As Selection Sunday arrives, the Mock Tournament has once again undergone significant changes. We have a new No. 1 seed, West Virginia, and fewer major conference bubble teams thanks to upset victories by Houston and New Mexico State. UTEP and Utah State take two at-large bids, turning the Conference USA and WAC into two-bid conferences.

The bubble could contract further today if Mississippi State wins the SEC championship. Today’s action could produce other changes to the brackets.

• A Duke loss would move Syracuse back to a No. 1 seed and push the Blue Devils to No. 2.
• Temple and Richmond could swap spots as No. 4 and No. 5 seeds if the Spiders beat the Owls.
• Florida would be the first team out if the Bulldogs win.

We have only four more games to go before all automatic bids are accounted for. Enjoy the games, and check back later to see how closely the Mock Tournament comes to predicting the field.

Here are the latest brackets and links to previous projections.

• Mock Tournament 9.0
• Mock Tournament 8.0
• Mock Tournament 7.0
• Mock Tournament 6.0
• Mock Tournament 5.0
• Mock Tournament 4.0
• Mock Tournament 3.0
• Mock Tournament 2.0
• Mock Tournament 1.0

Teams in bold have won an automatic bid.

The Bulldogs dropped the season opener at home to Rider 88-74. The team’s top recruit, Renardo Sidney, was stuck in eligibility purgatory. With the demise of UCLA, the team lacked any tough non-conference opponents that would give the Bulldogs a signature victory.

Back-to-back losses in early February dropped Mississippi State to 4-4 in the SEC and seemed to knock the Bulldogs off the bubble. Even though the Bulldogs immediately came home to complete a regular-season sweep of in-state rival Mississippi, they lacked any marquee wins. Luckily, an early season win against Old Dominion turns out to be a strong, résumé-building victory.

So as Mississippi State entered the SEC tournament this week, the Bulldogs were in a familiar position.

Last season, the Bulldogs had no chance to receive an at-large bid with a 19-12 record in a relatively weak SEC. But in 2009, Mississippi State caught fire and stormed through four teams in four days, including the only two other SEC teams to make the NCAA Tournament,  to win the conference’s automatic bid.

The SEC is stronger this season, so a 9-7 finish — identical to last season’s conference record — is more respectable. But Mississippi State still came into the SEC tournament needing to make a deep run to reach the NCAA Tournament. And somehow, the Bulldogs have found a way to make an encore appearance in the SEC championship game.

Mississippi State started this year’s run with a big win against bubble mate Florida in the quarterfinals. That win kept Mississippi State relevant in the at-large discussion but did little to propel them past the likes of Virginia Tech, Rhode Island or Dayton. The Hokies and Flyers each had two more wins against the RPI top 25 at the end of Friday, and the Rams have a better strength of schedule and fewer bad losses.

Today’s win against Vanderbilt might be the victory that propels Mississippi State into the NCAA Tournament, though. When comparing the Bulldogs’ profile to rival Mississippi’s, the most noteworthy difference was Mississippi State’s lack of a win against an elite team. The Rebels knocked off Kansas State in November, which remains a fantastic win. The Rebels also have a win against UTEP, which almost certainly will be in the NCAA Tournament. For Mississippi State to surpass their in-state rival and other bubble teams, the Bulldogs needed to notch a marquee win. And beating the Commodores might do it.

Ranked No. 20 in the RPI, Vanderbilt is a great scalp for the Bulldogs to claim. If Mississippi State can remain competitive against Kentucky in the SEC championship game, the Bulldogs have a great shot at receiving an at-large bid even with a loss. If they lose badly, they could be in danger of slipping out of the field.

Of course, the easiest path to making the NCAA Tournament for Mississippi State is to complete the encore performance by defending the team’s SEC title.

A couple of teams out west, namely Washington and San Diego State, have benefited from the failure of Atlantic 10 and Big East bubble teams to solidify their résumés. In the Mountain West semifinals, the Aztecs scored an important second win against New Mexico. They can avoid the need for at-large bid at all if they beat UNLV in the championship game today. Meanwhile, the Huskies simply continue to win, dispatching Stanford in the Pac-10 semifinals. Win or lose against California in the championship game, Washington should be in.

With the late addition of Washington and San Diego State to the field, teams like Rhode Island, South Florida and Dayton are on the outside looking in. And only the Rams can do anything about it because the Bulls and Flyers have already lost in their conference tournaments. Rhode Island can make a stronger case for the NCAA Tournament with a win against Temple in the Atlantic 10 semifinals. The Rams have only one win against the RPI top 50, so even an upset against the Owls might not be enough to make the field.

A slew of automatic bids are on the line today. Check out the bracket as the stand Saturday morning, and let us know if they look right to you or totally out of whack.

Here are the latest brackets and links to previous projections.

• Mock Tournament 8.0
• Mock Tournament 7.0
• Mock Tournament 6.0
• Mock Tournament 5.0
• Mock Tournament 4.0
• Mock Tournament 3.0
• Mock Tournament 2.0
• Mock Tournament 1.0

Teams in bold have won an automatic bid.

McCollum was the story early, as he was active and aggressive and set the tone.  Then he went quiet in the middle of the first half and a lot of the second half after a couple of strong early minutes.  In the meantime, the senior trio of Marquis Hall, Zahir Carrington and Dave Buchberger did plenty of work to lift the Mountain Hawks to the win for their second Patriot League title.

“I thought our senior leadership throughout the course of the season was tremendous,” said head coach Brett Reed, who also cited reserve Matt Shamis.  “The four of those individuals spent so much of their own personal energy to make this team what it was: a team that was pulled together, a team that could face adversity, and a team that would not crumble and would not back down.”

Down the stretch, no one wanted it more than tournament MVP Carrington, who posted his second double-double of the tournament with 18 points and 10 rebounds to go with four blocks.  All four blocks came in the second half, along with 12 points and seven rebounds.  It seemed like he made every big play, whether it was to keep Lehigh out in front or for a momentum swing back in their favor.

Carrington, who mentors middle to high school-aged boys in Allentown’s “Boys to Manhood” program, remembered how his first three years went and had an idea how that could change.

“We’ve been eliminated the first three years in this league, and had been a sub-par, mediocre kind of team,” said Carrington.  “The only way to make up for that was to go out like this.”

