Listen to Hair Band Friday - 3/29/13

Retro Video of the Week: "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." by John Mellencamp

Tuesday Top Ten: Fun Facts About This Year's NCAA Tournament

This weekend proved why the first weekend of March Madness is the best sports weekend of the year.  There were buzzer beaters, huge upsets, come-from-behind victories, and several sick alley-oops.  Let's cut to the chase.  Here are the Sweet 16 teams, along with the last time they made the Sweet 16 (and their region, seeds, game time, and what station is televising the game):

East Region (Washington, DC)

(2) Miami (2000) vs. (3) Marquette (2012) - Thursday 3/28 7:15 ET CBS

(1) Indiana (2012) vs. (4) Syracuse (2012) - Thursday 3/28 9:45 ET CBS

West Region (Los Angeles)

(2) Ohio State (2012) vs. (6) Arizona (2011) - Thursday 3/28 7:47 ET TBS

(9) Wichita State (2006) vs. (13) LaSalle (1955) - Thursday 3/28 10:17 ET TBS

Midwest Region (Indianapolis)

(1) Louisville (2012) vs. (12) Oregon (2007) - Friday 3/29 7:15 ET CBS

(2) Duke (2011) vs. (3) Michigan State (2012) - Friday 3/29 9:45 ET CBS

South Region (North Texas)

(1) Kansas (2012) vs. (4) Michigan (1994) - Friday 3/29 7:37 ET TBS

(3) Florida (2012) vs. (15) Florida Gulf Coast (never) - Friday 3/29 10:07 ET TBS

If you're like me -- and you better pray to Xenu that you're not –- you not only love the NCAA Tournament, but you are fascinated with the history and statistical minutiae associated with the tournament.  Like I've done the last couple years, I'm going to destroy your mind (and quite possibly your bowels) with some statistical knowledge.  Here are ten fun facts about this year's NCAA tournament.

10.  Florida Gulf Coast became the first 15-seed to ever advance to the Sweet 16.  Since this is the school's first trip to the Big Dance, FGCU is also the only school in NCAA Tournament history that has never lost a tournament game.  When it meets Florida Friday night, it will be the first time two schools from Florida have played each other in the NCAA Tournament.

9.  Only three of the Sweet 16 teams have never won an NCAA title (Miami, Wichita State, and Florida Gulf Coast), and every Sweet 16 matchup features at least one former champion.

8.  The Big Ten has four teams in the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row, and the State of Florida has three teams in the Sweet 16 for the first time ever.

7.  This is the first time since 1955 that LaSalle has made it to the Sweet 16, and the first time since they won it all in 1954 that the Explorers have won two or more games in the NCAA Tournament.

6.  Gonzaga proved that it is, in fact, the best team in the West Coast Conference by making it one round further than St. Mary's.  It is the third time in the last four years that a 1-seed lost in the Round of 32.

5.  If Iowa State would have beaten Ohio State Sunday, the highest remaining seed in the West Region would have been 6-seed Arizona, and it would have been the first time since seeding began in 1979 where none of the top four seeds in a region advanced to the Sweet 16.

4.  The average seed number for Sweet 16 teams this year is 5.0625, which is the highest average seed number since 2000, and only the fifth time since the tournament was expanded to 64 teams in 1985 that the average seed number is higher than 5.  This is pretty high if you consider that, if the seeding played out as it should (i.e., all teams seeded 1-4 advancing to the Sweet 16, which has never happened), the average seed number would be 2.5. Here is the average seed of Sweet 16 teams since 1985:

2013: 5.0625

2012: 4.5625

2011: 5

2010: 5

2009: 3.0625

2008: 4.375

2007: 3.1875

2006: 4.4375

2005: 4.5

2004: 4.5625

2003: 4.1875

2002: 4.6875

2001: 4.5625

2000: 5.3125

1999: 5.5

1998: 4.75

1997: 4.8125

1996: 3.6875

1995: 3.1875

1994: 4.25

1993: 4.0625

1992: 4.1875

1991: 4

1990: 5.5

1989: 3.125

1988: 4.3125

1987: 4.25

1986: 5.5625

1985: 4.875

3.  There are 3 mid-majors in the Sweet 16. (I consider non-BCS conferences to be mid-majors, even if a school is now in a BCS conference, so, for instance, Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, and Marquette were mid-majors before joining the Big East in 2005. It's not a perfect science. Deal with it.) Here is a year-by-year breakdown of the number of mid-major teams that made it to the Sweet 16 since 1985:

2013: 3 (Florida Gulf Coast, LaSalle, Wichita State)

2012: 2 (Ohio, Xavier)

2011: 5 (Butler, BYU, Richmond, San Diego State, VCU)

2010: 5 (Butler, Cornell, Northern Iowa, St. Mary's, Xavier)

2009: 3 (Gonzaga, Memphis, Xavier)

2008: 4 (Davidson, Memphis, Western Kentucky, Xavier)

2007: 4 (Butler, Memphis, Southern Illinois, UNLV)

2006: 5 (Bradley, George Mason, Gonzaga, Memphis, Wichita State)

2005: 2 (Utah, UW-Milwaukee)

2004: 4 (Nevada, St. Joseph's, UAB, Xavier)

2003: 2 (Butler, Marquette)

2002: 2 (Kent State, Southern Illinois)

2001: 2 (Cincinnati, Gonzaga, Temple)

2000: 2 (Gonzaga, Tulsa)

1999: 4 (Gonzaga, Miami (OH), SW Missouri State, Temple)

1998: 3 (Rhode Island, Utah, Valparaiso)

1997: 3 (St. Joseph's, Utah, UT-Chattanooga)

1996: 3 (Cincinnati, Massachusetts, Utah)

1995: 3 (Massachusetts, Memphis, Tulsa)

1994: 2 (Marquette, Tulsa)

1993: 4 (Cincinnati, George Washington, Temple, Western Kentucky)

1992: 5 (Cincinnati, Memphis State, Massachusetts, New Mexico State, UTEP)

1991: 4 (Eastern Michigan, Temple, UNLV, Utah)

1990: 4 (Ball State, Loyola Marymount, UNLV, Xavier)

1989: 2 (Louisville, UNLV)

1988: 4 (Louisville, Rhode Island, Richmond, Temple)

1987: 3 (DePaul, UNLV, Wyoming)

1986: 5 (Cleveland State, DePaul, Louisville, Navy, UNLV)

1985: 3 (Louisiana Tech, Loyola (IL), Memphis State)

2.  This year, there are four teams seeded 8 or lower that advanced to the Sweet 16: #9 Wichita State, #12 Oregon, #13 LaSalle, and #15 Florida Gulf Coast.  For the fourth year in a row (and the fifth year in the last six), there are at least three double-digit seeds in the Sweet 16.  It is the first time that three teams seeded 12 or higher have made it to the Sweet 16.  Here is a year-by-year breakdown of the number of teams seeded #8 or lower that made it to the Sweet 16 since 1985:

2013: 4 (#9 Wichita State, #12 Oregon, #13 LaSalle, and #15 Florida Gulf Coast)

2012: 3 (#10 Xavier, #11 NC State, and #13 Ohio)

