In the paint

BY RODERICK BOONE

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Before he started talking about North Carolina's 108-77 pasting of Arkansas in the East Regional, Tar Heels coach Roy Williams went off on the NCAA.

Hitting the nail on the head, Williams called out Big Brother because his players kept slipping. The NCAA is too hands-on as usual, making anyone who has a drink put it in a cup with the NCAA and Dasani logos on it. The arena's usual advertising logos are covered with black sheets. There's even a John Deer tractor in the concourse that was covered with black sheets. Yeah, I know.

The NCAA goes out of its way to promote, well itself, and its buddy-buddy sponsors.

"You guys write a little bittty note in your columns that the NCAA," Williams said, "that can say I can't bring a Coca-Cola cup up here, that can say everything in the world. Stop putting those stupid logos on the floor where kids slip and slide around and somebody is going to get hurt. And I've said that for years, and years, and years. Every coach here at this site said that it's a mistake to have that."

He was asked about it again later.

"Two years from now," Williams said, "we have been asked to play in a tournament and I'm refusing to play in the tournament if we have to put logos on our floor. They are slick. I've said this for five or six years. Somebody is going to get hurt. Lane Kennedy and the people here have done a great job of trying to do everything they could. They washed it with amonia; they wahed it with Wendy's super burger whatever. And they did everything you possibly -- they need to rip the daggum things up. It's just a fact."

You're right Roy. So here's the little bitty note, although this isn't a column. Just for you Roy, my man.

BY RODERICK BOONE

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Lost in all the excitement of North Carolina's pasting of Mount St. Mary's last night was an embarrassing moment for Marcus Ginyard.

Ginyard collected a steal and had a fastbreak all by his lonesome. So he goes up to dunk ... and gets stuck on the rim. He fell to the floor and smirked a bit as he ran downcourt to get back on the defensive end. He knew he was going to hear about that and he sure did.
Here's what he had to say about it today:

"Didn't work out the way it was planned obviously," Ginyard said. "Was feeling a little stiff out there. I told Coach before when I came in, he looked at me and said, 'Are you OK?'"

"I said, 'Yeah I'm all right, a little stiff.'"

"He said, 'You haven't been playing, you have two fouls.'"

"And I said, 'I'm a little stiff staying on the bench and when I'm playing, I'm sore. I don't know what to do.'"

"He said, 'Get out there old man'" and I got out there and next thing I know I'm out on the break things slowed down a little bit, didn't quite feel right. And tried to get my steps together, tried to go up kind of smooth, didn't want to get too much emphasis or anything like that. But I guess my knees just tightened up on me, and I didn't get up quite as high as I needed to, and just didn't come down right. And the worst part about it was falling down on my butt afterwards. So I got a lot of texts last night telling me how my butt was feeling. It's doing fine. Thank you for the concern."

Then he added this: "I'm hoping to get it back and I'm planning to. So just be on the lookout for that."

Now, back in the day when I was growing up, that's what we call a Gumby. He basically rejected himself and his teammates gave him the business.

"He caught a lot for it," Tyler Hansbrough said when I asked him about it. "Just to be honest with you. He was pretty open there and it's definitely embarrassing."

Said Ty Lawson: "Once he missed and came to the bench, we were talking about how he missed it, tell him to ice his shoulder and things like that. Coach said, 'That's probably one of the wosrt dunks that they had as a player.' But it looked pretty bad. We seen it last night on the news. It was terrible."

Yup, Ginyard will never live that one down.

BY RODERICK BOONE

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Earlier today, I asked Davidson coach Bob McKillop about what it's been like over the last week or so. Being a native New York guy (and theater critic, mind you), I was sure more than a few of his old friends tried to get in touch with him.

Here's his response: "It is kind of amazing how players I've coached in 1972, '73, '74 at Holy Trinity or '80, '81, '82, '85 at Long Island Lutheran or teammates from high school in the '60s or guys I played stickball with or stoopball or punch ball with in the streets of South Ozone Park ... they connect.

That tells you what this experience is about and what this event is about -- how it's national in scope and it's something that is embraced by everybody in the country. It's just wonderful for me to be able to talk to someone either by text or e-mail or phone that I haven't talked to in 50 years.

It's funny when you see them and you look a lot shorter than they were when you were younger."

And that, ladies and gents, is what the NCAA Tournament is all about..

BY RODERICK BOONE

RALEIGH, N.C -- Anyone who says North Carolina doesn't have considerable advantage playing a few miles away from its campus has no idea what they are talking about.I don't think I've ever seen more Tar Heel blue in my life.

With the exception of one section filled with Mount St. Mary's fans, the entire arena was awash in the colors of the Heels. It was quite a sight. Seeing it in TV doesn't even do it complete justice.

UNC pummeled the Mountaineers 113-76. Mount Saint Mary's hung in there for as long as it could but North Carolina had way too many athletes and size that proved too much for The Mount.

The Heels eventually wore Mount down completely and turned things up a notch in the second half after scoring 61 leading into the break.About the only thing that went wrong on the second half was Marcus Ginyard getting stuck on the rim as he tried a right-handed fastbreak stuff. Of course, in the grand scheme of things it didn’t mean a thing since the Mountaineers couldn’t match North Carolina;s firepower.

BY RODERICK BOONE

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Serious apologies ladies and gents. We were having problems with the wireless internet here at the RBC Center. But the arena's tech people got us back in the game.

The first of four games today turned out to be as good a one as I thought it would be. Gonzaga and Davidson played in a tight one and the most of the fans were pulling for Davidson, whose campus is about a 2 1/2 half hour drive south of here on I-85.

"It was a lot of fun," Davidson's Stephen Curry said. "They were in the game and loud the whole time. It's just a benefit of being close to home and that's why were happy to be in Raleigh. It was just kind of a fun game to play in with the atmosphere. It's a pleasure to play in front of our home fans and maybe turn some locals or other tteam's fans in support of us."

Curry threw in threes from all over the court. He was unbelievable and who knows where his team would be if it wasn't for him. He scored 40 points, 30 coming in the second half, and was the best player on the court in No. 10 Davidson's 82-76 win over No. 7 Gonzaga.

Man what a game. Leaves you almost breathless. It's games like these that make the NCAA Tournament what it is.

"That was a great college basketball game," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said.

Tell you what: I was really impressed with Gonzaga freshman Austin Daye. At 6-10, he can pose serious matchup problems. He's still raw and didn't have his best game. He's long and lanky but can still shoot from the perimeter. He didn't play his best down the stretch and missed a big three that could have tied it in the final minute. Few was happy with his aggressiveness, though, and I'm sure is looking forward to working with Daye as much as he's allowed to in the offseason.

But if Daye does work hard at bettering his game and putting on some weight to his 190-pound frame, he can be a real force for Zags over the next couple of seasons.

BY RODERICK BOONE

Just got finished attending the Indiana press conference and I came to scout my courtside seat. I took a look over to my right and who do I see but Billy Packer himself. He's seated with play-by-play man Jim Nantz.