He gave the Mountain Hawks their biggest lead at the time when a dunk put them up 42-33 early in the second half.  But that was just the beginning.  When the Leopards pulled within two with less than ten minutes to play, he hit a jumper to put the Mountain Hawks back up by four.  It would be the last time the Leopards were within a possession, as Carrington blocked two shots on the next possession and another one a minute later.  During a decisive 8-0 run that put Lehigh up by 12 to put the game out of reach, Carrington had three rebounds, an assist and two dunks.

“Zahir really carried us in the second half, he willed us to victory late down the stretch,” said Hall.

Speaking of Hall, he is closing a college career that has had plenty of accomplishments, but no NCAA Tournament trip until now.  He was the league’s Rookie of the Year three seasons ago, is the first player in Patriot League history with over 1,500 points and 500 assists, and was the Patriot League Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2009.  Given the chance, he would have gladly traded it all in for a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament.  Now he will get to play later in March, and he had no small part in it as he was named to the all-tournament team.

“It’s indescribable, really,” said Hall.  “Just to be out there and share a moment with my teammates, my group of seniors, it was the cap that I thought it would be.”

Playing the second half with a heavily-bandaged left leg, Hall scored just three points but had seven assists and ran the offense like he has for four years.  His numbers don’t convey his value, as he transitioned from a scorer to a floor leader as more scoring talent developed around him.  In the Patriot League Tournament, he had 17 assists against six turnovers, continuing a season-long trend as he is 15^th in the nation in assist/turnover ratio.

There’s one senior starter who doesn’t get much acclaim, and in keeping with the theme, he came up big on Friday.  Dave Buchberger had 13 points, going 3-5 from long range, and handed out three assists.  More importantly, he hit a couple at key junctures of the game, and perhaps none bigger than the one he hit near the halfway point of the second half to put Lehigh up 54-50 after the Leopards had come within one.  That came after he put them up 51-42 a couple of minutes earlier, and later he leaked out for a breakaway dunk during the decisive 8-0 run.

This followed a semifinal outing where he shot 6-8 from the field, including 4-5 from long range, en route to a season-high 16 points to help the Mountain Hawks knock off American.  As that came after a game where he went scoreless, he clearly bounced back well.

McCollum wound up with a game-high 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds, averaging over 20 points per game for the tournament.  A case could be made for him as the tournament MVP.  But make no mistake about it, as often happens Lehigh won the game and the championship led by the seniors.  They came through during the tournament the way coaches and teammates would expect, and the desired result followed from it.

Here are a few of the notable losses:

• Memphis and UAB lost in the Conference USA semifinals to Houston and Southern Miss, respectively.
• Kent State got blown out by Ohio in the MAC quarterfinals.
• Clemson and Wake Forest lost in the opening round of the ACC tournament to North Carolina State and Miami, respectively.
• Arizona State lost to Stanford in the Pac-10 quarterfinals.

As a result of the chaos, teams like Illinois, Florida, Mississippi and Washington look like they’ll be in the field right now. Of course, check the Mock Tournament again tomorrow to see how today’s actions affects the projected field. We’re down to only two days until Selection Sunday.

Here are the latest brackets and links to previous projections.

• Mock Tournament 7.0
• Mock Tournament 6.0
• Mock Tournament 5.0
• Mock Tournament 4.0
• Mock Tournament 3.0
• Mock Tournament 2.0
• Mock Tournament 1.0

Teams in bold have won an automatic bid.

Besides George Mason’s unlikely run, 2006 also saw LSU reach the Final Four as a No. 4 seed, and all four No. 1 seeds failed to make it past the Elite Eight. No. 3-seed Florida emerged as a worthy champion by dominating George Mason, whose clock had struck midnight, and No. 2-seed UCLA. Of millions of part-time bracket experts, how many picked even three out of the eventual Final Four? Was the success of Florida and George Mason totally unpredictable?

In retrospect, the 2006 madness was not totally surprising. That field had some of the worst top seeds of any NCAA Tournament since 2004, based on Ken Pomeroy’s efficiency ratings. In the past 10 years, 80 percent of all Final Four participants have been No. 1, 2 or 3 seeds. With 20 percent of the Final Four participants seeded No. 4 or worse, it shouldn’t seem all that surprising when one reaches the Final Four. But upon closer inspection, those teams tend to crash the Final Four in tandem every few years. Seven of the eight teams seeded No. 4 or worse reached the Final Four in three tournaments: 2000, 2005 and 2006.

In 2006, the 12 No. 1, 2 and 3 seeds formed one of the worst sets of top teams of the 72 teams that had those seeds since 2004. Of those 72 teams, none of the 2006 top seeds had an offensive efficiency ranked in the top 23. Four of the teams counted among the six worst offenses, based on efficiency. And Memphis had the second-worst offensive efficiency of any No. 1 seed since 2004.

And those top seeds weren’t especially proficient on defense either. Only one top seed ranked among the top 14 in defensive efficiency. That team, Iowa, was the most unbalanced top-seeded team since 2004, and No. 14-seed Northwestern State capitalized on the Hawkeyes’ disproportionate attack by producing one of the biggest first-round upsets of the decade. Although Iowa was great on defense, No. 3-seed Gonzaga and No. 2-seed Tennessee were borderline miserable. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Volunteers lost to No. 7-seed Wichita State in the second round. Adam Morrison’s Bulldogs made it to the Sweet 16 with the most efficient offense of 2006 before running into the stifling defense of UCLA.

As conference tournaments come to a close this season, only two teams — Kansas and Duke —have the offensive and defensive efficiency ratings that should scare opponents. Their efficiency ratings most closely resemble the profiles of seven other teams seeded No. 1, 2 or 3 since 2004. Of those seven teams, five made the Final Four, and two won the national championship.That’s not to say that the Jayhawks and Blue Devils are a shoo-in, but they look like good bets to reach the Final Four.

However, outside Duke and Kansas, most of the rest of the top teams have weaknesses. None of the other top teams would rank among the top 32 teams seeded No. 1, 2 or 3 since 2004 in offensive efficiency. If Kentucky earns a No. 1 seed, the Wildcats would have the third-worst offensive efficiency of any No. 1 seed since 2004. Purdue and Pittsburgh are even less efficient on offense and would rank among the worst of the top seeds.

This year’s field also looks suspect on defense. Three of the four teams likely to be No. 3 seeds — New Mexico, Villanova and Pittsburgh — have defenses that would rank among the bottom 20 percent of top seeds since 2004. No defense would crack the top 20.

