NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Economy Won't Effect Tourney Seeding

Will Brinson — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: WCC, A-10, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, MVC, MWC, Pac-10, SEC, WAC, March Madness, Coaches, Fans, Rumors, South

Travel costs for universities are a big deal in this economic climate. Look no further than the bowl "selections" that occurred this year -- there were a substantially larger number of teams hanging close to home, presumably to allow for cheaper travel for both the schools and their fans.

But the NCAA says that will not be a huge deal this year, and supposedly, geographical distance will not affect a team's pairing.

Selection committee chairman Mike Slive said during a conference call Tuesday that while the committee is sensitive to the economic climate, it has a responsibility to the nation to provide balanced brackets for the NCAA's marquee event, which begins in mid-March.

Whether or not this actually happens (I think it will, personally), this is still a tremendously positive statement for college basketball fans. There would be nothing worse than to see March Madness' inherent beauty -- the cross-country scramble to converge on one location -- tainted for the greater good of "economic stability."

Geographical selection isn't necessarily a problem for college football, though. Outside of the BCS bowls, any reduction of costs is substantial enough of a win for a team to validate staying close to home, not to mention an increase in ticket sales. But for college basketball, where the postseason actually matters, any sort of regional favoritism would be highly detrimental to the basic setup of the postseason itself.

Economy Won't Effect Tourney Seeding originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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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Memphis Blowouts Are Not Boring

Ty Keenan — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:28:00 EST

Filed under: Texas Basketball, Memphis Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, Conference USA Basketball, March Madness, South

Earlier today, my esteemed colleagues Charles Rich and Michael David Smith labeled Memphis's vicious blowout of Texas as yet another boring game in a string of second-weekend snoozers. Now, I like a close game as much as anyone else does, but I fail to see what is so boring about the most athletic team in the country playing at the height of their powers against another Top 10 team.

When Memphis is on, they're quite simply awesome to watch. Their superb athleticism at every position creates countless alley-oops, blocks, and transition opportunities. Derrick Rose, a certain Top 3 pick in June's NBA Draft, dominated DJ Augustin, a player most experts call the best point guard in the country. The Tigers used their insane quickness to make one of the quickest, steadiest backcourts in the country look out of control and outclassed. From my point of view, these accomplishments are rarer and more noteworthy than a tight finish. No matter the score, Memphis will always make a few plays that make your draw drop.

Exciting endings are obviously great and memorable, but they often come at the end of mediocre games. For instance, it's hard to argue that either Kansas or Davidson looked particularly stellar in today's admittedly exciting second game. As cool as it was to see the Wildcats nearly nip the Jayhawks, I have to admit that I had more fun watching Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts dismantle the Longhorns.

In the end, this preference comes down to whether or not we want memorable moments or strong play out of the tournament. When it's at its best, these things work together perfectly. Sometimes, though, you only get one. When that's the case, I'll always take one of the most talented teams in the country playing their best basketball against a strong opponent.

Memphis Blowouts Are Not Boring originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Boring Tournament Weekend

Charles Rich — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:24:00 EST

Filed under: Texas Basketball, Memphis Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, Conference USA Basketball, March Madness, South

The way the games have been this weekend, there better be a heck of a pay-off next Saturday with (likely) all the top teams facing each other. Right now, it hardly seems worth it.

There have been moments this weekend where the games have gotten good -- Louisville tying UNC in the second half and Stanford's nice run at Texas come to mind -- but the overall games have hardly been riveting. Instead I find myself grateful for the bourbon by my laptop, then the games themselves. Wait, that came out wrong.

Right now Memphis is controlling the game against Texas, as they lead 39-28 at the half. The game started with promise, but now has the feel of the Louisville-UNC game from last night. One team dictating tempo, style and ultimately in control, no matter the score.

I am just hoping Davidson can continue to shock. Who knows? After all, Gus Johnson will be calling the Davidson-Kansas game.

