Thad Minute: The Buckeyes thrilling tourney run, ends in a "shocker" in the Elite Eight

Once again, the Buckeyes used a late-game three-pointer, to beat
Arizona, 73-70 in the West Region Sweet 16 matchup last week.

All good things must come to an end, right? After all in a 68-team field in the NCAA tournament, you are going to have 67-bad endings, with only one happy ending down in Atlanta next Monday night. What a run by the Buckeyes over the past month and a half, an 11-game winning streak, which included: what should have been a share of the regular season Big Ten championship (thanks a lot Michigan!), a Big Ten tourney championship, and some thrilling finishes during the team's NCAA tournament run to the West Region Elite Eight. Here's my recap on the Scarlet and Grey's two games from last week.

Thad Minute: Buckeyes advance to the Sweet 16 (again)

Sam Thompson put on a dunking clinic all-night, in the
Buckeyes 95-70 win over #15-seeded Iona, last Friday night.

Thad Matta's basketball program at THE Ohio State University, are making trips to the Sweet 16, an annually occasion.

Thad Matta & Co. are making yet another trip to the Sweet 16 (fourth-straight), albeit with a little late-game drama this past Sunday afternoon.

Over the past weekend down the road from Columbus in Dayton at historic UD Arena, the Buckeyes used an all-around team effort to pick up a pair of wins over #15-seeded Iona (95-70) and #10-seeded Iowa State (78-75). The Buckeyes, who have struggled in years past to win at UD Arena in the NCAA tournament, are the highest seeded team (#2 seed) remaining in the wild wild West Region. The team now travels out west, to play their Sweet 16 game at the Staple Center, in downtown Los Angeles. The Buckeyes, two wins away from back-to-back Final Four appearances, look to extend their 10-game winning streak, as they now face the #6-seeded Arizona Wildcats, Thursday Night (7:47, TBS). Lets take a look back and recap this past weekend's pair of games, and relive the drama from Sunday afternoon's thrilling Round of 32 game.

Thad Minute: Men's hoops snag another BIG tourney, while the Women's team gets their bubble burst

Thomas' late three, sealed the upset win,
for the Buckeyes in Bloomington.

Ewww!!! Weeeeee! What an incredible month of March it has been up to this point, for the Men's basketball team, over at THE Ohio State University. All, but buried after an embarrassing 22-point loss up in Madison, WI (to the Baddgggeeerrsss), the Buckeyes turned things around quickly to finish the season strong. Heading into the 2013 NCAA Tournament this weekend, the Buckeyes are currently riding an 8-game winning streak, while holding their opponents to 60 points or less, in each game. Let us take a look back at the past couple of weeks, in this latest edition of The Rock's, Thad Minute.

Thad Minute: Buckeyes grind out the month of February in hoops

PG Aaron Craft's career-high 21-point performance,
sparked the Buckeyes 68-60 upset win over #4 MSU
last Sunday afternoon.

The first weekend in the month of March, can mean only one thing, that Selection Sunday is just two weeks away. March Madness, for a lot of people, the madness has already begun or will begin this weekend, with a number of teams clashing for conference championships, NCAA tournament seeding, and "bubble" bursting implications on-the-line. Let's check out and see how the Men's and Women's basketball programs are doing, heading into March, or other wise known as the "greatest month of college basketball". OH-IO!

Thad Minute: Men's team in BIG10 race, Women's team continues to struggle



DeShaun Thomas is locked & loaded for a critical month
of February in the Big Ten Conference.

IT'S GROUNDHOG DAY! Here again, to give you my rundown of the Men's & Women's basketball programs over at THE Ohio State University. Last time I updated you both team's were a couple games into Big Ten Conference play. Take a minute, and let me update you on how both teams finished out the month of January. Go Buckeyes!

Thad Minute: Update on Buckeye hoops, as conference play gets underway



Head Coach Thad Matta will have his work cut-out for him,
as the Buckeye Men's team enters a tough stretch of games.

Greetings! Hope everyone got back into their regular routine (reality) following the holiday season. The last time we discussed the Men's & Women's Buckeyes basketball teams they were both coming off tough defeats on the road in their Big10/ACC Challenges. Stay with me for a little bit, while I recap the month of December and the current status of the two teams as conference play got underway this past week. 3....2....1....BUCKETS!

Boomer's Thad Minute: Recap of Buckeye Hoops in November

Aaron Craft & Co. fought hard and lead for most of the night, until
the Blue Devils rallied late winning 73-68 in front of the Cameron Crazies.

On the same night, the Women's team lost their Big Ten/ACC Challenge game
at UNC, 57-54, their 2nd loss this season vs. Top 25 team.

Post Thanksgiving report on Buckeye hoops. As the calendar turns to December (already!?!) tomorrow, lets take a look back at the first month of the season for both the Men's and Women's hoops teams at THE Ohio State University.

Boomer's Thad Minute: Buckeye hoops teams tip-off on a boat

Junior's Aaron Craft & Deshaun Thomas are back
to guide the Buckeyes ship this winter.

2012-'13 Ohio State Buckeyes Men's Basketball Schedule

2012-'13 Ohio State Buckeyes Women's Basketball Schedule

Senior Tayler Hill is back, to lead
the Buckeyes towards another run
at Big 10 Championship.

National Championship Game Preview: Kentucky vs. Kansas

Well, it's been a couple of days, since Ohio State's 2nd-half letdown vs. the Kansas Jayhawks, and I still got that feeling of, "what the heck happened?". But, it is what it is...which leads me to tonight's matchup between Kentucky and Kansas for the 2012 National Championship in Men's Division 1 Basketball. Let's take a minute and breakdown this matchup, which is another rematch (all three games this year in the Final Four, were rematches from the regular season) from an earlier regular season meeting back in December (UK won 75 to 65, @ MSG in New York) the second game of the season for both teams. This also marks the second time Coach Calipari and Coach Self will face each other in the National Championship Game (2008 NC, when Coach Self's Jayhawks beat Coach Cal's Memphis Tigers).

