The College Basketball Post

[lnmymind]

Devin Ebanks is likely a one and done...depending on where he goes. If he goes to Miami now that Samson is out at IU...he's going to put up ridiculousnumbers. Tyreke COULD be one

 

[allen3xis]

Lookin at the schedule, there's so much good basketball this weekend with the Bracket Buster

 

[the lowa]

Originally Posted by MBen32

seeing as how we've been "spoiled" with great freshman the last two years (Oden, Durant, Rose, Beasley, etc.,) anyone else think that we're going to be somewhat disappointed with next year's freshman class? i just don't see any dudes who are on those guys' level.

maybe not disappointed, buy you know what i mean.

yeah, i feel the same way...but honestly i dont think we will see another freshman class like '07 for awhile..but for '08 i do expect Demar Derozan and Brandon Jennings to show out next year

Demar Derozan I feel has the most potentialout of this class but Duke got a good player in Elliot Williams

 

[wildkycat]

Originally Posted by Craftsy21

Originally Posted by wildKYcat

seeing as how we've been "spoiled" with great freshman the last two years (Oden, Durant, Rose, Beasley, etc.,) anyone else think that we're going to be somewhat disappointed with next year's freshman class? i just don't see any dudes who are on those guys' level.

maybe not disappointed, buy you know what i mean.

It does seem like it will be a slightly down year - but look at all the guys this season who have shined when people kinda slept on them... I'm sure there's a lot of hidden gems out there that will do big things.

you mean guys this year who are freshman, like the "second-tier" freshman like Patterson? or just other players such as Harangody, Price,D.J. Augustin...umm...Shan Foster?

 

[allen3xis]

pdated: February 22, 2008
SOUTH (Houston)
Little Rock
(1) MEMPHIS (26-0)
(16) Play-in Game

(

Texas A&M (19-6)
(9) Southern California (16-9)

Denver
(5) Michigan St (21-5)
(12) Florida (20-7)

(4) Notre Dame (20-5)
(13) VCU (20-6) / CAA

Anaheim
(6) Pittsburgh (18-7)
(11) Baylor (16-

(3) Stanford (21-4)
(14) BOISE ST (19-6) / WAC

Little Rock
(7) Clemson (18-7)
(10) Arkansas (18-7)

(2) TEXAS (21-4)
(15) AUSTIN PEAY (18-10) / OVC

WEST (Phoenix)
Raleigh
(1) DUKE (22-3)
(16) WAGNER (20-6) / Northeast

(

Gonzaga (21-6
(9) Arizona (15-10)

Tampa
(5) Marquette (18-6)
(12) DAVIDSON (19-6)

(4) PURDUE (21-6)
(13) KENT ST (22-5) / MAC

Tampa
(6) Kansas St (17-7)
(11) Rhode Island (20-7)

(3) LOUISVILLE (21-6)
(14) UMBC (18-7) / Amer East

Anaheim
(7) BYU (21-5)
(10) Mississippi St (17-

(2) UCLA (22-3)
(15) BELMONT (18-

/ Atl Sun



EAST (Charlotte)
Birmingham
(1) TENNESSEE (23-2)
(16) LAMAR (12-

/ Southland

(

Maryland (17-10)
(9) West Virginia (17-

Denver
(5) Washington St (21-5)
(12) UAB (18-

(4) Indiana (22-4)
(13) CORNELL (15-5) / Ivy
Washington D.C.

(6) DRAKE (21-3)
(11) Massachusetts (17-9)

(3) Connecticut (21-5)
(14) CS NORTHRIDGE (17-6) / Big West

Raleigh
(7) Oklahoma (18-

(10) UNLV (18-6)

(2) North Carolina (25-2)
(15) AMERICAN (17-10) / Patriot

MIDWEST (Detroit)
Omaha
(1) Kansas (23-2)
(16) PORTLAND ST (16-

/ Big Sky

(

Arizona St (16-9)
(9) South Alabama (20-5)

Omaha
(5) BUTLER (25-2)
(12) Syracuse (17-10)

(4) Wisconsin (22-4)
(13) ORAL ROBERTS (19-6) / Summit

Birmingham
(6) Vanderbilt (22-4)
(11) Ohio State (17-9)

(3) Georgetown (21-4)
(14) WINTHROP (16-9) / Big South

Washington D.C.
(7) SAINT MARY'S (22-3)
(10) Miami (17-7)

(2) XAVIER (23-4)
(15) RIDER (18-9) / MAAC




...

