"East Coast sorryness"

Quick question.

How the Knicks been doing lately?

Not bad, my man. Not bad at all. They been tanking. That's right, tanking. Just like the Celtics.

Unfortunately, the Sixers didn't show up for the party, ginknat (the opposite of tanking) instead. Not cool at all. But then again, Philly's never been considered "East Coast" anyway.

And the city hasn't seen a sports team win a title since 1983. So obviously its franchises are clueless on how to be successful.

New York and Boston on the other hand? They know exactly what they’re up to. They're both tanking, both of their sorry coaches are returning next year (for inexplicable reasons) and both of them (mostly just Boston, but don't count out New York) have a shot at landing one of the first two picks in the NBA draft (which would mean - almost positively at this point - Greg Oden or Kevin Durant; Oden's father said Friday that Oden will join Durant in the draft).

On a side note, you have to love parents stepping up and helping their adolescent kids make decisions (because despite Oden's beard and all the "he's gotta be 44!" commentary out there, the truth is he's still a kid; ditto with Durant). Both of these players had to go, and their parents showed them the way.

But back to the ugly side of things. About a month ago, with the Knicks in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race, owner James Dolan gave coach and team president Isiah Thomas a new contract. There are only two possible explanations. Either Dolan is the stupidest man alive outside of Matt Millen and Danny Ainge (more on that in a minute). Or he is close to the smartest man alive.

Yeah, I know, sounds confusing. But don't shut down the computer yet. When Dolan made the move, the date was March 12. March Madness was two days away. As busy as Dolan is with his aspiring guitar career, he must have at least filled out a bracket or watched a little commentary on the NCAA tournament. After all, everyone except for my mom, sister, half of my fraternity brothers and every other country in the world cares about the Big Dance.

Most importantly, I'm sure that as Dolan browsed his bracket over a hot cup of New York coffee, his pencil stopped on the words "Texas" and "Ohio State," aka "Durant" and "Oden." Dolan probably strummed his goatee and thought, OK, my team is going nowhere this year. The best we could do is make the playoffs as a No. 8 seed and get spanked by Isiah's old team, which would only create bad publicity going into the postseason. After all, everyone knows that the Pistons have refused to hire Zeke in any capacity, instead opting for the more capable Joe D - a heavy punch to Thomas' ego.

If the Knicks had done that, they like would have ended up with a mid first-round pick, resulting in the drafting of another Renaldo Balkman (who, by the way, hasn't been bad; but comparing him to Oden is like comparing a mouse to an elephant).

So - and remember, we're following the second theory about Thomas’ extension here - Dolan considered the best way to tank. He could have fired Thomas. But that wouldn't have worked, because young players always initially rally around new coaches, sensing that there's a renewed hope when in reality the coach will be out of a job within weeks. He could have sent a subtle message to Thomas that losing games would be just dandy. But the problem there would have been that Thomas, without any sort of job security, would have been hesitant to go along with the plan. So Dolan came up with the best idea: give Thomas a contract extension.

That way Thomas would relax. He'd stop working so hard with his players. Basically, his competitive juices would calm down. And the players, who enjoy Thomas as coach, would have relaxed as well, not fearing for their coach's job.

So that's one of the explanations for the contract extension. The other one isn't so complicated. Dolan might have actually thought that Thomas is the answer for the Knicks and will lead them to the promised land. He might have gotten so excited watching Eddie Curry turn into a 20-point scorer that he just couldn't wait until the end of the season. He didn't want Zeke to get a bunch of new offers and roll outta town on him. So he hooked his man up.

And now Thomas is executing a perfect tanking job. The Knicks are tied for eighth right now in the Oden/Durant Sweepstakes. Not exactly an auspicious spot, but crazier things have happened (just look at the 2000, 2001 and 2005 drafts listed), and they could move up to as high as fifth by the end of the season (three games to go) if they continue to tank and Portland, Seattle and Charlotte don't.

