NCAA Basketball FanHouse

A Triumph for the Least Daring Among Us

Josh Alper — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: March Madness, East, West, Midwest, South

I'm not sure what's replaced the watercooler as the gathering place in offices of the 21st century but, whatever it is, the buzz around it this morning is the Final Four. For the first time ever all four first seeds have advanced to the final weekend and the biggest beneficiaries are no doubt making themselves known to their co-workers. Maybe it's the receptionist who spends more time discussing her romantic life than studying Pomeroy Ratings or the guy from Accounting who doesn't watch sports but likes to be part of the office hullabaloo but those are the ones counting their winnings right now.

Whether you thought the tournament was boring or scintillating to this point, you'll doubtlessly agree that the top seeds advancing has taken some of the fun out of it. Hopefully it will mean some spectacular basketball on Saturday and Monday but it is antithesis to the surprise and drama that has made March Madness part of the national lexicon.

That surprise was what made us take a chance on Pittsburgh or West Virginia two weeks ago because we've watched for years and knew that it wouldn't come down to the chalk teams. And for that we've been repaid by the heckling of coworkers who wouldn't know Stephen Curry from Eddy Curry. And, worst of all, Clark Kellogg's annual safety dance has finally paid off which ensures another decade of bland picks.

A Triumph for the Least Daring Among Us originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hansbrough Sends Tar Heels to the Final Four

Shiloh Carder — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 23:13:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, Louisville Basketball, ACC Basketball, Big East Basketball, March Madness, Charlotte, Carolina, East

Tyler Hansbrough helped fend off a Louisville rally by scoring 28 points and grabbing 13 boards in North Carolina's win over Louisville, 83-73.

The East Regional Final matchup was like watching two games in one.

In the first half, Louisville pressed the Tar Heels which led to a ton of easy baskets. UNC simply threw over the press and beat the defense back for layups. When they did have to play a halfcourt game, Carolina could shoot anything they wanted because they dominated the offensive glass. Danny Green and Wayne Ellington were awesome, scoring a combined 20 points.

UNC went into the break up 44-32.

The second half was much different. The Cards made a great adjustment of having David Padgett (who Roy Williams successfully recruited to Kansas) at the high post and running screens off him. He found cutters open for layups and/or created a foul on the Heels. It also kept Carolina's big men away from the basket and Louisville found some offensive boards.

On the other end of the floor, the Cardinals didn't press that much and instead tried to keep UNC in a half court game. The Tar Heels had to work for their shots and found no opportunity to run. Neither Green and Ellington scored until free throws in the closing seconds of the game.

The Cardinals quickly wiped away the deficit ... and tied the game 59-59. This put a bit of panic in Tar Heels fans, who remember UNC wasting a huge lead over Georgetown in last year's Elite Eight and getting beat.

That's where Hansbrough took over. Psycho T scored 28 points on an amazing 12-of-17 shooting streak. And I mean shooting! Hansbrough was hitting jump shots from just inside the arc ... including one as the shot clock wound down. L'ville dared him to take the shot and he did. With his teammates struggling to find open looks, Hansbrough scored 20 points in the second half and again pulled away from the Cardinals.

This is the 17th Final Four appearance for the Heels (second to UCLA, who will also be there) and 8th trip in the last 17 years. Given the possible story-lines in their Final Four matchup, I'd be willing to bet that UNC will play the late game next Saturday.

Hansbrough Sends Tar Heels to the Final Four originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 29 Mar 2008 23:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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1989 Meeting No Longer a Sore Spot Between Roy Williams and Rick Pitino

Shiloh Carder — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, Louisville Basketball, ACC Basketball, Big East Basketball, March Madness, NCAA Basketball Coaches, Charlotte, Carolina, East

One of the underlying stories of the Louisville-UNC game today is a beef between coaches Rick Pitino and Roy Williams. The two are among the greatest coaches in basketball and have taken multiple programs to the Final Four.

