Clone Chronicles

ISU Women's NCAA Sunday Preview

2010-03-21T14:49:07Z

I'm not going to sit here and pretend I know a lot about women's basketball. I don't. I've been to some games this year, and have rooted for the Cyclones, but it's a very different game than the men.

That said, I'm going to the 1st Round of the NCAA Tournament hosted here in Ames, at Hilton Coliseum. First round action includes #5 Virginia vs. #12 Green Bay, and #4 ISU vs. #13 Lehigh.

Here's what I know about Lehigh: They've won 16 games in a row, are Patriot League Champs, have the 14th best defense in that they allow only 54.5 ppg, and aren't the greatest of rebounding teams (average rebound margin is +0.8). Scoring-wise they are pretty balanced amongst all 5 of their starters, ranging from 13.9 ppg to 7.1 ppg.

ISU has a better defense (53.2 ppg) and better rebounding margin (average is +8.5).

It should be an interesting game, as both teams are look to be blue prints of each other. Just looks like ISU executes a little better, and has better players. I could easily see this as a grind-it-out type of a game that ISU wins by 6 or 8 points. Lehigh doesn't shoot it particuarly well, so if ISU can take advantage of the boards, it could be much larger.

I have a good feeling about ISU's chances. ISU is going to be ready to play, and they've shown they can win up-tempo higher scoring games, but they can also slow it down, grind it out on defense, and win that way too. That's just a sign of good coaching, and having players that can be adjust.

I'll save my thoughts about Virginia until we have it confirmed that ISU is playing them on Tuesday. In short, it's going to be a tough game, and it's good that ISU will be playing at home. I will be going to the earlier game at 6pm (I believe), so I will have some more material to base my preview for that game off of.

The ISU game tips off at around 8:30pm tonight on ESPN2. Of course, you can always come to Hilton if you live in Central Iowa!

Also, let's use this thread to discuss Virginia vs. Green Bay and ISU vs. Lehigh if you're following along from your computer and want to share your thoughts.

Varner and Zabriskie Are 2010 NCAA Champions

2010-03-21T02:41:49Z

The action was on ESPN, and it was cool to watch Varner and Zabriskie end their collegiate careers the best possible way you can: Champions!

Not really a lot else to add, other than a lot of credit goes out to Long for finishing runner-up in the 125 pound weight class. As expected Iowa dominated the field, and ISU finished 3rd, similar to last year.

Over the next couple of years, Jackson and his coaching staff will be put to the test, trying to reload a talented team.

I wish the team as a whole could've done better, but it was awesome watching these guys on ESPN, repping ISU to the fullest!

Who You Got? 2nd Round Weekend Edition

2010-03-20T16:03:07Z

More photos » Tony Gutierrez - AP

Bummed about KU losing? Just gotta hug it out

Browse more photos »

Open thread for anyone wanting to weigh in on the NCAA Tournament. This thread will be used for both Saturday AND Sunday. I'm going to weigh in here with my thoughts and you can also find me on Twitter (@Mark_Kieffer for me, @CloneChronicles for the blog in general) too.

Saturday Teams I Want To Win: St. Mary's, Butler, Ohio, Kansas, Washington, Baylor, BYU, and Wake Forest

Now, in my bracket, I didn't have St. Mary's, Ohio, UNI, Washington, or Wake Forest advance, but others did, and the teams they are playing I have losing by the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight.

Sunday Teams I Want To Win: Gonzaga, Ohio St, Maryland, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Xavier, A&M, and Duke

A much less upset kind of a rooting day than Saturday. But that's the way the scheduling goes. I want to get some of my Elite Eight and Final Four teams right.

My Elite Eight is all still alive: Kansas, Ohio St, Syracuse, BYU, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Duke, and Baylor. Only reason why I want Gonzaga over Syracuse is because someone I'm playing with has them cutting down the nets, and I'd like to see them eliminated!

How's your bracket looking going into the 2nd round, and who are you rooting for today and tomorrow?

ISU NCAA Wrestling Update Going Into The Final Day

2010-03-20T06:24:38Z

Well, as predicted, the Hawkeyes are going to win their 3rd straight national title. What casual fans don't get about the state of NCAA Wrestling is that it isn't like Football or Basketball. There are sizable dropoffs every one or two spots. Being ranked means that you have a pulse. If you aren't ranked, you are a joke.

Anyhow, here's the quick update on how everyone for ISU fared going into the final session on Saturday:

125: #5 Andrew Long -> In the finals, wrestling McDonough from Iowa

133: #10 Nick Fanthrope -> Eliminated Friday night

141: Dalton Jensen -> Eliminated Friday morning

149: #7 Mitch Mueller -> Eliminated Friday night

157: Andrew Sorensen -> Eliminated Thursday night (for those curious Cyler Sanderson is guarenteed at least 6th place).

165: #4 Jon Reader -> Eliminated Friday night. This one hurt, considering how well he did last year. in general, anytime you're seeded 4th, you gotta place in the tournament if you want to do some damage.

174: Duke Burk -> Eliminated Friday morning

184: Jerome Ward -> Eliminated Friday morning

197: #1 Jake Varner -> In the Championship against #2 Brester from Nebraska

HWT: #1 David Zabriskie -> In the Championship against #2 Rosholt from Oklahoma State

In the standings, Iowa State is in 3rd place, and will likely finish there. I have to say on a team-level it's disappointing to bring all 10 guys, and only have 3 alive. You have to have guys place in the Top 8 to really make an impact. Iowa is going to have 8 All-Americans, while ISU is going to have 3. Hell, Cornell, Wisconsin, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and others will have more All-Americans than ISU.

When comparing to last year, ISU had 4 All-Americans (Gallick (3rd), Reader (4th), Varner (1st), Zabriskie (5th)). It was a disappointing tournament. I knew we weren't going to catch the Hawks. We just aren't a good tournament team. In some respects the team improved with being more aggressive, and having 3 guys in the Championship is better than last year. But, there is an issue with the middle to lower part of the pack for ISU. It just seems like guys to as expected or worse. In team tournaments, you need to have guys to better than expected, with performing as expected as the worst.

ISU is a good wrestling team. They are just in a different class, and they were never going to be in it this year. I hope Long, Varner, and Zabriskie can pull off the Championships in their weight class. For Long, he has a bright future (he's a redshirt Freshmen). For Varner and Big Z, winning the crown (2nd one in a row for Varner) would be a great way to end their collegiate career.

Who You Got? Friday First Round Edition

2010-03-19T13:00:35Z

More photos » Gerry Broome - AP

I've got Gary Williams and Maryland going to the Sweet 16. But they gotta beat a scrappy Houston team first!

Browse more photos »

Thursday was an awesome day. Will Friday follow suit? Hard to imagine, but it would surely be awesome!

Key teams I need to win today: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Utah State, and Maryland.

Teams I'd like to see win today (but don't necessarily need): Cornell, Oakland, and New Mexico St. ..Of course I would gladly throw my bracket out the window (I'll probably have to after today anyways), to see a #15 or #16 seed win. That would be awesome.

Should be a fun day. Who are you eyeing on this Friday, and how's your bracket looking? I only got 10 of 16 right, but it could've easily been 12 or 13.

Who You Got? Thursday Bracket Edition

2010-03-18T15:00:54Z

More photos » Sue Ogrocki - AP

Brigham Young guard Jimmer Fredette, left, and teammate Jonathan Tavernari reach for a loose ball during an NCAA west regional college basketball practice, Wednesday, March 17, 2010, in Oklahoma City... I've got BYU going far, but they first have to take care of business against Florida!

Browse more photos »

Open thread for fellow NCAA Bracketers out there. Share your thoughts about the NCAA tournament here? Want to brag about your flawless bracket? Talk about it here? Sad because your Final Four team lost today, and want to vent? This is the place for that too!

It's Time to Rage: NCAA Wrestling Championships '10

2010-03-18T04:50:29Z

While other universities participate in some abomination of a postseason, throwing a ball through a hoop-shaped cylinder, the two largest schools in Iowa will be getting down and dirty at the NCAA Wrestling Championships. Consider this your open thread for Thursday. Iowa State comes in ranked second, behind archrival Iowa. Iowa's matchups are below the fold.

