Winthrop Basketball

Gregg Marshall has been accused of making racist remarks and using verbally-abusive language toward his players during his time as head coach at Winthrop. 

Per The Athletic's CJ Moore and Dana O'Neil, multiple players made allegations against Marshall. 

"He taunted one player who took prescription medication for his mental health," Moore and O'Neil wrote. "'Did you take your medication today? Are you stupid or just retarded?' he allegedly screamed at the player after he failed to grasp a drill."

One player alleged Marshall said he would "send him back to Africa" for underperforming: "You’re a white guy, in South Carolina where the Confederate flag is still flying on the statehouse, and you’re telling a proud African man you’re going to send him back to Africa?”

Eric Fisher, who played two seasons at Winthrop from 1998-2000, recalled an alleged incident when Marshall ran over to Derrick Knox after Knox yelled at his head coach before being tossed from a practice. 

“Coach sprints from one bench to the other, where (Knox) was and jumps over the exercise bike that’s sitting there for players on the sidelines,’’ Fisher said. “Basically shoves (Knox) and turns him around and is cussing at him. ‘What’d you say, motherf--ker?’ They pulled (them) apart.’’

Marshall issued a statement to Moore and O'Neil in response to the allegations:

"As I have stated previously, I am deeply committed to my players and the teams we have built together. I believe unequivocally in their value as athletes, as students, and as people. Any portrayal of me to the contrary is wrong.

"Throughout my career as a coach, I have devoted myself to empowering my players to achieve their greatest potential. That’s the legacy I have built throughout my career – both at Wichita State and at Winthrop University.

"My nine years at Winthrop (1998-2007) saw the Eagles achieve greater success than ever before. Not only did our players win on the court, but our team graduated all but one senior student-athlete during my tenure. I am extremely proud of what we built together at Winthrop and will always reflect fondly on my years there.

"I acknowledge that my coaching style isn’t for everyone. I am passionate and energetic, and countless players have thrived on my programs and excelled in our team culture. 

"I am not demeaning or abusive. I have always pledged my full-hearted commitment to my team. I hope that no player or coach in my program ever doubts my respect for them or my investment in their success."

These allegations come in the wake of Moore and O'Neil reporting last week that Wichita State has opened an internal investigation into Marshall amid accusations of misconduct from current and former Shockers players. 

A former Wichita State player told Moore and O'Neil that Marshall "wasn't just" combative with student-athletes: “I lost respect for him because I saw the way he treated my teammates and other people.”

Marshall has been head basketball coach at Wichita State since 2007. He spent the previous nine years in the same role at Winthrop. 

The so-called "Opening Round" game tonight saw Arkansas-Pine Bluff get by Winthrop 61-44. 

But it is not part of the NCAA tournament.

Oh, the NCAA and the powers that be will attempt to convince you otherwise, calling tonight’s game the “opening round.”  But most fans—and even most analysts—call it what it really is: a play-in game. 

And if you really want to get down to it, the game between the Eagles and the Golden Lions is the “You Don’t Belong” Game.

Last year, prior to the play-in game between Alabama State and Morehead State, ESPN radio host Dan Patrick ran a poll on his show.  While not scientific, 70 percent of his listeners responded that the play-in game was not the beginning of the tournament. 

That holds true this year.

It is nothing against Winthrop or UAPB, but the tournament does not start this evening.  Sure, in reality it begins tonight. 

But it is like the beginning of college football—sure, there are games between Tennessee-Martin and Austin Peay on the last Thursday in August, but for most fans, the season kicks off on the Saturday before Labor Day.

Look at how the tournament is structured in terms of brackets.  This year, there is not an extra spot for Winthrop and UAPB on most brackets. Typically, it will show one of the No. 1 seeds—in this case, Duke—and both teams separated by a slash (Winthrop/Ark-Pine Bluff).  And beyond compulsive gamblers, I doubt any office pool has people filling out brackets that contain the “opening round.”

Look at some of the brackets on various sports Web sites.  Here at Bleacher Report, it has the two teams grouped together; it is the same way at Yahoo! Sports.   Meanwhile, ESPN.com has a shameful blank for either the Eagles or Golden Lions—last year, it was “TBA."  CBSSports simply has “Op. Rd. Winner.”

And if it is the opening round, then why are both teams a 16th seed? Why isn’t one 16th and one 17th?  Well, that is because it is a damn play-in game!

I understand the reasoning for the play-in game.  The NCAA wanted to maintain the 34 at-large bids after the WAC downsized (the once mega-conference in terms of number of schools split in half, with a new conference—the Mountain West Conference—being formed out of most of the “better” teams).  Because the MWC would need an automatic bid, it would take away from the at-large pool. 

So, the NCAA expanded by one spot?  What?  The at-large bid that the MWC took would obviously go to the “last team in"—this year, it would have been Utah State or UTEP. 

I am trying to run various tournaments through my head, but is it not common for the last team in to be a mediocre team from a “power conference?"  The last two years the likely last team in—Arizona in 2009 and Villanova in 2008 —made a decent run.

Before that, it was Illinois; then Bradley; then UCLA; then UTEP.  With the exception of Bradley, who made the Elite Eight as a 13th seed, each of those teams lost in the first round.  So maybe ridding the tourney of that at-large bid would not be a bad idea—as it seems to go to a team from a power or good conference that only performs marginally well.

But here is what needs to be abolished—the play-in game.  Winthrop and Arkansas-Pine Bluff should be playing on either Thursday or Friday—not on Tuesday! 

So one less at-large bid!  Yes, it might take out a Utah State or a UTEP, but it could also take out an undeserving “power” school like Wake Forest or Minnesota.

Let’s be clear—I am not stating that Winthrop or UAPB would do anything in the tournament.  Both would be a 15th or 16th seed and would go home really quickly.  But both did what they were supposed to do to make it to the “Big Dance.”

