GEORGETOWN HOYAS

1. How It Got Here. Founded in 1789 by John Carroll, Georgetown was part of a larger educational effort by the Pope's "Team America" approach to help educate young Catholics in post-Revolutionary War America. Carroll went out to start out other universities, including his namesake in Cleveland, Ohio. The blue and gray clad Hoyas colors were so chosen when the university decided to honor the service of its civil war veterans. Though the school was active in football at the turn of the century (where its motto, "Hoya Saxa!" was coined), the last fifty years the school's sporting prowess has been decidedly basketball related. Ex-NFL commish Paul Tagliabue was a member of the squad in 1962 and former Illinois representative Henry Hyde led the team to the NCAA tournament final in 1943. But those were sporadic successes until the arrival of John Thompson (II) in 1972. The Hoyas made their first tournament under JTII three years later. By 1979, they were tournament regulars. By the mid-80s, the basketball team had most of America fearing for their lives.

2. Lucky or Good? Rick Pitino on the Hoyas this year: "They've been lucky." Have they? The Hoyas needed a three by Roy Hibbert (!) to edge UConn at home by 2 with seconds left on the clock, 72-70; a 64-62 overtime win over 'Cuse on Big Monday where a young and tired well-defended Orange squad didn't score in the last 2 minutes of regulation despite being up five points; a last second shot by WVU at the buzzer was goal tended blocked by Patrick Ewing, Jr. to preserve a 55-54 Hoya win; a bullshit controversial blocking foul with 6 seconds left allowed the Hoyas to escape overtime against Villanova with two Jonathan Wallace free throws and a 55-53 win; and finally, down three at Marquette with 3 seconds left, an idiotic amazing foul call on a Jonathan Wallace three point attempt by Marquette allows the Hoyas to force OT after three made free throws. The Hoyas went on to win, 70-68, where the winning margin was simply a banked three made by Wallace during the overtime. All of the Hoyas losses have been on the road this year and all by 7+ or more points (to Memphis, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Louisville). While there is some truth to Pitino's comments, I'd also like to think that Branch Rickey said it best.

3. Well Guarded Home. The Hoyas 15-0 home record this year could not have come with the support of a strong home court advantage. Not only has the student body rallied around the team, but with the protection of an actual bulldog patrolling the sidelines it has clearly inspired the team to new heights. Clearly, security is important to prevent road teams from stealing our wins. Jack the Bulldog, led by handlers who don "Team Jack" t-shirts for the game, are fan favorites as they patrol the concourses at games, allowing Hoyas large and small to pet and photograph Jack. However, it's not just photos and pampering for the pint-sized pooch. At the 8 minute timeout in the second half of every home game, Jack runs onto the floor and chases (while attempting to bite) a package wrapped with the opposing teams' colors and logos. Naturally, the witty Hoyas in the student section cheer him along with chants of, "Eat that box!"**

** The administration of the Georgetown University would like to take the time to remind you that a marriage certificate, signed by the controlling Catholic diocese, is needed first before said activities can be performed. Thank you. — Christopher Klejdys

MARYLAND-BALTIMORE COUNTRY RETRIEVERS

1. Retriever Fever. Every March, we are presented with a mid-major that you can't help but root for. This year, that team is the UMBC Retrievers. You have the fantastic nickname of "Retrievers." Then, you have the hyphenated university name, which unfortunately sounds like a school that you find advertised on the side of a bus. But don't let the fun names fool you, this team can ball. The Retrievers are 24-8 with an RPI of 89, boasting one of the most balanced scoring attacks in the nation.

2. This Retriever Will Bite Your Face Off. UMBC first caught our attention when they beat defending A-10 champs George Washington back in November, and they haven't let up since. UMBC defeated fellow tournament newbie American and A-10 teams Richmond and La Salle in the preseason, then dominated the America East with a 13-3 mark. They rolled over Hartford 82-65 (not as close as the score appears) to earn their first trip to the Dance in school history.