133 pounds
Thursday Morning

#5 Andrew Long [RS FR] (23-6) vs. Ryan Mango (Stanford) [FR] (24-13)

Thursday Night
vs. #12 Ben Kjar (Utah Valley State) [RS JR] (30-8) OR Steven Keith (Harvard) [FR] (20-10)

Previous Meetings-2010
NO Previous Meetings with Mango, Kjar or Keith

If Iowa State wants any chance at a title this year, Long has to bulldoze through on Thursday, and he has to do it big. Long's last two wins have been by fall, and two of the last three before that by tech fall. Long needs to be an early source of points for the Clones.

133 pounds
Thursday Morning

#10 Nick Fanthorpe [SR] (16-7) vs. Cortland Choate (Brown) [FR] (12-11)

Thursday Night
vs. #7 Mike Grey (Cornell) [JR] (35-6) OR Ben Ashmore (Arizona State) [RS JR] (18-12)

Previous Meetings-2010
1-0 vs. Grey (W-D, 6-3)
1-0 vs. Ashmore (W-MD, 12-3)

Fanthorpe can be another source of early points for ISU. He shouldn't have much trouble during the morning match, and he's beaten each of his two possible opponents for Thursday night. Fanthorpe finished 7th last year, so he needs to shake off some of the negative thoughts from this year and wrestle up to his capabilities.

141 pounds
Thursday Morning

Dalton Jensen [SO] (13-14) vs. #4 Reece Humphrey (Ohio State) [RS JR] (29-3)

Thursday Night
vs. Michael Mangrum (Oregon State) [RS FR] (28-10) OR Mike Koehnlein (Nebraska) [JR] (18-15)

Previous Meetings-2010
0-1 vs. Humphrey (L-D, 6-5)
2-1 vs. Koehnlein (W-D, 11-6; L-D, 4-2; W-MD, 11-2)

Jensen will likely have to be a source of points in wrestlebacks this year - he's talented but inexperienced. However, don't write him off early, as he lost to Humphrey by just one point at the National Duals, holding an early 3-2 lead in the match. Jensen and Koehnlein are very familiar with each other, with Jensen having a big win at the Big 12 Championships.

149 pounds
Thursday Morning

#7 Mitch Mueller [SR] (25-8) vs. Frank Gayeski (Liberty) [RS SR] (26-6)

Thursday Night
vs. #10 Barrett Abel (UC Davis) [RS JR] (21-7) OR Anthony D'Alie (Central Michigan) [RS SR] (17-6)

Previous Meetings-2010
NO Previous Meetings with Gayeski, Abel or D'Alie

Mueller, who went 3-2 last year at the NCAA Championships, is another guy that needs to make some early magic for the Clones. He has two winnable matchups and should advance into the quarterfinals.

157 pounds
Thursday Morning

Andrew Sorensen [RS SO] (26-7) vs. Anthony Jones (Michigan State) [JR] (12-17)

Thursday Night
vs. #3 Jesse Dong (Virginia Tech) [SO] (34-3) OR Joseph Booth (Drexel) [RS FR] (21-7)

Previous Meetings-2010
NO Previous Meetings with Jones, Dong or Booth

Sorenson lucks out a bit with a first round matchup against a below-.500 wrestler, but it'll get a lot more difficult in a hurry. Hope for a big win Thursday morning and then pray Thursday night.

165 pounds
Thursday Morning

#4 Jon Reader [JR] (22-4) vs. Chris Brown (Old Dominion) [RS SR] (29-3)

Thursday Night
vs. Matt Kaylor (Binghamton) [RS SO] (29-3) OR Robby Neill (Navy) [JR] (24-14)

Previous Meetings-2010
NO Previous Meetings with Brown, Kaylor or Neill

Reader will face two unseeded wrestlers tomorrow and he needs to capitalize with bonus points.

174 pounds
Thursday Morning

Duke Burk [SR] (17-13) vs. #10 Jordan Blanton (Illinois) [SO] (14-7)

Thursday Night
vs. #7 Ben Bennett (Central Michigan) [RS FR] (21-5) OR Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) [RS FR] (18-10)

Previous Meetings-2010
1-0 vs. Blanton (W-D, 9-8)

Burk has had a dismal year, but is coming off a third place showing at the Big 12 Championships and owns a win over his first round opponent. Upset or not, Burk needs to beat Blanton again to try and pick up a few points.

184 pounds
Thursday Morning

Jerome Ward [RS SO] (18-9) vs. #1 Kirk Smith (Boise State) [JR] (25-0)

Thursday Night
vs. Travis Rutt (Wisconsin) [SO] (16-11) OR Nathan Schiedel (Binghamton) [RS FR] (30-7)

Previous Meetings-2010
NO Previous Meetings with Smith, Rutt or Schiedel

Ward gets a difficult draw, but he's familiar with Smith, losing to him twice last year by 3-1 decisions. Unfortunately, after a hot start, WArd has cooled off drastically towards the end of the year. The hope with Ward is that he is not eliminated tomorrow.

197 pounds
Thursday Morning

#1 Jake Varner [SR] (26-0) vs. Matt Casperson (Boise State) [RS JR] (18-15)

Thursday Night
vs. Riley Orozco (CSU Baker) [RS JR] (18-15) OR Lamar Brown (Rutgers) [RS SR] (25-9)

Previous Meetings-2010
NO Previous Meetings with Casperson, Orozco or Brown.

Varner is 90-4 in his last 94 matches, has not lost yet this year and doesn't need to start now.

285 pounds
Thursday Morning
#1 David Zabriskie [SR] (21-2) vs. Eric Bugenhagen (Wisconsin) [RS JR] (16-18)

Thursday Night
vs. Eddie Bordas (Rider) [SR] (32-7) OR Eric Nye (Arizona State) [RS SR] (21-13)

Previous Meetings
1-0 vs. Nye (W-D, 3-1)

Zabriskie also gets two unseeded opponents on Thursday. He wrestles dangerously, so he needs to avoid the upset. Bonus points would be surprising and welcomed.

Iowa's matches:

125 pounds:

#3 Matt McDonough [RS FR] (32-1) vs. Erin Morrill (Edinboro) [RS JR] (31-7) OR Jason Lara (Oregon State) [RS SO] (33-7)

133 pounds:

#2 Daniel Dennis [RS SR] (18-3) vs. Kevin Smith (Buffalo) [RS SO] (27-11)

141 pounds:

#6 Montell Marion [RS SO] (23-5) vs. Cole VonOhlen (Air Force) [FR] (31-7)

149 pounds:

#2 Brent Metcalf [RS SR] (31-1) vs. Trenton Washington (Northern Iowa) [RS SO] (15-3)

157 pounds:

Jake Kerr [RS JR] (11-9) vs. Tejovan Edwards [SO] (14-11)

165 pounds:

#7 Ryan Morningstar [RS SR] (26-6) vs. Donald Jones (West Virginia) [RS SR] (20-10)

174 pounds:

#2 Jay Borschel [RS JR] (32-0) vs. Scott Giffin (Penn) [RS JR] (23-5)

184 pounds:

#9 Phil Keddy [RS SR] (23-7) vs. Michael Salopek (Virginia) [RS FR] (27-8)

197 pounds:

#9 Chad Beatty [RS SR] (14-3) vs. Alan Gelogaev (Oklahoma State) [RS SO] (25-7)

285 pounds:

#5 Dan Erekson [RS SR] (12-0) vs. Clayton Jack (Oregon State) [RS SO] (34-9)

Some Last Minute Advice For Your Bracket Pool: 2010 Edition

2010-03-17T13:00:34Z

It's go time! You've got only 1 more day until the Dance, and you've gotta make your brackets final. Below are some tips for those of you mulling over your bracket, and others for anyone who's playing in a Bracket Pool.

1. Don't watch any College Basketball... Oh dang, too late huh? Guess you'll have to pocket that for next season! I've never met a College Basketball Fanatic who has one a big tournament pool. It typically goes to those that pick based on location or mascot.

2. Which takes me to #2. Always go with the best mascot if you're having a hard time pick. I know it doesn't sound logical, but neither is the first round at times!

3. We overrate upsets. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying upsets aren't significant, I'm just saying that we throw the term "upset" out there just because a 12 seed beats a 5 seed. In this day and age the 8 vs. 9, 7 vs. 10, 6 vs. 11, and 5 vs. 12 are closer than the casual fan thinks. Why are these such tossups? Because typically you have a solid mid-major against an inconsistent BCS team. The only real upsets in my mind are when #13s, #14s, and #15s win (#16s too if that ever happens). And those, happen far less. When a #12 seed is winning over 40% of the time, it's hard to call it an upset. If that clip is closer to 10-15%, then it qualifies, which is where the #13-15 seeds lie.

