UCONN HUSKIES finally works for a WIN!!!!!! written by Ronald Carthen

I can't believe the Stanford Cardinals held the Connecticut Huskies to only 12 points in the first half of the national championship. Huskies forward Maya Moore, center Tina Charles, and the rest of the team were ready to throw this game and their 77-game winning streak all away, but we should no better then to count out this team.

I'm not sure what head coach Geno Auriemma said to Maya and Tina, even though I know they are lying about not saying anything at halftime, but it was about time they showed up in this game. Maya scored 11 of the team's first 17 points of the 17-2 run to start the second half. I've been so impressed how this junior can just takeover a game and noboby can stop when the momentum shifts her way. The team feeds off her energy and they will destroy anyone at will. Maya finished the game with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and an assist to lead her team to a 53-47 championship win.

It was great to see Tina finish her senior year with as a champion. She finished the game with nine points, 11 rebounds, and six blocks. She didn't have a good offensive game, but her defense made a big difference for her team in the second half. I enjoyed seeing her hugging coach Auriemma with tears of many emotions.

The final score was the worst in championship history, but coach Auriemma is one of the best coaches in history. He was the first coach to lead a team to back-to-back undefeated championship seasons, a 78-game winning streak, and seven championships overall. Don't ever expect him to leave this amazing women's basketball program anytime soon.

Next year they'll have a chance to break the 88-winning streak from coach John Wooden and the UCLA Bruins from 1971-1974. They will have a great chance to do it but I already think they are one of the best programs ever if they break the record or not.

What a year for both women's and men's basketball and I can't wait to see what's in store for the Huskies in 2010-11 season.

BUTLER has nothing to be ashamed of!!!! written by Ronald Carthen

In the last 13 seconds of this "David vs Goliath" matchup between the Duke Blue Devils and the Butler Bulldogs, we were all anxious to see an upset in the making. With the Bulldogs down 60-59, all "Duke Haters" were ready to spread and rub in the hate all over the world while all Duke fans were nervous, praying, and maybe wet their pants full of liquor as they hope they don't witness a college basketball miracle.

When the whistle blew, it was up to Bulldogs forward Gordon Hayward to carry his team and the city of Indianapolis to victory. Gordon tried his best to get to the paint and get an easy two, but Duke forward Kyle Singler and center Brian Zoubek did an amazing job to force him to shoot a fadeaway jumper from the baseline and came just short, but it wasn't over.

With over three seconds left in the game, Brian was fouled and sent to the line and had to shoot a pair of free throws. When he made his first free throw, I had a feeling he would miss the second free throw while the Bulldogs had no timeouts. As he missed the second free throw, Gordon grabbed the rebound and had one more chance.

When he threw the ball up from halfcourt, it felt like one of those slow motion sports movie moments for me. It really looked like this was going to feel like a Cinderella fairy tale ending, but that moment came to brief when the ball hit the rim and Blue Devil coach Mike Krzyzewski and the Dukies celebrated his fourth national championship.

Thank you Butler Bulldogs for putting up a good fight for all underdogs around the world. It doesn't matter that if you have all the All-Americans and one and done future NBA prospects, you need to have a group of players who will have great chemistry and believe you can win it all. Man they gave it there best shot and they can keep their heads up.

This tournament will not be remembered for Coach K becoming only the third coach to win four or more championships, this will be about Gordon Hayward, Shelvin Mack, 33-old coach Brad Stevens, and other Bulldogs with a chance to do the unthinkable.

The Bulldogs may not have won the championship, but they have earned the respect from every basketball fan around the country.

FINAL FOUR PREVIEW!!!!!! written by Ronald Carthen

I can't wait to see this unpredictable Final Four in the house that Peyton Manning built.

None of us would of never guessed these four teams would meet this weekend.

This tournament will feature two of the best coaches and basketball programs, another coach taking his alma mater to only their second Final Four, and a hometown team (with a 24-game winning streak) to shock the world and start an amazing party in Indianapolis.

With the way this tournament has gone, anybody can win the championship on Monday. Check out my picks for this weekend's Final Four and let the games begin.

TOM IZZO and MICHIGAN STATE will do enough to beat BUTLER!!!!!

Where would this team be without that three-point buzzer beater from Korie Lucious against Maryland in the 2nd round?

Tom Izzo has lead the Spartans to their sixth Final Four appearance in the last 12 years. If anybody knows what it takes to get his team ready for the Big Dance it's this man. Out of those six appearances, coach Izzo has only won one championship. I know he would love to add another title to his name. By the way, the Spartans won the 2000 championship in Indianapolis, where they are 7-0 all-time in the tournament.

Kalin Lucas is out for the rest of this tournament with an Achilles injury, but that doesn't mean this team will not have a player who is built for this tournament like Coach Izzo. Durrell Summers has been lights out in this tournament. The Spartans guard has averaged 20.0 points, shooting 55.6% from the field, and 53.3% from the three-point line. I know Butler's defense is amazing, but how can you shut down this junior with tournament experience.

Spartan Forwards Raymar Morgan (averaging 12.0 ppg and 6.5 rpg) and Draymond Green (Big Ten's Sixth Man of the Year who averages 8.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, and 3.5 assists) will have to continue to help this team do well against the glass. The Spartans was first in the Big Ten with 42.4 rebounds a game this season. The Spartans are 25-3 when they outrebound a team and only 3-4 when they don't this season.

33-year old coach Brad Stevens is taking the Butler Bulldogs to their first tournament in school history. The Bulldogs will be playing five miles from their campus. If you think this team is a cinderella team think again. They are on a 24-game winning streak and haven't lost a game since losing to UAB on December 22nd, 2009.

