*****

Total Deadspin meltdown in 5, 4, 3, 2 ...

Well, here we go. A.J. and Suss will no doubt be spending the next two days having heart palpitations as we, the unwashed masses who live blog, have been given the keys to the site. But don't worry guys, you're in good hands. I've learned much about this basket-ball and the NCCA Marching Dance Madness since emigrating from a small Estonian yak-herding village two weeks ago. Plus my yak is a surprisingly good typist.

So we have a pretty classic NCAA Tournament storyline coming into this one. Big-conference school with ax to grind over seeding goes up against an undersized small-conference team that even goes so far as to play in the same building where "Hoosiers" took place. Butler, though, despite its slightly inferior seeding, isn't much of an underdog considering it's been to the tournament each of the past two seasons, winning at least once both times, while LSU has sat out since 2006. Of course, that was the year Big Baby, Tyrus Thomas, and other players with aspirations of becoming backup power forwards in the NBA made it all the way to the Final Four. Garrett Temple and Tasmin Mitchell are still around from that team, while Butler relies on youth, starting three freshmen and a sophomore. That sophomore is Matt Howard, Horizon Conference Player of the Year. LSU has its own conference Player of the Year, SEC honoree Marcus Thornton. Each team has the conference coach of the year, too.

So who does it come down to? Maybe Xavier knows. The Tigers fell to the visiting Musketeers in Baton Rouge this season, but Butler went to Xavier and won.

On to the starting lineups! (Cue flashing lights and laser display)

No.9 seed BUTLER BULLDOGS
Coach Brad Stevens
G Ronald Nored
G Shelvin Mack
G/F Gordan Hayward
F Willie Veasley
F Matt Howard

No. 8 seed LSU TIGERS
Coach Trent Johnson
G Garrett Temple
G Bo Spencer
G Marcus Thornton
F Tasmin Mitchell
C Chris Johnson

2:33 p.m., LSU 75, Butler 71 (Final)
Well, that was deflating. A tie game with five minutes to play turns into a free-throw shooting contest. Same thing in that Memphis game, it looks like, as the Tigers survive 81-70. And with Texas A&M closing out their win, there are only 60 more chances for that One Shining Moment. Which, by the way, I've never brought myself to listen to all the way through. And I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this.

2:30 p.m., LSU 75, Butler 71 (Final)
Johnson misses the first, eliciting oohs and aahs from the crowd and pained gamblers alike. But he makes the second. Spencer steals the in-bounds pass, and it's done!

2:28 p.m., LSU 74, Butler 71
Both free throws are made, and Hayward misses a three. Veasley follows with a tip with 5.4 seconds to play. Johnson to shoot 2 with 4.5 seconds to go.

2:26 p.m., LSU 72, Butler 69
Mack brings' em back to within three with 11.6 to play.

2:24 p.m., LSU 70, Butler 66
Mitchell hits them both, and Hayward nails a 3-pointer. Butler commits the foul with 19.3 remaining. Oh, come on, Kellogg, give up the ship. It's as good as o-vah! (Famous last words!)

2:23 p.m., LSU 68, Butler 63
Hayward blocked by Johnson, Howard commits his fifth foul, and with 35.7, it looks like it's all over. For the game, and the Kellogg-Howard bromance, too.

2:21 p.m., LSU 68, Butler 63
Thornton with the miss, Howard with the make, and it's a four-point game with one minute to go. Howard "clobbers" Chris Johnson, as Nantz says, and Johnson is to shoot two. 46 seconds to go. Makes one of two.

2:19 p.m. LSU 67, Butler 61
Mitchell with a wide-open jumper. It's a long two, though, because of a foot on the line. And Howard to the line where he hits one of two. Howard leads all scorers with 20. Thornton drives on Howard on the other end, though, and makes the layup, and Thornton picks his fourth steal as LSU takes control with under two to play.

2:15 p.m., LSU 63, Butler 60
McDonald's is picky about its ingredients? Look, the only thing that ever gets picked out of McDonald's ingredients is a chinch bug. And that, my friends, is your requisite Caddyshack reference! And Memphis trails 64-63, by the way. Mack to go to the line after a foul on Thornton, his third. He hits both, and Hayward boards a miss. Butler can tie it as we're under three and a half.

2:12 p.m., LSU 63, Butler 58
Thornton and Howard are back in the game as Ronald Nored goes to the bench with four fouls for Butler. Thornton nails a long 3! Howard gets locked in a tie-up and the possession arrow gives it to LSU. Cue Dickie V possession arrow rage now!

2:08 p.m., LSU 60, Butler 58
Howard's bloody knee gets him sent to the bench, and we get treated to some gross-out footage as Zach Hahn comes in cold off the bench to take Howard's 1-and-1. He hits 'em both. This is a good one! LSU gets a quick bucket and it's a two-point game with under five minutes to play.

2:06 p.m. LSU 58, Butler 54
Howard misses the front end of a 1-and-1. We find out that Howard was bleeding from his right knee, but someone, maybe Kellogg, put a makeshift bandage on it. Spencer gets a transition lay-in off a steal by Brandon Bass's brother. Howard makes another, then gets thrown to the floor on the other end. Kellogg is not amused!