4. Don't stress about the upsets in the early rounds. If you play in a standard pool, each subsequent round is weighted higher than the previous. The key is getting the Elite 8 and Final Four as close as possible. If you miss that #13 seed winning in the first round, but your Final Four is intact, you've still got a good chance to win, even if you're a little behind at the moment. Who cares if Houston gets Maryland and you get it wrong? Is isn't like you had Maryland beating KU anyways, right? The only case where this doesn't apply is if you play in a gigantic pool. Then you want to get as many picks possible. Now, if one of your deep teams gets upset early, then your bracket is ruined.

5. If you play multiple brackets, then STFU. Serious. I'm not talking about taking the same bracket and playing multiple pools. I'm talking about creating multiple brackets with different picks. Nobody is going to be impressed if you got Wofford over Wisconsin, if in another bracket you had Wisconsin over Wofford. You have no skill, you're just too afraid to lose. Play one bracket and go with it. Easier to keep track, and much more fun.

6. Do not listen to Jay Bilas. You'll thank me later.

7. The people at your work aren't going to have a higher opinion of you, based on your bracket. You aren't going to get that key promotion or raise because you had Kentucky losing to Texas in the 2nd round. The best way to impress people at work, is to do a good job.... at work.

8. Most overrated talking point: The fact that the two teams KU lost to are in their region. First off, if you think Tennessee or Oklahoma State is getting to the Elite Eight, then props to you. Second, if those teams pulled off a couple of unexpected wins, they would face each other in the Sweet 16. If you are looking at KU going far, I'd worry much more about Maryland and Michigan State than the others.

9. Second most overrated talking point: WVU not getting a #1 seed. If WVU ends up getting beat by any of the lower seeds in their bracket, then it just proves they aren't deserving. Let's see where they're at in the Elite 8, and then we'll talk.

10. Don't sleep on Wisconsin. I think they are the best #4 seed, could make a deep run, and no one is talking about them. Why? Because defense wins close ball games. Also, because it's much harder to have an off "defensive" day if you're a good defensive team, than it is to have an off shooting day, if you're a good offensive team. At least that's what I'm going with.

11. Do sleep on New Mexico. They are a sexy pick right now, but when they get to the 2nd round, I see trouble for them against Marquette or Washington.

12. Minnesota is poised for a notable run. A team that underachieved earlier in the year, and has more talent than the '#11' by their name.

13. Weakest #1 Seed: Syracuse. Thing is they play in the easiest region in my mind, and will go further than they should. They won't be the first #1 to get eliminated, but they will not make it to the Final Four. And no, this has nothing to do with Wesley Johnson.

14. If you are hoping to win your pool, ignore #11 -#14. By me writing what I did, Wofford will win in the first round, New Mexico will get to the Elite 8, Minnesota will lose in the first round, and Syracuse will get cutting down the nets in Indy! Did I mention, that I always lose these pools?

15a. Have fun! Don't enter in pools thinking you're going to win money. I hear of people dropping hundreds hoping to win thousands. Stupid. Don't skip out on your child support, just to try to impress a group of people how witty you are. Play a pool with 20-30 people at $5-$10 each. If you suck it up, you're only out $5-10, but if you get lucky, you've got a nice little cashout.

15b. Have fun! If your bracket is shattered by the time the first weekend is over, don't let that ruin the experience of watching arguably the best sporting event there is.

~~For the record my Final Four is Kansas, K-State, Wisconsin, and Duke~~, EDIT: I made the change of having Kansas, BYU, Wisconsin, and Duke, with KU winning it all over Duke... Big reason why I made the change this morning is because I think K-State plays down to their opponent's level. I really think BYU will knock them off in the 2nd round... If you're a fan of any of my Final Four teams, this means that you probably aren't going to win it all. Sorry!

If you have any additional bracket tips from your experiences, post it here. Also, feel free who you got!

Twitter And Radio Talk Show Hosts: A Cautious Tale

2010-03-17T02:17:48Z

It doesn't matter what your opinions on Twitter are, it's something that's out there and being used by millions of people daily, including most of the SBNation blogs and myself (@CloneChronicles for the blog, and @Mark_Kieffer for me).

What I like about Twitter is that I can interact with people (where else could I interact with Shaq?), get breaking news, and get a feeling of the vibe that's out there in the world. I realize it's not for everybody, and this isn't a post to try and get you to be involved with Twitter if it isn't your thing.

Amongst the people that are out on Twitter are Journalists, and members of the media, particularly radio show hosts. Radio Show Hosts are trying to use Twitter to promote their show, their agenda, and whatever else. What's cool about that, is that the local guys have a small enough following, that you can routinely interact with them. I know for me, there were times when I want to call into a radio show, but couldn't, and sent a tweet to the host with my take, and he responded. Kind of neat!

Well, as I learned on Selection Sunday, there is a dark side to Twitter as well. Apparently local radio show hosts are not well equipped to deal with this new level of interaction.

Enter, @sportstalkmatt, better known around these parts (and Omaha) as Matt Perrault, host of the "Matt & Miller" show in KXnO. Now Matt is a guy who is very opinionated and polarizing. He's a guy you're going to agree with 10% of the time, and disagree with about 90% of the time, depending on the topic. But in the past, I've had decent interactions online with Matt. I thought that he was a decent person to follow on Twitter, because he posts crazy, random stuff that you'd never agree with (although it's entertaining), and there's a good chance he'll respond to your comments to him.

**Now before I proceed, I want to be clear about something. Matt's tweets are public. When he responds to a follower, everyone can see the response, by going to his Twitter page. I always handle e-mails and private messages as off the record (unless the e-mailer and pmer is OK with me share), and nothing I'm sharing was said in private**

Ok, back to the story. Now it was Selection Sunday, and the big news around Iowa was where UNI would get seeded, as they're the only quasi-local team doing any kind of postseason. In short, he was outraged that UNI was seeded 9th and shared via Twitter. I was surprised how outraged he was, considering UNI played in a 1-bid conference, played 0 ranked opponents, and lost to a horrible Evansville team. Nevertheless, he was outraged about something that in the scheme of things wasn't going to matter (UNI isn't going to cut down the nets in Indy, sorry).

I told Matt:

UNI is unathletic. They get what they deserve. Why does it matter where they go, if they aren't that good to begin with? They aren't going to beat UNLV in the first round, relax

I will admit that my take is debatable, and was curious what his rebuttal would be. He was quick and to the point:

You really don't know what the fuck you are talking about - you cover sports?!! Sad

I am not going to lie, that wasn't quite the response I was expecting. He had to go personal and swear? Seriously? He's a guy I've had conversations with on Twitter before, I've even called into his show! And that isn't even the bad part.

The bad part is that just about a week ago, Matt spent an ENTIRE show devoted to the Jamie Pollard e-mail to Matt Rainey. Matt went on the offensive about Pollard's edgy response to an ISU fan, but he's perfectly fine with cussing out one of his Twitter followers, and radio show listeners.

Needless to say, I wait about 15-20 minutes, and gave him the chance to see this point above, and all he said was that I am a joke.

To me, that shows me enough about what the guy is all about. No longer am I a listener to that station on my drive from home. Big deal, right? I'm just one guy. Fine. But these sorts of things work themselves out. If you go to his page now, you will see that those personal attacks are now deleted from his page. If a guy can't stand by what he says, then he isn't the kind of person I want to interact with anyways.

Just a cautious tale to those of you out there on Twitter, or entertaining the idea. It's a great place to interact with people and get information. Just realize that if you disagree with a radio or TV personality about something that's trivial, that you could get cussed out. I learned the hard way, and I don't want to see anyone's feelings hurt.

With sports we're passionate about it, and I can get emotional about this stuff. But I promise to you that by posting comments on here or following on Twitter/Facebook, or having a conversation with me, I won't disrespect you for the public to see. I have my opinions, but the main reason why I do this is because I want to know what you, the reader thinks. I really do. I love talking sports and debating topics, so do not think just because I have a take on a particular issue, that we cannot talk about it.

To all those quasi-known people out there that are exploring Twitter. If you can't handle interactions with fans/supporters/listeners/viewers, then maybe Twitter isn't for you. It clearly isn't the place for sportstalkmatt.

Who You Got In Your Bracket? (Lower Tier Edition)

2010-03-16T17:19:39Z

More photos » Randy Snyder - AP

Marshall's Shaquille Johnson is going to be cutting down the nets when they win the CIT! Who you got?

