Yahoo! Sports Post

Hey guys-- Just a quick note. A column I wrote for The Pitt News was posted on Yahoo! Sports. I will paste the link below if you want to see it. I am very excited. Haha.

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/news?slug=uwire-commentaryfinalfourwithout&prov=uwire&type=lgns

Believe me, this is not bragging. This is me being giddy while owning the maturity of an 6-year-old boy drinking Dr. Pepper before going to Disney World.

MLB Preview

OK folks, I am going to undertake a large project in one sitting. I am going to do the unimaginable and accurately predict the final standings of every division in Major League Baseball. Based on what? I really have no response, but I was pretty close with my mid-season projections last year so hopefully I'll see half of that success this year. To the preview:

AL EAST
New York Yankees 98-64
Boston Red Sox 93-69
Toronto Blue Jays 84-78
Tampa Bay Devil Rays 75-87
Baltimore Orioles 68-94

AL CENTRAL
Cleveland Indians 96-66
Chicago White Sox 91-71
Minnesota Twins 78-84
Detroit Tigers 77-85
Kansas City Royals 61-101

AL WEST
Los Angeles Angels 95-67
Oakland Athletics 94-68
Seattle Mariners 76-86
Texas Rangers 73-89

1. NY Yankees 2. Cleveland 3. LA Angels 4. Oakland

ALCS- Cleveland vs. Oakland

Winner- Cleveland

NL EAST
New York Mets 90-72
Atlanta Braves 88-74
Philadelphia Phillies 83-79
Washington Nationals 76-86
Florida Marlins 51-111

NL CENTRAL
St. Louis Cardinals 101-61
Milwaukee Brewers 93-69
Houston Astros 84-78
Pittsburgh Pirates 77-85
Chicago Cubs 73-89
Cincinnati Reds 65-97

NL WEST
San Diego 81-81
Los Angeles Dodgers 77-85
San Francisco Giants 74-88
Colorado Rockies 71-91
Arizona Diamondbacks 66-96

1. St. Louis 2. NY Mets 3. Milwaukee 4. San Diego

ALCS- St. Louis-NY Mets

Winner- St. Louis

World Series Pick- Cleveland over St. Louis

Yeah, I said it.

Barry Who?

I am not going to write a 27-page post about Barry Bonds because, frankly, the jerk isn't worth my time. My time? I'm a 19-year-old blogger and the childish manbeast isn't worth my two cents. What is? College basketball! *high fives*

I have to say I'm impressed with the Cinderellas this year. George Mason and Wichita State will be a fantastic matchup. Like I said in the last post, Bradley really impressed me. I'm more than excited for the big games starting Thursday. The weekend presents much more pressure-filled games and that makes it so exciting.

I will just do picks this post. I'm basically writing without thinking ahead, you know, like Scoop Jackson or something.

DUKE- LSU- I have to pick Duke because there's really no use in picking against them. LSU is good, but I think they need one more season before they are a Final Four contender. To any gamblers out there: Bet on Duke. Never go against Duke. Even if they lose occasionally, always take them until the Final Four. They actually rarely seem to win it all, but they ALWAYS make it. Duke by four.

West Virginia-TEXAS- West Virginia is my favorite team left in the field. I love shooting threes, the 1-3-1 zone and teams with lots of scrappy white guys. Who doesn't? See: The 80's Celtics. Everybody loved them. But I will say this, Texas has a lineup that could compete with the Charlotte Bobcats. PJ Tucker reminds me of Charles Barkley and, those of you who know me well, know that I hate comparing players to other players. There are always similarities but they are NEVER the same player. I'm rambling. Focus. Texas will overpower WVU but the Mountaineers will make it interesting. Texas by two.

Bradley-MEMPHIS- The Braves have had a nice week in the spotlight and they are surely not taking it for granted. I don't think Bradley is going to let up either. This game is not going to be a blow out and it's certainly going to have some interesting matchups. Who will guard Patrick O'Bryant? Marcellus Sommerville and Rodney Carney match up well...In fact, this game seems like it will come down to who knows winning more. Calipari has that edge of Jim Les in the coaching category. Memphis by three.

UCLA-GONZAGA- Yeah, I picked Gonzaga in my Final Four. Why?

OK, I really don't have an answer to that question. I thought they looked good. Adam Morrison and company score so easily that they will make any defense look poor. And Ben Howland can't get out of the Sweet 16. Remember? REMEMBER?!?! Pitt fans, I'm looking at you. Gonzaga by five.

