Silicon Alley Insider editor (and former Denton-ophile) Nicholas Carlson is a graduate of Davidson, as is his younger brother, and during a campus visit two years ago he scooped the world with inside knowledge of Curry's professional basketball plans. Curry personally told him "we have two more years of this" implying, no ... vowing that he would finish his time and graduate as a Wildcat. Then he and Nick hugged and that is a bond that cannot be broken, man. Yet today, Curry went back on this sacred oath and announced he will drop out of school.

Reached for IM comment Carlson said this:

A real dson doesn't quit school

I guess money and fame mean more than hugs.

Curry to go pro [Davidson News]
Exclusive: Stephen Curry Tells Lunchfood He's Staying In School [Nicholas Carlson]

Yes, the Curry family won everybody's heart last March and hopes were high for Stephen and the Wildcats in this season. They started the year ranked in the Top 25 and scheduled several big time schools in order to test their mettle and up their tourney profile. Except they lost most of the games handily and got dumped by Butler in a "bracket buster" matchup just weeks ago. Now they couldn't even reach the finals in a conference that never pulls down at-large bids. So are we looking at a Stephen Curry-less NCAA tournament?

All year, the Wildcats fought the perception that they were nothing but a one-man team ... and they lost that fight. The selection committee may feel the urge to reward that one man with another shot in the Big Dance, but they shouldn't. Curry led the nation in scoring and his long range bombs wowed fans in 2008, but you aren't supposed to get credit for those things. Teams with much better resumes will not get it. Davidson had their chance and they made the most of it, but it's over. They won't duplicate that magic this time—although someone else who is currently unknown can ... and probably will. Believe it or not, we'll all be just fine without him.

Mr. March Headed to the NIT [Rush The Court]
Auto-Bid Watch: Championship Week [Storming The Floor]

ESPN's BracketBusters is an annual made-for-ad-revenue event that pits low- and mid-major teams from different conferences against each other. This year, 13 of the games are televised across the ESPN cabal of networks. However, I've had ESPNews on the TV for most of the day and all I've heard about are two games. Scratch that. All I've heard about are two players: Seth and Stephen Curry.

Look, ESPN, we get it. NBA player dad, hot mom, good players. But there are 24 other teams out there, all of which probably have some pretty compelling stories of their own. If you want anyone to watch those games, you might consider publicizing them.

And how are those Curry kids doing? Seth Curry's Liberty team was eviscerated by (women's) powerhouse Old Dominion 80-56 and Stephen Curry's overrated Davidson squad was rolled by Butler 75-63. Stephen got 20 points...on team-killing 6-23 shooting. Predictably, between the time I started writing this and now, ESPN.com has all but removed all traces of BracketBusters from its front page.

Butler vs. Davidson [ESPN.com]
Liberty vs. Old Dominion [ESPN.com]

I mean, it's not like she's strutting around in cut-off shorts with "Wildcat" written on the butt or boozing it up with her son's teammates on Facebook. She's just a mom who isn't ugly and understands that Davidson relies too much on her son's outside jumpshot. Just like every other mom at the Garden last night. I mean, why doesn't anyone talk about how Del's long-range abilities on NBA Live '95 inspired Stephen and kept me from getting destroyed by my roommate in Super Nintendo grudge matches?

Anyway, Davidson held off West Viriginia even though it took 27 shots and 12 missed 3-pointers for Curry to get his 27 points. Curry still leads the nation in scoring at 30.8 points per game, while his mother apparently leads the nation in the crowd reaction shots. Maybe she'll get a new hairdo before March!

Breakfast of Champions - Don't Ever Give Up Edition [Storming The Floor]
College basketball season now officially under way [Sports Hernia]

Patsos has been taking some heat for his team's strategy against Davidson on Nov. 25, in which the Greyhounds employed a triangle-and-two defense on Stephen Curry, holding the nation's leading scorer without a point. Problem was, Davidson won the game, 78-48. The unique gambit was the talk of the media for about a week, and even PTI chatterheads Wilbon and Kornhesier chimed in (I didn't see the segment; I assume they disapproved). And that, thought Patsos, deserved a response.

The letter, addressed to Wilbon and Kornheiser, was passed along to Albany Times-Union reporter Pete Iorizzo, who in turn shared it with his readers. I've blocked the following excerpt because I don't want you to miss it. The entirety of the letter follows that.

As an American I wish we had leaders like [Davidson coach Bob] McKillop and Curry, who could have gotten the CIA and FBI to talk so we could have prevented the 9-11 tragedy, or saw that Fannie Mae was creating a mortgage crisis coming which could cripple a country. The Davidson basketball family united the way I wish Wall Street would have instead of letting so many Americans retirement be lost. I wish his staff could have advised the administration who got us into a war in Iraq which cost us countless lives, and disabilities, countless money and has gone on longer than WWII. I know these are extreme examples to show that the Davidson basketball family adjusted, made smart choices and unselfish choices for the good of the team.

Dear Mr. Kornheiser and Mr. Wilbon:

I would like to start by saying that after 20 years of coaching in the Baltimore-Washington (area) I have come to realize that you represent the highest intelligence and integrity in both written and broadcast journalism. Our team watches your show daily in the locker room as practice ends at 5:30.

The decision to deny Stephen Curry the ball for the entire game was a calculated risk and conscious choice by myself, our staff and our players. My staff is made up of Matt Kovarik (just passed the Maryland Bar), GG Smith (masters from Kentucky, Tubby’s son) and Greg Manning jr (Loyola player and 2008 graduate, son of Greg Manning Sr all-time free throw pct leader in ACC History). We had a tough win the night before vs. James Madison and our best defender Tony Lewis is hurt and out for a week. He tried to play vs Davidson but as unable after two minutes, and we want him healthy for the year. We are a very young team who lost 3 starters and 5 of the top 9 from last years record setting 19 win team. We have had 3 winning seasons in a row, which is very good since 5 years ago when I got here we were 1-27 and last in the country in the RPI!

