Marquette The Heart Attack Maker

West Allis Central, huh? Hale's nicer.



Marquette wins 3 straight on the road cementing a spot in tournament, I think. Considering the lack of depth and inside game, it's been a great season for Buzz and co. I didn't have much faith when they announced the hiring but he's proven me wrong. He'll probably be handicapped getting a good big man but it'd be nice if they could find a Robert Jackson or Scott Merritt. Hard to believe the local schools don't have any good bigs. Bo'll always get the farm boys of Wisconsin. Milwaukee is scary, you know. Anyway, great season by the Warriors regardless of how it plays out the remainder of the way.



A split against the 'Ville and the resurgent Notre Dame gets you 20 wins in a "rebuilding" year. And I predict Pittino won't be back in Louisville next year.

Last Day O'February

Wow, what an exciting morning at West Allis Central High School watching a dance competition. Last time I was there I spent the second half of our sectional sitting between the principal and superintendent after spraying silly string all over his wife's fur coat. An hour and an apology letter later I was of the hook. As for yesterday's games here's how we are looking

Out
Virginia Tech - 4 game losing streak and bad SOS will do that
Rhode Island - now's not the time to slip and you be slipping
Illinois - 75 RPI won't get you in no matter what your conference schedule is

In
Notre Dame - peaking without Harangody. Imagine with him
Dayton - has more to do with who lost when what they did
San Diego State - see Dayton

Bubble Pop!
Louisiana Tech - I shouldn't have been watching them anyway
Portland - same as LT
VCU - lost there last chance against Old Dominion

How bout them Golden Warriors today!

Why I Never Feel Comfortable Until The Buzzer

Whoa, whoa, whoa on the "energy" sponsor

Case specials available.

Energy Sponsor

This year's energy sponsor is going to be 5 Hour Energy. After last years 6 Hour Power adventure we'll be going back to the 5 Hour Energy. I hold 6 Hour Power responsible for my state last year on Friday evening. It was obviously a bad product and had nothing to do with the fact that I drank 3 of them in a 8 hour period.

Friday Afternoon Bracketology

1 seed vs 16 seed
Kansas - B12 vs Jackson St - SWAC/LeHigh - Patriot
Kentucky - SEC vs Coastal Carolina - BigSouth
Syracuse - Beast vs North Texas - Sbelt
Purdue - Big10 vs Robert Morris - NEC
2 seed vs 15 seed
Duke - ACC vs Stony Brook - AEast
Kansas State vs Morgan State - MEAC
Villanova vs Jacksonville - Asun
West Virginia vs UC-Santa Barbara - Big West
3 seed vs 14 seed
New Mexico - Mwest vs Wofford - SoCon
Vanderbilt vs Weber State - Big Sky
Georgetown vs Sam Houston St - Southland
Ohio State vs Murray State - OVC
4 seed vs 13 seed
Butler - Horizon vs Oakland - Summit
BYU vs St. Mary's
Pittsburgh vs Virginia Tech
Michigan State vs Mississippi State
5 seed vs 12 seed
Temple vs Kent State - MAC
Tennessee vs Connecticut
Wisconsin vs Cornell - Ivy
Gonzaga - WCC vs Marquette
6 seed vs 11 seed
Xavier vs Louisville
Texas vs Rhode Island
Wake Forest vs UAB
Baylor vs Florida
7 seed vs 10 seed
Northern Iowa - MVC vs Illinois
Richmond - A10 vs Utah State - WAC
Maryland vs California - Pac10
Texas A&M vs Oklahoma State
8 seed vs 9 seed
Missouri vs Siena - MAAC
Florida State vs UNLV
UTEP - CUSA vs Clemson
Georgia Tech vs Old Dominion - CAA

Last Four Out
Cincinnati
Arizona State
Mississippi
Seton Hall
Next Four Out
Charlotte
Dayton
San Diego State
Notre Dame
Also Considered
VCU
Northeastern
Washington
Memphis
South Florida
Marshall
William & Mary
Lousiana Tech
New Mexico State
Portland
Wichita State
Minnesota
St. Louis

Friday Update

The only movement involves Auto-Bids in the SoCon and Atlantic Sun. I know Demski's a big follower of the A-Sun so he'll be happy

In
Jacksonville - the Dolphins leap frog the Campbell Camels for the chance to lose to Kentucky in the first round
Wofford - Now leading the SoCon, and RPI in the 80's ain't that bad

Out
Campbell - meh
College of Charleston - beating UNC wasn't that big of a deal I guess

Enough Cheetos!

Finally, a new Potato Chip sponsor. We flirted with the Lays Flamin Hot potato chips a couple years ago but in 2010 I bring you the latest in Flaming Goodness, Blair's Death Row Habanero Kettle Cooked Potato Chips. Enjoy

Name This Player

In the last four games his stat lines look like this:

16 points, 17 rebounds
10 points, 5 rebounds
3 points, 16 rebounds
10 points, 12 rebounds

Go Admiral Akbar!

Ole Miss Moving Up on Favorites Scale

If this happened, it would probably be the coolest thing ever or at least the 12th coolest thing ever.

Thursday morning

Outside of Marquette finally winning a close game it was a rough night for most bubble teams. San Diego State, Dayon, Memphis, Wichita State, South Florida, Minnesota, Virginia Tech, and St. Louis all lost. So, what does this all mean?

Out
San Diego State - weren't in many brackets to begin with. Need perfection the rest of the way after getting blown out by BYU

In
Mississippi State - 3 game win streak is building momentum at the right time

Other Notes
Virginia Tech has lost two in a row. I'll leave them in but they are 1 of the last 4 in for now
Marquette bought it an opening. Still need to win at least 1 more to feel comfortable
Big East Bubble - with all the losses last night suddenly the 4 team 7-8 conference race means something. Uconn, Notre Dame, Seton Hall, and Cincinnati are not that far off.

Wednesday Bracketology

1 seed vs 16 seed
Kansas - B12 vs Jackson St - SWAC/Campbell - Asun
Kentucky - SEC vs LeHigh - Patriot
Syracuse - Beast vs Stony Brook - AEast
Purdue - Big10 vs Robert Morris - NEC
2 seed vs 15 seed
Duke - ACC vs North Texas - Sbelt
Kansas State vs Morgan State - MEAC
Villanova vs Coastal Carolina - BigSouth
West Virginia vs UC-Santa Barbara - Big West
3 seed vs 14 seed
New Mexico - Mwest vs College of Charleston - SoCon
Pittsburgh vs Weber State - Big Sky
Vanderbilt vs Sam Houston St - Southland
Georgetown vs Murray State - OVC
4 seed vs 13 seed
Butler - Horizon vs Kent State - MAC
Ohio State vs Oakland - Summit
BYU vs St. Mary's
Michigan State vs Connecticut
5 seed vs 12 seed
Temple vs Marquette
Tennessee vs San Diego State
Wisconsin vs Cornell - Ivy
Gonzaga - WCC vs Louisville
6 seed vs 11 seed
Xavier vs Florida
Texas A&M vs UTEP - CUSA
Texas vs Virginia Tech
Wake Forest vs UAB
7 seed vs 10 seed
Northern Iowa - MVC vs Illinois
Richmond - A10 vs Utah State - WAC
Baylor vs California - Pac10
Maryland vs Georgia Tech
8 seed vs 9 seed
Missouri vs Siena - MAAC
Clemson vs Rhode Island
Florida State vs UNLV
Oklahoma State vs Old Dominion - CAA

Last Four Out
Dayton
Mississippi State
Memphis
Arizona State
Next Four Out
Wichita State
Cincinnati
William & Mary
Mississippi
Also Considered
VCU
Northeastern
Washington
Seton Hall
South Florida
Marshall
Charlotte
Lousiana Tech
New Mexico State
Portland
Notre Dame
Minnesota
St. Louis

SNOW! NO MAS!

Augusta...April...Azaleas...Amen Corner...Green Jackets...no snow...

Sorry. Carry on.

Quick Hits - Bracketology Later

Out
Northeastern - lost to Hofstra at home and no longer have the auto-bid on the Colonial. Might not have enough for an at-large at this point

In
St. Mary's - didn't play but will claim the last spot in for now

Bubble Burst
Texas Tech - fell to 4-9 in conference and will be dropped from consideration

Moving up
Florida - big home win over Tennessee to climb past them in the SEC. 9-4 in conference

Moving down
Louisville - lost, at home, to Georgetown. Is precariously close to being out

Is BYU a Final Four Sleeper??

Out of the Mountain West, we've looked at the Lobos of New Mexico but I think the best team out of this conference is the BYU Cougars. The RPI is 21 and the SOS is a paltry 121 but do the Cougars have what it takes to make a run in March?

They have not beaten anyone worth a lick out of conference with two wins over the Arizona schools meaning little this year. The 3 losses they do have are all on the road against Top 50 RPI schools (At Utah State, UNLV & New Mexico).

What does BYU do well? In a nutshell, other than blocked shots - everything. They're 4th in the nation in scoring (Mormons are crazy good scorers), 2nd in shooting % and 3rd in 3-pt % while making 8 per game (23rd). Hell, they're the #1 FT shooting team and they share the ball (12th).

Can they play d? While being 63rd in points allowed, they rank 33rd in FG% d and AdjD has them rated 19th. They can board (22nd) and they can turn the other team over (36th) while protecting the ball (41st).

And if you're looking for this year's Stephen Curry, let me introduce you to Jimmer Fredette, a 6' 2" junior point guard from Glen Falls, NY. He shoots 47% overall and 49% from downtown while averaging 21.5 ppg. And he manages 5 dimes a game and steal plus a game.

BYU's recent history in the dance is far from good but take a look at them and the matchups they get, they just might make a nice run this year.

Crank Dat, Bo!!

Back by popular demand as we mark the almost 3 week point, lets revisit another Bo Ryan Classic. Sit back and soak in the goodness.....

UConn over St. Mary's?

UConn - RPI: 41 SOS: 1 Conference RPI: 2
- 9 wins over RPI Top 100

St. Mary's - RPI: 47 SOS: 125 Conference RPI: 13 (Behind Conference USA & Colonial)
- 5 Wins over RPI Top 100

UConn's hardly a lock. They could still gag at home against Louisville and on the road at ND & USF. But the committee will have plenty of justification in taking UConn over St. Mary's to go along with the mid-season absence of Jim Calhoun.

