South Alabama Basketball

South Alabama men's basketball coach Richie Riley is not happy with the National Invitation Tournament.

As Creg Stephenson of AL.com explained, the NIT extended an invitation to the Jaguars on Sunday. UC Riverside was also invited to participate in the tournament but had already committed to playing in the College Basketball Invitational.

However, UC Riverside was able to get out of the CBI and accept the NIT bid, which left South Alabama on the outside with a rescinded invite.

Riley took to social media Monday and responded to an apology from the NIT by saying: "A meaningless apology to the most meaningful group of players I've ever coached! What they did to us last night is inexcusable! These guys in our locker room don't deserve this and it's sad your idea of making it right is a copy and paste apology!"

The coach relayed a conversation he had with Sun Belt Conference commissioner Keith Gill and NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt to Stephenson.

"(Gill) said 'We've had something happen; do you guys want to be in the NIT?' And I said, 'Yeah, it'd be awesome,'" Riley said. "And so we talked for a few more minutes. I said 'this is 100%, we're in, right?' And they said 'yeah congratulations. I'm glad you were able to get in.'

"… I tell them, 'I'm gonna tell my guys.' They're like 'go ahead.' So I tell the team. (Gill and Gavitt) call back. ... Dan's like 'no, UC Riverside is back in. I hate that we had to do this.'

"This is unacceptable. You can't do that."

Riley also said the team and athletic department had already decided South Alabama would only play in the NIT and not the CBI when the confusion happened.

"It's just unfair for our players," the coach said. "We've got a team with zero NIL. They're a bunch of underdogs that fought their asses off. And now I have to tell them they're not in the NIT. It's just an absolute joke."

This comes after an impressive season for the Jaguars.

They went 21-11 overall and 13-5 in Sun Belt play, which earned them a four-way tie for the conference championship alongside Troy, James Madison and Arkansas State. They also lost by just 10 points to Ole Miss and nine points to TCU in nonconference play.

However, they lost to Arkansas State in the semifinals of the Sun Belt tournament despite being the No. 1 seed in the league.

Troy then defeated Arkansas State in the final and earned the conference's bid to the NCAA tournament.

As for UC Riverside, it went 21-12 overall and 14-6 in Big West play, which was good enough for third in the conference. It lost to Cal Poly in the quarterfinal of the Big West tournament.

Yet the Highlanders are headed to the NIT and will face Santa Clara on Tuesday.

• The votes have been tabulated, and the latest edition of the SEC Power Poll has been released. (Our ballot can be viewed here.)

• The university has released the men’s basketball schedule. The non-conference highlights include home games against Oklahoma (Dec. 30) and Texas (Jan. 6). Also of note are back-to-back road games in late November against Missouri State and South Alabama.

As for conference play, the Kentucky Wildcats will come to Northwest Arkansas on Valentine’s Day for a nationally televised contest. We here at RazorbackExpats can think of no better way for you to say you love us than to send us tickets to that game.

• ESPN.com’s Chris Law shows Casey Dick some love, and the AP’s Noah Trister explores why the Hog QB already has been sacked eight times.

• Somebody buy Michael Smith a copy of “Sweatin’ to the Oldies.”

• Jim Harris at ArkansasSports360.com has a nice piece on the “playoff mentality” that he says he has gripped American sports fans. Teaser quote: “Truth is, American sports fans aren’t looking for the best team anymore. We’re just wanting excitement, while administrators, league officials and owners are just looking for more and more money. We end up with what we deserve.”

• Wally Watch will be returning soon, but we couldn’t let much more time pass without highlighting this gem of a statement from the Old Graybeard’s Sunday, Sept. 7 column: “Last-minute heroics by D. J. Williams — three catches for 95 yards in the fourth quarter — is not the way the game or day started.”

• And, in honor of what is now our next game, our archivists present the following footage:

I spent my second weekend of spring break in Birmingham, Ala. in hopes of experiencing some March Madness.  I was there mainly to follow my Tennessee Volunteers, but I also was hoping to get to see some good college basketball.