Winthrop bounced back from a disappointing 2008-09 season to take home the Big South tournament title.  Arkansas-Pine Bluff also bounced back—but in that case, it was a very difficult 0-11 start to finish second in the SWAC before winning the conference title.  Thus, the Eagles and Golden Lions had to work harder and essentially do more to make it in.

On the other hand, Wake Forest and Minnesota just had to play average basketball overall to get into the tournament.  Wake Forest lost four of its last five regular season games—including to ACC bottom feeders NC State and an abnormal North Carolina team.  It was then embarrassed in the ACC tournament by 12th seed Miami.

Minnesota has losses to Portland, Northwestern, Indiana, and Michigan (twice).  The run in the Big Ten tournament was nice, but the Golden Gophers beat a Purdue team that is merely a shell of its former self with the absence of Robbie Hummel.

Get these teams out of there!

Another problem I have is that the teams in the play-in game do not seem like the worst teams.  Sometimes it is the teams with the worst records, but it does not always have the two “worst” teams. 

For example, this year, Arkansas-Pine Bluff might deserve to be in the play-in, but Winthrop is probably better than East Tennessee State or Lehigh—although, to be fair, these two teams have the lowest RPI among teams in the tournament.

Here is the biggest problem I have—as noted above, the play-in game is a slap in the face for both of those teams.  Yes, technically, one of those teams will get a tournament win on its resume—the only way a 16 seed will win, I guess—and it gets some national exposure. 

But it basically states that neither of these two teams belong in the tournament—they are only there because of that silly “automatic bid” thing.

If the NCAA must have the play-in game, then I think it needs to be tweaked.  And here is what can happen: If it has to be 65 teams, the play-in game should be between the last two teams in—i.e., at-large bids—and not automatic team bids unless there is an automatic bid team with a losing record. 

So Utah State and UTEP, enjoy your play-in game.

And, if it were last season, we would have seen Arizona and Wisconsin in the play-in game.  And thank God one of them would have been gone before people care about the actual tournament.

Or, because there has been talk of expansion, carry the play-in game one step further and expand the field to 68 teams.  And again, the play-in games are bubble teams. 

So, UAB, Wichita State, Illinois, and Virginia Tech could take on Utah State, UTEP, Minnesota, and Florida.  Let those teams earn their way in; Winthrop and UAPB earned their spot already through the automatic bid.

At least with this method, the play-in game could have more meaning—and perhaps be really considered the opening round!

This article is derived from a similar article that appeared at Uncle Popov's Drunken Sports Rant on March 17, 2009.

Tuesday, March 3 (games at higher seed)

No. 8 High Point @ No. 1 Radford

Radford beat High Point the two times they played them this year, yet strangely enough with their 15-3 conference record, Radford's only losses came at home. However, High Point shouldn't be too much of a challenge for Radford, so I'm saying Radford wins this game.

No. 7 Coastal Carolina @ No. 2 VMI

Coastal Carolina has been a tough matchup for VMI, as both games went to the end and were both decided by fewer than four points as they split the series over the regular season. However, Coastal Carolina has lost four in a row and is going to be on the road against a very tough team in VMI, so I don't see them turning it around in this game...VMI wins.

No. 6 Gardner-Webb @ No. 3 Liberty

The regular season matchups were split, but since Gardner-Webb didn't win an away game in February and Liberty is just coming off of an away win vs. Radford and having the scoring power of Seth Curry, I see it hard to bet against Liberty come tournament time, especially in this matchup, so Liberty wins.

No. 5 Winthrop @ No. 4 UNC Asheville

Winthrop won both of the matchups in the regular season and is on a five-game winning streak going into the tournament. This is the game that should probably be the closest due to rankings, but it seems to me to be the most one-sided—I give the edge to Winthrop in this one.

Thursday, March 5 at the Dedmon Center (Radford, VA)

No. 2 VMI vs. No. 3 Liberty

This game is what I believe is the Championship game from the beginning...VMI showed that they had talent with their very early win over Kentucky, and Liberty has a freshman star in Seth Curry.

VMI destroyed Liberty @ Liberty late in the year, while Liberty won by 11 at VMI...Seth Curry scored 14 in the loss and 35 in the win, so he seems to be the deciding factor. After seeing the way his brother played in the tourney, I decided that the Big South tourney is Curry Time, and Liberty wins in a closer game than what these two teams are used to having against one another.

No. 5 Winthrop vs. No. 1 Radford

Radford has beaten Winthrop both times they played each other in the regular season and have won nine of their last 10, so obviously are a lock in this game, right? But it's March, and crazy things happen in March, and for some reason I feel Winthrop pulling off the upset and getting into the Championship game...Winthrop wins a thriller.

Saturday, March 7 (at highest seed)

No. 5 Winthrop @ No. 3 Liberty

The regular season was split between these two teams, but were split where the winner was always at home...so I guess I am going to have to keep riding the Curry train to the NCAA tournament...Liberty wins pretty comfortably by about nine or 10 and heads to the NCAAs.

The best part of college basketball is the Cinderella story—the team that comes out of seemingly nowhere and takes out a top ranked team or makes a run in the NCAA tournament.

These teams are the proverbial no-namers who capture the heart of America and just as quickly lose it when they disappear back into obscurity, and we are left with wall-to-wall coverage of the same five to 10 teams year in and year out.

Well, many of these small schools may be the proverbial Davids come March, but some are used to playing the role of Goliath the other four months of the college basketball season.

For example, I give you the Winthrop Eagles.

The words Winthrop and winners go together like Maryland coach Gary Williams and sweat.

For the past 10 years, Winthrop has won the Big South tournament eight times.

Eight is more than any other Big South school has won period.

