Good luck VCU. If people weren't rooting for you before, quoting "Dumb and Dumber" is a good way to convert them...

Phase 1 - Quote:

"It's kind of like the movie 'Dumb and Dumber," said VCU coach Shaka Smart on Saturday, setting up a popular line from the gap-toothed doofus played by Jim Carrey. "'So you're saying we've got a chance?"

Phase 2 - Clip:


Phase 3 - Profit. VCU in the Final Four.

#3bids4caa, a G:TB Production

It's easy to see now, with hindsight's clarifying wisdom. But back then, when we the G:TB brain trust created the #3bids4caa hashtag, we had no idea of our power and reach. We were just hoping, wishing, dreaming that the CAA - once a Selection Sunday afterthought - could sneak a third team into the March Madness mix for the first time in conference history. We weren't dealing in reality. We just had no idea.

No idea that our words traveled from our keyboards to Those That Make Decisions in Indianapolis. That the power of a simple idea based in obvious logic (not shared, perhaps, by Bilas, Digger, Davis and Vitale) would work like trickle of water, becoming a stream, a flood, a raging river, cutting a great canyon out of formerly impenetrable rock. That suggestion, repeated, amplified, and repeated again has the capacity to work miracles.

We'll spend some time trying to figure out how to use our newly-discovered power wisely. Until then, we're just basking in the odd joy that comes with being so conditioned that your own team won't make the Dance that you live vicariously through conference mates.

Okay, Patriots, Monarchs, and Rams. We got you there. Now make us proud.

Your #3bids4caa Rooting Guide

Schadenfreude is pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. You can look it up. The futile superfans still hoping against hope that last night's hard-fought ODU victory over VCU didn't spell the end of our #3bids4caa fun will be glorying in the stumbles, bumbles, and missteps of a baker's dozen of NCAA Tournament wannabes (we can't root against fellow mid-major bubbler Butler) over the next week.

No, we don't really believe that VCU has a chance, but they played an entertaining game in front of a national audience last night, boast wins over UCLA, George Mason, and Old Dominion, a 9-8 record against the RPI top 100, and a top-50 RPI of their own. Unlikely? Sure. Crazy? Not as much as plunging into a freezing Atlantic Ocean. We can still hope against hope, and give you a short, sweet list of the metaphorical dolls into which we're sticking pins:

Richmond
Michigan State
Georgia
Marquette
Virginia Tech
Boston College
Baylor
Memphis
Alabama
Clemson
Utah State
Colorado
Southern Cal

They say that prayer is powerful. Let's band together to see if they're right.

#3bids4caa, Day 4

I got it dead right. Told you we'd see an upset yesterday that would keep #3bids4caa alive for one more day. (Fingers crossed that nobody will read yesterday's post to cross-check me.) VCU played as complete a game as we're likely to see this month, thoroughly outclassing a very, very good George Mason team, 79-63, to advance to the CAA Finals. The Rams forced 14 Mason turnovers, withstood a brief Patriot run to open the second half, and breezed in front of a partisan Richmond Coliseum crowd. Jamie Skeen hit a career-high 4 threes on his way to a game-high 21 points, while Bradford Burgess went for 16 points and 13 boards for VCU.

The loss snapped Mason's 16-game winning streak, but Jim Larranaga's team is still going dancing in a few weeks. Those with an appreciation of history will remember that the 2006 Cinderella Patriots fell in the conference semis before embarking on their mythical run. Selection Sunday will lack the same drama this year, and there were no groin-shots today, but the symmetry hasn't gone unnoticed in Fairfax.

