Underdog.

That word alone draws interest from every casual sports fan in the world. It excites the die-hards. And it scares the pesky fans of those elite teams, those elite power-houses.

In sports, the underdog is always a fan favorite. We see it everywhere. Last year’s Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and the 14-point underdog New York Giants saw much of the NFL fan base jump on the underdog’s wagon.

I, myself, became a huge advocate for the New York ‘Football’ Giants. I merely didn’t want to see the Patriots go 19-0.

Everyone I knew that wasn’t a Patriots fan was hoping to take down Goliath. Along with  them, I’d rather see the Giants pull out one of the great upsets in NFL history. And you know the rest of the story.

We see the underdogs emerge in every sport. And at every level.

But what event elicits the greatest response by underdogs? The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Simply known to the layperson as March Madness. In pro sports, underdogs are harder to come by. The playoff brackets bring only four to eight teams per conference. Tough.

But March Madness’s 65 team bracket—with automatic bids from each conference—provides a vision with potential underdogs succeeding in every direction. It has become arguably the most alluring sporting event in the country.

Check that. In the world—as more and more college players are coming to U.S. universities from outside the United States.

The bracket frenzy contributes to our love of underdogs. Every casual sports fan – and more—in the country takes part in predicting the tournament and ‘doing’ his or her bracket. Sometimes just one bracket. Sometimes two. And sometimes even more. I guess I would have to fall into the latter category.

It has become a contest that is sweeping the nation. From office pools to school pools to entirely random pools, it has become a competitive option. And it’s becoming even more popular with our new media technologies.

One big reason for the recent explosion of March Madness is the evolution of ‘underdog success’ in the Tourney. The 12-5 upset has become commonplace now. (See three of four 12-seeds winning this year.)

Stephen Curry and 10-seed Davidson made the run to the Elite Eight last year.

Eleventh seed George Mason rode the path to the Final Four three years ago.

A major factor influencing the winners in each tournament pool is contributed directly back to the first weekend of games. (Considering you picked the correct champion) Usually, that consists of picking some upsets. Or a lot. Or none (See President Obama’s straight ‘chalk’ bracket).

Not only could picking underdogs attribute to a greater chance of winning your pool, it is enticing to be glued on the television, phone, or Internet hoping your 13-seed pulled off the rare upset of the four-seed. Trust me. I know.

Along the lines on the same premise, when you predict a four-seed to the Final Four, that road also becomes interesting. I am a big advocate of going with this strategy. It didn’t pay off for me this year, but that is irrelevant.

While underdogs are fun to watch in the Tournament—like when they pull off a major upset and keep going and going like the Energizer battery—it’s quickly becoming clear Americans don’t like them. Seriously?

Hmm. Maybe. While there is some interest in seeing if an underdog continues to surprise, the fact is we will not tune in to watch the game. You would probably check in on the game from time to time, but only if it was close and nearing the end would you actually sit down.

A Duke vs. Kansas Elite Eight game is much more intriguing than a Duke vs. Cleveland St. Elite Eight game. It’s just the facts.

I like knowing a small school, mid-major is in the hunt for the Final Four. But honestly, I probably wouldn’t watch either their Sweet 16 or Elite Eight games, unless it was competitive. But, I would tune in for North Carolina vs. UCLA. Even in a blowout situation. And so would the rest of the country.

And CBS—who owns the exclusive rights for March Madness—is beginning to take notice.

With not too many ‘shocking’ upsets in the first two rounds, CBS saw a boost in television ratings. The first weekend of this year’s March Madness was up 6% from last year’s opening weekend. And we’re supposed to be in a troubling economy?

Having better games simply means better ratings. And by ‘better,’ I am referring to a game between two national powers.

This year, the time slot with Louisville, Michigan State, and Missouri winning was up 14 percent from last year. And last week’s Syracuse’s victory over Arizona State was up 17 percent from last year’s Siena-Villanova game.

For those mathematicians:

Michigan State > Siena.

College Power > College Underdog.

I love the underdogs just as much as anybody. In March Madness, the excitement of seeing a 12-seeded Western Kentucky advance with a game-wining three-pointer at the buzzer runs through my veins like the way a child behaves on Christmas Day.

Nothing makes me happier. Especially with a nickname like the Hilltoppers. I mean, Come on!

But, as unfortunate as it is, I would rather watch a game that elicits more tradition, more history, and better athletes.

This year’s Final Four is made up of three of the biggest College Basketball powers of all time (Michigan State, Connecticut, and North Carolina) and another that is consistently regarded as a decent basketball program (Villanova).

I will be tuning in for all 120 minutes of this weekend’s game. No doubt about it.

So this brings us to a crossroads. Are underdogs even good for college basketball?

I would have to yes. As a fan, we love the underdogs. Just one reservation needed: As long as they don’t take out our favorite team in the Tourney.

But when working in the business of March Madness, it’s all about the money. But I can’t imagine those CBS executives not rooting for a Davidson: A Cinderella team making an unforgettable run in one of the most watched sporting events in the country. It’s remarkable on so many levels.

That has to educe some of the fandom back into them. Ratings are a lot, but they aren’t everything.

For one final declaration, I will say it again. I like the underdog. Exciting to watch. Something unusual. Playing bigger than reality, perception. These are all qualities that I admire with a passion.

Let’s put it this way: While underdogs may not give companies the best TV ratings, they provide so much excitement in the sport that can’t be provided anywhere else, but the underdogs. They allow for further and a more comprehensive interest in the game.

Interest that may not be noted in the short term. But the long-term effects will soon linger.

The famous phrase, “That’s why they play the game,” is directly related to the importance of underdogs. If underdogs never had a chance, so many people would stop watching sports.

Underdogs have helped sports grow. No, they are sports. Without them, the term ‘sports’ as we know it, doesn’t exist.

Even though Michigan State vs. Connecticut will be a pretty competitive game to watch, I wouldn’t mind seeing 16-seeded Morehead in there. But I can’t get caught up in the emotion. Michigan State-Connecticut is almost as good as it gets. It can’t get much better. Maybe a 16-seed vs. 16-seed matchup? We can only dream...

But at least we have the comfort of knowing “what could’ve been” and have that opportunity to dream. Unlike the BCS in College Football. Now that is in disarray. And something not worth taking a look at now.

(2) Michigan State against (10) USC

Line: Michigan State -4

Michigan State breezed through the first round of the NCAA tourney with a 77-62 win over Robert Morris.

Draymond Green and Raymar Morgan scored 16 points each for the Spartans, while Goran Suton added 11 points and 17 rebounds. Suton’s 17 boards were part of a 43-25 rebound advantage for Michigan State.