Guess it's not hard to figure out Packer would be at this site considering his North Carolina roots. He did play basketball up the road at Wake Forest you know. And his son, Mark Packer, hosts a show on an all-sports station in Charlotte.

Looks like the elder Packer is feverishly taking notes as the Hoosiers practice at the end of the court I'm sitting at. The Hoosiers must've recognized me and felt they had to put on a show for me.

The arena was loaded with UNC fans just prior to Indiana coming out, but they filtered out pretty quickly. This place is going to be jam-packed tomorrow. I heard an arena official tell someone that the tickets sold out in 10 minutes when they went on sale.

By the way, Indiana coach Dan Dakich just pulled two random young fans out of the stands and put them underneath the basket to rebound during the Hoosiers' shooting drills. So for free admission, not only do they get the chance to go on the court, but they are mere feet away from the players they came to see. What an experience that must be, huh?.

BY RODERICK BOONE

RALEIGH, N.C. -- I'm waiting on the coaches and players from North Carolina and Indiana to be made available. Still got another hour or so until that happens. But as I wait on that, here's a few thoughts from those players and coaches who've already had their say before taking the court for 40 minutes to practice.

Gonzaga coach Mark Few on playing Davidson, whose campus is about 2 1/2 hours from here: "Obviously, you can't deny we are disappointed we got sent across the country to play in their backyard. But that's just the way it goes. Butler is going through the same thing. But we have to deal with, you know, seeds and this and that. And we tell our guys, 'Control what you can control.' You can't control that. We knew were were going to play a really, really good team because we are not going to be, you know, a No. 1 seed or anything and a prohibitive favorite."

UMBC coach Randy Monroe on guarding Georgetown's 7-foot center Roy Hibbert: "I plan on having all five players cover Hibbert and come off the bench and bite him in the kneecaps. Obviously, he poses a problem to us but we'll come up with a couple of defensive schemes to try to negate him, but I don't think you can stop him from scoring. He's done a tremendous job of conditioning his body and improving his offensive skills. We are going to try to negate him as best we can to negate probably his touches and hopefully he can pass the ball back out to someone else who can make something happen."

Georgetown's Patrick Ewing Jr. on how last year's Final Four run helped the Hoyas prepare for this year: "It let us know the things that we have to do and focus and mindset that we have to have to get to where we want to be. We hopefully will have that throughout this run right here."

Davidson's Jason Richards on playing on one of the most culturally diverse teams in the NCAA: "It's fun, but it's diifferent at times because they will be speaking different languages and we don't know what they are saying. They will say something in French and us Americans don't know what they are saying. It just says a lot about Davidson as a team and as a college that we really are diverse. And I think it helps us out."

BY RODERICK BOONE

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Touched down in Raleigh about 9:30ish this morning and the weather is nice and spring like down here in the heart of Carolina. With all the wind, the takeoff from JFK and landing at RDU wasn't good for those who have weak stomachs. But we made it.

So far, the RBC Center seems like a nice arena. It's kind of in the sticks, not far from the state fairgrounds where I'm sure you can see all the livestock you coulld ever want when it's actually open. It's located next to the football stadium where N.C. State plays its home games. Not a bad little complex they have here.

Anyway, we're set for the day before the games begin at this venue. Davidson is out on the floor practicing now and there are seven other teams to follow. Arkansas will wrap up the practice festivities at about 7:20 or so.

We'll try to post a few updates whenever possible.The NCAA has a strict policy regarding blogging at the NCAA Tournament, so we'll do the best we can.
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In the meantime, good luck to everyone who filled out their brackets for recreational purposes of course. Let the games begin!

BY RODERICK BOONE

Phew. Just got finished breaking down the South Regional for tomorrow's paper and I can't tell you how fun it was to quickly look at the region and offer my take. This is one of the best times of year when everybody suddenly becomes an expert, yet some person who's never watched a college basketball game all season winds up winning the office pool.

Anyway, we're about to get this thing started. The teams are ready to be loaded into the blocks and get going.

Tell you what, that East Region is a beast with North Carolina, Notre Dame, George Mason, Louisville, Butler, and Tennessee. Oklahoma and Winthrop are in that region too. If North Carolina gets out of that one, which is what I predicted, the Tarheels would have earned that baby.

I'm lucky enough to be heading down to Raleigh later this week for the first and second rounds at the RBC Center and I was looking forward to it even before the brackets were released. But after watching the matchups get unveiled, I was pleasantly thrilled to find out who's playing who. And I've got to say that site has to be one of the best. Just look at the matchups: Carolina has a home game against the "play-in" winner and Eric Gordon and Indiana meet up with Arkansas. Gonzaga also takes on Davidson not far from Davidson's campus, and Roy Hibbert and Georgetown matchup up with UMBC. How about that lineup?

What's the toughest region in your mind and what's the site you'd pay good money to go to so you could watch the action in person?

BY RODERICK BOONE

Ok, folks. So the brackets have been officially released and we've heard from those who are in and those who are out.

Now it's time to show the experts you're an expert. Who ya got? I want to see you guys break down the brackets and predict the Final Four and eventual champion.

In Monday's paper, Erik Boland, Arthur Staple, Joe Gergen, and myself will each take a region and give our take on how the tournament will shake out. So don't forget to look out for that.

BY RODERICK BOONE

The anticipating is building, even if there probably aren't as many teams on the dreaded bubble as there has been in the last few years.

Twelve more teams earn automatic berths into the Big Dance today and we're less than 24 hours away from CBS' Selection Sunday show. It's one of the best moments in all of sports. There's nothing like watching the brackets unveiled live and breaking them down immediately afterward as you make your office pool picks for, um, recreational purposes.

It's also interesting to see the reaction of the teams that are forced into the "play-in" game. Too bad we won't have more than one game to watch Tuesday to wet our whistle. I wrote a couple of days ago how I felt it would be a good idea to add three more teams to the current field of 65. What do you guys think? Do you care one way or the other?

BY RODERICK BOONE

As I'm sitting at home authoring a story on the Hofstra men's lacrosse team's huge 8-7 OT win over then-No. 1 Johns Hopkins on Saturday, I had the UCLA-Cal game on. So I hear Brent Musburger and Steve Lavin screaming at the top of their lungs. I turn around and start watching the game and, seconds later, see two blown calls that allowed UCLA to pull off its second unbelievable win in a matter of days.

Josh Shipp's shot definitely went over the backboard. When it dropped in I was stunned and yelled out a "Wow!" I was not only shocked that it went in, but the fact it was allowed. I was having Anthony Carter flashbacks. Remember when he did something similar to that while playing for the Miami Heat in the 2000 playoffs against the Knicks? That was an illegal shot then and so was Shipp's.

On Thursday, the Bruins got the benefit of the doubt as well. I was watching that game live, too. Stanford's Lawrence Hill was whistled for a foul with 2.5 seconds left in regulation despite cleanly blocking a shot by Darren Collison. Collison made two free throws to tie the score and UCLA wound up winning in OT. You didn't need HD to see it (although it was spectacularly obvious in high def) was a clean block and a bad call.

So how do you explain UCLA getting favorable calls twice in three days? Is it March Madness, horrific officiating, or Lady Luck riding on the Bruins' shoulders? Or is a bit of all three of those things?