Let's see how each team got to the National Championship:

UK                                                               KU
2nd Round: Defeated WKU, 81 to 66         2nd Round: Defeated Detroit, 65 to 50
3rd Round: Defeated ISU, 87 to 71             3rd Round:  Defeated Purdue, 63 to 60
Sweet 16: Defeated Indiana, 102-90            Sweet 16: Defeated NC State, 60 to 57
Elite 8: Defeated Baylor, 82-70                   Elite 8: Defeated UNC, 80 to 67
Final Four: Defeated Louisville, 69 to 61    Final Four: Defeated Ohio State, 64 to 62

Starters
Kentucky's starting five is one of the best in recent years, it includes the two-potential top picks in June's NBA Draft (Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist) some veteran players (Terrance Jones and Doron Lamb) and a talented freshmen Point Guard in Marquis Teague. They are a very unselfish unit and like to push the ball up and down the court and score frequently. In each of their previous 5 tournament games the Wildcats have score at least 69 points or more, so they will look for a high scoring game and try to outrun the Jayhawks. The Jayhawks will counter with a grind-it out unit that features one of the best all-around players in CBB this season, Thomas Robinson (17 ppg and 11 rpg). Robinson has some solid pieces around him in PG Tyshawn Taylor (16 ppg) and SG Elijah Johnson (10 ppg) to help provide the scoring for the Jayhawks's offensive attack. KU will also have a 7 footer to counter UK's big-man Davis, in Jeff Withey. It will be interesting to see the matchup between Withey and Davis down-low. UK has plenty of firepower in their starters, and it will be a challenge for the Jayhawks to limit their 2nd-chance points and limiting the Wildcats scoring run's (i.e 7-0, 9-0 runs).

Benches
Kentucky will have the advantage in this matchup off the bench with Senior guard Darius Miller (9.6 ppg) coming in to provide the Wildcats offense with a "6th starter".  The Jayhawks bench will need to have someone have a career game tonight, to provide some scoring and relief for the Jayhawk starters, as the Jayhawks do not rely much on their bench for scoring.

Coaches
You got to think in the back of his mind, Coach Calipari still thinks about that 2008 NC Game, in which his Memphis Tiger's just chocked away the game and title to Self's Jayhawks, he will be out for payback in tonights game. Since coming to UK, Coach Calipari has done a fantastic job in recruiting the best players in the country to come play for him (tho its been just for one year, for the most part), however, his squads have failed to win the ultimate prize. Coach Self has done a great job in doing a lot with less this season. If Self wants to win his 2nd National Title and 2nd against Coach Calipari he will have to outsmart him and come up with a quality gameplan (easier said then done).

Predictions
Well, ever since the brackets came out WAY back on March 11th, the Kentucky Wildcats have been the favorite to cut down the nets in New Orleans and bring back the 8th National Championship to Lexington and the University of Kentucky. Tonights game will come down to two things: 1) KU knocking down outside shoots against UK's athletic/big defense 2) the Jayhawks limiting the Wildcats 2nd chance points. I've come to the conclusion that if UK and Coach Calipari win tonight (giving Coach Cal his 1st National Championship), that it will be like seeing the Patriots, Steelers, and/or Yankees winning a Championship, you just have to come to terms with it and accept it. With all that said, I'll be pulling for Kansas and Coach Self to pull off the upset once more tonight, for the soul reasoning and I'll be honest, my hatred/disliking of that Italian-cheater and get away with it, COACH JOHN CALIPARI. I guess the bright side in this all is, if Kentucky wins, this will mark the end of an era, as Gainer will officially retire as a UK Wildcats fan, and I will like him just a little more.

I think we can all agreed that regardless the outcome in this one, each teams starting five will look A LOT different come fall practice in October. Which is fine, its just the way it is now in the game of CBB, and as a Head Coach, the objective you should have is to try and build the best team you can for one year and "shoot" for a National Championship.

(Side note: With the potential of Kentucky Men and Baylor Women winning the a National Championship in the next two nights, could we not have two of the best looking starting centers, EVER...take a look you let me know...haha)

Boomer's Weekly Basketball Full Court Press: Final Four Edition

Here We Go! The Final Four is set, with the four remaining teams from the field of 68 ready to battle it out down in New Orleans "The Big Easy", this weekend for the right to be the last team standing cutting down the nets inside the Louiisana Superdome. Louisville, Kentucky, Ohio State, and Kansas will provide us with a GIANT Final Four that includes: Great Tradition, Hated Rivals, Legendary Coaches, Future NBA talent, and a little thing called REVENGE. In the first matchup, the Bluegrass state will be well represented as Louisville faces off against Kentucky for the second time this season (with UK beating Louisville @ home, 69-62 in the first meeting). In the night cap, its another rematch from the regular season, when Ohio State gets a second chance against Kansas, with the help of a certain big-man this time around (Ohio State lost @ KU, 78 to 67 w/o Jared Sullinger). Lets take a minute and breakdown the two match ups and I'll give you my predictions and picks.

#4 Louisville Cardinals (30-9) vs. #1 Kentucky Wildcats (36-2) 6:09 PM EST CBS Saturday 3/31

Two schools separated by just 69 miles, this will be the first meeting between in-state rivals in the Final Four since 1962 (Cincinnati defeated Ohio State in the National Championship). Two legendary coaches that have been to this point before multiple times, Coach Pitino has beaten Coach Calipari in the previous two meetings in which they have meet in the NCAA Tourney, the last coming in the 1996 Final Four, when Coach Pitino's Kentucky team knocked off Coach Calipari's UMass squad in the national semifinals. Kentucky has turned in a pretty impressive tournament thus far, winning their first four games all by double digits. Louisville is making a similar run as last years National Champion UCONN Huskies did, by winning the Big East Tournament and getting to the Final Four. This makes the 3rd year in a row that the Big East Tournament Champions have reached the Final Four. This matchup has to be a dream for anyone from the state of Kentucky with such a rich history between the two schools and programs, it should be very entertaining to watch. Kentucky has NBA talent up and down its roster, but unlike the past two seasons, this team looks to finish off the job and be crowned the NCAA Champions come next Monday night. On the other hand, Louisville has to be the surprise team out of the four in the Final Four. The Cardinals got off to a hot start with a 12-0 mark and were ranked in the top four at one point earlier in the season. Then came numerous injuries and the grind of the Big East schedule and the Cardinals were struggling at times during the season. Fast forward to the present and with the Big East Tournament Championship under their belt and a healthy roster, the Cards have played great up to this point in the NCAA tournament, relying on their great team defense and timely scoring. Although, it would be great to see Louisville continue their tourney run on Saturday night with a win vs. Kentucky, I just think UK is too talented and will prevail in Round Two of the Bluegrass Rivalry and move one step closer to winning a National Championship for Coach Cal. I'm pretty sure, the state of Kentucky will shutdown mid-week and head down to New Orleans to watch this historic meeting.