Hofstra had an opportunity to send us all to bed happy last night; a win for the Dutchpride would've clinched the CAA's third entry into the NCAA Tournament. Alas, a combination of superior athleticism, terrific defense, inspired point guard play, and somewhat questionable officiating doomed Charles Jenkins and his mates, who fell to a hard-nosed ODU squad by a 77-69 count. Senior point guard Darius James, who averaged 7.1 ppg this season, dropped 16 for the Big Blue Beast to complement Frank Hassell's efficient 22. Keyon Carter came off the bench to give Blaine Taylor's team 10 and 8. Jenkins found it much harder to get points on the drive against ODU than he did last night against our Wrens, going 6 of 16 with 16 points and 6 dimes. Our new twitter friend Jerry Beach (@defiantlydutch) noted with both bias and some legitimate beef that Jenkins took 11 shots from inside the arc without drawing a single shooting foul.

It will come as no surprise that I'm picking VCU tonight. I really wish it were Hofstra taking their shot, but beggars can't be choosers. With every major chronicler of the bracket telling us that Mason and ODU have already punched tickets (Joe Lunardi had them as 7 and 9 seeds, respectively, as of Friday - hardly bubble teams), Shaka Smart's squad holds the fate of our silly little hashtag in its hands.

I once again watched CAA tourney action on a small corner of my laptop screen, toggling between the ESPN3 telecast and a lively community tweeting #caahoops and our homegrown #3bids4caa hashtags. (The CAA's decidedly bush league TV package is a source of a future post.) I was getting ready to shut down my computer and have my daughter kick my ass at SuperMarioKart when a final tweet caught my eye.

@midmajority: I missed it on purpose. I live in reality. RT @burythemfast @midmajority Somehow you must've missed the #3bids4caa hashtag making the rounds

Careful G:TB readers (and I think all of our 27 strong readership qualifies) remember our early season run-in with @midmajority, defender of the mid-major faith, obsessive hoops connoisseur, apparently touchy rule-keeper. My tongue was firmly in cheek back then when I lamented my loss of status among the chosen.

Today, though, I wonder with some reason whether the alleged keeper of the flame has forgotten the sublime magic of the possible. Truly, it's the arrogance that irritates more than the actual words. Has this eloquent chronicler of the quixotic quest of the littles become such a big in his universe that he can't bear a storyline that punctures his prefigured narrative? If #3bids4caa becomes a reality, could it mean that things are changing in a way that threatens the mid-majority ethos? (Well, no, it would just mean that this year's senior-laden and well-coached CAA teams had a really fucking good year, nearly all the way through the conference.) Why not revel in the silly, goofy hope, though?

The same guy that wrote, "It always ends in a loss. But this moment, right now, is a new beginning. It is the renewal of hope that things will finally change," is now dealing in reality? The talented dreamer that said, "Those of us who keep going, keep doing and keep traveling are fools in the throes of unrequited passion. There are thousands of us, everywhere, content to find and share the company of other perpetually jilted lovers, inspired and pushed forward by those fleeting and fading glimpses of beauty," now throws cold water on the hopeful giddiness of those who would seem to be fellow travelers?

Maybe he's forgotten.

Or maybe he's just a dick.

#3bids4caa, Day 3

Tony Shaver got a technical foul yesterday. Tony Shaver. Nicest man in the Quad Cities (Croaker, Toano, Norge, and Lightfoot, if you were wondering). Got a technical. Our sources tell us that Shaver either a) dropped a "Gosh" at an inappropriate moment, or b) couldn't control his mustache, which is admittedly a foul-mouthed beast, though it blushes every time it goes out for drinks with Blaine Taylor's lipjacket.

More importantly, Hofstra had fresh legs and Charles Jenkins. Both of those things took a telling toll on the Wrens in the second half of last night's CAA quarterfinals. W&M took a two-point lead into the break after holding Jenkins to 5 points. (No team in the 8 games played thus far in the tournament has led by more than a pair of points at halftime - the patrons are getting more than their money's worth.) But the Dutchpride dominated the last frame, burying the Wrens by 18 and holding Quinn McDowell to only 6 points on as many shots. As I tweeted last night, this is my favorite 10-22 team ever. With only Marcus Kitts graduating, we're eagerly anticipating the 2011-12 Wrens.