Gotta love March.

BY RODERICK BOONE

We interrupt the Brett-Favre-O-Thon and the Brett Favre Love Fest to bring you this special public service announcement.

Flash, we are weeks away from the start of the tournament. No, not the NCAA Tournament silly. I'm talking about the inaugural College Basketball Invitational. Don't act like you haven't heard about it. Ok, so I'm sure many of you haven't.

The College Basketball Invitational will compete with the NIT for teams and will field a 16-team tournament. The bracket will be announced on March 16 and teams are going to be invited based upon their performance and their finish to the regular season. It's going to be a single-elimination style tourney until the championship series, and the games will be played at various campus sites.

Before the semifinals start, the four remaining teams will be re-seeded and the championship series will be contested as a best of three series (home/away/home) with the higher seed getting the first and last (if the game is necessary) home games.

Below is a tentative scheduled they've laid out. Fox College Sports will broadcast most of the games. It will be interesting to see if this flops. If you include the 65 NCAA Tournament teams and 32 in the NIT, we are talking about 111 teams here. What is this college football, where if you have a mediocre 6-5 record you are eligible for a bowl?

Anyway, here is the sked.

March 18th and 19th

- Eight opening round games at campus sites

March 24th

- Four quarterfinal games at campus sites

March 26th

- Two semifinal games at campus sites
- Both games broadcast on Fox College Sports

College Basketball Invitational Championship Series (March 31st, April 2nd & April 4th)

BY RODERICK BOONE

Caught some of that epic game between Kansas and Texas Tech last night. About the only good thing about that one was it was broadcast in HD. And I loves me some HD.

It was the worst beat down in Texas Tech history with the Jayhawks routing the Bob Knight-less Red Raiders 109-51. Every player who wears a Kansas uniform (I think the manager and water boy got to get in, too) played in this nationally televised contest. We know Kansas is good, but that was an embarassment.

"I feel like someone put a meat necklace around my neck and threw me into a lion's den," Tech coach Pat Knight told reporters after the game at Allen Fieldhouse. "They killed us. The thing that upsets me again, just like the A&M game, is that we didn't compete. I had guys that I honestly thought looked scared when they got out there on the court. Not one guy showed up tonight."

As for Kansas, the Jayhawks are a legitimate title contender. The five seniors on their roster have stockpiled a 108-23 record and are shooting for a fourth consecutive Big 12 championship.

But the problem with Kansas is the Jayhawks seem to flame out and underachieve in the NCAA tournament. Will this year be any different?

MARCUS HENRY

Not a lot has changed, although Ohio State and George Mason are out. George Mason could find itself back in with a nice run in the CAA tourney…The key game this week is Duke against North Carolina. A win by Duke will make it a number one seed. UNC, even with a loss could still be a number one also, which means Tennessee and Memphis are in danger of dropping to a two if they can’t win their tournaments. And it’s not unheard of for two number one seeds to come from one conference…UMass (19-9, 8-6) knocked out St. Joe’s as the second A-10 team. Temple (16-12, 9-5) has won 5 of 7 and is the only A-10 team to beat Xavier. If the Owls win their final two regular season games against Duquesne and La Salle and make a run in the A-10 tourney that means at least 20 wins for them. An Atlantic 10 team with 11 conference wins and 20 overall victories has a chance…One conference that could get squeezed is the Sun Belt. South Alabama and Western Kentucky have 25 and 24 wins, respectively. The Mountain West and Conference USA could also lose a bid. But if the BCS conferences continue to lose bids, which could happen if the Wildcat bunch of Arizona, Villanova and Kansas State continue to struggle, the mid-majors will thrive.

SOUTH - HOUSTON
LITTLE ROCK
1. Memphis – Still a number one seed and possibly the best in the country; poor free throw shooting notwithstanding.
16. Austin Peay (OVC winner)

8. Florida – The loss to Mississippi State hurt, but not that much.
9. Miami – The ‘Canes made up for a loss against Clemson by dispatching Virginia.

TAMPA
5. Marquette – A two-point loss to Georgetown won’t hurt Marquette’s standing.
12. New Mexico – Say hello to the Mountain West’s third team.

4. Purdue – The Boilermakers are rolling.
13. Davidson (Southern Conference winner)

ANAHEIM
6. Gonzaga – Big win over St. Mary’s could move the Zags up soon.
11. Kansas State – The Wildcats have lost four straight and are fading fast.

3. Wisconsin – The Badgers could be as high as a two seed when it’s all said and done.
14. CS Northridge (Big West winner)

BIRMINGHAM
7. Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh kept its seed with wins against Cincy and Syracuse.
10. Houston – The Cougars were awful against East Carolina. That better be their last loss until the C-USA semifinal.

2. Texas – Loss at Texas Tech all but prevents the Horns from a number one seed.
15. UMBC (America East)

MIDWEST - DETROIT
OMAHA
1. Tennesse – A big win over Kentucky keeps the Vols number one.
16. (Play-in teams) – SWAC/SOUTHLAND.

8. Arizona – The Wildcats have to beat Oregon and Oregon State this week. If not, see ya!
9. Massachusetts – Thanks to a four-game winning streak, UMass is the new hot A-10 at-large team. But Temple is right on their heels.

DENVER
5. Notre Dame – A tough loss at Louisville kept the Irish from moving up to a four seed.
12. Western Kentucky – 24 wins justifies keeping the Hilltoppers here.

4. Michigan State – A bad loss at Wisconsin was buoyed by a win against Indiana.
13. Utah State (WAC winner)

OMAHA
6. St. Mary’s - The Gaels’ loss to Gonzaga should effect its seeding.
11. UAB – Yes, C-USA will have three teams in.

3. Indiana – The Hoosiers were a little too giving on defense against Michigan State, but we still think they are a legit three seed.
14. Marist (MAAC winner)

RALEIGH
7. Mississippi State – The Bulldogs are hotter than a firecracker and knocked off Florida to prove it.
10. UNLV – The Runnin’ Rebels success has made the Mountain West a legitimate multi-bid conference.

2. Georgetown – Four straight wins, including a two-point triumph against Marquette keeps the Hoyas at number two.
15. Lafayette (Patriot winner)

WEST - PHOENIX
ANAHEIM
1. UCLA – The Bruins have won five straight since a bad loss to Washington.
16. Jacksonville (Atlantic Sun winner)

8. West Virginia – The Mountaineers loss a critical game against at Connecticut, but they have 20 wins and a 9-7 Big East record.
9. Arkansas – The Razorbacks made up for two straight losses with a win over Vanderbilt.

TAMPA
5. Xavier – The Musketeers have won 11 straight; enough said.
12. Illinois State – A 22-win Missouri Valley Conference team should be a lock.

4. Stanford – The Cardinal solidified themselves by beating Washington State.
13. UNC Asheville (Big South winner)

LITTLE ROCK
6. Drake – The top team in the Missouri Valley Conference is legit.
11. Texas A & M – The Aggies have 21 wins. Another win makes them a lock.