Bracket Pick: Kentucky

Live Pick: Kentucky

#2 Ohio State Buckeyes (31-7) vs. #2 Kansas Jayhawks (31-6) 8:49 PM EST CBS Saturday 3/31

Being a loyal Buckeye fan, it was tough watching this team during a 2-3 stretch in the month of February.  With a load of talent on this roster, it was frustrating to watch them lose knowing they could play better then what they were showing. However, March came with a renewed look about this team and they now find themselves at the place that everyone had them at way back in the preseason. The Buckeyes, who rely on a number of underclassmen, are making their first trip to the Final Four since 2007, when they were defeated by two-time champions the Florida Gators in the National Championship Game. The Buckeyes had a mix of experience and youth on that team, lead by big-man Greg Oden. This current squad is young, but has been together the past two seasons, winning 30-plus games in the process. This matchup will mark the second time the two teams have played each other this season, and there will be a BIG difference this time around. Jared Sullinger, who sat out vs. the Jayhawks back in December (back issues), should provide the fans with intriguing matchup going up against KU's big's Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey. Another matchup to watch will be the play from the two starting PG's Ohio State's Aaron Craft and Kansas' Tyshawn Taylor. Of course, the x-factor in this matchup will be the play of Senior Wing player William Buford for Ohio State. Buford up to this point of the tourney, has been very quick and at times has had Buckeye fans screaming for him to play better or head to the bench. It will be interesting to see what sort of factor Buford will have for Ohio State in the Final Four. In what looks like the making of a instant classic, I think the Buckeyes use the revenge factor and punch their ticket to Monday night's National Championship Game.

Bracket Pick: UNC

Live Pick: Ohio State

Well, there you have it, Boomer's take on the Final Four and how it should play out. As a Buckeye fan, you like to think they have two more games in them and can capture the schools first NCAA basketball title since 1960. Regardless, this should be a memorable Final Four with four powerhouse programs and a bunch of players that will be making their mark in the NBA sooner then later. 

Boomer's NCAA Men's Sweet 16 Preview Part II

Wow, first night of the Sweet 16 I went 3 for 4, with correctly picking Syracuse, Louisville and Ohio State in my bracket, congrats to the four teams that found themselves one win away from the Final Four...Syracuse will now face Ohio State as well as Louisville will go up against Florida on Saturday in the first set of Elite Eight matchups over the weekend. Now, lets discuss the four Sweet 16 games for this evening and see who Boomer has advancing tonight.

South Region 7:15 CBS

#7 Xavier Musketeers (23-12) vs. #3 Baylor Bears (29-7)  Line: Baylor by 6
Xavier at the beginning of the season were talked about as being a potential dark horse team to reach the Final Four in New Orleans this season after starting 8-0. Then the brawl in Cincinnati happened, and after suspensions were handed out, the X-Men would drop their next 5 out of 6 games and end up finishing 3rd in the A-10 Conference. Fast Forward to the present, and the Musketeers find themselves two W's away from a trip to the Final Four, that everyone was thinking could be possible at the beginning of the season for this team. Xavier will go up against an athletic team in Baylor in their Sweet 16 meeting. Baylor having an outstanding season (29-7, losing twice to Kansas and three times to Missouri) rely on their starters and a balanced scoring attack which features 5 guys avgering 10 or more points per game. Look for this one to be a high paced game, as both teams avg. over 70 points per game ( Baylor 75 ppg & Xavier 71 ppg). Players to watch out for, from Xavier Tu Holiday, Mark Lyons, and Dezmine Wells and for Baylor Pierre Jackson, Perry Jones III, Quincy Acy and Quincy Miller. A slight edge goes to the Bears in this one.
Bracket Pick: Notre Dame
Live Pick: Baylor

South Region 9:45 CBS

# 4 Indiana Hoosiers (27-8) vs. #1 Kentucky Wildcats (34-2)  Line: Kentucky by 8.5
One of the rematch that everyone was hoping to see once the brackets came out back on Selection Sunday. December 10, the Hoosiers got a program building/back to being relative again W, when they knocked off the then #1 team in the land the Wildcats of Kentucky. Down two with seconds to go in the game, Hoosiers Junior Forward Christian Watford lauched a GW 3 pointer at the buzzer "Watford for the win...", and the celebration and party begin in Bloomington and lasted long into the night I'm sure. Fast Forward now to the present and like that night back in December, the Hoosiers again find themselves as heavy underdogs going up against just twice-defeated Kentucky Wildcats. Look for the Wildcats to pull away in this one early and cruise to the finish. I just don't see a repeat of what happened back in December happening again this time around, Kentucky is focused on getting to the Final Four and winning a National Championship and will have the revenge card to play with as well tonight.
Bracket Pick: Kentucky
Live Pick: Kentucky

Midwest Region 7:47 TBS

#13 Ohio Bobcats (29-7) vs. #1 North Carolina Tar Heels (31-5)  Line: UNC by 10.5
David vs. Goliath. That pretty much sums up this matchup between a National Title contender and the Cinderella of this years NCAA Tournament. The Ohio Bobcats are here in the Sweet 16 after pulling off upsets over Michigan and South Florida, but face a stiff task in tonight's matchup vs. the boys of Tobacco Road. The Tar Heels look to play without their starting PG Kendall Marshall, who suffered a breaking bone in his wrist the last time out. Even without, Marshall, the Tar Heels have plenty of NBA-talent on the roster to have no problem with the Bobcats. This one could be close at the start, seeing as the Tar Heels will be relying on their back-up PG in this one, the Tar Heels go on a run in the middle of the 1st half and keep the pedal down to the finish. This one could be ugly, but hats off to the Bobcats for representing the MAC Conference and the state of Ohio, but sometimes the clock shocks midnight on ALL cinderella's.
Bracket Pick: UNC
Live Pick: UNC

Midwest Region 10:17 TBS

#11 NC State WolfPack (24-12) vs. #2 Kansas Jayhawks (29-6)  Line: Kansas by 7.5
The night cap for the evening and second night of the Sweet 16 pairings, has NC State going up against Kansas. Kansas got a scare in their last outing, having to come from double digets down to beat Purdue in their 3rd Round meeting, a game that Purdue let slip away, while the Wolfpack are coming off back-to-back upsets setting up this matchup tonight. I believe NC State got a lot of confidence in their loss to UNC in the ACC Tournament and were granted one of the final spots in the NCAA Tournament, have providing to this point their deserve to be here. This has the feel of being a really good game and probably the game of the night. The Jayhawks rely on balanced guard play and a heavy dose from Player of the Year candidate Thomas Robinson (17 ppg & 11 rpg). We will see if the Jayhawks got their wake up call from the close-call vs. Purdue or if the Wolfpack can pull off another upset setting up an All-ACC Midwest Regional Final vs. UNC Sunday afternoon.
Bracket Pick: Kansas
Live Pick: Kansas

Check back early Saturday for my preview on the Saturday Elite Eight matchups...
#7 Florida vs. #4 Louisville 4:30 CBS
#2 Ohio State vs. #1 Syracuse 7:05 CBS