2:04 p.m., LSU 56, Butler 54
Thornton collided with Howard on the play, which is of course rich with symbolic possibility should Butler win this one. No foul on Howard, by the way. Thornton sitting on bench tying his shoes as CBS returns.

2 p.m., LSU 56, Butler 54.
We're at the 8:01 mark, two shots for Thornton after a foul by Nored that might well have been called on Howard instead. He makes one of two. Marcus Thornton with the putback now for LSU and he goes down. And the arena becomes even more silent. 7:15 to go, and everyone holds their breath while they watch a Hershey's commercial.

1:58 p.m., Butler 54, LSU 53
Hayward nails a 3, followed by a little scrum for a rebound between Howard, who is back in the game obviously, and Johnson that results in a jump-ball and Kellogg nearly having to get up and intervene. Nored tips it in to give Butler the lead.

1:55 p.m., LSU 53, Butler 49
Star watch: Kellogg's girlfriend Howard has 17 for Butler, while Thornton has 15 for LSU. And in Philly, CBS dutifully shows us the blowout that Texas A&M-BYU is becoming. But it's a one-point lead for Northridge! My bracket is about to go straight to hell! Yay!

1:52 p.m., LSU 53, Butler 49
Thornton prompts Nantz to say "dipsy-doo for two." Yech. And then Johnson slams it home for LSU, and it's back out to a four-point bulge. Huh-huh, I said bulge, huh-huh.

1:50 p.m., LSU 49, Butler 47
Tas Mitchell draws the third foul on Howard, now. Nantz wonders aloud about whether Howard should sit. Kellogg doesn't think he should, but Matt Stevens calls him to the bench anyway. "How dare he!" Kellogg says under his breath. Mitchell misses both free throws. 12:07 left.

1:48 p.m., LSU 49, Butler 47
Howard makes one of two at the Thornton nails a fade-away 3 to put LSU up by 4. Thornton has 18 now. Veasley, Temple, and Johnson all have three fouls, fyi. Howard draws the foul and Kellogg is in full-scale bromance mode. He hits 'em both.

1:45 p.m., LSU 46, Butler 44
Butler rebounds a miss, and it's an alley-oop to Veasley and the Bulldogs have their first lead! It's a short-lived one, as Thornton sticks one to put LSU back in front. Howard feeds Nored and Butler leads again! 3-pointer for LSU! They're in front! Good lord! This got interesting in a hurry!

1:42 p.m., LSU 41, Butler 40
Kellogg just called Howard "a dominant low-post presence." The kid is 6-foot-8, 230 pounds. As an NBA fan, this disturbs me to no end. Almost the same way Kellogg's NBA career itself disturbed me.

1:40 p.m., LSU 41, Butler 40
Alert Bill Simmons! It's a "This is Your Country" Chevy ad! And from now on, I'm not calling this a blowout in the making, even when it is a blowout in the making. Butler knows how to make a run. They're on a 7-0 push right now, and Chris Johnson is on the bench with three fouls for LSU.

1:38 p.m. LSU 41, Butler 40
But wait! Butler gets a shot inside by Howard, an offensive foul on the other end, and Mack hits another three. Boy, that small school from Indiana sure is scrappy. Howard makes a transition (!) basket and it's a one-point game!

1:36 p.m., LSU 41, Butler 33
Mitchell drains a J, and Butler can't hit on the other end. A silly foul on Ronald Nored, and LSU has an opportunity to start breaking it open. Johnson drains one from about 12 feet.

1:33 p.m., LSU 37, Butler 31
Howard gets a bucket inside to make it a four-point game as we begin the second half. He has a look at another and .. rolls off the rim. But he's got 10 points in eight minutes. And, as a shaggy-haired white guy, the affection of many, many women.

1:31 p.m., LSU 35, Butler 29 (Halftime)
A little local flavor: The loudmouth, obese white guy in the car dealership commercial that just ran felt obligated, this being South Florida, to shout "Se Habla Espanol" in a terrible gringo accent at the end of the ad. Just another perk of living in "paradise."

1:27 p.m., LSU 35, Butler 29 (Halftime)
See how I deftly avoided making a crack about that guy who heckled him in the press conference a few weeks ago? See how tasteful I can be? Not everyone in the blogosphere is smug and snarky! Just most of us.

1:26 p.m., LSU 35, Butler 29 (Halftime)
Breaking news: Jim Calhoun will miss the UConn game today with some kind of illness. We're not sure exactly what it is. George Blaney will coach in his stead.

1:22 p.m., LSU 35, Butler 29 (Halftime)
The crowd at Kansas City for the Memphis game doesn't look too strong, either. What do you mean, no one wants to blow $100 just to knock off work and watch guys you've never heard of play for a school you don't care about? What, is there some kind of recession going on, or something?

1:19 p.m., LSU 35, Butler 29 (Halftime)
A check of the stats shows Thornton has 13, Mitchell 10 for LSU, which is shooting 50 percent. Howard and Mack both have eight to lead Butler. The Bulldogs are shooting only 34 percent, but 36 percent from behind the arc. Memphis leads 34-31 at the half in their game, btw. By the way, those KFC Famous Bowls look like the only thing they are famous for is making you visit the other famous bowl. Yikes!

