#AMERICA EAST Basketball Tournament bracket

[amrtechpros]

Complete NBA for 2024-2025 Schedule

Okay so I've been keeping a diary of the NBA season and I realized I haven't updated y'all since early February? We're now in early May with like 10 games left in the regular season, and I am TIRED. The 2024-25 season has been pure basketball chaos and I'm obsessed.

I literally had to get a second TV for my apartment because my girlfriend got tired of me commandeering the main one every night. "It's either me or the Thunder-Nuggets game" is not a choice anyone should have to make (sorry babe).

Current standings that would have made absolutely no sense in October

If you showed me these standings back at the start of the season I would have assumed you were from a parallel dimension:

The Oklahoma City Thunder being THE BEST TEAM IN THE WEST at 58-16 😱 their 22-year-old superstar is fully in the MVP conversation

The New York Knicks sitting 2nd in the East at 53-21, making Madison Square Garden the loudest building in America again

Last year's Western Conference finalist Dallas Mavericks stuck in play-in territory at 41-33

The Houston Rockets making the jump from the lottery to the 6-seed in the West in one year

Meanwhile the defending champ Boston Celtics still looking dominant at 56-18 despite fighting through multiple injuries.

Things the NBA schedule makers absolutely nailed this year

We're deep enough into the season now to judge whether the schedule has worked, and honestly? It's been pretty great:

The In-Season Tournament 2.0 was actually fun this time They fixed all the problems from last year's version. Players actually cared about the games, the courts didn't hurt my eyes anymore, and the single-elimination bracket created legitimate excitement in December. Even my casual fan friends were texting me about those knockout games!

"Rivalry Week" should be permanent That stretch in January where they packed all the historic rivalries into a 7-day window? Pure genius. Celtics-Lakers, Knicks-Nets, Warriors-Kings all in the same week had major playoff energy months before the actual playoffs.

Load management is down, star availability is up The new rules about stars sitting out nationally televised games have worked wonders. I've seen way fewer "disappointing" matchups where one team rests their entire starting lineup.

The five games I'm most excited for in the final stretch

Epic Western Conference 1-2 showdown (May 9)

The Denver Nuggets visit the Oklahoma City Thunder for what's basically a preview of the Western Conference Finals. This is their 4th matchup of the season and they're tied 2-2 with every game decided by 5 points or less. Oh, and it could determine who gets home court for said conference finals.

Battle for the final playoff spot (May 12)

The Golden State Warriors face the Los Angeles Lakers in what could literally decide the 8th seed in the West. Two aging dynasties battling for relevance? Their superstar guards going head to head with everything on the line? Sign me up immediately.

Eastern Conference heavyweight fight (May 15)

The Boston Celtics visit the New York Knicks in what could be an Eastern Conference Finals preview. Their first three matchups this season have been absolute war, including that double-overtime game in February where the Knicks' new star dropped 46.

Rookie of the Year still undecided (May 17)

The San Antonio Spurs visit the Atlanta Hawks and despite their mediocre records, this game has major significance for the insanely close Rookie of the Year race between their two young stars. Their previous matchup featured a combined 87 points between the rookies.

The last chance for glory? (May 19)

On the final day of the regular season, the Phoenix Suns face the Minnesota Timberwolves with massive seeding implications for both teams. The Suns' aging superstar trio might be in their final year together, while the Wolves are trying to secure home court in the first round for the second straight year.

Some thoughts on every team as we head toward the playoffs

Eastern Conference: Where stars collide

The Atlanta Hawks (34-40) are stuck in basketball purgatory but their rookie guard has been ELECTRIC, putting up six 40-point games already. Their home finale on May 16 should be a showcase for him to make one final Rookie of the Year statement.

The Boston Celtics (56-18) look every bit the defending champs, with their star forward establishing himself as the clear-cut best two-way player in basketball. Their schedule eases considerably down the stretch, giving them time to rest before another title run.

The Brooklyn Nets (29-45) are firmly in rebuilding mode, but have shown flashes of competitiveness thanks to their young core's development. Their remaining home games feature several "measuring stick" opportunities against contenders.

The Charlotte Hornets (24-50) continue battling injuries but their star guard returned in March and has looked spectacular in limited minutes. Their May 8 matchup against the Hawks gives fans a chance to see two of the league's most electric young guards go head-to-head.

The Chicago Bulls (37-37) have somehow clawed back to .500 despite trading two starters at the deadline. Their remaining schedule is soft enough that they could potentially avoid the play-in tournament altogether.

The Cleveland Cavaliers (46-28) have been the league's streakiest team, with both a 10-game winning streak and an 8-game losing streak on their resume. Their final stretch features several national TV games that could showcase their explosive guard's MVP-caliber season.

The Detroit Pistons (23-51) have shown signs of life after last season's historic futility. Their prized young guard has scored 20+ points in 14 consecutive games. Their home finale against the Bucks should draw a surprisingly strong crowd given the growth they've shown.

The Indiana Pacers (43-31) remain the league's most entertaining team, leading the NBA in pace, points and social media highlight clips. Their closing stretch features several slower-paced opponents, setting up fascinating stylistic clashes.

The Miami Heat (42-32) have overcome another injury-plagued season to remain firmly in the playoff picture. Their culture of development has produced yet another undrafted rotation player who's suddenly crucial to their success. Their season finale could determine whether they avoid the play-in tournament.

The Milwaukee Bucks (47-27) have finally found their rhythm after that early-season coaching change. Their superstar duo has looked unstoppable when healthy, though health remains the operative word. Their nationally televised clash with Boston on May 7 feels like a potential conference finals preview.

The New York Knicks (53-21) have been the East's biggest success story, with their mid-season trade transforming them from good to great. Madison Square Garden has been absolute MAYHEM during their current 18-game home winning streak. I was there for the Nets game and literally lost my voice for two days.

The Orlando Magic (44-30) have shown they're ahead of schedule, with their young core developing faster than anyone predicted. Their defensive identity has made them the team nobody wants to face in the first round. Their remaining schedule is the easiest in the East, potentially allowing them to climb even higher in the standings.

The Philadelphia 76ers (41-33) have endured a rollercoaster season defined by injuries to their stars. Their blockbuster deadline acquisition has only played 12 games with the full lineup available. Their remaining schedule features several direct matchups with teams fighting for similar playoff positioning.

The Toronto Raptors (25-49) have fully embraced their rebuild, trading veterans for future assets while developing their young core. Their Scottie Barnes draft pick has shown all-star potential during this developmental stretch. Their home finale against Detroit gives fans a glimpse of two promising young teams.

The Washington Wizards (20-54) remain in full rebuild mode with the league's worst defense by a considerable margin. Their lottery pick has been a rare bright spot, showing elite scoring potential. Their remaining home games have been creatively marketed around visiting stars, with "come see Luka!" type promotions.

Western Conference: Youth vs. experience

The Dallas Mavericks (41-33) have been wildly inconsistent despite their superstar duo each having career years statistically. They've dropped from conference finalist to potential play-in team in one season. Their closing stretch is absolutely brutal, with 6 of 8 remaining games against teams with winning records.

The Denver Nuggets (54-20) remain elite despite a somewhat inconsistent title defense. Their three-time MVP candidate continues making basketball look like a different sport entirely when he's on the floor. Their showdown with OKC on May 9 could determine the West's top seed.

The Golden State Warriors (40-34) have kept their dynasty alive by the slimmest of margins. Their aging superstar guard has had several vintage 40+ point performances, reminding everyone of his all-time greatness. Their closing schedule is absolutely brutal, with the season potentially coming down to that Lakers showdown on May 12.

The Houston Rockets (42-32) have been the season's biggest positive surprise. Their defensive intensity has transformed them from pushover to legitimate threat under their new coach. Their young core has matured faster than anyone expected, with their center making a serious Most Improved Player case.

The LA Clippers (44-30) have exceeded expectations despite another injury-plagued season for their stars. Their depth has been crucial during their stars' absences. Their remaining schedule is relatively favorable, potentially allowing them to avoid the play-in tournament altogether.

The Los Angeles Lakers (40-34) remain basketball's biggest soap opera, with their 40-year-old superstar still producing at an all-NBA level. Their infamous LeBron tweet midseason criticizing roster construction created a week of drama that somehow resulted in better team chemistry? Only the Lakers. Their season could literally come down to that Warriors matchup on May 12.

The Memphis Grizzlies (39-35) have salvaged their season after a disastrous start without their franchise guard. His return in December sparked a 17-6 run that pulled them back into playoff contention. Their remaining schedule features several teams either resting stars for the playoffs or tanking for lottery position, potentially helping their play-in push.

The Minnesota Timberwolves (50-24) have fully arrived as contenders, with their twin tower experiment working beautifully. Their defensive rating leads the league by a considerable margin. Their season finale against the Suns could determine crucial playoff seeding.

The New Orleans Pelicans (45-29) have weathered another storm of injuries to remain firmly in the playoff picture. Their depth has been their greatest strength, with 11 different players starting at least 10 games. Their remaining schedule features several direct matchups with teams near them in the standings.

The Oklahoma City Thunder (58-16) have arrived as contenders years ahead of schedule. Their 22-year-old superstar has made the MVP leap in just his fourth season. I've watched literally every Thunder game this season (I have a problem) and still can't believe how good they are. Their showdown with Denver could determine the 1-seed and home court throughout the Western playoffs.

The Phoenix Suns (44-30) have finally found some chemistry after an inconsistent start with their star trio. Their defense has improved dramatically over the season's second half. Their closing schedule is absolutely brutal, with potential playoff preview matchups against Minnesota, Denver, and LA.

The Portland Trail Blazers (22-52) are fully committed to their rebuild around promising young talent. Their lottery pick has made tremendous strides as a playmaker over the season's second half. Their home finale should feature extensive minutes for their developmental prospects.

The Sacramento Kings (42-32) remain competitive in the crowded Western Conference. Their dynamic offensive duo continues putting up spectacular numbers. Their remaining home games in the "beam team" arena maintain the league's most unique home-court advantage.

The San Antonio Spurs (32-42) have shown promising signs despite their record. Their generational rookie has been everything advertised and more, with his development accelerating dramatically after the All-Star break. Their matchup with Atlanta gives fans one final chance to see the Rookie of the Year candidates go head-to-head.

The Utah Jazz (29-45) continue their rebuilding process with an eye toward the future. Their tanking strategy has been relatively transparent, with veteran players mysteriously developing "injuries" in winnable games. Their remaining home games at least offer their young players developmental opportunities.

International showcase games I still can't believe happened

The NBA's global expansion efforts included some fascinating exhibition games throughout the season:

The New Zealand Breakers showing legitimate competitiveness against the Bulls in that preseason exhibition in Auckland was eye-opening. That game drew 18,000 fans and showed why the NBA is eyeing potential Asia-Pacific expansion.

Ratiopharm Ulm shocking an NBA team during preseason demonstrated just how far European basketball has come. The German champions playing competitive basketball against Atlanta demonstrated the global talent pipeline is stronger than ever.

These international matchups continue building basketball's global footprint as the NBA discussions about expansion beyond North America heat up. I've heard solid rumors about serious consideration for Mexico City and potentially Vancouver rejoining the league within 5 years.

How to make the most of the final stretch as a fan

Planning an NBA trip in the final weeks? Here's what I've learned:

Look, I've been to 17 games across 9 arenas this season (my bank account is SCREAMING), so I've picked up some wisdom:

Playoff-implication games are worth the premium - those games where both teams desperately need to win hit different. I paid way too much for Knicks-Celtics tickets last month and have zero regrets because the atmosphere was UNREAL.

Weeknight games = better deals - I got row 10 seats for a Tuesday Warriors game for less than nosebleeds would cost on a weekend. Plus shorter lines for everything!

Tanking teams = bargain opportunities - I scored literal courtside seats in Detroit for less than $250 because they were playing another lottery team. You still get to see incredible athletes up close!

Arena food hacks - google "[team name] secret menu items" before you go. I found an underground chicken sandwich at Barclays Center that wasn't even listed at the concession stand and it was life-changing.

Watching at home? Level up your viewing experience:

The League Pass "all plays" feature - this new addition that lets you jump directly to every basket by a specific player is INCREDIBLE for watching your fantasy players or following scoring races.

Multi-view is finally good - they fixed the lag issues from early season, and now you can actually watch 4 games simultaneously without your stream looking terrible.