UCONN-Washington- This game will be boring. UConn will coast. UConn by seven.

WICHITA STATE-George Mason- I know my roommate Ken disagrees with me, but I think Wichita State will win this game. They lost the BracketBuster Weekend matchup with George Mason and I think they've improved since. They will get revenge and show their big-game confidence early and often. State by six.

NOVA-BC- I actually heard someone say BC's big men will overwhelm 'Nova and BC will somehow win. What about Villanova's guards overwhelming Hinnant and company in the BC backcourt? BC has no backcourt. Jared Dudley will be taken to the cleaners by the smarter, better and quicker Randy Foye. And plus, I go by a rule: Never pick Florida or BC past the Sweet 16, they will ruin your bracket. 'Nova by 11.

GEORGETOWN-Florida- The Hoyas should've been a higher seed, but it doesn't matter because at this point, you play with the hand given. And who has done a better job doing that than Georgetown? Florida is vulnerable in the halfcourt and that's what separates the teams. G'Town by four.

I will be wrong on all of these but I like making picks because it gives you ideas as to who you should pick- everyone I pick against.

Goodnight.

Opening Round Superlatives

Well, my first ever NCAA tournament as a media member turned out to be pretty sweet. I got to meet some cool fans, some nice writers and even better, I saw some great basketball. I couldn't have asked for better games than the ones I saw with Northwestern State and Iowa, West Virginia and Southern Illinois and Friday's finale, Kansas and Bradley.

Props to Bradley for playing their hearts two games in a row against easily more athletically talented teams. To me, it seems like some teams just don't play very hard for 30 or 35 minutes and then turn it on. If Kansas or Pitt played like they actually cared, they could've blown out Bradley. It just looked like they could care less about the environment or the importance of their game.

Okay, well, I enjoyed the weekend so I might as well describe it all to you.

We pulled up to the Palace at Auburn Hills and I suddenly realized what I was doing. I was about to do something I'd been dreaming of since I was five. We walked into the Palace media entrance and cleared security. We approached the row tables where the media relations interns were hanging out, flashed our IDs and collected our little name tags.

A big "M" stood out as identification that granted access to the depths of the Palace. We followed a plush rug that led us down the gaping cement hallways toward the media workroom. We walked into the media room and saw pure mayhem.

Writers, cameramen, broadcasters and officials milled around the gigantic media epicenter of the Palace. Everyone was in high spirits at the outset of the competition, only to be fatigued and a little less excited by Sunday morning. We found the media buffet-- a room decorated like a fine restaurant-- and immediately dug in. Delicious chicken sandwiches, roast beef, several drinks, Reese's Pieces chewy cookies, anything you could possibly fathom, it was there.

CBS had their own break room and buffet. They seemed like they owned the entire operation, which is probably the case. Verne Lundquist resembled a small bowling ball with legs and sweet glasses. He was a nice man. Bill Raftery was very tall. He seemed like he was friends with everyone in the media at the event, chatting up every guy that approached him.

But anyway, the floor literally bumps when the fans are into the game. You can sense the tension of the tournament in the air. The games seem faster than any regular season game I've attended, in fact, the pace is almost frantic. Even teams that run halfcourt offenses and slow-paced games still seem rushed.

The bands were all fantastic and the cheerleaders were really into their routines. The fans all cheered mostly for their clubs and I noticed the lack of any negative yelling or defamatory comments coming from the crowd. In other words, the crowd was nothing like the Oakland Zoo.

Nonetheless, I spent two nights in a hotel and three days watching basketball. I saw five games in three days in person and many more on television. I also listened to most of Sunday's action on the radio, which made things a lot different but also more fun to hear the excitement instead of seeing commercials every ten seconds. Overall, it was a fantastic experience and I would love to do it regularly for the rest of my life. I fully expect to be back next year wherever Pitt plays. Here are some superlatives.

BEST BAND-- Kansas
BEST MASCOT-- Southern Illinois
BEST UNIFORMS-- Kansas
BEST GAME-- Kansas-Bradley
BIGGEST SURPRISE-- Northwestern State beating Iowa...what a game!
BIGGEST LETDOWN-- Southern Illinois
BEST DUNK-- Sam Young's pullback windmill against Kent State
BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE-- Clifton Lee vs. Iowa; Marcellus Sommerville vs. Kansas
BEST TEAM PERFORMANCE-- West Virginia vs. Southern Illinois
BEST FANS-- Kansas
MOST ANIMATED COACH-- Bill Self, Kansas
JERK OF THE WEEKEND-- Steve Alford. He just yelled at everyone, even his assistants and players.
MOST WHITE GUYS-- Definitely Iowa.