However, a game in 1989 became a sore spot between the two.

That's when Williams was in his second year at Kansas and Pitino was in his first year at Kentucky. They met in Kansas' Allen Fieldhouse and it wasn't pretty. Kansas won 150-95.

Jeff Gueldner, who played guard for Kansas, said multiple people told him Pitino flashed his middle finger when Williams asked about backing off.

Chris Cameron, who was Pitino's sports information director at the time, remembers Pitino throwing a towel. Cameron said Pitino vowed during his postgame news conference that he would never schedule Kansas again.

Understand that Pitino took over a program that was under NCAA sanctions and really wasn't that good. Kansas was two years removed from a National Championship. Pitino was trying to establish his patented press defense which Kansas just exposed and demolished.

It may have been an issue nearly 20 years ago, but it isn't one now. The two met again in the next season with Kentucky winning by 17. They haven't met on a court until the do in tonight's East Regional Final in Charlotte.

"I try to forget bad things and remember the positive," Pitino said. "I don't remember even coaching in Boston (for the Celtics). Roy is a good guy. There are no ill feelings. You lose, you lose. You walk out."

"(The 1989 game) was an unfortunate thing and probably my fault more than anybody's," Williams said. "But we've had some discussions many years ago about that and put it behind us."

1989 Meeting No Longer a Sore Spot Between Roy Williams and Rick Pitino originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 29 Mar 2008 19:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rick Pitino: 'Tell Roy (Williams) to Get On a Plane For the First Time'

Shiloh Carder — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:52:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, Louisville Basketball, ACC Basketball, Big East Basketball, March Madness, NCAA Basketball Coaches, Charlotte, Carolina, East

Well, Louisville coach Rick Pitino ... with his own national championhip and five Final Fours ... disagrees with Ol' Roy.

"Tell Roy to get on a plane for the first time and let's play the game at Freedom Hall," Pitino said. "Or let's go to Lexington and play it at Rupp [Arena]."

"I don't think it's a homecourt advantage," Pitino said. "I think those are mostly mannequins dressed in powder blue."

Pitino did qualify his comments.

"It's a very strong homecourt advantage but they deserve it because they're the No. 1-ranked team in the country," he said.

He's right. It is a huge advantage and not because ... as all these analysts have been saying ... Charlotte is just two hours away from Chapel Hill. Anyone who knows anything about North Carolina knows that there are more Tar Heels fans in Charlotte than there are in Chapel Hill.

Now that Tennessee and Washington State has been knocked out of the tournament, who do you think they'll be selling their tickets to? Charlotteans who will probably be rooting for the Tar Heels.

Now, Pitino knows as well as anyone that you can't really blame UNC for this. They don't select the sites used in the tournament or where they will be seeded. I would agree that the NCAA shouldn't have pod sites and regional sites in the same state. If Charlotte is being used for the East Region ... then let Raleigh sit out until next year.

Speaking of that, UNC (or Duke) could have the home court advantage next year as the tournament heads to Greensboro, NC for the first two rounds. Louisville could get a nice advantage if they could play in Dayton and Indianapolis ... even though neither city is in their home state.

Ah, but the closest arena to North Carolina used in the 2010 tourny will be in Jacksonville!

Rick Pitino: 'Tell Roy (Williams) to Get On a Plane For the First Time' originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tar Heels Pound Washington State; Advance to Elite Eight Again

Shiloh Carder — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:29:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, ACC Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, March Madness, Washington State Basketball, Charlotte, Carolina, East

When you look at the scoreboard, you may think that Washington State's strategy of slowing the pace of the game down against North Carolina worked. The Tar Heels scored just 68 points, 42 points below their NCAA tournament average.

However, that strategy only works if you can score more than you allow. Washington State was nowhere close to that ... losing 68-47.

The slow down game may have worked in the Tar Heels favor as their defense was the story. UNC held WSU to just 31% shooting ... including just 2-of-16 from the three-point line. They also dominated the boards (42 to 28). If not for State's Aron Baynes shooting (6-of-8), the Cougars would have shot 12-of-49 (24% to you and me) and been blown out of the water.