3. Louisville – Georgetown had better watch it or the Cardinals will steal that two seed.
14. Oral Roberts (Summit winner)

WASHINGTON D.C.
7. Vanderbilt – A loss at Arkansas keeps Vanderbilt from rising.
10. Baylor – The Bears, who picked up their 20th win, are back in the hunt

2. Duke – The Blue Devils can still steal a number one seed.
15. Morgan State (MEAC winner)

EAST - CHARLOTTE
RALEIGH
1. North Carolina – The Tar Heels still need to beat Duke in the regular season finale.
16. Wagner (Northeast winner)

8. Villanova – The Wildcats MUST beat South Florida and Providence this week to hold on.
9. USC – The Trojans have won three of four and should be a lock.

DENVER
5. Washington State – The Cougars needed to beat Stanford to move up, but they are still started.
12. Kent State (MAC winner) – Kent should be a lock.

4. Butler – Butler will likely need to make a run to the Horizon semifinal to remain a four.
13. VCU – VCU could grab and at-large bid if they lose in the CAA tournament.

WASHINGTON D.C.
6. Clemson – The Tigers have done enough to stay a six.
11. South Alabama – Tough to keep out a 25-win team that has a win against Mississippi State.

3. Connecticut – The Huskies look like their old selves again.
14. Cornell – The Big Red had the Ivy locked up a long time ago.

BIRMINGHAM
7. BYU – The Cougars loss at San Diego State on February 23 is a distant memory.
10. Virginia Tech – The Hokies three-game winning streak moves them past Maryland.

2. Kansas – Order has been restored in the Big 12 for now.
15. Northern Arizona (Big Sky winner)

Bid by conference: America East (1), Atlantic 10 (2), ACC (5), Atlantic Sun (1), Big East (8), Big 10 (4), Big 12 (5), Big Sky (1), Big South (1), Big West (1), CUSA (3), CAA (1), Horizon (2), Ivy (1), MAAC (1), MAC (1), MEAC (1), Missouri Valley (2), Mountain West (3), Northeast (1), OVC (1), Pac 10 (4), SEC (5), Southern (1), Southland / SWAC (1), Summit (1), Sunbelt (2), WAC (1), West Coast Conference (2).

By Marcus Henry
marcus.henry@newsday.com

There are several routes that can be taken to earn a basketball scholarship. The least popular way is via junior college. But players who pass on playing at the junior college level often miss out on a golden opportunity.

Monet Johnson rising for a jumper. Photo courtesy of Monroe College.

Anyone who witnessed the Monroe College women's team defeat Suffolk CC, 74-53, for its fifth straight Region XV championship on Sunday can attest to how viable an option playing junior college basketball can be.

Monroe College has become the model program in junior college basketball. The Lady Mustangs have won 103 straight games against Region XV opponents and were national champions in 2006. More importantly, many of the women who have suited up for the Mustangs have moved on to the Division I and II level.

Monroe's latest star pupil is 5-11 wing player Monet Johnson. The former Grand Street Campus (Brooklyn) standout, who had 22 points in the game, is arguably the top player on the junior college level and has received interest from Providence, South Carolina, Morgan State and several other Division I schools.

"Most people don't know the about the high level of basketball played in junior college," Monroe coach Seth Goodman said. "The players buy into the system here and they come ot play every day."

Johnson is just one of two dozen players the Mustangs will have sent to the Division I and II level. Fantasia Goodwin, considered one of the all-time great junior college players, is now starring at Syracuse. Goodwin is Monroe's all-time leading scorer with 1,685 points. Angela Pace, who led Monroe to the NJCAA Final Four last year, is playing at Robert Morris.

Marcenia Bellamy (St. Peter's), DeAnna Chestnut (Robert Morris) and Danielle Hubbard (South Carolina State) also ended up at Division I schools. On the men's side its the same deal as the Mustangs have sent 22 players to Division I.

"The players play hard because they know there is a lot at stake," Goodman said. "Championships, rings and scholarships."

BY MARCUS HENRY

The Memphis-Tennessee game didn't have the impact some might have thought. As you will see below, Duke losing two games in a row had a bigger impact as North Carolina took over the top spot. Duke is a 2 seed for now, but that could change if the Blue Devils take care of UNC in the regular season finale...A few weeks ago the Atlantic 10 was looking like a four-bid conference. Needless to say that has changed. Rhode Island and Dayton are out...The Big East has eight bids. And don't look for Syracuse to become the ninth. The Orangemen need to win the Big East Tourney to get in...The MAC could get an at-large bid if Kent can't win the tournament...The CAA has become a two-bid conference...The Mountain West is a lock for two teams and could get a third if New Mexico finishes the season strong...That bid could come from the SEC or the Big 12 if Arkansas and Baylor don't turn themselves around.

SOUTH - HOUSTON
LITTLE ROCK
1. Memphis – The loss to Tennessee shouldn’t effect the Tigers’ seeding.
16. Austin Peay (OVC winner)

8. Florida – No danger here, but Florida could drop a seed with another loss.
9. Miami – The ‘Canes have won four in a row.

TAMPA
5. Marquette – Marquette has recovered from its midseason slumber.
12. George Mason – This might be a stretch, but Final Four teams get the benefit.

4. Purdue – Wins over Wisconsin and Michigan State prove Purdue is for real.
13. Davidson (Southern Conference winner)

ANAHEIM
6. Gonzaga – Winning six of seven keeps the Zags here.
11. St. Joe’s – Sunday’s win at Rhode Island keeps the Hawks in.

3. Michigan State – Losses to Purdue and Indiana drops the Spartans down a notch.
14. CS Northridge (Big West winner)

BIRMINGHAM
7. Pittsburgh – Three straight losses knocks Pitt down a few pegs.
10. USC – Two straight wins after two straight losses keeps USC hanging around.

2. Texas – The Longhorns have quietly emerged as the Big 12’s best.
15. UMBC (America East)

MIDWEST - DETROIT
OMAHA
1. Tennesse – The Volunteers are the hottest ticket in the land.
16. (Play-in teams) – SWAC/SOUTHLAND.

8. BYU – The Cougars are dangerous
9. Houston – The Cougars had won two of their last four. But the losses were at Memphis and at UAB. They’ll stay here if they sweep their final four games.

DENVER
5. Notre Dame – Kyle McAlarney makes the Irish a team to look out for.
12. Western Kentucky - With 21 wins, the Hilltoppers are on a mission.

4. Wisconsin – A strong No. 4 seed.
13. Utah State (WAC winner)

OMAHA
6. St. Mary’s - Loss to Kent drops St. Mary’s a notch.
11. UAB – A win over Houston and a close loss to Memphis makes UAB a tourney team.

3. Indiana – Sampson’s departure hasn’t effected the Hoosiers, yet.
14. Marist (MAAC winner)

RALEIGH
7. Mississippi State – The Bulldogs have benefited from a weak SEC.
10. Ohio State – With Indiana, Minnesota, Purdue and Michigan State still left, the Buckeyes could find themselves on the outside looking in next week.