Good thinking, James. Yeah, I'm not calling you stupid quite yet. Just dumb, sick and diluted.

A little north of the Big Apple, in the city that used to have the most celebrated franchise in sports, the situation is even worse. While the Knicks have only been tanking for a month, the Celtics have been going strong for most of 2007. Paul Pierce has missed a great deal of the season. Players have been put in games at the wrong times (and some, particularly talented point guard Rajon Rondo, not at all). And coach Doc Rivers got a contract extension.

WOW. Red Auerbach must be turning over in his grave right now. Or maybe he's the smartest man on the earth, having known how ugly things were going to get. Maybe he just needed to get out before these Celtics gave him a heart attack. You know those snowouts the Cleveland Indians hosted last weekend? There's no way they would have been tolerated at Fenway Park this week. Baseball couldn't have come soon enough for Boston sports fans. It's been that bad.

Then again, you could also say it's been that good. A superb tanking job. I've got a couple numbers for you. First of all, there was the franchise-record 18-game losing streak in January and February. That got things rolling. And now, with just three games remaining on the schedule, the Celtics have lost six consecutive games and have clinched the No. 2 spot in the lottery (which means they'll try to win the final three games to make this look like a young team plagued by injuries; not a team whose coach and general manager gave up on).

It should be said that when I mention "tanking," in no way am I referring to the players. As polluted as professional sports are, generally athletes who compete in them play hard and play to win. Especially young players like the Celtics' core group who are trying to earn minutes and the trust of Rivers (not that'd he play them anyway during a tanking mission).

But if a coach and GM put their minds to it, they can run a team into the ground, which has certainly been the case in Boston. Watching the Georgetown-North Carolina regional final last month, the TV cameras found Rivers in the crowd watching his son, Jeremiah Rivers, play for the Hoyas. As I watched the epic UNC collapse, I couldn't help thinking what was going through Rivers' mind (besides, of course, thoughts about his son's team's amazing accomplishment). It must have hit him, as the Tar Heels bricked their way back to Chapel Hill, that his Hoyas would be playing Greg Oden’s team in the Final Four. That Oden could play against his son in one game and for him in the next (if OSU had lost to Georgetown).

And I'm sure Rivers wasn't worrying about his Celtics at that moment (or even that night). He hasn't had to do much fretting lately. He's set for a while in Boston. All his team needs from him is some poor coaching (even David Hasselhoff could coach the Celtics better than Rivers, unless, of course, he had to take on the Mavericks and his beloved Dirk Nowitzki).

As it stands, two East Coast coaches are sitting pretty right now. One has a good chance of landing an amazing talent come May 22. The other has an outside shot. Both will be back on the bench come November (although there are no guarantees in today's coaching business, where contracts are disrespected more often than Snoop Dogg smokes weed). And both are making plenty of money.

The coach who could be out by season's end? Definitely Indiana's Rick Carlisle. He had a chance a couple weeks back to sink his Pacers. Instead they've clawed and fought for that final playoff spot in the East, are now on the brink of being eliminated and will have a dismal chance at lottery success.

Now that’s stupid for you.

"2007 Detroit Lions prediction"

Hey, good news if you're a Lions fan.

The Detroit Lions will start the season 2-0. Yeah, that's right, you heard it here first. They'll be on top of the NFC North. They might even get an article in a prominent magazine after defeating Oakland and Minnesota. Fans will stop yelling for Matt Millen's head, instead praising him for drafting all those wide receivers and putting together such a "complete" team. The team will be the toast of the town (Tigers??? Puh-lease. They'll be in last place by then) for those two weeks.

Then everything will return to normal.

With that said, here is my always fun Lions prediction (which, as you may notice, is made before the NFL draft/free agent acquisitions because not even LaDanian Tomlinson could save this franchise).

