Cards Show Heart in Thrillilng Comeback

Rick Pitino has won hundreds of games in his career.

I'm not sure he's had many more thrilling than today's miracle home win over Marquette.  Louisville trailed by 17 with less than five minutes to play, when all of a sudden Marquette went cold, Preston Knowles caught fire, and the crowd became electric.

Knowles had a lot to celebrate in the final 4:53

The Cards finished the game on a 26-8 run over the final five minutes, punctuated with the go-ahead layup with four seconds to play, when Preston Knowles found Kyle Kuric under the bucket for the uncontested score.

Marquette had a shot at the buzzer, but when Jimmy Butler's shot caught front iron, the Cardinals miracle comeback was complete.

Not only is it a thrilling win, it is likely an important one as well.  Marquette and Louisville, along with Cincinnati, St. Johns and possibly Notre Dame, could all find themselves in a bottle neck in the middle of the BEast standings, with only one or two likely to get the tourney nod.  The Cards snatched a valuable chip at the last possible moment today.  Time will tell if it was the one they needed to get into the Dance.
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Saturday Selections - The Maniac is Back

We've taken a hiatus from the prognosticating of late, but today Maniac is back with screaming vengeance and long slate of winners.  For the record, entering today we're sitting at 21-12-1 against the spread for the season.  That's throwin' darts my friends...


Missouri +5.5 @ Texas A&M
The Aggies have one of the best records in the country, but are seriously devoid of many quality wins worth boasting about.  They are going to have their hands full with the pressure and relentless scoring attack of the Tigers.  I like Mizzou winning outright in College Station, but love them getting 5.5.

Maryland @ Villanova -5.5
How bad is the ACC really??  Today might give us a nice glimpse when the Terps head over to Philly to meet Villanova.  The Wildcats are the quietest Top 10 team in the country, with their only loss coming in Knoxville on an afternoon where the Vols shot the lights out.  Aside from that, they've been perfect, including wins over Temple, Cincinnati and Louisville.  I think Maryland is one of the top three or four teams in the ACC, behind Duke (obviously), North Carolina and then lumped in that middle group with Boston College, Florida State and Virginia Tech.  Keeping that sort of company makes a 5-point spread at 'Nova seem way, way too low.  Gimme the Wildcats by double digits.


Georgia +4.5 @ Ole Miss
Georgia has as much talent as any team in the SEC outside of Kentucky.  They lost last week to Vandy, but played decently in the game; Vandy is just really good (and has the best player no one knows about, Jeff Taylor).  Georgia has played a solid schedule and taken a few lumps, but they are starting to become much better for it and are blossoming into an NCAA Tourney caliber team.

The Bulldogs are significantly better than Ole Miss on a neutral floor - so giving them 4.5 on the road seems too generous to pass up.  Gimme UGA in a road win "upset."

UCF @ Southern Miss - 3
Anyone reading this already knows I am an excessively-proud UCF alum.  You also have heard me pumping up Southern Miss and Gary Flowers as on of the true sleeper teams and players in the country and someone to watch in March.  So today - I have to put my money where my mouth is.  I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think I will be.  Gimme the Golden Eagles laying three.  I think I just spit up in my mouth a little bit.

San Diego State -1 @ New Mexico
New Mexico was one of the surprise teams last season, riding their fantastic MWC conference play to a gaudy record and a #3 seed in the NCAA Tourney.  San Diego State fits that identical profile this season, though their sights might be set even a little higher; a #1 seed isn't out of reach.  The other difference is Kawhi Leonard, the sophomore forward for the Aztecs, who is a legit NBA first rounder.

The other big factor?  New Mexico isn't very good this year.  Look at their record and their schedule.  A 35 point loss to an abysmal Cal team.  A 66-60 loss to Northern Iowa (also down from last season), and last week a loss at Wyoming.  How are they basically a pick-em with one of the ten best teams in the country? Is their home court advantage truly that formidable?

I don't know either.  Take the Aztecs.  I'll make that my lock of the day.

MANIAC'S PICKS:  SDSU-1 (lock), So Miss -3, Georgia +4.5, 'Nova -5.5, Mizz +5.5

Separation Wednesday in the BEast

Yesterday we talked about the great opportunity tonight - for completely different reasons - awaiting about a dozen Big East teams.  The scheduling Gods smiled on hoops fans, and laid out intriguing matchups all across the mega conference, giving us a chance to really begin to make some sense of who belongs where in the BEast.

