Saturday's Scores

It's hard to believe that there is something else going on in college basketball other than Kentucky's search for a head coach, but there were 2 Final Four games on Saturday. Neither one was much fun to watch, but I really think that the Florida vs. Ohio St. rematch will be a good game. Florida was able to go on a run in the 2nd half, and UCLA had no way of catching up, because they have such a hard time scoring. Ohio St. can put up points just as fast as Florida, and they are much better than they were when they lost at Florida in December. I doubted Ohio St. all year long, but now I have no doubt that the 2 best teams are actually in the title game. This could be the last game for many of the players that will be on the floor Monday, and I think it will be a close one. I say it's a game of runs with Ohio St. going up by 10+ in the 1st half, but Florida coming back in the 2nd to get the win by 3.

Final Four Semifinals:

2 Georgetown 60 - Hibbert played well when he wasn't out due to fouls, but not a good team effort; OSU's quickness on defense made it difficult for them to score.
1 Ohio St. 67 - Oden is good, but the rest of the team is what makes them such a good team; somebody is always coming through, and they seem to always hit big shots.

2 UCLA 66 - Defense started off well, but the offense wasn't there; Florida figured out the defense and had a dunk fest, and the UCLA offense never showed up.
1 Florida 76 - Although it was just a 10 point win, this wasn't close after the first 10 minutes; so many weapons on offense that it takes an offensive oriented team to beat them.

Where to find out more about the future UK coach

Here are a couple of places that you can visit to find out some more information about the search for the new UK coach. The first site has links to everything in the media dealing with Kentucky basketball. The second site takes a more sane look at the coaching situation without a bunch of rumors.

Aaron's UK Basketball Blog

Kentucky Sports Radio

Late night rumors

The Cats Pause and at least 2 tv stations in Kentucky are reporting that UK has offered Billy Donovan a contract worth 3.5 million a year for 7 years. Some people are only saying this is a rumor while others are saying its a "done deal." I personally hope it happens, and I believe that it will (although I have no sources), but I don't think that Donovan has signed anything yet. He's going to coach Florida in the Final 4 this weekend.

Of course as soon as this story broke, there were some that said that it kills UK's hopes with Donovan. I guess these people are just naturally pessimistic, because if Billy wants to come to UK, this isn't going to stop him. It might give Florida a chance to up the contract, but I still think Kentucky will outbid Florida no matter what. If Florida matched this amount, Billy Donovan would make more than Urban Meyer, the Florida football coach. I don't see that happening at a school like Florida.

Hopefully Florida will just lose on Saturday, so we can all find out what is really happening.

Sunday's Scores

Midwest:

3 Oregon 77 - Florida's size on Oregon's guards really affected their shooting; not a bad effort from Oregon, but they just ran into an extremely good team.
1 Florida 85 - Defense stepped up and so did the rebounding with a 35-21 margin; almost impossible to beat when Humphrey is shooting like he did from 3 (7-13).

East:

2 Georgetown 96 - Their offense can be a thing of beauty (especially against the UNC defense); 26 assist on 38 FG; had more ast. than UNC had field goals.
1 North Carolina 84 - Totall blew this game by not playing defense; allowed 56.6% FG and 57.1% 3pt FG; had the talent, but just not the discipline.

Kentucky's Opponents:

Half the Final Four is made up of UK's opponents in Florida and UCLA. Kentucky's opponents have a 23-10 record so far in the tournament.

Saturday's Scores

Maybe I shouldn't try predicting any more outcomes, I was 0-2 on Saturday. Both of the games were much closer than the final score. Fouls at the ends of the games made it a much larger margin that it was for the majority of the time.

South:

2 Memphis 76 - Had enough offense with their drive and dish philosophy, but they forgot to play defense the entire game; let Ohio St. get to the rim way to often.
1 Ohio St. 92 - Oden's presence makes them so much better on offense even when he doesn't touch the ball, because it opens up shots for their guards; I think I'd make Oden have to create his own shot, instead of receiving a pass after the guard has drove into the lane.

West:

2 UCLA 68 - Played great defense, and just made shots when they had too; they aren't pretty, but they are getting the job done.
1 Kansas 55 - 1st half tempo was fast, but the score didn't show it; never could get over the hump to come all the way back.

Morris leaves for the NBA

In case you haven't heard, Randolph Morris has signed to play with the New York Knicks and ended his career at Kentucky. I expected Morris to leave, and I can't say that I blame him. He picked a good time to go ahead and get this over with, so UK knows how many scholarships they'll have to give out. I also never question anybody leaving college when they have guaranteed money coming to them.

Everybody has their own opinion of Morris, but one thing that really impressed me was his patience. Randolph was the center of every opponents defense, and took some major abuse down low. He was constantly fouled and took some pretty hard falls this year. He also was the victim of many questionable calls. Randolph stayed calm through all of this, and never let his emotions get the better of him. He also was the one who kept UK from having a losing season this year. I think he extremely talented, and will be very productive in the NBA.

This obviously hurts Kentucky for next year, but will also force some of the other players to step up and produce. It's hard to comment much on next year's team due to the fact that there is no coach yet, and there will be at least 5 new players coming in, if all of the scholarships are filled. The one player who needs to capitalize on this situation is Joe Crawford. Joe has shown that he can play great, but he is also extremely inconsistent. He is now the only 1 of the 3 McDonald's All-Americans left from the 2004 class. Last year was Rondo's year, and this year was Morris's. Hopefully next year will be Joe's.

Friday's Scores & Regional Finals Preview

Midwest:

5 Butler 57 - Able to keep Florida from getting it at their pace, but still couldn't get it done.
1 Florida 65 - Still not looking like the team from last year, and they really need to get it together before facing Oregon on Sunday.

7 UNLV 72 - Made a great comeback at the end, but still fell short.
3 Oregon 76 - Can put up points so fast, and it created a lead that was too great to overcome.

6 Vanderbilt 65 - Might have been cheated out of a win with a non-walking call.
2 Georgetown 66 - Vandy created alot of matchup problems, which is what I think will hurt them vs. UNC.

5 USC 64 - Had the big lead, but let UNC keep running up and down the court.
1 North Carolina 74 - Closed the large gap so fast, and then completely took control.

This year has turned out to be the year of the power teams. The lowest seed left is a 3, and all four 1 seeds are still alive. If all 4 of the 1's advance, this year might have the most talent ever assembled at a Final Four.

Saturday:

1 Ohio St. vs. 2 Memphis - One of the few times that OSU won't be the most athletic team on the court. I originally had Ohio St. making the Final 4, but I think Memphis might be too tough on the inside. Ohio St. hasn't faced a team that has this much talent down low since December. Memphis will try to penetrate and attack Oden, but also kick it out for open 3's. If the 3's are falling for the Tigers, then they will win. I say Memphis by 7.

1 Kansas vs. 2 UCLA - UCLA will try to do what SIU did and keep it a halfcourt game. Kansas almost lost that kind of game, and UCLA has more talent and could get the win if that is the tempo. I think Kansas will try to run, and where down the Bruins. My main concern for KU is their defense. They have some players who can make good defensive plays, but I don't think they are a great halfcourt defensive team. I say Kansas by 4.

Sunday:

1 Florida vs. 3 Oregon - 2 teams that like to run, but only 1 that plays good defense. Florida can be a really good defensive team when they try. The problem is that the Gators still haven't put together anything near a complete game in this year's tournament. I think the only way that Oregon wins is if they are shooting great from 3, and Florida is flat. I say Florida by 11.

1 North Carolina vs. 2 Georgetown - Georgetown plays a slow down type game, but they are also pretty athletic. If they are able to defend in transition, then this will be close. If UNC gets off to a hot start, then I see them winning pretty easily. Carolina has worn down all 3 of their opponents so far, and I see the same thing happening in this one. I say North Carolina by 13.

Kentucky's Opponents:

Florida, Kansas, UCLA, North Carolina, and Memphis are all still alive and make up over half of the Elite 8.

Thursday's Scores

Midwest:

4 Southern Illinois 58 - Defense always keeps them in a game, and they were just short on talent tonight.
1 Kansas 61 - I think they let up after beating UK and seeing SIU; a game like this will prepare them for UCLA.

3 Pittsburgh 55 - Had a chance to beat the old boss, but couldn't get it done.
2 UCLA 64 - Style of play keeps them in every game, and it was perfect for this opponent.

South:

3 Texas A&M 64 - Weren't able to take advantage of the home court; players had to know that their coach would be mentioned for the Kentucky job.
2 Memphis 65 - Able to beat a disciplined team which is sometimes hard for them.

5 Tennessee 84 - Their style of play always allows the opponent a chance to come back, even when it's a 20 point game.
1 Ohio St. 85 - Didn't panic; Able to win with their best players all in foul trouble.

Who's Next?

Well, Tubby is gone. I have to admit that I thought that Tubby would be back in Kentucky, but I was wrong. I was right about Tubby not getting fired, but I thought that leaving UK would go against everything that he has done in his career. Very few people actually know what actually went on between Tubby and the UK administration, and none of them are going to be talking. He might have been forced out, but I don't think that is actually the case. There is no doubt that some of the big money people at UK wanted Tubby gone, but I think that he was going to be allowed to stay at least another year.

I think Tubby's decision was one of two things. First off, he might have just grown tired of the extreme pressure and constant criticism. He made it seem like it didn't get to him, but I'm sure it did, just like it would get to any human being. Tubby might have seen Minnesota as a place where he can go and be a hero. He also gets a chance to start from scratch. If he builds a good program there, his reputation will be much better than it is right now.

The other situation, which I haven't seen anywhere else yet, might have been that Tubby knew that next year is going to be bad, and he needed to get out before he got fired. I think Tubby knows that Morris will not return next year. Even if got Patterson and Lucas for next year, the team could still be in trouble. I don't think that Tubby wanted to put his career in the hands of 2 freshmen. Tubby hadn't been able to succeed with the current group, and it wasn't going to get better after the best player (Morris) leaves. This might not be true at all, but you never know.