Boomer's NCAA Men's Sweet 16 Preview

East Region 7:15 CBS

#4 Wisconsin Badgers (26-9) vs. #1 Syracuse Orange (33-2)  Line: Syracuse by 4.5
This matchup pits two different styles of teams, 2-3 zone vs. Man-Man, Up Tempo vs. Slow it down, Athleticism vs. Pure shooters. The Badgers led by Head Coach Bo Ryan are making their 4th trip to the Sweet 16 under Coach Ryan. The Badgers rely on their perimetering shooting (36 %) and their slow it down time wasting offense. Badgers Senior PG Jordan Taylor will be counted on to score on the offensive end as well as on the defensive end slowing down Syracuse's backcourt. Taylor needs help from the rest of the Badgers squad including forwards Ryan Evans and Jared Berggren to pull the upset against the Orange tonight. Syracuse will counter with the deepest and most balanced team in the country. With nine players avgering over 10 minutes a game and only two of those players avgering double figures, the Orange relied on a number of players to win 33 games so far this season. Even without Fab Melo in the middle of the 2-3 zone for the Orange, I like Syracuse in this meeting, for the sole reason, that the Orange have the more athletic team in this matchup. The only way I see the Badgers pulling the upset, is if they can find spots in the zone defense and knock down some 3's.
Bracket Pick: Syracuse
Live Pick: Syracuse

East Region 9:45 CBS

#6 Cincinnati Bearcats (26-10) vs. #2 Ohio State Buckeyes (29-7)  Line: Ohio State by 7
Battle of Ohio in Boston, Mass. Say what you want about why these two teams do not face each other regularly in the regular season over the years, this Sweet 16 meeting theres no where to run. The Buckeyes come into this game the favors after winning their first two games in the NCAA Tourney by 19 and 7. The Buckeyes have a balanced attacked offensivly with three guys scoring over 14 ppg, led by big man Jared Sullinger. Aaron Craft is the do everything PG and looked great in the first week of the NCAA Tourney will look to shutdown the Bearcats backcourt. The Bearcats will lean on their three-headed monster in Yancy Gates, Dion Dixon, and Sean Kilpatrick all scoring over 12 ppg. in hopes of pulling off the upset. This game should be very entertaining to watch with two in-state rivals going up against each other for the right to go to the Elite Eight. In the end, the x-factor will be DeSean Thomas for the Buckeyes, if he is able to score from the inside AND outside, the Buckeyes should be alright. Lets Go Buckeyes!
Bracket Pick: Ohio State
Live Pick: Ohio State

West Region 7:47 TBS

#4 Louisville Cardinals (28-9) vs. #1 Michigan State Spartans (29-7)  Line: Michigan State by 5
Pitno vs. Izzo. Do I have your attention now? Ha, this matchup pins two Hall of Fame coaches against each other with a ticket to the Elite Eight on the line. The Cardinals come in riding a 6-game winning streak including the Big East Tournament Championship, and will continue to try and ride the wave from that. The Cardinals have done more with less then any other team this entire season, with injuries to key players all season long. The Cardinals will lean on a squad that have six players scoring 9 or more ppg. and have played well in the post season. What Pitno does to slowdown Spartans big-man do everything Forward Draymond Green will be a big factor in how this game goes. On the other side, Coach Izzo is money in the month of March reaching the Elite Eight 7 times in his career. To get to his 8th Elite Eight, Izzo will have to come up with a gameplan to slowdown the red-hot Cardinals. This one is a toss-up for a general fan, but I did have Louisville getting to the Elite Eight in my bracket, as well as, Gainer being a alumi of the school, I lean towards the Cardinals pulling the upset in this one.
Bracket Pick: Louisville
Live Pick: Louisville

West Region 10:17 PM TBS

#7 Florida Gators (25-10) vs. #3 Marquette Golden Eagles (27-7)  Line: Marquette by 1.5
In the night cap for the night, this matchup has a team that was suppose to be here and another that for most is a surpise at this point. Maruqette comes into this meeting after beating BYU by 20 in their Second Round Game and then beating Murray State by 9 in the Third Round Game. The Golden Eagles have a two-headed monster in Darius Johnson-Odom and Big East Player of the Year Jae Crowder. These two guys lead the team in scoring and provide some quality all-around play for the Golden Flashes who are more then just a two-man team (four other players scoring 7 or more points ppg). The Gators will focus on shutting down the two big name players, and try to continue their run in the tourney (outscoring their opponents by a score of 155-95 in their first two games). Marquette will be a much tougher test for the Gators up to this point in the tourney after beating Virginia and Norfolk State. Should be plenty of entertainment in this game and another great matchup to cap the evening of the first set of Sweet 16 games.
Bracket Pick: Missouri
Live Pick: Marquette

Have fun watching tonights games, good luck with your bracket picks and check back in tomorrow, for Friday's Sweet 16 games.



Boomer's Weekly Basketball Full-Court Press: Update on NCAA Tourney Edition

I'M BACK! Vegas was a blast and some good memories and sleepless hours of entertainment and fun. Looking forward to the next time I get a chance to go back out to Sin City. However, back to were I belong back in the state of OH-IO and back to "the rock" to give you all an update on how the 2012 NCAA Men's Tournament is playing out. Lets take a minute and recap each region and check out some interesting stats from the first weekend.

South Region
As the #15 seed Mountain Hawks of Lehigh were celebrating their victory over #2 seed Duke Blue Devils, millions of NCAA brackets were offically busted. The South Region left us with a rematch from eariler in the season, when #4 seed Indiana faces #1 seed Kentucky (IU beat UK in the regular season meeting, 73 to 72.). The other match-up in this region, matches #7 seed Xavier vs. #3 seed Baylor. With the way the bracket has played out, its Kentucky's to lose. Look for a preview of the Sweet 16 later in the week back here at "the rock".

West Region
Before Lehigh busted brackets all across the country, Norfolk State provided us with the first big upset of this years tourney. Norfolk State played lights out and upended a potential title contender #2 seed Missouri, 86 to 84. The only one-loss team heading into the tourney (Murray State) was able to win their first game, before falling to Marquette in the 3rd Round, 62 to 53. The first matchup pits #1 seed Michigan State vs. #4 seed Louisville. In the other regional semifinal, #3 seed Marquette takes on #7 seed Florida (who have won their first two games by a combined score of 155-95. I could see either of these four teams representhing this region in the Final Four, should be interesting to see how it plays out this weekend. Look for a preview of the Sweet 16 later in the week back here at "the rock".

