Must-reads of the day 1. The New York Times' Pete Thamel on Jim, Cindy, and...

Don’t believe everything you read. The Hoyas will not miss the NCAA Tournament because of...

And Duke Could Win the National Championship CBSSports.com's Gary Parrish continues to rank Duke as...

Yesterday's top performers were all... forwards. (Go figure). (BCS football-playing conferences) F - Jon Brockman,...

G, Keith Cothran, Rhode Island. 20 points (on nine of 14 shooting) in the Rams'...

Who believed Michigan might beat Purdue four days after losing to Iowa? The weatherman. No,...

G - Donald Johnson, Delaware State. 31 points (on eight of 13 shooting, including six...

G - Booker Woodfox, Creighton. 20 points (on seven for 11 shooting), three assists, three...

A couple weeks ago, Arizona appeared destined for the NCAA Tournament and Russ Pennell was...

In honor of bubble-bursting losses by Georgetown, Cincinnati, and Kansas State, I present tonight present...

Today on News/Talk 1310 in Madison, Wisconsin. At 1:45 PM EST, I'll explain why Bo...

G - Scottie Reynolds, Villanova. 23 points (on eight for 12 shooting, including six of...

Good Morning Must-Reads 1. The Madison (WI) Times' Mike Lucas on the education of Ohio State's freshmen. "Before the start of the 2007-2008 season, Ohio State men's basketball coach Thad Matta decided to conduct an informal Q & A with his freshmen players. 'What's an automatic bid.' Matta got no response. 'What does the 'bubble' mean?' No reaction. 'At large?' Silence. 'They didn't know,' Matta sighed. 'None of them knew.'" LINK. 2. Sports Illustrated's Luke Winn on DeJuan Blair's offensive rebounding. "Blair has been the most dominant major-conference offensive rebounder of not just this season, but the past eight seasons... B[asketball] P[rospectus] recently made the mind-boggling observation that Blair is also outrebounding seven D-I teams on the offensive glass." LINK. 3. The Wall Street Journal's Darren Everson on Virginia Tech. "What if Stephen and Seth Curry, the sons of Virginia Tech legend Dell Curry, had come to Tech, rather than being allowed to slip through the school's recruiting net?" LINK. 4. McClatchy Newspapers' Robbi Pickeral and Ken Tysiac on ACC players' favorite moves. "If the best players get the ball in their best spots, the defense often can’t stop them." LINK. 5. USA Today's Jack Carey on Selection Friday for NCAA Tournament officials. "Game officials can log on to a secure Internet site Friday night and learn whether they're among the 96 officials and eight alternates selected to work the [NCAA Tournament]." LINK. Good Morning Quote “I know he never listened to his uncle about anything." Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim on Donte Greene, whose uncle, Derrick Marcano, received a $50,000 line of credit during the 2007-08 season as part of Ceruzzi Sports and Entertainment's efforts to sign Greene. LINK. Good Morning Stat Dayton guard London Warren averages 4.1 assists per outing in only 20.6 minutes of play. According to KenPom.com, when Warren is in the game, he assists a whopping 37.7 percent of his teammates' field goals, good for 11th best in the country....

Dear Miami's Jack McClinton: I couldn't help but notice that you are this year more accurate from behind the three point arc than you are from in front of it. And that this is not a coincidence. Over the course of your collegiate career, you have been equally as accurate from long range as from short range. (Amazing). Given that a three pointer is worth, well, more than a two pointer, I suggest that you against Virginia Tech in the ACC Tournament jack up more threes and less twos. Sincerely Yours, George Frankly...

No. The young Bulldogs have hit a wall on defense. Should contrarian hoopheads head Baron Rothschild’s famous advice, “when there is blood in the streets, buy real estate,” and upgrade rather than downgrade the Bulldogs after their loss last night to Cleveland State? The arguments for buying: First, Butler still has a solid resume, with wins over Xavier, UAB, Northwestern, and Davidson. Second, the Bulldogs are also very consistent. According to Ken Pomeroy, Butler is the nation's sixth most consistent club. Third, Cleveland State isn't half bad. The Vikings won at Syracuse and entered the Horizon League with more than twice as many wins (21) as losses (10). Fourth and finally, Butler yesterday played almost as badly as it is capable of playing -- and still only lost by three points. (Using Pomeroy's stats, I computed the difference in the Bulldogs' average and actual offensive and defensive efficiencies in each of their games this season. Only once, in a loss at Wisconsin-Green Bay, was Butler's combined deviation from their average efficiencies notably worse than last night's deviation). The arguments for selling: First, Butler's resume isn't exceptional. The Bulldogs' best wins came either in late November and early December or against teams that are at best on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Butler also lost at hapless Wisconsin-Milwaukee and at home (!) to Loyola of Chicago. Second, the Bulldogs aren't particularly efficient. According to Ken Pomeroy (and before last night's loss), Butler is only the nation's 58th most efficient offensive club and 46th most efficient defensive club, making their Top 25 rating hard to justify. Third, Cleveland State lost to Youngstown State, Wichita State, and Wisconsin-Milwaukee and isn't great. But last night's close contest was no fluke. Butler twice beat the Vikings by only two points before last night's loss. Fourth, finally -- and most importantly -- Butler has hit a wall on defense (contrary to what coach Brad Stevens told the Indianapolis Star's David Woods in late February). The young Bulldogs have played significantly less efficient defense in their final 11 Horizon League games than they did in their first 10. Butler allowed conference opponents to score 0.12 more points per possession late in the season than it did early in the season. Points Scored/Allowed Per Possession (from KenPom.com) First 10 Horizon League Games Final 11 Horizon League Games Butler's Offensive Efficiency 1.06 1.08 Butler's Defensive Efficiency 0.87 0.99 Conclusion: Based on Butler's late-season defensive collapse, hoopheads should read the writing on the wall and downgrade the Bulldogs....

At NBC Sports, I preview the Mountain West Conference Tournament....

The Ann Arbor News' Jeff Arnold recently penned a feel good story. In Arnold's article,...

G - Jonathan Hall, St. Bonaventure. 31 points (on 11 for 15 shooting), seven rebounds,...

What to make of the Mountain West Conference? Five clubs have at least eight league...

Insta-Pulitzers of the day ("must-read" has become so devalued): 1. The New York Times' masterful...