Last year, following the NFL Draft, I undertook an empirical experiment in order to determine what the draft told us about talent levels within each college football conference. The results were encouraging but limited by my methodology. I used a simple system that distributed points to players based on the round they were selected, and then I ranked the conferences by their aggregate points.

Good, corrective advice was soon given by readers in the comments section, but it was through email that one reader offered an interesting possible direction to take the Draft Score system. Unlike last year's edition, which valued the first pick in the first round the same as the last, he suggested I develop the system a step further and rank the players in a more precise manner, namely the way the NFL treats prospects. He suggested that I rank the players according to the actual Draft Value Chart that NFL teams employ when making trades.

The new Draft Score system picks over conference talent with tweezers where the last smoothed over differences with a brush. Andrew Luck, the first pick, contributes 3,000 points to the Pac-12, 1,300 more than Justin Blackmon, the fifth pick, contributes to the Big 12. A year ago, the two would have been equivalent under the old system.

Although the system is vastly more precise, I make no claim that it's a perfect predictor of conference value, but merely a good one. Indeed, it still has serious constraints. "NolesStat!," writing in response to last year's analysis, noted that "every conference has so many starters who will never get drafted (e.g., 85% of starters in the SEC were not drafted) that...the talent level of each conference is likely best measured in terms of the talent level of the undraftable players who support or back up the few, elite, draftable guys."

His point is valid and highlights the limitations of only measuring the crop's cream. However, I think he understates the importance of elite talent, especially since that elite talent broadly correlates to more success. There's a reason the six BCS conferences win more games and stand apart from the non-BCS conferences. Unfortunately, there's no real way to measure the talent he speaks about, the non-drafted players lost in the post-college void. Some will sign with NFL teams, others will join semi-pro leagues, most will have played their final football game in a college stadium.

Limitations aside, this updated ranking system now tells us how highly NFL teams value the drafted talent flowing from each conference.

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On the heels of Matt Hayes' devastatingly overstated essay, "How Urban Meyer Broke Florida Football," published last week in The Sporting News, comes a follow-up being bandied about as absolute proof of that first piece. A local Gainesville TV Station interviewed Chris Rainey and questioned the former Gator running back about the central charge levied by Hayes---that Urban Meyer gave preferential treatment to certain players, treatment that ultimately "broke" Florida football by creating a culture of entitlement around the program. Rainey supported the accusation with a brief quote, alleging that there were "certain players, (that) even coaches were scared of."

The Sporting News soon latched onto Rainey's comment as corroborating evidence, commissioning another piece about Meyer and his deficiencies from writer David Whitley, who, presumably, makes a decent living penning this stuff. To put it mildly, the first piece by Hayes was not an investigation, despite the claim, but a gathering of well-known facts and the acquisition of a few anonymous quotes. It was troubling in the sense that a documentary about unhealthy fast food is troubling; we've had the suspicion that something was off, and now that we know for sure, we take one extra second before returning to the cheeseburger.

I accept almost every claim in the original article, as I accept most nasty rumors about college football programs--it's a matter of cynical distance, really. That's not to say, of course, that there aren't numerous reasons to question a salacious article driven by anonymous sources, especially when the sources come from a program whose fortunes plummeted following the departure of the individual presently at swordpoint.

Yet I reject, as every serious person must, the sanctimonious tone dripping from the prose and the brash expectation that we should be shocked and offended at the allegations. College football players receive opportunities that normal students don't? The best players find more favor with their coaches than the worst? You don't say, Poirot?

I would rather Urban Meyer not make concessions for unsavory characters, but I have enough critical faculty to recognize that the world is undemocratic, and blessedly so. Not everyone deserves the same treatment and equal is no synonym for fair. If certain players earned special rewards under Meyer's system, as a few Buckeyes have already done with their inclusion in the Champion's Club, then so be it. Coaches must win to retain their plush offices and high salaries, and keeping the best players motivated and performing is the only way to do so. Nick Saban, Les Miles, Gene Chizik, winners of the last six BCS Championships, all have mechanisms in place to ensure their best players keep winning games.

Percy Harvin sounds like every narcissistic athlete praised for his ability to gallop over other skills you would hope to find at a university. There are Percy Harvins and Chris Raineys at every school, I assure you, including multiple at Ohio State right now. They arrived yesterday, pre-Urban, and pre-Tressel, and pre-Cooper, too. They were formed in middle and high school, when they learned that adults would swaddle them in attention and praise the more touchdowns they scored.

Percy Harvins are rewarded because they do something few others can, and our culture values it. When we stop caring how fast someone can run, or how many touchdowns a person can throw, our entitlement culture for athletes will vanish like Marley's Ghost, disappearing behind a flash of greed. Of course, ESPN and Yahoo! and Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News will then follow.

Bernie Fine, who has been accused by four men of sexual abuse while they were ball boys at Syracuse in the 1980s, 90s, and early 2000s, was the victim of at least one malicious lie. Zach Tomaselli, the fourth man to accuse Fine, has admitted to fabricating his entire story, allegedly at the behest of one of the other three accusers, Bobby Davis.

In a phone interview with CNYCentral, Tomaselli said "It was a game to me. It was fun trying to make this story come alive." By email, Tomaselli expanded his admission. "I NEVER met Bernie fine or went to an autograph session. I sat in the nosebleeds at the Pitt game at the (Carrier) Dome in '03 but that is it. I lied."

For five months, Tomaselli maintained the claim that he was molested by Fine in a hotel room in Pittsburgh following a Syracuse game in 2002-03. Along with filing a police report and cooperating with prosecutors, Tomaselli traveled the media circuit repeating his story to every station dealing in salacious detail, including CNN and ESPN. On November 29th, Tomaselli went on Anderson Cooper's daytime television show and paraded his story around in front of a national audience.