The Bulldogs defense has not allowed a team to reach 60 points in this tournament, that's including against Syracuse and Kansas State. They have allowed only 59.6 ppg in the tourney.

Horizon League player of the year Gordan Hayward (averages 16.0 ppg and 6.2 rpg) will be a big threat in the post. Just ask Kansas State when he scored 22 points and eight rebounds last week. He's going to have to be a force in the paint in order for this team to win.

Sophmore guard Shelvin Mack (tourney-team leader with 16.5 ppg) will have to continue make big baskets from three-point range. Shelvin is averaging 46.4% from the three-point line in the tourney.

Ronald Norel (Horizon co-defensive player of the year) and Willie Veasley will be a huge on the defensive end. Let's see if Korie Luscious and Durrell Summers will get there points while this team will find a way to make life miserable for the Spartans.

COACH K will take out HUGGY BEAR!!!!!

This will be Mike Krzyzewski's 11th Final Four with the Blue Devils and their first apperance since 2004. This year will be Duke's best chance to win this tourney as the only number one seed left in this tourney. The last team that was the only number one seed to win a championship in the Final Four was Michigan State in 2000.

The Big 3 S's have made a huge impact for the Blue Devils this season. Nolan Smith (averaging 18.5 ppg, 46.2% from the three-point line, and shot a career-high 29 points last week against Baylor), Kyle Singler (17.0 ppg and shooting 36.4% from the 3-pt line), and Jon Scheyer (14.5 ppg and shooting 34.5% from the three-point line) have been great for this squad. I don't know if there's any point guard playing any better than Nolan Smith in this tournament.

For once the Blue Devils have big men to shut down the paint on defense. Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas will be doing all the dirty work as far as taking charges and defending the paint.

If you think you'll get a three-point basket on this team forget it. The Blue Devils opponents shoot only 27.8% from beyond the arc.

Bob Huggins is taking his alma mater, West Virginia Moutaineers, to their first Final Four since 1959.

Da'Sean Butler (17.2 ppg, 39.1% from the 3-pt line) has hit six game-winning shots this season. If there is anyone that you can depend in a close game in the clutch, it's definetly Da'Sean. I think he better find to get in the paint and get some layups and avoid any three-point attempts against the Duke perimeter D.

Joe Mazzulla filled in for injured starting point guard Darryl Bryant very well last week against the Kentucky Wildcats. He scored 17 points to take this team to Indianapolis. He will have to be more aggressive against Nolan Smith.

Kevin Jones (15.2 ppg and 8.2 rpg) and Devin Ebanks (13.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg) will have to play well against the Blue Devil big men.

TOM IZZO will get his 2ND CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!

I think when it's all set and done I think coach Izzo will have players with the experience that learned there lesson from last season. They will take care of Coach K and they will shut down the Blue Devils and coach Izzo will cut down the nets to win the National Championship.

65 to 96, For What????? written by Ronald Carthen

There's an old saying "If something isn't broken, don't fix it." The 65-field NCAA Tournament is the best in all of sports. So why would a group school presidents and some college basketball coaches want to expand the field to 96?

Big Ten Conference Commissioner Jim Delany, a former chairman of the NCAA Men's Basketball committee, thinks an expansion is "probable" for the 2011 season. In February's issue of Sporting News, he said "I'm not looking to see the basketball season made less relevant becasue we do an expansion without knowing alot about this."

I can't stand it when people make changes for the money and not for the good of the game. If you do this I guarantee you regular season game ratings will drop. Conference tournaments would be meaningless for "bubble team" debates. Some of the below average teams of the year would be blown out in the first round. I don't even like the NIT so what would give those 32 NCAA tournament rejects the right to join the field.

The NCAA Tournament is amazing this year. It's giving us exactly what we want, Cinderella stories, upsets against the best teams in the country, watching top NBA prospects not cutting it in the big stage, what more do you want? Come on we had Cornell, St. Mary's, and Northern Iowa made it to the Sweet 16. We even have Bulter, who's on a 24-game winning streak, in the Final Four.

The NCAA can also opt out of the remaining three years, $2.131 billion remaining of the 11-year, $6 billions contract with CBS. I don't see them opting out but if they do, ESPN will be knocking on that door.

When the presidents meet in April, I hope these presidents will have some common sense and realize this is not the right decision. Please can we just leave this tournament alone and just focus on these student-athletes giving us all they have for the best three weeks of the year. Come on it's March Madness, live a little.

FINAL FOUR is UPON US!!!! written by Ronald Carthen

I bet many of you didn't get Duke, Michigan State, West Virginia, and Butler in the Final Four.

Most of us didn't see this coming and wish we had bigger teams heading to Indianapolis, but that's what makes this better then the Bowl Championship Series. The best two teams all season long may not play in the championship, but we can at least live with the final two teams who advanced to the title game are in the game because they earned it in a tournament system.

I'll have my picks later this week, but let's recap what happend this week shall we.

COACH K and the BLUE DEVILS are BACK!!!!!!!

Mike Krzyzewski is back in the Final Four for the 11th time with the Blue Devils and his first appearance since 2004, but let's be honest for a minute.

We all know that Blue Devil center Brian Zoubek should have been fouled out of the game when Quincy Acy drove right into him with more than 4:30 minutes left in the game with the Baylor Bears up 59-57. The momentum shifted so dramatically when Nolan Smith, who lead the game with 29 points, hit a three-pointer that started a Blue Devils 21-12 run to end the game.