That's it, folks. Be back soon.

Big East Babble: Day Four

Well, it was an exciting four days of Big East basketball. I would argue that any of the teams between West Virginia and Syracuse would finish second in the ACC. I just don't think any of the ACC teams are remotely as tough as the BEast clubs. 'Cuse ran the table as a nine seed. The parity between even the 10 seed and the top seed is alarming. Duke would lose five games in this league.

Enough of the rant. Syracuse won in a great finale to a great week. Expect at least, at least eight bids out of the Big East. I think Seton Hall and Cincinnati are better than any other team on the bubble and the tournament wouldn't be quite as competitive if either of them are kept out.

Just some final thoughts on the game...

-Pitt should've have won this game, no doubt about it. They missed so many golden opportunities to carry the momentum to a lead. I think that they learned a valuable lesson in competition tonight and see them carrying their momentum into the tournament.

-Boy did the refs miss that foul on Krauser or what? Could he have been hit any harder? Higgins tried to make up for it by calling the blocking foul on Devendorf, but the damage was already done at that point. I still credit Syracuse for the gutsy performance and strong finish to the game, but it's disappointing to see a call missed when it's that important.

-I would not want to play Syracuse this week. I think they will lose in the second round to a higher seed, but in the mean time, they are a hot pick to make a run in a lot of people's brackets.

Pitt will make it to the Sweet 16 with the potential to surprise some people and make it deeper. Syracuse will win a game or two, but I don't see them getting beyond the Sweet 16.

Monday will be a big day for us, so enjoy Sunday!

Bracket Banter

Let's run down my top 24 teams and their seeds.

1 seeds, in order highest to lowest, go to:

Duke, Villanova, UConn and Memphis

Same deal for the 2s:

Gonzaga, Texas (if they win the Big 12), Ohio State and Pitt

3s:

LSU, North Carolina, UCLA and Boston College

4s:

Illinois, Georgetown, Kansas, Florida

5s:

George Washington, Tennessee, Michigan State, Iowa

6s:

Washington, Marquette, West Virginia, NC State


That's it for now. We'll see how it all turns out.

Big East Babble: Day Three

First off, I'd like to say that everyone should include Allan Ray in their thoughts and prayers tonight as he battles with what looked to be a very severe eye injury. It's moments like that that force us to step back from sports and think in broader terms.

Nonetheless, it was another day of brilliant competition and passion at Madison Square Garden. Syracuse has basically willed their way into the championship, running on heart and soul. The last three days' performances by Gerry McNamara will be remembered for years to come. I'd say, in my lifetime, his week has been one of the best weeks I can recall during Championship Week.

The third win in three days for Pitt came in the form of a bittersweet shock. However, the win is still over a very good Villanova team. With or without Allan Ray, 'Nova poses a major threat to win the national title. The potentially season-ending injury could provide some fuel to 'Nova's fire. Nonetheless, Pitt did what a team needs to do to beat 'Nova: rebound, limit second chances and take full advantage of your offensive possessions.

In my mind, you can beat 'Nova this way--

1) If you pressure their guards and force them to play 100% full speed every possession, you can wear them down. With plenty of guards to rotate in and out, Pitt had the personnel to wear out Lowry, Nardi, Foye and Ray, when he played. The physicality of Pitt's guards made it a lot more difficult for 'Nova to get into the lane. In the tournament, teams will have to do the same thing to slow down 'Nova. You cannot stop 'Nova's guards, you can only slow them down and limit their offensive explosiveness.

2) Rebound, rebound, rebound. If you limit 'Nova to one and done possessions, you can control the tempo of the game. Clearing out the smaller, quicker guards helps the opponent gain a nice rebounding margin. Pitt has quick guards that rebound just as well as 'Nova's guards. This made it difficult for Villanova to play their game. Inside, 'Nova does not have the horses to battle with deep benches filled with fresh post players. If a team has more than one or two post threats, the strain on Will Sheridan and Jason Fraser becomes unbearable.

3) Slow down! No one can run with Villanova. Yeah, I said it, no one. So instead of trying to fight fire with fire like the Bush administration, why not take the legs out from under 'Nova--literally? If you slow your possessions down and maximize each one, you'll limit their offense. If you can take 30 seconds off the clock and get a lay up, why push things? Their inside presence on defense is mediocre at best. Sheridan and Fraser can't guard any of the top post corps in the country. They can limit post production but if you hammer at Sheridan and Fraser, they will foul out, leaving 'Nova with... Shane Clark, Dante Cunningham and Chris Charles.