I would be so tempted to take Rider as a 15 against Xavier..

 

[allen3xis]

Welcome to The Show! On Friday, ESPN college basketball contributor and March Madness expert extraordinaire Joe Lunardi will drop by to chat some Bracketology!

Check out Lunardi's latest updated bracket.

Send your questions now and join Lunardi in The Show on Friday at 3 p.m. ET!

Lunardi Archive: Chats | Columns

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:02 PM ET ) Welcome aboard, which is an especially appropriate greeting given that I am sitting on a train. Let's get right tosome Bracket Buster weekend chatter.

Matt (Pullman, WA): Hey Joe, love the work you do and I always check for your updates. I know my Cougs had a rough patch there, but come on a 5 seed? Teamslike K-state and ND ahead of the Cougs who have 6 top 50 RPI wins, and 8 top 75 RPI wins and 3 of their 5 losses came to teams ranked in the top 8. Now is thetime to beleive Joe, the choice is yours..

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:04 PM ET ) You need to look at today's updated bracket, Matt. Wazzu (No. 5 seed) remains behind Notre Dame (No, 4), but isahead of Kansas State (No. 6).

Willis (Mobile, AL): South Alabama beat Western Kentucky twice, and now both teams are tied in the Sun Belt Conference. Do you think the Sun Belt Conferencecan get two teams into the tournament?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:06 PM ET ) I believe if South Alabama continues winning through the Sun Belt title game -- and then loses in the final -- thatboth the Jaguars and the winner of that game will be in the NCAA Tournament.

Ryan (Framingham): Your favorite bubble team must travel to Notre Dame Saturday. Barring a miracle they will loose like the everyone else in the last 2 years.So here's the question, if the Orange fall to 7-8 on Sat, are they in a must win situation throughout (to finish 10-

to make the tournament. Or could a9-9 record potentially still give them a bid?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:07 PM ET ) I would not be optimistic for Syracuse at 9-9, at least not without a deep Big East tourney run.

James (Nashville, TN): Joe -- Why Vandy still so high as a 7 seed? They're 22-4, RPI is currently stable at 10, and they've won five in a row. They hadarguably the toughest opening stretch of conference play of any team in the country (6 of first 9 on the road, including @ UK, @ UT, @ FL, @ UMiss). Sure, theycame out with some bruises, but those were mainly due to AJ Ogilvy being sick with the flu (especially in the back to back @ Florida, @ Ole Miss). Sincehe's recovered, Vandy's 5-0, including 2 road wins, a 41 point blowout over Kentucky, and a grind out win versus Florida. Their rankings (10 RPI, 16ESPN, 20 AP) would suggest a 3-5 seed. Yet, you have them as a 7. What gives?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:10 PM ET ) Check out my blog today, James. I covered Vanderbilt fairly thoroughly in today's post. Long story short: At thetime of that No. 7 projection, Vandy had beaten exactly one team in the current NCAA field. P.S.: The 'Dores are a No. 6 in today's bracket.

Lance (Memphi, TN): If both Houston and UAB win all of their remaining games against teams other than Memphis, could the C-USA tournament semifinal becomeessentially an NCAA tournament play in game?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:11 PM ET ) I'd put it this way, Lance: The loser will be off the board and the winner will remain under consideration.