1:14 p.m., LSU 35, Butler 29 (Halftime)
So how 'bout that? A six-point game at the half was not what we were expecting soon after tip-off. Advantage Butler. Except, of course, that they trail by six, which is not much of an advantage. We're getting treated to some coverage of CS-Northridge vs. Memphis, which is a two-point game. Go, Whatever Nickname Northridge Has!

1:11 p.m., LSU 35, Butler 29 (Halftime)
An airball for Howard, but he boards a miss on the other end. Then does "a textbook job" of setting up in the post to draw the foul. It's another 1-and-1. I wish the NBA would add these 1-and-1's. Shaq would have averaged five less points a game every night. Howard nails 'em both again. Tas Mitchell hits one with about 17 seconds to go. Hayward puts up a 3 at the buzzer and its ... good!

1:08 p.m., LSU 33, Butler 24
Mitchell assists Thornton, who sinks one to end a 6-0 Butler run and improve his game-high point total to 13. Another quick timeout. Under a minute and a half to play before the break.

1:05 p.m., LSU 31, Butler 24
Kellogg points out (see, he can play this game, too) that LSU is unbeaten when they score 70 or more. Howard puts up two more. Traveling on LSU, again. Mack gets to the rack and his layup prompts an LSU timeout. 2:05 to play first half.

1:03 p.m., LSU 31, Butler 20
By the way, have you noticed how many times I've used the phrase "Nantz points out" in this blog? He should, like, call the Final Four or something. Howard re-enters as LSU hits a pair. Thornton with another steal and a bucket. And now Howard at the line for a 1-and-1. Makes 'em both.

1:01 p.m., LSU 27, Butler 18
Nantz points out that Butler is one of only three schools to have the same starting lineup all season. Mt. St. Mary's and North Dakota St. are the others. None of this helps the team hit its free throws. Avery Jukes misses a pair. Timeout with 3:58 to play in the first half.

12:58 p.m., LSU 27, Butler 18
Mack with a 3, and Thornton answers. Thornton picks off a pass and is fouled as he goes in for the lay-up. He hits both. Somewhere the Van Gundys are watching and lamenting this offense that has ruined what had been a tidy clankfest.

12:55 p.m., LSU 20, Butler 15
Terry Martin, LSU's sixth man, hits a 3. I designate him the sixth man because he's the only LSU player off the bench to average more than 2.7 points a game. Center Chris Johnson hits a J and it's a 7-point bulge for LSU. Jukes hits one for Butler to make it a five-point game. Where did all these points come from?

12:51 p.m., LSU 15, Butler 13
Let's not forget the cast of CBS sitcoms sitting around and pretending to watch the games. Those are classics! But it's a putback and Butler's within two!

12:50 p.m., LSU 15, Butler 11
Butler's currently on an 8-2 run. TV Timeout with 7:57 to go in the first half. Just so CBS can show the Taco Bell cross-dressing nacho commercial. Ah, capitalism and sports!

12:47 p.m., LSU 15, Butler 11
Butler is just 1-for-9, as Nantz points out. Kellogg says it's because they're pressing, but I think it might just be because they suck. Nantz points out it's a 4-minute stretch without a field goal for either team. Everybody sucks! But Hayward nails a 3 and suddenly it's a close game.

12:44 p.m. LSU 15, Butler 8
Attn Big Jim Slade: The yak is especially friendly, but only when you're around, if you know what I mean. And CBS gives us our first whiparound! Looks like BYU is having the same problem Butler is against Texas A&M. And go CS-Northridge, with an early 17-16 lead on Memphis!

12:42 p.m., LSU 15, Butler 8
Two free throws for Butler, then a steal, and Wayward Hayward (sorry kid, but you know I could have gone a step farther, too) clanks another three-pointer. But he blocks a shot on the other end, which leads to a traveling call on LSU. Butler ball.

12:38 p.m., LSU 15, Butler 6
Howard sits down again with two fouls at the 13:34 mark in the first half. Spencer has three free throws. OK, Suss, what happens if my affiliate switches away from this one to a game that isn't a 30-point blowout? Two of three for Spencer.

12:36 p.m., LSU 13, Butler 6
Tasmin Mitchell hits a shot inside, and this one is in blowout watch already. But Willie Veasley hits a 3-pointer, thank goodness, and Butler has its first field goal with under 14 minutes to play in the first half.

12:34 p.m., LSU 11, Butler 3
It's been pointed out several times in the lead-up to this one that LSU has lost 3 out of 4 coming in, but Butler hasn't exactly been playing great, either. Besides their 3-point shooting woes, their second-leading scorer, Gordon Hayward, has averaged only six points per game in his last three games.

12:28 p.m., LSU 11, Butler 3
Matt Howard, Butler's top scorer, hits two free throws, and promptly Butler takes him out of the game. Curious. 15:54 to go, 1st half.

12:28 p.m., LSU 9, Butler 1
Shawn Van Zant into the game for Butler. Cue bad Skynard jokes! (I think. I don't know all these classic rock names.) By the way, Butler relies heavily on 3-pointers, but has shot only 23 percent since a two-game losing streak in February.