The day started with the Tennessee-American game.  Somehow, the game I wanted to be the least dramatic, ended up being the closest one of the day.  As I watched the Vols pull it out at the end, I was receiving text updates on the other games in progress.

Between games, I left my seat to catch some of the action in the Western Kentucky-Drake game.  It was tight, but I was hungry so I stepped away from the masses surrounding the TV.

I came back to my seat and heard some guy raving about the shot some kid made to win the game for Western Kentucky.  Great, I even missed watching the excitement on TV.

The second game, Butler vs. South Alabama, was one we all expected to be a good one.  It wasn't.  Butler picked South Alabama apart in the second half on their way to a 20-point victory.

My brother and I went on a search for food (which by the way, downtown Birmingham seems to lack).  On the way, I received the update that San Diego had just won a close game over Connecticut.  I would find out later that they won on a shot with seconds to go.

We headed back to the arena for session No. 2.  Much of the orange in the arena had been replaced with Louisville red.

There was a lot of talk that this Oklahoma vs. St. Joe's game could be one of those first-round upsets.  Well the talk was wrong, and, in this game, we got hit with what I like to call the "underdog tease." 

They keep the game within reasonable distance.  Sometimes they might tie it, but they always make key shots to keep it close.  However the last five minutes always belong to the favorite. They assert themselves and hit the free throws necessary to win the game.

Although sometimes, that miss is just enough to make you think the underdog has a chance, but it's all deception.

During this game, the text updates continued, telling me that Vanderbilt is getting pounded by Siena.  Not that I'm surprised.  That team, especially Shan Foster, can't play outside Memorial Gym.

The nightcap comes in the form of Louisville vs. Boise St.  I look at all the Louisville fan support around me.  There's no way they keep this one close, but I stick around anyways.

Boise gives them a decent first half, but we decide that, if the game isn't within 10 points at the 15 minute mark, then it's not worth staying.

It isn't.  And we get back to the hotel in time to catch the end of the Villanova vs. Clemson game.

This is where the real horror comes to me.  All four of these great upsets occurred at one location.

Two buzzer-beaters.  The first time ever that the four lower seeds win at one site.

Maybe I should have done like everyone else and spent my spring break in Florida.

South Alabama and Butler are back and forth, Jags with a one-point lead.

Texas in command early.  G'Town and UMBC close early.

Mike Green picks up his second foul for Butler and they have to go with the inexperienced Sean Van Zant. 

We've had five 30 point scorers this tournament (Jack McLinton, Stephen Curry, Joe Crawford, Tyrone Brazleton and Josh Akognon.)

Austin Peay is putting on a MVSU-like performance.  UMBC still hanging tough.  So South Alabama and Butler, which are both shooting well at a good pace, are the teams we will focus on.

Van Zant is leading the Dogs in rebounding.  I feel like I'm running like a kennel with the constant mention of Dogs since the tourney started.

13 lead changes in this game.  Butler currently has it and has increased it to five.  Good balanced scoring between A.J. Graves, Matt Howard and Pete Campbell.

Butler starting to roll.  Texas still has control.  Georgetown moves closer to its goal.

A.J. Graves is the next Kirk Hinrich.  He may not look like much but he will be better at the next level than people think.

Pete Campbell is trying to join the 30-point club.  He gets another three as the half ends and has 20.

UConn and San Diego close in the early going.  The Toreros are the last team standing from the West Coast Conference.  I wonder when the last conference to have all their teams (more than two) go out after round one was.

Georgetown up 12 at the half.  Texas up 15 at the half.  San Diego up 2 with the under-12 break.

Not a good sign for UConn.  A.J. Price has to be helped off the court with a possible knee injury.

Butler has turned it over twice which results in USA scores both times.  But Butler is still leading by 13.

Gyno Pomare is putting on a clinic. 14 so far.  Toreros up by six. 

Butler increases their lead to 18. 

Price returns to the UConn bench with his ice on his knee and crutches.  He looks like he's done.  A big blow for the Huskies.

Now Jerome Dyson is limping for UConn.  When did Kentucky switch uniforms?

We'll stick with this game.  The rest are being handled with ease by the faves.

