Saturday, 03/22/08

Do You Still Have Hair?

NCAA Tournament Second Round

2:10 PM ET
(7) West Virginia (25-10, 11-7 Big East)
(2) Duke (28-5, 13-3 ACC)

Notes: Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers WVU are really going to push Duke after the Blue Devils lackluster performance against Belmont. Could Coach K's boys be the first No. 2 seed to bow out of the tourney?

4:20 PM ET
(11) Kansas State (21-11, 10-6 Big 12)
(3) Wisconsin (30-4, 16-2 Big Ten)

Notes: Bill Walkers inspired first half performance helped set the tone of these young cats against the men of Troy. Beasley is a pro, he brings it every game, inside, outside, it doesn't matter he will gets his points every game. Walker needs to show up early, against a better defensive team making them honest early will be the key. Stewart and Pullen should combine for 18 points. The difference in the game may be a forgotten name in the Wildcat rotation highly touted G Blake Young who has been silent from downtown. Left unmolested on the perimeter he wasn't taking wide open three point looks against USC. He finished the game with 0 points. Bo Ryan's Wisconsin Badgers don't have a lot of razzel dazzel but get the job done, they are the Big 10 champ for a reason.

4:40 PM ET
(6) Purdue (25-8, 15-3 Big Ten)
(3) Xavier (28-6, 14-2 A 10)

Notes: Xavier is just too strong. Purdue is a young team they'll be back again.

6:40 PM ET
(5) Notre Dame (25-7, 14-4 Big East)
(4) Washington State (25-8, 11-7 Pac-10)

Notes: Washington State may be one of the ugliest teams in the tournament. Winthrop had them tied at half before they couldn't hit wide open looks and got blown out by the Cougs in the second half. Washington State will try and slow down the Irish attack but the Irish should have no problems advancing on.

6:45 PM ET
(6)Marquette (25-9, 11-7 Big East)
(3)Stanford (27-7, 13-5 Pac-10)

Notes: Stanford is on a collision course with the big boys Marquette will be just another bump in the road.

6:50 PM ET
(8) UNLV (27-7, 12-4 MWC)
(1) Kansas (32-3, 13-3 Big 12)

Notes: If UNLV thinks it can get away with the kind of game they played against Kent State, the Rebs will be in a world of hurt against the Jayhawks. Vegas says the jayhawks are 7 better. I think they will crush Lon Kruger's bunch and give him flashbacks to his K-state days. I expect a close game for 7 minutes before KU wins in a walk.

9:10 PM ET
(5) Michigan State (26-8, 12-6 Big Ten)
(4) Pittsburgh (27-9, 10-8 Big East)

Notes: The winner has a great chance to make the Final Four.

9:15 PM ET
(9)Texas A&M (25-10, 8-8 Big 12)
(1)UCLA (32-3, 16-2 Pac-10)

Notes: Since BYU can't seem to get out of the first round, the Aggies will have their hands full with the Bruins. Good luck.

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Thursday, 03/20/08

What We've All Been Waiting For

NCAA Tournament First Round

12:20 PM ET
(14) Georgia (17-16, 4-12 SEC)
(3) Xavier (27-6, 14-2 A 10)

Notes: Georgia isn't your typical 14 seed. Tornadoes and magical SEC championship runs have a way of catching people's attention. I had yet to see them play this year and watched them beat Arkansas in the SEC title game. I was impressed with the starting five for the Bulldogs. If I didn't know about their sub-par conference record, I would have thought they were a top-level SEC team. How much gas is left in the Bulldog tank? Their season is already a success, anything more would just be icing on the cake. After jumping out to an early lead on the Razorbacks in the SEC title game, the Bulldogs had some prolonged periods of sloppy play, bad passing and let Arkansas rally. I think Xavier is going to have their hands full and may even be down at half before they storm back. Georgia becomes its own worst enemy with turnovers and a scoring drought to end the game. A win could make the Bulldogs the tournament's first Cinderella.

12:30 PM ET
(12) Temple (21-12, 11-5 A 10)
(5) Michigan State (25-8, 12-6 Big Ten)

Notes: When George Mason went on their 2006 final four run, the first team they beat was Tom Izzo's Michigan State Spartans. Could the Spartans fall again to another mid major on a magical run? The Owls have been hot recently. They are on a seven-game winning streak culminating with an A-10 championship. A win could setup a potential showdown with in-state rival Pittsburgh with state bragging rights on the line and a sweet sixteen berth to boot. This game will be decided in the trenches. Whoever plays more physically and controls the boards, will win.