And that little thing about Tyler Hansbrough held to just two points at the half? He ended the game with 18 points and 9 boards after going the first 18-plus minutes of the game scoreless.

North Carolina will move on to face the winner of the Tennessee-Louisville game this Saturday. The taste of their meltdown against Georgetown in last year's East Regional final has left the team bitter ever since.

There was the rather amusing issue that CBS had before the game. As CBS' Greg Gumble was sending everyone to commerical (and then the beginning of the Xavier-West Virginia game), there was dead air. Then after showing a screen of the Charlotte regional feed, well ... this happened:

(Hat tip to Awful Announcing)

Tar Heels Pound Washington State; Advance to Elite Eight Again originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hansbrough Hasn't Made a Shot, Yet Heels Still Lead Washington State by 14

Shiloh Carder — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:14:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, ACC Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, March Madness, Washington State Basketball, Charlotte, Carolina, East

Washington State has won two things so far against North Carolina:

They are winning the battle of tempo as the game is being played in the 60s. The slow-down game has limited UNC's ability to run up the score and get easy baskets. They've also shut down Tyler Hansbrough to the tune of two points, no made field goals on four shot attempts and five rebounds.

However, the Cougars go into halfime still trailing the top ranked Tar Heels, 35-21.

For one thing, the Heels defense has been splendid themselves ... holding Washington State to just 9-of-26 shooting. They've held the Cougars' leading scorer Derrick Low to just five points.

Plus, despite the style of play and the defensive prowess of Washington State, the Heels still shot 48% from the field even after getting off to such a rocky start. Wayne Ellington (9 points) and super-sub Danny Green (12 points) are leading the way and picking up Hansbrough's slack.

One noticeable move UNC has made is keeping their shooters opposite their post guys. WSU is doubling down on Hansbrough and Deon Thompson as soon as they get the ball in the block. With a pass out of the double team and a swing pass or two (or a beautiful diagnal pass Thompson made), the Heels are getting wide open looks from deep.

They've also been getting to the free throw line area and hitting short jumpers.

For Washington State, this has to be frustrating. You keep North Carolina from running, you hold Hansbrough to just two points ... yet you still go into the break down 14.

Hansbrough Hasn't Made a Shot, Yet Heels Still Lead Washington State by 14 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Louisville's Derrick Caracter Reminds Everyone He's a Heckuva Teammate

Josh Alper — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:50:00 EST

Filed under: Louisville Basketball, Big East Basketball, March Madness, East

Somewhere in the neighborhood of 9:30 this evening, the Louisville Cardinals will tip off against the Tennessee Volunteers for a chance at the Elite Eight. It's hard to imagine anything else being on the minds of the players and coaches from those two teams but then you remember that Derrick Caracter is part of the Louisville roster. The sophomore forward decided yesterday would be the best time to announce his intention to go pro after this season comes to a close.

"Sometimes it's just best you take your game another way," Caracter said. "I don't want to bring a distraction to the team."

It's not the first time Caracter has put something ahead of the task at hand. He showed up to school overweight as a freshman, missed 16 games that season because of suspensions and time off for personal issues and, when David Padgett's injury had the Cardinals needing him desperately, broke curfew twice and got suspended again. In December, Jeff Goodman of Fox Sports spoke with one of his former coaches, who summed up Caracter's character rather succinctly.

"Derrick Caracter has always been about Derrick Caracter. He doesn't care about his teammates or his school. Derrick could care less about the other players on his team."

He's shown flashes of the talent that made him a top recruit but Louisville will be fine without him and his distractions. It's a shame Isiah Thomas's days appear numbered with the Knicks. Caracter would be a great fit with Zach Randolph.