12:26 p.m., LSU 9, Butler 1
Three possessions, three turnovers for Butler. Shelvin Mack draws a foul and Butler will not be shut out. One out of two free throws for Mack.

12:22 p.m., LSU 9, Butler 0
Bo Spencer with the first five points. Now Mitchell with a jumper that goes. Quickly those with Butler on their brackets turn as green as the empty seats. Thornton with a lay-in and its 9-0! Timeout!

12:20 p.m., pregame
Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg are your announcers, folks. It appears most will be relying on their call, because Greensboro is not exactly riveted for this one. Lots of empty seats for the tip.

12:19 p.m., pregame
So I wonder what commercial will emerge as the most annoying of the tournament? My money is on an old standby ... the CBS Masters promos. Did anyone ever realize the golf demographic is just a little bit different from the basketball one?

12:13 p.m., pregame
Seth Davis tells us that "sometime in our lifetime," a 16 will defeat a 1. What happens if I get hit by a bus moments before my alma mater, East Tennessee State, pulls off a miracle against Pitt tomorrow? Does my family get to file some kind of grievance against Davis? My fiancee wants the proceeds from your book, Seth. Fork it over!

12:10 p.m., pregame
And ... we have Gumbel! Who knew the sight of either Greg or Bryant would be a reason for excitement?

12:06 p.m., pregame
So my local CBS affiliate here in Fort Myers, WINK (yes, really), is doing a live report from the arena at Florida Gulf Coast University, where the women's team is practicing for its NIT game. This is of course justification for the 10-minute local news window before the games start.

2) Awards, our cup runneth over0. LSU's senior guard, Marcus Thornton, was named SEC Player of the Year, while guiding his team to a 26-7 overall record (13-3 in the SEC) and finishing second in the league in scoring at 20.7 ppg. His coach, Trent Johnson, in his first year after taking over for the fired John Brady (who has since been banished to Siberia, or Jonesboro, Arkansas...either one), was named SEC Coach of the Year. Johnson came to LSU from Stanford (clearly leaving Palo Alto for the boost in academic prestige that the Bayou has to offer) where he led the Cardinal to the NCAA tournament in 3 out of his 4 years as head coach.

3) LSU, scourge of the SWAC and other lesser conferences. LSU's NCAA Tournament hopes and dreams are built on the sacrificial and questionably talented corpses of its less than stellar non-conference opponents. LSU's non-conference strength of schedule was ranked 288th overall (RPI of 125) and featured such daunting publicly funded institutions as Grambling State, Nicholls State, Jackson State, Alcorn State and Centenary...um State. They are a healthy 1-3 against the Top 50 (including double digit loses to Xavier, Utah, and Texas A&M) and didn't win a non-conference game away from the Maravich Assembly Center all season. But hey, they won the SEC regular season title, a conference so recognized for its stellar achievement this year that the Selection Committee saw fit to bestow upon it 3 whole bids to the Dance. — Bunkie Perkins (Friends of the Program)

BUTLER BULLDOGS

1) Freshman, Freshman, Do Something Crazy, Do Something Crazy. Unlike the previous veteran laden Butler squads of the past, the 2008-2009 version starts three true freshmen. Leading the group is point guard Ronald Nored (6'0", 180). Nored is the definition of a pass first point guard with a passion for defense. Shooting guard Shelvin Mack (6'3", 215) hails from Lexington, Kentucky and is the Bulldog's best creator. Shelvin fills up the stat sheet wherever he's needed; on any given night he can score 20, dish off 8, or grab 9 off the boards. Finally, Gordon Hayward (6'8", 200) is a matchup problem in every context. Gordon was undersized until his junior year of high school and is still adjusting to his new found height, truly a guard playing in a forward's body. He was a two sport athlete in high school and almost won a state championship in tennis his senior year. Gordon won the Horizon League Newcomer of the Year and was in the top ten in ten different league statistics.

2) Smart Pups Butler has always strived for excellence on and off the court. Leading scorer Matt Howard was recently named to the 2008-09 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America University Division Men's Basketball Team. Howard boasts a 3.7 GPA with a major in Finance. Freshman Gordon Hayward is striving for a double major and currently has a 4.0 GPA. Not to mention Ronald Nored ran for and was elected freshman class president.

3) Don't drop the ball. Butler's success is dependent on their ability to handle the rock. Butler is 14-0 this year when committing less turnovers than their opponent. — fired up karen

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Cleveland State upset 16th-ranked Butler 57-54 for the Horizon League title. Cleveland State hasn't appeared in the tournament since 1986, so they're just bursting with Viking pride this morning.

Commenters, please identify the sweaty booger picker up top, so he can be shamed publicly for his actions and not leading his team to victory.

