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Want To Draw A Lesson From This Year’s Final Four? Good Luck!

In this first look at the 2015 Final Four, a natural question to ask at the outset is, “What does this foursome tell us about the NCAA tournament and any trends we should be aware of in postseason college basketball?” On several levels, the best and most reasonable answer is… nothing that can be carried […]

The Top 10 Stories From The Second Weekend Of The NCAA Tournament

The second weekend of the NCAA tournament is in the books. We’ll address the Final Four as the week unfolds, but here are all the stories worth identifying (and explaining) from the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight. * 10 – SIX FOULS PER PLAYER: IT’S TIME You might have heard this said once or […]

during the South Regional Final of the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at NRG Stadium on March 29, 2015 in Houston, Texas.

The Chairman Of The Sport: While Kentucky Seeks One Kind Of History, Coach K Makes Another At Duke

The 2015 Final Four is set, and while this college basketball season has featured Kentucky’s quest for 40-0, another storied program in the sport has managed to create a major achievement, one that ripples through the pages of time. Sunday afternoon in Houston, Duke claimed the final spot in this esteemed foursome, fending off Gonzaga […]

SYRACUSE, NY – MARCH 29: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates by cutting down the net after defeating the Louisville Cardinals 76 to 70 in overtime of the East Regional Final of the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Carrier Dome on March 29, 2015 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

In A League Of Izzone: Tom Izzo Puts Michigan State’s Spare Parts Together, Reaching His Seventh Final Four

The number seven is paramount in the present-day world of Tom Izzo… not because he’s lucky, but because he’s so darn good at what he does. Sunday in Syracuse, in a game that was as contentious and even as everyone expected it to be, Izzo’s Michigan State team had the final say on a last-minute […]

during the Midwest Regional Final of the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament at Quicken Loans Arena on March 28, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio.

1991 UNLV Beats 1991 Duke, 24 Years Later: Kentucky Outlasts The Irish In A College Hoops Classic

It was the question asked of UNLV 24 years ago: What would happen to an unbeaten team when a late-stage NCAA tournament game entered the final few minutes in a neutral or negative scoreboard situation? That question greeted the 2015 Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday night in Cleveland. A 37-0 record would have become 37-1 — […]

during the West Regional Final of the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Staples Center on March 28, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.

Wiscon-singe: The Badgers Burn The Nets Against Arizona And Move Four-Ward Yet Again

It’s preposterous, really. If you had told Arizona head coach Sean Miller; any of his players; or any U of A fans that the No. 2 seed in the West Region would hit 55.8 percent of its field goal attempts and make 28 of 30 free throws, you would have received universally enthusiastic responses. “YES! […]

South Regional Final: Will Duke Get Gonzaga’s Best Shot(s)?

When the 2015 NCAA Tournament brackets were revealed on March 15, it was clear that Kentucky and Duke received very favorable draws in their respective regions. Through the first three games of the tournament, it’s clear that everything initially perceived about these teams’ bracket paths has held up under scrutiny. What we have as a […]

during the West Regional Semifinal of the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Staples Center on March 26, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.

Wisconsin and Arizona Win The Same Way, Setting Up The NCAA Tournament’s First Great Rematch

On Thursday night in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, a nation of college basketball fans was deprived of one potential rematch from the 2014 edition of the Big Dance… but not two. Kentucky and Wichita State were on the verge of trading places. The Shockers, unbeaten when they faced Kentucky a year ago in Bracketville, had […]

during the Midwest Regional semifinal of the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena on March 26, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Brey Day: Notre Dame’s Coach Makes His First Elite Eight After A Vintage Performance Against Wichita State

Did you know that Mike Brey has been coaching at Notre Dame since Y2K? Yes, since the year 2000, the Coach K protege has led the Fighting Irish from the bench. That’s a long time for any coach, and it’s a long time to go without an Elite Eight appearance. Forget Elite Eights for a […]

25 Years Ago, The Best Sweet 16 Of All Time Captured America’s Imagination

On the eve of the 2015 Sweet 16, there’s nothing wrong with reliving any high-quality Sweet 16 from the NCAA tournament’s glorious past. Yet, this just so happens to be the 25th anniversary of the 1990 Sweet 16. The 1997 Sweet 16 — with three overtime games and Arizona’s monumental upset of Kansas — could […]

Sweet 16 Primer: Bracket Facts, Coaching Notes, TV Picks, And More

There are many kinds of college basketball fans, and in a sport with 351 Division I teams, there’s room for many kinds of fans. Speaking personally, I love the round of 32, which just concluded over the weekend. The mixture of underdogs (the 11 seeds that break through, the 8 seeds that wake up) and […]

NCAA Tournament: The Top 10 Stories After The Round Of 32

The Sweet 16 beckons, but before we get around to breaking down what lies ahead, let’s take stock of the first wave of stories to greet us in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, now that the round of 32 is done. * 10 – REALITY CHECK FOR THE SEC Georgia manipulated the RPI (which it’s supposed […]

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