College Basketball: 3/5 to 3/11 - March Madness Preview and Conference Champion Week

[JohnBM01]

GTPlanet, I have a few games, but instead of doing a number of games, I want to use this week to honor the champions who punched in their chance to play in Indianapolis as one of four teams with a chance to win the National Championship. I'll do a limited number of games this week and will honor conference champions. But first, a look at Last Week Madness.

LAST WEEK...
* Duke hosted North Carolina. You already know that Duke and North Carolina have as much love between them as Michigan and Ohio State. Exactly. NO LOVE WHAT-SO-EVER! North Carolina was breaking down, but Duke broke down late. Duke has lost two straight. I don't see them losing three straight to be honest. I'm not expecting an upset like in last year's March Madness where Vermont upset Syracuse. UNC lead this rivalry series as Duke is stumbling a bit. * I talk so much about the University of Houston looking to make the dance. They'd make their biggest impact if they upset #3 Memphis in Memphis. Unfortunately, the Tigers beat the Houston Cougars 69-62. But still, beating two out of three bigtime ranked teams isn't bad. * While not the Men's team, but let's talk about "FoolKiller's" girls. That would be the Kentucky Lady Wildcats. They had a chance to upset LSU's Lady Tigers lead by their great coach, Pokey Chatman. Pokey wouldn't shed tears. Besides, the Lady Wildcats suffered a big blowout. As for the men, I have a Sunday Sampler including the Kentucky MEN as they tried to exact their revenge against Florida.

Let's do some hoops, starting with the Sunday Sampler.

SUNDAY SAMPLER - NON-CHAMPIONSHIP/TOURNAMENT GAMES
---MEN---
* #4 Villanova at Syracuse (92-82; Villanova)
* #??? Florida at Kentucky (79-64; Florida)
* Florida State at Miami (6?-6?; Florida State)
---WOMEN---
(no scores available)

Now, I have some news to share about teams who got their tickets to the Big Dance. Not just in Men, but also the Women.

ALREADY GOING TO THE BIG DANCE:
Pennsylvania (Ivy League)
Not Pennsylvania State... but little University of Pennsylvania. Their home court is one of the Meccas of college basketball- The Palestra. When Philadelphia's Big Five have this challenge among the five big schools (including Drexel which makes it the City Six), the battleground is The Palestra. Pennsylvania calls the Palestra home and do a great job defending home court. Pennsylvania (many simply say "Penn") is the best in conference, and Dartmouth is the hands-down worst in conference. They defeated Yale to advance.

* Winthrop (Big South)
Winthrop University is based in Rock Hill, SC. After checking a World Atlas, it is only 25 or so miles south southwest of Charlotte, NC. Winthrop was pointing their fingers up... up to Indianapolis. They have a chance to perhaps be one of the best four teams to play for the National Championship. Winthrop may not be hands-down favorites, but they can really catch some teams if you let them get a run on you. They had to beat another South Carolina-based team to do so- Coastal Carolina University.

* Belmont (Atlantic Sun Conference)
I don't know if Belmont University and the Belmont Stakes are related, but surely basketball and the Bruins are related. Belmont is completely foreign to you if you follow college football. Belmont University is based in the Music City of Nashville, TN. Belmont's idea of sweet music involves the notes of sneakers sliding across the floor, players sweating and getting physical trying to grab boards and 2-3 Zoning the competition, and of course... the loyal Belmont fans who help them get to where they are. And where they are is the Big Dance. Let's see if these Tennessee boys can do working the brackets.

* Murray State (Ohio Valley Conference)
Murray, Kentucky. The city of Murray is in southwest Kentucky, and over 200 miles southwest of Louisville and Lexington. Murray State has a good basketball team, even if they aren't the Kentucky powers of [the University of] Kentucky or Louisville. All of us racing game fans can appreciate the nickname Murray State chose- the Racers. They are also called the Throughbreds in some NCAA sports. The inspiration for their nickname is actually horse racing (boo! 👎). What does it take to win races? Skill, talent, and even a little luck. These Racers could translate that VERY well to racing
WELCOME THE FOLLOWING TO THE BIG DANCE:

* Southern Illinois (Missouri Valley Conference)
You may have never heard of Carbondale, IL. If you're so caught up in teams not from major conferences, then you don't really care about other Division 1 teams. In Division 1-A football alone, there are about 119 teams. There are likely 79 to 80 1-AA teams. There are more Division 1 basketball schools than Div. 1-A and 1-AA football schools COMBINED. Southern Illinois has a team in both sports and are pretty successful at both. Just today, the Salukis (a breed of Middle Eastern dog) took on the Braves of Bradley University. Afterwards, those Salukis were good little doggies in winning. (Bradley vs. Southern Illinois (59-46; Southern Illinois)

