On The Horizon

Jim Squire

Boom Goes The Dynamite: Second Round 03.20.10 Edition--Rush The Court

3:32: So which is it? Has the Big East been overrated all year, or is their poor tournament performance (4-5 playing nobody better than an 8-seed) due to the long, hard Big East schedule and the cannibalistic post-season conference tournament?

3:33: Murray State is going to have to get over the nerves, here. Butler is totally capable of jumping out to a big lead and then turning to stone on them.

3:38: Refs are certainly letting them play! Lots of contact inside, no calls. That’s OK, as long as it’s consistent. After a 7-0 Racers run, it looks like the nerves are gone. 12-10 Bulldogs. Man, the Twitt-o-spehere is still buzzing with that SMC win. It IS a #2 seed going down…

3:48: Butler’s Shelvin Mack is a Kentucky kid playing against Murray State. And he’s playing well. We’ve got some creative kids in this game, like Mack, and definitely Murray’s Isaiah Canaan and B.J. Jenkins.
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4:33: About two minutes played in the second half over at Butler/Murray State, and Matt Howard has his third foul. And now his fourth. Seriously, he picked up his fourth in the short time that it took my to write that sentence, and I started it when he picked up his third. That kid is a fouling machine. Murray State just drilled a trey to go up seven, and if it gets bigger Brad Stevens may have to put them back in after just a short rest.

4:41: Ohio/Tennessee go to the half at 38-27 Vols. Butler/Murray St. is definitely the better game. But now we have the dreaded double-commercial.

4:45: Our man at the San Jose pod just posted his diary from the first half of today. Great stuff.

4:47: Look at this! Butler is forced to go small because of Howard’s four fouls, and what happens? The small lineup is a quick one, which can keep up wit Murray State better, and they’ve come back to tie this thing at 33. Ronald Nored has 12 points on 5-7 shooting, not to mention 5 assists. GREAT game for this unlikely source of production.

4:57: Butler is now WINNING this game because of the play of Shelvin Mack. That kid’s been everywhere but most importantly has turned up his defensive intensity. In fact, Butler’s done so as a team in the last five minutes, but most notably Mack. They’re now up by SIX. Murray looks shaken.
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5:08: Back at Murray State/Butler…I think it’s clever that this arena is called HP Pavilion, and one of Hewlett Packard’s desktop computers is called the HP Pavilion. And there are the words denoting the name of the arena in the right end zone that say, “HP Pavilion.” Somebody thought that through.

5:11: That was a GREAT call by the baseline ref to call the charge but still allow the basket. That’s exactly the way it should have been. Murray’s gone on a little run and have TAKEN THE LEAD with that three by Canaan!

5:15: And now we’ve got a game in the other one! Tommy Freeman has just gone nuts for and and-one and a three to reel off six straight and bring his team to within five with 12:30 left!

5:21: NOT a good shot by Murray State there. You don’t need a three. At the other end, Ronald Nored drives to the hoop and gets an and-one to make it a six-point turnaround and give Butler a three-point lead. GREAT game. You know Murray State’s going to be looking for a trey at the other end. B.J. Jenkins, Isacc Miles, or Canaan should take it…

5:26: Could you have positioned that trap better, if you’re Murray State? These are Howard’s first FTs of the day, right?

5:27: I think if Howard hits this second one, you have to let Canaan (4-4 from three) just dribble down and take it like he did a couple of minutes ago.

5:29: Oh, my. Canaan had it and tried to give it up, and threw it right into Gordon Hayward’s hand. Knocked it into the backcourt, time runs out, game over. You would have liked to have seen Murray State get a shot off, at least. Butler goes to the Sweets.

San Jose Pod Daily Diary: 03.20.10 Edition--Rush The Court
2010 NCAA Tournament: Day 3 recap--Ballin' is a Habit
Butler no longer merits 'Cinderella' label--The Chicago Sun-Times
Nored picks up teammates--The Indy Star
Despite some big struggles, Butler makes Sweet Sixteen--The Indy Star
NCAA blog 9: It's all icing now--Indy Star Butler Insider
BUTLER 54, MURRAY STATE 52--THE unOFFICIAL BUTLER BULLDOGS MEN'S BASKETBALL PAGE
Late Defense Sends Bulldogs To Sweet 16--ButlerSports.com