East Region
The bracket that came the closest to being "chalk", the East region played out almost as expected. Syracuse got a scare in their first game vs. #16 seed UNC-Ashville, but bounced back to beat Kansas State and reach the Sweet 16. Ohio State got two balanced attack games out of their starters verus Loyola (MD) and Gonzaga to reach the Sweet 16 for the third straight year. Regional semifinals pit #1 seed Syracuse vs. #4 seed Wisconsin. In the other matchup, two Ohio schools face each other, when #2 seed Ohio State goes up against #6 Cincinnati. Although, in my bracket I have Syracuse advancing out of this region, I will be 100% commited to the Buckeyes, in hopes of reaching the Final Four. Look for a preview of the Sweet 16 later in the week back here at "the rock".

Midwest Region
The Midwest region is represented by the two Cinderalla teams of the NCAA tourney so far. #11 seed NC State and #13 seed Ohio are into the Sweet 16 after winning their first two games in the tourney in upset fashion. It also left us with two potential title contenders with one possibly having to play short-handed the rest of the tourney (UNC) and the other (Kansas) lucky enough to still be in the tournament after rallying in their Third Round game vs. Purdue. In the Sweet 16, #1 seed UNC will go up against #13 seed Ohio, with #2 seed Kansas verus #11 seed NC State. With the injury to UNC PG, Kendall Marshall, I lean towards Kansas being the team to get out of the Midwest region. Look for a preview of the Sweet 16 later in the week back here at "the rock".

Fun stats from the first weekend

- Not one single OT and/or buzzer-beater
- Four teams in the Sweet 16 from one state (Ohio), all-time record
- In the First Four, WKU came back from 16 with less then 5 mins to go to win, NCAA tourney record, also, in the First Four, BYU rallied from 25 down to beat Iona, 78-72 another NCAA tourney record
- First time three teams seeded 13 or higher won on the same day to advance to the Round of 32 (Ohio, Norfolk State, and Lehigh)
- First time two #2 seeds (Duke and Missouri) lost to #15 seeds in a single NCAA tournament
- All #1 seeds are still alive
- The Big Ten and Big East have the most teams left in the tourney with four (4), including three matchups pinning the two conferences against each other.
- The Big Ten went 9-2, while the Big East went 11-5 in the first week of the NCAA tourney
- The Midwest is represented by the Sweet 16, with only two teams west of the Mississippi River still in the tournament.

Please feel free to add a stat and/or fact in the comments section and check in later this week for a preview by Boomer on the Sweet 16.

NCAA Tournament Brackets

Yesterday I shared with you all the brackets from the two creators of this blog (Boomer and Gainer), well today I wanted to give a S/O to a few of our loyal "Rock Bottom" fans and share with you their Final Four picks on the NCAA Tournament.

@jbeach4
South- Kentucky                  
West- Missouri
East- Ohio State
Midwest- Creighton
Championship Game- Kentucky over Ohio State, 63-58

@lilrunner
South- Kentucky
West- Michigan State
East- Ohio State, originally had Syracuse before the Fab Melo news
Midwest- UNC
Championship Game- UNC over Michigan State

Along with her picks, she wanted to throw out a LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS!!! :)

@mez50
South- Kentucky
West- Missouri
East- Ohio State
Midwest- Kansas
Championship Game- Kentucky over Ohio State

Boomer's Mom
South- Kentucky
West- Michigan State
East- Florida State
Midwest- Georgetown
Championship Game- Michigan State over Georgetown

PJ
South- Kentucky
West- Missouri
East- Ohio State
Midwest- Kansas
Championship Game- Ohio State over Missouri

Carmen
South- Duke
West- Marquette
East- Gonzaga
Midwest- UNC
Championship Game- Duke all the way...

President Obama
South- Kentucky
West- Missouri
East- Ohio State
Midwest- UNC
Championship Game- UNC over Kentucky

@Mission_G
South- Kentucky
West- Michigan State
East- Ohio State
Midwest- Kansas
Championship Game- Kentucky over Ohio State


Best of Luck to everyone, and if you haven't filled out a bracket yet, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? You have till noon on Thursday.

Boomer's Weekly Basketball Full Court Press: Bracket Edition

T-minus two hours till the 2012 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament kicks off in Dayton, OH with the first of four games we like to call the "First Four". Some people like to make up their brackets to include these first four games, others wait till 11:59 am on Thursday to finally make their picks. Anywho, last year was the first year the field was expanded to 68-teams, and as you fill out your bracket remember, VCU (one of the First Four from a year ago) made it all the way to the Final Four. Some of us like to pick "chalk" (the higher seeds) while others like to make their picks based on the schools mascot or whatever strange way they go about filling out their brackets. Just know that for the most part, your bracket will look like crap after the first weekend and just enjoy the whole experience of the tournament and the great moments it provides us with. In the end, ITS MARCH MADNESS, one of the best times of the year. Enjoy...

Boomer's Bracket

Gainer's Bracket

Bracket Notes:

First Four winners: WKU, Iona, Lamar, USF

South: Not surprised here, looks like Gainer's got the #1 Kentucky Wildcats knocking off the #6 seed UNLV Rebels in the Elite Eight to advance to the Final Four out of the South Region. 

West: Looks like we both agree Louisville and Missouri will matchup in the Elite Eight, with the Tigers beating the Cardinals and advancing to the Final Four out of the West Region.

East: Gainer must of had some insider information when filling out his bracket, with the loss of Melo in the middle for Syracuse, he believes Ohio State will defeat Syracuse in the Elite Eight and advance to the Final Four out of the East Region.

Midwest: Gainer's got UNC/Kansas Elite Eight matchup, with Kansas advancing to the Final Four out of the Midwest Region.

Final Four: Looks like Gainer has UK defeating Missouri and Kansas defeating Ohio State in the semi-finals of the Final Four, with you guessed it...the Kentucky Wildcats beating the Kansas Jayhawks in the National Championship Game.

All in all, it is always fun to sit down and fill out a bracket and enjoy the action of the NCAA Tournament, Good Luck to all and enjoy the craziest three weeks of the CBB season. 

Selection Sunday Recap

If you do not hear your name called, theres always the other half-dozen tournaments you can join

Ok! Finally, the brackets have been announced and 68 teams start to map out their travel plans for this upcoming week. Number One Seeds were given to Kentucky (South), Syracuse (East), UNC (Midwest) and Michigan State (West). The Big East Conference has the most teams in the field with nine. Now, lets recap the weekend and look forward to the start of the craziest three weeks of the year.

ACC
Florida State has proven to be a "giant killer" of sorts this season, knocking off UNC for the ACC Tournament crown and beating UNC and Duke twice in one season. Florida State is joined in the NCAA Tourney by ACC members: UNC, Duke, Virginia and NC State. Left out from the field of 68 from the ACC you could argue Miami (FL). Look for UNC, Florida State, and Duke hanging around past the first weekend.