Week 1: Detroit at Oakland
Randy Moss left Oakland for Green Bay. The Raiders have no quarterback. Warren Sapp has food poisoning.
- Lions 13, Raiders 6

Week 2: Minnesota at Detroit
Who's Minnesota's quarterback? Tarvaris Jackson? And do the Vikings even have a running back? Jason Hanson - who should have left town 12 years ago - kicks four field goals.
- Lions 19, Vikings 10

Week 3: Detroit at Philadelphia
The losing begins, and this will be ugly.
- Eagles 35, Lions 6

Week 4: Chicago at Detroit
No Roy Williams prediction before this one. But does it really matter?? Nope. Not unless Grossman throws six INTs (which, I guess, is possible).
- Bears 20, Lions 10

Week 5: Detroit at Washington
Yes, Washington will be bad. But not as bad as Detroit. Get outside instead of watching this barnburner.
- Redskins 17, Lions 9

Week 6: Bye week
Huge off week for the Lions. Plenty of quotes about regrouping and refocusing. Maybe a prediction from Williams.
- No wins, no losses

Week 7: Tampa Bay at Detroit
Yay!! Back on the winning side of things. Lions do a great job of preparing two weeks for the Bucs' vaunted offensive attack led by the aging Jeff Garcia. They even knock him out of the game, riling up the city's stupid fans.
- Lions 24, Bucs 13

Week 8: Detroit at Chicago
Lions start their annual streak of losing close games and blaming each one on something different. This one's on the wind that forked a Hanson field goal wide left.
- Bears 16, Lions 13

Week 9: Denver at Detroit
This time second-year man Jay Cutler engineers a last-minute drive for the Broncos.
- Broncos 21, Lions 17

Week 10: Detroit at Arizona
The backbreaker of the season. Lions lead 21-3 in the third quarter, but Matt Leinart leads a feisty comeback, bringing the Cardinals all the way back. Then Kitna throws an INT in OT, and the season is as good as done.
- Cardinals 30, Lions 24

Week 11: NY Giants at Detroit
Hah, hah. Lions get burned by Eli. On the bright side, there's something positive for Detroit's columnists to write about as former Michigan State player Plaxico Burress has 10 catches for 189 yards and two touchdowns.
- Giants 24, Lions 13

Week 12: Green Bay at Detroit (Thanksgiving)
Relish it while you can, Lions fans. It'll be your last positive moment of the season (besides realizing in late December that you've got the No. 2 pick again). Lions rough up Favre in his final game in Detroit.
- Lions 31, Packers 21

Week 13: Detroit at Minnesota
Are you kidding me? When was the last time Lions won in the dome? 1979? I'm not even looking it up.
- Vikings 20, Lions 16

Week 14: Dallas at Detroit
Another close one. This time Romo (check that, it's some obscure backup quarterback now) handles the snap and the winning field goals is GOOD!
- Cowboys 20, Lions 17

Week 15: Detroit at San Diego
Oh, boy. This one ain't close to close. The Chargers lock up homefield advantage in the AFC.
- Chargers 42, Lions 10

Week 16: Kansas City at Detroit
Big game for Chiefs, who are fighting for that final wild card. Big game for Detroit's fans, who finally stage a "Fire Millen" walkout, not that it's gonna work.
- Chiefs 16, Lions 13

Week 17: Detroit at Green Bay
Man, this is cruel. It's hard enough for the Lions to play the Pack in early December. Now late December? And Favre's last game as a Packer?? WOW.
- Packers 34, Lions 17

So there you have it. A 4-12 season. A one-win improvement over last season. And another No. 2 draft pick. And remember, I'm not changing this even if they get Tomlinson, or Tom Brady, or Peyton Manning or...

It doesn’t matter. These are the Lions, the worst franchise in professional sports, and this is a tradition.

No one loses like the Lions.

"Appreciating the games' pioneers"

I’m not sure how long ago it was. But there was a day way earlier in his career – when he was hitting home runs effortlessly – when Ken Griffey Jr. was asked about the impact of Jackie Robinson on the game of baseball.