Louisville's Derrick Caracter Reminds Everyone He's a Heckuva Teammate originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Someone Should Tell Jim Larranaga That Leprechauns Are Immune to Magic

Josh Alper — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:55:00 EST

Filed under: George Mason Basketball, Notre Dame Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, NCAA Basketball Video, East

Here's a reason why coaches shouldn't let cameras into the locker room before games.

When you're going up against the school that pretty much invented the pep-talk cottage industry, you've gotta come up with something better than crumpling up a piece of paper. A little too much comedy and way too much about what happened with a completely different team.

(H/T Hugging Harold Reynolds)

Someone Should Tell Jim Larranaga That Leprechauns Are Immune to Magic originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wash State's Tony Bennett Knows Charlotte; Will Charlotte Remember Him?

Shiloh Carder — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:32:00 EST

Filed under: March Madness, Washington State Basketball, Charlotte, East

In the East Regional, the forgotten team is Washington State. With UNC blowing away everyone and fans salivating over the Tennessee-Louisville game, the Cougars are right under the radar.

That happens. Carolina and the Vols are relatively close to Charlotte, the site of the games, with Louisville not tremendously far away. Pullman, WA may as well be on the other side of the planet.

Still, WSU coach Tony Bennett knows a bit about Charlotte. After a nice career as a player at Wisconsin-Green Bay, Bennett was drafted by the NBA's Charlotte Hornets.

"I don't think too many people will remember me and be pulling for the Cougs down there," said Bennett, whose fourth-seeded team plays No. 1 seed UNC in the NCAA Round of 16 on Thursday. "They'll be cheering for the Carolina blues."

He played three years in Charlotte before a foot injury essentially ended his career and was on the court when the biggest moment in Charlotte's NBA life happened: Alonzo Mourning's game winning jumper to eliminate the Celtics in the playoffs.

"It was Kevin McHale's last game, there was probably 9 or 10 seconds left when [I got] put in," Bennett remembered.

"Somehow the ball got back to Alonzo, and he made a step-back. And if you watch the replay ... I was ready to get the tip to put it back in; I was in perfect position."

Bennett also met his wife at a church in Charlotte ... so going back to the Queen City will be nice for both of them.

Wash State's Tony Bennett Knows Charlotte; Will Charlotte Remember Him? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bruce Pearl Won't Say Who Is Starting at Point Guard on Thursday

Josh Alper — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Tennessee Basketball, SEC Basketball, March Madness, East

Usually when your team wins 31 games, spends time as the top-ranked team in the country and makes the Sweet 16, you've got a pretty reliable hand on the tiller. The Tennessee Volunteers, then, are quite an unusual team. They accomplished all of that without a steady point guard.

Ramar Smith started most of the second half but steadily diminishing returns put him on the bench for the tournament opener. Senior Jordan Howell returned to the starting five but failed to make an impression which led Bruce Pearl to turn to J.P. Prince for yesterday's win over Butler. That was unusual because Prince spent most of the year as a shooting guard but Pearl had his reasons.

"J.P. is a stat sheet stuffer. We got a situation where I felt like we needed (Prince) on the floor more because he makes great things happen. I think he makes everyone else out there better."

He did stuff the stat sheet (nine points, seven boards, five assists) but his negatives nearly outweighed his positives. His travel (and sixth turnover) with seconds to play could have cost the Vols the game. Smith came back to score four in overtime and further muddy the picture at the one.

The uncertainty at the point highlights how good a job Pearl has done with this team. Better known for his personality than his tactics, Pearl's managed to turn a team without a key component into a huge winner this season. Now he must make the right choice about who to send into the teeth of the Louisville press.

Bruce Pearl Won't Say Who Is Starting at Point Guard on Thursday originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCAA First Round's Least Shocking Upset: Siena Over Vanderbilt

Andy Katzer — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: SEC Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, March Madness, Vanderbilt Basketball, East

As Chas Rich pointed out earlier, The Tampa Trap was indeed a record-setting string of games. But the least surprising of the four contests that saw lower (much lower) seeded teams advancing was Siena's win over Vanderbilt. Now, it's easy to say in hindsight, but if you had a bracket that included Vandy advancing in the tournament, you must not have been looking at the Commodores' body of work this season.