2:55 PM ET
(9) Kent State (28-6, 13-3 MAC)
(8) UNLV (26-7, 12-4 MWC)

Notes: Lon Kruger's Rebels have really over achieved this year as they return to the big dance. Kent State has some talented athletes and I don't think UNLV will keep up. The Flashes have a great shot to upset Kansas in the second round. That could be one of the tourneys best games. Well, I was wrong, flat out wrong. This wasn't the same Kent State team that showed up today. So many unforced turnovers early, not many teams could dig out of that hole. If UNLV wants to play with Kansas they can't turn the ball over.

5:00 PM ET
(14) Cornell (22-5, 14-0 Ivy)
(3) Stanford (26-7, 13-5 Pac-10)

Notes: This was the worst draw the Big Red could have pulled. A 14 seed is too low for Cornell and getting a team like Stanford negates the size the Big Red has. It will take a great rebounding and three point shooting effort to down the Cardinal. I just don't see it happening. But it has potential.

7:10 PM ET
(11) Kansas State (20-11, 10-6 Big 12)
(6) USC (21-11, 11-7 Pac-10)

Notes: Can the Wildcats with freshman sensation Michael Beasley be considered a Cindy as an 11 seed? This was the second best draw for K-state as only WVU and Bob Huggins could have the Cats more motivated. The game is in K-state's backyard, Omaha, Neb. I find it hard to believe there will be a lot of people rooting for the Trojans. Mayo was Bill Walkers high school teammate, Mayo was suppose to play at K-state, Walker should be pumped up to play him. With Walker as a scoring threat it could alleviate pressure on Beasley and open up shooting for either Pullen or Stewart. This is the game everybody is talking about. They should pass out bibs to the scouts before the game.

7:20 PM ET
(13) Winthrop (22-11, 10-4 B. South)
(4) Washington State (24-8, 11-7 Pac-10)

Notes: I am going to go out on a limb and say the Eagles have a good shot to gut out a victory over the Cougars. They're experienced, they play good defense and they can score. Washington State may have a hard time scoring and will need a big game from their front court to win this one. If WSU controls the boards they should win the game. A Winthrop win could setup a rematch of last years thrilling Eagle win over Notre Dame in the second round. That could be a dandy of a game.

7:25 PM ET
(9) Texas A&M (24-10, 8-8 Big 12)
(8) Brigham Young (27-7, 14-2 MWC)

Notes: I don't think A&M can keep up with BYU. The Cougs have too much scoring punch. A second round game against UCLA most likely awaits the winner. This one should be close the whole way.

9:50 PM ET
(12) George Mason (23-10, 12-6 CAA)
(5) Notre Dame (24-7, 14-4 Big East)

Notes: The Irish won't get bounced in the first round this year. Mason doesn't have the guns to keep pace with Notre Dame. The Irish will win by 8-10. If Winthrop can deliver their end of the bargain, I'm sure the Irish would love a rematch.

3:00 PM ET
(13) Oral Roberts (24-8, 16-2 Summit)
(4) Pittsburgh (26-9, 10-8 Big East)

Notes: Pitt will win this game but it will be a battle at times. The Panthers are just playing too well right now to fall victim to a first round upset. Coach Sutton may be a hot commodity on the coach market in the offseason. Could this be his last game as coach of Oral Roberts?

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Tuesday, 03/18/08

Upset Potential

The Saints of Siena are a strong call to upend SEC foe Vanderbilt. The Saints have already downed Stanford this season on route to their first tourney appearance since 2002. This is a young team with only one senior, G Tay Fischer, on the 13 man roster. This could be the first of game of what could become an annual trip to the dance for these young pups in the next few years. The Saint's are led by a scoring threesome of quick and athletic guards. Sophomore G/F 6-6 197 Edwin Ubiles (17.3 ppg), Junior G 6-3 192 Kenny Hasbrouck (15.6 ppg), and Sophomore G/F 6-5 228 Alex Franklin (15.2 ppg) form a lethal offensive trio. Ubiles was a preseason First Team All-MAAC Selection. Last year he was the MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year and a MAAC All-Rookie team selection. Tip is set for 7:20 p.m. Friday night at St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, FL.

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Saturday, 03/15/08

Another Bid Up For Grabs

America East Championship
12:00 PM ET ESPN2
Hartford (18-15, 10-6 Am. East)
UMBC (23-8, 13-3 Am. East)

Notes: Neither team has ever advanced to the NCAAs. The America East Championship Game? That would be a first for both as well. Going into their semifinals game Hartford was 0-9 in conference semifinal play, UMBC was 0-8 in Division I conference semifinal games. The Hawks set a school record for Division I wins this season and come in winners of three straight. The Hawks got here by defeating New Hampshire 68-65 and then with a 59-52 victory over Boston University in the semifinals. Could this be the Banner year the Hartford faithful have been waiting for? UMBC tied a school mark for wins with 23 and a win over Hartford would cement their place, as perhaps the best UMBC team ever? A school record 24 wins and a tournament appearance would be huge feathers in that cap.