The youngster replied that he’d never heard of Robinson, who was major league baseball’s first black player. I remember thinking, are you kidding me? You don’t remember the man who made what you’re doing for a living today possible?

I added Griffey to the list of modern-day athletes who have no appreciation for those who set the foundation for their success and wealth (a fairly big list, by the way).

That was then, this is now.

On Sunday Griffey will be the Cincinnati Reds’ representative to wear No. 42 as MLB celebrates the 60th anniversary of Robinson’s breakthrough by having one player from every team wear No. 42 and the entire Los Angeles Dodgers roster sport the historic number.

Griffey also wore No. 42 on the 50th anniversary 10 years ago, so it is clear that he didn’t just learn about the American hero recently. He most likely educated himself soon after his ignorant comment.

Kudos to Griffey.

There are way too many athletes at all levels of sports today who have no knowledge of the history of their sport. This is a disservice to those who made possible their amazing opportunity.

Also, how can someone be great – or even the greatest ever – if they haven’t watched or read about the greats from the past, the men or women who took their sport to new heights?

Athletes today are so talented, they don’t think they need to know their sport’s history to be successful. For the most part, they are right. A lot of the time they can get by on their phenomenal ability. But at the same time, they can learn from those who had the experience of playing for a long time. Whether it’s in person (such as Patrick Ewing working with Yao Ming) or through another source, such as a book or a video.

It’s not uncommon to hear today’s superstars, the players who transcend the game, talk about watching their heroes growing up and mimicking what they did on TV.

One reason I’ll always respect Shaquille O’Neal is because when George Mikan, the NBA’s first great big man from the 1950s, died, O’Neal not only paid his respects to Mikan. He also paid for the funeral, which Mikan’s family couldn’t afford.

O’Neal knew that if not for Mikan and the game’s other pioneers, there might not be a thriving NBA today.

Just like Griffey now fully understands the impact Robinson had on professional baseball.

"Race in sports can't be ignored"

In the last 54 days, thanks to the genius invention of the radio some 100 to 200 years ago, I've learned a couple things.

I've learned that Tim Hardaway hates gay people (even on Valentines Day, which is when those words escaped his mouth).

And now I've learned that Don Imus, a nationally syndicated radio personality, thinks Rutgers' women's basketball players, most of whom are black, are "nappy-headed hoes."

NICE.

Both men, of course, gave heartfelt apologies. Both are full of crap.

The similarities end there. Hardaway has been rightfully banned from NBA events and will have a difficult time finding decent work to supplant the decent income he earned while crossing over point guards in the NBA. Imus, on the other hand, won't even lose his radio show. And even if he did, he'd have no problems getting a new gig on satellite radio or whatever the new brand of radio is these days.

Heck, Imus might even be celebrated by some for finally speaking out about those "napppy-headed hos." No wonder no one watched the women's Final Four. Who wants to see some NHs running up and down the court?

So here we stand, in 2007, and race is as big an issue as it was 10 years ago. People say that the only way to eliminate racism and prejudice is to ignore it, to ignore the differences in one another. I used to follow this altruistic method, but that truth is, it's as unrealistic as the Lions winning the Super Bowl.

Race is here. And will always be here. And there's no ignoring it.

It's especially on the forefront of the sports world. As I clicked between the Masters and the Lakers-Suns game Sunday afternoon, I couldn't help but wonder about the ethnic breakdown of each viewing audience. I doubted there were many people like me switching between the white golfers (minus a guy named Tiger) and the black basketball players (minus a guy named Nash).

David Stern has made several efforts to separate the NBA from its hip-hop image. He should stop. You can't stop people from being themselves. Yes, of course punish players for going outside the law or running into the stands or getting technical fouls, but how they dress and what's on their iPod is their choice. Period.