Vanderbilt was unbeatable at home -- litteraly. The Commies ran through their home schedule unscathed, including their much-heralded win over then number-one Tennessee. But away from Memorial Gym was another story for the 'Dores as they were a pedestrian 7-7 (now 7-8) away from the TheatreDome they call a home court; apparently they feel handicapped when the benches aren't somewhere in the side orchestra section.

Had Vanderbilt beaten Siena, the Saints would have been the highest-ranked team Vandy beat away from home, according to RPI. Naturally there are ways other than RPI to judge a team, but the Commodores hadn't beaten anyone of note RPI-wise away from home all year.

If the tournament was held at Memorial Gym, Vandy would cruise to the championship. But for whatever reason, they just couldn't do anything away form their own floor. Looking back is easy, but it's clear: if you didn't have Vanderbilt losing, you hadn't been paying attention.

NCAA First Round's Least Shocking Upset: Siena Over Vanderbilt originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ho-tels, Mo-tels, Holiday Inn! Not Just the Teams Get Seeded in the NCAA Tournament

Shiloh Carder — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:59:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, Georgetown Basketball, Gonzaga Basketball, Indiana Basketball, Arkansas Basketball, March Madness, Carolina, Davidson Basketball, East, Midwest

When the seedings were announced for the NCAA tournament on Sunday, there was a scramble for the next level of seedings. No, not the N.I.T. or College Basketball Invitational ... but the hotels which will host each of the eight teams in the site.

Take Raleigh, for example, which hosts games of Friday and Sunday. The East's top seed North Carolina gets to stay at the Embassy Suites in nearby Cary, NC (by the way, it is just a 20-mile ride from UNC's campus to the game). Georgetown, the #2 seed in the Midwest will be at a Sheraton in Raleigh.

#16 seed Mount St. Mary's gets a Holiday Inn near the NC State campus. #15 seed Maryland-Baltimore County gets a Holiday Inn near a mall.

The director of sales and marketing for the Holiday Inn Brownstone has no problem with his hotel's low-seeded status.

"We know our place in the community," Kevin Johnson said. "We're not a four-star hotel, but there were probably 20 hotels who put in for this. So we look at it as a 'glass half-full' situation."

I guess.

While you may thing the seeding deal is one thing, at least the NCAA is trying to get these kids into decent accomodations. In year's past, that hasn't been the case.

But the NCAA was not always so rigorous in its hotel screening. Southern Illinois assistant coach Brad Korn told The Washington Post last year how his team reached the tournament's regional semifinals as a No. 11 seed in 2002, only to be assigned to a rundown Syracuse hotel with moldy showers, unkempt beds and filthy curtains. The Salukis head coach, Chris Lowery, an assistant at the time, suffered an allergic reaction and missed a practice when his face erupted in hives. The team blamed the food and the hotel's cleanliness.

The NCAA requires that the hotels have a full service resteraunt and conference rooms that can be used for team meetings. They've also starting viewing the rooms, showers and overall cleanliness before giving them the okay. Still, there may be some things that are more important,

UMBC sophomore forward Justin Fry did not begrudge Georgetown its more luxurious hotel, nor did he gripe about his Holiday Inn, which was close enough to the Angus Barn steakhouse for a Wednesday night team dinner.

"They deserve it," Fry said of Georgetown and its place in the hotel pecking order. "I mean, it's not really a slap in the face. We're just here to play ball."

Ho-tels, Mo-tels, Holiday Inn! Not Just the Teams Get Seeded in the NCAA Tournament originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CBS' Broadcast Teams for the NCAA Tournament

Shiloh Carder — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:15:00 EST

Filed under: March Madness, NCAA Basketball Media Watch, East, West, Midwest, South

(Hat tip: Awful Announcing)

Here are CBS's broadcast teams for each of the eight pod sites for the first and second round of the NCAA tournament.