2011: 5 (#8 Butler*, #10 Florida State, #11 Marquette, #11 VCU*, and #12 Richmond)

2010: 4 (#9 Northern Iowa, #10 St. Mary's, #11 Washington, #12 Cornell)

2009: 1 (#12 Arizona)

2008: 3 (#10 Davidson, #12 Villanova, #12 Western Kentucky)

2007: 0

2006: 2 (#11 George Mason*, #13 Bradley)

2005: 2 (#10 North Carolina State, #12 UW-Milwaukee)

2004: 3 (#8 Alabama, #9 UAB, #10 Nevada)

2003: 2 (#10 Auburn, #12 Butler)

2002: 4 (#8 UCLA, #10 Kent State, #11 Southern Illinois, #12 Missouri)

2001: 3 (#10 Georgetown, #11 Temple, #12 Gonzaga)

2000: 4 (#8 North Carolina*, #8 Wisconsin*, #10 Seton Hall, #10 Gonzaga)

1999: 5 (#10 Gonzaga, #10 Miami (OH), #10 Purdue, #12 Southwest Missouri State, #13 Oklahoma)

1998: 4 (#8 Rhode Island, #10 West Virginia, #11 Washington, #13 Valparaiso)

1997: 3 (#10 Texas, #10 Providence, #14 UT-Chattanooga)

1996: 2 (#8 Georgia, #12 Arkansas)

1995: 0

1994: 2 (#9 Boston College, #10 Maryland, #12 Tulsa)

1993: 1 (#12 George Washington)

1992: 2 (#9 UTEP, #12 New Mexico State)

1991: 3 (#10 Temple, #11 Connecticut, #12 Eastern Michigan)

1990: 4 (#8 North Carolina, #10 Texas, #11 Loyola Marymount, #12 Ball State)

1989: 1 (#11 Minnesota)

1988: 2 (#11 Rhode Island, #13 Richmond)

1987: 2 (#10 LSU, #12 Wyoming)

1986: 4 (#8 Auburn, #11 LSU*, #12 DePaul, #14 Cleveland State)

1985: 4 (#8 Villanova**, #11 Auburn, #11 Boston College, #12 Kentucky)

*Advanced to Final Four

**Won NCAA title

1.  I nearly had a heart attack Sunday while watching the IU/Temple game.  The Hoosiers played like ass for most of the game, and it felt like we were playing Wisconsin again (which hasn't boded well for us as of late).  With about three minutes left in the game, my couch could no longer contain me.  As Lollipop sat quietly on the couch watching Winnie the Pooh on the iPad, her father stood and watched the game, pacing like an idiot savant as his team went on a 10-0 run over the last 2:57 of the game, turning a 4-point deficit into a 6-point victory.  I could have used some quaaludes to bring my heart rate back down to normal after that one.  Even though IU didn't play as well as it could have, a win is a win, and that may just be the kickstart the Hoosiers need to rocket themselves to Atlanta.

Midwestern Eavesdropping

Drunk man: "Jacking each other off is not having health care."
--Chicago, Rocks, 1301 W. Scubert
Eavesdropper: RDC

Belated Tuesday Top Ten: NCAA Tournament Edition

Sorry for my lack of posting the last few days.  I have been hellishly busy at work and filling out what has now amounted to 569 brackets.  This is my favorite time of the year, sports-wise.  I get giddy just thinking about the NCAA Tournament.  Thus, the goal of this Tuesday Top Ten is to help you as you fill out your brackets.  Make sure you have everything done by Noon Eastern tomorrow, when the first games start.

Before I get started, let's just take a quick second to laugh at Kentucky.  They bitched and moaned when they didn't make the NCAA Tournament (becoming only the fifth NCAA champion since the tournament was expanded to 64 teams in 1985 that didn't make the NCAA Tournament the following year), and then they went ahead and lost in the first round of the NIT to Robert Morris, becoming the first team since the tournament was expanded to 64 teams in 1985 to win the NCAA championship one year and then lose in the first round of the NIT the next year.  Well, at least they're probably getting paid well.

But I digress.  This year's NCAA Tournament is as wide open as I can remember.  I think there are probably 10-12 teams that have legitimate shots of going all the way.  Here are a couple lists of five (since ten seemed like overkill) teams each in a few categories that you should consider when filling out your brackets.  Some of these are somewhat contradictory, but such is the tournament.  The teams are in alphabetical order.

Teams with the best shot at winning it all:

1.  Florida.  For most of the season, Florida was projected as a 1-seed.  They were probably penalized by a couple late-season losses in a weak SEC, but they can shoot and defend very well.

2.  Indiana.  The Hoosiers have the talent and the big-game experience to cut down the nets in Atlanta.

3.  Louisville.  Obviously, this is the hot pick after the Cards won the Big East tourney and grabbed the #1 overall seed.

4.  Miami.  It's a senior-laden team with great guards, coached by a guy with Final Four experience.

5.  Ohio State.  I think they have the easiest road to the Final Four of anyone.

Final Four sleepers (teams seeded 4 or higher):

1.  Butler.  As we learned in 2010 and 2011, Brad Stevens has some March mojo.

2.  Michigan.  The Wolverines are probably underseeded at a 4-seed, and they definitely have the talent to beat anyone in their region.

3.  St. Louis.  They have great guards, which is always key in March.  If they meet Louisville in the Sweet 16, it could be a hell of a game.

4.  Syracuse.  Jim Boeheim is an enigma in March.  Syracuse could either lose in the first round or get their shit together and make a Final Four run.  Neither would surprise me, although I prefer the former.

5.  VCU.  Bilas picked them, and he's never wrong.

Teams seeded 4 or lower who may not make it to the second weekend:

1.  Duke.  'Cause fuck Duke.

2.  Kansas State.  I don't trust Bruce Webber in March.  If the Wildcats make it to the second round, they will likely face Wisconsin, and Bo Ryan is familiar enough with Webber to come up with a solid game plan (which usually involves slowing the pace to a turtle's crawl, scowling, and having 6'10" white guys shoot threes).

3.  Marquette.  Davidson should not be overlooked, nor should the winner of the Butler/Bucknell game.

4.  New Mexico.  I think New Mexico is a very good team, but for some reason, they never seem to get it together in March, and it wouldn't surprise me to see the Lobos lose to a fired-up Arizona team in the second round.

5.  Syracuse.  If they make it past a tough matchup with Montana, they get the winner of UNLV/Cal.

Teams seeded 12 or higher with the best chance of pulling an upset in the first round:

1.  California.  Mike Montgomery is a very good coach, and I think they may catch UNLV off guard.

2.  Davidson.  The Wildcats are always a tough out in March, as Steph Curry proved a few years ago when he led Davidson to the Elite 8 and within a basket of the Final Four.  Sure, they don't have Curry anymore, but they are still dangerous, and Marquette better be ready.

3.  Mississippi.  The Rebs are streaky, and guard Marshall Henderson is a lightning rod.  If they get hot like they did in the SEC tournament, Wisconsin (and maybe Kansas State) are in trouble.

4.  Oregon.  The Pac-12 tournament champs got screwed with a 12-seed, so I am guessing they will be fired up.

5.  South Dakota State.  The Jackrabbits have Wooden Award finalist Nate Wolters, and if Michigan's not careful, he could go off for 45 and lead SDSU to an upset.