19 Days and Counting

With less than 3 weeks to Selection Sunday let's take a quick snapshot at where we are standing. Remember there are 65 teams that make the dance but 31 of them are automatic bids. That leaves 34 bids up for at-large consideration. Taking these 34 slots we can group teams into the below buckets.

Locks - locks speak for themselves
Great Bets - could go .500 the rest of the way and be safe
Good Bets - 1 loss won't hurt but 2 might put them in the bubble
Bubble In - a loss will probably shift them out for now
Bubble Out - out but a big win and/or loss from the Bubble In group and were dancing
Needs Perfection - win out and make their conference tournament title

**Note**
Teams that are winning their conference now will not be counted as they would fit into 1 of the 31 automatic bids. i.e. Duke, Gonzaga, Butler, etc

Locks (17)
Kansas State
West Virginia
Villanova
Pittsburgh
Vanderbilt
Georgetown
Ohio State
BYU
Michigan State
Temple
Tennessee
Wisconsin
Xavier
Texas A&M
Texas
Wake Forest
Baylor

Great Bets (6)
Maryland
Missouri
Clemson
Florida State
Louisville
UNLV

Good Bets (4)
Oklahoma State
Georgia Tech
Old Dominion
Rhode Island

Bubble In (7)
UAB
Illinois
Florida
San Diego State
Marquette
Virginia Tech
Connecticut

Bubble Out (12)
St. Mary's
Dayton
Mississippi State
Memphis
Wichita State
Arizona State
Cincinnati
William & Mary
Texas Tech
St. Louis
Minnesota
Charlotte

Needs Perfection (10)
VCU
Washington
Mississippi
Seton Hall
South Florida
Marshall
Louisiana Tech
New Mexico State
Portland
Notre Dame

To summarize, if you count the Locks, Great Bets, and Good Bets as in and eliminate the Needs Perfection you have 19 teams for 7 slots. Should be a great last two weeks!

More Cheetos!

And the Cheetos Sponsorships continue. This time we are blessed with a Mexican favorite, Chile with Limon. I can fell the burn already.

The Coveted #1 Seeds

With 2 weeks left of the regular season there appears to be only 7 teams capable of snatching a number 1 seed. Let's hit each one of them up.

Kansas - a virtual lock at this point.
Kentucky - again, probably a lock
Syracuse - beat Villanova and avoid a early loss in the Big East tournament or lose to 'Nova and win the Big East tournament
Purdue - A Big Ten Conference title or a Big Ten Tournament title.
Duke - Win the ACC and make the ACC Tournament final. Would need Syracuse or Purdue to slip
Kansas State - win out and beat Kansas in the Big 12 tournament. Could leap Duke and Purdue at that point
Villanova - win out...all the way through the Big East tournament

Tuesday Update

Only 1 move today as Connecticut gets a huge win against West Virginia to vault into the bracket. As much as I hate to do this and pull St. Mary's out I think it's what the committee would do in this case so I'm going with it. Uconn still has work to do but for the time being they are in!

Fake Wake? Take Wake?

My previous post wasn't a shot at ACC fan(s) or Brian. I'm an ACC guy fan puzzled by the lackluster season or what I perceive to be a lackluster season. Should Duke make the Final 4, it's a good enough season for the conference.

That brings me to Wake Forest who just dropped out of the Top 25 with a loss at NC State. As I noted earlier, outside of Duke, they have the best out of conference resume. On top of a top 25 RPI (21st), their SOS is 25th. They do have a loss to William & Mary who is skirting the bubble as an at-large.

But red flags abound when we look closer at Wake. Though they give up points, their FG defense is very good (8th) and AdjD is 21st. And Al-Farouq Aminu & Chas McFarland provide a presence in the middle. Wake is 34th in rebounding and 18th in blocked shots but...they off-set that by being one of the worst fouling teams in the land (263), getting clipped for 20 a game.

They turn the ball over way too much. At almost 15 (271st!) a game, that spells trouble in March. They don't share the ball well (224th), are Texas-bad at the FT line (260th) and make so few 3's (316th), they're not even listed in 3pt FG %. This wouldn't be so bad if they were better around the basket but 44% overall FG % isn't anything special (97th).

They have a very good if not great college player in Al-Farouq Aminu who is worth watching but this is the Fake Wake. Sort of like the last dozen or so tourney made Wake teams...

Not Much of a Rebuttal

ACC Fan has no rebuttal. If you look back at my Big Ten post you'll recall that I couldn't find a single Final Four team outside of Duke and my slowing falling apart Georgia Tech. The ACC is weak this year and that has a lot to do with the draft that ravished UNC, Wake, and to a lesser amount, Miami (Jack McClinton). Florida State and Georgia Tech have althetic players but the coaching is so-so. Gary Williams can't recruit anymore and Tony Bennett hasn't been there long enough to get going.

This still doesn't mean Kentucky will make the Final Four.

The ACC Sucks

In our lifetimes of watching college basketball (say 1985ish to now), has the ACC ever been this bad or am I imagining things?

Obviously, it's not Pac-10 bad but other than Duke, who looks like a Sweet 16 team? In the Top 100 RPI, Wake is 21, Georgia Tech 33, Clemson 35, Maryland 36, FSU 40, Virginia Tech 44...then Miami at 88. They put 7 teams in the top 50 which is impressive.

Team-my-team, the out of conference wins are weak. Clemson's best win is over Butler on a neutral court. VaTech's best win is on a neutral court over Seton Hall. Wake has a nice slate of wins over Xavier and Richmond at home and a road win at Gonzaga. FSU's best win is a neutral court win over the 'Quette. GaTech's best win is at home against Siena. As for Maryland, uh, er, I guess Fairfield at home.

The 7 teams in the RPI top 50 gives me pause but I have my doubts on how well the conference will perform come March. Perhaps ACC fan can take a page from Big 11 football fan and claim the teams just beat themselves up in conference...

Jeff Potrykus. Idiot.

There's many reasons the print media is on its death bed. One of them is beat writers like this. In typical Potrykus fashion, he rips people who complain about Bo starting Tim Jarmusz. In the first comment after his blog, a fan points out his complete inaccuracy on the matter by using...wait for it...facts and stats.

Potrykus responds to the fan by telling him he needs a vacation. Great and informative response, Beldar. Good grief.

Morning...

Just a little movement yesterday as Marquette gets a huge road win to move back in the bracket. The loser of the day is Dayton who fell at Duquesne. Theay are now one of the last 4 out.

This Guy Could be the Key to a Final Four Run

Who would have thought? 16 point, 17 rebounds then 10 points, 6 rebounds, then 3 points, 16 rebounds?

Marquette Madness

- Marquette gets a much needed win on the road, coming from behind to top Cincinnati. Is a .500 finish in their last 4 good enough to get them in? That'll put them at 19-11, 10-8. I think so but I'd feel alot better about it if they somehow finish this trip 3-0. Whatever the case, grabthe pepto if you're a Warrior fan this year.

- And speaking of Marquette, their former coach, Rick Majerus has quietly gotten St. Louis to 18-8, 9-3 in the A-10. The numbers are not pretty but they have a chance to state their case with home games looming against Xavier and Temple and with a trip to Dayton. Nothing says the Atlantic like St. Louis, the Gateway to the West. Good luck, Rick

Los Lobos

Standing at 25-3, Steve Alford's New Mexico Lobos are a team that could end up getting as high as a 3 seed if things fall their way. 9th in RPI but 63rd in SOS, let's take a look at New Mexico.

The Lobos are 11-2 in the Mountain West, tied for first with another potential March tough out, BYU. Both losses are against top 45 RPI teams (UNLV & San Diego State). They do have one odd loss, at Oral Roberts just before Xmas. Never underestimate the ghosts of dead evangelists.

The top two players are Junior swingman Darington Hobson who averages 16/9 and Senior forward Roman Martinez who averages 14/7.

As is often the case of potential non-BCS party crashers, New Mexico can shoot the 3 and does so well, ranking 28th in makes and 34th in % made. They also rebound well, 27th in the nation - though one suspects they'd get exposed against bigger schools. They also do a very good job protecting the ball (18th). They can score (31st) but they are deficient at the line (218th).

Their issue will be defense. They currently stand 142nd in scoring defense and 108th in in defensive FG%. Unlike some of the other Top 25 teams from power schools that give up points, New Mexico's FG% defense is shaky. Pomeroy also has them 72nd in AdjD.

Should they win the conference or conference tourney, they'll be trendy pick to make some noise and they certainly could but if they land on the line as a 4 or 5, I'll take a long look at their matchup in looking for an upset. Whatever the case, I suspect if Crean doesn't get things going in a positive direction in Bloomington fast, you'll be hearing Alford's name as a candidate for that job sooner than later.

Today's Games

A couple noteworthy games and bubble stuff going on.

Michigan State - Ohio State
Both need this win to stay in the hunt for a 2 or 3 seed. Loser probably falls to a 5.
Villanova - Pittsburgh
Lets see how Nova handles Pittsburgh on the road. I'm guessing not to well. Of course both this and MSU-OSU are on at the same time so they'll be some channel surfing

Marquette - Cinncinati
My last two teams out. The winner might be able to leap frog a team and get in but the loser is going to fall. Marquette really needs a road win.

Dayton - Duquesne
A road win keeps Dayton in the A-10 hunt

St.Louis - UMass
The Bilikiens at large hopes are slim. If they lose it'll be none

ASU - Arizona
ASU needs to win out to be considered. It starts today

Virginia Tech - Duke
VaTech looks to be solid at 21-4 but their non-conference SOS is god-awful. A win here cements them. A loss and they fall...how far?

All Those Games...

and not a single bubble team in lost. Hence, there is no movement in or out of the bracket this morning. Today will be a different story but that for a different post. The only things of note bubble-wise are the list of teams that fell off the watch list below:

Nevada - probably shouldn't of been on the list anyway but a loss and a mid 60 RPI do them in
Tulsa - 4th in C-USA...done
South Carolina - home loss to Tennessee. That win over Kentucky can take you only so far
Arizona - 14-12 over all. 12 losses is the cutoff for an at-large

2-20 Delights

Kentucky has removed Patrick Patterson from the mothballs and have two back-to-back nice road wins as they survive a game Vanderbilt squad who stayed in the game despite 2-20 3pt shooting. Brian's been saying it and today he showed his complete game, John Wall is the real deal. Quiet most of the day, Wall put the game on his shoulders at the end. He's special.