* Davidson College (Southern Conference)
Davidson's Wildcats did everything they had to, and then some. They are now part of the dance. As dance members, they'll have many more teams to join the big party. As this Big Dance transpires, many will fall. Davidson College will hope they don't fall sooner than later. They EARNED their spot by blowing out their opponent to advance to the dance. Chattanooga vs. Davidson (80-55; Davidson)

Remember. I will only cover teams who lock up championship bids. This is my deal from every Division 1 (and maybe D2 and D3) ranging from the ACC to the WCC. No "meaningless" games this week. Also, share who you think will make it to The Big Dance, as well as who may be the National Chmapions. Hoop it up, GTPlanet!

 

[JohnBM01]

MONDAY'S GAMES
Again... part of this thread will be scores, and the other part will be about my thoughts about what brackets could follow for 2006. We begin with the men, continue with the women, and then look to March Madness.

SPECIAL NOTE: I am sad to report that Hall of Fame baseball player Kirby Puckett died at age 45 today. I don't know or follow baseball, but my thoughts and prayers go to you and your family and friends.

MEN'S DIVISION - ODE TO CHAMPIONS SPECIAL
Welcome the following teams to The Big Dance:

* Iona College (Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference)
I hate when people pronounce MAAC like the MAC. Usually, I can't tell which they are talking about. When I'm thinking MAC, I'm thinking of Division 1-A's most severely underrated football conference. When I'm thinking MAAC, I'm thinking of a plethora of teams based around, in, or near major New England cities. The only exception is Loyola College in Baltimore, MD. Note I said "New England." Iona College calls themselves the Gaels. You know what a Gael is if you know of Gaelic folk. I thought Niagara was going to be the story of the conference, but Iona College and St. Peter's College weren't bad picks. I know more of St. Peter's in basketball, considering St. Peter's had a great player in Keydren(?) Clark. Iona's heading to the dance and have the hardware to prove it. I personally think they may be 1-and-done, maybe even 2-and-done. But they can go all they way with great play and team spirit. Good luck, Iona. And congratulations.

* North Carolina-Wilmington (Colonial Athletic Association)
I believe it's about time they get an automatic bid. GTPlanet, when I look at scores from a variety of different sources, I notice just how good North Carolina-Wilmington is. We normally like to think that teams like North Carolina and Duke are some of the best teams America has to offer. But look among teams you don't hear about, especially if you follow football. There are over four other University of North Carolina campuses (there are several more on top of that, but let's stay in Division 1). Among them, the North Carolina-Charlotte, North Carolina-Asheville, North Carolina-Greeensboro, and North Carolina-Wilmington. An interesting thing to remember is that all four schools I mentioned are in four different conferences. North Carolina-Wilmington has amassed a good number of wins in the CAA. They are clearly the best among Division 1's non-football schools in North Carolina. They are going dancing this year. As with every team, they are among the 65 teams who may become National Champion. I'd personally love to see North Carolina-Wilmington have a stellar performance. It may be a stretch, but I think they may likely become Sweet Sixteen material. Congratulations from me to you, the University of North Carolina-Wilmington Seahawks. Hofstra vs. North Carolina-Wilmington (78-67; North Carolina-Wilmington)

"A Few Great Men" Gonzaga (West Coast Conference)
Gonzaga University is one of the different Jesuit Universities in America. In fact, many universities and colleges in America in college basketball are mostly religious-type universities and colleges. Look at Mount St. Mary's College, Boston College, Detroit, San Francisco, Creighton, Xavier, Saint Joseph's, you go from there. In many respects, college basketball is religion. If you want to win, you have to believe. Invest the power within yourself and your team, and anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Gonzaga known this ever since winning WCC title after WCC title. They now have eight as the Bulldogs are ready to make some noise in March Madness... again. Let this be a warning to those who doubted Gonzaga. I know Gonzaga isn't Duke or Connecticut, but they are the little school that could. I know the West Coast Conference isn't as detailed as the ACC or Big East. But what they lack in glamour, they make up for with a very talented team. I may even be inclined to say that Gonzaga could very well be a Final Four contender. Who wouldn't want to see Gonzaga vs. Duke for the National Championship in Indianapolis? Put Gonzaga very, very far into your bracket. Congratulations, and Gonzaga... keep up your winning form, because March Madness is not for losers or the faint of heart and spirit. You need to WIN to win. Loyola Marymount at Gonzaga! (64-63; GONZAGA! ! = Host school





WOMEN'S DIVISION
(no scores available at this time)

Expect an update to this post soon.