BUTLER BULLDOGS

1. If your erection lasts for more than four hours, Brad Stevens may know how to help. Prior to becoming a college basketball coach, Butler coach Brad Stevens worked for Indianapolis-based drug company Eli Lilly, makers of Cialis. That Stevens worked for Eli Lilly was no surprise, given that he played high school basketball in lily-white Zionsville and then played in college at (mostly) lilly-white DePauw. The Kevin Bacon department reports that Zionsville is also the hometown of Colorado Avalanche defenseman John-Michael Liles and Cleveland Indians pitcher Tom Mastny. And while we're at it, other DePauw graduates include the chick who started Angie's List, Brad Brownell (coach of the evil Wright State Raiders, one of Butler's 3 losses this year), and Steve Hollar (who played the guy who was benched for violating Norman Dale's four-passes-until-you-shoot rule in Hoosiers). Coach Stevens is only the second drug-selling coach to take his team to the NCAA tournament, however. And the first coach to do it, Kevin Mackey with Cleveland State in 1986, also lives in Indianapolis as a scout for the Pacers. Doses! One for 2, three for 5!

2. Mayor of Swish City. Butler guard A. J. Graves was the subject of a feature in the 2007 NCAA Final Four program entitled "Mayor of Swish City." A takeoff on the name of his hometown of Switz City, Indiana (population 311), the full-page color photo suggested that the town might what to consider a name change. As we told you in this spot last year, A.J. is the third Graves brother to play for Butler. Oldest bro, Matthew, helped Butler to its first NCAA Tournament in 35 years in 1996-97, and current assistant coach Andrew played on three Butler NCAA tourney teams, including the one that lost to Florida in OT in 2000. The Graves' high school, White River Valley, is actually a consolidation of several smaller schools. One of the schools that became White River Valley was L&M High School, which also has had some players worthy of being from "Swish City." The 1984 L&M team went undefeated in the regular season and included IU's Jeff Oliphant and Tony Patterson, who played for Purdue and SMU. The sixth man on that L&M team was none other than Ollie, who is famous for the underhand swish.

3. Butler hates playing mid-majors and hates Bruce Pearl. Butler's only three losses this year came at the hands of fellow mid-major programs Wright State, Cleveland State and Drake. Contrast that with Butler's 5-0 record against teams from the "power conferences." The Bulldogs beat Michigan, beat Florida State, won at Virginia Tech, beat Texas Tech in Lubbock, and made Thad's back hurt worse than normal by beating Ohio State by 20. Although playing another mid-major, South Alabama, doesn't provide the underdog role, getting a 7-seed despite being ranked in the top 10 and having to play USA in Birmingham, is sure to make the Dawgs mad. Looking to the potential second-round matchup, another thing that makes Butler mad is Bruce Pearl. Prior to landing at Tennessee, Pearl was the coach of Butler's Horizon League foe, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Butler and UWM played some fierce battles and in one title game, Butler guard Avery Sheets hit a three to win, causing Pearl to cry. Look for the Bulldogs to make Bruce Pearl cry again. — Bulldog Lounge

SOUTH ALABAMA JAGUARS

1. It's the Jags baby... The University of South Alabama will be coming to a television near you this March. I'm guessing most of you are surprised that such a school exists. USA is a small school located in the Mobile area. That's pretty much as far south as you go in Alabama. Last year, they enrolled a little over 14,000 students (undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral), so it is indeed small. USA calls the Sun Belt Conference home, along with other teams like Florida International and Troy. However... this is a team that you shouldn't simply dismiss and it won't be their first time in the Tourney. In 1989, the Jaguars took out Alabama in the first round, and lost to Michigan in the second. Who won the whole shebang in 1989? That's right, Michigan. They also made a first round exit in 1991. The coach and the program have been there before, and they may turn some heads this year. More on that in a bit...

2. Coach Ron Arrow... This is Coach Arrow's second stint at the USA helm. He lead the Jags from 1987 through 1995, bringing home two conference titles and two NCAA berths; he also took Texas A&M - Corpus Christi last year. Arrow returns this year to add another Sun Belt title, and NCAA birth at USA. Recently, I had the opportunity to speak to Coach Arrow, as his team is gearing up for the tournament. (Really... I did.) He describes the Jags as "an up tempo team" that's "fun to watch." He also noted the work ethic of his kids and thinks it's a team that "the public will like," especially those who haven't seen them play. Arrow is a good coach that stresses fundamentals and hard work with his kids. There was once another solid NCAA (football) coach by the name of Arrow. Coach Ed "Straight Arrow" Genero. This guy left his analyst job to take over a program guilty of NCAA violations that would make Kelvin Sampson blush. He may have only won 1 game, but come on, he suited up a team made of 20 kids (all walk-ons). The kicker from that team did go on to have a somewhat fruitful career.

3. Who to watch for... Guard Demetric Bennett is the best player on the team, and in the conference. This year, he's averaging 19.5 point, 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game. At 6"4'205, Bennett is big enough to take it hard to the basket, but he's also a high percentage shooter (48% from the floor, 83% from the line, and 40% from beyond the arc.) Arrow described him as "a go to guy" and a complete package that has the talent to play at the next level. I agree. Paired with their other guard, Daon Merritt (11.3/2.8/5.5), the have possibly one of the most explosive back courts in the country. Third guard, Domonic Tilford (13.3/2.5/2.1), adds speed and flexibility to the mix.