Go forth.

Retro Video of the Week: "The Final Countdown" by Europe

T-minus 15 hours until the Madness starts.

Final Championship Week Predictions

Yesterday pretty much sucked, basketball-wise anyway.  IU continued to make Wisconsin look like a better team than it is by scoring a season-low 56 points, losing in the Big Ten Tournament semis.  The loss shouldn't cost IU a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament, but given that Louisville won the Big East Tournament, IU may not be getting the 1-seed in the Midwest (where the first two rounds would be in Dayton and the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 would be in Indy).  If they do end up in the East, it wouldn't be terrible (probably Lexington or Dayton then Washington), but obviously Indianapolis is a lot bigger advantage for IU than DC.  Such is life.  March Madness is a fickle mistress.  However, Wisconsin's win should mean that the Big Ten will have 5 teams with a 4-seed or better.

The NCAA Tournament Selection Show starts at 6 Eastern on CBS.

The last four automatic bids are up for grabs today.  Here are the details (all times are Eastern) and my predicted winner

ACC (1 p.m.; ESPN) (1) Miami vs. (3) North Carolina.  Winner:  Miami

Atlantic 10 (1 p.m.; CBS) (1) St. Louis vs. (2) VCU.  Winner:  VCU

SEC (1 p.m.; ABC) (1) Florida vs. (3) Mississippi.  Winner:  Florida

Big Ten (3:30 p.m.; CBS) (2) Ohio State vs. (4) Wisconsin.  Winner:  Ohio State

Here is who has already clinched an automatic berth.  I added in parentheses the number of NCAA tournament appearances, including the bid just clinched, and the team's last NCAA Tournament appearance, where applicable.

America East:  Albany (3 - 2007)

Atlantic Sun:  Florida Gulf Coast (1)

Big East:  Louisville (39 - 2012)

Big South:  Liberty (3 - 2004)

Big Sky:  Montana (10 - 2012)

Big 12:  Kansas (42 - 2012)

Big West:  Pacific (9 - 2006)

Colonial:  James Madison (5 - 1994)

Conference USA:  Memphis (25 - 2012)

Horizon:  Valparaiso (8 - 2004)

Ivy League:  Harvard (3 - 2012)

MAC:  Akron (4 - 2011)

MAAC:  Iona (10 - 2012)

MEAC:  North Carolina A&T (10 - 1995)

MVC:  Creighton (18 - 2012)

Mountain West:  New Mexico (14 - 2012)

NEC:  LIU-Brooklyn (6 - 2012)

OVC:  Belmont (6 - 2012)

Pac-12:  Oregon (11 - 2008)

Patriot:  Bucknell (6 - 2011)

Southern:  Davidson (12 - 2012)

Southland:  Northwestern State (3 - 2006)

Summit:  South Dakota State (2 - 2012)

Sun Belt:  Western Kentucky (23 - 2012)

SWAC:  Southern (8 - 2006)

WAC:  New Mexico State (20 - 2012)

West Coast:  Gonzaga (16 - 2012)

Updated Championship Week Predictions

Well, the Hoosiers avenged that mid-season loss to Illinois with a commanding victory, with Victor Oladipo providing the exclamation mark.  To quote Clark Kellogg, Oladipo is "like a baby's bottom, smooth and sometimes explosive."  Up tomorrow in the semis are the Badgers, who have beaten the Hoosiers eleven straight times.  It would seem to me that it is time for their uppance to come.

Two AP Top 5 teams went down.  Big East 1-seed and #5 Georgetown lost to Syracuse, as at least one person writing this sentence predicted.  ACC 2-seed and #2 Duke was taken down by Maryland, probably costing the Blue Devils a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament.  Fear the Turtle.

I was also happy to see Kentucky get rolled by Vanderbilt.  Do the right thing, NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, and send Calipari to the NIT.

Tomorrow, there are 13 NCAA Tournament bids up for grabs, with games spanning 12+ hours.

America East (11:30 a.m.; ESPN2) - (4) Albany at (2) Vermont

Conference USA (11:30 a.m.; CBS) - (1) Memphis vs. (2) Southern Mississippi

SWAC (4:30 p.m.; ESPN2) - (1) Southern vs. (4) Prairie View A&M

MEAC (5:00 p.m.; ESPNU) - (5) Morgan State. vs. (7) North Carolina A&T

Big 12 (6 p.m.; ESPN) - (1) Kansas vs. (2) Kansas State

Mountain West (6 p.m.; CBS Sports) - (1) New Mexico vs. (2) Colorado State or (3) UNLV

MAC (6:30 p.m.; ESPN2) - (1) Akron vs. (2) Ohio

Big East (8:30 p.m.; ESPN) - (2) Louisville vs. (5) Syracuse

Southland (8:30 p.m.; ESPN2) - (1) Stephen F. Austin vs. (2) Northwestern State

Big Sky (9 p.m.; ESPNU) - (1) Montana vs. (2) Weber State

Big West (10:30 p.m.; ESPN2) - (4) UC Irvine vs. (2) Pacific or (3) Cal Poly

Pac-12 (11 p.m.; ESPN) - (3) Oregon or (10) Utah vs. (1) UCLA.  Winner:  UCLA

WAC (11 p.m.; ESNPU) - (4) UT Arlington or (9) UTSA vs. (3) New Mexico State

This will probably be my last update before Selection Sunday, as I will likely be in no condition tomorrow to compose sentences or track anything.  Perhaps I will be able to string something together Sunday morning.

Here is who has already clinched an automatic berth, as well as my predictions for the remaining conference tournaments.  (Note:  The Great West Conference holds a tournament, but does not receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, so I am not including it here.)

Already clinched automatic berths (I added in parentheses the number of NCAA tournament appearances, including the bid just clinched):

Atlantic Sun:  Florida Gulf Coast (1)

Big South:  Liberty (3)

Colonial:  James Madison (5)

Horizon:  Valparaiso (8)

Ivy League:  Harvard (3)

MAAC:  Iona (10)

MVC:  Creighton (18)

NEC:  LIU-Brooklyn (6)

OVC:  Belmont (6)

Patriot:  Bucknell (6)

Southern:  Davidson

Summit:  South Dakota State (2)

Sun Belt:  Western Kentucky (23)

West Coast:  Gonzaga (16)

Remaining Tournaments (all times are Eastern):

ACC (March 14-17; Greensboro)

3/16 - Semifinals

1 p.m. (ESPN) (1) Miami vs. (5) NC State.  Winner:  Miami

3 p.m. (ESPN) (7) Maryland vs. (3) North Carolina.  Winner:  North Carolina

3/17 - Finals

1 p.m. (ESPN) (1) Miami vs. (3) North Carolina.  Winner:  Miami

America East (March 9-10, 16; Albany, then the highest remaining seed hosts final)

Finals – 3/16

11:30 a.m. (ESPN2) (4) Albany at (2) Vermont.  Winner:  Vermont

Atlantic 10 (March 14-17; Brooklyn)

