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QUOTE(YASNY @ Mar 6, 2005 -> 01:19 PM) Wow. Illinois, Kentucky and Kansas all going down today. If this was 2 weekends from now, everybody's brackets would be screwed. LOL You ain't kidding. Could you imagine, LOL. Its why this time of the year is so AWESOME. And when it ends, regular season baseball is on

QUOTE(Rex Hudler @ Mar 6, 2005 -> 01:17 PM) I guess my point is, that I don't think there is any real difference between the # 1 overall seed and the #2. Me either. Hell, sometimes the best team ends up somehow finding itself in the toughest bracket. You just never know.

QUOTE(Palehosefan @ Mar 6, 2005 -> 01:16 PM) Only way UNC takes over the overall 1 seed is if UNC wins the ACC tourney and Illini don't win the Big Ten tourney. Otherwise Illini have it locked up for sure, atleast they should. Hey Chris, I have the game on mute and haven't been paying attention yet. But is McCants playing today or are they still holding him out?

If Kansas loses and then falls early in the Big 12 tourney, they lose there 2nd seeding as well. Which definately makes them a scary 3 seed. 5 point game for Mizzu with 7 seconds left and Mizzu has the ball. Count this as yet another upset.

Wowzers, Florida pulls the upset as Asabuke or whatever the hell is name is misses a 3 at the buzzer. s***, its been a great day of college basketball and next up is Duke @ UNC

QUOTE(Rex Hudler @ Mar 6, 2005 -> 12:30 PM) Ok, Mr. Bracketologist, who would you put in the tourney instead? While the resumes of Indiana, Minnesota and Iowa aren't without flaws, what other teams would you put in? Make a case for somebody else, rather than just a blanket "I agree and don't think any should get in." Well, thats true too. Any team on the bubble obviously has flaws. One team you got to look at is Georgia Tech who has as much talent in the country but for whatever reason has failed to flourish. Don't they have like pretty much there entire team from last year back? The team that went to the Final 4 IIRC. I know one thing, this is gonna be one fun month

QUOTE(danman31 @ Mar 6, 2005 -> 12:26 PM) It was 3 in a row for the record. As for what Rex said about the Big Ten bubble teams, I agree and don't think any should get in. Also, Missouri is running Kansas off the court right now. Does anybody want the #1 seed? Kentucky loses a week ago, then Ok. St. loses last night and today Kansas looks like they are going to lose their 4th in 6 games. Kentucky is also down 4 to Florida, lol. I wonder if Duke could squeek in for the #1 if they beat UNC. It would be hard to believe they could give 3 #1 seeds to one conference, but it's hard to believe Kansas, Kentucky, and Ok. St. keep f'ing up. I don't think Kansas is a #1 anymore. At the same time, Florida is beating Kentucky although its close. Looks like a really fun day of college basketball. Perfect day for me to be couped up at home doing homework with the tv on watching basketball And Rex good comparison on Minn. Hell, looking at that I wouldn't put them in either, LOL. They have almost all garbage wins which means nothing. Personally If I were selecting I wouldn't put the Hawks or IU in and right now I'd have a tough time giving it to Minn too. Big wins in the tourney could change things though so who knows. Big 10 was weak though, minus Ill and MSU and then to a lesser extent Wisconsin.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Mar 6, 2005 -> 12:15 PM) Jason give it up... Iowa doesn't deserve to be in the tournament. In fact, any team that loses 4(?) in a row to Northwestern should be excluded next year as well. Making the tourney might be enough to save steve alford his job, and that would be a tragedy. If they do somehow make the tourney, and Alford keeps his job, I'm calling foul on Bob Bowlby in both instances. I agree with you. Like I said, it may be better if Iowa doesn't get in for fans of the Hawkeyes because it means the end of Alford or so I hope. However, I like the talent on the squad and it would be nice for them to play hard and get in.

THe problem with a Bulls team without Curry next year is that it will have absolute garbage in terms of low post scoring and thats something a good NBA team needs to have. Hell, I think even with Curry they still need another good low post scorer.

