The College Basketball Post

[allen3xis]

I remember

, I think I thought they'd could put up a fight too...

but I always think MAAC teams can.

Manhattan in 04

 

[yeahitsrust]

The Gonzaga/Universtiy Of San Diego game coming down to the wire! Lack-luster until the last 4 minutes lol.

 

[allen3xis]

Good.

No team led by a PG with a mowhawk should ever win

 

[petey yup]

Cuse>Lville still

 

[nbadotcom]

OK, it's Monday night...and it's taken me since Saturday to get over the Arizona - Stanford game enough to post on it.

The PAC-10 officials are the worst in the world. The three bastards that did that game on Saturday should be shot.

It was the biggest joke in the history of sports.

*+!+ the PAC-10 officials.

*+!+ Stanford.

*+!+ those %*@+ Lopez brothers.

 

[slow motion g35]

Originally Posted by NBAdotcom

OK, it's Monday night...and it's taken me since Saturday to get over the Arizona - Stanford game enough to post on it.

The PAC-10 officials are the worst in the world. The three bastards that did that game on Saturday should be shot.

It was the biggest joke in the history of sports.

*+!+ the PAC-10 officials.

*+!+ Stanford.

*+!+ those %*@+ Lopez brothers.

true

 

[bigmike23]

didnt wake forest get them players signed before skips passing?

zona fans get so salty after ever lost

 

[wildkycat]

G/F - Scotty Hopson, University Heights (Hopkinsville, Ky.)
Smooth-shooting Hopson is one of the nation's best players and will be one of the game's few unsigned prospects.
this dude�is nice.�

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

Originally Posted by allen3xis

Good.

No team led by a PG with a mowhawk should ever win

 

[jrellcuse10]

My brother is happy that Kemba made McDonalds. Those two are inseparable.

 

[haiti5]

Iman is not prestons brother...dude is n ice though...i used to hoop with his older brother at the oak park rec center a loong time ago...and i have to say hewas no where near as good as he is now.

 

[Mound Raised]

allen3xis wrote:

G - Elliot Williams, St. George's (Collierville, Tenn.)
The Duke-bound Williams can fill it up against anyone and future Blue Devils always get love from the selection committee.
i actually played against dude a few times and saw a few of his high school games because they played against my lil cus
dude will be a good fit duke
and lookin at the official list, its crazy that not much recruiting came out of memphis

 

[allen3xis]

After beating Gonzaga last month, MempHis coach John Calipari (19) proclaimed that the Tigers are "going to go from being Tennessee's team to beingAmerica's team." Since then, the Tigers have accumulated more victories. And more baggage.

Which got The Minutes thinking that it's time to put this to a popular vote. Do you, my fellow Americans, wish to declare as Your Team a group thatincludes the following:

• Pierre Niles (20), a backup center who, according to the MempHis Commercial Appeal, owns the blue-sleeved hand seen slapping a UAB fan in the stands in thepicture at the top of this story. Debris-throwing UAB fans should be embarrassed by their postgame behavior toward the Tigers -- but if you don't runacross the court to get into the faces of those fools, as the Commercial Appeal reported Niles, Shawn Taggart (21) and Jeff Robinson (22) did, you stand muchless chance of being goaded into slapping anyone. But judging from Niles' body (6-foot-8, 310 pounds) and body of work (eight points this season),altercations might be his strong suit. (Meanwhile, Conference USA reacted with trademark sluggishness, failing to complete its review of the fracas as of noonTuesday. A spokeswoman said the league is "still gathering information" on the Niles slap, more than 60 hours after it occurred. Meanwhile, Memphishas announced no discipline of its own against Niles.)


Is Memphis America's team? If so, does that make John Calipari commander in chief?

• Taggart and Robinson, who don't just get their kicks by taunting UAB fans. They also have September 2007 arrests for inciting a riot outside a BealeStreet night spot called the Plush Club on their résumés. Neither missed any game time because of the incident.

• Don't forget Joey Dorsey (23), the spectacularly athletic MempHis center who police say also was involved in that September Plush Club incident, thoughhe was not arrested. After that one, Calipari said Dorsey was down to his last strike to stay on the team. And it takes some work to reach last-striketerritory with Cal.

• Robert Dozier (24), MempHis' third-leading scorer, is alleged to have smacked a former girlfriend twice with his open hand earlier this month. (Hence themisspelled UAB sign.) He allegedly did this at 3:30 a.m. outside the very same Plush Club, which Calipari reportedly had declared off-limits to the Tigersafter the September inciting-a-riot thing. Dozier's punishment: He sat out one game, against vaunted SMU (8-15). Now, the ex-girlfriend comes with somebaggage of her own, including previously asking for and receiving protective orders. She has not pressed charges against Dozier over the incident.

• Andre Allen (25), backup point guard, was arrested in 2005 on charges of soliciting a prostitute.

Then there is the coach, whose lone trip to a Final Four, in 1996 at Massachusetts, has been vacated from the NCAA record books for rules violations thatoccurred on his watch.

And that's just the current roster. You might recall that former Tigers Jeremy Hunt, Kareem Cooper and Sean Banks had multiple off-court incidents of theirown under Calipari. Forgive The Minutes for forgetting any others.

The polls are now open, America. Vote your conscience.



...

LOL, figured that slap had to belong to a player.

 

[allen3xis]

[h2]Must viewing between now and Champ Week[/h2]
It's that time of year when almost everyone wants to fast-forward to postseason play, but don't go into hurry mode just yet. Enjoy the journey. Enjoythe prelude to madness. Enjoy the rest of the regular season, where conference titles and bragging rights are yet to be decided.
The Minutes provides you with a chronological list of the 10 remaining games you must watch or your life will be a hollow, meaningless charade:

Tuesday (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET): Purdue at Indiana (2). Looks like the last game for Kelvin Sampson (3), the coach with the blueshirt and the blackened reputation. He could well be fired at the end of the week after being charged by the NCAA with major rules violations. The surrealatmosphere of the Hoosiers' past two home games, since the NCAA allegations surfaced publicly, should only intensify for this one.