3/16 - Semifinals

1:30 p.m. (CBS Sports) (1) St. Louis vs. (5) Butler.  Winner:  Butler

4 p.m. (CBS Sports) (2) VCU vs. (6) UMass.  Winner:  VCU

3/17 - Finals

1 p.m. (CBS) (2) VCU vs. (5) Butler.  Winner:  Butler

Big 12 (March 13-16; Kansas City)

3/16 - Finals

6 p.m. (ESPN) (1) Kansas vs. (2) Kansas State.  Winner:  Kansas

Big East (March 12-16; New York)

3/16 - Finals

8:30 p.m. (ESPN) (2) Louisville vs. (5) Syracuse.  Winner:  Louisville

Big Sky (March 14-16; Missoula, MT)

3/16 - Finals

9 p.m. (ESPNU) (1) Montana vs. (2) Weber State.  Winner:  Montana

Big Ten (March 14-17; Chicago)

3/16 - Semifinals

1:40 p.m. (CBS) (1) Indiana vs. (4) Wisconsin.  Winner:  Indiana

4 p.m. (CBS) (2) Ohio State vs. (3) Michigan State.  Winner:  Michigan State

3/17 - Finals

3:30 p.m. (CBS) (1) Indiana vs. (3) Michigan State.  Winner:  Indiana

Big West (March 14-16; Anaheim)

3/15 - Semifinals

11:59 p.m. (ESPNU) (2) Pacific vs. (3) Cal Poly.  Winner:  Cal Poly

3/16 – Finals

10:30 p.m. (ESPN2) (4) UC Irvine vs. (3) Cal Poly.  Winner:  Cal Poly

Conference USA (March 13-16; Tulsa)

3/16 – Finals

11:30 a.m. (CBS) (1) Memphis vs. (2) Southern Mississippi.  Winner:  Memphis

MAC (March 11, 13-16; first round at campus sites of higher seed; remaining rounds in Cleveland)

3/16 – Finals

6:30 p.m. (ESPN2) (1) Akron vs. (2) Ohio.  Winner:  Ohio

MEAC (March 11-16; Norfolk, VA)

3/16 - Final

5:00 p.m. (ESPNU) (5) Morgan State. vs. (7) North Carolina A&T.  Winner:  Morgan State

Mountain West (March 12-16; Las Vegas)

3/15 – Semifinals

9 p.m. (CBS Sports) (2) Colorado State vs. (3) UNLV.  Winner:  Colorado State

3/16 - Finals

6 p.m. (CBS Sports) (1) New Mexico vs. (2) Colorado State.  Winner:  New Mexico

Pac-12 (March 13-16; Las Vegas)

3/15 - Semifinals

11:30 p.m. (ESPN) (10) Utah vs. (3) Oregon.  Winner:  Oregon

3/16 - Finals

11 p.m. (ESPN) (3) Oregon vs. (1) UCLA.  Winner:  UCLA

SEC (March 13-17; Nashville)

3/16 - Semifinals

1 p.m. (ABC) (1) Florida vs. (4) Alabama.  Winner:  Florida

3:30 p.m. (ABC) (10) Vanderbilt vs. (3) Mississippi.  Winner:  Mississippi

3/17 - Finals

1 p.m. (ABC) (1) Florida vs. (3) Mississippi.  Winner:  Florida

Southland (March 13-16; Katy, TX)

3/16 – Finals

8:30 p.m. (ESPN2) (1) Stephen F. Austin vs. (2) Northwestern State.  Winner:  Stephen F. Austin

SWAC (March 13-16; Garland, TX)

3/16 - Finals

4:30 p.m. (ESPN2) (1) Southern vs. (4) Prairie View A&M.  Winner:  Southern

WAC (March 12, 14-16; Las Vegas)

3/15 – Semifinals

11:30 p.m. (9) UTSA vs. (4) UT Arlington.  Winner:  UT Arlington

3/16 – Finals

11 p.m. (ESPNU) (4) UT Arlington vs. (3) New Mexico State.  Winner:  New Mexico State

Listen to Hair Band Friday - 3/15/13

Happy 50th birthday to Bret Michaels, and Happy Hair Band Friday!

Updated Championship Week Predictions

I gotta say, today was an odd day.

In the A-10, the ending to the Charlotte/Richmond game was one of the craziest finishes to a game I've seen in a long time.  Richmond was up 63-60 with less than five seconds left, fouled Charlotte, and then all hell broke loose.  A flagrant foul, a foul on a half-court three pointer, and a technical foul on Richmond meant that Charlotte scored 8 points in the final five seconds, all on free throws, to win 68-63.

The Madness in the MEAC continued, as 3-seed Hampton and 4-seed Savannah State both lost, leaving 5-seed Morgan State as the highest remaining seed. 

In the wiggity wiggity wiggity wiggity wiggity wiggity WAC, 2-seed Denver was ousted by 7-seed Texas State, all but ending any NCAA Tournament hopes for the Pioneers, and then 1-seed Louisiana Tech lost to 9-21 UTSA.  Louisiana Tech had been ranked at some point recently, and has an RPI of 48, so it will be interesting to see if they get an NCAA Tournament bid.

In the Big Ten, Illinois bounced Minnesota with a buzzer-beating jumper from Brandon Paul, and Purdue clinched its CBI bid by getting beaten by basketball powerhouse Nebraska.  Minnesota should still be in the NCAA Tournament, but this one still has to hurt.

In the Pac-12, 2-seed Cal got knocked off by 10-seed Utah.  The Golden Bears were projected as a 9-seed by Joe Lunardi, so they should still get an invitation to the Big Dance.

In the Big 12, Baylor's bubble was likely burst with a loss to Oklahoma State.

And, in the ACC, some Quebecois kid on Boston College named Olivier set an ACC freshman record by scoring 41 points in BC's win over Georgia Tech.

As I mentioned yesterday, there are no more championship games until Saturday, but here are some matchups tomorrow that I am looking forward to (times are Eastern):

Big Ten Quarterfinals (12 p.m.; ESPN):  (1) Indiana vs. (8) Illinois.  The Hoosiers will be looking for some payback for that mid-season collapse in Champaign.  Illinois will be looking to improve their NCAA Tournament seed.  I hope IU wins by at least 9 1/2 points.

Big Ten Quarterfinals (2:30 p.m.; ESPN) (4) Wisconsin vs. (5) Michigan.  This should be a good game.  Michigan is ranked 6th in the country, but is the 5th seed in the Big Ten.

Atlantic 10 Quarterfinals (2:30 p.m.; NBC Sports): (4) LaSalle vs. (5) Butler.  Butler went from a Top 10 team to the 5-seed in the A-10 tournament, but the Bulldogs are a lock for the NCAA Tournament.  LaSalle is firmly on the bubble, landing at the top of Joe Lunardi's Last Four In.  As we've learned the last few years, don't sleep on the Bulldogs in March.

Big East Semifinals (7 p.m.; ESPN): (1) Georgetown vs. (5) Syracuse.  Georgetown beat Syracuse both times they met in the regular season, and, barring an unlikely meeting in the NCAA Tournament, this will be the last time these two teams will play each other as members of the Big East

Here is who has already clinched an automatic berth, as well as my predictions for the remaining conference tournaments.  (Note:  The Great West Conference holds a tournament, but does not receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, so I am not including it here.)