With a large gap in efficiency between Kansas and Duke and the rest of the top teams, the 2010 NCAA Tournament could produce another wild ride in which a No. 4 seed or lower reaches the Final Four. And if you’re looking to spot the LSU/George Mason duo of 2010, look no further than Utah, home of Utah State and BYU.

The Aggies and Cougars have the efficiency profiles of teams that are just waiting to take advantage of a favorable draw in the tournament. Both teams rank among the top 15 in offensive efficiency. BYU also is in the top 15 for defensive efficiency. In addition to having great teams, one of them could easily have the luxury of playing regional games in Salt Lake City. Although the selection committee will protect better seeds from an unfavorable location in the first and second rounds, the committee doesn’t make the same considerations for Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games.

Utah State has a particularly dangerous profile for a team likely to be seeded No. 9 or worse. The Aggies are excellent shooters, both from three-point territory and inside the arc. Although they hit 42.2 percent of their three-point attempts, they don’t rely on the long ball for scoring, getting 28.0 percent of their scoring from behind the arc, which is in the middle of the pack among Division I teams. Utah State plays a slow-paced game and doesn’t turn the b all over. They also don’t allow opponents to grab offensive rebounds. For underdogs, each possession matters, and Utah State is accustomed to playing that way already.

BYU has a remarkably similar profile for a team that plays at nearly the exact opposite tempo. Projected to be about a No. 5 or 6 seed, the Cougars like to get up the court and rank in the top 20 for tempo this season. They shoot 41.6 percent from three-point range and 51.7 percent from inside the arc. Like the Aggies, the Cougars are one of the best teams in the nation at avoiding turnovers and collecting defensive rebounds. BYU also is good at forcing turnovers, ranking in the top 10 percent at forcing opponents to make mistakes. With the team’s excellent shooting and pressure defense, the Cougars have the firepower necessary to rally if necessary or extend a lead if a better-seeded opponent starts to panic.

It has been four years since a team seeded worse than No. 3 has reached the Final Four. Cinderella seemed content to head home early and watch the best teams compete for the national championship with the rest of us. Will this year mark Cinderella’s return to college basketball’s biggest stage? LIke many other optimistic tourney teams, Utah State and BYU hope they can pull off a fairy tale run that culminates with a trip to Indianapolis and the Final Four.

But for bubble teams in power conferences, coaches’ livelihoods depend on their ability to regularly lead their team to the promised land of the NCAA Tournament. With second-round losses in the Big East tournament, Seton Hall and South Florida can only return home and wait anxiously for Selection Sunday. With a blowout loss to St. John’s in the opening round, Connecticut almost certainly will be looking at an NIT invitation rather than an NCAA Tournament bid.

The inability of Big East bubble teams to make a deep run helps the likes of Illinois, Minnesota, San Diego State and Washington. As those teams’ conference tournaments kick into full gear Thursday and Friday, they will look to accomplish what their bubble brethren could not: earn their way into the NCAA Tournament. And opportunities abound thanks to surprisingly few upsets in conference tournaments so far.

The dominant mid-major teams have done the power conference bubble teams a favor during the past week by winning their conference tournaments. Northern Iowa, Old Dominion and Butler would have likely received at-large invitations to the NCAA Tournament if they needed one. But all three won their conferences’ automatic bids, likely rendering the Missouri Valley Conference, Colonial Athletic Association and Horizon League one-bid conferences.

Because no team from outside the bubble has earned its way into the field, the latest Mock Tournament projected field remains the same. However, the shape of the bubble is shifting, with Dayton, Rhode Island, Washington, Memphis and San Diego State poised to play their way into the field. South Florida is eminently vulnerable after losing to Georgetown Wednesday. Illinois, Florida and Mississippi also figure to be replaced by one of the teams on the wrong side of the bubble if they falter in their conference tournament openers.

The light at the end of the tunnel is within view, but for nearly a dozen teams on the cusp of reaching the tournament, there’s plenty of work still to go.

Here are the latest brackets and links to previous projections.

• Mock Tournament 6.0
• Mock Tournament 5.0
• Mock Tournament 4.0
• Mock Tournament 3.0
• Mock Tournament 2.0
• Mock Tournament 1.0

Teams in bold have won an automatic bid.

In reality, the Trojans can’t defend their championship because of a self-imposed sanction, but the idea of skipping the historically great league’s competition isn’t as absurd as you might think when considering the fall the Pac-10 has had this year. Regardless, the show must go on. Minus USC, nine hopefuls begin a journey at Staples Center today.

Hoping to lock up a dance ticket for a second consecutive season, regular-season champion and top-seeded Cal (21-9, 13-5 Pac-10) is the odds-on favorite to take the tournament due to its experienced squad and balance. Four of the Golden Bears’ starters are seniors, and they all average double-digit points (in order: guards Jerome Randle and Patrick Christopher and forwards Theo Robertson and Jamal Boykin). The Bears, winners of seven of their last eight games, will face the winner of tonight’s play-in game between No. 8 Oregon (15-15, 7-11) and No. 9 Washington State (16-14, 6-12)  (11 p.m. EST, FSN National).

Winner of six of its last seven games, No. 2 Arizona State (22-9, 12-6) might be the only Pac-10 team not named Cal that has secured itself an NCAA Tournament at-large bid even if it gets bounced out of the tourney early, which is unlikely. After dropping their first two Pac-10 games, the Sun Devils demolished then-No. 22 Washington to start a hot streak that saw them win 12 of their last 16 games, dominating every team but Cal, which won both regular-season meetings against ASU comfortably. The Sun Devils will take on the Landry Fields’ show, No. 7 Stanford (13-17, 7-11), on Thursday (9:18 EST, FSN).

The third-seeded Huskies repaid Arizona State when the Sun Devils came to Washington Feb. 6, knocking them around in a 79-56 win that was a shred of brilliance from the last Pac-10 team that still has a shot at an at-large bid. Led by senior forward Quincy Pondexter, who had a career-high 34 points against Oregon Thursday, Washington was ranked as high as tenth in the nation before entering a Pac-10 stretch in which it lost five of seven games. Pondexter didn’t let his Huskies lose many more games thereafter, though. Along with sidekick, sophomore guard Isaiah Thomas, Pondexter’s 20.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game helped Washington go 9-2 in its last 11 regular-season games.

The bubble Huskies get No. 6 Oregon State on Thursday (11:40 EST, FSN). Washington is fresh off a Beaver-pounding session as its last game was an 82-70 win at Oregon State Saturday.

