"No Legion for Beilein"

The first major blip in John Beilein's coaching tenure as Michigan basketball coach occurred Monday when star recruit Alex Legion decided to back out of his commitment to become a Wolverine.

Except this one can't be blamed on Beilein. In fact, the only person it can be put on is Tommy Amaker, who is now teaching Harvard students how to play basketball (I think).

Not even Legion can be blamed. Sources say he's now looking at Connecticut, UCLA, Kentucky and Kansas. In the past nine years those schools have won two national titles and made the Final Four six times - and if you go back three additional years, you can add two national titles (won by Kentucky in 1996 and '98). Michigan hasn't made the NCAA tournament since 1998.

What's confusing is why Legion committed to Michigan in the first place. He actually committed, decommitted, recommitted last summer... and now has decommitted again. I know - a lot of M's and T's. Did Amaker tell him Michigan would be his team? Did Amaker promise him 20 shots a game?

Who knows what Amaker told him?

What can be taken from this is that Beilein isn't going to change his system for anybody. And possibly as a result, big-name, only-stay-a-year recruits will stay away from Ann Arbor.

If you look at all of Beilein's "star" players from his tenure at West Virginia - especially from 2005 when he took the Mountaineers to the Elite Eight - none of them were future NBA studs. None of them were picked in the NBA Draft.

Kevin Pittsnogle, West Virginia's most crowned player, wasn't even selected in last year's draft after four impressive years in Morgantown, and played this past year in the CBA.

Despite the wealth of talent in Michigan, don't be surprised if many of Michigan's recruits are low-profile guys. Players who might not be going to the NBA after college. But players who can shoot the 3-pointer, are unselfish, and will stay four years.

If Beilein puts together enough of those players, he won't have to worry about losing studs like Legion.

A team of good players with impressive chemistry will almost always run over a team with a couple big names trying to do their own thing.

"U-M hires Beilein, Martin learns his lesson"

Well, you can't say Bill Martin is cheap anymore. You can't say the University of Michigan athletic director isn't willing to spend money on the basketball program. And, most importantly, you can't say he wasn’t able to lure one of the nation's best available coaches to Ann Arbor.

On Monday it was reported that John Beilein had accepted Martin's offer to become Michigan's new head coach. In order to sign Beilein, Martin had to either pay off a $2.5 million buyout on Beilein's West Virginia contract or reach "some type of agreement" on the buyout, the “Detroit Free Press” reported.

Either way, it's pretty clear that Martin spent a boatload of money to bring the 54-year-old to campus.

If only he had been willing to put forth this kind of dough six years ago.

In March of 2001, Rick Pitino came thisclose to signing on to become Michigan's head coach. If that had happened, undoubtedly, we wouldn't be talking about a nine-year NCAA tournament drought. Heck, the Wolverines might have already had a Sweet 16 appearance.

But, according to a "Michigan Daily" article from March 2001, Martin only offered Pitino a base salary of $900,000, and the great - but very arrogant - coach fled for Louisville, in the state he loved, for a contract worth $1 million a year.

According to reports, Pitino said money wasn't a factor in his decision and that his wife, Joanne, changed his mind. But don't tell me if Michigan had upped its offer to, say, $1.5 million annually, he would have let some Bluegrass Lovin' keep him from Ann Arbor. Granted, in 2001 $1.5 million would have been a LOT of money (no one was talking about contracts worth $3 million a year, like they are today at with the Billy Donovan situation). But, it also would have turned the program around. Pitino is one of the top 10 coaches in America.

Tommy Amaker isn't one of the top 100 coaches in the country. For six years under Amaker, the Michigan program wallowed in mediocrity while Pitino took Louisville to the Final Four in 2005. Just think about what coulda been.

Yes, it's time to move on. Yes, Beilein is a good hire. He's had winning records in 26 of 29 seasons as a head coach (he never was an assistant); he's taken LeMoyne, Canisius, Richmond and West Virginia to the NCAA tournament, including the Mountaineers to the Elite Eight in 2005.

Where they lost to... Louisville, coached by Rick Pitino.

It is clear Martin learned his lesson. He learned that it's worth a few extra hundred thousand dollars - from Michigan's fat athletic budget - to bring in a quality coach who won't just run a clean program (about the only thing Amaker was successful at doing), but also win a lot of games.

That's what Beilein will do.

That's what Pitino would have done. And still be doing.

And if Michigan and Louisville meet up in the Big Dance in the next few years?

Well, that 2005 game went to overtime.

"2006-07 Gators: One of the best teams ever"

One more year?

Why not? A year ago Florida juniors Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer shocked the basketball establishment by returning for their junior year - along with junior Taurean Green and senior Lee Humphrey.

Now they have two national championships in a row and plenty of love from Gator Nation.

So why not come back for a senior year? They've already stunned us once. Another shock wouldn't hurt. They could become the only team besides John Wooden's dominant Bruins to win three consecutive titles. And surely if the players returned, there'd be no way Billy Donovan could bolt for Kentucky.

It's fun to think about, even though it's very unrealistic.

On Monday night the Gators showed exactly why they've been the best college basketball team each of the past two years. They played as one. They didn't play like a group of future first-round draft picks (that was Greg Oden's job); they played like a scrappy group of college kids just having a blast in the gym.

Horford exemplified this best. He was literally all over the 94-foot hardwood, getting every single loose ball, especially on the offensive end. If the Gators took a bad shot, there would be Horford to collect the rebound. And almost every time this occurred, Florida hit a 3-pointer, whether it was Humphrey (four 3s), or Brewer or Green (three 3s apiece), which absolutely broke Ohio State’s back.

Florida outrebounded Ohio State 38-27, a similar margin to when the Gators trounced the Buckeyes 86-60 in December.

Throughout the game, Ohio State hung around, and you had to think the Buckeyes had a run in them. After all, they came back from a 20-point deficit against Tennessee in the regional semifinals. But every time they got within six or seven points - the closest they got in the second half - Florida responded with a big shot. It wasn't one particular player (even freshman Marreese Speights, who didn't play the last three games, hit a key second-half jumper). Just a player in a white uniform giving Buckeyes’ fans another national championship game headache.

And that was the thing about these Gators. If the opponent focused on one, or even two guys, someone else was going to burn it. Noah had his worst game of the NCAA tournament, scoring just eight points - including one field goal - and grabbing three rebounds in 21 minutes. But did he care that his teammate Brewer got he MOP award for the Final Four or that his teammate Horford will be remembered as the big man who had the splendid game?

Of course not. After the game, Noah was his jubilant self, forecasting a crazy, long-lasting party down in Gainesville in the coming weeks.

Should be wild.

Following the game, Donovan said these Gators should go down as one of the greatest college teams of all time. These were strong words, considering the teams at the top of this list: The 1945-46 Oklahoma A&M Cowboys; the 1955-56 San Francisco Dons led by Bill Russell and K.C. Jones; the 1961-62 Cincinnati Bearcats; obviously Wooden's Bruins, who won 10 titles in 12 years; and Christian Laettner's Blue Devils in the early 1990s.

But Donovan is right. As far as being a championship team, no one did it better than the Gators. With the exception of the Bearcats, who featured a balanced attack, all of the other repeat champions had a star player. Oklahoma A&M had Bob Kurland, basketball's first 7-footer. The Dons, of course, had Russell. The Bruins had a wealth of talent, but it was highlighted by Lew Alcindor in the later 1960s and Bill Walton in the early '70s. And Laettner is considered one of the best college players of all time.

None of these Gators will go down as one of college basketball's greatest players. Heck, a couple decades from now we may not even recall their names. But as a group, as a unit, they will never be forgotten.

Sure, the thought of one more year must be enticing. A third national title, and they could really throw a party in Gainesville, a Mardi Gras of sorts.

But don't expect this crew to return. After all, Humphrey is graduating, and you know what they say about puzzles.

If you lose one piece, they just aren't the same.

"Title game preview: OSU's other guys"

The best thing that happened to the Ohio State basketball team this season actually happened last season – on Feb. 28 - when Greg Oden, then a precocious high school senior, tore a ligament in his wrist, which kept him on the Buckeyes' bench for the season's first seven games and limited his playing time and versatility until late in the season.

At the time, of course, Buckeyes' fans lamented the bad break, thinking, "Man, we only get this guy for a year to begin with (assuming he turns pro after the season), and now we don't even get to see him?"

But the truth is Ohio State would not be where it is today - preparing for the national title game against defending champion Florida - had Oden been healthy from the start of the season, playing big minutes every game.

Oden's injury allowed Ohio State's reserve forwards - Othello Hunter, Matt Terwilliger and David Lighty - to get much-needed experience, and it has paid big dividends in this NCAA tournament.

Oden, for all the hype surrounding him, hasn't had the best Big Dance. He's constantly been in foul trouble and on the bench - a similar situation to when he was hurt. This has opened the door for those same three guys - who all come off the bench - to make their presence felt.

And they've done this in a big way.

Whenever Oden has gone out of a game for a long stretch of time, such as the first half Saturday against Georgetown when he picked up two fouls in the first three minutes and didn't score a point until the second half, the three reserves have done an admirable job of filling his shoes. While they didn't exactly light it up in the scoring column against the Hoyas (nine combined points), they did a tremendous job of rebounding (10 combined boards) and playing defense, holding Hoyas' stud Jeff Green in check. Green, who played all 40 minutes, finished with just nine points.

Oden came back in the second half to score 13 points on 6-for-11 shooting, but his effort would have been a waste had his backups not helped Ohio State to a 27-23 halftime advantage.

After the win, Oden, as diplomatic as ever, said, "I just sat back and watched my teammates take over."

Trudat.

It's perfect that Lighty, Terwilliger and Hunter will play against Florida tonight, because they resemble, on a smaller level, the makeup of the Gators. They are role players who do what they're asked to do. No questions asked. Hunter and Terwilliger are bangers down low, who aren't asked to score - the Buckeyes have a wealth of guys who can do that - but simply play solid defense and rebound. At the same time, however, if they receive a pass and see an opening to the basket, they're reactive enough to make the play for the score. Lighty is one of the most versatile players on a team that could be renamed the Versatile Buckeyes. Not only can he make the tough shots down low - such as his converted layup plus a foul in the final minutes Saturday - but he can also shoot the 3-pointer, giving Ohio State yet another deadly long-range bomber (they've got about 57 of them).