The game plan to beat Davidson a top 25 team with a lottery pick in Stephen Curry, and 6 of 8 players back from an Elite Eight team was to keep Curry from touching the ball. If this was last year we would not have done this because Curry played shooting guard. The decision was based on the fact that he plays point guard now. He is tremendous not only averaging 35 pts, but also 9 assists per game. This means he accounts for 53 points per game for Davidson. My young, tired and inexperienced team met with the staff and we all felt this was our best chance to win the game. We spoke about the Four Corners Dean Smith used as we where playing in the State of North Carolina. It was a risk, but we felt it was our best chance to win the game. The players were all for it, they have a say here at Loyola Basketball. The game started well, and Davidson was forced to use two timeouts to deal with the situation. The lead of 9-4 was an impressive start for our young team. We used a combination of the triangle and two, box and one and a full-court press to stop Curry.

Unfortunately we could not make open shots, and committed twenty-one turnovers (mostly unforced). At halftime I asked the team if they wanted to play straight man to man, or stay with the game plan. They want to stick to the game plan in hopes we could run better offense, make shots and maybe the Davidson players would cool off from the 3 PT line. In the second half a seldom used Davidson freshman made 3 straight pointers, it was not the Greyhounds night. Loyola Basketball tries to WIN every game we play! We played hard until the end, diving for loose balls and running our offense, we just struggled offensively. In closing I take responsibility for the loss, however this was not some self-serving promotional plan. Curry is a great player who controls the game like Tiny Archibald (I grew up in Boston and watched him lead the Celtics to the 1981 NBA Title). He is more dangerous now because he plays the point and can score and pass.

The credit should go to Head Coach Bob McKillop, the entire Davidson team and Stephon Curry who is unselfish, humble and patient. They are a great team, and Curry is a class individual much like his coach. There was no trash-talking or dirty physical play. We took a risk for the rest of the team to beat us, and they did. Coach McKillop adjusted to a situation that they have never seen and did an outstanding job as did his star player. After watching this I only have more respect for Stephen Curry. He should be a serious candidate for player of the year.

As an American I wish we had leaders like McKillop and Curry, who could have gotten the CIA and FBI to talk so we could have prevented the 9-11 tragedy, or saw that Fannie Mae was creating a mortgage crisis coming which could cripple a country. The Davidson basketball family united the way I wish Wall Street would have instead of letting so many Americans retirement be lost. I wish his staff could have advised the administration who got us into a war in Iraq which cost us countless lives, and disabilities, countless money and has gone on longer than WWII. I know these are extreme examples to show that the Davidson basketball family adjusted, made smart choices and unselfish choices for the good of the team.

I will take responsibility for the loss, and give all the credit to the entire Davidson Basketball Family. As a mid major that is where we want to be some day. They are a winning program who does it with class. We took a risk, and it did not work. We still learn from our failures, as much as from our successes. Winning is a priority at this program as it was at the University of Maryland when I worked for Gary Williams, and at Archbishop Carroll when I worked for Carroll Holmes.

It was an honor to have our school on your show which we believe is the finest in the nation. You may print or talk about any or all of this letter. I am available 24-7 to talk to either one of you about this. You are a credit to your industry. I just wanted you to know why we did what we did, and our objective was to win the game against a top 25 team with a lottery pick. Please pray for the victims of Mumbai, I have several friends and relatives working there. We are off to Vermont to play my college roommate Mike Lonergan and the Vermont Catamounts.

Sincerely,

Jimmy Patsos
Head Basketball Coach
Loyola University

Having been a basketball coach myself, I'm the last person on earth to question another coach's motives or strategy. However — and I'm going to stick my neck out here — in my opinion, entrusting the Iraq war to Bob McKillop would not have been wise.

Jimmy Patsos, Unplugged [Albany Times-Union]
Loyola Holds Curry Scoreless, But What Was The Point? [The New York Times]

Patsos kept two men on Curry for the entire game, and Davidson of course countered by simply putting Curry down in a corner of the floor, and letting their other players take on Loyola 4-on-3. Davidson on the power play! Final: Davidson 78, Loyola 48. Greyhound fans were not amused.

"We had to play against an NBA player tonight,” Patsos explained. “Anybody else ever hold him scoreless? I’m a history major. They’re going to remember that we held him scoreless or we lost by 30? I know the fans are mad at me, but I had to roll the dice as far as a coach goes. I’m not some rookie coach.”

“Every dead ball I asked them how long they were going to do this,” Curry said he asked his shadowing defenders. “They really didn’t say anything. They weren’t very conversational about it.”

Patsos took over a team that went 1-27 in 2004 and has led them to two straight third-place finished in the MAAC, and a school-record 19 wins last season. He earned his degree in histrionics at Maryland, where he was an assistant to the easily-agitated Gary Williams for 13 seasons. Patsos got a contract extension in July, and job security can do strange things to your mind, evidently.

And since Patsos is a history major, he of course knows what we all took from the Battle of the Little Bighorn; that the triangle-and-two defense that Custer employed on Crazy Horse kept him completely without a scalp.

Curry Gets 0, Davidson Routs Loyola (Md.) 78-48 [Yahoo Sports]
The Ballad Of Jimmy Patsos [Connors Corner]

The Wildcats were scrambling to comeback in the final minute, when Kyle Fogg snagged a loose ball off a missed free throw and tied the score with 25 seconds left. It was a chaotic moment for the freshman, so he can sort of be forgiven for fouling immediately after the inbound pass even though his team didn't need it. And hey, UAB missed the one-and-one, so Arizona got it back with no shot clock and a chance to win. It's all good!

But when Arizona missed their shot attempt and UAB got the rebound 70 feet from their basket with one second left, it probably didn't make sense for Wildcat forward Jamelle Horne to grab the jersey of Blazer Paul Delany ... and earn an intentional foul call with 0.8 seconds left on the clock. They lost by one.

We're not saying that this is some sort of metaphor for the disarray and chaos that has consumed the Arizona program this season—because it's not a really a metaphor. They need some help.

