Iowa State Rips Oklahoma with Second Half Surge Keyed by Georges Niang

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, March 2, 2015

Charles Dickens might have enjoyed this.

"It was the best of halves; it was the worst of halves."

Oklahoma stormed to a 37-18 lead at half time of their game at Iowa State, but the Cyclones got their second wind - ad more - in the final twenty minutes, blitzing the Sooners, 59-33 in the second stanza, for the eventual, 77-70, victory.

Georges Niang scored 20 of his 23 points to lead Iowa State to a tie for second place in the Big 12 with Oklahoma. The outcome of the game left the two teams with identical, 11-6, conference marks. Niang was 8-for-14 from the field, including 2-for-3 from beyond the arc and a 5-for-5 level from the foul line. He also accounted for 8 boards, four assists and a steal.

Oklahoma's Buddy Hield led all scorers with 26 points.

The Sooners travel to Kansas to meet the #9 Jayhawks in their final regular season game on March 7. Kansas currently holds first place in the conference with a 12-4 record.

Iowa State closes out their regular season at TCU on Saturday.

Frank Kaminsky's 31 Points Powers Wisconsin past Michigan State to Share of Big Ten Crown

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, March 1, 2015

It's no secret that the Wisconsin Badgers are odds-on to win the regular season title in the Big Ten. Sunday's 68-61 win over a struggling Michigan State squad earned the Badgers a share of the title, with remaining games on the road, at Minnesota and Ohio State. A win in either of those, or a loss by Maryland, would secure the championship.

Frank Kominsky's 31 points and eight rebounds helped secure the win over Michigan State. Kaminsky, widely regarded as a bona fide player of the year candidate, added two assists, three steals and three blocked shots, an impressive performance as the Badgers regained their winning ways after last week's 59-53 loss at Maryland, which snapped a ten-game winning streak.

The victory moved #5 Wisconsin to 26-3 overall with a 14-2 mark in conference play. The Spartans fell to 19-10 with a 10-6 mark in the Big Ten, a precarious position for a perennial NCAA tourney participant.

Conference tournaments commence within days, though the Big Ten will be one of the later affairs, beginning mid-next week.

Selection Sunday is just two weeks off, on March 15.

Perry Ellis Leads #8 Jayhawks over Longhorns, Maintains 1st Place in Big 12

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, February 28, 2015

While Buddy Hield's double-double (21 pts., 13 rebs.) was leading Oklahoma to a 67-60 home win over TCU, the Kansas Jaywahks tightened their grip on the top spot in the Big 12 with a 69-64, come-from-behind win over visiting Texas.

Junior Perry Ellis kept the Jayhawks' a game ahead of the Sooners in the standings with a double-double of his own, scoring 28 points with 13 boards. Ellis wasn't especially sharp, but he kept shooting, hitting 9 of 21 shots from the field, and canned 10 of 12 free throws.

Ellis matched his season high in rebounds while setting a new season-high in scoring. He also blocked three shots and dished an assist in 38 minutes of playing time.

Kansas still has its hands full in its quest for the perennial Big 12 title. They face #20 West Virginia at home on March 3, and finish up the regular season at Oklahoma on March 7. The Jayhawks were upset, 62-61, by the Mountaineers back on February 16 and have a win in hand over Oklahoma, defeating the Sooners, 85-78, January 19.

Kansas stands at 12-4 in the conference. Oklahoma has a mark of 11-5. West Virginia, Baylor and Iowa State are tied for third place at 10-6, so the conference title remains largely up for grabs, setting the stage for one of the more contentious Big 12 tournaments in years.

On Justin Sears' 28 and 12, Yale Pummels Princeton, Ties Harvard in Ivy; Showdown Looms

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, February 27, 2015

Justin Sears has been getting it done for the Bulldogs all season long, and on Friday night equalled a career-high with 28 points on 11 of 15 shooting in Yale's 81-60 victory over visiting Princeton.

Playing all but two minutes, Sears hauled in 12 boards, had two assists, two blocked shots and three steals. His 6-for-8 effort from the foul line included the only two misses from the stripe for the Bulldogs, which canned 26 of 28 free throws as a team.