While the Tribe's gone home to feed Tim Rusthoven 4 meals a day for the next 8 months, the top 4 seeds remain in Richmond for what promises to be an awesome weekend. I'm tired of the Pulp Fiction theme, so we'll just pick the games straight up. We're thisclose to making #3bids4caa a reality, needing wins by VCU and Hofstra today. G:TB thinks we'll get halfway there.

Game 9

(4) VCU vs. (1) George Mason

There's every reason to believe that this'll be a dandy. VCU faltered down the stretch, but matched Mason at 12-2 in the conference just a few short weeks ago. The Rams are a terrific defensive team, with multiple options on offense and a seasoned roster. Mason's won 16 in a row, and swamped Georgia State under a 42-9 run yesterday. The Patriots also defend aggressively and have even more diversity on the scoring end. I'd love to pick VCU, but I can't see it. Mason is as good a CAA team as I can remember. One thing I feel comfortable in saying is that the atmosphere in the Coliseum this afternoon will be frenzied.

Game 10
(3) Hofstra vs. (2) ODU

Here's where we're pinning our three-bid hopes. ODU's deeper and stronger than Hofstra, plays better defense, and has a substantial edge in coaching experience. All Hofstra has is the best player on the court. Sometimes a transcendent player makes all the difference. We're saying today is one of those times, as Charles Jenkins finds a way against the physical, formidable Monarchs.

And it's aliiiiiiive.

#3bids4caa, Day 2

After an hour or so of Amazing Race-style search for tickets, Team G:TB's intrepid field reporters and our entourage settled courtside for what turned out to be a thoroughly entertaining and well-played contest between our Wrens and JMU. The Dukes are clearly talented, but W&M was equally obviously a more cohesive team. Baby-faced assassin Quinn McDowell dropped a CAA Tournament-record 35 points, scoring on a variety of drives and deep looks. His step-back triple near the end of the first half was a signature heat check moment. Got our group of pasty old guys leaping from our seats, in any case.

Oft-maligned Kendrix Brown was a monster on the boards, not a description frequently used to describe a 6'3" guard. Brown had a game-high 9 caroms and a team-high 4 assists. The young Wrens held off the Dukes in the end thanks to a composure that belied their age. After JMU made a late run to take a 68-67 lead, W&M made 5 of 6 free throws while holding the Dukes scoreless over the game's final 90 seconds. Said Tribe coach and G:TB Hall of Famer Tony Shaver after the game, "A lot of people will define this team by the win-loss record. I don't. I thought we'd walk on the floor with an inner arrogance tonight."

Fellow G:TB Hall of Famer The Teej offered his trenchant analysis postgame, adding "Someone should tell Denzel Bowles he can give back the bathroom pass from Summer School now." The Dukes' All-CAA big man was all but invisible, a combination of Marcus Kitts, foul trouble, a terrific W&M gameplan, and apparent indifference holding him to 5 points.

We're dodging Johnny Law as we motor back up I-95 this morning, but the Man won't stop us from another day of previews.

Game 5
(9) Georgia State vs. (1) George Mason

Nice win for the Panthers yesterday. But now they've got to face the Bad Motherfucker Jules Winfield as personified by Jim Larranaga's Patriots. GMU's on a dominant run, winners of 15 straight games and NCAA locks. GSU hands over their wallets in today's first game.

Game 6
(5) Drexel vs. (4) VCU

Bruiser Flint's Dragons pulled out a surprisingly tough win over Towson to move on to face the hometown Rams. We give VCU a puncher's chance to run the table this weekend, so they're Bruce Willis' Butch. And they'll turn out Marsellus Wallace's lights this afternoon in a game that'll be so ugly it's pretty.

Game 7
(7) Delaware vs. (2) ODU

Running out of battery on my laptop. ODU = Vincent Vega, because Blaine Taylor's an excellent dancer. And they win today.

Game 8
(11) W&M vs. (3) Hofstra

Can't wait. Hofstra, obviously, is Mr. Wolf. Hell, Charles Jenkins by himself is Mr. Wolf. And W&M's still got that watch in its ass, and they'll need every ounce of that inner swagger to make #wrensmakethecaasemis a reality. I can't pick against the Tribe, but if Hofstra wins, we're pulling hard for the Dutch.