By winning the regular season crown UMBC is assured an NIT bid even if they lose, a loss would have Hartford waiting for next season. The Retrievers dropped Stony Brook 76-60 and then defeated Vermont 73-64 in the semis to set up this match-up. UMBC leads the conference in scoring (74.9) and Hartford ranks third (71.0). UMBC PG Jay Greene is second in the nation in assists averaging more than seven a game. UMBC has too much firepower for Am-East foes, they had only three conference losses all by three points or less. Shootouts favor the Retrievers. SG Ray Barbosa has been on fire lately picking up the slack for an injured Brain Hodges. Hodges suffered an ankle injury and has shown some rust in his return. Is he due for a solid outing? Darryl Proctor is a great defender and has a knack for grabbing caroms, in addition to being able to score. Cavell Johnson will come off the bench for the Retrievers and always seems to make good things happen. It's a testament to his team play, he could easily be a starter but told me the game unfolds before his eyes when he comes off the bench and he can come in and contribute immediately. I agree wholeheartedly. I was impressed with his all around game offense, defense, rebounding and ball handling. Matt Spadafora and Justin Fry know their roles and are solid defenders. I expect Fry to shut down whomever he is guarding.

RAC Arena is sold out. I have been to a couple of UMBC games at the RAC this season. The crowds have been getting progressively larger and the atmosphere more intense. This game will be the culmination of Retriever success. Unlike the Sacred Heart game I attended earlier in the week, this UMBC squad will not beat themselves. It's not a fluke that they are here. Coach Randy Monroe has these guys playing well and Mr. Intensity on the sidelines won't allow his to team to come out lackadaisical. The Retrievers don't turn the ball over, they play extremely well as a team and contrary to popular belief they can play defense. Hartford is going to give them all they've got but UMBC pulls away late and cuts down the nets at home. 73-65 UMBC. UMBC will be a 15 seed on Selection Sunday.

Bob Wischusen and Mike Kelley will call the game for ESPN2.

Don't be surprised to see UMBC draw Duke in their opening round game.

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Thursday, 03/13/08

Madness

FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Sacred Heart chose a bad night to lay an egg like this. On a night when they shoot 16-55, a whopping 29%, the Pioneers behind Brice Brooks scratched and clawed back into the game only to watch it slip away late with back-to-back turnovers by Drew Shubik.

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Wednesday, 03/12/08

Conference Break Down

These teams have already punched their ticket to this year's NCAA Tournament:

Belmont, Atlantic Sun Champ 25-8 (AS 14-2) Last Tournament appearance 2007. Two prior appearances. Potential 15/16 seed.

Drake, Missouri Valley Champ 28-4 (MVC 15-3) Last Tournament appearance 1971. Three prior appearances. Potential 4/5 seed.

Winthrop, Big South Champ 22-11 (BS 10-4) Last Tournament appearance 2007. Eight prior appearances. Potential 14/15.

Cornell, Ivy League Champ 22-5 (Ivy 14-0) Last Tournament appearance 1988. Four prior appearances. Potential 13/14 seed.

Austin Peay, Ohio Valley Champ 24-10 (OVC 16-4) Last Tournament appearance 2003. Five prior appearances. Potential 15/16 seed.

George Mason, Colonial Athletic Champ 23-10 (CAA 12-6) Last Tournament appearance 2006. Four prior appearances. Potential 13/14 seed.

Siena, Metro Atlantic Athletic Champ 22-10 (MAAC 13-5) Last Tournament appearance 2002. Three prior appearances. Potential 13/14 seed.

Davidson, Southern Champ 26-6 (SoCon 20-0) Last Tournament appearance 2007. Nine prior appearances. Potential 8-11 seed.

San Diego, West Coast Conference Champ 21-13 (WCC 11-3) Last Tournament appearance 2003. Three prior appearances. Potential 13-15 seed.

Butler, Horizon League Champ 29-3 (Horizon 17-2) Last Tournament appearance 2007. Seven prior appearances. Potential 3/4 seed.

Oral Roberts, Summit League Champ 24-8 (SL 17-2) Last Tournament appearance 2007. Four prior appearances. Potential 13/14 seed.

Western Kentucky, Sun Belt Champ 26-6 (SB 17-2) Last Tournament appearance 2003. Nineteen prior appearances. Potential 12/13 seed.

