CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK - Thursday Edition

   

BIG EAST TOURNAMENT:  Upset Thursday!!!  Of the four games played....three ended with the better seeded team going home.  Syracuse did the surprising....smacking down the #1 UConn Huskies.  Wow!  Just like West Virginia did last year, the Orange are doing this year.  While they are still bubble-licious right now....a win over Georgetown [who pulled of a mild "upset" over Marquette] would nearly seal the deal.  Speaking of West Virginia, they'll have no run this year as they were upended by Pittsburgh.  The Panthers will play Villanova...the only better seed to survive.  Now, with no UConn....Nova can win this Big East tourny and enter the NCAAs as *gasp* the #1 ranked team in the nation. 

ATLANTIC 10 TOURNAMENT:  While not a huge upset....Temple beating George Washington is a huge issue!!!!  With G-Dub's loss...the A-10 will get a second team in.  Who will it be?  It could be Temple....or maybe St Joseph's [who cruised by Dayton].  The surprise of the bunch would be Fordam.  But my new pick for A-10 champ is Xavier.  They are playing at home and they're playing decent all of late.  The point is that none of these teams had a prayer to make the tournament as an at-large team....so one of those bubble teams is squeezed out!

ACC TOURNAMENT:  The ACC tourny began with one bubble team losing and another winning.  Maryland looked good in their beating of Georgia Tech.  They've got a huge game against Boston College coming up.  Even with all these bubble teams struggling, I think Maryland must get to the ACC semis to have a shot....with a Finals appearance nearly icing it.  However Florida State was manhandled by 12th seed [aka "last place"] Wake Forest.  That loss is more damaging than the Duke win helped.  I think the Noles are done.  In the other two games, Miami and Virginia advanced to play Duke and UNC, respectively. 

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT:  Two games were snoozers.  Penn State dispatched Northwestern and will take on top-seeded Ohio State.  Michigan State ran by Purdue.  But the costly game was Minnesota bouncing Michigan.  The Wolverines have lost 7 of 9 to close out the season and are on extremely shaky ground. 

BIG XII TOURNAMENT:  Nothing much to report here.  Colorado beat Baylor...but it was too close for comfort.  But, their biggest game is next - against Texas A&M.  This could be a "play-in game" of sorts.  Bobby Knight lives on as Texas Tech broke off Kansas State [who then fired their coach].  The Eddie Sutton-less Oklahoma State Cowboys breezed by Iowa State.  My upset of the 2nd round??  Nebraska [who beat Missouri to advance] to beat Oklahoma. 

SEC TOURNAMENT:  A ho-hum day in Nashville.  South Carolina dropped Mississippi State;  Kentucky rode past Ole Miss [I put them in "lock" status after the win];  Vanderbilt beat Auburn.  Arkansas slapped Georgia.  This 2nd round should be very interesting.

PAC-10 TOURNAMENT:  UCLA and Arizona looked good in their games....and face off in the semis.  On the other side, California may have locked up a bid with a win.  One more win pretty much seals it...and they get Oregon instead of Washington, as the Ducks got a huge upset win. 

MOUNTAIN WEST TOURNAMENT:  Two bubble teams bit the dust.  BYU lost a heartbreaker to rival Utah.......and Air Force was upended by Wyoming.  So now, every bubble team is rooting for San Diego State....who is now looking like a good at-large lock anyways....to win the MWC tourny.  Next test?  Taking on dangerous UNLV. 

                            

CONFERENCE USA TOURNAMENT:  Pretty much toeing the line.  Top seed Memphis slid by Tulane....and dance hopeful UAB topped Southern Methodist.  They will take on Houston and UTEP, respectively [those were the best 4 teams in the conference all year].  We should get a Memphis-UAB final.  If UAB gets to the Finals....I think they lock up a bid.   

WAC TOURNAMENT:  Only one surprise in the opening round....New Mexico State downed Hawaii.  Tourny favorite and NCAA lock Nevada keeps rolling.  Utah State is trying to get a dance card and got off to a nice start by popping San Jose State.  Up next for USU is Louisiana Tech who could pose a bit of a problem.