Toreros up five at the half.

UMBC is making a small run on the Hoyas but are still down by 13.

Pomare is schooling Haseem Thabeet.  Calhoun has blown a gasket.  San Diego is up by nine.

Chalk it up for Butler.  My BracketBreaker team is still alive but have a tough matchup against Tennessee.  81-61.

Thabeet got stuffed.  He's VERY overrated.  If you can get him outside of his comfort zone (just under the basket) he is slow and has no offensive game at all.  The comparisons to Mutombo are very unjust.  His blocked shots don't have the same impact Dikembe's did and that's really his only drawing card.

Chalk it up for Georgetown.  UMBC had no answer for Hibbert.  66-47.

Chalk it up for Texas.  74-54.

San Diego is getting cold as the lead is cut to three.  Now it's cut to one.

OMG, Thabeet scored!  OMG, I can't believe I'm 37 and I used OMG!

Pomare picks up his fourth.  Brandon Johnson has to pick up his game for San Diego if they want to pull the upset.  And as I say that he drains a three as the shot clock expires.  Then he does it again.  USD up by six.

Jeff Adrien commits a dumb foul.  The past couple of years they have not played smart basketball at times.  Calhoun obviously has tremendous credentials but he has favored athleticism over game play with his recent recruiting classes.

Dyson might save these guys.  But if they do win I can easily see Western taking them down if they can play D for 40 minutes.

Pomare comes back in.  Bill Grier has no choice.  San Diego up by one.

Doug Wiggins puts UConn up by two.  They hadn't led in 23 minutes.

Pomare ties it. 

Rob Jones gets smacked down by Thabeet and that one did have an impact. 

A awesome reversal up-and-under by Jones against Thabeet.  San Diego retakes the lead.  Ron Burgundy is psyched.

Huge steal by De'Jon Jackson, USD's tenth of the game.  They slow it down with a minute to play.  Another big hoop by Jones.

It's up to free throws.  Maybe.  UConn only has four fouls with 38 seconds.

San Diego nearly turned it over.  Next foul will put the Toreros on the line.

Devin Ginty is only nine for 13 from the line for the year.  Hits the first.  Misses the second.

Adrien hits the layup.  UConn back down by one.  They use their last time out.

USD calls their last time out as Pomare gets trapped.  The Toreros are having some difficulty inbounding.  One more time out remaining.

Dyson tried to get the charge off the inbounds play but gets called for the block.  Most of the time that doesn't work for the D.

Ginty to the line again.  Hits the first.  Misses the second.

Dyson fouled by Brandon Johnson.  He'll shoot two and is an 80 percent shooter but that wasn't a bad foul.  Hits the first.  Hits the second.  We're tied.

De'Jon Jackson misses a layup.  We're headed for another OT in Tampa. 60s.

Thabeet easily wins the tip with no one else in the circle.  Brandon Johnson ties Wiggins up.  USD ball.

Two big O-boards for the Toreros.  But Brandon Johnson is holding his abs and trying to walk the pain off.   He does so.  Thabeet goaltended Trumaine Johnson's layup. USD by two.

Pomare stuffs Geoff Austrie.  USD slows it down.  Then Pomare hits from the top of the key. 

Thabeet scores and Pomare fouls out.  22 points and a constant thorn in the Huskies side.  Who gets the Toreros' points now?  Brandon Johnson has a groin pull and four whistles.  Rob Jones has to come up huge.

But B-Johnson nails the jumper with little legs left.  USD up by three.

Adrien gets his 18th. Back down to one.

Jackson walked.  UConn gets the ball back and B-Johnson can hardly move.

One minute left.

No inside D for San Diego.  Dyson scores easily.  UConn up by one with 39 seconds left.

R-Johnson is in tremendous pain.  Here we go.  Rob Jones hits the layup and is fouled by Thabeet.  Misses the freebie.  No second OT here.  Well, R-Johnson fouls out against Dyson.  Courageous effort.  Just as well considering his condition that he gets to rest.

Dyson ties it.  Now he put the Huskies up by one.