Winthrop has taken home four straight conference crowns, and although they have gone 1-4 in March during that stretch, the losses include a two-point loss to Tennessee and a 10-point decision against Gonzaga.

Still, the Eagles were able to pull off a Cinderella victory over Notre Dame two years ago in the NCAA tournament before being knocked out by Oregon in the second round.

Definitely the "underdog" label does not fit the Eagles well, considering they have gone 104-24 from 1998-2007, including four straight 20-win seasons.

So imagine everyone's surprise to see that the 2008-09 version of the Winthrop Eagles are 3-11 coming hot off the heels of an overtime victory against Presbyterian.

A team that was annually punching its ticket recently stopped a 10-game losing streak.

What happened?

Well, the first factor seems clear: Winthrop misses their old head coach Gregg Marshall.

Marshall, the current head coach of the Wichita State Shockers (at 6-9, he probably misses Winthrop too), is the man that built Winthrop into the successful program we have all become accustomed to en route to becoming the winningest coach in conference history.

Marshall's winning percentage at Winthrop was over 80 percent, with major victories over teams like Marquette, Clemson, Mississippi State and Missouri during his tenure. 

He had gotten some job offers before, but after his departure following the 2007 season, the program has begun to show signs of deterioration.

Sure, Winthrop won the Big South last year, but their 12 losses on the year were more than they had registered in their past three years combined!

Winthrop had to win from the two-seed position for the first time in quite some time, and it seems like the Eagles' victory may have been sheer muscle memory.

Well the problem with muscle memory is it only works when there are veterans on the team that were part of the glory days.

Winthrop has one senior on its current roster, Jonathan Rice, who has taken a total of five field goal attempts the past two years.

Instead of experience, Winthrop rely on a total of nine freshmen and sophomores.  That's a dangerous combination for any team, but particularly one that has humiliated their conference opponents for years.

I guess revenge is a dish best served cold.

Still, despite the awful record, Winthrop may not be dead in the water quite yet.

The Eagles have played a very tough schedule, with some of their 11 losses coming to the likes of Davidson, USC, N.C. State, and Florida.

They have also had three devastatingly close losses, a 42-40 loss to High Point, a 63-60 loss to ECU, and a 77-76 defeat to the College of Charleston.

While Winthrop was getting rocked earlier in the year, it seems like this very young team may be turning things around.

Their last three games have been decided by a combined five points.  Not bad considering that eight of their losses have been by 12 points or more.

Winthrop's key to success seems pretty clear: They need an offense.

Winthrop as a team shoots under 40 percent, and their leading scorer, Cameron Stanley, averages just over 11 points per game.

That is not going to cut it in any conference.

Still, young offenses typically struggle, considering there are so many new pieces to add into the system.  That might explain why Winthrop has only 139 assists to 198 turnovers.

It may also explain why Winthrop averages less than 59 points per game and has allowed nearly 70 points per contest.  That is not exactly a winning combination.

Winthrop has its hands full this season with the VMI Keydets still riding high with their marquee win over the Kentucky Wildcats standing atop the rest at 13-2.

They may be the favorites come the conference tournament, but in the words of Rudy Tomjanovich, "never underestimate the heart of a champion."

Winthrop knows how to win, and they still come into games expecting to win.  That is the glory of playing a conference tournament, for it rewards the teams that are playing the best when it counts.

Besides, with the exception of VMI, no other Big South team could look scarier on paper.  VMI is the only Big South school over .500 so far this season, and the Keydets are one bad offensive night away from being very vulnerable. 

Of course, even if Winthrop cannot defend their crown, give credit to the Eagles and what they have accomplished over this past decade.  How many teams can claim similar stories of success during that span?

Winthrop may be on the mat, but they have time to get up and make it to the next round.

Now that'd be a real Cinderella story.

Washington State began their NCAA Tournament play in Denver with a predatory second half attack that sent Winthrop back to South Carolina. Yes, the Cougs played like a No. 4 seed, winning 71-40.

Looking at a 31 point margin for Coach Tony Bennett and the Cougars, you'd think the game was a blowout from beginning to end. Not the case my friends.

The first half was solid for both teams, ending in a 29-29 tie. For 20 minutes this game was intense. The biggest lead for either team was four points by WSU at 6-2. There were eight ties as the scoring went back and forth.

Kyle Weaver and Aron Baynes were awesome in the opening half. They were on their game. Baynes was scoring and hauling in rebounds with ease. Weaver was calmly going about showing his offensive skills.

Derrick Low was content with taking on double teams, then dishing off to teammates for easy shots. Speaking of dishing off, Taylor Rochestie passed out 10 assists in the game. Nice. Very nice.

Give credit to Winthop. The Eagles matched WSU in every phase of the game in the first half. To do that, they had to put out a Herculean effort. WSU was bigger and very comfortable playing physical. Translation: The Cougs banged hard in the paint and chased the Eagles on the perimeter.

Second half—All Washington State.

The Eagles didn't score their first bucket until the 13:18 mark. Frustrated with the way their shots were either being blocked or doinking off the rim, Taj McCullough got loose underneath the basket for a slam dunk.

After a smooth jumper off a pick by Low, Winthrop scored on their next possession as Michael Jenkins knocked down a nice mid-range jumper. That was it. The Eagles wouldn't score again for almost six minutes.

This was a great start for WSU. They played up to their potential, yet really didn't look much different than they ever do. Coach Bennett keeps everything in perspective for his players, reminding them to focus on both the opponent and the game plan.

Next up for the Cougs are the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Irish dispatched George Mason in the game following the Winthrop-WSU opener. Final in that one was 68-50.

Notre Dame is going to be a tough matchup for Washington State. They are a very physical team that comes out of the highly touted Big East Conference. The Irish came into the tournament with a record of 23-7, adding a notch to their record with an opening round victory.