Already clinched automatic berths (I added in parentheses the number of NCAA tournament appearances, including the bid just clinched):

Atlantic Sun:  Florida Gulf Coast (1)

Big South:  Liberty (3)

Colonial:  James Madison (5)

Horizon:  Valparaiso (8)

Ivy League:  Harvard (3)

MAAC:  Iona (10)

MVC:  Creighton (18)

NEC:  LIU-Brooklyn (6)

OVC:  Belmont (6)

Patriot:  Bucknell (6)

Southern:  Davidson

Summit:  South Dakota State (2)

Sun Belt:  Western Kentucky (23)

West Coast:  Gonzaga (16)

Remaining Tournaments (all times are Eastern):

ACC (March 14-17; Greensboro)

3/15 - Quarterfinals

12 p.m. (ESPN2) (1) Miami vs. (8) Boston College.  Winner:  Miami

2 p.m. (ESPN2) (4) Virginia vs. (5) NC State.  Winner:  NC State

7 p.m. (ESPN2) (2) Duke vs. (7) Maryland.  Winner:  Duke

9 p.m. (ESPN2) (3) North Carolina vs. (6) Florida State.  Winner:  North Carolina

3/16 - Semifinals

1 p.m. (ESPN) (1) Miami vs. (5) NC State.  Winner:  Miami

3 p.m. (ESPN) (2) Duke vs. (3) North Carolina.  Winner:  Duke

3/17 - Finals

1 p.m. (ESPN) (1) Miami vs. (2) Duke.  Winner:  Duke

America East (March 9-10, 16; Albany, then the highest remaining seed hosts final)

Finals – 3/16

11:30 a.m. (ESPN2) (4) Albany at (2) Vermont.  Winner:  Vermont

Atlantic 10 (March 14-17; Brooklyn)

3/15 - Quarterfinals

12 p.m. (NBC Sports) (1) St. Louis vs. (9) Charlotte.  Winner:  St. Louis

2:30 p.m. (NBC Sports) (4) LaSalle vs. (5) Butler.  Winner:  Butler

6:30 p.m. (NBC Sports) (2) VCU vs. (10) St. Joseph's.  Winner:  VCU

9 p.m. (NBC Sports) (3) Temple vs. (6) UMass.  Winner:  Temple

3/16 - Semifinals

1:30 p.m. (CBS Sports) (1) St. Louis vs. (5) Butler.  Winner:  Butler

4 p.m. (CBS Sports) (2) VCU vs. (3) Temple.  Winner:  VCU

3/17 - Finals

1 p.m. (CBS) (2) VCU vs. (5) Butler.  Winner:  Butler

Big 12 (March 13-16; Kansas City)

3/15 - Semifinals

7:30 p.m. (ESPNU/Big 12 Network) (1) Kansas vs. (5) Iowa State.  Winner:  Kansas

9 p.m. (ESPNU/Big 12 Network) (2) Kansas State vs. (3) Oklahoma State.  Winner:  Kansas State

3/16 - Finals

6 p.m. (ESPN) (1) Kansas vs. (2) Kansas State.  Winner:  Kansas

Big East (March 12-16; New York)

3/15 - Semifinals

7 p.m. (ESPN) (1) Georgetown vs. (5) Syracuse.  Winner:  Syracuse

9 p.m. (ESPN) (2) Louisville vs. (6) Notre Dame.  Winner:  Louisville

3/16 - Finals

8:30 p.m. (ESPN) (2) Louisville vs. (5) Syracuse.  Winner:  Louisville

Big Sky (March 14-16; Missoula, MT)

3/15 - Semifinals

7:30 p.m. (BigSky TV) (2) Weber State vs. (3) North Dakota.  Winner:  Weber State

10 p.m. (BigSky TV) (1) Montana vs. (5) Northern Colorado.  Winner: Montana

3/16 - Finals

9 p.m. (ESPNU) (1) Montana vs. (2) Weber State.  Winner:  Montana

Big Ten (March 14-17; Chicago)

3/15 – Quarterfinals

12 p.m. (ESPN) (1) Indiana vs. (8) Illinois.  Winner:  Indiana

2:30 p.m. (ESPN) (4) Wisconsin vs. (5) Michigan.  Winner:  Michigan

6:30 p.m. (BTN) (2) Ohio State vs. (10) Nebraska.  Winner:  Ohio State

9 p.m. (BTN) (3) Michigan State vs. (6) Iowa.  Winner:  Michigan State

3/16 - Semifinals

1:40 p.m. (CBS) (1) Indiana vs. (5) Michigan.  Winner:  Indiana

4 p.m. (CBS) (2) Ohio State vs. (3) Michigan State.  Winner:  Michigan State

3/17 - Finals

3:30 p.m. (CBS) (1) Indiana vs. (3) Michigan State.  Winner:  Indiana

Big West (March 14-16; Anaheim)

3/14 - Quarterfinals

11:30 p.m. (FOX Sports Prime Ticket/FOX College Sports – Pacific) (4) UC Irvine vs. (5) Hawaii.  Winner:  Hawaii

3/15 - Semifinals

9:30 p.m. (ESPN3) (1) Long Beach State vs. (5) Hawaii.  Winner:  Long Beach State

11:59 p.m. (ESPNU) (2) Pacific vs. (3) Cal Poly.  Winner:  Cal Poly

3/16 – Finals

10:30 p.m. (ESPN2) (1) Long Beach State vs. (3) Cal Poly.  Winner:  Long Beach State

Conference USA (March 13-16; Tulsa)

3/15 – Semifinals

4 p.m. (CBS Sports) (2) Southern Mississippi vs. (3) UTEP.  Winner:  Southern Mississippi

6:30 p.m. (CBS Sports) (1) Memphis vs. (5) Tulsa.  Winner:  Memphis

3/16 – Finals

11:30 a.m. (CBS) (1) Memphis vs. (2) Southern Mississippi.  Winner:  Memphis

MAC (March 11, 13-16; first round at campus sites of higher seed; remaining rounds in Cleveland)

3/15 – Semifinals

6:30 p.m. (SportsTime Ohio) (1) Akron vs. (4) Kent State.  Winner:  Akron

9 p.m. (SportsTime Ohio) (2) Ohio vs. (3) Western Michigan.  Winner:  Ohio

3/16 – Finals

6:30 p.m. (ESPN2) (1) Akron vs. (2) Ohio.  Winner:  Ohio

MEAC (March 11-16; Norfolk, VA)

3/15 - Semifinals

6:00 p.m. (8) Bethune-Cookman vs. (5) Morgan State..  Winner:  Morgan State

8:00 p.m. (7) North Carolina A&T vs. (6) Delaware State.  Winner:  Delaware State

3/16 - Final

5:00 p.m. (ESPNU) (5) Morgan State. vs. (6) Delaware State.  Winner:  Morgan State

Mountain West (March 12-16; Las Vegas)

3/15 – Semifinals

9 p.m. (CBS Sports) (2) Colorado State vs. (3) UNLV.  Winner:  Colorado State

11:30 p.m. (CBS Sports) (1) New Mexico vs. (4) San Diego State.  Winner:  New Mexico