Browse more photos »

So who you got? No, I'm not talking about Kansas/Kentucky/Purdue/Cornell. I'm talking about the other action! You know, NIT, CBI, CIT!

Who you got in those office pools?!.... Say what? What do you mean your office doesn't have a CBI pool?! Serious?! You mean you don't throw down $50 predicting who will win the CBI, hoping that the winnings can pay for your ISU season tickets next year? Well then! If you're going to read this feature, just pretend that you've got a lot on the line, or that you really care about the results. It will be more ~~fun~~ interesting that way!

Honestly, all this bracket talk is stressing me out. I mean, I've got Butler winning in the first round, but everyone on TV is trying to tell me they won't! Then you've got Jay Bilas somehow having Cornell going deep, even though they play a good-ass Temple team in the first round! I hate stressing like this, and wish these guys would stop! I mean, if you ain't got Utah St going to the Sweet 16, then you're doing something wrong....right?

At this point, I'm ready for these guys to shutup and see some ball. I mean, it's all a crapshoot for the most part, and these guys get paid to beat this to death. I always use logic, and reason to make my NCAA brackets, and I typically get last in the office pools. While others are talking about Winthrop vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, I just can't get amped to watch two teams play for the right to get creamed by Duke.

The good news is that some of the attention can be diverted because the NIT, CBI, and CIT all start today. I'm not really endorsing these tournaments, because they remind me of the overpopulation of College Bowl games.These are groups trying to capitalize on March Madness and put on their own tournament, but only the NIT is though provoking (and that may be eliminiated when the field of 65 expands to 96).

I do like the NIT. I honestly can get into it. I think it's quality basketball after the first round, it's covered by ESPN, meaning I can watch almost all the games. The Final Four in Madison Square Garden is as fun to watch (for me) as the Final Four of the NCAA tournament. What's also great is you get NIT during the week, then NCAA on the weekend (with a spinkle of NIT in there), then NIT during the week. If you're a big college basketball fan like myself, it helps get you ready and hold you over for the NCAA Tournament.

After the jump, I'm going to predict (for real) the "other" tournaments. You might be asking yourself why a Cyclone Blog would be doing this, and the answer is pretty much this: I love talking College Basketball and HATE the fact that my team's season is over.... But am glad they aren't playing in the CBI (more on this later)

Onto the predictions!

OK, these predictions are in order of when the game is played (in CST), along with the time and channel (if applicable) is on. Bolded team is my predicted winner

NIT

Round 1

Region 3 #4 UConn vs. #5 Northeastern - Tonight, 6pm ESPN 2
Region 4 #2 UAB vs. #7 Coast Carolina - Tonight, 7pm
Region 4 #3 South Florida vs. #6 NC St - Tonight, 7pm ESPNU
Region 2 #4 Seton Hall vs. #5 Texas Tech - Tonight, 8pm ESPN2
Region 4 #4 UNC vs. #5 William & Mary - Tonight, 8:30pm ESPN
Region 4 #1 Mississippi St vs. #8 Jackson St - Tonight, 9pm ESPNU
Region 2 #1 Arizona St vs. #8 Jacksonville - Tonight, 10pm ESPN2
Region 3 #2 Rhode Island vs. #7 Northwestern - Tomorrow, 6pm ESPNU
Region 3 #1 Va Tech vs. #8 Quinnipiac - Tomorrow, 6pm
Region 1 #2 Cincy vs. #7 Weber St. - Tomorrow, 6pm ESPN2
Region 1 #3 Dayton vs. #6 Illinois St - Tomorrow, 6pm
Region 1 #4 Kent St. vs. #5 Tulsa - Tomorrow, 6pm
Region 2 #2 Mississippi vs. #7 Troy - Tomorrow, 7pm
Region 3 #3 Wichita St vs. #6 Nevada - Tomorrow, 7pm
Region 2 #3 Memphis vs. #6 St. John's - Tomorrow, 8pm ESPN2
Region 1 #1 Illinois vs. #8 Stony Brook - Tomorrow, 8pm ESPNU

The second day of the 1st Round gets kind of screwed by the TV coverage. The early rounds there really are some big mismatches, mostly because you have teams that are NCAA-good (like VA Tech) vs. others that are just happy to be in the dance. It will be a lot more interesting after the opening round.

The rest of the schedule dependent on what the matchups are, so I'm just going to make my picks by region

Round 2

Region 1 #1 Illinois vs. #5 Tulsa
Region 1 #2 Cincy vs. #3 Dayton
Region 2 #1 Arizona St vs. #4 Seton Hall
Region 2 #2 Mississippi vs. #3 Memphis
Region 3 #1 Virginia Tech vs. #4 UConn
Region 3 #3 Wichita St vs. #7 Northwestern
Region 4 #1 Mississippi St vs. #4 UNC
Region 4 #2 UAB vs. #6 NC-St

Round 3

Region 1 #1 Illinois vs. #3 Dayton
Region 2 #3 Memphis vs. #4 Seton Hall
Region 3 #1 Virginia Tech vs. #7 Northwestern
Region 4 #1 Mississippi St vs. #6 NC-St

Final Four:

#3 Dayton vs. #3 Memphis
#1 VA Tech vs. #1 Mississippi St
#1 VA Tech vs. #3 Dayton

So I've got the Hokies cutting down the nets at Madison Square Garden, in a hard fought battle with Dayton. Looking at the matchups from the 2nd Round and on, no matter where it goes, it's going to be fun to watch.

Now, onto the CBI. If you are easiy offended, or have fears of looking at ugly things, you might want to stop reading.... Because the dropoff is big from the NIT here with probably one exception.

CBI

Round 1

Region 1 Indiana St @ Saint Louis
Region 1 Green Bay @ Akron
Region 2 VCU @ George Washington
Region 2 Charleston @ Eastern Kentucky
Region 3 Boston University @ Oregon St
Region 3 Colorado St @. Morehead St
Region 4 IUPUI @ Hofstra
Region 4 Duquesne @ Princeton

Wow, what a brutal tournament. I'm not going to lie. It's a pretty tough one to endorse. I feel bad for VCU, a team that's as good as any of the NIT teams (they are very similar to Illinois). Not only do they get snubbed from the NIT, but they have to play an away game in this tournament... Also, there were rumors floating of the CBI wanting Iowa State, and I'm SO glad that we didn't entertain that thought. I just couldn't get excited to play any of these teams. Reminds me too much of the Non-Conference scheduling. Anyhow, I've gotten this far, so let's finish this tournament off!

Round 2

Region 1 Saint Louis vs. Akron
Region 2 VCU vs. Charleston
Region 3 Oregon St vs. Colorado St
Region 4 Hofstra vs. Princeton

Final Four/Finals

Saint Louis vs. VCU
Oregon St vs. Hofstra
VCU vs. Hofstra (in two games), best of 3

CIT

There is no bracket, as they reseed based on results. So, I'm going to pick opening round winners, and the team I think is the best. It's too bad none of this is on TV, only because I'd like to see what Larry Eustachy looks like on the sidelines these days. Is he still crazy, or more mellow? I didn't get to watch any CUSA action this year, so I don't know.

Round 1:

Fairfield @ George Mason
W. Carolina @ Marshall
South Dakota @ Creighton
Harvard @ Appalachin St
Midd Tenn St @ Missouri St
Portland @ Northern Colorado
Pacific @ Loyola Marymount
Southern Miss @ LA Tech

At the end of the day, I think Marshall finds a way to win the whole thing. They got screwed as well. Same record as UAB (a #2 seed in the NIT), and they end up two tournaments below it.

So back to the original question, who you got in the NIT, CBI, and CIT (Remember, you supposed to still be pretending that you've spent a crapton on each, hoping to win that giant pool of cash)?

Likely tomorrow, we'll get back on track and talk about the NCAA Bracket a little bit more, along with some ways to ensure you lose the entire thing! Just had to take a much needed break of analyzing brackets.

ISU Women Earn A #4 Seed

2010-03-16T04:22:06Z

ISU Women Earn A #4 Seed

Now, let's do our part and pack Hilton on Sunday and Tuesday! I've got my tickets, you got yours? For $9/game, it's hard to go wrong!

Congrats to Coach Fennelly and the Twister Sisters for putting together a season much better than expected! Here's hoping that Cycone Nation can help them get to the Sweet 16!

My Five Memories That Defined The '09-'10 Cyclones Basketball Season

2010-03-16T04:13:51Z

More photos » Charlie Neibergall - AP

Two guys, who will be sorely missed next year.

