By JOHN P. WISEOne Great Season
It took until the final game of the regular season, but I'm finally ready to say Cincinnati can play some basketball. I've been saying on Twitter the last six weeks that the Bearcats are brutal to watch, but they bring lockdown defense and scrap their way to wins over decent teams.
If they play that grinding style in the NCAA Tournament, however, chances are good that their game(s) will be decided on a late possession or two, where they could be exposed as a team without a true game-breaker who can score when a critical basket is needed.
Today's Headlines
+ North Carolina was impressive in beating national-title contender Duke Saturday night, so convincing that the surging Heels could end up playing their way to a No. 2 seed, ready to make their own deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
+ Some had spent the last few days touting a surprising Purdue team as a No. 1-seed darkhorse, but the Boilermakers choked it away at Iowa of all places Saturday. Now Purdue might have to win a couple games at the Big Ten Tournament just to save a 2 seed.
+ Remember when Belmont almost stunned Duke in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament? The Bruins look very upset-ready right now, having won 12 straight games, most by double figures, some by 30+ points. Belmont scores a lot, enjoys great balance and shares the ball well among 11 guys who play at least 10 minutes.
Top Four Seeds
+ EAST — Ohio State: Arguably the best team in the country.
+ SOUTHEAST — Pittsburgh: I've had Duke on this line all week, but Saturday's results made this pick obvious.
+ SOUTHWEST — Kansas: The Jayhawks earned a nice win at Missouri to wrap up the Big 12 yesterday.
+ WEST — BYU: The Cougs can still get this if they win the Mountain West Tournament.
On The Bubble
+ Alabama — The Tide halted a two-game losing streak with a win over Georgia on Saturday. They're probably in, but two wins at the SEC Tournament sure would help.
Work To Do
+ Marquette — Two straight losses to close the season, and four of seven, won't impress the Selection Committee. The Golden Eagles need a minimum of two wins at the Big East Tournament.
Today's Top Read
+ Paul Daugherty's piece on the Mick Cronin-Yancy Gates relationship in Cincinnati is a good one.
What To Watch
+ Wisconsin at Ohio State, CBS, 4 p.m.
Your Tournament Video Of The Day
Korie Lucious drains a three-pointer at the buzzer to give Michigan State a second-round win over Maryland in the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
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