Alt-broadcasts are worth trying - the "NBA Strategy Stream" with former coaches breaking down plays in real-time has legitimately improved my basketball understanding.

Stan Twitter/Tumblr makes games better - watching games while following fan accounts for both teams turns regular season games into absolute comedy gold. The meltdowns over referee calls alone are worth the price of admission.

Why this final stretch has me so hyped

As we race toward the playoffs, I genuinely can't remember a more exciting regular season finish:

SEVEN teams separated by just 4 games fighting for the final six Western playoff spots

The Rookie of the Year race coming down to the absolute wire between two generational talents

Multiple all-time NBA records in danger of falling (including that 3-point record that could fall any day now)

Farewell tours for potentially several future Hall of Famers who haven't announced retirement but we all kinda know this is it

Whether your team is a title contender or lottery bound, there are compelling stories to follow these final weeks. The combination of emerging young superstars and aging legends creating this perfect basketball storm has made for incredible television.

What games are you most hyped about? Who's your playoff dark horse? Is my Thunder obsession getting unhealthy? (don't answer that last one)

Reblog with your predictions for the final standings, I need to know if I'm the only one who thinks the Kings might actually catch the Mavs for the 6-seed...

[hsmsongtournament]

Welcome to the High School Musical Song Tournament!

For March Madness, I thought tumblr could celebrate our favorite basketball team, the East High Wildcats, by deciding on the best song from the High School Musical trilogy.

Round 1 will be starting on Tuesday, March 21st at 8pm EDT (east coast in North America for simplicity's sake for this American blogger). Please note the seeds were completely randomized.

Masterlist (all voting can be found here)

Credits:

icon

header

bracket template

randomization done by @circlejourney

[vieguride-blog]

Sony LIV beIN ABC Islands of the Bahamas Showcase

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http://wwwshort.com/sport

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2019 USA Women's National Team vs. Oregon State

[junker-town]

Selection Sunday 2022 live stream: How to watch, time, TV schedule, and which teams are already in

William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports

Selection Sunday is finally here.

The 2022 men’s basketball NCAA tournament will feature 68 teams, with 32 spots coming from programs who earned an automatic bid by winning their conference tournament. While almost half the field is already set, no one knows what their potential path through the bracket will look like just yet. It will all be announced on Selection Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on CBS.

Conference tournament season has already shaken up the bracket. Virginia Tech was sitting on the outside edges of the bubble just a few weeks ago before going on a Cinderella run to win the ACC tournament and clinch their spot. Texas A&M also enjoyed a shocking run through the SEC tournament as a No. 9 seed, and will play for its automatic bid just before the bracket is revealed.

While plenty of potential at-large teams can already confidently say they’re in the big dance, the matchups are often more important than the seeding. We’ll see what the entire field looks like for the 2022 men’s NCAA tournament when the bracket is unveiled. Here’s how you can watch the announcement.

How to watch Selection Sunday

Time: 6:00 pm ET

TV: CBS

Live online streaming on fuboTV, NCAA.com and others

Odds: DraftKings Sportsbook

What teams have an auto bid to the 2022 men’s NCAA tournament?

Going into Selection Sunday, these are the teams that already clinched their spot:

America East: Vermont

ACC: Virginia Tech

Atlantic Sun: Jacksonville State

Big 12: Kansas

Big South: Longwood

Big West: CSU Fullerton

CAA: Delaware

Conference USA: UAB

MAAC: Saint Peter’s

MAC: Akron

MEAC: Norfolk State

MVC: Loyola Chicago

Mountain West: Boise State

Northeast: Bryant

Ohio Valley: Murray State

Pac-12: Arizona

Patriot League: Colgate

Southern: Chattanooga

Southland: Texas A&M Corpus Christi

SWAC: Texas Southern

Summit League: South Dakota State:

Sun Belt: Georgia State

West Coast: Gonzaga

WAC: New Mexico State

The American, Atlantic-10, Big Ten, Ivy League, and SEC will crown their conference tournament champion before the bracket is revealed.

[freecakevideos]

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[buddyrabrahams]

Eight biggest takeaways from Friday’s Sweet Sixteen games

With two rounds of relatively unexciting games last weekend, we were due for some classics in the NCAA Tournament’s second week. Friday did not disappoint. We saw a championship contender lose, two close games, and of course, some Zion Williamson highlight plays.

The chalk nature of the early rounds set up some fantastic showdowns in the Sweet Sixteen, with those great games creating ripple effects that will be felt until a champion is crowned in April.

Here are eight items to focus on from Friday’s action:

1. Defense has been king

This March, with the games slowing down in crunch time, America’s best defensive teams have risen to the occasion. With the complete Elite Eight now set, it’s tempting to find a commonality between those remaining. The eight teams still alive are all great defensive units.

Six of the eight remaining teams rank in the top twelve in the nation in defensive efficiency, per KenPom. Purdue is not far behind, ranked 28th. Auburn brings up the rear of remaining clubs at 43rd in the nation.

This doesn’t mean every game left in the tournament will be a rock fight like Michigan and Texas Tech played on Thursday. Auburn, Duke, and Gonzaga will all attack at a fast pace. Virginia and Kentucky will take things slower. No matter how many possessions happen in each game, the result will be decided on the defensive end.

2. Duke survives again

Just five days after UCF barely missed two shots at the rim to defeat Duke, Virginia Tech suffered a similar fate. On the Hokies’ final possession, Buzz Williams drew up a beautiful baseline out of bounds play leading to a lob pass to Ahmed Hill. As the final second of regulation ticked away, Hill misfired on the alley-oop layup that would have extended the game into overtime.

The Blue Devils will now face Michigan State, fresh off two razor thin victories. If Duke plays similarly on Sunday, Tom Izzo and Michigan State will have a leg-up on the East Region’s Final Four bid.

3. Auburn moves on without Chuma Okeke

Like Michigan State, Auburn’s win did not come without an injury scare. Chuma Okeke had played a magnificent game, scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds midway through the second half. On a drive to the rim, Okeke’s foot slipped and his knee buckled. He was helped off the court, with North Carolina players quick to offer their condolences.

After the game, Bruce Pearl was in tears discussing Okeke’s injury, indicating the seriousness of the issue. North Carolina was a tough test, but plenty of hurdles still stand in Auburn’s way. Advancing without Okeke will be a challenge. He provided a perfect mix of inside and outside scoring in Bruce Pearl’s high-speed offense.

4. Michigan State looks great in easy win over LSU

Although LSU had been playing excellent basketball without head coach Will Wade on the sideline, the Tigers run ran out of gas against an elite Michigan State team. Interim coach Tony Benford has been up and down in his time at the helm, yet was visibly overmatched by Tom Izzo on Friday night.

The Spartan offense ran like a well-oiled machine, especially early in the game. Michigan State worked the ball to find an open teammate, with freshman Aaron Henry happy to reap the benefits. One week after being the subject of a Tom Izzo tirade and the ensuing fallout, Henry had one of his best games of the season. Henry finished the game with 20 points on an efficient 9-14 shooting night from the field. He also added 8 rebounds and 6 assists.

Henry making a leap into a dangerous weapon for the Spartans late in his freshman season would boost Michigan State’s chances to move on to Minneapolis.

5. Nick Ward’s injury status is something to watch

Michigan State missed Nick Ward in the paint when the junior center broke his hand last month. He missed five games in the regular season before returning for limited minutes in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. His health is key to Michigan State’s title hopes.

It was concerning, therefore, when Ward re-injured that same hand, leaving Friday’s game. Ward had X-rays, which confirmed no additional damage. Michigan State officials announced that Ward had indeed hurt his left hand but had not re-broken the same bone. Instead, he’d bruised a different part of his hand. That was relatively good news for Spartan fans, yet still will hamper Ward moving forward. With that hand going through swelling, pain, and rehabilitation, it’s hard to imagine Ward providing the production Izzo and his team will want from their best big man.

6. Kentucky sneaks past Houston

Although Houston tested the Wildcats, Kentucky advanced to its 34th Elite Eight in school history on Friday night. PJ Washington returned to the lineup and proved to be the difference.

Washington finished the game with 16 points, out-muscling the Houston frontline in the paint. With Houston leading late in the game, Washington fought through contact to convert a crucial bucket to bring Kentucky within striking distance. He also delivered a key block in the final minute.

Across the board, Kentucky’s size was too much for the Cougars. The Wildcats out-rebounded Houston 36-23, including 11 offensive rebounds. That could be the case again Sunday, when Kentucky meets SEC foe Auburn, likely without Chuma Okeke.

7. Title contender North Carolina is first 1 seed to lose

The bracket remained overwhelmingly chalk through five days of play, with top seeds moving on at record rates. Auburn ended that, making North Carolina the first No. 1 seed to be defeated this March.

The Tar Heels ran into an absolute buzzsaw, with Auburn making a barrage of long-range shots. North Carolina’s defense had major issues locating shooters on the 3-point line. Auburn shot 46 percent from outside the arc for the game, including a red hot 2nd half in which the Tigers made 12 of 18 from beyond.

Even at North Carolina’s ultra-fast pace, the Heels could never catch up. Any time Carolina attempted to close the gap, Auburn’s defense answered the call. The Tigers repeatedly met the Tar Heels at the rim, blocking six shots.

8. Tre Jones makes up for Cam Reddish’s absence

Mere minutes before the game began, Duke announced that Cam Reddish would not start due to a knee sprain. Although Duke claimed Reddish was available to play, he did not enter the game. For an already thin Duke team, losing a starter could have proved costly on both ends of the floor.

Instead, Tre Jones stepped up to fill the void left by his fellow freshman. To date, Jones’ season high for 3-pointers made in a game was just two. He hadn’t made more than one 3-point basket in a game since November. On Friday, Jones made five of seven from outside the arc, buoying the Duke offense.

Shane McNichol covers college basketball and the NBA for Larry Brown Sports. He also blogs about basketball at Palestra Back and has contributed to Rush The Court, ESPN.com, and USA Today Sports Weekly. Follow him on Twitter @OnTheShaneTrain.

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The Pac-12 saved its reputation in the men’s NCAA tournament

Who has the best shot at the Final Four?

It was only two short years ago that the Pac-12 was considered perhaps the worst power conference in the history of men’s college basketball. Pac-12 teams were getting pounded by every quality opponent it faced outside of the league and ended the regular season with exactly zero teams ranked in the polls. The Pac-12 was projected to be a one-bid conference for much of the year, but rallied to get three teams into the tournament, none of them seeded better than a No. 9 seed. It finished as the seventh strongest league in the country the, behind the American and Big East, in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency rankings.

Given that the Pac-12’s reputation isn’t any better on the football field, the ‘Conference of Champions’ was becoming much more widely known as a punchline than it was for the number of trophies it was hoisting. That recent history is only part of the reason why the conference’s success in the 2021 men’s NCAA tournament feels so shocking to see.

The Pac-12 is the unquestioned biggest winner of the tournament’s opening weekend. The conference went 9-1 overall through the first two rounds, and each of its five teams in the field earned at least one win. Pac-12 teams weren’t just winning games, they also went 9-1 against the spread. Now the conference will make up a quarter of the Sweet 16 when the round begins on Saturday, with Oregon, USC, UCLA, and Oregon each busting through the bracket.

Here’s how each of the four Pac-12 teams reached the second weekend of the big dance — and where they could go from here.

Oregon Ducks (No. 7 seed)

Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images

How they got here:

Uncontested win over No. 10 seed VCU

Win over No. 2 seed Iowa, 95-80

Faces No. 6 seed USC in Sweet 16

It’s been a hard season for Oregon from the very start. The Ducks lost starting center and former five-star recruit N’Faly Dante to a torn ACL in Dec., had to play half the season without standout guard Will Richardson as he recovered from thumb surgery, and had multiple Covid-related pauses after the season started.

Oregon started to hit its stride once Richardson returned to the lineup in February, and they played their best game of the season at the most opportune time in the round of 32 vs. Iowa. Oregon dropped a season-high 95 points on the Hawkeyes that included 11 three-pointers and 10 dunks. You’d never know who was supposed to be the No. 2 seed with the presumptive national player of the year candidate watching that game.

Oregon’s success starts with Chris Duarte and Richardson in the backcourt. Duarte is a 6’6 wing and native of the Dominican Republic who arrived at Oregon after being named JUCO player of the year at Northwest Florida State College in 2019. Now the 23-year-old is being considered a potential first round pick for his 43 percent three-point shooting (on 138 attempts) and defensive impact. Duarte is also making 63 percent of his two-pointers and shoots 80 percent from the foul line — he’s one of the country’s most efficient shooters any way you look at it. Richardson is also shooting 41 percent from three this year, and handles most of the playmaking burden. This is one of the best backcourts in America.

