The Sunday Blog comes to you from a rainy Atlanta where Round III of Florida-Kentucky will take place. Coincidentally, I watched the last 15 minutes of Rocky III last tonight.
1. Here is one thing I have learned from the SEC Tournament — they still don’t get it. And they’re still calling it. We wondered if the new emphasis on hand-checking would subside as the season wore on. Remember when they decided a few years ago to penalize coaches who left the box and relaxed the rule once conference play began? Here in Atlanta, there have been 494 fouls called through 12 games. The bottom line is that it’s going to take more than a year of calling games this way to get players to stop. Is it cleaning up the game the way it was intended? Not really. We’ll see down the road.
2. I didn’t even know Mike Davis was still coaching. But he’s in the Big Dance. I watched the end of Texas Southern’s win over Prairie View and Davis has his team playing well, winning nine straight games. It’ll probably get a First Four game in Dayton. And Danny Manning is back in the tournament as the coach at Tulsa. And Steve Alford’s new team (UCLA) and old team (New Mexico) won their conference tournaments a few miles from each other. Already, some great storylines before the bracket is even set.
3. I think Billy Donovan hit it right on the head when he said Tennessee will surprise its opponent or opponents in the NCAA Tourney. You can watch the Vols on tape all you want but until you get on the court you don’t realize how hard it is to get Jarnell Stokes is to get away from the rim and how long their guards are. Tennessee can be weak mentally at times and especially away from home, but if they are an 11 seed I wouldn’t want to be a six seed playing then. Oh, and there’s no point to an SEC Bubble Watch today because we know there are three teams in and the rest are either finished or going to the NIT.
4. There are going to be some teams sweating it out this evening when the Selection Show airs. Here are five of them:
Nebraska
RPI 46.
Record 19-12.
The Cornhuskers have some really good wins including Michigan State and Ohio State.
Prognosis: In.
Minnesota
RPI 50
Record 20-13
The good wins against Ohio State and Wisconsin help but four of the wins came against teams ranked 200 or higher.
Prognosis: In.
California
RPI 61
Record 19-13
The Bears have only one win against a team in the top 100 of RPI:
Prognosis: Out.
BYU
RPI 33.
Record: 23-11.
The Cougars have been on the bubble all season it seems but will the committee hold the loss of Kyle Collinsworth to a torn ACL against them?
Prognosis: In.
Florida State
RPI 52. Record: 19-13.
The Seminoles had some big wins but are 6-12 against the RPI top 100.
Prognosis: Out.
