SB Nation - Mark Hamilton

2013 Villanova Football Preview: The Depth Chart

Brian Ewart — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:00:03 -0000

There is usually an official two-deep chart released by the Villanova sports information department, but that may not come out for months. The position battles remain on-going until preseason practices end, but with Spring practice in the books, we at least have a somewhat clearer picture. Until then, however, VUhoops has generated the following depth chart projections.

With most of last season's starters returning, it is easy enough to project the top line or two of the depth chart. There are some questions remaining on the top-line, however.

For one, on offensive line, the 'Cats return two starters at Center, including Ross Hall, who did a great job snapping the ball to John Robertson all of last season, and former All-CAA star, Dan Shirey. One of those two players will likely move to Guard this season and at least one of last season's starters on offensive line will likely be demoted to second string (though, we expect some rotation on the O-Line this Fall); we selected Kyle Wallace to be displaced from his spot at Left Guard.

On defense, we've moved Antoine Lewis over from Nose Guard to Defensive End, which is a guess, since there will be an opening there this season and the 'Cats have an even bigger body waiting for his chance in Pat Williams. However, there is just as good a chance that former-linebacker Reggie Paris will start opposite Rakim Cox on the front line, with Lewis holding court in the middle. We also don't yet know who will start at the CB2 spot. Shane Harris has the inside track for the job, according to coaches, but C.J. Logan played there in spring practice when Harris was injured and it remains to be seen if one of the freshmen can challenge for the spot. At linebacker, Pat Haggerty and Joey Harmon will battle for an outside linebacker spot, though both should play regularly.

On special teams, there won't be any surprises as Mark Hamilton is back to handle both the kicking and punting duties (though Chris Gough will likely handle kickoffs again) and Jamal Abdur-Rahman is back from suspension, providing the Wildcats will a true home-run threat.

Look for our player profiles of every single player on the roster to begin tomorrow, as we count down #99 to #1 in preparation of the 2013 football season!

Red Sox sign Brandon Snyder, send him to Triple-A

Marc Normandin — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:30:05 -0000

The Red Sox, fresh off their Opening Day victory in New York and just one more day removed from designating Mauro Gomez from assignment, have added a new piece of depth to the Pawtucket Red Sox. Brandon Snyder, released by the Rangers last week, has been signed to a minor-league deal.

Snyder was a first-round draft pick back in 2005 for the Orioles, but just never hit in the minors as much as Baltimore hoped he would. While he was five times in the Orioles' top-10 prospects via Baseball America, peaking at six, he finished the 2010 season ranked at 20.

The right-handed Snyder has spent most of his time at first base, but has also played 64 games at the hot corner, and has even caught 79 games. The last of those -- and it was just the one -- came in 2011, while the rest came back in 2005 and 2006, so don't expect the Red Sox to be utilizing him there, even if it's where his bat makes sense.

Snyder is a career .256/.314/.394 hitter in nearly 1,300 plate appearances at Triple-A, with slightly better numbers (.276/.324/.418) at the big-league level in 56 games there. He is very likely just minor-league depth, and depth with no everyday real place to play, either, given the construction of Pawtucket's roster.

Read More: The Alex Hassan fascination

If Mauro Gomez isn't claimed by another team, he'll be around for 2013 and off of the 40-man, as will Mark Hamilton. Both of those players make sense in the first base spot. Then there's Alex Hassan, who very well might be spending time at designated hitter if he's pushed out of the outfield scene, and Ryan Lavarnway is likely going to need to slot in at DH when he isn't catching.

That being said, Snyder is just 26, and maybe the Pawtucket coaches can reach him where others have failed. If not, he's just meant to be depth in the minors anyway: anything else is extra.

Red Sox release Lyle Overbay

Marc Normandin — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:11:29 -0000

Lyle Overbay, by virtue of signing a minor-league deal with the Red Sox this off-season, could opt-out at noon on Tuesday if he was not going to make the Opening Day roster. The Red Sox didn't let it get to that point, though, and instead have released Overbay roughly an hour before that deadline.

It was expected he would make the club as a bench player, but then the Red Sox traded with the Mariners for the designated Mike Carp. While spring training isn't exactly going to tell you about how a player's season is going, when you have two fringe guys vying for one roster spot, and one of them hits .220/.327/.341, they don't exactly make their case any stronger, either. While Carp did no better in his own spring performance, he has at least played in the outfield in the majors before, making him more useful as a depth piece if that's what Boston wants to have around.