Without Dante, the Ducks’ entire lineup is listed at either 6’5 or 6’6, with 6’8 wing Chandler Lawson representing the tallest player in their rotation. The lack of size didn’t matter against Iowa’s Luka Garza, the best offensive center in the country. St. John’s transfer LJ Figueroa and Duquesne transfer Eric Williams have done an admirable job on the glass and defending the paint, but the key for Oregon is spreading teams out and beating them on the other end. It’s a strategy that produced some beautiful basketball against Iowa, and could keep them rolling into the Elite Eight.

Oregon State Beavers (No. 12 seed)

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

How they got here:

Win over Tennessee, 70-56

Win over Oklahoma State, 80-70

Faces No. 8 seed Loyola-Chicago next

By now, Oregon State’s origin story is starting to become widely known. Picked to finish dead last in the Pac-12 in the preseason, the Beavers were a sub-.500 team in the conference for most of the year before catching fire at the end of the season and winning the Pac-12 tournament. If not for Oral Roberts’ run as a No. 15 seed, Oregon State’s success would be the most baffling surprise of the tournament. At the same time, the more you watch the Beavers play, the less this looks like a fluke.

Despite being one of the last 16 teams left standing in college basketball, the Beavers place just No. 50 overall in KenPom’s efficiency rankings with the No. 41 offense and No. 69 defense in America. They share the ball — assisting on 59 percent of their field goals, a top-30 mark in the country — and play slow, which has helped them as an underdog. The Beavers got the benefit of an ultra hot shooting night in their tournament opening upset of Tennessee, but they were still able to beat future No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Cade Cunningham and Oklahoma State on a poor shooting night. The defense has been the key, holding both opponents at or below .90 points per possession in March Madness so far.

Ethan Thompson, son of Beavers assistant coach Stephen Thompson, has been the star of the tournament run so far, dropping 26 points on 15-of-16 shooting from the foul line in the win over OK State. Sophomore 6’3 guard Jarod Lucas is Oregon State’s biggest three-point threat (39 percent from deep), while Nicholls St. transfer Warith Alatishe is a lockdown defensive wing at 6’7. They also have a 7’1 center in Roman Silva who scored 15 points in the win over Tennessee and gives Beavers a matchup nightmare in the middle for whoever they play.

A date with Loyola-Chicago is going to be tough in the Sweet 16, but the way Oregon State is playing right now, there’s no reason to think they can’t compete.

USC Trojans (No. 6 seed)

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

How they got here:

Beat Drake, 72-56

Beat Kansas, 85-51

Faces No. 7 seed Oregon in Sweet 16

USC just did the unthinkable and made Kansas — Kansas! — look like a mid-major by routing the Jayhawks before halftime in the round of 32. No, this wasn’t Bill Self’s best team ever, but the dominance that the Trojans displayed in that game should put the rest of the West region on notice. USC has a top-15 offense, a top-five defense, and the single most talented player left standing in the tournament.

Evan Mobley is special, there’s no other way to put it. The 7-foot freshman center is an outrageous defensive talent who can protect the rim or block jump shots with his combination of length (7’5 wingspan) and quickness. He’s also a versatile offensive player who excels as a passer in the pick-and-roll and has enough touch to finish inside or hit a jump shot out to three-point range with some consistency. Mobley is projected the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and he’s a problem without an answer for every team left standing.

Mobley’s older brother, Isaiah, has also been playing well for the Trojans, hitting 4-of-5 threes in the win against the Jayhawks. Tahj Eaddy has proven to be a tough senior point guard, while Drew Peterson provides some much needed shooting on the wing.

Yes, USC has a freshman superstar, but they’re also playing like more than a one-man show right now. The Trojans beat Oregon in their only meeting this year, but you know the Ducks will be ready for the rematch.

UCLA Bruins (No. 11 seed)

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

How they got here:

Beat Michigan state, 86-80 in OT, in the First Four

Beat BYU, 73-62

Beat Abilene Christian, 67-47

Faces No. 2 seed Alabama in Sweet 16

The reasons for optimism ahead of head coach Mick Cronin’s second season in charge at UCLA this year started to fade before the season even began. Top recruit Daishen Nix decided he’d rather play for the G League Ignite. Six games into the year, Chris Smith, arguably the team’s best player, was lost for the year with a torn ACL. Starting center Jalen Hill has also been out since Feb. for personal reasons.

The Bruins just snuck into the tournament, and had to earn their way through the bracket with a First Four game against Michigan State. The Spartans had the Bruins on the ropes, but somehow UCLA came back to win in overtime. Ever since, UCLA has been rolling.

Sophomore wings Johnny Juzang and Jaime Jaquez Jr. have been powering the Bruins on this run. Juzang, a Kentucky transfer, has been the team’s primary scorer in March, averaging 22 points per game and combining for nine three-pointers during the team’s tournament winning streak. Jaquez was sensational in the First Four win over MSU (27 points), and has been providing supplemental scoring punch ever since. Add in Jules Bernard, Tyger Campbell, and Cody Riley, and suddenly the Bruins have a solid five-man lineup that looks like it can compete against anyone in the East region right now.

Facing No. 2 seed Alabama will be an incredible test in the Sweet 16, but the Bruins will have a puncher’s chance.

Which Pac-12 team has the best chance to make the Final Four?

This is a really hard question to answer heading into the Sweet 16, especially because the winner of Oregon vs. USC would have to face a powerhouse Gonzaga team in the Elite Eight. We’ll stack up the Pac-12 teams like this entering the Sweet 16:

4. Oregon Ducks

3. USC Trojans

2. UCLA Bruins

1. Oregon State Beavers

Even if the Pac-12 can’t advance a team to the Final Four, it’s been an amazing run through the tournament for the conference so far. It will be fascinating if any of them are still standing a week from now.

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Kansas State knocks out No. 16 seed UMBC

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Kansas State knocks out No. 16 seed UMBC

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SportsPulse: Despite being eliminated with a loss to Kansas State, UMBC players and head coach Ryan Odom reflected on their historic run in the NCAA tournament. USA TODAY Sports

Kansas State Wildcats forward Xavier Sneed (20) dunks the ball against the UMBC Retrievers in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at Spectrum Center.(Photo: Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports)

CHARLOTTE — From now until the end of time, Maryland-Baltimore County will be the first member of a club that previously did not exist, the ultimate Cinderella in a tournament that churns them out annually. Every March, those four letters — UMBC — will be synonymous with the greatest upset of them all.

And even in the momentary sadness for UMBC that its NCAA tournament run ended Sunday night in a 50-43 loss against Kansas State, there appeared to be an innate understanding of what it had accomplished and how the previous 48 hours had, in many ways, changed their lives.

“We didn’t plan on losing, but it happens, man,” said guard Jourdan Grant. “Somebody has to lose. It happened to be us tonight. We’ll take it for what it is. We made history, and I wouldn’t want to do it with another set of guys.”

After a handful of close calls over the years, only one team was going to get the distinction of being the first No 16 seed to beat a No. 1 seed, and it turned out to be this group, which didn’t merely grind its way to an upset, it dismantled the No. 1 overall seed during a surreal hour of basketball that will remain as the most memorable part of this year’s tournament no matter what happens from here. 

But, predictably, doing it again was much too much to ask.

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By every metric or statistical analysis, beating Kansas State — a completely nondescript No. 9 seed — should have been easier for UMBC than what it had already done by upsetting Virginia. In reality, it was exponentially harder.

For longshot teams such as UMBC, March magic rarely lasts more than one round. The improbable things that happen for 40 minutes one night tend to regress to the mean the next. Against Kansas State, the Retrievers looked not like the giant-killers that spent 40 minutes making back-breaking three-pointers and slicing up the nation’s top-ranked defense with reckless abandon, but rather like a nice little team from the America East that needed a last-second three-pointer to get into the NCAA tournament. 

Which is actually what they are. 

“Nothing can take away what these kids have been able to accomplish,” coach Ryan Odom said. “Just to be here is a blessing for sure, and I wrote one word on the board for these guys once we got into the locker room at the end about how I felt about them and it was just ‘Proud.’ Very proud of these kids and what they’ve been able to do. They’ve captured our country and beyond from a sporting standpoint, and it’s really neat.”

Remarkably, UMBC had more than a decent shot of extending the story even further. It didn’t because the shots that fell Friday night and put Virginia on its heels never connected at the same rate against Kansas State. 

Kansas State Wildcats guard Barry Brown (5) shoots the ball against UMBC Retrievers forward Joe Sherburne (13) during the second half in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at Spectrum Center. (Photo: Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports)

After Bruce Weber watched UMBC’s star guard Jairus Lyles control the second half against Virginia and penetrate almost at will, Kansas State was determined to put stress on the supporting cast by switching screens and making sure bodies were in Lyles’ path any time he tried to turn the corner. 

He ended up 4-for-15 from the field, lamenting a few missed opportunities in the second half when the game was still there to be won. 

“We got open shots,” Lyles said. “We just didn’t make any, it happens some games. We had a great season. We made history the other night, but we wanted to win tonight. We felt like we had a good chance of winning but overall, we understand that what we did the other night, we had a great season. We did the unexpected so we’re proud of each other for that.”

The No. 9 seeded Wildcats advance to the South Regional in Atlanta, where they’ll face No. 5 seed Kentucky in the Sweet 16. One can only imagine the frenzy around UMBC next week had it pulled off another upset, which, despite everything, looked like it still had a chance of happening all the way down to the final two minutes. 

“We got a lot of open looks,” forward Arkel Lamar said. “If we would have made some, we could have come out on top.” 

From the beginning Sunday, the Retrievers looked a step slower than they were against Virginia and a fraction less crisp. If it was the effect of fatigue, who could blame them? They had spent the previous 45 hours in a whirlwind brought on by their newfound celebrity, conditions they had never before experienced right before a big game. 

UMBC Retrievers guard K.J. Maura (11) shoots the ball against Kansas State Wildcats forward Makol Mawien (14) during the first half in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at Spectrum Center. (Photo: Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports)

And, of course, the element of surprise was long gone.

But even after going more than eight minutes in the second half without a basket, when Lyles finally hit a three-pointer to pull within 38-37, the crowd in Charlotte sensed there was a still a chance. Instead, it was the last gasp. 

UMBC, which shot 6-for-22 from the three-point line, 9-for-18 from the foul line and committed 17 turnovers, never could get the lead. Kansas State didn’t play smooth basketball either — it fumbled numerous transition opportunities and flung wild shots at the basket — but was able to grind through enough possessions to take a 46-41 lead with 1:08 remaining when Xavier Sneed beat the shot clock with a 10-foot baseline runner. 

But unlike most losing locker rooms in the NCAA tournament, there was little talk about the opportunities missed. Guard Joe Sherburne went 0-for-9 from the field and missed all four three-pointers — “my worst game of the season,” he said — but chose instead to focus on the hundreds of encouraging text messages that were waiting for him after the game and the indelible mark these kids from UMBC left on college basketball history. 

“Since we beat Vermont (in the America East title game), this was the best week of my life,” Sherberne said. “It didn’t finish the way we wanted to, but it doesn’t change anything we did before that. It was the best time probably any of us ever had.”

HIGHLIGHTS FROM NCAA TOURNAMENT’S SECOND ROUND

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Biggest storylines entering the NCAA Tournament

During college basketball’s biggest week, sometimes I worry that I’m going out of my mind. The excitement builds and builds to a point where I put any kid on Christmas morning to shame. Just looking at an unfilled, untouched bracket makes my ears perk up and my heart race.

If you’re like me, you don’t need to spell out the storylines we’ll see play out this month. Those ideas are already bouncing around your head like bingo balls.

For those of you who have been more focused on other sports recently or who have not hit peak excitement just yet, there is good news. This bracket, this field of teams, and everything about the next month of basketball we’re about to see is poised to be great.

Here are eight things to keep an eye on:

1. Duke’s sky-high expectations

Even for a top overall seed, Duke’s expectations are as high as any team. This Blue Devils squad is the first since Kentucky’s undefeated team in 2015 to enter the Big Dance with people expecting nothing less than a championship.