Much like UCLA's big men needed to play well against Florida on Saturday to win (they did for a half, then got dominated in the second half), Ohio State's big men will have to continue their stellar play against Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Chris Richard, who has been Florida's key guy off the bench, not to mention 6-foot-9 swingman Corey Brewer.

It's a huge challenge. The toughest three inside players the Buckeyes have faced all season. And while Oden's good, he's not going to be able to contain them by himself. Just look at Florida's 86-60 pasting of Ohio State in December, when Oden struggled mightily, scoring seven points and grabbing six rebounds, and the three forwards off the bench weren't much better with a combined four and seven. Meanwhile, Horford, who didn't even start because of an injury, scored 11 points and had 11 boards and Noah added seven and eight.

It wasn't the most dominating performance by Florida's bigs, but it was more than enough, considering Taurean Green scored 24 points and Brewer added 18. Most importantly, Florida outrebounded Ohio State 37-23. That cannot happen tonight if the Buckeyes want a chance to win.

It's a big test for some big men, and, ultimately, it will be a big factor in whether the Buckeyes can win their 23rd consecutive game.

I personally like Florida to win. I think Florida's bigs will wear down their counterparts in red and white. But, then again, all tournament long - when Oden's gone down to foul trouble - these guys have proven the masses wrong, not missing a step and keeping the Buckeyes in games.

No, they don't block potential game-winning shots and nearly complete dunks from just inside the free throw line (see: Oden, against Tennessee and Georgetown), but they make quieter contributions that affect the game almost as much.

And that's really all that matters.

"Final Four preview: This could be memorable"

I woke up this Thursday morning excited, ready for some basketball, itching for some more NCAA tournament action. All day I couldn't stop thinking about it. Florida, UCLA, Georgetown, Ohio State. I had goose bumps by lunchtime and major goose bumps by lunchtime on the West Coast.

And then I turned on CBS at 7 p.m. and "Entertainment Tonight" was on? Quickly it hit me, like dodgeball right in the gut. The games aren't until Saturday, unless the NIT championship is considered a game (not quite).

The news depressed me, but at the same time it makes the upcoming games all the more juicy. As if they could get any juicier than they already are. Let's face it, folks. While the first eight days of the tournament may not have been as chaotic as last year, these last three games have the potential to go down in history (unlike last year's final weekend, which was anti-climatic at best).

There is no reason not to watch every second of the two games on Saturday and whatever matchup they beget for Monday. There are thousands of reasons why you should be watching. I'll throw out a few.

Greg Oden vs. Roy Hibbert. We haven't seen a matchup of true big men like this since Olajuwon vs. Ewing in the 1984 finals. This could only be better if G-Town was playing Houston instead of Ohio State. The Hoyas' attack even features Patrick Ewing Jr., with John Thompson III manning the sidelines. Meanwhile, John Thompson Jr. should be doing radio (although we all know he shouldn't be) and the elder Ewing will more than likely be in the stands. Hibbert and Oden should be extremely fun to watch. All season long these guys - especially Oden - have had to ease their way against smaller players trying to pick up cheap fouls. Now they can go at each other, one blow after another. The more physical the better.

Jeff Green, the best player nobody outside of the Big East knew about until last weekend. If you've noticed, this kid can flat-out play, and he'll do plenty of playing at the next level as well. Too many forwards in today's college game are content to settle for outside jumpers and playing the finesse game. Not Green. He's an attacker, an assailer, a slasher, a banger. And to cap it all off, he's one of the smartest players in the Final Four. His calmness during G-Town's comeback against North Carolina on Sunday was admirable. It'll be a pleasure to watch him shred Ohio State's zone.

Ron Lewis, Mr. Clutch. He saved the Buckeyes against Xavier. He saved 'em against Tennessee. What's next for Lewis? All I know is the senior will not shy away from the big shots come Saturday. How can you not love a player who wants the ball at the end of a game, who wants the last shot, and who knows he's going to make it. Lewis has been the Buckeyes' unheralded MVP so far this tournament. Look for him to continue his impressive play.

Mike Conley Jr., the unfazed freshman. Save the talk about Oden. We'll be mentioning his name for years to come. What about his freshman counterpart? While Oden has had a relatively subpar tournament, Conley has been the Buckeyes' second-best player behind Lewis. He runs the offense like a senior (yes, they still exist - Lewis is one of them). He's as unselfish as Steve Nash. Yet he also knows when he needs to be aggressive (like during overtime against Xavier with Oden out). As good as Georgetown's Jessie Sapp is at running the Hoyas, the reason I'm taking OSU is Conley. Buckeyes' fans need not worry when the ball's in his hands.

On the other side of the bracket, how about the matchup? A rematch of last year's national title game, which really wasn't a game (let's be honest). Florida absolutely dominated UCLA's big men a year ago, scoring at will and making shot-blocking into an art form. I can't wait to see the response by the Bruins' bigs.

Sure, they lost Ryan Hollins, but every other big man is back. Lorenzo Mata and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute - these two players have more to prove than anyone left in this tournament. Can they stand up to Joakim Noah and Al Horford? They don’t' need to score a lot. They just need to rebound and stop those two guys from scoring. They have something to prove, and you have to expect they'll come ready to play and fired up for the Gators. An added plus: I bet you no one named Luc Richard Mbah a Moute has ever played in back-to-back Final Fours before. Lemme know if you want the bet (I promise, I haven't researched it).

And then there are the Gators, the group of underclassmen no one knew about a year ago who surprised just about everyone (although everyone was also disappointed when they eliminated George Mason). Now everyone is familiar with Noah, and Horford, and Humphrey, and Brewer, and Green, and their young, genius coach, Billy Donovan. No one outside of Gainesville particularly likes them either. No one wants to see them become the first team since Duke in 1991-92 to win back-to-back national titles.

But here's the bottom line: When the Gators are playing their best - which they haven't done yet this tournament, a scary thought - they are a beautiful team to watch. None of their five starters are liabilities on either end of the court (OK, Humphrey isn't a great defender, but he has plenty of help behind him). And all of their five starters fill their roles perfectly. Horford's your typical big man who can post up with his back to the hoop and power his way to the basket. Noah's your atypical post player. He'd rather get the ball facing the hoop and make a move off the dribble. Brewer's the slasher/jump shooter. Basically, he can do a lot of things efficiently. He's not great, but very solid. Humphrey's the classic outside shooter. That's all he does, and all he needs to do. His 23 points against Oregon led the Gators. Finally, Green is the x-factor. When his boys aren't playing like they should, he huddles them in and starts the engine again. And he's also the shot-maker. He'll pull up on the break and nail the 23-footer when it’s needed most.

Watching Florida's five starters play as a unit is almost as beautiful as Noah's ponytail (Sorry, bad joke). But seriously - any true basketball fan has to be pleased the Gators are still playing.

So who's it gonna be? Who will survive Saturday to play Monday? Who will get to be interviewed by Billy Packer Monday night (not that this is the reason players try to reach championship Monday). It's about as difficult to predict as the weather here in Michigan. Which is great. Because uncertainty is what drives this madness, especially when the best of the best are facing off. So below you'll see some picks, some guesses from a small section of my brain, but don't count on them happening, because this Final Four weekend may be the most wild, thrilling and memorable in quite some time.

Saturday's picks
- Ohio State 78, Georgetown 74
- Florida 63, UCLA 57

Monday's pick
- Florida 70, Ohio State 66

"That's why they're 'student-athletes' "

For about 33 minutes of its Elite Eight showdown with Georgetown Sunday evening, North Carolina's play belied its fundamental flaws.

The Tar Heels were a great team all season, but the two things you had to question about them were their toughness and their smarts. Both were on display during those 33 minutes, and as a result North Carolina led 75-65 after two Marcus Ginyard free throws with 7:19 to play.

The North Carolina faithful could feel the Heels' second Final Four appearance in three years on their fingertips.

But then those vices came back to sting North Carolina at the most inopportune time. The Heels rushed shots and - with the exception of four points from Tyler Hansbrough and a tip-in by Brandan Wright - were dominated down low. The large rebounding margin they had held for much of the game slowly dwindled until it was unrecognizable (North Carolina had a double-digit advantage in boards most of the second half, but ended up with just a 41-37 edge). There were no more second-chance opportunities despite the Hoyas playing a healthy dose of zone defense.

And with North Carolina taking quick shots and being limited to a single shot each possession, Georgetown had plenty of time to get back into the game. Unlike the Heels, there were no hurried shots by the Hoyas. Instead, they went to their bread and butter every time down the floor: Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, who scored five out of seven Georgetown points to get within 75-72 with 4:22 remaining on a thunderous dunk by Hibbert.

Then, with North Carolina's defense focused on Georgetown's Big Two, the other guys took advantage. Jessie Sapp, one of college basketball's most underrated players, scored a difficult layup to cut UNC's lead to one. Then, trailing by three with less than a minute remaining, Jonathan Wallace calmly stepped up and nailed a game-tying 3-pointer.

And the game was as good as over.

The overtime was more of the same. UNC impatiently settled for way too many 3-pointers and didn't score until a Ty Lawson 3-pointer with 8 seconds remaining. By that time, CBS had already inked the Hoyas for Atlanta and the final spot in the Final Four.

After the game, UNC coach Roy Williams didn't attribute his team's meltdown to youth - he simply said they missed shots. He's definitely got a point. They missed a lot of shots, making just three field goals in the final 12 minutes of regulation plus overtime. But a lot of those shots were from 3-point range, and the Tar Heels (outside of Wes Miller) aren't a very consistent outside shooting team. They were on the bad side of "streaky" Sunday afternoon.

Georgetown worked the ball offensively, making sure Green and Hibbert at least touched the ball on every possession.

It was very smart basketball, the kind of basketball that wins teams games this time of year.

And it was just barely enough against a more talented UNC squad.

It wasn't surprising, however. In fact, it was the theme of this past weekend. Of the teams still standing, all four have very astute players who don't get flustered in pressure situations. They may not be the most talented teams out of their regions (at least UNC in the East and Kansas in the West would claim that title), but talent doesn't reign supreme in March.

Experience, smarts and, of course, a little luck is what championship teams possess.

Florida and UCLA have plenty of experience. They, um, played in the national title game a year ago. 'Nuff said. Four of Georgetown's most key players - Green, Hibbert, Wallace and Patrick Ewing Jr. - are juniors, which, in this day and age, is considered very experienced. Ohio State is definitely the least experienced of the Final Four teams - with freshmen Mike Conley Jr. and Greg Oden its best players - but it wouldn't be here if not for the heroics of senior Ron Lewis, who has led the Buckeyes the last three games.