And people who watch the NBA don't do so because there's a dress code now, I can guarantee you that.

People have questioned whether Tiger has had a big enough impact on minorities in terms of getting them interested in the game of golf. The answer? He's done what he can. The academies, the clinics, the inner-city programs. That's all Tiger can do, unless he wants to drop millions of dollars to buy every kid in every poor neighborhood in every city a set of golf clubs.

But then the question would be, where would they play?

Kids are going to do what they want to do. Yes, they can be influenced. But if their friends are playing hoops at the park, they're more likely to follow suit than try to find their way to the nearest (which may be far) golf course.

As far as another black golfer making the PGA Tour, I'm sure it'll happen someday. But people need to stop sweating it. You can't push people to be who they're not.

Racism, as much as I hate to say this, is rampant in this country, even if people don't think they're acting racist. Just the other day I was watching Cold Pizza with a fraternity brother of mine when Monta Ellis of the Golden State Warriors was being interviewed. Ellis was far from voluble or outspoken. He talked slow and deliberately. Immediately my brother said Ellis, who is black, wasn't "well-spoken."

Would he have said that about a white athlete? I highly doubt it. At that time, I'm sure, he didn't think he was being racist. But he was.

People need to be corrected on things like this. This afternoon Imus will go on the Rev. Al Sharpton's radio show, and I'm sure he'll be lit into. People all over the country will listen. Some good will come out of the interview. Maybe people will realize that whether you're on the radio or not, calling a group of accomplished black women "nappy-headed hos" is about as acceptable as blowing up a building.

But millions of people won't be listening, and they'll continue to live their private lives, talking about the NBA as a league of thugs (when, in truth, it's far from that) and celebrating the PGA Tour like it's a league of saints just because players' transgressions off the course (especially DUIs) don't get close to the attention mistakes made by professional basketball players do.

And everything will seem blissful until the next radio racist can't hold his tongue, makes a discriminatory mark, apologizes, goes on a black man's radio show, then continues to run his show (albeit sans racist remarks).

With the support of his quiet followers.

"Now this is golf"

As great as the Masters and its tradition is, it's never been on the same plateau to me as the U.S. Open and British Open.

It's always been the third best major.

The reason? Quite simply, the course at Augusta National has never been as difficult as the majority of courses the best two majors are played on. While players at the U.S. and British opens - especially the US Open - often struggle to stay in the red, traditionally at the Masters there are several players below par.

And that's not as exciting as seeing players have to battle to stay under par. Additionally, in those tournaments the best players – the champion players - find a way to separate themselves from the rest of the pack in amazing displays of guts and near-perfect play (Tiger Woods’ performance in last year’s British Open was a perfect example).

There have been a few cases where courses wavered on the edge of unfair. Where greens weren't sufficiently watered or holes were made too long for even today's prototype pro.
But those were isolated cases. For the most part, the U.S. Open and British Open courses players struggled to navigate have just been very, very difficult.

Well, now I am watching the third round of the Masters and see just one player at the moment - Stuart Appleby - under par, and it's a beautiful sight. Almost as picturesque as the course at Augusta.

It's not that the players are performing poorly. It's not that they didn't show up ready to conquer the course this week. It's a combination of a more difficult course - each year over the past handful of years, holes have been lengthened and obstacles added - and the kind of conditions that we're used to seeing at the British Open. Chilly temperatures (the wind chill, according to CBS, is in the 40s on a sunny afternoon) and plenty of wind.

It's great golf. It's what separates the majors from the other tournaments during the year. It's like a defensive battle in football, like a pitchers' dual in baseball. If you're a true fan of the game, you're loving this.

Nobody's out of it. Phil Mickelson just completed his round. He's six over, but he's not out of it, because when conditions like these hit, anything can happen. Anything.

That's not something we'd normally say about the Masters.