With Zion Williamson and Tre Jones healthy and in the lineup, the Blue Devils lost just once. Even with those players out, Duke’s five losses all came to teams in the tournament field and ranked 35th or better in KenPom.

At full strength, this is the best team in the nation. That does not make them a shoo-in to win the title or to even advance to Minneapolis for the Final Four. Duke ranks 338th in 3-point shooting in college basketball, but shot the 63rd most long balls. Every coach poised to face Duke in the next month will know those stats and hope that their team is the one that catches the Blue Devils on a monumentally cold shooting night. If Duke can go six games without an icy cold performance, they’ll cut down the nets.

2. The top tier of teams could lead to a chalk bracket

Just behind Duke are seven other teams that have separated themselves from the rest of the pack. These seven make up the rest of the No. 1 and 2 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. This group is more talented, better coached, and more skilled than the rest of the field by a significant margin. It is hard to play out the future of our bracket without seeing at least six or seven, if not all eight, of these teams remain after three rounds of play.

The top seeds are always strong, but this year the separation is stark and defined. These eight clubs are poised to battle for Final Four bids and compete to be named champions.

3. Finding a contender from the middle of the pack isn’t easy

Just beyond that group exists a bit of a wasteland. There are good teams seeded in the 3-6 range, but all of them are flawed and inconsistent.

Purdue, for example, lost twice to Minnesota in the last ten days. Texas Tech and LSU were bounced in the quarterfinals of their conference tournaments despite being the top seed. Kansas State and Virginia Tech are both dealing with massive injury questions in Dean Wade and Justin Robinson. Marquette stumbled down the stretch, and Kansas has had the season from hell.

Picking one of these teams to crash the party and top of one the top teams is a tough proposition.

4. Can Wofford and Buffalo live up to their seeds?

Teams from the MAC and the SoCon are not generally awarded single-digit seeds in the Big Dance. Buffalo and Wofford earned their respective spots in the bracket, yet that won’t stop casual fans and talking heads from belly-aching if those two clubs don’t perform in the first few rounds.

Neither is ill-fitted for the task.

Wofford’s resume is sharp, featuring a win over South Carolina and an undefeated season in a Southern Conference that featured three other top 80 teams, per ESPN’s BPI metric. The Terriers also battled North Carolina and Oklahoma in tight losses. Fletcher Magee has as good a chance to become the household name from a Cinderella team as any other player in the nation, yet he’s not alone. Storm Murphy is a strong point guard and Nathan Hoover is the Klay Thompson to Magee’s Curry. Don’t roll your eyes at that comparison; these guys can flat out shoot.

Buffalo has been even more impressive, with early season wins at West Virginia and Syracuse, two of college basketball’s toughest environments. The Bulls have lost just three times all season, all on the road and none since Feb. 1. Buffalo plays at one of the fastest tempos in America and defends its brains out for 40 minutes.

5. Eyeing NBA Draft prospects

The tournament is a perfect way to shine a spotlight on the players with a chance to have their names called in June as NBA Draft picks. Zion Williamson will be the first overall selection, barring catastrophic injury, but tons of other prospects have a chance to move up or down draft boards this month. Williamson’s teammates have work to do in that regard. RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish entered their freshmen season as consensus top five picks. Both have provided more questions than answers so far and earned some criticism. A huge tourney for either could cement their place in the top three or stop a slide into the mid-to-late lottery.

Murray State’s Ja Morant likely has the largest opportunity, with a chance to ensure he’s the second-ranked prospect after Williamson. Murray State has only faced two power conference foes this season, leaving Morant with a more scant resume than scouts would prefer. A first round match-up with Marquette is a perfect chance for Morant to shine.

Marquette’s Markus Howard also has an opportunity, highlighting a group of players on the fringes with a chance to move from undrafted to the second round, from the second round to the first, or from the late first to the lottery. Keep an eye on Tennessee’s Grant Williams, Yale’s Miye Oni, Kentucky’s PJ Washington, Iowa State’s Talen Horton-Tucker, and Virginia Tech’s Nickiel Alexander-Walker as possible movers this month.

6. Who is our double-digit team in the Sweet Sixteen?

Every season there is a Cinderella that does not stop with one upset win, but compounds their success with a second win to advance to the second weekend of play. Some years we’re blessed with more than one of these gems.

Finding that team is easier said than done. I have my eyes on the East Region, where LSU is dealing with fallout from FBI wiretaps. If a strong Yale team can upset the Tigers or if the winner of Belmont-Temple can beat Maryland, that pod is prime for a double-digit Sweet Sixteen team.

Other squads with that kind of potential include Vermont, Saint Mary’s, Oregon, UC Irvine, and Seton Hall.

7. Will the ACC prove itself as the best conference?

Any question about the best conference in college basketball was promptly squashed when the brackets were revealed. The ACC received not just three top seeds, but the top three in the tournament.

Other leagues got as many total bids, or more in the case of the Big Ten, yet the top of the ACC was shown to be a clear step above the competitors. It’s dangerous to dole out praise on conferences based on the wild outcomes of the Big Dance, though we’ll all happily do it. If the ACC makes up half, or more, of the Elite Eight, hours of television will be discarded as the discussion will be put to bed. If instead the ACC flounders, loud proponents of the Big XII and Big Ten will have their voices heard.

8. Looking for the next round of coaching candidates to emerge in March

There’s no surer way for a coach to move up the ranks than by leading a mid-major program to NCAA Tournament success. This year that will be prominent with several attractive vacancies already appearing. UCLA and Texas A&M headline the field, with George Washington, UNLV, and Tulane also providing intriguing destinations.

UCLA’s choice is likely above simply finding someone winning in this year’s tournament, but the other schools on that list will be watching intently. Coaches like Yale’s James Jones, New Mexico State’s Chris Jans, and Utah State’s Craig Smith will, or should, be hot names.

Shane McNichol covers college basketball and the NBA for Larry Brown Sports. He also blogs about basketball at Palestra Back and has contributed to Rush The Court, ESPN.com, and USA Today Sports Weekly. Follow him on Twitter @OnTheShaneTrain.

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[jodyedgarus]

2018 NCAA Men’s Tournament Preview

After a chaotic regular season in men’s college basketball — during which 18 separate teams ranked among the AP’s top 5 at various points — it’s finally time for the real Madness to begin. And that means we’re breaking out the FiveThirtyEight NCAA Tournament model to help you make all of your bracket picks, as always (you can read about how the system works here). Below I’m highlighting the key teams and matchups to watch in each region, including dark horses and cinderellas who could bust up the bracket. With overall favorite Virginia only boasting an 18 percent chance of winning it all, this year’s Big Dance should be as crazy as ever.

East Region

Favorites: According to the FiveThirtyEight model, top seed Villanova has the best chance of advancing to the Final Four in the entire field, with a 50 percent probability of winning the East. The Wildcats are an exceptionally strong offensive team, with guard Jalen Brunson leading ‘Nova to the nation’s top efficiency mark in Ken Pomeroy’s ratings during the season. But their 22nd-ranked defense is no slouch either, spearheaded by do-everything wing Mikal Bridges. The only thing keeping Villanova from being our overall favorite is the way the bracket has situated the East region on the same side as the Midwest, which contains three of the top eight teams in the field according to our power ratings.

No. 2 seed Purdue has the potential to make some noise, but a tough matchup with Texas Tech or Florida could loom in the Sweet Sixteen — if the Boilermakers make it past likely second round opponent Butler first, that is. (More on the Bulldogs later.) Purdue’s difficult path is a big reason why it only has a 20 percent probability of making the Final Four, which ranks last among two-seeds.

Dark Horse: Underseeded at No. 5, West Virginia ranks 11th in our power ratings and could be a team to keep an eye on. The unfairly low seed means the Mountaineers will potentially have to unseat fourth-seeded Wichita State (always a tough out) and Villanova in back to back games, but West Virginia is a constant threat with its swarming, turnover-inducing defensive style. Even though WVU might have peaked too early with its terrific run around New Year’s — it’s lost 9 of its last 18 games — don’t count out Bob Huggins’ crew just yet.

Don’t Bet On: No. 3 seed Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are a fine team that plays some of the nation’s stingiest defense, but they’ll probably have to make it through an unusually strong six-seed (Florida) in the Round of 32 just for the right to face Purdue (or possibly Butler). Our model only sees a 6 percent Final Four chance for Texas Tech, easily the worst mark for any three-seed.

Cinderella Watch: Slotted in as the 10-seed by the committee, Butler probably deserved better. We have them ranked as the 23rd-best team in the field, thanks in large part to an offense that sits at No. 32 in the nation according to Pomeroy. The Bulldogs should be solidly favored (60 percent) over Arkansas in Round 1, and they could potentially give Purdue trouble in the next round.

Likeliest Round 1 Upsets: Butler over Arkansas (60 percent); Alabama over Virginia Tech (41 percent); UCLA* over Florida (39 percent).

(* – Must win play-in game first.)

  Midwest Region

Favorites: The Midwest is nothing if not top-heavy. While most regions have a clear favorite, this one has three who combine for an 85 percent total probability of making the Final Four. First among these near-equals is No. 1 seed Kansas, with a 31 percent chance of making it to the national semifinals. Like their top-seeded counterparts in the East, Villanova, the Jayhawks are an explosive offensive team led by a standout guard — in KU’s case, Devonte’ Graham. One big concern for Kansas is the availability of big man Udoka Azubuike, who led the team in Box Plus/Minus during the season, but who hasn’t played since March 3 due to a knee injury. (He’s listed as questionable for the start of the NCAAs.) KU will also have to contend with a tough early draw that includes potential matchups with Seton Hall, Clemson or Auburn. (First-round opponent Penn is no pushover, either, at least as far as 16-seeds go.)

The second co-favorite out of the Midwest is — sigh — Duke, at 29 percent. The Blue Devils lost some close games down the season’s final stretch, but none were by more than 5 points, and they were one of only two teams in the country to rank among Pomeroy’s Top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. (The other? No. 3 seed Michigan State. Again, the Midwest is stacked.) Rooting against Grayson Allen and Co. will once again be a top springtime ritual for most of America, but barring, say, something special from Oklahoma’s Trae Young,1 Duke might not have much trouble until the Sweet Sixteen.

There, the Blue Devils might have to face Michigan State, our third co-favorite. Sparty is solidly No. 3 in the pecking order with 25 percent Final Four odds, but that’s also easily the highest of any team seeded lower than second in the entire bracket. This is your classic strong all-around Tom Izzo squad, with four players — Cassius Winston, Miles Bridges, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Nick Ward — who ranked among the Big Ten’s top 16 in Win Shares according to Sports-Reference.com. MSU and Duke’s potential Sweet Sixteen showdown is the game everyone is already circling in the second week.

Dark Horse: Because of how strong its top-line teams are, the Midwest doesn’t really lend itself to dark-horse bids. But if you had to pick one, Auburn might be the one to emerge from the field. Led by the undersized trio of Mustapha Heron, Bryce Brown and Jared Harper, the fast-paced Tigers should be entertaining regardless. Auburn will probably have to tangle with a strong Clemson team in Round 3, however, before potentially running through the gauntlet of all those favorites listed above. Fun or not, that is why our model sets Auburn’s Final Four odds at a measly 3 percent.

Don’t Bet On: Sixth-seeded TCU. The Horned Frogs rank 22nd in Pomeroy’s ratings, and enjoyed one of their best seasons in decades under coach Jamie Dixon. But no matter whether Syracuse or Arizona State wins their play-in game, they’ll give TCU a tough game in the first round — and it only gets harder from there, with Michigan State likely waiting in the wings. Playing in their first tournament since 1998, a deep run by the Frogs doesn’t appear to be in the cards this year.

Cinderella Watch: Of all the Midwest’s double-digit seeds, No. 12 New Mexico State is most likely to find itself playing with the big-name programs on the tournament’s second weekend. The Aggies won 28 games this season and had the nation’s 14th-best defense, according to Pomeroy. Our model thinks they have a fighting chance (38 percent) against Clemson and gives them an 18 percent chance of sneaking into the Sweet Sixteen.

Likeliest Round 1 Upsets: Syracuse* over TCU (46 percent); Oklahoma over Rhode Island (42 percent); New Mexico State over Clemson (38 percent); NC State over Seton Hall (37 percent)

(* – Must win play-in game first.)