Why will they go far? We've already covered the backcourt, and they will be dangerous. Let's talk about size. This team may be the biggest team that makes the tournament. They've got two kids at 6"9', two at 6'7" and Bennett at 6'4". They most definitely have the size to go up against any other team in the country. However, they are very fast and well conditioned. USA runs very well, won't get run out of the gym, and won't be doggin' in it the fourth quarter. They're size and speed gives them a huge rebounding advantage (they average almost 40 rebounds a game.) Yeah, they may not have UNC, Duke, or Memphis on their schedule, but they did have Vandy. Anyone been watching Vandy lately? I'm pretty sure they can play some ball. So, how did USA stack up against Vandy you ask? Although they went down 91 - 88, they did so in two overtimes, IN Nashville. No one else has done that this year. They can play with the big boys. Arrow noted that they let Vandy "get away," and they know they can play with anyone. He added that the Vandy game "got us ready for the rest of this year."

The coach has experience in the tournament, the team is big and fast, and they have shown they can play with teams from the bigger conferences. Look, they're going to come in probably ranked as an 8 or 9 seed. I guarantee they win their opening game, hands down. Depending who they draw from there on, who knows what can happen. When you see USA in your office poll, give them a look, even though you may have never heard of them. The Jags may end up being this year's George Washington, and if they do, remember where you heard it.... — Michael Cunius

2. Mayor of Swish City. Butler guard A. J. Graves was the subject of a feature in the 2007 NCAA Final Four program entitled "Mayor of Swish City." A takeoff on the name of his hometown of Switz City, Indiana (population 311), the full-page color photo suggested that the town might what to consider a name change. As we told you in this spot last year, A.J. is the third Graves brother to play for Butler. Oldest bro, Matthew, helped Butler to its first NCAA Tournament in 35 years in 1996-97, and current assistant coach Andrew played on three Butler NCAA tourney teams, including the one that lost to Florida in OT in 2000. The Graves' high school, White River Valley, is actually a consolidation of several smaller schools. One of the schools that became White River Valley was L&M High School, which also has had some players worthy of being from "Swish City." The 1984 L&M team went undefeated in the regular season and included IU's Jeff Oliphant and Tony Patterson, who played for Purdue and SMU. The sixth man on that L&M team was none other than Ollie, who is famous for the underhand swish.

3. Butler hates playing mid-majors and hates Bruce Pearl. Butler's only three losses this year came at the hands of fellow mid-major programs Wright State, Cleveland State and Drake. Contrast that with Butler's 5-0 record against teams from the "power conferences." The Bulldogs beat Michigan, beat Florida State, won at Virginia Tech, beat Texas Tech in Lubbock, and made Thad's back hurt worse than normal by beating Ohio State by 20. Although playing another mid-major, South Alabama, doesn't provide the underdog role, getting a 7-seed despite being ranked in the top 10 and having to play USA in Birmingham, is sure to make the Dawgs mad. Looking to the potential second-round matchup, another thing that makes Butler mad is Bruce Pearl. Prior to landing at Tennessee, Pearl was the coach of Butler's Horizon League foe, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Butler and UWM played some fierce battles and in one title game, Butler guard Avery Sheets hit a three to win, causing Pearl to cry. Look for the Bulldogs to make Bruce Pearl cry again. — Bulldog Lounge

We're not sure why this video affected us so much when we watched it last night — it's actually quite silly. But in a tournament that has offered us so few upsets, and little opportunity for the little guy smacking it to the big guy, we couldn't help but find ourselves a little inspired to see a Butler fan, in the house where Hoosiers was filmed, praying for the Bulldogs to beat defending champion Florida (and that Joakim Noah twerp). It's the quiet in this video that works best, we think.

Maybe we just really, really need an upset. Or maybe we're just a sap.

FLORIDA

1. Because Gator parents get TV face time — so what they wear matters. Did anyone else catch the TV shot Sunday of Tito Horford, Al's dad, in the stands wearing his son's jersey — just the jersey, nothing over/under it. Though it was a unique fashion choice, he actually filled it out. (Perhaps so much we should call him "Teat-o.") Compare that to what Yannick Noah, Joakim's dad, was wearing: A stylish orange fleece with don't-bother-me sunglasses, either indicating that he was too cool for school or perhaps that he was high. Hey, he's a reggae star. (And, of course, Joakim's mom, Cecilia Rodhe — the No. 1-seeded MILF in college hoops. She can wear whatever she wants.)

2. Will Billy Donovan leave for Kentucky? As quickly as Tubby Smith exiled himself from Lexington, rumors were buzzing that Kentucky would make a play for the Florida coach. Donovan has history at Kentucky (he was an assistant there), but I don't think he'll leave Gainesville ... at least for the UK job. Obviously, Florida's program doesn't have the history of Kentucky's, but the last time the Wildcats were national champs, current high school seniors (and potential recruits) were eight years old. Donovan has turned Florida into the SEC's premier program. If anything, I think Billy D would leave Florida for the NBA. Don't think Michael Jordan isn't paying attention to this story...