By the way, so does Stephen Curry because kid was straight ballin' last night (who let Stu Scott in here?), but his 44 points were not enough to beat No. 12 Oklahoma. It's going to be pretty hard for Davidson to shake the perception that they're nothing but a one-man gang, but ... they're a one-man gang. Curry's tournament run last year was obviously not a fluke, but without some more points from his teammates, they're going to see a lot more games like this when they play good teams.

Late Fouls Doom 'Cats [Daily Wildcat]
Gimino: 'Sting' of defeat may bring UA together [Tucson Citizen]
Davidson's Curry scores 44 in loss [Charlotte Observer]

Sonya, of course, became the camera-friendly mom cheerleader of the tournament, leaving many media outlets scrambling for anything resembling a close-up shot that could adequately capture her beauty. (Chris Mottram's due diligence should be acknowledged.)

However, the above photo of the future mother-i'd-like-to-flambee comes from the 1999 Virginia Tech Hokies Volleyball media guide, which featured this photo of young Sonya Adams, the Hokies 1986 leader in aces, pre-MILF blossom.

This, if anything, shows that young Stephen's tremendous upside potential is completely legit.

Let's role-play for a moment. Imagine that you're a male college student out at a party one night. Doesn't matter where. Now, let's say you've had enough drinks to consider yourself good and drunk. Not about-to-pass-out shitfaced, but pretty drunk and quite pleased about it.

You run into a girl at the party. Attractive. Clean. Awesomely tight v-neck sweater. You've seen her around a few times, maybe even had the same class together. She's as drunk as you are, and uncommonly friendly tonight. You two suddenly develop a drunken rapport you didn't expect. She's laughing at your jokes, playfully hitting you, etc. Most important of all, she is completely focused on you. Yes, you! She's not talking to anyone else at all! Even with a couple friends right nearby! Fucking nice.

Later on, deeper into the conversation, and secure together in the little, drunken world you two have established for yourselves, you kiss. A little tongue. Not much. But enough to let you know there's more in store. She indicates she wants to go somewhere more private, and says to you:

"Let's go back to my room."

WINNAR!

I have good news and I have bad news for you. The good news is that you, my friend, have acquired what I'll call Sexual Momentum. You have a clear path to a hook-up for the evening, and that is fucking huge. This is the moment in the night where you drop any other plans you may have had, or any other friends you may have brought along, and put all your eggs in one pussybasket. You're all-in. Determined, at all costs, to see your sexual momentum through to its logical end: sloppy oral sex on a secondhand plaid couch covered in cat hair. The possibility is now REAL. You can almost taste it! Mmmmmm!

You may not get sex. You may only get dry humping. Hell, you might only receive a mild tit-grazing. But that hardly matters. What matters is that you potentially have a warm female body to rub against, which is all any man ever wants. A night out, for men, is graded Pass-Fail. Did you not hook up? You failed. Better luck next time. Did you hook up? You passed. Your night was fucking awesome. And now that you have this precious Sexual Momentum, a passing grade is in the offing.

Women aren't nearly this shallow about how they grade an evening, and that's to be commended. But, if you're a guy, and you're 20 years old, the whole reason you went out this night, the whole reason you motivated to leave your room after pre-gaming with that case of Busch and bottle of Captain's, instead of staying home and jerking it to whatever Asia Carrera DVD is on top of the pile (there's no way you ever bothered to put those discs back into their respective cases), was to get to this point.

You went through a whole lot to get yourself in this position. You had to put on pants. Comb your hair. Apply Gold Bond to your taint. Maintain a casual conversation with an attractive girl for more than five minutes without making a complete fuckhead of yourself. Not an easy thing to do.

And here you are. She wants you to go back to her room. You can barely contain your good fortune. I know when I hooked up in college (all 3.5 times!), it was always akin to stumbling upon the combination to some awesome Fatality in Mortal Kombat that I didn't know how to repeat. "Holy shit! How'd I do THAT?!" It seemed so EASY when it happened. Yet there was no guarantee I could repeat the feat, and it never happened as often as I would have liked. So unfair.

Anyway, the good news is you've gotten yourself in position to bring it home. But now you have to actually pull it off. It sounds so simple. The girl wants to hook up. YOU want to hook up. All you need to do is escort her back to her room. If there were a closer, still-private place to do this, you'd employ it. Hell, if she wanted to fuck on the floor in front of the Boat Race table, you'd be naked already.

But taking her back to her room is the only option you have. Because that's what she wants. And you have to concede any request to her if it involves tail at the tail end. Because you NEED that hookup. Her? Eh, it's not the end of the world. She's not as resolute about finishing this off as you are. And that puts you in an incredibly vulnerable situation.

Because what lies before you now is a fucking MINEFIELD of potential saboteurs.

Does she have to say goodbye to her friends before she leaves the party? Oh, FUCK. That could royally fuck you over. You can hear her best friend now. "What? You're going? But we were all gonna head to The Spotted Dog! (When choosing between drinking for a free at a party and going to bar and paying for drinks, 99 percent of women choose the bar.) Who's that guy? YOU CAN'T GO!"

But that's not even the least of your worries. You may have to make sure she gets her coat. You may have to be able to get a ride back to wherever her room is. You may have to make sure you don't pass out and/or vomit from being so drunk. You may have to make sure SHE isn't in the same position. You may have to sure she isn't distracted by some cute puppy nearby, for women are at their most easily distracted at this particular moment. Which is annoying to you, since your focus is downright fucking Jordan-like right now.

You may need rubbers (I often didn't bring rubbers with me for a night out because I thought they jinxed me, though my general appearance jinxed me regardless). You may have to take a piss. Ever go to piss and the girl just fucking disappears? Does she have to go to bathroom as well? She could slip and fall! Even die! Then you'd have to chat up an entirely NEW chick!

Any of these things could easily trip up your endgame. In my lifetime, I've been cockblocked by friends, romantic rivals, a lack of available taxis, expired condoms, whiskeydick, the presence of roommates, untimely phone calls, blackouts, my vomit, her vomit (though I was willing to overlook the vomit, it still ended the night anyway), injurious falls, the realization on the girl's part that I'm me, card key failure at a security gate, God, and more.