Here's hoping today's action matches yesterday's for drama.

#3bids4caa

We're breaking new ground, blogging in motion from southbound I-95 on the way to catch the Baby Wrens' CAA Tournament first rounder against JMU. In the spirit of our poorly conceived and badly executed previews from years past, we're channeling Quentin Tarantino to bring you the 2011 CAA Tournament, Pulp Fiction-style.

Game 1
(9) Georgia State vs. (8) UNCW

Most previews are completed before games are played. We're avant garde like a motherfucker. This game's over. Georgia State as Tim Roth's incompetent armed robber (the Panthers showed an equal amount of skill and smarts in their pre-tournament firing of Rod Barnes) took out UNCW, in the role of Zed, by a 58-52 count. Zed's dead, baby.

Game 2
(12) Towson vs. (5) Drexel

Drexel was hard to cast, but in the end, they're tough and strong. We predict bad things to befall them. And they'd fit right in at a pipe-hitting party. Bruiser Flint's team are Marsellus Wiley. Towson, with their 0-18 conference record, are all dressed up in latex. They'll meet the same fate as the Gimp.

Game 3
(10) Northeastern vs. (7) Delaware

Bill Coen's Huskies were down and out, losing their first 8 in conference play. Then Eric Stoltz as Lance jammed a hypodermic in their chests. And Chiasson Allen became Chaisson Allen, leading NU to 6 wins in their final 10 CAA contests on his way to a first team All-CAA nod. Delaware boasts the conference Rookie of the Year in Devon Saddler, but they're going the way of Marvin, getting their brains spattered all over the car in the first game of the evening session.

Game 4
(11) William & Mary vs. (6) James Madison



Much like Christopher Walken's Captain Koons, the Wrens have been walking around for years with a metaphorical watch in their ass. In this case, an NCAA berth stands in for the timepiece. JMU's as schizophrenic as any team in the CAA, capable of winning four in a row to get to the Dance, and just as likely to lose to W&M. Mia Wallace went from high highs to near death, just like Matt Brady's Dukes. Tonight, the Lance doesn't get the needle into Mia's chest in time and the Wrens continue their recent CAA Tourney success.

Tune in tomorrow as we preview the quarterfinals while whitewater rafting. Bet you can guess who Mr. Wolf is, can't you?

One Painful Moment

The Teej and I will be attempting an unprecedented feat of blogging this afternoon on our way to Richmond for the Wrens' first-round CAA Tournament matchup against JMU. Until then, please enjoy this memory from the 2006 tournament, which served as prelude to one of the most amazing runs in NCAA hoops history, and at the same time almost stopped Gheorghe Mason's Cinderella March before it happened.

The instant he did it, Tony Skinn knew he had made a horrible mistake. The sight of Hofstra's Loren Stokes crumpled on the floor of Richmond Coliseum was bad enough. The look on Coach Jim Larranaga's face when he took Skinn out of the game certainly left no doubt in his mind that he had done something awful.

But it wasn't until the next night, still in a state of semi-shock after the punch and his subsequent one-game suspension by Larranaga, that it really hit him just how badly he had lost control. He was watching the Colonial Athletic Association championship game between Hofstra and UNC Wilmington when ESPN showed the footage that had been making the rounds since the incident 24 hours earlier.

Click here for the rest of the story...

This Week in Wrenball: Jaaaam, oh, Jam

The Wrens close a deceptively competitive regular season on the road against Old Dominion this afternoon. They'll likely lose, probably by less than 12 points, give or take a few. As a result, they'll fall to 9-21 on the season, 4-14 in a historically tough CAA. And we're okay with that.

Tony Shaver's boys will take their talents to Richmond starting on Friday night, where several members of Team G:TB will watch them take on the conference's 6th seed in first-round CAA tournament action. After the tournament tough Wrens upset their first opponent, likely quarterfinal foe Hofstra awaits. No less a blogging celebrity than Jerry Beach of Defiantly Dutch has this to say about the prospect of the Dutch taking on the Tribe, "Seriously, if you guys upset JMU, I will vomit in fear of the 3-11 game on Sat(urday) night." Better pack your Pepto, Jerry.