Granted, Carp is a terrible defensive outfielder, but that probably just goes to show you what Boston thought of Overbay's chances of handling a corner outfield spot if pressed into action.

Read More: Lyle Overbay, The Red Sox, And The Yankees

Cutting Overbay now keeps him from deciding to stick around and collect a $100,000 bonus on his way to an assignment at Triple-A. While the depth would have been nice to have, especially given David Ortiz's Achilles and Mike Napoli's hip, Mark Hamilton and Mauro Gomez are both younger and around to soak up the at-bats between first base and designated hitter. There is also Alex Hassan for the DH slot, even though he is normally an outfielder. Pawtucket's outfield is overflowing with options, even with Ryan Kalish out of action, and since Hassan is on the 40-man roster, he's going to need to get consistent playing time at the level.

It's likely Overbay will sign quickly, with someone like the Brewers or the Yankees. The Brewers are without Corey Hart but also Mat Gamel, who was slated to replace him. The Yankees are going to miss Mark Teixeira for a couple of months, and their current first base depth chart includes the likes of Dan Johnson and outfielder Juan Rivera. Even though Overbay's spring wasn't strong, one hopes that he's headed to the National League just to squash even the potential of him helping out a rival now that he's a free agent once more.

Red Sox Cut Alex Hassan, Steven Wright, Three Others

Marc Normandin — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:01:03 -0000

Spring training games for minor-league camp are set to begin on March 13, so it's no surprise to see that the Red Sox are making cuts at big-league camp. This will narrow down the number of players fighting for playing time in major-league exhibition games, while giving players expected to begin the year in the minors more at-bats and innings facing off against their appropriate level of competition.

Outfielders Alex Hassan, J.C. Linares, and Jeremy Hazelbaker, along with first baseman/outfielder Mark Hamilton, and pitcher Steven Wright, were all cut from big-league camp and sent to the minor-league version on Tuesday. Hassan, due to a stress fracture in his foot, hasn't played during spring training at all, but even if he had, he was a likely cut by this stage. Yes, he's on the 40-man roster, but that was so the Red Sox didn't lose him in the Rule 5, not because they think he's major-league ready. Since he's on the 40, he was optioned to minor-league camp, whereas Hamilton has been reassigned.

Read More: Introducing (Potential) Red Sox Mark Hamilton

Hamilton was a non-roster invite signed to a minor-league deal, a player who might be nothing more than minor-league depth for the Red Sox at first and in left. He hasn't hit much this spring, and the Sox, given the David Ortiz situation, need to give at-bats at those positions to players who are vying for the Opening Day roster. With the sheer number of permutations to fill in at DH in the season's opening days, there just isn't room for Hamilton in major-league spring training contests from here on out.

J.C. Linares has also been reassigned, after a strong spring that saw him hit .364/.375/.545 in 12 games. Linares has potential as a future bench outfielder with a solid glove and some contact skills, but as his spring has reminded us, he needs to learn to take a pitch against those who can come at him with more than just fastballs. A decision doesn't need to be made about the 28-year-old's 40-man status until this upcoming November, though, when he's eligible for the Rule 5 draft, so he still has time to work on that at Triple-A Pawtucket. Jeremy Hazelbaker was already eligible for the Rule 5, and wasn't picked up by any other club -- he too might have a future as a bench bat with a glove, but he'll need to spend more time at Triple-A before that's a given.

As for Wright, he's struggled with his control this spring and owns an exhibition ERA over nine. That means little, given it's the spring, but also given how knucklers develop. The Red Sox do have Wright on the 40-man already, so they thought enough of him to protect him from the Rule 5 draft this off-season, but it's likely they want to see much more of him at Triple-A Pawtucket, in order to see how well he can command the pitch that will define his career, before bringing him into the big-league plans.

More cuts are sure to come before too long, as the roster is still at 52 players even after this round of winnowing. For the most part, the Opening Day roster doesn't need to be set until, well, Opening Day, but a decision on Lyle Overbay will have to come sooner given the nature of his contract, as a major-league player signed to a minor-league deal. Another dozen players, at least, are sure to be reassigned before that decision is made, though.

