rooting interest) tonight:


AR Little Rock vs. North Texas = This is for the Sun Belt. Aside from knowing North Texas has played well in a few games against tough competition this year, I know nothing. Let's just hope it's an entertaining game.

Oral Roberts vs. Oakland = And I really don't know enough about these two Summit teams to make a cogent comment either, save to say one of them ought to win it.

Butler vs. Wisc. Milwaukee = Here is the battle for the zenith of the Horizon, pitting the darlings of last year's NCAAs against a team they split against during the regular season. Might be a really good game.


Other than that, play begins in several other conference tournaments, namely the Big East, A-10, Mid-Eastern, Mid-American, and Big Sky. Already today in MSG U. Conn ended a 6-game losing streak in Big East Tourney play by beating DePaul 97-71, while Rutgers advanced in the Battle of Jersey by outlasting Seton Hall 76-70 in OT. Other than that, I will ignore most of the early round games, with two exceptions plus the exception of one last regular season game for:

Princeton vs. Penn = As we stand, the Tigers are 1/2-game back of Harvard, with this one final chance to catch them by beating the Quakers. Lose, and it is over. Win, and they will need to face the Crimson in a one-game playoff for the sole Ivy automatic bid. See, JaKaacH? That's what I mean about an important game.

Providence vs. Marquette = This one may not be quite as important for the Golden Eagles, as they may be juuuuuust slightly over that dreaded bubble, at 18-13 and 9-9. However, as is the case with the two Michigan teams mentioned above, better safe than sorry. If the Friars knock Marquette out of the Big East Tourney on the first day, you can bet CBS will have one of those cameras on the team, awaiting their reaction on Selection Sunday.

Dayton vs. U. Mass = And this game is important on the other side of that coin. Both these teams have had fairly good years, but not nearly good enough to get any at-large consideration, what with their 7-9 Atlantic-10 standings. So their only prayer is to make a run in the conference tournament, and hope that, even if they don't win it all, they will win enough to at least put themselves back in the bubble talk. That starts for one of them tonight, and ends for the other.


That's gonna be it for now. Enjoy. And thank you, Drew, for running off to hide while forcing Kendall Marshall to step up and show you how it's supposed to be done. :-)
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:-):-):-) Sorry, it's against the citizenship rules of the Commonwealth here to root for that particular shade of blue :-).

Ark-LR and North Tex have a good game going right now.

Could Harvard get their first Dance card in decades tonight???

Hoping I can stay awake for the Butler game. Looks like I'll miss some SEC action on the radio this week. Got an ISO audit at work the rest of this week, so I can't carry a radio around the plant or go sneak in a few minutes with HR (HUGE UK fan).
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Well, though I cannot condone such intolerance based upon color, I have some grasp on the reasons why. Not only does my Heels have a history of beating Kentucky like a cheap drum, but Dean Smith had the "gall" to win exactly one more game than Adolph Rupp, then retire. :-)

And yes, that AR-LR/NT game would go down as a classic, had it been played in something a bit bigger than the Sun Belt Championship game.

"Could Harvard get their first Dance card in decades?" Yes. "Tonight?" No.

Judging by the score, the Butler/W-M game wasn't all that good. As for your problem in catching SEC action . . . well, it makes me wonder how old you are. I can clearly remember kids sneaking 9-volt transitor radios with that cheesy single earplug into grade school to listen to the World Series. What, do I need to teach my grandson how to suck eggs? :-)


Update shortly.
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Two of the three tickets punched last night have already been referenced, so I'll start with them:


AR Little Rock 64 - North Texas 63 = Solomon Boseman hits a three-pointer with 1.5 seconds left to win the Sun Belt automatic bid, and put his school into The Dance for the first time in over two decades. Would you care to speculate on who's the BMOC today?

Butler 59 - Wisc. Milwaukee 44 = The Bulldogs make it back into the NCAAs, after a season which started with serious doubts that they could do so. Congratulations to last year's runner-up . . . but I don't expect they'll stick around quite as long this time.