With a second NCAA invitation, Cleveland State's women are no longer The Team That Couldn't--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Day Two in South Bend With Women's Basketball--csuvikings.com

College women's basketball: UW-Green Bay targets respect for mid-major programs--Green Bay Press Gazette
Slideshow: UW-Green Bay women get ready to dance--Green Bay Press Gazette
Women's NCAA Tournament: Cavs' Wright will be challenge for UWGB--Green Bay Press Gazette
Women's NCAA Tournament basketball: Bollant not bothered by Borseth talk--Green Bay Press Gazette
Practice Day for Green Bay in its 11th NCAA Tournament--uwgbathletics.com
First Round: (5) Virginia vs. (12) Green Bay--uwgbathletics.com

Men's basketball: UWGB's Cotton to face familiar opponent--Green Bay Press Gazette
Phoenix Men to Play CBI Second Round Monday at Saint Louis--uwgbathletics.com

Butler advances to Sweet 16 with 54-52 victory over Murray State--The Horizon League
NCAA Tournament 2nd Round - Butler vs. Murray State--Horizon League Network

Women's Basketball Scoreboard -- March 21 (NCAA)--The Horizon League
Women's Basketball Tournament Games--Horizon League Network

Jim Squire

Mid-Majority Tournament Chat Block No. 4--The Mid-Majority

6:16 Butler and UTEP, with the C-USA possibly joining us next season, can we safely enjoy a heck of a game without worrying too much about who advances to face Murray State?
6:16
No comment.
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6:20 Hey, Kyle! UTEP seems to be using its size well against Butler. How do the Bulldogs counter Derrick Caracter's presence inside the paint?
6:22
Yo, Ryan. This is the wearing down we were worried about. (That's a lot of W's, erm.) Butler is shooting badly, not hitting the boards, and Matt Howard is not doing his job. Does Caracter have a double-double already? I think he does, and it's only halftime. Very frustrating.
6:22 Butler playing completely uninspired basketball. Not good.
6:22
That too. Argh.
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6:35 You mentioned a concern for the UTEP-Butler winner is that the slugfest would wear down the winner. After Murrary State's active and emotional win... does that matter anymore?
6:38
Probably more than ever. Vanderbilt got worn down today, and Murray had three guys who went off. Murray has six guys, any of which could go off. They'll be ready for whichever team they get. Butler appears to be getting to this together, especially thanks to the Return of (the) Shelvin Mack. He's too small, yo... but he's knocking down a lot of shots.
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6:39 Butler a LOT better second half - Mack shooting 3's all over the place, very few fouls on Howard, gertting rebounds, reducing the number of turnovers etc.
6:41
Agreed. I can totally imagine Brad Stevens' rousing halftime speech: "You're too big, yo."
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6:52 Will Butler & Purdue survive the weekend? Or will IUPUI be the last Indiana team playing in the post-season?
6:53
The way Butler is playing right now, they'll survive as long as they want. Looks like 58-41 at 7:55 2H. Although Gordon Hayward, perhaps affected by the Rap Scandal, is shooting very badly.
6:55
And I prematurely tweeted earlier, but if Butler wins, Season 6 is guaranteed to survive another week. That's always at the back of my mind at this time of year, and why I always try to find a pod with a mid-vs.-mid game in the first round. It's mighty boring if it's four power teams in the R32, and thankfully that's never happened to me.
...
7:02
OK, folks, the countdown for the Ohio-Georgetown game has started (another upset, hopefully), Butler is salting this UTEP game away, and I have to get back out on the floor. Remember to follow the @midmajority Tweeter feed for the rest of the night. I might miss Tennessee-SD State, though. See you on the flip side!

Mid-Majority Tournament Chat Block No. 5--The Mid-Majority

5:13 Am I the only one crazy enough to believe that Murray State has a legitimate shot at the Sweet 16? They have quick guards and fairly good Bigs. Although Butler is a well coached team, do they have the athletes to keep up? that being said it would be hard to debate that Butler is the better team.
5:15
Oh, they definitely have the athletes. There have been teams like this version of Murray in the Horizon League in the last few years -- I'm thinking Cleveland State and Wright. Tough defense, deep, guards who can explode. The Bulldogs have had trouble with those kinds of teams. But Butler 2010 has an extra gear, and it's been showing it in the last few weeks. Like yesterday in the second half, the title game against Wright, the Siena BracketBuster.

