Saturday, March 13, 2004
Let's Dance!
Cincinnati certainly didn't need the automatic bid from C-USA, but they got it anyway in winning a 55-50 defensive battle with DePaul (who didn't need the automatic bid, either, frankly).
You think Vermont's glad that their star Taylor Coppenrath is back? After slumping through their last seven regular-season games while their leading scorer was out injured, he led VT to the America East title today, scoring a tournament-record 43 points in their 72-53 win over Maine.
The MEAC has been decided, and with it comes not only a huge upset winner, but a team with the dubious distinction of being the only Dance partners with a losing record. Florida A&M will take their 14-16 record to the NCAAs (and likely to Tuesday's play-in game) after getting past Coppin State 58-51. FAMU beat the top two teams in the MEAC to take the title.
The Stanford Cardinal wouldn't get fooled again by Washington - and will have a #1 seed when the brackets are announced tomorrow, after topping the Huskies 77-66 for their first ever Pac-10 tournament championship.
In the A-10, Xavier, decidedly on the bubble four days ago, won four games in four days, capping the string by taking the tourney title over Dayton on the Flyers' home court, 58-49, to punch their ticket into the dance.
Those teams still on the bubble can breathe a little easier tonight, as Western Michigan won't need an at-large bid to Dance. That's a result of their winning the MAC, defeating Kent State (who'll be NIT-bound) 77-66.
Surprise, surprise: having Emeka Okafor back in the lineup was a huge mental boost for Connecticut, even if it was Ben Gordon who did most of the heavy lifting. UConn (nominally) upset Pittsburgh 61-58 to take the Big East title, likely ensuring #2 seeds for both squads.
Nevada won't have to hold their breath waiting for the brackets, as they're in the NCAAs for the first time since 1985, courtesy of their 66-60 win over UTEP in the WAC.
Can the MWC actually send three teams to the Dance? Air Force and BYU can make very strong cases as at-large teams; #3 seed Utah doesn't have to do so. They're MWC champs after topping UNLV 73-70.
Undoubtedly, the Big West will have two teams in the field of 65. Utah State may have been knocked out of their tourney by Cal State-Northridge, but Pacific wasn't, beating CSN 75-73 to be awarded with their first Dance card since '97.
And that was just Saturday.
Cincinnati certainly didn't need the automatic bid from C-USA, but they got it anyway in winning a 55-50 defensive battle with DePaul (who didn't need the automatic bid, either, frankly).
You think Vermont's glad that their star Taylor Coppenrath is back? After slumping through their last seven regular-season games while their leading scorer was out injured, he led VT to the America East title today, scoring a tournament-record 43 points in their 72-53 win over Maine.
The MEAC has been decided, and with it comes not only a huge upset winner, but a team with the dubious distinction of being the only Dance partners with a losing record. Florida A&M will take their 14-16 record to the NCAAs (and likely to Tuesday's play-in game) after getting past Coppin State 58-51. FAMU beat the top two teams in the MEAC to take the title.
The Stanford Cardinal wouldn't get fooled again by Washington - and will have a #1 seed when the brackets are announced tomorrow, after topping the Huskies 77-66 for their first ever Pac-10 tournament championship.
In the A-10, Xavier, decidedly on the bubble four days ago, won four games in four days, capping the string by taking the tourney title over Dayton on the Flyers' home court, 58-49, to punch their ticket into the dance.
Those teams still on the bubble can breathe a little easier tonight, as Western Michigan won't need an at-large bid to Dance. That's a result of their winning the MAC, defeating Kent State (who'll be NIT-bound) 77-66.
Surprise, surprise: having Emeka Okafor back in the lineup was a huge mental boost for Connecticut, even if it was Ben Gordon who did most of the heavy lifting. UConn (nominally) upset Pittsburgh 61-58 to take the Big East title, likely ensuring #2 seeds for both squads.
Nevada won't have to hold their breath waiting for the brackets, as they're in the NCAAs for the first time since 1985, courtesy of their 66-60 win over UTEP in the WAC.
Can the MWC actually send three teams to the Dance? Air Force and BYU can make very strong cases as at-large teams; #3 seed Utah doesn't have to do so. They're MWC champs after topping UNLV 73-70.
Undoubtedly, the Big West will have two teams in the field of 65. Utah State may have been knocked out of their tourney by Cal State-Northridge, but Pacific wasn't, beating CSN 75-73 to be awarded with their first Dance card since '97.
And that was just Saturday.
# posted by Thomas : 11:19 AM