Even Woods, arguably the world's greatest athlete, is suffering his bumps and bruises. He just had to hit a hook shot around a grove of trees on the 17th hole, suffering a bogey.

Yet Woods, at the moment, is just three shots back. And no one will deny that a tournament has all the more drama when he's in the mix.

Regardless of what happens in the next two hours, as the players finish off their third rounds, we'll know this much when we wake up tomorrow morning.

We'll know that the fourth round at Augusta might be the craziest, most dramatic final round in quite sometime (think Norman's collapse; Faldo's theft).

We'll know that 20 or 30 players will still have a chance at winning the thing (just post a low number and watch the poor beings left on the course suffer their fate).

We'll know that Tiger, and Phil, and Vijay will all be in the running (which, I'm sure, is much to the liking of CBS).

And we'll know nothing - absolutely nothing - about what is about to transpire.

Except that the scores will likely be high. The temperature will be much lower than normal. The winds will likely be gusting.

And we’ll know that whoever gets fitted with the Green Jacket Sunday evening will have earned it like never before.

"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.

"My alternative baseball preview"

Three hours and 24 minutes...

That's how long until the baseball season officially begins as defending World Series champion St. Louis takes on the Mets. And I have no idea what to expect this year.

Predicting the baseball season is like trying to figure out Michigan weather patterns. For three days it's sunny and in the 60s and you think you've got it figured out. It's spring time. Then, six hours later, you come out of a building and there's snow on the ground.

That's the baseball season. In May we might be lauding the Cardinals. By August they could be out of the playoff race.

Who really knows?

So, no, I'm not going to try to predict the champion, or even the division winners, or even the wild cards. I'm not going to try to analyze who will finish where in each division. I don't feel like looking at my picks come October and shaking my head in disgust.

Instead I'll give you the certainties. All these things will happen. I'll bet you a ballpark frank and an $8 beer on it.

The Kansas City Royals will finish in last place regardless of how many Minnesota pitchers get injured.

Daisuke will win 15 games.

A-Rod will get booed.

Kenny Rogers won't win 10 games.

The D-Rays will be in first place... in April (and probably just for a day).

A manager will be fired by the end of June.

Jim Leyland will smoke a lot of cigarettes.

And he'll remain the most loved manager in the game.

Ryan Howard will hit 50 homers again.

Big Papi will not.

Speaking of the Red Sox, Manny Ramirez will sit out a few games for an "undisclosed injury."

And there will be the usual talk of trading Manny.

And he'll remain in a Red Sox uniform.

The Blue Jays will battle the Sox and Yankees into September for the East Division title.

And fall short.

And with a new contract in his back pocket, Vernon Wells will have a bit of a down year, only hitting 27 homers and only driving in 95 runs.

Speaking of new contracts, Garry Matthews Jr. has one in Los Angeles. And with the steroid investigation ongoing, he'll struggle in his new home.

His team, however, will still play well enough to make a push for the division in September.

And Jered Weaver will pick up where he left off a year ago, winning 15 games this year.

Other pitchers who will win 15: Jeremy Bonderman (Detroit), Brandon Webb (Arizona), Carlos Zambrano (Chicago Cubs), Andy Pettite (New York Yankees), Johan Santana (Minnesota), Roy Halladay (Toronto), Chris Carpenter (St. Louis), Scott Kazmir (Tampa Bay), Jake Westbrook (Cleveland), Jason Schmidt (LA Dodgers)...

And a few others.

Pitcher most people think will win 15, but won't: Barry Zito (Oakland), Freddy Garcia (Philadelphia), Jason Verlander (Detroit)...

And a few others.

Moving to the batter’s box, Barry Bonds will not break Hank Aaron's record until September.

And when he does, Bud Selig will not be there.

But Bonds will still get plenty of love.

And then we'll all talk about it for 739 straight days.

Speaking of records, A-Rod will hit his 500th homer, becoming the youngest player to reach the milestone.

And then he'll get booed some more.