The victory put Yale at 9-2 on the season, tying them with Harvard for the top spot in the Ivy league. The winner of the Ivy gets an automatic invitation to the NCAA tourney, so the March 6 meeting (next Friday night) between the Crimson and the Bulldogs at Harvard will likely determine the Ivy's representative.

Yale will be looking to avenge a 52-50 loss to Harvard, handed to them on their home court back on February 7. Sears had one of his worst games of the season in that contest, scoring just nine points on 2-for-7 shooting.

NOTES: Some big-time games are on the slate for Saturday. Take a look at these treats (all times Eastern):

• Noon: Michigan at (14) Maryland (ESPN)
• 2:00 pm: (15) North Carolina at Miami (CBS)
• 2:00 pm: (10) Northern Iowa at (11) Wichita St. (ESPN)
• 4:00 pm: (18) Arkansas at (1) Kentucky (CBS)
• 4:00 pm: Virginia Tech at (2) Virginia
• 4:00 pm: (20) West Virginia at (19) Baylor

Wofford Wraps Up Southern with 76-72 Win over Mercer; Spencer Collins Splashes in 26

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, February 26, 2015

With their 76-72 victory at Mercer, the Wofford Terriers captured the Southern conference title and secured the top seed in the upcoming conference tournament.

Spencer Collins led the way with a season-high 26 points, topping all scorers with 7-for-11 shooting, including four of six on three-pointers. The 6'4" junior guard from Easley, SC also canned eight of nine from the foul line.

Wofford was 24-for-44 from the field (54.5%) and nailed nine of 18 from three-point range.

The Southern crown is the third for the 24-6 Terriers, who improved to 15-2 in conference play. They close out the regular season on Saturday at Furman, in Greenville, SC.

Xavier Rathan-Mayes Goes for 35, But Seminoles Fall Short; Hopeful Hurricanes

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, February 25, 2015

In a heroic effort, freshman guard, Xavier Rathan-Mayes, scored 30 points in the final 4:38, but the Florida State Seminoles still fell to Miami, 81-77.

Rathan-Mayes scored 26 straight points for the Seminoles without missing a shot, as they rallied furiously against the 'Canes. The freshman was 8-for-10 in the final five minutes, pumping in six threes. He finished with 35 points, tying his career high.

Florida State's loss, their second straight, left them with a record of 15-14 (7-9 in the ACC) and more than likely out of the NCAA tournament. The Seminoles lost to Virginia, 51-41, on Sunday.

For Miami, hopes for an at-large invitation still seem a possibility, with their third win in their last four games. The Hurricanes stand at 18-10, with an 8-7 mark in the conference. Their remaining schedule has them hosting North Carolina on Saturday, then they take to the road for their final two, at Pitt (March 4) and Virginia Tech, March 7. Wins in two of three would - considering a good showing in the ACC tournament - give them a fighting chance at a bid.

Dez Wells Flashes, Melo Trimble Finishes as Maryland Socks Wisconsin; Stamps Tourney Ticket

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, February 24, 2012

The Maryland Terrapins, already a sure bet to make the NCAA Tournament as a high seed with their 22-5 record going into their home game against the Wisconsin Badgers, upped their profile at an opportune time with a signature 59-52 victory at the XFINITY Center in College Park, Maryland.

Dez Wells kept the pressure on the #5 Badgers throughout, scoring a game-high 26 points on 9-for-17 shooting, adding a perfect s7-for-7 from the foul line with seven rebounds and four assists. Freshman sensation, Melo Trimble, scored the Terps' final six points to close out the Badgers, leaders of the Big Ten conference. Trimble finished with 16 points, four boards and a pair of assists.

Maryland took an early 8-7 lead and expanded it to 11 points, the margin by which they led at the half, 31-20.

The win was the fourth straight for the Terrapins, who improved to 11-4 in the conference, good for second place behind the 13-2 Badgers, who lost for the first time in their last 11 games. Ironically, the last time the Badgers faced defeat, it was at Rutgers, who, like the Terrapins, are in their initial season as a member of the Big Ten.