It's not as easy as I make it out to be. 'Nova has figured out several ways to really hide their faults. If Allan Ray can come back healthy, this team is still my favorite to win the NCAA title. They are so quick and so smart with the basketball. But if Ray is out, they are down to really a six- or seven-man rotation, and that's trouble.

Tomorrow night's game prediction--

Syracuse vs. Pitt. I think Pitt will win this game. Syracuse is running on just pure adrenaline and passion. Unfortunately for 'Cuse, they only play about seven guys. Pitt has three more players that they use regularly. This makes them the more rested team of the two. Not to mention the fact that Syracuse has won three games in three days by a combined total of 4 points, meaning they are mentally and emotionally drained.

Pitt wins by three.

Big East Babble: Day Two

It was another special day for college basketball, particularly at the Big East tournament in New York City. Syracuse shocked Connecticut with a gritty performance thanks to Gerry McNamara's leadership and the big guys stepping up their games. Georgetown enjoyed Dominic James' poor shooting to take a close one. Villanova-- surprise, surprise-- killed Rutgers in the second half (like I thought they would), winning by 30-plus. But the biggest game of the night was a rough struggle between Pitt and West Virginia in the third installment of the Backyard Brawl. Pitt won by 11.

-Can you think of another guy who you would want taking a last-second shot than Gerry McNamara at this point in the season? The only other guy I think people would choose is Adam Morrison because of Redick's recent struggles. McNamara did more than hit the game-tying three, he distributed the ball extremely well and carried his team to overtime. I was wrong about Syracuse and I can admit it. They will pose a quality threat to Georgetown tomorrow night.

-Georgetown didn't really impress me with their play on Wednesday or Thursday, yet they're still alive in the tournament with a great chance to make the finals. I like their mixture of players, they just seem to stick around in every game. Marquette seems like a team that could very well make a Sweet 16 run or flop in the first round. In fact, I don't know about either Georgetown or Marquette in terms of consistency. I just see them either totally flopping or making a big run. No in-betweens.

-Villanova is just too good. I don't know what to really say. They control the game with their guard play-- obviously-- and just seem too tough to really lose. I only see about three other teams in the country that could beat them: UConn, Duke and Gonzaga. I think the 'Cats would have trouble guarding JP Batista AND Adam Morrison.

-Pitt managed to roll in the second half after a terrible start. I think the key for them was staying close in the first despite struggling immensely. The guard play of Pitt could end up troubling 'Nova. The difference in experience will probably make it 'Nova's game to lose, but Pitt has the athletes. I like Fields, Krauser, Ramon, Graves and Benjamin. Those five could help challenge the four guard tandem from Villanova.

Tomorrow's games--

Georgetown vs. Syracuse- I think 'Cuse will win. I think they have all the momentum. Fatigue won't be an issue as both teams have played two days in a row. It'll come down to grittiness, and right now, Gerry Mac and his club are the toughest of the tough. Call it 'Cuse by four.

Pitt vs. 'Nova- This is going to be a good one. I think the guard play of Pitt might be able to challenge 'Nova. The key for Pitt is getting Gray and Young involved. If Kendall is back and healthy, that will help Pitt. They need as many guys down low to rebound and scrap as possible. The guards will be neutralized by 'Nova's guys, but the personnel for 'Nova is lacking after Fraser and Sheridan. If Pitt can wear down those two and get to the tin, they could have a shot. I just think Villanova is too good. 'Nova by six.

Goodnight folks.

Big East Babble

The Big East tournament started with a bang today what with Gerry McNamara's game-winning three and Jim Boeheim's tirade in the postgame press conference. We then saw Georgetown squeak one out against an unlucky Notre Dame team that was widely considered a tournament team at the outset of the season. Rutgers and Seton Hall had a nice little fiesty game even though it wasn't really close for most of the second half. And Pitt, oh, Pitt, storming out to a lead and then quitting with about three minutes left in the first half. Just some quick thoughts:

-Cincinnati is probably still in. They'd done enough before the game and everyone assumed they were in. They have some quality wins over West Virginia and Marquette paired with an SOS of 4. Doug Gottlieb couldn't stop talking about the Bearcats' record since Armein Kirkland went down, but I think he's missing the point: It's a credit to Cincinnati that they're still competitive and winning without their third best player. I think the Selection Committee will also consider all the turmoil around the program and the fact that Andy Kennedy still won 19 games with them. Cincinnati is in and dangerous.