Browse more photos »

30 years from now, when someone's asking me about the '09-'10 basketball season, here are the five moments, I'll remember this season by.

1. Beating Drake 90-70 at the Knapp Center. The team had swagger, along with the ISU fans in attendance (myself included). After this result, every Cyclone homer was thinking this was a NCAA Tourney Team. Was one of the most fun games I've attended in the past few years.

2. The arrival of Marquis Gilstrap. Think it was a rough year? Imagine where we would've been without Gilstrap. The guy led the Big 12 in rebounding. Had those two awesome dunks on Cole Aldrich at Hilton. Sure he was unpolished, but his ability to take over at times was a lot of fun to watch. After hearing his story about leaving school, and coming back, along with his performance this year, I'll never forget what he did in his 1 year at ISU.

3. Dendy-Gate 1 and 2. Also Colvin-Gate. Lots of random rumors across the ISU fanbase during the season. When things aren't going well, fans need something to talk about I guess.

4. The defections. Including a particular starting Center who's biggest offer other than ISU was St Mary's (3 years ago mind you), developing nicely, to bolt unexpectedly from the program. Also, a particular shooting-guard, who wanted to sit on the bench in a pro-league in Germany, rather than help a team he already had committed to here... After coming off a year where we had 6 new incoming players, we currently have 3 committed players and 3 open scholarships for the '10-'11 season.

5. Last, but not least, beating K-State in Manhattan. Enough of the snarky comments, this was awesome. We kept watching and waiting for ISU to fall behind, but they battled through lack of depth, foul trouble (including Brackins fouling out), and some boneheaded plays to get one of the biggest victories in the Basketball program... Period. The guys kept fighting all year, and it was nice to see something positive happen to that group, during one of the most frustrating years I can remember.

Honorable Mention: The 3 game losing streak to UNI, Northwestern, and Cal. After those performances, I started doubting this team, and figured we were likely in for a longer year than expected.... It's an honorable mention, because 30 years from now, I'll remember the losses, but probably forgot the teams... Ok I lied. I KNOW I'll remember UNI, but there's a chance I'll forget the others.

I realize this year stunk, but what are some moments that you will remember this season by (both good and bad)? You will remember something about this season, and I'd be interested in hearing your takeaways.

Why Purdue Will Win the NCAA Tournament

2010-03-15T03:38:01Z

More photos » Jim Mone - AP

Don't look so sad, Robbie. Your team will be just fine without you.

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We're getting our fill of bracketology. Talking heads like Dick Vitale, Jay Bilas and Chris Dobberman have made their selections based on a combination of knowledge, intuition and just plain ballsy picks. However, there's just one talking head that I'm listening to this year. And it's a girl.

This girl, by the way, is not known by the "mainstream media" as an expert bracketologist. But her comforting face and superior intelligence has guided the way towards a Purdue national title, despite droves of college basketball fans picking Siena in the first round. Let's see why.

This fine looking lady, gracing our fine dollar coin, is known to the masses as Sacagawea. A Shoshone, she was instrumental in guiding the Lewis and Clark expeditions in the 19th century. What most people don't know about her, however, is that from beyond the grave, her guiding powers extend to the NCAA tournament. After channeling my inner Sacagawea (which I highly recommend that you do if you ever get a chance), I whipped out a 2000 Denver Mint Sacagawea coin. From there, I proceeded to flip the coin five times for each game. I knew that this Sacagawea coin would follow the normal coin flipping rules for NCAA tournament games (higher seed = heads, lower seed = tails, and Winthrop in the play-in game - the Big S is an Eagles fan - look at the back of the coin). What follows is Sacagawea's prediction for EACH and EVERY GAME in the NCAA Tournament. And if you like what you see, I may just consult her on the NIT. I followed the order of the games as posted in our Selection Sunday Mega Thread. Because that's what Sacagawea would do.

FIRST ROUND GAMES

MIDWEST REGIONAL

(16) Lehigh over (1) Kansas, 4-1

(9) Northern Iowa over (8) UNLV, 3-2

(5) Michigan State over (12) New Mexico State, 3-2

(13) Houston over (4) Maryland, 3-2

(2) Ohio State over (15) UC Santa Barbara, 3-2

(10) Georgia Tech over (7) Oklahoma State, 3-2

(14) Ohio over (3) Georgetown, 4-1

(6) Tennessee over (11) San Diego State, 3-2

EAST REGIONAL

(1) Kentucky over (16) East Tennessee State, 3-2

(9) Wake Forest over (8) Texas, 3-2

(5) Temple over (12) Cornell, 4-1

(4) Wisconsin over (13) Wofford, 4-1

(2) West Virginia over (15) Morgan Sate, 3-2

(10) Missouri over (7) Clemson, 3-2

(14) Montana over (3) New Mexico, 3-2

(11) Washington over (6) Marquette, 3-2

SOUTH REGIONAL

(16) Winthrop over (1) Duke, 4-1

(9) Louisville over (8) California, 3-2

(12) Utah State over (5) Texas A&M, 3-2

(4) Purdue over (13) Siena, 4-1

(15) Robert Morris over (2) Villanova, 3-2

(10) Saint Mary's over (7) Richmond, 4-1

(3) Baylor over (14) Sam Houston State, 3-2

(11) Old Dominion over (6) Notre Dame, 3-2

WEST REGIONAL

(16) Vermont over (1) Syracuse, 3-2

(9) Florida State over (8) Gonzaga, 4-1

(12) UTEP over (5) Butler, 3-2

(4) Vanderbilt over (13) Murray State, 3-2

(2) Kansas State over (15) North Texas, 3-2

(7) BYU over (10) Florida, 4-1

(14) Oakland over (3) Pittsburgh, 3-2

(11) Minnesota over (6) Xavier, 3-2

A strong showing for the lower seeds in the first round, paced by three 16 seeds upsetting top seeds - Kentucky being the lone top team to survive. The East region stayed fairly chalk, with five single digit seeds winning. The Big 12 goes just 3-4 in its first round games, while the Big Ten goes 5-0. The 9 seeds go undefeated in the first round - which makes sense as 9 seeds typically are slight favorites over 8 seeds.

SECOND ROUND GAMES

MIDWEST REGIONAL

(16) Lehigh over (9) Northern Iowa, 3-2

(13) Houston over (5) Michigan State, 4-1

(10) Georgia Tech over (2) Ohio State, 5-0

(14) Ohio over (6) Tennessee, 4-1

EAST REGIONAL

(9) Wake Forest over (1) Kentucky, 4-1

(4) Wisconsin over (5) Temple, 3-2

(10) Missouri over (2) West Virginia, 3-2

(11) Washington over (14) Montana, 4-1

SOUTH REGIONAL

(16) Winthrop over (9) Louisville, 4-1

(4) Purdue over (12) Utah State, 3-2

(10) Saint Mary's over (15) Robert Morris, 4-1

(11) Old Dominion over (3) Baylor, 3-2

WEST REGIONAL

(9) Florida State over (16) Vermont, 4-1

(12) UTEP over (4) Vanderbilt, 3-2

(7) BYU over (2) Kansas State, 3-2

(14) Oakland over (11) Minnesota, 4-1

The sixteen seeds stay hot as Winthrop and Lehigh power into the Sweet Sixteen. With only seven power conference teams winning in the second round, four of which populate the East Region, it looks like a good year for mid and low major teams. Georgia Tech produces our first blowout of the tournament, stopping Evan Turner and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Only 5 single digit seeds survive, with only two teams having survived as far as they were supposed to - Big Ten teams Wisconsin and Purdue. Lower seeds go 11-5 in the second round.

SWEET SIXTEEN GAMES

MIDWEST REGIONAL

(13) Houston over (16) Lehigh, 4-1

(10) Georgia Tech over (14) Ohio, 3-2

EAST REGIONAL

(9) Wake Forest over (4) Wisconsin, 3-2

(11) Washington over (10) Missouri, 3-2

SOUTH REGIONAL

(4) Purdue over (16) Winthrop, 3-2

(11) Old Dominion over (10) Saint Mary's, 3-2

WEST REGIONAL

(12) UTEP over (9) Florida State, 5-0

(14) Oakland over (7) BYU, 4-1

The lower seeds look good again, going 5-3 in the Sweet 16. The Cinderella run ends for both 16 seeds, Winthrop and Lehigh. Two of the three BCS schools outside of the East Region survive into the Elite Eight, while Oakland continues on as the new Cinderella story, dispatching of BYU. Conference USA has two teams moving on into the Elite 8 - which is more than you can say for the Big East, SEC and Big 12 - combined. UTEP and Houston provide two of the biggest Sweet 16 wins as it is.