The question Coach Bennett will have to answer is "How will you slow down the Irish offense?" ND averages more than 80 points a game. No team in the Pac-10 puts up numbers like that. However, the Irish give up nearly 76 points a game. Again, no team in the Pac-10 gives up numbers like that. No, not even the lowly Beavers of Oregon State.

Look for the Cougs to give up a few offensive rebounds so they can get back on defense after any shot. They will work to keep the game a half court contest. Should the Cougs control the pace of the game, there will be more celebration in the locker room before moving on to the next round.

Make no mistake, the Irish are primed to run WSU off the court. That hasn't happened to the Cougs very often this season.

The Irish are about to run out of luck.

GO COUGS!!!

8:55 So far, it looks like the best ending of the day might be, surprisingly enough, in Washington, D.C. The Bruins are down three with the ball and 5-something to play. The Devils are really extending their halfcourt defense, and the intensity that may have been missing earlier is definitely there now. Of course, that’s not going to stop upset-minded Belmont from converting their latest possession. 65-64 Duke.

8:57 Winthrop is going to be loss #1 for my bracket. At this point, the scoring by half looks like this: 1st half, Washington State 29, Winthrop 29. Second half, Washington State 29, Winthrop 5.

8:58 Ouch. The first loss always hurts the most.

8:58 Well, except for when your Final Four team goes down on the first day. Can I hear you, Duke fans?

9:01 Okay, time to pay attention to the Trojans. I can’t lose a bunch of games at the same time! C’mon OJ!

9:03 So much for that plan. Bill Walker for three and KSU’s up nine. Looks like this might be loss #2.

9:04 Now just in case you missed my Belmont editorial from earlier, here’s the basic summary. Yes, I have Duke in the Elite Eight, but as a Purdue fan, I have no problem cheering for them to lose, screw up my bracket, and give the Boilers a better matchup down the road. So I’m very glad that Belmont is within four....or how about one? Bruins for three!

9:06 Belmont with the lead! Belmont with the ball!

9:07 I can’t remember the last time I was so excited to see my bracket fall apart! COME ON VINCE GILL! (I MEAN BRUINS!)

9:10 Back in the 40’s (we’re talking about points): BYU is down 49-48 to A&M.

9:11 But who cares about that? Belmont got a big stop...and they have the ball.

9:12 Here we go. 17-second differential. Don’t be so worried about running clock that you don’t get a good shot.

9:13 And that’s exactly what they did. Bad shot...Duke goes coast-to-coast...and they’re ahead.

9:13 I hate it when teams do that. Belmont had the ball, one-point lead, and they didn’t run an offense at all. When you’re up four, you can milk clock. When you’re up one, you can’t. And Duke just showed why by running the ball right back down their throats.

9:14 Belmont’s going to have one more chance. Four seconds to play. And that was an ugly ugly ugly out-of-bounds play. The official scorer took off about an extra seven tenths of a second, so the refs need to go put that time back on.

9:15 USC is officially done. That’s loss #2 for me. Duke could be #3 in a row. We’ll see.

9:16 Bolerjack and Wenzel are sounding like they’re on the third game of the day. C’mon guys...stick with the program.

9:16 Speaking of struggles, the clock operator is having some issues. Quit taking time off and putting it back on randomly, please.

9:18 2.2 to go...here it is. They got a good look....but it didn’t go down. Duke advances. Too bad for my Boilers. Good for my bracket.

9:19 And we immediately move to devote our attention to A&M...they’re trying to hold on to a four-point lead in the last three minutes.

9:23 My bracket is at nine wins and two losses. The only game I really regret is the USC/KSU pick...I spent a long time debating...and came out with the wrong team. I can’t wait to see the offensive firepower of the Wildcats matchup with the Wisconsin Badgers’ stifling defense in round 2 (assuming Wisky survives everybody’s favorite baseball school, Cal-State-Fullerton.)

9:26 BYU’s Plaisted just missed a free throw. As a Cougar fan, it has to be awful to see a 54% free throw shooter stride to the line at crunch time.

9:27 I’m cheating right now...I’ll confess. Since BYU/A&M is the only NCAA game going on, I’m sneaking a peek at the USA soccer game on the small screen. Freddy Adu & company need a win to qualify for the Olympics. Don’t worry...back to basketball we go.

9:29 A&M gets two free throws...the lead’s at six. And those are the kind of shots March Madness is made of. BYU knocks down a triple...with a hand in the face. That’s not an easy shot and can’t be defended much better, but boom! just like that, the lead’s cut in half.

9:30 And that will get us a commercial. In fact, one of the weirdest Lowe’s commercials I’ve ever seen. It’s either a Lowe’s store or the Garden of Eden, but I’ve never seen that many flowers in my entire life!

9:31 A&M has a 24-second differential. Let’s see if they learned from the Belmont mistake. Get a good shot. THERE IT IS! Dribble penetration and a kick-out. Aggies by 6.

9:32 That’s gonna do it. BYU misses a jumper, and the Aggies can make it a three-possession game here.

9:33 I’m going to take a brief hiatus while all the games are at a break. See you in the next installment of Mega March Madness Marathon!

Got a late start tonight so we'll have a quick recap of the action.

Belmont is giving Duke everything can they handle and are only down seven at the half.

Winthrop and Washington State are tied at the half.  No big surprise that this has turned out to be a big defensive battle.  Kyle Weaver and Aron Baynes have been carrying the offensive burden for the Paloose.

BYU has mounted a comeback after being held scoreless for the first six minutes.  They are down 24-16 with 4 to play.

The nation has discovered that four other players are on the floor for Kansas State besides Michael Beasley.  Bill Walker and bench player Ron Anderson have been the studs for the Wildcats.  Taj Gibson has three no-nos for the Trojans while O.J. Mayo has struggled from the floor. K-State up 37-27 at the half.