Tomaselli, who himself is a pedophile, will serve three years and three months in prison for abusing a teenager at a summer camp in Maine. If the state charges him for filing a false police report, as they almost certainly will, or should Fine wish to pursue defamation damages, he could face further time in prison and compensation demands for his harmful lie. When pressed why he fabricated an entire narrative, and stuck to it so desperately, Tomaselli revealed himself as both a pathological liar and potential sociopath.

"I don't have feelings most of the time. I just hate people without caring," Tomaselli stated, before adding that he had been abused in the past and hated the Syracuse basketball program because it beat his favorite team, Kansas, in the 2003 NCAA championship game.

Bobby Davis, the Fine accuser Tomaselli has accused of feeding him information about Fine, has denied the claim that he provided details that helped Tomaselli's story gain traction. Whatever the case, Tomaselli's actions have muddled a serious investigation and cast doubt upon an innocent victim, whether it be Fine or Davis. Fine could still be guilty of the abuse allegations levied at him by the other three men, and Davis could be every bit the victim he claims. Or he and his fellow accusers could be perpetrating a cruel ruse that ruined the dignity and moral good standing of one man.

Tomaselli's revelation does nothing to calm the dust and reveal the ultimate truth, other than his own mental capacity for evil.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association voted to add an additional division to their playoff structure after years of debate about how well the Division I field represented the student size of each school. A new revised division system will split the top ten percent of schools based on enrollment from the rest, creating a new Division I filled with the biggest schools in Ohio. The remaining 644 schools will then be evenly divided between the next six divisions. OHSAA commissioner Daniel B. Ross highlighted the benefits of the new division structure.

"Adding a seventh division not only helps address the enrollment disparity in Division I, but it also will create 32 more tournament opportunities for student-athletes, their schools and their communities, many of which have never or rarely experienced the playoffs," Ross said. "The committee members believe that this is an issue unique to football, especially since not all schools qualify for the OHSAA football tournament."

The proponents for adding another division argued that the biggest schools were behemoths and shared few characteristics with their more moderate Division I competition. Under the old rules, come playoff time, it was possible that a school like Mentor, buoyed by a student body 3,200 strong, could face an opponent half its size. The distribution of football talent being a somewhat haphazard phenomenon, of course, there is no absolute guarantee that more students will equal a better football team, but there is more room for error. If ten percent of the student population joins the football team at every school in Ohio, the odds are greater for a good squad at a school like Mentor than at North Royalton where the student population tops out slightly above 1,000 individuals.

News Net 5, the web presence of a Northeast Ohio news station, projected the new divisional breakdowns based on the number of male students enrolled at each school.

Division I – 600 to 1,164

Division II – 410 to 599;

Division III – 288 to 409;

Division IV – 216 to 287

Division V – 159 to 215;

Division VI – 114 to 158

Division VII – 30 to 111.

Forwards Christian Watford and Cody Zeller, a freshman phenomenon this past season, have announced that they are returning to Indiana for another year of college basketball. The pair revived Hoosier basketball in Tom Crean's fourth season. Indiana won 27 games, finished fifth in the Big Ten regular season race, and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2002.

While Watford's return was expected, Zeller's decision is somewhat surprising, as many had him pegged as a sure lottery pick. In his latest mock draft, ESPN writer Chad Ford projected him to Detroit with the sixth pick. He averaged 15.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and a 62.4 percent shooting percentage, which earned him Big Ten co-Freshman of the Year and honorable mention AP All-America honors.

With this news, Indiana becomes the favorite to win the Big Ten next season, leapfrogging Ohio State, Michigan State, and Michigan. In addition to an experienced returning squad, Crean has gathered commitments from some of the best high school seniors in the country, including Yogi Ferrell, a five star point guard whom Rivals rates as the fourth best in his class. The Wolverines recently received good news when freshman point guard Trey Burke announced that he would return for his sophomore season, putting to rest rumors that a jump to the NBA was imminent. Burke will be joined by Mitch McGary, a five star forward that went Blue over offers from UNC, Duke, and Kentucky.

Ohio State, with the loss of Jared Sullinger, will need an interior presence to develop for a chance at the Big Ten title. Sophomore forward LaQuinton Ross and sophomore center Amir Williams are the best bests for Thad Matta, but there is still a chance that 6''9 center and Georgia native Tony Parker chooses the Buckeyes and adds his talent to the mix. Parker will choose between Ohio State, Kansas, UCLA, Memphis, Duke, and Georgia on April 11th, tomorrow.

Another branch off the Ohio State coaching tree has sprouted, this time in the SEC, and it looks like a good one. For those that missed the news, Bobby Petrino found himself boiling in a vat of Razorback sweat following the revelation that he was riding with a 25-year old female employee on his ill-fated motorcycle trip last weekend. Petrino suffered four broken ribs and a cracked neck vertebrae in the crash, along with a significant dip in pride and good moral standing. Married with four kids, Petrino lied about the existence of his companion on the motorcycle, former Arkansas coed Jessica Dorrell, whom he had recently hired as the Razorbacks' student-athlete development coordinator. Dorrell played volleyball at Arkansas before working in the athletic department after graduation. Once the salacious rumors surfaced, Petrino reluctantly admitted that he and Dorrell were engaged in an "inappropriate relationship" and that he had covered up her involvement in the crash to protect his family and her privacy.

Yesterday, Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long placed Petinro on paid administrative leave pending an investigation and promoted defensive coordinator and assistant head coach Taver Johnson to the lead position. Johnson served under Jim Tressel as defensive backs coach from 2007-2011, five seasons, and coached current NFL players Malcolm Jenkins, Chimdi Chekwa, and Kurt Coleman.