Second Round Game Analysis: Saturday--Rush The Court

3:20 pm – #5 Butler vs. #13 Murray State (San Jose pod)

The second game of the second round will feature the top mid-major program in the east versus an upstart who would love to get there themselves. In their first round game, if you haven’t heard, the Racers’ Danero Thomas hit a shot at the buzzer to knock Vanderbilt out of the Tournament, but what you may not know about that game is that Murray State pretty much controlled it throughout. It was very late when Vandy regained the lead and set the stage for Thomas’ game winner. The point: Murray is better than your typical #13 seed Cinderella. Butler, on the other hand, had a weak first half and a superb second half to put away UTEP. It was two of the staples of Butler’s attack — relentless halfcourt defense and the three-ball — that allowed the Bulldogs to quickly take the lead and never look back against the Miners. As for this game, Murray State does many of the same things that Butler does, it’s just that Brad Stevens’ team does those things better. It will certainly be interesting to see how Butler responds to being the Big (Bull)Dog in an NCAA Tournament game, as they’re usually the upstart taking on some higher-seeded Kansas or Florida type of team.

The Skinny: We’d love to take Murray State here, but Butler isn’t going to let a johnny-come-lately out-Butler them en route to the Sweet Sixteen, so we expect Butler to hang on and win by 6-8 points.

DePaul fans: Watch Butler vs. UTEP--ChicagoNow.com
There's no need for introductions between Bulldogs, Racers--The Indy Star
Stevens: 'I'm lucky to be where I am'--The Indy Star
NCAA blog 8: Bulldogs appear to be relaxed--Indy Star Butler Insider
Horizon League Network Talks Butler Vs Murray State--Let's Go Vikes!

Junior prepares to quietly take leadership role for Cleveland State women's basketball team--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Vikings Arrive in South Bend for NCAA Tournament--csuvikings.com

Ticketing Information for March Madness in Cleveland in 2011--Let's Go Vikes!
Public Sale For 2011 NCAA Games Starts March 22--csuvikings.com

Mid-major vs. mid-major? What is this, BracketBuster Part II?--Off The Mark
Former Crusaders guard Diebler watches brother play for Ohio St.--The NWI Times

Here's To the Fans--Horizon League Network

Jim Squire

San Jose Pod Daily Diary: 03.18.10 Edition--Rush The Court

Game 2: #5 Butler vs. #12 UTEP

1st Half

* There’s still a buzz in the arena over the ending of the last game, but now it’s on to Butler vs. UTEP, which is one of the more compelling games of the entire first round slate. Both Butler and UTEP have a big draw here today, which is surprising given the distance to each school. We’re talking plane rides to El Paso and Indy for sure.
* MY GOODNESS. If you didn’t see Randy Culpepper’s ridunkulous open court tomahawk on a highlights package, make sure you do. It was spectacular. If Culpepper ever sees time in the League, expect this young fella with legs of rubber to take part in the dunk contest at some point. Only 6’0, he can absolutely sky.
* The difference in the athleticism between these two teams is remarkable, especially considering their relative seeding, but that’s never bothered Butler before and I doubt it will today. The Bulldogs are used to this in most cases when they play in the NCAA Tournament. The one major problem they’re having, though, is what to do with Derrick Caracter, who has gone for 12/6 in the first half. When Matt Howard is leaning on him, it looks like a teenager trying to stop a 30-year old NBA veteran. I understand the hype of Caracter — he’s a huge body with quick feet and nice touch. His haircut, however, is a total freakin’ disaster.
* There was a huge roar from the crowd upon the announcement that local favorite St. Mary’s had beaten Richmond. That one shocks me, but you just never know in this Tournament, do ya?