West Region

Favorites: The West is probably the weakest of all the regions in this year’s bracket. Its top seed, Xavier, only ranks as the 10th-best team in the country by the FiveThirtyEight power ratings — which would typically only fetch a No. 3 seed. The Musketeers are plenty good on offense, but a defense that ranked just 59th in Pomeroy’s ratings is among the reasons why our model only assigns them an 18 percent chance of making the Final Four, by far the worst of any No. 1 seed in the bracket.

In fact, our projections say the West’s most likely Final Four team is the defending champion, North Carolina, who have a 25 percent probability of advancing to San Antonio despite getting a No. 2 seed from the committee. The Tar Heels had something of an up-and-down season, losing 10 games (including 7 in conference play), but they looked solid in the ACC tourney and boast one of the country’s deadliest two-man scoring combos in Joel Berry and Luke Maye.

Then there’s fourth-seeded Gonzaga, last year’s national runners-up, who also check in with a better Final Four probability (24 percent) than Xavier in this region. The Zags were badly underseeded here — we have them ranked ninth in the country by power rating — and their draw could have them set up for a very deep tourney run. According to Pomeroy, the Bulldogs were one of only three teams in the nation (alongside Duke and Michigan State) whose offense and defense each ranked among the Top 20 in efficiency.

Dark Horse: Does Gonzaga count here? If not, and you’re looking for a sneaky Final Four bid out of the West, look no further than sixth-seeded Houston. The Cougars pushed Cincinnati to the brink in the American Athletic championship game Sunday, showing a national audience just how stifling this team’s defense can be. Houston is a solid favorite to beat San Diego State in Round 1; in Wichita, they’d also be playing comparably closer to home against Michigan in Round 2. From there, UNC likely waits, but our model gives the Cougars a 33 percent chance of getting that far — and, as a result, a 7 percent chance of making the Final Four.

Don’t Bet On: No. 3 seed Michigan. It’s an unfortunate draw for a team heading into the tourney playing as well as just about anybody in the country (the Wolverines actually rank third in our pre-tournament Elo ratings, behind only Virginia and Villanova), but the selection committee did Michigan zero favors here. First-round opponent Montana is unusually strong for a 14-seed — check out the sea of 10, 11 and 12-seeds around them in Kenpom’s rankings — and likely second-round foe Houston was underseeded as a No. 6, too. Then, if the Wolverines survive opening weekend, they’ll probably be treated to a rematch of their 15-point loss to UNC from late November. Michigan has fought through similarly tough tourney paths before, but right now we only give them a 14 percent shot at a Final Four berth.

Cinderella Watch: Sadly, this isn’t a very promising region for Cinderella bids. For instance, No. 11 seed San Diego State is the kind of good, solid team (it ranks 50th in Kenpom’s ratings) that you’d ordinarily pencil in for an upset or two, but Houston and Michigan are too difficult to realistically expect a Sweet Sixteen berth from the Aztecs. And the other teams in classic upset seeds — 10th-seeded Providence and 12th-seeded South Dakota State — are each the weakest at their seed-line in the whole field. Blah.

Likeliest Round 1 Upsets: Florida State over Missouri (61 percent); Providence over Texas A&M (42 percent).

  South Region

Favorites: After a storybook 31-2 regular season, Virginia is a 47 percent favorite to make the Final Four out of the South — and an 18 percent favorite to win the whole tournament, tops among the entire field. You’ll hear a lot this month about how the Cavaliers play basketball: Yes, they’re painfully slow and they grind teams to a pulp with their defense. Yes, those kinds of teams have some history of coming up short in the postseason. These are questions Virginia must answer. But you have to give the Cavs credit: This is also a team whose only blemish in its last 24 games was a 1-point overtime loss. On paper at least, Tony Bennett’s team is set up well to silence its doubters this year.

If that doesn’t happen, Cincinnati might very well be the reason why. The second-seeded Bearcats are the fifth-best team in the country according to our power ratings, so they’re nearly top-seed-worthy in terms of quality. More importantly, they also play a similar style to Virginia — taking the air out of the ball and fighting every defensive possession to the bitter end — so a matchup between the two would be fascinating. We give Cincy a 53 percent chance of making the Regional Final, and a 23 percent probability of pushing its way into the Final Four.

Dark Horse: Laden as Kentucky perennially is with top recruits, we used to ask whether it was fair to slap the “dark horse” label on the Wildcats. But the SEC champs do seem to have perfected a certain formula under coach John Calipari: Enter the season ranked highly, struggle around midseason, then pour it on late in the schedule and slip into the NCAA tourney as a so-so seed before making a deep run through the bracket. This year’s squad has all the earmarks — from a No. 5 preseason ranking, and a four-game February losing streak, to an impressive run through the SEC tourney. Our model knows this kind of team, and it gives a little extra credit to highly touted preseason squads with inconsistent regular seasons. It’s no coincidence that we’re giving the Wildcats a solid 7 percent chance at making the Final Four.

Don’t Bet On: Fourth-seeded Arizona. Was the NCAA doling out early punishment for the Wildcats’ alleged recruiting scandal with this draw? The committee stuffed Arizona into a first-round matchup with Buffalo, who our power ratings easily consider the strongest 13-seed in the bracket. If they win, the Wildcats will then have to play either Kentucky (see above) or a dangerous Davidson team that easily rates as the strongest 12-seed in the bracket. And that’s just leading into a potential Sweet Sixteen matchup with No. 1 overall seed Virginia. Arizona big man DeAndre Ayton might be the best player in the country — he leads all major-conference players in Win Shares this season — but the odds of us seeing much of him in the tournament aren’t very high.

Cinderella Watch: Keep an eye on No. 11 seed Loyola-Chicago in this region. We give them a 40 percent chance of knocking off an overseeded Miami squad in the opening round of the tourney, and they wouldn’t have terrible odds against Tennessee in Round 2, either. Of course, Loyola would have an even better Sweet Sixteen shot if there were any chance the 3-seed Volunteers would lose in round 1, but Tennessee’s first-round opponent, Wright State, is worse than two 15-seeds and a 16-seed.

Likeliest Round 1 Upsets: Texas over Nevada (60 percent); Kansas State over Creighton (42 percent); Loyola-Chicago over Miami (40 percent).

Check out our March Madness predictions.

from News About Sports https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/2018-ncaa-mens-tournament-preview/

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2018 NCAA tournament Everything you need to know about second-round games

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2018 NCAA tournament Everything you need to know about second-round games

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County just showed why in March, hope springs eternal.

On Friday, UMBC became the first 16-seed in NCAA tournament history to knock off a No. 1. And the Retrievers didn’t just knock off Virginia. They destroyed the Cavaliers with one of the most improbable, impressive and dominant second halves that college basketball has ever seen.

Can the Retrievers harness that magic and carry it into Sunday? If so, the Sweet 16 would be waiting for one of the best stories in sports history.

More on UMBC and the rest of Sunday’s second-round action below:

All times ET

No. 9 Kansas State vs. No. 16 UMBC 7:45 p.m., Charlotte, N.C., South Region Player to watch: K-State’s leading scorer, Dean Wade, sat out Friday’s win over Creighton because of a foot injury, but the Wildcats are hoping he will be able to return Sunday. The All-Big 12 forward is a difference-maker, whom the Wildcats will definitely need on the floor to stymie this snowballing UMBC surge.

What will keep Kansas State from moving on: Fate? Destiny? But above all, a second half from UMBC like the one it delivered Friday. The Retrievers scored 53 points after halftime against Virginia, which came into the tournament with the nation’s No. 1-rated defense. Can the Retrievers replicate such a magical performance? The college basketball world — well, outside Manhattan, Kansas — will be pulling for it.

What will keep UMBC from moving on: UMBC coming back to planet Earth. On Feb. 3, the Retrievers fell to Vermont by 28. On Jan. 21, they were obliterated by Albany by 44. Beginning with the America East tournament, which culminated with Jairus Lyles‘ buzzer-beating 3 and propelled the Retrievers into the dance, UMBC has been a completely different club. And it is suddenly playing as well as about any team in college basketball.

The tournament has tipped off. Your picks are locked in. It’s time to find out how your bracket is holding up. Check your brackets

No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 10 Butler 12:10 p.m., Detroit, East Region Player to watch: Kelan Martin‘s 27 points Friday against Arkansas were the second-most ever by a Butler player in the tournament. And Butler has had some big-time performances in recent history in the tournament. Martin has put up 27 or more eight times this season. He can absolutely fill it up.

What will keep Purdue from moving on: Assuming he’s unable to play as expected, the absence of center Isaac Haas, who fractured his right elbow in Friday’s victory over Cal State Fullerton. Initially, he was ruled out for the rest of the tournament, though on Saturday he participated in parts of the Boilermakers’ practice wearing a brace. Coach Matt Painter is still not expecting Haas to play. Purdue’s offense ran through the 7-foot-2 center, and retooling on the fly won’t be easy.

What will keep Butler from moving on: Purdue’s 3-point shooting. The Boilermakers — who came into the tournament shooting 42 percent from 3, ranked second nationally — knocked out another nine on 22 attempts Friday. With Haas out, look for Purdue to bomb away from 3.

Can Miles Bridges keep up his scoring pace against Syracuse? Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 11 Syracuse 2:40 p.m., Detroit, Midwest Region Player to watch: According to ESPN Stats & Information, only Scott Skiles and Steve Smith have scored more points for Michigan State through three tournament games than Miles Bridges, who dropped another 29 points Friday. With Bridges playing that way, Michigan State is a legit national title contender.

What will keep Michigan State from moving on: The vaunted matchup zone. Syracuse, already with two wins since Wednesday, frustrated TCU on Friday with its length. As a result, the Horned Frogs shot below 40 percent from the field and only 18 percent from 3. Michigan State is a much better offensive team than TCU. But this Syracuse zone can puzzle the best of offenses.

What will keep Syracuse from moving on: Shooting. Even though Syracuse defeated the Horned Frogs, it struggled to get much going offensively. The Orange made only three 3s and shot 37 percent from the field. As good as Syracuse’s zone has been, the Orange will need much more from Oshae Brissett and Tyus Battle to have any chance of keeping up with Bridges & Co.

No. 2 North Carolina vs. No. 7 Texas A&M 5:15 p.m., Charlotte, N.C., West Region Player to watch: Kenny Williams delivered one of the best games of his career Friday, scoring 18 points in a rout of Lipscomb. Playing alongside Luke Maye and Joel Berry II, Williams had scored as much only four times this season. Williams isn’t going to be North Carolina’s primary playmaker or scorer. But when he can knock down shots playing off Berry & Co. the way he did against Lipscomb, that makes North Carolina all the more dangerous.

What will keep North Carolina from moving on: Texas A&M’s prowess inside. Robert Williams and Tyler Davis made all eight of their shots in the paint in the second half Friday against Providence, as the Aggies finished with 26 paint points after halftime. Texas A&M also blocked eight shots and outrebounded Providence 44-26. North Carolina is a tremendous offensive rebounding team. But the Aggies are an absolute force around the basket at both ends.

What will keep Texas A&M from moving on: North Carolina’s balanced attack. The Tar Heels have five players who average double figures in scoring, and on Friday, all five scored at least 10 points.

No. 2 Cincinnati vs. No. 7 Nevada 6:10 p.m., Nashville, Tenn., South Region Player to watch: With Jacob Evans and Gary Clark struggling to get going, it was Jarron Cumberland who pushed Cincinnati past Georgia State on Friday. Cumberland scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed eight offensive rebounds. Cumberland’s shooting and activeness around the glass could be a real plus for Cincinnati moving forward.

What will keep Cincinnati from moving on: Nevada twins Caleb Martin and Cody Martin producing another pair of all-around brilliant performances. On Friday, Cody had 15 points, 6 assists and 4 blocks. Caleb, meanwhile, took over the game in overtime, nailing three 3s in OT to finish with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. The two played a combined 85 of a possible 90 game minutes.

What will keep Nevada from moving on: The Wolf Pack had trouble dealing with the size of Texas center Mohamed Bamba. Now they face one of the top rebounding teams in the country in Cincinnati, which outrebounded Georgia State by 20 on Friday, collecting 20 offensive boards alone. If the Wolf Pack get clobbered on the glass, they’ll stand little chance of scraping out a win.

No. 4 Auburn vs. No. 5 Clemson 7:10 p.m., San Diego, Midwest Region Player to watch: Clemson had been sputtering since losing senior forward Donte Grantham for the season because of a knee injury, but Shelton Mitchell gave the Tigers a major spark Friday. He scored a season-high 23 points and handed out five assists. Post-Grantham, Clemson has been searching for more offense. Since the ACC tournament, Mitchell has been answering that call.