I can't believe the Blue Devils had 17 offensive rebounds in the second half. The Bears can not be serious? You mean to tell me you are that scared to grab the ball after a Duke miss, that's unacceptable.

Jon Scheyer had a great game with 20 points, shooting five of 10 from the

three-point line, but where was Kyle Singler? Shooting zero for 10 from the field will not get it done in the Final Four. Step it up Kyle for the sake of the Duke student body.

Duke will come in as the only number one seed in the Final Four. In the last 12 years, the only team that was the only solo number one seed to win the title was the Michigan State Spartans in the 2000 season. The Blue Devils were the only number one seed in 2004, but lost to the Connecticut Huskies in the national semifinals.

HUGGY BEAR in the FINAL FOUR for the SECOND TIME!!!!!!!

Bob Huggins is heading to Final Four for the first time since taking Cincinnati in 1992. He's taking the West Virginia Mountaineers to their first trip since 1959, when Jerry West was the tournament's most outstanding player but his team lost to California in the national championship.

The Kentucky Wildcats need to take notes from the Mountaineers on how to shoot three-pointers. The Mountaineers made eight three-pointers and no two-point baskets at the end of the first half. The Wildcats shot only four of 32 three-point baskets the entire game.

Da'Sean Butler lead the team with 18 points and sparked the Moutaineers big momentum swing in the first half to send John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins to start looking for homes and cars as they get ready for the NBA Draft. My only problem is he has to make better shot selections after going four of 15 from the field.

Moutaineers point guard Joe Mazzula started for injured Darryl "Truck" Bryant and man he surprised me in this game at least. Joe made 17 points on five of 11 from the field.

If the Mountianeers want to beat Duke, they have to shoot better than 38.5% from the field.

TOM IZZO is built for the FINAL FOUR!!!!!!!

Tom Izzo is taking the Michigan State Spartans to their second straight Final Four and their sixth appearance in the last 12 years.

With 12 seconds left in the game, Spartans forward Draymond Green fouled Tennessee Volunteers guard Scotty Hopson with the Spartans up 69-68. When Scotty made the first free throw to tie it, coach Izzo called a timeout to freeze him and make him think. Then when he came back to the line, he missed the second free throw. With time running out for the Spartans, Raymar Morgan attempts for the layin but a referee called a foul on J.P. Prince with 1.8 seconds left. Raymar made one of two free throws to take a one point lead. Then after the Volunteers called a timeout, J.P. attempted the worst halfcourt shot I've ever seen.

That's too bad for Volunteers coach Bruce Pearl. This was the Vols best chance to make their first appearance in the Final Four and it took a missed free throw and a questionable foul call to ruin it.

Spartans guard Durrell Summers will be key for the Spartans success in Indianapolis. He dropped 21 points on eight of 10 from the field and four of six from the three-point line against the Vols.

BUTLER returns HOME for the FINAL FOUR!!!!!!!

Brad Stevens has taken Butler to their first appearance in the Final Four. The best part is they are only five miles from Lucas Oil Stadium.

I see why the Bulldogs are on a 24-game winning streak when they defeated the Kansas State Wildcats. Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack combined for 38 points in this game. They made Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente look like an average duo. Jacob and Denis only scored a combined 32 points on 11 of 30 shooting.

After beating Syracuse and the Wildcats, The Spartans better get ready for this team. The Bulldogs are looking to make this a true Cinderella story.

SWEET 16 and ELITE EIGHT PICKS!!!!...written by Ronald Carthen

I can't wait until the Sweet 16 starts on Thursday. Just like many of you, my bracket is official useless and torn to pieces. We have some great matchups this week which will involve four mid-majors, three Big Ten teams, only two Big East teams, and a Kentucky Wildcat team that have four NBA prospects heading to the NBA draft after this season.

Do i think they'll be another George Mason in the making after this weekend? Get ready for another four days of great basketball as you will see who I think will make it to the Final Four after Sunday.

MIDWEST REGION at St. Louis

(5) Michigan State vs. (9) Northern Iowa

Michigan State Spartan starting point guard Kalin Lucas will be out for the rest of the tournament with a torn achilles. Don't think that'll stop the Spartans.

Spartans head coach Tom Izzo has lead his basketball program to their third straight Sweet 16 and their ninth appearance in the last 13 years. Tom Izzo is 6-2 in the Sweet 16, don't tell me that doesn't mean anything.

The Panthers better find a way to shut down Durrell Summers. Durrell is averaging 20.0 points per game, shooting over 51 percent from the field, and over 53 percent from three-point range in the tournament.

The Panthers will make their first appearance in the Sweet 16. This will be the eighth team out of the Missouri Valley Conference to make it to the Sweet 16 since 1994. The last team in the MVC that made it to the Elite Eight was Witchita State in 1981.

Senior guard Ali Farokhmanesh was a big hero this week after that amazing shot against one-seed Kansas Jayhawks. The Panthers should be used to close games. They are 8-1 in games dedcided by five points or less this season.

The Panthers may have the second-best scoring defense in the nation (55.0 ppg), but I believe coach Izzo will find a way to ruin the Panthers Cinderella story.
SPARTANS over PANTHERS

(2) Ohio State vs (6) Tennessee

Evan Turner will be a top three lottery pick heading to the NBA Draft but he's not even leading the team in points in the tournament. While Evan Turner is averaging 16.5 ppg, 9.5 rebounds, and seven assists, Jon Diebler has been a bit of a surprise in this tourney. Jon is averaging 21.0 ppg in this tournament.