-Gerry McNamara just reinforced everything I wrote about March Madness on the 6th. He hit a running three after splitting two defenders? Are you kidding me? What a shot. I love March.

-Jim Boeheim was hilarious in the postgame press conference. I thought he would understand that kids writing for a student newspaper are trying to make a name for themselves, you know, separate their writing from the crowd. Apparently he doesn't. Thirty years in the business and he's reacting to the Syracuse University student newspaper?

-Georgetown seems doomed for an upset. I just have this vision of them as a 5 seed, losing to Wisconsin-Milwaukee or UNC-Wilimington. Imagine if they advanced to the Sweet 16 as a 4 or 5 to play Duke. How big would that be? Duke would DESTROY them in a rematch, especially if it were in Atlanta.

-Notre Dame had a season that just went everywhere but up. It seems like they climbed on a plateau in January and never dropped off or improved. They're like that kid in high school who tries so hard in school but never quite gets the A's he wants, settling for B+'s and B's, and then during finals week, he gets a 39 on the final exam and finishes with a C. Gotta love that guy.

-Is Quincy Douby the ugliest player in college basketball? I think we should have a running tab of the ugliest players around. The biggest competition, at least off the top of my head, would be Donald Copeland from Seton Hall (two ugly guys in the same game today!), Shelden Williams at Duke, Jared Dudley at Boston College and Eric Devendorf at Syracuse. Speaking of Syracuse, Terence Roberts and Daryl Watkins are hideous, too.

-Seton Hall is still in as well. I think they've done enough in terms of big wins to get in. They had some embarrassing losses down the stretch, but the shades of quality basketball we saw when they beat Pitt, NC State, West Virginia and Cincinnati is enough to intrigue the Selection Committee. They will pose a decent threat as a seed somewhere between 8 and 12.

-The night cap offered a tale of two halves. Pitt stormed out to a 35-7 lead, but faltered in the waning minutes of the first half, scoring just 4 points in three minutes. Louisville torched Pitt for 22 minutes with a torrid comeback, cutting the lead to 57-54 with about a minute to play. But for the first time all season, Pitt's free throw shooting guided them to victory.

-Carl Krauser was huge for Pitt. They still need to beat West Virginia if they want a 3 seed and a legitimate shot at making the Sweet 16 and beyond. They cannot be in the top of a bracket because they cannot beat Duke, UConn, 'Nova or Memphis/Texas/Gonzaga.

-Was that interview with Carl Krauser's mom as awkward for you as it was for me? The ESPN sideline reporter kept trying to get her to explain the "X" sign that Carl shows after doing something big for his team. She told him once but he didn't understand her. She told him the first time that it was because Carl was from the Bronx. He asked her why he did it. She said because he is from the Bronx. He wondered where it came from. "He's from the Bronx," she said. "That's where he was born. That's where he grew up. That's why he does it." So awkward.

-Is there anything funnier than the sideline moms? See: Mrs. Bettis during the Steelers playoff run. They always seem to have either 18 or 19 other people in their clan or a husband that defers to them in every interview. When the reporter finds them, the questions asked are so blatantly awful that even I feel awkward when I'm watching through a TV screen thousands of miles away.

That's it for tonight. Predictions for the Big East quarterfinals:

-UConn will smother 'Cuse and win by 12.

-Marquette will beat Georgetown in a close game by three.

-'Nova will smoke Rutgers. I have a feeling it will be a decent game for 30 minutes but 'Nova will pull away. 'Nova by 14.

-Pitt will beat West Virginia. Yeah, I said it. Call it a 2-point win for Pitt.

Goodnight folks.

End of the Season Awards

Well folks, I've finally got some time to give you my first and second All-America teams and all the conference picks you could ask for. I will include Coach of the Year, Player of the Year and the teams I think that will play in the NCAA tournament. If you have any questions, comments or even hate mail, send it my way.

FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICA

G Brandon Roy
G JJ Redick
F Adam Morrison
F Nick Fazekas
C Shelden Williams

SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICA

G Randy Foye
G Maurice Ager
F PJ Tucker
F Rudy Gay
C Terence Dials

COACH OF THE YEAR-- Roy Williams just barely over Bruce Pearl

PLAYER OF THE YEAR-- Adam Morrison


AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Larry Harrison of Hartford took his team from worst to third in just one season.
Player of the Year-- Kenny Adeleke, also from Hartford, led the conference in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage while finishing second in shots blocked. Jamar Wilson was the best player on the best team, Albany, but Adeleke dominated the conference all season.
Bids-- Albany

ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Karl Hobbs of George Washington who won 26 games, lost just one (on the road at NC State) and is now a hot coaching prospect around the country.
Player of the Year-- Mardy Collins of Temple played at both ends of the floor all season. He scored 17.1 points per game while still collecting five rebounds, adding four assists and taking two steals a game.
Bids-- George Washington

ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Roy Williams of North Carolina. He took a team considered no better than fifth-best in the ACC and won 21 games, beat Duke and put the Tar Heels in the running for a potential 2-seed. Al Skinner was close in this for me after guiding Boston College to an 11-5 finish in a tough conference, representing the old Big East well.
Player of the Year-- JJ Redick of Duke. It's kind of obvious, do I really need to explain why?
Bids-- Duke, North Carolina, Boston College, NC State and Florida State

ATLANTIC SUN CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Rick Byrd of Belmont. He got his team to the NCAA tournament, what else do you want from him?
Player of the Year-- Justin Hare of Belmont played like a pro in the conference tournament. But this award is for the regular season, so let's look at his other stats: 16 points, four boards and three assists a game from the point guard position.
Bids-- Belmont

BIG 12 CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Bill Self of Kansas pulled off a similar feat to Roy Williams at UNC, taking a highly inexperienced club and turning them into an exciting, explosive team capable of turning heads in the tournament.
Player of the Year-- PJ Tucker of Texas led his team in rebounding at just 6-5. He also led the club in scoring and provided a versatile wing player for the 25-win Longhorns.
Bids-- Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M

BIG EAST CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Tom Crean of Marquette won 20 games and 10 in the conference in Marquette's transition year to the toughest conference in America. His team is primed for a seed somewhere between 4 and 7, a job well done.
Player of the Year-- Randy Foye of Villanova led his team to a 14-win season in conference while being Mr. Versatility, scoring 20 points, grabbing five rebounds and adding three assists a game.
Bids-- UConn, Villanova, West Virginia, Pitt, Georgetown, Marquette, Seton Hall, Cincinnati

BIG SKY CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Mike Adras of Northern Arizona is a finalist for the Mid-Major Coach of the Year. He took his team to 20 wins and a first place finish in conference.
Player of the Year-- Andrew Strait of Montana dominated the Big Sky this season averaging 17 points and just about seven rebounds a game.
Bids-- Northern Arizona

BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Buzz Peterson of Coastal Carolina took his program to a third place finish and out of relative obscurity.
Player of the Year-- Torrell Martin of Winthrop because he was the best player on the best team. 'Nuff said.
Bids-- Winthrop

BIG TEN CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Thad Matta of Ohio State surprised everyone by getting his Buckeyes a Big Ten regular season title.
Player of the Year-- Terence Dials of Ohio State scored over 15 points and grabbed 8 rebounds a game to lead the Buckeyes.
Bids-- Ohio State, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan State and Michigan

BIG WEST CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Larry Reynolds of Long Beach State coached his team to a solid third place finish after losing 20 games last season.
Player of the Year-- Christian Maraker of Pacific dominated the Big West for another season. He was the best player on the best team and makes for a pretty nice NBA prospect.
Bids-- Pacific

COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

Coach of the Year-- Jim Larranga of George Mason had his team nationally ranked and, despite losing in the semifinals of their conference tournament, has the Patriots in a good position to receive an at-large bid.
Player of the Year-- Loren Stokes of Hofstra combined dynamic scoring with a solid all-around game to help Hofstra to 24 wins.
Bids-- UNC-Wilmington, George Mason

CONFERENCE USA

Coach of the Year-- John Calipari of Memphis won 27 games and had his team as high as third in the national rankings.
Player of the Year-- Rodney Carney of Memphis dominated both ends of the floor with his ridiculous athleticism. He led the best team in the conference in scoring and provides a highly explosive wing scorer for the Tigers.
Bids-- Memphis, UAB

HORIZON LEAGUE

Coach of the Year-- Rob Jeter of Wisconsin-Milwaukee took over for Bruce Pearl and delivered the goods, winning the Horizon League regular season title.
Player of the Year-- Joah Tucker of Wisconsin-Milwaukee led the team in scoring and isn't afraid to hustle.
Bids-- UW-Milwaukee