Big 12
Missouri raced past Baylor in the Big 12 Championship Game winning the tournament in its last season as a member of the conference (joining the SEC). The Tigers were awarded a 2 seed in the West Region and had a strong argument for a #1 seed. Mizzou is joined by Kansas, Baylor, Kansas State, Iowa State, and the Longhorns of Texas. Look for the Tigers, Jayhawks, and Bears hanging around to see week 2 of the NCAA tournament.

Big East
The Louisville Cardinals ran off 4 wins in 4 days to win the Big East Tournament Championship over the Cincinnati Bearcats. The Cardinals are seeded as a number 4 seed out West, and look to ride the wave of winning the Big East tournament (i.e. UCONN last season) for a possible run to the Final Four and beyond. Louisville is joined in the "Big Dance" by Big East members Syracuse, Marquette, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, West Virginia, UCONN, South Florida, and Georgetown. Seton Hall was left out of the tourney, having their bubble bursted. Look for Louisville, Syracuse, Marquette, and Cincinnati to advance to the 2nd week of the "Big Dance".

Big Ten
Well, in a hard fought Big Ten Championship Game, Michigan State was able to make a few more plays on the offensive end to beat the Buckeyes of Ohio State in the rubber match between the two teams. With the win, the Spartans were rewarded with the #1 seed out in the West region and Ohio State was awarded the number 2 seed in the East. Joining the top two teams from the Big Ten in the NCAA tourney are Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Purdue. Northwestern again was left out of the NCAA tourney and once again had their bubble burst. The Big Ten should get Michigan State, Michigan and Ohio State into the Sweet 16.

Pac 12
What a pathetic display for a big name conference. The Pac 12 tournament champion, Colorado Buffalo are seeded as a #11 seed and the only other team from the conference to get a invite to the dance has to play in one of the play-in games in Dayton, #12 seeded California. I see both teams losing their opening games. The regular season champ Washington Huskies, along with Oregon and Arizona were left out after being on the bubble the last week of the season. Here's to the Pac 12 not being this bad in seasons to come.

SEC
In an upset, Vanderbilt was able to knock off the #1 Kentucky Wildcats in the SEC Championship Game. Vandy along with Kentucky, Florida, and Alabama will represent the SEC Conference in the NCAA Tournament. Mississippi State looked like the team from the SEC to get its bubble bursted on Selection Sunday. Now, out of these teams look for Kentucky and Vanderbilt to advance into the 2nd week of the tournament.

That pretty much puts a wrap on the Conference Tournament Recap. Good Luck to everyone filling out your brackets and if you want let me know and I will post your Final Four picks up on the blog Tuesday and/or Wednesday and make sure to give you a S/O.

In need of a bracket? Click the link below:
NCAA Tournament Bracket Print Out

Update on the NCAA Conference Tournaments

We've reached the weekend, and for some teams their bubbles have burst and others are still sweating it out till Sunday evening. Now some teams are still in line to win the automatic bid for their conference as Saturday provides us with some semi-finals and finals of Conference Championships. Sunday wraps up the Conference Tournaments and then you can catch the Selection Show on CBS and/or ESPN. Heres an update on some of the conference tournament action.

ACC
NC State vs. UNC
Florida State vs. Duke

Still looks like we are headed towards a UNC/Duke Final, but Florida St should provide Duke a challenge in the 2nd semi-final of the day. You can catch the action on ESPN 1 PM and 3 PM. You can catch the ACC Final, Sunday at 1 PM on ESPN.

Big 12
Baylor vs. Missouri

With Baylor's upset of Kansas, it denied us a chance to see Kansas/Missouri one more time. Oh well, Baylor/Missouri Final should be a good one (ESPN 6 PM) with Missouri beating Baylor twice in the regular season. It's hard to beat a team three times in one season.

Big East
Cincinnati vs. Louisville

Two unexpected teams will face off against each other for the Big East Tournament Championship (ESPN 9 PM). Both teams have pulled back-to-back upsets to reach the Saturday Night Final, and both teams could improve their seeding for next weekends tournament with a W. In the regular season, UC won the only meeting between the two teams, 60-56 in Cincinnati. Revenge for the Cards?

Big Ten
Wisconsin vs. Michigan State
Ohio State vs. Michigan

After the 1st two rounds of the Big Ten Tourney, its left us with the top 4 teams in the semi-finals. Wisconsin-Michigan St. will play the early game at 1:40 CBS, while Ohio St-Michigan will follow 4 PM CBS. Michigan State swept Wisconsin in the regular season and Ohio St-Michigan split their two regular season meetings. The Big Ten Final can be seen at 3:30 Sunday afternoon.

Pac 12
Colorado vs. Arizona

How about this, a major conference only getting one team in the NCAA tournament. Well, that may be the case when Colorado and Arizona face off for the automatic bid for the Pac 12 Tournament Championship (6 PM CBS). The two teams split their regular season meetings.

SEC
Florida vs. Kentucky
Ole Miss vs. Vanderbilt

You can catch these two games on ABC this afternoon at 1 PM and 3 PM. Kentucky swept Florida in the regular season and Vandy crushed Ole Miss in their only meeting of the regular season. I still believe Kentucky will be on cruise control the next two days in preparation for the NCAA tourney starting next weekend. The SEC Final is scheduled for noon on ABC Sunday.

Click here to check out other Conference Tournament Action

Boomer's Weekly Basketball Full-Court Press Conference Tournament Edition

The press is going to be a little different for the next month, with the start of Conference Tournaments in Men's CBB, I am going to give you my preview and predictions of the six major Conference Tournaments, while keeping you posted on how the smaller conferences are doing and the teams that have punched their tickets to the "Big Dance". Selection Sunday is six days away and the start of three of the craziest weeks of the year. On a side note, the Press will take a break from reporting on the NBA i.e. the Cleveland Cavaliers during the month of March to cover all the action, that is the "madness" of college basketball in March. Now to the picks...