A Boring Tournament Weekend originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Texas Takes Aimless Stanford

Charles Rich — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 23:07:00 EST

Filed under: Texas Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, March Madness, Stanford Basketball, South

Forget (if possible) that Texas shot nearly 50% in the game that shredded Stanford's defense while attacking the basket. The inability of Stanford to score for long stretches in the game killed the Cardinal's chances at both ends. Ultimately Texas ran away with the game 82-62.

Stanford only shot 34% for the game. They struggled from the perimeter, they struggled inside. All those misses created opportunities for Texas to get out in transition and attack before Stanford could set on defense. Texas was able to use their athleticism to get to the basket and go inside. Heck, despite the Stanford size, Texas was was 25-43 (58%) from inside the perimeter.

The one stretch where Stanford shot well -- a roughly 5 minute stretch early in the second half -- the Cardinal went on a 14-5 run, the Longhorns found little space to attack the basket. Stanford had time to set their defense and not run after the swifter Texas guards in transition. It became a 1-point game. Then Stanford went cold. Once Stanford went back to their poor shooting ways, Texas blew them out 30-11 to the final horn.

Texas was shooting well in the game, but they couldn't have done it without Stanford's poor shooting.

Texas Takes Aimless Stanford originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 28 Mar 2008 23:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Memphis Coach John Calipari in Denial on Free Throw Shooting

Michael David Smith — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:33:00 EST

Filed under: Memphis Basketball, March Madness, NCAA Basketball Coaches, Mississippi State Basketball, South

The Memphis Tigers, the No. 1 seed in the South region, struggled to beat 8 seed Mississippi State to advance to the Sweet 16 because they couldn't make their free throws, going a horrendous 15-for-32 from the line.

And coach John Calipari's reaction is, "What, me worry?" Writes Thayer Evans of the New York Times:

"What I'm taking great pride in is we won it with Chris's free throw," Memphis Coach John Calipari said. "So all that stuff about our free-throw shooting now goes out the window, I guess."

Calipari's remark elicited laughter from the news media because Memphis (35-1) finished the game 15 of 32 from the free-throw line (46.9 percent). The Tigers entered the game shooting 59.7 percent from the line.

Mississippi State (23-11) made 14 of 20 free-throw attempts (70 percent). The Bulldogs had a game-high 21 points from Gordon, a junior guard.

"We made more free throws than them," Calipari said. "We beat them at the free-throw line."

The media were right to laugh. Calipari is a great coach whose team is now 35-1 even though it ranks dead last in the nation in free throw shooting. But he's in serious denial if he thinks ranking dead last in free throw shooting can't eventually catch up to his team. March is too late for him to do anything about it, though, which means denial may be the best option Calipari has.

Memphis Coach John Calipari in Denial on Free Throw Shooting originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stanford Coach Trent Johnson: 'I Put Our Team in a Bad Position; That's Unacceptable'

Michael David Smith — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 09:35:00 EST

Filed under: Marquette Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches, NCAA Basketball Video, Stanford Basketball, South

Stanford coach Trent Johnson was calm and collected in addressing the media after his team beat Marquette Saturday, a victory he watched on the locker room TV after he was ejected in the first half:

Although most commentators have said Johnson should not have been ejected, Johnson made no complaints and no excuses.

"There was no profanity or anything like that used but I had been warned prior to that, and I put our team in a bad position, and that's unacceptable," Johnson said, before crediting assistant Doug Oliver for leading the team the rest of the way: "I'm very thankful and I'm fortunate to have guys like Doug."

It's a credit to Johnson that he isn't looking to blame the referee who tossed him. I wonder if he'd be quite so calm about it if his team had lost.

Stanford Coach Trent Johnson: 'I Put Our Team in a Bad Position; That's Unacceptable' originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 23 Mar 2008 09:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bob Knight Bummed, Pitt Out

Charles Rich — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 01:02:00 EST

Filed under: Pittsburgh Basketball, Michigan State Basketball, Big East Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, March Madness, South

Whether fatigue caught up to them or simply an off night shooting, Pitt struggled miserably on offense. The Panthers shot under 33% and was only 2-17 on 3s as they lost to the Michigan State Spartans 65-54. Bob Knight, who picked Pitt to win the whole thing, has his bracket officially wrecked.