3. Balanced Dogs. The Retrievers have four players averaging at least 13 ppg, and that doesn't even include one of the most valuable players in 5'8 Jay Greene. Ray Barbosa is the leading scorer for the Retrievers, averaging 16.9 ppg and drilling 84 threes on the season. Not far behind him are big man Carvell Johnson (13.2) and guard Brian Hodges (14.1). A veteran squad with a balanced scoring attack is exactly the kind of team I wouldn't want to face if I'm a fading top seed. — Storming The Floor

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1 Kansas vs. 16 Portland State (Omaha)
Kansas is one of the most experienced and well-rounded teams in this entire tournament, so it should the Jayhawks should be damn thankful that they landed perhaps the easiest regional of the No. 1 seeds. The Jayhawks should have absolutely no problem disposing of Portland State.
The Pick: Kansas

8 UNLV vs. 9 Kent State (Omaha)
This game right here is the ultimate 8-9 first round matchup. Why? Because it's nearly impossible to pick. UNLV is coming off a huge upset of BYU in its conference tournament, while Kent State picked up some big wins this season against George Mason and at St. Mary's. In the end, the coin toss went the Rebels' way.
The Pick: UNLV

5 Clemson vs. 12 Villanova (Tampa)
Anybody who witnessed Sunday's gem of a game between North Carolina and Clemson has got to agree - Clemson is for real. This is a team that has somehow, someway battled with North Carolina all season long and even defeated Duke in the ACC Tourney. Look for the Tigers to make a lot of noise in the early going of the tournament.
The Pick: Clemson

4 Vanderbilt vs. 13 Siena (Tampa)
Siena provides one of the lone, true upsets of this regional. They've got a win against Stanford under their belts this season and should take advantage of a Vanderbilt team that dropped three of its final five games of the season - including two to Arkansas (Hoosiers beware!).
The Pick: Siena

6 USC vs. 11 Kansas State (Omaha)
Ahh, yes - the battle of the two best freshmen in all of college basketball, O.J. Mayo and Michael Beas(t)ley. Put that aside for a moment though. The more interesting matchup may come between Mayo and K. State's Bill Walker, who are former high school teammates. In the end, Beasley will undoubtedly turn in yet another huge performance and lead his team to victory.
The Pick: Kansas State

3 Wisconsin vs. 14 CS Fullerton (Omaha)
Like Davidson, who I'll get to in a moment, momentum will be the ultimate key for the Badgers. Wisconsin played well during the Big Ten Tournament, despite a quasi-injury to Trevon Hughes who is still struggling to find his shot. As long as Brian Butch and Michael Flowers are playing well though - and Joe Krabbenhoft is up to his usual garbage-cleaning ways - the Badgers should advance to Round 2 without breaking a sweat.
The Pick: Wisconsin

7 Gonzaga vs. 10 Davidson (Raleigh)
Forget the Houston Rockets. Nobody cares about the NBA anyway, right? Well as everybody knows by now, the Wildcats have won 22 straight. Davidson played at UCLA, at Duke and at North Carolina early in the season, and lost all three...however, they lost by just six to Duke and just four to the Tar Heels. There's no question that Gonzaga is a formidable foe, but Davidson has all the momentum they need heading into this one.
The Pick: Davidson - the streak stays alive

2 Georgetown vs. 15 UMBC (Raleigh)
Everybody keeps talking about Roy Hibbert, the difference maker - and rightfully so. But Hoyas' guard Jessie Sapp - as well as the other G-Town guards - deserve some attention. Sapp and his backcourt mates will be the ultimate difference makers for the Hoyas in the tournament and could provide the extra push Georgetown needs to make a title run.
The Pick: Georgetown

Some Midwest Region Superlatives...
Dark Horse for Final Four: Clemson
Dark Horse for Sweet 16: Davidson
Best First Round Upset: Siena over Vanderbilt
Best Opening Round Game: Mayo-Beasley
Best Potential Game: Clemson-Villanova
Round of 32: Kansas over UNLV, Clemson over Siena, Wisconsin over Kansas State, Georgetown over Davidson
Sweet 16: Kansas over Clemson, Georgetown over Wisconsin
Elite Eight: Kansas over Georgetown
Regional Champ: Kansas