A win here will likely set up a rematch with Kansas from earlier this season, a game in which the Spartans won at home.

USC was impressive in their 72-55 upset victory over Boston College on Friday. The Trojans went into halftime down four points, but doubled up Boston Collegein the second half 42 to 21.

Taj Gibson finished with a game high 24 points and 6 rebounds to lead the Trojans who shot 52.9 percent from the field for the game. It’s been an unlikely few weeks for the Trojans, who finished the Pac Ten season with an even 9-9 record. USC would be battling for a trip to Madison Square Garden if not for their run through the Pac Ten tournament.

They now find themselves one upset away from the Sweet 16.

See the rest of this article including Dave's free prediction at sportschatplace.com

MIDWEST

1-Louisville
16- TBA

Not only will this be a blowout on the court, but it is a blowout in terms of girls as well.

8-Ohio St.
9-Siena

Sure, the unknown Siena will impress people with their on-court play, but with only 3,000 Saints on campus in Loudonville, N.Y., the players sure aren’t distracted by the ladies.

On the other hand, Ohio State offers over 52,000 students, equating to one Psychology 101 lecture hall on the Columbus campus having as many good-looking girls as the entire Siena campus.

5-Utah
12-Arizona

You make the call: toned, tan girls, or starch-white, snowboarding Mormons. That’s what I thought.

4-Wake Forest
13-Cleveland State

Sure, Wake Forest has the smallest enrollment for BCS football schools with 4,400, but still it’s in North Carolina. This means as long as they have one “7” on campus, it will be better than anything Cleveland has to offer.

6-West Virginia
11-Dayton

Even though it’s West Virginia, the school is annually in the top ten rankings for the best party school. I don’t know too many great party schools with ugly girls. Maybe the Daniel Boone look-a-like guys keep all the gross looking girls on the river banks and in the Appalachians.

I can’t disagree with this because the last thing you want to do is take one for the team, and mess around with a girl whose best attribute is her mom’s biscuits-and-gravy recipe. Plus Dayton is not a wanted school for many girls.

3-Kansas
14-North Dakota State

Lawrence, Kansas, doesn’t have much to offer other than Jayhawks’ sports and parties. And plus, would you really want to be with a girl who is a Bison?

7-Boston College
10-USC

This is a tougher one than most would think. Just like a 7/10 match-up on the court is hard, so is this decision. Sure, USC gets all the hype for having rich, good-looking Southern California girls, but that’s what the ABC cameras show you during football games

Yes, there are some very good looking girls, but one also has to deal with personality that comes from a rich family. Let’s not forget a student must have exceptional grades and SAT scores to get into the school.

USC also gets the pub it receives because of where it’s located: the women who aren’t enrolled in the school but still live in the area contribute to this idea of unbeatable girl quality.

Boston College can compete just as well and has girls who can get after it at parties as well. I’m taking USC solely based on the fact their top girls can compete with the top girls at any other school in the country.

2- Michigan State
15-Robert Morris

The female Spartans definitely can compete around the country. Even though they are bundled up for the winter, they are still very good-looking girls.

1-Louisville
8-Ohio State

I have to go with the Buckeyes just because of numbers. Sure, a lot of girls at a school equal more ugly ones, but there is plenty of talent to go around.

Yes, Louisville is located right next to Churchill Downs, and anyone who has seen the Kentucky Derby knows there is some unbelievable ladies with the big hats on. The catch is they aren’t Louisville students.

12-Arizona
4-Wake Forest

This one is a 30-point blowout in favor of the Wildcats.

6-West Virginia
3-Kansas
There are just way too many nasty ones for West Virginia to compete in this game.

10-USC
2-Michigan

Even though I stated the Trojans are overrated, they get an easy match-up to advance to the round of 16. The Big Ten just can’t hang with the Pac-10 girls.

8-Ohio St.
12-Arizona

As stated above, the Big Ten cannot hang with the Pac-10 girls.

3-Kansas
10-USC

USC’s top talent is way too much for Kansas to handle. Plus, one of the girl’s dads from USC could get you to be an extra in Entourage.

12-Arizona
10-USC

Even though they will probably be eliminated in the first round of the actual tournament, the No. 12 Wildcats sneak into the final four. They are way too physically fit.

WEST

1-Connecticut
16-Chattanooga

Even though winters can get bleak in Storms, there still are better looking girls than at the small campus of Chattanooga. Why do you think Mocs alum Terrell Owens was so quiet when he got to the NFL?

Even TO would be ashamed for the lack of girls at a school after balling it up every Saturday. Then, after he made “The Catch 2” versus the Packers, he learned when you are a star athlete, you get amazing girls. Subsequently, we as a country got the new TO.

8-BYU
9-Texas A&M

The only way to get a girl from BYU is to marry them, so I will pass. I guess the plus is if a girl from BYU is all about you, she’s made that decision without alcohol, which I’ve yet to experience.

College Station, even for an agriculture and mechanics school, has enough good looking girls to get the win over former No. 1 pick, Joe Smith’s followers.

5-Purdue
12-Northern Iowa

Even though Purdue has mostly cows for females on campus, they have enough good looking girls coming to school from Chicago to pick up for the Buffalo Wild’s "all-you-can-eat" girls. Northern Iowa just doesn’t have the size to compete. The Panthers on that campus weren’t exactly wowing Kurt Warner back in the day.

4-Washington
13-Mississippi State

Sure, Seattle has the reputation for being cold and wet, but that doesn’t mean the girls are hurting. There are things called tanning beds and UW girls know all about the UV.

The Wayans brothers were doing fine with the ladies in “The Sixth Man,” and that’s all the leverage I need. Plus, Mississippi State is by far the worst looking school in the entire SEC. If it weren’t for the Bulldogs from Starkville, the SEC would be out of control.

6-Marquette
11-Utah State

I know I have hated on the female Mormons throughout the bracket, but we have an upset here. Utah State is the least academic out of the other major Utah schools (BYU and Utah), which means the less dedicated Mormons are Aggies.

A little inside information: nothing is better than a college girl who is ready to rebel against her parents (especially if it is over religion and waiting until marriage).

Also, I’m sorry Marquette. but I’m not impressed with your Golden Eagles. Have you seen Dwyane Wade’s estranged wife? Wow. The two met in college, and it’s no wonder Wade is so raw on the court. The guy was probably in the gym 12 hours a day to avoid her. Wade, you were a top five NBA pick and that’s all you could pull?