Greg Paulus, the J.R. Ewing of college hoops, puts Duke up eight and hits double figures.

Davon Jefferson scores for Southern Cal and gets Beasley's third foul in the process.  The men of Troy needed that.

BYU has come back to tie Texas A&M at 29 to end the half.  If their threes start falling and uberfan Donny Osmond blinds the Aggies with his pearly whites it would be a heck of a comeback for the Cougars.

Taj Gibson just missed picking up his fourth whistle but Walker charged.

Mayo, with a hand in his face, cuts the deficit to six.

Now Gibson gets his fourth and fouls on a Beasley score. Tim Floyd will need to do a heck of a coaching job the rest of the way.

Belmont has cut the lead to one.   Justin Hare just drained a trey.

Beasley might foul everybody out at this rate.  He should be the first overall pick in June.

USC is trying to do the playground thing too much.  They missed an alley-oop to Davon Jefferson that wasn't there. But Dwight Lewis just cut the lead to two.

Mayo could put USC up. So much for the playground ball.  When Southern Cal plays smart they could be very tough.

Much more competitive in the nighttime sessions. Belmont up by two with 11 left, Wazoo up by seven, and A&M-BYU are tied at the half.

Up and down in the USC game. Lewis just drove in for a layup. Then Beasley goes in for another three-point opp. I know you're shocked.

Dwight Lewis has bought the Trojans back.  He's had a couple threes and a near steal which caused Walker to get his third.

The first blowout is taking place with Washington State up by 17. Somewhere John Candy is singing the fight song.

USC is rushing their shots and Ron Anderson is having the game of his life.

Belmont only down by three with six minutes left.

Washington State has outscored Winthrop 25-4 in the second half.

BYU is up by one with 14 minutes left.

Alex Renfroe has another big shot for Belmont, who is now down only one with 4 1/2 to play.

Gerald Henderson lays it up.  Now he looks winded as he is trying to win this single-handedly.   But Belmont is taking some quick 3s.  Now the Bruins are down three with 2:44 to play.

USC has cut the lead to five.  WSU is being mean to Winthrop (36-5 in the second half). A&M and BYU tied at 43.

K-State just hit a three and are now up by nine.  Now up by 11.  My first Sweet 16 team is likely out.

HUGE three for Andy Wicke.  And Belmont goes to the line. Justin Hare puts up Belmont up by one with two to play.

Belmont up by one with 1:03 to play. Duke ball coming out of the timeout.

Count it for Washington State.  71-40.  Second half smackdown.

Henderson missed a layup.  Belmont gets the rebound.  47 seconds left.

Chalk it up for K-State.  80-67.

Henderson hits a layup. Belmont ball down one with 4 seconds left.

Belmont turns it over on the out of bounds play.  2.7 seconds left.  Duke goes to the line.

DeMarcus Nelson misses the free throw. Belmont rebounds and calls time out. 2.2 seconds left.

Hare barely misses a half-court shot.  71-70 Duke.  Coack K looks like death on two legs.  The Bruins missed a big chance to increase revenue on their athletic apparel, especially in the Lexington, Kentucky area.

Donald Sloan drives an open lane. Texas A&M up by four with two to play.

Trent Plaisted has a three op. Misses and Cougars down by two.

Josh Carter has been a machine with 26.

Both the Cougars and Aggies are shooting 50 percent from the line. 

Sean Astin just hit a three for BYU.  OK, they say it was Jimmer Fredette.  But I loved him in "Encino Man."  A&M up 63-60 with a minute left.  Hack session to begin shortly.  I would send in Gimli.

Dominique Kirk hits the money shot with a three for A&M.

Samwise misses the three.  Somewhere Golum is smiling.

Joseph Jones should ice this.  And does.  67-60.

Chalk it up for A&M. 67-62.

Below are questions from each region answered by the three of us dillweeds. Enjoy.


EAST Region

Best first round match up?

Dogg- Best first round match up will be Indiana vs. Arkansas. Both teams have been very good at times this year, but they both have been average as well. I believe the departure of Kelvin Sampson has put a huge damper on this team, and I see Indiana not showing up in round one with their new head coach. Arkansas by eight.

Q: I think the best first-round match-up has to be Butler vs. South Alabama. Two midmajor teams that a majority of the country knows nothing about. If Butler continues to shoot the ball as they have for most of the season, it is very likely that they win this game and upset Tennessee in the second round.

Fuzz: The best first-round match-up is Washington State (No. 4) against Winthrop (No.13). Winthrop can win this game. They have a bunch of thugs on their team, and Wash St. can't handle it.

Sleeper team?


Fuzz: As for a sleeper team, I think the obvious choice is Butler. They are 29-3. That is an impressive record. They beat Ohio State and Virginia Tech earlier in the season. Both are NIT teams but both are pretty good teams. Plus, they won't have to meet UNC until the Elite Eight since they are in the lower area of the bracket.

Q: I'm not sure how much of a "sleeper" a seven seed can be, but I like Butler winning at least two, if not three games and ruining a lot of brackets (just not mine, of course).

Dogg: My sleeper team is Butler. They play good defense, slow the game down to the pace where most college teams are uncomfortable and have great guard play with Green and Graves. They’ve played the big dogs the past two seasons, so playing Tennessee in a potential second-round match-up will not be intimidating for this squad. They could make a run towards the Sweet 16, maybe even the Elite Eight.

Dream match up in later rounds?

Dogg: Louisville vs. Tennessee would be a great one to see. Tennessee can score points with the best of them, and Louisville plays defense that most teams can’t handle. Tennessee bombs threes, and Louisville guards the 3-point line like no other team in the country. This game would be intriguing, and you always take defense over offense. I would pick Louisville in this game.

