SB Nation - Bowling Green Falcons

Redman says he was joking about Charlie Strong

Mike Rutherford — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:27:25 -0000

"I said it in a totally joking manner," he said. "We were talking about golf and the Falcons and then they asked me about the coaching situation. I believe I said 'I think it's going to be Curtis Strong.' I didn't even know that his first name was Charlie.

"I just said that was what I was hearing. My wife (Ashley) read it on the message boards and told me about it.

"Why would I be the one making any announcement about the U of L football program? I'm not the athletic director. Anybody who would believe that strictly because it's something that I said would be an idiot.

"But I apologize if I have stirred anything up."

Well, I guess that's that.

Just one last question, Chris. Were you also joking about THE GRUDEN COMMENTS YOU MADE TO YOUR FRIENDS IN YOUR BASEMENT FIVE WEEKS AGO???

Oh...shit.

RPI WATCH: 11/23/09

BracketCat — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:00:13 -0000

Well, it's officially basketball season here at BOTC, so I'm going to try and get some basketball-related stuff on here on a more consistent basis. Big 12 Outlook will return after New Year's, but in the meantime, I need to resume the Big 12 previews and shift them into overdrive a little in order to make up for lost time.

The other thing I want to do is update you on all of our opponents on a daily basis. I'll look at how they performed in yesterday's games and maybe track the RPIs a little, too. The idea is to get a general picture, on a day-to-day basis, of how strong our non-conference schedule is, because I've seen some concern from various corners of late.

For a more detailed discussion, hit the jump. But here's a short preview: We did ourselves a lot of good in Puerto Rico.

Here's how our opponents have performed to date, in order to provide a baseline comparison and bring everyone up to speed. (After all, not everyone has been paying attention to hoops like I have, given our North-contending football team and what have you.)

