NCAA and NAIA Odds and Ends

[Durbansandshark]

This is where I will discuss more or less mainstream news out of NCAA D1-3 and NAIA men's basketball. Missed out on some stuff from last season to report but will catch up here as we go on the road to Arlington, Texas inside the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex at Jerryworld. A lot has happened...like a certain hype-worthy Canadian freshman talent NBA teams are salivating over and that Ed O'Bannon lawsuit. Seems quite competitive so far this season.

[Durbansandshark]

In case you haven't seen it, this is the 2014 NCAA Final Four logo, incorporating the Dallas Cowboys colo(u)rs of silver and navy. Why it mentions North Texas instead of Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, let alone Arlington, probrably lies in not wanting to make any side upset in omission although Dallas is the far more well known city in the area. Maybe Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex is cumbersome and thus not consice.
http://www.sportslogos.net/logos/vie...4/Primary_Logo

2015 NCAA Final Four speed and vague flag-inspired logo for next year in Indianapolis unvieled Friday
http://news.sportslogos.net/2013/12/...nal-four-logo/

[Durbansandshark]

One of my favorite times in the annual sports calendar is officially here with March Madness! Actually it's underway when considering D1, D2, and NAIA with many eyes looking toward Arlington, Texas and that Jerryworld domed stadium. Got a total of 148 postseason berths to show you! Here we go!

(all times US CST)

NCAA MEN'S D1 TOURNAMENT

Tuesday March 18--First Round
Albany Great Danes vs. Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers (16th seed)
North Carolina St. Wolfpack vs. Xavier (OH) Muskateers (12th seed)

Wednesday March 19--First Round
Cal Poly Mustangs vs. Texas Southern Tigers (16th seed)
Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Tennessee Volunteers (11th seed)

(all games at the University of Dayton Arena)

Thursday March 20 and Saturday March 22--Second and Third Rounds

BUFFALO (First Niagara Center, sessions start 11:15am US CST)
#6 Ohio St. Buckeyes vs. #11 Dayton Flyers
#3 Syracuse Orangemen vs. #14 Western Michigan Broncos
#7 Connecticut Huskies vs. #10 St. Joseph's (PA) Hawks
#2 Villanova Wildcats vs. #15 Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers

MILWAUKEE (BMO Harris Bradley Center, sessions start 11:40 am US CST)
#2 Wisconsin Badgers vs. #15 American Eagles
#7 Oregon Ducks vs. #10 BYU Cougars
#2 Michigan Wolverines vs. #15 Wofford Terriers
#7 Texas Longhorns vs. #10 Arizona St. Sun Devils

ORLANDO (Amway Arena, sessions start 12:40pm US CST)
#8 Colorado Buffaloes vs. #9 Pittsburgh Panthers
#1 Florida Gators vs. #16 Albany/Mount St. Mary's winner
#5 St. Louis Billikens vs. #12 North Carolina St./Xavier winner
#4 Louisville Cardinals vs. #13 Manhattan Jaspers

SPOKANE (Spokane Arena, sessions start 1:10pm US CST)
#5 Cincinnati Bearcats vs. #12 Harvard Crimson
#4 Michigan St. Spartans vs. #13 Delaware Fighting Blue Hens
#5 Oklahoma Soonbers vs. #12 North Dakota St. Bisons
#4 San Diego St. Aztecas vs. #13 New Mexico St. Aggies

Friday March 21 and Sunday March 23--Second and Third Rounds

RALIEGH (PNC Arena, session start 11:15am US CST)
#3 Duke Blue Devils vs. #14 Mercer Bears
#6 Massachusetts Minutemen vs. #11 Iowa/Tennessee winner
#8 Memphis St. Tigers vs. #9 George Washington Colonials
#1 Virginia Cavaliers vs. #16 Coastal Carolina Chantaclieers

ST. LOUIS (Scottrade Center, session start 11:40am US CST)
#7 New Mexico Lobos vs. #10 Stanford Cardinal
#2 Kansas Jayhawks vs. #15 Eastern Kentucky Colonels
#1 Wichita St. Shockers vs. #16 Cal Poly/Texas Southern winner
#8 Kentucky Wildcats vs. #9 Kansas St. Wildcats

SAN ANTONIO (AT&T Center, session start 11:40am US CST)
#6 Baylor Bears vs. #11 Nebraska Cornhuskers
#3 Creighton Blue Jays vs. #14 SW Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
#6 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. #11 Providence Friars
#3 Iowa St. Cyclones vs. #11 North Carolina Central Eagles

SAN DIEGO (Viejas Arena, session start 1:10pm US CST)
#1 Arizona Wildcats vs. #16 Weber St. Wildcats
#8 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. #9 Oklahoma St. Cowboys
#5 Virginia Commonwealth (VCU) Rams vs. #12 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
#4 UCLA Bruins vs. #13 Tulsa Golden Hurricanes

2014 NIT

FIRST ROUND

Region 1

Tuesday, March 18
#6 Indiana State Sycamores @ #3 Arkansas Razorbacks 8:00 pm | ESPN

Wednesday, March 19
#8 California-Irvine Anteaters @ #1 SMU Mustangs (8:00 pm) ESPN2
#5 LSU Tigers @ #4 San Francisco Dons 9:00 pm ESPNU
#7 Utah Valley Wolverines @ #2 California Golden Bears 9:30 pm ESPN3

Region 2

Tuesday March 18
#8 Robert Morris Patriots @ #1 St. John's Red Storm 6:00 pm ESPNU
#5 Belmont Bears @ #4 Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix 7:15 pm ESPN3
#6 Georgia St. Panthers @ #3 Clemson Tigers 8:00 pm ESPNU

Wednesday, March 19
#2 Illinois Fighting Illini @ #7 Boston University Terriers 6:00 pm ESPN2

Region 3

Tuesday, March 18
#8 High Point @ #1 Minnesota Golden Gophers 7:15 pm ESPN3
#5 Utah Runnin Utes @ #4 St. Mary's (CA) Gaels 10:00 pm ESPN2
#7 Davidson Wildcats @ #2 Missouri Tigers 7:00 pm ESPN2

Wednesday, March 19
#6 Toledo Rockets @ #3 Southern Miss Golden Eagles 7:30 pm ESPN3