Trimble and Wells were the only Maryland players in double figures. Frank Kaminsky led the Badgers with 18 points.

Maryland shot 48% from the field, compared to Wisconsin's sub-par 38.5%. The Terps also had the edge at the foul line, where they were 9-for-11. Wisconsin was an uncharacteristic 7-for-12 from the stripe.

Shabazz Napier Leads Connecticut to 2nd NCAA Title in Four Years, Drops Kentucky, 60-54

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, April 7, 2014

Shabazz Napier scored a game-high 22 points and was named tournament Most Outstanding Player, leading the Connecticut Huskies to the Men's Basketball Championship with a 60-54 victory over the youthful Kentucky Wildcats.

Kentucky, down as many as 15 points in the first half, closed the gap to within one, but never led in the game.

Napier was 8-for-16 overall, hitting four of six from three-point land and 2-for-2 from the stripe. He added three rebounds and three steals, dominating the Kentucky backcourt of freshmen guards, Aaron and Andrew Harrison who were a combined 6-for-16 and committed seven turnovers.

The real star of the game, however, was the rim, whenever Kentucky was shooting free throws, because that was the decisive statistic of the game. While the Huskies were 10-for-10 at the foul line, the Wildcats were a woeful 13-for-24, a miserable 54%, many of their misses coming in key situations.

Thus, the national championship belongs to Connecticut for the second time in four years. Napier and fellow senior, Niels Giffey, were a part of both championship teams.

The tournament is over and so its this blog, ending seven years of collage hoops coverage. It's on to other pursuits for me. I'll be the guy in the bleachers with a cold beer and the St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap.

-- Fearless Rick

Shabazz Napier Leads Huskies to Final Four; Kentucky Also Advances

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, March 30, 2014

As he's been doing for the better part of the season, Shabazz Napier put the UConn Huskies on his back and mushed his team to another important victory, this one over the Michigan State Spartans for a trip to the Final Four in Dallas with a 60-54 victory.

With a game-high 25 points, Napier scored the key buckets and made big plays in the final minutes to lead his squad to their biggest win of the year and a rematch with the Florida Gators in a national semi-final on Saturday.

Napier was just 6-for-14 from the field, but that included a 4-for-9 mark from three point range and perfection at the foul line where he made all nine of his free throws. The senior point guard also grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists.

Up 51-49 with under two minutes to play, Napier put the Huskies - the 11 seed in the East region - up by four with a short jumper and, after Michigan State's Adreian Payne scored a pair of free throws, Napier was fouled attempting a three-pointer with 30 seconds to go and calmly stepped to the line and sank all three foul shots for a five point UConn lead.

Michigan State missed a three-point attempt and Napier fed Phillip Nolan for a dunk with 15 seconds left which sealed the victory.

The Huskies will face Florida on Saturday, meeting the Gators for the first time since December 2 when they beat the Gators, 65-64. Since then, Florida has run off 30 straight wins and enter the Final Four as the #1 seed from the South region.

The last spot in the Final Four was completed in rousing fashion late Saturday afternoon as Kentucky upset Michigan in the Midwest region final, 75-72. Kentucky, the #8 seed in the region got a clutch performance from Aaron Harrison, who hit four three-pointers in the final eight minutes, the last one coming with just three seconds in the game, breaking a 72-all tie and sending the Wildcats to a Final Four meeting with Wisconsin.

Frank Kaminsky Powers Wisconsin Past Arizona into Final Four; Florida Forward over Dayton

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, March 29, 2014

In the end, basketball is a team sport, but it really helps your chances of winning when you have a seven-footer who can score nearly half of your team's points in big games.

That's the nature of Wisconsin and its star center, Frank Kaminsky, who scored 28 points for the Badgers in their 64-63 OT win over Arizona in the West regional final.

The junior from Lisle, Illinois with the smooth touch outside and deft moves inside, hit 11 of 20 shots from the field, including three of five from three-point range and three of four from the foul line, leading the Badgers into the Final Four. In 37 minutes of playing time, Kaminsky also collected 11 rebounds, seven of them on the offensive boards, key to keeping the ball alive for the Wisconsin offense and getting more than their fair share of second chance points.