Oakland 90 - Oral Roberts 76 = And this gives the Golden Grizzlies of Oakland (Michigan, that is) the automatic bid in the Summit. Can they now win a game in the NCAAs? Don't forget that, back in mid-December, they did manage to beat the UT Volunteers . . . for what that's worth. :-)


Other games with big impact last night include:


Princeton 70 - Penn 58 = The Tigers win one they had to, and get back into a tie with Harvard for the Ivy. So now they will face off in a one-game playoff for the sole automatic bid. Will Princeton get back to where they've had some success? Will Haa'vaad finally get back into The Dance for the first time since the two-handed setshot was the game . . . specifically, 19-freakin'-46? We'll have to wait until Saturday, when like two Old West gunfighters they meet halfway down the street, and face off on Yale's court.

South Florida 70 - Villanova 69 = What? Are you kidding me? This is only South Fla's 10th win all year, and that's no Bull! Plus, they were down by as much as 16 points, yet managed to come back and steal a victory in the Big East tourney from a team that's been ranked all year . . . until lately. Meanwhile, this makes 10 losses for the Philly 'Cats in their last 15 games! Have they put themselves on the backside of the bubble, especially in light of . . .

Marquette 87 - Prividence 66 = . . . the Golden Eagles perhaps putting themselves above 'Nova on that bubble with this win? That will all depend on exactly how deep the Committee dives into the Big East pool. Nine bids? Ten? Eleven? We'll see come Sunday.


Today we have action beginning in a handful of other conference tournaments, namely the Big 12, CUSA, Southland, Southwestern Athletic (not to be confused with the SEC), WAC, Mountain West, and Pac-10. Of these games, I see only two which might have some immediate impact, and one of them is already over:


Oklahoma State 53 - Nebraska 52 = This loss by the Cornhuskers is no big surprise, but it may have had the effect of pushing them off the backside of the bubble.

Oklahoma vs. Baylor = As mentioned above regarding the season-ending game against Texas, the Baylor Bears really need to do some more to get into the NCAAs. They are just as close to falling off the bubble as they are to climbing atop it, much less getting over the hump. It might take two wins in the Big 12 tourney to help their cause, but you can't win two if you don't win the first one.


That's all I'm gonna do today. Jump in with your own picks and gripes and misses, please. Enjoy.
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Whoops! I missed two games of some import:


Robert Morris vs. Long Island = This one will decide who gets to represent the Northeast Conference in the NCAA Tournament, for probably about 20 minutes. LIU has been the class of the league all year, and RM finished 3rd, so it should be a competitive game.

Montana vs. Northern Colorado = As should this one for the Big Sky automatic bid, since these schools finished 1 and 2 in conference play.


So, two more tickets get punched this evening, and though they may not be long-haul passes, they possess worth nonetheless.
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Congrats to all the schools locking up auto bids. I feel a little bad for Rutgers. Don't know if an extra possession or win would have done anything for them but it doesn't change that the refs potentially changed the outcome of that game at least 3 times down the stretch. Also in the big east, USF is playing well(ish) in the first half and keeping it close enough but I don't expect a repeat of last night. I see Cinci holding on to this one and probably stretching the lead out even more by the end.
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Coach Mike Rice took the high road for his Scarlet Knights and refused to criticise the refs, which shows he has some class. Good for him. And unlike the newspapermen, who jumped all over the zebras in the initial rush to judgement, the local radio guys have had a night to sleep on it, and are a bit more reflective. Sure, they say, the officiating was terrible, with a number of calls going against Rutgers, and not just those in the last few seconds. But still, they contend they did not so much steal the game for St. John's as they deprived RU a shot at getting a tie, or maybe a win . . . which the Knights may or may not have been able to do. Yes, the guy travelled with no whistle blown, but that happens often. Yes, throwing the ball into the stands WOULD have constituted a technical foul, IF they had blown the whistle and the clock was stopped, but not so since the clock was running. The one thing they had a problem with was stepping out of bounds, which they say was plain as day and a call no good ref should have missed. And the radio jocks make the point that, because no whistle was blown, and because the clock never stopped, these plays were, BY RULE, not reviewable. So, the refs did a bad job, no doubt, but they did not outright rob Rutgers.