Johnson, a Wittenberg College graduate, worked at Miami of Ohio for four seasons (2000-2003, 2005-06) and spent a year coaching special teams for the Cleveland Browns in 2004. Tressel hired Johnson following the departure of current Illinois head coach Tim Beckman. Johnson was a player favorite throughout his tenure and developed a reputation for energetic mannerisms while coaching players during practice. Before Urban Meyer was hired as Ohio State head coach, Johnson had accepted the defensive coordinator position at Arkansas and agreed to coach in the Razorbacks' bowl game against Kansas State. His early arrival in Fayatteville paid immediate dividends as Arkansas beat the Wildcats, 29-16, fueled in part by a strong defensive performance.

Good luck to Coach Johnson. If Petrino is suspended for any significant time, or is terminated, he will face a situation similar to the one Luke Fickell experienced last season at Ohio State. While it would be a challenge, it would also provide an opportunity to deepen his resumè and prepare him for leading his own program one day.

With Ohio State's disappointing loss to Kansas in the Final Four, and Kentucky's corresponding championship a day later, the college basketball season has officially seen its crowning moment and will now drift into hibernation until Midnight Madness in October. Thanks again to Buick for providing a wonderful trip to New Orleans. The city itself is a tremendous achievement. Architecturally, culturally, and spiritually, New Orleans vibrates with a constant pulse that I cannot compare to anyone else I've ever been. After four days there, however, and enough Bourbon Street adventures to last a lifetime, it was heartening to return home to Ohio and join the Midwestern ranks once again.

Of course, while the NCAA Tournament's last days were waning, Urban Meyer's first true days as the Ohio State head coach were playing out on the spring practice field. Ohio State began spring practice last Wednesday with a full slate of position battles and question marks precluding Meyer's inaugural season. Doug Lesmerises gathered quotes from Meyer on the tempo and speed of the new no-huddle offense, and the early results sound promising.

"I think they got exhausted. The amount of plays we got was incredible. That was even a lot for me," Meyer said Wednesday. "We weren't that way at Florida. We weren't rapid fire. But we're rapid fire now."

New offensive coordinator Tom Herman is bringing a faster tempo to Columbus than we've seen before--faster, even, than anything Meyer has worked with in his career. Although he was a progenitor of the spread movement in college football, Meyer had always used a huddle and a deliberate pace at Bowling Green, Utah, and Florida.

The offense will also feature personnel that were sometimes marginalized in the old Buckeye offense. Chip recently examined the need for tight ends and running backs to grow into leadership roles, as they will have new responsibilities under Herman and Meyer. Tight end Jake Stoneburner, particularly, will be expected to feature in this year's offense and help sophomore quarterback Braxton Miller by providing a real play-making threat. Until DeVier Posey's return from suspension late last season, the young Miller had little help in the passing game, and it showed. Ohio State's passing offense ranked as one of the worst in the country, a little ahead of the Midshipmen from Navy who run a triple-option.

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Disappointment. Ohio State's loss to Kansas elicited one collective response from Buckeye fans in New Orleans. After jumping ahead to a nine-point halftime lead, the Buckeyes fell apart in the second-half, allowing a tenacious Jayhawk squad to crawl back on the shoulders of power forward Thomas Robinson and guards Elijah Johnson and Travis Releford. The former, Robinson, scored 19 points, going 8-18 shooting, and collected eight rebounds. With the assistance of center Jeff Withey, he won the battle against Jared Sullinger with a late burst despite playing like tapwater in the first half---lukewarm and dispirited.

Elijah Johnson was the real surprise story of the game. All focus was on Robinson and senior guard Tyshawn Taylor before tip-off, but it was Johnson and Releford who provided the punch Kansas needed. The pair combined for 28 points, making 11 of 16 shots, including multiple timely buckets in the second half.

The pertinent question for Ohio State, now, is whether Sullinger will return for a third season or head off to the NBA Draft. Most Buckeyes fans down here are reasonably pessimistic about Sullinger's choice and have braced themselves for his exit, but that was the general feeling last year around this time before Sullinger chose to return. Following the game, Sullinger was noncommittal about his impending decision, merely claiming that he will talk it over with Thad Matta and his family at a later date.

Below are some links from various sources covering yesterday's game and the upcoming championship between Kentucky and Kansas. fetch9 at Rock Chalk Talk put together an informative statistical analysis of the Jayhawks come-from-behind victory and Luke Winn at Sports Illustrated previews the championship game.

Kansas Basketball: A (semi) Statistical Recap of Ohio State - Rock Chalk Talk
With about 8 minutes left in the game, Kansas trailed by three and after looking like they were barely hanging on all night were just starting to find themselves. I too had just started to find myself. All first half I was on pins and needles and was so nervous I wanted to not move and yet jump around all at once. But at that moment I entered a sort of fan nirvana: I realized that this team had come so far from the team that wasn't talented enough to overcome their indiscipline. They had morphed into a team that can't be put away no matter how large the deficit, no matter how impossible it seems for them to make a shot.

At that point I realized that no matter what happened in the next 8 minutes, they were winners for just how far they had come, and we were winners for getting the opportunity to watch them grow. Watching Kansas in the NCAA tournament is a gut wrenching experience for me, win or lose. It ties my stomach in knots, and when that clock hit all zeroes I couldn't have been more excited to have 40 more minutes of it on Monday night. This group has gone out and earned it more than any team I can remember, and they deserve one more game. Let's hope they make it count.

Before the game I mentioned that Kansas's offensive rebounding would be huge. Due to their poor shooting they needed to get second chance points as much as possible. The only problem was that Ohio State was the 2nd best defensive rebounding team in the country, allowing opponents to grab only about 25% of their misses. Kansas, however, grabbed an astonishing 37.5% of their own misses. Ohio State won the three point lottery a bit in the first half - particularly Buford and Craft who were 3-5 and 2-3 for the game respectively - but cooled off in the second half, allowing Kansas to come back. Meanwhile, Kansas continues to struggle from the three, as they shot just 27.3% from beyond the arc.