Anaheim: Dick Enberg/Carter Blackburn, Jay Bilas
Denver: Gus Johnson, Len Elmore
Omaha: Kevin Harlan, Dan Bonner
Washington: Craig Bolerjack, Bob Wenzel
Birmingham: Verne Lundquist, Bill Raftery
Little Rock: Ian Eagle, Jim Spanarkel
Raleigh: Jim Nantz, Billy Packer
Tampa: Tim Brando, Mike Gminski

It seems as if the Nantz/Packer team will follow North Carolina the entire way. They are already in Raleigh and Charlotte (if UNC advances) would be the next destination. Packer, by the way, lives in Charlotte.

The Brando/Gminski team worked the ACC Sunday Night Hoops games this season and will have Clemson in their Tampa pod. Brando also is known for his SEC work ... and Vanderbilt will be there too.

I love how CBS always puts Dick Enberg on the West games since ... well ... most of the country won't see the second game of their day.

Of course, many people only care about where Gus Johnson goes. He gets the Michigan State-Temple, Notre Dame-George Mason and Washington State-Winthrop game ... which should all be pretty good (the Pitt-Oral Roberts game probably won't).

Me ... I love the Harlan/Bonner team. These two seem to have a fight on who can start screaming before the other. Harlan is great for that and Bonner ... well, he loves to get excited over mundane plays ("oh, what a pass!").

One of the things that still gets me is that ESPN still refuses to let Dick Vitale do games for CBS during the tournament. I know, many people don't like him ... but it's just odd that they won't let him do that during the sport's signature event. I mean, he is one heck of an ambassador for college hoops.

It can't because they need his studio work. I mean, they let Jay Bilas work for CBS and he's important to ESPN's studio shows. Len Elmore, Jim Spanarkel, Bob Wenzel and Bill Raftery also work games for both networks.

CBS' Broadcast Teams for the NCAA Tournament originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCAA Previews: Recognize the Washington State Cougars

Ty Keenan — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:25:00 EST

Filed under: Pac-10 Basketball, March Madness, Washington State Basketball, East

Conference: Pac-10
Record: 24-8, 12-8 Pac-10
RPI: 20
How They Got In: At-Large Bid
Seed/Bracket: #4 in the East

Mascot: Cougars. The Wazzu homepage proudly announces that Butch T. Cougar won 2006's Capital One Mascot of the Year competition.

Big Wins: at Gonzaga, USC (home/away), Oregon (home/away), Arizona State (home/away),

Notable Loss: at Cal. The Cougs also dropped all five of their games to conference Stanford and UCLA

Player You Should Know: Guard Derrick Low leads the team in scoring, but wing Kyle Weaver is the team's most athletic and best player overall. He's one of the best perimeter defenders in the Pac-10 and a great playmaker off the dribble.

Outlook: Simply put, Washington State is overseeded. They had some solid non-conference wins, but they failed too register a signature win in the Pac-10. They're not very deep and have questionable athleticism overall. A Sweet 16 now seems like a possibility given the draw, but don't be surprised to see them go out in the second round.

NCAA Previews: Recognize the Washington State Cougars originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCAA Previews: Recognize the USC Trojans

Ty Keenan — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:15:00 EST

Filed under: Pac-10 Basketball, March Madness, USC Basketball, East

Conference: Pac-10
Record: 21-11, 12-8 Pac-10
RPI: 29
How They Got In: At-Large Bid
Seed/Bracket: #6 in the East

Mascot: Trojan. In 1912, sportswriter Los Angeles Times sportswriter Owen Bird often compared USC's athletes to Trojan warriors for the great spirit and honor they showed in defeat. It bears mentioning that most opponents' fans now use the name to make jokes about contraceptives, which probably isn't what Bird had in mind.

Big Wins: at UCLA, Stanford, Oregon (home/away), Arizona State (home/away), Oklahoma.