ELITE EIGHT GAMES

MIDWEST REGIONAL

(10) Georgia Tech over (13) Houston, 3-2

EAST REGIONAL

(11) Washington over (9) Wake Forest, 3-2

SOUTH REGIONAL

(4) Purdue over (11) Old Dominion, 3-2

WEST REGIONAL

(12) UTEP over (14) Oakland, 3-2

The Final Four is set with four nailbiting games. Paul Hewitt and the Yellow Jackets atone for an underachieving year by dispatching of Conference USA tournament champion Houston, while Washington proves that the NCAA did right by selecting the Huskies for an at-large bid with a win over Wake Forest. The Robbie Hummel-less Boilermakers don't miss a beat with a win over Old Dominion, and UTEP moves on past Oakland, giving the Final Four its only Mid-Major. Four teams from four conferences - the ACC, the Pac-10, the Big Ten and Conference USA.

FINAL FOUR

WEST vs. MIDWEST

(12) UTEP over (10) Georgia Tech, 3-2

SOUTH vs. EAST

(4) Purdue over (11) Washington, 3-2

UTEP keeps the mid-major dream alive, one-upping George Mason's historic Final Four run with an upset of Georgia Tech. They find out that they will face the Purdue Boilermakers in the National Championship, as Matt Painter puts the Huskies down in the second game. Which scenario is more far fetched - a double digit seed winning it all? Or Purdue doing anything at all?

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

(4) Purdue over (12) UTEP, 3-2

Most pundits around college basketball thought Purdue had no shot to even reach the Sweet 16 after Robbie Hummel's knee injury - and even fewer thought that they could win this game after UTEP jumped out to a 2-0 lead. But powered by tournament MVP Stevie Loveless (based on the strength of a random name selector), the Boilermakers stormed back to cut down the nets. Loveless scored just two points during the regular season - against SIU - Edwardsville - but he proved to be instrumental through the 2010 tournament run. Sorry, mid-majors, another year goes by where one of your teams is not crowned king of college basketball.

And a note to Coach Painter - I'm totally willing to FedEx this Sacagawea dollar to Spokane for you to surgically implant into Stevie Loveless, or, at the very least, to put in your pocket for good luck.

Selection Sunday Mega Thread

2010-03-14T22:09:29Z

Here's an open thread for today's selection madness, from the NCAA's to the CIT.

My official tourney picks will soon appear after the jump.

NCAA Tournament

Midwest

(1) Kansas (32-2) vs. (16) Lehigh (22-10), Thursday - Oklahoma City

(8) UNLV (25-8) vs. (9) Northern Iowa (28-4), Thursday - Oklahoma City

(5) Michigan State (24-8) vs. (12) New Mexico State (22-11), Friday - Spokane

(4) Maryland (23-8) vs. (13) Houston (19-15), Friday - Spokane

(2) Ohio State (27-7) vs. (15) UC Santa Barbara (20-9), Friday - Milwaukee

(7) Oklahoma State (22-10) vs. (10) Georgia Tech (22-12), Friday - Milwaukee

(3) Georgetown (23-10) vs. (14) Ohio (21-14), Thursday - Providence

(6) Tennessee (25-8) vs. (11) San Diego State (25-8), Thursday - Providence

East

(1) Kentucky (32-2) vs. (16) East Tennessee State (20-14), Thursday - New Orleans

(8) Texas (24-9) vs. (9) Wake Forest (19-10), Thursday - New Orleans

(5) Temple (29-5) vs. (12) Cornell (27-4), Friday - Jacksonville

(4) Wisconsin (23-8) vs. (13) Wofford (26-8), Friday - Jacksonville

(2) West Virginia (27-6) vs. (15) Morgan State (27-9), Friday - Buffalo

(7) Clemson (21-10) vs. (10) Missouri (22-10), Friday - Buffalo

(3) New Mexico (29-4) vs. (14) Montana (22-9), Thursday - San Jose

(6) Marquette (22-11) vs. (11) Washington (24-9), Thursday - San Jose

South

Play-in Game: (16a) Arkansas Pine Bluff vs. (16b) Winthrop

(1) Duke (29-5) vs. (16) Play-in Winner, Friday - Jacksonville

(8) California (23-10) vs. (9) Louisville (20-12), Friday - Jacksonville

(5) Texas A&M (23-9) vs. (12) Utah State (27-7), Friday - Spokane

(4) Purdue (27-5) vs. (13) Siena (27-6), Friday - Spokane

(2) Villanova (24-7) vs. (15) Robert Morris (23-11), Thursday - Providence

(7) Richmond (26-8) vs. (10) Saint Mary's (26-5), Thursday - Providence

(3) Baylor (25-7) vs. (14) Sam Houston State (25-7), New Orleans - Thursday

(6) Notre Dame (23-11) vs. (11) Old Dominion (26-8), New Orleans - Thursday

West

(1) Syracuse (28-4) vs. (16) Vermont (25-9), Friday - Buffalo

(8) Gonzaga (26-6) vs. (9) Florida State (22-9), Friday - Buffalo

(5) Butler (28-4) vs. (12) UTEP (26-6), Thursday - San Jose

(4) Vanderbilt (24-8) vs. (13) Murray State (30-4), Thursday - San Jose

(2) Kansas State (26-7) vs. (15) North Texas (24-8), Thursday - Oklahoma City

(7) BYU (29-5) vs. (10) Florida (21-12), Thursday - Oklahoma City

(3) Pittsburgh (24-8) vs. (14) Oakland (26-8), Friday - Milwaukee

(6) Xavier (24-8) vs. (11) Minnesota (21-13), Friday - Milwaukee

NIT

(1) Illinois vs. (8) Stony Brook

(4) Kent State vs. (5) Tulsa

(3) Dayton vs. (6) Illinois State

(2) Cincinnati vs. (7) Weber State

________________

(1) Arizona State vs. (8) Jacksonville

(4) Seton Hall vs. (5) Texas Tech

(3) Memphis vs. (6) St. John's

(2) Ole Miss vs. (7) Troy

________________

(1) Virginia Tech vs. (8) Quinnipiac

(4) Connecticut vs. (5) Northeastern

(3) Wichita St vs. (6) Nevada

(2) Rhode Island vs. (7) Northwestern

________________

(1) Mississippi State vs. (8) Jackson State

(4) North Carolina vs. (5) William & Mary

(3) South Florida vs. (6) North Carolina State

(2) UAB vs. (7) Coastal Carolina

CBI

March 16
Indiana State at Saint Louis
March 17
Green Bay at Akron

March 17
Boston University at Oregon State
March 17
Colorado State at Morehead State

March 16
VCU at George Washington
March 17
Charleston at Eastern Kentucky

March 17
IUPUI at Hofstra
March 17
Duquesne at Princeton

CIT

FIRST ROUND

Tuesday March 16

South Dakota (22-9) @ Creighton (16-15)

Fairfield (22-10) @ George Mason (17-14)

Western Carolina @ Marshall

Wednesday March 17

Pacific (20-11) @ Loyola Marymount (18-14)

Middle Tennessee State (19-13) @ Missouri State (20-12)

Harvard (21-7) @ Appalachian State (22-10)

Portland (21-10) @ Northern Colorado (24-7)

Thursday March 18

Southern Mississippi (20-13) @ Louisiana Tech (23-10)

NCAA Tournament

Midwest

(1) Kansas (32-2) vs. (16) Lehigh (22-10), Thursday - Oklahoma City

(8) UNLV (25-8) vs. (9) Northern Iowa (28-4), Thursday - Oklahoma City

(5) Michigan State (24-8) vs. (12) New Mexico State (22-11), Friday - Spokane

(4) Maryland (23-8) vs. (13) Houston (19-15), Friday - Spokane

(2) Ohio State (27-7) vs. (15) UC Santa Barbara (20-9), Friday - Milwaukee

(7) Oklahoma State (22-10) vs. (10) Georgia Tech (22-12), Friday - Milwaukee

(3) Georgetown (23-10) vs. (14) Ohio (21-14), Thursday - Providence

(6) Tennessee (25-8) vs. (11) San Diego State (25-8), Thursday - Providence

________________

(1) Kansas vs. (8) UNLV

(5) Michigan State vs. (4) Maryland

(2) Ohio State vs. (7) Oklahoma State

(3) Georgetown vs. (6) Tennessee

________________

(1) Kansas vs. (5) Michigan State

(7) Oklahoma State vs. (3) Georgetown

________________

(1) Kansas vs. (3) Georgetown

________________

East

(1) Kentucky (32-2) vs. (16) East Tennessee State (20-14), Thursday - New Orleans