Some made the most of it, and others had a night they'd soon forget.

It's definitely the latter for St. John's and Georgetown.

Tonight in the Garden the Johnnies had a chance to earn some respect around the neighborhood with a win over visiting Syracuse.  Instead, it was the Orange crushing the Red Storm, embarrassing St. Johns 76-59.  While the loss is disappointing for Lavin and the Red Storm, it is equally impressive for the 'Cuse.  At this point, it might be wise to heed Bobby Knight's advice and start lumping Syracuse in with Duke, Ohio State and Kansas when mentioning the nation's elite teams.

Speaking of elite teams, Pitt, as is becoming customary under Jamie Dixon, deserves to be on the short list as well.  Tonight's trip to Georgetown was much, much more important for Georgetown, yet the Hoyas fell to a stunning 1-4 in Big East play after being comfortably outplayed all night by the Panthers.  I've written it before but it merits repeating - this season is getting eerily reminiscent of two seasons past's Top10-turned NIT flop disaster.  And just like two years ago, heck, really last year's embarrassing opening round loss to #14 seed Ohio U as well), with the talent on John Thompson's roster, there's simply no excuse.

In the last real separation game tonight Louisville visited Villanova in an attempt to validate the national ranking many have questioned due to the relative lack of schedule strength thus far for the Cards.  It didn't work out quite as well as Pitino might have hoped.

Jay Wright, who along with Jamie Dixon, has to be one of the most criminally underrated coaches in the nation, is at it again this year, despite not having what many would consider to be a "star-studded" line-up.  In fact, had Bruce Pearl's suspension taken place earlier it's possible both Nova AND Pitt would be on the list of undefeated squads.

Tonight showed clearly what I have long suspected in regards to the Big East.  With the exception of Georgetown whom I was clearly over-enamored with, the league is beginning to settle into four quadrants.

TIER ONE:  Nationally Elite

Syracuse, Pitt, Villanova

TIER TWO: Likely Tourney Teams

UConn, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette

TIER THREE:  Tourney Caliber - Bubble Teams

Cincinnati (I know, 16-1, start emailing me hate mail before it's too late...), St. John's, West Virginia

TIER FOUR:  Not Tourney Teams

Seton Hall, Rutgers, USF, Providence

And DePAUL.  (seriously, can we just boot Providence and DePaul already and bring in TCU and UCF?).

MANIAC'S PICK:  The Maniac's gut feel - the BEast gets eight teams in the Dance, with Louisville, Cincinnati and St. John's clawing for the final spot of the eight.  Right now, due to sheer number of wins I'd wager Cincinnati saves Mick Cronin's job for another year.

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Tom Brady is a Huh??

You gotta love the blustering Jets.  Not wanting to be overshadowed by his loud-mouth coach, Antonio Cromartie decided to drop some profanity-laced blasts on the Golden Boy, Tom Brady; calling him an "asshole" among other things.

When asked to comment, Brady simply said "I've been called worse."

Rumor has it he was feeling kind of bad about the slight... then went home, looked in the mirror, shined his three Super Bowl rings, checked his bank balance and brought the wood to his internationally famous Supermodel wife.

There is NO truth to the rumor he also added, "Cromartie??  That guy's a real son of a bitch.  Actually, more like 'father of a bastard' - I'm an asshole?  That piece of s**t has more kids than Rex Ryan has foot-porn videos!  Seriously - that guys has FIVE 3-year olds - RIGHT NOW.  Five of 'em!  They asked him to name his kids on Hard Knocks and he stared at the camera like he was looking at his SATs! 

Holy s**t!  I'm an asshole?  I'm an asshole??  (laughing hysterically).  That's huh-freakin'-lairious!  Honey, can you do that a little faster?  Honey?  Thanks Gizelle.  Yeah, that feels good....  I'm an asshole... (laughing quieter now and smiling like the Cheshire Cat).

If you can READ the above article, watch this video clip... then call your Dad and thank him.

Antonio Cromartie And His Kids - watch more funny videos

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Gotta Love Jimmer

Seriously, how can you not love this kid?  He's like a white Steph Curry; a one-man scoring show.  He doesn't just score in absurd Pistol Pete-like quantities, he does it with a flair that is simply a blast to watch.

Even Jimmer might have outdone himself with this one last night.  Enjoy!