When the game is on the line, none of the four teams panic. They know what they want to do, and they do an excellent of job of executing this. For UCLA, it's getting the ball to Aaron Afflalo, the Bruins' junior shooting guard. When Kansas threatened UCLA's lead midway through the second half Saturday, Afflalo kept the Jayhawks at bay with seven consecutive points. He finished with 24 on 10-for-15 shooting from the field. Florida is smart enough to work off its big men - Al Horford and Joakim Noah - down low, knowing that this will open up the perimeter for sharp shooter Lee Humphrey. Against Oregon Humphrey was the key, making seven 3-pointers en route to a team-high 23 points.

But don't think that each of these teams didn't receive a little good fortune on their way to Atlanta. Ohio State's the most obvious case. If Xavier hadn't missed a free throw in the final seconds, Ron Lewis' game-tying 3-pointer wouldn't have been game-tying. As great as Georgetown was in the final minutes Sunday, North Carolina's Wayne Ellington had a wide-open 3-point attempt right before regulation expired. If that had fallen, we'd all be praising the Heels right now. While UCLA and Florida haven't needed last-second 3-pointers to get this far, they haven't exactly waltzed to the ATL either. In the second round, UCLA survived a last-minute comeback when Indiana threw away a chance to tie the game in the final seconds. Florida and Butler were tied 54-54 with 3 minutes left Friday before the Bulldogs missed three out of four free throws and three out of four layups as the Gators pulled away.

So don't say that luck doesn't play a role in March. It certainly does.

But it's not the difference. That would be smart play in the waning moments of tense games. Next year, North Carolina could have it. The Heels should return most of their nucleus - depending on draft departures - for another run at the title.
But for now they must sit at home and watch as four of college basketball's smartest teams - with textbooks in hand - clash for the ultimate prize.

"The best time of year"

You can argue with me all you want. In fact, I'd love to hear some counter points of view. But nothing will change my stance that this is the best time of the year for sports.

Period.

Why? Well, mostly because of 10 days filled with 63 men's college basketball games. The fifth day was Thursday. And if you missed it, you better have TiVo. If you weren’t in a chair, on a couch, standing up, lying down or in some other posture watching the four games Thursday, you're not a sports fan. Three of them were decided by a combined five points. The two games in San Antonio were decided by a point.

Both games came down to a player taking a shot at the last possible second. The only thing missing was the player making the shot. But, no worries. I have a feeling we'll see a buzzer-beater before the weekend is through.

While people all over the country love the first weekend of the NCAA tournament - and I'm no exception - the second weekend is the best. That's because almost every single game is made up of two quality teams. And both teams are good enough that if one of them falls way behind, it has the guns to get back into the game.

Yes, I'm talking about Ohio State.

It's funny how fans love to rule their team out way, way before the game is over (not sure if it’s some superstitious thing, but, hey, if it works, go for it). After speeding back from work Thursday night, I entered the front door of my fraternity house only to hear our lone Ohio State fan lamenting that the Buckeyes were done. And it was the first half! Sure, they had a lot of work to do, considering they were behind by 17 points, but as far as I saw it, the game wasn't close to over.

Sure enough, the Buckeyes cut a 17-point halftime deficit down to one in the first nine minutes of the second half, and from there it was on. To its credit, Tennessee never folded, getting big shots from its go-to guy, Chris Lofton, but Ohio State's versatility on offense was too much.

One of the great things about this greatest time of year is that players who received relatively little recognition during the regular season make a name for themselves. It always happens, and this year has been no exception. Ohio State senior Ron Lewis has come to play. He saved the Buckeyes against Xavier with a last-second bomb to send the second-round game to overtime. And he was a big part of the comeback Thursday night, scoring 25 points - including 18 in the second half - on 9-for-17 shooting.

What's amazing about Ohio State's run to the Elite Eight is that it's accomplished this, basically, without the services of Greg Oden. The big man was ineffective against the Vols, hampered by foul trouble all night that limited him to 18 minutes. He scored nine points and had more fouls (4) than rebounds (3). But he also had four blocks, and his final one on Tennessee's Ramar Smith sealed the Buckeyes' victory.

Ask just about anyone before the tournament if OSU could reach the Elite Eight without getting much from Oden, and the typical response would have been, "Nope. No way." Another great thing about this time of year: it's unpredictable.

For instance, there was no way Acie Law IV was going to miss that layup in the final minute against Memphis, which would have given the Aggies a three-point lead. He did. And there was no way Memphis would get four shots to win the game in the final seconds when it had gotten only seven offensive rebounds all night and was being outrebounded 30-24. It did, and Antonio Anderson hit two big free throws with 3.1 seconds remaining to give Memphis the win.

All season long, Law was the most clutch player in the nation. Late in close games he was cash money. But on Thursday Law scored just five of his 13 points in the second half, and his last two shots - a 3-point attempt and that layup - didn't fall. Another thing about March. A team can't always rely on one player to make all the plays. These are, after all, just college kids. No older than 22. They’re gonna have bad nights.

But, man, did the Salukis from Southern Illinois play like pros Thursday night. Just like any smart betting man, they played the odds. They knew they wouldn't stand a chance against mighty No. 1 seed Kansas if they tried to run with the Jayhawks. Kansas was way too athletic for them. It wouldn't have been a contest. So they slowed the game down, played great defense - forcing Kansas into an uncharacteristic 19 turnovers - executed their halfcourt offense and got a big game from senior guard Jamal Tatum, who led them with 19 points.

It nearly worked. If games were 35 minutes long, the Salukis might still be dancing. And copy editors across the country could rejoice at the thought of using the word "Salukis" in headlines for a couple more days. But, alas, the Jayhawks decided they were done with underachieving in the tournament (they were knocked out as a No. 3 and No. 4 seed in the first round the past two years).

One of the knocks against Kansas all year has been that it lacks a go-to player, someone who wants the ball in the final seconds. Well, nothing has been inked, but Brandon Rush had a fine, fine audition Thursday. The sophomore made all six of his field goal attempts for 12 points, and none was more important than his runner in the lane to give Kansas a three-point lead in the final minute.

If Kansas goes on to make the Final Four (which should be a very difficult task, considering UCLA awaits) and win the national title, Rush will likely never forget that shot. Even if he ends up a star in the NBA, it is something that will stay with him forever. Just as Buckeyes fans - if OSU continues its run - will point to the Xavier and Tennessee games 20 years from now and say, "We had to do a little surviving."

It's a time of year that breeds many great memories, plays that will be shown in highlight packages for years to come. It's the only single-elimination tournament among the major sports (college or pro), and that's the main reason it's the best.

Yes, October is great. Watching two college football games and a World Series game on Saturday and two NFL games and another World Series game on Sunday doesn’t make for a bad weekend. But this takes the cake.

Ten days.

Sixty-three games.

Unrelenting madness.

"NCAA tournament Day 4 diary"

Almost two weeks ago during Championship Week, CBS color analyst Billy Packer was paraphrased in a "USA Today" article as saying that the NCAA tournament had been infected by And1, the shoe sponsor that holds tournaments in which "wannabes" dunk with their toenails, juke dudes out of their sneakers, and perform just about every other trick in the bag.

Packer complained that the tournament was becoming too "And1" and that the new rule forcing high school stars to attend college for a year was only feeding the problem.

If Packer watched either of the games in front of him Sunday, however, he would know that the college game is far from being contaminated by players just looking to get on SportsCenter. The two games in Chicago were UNLV vs. Wisconsin in the Midwest region and Kansas vs. Kentucky in the West region.

Both games, Packer must admit, were won by teams, not individuals. Sure, individual players stepped up, making big shots when their teams needed them, but everyone contributed for UNLV in its upset of the Badgers, and Kansas' great depth overwhelmed Kentucky in the nightcap.

It is absolutely ridiculous to think that what Packer saw in Chicago was anything but solid team basketball. Consider the scoring balance for the two winning teams. Four players scored at least nine points in UNLV's 74-68 win as well as in Kansas' 88-76 victory, in which three of those players scored between 16 and 21 points. Consider the passing displays by both teams. The Runnin' Rebels assisted on 12 of 24 field goals while the Jayhawks assisted on 19 of 30 field goals. Not exactly 1-on-1 basketball.

And Packer's two games weren't the only ones in which teamwork was essential Sunday. What's great about college basketball, especially during March, is that guys we've never heard of come out of the shadows to make huge shots or huge defensive plays to help their team move on to the next round. In the NBA, we know all the players. We know Miami will post up Shaq. We know Steve Nash will dish out 15 assists. But the college game is more unpredictable. It's hardly ever 1-on-1 isolation. It's about ball movement, screening, and fast-breaking. That's what makes it great. It's not nearly as stagnant as the NBA game is.

And Sunday was a perfect example of what makes the game fun to watch. During any possession, Kansas would have five scorers on the floor, and the ball would be passed 10 to 15 times before an open shot was attempted.

It wasn't the stars who won on Sunday. In fact, the two Naismith Award finalists who played (Kevin Durant of Texas and Alando Tucker of Wisconsin) lost. Tucker scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Durant scored 30 points and snared nine boards. Not a bad afternoon for either player. But neither effort was enough. Their teammates didn't do enough. Both are great players, but the results of their games reinforced the point that this time of the year only the complete teams are victorious.

You want a complete team? How about Memphis? Entering the tournament, I wasn't familiar at all with the Conference USA squad and I knew it had played a super-weak schedule, so I picked the Tigers to lose to Nevada - and possible lottery pick Nick Fazekas - in the second round.

The Tigers threw a 'lil - no, a lot - BALANCE in my face. Six players scored between eight and 16 points to lead them to a 78-62 victory over Nevada. Even when their leading scorer, Chris Douglas-Roberts, left the game more than midway through the second half with an injury - and Nevada cut Memphis' lead to two -the Tigers responded, getting baskets and free throws from five different players during a 14-0 run to finish off the game.

And did I mention defense? The Tigers played stellar man-to-man defense to hold Nevada scoreless the final 6:17 of regulation.

As we approach Memphis' game against Texas A&M Thursday in the South regional semifinals, the big question will be whether Douglas-Roberts can play. That's a legitimate question, of course. He is, after all, the Tigers' leading scorer. But if he doesn't play, I wouldn't relax if I was Texas A&M.

What Sunday proved is that a group of good individuals working together will almost always beat one great individual.

Especially this time of year in college hoops.