(8) Texas (24-9) vs. (9) Wake Forest (19-10), Thursday - New Orleans

(5) Temple (29-5) vs. (12) Cornell (27-4), Friday - Jacksonville

(4) Wisconsin (23-8) vs. (13) Wofford (26-8), Friday - Jacksonville

(2) West Virginia (27-6) vs. (15) Morgan State (27-9), Friday - Buffalo

(7) Clemson (21-10) vs. (10) Missouri (22-10), Friday - Buffalo

(3) New Mexico (29-4) vs. (14) Montana (22-9), Thursday - San Jose

(6) Marquette (22-11) vs. (11) Washington (24-9), Thursday - San Jose

________________

(1) Kentucky vs. (8) Texas

(5) Temple vs. (4) Wisconsin

(2) West Virginia vs. (10) Missouri

(14) Montana vs. (6) Marquette

________________

(1) Kentucky vs. (4) Wisconsin

(2) West Virginia vs. (6) Marquette

________________

(1) Kentucky vs. (2) West Virginia

________________

South

Play-in Game: (16a) Arkansas Pine Bluff vs. (16b) Winthrop

(1) Duke (29-5) vs. (16) Play-in Winner, Friday - Jacksonville

(8) California (23-10) vs. (9) Louisville (20-12), Friday - Jacksonville

(5) Texas A&M (23-9) vs. (12) Utah State (27-7), Friday - Spokane

(4) Purdue (27-5) vs. (13) Siena (27-6), Friday - Spokane

(2) Villanova (24-7) vs. (15) Robert Morris (23-11), Thursday - Providence

(7) Richmond (26-8) vs. (10) Saint Mary's (26-5), Thursday - Providence

(3) Baylor (25-7) vs. (14) Sam Houston State (25-7), New Orleans - Thursday

(6) Notre Dame (23-11) vs. (11) Old Dominion (26-8), New Orleans - Thursday

________________

(1) Duke vs. (8) California

(12) Utah State vs. (13) Siena

(2) Villanova vs. (10) Saint Mary's

(3) Baylor vs. (11) Old Dominion

________________

(1) Duke vs. (13) Siena

(2) Villanova vs. (11) Old Dominion

________________

(1) Duke vs. (2) Villanova

________________

West

(1) Syracuse (28-4) vs. (16) Vermont (25-9), Friday - Buffalo

(8) Gonzaga (26-6) vs. (9) Florida State (22-9), Friday - Buffalo

(5) Butler (28-4) vs. (12) UTEP (26-6), Thursday - San Jose

(4) Vanderbilt (24-8) vs. (13) Murray State (30-4), Thursday - San Jose

(2) Kansas State (26-7) vs. (15) North Texas (24-8), Thursday - Oklahoma City

(7) BYU (29-5) vs. (10) Florida (21-12), Thursday - Oklahoma City

(3) Pittsburgh (24-8) vs. (14) Oakland (26-8), Friday - Milwaukee

(6) Xavier (24-8) vs. (11) Minnesota (21-13), Friday - Milwaukee

________________

(1) Syracuse vs. (9) Florida State

(5) Butler vs. (4) Vanderbilt

(2) Kansas State vs. (7) BYU

(3) Pittsburgh vs. (11) Minnesota

________________

(1) Syracuse vs. (4) Vanderbilt

(2) Kansas State vs. (3) Pittsburgh

________________

(1) Syracuse vs. (3) Pittsburgh

________________

Final Four

(1) Kansas vs. (1) Syracuse

(2) West Virginia vs. (2) Villanova

________________

(1) Syracuse vs. (2) Villanova

NIT

CBI

CIT

I'm Going All Jay Leno

2010-03-14T06:20:17Z

So, the executives have met and the sheer numbers have spoken. Despite increased views and hits for CloneChronicles since my departure, I will be returning at the 10 PM slot here to take back what is rightfully mine.....

No, not really.

But, Mark and I have been talking a bit, and we decided I'd hop back on CloneChronicles as an occasional columnist and author. With a rare bit of free time over Spring Break, I'd like to write a couple of posts, but we'll see. I'll be sort of an author emeritus, if you will. I missed writing about Iowa State athletics, and while I certainly can't be back in the role I was before (due to a lack of free time and a job and school and whatnot) I'm going to be back in some small way.

Let me know if there's anything you all would like to see out of me upon my return, and thanks again to Mark for letting this happen.

So What Happens With Men's Basketball Recruiting For 2010?

2010-03-13T15:59:20Z

With Hamilton and Buckley announcing their transfers (along with the expected departures of Brackins and Gilstrap), although ISU already has 3 incoming players for 2010, they still have 3 open scholarships.

Doing a quick Rivals search for uncommitted guys with offers out there from ISU, there are 3 guys that pop up:

John Wilkins: a 6'9, 215lb PF with offers from Providence, Indiana, and Iowa State. He's a JUCO out of Southeastern CC in Burlington, Iowa. He apparently hasn't been playing at all, as he's a native of France and had some eligibilty issues with the NJCAA, similar to Lucca's situation. Either way, when he goes D1, he will have to sit out the first 5 games of the year, but will have 3 years of eligibility. He originally committed to Bradley coming out of high school.
Will Clyburn: a 6-6, 185lb SF out of Marshalltown CC, a teammate and friend of ISU signee DeMarcus Phillips. Clyburn has offers from Central Michigan, Duquesne, UNI, Saint Louis, Utah, Wichita State, and ISU. I have think we're towards the top of his list. First, we're the only BCS program that offered him, and second, he has a friend on our team.
Darrell Haley: a 6-11, 225lb C out of Palmdale High School, in Palmdale, CA. I don't know much about him other than he has a 3.8 GPA in High School, and has offers from ISU and Wyoming.

I'm not sure what to make of this. Clyburn seems like a slam dunk (but I have no inside info on this), while Wilkins seems like a good player. At the same time, looking at the roster right now, with Wilkins and Clyburn possibly coming in, we would have 5 guys on our roster who had some JUCO playing time, with 2 or 3 likely starting.

JUCOs can help fill some voids when you're first building a program, but we're hitting the reset button here again. The Iowa JUCOs are our recruiting pipeline, and that isn't the main pipeline you want to have. I think it's fine to bring in 1 JUCO per year, and the JUCOs in Iowa are solid programs, but you can't build a NCAA Division I, BCS Conference program by relying on JUCOs. These guys are JUCOs either because of academics, flaws in their game, or flaws in their size/athletic ability.

I'm not ripping on the guys above. If I were in their situation, I would do the same thing.

I don't want to make this a especially long post, but recruiting and retaining players is the biggest problem. It's weird. Players typically commit to the coach, not the school. I have no idea what the guys we have are committing to, because for most it's apparently neither.

Either way, we could potentially have 6 new guys coming in for next year. I hope they bring nametags.

Some Quick Women's Sports News

2010-03-13T15:11:23Z

Last night, without Allison Lacey, the Twister Sisters fell to 7th seeded Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Tournament. Kind of a bummer, but they just aren't the same team without Lacey. The women will find out how this affects their seeding on Monday, and of course they have the First and Second Round of the NCAA Tournament right here at Hilton, next Sunday and Tuesday.

Also, Lisa Koll, arguably one of the greatest athletes in Cyclone history, won the NCAA Championship in the indoor 5,000 meter. She ran it in 15:39.65, which beat the person in 2nd place by 11 seconds! Props to her.

Revolving Door Continues For Men's Basketball: Hamilton and Buckley Gone

2010-03-12T22:04:19Z

McDermott issued a release confirming Craig Brackins' departure to the NBA (no surprise there), along with Buckley transferring (not a big suprise there) and Hamilton (a larger surprise).

With Buckley, the writing was on the wall. Even when Colvin was suspended, I don't know if he played more than 10 minutes a game. I think he's a good player, and he'll do some nice things. I don't really understand why it didn't work out, but I haven't been able to see much of him to know.

With Hamilton, I have mixed feelings on. He improved a lot this year, and he gets props for that. I'm still not sold that he's a Big 12 starter. It's going to hurt our depth a lot in the front court, and I really would like to see guys come in their freshmen year, develop for 4 years.