Win or lose, there'll be no keeping our road-tripping contingent from Saturday morning's CAA Pep Band Jam, where Mason's Doc Nix will lead an all-star collection of conference bands in spirited performances of standards new and old. We've got our fingers crossed hoping for a Katy Perry medley. (Total excuse to post a picture of Katy Perry? What kind of blog do you think this is?)

And speaking of Mason, how about Jim Larranaga's juggernaut? The Patriots enter today's season finale against Georgia State boasting a nation's-best 14-game winning streak. They've barely been tested over that stretch, only trailing three times and winning 11 of the 14 by more than 15 points. Several among the bracketing cognescenti have the Pats as high as a 7 seed in the NCAA Tourney. And with all that, we'll ask FOG:TB KQ's understanding as we root for the other green and gold to lose to VCU or Hofstra.

#3bids4caa, and all that, you understand.

3Bids4CAA: A @batogato Production

Our diminutive leader likes to talk about how we are the internet's fourth largest provider of CAA hoops-related content (or something to that effect). That may or may not be true, but one thing i do know: this little slice of blog heaven can be credited with the first known sighting of the rare "3 Bids for CAA" notion...

http://gheorghe77.blogspot.com/2007/03/march-sadness.html

In looking at that post, I realize it has my name attached, but I'm thinking I wasn't actually able to craft a post with that many words/thoughts. So we are given all credit to our lift-wearing friend rob. Kudos sir, because that March 4, 2007 post has now led to the movement that is the twitter hashtag #3Bids4CAA

Live it, learn it, love it.

Here's what you need to know (because I'm kinda in a hurry) - George Mason, very good (20-6, 11-4; RPI: 29, SOS: 61*). Old Dominion, very good (21-5, 13-2; RPI: 23, SOS: 72*). BUT, we need these very good teams to lose the CAA conference tournament. That is the only way I see #3Bids4CAA of having even half a chance. So, Charles jenkins, that means you taking Hofstra on your back (think Randolph Childress). Denzel, wake up man, we might need you to carrry JMU to the tourney title. Or random dudes at VCU I forget at the moment, who are probably the best bet statistically to pull this off anyway (and I hope they're winning their Bracket Buster game as I type this).

On that note, this weekend, let's first of all hope basically every single CAA team wins...and then we'll get back to you early next week with our Steve Buscemi-esque hate list for non-CAA at-larges clogging up the scene (hey, Boston College and Clemson, I'm looky at your sloppy asses).

*I used @aglock Bubble Watch of 2/14...sorry for the laziness.

This Week in Wrenball

Sometimes the how is more important than the what. Case in point, the young Wrens struggling to find their wings and leave the nest in the 2010-11 hoops season. Sure, if you look at their record, Tony Shaver's kids aren't much to crow about (see what I did there?). W&M split a pair of roadies this week, beating JMU in Harrisonburg before losing a track meet in Wilmington to drop their record to 7-17, 3-10 in the CAA.

But not all lousy records are created equal. Recall, if you will (and if you've got a strong stomach) the fallow years of the Chuck Swenson era, when the Tribe's annual 4-23 record was accompanied with apathy and abject hopelessness. Victory back then came when W&M stayed within 15 of conference opponents. Progress was measured in whether or not reserves could get their warmups off without tripping on themselves before entering games.

Today's 7-17 speaks of a young team finding itself, struggling to close out games. The Wrens haven't been blown out in a single CAA contest, with six of their 10 losses by four or fewer points. Combine that stat with what my admittedly failing eyes tell me, and I give you a team that might be overmatched, might lack the athleticism of its opponents (though Brandon Britt might be the most athletic Tribe guard since Randy Bracy), but never, ever gives anything but full effort.