I wish Tubby good luck now, especially when he's playing the other Big 10 schools like Indiana and Michigan St.

Now, lets get down to business. Who should UK hire next? My first choice by far would be Billy Donavan. Until last year, I would think that UK would be crazy to hire Donavan, but he's had tons of success at Florida. With Donavan UK would also get somebody who has experience at UK and he would be an immediate fan favorite. Fans would think it's the second coming of Rick Pitino. I've already heard some of the media say that Donavan won't come, but the national media knows nothing of this situation. They always speak their opinions as fact, and they are usually wrong.

Now here are some other considerations:

Rick Pitino: I hope that he is not even considered. Pitino's had his chance at UK and it was great, but I don't want him back. He would win, but I don't think he'd have the success that he had in the 90's.

Billy Gillespie: He's done wonders at Texas A&M and UTEP, but he hasn't had much pressure at either of those places. I do think that he'll push for the job, but I don't think he'll be the top choice.

John Calipari: Great recruiter and has dominated at UMass and Memphis, but could he succeed in a real conference. He could get to another Final 4 this year, which would help his resume look even better.

There are many other candidates, and I'm not going to name them all. I hope that the new coach is named within the next couple of weeks, but I also want them to make sure they hired the right person.

What happened to Tubby's defense?

Tubby Smith's teams have always been known as defensive teams that will lock you down in the half court. Defense is where Tubby's had success, and he's often been criticized for his teams' lack of offense. Now, his Kentucky teams are struggling on the defensive side too, and it is the real reason why UK has had two disappointing seasons.

From the 2002-03 season to the 2004-05 season Kentucky went 87-15. These were Tubby's recruits playing under Tubby's system. Those teams allowed the opposition to shoot at least 50% just 8 times. Kentucky still managed to go 6-2 in those 8 games. In the past 2 seasons Kentucky is 44-25. UK has allowed the opposition to shoot at least 50% 14 times, and has just a 3-11 record in those games.

While most of the fans point to the offense for UK's recent struggles, it's the defense that has fallen the most. This year's team was actually the best shooting UK teams since the 2002-03 team and the 5th best in Tubby's 10 years at UK. It was also the 4th best 3 point shooting team since Tubby's been here.

This year's team, however, had just the 7th best defensive field goal percentage and the 6th best defensive 3pt percentage. Last year's team had the worst defensive field goal percentage since Tubby has been at UK. The last 2 season's have ended with the opponent shooting at least 50% in Kentucky's final game of the tournament. UConn shot 50% on 2's, 30.8% on 3's last year, and Kansas shot 56.6% on 2's, 62.5% on 3's this year. UK just has no way of stopping these powerful offensive teams.

The offense isn't great by any stretch of the imagination, but it is often good enough to win games like it used to. The players are just as athletic as they have been since Tubby's been here, but they aren't buying into the defensive system. While so many people want Tubby to get somebody to fix the offense, it might not make much difference until the defense is fixed.

Sunday's Scores

Midwest:

9 Purdue 67 - Able to hand with the Gators for the whole game, but just not enough fire power.
1 Florida 74 - Always turn it on in the 2nd half, but that could get dangerous.

11 Winthrop 61 - Seemed like they were just glad to be in the 2nd round.
3 Oregon 75 - Able to play much more like they wanted to than in round 1.

7 UNLV 74 - Well coached and very solid all around.
2 Wisconsin 68 - Their lack of offense and athletic ability wasn't going to get them to the Final 4, now they won't be embarrassed by Florida.

West:

8 Kentucky 76 - Morris was never stopped, but just not enough talent to help him out.
1 Kansas 88 - I don't see any weaknesses that will keep them out of the Final 4.

5 Virginia Tech 48 - Terrible matchup; never could play a wide open game like they wanted to.
4 Southern Illinois 63 - Imposed their tempo on this game, and executed so well in the halfcourt.

East:

5 USC 87 - Spoiled the media's Kevin Durant party.
4 Texas 68 - Outmatched the entire game; might have been thinking about 3rd round matchup with UNC.

5 Tennessee 77 - 2 great matchups in 1st 2 rounds; haven't faced an inside presence yet.
4 Virginia 74 - Another ACC contender that falls short of the sweet 16.

7 Nevada 62 - Rarely get to play an athletic team like Memphis, and it exposed their weaknesses.
2 Memphis 78 - Didn't shoot well, but are just so versatile and athletic that they win in many different ways.

Kentucky's Opponents:

Florida, Kansas, UCLA, North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Memphis all advanced to the Sweet 16. I don't think there is any question that Kentucky had one of their hardest schedules of all time. The problem is that UK was only 1-9 vs. these teams. It is a pretty strong possibility that UK will have played all of the final 4 teams.

Kansas 88 Kentucky 76

Kentucky played its final game of the season in a 12 point loss to Kansas. While the margin of defeat isn't that bad, UK really had very little chance to win. UK had no defense for Kansas on the inside or outside.

While a loss to Kansas isn't anything to be embarrassed about, it could have been avoided. There are 2 reasons why Kentucky was in this situation today.

1. First, they weren't able to earn a better seed that would have made it easier to make it further in the tournament. I think UK could have beaten probably all but 4 of the teams in this year's tournament. But, losses to Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi St. cost UK badly. Having such a difficult schedule made it possible for UK to still earn a good seed, but they lost too many games to mediocre teams.

2. Kentucky just doesn't have the talent that teams like Kansas do.

-Randolph Morris would start for any team in the country. Kansas couldn't stop him, all they could do was foul him. He still managed to get 22 points. After Morris, I don't think there is 1 Kentucky player that would start for any of the #1 seeds.

-Obviously Crawford was ranked high in high school, but he hasn't developed like most thought he would.

-Bradley is an ok player, but not one to build your team around.

-Perry played a good game today, and would be great if he was surrounded by talent like Kansas, Florida, or UNC has.

-Meeks has a lot of potential, and is playing well.

-Jasper is a major question heading into next year. He has had a terrible year since January, and has to improve on offense and defense if he wants to stay the point guard.

-Teams like Kansas, UNC, and Ohio St. are getting freshmen that are major difference makers in their first year. Kentucky isn't getting that, and it is hurting them badly.

Now everybody is going to be wondering what changes will be made next year. There are rumors of Tubby leaving, assistants leaving, Morris leaving, Crawford leaving, and many other things. First off, no matter who is coaching, Morris needs to stay for UK to have success next year. Of course UK still needs to get more high level recruits for next year too.

Saturday's Scores

Midwest:

5 Butler 62 (29-6) - Perfect example of the balance in college basketball. They struggled late in the Horizon, but beat the 2nd place team in the ACC.
4 Maryland 59 (25-9) - Very atletic, but just not great basketball talent.

West:

11 VCU 79 (28-7) - Fought back from a 15 point halftime margin; another example of the parity.
3 Pittsburgh 84 OT (29-7) - Almost let this get away, and I think they really play to their competition.

7 Indiana 49 (21-11) - Just 13 1st half points, but still managed to tie it very late in the game.
2 UCLA 54 (28-5) - Their style makes it difficult to put anybody away, but they still get the win.

East:

9 Michigan St. 67 (23-12) - Just got worn out by the end, but the game was close until the last few minutes.
1 North Carolina 81 (30-6) - They have so much talented depth, and they take advantage of it by runningn

6 Vanderbilt 78 (22-11) - Great mix of being very athletic and great shooters; best Vandy team I remember.
3 Washington St. 74 2OT (26-8) - Highest seed to lose so far, but it's not a huge upset.

7 Boston College 55 (21-12) - Needed this to be played faster to get Georgetown out of their game.
2 Georgetown 62 (28-6) - Came from behind, but could have easily lost this.


Only 2 matchups are decided for the next round and they are:

3 Pittsburgh vs. 2 UCLA - Howland vs. his former team; another defensive battle.

6 Vanderbilt vs. 2 Georgetown - This is a rematch from earlier this year that Georgetown won, but both teams are much improved.

Friday's Scores

Midwest Region:

16 Jackson St. 69 - Kept it close for a while; have some great individual talent.
1 Florida 112 - I just don't see anybody in this region that can compete with the Gators.

9 Purdue 72 - Proved that they deserve their seed.
8 Arizona 63 - So much talent that produced so little this year.

11 Winthrop 74 - Let a 20 point lead slip away, but managed to come back.
6 Notre Dame 64 - They can't win if they only make 4 3's.

14 Miami (OH) 56 - Imposed their tempo on the game, and it almost paid off.
3 Oregon 58 - Good to get a win in a style that they aren't best suited for.

7 UNLV 67 - I haven't given them enough credit all year.
10 Georgia Tech 63 - Just too many droughts, and too little experience.

15 Texas A&M C.C. 63 - Led for the majority of the game.
2 Wisconsin 76 - Able to overcome a very slow start.

West Region:

16 Niagara 67 - At least they got to play 2 games this week.
1 Kansas 107 - 12th straight win.

9 Villanova 58 - Would be a great team if they had a good center.
8 Kentucky 67 - Stayed focus under the media blitz regarding Tubby Smith.

12 Illinois 52 - Lack of offense cost them the game after leading until the very end.
5 Virginia Tech 54 - Managed to not fold even when it looked almost lost.

13 Holy Cross 51- Bad matchup to get a team that likes to play their style.
4 Southern Illinois 61 - Play some of the best halfcourt defense in the country.

East Region:

12 Arkansas 60 - Never seemed to be much of a threat.
5 USC 77 - Never let Arkansas make it an up-tempo game.

13 New Mexico St. 67 - Game was closer than the final score says.
4 Texas 79 - Impressed with their youth keeping its composure, and coming back to get the win.