Michigan State struggled holding onto the ball, but when they did, they scored. Drew Neitzel was on this evening with 21 points. He shot 5-8 on 3s which opened things up for Kalin Lucas to attack the basket and Goran Suton was able to clean things up inside (14 points, 9 rebounds).

Both Pitt and Michigan State only had 3 options on offense. Neitzel, Suton and Lucas provided 54 points on 21-38 shooting. Fields, Young and Blair could only counter with 44 points on 14-35.

Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo now improves to 12-2 in second round games. On the short turnaround, Izzo is arguably the best coach to have on the bench.

Bob Knight Bummed, Pitt Out originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 23 Mar 2008 01:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lopez Twins Save Trent Johnson, Push Stanford into Sweet Sixteen

Ty Keenan — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 23:15:00 EST

Filed under: Marquette Basketball, Big East Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, March Madness, NCAA Basketball Coaches, Stanford Basketball, South

Trent Johnson's questionable ejection from today's Stanford/Marquette game could have sunk Stanford's season, but the team's two best players simply wouldn't allow it to happen. The Brothers Lopez combined for 48 of Stanford's 82 points in their overtime win over Marquette, including Brook Lopez's difficult leaner with 1.3 seconds left that gave the Cardinal the win.

Referee Curtis Shaw's ejection of Johnson had a huge effect on this game, although it's difficult to say who was given the bigger edge. The Cardinal got a lot of calls in the second half of this game, which gave them 20 free throws (in comparison to three for Marquette) in the second half. The twins certainly force their fair share of fouls in any game, but this large disparity suggests that the referee's might have made some makeup calls after the break.

Then again, Trent Johnson might have made some better coaching decisions in this game than the ones by assistant Doug Oliver. With Stanford up six points with 11:18, Oliver sat both Brook and Robin Lopez for the next 4:18. When they returned, Marquette had a one-point lead. Now, the decision to take them out was probably a good one given that they seemed on the verge of picking up technical fouls (and Robin had already picked up one of them), but sitting them for so long turned the momentum back to the Golden Eagles. It's tempting to think that Johnson would have brought at least one of them back sooner.

Stanford also got a big game from point guard Mitch Johnson, who finished with nine points, 16 assists, and just one turnover against Marquette's impressive pressure defense. Most of those assists came on basic entry passes into the big guys, but Johnson and the coaching staff deserve credit for knowing the team's strengths and forcing the ball inside on nearly every late possession.

Marquette played a great game themselves, getting an absolutely fantastic performance from Jerel McNeal. His 30 points (13/25 FG) kept the Golden Eagles on the edge of victory when the Lopezes took over. Dominic James had one of his characteristically inconsistent shooting nights (4/16 FG), but he made up for it with 10 assists. This is a junior-laden team that could end up as one of the better teams in the Big East next season.

Lopez Twins Save Trent Johnson, Push Stanford into Sweet Sixteen originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 23:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stanford Coach Trent Johnson Tossed Late in First Half Against Marquette

Shiloh Carder — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 19:31:00 EST

Filed under: Marquette Basketball, Big East Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, March Madness, NCAA Basketball Coaches, Stanford Basketball, South

Stanford's head coach Trent Johnson was ejected with 3:36 remaining in the first half of their NCAA tournament second round game against Marquette.

Johnson was disputing a foul call called on the Cardinal's Lawrence Hill when he picked up the first technical. Then, during the ensuing television timeout, he walked halfway out on the court and was given his second tech and an automatic ejection.

Judging by the actions, there really is no reason to T him up. That means he must have said something to really peeve off the officials. As it was happening, Stanford assistant coach Doug Oliver put his head in his hands. Oliver is currently acting as head coach.

Resident FanHouse contributor Ty Keenan says "I cannot frickin' believe this. You do not eject somebody for that. Absolute crap."