Can we please give Vols coach Bruce Pearl his due. This will be his third appearance in Sweet 16. I don't think Wayne Chism and the Vols will figure out the 1-3-1 zone.
BUCKEYES over VOLUNTEERS

Elite Eight...(2) OHIO STATE vs (5) MICHIGAN STATE

At least one Big Ten team will make it to the FINAL FOUR in this great BIG TEN battle. Tom Izzo has all the experience in the world, but without Kalin Lucas, this will be Evan Turner and head coach Thad Matta's time.
BUCKEYES over SPARTANS

WEST REGION at Salt Lake City

(1) Syracuse vs (5) Butler

At least someone in the Big East is looking dominant in the tournament. The Syracuse Orange have dominated the West region.

Junior Wes Johnson is one of the top five NBA prospects in this tournament. He's averaging 24.6 ppg and 10 rpg.

If you think Sophmore Gordan Hayward and the Bulldogs will stop the Orange zone defense, you are not watching basketball. The Orange will be to much for the Bulldogs.
ORANGE over BULLDOGS

(2) Kansas State vs (6) Xavier

Xavier sophmore Jordan Crawford, who dunked on Lebron James during the summer, is starting to become one of my players in college basketball. He's averaging 27.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, and 3.0 apg in the NCAA Tournament. It's too bad that I think this will be his last game of the season.

Kansas State Wildcats Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente will be too much for the Musketeers. They are so quick when they get down the court it's insane. Jacob is averaging 24.5 ppg, 50% from the field, and 50% from the three point line and Denis is averaging 13 ppg.

I believe the Wildcats are tough enough to beat the Musketeers and move on to the Elite Eight.

ELITE EIGHT...(1) Syracuse over (2) Kansas State

I love the Wildcats backcourt in this matchup but I don't believe that Wes and Andy Rautins, averaging 17.5 ppg in the tourney, will allow the Cats to stop this Big East team and will move on to the Final Four.
ORANGE over WILDCATS

EAST REGION at Syracuse

(1) Kentucky vs (12) Cornell

I'm looking forward to this matchup at the Carrier Dome. Cornell University is only an hour away from the dome and you can expect a good amount of red when they face the Wildcats.

The Big Red better be ready for freshmen John Wall (averaging 15.5 ppg and 9.0 apg), DeMarcus Cousins (averaging 12.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg), Eric Bledsoe (averaging 21.0 ppg and 75% from the three-point line), and junior Patrick Patterson (averaging 13 ppg). All of these players could be leaving the Big Blue nation after this season. The Wildcats are averaging 95.0 ppg in the tourney.

The Big Red have been the most impressive mid-major so far in this tourney. They are averaging 82.5 ppg and shooting, 58% from the field, and over 43% from the three-point line. I enjoy watching Ryan Wittman and Louis Dale scoring anywhere they please and making it look easy. Ryan is averaging 22.0 ppg and over 63% from the three-point line and Louis is averaging 23.5 ppg. 7-0 center Jeff Foote will be the X-factor for this game. DeMarcus better figure out a way to defend Foote or else this team will have a field day in the paint.

As much as I would love to pick the Big Red, how can I pick against the Big Blue Nation.
WILDCATS over BIG RED

(2) West Virginia vs (11) Washington

Darryl "Truck" Bryant will be out for the rest of the tournament with a broken foot he suffered in practice. Bob Huggins will start Joe Mazzulla in place of "Truck" Bryant.

Da'Sean Butler (averaging 18.5 ppg in the tournament) and Devin Ebanks are going to have to step things up twice as hard to shut down the surprising Washington Huskies, who are on a nine-game winning streak.

Huskies point guard Isiah Thomas (averaging 17.0 ppg and 7.0 apg) will do everything to exploit Joe with his quickness. 6-6 forward Quincy Pondexter (averaging 18.0 ppg) is the only senior on the team and he wants nothing more then to finish his career on top. Quincy should know how to stop Da'Sean Butler. They were both teammates for the Team USA in the World University Games. Another player to keep an eye on is London, England native Matthew Bryan-Amaning. The 6-9 junior is shooting 61.7% from the field in the last 13 games.

The Mountaineers are 10-0 on neutral courts this year and I believe they'll beat the Huskies.
MOUNTAINEERS over HUSKIES

ELITE EIGHT.... (1) Kentucky vs (2) West Virginia

There's no way that Joe Mazzulla will shut down John Wall. The Mountaineers may have a good defensive team but I don't think they'll have an answer for DeMarcus Cousins in the paint. Look forward to the Wildcats giving us another explosive offensive game.
WILDCATS over MOUNTAINEERS


SOUTH REGION at Houston

(1) Duke vs (4) Purdue

This will be coach Mike Krzyzewski's 19th appearance in the Sweet 16 with the Duke Blue Devils.

The Purdue Boilermakers better get ready for 3 S's...Kyle Singler (averaging 19.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, and shooting 54.2 % from the field), Nolan Smith (averaging 15.0 ppg and 3.5 apg), and Jon Scheyer (averaging 10.0 ppg). The Blue Devils have held their opponents to 48.5 points per game and 38.5% from the field.

Chris Kramer's layup with 4.2 seconds left saved the Boilermakers season, without Robbie Hummel, over the Texas A&M Aggies. Now they have to figure out what to do against this Blue Devil team.

JaJuan Johnson will be a perfect matchup for Brian Zoubek. JaJuan leads the team in scoring in the tourney with 17.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg, and 3.0 blocks.

Boliermakers starting guards Chris Kramer and E'Twaun Moore average 13.5 ppg each. Chris has to find a way to create turnovers. He's averaging 3.5 steals per game in the tourney.