2d Half

* Butler came out of the halftime locker room and methodically put on a defensive clinic, completely stupefying UTEP at every turn. There was one sequence in particular where the Butler coaching staff was all yelling at their players on a UTEP out-of-bounds play because they knew the formation before it seemed even the UTEP players did! Phenomenal preparation on the part of the Bulldogs and their staff. That’s what we refer to when we make vague references to halftime adjustments — the Butler coaching staff sure know what they’re doing.
* The Bulldogs started the half off on a 22-4 run and really it was never in question again after that. Shelvin Mack was the star, drilling six threes after the break, with most of them dead center. More importantly, it was a complete and utter inability of UTEP to find their people defensively and to get Derrick Caracter involved in the offense that beat them. By the time Caracter was scoring again — ten minutes into the second half — the game was effectively over.
* Randy Culpepper got NAILED on another fast break dunk attempt near the end of the game in what many people around me thought was a clean play. It may have been all-ball, but man it was a HARD fall. He’s only 6′0, as you know, and he gets way, way up in the air. He shook it off, though, and seemed ok afterward.
* There were only nine second-half FGs for the Miners, while Butler dropped ten threes in the half. Really, the only thing that Butler might complain about with this half is their FT shooting, which was spotty at best (12-17).
* With Butler staring at Cinderella #13 seed Murray State in the second round, it’s looking like another Sweet Sixteen trip for the best mid-major program in America (yes, even over Gonzaga).
* Both Randy Culpepper and Derrick Caracter are juniors who could theoretically be back in uniform next year, along with Arnett Moultrie (soph) who didn’t really show up today. You wouldn’t blame them for at least testing the waters, though, to see what kind of professional prospects they might have, but they’re probably going to all be back in El Paso next year, spelling bad news for the rest of CUSA.

Early games recap--Ballin' is a Habit

West Region
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UTEP vs. Butler: This game is just finishing up, but it looks pretty safe to say Butler will win. They are currently up by 17. After trailing 33-27 at the half, the Bulldogs caught fire from three in the second half as they went on a 28-6 run to take control.

2010 NCAA Tournament: Day 1 recap--Ballin' is a Habit

PLAYER OF THE DAY: Omar Samhan, St. Mary's
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They were good too
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* Shelvin Mack, Butler: Mack had 25 points and 4 assists to lead Butler, but it was the second half that earned Mack mention. He hit 6-7 from three in the second half, scoring 18 of his 25 points. Four of those threes came in the first six minutes, sparking a 28-6 run that put away the Rebels.
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TEAM OF THE DAY: Ohio Bobcats
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They were good too
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* Butler, Washington, and Tennessee: The Bulldogs, the Huskies, and the Vols all came into today knowing that most "experts" thought that they were going to lose. Well, so much for that. Butler blew out UTEP, Washington beat Marquette on a late basket by Quincy Pondexter, and Tennessee survived San Diego State.

Butler surges past UTEP in second half--The Indy Star
Butler bench players know their roles--The Indy Star
Butler goes beyond the arc to top UTEP--The Indy Star
NCAA blog 7: D + 3 = V--Indy Star Butler Insider
BUTLER 77, UTEP 59--THE unOFFICIAL BUTLER BULLDOGS MEN'S BASKETBALL PAGE
Bulldogs Advance Past UTEP To NCAA Second Round--ButlerSports.com
Bulldogs Meet Murray State In NCAA Second Round--ButlerSports.com

Women's basketball: NCAA Tournament awe dangerous for Phoenix--Green Bay Press Gazette

Tough watching tournaments--Mark Katz's Blog

Butler downs UTEP 77-59 in NCAA Tournament--The Horizon League
Favorite Butler NCAA Tournament Memories--Horizon League Network

Jim Squire

30 Days of Madness: Forgotten 1st Round Buzzer Beaters--Rush The Court
RTC Region by Region Tidbits: 03.17.10--Rush The Court

West Region Notes (Andrew Murawa)
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* And then there is Butler, a team riding a 20-game winning streak but another team that will be significantly undersized, matching their interior player 6-foot-8 junior Matt Howard against a UTEP front line that will throw 6-11 Arnett Moultrie and 6-9 Derrick Caracter at him, just for starters.

Hayward's rap no instant classic--The Indy Star
Butler ignores doubters as tourney begins--The Indy Star
NCAA blog 5: Fieldhouse key part of Butler hoops--Indy Star Butler Insider
NCAA blog 6: Breaking down Butler/UTEP--Indy Star Butler Insider
UTEP poses challenge up front for Butler--The NWI Times

Bulldogs Fall Short In WNIT First Round, 57-54--ButlerSports.com

Men's basketball: Cotton stuffs Akron, leads UWGB in CBI--Green Bay Press Gazette
Cotton Lights Up Akron with 36 in 70-66 Victory--uwgbathletics.com

'I want a piece of the action'--The Post-Tribune

WSU player leaving team after one season--Dayton Daily News
Koch to transfer away from WSU--Fairborn Daily Herald