Region 4
Tuesday, March 18
#8 Florida Gulf Coast Eagles @ #1 Florida St. Seminoles 6:00 pm ESPN2
#5 West Virginia Mountaineers @ #4 Georgetown Hoyas 6:00 pm | ESPN

Wednesday, March 19
#6 Iona Gaels @ #3 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 6:30 pm ESPN3
#7 Vermont Catamounts @ #2 Georgia Bulldogs 7:00 pm ESPNU

SECOND ROUND (March 20-24; exact locations/dates/times/TV TBD)

Region 1
#1 SMU-#8 California-Irvine winner vs. #4 San Francisco-#5 LSU winner
#3 Southern Miss-#6 Toledo winner vs. #2 California-#7 Utah Valley winner

Region 2
#1 St. John's-#8 Robert Morris winner vs. #4 Green Bay-#5 Belmont winner
#3 Clemson-#6 Georgia St. winner vs. #2 Illinois-#7 Boston University winner

Region 3
#1 Minnesota-#8 High Point winner vs. #4 St. Mary's-#5 Utah winner
#3 Southern Miss-#6 Toledo winner vs. #2 Missouri-#7 Davidson winner

Region 4
#1 Florida State-#8 Florida Gulf Coast winner vs. #4 Georgetown-#5 West Virginia winner
#3 Louisiana Tech-#6 Iona winner vs. #2 Georgia-#7 Vermont winner

QUARTERFINALS (March 25-26, ESPN and ESPN2; exact locations/dates/times/TV TBD)
Region 1: Matchup TBD
Region 2: Matchup TBD
Region 3: Matchup TBD
Region 4: Matchup TBD

NIT SEMIFINALS--New York City (Madison Square Garden), Tuesday, April 1
Region 1 champion vs. Region 2 champion New York, N.Y. 6:00 p.m. | ESPN2
Region 3 champion vs. Region 4 champion New York, N.Y. 8:30 p.m. | ESPN2

FINAL--New York City (Madison Square Garden), Thursday, April 3
Region 1 champion-Region 2 champion winner vs. Region 3 champion-Region 4 champion winner 6:00 p.m. ESPN

2014 COLLEGE BASKETBALL INVITATIONAL

Tuesday, March 18
Stony Brook Seawolves @ Siena Saints

Wednesday, March 19
Wyoming Cowboys @ Texas A&M Aggies
Morehead State Bears @ Illinois St. Redbirds
Radford Broncs @ Oregon St. Beavers
South Dakota St. Jackrabbits @ Old Dominion Monarchs
Fresno St. Bulldogs @ UTEP Miners
Princeton Tigers @ Tulane Green Waves
Hampton Pirates @ Penn St. Nittany Lions

March 24
CBI Quarterfinals

March 26
CBI Semifinals

March 31, April 2, April 4
CBI Championship Series (best of three)

CBS Sports Network will air the CBI Semifinals and the CBI Championship Series live.

2014 COLLEGEINSIDER.COM POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT

FIRST ROUND

Monday, March 17
Holy Cross Crusaders (19-13) @ Brown Bears (15-13) 6:00 pm

Tuesday, March 18
VMI Keydets (19-12) @ Canisius Golden Griffins (20-12) 6:00 pm
Wright St. Raiders (20-14) @ East Carolina Buccaneers (17-16) 6:00 pm
Norfolk St. Spartans (19-14) @ Eastern Michigan Eagles (21-14) 7:00 pm
Tennessee-Chattanooga Moccasins (18-14) @ ETSU Buccaneers (18-15) 7:00 pm
Columbia Lions (19-12) @ Valparaiso Crusaders (18-15) 7:05 pm
Alabama St. (19-12) @ Sam Houston St. Bearkats (23-10) 8:00 pm
Portland St. Vikings (17-14) @ San Diego Toreros (16-16) 10:00 pm

Wednesday, March 19
Quinnipiac Bobcats (20-11) @ Yale Bulldogs (15-13) 7:00 pm
Towson St. Tigers (23-10) @ USC-Upstate Spartans (19-14) 7:00 pm
Cleveland St. Vikings (21-11) @ Ohio Bobcats (23-11) 7:00 pm
Akron Zips (21-12) @ IPFW Mastdons (24-10) 7:00 pm
Murray St. Racers (18-11) @ Southwest Missouri St. Bears (20-12) 8:05 pm
North Dakota (Dragons?) (17-16) @ Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks (16-14) 8:07 pm
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders (17-15) @ Northern Colorado Bears (18-13) 9:00 pm
Pacific Tigers (15-15) @ Grand Canyon Antelopes (15-14) 9:00 pm

SECOND ROUND
March 21-22

QUARTERFINALS
March 25-27

SEMIFINALS
April 1

CHAMPIONSHIP
April 3

CBS Sports Network will also air live the College Insider.com Postseason Tournament semifinals and championship.

In the new tradition that ESPN is doing with Selection Sundays starting with the brilliant Fab Five doc from 2011 and Survive and Advance about the NC St. Cardiac Kids in the 1982-83 championship season last year, ESPN Films premiered a new college basketball doc as part of its 30 For 30 series. Requiem For The Big East ends the slate of ESPN 30 For 30 Volume 2 docs and deals with the rise, the bloated expansion, fall, and resurrection of a legendary basketball conference following the Catholic schools split resulting in the Big East and the American Athletic. Of course, it focuses lots on the glory days from the 1980s--and the cast of characters from that era a lot. Looks like another winner here! I'll delve more into this, my bracket analysis, the Grantland doc on Marquette called Untuckable, and D2, D3 on my next post here. Savor these for now.

Requiem For The Big East ESPN 30 For 30 TV spot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1aYW4SMBD0

Requiem For The Big East trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utxpKq8wa2c

Director Ezra Edelman discusses how incredibly savvy Providence head coach, the late Dave Gavitt, was in envisioning and creating the Big East Conference. Making it must-see college basketball across the nation on TV. And it indeed was!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U4uiu0nFWE

[Durbansandshark]

In case you haven't noticed by now from my last post here, the #1 seeds are Florida (the overall top seed in the tournament), Wichita St., Arizona, and (and a bit of a surprise to some) Virginia. The Cavaliers managed to get this for the first time since 1976, well before Ralph Sampson came onto the scene and was still in high school back then.