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Wednesday, 03/12/08

On Deck

Northeast Championship Game
7:00 PM ET ESPN2
Mount St. Mary's (17-14, 11-7 NEC)
Sacred Heart (18-13, 13-5 NEC)

Notes: After beating Quinnipiac in the first round of the NEC tourney, four seed Mount Saint Mary's knocked off top-seeded Robert Morris, snapping a fourteen-game win streak for the NIT bound Colonials. The Mountaineers have won four straight games on route to the NEC championship game, their first since 1999 under the direction of then coach Jim Phelan. Phelan holds the NCAA record for most seasons coached at one institution. He retired after 49 years of coaching the Mount in 2003. He may be best known for his bow ties. Fashion statements aside, he guided the Mountaineers to two tournament berths, the last being in 1999.

Current coach Milan Brown who was an assistant under Phelan during the 1999 season, has a 41-76 record with the Mount. A win over Sacred Heart would do wonders for him stepping out of Phelan's shadow and establishing his own program. The Mount located in Emmitsburg, Md. is an hour drive from Baltimore. The Mount is one of the smallest schools in D-1 with an undergraduate enrollment of 1,500. Established in 1808, it is the oldest independent Catholic university in the country.

Sacred Heart is making back-to-back NEC title game appearances. The Pioneers lost to Central Connecticut State 74-70 in the championship game last year. Sacred Heart took care of Central Connecticut State in the first round and then knocked off two seed Wagner to get here. The Mount is a very solid defensive team and will give Sacred Heart all they can handle, but home court with a packed house will put Sacred Heart over the top. I would expect a close game with Pioneers pulling away late. The Pioneers started the season 0-6 but have since turned things around going 18-7 since then. Whoever wins this game will play Alabama State in the play in game.

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Tuesday, 03/11/08

Wench To Wonderful

With conference tourneys about to begin, these teams could go on a magic carpet ride into the tournament and help erase their less than memorable regular seasons. The teams were chosen because if today were Selection Sunday their names would not be heard. They have only one shot, their conference tournament.

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Saturday, 03/08/08

Saturday Recap

Winthrop 66, North Carolina-Asheville 48
I was riding the Eagle train all month until I decided to jump off and board the Bulldog express. With the home gym and a healthy team the Bulldogs were my pick, bad move. Experience is something talent can't buy. Nothing wrong with me. It's now four straight Big South Titles for the Eagles and twelve consecutive victories in the Big South Tournament. I'd say that's a league dynasty, after last year's signature tourney win over Notre Dame, will we see a repeat this year? This is a very athletic team whose best win is over Miami, Fl. It's hard to say were they'll be seeded, no higher than 14 for sure.

UMBC 76, Stony Brook 60
The Retrievers take care of Stony Brook in the America East quarterfinals. UMBC advances to Saturday's semifinal against the winner of the game between No. 4 Vermont and No. 5 and host Binghamton. This team has a legit claim to a 14 seed but will probably have to settle for a 15.

VCU 57, Towson 46
The Rams down the Tigers in the quarterfinals of the Colonial Athletic Association tournament. VCU has now won five straight games heading into Sunday's semifinals against either Old Dominion or William & Mary.

No. 3 Memphis 94, UAB 56
This won't help the Blazers at large hopes. They will need a strong showing in the Conference USA tourney. Houston could have a slight edge after this loss.

No. 25 Davidson 82, Wofford 49
The Wildcats now have the nation's longest winning, 20 games, to go along with a perfect league record and a top 25 ranking as well. With the win Davidson will advance to the Southern Conference tournament semifinals.

No. 21 Drake 75, Creighton 67
The Bulldogs continue a banner year and will advance to the Missouri Valley Conference tournament final for the first time.

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Saturday, 03/08/08

Friday Recap

No. 21 Drake 68, Indiana State 46
Drake rolls into the semis of the Valley with a tournament quarterfinal victory over Indiana State. Drake tied a school record for victories and ended an eight-game quarterfinal losing streak in the process. The Bulldogs are looking at a five seed. Led by Adam Emmenecker, the Valley player of the year, Drake is seeking its first NCAA tournament berth since 1971.

Valparaiso 72, Wright St. 67
Valpo is on fire right now. The Crusaders will face Cleveland State in Saturday's semifinals. The Horizon could be a two-bid league if the winner of Saturdays semis can land the upset of Butler.

Austin Peay 78, Tenn.-Martin 77
The Governors need free throws with 2.2 seconds to get past Skyhawks. One more win gets them dancing, only Tennessee State stands in their way.

Illinois St. 63, Missouri St. 58
The Redbirds are now a lock to go dancing even if they don't win the Valley.

Cornell 94, Penn 92
The Big Red is already in the field of 65, anything else is just gravy. A perfect Ivy record is nothing to scoff at. A very dangerous 13 seed.