I was in position to make it happen, but I was in that delicate situation where I had to shepherd the hook-up through and failed to make adequate consideration of just how easily it could all go to shit, particularly in my hands. I had to keep the girl engaged, and maintain the all-important Sexual Momentum of the evening. If anything interfered with that, it was pretty much the same as a spell being unbroken.

Which brings us to Davidson.

By the time the second half rolled around on Sunday, it was clear that Davidson was in a position to pull that shit off. They never took a commanding lead. But they took and HELD enough leads to make you think they could see it all the way through. With 10:30 remaining on the clock, they took a 46-45 lead over Kansas, a lead they kept for another four minutes of game play. I'm aroused just thinking about it.

They were in position. They had momentum, not in the traditional sense of going on a run, but in the sense that they had a chance to win, to get to that moment at the end of the game that they had fantasized about for so long. With the jumping, and the cheering, and the post-game orgies and what not. The tantalizing possibility remained real. Within reach. To the team. To the coaches. To fans. To casual dipshits like me, who had just waltzed into the room. The fantasy practically became contagious at that point. All Davidson had to do was hang on.

Then Kansas remembered they had players in their frontcourt who were quite a bit taller than the players in Davidson's front court, and they built up that brutal 59-53 lead with 1:15 to go. And it seemed, there and then, that the night was about to fall apart. Of course, Davidson managed to pull back within two. Then Curry couldn't shake the double team, Jason Richards couldn't hit the three, and the clock ran out.

And thus, an entire sporting nation was cockblocked.

The real buzzkill about Davidson's loss is that all we're left with is the fantasy. And the fact that Davidson got so close doesn't make it any more fully realized. Shit, you could have had the same fantasy about that upset if they had lost by 60. You fill out a bracket at the start of tournament fantasizing about a dozen MORE upsets that don't even come close to happening. And neither did Davidson over Kansas. That potential upset ends up just as not real, only more annoying because the tangible possibility of it disappeared right in front of your very eyes.

Stephen Curry is going to spend a lot of time replaying in his head what happened at the end of that game. But he's going to spend even more time, probably the rest of his life, replaying in his head his fantasy of winning that fucking game. And it's the same feeling as any botched hook-up in my history or yours. "I could have hooked up with that girl! FUCK!"

But you don't. She bumps into a high school friend of hers at the party, who she hasn't seen in YEARS, and who is there by sheer goddamn coincidence. And this, of course, is her only chance to see her before she leaves in the morning. Of course. The Sexual Momentum is gone. All you're left with is your dick in your hand and a helpful imagination.

Shit.

After Davidson's crushing loss yesterday — and, anti-Bill Self biases aside, we were legitimately crestfallen — we emailed our friend our condolences. He replied, probably from the road somewhere: "I might be able to talk about it some day. Damn close, but I guess nerves finally caught up to them." That seemed about right; that last possession just seemed God-sent for a last second Stephen Curry game-winner, but, sadly, basketball games involve real people, not storylines created just for us. Curry panicked and picked up his dribble, and not only did he not get a good shot, he didn't get a shot at all.

We'll be looking at each of the Final Four teams today, and we're pretty certain next weekend's games will be more entertaining than either of the last two Final Fours. But Davidson's loss cost us something vital and permanent. Yes, it's impressive, the first time four No. 1 seeds made it. But you won't be saying in 10 years, "remember that season that all the top seeds made it?" You might have said that, however, about Davidson. Alas. What's a Final Four without underdogs look like? We might be able to talk about it someday, but as for now, don't even start.

And now the Davidson Wildcats are all that stands in the way of an all 1-seed Final Four. If they, and we've been assured all day they are not just Stephen Curry, can deal Bill Self another regional final loss, they will be the first 10 seed to make the Final Four.

We know Davidson is exhausting its endowment to bus their students in free. Will Lebron be joining them? So what if the Cavs have a game an hour after tip-off? The Jayhawks did a number on 'Nova's Scott Reynolds Friday, can they contain the tiny juggernaut?

-Davidson with the first score and it wasn't Curry! See, not a one-man team!

-5 minutes into the game and we're still knotted at 2. Okay, Kansas scored. That should hold them for four minutes or so.

-Davidson with a quick surge to go up 9-6 about 8 and a half minutes in, but Darnell Jackson pounces on a mishandled rebound to get to the stripe.

-Hey, Stephen Curry has decided to put up some points. Maybe this game won't be the dregs.

-Tied at 23, Curry with 12 and aside from part of the second half of UNC-Louisville, we have a good game on our hands.

-After a sluggish first eight minutes or so, that tempo picked up considerably. Gus Johnson didn't like being subdued anyway. Kansas holds a narrow 30-28 lead at half. And Kansas is "holding" Curry to 15.

-Naturally, Billy Packer spent the end of the Texas-Memphis game talking about how Davidson couldn't possibly hang with Kansas. Choke on your own coprolite, Billy.

-Halftime question to Tyler Hansbrough: "Why do you play so hard every possession?" Can I still live blog with an 'SPLODED head? Time will tell...

-Stephen Curry has the first five points of the second half for Davidson. He shakes Rush for a three to bring his tally to 20.

-Kansas up 43-37 going to the line, seem to have reined in the careless turnovers and now have Davidson starting to get forced into taking some poor shots.

-Lovedale's turnaround jumper to give the Wildcats the lead is answered with a Kansas turnover. Ruh roh.

-GUS JOHNSON GUS JOHNSON GUS JOHNSON

-Uh, Brandon Rush, buddy? That was an ugly shot.

-And Curry misses the big three down 4 with a little over a minute.

-But the one inside a minute down 5? He hits that. Jayhawks by a field goal

-Davidson possession with 16.8 to go down by a bucket. Cue piglet: Oh d-d-d-d-dear.

-And Curry couldn't shake the double team. Damn 1 seeds.