He'll also be in consideration for the AL MVP.

And then he'll get booed some more.

Some other players will get booed. But I'm really not sure who.

Gary Sheffield will have a monster season with the Tigers, hitting 30-plus home runs. And his book will sell well. I, for one, can't wait to pick it up.

Players who will hit 40-plus home runs: Howard, Albert Pujols, Vladimir Guerrero, Big Papi, Troy Glaus, Alfonso Soriano, Lance Berkman, Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye, Travis Hafner.

And maybe a few others...

Players who will fall short of 40 jacks: Adam Dunn, Frank Thomas, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, A-Rod, Aramis Ramirez, Jim Thome, Andruw Jones, Derrek Lee.

And a lot of others.

A player will garner great attention by taking a hit streak into the 30s.

But we all know he won't get close to Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hit streak, one record that will never fall.

Joe Mauer will have a solid season, but his average will linger around .300 instead of .350.

And no player will come close to hitting .400, although Ichiro will get 200 hits again.

And the Twins will surprise everyone again by challenging Detroit, Cleveland and the Chicago White Sox for the Central Division.

Which will go down to the wire, with no team winning more than 95 games.

The Yankees will be good (no surprise).

The Red Sox will be good (no surprise).

And every game they play against each other will be played in a postseason atmosphere.

This just in: My friend, Tyler, says A-Rod will hit 37 home runs. So I'm going with that.

And finally...

A-Rod will get booed.

Two hours and 39 minutes...

"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.

"Who's MVP?"

Steve Nash? Dirk Nowitzki? Kobe Bryant?

It’s a three-man race for NBA MVP this season, and everyone seems to have a viewpoint on the issue. Yesterday on sports talk radio, the host said there’s no way Bryant shouldn’t win it because he does more (such as rebound and defend) than Nash. Plenty of pundits have vouched for Nowitzki because his team has the best record in the NBA.

But what about Nash? The lack of support for him goes back to the whole “let another guy win” thing. Remember in December when college football coaches wanted to give Florida a shot at Ohio State since Michigan had already had its chance?

This is kind of like that.

Bryant may be leading the NBA in points per game, but look at his team. It’s barely hanging on to a playoff spot. Meanwhile, Nash’s Suns are firmly seated in the second spot.

To me, it’s toss-up between these two guys. Nowitzki is just behind them simply because the Mavericks would still be a good team – a playoff team – without him. LA and Phoenix would likely be lottery teams without their stars.

So as we come down the stretch here, let’s not forget that this is a new year. Who won the MVP the past two seasons has nothing to do with the voting for this year. The fact that Bryant has never won an MVP has nothing to do with it either.

The MVP will be this year’s best player. And right now it’s tough to choose between Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant.

"A call from coach Dungy"

Some moments you simply do not forget in life. Whether it's your prom night, your college graduation, the first time your kid walked or the day the towers fell, these instants of time are stuck in your mind for eternity.

I experienced one of these moments, I'm pretty sure, Monday night. I was sitting at the sports desk in Jackson, passing the time on a very slow-moving night in the world of sports, when the phone rang.

I picked it up, "Sports desk, this is Jake."

"Um, yeah, is Chip Mundy there," the familiar voice on the other end replied.

It took me a second to register the voice, but then - as I was in the midst of meekly replying, "Yeah, just one minute" - it hit me: I was talking to Tony Dungy, as in the Super Bowl-winning coach of the Indianapolis Colts.

Our "conversation" lasted a mere 10 seconds before I transferred him to Chip - who grew up with Dungy in Jackson - but, still, I had talked to Tony Dungy. As I aimlessly went about my duties the rest of the night, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Hopefully in the future I'll talk to and interview high-profile figures like Dungy on a daily basis. But right now, as a young sports journalist who hasn't covered anything bigger than D-3 basketball, it was one of those moments that I'll never forget no matter where the rest of my life takes me.

"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