This will be a good defensive game but I think at the end of the game the Blue Devils will have too much fire power and the 3 S's will lead this team to the Elite Eight.
BLUE DEVILS over BOILERMAKERS

(3) Baylor vs (10) St. Mary's

No big man was as dominate in the first two rounds of the tourney then St. Mary's Omar Samhan. The 6-11, 265 pound center averaged a tourney-best 30.5 ppg and shooting 75% from the field. Mickey McConnell is averaging over 53% from the three-point line and 19.0 ppg. Don't be surprised if he gets the ball at the end of the game.

Omar will his hands full with Ekpe Udoh (averaging 14.0 ppg) and Josh Lomars. Both big men are averaging 2.0 bpg and Omar will have to earn his points this time.

LaceDarius Dunn will be good threat for the Bears. He averages 19.5 ppg and 33.3% from the three-point line.

As much as I want to pick Omar Samhan and the Gaels, I think the Baylor Bears will be to athletic for them and the Bears will win this game.
BEARS over GAELS


ELITE EIGHT ..(1) Duke vs (3) Baylor

The Bears will be to athletic for the Blue Devils. I see the Bears big men getting it done against the 3 S's and the Bears will beat the Blue Devils
BEARS over BLUE DEVILS

FOUR DAYS of PURE MADNESS!!!! written by Ronald Carthen

I'm going to start filling out Women's NCAA Basketball Tournament brackets for now on. At least I know I'll get most of my picks right and don't have to worry about to many upsets.

The last four days of our lives have been the best four days of basketball we've ever seen. The bad news is most of us have shredded our brackets.

NORTHERN IOWA SHOCKS THE WORLD!!!!

Most of us believed that the Kansas Jayhawks were going to come out on top and win the NCAA Tournament. We thought Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich would give head coach Bill Self his second national title. Well like Chris Berman always said "That's why they play the game."

The nine-seed Northern Iowa Panthers were up by 11 halfway through the second half, but the Jayhawks went on a huge run and Sherron's layup cut the lead by one (63-62) with 43 seconds left in the game. Then we all witnessed of the gutiest plays you'll ever see. Panthers guard Ali Farokhmanesh was wide open at the three-point line. Ali could've ran out the clock and wait for his teammates to come down the court, but he decides to take a chance. Then when the three-point basket went in, the Panthers and underdog fans went nuts. The Panthers defeated the Jayhawks 69-67. This was the third time the Jayhawks lost in the second round as a number one seed and the first number seed to lose before the Sweet 16 since Kentucky and Stanford lost in 2004. The Panthers will face the Michigan State Spartans on Friday.

CORNELL BIG RED easily in the SWEET 16!!!!

I told all of you that the 12-seed Cornell Big Red would be in the Sweet 16. The Big Red embarrased the Wisconsin Badgers in the second round of the tournament. They shot an insane 61.1 percent from the field in this game (33 of 54 from the field and eight of 15 from the three-point line). Seniors Ryan Wittman and Louis Dale are playing every tournament game like it's their last. They both combined for 50 points and shot 20 of 32 from the field. They will face the number one-seed Kentucky Wildcats on Thursday. If the Wildcats want to win this game they have to play great interior defense. The Big Red outscored the Badgers 32-16 and shot 16 of their 19 shots in the paint. I know the Cats are the favorite but I believe they will have their hands full.

OMAR SAMHAN is now a HOUSEHOLD NAME!!!!

St. Mary's Gaels 6-11 center Omar Samhan had a great weekend for his team. I had a feeling that the two-seed Villanova Wildcats would have trouble shutting him down, especially when you start one big man and four guards. Omar owned Wildcats center 6-10 center Mouphtaou Yarou all day. He dropped 32 points and shot 13 of 16 from the field. The Gaels will face the three-seed Baylor Bears in the Sweet 16.

By the way what happened to Scottie Reynolds in this torunament? He shot a horrible four of 26 from the field in this entire tourney. What a horrible way to end your college basketball career Scottie!!! Good luck building your NBA Draft stock after thar performance.

WASHINGTON HUSKIES proved the PAC-10 belong!!!!!

Everyone treated the PAC-10 like trash all season long, but the 11-seed Washington Huskies made sure everyone had no business sleeping on this conference. Even the Mountain West received more praise out West a better conference than the PAC-10. When the Huskies faced the New Mexico Lobos, this was a great opportunity for Quincy Pondexter and Isiah Thomas to bring their conference back from the dead. They both combined for 33 points and Matthew Bryan-Amaning added 15 on seven of 10 shooting as they defeated the Lobos 82-64 and will face two-seed West Virginia Mountaineers in the Sweet 16.

FEAR the BIG RED!!!!!! written by Ronald Carthen

So many double-digit seeds have made their mark so far in the NCAA tournament. If there's one team you better be afraid in this tournamet is the 12 seed Cornell Big Red. The Big Red dominated the Temple Owls and will move on to the second round of the tournament. It was the Ivy League's first tourney win since 1998 and the school's first tourney win in history. It was great to see their three leading scorers, who are seniors, stepping up in this game.

This country better get familiar with Ryan Wittman, the son of Indiana Hoosiers Randy Wittman, who led the Hoosiers to a national championship in 1981. Ryan was the team's second leading scorer with 20 points, seven of ten from the field, and four of six from the three point line. The Ivy League player of the year is Cornell's leading scorer and the conference's all-time three pointer shooter. I'm telling you right now you better put two bodies on him as much as you can, otherwise his three-point shooting will continue to strike your nerves all day long.