3-Missouri
14-Cornell

I’m going with the Tigers here. For this bracket, we are talking good-looking girls, not future congresswomen, doctors, authors and CEOs, of whom the Big Red has to offer.

7-Maryland
10-California

Cal is probably the school I know better than any other. Going to high school in Berkeley, I used to sneak into parties. Trust me; I’m not sneaking in anymore. Looking back, it would be like Flavor Flav sneaking into a library: there's just no point.

Except for the southern California girls who are smart enough to get into Cal (and don’t want to go to UCLA), the Berkeley campus is lacking big time.

Remember, to get into Cal, students better have a 4.0 GPA with steep SAT scores. This game is a boat race; College Park has freaks in Maryland.

2-Memphis
15-CSU Northridge

Biggest upset of the tournament. The 15th seeded Matadors get past the Tigers solely because their school is a state school in California. With the budget crisis in the state, more and more students are forced to go to their third or fourth options.

This means girls, who would have gone to San Diego State ten years ago, are forced to go to lesser-known schools at the least desirable locations. Case in point: Northridge.

But, with over 30,000 students, there are plenty of options. Sure, Memphis has some good looking girls, but the majority of the hot ones are going to Knoxville and getting out of the Hustle & Flow that is Memphis.

1-Connecticut
9-Texas A&M

College Station has plenty of girls who couldn’t get into the University of Texas, and they run all over the Huskies. The only plus of getting with a girl from Connecticut is that her dad might be an accountant for ESPN, and can get you in the building.

5-Purdue
4-Washington

Like I wrote before, Purdue is hurting big time. If it wasn’t for an easy round one match-up, there is no way they get by. The school is very good academically (which typically means less hot girls), and on top of that, West Lafayette, Indiana isn’t a desired location for many.

10-Maryland
2-CSU Northridge

Maryland blows out the Northridge, as they are a one-hit wonder with the first round upset. The Terrapins bring it.

9-Texas A&M
4-Washington

I will take a school from Texas any day over a school in the Pacific Northwest. The Huskies had a good fight to get to the Sweet 16, but the Aggies have way too many girls to handle.

9-Texas A&M
10-Maryland

Scott Van Pelt (Maryland alum) knows what’s up about College Park. He was probably at parties getting after it on the bottle, giving play-by-play updates with the game on mute at the party, while admiring all the female Terrapins. This party school sneaks by Texas A&M to get into the final four.

EAST
1-Pittsburgh
16-East Tennessee State

The Pitt Panthers have enough talent to get by the Buccaneers from Tennessee.

8-Oklahoma State
9-Tennessee

Sorry T. Boone Pickens, maybe you can start paying better-looking girls to come to Oklahoma. Tennessee is producing way more talent.

Plus, the Vols now have one of the best-looking wives for a college football coach. Somehow crybaby Lane Kiffin has a mouthpiece on recruits (and the ladies).

5-Florida State
12-Wisconsin

If it were any other five seed, the Badgers would advance. The Madison campus is one of the biggest party schools in the country, but party school doesn’t always equal top-notch girls. Florida State is one of the best-looking schools in the country.

4-Xavier
13-Portland St.

Even though there are only 4,000 students at Xavier, it barely beats out the mainly commuter school of Portland State.

6-UCLA
11-VCU

Just like USC, UCLA is highly overrated. The girls surrounding the Westwood campus create the illusion that hot girls go to the school. Every year, the Bruins create less and less talent, but with an easy match-up versus VCU, they get by.

3-Villanova
14-American

I will take a Big East school over Patriot League school just on numbers.

7-Texas
10-Minnesota

Sorry Gophers, you have no chance with what the Longhorns at Texas bring to the table.

2-Duke
15-Binghamton

Duke, you’re lucky you face a school nobody has heard of (which means no hot girls). The Bearcats have no chance, and Duke gets by.

1-Pittsburgh
9-Tennessee

The Vols are a big-time party school and have the girls to back it up. There just isn’t enough talent cheering in the Oakland Zoo (Pittsburgh’s student section) to compete with.

5-Florida State
4-Xavier

This is the biggest blow out in any of the second round match-ups. Would be a 30-point route. Florida State has way too much talent.

6-UCLA
3-Villanova

UCLA gets by with another easy match-up. Even though I said they're overrated, they still have enough to get by the Wildcats.

7-Texas
2-Duke

Another blowout in the second round. Texas is one of the best in the country and well, Duke, your white lacrosse team needed to pay for a stripper from Durham to come to a party. What’s that say about the rich girls attending the school?

9-Tennessee
5-Florida State

Florida State has too much to offer and the in-shape girl Seminoles run away with the game in the second half.

6-UCLA
7-Texas

The overrated Bruins get run out of the gym by the Longhorns.

5-Florida State
7-Texas

It was the toughest game in the tournament to decide on. Florida State used to be an all-girl school and still to this day has way more girls on campus than guys.

The problem is match-ups, and Texas has many more girls than Florida State. Again, with over 50,000 students, there are hot girls everywhere you look.

SOUTH

1-North Carolina
16-Radford

The Tar Heels have too much talent for the Highlanders to compete with.

8-LSU
9-Butler

The Bayou Bengals know how to party and have the girls to show for it. They rout the Bulldogs.

5-Illinois
12-Western Kentucky

Even though the Hilltoppers have a good chance to upset the Fighting Illini in the real game, they have no chance in this match-up. The Champagne campus is beautiful and has plenty of students to go around.

4-Gonzaga
13-Akron

Even though Spokane, Wash., is not a desired location, it sure beats Akron, Ohio. The average Zip is going to be working the front desk at a tire plant after graduation. At least you know a Gonzaga girl has some money.

6-Arizona State
11-Temple

A Tempe, Ariz., campus or a ghetto Philadelphia campus? Vegas puts the spread of this game at 45.

3-Syracuse
14-S.F. Austin

Even though the winters are brutal and you may have to mess around with a girl while she is rocking a North Face puff jacket, Syracuse edges by the small school of S.F. Austin.

With over twice as many students, the Orange sneak by. Plus, would you want to be in Nagodoches, Texas?

7-Clemson
10-Michigan

Let’s see: one of the best looking schools in the ACC, or one of the ugliest looking schools in the Big Ten? Ann Harbor is struggling big-time with the females, and I give them credit for being able to get recruits to go there.

2-Oklahoma
15-Morgan State

Todd Bozeman, I’m sure you are hiring girls to lure kids to go to school there, because if not, they would be shaking their heads. The Sooners, even if they’re in the “wonderful” state of Oklahoma, have plenty of girls.