2. Lucky or Good? Rick Pitino on the Hoyas this year: "They've been lucky." Have they? The Hoyas needed a three by Roy Hibbert (!) to edge UConn at home by 2 with seconds left on the clock, 72-70; a 64-62 overtime win over 'Cuse on Big Monday where a young and tired well-defended Orange squad didn't score in the last 2 minutes of regulation despite being up five points; a last second shot by WVU at the buzzer was goal tended blocked by Patrick Ewing, Jr. to preserve a 55-54 Hoya win; a bullshit controversial blocking foul with 6 seconds left allowed the Hoyas to escape overtime against Villanova with two Jonathan Wallace free throws and a 55-53 win; and finally, down three at Marquette with 3 seconds left, an idiotic amazing foul call on a Jonathan Wallace three point attempt by Marquette allows the Hoyas to force OT after three made free throws. The Hoyas went on to win, 70-68, where the winning margin was simply a banked three made by Wallace during the overtime. All of the Hoyas losses have been on the road this year and all by 7+ or more points (to Memphis, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Louisville). While there is some truth to Pitino's comments, I'd also like to think that Branch Rickey said it best.

3. Well Guarded Home. The Hoyas 15-0 home record this year could not have come with the support of a strong home court advantage. Not only has the student body rallied around the team, but with the protection of an actual bulldog patrolling the sidelines it has clearly inspired the team to new heights. Clearly, security is important to prevent road teams from stealing our wins. Jack the Bulldog, led by handlers who don "Team Jack" t-shirts for the game, are fan favorites as they patrol the concourses at games, allowing Hoyas large and small to pet and photograph Jack. However, it's not just photos and pampering for the pint-sized pooch. At the 8 minute timeout in the second half of every home game, Jack runs onto the floor and chases (while attempting to bite) a package wrapped with the opposing teams' colors and logos. Naturally, the witty Hoyas in the student section cheer him along with chants of, "Eat that box!"**

** The administration of the Georgetown University would like to take the time to remind you that a marriage certificate, signed by the controlling Catholic diocese, is needed first before said activities can be performed. Thank you. — Christopher Klejdys

Jerry Rice Dancing Soulja Boy [D.C. Sports Bog]

I'm afraid I won't be with you for tonight's basketball festivities — I decided to try actually watching a game without a keyboard in front of me. I don't know what that's going to be like, but I've heard it's wild.

I wouldn't even know where to start with a preview... there are so many personalities and angles and storylines that this can't help but be a memorable night. Joakim Noah's constant battle against the haters, the stifling defense of UCLA against the immeasurable talent of the Gators, and Hibbert vs. Oden, which I think should be subtitled "The H is O." Also, The Rookie is on ABC.

I'll leave you with two YouTube videos... one Joakim Noah video that's a little mean, but very chuckle-worthy, and then this Billy Packer admission that won't surprise you at all.

Of the teams that reached the Final Four, none seemed to take more joy from it than Georgetown, who not only have gone the longest between visits, but won in such an inspiring fashion. How'd they celebrate in DC? By marching all over the place, as documented by unsilent majority over at No Mas. It's nice when people are this happy about the Final Four, considering Florida and UCLA were just there and Greg Oden lacks the facial muscles to smile.

Jesuits Gone Wild [No Mas]

This seems to happen every year, but we still get a kick out of it: It's the Final Four T-shirt that gets put together a wee bit too early. Forgive Hoyas fans who buy this as a taunting joke and Tar Heels fans who grab it just to imagine what might have been, had they remembered the basic tenet of putting a basketball in a hoop.

2007 Final Four Ash Four Team Jersey T-Shirt [College Basketball Store]

We're not necessarily still swooning over the weekend of basketball we witnessed — there was only one outstanding game, the Georgetown-North Carolina game yesterday, and that was mostly outstanding because the Tar Heels went 1-for-2,239 down the stretch — but it certainly has set up something beautiful next weekend in Atlanta. (Which we will be present for, by the way; we'll talk more about that this week.)

Seriously, though: Georgetown-Ohio State and Florida-UCLA? That's a rather amazing doubleheader. Even though the whole tournament has been predictable and lacked a lot of fevered lunacy — unless you're talking the Division II tournament — it appears to have led up to something that was all worth it. Remember how lousy all three Final Four games were last year? Shouldn't be a problem this time.

For Four Teams, A Season To Remember [TimesSelect]

Fouls are going to end up being a story on this one, too. For Georgetown, Hibbert (who could have 3 or 4) and Sapp both have 2, and the child who may have been conceived at the Gold Club has has 3. Brandan Wright and Tyler Hansbrough both have 2 for the 'Heels.