N. Iowa 54, S. Illinois 49
I was never under the impression the Salukis were at large material but I did believe they could win the Valley tournament. The NIT awaits.

Belmont 69, ETSU 65
The Belmont marches onto the finals on the Atlantic Sun, albeit not without controversy. The Bruins (24-8) will face Jacksonville on Saturday night in the championship game with an automatic NCAA tournament bid on the line.

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Friday, 03/07/08

Cindy's Games of Interest

Let's be honest, ALL the games are of interest for the next month. This entry actually marks the end of our season-long Friday posting of Cindy's Games of Interest. In honor of that, we've got a few parting words of wisdom to offer to all our potential dance partners who will emerge over the coming days.

Consider it warning, consider it recommendation and consider it the ONLY way you get to take off my party dress.

Herewith, Cindy's Sweet 16 Rules for Courting Me:

1. It all starts in the conference Tournament. Win a squeaker. Go to overtime. Make a crazy shot. Do whatever it takes to get everybody believing.

2. Also, try and have one simply dominant performance in the league tourney. Momentum then begins to pick up. Not to mention attention from the opponent that is likely a heavy favorite and now starting to get shrunken sphinctor disease.

3. Lift your coach. Literally. Hampton's back-up forward David Johnson grabbed his coach, Steve Merfeld in 2001 when the No. 15 seed took out No. 2 seed Iowa State in a West region first round game. Merfeld took the ride, raised his fists, splayed his legs and simply smiled. The moment is famous yes, but the moment is fabulous too.

Make more moments like that

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Friday, 03/07/08

Thursday Recap

Saint Joseph's 71, (8) Xavier 66
In front of a packed house that included former stars Jack Ramsay and Jameer Nelson Saint Joseph's closed Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse with an upset. Xavier becomes the highest-ranked opponent ever to lose at the Fieldhouse. After losses to lower echelon A-10 teams like La Salle, Duquesne, and Saint Louis in the past few weeks I had written the Hawks off. This win coupled with a win over Dayton and a strong showing in the A-10 tourney could get them in as an at-large. The Hawks remain in a three-way tie for third in the A-10. My projections still only show Xavier and Massachusetts but the Hawks should be added as a bubble team after this win.

Winthrop 61, High Point 53
N.C.-Asheville 75, Liberty 57
This wasn't hard to forecast. Winthrop will meet UNC Asheville for the Big South Title. By all estimations this is the best UNCA team, perhaps ever? With a healthy Kenny George this is a very dangerous team and it's ludicrous to believe that they should be in the play in game. The Bulldogs have already secured an NIT berth as Big South regular season champs. The Winthrop Eagles have now won 11 straight Big South Conference Tournament games and three consecutive Big South Titles. I have been riding the Eagle train for a while now but its time for me to derail as I will project the Bulldogs of UNC Asheville as Big South Champs.

Robert Morris 64, Monmouth, N.J. 50
Northeast Conference top seed Robert Morris had a hard time with eight seed Monmouth in their tournament quarterfinal game. Still, Bobby Mo extended their school-record winning streak to 14 games. Led by Tony Lee, the NEC player of the year, Robert Morris tied Cornell for the nation's second-longest active winning streak behind Davidson's 19. The Colonials will play host to No. 4 seed Mount St. Mary's Sunday in the semifinals. Mount St. Mary's was a 80-70 winner over Quinnipiac Thursday. The championship game will be played Wednesday at the home of the highest remaining seed.

Morgan St. 68, Coppin St. 64
Morgan State earns their first 20-win season in 32 years with the win. The Bears who clinched the MEAC regular season title on March 1, have won 13 of their past 14 games and finished the regular season unbeaten at home. The Bears have clinched their first appearance in a Division I postseason tournament by qualifying for the NIT. The goal however is always the big dance and we should expect this team to be there.

Lamar 84, Nicholls St. 67
Who will win the Southland? Lamar is more than capable, but it's totally wide open.

Utah St. 88, Boise St. 69
The WAC is insane. Boise gets blown out at home again. First it was Siena in the BracketBuster and now USU controls their own destiny for the conference crown. Look at the WAC standings, Boise is done for the season and the rest have one game to play.

Boise State 12-4 22-8
Utah State 11-4 22-9
Nevada 11-4 19-10
New Mexico State 11-4 18-13

I have absolutely no clue who is going to take the bid, none. I believe the line from Wedding Crashers was, "You lock it up, team player!" Boise got manhandled like they were at the Blue Oyster from Police Academy. Utah State out rebounded Boise State 38-22 and the Broncos hit just two of their seventeen three-point attempts.