Notable Loss: A shocking home loss to Mercer in the season opener. The Trojans were also swept by Washington State.

Player You Should Know: If you don't already know OJ Mayo, then you probably haven't read many articles about college basketball this season. He entered school as one of the most hyped players in recent memory, and, unfortunately, he disappointed a bit during the first half of the year. In the last few weeks, though, Mayo has curtailed his annoying tendency to settle for jumpers and and become the dynamic scorer everyone expected him to be.

Outlook: Despite the Pac-10 semifinal loss to UCLA, the Trojans have been playing very well lately. Their overall athleticism can cause problems for lots of teams and they're an underrated defensive team. Their youth occasionally gets the better of them, but expect USC to win a game and have an outside shot at their second trip to the Sweet 16 in a row.

NCAA Previews: Recognize the USC Trojans originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCAA Previews: Recognize the Oklahoma Sooners

Charles Rich — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 23:34:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, East

Conference: Big 12
Record: 21-10, 9-7 in conference
RPI: 29
How They Got In: At-Large
Seed/Bracket: 6/East

Mascot: Sooners. You need to know your American history. It was a term for those who jumped too soon on claiming land Oklahoma Territory on April 22, 1889. Eventually the term got changed to represent the "Progressive spirit."

Big Wins: at West Virginia, Gonzaga, Arkansas, swept Baylor

Notable Loss: Stephen F. Austin

Player You Should Know: Blake Griffin. Blake Griffin. Blake Griffin. The freshman forward was a 1st team All-Big 12 player and is the best freshman in the Big 12 not named Michael Beasley. Griffin averaged 15 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. The only issue for Griffin is that he has battled knee injuries in the season.

Outlook: The Sooners should be able to win one game. Jeff Capel is one of the best young coaches, but this team doesn't have great depth. Their backcourt is distinctly average

NCAA Previews: Recognize the Oklahoma Sooners originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 16 Mar 2008 23:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Selection Committee Says They Don't Consider Matchups, Matchups Say Otherwise

Josh Alper — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:45:00 EST

Filed under: Gonzaga Basketball, March Madness, Butler Basketball, UNLV Basketball, Davidson Basketball, East, West, Midwest

The selection committee for the NCAA Tournament says that it doesn't consider specific matchups when they're seeding teams and placing them in the four brackets. It seems hard to believe that when each year brings games with geographical rivals or coaches who have worked together in the past squaring off. This year, you've got O.J. Mayo and Michael Beasley in a freshman fiesta which stretches the credulity of their promise even more.

You've also got the cannibalization of smaller conference schools for the second straight year. Butler drew Old Dominion last year and this time around has to beat South Alabama to get out of the first round. Drake gets the second Sun Belt representative, Western Kentucky, in a 5-12 game and the Midwest region features a pair of matchups between teams outside the BCS conferences. UNLV plays Kent State and Gonzaga faces Davidson in what should be two of the best first round games.

There may seem to be a pejorative connotation to this observation, i.e. the NCAA wants bigger schools to move on and do well, but that's not the point. Four of these teams are guaranteed a second game, after all, and as more teams from outside the big six get to dance, they'll inevitably run into one another. Other than Butler, none of these teams got seeded too low or too high, so there's no problem except for the sneaking suspicion that the committee considers matchups more than they let on.

Read FanHouse previews for these teams (and the other 57 as well) in the NCAA Tournament.

The Selection Committee Says They Don't Consider Matchups, Matchups Say Otherwise originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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North Carolina Gets #1 Seed and Home Court, But No Other Favors

Shiloh Carder — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:12:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, ACC Basketball, March Madness, East

North Carolina was given the tournament's #1 overall seed ... a first weekend trip to nearby Raleigh and a second weekend in Charlotte ... but little else.

The East's bracket is somewhat stacked, with Tennessee, Louisville, Washington State, Notre Dame and Butler in their bracket. Tennessee is the #1 team in the RPI rankings and was staring down their own #1 seed until a loss in the SEC semifinals on Saturday. That's quite a statement that the #1 team in the polls has the #1 RPI team in the same bracket.