No. 4 Arizona is a mystery, a streaky team that can take down the best, as evidenced by its Jan. 31 win over Cal, or choke against the worst, shown in a Jan. 8 last-second loss to Washington State. The Wildcats (16-14, 10-8) had two different three-game losing streaks as well as a winning streak of four games. They’re streaking in the right direction as they enter the tournament, however, as they’ve come up victorious in their last three games, including a win against its Thursday tournament rival: No. 5 UCLA (13-17, 8-10).

The only thing the Bruins will have going in their favor Thursday (3 p.m. EST, FSN) is that they’ll be playing at home. Young talents Darren Collison and Jrue Holiday are in the NBA now — like every other young UCLA star, seemingly — and unable to help them, and Arizona swept the regular-season series from them. UCLA’s attack is balanced, but it won’t be enough. Home court is the wild card for the Bruins. At least they know the NBA won’t be taking any of their players this year.

The Staples Center crowd will be disappointed to see UCLA fall early as all the higher seeds will advance to the Friday semifinals, where Cal will down Arizona and the Huskies will mildly upset Arizona State. Then, in the Saturday final, Cal will prevail over Washington, securing itself a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Both Washington and Arizona State will receive at-large bids.

Lastly, all three conference representatives will lose in the NCAA Tournament’s first round, finally putting an end to a disappointing Pac-10 season.

Duke and Maryland are the favorites to reach the conference championship game, and the Blue Devils and Terrapins would love to meet for a third time to determine conference superiority after they shared the regular-season title. Maryland asserted itself as the clear No. 2 team in the conference by knocking off Duke in College Park last week. Although the teams shared the regular-season title, Duke has a much stronger profile for the NCAA Tournament and will be competing for a No. 1 seed while the Terrapins likely can only move up to a No. 3 seed. However, considering Maryland’s bubble status about two months ago, that’s a significant rise.

Besides the Blue Devils and Terrapins, five other teams will look to solidify their NCAA Tournament résumés. Florida State, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Clemson figure to receive NCAA Tournament invitations, but they want to avoid losing early in the ACC tournament. Georgia Tech is in the most precarious position after losing five of seven games to end the season. One of their two wins in the final three weeks came against North Carolina, the Yellow Jackets’ opponent in the opening round. The Tar Heels are fresh off a spanking in Durham last weekend, and Georgia Tech might catch North Carolina in a funk after a disappointing season.

Although a loss by Georgia Tech might jeopardize the Jackets’ at-large status, Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida State and Virginia Tech can probably afford to lose their first games of the tournament. The Hokies and Seminoles earned opening-round byes. If Wake Forest gets past Miami, the Demon Deacons will meet Virginia Tech. Florida State awaits the winner of Clemson and North Carolina State.

If a team not named Duke or Maryland wins the ACC tournament, the conference championship would boost its NCAA Tournament seeding by one or two lines. That likely would mean the difference between a No. 8 or 9 seed and No. 6 or 7 seed. A surprising run to the championship would significantly lift the confidence of Wake Forest and Georgia Tech, which appeared to have peaked earlier in the season. If the Demon Deacons falter in the ACC tournament, they might start remembering last season’s disappointing end, when the team flamed out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

However, the rest of the field has a tough road ahead because the Blue Devils will be looking to defend its 2009 tournament title and earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Many experts think Duke has the inside track for the last top seed, but a loss before the championship game might give Purdue, Kansas State or a second Big East team a shot at a top spot. In addition, Duke might feel slighted that coach Mike Krzyzewski and Jon Scheyer were passed over for league honors in favor of Maryland’s Gary Williams and Greivis Vasquez. Look for Duke to play with the same passion and determination that the Blue Devils had Saturday against North Carolina.

Those are Butler’s first half numbers from the field (14-21), from beyond the three-point line (8-13) and from the foul line (6-6) in their 70-45 victory over Wright State in the Horizon League Championship Game.

Butler’s Shelvin Mack hit a 3-pointer at the 18:56 mark to put Butler up 3-0 and the Bulldogs never trailed in the game.

A three-pointer by N’gai Evans for Wright State pulled the Raiders within one at 6-5 with 17:18 left in the first half, but after that Butler (28-4) just kept building their lead.  The Bulldogs hit double figures for good at the 4:26 mark when Ronald Nored made two fouls shots to make it 32-21 after being fouled by Ronnie Thomas.

By halftime it was 42-28, and that 14 point spread was a close as Wright State (20-12) would get the rest of the game.

Wright State went to a zone early in an attempt to stop Butler from cutting and driving the lane as they did in the prior game they played.  However, that opened up the outside and Butler lit it up from three-point land. Mack was 4-6, Zach Hahn went 2-2, Nored went 1-1 and Willie Veasley went 1-2.

“We’re a little thin inside with some injuries and we were hoping we might slow his (Howard) game down and force Butler to make some outside shots.  The last time we played, we opened up too many driving lanes and they go to the basket and finished,” explained Wright State coach Brad Brownell.  “Tonight they made threes.  When they see the ball go in early like that, then you know it’s going to be tough.”

Butler coach Brad Stevens thought that the hot start his team had coupled with some shots Wright State missed set the stage for his team’s runaway.

“When one team shoots it great and the other team misses a few sometimes you feel a lot better,” Stevens said.  “That was the case tonight. I thought our perimeter defense was really good in the first 30 minutes and then they missed a few they usually make, coupled together you have the final score.”

In the second half Butler just kept expanding their lead until it hit 30 points at the 2:39 mark.  When Butler and Wright State emptied the benches, the Raiders closed the gap back down to 25 points.

Butler’s three victories over Wright State may have been their three best played games this year.  Stevens said it came down to respect for Wright State that drives them to prepare so well for playing the Raiders.

He said, “It begins with a great deal of respect for their program.  Our staff and players have a great deal of respect for their staff. Brad (Brownell) and their players are really good.  Every time we play them we better bring our “A” game or we’re going to get beat, we know that.”

Wright State guard Vaughn Duggins thought that Butler was well-prepared and that was key to their dominating win, along with his Raiders missing shots.

“Butler was well-prepared.  They obviously scouted our motion offense and some of our tendencies we have,” he explained.  “They were on us like glue and they’re hard to shake free.  The times we were able to shake free and get shots, we didn’t make them and that’s the more frustrating part, when you get open and can’t knock down a shot.”