3/16 - Finals

6 p.m. (CBS Sports) (1) New Mexico vs. (2) Colorado State.  Winner:  New Mexico

Pac-12 (March 13-16; Las Vegas)

3/14 - Quarterfinals

11:30 p.m. (ESPNU) (3) Oregon vs. (6) Washington.  Winner:  Oregon

3/15 - Semifinals

9 p.m. (Pac-12 Network) (1) UCLA vs. (4) Arizona.  Winner:  Arizona

11:30 p.m. (ESPN) (10) Utah vs. (3) Oregon.  Winner:  Oregon

3/16 - Finals

11 p.m. (ESPN) (3) Oregon vs. (4) Arizona.  Winner:  Arizona

SEC (March 13-17; Nashville)

3/15 - Quarterfinals

1 p.m. (ESPNU) (1) Florida vs. (9) LSU.  Winner:  Florida

3:30 p.m. (ESPNU) (4) Alabama vs. (5) Tennessee.  Winner:  Tennessee

7:30 p.m. (ESPN3/SEC Network) (2) Kentucky vs. (10) Vanderbilt.  Winner:  Kentucky

10 p.m. (ESPN3/SEC Network) (3) Mississippi vs. (6) Missouri.  Winner:  Mississippi

3/16 - Semifinals

1 p.m. (ABC) (1) Florida vs. (5) Tennessee.  Winner:  Florida

3:30 p.m. (ABC) (2) Kentucky vs. (3) Mississippi.  Winner:  Mississippi

3/17 - Finals

1 p.m. (ABC) (1) Florida vs. (3) Mississippi.  Winner:  Florida

Southland (March 13-16; Katy, TX)

3/15 – Semifinals

6 p.m. (ESPN3) (1) Stephen F. Austin vs. (4) Southeastern Louisiana.  Winner:  Stephen F. Austin

8:30 p.m. (ESPN3) (2) Northwestern State vs. (6) Sam Houston State.  Winner:  Northwestern State

3/16 – Finals

8:30 p.m. (ESPN2) (1) Stephen F. Austin vs. (2) Northwestern State.  Winner:  Stephen F. Austin

SWAC (March 13-16; Garland, TX)

3/15 - Semifinals

3:30 p.m. (2) Jackson State vs. (4) Prairie View A&M.  Winner:  Jackson State

6 p.m. (1) Southern vs. (6) Alabama A&M.  Winner:  Southern

3/16 - Finals

4:30 p.m. (ESPN2) (1) Southern vs. (2) Jackson State.  Winner:  Southern

WAC (March 12, 14-16; Las Vegas)

3/14 – Quarterfinals

11:30 p.m. (4) UT Arlington vs. (5) Utah State.  Winner:  Utah State

3/15 – Semifinals

9 p.m. (7) Texas State vs. (3) New Mexico State.  Winner:  New Mexico State

11:30 p.m. (9) UTSA vs. (5) Utah State.  Winner:  Utah State

3/16 – Finals

11 p.m. (5) Utah State vs. (3) New Mexico State.  Winner:  New Mexico State

Retro Video of the Week: "Róisín Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend" by Thin Lizzy (live)

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, here is a live video of one of my favorite songs from Ireland's greatest rock and roll band of all-time.  Phil Lynott's hair is awesome.

Updated Championship Week Predictions

We're almost halfway through the automatic bids, as Bucknell beat Lafayette for the Patriot League title.  It seems like Bucknell is always in the tournament, but this is actually only their sixth Big Dance.  The Patriot League champion has been known to be a tough out in the NCAA Tournament, as Duke found out last year with Lehigh, Kansas found out in 2005 with Bucknell, and the whole damn country found out in 1947 with Holy Cross.  Just so we're clear, Holy Cross has won more NCAA championships than Purdue and Illinois combined.

Meanwhile, in a major upset –- as much as there can be a major upset in the MEAC –- 8-seed Bethune-Cookman beat 1-seed Norfolk State.  As you may recall, Norfolk State beat 2-seed Missouri as a 15-seed in last year's NCAA Tournament.  Along with Memphis and Gonzaga, Norfolk State was one of only three teams to go undefeated in conference play during the regular season, going 16-0 in the MEAC.  And then in the next game, the MEAC's 2-seed, North Carolina Central, which was 15-1 in conference play, lost to 7-seed North Carolina A&T.  Madness! 

On the opposite end of the happiness spectrum, Grambling lost in the first round of the SWAC tournament to finish the season 0-28, the first winless season for a full D-1 member since 2004-2005, and only the eighth D-1 team to lose all of its games in a season (with a minimum of ten games).  The Tigers did, however, save some face by keeping their losing margin to eight points –- the first time all season they have not lost by double digits.  Sadness!

There are no more championship games until Saturday, but tomorrow, all of the remaining conference tournaments start.  There will be 45 college basketball games tomorrow, and every single one of them means something.  The Big Ten Tournament will start with a bang with the toughest 8/9 matchup in the country, as two teams that at one time were ranked in the Top 10, Illinois and Minnesota, will meet at Noon Eastern on the Big Ten Network.

Here is who has already clinched an automatic berth, as well as my predictions for the remaining conference tournaments.  (Note:  The Great West Conference holds a tournament, but does not receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, so I am not including it here.)

Already clinched automatic berths (I added in parentheses the number of NCAA tournament appearances, including the bid just clinched):

Atlantic Sun:  Florida Gulf Coast (1)

Big South:  Liberty (3)

Colonial:  James Madison (5)

Horizon:  Valparaiso (8)

Ivy League:  Harvard (3)

MAAC:  Iona (10)

MVC:  Creighton (18)

NEC:  LIU-Brooklyn (6)

OVC:  Belmont (6)

Patriot:  Bucknell (6)

Southern:  Davidson

Summit:  South Dakota State (2)

Sun Belt:  Western Kentucky (23)

West Coast:  Gonzaga (16)

Remaining Tournaments (all times are Eastern):

ACC (March 14-17; Greensboro)

3/14 – First Round

12 p.m. (ESPNU) (8) Boston College vs. (9) Georgia Tech.  Winner:  Georgia Tech

2 p.m. (ESPNU) (5) NC State vs. (12) Virginia Tech.  Winner:  NC State

7 p.m. (ESPNU) (7) Maryland vs. (10) Wake Forest.  Winner:  Maryland

9 p.m. (ESPNU) (6) Florida State vs. (11) Clemson.  Winner:  Florida

3/15 - Quarterfinals

12 p.m. (ESPN2) (1) Miami vs. (9) Georgia Tech.  Winner:  Miami

2 p.m. (ESPN2) (4) Virginia vs. (5) NC State.  Winner:  NC State

7 p.m. (ESPN2) (2) Duke vs. (7) Maryland.  Winner:  Duke

9 p.m. (ESPN2) (3) North Carolina vs. (6) Florida State

3/16 - Semifinals

1 p.m. (ESPN) (1) Miami vs. (5) NC State.  Winner:  Miami

3 p.m. (ESPN) (2) Duke vs. (3) North Carolina.  Winner:  Duke

3/17 - Finals

1 p.m. (ESPN) (1) Miami vs. (2) Duke.  Winner:  Duke

America East (March 9-10, 16; Albany, then the highest remaining seed hosts final)