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What: Ohio State Buckeyes vs Kansas Jayhawks

When: Saturday, March 31st; 8:00 p.m. EST

Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome; New Orleans, Louisiana

Television: CBS

Orange Record: 31-6 (16-2 in-conference)

Opposing Coverage: Rock Chalk Talk

Gameday is here in New Orleans. Parking prices have increased, parades are marching by, and non-Mcdonalds' employees have barricaded the McDonalds' bathrooms in order to charge an entrance fee. And later tonight, there's a basketball game or two taking place in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Big Easy is packed with Kentucky and Louisville fans and "Rock, Chalk...Jayhawk!" rings out incessantly in certain areas. The least represented group appears to be Ohio State, but today there's been an increase in Buckeye script along the French Quarter.

For good reason, too. Ohio State has been consistent favorites over Kansas since Vegas released their Final Four lines, and there are encouraging signs that this rematch will have a different outcome than the first matchup on December 10th. Without power forward Jared Sullinger, who sat with a back injury, Ohio State had no one who could check the presence of Thomas Robinson, Kansas' star power forward and the best player on the court. To no one's surprise, Ohio State lost, 78-67, due in large part to Robinson's domination. The 6''9, 237 lb. junior scored 21 points and collected 7 rebounds, tieing for the game lead in both measures. The effect of Robinson went beyond mere stat totals. He controlled the paint and temp of the game, allowing Kansas guards Elijah Johnson and Travis Releford to operate freely on the perimeter.

A big game from Jared Sullinger may not be enough on its own for an Ohio State victory, but it's a necessary step for Scarlet-and-Grey streamers to sashay from the rafters following the game. If Sullinger can fight Robinson to a standstill, trading buckets and defensive blows beneath the hoop, the outcome will then rest on how well the supporting cast of each team plays.

Ohio State sophomore forward Deshaun Thomas has climbed a steep path since December, improving from an inconsistent shooter with an immature shot to one of the best pure marksmen in college basketball. When I spoke with Owen, lead blogger at the excellent Rock Chalk Talk, I highlighted Thomas as the one player besides Sullinger that Ohio State would absolutely need to play well. Thomas and Sullinger have combined to form a natural inside-out tandem that makes the Buckeye offense dangerous. The inconsistent William Buford used to occupy Thomas' role as the perimeter specialist, but his poor showings down the final month and the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament has soured the senior guard in the eyes of Ohio State fans.

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Still looking for tickets to check out the Buckeyes in the Final Four? Been patiently waiting for prices to bottom out before you secure yours? Well, it looks like your patience will be rewarded. Today, for the first time all week, the get-in price for Saturday's semi-final action has dropped below $215 per ticket.

Right now you can get in the door at the Superdome for less than $200/ticket--AND--thanks to our partners at TiqIQ, you can save an additional 10% on all remaining Primesport inventory. Just click the link below, find your tickets, and use promo code TiqIQ10 and save. Don't forget: with Primesport you can go green with Paperless tickets; just swipe your credit card at an exclusive entrance between gates G&H and you're in. Take advantage of this exclusive discount and use promo code TiqIQ10 now!

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T-minus 36 hours until Ohio State and Kansas tip off. Oddsmakers have set a favorite. It's Ohio State. The Buckeyes are giving 2.5 points at most sites, including Bovada.com, which has Kentucky as 8.5 point favorites over Louisville, as well. Some other interesting bets indicate how the wise guys in Vegas see the Final Four playing out.

Team to score the first 10 Points in the game
Ohio State -130
Kansas -110

Team to score the first 20 Points in the game
Ohio State -140
Kansas EVEN

Ohio State is the heavy favorite to start fast. It makes sense that the juice--the payout odds on each possible outcome--is closer for the 10-point bet, since a smaller point total makes for more variance and chance. It's clear, though, that the Buckeyes are favored to open the game a step ahead when you look at the juice on the 20-point wager. Vegas seems reasonably confident, or at least the gamblers do, that Ohio State will comfortably sink into its groove quicker than Kansas.

Total Made 3 Point Shots in the game - Ohio State
Over/Under 5½

Total Made 3 Point Shots in the game - Kansas
Over/Under 5½

Neither team is full of 3-point sharpshooters, but each squad possesses at least one perimeter threat. For Ohio State, sophomore forward Deshaun Thomas needs a slight spark to set off a wildfire. When Thomas is shooting well, he's almost always shooting well for the entire night. Less steady than Thomas, senior point guard Tyshawn Thomas is the most accurate 3-point shooter on the Kansas roster, but junior guard Elijah Johnson has taken, and made, the most shots. If either team hits the over on this bet, something has gone terribly wrong for the opponent.

Winning Margin

Ohio State to win by 1-2 pts 8/1
Ohio State to win by 3-6 pts 17/4
Kansas to win by 1-2 pts 8/1
Kansas to win by 3-6 pts 5/1

These lines may be more telling than the spread. Vegas, and its wagerers, see a one-bucket Kansas victory as likely as a one-bucket Ohio State victory. It's when the winning margin widens that Ohio State gains favor. The trend continues when the margin widens further: Ohio State holds 7-1 odds on both a 7-9 and 10-13 point victory, while Kansas comes in at 10-1 for both.

Total Rebounds - Jared Sullinger (Ohio State)
Over/Under 9½

Total Rebounds - Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
Over/Under 11½

The most important matchup for each team. Neither Kansas nor Ohio State can afford a poor game from their star big man. The point total line for Robinson and Sullinger is the same, 18.5, but the rebounding total differs. Robinson, the sole player elected to the All-America team unanimously, is projected to have the better game on the boards. So, how many NBA scouts will be watching this battle?

As Saturday creeps closer, analysis of Ohio State and Kansas' Final Four matchup has increased across the national media. While Kentucky and Louisville are still drawing the major headlines, ESPN's Myron Medcalf makes the argument that Ohio State and Kansas offer the better matchup for non-partial fans. After that, Medcalf and Eamonn Brennan discuss the battle between Thomas Robinson and Jared Sullinger, along with other aspects to the game.