"NCAA tournament Day 3 diary"

Amidst all the attention super freshmen such as Kevin Durant, Greg Oden and Brandan Wright have gotten this season, I nearly forgot that teams still have seniors. And that these seniors, despite the amazing talents of their younger teammates, are still, generally, the players with the ball in their hands in the final moments. And, finally, that these seniors usually are the ones to save their teams when all seems lost.

Enter Ron Lewis, senior, The Ohio State University.

His Buckeyes appeared dead meat late in the second half Saturday, trailing No. 9 seed Xavier by nine points. The team with so much talent, with very likely this year's No. 1 draft pick, was getting schooled by its Ohio rivals, by the team its coach, Thad Matta, abandoned three years ago.

That's when Lewis took over. People throughout the state of Ohio will undoubtedly remember the 3-pointer he jacked from somewhere in Tennessee to tie the game with two seconds remaining. They may not recall, however, Lewis scoring five of Ohio State's nine points before The Shot (he finished with a game-high 27). Fellow senior Jamar Butler scored three of the other four points, with Oden adding a free throw.

Oden fouled out in the final minute. Lewis stayed in the game and kept his team in the game. As good as Oden is and as great as he will be, in the final moments he was helpless on the bench, watching his teammates fight for survival. It was the seniors' time to shine.

Lewis' heroics weren't the only ones to come from upperclassmen on a day when seven of eight games came down to the final moments and the other - North Carolina's 81-67 win over Michigan State - wasn't decided until the last few minutes.

On the same court Lewis saved the Buckeyes, Texas A&M senior point guard Acie Law IV, rightfully nicknamed "Captain Clutch," blocked out a blood-seeking Louisville crowd and scored 26 points to send Texas A&M to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 27 years. For several fleeting moments during the second half, it looked like the Cardinals, in front of their partisan crowd, were ready to run away with the game thanks to their fullcourt trap. But Law wouldn't let it happen, making big play after big play to silence the crowd.

Law was especially clutch at the free throw line, where he made 13 of 15, including two in the final minute. Louisville freshman point guard Edgar Sosa was even better at the line, making his first 15 attempts to score 31 points. However, he missed his last two free throws, in the final minute, helping A&M escape with the victory. Don't tell me the frosh didn't feel the pressure.

Skipping ahead to the night games, Aaron Afflalo, UCLA's junior shooting guard, saved the day for the Bruins. UCLA led by nine points with under 4 minutes to go, a huge lead considering the game was in the 40s - not exactly a West Coast shootout. But behind their vaunted 3-point attack, the Hoosiers fought all the way back to tie the game 49-49 on an Earl Calloway layup with 1:01 remaining. With all the momentum on Indiana's side, Afflalo didn't settle for an outside jumper. Instead, with several defenders around him, he took the ball strong to the basket, giving the refs no choice but to call the obvious foul against Indiana. Afflalo calmly sank two free throws - nothing but net on both of them - and after an Indiana miscue and two Darren Collison free throws, UCLA's heartbeat could return to normal.

Overall, it was an awful shooting day by Afflalo. He made just two of 11 field goals and scored 10 points. But, at the same time, the fact that he was struggling makes his assertiveness in the final seconds more impressive. He knew he wasn't having a good shooting night from outside - he finished 0-3 from 3-point range - so he got to the free throw line.

He did what it took to win. Like Lewis. Like Law.

Three upperclassmen carrying their teams when they needed them most.

That was the theme of Saturday, the theme on easily the most exciting day so far of the tournament, the theme on a day when several high-seeded teams could have easily gone down, but the only "upset" ended up being Vanderbilt's double OT win over Washington State (which really wasn't much of an upset).

Before I call it a night, two other players need to be recognized for stepping up on Saturday. Roy Hibbert of Georgetown and Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina were absolute beasts Saturday night. Both were playing against very physical teams, but both were up to the challenge as Hibbert's Hoyas slipped by Boston College 62-55 and Hansbrough's Tar Heels pulled away from Michigan State 81-67.

Throughout the season Hibbert has been inconsistent, showing up on some nights but not on others. On Saturday, he came to play when his team needed him most. The 7-foot-2 junior scored 17 points, grabbed 12 boards and blocked two shots in 34 minutes of action. He even showed some moves on the offensive end (not just brute strength), spinning around a BC defender for a layup. He was the difference against a very good Boston College team.

Michigan State should have known it was in trouble when Hansbrough came out without the mask he had worn the previous few games to protect his nose. The sophomore - who plays a lot more like a senior - refused to be stopped. Michigan State threw throngs of defenders at him, but he was simply too strong. He motored to 33 points on 10-for-17 shooting from the field and 13-for-17 shooting from the free throw line. And, believe me, he earned every one of the free throws he attempted. He was beat up all night.

So with Saturday in the books, the only question is whether today can match up. While I doubt there will be as many tight finishes, this time of year you have to expect the unexpected. With that said, here are my picks for today's games. Notice how close I believe they’ll all be.

- Tennessee over Virginia, 87-81
- Nevada over Memphis, 71-68
- Texas over USC, 80-74
- Florida over Purdue, 70-62
- Winthrop over Oregon, 78-74
- Wisconsin over UNLV, 65-60
- Kansas over Kentucky, 81-68
- Virginia Tech over Southern Illinois, 64-56

"NCAA tournament Day 2 diary"

Big 10 haters may want to back down a bit. At least for now.

On Friday the Big 10 won two of three games to finish the first round a scintillating 5-1. If not for Illinois blowing a double-digit lead against Virginia Tech, the league would have gone a perfect 6-0. The Illini didn't score in the final 4:20 of the game, allowing the seemingly dead Hokies to finally overtake them in the final minute. It was a pretty good choke job, no doubt about it.

But it certainly doesn't taint the Big 10's performance thus far. The league's teams may be boring to watch. Seriously boring. Even Ohio State and Wisconsin fans must have been switching channels to the Big 12 title game a week ago. Texas-Kansas was that much more exciting.

HOWEVA, as Stephen A. Smith would say, when it comes to playing hard-nosed, physical, smash-the-glass, no-easy-buckets basketball, no one is better than the Big 10. We saw this the past couple days. It took Marquette nearly 10 minutes to score a single point against Michigan State on Thursday. And Friday, Purdue dominated Arizona on the glass, 37-29, sending a message to the Pac 10 that you can't finesse your way to victories. Especially in March. Illinois did the same to Virginia Tech, until that collapse (which, honestly, I still can't believe happened).

The only Big 10 team that didn't look impressive in the first round was Wisconsin, which received a serious scare from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Badgers trailed by as many as 18 points in the first half, but were saved in the second half by seniors Alando Tucker and Kammron Taylor, who scored 47 of Wisconsin's 76 points.

Wisconsin will definitely be challenged by UNLV in the second round, but I think it will move on. The close call will be beneficial, as there's no way Bo Ryan will allow his team to come out asleep on Sunday as it did on Friday.

The Big 10 should get at least two teams to the Sweet 16. I don't foresee Ohio State having much of a problem today against Xavier, and watch out tonight for Indiana against UCLA. If the Hoosiers can hit their 3's, they're a dangerous bunch.

Unfortunately for Michigan State and Purdue, they face No. 1 seeds in North Carolina and Florida, respectively. It would take supreme defensive efforts for them to corral their more talented opponents. Still, I foresee that by Sunday night critics will no longer be ripping the Big 10 and the committee's decision to select six teams from the league.

Speaking of the committee, it was pretty obvious from watching the first two days which two at-large teams didn't belong in the field of 65. Stanford and Arkansas. The Cardinal got absolutely rocked by Louisville on Thursday, and the Razorbacks didn't have much fight against USC on Friday. I'm sure - check that, positive - Drexel and Syracuse could have given better efforts. They belonged in the field.

Well, my upset picks backfired again on Friday. For some reason - maybe the fact that I just don't like the state of Virginia (bad family reunion; it's a long story) - I thought Virginia would fall to Albany. Boy, was I far off. It became clear, watching the Cavaliers, that at least in the first round, all a team needs are a couple of great guards. Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds were sensational for Virginia on Friday. They combined for 51 points on just 28 field goal attempts and also grabbed a combined 13 rebounds.

While inside-outside balance is necessary in order to win a championship, it isn't imperative in order to survive the first weekend. Virginia and Tennessee will be a great matchup of guards on Sunday. The Volunteers absolutely torched Long Beach State on Friday 121-86 – the 121 points the most scored in a tournament game in over 15 years - with three guards scoring 20-plus points led by Chris Lofton's 25. We should see a barrage of 3-pointers from these guard-dominated teams on Sunday.

Finally, the game to watch today (if you can only peep one - something I don't recommend). It's gotta be Texas A&M against Louisville in Lexington. There should be a raucous crowd for the Cardinals, but can anyone shake Acie Law? I don't think so. He's the most clutch player in the country. Still, this should be a heckuva game. Louisville will try to play at a frenetic pace while A&M will attempt to slow it down. Whoever wins the tempo battle should have the early edge, but I expect the game to go down to the end. And that's when Law will win it for the Aggies, 75-71.

My other picks for today:
- Ohio State over Xavier, 77-61
- North Carolina over Michigan State, 72-65
- Vanderbilt over Washington State, 75-69 (yeah, I know, I'm jumping on Vandy's bandwagon; just trying to be honest here)
- Georgetown over Boston College, 62-50
- UCLA over Indiana, 68-60
- Pitt over VCU, 66-58
- Maryland over Butler, 73-68

There should be several close games, if not upsets. Which will be in contrast to the first two days, which produced 23 games (out of 32) decided by 10 or more points.

It’s time for some drama.

"NCAA tournament Day 1 diary"

What a... non-exciting day in the Big Dance???

Did I just say that? Wow. Unbelievable. Shocking.

The men's NCAA tournament had its most uneventful, non-"upsetting" first day in at least half a decade Thursday (and I don't even have to look that one up; it's the truth). Only three lower seeds won, and two of those were No. 9 seeds (Michigan State and Xavier). The other "upset" - VCU over Duke - was a No. 11 over a 6, which isn't a huge shocker. And, honestly, Duke didn't deserve a No. 6 seed anyway. It was more of a 7-10 matchup.

So, basically, things played out like they were supposed to. Which is cool, except that it isn't, because this never happens. And it's much more exciting to see the little guys rule, until you look down at your busted bracket. (On a side note, my bracket is relatively unscathed - like, probably, the majority of people's - after a 13-for-16 opening day).