 

[JohnBM01]

UPDATES

MEN'S DIVISION
Extra info to come, but here are the Conference Champions.


---MEN---
Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Horizon League)


Oral Roberts (Mid-Continent)


South Alabama (Sun Belt Conference)






WOMEN'S DIVISION
Remember that Conference Champions get an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, and we begin with one GTPlanet member's school.

WELCOME THE FOLLOWING TO THE BIG DANCE:

WVU at Conn


* Oakland University (Mid-Continent Conference)
I've actually enjoyed covering Oakland games to be honest. GTP's own "BlazinXtreme" is an Oakland boy, but the Oakland girls are the topic of this story. Oakland University has no relation whatsoever to Oakland, CA. This is a school in Rochester, Michigan... which is about in southeastern Michigan. Usually, the men are usually covered in my posts, but I've perhaps underrated the Oakland women. The Lady Golden Grizzlies are the poster children of what Mid-Continent basketball is about in the women's ranks, at least for this season. Now, they must prove they are the best among 47 others looking to play for the Div. 1 Women's National Championship in Boston. To the ladies of Oakland University, congratulations on a job well done. Go as far as you can in the National Championship dance. Trade the sneakers for dressy pumps and sandals... until the National Championship tournament starts, of course. Then, lace 'em up and hit the hardwood. You dig me, ladies? And oh yes... Oakland at ??? (65-56; Oakland)

That's all for now.

 

[FoolKiller]

Murray State (Ohio Valley Conference)
Murray, Kentucky. The city of Murray is in southwest Kentucky, and over 200 miles southwest of Louisville and Lexington. Murray State has a good basketball team, even if they aren't the Kentucky powers of [the University of] Kentucky or Louisville. All of us racing game fans can appreciate the nickname Murray State chose- the Racers. They are also called the Throughbreds in some NCAA sports. The inspiration for their nickname is actually horse racing (boo! 👎). What does it take to win races? Skill, talent, and even a little luck. These Racers could translate that VERY well to racing

Hey now! Them's fightin words here in the bluegrass. In all reality it is odd that Louisville or Kentucky didn't select a thoroughbred as their mascot. Lexington is "the horse capital of the world." They even went to court to defend that title against a Florida town. Louisville has Churchill Downs and the most famous horse race in the world, The Kentucky Derby (dubbed the fastest two minutes in sports), which is actually a two week party for Louisville. The only thing in this state that can compete with basketball is horse racing. Fortunately the big meets don't overlap basketball season.

Besides, anything is better than WKU's hilltoppers, which is then represented by Big Red who looks like the red cousin of McDonald's Grimace.



I am waiting to find out what you have to say about the Louisville vs Pitt game. Every UK fan in the state was tipping a beer to Pitt as they got ahead 20-0 in the first half. Louisville, say hello to the NIT. Pitino has never been and from the way he is talking they might not accept the invitation. - Didn't I back in the fall say something about Louisville having a huge challenge in the Big East? Yes, I did.


Let's all pay attention to UK playing Ole Miss tonight. The last time they met it was a 40 point blow out.

 

[JohnBM01]

Well, I'm not doing Quarterfinal or Semi-Final games this week This is all about March Madness and the teams who will all compete for a National Championship bid. But because we're cool, FoolKiller, here's an exclusive from me.

JOHN'S EXCLUSIVE:
* Lousville vs. Pittsburgh (Big East Tournament - Madison Square Garden - New York, NY)
Birds and cats coming your way, GTP... in one of my personal favorite cities, New York City. The 16-team Big East conference can only accept 12 to become part of something big. Pittsburgh had a great season... then a number of tumbles. They'll keep going like Energizer bunnies. Only problem is, they are Energizer Panthers. They have a lot of juice in them to make a run at the championship. Trying to rebound from disappointing losses are Louisville. Their Big Man on Campus (BMOC for short) is Taquan Dean. Louisville sports red, and these Cardinals hope to be red hot against their Big East opposition. Did they? Well, when I was watching scores on ESPNEWS, I seen the score as 38-9 in favor of Pittsburgh with 3:08 left in the First Half. I'm not kidding! 38-9. That's a football score! This is the football equivalent of Ohio trailing to Ohio State, people! Louisville is getting embarrased as it took them over nine minutes to finally knock down a score. Credit Louisville, however. They could simply just pretend to be Savannah State and let Pittsburgh pound them into the ground and push up daisies. This is how Louisville's website ( http://uoflsports.collegesports.com ) and Pittsburgh's website ( http://pittsburghpanthers.collegesports.com/ ) described the game in the headline:

"Carl Krauser scored 19 points and No. 15 Pittsburgh, despite not making a field goal over the final 13 1/2 minutes, held on to beat Louisville 61-56 Wednesday night in the opening round of the BIG EAST Tournament." -Louisville headline

You can imagine the boys in Lexington were watching the game, maybe drink a soda or beer, and probably laughing their asses off by seeing their rival fall apart. The Lexington boys and girls were likely chanting "over-rated!" Louisville had to fight back during the season to even be in the tourney. All I can say is... if you're driving on a bus from New York back to Louisville, here's some advice... don't drive through Lexington. As for Pittsburgh, they advance. Louisville's fate will soon be decided. If it isn't good, then it will just be time for their baseball and football teams to get ready for next season while the Men's Basketball team needs work. Long story short- Pittsburgh had a hot and healthy engine, while Louisville needed antifreeze (yes, even in March!), a tune up, oil change, transmission check, emissions test, and almost every damn thing in the book to save Louisville. For a former national championship team, this has been disappointing. (61-56; Pittsburgh - Advances to Next Round)


And there you have it. But if you want a Big East sleeper who can make some noise, my pick would be Marquette University. They knocked off some big names and could be huge in New York City. More results to come.

 

[JohnBM01]

UPDATES UP TO FRIDAY
I want to only invite people to the dance. Now, I got more updates. As of right now, meet your dancers...

---MEN; incomplete list---
Penn
Belmont
Winthrop
Murray State
Davidson
Southern Illinois
South Alabama
Gonzaga
Monmouth
Iona
Oral Roberts
Wisconsin-Milwaukee

...And now welcome a new name.

* Bucknell (Patriot League)
GTPlanet, allow me to give the Patriot League some love. The Patriot League isn't a power conference. It doesn't have the underrated appeal of the Missouri Valley Conference. But, they do have one thing in their favor- a great basketball team. If it isn't Holy Cross, it's Bucknell. Bucknell was once ranked when they got upset by Northern Iowa. Still, the Bison have freight trained almost all opposition. They beat up just about all teams in the Patriot League including Army, Navy, Lafayette, Lehigh, American, Colgate... and the team they just beat to meet the other 64 boys- Holy Cross.



Now for some updates outside of championship games.

"They're Baaaack!"
Syracuse knocked off Connecticut up in New Yawk Ceetee (New York City, of course). They also knocked off Georgetown. Syracuse seems to be looking VERY good, but the winner of Pittsburgh/Villanova will determine the Big East winner.

"Welcome to the Wildcat Den"
If you thought Syracuse had struggles and doing well in the tournament, well, they aren't the only ones. The Kentucky Wildcats are equally impressive as they try to rebound from some big losses in the regular season. Kentucky beat down Ole Miss in the regular season, then finished off the second-worst SEC basketball team (Auburn is worst) yet again. For a moment, it seemed like Alabama was going to Alabama Slam Kentucky. But Tubby Smith and the 'Cats boldly said... "uh uh! Not gon' happen, player!" Kentucky's kittens showed that Kentucky Blue is better than Alabama Crimson, much less a Crimson Tide. They got to prove they aren't done as they face the defending NIT Champions, South Carolina.

"Only a Miracle..."
Only a miracle can get Houston into The Big Dance. Being a native Houstonian, I want to see a Houston team get into the NCAA tournament after they blew out Central Florida. But then, they had a rematch against Memphis. They had a tough time shooting three-pointers, and fell hard in this game. The University of Houston is the pride of Houston, Texas in college basketball. I'd personally want to see Houston have the time of their lives in March Madness. With the struggles they faced, this is their first 20-win season since 1993. They trailed LSU by 21 at half time, and came back to upset the LSU Tigers. Then, they played Arizona at home, leading by two, finishing them off by 4. I don't know about RPI and strength of schedule, but Houston has had a hell of a season. But it all comes down to Sunday as to how they how they will get a championship.

"The Hawk Will Never Die"
Do you know who Phil Martelli is? Well, he's the coach of Saint Joseph's University. He's the men's hoops coach. He's also the host of the popular "Phil Martelli's Hawk Talk," an entertaining coaches' show that can be seen on CSTV (College Sports Television). The Philadelpia, PA school got themselves a ticket to the Atlantic 10 finals. They'll meet
for the Championship game on Saturday, and you bet I'll be on it. (73-59; Saint Joseph's)

"Spoke too Soon..."
I noted that Marquette would be a sleeper for the Big East title, but they fell flat on their faces the day I typed up my previous post. Sorry, Marquette. Had a great run. Let's see what the NCAA thinks.