And yes, the Bearcats ended up clawing the Bulls. Now let's see what they can do with the Irish.


A brief and rushed update to follow.
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OK, a late start today, so here's the highlights. Last night:


Long Island 85 - Robert Morris 82 (OT) = LIU gets the automatic in the Northeast Conference.

Northern Colorado 65 - Montana 60 = And the Bears get their first NCAA bid, in only their 4th year in D1 play. In their 1st season, they won 4 games total, and finished dead last in the RPI rating.

Oklahoma 84 - Baylor 67 = I'm not sure it means anything much to the Sooners, yet anyway, but this may have been the nail in Baylor's coffin.


Today action kicked off in the gran'daddy of all conference tournaments, the Atlantic Coast Conference. Had I the time, I'd now blog a few pages about how I feel about all these OTHER conferences claiming how THEIR tournaments are the greatest thing since sliced bread. :-) But I don't, so let's hit some early scores:


Boston College 81 - Wake Forest 67 = Speaking of the ACC, this could be big for the Eagles, as they are one of several teams in this league on the bubble. They need all the help they can get, and Wake has been obliging people all season long.

U. Conn 76 - Pitt 74 = Kemba Walker hits a fadeaway at the buzzer to upset the Panthers. The Huskies went 6 years without winning a game in the Big East Tourney, and have now won 3 in 3 days. Good for them. But of more import, does this early exit by Pitt cost them a 1-seed? Well, on one hand, the previous two seasons the top Big East team has lost in the opening round, yet still retained their top seed in the NCAAs. On the other, this year there's really only two "locks" so far, in Ohio State and Kansas, and depending on what Notre Dame, Duke, and UNC do in the next few days it is possible that Pitt could slip to a 2-seed because of this loss.

Kansas 63 - Oklahoma State 62 = I don't, in this case, think the Jayhawks would have lost their 1-seed had they dropped this one to the Cowboys. And it is sometimes good for a team to have a tight game early in tournament play, just to get their attention and focus. Still, this can't be a very encouraging sign for the Lawrence faithful.

Northwestern 75 - Minnesota 65 = As with that Baylor loss above, this is likely the end of the road for the Gophers, unless they go-for the NIT invite.

East Carolina 75 - UAB 70 (OT) = And remember above above, where I talked about an upset in conference tourneys stealing at-large bids from the Michigans/Michigan States/Villanovas/Virginia Techs etc. of the world? Well, UAB will still get an at-large out of the CUSA, so here's a potential wrench in the works in the works.

Colorado 87 - Kansas State 75 = Perhaps this score is of no major importance in and of itself, as both the Wildcats and the Buffs were at-larges anyway. Yet it is one more indication of the inconsistent play out of that other Manhattan.


Aside from a ton of further conference action, there are three games with some immediacy:


Iowa vs. Michigan State = Some people think the Spartans are safely in the NCAAs with an at-large. Me, I'm not totally convinced of that. A win here would help them a lot.

Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech = And some people think the Hokies are on the backside of any NCAA bubble, but a win or two in the ACC Tourney would change their minds about that quickly.

Cincinnati vs. Notre Dame = And most people, including me, think both these teams already have punched tickets to The Dance. But the Irish have a 1-seed dangling in front of them, and though it may not be within their full grasp they do have their fingers on it already. A stumble like Pitt made today, however, and that tenuous grip get a little slicker.


That's about all I have time for today. See you tomorrow. Enjoy. Screw Drew.
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Tough ending for Rutgers, but I agree; coach was VERY classy in his response. Good on him!

Pitt is out, and The extra help from the refs was not there today for St. Johns, as the Orange knock them out today. Be interesting to see if the Cards can hold out.

Sneak in a radio w/ earpiece? Not likely. I'm the one being audited and taking the auditor around to check our plant and the system out, so no distractions. Hopefully, tomorrow's closing will be at lunch.
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