Mike (Phoenix, AZ): Joe, I know the RPI is overrated and unreliable in some cases, but how could the mock brackets of so many experts include Davidson as an atlarge if they don't win their conference come March? They may not finish the season with a single top 100 win and you would think if that if they could win20 Southern Conference games in a row, Why can't they earn their way into the dance by just winning another 3 or 4 in a row? Is that so much to ask?Beating Furman, Elon and then Georgia Southern is a much easier road than many other teams in the nation must face and Davidson has not played against anothercompetitive team in months. Why include this team on the basis of very early "almost wins". Is ?almost? good enough?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:13 PM ET ) All I'm saying is that Davidson is right there among about a dozen bubble teams. The teams they'd be competingwith for a double-digit at-large spot are the likes of Dayton, Rhode Island, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Florida, Oregon, California, Ohio State and Baylor. Both inprofile and talent, the Wildcats are not out of place in that group.

Kory Louisville, KY: Is there any possible way UofL could get a 2 seed come March?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:14 PM ET ) I doubt it, given the struggles in the non-conference. However, an outright win of both the Big East regular season andBig East tournament would merit further consideration.

Scott (Lakewood, NJ): I happen to be a mid-major nut. Can Butler (if they win out) go as high as a 3 seed and can Cornell (if they win out) get an 11, givingthem a realistic shot at a first round upset?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:16 PM ET ) Scott, I'm not high in Butler being that high. The Bulldogs' best win, pending the Bracket Buster game gainstDrake, is against an Ohio State team that has a fringe NCAA profile. As for Cornell, I could see them as a No. 12 but No. 11 may be a bit of a reach.

Chris (Mount Pleasant, MI): Why Kansas over Texas for a #1 seed? If Texas wins the Big12 tournament is there any way that they don't get a 1 seed?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:16 PM ET ) No, Chris, Texas would be a likely No. 1 seed in that case.

Sporty(Washington, DC): The Vols as a #1 seed and UNC as a #2 in the East; this seems to be a bad deal for the Vols, having to potentially play UNC inCharlotte, why not put the Vols as #1 elsewhere? Also does this mean you think the Vols are the lowest #1 seed, based on the fact that UNC is the strongest #2?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:19 PM ET ) The committee wouldn't view it that way. They would not project out to a regional final and a possible disadvantageto Tennessee (I happen to agree with you, however). The Vols are also No. 2 overall and Carolina No. 5 overall, making the pairing even more unbalanced. Butthe committee would go by geography and try to weaken the top four in the region on lines three and four.

Mike (Cambridge, MA): Duke a #1 seed in the West over UCLA even after losing to Wake Forest and Miami? That is a joke.

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:21 PM ET ) Duke is No. 4 overall and UCLA No. 7. If you compare each team's losses, UCLA's are slightly worse. And theBlue Devils, for now, have slightly better wins. Now I happen to think UCLA is a better team, but at this point Duke has the better profile.

Will (Indiana): Could Purdue get a 2 seed if they win the rest of their regular season games and win the big ten tourney?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:22 PM ET ) I doubt it, Will. The balance of the No. 2 seed contenders is too strong for Purdue to surpass.

Ben (San Antonio, Texas): You mentioned that you were not optimistic about the 'Cuse at 9-9 in conference. Are they any different that Baylor (currently5-6 in Big 12 and alsmo there in the 40s RPI) ?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:23 PM ET ) Baylor has better wins overall, Ben, but I wouldn't be especially optimistic about the Bears, either.

justin b (madisonville, ky): what does kentucky have to do to be considered for the big dance?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:24 PM ET ) Win a dozen SEC games and call me in the morning. And stop losing league games by 41 points.

Jason (Gainesville, FL): Does Florida have any shot at making it out of the first round?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:25 PM ET ) Not if they don't get into it.

Daren (Rockville, Maryland): 2 Part Question: 1) Who has more at stake to lose a #1 seed -- Memphis or Tenn -- if Kansas, UNC/Duke, and UCLA all winning outtheir regular season and conf. tourney? -Part 2 - If not, which conference Reg Season and Tourney winner is looking at a #2 seed if not Tenn or Memphis?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:26 PM ET ) We'll probably have a better answer to these questions around 11p ET on Saturday night.