It also happens to be the only regular-season meeting between two of the game's fiercest rivals. And first place is on the line in the Big Ten. And oneof Purdue's stars, Robbie Hummel (4), had his name surface inthe NCAA Enforcement letter of inquiry as an alleged target for some of the Hoosiers' impermissible phone calls.

Saturday (ESPN2, 5 p.m. ET): Drake at Butler (5). Best BracketBuster game ever? It matches teams with a combined 47-4 record, a pair oftop-20 RPIs (Drake is ninth, Butler 18th) and teams that have spent a combined 19 weeks in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll. For fans that haven't seenmuch of either team and want to appraise their tournament worthiness, tune in. The fact that the game is played in Hinkle Fieldhouse only adds to theallure.
Saturday (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET): Tennessee at MempHis (6). This is the biggie. They're ranked 1-2 in the polls (MempHis,followed by Tennessee). They're ranked 1-2 in the RPI (Tennessee, followed by MempHis). Quite simply, it's the largest game of the season and thelargest game in the history of a football-first state.
The rivalry between orange and blue has really heated up since Bruce Pearl swaggered into Knoxville and offered a competing megawatt personality (andwinning percentage) to John Calipari's. But the social gap goes way beyond recent times. MempHis is almost an island republic on the state's westernedge, whereas the state university nearly 400 miles to the east is in a wholly different place geographically and culturally.

You'll find a lot more orange in MempHis than you'll find blue in Knoxville. Saturday night, you'll find the biggest (and potentially best, ifboth teams live up to their on-court styles) game of the season.

[+] Enlarge


Feb. 26 (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET): Tennessee at Vanderbilt (7). This one screams "trap game" so loudly that it's audible in Tibet.The Volunteers go from the GOY in MempHis to Nashville for another rivalry game. They'll play in one of the toughest gyms in America, Vandy's MemorialGym, against a Commodores team that has regrouped impressively. The Dores have won five straight, including consecutive home wins over Kentucky (by a whopping41 points) and defending national champion Florida (by a skinny three points), after losing four of five.

If the Vols win both games -- and the unofficial state championship -- consider it the greatest week in program history. And consider them strong nationaltitle contenders.

March 1 (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET): Kansas State at Kansas (

. National POY candidate Michael Beasley (9) gets an opportunity to back up the second leg of his Jayhawkstrifecta guarantee. Before the season, Beasley said, "We're going to beat Kansas at home. We're going to beat them in their house. We're goingto beat them in Africa." The Wildcats got the home game last month. Next is this road game. They're waiting for word on gym availability inAddis Ababa (10) to schedule the third.

March 1 (8 p.m. ET): Saint Mary's at Gonzaga (11). The first meeting of West Coast Conference rivals was a classic: an 89-85 overtimewin for the Gaels. This time around in The Kennel, the conference championship could be on the line between two teams that include victories over fiveBCS-conference opponents in their bodies of work.

March 6 (11 p.m. ET): Stanford at UCLA (12). Get a nap in during the day, because the Pac-10 championship should be decided whenTeam Lopez (13) collides with Kevin Love (14) inthe Pauley Pavilion paint. Scheduled tip-off East Coast time: 11 p.m. In a loaded league that has had showdown games on a weekly basis, this will be thebiggest yet.

March 8 (noon ET): Louisville at Georgetown (15). Things can change in a hurry in the Big East, but don't be surprised if the title ison the line when this game tips off. As of now, they share first place at 11-3. The surging Cardinals close the regular season with five straight games againsttop-60 RPI competition, starting Monday night against Syracuse and capped by this rematch of a 59-51 Louisville victory in Freedom Hall. (Minutes caveat: Ifthe team to beat in the Big East isn't either of these teams, then it could be Connecticut, winner of nine straight and facing a leisurely stretch ofclosing games. Average RPI of the Huskies' six remaining opponents: 104.)

March 8 (1 p.m. ET): UAB at MempHis (16). To see whether the rematch can compare to the thriller in Birmingham. To see whether the MempHiscrowd behaves any better than the UAB crowd, and the visiting UAB players behave any better than the visiting MempHis players. And potentially, to see whetherthe Tigers can cap off the first undefeated regular season since Saint Joseph's ran the table in 2004.

March 8 (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET): North Carolina at Duke (17). Never a bad game and often a great one -- especially at times like these, when theAtlantic Coast Conference championship could be decided. Maybe an NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed, too. Injured Tar Heels guard Ty Lawson should be back by then, though The Minutes must say that backup Quentin Thomas (1 has done a creditable job filling in.

 

[allen3xis]

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

These N's from Memphis old as hell!!!!! 23, 24 and 25

Or do those numbers mean something else???

 

[allen3xis]

Na those aren't ages

....I thought that at first too

Pat Forde has his 'Forde Minutes' and numbers accordingly (Calipari, 19, etc)

 

[23michaeljordan45]

Thanks for that article of games to watch for allen3xis

Can't wait for the last one

Hopefully Lawson will be back and healthy enough to play to his potential.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

Originally Posted by allen3xis

Na those aren't ages

....I thought that at first too

Pat Forde has his 'Forde Minutes' and numbers accordingly (Calipari, 19, etc)

I didn't even see Cal up there....That would have gave me a hint.....