Congrats to Wichita St. on going 34-0 throughout the regular season. The Shockers are the first NCAA team since UNLV did it 1991 to go undefeated in the regular season and was a prohibitive fave to repeat until Duke got their revenge from the last year at the Final Four at Indianapolis' Hoosier Dome. Of course, there are more games played now in the NCAA since 1991. And the Shockers made the Final Four last year. I have no problems whatsoever with Wichita St. getting the #1 seed in this tournament; had they lost in the Missouri Valley Tournament, they surely would never got that. Some have criticized whether the Shockers are worthy of it because of the lack of serious, big-time competition the Shockers faced. The MVC is not, admittedly, all around strong in its conference, especially with the Creighton Blue Jays left for the newly-reconfigured Big East. But 34-0 is 34-0.

Gregg Marshall, Wichita St.'s coach, definitely one of the most dapper dressers roaming the sidelines!

Boy oh boy...did the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee gave the Wichita St. Shockers a very difficult Midwest region to emerge out of. With John Calipari's young and erratic Kentucky, Rick Pitino and defending champs Louisville, Duke (Poida's NCAA team he surely loves to hate), St. Louis, and always tough and rugged Michigan who lost to Louisville for the national championship last year. It's as if the committee says to the Shockers, "Prove that you're worthy of being 34-0 with these teams coming out in that bracket after beating those cupcakes." Get the heck out of the Midwest Region!

The school with the second largest active NCAA winning streak? The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks from the Southland Conference. Currently at 31-2. Riding a 28-game win streak. Keep an eye on them! They could be a Cinderella. Actually, I'm picking them to defeat Shaka Smart's VCU in the first round

I'm printing my brackets as I write this, ready to fill out with my picks. Right now, I'm still mulling over my picks in full. But my Final Four picks inside my head are Florida, Michigan St. (Tom Izzo always gets his teams tournament-ready), Arizona, and Louisville. Actually with this tournament and season being so wide open, I think there are about roughly 20 teams that are capable of making it to the Final Four in Arlington's Jerryworld (that's the AT&T Stadium for initiated). That wide open.

Canada's TSN is carrying NCAA March Madness again for the fourth consecutive year. But unfortunately IMO, Kate Beirness won't host it this year like she did the past two years--she's currently TSN Sportscentre co-anchor during the late night/early morning hours. Now it's Gurdeep Ahluwalia hosting TSN's NCAA March Madness coverage from the TSN Studio in Toronto alongside basketball analysts Jack Armstrong, Sam Mitchell (returning this year), and Leo Rautins. The original studio show features pre- and post-game analysis of the day's action and live look-ins to various games. Very much like the classic CBS coverage prior to the current deal it shares with Turner Sports. Emphasis will be on the teams Canadian represention like Kansas' Andrew Wiggins (already Kansas Jayhawk games are shown on TSN because of him), Syracuse's Tyler Ennis, Iowa St. Melvin Ejim, Gonzaga's Kevin Pangos, Harvard's Laurent Rivard, and Michigan's Nik Staukas on TSN and TSN2--there are 27 Canadians in this tournament. And on its new TSN GO online/app service, Canadians can see all the games starting with the early rounds going on right now. You can read more from TSN's press release:
http://www.tsn.ca/story/?id=446577

TSN's NCAA March Madness 2014 promo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRPbGJX-JtY

The Canadians will play an important role there:
http://www.tsn.ca/ncaa/story/?id=446571

The French-Canadian language coverage comes from TSN's sister channel RDS under the Tournoi De La NCAA banner with Peter Yannopoulous, Alex Tourigny, at the RDS studio in Montreal on RDS and RDS2. Basketball isn't quite as big in Quebec but it's growing slowly but surely there.

Indiana Hoosiers say, after being rejected by even the NIT, "Hell no! We're too big for the CBI!" and thus ends their season.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebask...lay-in-the-cbi
http://www.indystar.com/story/sports...f-nit/6505707/

Bruce Pearl, even with the show clause still in effect on him for several more years, was still sought after taking time off after what happened at the end of Tennessee to be ESPN's college basketball studio analyst to become Auburn's new head coach today
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bask...l-coaching-job

FOX Sports has 5 schools that could act as Cinderellas this year like Florida Gulf Coast did last year with its Dunk City
http://msn.foxsports.com/south/lists...t-031714#img_4

[Durbansandshark]

I'll hit the scores as early as Friday from all the tournaments. D2, D3, and NAIA will have to wait until next week.

Gonna be interesting to see Madison Square Garden hosting a portion of the NCAA basketball tournament this year with the regionals. When I think of MSG and NCAA postseason basketball, I instantly and always think of the NIT. Now with the NCAA owning that (NIT's national semis going on as I write this), it covers both at the MSG. Back in 1996 when the NCAA promoted the Final Four in New York (remember the logo with the Statue of Liberty?), it was actually played at the Brendan Byrne Meadowland Arena (now the Izod Center) in nearby East Rutherford, New Jersey.

[Durbansandshark]

And now we have four teams left in the NCAA now in the Final Four at Jerryworld in Arlington, Texas. And I only end up having with just one of my Final Four picks actually making it--my championship pick Florida. All the others bit the dust. When Ohio St. got upset by Dayton, my $1 billion dollar opportunity went up in smoke. Not that I was so confident in my selections or entered in that challenge.

Great to see Wisconsin's Bo Ryan make it there, even though it was at the expense of one of my other picks Arizona at the Elite Eight. He's one of those basketball lifers who you just can't help but root for and see succeed.

With my championship pick still standing, I'm still going to take the Florida Gators in a win Monday night over whoever comes out of the Kentucky-Wisconsin game. Hard to pick against them. So talented and play the right way to defeat them. Let me say that Wisconsin-Kentucky matchup is difficult to prognosticate. Kentucky's matchup with Wisconsin's top player Kaminsky is going to be a tough one, though. Will the Wildcats play small with their defense on him? Going to be interesting how John Calipari handles this one. When a team has this type of momentum or peaking like Kentucky has with it this young and with that many McDonald's All-Americans, I have a convention of sorts of picking for them, even when they had detours or roadblocks. Takes time for the maturity and the process and adjustments to bloom.

Over in the NIT, tonight we'll see Larry Brown and his SMU Mustangs facing Rick Pitino's 31 year old son Richard leading the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Madison Square Garden for the 2014 NIT title. Worth watching for those two alone. Both teams could state their cases why they should've NCAA tournament bids, more so on the Ponies' case.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...nship-schedule

All results and some more stuff will come next week on championship Monday night.