And that, friends, is a little thing we like to call coaching. The Green and Gold will continue to take their lumps this season, with games at home against ODU and on the road against revenge-minded Drexel this week likely exhibits 18 and 19, but conference opponents had better get them now. The building blocks are in place, and with Quinn McDowell returning for his senior season in 2011-12, a third CAA championship game in five years isn't the pipe dream that it would've been back when Igor's pterodactlyan lady-killing style roamed the 'burg.

Speaking of drinking the Kool-Aid, FOG:TB MGL notes via twitter that four CAA squads (Mason, ODU, VCU, and Drexel) are currently in the top 53 RPI spots. That tally gives the Colonial more teams at that level than the ACC, Pac 10, and Conference USA. K'naan-like dreamers are making the case for multiple at-large bids to the Big Dance, which would be a first for the conference. Cold-eyed realists have yet to be convinced. The optimists in this argument have a lousy track record, so grains of salt are on order. But the selection committee needs to fill out a 68-team card this year, and the CAA boasts a number of legitimate out of conference wins and very good teams. Call me Pollyanna - won't be any different than closed-door nightynight time with the missus.

TMI?

I think Steve Perry speaks for us all...

...or at least the three of us rooting for a CAA bracket invasion:

After a wild day in the major conference tournaments, I think ODU and Drexel have real reason to believe they'll be Dancing come Sunday. Not to bombard you with the same stuff again, but a little housecleaning from these previous posts:

Joe Lunardi's last four in (and yes, it pains me greatly to have Joe Lunardi playing Peter at the gates of Bracket Heaven). Looks like G:TB got to Mr. Lunardi.
Purdue - Iowa could sack up and help us here by winning this one.
Illinois - Same with enigmatic Indiana squad.
Drexel - Howdy Bruiser!
Old Dominion - Let them play...let them play...
**G:TB is also declaring Syracuse and Michigan State as IN.

Welcome to the NIT chumps
Clemson - I gotta admit, tough way to lose a game. I didn't see much of a foul on that final play.
Alabama - Truly a bunch of bamas.
Depaul - I've already forgotten these guys.
UMass - Watching 2007 A-10 basketball is about an enjoyable as having a car door slammed on your hand...repeatedly.
Fresno State - Um, yeah, we haven't really discussed these guys. Don't have to now.
Providence - Herbert Hill, future MVP of NIT Final Four.

Just lose today so we can forget about you
Oklahoma State - I don't see A&M dropping this game.
Michigan - Tommy will find a way to fuck this up.
Kansas State - Bob Knight vs. Bob Huggins - wow, this is really hard, which guy do I want to root for less?
Arkansas - I have a bad feeling Arkansas might cause some tension over the weekend.
Georgia - Even the Drizzle has given up on these guys.
Miss State - If the SEC West is as atrocious as we think, Kentucky wins this game easily.
Ole Miss - Let's see if I was right about LSU having a run in them.

Please just win your suck-ass conference title
Xavier - God I hate the A-10.
Memphis - When do we reach the point where Conference USA loses their automatic bid?

Long weekend ahead
Air Force - What did I tell you about Air Force and Wyoming? Honestly, go look at Air Force's schedule - they are in real trouble.
Stanford - They had their chances...
Missouri State - These guys might be getting the Oz treatment two years in a row. Maybe they should try winning at least one game against the other MVC powers.
West Virginia - Very enjoyable team to watch, and if G:TB had their way, WVU is in as well (as long as it is not at the expense of our CAA darlings).
Florida State - Only if they lose today. If they beat Carolina today they're in.

Thank you very little
Syracuse - Drexel would've like one of these teams to make a deep run in the Big East tourney.
Villanova - Nice start yesterday fellas...

EDITOR'S ADDENDUM: Michael Litos at The CAA: Life as a Mid-Major checks in this morning with an eye-opening (if self-serving and admittedly biased - hey, someone's got to be biased in favor of the little guys) comparison of Duke and Drexel. Bottom line is that the 2 are very, very comparable, and that Drexel's willingness to go on the road - the real road, not neutral court exhibitions - and play (and beat) tough non-conference foes stands out in stark contrast to the Blue Devils' (and nearly all major conference schools, for that matter) phobia of doing the same. Drexel won 13 freaking true road games this season - if they don't get in, the committee is guilty of the worst kind of hypocrisy.