If North Carolina gets past their first round opponent (the winner of the Coppin State/Mount St. Mary's play in game), they'll face up with either Indiana or Arkansas. Indiana was a top 15 team until the Kelvin Sampson controversy last month. Arkansas made a run to the SEC Championship game.

A Sweet 16 matchup should have some interesting storylines. Notre Dame features Luke Zeller, brother of UNC recruit Tyler Zeller. George Mason, who beat the Tar Heels in the second round of the 2006 NCAA tournament, is a 12th seed. There is also Winthrop, who nearly beat the Heels last year and Washington State, who poses a tempo change for UNC.

If they can get by all of that, they could be facing Tennessee, Rick Pitino's Louisville squad, Oklahoma or everyone's darkhorse, Butler.

While the surroundings seem to be in Carolina's favor, their guests are a bit rowdy.

North Carolina Gets #1 Seed and Home Court, But No Other Favors originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCAA Previews: Recognize the 16-20 Coppin State Eagles

Shiloh Carder — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 03:12:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors Basketball, March Madness, Baltimore, East

Conference: MEAC
Record: 16-20, 7-9 in conference
RPI: 227
How They Got In: As a 7th seed, surprised everyone and beat Morgan State to win the MEAC championship and automatic bid
Seed/Bracket: #16/East

Mascot: Eagles. Really nothing special there.

Big Wins: Their biggest win was over Morgan State in the MEAC title game

Notable Loss: The Eagles have lost to some pretty good teams: Xavier, Marquette, Indiana, Arizona State, Ohio State, Kent State and Dayton.

Player You Should Know: Tywain McKee is Coppin State's main man and leading scorer. McKee scored 33 points ... including the game winner ... against Morgan State in the MEAC title game. He shoots nearly 43% from the arc and 86% from the free throw line.

Outlook: No team has lost as many games as Coppin State has and made the tournament. That breaks the record of 19 losses, set by the 1955 Bradley Braves. They could become the worst team to win an NCAA tournament game if they can get past the "play-in game". After that ... nighty night.

Of course, their last NCAA appearance was in 1997. As a #15 seed, they upset the 2nd-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks.

NCAA Previews: Recognize the 16-20 Coppin State Eagles originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 16 Mar 2008 03:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCAA Previews: Recognize the Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Charles Rich — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 18:03:00 EST

Filed under: Notre Dame Basketball, Big East Basketball, East

Conference: Big East
Record: 24-6, 14-4 in conference
RPI: 26
How They Got In: At-Large
Seed/Bracket: 5/East

Mascot: Leprechaun. The Leprechaun became the official mascot in 1965. Prior, they used terrier dogs.

The origin of the nickname Fighing Irish isn't clear, but the credit seems to be attributed to the media. They have gone by the "Catholics" and the "Ramblers" in the past before "Fighting Irish" was made official in 1927.

Big Wins: UConn, Marquette, Kansas State, Pitt

Notable Loss: at Marquette (by 26 points)

Player You Should Know: Luke Harangody was the Big East Player of the Year and a 2nd team All-American player. Of course, you probably knew about him. Harangody is reliable and consistent. The player that really matters for ND is Kyle McAlarney. The sharp-shooting guard provides the spacing and daggers from outside that allows Harangody to wreak havoc inside. When McAlarney is off, the Irish really struggle.

Outlook: There is no reason why the Irish shouldn't make the Sweet 16. They have a balanced team that can score in the paint and on the perimeter. Their weakness inside is that after Harangody, they really lack players in the frontcourt willing to do the dirty work and fight for rebounds. They thrive with a faster pace. Teams that can control the tempo and shut down their perimeter shooting will spell the end for Notre Dame.

NCAA Previews: Recognize the Notre Dame Fighting Irish originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 15 Mar 2008 18:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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