Spring Training 2013 Red Sox Notes: Joel Hanrahan, Jacoby Ellsbury, David Ortiz

Marc Normandin — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 19:00:08 -0000

John Farrell immediately named Joel Hanrahan his closer after the Red Sox acquired him in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates. We already knew why it was Hanrahan, and not Andrew Bailey, who got the nod -- Hanrahan is a year from free agency, both the Sox and Bucs think he's better in save situations than non-save ones, etc. -- but we never really found out why Farrell made the call so soon. Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal heard why, from Farrell himself:

Going into the 2011 season, Farrell had three relievers with closing experience available to him -- Octavio Dotel, Frank Francisco and Jon Rauch. Injuries to Dotel and Francisco left Rauch to close games at the start of the season, but things got complicated when Dotel and Francisco returned before the end of April.

--snip--

"Once everyone got healthy, how those pitchers were recruited (in the offseason) was in an open competition," Farrell said. "Then that started to happen during the season, and it started to create a little uncertainty with those guys late in the game."

Francisco in particular didn't handle the situation well, even blowing up in the clubhouse after a game in early July.

Basically, Farrell hopes to avoid controversy by simplifying things, making Hanrahan the closer, and Bailey the closer-in-waiting, should Hanrahan be hurt, traded, whatever. No competition, no job share, just an old-fashioned hierarchy. If it keeps the relievers happy and productive and settled and non-explosive, then hey, go with it.

*****

Jacoby Ellsbury and Mark Hamilton will not be playing on Wednesday, thanks to what was referred to as "intestinal turmoil." It sounds like it's an illness going around camp, as Ellsbury had it first, and Hamilton has since picked it up. Somebody quarantine these two in a room with flat ginger ale and saltines before they infect the whole club.

Seriously, though, if Jacoby Ellsbury misses the 2013 season because he's caught the zombie flu and then he bites teammates and the Red Sox miss out on the playoffs because of it well... I guess that would be a fitting end to his time here. Just don't bite the kids, Jacoby.

*****

David Ortiz successfully finished some baserunning drills, which we can only assume are judged by whether or not he falls on the ground clutching his Achilles in pain. (He did not! Success!) Despite this, while John Farrell might be encouraged, he's not going to push Ortiz too hard to be game-ready. From ESPN Boston:

...the manager said before Tuesday's exhibition against Team Puerto Rico that the team is not going to push Ortiz into action until he's ready.

Farrell said the team is hopeful that Ortiz can play in a game by the end of the week, but "we're not going to rush this as far as a date this week on the calendar."

And really, that's fine. Let Ortiz work his way back, let him get his swings in when the time is right for that. It's preferable that he has a slow week or two to start the season due to a lack of spring training at-bats than it is for him to push too hard to come back and mess up his Achilles once more. It's obviously a tough spot to be injured in, and it's already cost him months and months of games -- let it heal, work back at a steady pace, and the Sox will be glad to have you once you're back.

Red Sox Sign Lyle Overbay To Minor-League Deal

Marc Normandin — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:24:20 -0000

The Boston Red Sox are looking for depth at first base, but, given the constraints of their roster on both the 25- and 40-man rosters, that depth is going to need to come in the form of minor-league deals and non-roster invites. While Mark Hamilton has already been brought on board for that task, the Red Sox hit the market once again on Thursday, bringing in Lyle Overbay.

According to the Boston Herald's Scott Lauber, Overbay can, like Ryan Sweeney, opt-out of the deal if he isn't on the major-league roster by the end of spring training. It's likely that Overbay is there for one reason: it's better to have him and not need him around, then to need him and not have him. If Mike Napoli's hip condition gets cranky right out of the gate, the Red Sox will need someone to fill the hole, even temporarily. If, however, he is healthy coming out of spring training, then the presence of Overbay isn't as significant.

Overbay might also find that no one else needs his services after spring training -- someone else would need to have room for a player who was still a free a couple weeks before spring training begins, after all -- and stick around in Triple-A Pawtucket if he feels he has a better eventual chance of being in the majors there than anywhere else. Neither situation is a given, but things would work out well for the Red Sox if they were able to have someone with Overbay's experience in the organization, but off of the 40-man.