Other quick hits...Oklahoma State solidifies its resume with a win over Baylor...South Carolina, Charlotte, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Seton Hall and Virginia start prepping potential home NIT games...Georgia Tech might be looking at that, too if they don't put some nice wins on the board...Florida and Mississippi State move closer to locks....We need to examine Wake Forest, too, as they get rolled by the Wolfpack...Purdue stakes a claim as #1 seed with a hard-fought win over Illinois...

One month from today is Round Two action.

Potential Sponsor

Case specials available

Let's Play the Blind Game

Time for some fun. Each group has 2 teams. Based on their computer numbers pick one from each group to be in:

Group 1
Team A 19-6 RPI 24 SOS 40 Conf 7-5
Team B 21-4 RPI 46 SOS 155 Conf 8-3

Group 2
Team C 15-10 RPI 49 SOS 15 Conf 6-7
Team D 16-9 RPI 71 SOS 53 Conf 7-6

Group 3
Team E 19-7 RPI 60 SOS 101 Conf 9-2
Team F 18-8 RPI 58 SOS 62 Conf 7-4

Group 4
Team G 18-8 RPI 67 SOS 78 Conf 8-5
Team H 18-7 RPI 35 SOS 35 Conf 7-4

Returning Sponsor.

Even though the airline industry is in shambles it's great to see US Airways step up again this year. They have seemingly assumed lifetime sponsor status by providing convenient non-stops from the crime ridden dirt bowl I reside in. The UN almost considers these Humanitarian flights. Assuming my flight goes better than the above picture they will allow me to indulge in one of my secret pleasures: Chicken flavored noodle soup.

Stupid geese.

Webb's + Hypothermia = bad.

Focus

Christ, if I were to imagine what the computer says when it is calculating a team's RPI, I'm guessing it would be similar to reading you two blog. Can we please focus on what is really important as we head into the Madness? Get your Porn Stache on!! I know this is b-ball and not football, but man, you have to admire the dedication it took Colt McCoy to unleash this baby!!

Friday Night Bracketology

1 seed vs 16 seed
Kansas - B12 vs Jackson St - SWAC/LeHigh - Patriot
Kentucky - SEC vs Stony Brook - AEast
Syracuse - Beast vs Campbell - Asun
Purdue vs Robert Morris - NEC
2 seed vs 15 seed
Villanova vs North Texas - Sbelt
Duke - ACC vs Morgan State - MEAC
Kansas State vs Coastal Carolina - BigSouth
West Virginia vs UC-Santa Barbara - Big West
3 seed vs 14 seed
New Mexico - Mwest vs College of Charleston - SoCon
Michigan State - B10 vs Murray State - OVC
Vanderbilt vs Weber State - Big Sky
Pittsburgh vs Sam Houston St - Southland
4 seed vs 13 seed
Butler - Horizon vs Kent State - MAC
Georgetown vs Oakland - Summit
Temple vs Northeastern - CAA
BYU vs Florida
5 seed vs 12 seed
Ohio State vs UTEP - CUSA
Tennessee vs St. Mary's
Wisconsin vs Rhode Island
Gonzaga - WCC vs San Diego State
6 seed vs 11 seed
Xavier vs Dayton
Texas A&M vs Utah State - WAC
Texas vs UAB
Wake Forest vs Cornell - Ivy
7 seed vs 10 seed
Northern Iowa - MVC vs California - Pac10
Richmond - A10 vs Oklahoma State
Baylor vs Illinois
Maryland vs UNLV
8 seed vs 9 seed
Missouri vs Siena - MAAC
Clemson vs Virginia Tech
Florida State vs Louisville
Georgia Tech vs Old Dominion

Last Four Out
Charlotte
Cincinnati
Mississippi
Marquette
Next Four Out
Wichita State
Memphis
Mississippi State
Arizona State
Also Considered
William & Mary
Texas Tech
Connecticut
Washington
Seton Hall
South Florida
Marshall
VCU
Nevada
Tulsa
Lousiana Tech
New Mexico State
Portland
South Carolina
Notre Dame
Minnesota
St. Louis
Arizona

Whistling Dixon

Congratulations to the Panthers on their win last night (You bastards!). Coming into the season, Jamie Dixon's team was viewed as a team that was rebuilding and picked to finish in the middle, if not lower in the Big East. That was an incorrect view.

After last night's win, Pitt stands 12th in RPI and 8th in SOS, so they aren't fluking their way to 20-6. They've beaten the conference leaders save Villanova who they have at home on Sunday. That includes a win at the Carrier Dome. Outside of the Big East, they have one decent neutral court win over Wichita State (52 RPI) and a loss at Texas (In December) and a perplexer against Inidana.

As witnessed last night, Pitt plays pretty strong defense and rank 26th in AdjD. They hold opponents below 40% from the field (25th) and defend the 3 very well (27th). Not a surprise the 'Quette struggled. They also do a nice job on the boards (30th) and share the ball on offense (24th).

But offense is going to be their undoing come March. They don't score enough (182nd) and don't make many 3's (244th). Though they share the ball well, they turn it over more than they take it away (272nd).

Jamie Dixon has done a good job putting this team in position to reach the dance again. I don't think they'll be around long but with all major contributors except for Jermaine Dixon coming back next season, keep an eye on the Panthers for 2011.

Tonight and Early Tomorrow

A normal Friday only has Ivy League action but with it being Bracket Buster weekend we have a few other games of note tonight

Cornell - Harvard
Cornell needs this to stay on top but Harvard is no slouch.

Old Dominion - Northern Iowa
The #1 Bracket Buster game of the weekend, the Monarchs need this more than Northern Iowa. Whoever wins this is almost a lock

William and Mary - Iona
This won't help Bill and Mary much but a road win is a road win. RPI in the mid 40s makes them an interesting case.

Stony Brook - Albany
The Seawolves are on an 8 game win streak and need to keep this up to lock the #1 in the Atlantic East conference. For those of you who just read this and don't know which team is the Seawolves, they are Stony Brook. Albany is obviously the Great Danes. Hooyvin Blavin!!!

Added Game for early Saturday morning:

Morgan State - Murray State 11am ESPNU
If you are free check this game out. Both are running away with their conferences (Morgan State - MEAC, Murray State - OVC) and are projected in the 13th or 14th seed slot. Both are capable of giving a 3 or 4 seed a run for their money come March. All hail Popeye Jones!

It's Friday!

A terrible night for us Wisconsinites as both Marquette and Wisconsin lose. Marquette's loss is more troublesome then Wisky as now they are on the outside looking in. Their SOS and subsequent RPI is not doing them any favors despite an above 500 record in the Big East.

Out
Arkansas State - Sun Belt action baby! There's a 5 way tie for the auto bid after Arkansas State losses
Marquette - As mentioned above, an RPI in the mid 60's. You must protect your home court
Mississippi - losers of 3 of 4 and below .500 in conference

In
North Texas - the Mean Green are awarded the auto-bid based on their 18-8 overall record
St. Mary's - beat San Diego last night and get in more on the losses ahead of them then on their own merit
Florida - call them the Marquette of the south. An RPI around 60 but 7-4 and tied with Tennessee in the SEC. Their stay will be brief

Other Notes
California and Washington both lose to guarantee the PAC-10 a single bid conference. Gross

I picked the Colts, just to be wrong...once

Huggins' Student Athletes

One of the teams that piqued my interest this year was West Virginia who has been touted as a Final Four contender by some. Do they measure up? Well, as of tonight, they rank 5th in RPI and 3rd in SOS.

They have five losses and 4 of them are to top 14 RPI teams. The lone exception is a road loss to Notre Dame, hardly a terrible loss. They have quality wins at home over Ohio State & Ole Miss and nice neutral court wins over Texas A&M and Portland.

They don't shoot particularly well or defend from the field (middle of the pack in both) that well but are inside the top 30 of AdjD. What they do well is, rebound (12th), protect the ball (35th) and share it well (16th). Huggy Bear has some nice depth and has 4 players averaging double digits in scoring.

Huggins has done well as the coach of WVU in March and he has the ingredients to be successful again. And who deserves success more than the cuddly, Huggy Bear?

Tonight's Games

Not a whole lot on the docket for tonight except for a ton of Sun Belt action. If that's not your cup of tea here's the standout games of the evening

Syracuse - Georgetown
Both coming off of losses. Syracuse needs this to stay in the #1 seed hunt where G'town is still hanging on to a #3
Syracuse 64, Georgetown 65

Vanderbilt - Mississippi
Ole Miss is slipping fast and another loss puts them on the outside looking in
Vanderbilt 71, Mississippi 67

Pittsburgh - Marquette
A HUGE game for the Warriors as they look to cement their spot in the bracket. This would go a long way to improving their suspect RPI
Pittsburgh 72, Marquette 77

Also Dayton and St. Mary's are looking to make some noise and improve their RPI. Check it out yo!

Today's Moves

A lot of games last night; let's highlight the moves

Out
Belmont - Atlantic Sun Auto Bid no more
Charlotte - A-10 co leader a week ago drops another game. An average RPI sinks them for now

In
Campbell Camels - A-Sun winner at this point. Really, nobody cares Mr 16 seed
San Diego State - beating UNLV earlier this week moves the RPI up to 36 and they leapfrog Charlotte

No longer on the Bubble
St. John's - an 4-9 conference record will do that to a team
Northwestern - RPI in the 90's. Goodbye

Added to the Bubble
St. Louis - 8-3 in the Atlantic 10 is enough to be watched, RPI in the 70's in scary though

Manhattan Mystery

At 20-4, Kansas State has had a nice season and is probably the least known of the current Top 10. And by top 10, you can include the RPI (#7) and SOS (#7).

Wins out of the Big 12 include a win at home over Xavier (20 RPI), a neutral court win over Dayton (35) and a win at UNLV (34). All 4 losses are against teams in the Top 50 of the RPI or just outside (Ole Miss 51).

If you believe in solid guard play in March, this might be your team. They are lead by a pair of guards who don't top 6'1" in Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente. Both are the leading scorers and both share the ball, leading the team in assists. But to counter balance that, K State does not protect the ball, turning it over 15 + times a game, 277th in the land.