Beyond the jump, we have a profile of Deshaun Thomas and his growth as a shooter. Finally, two Associated Press articles about recent coaching changes. Kansas will lose two assistant coaches to other programs after this season ends, and former Ohio State assistant John Groce is leaving Ohio University for Illinois.

Final Four 2012 -- Kansas-Ohio State is the best matchup on Saturday - ESPN
One second, I can come up with five reasons that the Jayhawks will win. Robinson will explode. Withey will put a lid on the rim. Taylor will rise to the occasion and limit his turnovers. Elijah Johnson will make clutch plays in a tight game. Self will outcoach Matta. The next, however, I'm siding with the Buckeyes. The Jayhawks can't contain Thomas. Craft will give Taylor a migraine. If William Buford shows up, it's over. Sullinger is on a mission. Matta just toppled Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, so he can handle Self, too. I picked the Buckeyes, but neither outcome would surprise me in this game.

I don't have the same perspective on Louisville-Kentucky. An earlier matchup, bad blood and sideline personalities have masked the reality that this one might not be close. Louisville deserves credit for its much-improved defense. The Cardinals, who lost to the Wildcats in December, have solved every postseason quandary -- beginning with their Big East tournament title run -- through their defensive effectiveness. Man or zone, the Cardinals have been a juggernaut on that end of the floor. But they're facing a team that has dominated every opponent throughout the tournament and avoided the nail-biters that defined Louisville's trip to the Final Four. Four opponents. Four double-digit victories for the Wildcats.

On paper, the matchup that has caused a national stir is still a good one, even without the history. But it's not the Big Easy's best. It doesn't offer the same parity, individual matchups or mystery as Ohio State versus Kansas. If my bosses told me that I could watch only one game Saturday during my time in New Orleans, I'd pick Ohio State versus Kansas without hesitation. But I'd party with fans from Louisville and Kentucky.

At the Watercooler: Ohio State vs. Kansas - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN
EB: How many NBA scouts will be watching that T-Rob/Sully matchup? Answer: all of them, or at least all of those who have a top-10 pick to spare in this summer's draft. That actually seems to be one of the biggest debates about the upcoming draft, a sort of barometer for the kind of player you prefer -- explosive and slightly raw? Or polished but less athletic? I'd take either one of them. And seeing them tee up on each other could be a one-on-one matchup for the ages.

MM: I agree. And I'm even more excited for Robinson-Sullinger because of their personalities. Some guys would look at this as "just another game." I guarantee both Robinson and Sullinger are telling friends and loved ones that they're going to win that battle. I don't care what they say publicly. This is personal. Who's the best big man in college basketball? With Sullinger, Robinson and Davis in the field, we'll know by Monday. Sullinger didn't get the national player of the year love that Robinson enjoyed because of a bad back and a rough stretch in February. But who can doubt his premier status after watching him tear up Syracuse? Robinson takes a Kansas team that's not supposed to win its eighth Big 12 title in a row to the Final Four? Get your popcorn ready.

EB: Agreed, agreed. But as you said, there are other huge areas of intrigue here. In fact, if I had to guess, I'd say the Robinson-Sullinger matchup will essentially be a wash. The swing-vote matchup (as Marquette coach Buzz Williams might say) might then be Aaron Craft and Tyshawn Taylor. Craft is a defensive genius. What he does to opposing guards is just ruthless sometimes. If Taylor gets eaten up by those slap-happy hands -- or even if Craft just cuts Taylor off and keeps him confined to the perimeter, where he has missed just about every shot he's taken in the past two weeks -- Kansas will be at a severe disadvantage.

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Owen, lead manager at Rock Chalk Talk, SB Nation's excellent Kansas Jayhawks website, was kind enough to exchange questions and answers with me yesterday about Ohio State's impending game against Kansas. We covered everything from the genesis of this Kansas team to how pleased Jayhawk fans are with this surprise Final Four run to semifinal and championship game predictions. Head on over to Rock Chalk Talk for more from Owen and the rest of the Kansas crew.

Q. What has changed on Kansas' end since these two teams played in December? Has it been a straight progression for the Jayhawks, or were there rocky moments that threatened the season?

Quite a bit has changed actually. First we've had some players come along much further than originally anticipated. Jeff Withey would be the best example of someone who wasn't a huge factor in the first game, but he has since proven to be a player that can make a very big difference for Kansas on the interior and especially on the defensive end.

Tyshawn Taylor was also a bit more erratic in the last game against the Buckeyes. Really throughout the non-conference schedule he was very turnover prone and didn't seem to have everything working in his favor on the offensive end. During conference play that completely flipped. Now the question will be which Tyshawn will show up? If it's the non-con Tyshawn then that obviously hurts. If it's the new and improved Tyshawn, then Kansas has a weapon at it's disposal that it didn't fully leverage in the first matchup.

Add in just a better understanding of their own identity and I think this team knows who they are and can be just dangerous enough. That said I think a lot of folks see Ohio State as probably having improved more, especially after last weekend.

Q. Thomas Robinson is good. We needn't spend any time arguing that. But just how good is he, especially compared to past big men like the Morris brothers?

He's a different player than the Morris twins. Robinson has a little more height, he's much more physical and he's really a true interior player whereas the Morris twins could stretch the defense and play on the perimeter offensively. Robinson will on occasion do that, but it's not his strength. As a leader and someone who controls the paint, I'd say Robinson is better. In terms of versatility and ability to create offense, the twins have to get the nod.

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At this late stage in the NCAA Tournament, the few remaining teams each have their own well-worn paths to victory. A definite style is necessary if you are to survive the turbulent early rounds, where you may face a bulky team that prefers operating in the paint one game and then a rangy group of sharpshooters the next. Variance is unavoidable when it comes to opponents, but reliability is required if you are to advance to the Final Four.