The first baseman spent the 2012 season with the Diamondbacks and Braves, hitting .259/.331/.397 in 131 plate appearances. Over the last three seasons combined, Overbay has appeared in 340 games, come to the plate nearly 1,200 times, and amassed an OPS+ of 97. That's not going to cut it at first, but if we're being honest, that plus his glove is probably more reliable than Mauro Gomez. There is less upside here, but Overbay is also left-handed, and has hit righties much better than lefties in his career, as well as recently.

As a bench player, Overbay makes much more sense than Gomez. Were Napoli to go down, Gomez might be the preferable option given the aforementioned upside, however limited. Then again, if Napoli goes down, the real answer to Boston's first base woes likely isn't in the organization yet. This is a safe little no-risk move, with some potential upside for the Red Sox should they find the last man for their bench because of it.

How would Overbay fit on the bench? That's the question of the day, as it would require either fewer relievers (not going to happen) or four outfielders (probably more likely). If the Red Sox think Pedro Ciriaco can be the fifth outfielder on the roster in a pinch, given one of Jonny Gomes or Daniel Nava will already be on the bench every day, then Overbay does have a spot waiting for him, should he earn it.

For what it's worth -- and, given the sample and when it's primarily from, it's admittedly little -- Overbay is a career .323/.395/.500 hitter at Fenway in 177 plate appearances. Like with Cody Ross last spring, maybe JetBlue Park can give a little bit of an indication of how Overbay would do at his new home.

Introducing (Potential) Red Sox Mark Hamilton

Marc Normandin — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:00:08 -0000

The Red Sox 40-man roster will be in spring training in Fort Myers, Florida in just a matter of weeks. Along with that group will also be some select minor-league players, as well as the ultimate representation of the optimism of spring: the non-roster invitees. One of those NRIs is former Cardinal first baseman and outfielder, Mark Hamilton. Like with the other non-roster invitees, there's no guarantee he'll stick with the organization past March. But, players like this will often stick on in a minor-league capacity, especially if they have something to prove, like Hamilton does.

Hamilton spent parts of 2010 and 2011 in the majors, but his entire 2012 campaign consisted of 359 plate appearances for the Cardinals' Triple-A affiliate in the Pacific Coast League. Hamilton hit just .231/.340/.419 during the year, possibly hampered by an undisclosed injury suffered during the season. As he had been passed on the depth chart and moved to the outfield from his typical position of the first base, it wasn't a total surprise that the Cardinals cut him loose after the 2012 season, before he became a 28-year-old at Triple-A for the fifth season.

Let's rewind a bit, though. Hamilton was picked in the supplemental portion of the second round in 2006's amateur entry draft, the last selection of that round. It's not exactly a position in the draft where it's expected major-league players will come from, but there have been some notable ones in the draft's history, such as Chase Utley, Marquis Grissom, Giancarlo Stanton, and, in the process of making himself notable, Nick Hundley. Hamilton has obviously missed the boat on being one of the random selections capable of a career like that, but there's still time for him to be listed among the positive value contributors at that draft position.

Baseball America considered him a prospect up through 2010, ranking him 23rd in the Cardinals system heading into 2011:

As Memphis made a second straight run to the Pacific Coast League championship series, Hamilton provided the power. A brawny, lefthanded hitter, he slugged 18 homers in 258 at-bats with the Redbirds -- his 18th clinched the division for the Redbirds -- with two more in the playoffs. After a decorated college career that included All- America and Conference USA player of the year honors in 2006, Hamilton took a few years to adjust to pro ball but finally established himself as one of the best power-hitting prospects in the system. He missed parts of the 2010 season with two stays on the disabled list (hand, groin) and still set a career high for homers. His value is in his bat. Hamilton has a quick-enough swing and the leverage to damage more than just mistakes, and he knows how to work the count in his favor. He slimmed down for 2010, improving his conditioning and stamina. An experiment in the outfield proved difficult, but with experience he could be serviceable there. He's also below average at first, and the Cardinals don't expect to have an opening there for awhile anyway. Because he is so limited defensively, Hamilton isn't a natural fit for the bench and is probably best suited as a DH. He'll return to Triple-A to open the season, trying to expand his resume or swing his way through the roadblocks or into a trade.