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A Learning Experience, Minus the Pearls of Wisdom

Knoxville, TN:  January 11th, 2011

Tennessee entered SEC play, and the beginning of Coach Bruce Pearl's suspension with a hard-fought overtime loss to the Florida Gators.  There are certainly lessons to be learned from any tough loss, however I'm not sure the Vols learned the right ones.

Time after time in the extra period Tennessee took contested shots, over-penetrated into charges, and generally played horrendous offense; the eventual result was the 81-75 loss.  Down the stretch in both regulation and OT Tennessee had a chance to do something every good team needs to do before March; learn how to win on your own.  

It's something Coach K has done artfully for decades down in Durham.  Early in every season, at a time his team hits a rough patch and momentum begins to turn, when the crowd becomes hostile and panic starts to set in as the game begins to slip away, Coach K folds his hands... and does nothing.  Dick Vitale goes hoarse screaming to "get a TO" but Coach never bites.  Sometimes, your teams needs to learn how to win on their own.

When Tennessee was faced with the first of many coach-less challenges this season, the response was less than encouraging for Vol fans; they shrunk, groused at officials, and unraveled.

Would Pearl on the bench have made the difference?  Honestly, in a game that went to overtime and a single quality possession could have made the difference, absolutely they win that game with Coach Pearl.  And it's not going to get easier for the Vols with a really good Vandy team coming to Knoxville Saturday looking to bury the Vols early behind an 0-2 start in the hyper-competitve SEC East.

Now for my favorite play, "Did you know I'm rich?"

Should Pearl even be sitting out at all?  It's an interesting question - one for an entirely different column one of these days.  But, for argument's sake consider this precedent:  Last year the NCAA suspended Dez Bryant for the entire season for lying to the NCAA.  The kicker?  What he lied about wasn't even a major infraction.  The draconian penalty was strictly for the lie.

The other kicker?  He is a kid.  Bruce Pearl, like Bryant's former coach, is "40" and a "grown man."  Quite simply - he should, and probably did, know better.  That knowledge is essentially incumbent upon his position as a leader and prominent figure earning seven-figures at Tennessee's largest state run university..

So while the Vols players' search for an identity not yet found in their incongruous 3-0 record versus ranked opponents overlaid against their 7-6 mark against those not, Pearl must search for a way to coach without "coaching."  Meanwhile Vol fans are learning important lessons in emotional balance as they ride the roller coaster, and UT officials are trying to decipher perhaps the most nebulous lesson; "how do we rationalize not firing this coach, because damn we really don't want to."  You see some lessons are learned on the court, and some are learned off - in both arenas I'm not sure Tennessee's players are learning the right ones...

Wednesday's Games to Watch

Tonight's slate features a great assortment of games, top teams facing off, upstart teams with good records but little substance with a chance to prove they belong, and a few teams already facing some desperate its-getting-late-too early- kind of games in which a loss is really damaging.

Here's a quick preview:


Nebraska @ Missouri - Mizzou should roll, but if the Huskers can go to Colombia and win, their 14-2 record starts to look better and better.

Syracuse @ St. John's - Ok Orange, you want to get included in the discussion with Duke, Kansas and Ohio State?  These are the types of games you need to win, and win convincingly.  For Lavin's Red Storm, knocking off 16-0 Syracuse could see them sneak into the Top 25 for the first time in a really long time.


Two more Big East gems; seriously, some nights when Rutgers, USF, DePaul and Providence go play quietly in the corner, you are treated to an absolute feast of amazing hoops.  Louisville @ Villanova and Pitt @ Georgetown both feature some interesting subplots.  For Lousiville, its a chance to nab a quality win they sorely need (and will fall out of the rankings with out) while for Georgetown, a huge home win over Pitt stops a free-fall that feels eerily reminiscent of last season's collapse.

St Bonaventure @ Temple - Another game where the ranked home team should win with ease, but the plucky upstart road challengers can legitimize the mild early success with a loud exclamation point.  The Bonnies are 9-5 but have played valiantly in the losses; including Virginia Tech and Marshall and stole a win over St. John's.

Michigan State Rallies for Huge Overtime Win

Excuse to get Sparty some face time.

Wow - ignore the comment in my earlier article about Michigan State dropping to 0-2 in conference play.