Philips Arena (March 8-11)

            Atlanta, GA

The ACC tournament looks to be headed towards a classic rubber match for its Championship Game. With the #1 seeded Tar Heels of UNC going up against the #2 seeded Duke Blue Devils. Duke winning the first meeting at UNC, and UNC returning the favor last Saturday Night in Durham. I believe the people in Atlanta and the ACC would love to see a third meeting between the two rivals. Florida State, Virginia, NC State could have something to say by the end of the weekend with my sleeper pick being Miami (FL). Duke has won the past three ACC Tournaments.
Winner: North Carolina over Duke

ACC Tournament Bracket/Schedule

       Sprint Center (March 7-10)

          Kansas City, Missouri

Again, the Big 12 Tournament is shaping up to have its two top teams face off in a rubber match in their Championship Game. The regular season champs #1 seeded Kansas Jayhawks are looking to win the Big 12 Conference tournament for the 3x in a row and 8th overall since the first year of the tournament in 1997. The #2 seeded Missouri Tigers look to be the opponent in the Big 12 Championship Game, setting up a rubber match between the two rivals, with both winning on their home courts in the regular season. Teams to keep an eye on that could prevent the rubber match from happening are Iowa State, Baylor, and Kansas State. My sleeper pick would be Texas in need of a win or two in this tournament to get into the "Big Dance". Personally, I would love to see the Jayhawks and Tigers go at it one more time this season, and quiet possible the last time for good, with Missouri joining the SEC starting in the Fall. 

Winner: Missouri over Kansas

Big 12 Tournament Bracket/Schedule

Madison Square Garden (March 6-10)

       New York City, New York

The most unpredictable conference tournament of the big six by far, it is always entertaining and held at one great (if not the greatest) basketball arena. With the tournament expanding to include all 16 teams in the conference back in 2009, it has led to plenty of upsets and great games. The defending champs, UCONN Huskies, are the #9 seeded team again this time around, and with the return of their head coach (Jim Calhoun) could be primed for another magical run? The top seeded team Syracuse, from top to bottom look to be the most complete team of the 16, but it will not be a runaway for them at all. The top 8 teams get a bye in the first round, with the top 4 getting a double bye and not having to play till Thursday. Teams to look out for that could win it all besides Syracuse: Marquette, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Louisville. My sleep picks consist of Cincinnati, WVU and why not UCONN. Winner: Syracuse over Louisville

Big East Tournament Bracket/Schedule

Bankers Life Fieldhouse (March 8-11)

          Indianapolis, Indiana

The toughest conference this season in Men's CBB, should provide us with a interesting and entertaining conference tournament over in Indy this weekend. The regular season crown was shared by Michigan State, Michigan AND Ohio State. All three of those teams could run off 3 W's in Indy and get the automatic bid to the "Big Dance". Michigan State received the #1 seed after the tiebreakers were decided, with Michigan getting the #2 seed and Ohio State playing this weekend as a #3 seed in the conference tournament. Teams that could win the tournament outside the top 3, would be Wisconsin or Indiana. My sleeper picks being, Purdue, Northwestern and Iowa. Ohio State is looking to win this tournament for the 3x in a row and 5th overall since the beginning of the tournament back in 1998. 

Winner: Ohio State over Michigan State

Big Ten Tournament Bracket/Schedule

      Staples Center (March 7-10)

         Los Angeles, California

By far the weakest conference this season, as of this past weekend, not one team was a "lock" to go to the NCAA tournament. With only two teams in the latest Bracketlogy representing the Pac-12, it just shows you how bad this conference is in the nations eyes. The #1 seed in the tournament, the Washington Huskies are looking to win it for the third time in a row. I mean who cares, this conference will have a hard time winning at least one game in the NCAA tournament, lets just say the top six teams all have a chance in winning this tournament. Winner: Arizona over California

Pac 12 Tournament Bracket/Schedule

 New Orleans Arena (March 8-11)

        New Orleans, Louisana

Who's going to be the team to knock off Kentucky? Man, that is tough to say, especially with Coach Cal already believing they will be playing three games this weekend. Huh, well the #1 seeded Kentucky Wildcats look to keep the momentum going heading into the "Big Dance" and shouldn't have a problem winning the SEC tournament. If they win it again this year thats three straight SEC tournament championships for UK, with three different looking rosters. Anyways, teams that could pull the upset over UK and win the tournament, Florida, Vanderbilt or Tennessee. My sleeper picks Alabama or Mississippi State. 

Winner: Kentucky over Vanderbilt

SEC Tournament Bracket/Schedule

Championship Games Tonight

Western Kentucky vs. North Texas (Sun Belt) 7 PM ESPN2

Western Illinois vs. South Dakota St (Summit League) 9 PM ESPN2

Detroit vs. Valparaiso (Horizon League) 9 PM ESPN

Wednesday Championship Games

Robert Morris vs. LIU-Brooklyn (Northeast) 7 PM ESPN2

Automatic Bids (As of Monday Night)

Belmont (Atlantic Sun)

UNC-Asheville (Big South)

Creighton (Missouri Valley)

Murray State (Ohio Valley)

Davidson (Southern)

Loyola-MD (MAAC)

Saint Mary's (West Coast)

VCU (Colonial)

Check back Friday and Saturday for updates on the conference tournaments... enjoy the MADNESS!

Road to the 2012 Final Four in New Orleans

It's finally March! The final weekend of the regular season will be very entertaining with conference championships and conference tournament seedings (as well as national seeding, of course) on the line across the country. This past week also started Champ Week, with the smaller conferences starting their conference's tournaments, making for some interesting games and some unexpected upsets. I will provide you with a few key games over the weekend to look out for as we get ever so close to Selection Sunday (March 11). Enjoy, and make sure to check out some of the action over the weekend, prepping yourself for the "madness" that is the month of March.

Stars for the Game

1- Check the Box Score

2- Last couple of minutes

3- Could be Watchable

4- Watchable

5- Must See Basketball

Saturday Lineup

Noon ESPN

Pittsburgh Panthers (16-14, 5-12 Big East) vs. Connecticut Huskies (17-12, 7-10 Big East)

The defending National Champs go up against a team that was a #1 seed a year ago, both teams struggling during this tough season. The Huskies and Panthers two teams that are usually NCAA teams every year, the Huskies are clinging to hope of a final spot in the NCAA tournament, while the Pitt Panthers are looking like a NIT team. This game provides us with UCONN Head Coach Jim Calhoun's return to the sideline (been out most of the season suspension/health issues). The Huskies are in need of a W heading into the Big East Tournament as they continue to hold on to hope in making the NCAA tourney and defending their title. Stars- 2

4 PM CBS

#18 Louisville Cardinals (22-8, 10-7 Big East) vs. #2 Syracuse Orange (29-1, 16-1 Big East)

Can the Orange reach 30 win's before the beginning of the Big East Tournament? The Orange of Syracuse host Louisville on Saturday afternoon at the Carrier Dome. In the first meeting, the Orange escaped out of Louisville back on Feb. 13, winning 52 to 51, holding the Cardinals scoreless in the final two minutes of the game. Syracuse looks to have locked up a #1 seed in the national tournament but, would like to continue their momentum heading into the postseason. The Cardinals have had some recent success beating the Orange at the Carrier Dome in past seasons. Stars- 4