Fuzz: UNC and Tennessee is the dream match-up. Both have been the No. 1 team in the land at some point this year.

Q: I know a lot of people want to see the Tar Heels and the Volunteers square off, but I'm not one of them. A Butler/Oklahoma Elite Eight match-up would be a dream for me because it would mean my brackets are in good shape.

Who comes out of this region?

Q: As for a team to head to San Antonio for the Final Four? You'd have to be crazy not to pick UNC, so I'll go with them. As long as Lawson is up and running, they are nearly impossible to defend with inside (Hansbrough) and outside (Ellington) scoring options.


Dogg: Hansbrough and UNC come out of this bracket. Psycho T is the best player in college basketball and is a force on the block. Lawson and Ellington can step up in any big game and they are deep. They will outlast any team in a running game.

Fuzz: I know this will be ripped, but I think Louisville comes out of this region. UNC is going to be in everyone's Final Four, but not with this guy. Louisville is a balanced team that went 14-4 in the Big East, including the Big East Tourney. They are a tough team. Pitno is a pretty damn good coach, too. Louisville will represent the East.

Any Additional comments about this region?

Dogg- Washington St. is my team to watch. They are unique in that they can score when they really decide to push the ball but also have the ability to slow the game down to a Princeton-type style. They have great guard play with Weaver and Lowe who will both play at the next level, so this team should not be overlooked.

Fuzz- The East region is a pretty tough region in my mind. Maybe the toughest. UNC could be playing Indiana second round, and Indiana was ranked near the top 10 all year until Sampson got booted. They could just turn it on.

Q- The East will be tough, but it's not the toughest. Sure you have the No. 1 overall seed in North Carolina, but I think there are some overrated teams in this bracket, starting with the second-seeded Volunteers. Sure, they score a lot of points, but they also give up a ton and don't shoot free throws all that well either. Not a great combination for tournament success. Strong arguments could also be made about Louisville and Washington St. (the three and four seeds) not being very tough as well.

MIDWEST region

Does Kansas finally break through to the Final Four? Why or why not?


Fuzz: Yes, they do. Bill Self and the Jayhawks seem to have a hot team entering every tourney but come up short every year. Not this year. They have the depth and the will to get to San Antonio. Guys like Chalmers, Rush, and Robinson know too well what it feels like leaving the tourney too early, and, this year, the wait is over.

Q: If you take out the fact that this is Kansas, they would appear, on paper, to have a team that absolutely should go to the Final Four. They have the best and deepest backcourt in the nation with Chalmers, Robinson, Rush, and Collins. Combine those guys with above average big men in Kahn, Arthur, and Jackson, and you have possibly the most talented team in the land.

The problem is the name on the front of the jersey. This is the same school that has produced uber-talented teams over the last two years and have been bounced in the first round by Bucknell and Bradley. Nevertheless, I'm going to say that they finally get that proverbial monkey off their back with a trip to San Antonio this year.

Not because this team is necessarily that much better than in previous years, rather, because of the lack of talent in this region. For instance, Georgetown, the two seed, has not been consistent and star player Roy Hibbert has proven that he absolutely can disappear at crucial times (such as fouling out with zero points and three rebounds in the Big East semis).

Dogg: I believe Kansas does breakthrough to the Final Four this year. The first reason is that I don’t see a real threat to them in their bracket, and, secondly, they are that good this year. They have the best seven-man rotation in the country, and, if Mario Chalmers decides to be the player he can be during crunch time, I see them playing in the National Championship. They don’t really have a weakness except maybe for their tournament jinx, but, with a little more experience and Bill Self probably itching to reach a Final Four, they are primed for a big-time run at the title.

Who has the better game: Mayo or Beasley?

Dogg: I believe Beasley will have a better stat line when it comes to points, but Mayo leads his team to victory. This will go with my answer to my sleeper team in this region who is USC. They were up-and-down most of the year, but I really like all the Pac 10 teams this year, as I believe from top to bottom that this was by far the toughest conference.

Thanks to FSN on Thursday nights and Saturday nights we are blessed with late-night Pac 10 basketball, and it was exciting every night because most of the teams were legit. I believe Mayo and Beasley will rise up on the national stage for this game, but USC is just a better team than Kansas St. The supporting cast for USC actually can play basketball, and, other than Bill Walker, Kansas St. doesn’t have another player who should be playing college basketball at any level.

Fuzz: Beasley will have the better offensive statistic game, but Mayo’s USC team will win this game. Beasley could have 40, and they could still lose. Mayo will get his 20 and Beasley will get his absurd stat line that seemed to be the norm for him.

Even though I see Kansas State losing, I’m not sold on USC either. I think USC wins this game but gets stuffed from Wisconsin the next game. USC will be owned by Bo Ryan’s D. Anyways, what really matters is that Beasley needs plenty of time off to get up to Minny and start house shopping. Needs to get comfortable with his surroundings.


Q: In the made-for-TV match up between USC and Kansas State, I have Beasley with the better game (Jay Bilas guaranteed that he'd get 30-plus on ESPN last night), but Mayo and the Trojans will win the game because of OJ's unselfish play. Mayo has gotten a reputation for being a me-first player, but he'll shatter those thoughts and have the country raving about him as USC wins no fewer than two games.

Sleeper team?

Q: I'd love to say Davidson is the sleeper, considering we've been pimping them on the site all year, but I'm just not sure with the draw they got. A potential Gonzaga-Georgetown-Wisconsin run is a very daunting task. So, instead, I'm going with Clemson. The four or five times I've seen them play this year, they have looked really good. They have a great combination of guard play and physically imposing size to play with anyone in the region. Their free-throw shooting may be their ultimate downfall, but don't be surprised if they pull off an Elite Eight run.