On top of the strong guard play, K-State rebounds well (25th) and blocks shots (35th). The defense is okay, ranking 88th in FG %. AdjD is good for 16th. They'll give up points but they are much more likely to do so and still win by a dozen or so. The big red flag is the 65% FT shooting, 272nd in the nation. No charity for the Wildcats.

Two years ago, the 'Cats had two big name players in Michael Beasley and Bill Walker. This year, they have flown under the radar for the most part and come March, they may also advance further.

Tonight's Games

A couple solid games tonight's along with some bubble busting possibilities

Purdue - Ohio State
The winner remains in the hunt for a Big 10 title; the loser fall to 4th

Texas - Missouri
Can Texas stop the bleeding? I'm guessing not at Mizzou

Notre Dame - Louisville
ND is done with a loss; Louisville might be able to hang on due to the Syracuse win

Tulsa - Marshall
Loser is done; say hello to the NIT

Seton Hall - St. John's
Loser is done; say hello to the NIT

Louisiana Tech - Utah State
Unless the loser gets win the conference tournament they are done

Plus all the teams from the A-10 are in action with the top half playing the bottom half. Not much ground can be gained with a win but a lot can be lost with a loss.

Go Racers

Another New Sponsor

With 29 days left to the Dance I bring you another sponsorship from the Frito-Lay company...Cheetos Zingers. The fantastic mix of Cajan and Ranch should soften the blow that Flamin Hot Cheetos bring on your digestive system. When you've had enough Busch Light, as if there's such a thing, and Flamin Hot Funyuns can't cure the itch dive into a bag of Cheetos Zingers.

Wednesday Updates

Not much movement in the bracket this morning. With 25 or so games played RPI doesn't move much based on one game. In fact sometimes it does weird things. For instance, take Virginia Tech last night. They beat #25 Wake Forest to move into sole possession of second place in the ACC and 21-4 overall and their RPI DROPS from 50 to 52. That's a high RPI but I've said it before and I'll say it again. Second place in a major conference will get you in the bracket everytime.

Out
Cincinnati - lost at South Florida and was never really in the game

In
Dayton - didn't play but was the last team out. RPI is 35

Mess with Texas

One month ago, Texas stood atop the college basketball world. Since then, they've gone 3-5 and look like a team that would struggle to get out of the first weekend.

Prior to back-to-back road losses to K-State and UConn, the Longhorns weren't only winning but winning in style and big (Wins included Sparty, UNC and Pitt at home.). Now, they can't beat Oklahoma and got manhandled by Kansas. On Saturday, they returned to early season form, routing a mediocore Nebraska team by 40. As of today, their RPI sits at 27. They still rate highly in Pomeroy Ratings, 8th overall and 6th in AdjD.

They still rate highly as a team in many categories. They're 3rd in scoring offense, 27th in FG %, 17th in FG % defense, 15th in blocked shots and 13th in rebound margin. They're near the bottom in FT shooting which worries you in a close game (Along with what has to be an issue in confidence.) and turn the ball over a lot. And if we break down the season, all the numbers above are trending downwards through the conference season, especially rebounding margin and defensive FG %.

Where does Texas go from here? They still have road games at Mizzou, Texas A&M and Baylor. The schedule isn't easy but maybe they can catch some of that early season mojo and some confidence heading into the deepest depths of March...or they could continue their downward spiral into an abyss of 8 versus 9. Hook 'em Horns!

Conference to Watch Out for in the Big Dance

Big Ten
Yes, you heard that right; I'm going with the Big Ten as the Conference that will out-perform the rest come March. Quite the change from the normal ACC plugging that I normally do, I know, but hear me out. Of the teams projected to make the Tournament out of the Big Ten, MSU, Purdue, Illinois, Wisky, and Ohio State, I can make a case for all of them making the Final Four except for Illinois. Compare that to the other four major conferences (I'm leaving out the Pac-10).
ACC - They might get 6 or 7 in but can you see any of them except Duke making the Final Four? I mentioned Georgia Tech earlier in the year but they've stumbled since and the second place team just got blasted by Duke.
SEC - Kentucky is a National Champ favorite and Vanderbilt is a solid sleeper but that's it there. The West Division is average at best and Tennessee just doesn't have the depth to last 4 games in.
Big 12 - Kansas is the favorite and K-State certainly has looked the part but Texas has fallen apart and would you ever back Rick Barnes in March? A&M has good numbers but can't get over the hump to be taken seriously
Big East - Now, here's one the could give the Big 10 a run for it's money. Syracuse is solid and most people (not me however), think Villanova has a chance. That's 2 to start with and you'd have to throw West Virginia in even though they just lost to Pittsburgh. We're now at 3. The next group contains Georgetown, who's shortcomings were recently outlined by Kurlinski, Pittsburgh who outside of beating WV has withered lately, Louisville and Marquette. No doubt they are solid but who of that group would you put in the Final Four?

Monday Night Bracketology

Alright, I'm knocking Nova off the top line. Purdue is getting the bump for now but I'm not confident they'll stay there. I don't think any team should be able to stay a #1 after going 2-2.

1 seed vs 16 seed
Kansas - B12 vs Jackson St - SWAC/LeHigh - Patriot
Kentucky - SEC vs Stony Brook - AEast
Syracuse - Beast vs Mid Tenn State - Sbelt
Purdue vs Robert Morris - NEC
2 seed vs 15 seed
Villanova vs UC-Santa Barbara - Big West
Duke - ACC vs Morgan State - MEAC
Kansas State vs Coastal Carolina - BigSouth
West Virginia vs Belmont - Asun
3 seed vs 14 seed
New Mexico - Mwest vs Murray State - OVC
Michigan State - B10 vs Weber State - Big Sky
Georgetown vs College of Charleston - SoCon
Vanderbilt vs Sam Houston St - Southland
4 seed vs 13 seed
Butler - Horizon vs Kent State - MAC
Wisconsin vs Oakland - Summit
Ohio State vs Northeastern - CAA
Pittsburgh vs UTEP - CUSA
5 seed vs 12 seed
Gonzaga - WCC vs Cincinnati
Texas vs Mississippi
Tennessee vs Marquette
Temple vs Utah State - WAC
6 seed vs 11 seed
Wake Forest vs Oklahoma State
Texas A&M vs Louisville
BYU vs UAB
Xavier vs Cornell - Ivy
7 seed vs 10 seed
Northern Iowa - MVC vs Illinois
Richmond - A10 vs Charlotte
California - Pac10 vs UNLV
Baylor vs Siena - MAAC
8 seed vs 9 seed
Missouri vs Virginia Tech
Clemson vs Georgia Tech
Maryland vs Old Dominion
Florida State vs Rhode Island

Last Four Out
Dayton
St. Mary's
Texas Tech
San Diego State
Next Four Out
Wichita State
Mississippi State
Memphis
Arizona State
Also Considered
William & Mary
Washington
Seton Hall
South Florida
Connecticut
Florida
Notre Dame
VCU
Tulsa
Marshall
Nevada
South Carolina
Lousiana Tech
Minnesota
Portland
Northwestern
Arizona
St. John's

Villanova

What to do with Villanova? 2-2 in their last 4. Should they be moved to a down to #2 seed? Is Duke worthy of a #1 seed? Is Purdue? Should Michigan State be?

Texas & The Big 11

The Journal Sentinel posted this in a blog last week and the rumor has been out there before that. Is it a real possibility?

Probably not. Academically, Texas would be joining a much more prestigious academic conference. Texas is well regarded academically while the rest of the Big 12, eh, not so much. And when talking about history - most people forget their history was forged for decades in the SWC which no longer exists. They joined the Big 12 in the mid-90s along with A&M, Baylor & Tech.

But...this is Texas and they are publically funded school with a legislature that understands that Texas football is as big as anything in the state. They could try to block this by holding funds unless they guaranteed certain non-conference games meaning Oklahoma and Texas A&M and possibly other games against state teams. So, instead of the occasional big time non-conference game, they'd be playing two bitter rivals while their conference foes are beating up MAC schools and Notre Dame.

Also, the baseball program would be taking a major step down playing in the Big 11 versus the Big 12. While we shrug our shoulders at college baseball, it's a big deal in Texas.

Is not as far-fetched as some might think but there would be a lot to overcome.

Tonight's Games

Connecticut at Villanova
UConn needs this or they are done. No if's, and's, or but's.
My take: Villanova 81, UConn 67

Virginia at Maryland
Can Virginia steal a road win and stay in the hunt at 6-3 in the ACC or will Maryland bounce back from the humiliating loss to Duke.
My take: Virginia's defense frustrates Douchy Vazquez into too many forced shots, Virginia 66, Maryland 63

Kansas at Texas A&M
A&M is tied for second in the Big 12 and have a top 15 RPI. A win here moves them to lock status.
My take: Kansas 74, Texas A&M 69

Hoya Paranoia

What do we make of Georgetown who confounds with a loss at Rutgers on Sunday? Are they the team that walloped Duke and ran Villanova off the court? Or are they the team that lost to lowly Rutgers, got run by Syracuse and blew a 2nd half lead at home to USF?

The Hoyas have the nations second best SOS and are ranked 8th in RPI. Including a win over Duke, they've beaten Temple, Harvard and Butler. They lost at home to Old Dominion but that's not a bad loss (ODU is 33rd in RPI).


We all know Greg Monroe, but Austin Freeman leads the team in scoring shooting 54% from the field, 47% from beyond the arc...not bad for a guard.

As a team, the Hoyas shoot well from the field and from downtown but only make about 6-7 per game. The defense isn't the standard Hoya buzzsaw. Adjusted Defensive Efficiency is in the high 30s and while the scoring defense and fg defense is top quarter, it's not as good as it was a few years back when they were a legit Final Four team (Not having a 7' 2" C will do that.). While they're a good shot-blocking team (27th) they're an average rebounding team (107th).

The biggest flaw is their propensity to turn the ball over, -1.2 (246th).

They have Syracuse at home on Thursday and still travel to Louisville and West Virginia. And they close the season at home against Cincinnati who could be playing for their tourney lives. I think we'll learn a lot about this team in the next 5 games. Are they a Sweet 16 team or a first weekend donkey? I'm leaning hee-haw but that could change.