1-North Carolina
8-LSU

Even though North Carolina can really bring it, I am biased towards the South and their party ways. The Tigers get after it a lot more, and they get by the top-seeded Tar Heels.

5-Illinois
4-Gonzaga

Illinois runs past the Bulldogs in this match-up. Stockton wasn’t chasing tail while in Spokane.

6-Arizona State
3-Syracuse

The Sun Devils blow out the Orange. Just compare finals week between the schools during December: Syracuse girls are sprinting from the library, bundled up and running to a heated classroom, while Arizona State girls are walking to their final, probably hung over, and not wearing much at all because it’s 80 degrees out.

7-Clemson
2-Oklahoma

The South Carolina campus is packed with hot girls and is too much for Boomer Sooner to compete with. Go to a Clemson baseball game, and you will miss the perfectly executed hit-and-run in the 3rd inning because you are too busy checking out the scene in the stands.

8-LSU
5-Illinois

LSU gets by fairly easily in this Big 10/SEC match-up.

6-Arizona State
7-Clemson

Even though the girls are classier in Clemson, Arizona State just has way too much talent to be overcome.

6-Arizona State
8-LSU

Both schools can party with the best of them, but Arizona State has the better-looking girls. They advance to Detroit.

FINAL FOUR

7-Texas
6-Arizona State

This is by far the hardest game of the tournament. Both girls offer amazing talent but I always have to go with class over trash, and Texas wins it. When Texas girls get wasted, they are known to sing karaoke with their southern voices.

When Arizona State girls get wasted, they are known to keep the party going by “hitting the slopes” in the bathroom (and trust me, there isn’t any snow in Tempe).

10-USC
7-Maryland

Maryland’s surprise run in the tournament comes to the end as the Trojans knock them off.

7-Texas
10-USC

Note only will the 2006 Rose Bowl go down as one of the best games ever, but it also may go down has having the best looking girls in one stadium at a time. Texas gets by because of their girls top to bottom.

National Champion: Texas

When you combine over 50,000 students, a beautiful campus, 6th street, and smart, classy girls, it just doesn’t get any better.

I will certainly admit to being a USC fan. However, I feel I am very much able to look at matchups impartially. If you check my user ID on CBSSportline (USC Holmey), you will see that I am a Pac-10 capper, and I will tell you that I have not chosen USC a single time this year as my LOCK of the day.

At the same time, I would like to let everyone know that another high-reputation capper, Detroit Nail, has told me he is very much on Boston College in tonight's game.

Nonetheless, I will go ahead and post my breakdown of the game here just to help out people with the perspective from someone who has seen 30-plus USC games and around 150 Pac-10 games this year.

My first reaction to getting BC in the draw was neutrality, since I have little knowledge of BC or their style of play. As I did more research, I found that they have a star in Tyrese Rice and several supporting players, although many are quite skilled.

In my opinion, this is an ideal type of matchup for USC, although I will admit that Boston College has an offense that can put up a lot of points, which can pose problems for the Trojans if BC gets off to a hot start and is hitting a lot of shots. Then again, I suppose that comment can be made about any team in any situation.

In my earlier post here on B/R, I broke down USC and how they play. One of the strengths of USC is a very long and very tenacious guard rotation, with all four or five perimeter defenders being 6'4" to 6'7". What this does for USC is allow them to really defend the perimeter, so any team that depends on guards for their production may be in trouble versus USC.

USC should put newly-anointed defensive stopper Marcus Simmons on Rice. Simmons was a surprise starter in the Pac-10 Tournament and was put in ONLY to harass and to drive the other team's PG nuts. He really did a great job on Cal's Jerome Randle, UCLA's Darren Collison, and ASU's Derek Glasser, although Glasser had a great first half before USC shut the Devils down in the second half and came back and won.

With the addition of Simmons as a defensive stopper on the other team's point guard, it allows USC's other best perimeter defender, Daniel Hackett, to free up and defend the team's best perimeter scorer, like ASU's James Harden or Arizona's Chase Budinger, who he shut down multiple times this year.

Taj Gibson can dominate the lane, so that allows the USC perimeter defenders to really push the defensive pressure out to the three-point arc, which means when you have four guys on the arc and their heights are 6'4", 6'5", 6'5", and 6'7", then you need to shoot from quite a long distance away to get shots over them.

Gibson is the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and USC's anchor in the middle. He is an ultra-aggressive shot blocker and is third in Pac-10 history in blocks, even though he is only a junior. He challenges every shot and is not afraid to pick up fouls, which is a problem, but he has gotten much better at that lately.

With that "eraser" in the middle, USC's perimeter defenders have the freedom to smother their man and have a nice safety net in case their man beats them off the dribble, which will happen because of how aggressive the defenders are.

I would expect Gibson to pick up a lot of blocks tonight because he is only 6'9" and players who don't know him think they can get shots off against him because he doesn't look that big, but his 7'2" wingspan and great athleticism make him play much bigger than that.

I would expect USC to come out in a ball-denial defense where Simmons just tails Rice and basically tries to drive him nuts initially. Despite his emergence in the Pac-10 Tournament, Simmons is "expendable" because he is no offensive threat and played very little during the regular season. If he gets into foul trouble, it is not a big deal because USC has plenty of other solid defenders who can take on Rice.

I would think that coach Tim Floyd's plan will be to force BC to play without the ball in Rice's hands as much as they would like. 

USC WILL WIN IF

They can dictate the pace and make it a half-court battle. USC will try to slow it down and make BC play defense every time down the floor. If it becomes a "chess match" kind of game, that much favors USC and Floyd's "junk" defensive schemes.

As long as USC can shoot a reasonable percentage and Gibson stays out of early foul trouble, they should be able to keep the game at a pace they prefer. If DeMar DeRozan is on, USC is very hard to beat because he is almost impossible to stop on mid-range shots and is the half-court offensive weapon USC needed all year.

BC WILL WIN IF

They get off to a hot start and hit some early threes. If this happens, USC tends to get out of their comfort zone if they get too far behind, and they are not afraid to run but usually get farther behind if they do let the other team push the pace. USC is by no means a "slow-down" team like Oregon State or Washington State, but they are not going to win if they play one of those ACC shootout games like UNC and BC like to play.

BC will also have a great chance if Simmons cannot stay in front of Rice and he is getting into the lane, drawing defenders, and creating open threes. This was a weakness for USC in the middle of the year but got mostly remedied later in the year with the addition of Simmons to the starting lineup exclusively as a defensive stopper to help relieve the pressure on the other USC guards.