For Kansas, hope rests on two steadfast Blue and Crimson pillars, senior guard Tyshawn Taylor and junior forward Thomas Robinson. The veteran duo form a complementary pair. Taylor provides the deft shooting touch and a point guard's intuition, Robinson the imposing size and a steady inside presence. The most experienced player on either squad, Taylor will be starting his 125th game for the Jayhawks. His tenure already includes four Big 12 regular season championships and one deep tournament run, an Elite 8 appearance last season, so the bright lights are known to him. Taylor averaged 16 points per game this season, his highest mark since arriving in Lawrence as a freshman in 2008, and has improved his 3-point shooting and defensive skills. Against North Carolina last weekend, he led the Jayhawks with 22 points and five steals, including some timely shots that twisted the dagger deeper into the Tarheels.

There should be no doubting Thomas Robinson's importance. The only player in the country to make the Associated Press' Men's Basketball All-American team unanimously, Robinson stepped into a void left by the departed Morris twins, now playing in the NBA, and quickly established his own reputation. With Jared Sullinger sitting due to injury, Robinson mauled a weakened Ohio State defense on December 10th, scoring 21 points and drawing four shooting fouls. Robinson only missed two shots the entire game. He performed with equal ferocity on the defensive end, holding Sullinger's replacements, overmatched junior Evan Ravenel and true freshman Amir Williams, to 3-of-9 shooting.

After playing Robinson earlier this month, Rick Barnes, head coach at Texas, praised Robinson as the best player in the country. "I told him after the game, if I had a vote, he would be my vote for (national) player of the year," Barnes said. "I know he’s been through a lot the last couple years, but just the way he’s carried himself and playing against him, he’s terrific."

Robinson averaged 17.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game in the regular season. Along with Sullinger, he has frequently been mentioned as an NBA lottery pick in late June, should he declare, and he will offer a considerable challenge for Ohio State throughout the night. Against North Carolina and their talented forward, Tyler Zeller, he scored 18 points and collected nine rebounds, in addition to his work on defense, where he held Zeller to 12 points and six rebounds, numbers well below Zeller's average figures.

It's almost certain that Aaron Craft will guard Taylor directly the entire night and Sullinger will receive the momentous task presented by Thomas Robinson. It may be somewhat hyperbolic to say that the game depends upon these two battles, but perhaps not. I put more stock in Craft limiting Taylor, as he did in December, than Sullinger slowing Robinson, who has simply grown into too much of a force to stop. A stalemate between the two big men would leave the game in the hands of each team's supporting cast and make for an unpredictable finish.

With only four teams left, the national media spotlight has hovered over Ohio State and head coach Thad Matta the past few days. First up, we have a blog post from ESPN examining the rematch aspect to this year's Final Four. Behind that, Mark Rea of Scout.com has a piece on Chris Jent and his feelings about finally heading to the Final Four as a Buckeye.

After the jump, Dan Wetzel at Yahoo! writes about Thad Matta's rise and triumph as a head coach. Matta, the next article notes, will receive a nice bonus for his success this postseason. Finally, Yahoo! highlights William Buford as a player who has a particular stake in a strong Final Four performance.

College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN
For the first time since 1964, the national semifinals will feature two rematches of regular-season contests. That season, Duke avenged an early-season loss to Michigan and UCLA beat Kansas State for the second time. The Bruins beat the Blue Devils in the championship game to finish the season 30-0 as John Wooden won his first title.

Both of this year’s matchups occurred in December. On Dec. 10, Kansas beat Ohio State 78-67 in Lawrence, handing the Buckeyes their first loss of the season. Thomas Robinson scored 21 points to lead the Jayhawks while Tyshawn Taylor dished out a career-high 13 assists. One big difference this time around will be Jared Sullinger, who did not play in December because of back spasms. Ohio State shot just 39 percent from the floor while Kansas shot 58 percent.

Kentucky and Louisville met on New Year’s Eve in Lexington. In the first matchup between the two as top-five teams since Rick Pitino arrived in Louisville, the Wildcats won by seven points. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 24 points and pulled down 19 rebounds, becoming the first Kentucky player to have a 20-15 game against a top-five opponent in 15 seasons. Russ Smith scored a career-high 30 points off the bench for Louisville, but no starter scored in double figures.

Scout.com: Jent Headed To Final Four 20 Years Later
The airplane’s wheels were up from Boston and the Ohio State basketball team was on its way back to Columbus. Central Ohio, this time, is only a pit stop for a few days before the Buckeyes head south to New Orleans for the Final Four.

Thad Matta had just allowed it to sink in – his program will advance to the biggest stage in college basketball for the second time in eight years, now only two wins away from winning a national championship. This has to be the peak of basketball, Matta thought to himself. Then he looked a few seats over and saw assistant Chris Jent, a former NBA interim head coach in Orlando and an assistant for the Cleveland Cavaliers team that went to the NBA Finals.

"I asked him this compares to going to the NBA Finals as a coach," Matta said. "He told me, ‘well, we’ll see how I feel when I get there, but this is the greatest feeling because it is for Ohio State.’"

It has been 20 years since Chris Jent had a chance to make a 12-foot baseline jumper to send Ohio State to the Final Four, that time as a player. It was 1992 when Jent misfired on the biggest shot of his playing career, leaving the Buckeyes with a 75-71 overtime loss to Michigan’s Fab Five in the Southeast Region final in Lexington, Ky.

Had Jent made the shot, the Buckeyes would have won in overtime. Memories of the tears Jent shed in the postgame locker room are still fresh, and the now 42-year-old remembers the moments leading up to the shot as vividly as what he just ate for breakfast.