South Region:

12 Long Beach St. 86 - Thought they could out run Tennessee.
5 Tennessee 121 - Maybe the dream matchup for Bruce Pearl.

13 Albany 57 - Got off to a bad start, and never came back.
4 Virginia 84 - Got back to playing like they did for most of the ACC season.

10 Creighton 71 - Were no match for Nevada during overtime.
7 Nevada 77 OT - Very even teams, but managed to get the win.

15 North Texas 58 - Were able to run with the Tigers for a while.
2 Memphis 73 - Their runs are what kills the other team.

Kentucky's Opponents:

Florida, Tennessee, and Memphis all advanced, while Arkansas and Miami (OH) lost. UK is 3-8 vs. the 31 teams left in the tournament, but just 1-1 vs. the teams in their region.

Kentucky 67 Villanova 58

Kentucky played a smart balanced game tonight, and continued their streak of opening round wins in the NCAA Tournament. Everybody new that Morris needed to play well for UK to win, and he did. Randolph had 19 pts, 11 reb, and shot 9-15 FT to lead Kentucky to the win, but he wasn't the only one who produced. Bradley had 11, Crawford 10, Meeks 12, Perry 6, and Thomas had 7. Sheray played maybe the best all around game of his career. He played 28 minutes (each of them well deserved), and really helped the Cats in rebounding and defense.

In the beginning it looked like Kentucky was going to struggle guarding Nova's guards, especially Reynolds. Eventually UK got settled into playing tough, agressive defense, and contained the dribble penetration pretty well. Villanova is totally based on guard play, so they are going to score that way, but they weren't able to take over the game like many thought they would. The best thing about tonight's game was that when Villanova put on a late run, UK kept it's composure. There weren't unforced turnovers or stupid mistakes. Instead, people like Thomas and Bradley stepped up and made important free throws. Kentucky scored 22 of their 67 points from the line, while shooting 71.0% on free throws.

So, the reward for winning this game is the chance to face Kansas on Sunday. KU is one of the hottest teams in the country, and gave Tubby his worst loss in his career at UK last year. If Kentucky plays their game by controlling tempo they have a shot to win. But tonight we'll celebrate the victory over Villanova.

Thursday's Scores

Midwest Region:

13 Davidson 70 - Able to play just as tough as Maryland, but just couldn't compete with them on the boards; had won 13 straight.
4 Maryland 82 - Get somewhat of a break with another mid-major (Butler) in the next round.

12 Old Dominion 46 - Hard to win anytime you shoot just 33%.
5 Butler 57 - Getting to face a fellow mid-major was a gift with their inflated seed.

West Region:

11 VCU 79 - It isn't so rare for an 11 to beat a 6, but they'll still be talked about for years to come.
6 Duke 77 - End the season with 4 straight losses; I don't want to hear anymore excuses from the media, they have 6 McDonald's All-Americans; overrated all year.

14 Wright St. 58 - Were able to keep up most of the 1st half, but then couldn't do anything right.
3 Pittsburgh 79 - Very good team when they have their inside/outside combination working.

10 Gonzaga 57 - Lacked the toughness to compete with a physical team.
7 Indiana 70 - Can beat just about anybody when they're making their 3's.

15 Weber St. 42 - Made just 13 FG's.
2 UCLA 70 - Playing like they think they deserved a #1 seed.

East Region:

16 Eastern Kentucky 65 - Put a scare in UNC by pulling to within 4 in the 2nd half.
1 North Carolina 86 - Can go on a game ending run as quickly as anybody.

9 Michigan St. 61 - Is this another case of MSU playing a mediocre regular season and then catching fire in March?
8 Marquette 49 - Shot 32% and made just 5 2pt FGs; shot 29 3's.

11 George Washington 44 - Had no chance with the way Vandy was playing.
6 Vanderbilt 77 - I'm glad the rest of the country got to see what Vandy is capable of; made 10 3pt FGs in the 1st half.

14 Oral Roberts 54 - Led by 2 at halftime.
3 Washington St. 70 - 7 players had double figure minutes, and 4 of them scored in double figures.

10 Texas Tech 75 - Allowed 52.6% FG and 40% 3FG.
7 Boston College 84 - Remember when everybody declared their season over a couple of months ago?

15 Belmont 55 - Couldn't deal with the size.
2 Georgetown 80 - I'm more impressed every time I see them.

South Region:

16 Cent. Conn. St. 57 - At least they can say they made it farther than UConn.
1 Ohio St. 78 - Nice warm-up for the rest of the tournament; called for just 5 fouls.

9 Xavier 79 - Home crowd might have pushed them over the top.
8 BYU 77 - Led late in the 2nd half, but couldn't hold on.

11 Stanford 58 - Proved that they didn't belong in this tournament.
6 Louisville 78 - Just too much speed, and too physical for Stanford.

14 Penn 52 - This game was closer than the score indicates.
3 Texas A&M 68 - Acie Law took over to get the win.

Saturday's Games:

5 Butler vs. 4 Maryland - Odd 5/4 matchup.
11 VCU vs. 3 Pittsburgh - How will Pittsburgh handle the press?
7 Indiana vs. 2 UCLA - Defense will be the focus for both teams.
1 North Carolina vs. 9 Michigan St. - Can Izzo pull out another upset in March?
6 Vanderbilt vs. 3 Washington St. - I think this will be a great game with 2 teams that can shoot very well.
7 Boston College vs. 2 Georgetown - Both teams broke 80 in the 1st round, but I think it will be much more of a defensive game.
1 Ohio St. vs. 9 Xavier - Good story with Matta facing his old team, but I don't think Xavier can hang with Ohio St.
6 Louisville vs. 3 Texas A&M - Louisville will have a much tougher time trying to press vs. Acie Law.

Kentucky's Opponents:

Kentucky played 5 of the 16 teams that advanced today (Indiana, UCLA, UNC, Vandy, Louisville).

Tuesday's Scores

NCAA Tournament:

Play In Game:

Niagara 77 (23-11, 13-5) - They aren't the 2nd worst team in, actually they might should have even been a 15 seed; vs. Kansas on Friday.
Florida A&M 69 (21-14, 12-6) - I hate it that any of these teams misses out on what most people consider the "real" tournament starting on Thursday.

I'm not going to post on the NIT. I think it's a great event for some teams to carry on their season, but it isn't a true representation for many of the bigger name teams that missed out on getting an NCAA bid. Many times those teams don't put out much effort since they aren't playing for much. That's not to say I won't watch it, because sometimes there are some very good games.

NCAA Tournament Stuff

I took an interesting look at filling out a bracket by using my 5 favorite computer polls to determine the winners. First off, it's scary how much all of these polls go along with the seeds that the committee gave out. I have know doubt that the committee does indeed use some of these (other than the rpi even) when determining seeds.

Here are some highlights using each poll:

1st round upsets:
Sagarin: Georgia Tech, Michigan St., Xavier, Creighton.
Pomeroy: Purdue, Illinois, Michigan St., Arkansas, Xavier, Creighton.
Massey: Illinois, Michigan St.
Greenfield: Winthrop, Illinois, Michigan St.
rpi (from Pomeroy's site): Illinois, Arkansas, Creighton

*Obviously Illinois and Michigan St. are much higher in these polls than where they are seeded.

2nd round upsets:
Sagarin: Notre Dame, Tennessee
Pomeroy: Notre Dame, Duke, Tennessee
Massey: Tennessee
Greenfield: Tennessee
rpi: Tennessee

*Tennessee is not only seeded too high, but they are very lucky to have Virginia (who's also seeded to high) to be their likely 2nd round opponent.

Regional Semifinals upsets:
Sagarin: None
Pomeroy: Texas A&M
Massey: None
Greenfield: None
rpi: Southern Illinois

*Southern Illinois has been high in the rpi all year, and it would be huge for them to make it this far, especially with having to go through some big name programs like Illinois, Kentucky, Villanova, and Kansas.

Regional Finals upsets:
Sagarin: None
Pomeroy: None
Massey: Wisconsin, UCLA
Greenfield: Wisconsin
rpi: Wisconsin, UCLA

*I don't know if I could find 3 out of 5 people that would pick Wisconsin over Florida, but the computers seem to think it will happen.

Final Four for each:
Sagarin: Florida, Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio St. = UNC over Florida
Pomeroy: Florida, Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio St. = UNC over Kansas
Massey: Wisconsin, UCLA, North Carolina, Ohio St. = Ohio St. over Wisconsin
Greenfield: Wisconsin, Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio St. = Ohio St. over Wisconsin
rpi: Wisconsin, UCLA, North Carolina, Ohio St. = Ohio St. over UCLA

*Everybody has North Carolina and Ohio St. in, and they all agree that whoever wins that game will win it all.

Sunday's Scores

The NCAA Tournament field is set, and I was right about the SEC getting a 5th team in. Arkansas did enough early and late in the season to impress the committee. I think they also had to reward the SEC for having the 2nd best rpi conference rating.

I thought the seeding showed just how little impact the AP & Coaches' polls have. To begin with, Florida was the top overall seed, but ranked 6th in the last AP poll, and North Carolina, another 1 seed, was ranked 8th. Nevada was ranked 10th, but got a 7 seed. That means there were at least 24 teams seeded ahead of them. I really thin the selection committee is really focusing on the whole year the strength of schedule.

As far as Syracuse being left out, I think it all came down to having the 122nd ranked non-conference strength of schedule. Even with that easy schedule, they lost at home to Wichita St. and Drexel, and lost a neutral game to Oklahoma St that was in New York. None of those 3 teams made the tournament. Syracuse ended up having only 5 wins over tournament teams, and 2 of those were over Penn and Holy Cross. I think this is just another message for teams to play a tougher schedule.

I'll have alot more about the tournament later on in the week. I'll also follow the NIT.