[Durbansandshark]

Alright, I decided on my Final Four winners today at Jerryworld in Arlington. My picks are Florida, of course, from the first game. And I'll take Wisconsin in the second one. Florida will still be my champs, though.

For the first time and as per the terms of agreement of the current CBS/Turner Sports NCAA basketball TV deal here in the US, the Final Four games tonight will be shown live on cable with WTBS (I still it that out of habit as opposed to calling it TBS) with an interesting wrinkle of team-specific coverage live simulcasts on TNT and TruTV, which means WTBS will handle the national feed. CBS will still broadcast the national championship game Monday night. Those two will be handled by Jim Nantz, Greg Anthony, Steve Kerr, and Tracy Wolfson. TNT will have the teamcasts of David Steele, Mark Wise, and James Bates (Florida) and the team of Rob Bromley, Rex Chapman, and Dave Baker (Kentucky). TruTV will carry Eric Frede, Donny Marshall, and Swin Cash (Connecticut) and Wayne Larrivee and Mike Kelley (Wisconsin).

In Canada, TSN and RDS will both naturally handle the CBS/Turner Sports national feed with Jay Bilas, Dick Vitale, and Dan Shulman (for ESPN International's NCAA rights outside the US, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) providing its own studio analysts in Toronto and Montreal while the French-Canadian broadcasts will employ its own Montreal-based sportscasters.

Westewood One Radio will have legendary Georgetown coach John Thompson, Bill Raftery, and Kevin Kugler on the call.

That song you hear during the March Madness promotion and coverage this year is The Killers' Shot At The Night.

[Durbansandshark]

So much for my pick Florida being crowned NCAA national champions tonight. In fact, so much for my national championship Final Four game picks We got a #8 seed playing with #7 seed. Did anybody see this coming? I surely didn't. Kentucky and Connecticut. Connecticut made everybody they played against in the tournament look horrible--Michigan St., Villanova, and Iowa St. all play their worst games of the season. That's a testament to the strong cammaderie, what coach Kevin Ollie is selling to his players, the supreme scouting reports on the teams they faced, and the brilliant play Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright.

All that said, I'm picking Kentucky to win tonight in Arlington's Jerryworld. Some say Kentucky was seeded lower than deserved. While the Wildcats are young that John Calipari is coaching but they're rich with McDonald's All-Americans and they have size that make them very tough against UCONN, a major advantage against them. Some say Aaron Henderson is a big-shot maker, and Connecticut's defense better pay attention. Never count out Napier's and Boatright's defensive capabilities. Offensive rebounding will act as key. Look for Calipari to don that 10-gallon hat with his swag on. Tonight's game will be close though.

I don't understand why the NCAA didn't call the site Arlington or just say Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex instead of just North Texas, which potentially can include Lubbock. Perhaps by singling out one area in the Metroplex, it would alienate all the other significant areas like Arlington with its own identity crisis or Irving or Frisco. Arlington is actually growing with its convience and good people, and North Texas is actually referred to in a lot of commercial enterprises and everyday discussions in the area. This great Grantland Arlington portrait piece delves more.
http://grantland.com/features/final-...-sports-mecca/

You know Jerryworld has that massive HDTV Jumbotron scoreboard hanging high above the seating so that everybody can look at the action (and they will regardless of where they're seated); it's actually longer than the elevated Final Four court itself! For those who think that's too imposing, a more intimate video scoreboard, one that normally does not get use there, hangs right undernearth the big one!

Got a little treat for you! 25 years ago in Seattle we celebrate the Michigan-Seton Hall NCAA championship game that went into OT. An interim coach took over and became undefeated during the course of the tournament. But because this is an Australian-based boards, I need to also mention that it was in this game that Australia's momentum as a rising basketball power gets cemented even further following Seoul the previous year when the good-natured Andrew Gaze makes an impact for the Pirates that season, leading them to this game. In fact, this NCAA championship game, I just found out, was exclusively shown on the Seven Network down in Australia. A sign of great Australian basketball interest. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8yyR4d6tUU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urBqra426gs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri8UjS1zEWY

[Durbansandshark]

Overlooked nowdays in our 24/7 sports news cycle but UMASS' Derrick Gordon became the first D1 basketball openly gay player earlier this year, weeks after Mizzou's SEC Defensive Player of the Year Michael Sam came out and got drafted in the NFL's 7th round by the St. Louis Rams. Coming out takes tremendous amount of courage, both publicly and privately, in a sport like basketball, which I admire them for even in the face of many people despising them for it, including even family members. That said, I look forward to the time when being gay, bisexual, lesbian, heterosexual, or transgendered ceases to be newsworthy in all avenues. Probrably sooner than you think:
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bask...ivision-player

UMASS sociology professor Jonathan Wynne takes an interesting sociological look on Gordon coming out in the bigger picture of college campus' open dialogue and good crowds:
http://www.everydaysociologyblog.com...od-crowds.html

Oh yeah, that Ed O'Bannon NCAA lawsuit trial? It's now on. June 8.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/col...eeds-to-trial/

[Durbansandshark]

Premiered on Selection Sunday as part of the ESPN 30 For 30 this March, it's the brilliant Requiem For The Big East, joining the likes of other brilliant basketball-themed 30 For 30s. Chronicling the rise and fall and resurrection of one of college basketball's powerful and legendary conferences. Amazing how such a conference got so big and strong with such gravitas on such a short period of time during the 1980s with legendary names and characters! And all from the enticing vision of the late, great college basketball contributor, builder, and Providence Friars coach Dave Gavitt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGuLSYjbLzc

Apparently, there won't be any new schools entering NCAA Division 1 next season like we have seen in the last several seasons; everything will be status quo. My thoughts on the Big East doc will come next week.

[Durbansandshark]

Too many stuff going on prevented me from going much into the Requiem For the Big East. But will later.