Matt L (Los Angeles, CA): How could you drop the Trojans after a comeback win against Oregon? This team is fighting through injuries, and has played one of thetoughest schedules in the country. Show the Trojans some respect!

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:27 PM ET ) They weren't dropped, Matt. They just couldn't be placed on the same seed line as Monday due to the myriadprinciples of bracketing used by the committee.

Michael (Evansville, In): I've asked this question several times in previous chats to no avail because I'm really fascinated with how the committeeaddresses this type of issue. Kent State's 4th leading scorer Chris Singletary missed the Detroit game...the first game of the year. Losing to such aterrible RPI team (currently 281) is just devistating to an RPI, and yet their RPI is still currently 40th. Does Kent St. (and all other teams for that matter)get to submit some sort of packet to the selection committee addressing these types of issues...like Louisville I'm sure will given their record withoutPadgett and Palacios? Also, is the 4th leading scorer simply too insignificant to consider his absence? And finally, does the committee simply recalculate RPIminus the loss or what?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:29 PM ET ) Yes, each conference collects this type of information on its contending teams and forwards everything to thecommittee. Further, the individual committee member responsible for monitoring the league in question would make an oral report. The RPI itself is notre-calculated, but that's far less important.

Kyle (Bloomington,IN): Mr. Lunardi, avoiding the Sampson issue here, how do you see the Hoosiers finishing the Big Ten and heading into the tournament? Anyshot at a Big 10 Title? What about a trip to San Antonio? Thanks

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:33 PM ET ) I thought IU was a sleeper Final Four condidate at the start of the season. It's impossible to know, though, howeverything will affect the players down the stretch. Of course, a Big Ten title is possible.

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:33 PM ET ) I thought IU was a sleeper Final Four condidate at the start of the season. It's impossible to know, though, howeverything will affect the players down the stretch. Of course, a Big Ten title is possible.

skylar (phoenix): Joe, Are the Arizona Wildcats in trouble? What do they have to do to make the tourney?? Thanks!

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:34 PM ET ) This is a case in which I think a sub-.500 conference team can make it.

Gus (College Park): Is the Terps profile that good to gag one up to the Hokies and still stay in the 8-9 range. Tell me it's so Joe.

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:35 PM ET ) They're really a No. 10 at the moment, but fitting in some SEC teams gave the Terps a nice bump today. In fact,there were more procedural adjustments in this bracket that there have been all season.

Paul fro Hamilton, NJ: Say it ain't so, Joe, but can this be the first year since the 70's that there is no Big Five school at the Dance? Who has thebest chance for an at large bid at this time?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:38 PM ET ) I hope not, Paul, but only Saint Joseph's has realistic at-large hopes at this point. There are currently no Big 5teams in the field, which is a first in all my years of doing this.

Bob F (Chicago IL): Does SIU really have any shot at being considered for an at-large this year? Win out and lose in the MVC final?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:38 PM ET ) Still slim, Bob, but above none.

Brian (Winston-Salem, NC): Last year I was disappointed at how few upsets there were in the tournament, especially in the later rounds with the 1 seedsadvancing so far. For me, upsets are what make march madness so great. Do you see more or less than usual this year? Is this a predictable category?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:40 PM ET ) Part of it last year is that I think the committee did a poor job with some of the lower quadrant (13-16 seeds) teams.If a few had been seeded 11 or 12, we may have seen more double-digit winners in the early rounds. As for later in the tourney, maybe we just have to givecredit to the top teams for a change.

Matt (Medford, MA): You do a great job, Joe. All the haters need to see that your first "last team out" is also your favorite team.

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:41 PM ET ) The Phillies? Thanks, Matt.

Dan, Madison WI: Why are you the only one giving the Irish some love in the power 16???

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:42 PM ET ) Because I'm Irish?!?