What will keep Auburn from moving on: Clemson keeping the hot hand. Clemson, known for its defense, torched New Mexico State and shot 56 percent from the field, including 43 percent from 3. If Clemson, which entered the tournament with the nation’s sixth-best adjusted defensive efficiency, keeps shooting anywhere close to that, it will be a tough out for anyone.

What will keep Clemson from moving on: Auburn knocking down tough shots late. In Friday’s narrow win over Charleston, Auburn nailed four contested 3-pointers in the second half, including two in the final two minutes, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Although Auburn struggled to shoot for much of the game, the closing minutes of the second half were a different story.

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No. 1 Xavier vs. No. 9 Florida State 8:40 p.m., Nashville, Tenn., West Region Player to watch: The Musketeers lean heavily on Trevon Bluiett for scoring. But on Friday, backcourt wingman J.P. Macura dropped a career-high 29 points. When Macura produces offensively that way, it takes pressure off Bluiett.

What will keep Xavier from moving on: Florida State’s bench play. In Friday’s win over Missouri, the Seminoles got 42 of their 67 points from their bench, led by Mfiondu Kabengele, PJ Savoy and Trent Forrest, who all finished in double figures.

What will keep Florida State from moving on: Bluiett’s greatness. The Musketeers are 19-1 when he scores at least 20 points. The problem for Florida State is that Bluiett usually gets to 20.

No. 5 West Virginia vs. No. 13 Marshall 9:40 p.m., San Diego, East Region Player to watch: Jon Elmore was sensational for Marshall in Friday’s upset of 4-seed Wichita State. Elmore scored 27 points, nailing four 3s while getting to the free throw line 15 times. Elmore is unafraid to shoot, no matter how far he is from the basket.

What will keep West Virginia from moving on: Fouls. As a team that presses full court, West Virginia is always going to be a team that fouls an inordinate amount. But Marshall overall is an excellent free throw shooting team, averaging 77 percent from the line as a unit. The Mountaineers have to be who they are. But against their in-state rivals, they must strive to keep Marshall out of the bonus for as long as possible.

What will keep Marshall from moving on: Turnovers. Although the Thundering Herd turned the ball over only nine times against Wichita State, Marshall can get careless with the pace with which it plays. West Virginia’s lifeblood is forcing turnovers. Marshall can’t afford to give away possessions — or baskets to Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles Jr. going the other way off the break.

[buddyrabrahams]

Eight biggest storylines to watch during conference tournaments

There are some basketball junkies who argue that the week of conference tournaments is actually more exciting than the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Although I think that take is a bit too spicy for my taste, I can see the appeal.

The stakes this week are so high. Many of the teams that lose early in the NCAA Tournament weren’t real threats to reach the Final Four anyway. But in conference tournaments, any team can get hot and sneak through a chaotic bracket to cut down the nets and earn a bid to the Big Dance. Teams that lose, like South Dakota State did Saturday, find their season essentially over.

There are battles for conference crowns, bubbles popping left and right, and just as many Cinderella stories, if not more. Conference tournament week is here and already crazy. Here are the top storylines to monitor across the college basketball world:

8. LSU’s crazy situation

Few expected LSU to win the regular season SEC title and enter the conference tournament as the top seed. The Tigers played brilliantly in SEC play and have developed into a team worthy of attention this March.

At the same time, LSU’s coach was suspended indefinitely and a member of the Tigers’ rotation is being held out due to eligibility concerns. Somehow, this month is still simultaneously the best and worst month in the history of LSU basketball. The Tigers have the talent and opportunity to win the SEC Tournament and advance deep in the Big Dance. They are also directly in the crosshairs of the FBI’s investigation of illegal college basketball conspiracy.

It remains to be seen how all of this adversity will affect LSU’s play on the floor. Without their head coach and a key cog, the Tigers should be at a disadvantage.

7. Florida and Alabama with bubble trouble

Also in the SEC Tournament, two teams face an interesting challenge on the bubble. Florida and Alabama are both within the final eight projected at-large slots per Bracket Matrix. Both also face a similar daunting situation to hold on to their NCAA hopes.

Florida and Alabama will begin the SEC Tournament in the play-in games on Wednesday. Florida will face Arkansas in the 8 seed vs. 9 seed match-up. Alabama, the 10 seed, will play Ole Miss, the 7 seed. If either Florida or Alabama were to lose that first tournament game, their fate would be far more likely to send them to the NIT. If they advance, Florida would face LSU and Alabama would face Kentucky. Those games would present a monumental opportunity for a resume-building victory. A win in that round of the tournament would ensure an NCAA berth.

The math for the Gators and Tide is simple. Lose Wednesday and you’re in trouble. Win Wednesday, but lose Thursday, you’ll be stuck worrying until Sunday evening. Win Wednesday and Thursday, and the tournament is nearly guaranteed.

6. Is the Pac-12 going to get an at-large team?

Currently, two Pac-12 clubs are within range of an at-large berth according to Bracket Matrix. Washington is pegged as a 9 seed after an ugly home loss to Oregon on Saturday night. Arizona State is the third to last team in the field in the collective minds of Bracketologists. Someone from the conference will get into the tournament via the automatic bid for winning the Pac-12 Tournament. Yet if that team is not Washington or Arizona State, there’s a chance one or both could be left on the outside looking in.

Washington will play the winner of Arizona-USC on Thursday afternoon. Arizona State will play the winner of UCLA-Stanford. If either loses that game, their bubble may pop as the final buzzer sounds.

It is not unprecedented for this occurrence. The last time Washington won the Pac-12 regular season, in 2012, the Huskies lost early in the conference tournament and were relegated to the NIT. For a power conference, this outcome was considered an albatross. How could a major conference receive zero at-large bids?

Just seven years later, history may repeat itself.

5. Where are the bid thieves lurking?

The Pac-12 is far from the only tournament with an uncertain outcome in terms of NCAA Tournament bids. For teams on the bubble, this is an unwelcome development. Every time a team that should (or could) earn at-large bid fails to win its conference’s auto bid, the number of available spots shrinks and every bubble team moves down one rung of the ladder.

For example, if neither Washington nor Arizona State wins the Pac-12 Tournament, any team with a worse resume that the Huskies or Sun Devils has a tougher situation at hand.

We’ve already seen two outside chances at bid thieves. When Murray State won the Ohio Valley Conference, Belmont slid onto the bubble, begging for an at-large bid. For fringe bubble teams, this was a back breaker. The Bruins have a strong case at a bid, with more road/neutral wins than Kansas, Clemson, Texas, and Minnesota combined.

With Lipscomb’s loss in the Atlantic Sun Championship, the Bisons joined the bubble fray, yet have a far worse case than Belmont.

There are still a host of conference capable of producing a bid thief. A Gonzaga slip-up would pop someone’s bubble. Buffalo, Wofford, and VCU look like the only tournament teams in their leagues, unless an upset buys someone else a bid.

If you’re a fan of a team on the bubble, root for favorites all week long. You need those teams to fill up the auto-bids, rather than stealing your school’s at-large spot.

4. Can potential Cinderellas make their way to the Big Dance?

Last year, it seemed like a real bummer when Vermont was upset in the America East title game. A buzzer-beater ended the Catamounts season and their hopes of being a dangerous team in the NCAA Tournament. Fortunately for the basketball enjoying public, Vermont lost to UMBC, who then pulled off the biggest upset in tournament history.

But for teams like Vermont unable to amass an at-large case while wallowing in a lesser conference, winning their conference tournament is the difference between a shot at glory and heading home early.

Vermont would qualify for this designation again this season. The Catamounts are 25-6 this season and showed their Cinderella potential nearly winning at Louisville in November.

The same is true of Hofstra, who took VCU to overtime in a loss, just before ripping off a 16-game winning streak. Justin Wright-Foreman is one of college basketball’s best scorers and would be eager to etch his name into the history of NCAA Tournament heroes if the Pride can earn their bid.

Similar stories are found across the country. New Mexico State, Old Dominion, Harvard, and UC Irvine would all make for dangerous first round match-ups, if they can survive this week. We’ve already lost South Dakota State and all-time great player Mike Daum to the viciousness of a conference tournament upset. We need some of our other Cinderellas to fit into their glass slippers.

3. Are Indiana and Texas really going to make the tournament with 15 losses?

No team will test the Selection Committee quite like the Hoosiers and Longhorns. Indiana has played the 25th-toughest schedule, according to the NCAA’s NET ratings. Texas’ slate has been even tougher, ranked as the 7th-hardest in the nation.

With that being said, each has struggled. Indiana is 17-14 this season. The Hoosiers lost 10 of 11 games during one stretch and finished Big Ten play tied for 8th place, at 8-12 in conference play. Indiana has three true road wins and one neutral site win.

Texas went 8-10 in the Big XII, with a total record of 16-15 this season. The Longhorns have only two road and two neutral wins. They also lost home games to Providence and Radford.

If you have a good reason either of these teams deserves a chance at an NCAA Tournament bid, I’m all ears. They will, however, have a chance to prove doubters like me wrong. Texas’ first Big XII Tournament game pits the Longhorns against Kansas, with a chance for a monstrous win. Indiana will face Ohio State, with a chance to slide its way up the bubble.

If either loses, they should be banished to the NIT. They should, but Bracketologists are split. Some favor teams like Belmont for those final spots. Others value the strength of schedule seen by these mediocre power conference also-rans.

2. The middle of the Big East is a mess

Elsewhere on the bubble, most of the Big East finds itself on uncertain ground heading into conference tournament week. Villanova and Marquette are safely in the tournament. Bracket Matrix places Seton Hall and St. John’s within the last ten teams in the field, and Creighton, Georgetown, and Xavier all just on the negative side of the in/out dividing line. Any of the five could potentially play their way in, or out, of the Big Dance this week.

St. John’s must first survive a bad loss to a feisty DePaul club on Wednesday before getting a third chance at Marquette. The Red Storm have already beaten Marquette twice this season. A loss to DePaul would mean trouble, but just advancing to Thursday should get the Johnnies in.

The other four teams play head-to-head matchups in the quarterfinals. The loser of Creighton-Xavier can pack up and head home, while the winner gets a chance to earn a bid by upsetting Villanova in the semifinals. If Georgetown can beat Seton Hall, the Hoyas’ case looks better. A loss probably doesn’t doom the Pirates, but why risk it? A win over Georgetown cements Seton Hall in the field.

1. Who will earn the last two top seeds?

Gonzaga and Virginia are essentially locks for No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. Even if the Zags are upset by Pepperdine or the Hoos get upended in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals, they’ve done enough to find themselves on the top line.

The next two slots are wide open.

Duke and North Carolina have the inside track. If either wins the ACC Tournament, the spot is theirs. To do so, they’d likely have to beat their in-state rival and then Virginia in the title game. That’s enough to earn a top seed, especially for Duke, if Zion Williamson returns and looks like himself. The committee would look more forgiving towards Duke’s run without their All-American.

If Carolina or Duke fail to win the ACC Tournament, the door opens for the top teams from other conferences. The winner of the SEC Tournament would get a hard look, especially if that team is Tennessee or Kentucky. The Vols have the better resume and thus, a better chance to slide onto the top line.

If the top ACC and SEC teams struggle this week, the door opens for a late run from Michigan State. Sparty’s win over Michigan to clinch a share of the Big Ten regular season crown put them back into the discussion for a top seed. If Michigan State can win the Big Ten Tournament as well, they’d receive serious consideration for the final slot.