ACC (Finals):

10. N.C. State 80 (18-15, 5-11)
1. (8) North Carolina 89 (28-6, 11-5) - Deserve their #1 seed after winning both the regular season and tournament in the highest rated conference.

Big Ten (Finals):

2. (3) Wisconsin 49 (29-5, 13-3) - Struggling to score could really hurt them next week.
1. (1) Ohio St. 66 (30-3, 15-1) - Have improved at a much higher rate than Wisconsin since their first meeting.

Big 12 (Finals):

2. (15) Texas 84 (24-9, 12-4) - Lost 2 games to KU by 8 total points.
1. (2) Kansas 88 (30-4, 14-2) - Late season surge is what got them the #1 seed.

SEC (Finals):

3W. Arkansas 56 (21-13, 7-9) - RPI is what saved them.
1E. (6) Florida 77 (29-5, 13-3) - I still don't think anybody can beat them when they're at their best.

Southland:

Northwestern St. 78 (17-15, 10-6)
Texas A&M C.C. 81 (26-6, 14-2) - Win the automatic bid.

Saturday's Scores

America East (Finals):

2. Albany 60 (23-9, 13-3) - Win the automatic bid.
1. Vermont 59 (25-7, 15-1)

ACC (Semifinals):

4. Boston College 56 (20-11, 10-6) - Lost 5 of last 7.
1. (8) North Carolina 71 (27-6, 11-5) - Will likely be a #1 seed after getting to the finals; haven't been challenged yet in the tournament.

10. N.C. State 72 (18-14, 5-11) - Only 5 conference wins, but have 3 in the tournament.
3. Virginia Tech 64 (21-11, 10-6) - Lost 3 of 4; still have a hard time getting up for the lower opponents.

Atlantic 10 (Finals):

4. Rhode Island 69 (19-14, 10-6)
3. George Washington 78 (23-8, 11-5) - Win the automatic bid; will any other A-10 team join them?

Big East (Finals):

3. (13) Pittsburgh 42 (27-7, 12-4) - At least they got the 2 wins against good opponents in the tournament to get of their late season slide.
1. (9) Georgetown 65 (26-6, 13-3) - Win the automatic bid; I think they should be a 2 seed.

Big 10 (Semifinals):

5. Purdue 52 (21-11, 9-7) - Stayed close throughout and might have locked up a bid.
1. (1) Ohio St. 63 (29-3, 15-1) - Likely have the overall #1 seed locked up now.

6. Illinois 41 (23-11, 9-7) - Didn't have any bad losses all season, and beat Indiana twice.
2. (3) Wisconsin 53 (29-4, 13-3) - Get another chance at OSU to try to prove they're the best in the Big 10.

Big 12 (Semifinals):

4. Kansas St. 61 (22-11, 10-6) - Went 5-5 in their last 10, but I think they should be in.
1. (2) Kansas 67 (29-4, 14-2) - Won 10 straight, and will be a #1 seed.

7. Oklahoma St. 64 (22-12, 6-10) - Put together a good run in the tournament, but their 6-10 conference record should keep them out.
3. (15) Texas 69 (24-8, 12-4) - Get another chance at Kansas, who they lost to by just 4 at KU last Saturday.

Big West (Finals):

2. Cal Poly 83 (19-11, 9-5)
1. Long Beach St. 94 (24-7, 12-2) - Win the automatic bid.

Conference USA (Finals):

3. Houston 59 (18-15, 10-6)
1. (5) Memphis 71 (30-3, 16-0) - Win the automatic bid; easily went undefeated vs. the conference, but they might struggle vs. teams that have been playing in strong conferences the last 3 months.

MAC:

4. Miami (OH) 53 (18-14, 10-6) - Win the automatic bid; this hurts more bubble teams.
2. Akron 52 (26-7, 13-3)

MEAC (Finals):

2. Florida A&M 58 (21-13, 12-6) - Win the automatic bid.
1. Delaware St. 56 (21-12, 16-2)

Mountain West (Finals):

1. (23) BYU 70 (25-8, 13-3) - These 2 teams are almost equal.
2. (25) UNLV 78 (28-6, 12-4) - Win the automatic bid; homecourt might have pushed them to winning this tournament.

Pac-10 (Finals):

4. (16) Oregon 81 (26-7, 11-7) - Win the automatic bid; won by 19, 18, and 24 this week; probably wish the NCAA started tomorrow.
3. USC 57 (23-11, 11-7) - Had 2 wins over Oregon, but it's always hard to beat anybody 3 times.

SEC (Semifinals):

3W Arkansas 81 (21-12, 7-9) - I would bet money that the SEC will get at least 5 in, and they look like they might be the one.
1W Mississippi St. 72 (18-13, 8-8) - Even with the better SEC record, they are probably behind Arkansas for a bid.

2W Mississippi 59 (20-12, 8-8) - Needed a better showing.
1E (6) Florida 80 (27-5, 13-3) - The loss @ UT woke them up; I think they should be a #1 seed.

SWAC (Finals):

2. Jackson St. 81 (21-13, 12-6) - Win the automatic bid.
1. Miss. Valley St. 71 (18-15, 13-5)

WAC (Finals):

4. Utah St. 70 (23-11, 9-7)
2. New Mexico St. 72 (25-8, 11-5) - Win the automatic bid; could easily give somebody some trouble in the tournament.

Another Take on the Game

I've edited my comments about the loss to Mississippi St. I was pretty angry right after the game, and really got down on Sheray Thomas. If you want to read the more sensible review, you can scroll down to see it.

Friday's Scores

ACC (Quarterfinals):

9. Florida St. 58 (20-12, 7-9) - A win would have put them in, but they are very much on the bubble.
1. (8) North Carolina 73 (26-6, 11-5) - Trying to secure a #1 seed.

12. Miami (FL) 71 (12-20, 4-12)
4. Boston College 74 OT (20-10, 10-6) - Really needed this after losing 4 of 5.

10. N.C. State 79 (16-15, 5-11)
2. Virginia 71 (20-10, 11-5) -Lost 4 of their last 8 to the 3 bottom ACC teams.

11. Wake Forest 52 (15-16, 5-11)
3. Virginia Tech 71 (21-10, 10-6) - Might get a chance to go 3-0 vs. UNC.

Atlantic 10 (Semifinals):

4. Rhode Island 79 (19-13, 10-6)
1. Xavier 71 (24-8, 13-3) - Stops 9 game winning streak; another bubble team.

7. Saint Louis 40 (20-13, 8-8)
3. George Washington 60 (22-8, 11-5)

Big East (Semifinals):

4. (20) Notre Dame 82 (24-7, 11-5) - Not a bad loss; playing well going into the tournament.
1. (9) Georgetown 84 (25-6, 13-3) - Winning tomorrow would give them a good chance at a 2 seed.

3. (13) Pittsburgh 65 (27-6, 12-4) - Continue to look more like the team they were earlier.
2. (12) Louisville 59 (23-9, 12-4) - It will be interesting to see where they're seeded with the down & up season.

Big Ten (Quarterfinals):

8. Michigan 62 (21-12, 8-8) - Barely hanging on to any NCAA hopes.
1. (1) Ohio St. 72 (28-3, 15-1) - Will be a #1 seed even if they lose tomorrow in the semis.

5. Purdue 74 (21-10, 9-7) - Trying to play their way into an at-large bid.
4. Iowa 55 (17-14, 9-7)

7. Michigan St. 57 (22-11, 8-8) - Lost 3 of 4, but will still be in.
2. (3) Wisconsin 70 (28-4, 13-3) - Hoping for another chance vs. Ohio St.

6. Illinois 58 (23-10, 9-7) - Great win to help their profile.
3. Indiana 54 OT (20-10, 10-6) - Will still be in.

Big 12 (Quarterfinals):

9. Oklahoma 47 (16-15, 6-10)
1. (2) Kansas 64 (28-4, 14-2) - I don't see them losing in this tournament.

5. Texas Tech 45 (21-12, 9-7) - Might be ok, but didn't need to lose by this much.
4. Kansas St. 66 (22-10, 10-6) - I think they have to be the 4th Big 12 team taken.

7. Oklahoma St. 57 (22-11, 6-10) - Huge win to keep them in the NCAA hunt.
2. (7) Texas A&M 56 (25-6, 13-3) - Probably will keep a 2 seed.

11. Baylor 69 (15-16, 4-12)
3. (15) Texas 74 (23-8, 12-4) - Could possibly beat Kansas if Durant is playing at his best.

Big West (Semifinals):

5. UC Irvine 63 (15-18, 6-8)
1. Long Beach St. 77 (23-7, 12-2)

3. CSU Fullerton 56 (20-9, 9-6)
2. Cal Poly 81 (19-10, 9-5)

Conference USA (Semifinals):

4. Tulane 49 (17-13, 9-7)
1. (5) Memphis 71 (29-3, 16-0) - I still think they could possibly steal a #1 seed, but will likely be a 2.

7. Rice 62 (16-16, 8-8)
3. Houston 77 (18-14, 10-6) - If they somehow upset Memphis, it's going to make a bunch of teams mad.

MAC (Semifinals):

4. Miami (OH) 58 (17-14, 10-6)
1. Toledo 53 (20-11, 14-2)

3. Kent St. 54 (21-11, 12-4)
2. Akron 61 (26-6, 13-3) - Could possible get an at-large bid even if they lose in the finals.