 

[allen3xis]

Rivals.com Drive for 65
http:// NO. 1 SEEDS
Memphis
Overall seed: No. 1. Record: 25-0. RPI: 2. Best wins: 81-70 vs. Connecticut in New York on Nov. 16; 85-71 vs. Georgetown on Dec. 22. Behind the choice: Are the Tigers starting to feel the pressure of going undefeated? They looked vulnerable despite turning back Houston (68-59 at home) and UAB (79-78 in the closing seconds in Birmingham). Saturday's home game against Tennessee is a big one for both teams in the hunt for a No. 1 seed.
Kansas
Overall seed: No. 2. Record: 24-2. RPI: 5. Best wins: 76-72 vs. Arizona on Nov. 25; 59-55 at USC on Dec. 2. Worst loss: 84-75 at Kansas State on Jan. 30. Behind the choice: If the Jayhawks are going to end up a No. 1 seed, they need to make sure last week's narrow loss at Texas is their last loss in the regular season. Three of their remaining five regular-season games are on the road. There's also a March 1 home date with Kansas State, which beat the Jayhawks last month.
Duke
Overall seed: No. 3. Record: 22-2. RPI: 3. Best wins: 82-58 vs. Wisconsin on Nov. 27; 89-78 at North Carolina on Feb. 6. Worst loss: 86-73 at Wake Forest on Feb. 17. Behind the choice: The Blue Devils got whipped by Wake Forest, causing Mike Krzyzewski to remark, "We played like we've already done something, and the team that had to win won." Duke had best beware Wednesday's game at Miami, or its No. 1 seeding will be a memory.
UCLA
Overall seed: No. 4. Record: 22-3. RPI: 7. Best wins: 68-63 vs. Michigan State in Kansas City on Nov. 20; 82-60 vs. Arizona on Feb. 2. Worst loss: 71-61 at Washington on Feb. 10. Behind the choice: The Bruins played only once last week, clamping down USC 56-46. Four of their final six are at home, and they're more than capable of running the table.
http:// NO. 2 SEEDS
Tennessee
Overall seed: No. 5. Record: 24-2. RPI: 1. Best wins: 82-75 at Xavier on Dec. 22; 80-60 vs. Vanderbilt on Jan. 17. Worst loss: 72-66 at Kentucky on Jan. 22. Behind the choice: The Vols are poised to run the table in the SEC, but will that be enough to garner a No. 1? They know what will ensure a top seeding: winning at Memphis on Saturday night. There also is a road game against Vanderbilt on Feb. 26.
North Carolina
Overall seed: No. 6. Record: 24-2. RPI: 4. Best wins: 66-55 at Ohio State on Nov. 28; 90-88 at Clemson on Jan. 6. Worst loss: 82-80 vs. Maryland on Jan. 19. Behind the choice: The Tar Heels escaped at Virginia, then crushed Virginia Tech. Point guard Ty Lawson has missed the past four games with a sprained ankle, and UNC has managed to win three of them. The Heels play at NC State on Wednesday, and the Wolfpack are desperate for a win that will keep them in the NCAA at-large hunt.
Georgetown
Overall seed: No. 7. Record: 20-4. RPI: 8. Best wins: 72-69 vs. Connecticut on Jan. 12; 74-65 vs. Notre Dame on Jan. 19. Worst losses: 59-51 at Louisville on Feb. 9; 77-70 at Syracuse. Behind the choice: The Hoyas lost on the road in the Big East for the second week in a row, but their RPI remained steady. They'll need to win their remaining five regular-season games to cement their No. 2 status.
Texas
Overall seed: No. 8. Record: 21-4. RPI: 6. Best wins: 97-78 vs. Tennessee in Newark, N.J., on Nov. 24; 63-61 at UCLA on Dec. 2; 72-69 over Kansas on Feb. 11. Worst loss: 97-84 at Missouri on Jan. 12. Behind the choice: The Longhorns have moved up to a No. 2 seed after the victory early last week over Kansas. Texas stacks up as well as anyone in the "Best Wins" category. The Longhorns are in the midst of a tough three-game stretch: They played host to Texas A&M on Monday, play host to Oklahoma on Saturday, then play at Kansas State on Feb. 25.
http:// NO. 3 SEEDS
Stanford
Overall seed: No. 9. Record: 21-4. RPI: 20. Best wins: 56-52 vs. Arizona on Jan. 17; 67-65 at Washington State on Feb. 2. Worst loss: 79-67 at Siena on Nov. 17. Behind the choice: The Cardinal split on the Arizona road swing, losing to the Sun Devils in overtime before nipping the Wildcats by a point. A No. 2 seed remains a possibility. The next three games are at home, including a March 1 battle with Washington State. The Cardinal close the regular season with road games against UCLA and USC.
Connecticut
Overall seed: No. 10. Record: 20-5. RPI: 12. Best win: 89-73 vs. Marquette on Jan. 20; 68-63 at Indiana on Jan. 26. Worst loss: 77-65 vs. Providence on Jan. 17. Behind the choice: The Huskies' winning streak has reached nine, and the remaining six games on the regular-season schedule are eminently winnable. If they carry a 15-game streak into the Big East Tournament, they'll be staring at a No. 2 seed.
Indiana
Overall seed: No. 11. Record: 21-4. RPI: 23. Best wins: 70-57 vs. Illinois State in Chicago on Nov. 23. Worst loss: 80-65 vs. Xavier in Chicago on Nov. 24. Behind the choice: The Hoosiers lost at home to Wisconsin on the day the NCAA released its report on Kelvin Sampson, then regrouped to blow out Michigan State. .J. White sprained his knee against the Spartans and is questionable for Tuesday night's home game with league-leader Purdue.
Xavier
Overall seed: No. 12. Record: 21-4. RPI: 11. Best wins: 80-65 vs. Indiana in Chicago on Nov. 24; 103-77 vs. Kansas State on Dec. 31 on a neutral court in Cincinnati. Worst losses: 59-57 at Miami University on Nov. 13; 78-59 at Temple on Jan. 16. Behind the choice: The Musketeers have won their past three games by a combined eight points. If the glass is half-full, you say they know how to win; if the glass is half-empty, you say they're living on borrowed time. Xavier played at Rhode Island on Monday night and has two more tough road games in the regular season: against Dayton on Sunday and against Saint Joseph's on March 6.
http:// NO. 4 SEEDS
Louisville