This has all the makings of a great game, especially with the very intriguing matchup of Rice versus the USC perimeter defenders. If USC can make the game about other players than Rice, which I am sure will be their plan, then they can get a win and move on to play Michigan State on Sunday.

Percy Miller Jr.

Percy Miller Jr.

Percy Miller Jr.

Percy Miller Jr.

Percy Miller Jr.

Say his name five times and he appears like Candyman.

Unlike Candyman though, Romeo won't be killing anyone or anything anytime soon, not while he's riding the bench at USC.

Percy Jr. is the son of No Limit Record artist and P. Miller Enterprises CEO Percy Miller (also known by the stage name Master P).

Percy Sr. is not your average rapper. He graduated from the University of Houston and quickly became one of the first rapper-entrepreneurs.

In 1998, Master P ranked 10th on Forbes' 40 highest-paid entertainers; his income was estimated to be about $56.5 million a year.

Miller continued his business ventures by starting No Limit Sports, a sports talent agency. Their biggest client was Ricky Williams; Williams' rookie contract in New Orleans was none other than the handiwork of Master P and his associate Leland Hardy.

No Limit Sports represented Ron Mercer and Ricky Davis as well.

Percy Sr. even has a little bit of game.

In 1998 he received a contract to play for the Charlotte Hornets. The following year he had a tryout with the Toronto Raptors but was cut in the preseason.

In 2004, Miller played for the ABA Las Vegas Rattlers after playing a year in the CBA with the Fort Wayne Fury.

Miller has currently given up his hoops aspirations and become a family man, and he is not unlike most parents.

As most parents would, Miller would like to see his son do two things: live longer than him, and be more successful than he was.

The first is out of his hands—as for the second?

Well, Miller Sr. has done everything within his ability to ensure that it happens, especially on the basketball court.

Congratulations, Mr. Miller. Romeo is now a freshman point guard at USC, a spot that he gained not as a result of his athletic ability but as the result of your social status and business savvy.

In 2006, Romeo was invited to the Reebok ABCD Camp.

The ABCD camp is the holy grail for prep basketball players. An invitation to this camp means that you have some serious talent.

A few previous attendees of the camp are current NBA players: Kobe Bryant, Stephon Marbury, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Tracy McGrady.

The fact that Romeo was invited would cause most to assume that he is a high caliber athlete.

But in the words of the legendary Lee Corso, "Not so fast my friend."

Romeo only averaged two points a game at the ABCD; he was clearly overmatched and definitely out of place. It caused many people to question why the director of the camp, Sonny Vaccaro, extended the invitation to Miller.

In an article for the Wall Street Journal, Vaccaro said he invited Miller to the camp as a favor to his father, Percy Miller Sr.

Sonny Vaccaro went on to say, "If you're looking for the profile of an athlete who plays basketball at USC, he's not it."

But if he's not good enough to play at USC, how did he get there?

Ask head coach Tim Floyd.

In the same article, Floyd told the WSJ, "Last April...Percy Miller called while driving both players from a tournament in Fayetteville, Ark. ... Percy Miller said, 'DeMar and Romeo are ready to make their decision, and would you like to have them both on scholarship?' ... I said 'absolutely.'"

This DeMar fellow that Floyd and Miller both mention?

Well, he is none other than DeMar DeRozan.

A 6'6" All-American forward.

In 2007, DeRozan was the fifth best player in the country and a five-star recruit according to Scout.com. Romeo Miller, on the other hand, was unranked, with one star. Romeo had no Division I offers other than USC.

Is Miller a bad player though?

No.

The 5'11", 180-pound junior averaged 13.9 points and 5.6 assists in 2007. His senior year, though, he only averaged 8.6 points and 9.0 assists.

He only played in eight games though due to a strained hip flexor and bruised knee. He sat out to get ready for college basketball. (Good idea since he didn't have options other than USC.)

In my opinion, Percy Miller Jr. is a Division II player.

He could potentially play Division I basketball for a mid-major team (ex: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Oakland University in Michigan, etc.).

But USC?

Well, Sonny Vaccaro already said no, and after this year, I'm guessing Tim Floyd would share the same sentiment.

Romeo is averaging 0.5 ppg, 0.2 apg, and 0.3 rpg, and is shooting 33 percent from the free throw line.

God awful, right? Well, that's because he only plays two minutes a game!

As Bob Gibbons of the recruiting service All-Star Sports said in the WSJ article, "It's rare to give a scholarship to someone who may never play."

It's rare because scholarships do not come cheap, especially not at USC.

The scholarship Romeo received is estimated to be about $44,000 a year.

I'm not upset with Romeo for taking the scholarship. It's most athletes' dream to play at the Division I level, so I understand completely.

But I wonder, what about the walk-ons and the kids who might have more talent but have just lost a spot on the roster thanks to Romeo's father?

Also, what about the kid who didn't get an invitation to the ABCD camp because his dad wasn't a music mogul?

A former coach of mine used to say, "Clichés are clichés because they are true."

So here is a cliché that has once again been proven true: Life isn't fair.

And in my opinion, it's a sad day when a team will sacrifice talent for ticket sales.

I leave you with two videos, one of DeMar DeRozan, a high school All-American, who is now averaging 12.9 ppg and 5.3 rpg for the Trojans; the other is Romeo Miller, freshman point guard for USC.

You decide which one looks like a Division I prospect and which one doesn't.

DEMAR DEROZAN

PERCY "ROMEO" MILLER JR.

-Nate

No. 10 USC Trojans (21-12, 9-9 PAC-10) vs. No. 7 Boston College Eagles (22-11, 9-7 ACC)

NCAA Tournament First Round—Midwest Region
Friday, March 20—7:20 PM EST on CBS

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Preview

The Trojans secured their trip to the Big Dance by winning the PAC-10 Tournament after defeating California, UCLA, and Arizona State—all three of which are dancing with higher seeds. Before the tournament, USC was the ultimate bubble team—they were only 1-5 against Top 25 teams. It seemed like all was lost in February when they went 1-6. In upsetting two ranked teams en route to their title, though, they have shifted momentum in their favor at the perfect time.

BC is also 3-5 this season against the Top 25, although prior to the ACC Tournament they were 3-4. Being in the ACC, they have been fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to face multiple teams that have been the top-ranked team this season—winning one game against both Duke and UNC. They have also lost three times to former top-ranked teams—twice to Wake Forest, and to Duke by one in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.

Despite the Eagles' tough conference schedule, their relatively light OOC schedule hurt their SOS, which is only at 59. They only faced one ranked team in non-conference play—Purdue in the NIT Season Tip-Off. They have also seen their share of ups and downs this season, including a loss to Harvard (for the Crimson's first-even victory over a ranked opponent) three days after upsetting top-ranked UNC on the road.