2. Georgetown – The Hoyas need to keep winning to hold off Indiana.
15. Lafayette (Patriot winner)

WEST - PHOENIX
ANAHEIM
1. UCLA – The Bruins have overcome a bad loss to Washington last week.
16. Jacksonville (Atlantic Sun winner)

8. West Virginia – A recent loss to Villanova makes the Mountaineers' last four games critical.
9. Arkansas – The Razorbacks absolutely MUST win at Alabama on Wednesday.

TAMPA
5. Xavier – Xavier has won 10 straight and is surging.
12. Illinois State – The Missouri Valley Conference has enough clout to get an at-large bid.

4. Stanford – The Cardinal could be a 3 when it’s all said and done.
13. UNC Asheville (Big South winner)

LITTLE ROCK
6. Drake – Drake was a 4 (Probably too high), but losses to Southern Illinois and Bradley knocked off some of the luster.
11. Texas A & M – The Aggies were looking good until a three-game losing streak hit them like a ton of bricks.

3. Louisville – The Cardinals are blazing hot. Don’t be surprised if they end up as a No.2 seed.
14. Oral Roberts (Summit winner)

WASHINGTON D.C.
7. Vanderbilt – Winners of six straight, Vandy could rise to a six.
10. UNLV – The Runnin’ Rebels have won three of four and should remain here.

2. Duke – Two straight losses makes Duke a No.2 for now.
15. Morgan State (MEAC winner)

EAST - CHARLOTTE
RALEIGH
1. North Carolina – This will change if UNC loses to Duke in its regular season finale.
16. Wagner (Northeast winner)

8. Villanova – Consecutive wins over West Virginia and Connecticut put the Wildcats in.
9. Kansas State – Losers of three of their last four, the Wildcats need a boost.

DENVER
5. Washington State – The Cougars, winners of four of five, are surging at the right time.
12. Kent State (MAC winner) – With Saturday’s win over St. Mary’s, Kent could get an at-large if it loses in the MAC Tournament.

4. Butler – Its loss to Drake notwithstanding, Butler has a strong enough resume to stay at the fourth seed.
13. VCU (CAA winner) – VCU could grab and at-large bid if they lose in the CAA tournament.

WASHINGTON D.C.
6. Clemson – The Loss to Florida State hurt, but Clemson’s third-place status in the ACC keeps it here.
11. South Alabama – Another loss and the Jaguars could be off to the NIT.

3. Connecticut – Surprise! The Huskies are here.
14. Cornell – Not much room for Cornell to move upward.

BIRMINGHAM
7. Arizona – Arizona is waking a real tight rope.
10. Wake Forest – Three straight wins, including one over Duke, makes the Demon Deacons a major player.

2. Kansas – Another loss and the Jayhawks will be looking at a No.3 seed.
15. Northern Arizona (Big Sky winner)

Bid by conference: America East (1), Atlantic 10 (2), ACC (5), Atlantic Sun (1), Big East (8), Big 10 (5), Big 12 (4), Big Sky (1), Big South (1), Big West (1), CUSA (3), CAA (2), Horizon (2), Ivy (1), MAAC (1), MAC (1), MEAC (1), Missouri Valley (2), Mountain West (2), Northeast (1), OVC (1), Pac 10 (5), SEC (5), Southern (1), Southland / SWAC (1), Summit (1), Sunbelt (2), WAC (1), West Coast Conference (2).

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Memphis’ undefeated season ends Saturday.
Oh no?
No. 1 Memphis hasn’t played a team like No. 2 Tennessee yet. The Volunteers can match the Tiger’s athleticism and match their scoring. Memphis has beat quality teams, but none like Tennessee. The Tigers beat UConn, before it found its identity, a Georgetown team that can struggle to score and a good but not great Gonzaga team.
Tennessee is averaging 83.9 points per game to Memphis’s 80.8 and the Volunteers are shooting 46 percent from the field and 36.2 from three. Memphis’ shooting numbers are comparable, but Tennessee is shooting a bit better from behind the arch.
Since Memphis (26-0) runs dribble-drive motion, its inconsistent three-point shooting can be its Achilles heel against a high scoring team like Tennessee (24-2). Long rebounds could lead to the Volunteers punishing Memphis in transition or answering misses with quick scores out of the half court set.
Plus you have to factor in senior All-America candidate Chris Lofton, who is averaging 15.4 points per contest and is one of three Tennessee players averaging double figures. Memphis, which looked shaky in a one-point win at UAB last Saturday, has not had to deal with a legitimate and experienced backcourt star.
The advantage Memphis will have is its size and experience in the front court. Sophomores Wayne Chism and Tyler Smith are very good players, but I would rather go to war with Memphis juniors Robert Dozier and Joey Dorsey. Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas Roberts get a lot of attention, but in my opinion Dozier and Dorsey’s brute force and athleticism is what makes Memphis a great team instead of a very good one. Dorsey is a beast at 6-foot-9 and 265 points.
The FedEx Forum will be a madhouse Saturday because Memphis fans know that a win means their team will likely be the first team to enter the NCAA tournament undefeated since UNLV in 1991. The only trouble game left would be UAB at home to finish the regular season, but it won’t matter.
Tennessee will tame the Tigers.

BY RODERICK BOONE

There's reports surfacing that Kelvin Sampson is out at Indiana. If so, there's a certain guy who thinks it's a good idea and believes his time is up.

If anything, don't feel sorry for Sampson. The people we should feel sorry for are the players, who might've had their season blown up right when we are nearing the most exciting time -- the NCAA postseason.

But don't be surprised if the Hoosiers make a deep run in the Big Dance. This experience might infuriate the players and give them an us-against-the-world mentality. You've got to believe that many of them like Sampson and will try to take out their frustrations on their opponents.

Oh yeah, by the way you can say goodbye to Eric Gordon. Think the sensational freshman won't be one and done and headed to the NBA after this episode?

BY RODERICK BOONE

Anyone noticed how well UConn is playing of late? Jim Calhoun's crew is on a serious roll, having won eight straight after knocking off No. 20 Notre Dame 84-78 last night.

The Hukies were led by Amityville grad A.J. Price's 26 points and Irish coach Mike Brey lauded Price, saying he's a big reason why No. 17 UConn has turned things around. Price was 10 for 19 from the floor, drained four treys and had nine assists.

"I think he has been a key to their run, how he is stirring the drink so to speak," Brey told reporters afterward. "He was fabulous. We really had a hard time with him."

UConn is 19-5 and 8-3 in the Big East, which remarkably places the Huskies in second place. They have played solid ball since starting guard Jerome Dyson and backup guard Doug Wiggins were suspended. The team seems to have responded.

Man, I wouldn't want to play those guys in the postseason. It seems like they are coming together at the right time. March Madness is just a few weeks away and if you ask any coach, they will tell you this is the time of year when you want to start peaking.

BY RODERICK BOONE

Wonder if the players are wearing dark sunglasses around camups in Lexington today. What an embarassment.

Kentucky was throttled by Vanderbilt 93-52 in a nationally televised game on ESPN last night. Ashley Judd was in the house and it's hard to believe she didn't get up and walk out on that debacle.