Stanford Coach Trent Johnson Tossed Late in First Half Against Marquette originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 19:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CBS, YouTube Reach Smart Agreement

Michael David Smith — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 11:41:00 EST

Filed under: Memphis Basketball, Conference USA Basketball, March Madness, NCAA Basketball Media Watch, NCAA Basketball Video, South

Here are the highlights from last night's South regional first round game, with Memphis beating UT-Arlington 87-63:

I'm able to show you those highlights and be confident that the person who posted them didn't commit a copyright violation because they weren't posted by some random guy with his TiVo; they were posted by CBS, which made the wise decision to embrace YouTube, rather than fight it. Last year CBS put some NCAA Tournament highlights on YouTube but didn't allow them to be embedded on other sites, but this year there are no such restrictions.

It's smart for CBS because the network sold ad space to Pontiac and because it puts its CBSSports.com logo on every highlight. And, let's face it, people are going to watch highlights on YouTube whether CBS likes it or not. Let's hope other networks and sports leagues follow the lead of CBS and the NCAA Tournament when it comes to working with YouTube.

CBS, YouTube Reach Smart Agreement originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 11:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jack McClinton Gets Hot in Miami's Win Over St. Mary's

Shiloh Carder — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:24:00 EST

Filed under: ACC Basketball, March Madness, Miami, South

Miami spent most of the first half trailing St. Mary's and making me think, "uh-oh ... here comes the anti-ACC smack." Especially since Duke narrowly escaped Belmont last night.

Then Hurricanes' guard Jack McClinton got hot. Very hot. McClinton scored a career-high 38 points to lead Miami to a 78-64 win and a second round meeting against the Texas/Austin Peay winner. If it is Texas, then Canes' coach Frank Haith will face off against his former team (he was an assistant there before taking the Miami gig).

McClinton was just unbelievable in the second half. He scored 32 of his points after halftime which included a variety of shots: fast break threes, drives to the basket, acrobatic layups and floaters. Defenders couldn't keep up with him as he peeled off screens to get open looks and broke down his man off the dribble.

Despite his mammoth offensive output, it wasn't just McClinton that decided this one. Miami's defense was suffocating during a rabid 27-6 run that spanned both halves. The Hurricanes dominated the boards (43 to 30) and hit 17 of their 21 free throws. The St. Mary's Gaels were ice cold. They shot just 37% from the field, 35% from behind the arc and missed 11 of their 23 free throws.

Jack McClinton Gets Hot in Miami's Win Over St. Mary's originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:24:00 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 Oregon Ducks

Ty Keenan — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:46:00 EST

Filed under: Oregon Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, March Madness, South

Conference: Pac-10
Record: 18-13, 9-10 Pac-10
RPI: 58
How They Got In: At-Large Bid
Seed/Bracket: #9 in the South

Mascot: Ducks. Despite wearing a handkerchief around his neck, this mascot is known to get in sideline fights and wear his costume out to bars. It's safe to say that no mascot has ever been this cool while looking this silly.

Big Wins: Stanford, at Kansas State, Arizona (home/away), Arizona State

Notable Losses: at Nebraska, at Oakland, at Washington

Player You Should Know: The Ducks have a number of talented guards, but Maarty Leunen poses the most difficult matchup for opponents. Leunen is a face-up forward who shoots a great percentage from outside, so he pulls out bigger defenders and opens up driving lanes for the Oregon guards.

Outlook: Let me be blunt: I don't think Oregon deserved to get in ahead of Arizona State. The Sun Devils were a much more competitive team overall in the Pac-10 and actually beat the truly terrible teams on their non-conference schedule. The Ducks, on the other hand, struggled away from Eugene the whole season and regularly blow games in crunch time. Oregon can be very tough to beat when their athletic guards hit their shots, but that hasn't been common this year. Look for an early exit.