Green Bay defeats Akron 70-66 in first round of CBI--The Horizon League
Horizon League Network previews Butler vs. UTEP--The Horizon League
NCAA Tournament 1st Round - Butler vs. UTEP--Horizon League Network

Jim Squire

Too Big Yo--The Mid-Majority
First Round Game Analysis: Thursday Afternoon--Rush The Court

4:45 pm – #5 Butler vs. #12 UTEP (San Jose pod)

The beauty of this game is that it’s what we like to call the “bridge” game. There are no other games during this time slot, so if you have access to it your focus can be totally and completely in one place (rather than trying to keep your chiropractic bills low with your head on a swivel). This is a popular upset pick in the annual 5/12 mold, and with good reason. UTEP comes in as a mere 2.5-point underdog in the eyes of Vegas, and in the eyes of RTC they’re poised to pull off the ‘upset’ behind the superior talents of Derrick Caracter inside and Randy Culpepper on the perimeter. No disrespect intended to the talents of Butler’s Matt Howard and Gordon Hayward inside, but they haven’t seen a 6′9, 275-lb space-eater in the paint like Caracter all season long (Greg Monroe and Jason Love are probably the closest two, and they both played very well against the Butler interior players). But the teams are otherwise similarly matched — they both play hardnosed defense and don’t need to depend on the three-ball to win, while having an ability to put five scoring options on the floor at any given time. In what we see as a tossup game, we like the superior size and athleticism that UTEP can bring to the floor in addition to their ability for the bigs (including 6′11 Arnett Moultrie) to get Howard in foul trouble and the game-breaking abilities of the uber-quick Culpepper.

The Skinny: Maybe we’re underrating Butler, but we see a lot to like out of UTEP here, so we’re going with the 12/5 upset as Caracter shows why he was so highly touted a few years ago.

RTC Region by Region Tidbits: 03.16.10--Rush The Court

Fran McCaffery is not letting his Siena team think they can beat Purdue by just showing up in Spokane on Friday. He says Purdue is by far the best team Siena will face all season even without Robbie Hummel. You’d have to think a Butler Bulldogs fan would think otherwise.
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The NABC today announced their Division I All-District teams which includes the players who will be eligible for the State Farm D-I All-America teams, and 12 of the 16 teams in this region placed players on one of these teams, highlighted by Syracuse junior forward Wesley Johnson, UTEP junior forward Derrick Caracter, Xavier sophomore guard Jordan Crawford and BYU junior guard Jimmer Fredette. Gonzaga (senior guard Matt Bouldin and freshman forward Elias Harris), Butler (sophomore forward Gordon Hayward and sophomore guard Shelvin Mack) and Oakland (senior guard Jonathan Jones and junior forward Keith Benson) put two players each on their district’s first team, while Murray State had sophomore forward Ivan Aska and junior guard Isacc Miles make the District 19 first team and junior guard B.J. Jenkins make the second team.

NBA Draft Prospect Profile: Gordon Hayward--DraftExpress.com
2010 NCAA Tournament Bracket Breakdown: Sleepers you haven't seen--Ballin' is a Habit

UTEP Miners: #12 seed, West Region

UTEP drew Butler in the first round of the tournament, a team that has been in and around the top ten for much of the season. Butler is a good team -- they went undefeated against their conference, beat Xavier and Ohio State, and have no bad losses. No matter how you slice it, that equals a good team. But where Butler struggles is when they face teams that are bigger and more athletic than them. UTEP, on paper, looks like a high-major team, at least sizewise. Arnett Moultrie is the Miner's center, and he stands 6'11". Derrick Caracter is 6'9", 270 lb. Claude Britten is 6'11". Jeremy Williams and Julyan Stone are 6'6" and 6'7" on the wing. Ronald Nored, at 6'3", is Butler's starting power forward.