Kansas State RPI = 28

Great Wins (RPI 1-50) = Dayton

Good Wins (RPI 51-100) = Loyola

Bad Losses (RPI 100 or greater) = none

Loyola (2-1) | RPI = 64: Loss at Kansas State (92-54), Win over Canisius (89-69), Win at Holy Cross (76-73)
Western Illinois (2-2) | RPI = 112: Loss at Arizona State (87-35), Loss at Kansas State (82-50), Win over Truman State (71-59), Win at Central Arkansas (56-46)
Boston (1-4) | RPI = 141: Loss at Iona (82-73), Loss to George Washington (69-59), Loss to Kansas State (80-70), Win over Indiana (71-67), Loss to No. 21 Georgia Tech (85-67)
Ole Miss (4-1) | RPI = 76: Win over UALR (92-64), Win over Alabama State (90-53), Win over Indiana (89-71), Win over Kansas State (86-74), Loss to No. 5 Villanova (79-67)
No. 18 Dayton (2-2) | RPI = 32: Win over Creighton (90-80), Win over No. 21 Georgia Tech (63-59), Loss to No. 5 Villanova (71-65), Loss to Kansas State (83-75)
IUPUI (4-1) | RPI = 75: Win at Drake (88-82), Win at Eastern Illinois (69-66), Win over Austin Peay (77-63), Loss at Auburn (80-65), Win over Georgia State (67-56)
Fort Hays State (2-0) | RPI = N/A (D-II): Win over Friends (82-46), Win over Central Christian College (85-66)
Washington State (3-0) | RPI = 140: Win over MVSU (94-66), Win over Eastern Washington (67-61), Win over IPFW (89-70)
Xavier (3-0) | RPI = 79: Win over Youngstown State (83-57), Win over Bowling Green (101-57), Win over Sacred Heart (105-65)
UNLV (3-0) | RPI = 1: Win over Pittsburg State (91-52), Win over Nevada (88-75), Win over Southern Illinois (78-69)
Alabama (2-1) | RPI = 186: Loss to Cornell (71-67), Win over Jackson State (86-69), Win over Providence (84-75)
UAPB (0-3) | RPI = 166: Loss at Colorado (88-72), Loss at Denver (75-56), Loss at UTEP (70-52)
Cleveland State (3-1) | RPI = 260: Loss at St. Bonaventure (72-62), Win over Wilmington (99-74), Win over Florida A&M (78-64), Win over Sam Houston State (80-65)
South Dakota (2-2) | RPI = N/A (D-I transition): Loss at Texas Tech (88-49), Loss to Oregon State (62-47), Win over TAMUCC (76-73), Win over Mayville State (99-67)
Missouri (2-0) | RPI = 280: Win over UT Martin (83-68), Win over UTPA (100-64)
Texas A&M (3-0) | RPI = 135: Win over Angelo State (88-69), Win at SMU (80-68), Win over Samford (68-49)
Colorado (3-0) | RPI = 128: Win over UAPB (88-72), Win over Coppin State (82-58), Win over Texas Southern (88-77)
No. 3 Texas (2-0) | RPI = 17: Win over UC Irvine (89-42), Win over Western Carolina (73-41)
Oklahoma State (3-0) | RPI = 21: Win over Seattle (86-64), Win over Southern (93-61), Win over North Texas (82-68)
Baylor (4-0) | RPI = 60: Win over Norfolk State (86-58), Win over Hartford (71-69), Win over Southern (61-45), Win over Hardin-Simmons (106-45)
No. 1 Kansas (3-0) | RPI = 46: Win over Hofstra (101-65), Win over Memphis (57-55), Win over Central Arkansas (94-44)
Nebraska (2-1) | RPI = 134: Win over SCUU (76-49), Loss at Saint Louis (69-55), Win over TCU (90-77)
Iowa State (4-0) | RPI = 188: Win over Idaho State (88-68), Win over Chicago State (72-50), Win at Drake (90-70), Win over MVSU (96-55)
No. 17 Oklahoma (2-1) | RPI = 65: Win over Mount St. Mary's (95-71), Win over UL Monroe (72-61), Loss at VCU (82-69)
Texas Tech (5-0) | RPI = 86: Win over South Dakota (88-49), Win over TAMUCC (66-59), Win over Oregon State (64-60), Win over Northwestern State (94-75), Win over Lamar (77-54)

My plan is to update this daily with the games are played the previous day, and I'll probably start looking at RPIs some time after Thanksgiving (they're pretty meaningless before that point due to the disparity in scheduling).

Update: Got bored and added the RPIs around midnight. I'll save the analysis for tomorrow's edition.

Iowa Bounces Back, Throttles Bowling Green, 68-46

Oops Pow Surprise — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:06:53 -0000

Big win for the Iowa Hawkeyes tonight, as they shook off a sluggish start and dominated Bowling Green for Iowa's first win of the year.

Now, some people will probably point to the fact that Bowling Green was awful tonight, but no no. We think we know what's behind Iowa's sudden resurgence. It was Todd Lickliter ditching the Butlerball system and moving the offense about 30 years ahead. Watch and learn.

LOOK AT THOSE MOVES! And that thug life smack talk! "Watch it, Kareem!" I know we don't want our boys to be too "street," but if that's what it takes to win, that's what it takes. OH SNAP THEY'RE SWITCHING SIDES.

The men of the match are Eric May with 16 points (4-4 from downtown) and Anthony Tucker, who had 13 points and was one assist, five rebounds, six turnovers, and 10 blocks away from the rare quintuple-double. Also, Brennan Cougill is clearly John Daly with a DeLorean. Can't believe the PGA isn't all over this.

Anyhoo, winning is a lot more fun than losing, so hooray hooray. Next up is... Texas. Texas? Never heard of 'em. Look for Iowa to cruise.

BtB 2009-10 Mid-American Conference Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:00:31 -0000

The MAC went through the entire decade of the '00s without earning a single at-large, something they managed to do three times in the 1990s, including the last two years of the decade. The last three seasons pretty much summed up the variety of reasons why.