Yesterday's games

Solid day of games yesterday as Louisville knocks off Syracuse to stay in the bracket. That big signature win can go a long way come 27 days from now. Yes, selection Sunday is less than 4 weeks away. As for Syracuse, they'll stay a #1 seed even though they lost mostly because I can't find a compelling reason to move any other team up. Purdue is currently ranked #5 on my "S-Curve" and Duke is #6. Neither of those teams now are worthy of a #1. If either of them win both their conference and conference tournament I could see it but not now.
Other games of interest yesterday were Notre Dame losing again to fall to the brink of elimination and a head-scratching Georgetown loss to Rutgers. Wichita State hangs on at home against Missouri State to hang on to hopes as an at large.
Props to Kurly on his Ohio State article. They are definately a Final Four sleeper. Evan Turner = Danny Manning

Final Four Sleeper: Ohio State?

Ohio State won its 9th straight conference game today to go to 20-6 (11-3). They currently have a RPI of 38 and SOS is 89. Pomeroy ratings have them 12th overall and 31st in defensive efficiency. Outside of the conference they have two good wins over California and Florida State and road losses at Butler (Without Turner) and West Virginia, no shame there. They have two big games this week as they play Purdue at home on Wednesday and go to Sparty next Sunday.

Obviously, they are a very good team and have a great player in Evan Turner. Also, keep an eye on Dallas Lauderdale who is a shot-blocking presence on the inside.

They shoot the ball well ranking 6th in FG %. They protect the ball well, too ranking 17th in turnovers. FG% defense is 70th in the nation and would be better if they protected from beyond the arc as they rate 235th in the nation in that regard.

My concern is an average rebound margin of +1.8 and okay FT shooting (About 70%) but I think they're a team to watch down the stretch. Let's see if some of their numbers get better heading into the dance.

My New Final Four

My Final Four is based on the bracket I just posted. My spreadsheet pulls the seeds I have in my list an puts them in an Excel bracket which I can then fill out. Using those seeds here are my picks:

Elite Eight
Kansas vs West Virginia
Butler vs Purdue
Wisconsin vs Duke
Syracuse vs BYU

Final Four
Kansas
Purdue
Duke
Syracuse

Sunday Bracketology

1 seed vs 16 seed
Kansas - B12 vs Jackson St - SWAC/LeHigh - Patriot
Syracuse - Beast vs Stony Brook - AEast
Kentucky - SEC vs Mid Tenn State - Sbelt
Villanova vs Robert Morris - NEC
2 seed vs 15 seed
Purdue vs UC-Santa Barbara - Big West
Duke - ACC vs Morgan State - MEAC
Georgetown vs Coastal Carolina - BigSouth
Kansas State vs Belmont - Asun
3 seed vs 14 seed
West Virginia vs Murray State - OVC
New Mexico - Mwest vs Weber State - Big Sky
Michigan State - B10 vs College of Charleston - SoCon
Vanderbilt vs Sam Houston St - Southland
4 seed vs 13 seed
Butler - Horizon vs Kent State - MAC
Wisconsin vs Oakland - Summit
Ohio State vs Northeastern - CAA
Pittsburgh vs UTEP - CUSA
5 seed vs 12 seed
Gonzaga - WCC vs Cincinnati
Texas vs Louisville
Tennessee vs Marquette
Temple vs Utah State - WAC
6 seed vs 11 seed
Wake Forest vs Oklahoma State
Texas A&M vs Mississippi
BYU vs UAB
Xavier vs Cornell - Ivy
7 seed vs 10 seed
Northern Iowa - MVC vs Charlotte
Richmond - A10 vs UNLV
California - Pac10 vs Siena - MAAC
Baylor vs Virginia Tech
8 seed vs 9 seed
Illinois vs Georgia Tech
Missouri vs Florida State
Clemson vs Old Dominion
Maryland vs Rhode Island

Last Four Out
Dayton
St. Mary's
Texas Tech
San Diego State
Next Four Out
Wichita State
Mississippi State
Memphis
Arizona State
Also Considered
William & Mary
Washington
Seton Hall
South Florida
Connecticut
Florida
Notre Dame
VCU
Tulsa
Marshall
Nevada
South Carolina
Lousiana Tech
New Mexico State
Minnesota
Portland
Northwestern
Arizona
St. John's
Virginia

In's and Out's

Fun day of basketball. Duke won, Wisconsin won. As for the bracket, here's the in's and out's.

Out
Princeton - no Auto-bid after losing to Cornell
Texas Tech - a loss at home to Texas Tech drops them to 4-6 in conference. Good RPI, will be one of the last 4 out
St. Mary's - 2 game losing streak; no outstanding wins. Got no love last year with a 35 RPI, this year is 44
Dayton - lost at St. Louis, now 7th in A-10

In
Marquette - Huge win against South Florida. RPI is questionable but 7-5 in Big East is a lock
Oklahoma State - destroys Oklahoma at home. RPI is great, 5th in Big 12
Charlotte - half game out of A-10 lead; RPI is average but good enough for now
Cincinnati - Big road win at UConn gets them in for now

Teams that are slipping
UAB - 4th in C-USA contradicts 33th ranked RPI. Can't afford another loss
Rhode Island - 6th in A-10; RPI of 21 would be highest ever without a bid

Game of the day
Syracuse - Louisville
Louisville needs this to stay in the bracket. A loss opens the door for a St. Mary's re-entry.

Kentucky..Rebuttal

Yes, Tennessee gave Kentucky everything they could handle and still won but Cousins showed his propensity for inmaturity again. Wall is the real deal that's never in question but when everything is turned up a notch in the dance I think they'll wilt. An undermanned Tennessee at home is one thing, Wisconsin, Ohio State, or Pittsbugh in the Sweet Sixteen is another. I'm not claiming Kentucky will be upset in the first round or anything. Actually I think they're a great bet even at -35.5 because they'll just keep scoring (prediction Kentucky 106, Stony Brook 51) but when the going gets tough in the second weekend and teams are coached well and can get in Cousins head right away I think they'l struggle. It'll be on Wall shoulders to carry this team. I have no doubt he can but he'll need help. Patterson has not been consistant and Beldsoe is prone to disapearing for long minutes.

Bracketology and revised Final Four later today....

Saturday night delight

- Brian, you're wrong about Kentucky. Tennessee threw the kitchen sink at them and they handled them. Cousins is a real issue emotionally but Wall is the real deal. Give Calipari credit for adjusting to the zone. And they have lapses on defense but they are so good athletically, they make up for it with blocked shots, steals and rebounding. But we can disagree. That's sports. But when they make the Final Four, you have to buy a Calipari fathead.

- Marquette gets a big win and help from Cornell who holds off Princeton in a fundamentally boring game. I love watching Lazar Hayward who has been a great joy. It'll be a wonderful season for them if they get into the dance.

Big Win

Marquette is in. I'll let the video speak to the rest.

More Saturday afternoon delight

- Duke whomped Maryland and rendered Vasquez a non-factor in building a big lead. Brian Zoubek had the game of his life and the Devils were never challenged. Maryland drops to 16-7, 6-3 in the ACC but hardly looks like a team to fear in March.

- You think North Carolina State might regret pushing Herb Sendek out?

- In year two of the Tom Crean era at Indiana, the Hooisers look as bad as ever. 30 points to Jason Bohannon??? I guess they play hard for the most part according to their fans but not today. They'll have to show NCAA close improvement next year or you'll see that fan base ready to run Tom out of town.

- As Brian noted, Princeton has the auto bid for the Ivy but Cornell can take it right back tonite as the two play one another. A game for us Marquette fans to keep an eye on as well as the game at the BC in what is pretty much a must-win for Buzz and crew.

Sorry Marquette

Due to Cornell losing last night and Princeton now owning the Ivy Auto-Bid, Marquette falls out of the bracket. Cornell hangs on as an at-large due to solid computer numbers and the selection committee is going to remember how they played against Kansas.

As for my new Final Four I'm going to wait until tomorrow. I still think Syracuse and Kansas are in but I'm curious to see how Duke handles Grevious Vazquez and how the Big Ten shakes out. I'm still not buying Kentucky; they play defense like they are just waiting to play offense again. In the dance that's not going to get it done and they don't seem mentally able to handle being down.

New Final Four

Let's go...........................

Kentucky
Kansas
Syracuse
Michigan State

I'm almost buying Duke because I think they'll get a higher seed than they deserve but I'll stay MSU because this is where they peak and they don't have a Randolph on scholarship.

Between KU and KU, I like KU. Jayhawk that is. Run it through Aldrich, for crying aloud! Syracuse could go either way but the numbers say they are the class of the Big East which is the best conference in the nation this year.

And on a side note as a huge dorky golf fan...back Dustin Johnson this weekend (23 and our Rory McIlroy) or Kevin Streelman, Duke grad and DSP (Delta Sigma Phi) underground warrior.

Bo

OK, fine, Bo is all messed up on the tournament. However, you just have to give it to him.....he can whip out a mean hambone. Oh yes. I said hambone.

Luge...Death

In case you haven't had the pleasure of watching this fully captured death, here you go. (Sorry, too lazy to embed video).


http://bleacherreport.com/articles/344533-breaking-olympic-luger-dies-in-practice-run-preventable

In the article they ask..."was his death preventable". ummmm...yea, don't put unprotected steel poles (not just one, but a series of steel poles, in case you miss the first one) one foot off the track where lugers are going 90 mph. I can't wait to see there fix...my prediction, goal post pads...that will do the trick.