Overall seed: No. 13. Record: 20-6. RPI: 15. Best wins: 71-51 vs. Marquette on Jan. 17; 59-51 vs. Georgetown on Feb. 9. Worst loss: 92-82 at Seton Hall on Jan. 19. Behind the choice: The Cardinals have climbed steadily to the point where they entered play Monday night at Syracuse tied for the lead in the Big East and riding a five-game winning streak. They easily could be a No. 3 before all is said and done. The remaining regular-season schedule is a monster: at Pitt on Sunday, home games against Notre Dame (Feb. 2 and Villanova (March 2), then a road game against Georgetown (March .
Butler
Overall seed: No. 14. Record: 24-2. RPI: 18. Best win: 65-46 vs. Ohio State on Dec. 1. Worst loss: 43-42 at Wright State on Dec. 8. Behind the choice: The Bulldogs remain on target to finish 28-2. They avenged their loss to Cleveland State last week, and they can avenge their other loss, to Wright State, at home on Feb. 28. Butler plays host to Drake on Saturday in the best game of this season's Bracket Buster event.
Purdue
Overall seed: No. 15. Record: 21-5. RPI: 28. Best wins: 72-67 at Wisconsin on Feb. 9; 60-54 vs. Michigan State on Feb. 12. Worst loss: 69-66 vs. Wofford on Dec. 19. Behind the choice: Because of a weak non-conference schedule (ranked 254th), the best the Boilermakers can hope for probably is a No. 4 seed. They play at Indiana on Tuesday, and the Hoosiers could be without .J. White (sprained knee). The IU game is the toughest remaining game on the regular-season schedule for the Boilermakers.
Wisconsin
Overall seed: No. 16. Record: 21-4. RPI: 13. Best win: 67-66 at Texas on Dec. 29. Worst losses: 81-76 vs. Marquette on Dec. 8; 68-66 at Indiana on Feb. 13. Behind the choice: The Badgers notched a season sweep of Indiana with a win in Bloomington last Wednesday, and they followed up with a solid win over Minnesota. At least one Big Ten team will be a No. 4 seed, maybe two. Wisconsin plays host to Michigan State on Feb. 28 in their only meeting.
http:// NO. 5 SEEDS
Michigan State
Overall seed: No. 17. Record: 20-5. RPI: 14. Best win: 78-72 vs. Texas on Dec. 22. Worst losses: 43-36 at Iowa on Jan. 12; 85-76 at Penn State on Feb. 2. Behind the choice: The Spartans have dropped to a No. 5 seed and could go lower after losing to Purdue and Indiana last week. They had a golden opportunity in Bloomington, getting off to a good start, then watching as the Hoosiers lost .J. White for the final 25-plus minutes with a sprained knee. They lost by 19 and trail first-place Purdue by 3.5 games in the Big Ten race. Their next two games are at home against Penn State and Iowa, teams that beat them earlier this season.
Drake
Overall seed: No. 18. Record: 23-2. RPI: 9. Best win: 79-73 vs. Illinois State on Jan. 19. Worst loss: 65-62 at Southern Illinois on Feb. 13. Behind the choice: The Bulldogs stumbled at Southern Illinois but still have a four-game lead in the conference. They can make a strong case for a No. 4 seed with a Saturday Bracket Buster victory at Butler. Drake is seeking its first NCAA bid since 1971.
Washington State
Overall seed: No. 19. Record: 20-5. RPI: 22. Best win: 51-47 at Gonzaga on Dec. 5. Worst loss: 69-64 vs. California on Jan. 31. Behind the choice: The Cougars swept the Oregon road swing to stay in the mix for a No. 5 seed. With home games this week against the Arizona schools and road games at Cal and Stanford remaining, Wazzu could fall anywhere from a No. 4 seed to a No. 7 seed.
Notre Dame
Overall seed: No. 20. Record: 19-5. RPI: 25. Best wins: 68-59 vs. Kansas State in New York on Dec. 4; 73-67 vs. Connecticut on Jan. 5. Worst loss: 70-69 vs. Georgia Tech in Virgin Islands on Nov. 19. Behind the choice: If the Irish keep their lengthy home winning streak intact and beat 10th-place DePaul and 15th-place USF on the road, they'll finish 24-6 and could sneak into a No. 4 seed. Thursday's home game against Pitt is big for both teams. The same can be said about the Feb. 28 game at Louisville.
http:// NO. 6 SEEDS
Pittsburgh
Overall seed: No. 21. Record: 19-6. RPI: 19. Best wins: 65-64 vs. Duke in New York on Dec. 20; 69-60 vs. Georgetown on Jan. 14. Worst loss: 77-64 vs. Rutgers on Jan. 26. Behind the choice: The Panthers are 4-4 in their past eight and have a huge week; they're at Notre Dame on Thursday and play host to Louisville on Sunday. The Panthers don't have a road win over anybody of note, making the game against the Irish a big one for both teams.
Vanderbilt
Overall seed: No. 22. Record: 22-4. RPI: 10. Best win: 97-88 vs. Massachusetts on Jan. 5. Worst loss: 79-73 at Kentucky on Jan. 12. Behind the choice: Vandy has won five in a row, and four of its next five are at home. That is important because the Commodores are 16-0 at home this season. They have a relative breather at home against Georgia on Saturday, then have three tough ones in a row: vs. Tennessee (Feb. 26), at Arkansas (March 1) and vs. Mississippi State (March 5). If Vandy can go 2-1 against the "tough" foes, a better seeding beckons. But 15 of the Commodores' wins have come against teams whose RPI is 103rd or worse.
Kansas State
Overall seed: No. 23. Record: 18-6. RPI: 30. Best win: 84-75 vs. Kansas on Jan. 30. Worst loss: 77-74 at Missouri on Feb. 2. Behind the choice: K-State has won three of its past four and is a half-game behind Kansas in the Big 12 race. Three of the next four are on the road, including matchups at Baylor (Saturday) and at Kansas (March 1). In all, four of K-State's remaining six regular-season games are on the road.
Marquette
Overall seed: No. 24. Record: 18-6. RPI: 17. Best wins: 81-76 at Wisconsin on Dec. 8; 92-66 vs. Notre Dame on Jan. 12. Worst loss: 79-64 at West Virginia on Jan. 6. Behind the choice: The Golden Eagles have won five of their past seven, and they've moved into the hunt for third place in the Big East. Plus, each of the next three games is eminently winnable. Marquette has three wins over teams whose RPI is 25th or better, and each loss has come to a team whose RPI is 40th or better.