Glenn, Hayward, Mack honored--The Indy Star
Hayward gives up tennis to become ace for Butler--ButlerSports.com
NCAA blog 3: Late night at Hinkle--Indy Star Butler Insider
NCAA blog 4: Back in familiar location--Indy Star Butler Insider

Q & A With Former Vikings Star J’Nathan Bullock--Let's Go Vikes!
Information for Cleveland State's NCAA First Round Game at Notre Dame--csuvikings.com
Vikings Travel to Notre Dame for NCAA First Round Game--csuvikings.com

Former Titans Coach Vitale Featured In New Detroit Historical Museum Exhibit--detroittitans.com

Mike Vandermause column: UW-Green Bay women relish NCAA nod--Green Bay Press Gazette
Calling Green Bay Fans to Cheer on Your Phoenix--uwgbathletics.com

UW-Green Bay men expect CBI opponent Akron to bring pressure defense--Green Bay Press Gazette

Lack of postseason play disappoints UWM--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Getting to know: Charlie Gross--Panther Blog Zone

WSU women’s coach failed to lure local talent--Dayton Daily News
Raiders recruits doing well--Mark Katz's Blog
Koch to leave WSU--Mark Katz's Blog

YSU women need a coach for long haul--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle

2010 Horizon League women's basketball postseason preview--The Horizon League
Women's Basketball Scoreboard -- March 17 (WNIT)--The Horizon League

California Love--Horizon League Network
Behind Enemy Lines--Horizon League Network

Jim Squire

Mid-Majority Tournament Chat Block No. 1--The Mid-Majority

3:26

Am I the only one who thinks Butler got boned with their matchup against UTEP?
3:29

I'm sure there are some. UTEP has a couple of immense forces inside, and a balanced offense... but it really drops off after their big four. Butler is a superior all-around team. I'd be worried about Butler if the Bulldogs hadn't shown their new killer instinct over the past couple weeks. They were bored all season, but they're ready now. The Wright State and Siena games showed that.
...
3:41

Kyle, who do you think as the best chance of making it the farthest? X? They've been there before, but Butler has the talent, (not saying X doesn't) and there are tons of other great teams. Thoughts?
3:43

I think it's between Temple, Xavier and Butler, but there are a lot of possible bad matchups for each on the way to that Elite Eight (or beyond). Temple's comes real early, of course. Xavier would get Pitt in the second round, and that would be a grind... X hasn't responded well to the grind this season. My main worry about Butler is that UTEP is going to wear them out. If they can retain enough energy for the second round, a possible Murray game would present the exact same challenge: stopping five different guys.

2010 NCAA Tournament Bracket Breakdown: West Region--Ballin' is a Habit

Seeded too high: Butler Bulldogs

Don't get me wrong, Butler is a quality basketball team. You don't go undefeated in your conference, regardless of the conference, if you are not a quality basketball team. But their only wins of note are against Ohio State (without Evan Turner) and Xavier (at home and at the buzzer). Look, I love what Brad Stevens has done with this program. I think the world of Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack as basketball players. Matt Howard is a bulldog in the paint. But Butler simply cannot handle the length and athleticism of the best teams in the country. Matt Howard is a land warrior that is ineffective against bigger players. Their power forward is 6'3" Ronald Nored, who is a scrapper and a defender but doesn't have a jump shot. I also think it deserves mention that Florida, who many believe was the last team in, got a 10 seed. But that low in the bracket, seeding quirks lead me to believe it had more to do with bracketing rules than with merit.

NCAA Tournament: West (The Bracket Where We’ll See the Most Double-Digit Seeds Advance?)--College Hoops Journal

5 Future Pros: Wesley Johnson (Syracuse), Andrew Ogilvy (Vanderbilt), Gordon Hayward (Butler), Elias Harris (Gonzaga), Solomon Alabi (Florida State).

State players Wooden finalists--The Indy Star
http://www.indystar.com/article/20100316/SPORTS0605/3160319/1068/SPORTS06--The Indy Star
NCAA blog 2: The RPI scandal and 2002 vs. 2010--Indy Star Butler Insider

Butler To Play Illinois State In WNIT--ButlerSports.com

A.M. NCAA Tourney Links: All the same; Obama praises OSU's Turner; Luck of the draw; CSU women--Cleveland Plain Dealer

CSU women: Cleveland State's women will visit Notre Dame in the first-round of the tournament. South Bend Tribune reporter Curt Rallo writes grabbing a No. 2 seed and staying on the opposite side of the bracket from unbeaten and No. 1 Connecticut (a team that the Irish have faced three times this season) made sure Monday’s occasion didn’t turn into an Irish wake.

“I would have put us in a bracket with all 15 and 16 seeds,” McGraw joked if she were making the selections. “But it doesn’t matter who you’re playing. You know you’re going to play a good team.”

Cleveland State finished fourth in the Horizon League with an 11-7 record, but won the league tournament.