Finals – 3/16

11:30 a.m. (ESPN2) (4) Albany at (2) Vermont.  Winner:  Vermont

Atlantic 10 (March 14-17; Brooklyn)

3/14 – First Round

12 p.m. (NBC Sports) (8) Richmond vs. (9) Charlotte.  Winner:  Charlotte

2:30 p.m. (NBC Sports) (5) Butler vs. (12) Dayton.  Winner:  Butler

6:30 p.m. (NBC Sports) (7) Xavier vs. (10) St. Joseph's.  Winner:  Xavier

9 p.m. (NBC Sports) (6) UMass vs. (11) George Washington.  Winner:  UMass

3/15 - Quarterfinals

12 p.m. (NBC Sports) (1) St. Louis vs. (9) Charlotte.  Winner:  St. Louis

2:30 p.m. (NBC Sports) (4) LaSalle vs. (5) Butler.  Winner:  Butler

6:30 p.m. (NBC Sports) (2) VCU vs. (7) Xavier.  Winner:  VCU

9 p.m. (NBC Sports) (3) Temple vs. (6) UMass.  Winner:  Temple

3/16 - Semifinals

1:30 p.m. (CBS Sports) (1) St. Louis vs. (5) Butler.  Winner:  Butler

4 p.m. (CBS Sports) (2) VCU vs. (3) Temple.  Winner:  VCU

3/17 - Finals

1 p.m. (CBS) (2) VCU vs. (5) Butler.  Winner:  Butler

Big 12 (March 13-16; Kansas City)

3/14 - Quarterfinals

12:30 p.m. (ESPN2) (4) Oklahoma vs. (5) Iowa State.  Winner:  Iowa State

3 p.m. (ESPN2) (1) Kansas vs. (9) Texas Tech.  Winner:  Kansas

7 p.m. (Big 12 Network) (2) Kansas State vs. (7) Texas.  Winner:  Kansas State

9:30 p.m. (Big 12 Network) (3) Oklahoma State vs. (6) Baylor.  Winner:  Oklahoma State

3/15 - Semifinals

7:30 p.m. (ESPNU/Big 12 Network) (1) Kansas vs. (5) Iowa State.  Winner:  Kansas

9 p.m. (ESPNU/Big 12 Network) (2) Kansas State vs. (3) Oklahoma State.  Winner:  Kansas State

3/16 - Finals

6 p.m. (ESPN) (1) Kansas vs. (2) Kansas State.  Winner:  Kansas

Big East (March 12-16; New York)

3/14 – Quarterfinals

12 p.m. (ESPN) (1) Georgetown vs. (9) Cincinnati.  Winner:  Georgetown

2 p.m. (ESPN) (4) Pittsburgh vs. (5) Syracuse.  Winner:  Syracuse

7 p.m. (ESPN) (2) Louisville vs. (7) Villanova.  Winner:  Louisville

9 p.m. (ESPN) (3) Marquette vs. (6) Notre Dame.  Winner:  Notre Dame

3/15 - Semifinals

7 p.m. (ESPN) (1) Georgetown vs. (5) Syracuse.  Winner:  Syracuse

9 p.m. (ESPN) (2) Louisville vs. (6) Notre Dame.  Winner:  Louisville

3/16 - Finals

8:30 p.m. (ESPN) (2) Louisville vs. (5) Syracuse.  Winner:  Louisville

Big Sky (March 14-16; Missoula, MT)

3/14 - Quarterfinals

5 p.m. (BigSky TV) (2) Weber State vs. (7) Northern Arizona.  Winner:  Weber State

7:30 p.m. (BigSky TV) (3) North Dakota vs. (6) Southern Utah.  Winner:  North Dakota

10 p.m. (BigSky TV) (4) Montana State vs. (5) Northern Colorado.  Winner:  Montana State

3/15 - Semifinals

7:30 p.m. (BigSky TV) (2) Weber State vs. (3) North Dakota.  Winner:  Weber State

10 p.m. (BigSky TV) (1) Montana vs. (4) Montana State.  Winner: Montana

3/16 - Finals

9 p.m. (ESPNU) (1) Montana vs. (2) Weber State.  Winner:  Montana

Big Ten (March 14-17; Chicago)

3/14 – First Round

12 p.m. (BTN) (8) Illinois vs. (9) Minnesota.  Winner:  Minnesota

2:30 p.m. (BTN) (5) Michigan vs. (12) Penn State.  Winner:  Michigan

6:30 p.m. (ESPN2) (7) Purdue vs. (10) Nebraska.  Winner:  Purdue

9 p.m. (ESPN2) (6) Iowa vs. (11) Northwestern.  Winner:  Iowa

3/15 – Quarterfinals

12 p.m. (ESPN) (1) Indiana vs. (9) Minnesota.  Winner:  Indiana

2:30 p.m. (ESPN) (4) Wisconsin vs. (5) Michigan.  Winner:  Michigan

6:30 p.m. (BTN) (2) Ohio State vs. (7) Purdue.  Winner:  Ohio State

9 p.m. (BTN) (3) Michigan State vs. (6) Iowa.  Winner:  Michigan State

3/16 - Semifinals

1:40 p.m. (CBS) (1) Indiana vs. (5) Michigan.  Winner:  Indiana

4 p.m. (CBS) (2) Ohio State vs. (3) Michigan State.  Winner:  Michigan State

3/17 - Finals

3:30 p.m. (CBS) (1) Indiana vs. (3) Michigan State.  Winner:  Indiana

Big West (March 14-16; Anaheim)

3/14 - Quarterfinals

3 p.m. (FOX Sports Prime Ticket/FOX College Sports – Pacific) (1) Long Beach State vs. (8) Cal State Fullerton.  Winner:  Long Beach State

5:30 p.m. (FOX Sports Prime Ticket/FOX College Sports – Pacific) (2) Pacific vs. (7) UC Santa Barbara.  Winner:  Pacific

9 p.m. (FOX Sports Prime Ticket/FOX College Sports – Pacific) (3) Cal Poly vs. (6) UC Davis.  Winner:  Cal Poly

11:30 p.m. (FOX Sports Prime Ticket/FOX College Sports – Pacific) (4) UC Irvine vs. (5) Hawaii.  Winner:  Hawaii

3/15 - Semifinals

9:30 p.m. (ESPN3) (1) Long Beach State vs. (5) Hawaii.  Winner:  Long Beach State

11:59 p.m. (ESPNU) (2) Pacific vs. (3) Cal Poly.  Winner:  Cal Poly

3/16 – Finals

10:30 p.m. (ESPN2) (1) Long Beach State vs. (3) Cal Poly.  Winner:  Long Beach State

Conference USA (March 13-16; Tulsa)

3/14 – Quarterfinals

1 p.m. (CBS Sports) (2) Southern Mississippi vs. (7) UAB.  Winner:  Southern Mississippi

3:30 p.m. (CBS Sports) (3) UTEP vs. (6) Houston.  Winner:  Houston

7 p.m. (CBS Sports) (1) Memphis vs. (8) Tulane.  Winner:  Memphis

9:30 p.m. (CBS Sports) (4) East Carolina vs. (5) Tulsa.  Winner:  East Carolina

3/15 – Semifinals

4 p.m. (CBS Sports) (2) Southern Mississippi vs. (6) Houston.  Winner:  Southern Mississippi