Davidson 73, Wisconsin 56

Well, so much for Cinderella Davidson's ride coming to an end when they had to face a big, bad Big Ten defense. That was a complete domination on both ends by the Wildcats against a Badger team that doesn't get dominated by anyone. While they may still be labeled a #10 seed, I don't think you'll hear an argument from anyone if you were to call Davidson a legitimate Top 10 team. They are really that good. And what Stephen Curry is doing is just getting more goddamn ridiculous by the game. Curry scored 33 against one of the best defenders in the nation in Michael Flowers, including a few three-point daggers to put the game away in the second-half. Curry's play has been so phenomenal in the postseason that he even has LeBron James in the stands cheering for the Wildcats. The win sets up the perfect David vs. Goliath showdown; the Wildcats' road to the Final Four will have to go through Kansas.

Memphis 92, Michigan State 74

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that all that talk about Memphis's shitty free-throw shooting making them the most likely number #1 seed to fall may have motivated the Tigers a wee bit. I mean, the first-half of this was a full-fledged ass whoopin'. When Memphis was in the midst of a 15-0 run at the end of the first-half to extend the lead to 30, Michigan State looked legitimately scared to bring the ball up the court. That is how hard the Tigers were playing in this one. Michigan State used 16-0 run early in the second half to make the score look respectable, but this one was over by the half. Derrick Rose continues his impressive March, leading the Tigers with 27 points and 5 assists. Michigan State's Drew Nietzel ends his 14-year Spartan career by scoring all six points of his points in the final 90 seconds.

Kansas 72, Villanova 57

Give the Wildcats credit for playing hard throughout, but the Jayhawks were simply way too talented for the young Nova squad. The Jayhawks used a balanced scoring attack and a vast array of alley-oop dunks to put this one to rest early on. It was almost like pick your poison for the Wildcats, as one minute it was Brandon Rush (16 points) connecting on a fast break dunk, the next it was Mario Chalmers (14 points) drilling a three-pointer. I actually feel pretty bad for Bill Self and Jayhawks as they now advance to the Elite Eight to face Davidson. Here is Self and his Jayhawk squad, in the perfect position to erase all of the recent bad memories of early exits and regional final defeats, and now they have to play freakin' Davidson. The only people rooting for the Jayhawks on Sunday will be KU students, alums and people who live in the state of Kansas.

Texas 82, Stanford 62

The epic clash of styles between the Texas guards and Stanford big men turned into one dud of a game The Cardinal had this one down to a one-point game at 52-51 mid-way through the second-half, but the Longhorns then proceeded to go on a 20-3 to break the game open. Much credit goes to Longhorn center/fatman Dexter Pittman, who used his entire 300-pound frame to hold Brook Lopez scoreless in the final 15 minutes. The Cardinal struggled defensively all night against the quicker Longhorns, as D.J. Augustin scored 23 and Damion James scored 18. Following the game, the Lopez twins could be heard sobbing in the locker room while listening to old Michael Jackson records.

Your Elite Eight match-ups...

Xavier vs UCLA Saturday 6:40 p.m.
X-men actually create quite a few match-up problems for the Bruins, but there is no way anyone should go against UCLA's luck at this point.

North Carolina vs Louisville Saturday 9:05 p.m.
Each team has gotten to the Elite Eight with three blowout wins. We're guessing that changes here.

Memphis vs Texas Sunday 2:20
Ok, so this has to be the game where the Tigers lose because of free-throw shooting, right?

Davidson vs Kansas Sunday 5:05
If you're not excited about this game, college basketball probably isn't for you.

Getty Images Photo

WISCONSIN BADGERS

1. Bo Ryan has written the book on the Swing Offense. Long before he was roaming the sidelines in as a head coach in Madison, Coach Ryan was perfecting his Swing Offense at D-III UW-Platteville, where he won four national titles and had two undefeated seasons. As a matter of fact, Ryan wrote the book on the Swing Offense. There is a video as well. Description for the video is as follows: NCAA Division III National Champion Bo Ryan shares the offense that has made him successful.The Swing is an offense designed to get the ball into high percentage scoring areas, get your team good shots, and to the free throw line. The constant cutting-on the weak side as well as the ball side-makes the defense work on every possession. Coach Ryan covers the basic continuity of the offense and goes over all the options available. 1996, 38 Minutes. Yes, you too can learn the Swing Offense in 38 minutes. That must be one intense video. I plan on showing it to my first-born son every night. Bo Ryan also has instructional videos on how to do the Soulja Boy dance and the Hambone. A man of many talents indeed!

2. 30 wins? No Problem. Only three times in Big Ten history have teams had back-to-back 30 win seasons. The 1974-75 Indiana team went 31-1, losing in the regional finals. They followed that up with the last undefeated season in D-I and won the national title, going 32-0 in 1976. In 1998-99, Michigan State went 33-5 and lost in the Final Four. The next season they went 32-7 and won the national title. During the 2006-076 season, the Wisconsin Badgers posted the first 30-win season in school history, going 30-6, but losing in the second round of the NCAA tournament. This year's Badgers are 31-4, and counting, and hope to follow the success of the previous back to back 30-win Big Ten teams by winning a national title in the second season. Also, the Badgers are one of just five teams in the country that have won at least 30 games in each of the last two seasons. Joining the Badgers are North Carolina, UCLA, Memphis and Kansas.