GTB Conference Tourney Rooting Guide

Rob thought we owed our readers (presumptuous on the plural I think) a primer on who to root for and against over the next several days from our obviously CAA-biased perspective. Here's what we've come up with...remember, the ultimate goal here is Old Dominion AND Drexel joining VCU in the Dance:

Root Against:
WVU - As much as this pains us, because we at G:TB (Rob insists on doing the acronym this way) are huge John Beilein fans.
Depaul - Hot of late and could sneak in with a big run at MSG. Sammy Mejia is a baller.
FSU/Clemson winner - The loser's probably out, but it'd be better for the CAA if Clemson wins this first round matchup.
Illinois, Michigan, and Purdue - All three teams are competing for the same bubble slots as our beloved Monarchs and Dragons (oh my). Iowa needs to bow out quietly after dumping Purdue in the first round of the Big 10 tourney.
Air Force - The Falcons are slumping, but most experts have them in the dance. An early exit in the MWC tourney could change that.
Alabama, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Georgia - The SEC is surprisingly thin, but these guys need to go down early. Like their cheerleaders.
Stanford - Just because they've got a guy named Robin on their squad.
Kansas State - Hey, Huggy-bear, you're a dick. And a drunk.
Anyone other than Xavier in the A-10 - The conference is a joke, but Xavier could steal an at-large if they win a few in the tourney and don't win the title.

Root For:
Syracuse - Damn right we're rooting for Cuse. (Note - that's TJ's opinion. It pains me grievously to root for the Orange, but I'm doing it for the cause)
Villanova - Because we like Scottie Reynolds, and because Cuse and Nova wins make Drexel's strong resume even stronger.
Georgetown - Each win for JT3's boys helps ODU.
Every top seed in every conference, especially Memphis, BYU, UNLV, and Xavier.

It's a mess, a glorious, my-company's-not-getting-any-production-from-me-for-the-next-3-weeks sort of mess. Roll 'em out and strap 'em on (I assure you Rob is not gay, though sometimes he makes us wonder).

EDITOR'S NOTE: A quick check of the scoreboard reminds me that we're also rooting against the University of Richmond, just on principle. G:TB has an intense dislike of Spidey, and chuckles often at the karmic boomerang that drilled U of R square in the forehead following its decision to abandon the CAA for the fool's gold of the Atlantic 10.

Well, we've been touting them all year...

...and last night the VCU Rams made us look good by clinching the CAA's automatic bid with a gritty, gutty 65-59 victory over last year's darling George Mason, in a game Mason looked almost assured of winning at the two minute mark. But that's when VCU's sophomore point guard Eric Maynor absolutely took over, twice picking the pockets of Patriots ballhandlers on the way to 5 straight points, followed by a fantastic off-balance leaner in the paint, and two free throws on a dumb intentional foul to seal it for VCU. Congrats to Coach Anthony Grant and his team. I feel bad for the 5 or 6 seed who face these guys in Round 1.

March Sadness

While teams like Creighton, Winthrop, Davidson, Belmont, Penn and Eastern Kentucky spent the weekend securing automatic bids, and Villanova, Notre Dame and Georgia Tech got wins to lock up at-large bids (in my humble opinion), some teams decided to spend the weekend shooting themselves in the foot. [Off in the distance, a few other teams, like Clemson and Washington, got big wins to creep back to the brackets' outer edge, but they will need solid league tourney runs to truly get back in the conversation.] Here is a quick recap of those teams who made the next week unnecessarily stressful for coaches, players, fans and boosters alike:

Oklahoma State - Do you realize the Cowboys have yet to win a true road game this year? (yes, yes, they do have five neutral court wins) Baylor's 4 point win yesterday kept Okie State winless on the road. They are d-u-n done, win over Nebraska tomorrow night or not. Pretty fast fall from the 15-2 start (they are 20-10 now).