One play that stand out late in the game was at the about the 9:38 mark and Butler leading by 25 points at 59-34, Howard dove into the front row of seats to save the ball, which was grabbed by Shawn Vanzant and passed to Veasley for a layup.

Stevens pointed that play out as an important indicator of how hard Butler plays no matter what the score.

“That play will be shown for the next 20 years and the teaching point is that we’re up 20 points and he plays the right way to win the possession,” said Stevens.  “I think that speaks to who he is, but it also peaks to who we all want to be everyday.”

Notes

-Butler is 43-3 in Hinkle Fieldhouse under coach Brad Stevens.

-This is the 5^th straight year for Butler and 4^th straight year for Wright State that they have achieved 20 wins.

-Butler is ranked #12 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today “Top 25.”  They have been ranked each year since 2006-07.

-Former college coach Pete Gillen got here early tonight and held court at the scorer’s desk about 90 minutes before game time.  It seemed like almost everyone stopped by to talk with him.  He did the game for Westwood One Radio Network.

-Brad Brownell is 15-4 all-time in conference tournament games and 5-2 at Wright State.

-The Butler ROTC color guard had four big guys that looked like they could actually defend the country as opposed to a bunch of puny guys and little girls that you see at a lot of schools.

-Wright State had a large crowd there of well over 1,000 people.

-Wright State’s three worst losses were to Butler, with margins of 12 points, 12 points and 25 points.

-Quote of the night:  “I apologize that we didn’t play better.  We’re a better team than we showed tonight, but certainly Butler was playing at a high level.”  -Wright State head coach Brad Brownell

The win puts the Red Storm at 17-14. They will face Marquette at 2:30 on Wednesday. UCONN fell to 17-15.

Calhoun said an NIT bid is something he and his staff will discuss. “No disrespect to the NIT,” Calhoun said. “We won it in 1988 and it jump-started our program. Right now we as a staff will sit down and discuss which direction we want to go.”

The eight games of four points or less – all losses – plus the campaign highlighted by inconsistency, has weighed heavily on the entire UCONN program. “For now,” Calhoun said, “there will be no practice the next few days.”
Awards were given following the afternoon doubleheader. Lance Stephenson of Cincinnati earned Rookie of the Year. Syracuse made a big splash with Wes Johnson getting Player of the Year and Jim Boeheim Coach of the Year. Hamady Ndiaye of Rutgers earned Defensive Player of the Year.

The most compelling storyline of the Mountain West tournament will be the performance of San Diego State. Ranked No. 36 in the RPI, the Aztecs are in desperate need of another quality win or two. Two quality wins would probably deliver San Diego State a conference championship and automatic bid. If the Aztecs get past Colorado State in the quarterfinals, they will likely face New Mexico, which they have beaten once this season. A second win against the Lobos would give them two wins against the RPI top 25, albeit against the same team.

If the Lobos can handle their business against Wyoming or Air Force and get past San Diego State or Colorado State, they will have a chance to play for the championship and the possibility of moving up in NCAA Tournament seeding. At 28-3, New Mexico has the opportunity to reach 31 wins if the Lobos win the conference championship. Of those 31 wins, eight of them would probably be against RPI top 50 teams, including at least four wins against the top 25. That’s the kind of profile that a No. 2 seed needs to have. Several Big East teams are in contention for No. 2 seeds, too, but they can’t all win in the Big East tournament. That helps the Lobos.

The other favorite to contend for the Mountain West title is BYU, which is probably itching to avenge two regular-season losses by a combined six points to New Mexico. The first two games were so good that a third match up would be a fitting end to one of the best Mountain West seasons of all-time. A New Mexico/BYU championship game would come two weeks after their most recent battle in Utah, after which Lobos coach Steve Alford was reprimanded for calling BYU forward Jonathan Tavernari an expletive that rhymes with “crass mole” following a late-game confrontation between several Lobo and Cougar players. These teams just don’t like each other. And they are both poised to create problems in the NCAA Tournament, and they want to build as much momentum as possible entering the Big Dance.

However, UNLV could spoil that dream championship match up. The Rebels are hosting the tournament and have lost only three home games this season. Granted, one of those losses was to Utah, which UNLV will face in the quarterfinals. But UNLV already beat BYU once in Vegas and would love to solidify its NCAA Tournament status with another big win against the Cougars in the semifinals. The Rebels could move up to as high as a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament if they protect their home court and win the conference championship.

The Mountain West tournament promises to deliver a couple of thrillers, and the home team figures to be a part of one or two of those.

UTEP enters the conference tournament on a 14-game winning streak and has not lost since dropping its only Conference USA game of the season at Houston Jan. 13. Despite a strong 24-5 record, the Miners have only three wins against the RPI top 50 — two against No. 40 UAB and one against No. 46 Memphis. The Miners cannot afford to lose in the quarterfinals against SMU or Central Florida. For UTEP to feel secure about its at-large chances, the Miners probably need to make it to the championship game.

Although the conference tournament favorite has more work to do, the No. 2 seed, UAB, might be in better position to earn an at-large bid if needed. The Blazers hope that the selection committee values its 23 wins, which include a home win against Butler, one of the RPI top 25 teams. UAB has 11 wins on the road or at neutral sites, and two more in the Conference USA tournament might be enough to book the Blazers a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Memphis is in a similar position as UTEP with a gaudy record but few quality wins. The Tigers are 23-8 and have two wins against the RPI top 50 — but both of those came against UAB. Memphis came close to knocking off Kansas and Tennessee, but the Tigers came up short. And if they don’t win the automatic bid, their run toward an NCAA Tournament bid might likewise fall short.

The biggest wild card in the Conference USA tournament is Tulsa, which is hosting the tournament. Tulsa has lost only twice at home this season, but the Golden Hurricane has no wins against the top three teams in the conference. If Tulsa wants to live up to its lofty preseason expectations, the Golden Hurricane will need to knock off Rice and Marshall before likely facing UTEP in the semifinals and either Memphis or UAB in the championship game. It’s not inconceivable for the home team to win four games in four days, but it’s a lot to ask for a team that hasn’t posted more than two straight wins since mid-January.

Another sleeper to win the conference championship is Marshall. The Thundering Herd have received less press coverage than UTEP, UAB and Memphis. Besides a five-game losing streak in the middle of conference play, Marshall went 23-3 to start and end the season. Despite the record, Marshall lacks any quality wins and is not a viable at-large candidate. But the Thundering Herd have one of the most dominant defensive players in the nation in Hassan Whiteside, who averages 5.4 blocks per game. He adds 13.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game to give the Thundering Herd a bona fide game-changer.