http:// NO. 7 SEEDS
Arizona
Overall seed: No. 25. Record: 16-9. RPI: 16. Best wins: 78-67 vs. Texas A&M on Dec. 2; 76-64 vs. Washington State on Jan. 24. Worst loss: 75-72 vs. Virginia on Nov. 17. Behind the choice: Given the Wildcats' excellent RPI, it's hard to see them being left out of the tournament. But they've lost three of their past four and are 6-6 in the Pac-10. As good as the Pac-10 is this season, Arizona does not want to finish below .500 in the league. Four of their final six regular-season games are on the road.
Gonzaga
Overall seed: No. 26. Record: 20-6. RPI: 39. Best win: 85-82 vs. Connecticut in Boston on Dec. 1. Worst loss: 73-63 vs. Texas Tech in Anchorage, Alaska, on Nov. 23. Behind the choice: It's a two-team race in the West Coast Conference between the Zags and Saint Mary's. The Gaels won the first game between the teams, but the Zags get them at home on March 1. The Zags' non-conference schedule has them in good shape for an at-large bid, and the win over UConn looks better by the day.
Clemson
Overall seed: No. 27. Record: 19-6. RPI: 21. Best wins: 84-82 at Mississippi State on Nov. 15; 61-58 vs. Purdue on Nov. 27. Worst loss: 82-72 vs. Charlotte on Jan. 9. Behind the choice: Right now, the Tigers are our No. 3 ACC team - but it's a long, long drop from No. 2 (North Carolina) to No. 3. Three of the Tigers' next four games are on the road, and the only home game is against a Miami team that is in desperate need of some wins to become a viable at-large candidate. Still, Clemson has won four of its past five and has seen its RPI improve more than 30 spots from a month ago.
Rhode Island
Overall seed: No. 28. Record: 20-5. RPI: 26. Best win: 91-89 at Syracuse on Dec. 8. Worst loss: 68-61 at Saint Louis on Jan. 17. Behind the choice: The Rams have lost two of their past three and are three games behind Xavier in the Atlantic 10 race. While their RPI is good, the Rams have eight victories over teams whose RPI is 201st or worse. The Rams are in the midst of a three-game homestand, but each is against a tough opponent. URI played Xavier on Monday, then meets UMass on Thursday and Saint Joseph's on Sunday. Going 2-1 in that stretch might nail down an at-large. Going 0-3 suddenly makes things dicey.
http:// NO. 8 SEEDS
Saint Mary's
Overall seed: No. 29. Record: 22-3. RPI: 27. Best win: 72-66 vs. Drake on Nov. 10. Worst loss: 63-55 at San Diego on Jan. 28. Behind the choice: The Gaels had won five in a row heading into Monday night's game with Pepperdine and were tied for the West Coast Conference lead with Gonzaga. The Gaels beat the Zags at home on Feb. 4 and play at Gonzaga on March 1. The Gaels look good for at least an at-large bid. How high they will be seeded is the question.
Mississippi State
Overall seed: No. 30. Record: 17-7. RPI: 45. Best win: 80-74 vs. Arkansas on Feb. 16. Worst loss: 67-60 vs. Miami University in Anaheim, Calif., on Nov. 25. Behind the choice: The Bulldogs, who have won three in a row, own a two-game lead in the SEC West over Arkansas. The Razorbacks and Bulldogs split their season series. Still, there's no non-conference win of note and that could hurt down the line in terms of seeding. The Bulldogs play at rival Ole Miss on Wednesday. There are two objectives for Mississippi State: It can beef up its resume with a win and it can all but end Ole Miss' at-large hopes.
BYU
Overall seed: No. 31. Record: 20-5. RPI: 29. Best win: 78-76 vs. Louisville in Las Vegas on Nov. 23. Worst loss: 73-70 at Boise State on Dec. 29. Behind the choice: The Mountain West seems likely to get two teams, and BYU currently has a 1.5-game lead in the league race over UNLV. BYU has won eight in a row, but two of its next three are on the road, including back-to-back games at San Diego State (Saturday) and New Mexico (Feb. 26). The Lobos could get into the at-large mix if they can win out in the regular season, then make a nice run in the league tourney.
Maryland
Overall seed: No. 32. Record: 17-9. RPI: 51. Best win: 82-80 at North Carolina on Jan. 19. Worst loss: 67-59 vs. American on Dec. 22. Behind the choice: Maryland is one of five ACC teams in our field this week, but the Terps - who have won five of their past six - still have some work to do. First of all, there's that relatively weak RPI. Second is that 10 wins have come against teams ranked 120th or worse in the RPI. Third is that three of their final five regular-season games are on the road.
http:// NO. 9 SEEDS
Arkansas
Overall seed: No. 33. Record: 17-7. RPI: 31. Best win: 85-78 vs. Baylor in Dallas on Jan. 5. Worst loss: 70-66 vs. South Carolina on Jan. 16. Behind the choice: The Hogs lost twice last week - and saw their RPI move up two spots from 33. They trail Mississippi State by two games in the SEC West, and they split the season series with the Bulldogs. Two of the next three are on the road, but all three are eminently winnable.
Texas A&M
Overall seed: No. 34. Record: 20-5. RPI: 38. Best wins: 80-63 vs. Texas on Jan. 30; 70-47 vs. Ohio State in New York on Nov. 23. Worst loss: 59-54 to Oklahoma State on Feb. 16. Behind the choice: The bad loss to Oklahoma State effectively removed the Aggies from consideration for the Big 12 regular-season title. That setback snapped a five-game winning streak. Two of the next three are at home.
Baylor
Overall seed: No. 35. Record: 17-7. RPI: 42. Best win: 68-64 vs. Notre Dame in the Virgin Islands on Nov. 18. Worst loss: 93-83 at Oklahoma State on Feb. 13. Behind the choice: This is a team on a slippery slope. The Bears have lost five of their past six, and two of their next three are on the road. If there is good news that can be gleaned from their losses, it's that only one of them can be considered a "bad" loss. The Bears haven't been to the NCAAs since 1988, and a trip this season would be just their second since 1950.
Ohio State