Shane McNichol covers college basketball and the NBA for Larry Brown Sports. He also blogs about basketball at Palestra Back and has contributed to Rush The Court, ESPN.com, and USA Today Sports Weekly. Follow him on Twitter @OnTheShaneTrain.

from Larry Brown Sports https://ift.tt/2Hvw2Bz

[originalkittyreview-blog]

C. Vivian Stringer Uses Expletives While Defending Rutgers Women's Basketball

The Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers earned very first bid to your upsets ranking in school history by defeating Hartford in the America East tournament championship game 82-65. UMBC was also the best team from the America East during the regular season, going 13-3 in conference have fun playing. The America East conference wasn't particularly special this year, as UMBC was the only team with 20 victories. The Retrievers finished at 24-8 by and large. Hartford and Vermont your only other teams your conference to complete with above .500 records overall. Nevertheless, UMBC intending dancing and that's all that matters to the Retrievers. At 157, St. John won his semifinal match 5-2 to claim his seventh straight success. He will have his hands full the particular finals though as he faces top-seeded David Taylor of Penn State. Taylor beat St. John 12-4 earlier this year in the finals. That match could very well upsets ranking decide the fate of the Hawkeyes as Iowa need on Penn State head-to-head in two duals on Sunday. March Madness Schedule: when Was Ncaa Selection Sunday 2013 Time And Date For Tv? continued over the weekend with Christiansburg, Hidden Valley, and Radford were among the boys' teams advance, while Radford and Salem advanced in the girls' brackets. The defense was vastly improved over-the-counter rest of year. NU held Ohio State to 32.2 percent from the floor and the Buckeyes connected on just two as well as 15 three point endeavors. I inquired on basketball because, well, Films basketball and cannot be believing that if we a major college basketball program in Buffalo it can't thrive. Buffalo is undoubtedly one of the greatest host cities for your first two rounds of the upsets ranking, extended period of time Syracuse came to play Canisius at HSBC Arena recently the buzz was jaw dropping. We were told earlier that our seats were in top of the deck so the only surprise was to uncover the exact section. We were in 437, which proved in spot corner for the end zone that was painted with the Saints emblem. We were about 15 rows off of the top. But, as the organizers prefer to say, there isn't such thing as a negative ticket at the Super Toilet. upsets ranking CSU will begin 6-6 sophomore forward Tim Kamczyc (Strongsville, Ohio) can be averaging documents.3 points and 3.7 rebounds, 6-9 junior center Aaron Pogue (Dayton, Ohio) who averages 9.2 points and a team-best 6.2 boards, 6-1 junior guard Trevon Harmon (Pasadena, Cal.) with 14.2 points and 4.3 rebounds that includes 2.3 3-pointers an activity and 6-2 junior guard Jeremy Montgomery (Chicago, In poor health.) with an 11.7 point a game average. I completely disagree, and present to the platinum standard of professional sports franchises -- the actual York Yankess. The Yankees hardly have to have drive attendance up with gimmicks, yet for all 81 home games, every year, the Yankees have fan giveaways and promotions. It's a way to show fan appreciation terrifying entirely disagree with Mr. Black's stance as far as that's concerned.

[junker-town]

How does canceling the NCAA tournament impact college athletics? We asked some experts

The poorer schools could be in for a major shock.

We’ve barely begun to scratch the surface on the countless ways the Covid-19 outbreak will impact higher education. It’s safe to assume that canceling the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, along with the entire spring sports schedule, affects more than just the athletes who won’t get a chance to complete their seasons.

The NCAA tournament is easily the biggest moneymaker of the entire year for the NCAA, and for most of the NCAA’s DI membership. What does canceling the tournament really mean? Does it impact every DI school the same way? To better understand, I reached out to Brett Albert, a faculty lecturer at the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, Dr. Anthony Weaver, an associate professor of sport management at Elon University, and Dr. Karen Weaver, an associate clinical professor of sport management at Drexel University.

First, there’s the question of much immediate revenue a school might lose by not having an NCAA tournament.

The NCAA shares some tournament revenue with DI conferences in “units”. The more teams a conference sends to the tournament, and the more games they win, the more units a conference earns, which means more money. A single unit is worth roughly $300,000 a year, paid out over six years.

A huge, Power Five program could weather some bad NCAA tournament luck without facing an existential threat to their athletic budget. According to Albert, “a Big Ten or a Big 12 team, they have the college football playoff revenue stream coming in, they have major broadcast contracts with Fox and ESPN and ABC ... they are diversified enough that they could take a hit, since the NCAA tournament is a relatively low percentage of most of their athletic budgets. But we get down to those mid majors and low majors, their exposure to financial risk grows.”

Anthony Weaver agreed: “Approximately $300,000 distributed annually over six years is about $1.8 million, and if you’re a basketball centric conference, where your reliance on this revenue is greater, losing out on that money is going to hit home a lot quicker.”

The specific timing for some leagues couldn’t have been worse. Dayton was primed to earn a 1 or 2 seed, which means that their conference, the A-10, could have earned three units, or more if Dayton made the deep NCAA run their seeding would have predicted. Those units could have been worth more than $6 million dollars over six years for the league, which would have been shares among league membership. The Mountain West, with Utah State earning an auto-bid and with San Diego State almost certain to have earned a No. 1 seed, could have earned even more. Now, they’ll get nothing.

Albert believes this is one reason why some school leaders were pushing the NCAA to release a bracket, even without a tournament. “Really, what they were trying to say is that, you know, the Big Ten by Joe Lunardi, his recent projection, was supposed to have 10 bids. So we should be paid out as if we had the 10 bids. And then taking the argument further, maybe on the A-10 side, they could point to, ‘Look Dayton was going to be a No. 1 seed, looking at historical probabilities, we should be paid out for multiple units.”

Some basketball-centric conferences, like the WCC and Big East, will still earn some revenue from media broadcast rights, but for the bulk of DI leagues that do not sponsor football, those revenues are middling, at best. For a league like the Patriot or America East, these units may be their best shot at a big payday.

But it isn’t just money these schools are missing

Without an NCAA tournament, there’s no chance a mid-major darling will capture the hearts of America, and thus their wallets, this March. There’s a documented phenomenon called the “Flutie Effect”, in which a school enjoys a boost in enrollment, applications and alumni engagement after unexpected athletic success. Programs like George Mason, Loyola-Chicago, VCU and Butler have recently benefited deep March runs that extend way beyond their athletic department balance sheets.

“So in this sense, it’s not just that these mid and low majors are losing out on a budgetary item this year,” Albert said. “You just see these kind of positive spillover effects all across the board for these schools. And no matter how the NCAA figures out their payment structure for this year, there’s no way of getting that without actually staging a tournament.”

How could schools make up this money?

The NCAA used to have a cash reserve fund that could have been used in this sort of situation, but it was mostly spent to offset the costs of attendance for member schools, and for NCAA legal fees. But theoretically, the NCAA could borrow money, perhaps against future NCAA tournament earnings, and pay out a bonus to schools this year. All three experts I spoke to said this possibility may be worth exploring.

Karen Weaver added that athletic departments may also look inward. “Colleges generally have the ability to create and make internal loans as well as usable prices, but sometimes they’re four percent interest, you know, and they tend to be generous with payback periods of time. But there’s no question that there will be an expectation that some movement will be made towards paying those internal loans back.”

Financial hardship may look different at different types of schools

There are lots of different kinds of universities among the mid- and low-major ranks of DI. You have regional public institutions, many of which serve a more commuter type of student. You have selective, small-enrollment private schools. You have HBCUs. You have a few private schools, like Grand Canyon and Liberty, with robust online enrollments. Some schools have big endowments, and others don’t. Interruptions in athletics funding can be more problematic for some than others.

Many schools were already facing stiff economic headwinds, as enrollments have been in decline throughout most of the country. Any school whose athletic budget is heavily funded by institutional subsidy could be more at risk if their athletic department revenues unexpectedly drop.

Could this massive shock force schools to revaluate how they fund college sports? Could some decide to reclassify, or drop out of DI?

Karen Weaver doesn’t think reclassification is on the table for most schools, but thinks thinks some of those deeper conversations about college athletics funding have already been going on, as schools wonder if they’re willing to make the facility investments needed to compete in athletics. “For so long, it was just, ‘Oh, we’re just gonna add a track program.’ And now, you wonder, are you willing to invest a million dollars in upgrading that track?”

Albert wasn’t sure if the economic hardship from tournament cancelations would force anybody out of college athletics, but added, “I think that this is a black swan event that opens your eyes to the entire vulnerability of the NCAA structure as a whole. When you wake up and you realize that basically your entire mode of funding your athletic department is fully reliant on transfer payments from the NCAA. In a moment like this, you realize just how vulnerable all of that is to any kind of disruption that you have no control over.”

Anthony Weaver also didn’t think the current situation would lead to a widespread reclassification movement. “Changing your classification level, whether you go up or down, that’s a major, major decision that’ll have an impact on your institution for a generation. I know it’s done, but schools usually don’t decide ‘I’m going DI’ and then change their mind. So my guess would be is that schools probably wouldn’t make that type of decision unless they feel like over a 10- to 20-year period or longer, obviously, that this just isn’t gonna work.”

But, he added, that would also depend on what is happening to the university at large. If economic forces weaken the rest of the university, there’s no question it could force athletic changes as well.

“You hear all the time about how college athletics are the front porch for a school,” Weaver said. “Well, if you’re using athletics to tell your story, and you go back to this house analogy and it has a really nice front porch, but the rest of your houses is just damaged and the foundation is awful, and there’s nothing there. It doesn’t matter how nice the front porch is.

“Nobody is buying that house. College athletics can get students to look at the school, but it’s really other institutional benefits that get students to commit.”

[junker-town]

9 men’s college basketball stories that didn’t get the ending they deserved

There was so much left to learn about this college basketball season in March.

For the first time since its inception in 1939, there will be no NCAA tournament this season. The threat of the coronavirus pandemic has canceled March Madness just as the major conference tournaments were beginning to kick off. There will be no Selection Sunday, no bracket pools, no One Shining Moment. It was a correct and necessary call, but one that still leaves so many college basketball stories unfinished.

It’s the stories that keep us coming back to college basketball. In what was considered a wide open year from the very start, so many teams and fanbases could have experienced the thrill of a deep run through the tournament. As the tournament has been canceled, we can’t help but wonder about all the stories that will never get the endings they deserve.

These are the college basketball stories from this season that we’ll always wonder about.

Could Kansas finish the job?

Kansas was going to be the most popular title pick in every March Madness pool. The Jayhawks were set to enter the Big 12 tournament on a 16-game winning streak in the second toughest conference in the country. They had two national player of the year candidates in Udoka Azubuike and Devon Dotson. They were top-10 in the country in both offensive (No. 8) and defensive (No. 2) efficiency. They had four wins over teams ranked in KenPom’s top-15, beating Baylor, Dayton, BYU, and West Virginia.

Bill Self won a national championship at Kansas in 2008, but he still often faces doubters in March. Since that title breakthrough, Self’s teams have reached the national four twice while taking a No. 1 seed into the tournament six times. The Jayhawks were upset in the round of 32 last season by Auburn. Self wanted to prove he could reach the mountaintop once again, and he had the team to do it.

Would the nation fall in love with Dayton?

Dayton has long had one of college basketball’s most passionate fanbases. This season, they had one of college basketball’s very best teams. The Flyers were likely going to be a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance thanks to a high-powered offense that ranked No. 2 in America. Sophomore forward Obi Toppin would have been a March Madness phenom. The likely national player of the year and a future NBA lottery pick, Toppin is a monster athlete at 6’9 who dunks everything and finished in the 99th percentile of points per possession this season. He was the sport’s biggest star, and America deserved to see him on its biggest stage.

Toppin had a strong support cast around him. Junior point guard Jalen Crutcher was a great secondary option who could shoot from deep (43 percent from three) and serve as the hub of the offense as a facilitator. Trey Landers was a 6’5 senior glue guy who could slash to the basket and play solid defense. Ibi Watson, Rodney Chatman, and Ryan Mikesell helped make up the rest of the rotation for a five-out offensive attack that spaced you out, shared the ball, and took advantage of every opening. This Dayton team could have gone all the way.

What about the Big Ten?

The Big Ten was the best conference in college basketball all season. Our most recent Bracketology projection from Chris Dobbertean had 10 teams from the league making the NCAA tournament. The Big Ten hasn’t won the national title since Michigan State cut down the nets in 2000, and this year would have been a great chance to break that dry spell on the strength of raw numbers alone.

The Spartans were projected as a No. 3 seed after being the top-ranked team in the country in the preseason. MSU was about to enter the Big Ten tournament on a five-game winning streak, with arguably the top point guard-head coach combination in America with Cassius Winston and Tom Izzo. Maryland was likely to get its highest seed since it won the national championship in 2002. Iowa had a pair of stars in Luka Garza and Joe Wieskamp. Ohio State was ranked in the top-20 of both offensive and defensive efficiency. Illinois was set to make its first March Madness appearance since 2013 behind a pair of stars in Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn. Michigan had Juwan Howard, Xavier Simpson, and Jon Teske. Rutgers was going to make the tournament for the first time in 30 years.

The Big Ten was loaded this season. We can only dream about how it would have ended.

Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images

Was San Diego State for real?