It was the worst loss the Wildcats have ever suffered in SEC play. They were down 44-11 at the half. There was 15 minutus left and the Wildcats trailed 55-19. That's 19 points in 25 minutes.

How bad did it get? With 9:37 left, Vandy emptied its bench and brought the scr..., er bench players who work really hard in practice, in. Some checked back in two minutes later, perhaps so it wouldn't appear they were rubbing it in and throwing in the Jerry Tarkanian towel early. But this was a severe beating.

"To have them to stomp us into the ground like that, it's horrible," freshman Patrick Patterson told reporters after the game. "They played like men, and we played like boys."

Actually, it appeared as if the Wildcats didn't play period. Looks like it wasn't all Tubby Smith's fault after all, huh?

BY RODERICK BOONE

Go figure.

Purdue was picked to finish in the lower half of the Big 10 standings and the Boilermakers are proving why preseason predictions are about as trustworthy as the weather man.

With its upset 72-67 victory over No. 8 Wisconsin on the Badgers' home court Saturday, No. 24 Purdue found itself in first place as the Boilermakers extended their winning streak to nine while snapping the Badgers' 16-game home win streak.

It was Purdue's first road victory over a top 10 team since March 1, 1998 when it won at then-No. 10 Michigan State. It was also the first time the Boilermakers had knocked off the Badgers (19-4, 9-2) in Madison since Feb. 7, 1996. Freshman Robbie Hummel, who netted a career-best 21 points Saturday, was 6 years old then.

The Boilermakers are 19-5 overall and 10-1 in the league, their best start in the conference in 20 years. They control their own fate in terms of the Big 10 title race and are gunning for their first regular season crown since 1996. Their next test comes tomorrow when they host No. 11 Michigan State. The Spartans are the only team to handm Purdue a loss in conference play so far.

Keep your eye on the Baby Boilers. Purdue could be one of those teams that finds itself in the Sweet 16 -- or beyond -- in next month's NCAA Tournament.

BY RODERICK BOONE

Seems like just yesterday we were watching Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Tyrus Thomas and the LSU Tigers capturing the attention of the nation with their run to the Final Four. Well, it must seem like light years ago to LSU athletic director Skip Bertman and Tiger Nation down in Baton Rouge, La. because the ax has fallen on coach John Brady.

Apparently, Bertman was going to wait until Saturday to fire Brady. That's when the 8-13 Tigers play No. 7 Tennessee and I'm guessing Bertman wasn't confident LSU was going to pull that one out. But when word leaked Bertman planned on geting rid of Brady over the weekend, he decided to cut ties with the 53-year-old coach who's been at LSU since the 1997-1998 season, compiling a mark of 192-139.

Attendance was sagging, but Bertman said that wasn't the sole reason for his decision to fire Brady, who had three years remaining on his contract at $300,000 per season.
"The ultimate reason John was fired was not attendance," Bertman told reporters at a press conference this afternoon. "They just didn't win enough games."

Assistant Butch Pierre will coach the Tigers for the remainder of the season and LSU will more than likely conduct a national search. Look for VCU coach Anthony Grant's name to be tossed into the mix soon.

BY MARCUS HENRY

The ESPNU BracketBusters pairings for weekend of February 22nd were released.

UC Santa Barbara at Utah State (Friday night telecast) - Nothing doing here. Neither team has a shot at an at-large bid.

Davidson at Winthrop (Friday night telecast) - Davidson has won 11 straight and has put itself back into the at-large picture.

#15 Drake at #11 Butler - Huge game for both teams. Could mean the difference between a seven or eight seed and a top 6.

Kent State at #23 Saint Mary’s - Big game for Kent's at-large hopes if it can't win the MAC Tournament.

Virginia Commonwealth at Akron - VCU needs to win this.

Marist at Cleveland State - Cleveland State still has an outside shot at an at-large bid.

Siena at Boise State - This one has "pride" written all over it.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Bradley - Not much to get excited about here.

Rider at Cal State Northridge - See above.

George Mason at Ohio - A loss here might kill George Mason's at-large hopes.

Creighton at Oral Roberts - Creighton can't lose this one.

Nevada at Southern Illinois - See Wisconsin-Milwaukee vs. Bradley.

Miami (Ohio) at Valparaiso - Sorry, no dice here.

Wright State at Illinois State (Sunday telecast) - Ilinois State has a solid season. But even a win in this game might not be enough.

Hofstra drew Iona in its bracket-buster.

BY RODERICK BOONE

So what's the best conference in the country so far? Some argue it's the SEC, others boast it's the Pac 10. The SEC has four teams ranked in the latest coaches poll (Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss). And the Pac 10 has three (UCLA, Washington State, Stanford).

As of this morning, both divisions in the SEC had three teams with .500 conference marks or better, which is usually the barometer used by the NCAA selection committee as it decides the final few at-large berths for the Big Dance.

Looking at the Pac 10 standings going into today's action, six of the conference's 10 teams have at least .500 marks and three others all have overall winning records and are two games below .500 in conference play.

What do you think? Which conference is better and will get more bids than the other? SEC or Pac 10?

BY RODERICK BOONE

Kansas State finished off one of the two remaining undefeated teams in Division I last night, leaving top-ranked Memphis as the lone squad without a blemish. The Wildcats stunned visiting rival and No. 2 Kansas in Manhattan (no, not ours) 84-75.

It ended the Jayhawks' ridiculous domination of K-State in the Little Apple. Kansas hadn't lost to the Wildcats there in 24 straight years. Michael Beasley was Michael Beastley, pumping in 25 points and going 4-for-4 from behind the arc in the win, which kept K-State undefeated and in first place in the Big 12 standings at 5-0.

While disappointed, Kansas coach Bill Self looked at the loss with perspective.

"We weren't going to run the table," Self told reporters after the game. "As much as I wish we could, that wasn't going to happen. So this could be a good thing for us in the long run. But certainly it stings."

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

If you ask most casual college basketball fans who will be the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament the answers you most likely get are: Kansas, UCLA, Memphis and North Carolina.
Even the esteemed Mike and the Mad Dog recently named those four teams as the number ones. They are certainly casual fans, especially Chris, until the tournament grows a bit closer.

There is a forgotten team though.

Duke

It’s amazing that one “down year” could remove the Blue Devils and Coach K from the tips of people's tongues.

Duke has rebounded from a record of 21-11 overall and 8-8 in the ACC last season by going 17-1, 5-0 and are currently ranked No. 3 in the nation this year. Their lone setback was a 65-64 overtime defeat to Pittsburgh at the Garden during the Aeropostale Classic back on Dec. 20. Since then they have won seven straight games, including a 93-84 win over Maryland, the only team to beat North Carolina. The Tar Heels and Blue Devils renew their rivalry at Chapel Hill on Feb.6.

Duke has used balanced scoring, superb shooting and excellent defense to work it’s way to the top of the ACC. Freshman Kyle Singler is a versatile inside player to complement the outside threat of Gregg Paulus. Singler is averaging 12.9 points and 5.9 rebounds and is shooting 48.5 percent from the field. Paulus, now a junior, has emerged out of the shadow of J. J. Reddick and is now comfortable being a leader. Senior DeMarcus Nelson gives Duke a do it all player out on the perimeter. He is the team’s leading scorer, 14.8 points per game and is also averaging 5.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists.