The Conference USA figures to place two teams in the NCAA Tournament if the favorites take care of business and reach the conference championship game. If a team seeded six or lower reaches the championship, the conference might slip back to being a one-bid conference yet again.

The conference has the likely favorite to win the national championship in Kansas. Besides the Jayhawks, three others teams are legitimate threats to reach at least the Elite Eight: Kansas State, Baylor and Texas A&M. And that’s not counting Texas, which reached No. 1 in January after starting the season 17-0. Missouri and Oklahoma State also figure to be dangerous teams.

Although all seven of those teams have likely sealed their NCAA Tournament bids and the other five are nowhere near the bubble, the Big 12 tournament figures to offer plenty of intrigue. In the opening round on Wednesday, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma will play the rubber match of this season’s bedlam rivalry. Each team won at home, and now they will settle the season series on a neutral court in Kansas City, Mo.

The opening round also will be important for Texas, which ended the season 6-8 after reaching No. 1 in January. No. 11-seed Iowa State came up with its best game of the season last weekend when the Cyclones knocked off Kansas State in Manhattan. They will be riding into the Big 12 tournament with plenty of confidence, which might bode poorly for the sputtering Longhorns.

Among the top four seeds, No. 2 Kansas State probably has the most to gain in the Big 12 tournament. If the Wildcats can storm through Baylor and Kansas en route to a conference championship, they might be able to join the Jayhawks as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament if teams like Duke and Purdue lose early in their conference tournaments. Meanwhile, Baylor and Texas A&M look to secure a top four seed in the NCAA Tournament with a strong showing in the conference tournament.

The keys:

1. Defense: “I thought we came out with good energy and defensive intensity,” USF coach Stan Heath said.  At the half the Bulls enjoyed a 30-15 lead largely due to a defensive effort that limited the Blue Demons to 23 percent shooting from the field. USF doubled down on inside threat Mac Koshwal of DePaul. No one from DePaul responded especially on the perimeter.
2. Dominique Jones: The Bulls’ outstanding junior scored a team-high 20 points while taking only five shots the second half. “Dominique doesn’t care about his points or shots,” Heath said. “He just wants to win. Their zone slowed him and didn’t give him many looks but he gladly sacrificed for his teammates.

The hot shooting of DePaul guard Will Walker, who tied for game-high scoring honors with 20 points, allowed the Blue Demons to rally. They cut it to a two-possession game late before USF regrouped.

Interestingly USF did not hit a three, shooting 0 for 8 from the field. They dominated inside with a 50-20 edge on scoring in the paint.  “We have guys who can hit (outside) shots and will,” Heath said. “If we didn’t hit a three and lost I would be concerned but we won so it isn’t a big thing.” The USF mentor did admit knocking down a few against second round opponent Georgetown will be necessary.

In a tempo free note…The game had 64 possessions, a moderately slow pace with the following efficiencies:

USF  91
DePaul 78

That, anyone will agree, is great defense. DePaul finished 8-23 while ,USF advanced to 20-11, the third twenty-win season in school history. Heath did not get into “bubble talk”, stating, “Our idea is to keep playing. You keep playing here and everything takes care of itself.”

• William & Mary is not likely to get an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, but the Tribe should at least be in the discussion.  Just look at their three big non-conference wins and realize how much shelf life they still have.  Maryland tied Duke for the ACC regular season title, Wake Forest is now a lock in some NCAA Tournament projections, and Richmond finished third in the Atlantic 10 and won 24 games.  A couple of losses knocked their RPI back into the 50s, but the Tribe beat some quality opponents, and the teams that are on the bubble have proven they can lose but not necessarily win against top teams.

• After the loss to Old Dominion, Pat Kennedy said that Towson’s frontcourt issues will be addressed with who the Tigers have coming in next season, which includes Maryland transfer Braxton Dupree as he will be eligible.  Whether or not he will coach them is an open question.  Speculation that he may be out as coach has been out there, especially since Towson is planning to open a new arena.  Since a five-game winning streak early in the 2000-01 season, the Tigers have never won more than three games in a row, which they have done three times.  In six seasons at Towson, Kennedy’s record is 68-115, with no season at .500 or better.
• Although they had a nice season, one must remember that George Mason is still a young team.  The Patriots looked it in the grand scheme of things, as they had clear ups and downs.  They were hot in January, winning eight in a row after being blown out at Northeastern, but they went 2-6 in February.
  “I told the team after the game I thought we were really building something very, very good in January, and we somehow lost that magic,” said head coach Jim Larranaga.  “We were 8-1 at the time, we had four or five guys in double figures every night, and we were playing good team defense.  As February rolled around, I don’t know if it was fatigue, we’ve got a young team, I don’t know if we just lost our focus or shooting touch, or quite frankly, the opponents.  We played some very good teams – Old Dominion, William & Mary, Northeastern – in the month of February and lost to each of those guys.”
• When Chaz Williams fouled out on Saturday, Hofstra was a different team.  Charles Jenkins may be their best player and the Player of the Year, but Williams is a jet and can make this team go.  Tom Pecora knew that meant Jenkins and others who are better off the ball now had to handle the ball, and there was certainly a difference.
• Pecora added that if a postseason tournament comes calling, there’s a good chance the Pride will accept.  The Pride finished seventh, but won 19 games with only two losses to Northeastern after a January 23 loss at Drexel.  An important consideration, based on Pecora’s comments, is the chance for his underclassmen to play more.
  “We passed (on the CollegeInsider Tournament) because we had six seniors,” Pecora noted.  “I think this year, with five freshmen, if we get that opportunity, we might do it.  That’s something we’ll look into.”
• James Madison finished the season with a 13-20 record, one certainly not helped by injuries.  But one injury in particular probably hurt more than others, the loss of Devon Moore to a torn ACL in October.  He was the main man among the young players who quickly helped change the culture last year.  While he alone might not have meant 10-15 more wins for the Dukes, a few things might have been different.  Instead, head coach Matt Brady didn’t have fond recollections of the season after their season-ending loss on Saturday night.
  “This was a frustrating group for a lot of reasons,” the second-year head coach said.  “As a basketball coach, all you want your team to do is improve, have steady improvement.  This team didn’t show steady improvement.”
  In adding that his team didn’t always play hard, Brady didn’t leave himself or his staff out of the loop of accountability for the way the season went.  He feels he and his staff could have done a better job getting more out of this team.
  “It doesn’t change my thinking going forward as the head coach of this program that we’ve got to be able to push more buttons with this group next year,” he added.  “We’ve got to play harder, because this league is too good.”