Due to the ruggedly defensive nature of the game, Wisconsin shot just 39.3%; Arizona was only marginally better, at 39.8%.

The Badgers head to Dallas to meet up with the winner of Sunday's Kentucky-Michigan Midwest final in one of the two semi-final games.

The Florida Gators, #1 overall seed in the tournament, ground out a 62-52 victory over the Dayton Flyers, the #11 seed out of the South region. They reach the Final Four and look forward to playing the winner of Sunday's East region final between Michigan State and Connecticut.

DeAndre Daniels' 27 Points Leads Connecticut past Iowa State, 81-76; Michigan, Kentucky, Michigan State Advance

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, March 28, 2014

Coming into the tournament, everyone knew that the Connecticut Huskies were a talented group, but they we're very deep, and few thought they'd advance far, but, with an 81-76 victory over Iowa State in the East region semi-final, they're one step away from the Final Four.

The Huskies, having won any number of games and Big East championships at Madison Square Garden, might have felt right at home in the Big Apple, but junior DeAndre Daniels, who hails from Los Angeles and led all scorers with 27 points, it was a special night.

Daniels blew away the Cyclones by hitting 10 of 15 shots from the field, including a pair of three pointers and snatched 10 rebounds to lead the Huskies into the next round.

The Huskies (29-8), the seven seed in the region, meet up with Michigan State (29-8) in the East regional final on Sunday, after the Spartans took out Virginia, 61-59.

Over in the Midwest region, 8th-seeded Kentucky took out defending national champion Louisville, 74-69, the #4 seed, and #2 Michigan scraped by #11 Tennessee, 73-71.

The Wildcats and Wolverines will go at it Sunday, the winner advancing to the Final Four.

Michael Frazier II Leads Florida to 29th Straight Victory, Elite Eight; Dayton, Arizona, Wisconsin Advance

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, March 27, 2014

Awarded the top seeding in the tournament, the Florda Gators proved their value, disassembling UCLA, 79-68, to advance to the South regional final where they will face the upstart, 11th-seeded Dayton Flyers on Saturday.

Florida established an early lead against the Bruins, led 36-30 at the half and were never headed, cruising to their 29th straight victory, the longest winning streak in the country.

Down 11-8 just six minutes into the game, Florida hit four straight three-pointers - three of them by Michael Frazier II - led 20-16 just 2 1/2 minutes later and held that lead for the remainder of the contest.

Florida's lead would eventually swell to as many as 11 on a few occasions and the Bruins cut it to one point midway through the second half, but the Gators pulled away once again. UCLA could only draw within seven points in the final six minutes as Florida players executed their offense and made free throws down the stretch.

Frazier finished the scoring on a breakaway dunk and was 5-for-8 from beyond the arc, finishing with a game-high 19 points, along with six rebounds and three assists.

On the opposite side of the South bracket, Dayton continued its successful run through the post-season with an 82-72 win over Stanford, the #10 seed in the region.

The West regional final was set for Saturday as #2 Wisconsin hammered Baylor, 69-52, and top seed Arizona handled San Diego State, 70-64.

Friday night's match-ups include Iowa State vs. Connecticut and Virginia vs. Michigan State in the East. The Midwest games are Tennessee vs. Michigan, followed by the blockbuster Louisville vs. Kentucky meeting.

Iowa State Outlasts North Carolina, 85-83, Advances to Sweet 16

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, March 23, 2014

Even with the loss of a key player - Georges Niang - DeAndre Kane wasn't going to let his teammates and Iowa State fans down.

Kane drove to the bucket and powered in the last two of his game-high 24 points with 1.6 seconds left to play, giving Iowa State an 85-83 victory over North Carolina and a trip to the Sweet 16, where they will meet Connecticut in an East regional semi-final on Friday, March 28.

The Cyclones lost Niang for the remainder of the season in their 93-75 win over NC Central as he suffered a fractured foot, but got big efforts from Naz Long, Monte Morris and Dustin Hogue against the Tar Heels.