The Trojans OOC schedule included games against Missouri and Oklahoma, although they were constantly trying to dig themselves out of the hole they put themselves in when they lost to Seton Hall and subsequently were knocked out of the Top 25. They had a very tough schedule overall, though, with a SOS of 21.

Regardless of the outcome, this should be a great March Madness game to watch. 7/10 games are generally pretty close and have a lot of potential for upsets, so if you're looking for some good first round action (and not 1/16 blowouts), make sure to check out the Trojans/Eagles at 7:20 on Friday.

By The Numbers

	Record	Conf	ATS	RPI	SOS	PF	PA
USC	21-12	9-9	15-13	38	21	68.4	63.5
BC	22-11	9-7	13-14-1	60	59	74.9	70.5

	FG%	D. FG%	3P%	D. 3P%	FT%	RPG	SPG	APG	TPG	BPG
USC	47.4	40.6	32.9	33.7	66.6	39.1	6.3	12.4	14.0	4.7
BC	44.6	42.3	33.7	32.7	73.4	40.5	6.2	14.8	13.4	4.4

Stats Leaders

	USC	BC
PPG	T. Gibson - 14.3	T. Rice - 17.1
	D. Lewis - 14.1	J. Trapani - 13.5
	D. DeRozan - 13.6	R. Sanders - 13.0
RPG	T. Gibson - 9.4	J. Trapani - 6.6
APG	D. Hackett - 4.7	T. Rice - 5.4
SPG	D. Hackett - 1.3	R. Sanders - 1.6
BPG	T. Gibson - 2.8	J. Trapani - 1.0

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Prediction

Want to see Ryan's FREE Pick Against the Spread? Please head over to The Sports Chat Place!

Team:  Arizona State Sun Devils

Style of play

ASU is a odd, malleable, conglomeration of several styles. They are a defense-first, deliberate team, but have scoring punch, but will never force an up-tempo game on their own.

They are not afraid to run in spurts, but their preferences is to play a slow-down game, especially when they run their offensive sets in the half-court. They have several zone variations that are very hard for teams that have not played them before to figure out. 

On offense, they really like to run high pick-and-rolls over and over with Pendergraph on the pick and either point guard Glasser or star-scorer Harden on the roll.

Many teams who have seen these pick-and-rolls over and over still cannot stop them because of how skilled these three players are at running it. Kind of a poor-man's Stockton and Malone.

Strengths

Arizona State's biggest strength for sure is Pac-10 Player of the Year, James Harden. He is a gifted player who looks like he can play in slow motion and never looks rattled.  He literally looks like an NBA player in the NCAA, which he actually is, I guess.

He can shoot from outside, but his favorite thing to do is get in the lane, draw contact, and then with his superior dexterity, throw in a leaner in the defender's chest and draw the foul. He is the best scorer in the Pac-10 and is pretty much unstoppable one-on-one.

Point guard Derek Glasser is an undersized floor general who is not much to look at, but his basketball IQ wins games for ASU and he has even developed into an adequate outside shooter, something that is very important when Harden is breaking down defenses and kicking the ball out to open shooters. 

Jeff Pendergraph is the Devils' only real inside presence and is a great rebounder. He is not an intimidator on defense, but he has a mean streak and is tough as nails. ASU's defensive schemes are so elaborate that most teams find it hard to get the ball inside to their post man, making Pendergraph's defensive job much easier. 

As mentioned earlier, he is a great half of the best pick-and-roll in the NCAA and will get a lot of dunks and layups after getting a quick pass from Glasser or Harden as he slashes to the basket from the top of the key. 

He has also show some decent mid-range shooting as the season has gone on. ASU will beat almost anybody if they can make it exclusively a half-court game because they are so adept at this pick-and-roll and the fact that their defenses are very confusing, especially to teams that they have not played before.

Weaknesses

A lack of size and depth. They make up for this by slowing the game down, reducing the number of possessions a game and also with their ambiguous defenses. Their fourth and fifth players are nothing more than glorified three-point shooters, and while often good, they can ruin a game for the Devils if they are off. 

They get a lot of open threes because Harden often demands two or three defenders, but they are inconsistent and not to be counted on on a regular basis. But if they are on, they can carry ASU to wins.

But the lack of depth behind their 'Big Three' is a concern, as all three of them are very hard to replace and Arizona State often goes into scoring lulls when they all aren't on the floor at the same time.

Should do well against

Undisciplined teams that do not value the ball. If ASU goes up against teams that are not "smart", they can make them look really bad.  ASU loves playing an Arizona-type team, meaning a team with a free-flowing style that does not play a lot of defense. 

They can also beat teams that slow it down because that is Arizona State's game too, and they are better than their opponent at it most of the time.

Could have trouble with

Run-and-gun, high-scoring teams that have balanced offenses and force an open-court game. ASU just cannot run and run and run. With Harden, they are able to put up points quickly, but they cannot sustain that pace for an entire game, nor will they try. 

If things begin to get out of hand, ASU will call timeout and "reset" the game as often as possible. 

A team that has several outside shooters could pose problems also, as long shots can go right over the top of their complex defenses. Also, a team with a complex zone (like Syracuse) might be able to foil their high pick-and-roll which is their bread-and-butter.

Best-case scenario

Arizona State is a legit team. They have a veteran and confident core and could beat almost anyone, in my opinion.  If they can get solid matchups and can control the tempo, they could surprise a team that is well regarded. They would match up well with any Big 10 team.

Worst-case scenario

They get in early fouls trouble and need to rely on players that have not contributed much this year to this point. Also, if they fall behind early and start to panic a bit, they can end up looking like they did in the second half of the Pac-10 Championship against USC, where they were a bit scared and let USC take it to them.

If everything goes right, they could reach

The Final Four. Seriously. But they would need to play some perfect games along the way. If their outside shooters are hitting shots, it will really open up the middle for the pick-and-roll and Harden, and if it goes that way, they could be hard for anyone to beat. 

Strong, fast, high-scoring teams with enough confidence to ignore the Devils' attempt at controlling the pace should beat them, but if they draw teams that want to play half court, I would give ASU a chance against anyone.

Breakdown of the USC Trojans for the 2009 NCAA Tournament

Team: USC Trojans (Pac-10 Champions)

Style of play

USC is a grind-it-out defensive team first and foremost. They play a style like a solid Big East team, in my opinion. 