San Diego State was always going to have to prove itself in March. The Aztecs became one of the biggest stories in college basketball during a 26-0 start. No, they didn’t face the toughest competition in the Mountain West. Yes, they did lose two of their final six games, including a thriller to Sam Merrill and Utah State in the title game of the conference tournament. All the Aztecs wanted as the opportunity to prove they were as good as their record indicated. The loss of that opportunity stings so much.

It wasn’t hard to make a Final Four case for San Diego State. They had balance — ranking No. 11 in offensive efficiency and No. 10 in defensive efficiency. They had a brilliant point guard — always so critical in March — in Malachi Flynn, the Washington State transfer who should be an All-American. They shot the ball well from three and grinded opponents possessions down to the very last second on defense. This team would have done some damage.

Could Creighton finally make the second weekend?

Creighton hadn’t made it past the opening weekend of the NCAA tournament since 1974. A deep run in March is just about all Greg McDermott’s coaching resume is missing since he took over Northern Iowa back in 2001. This team had a chance to do it thanks to a brilliant offense led by sophomore point guard Marcus Zagarowski, one of the country’s great floor generals. With Zagarowski conducting the show, the Bluejays launched threes all around him, hitting 38.7 percent of their attempts as a team, which ranked No. 6 in America.

Zagarowski’s recent ankle injury was going to keep him out of the Big East tournament and be a real variable in March. If this team was healthy and got the right matchups for their shaky defense, this could have been the year for a run.

Virginia never got to defend its title

Virginia lost so much from last season’s storybook national championship team, starting with Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome, and De’Andre Hunter. This was never going to be the same UVA team, a point that was hammered home during a 7-5 start to conference play. Very quietly, Virginia had been coming on lately, winning their last eight games heading into the NCAA tournament, including victories over top-10 teams Duke and Louisville. Mamadi Diakite, Kihei Clark, Braxton Key, and Jay Huff all brought veteran experience. The ‘Hoos weren’t going to be an easy out.

No team had a bigger split between the strength of its offense and its defense than Virginia. Defensively, UVA was No. 1 in the country once again. Offensively, they were No. 234. What’s the old saying about which side of the ball wins championships?

Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Who would be Cinderella?

America loves nothing more than an underdog in March Madness. So many of our best March memories involve the little guys pulling an upset, whether it’s Mercer Nae-Nae’ing their way to victory against Duke, UMBC shocking the world by defeating No. 1 seeded Virginia, or Middle Tennessee pulling the 15-2 upset over Denzel Valentine and Michigan State. Who would our Cinderellas have been this year? There were so many options.

Vermont had one of the great players in the country in Anthony Lamb and had won 16 of their last 17 games. Hofstra earned its first trip to the NCAA tournament in 19 years by winning the CAA and had a star guard in Desure Buie.

East Tennessee State had already won 30 games and earned an automatic berth behind a well-balanced attack. New Mexico State, Liberty ... the list of potential Cinderellas goes on. March won’t feel the same without them.

What the heck was this Duke team?

This Duke team felt different from the start. Despite the Blue Devils again welcoming the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, there was a notable lack of starpower compared to the last few years. There likely wasn’t an NBA lottery pick on this team. Tre Jones and Vernon Carey Jr. were very good, but they weren’t Zion Williamson, or Marvin Bagley III, or Jayson Tatum, or Brandon Ingram.

Duke still would have entered March as one of the favorites to win the whole damn thing. Likely a No. 2 or No. 3 seed, Duke ranked in the top-15 of efficiency on both ends and played at the fastest tempo of any team in the ACC. March just doesn’t feel right without Duke being plastered on all of our televisions, win or lose.

Who would be this year’s late-rising draft star?

Seemingly every year, a player uses the NCAA tournament to boost their draft stock and launch themselves into fame and fortunate in the NBA. Former Villanova guard Donte DiVincenzo is a recent example. After widely being projected to return to school the following year, DiVincenzo had a monster tournament with ‘Nova that concluded with him being named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. The Bucks took him at No. 17 overall and he’s now a key rotation piece for a team with championship aspirations.

Who would have made that leap this year? Maybe Kansas’ Devon Dotson, Kentucky’s Ashton Hagans or Immanuel Quickley, or Flynn from San Diego State? Perhaps it would have been Oregon’s Payton Pritchard or Baylor’s Jared Butler or Seton Hall’s Myles Powell.

Someone would have been kind of breakout March star that catches the NBA’s eye. Now we’ll never know.

[junker-town]

Bracketology 2020: The bubble is about to boil over

Xavier defeated Georgetown on March 1st, but has dropped two in a row since. That puts the Musketeers on the bubble heading into the Big East Tournament. | Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Just a single NCAA tournament automatic bid is up for grabs tonight, but the at-large picture could see some changes as Wednesday unfolds.

On Tuesday, five teams were originally scheduled to secure their places in the 2020 NCAA tournament. However, that number became six yesterday morning, when the Ivy League unexpectedly canceled its tournament, set for Saturday and Sunday at Harvard, due to Covid-19. The conference awarded the auto bid to its regular-season champion, the Yale Bulldogs. As the night unfolded, the Robert Morris Colonials (Northeast), Hofstra Pride (CAA), Northern Kentucky Norse (Horizon League), North Dakota State Bison (Summit League) and Gonzaga Bulldogs (WCC) joined Yale. Amazingly, all five of those teams represented their conferences in Tuesday’s bracket. As a result, there are no real changes to today’s field.

That won’t last. After today’s full bracket and rundown, I’ll preview what’s to come on the bubble today. Wednesday’s conference tournament schedule, while not as deep as most seasons’, still has the potential to alter the picture — particularly at the cut line.

Teams in all caps (except for those that go by their initials) have clinched auto bids (12 so far).

1. South Region (Houston)

Omaha, Nebraska (Fri./Sun.)

1. Kansas (Big 12) vs. 16. ROBERT MORRIS (NEC)/NC Central (MEAC) 8. Saint Mary’s vs. 9. USC

Sacramento, California (Fri./Sun.)

5. Ohio State vs. 12. LIBERTY (ASUN) 4. Oregon (Pac-12) vs. 13. New Mexico State (WAC)

Albany, New York (Thu./Sat.)

6. Michigan vs. 11. UTAH STATE (MW) 3. Maryland vs. 14. Colgate (Patriot)

Tampa, Florida (Thu./Sat.)

7. LSU vs. 10. Marquette 2. Florida State (ACC) vs. 15. NORTH DAKOTA STATE (Summit)

2. West Region (Los Angeles)

Spokane, Washington (Thu./Sat.)

1. GONZAGA (WCC) vs. 16. Siena (MAAC)/Prairie View A&M (SWAC) 8. Arizona vs. 9. Florida

Spokane (Thu./Sat.)

5. Auburn vs. 12. Stephen F. Austin (Southland) 4. Wisconsin (Big Ten) vs. 13. BELMONT (OVC)

Greensboro, North Carolina (Fri./Sun.)

6. Iowa vs. 11. Texas Tech 3. Duke vs. 14. BRADLEY (MVC)

St. Louis, Missouri (Thu./Sat.)

7. Illinois vs. 10. Oklahoma 2. Creighton (Big East) vs. 15. UC Irvine (Big West)

3. Midwest Region (Indianapolis)

St. Louis (Thu./Sat.)

1. Baylor vs. 16. Little Rock (Sun Belt) 8. Houston vs. 9. Arizona State

Tampa (Thu./Sat.)

5. BYU vs. 12. YALE (Ivy) 4. Seton Hall vs. 13. Akron (MAC)

Greensboro (Fri./Sun.)

6. Virginia vs. 11. Stanford/Xavier 3. Michigan State vs. 14. North Texas (C-USA)

Cleveland (Fri./Sun.)

7. West Virginia vs. 10. Rutgers 2. Dayton (A 10) vs. 15. NORTHERN KENTUCKY (Horizon)

4. East Region (New York)

Sacramento (Fri./Sun.)

1. San Diego State vs. 16. WINTHROP (Big South) 8. Colorado vs. 9. Indiana

Omaha (Fri./Sun.)

5. Butler vs. 12. Cincinnati (American) 4. Louisville vs. 13. Vermont (Amer. East)

Albany (Thu./Sat.)

6. Penn State vs. 11. Richmond/Texas 3. Villanova vs. 14. HOFSTRA (CAA)

Cleveland, Ohio (Fri./Sun.)

7. Providence vs. 10. EAST TENNESSEE STATE (SoCon) 2. Kentucky (SEC) vs. 15. Eastern Washington (Big Sky)

Rundown

Bids by conference: 10 Big Ten, 7 Big East, 6 Big 12, 5 Pac-12, 4 ACC, 4 SEC, 3 WCC, 2 AAC, 2 A 10, 2 MW, 22 one-bid conferences

Last four byes: Oklahoma, Rutgers, Marquette, Texas Tech Last four in: Stanford, Xavier, Richmond, Texas First four out: UCLA, Wichita State, NC State, Northern Iowa Next four out: Mississippi State, UConn, Saint Louis, Tulsa

Lowest-ranked NET at-large: Texas (69) Highest-ranked NET exclusion: Purdue (33, 16-15 overall)

New today (0/68): None Leaving today: None

What to watch Wednesday

There’s definite bubble action in the ACC, Big East and Pac-12, with the Big 12 and SEC offering contests featuring teams that could work themselves into the picture with a run this week. The 8:30–9:30 p.m. ET window will be particularly packed.

All times are ET.

2:30 p.m. (ESPN), Pittsburgh Panthers vs. NC State Wolfpack (ACC second round): The Wolfpack are currently the third team out, but given how narrow the margins are, they could find themselves in on Thursday morning with a repeat of Feb. 29’s 77-73 home win over the Panthers. If State loses to Pitt, however, it’s a different story.

5:30 p.m. (Pac-12 Networks), Washington Huskies vs. Arizona Wildcats (Pac-12 first round): While the Wildcats aren’t really a bubble team, losing to the Huskies in consecutive outings could give the Selection Committee pause.

7 p.m. (ESPN2), Boston College Eagles vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (ACC second round): Despite a top-60 NET and 19 wins, the Fighting Irish aren’t really in the at-large picture because they haven’t defeated a team in the field. Grabbing tonight’s rubber match with the Eagles won’t change that, but it will give Notre Dame a shot at the Virginia Cavaliers in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

7 p.m. (ESPNU), Iowa State Cyclones vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys (Big 12 first round): Saturday’s blowout road win over the Texas Longhorns was the Cowboys’ third straight and at 17-14 with a NET ranking of 61st, they’re on the cusp of at-large consideration. If Oklahoma State defeats the Cyclones tonight and Kansas Jayhawks tomorrow, it will have a shot.

7 p.m. (CBSSN), Boston University Terriers at Colgate Raiders (Patriot League championship): This is the only bid that will truly be clinched tonight. The Raiders are looking for their second straight tournament trip, while the Terriers last qualified as an America East member in 2011, under current Penn State head coach Pat Chambers.

8:30 p.m. (BTN), Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Indiana Hoosiers (Big Ten first round): The Hoosiers are the only Big Ten contender that has to play a Wednesday game in Indianapolis. With Nebraska ranked 196th in the NET as of this morning, that brings the danger of a damaging late Quadrant 3 loss.

9 p.m. (Pac-12 Networks), California Golden Bears vs. Stanford Cardinal (Pac-12 first round): After being swept out of Oregon last week, the Cardinal cannot afford dropping their rubber match against their improved archrivals.

9:30 p.m. (FS1), DePaul Blue Demons vs. Xavier Musketeers (Big East first round): The Musketeers went 0-2 in the regular season’s final week, pushing them closer to the cut line. While they swept the Blue Demons, DePaul is capable of dealing an at-large contender a costly defeat. Just ask the Georgetown Hoyas and Marquette Golden Eagles.

9:30 p.m. (SEC Network), Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Arkansas Razorbacks (SEC first round): The Razorbacks are one of a handful of SEC teams that really need to rack up some wins in Nashville to have a chance. However, the Commodores severely dented the bubbles of both the Alabama Crimson Tide and South Carolina Gamecocks in the final week of league play.

I will also be doing a full scrub of the bracket before writing Thursday morning’s post. With that fresh look at the field, expect some changes beyond these games. In the meantime, you can check out my TV viewing guides and full conference tournament coverage over at Blogging the Bracket and and listen to my bracketology interviews on the College Basketball Coast to Coast podcast.