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Here are some relevant Final Four links, culled from the nether regions of the internet. First up, in preparation for the next hurdle, we have a game recap and brief analysis from ESPN on Kansas' Elite Eight victory over North Carolina. Then we have some quotes from Thad Matta and Jared Sullinger on the Buckeyes' victory over Syracuse. After the jump, John Gasaway takes a look at how fouls and turnovers affected the Bucks' win, and The Sporting News provides a background story on how Kansas grew as a team one fall afternoon.

Finally, we have links to video interviews, provided by Bucknuts, with the entire starting lineup and Thad Matta, including video of the trophy presentation and net-cutting ceremony.

Rapid Reaction: Kansas 80, N. Carolina 67 - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN
Overview: Tyshawn Taylor scored 22 points and Thomas Robinson added 18 to lead Kansas to a 13-point victory over North Carolina and a berth in the Final Four. The Jayhawks, the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region, will take on Ohio State on Saturday night in New Orleans. This marks the second time in four years that KU has advanced to college basketball's final weekend. The Jayhawks won the NCAA title in 2008.

This will also be the second Final Four appearance in Bill Self's career. The Kansas coach was 1-5 in the Elite Eight before Sunday. Sunday's win came against a North Carolina squad that was playing without All-America point guard Kendall Marshall, who ranks second in the nation in assists with 9.8 per game. Marshall injured his wrist in the round-of-32 victory over Creighton on March 18 and didn't play at all this weekend in St. Louis.

Still, top-seeded North Carolina gave KU all it could handle until the game's final few minutes, when a 3-pointer by Elijah Johnson stretched the Jayhawks' lead to 71-67 and ignited a 12-0, game-ending run. The score was tied 47-47 after a first half that saw UNC make 63 percent of its shots from the field, with KU hitting 56 percent. James Michael McAdoo had a team-high 15 points for North Carolina, which ends its season 32-6.

Final Four: Buckeyes To The Bayou!
"I thought that was a high level college basketball game, probably the way it's supposed to be in the Regional Finals," Matta said. "We beat a tremendous basketball team tonight. I’m very proud of these guys and what they've been able to accomplish thus far in the season."

Jared Sullinger led the Buckeyes with 19 points and seven rebounds despite spending nearly 14 minutes of the first half on the bench. Sullinger, who ended up 5 of 9 from the floor and 9 of 12 at the foul line, passed up a chance to leave school after his freshman year when it ended with a dissatisfying Sweet 16 loss to Kentucky. The All-American was rewarded for that decision with Saturday’s win and a trip to the Final Four. "I am speechless right now," Sullinger said. "I knew this was a chance for me to work on my game and elevate my game and win. That’s the biggest thing. I don’t like losing. This basketball team is working very hard."

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With Ohio State's 77-70 victory over Syracuse yesterday, the Buckeyes cemented a spot in the Final Four against the winner of Kansas-North Carolina, which tips off at 5:05 EST today. Primesport and TiqIQ, SB Nation's official ticket providers, have teamed together to offer early deals on the Final Four game. If you're considering a trip to New Orleans to support the Buckeyes, make a trip to TiqIQ first to examine your options. Tickets for semi-final action start around $200 - Check out deals for the entire weekend here: http://tiqiq.us/9Sa

What: #2 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. #1 Syracuse Orange

When: Saturday, March 24th; 7:05 p.m. EST

Where: Fleet Center; Boston, Massachusetts

Television: CBS

Orange Record: 34-2 (17-1 in-conference)

Opposing Coverage: Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician

In a year full of turmoil, the Syracuse Orange have just continued winning. Three games into the season, two former ball-boys accused assistant coach Bernie Fine of sexual abuse. Fine would be dismissed from the team weeks later, but the national perception of Syracuse basketball had been irreparably tarnished by the allegations. Then star center Fab Melo was declared ineligible for academic reasons. Melo was reinstated a few days later, after sitting games against Notre Dame, Cincinnati, and West Virginia, only to again be declared ineligible right before the NCAA Tournament. Despite it all, the Orange set a university record for wins in a single season, 34, and tied a Big East record with 17 conference victories.

Lacking the prodigious interior defense and rebounding of Melo, who stands tall and thick at 7''0 and 244 lbs, Syracuse had to navigate the tournament's early rounds without a real center, instead starting sophomore forward C.J. Fair. In victories against UNC-Asheville and Kansas State, Fair was on the floor for 15 minutes per game, making minimal impact, but received extended playing time against Wisconsin and led the Orange in points with 15. Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim effectively benched Rakeem Christmas, a freshman forward who started 34 previous games, opting for sparsely used sophomore center Baye Keita and increased minutes for Fair.

Whether Christmas or Keita start against Ohio State, the offensive effect will be minimal. The pair combined for a mere 22 points across the three games. The Syracuse offense, averaging 74 points per game, is driven by forward Kris Joseph and guards Brandon Triche and Scoop Jardine. A well-balanced offense, only Joseph averages double-digits per game, the rest hovering just beneath the ten point barrier. Ken Pomeroy, using his Adjusted Offense measure, ranks the Orange as the sixth best in the entire country, one spot ahead of the Buckeyes. Beyond the inactive Melo, Joseph and Fair are Syracuse's best rebounders, and they will battle Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas in the paint.

Syracuse's famed, often maligned 2-3 zone defense will be on full display. Boeheim recently lashed out against those who have criticized his allegiance to the zone, using his team's tournament success as vindication. "I never hear anybody yelling at [Duke coach] Mike Krzyzewski to go back and play zone," Boeheim said. "A guy gets two fouls in the first half, I don’t take him out. We can protect him."

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What: #2 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. #6 Cincinnati Bearcats

When: Thursday, March 21st; 9:00 p.m. EST

Where: Fleet Center; Boston, Massachusetts

Television: CBS or TNT

Bearcats Record: 26-10 (12-6 in-conference)

Opposing Coverage: Down the Drive

Fifty years ago, Cincinnati defeated Ohio State, 71-59, in the 1962 NCAA championship game. Since that loss, the two teams have only met once more, a 72-50 Buckeye victory in 2006 when the hapless Bearcats were in their first season under current head coach Mick Cronin. The rebuilding project complete, Cronin and a rejuvenated Cincinnati now have an opportunity to avenge their recent beating, while the Buckeyes can regain lost postseason honor for Fred Taylor, John Havlicek, Jerry Lucas, and the other members of the 1961-62 Scarlet and Grey.