But anyway, the Atlantic 10 Conference got a logo makeover lately:
http://www.sportslogos.net/logos/lis...10_Conference/

[Durbansandshark]

UCLA's recently renovated Pauley Pavillion (and some key parts of the athletic department area) just got badly flooded due to a nearby main water break. Actually, much of the campus. Has to get a new basketball court:
http://www.foxsports.com/college-bas...-bruins-072914

[Durbansandshark]

And, oh, that plan for Rupp Arena redevelopment and the Kentucky Wildcats looked so ambitious:
http://www.archdaily.com/476894/nbbj...-s-rupp-arena/
http://www.courier-journal.com/story...lted/10789801/

[Durbansandshark]

Those 2014-15 college basketball previews are starting to hit the newsstands or newsagents here in the US and Canada starting last week--the Sporting News annual is the first one I saw so far. More will turn up next week. 351 D1 schools will take part this upcoming season with no additions to it. NJIT Highlanders remains independent still hoping for conference membership like the America East. Witnessed some conference realignment like Maryland joining Big 10 and Louisville and Notre Dame going to the ACC.

SEC now has its own TV network, powered by ESPN, that will show some SEC men's and women's basketball games as part of its roster of sports programming that launched August 14.

Speaking of Notre Dame, it has since left Adidas as its athletic outfitter to join Under Armour, effective this fall.

[Durbansandshark]

Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Forums has numerous developments going on NCAA D1 men's basketball for this 2014-15 season with jerseys, logos, arenas, and courts from UCONN, Arkansas St., Northwestern, NC St., Baylor, Illinois, Virginia Commonwealth, Iowa St., Kentucky, Arizona, Pittsburgh, Utah, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Northern Illinois all assembled here. Uni Watch is another great place for the NCAA jersey news too:
http://boards.sportslogos.net/topic/...ge-basketball/

[Durbansandshark]

What happens when you mix Good Fellas with a wholesome dose Boston College basketball? Results will be what you will soon see from ESPN as the network unleashes a whole new wave of really good ESPN 30 For 30 docs this fall here in the US starting tonight at 8pm US/Canada CST time with the worldwide premiere of "Playing For The Mob", narrated by Ray Liotta, who portrayed Henry Hill, the mobster associate turned federal informant who orchestrated the Boston College basketball point shaving scheme back in 1978-79, in the classic 1990s movie. It also explains how the FBI used the Boston College players to get to mobster Jimmy Burke and how the mobsters convinced the players to shave points for betting their opponents. I did not know about this BC scandal until now. Not even from the ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia. I guess that may explain why Dr. Tom Davis later took the program in a bid to clean things up as it went into the soon-to-be-powerful Big East.

ESPN 30 For 30 "Playing For The Mob" promo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O-yoeBqPb4

Giving insights into the point shaving using Boston College:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DfdrshywoQ

How evident the FBI used the Boston College Golden Eagles basketball players, as was revealed in court:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fmy2rUNRiY

Speaking of point shaving and college basketball, I would still very much like to see a Tulane point shaving scandal doc.

[Durbansandshark]

Playing For The Mob ESPN 30 For 30 documentary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0z5Pt1ob_4

NCAA basketball kicking off now. I'll strive to finish up some things as we go into the new season with some as we go along...

[Durbansandshark]

I wish took advantage of that NCAA college basketball marathon on ESPN yesterday...

ESPN has just announced yesterday a new college basketball--themed ESPN 30 For 30 doc coming on Selection Sunday night (March 15) to follow in the footsteps of The Fab Five and Requiem For The Big East. Called "I Hate Christian Laettner". No, really it's called that. He was that hated pretty boy Duke All-American girls loved back then. Liked him IMO. Goes to explore and beyond why he was so polarizing. Had smarts too. Indeed, he was among People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People of 1992--with the likes of Halle Berry, Denzel Washington, Cindy Crawford, Gabrielle Reece, Joan Chen, Sharon Stone, Jodie Foster, and Michael Crichton:
http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-re...miere-in-2015/

[Durbansandshark]

Adidas shows the Arizona St. Sun Devils the money returning as the school's official athletic outfitter with US$4.225 million annually to 2023 (US$33.8 million in total) in leaving Nike next year. Money talks. But if you like the pitchfork, don't worry it's staying.
http://news.sportslogos.net/2014/12/...ing-to-adidas/

Congrats to New Jersey Institute of Technology with its first ever Top-25 win beating Michigan on the road in Ann Arbor. No doubt this is the Highlanders highlight of the young season being a lonely independent but fortunes are getting better. Plans are afoot to build a new $10 million facility. The Highlanders current home is used for so many things with a net-like curtain to separate the sports.

New 2016 NCAA Final Four logo for Houston's event takes a welcome change from the common template used over the last decade. Has the Lone Star State flag and the NCAA Championship trophy as basis for it:
http://news.sportslogos.net/2014/12/...logo-unveiled/

[Durbansandshark]

Kentucky's been challenged lately but remain undefeated and at #1 with a whole of freshmen and sophomores.

Coach K is one game away from 1000 wins that he'll very likely get on Sunday.

[Durbansandshark]

Sad times indeed for the sports community. But more so for the University of North Carolina sports scene. His influence has touched even overseas. Since this is an Antipodean basketball web oulet, I'm sure there are those who are younger who never got to see him coach. But there are plenty here who have heard and learned about him. Dean Smith, the legendary, iconic, and humble North Carolina Tar Heels head coach from 1961 to 1997, died late Saturday night at his Chapel Hill home at the age of 83. He came from the University of Kansas coached under Forest "Phog" Allen and was a solid role player. But the Dean never thought he himself was a good player. Dean Smith coached oh so many really good players (from of course a skinny, young Michael Jordan to Sam Perkins, James Worthy, Rick Fox, J.R. Reid, Phil Ford, Walter Davis, Charlie Scott, Larry Brown, Billy Cunningham, Bob McAdoo, Eric Montross, Henrik Rodl, Ademola Okulaja, George Karl, Matt Doherty, Brad Daughtery, Cecil Exum, Kenny Smith, Jeff Lebo, Antwaun Jamieson, Vince Carter, Eddie Fogler, Rasheed Wallace, Jerry Stackhouse, Bobby Jones, Mike O'Koren, Tommy LaGarde, Al Wood, Donnie Walsh, Mitch Kupchak, George Lynch, Donald Williams, Joe Wolf, Buzz Peterson, Steve Bucknall, Serge Zwikker, Ed Cota, Hubert Davis, Vasco Evtimov, Brendan Haywood, Scott Williams, Pete Chilcutt, Dave Popson, and many, many more). A few years after taking over from Frank McGuire, who went on to pursue NBA coaching after being forced out of UNC, he took over the Carolina Tar Heel blue. But he wasn't instantly successful in his first four seasons as McGuire's teams had been. By the fourth, people were ready to hang Smith in effigy. Beyond that, he became a winner at Chapel Hill, taking them to heights nobody thought possible for the program and kept its integrity, but, for the longest, an NCAA title eluded him after 6 Final Four appearances including three runnersup. All that changed in 1982 when, facing Georgetown at the Superdome in New Orleans, he devised a play for that skinny Wilmington, NC freshman kid, by now fully schooled in the Carolina Way, to distract the Hoyas in expecting Perkins and Worthy to take the final shot. Jordan's shot for the win of course was his hello to the world and gave Dean Smith his first. He was an innovator whose teams run up and down even employed four corners ball (until the shot clock's arrival killed it). Points guards pointed on the court towards those he would pass and make the basket and players would applaud and get up on the bench, both of which are now commonplace on men's and women's teams.