UC Santa Barbara 77, CS Northridge 66
Anything with "West" in the conference title means it has to be gunslinger crazy. UC Santa Barbara clinched a share of the Big West Conference regular-season title with one game to play with this win. A win at eighth-place Long Beach State on Saturday earns the top seed in the Big West Tournament for the Gauchos. Even with the loss CS Northridge can still claim a share of their first regular-season title and the two seed in the conference tournament. The Matadors will be playing for their sixth 20-win season in 50 years when they host Cal Poly on Saturday. The top two seeds earn byes into the tournament semifinals in the Big West Tournament.

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Thursday, 03/06/08

Wednesday Recap

Bucknell 87, Navy 86 Triple O.T.
Wow, three overtimes and a 40-footer at the buzzer downs Navy in the first round of the Patriot League Tournament. Unlike most mid majors the second seeded Midshipmen have some size, enough to alter game plans down low. They swept American in the regular season and I thought they had the edge on them if they met again with a tournament appearance on the line, the madness has already begun. Navy has not advanced past the first round of the league tournament since 2001. Patriot League Player of the Year Greg Sprink led all scorers with 37 points in his last collegiate game, at 16-14 the Mids probably won't be offered an NIT bid. Sprink received his fourth foul with eight minutes to play in the second half but didn't foul out until the second overtime.

American 62, Holy Cross 60
The Eagles sowed this one up with 18 seconds left to play to survive the upset bid by Holy Cross. American the one seed had their hands full with the eighth seeded Crusaders. American is just two games away from the promise land, with Bucknell, Colgate and Army left in the mix for the Patriot Crown.

Massachusetts 100, La Salle 63
This is what I'm talking about, Umass crushes La Salle. I project the A-10 to be a two-bid league, Xavier is the lock and I think the Minute Men will take the other. This was win number twenty for Umass, making it back-to-back seasons of twenty wins, this time they won't get snubbed out of a tournament berth. Umass (20-9 overall, A-10 9-6) remains one game back of Temple for second place in the A-10.

UAB 84, Tulsa 70
The win assures the Blazers second place in Conference USA and the second seed in the upcoming league tournament in Memphis, Tenn. UAB improved their home record to 13-1 with this win. This will be a two-bid league. UAB has the edge over Houston right now.

Houston 73, UCF 68
With the home win the Cougs clinched the No. 3 seed in the Conference USA tournament. I think it's simple, if Houston advances deep in the league tourney and beats UAB they go dancing.

Stephen F. Austin 71, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 56
I have been on the Lumberjack train for a while now and I'm not getting off. SFA is still my pick for Southland Champ. The Lumberjacks secured the No. 2 spot in the Southland Conference tournament with the win. If SFA drops the ball look for Lamar, Sam Houston State or maybe even Texas Arlington to take the league bid.

Belmont 75, Campbell 66
Top seeded Belmont got by a feisty bunch from Campbell in a quarterfinal victory in the Atlantic Sun Conference basketball tournament. The Bruins play again on Friday against the winner of Thursday's quarterfinal game between Lipscomb and East Tennessee State.

(24) Brigham Young 78, Wyoming 61
The win clinched the Mountain West title with one game remaining in the regular season for the Cougars. It's the second straight title for BYU (24-6, 13-2 Mountain West), the only team in Mountain West history to win two outright titles. BYU owns the longest active home winning streak in the nation, 47 consecutive, that's two straight seasons without a home loss.

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Wednesday, 03/05/08

Tuesday Recap

N.C.-Ashville 87, Charleston Southern 63
Top-seeded N.C.-Asheville downs eight seed Charleston Southern 87-63 in the opening round of the Big South Conference Tournament.

Winthrop 76, Radford 45
The second-seeded Eagles march on to Thursday's semifinal game against No. 3 seed High Point. My crystal ball tells me we are going to see UNCA and Winthrop for a third time this season, but this time for keeps.

Kent St. 50, Miami (Oh) 39
Kent State clinched the top seed in the Mid-American Conference tournament with the win.

Valparaiso 75, Green Bay 67
Wright State 60, Detroit 37
Valpo (20-12) will face Wright State (21-9) in the second round Friday in Indianapolis. If Butler stumbles look for one of these two teams to take the league crown.

Austin Peay 76, Eastern Kentucky 51
Not this time, Austin Peay avenges last years conference championship game loss to Eastern Kentucky in the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. The top seeded Governors have the NCAA in their sights.

New Mexico 59, UNLV 45
This was a must win for the Lobo's and they delivered, barring some major upsets, I think the Lobo's will be the third Mountain West team dancing.

Portland St. 76, E. Washington 74
Hello 16 seed, maybe the play in game for Portland.