Ok, lets look at Iowa's schedule. They also loss to NU, in OT in Evaston. There badloss was definately when they lost to Purdue on the road but that was just following the whole Pierce incident. Lose @ Wisconsin by 3 Beat Indiana @ Iowa Beat Minn @ Home Beat OSU @ Home Beat Iowa State (albeit ISU is much improved since then) Wins against Texas/Louisville Hell more I look at it, minus the poor stretch I think they deserve it as much as anyone else. Plus 19-10 and if they take at least one in BTT they are bubble, two and they are in.

QUOTE(Rex Hudler @ Mar 6, 2005 -> 11:53 AM) If I am looking at Iowa and Indiana and consider them to be close, there is no way in hell I would take Iowa. Sure they had big wins early, but they also had them with Pierce in the lineup. Without him they are a different team. IU lost a lot early, but they did so against cream of the crop competition and with youth. They have done nothing but improve since. I think the committee would take a team on the upswing more so than a team that did their best work in December. Yes, they have to look at a teams complete body of work, but they don't ignore how they are playing now. Ya, but Iowa seems to have rebounded from the Pierce lost. They did take out OSU the other day. Albeit it, it was a very close game as was the Michigan one. All I'm saying is IU has a worse RPI and not that great of a resume. Hell, I think the better odds are that neither Iowa or IU gets in, but if one of them does, I'm gonna bet that its the one that plays better in the BTT.

QUOTE(danman31 @ Mar 6, 2005 -> 11:51 AM) I don't think there is anyway Indiana should be in the tournament right now. They will have to make it to the finals of the BTT. Right now they have an ugly RPI of 69. 15-12 is not conference worthy either. Granted their SOS is pretty damn good at 16. They have 2 good wins: Michigan St. and Wisconsin, both at home. They lost @ Missouri which you could call a bad loss. They lost @ Northwestern, bad loss. They are 2-8 on the road this year. 6-4 in their last 10 isn't spectacular either. If they make the BTT final with a win over Illinois that might be enough. Minnesota would be a decent win as both teams are on the bubble and then beating Illinois would probably be needed as well. At that point, if they lose the BTT final they would be 17-13, 7-3 in their last 10, and 6-2 in their last 8. The nice finish with the big win would get them in. I don't see how Indiana gets in without beating Illinois though. The rest of their resume is ugly, a strong finish would have to be the capper. Well put Dan.

QUOTE(Rex Hudler @ Mar 6, 2005 -> 11:49 AM) Jason, I don't think you can or the committee will focus solely on that part of the season. Granted the early part of the season won't help IU a ton, but at the same time, I don't think it will hurt as much as you might think. Beating Minnesota will be a must. Staying competitive against Illinois in the semis is important as well. The committee looks beyond won-loss record. They look at how they finished the season. I do think the Charlotte game will at least be discussed. The fact they have consistently improved since December will help. IU's resume is not without flaws, so nothing is set in stone, but I don't think you can just look at the obvious and assume they won't get in. Alabama from last year is a perfect example. They got in at 16-13. I agree that it won't be the only thing. But its gonna be hard for them to let in a team with as poor of a record, especially since they had a few rough losses to pretty poor schools. Same can be said for Iowa so to speak. Hell, I think Iowa and IU are complete opposites. Iowa started the years as one of the better teams in the country and then sputtered in big ten play. However, they have came on again with there 3 game win streak and have some big wins. In my opinion, if the Big Ten gets in an extra team it will be one of Iowa or IU and it will be the one that plays best in the tourney. And if you want to talk close games, Iowa did send the Illini into OT on the road, which helps as well. Its gonna be an interesting Big Ten tourney. You also have to think about who goes out if one of Iowa/IU gets in the tourney.