Last season, the Eastern Division dominated the West. Ohio University ended up as only team in the East that finished with a losing conference record, and their 7-9 mark would have earned them a tie of the Western Division crown. In fact, no team in the West managed to finish with a winning record overall. No MAC team lost fewer than 12 games. Keith Dambrot's Akron Zips managed to earn their first tournament bid, and got a 13 seed and 13-point loss to Gonzaga for their trouble.

In 2007-08, the conference was more balanced between divisions, but Kent State managed to leap way above the rest of the pack. The Golden Flashes won 28 games, claiming victories over St. Mary's, Illinois State, and George Mason, and ended up as a 9 seed in the NCAAs. Had they fallen in the MAC tournament, the league could have very well had two bids. But, in their conference's hour of need, they claimed the title.

In 2006-07, Akron jumped out to 26 wins, but a lack of big wins and a second-place finish to Toledo in the overall MAC race meant they had no chance to get an at-large when Miami knocked them out in the tournament final.

So, the conference needs to hope for more than one dominant team, who can earn some non-conference wins, all while limiting the damage they suffer in the league. Got it? Good. You can read more on the 12 teams who will make up this year's MAC scrum after the jump.

Here's a look at last season's MAC standings.

Mid-American Conference Standings

(updated 3.19.2009 at 10:20 PM EDT)

East	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Buffalo Bulls	11	5	21	12
Bowling Green Falcons	11	5	19	14
Akron Zips	10	6	23	13
Kent St. Golden Flashes	10	6	19	15
Miami (Ohio) RedHawks	10	6	17	13
Ohio Bobcats	7	9	15	17

West	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Ball St. Cardinals	7	9	14	17
Central Michigan Chippewas	7	9	12	19
Western Michigan Broncos	7	9	10	21
Eastern Michigan Eagles	6	10	8	24
Northern Illinois Huskies	5	11	10	20
Toledo Rockets	5	11	7	25

Now, here are my picks for 2009-10, presented in reverse order, starting with the West Division.

West Division

Toledo (last NCAA: 1980) Gene Cross will look for his Rockets to improve on the seven wins they earned in his first season at the helm, but thanks to the loss of three starters, including leading scorers Tyrone Kent and Jonathan Amos, things will get worse in Toledo before they get better. 6-9 junior F/C Justin Anyijong (9.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg) is the only impact returnee, and the eight freshmen Cross brought in this season will get plenty of experience. The schedule doesn't help the Rockets much, as they'll play at Michigan State as part of the Legends Classic, with a visit to Philadelphia to face Cornell, Drexel, and Vermont in one of that event's "subregionals" to follow. Toledo also pays Cincinnati a visit, while hosting Alabama.

Western Michigan (last NCAA: 2004) Steve Hawkins' team was atypically non-competitive last season, and they'll struggle to get back to relevance this season thanks to the loss of three starters from last year's 10-win outfit. If there is hope in Kalamazoo, it's because guard David Kool, the team's leading scorer (17.9 ppg), is back for his senior season. 6-7 Flenard Whitfield, a forward who averaged 5.5 points and a little more than 4 boards a game, is back, as is reserve center Donald Lawson, a senior who may have to up his minutes and production after scoring more than 5 points and grabbing 5.5 boards a game off the bench last year. 6-10 F/C Shayne Whittington, 6-4 swingman Brandon Pokley, and 6-2 PG Austin Harper will see immediate action as newcomers. The Broncos schedule features a trip to Hawai'i for the Christmas Diamond Head Classic, where they'll open with USC. They visit Illinois and play host Temple, VCU, and Holy Cross.