Fuzz: Q doesn’t like when sleepers are high seeds, but I’m putting Vanderbilt down here. Yes, Vanderbilt the No. 4 seed. I’m putting them down because I’ve literally heard nothing about their chances since the brackets have come out. Out of the top four seeds in each bracket, they have to be the least mentioned.

I bet a lot of people pick them to lose early because of the non-media coverage. They beat Tennessee and have a pretty good team. If Vandy makes the Sweet 16, they’d more than likely play Kansas to get to the Elite Eight. Even though I personally think Kansas will advance, Kansas is far from a guarantee this time of the year. Vandy could make a run.

Who do you have representing this region?

Fuzz: Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

Dogg: Kansas and Bill Self represent big-time throughout the tournament and think they are one of three teams that have a shot at winning the title. We all know their fans will be supporting their team because they are one large clique who live and die KU hoops. I personally know several who attended KU, and trust me when I say their fans will be cheering louder than ever this season.

Q: As stated earlier, I've got to go with Kansas. I'm not a big fan of the Hoyas or the Badgers, and picking Clemson to represent the region is a call that is way too bold for me to take. KU's depth is going to be the key to them squaring off against UNC in a match up that will get hyped to no end.

SOUTH region

Who's the best point guard in this bracket?


Q: Wow, what a loaded region for playmakers—great question. Let's make sure everyone's clear on the options for best PG in the South: Rose (MEM), Neitzel (MSU), Fields (PITT), James (MU), Crawford (KEN), Augustin (TEX), and whichever guard out of Oregon you deem as the point. Holy cow.

Well, with all due respect to the clutchness (made up word) of Neitzel and the excitability (another) of Rose, I'm going to have to go with DJ Augustin out of Texas. I may be a bit biased since I just spent the last three to four days in Kansas City watching the Big 12 Tournament and got to see him up-close-and-personal, but I think Augustin is the real deal. He can score, pass, defend; he does it all. Plus, I think he'll be the catalyst that gets Rick Barnes' club to the Final Four.

Fuzz: Let’s run through a few of the names of PG’s in this bracket: Derrick Rose, Drew Neitzel, Dominic James, and DJ Augustin. That’s a good group. James is overrated but still deserves to be on this list. When he’s on, he’s as hard of a player to stop as anyone in the country.

Unfortunately for James and Marquette, he’s off more than he’s on. Neitzel is probably the PG with the biggest kahuna’s in that list. Gamer is overused, but he’s just that. Rose is an talented freshman who plays for a system that favors good point guards. Memphis runs and runs and runs, so a good PG can really excel. Rose has done just that.

That leaves DJ Augustin, my pick for the best PG in this bracket and even the nation, for that matter. Augustin is unreal. There is a reason why Texas didn’t fall off after Durant left; it’s because of this animal. Bob Knight called him the hardest guy to guard in the nation the other night. Texas could be Final Four-bound if he simply does what he does best—be the best PG in the nation.

Dogg: Yeah, there are a few good PGs in this region but my clear-cut, best PG and maybe best player in this region is Dominic James from Marquette. I still don't know how he only got second-team all-Big East, but Marquette is a fringe NIT team if he's not on the court. I know he tends to disappear at times, but, when it's national television time, it's D-James time! He will lead Marquette to a Sweet 16 berth this year.

What's the most intriguing possible Sweet 16 matchup?

Dogg: I see Marquette playing Texas and seeing two undersized but explosive PGs duking it out with James and Augustin. Both teams can look like the best team in the country but both have looked relatively mediocre, especially the Golden Eagles. I like Marquette in this match up and think this is their year to make a legit run.

Fuzz: Memphis vs. Michigan State would be an interesting game. Memphis plays like the Phoenix Suns, and Michigan State plays like a small-town high school team playing zone and box and ones. Michigan State would try to control the tempo almost at an uncomfortable to watch slow-down level and Memphis would try to do the same but at the opposite end of the spectrum. I could see Memphis players getting frustrated with this game. It simply would be a prototypical Big Ten team playing against a prototypical Conference USA team.

Q: In the Sweet 16, I'd love to see Stanford-Texas. It may not have the flash and boatloads of points that a game like Memphis-Pittsburgh would, but, for a real college basketball fan, this would be highly entertaining. Both teams have numerous players that are big-time stars (and others who will be soon), and it would be interesting to see who would prevail—the Cardinal with their twin towers Brooke and Robin Lopez, or the Horns and their dynamite backcourt of Augustin and AJ Abrams. I'm getting excited just writing about it.

Overall thoughts on this region?

Q: Top to bottom, this is the most difficult and balanced region in the tournament. You have the consistent high level of play from Memphis, Texas, and Stanford, as well as a number of those "next level" teams that could easily go on a five- or six-game tear in Pittsburgh, Michigan State, Marquette, and Kentucky. Oh, and don't forget about a couple of potential Cinderella's in Temple and St. Mary's. This quarter of the bracket is absolutely loaded, and I wouldn't be surprised to see any two of the previously mentioned nine teams battling it out for the right to go to the Lonestar state.

Dogg: Memphis doesn't make the Final Four is my thought. I selected Oregon in my draft for teams because if they can get by Mississippi St., they can run up and down with just about anybody. They can score but aren't deep. Stay out of foul trouble and they might just be the spoiler once again for Memphis.


Fuzz: With Memphis as the No. 1 seed, this bracket is the widest open of all the regions. Out of all the No. 1s, most would agree that Memphis would be the most vulnerable. Memphis scores a healthy amount but also gives up its fair share.

They are also a horrendous free-throw shooting team, which doesn’t bode well come tourney time since most games are close ones. So, that leaves the door open for Texas. Texas is also a very good team but has the most losses out of any No. 2 seed with bad losses to Missouri, Texas Tech and an overrated A&M squad. So, that leaves the door open for Stanford. How many brackets has Stanford wrecked this decade? Exactly. So, that leaves the door open. This is the hardest bracket to pick, in my opinion.