Friday Afternoon Bracketology

1 seed vs 16 seed
Kansas - B12 vs Jackson St - SWAC/Navy - Patriot
Syracuse - Beast vs Stony Brook - AEast
Kentucky - SEC vs Mid Tenn State - Sbelt
Villanova vs Robert Morris - NEC
2 seed vs 15 seed
West Virginia vs Morgan State - MEAC
Purdue vs Coastal Carolina - BigSouth
Duke - ACC vs Belmont - Asun
Georgetown vs Pacific - Big West
3 seed vs 14 seed
Kansas State vs Weber State - Big Sky
New Mexico - Mwest vs College of Charleston - SoCon
Michigan State - B10 vs Sam Houston St - Southland
Vanderbilt vs Murray State - OVC
4 seed vs 13 seed
Butler - Horizon vs Kent State - MAC
Wisconsin vs Oakland - Summit
Ohio State vs UTEP - CUSA
Pittsburgh vs Marquette
5 seed vs 12 seed
Gonzaga - WCC vs Mississippi
Texas vs Texas Tech
Tennessee vs Utah State - WAC
BYU vs Louisville
6 seed vs 11 seed
Wake Forest vs Virginia Tech
Northern Iowa - MVC vs Dayton
Texas A&M vs Northeastern - CAA
Temple vs St. Mary's
7 seed vs 10 seed
Missouri vs Clemson
Xavier vs Cornell - Ivy
Richmond - A10 vs UNLV
Maryland vs Old Dominion
8 seed vs 9 seed
Rhode Island vs Florida State
Georgia Tech vs Baylor
UAB vs Siena - MAAC
California - Pac10 vs Illinois

Last Four Out
Oklahoma State
Florida
Charlotte
Cincinnati
Next Four Out
VCU
South Florida
Wichita State
Arizona State
Also Considered
San Diego State
Connecticut
William & Mary
Arizona
Northwestern
Seton Hall
Minnesota
Washington
Mississippi State
Nevada
Tulsa
Virginia
Lousiana Tech
Memphis
Marshall
St. John's
South Carolina
Arkansas
New Mexico State

5 weeks left

Let's start with the in's and out's today

Out
Notre Dame - a chance for a solid road win turns into a loss against Seton Hall. Back to the out for the non-Fighting Irish'

In
Texas Tech - 4-5 in conference blows but a RPI of 29 is good enough to be the last team in. Gross

Quite Frankly the bubble this year is awful. I had a hard time finding somebody to put in after Notre Dame lost. If you are in below 500 in conference it shouldn't matter what your RPI is. On top of this mess I can find a list of at least 6 teams who are 1 loss away from falling out of the bracket. I'm not talking just the next game either. These teams need to win a minimum of their next two to stay in.

The List
Clemson - fading like they do every year
Marquette - we all know this situation. DePaul? Really?
Texas Tech - see above
Louisville - barely hanging on
Virginia Tech - 6-3 in the ACC, awful SOS
St. Mary's - blown out at home against Gonzaga
Mississippi - lost 3 of last 4. RPI of 39 keeps them in for now
Old Dominion - Mid Majors get no love; need to keep winning

If any of them fall this weekend here who's knocking on the door. It's NOT a very impressive list

Last Four Out RPI
Oklahoma State 37
Florida 56
Charlotte 44
Cincinnati 53
Next Four Out
VCU 57
South Florida 49
Wichita State 50
Arizona State 76

Ace's Place

Virginia Tech gets in on the strength of their 6-3 ACC record. The RPI is 58 and the SOS is 180. In other words, they need to keep winning games in the ACC. Their best win is a home win over Clemson and a neutral court victory over Seton Hall. Yikes. The only game they played against a top 20 RPI team was Temple where they lost 61-50. They also have a loss to the downtrodden Tar Heels.

The star of the team is junior guard, Malcolm Delaney who averages over 20 points per game with 4 passy things per game, too.

What do they do so well that gets them to 19-4? In a word, defense. They keep the opposition under 40% from the field. Yes, 4th in defensive efficiency in Pomeroy ratings.

Offensively, they average 71 points per game on awful 42% shooting, good for 204th in the land. They also shoot a brutal 32% beyond the arc. That's good for 258th.

If they keep winning in conference and can stay above .500(Very doable with only road games at Duke and Tech remaining), they'll likely be dancing but it seems doubtful it'll be a long dance.

Bo Ryan for President?

Here's another shot from Bo to those that think the NCAA Tournament works in its current format (Because it doesn't, you know.):

"To me, it's foolish for those people who are saying it's perfect the way it is," Ryan said Monday. "Obviously, they've lived a very shallow life when it comes to looking at change and what change can do and how it affects things. The history of expansion with the NCAA has been very successful."

That sounds like a Presidential candidate. I sure HOPE we expand because CHANGE is good.

Courtesy of mgoblog.com.

I always knew I was shallow but now Bo Ryan has proven it because I happen to like the tournament as is and think it is more than inclusive enough. He wears red well....right, Hacker?

Updates!

A new bracket will be up later tonight but here's a sneak peek on the movement over the last 2 days

Out
Florida - a loss to South Carolina knocks them out. They were a shaky last one in anyway
Charlotte - Was the A-10 auto-bid but a loss takes away the bid and their RPI isn't enough to keep them in
LeHigh - was leading the Patriot but lost to Navy

In
Dayton - takes out Charlotte and ultimately takes their bid
Virginia Tech - questionable last one in but 6-3 in the ACC is hard to ignore
Navy - Patriot league auto-bid. That's 4 words too many to type.

No Longer being Monitored
North Carolina - Man this feels good!

More Roy Williams fun

Roy might regret this one.

Now, I'll keep quiet on the money being poured into Haiti on a charitable front (Imagine a toilet flushing) but the tragedy is real and far more a catastrophe than, say, struggling in the ACC.

But don't fret, Roy. You'll always have a fan in me for ripping on Dick Bennett.

Hello, Illinois

And Andy Katz gets vindicated. Well, not really, since it was just me curious about his Illini statement and probably like 2 other people.

After last night's surprising win at Commie Central, the Illini probably punched a ticket to March barring a complete meltdown. They do have 2 head scratching losses on the resume - to Georgia and Bradley - but they'll almost certainly finish with no less than 10 or 11 wins in the Big 11.

They have two games remaining with OSU, travel to Purdue and get Bucky at home. They also have a trip to Brick Arbor and get the Gophers at home. Big 11, punch 5 tickets and maybe a 6th if the Gophers get stupid hot the rest of the way.

Give me Marcus Liberty or Give Me Death!

I'm Thinking Maybe...

Gonzaga? That seems to fit. Not sure they'd drop down from the WCC to the Pac-10 but you never know. How about UC-Irvine or UC-Davis?

Pac-10 looking to expand?

Looks like the Pac-10 wants to expand. Gee, what could have prompted that? Paging Utah and paging, uh, er, hmm...Colorado? Yeah, good luck with that.

In our lifetime, I predict a Big East/Big 10 merger, ACC-SEC merger and Pac-10-Big 12 merger. It sounds crazy but the discussion has been going on for decades.

Top 5 Team Most Likely to Lose in Round 2

This year's pick to fall flat on their face is the #5 ranked Villanova Wildcats. They've been very good all year long with losses only to Temple and Georgetown but lets take a closer look at the number. First of all they aren't very big. They only have 1 player over 6-8 and he's a Freshman who just came back from an injury. The have Taylor King playing "power" forward. Yes, this is the same Taylor King who was a guard on an undersized Duke team 2 years ago. Secondly, and most importantly they don't play very good defense. In fact they only rank 55th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. No team, I repeat, no team has ever made the Final Four that finished outside the top 20 of AdjD. In fact, no team out of the top 35 ever made the Elite Eight. 55th is a far cry from 35th much less 20th. For these two reasons you can pencil in a loss in the second round of the NCAA tournament against #7 Xavier for the #2 seeded Villanova Wildcats.

Imagine my excitement as I read the blog.

Sugarfree Red Bull and The Most Interesting Man? Rumor has it there is also going to be light beer on the premises. At least that's what "they" are saying. Casa de la Dachelbasement continues to add amenities at a frantic pace.

The only question I have is does US Airways require me to buy a seat for The Most Interesting Man or can he sit on my lap?

Dos, Dos Equis?

Must...Have..Most..Interesting..Man..In..Basement.....

World's Most Annoying Douche

Ben-

You'll be happy to know that I just received not one, but two Most Interesting Man life size cutouts. That is all.

Another Sponsor

After 3 years of sponsorship Red Bull has decided to fill a growing need at March Madness by offering both Red Bull and Sugar-Free Red Bull. Yep, you heard that right the basement is this close to being a health club now. Let the pucker bomb flow freely without the added calories that regular Red Bull brings. I can feel my belly melting away as I type.

Monday Night Bracketology

1 seed vs 16 seed
Kansas - B12 vs Jackson St - SWAC/LeHigh - Patriot
Syracuse - Beast vs Stony Brook - AEast
Kentucky - SEC vs Coastal Carolina - BigSouth
Villanova vs Robert Morris - NEC
2 seed vs 15 seed
West Virginia vs Morgan State - MEAC
Purdue vs Arkansas State - Sbelt
Duke - ACC vs Belmont - Asun
Georgetown vs Pacific - Big West
3 seed vs 14 seed
Kansas State vs Weber State - Big Sky
Wisconsin vs College of Charleston - SoCon
New Mexico vs Sam Houston St - Southland
Michigan State - B10 vs Murray State - OVC
4 seed vs 13 seed
Butler - Horizon vs Kent State - MAC
Tennessee vs Oakland - Summit
Ohio State vs UTEP - CUSA
Pittsburgh vs Utah State - WAC
5 seed vs 12 seed
BYU - Mwest vs Notre Dame
Gonzaga vs Marquette
Texas vs Florida
Vanderbilt vs Northeastern - CAA
6 seed vs 11 seed
Northern Iowa - MVC vs Clemson
Rhode Island vs Old Dominion
Temple vs Cornell - Ivy
Wake Forest vs Baylor
7 seed vs 10 seed
Georgia Tech vs Illinois
Missouri vs UAB
St. Mary's - WCC vs California - Pac10
Xavier vs Siena - MAAC
8 seed vs 9 seed
Maryland vs UNLV
Charlotte - A10 vs Texas A&M
Richmond vs Florida State
Louisville vs Mississippi

Last Four Out
Dayton
Virginia Tech
Oklahoma State
Wichita State
Next Four Out
VCU
South Florida
Cincinnati
Texas Tech
Also Considered
San Diego State
Connecticut
William & Mary
North Carolina
Arizona
Northwestern
Connecticut
Seton Hall
Minnesota
Washington
Mississippi State
Nevada
Tulsa
Virginia
Lousiana Tech
Memphis
Oklahoma
Marshall
St. John's
Miami
Arizona State
Georgia
South Carolina

My Pick

I agree, Colts 31, Saints 24. My wording is better

Count
On
Losing
Tarheels
Sunday

Big Game Big Pick

America's Team 34 America's Latrine 24

Count
On
Lotsa
Touchdowns
Sunday

And Now Slowly

After analyzing the games from yesterday here's how the in's and out's break down for the day:

Out
Tulsa - lost at UTEP and no longer get the autobid
Virginia - lost to Wake Forest and was only in the bracket because they were in second place in the ACC
South Carolina - was riding the Kentucky win but a 25 point loss to Tennessee will drop you quickly
Oklahoma State - good RPI but 7th in the Big 12. Will be in the last 4 out

In
UTEP - now owns the C-USA auto bid
Marquette - 6-5 in the Big East will get a bid everytime
Northeastern - the Colonial Auto-Bid pushes Old Dominion into an At-large...a very shaky at-large
Florida - 6-3 in the SEC. I really pondered this one and have the right to change it later today due to the South Florida - Notre Dame game.