But I'm not going to stop beating myself over the head - for at least a week and a half - for picking Stanford and George Washington, two teams that got absolutely obliterated by Louisville and Vanderbilt, respectively. I apologize to anyone who listened to my picks on those two. I don't know what I was thinking taking a young Stanford team playing on the road in Lexington (I regretted the pick as soon as the Cardinal were down five), and George Washington was simply a brain fart. If not for those lousy picks and my choice of the 'Zags over Indiana, I would have been perfect on the day.

Which really isn't saying much, considering how normal the games were. A common theme: The smaller underdog would stay with the bigger, stronger team for a half, or even a half and a half, but then the favorite would flex its muscle and pull away. We haven't seen that the past few years. Here is the biggest reason, I believe, for Thursday's top-heavy results.

- The smaller schools, such as Oral Roberts (which lost to Washington State) and Old Dominion (which collapsed against Butler) relied way too much on the 3-pointer when they got down. They started chucking up treys instead of taking the ball to the basket and getting to the free throw line.

- The bigger teams, on the other hand, didn't rely on the outside shot (with the exception of hot-shooting Butler and Vandy). Even Indiana, which shot lights out in the first half against Gonzaga, threw the ball down low to D.J. White in the second half, possession after possession, and had great success doing so. Not only did White score 16 points and grab 11 rebounds, but he also received great attention on the block, freeing Indiana's outside shooters, who buried nine triples.

In Maryland's win over Davidson, the Terrapins simply beat up the Wildcats, outrebounding them 49-31. While Davidson's freshman guard Stephen Curry was outstanding, connecting on five 3-pointers to score 30 points, the Terrapins did a good job of not settling for 3's on the other end. While Davidson was 10-for-37 from 3-point range, Maryland was a much more efficient 6-for-17. All of the favorites who won did an excellent job (most of the time) of working the ball on offense to find the best shot. They were very disciplined.

But is this dominance by the higher seeds going to last? Nope, very doubtful. Look for a bevy of upsets - and a return to normalcy - today. A couple of upsets I could certainly see happening are in the South Regional, where Albany takes on No. 4 seed Virginia in the earliest game and then Long Beach State battles No. 5 seed Tennessee. While Virginia gets outstanding guard play from Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds, I think it relies on that duo too much, and it's also not the most disciplined team. I think a good effort by Albany could result in the biggest upset so far of the Dance. And Tennessee-LBSU should be a shootout. Both teams like to get up and down the court. And as long as LBSU takes good care of the basketball so that it takes as many shots as the Volunteers, it has a fighting chance.

As far as the game of the day, don't miss the Creighton-Nevada matchup. I love both of these teams, which is why - for my bracket's sake - I hate the fact that they're playing in the first round. Creighton's Nate Funk is one of the most clutch players in the land, and Nevada's trio of Nick Fazekas (a likely lottery pick), Marcelus Kemp and Kyle Shiloh (if he plays) is deadly. Should be a great first-round game.

So it's time to move on to Day 2. Day 1 produced just three out of 16 games decided by less than 10 points, an absolutely amazing number for the Big Dance. Don't expect this to continue, however.

Today will be nuts, berserk, absolute chaos. Favorites will fall. Brackets will be scathed by red X's. There will be several nail-biters.

That's the beauty of this first weekend. There may be one uneventful day. But there's always the next day, and it's rarely the same.

"Momentum means nothing come March"

When filling out my NCAA tournament brackets, I used to always be temped to pick teams that were on a hot streak - teams that supposedly owned that all-important "M" word (momentum) heading into the Big Dance.

That's why I stupidly chose Syracuse to advance to the Sweet 16 a year ago after the Orangemen won four games in four days to take the Big East Tournament. Then I watched on the first night of the Big Dance as the Orange completely ran out of gas against Texas A&M and lost. Gerry McNamara, who had been unstoppable during the Big East tourney, stunk up the joint against the Aggies and wasn't even in the game at crunch time.

After that game, I finally learned my bracketology lesson for the year: Momentum means nothing going into the NCAA tournament. This is different from momentum gained during the tournament. That's a good thing. That's what propelled Florida to the national title a year ago. They got hot in the Big Dance and, frankly, became invincible. But any winning streaks taken into the tournament can be thrown out the window.

The only streak that matters come Thursday is who can pile up six straight wins.

Positive momentum?
No coach will ever admit it (at least publicly), but if a team is assured of a high seed in the tournament, an early loss in its conference tournament can't be the worse thing. It gives the team an extra few days to rest and prepare. And if the coach thinks his players were maybe becoming overconfident or too relaxed on the court, it is a perfect opportunity for him to teach them a lesson about taking every game seriously - exactly what is needed during the three-week Big Dance.

This year's Maryland team is the perfect example. The Terrapins cruised into the ACC tournament having won eight consecutive games, including two over Duke and one over North Carolina, a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance. But Maryland lost in the first round of the conference tournament to Miami, a team that's not attending any postseason tournament. I know Gary Williams relished the opportunity to work with his players Friday, Saturday and Sunday while Roy Williams was coaching North Carolina to the ACC title.

And I can guarantee the Terrapins will be prepared for their first-round matchup this week with Davidson. There will be no looking ahead. They will be rested and ready to go - something that could not be said if they had gone on to play in the ACC title game. Sure, they might have gotten a No. 3 seed instead of a No. 4 (which I thought was extremely generous), but when it comes down to it, the seeding doesn't matter. Every team still has to play the games.

A team on the other end of the spectrum is Texas, which nearly delayed the selection committee’s unveiling of the brackets by playing overtime with Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament Sunday afternoon. The game ended around 5:40 p.m. EST, 20 minutes before the selection show. The Longhorns lost the game, but still got a No. 4 seed and a lot of respect from national pundits, who believe Texas has what it takes to possibly upset North Carolina in the Sweet 16.

But Texas must win two games in three days before it can think about the Tar Heels.
Luckily for the Longhorns, they play on Friday evening instead of, say, noon on Thursday. But, still, they'll only have had four days to practice and prepare for New Mexico State. As great as Kevin Durant is, Texas fans have to be just a little concerned about their team. Texas played three games in three days - including a draining comeback against Baylor and the OT loss to Kansas - and it isn't a team with a lot of depth. This was obvious on Sunday when point guard D.J. Augustin was out of the game. No player could run the offense like he did. His presence on the bench allowed Kansas to recover from a 22-point deficit.

Does this mean Texas will lose to New Mexico State? No, probably not. But the Longhorns' weekend will not be as easy as many experts predict.

As exciting as Texas' Big 12 tournament run was, maybe it would have been better off allowing Baylor to hold onto its huge lead in the quarterfinals Friday night. That would have done two things. First, it would have given the thin Texas lineup a full week to rest and get ready for the Big Dance. Second, it would have put the Longhorns below the radar. After this past weekend, everyone knows what the Longhorns can do as a team. They were a Kansas 3-pointer at the end of regulation away from winning the tournament. But if they had been beaten by lowly Baylor, maybe people would have had questions about this team. Or, maybe, people simply wouldn't have talked about it as the tournament neared.

Last year, no one was chatting up Florida as a potential Final Four candidate until the Elite Eight. The Gators used a lack-of-respect approach perfectly to cruise to the national title. They weren't quite the Cinderella George Mason was, but they certainly weren't as popular of a pick as Connecticut or Duke to make the Final Four.

This year, however, the target is on Florida's back. And they were one of four high-profile teams - along with Kansas, Ohio State and North Carolina - who won a conference tournament on Sunday. While it would take an historical event - the first 16-over-1 upset - for one of these teams to lose its first-round matchup, it will be interesting to see how this "momentum" serves them (and others, such as Texas) as March Madness roars forward.

"NCAA tournament preview part II: my picks"

NOTE: Yes, I've watched probably as much college basketball this season as Digger Phelps. Yes, I think I know what I'm talking about. But, no, that doesn't mean anything. These picks could be atrocious. So if you want to roll with me, that's gravy. But don't hold me responsible for your busted bracket after two days.

With that said, here are my "official picks."

ST. LOUIS BRACKET
1ST ROUND
No. 1 Florida def. No. 16 Jackson State: A no-brainer.
No. 8 Arizona def. No. 9 Purdue: Much more talent on Arizona's side, but will the Wildcats use it?
No. 5 Butler def. No. 12 Old Dominion: More big-game experience for Butler.
No. 4 Maryland def. No. 13 Davidson: Close game, but Terps prevail.
No. 11 Winthrop def. No. 6 Notre Dame: Tough to pick against Winthrop, who took North Carolina to the brink.
No. 3 Oregon def. No. 14 Miami (Ohio): Miami's just happy (and lucky) to be here.
No. 10 Georgia Tech def. No. 7 UNLV: Yellow Jackets showed in win over UNC what they're capable of.
No. 2 Wisconsin def. No. 15 Texas A&M - CC: No problems yet for the Badgers.
2ND ROUND
No. 1 Florida def. No. 8 Arizona: More disciplined Gators pull away in second half.
No. 4 Maryland def. No. 5 Butler: Terps too athletic for Butler.
No. 3 Oregon def. No. 11 Winthrop: Ducks shoot lights-out from 3-point range.
No. 2 Wisconsin def. No. 10 Georgia Tech: Tough defense forces young Yellow Jackets into several turnovers.
3RD ROUND
No. 1 Florida def. No. 4 Maryland: Florida's big men too much for younger Maryland bigs.
No. 3 Oregon def. No. 2 Wisconsin: Ducks push the tempo, take Alando Tucker out of the game.
4TH ROUND
No. 1 Florida def. No. 3 Oregon: Huge advantage for Florida down low is the difference.