Titles for the bigtime conferences will be decided this Saturday. Look out for my March Madness threads. Yes, threads. One March Madness thread will be for the men, and the other will be for the women. Among popular colleges on GTPlanet, only one is guaranteed a trip to the dance:

Oakland University (Women)

The other popular schools of GTPlanet members are still to be decided including:

Kentucky
Maryland-Baltimore County
Illinois

That's all. See you Saturday.

 

[JohnBM01]

UPDATES UP TO SATURDAY
GTPlanet, this is my first college sports report where I extend it past the original end of the week. This is likely my final regular thread session before getting ready for March Madness. Having said this, meet the newest dancers for March:

* Syracuse (Big East Conference)
Actually, I thought they'd be done after having been blown out by DePaul. The good news is that Syracuse turned it all around and made a HUGE difference for March. Forget West Virginia. Forget Pittsburgh. Forget Georgetown... Syracuse basically upset all of them. What if Syracuse wins the national championship despite the struggles they faced? I'd be like "damn!"

* California-Los Angeles (Pac-10 Conference)
The Pac-10 is not a basketball conference much like the Big East. Never rule out the passion and dedication of Los Angeles' boys who rock Pauley Pavillion. UCLA may be in a city ruled by the USC Trojans, but it didn't stop the Bruins from making an Academy Award-winning performance called "UCLA Pwns Cali." In theaters now, rated "D" for "Damn! That's a big blowout!"

* Memphis (Conference USA)
Okay, I wanted Houston to be a sleeper and keep up their good work of upsetting good teams. They put the jinx on LSU and Arizona, now they've been gone since losing to Memphis- once in the regular season, the other time in the C-USA tournament. If Houston makes it to the NCAA and has to match up against Memphis, I fear their chances in them with that one last time deal. But outside of that, the Memphis Tigers are just too damn good. Only UAB has derailed Memphis in conference. Memphis is probably Sweet Sixteen, maybe Elite Eight, maybe even Final Four with luck. Put them high in your bracket.

* Southern (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
The Southern Jaguars are from the same city you'll find the LSU Tigers- Baton Rouge, LA. They proven their stuff and are going to The Big Dance. I usually say Alabama A&M is the best in the SWAC, but the power struggle fell in Southern's favor as they are going to the dance. Battle of the bands? Are the other 64 picks ready to face Southern's music? Find out when tourney time rolls around.

* Duke (Atlantic Coast Conference)
Really, Duke didn't have to win this. Don't take this as a bad thing... it's because Duke is going to The Dance regardless. They are too damn good and hope to prove it in March. Only hope is that Duke doesn't end up like Syracuse during the 2005 March Madness, when they got upset by a mid-major (Vermont in this case). Duke are usually instant favorites. Let's see if they fail to disappoint this season as well.

* Xavier (Atlantic 10 Conference)
Saint Joseph's University had the chance to advance to the dance despite a less-than-stellar season. Unfortunately, Xavier was clutch in the end in this close fight.

If any others, I'll update as much as I can.



Now, some non-championship news.

"Judgment Day"
Kentucky had the chance to play in the SEC Tournament, but the struggling Wildcats accepted a tough loss. Can they still make the tournament? Tubby Smith and company surely hope they can make The Big Dance. If they can turn around their season in the postseason, they may end up as a basketball version of the 1988 Odessa Permian Panthers ("Friday Night Lights"). And if they progress to the finals, they can do what Odessa Permian couldn't- win it all. Question is... will they make it to the dance? Selection Sunday will determine the fate of the Wildcats.

I haven't seen too many games, so I can't comment on too much. Well, be sure to stay tuned for March Madness info. I'll try to look for bracket information so you can make your own brackets and decide who's advancing and who's going home. To get you ready for March Madness, here is a quote from TNT's coverage of last year's NBA Playoffs:

"Win or Go Home" -TNT Sports

Dig?

 

[FoolKiller]

"Judgment Day"
Kentucky had the chance to play in the SEC Tournament, but the struggling Wildcats accepted a tough loss. Can they still make the tournament? Tubby Smith and company surely hope they can make The Big Dance. If they can turn around their season in the postseason, they may end up as a basketball version of the 1988 Odessa Permian Panthers ("Friday Night Lights"). And if they progress to the finals, they can do what Odessa Permian couldn't- win it all. Question is... will they make it to the dance? Selection Sunday will determine the fate of the Wildcats.

For some reason South Carolina has our number and no one elses. Well, they had Tennessee's number too.

I'll be rooting for them agiant Louisville in the NIT.

Wait, did I say Louisville in the NIT?