Kane's 24 points came off 9-for-18 shooting and a 5-for-7 effort from the foul line. He also had 10 rebounds and seven assists, though his bucket near the end of the game was all that really mattered as the Cyclones overcame an eight-point deficit and outscored the Tar Heels 17-7 down the stretch.

Most of Sunday's slate of eight games went according to plan, with lower-numbered seeds knocking off the higher ones, except in the South region, where #10 Stanford knocked off #2 Kansas, 60-57, and in the Midwest, where #8 Kentucky upset #1 seed and previously unbeaten Wichita State, 78-76.

Tennessee's 83-63 win over Mercer made it a trio for the SEC in the Sweet 16, joining Kentucky and Florida, matching the number in the round by the Big Ten (Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin) and the PAC-12, which has advanced Stanford, UCLA and Arizona.

Baylor and Iowa State are the remaining teams from the Big 12 to advance, and two come out of the American Athletic - Louisville and UConn. Virginia is the only remaining ACC team left in the tournament. The Cavaliers smashed Memphis, 78-60, to advance.

Xavier Thames Nets 30 for San Diego State: Syracuse Out; Wisconsin, Michigan, Michagan St. Lead Big Ten to Sweet 16

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, March 22, 2014

The Aztecs of San Diego State advanced to the Sweet 16 with a thundering victory over North Dakota State, 63-44.

Xavier Thames led the scoring parade with 30 points on 9-for-19 shooting with four threes.

The Aztecs, #4 seed in the West region will match up with the winner of the Sunday's Gonzaga-Arizona meeting.

Elsewhere, Syracuse, the #3 seed in the South, was upended by #11 Dayton, 55-53; in the Midwest region, #2 Michigan downed #7 Texas, 79-65, making them the third Big Ten team in the Sweet 16, joining Michigan State and Wisconsin.

Jarnell Stokes, Tennessee Make Quick Work of Minutemen, 86-67; Duke, VCU Ousted

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, March 21, 2014

The Massachusetts Minutemen will have plenty of time to think about their brief trip to the NCAA tournament, after Jordan McRae, Jarnell Stokes and the Tennessee Volunteers routed them, 86-67, in their opening game at PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC.

The Vols took a 3-2 lead on McRae's three-pointer 1:23 into the contest and never trailed or were tied again, forging a 19-point lead by the break, 41-22, and maintaining their edge throughout the second half.

McRae scored 21 points for the Vols, who won their second straight game in the tourney after knocking off Iowa, 78-65, in the First Four play-in round.

Stokes was impressive, leading all scorers with 26 points and topping the rebounding charts with a game-high 14, four of them off the offensive glass. Tennessee's inside force was 7-for-11 from the field and 12-for-13 at the foul line, the Minutemen finding no answer to his might but to foul him.

The Vols are the #11 seed in the Midwest region and will face Mercer on Sunday.

One of the other big stories of the day came before Tennessee's win, when Mercer, the #14 seed in the Midwest, upset the #3 seed Duke, 78-71, making the Blue Devils the most recent one-and-done tournament victim.

In the South region, the Mountaineers of Stephen F. Austin - the #12 seed - took down #5 seed, VCU, 77-75 in overtime, when senior leader, Desmond Haymond sent the game into overtime, knocking down a three-point shot with three seconds remaining and getting fouled in the act. Haymond hit the free throw to tie the game and contributed another trey in the overtime.

#1 seeds Arizona, Wichita State and Virginia all advanced, joining the overall #1 seed, Florida.

Adreian Payne's Career-High 41 Points Hoists Spartans over Delaware

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, March 20, 2014

A spate of upsets marked the traditional opening day of the tournament, but one team which held its ground was Michigan State, likely because the Delaware Blue Hens had no solutions for senior forward Adreian Payne, who scored a career-high 41 points in the Spartans' 93-78 triumph.

The 6'10" swingman was incredibly efficient in tear up the opponent, hitting 10 of 15 from the field, including four of five from three-point range and an impressive 17-for-17 mark at the foul line. Payne added eight boards and only turned the ball over twice, all in just 24 minutes of court time.