I mention the SF-ND game because both teams are 5-5 and the winner of it will be 6-5 and in the bracket. Who they knock out will depend on the RPI analysis I'll do later. I usually do that on Monday's but with the Super Bowl there's only a small amount of games today and they won't change much. In addition with 2/3 of the games in don't expect alot of RPI movement. Teams can go up and down about a maximum of 10-15 points now unless they go on a huge win streak or a Texas-like dump.

The candidates to move out at this point are Cincinnati (playing Syracuse this morning), Old Dominion (low-major with a 47 RPI), Clemson, or, Florida.

Very Quickly

Yes, Illinois is in. They almost have to be in since they are tied for second in a major conference. There's plenty of time for them to fail however and a two game losing streak starting with Tuesday's tilt against Wisconsin would knock them from second to fifth and an RPI of 69 ain't gonna do it.

Long day...

All kinds of interesting things happen today. The A-10 looks like a minimum 4 bid league. Richmond topples Temple much to Brian's joy. Dayton solidifies it's resume with an impressive win over Xavier.

The Big 12 is all but decided as Kansas holds off Nebraska and Texas loses again to an average Oklahoma team. Texas A&M builds its case with a win over Baylor.

Andy Katz declares the Illini a dancer with its win over a Lucas-less Spartan team. Does the resident bracketolgist agree?

The ACC continues to make things confusing. Virginia Tech goes to 18-4 with an unimpressive schedule and a win over an inconsistent Clemson team. FSU beats Miami to go 5-4 in conference. And Wake beats Virginia on the road in overtime helping their cause.

In the SEC, Florida gets a much needed win over Mississippi State and Georgia routs Vandy in the 2nd half hurting the Commodores chances for a higher seed. South Carolina disappears as if coached by Eddie Fogler in March against Tennessee putting them on the wrong side of the bubble. Sorry, Darrin Horn. We all loved you when you played at Western Kentucky and kept Mr. Bob's Memphis State Tigers out of the Final Four in 1993.

As for the locals, Wisconsin embarrasses a disapointing Michigan team by going lights out from beyond the arc. Free the Fab Five! It's a clear case of a curse. One Sweet 16 since Jimmy King and Ray Jackson left??? And that was Tractor Traylor led? Put the banners up and tell the NCAA to pound sand, pizza boy (The new AD is Domino's genius former head who admitted his pizza sucks.).

And Marquette gets a big road win. I know Providence is NIT happy but a loss here could have kept Buzz and boys out of the Big Dance. Anyone else notice Buzz hasn't shaved that head in awhile? Whatever it takes.

The 'ol 96er and Bo

Bo Ryan wants to expand the field to 96 and clarifies it for us simpletons.

"Why wouldn't you expand the field?" he asked, noting the expansion would benefit
athletes, coaches and fans. "And the people who are so ill-prepared intellectually to get on their podium and say it is perfect the way it is...Anybody that talks like that, be real leery of them."

I suppose expanding would improve your chances of making it out of the first weekend and save some of your brethren their jobs because they made it in as a team with a losing conference record in the Big 11 or ACC but were good enough to be #95 overall.

Ryan noted that more than half the Bowl Subdivision football programs qualify for postseason play. After the 2009 season, 68 0f 120 FBS programs (56.7%) participated in bowl
games.

And we all know the thrilling matchups in the failed.com or pizza bowls have been resounding successes. You wonder why the Bowl system is what it is? Can you imagine a 16-team playoff? Those poor kids and coaches who don'tget a chance to play in it! The injustice of this world! Can't we all be winners? Making a bowl game saves jobs. thus, saving the economy!

Let's just go all in and make it a 256 team field. And give everyone orange slices and a ribbon, too.

RPI?! SOS?!

Mmmmmblleeeeh. If we're going to talk statistical analysis amongst the aforementioned 5-5 teams in the Big East, can we please move from your rudimentary models to something a bit more advanced? I believe we all know and love a good look at Pomeroy Rankings. Based upon this highly advanced analysis using pythagorean calculations using an application of the log5 formula, we ascertain the following rankings:

Marquette - 18
S Florida - 66
Cincinatti - 69
Notre Dame - 77

Thusly, it is clear that one team stands above the rest. We shall see if it plays out this way in the remaining games.

Side question - does an article like this qualify as dorking out, or dorking off, or just plain being a dork?

I Want This Shown During The Super Bowl

Cincinnati & Notre Dame

In response to Brian's Big East quandry, let's look at Cincinnati & Notre Dame.

Cincinnati has a good win at Vanderbilt and a win over Maryland. They sit at 49 in the RPI and their SOS is 32. The remaining schedule is daunting. They have home games with Syracuse, Marquette and Villanova and road games at UConn, Georgetown, South Florida and West Virginia. Oof. They need to beat Marquette, South Florida & probably UConn and not slip up against DePaul. Looking at their team numbers, the Bearcats are middle of the pack or lower in most categories except rebound margin which they are 13th. You can't spell N-I-T without Cincinnati.

Notre Dame doesn't have a signature win at all. Beating UCLA this year does not qualify. They also have a head-scratching loss to Loyola Marymount (11-12). The RPI is 71 and SOS 70. The Irish schedule is a little more forgiving. They have South Florida, St. John's, UConn and Pitt at home. They travel to the Hall, 'Quette, GTown & the 'Ville. Will .500 get them in? Maybe, but they'll need at least 1 win in the Big East tournament.

Notre Dame is a case where lack of defense is a severe flaw. Not only are they 248th in scoring defense, but they also rank 205th in FG defense. They don't help themselves ranking 213rd in blocked shots and 288th in steals. They protect the ball and can fill the hoop but they're one of the worst defensive teams in college basketball. They'll have to completely rely on outscoring teams and staying hot from behind the arc (12th nationally) but at some point, they'll go cold and get run off the court.

Friday Update

Not much going on today. California lost last night and there's a 4 way tie for first in the PAC-10. California gets the auto-bid due to the highest RPI but that's only good enough for an 11th seed. That's pathetic.

The Big East gets more convoluted as Notre Dame waxes Cincinnati. Those two teams along with South Florida and Marquette are now 5-5. I'm leaving Cincy in for now but this weekend will be telling.

Other than Cincinnati, the other teams straddling the bubble are Virginia, South Carolina, and Illinois. Their computer numbers are not good but their conference records make up for it. 2 of those 3 won't be in come March.

Thursday Bracketology

1 seed vs 16 seed
Kansas - B12 vs Jackson St - SWAC/LeHigh - Patriot
Villanova - BigEast vs Stony Brook - AEast
Syracuse vs Coastal Carolina - BigSouth
Kentucky - SEC vs Robert Morris - NEC
2 seed vs 15 seed
West Virginia vs Morgan State - MEAC
Purdue vs Arkansas State - Sbelt
Duke - ACC vs Jacksonville - Asun
Texas vs Weber State - Big Sky
3 seed vs 14 seed
Kansas State vs Pacific - Big West
Georgetown vs College of Charleston - SoCon
Michigan State - B10 vs Sam Houston St - Southland
Wisconsin vs Murray State - OVC
4 seed vs 13 seed
New Mexico vs Kent State - MAC
BYU - Mwest vs Oakland - Summit
Butler - Horizon vs Virginia
Vanderbilt vs South Carolina
5 seed vs 12 seed
Tennessee vs Illinois
Temple vs Tulsa - CUSA
Ohio State vs Utah State - WAC
Pittsburgh vs UAB
6 seed vs 11 seed
Georgia Tech vs Maryland
Xavier - A10 vs Cornell - Ivy
Rhode Island vs Cincinnati
Gonzaga - WCC vs Texas A&M
7 seed vs 10 seed
Northern Iowa - MVC vs UNLV
California - Pac10 vs Oklahoma State
Wake Forest vs Richmond
Baylor vs Siena - MAAC
8 seed vs 9 seed
Clemson vs Old Dominion - CAA
St. Mary's vs Missouri
Florida State vs Louisville
Charlotte vs Mississippi

Last Four Out
San Diego State
South Florida
Marquette
Dayton
Next Four Out
Connecticut
VCU
Arizona
North Carolina
Also Considered
Texas Tech
Witchita State
William & Mary
Virginia Tech
Florida
Northwestern
Northeastern
Seton Hall
Marquette
Minnesota
Washington
Mississippi State
Nevada
Harvard
UTEP
Notre Dame
Lousiana Tech
Memphis
Oklahoma
Marshall
St. John's
Miami
Arizona State
Georgia
Washington State
Alabama
Boston College
George Mason

In's and Out's

The latest bracket will be out in a couple hours but here's a sneak peak on the changes.

Out
George Mason - no longer leading the Colonial and and RPI over 100
Mississippi State - 4-3 in conference with an RPI close to 70. They need some road wins

In
Tulsa - with UAB's loss they have the C-USA auto-bid for now
Illinois - 6-3 in the Big 10 gets them in. Their upcoming schedule will turn 6-3 into 7-9 quickly

Stop, drop & roll, USF, you're on fire

On January 23rd, South Florida stood at 1-5 in the Big East coming off a loss at Cincinnati. In conference, they had their lone win over lowly Rutgers, a close loss at home to Notre Dame and 4 big blowouts. Fast forward to today and they've won 4 straight including wins over Pittsburgh and at Georgetown.

That begs the question, are they for real? Well, we'll know more in the next week as they head out to Notre Dame and Marquette in games that they probably need to split. They still have a trip to Villanova...but the rest of the schedule isn't that daunting. Cincinnati and UConn have to go to Tampa and the other road game is DePaul. What do the numbers tell us?

