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Memebers of the Belmont team sit on the bench during their loss to Wisconsin during a Southeast Regional NCAA college basketball tournament second-round game in Tucson, Ariz., Thursday, March 17, 2011. Wisconsin won 72-58. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

The history of NCAA tournament wins: the impoverished classes

0 comments by on 3/15/2016

How hard is it to get a college basketball program to win one NCAA tournament game? The Belmont Bruins are shown above in the cover photo for this story. They fell to Wisconsin in 2011, one of seven NCAA tournament losses without a single win for the program. The Bruins are hardly alone. At North […]

The history of NCAA tournament bids: a four-period study

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The NCAA tournament’s 68 teams have been announced, offering the latest picture of college basketball’s balance of power. How has this balance of power emerged over time? Plenty of fans are aware of programs’ histories on a general level — UCLA dominated in the John Wooden years, Kentucky roared under Adolph Rupp, and Indiana flourished […]

The NCAA tournament, from Bakersfield to Boomer Sooner

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The field is set for the 2016 NCAA Tournament. America’s favorite bracketed event begins Tuesday with the First Four. Let’s put before you a number of facts — a sampler platter more than a definitive summary — of the newest edition of the Big Dance: FIRST-TIME DANCERS Championship Week (a fortnight, to be more precise) […]

NCAA tournament selection, seeding and bracketing: a full evaluation

0 comments by on 3/14/2016

What follows is a review of NCAA tournament selection, seeding and bracketing: SELECTION: TULSA IN, MONMOUTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA OUT This was a year in which the last six to eight teams in the NCAA tournament were all going to possess highly flawed resumes. It was unavoidable that several selections would be disputed. Pundits knew […]

What’s the Matter with Kansas? Nothing This Year

0 comments by on 3/13/2016

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but heading into the start of the NCAA Tournament, Kansas looks like the best basketball team in the country. This marks the sixth time in the last 10 years that the Jayhawks have landed a No. 1 seed. It’s the second time in that decade-long stretch that […]

It’s time for a 72-team NCAA tournament with structural reform

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The NCAA tournament was just right at 64 teams. No one, I think, disputes this. The 64-team bracket — clean and neat, without play-in games or different amounts of tournament rounds for any team — hit the sweet spot. It catapulted the Big Dance to another level in terms of national interest and captivating, emotional […]

5 final observations before the Selection Show

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You’ve all lost an hour of sleep, but on the day of the NCAA Tournament Selection Show, who needs sleep? Let’s get right to the chase, knowing this piece won’t have the longest shelf life in the history of mankind. The purpose of this piece is twofold: to prepare you for the selection show while […]

5 quick bubble notes: No one goes there anymore, it’s too crowded

0 comments by on 3/12/2016

Saturday involves a stack of conference tournament semifinals and finals which will reshape the bubble picture. Whether those games will clarify or further muddle the bubble picture is anyone’s guess. You have games to watch, so we won’t drone on forever, but here are five bubble bits you need to know heading into Saturday and […]

HOLY MACKEREL! Friday in college basketball was one for the ages

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We can write about the college basketball Friday many of you witnessed… or we can bring it to you in videos. Why not offer a video essay of what March — as a sports month — is all about? Videos convey the magic of an unforgettable Friday better than most words in the English language […]

Michigan dances out of trouble against Indiana, likely saving its season

0 comments by on 3/11/2016

The Michigan Wolverines have struggled throughout the 2016 college basketball season. Their Friday quarterfinal in the Big Ten Tournament was therefore an embodiment of the season, distilled into one afternoon. Because Michigan was able to pull through one nail-biting game, it is likely — though not absolutely certain — that the Wolverines’ season will be […]

Iowa and Vanderbilt both display bad habits, but VU will pay a bigger price

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In the 2008 NCAA Tournament, Fran McCaffery’s Siena Saints thrashed Kevin Stallings and the Vanderbilt Commodores. In that moment, two coaches stood on opposite sides of a March ambush, one the author and one the unfortunate recipient. In each of the past two seasons, McCaffery and Stallings — years removed from their clash in the NCAAs […]

Saint Mary’s and other teams all want to know: Who’s In?

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A week ago, I spoke about a potential dilemma for the selection committee. What would they do with Wichita State if the Shockers failed to win their conference tournament? It was an interesting thought exercise in what the committee would care about more–the resume or the team. This week, though, things got crazy. Every imaginable […]

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