Shane (L.A.): Can you explain why uab is in when they eight losses and only one top 50 win, which happens to be against number 50?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:42 PM ET ) Who do you think should be in their place?

Rick Dayton, Oh: It looks like Dayton's late season losses are putting them out of the big dance. Is this a true statement or are they still in?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:43 PM ET ) Definitely out now. UD probably needs to beat both Xavier and Saint Joseph's at home to have a shot, injuriesnotwithstanding.

Sean From Cincy: Joe, If Xavier wins out and beats quality teams in the A-10 tourney do you see them as a possible #1 seed?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:44 PM ET ) No shot of that, Sean.

Johnson (Fayetteville, AR): Do you really think Arkansas could get to play in Little Rock as a 10 seed?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:44 PM ET ) Unlikely, Johnson, but there is no rule against it.

Tony (Atlanta): A winning record in the ACC is good enough to go dancing, right?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:45 PM ET ) No guarantees, Tony, nor should there be.

Josh (Boston, MA): If Oregon goes 9-9 assuming they beat everyone but UCLA on their schedule would you have them in or out and why?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:46 PM ET ) Most likely "in" pending their Pac-10 tourney draw and result.

Jeff(San Mateo): How many Pac 10 team realistically make it. Could 9 ever get in?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:46 PM ET ) No way, Jeff.

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:47 PM ET ) Last three questions/comments. Let's make 'em good ones.

Nick Lebanon, CT: how is it that louisville gets a number three seed? They lost to BYU and Dayton and i see them loosing against georgetown and Notre Dame.Compare them to connecticut when they have lost against Gonzaga, mephis, providence (which was their worst loss) and georgetown. Clearly Uconn deserves ahigher seed when compared to lousiville please

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:49 PM ET ) Louisville, UConn and Georgetown all have the same seed right now. Given that they have essentially the same Big Eastrecord and have beaten one another evenly, it seems to make pretty good sense.

John (Tempe, AZ): Hi, I noticed Ohio State has done absolutely nothing noteworthy in the past 2 months. They had an ok non-conference season but they have yetto defeat a single top 100 RPI team in Big 10 play and it looks like they have a very tough strech ahead. Can Ohio State make it in with ZERO wins against thetop half of the Big 10? Also how is it possible to get 8 conference wins in a BCS conference without beating anyone in the top 100 despite laying an eggagainst Iowa and Michigan?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:50 PM ET ) I don't like Ohio State's profile either, John, but the marginal reemergence of Florida and Syracuse in thisbracket helps the Buckeyes (for now).

pat listach(wisconsin): Why is Indiana ahead of Wisconsin in the power 16, is it what have you done for me latley?

SportsNation Joe Lunardi: (3:51 PM ET ) That's not how I voted, Pat.

 

[craftsy21]

Originally Posted by wildKYcat

Originally Posted by Craftsy21

Originally Posted by wildKYcat

seeing as how we've been "spoiled" with great freshman the last two years (Oden, Durant, Rose, Beasley, etc.,) anyone else think that we're going to be somewhat disappointed with next year's freshman class? i just don't see any dudes who are on those guys' level.

maybe not disappointed, buy you know what i mean.

It does seem like it will be a slightly down year - but look at all the guys this season who have shined when people kinda slept on them... I'm sure there's a lot of hidden gems out there that will do big things.

you mean guys this year who are freshman, like the "second-tier" freshman like Patterson? or just other players such as Harangody, Price, D.J. Augustin...umm...Shan Foster?

Well - both.. But I mean, dudes who will be incoming freshmen that aren't getting hyped up the way the OJ Mayo's and Eric Gordon's of the worldwere this year..

 

[petey yup]

Hmmm..this could be the first season since the 70s where a Big 5 team doesn't dance....interesting.

Baylor won't make the tourney, neither will Florida.

 

[the wizard]

allen look at the potential 6 vs 3 matchup for the Hoyas in the latest bracketology.

I want that to happen. PAYBACK

 

[allen3xis]

...