Overall seed: No. 36. Record: 17-9. RPI: 47. Best win: 79-65 vs. Syracuse in New York on Nov. 21. Worst loss: 53-48 at Iowa on Feb. 2. Behind the choice: The Big Ten is a five-bid league, and right now, the Buckeyes are our fifth Big Ten team. Ohio State lacks a true marquee victory, but the Buckeyes have three more chances to get one (Wisconsin and Purdue at home, and Indiana on the road). The Buckeyes have lost three of their past five, and their RPI has plunged almost 30 spots in three weeks.
http:// NO. 10 SEEDS
West Virginia
Overall seed: No. 37. Record: 18-7. RPI: 40. Best win: 79-64 vs. Marquette on Jan. 6. Worst loss: 62-39 at Cincinnati on Jan. 30. Behind the choice: WVU has won three of its past four to strengthen its NCAA case. While three of the next four are on the road, two of the road games (Villanova and DePaul) are against teams WVU should beat. A good strength-of-schedule ranking helps the Mountaineers.
Oklahoma
Overall seed: No. 38. Record: 17-8. RPI: 32. Best wins: 88-82 at West Virginia on Dec. 29; 77-71 at Baylor on Jan. 26. Worst loss: 72-58 at Colorado on Feb. 9. Behind the choice: The Sooners have played a tough schedule and look good for a bid if they can finish at least .500 in the Big 12 because of that schedule. The next two: home against Baylor on Tuesday and at Texas on Saturday. Losses in both would add to the importance of the stretch run.
Saint Joseph's
Overall seed: No. 39. Record: 16-7. RPI: 41. Best win: 98-92 at Massachusetts on Jan. 9. Worst loss: 71-66 vs. Holy Cross on Dec. 4. Behind the choice: The Atlantic 10 certainly appears strong enough to get four bids, and right now, St. Joe's is our No. 3 team from the league. The Hawks have won seven of their past nine and are in second place in the A-10, two games behind Xavier. Four of their next five games are at home. Sunday's game at Rhode Island is big for both teams.
South Alabama*
Overall seed: No. 40. Record: 21-5. RPI: 34. Best win: 71-67 vs. Mississippi State on Dec. 15. Worst loss: 70-68 at North Texas on Jan. 31. Behind the choice: The Jags trail Western Kentucky by a half-game in the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference. USA beat Western in Mobile on Jan. 5, and Western will look to return the favor Thursday in Bowling Green. If USA harbors any at-large hopes, it needs to sweep Western. But even if Western wins the rematch, USA may hold the trump card: The Jaguars are the host team for the Sun Belt tourney.
http:// NO. 11 SEEDS
UNLV
Overall seed: No. 41. Record: 19-6. RPI: 33. Best win: 70-41 vs. BYU on Jan. 15. Worst loss: 65-53 at Air Force on Jan. 12. Behind the choice: UNLV trails BYU by 1.5 games in the Mountain West; those teams split their season series. We think the MWC gets two bids, but the league ranks 10th in the RPI, so there are no guarantees. UNLV has three home games among its final four regular-season contests and is the host team for the league tourney.
Syracuse
Overall seed: No. 42. Record: 17-9. RPI: 46. Best win: 77-70 vs. Georgetown on Feb. 16. Worst loss: 89-78 at USF on Feb 13. Behind the choice: Can the Big East get as many as eight bids? We think so - and the Orange are our No. 8 from the league this week. Last week was huge - good and bad. First, there was a bad loss at USF. Then, there was a huge win over Georgetown. Still, Syracuse's spot is tenuous; the Orange played Louisville Monday night, and their next two games are Notre Dame and Pitt. They'd be breathing easier with one victory in those three games.
USC
Overall seed: No. 43. Record: 15-9. RPI: 36. Best win: 72-63 at UCLA on Jan. 19. Worst loss: 96-81 vs. Mercer on Nov. 10. Behind the choice: The Trojans have won six of their past nine and are tied for fourth in the Pac-10. The Pac-10 looks as if it will get at least five bids, and the Trojans are our fifth Pac-10 team this week. Thursday's home game with Oregon is huge for both teams' at-large hopes. The loss of guard Daniel Hackett for the season is going to hurt.
Kent State*
Overall seed: No. 44. Record: 21-5. RPI: 43. Best win: 65-59 vs. Illinois State in Chicago on Nov. 24. Worst loss: 61-60 at Detroit on Nov. 10. Behind the choice: The Mid-American Conference is solid, but one bid is all it can hope for. And it would be a surprise if that one bid doesn't go to a team in the East Division. Kent State - which has won seven of its past eight - leads Akron by two games for the division lead. Kent already has won at home vs. Akron. A victory Saturday at Saint Mary's in the Bracket Buster event is mandatory if the Golden Flashes want to have at-large hopes. As it is, they have no wins over teams whose RPI is 50th or better.
http:// NO. 12 SEEDS
Wake Forest
Overall seed: No. 45. Record: 16-8. RPI: 61. Best win: 86-73 vs. Duke on Feb. 17. Worst loss: 72-50 at Georgia on Dec. 8. Behind the choice: This is a pick of faith, nothing else. We figure if Wake can beat Duke, it can finish above .500 in the ACC and maybe win a game in the league tourney. Actually, that's probably the minimum - above .500 in the league and a tourney victory - for Wake to be a legit at-large contender.
Dayton
Overall seed: No. 46. Record: 17-7. RPI: 24. Best wins: 70-65 at Louisville on Dec. 8; 80-55 vs. Pitt on Dec. 29. Worst loss: 57-54 at George Washington on Feb. 9. Behind the choice: The free-falling Flyers have lost six of their past nine, and their destruction of Pitt seems farther and farther away. They're a game under .500 in the Atlantic 10, and as strong as that league is - and as good as the Flyers' RPI is - they won't be invited to the NCAAs if they finish under. 500 in the conference. This team has some work to do. A win over Xavier at home on Thursday would provide a huge boost.
Illinois State