Impressive comeback win to force overtime and knock off a good Wisconsin Badger team.  Here's a good recap if you didn't catch it on ESPN:

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recap?gid=201101110358

Bringing the Thunder!

How dare you embarrass the puppet master!

I can admit when I look bad.

Right after touting Southern Miss as my sleeper tourney team I'm in love with, The Maniac is promptly rewarded with a horrifying 95-65 loss at Marshall.  The Thundering Herd pummeled the Golden Eagles in every way possible.

The saving grace for Southern Miss?  They shot 1 of 16 from distance.  Obviously it can be indicative of a real problem, but I'd chalk it up to one bad shooting night that snowballed early and rolled them over on the road against a pretty solid Marshall team who gave UCF everything they could handle earlier in the week in Orlando.

This Saturday we get an incredible "prove it" game for two of Conference USA's most intriguing new challengers to Memphis's throne.  The game tips at 5pm local time; 6pm for us folks on the east coast.  It might be hard to find - I can usually pick 'em up on channelsurfing.net...

More Buy & Sell (as Promised)

Back for part two - let's take a look at five more intriguing teams...

Purdue - BUY
Why has no one latched on to the Boilermakers yet?  This is a 14-1 team that returns four starters and two All-American candidates playing opposite positions.  They control the ball and tempo well.  They play cohesively as a team.  The can shoot from the perimeter and defend the interior.  So why no love for the grown-up Baby Boilers?

Because the most heralded of the Baby Boiler class, Robbie Hummel, is losing another season after tearing his ACL in preseason practice.  With Hummel?  I think you are talking about the four elite teams instead of three.  Without him?  This is still a really, really good ballclub and the most legitimate threat to challenge Ohio State for the Big Ten championship. 

I'm buying on the Boilers - the Final Four caliber team everyone forgot.

Missouri - BUY
This is my other Final Four sleeper.  Missouri creates havoc with their insane tempo and ability to give team's Nolan Richardson-esque 40 minutes of hell type ballgames.  Kansas grabs the headlines, and K-State was the preseason darling, but Missouri and Texas are right there with the big boys. 

I wouldn't say they are a Final Four favorite, but with the right draw (i.e. avoid Duke, one of the few teams that matches up ideally with them), I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see them playing the season's final weekend.

Syracuse - HOLD
There are five unbeaten teams in the country.  There's a reason everyone talks about a "Big Three."   Syracuse may be great, they may be good, they may be completely average.  It's hard to tell.

The win last week over Notre Dame was a good one, but our feelings on Notre Dame have already been espoused.  Their only other "big" win came over a horribly underachieving Michigan State team that has fallen out of the polls, and at time of writing is in danger of falling to 0-2 in the Big Ten with losses at Penn State and Wisconsin at home...

They are deeper than a year ago, nine or ten players log double-digit minutes most nights.  Scoop Jardine and Kris Joseph have done a nice job picking up the scoring deficiencies, but the Orange still lack the dead-eye outside assassin like Andy Rautins provided the past four seasons, and more glaringly - the All-American do-everything swingman Wesley Johnson.

I think the Orange are a Top Four Big East team, but ultimately see them sliding behind Pitt and Villanova before the season ends.

Southern Miss - BUY
Yeah, I know - I've been puffing Southern Miss as my sleeper team for a couple of weeks.  So how did Gary Flowers and Co. repay me?  By lacing 'em up for a 94-64 stinkbomb at Marshall this weekend past.  Thanks a ton.  Tough week for the Golden Eagles, perhaps someone can cheer them up with a text of Farve's wang...

Disappointing loss aside, now's the time to buy.  I still think the Golden Eagles get in the Dance, and have three Conference USA teams getting in this year, the year of the very, very soft bubble and traditional mid-majors slumping.  This Saturday's visit from UCF will tell a lot about each team's mettle.  I'm really looking forward to that game.


Washington - SELL
It's never a good thing for an alleged power conference when, coming off a year of TWO NCAA Tourney teams, the top team in the league is ranked #23 in the country and recently lost their point guard (Abdul Gaddy) for the remainder of the season due to injury.

The saving grace for the Huskies might be the fact that as BAD as the Pac-10 was last year... this year they might be worse.  Yes, some teams have improved; Arizona, Washington St, Stanford - but none of them would be safely "in" if the season ended today.

Washington is by no means a lock to make the tourney, and if they stumble significantly, we could actually be looking at a season where only the conference tourney champ makes the Dance.