NCAA Previews: Recognize the Oregon Ducks originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCAA Previews: Recognize Austin Peay Govs

Andy Katzer — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 07:30:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors Basketball, March Madness, South

Conference: Ohio Valley
Record: 24-10 (16-4)
RPI: 84
How They Got In: Automatic
Seed/Bracket: #15/South

Mascot: Austin Peay is known as the Governors, as the school was named for local Clarksville (TN) favorite son Austin Peay, former Governor of the Volunteer State. While the mascot does allow you dust off you cockney accent and count how many times you can say "'Ello, Gov'nah!" before someone punches you square in the face, the school is also widely known for its cheer of "Let's Go Peay!," which is much more fun to say than read.

Big Wins: The Govs have two wins over a tournament qualifying school; unfortunately both came over fellow automatic qualifier Belmont (Atlantic Sun). Peay has no other wins against teams in the RPI top 100.

Player You Should Know: Senior Todd Babington was named OVC tournament MVP after nailing six threes in the championship game against Tennessee State. Since upsets are often built on hot three-point shooting, Babington will need a similar effort in the Governors' first round game, along with help from Peay's other two senior stars, Derek Wright (12 ppg, 41% 3-pt) and Fernandez Lockett (11 ppg, 7 rpg).

Outlook: As mentioned above, the Govs beat another team in the tournament, but not of the quality they'll see in the first round. The two best teams Peay played this year, Memphis and Vanderbilt, each handled the Govs easily. As a projected #15 or 16 seed, Austin Peay will need a magical night, and perhaps a bout of food poisoning for the favorite, to advance past round one of the tournament.

NCAA Previews: Recognize Austin Peay Govs originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 07:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCAA Previews: Recognize the University of Miami Hurricanes

Shiloh Carder — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:27:00 EST

Filed under: ACC Basketball, March Madness, Miami, South

Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
Record: 22-10, 8-8 in conference
RPI: 34
How They Got In: at large bid.
Seed/Bracket: #7/South

Mascot: Hurricanes because, well, there are Hurricanes in south Florida from time to time. The mascot is Sebastian, an ibis. According to legend, the ibis is the last animal to leave before a storm and the first to return.

Big Wins: Duke, Clemson, Mississippi State.

Notable Loss: Losses to ACC basement dwellers Boston College and NC State.

Player You Should Know: Guard Jack McClinton is one heck of a shooter. He led the ACC in 3-point percentage, free throw percentage and three-pointers made. He's one of those guys that can get into a zone and is so difficult to stop.

Outlook: This is Miami's first appearance in the NCAA tournament since joining the ACC. They are one of the nation's pleasant surprises (picked last in the preseason polls) but can make a small run in this thing. The key is the interior guys. If guys like Anthony King and Dwayne Collins can get points in the paint while keeping up their boardwork and defense, they could sneak into the Elite Eight.

NCAA Previews: Recognize the University of Miami Hurricanes originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Texas Loses Big 12 Final but Gains Much, Much More

Josh Alper — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 22:15:00 EST

Filed under: Texas Basketball, March Madness, South

There are times when getting a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament can be blown out of proportion. You could be North Carolina, for example, and get rewarded for winning the nation's top RPI conference by drawing Tennessee, Louisville, Indiana and Oklahoma. Or you could be Texas.

The Longhorns just missed out on a number one seed by losing to Kansas 84-74 in a hard-fought Big 12 tournament final. As a result, the Jayhawks got top billing in the Midwest region and Rick Barnes's crew heads to the South region where they'll anchor the bracket opposite Memphis. If those two teams meet, it won't be the Tigers who have the edge, though. The regional finals will be in Houston, which should mean a lot of Hook 'Em Horns and burnt orange in the crowd.

If the Horns had won the Kansas game, they'd be heading to Detroit, which is as dubious an honor as any top seeded team should ever hope to receive. Not a bad prize for losing a game. What would have happened if they lost in the semis? Would they just play the whole thing in Austin?

Read FanHouse previews for Texas, Kansas and all the other teams in the NCAA Tournament.