Ryan might be the best player, but 7-0, 265 pound Larry Foote is the most important player. You can always rely on him if you need to pass it to Larry in the paint and he'll make two points look easy. It was amazing how he dominated the Owls big men. He made those guys look like they didn't have a chance. He finished the game with 16 points, six of eight from the field, and seven rebounds. You always need a good big man to help you win a championship and the Big Red may have that guy to make a run.

How great was Louis Dale in this game? Louis is the team's third leading scorer this season, but he stepped up big time today. He led the game with 21 points on six of 13 shooting and was three of seven from the three-point line.

I'm telling you right now this team scares me and I have them going as far as the Sweet 16. None of these guys will be first round picks heading to the NBA Draft this year, but Big Red coach Steve Donahue has this team ready to surprise this entire country. You don't just almost beat Kansas at Lawerence, Kansas and don't expect to be a sleeper come on.

ESPN's Jay Bilas says this team is going to the Elite Eight to face West Virginia. If Kentucky plays this team in the Sweet 16, I would be nervous. This team is ready make a very big Cinderella run and ruin brackets across the country.

VILLANOVA barely moves on!!!!!...written by Ronald Carthen

Thank you very much Robert Morris Colonials, out of Moon Township, Pennsylvania, for almost ruining my bracket this year.

When the Colonials were up 55-47 with more than four minutes left in the game, I thought the Wildcats season was over. Thank goodness Scottie Reynolds was able to draw some fouls and go six of seven from the free throw line in more than a three minute span. I was so glad when Mouphtaou Yarou tied the game 58 all. It would have been nice if Maurice Sutton had made that layup with nine tenths of a second, but what's March Madness without a little overtime drama.

With a little more than a minute left to play, Scottie Reynolds hit a big three-pointer to extend the lead 67-61. I'm saying to myself there's no way the Colonials will come back now, but little do I know.

With 41 seconds left, the Colonials Josiah Whitehead made both free throws to cut the Wildcats lead 68-65. When Corey Stokes was caught in a trap, Mezie Nwigwe steals it from Corey and made the layin to cut the lead to one. I was so surprised how the Wildcats was giving this game away. When Mouphtaou was caught with three defenders at midcourt, I thought the referees were going to call a jump ball and possesion Colonials, but the refs called a foul on Karon Abraham. I didn't hear what Colonials coach Mike Rice was saying but I can read lips. I heard enough F-bomb's to last an entire season for a head coach.

With the Wildcats up 70-67 with 21 seconds, the Karon thought he could cut the lead to one, but as soon as he went for the layup, Maurice rejected the basket and Scottie threw it to a wide open Reggie Redding. Can someone tell me why Reggie didn't lay it in and decided to run down the clock? He only made one of his two free throws to extend the lead to four. If anything almost caused the Cats the game, it was his bad decision to not lay it in. That would lead to Karon making a three-pointer to cut the lead to one with 11 seconds left.

When Scottie made his free throws to extend the lead to three. The Colonials had nine seconds to send this to a second overtime, but Mezie missed the game-tying three-pointer and the Wildcats nightmare was over.

I know Scottie and Corey didn't start due to a "minor teaching point," but that gives them no excuse how bad they played. Don't let Scottie's 20 points, five rebounds, and two assists fool you. He was two of 15 from the field and was 15 of 16 from the free throw line. Corey wasn't any better with six points come on. This is supposed to be one of the best backcourts in the nation.

The Wildcats better get it together for their next opponent very quickly in the second round on Saturday. Shooting more than 35 percent from the field will not get it done.

Come on Cats I have you in the Final Four don't do this to me!!!!!

Ron Carthen's MARCH MADNESS Predictions!!!!!...written by Ronald Carthen

We know there will be a new national champion this year, since the North Carolina Tar Heels suck so bad this year. I'm excited about watching all 65 teams doing battle as we find out who will be crowned the best team in the country. You know you'll see some upsets you didn't see coming and all of you will have about eight brackets filled out and say you had it right. I'm sticking with one bracket and I think Get ready for my picks and let the debates begin.

Let's start with the Midwest Region....

1st round picks...no upsets in this region in the 1st round but Tennessee better watch out for San Diego State!!!!!!

(1) Kansas over (16) Lehigh
(8) UNLV over (9) Northern Iowa
(5) Michigan St. over (12) New Mexico St.
(4) Maryland over (13) Houston
(6) Tennessee over (11) San Diego St.
(3) Georgetown over (14) Ohio
(7) Oklahoma St. over (10) Georgia Tech
(2) Ohio State over (15) UC Santa Barbara

2nd round picks.....Expect Michigan St to head into the Sweet 16 over the Terps!!!!!

(1) Kansas over (8) UNLV
(5) Michigan St. over (4) Maryland
(3) Georgetown over (6) Tennessee
(2) Ohio State over (7) Oklahoma St.

Sweet 16...I know Evan Turner is the best player in the nation, but the Hoyas are on a mission. I remember watching Michigan St beating Kansas in the Sweet 16 last year, but not this year!!!

(1) Kansas over (5) Michigan St.
(3) Georgetown over (2) Ohio St.

Elite 8...The Hoyas will play well but Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich will find a way to win!!!

(1) Kansas over (3) Georgetown

West Region....

1st round...Murray State will upset an SEC team in the 1st round!!!