Aren't there rules on past matchups in the first 2 rounds...or is that just for the current season?

regardless,

I had enough of you guys for a couple years

 

[petey yup]

I'm pretty sure Lundari slipped. They wouldn't put Vandy and Gtown as a potential 2nd round matchup since they played each other last year in thetourney....

 

[i wear sneakers]

next year's freshman class definitely won't
be as deep as this year's, but there will still
be good players.

jennings, holiday, samuels ...

 

[scuse7]

Syracuse vs Butler.

i would take that

 

[timcity2000]

The Scotty Hopson saga is driving me crazy. He committed to Mississippi State over a year ago... then out of the blue decided not to sign during the earlyperiod. Now he says he has reopened his commitment. Doesn't seem fair to the coaches or the team to do something like that. And I don't see how we canpossibly compete against Kentucky or Tennessee in a recruiting battle.

Hopefully this isn't yet another name added to the long list of players who have committed to Mississippi State without ever setting foot in Starkville(i.e. Monta Ellis, Jonathan Bender, Travis Outlaw, etc).

 

[true 3 blue]

Duke is goin to MURDER us tomorrow

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

Originally Posted by true 3 blue

Duke is goin to MURDER us tomorrow

If we don't....
I will be very worried.....

 

[true 3 blue]

^dont even worry about it. If u saw us play Georgetown a few weeks ago this will be thrice as bad.

 

[j rain 23]

(4) Notre Dame (20-5)
(13) VCU (20-6) / CAA
if that match-up occurred, i would pick vcu with no hesitation whatsoever. i'm picking vcu to do some serious damage in the tourney. maynor isthat dude. i think they can go to the sweet 16 and maybe beyond.

 

[craftsy21]

I'm pretty sure Lundari slipped. They wouldn't put Vandy and Gtown as a potential 2nd round matchup since they played each other last year in the tourney....
Could be a situation where they would have to move too many other teams to avoid an in-conference matchup (in the big east, presumably) and sothey'd have to break this rule first. He's pretty diligent about these rules, I couldn't see him slipping on such an obvious one there, it'sprobably something he'll talk about if he hasn't already.

 

[allen3xis]

Even though Maynor is back, I think they were better last year.

 

[craftsy21]

[h1]Arizona in difficult situation[/h1]
posted: Friday, February 22, 2008 | Print Entry

Arizona coach Lute Olson wants to come back to coach next season. Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood confirmed that to be true. Olson was also calling players to let them know of his intentions within the last two weeks.
Olson has been in the office quite a bit lately, dealing with correspondence he needed to catch up on during his leave of absence.

But that could lead Arizona to a slippery situation in the coming months. As ESPN.com reported last month, this has become Kevin O'Neill's team. The players and the staff openly wondered how the two coaches could coexist next season.