Ball State (last NCAA: 2000) Billy Taylor's Cardinals will struggle to repeat their accomplishment of tying for last year's West Division title with a 7-9 record thanks to the loss of three starters, F Anthony Newell, and the starting backcourt of Brandon Lampley and Laron Frazier. 6-9 sophomore F Jarrod Jones, who made his presence known during his freshman season by averaging more than 11 points and 7 boards a game, should be even better this season. He'll have to be as there isn't much else coming back. The Cardinals travel down to Indy to take on Purdue at the Wooden Classic, plus Butler makes the trip to Muncie.

Northern Illinois (last NCAA: 1996) Ricardo Patton's squad could make a move up in his third season in charge in DeKalb. The Huskies have four starters back. 6-2 senior Darion Anderson (16.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and 5-11 sophomore PG Mike DiNunno (11.9 ppg, 2.6 apg) form a solid backcourt, while 6-11 junior Sean Kowal (9.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg) is the anchor of the frontcourt. If the supporting cast, especially the players surrounding Kowal at the forward positions, can increase their impact, the Huskies should challenge for the division. They'll be ready for the MAC slate thanks to a non-conference schedule that features visits to Illinois, Minnesota, Northern Iowa, and Northwestern, along with home games against Temple and Bradley.

Eastern Michigan (last NCAA: 1998) The Eagles finished a game back of the MAC West lead last year, and could be ready to make a big jump in the standings thanks to the return of four starters and the return of PG Carlos Medlock, who averaged almost 15 points and more than 4 assists in 2007-08, from a broken foot. A frontcourt led by double figure scorers Brandon Bowdry (14.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg) and Justin Dobbins (10 ppg, 5 rpg) will be bolstered by the addition of 6-6 JC transfer Jay Higgins. EMU will participate in a round-robin tournament at Missouri State this season, which also features Maryland-Eastern Shore and the Citadel.

Central Michigan (last NCAA: 2003) Ernie Zeigler's Chippewas have a solid core, featuring three returning startes who can score--6-8 F Chris Kellerman (14.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg), 6-3 SG Jordan Baker (12.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg), and 6-1 PG Robbie Harman (11.4 ppg, 3 apg). The biggest lost is inside, where the Chips will miss 6-7 Marcus Van's scoring (13 ppg) and rebounding (8.3 rpg). 6-11 senior Brandon Ford (1.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg) and 6-7 freshman William McClure will try to make up Van's interior production. Zeigler will need his freshmen to contribute immediately in supporting roles, as there aren't a lot of experienced returnees on the bench. The Chippewas' non-conference slate is road-heavy, as they visit Illinois State, Purdue, USF, and Wright State.

East Division

Ohio (last NCAA: 2005) The Bobcats were the only team in the East to post a losing record last season, and with three starters from that team gone, John Groce's team is likely to be worse this time around. Two key pieces of the backcourt, Steven Coleman and Tommy Freeman--two players who averaged a combined 17+ points a game, are back, as are a couple of forwards who will have to play bigger roles this season, 6-7 junior DeVaughn Washington (6.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and 6-10 Dutch senior C Kenneth van Kempen (3.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg). They'll get plenty of help from 6-8 freshman Ivo Baltic, while 5-11 freshman D.J. Cooper should replace Michael Allen at the point. Middle Tennessee, North Carolina A&T, and Lamar will visit Athens for a tournament, while Illinois State also visits the Convo this season.

Bowling Green (last NCAA: 1968) Louis Orr's squad won 19 last season, dropping a 73-71 decision to Creighton in the NIT to close out the year. But like so many other MAC teams, the Falcons will struggle to replicate last season's record thanks to personnel losses. Orr's top three scorers from a year ago are all gone, with starting PG Joe Jakubowski (7.7 ppg, 3.5 apg), C Otis Polk (6.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg), and reserve F Erik Marshall (5 ppg, 3.6 rpg) the most experienced remaining players. Bowling Green's guard-heavy freshman class will see a lot of action during a schedule that starts with road trips to Xavier and Iowa.