Overall seed: No. 47. Record: 18-8. RPI: 53. Best win: 62-52 vs. Cincinnati on Dec. 8. Worst loss: 72-63 at Eastern Michigan on Dec. 4. Behind the choice: The Redbirds are looking for their first NCAA bid since 1998. They're four games behind first-place Drake in the Missouri Valley Conference, which means they're not catching the Bulldogs. But to strengthen their case for an NCAA bid, the Redbirds need some more wins. The MVC ranks eighth in conference RPI, which helps Illinois State. What would help more for the Redbirds - who have lost five of their past nine - is to beat Wright State, Creighton and Southern Illinois, which are the final three regular-season opponents.
Houston
Overall seed: No. 48. Record: 19-5. RPI: 49. Best win: 83-69 vs. Kentucky on Dec. 18. Worst loss: 73-72 to Virginia Commonwealth in Puerto Rico on Nov. 15. Behind the choice: We freely admit it - this is not a pick we're sure of. We have Houston here because other teams seem intent on playing their way out of the field. At least Houston doesn't have any bad losses. The Cougars need to win out in the regular season, then get to the C-USA tourney final to have a legit shot at an at-large bid.
http:// NO. 13 SEEDS
Virginia Commonwealth*
Overall seed: No. 49. Record: 19-6. RPI: 65. Best win: 86-76 vs. Maryland in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 2. Worst loss: 62-61 at James Madison on Jan. 2. Behind the choice: The Rams lead the Colonial Athletic Association, which is down this season compared to the past few years, by two games over George Mason. George Mason beat the Rams earlier this month in the teams' only meeting this season. They are the only league teams in the top 136 in the RPI. Three of VCU's final four regular-season games are on the road.
Davidson* (8-6)
Overall seed: No. 50. Record: 19-6. RPI: 66. Best win: 71-60 at Appalachian State on Nov. 26. Worst loss: 83-76 at Western Michigan on Nov. 21. Behind the choice: The Wildcats have played a lot of power-conference opponents close - they lost to North Carolina by four, to NC State by one, to Duke by six, to UCLA by 12 - but they don't have any marquee wins. That means they better win the Southern Conference or they have no NCAA shot. And how bad is the Southern Conference? Davidson won twice last week - and its RPI fell. Davidson is the only league team without a conference loss, and the Wildcats already have clinched the regular-season title.
Utah State*
Overall seed: No. 51. Record: 18-8. RPI: 85. Best win: 76-55 vs. Oral Roberts Worst loss: 83-69 at Cal Poly on Nov. 15. Behind the choice: The Aggies lost twice last week to fall out of first place in the Western Athletic Conference, which is way down this season. Utah State trails Boise State by a game in the league race, but beat the Broncos earlier this season at home. The teams meet again in Boise on March 6. Utah State is aiming for its sixth NCAA bid this decade.
Oral Roberts*
Overall seed: No. 52. Record: 18-6. RPI: 44. Best win: 74-59 vs. Oklahoma State in Oklahoma City on Dec. 20. Worst loss: 86-71 to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in College Station, Texas, on Nov. 14. Behind the choice: The Golden Eagles, who had an 11-game winning streak snapped over the weekend, have a one-game lead in the Summit League over IUPUI. ORU beat IUPUI by one at home on Jan. 17, but IUPUI beat ORU by three on Saturday. Those are the only teams with a shot at the regular-season crown. The Summit tourney is in Tulsa, ORU's home city.
http:// NO. 14 SEEDS
Stephen F. Austin*
Overall seed: No. 53. Record: 21-3. RPI: 57. Best win: 66-62 at Oklahoma on Dec. 8. Worst loss: 58-57 at Nicholls State on Jan. 10. Behind the choice: SFA is five points away from having a 21-game winning streak. As it is, the Lumberjacks have won five in a row and lead the Southland Conference West race by two games over Sam Houston State. SFA basically can clinch the division title with a win over SHSU at home Thursday. Stephen F. Austin already has beaten Lamar, which leads the Southland East race, in the teams' only meeting this season.
Winthrop*
Overall seed: No. 54. Record: 17-9. RPI: 118. Best win: 76-70 vs. Miami on a neutral floor in Miami on Dec. 29. Worst loss: 50-49 at Coastal Carolina on Feb. 6. Behind the choice: The Eagles have moved into a tie with UNC Asheville in the Big South Conference. UNC Asheville won at home over Winthrop earlier this month, but UNC Asheville has lost three in a row to come back to the pack in the league race. Winthrop has won three in a row and closes out the regular season by hosting UNC Asheville.
Siena*
Overall seed: No. 55. Record: 16-9. RPI: 90. Best win: 79-67 vs. Stanford on Nov. 17. Worst loss: 100-88 at James Madison on Nov. 9. Behind the choice: The Saints are tied with Rider for first place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The teams split their season series, with each winning on the other's home court. Siena also owns a season sweep of Marist, which split with Rider, and also won at Niagara, which is tied for third in the league. But three of the Saints' final four regular-season games are on the road.
Cal State Fullerton*
Overall seed: No. 56. Record: 17-7. RPI: 95. Best win: 80-72 at Cal State Northridge on Feb. 2. Worst loss: 79-76 at Central Michigan on Dec. 8. Behind the choice: The Titans trail Cal State Northridge by a half-game in the Big West Conference, but they won at Northridge earlier this month. Fullerton has won seven of its past eight, and five of those games were on the road. Fullerton's next three games are at home. The Titans are looking for their first NCAA trip since 1978, when they lost to Arkansas in the West Regional final.
http:// NO. 15 SEEDS
Cornell*
Overall seed: No. 57. Record: 16-5. RPI: 81. Best win: 83-77 vs. Siena on Nov. 25. Worst loss: 76-73 vs. Colgate on Dec. 1. Behind the choice: Cornell takes a 10-game winning streak and a two-game Ivy League lead into this weekend's home games against Yale and Brown. Brown is in second in the Ivy standings, but Cornell won by 11 at Brown in the teams' first meeting. The Big Red is looking for its first NCAA trip since 1988.