3. More fun player facts. In our pre-tournament preview, we told you how leading scorer Brian Butch is not an actual polar bear, Joe Krabbenhoft has had over 35 separate "stitch events" to his face over the years, and Trevon Hughes took a cue from the Cobra Kai's Halloween costume and dressed up as a skeleton. Here are a couple more tidbits. Reserve center Greg Stiemsma has developed a nice reputation as the team's barber. Greg also spent time prior to the second round game hitting up Outdoor World in Omaha to purchase a new fishing rod for an upcoming fishing trip. Something tells me he did not run in to Michael Beasley there. One final Stiemsma note: He lists the worst job he ever had as "hoeing weeds." OK. Michael Flowers, the heart and soul of this team, lists "Welcome to the Jungle" as his cell phone ring. I can support that, but I think Mike was about two years old when that song came out. Also, defense runs in the Flowers family. While Michael was robbed of the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Award this year, his brother, Jonte, won his fourth straight Northern Sun Conference Defensive Player of the Year award for D-II Winona State. Also: Erin > Doris: This season, the Badgers are 5-0 when Erin Andrews is the sideline reporter for the game while they are only 1-2 when Doris Burke is involved in some capacity. This calls for a little more Erin and a little less Doris, something I think we all can agree on. — Ben Goldsworthy

DAVIDSON WILDCATS

1. We're really a bunch of dorks. Before last weekend, if you'd heard of Davidson, it almost certainly was because of academics, not athletics. But after two upset wins, don't start thinking this is some secret sports juggernaut. That should be readily evident when you hear the team has adopted Sweet Caroline as a sort-of theme song. And that point guard Jason Richards and Stephen Curry do this weird handshake about a hand fitting into a glove. (I always forget who is which.) And, yes, at one point, we (I still use 'we;' sue me) had an all-white lineup on the floor against Georgetown. These are mostly smart guys who managed to be good at sports too.

2. And Curry is this good. He is grabbing highlights and headlines with 40 and 30 points in the two NCAA tournament games, but the people going ga-ga over him are the ones who haven't paid that much attention. Thanks to DirecTV, I now receive every sports channel ever created, and that means I was able to watch 10 or so Davidson games from a distance this season — which is, by far, the most games we've ever had televised. And Curry has played like this all season. So forgive me if I'm not bowing down to his greatness right now. I did that about three months ago.

3. How about that coach? As happy as I am about these wins and as proud of an alum as I am, I am especially happy for Bob McKillop, who finally got his signature wins after 19 mostly good seasons at Davidson. About 10 years ago when I was in school and covering the team, I used to be around McKillop on a fairly regular basis. I would not say that I got to know him, but I became a little familiar with his type of personality. So when I heard that he said, "I'm numb right now," I was happy for him. He is not somebody I ever would imagine genuinely feels numb. But that he thinks he feels numb must be an incredible feeling for him.

And I have to admit that I had a fleeting thought that these signature wins would be the publicity that McKillop needs to get a job at a more well-funded program. There have been rumors about him being up for such a higher-profile job over the years and, at one point, he might have made that jump. Several years back, though, he crossed over into legendary status. Yeah, he could go somewhere else for a few years, but he would always be our coach. I have a hunch that this time around, he would be the one telling the bigger dogs to take a hike. That, however, is something to worry about after Wisconsin.

So, from the Piedmont, to the Triad, to the hills of Carolina, it is a great week to be a Wildcat. — Matt Pitzer

Seriously: The trustees are paying for all of it. From a letter from school president Tom Ross:

The bus will leave at approximately 6 a.m. on Friday morning. It is approximately an 11 hour ride to Detroit. We will make hotel reservations for you ( 2 students per room). Tickets are for Sessions 1 and 2. If Davidson wins on Friday night, they will play again on Sunday afternoon (exact time not yet known). Win or lose, the bus will leave on Sunday afternoon after the Session 2 game ends. You will most likely arrive back in Davidson on Monday morning between 4 am and 6 am.
If you have already booked a package with the bus that leaves campus on Friday morning (bus, tickets, hotel), then your credit card will not be charged. If you have purchased a ticket and are handling transportation and lodging on your own, then you will be reimbursed for the face value of the ticket only. All of this will be handled next week.

Of course, this is easier to do with a college enrollment of 1,700 undergraduates — about 1/20th of what Wisconsin has — but still ... pretty freaking awesome. Go Wildcats!

It's Good To Be A Davidson Student These Days [Lion In Oil]

Davidson vs. Wisconsin, 7:10 pm Friday

#10 Davidson Wildcats

Last Weekend: Defeated #7 Gonzaga 82-76, defeated #2 Georgetown 74-70

How Davidson Got Here: Superior guard play. Stephen Curry and Jason Richards are the backbone of this Wildcats team.. Curry had 40 points against the Zags and 30 points against the Hoyas. Fifty-five of his seventy points have come in the second half. Richards, the NCAA leader in assists, did not disappoint either, with 35 points and 14 assists playing all but four minutes of the first two games. In the Georgetown game, Curry and Richards, by virtue of either points scored or assists tallied, accounted for 70 of the Cats' 74 points, including a hand in every field goal made. That is impressive.

What the Sweet 16 Means for Davidson: The difficult non-conference schedule paid off. They were not fazed by the big stage. While any Davidson fan, player and coach must be absolutely thrilled by what has happened so far, the Wildcats have to believe that they are the next George Mason. They have to believe, in their heart of hearts, that they can make the Final Four given the right opportunity.

Chances to Reach San Antonio: Perhaps the third slimmest chance of anyone left in this tournament (the first and second being Western Kentucky and Villanova). But they have to feel good about their chances to make the Elite 8. Wisconsin's style means the pace will be slow, allowing starters to play close to 40 minutes and the Wildcats to keep it close regardless of the outcome. In Kansas, they may have to face the most talented team of the tournament. Then again, that's what they said about UConn in 2006.

#3 Wisconsin Badgers

Last Weekend: Defeated #14 CS Fullerton 71-56, defeated #11 Kansas State 72-55.

How Wisconsin Got Here: Insanely good defense. The Badgers have played hard-nosed defense all season long, and last weekend was a powerful showcase of just that. Sure, the Badgers allowed Michael Beasley to drop 17 on them in the first half. But in the second half, they surrendered just six points from the best college player in the land. Bo Ryan's squad has the liberty of avoiding Georgetown, however now they're stuck with the possible Cinderella story of this year's tournament, Davidson.

What the Sweet 16 Means for the Badgers: A Sweet 16 appearance for this year's Badgers should come as no surprise. They've found incredible leadership from Michael Flowers, one of the best hustle players in the country in Joe Krabbenhoft and a slew of other players that simply know their roles (i.e. Marcus Landry, Trevon Hughes). Wisconsin is in a very favorable position now to make a strong run at a Final Four, with its upcoming game against Davidson and a potential showdown with Kansas.