Miami (Ohio) (last NCAA: 2007) The Redhawks lost three starters from last season's squad, most significantly leading scorer Michael Bramos and interior force Tyler Dierker, but Charlie Coles gets point guard Kenny Hayes back healthy after he got hurt last December. He averaged almost 14 points and 4 assists in his eight appearances last year. 6-4 junior swingman Antonio Ballard, who averaged almost 7 points and 5+ boards a game last season should step in for Ramos, while 6-8 senior Adam Fletcher (4.6 ppg, 4 rpg) will see more minutes in Dierker's absence. Miami visits Cincinnati, Kentucky, and New Mexico (for a round-robin event), while they host Dayton and Temple.

Kent State (last NCAA: 2008) Geno Ford will look to improve on last year's 19 wins without the services of leading scorer Al Fisher, a 6-1 guard who averaged more than 15 points a game. Replacing Fisher's production will be key and three key seniors--G Chris Singletary (12.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg), 6th man Tyree Evans (11.7 ppg), and F Anthony Simpson (6.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg)--should be able to up their games. Defensive specialist Rodriquez Sherman also returns after missing all of last season to provide another boost to the backcourt, while 6-10 Brandon Parks (5.9 ppg, 4.7rpg) will team with Simpson inside. The Golden Flashes will welcome UAB, Green Bay, and Samford to this season's Hispanic College Fund Classic and visit former coach Stan Heath's USF squad, Xavier, and Pittsburgh.

Buffalo (last NCAA: None) Reggie Witherspoon's Bulls should contend again thanks to four returning starters, led by 6-2 senior G Rodney Pierce (14.3 ppg) and 6-3 senior swingman Calvin Betts (9.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg). 6-7 Max Boudreau, Buffalo's key reserve who averaged more than 6 points and 3 boards a game, should see more action this year. Pierce will get some more scoring help in the backcourt thanks to Northern Arizona transfer Zach Filzen, who shot 41 percent from 3 while in Flagstaff and 6-2 freshman Tony Watson, who averaged in double-figures in points and assists during his senior year of high school. The Bulls visit Purdue, Niagara, and Navy, host Army, and participate in UCF's Holiday tournament this season.

Akron (last NCAA: 2009) Keith Dambrot lost 6-8 F Nate Linhart (10.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg) off the first Zip team to make the NCAAs, but pretty much everyone else is back. That means Akron is still the team to beat. 6-7 senior F Chris McKnight will anchor the frontcourt, while his brother Brett, who averaged more than 11 points and almost 4 boards a game last season as the team's 6th man, should see a lot more time with Linhart's departure. 6-8 sophomore Nikola Cvetinovic will be pushed by 7-footer Zeke Marshall, a freshman from Pennsylvania, for minutes at the post. The backcourt remains solid thanks to the presence of sophomore PG Humpty Hitchens (8.8 ppg, 2,2 apg), off guard Darryl Roberts (8.3 ppg), and a solid reserve PG, Steve McNees (5.8 ppg, 1.9 apg). The Zips will participate in the Glenn Wilkes Classic before Thanksgiving, hosting Austin Peay and facing Drake, Howard, and NC State in Daytona Beach.

I'm picking the Zips to repeat and take the overall conference crown, so they'll hold the MAC's auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. I don't see the MAC heading back to the late '90s, when they occasionally were a multi-bid league, but you never know what will happen as the season progresses.

To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-MAC team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-MAC Team

Player of the Year: Brett McKnight, 6-6 F, Jr. (Akron)

Remainder of the Team
Darion Anderson, 6-2 G, Jr. (Northern Illinois)
Brandon Bowdry, 6-6 F, Jr. (Eastern Michigan)
David Kool, 6-3 G, Sr. (Western Michigan)
Rodney Pierce, 6-2 G, Sr. (Buffalo)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the MAC this season?