Texas Loses Big 12 Final but Gains Much, Much More originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 16 Mar 2008 22:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCAA Previews: Recognize the Texas Longhorns

Charles Rich — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 22:05:00 EST

Filed under: Texas Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, South

Conference: Big 12
Record: 26-5, 13-3 in conference
RPI: 6
How They Got In: At-Large
Seed/Bracket: 2/South

Mascot: Longhorns. The famed live steer, Bevo, is not allowed in basketball arenas. That means it's the anthropomorphic mascot, "Hook 'em"

Big Wins: Kansas, at UCLA, Tennessee, Mt. St. Mary's, swept Oklahoma

Notable Loss: at Missouri

Player You Should Know: D.J. Augustin is the man for the Longhorns. Even in games where he wasn't scoring, he was producing. Whether it was getting to the line by driving and drawing fouls, or just making the passes for assists. He averages close to 20 points and 5 to 6 assists each night.

Outlook: If the Longhorns don't make the Sweet 16 it will be an upset. This team has beaten all Tennessee, UCLA and Kansas this season. There is no reason they shouldn't be in the Elite 8.

NCAA Previews: Recognize the Texas Longhorns originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 16 Mar 2008 22:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCAA Previews: Recognize the Pitt Panthers

Charles Rich — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:54:00 EST

Filed under: Pittsburgh Basketball, Big East Basketball, South

Conference: Big East
Record: 22-9, 10-8 in conference
RPI: 15
How They Got In: Conference Tournament Champs
Seed/Bracket: #4/South

Mascot: Panther. The Panther was adopted in 1909. Obviously the alliteration of the name was appealing. The other part of the reason was that at that point there was no other college that called themselves "Panthers" -- forget that catamounts, mountain lions, pumas and cougars are all merely different names for the same cat, felis concolor. Despite being a common nickname for high school teams, only 5 other D-1 schools use Panthers as a nickname.

Big Wins: Duke, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette

Notable Loss: Rutgers

Player You Should Know: Sam Young was the Big East's Most Improved Player and the Big East Tournament MVP. The forward can shoot from the perimeter and get inside. He has a very good mid-range jumper and one of the best shot-fakes in the country.

Outlook: The injuries to Pitt are well-documented. They play a short bench and rely on controlling the tempo of the game -- they are one of the slowest teams in the country -- to create efficiencies on offense and defense. Their play has picked up at the end of the season, but it is hard to see them getting much further than the Sweet 16 -- again.

NCAA Previews: Recognize the Pitt Panthers originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCAA Previews: Recognize the Marquette Golden Eagles

Charles Rich — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:32:00 EST

Filed under: Marquette Basketball, Big East Basketball, March Madness, South

Conference: Big East
Record: 22-8, 11-7 in conference
RPI: 20
How They Got In: At-Large
Seed/Bracket: 6/South

Mascot: Golden Eagle. This past season, they re-designed their Golden Eagle ~~to look more like Southern Mississippi's~~. They won a national championship as the "Warriors," but there was no getting past the connection to Native Americans from the Milwaukee area and eventually the school moved to their presently semi-generic Golden Eagle. Despite huge donations being offered conditioned on changing the name back to Warriors, the school wouldn't bite. There was an ill-fated move a few years ago, to simplify things. No, not "Eagles." They thought "Gold" was the better option. Within a few days, the hue and outcry forced a reversal.

Big Wins: Notre Dame (x2), at Wisconsin, Pitt

Notable Loss: at Syracuse (by 15 points)

Player You Should Know: Jerel McNeal is Marquette's best defensive player. Last year, he went down with a thumb injury just before the post-season and Marquette went out of the Big East and NCAA Tournaments with a whimper. He is healthy and ready. He has also become their offensive spark plug in the last two weeks.

Outlook: Everyone always talks about how you can't win in March without guard play. Marquette is one of those teams that takes it a little too far. Their frontcourt has some shooting talent, but not much strength. Getting to the Sweet 16 would be doable, but not much more than that.

NCAA Previews: Recognize the Marquette Golden Eagles originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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