There are times when Roy Hibbert seems like he's playing against 9 year olds or Joey Dorsey out there. Hansbrough and Wright are more than holding their own, though, outscoring Hibbert and Jeff Green 24-19.

I'm hoping that at least one of these Elite Eight games will be close at the end... if that's going to happen, though, Georgetown's going to need to slow the pace and actually let the shot clock get below 20 every now and then.

GEORGETOWN

1. Patrick Ewing Jr. will dunk on you. The kid teammates call "Trixie" (ask Wikipedia, not me) plays above the rim, as evidenced by his reverse and-one jam in the final minute of Georgetown's win over BC. Hoya heavy Ted Leonsis was hip to this as early as last week, as was anyone in attendance at Indiana Midnight Madness 2003.

2. Roy Hibbert is no Ostertag Przybilla. Last week I wrote "that NBADraft.net still has Greg Ostertag as Hibbert's player comparison, which is a crime to draftniks everywhere." Well, they've updated it since then, perhaps taking the 7'2", 278-lb. center's 17-and-12 vs. BC into account. The new comparison? Joel "The Vanilla Gorilla" Przybilla. No wonder DraftExpress.com is on the rise.

3. JT III has the starting lineup of a champ. Hibbert is one of the nation's best big men. Jeff Green is the Big East's Player of the Year. DaJuan Summers is a 6'8" freshman forward who the aforementioned NBADraft.net has going No. 10 overall in '08 (grain of salt). Guard Jonathan Wallace shoots 50 percent from the floor, 48 percent from three and 87 percent from the line, and backcourt mate Jessie Sapp averaged 14 points through the first two rounds of the Tournament. Hoya Saxa! — Jamie Mottram

VANDERBILT

1. Basset Hounds! Officially the mascot of Vanderbilt is the Commodores, named after Cornelius Vanderbilt's alleged exploits at sea. Unofficially, however, the true mascot of Vanderbilt will always be George the basset hound. Brought to campus by student Toby Wilt in the early 1960s, George gained fame when, at a Vanderbilt-Tennessee football tilt on November 28, 1964, he chased UT's mascot horse out of the stadium, sending the crowd into a frenzy, and Vanderbilt to a 7-0 victory. From that point on, George had front row seats at all basketball and football games. He was later evicted from the Sigma Chi house, leading to a groundswell movement across campus to build a split-level doghouse for George. Sadly, plans for a $2,000 doggie duplex became a lightning rod issue across after the student press deemed it excessive, until it was settled when an anonymous donor gave George a new home gratis. George passed away in 1966 after chasing an ice delivery truck and was given a hero's funeral and burial. To date, he remains interred just north of Dudley Field.

2. They Stole From Duke. Until Jay Cutler's meteoric success as Broncos QB and object of Mel Kiper's undying affection, and with apologies to Will Perdue, Joey Cora and Corey Chavous, possibly the most famous Vandy athlete was the legendary Billy McCaffrey, whose 3-pointers catapulted Duke to its national title in 1991, before leaving for the greener pastures of Vandy, where he lead the team in scoring for two seasons. After playing professionally in Italy, Germany and South East Melbourne, McCaffrey joined his former Vanderbilt coach Jan van Brenda Kolff at St. Bonaventure as an assistant coach in 2001, and was named interim head coach following van Brenda Kolff's resignation in 2003 ... but never coached a game. McCaffrey, who now is an assistant at Maine, has a record of 0-0 as a college head coach, exactly the same as everyone reading this site.