SAN JOSE BRACKET
1ST ROUND
No. 1 Kansas def. No. 16 Florida A&M/Niagra: Yeah... no first-round loss this time around.
No. 8 Kentucky def. No. 9 Villanova: With Mike Nardi still not 100 percent, Kentucky’s defense focuses on Scottie Reynolds and possibly saves Tubby Smith's job.
No. 5 Virginia Tech def. No. 12 Illinois: Zabian Dowdell dominates against weak Illinois backcourt.
No. 4 Southern Illinois def. No. 13 Holy Cross: Given nearly two weeks to rest and prepare, Salukis come out with something to prove.
No. 11 VCU def. No. 6 Duke: Weakest Duke team in years has trouble scoring.
No. 3 Pittsburgh def. No. 14 Wright State: Panthers shut down Wright State, get big outing from big man Aaron Gray.
No. 10 Gonzaga def. No. 7 Indiana: Playing in Sacramento, 'Zags again are a mid-major with something to prove.
No. 2 UCLA def. No. 15 Weber State: It won't be easy. Remember, Weber State knocked off No. 3 seed North Carolina about five years ago.
SECOND ROUND
No. 1 Kansas def. No. 8 Kentucky: Jayhawks run Wildcats tired with their large rotation of capable players.
No. 5 Virginia Tech def. No. 4 Southern Illinois: Hokies are able to play their up-and-down style, and that's the difference.
No. 3 Pittsburgh def. No. 11 VCU: Pitt is able to turn game into a grind-it-out defensive battle.
No. 2 UCLA def. No. 10 Gonzaga: Rematch of last year's Sweet 16 game, which UCLA stole at the end. No theft necessary this time. Aaron Afflalo shoots over 'Zags' smaller guards.
THIRD ROUND
No. 1 Kansas def. No. 5 Virginia Tech: Kansas' three super guards - Mario Chalmers, Russell Robinson and Sherron Collins - wear down Dowdell, and Julian Wright shreds the defense with his passing.
No. 2 UCLA def. No. 3 Pittsburgh: Another defensive battle goes to Bruins, who are able to neutralize Gray and get a big game from point guard Darren Collison.
FOURTH ROUND
No. 1 Kansas def. No. 2 UCLA: The only advantage for the Bruins is experience. Kansas has more depth and talent at every position. The Jayhawks should win, but who really knows? Will be a great game.

EAST RUTHERFORD BRACKET
FIRST ROUND
No. 1 North Carolina def. No. 16 Eastern Kentucky: Only concern for the Heels is playing just four days after three-day ACC tournament.
No. 9 Michigan State def. No. 8 Marquette: Tough call here, but with Jerel McNeal still nursing an injury and a size advantage inside for the Spartans, gotta go with MSU.
No. 5 USC def. No. 12 Arkansas: In fast-paced game, Razorbacks will wear down toward end thanks to four-game, four-day stretch during SEC tournament.
No. 4 Texas def. No. 13 New Mexico State: Beware of Reggie Theus' Lobos, but D.J. Augustin leads way for Texas in this one.
No. 11 George Washington def. No. 6 Vanderbilt: Commodores rely way too heavily on 3-pointers.
No. 3 Washington State def. No. 14 Oral Roberts: Under-the-radar Cougars play some of country's best defense.
No. 7 Boston College def. No. 10 Texas Tech: Jared Dudley is too much for the Red Raiders.
No. 2 Georgetown def. No. 15 Belmont: Hoyas continue their great play of late.
2ND ROUND
No. 1 North Carolina def. No. 9 Michigan State: Tar Heels overwhelm Spartans with their depth, and they stop Drew Neitzel with several bigger defenders.
No. 4 Texas def. No. 5 USC: Simply put, Trojans have no answer for Kevin Durant down low.
No. 3 Washington State def. No. 11 George Washington: Another smothering defensive effort.
No. 2 Georgetown def. No. 7 Boston College: Dudley won't be able to penetrate and get his shot off against big Roy Hibbert.
THIRD ROUND
No. 1 North Carolina def. No. 4 Texas: What a matchup. In the end, North Carolina's depth is too much for the Longhorns and senior Reyshawn Terry steps up down the stretch.
No. 2 Georgetown def. No. 3 Washington State: See the Hoyas' win over Pittsburgh Saturday? This will be a carbon copy. Jeff Green scores the tough points against the Cougars.
4TH ROUND
No. 2 Georgetown def. No. 1 North Carolina: What pace will be game be played at? That's the key. Hoyas want a slow game. Tar Heels want a race. Tar Heels have more talent, but something's telling me Georgetown. Don't ask me why.

SAN ANTONIO BRACKET
1ST ROUND
No. 1 Ohio State def. No. 16 Central Connecticut State: Look out for Mr. Greg Oden.
No. 9 Xavier def. No. 8 BYU: People are saying Xavier shouldn't be in. With chip on their shoulder, Musketeers prove their worth.
No. 5 Tennessee def. No. 12 Long Beach State: Tempted to pick the proverbial 12-5 upset, but Chris Lofton changes my mind.
No. 13 Albany def. No. 4 Virginia: All I can say is I feel this one happening. If you want some backup, Virginia relies way too much on Sean Singletary.
No. 11 Stanford def. No. 6 Louisville: Probably not a popular pick here, but Cardinal, like Xavier, feel they need to prove their worth. And that tough Pac 10 schedule will help them here.
No. 3 Texas A&M def. No. 14 Pennsylvania: No way Acie Law lets Aggies lose this one.
No. 7 Nevada def. No. 10 Creighton: Couldn't be angrier about this matchup because I LOVE both teams. However, forced to pick, trio of Nick Fazekas, Marcelus Kemp and Ramon Sessions leads Wolfpack to very, very close win.
No. 2 Memphis def. No. 15 North Texas: Tempted to pick upset, but North Texas doesn't sound like a Cinderella team.
2ND ROUND
No. 1 Ohio State def. No. 9 Xavier: No problems for Buckeyes as Oden-Mike Conley Jr. combo dominates.
No. 5 Tennessee def. No. 13 Albany: Volunteers' athleticism too much for America East Conference champs.
No. 3 Texas A&M def. No. 11 Stanford: Experienced Aggies are too much for talented but young Cardinal.
No. 7 Nevada def. No. 2 Memphis: Nevada's experienced playmakers trump Memphis' athletic youngsters.
3RD ROUND
No. 1 Ohio State def. No. 5 Tennessee: Volunteers have no answer for Oden inside.
No. 3 Texas A&M def. No. 7 Nevada: Aggies force Wolfpack into gritty, defensive battle. Law hits big shots over smaller Nevada guards.
4TH ROUND
No. 1 Ohio State def. No. 3 Texas A&M: Buckeyes guard Law with their bigger guards and small forwards. Conley Jr. makes Law have to work on defense, and when Aggies help on Oden, Buckeyes' 3-point shooters have a great day.

FINAL FOUR
Florida def. Kansas: Teams played epic overtime game in December, with Kansas sneaking away with the victory. This will be another great one. In the end, Florida's big-game experience will be the key, as the Gators play just a little more poised down the stretch.
Ohio State def. Georgetown: Oden vs. Hibbert will be very fun to watch, but Oden - minus his lack of experience - should have the edge. Conley Jr. is a much better point guard than anyone Georgetown has. If the Buckeyes can contain Jeff Green, this should be a hard-fought win for them.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Florida def. Ohio State: Who would have thought? A rematch of the BCS title game with the same result. Except it won't be a huge blowout. The bottom line is this: When Florida is on its game, it is the best team in college basketball and it can't be stopped. If it gets this far in the tournament, don't expect it to play a mediocre game. Noah, Al Horford and the Gators' other big men will contain Oden; Green and Corey Brewer will do a good job on Conley Jr.; and Lee Humphrey will hit some big 3's.

Final score: Florida 68, Ohio State 59

"NCAA tournament preview part I: criteria for success"

Well, we have finally reached Selection Sunday, the second biggest sports Sunday of the year for most sports fans (and the biggest if you don't follow professional football). The bracket is out, and it is STACKED. There are several teams in each region capable of making the Final Four. And there is a good pool of teams capable of taking home the championship.

I am just about prepared to throw my reputation as a "knowledgeable" hoops aficionado on the line, but before I make my picks, let me give you a few characteristics that I will look for in teams to determine whether they can go far in the tournament. Of course a game's outcome will always depend on the matchups between the two teams - and a little luck - but teams with these attributes, I believe, will have the best chance of doing some damage late into March.

1. Have a go-to guy
As much as I love a balanced team (and more about that in a second), a team that wants to go deep into the tournament has to know who is going to have the ball in their hands come crunch time. That player doesn't necessarily have to take the big shot, but he has to be able to make plays when they're needed most - whether it's hitting the game-winner or penetrating and dishing off to someone else.
- To name a few: Acie Law (Texas A&M); Mike Conley Jr. (Ohio State); Chris Lofton (Tennessee).

2. Have offensive balance
This is the biggest reason Wisconsin, the No. 2 seed in the Midwest, won't make it to the Final Four. Whenever Alando Tucker, the Badgers' player of the year candidate, has a bad game, they usually lose. Teams need to have several options on offense; different guys who can step up at various times. Teams especially need an inside-outside threat. That's why Ohio State is so dangerous with Conley and Greg Oden down low. Ditto Texas with Kevin Durant and D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams.

3. Have a very solid point guard
It was obvious today, when watching the Big 12 championship game, that Texas was a completely different team without Augustin on the floor. Durant didn't get the ball. The offense had no flow. Every team will play hard-nosed defense with great effort during the NCAA tournament. A successful team will need an experienced point guard to calm down his teammates during critical situations and run the offense like it's supposed to be run. A team without an experienced or precocious point guard during the tournament isn't going past the Sweet 16.
- To name a few: Taurean Green (Florida); Aaron Brooks (Oregon); Darren Collison (UCLA).

4. Shoot free throws well
No matter how good a team is, more than likely it will find itself in a NCAA tournament game where it needs to convert free throws in the final minutes to pull out the victory. Teams don't necessarily need to be good as a whole shooting free throws, but they need to have at least three excellent free throw shooters who will be in the game at crunch time.
- To name a few teams: Gonzaga, Nevada, Oregon (I promise, there's no West Coast Bias here).

5. Have a shot-blocker
Look at each of the past five national champions. Maryland (2002) had Lonny Baxter and Chris Wilcox; Syracuse (2003) had Hakim Warrick - remember that block to seal the national title game?; Connecticut (2004) had Emeka Okafor; North Carolina (2005) had Sean May; and last year? Well, Joakim Noah set an NCAA tournament record for blocks. A shot-blocker is super important during the tournament because teams who face off normally aren't that familiar with each other, so a player can surprise the opponent with his ability to swat shots.
- To name a few: Oden (Ohio State), Durant (Texas), Steven Hill (Arkansas), Noah (Florida).

6. Finally, get on a hot streak
This, ultimately, is the most important factor in who ends up dancing on the first Monday night of April. This is what propelled Florida to its first championship a year ago. If a talented team comes together and plays their best basketball of the season over the course of three weeks, watch out. Conversely, if a talented team doesn't show up for a game, its season could be over. Just like that. The bottom line is, the teams that are able to stay focused for each game - no matter the opponent - and play the most consistently have the best chance of moving on. One lapse, and you can start talking about next year.