MEAC (Semifinals):

5. Morgan St. 53 (13-18, 10-8)
1. Delaware St. 56 OT (21-11, 16-2)

3. N.C. A&T 66 (15-17, 10-8)
2. Florida A&M 74 (20-13, 12-6)

Mountain West (Semifinals):

5. Wyoming 84 (17-15, 7-9)
1. (23) BYU 96 (25-7, 13-3) - Continue to improve their seed.

6. Colorado St. 72 (17-12, 6-10)
2. (25) UNLV 88 (27-6, 12-4)

Pac-10 (Semifinals):

8. California 63 (16-17, 6-12)
4. (16) Oregon 81 (25-7, 11-7) - Maybe the hottest team in the country right now.

3. USC 70 (23-10, 11-7)
2. (11) Washington St. 61 (25-7, 13-5)

Patriot League (Finals):

2. Bucknell 66 (22-9, 13-1)
1. Holy Cross 74 (25-8, 13-1) - Win the automatic bid, and will be one of the better seeded lower league teams.

SEC (Quarterfinals):

4E. Kentucky 82 (21-11, 9-7) - Let the win slip away; not a surprise after the way this season's gone.
1W. Mississippi St. 84 OT (18-12, 8-8) - Winning when they have to.

3W. Arkansas 72 (20-12, 7-9) - Could very well win this tournament.
2E. Vanderbilt 71 (20-11, 10-6) - How much will their early bad losses (Furman, App. St.) hurt their seed? Lost back to back both to Arkansas.

5E. Georgia 57 (18-13, 8-8) - Late season struggles probably will cost them a bid.
1E. (6) Florida 74 (27-5, 13-3) - Still have a good chance at a #1 if they win this tournament.

6W. LSU 60 (17-15, 5-11)
2W. Mississippi 80 (20-11, 8-8) - Would be hard to keep them out if they can beat Florida.

Southland (Semifinals):

7. Lamar 65 (15-17, 8-8)
3. Northwestern St. 78 (17-14, 10-6)

4. McNeese St. 66 (15-17, 9-7)
1. Texas A&M CC 87 (25-6, 14-2)

SWAC (Semifinals):

6. Ark. Pine Bluff 62 (12-19, 9-9)
2. Jackson St. 64 (20-13, 12-6)

5. Texas Southern 50 (14-17, 9-9)
1. Miss. Valley St. 54 (19-14, 13-5)

WAC (Semifinals):

4. Utah St. 79 (23-10, 9-7)
1. (10) Nevada 77 (28-4, 14-2) - This loss keeps a bubble team out.

6. Boise St. 69 (17-14, 8-8)
2. New Mexico St. 88 (24-8, 11-5)

Mississippi St. 84 Kentucky 82 OT

Kentucky managed to give another game away, and this time it was worse than ever. Thomas made a huge mistake by leaving the lane while Meeks was receiving the ball from the ref to shoot a free throw. If Meeks could have made that last shot, UK would have been up by 4 with just 5 seconds remaining. Tubby has taken responsibility for causing Thomas to leave the lane, which is good to see from a coach who is already under tons of pressure.

Even after that, UK had a chance in overtime, but Crawford would not allow anyone else to get involved. Morris had a great game with 29 pts, 15 reb, 3 blks, 2 stl, and 2 ast, but they quit going to him in overtime. Mississippi St. continued to make shots and was able to get the win.

Bradley hurt Kentucky more than he helped them by having 6 turnovers, 4 fouls, and just 3 points. Perry didn't show up either in his last SEC game ever. He had just 5 points on 1-5 shooting. Despite all of the bad play from these 2, UK still had a good chance to win, but just not being focused cost them the game. It's sad that this is what Thomas might be remembered for, but many UK fans will never forgive this mistake. I would love to see Sheray have a great NCAA Tournament and help get Kentucky further than what most people would expect.

Thursday's Scores

ACC (First Round):

9. Florida St. 67 (20-11, 7-9) - Stay alive for and NCAA bid, but I still think they need another win.
8. Clemson 66 (21-10, 7-9) - Really needed a win to help their NCAA chances; 4-10 after starting 17-0.

12. Miami (FL) 67 (12-19, 4-12)
5. (17) Maryland 62 (24-8. 10-6) - Can't afford another let down like this next week.

10. N.C. State 85 (16-14, 5-11)
7. (21) Duke 80 OT (22-10, 8-8) - Lost 3 straight and 7 of last 11; are ranked only because of their name, have done nothing to deserve it.

11. Wake Forest 114 (15-15, 5-11)
6. Georgia Tech 112 OT (20-11, 8-8) - Really bad loss to a team that should have beaten; could cost them an NCAA bid.

Atlantic 10 (Quarterfinals):

8. Dayton 51 (18-12, 8-8)
1. Xavier 72 (24-7, 13-3) - Won 9 straight; making a very good case for an at-large bid.

5. Fordham 69 (18-12, 10-6)
4. Rhode Island 73 (18-13, 10-6)

7. Saint Louis 74 (19-13, 9-7)
2. UMass 71 OT (23-8, 13-3) - Any NCAA hopes are gone after this.

6. St. Joseph's 48 (18-14, 9-7)
3. George Washington 58 (21-8, 11-5)

Big East (Quarterfinals):

9. Villanova 57 (21-10, 9-7) - Probably are in good shape for and NCAA bid.
1. (9) Georgetown 62 (24-6, 13-3) - Played a great 1st half, but almost let the game get away; won 13 of last 14.

5. Syracuse 83 (22-10, 10-6) - I think they're in easily.
4. (20) Notre Dame 89 (24-6, 11-5) - Won 6 straight.

7. West Virginia 71 (22-9, 9-7) - I think they needed to win this to get in, but they still have a chance.
2. (12) Louisville 82 2OT (23-8, 12-4) - Won 7 straight and continue to improve their seed.

6. (18) Marquette 79 (24-9, 10-6) - Finished 3-5, but they're easily in.
3. (13) Pittsburgh 89 (26-6, 12-4) - Looked more like the team they were a month ago.

Big 10 (First Round):

9. Minnesota 40 (9-22, 3-130
8. Michigan 49 (21-11, 8-8) - This is a start, but they need more wins to get in.

10. Northwestern 57 (13-17, 2-14)
7. Michigan St. 62 (22-10, 8-8) - Stops 2 game losing streak.

11. Penn St. 60 (11-19, 2-13)
6. Illinois 66 (22-10, 9-7) - Might need one more win to get in.

Big 12 (First Round):

9. Oklahoma 68 (16-14, 6-10) - Stops 6 game losing streak.
8. Iowa St. 63 (15-16, 6-10)

12. Colorado 71
5. Texas Tech 81 (21-11, 9-7) - Their wins over Kansas & A&M (twice) make their record better than it looks.

10. Nebraska 39 (17-14, 6-10)
7. Oklahoma St. 54 (21-11, 6-10) - Still need at least 2 more wins.

11. Baylor 97 (15-15, 4-12)
6. Missouri 83 (18-12, 7-9)

Big West (Second Round):

7. Pacific 92 (12-19, 5-9)
3. CSU Fullerton 100 2OT (20-9, 9-5)

5. UC Irvine (14-17, 6-8)
4. UCSB (18-10, 9-5)

Conference USA (Quarterfinals):

7. Rice 53 (15-15, 8-8)
2. UCF 51 (22-9, 11-5)

6. Southern Miss 59 (20-11, 9-7)
3. Houston 62 (17-14, 10-6)

8. Marshall 71 (13-19, 7-9)
1. (5) Memphis 92 (28-3, 16-0) - Could get a really good seed due to all the upsets.

5. Tulsa 56 (20-11, 9-7)
4. Tulane 58 (17-12, 9-7)

MAC (Quarterfinals):

8. East. Michigan 54 (12-10, 6-10)
1. Toledo 62 (19-11, 14-2)

5. Ohio 51 (19-13, 9-7)
4. Miami (OH) 70 (16-14, 10-6)

7. Cent. Michigan 53 (13-18, 6-10)
2. Akron 82 (25-6, 13-3)

6. W. Michigan 66 (16-16, 9-7)
3. Kent St. 75 (21-10, 12-4)

MEAC (Quarterfinals):

6. Norfolk St. 66 (11-19, 10-8)
3.N.C. A&T 81 (15-16, 10-8)

5. Morgan St. 66 (13-17, 10-8)
4. S. Carolina St. 64 OT (13-17, 10-8)

Mountain West (Quarterfinals):

8. TCU 64 (13-17, 4-12)
1. (23) BYU 77 (24-7, 13-3) - Won 11 of 12.

5. Wyoming 67 (17-14, 7-9)
4. Air Force 62 (23-8, 10-6) - Lost 4 straight and I'm not sure they deserve to be in the tournament; 8 losses is quite a bit in the Mountain West.

7. Utah 54 (11-19, 6-10)
2. (25) UNLV 80 (26-6, 12-4) - Won 5 straight

6. Colorado St. (16-12, 6-10)
3. San Diego St. (21-9, 10-6)

Pac-10 (Quarterfinals)

5. Arizona 50 (21-10, 11-7) - Played no defense and the offense couldn't make shots; seed will fall after this.
4. (16) Oregon 69 (24-7, 11-7) - Won 4 straight and are very hot right now.

8. California 76 (16-16, 6-12)
1. (4) UCLA 69 OT (26-5, 15-3) - Might have lost their #1 seed after losing 2 straight to teams that won't be in the tournament.

6. Stanford 79 (18-12, 10-8) - I dont' think they should be in, despite their 10 conference wins.
3. USC 83 OT (22-10, 11-7) - Stops 2 game losing streak.

7. Washington (19-12, 8-10)
2. (11) Washington St. (24-6, 13-5)

SEC (First Round):

5W. Alabama 67 (20-11, 7-9) - This might have cost them an NCAA bid.
4E. Kentucky 79 (21-10, 9-7) - Already in, but this helps their seed from falling even more.

6E. South Carolina 52 (14-16, 4-12)
3W. Arkansas 82 (19-12, 7-9) - I think a 5th SEC team should get in, and they are making a case for it, especially with 1 more win.