We will not truly know where Duke stands up against North Carolina, which plays suspect defense, until they are on the court together. As good as Singler has been I think UNC’s Tyler Hansbrough could eat him a live. After watching Hansbrough dunk over UNC-Ashville’s 7-foot-7 Kenny George, I gained so much respect for his ability and his heart.

It is possible that Kansas, UCLA, Memphis and North Carolina are the top-seeds come March?

Of course.

Duke has put itself in the conversation.

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

I logged on to the Memphis Athletic site to find information for a blog.

Instead I found a totally different topic.

In the upper right hand corner of the page I saw an ad for a Memphis t-shirt. On the blue shirt it says “Number 1 In The Nation”, with a big one in the middle of a silver ball. Price tag: 20 bucks, before shipping and handling.

Are you kidding me?

I understand Memphis is undefeated and recently moved into the top spot in both polls for only the second time in school history. Yet losing to Gonzaga on Saturday or an unset loss to UAB or Houston could have the Tigers sitting well below No.1.

You would look pretty funny walking around with a big blue number one on your chest when your team is No. 5 or 6. The student who dropped $20 on the shirt could always run to the bookstore and buy a marker to update the number.

I believe Memphis is a legitimate national title contender, unlike years past, who could finish the season undefeated. If so then anyone who buys the shirt could never take it off. But if I were a Memphis fan I’d lean towards caution because college sports are so unpredictable. I’d save my money for hopefully and more meaningful t-shirt.

One that reads: National Champions.

BY MARCUS HENRY

Last week I wrote there were at least 17 mid-major schools that could make a case for an at-large bid. This week that number remains the same as three schools from last week were jettisoned and three new ones entered. Akron, UTEP and Air Force were dropped, while BYU, Stephen F. Austin and South Alabama were added.

CAA
George Mason (14-5, 5-2): Consecutive wins over conference foes James Madison and Old Dominion have George Mason right on track. The 14-5 record isn’t exactly a masterpiece, but like I wrote last week, getting to a final four normally gives a team tremendous clout.
Key wins: Kansas State, Dayton, South Carolina.

Virginia Commonwealth (14-4, 7-1): Wednesday’s win over Hofstra ran the Rams win streak to six straight, making 20-plus wins a real possibility.
Key wins: Maryland, Houston.

Conference USA
UAB (13-6, 3-1): Last Saturday’s loss to Marshall was a killer for UAB. But the Blazers recovered with an easy win over East Carolina on Wednesday. No more mistakes, though.
Key wins: Cincinnati, Kentucky.

Houston (14-3, 3-0): Wednesday’s easy win over Rice was Houston’s third straight. The Cougars have a date with Marshall on Saturday and an even bigger one against Memphis on Wednesday.
Key wins: Kentucky, UTEP.

Horizon
Butler (18-2, 7-2): Butler has won 10 of its last 11 games. The Bulldogs are likely on their way to the NCAA Tournament. Still, running the table in conference would be nice.
Key wins: Virginia Tech, Texas Tech, Ohio State, Florida State.

Cleveland State (14-6, 6-1): The Vikings NCAA hopes took a blow with their loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay on Thursday. The only reason the Vikings are still an at-large hopeful is because of their win over Butler. A second win, along with no more conference losses could be enough.
Key wins: Butler, Florida State.

MAC
Kent State (15-4, 4-1): Kent’s at-large hopes took a hit when it lost to Ohio last Saturday. But the Golden Flashes came back with a big win over Akron. Sunday’s game against Western Michigan is a big one. A win will keep them in this for another week.
Key wins: George Mason, Illinois State, Akron.

Missouri Valley Conference
Drake (17-1, 8-0): Drake’s win over Creighton on Tuesday kept it fresh in everyone’s mind. The Bulldogs have won 16 straight and are rolling.
Key wins: Illinois State, Creighton.

Illinois State (14-5, 6-2): Consecutive losses to Drake and Bradley were damaging. One more conference loss and Illinois State’s hopes for an at-large bid are history.
Key wins: Cincinnati, Creighton.

Creighton (14-4, 5-3): Tuesday’s loss to Drake wasn’t a killer, but if the Bluejays fall in the rematch on January 30, things could get tight.
Key wins: DePaul, St. Joe’s.

Mountain West Conference
San Diego State (14-4, 3-1): Wednesday’s three-point loss to BYU definitely didn’t help San Diego State. But a win over UNLV on Saturday should restore order.
Key wins: New Mexico, Utah.

UNLV (14-4, 3-1): Wins over BYU and Wyoming has the Runnin’ Rebels ready for a huge matchup against San Diego State on Saturday.
Key wins: Minnesota, UTEP.

BYU (14-5, 3-1): The Cougars improved their chances of an at-large bid with their win over San Diego State. But they have five losses, so there can’t be anymore unexpected losses.
Key wins: Louisville, San Diego State, Utah.

Southland Conference
Stephen F. Austin (15-3, 3-2): The Lumberjacks haven’t caught the nation’s eye like Drake, but they have a big win over Oklahoma under their belts. That notwithstanding the Lumberjacks, who fell to Sam Houston State last night, can’t have anymore conference losses.
Key wins: Oklahoma.

Sunbelt Conference
South Alabama (16-3, 8-0): The Jaguars have been quiet, but efficient. An undefeated conference season and a run to the Sunbelt final would be enough in a perfect world. But you never know with the NCAA selection committee.
Key wins: Mississippi State, Western Kentucky.

West Coast Conference
Gonzaga (15-4, 4-0): Gonzaga, winners of five straight, is probably a lock for the tournament. But a win at Memphis on Saturday could make them a top 5 seed.
Key wins: Virginia Tech, UConn, St. Joe’s.

Saint Mary’s (16-2, 3-0): The Gaels are certainly NCAA-worthy. Still, a win over Gonzaga on February 4 would loom large in the committee’s eyes.
Key wins: Oregon, Drake, San Diego State, Seton Hall.

BY RODERICK BOONE

The season is barely halfway over and the rumor mill is already churning.

VCU coach Anthony Grant, whose Rams walloped Hofstra Wednesday night, is a hot commodity. With the impending retirement of Dave Odom, there's a sure opening at South Carolina. And remember, SEC folk (that there is Southern talk) are well aware of Grant. He was an assistant under Florida coach and Rockville Center's own Billy Donovan and was thought to be the heir apparent back in the spring when Donovan bolted to the coach the Orlando Magic before recanting.

Some people are acting as if it's a slam dunk and Grant is on his way to Gamecock nation. I've been told not so fast. With a 42-11 record in two seasons, Grant should be able to pick where he's going to land next and there could be better jobs out there than South Carolina. There's growing speculation about the LSU gig opening up. They will be surely more jobs he'll be linked to.

Hey, there could be an opening at St. John's the way things are going over there if Norm Roberts isn't careful. You can bet the powers that be in Jamaica are paying attention to all those open seats at the Garden, and they should jump at the opportunity to bring someone like Grant on board if he is available.