The Women’s Quarterfinal scores:

Iona 59 Siena 43
Fairfield 70 Loyola 56
Marist 57 Canisius 38
Niagara 66 Manhattan 54

The Men’s First Round:

Manhattan 94 Loyola 79
Canisius 72 Marist 54

Notes

• Good officiating friend Joe Barrise was on the first game. Joe & crew enjoyed a nice tempo with the first foul not occurring until 8:05 had elapsed.
• I thought Iona coach Tony Bozzelli had a solid defensive game plan keeping Siena’s inside threat Serena Moore away from the basket or closely attended as much as possible. the saints’ main inside threat. Mission accomplished. Moore scored 14 points but was 3 of 11 from the field. For the Gaels, their outstanding forward Thazina Cook committed 5 of Iona’s 20 turnovers. All was forgiven as Cook in general had an outstanding game leading all with 19 points and 11 rebounds in 35 minutes.
• I never tire watching and admiring the play of Rachelle Fitz of Marist. The MAAC Player of the Year never forces a thing, is the consummate unselfish and fundamentally sound performer. Fitz , a 6-0 senior forward, had a solid 12-point, 8-board effort for the Red Foxes.
• I also never tire of watching the teamwork and defensive expertise of Marist. They are a group who simply does not care who gets the points or headlines. They simply want to win. Defensively they are outstanding, forcing you into poor shots and getting in the passing lanes for deflections that are turned into turnovers. Marist is a joy to watch… unless you are on the opposite sideline. Stephanie Geehan of Fairfield, the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, came up with sixteen rebounds (14 defensive) four blocks and four steals against Loyola. A 6-2 senior center, Geehan showed her prowess is not limited to the defensive end as she led the way with 22 points.
• It was a brief appearance but what a four minutes for Maggie Blair of Manhattan. The 5-10 freshman guard played the last four minutes and scored 10 points, second on the team to Michelle Pacheco’s 11. Blair was 3 of 4 from the field (2 of 2 from three) and hit both of her free throws. She entered the game without a point all season, having played in just five games. Something tells me coach John Olenowski will take a long look at Blair’s prospects next season.
• Niagara’s Kendra Faustin was selected Coach of the Year and it was an excellent choice. She came on board two years ago and has transformed Niagara from dormancy to respectability with a nice future for this program. The Purple Eagles were 9-9 in the conference and had a win over Marist this season. They knocked off fourth seed Manhattan 66-54 thanks to solid defense and a well-distributed attack with four players in double figures.
• Some observers were speculating if this is the year Marist women surrender their MAAC championship supremacy. Not likely, per Canisius coach Terry Zeh. “People are saying Marist might get beat (in the MAAC tournament) but they did go 15-3 (conference) and lost to nationally ranked Oklahoma in overtime,” Zeh noted after his team‘s quarterfinal setback to the Red Foxes. “They are a team whose big stars make plays and unheralded players step up”
• The Manhattan-Loyola game to tip off the men’s tournament was a high-energy, fast-paced, intense battle. Manhattan, which lost twice to the Greyhounds this season, prevailed 94-79. The Jaspers had a 19-point lead before Loyola came storming back in the second half. Loyola got it to a two possession game but never any closer.
• The game was a tale of two halves for the leading scorers. Rico Pickett, a junior guard from Manhattan with range and a quick trigger finger, had 23 points at the half and wound up with 33.  Shane Walker had two at intermission, but the 6-10 sophomore forward led Loyola’s charge the second half in scoring 24 of his team-high 26 points.
• Even with Pickett going for 33 points, Manhattan had good balance with four players in double figures. George Beamon, a 6-4 freshman, came off the bench for the Jaspers to contribute a crucial 13 points, 11 in the second half.
• Manhattan coach Barry Rohrssen said his team came to Albany “planning to play our best basketball. The MAAC tournament is a new season for us.” Rohrssen naturally was pleased, except for the defense, which allowed the Greyhounds to shoot 50 percent from the floor.
• Marist finished their long season at 1-29 with a first-round loss to Canisius. The lone win, ironically, came against Manhattan. The same problems the Red Foxes had all year showed up again. They hung around early and were only down 34-26 at the half, a margin was thanks to a Canisius trey at the buzzer. The second half mistakes of youth and an ineffective inside game spelled doom for coach Chucky Martin’s squad once again.
• The difference between veterans and youth: Marist committed 16 turnovers to Canisius’ 11. Frank Turner, the Griffs’ outstanding senior guard, had one turnover in 37 minutes.
• I spoke with Siena assistant Mitch Buonoguro, who was advance scouting. Buonoguro spoke about life as a 17-1 conference team favored to win here in Albany. “It’s not that easy,” he said. “Everyone is aiming for you and comes at you with your best shot.” Especially in the “survive and advance” setting of post season tournament play.

However, three of those bubble teams will need to take care of business at home Tuesday when the Atlantic 10 tournament opens at campus sites. Rhode Island, Charlotte and Dayton, seeded five through seven, respectively, will face teams likely playing their final game of the season if they don’t pull off the upset. So all three favorites will need to bring their best effort at home before they pack their bags for the boardwalk.

If the Atlantic 10’s bubble hopefuls get past the likes of Saint Joseph’s, Massachusetts and George Washington, they will face several dominant teams on the Jersey Shore. All four of the top seeds enter the conference tournament with fantastic finishes. Temple, the conference’s top seed, has won seven in a row and only lost to Charlotte and Richmond during the Atlantic 10 regular season. No. 2 Xavier also is on a seven-game winning streak and sports a 14-2 conference record. Dayton and Temple claim the Musketeers’ only two losses.

Richmond has its best team in years, and the Spiders won 10 of 11 games to close the regular season. The team’s three conferences losses came against Xavier, Charlotte and Saint Louis. The Billikens are the No. 4 seed and have won eight of their last 10 games. Saint Louis has the most losses of the four teams that earned a bye into the quarterfinals, including losses to Charlotte and George Washington.

Based on regular-season results, Charlotte would appear to be the underdog most likely to make a run to the conference championship because the 49ers have victories against three of the top four seeds. Interestingly, Dayton and Charlotte both have beaten the teams they would face in the quarterfinals in Atlantic City. If the Flyers and 49ers pull off the upset, they would meet in the semifinals in what could be a bubble elimination game.