With that said, let's get ready for tourney time. I'll say it every year - but even more so this time around. Anything is possible come Thursday.

"Michigan's woes must fall on Amaker"

Dion Harris caught the ball on the fastbreak and was going up for a relatively uncontested layup, which could have cut Michigan's deficit to eight points with still four minutes to play, when he lost it. The ball simply slipped out of his hands and out of bounds. Timeout. Ohio State ball. Game over. NCAA tournament hopes dashed.

No, Michigan's loss to the Buckeyes in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament on Friday wasn't because of this one play (think: Greg Oden's dominance, 16 turnovers, two misses of front ends of bonus opportunities, a terrible shooting afternoon by Harris, little productivity from Courtney Sims, etc.). But Harris' miscue was a perfect representation of this season for the Wolverines - and, ultimately, of the entire six-year reign of Tommy Amaker as head coach.

Missed opportunities.

That's what the Wolverines' struggles have been all about. They simply have not capitalized on their chances for success. And that falls on Amaker.

To Amaker's credit, the Wolverines played some of their best basketball the past two weeks. Their best two games of the season were their home victory over Michigan State and the first 36 minutes of their heartbreaking loss to Ohio State a week ago. The team played as a unit in these games. The offense was about as smooth as it's ever going to be without a good point guard. The effort on the defensive end was there.

It was the sign of a good coach - getting his players to play their best basketball at the end of the season. But when they've been playing mediocre - often heartless - basketball up until the season's final weeks, it's too late. And that's the sign of a poor coach - not being able to get through to his players until it's crunch time.

Michigan didn't cost itself an NCAA tournament bid a week ago or on Friday. Yes, it basically giftwrapped the game for the Buckeyes at Crisler Arena. But until the final minutes, the Wolverines played their best game of the year against a team that is clearly more talented than them (On Friday that talent showed itself very clearly in the form of Greg Oden. He was unstoppable).

Michigan's tournament hopes went down the drain for a ninth consecutive year in December, and January and even February. In its one non-conference home game against a school you can locate on a map, Georgetown, Michigan played lackadaisical and lost by a large margin. A win in that contest would at least have Michigan on the bubble right now because while the Hoyas were struggling at that point of the season - they weren't even in the top 25 - now they're arguably college hoop's hottest team and likely a No. 2 seed come 6 p.m. today.

Then, during the Big Ten season, Michigan often looked uninterested in road games. It was blown out at Purdue and Indiana. It looked awful at Michigan State and Illinois. It got crushed against Wisconsin. It only beat Northwestern and Minnesota away from home. And the only loss it looked decent in was against those same Buckeyes.

One or two quality road wins, and we'd be talking NCAA tournament.

Finally, and this is the clincher, Michigan's home collapse against Iowa was absolutely unacceptable. The Wolverines held a comfortable lead until Iowa went on a 20-1 second-half run to surge ahead. No NCAA tournament team squanders a big lead at home against a non-tournament team such as the Hawkeyes.

Blame the coach and his staff

Michigan's failures come back to Amaker and his coaching staff. He needs to be fired. It's that simple. Has he done a great job of cleaning up the program and recruiting players who stay for four years? Yes. Is he a class act? Undoubtedly. But is he - at least at Michigan - a good head coach?

No. No. No.

There are two main reasons for Michigan's failures the past six years. Since this season had been a microcosm of the Amaker Era, I'm just going to focus on it.

The players hardly get better

First off, he is not very good at developing players. Look at this year's senior class. Tell me - is Lester Abram any better than he was as a freshman? No, he's worse. Some of that has to do with the injuries he's suffered and his rehabilitation from them, but he's been healthy this season, and he's been achingly inconsistent.

What about Dion Harris? He averaged three more points this season than he did as a freshman. And his field goal percentage was worse. Amaker's inability to recruit a suitable backup point guard to Daniel Horton might have cost Harris a shot at the NBA. While his adaptation to playing the point guard role the last couple years when Horton was out is admirable, Harris never looked comfortable at the position. He is a true shooting guard - with a beautiful shot - who unfortunately had to take a lot more 3-pointers off the dribble than off the pass.

Finally, seniors Courtney Sims and Brent Petway need to be mentioned. While Sims' scoring average improved two points from his freshman year to his sophomore year, it hasn't even increased two points since then despite Sims being Michigan's lone inside offensive threat. Of more concern, his rebounding numbers have increased by just one rebound since his sophomore season. Anyone who's watched Sims for four years knows his main problem is a lack of aggressiveness and assertiveness. Yet, with a few exceptions this year, Sims still appeared too cautious and slow on the court. Has he improved from a year ago? Yes. But not as much as a player of his caliber should have.

Petway may be the most glaring example of Amaker and his coaching staff's inability to develop players over four years. Petway is arguably the greatest leaper in college basketball. Some of the ally-oops he converts are simply amazing. But the rest of his offensive repertoire hasn't come to fruition. It's easy to joke about how many of his points in a given games are going to be on ally-oops and putback dunks. If Michigan's coaches could have broadened Petway's game to include post moves and a mid-range jumper (which, obviously, would be unblockable) he could have been a dominating college player. Instead, he has just been occasionally exciting.

Stop playing cupcakes

Amaker's second big mistake has been non-conference scheduling. The Wolverines have played ridiculously weak non-conference schedules just about every season under Amaker, and it kills them come Big Ten season because they are not prepared for the tough games - especially on the road. Additionally, if they are on the bubble come tournament time, their resume is always weakened by a glaring lack of good non-conference wins (an ESPN graphic actually listed Davidson as a "key win" this year for Michigan because Davidson won its obscure conference tournament).

Who did Michigan beat this season in non-conference play (besides, Davidson, of course)? Their best win was probably over Miami of Ohio, which won the MAC tournament on a lucky 3-pointer at the buzzer Saturday night. That's sad. The only good teams Michigan played were UCLA (who's really good and obliterated Michigan) and Georgetown. The Wolverines also played North Carolina State on the road, but that was part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, in which the Wolverines are required to compete in.

So, basically, Michigan played in two tough non-conference games in late December (UCLA was Dec. 23 and Georgetown Dec. 30) and got smoked in both games because it hadn't played anyone to prepare for them. Why not play a Missouri Valley team or a middle-of-the-pack Big East team to lead up to UCLA and Georgetown (two teams who could easily end up in the Final Four)? It makes perfect sense. Yet Amaker thought playing Wofford would suffice.

What makes the weak scheduling sadder is that Michigan has a senior-laden team this year. Harris, Abram, Petway and Sims have all played four years at Michigan. Yet Amaker somehow didn't feel they were ready for tough non-conference play.

It doesn't make sense. But then again, it does - at least in a way. Jim Carty of the "Ann Arbor News" wrote in a column Saturday that Amaker doesn't follow any of the NCAA tournament talk about which teams are "in" and which teams are on "the bubble" and what criteria teams need to make the Big Dance. Amaker just coaches. And that'd be fine if he was at North Carolina, with enough talent to spread around the entire ACC. But when you're at a school that's been longing for eight years just to make it to the NCAA tournament, you need to do whatever you have to - legally, of course - to make it happen. Listen to the experts. Schedule the tough teams in December. Don't be afraid of losing to good teams. It will make you better in those close games in early March (aka the meltdown against the Buckeyes).

But, no. Amaker doesn't follow the hype. And now, when the field of 65 is announced tonight, his kids won't be a part of the hype. They'll prepare for another NIT appearance - their third in four years - and they'll be left to wonder what the thrill of playing in the NCAA tournament is like.

Mostly because their coach didn't know how to lead them there.

"The perfect choke job"

You'd think the team with the freshmen and sophomores playing on the road would have choked. Not the senior-laden team with much more at stake.

Well, you thought wrong.

The University of Michigan men's basketball team was on its way to a huge upset of No. 1 Ohio State Saturday - which would have nearly sealed the team's first NCAA tournament bid since 1998 - until it pulled the perfect choke job.

The Wolverines led by six points, 61-55, after a three-point play by Courtney Sims with just under four minutes to play. Then there was a timeout. Now I'm no insider, so I don't know what went on during those couple minutes - I can't say if Tommy Amaker told his players they'd worked too hard to win, or if some drug was slipped in Dion Harris' water - but the game changed drastically after the timeout.

All game, Michigan's seniors - Harris, Sims, Lester Abram and Brent Petway - had led the way, as they should on Senior Day. Harris had hit the big 3-pointers. Petway and Sims had banged down low against Super Freshman Greg Oden. Each scored 11 points and Petway had eight rebounds.

All game long... until it counted most. With Michigan's lead cut to 65-61, Sims got a great feed down low and elevated over Oden, but missed a dunk. He threw his arms in the air, complaining about the no-call, but with less than 3 minutes to play in a close game, you can't expect to get a touch foul. The bottom line is Sims should not have blown the dunk.

Then, after the Buckeyes took a two-point lead, Harris was fouled with 48 seconds remaining and approached the free throw line for a bonus opportunity. The senior calmly (at least he appeared calm) went through his routine then released the ball.

Not even close. Clank, off the front right part of the rim. You can't say anything except Harris choked. Harris entered the game an 85.9 percent free throw shooter and had made four of four of six attempts before his choke job.

Switching gears here, Amaker has rightfully taken a lot of the heat for this team's woes. But this loss has to fall on the players' shoulders. You could tell, just watching on TV, how much Amaker wanted this win. He actually picked up a technical foul. Amaker hardly shows enough emotion during most games to make you think he's the head coach. But on Saturday he did everything possible to lead his team to the huge upset. His team just let him down at the end.

Obviously there was much more pressure on Michigan than Ohio State coming into the game. The Buckeyes had already clinched the outright Big Ten title and could still get a No. 1 seed in the approaching NCAA tournament with a loss to the Wolverines. Michigan NEEDED this win. Now it's most likely headed to yet another NIT. Unless the Wolverines win at least three games in the Big Ten tournament, I don't see them getting in the field of 65. One reason is that there are more bubble teams than ever out there. Teams who have actually beaten somebody. The Wolverines haven't beaten a team in the current Top 25 yet this season and have 0 quality road wins.

A perfect team to compare the Wolverines to is Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are just 19-10 heading into their regular-season finale against Boston College, however they got that "key" win by upsetting North Carolina at home on Thursday. That's the difference between the Yellow Jackets and the Wolverines. That wins which stands out. Michigan doesn't have one.