5E. Georgia 80 (18-12, 8-8) - Still have a chance, but need 1 or 2 more wins.
4W. Auburn 65 (17-15, 7-9)

6W. LSU 76 (17-14, 5-11) - Won 3 of 4, which they hadn't done since January 17th.
E3. (22) Tennessee 67 OT (22-10, 10-6) - Their style just makes it hard to win this time of year.

Southland (Quarterfinals):

7. Lamar 99 (15-16, 8-8)
2. Sam Houston St. 98 (21-10, 13-3)

6. Stephen F. Austin 76 (15-14, 8-8)
3. Northwestern St. 85 (16-14, 10-6)

8. SE Louisiana 72 (16-14, 8-8)
1. Texas A&M CC 80 (24-6, 14-2)

5. TX Arlington 76 (13-17, 8-8)
4. McNeese St. 77 (15-16, 9-7)

SWAC (Quarterfinals):

6. Ark. Pine Bluff 51 (12-18, 9-9)
3. Grambling St. 48 (12-14, 10-8)

5. Texas Southern 74 (14-16, 9-9)
4. Alcorn St. 64 (11-19, 10-8)

WAC (Quarterfinals):

9. Idaho 56 (4-27, 1-15)
1. (10) Nevada 88 (28-3, 14-2) - Winning this tournament would put their seed very high.

5. Hawaii 70 (18-13, 8-8)
4. Utah St. 73 (22-10, 9-7)

6. Boise St. 78 (17-13, 8-8)
3. Fresno St. 73 (22-9, 10-6)

7. Louisiana Tech 70 (10-20, 7-9)
2. New Mexico St. 77 (23-8, 11-5)

Kentucky 79 Alabama 67

Kentucky got a chance to avenge one of its losses today, and the Cats came through. After a slow start UK played agressive defense that led to some great offense. This was one of the rare times that all 3 of the juniors played well.

Morris: 17 pts, 8-10 fg, 11 reb, 1 blk, 2 stls
Bradley: 17 pts, 3-9 3fg
Crawford: 16 pts, 2-4 3fg, 2 stls

When we get that kind of production from those players, UK is always going to be in contention to win the game. Meeks played a great game also, and Bobby Perry did exactly what he needed to do to help out.

Meeks: 12 pts, 2-3 3fg, 4 reb, 4 ast
Perry: 10 pts, 2-5 3fg

Jasper didn't have great stats, but he was agressive and actually took 3 shots.

I thought that Tubby was letting Morris sit too long in the 1st half. He was playing better than anybody and had no fouls. But, this ended up helping Morris to be rested for the 2nd half. If UK keeps playing like this, there is only 1 team in the SEC that can beat them.

Wednesday's Scores:

The Big East & Pac-10 started their tournaments today, and the other high majors will start on Thursday. The next 4 days are some of the best in college basketball.

Atlantic-10 (First Round):

9. Charlotte 63 (14=16, 7-9)
8. Dayton 81 (19-11, 8-8)

12. Richmond 61 (8-22, 4-12)
5. Fordham 63 (18-11, 10-6)

10. Duquesne 77 (10-19, 6-10)
7. Saint Louis 78 (19-12, 9-7)

11. Temple 62 (12-18, 6-10)
6. St. Joseph's 66 (18-13, 9-7)

Big East (First Round):

8. DePaul 67 (18-13, 9-7) - Needed to win a few in this tournament to have a chance at a bid.
9. Villanova 75 (22-9, 9-7) - Another win to help their case.

12. UConn 65 (17-14, 6-10) - It still surprises me how quiet the media has been on this terrible season.
5. Syracuse 78 (22-9, 10-6) - No need to worry about not making the tournament after this win.

10. Providence 79 (18-12, 8-8) - Won't make the NCAA after losing in this opening round.
7. West Virginia 92 (22-8, 9-7) - Very big win; could give Louisville some trouble.

6. (18) Marquette 76 (24-8, 10-6) - Trying to get back to how they were playing earlier in the season; get a rematch vs. Pitt, who they just beat.
11. St. John's 67 (16-15, 7-9)

Big Sky (Finals):

2. Northern Arizona 80 (18-12, 11-5)
1. Weber St. 88 (19-11, 11-5) - Win the automatic bid; have a history of pulling some upsets in the tournament.

Big West (First Round):

8. UC Riverside 52 (7-24, 1-13)
5. UC Irvine 53 (14-17, 6-8)

7. Pacific 71 (12-18, 5-9)
6. CSU Northridge 54 (14-17, 5-9)

Conference USA (First Round):

10. UTEP 74 (14-17, 6-10)
7. Rice 77 (15-15, 8-8)

11. SMU 52 (14-17, 3-13)
6. Southern Miss 59 (20-10, 9-7)

9. UAB 52 (15-16, 7-9)
8. Marshall 53 (13-18, 7-9)

12. East Carolina 50 (6-24, 1-15)
5. Tulsa 65 (20-10, 9-7)

MAC (First Round):

9. Ball St. 48 (9-22, 5-11)
8. East. Michigan 51 (13-18, 6-10)

12. Bowling Green 59 (13-18, 3-13)
5. Ohio 69 (19-12, 9-7)

10. Buffalo 74 (12-19, 4-12)
7. Cent. Michigan 80 (13-17, 7-9)

11. Northern Illinois 62 (7-23, 4-12)
6. W. Michigan 67 (16-15, 9-7)

MEAC:

(First Round)
11. MD Eastern Shore 70 (4-27, 1-17)
6. Norfolk St. 81 (11-18, 10-8)

(Quarterfinals)
8. Coppin St. 49 (12-20, 9-9)
1. Delaware St. 68 (20-11, 16-2)

7. Hampton 58 (15-15, 10-9)
2. Florida A&M 61 (19-13, 12-6)

Northeast (Finals):

2. Sacred Heart 70 (18-14, 12-6)
1. Cent. Conn. St. 74 (22-11, 16-2) - Win the automatic bid; domintaed the NEC all year long.

Pac-10 (First Round):

9. Oregon St. 51 (11-21, 3-15)
8. California 70 (15-16, 6-12)

10. Arizona St. 51 (8-22, 2-16)
7. Washington 59 (19-12, 8-10)

SWAC (Quarterfinals):

7. Southern 65 (10-21, 9-9)
2. Jackson St. 74 (19-13, 12-6)

8. Alabama St. 52 (10-20, 8-10)
1. Miss. Valley St. 62 (17-14, 13-5)

Tuesday's Scores:

Big Sky (Semifinals):

3. Montana 71 (17-15, 10-6)
2. Northern Arizona 78 (18-11, 11-5)

4. Portland St. 74 (19-13, 9-7)
1. Weber St. 77 (19-11, 11-5)

Horizon (Finals):

2. (19) Butler 55 (27-6, 13-3) - Will still make the tournament, but their seed has suffered after going 4-4 in their last 8.
1. Wright St. 60 (23-9, 13-3) - Win the automatic bid; bad news for bubble teams; took 2 out of 3 vs. Butler.

Mid-Continent (Finals):

2. Oakland 67 (18-14, 10-4)
1. Oral Robets 71 (23-10, 12-2) - Win the automatic bid; have wins over Kansas and Seton Hall, so they could pull an upset.

MEAC (First Round):

10. Howard 61 (9-22, 5-13)
7. Hampton 76 (15-15, 10-8)

9. Bethune-Cookman 44 (9-21, 6-12)
8. Coppin St. 56 (12-19, 9-9)

Mountain West (First Round):

9. New Mexico (15-16, 4-12)
8. TCU (12-16, 4-12)

Sun Belt (Finals):

5. North Texas 83 (23-10, 10-8) - Win the automatic bid.
2. Arkansas St. 75 (17-15, 11-7)

WAC (First Round):

9. Idaho 50 (4-26, 1-15) - Their 4th win of the year earns them a spot vs. Nevada.
8. San Jose St. 49 (5-25, 4-12)

Monday's Scores

Conference Tournaments:

Colonial (Finals):

6. George Mason 59 (18-14, 9-9) - Let this get away in the last 2 minutes.
1. VCU 65 (27-6, 16-2) - Win the automatic bid; good news for all of the other bubble teams.

Metro Atlantic (Finals):

2. Niagara 83 (22-11, 13-5) - Win the automatic bid.
4. Siena 79 (20-12, 12-6)

Mid-Continent (Semifinals):

1. Oral Roberts 75 (22-10, 12-2) - Should be the favorite int he finals.
4. IUPUI 54 (15-15, 7-7)

2. Oakland 83 (19-13, 10-4)
6. Mo. Kansas City 79 (12-20, 6-8)

Sun Belt (Semifinals):

5. North Texas 59 (22-10, 10-8)
9. Middle Tenn. St. 52 (15-17, 9-100

2. Arkansas St. 80 (18-14, 11-7)
3. Western Kentucky 73 (22-11, 12-6)

West Coast (Finals):

1. Gonzaga 77 (23-10, 11-3) - Win the automatic bid; more good news for bubble teams.
2. Santa Clara 68 (21-10, 10-4)

Other Scores:

Oklahoma St. 73 (20-11, 6-10) - Losing to Baylor and Nebraska to finish the season should put them out of the tournament; 0-8 on the road for the season.
Nebraska 85 (17-13, 6-10)

Saturday & Sunday's Scores

SUNDAY:

Top 25:

Kentucky 72 (20-10, 9-7) - Hardest schedule in the country is what gets them in the tournament.
(5) Florida 85 (26-5, 13-3) - Stops 2 game losing streak.

(14) Duke 72 (22-9, 8-8) - Finish tied for 6th in the ACC.
(8) North Carolina 86 (25-6, 11-5) - Tie for 1st in the ACC and get the sweep of Duke.

Seton Hall 71 (13-16, 4-11)
(16) Louisville 86 (22-8, 12-4) - Won 6 straight; finish tied for 2nd in the Big East, and get the 2nd seed.

Clemson 75 (21-9, 7-9) - This probably gets them in the NCAA tournament.
(21) Virginia Tech 74 (20-10, 10-6) - Lost 2 in a row.