He was a great teacher of the game and bringing up important life lessons. He never swore during practices. He preached team-first all the way to his players. But the humble Dean Smith had a life outside the court and was actually embarrassed by the attention towards him. Perhaps it was because he was shy and liked to defer the attention to his players. He initially was against naming the new basketball arena the Dean Smith because of that until he was convinced sufficient funding for it would collapse were it not. He fought for doing the right thing. But he never wore his social consciousness on his sleeve. Nonetheless, he helped integrate North Carolina and ACC ball by bringing in Charlie Scott and ate at the diner with him and a white minister. Smith also fought for civil rights, especially during this and afterwards because he felt it was the right thing to do being ahead of his time. Even women's rights. He was also quite proud of his players' collective graduation rates at around 95%.

Dean Smith--an incredible man of guidance, integrity, social consciousness, and wealth of basketball knowledge who lived an incredibly rich and impactful life. May we all try to strive to be like him in our own lives. He is definitely going to be missed. I'm sure here at OzHoops we'd too like to send our condolensces to his family and to the North Carolina Tar Heel Nation.
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bask...ch-dies-age-83

The legendary (but also controversial) college coach Jerry Tarkanian (UNLV, Fresno St., Long Beach St.) is in his own fight for his life at a Las Vegas hospital with breathing problems and an infection:
http://www.si.com/college-basketball...rkanian-health

[Durbansandshark]

Conference tournaments are going on right now in this glorious time of the sports calendar year! Yay!

Many of the mid-majors are just now starting or already well underway with theirs. The bigger ones are starting in a matter of days. We could have our first tournament participants tonight in the Ohio Valley Conference with #1 seed Murray St. Racers, a perrenial NCAA participant, taking on #3 Belmont Bruins to be the OVC champs in Nashville. And we have Yale in the Ivy League with a chance of going in tonight too for the first time since 1962 if they defeat Dartmouth, their most important basketball game arguably ever if not decades. The Bulldogs solved the 3x defending champs Harvard riddle Thursday. But Harvard could get a share of the Ivy title if they beat Brown AND Yale loses tonight. If that happens, a tiebreaker game commences:
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400591302

Will discuss much more next week.

[Durbansandshark]

Like I just said in my previous post here on this thread, it is very much that wonderful time of the year in college basketball where there's expected parties to get in and serious upheavals and turbulence along the way, especially for teams from mid-major conferences. It's what ESPN rightfully dubs Championship Week, when by the end of Selection Sunday afternoon almost all the conferences (at that point the big dogs) would complete theirs and determine who will go for it. It's when those make it, perrenials and debutants alike, all get exited about going dancing.

Saturday got the ball rolling in thrilling fashion when in the Ohio Valley's tournament in Nashville when the hometown school Belmont Bruins not only beat conference faves #25 Murray St. but also ended the Racers' 25-game winning streak in becoming the first school in, much to the hometown delirium. This is the Bruins' third dance and has been known to give bigger powers trouble. But Belmont's Ohio Valley Conference tournament win places Murray St.'s NCAA chances in serious doubt and could go to the NIT (more on that later).
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400766705

Yale lost to the Darmouth Big Green in, arguably, their most important basketball game. And Tommy Amaker's Harvard Crimson beats Brown on Saturday. So Yale can't claim the Ivy League just yet. Now there will be a one-game playoff between Harvard and Yale in Philadelphia Saturday night for that sole Ivy League NCAA spot. As for Dartmouth, this win could get into the College Insider.com Tournament as a reward for its best season in a long time and being at .500:
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400591289

SMU and Larry Brown can maybe rest easy a little more about going into the NCAA after being snubbed by its selection committee last year and going all the way to the NIT championship losing to Minnesota. The Mustangs won its first regular season title in 22 years over Tulsa:
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400586862

Big South saw its most notable powers, Coastal Carolina and Winthrop, battle it for that conference title Sunday. The Chanticleers (that's a rooster), with its grit, once again knocked off the Eagles for the title and for the NCAA trip for the second consecutive time, a first for the school in going back to back--and 4th alltime. CC has the alltime series lead over Winthrop 41-39. Some of you may recall that Gregg Marshall and Randy Peele made their names over at Winthrop. Previously, the Eagles never lost in the Big South championship since 1993 until this year. In fact, these two were higher seeded; that distinction belong to the likes of High Point and Charleston Southern. Radford was higher than Winthrop. But none of those three made it to the finals. The #7 Gardner-Webb Bulldogs upset #2 High Point in the conference tournament. Regular season champs and #1 Charleston Southern got eliminated by Jerome Kersey's (RIP) alma mater #9-seed Longwood in the quarterfinals. CC likely will get a 16th seed:
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400766751

Always exciting to have a newcomer going dancing for the first time. In the Atlantic Sun, we got that when the North Florida Ospreys straight outta Jacksonville won that conference tournament at its home UNF Arena that's sometimes used by the ABA's Jacksonville Giants over the equally-young uni South Carolina Upstate, built on a dream when he became head coach in 2009 after its probationary period from D2 expired. This is by far North Florida's best season ever at 23 wins, blowing the previous record out of the water of 16:
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400766516

With that upset win over NCAA Tournament-bound anyway Wichita St., Illinois St. Redbirds sought to get into that with not just them but also Northern Iowa. But the Panthers rallied from 18 down to win the Missouri Valley yesterday and its automatic bid. The Panthers could get a #4 seed. Illinois St.? NIT, maybe:
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400766805

The Colonial and Metro Atlantic will have their tournament champs crowned tonight. In the Colonial, could this be the year and night #1 seed William and Mary finally makes it to the NCAA tournament at last? The Tribe are among five original D1 of schools that have never made it to the Big Dance since its inception and 1948-49 NCAA classification--Army, Northwestern, St. Francis (NY), and The Citadel are the others. W&M have been heartbreakingly close 8 times in the tournament championship game and came away empty handed. Most recently in 2008, 2010, and 2014. Been to the NIT twice, most recently in 2010. Only #2 seed Northeastern Huskies stand in the way tonight. In the Metro Atlantic, Iona is the runaway fave to win that--and they play a fun style. The Gaels, where Jeff Ruland made his name before becoming a Washington Bullet, will face #3 seed Manhattan Jaspers. Iona could've faced #2 Rider Broncs in the final but the #7 St. Peter's Peacocks ruined that.