Ouch...

Tomorrow - Ten more on the slab - Mid-Major Edition; Memphis, Gonzaga, St. Mary's, Xavier, UCF, Richmond, James Madison, Missouri State, Valparaiso, and Utah State.

Buy, Sell & Hold - Taking Stock of the National Landscape

I swear we were writing this column well before Colin Cowherd started doing it... seriously!  I promise...

Anyhow - thanks to the ubiquity of the column, I'll spare the explanation and dive right in.

Duke - BUY
I've written since the fourth week of November, Duke can seriously run the table.  I know, I know, but Maryland almost beat them in Durham last night.  First, no, they didn't "almost beat them."  They played them close for about 38 minutes, which is impressive and not many teams will do, but at no point was Duke a possession away from being beaten.  Even when the score was close, one never got the feeling the Devils were in precarious territory.

The ACC is down, they've already mowed through an excellent non-conference schedule that featured at least seven NCAA Tourney teams (unless the bizarre K-State slide gets out of of control).  With or without Kyrie Irving, this is the best team in the country.  I've gone on record as saying Jared Sullinger is my National POY - but if the voting was today, Nolan Smith is second.

It's hard to "buy" when a team is 16-0 and ranked #1 in the country, but I don't care.  Duke is deep, poised, impossible to press and athletic on the interior for the first time in a long time.  They have no real discernable weakness other than perhaps the possibility of become a tad too jump shot reliant. 


Notre Dame - SELL
I wrote this before the blitzing they took from Marquette tonight, so it seems a bit more obvious now.  My point was simply, ignore polls.  The Irish are good but nowhere close to the eighth best team in the country.  By March, I see them slotting in close to where they did last year; around a #6 seed, and finishing in the top half, but not top quarter, of the Big East.  They've been a great story, but objectively are not as good as Syracuse, Villanova or Pitt.  Despite Georgetown's struggles I'd put the Hoyas ahead of them talent-wise as well - and in the same bubble with Marquette and St. John's (though ahead of both).


St John's - BUY
Speaking of the Johnnies, they aren't ranked, mainly because of two putrid early losses to Fordham and St. Bonnie.  Since then, they have raced out to a 3-1 start in Big East play and can make a viable case for being the fifth or sixth best team in that league.  I like St. John's to finish above .500 in conference and make a surprising return to the tourney in Coach Lavin's first year.  Plus, isn't it a hoot seeing Gene Keady and the comb-over on the bench as Lav's reverse-role assistant?!?

San Diego State - HOLD
Look, the Aztecs are good.  They are really good.  Before the season ever tipped I tabbed them as the best team out West, and still believe that.  However, I'm struggling to see them go much higher than #5 (where they sit this week).  The Mountain West is good.  Far more deserving of the Pac-10, and frankly every bit as good overall as the ACC, minus Duke. 

Let's see how they handle BYU and UNLV coming up.  Tear through them, and we'll talk.  Until then, the sting of New Mexico's dismal tourney showing last season still hovers in my mind a bit...

Texas - BUY
The Longhorns are my sleeper Final Four team.  Yes, they will suffer some losses in the brutal Big 12, but this team is starting to gel, has nice blend of youthful talent, experience and a legit All-American in Jordan Hamilton.  Rick Barnes may care more about getting players to the NBA than winning, but this year they'll show the two ideals are not mutually exclusive.

Five more tomorrow when we examine Purdue, Missouri, Syracuse, Southern Miss and Washington.

Wierd Week for the Reigning People's Champion

Technically Duke is the reigning champs, but in an homage to the heyday of WWF wrestling, I've crowned Butler the People's Champ.  The "Boise State football" of the NCAA Tournament, if you will.

The season started rough for the champs, despite high expectations.  Nearly every key contributor returned except Gordon Hayward who rode a hot March to a lottery selection in the NBA Draft (great move b.t.w, his stock was never getting any higher).  Shelvin Mack, Matt Howard and Ronald Nored remainied, giving Butler a core group that many thought could make another deep tourney run.

The first chink in the armor was a thorough dismissal by a young and inexperienced Louisville club the first week of the season.  Subsequent losses to Evansville and Xavier were even more disappointing.  But nothing compared to the roller coaster of last week.

The week began with a humiliating 76-52 loss to Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  If you are thinking "those guys are pretty good, right?" you are thinking back to Bruce Pearl's Sweet Sixteen run there five years and dozens of recruiting violations ago.  The Phoenix are 3-3 in the pedestrian Horizon League, and just 8-9 overall.