Other Scores:

Boston College 60 (19-10, 10-6) - Lost 4 of 5.
Georgia Tech 74 (20-10, 8-8) - 2 big wins this week to help their case.

Kentucky's Opponents:

Alabama 67 (20-10, 7-9) - Blowout loss that likely puts them out of the tournament.
Mississippi St. 91 (17-12, 8-8) - Tie for 1st in the SEC West.

Miami (OH) 64 (15-14, 10-6)
Bowling Green 68 (13-17, 3-13)

Conference Tournaments:

America East (Semifinals):

1. Vermont 72 (25-6, 15-1)
5. MD Baltimore Cty. 63 (12-19, 7-9)

2. Albany 59 (21-9, 13-3)
3. Boston U. 49 (12-17, 8-8)

Colonial:

1. VCU 63 (26-6, 16-2) - Very good profile, but might need one more win.
4. Drexel 56 (23-8, 13-5)

2. Old Dominion 63 (24-8, 15-3) - Some think they're in, but not me.
6. George Mason 79 (18-14, 9-9)

Metro Atlantic:

1. Marist 78 (24-8, 14-4)
4. Siena 86 (20-11, 12-6)

2. Niagara 89 (21-11, 13-5)
3. Loyola (MD) 79 (18-13, 13-6)

Mid-Continent:

5. Southern Utah 59 (16-14, 6-8)
4. IUPUI 71 (15-14, 7-7)

6. Mo. Kansas City 84 (12-19, 6-8)
3. Valparaiso 76 (16-15, 9-5)

Missouri Valley:

1. (11) Southern Illinois 61 (27-6, 15-3) - Stops 13 game winning streak.
2. Creighton 67 (22-10, 13-5) - Win the automatic bid.

Northeast (Semifinals):

5. Mount St. Mary's 68 (11-20, 9-9)
1. Cent. Conn. St. 74 (21-11, 16-2)

3. Quinnipiac 69 (14-15, 11-7)
2. Sacred Heart 83 (18-13, 12-6)

Patriot League (Semifinals) :

4. American 53 (16-14, 7-7)
1. Holy Cross 55 (24-8, 13-1)

6. Army 47 (15-16, 4-10)
2. Bucknell 68 (22-8, 13-1)

Sun Belt (Quarterfinals) :

9. Middle Tn. St. 63 (15-16, 8-10)
1. South Alabama 60 OT (20-11, 13-5)

4. LA Monroe 71 (18-14, 11-7)
5. North Texas 77 OT (21-10, 10-8)

7. New Orleans 74 (14-17, 9-9)
2. Arkansas St. 81 (17-14, 11-7)

6. Florida Atl. 81 (16-15, 11-8)
3. Western Kentucky 86 (22-10, 12-6)

West Coast (Semifinals):

5. San Diego 70 (18-14, 6-8)
1. Gonzaga 88 (22-10, 11-3) - Very big game vs. Santa Clara to prove they belong in the tournament.

3. St. Mary's 47 (16-15, 8-6)
2. Santa Clara 63 (21-9, 10-4)

SATURDAY:

Top 25:

(1) Ohio St. 65 (27-3, 15-1) - Won 14 straight.
Michigan 61 (20-11, 8-8) - A win might have gotten them in the tournament; now I don't think they're in.

(2) UCLA 51 (26-4, 15-3) - Little bit of a let down after winning the Pac-10.
Washington 61 (18-12, 8-10) - 2 good wins to close out the season, but starting 1-6 in the conference hurt them.

(15) Texas 86 (22-8, 12-4) - One of the most improved teams from the beginning of the season.
(3) Kansas 90 (27-4, 14-2) - Win the Big 12; won 8 straight.

Michigan St. 50 (21-10, 8-8) - Lost 2 straight.
(4) Wisconsin 52 (27-4, 13-3) - Their struggling offense could mean an early loss in the NCAA Tournament.

(6) Memphis 64 (27-3, 16-0) - A perfect run through C-USA.
SMU 61 (14-16, 3-13)

Missouri 78 (18-11, 7-9)
(7) Texas A&M 94 (25-5, 13-3) - Finish 2nd in the Big 12.

UConn 46 (17-13, 6-10) - I guess the easy nonconference schedule was to make sure they could make the NIT.
(9) Georgetown 59 (23-6, 13-3) - Win the Big East; won 19 of last 22 after a 4-3 start.

New Mexico St. 65 (22-8, 11-5)
(10) Nevada 69 (27-3, 14-2) - They won't surprise anybody this year in the tournament.

(12) Pittsburgh 71 (25-6, 12-4) - Lost 3 of their last 5 Big East games after starting 10-1.
(20) Marquette 75 (23-8, 10-6) - Big win for confidence after losing 4 of 5 prior to this.

(23) USC 86 (21-10, 11-7) - Lost 2 straight.
(13) Washington St. 88 2OT (24-6, 13-5) - Very impressive 2nd place finish in the Pac-10.

Oregon St. 49 (11-20, 3-15)
(17) Oregon 70 (23-7, 11-7) - Won 3 straight after losing 6 of 8.

(22) Notre Dame 73 (23-6, 11-5) - Won 5 straight.
Rutgers 66 (10-19, 3-13)

N.C. State 59 (15-14, 5-11)
(24) Maryland 79 (24-7, 10-6) - Hottest team in the ACC.

Other Scores:

Oklahoma St. 82 (20-10, 6-9) - Very bad loss; lost 7 of 9; must win @ Nebraska on Monday to get into the NCAA Tournament.
Baylor 86 (14-15, 4-12)

Utah 62 (11-18, 6-10)
BYU 85 (23-7, 13-3) - Win the Mountain West.

Illinois 53 (21-10, 9-7) - This loss might make them a little more nervous.
Iowa 60 (17-13, 9-7)

Texas Tech 63 (20-11, 9-7) - Won 5 of 6.
Iowa St. 61 (15-15, 6-10)

Oklahoma 61 (15-14, 6-10) - Lost 6 straight.
Kansas St. 72 (21-10, 10-6) - 4th place in the Big 12.

Northwestern 50 (13-17, 2-14)
Purdue 73 (20-10, 9-7) - In the same situation as many Big 10 teams.

Arizona 85 (20-9, 11-7) - Won 6 of 8, and are due for a win over the top Pac-10 teams.
Stanford 80 OT (18-11, 10-8) - Good conference record, but some blowout losses could hurt them.

Colorado St. 47 (16-12, 6-10)
UNLV 65 (25-6, 12-4) - I don't think there is any doubt that they are in.

Syracuse 75 (21-9, 10-6) - Stops 5 game winning streak.
Villanova 78 (21-9, 9-7) - Good recovery from a 1-3 Big East start.

Virginia 72 (20-9, 11-5) - This loss will probably keep them out of the top 25 even though they tied for 1st in the ACC.
Wake Forest 78 (14-15, 5-11)

Cincinnati 65 (11-19, 2-14)
West Virginia 79 (21-8, 9-7) - Must win after losing 4 of 6.

Kentucky's Opponents:

Arkansas 82 (18-12, 7-9) - Could make a run in the SEC Tournament if they play like they have in their last 2.
(19) Vanderbilt 67 (20-10, 10-6) - Not a good showing after clinching 2nd in the SEC East.

Auburn 79 (17-14, 7-9)
Mississippi 83 (19-11, 8-8) - Tie for 1st in the SEC West.

Tennessee 71 (22-9, 10-6) - Playing much better now than did last year at this time.
Georgia 65 (17-12, 8-8) - Lost 3 of 4 and won't get an at large bid.

South Carolina 52 (14-15, 4-12)
LSU 61 (16-14, 5-11)

Penn St. 63 (11-18, 2-14)
Indiana 94 (20-9, 10-6) - In a better position than Michigan St., Illinois, Michigan, and Purdue.

South Florida 54 (12-18, 3-13)
DePaul 70 (18-12, 9-7)

UTEP 67 (14-16, 6-10)
Houston 74 (16-14, 10-6)

UMass 71 (23-7, 13-3) - Tie for 1st in the A-10.
St. Joseph's 67 (17-13, 9-7)

Conference Tournaments:

America East (Quarterfinals):

7. New Hampshire 47 (10-20, 6-10)
2. Albany 64 (21-9, 13-3)

6. Binghamton 58 (13-16, 6-10)
3. Boston U. 62 (12-17, 8-8)

5. MD Baltimore Cty. 70 (12-18, 7-9)
4. Maine 61 (12-18, 7-9)

8. Hartford 62 (13-18, 6-10)
1. Vermont 81 (24-6, 15-1)

Atlantic Sun (Finals):

2. Belmont 94 (23-9, 14-4) - Win the automatic bid.
1. E. Tenn. St. 67 (24-9, 16-2)

Big Sky (1st round):

6. Idaho St. 63 (13-17, 8-8)
3. Montana 70 OT (17-14, 10-6)

5. Montana St. 71 (11-19, 8-8)
4. Portland St. 96 (19-12, 9-7)

Big South (Finals):

6. VMI 81 (14-19, 5-9)
1. Winthrop 84 (28-4, 14-0) - Win the automatic bid; perfect through the Big South regular season and tournament; this helps out bubble teams.