3. Because Erin Andrews loves the Gators. Why read when you can watch:

— Dan Shanoff

BUTLER

1. The Rims in the Edward Jones Dome Are 10' High. As everyone knows, Hoosiers is based on the story of a real-life mid-major, the Milan Indians, who won the 1954 Indiana state basketball championship. At that time, the final four was played in Hinkle Field House, which is Butler's home court. On the way to the 1954 crown, Milan beat heavyweight Indiana high school basketball programs such as Indianapolis Crispus Attucks (see, e.g., Oscar Robertson) and Muncie Central (see, e.g., Bonzi Wells). Not unlike the Milan Indians, Butler is not going to be intimidated by big bad Florida. During the regular season, Butler beat major programs Notre Dame, Tennessee, Gonzaga, Indiana and Purdue, despite not having any player on the roster taller than 6'7." In addition to not being tall, the Bulldogs are not a deep team either, basically using a seven-man rotation. Butler is about as athletic as the Hickory Huskers, as the zero dunks and zero blocks in the win over Maryland last week demonstrates. What the Bulldogs do is take care of the ball and hit their threes (BU had 12 3's and 11 2's in the Maryland game). In addition, Butler's man defense (with zone principles) creates turnovers (Maryland had 17). So don't be surprised when the Butler Bulldogs take down Florida and Oregon (or UNLV) on the way to the Final Four in Atlanta. (And oh by the way, as I write this I am raising a toast to all of you who had ODU beating Butler in the 12-5 game. You know who you are; nice work.) Don't get caught watching the paint dry, folks.

2. If You Want to Crown Them, Go Ahead and Crown Their Asses. Florida was who Butler thought they were in the 2000 NCAA Tournament. In the East Regional first round game in Winston-Salem, the 12th seeded Bulldogs led the 5 seed Gators, 68-67 with 8.1 seconds left in overtime. LaVall Jordan (who earlier had missed a jumper that would have ended the game in regulation) missed two free throws and some pasty kid from South Dakota (who Billy Donovan did not pay to come to Florida) went down and hit a floater in the lane to give Florida the win, 69-68. From the Kevin Bacon department, LaVall Jordan is now an assistant coach at Butler. And two of the assistants on the 2000 Butler team were now-head coach Todd Lickliter and some guy named Thad Matta. In addition, that stud A.J. Graves had a brother named Matthew on the 2000 team, and another current Butler assistant, Joel Cornette, was also on the team. In any event, Butler let Florida off the hook and the Gators' asses were almost crowned, as they lost to Michigan State in the championship game in Indianapolis.

3. Pete Campbell Thinks Rex Grossman Is Gay. Throwing the football deep is gay. What do they call that, stretching the field? That's gay. Anyone can throw a football. Try stepping out behind the line and launching some 3 balls. Oooh, that makes my dick hard. And I am hitting like 58% percent of my 3's this year. How do you like that, you little quarterback pussy. What? Rex Grossman is from Bloomington, Indiana? Bloomington is for queers. Bunch of pinko communists and a-hole coaches down there. That tool I used to play for at IPFW, Dane Fife, played in Bloomington. Guess what the "F" stands for, Rex. Yeah, I got your fort right here you little wuss. Go sit on the porch of your trailer next to your fake-titty momma and let me show you something about sexy. Hitting the three is sexy. In one game this year, I hit eight threes in a row (not including the Cleveland State cheerleaders, which would make nine). So watch me unload some threes in the Florida game. Wonder how that chick Noah is gonna like that. You want sexy, I'll show you sexy. Now, who wants to sex Pete Campbell? (Apologies, of course, to KSK.) — Bulldog Lounge

First Three Florida Tidbits [Deadspin]
First Three Butler Tidbits [Deadspin]

BUTLER BULLDOGS

1. A.J. Graves lays more pipe than you do. Butler's 6-1, 155 lb. Emo-bang wearing A.J. Graves lays pipe all summer long at his family's plumbing business in Switz City, Indiana. A.J. was all-state at White River Valley H.S. in 2004 and finished two votes behind North Central's A.J. Ratliff in voting for Indiana's Mr. Basketball. He wasn't recruited by any of the major programs and chose to follow his brothers Andrew and Matthew to Butler, choosing the Bulldogs over Indiana State, Xavier, Bradley and SIU. A.J. led Butler to the preseason NIT championship this year, beating Notre Dame, Indiana, Tennessee, and then, after shrooming the night before with Josh Heytvelt, beating Gonzaga in the final. At that time, Butler's R.P.I. was 1. Because A.J. is widely regarded as the best looking Graves brother, we could totally see him laying lots of pipe, even without the plumbing thing.

2. Greg Oden in a Butler uniform? But for the incompetence of the former Butler Athletic Director, it could have happened. Thad Matta, the current Ohio State coach, was the head coach at Butler in 2000-01. That year, Thad's team beat the crap out of Wake Forest in the first round of the NCAA tournament, 79-63 (Butler was actually up 43-10 at the half). After returning to Indianapolis, Thad, who was then on a three-year contract, met with then-AD John Parry about his contract. According to a reliable source, Thad didn't want any more money, just some job security, and asked for a 10-year contract. The genius John Parry refused. Several weeks later, after Skip Prosser left Xavier to take the Wake Forest job after Dave Odom went to South Carolina, Xavier came calling. It seems that the Xavier president had dinner in the same Kansas City restaurant as the Butler team during the NCAA opening round (XU was in the same regional) and was impressed with the way Thad's team handled themselves, so he told the Xavier A.D. to go hire Thad, which he did. Three years later, after Jim O'Brien starts shipping money to recruits, Thad ends up at Ohio State. It goes without saying that Thad is the reason that Oden went to Ohio State (what, do you think Dan Peters can recruit now that he no longer has access to Bob Huggins' checkbook?). So, given the NBA rule change that has Oden in college for one season, do you think Thad would have been able to talk him in to coming to Butler to play in historic Hinkle Field House in front of his hometown fans? I think yes. And but for the incompetence of one Butler A.D. in refusing to lock Thad up for 10 years, it could have happened.

3. Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon: Indiana hoops/Deadspin-style. Butler head coach Todd Lickliter played at Butler with Doug Mitchell, who is the head coach of Illinois Indiana recruit (oops, sorry Will), Eric Gordon, who played AAU basketball with Duke's Josh McRoberts, who is the son of former Butler player Tim McRoberts, who was a Butler teammate of Chad Tucker, who was a Butler teammate of Thad Matta, who was a Butler teammate of Darin Archbold, who was in Blue Chips (filmed at Brandon Crone's high school in Frankfort, IN) with Robert Wuhl, who was in Bull Durham with Kevin Costner, who was in JFK with Kevin Bacon, who was in A Few Good Men with Tom Cruise, who was in Jerry Maguire with Cuba Gooding, Jr., who was in Coming to America with Eddie Murphy, who was in 48 Hours with Nick Nolte, who was in Blue Chips with Bob Knight, who coached Bowling Green coach Dan Dakich at Indiana, who went to Pierce Middle School in Merrilville, Ind. with ... Dee Mirich. Affirmed. — Bulldog Lounge

OLD DOMINION

1. Their long-distance bill must be horrendous. Nobody has made better use of overseas players than ODU. Australian stalwart Alex Loughton graduated last year after leading the Monarchs to an NCAA berth and the final four of the NIT. This year, the team is paced by Lithuanian sharpshooter Valdas Vasylius and tough Ivory Coaster Arnaud Dahi. Seven-foot-threeSam Harris is a work in progress who hails from the island of Tasmania.

2. Ladies... The men's team is still struggling to reach the level set by the Lady Monarchs, who won an NCAA championship in 1985, amassing a 31-3 record. ODU has also taken top prizes in Field Hockey and Sailing, showing some impressive skills with both individual and team Dinghy handling.

3. "Hello, U-Haul? This is Chris again." Very few Monarchs have gone on to have NBA careers, but those who pulled it off have been tenacious. Kenny Gattison put in a solid decade in the pro ranks, Dave Twardzik won a ring with the Trail Blazers in 1977 and Chris Gatling made the All-Star game in 1997, but was best known for triple-pump fakes, flopping and being traded multiple times. He played for nine teams in an 11-year career. — Eric Angevine

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2. Greg Oden in a Butler uniform? But for the incompetence of the former Butler Athletic Director, it could have happened. Thad Matta, the current Ohio State coach, was the head coach at Butler in 2000-01. That year, Thad's team beat the crap out of Wake Forest in the first round of the NCAA tournament, 79-63 (Butler was actually up 43-10 at the half). After returning to Indianapolis, Thad, who was then on a three-year contract, met with then-AD John Parry about his contract. According to a reliable source, Thad didn't want any more money, just some job security, and asked for a 10-year contract. The genius John Parry refused. Several weeks later, after Skip Prosser left Xavier to take the Wake Forest job after Dave Odom went to South Carolina, Xavier came calling. It seems that the Xavier president had dinner in the same Kansas City restaurant as the Butler team during the NCAA opening round (XU was in the same regional) and was impressed with the way Thad's team handled themselves, so he told the Xavier A.D. to go hire Thad, which he did. Three years later, after Jim O'Brien starts shipping money to recruits, Thad ends up at Ohio State. It goes without saying that Thad is the reason that Oden went to Ohio State (what, do you think Dan Peters can recruit now that he no longer has access to Bob Huggins' checkbook?). So, given the NBA rule change that has Oden in college for one season, do you think Thad would have been able to talk him in to coming to Butler to play in historic Hinkle Field House in front of his hometown fans? I think yes. And but for the incompetence of one Butler A.D. in refusing to lock Thad up for 10 years, it could have happened.

3. Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon: Indiana hoops/Deadspin-style. Butler head coach Todd Lickliter played at Butler with Doug Mitchell, who is the head coach of Illinois Indiana recruit (oops, sorry Will), Eric Gordon, who played AAU basketball with Duke's Josh McRoberts, who is the son of former Butler player Tim McRoberts, who was a Butler teammate of Chad Tucker, who was a Butler teammate of Thad Matta, who was a Butler teammate of Darin Archbold, who was in Blue Chips (filmed at Brandon Crone's high school in Frankfort, IN) with Robert Wuhl, who was in Bull Durham with Kevin Costner, who was in JFK with Kevin Bacon, who was in A Few Good Men with Tom Cruise, who was in Jerry Maguire with Cuba Gooding, Jr., who was in Coming to America with Eddie Murphy, who was in 48 Hours with Nick Nolte, who was in Blue Chips with Bob Knight, who coached Bowling Green coach Dan Dakich at Indiana, who went to Pierce Middle School in Merrilville, Ind. with ... Dee Mirich. Affirmed. — Bulldog Lounge