The answer is they can't, at least that's what a number of Arizona sources have told me.
And so if Olson really wants to coach next season, then the Arizona administration is headed for a tough decision. Do they let him come back and possibly run the risk of losing O'Neill, who has a verbal, but not written, agreement to be the next coach at Arizona? Senior Jawann McClellan said he couldn't see how the two could coach together since their styles are completely different. A number of players couldn't see O'Neill as an assistant again.Arizona is still waiting for guard Nic Wise to return to the lineup after suffering a knee injury three weeks ago. The Wildcats lost at Washington Thursday night and are heading to Washington State Friday for a tough game Saturday. Arizona, at 16-10, 6-7 in the Pac-10, probably needs to get to 8-10 or 9-9 in the league to feel secure about an NCAA bid. But Livengood will have to make some tough decisions as soon as the season ends. He needs a resolution on the Olson matter as quickly and delicately as possible. From all the sources at Arizona I have talked to, the idea of Olson returning is going to be a tough call and that there could be casualties on the staff if this occurs. Also, if it is for just one season then the problem will be how and what kind of long term effect would that have on the program and recruiting? There are a number of tough decisions ahead for Arizona and Livengood, none of which are too tantalizing since someone is going to be upset. Final nuggets • Arizona State head coach Herb Sendek turned 45 Friday. But you wouldn't know it by his coaching tree. Six coaches who worked for Sendek are Division I head coaches and four of them have a legitimate shot to make it into the NCAAs: Jim Christian, Kent State; Thad Matta, Ohio State; Sean Miller, Xavier; Ron Hunter, IUPUI. Two others who probably won't make it are Larry Hunter, Western Carolina and Charlie Coles, Miami of Ohio. Meanwhile, Sendek's Sun Devils lost to Washington State 59-47 Thursday night in Pullman to drop to 6-7 in the Pac-10, 16-9 overall and squarely on the bubble.
• South Alabama beat Western Kentucky 69-64 and at 22-5 and 14-2 overall, the big question will be can the Jaguars get in without winning the Sun Belt Conference tournament. The Sun Belt put out the statistic that no team with 24 wins from the Sun Belt has ever been denied a bid. The problem with all these stats is that the selection committee doesn't look at history. They look at the merits of each team. So if South Alabama is one of the 34 best at-large teams then it will get a bid. If not then it won't, regardless of how many wins it has this season.
• La Salle may not get a fruit basket from the A-10 office. The Explorers are essentially killing off some potential at-large candidacies. La Salle beat Saint Joseph's earlier in the week and then Dayton (5-7, 17-

Thursday night. Here's the deal: How many teams can leap frog La Salle (6-5, 12-13) and Temple (7-4, 14-11) and Richmond (7-4, 14-10) for that matter. Rhode Island (6-6, 20-7) and UMass (6-6, 17-9) are currently behind these teams in the standings. Saint Joe's is still a delicate 7-4, 16-8 overall.
• O.J. Mayo played like the player he was projected to be on Thursday night. He took over the Oregon game, scoring 32 points on 8-for-18 shooting, making five of seven 3s, and got to the line to make 11 of 13 free throws. But his assist-to-turnover ratio was still weak with two assists and four turnovers.

• Xavier (23-4, 11-1) is a darkhorse for the Final Four. But after the Musketeers, it's going to be dicey for how many teams get in the dance from the A-10 with inconsistent play from Dayton, Rhode Island, Charlotte, UMass and Saint Joe's.

• Order up the Big East Player of the Year trophy to Luke Harangody of Notre Dame. He scored 23 points and grabbed 12 boards in the 82-70 win over Pitt to push the Irish to 20-5 and 10-3 in the league.

 

[allen3xis]

Order up the Big East Player of the Year trophy to Luke Harangody of Notre Dame. He scored 23 points
On 8-19 shooting

...let me stop, he's doin histhing

 

[j rain 23]

Originally Posted by allen3xis

Even though Maynor is back, I think they were better last year.

i don't think so. i think vcu's experience from last yr will help a lot coming into the tourney this yr and make them a better team because ofthat. i'm liking the rams chances at being the cinderella. maynor is clutch and he'll lead vcu to the sweet 16 (they almost beat pitt last yr). hissupporting cast is solid too.

 

[wildkycat]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

The Scotty Hopson saga is driving me crazy. He committed to Mississippi State over a year ago... then out of the blue decided not to sign during the early period. Now he says he has reopened his commitment. Doesn't seem fair to the coaches or the team to do something like that. And I don't see how we can possibly compete against Kentucky or Tennessee in a recruiting battle.

Hopefully this isn't yet another name added to the long list of players who have committed to Mississippi State without ever setting foot in Starkville (i.e. Monta Ellis, Jonathan Bender, Travis Outlaw, etc).

you ain't lying. i hate to see one of the best players to come outta the state not play at UK. but if we don't get him and y'all don'tget him, hopefully he'll go to UT and +#%% things up. i've read so many things about him having a TERRIBLE attitude. but i have seen him play twiceand he's sooooooooooo good.

 

[allen3xis]

If yall wana catch VCU and Maynor

11 am ESPN2...