Who do you have taking this region?

Fuzz: I like the Longhorns. They played the Jayhawks very tough in the Big 12 championship game, and Kansas could be the best team in the country. I think the free-throw stat comes into play for Memphis. Calipari seems like one of those coaches who thinks this stat is overrated. He just blows off free-throw drills some days. “We’ll just outscore them, so it doesn’t matter.” I could see him saying something like that. I think it bites them in the ass and Texas rides to the Final Four.

Dogg: I have Marquette in a huge surprise!!

Q: I have the Texas Longhorns representing the South region with Damian James as a sleeper regional MVP.

WEST region

Who is the best coach in this region?

Q: Oh man, what a loaded first question. I'll give our readers one guess as to the moderator of this roundtable. Here's a hint: he waited until Duke's region to ask the question "Who is the best coach?" Well I'm not going to give you the satisfaction, Fuzz. I'm taking Ben Howland at UCLA.

The guy has an amazing track record for success in both the regular season and the NCAA Tournament. Here are some stats for your ass: overall record of 290-143 (.670 winning percentage), including 122-44 (.735) with the Bruins. Won the Big Sky regular season twice and the Big Sky tournament once.

At Pitt, he won two regular season Big East crowns and one Big East tournament title. Since coming to UCLA, he has taken home the Pac 10 regular season title three times and has twice been victorious in the Pac 10 tournament. The guy flat out wins (went to the last two Final Fours and has his team poised as a No. 1 seed again this year).

Fuzz: This region boasts some pretty decent ones, but my pick is Coach K. Weird. Since Coach K took over 27 years ago, he’s had three losing seasons, three National Championships and 10 Final Four appearances. Plus, he’s one of the most hated coaches for fans out there, and it’s more reason for me to love him.


Dogg: The best coach in this region is a complete landslide with Ben Howland. He leaves Pittsburgh for UCLA and with mass amounts of pressure on him; he has led UCLA to two-straight Final Fours and probably a third straight this year. He recruits, has guys leave early and then develops new stars the next year, recruits again, and he doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

What is the best first-round game?

Dogg: Arizona/WVU is the most intriguing game for me. There are three superstars in this game (Joe Alexander, Jared Bayless, and Chase Buddinger). Two of them play for Arizona but WVU has a much deeper and more balanced team so I'm taking WV. Watch out for WVU to give Duke a nice run in round two.

Fuzz: 5-12 game—Drake vs. Western Kentucky. With Drake already being a Cinderella story, they’ll be picked heavily against in this game. Everyone usually picks an upset in the 5-12 game and Drake seems like the safest No. 5 seed to go down. Will Drake keep the glass slippers on or will they be another 5-12 statistic?

Q: The best first-round game in the South comes courtesy of West Virginia and Arizona. Not many people in the country know about Joe Alexander and the Mountaineers, but they will soon.

This team is talented, well coached, and has a shot at pulling off a huge upset of Duke in the second round (you know, if the Blue Devil can manage to squeak by Belmont, which is by no means a guarantee). On the other hand, many so-called experts are bitching and moaning about the fact that the Wildcats shouldn't even be in the tourney.

That doubt always seems to put a chip on teams' shoulders and pushes them to play well above expectations (i.e. when UNC "shouldn't" have gotten in a few years back and then went to the Final Four). It would not shock me if Arizona took out WVU in the first round and then Duke in the second round. I think the moral of the story is that the winner of this game will beat Duke in the second round, and I will be happy.

Who is the most overrated team?

Fuzz: My two cohorts will probably say Duke. Actually, I know they will. This is a softball question for them to once again rip down Duke. They take any chance they can—believe me. Personally, I think it’s Georgia. Yes, they are a No. 14 seed, but they don’t even belong here. Screw this automatic conference tourney bid stuff. They aren’t even close to the top 64 teams in the country, which they preach it is. The Gophers are better than the Bulldogs.

Q: Most overrated team? Easy. The Duke Blue Devils. They blow, enough said.

Dogg: I believe Drake is the most overrated team in this region. I've seen them play twice, and, yes, they do play hard but they rely heavily on the 3-point shot and don't have a lot of athleticism to guard anybody big or quick. I like Western Kentucky to beat Drake in round one.

Fuzz: One out of two ain’t bad right?

Who is your pick to win this region?


Q: My pick to win this region is UCLA in a cakewalk. The only game they're likely to get is in the Elite Eight against Xavier and even that game won't be all that close. Howland and the Bruins stroll into San Antonio for a ridiculous third year in a row.

Fuzz: UCLA. They’re a Final Four machine. This would be their third-straight Final Four, and I see it happening. UCLA, Kevin Love and his outlet passing get through a fairly easy bracket to reach San Antonio as my last team.

Dogg: I'm taking UCLA because Duke lives behind the arc, and, if they do match up in the Elite Eight, Kevin Love is going to own the block. UCLA will guard the 3-point shot and are as athletic as Duke so they will be able to contain penetration and kick tactic they like to use.

Finally...

Who wins it all? Over who?

Fuzz: If you weren’t paying attention my Final Four is: Louisville, Kansas, Texas, and UCLA. I see Kansas winning it all over UCLA. Alfalfa finally gets to cut down the nets after years of disappointment.

Q: So that makes my Final Four UNC, Kansas, Texas, and UCLA (I know, real original). I have UNC and Texas advancing to the final game with the Tar Heels leaving as the 2008 National Champions.

Dogg: I'm taking UCLA over Kansas. UCLA has the easiest road to the Final Four so they should be the healthiest team going into the Final Four, which usually plays a factor on the outcome. I'm waiting anxiously to see Ben Howland holding the trophy while "One Shining Moment" is played.