People talk about wanting to build the program the "right way". I'm down with that too. Problem is, you actually have to keep your players to do that. Yet again, we are going to have an almost completley new look to our team.

I hope McDermott and his staff can work on player relationships, or find someone they can add to their staff to help in that department. I want to support the program, but this is almost laughable (and not in a good way).

Inspired By Pollard, Trying To Do My Part

2010-03-12T13:52:50Z

This isn't a joke, or a sarcastic post here. This is 100% how I feel right now. Say what? The dude that just ripped a Pollard e-mail is now signing his praises? What gives?

I didn't necessarily like the decision made regarding the Men's Basketball team, but it was more the reasoning (or lack of reasoning) behind the decision that bothered me. I just felt like we were being told that what has happened on the court hasn't been a problem, and that everything is a-ok. I just feel in general that there is a lack of responsibility taken for the results on the court this year. If Rick Barnes can say "this year was the worst coaching job of my life" when talking about Texas' season this year (when it isn't necessarily his worst coaching job of his life), why can't our guy at least acknowledge any fault?

Well, this e-mail exchange between Pollard and an ISU fan really made me think about things a little bit more. I've had teachers and other adults tell me before that if you don't vote, then you don't have the right to complain about the President/Governor, etc. It's kind of the same way with college athletics. If you aren't doing anything to try and help the situation, you don't really have room to be as judgemental.

At the end of the day, though it's about money. If you look at the info here from 2007-2008, you will see that ISU's revenue is ranked 63rd. It isn't shocking that the football team has probably been the 70th-100th best program, and the basketball team has been somewhere in that range as well. If you look at the list, there is a high correlation in terms of success and dollars brought into the department. I don't know the latest figures, but I wouldn't be surprised if the gap between ISU and programs at the top to be even larger.

If ISU can generate more revenue, the athletic programs will be able to go where we'd like to see them go.

It has absolutely made me sick watching ISU Men's Basketball not be at the level I was hoping to see it at. All I've been wanting to do is something to try and make an impact. I certainly do not want to see the program fail. I'd much rather have this staff be successful and make it. I'm not going to say it's going to happen, but it definitley won't happen if fans bail on the team.

This is our program, and since we aren't players nor are we coaches, the only thing we can do is step up.

Which is why I am happy to announce that for the first time ever, I am now a member of the National Cyclone Club!

I really think that if you are a fan, and haven't been one in the past, that you should join me! You can spread out the donation over the course of monthly payments, or quarterly payments if making the lump sum is inconvenient. I'm not a rich guy, so if you're in a situation where you can't contribute a lot at once like me, you can donate $10, $20, or $30 (or more) a month. It's better than nothing. I'm no accountant, but I believe that you can write this off on your taxes as well, which may help you out come April of next year.

I realize that my low contribution alone isn't going to make a big impact, but if 50-100 people did something like this, that's an extra $1,000 a month the Athletic Department didn't have before. Not to get too much into politics, but Howard Dean and Ron Paul have shown that you can raise large amounts of money with many small donations. It can be done.

I am not saying that if you do you not donate, you can't be a fan of Iowa State. But what I am saying is that by not donating, and not buying season tickets you aren't doing anything to make things better. I can promise that if ISU fans can step up and deliver, things will work itself out on the field/court, and on the sidelines. Money talks.

I know it's a hard sell to some fans, and I'm no salesmen. I know many fans feel like they are purchasing a product, and as a consumer, they are unhappy with the product. I can relate to that in a sense, but College Athletics isn't the same as buying a Coke, or choosing what restaurant to eat at. At least not to me. I just feel like it's an investment in a lot more than just basketball. It's an investment in the University. These guys and gals in our programs are representing us when they're out there competing. I'm investing in something that will give those people a better chance to succeed. 40 years from now, I plan on being a Cyclone fan, and there will be a different President, AD, and Coaching staff.

This is my program. I love ISU. I'm a Cyclone for life, regardless of W-L record and regardless of who is coaching the team. It's time for us to step up and take ownership in the program, rather than complain and hope that someone else will take care of this for us. If you stop buying, you're obviously upset about the situation. Why not be part of the solution?

I'm just stating my thought process with this. I feel like if I do my part, there's a much better chance at things getting better, than if I do nothing.

This is the best mood I've been in, since ISU beat Nebraska in football! In a way, I know feel more connected to the programs and that I have a voice (albeit a small one). I'm young (2 years removed from College), and hope that down the road I can help make a much larger impact as I continue to advance in my career. This is just the start of something bigger for me. I may not have a large voice now, but I will one day.

Pollard has made some mistakes, and done some things that I disagree with. At the same time, he's a Cyclone. He's 110% committed to Iowa State. I really think he's in catch-22. On one hand people want him to act professional, and temper what he says and does. On the other hand, those same things are what ISU fans complain about regarding Chizik. A big reason why Rhoads is popular is because we saw his energy and passion. We saw him cry in the locker room after the Nebraska win. But those same people think Pollard is ridiculous when he cried after Chizik left. On some days they want an AD that's basically an asshole businessmen, but on other days they want a guy who bleeds Cardinal and Gold. You can't have it both ways. I'll tell you that chances are, the asshole businessman would be looking to jump ship first chance he got, and wouldn't really do much to help ISU.

When you look at things like facility upgrades, can you imagine where ISU might be right now if we didn't have Pollard at the helm? I really think that if it were a different AD, Jack Trice would not have gotten as many facility upgrades, Hilton may not have gotten renovated a few years ago, and we almost surely would not have the Basketball Practice facility. Pollard's trying to help take ISU to the next level, even he makes some mistakes along the way. I know that at my job, I've made mistakes before, and I'll make mistakes again. We all do.

Even if you don't like the guy, showing your dislike by cutting off athletic department funding, mostly hurts the programs. Sure, it may send a message, and but likely the teams will suffer. At the end of the day, all it will hurt are the people you aren't angry at (the kids in the program, other fans, other coaches that you may like like Volleyball, Women's Basketball, etc).

Life is silly like that. One day, you can be angry at someone, and the next day you can think about it more, and try to come up with a way to help. It takes that energy from being angry, and directs it at a possible solution. I may not like certain messages being sent, or decisions being made, but I'm going to help these athletic programs because they need it.

Gilstrap Denied Appeal, Both He and Brackins To Declare For NBA Draft

2010-03-11T14:17:21Z

More photos » Charlie Neibergall - AP

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According to Bobby La Gesse, McDermott told Gilstrap after the game. I'm a little bit suprised how quick how the result came from the NCAA, as they only got the paperwork, what, a week or so ago? I'm disappointed in the result, because of how far Gilstrap had come along, and the sacrifices he made. At the same time, he's good enough to play pro ball somewhere, and he may have gone for that, even with a 6th year (4th year of playing basketball).

According to Fox Sports, Craig Brackins is going to declare for the draft. Also they said that according to an executive they talked to, although Brackins' stock has fallen, he's still a first round draft pick. Not too suprised with this move. The body language from Brackins, McDermott, and the other players when he was taken out of the game, told me everything one needed to see.

For Cyclone fans, it's just better to get in the mindset that Brackins is going to be gone. It's time to move forward with the next group of guys we have. Brackins made sacrifices to come back and play for ISU this year.

Looking at the Rookie Salary Scale for the NBA, you can literally see the millions that Brackins gave up to play for Iowa State. Let's say that Brackins was in fact a lottery pick last year, and he would've gone 12th. we're talking about $5.2 million guarenteed over the first 3 years. I honestly think the lowest Brackins would have gone last year is 16th to the Chicago Bulls. Looking at the 16th pick salary, it's about $4.2 million over those 3 years.

Now let's take a quick look at where Brackins could fall this year. mynbadraft.com has him at 41st overall. DraftExpress has him at 37th. Either way, he's being projected as a 2nd round draft pick right now. 2nd round draft picks get signed to Rookie Minimums of about $457k a year. Sometimes that first year is not guarenteed (meaning he can be cut from the team at anytime), and typically the 2nd year of the deal is a team option.

So Brackins pretty much turned away $4.2-5.2 million guaranteed for about $457k guaranteed.

I'm not saying you have to feel sorry for the guy or anything like that, but just realize that he gave up a lot to come back and don the Cyclone Uniform another year. It sucks that this year wasn't as good as hoped, because not being able to play in the NCAA Tournament or NIT isn't going to help his draft status either. You see a lot of guys' draft stock go up based on performance on the big stage. Craig is just going to have to try and wow some NBA scouts at those Rookie Prospect Camps.