They were 4 minutes away on Saturday. The crowd at normally silent Crisler Arena was on its feet, anticipating the biggest win for the program in nearly a decade. Everything was looking up. Then the seniors gagged. Yes, they're just kids, really. That shouldn’t be forgotten. We're not talking about professional athletes. It was transparent after the game how hurt they were that they didn't deliver a win for the home fans on Senior Day. They should still be recognized as fine student-athletes who have served U-M well.

But, yeah, they choked. Ohio State played well in the final minutes. Greg Oden had a huge tip-in to cut Michigan's lead to two, and Jamar Butler made an acrobatic fastbreak layup - which looked like a very difficult shot - to give Ohio State a 63-61 lead and then made two clutch free throws with 12 seconds remaining to all but ice it.

In the end, Ohio State's young players did what they needed to do to win in a hostile environment (really - I'm not kidding, the fans were rowdy) and push their candidacy for a No. 1 seed. Michigan's players, on the other hand, most likely inked their bid to yet another NIT tournament.

It's sad, really. They were so close, yet now so far. The definition of a missed opportunity.

"A big win, but what now?"

Let's focus on the present... at least for a minute here.

The University of Michigan men's basketball team put together a very solid effort in defeating Michigan State last night 67-56 at Crisler Arena. The Wolverines (20-10) are back on the bubble, and a win Saturday against No. 1 Ohio State would likely put them one Big Ten tournament victory shy of their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1998.

Of course, talking about beating the Buckeyes isn't quite as difficult as guarding Greg Oden or closing out on their five million 3-point shooters. The Wolverines would have to play an even better game than they did Tuesday night to pull off the monumental upset.

It would be perfectly fitting, though. The last time Michigan knocked off a No. 1 team was when it beat Duke during the 1997-98 season - the last year in which it made the tournament.

So things are - kind of - looking up in Ann Arbor. There's no Fire Tommy Amaker Talk this week (but if the Wolverines miss the tournament - which is still the most likely scenario - expect a quick return of FTAT). The Wolverines sold out Crisler on Tuesday and I'd expect the same to happen for Saturday's nationally televised game.

Senior Dion Harris has stepped up of late. Against the Spartans Harris scored a game-high 24 points, including 8-for-8 from the free throw line. And whenever the Spartans threatened to take the lead in the second half, Harris responded with a big bucket.

Senior Courtney Sims also came to play, scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds off the bench.

And the player whom Michigan's game-to-game success seems to depend the most on, sophomore point guard Jerret Smith, played his best floor game of the season, logging four assists and just one turnover in a game-high 36 minutes of action. Whenever Smith avoids mistakes, the Wolverines are successful. They turned the ball over a season-low eight times on Tuesday.

That's how you win games. By playing mistake-free basketball, good defense and getting big scoring contributions from your seniors.

I'd like to get caught up in the moment. After all, we can only live in the present, right? At least that's what my high school counselor said. But the question must be asked: Where has this been?

Why haven't Harris and Sims shown this kind of leadership all season? How in the world did they let Iowa go on a 20-1 run at Crisler Arena a few weeks back to deal Michigan a devastating loss - the Wolverines' only home loss of the Big Ten season? Where was this effort a mere week ago, when the Wolverines managed just 42 points in a pitiful loss in Champaign, Ill., to a dilapidated Illinois squad? A win in that game, and Saturday's gig with the Buckeyes wouldn't be so much of a must-win. Now, it's beat the Buckeyes or win at least three games in the Big Ten tournament.

Yeah, the odds are stacked against the Wolverines. It certainly didn't have to be like this. If the Wolverines had shown up to play Georgetown in front of a home sellout crowd back in December and pulled out a victory, no one would be talking about their lack of a "signature victory." The Hoyas are now a top-10 team. But Michigan completely tanked in that game, shooting horribly and allowing Georgetown to shoot 52 percent from the field. Sims put together a marvelous disappearing act, attempting just four shots and scoring four points.

Inconsistency has plagued the Wolverines all season. They're a very good representation of the stock market. One day they're looking good, people are talking about the NCAA tournament and Amaker is off the hot seat. A few days later, they're a disgrace headed to another NIT and Amaker needs to go at season's end. It's a rollercoaster ride, and they've gone down more hills than they've climbed.

By a slight margin.

The realist would say it's time for another descent. After all, Michigan hasn't won three straight games since they beat up on no-names in mid-December. A win over Ohio State would be three in a row. Only a huge optimist would give the Wolverines a chance Saturday. They'd point to Michigan's 17-3 home record this season, including 6-1 in the conference. They'd point out that it will be Senior Day, and Harris, Sims and Brent Petway will refuse defeat.

It all sounds good. It reads like a recipe for success. But the Wolverines still have to take the court. It will be the biggest game at Crisler Arena in quite sometime. And it should be a voluble atmosphere - at least at tipoff.

But will it stay that way for two hours? And even if it does - even if the Wolverines pull off the impossible - they'll still likely need that win in the Big Ten tournament.

What would keep the rollercoaster from racing downhill after Saturday?

"Don't be surprised by Neitzel"

He doesn't exactly look the part. Skinny. Bald white head. Short – at least for his main hobby- at just 6 feet. Not your typical star. But does it matter?

This past Tuesday basketball fans all over the country - from the Smokies in West Virginia to the canyons of Utah - who turned on ESPN around 8:40 p.m. EST probably saw some "kid" they'd never seen before drain 3-pointer after... 3-pointer against one of the best defensive teams in the country They probably asked themselves, Who is this kid? Where he'd come from.

Well, folks, let me tell you. Drew Neitzel, Michigan State's point guard/shooting guard/top scorer/second-best assist-giver, comes from Grand Rapids, where he attended Wyoming Park High School. And anyone who saw Neitzel play in the state semifinals his senior year is not at all surprised he's finally blowing up. What they're miffed by is why he's taken so long. But take it easy, guys, he was playing behind guys such as Shannon Brown and Maurice Ager - who play in a league called the NBA now. I think they were pretty good.

In that semifinal game, Neitzel led his grossly undermanned team against a stalwart Detroit Renaissance team that featured Malik Hairston and Joe Crawford - two guys people knew would be big-time players in college; that is, even the people who didn't attend that game. Neitzel played the grittiest game of his life. Ok, maybe not THE grittiest - because, I'm sure, he's had some fierce driveway games against his dad/brother/cousin/best friend etc. - but he was basically unstoppable. The problem was his teammates froze in front of the capacity crowd at the Breslin Center. They dropped his dimes as if they only accepted quarters. They suffered defensive lapses. All Neitzel needed was a little help from them. He got none. He finished with 30-something points and a couple pockets full of assists.

But lost. Hairston and Crawford went on to win the state title. Hairston's now at Oregon. Crawford's the leading scorer at Kentucky. Both - surprise, surprise - have better supporting players around them than Neitzel has this year. Yet - no surprise - Neitzel has taken over the steering wheel for the Spartans and has them headed to another NCAA tournament.

By the end of the first quarter of that semifinal, I knew that State had landed another gem. Forget the questions about his height or strength. In college basketball, at least, heart and work ethic will get you very far. Neitzel displayed both of those against Renaissance. As soon as, according to MHSAA rules, he was allowed to begin warmups, Neitzel was on the hardwood practicing his dribbling. He'd do the same move over, and over, and over again. Until you couldn't differentiate Take 1 from Take 4. Now that, A.I., is practice. Then, despite his teammates' choke job, Neitzel didn't lose his cool or bitch out his boys. Instead he stayed focused and gave the huge crowd a show.

When he walked off the court, I knew - and I'm sure MSU coach Tom Izzo knew - that Neitzel would be a great contributor for him.

But Michigan State's savior? No one would have guessed that.

Since Izzo made his first Final Four in 1999, us Michiganders have become accustomed to two things come March: Michigan not making the NCAA tournament; and Michigan State making the tournament and often going deep into the dance. The Spartans won their only championship in 2000 behind point guard Mateen Cleaves, and made Final Four trips in 2001 and 2005.

Even last season the Spartans - with Ager, Brown and big man Paul Davis - seemed a very dangerous No. 6 seed in the Big Dance. That is, until they got knocked off by some school named George Mason, which happened to also beat North Carolina and Connecticut on its way to the Final Four.

But then something as strange as a team called the Patriots making the Final Four happened to MSU. The talent well became dry. Brown left school early. Davis and Ager were seniors. The Spartans didn't have any blue-chip recruits coming in. They were left - entering this season - with Neitzel, who averaged a moderate 8.3 points per game last season, as their most experienced returnee.

Clearly it was Neitzel's time to show his true colors. To show that, sure, he can pass the ball - his primary role as a freshman and sophomore - but, man, can this kid shoot it too. So, with Travis Walton overtaking point guard duties some of the time, Neitzel has been free to do just about everything he can for an otherwise anemic Michigan State offense (besides Neitzel's 18.5 points per game, the only other Spartan averaging double figures is Raymar Morgan, averaging 11.1 a game).

Against Wisconsin on Tuesday, Neitzel took over down the stretch, scoring 11 consecutive points - including three triples - sandwiched around two Wisconsin free throws in just over 2 minutes to turn a four-point deficit into a five-point lead. Minutes later, MSU's fans stormed the court to celebrate knocking off the No. 1 or No. 2 team in the land (depending on what poll you subscribe to).

Neitzel clearly outplayed the Naismith Award candidate for Wisconsin, Alando Tucker, outscoring him 28-16 on just two more shot attempts. Both players finished with two rebounds and two assists. While all the publicity Tucker has gotten for leading the Badgers to one of the nation's best records and a shot at the Big Ten championship is deserved, Neitzel - did I mention, he's a junior? - has been nearly as impressive, especially of late. Tucker’s 20.2 points per game average is slightly higher than Neitzel's, but his 5.3 rpg average isn’t as impressive as Neitzel's 4.3 assists per game.

And, of course, Tucker has better, more experienced teammates around him who he can almost always count on to make smart plays in a close ballgame. When Michigan State finds itself in a tight one, it's on Neitzel's shoulder - as witnessed Tuesday. Besides Kevin Durant at Texas, find me a player on an NCAA tournament team who's more vital to his team's success than Neitzel. Not as easy as taking out the trash, is it?

So as we head toward Championship Week, don't forget this kid. He may not be able to leap out of the gym - I don't even know if he can dunk. He may look as if he could be Greg Oden's kid - if, in fact, Oden really is 43 like we all surmise. But you'll be seeing a lot of this kid the rest of this season and into next year.

Don't be taken aback by the things he does, either. He's been doing them for a long time.