5.6 seconds left for the Toreros.  UConn has one TO left, none for USD.

Jackson nails a jumper with 1.2 left!

UConn uses its last TO.

Then Jackson steals it.  San Diego with another huge upset in Tampa.  70-69.  Raise your hand if you picked San Diego to be the last WCC team standing.

In 1998, a team from the Horizon League (Valparaiso) led by an experienced senior guard (Bryce Drew) made a Cinderella run to the Sweet 16 as a No. 13 seed.

Ten years later, another team from the Horizon League (Butler) led by an experienced senior guard (AJ Graves) will attempt to repeat history with a trip to the Sweet 16 and beyond.

True, there are major differences between these two teams; Valpo came into the tournament as a No. 13 seed, virtually unknown nationally. In contrast, over the past decade, Butler has been a known commodity, making the Big Dance six times—and last season, the Bulldogs gave eventual national champion Florida a handful in the Sweet 16.

Also, Butler comes into this tournament with a No. 7 seed, which makes the Bulldogs a favorite in their first-round contest against South Alabama. In many ways, Butler doesn't fit the mold of a classic Cinderella story.

But that doesn't mean that Butler can't make a splash in this year's tourney.

When identifying a team that could make a surprise run in the NCAA Tournament, there are three factors to consider:

1. Tournament experience

2. Consistent guard play

3. Solid coaching

The Bulldogs definitely have a stranglehold on the first two attributes, and the jury is still out on the third. But, if you look at the makeup of this team, this is a squad that will be a tough out for anybody.

Butler starts four seniors; its fifth starter, freshman forward Matt Howard, is perhaps its most valuable piece. Howard gives the Bulldogs an inside presence that they have not had in previous years. It almost gives this team a Gonzaga-type feel as a unit that can dump the ball down low and shoot it from the outside.

Graves is a senior guard who has been a starter for the majority of his career at Butler. He has been a solid leader and playmaker that has really stepped his game up the past couple of seasons. He is the type of player who will help a team have success in a tournament.

Point guard Mike Green is a complete player and arguably the most important piece of the puzzle. Not only is he the leading scorer at 14.9 points per game, he is also Butler's leading rebounder (6.6 RPG) and leading assist man (5.1 APG). This guy has been somewhat overshadowed, at least nationally, by Graves. This season, however, he has broken out. During one stretch this season, Green reached double digits in scoring in 16 consecutive games.

Outside of that stellar guard play, there are a couple of solid forwards. Howard has been a big addition in the low post, as he shoots 60 percent from the floor and 77.6 percent from the free-throw line. He is an athletic big man who can run the floor well and rebound with bigger guys.

Another senior, Pete Campbell, is a streaky shooter who has converted five or more 3-pointers on seven different occasions this season. Other role players—Julian Betko, Willie Veasley, and Drew Streicher—help this team to carve out a defensive identity that have allowed it to frustrate teams all season long.

First-year coach Brad Stevens may not have head coaching experience in the tournament, but he has coached under two men—Todd Lickliter (Iowa) and Thad Matta (Ohio State)—who have left Butler for Big Ten coaching jobs after a great deal of success in March.

He has gotten solid training and has guided this team to a 29-3 record, with some impressive wins coming against the likes of Florida State, Texas Tech, Virginia Tech, and Ohio State, among others.

This is a complete team with experience and an ability to attack opponents in different ways, as well as the ability to defend effectively in the half court.

In other words, this is a dangerous bunch, no matter who they face off against.

In the first round, Butler should be able to hold off South Alabama, who lost its last game at home to a mediocre Middle Tennessee team.

Next up will come Tennessee, who can score a ton of points but will struggle to stop the penetration and outside shooting of the Bulldogs.

After that, a team like Louisville will give Butler problems, but the Cardinals are easily frustrated by tough defenses. That gives the Bulldogs the edge.

I think Butler's ride will come to a halt against a better North Carolina team in the Elite Eight. But, regardless of when it ends, the ride will be long, and the country will be forced to take notice.

In 1998, Bryce Drew hit a magical shot to propel Valparaiso past fourth-seeded Ole Miss in the first round.