Game of the Weekend

7 PM ESPN

#6 North Carolina Tar Heels (26-4, 13-2 ACC) vs. #3 Duke Blue Devils (26-4, 13-2 ACC)

UNC-Duke, Rivalry Game, ACC Title on the line, potential #1 national seed, revenge factor, Senior Night, did I miss anything? Haha, this game marks the 6th time that the two teams meet in the season finale with the ACC Regular Season Championship going to the winner of this game (UNC 3-2 in those such games). An Instant Classic back in early February at the Dean Smith Center, when the Tar Heels blew a double digit lead in the final 2.5 minutes, capped off by an Austin River's 3-pt bucket at the buzzer, Duke 85-84. Clearly, its UNC-Duke and it should be another classic meeting between the two teams. Stars- 5

Sunday Lineup

Noon CBS

#1 Kentucky Wildcats (29-1, 15-0 SEC) vs. #13 Florida (22-8, 10-5 SEC)

Just like the Syracuse Orange, the #1 team in the land can reach win number 30 before the SEC tournament. The Wildcats are looking unbeatable and have been one of the best teams all season across the country. Led by a class of super freshmen and some veteran players, the Cat's are primed for a deep run this year. In the first meeting between these two teams, the Wildcats hammered the Gators at Rupp Arena, 78-58 (Feb 7). Can the Wildcats finish off a perfect SEC schedule heading into postseason play? Stars- 3

4 PM CBS

#11 Ohio State Buckeyes (24-6, 12-5 Big Ten) vs. #5 Michigan State Spartans (24-6, 13-4 Big Ten)

With the loss by the Spartans on Tuesday (to the Hoosiers) and the Buckeyes winning a thriller vs. NW Wednesday night, this meeting will decide how many Big Ten Regular Season Champs we will have this season. If the Spartans win, they will win it outright, however, if the Buckeyes pull the road upset they will share it with MSU, along with Michigan (if they win @ Penn State on Sunday). Wow, potential for THREE co-champs, no wonder the Big Ten has been the best conference in the nation this season. In the first meeting between the two teams above, the Spartans ended the Buckeyes 39-game home winning streak, beating them in Columbus, 58 to 48 on Feb. 11th. The factor in this one will be how Jared Sullinger can play vs. the Spartans offense and the guys around him knocking down some shots. Could this be the 2nd of 3 meeting between the two teams this season (Big Ten Tournament Final)? Stars- 5!

This concludes my preview of the upcoming weekend of key meetings, but there are plenty more games to watch out for, you can check out the weekend schedule right here. Weekend Watch

Boomer's Weekly Basketball Full-Court Press

Another installment of the week that was in the world of Amateur/Professional Basketball. Ugh, with this being a Leap Year, we have to wait an additional day till March, I can't wait, but is time running out for some CBB teams leading up to Selection Sunday (March 11th) and the NBA begins its second half of the regular season.

ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top Ten

1) Kentucky 28-1
2) Syracuse 28-1
3) Duke 25-4
4) Kansas 24-5 (25-5, winning @ Ok State Monday)
5) Michigan State 24-5
6) North Carolina 25-4
7) Marquette 24-5
8) Missouri 25-4
9) Murray State 28-1
10) Baylor 24-5

Ohio State Buckeyes (23-6, 11-5 Big Ten)
Notice you do not see the Buckeyes sitting in the Top Ten anymore. After the third straight week of losing the weekend game on their schedule (all three L's coming against Top 20 teams), the Buckeyes are sitting at 11th in the current Coaches Poll. Sunday afternoon, the most disappointing/frustrating defeat for me as a fan, the Buckeyes could not close out the Wisconsin Badgers. After going up 50-42, the Buckeyes were outscored 21-10, losing 63-60 on SENIOR DAY of all things. What was the last game for Senior William Buford, the Buckeyes again had long scoring droughts and missed too many free throw attempts (10-19). Now, this team like I've mentioned before has Final Four talent on paper, but as I watch other games around the nation, its hard to see them getting passed the Elite teams of College Basketball. With two regular season games left, along with the Big Ten Conference Tournament (March 8-11), the Buckeyes need to flip the switch, and flip it fast. Not getting production out of "Sully" the past two games and shooting poorly in the past three marque games, makes you wonder how far to take the Buckeyes in your bracket this season. Was Sunday the last home game for Sullinger? However, with all that said, the Buckeyes still cling on to hope of a Big Ten Regular Season Championship. How that happens is Indiana needs to beat Michigan St (Tonight, ESPN 7 PM) and then the Buckeyes will have to win their last two games (@ Northwestern, Wednesday & @ Michigan State, Sunday) and that would give the Buckeyes a share of the Regular Season Title. At this point, the Buckeyes are sitting as a #2 seed for the NCAA tourney, and probably have to win out, including winning the Big Ten Tourney to hold on to that spot. It's been a frustrating last couple of weeks, but Feburary L's are forgotten, with March W's. LETS GO BUCKS!

Big Ten Standings

TEAM	CONF	OVERALL
Michigan State	13-3	24-5
Ohio State	11-5	23-6
Michigan	11-5	21-8
Wisconsin	10-6	21-8
Indiana	9-7	22-7
Purdue	9-7	19-10
Northwestern	7-9	17-11
Iowa	7-9	15-14
Illinois	6-10	17-12
Minnesota	5-11	17-12
Nebraska	4-12	12-15
Penn State	4-12	12-17

Now lets see how the boys of the NBA are doing...


Cleveland Cavaliers 13-18 9th in the East (2 GB of 7th, 1.5 GB of 8th)
Well, what does this team have in store for the second half of the NBA season? With being five games under .500, first things first, you got to find a way to get on the good side of .500. The Cavs had some impressive W's in the first half of the season, but also had some lop-sided L's against the elite teams of the NBA and a couple that they let get away. With the trade deadline coming up (March 15), the Cavs probably won't be looking to add any pieces, if anything depending on how the next couple weeks go they could be sellers and want to continue to rebuild the franchise, by getting some additional draft picks for the future. As a fan, you want to see your team be in contention all the way to the end. The Cavs will be interesting to watch this second half, to see if they have the poise and/or talent to stay in the playoff race. The Cavs start the second half of their season @ home tonight, when the Boston Celtics come to town, concluding the Cavs 9-game home stand (4-4 to this point in the stand). The Cavs then travel to face the Knicks in NY on Wednesday Night. The Cavs have a tough March schedule, depending on how the month of March goes will determine how the Cavs finish down the stretch. Should be interesting, if anything we get to continue to watch the development of the franchise PG Kyrie Irving. LETS GO CAVS!

Check out the current NBA Standings