Grant, who credited former VCU coach Jeff Capel with building the program to its current status, was asked after the game what he thought about his name popping up among coaching rumors.

''For me, that's all it's about -- is winning,'' Grant said. ''I can't control the hearsay and the he said, she said. My focus is on this team, competing for a championship and doing the things we need to do. All of that stuff I guess makes for an interesting story, a good read. But it's not reality."

Spoken like a man who's going to have to be hit with a major multi-million dollar offer from a high profile institution to pry him away from his digs in Richmond. But anyone who follows "mid-major" basketball knows coaches at that level have to jump at the right chance when it comes along. It may take two or three solid seasons to rise on the coaching radar, but it takes only one bad season to fall off it.

BY MARCUS HENRY

Five overtimes. Baylor and Texas A&M needed a Big 12-record five overtimes to determine a winner. No, you don't have to rub your eyes, because that wasn't a misprint, Baylor needed five overtimes to top host Texas A&M, 116-110. Multiple overtime games in college football have almost become the norm. But not in basketball. Overtime and double overtime basketball games happen. Anything after that is an extreme rarity.

"Everyone's going to have great stats after this as far as averages," Baylor coach Scott Drew joked in an audio clip on the Texas A&M athletics website.

Unfortunately, the game wasn't televised nationally.

The game was significant for several reasons. For one: I don't remember seeing a basketball game go five overtimes on any level. I've been covering basketball on every level for over 10 years, so it's possible there was a game that went 5 OTs. Right now, I can't recall one.

Another significant aspect of this game is that the Baylor Bears entered the contest as the 25th-ranked team in the latest AP Poll. The last time the Bears were ranked was in 1969. It would've been a shame to see them lose their very first game after finally breaking through. The win also allowed Baylor (16-2, 4-0 BIG 12) to keep pace with undefeated Kansas (19-0, 4-0) in the conference. The loss dropped No.18 Texas A&M to 1-3 in the conference.

Curtis Jerrells scored a career-high 36 points, including 11 in the fifth overtime to lead Baylor.

A couple of oddities surrounding this game: The teams combined for just 30 turnovers. Baylor had 16 and Texas A & M had 14 (Hofstra had 22 in its lost to VCU)...Texas A&M went 36-for-59 from the line. Baylor shot 39-for-47...Eight players fouled out. Five for Baylor, three for Texas A&M...It was Baylor's fifth straight win and Texas A&M's third straight loss...Three A&M players played 56 minutes or more...Four Baylor players played 42 minutes or more...It was the first time Texas A&M and Baylor played each other as ranked teams...

For those who don't remember, this was a Baylor program that was left in total disarray after murder of forward Patrick Dennehy in the summer of 2004. Dennehy's decomposed body was found in a gravel pit near Waco, Texas. on July 25, 1004. Teammate Carlton Dotson plead guilty to shooting and killing Dennehy, June 8, 2005.

BY RODERICK BOONE

As in be careful in what you ask for.

Kentucky fans pushed Tubby Smith out the door, saying he wasn't getting the job done. UK nation can be relentless on the school's men's basketball team given the program's high profile status, and no one knew that better than Smith.

When Smith bolted for Minnesota, UK plucked Billy Gillispie away from Texas A&M, making him the 21st coach in Wildcats' history.

So ... how's that move turning out? Let's just say the person who started firetubbysmith.com is already thinking about getting a site going for Gillispie. Just take a gander at the Wildcats' record. It ain't very UK like, that's for sure, not at 7-9 and 1-2 in the SEC. But Gillispie says he sees progress.

“I am really proud of them because they have improved greatly. The record is definitely not anything that any of us want," he said. "We’re trying to continue to improve every single time out. We will if we continue to have the right attitude and the right work ethic. If we can get a little bit more healthy and work some guys in some quality, consistent practice time for a two or three week period, then I think you will see a team that is pretty fun to watch. I think we will be aggressive on offense and defense.”

Things might not get better any time soon. The Cats welcome Tennessee to Rupp Arena tonight and the Vols boast a No. 3 ranking in the AP poll, their highest ever. Tennessee is off to just the second 16-1 start in school history and will look to make it the best start ever if it can beat UK.

BY MARCUS HENRY

The next two nights could go a long way in establishing the mid-major hierarchy in college basketball.

TUESDAY

Drake (16-1, 7-0 Missouri Valley) at Creighton (14-3, 5-2) 8:05 p.m. - Drake, as stated earlier by Newsday's Joe Gergen, is back. But the Bulldogs' first appearance in the AP Poll in almost three decades could be short if they fall to Creighton tonight. A win for Drake will put the Bulldogs will keep them fresh in everyone's mind. A loss won't kill them, but it will knock them off the national stage for a while.

Utah (10-6, 1-2 Mountain West) at New Mexico (15-4, 2-2) 9:00 p.m. - This game doesn't look like much on paper, but wins over Texas Tech and UTEP has New Mexico believing an at-large bid is possible. Utah needs to run the table in conference play (or come close to it) to keep any at-large hopes alive.

WEDNESDAY

VCU (13-4, 6-1 CAA) at Hofstra (4-12, 2-5) 7:00 p.m. - This game obviously doesn't mean much for Hofstra, except for conference tourney seeding purposes. But it's a huge game for VCU. The Pride's struggles notwithstanding, sharpshooter Antoine Agudio and the emergence of Charles Jenkins gives them a shot in this game. If VCU, which has wins over Houston and Maryland, wants to secure its spot in the NCAAs in case it falters in the CAA tourney, it must win this game. Fans can catch this game on the YES NETWORK or on ESPN's Full Court package.

Akron (14-3, 4-0 MAC) at Kent (14-4, 3-1) 7:00 p.m.- Akron's gaudy record notwithstanding, it is still behind Kent in the mid-major world. Its only notable win was over a mediocre Temple team. Kent on the other hand has wins over Illinois State, George Mason and Cleveland State. Akron needs the win badly.

Other games of interest among the mid majors on Wednesday night include Old Dominion at George Mason; Houston at Rice; East Carolina at UAB; Illinois State at Bradley; San Diego State at BYU.

BY RODERICK BOONE

Syracuse-Georgetown was one of those must-see games? Well, the two Big East rivals meet at 7 tonight at the Verizon Center (and on ESPNHD for those of us who want to pretend as if we are at the game). The Hoyas are 14-2 (4-1 in conference play) and Syracuse is 13-6, 3-3, and preseason All-American Roy Hibbert will try to help snap No. 9 Georgetown's two-game slid to the 'Cuse.

But the Orange will have a tough time trying to make it three in a row and keep any Hoya Paranoya to a minimum. Jim Boeheim has only eight scholarship players available and star guard Eric Devendorf is already lost for the season with a knee injury. So with that in mind, any chances the Orange have to put a halt to Georgetown's 15-game home winning streak are slim. Still, should be interesting to see what happens in this one.

Anyway, it sure beats watching the riveting game between Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference foes Iona (7-12, 3-4) and Rider (1-6, 5-2) that MSG will televise in the same 7 p.m. time slot. I'll make sure to have the remote locked in on that one.