Cronin's Bearcats finished fourth in the Big East--tied with Georgetown and South Florida--and won the conference tournament with a 50-44 slugfest victory over Louisville. Seeded sixth in the East region, the Bearcats handled Texas in the first round, 65-59, and then upset Florida State in a tight second round matchup. Trailing a point at halftime, the Bearcats and Seminoles traded buckets for the entire second half until senior guard Dion Dixon stole the ball and slammed home a dunk with 1:32 left on the clock. Cincinnati would only broaden the lead after that emphatic moment, sending the anguished Seminoles back to Tallahassee.

Sophomore guard Sean Kilpatrick led the Bearcats with 18 points, extending his role as Cincinnati's regular season lead scorer to the postseason. Kilpatrick owns a 42.6% shooting percentage and can be seen as a Bearcat William Buford. Both guards makes modest contributions to rebounding and defense but major contributions on the offensive end, taking, making, and missing many shots. It seems natural that Matta and Cronin would match the two with one another. If both coaches allow the pairing, the battle between Buford's jump-shot and Kilpatrick's deft hand could be a decisive one.

Beyond Kilpatrick, Cronin uses three other guards in his starting rotation. The aforementioned Dixon adds 13 points per game, but it's junior point guard Cashmere Wright that orchestrates Crolin's offense. Wright leads the Bearcats in assists and steals, and he'll face Aaron Craft directly throughout the night. Wright isn't quite the scorer that Craft has guarded in past games, but his movement opens the offense for Kipatrick, Dixon, and the last member of the quadumvirate, junior JaQuon Parker. Parker averages 9 points per game and holds a 41.7% shooting percentage, but he's a bit player, having attempted the fewest number of shots in the group.

Cronin's four-guard offense has contributed to an impressively low turnover rate, 16.4%, besting even the Buckeyes' 17.7%., yet it works only with a big presence down below. Forward Yancy Gates, standing tall and strong at 6''7 and 260 lbs., provides that presence and then some. Gates is a bruiser and grinder, especially on the defensive boards, and he will work against Jared Sullinger, rubbing elbow grease against the Buckeye power forward.

According to Ken Pomeroy's Adjusted Defense measure, Cincinnati has the 22nd best defense in the country, making them the toughest defense Ohio State has faced so far in the tourney. Much of that toughness comes from Gates, who led Cincinnati to a double-overtime victory against Georgetown in the Big East quarterfinals with 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals. Without Gates, the Bearcats would have no talented size, which strengthens the case that he's Cincinnati most valuable player if only for scarcity purposes.

Vegas, depending upon the particular establishment, projects Ohio State as 7 or 8-point favorites. The outcome, I think, will be one of two strands. Either Ohio State will roll from the beginning, or the teams will trade blows until the end in a close defensive struggle, à la Cincinnati and Florida State. If Gates cannot handle Sullinger, Cincinnati will never win the game, but if the bulky forwards struggle to a tired standstill, the outcome will depend upon which team can shoot and defend the floor better. That Matta, a devious mind at work, may resort to a zone defense from the outset should he want to keep Deshaun Thomas on the floor and force a size mismatch.

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It's on to the Sweet Sixteen! After an exciting first weekend, the college tourney heads to the regional games. Bigger stage, bigger match-ups, with bigger excitement surely on the way.

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What: #2 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. #7 Gonzaga Bulldogs

When: Saturday, March 17th; 2:00 p.m. EST

Where: CONSOL Energy Center; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Television: TNT

Bulldogs Record: 26-6 (13-3 in-conference)

Opposing Coverage: The Slipper Still Fits

With the nation's 93rd-ranked schedule difficulty and 23rd-ranked RPI, Gonzaga enters today's contest against Ohio State well-versed in big games. The Zags went 5-4 against RPI top-50 competition this season and finished second in the West Coast Conference, behind Saint Mary's. Two days ago, Gonzaga walloped West Virginia, 77-54, amidst a barrage of 3-point shots. The Zags had an effective Field Goal percentage thirty percent higher than the Mountaineers, 65 percent to 35 percent, and hit 9 of 17 attempts from behind the arc, sinking the Mountaineer defense.

Following the game, West Virginia's players expressed their shock at their opponent's physicality. "Gonzaga came out tougher, more aggressive, more energized than we were," Mountaineer forward Kevin Jones said. "You see the result of it. They were the better team."

Coming from a smaller conference, toughness was a question mark hanging about the Zags before the tournament began. Senior center Robert Sacre seemingly answered that question against West Virginia, however, leading Gonzaga in scoring with 14 points and six rebounds. Sacre's inside presence matters so much for Gonzaga, because they are primarily a perimeter shooting team. He balances sharpshooting guards Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell and rangy forward Elias Harris. All three Zags shoot above 40% from 3-point range.

Ohio State will need a stronger start than against Loyola. The Buckeyes were lackadaisical in their defensive sets and allowed Loyola to stick around throughout the first half. Aaron Craft will have a tougher opponent on his hands with Pangos, who played well against West Virginia, going 5-for-7 and adding five assists. Pangos, although a freshman, runs the Gonzaga offense expertly, establishing sets and moving the ball where it needs to be.

The Buckeye's success today, I think, hinges on how well they defend the perimeter shot and how well Jared Sullinger plays on the offensive end. The Zags are no pushovers, but they don't have anyone as talented as Sullinger, and the gameplan needs to reflect that. There are no Draymond Greens or Adrieane Paynes waiting on the other end, so Sullinger should have a big game.

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