Alabama - Losing by 24 to Mississippi State, even without Ronald Steele, is pretty terrible. The SEC West is the Atlantic Division of college hoops. Bama ends the year on a 2-5 skid, and when you look at their schedule, who's their best win - Xavier? Kentucky? Simply not enough heft, and I think they join Okie St. on the outside looking in next Sunday.

Georgia - The loss to Tennessee, coupled with the losses to Kentucky and Ole Miss in the last two weeks, screams "NIT" to me.

Providence - A 13 point loss to St. John's is bad news for the Friars. They fell to 10th in the Big East and have very few quality wins (BC, Marquette) to hang their hat on. It will take a significant run at Madison Square Garden to save them (if it happens, the rest of the country will finally get to see how good Herbert Hill is).

Illinois - I realize no one wins in Iowa City, but to me this was a must win game for the Illini. Now, they do have wins over tourney-bound Big Ten teams Indiana and Michigan State, as well as a split with fellow bubble dweller Michigan.

Michigan - Speaking of Meeechegan, what a complete and utter collapse in the Ohio State game. The Wolverines didn't score in the final 3:54, with a missed dunk and front end of a 1-and-1 being the final nails. Fire Tommy Amaker right now. Seriously.

Syracuse - I hate to put my Orange on here, but the loss to Villanova hurts, especially if the Cuse lose their first round game to UConn. All the good of the Georgetown win will have disappeared in the eyes of the committee, but I still think 21 total wins and 10 Big East wins gets them in.

Old Dominion - Ran into the weekend buzzsaw that was George Mason. The Patriots, only 9-9 in regular season play, can suddenly throw a major wrench into the CAA's quest for 3 bids. Mason is playing like a team possessed, and dominated the Monarchs from the get go this evening. I still think ODU is getting in (the win at Georgetown, the sweep of Drexel and the RPI in the mid-30s), but I'm sure PackerNantz wants them out now.

Hofstra - The third place team in the CAA is done after losing to George Mason in the CAA quarterfinals. Get a better nickname.

Bradley - That Southern Illinois tip-in sent Bradley to the NIT. Given GTB's blatant cheerleading for VCU this year, we wouldn't have minded the Braves getting that win and a shot at the MVC title. Oh well, sorry fellas.

Missouri State - A looong week (again) for these guys, though Creighton's upset of SIU could work in their favor (losing by 17 doesn't though). Again, I think they should still get in, but here's another team PackerNantz will badmouth come Selection Sunday. HOWEVAH, unlike last year, when Mizzou St had zero quality non-conference wins, this year the Bears can point to their upset of Wisconsin in late November.

Air Force - Yikes, the last two weeks are not going well for them...they fell to 4th place in the Mountain West and have to play their Kryptonite Kollege, Wyoming, in a quarterfinal game. Win that game though and they are in (they are most likely comfortable now, but you don't want to end the year on a 4 game slide).

Appalachian St - The loss to College of Charleston in OT in the Southern semifinals hurts. Excellent wins at Wichita State and VCU, and against Virginia and Vanderbilt (in Puerto Rico) help, but Appy St might be brushed under the rug by not making the conference final.

Drexel - Still should be the third CAA team to make the Dance, especially given Creighton's victory in the MVC final. I hate to harp on this, but PackerNantz probably thinks these guys are unworthy too. Well Billy, I'll help you out - they have road wins against Syracuse, Villanova, the aforementioned Creighton and Vermont (the Am East regular season champ and possible conference champ). They were 14-4 0n the road overall. They have the resume of an at-large team. Rack me, I'm out.

Stanford - I don't know if they belong on this list, but to me that loss to Arizona means they really need to win at least one game in the PAC-10 tourney to feel safe. I think (they do have wins over Virginia, USC, Oregon and UCLA on their plate). Either way, the Tree is getting hammered next Sunday.