However, they do get caught up in pace sometimes and can also run with other teams if necessary due to athletic wings and the fact that all five starters can pull down a rebound and start the break up court themselves on the dribble. 

But USC will always try to win with tough defense and in your face pressure around the perimeter.

USC is not a good shooting team, in the classic definition, but DeRozan has come on as a mid-range shooter and they are heavily selective in their shot-choices, with point-guard Daniel Hackett breaking down a defense by getting in the lane and finding an open teammate or taking a 10-footer himself. 

But USC will not knock you dead by hitting outside shots all game like Cal or Arizona might. USC's calling-card will always be defense and everything revolves around the three big guards and Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, Taj Gibson, in the paint.

Gibson is third all-time in Pac-10 history in blocks and he is only a junior. He is 6'9" but has a 7'2" wingspan and is ultra-agressive in his blocked-shot prowess, often at the expense of boxing out and getting defensive rebounds.

But he patrols the paint and alters shots with the best of the big men in the NCAA. As long as he is not in foul trouble, the USC perimeter defenders will get up tight on their man because they know if they get beat off the dribble, Gibson is there to help them out if their man gets into the lane. 

I would expect for USC to play very defensive-oriented games in the Tournament and try to dictate the pace and style of the game through aggressive, pressure defense, unless they draw a 'run-and-gun' style team, where they may try to play to their pace a little more than they would like.

Strengths

USC's greatest strength is in their length and aggressiveness, especially on defense.  All of USC's perimeter players are 6'5" or taller, and are schooled in Coach Floyd's defensive tactics, which revolve around giving the offensive player little to no room. 

With this perimeter size, USC can really shut down a team that relies on the three point shot for a lot of their points. Few teams have taller guards, and when the USC defenders bring their pressure all the way out past the three-point line, it makes the shorter guards have to take three-pointers from NBA range, greatly reducing their percentages.

USC was very strong on three-point defense against Cal, UCLA, and ASU in the Pac-10 Tournament. As mentioned above, Taj Gibson is the best defender in the Pac-10 and while only 6'9", has the wingspan of a seven-footer with the quickness of a small forward.

He can dominate a game inside as long as he stays out of foul trouble, which he has been getting much better at recently. On offense, USC has good balance. Gibson is the only inside player, but has a good offensive-post game, as long as they can get the ball in to him.

USC often has trouble getting him enough space to operate down low because teams do not fear their long-range shooting. Demar DeRozan finally has come around and is now USC's best offensive option at this point on a team that runs a high percentage of half-court sets.

DeRozan is a break-down-your-defender guy who can create his own shot and has become deadly on the mid-range jumper, even if his man is right on him. He will hit a jumper with a defender right in his face, a la Kobe Bryant, and that scoring option has really turned USC's season around. 

PG Daniel Hackett is a good shooter, but will only take an outside shot if wide open or if the shot clock is winding down, as it often is in USC's offensive sets.

However, he is a super-smart player with a basketball-IQ that every coach would want out of their point guard and USC is not afraid to let the shot clock run down and have the ball in Hackett's hands. 

He can break down a defender and get in the lane and is very strong at 6'5", and he is able to get shots off in traffic, with either hand even though he is left-handed. He grew up in Italy and patterns his game after Ginobli of the Spurs, even though he is bigger and stronger than Ginobli.

Dwight Lewis is a streaky shooter who can win games for USC if he is on, but he can lose them, too. Leonard Washington is a tough inside player who can defend and rebound against players much bigger than he is.

Newly-added starter Marcus Simmons played the "shut-down" role on the other team's point guard through the Pac-10 Tournament and was exceptional at the task. 

His offense in non-existent, but he is long and quick and can defend the other team's point guard which frees up Hackett to defend the other team's top scorer, like ASU's James Harden or Arizona's Chase Budinger. 

Weaknesses

USC has a lack of depth. This is not nearly as bad as it was all year when USC's sixth, seventh, and eighth men were all hurt for portions of the season and they are all back now, but nobody on the bench will get more than 10-12 minutes unless someone is in foul trouble.

This is OK because the USC starters, especially the Big Four (Gibson, Hackett, Lewis, and DeRozan) are used to going 37+ minutes, but foul trouble is always a concern for USC, especially inside.

Gibson's aggressive defensive style leads to a lot of fouls and with the only backup center-type being freshman Nikola Vucevic (who has actually come in for stretches recently and held his own), it is essential that Gibson stay on the floor at all times.

USC will often go into scoring slumps because they have no great shooters.  Recently, DeRozan has been the Trojans' savior, finally bringing the ability to break down a defender and get his own shot, something that USC really struggled with in the middle of the year. 

Only DeRozan is an 'offensive-weapon.'  Gibson is a strong post player, but does not get the ball in a good spot much of the time because the defense can collapse down and leave USC's outside men open because of the lack of steady outside shooting. 

If the other team can slow DeRozan in USC's offensive sets, then USC could have a hard time scoring, especially if Gibson is not a factor on the offensive end. USC does not have a backup point guard of value, although many players can bring the ball up, only Hackett is a true 'floor general.'

Should he get in foul trouble, USC would be weakened, but with the emergence of Simmons as a match-up-with-the-other-team's-point-guard defender, it has freed up Hackett a bit from a defensive responsibility standpoint, and has made foul trouble much less of a concern lately. 

Since Taj Gibson challenges so many shots, and USC has no other real inside presence, USC will often have a tough time on the defensive boards because Gibson has chased a shooter out of the key and left the three guards to clear the boards.

Should do well against

Any team that has a single star, especially if that star is a perimeter player. Coach Floyd is a master of defensive schemes and USC can throw five perimeter defenders at 6'4" or taller at any star offensive player. USC will take away another team's star and force that team to beat them elsewhere. 

A team that relies on the three-pointer would be a good matchup for USC also because USC really stretches out their perimeter defense and with no guard shorter that 6'4", it is hard for teams with guards who are in the 6'0" range to get shots off unless they are four feet behind the line. 

USC will always have a better chance against a team that does not score a ton of points because USC's strength is not scoring and if they get into a shootout, they may not be able to keep up.

USC will do much better in a "chess game" than a "track meet."

Could have trouble with

Teams that have a balanced offense.  Coach Floyd's best ability may be in designing a defensive scheme to shut down a team's best weapon (a la Durant two years ago in the second round vs. Texas). 

However, if this player is an interior beast (a la Beasley last year) they could struggle due to a lack of size and Gibson's tendency to challenge too many shots and get into foul trouble. 

USC could also have trouble with a team with more than one post player because USC only really has one post defender. If they draw a team that has more than one interior offensive player, they might have to alter their starting lineup and take Simmons off the court, which is not Floyd's preference at this point. 