IVY LEAGUE

Coach of the Year-- Fran Dunphy of Penn guided the Quakers to their second straight NCAA bid and a 20-win season.
Player of the Year-- Ibrahim Jaaber of Penn torched opponents all season, pouring in 18 points per game.
Bids-- Penn

METRO ATLANTIC ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Bobby Gonzalez of Manhattan won yet another MAAC regular season title with the Jaspers. The question is now whether or not he'll be back.
Player of the Year-- Keydren Clark of St. Peter's scores like Captain Planet after he saves the world from yet another environmental disaster. I saw him play way back in the early part of the nonconference season and he was just plain nasty.
Bids-- Iona

Mid Continent Conference-- please refrain from "incontinent" jokes

Coach of the Year-- Ron Hunter of IUPUI brought his team to a first place finish in the MCC and is now receiving attention as a potential replacement for Mike Davis at Indiana.
Player of the Year-- George Hill of IUPUI was a triple-double threat all season for the Jaguars.
Bids-- Oral Roberts

Mid-American Conference

Coach of the Year-- Jim Christian of Kent State guided his team to a BracketBuster victory, a regular season conference title and 22 wins.
Player of the Year-- Jay Youngblood of Kent State provided consistent play from a leadership position, helping his team win 15 conference games.
Bids-- Kent State

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

Coach of the Year-- Greg Jackson of Delaware State continues to succeed as one of the nation's more dominant in-conference coaches.
Player of the Year-- Jasha Bluntt of Delaware State led his team in scoring, rebounding and terrible last names.
Bids-- Delaware State

MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Mark Turgeon of Wichita State helped separate his team from the rest of the pack, winning 14 conference games and wrapping up an at-large bid.
Player of the Year-- Ben Jacobsen of Northern Iowa carried his Panthers club to 23 wins and a national ranking. In a conference where team comes first, Jacobsen provided the best all-around, individual performances of the season.
Bids-- Southern Illinois, Wichita State, Bradley, Northern Iowa and Missouri State

MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Steve Fisher of San Diego State helped his Aztecs emerge as the top contenders for the automatic bid in the MWC despite the pressure from Air Force and BYU
Player of the Year-- Brandon Heath of San Diego State provided a dynamic guard for the Aztecs on both offense and defense. His 18-plus points per game made him a constant threat.
Bids-- San Diego State, Air Force

NORTHEAST CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Tom Green of Fairleigh Dickinson had his Knights back in contention yet again for the NEC automatic bid.
Player of the Year-- Chad Timberlake of Fairleigh Dickinson led the NEC's best team in scoring and assists while collecting 5.5 rebounds a game from the guard position.
Bids-- Fairleigh Dickinson

OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Mick Cronin of Murray State coached his team to 17 conference wins and an NCAA tournament bid.
Player of the Year-- Shawn Witherspoon did everything for the Racers this season, providing a spark on defense and offense.
Bids-- Murray State

PACIFIC-10 CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Ben Howland of UCLA led his team to a Pac-10 title and has the program on the rebound after several years of struggling.
Player of the Year-- Brandon Roy of Washington dominated the Pac-10 in every aspect, leading his team in assists and scoring while providing some valuable leadership.
Bids-- Washington, UCLA, Cal, Arizona

PATRIOT LEAGUE

Coach of the Year-- Pat Flannery of Bucknell taught the Bison how the win and win regularly. The Bison went undefeated in conference play and were nationally ranked before losing a tough road game at Northern Iowa.
Player of the Year-- Charles Lee of Bucknell did a little bit of everything for the Bison this season. He scored, rebounded, distributed and played smart, solid defense.
Bids-- Bucknell

SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Bruce Pearl, duh, of Tennessee put the Volunteers on the map with a 17-point taming of the Texas Longhorns back in December. The Vols never looked back, sweeping Florida and winning the SEC East.
Player of the Year-- Darrel Mitchell of LSU stands just 5 foot 11 inches tall but plays like a true competitor. He scored 17.6 points, dropped 4.6 assists and grabbed 2.8 rebounds a game to help the LSU Tigers to the SEC West Division title.
Bids-- LSU, Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas, Kentucky and Alabama

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Bob McKillop of Davidson used a strong group of student athletes to earn an NCAA bid.
Player of the Year-- Elton Nesbitt of Georgia Southern did his thing all season, dropping 22 points per game.
Bids-- Davidson

SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Mike McConathy of Northwestern State really took his team to new levels this season as the Demons won 22 games.
Player of the Year-- Clifton Lee was the best player on clearly the best team in the conference.
Bids-- Northwestern State

SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Michael Grant of Southern led his team to a conference title while taking the Jaguars a step above their conference foes.
Player of the Year-- Christopher Alexander of Southern dominated the scoring category for his team all season, he will be a tough player to guard in the NCAA tournament for the power teams.
Bids-- Southern

SUN BELT CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- John Pelphrey of South Alabama has brought his team into national consideration as a potential Cinderella.
Player of the Year-- Courtney Lee of Western Kentucky led his team in assist and rebounds while helping the Hilltoppers to 23 wins.
Bids-- South Alabama

WEST COAST CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Mark Few of Gonzaga figured out the best way to use his multi-talented squad to support Adam Morrison. Look out for these guys.
Player of the Year-- Adam Morrison of Gonzaga just dominates every facet of the game. When he is playing, everyone knows.
Bids-- Gonzaga

WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Coach of the Year-- Mark Fox of Nevada has his team in the running for a high seed in the tournament.
Player of the Year-- Nick Fazekas of Nevada beat out Paul Millsap in the Battle for the WAC's Big Mack. He is just dominant.
Bids-- Nevada

Just 40 Minutes

40 minutes. That's all they have to play out their dreams. Just 40 minutes.

The montages shown as CBS returns from commercials bring us back to the afternoons, nights, weekends and work nights we spent at friends' houses, bars, restaurants, computers, living rooms, offices, dorm rooms, bedrooms and hotels watching these games.

The highlights remind us why we watch, showing Bryce Drew hit a shot he dreamt of taking since his childhood, Texas Western start five black players and win a national title while the world around them allowed racism and hate to rule their ways of life, Christian Laettner and his turnaround jumper to start a Duke dynasty or Ty Edney running the length of the court in five seconds to devastate Missouri on the way to UCLA's eleventh title.

As tears well up in my eyes-- tears of joy and sheer love of the game-- I hear the voice of Gus Johnson call the 2005 shocking upset of Kansas by Bucknell:

"Simien...No! No! He missed it! Bucknell wins! Bucknell wins!"

I see the teardrops of delight-- pure, unequivocal delight-- stream down Thomas Hill's face as time runs out and his Duke Blue Devils take a title.

I see the eyes of elation, euphoria, ecstasy, enjoyment, exhilaration and excitement.

18-year-olds, 19-year-olds, some players even in their mid-20s, all reaching the highest of all highs, the goal of all goals while never knowing quite what to do.

I see Jimmy Valvano sprinting around the court after his North Carolina State Wolfpack shocked the ranks of college basketball, the nation, the world, the critics and even their supporters. I see unparalleled joy in his eyes.

In a world filled with anger, barbarism, death, divorce, fighting, grief, hatred, murder, racism, rape, robbery, resentment, road rage, sexism, suicide, terrorism and war, we find ourselves searching. Searching for an escape, a chance to let go and let other people create history. Amidst the pain that consumes everyday life, we find one month. One month in our world that takes all that pressure, all that chaos, all that confusion and produces the greatest competition in sports.

We tune in on Selection Sunday to see a bracket we will look at for the three weeks immediately following its release. Look at it, memorize it, compare it, contrast it, tear it up, frame it, black ink for the predictions, blue ink for the right ones, red ink for the wrong ones, the bracket consumes our thoughts and minds.

Some might call that an obsession, an unhealthy love of something that ultimately has no real effect on our lives.

But it is something.

It is something that gives us that escape, that break from the woes of the world. We watch basketball from noon to midnight, Thursday through Sunday, constantly checking our bracket predictions with the hope that maybe, just maybe, we can win that office pool and the bragging rights that come with that victory.

We find our eyes glued to 10 student athletes, fighting for the right to stay alive in the proverbial battle to recognize their biggest dream. Wedding receptions seem empty on first glimpse, only to find hordes of basketball fans-- men and women, children and grandparents, mothers and fathers-- all swarming the closest television.

All they have is 40 minutes. 40 minutes to make a mark on our lives, change our memories, shape our future or simply ruin our ride home.

Like the young boy named Bryce Drew dreaming about taking that last second, game-winning shot outside his house in Valparaiso, Ind., we all dream of heroics and fame. Where else can a young man with nothing but his dreams and aspirations driving him find his place in history?

It’s everything we need as people to get through the troubling times. It's watching a 20-year-old kid and that's what they are-- kids-- live out his dream of playing just 40 minutes on that floor. It's watching people make history, break records, forge the future or even challenge the norms of society.

It's March Madness, and I'm so glad it's here.