3. More Dixie Stuff. Controversy abounded on the Vanderbilt campus in 2002, when in a showing of sensitivity and common sense, the University decided to rename the dorm Confederate Memorial Hall to simply Memorial Hall. What seemed like a straightforward enough change became immensely more complicated when the United Daughters of the Confederacy launched a vigorous protest to the change, as they had paid for the initial construction as a tribute to fallen rebels. The UDC sued to stop the name change, and though the action was dismissed initially, on appeal, the Tennessee Court of Appeals ruled that the name had to stay on the building's stone fa ade or damages were owed to the UDC, which seem rather difficult to calculate. The UDC reacted by noting "it's a victory for the entire South." To date, the name has been changed everywhere but the stone enscription on the building. — Angelo Grasso

First Three Georgetown Tidbits [Deadspin]
First Three Vanderbilt Tidbits [Deadspin]

GEORGETOWN HOYAS

1. "Their offense is unstoppable." That's a direct quote from college hoops statistical stallion Ken Pomeroy via DC Sports Bog, and it's an odd one considering Georgetown was 11th in the Big East in scoring this season. However, KenPom's analysis reveals that the Hoyas are third in the nation in offensive efficiency, right behind UNC and Texas. As the man said, "People get sucked in and think they're a defensive team, but considering the number of possessions they get, their offense is incredible."

2. Twin pillars of pro potential. I wrote last year that Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert would be next off of Georgetown's NBA assembly line that has produced Ewing, 'Zo, Dikembe and AI (not to mention Jahidi, Othello and Boumtje-Boumtje!). Fast forward 12 months, a Sweet 16 appearance and a junior season of pissing excellence, and their pro stock has improved a bit. NBADraft.net has Green going eighth overall while Draft Express has him at 15th, and the former has Hibbert going 17th overall (in '08) while the latter has him at 10th. Regardless, NBADraft.net still has Greg Ostertag as Hibbert's player comparison, which is a crime to draftniks everywhere.

3. A story of fathers and sons. John Thompson Jr. and Patrick Ewing dominated college basketball from '82-85, making it to three Final Fours and winning a national championship. Now it's their kids' turn ... kind of. JT III's time at the helm has been marked by constant improvement (NIT in year one, Sweet 16 in year two and a Big East regular season championship in this, his third year), but Patrick Ewing Jr.'s time on the court has been limited since transferring from Indiana. He only averaged 13 minutes and four points/game this season, but has been getting more PT of late; scoring 22 and grabbing nine boards against 'Cuse and UConn. CBS will shine a light on this as long as Georgetown is still in the Tournament, which should be awhile. — Jamie Mottram

BELMONT BRUINS

1. Live by the Three... Belmont upset the Atlantic Sun conference's regular-season champion East Tennessee State on its home floor in the worst way possible — with a 94-67 rout underwritten by a flurry three-pointers. Belmont made 12 in the first half alone, including a desperation shot at the buzzer — the salt in the wound that made it 49-30. The team shot 48.3 percent from behind the arc (only slightly worse than the 50.0 percent it shot overall) with nearly half its field goals being threes. This should bode well for the tourney, where the only chance tiny schools like Belmont (which qualified for the second year in a row, and the second time in school history) is to get hot from 3-point territory. Schools like Belmont may not have the opportunities for such an upset much longer, however — once again, there is grumbling that the college three-point should be pushed back at least a foot, or perhaps even all the way to the NBA distance. Of course, we've heard this all before.

2. The People Behind The Music. Sure, country star Vince Gill is Belmont's most famous alum and the basketball team's biggest fan, but as a graduate of the schools's Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business, he's something of an anomaly. The CEMB is the Country (and Christian) music industry's largest incubator of future studio techs, songwriters, managers, entertainment lawyers and label execs. The school has practitioners from each of those professions on the faculty (along with professional expert witnesses, the veterans of those pesky intellectual property lawsuits). Each year, hundreds of Belmont students stock Nashville's intern programs, and other famous alumni include country singers Trisha Yearwood, Braid Paisley, and Josh Turner.

3. Mike Curb? The Belmont Bruins' home court is the Curb Event Center, which, like the CEMB, has been underwritten by Mike Curb. Who is Mike Curb, you ask? Well, he's the university benefactor who wrote the song "You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda (Go Little Honda)" while a freshman in college, which he somehow parlayed into a career as a record industry mini-mogul. His later band The Mike Curb Congregation toured with the Osmonds and sold millions of albums despite sounding more white bread than even Bread itself. That's because Curb himself has a bit of a conservative streak — he also wrote "Together, A New Beginning," the campaign song for Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign, while he was the lieutenant governor of California. More often than not, his politics clouded his judgment. While running MGM Records in the 1970s, he brought aboard Roy Orbison and the Osmonds, and dumped The Velvet Underground because he didn't like the drug references. — Greg Lindsay

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