6:30 p.m. (CBS Sports) (1) Memphis vs. (4) East Carolina.  Winner:  Memphis

3/16 – Finals

11:30 a.m. (CBS) (1) Memphis vs. (2) Southern Mississippi.  Winner:  Memphis

MAC (March 11, 13-16; first round at campus sites of higher seed; remaining rounds in Cleveland)

3/14 – Quarterfinals

6:30 p.m. (SportsTime Ohio) (4) Kent State vs. (8) Buffalo.  Winner:  Kent State

9 p.m. (SportsTime Ohio) (3) Western Michigan vs. (7) Eastern Michigan.  Winner:  Western Michigan

3/15 – Semifinals

6:30 p.m. (SportsTime Ohio) (1) Akron vs. (4) Kent State.  Winner:  Akron

9 p.m. (SportsTime Ohio) (2) Ohio vs. (3) Western Michigan.  Winner:  Ohio

3/16 – Finals

6:30 p.m. (ESPN2) (1) Akron vs. (2) Ohio.  Winner:  Ohio

MEAC (March 11-16; Norfolk, VA)

3/14 - Quarterfinals

6:00 p.m. (3) Hampton vs. (6) Delaware State.  Winner:  Hampton

8:00 p.m. (4) Savannah State vs. (5) Morgan State.  Winner:  Savannah State

3/15 - Semifinals

6:00 p.m. (8) Bethune-Cookman vs. (4) Savannah State.  Winner:  Savannah State

8:00 p.m. (7) North Carolina A&T vs. (3) Hampton.  Winner:  Hampton

3/16 - Final

5:00 p.m. (ESPNU) (4) Savannah State vs. (3) Hampton.  Winner:  Savannah State

Mountain West (March 12-16; Las Vegas)

3/13 – Quarterfinals

11:59 p.m. (CBS Sports) (4) San Diego State vs. (5) Boise State.  Winner:  San Diego State

3/14 – Semifinals

9 p.m. (CBS Sports) (2) Colorado State vs. (3) UNLV.  Winner:  Colorado State

11:30 p.m. (CBS Sports) (1) New Mexico vs. (4) San Diego State.  Winner:  New Mexico

3/15 - Finals

6 p.m. (CBS Sports) (1) New Mexico vs. (2) Colorado State.  Winner:  New Mexico

Pac-12 (March 13-16; Las Vegas)

3/13 – First Round

11:30 p.m. (Pac-12 Network) (6) Washington vs. (11) Washington State.  Winner:  Washington

3/14 - Quarterfinals

3 p.m. (Pac-12 Network) (1) UCLA vs. (9) Arizona State.  Winner:  UCLA

5:30 p.m. (Pac-12 Network) (4) Arizona vs. (5) Colorado.  Winner:  Arizona

9 p.m. (Pac-12 Network) (2) California vs. (10) Utah.  Winner:  California

11:30 p.m. (ESPNU) (3) Oregon vs. (6) Washington.  Winner:  Oregon

3/15 - Semifinals

9 p.m. (Pac-12 Network) (1) UCLA vs. (4) Arizona.  Winner:  Arizona

11:30 p.m. (ESPN) (2) California vs. (3) Oregon.  Winner:  Oregon

3/16 - Finals

11 p.m. (ESPN) (3) Oregon vs. (4) Arizona.  Winner:  Arizona

SEC (March 13-17; Nashville)

3/14 – Second Round

1 p.m. (ESPN3/SEC Network) (8) Georgia vs. (9) LSU.  Winner:  Georgia

3:30 p.m. (ESPN3/SEC Network) (5) Tennessee vs. (13) Mississippi State.  Winner:  Tennessee

7:30 p.m. (ESPN3/SEC Network) (7) Arkansas vs. (10) Vanderbilt.  Winner:  Vanderbilt

10 p.m. (ESPN3/SEC Network) (6) Missouri vs. (11) Texas A&M.  Winner:  Missouri

3/15 - Quarterfinals

1 p.m. (ESPNU) (1) Florida vs. (8) Georgia.  Winner:  Florida

3:30 p.m. (ESPNU) (4) Alabama vs. (5) Tennessee.  Winner:  Tennessee

7:30 p.m. (ESPN3/SEC Network) (2) Kentucky vs. (10) Vanderbilt.  Winner:  Kentucky

10 p.m. (ESPN3/SEC Network) (3) Mississippi vs. (6) Missouri.  Winner:  Mississippi

3/16 - Semifinals

1 p.m. (ABC) (1) Florida vs. (5) Tennessee.  Winner:  Florida

3:30 p.m. (ABC) (2) Kentucky vs. (3) Mississippi.  Winner:  Mississippi

3/17 - Finals

1 p.m. (ABC) (1) Florida vs. (3) Mississippi.  Winner:  Florida

Southland (March 13-16; Katy, TX)

3/14 – Second Round

6 p.m. (4) Southeastern Louisiana vs. (8) McNeese State.  Winner:  Southeastern Louisiana

8:30 p.m. (3) Oral Roberts vs. (6) Sam Houston State.  Winner:  Oral Roberts

3/15 – Semifinals

6 p.m. (ESPN3) (1) Stephen F. Austin vs. (4) Southeastern Louisiana.  Winner:  Stephen F. Austin

8:30 p.m. (ESPN3) (2) Northwestern State vs. (3) Oral Roberts.  Winner:  Oral Roberts

3/16 – Finals

8:30 p.m. (ESPN2) (1) Stephen F. Austin vs. (3) Oral Roberts.  Winner:  Stephen F. Austin

SWAC (March 13-16; Garland, TX)

3/14 - Quarterfinals

1:30 p.m. (2) Jackson State vs. (5) Alabama State.  Winner:  Jackson State

9 p.m. (3) Alcorn State vs. (4) Prairie View A&M.  Winner:  Alcorn State

3/15 - Semifinals

3:30 p.m. (2) Jackson State vs. (3) Alcorn State.  Winner:  Jackson State

6 p.m. (1) Southern vs. (6) Alabama A&M.  Winner:  Southern

3/16 - Finals

4:30 p.m. (ESPN2) (1) Southern vs. (2) Jackson State.  Winner:  Southern

WAC (March 12, 14-16; Las Vegas)

3/14 – Quarterfinals

3 p.m. (3) New Mexico State vs. (6) Idaho.  Winner:  New Mexico State

5:30 p.m. (2) Denver vs. (7) Texas State.  Winner:  Denver

9 p.m. (1) Louisiana Tech vs. (9) UTSA.  Winner:  Louisiana Tech

11:30 p.m. (4) UT Arlington vs. (5) Utah State.  Winner:  Utah State

3/15 – Semifinals

9 p.m. (2) Denver vs. (3) New Mexico State.  Winner:  Denver

11:30 p.m. (1) Louisiana Tech vs. (5) Utah State.  Winner:  Louisiana Tech

3/16 – Finals

11 p.m. (1) Louisiana Tech vs. (2) Denver.  Winner:  Louisiana Tech