In a lot of ways, Hamilton profiles as another Mauro Gomez for the Red Sox, in that he's a born-DH with some power potential, except Hamilton is left-handed and, in a pinch, could slot in as a left fielder. What we don't know, however, is if the Sox like Hamilton's potential as much as they do those of Gomez, who they believe can be an actual major-league hitter.

There are some others concerns, notably his struggles in 2012, but also the fact he's benefited from playing in the PCL during his entire Triple-A career. Should he stick with the Red Sox after spring training, Hamilton will move to the International League with Pawtucket, where his bat will be tested by the tougher environment. There are encouraging items, too, though, such as Hamilton's career .385 on-base percentage at Triple-A, and .203 Isolated Power at the level -- if he can approximate those levels while in the International League, then, even at 28, it might be worth seeing if he can hit in the majors if there's a need and the scouting reports match the numbers.

Besides ability, there's a problem with roster crunch for Hamilton, in terms of sticking with the Red Sox organization after the spring. The aforementioned Gomez is likely going to play every day at first, and Pawtucket's outfield, even after the loss of Ryan Kalish to shoulder surgery, is bound to be packed thanks to Juan Carlos Linares, Alex Hassan, Bryce Brentz,and Jeremy Hazelbaker, assuming Ryan Sweeney makes the Red Sox out of spring training. That leaves the designated hitter spot open for Hamilton, of course, so the Red Sox should still be able to get a look at his bat. It's a bit limiting to be a Triple-A DH, though, and it doesn't speak much to his ability to be in the depth pool for first or left.

Of course, if the Red Sox are in a spot where they need to put Mark Hamilton on the 40-man and use him at one of those two positions in 2013, then his defense is low on the list of present-day concerns at that point.

Red Sox Sign Jonathan Diaz, Mark Hamilton To Minor League Contracts

Ben Buchanan — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 19:25:22 -0000

The Red Sox have signed infielder Jonathan Diaz and first baseman/outfielder Mark Hamilton to minor league deals with invites to spring training.

Diaz, 27, was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 12th round of the 2006 draft. He's had a rather undistinguished minor league career, reaching base with some regularity but doing shockingly little when it comes to actually hitting strikes. Believe it or not, he comes in with a career slugging percentage of .294 in 2712 plate appearances. Defensively, he was ranked the best infielder in the system after 2006 by Baseball America.

Mark Hamilton, 28, was a second round pick by the Cardinals in that same draft, and actually made it to the major leagues for a couple cups of coffee in 2010 and 2011. Down below, he had been excellent at the plate in his last three seasons at Triple-A Memphis before a down year in 2012, perhaps caused in part by a quad injury that cost him the start of his season.

Neither of these signings are particularly interesting, of course. Hamilton does have something of a Jeff Bailey feeling to him, and might see time with the Red Sox in case of serious injuries, but that's a long shot. Perhaps more likely to see some time would be Diaz if the Sox were ever in a situation where they needed a backup shortstop but didn't want to take Jose Iglesias away from everyday at bats. Diaz has been seeing less time at the position of late in favor of second base, but he's still able to play the part.

'Cats bow out on the road in tough loss to Stony Brook

Brian Ewart — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 23:18:54 -0000

When you have a power running team like Stony Brook, you can't win without great blocking, and on Saturday afternoon, the Seawolves got their way blocking and creating space for Miguel Maysonet and Marcus Coker to run; and run they did. They excelled on the ground, collecting over 280 rushing yards in the game and controlling the ball for almost twice as long as Villanova.

Villanova threw the ball almost as much as they ran in the first half and finished the game with more pass attempts than carries as the Stony Brook defense forced the Wildcats to step outside of their offensive strengths. Villanova went into halftime down 14-0, and while the offense was more successful in the second half, too many miscues slowed the Wildcats and cost them the game.

Stony Brook won, 20-10 and will advance to the second round of the playoffs to face Montana State in Bozeman next weekend.

Though scoreless, the first quarter was all Stony Brook as the Seawolves took the ball after Villanova's opening drive stalled and held on to the ball for the next 13 minutes. As the clock expired for the second quarter, SBU was in the redsone, and two plays into the second, Maysonet punched the ball into the endzone for six.

Villanova got onto the board in the third quarter after creating a turnover by stripping tailback Maysonet on a tackle. They used that field position to drive down field, but stalled short of scoring the touchdown, settling for a 41-yard Mark Hamilton field goal.