Coach Tom Izzo has his team as well-prepared for the tournament as usual, coming off the championship in the Big Ten tournament last week.

Michigan State, the #4 seed in the East region,will face upset winner Harvard in the next round, on Saturday. The 12th-seeded Crimson disposed of #5 seed Cincinnati, 61-57, essentially blowing up millions of brackets in the process.

Among the other upsets encountered on Thursday were Dayton's 60-59 win over Ohio State in the South region, an 11 over a six, and, West region #12 seed North Dakota State outing #5 Oklahoma, 80-75, in overtime.

Basically, three regions were blown up on Thursday, leaving only the Midwest unscathed, though #5 St. Louis had to come from 16 back in the second half to hold off #12 NC State in overtime, 83-80.

Jarnell Stokes Powers Tennessee in Field of 64 With OT Win over Iowa

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Tennessee outscored Iowa 14-1 in overtime, earning them a trip to the next round in the NCAA tournament.

Jarnell Stokes, who powered the Volunteers with 18 points and 13 rebounds, made a three-point play with a layup and made free throw 31 seconds into the extra period that turned out to be more than the Vols needed.

Following a bucket by Jordan McRae, he and Anotnio Barton knocked dow nine of ten free throws to complete the scoring for the 78-65 win. McRae led all scorers with 20 points.

The 11th-seeded Vols advance to play #6 Massachusetts in the Midwest region on Friday.

In the other First Four game Wednesday, Cal Poly defeated Texas Southern, 81-69, and will play #1 seed in the Midwest, Wichita State, Friday night.

16 games are on the slate both Thursday and Friday, the action beginning at 12:15 Thursday when South region #6 Ohio State meets #11 Dayton.

NC State Advances on T.J. Warren's 25 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Day one of the NCAA tournament and already the cream is rising to the top.

T.J. Warren, who led the ACC in scoring this season, popped for 25 points and was nearly unstoppable during the second half, leading North Carolina State to a 74-59 victory over Xavier.

Warren was 10-for-18 from the field and added five rebounds, two assists and three steals as the Wolfpack led nearly all the way and pulled away late. NC State will play the #5 seed from the Midwest region, St. Louis, in the second round on Friday.

In the earlier game at Dayton, Albany topped Mount St. Mary's, 71-64, in a battle of 16 seeds. The Great Danes move on to play #1 Florida in a second round game in the South region, Saturday.

Bracket Basics, Weak, Strong Regions, Play-in Games for the 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship

On Tuesday, 68 teams (yes, what used to be known as "play-in" games are now round 1) will begin the ultimate quest to be named the bast collage hoops team in the land while millions of fans will be checking off winners and losers in the annual bracket madness that is March in America.

The opening game of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship tips off at Tuesday at 6:40 pm, when a pair of #16 seeds, Albany and Mount St. Mary's, meet for the right to be slaughtered in the South bracket by #1 Florida in the second round.

This game is about as consequential - unless you really believe you're going to take a billion bucks off of Warren Buffett - as a tail feather in a chicken coop. Never has a #1 seed fallen to a 16-seed. If you must make a choice between the 16-16 Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers (winners of the Northeastern Conference tournament) and the 18-14 Albany Great Danes - winners of the America East tournament with a Scooby-Do look-alike as their mascot - flip a coin and cross the winner off in the next round.

Both Albany and Mt. St. Mary's finished fourth in their respective conferences.

The second Tuesday night game has a little more intrigue to it, as the teams are set down as 12-seeds, the winner moving on to face St. Louis in the Midwest region. North Carolina State meets up with Xavier at roughly 9:10 pm.

One could confidently give the Wolfpack the edge over the Musketeers in this meeting, but, as any veteran of bracket busting understands, almost nothing is certain come March. NC State was 21-13 with a 9-9 mark in the ACC, and they knocked off Syracuse in the second round of the conference tourney. They also feature ACC player of the year, T.J. Warren, who is a match-up nightmare.

The 21-12 Musketeers ended up tied for third in the watered-down Big East, not exactly a vote of confidence. NC State is a 2 1/2-point favorite.