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Tuesday, 03/04/08

Cindy's Player and Team of the Week

Cindy's Player of the Week, Cyborg Robert, Conference USA
Our very first Cyborg honor, where we create a perfect Player of the Week. It just happens that both of our Roberts play in C-USA and both are in the running for the league's Player of the Year honors. (they also shared C-USA co-Player of the Week honors this week.)

Robert "Fluff" McKiver, Houston's senior guard notched the best offensive performance in NCAA Division I play this season following his 52-point output in the Cougars win over Southern Miss, setting the Conference USA single-game record on 17-of-34 shooting. He became only the fourth player in school history to score at least 50 points in a game, and broke the Hofheinz Pavilion-record of 44 points which had been held by Indiana State's Larry Bird (3/9/77) and UNLV's Bob Florence (3/27/73). He followed that up with a 29-point effort on the road at East Carolina, when he also led the Cougars with eight rebounds and added three assists.

Robert Vaden, UAB's junior guard led the surging Blazers to a pair of league wins, averaging 35.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game this week. He shot 52.7 percent from the floor (56.0 percent from beyond the arc). In the process, he broke or tied nearly every single-game school record. In the 88-81 victory at UTEP Feb. 27, he connected on 12-of-21 shots from the floor and 9-of-14 from beyond the arc for a career-high 41 points. Vaden broke the school records for 3s made in a game (9), road points (41) and single-game points (tied with 41). He followed up with 30 points in the 69-44 win over Tulane on March 1. He hit 11-of-11 free throws against Tulane, which tied for the fourth-best performance in school history.

To say that Cindy is psyched to see those two in the same buidling next week in Memphis would be an understatement.

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Monday, 03/03/08

Weekend Recap

(11) Xavier 66, George Washington 56
Do teams have a natural letdown after they clinch a regular season title? Xavier didn't play focused at all, yet came away with the win. The Musketeers blew an 18 point lead but showed some grit down they stretch in winning their eleventh straight game. This was the 25th regular season wins for the Musketeers, a new school record. The previous record was held by the 1989-90 team that went 28-5 and reached the sweet sixteen.

(13) Butler 65, Detroit 31
Talk about going out in style, the Bulldogs final regular-season game at Hinkle Fieldhouse ends in a rout. Butler had already clinched the Horizon League regular-season title. They have an automatic berth to the semifinals of the conference tournament March 8 at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

(20) Drake 73, Wichita State 63
The last time Drake won 25 games, 1969, they went to the final four, will history repeat itself? Will Drake kill the "Valley Reverse Curse" and win the conference tourney? Worries for another day, the Bulldogs enjoyed cutting down the nets and are assured a spot in the field of 65.

Gonzaga 88, (23) Saint Mary's 76
Circle game? The Zags have had since February 4th to stew over their road loss to the Gaels. Gonzaga pulled away from Saint Mary's in the second half and can clinch the regular season title by beating Santa Clara on Monday.

Bowling Green 89, (24) Kent State 83
It was nice while it lasted. Usually when a team is ranked 20-25 a loss pushes them out of the rankings. The Golden Flashes were the first MAC team to be ranked since 00-01. Though the remain in first in the MAC the regular season finale against second place Akron just became a bigger game.

#25 BYU 76, Air Force 57
46 home games, 46 straight wins, the longest current streak in D-1. 4 Seed? 5 seed? Where will the Cougars land and how far will they go?

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Sunday, 03/02/08

Cindy's Seven Faves

The Seven Faves has been retired for the season, now that we have a daily update of pertinent Cindy Scores courtesy of the fine-smelling folks at Old Spice.

Instead, we're going to use this space for the next couple of weeks to call out the Cindy teams that are making themselves destined for the NIT - or, worse yet, The Other NIT. For every team that continues to win and improve its seeding (Xavier, Gonzaga), there are others who are shooting themselves in the foot.

For instance. . .

Houston
The Cougars of Tom Penders were starting to get some looks as a "last one in" kind of team. They had won three of four after losing to Memphis (falling by only two at UAB) and had a winnable road ahead to the C-USA Tourney with East Carolina, Central Florida and UTEP to finish the regular season. Not an easy road, mind you, but one that would do a lot to boost Fluff McKiver and the boys' hopes for an at-large bid (should Memphis get the league's auto as expected).

But on Saturday, Houston went to ECU (which had lost five of six) and fell by a point. That's not a forgivable loss in the committee's eyes and now it looks like Houston will need to knock out Memphis and win the C-USA title to get in.

Interestingly, UAB was probably the more defendable choice for those looking for a C-USA No. 2 - they have a 50 RPI now and are in the midst of a four-game win streak and a stretch of wins in six of their last seven. They go at Tulsa and at Memphis to finish the regular season. Even with another loss to Memphis, UAB could remain in the discussion if they run to the C-USA title game.