Portland State*
Overall seed: No. 58. Record: 17-8. RPI: 132. Best win: 66-63 vs. Akron in Fairbanks, Alaska, on Nov. 17. Worst loss: 76-68 at UC Davis on Nov. 24. Behind the choice: The Vikings have won eight in a row and lead the Big Sky by 2.5 games over Northern Arizona; the Vikings swept Northern Arizona. But Portland State plays its next four games on the road. The Vikings are looking for their first NCAA appearance.
American*
Overall seed: No. 59. Record: 16-10. RPI: 109. Best win: 67-59 at Maryland on Dec. 22. Worst loss: 77-66 vs. Navy on Jan. 30. Behind the choice: American leads Navy by 1.5 games in the Patriot League race; they are the only teams in the eight-team league above .500 in conference play. Navy won at American last month, and the teams meet again on Feb. 27 in Annapolis. American, which is coached by former Virginia head man Jeff Jones, never has been to the NCAA tourney. The conference tourney is played at campus sites, and the regular-season winner is guaranteed to play every league tourney game at home.
Maryland-Baltimore Co.*
Overall seed: No. 60. Record: 18-7. RPI: 101. Best win: 70-68 at Richmond on Nov. 17. Worst loss: 77-74 vs. Maine on Jan. 12. Behind the choice: The Retrievers lead the way in the America East Conference, which ranks 29th of the 31 Division I leagues in RPI. UMBC has won six in a row, but three of its final four league games are on the road. Finishing first in the regular season is important because the conference tourney final is hosted by the highest remaining seed.
http:// NO. 16 SEEDS
Austin Peay*
Overall seed: No. 61. Record: 18-9. RPI: 108. Best win: 93-84 at Belmont on Dec. 19. Worst loss: 121-116 at Southeast Missouri State on Jan. 29. Behind the choice: The Governors, looking for their first NCAA bid since 2003, lead Murray State by 2.5 games in the Ohio Valley Conference. The OVC is ranked 30th among the 31 Division I leagues in RPI. Austin Peay and Murray split their two regular-seasons contests. All three of the Governors' remaining OVC games are on the road. Of note: Austin Peay beat Belmont (our No. 62 seed) twice this season.
Belmont*
Overall seed: No. 62. Record: 19-8. RPI: 100. Best win: 86-75 at Cincinnati on Nov. 9. Worst loss: 83-75 at Campbell on Jan. 5. Behind the choice: The Bruins are aiming for their third consecutive NCAA trip as Atlantic Sun champs, and they own a one-game lead in the league race over Jacksonville. Belmont beat JU in the teams' only meeting of the season. Belmont has won seven in a row and plays its final three regular-season games at home. In addition, the league tournament is in Nashville, Belmont's home city. The tournament will be at Lipscomb, which is Belmont's biggest rival, but the Lipscomb campus is only about a mile from Belmont's.
Morgan State*
Overall seed: No. 63. Record: 14-8. RPI: 149. Best win: 64-55 vs. Virginia Commonwealth on Nov. 29. Worst loss: 54-44 vs. Denver in San Francisco on Dec. 29. Behind the choice: The Bears, who never have been to the NCAA Tournament, are tied with Norfolk State atop the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, and Norfolk State won the teams' only meeting this season. But bad news for Norfolk: It plays its final five regular-season games on the road. Morgan State's two conference losses have come by a total of three points. The Bears are coached by Todd Bozeman, the former Cal head man.
Wagner*
Overall seed: No. 64. Record: 19-6. RPI: 115. Best win: 64-63 at Brown on Nov. 28. Worst loss: 72-69 at St. Peter's on Nov. 17. Behind the choice: The Seahawks are tied for first with Robert Morris in the Northeast Conference, but they swept Sacred Heart, which is in third place (Robert Morris lost at home to Sacred Heart). Wagner - which has won three of its past four in overtime - is at Robert Morris on Saturday in the teams' only meeting this season. It's likely the winner of that game also wins the league's regular-season title. Wagner is coached by Mike Deane, who has taken Siena, Marquette and Lamar to the NCAA Tournament.
Alabama State*
Overall seed: No. 65. Record: 14-8. RPI: 210. Best win: 64-54 at SMU on Nov. 11. Worst loss: 81-71 at Jackson State on Jan. 7. Behind the choice: The Hornets, who have a three-game lead, are our pick to win the Southwestern Athletic Conference - the weakest of the 31 Division I leagues. Alabama State has four of its final six regular-season games at home. The Hornets - aiming for their third NCAA bid this decade - also are our pick to be one of the two teams involved in the play-in game. Actually, the SWAC champ will be in the play-in game, whoever it is.
http:// BREAKDOWN BY LEAGUE
8: Big East 6: Big 12 5: ACC, Big Ten, Pac-10 4: Atlantic 10, SEC 2: 2: Conference USA, Missouri Valley, Mountain West, West Coast

 

[bigmike23]

Originally Posted by allen3xis

is that why they was about to get down with the fans?

 

[petey yup]

Bilas answeing my question

Petey: (New York NY): Syracuse......@ND, Pitt, @SHU, Quette. 2 of 4 and we are surely in, right?

Jay Bilas: (3:09 PM ET ) I think so. Syracuse should have been in last year, and it was a complete joke to have left the Orange out. I believe they should be in if they continue to win.

Not a good answer but oh well

 

[craftsy21]

Not a good answer but oh well

He can't say yes for sure - there's too many other things that could happen, like 4 other maybe teams winning out or something. You guysare close, you know that, I know that, he knows that... Still, pretty cool he took your question - i've never been answered in one of those chats.

 

[blazinjkid]

that sign= reason #156236 why college basketball > *

 

[the lowa]

The Ville Best Team in the BIG EAST

Great win over the orange