On Wednesday, another pair of first round games feature Cal Poly vs. Texas Southern in a meeting of 16-seeds, and Tennessee vs. Iowa in the late game.

The winner of the first game goes on to face #1 seed in the Midwest, Wichita State, the only team in the tournament with an undefeated record, at 34-0. The Shockers were the only team to make the grade out of the Missouri Valley conference, but still look like a #1 that will not lose to a #16. Rinse and repeat the structure from Tuesday night and cross out the team on the line below Wichita State.

The Volunteers played well enough in the SEC tournament to make Florida a little nervous, though eventually falling in the semi-final. Iowa was eliminated early in the Big Ten tourney, but somehow gets into the mix because they're from a power conference. Despite a 9-9 mark against Big Ten teams, the Hawkeyes passed the eye test of the tournament selection committee. Either that, or the school needed the extra dough. Tennessee is a 1 1/2=-point favorite. The winner heads on to meet UMass in Raleigh on Sunday.

With three "play-in" teams all advancing into the Midwest conference, the obvious question is whether that makes that bracket stronger or weaker. Since two of the teams will be 11-and-12 seeds, it would suggest that the bracket is stronger, though many will claim that Wichita State is the weakest #1 in some time. The bracket also includes #2 Duke, #3 Michigan and #4 Louisville, only one of which captured their conference championship - Louisville. If there's anything glaring and obviously wrong in this year's brackets, it is Louisville on the four-line. They won the American Athletic conference tournament with ease and, if successful in their first two games, will have Wichita State in a regional semi-final, unless #8 Kentucky or #9 Kansas State rises up and smites the Shockers first.

Toughest among the regions is probably the East, where the 1-6 seeds are Virginia, Villanova, Iowa State, Michigan State, Cincinnati and North Carolina, and it doesn't get much easier after that, with teams like St. Joe's, Harvard and Providence in the mix.

If you're looking for a natural Final Four, try this on for size: Midwest - Louisville, West - Wisconsin, East - Iowa State, South - Florida. Other than Wisconsin, each of those teams won their conference tournament, though in the case of the West region (another in the running for weakest region), the only reliable conference champion was Gonzaga, winners of the WCC, seeded at #8. The Zags may get #1 seed Arizona in their second game, and recall that the Wildcats were knocked off by UCLA in the PAC-12 title game.

In the Final Four, this scenario has Louisville beating Wisconsin and Florida whipping Iowa State, though either of those games could easily go the other way. Picking an ultimate winner between those four teams is a tough task, though most would side with Florida. However, the SEC was not very deep, Louisville comes out of another weak conference, the American Athletic, making the case for the Cyclones or Badgers, each from power conferences.

For the record, CBD will take Iowa State to win it all.

ESPN offers a nice bracket look, adorned by Hooter's Girls, here, plus a link to their tournament challenge, one of the more popular online bracket contests.

Ryan Harrow's 37 Not enough for Georgia State; Ragin' Cajuns, Florida, Virginia, St. Joe's, Michigan State Punch In

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, March 16, 2014

Maybe it's fitting or just a reminder that effort isn't everything this time of year, as Ryan Harrow's 37-point effort was not quite enough in Georgia State's, 82-81, overtime loss to the Ragin Cajun's of Louisiana-Lafayette in the Sun Belt championship game.

In a "win-and-you're-in, doubt-and-you're-out" situation, Harrow went 13-for-22 from the field, missed all three of his attempts from beyond the arc and was 11-for-12 at the foul line.

Despite his star performance, Harrow's misses in clutch time were decisive, as he missed a jumper with 15 seconds left in regulation that allowed the Cajuns to tie the game, and again misfired with five seconds left in OT for the win. It just wasn't in the Cards as Louisiana-Lafayette advanced to the NCAA tournament.

In the ACC, Virginia dusted Duke, 72-63. St. Joe's topped VCU to capture the Atlantic-10 title, 65-61.

Florida outlasted Kentucky, 61-60, to capture the SEC crown, and, Michigan State thumped Michigan, 69-55, in the Big Ten.

Let the madness begin...