They tell us that Dominique James is a one-man wrecking crew averging 22.4 per game on 49% shooting, not too shabby for a guard. He also adds 6 boards per game and dishes 4 assists per game. As for the rest of the club...

Mediocore. To this point, they do nothing great and some things real bad. Their highest ranking is 89th in 3pt FG% defense and 90th in turnovers per game. Red flags include a negative turnover/assist rate at -1.2 per game, a middling + 1.2 rebound margin and an inability to make 3 pointers, shooting a ghastly 29% from beyond the arc. Let 'em chuck it from the cheap seats...

The RPI is 54 and they have a SOS of 35. They could get a berth or fall on their faces but even with their hot streak (And I think Pitt is probably vastly overrated), this isn't a team that looks to be more than a one and done. But for them, that'll be a great season.

Talking A-10

Let talk A-10 for a minute. There's a small buzz out there right now about the mid-majors but this conference is looking to make some noise this year. Currently I have 5, yes 5 A-10 teams in the bracket and a 6th in the last 8 out. All 6 teams are in the top 41 in RPI and 2 are top 20. Right now have more teams in then the Pac-10, not surprising, and the same amount as the Big Ten. Now, we have 6 weeks of regular season to go and there a good chance they'll not 1 or 2 of each other out but even 4 bids out of a non-BCS conference is huge for the mid-majors. I'm excited....not as excited as I would be if I was talking about my favorite conference, the Colonial, but I'm excited non the less. Go Spiders! (thats Richmond in case you didn't know)

My Final Four - Mid Season

1. Kansas
2. Kentucky
3. Michigan State
4. Big East (WVU, Cuse, Nova)

I disagree with Brian about Kentucky and defense. This isn't Calipari's Memphis teams that didn't get tested in Conference USA. They're going to get teams that can beat them and they'll have to weather some storms in the SEC. The defense isn't great but it all isn't terrible. Currently, they stand 122nd in scosing defense in the NCAA. They make up for it with by being 7th in the nation in blocked shots (That speaks of their great athleticism) and 1st in rebound margin. North Carolina was 274th in scoring defense last season.

Michigan State was due for a stinker and last night was it. Bo Ryan might win at home but he's only been out of the first weekend twice as coach of Bucky and Leuer is a hack machine. If you're betting the house in March, what team & coach has a proven track record? Don't sleep on Michigan State unless Lucas disapears for the remainder of the season. The numbers don't lie. They shoot well, they rebound well (2nd in the nation) and can score. And throughout the course of the season, they do it much better than Wisconsin.

I copped out on the 4th team but if I had to pick one, I'd lean towards Syracuse.

Mid-Season Final Four

Here are my mid-season picks for the Final Four; please post yours.

1. Kansas
2. Syracuse
3. West Virginia
4a. Purdue
4b. Duke
4c. Wisconsin

I couldn't decide on my fourth. If Leuer comes back I might lean towards Wisconsin. If one of Duke's big men can find consistancy I might go there. If neither of those happen I'm sticking with my preseason pick of Purdue.

Kentucky showed me last night that they can't/won't play defense so I'm not getting near that team for the final four.

96 Teams

Well, the rumors are out there so we might as well discuss, 96 teams, possibly as soon as next year. We all know it’s all about money and we all like 65 teams but I doubt we are going to be consulted on the matter. The real question is how do they schedule the games? I’ve heard Wednesday through Monday. If that’s the case Wednesday through Saturday are full 16 game days while Sunday and Monday are 8 a piece. I suppose Monday could be a night schedule with 4 at a time. Is it possible to get 3 days off next year? Is it possible to party 6 days in a row?

As for the logistics of adding 32 teams the only way I would be somewhat on board would be if they give auto-bids to both the conference champion and the conference tournament champion. I see enough of the 8th or 9th Big East team, no need to see the 11th and 12th.

Pitt & The Big 11

The rumors are out there but most reports indicate nothing is close to being decided. That doesn't stop us from speculating, though.

Academically, Pitt is one of the better public schools in the nation, but let's not kid ourselves, this is about a football playoff and straight cash, homey. Is Pitt a good fit? Do they improve the conference on the gridiron? To me, basketball is as irrelevant as academics in the discussion but they wouldn't hurt.

First, are they a good fit? They bring a natural rivalry with Penn State that was suspended on the field over squabbles between the athletic departments in 2000. They have a longstanding rivalry with Notre Dame which fits in well. They'd be dumping on-the field rivalries with Syracuse, West Virginia & Cincinnati though they'd certainly maintain their game with West Virginia. That would be an imposing non-conference schedule. But straight cash homey, would make it workable and at this point, beating Notre Dame is no better than beating a MAC school. So, bring on Temple, baby!

As for improving the conference, they don't bring much recent success. They haven't been a legitimate national title contender since 1983. Let's face it, a title in 1976 (Their only "modern" title) means little to nothing today. They have one Big East title on their resume and are coming off a season where they missed an XP that opened the door to a Cincinnati title. In the only season they won the Big East (2004), they were a pedestrian 8-4 and got hammered by Utah in the Fiesta Bowl. They do have very good facilities and play at Heinz Field - though I wonder if sharing a stadium isn't a drawback.

Adding Pitt to the Big 11 would be lauded as a move to add a school with solid academic credentials but would bring little to the conference on the field despite what their alumni might think except that magic playoff, er, conference title game.

Tonight's Games

ESPN has itself a solid double header tonight. At 6pm Mississippi travels to Kentucky and at 8pm Michigan State visits Wisconsin

Mississippi @ Kentucky
Another tough game on tap for Kentucky. Mississippi brings in a solid offense that is efficient in getting their points. In fact the Rebels ranks 21st in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency which figures out how many points a team scores per 100 possessions. On the flip side Kentucky is ranked 25th on Adjusted Defensive Efficiency, which shows how many points a team give up per 100 possessions. I'll have more on Defensive Efficiency as we get closer to March but for now just remember that anything less than top 20 is bad. This game turns into a track meet at the end.
Kentucky 84, Mississippi 82

Michigan State @ Wisconsin
From the Hare to the Turtle the pace slows WAY down for the 8pm game. Michigan State is looking to remain undefeated in Big Ten play and this should be their toughest conference game to date. Wisconsin is without Leuer but Bo Knows Homecourt. An ugly, ugly game from start to finish but after being down 7 at half Wisconsin storms back in the final 5 minutes, mostly because Bo doesn't lose at home.
Wisconsin 61, Michigan State 57

Big 10, No Wait, Big 11, or Big 12? Another Big 12?

The rumor out there is that Pittsburgh is ready to be the Big 10's 12th team. Does that make any sense? Should they remain the conference to the Big 12 v.2?

Monday Night Bracketology

1 seed vs 16 seed
Kansas - B12 vs Jackson St - SWAC/Lafayette - Patriot
Villanova - BigEast vs Stony Brook - AEast
Syracuse vs Coastal Carolina - BigSouth
Kentucky - SEC vs Robert Morris - NEC
2 seed vs 15 seed
Michigan State - B10 vs Morgan State - MEAC
West Virginia vs Arkansas State - Sbelt
Georgetown vs Jacksonville - Asun
Duke - ACC vs Akron - MAC
3 seed vs 14 seed
Texas vs George Mason - CAA
Purdue vs Pacific - Big West
Kansas State vs College of Charleston - SoCon
New Mexico vs Weber State - Big Sky
4 seed vs 13 seed
Wisconsin vs Sam Houston St - Southland
BYU - Mwest vs Murray State - OVC
Butler - Horizon vs Utah State - WAC
Pittsburgh vs Oakland - Summit
5 seed vs 12 seed
Vanderbilt vs Virginia
Tennessee vs South Carolina
Temple vs Mississippi State
Ohio State vs Maryland
6 seed vs 11 seed
Georgia Tech vs Cornell - Ivy
Xavier - A10 vs Cincinnati
Rhode Island vs Texas A&M
Gonzaga - WCC vs Louisville
7 seed vs 10 seed
Northern Iowa - MVC vs UNLV
California - Pac10 vs Richmond
Wake Forest vs Siena - MAAC
Baylor vs Old Dominion
8 seed vs 9 seed
Clemson vs Florida State
St. Mary's vs Mississippi
Missouri vs Oklahoma State
UAB - CUSA vs Charlotte

Last Four Out
Connecticut
Virginia Tech
Northwestern
North Carolina
Next Four Out
San Diego State
VCU
Dayton
Illinois
Also Considered
Texas Tech
Witchita State
William & Mary
Arizona
South Florida
Lousiana Tech
Northeastern
Minnesota
Marquette
Seton Hall
Tulsa
Washington
Nevada
Harvard
UTEP
St. John's
Notre Dame
Oklahoma
Memphis
Marshall
Georgia
Arizona State
Miami
Virginia
Boston College
Alabama
Washington State
Providence
Florida

Carolina Struggles

Though Brian revels in the struggles of Caroilna, their down year probably doesn't help the ACC as a whole. As of today, the conference still has the 3rd best overall RPI behind the Big East and Big 12 but who in the conference scares you in March?

Brian made the case for Georgia Tech and they might be the best ACC team come March based on their depth but they have some question marks, too. Can Derrick Favors dominate like a surefire lottery pick? He'll be a player I'm watching as we move towards March.

Virginia will be interesting, too. Is a Sweet 16 spot possible? I wouldn't bet against them. In typical Tony Bennett style, the team is playing good defense, shooting well from beyond the arc, protecting the ball and not scoring a lot. If they shoot well enough, they'll give some teams fits, i.e., turnover prone freshmen laden squads such as North Carolina!

In the end, this doesn't look like a year the ACC will represent well in March.

Stretch Run

Well, it's now February, which is monumental in that there are only 5 weeks of regular season play left. The significance is that most teams will have 8-9 games left plus a conference tournament game which gives us their last 10 games leading up to Selection Sunday. The last 10 games is a factor that the selection committee uses when selecting all of the at large bids so it's important to close the season strong. Speaking of which, lets look at Marquette, who has 9 games left and then the Big East tournament. Of the 9 games, only 1 is against a ranked opponent, Pittsburgh, so 6-3 is possible. Even 5-4 and one tournament win should be enough to get in.