Though star running back Maysonet scored twice in the second quarter on 1-yard and and 14-yard touchdowns. The second touchdown was the last time the Seawolves would put the ball across the goal line, but they weren't done scoring; a third quarter field goal made it 17-3 and a fourth quarter kick pushed the score to 20-3.

Villanova still had about 13 and a half minutes to come back after that score and quarterback John Robertson would eventually find the endzone with just under 7 minutes left in the game. His 21-yard scoring run put the 'Cats within two scores of the Seawolves and put Robertson over 1,000 rushing yards on the season.

Robertson, who lead Villanova with 85 rushing yards, is the first Villanova quarterback to run for 1,000 yards in a single season and only the fifth Wildcat to do so at any position. He joins his teammate Kevin Monanagai in that exclusive club with Brian Westbrook (who ran for over 1,000 yards three times), Aaron Ball and Curtis Sifford.

Robertson also passed for 135 yards, falling just short of 2,000 yards for the season, a mark he would have easily reached if a few of the dropped passes that were suffered had been completed. He also threw two picks in the game, both with time close to expiring at the end of the half.

Norman White had 7 receptions for 61 yards to lead the passing game and Joe Price grabbed 3 passes for 41 yards.

The loss sends the Wildcats into the offseason program, where they will look to become bigger, faster and stronger to better compete with some of the best offensive and defensive lines in the Championship Subdivision next year. They will nonetheless be applauded for their remarkable turnaround from a 2-9 season to 8 wins and a playoff berth when many observers felt they were at least another year away from contention.

Video Highlights

Villanova Takes Down Delaware 41-10 In 2012 Battle Of The Blue

Chris Lane — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 23:50:57 -0000

Things were a little nervy in the 1st half for the Villanova Wildcats, but as the game wore on, Andy Talley's troops wore down the Blue Hens and ultimately romped over their rivals 41-10 in the 2012 Battle of the Blue.

John Robertson got things started quickly for Villanova after the defense opened up the game with a quick 3 and out. Robertson quickly guided the team down the field before hitting Norman White in the back of the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown pass.

Delaware would respond immediately however when Michael Johnson brought the ensuing kickoff back 95 yards for a touchdown.

The rest of the first half was entirely slanted in Villanova's favor, but the Wildcats struggled to convert their dominance into points. First, Kevin Monangai fumbled at the goal line and Delaware recovered in their end zone, ending a key 'Nova scoring opportunity. But Monangai, who finished with 146 yards rushing for his 5th straight 100-yard game, would atone for the error by running it in from 7 yards in the second quarter. The Hens would grab a field goal before the halftime to keep this one close.

In the 2nd half though, it was all Villanova as the Wildcats steamrolled the Hens, though again it took some time to get points on the board. Mark Hamilton hit a pair of field goals to give 'Nova a 20-10 lead before Delaware threatened with a long drive. Ronnie Akins came to the rescue though with an interception in the endzone in the 4th quarter.

John Robertson would respond by driving the team down the field before finishing the drive off with an 11-yard touchdown run that would put 'Nova in total control 27-10. Robertson finished the game with 193 yards passing and 134 yards rushing in one of his best performances of the season.

From there, the defense took over and made this one a laugher. First, Ronnie Akins would grab his 2nd pick of the day and return it for a touchdown, before Eric Loper would follow suit on the next drive and return another for a touchdown to put some style points on an impressive Villanova win.

The win moves Villanova to 8-3 on the season and 6-2 in the CAA ahead of FCS Selection Sunday. Earlier in the day, Richmond beat William & Mary while Towson crushed New Hampshire, meaning that if Old Dominion beats James Madison tonight, Villanova will be crowned the CAA champions.

Whatever happens though, Villanova is looking good for a return to the FCS playoffs.

One more thing - Andy Talley for Coach of the Year!

1030p ET Update: With Old Dominion's 21 point comeback win over James Madison, Villanova is the CAA's auto-bid for the NCAA Tournament.

10:00a ET Update (Brian): VUhoops has learned that Villanova has bid on a home playoff game(s) and believes their bid is competitive. Nova will find out at 1:30pm.

3:00p ET Update (Brian): It was a communication error, but Villanova was "hoping to host" a game by getting a bye in the playoffs, but apparently did not bid on the first round.