Akron

3 votes

Ball State

0 votes

Bowling Green

2 votes

Buffalo

2 votes

Central Michigan

0 votes

Eastern Michigan

0 votes

Kent State

0 votes

Miami (Ohio)

0 votes

Northern Illinois

3 votes

Ohio

0 votes

Toledo

0 votes

Western Michigan

1 votes

11 votes | Poll has closed

Thrill a Minute Thursday Review/Friday Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:26:56 -0000

From start to finish, yesterday was one of the craziest conference tournament days I've ever experienced. If today is one-tenth as exciting and surprising, it will still be well worth it. Let's get to the recap/preview.

One tourney bid is on the line, and it will be decided in my vicinity. (I will indeed be there.) The top two seeds in the Patriot League American University and College of the Holy Cross meet up at Bender Arena (ESPN2, 4:45 EDT). The Eagles are looking for their second straight conference crown, while the Crusaders look to get back to the Dance for the first time since 2007.

There is an almost excessive amount of non-championship conference tournament action going on today.

ACC Quarterfinals (all games on ESPN2 outside of ACC country and Raycom inside it)

Virginia Tech vs. North Carolina (12 EDT) - The Hokies probably knocked Miami out of the conversation yesterday. They can make their case a lot stronger by knocking off the Tar Heels today. UNC, meanwhile, has to like the carnage that took place among the potential #1 seeds yesterday.
Georgia Tech vs. Florida State (2:30 EDT*) - The Yellow Jackets next step in replicating Georgia's run through the SEC tournament last year, knocking out a Seminole team that's now fighting for a top four seed.
Maryland vs. Wake Forest (7 EDT) - The Terps did what they had to do last night. Now they look to get another big win for their resume against a Demon Deacon team who is now very much back in the two seed conversation.
Boston College vs. Duke (9:30 EDT*) - The Eagles are looking good for a bid. They now look to improve their seeding with a second win over the Blue Devils this season.

A-10 Semifinals (FS Ohio/MASN/Cox RI/Comcast Network)

Xavier vs. Temple (6:30 EDT) - After making it five in a row over St. Joe's, the Owls could make the A10 a three-bid league if they can beat the Musketeers.
Dayton vs. Duquesne (9 EDT*) - The Dukes pretty much ended URI's at-large hopes last night, but they probably need to win the auto bid to get in. The Flyers should be safe after defeating Richmond.

Big East Semifinals (all games on ESPN)

Louisville vs. Villanova (7 EDT) - Dwayne Anderson gave the Wildcats a win over a plucky Marquette side yesterday afternoon. Now they have to face a Cardinal team who all but ended Providence's hopes and probably has a better shot at holding on to a #1 seed than previously thought, thanks to the upsets in the night session.
West Virginia vs. Syracuse (9:30 EDT*) - How much do the Orange have left after winning that historic battle against UConn last night? While SU defeated the Mountaineers by 13 back on February 4, they had a full week off before that game. WVU, confident off a thumping of Pitt, should be fresher. But the Orange's momentum can't be discounted.

Big Ten Quarterfinals

Minnesota vs. Michigan State (ESPN, 12 EDT) - The Gophers should be safe after bursting Northwestern's bubble yesterday, but a win over Sparty would almost surely lock up a bid.
Wisconsin vs. Ohio State (ESPN, 2:30 EDT*) - The 4/5 quarterfinal features two teams who have to feel much better about their chances right now.
Michigan vs. Illinois (Big Ten, 6:30 EDT) - The Wolverines had little trouble with Iowa yesterday. Next, they look to win the rubber match against an Illini team who has dropped two straight..
Penn State vs. Purdue (Big Ten, 9 EDT*) - The Nittany Lions made sure they took care of Indiana. Like Michigan, they look to win the rubber match against their opposition, a Boilermaker team that's dropped two in a row.