Push the panic button right?  Next time out Butler laid the lumber to their foremost conference rival Cleveland State by nearly the same score; 79-56.

Struggles aplenty, but still pointing to the NCAA Tourney

Tonight?  They needed a late rally to slip past lowly Youngstown State 84-79, thanks in large part to Shelvin Mack's 29 points.

Long term view?  I think Butler wins the Horizon League and I still they are a dangerous tournament team floating somewhere around the 7 to 9 line.  It is a little odd and concerning to get such erratic play from such a veteran team, but so is the case this year in college hoops outside of six or seven steady reliable teams (and three elite ones). 

Up next for Butler is a tricky weekend with trips to an improved Detroit and a decent Wright State team.  Win both, and we're ready to declare the 'Dogs back on track.  Struggle in one or two, and Butler finds themselves in recently unthinkable territory - looking squarely at the NIT.
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Three for All - Checking in at the Mid Way Point

Conference play is in full swing and the national landscape is starting to take form.  We have our surprises, disappointments and emerging story lines - teams and players from schools we've never even considered rooting for who capture our fancy and take us on a fantastic ride through March.

Here's three for the road:

Players You May Not, But Should Know About:
*  Klay Thompson, Washington State
*  Gary Flowers, Southern Miss
*  John Leuer - Wisconsin

Three Best Non-BCS Leagues in 2011
*  Mountain West
*  Conference USA
*  Atlantic 10

Next Best Three:
*  Colonial
*  Missouri Valley
*  Horizon League

Three Best Players in the Country:
*  Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
*  Kemba Walker, UConn
*  Kyle Singler, Duke

Three Most Important Players to Their Team:
*  Kemba Walker, UConn
*  David Lighty, Ohio State
*  Nolan Smith, Duke


Three More From Some Different Teams:
*  Jimmer Fredette - BYU
*  JuJuan Johnson - Purdue
*  Kawhi Leonard - San Diego St.

Three Best Teams in the Country, and it's not even close:
*  Duke
*  Ohio State
*  Kansas


Three Teams No One is Talking About With Final Four Potential:
*  Purdue
*  Texas
*  Illinois


Three Most Disappointing Teams So Far:
*  Kansas State
*  Michigan State
*  Virginia Tech

Three Best Mid Major Teams (Not in the MWC):
*  Temple
*  St. Mary's
*  Richmond


Three Mid-Majors Who Aren't There Yet, But Will Surprise Down the Stretch:
*  Southern Miss
*  Dayton
*  Butler

Three Mid-Majors You're Used to Seeing Dance Who Will Be on the Bubble (or worse):
*  Xavier
*  Gonzaga
*  Memphis

Best Conferences Top to Bottom:
*  Big 12
*  Big Ten
*  Big East

Three Best Coaching Jobs in 2010-2011:
*  Donnie Jones, UCF
*  Steve Fischer, San Diego St.
*  Matt Painter, Purdue


Three Worst Coaching Jobs:
*  Frank Martin, Kansas State
*  Roy Williams, North Carolina
*  Mike Montgomery, Cal


My National POY Ballot if Submitted Today:
*  Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
*  Nolan Smith, Duke
*  Kemba Walker, UCONN

Three Most Important Freshman (without a broken toe...)
*  Sullinger, obviously...
*  Terrance Jones, Kentucky
*  Josh Selby, Kansas


Three Conferences That Will Get MORE Teams in the Dance Than the Pac-10:
*  Mountain West
*  Conference USA
*  Atlantic 10

Three Programs That SHOULD be Good, but Aren't:
*  Michigan
*  DePaul
*  Cal


Three Ranked Teams That Won't Be in Three Weeks:
*  UCF  (Sorry Knight fans, but it's true...)
*  Cincinnati
*  Texas A&M


Three Unranked Teams That WILL:
*  Georgia
*  St. Mary's
*  North Carolina


And last, but not least - Gun to My Head - Pick Your Final Four:
1.  Duke
2.  Ohio State
3.  Purdue
4.  Pitt

If I Had Some Guts I'd Take:
1.  Texas
2.  San Diego State
3.  Kentucky
4.  Missouri

Have some more threes??  Leave 'em below - argue, disagree??  Great.  Gimme three better!!