Also, until Simmons emergence the last three games, USC had trouble with small, quick guards who could beat USC's bigger defenders off the dribble and break down the defense and kick out to open shooters. 

This has been much less of a problem lately because Simmons has been very adept at staying in front of the other team's point guard, but it would always be a concern if USC has to put Hackett or Lewis on the other team's small guard (like Washington's Isaiah Thomas or UCLA's Derren Collison) because those types of guards usually have little problem getting around USC's big guards. 

Best-case scenario

Would be that USC is able to dictate the pace of the game and wear down their opponent with defensive pressure and contested shots. Also, if Dwight Lewis gets off to a good start, USC is a much better team as he offers a fourth scoring option that has to keep the defenses attention. 

If USC can hit a few three-pointers early, and impose their will on the other team's strategy, they could give just about anybody a run for their money.

Worst-case scenario

Gibson and/or Hackett get into early foul trouble.  With no legitimate backup for either, when USC loses one of them for several minutes, they tend to stagnate and the other team will often go on a run. 

If USC cannot hit any threes, which sometimes happens, they may shoot themselves out of a game completely. This problem has happened less in the last couple weeks with the emergence of DeRozan as an offensive weapon, but USC will sometimes go an entire half without a three.

If the other team can prevent the ball from getting into Gibson in the post, USC becomes a jump-shooting team which is not their best strength. 

If everything goes right, they could reach

Hard to say without seeing the brackets, but if they are an eight or nine seed, I don't see them beating a one-seed and getting to the Sweet 16.

However, they are capable of out-planning and out-efforting most teams and if they could get the right draw in the second round (maybe a Duke, Michigan State, Kansas, or Wake Forest) a trip to second weekend of the NCAA Tournament is not a stretch by any means.

I would expect them to be favored or at least close to even in their first-round game vs. most of the six, seven, and eight-seeds I am seeing on the mock brackets right now.

First of all, I am a USC Trojan alum, and I will stand by my team until they lose, so comments regarding them are not up for debate. Let’s start off with them.

USC Trojans

I have to admit I was surprised that they won the Pac-10 tournament. On one hand, many of their regular season losses have come down to the wire, and USC wound up on the short end. However, the Trojans always seem to falter in this tournament.

What impressed me the most about this team is the passion they played with in the tournament. Knowing that every game was a “win or season is over” sparked an aggressive mentality throughout the team.

There are many stars on the team with Daniel Hackett, who understood how his role changed throughout the game. Dwight Lewis started to take more of the high percentage shots. Taj Gibson did his normal job of sweeping the boards and altering shots (particularly against James Harden in the final).

Of course, DeMar DeRozan finally has arrived. I think he finally understands how to play at this level. Another reason to his breakout is that he has more freedom within Tim Floyd’s system, a role that O.J. Mayo opened up for him. Look for a new offensive gameplan from the Trojans that showcases more of DeRozan’s athleticism.

The Trojans should be able to win their first round game. Boston College has one star, Tyrese Rice, and lately USC has been able to shut down single stars (see James Harden, Darren Collison, and Jerome Randle). I think it’ll be close for most of the game, but I’m picking USC by 10.

NCAA Selection Committee

I respect the Big East and think they are the strongest conference this year from top to bottom, but three No. 1 seeds? That’s a bit much. However, I am picking UConn to win it all this year.

As much as I am a Trojan, UCLA got robbed. This is a team that has been to three straight Final Fours. I guess the committee wanted them to earn their fourth consecutive. UCLA has to travel all the way to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for their game.

I’m not mad about that. What irks me is that their opponents are practically driving distance from their home arena. What kind of a neutral court is this? UCLA has to essentially play two straight road games against quality opponents.

Now, I think UCLA will win both, but the game should be played someplace far from all the involved campuses, in Canada if we have to.

All in all, there are no clear-cut favorites, and I’m expecting madness and all of my brackets to fail. As I mentioned earlier, I’m picking UConn to win it all and the Final Four to consist of UConn, UNC, UCLA, and either USC (I’m hoping) or Michigan State (defense will pay off).

Congratulations, Missouri. Congratulations, USC. Advance congratulations to the winner of the ACC Tournament Championship as well as the winner of the SEC Tournament Championship and the Big Ten Tournament Championship.

You guys fought hard through tough conference (SEC excluded) seasons. Not quite as hard as some other teams in your leagues, but you all prevailed!

You decided to pull it together just in time to win a few games in a few days while the better teams in your league sat on the sidelines, no doubt worn out from working harder than you all season.

Yes, you got to celebrate a "championship" that was stripped from more deserving teams and awarded to you.

Congratulations, also, on the millions in ad revenue you helped make the big TV networks in deciding a championship that was also supposedly awarded less than a week ago.

But now I'm confused.

Who am I supposed to call the Big 12 champion? Not to take anything away from Missouri. That was a great run they put together, knocking off 11th-seeded Texas Tech, seventh-seeded Oklahoma State, and then finally ninth-seeded Baylor to grab your first-ever Big 12 "championship" in men's basketball. Man, that must have been tough.

But didn't we just award Kansas a conference championship last week because they finished two games ahead of you and one ahead of Oklahoma in the regular season standings?

The Pac-10 is another one that has me confused.

Washington finished three and a half games ahead of USC in the conference standings, but now they are both the Pac-10 champions.

Okay, maybe I'm a little put off.

I'm all for the craziness of this month and the upsets and excitement that it brings. But at the same time, I do not understand the need to award two championships in conference play. What does it prove?

Sure, Kansas choked in the Big 12 tourney. And sure, Michigan State choked in the Big Ten. Washington choked. Tennessee choked. North Carolina choked.

But do you know what all of those teams had in common? They all won their conferences outright in the regular season and therefore had to face a team with much more to prove than they did.

And, by the way, a sincere kudos to the Louisville Cardinals who became the only regular season champion from the six major conferences to win their conference tourney as well. But you already proved you were the Big East champions, why did you have to do it again?

Television.

Because too many people make too much money from these things. The athletic departments, the conferences, the shoe companies and various other tournament sponsors, and most importantly, the TV networks.

I know it will never change, but I for one would rather see an off-week than these bogus tournaments. Or at the very least, a smaller tournament among the schools who are on the proverbial "bubble."

But it will never happen.

I guess I'll just have to keep wondering who is the true champion in these leagues. The team who worked hard and put together a great season, or the team that worked hard for a few days?

I guess that's what March is all about. Love it or hate it, you have to appreciate it.