(1) Syracuse over (16) Vermont
(8) Gonzaga over (9) Florida St.
(5) Butler over (12) UTEP
(13) Murray St. over (4) Vanderbilt
(6) Xavier over (11) Minnesota
(3) Pittsburgh over (14) Oakland
(7) BYU over (10) Florida
(2) Kansas St. over (15) North Texas

2nd round...This could be a very interesting 2nd round. Don't sleep on Xavier or BYU, but I'm not going to take a chance!!!

(1) Syracuse over (8) Gonzaga
(5) Butler over (13) Murray St.
(3) Pittsburgh over (6) Xavier
(2) Kansas St. over (7) BYU

Sweet 16...I don't see the Orange or the Wildcats missing the Elite 8!!!

(1) Syracuse over (5) Butler
(2) Kansas St. over (3) Pittsburgh

Elite 8... The Orange only play seven players, but that will be enough to go to the Final Four!!!

(1) Syracuse over (2) Kansas St.

East Region...

1st round...Cornell will be the only 12 seed to advance to the 2nd round!!!!

(1) Kentucky over (16) East Tennessee St
(8) Texas over (9) Wake Forest
(12) Cornell over (5) Temple
(4) Wisconsin over (13) Wofford
(6) Marquette over (11) Washington
(3) New Mexico over (14) Montana
(10) Missouri over (7) Clemson
(2) West Virginia over (15) Morgan State

2nd round...I can't wait to see DeMarcus Cousins vs Dexter Pittman when Kentucky faces Texas. Expect Cornell to be the only double-digit seed in the Sweet 16.

(1) Kentucky over (8) Texas
(12) Cornell over (4) Wisconsin
(3) New Mexico over (6) Marquette
(2) West Virginia over (10) Missouri

Sweet 16... Cornell's cinderella story will end and the Mountaineers will be to much for the Lobos!!!!

(1) Kentucky over (12) Cornell
(2) West Virginia over (3) New Mexico

Elite 8... Demarcus Cousins and John Wall will be to much for Da'Sean Butler and the Mountaineers. Can't wait to see the Cats in the Final Four!!!!

(1) Kentucky over (2) West Virginia

South Region...

1st round...No Robbie Hummel will be a problem against Siena!!!

(1) Duke over (16) Winthrop or Arkansas-Pine Bluff
(9) Louisville over (8) California
(5) Texas A&M over (12) Utah St.
(13) Siena over (4) Purdue
(6) Notre Dame over (11) Old Dominion
(3) Baylor over (14) Sam Houston St
(7) Richmond over (10) St. Mary's
(2) Villanova over (15) Robert Morris

2nd round...Duke better watch it against Louisville and I think Luke Harangody will take care of business against Baylor!!!

(1) Duke over (9) Louisville
(5) Texas A&M over (13) Siena
(6) Notre Dame over (3) Baylor
(2) Villanova over (7) Richmond

Sweet 16...Duke will easily beat the Aggies. I like Luke Harangody but Scottie Reynolds and the Wildcats will be too much for the Irish!!!

(1) Duke over (5) Texas A&M
(2) Villanova over (6) Notre Dame

Elite 8...Duke had no chance against Villanova last year in the sweet 16 and I believe Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher will knock out the 3 S's (Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler, and Nolan Smith) and will head to the Final Four!!!

(2) Villanova over (1) Duke

FINAL FOUR PICKS.....This will be a great final four!!!! Wes Johnson and the Orange zone defense will not be enough to stop Cole Aldrich and the Jayhawks depth. John Wall and Eric Bledsoe will shut down Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher. The most important thing is DeMarcus Cousins will dominate a small Wildcats team.

(1) Kansas over (1) Syracuse
(1) Kentucky over (2) Villanova

CHAMPIONSHIP PICK.....I remember John Calipari took Memphis to the championship game against in 2008 against Bill Self and the Jayhawks. Mario Chalmers hit a jumper to send the Hawks to overtime and went on to win the national championship. This time John is taking Kentucky to the big show. Even though the Wildcats have three or four players heading to the NBA after this season, I think Bill Self's team have the experience and Sherron Collins will win the battle over John Wall and Jayhawks will win it all!!!!!

(1) KANSAS over (1) KENTUCKY

EVAN TURNER...The TRUTH!!!!...written by Ronald Carthen

This is why we all live for March Madness. Every year there's a moment when someone hits a game-winning shot that will get us out of our seats to celebrate or share the team's pain when you know the season is over. Ohio State Buckeyes forward Evan Turner, national player of the year candidate, gave us a prelude of what could happen in the NCAA tournament next week.

When I turned from the ACC quarterfinal game between Duke and Virginia, I noticed the Michigan Wolverines were up 68-66 against the Buckeyes with 2.2 seconds left and were on there way to an upset victory. You knew Evan was going to get the ball in the last couple of seconds. Players, coaches, and fans get so nervous in these moments. You see people in the stands either praying for a miracle, teammates holding hands on the sidelines, everyone at home and at bars anxious that their team will just make that basket. Then the drama begins.

Evan takes the ball and dribbles it down court. We he heads to the other end of the court, he was defended by Wolverines Stu Douglass. With a few tenths of a second left, he lets a 37-foot jumper out of his hands while Stu had his hand in his face. As the ball is heading to the basket, the Buckeyes chances at a possible number one seed in the tournament relies on this shot. Then the ball falls into the net and the Buckeyes ran on the court, their fans began to celebrate at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The funny part about that was when Stu had his hand up for about five seconds after the shot is over, like his life flashed before his eyes. Evan's teammates ran and jumped on his back and just let the emotions go. Buckeyes coach Thad Matta was fired up at the referees and told them the shot was good while the refs checked to see if the shot was good. Evan won national player of the year after a shot like, you have to agree with me. Since he came back from his back injury on January 6th, they have a 15-3 record and have become a major player in the tourney. How can you ignore a man who leads the Big Ten in points (19.5 ppg) and rebounds (9.4 rpg) and shoots 53% from the field.