Many other mid-majors will crown theirs the next two days.

In the tradition of the Fab Five and Requiem For The Big East (I still haven't discussed my thoughts on it), ESPN premieres on Selection Sunday "I Hate Christian Laettner" (I certainly didn't), the latest installment in the 30 For 30 series. Though it will look into the life and basketball career of Laettner and the intense dislike some fans still harbor towards him, the focus will surely be on his 1991-92 senior season at Duke, his best and most notorious. Though he was great in all of his four years at there. You know, that infamous stomp on Kentucky's Lloyd Timberlake and of course later that famous shot against those same Wildcats at the Philadelphia's Spectrum to send Duke to the Final Four and towards the NCAA title over Michigan's Fab Five in a rematch in Minneapolis for Coach Mike Krzyzewski's back to back titles. Those will be chronicled there like it was with FOX Sports Net's Beyond The Glory on the Unforgettables from Kentucky (narrated by big Cats fan Ashley Judd). Laettner is good-looking but was derided as a pretty boy and soft. Yet he had toughness and grit, like the rest of his teammates. One thing I would like to see touched on there is that GQ senior diary issue the NCAA prevented back then. And that People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People of 1992, surely he got some ribbing on that.

I Hate Christian Laettner ESPN 30 For 30 promo (cool, Smashing Pumpkins):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw4isFCQJ-c

This portion from the upcoming doc revisits some of the themes and issues previously touched upon in the Fab Five doc. At the time back in 1991-92, Duke and Michigan were among the hated basketball programs in the NCAA. Neither had any love lost between them when they got together. This revisits the class and race nexus between the two and reveals that perception about Duke wasn't quite the reality, despite the squeaky clean and priviledged image background going with that success (which prompted public hate and jealousy to begin with, like from Michigan's players) in contrast to the grittier backgrounds many of the Fab Fivers had. In fact, Brian Hill reveals that Chris Webber once stayed with him overnight at Duke on a recruiting trip. All culminating with the first match in December 14, 1991 between the two at Ann Arbor with all the trash-talking and associated antics there. not to mention Laettner's desire to be bad in spite of his All-American image:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egjTeuDj1gQ

Why do lots of people hate Duke basketball, despite its strong academic rep? Reasons are several and obvious, especially when it's located with its rival North Carolina-based ACC schools and roots. Some don't like its rowdy fans as well as the team. Does indeed bring off an Ivy League vibe that causes resentment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te6pjdvtxlM

Hate towards Laettner is still very explicit and intense in Kentucky for the aforementioned after 23 years. Definitely the Wildcat Blue Nation. time heals all wounds? No. ESPN's Kaylee Hartung, in helping promote I Hate Christian Laettner, travels to Lexington to discover just that with Kentucky in hilariously harsh and sometimes profane ways. It's real. See, what doesn't get mentioned is that every year, despite UK winning more titles since, they have to see that video highlight of this "villain" come every March Madness make that famous and certain buzzer beater in Philadelphia turn around and celebrating again and again against their beloved Unforgettables, who helped revived the program from a shameful period and had nowhere else to go. By all rights they should've been rewarded. All that anger comes bubbling back to the fore for them. it's obvious that it's there because of the dramatics behind it. That highlight is an important portion of this legacy and acts as an annual reminder:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo4u2Mk0hKM

Laettner did actually arrive in Lexington's Rupp Arena in 2011 for a fun game as coach of, you guessed it, The Villains, with Rex Chapman coaching the Big Blue All-Stars. BBN came to boo mercilessly at him to no one's shock But during the game he commit an act of goodwill to the Kentucky fans, much to their satisfaction seeing going beneath himself:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSMl7VFfT8E

[Durbansandshark]

NCAA D3 tournament is well underway with the sectionals happening later this week. The results and stories so far:

Thursday, March 5--NCAA D3 Round One

Alvernia 80 Catholic 87
DePauw 83 Washington University-St. Louis Bears 73

Friday, March 6

Misericordia (21-7) 59 Wooster (23-6) 84
Marietta, Ohio - Ban Johnson Arena

St. Vincent (22-7) 80 Bates (20-6) 92
Sports Center; Galloway, NJ

Springfield (19-9) 58 Albertus Magnus (28-1) 68
Carlisle, Pa.

Baruch (21-7) 62 Scranton (23-5) 72
Babson Park, MA (Staake Gymnasium)

Sage (23-5) 67 Amherst (21-7) 91
Pittsford, NY - Manning & Napier Gym

Skidmore (20-7) 81 Wesleyan (19-9) 66
Baltimore, MD/Goldfarb Gym

Oswego State (19-10) 69 Calvin (22-6) 78
Alliance, Ohio - The MAAC

LaGrange (17-12) 60 Whitworth (25-3) 88
Atlanta, GA -- Woodruff PE Center

Salisbury (21-7) 66 Eastern Connecticut (22-6) 54
Hartford, Conn.

John Carroll (20-7, 15-3 OAC) 86 Virginia Wesleyan (24-5, 13-3 ODAC) 57 44 101
Wayne, N.J. (Recreation Center)

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (22-6) 79 Texas Lutheran (18-10) 55
Marshall, Texas (Ornelas Gym)

Dubuque (23-6) 53 Illinois Wesleyan (20- 72
Stevens Point, Wis.

Northwestern (Minn.) (19-9) 71 St. Thomas (24-5) 70
Schuldes Sports Center - De Pere, Wis.