Colonial (Quarterfinals):

5. Northeastern 50 (13-19, 9-9)
4. Drexel 64 (23-7, 13-5)

6. George Mason 64 (17-14, 9-9)
3. Hofstra 61 (22-9, 14-4)

7. Towson 55 (15-17, 8-100
2. Old Dominion 58 (24-7, 15-3)

9. Georgia St. 60 (11-20, 5-13)
1. VCU 73 (25-6, 16-2)

Horizon League (Semifinals):

3. Loyola Chicago 66 (21-11, 10-6)
2. (18) Butler 67 OT (27-5, 13-3)

4. Wisc. Green Bay 51 (18-15, 7-9)
1. Wright St. 67 (22-9, 13-3)

Metro Atlantic (Quarterfinals):

6. Fairfield 72 (13-19, 10-9)
3. Loyola (MD) 76 (18-12, 13-6)

8. Canisius 63 (12-19, 6-12)
1. Marist 87 (24-7, 14-4)

7. Rider 52 (16-15, 9-9)
2. Niagara 77 (20-11, 13-5)

5. Manhattan 72 (13-17, 10-8)
4. Siena 75 (19-11, 12-6)

Mid-Continent (Quarterfinals):

7. Western Ill. 57 (7-23, 3-11)
2. Oakland 74 (18-13, 10-4)

8. Centenary 59 (10-21, 3-11)
1. Oral Roberts 79 (21-10, 12-2)

Missouri Valley:

3. Missouri St. 58 (22-10, 12-6) - Very much a bubble team, but I think they're in.
2. Creighton 75 (21-10, 13-5)

4. Bradley 51 (21-12, 10-8) - I don't think they're in.
1. (11) Southern Illinois 53 (27-5, 15-3)

Ohio Valley (Finals):

2. Eastern Kentucky 63 (21-11, 13-7) - Win the automatic bid.
1. Austin Peay 62 (21-11, 16-14)

Southern (Finals):

3. Charleston 65 (22-11, 13-5)
1. Davidson 72 (29-4, 17-1) - Win the automatic bid; more good news for bubble teams.

West Coast (2nd Round):

3. St. Mary's 87 (16-14, 8-6)
7. Portland 47 (8-22, 4-10)

5. San Diego 77 (18-13, 6-8)
4. San Francisco 75 (13-18, 8-6)

Florida 85 Kentucky 72

Kentucky played a good 1st half against Florida, but let the game get away in the 2nd half. I would say Kentucky played a great 1st half, but they didn't rebound. When UK has 43 points at halftime, they have to be winning. Today they let Florida have way too many 2nd chance points. The defense wasn't great in the 1st half, but it was good enough to force Florida into a lot of misses. UK just couldn't rebound and it negated the great offensive flow that the Cats were in.

Florida got off to a good start in the 2nd half, and Kentucky went cold. There were then some very questionable calls that went against UK. The Kentucky players looked like they thought that Florida was able to get away with fouls, but they were called against UK on the other end. This is when it seemed like the Kentucky players pretty much gave up. Nobody played well in the 2nd half. Morris couldn't stay on the court, because of fouls, and Perry went cold. Kentucky couldn't stop Florida from getting easy shots, and the game was over with about 10 minutes left.

It was good to see Perry shoot so well, especially in the 1st half. If Morris could have played more, then UK might have had a shot. But it doesn't matter now. If Perry continues to play well, and Morris gets his usual numbers, then the Cats will have a good run in the SEC Tournament. I think Tubby just needs to act like the season is starting over, and the last 4 months don't matter. Kentucky is capable of playing with anybody, especially on a neutral court, but they are also capable of getting blown out by anybody. It will be interesting to see which team shows up in Atlanta on Thursday.

Friday's Scores

Pennsylvania locks up the first automatic bid with their win over Yale. The Ivy League has no conference tournament.

Conference Tournaments:

American East Conference (First Round):

9. Stony Brook 47 (9-20, 4-12)
8. Hartford 49 (13-17, 6-10)

Atlantic Sun Conference (Semifinals):

4. Lipscomb 72 (18-13, 11-7)
1. East Tenn. St. 77 (24-8, 16-2)

2. Belmont 79 (22-9, 14-4)
6. Campbell 63 (14-17, 7-11)

Colonial Athletic Conference (First Round):

9. Georgia St. 70 (11-19, 5-13)
8. William & Mary 68 (15-15, 8-10)

12. Delaware 67 (5-26, 3-15)
5. Northeastern 77 (13-18, 9-9)

10. N.C. Wilmington 52 (7-22, 4-14)
7. Towson 67 (15-16, 8-10)

11. James Madison 62 (7-23, 4-14)
6. George Mason 73 (16-14, 9-9)

Horizon League (Second Round):

6. Ill. Chicago 62 (14-18, 7-9)
3. Loyola Chicago 66 (21-10, 10-6) - Get another shot at Butler.

4. Wisc. Green Bay 72 (18-14, 7-9)
5. Youngstown St. 55 (14-17, 7-9)

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (First Round):

9. St. Peter's 48 (5-25, 3-15)
8. Canisius 62 (12-18, 6-12)

10. Iona 62 (2-28, 1-17)
7. Rider 77 (16-14, 9-9)

Missouri Valley Conference (Quarterfinals): Anything could still happen with all 4 of the top seeds going to the semifinals. I think SIU, Creighton, and Missouri St. are all in, but Bradley is very capable of winning this tournament also and getting the automatic bid.

9. Drake 59 (17-15, 6-12)
1. (11) Southern Illinois 71 (26-5, 15-3) - Won 12 straight.

5. Northern Iowa 48 (18-13, 9-9)
4. Bradley 51 (21-11, 10-8)

10. Indiana St. 38 (13-18, 5-13)
2. Creighton 59 (20-10, 13-5)

6. Wichita St. 64 (17-14, 8-10)
3. Missouri St. 67 (22-9, 12-6)

Ohio Valley Conference (Semifinals):

1. Austin Peay 65 (21-10, 16-4)
5. Samford 55 (16-16, 12-8)

2. Eastern Kentucky 57 (20-11, 13-7)
3. Tennessee Tech 54 (19-13, 13-7)

Southern Conference:

1. Davidson 91 (28-4, 17-1) - I think they are already in, but will get a chance to lock it up.
5. Furman 68 (15-16, 8-10)

2. Appalachian St. 87 (25-7, 15-3) - Some thought they could get in, but shouldn't after this.
3. Charleston 89 OT (22-10, 13-5) - Could pull off a huge surprise in the finals.

West Coast Conference (First Round):

8. Pepperdine 82 (8-23, 4-10)
5. San Diego 95 (17-13, 6-8)

6. Loyola Marymount 41 (13-18, 5-9)
7. Portland 55 (9-22, 4-10)

Thursday's Scores

Top 25:

(2) UCLA 53 (26-3, 15-2) - Win the Pac-10; have pretty much locked up a #1 seed.
(13) Washington St. 45 (23-6, 12-5) - vs. USC on Saturday.

(6) Memphis 78 (26-3, 15-0) - Haven't lost since December 20th.
UTEP 67 (14-15, 6-9)

(8) North Carolina 77 (24-6, 10-5) - Lost 2 straight; vs. Duke on Sunday.
Georgia Tech 84 (19-10, 7-8) - Great win to improve their NCAA status.

(10) Nevada (26-3, 13-2) - Very tough place to play every year.
Utah St. 79 OT (21-9, 9-6)

(21) Virginia Tech 56 (20-9, 19-5) - Fall into a 3-way tie for 2nd in the ACC.
Virginia 69 (20-8, 10-4) - A win @ Wake would win the ACC outright.

(23) USC 70 (21-9, 11-6) - @ Washington St. on Saturday won't be any easier.
Washington 85 (17-12, 7-10)

Other Scores:

Arizona 70 (19-9, 10-7) - Continue to play well vs. the Pac-10 teams below them.
California 65 (14-15, 6-11)

Arizona St. 53 (7-21, 1-16)
Stanford 63 (18-10, 10-7) - I still think they need to beat Arizona on Saturday.

Kentucky's Opponents:

Miami (OH) 45 (15-13, 10-5)
Ohio 52 (18-11, 9-6)

Ark. Pine Bluff 50 (11-18, 9-9)
Miss. Valley St. 63 (16-14, 13-5) - Win the SWAC, which is by far the worst conference in the NCAA.

Conference Tournaments:

Atlantic Sun:
7. Gardner-Webb 61 (9-21, 7-11)
2. Belmont 79 (21-9, 14-4)

6. Campbell 90 (14-16, 7-11)
3. Jacksonville 85 OT (15-14, 11-7)

8. Stetson 61 (11-20, 6-12)
1. E. Tenn. St. 77 (23-8, 16-2)

4. Lipscomb 85 (18-12, 11-7)
5. Mercer 49 (13-17, 8-10)

Big South:
2. High Point 81 (22-10, 11-3)
6. VMI 91 (14-18, 5-9) - Pretty big upset; play Winthrop in finals.

5. N.C. Asheville 60 (12-19, 6-8)
1. Winthrop 79 (27-4, 14-0) - Just one more win to guarantee an NCAA bid.

Missouri Valley Conference:
9. Drake 101 (17-14, 6-12)
8. Evansville 96 OT (14-17, 6-12)

10. Indiana St. 68 (13-17, 5-13)
7. Illinois St. 65 (15-16, 6-12)

Northeast Conference:
7. Wagner 68 (11-19, 8-10)
2. Sacred Heart 100 (17-13, 12-6)

8. St. Francis (NY) 61 (9-22, 7-11)
1. Cent. Conn. St. 79 (20-11, 16-2)

4. Robert Morris 61 (17-11, 9-9)
5. Mount St. Mary's 78 (11-19, 9-9)

3. Quinnipiac 78 (14-14, 11-7)
6. Fairleigh Dickinson 77 (14-16, 9-9)

Southern Conference:
8. Chattanooga 68 (15-18, 6-12)
1. Davidson 78 (27-4, 17-1) - Few agree, but I think they've already done enough to deserve an NCAA bid.

6. Georgia Southern 66 (15-16, 7-11)
3. Charleston 77 (21-10, 13-5)

7. Western Carolina 59 (11-20, 7-11)
2. Appalachian St. 78 (25-6, 15-3)

5. Furman 73 (15-15, 8-10)
4. N.C. Greensboro 71 (16-14, 12-6)