How can the committee even think about expanding the field from 65 to 96. These type of moments would be meaningless to the game. Michigan had a chance to move to the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament, with a chance to get an automatic-bid to the NCAA tournament, but Evan wiped those dreams away. He will be the best player heading into the tournament next week. He's a great leader and he's a junior, that means plenty of experience. I wouldn't sleep on a team that has five seniors, five juniors, and three sophomores. This team will make a deep run no matter where they are seeded. As long as they have the great Evan Turner on the court, this team will be dangerous in the next few weeks, and I like their chances.

The TAR HEELS SEASON is FINALLY OVER!!!!...written by David Wynn

First, let me say: I AM A TARHEEL....with that said, I can do what Roy Williams apparently forgot to do: provide an honest assessment of the talent and leadership (or lack there of) on the UNC roster. How a team that was ranked #4 in the preseason CNNSI poll, ended up begging to get into the NIT is beyond me. All the elements of a team that drive a basketball fan crazy were present this year. From Larry Drew kicking the ball around more than David Beckham, to Tyler "Charmin" Zeller's inability to finish a damn layup, it was a frustrating second half of the season. Embarrassing losses to the College of Charleston, Boston College, the University of Virginia (I forgot they had a basketball team), etc., marked a season with few highlights. I would probably take that Juwanna Mann looking chick from Baylor before I would take any of the big men (and I use that term loosely) that we put on the court. Seniors Deon Thompson and Marcus Ginyard provided little visible leadership to a team that desparately needed it. They can now move on to play ball in Europe and be the answers to obscure trivia questions ten years from now. Freshman John Henson (who looks like he transferred from the University of Ethiopia) and Dexter Strickland began to play better towards the end of the season, but considering how poorly they played in the first half of the season that isnt saying much. Things were so bad you would think Jordan owned a piece of the team. The only highlight is that Ed Davis sucked so bad, he killed any chance of being a lottery pick in the NBA draft, and will probably return next year.

And for those fans who say "well we lost four players to the NBA, we deserve to have an off year", I say (in the words of Dickie V) "are you kidding me?"....all of those guys were upperclassmen, and it is the job of Roy Williams to anticipate that and recruit accordingly. The onus of this years disappointment falls on many shoulders, but squarely on the coaching staff.

So to all you dye-in-the-wool Tar Heel fans, here is something to give you hope for next year...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pCL5c9zl-U

Harrison Barnes Official Hoopmixtape; Summer Edition

www.youtube.com

Here is #1 ranked 6'6 Harrison Barnes hoopin at King City, Nike Peach Jam, Pangos All American Camp, and the Elite 24. Barnes is a versatile and has solid fundamentals. At the moment Harrison is uncommitted. He will be playing his senior year at Ames High School in Ames, Iowa.

HOYAS might have crushed the ORANGE #1 seed hopes!!! ..written by Ronald Carthen

I actually thought the Syracuse Orange would be the best team heading to the NCAA tournament, now I'm confused when I'm getting ready to fill out my tournament bracket on Sunday.

In the last two games, the Orange have looked not like the team I remember when they beat the Villanova Wildcats a couple of weeks ago. I can understand losing to Louisville in Cardinals last game at Freedom Hall, but now you lose your first game in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Big East tournament, are you kidding me right now.

I don't like the tournament committee allowing an injury to decide where a team is seeded in the tournament, but in this case, I may not blame them. With 5:07 left in the game, the Orange big man Arinze Onuaku went for a block on Greg Monroe and landed on the floor in pain. Onuaku was holding his knee in pain and was carried off the court by trainers as he head to the locker room. They only play with seven guys and losing him would be a huge blow to their season.

Get ready for every college team in the country to watch game film on how the Georgetown Hoyas were able to get inside and get some easy and some tough baskets in the Orange zone defense. I was very impressed at how the Hoyas share the ball and found an open man in the paint for an easy two points or send their man to the free throw line. 6-11 center Greg Monroe lead the team with seven of the Hoyas 22 assists. Sure he had 15 points and 10 rebounds, but when your big man can find an open man and give his teammate to get points, you have a chance to be a major player in the tournament. Now I see why Greg Monroe is a lottery pick in this year's NBA draft, the man can do it all.

When the Hoyas played Duke, President Barack Obama mention how much he loves the guards on this team. I have to agree with the president on this one. Chris Wright and Austin Freeman are one of my top five best backcourts in the nation. I just love how both guards love to go inside and don't mind any contact. Chris is one of my favorite players in the country I don''t hear much about thanks to John Wall and Evan Turner. This is the third time the Hoyas saw the Orange this year and he studied the game film very well because he was all over this team. When he saw two defenders he went right through them for a lay in or head to the line. He shined at Madison Square Garden with 27 points on 10 of 16 from the field, six rebounds, and six assists. Austin Freeman was diagnosed with diabetes last week and he's playing very well. He played 37 minutes of the game, which is good for his health, and scored 18 points on seven of 14 from the field. If there is an X-factor for this team I would go with Jason Clark. He shots 43% from the three-point line this season and that will be big for the Hoyas in the tournament.

I don't know how the brackets will unfold but I think this Hoyas team can make some noise in this tournament. With a 6-ll center and a backcourt with no fear, who knows what will happen. Let's just see what happens when the brackets are out on Sunday.