Graves and the Butler Bulldogs are looking for some similar magic that will lead to a long run in March.

I have a confession...

I am a college basketball addict.

My condition is so bad in fact that I watched every single Big 12, Big East, ACC, and Big Ten conference game this year.

Now, I don't need a doctor or anyone else to tell me that I'm mentally insane for doing this, but this year I got the Madness and I got it bad...

Unlike other years, it seems as if I have a pretty strong opinion on almost all of the teams that made the field.  There are going to be a lot of awesome match-ups ahead in these next couple weeks.  It certainly should shape up to be one heck of a March Madness...

So...let's take a look at the potential Cinderella's.  They're the funnest to look at and keep everyone intrigued, so I'll give a small rundown of the teams that I think have that certain "gusto" to advance to the Sweet Round of Sixteen.

PS...I consider Cinderella's at least a 6th seed or higher...

So without further adue, I bring to you:

#7 BUTLER

So, I already pretty much broke down the Bulldogs in my one of my previous articles (Part 1), so it might be better to look there. The Bulldogs are back again after going to the Sweet Sixteen last year by eventually being uprouted by last years National Champs, the Florida Gators.  Butler has one sweet frontcourt spearheaded by G Mike Green.  Four of the starters are seniors and have been in this type of situation before.  They have shown that they can beat teams from power conferences (Michigan, Virginia Tech, Texas Tech, Ohio State, Florida State) and it has earned them a lowly 7th seed.  They should be able to breeze by South Alabama and most likely be matched against Tennessee in Round Two.  If we get that matchup, Butler has the potential to pull the upset.

#6 USC

Most people forget that USC was a Sweet Sixteen contender last year.  Many people were predicting that a Kevin Durant led Texas team would shake up the brackets last year...until USC destroyed them in the Second Round.   This year, USC played one tough nonconference schedule and only lost to this years #1 seeds Kansas and Memphis by four points.  This is a team that can stick around until the end of the game with the chance to win it.  Everyone is calling the first-round matchup with K-State the Beasley vs. Mayo game, but USC is a lot more than just O.J. Mayo...unfortunately for Kansas State, Michael Beasley is the only consistent threat for the Wildcats.  USC would most likely face Wisconsin in the Second Round.   They'd face a considerably different playing style, but they more than have the arsenal and the talent to overcome them if they can contain their post players.

#7 MARQUETTE

In all of those hours that I spent in front of my television, one team really stood out to me.  The Golden Eagles have arguably some of the best guard combinations that I have seen.  James, McNeal, and Matthews all have the ability to hit the three, but can be quite streaky at times.   It all depends on the Marquette that is going to show up to the tournament.  If they can get a decent showing from Lazar Hayward inside, they'll be able to easily route Kentucky and have a real shot at a probable Stanford in Round Two.  In that regard, Marquette's guardplay destroys Stanford's almost seven-fold...but when dealing with Stanford, containing the inside game will be what is important.

Those teams should provide for some awesome March Madness excitement.  It should be interesting to see where all of these teams end up because we can speculate all day, but most of our brackets are going to be messed up by the end of the day anyway.  These are simply the teams that jumped out at me during Conference Tournament weekend. 

The Butler Bulldogs tied a school record 29 wins this regular season, and finished ranked 10th in the Coaches Poll. They lost three games, beat power conference foes like Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Michigan and Texas Tech, and won their first conference championship since 2001.

So the disappointment was obvious this Selection Sunday when the Bulldogs were granted a No. 7 seed and a date with fellow mid major South Alabama in Birmingham.

Wow. That's all that can be said about Monday's conference tournament games. First, Middle Tennessee State beats top-seeded South Alabama in the semifinals of the Sun Belt Tournament. Then, San Diego (on its home court) defeats No. 1 seed Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference championship game.

There is little doubt that both Gonzaga (with wins over Virginia Tech, St. Joseph's, UConn and St. Mary's) and St. Mary's (with wins over Drake, Oregon and Gonzaga) will make the Big Dance, which means that USD's victory last night decreases the number of spots for bubble teams by one.