Big 12 Semifinals (Games on Big 12/Altitude/Full Court)

Baylor vs. Texas (7 EDT) - While the Bears defeated Kansas yesterday, they're still on the fringe of consideration. The Longhorns ended Kansas State's hopes and now look to do the same to their in-state rivals, all while pushing to a conference title that may boost their seed.
Oklahoma State vs. Missouri (9:30 EDT*) - It was a sweet victory for the Cowboys last night. Not only did they probably lock up a bid, they closed the door on archrival Oklahoma's chances for a #1 seed. The Tigers stopped Texas Tech's attempt at a Cinderella run, pulling away in the second half. If MU can consistently do that at a neutral site, that should boost their seeding.

Big West Semifinals (all games on ESPNU)

Cal State-Northridge vs. UC Santa Barbara (8:30 EDT) and Long Beach State vs. Pacific (11 EDT*) - The top 4 seeds are still alive for the auto bid. Northridge swept UCSB and Long Beach swept the UOP during the regular season.

Conference USA Semifinals (all games on CBS CS)

Memphis vs. Houston (4 EDT) - The Cougars had a late night, defeating UTEP in OT. Now they have to face a Tiger team with aspirations for the top line on their home court.
UAB vs. Tulsa (6:30 EDT*) - The Blazers look to keep their at-large hopes alive by avenging a one-point loss at the Reynolds Center on January 28.

MWC Semifinals (all games on the mtn./CBS CS)

BYU vs. San Diego State (9 EDT) - That's three wins in three tries for the Aztecs over UNLV, with two of those coming at the Thomas & Mack Center. That fact should be enough to get SDSU in. A win over the Cougars today would really give them some breathing room.
Utah vs. Wyoming (11:30 EDT*) - The Utes escaped TCU thanks to a Lawrence Borha 3 in the dying seconds. They next take on the sixth-seeded Cowboys, who seriously dented New Mexico's at-large hopes last night, 75-67.

Pac-10 Semifinals (all games on (FSN/selected CSN outlets)

Arizona State vs. Washington (9 EDT) - The Sun Devils may have snapped their archrival Arizona's tourney streak. They could give their seed a boost by continuing their run in this tournament. The Huskies started their run at the title by defeating Stanford, 85-73.
UCLA vs. USC (11:30 EDT) - The Trojans upended California thanks in part to an errant inbound pass in the last throes. Now they find themselves back in the discussion and facing a cross-town semifinal. The rival Bruins beat Washington State by 11 in their quarterfinal.

SEC Quarterfinals (all games on Raycom/Full Court/FS South/Sun Sports)

Kentucky vs. LSU (1 EDT) - The Wildcats got by Ole Miss pretty easily. Next up is a Tiger team looking to snap a two-game skid and who beat UK by 3 at Rupp two weeks ago.
Mississippi State vs. South Carolina (3:30 EDT*) - MSU won the battle of the Bulldogs yesterday. Now they have a chance to knock the Gamecocks out.
Alabama vs. Tennessee (7:30 EDT) - So much for Vanderbilt's viability as an at-large candidate, as the Tide took care of them last night. Now they take on a Vol team they just stunned on Sunday afternoon at Thompson-Boling.
Florida vs. Auburn (10 EDT*) - The Gators pulled away from Arkansas in the second half. This one is a straight-up elimination game now.

Southland Semifinals (all games on Full Court)

Second-seeded Nicholls State takes on 6 seed Texas-San Antonio (7 EDT*), while top seed Stephen F. Austin faces fourth-seeded Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (9:30 EDT*). The Colonels lost their only meeting with the Roadrunners (at home), while the Lumberjacks won their only meeting with the Islanders (on the road).

WAC Semifinals

Utah State vs. New Mexico State (no TV, 9;30 EDT) and Nevada vs. Louisiana Tech (ESPN2, 11;59 EDT) - The favorites remain on course to meet for the title tomorrow night.

The MAC semifinals (Ball State vs. Buffalo (7:30 EDT) and Akron vs. Bowling Green (10 EDT) will also be on FS Ohio and FS Detroit.