St. Olaf (22-5) 90 Ohio Wesleyan (22-6) 78
Whitewater, Wis. (Kachel Gym)

Colby-Sawyer (19-7) 55 Trinity (Conn.) (21-6) 60
Hartford, Conn.

Westfield State (20-7) 62 Babson (26-2) 75
Babson Park, MA (Staake Gymnasium)

WPI (21-6) 70 St. John Fisher (24-4) 76
Pittsford, NY

Spalding (18-10) 59 Emory (21-5) 88
Atlanta, GA -- Woodruff PE Ctr.

Keene State (20-9) 78 Johns Hopkins (24-4) 95
Baltimore, MD/Goldfarb Gym

Regis (Mass.) (19-9) 64 Dickinson (23-5) 74
Carlisle, Pa.

Endicott (23-6) 61 Richard Stockton (23-5) 81
Galloway, N.Y. (Sports Center)

Neumann (17-11) 59 Mount Union (23-6) 87
Alliance, Ohio - The MAAC

SUNY-Cobleskill (17-11, 13-4 NEAC) 54 William Paterson (21-7, 13-5 NJAC) 80
Wayne, N.J. (Recreation Center)

Medaille (19- 81 Marietta (26-3) 120
Marietta, Ohio - Ban Johnson Arena

Defiance (22-6) 83 UW-Whitewater Warhawks (24-4) 71
Whitewater, Wis. (Kachel Gym)

Hendrix (12-17) 59 East Texas Baptist (24-5) 79
Marshall, Texas (Ornelas Gym)

Elmhurst (20-7) 110 St. Norbert (24-2) 98
Schuldes Sports Center - De Pere, Wis.

Concordia (Wis.) (19-10) 56 UW-Stevens Point (22-5) 88

Saturday, March 7

Catholic (23-6) 65 Randolph-Macon (27-2) 78
Crenshaw Gymnasium, Ashland, Va.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (22-7) 45 30 75
East Texas Baptist (25-5) 37 43 80
Marshall, Texas (Ornelas Gym)

Amherst (21- 34 36 70
St. John Fisher (25-4) 47 40 87
Pittsford, NY - Manning & Napier Gym

Scranton (23-6) 19 28 47
Babson (27-2) 23 31 54
Babson Park, MA (Staake Gymnasium)

Wooster (23-7) 42 44 86
Marietta (27-3) 45 43 88
Marietta, Ohio - Ban Johnson Arena

Bates (21-6) 33 22 13 68
Richard Stockton (23-6) 23 32 4 59
Sports Center; Galloway, NJ

Salisbury (21- 16 31 47
Trinity (Conn.) (22-6) 29 31 60
Hartford, Conn.

Calvin (22-7) 30 39 69
Mount Union (24-6) 38 43 81
Alliance, Ohio -- The MAAC

Whitworth (25-4) 40 44 84
Emory (22-5) 37 48 85
Atlanta, GA -- Woodruff PE Ctr.

Albertus Magnus (28-2) 44 28 72
Dickinson (24-5) 42 32 74
Carlisle, Pa.

Virginia Wesleyan (25-5, 13-3 ODAC) 43 34 77
William Paterson (21-8, 13-5 NJAC) 31 43 74
Wayne, N.J. (Recreation Center)

Skidmore (20- 27 31 58
Johns Hopkins (25-4) 27 34 61
Baltimore, MD/Goldfarb Gym

St. Olaf 30 38 68
Defiance 37 26 63
Whitewater, Wis.

DePauw (20-10; 9-9 NCAC) 29 37 66
Augustana (24-4; 11-3 CCIW) 34 34 68
Rock Island, Ill.

Northwestern (Minn.) (20-9) 32 52 84
Elmhurst (20- 35 40 75
Schuldes Sports Center - De Pere, Wis.

Illinois Wesleyan (20-9) 34 19 53
UW-Stevens Point (23-5) 35 35 70
Stevens Point, Wis. - Bennett Court

[Durbansandshark]

William & Mary went into the Colonial championship game last night...and AGAIN the Tribe sadly crashed into that final treacherous hurdle towards its first NCAA tournament trip while watching Northeastern cut down the nets. Northeastern torched them with its outside shooting and never trailed for the Huskies' first NCAA trip since 1991 when it was a ECAC North Atlantic member (now America East) and won that. Plus the Tribe were ultimately too spent from their triple OT win against Hofstra. It's time the Tribe have to really break down that door:
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400767054

But another of those dejected original 5 will get their tonight in the Northeast as the St. Francis-Brooklyn, NY Terriers take on the Robert Morris Colonials on the Terriers' home floor since they're the higher seed. Can they break through at last?

Three times Iona and Manhattan face each other in the Metro Atlantic in Albany, NY. Last two times, including last night, the Manhattan Jaspers won those. More pulling away in their third meeting this season. I listened to this live on Westwood One radio last night. If St. Francis NY wins tonight, that'll make at least two from NYC:
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400767056

At the Southern Conference tournament in Asheville, where another one conference NCAA bid gets submitted, the Wofford Terriers had to hold off the #10 seed Furman Paladins, who finished last in the conference and had to utilized a 7-man rotation. Had Furman won last night after knocking off Tennessee-Chattanooga and defending champs Mercer, they would be very likely the only sub-.500 team in it with one of the worst records of any team in the NCAA since 1961 and end their drought from 35 years, the second longest in the Southern (and surely be #6:
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400767077

Tonight, the top two seeds in the Horizon League, #1 Valparaiso Crusaders and the #2 Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix, both known to cause major NCAA Tournament suprises in their respective histories battle it out for the title at Valpo's home gym. Bryce Drew, the darling from the 1998 Valpo run, is now the coach. The Summit League Championship has the Battle of the Dakotas, #1 South Dakota St. Jackrabbits and #2 North Dakota St. Bisons go for it tonight. The Jackrabbits just endured an all-South Dakota duel coming out on top against the #5 South Dakota Coyotes 75-68:
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400767077

Finally, the West Coast gets another rematch out in Las Vegas with Gonzaga, still seeking a possible #1 NCAA regional seed in the tournament, wanting to take revenge on BYU for the third meeting this season.

The big major conferences will get to do their thing starting tomorrow with the Big 10, Big East, Conference USA, Big 12, Pac-12, Mountain West, Western Athletic, SEC, Southland, Atlantic 10, and the SWAC. ACC has already started today. Mid-American and MEAC already have started theirs last night.