Rhode Island faces one of the toughest roads to the NCAA Tournament because the Rams are 0-3 against Saint Louis and Temple, the two teams they would likely meet in the quarterfinals and semifinals. In addition, Rhode Island has sputtered in recent weeks, losing five of seven games, including bad losses to St. Bonaventure and Massachusetts.

If the top two teams meet in the Atlantic 10 championship game, Atlantic City might bear witness to an epic match up. Xavier lost a tight battle in Philadelphia in the teams’ only meeting during the regular season, and the Musketeers would be looking for revenge on a fairly neutral court. In that battle for first place in January, Xavier rallied from an eight-point first-half deficit to claim a one-point lead when Jordan Crawford hit a three-pointer midway through the second half. The Owls answered immediately with a three-pointer from Juan Fernandez, who sparked an 11-2 decisive run.

The Atlantic 10 has enjoyed one of its best seasons in recent years, with six legitimate NCAA Tournament contenders. However, late-season struggles will likely limit the conference to three or four tournament bids, with the others likely to receive NIT invitations. But first, 12 Atlantic 10 teams prepare for four days of intense basketball that will decide their post-season destinies.

While South Florida, Connecticut, Cincinnati and Seton Hall tip off Tuesday in hopes of avoiding a devastating opening-round loss, half the conference will sit back and watch. Of those eight teams waiting until later in the week to play, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Marquette, Georgetown and Louisville will be playing only to improve their NCAA Tournament seeds. Notre Dame also has a bye in the opening round and will want to avoid a loss to Seton Hall or Providence Wednesday to feel better about its at-large prospects. However, a late-season resurgence probably has the Fighting Irish in the Big Dance.

Connecticut and Cincinnati have 14 losses apiece entering the Big East tournament. Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, no at-large team has had more than 14 losses. Unless the selection committee makes history this season, the Huskies and Bearcats will need to win five games in five days to reach the NCAA Tournament. Connecticut seems better poised to make a miraculous run because they are 2-1 against their first three opponents, with the only loss being a two-point game against Marquette. If the Huskies were to reach the Big East semifinals, they could find themselves in a Big East tournament rematch with top-seeded Syracuse. Last season, the two teams played one of the best conference tournament games of all time in a six-overtime epic won by the Orange.

South Florida and Seton Hall are in slightly better position entering the tournament because they probably can claim an at-large bid with three wins. That’s not an easy task for either team. However, the Bulls draw the Big East’s worst team, DePaul, which has won only one conference game this season. In the second round, South Florida would get Georgetown, whom the Bulls have already beaten once this season. A run to the quarterfinals would give South Florida three wins against the RPI top 25 and 21 wins.

The Pirates enter the Big East tournament with one of the most explosive players in the nation, Jeremy Hazell. The Harlem native averages 21.2 points per game and will be looking to light up the scoreboard in his hometown. Seton Hall will enter the tournament with a lot of confidence because the Pirates have wins against each of the first three teams they would play. Seton Hall won at Providence by a dozen Saturday and will look to repeat that performance Tuesday. If the Pirates win, they will look for a second win against Notre Dame en route to a critical quarterfinal match up against Pittsburgh. If Seton Hall can find a way into the semifinals by beating Pitt for the second time this season, the Pirates would have four wins against the RPI top 50 and 21 wins.

Although Seton Hall and South Florida have the talent to make a run, their NCAA Tournament hopes remain dicey. Most likely, those teams need to reach the Big East championship game to leapfrog bubble teams like Illinois, Florida and Mississippi. And they must hope that teams like Butler and Utah State can make their respective conferences one-bid leagues.

With so many teams playing for their NCAA Tournament lives, the Big East tournament will feature nonstop drama. And with several elite teams likely to meet, the match ups could resemble Sweet 16 pairings as early as the Big East tournament quarterfinals. Because Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia and Pittsburgh are all legitimate Final Four contenders, we could easily see a national championship or national semifinal preview at some point in the Big East tournament.

Unable to make a basketball play, Sidney apparently deemed it necessary to let everyone know he’s still around by getting into a verbal confrontation with No. 13 Tennessee’s big man Wayne Chism after the Volunteers had kicked the Bulldogs’ behinds all around Humphrey Coliseum Saturday night.

“I can go to sleep knowing I can play next year,” Sidney said upon learning of the NCAA ruling, a day before his team’s disheartening 75-59 loss.

Will Sidney’s absence have the Bulldogs (21-10, 9-7 SEC) in next-year mode as well following the defeat? Smack talk or not, Chism’s Volunteers (23-7, 11-5) might have just slammed the door in the face of Mississippi State’s hopes to make the NCAA Tournament.  The Bulldogs finished the regular season with the No. 1 seed in the SEC West, but their conference tournament chances look dim with  No. 3 Kentucky, No. 19 Vanderbilt and Tennessee itself representing the East in the competition.

Outstanding as it’s been while playing in the daunting SEC, Mississippi State could have been that much better with an in-uniform Sidney, who averaged 26.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks as a senior at Fairfax High School of Los Angeles. At the very least, the 6-10, 260-pounder could have been a deluxe complement to team leading-scorer and rebounder, senior forward Jarvis Varnado (13.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game).

Mississippi State relied heavily on its home court advantage and burst out to a 12-2 record early in the season. The win total slowed as expected once the Bulldogs hit the conference schedule, but the home wins continued. They were 12-1 at the Hump by the time Kentucky came to visit Feb. 16. The Bulldogs led the Wildcats by five with less than four minutes remaining in regulation but faltered in overtime, losing 81-76.

But the feared edge that had the third best team in the nation on the ropes at one time was nowhere to be found Saturday. Tennessee shot out to a 17-0 lead and never looked back, sending the Bulldogs to their third home loss and deflating their bubble.

Sidney exchanged words with Chism, who averages 12.4 points per game but scored only one on the night, thinking of what it could have been. Chism will graduate after this season, so Sidney won’t get a chance to confront him on the court — not him, nor South Carolina’s Devan Downey or any of the other outstanding SEC seniors. Sidney will wait a year and then some to make his mark. This year, though, his Bulldogs are in — a difficult — position to make the NCAA Tournament. They probably don’t need to repeat as conference tournament champions to get an NCAA Tournament invitation, but they need an upset, which likely means they need to at least make it back to the championship game.

That’s a daunting task — Sidney or no Sidney.