Chances to Reach San Antonio: Good, but not likely. The Badgers can and should defeat Davidson, but a potential Elite Eight game against Kansas would be too much for them. The Jayhawks are better, faster and stronger (and harder?) than Wisconsin and would prevent them from making a Final Four run.

Villanova vs. Kansas, 9:40 pm Friday

#12 Villanova Wildcats

Last Weekend: Defeated #7 Clemson 75-69, defeated #13 Siena 84-72

How Villanova Got Here: Scottie Reynolds and a favorable draw. Reynolds has had an up and down 2008 season while transitioning to becoming "the man" at Nova, but he caught fire following a 22-point performance against Syracuse in the first round of the Big East tournament. He's continued to lead Nova in scoring each game since, including his huge second half against Clemson and 25-point performance against Siena. The Wildcats also caught a break by playing a choketastic Clemson team and a Siena squad whose season was complete with a win over Vandy.

What the Sweet 16 Means to the Wildcats: If you told any Villanova fan on January 23, right after the Cats were just routed by Rutgers, that this team was going to the Sweet 16, they would have assumed you were on meth. This Sweet 16 run is a total surprise for Villanova, so the Cats are basically playing with house money from here out. All this can do it set up the Wildcats as a possible Top 10/Top 5 team to start next season.

Chances to Reach San Antonio: Not likely, but it's not like Villanova hasn't done this before in program history. Still, there are no more double-digits seeds for the Cats, as they now have to face the powerful Kansas Jayhawks. While the multi-talented 'Hawks probably have too much size, depth and firepower for the Wildcats, they are still coached by Bill Self, and the three-pointer is the great equalizer in the college hoops.

#1 Kansas Jayhawks

Last Weekend: Defeated #16 Portland State 85-61, Defeated #8 UNLV 75-56.

How Kansas Got Here: The beatdown of Big Sky champs Portland State was routine, with future NBA draft picks drubbing guys who would be lucky to get a tryout for Slamball (it's back, you know!). UNLV provided a slightly tougher test, shutting down the perimeter in the first half until Kansas used superior quickness to penetrate the lane, score and open up the outside game. In all, it has been pretty easy so far.

What the Sweet 16 Means to Kansas: A sigh of relief to a team that still remembers the two-season "Killer Bs" debacle. However, anything short of a Final Four this season will leave Kansas fans exasperated, and add just a little more heat to Bill Self's kiester.

Chances of Reaching San Antonio: Inheriting the winner of a 12 vs. 13 matchup almost doesn't seem fair, but Jayhawk players and fans will take it. With respectable but limited teams like Wisconsin and Davidson lurking on the other side of the bracket, if Kansas doesn't make it to San Antonio this year, the program's reputation could take a near-fatal hit. Going through Detroit just like Danny's '88 squad did has the Lawrence faithful hoping for another Miracle.

#10 Davidson 82, #7 Gonzaga 76. Stephen Curry scored 40 on 8-11 three-point shooting in Raleigh, but it was the timely rebounding of Andrew Lovedale (13 boards to go with 12 points) that saved the Wildcats' bacon. Adam Morrison was in attendance, looking like the lead singer of a goth tribute band. No word yet on whether he cried. Oh, who are we kidding, of course he did. Davidson advances to face the Georgetown/UMBC winner.

#12 Western Kentucky 101, Drake 99 (OT). Western Kentucky had the ball in a tie game at the end of regulation, but Academic All-American Adam Emmenecker stepped in to draw a controversial charge that allowed the game to go to OT. Another questionable call in the extra frame didn't change the outcome, however, as the Hilltoppers' Ty Rogers hit the clutch three over two defenders to win the game. WKU will face the UConn/San Diego winner. Pretty freaking wild shot that everyone in America saw, except for the people who work and/or don't care about baskeball.

#2 Tennessee 72, #15 American 57. Let there be no doubt about this - American could have won this game. They showed no fear, and led several times in the game, but Tennessee put on a run in the second half and put them away behind a balanced scoring effort that featured three players in double figures (two Smiths and a Chism, if you're keeping score). Tennessee advances to face the Butler/South Alabama winner.

#7 Miami 78, #10 St. Mary's 64. Jack McClinton's 38 would be the story today, if Stephen Curry hadn't knocked down a couple of clutch free throws. St. Mary's led early in this one, but couldn't maintain in the second half, as the three-bid WCC is down to San Diego if they hope to advance to the second round. If Texas advances in the later game, Haith will be facing his former boss. Miami faces the Texas/Austin Peay winner.

GONZAGA BULLDOGS

1. More Than A Few. Since he took over at Gonzaga in 1999, Mark Few is among the winningest coaches in the county. In a nine-year career that includes nine 20 win seasons and nine NCAA tournament berths, Few has an overall record of 204 wins, 53 losses. Gonzaga's West Coast Conference record during that span is 99-13.

2. Not Just Stockton. Point guard Jeremy Pargo was recently named West Coast Conference Player of the Year, the eighth straight time a Gonzaga player has won the award. With all the program's recent success, though, Gonzaga has retired only two jerseys: John Stockton's number 12, and Frank Burgess' number 44. Burgess, who played from 1958-1961, is Gonzaga's all-time leading scorer, and has the school record for points scored in a single game with 51. In the 1960-61 season, he lead the nation in scoring at 32.4 ppg, and was named first-team All-American, the first player in school history to get the honor.

3. Remembering Ehlo. Gonzaga games are broadcast throughout the western part of the country on Fox Sports, with color commentary provided by the world-famous and one-and-only Craig Ehlo. Ehlo, like the current president, hails from west Texas, and Ehlo, also like the current president, has a way with the English language. He has been known to call shooting guard Micah Downs "Michael," once decided that an opponent had an Australian dialogue, and wondered if Gonzaga would ever put a decimal reader in the Kennel. — La Rev

DAVIDSON WILDCATS

1. The freight. Here is some basic info you might hear over the next few days. Davidson has the nation's longest winning streak at 22 games. The Wildcats won the Southern Conference for the third year in a row, have won their past 36 conference games and 46 of the past 47.