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Saturday, 03/01/08

Cindy Games: Saturday, March 1

12:30 PM ET
(24)Kent State (23-5, 11-2 MAC)
Bowling Green (12-14, 6-7 MAC)

2:00 PM ET
Navy (16-12, 9-4 Patriot)
Colgate (15-13, 6-7 Patriot)

2:00 PM ET
Detroit (7-21, 3-14 HOR)
(13)Butler (26-3, 15-2 HOR)

2:00 PM ET
Wichita State (11-18, 4-13 MVC)
(20)Drake (24-4, 14-3 MVC)

2:00 PM ET
Robert Morris (24-6, 15-2 NEC)
Long Island (15-13, 7-10 NEC)

4:00 PM ET
Morgan State (18-9, 12-2 MEAC)
Delaware State (12-14, 9-5 MEAC)

4:00 PM ET
North Carolina-Asheville (20-8, 9-4 B. South)
Winthrop (19-10, 10-3 B. South)

6:00 PM ET
Gardner-Webb (15-14, 9-6 A-Sun)
Belmont (21-8, 13-2 A-Sun)

7:00 PM ET
Houston (21-6, 10-3 C-USA)
East Carolina (9-17, 3-10 C-USA)

7:00 PM ET
Harvard (8-19, 3-8 Ivy)
Cornell (19-5, 11-0 Ivy)

7:00 PM ET
Massachusetts (18-9, 7-6 A 10)
Richmond (15-11, 8-5 A 10)

7:00 PM ET
Western Kentucky (23-6, 15-2 S. Belt)
Florida Atlantic (14-16, 8-9 S. Belt)

7:00 PM ET
TCU (14-12, 6-7 MWC)
UNLV (21-6, 10-3 MWC)

7:00 PM ET
Texas-Arlington (17-10, 6-8 Southland)
Stephen F. Austin (23-3, 11-2 Southland)

7:00 PM ET
Virginia Commonwealth (22-6, 14-3 CAA)
William & Mary (14-14, 10-7 CAA)

7:00 PM ET
George Washington (9-14, 5-8 A 10)
(11)Xavier (24-4, 12-1 A 10)

7:30 PM ET
Davidson (22-6, 19-0 Southern)
Georgia Southern (20-10, 13-6 Southern)

7:30 PM ET
South Alabama (24-5, 15-2 S. Belt)
Florida International (9-18, 6-11 S. Belt)

7:30 PM ET
Lamar (18-8, 12-1 Southland)
McNeese State (12-13, 6-7 Southland)

7:30 PM ET
Austin Peay (20-10, 15-4 OVC)
Morehead State (15-13, 12-7 OVC)

8:00 PM ET
Tulane (15-12, 5-8 C-USA)
UAB (20-8, 10-3 C-USA)

8:00 PM ET
(23)Saint Mary's (24-4, 11-1 WCC)
Gonzaga (22-6, 11-1 WCC)

8:00 PM ET
Oral Roberts (21-7, 16-1 Summit)
North Dakota State (15-13, 9-8 Summit)

8:30 PM ET
Illinois State (21-8, 12-5 MVC)
Southern Illinois (17-12, 11-6 MVC)

9:00 PM ET
Portland State (19-9, 12-2 Big Sky)
Montana (14-14, 8-7 Big Sky)

9:00 PM ET
Air Force (14-12, 6-7 MWC)
(25)Brigham Young (22-6, 11-2 MWC)

11:30 PM ET
Cal State Northridge (19-7, 11-2 B. West)
UC Irvine (13-14, 7-6 B. West)

12:00 AM ET
Boise State (21-7, 11-3 WAC)
Hawaii (11-15, 7-6 WAC)

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Saturday, 03/01/08

Friday Recap

Cornell 75, Dartmouth 59
The Big Red clinch a share of the Ivy League title with the win and remain undefeated in Ivy league play. Cornell has now won 13 games in row, a win over Harvard on Saturday brings home the undisputed crown for the Big Red. This will be the first championship season for Cornell since 1988. The league has been dominated by Penn and Princeton, with those teams on the down Cornell has stepped up and is an intriguing 13 seed.

Siena 94, Niagara 78
The Saints keeps pace with Loyola and Rider, the loss sends Niagara from the frying pan to the fryer. Siena is playing really well right now. They destroyed Boise at Boise in the BracketBuster and now handle a solid Purple Eagle team from start to finish. There is little doubt in my mind, Siena will represent the MAAC.

Rider 88, St. Peter's 76
Rider keeps pace with the win. Its a three way tie at the top of the MAAC standings with Loyola and a surging Siena squad.

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