If you look at RPI, which I think we all know the selection team does, you'll notice that Iowa's RPI is pretty good. I'm looking at a few sites and some have them in the 30 range, which is odd. I know they had some huge wins early in the year and with Louisville and Texas (2 teams they beat) playing well it bodes well for them if they can come up with, like I say, 2 wins in the tourney. Same goes for IU, imo, who in my mind gets hammered for the way they started the year.

Its all good. I squared everything away but Vazquez and whether you want him as your keeper or not. You could stick with your current team otherwise you and Cerb would swap picks of some sort. Vazquez lasted until way late in the draft. But just tell me. If you do stick with Vazquez, then Cerbaho can have access to anyone from the 4th round on.

Personally I think it takes two wins for IU just like it would for the Hawkeyes. One of them will make it. If both go deep then who knows. It will be interesting.

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Mar 6, 2005 -> 11:32 AM) Don't be so sure of that just yet....If we win on Friday, we're in. I can't see you guys getting in with such a lousy non-conference record. I realize you've played good basketball but you can't look past that awful start. As a Hawkeye fan I will say don't count the Hawks out. They've won 3 in a row and there RPI is at 51, which is pretty bad, but two good wins in the tourney and that RPI takes off and they show they have recovered from the removal of Pierre Pierce. However, if they don't make it, Alfords oustered and that may be the best thing of all.

QUOTE(Rex Hudler @ Mar 6, 2005 -> 11:31 AM) Do they have a shot at the NIT? Oh ya Plus both times they played Pacific they had a great shot at winning the game. Combined losses were less than 10 points which is good. As long as they don't choke and get upset in the 1st round, I think there is a good shot at the least they make the NIT. Unfortunately they'll never get a home NIT game since our schools arena is the size of my old high schools arena, lol.

QUOTE(danman31 @ Mar 6, 2005 -> 11:19 AM) What happened was OSU brought their A game on defense. It f***ed with the Illinois shooters. They aren't used to being guarded and all, lol. So they get some hands in their faces, they start missing, then they stop shooting. Once Dials got back on Augustine down the stretch the Illini had 0 offense to go to. Jason, OSU isn't eligible for the tourney, they are on probation. Otherwise they would probably be in with a couple wins in the BTT. They had lost 3 in a row before that game, which would have put them from being in to on the bubble imo. Also, I think Illinois didn't need to lose, but get tested. OSU would have given them the test if Illinois was able to pull this one off today. So I don't think the fact that they lost is beneficial, just the fact that they had a close game down the stretch. Dam i know Iowa is outside bubble and Iu ain't going so I wanted to see another b-10 team get in.

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Mar 6, 2005 -> 11:17 AM) We have Florida-Kentucky. Barf. Following that game is Unc-Duke

QUOTE(Brian @ Mar 6, 2005 -> 11:08 AM) That'll bring some of the cocky Illini fans back down to earth. Nobody here, but some I know personally. Illinois will still be #1 and get a #1 seed. What will suck is the people will argue that it was good that Illinois had a loss before the tourney, which I think is BS. Its not really BS. Imo, its not a bad thing nor is it a good thing. Some teams really feel the pressure and thats another story, but at this point, once your in the tourney everyteams ultimate goal is to go undeffeated. But the Illini are still the #1 team in the country, of course UNC is going to win it all

QUOTE(YASNY @ Mar 6, 2005 -> 11:07 AM) Ok, so now that the Illini have lost, if they lose in the BTT do they still go in as a #1 seed? Yes.

Then again, they must be under the cap, meaning salaries wouldn't have to even out. But if thats the case I find it hard pressed they'd do Harrington for Curry or anything along those lines. But If I were the Bulls, I may get tempted at something like that if Curry doesn't start rebounding and playing some defense. Because these past 10 days have been absolutely pathetic.

Cal State Fullerton clinched the 3rd seed in the Big West Tourney. They play this upcoming Thursday against the worse of the seeded teams. Hopefully they'll be able to win

Game Set Match, Powell misses the 3 pointer at the buzzer (airballs it) and the Illini are no longer unbeaten