That 36-game streak over two seasons encompasses the collegiate career of Stephen Curry. Stephen Curry is good. He was fifth in the nation with 25.1 points a game. He is the son of former NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry. He already is the 10th-leading all-time scorer in Davidson history. He is only a sophomore. This is not insignificant as Davidson had some big-time studs back in the day - like the 1960s and 70s.

Point guard Jason Richards led the nation in assists at 8.0 a game during the regular season. Richards also was the team's second-leading scorer, which is a little unusual. Coach Bob McKillop loves intelligent, feisty point guards who are virtual coaches on the floor. He finds a guy he likes and lets him start for three or four years and really take command of the team. But these point guards pass first, defend second, direct the team third and, if they have any energy left over, try to score. This will become a bigger deal for the Wildcats next season when Richards graduates and they move Curry over to point guard. Curry is a pure scorer and whether he can handle the additional demands of point guard could determine how his final two seasons go. But that is next year's problem.

2. Excitement. Back in my day there, Davidson was a small school in a quaint, sleepy little town of the same name about a half-hour north of Charlotte, a city not quite ready for prime time. And Belk Arena was a nice small-college gym. You could cram about 6,000 people in there if you had to, but there never was any reason to.

Charlotte's urban sprawl has enveloped Davidson, and that gym was packed most of the season. Sections of seats were sold out. People camped out (yes, really) to get tickets. The Wildcats took on top 10 teams North Carolina, Duke and UCLA. They led each of them and lost those three games by a total of 22 points. Early- and late-season top 25 rankings mean this has not been the typical under-the-radar season for this mid-major program. People are noticing, and people are caring. Our long-standing refraining about not getting respect does not ring so true this year.

3. The time. I am an unabashed Davidson fan and have been ever since I enrolled in 1992. The school has had its share of athletic success in other sports, but nothing compares to the potential of the men's basketball team doing well, making an impact in the NCAA tournament. My most heartbreaking collegiate sports memory is of the Wildcats losing to a far inferior Western Carolina team during my senior year in 1996. I will carry this memory with me forever because, as I have written before and will write again, I went through school with that senior-laden team and that conference tournament, and the NCAA tournament to follow, was supposed to be our moment.

That moment was denied. Subsequent potential moments have been denied. Davidson lost to Michigan in the NCAA tournament in 1998, to Ohio State in 2002 and 2006 and to Maryland last year. The Wildcats have not won an NCAA tournament game since Lefty Driesell left as coach in 1969. (In 1964, Davidson was Sports Illustrated's preseason No. 1 team.) This week is the moment now for this team, and we long-waiting fans, students and alumni would dread having another such moment denied.

I have two friends from college who both had their first children born on December 28. And Davidson has not lost since. One said, "Coincidence? I think not." I have no idea what that has to do with anything. Those kids do not realize their fathers' school has not lost in their short lifetime. So, I guess, it's win one for the kids? — Matt Pitzer

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That 36-game streak over two seasons encompasses the collegiate career of Stephen Curry. Stephen Curry is good. He was fifth in the nation with 25.1 points a game. He is the son of former NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry. He already is the 10th-leading all-time scorer in Davidson history. He is only a sophomore. This is not insignificant as Davidson had some big-time studs back in the day - like the 1960s and 70s.

Point guard Jason Richards led the nation in assists at 8.0 a game during the regular season. Richards also was the team's second-leading scorer, which is a little unusual. Coach Bob McKillop loves intelligent, feisty point guards who are virtual coaches on the floor. He finds a guy he likes and lets him start for three or four years and really take command of the team. But these point guards pass first, defend second, direct the team third and, if they have any energy left over, try to score. This will become a bigger deal for the Wildcats next season when Richards graduates and they move Curry over to point guard. Curry is a pure scorer and whether he can handle the additional demands of point guard could determine how his final two seasons go. But that is next year's problem.

2. Excitement. Back in my day there, Davidson was a small school in a quaint, sleepy little town of the same name about a half-hour north of Charlotte, a city not quite ready for prime time. And Belk Arena was a nice small-college gym. You could cram about 6,000 people in there if you had to, but there never was any reason to.

Charlotte's urban sprawl has enveloped Davidson, and that gym was packed most of the season. Sections of seats were sold out. People camped out (yes, really) to get tickets. The Wildcats took on top 10 teams North Carolina, Duke and UCLA. They led each of them and lost those three games by a total of 22 points. Early- and late-season top 25 rankings mean this has not been the typical under-the-radar season for this mid-major program. People are noticing, and people are caring. Our long-standing refraining about not getting respect does not ring so true this year.

3. The time. I am an unabashed Davidson fan and have been ever since I enrolled in 1992. The school has had its share of athletic success in other sports, but nothing compares to the potential of the men's basketball team doing well, making an impact in the NCAA tournament. My most heartbreaking collegiate sports memory is of the Wildcats losing to a far inferior Western Carolina team during my senior year in 1996. I will carry this memory with me forever because, as I have written before and will write again, I went through school with that senior-laden team and that conference tournament, and the NCAA tournament to follow, was supposed to be our moment.

That moment was denied. Subsequent potential moments have been denied. Davidson lost to Michigan in the NCAA tournament in 1998, to Ohio State in 2002 and 2006 and to Maryland last year. The Wildcats have not won an NCAA tournament game since Lefty Driesell left as coach in 1969. (In 1964, Davidson was Sports Illustrated's preseason No. 1 team.) This week is the moment now for this team, and we long-waiting fans, students and alumni would dread having another such moment denied.

I have two friends from college who both had their first children born on December 28. And Davidson has not lost since. One said, "Coincidence? I think not." I have no idea what that has to do with anything. Those kids do not realize their fathers' school has not lost in their short lifetime. So, I guess, it's win one for the kids? — Matt Pitzer