NORTH CAROLINA

1. Reyshawn, Reyshawn, Reyshawn. He's the one leftover from the Matt Doherty era. And for those who drink the baby-blue Kool-Aid, he at times can be just as frustrating as the former coach. But Reyshawn Terry also oozes athleticism and can produce jaw-dropping highlights. Terry, who pretended he was Scottie Pippen when he was growing up in Winston-Salem, N.C., is one of the few seniors on the team (joined by reserve Wes Miller and walk-on Dewey "Biscuits" Burke). When he was a freshman, teammates called the 6-foot-8 forward "Radio," after the good-hearted, mentally challenged character in the movie, because Terry was slow to catch on in practice. Roy Williams has even admitted that he didn't think Terry was good enough to play for him. But Terry's nickname faded away the next year, once he started scoring in double figures. And now, the senior is projected to go in the second round of the NBA Draft.

2. No NBA, But Still Pro. Carolina has long been a veritable farm club for the NBA. But there are plenty of guys who have Charlie Mc-Nairy-the-skills to make it in The League. Some go to Europe (Dante Calabria is on Italy's Armani Jeans Milano; Kris Lang is in Italy, too; and Ademola Okulaja has taken his skills to Germany). Others go on to coach (Scott Cherry, assistant at George Mason; Brad Frederick, assistant at Vanderbilt; and then there's Roy Williams, who, yes, did play JV ball for the Heels). Scott Williams (Roy's son, who held a spot on the 1998-99 team) worked as a bond trader in Charlotte. One of the more unusual, though, has to be Brian Bersticker, who went from a person people bought tickets to see to the person people bought tickets from when he joined the box-office staff postgraduation. He also had a stint as a politician: As a write-in candidate in 2000, he finished third in the race to be UNC's student-body president.

3. Some Duke Hate! There wasn't much more Tyler Hansbrough needed to do to endear himself to the Tar Heel faithful. But somehow, he pulled it off. According to a letter-to-the-editor printed Sunday in the Times-News of Burlington, N.C., a seven-year-old boy went to a game in Chapel Hill and asked Hansbrough for an autograph. He was told, "I don't give autographs to anyone who wears a Duke shirt." The boy's grandmother wrote the letter. "The next day, Duke player Gerald Henderson busted his nose," she wrote. "This is what grandmothers call poetic justice!" The act has spurred a lively discussion on the message boards over a player's duty to sign. "Tyler gave the kid more than an autograph," concluded PureJumper. "He taught him a lesson." — Matt Viser

USC

1. Fight Songs of Our Fathers. USC's fight song, "Fight On," is the jubilant, almost mocking victory tune you'll hear about 150,000 times during any Trojan game, especially when the Men of Troy do something even remotely good. Such a rousing charge could only have been created by a musical genius — or, maybe just a dental student. Back in 1922, wannabe tooth extractor Milo Sweet came up with the song (with lyrics by himself and Glen Grant) for a campus spirit contest. "Fight On" became synonymous with the university and started appearing in films soon after, but if the legends are true, it also helped propel America to victory in World War II. During the Aleutian Campaign, U.S. forces, who were preparing to storm an island in the Pacific held by the Japanese, were reportedly inspired by the thunderous strains of "Fight On" blaring from one of their ships and drove the enemy out. Less well-known tidbit about Sweet: He later went on to co-write a fight song for USC's hated crosstown rivals, the UCLA Bruins.

2. December 21, 2005. Maybe USC fans shouldn't get too cocky, but the Trojans have beaten Roy Williams' Tar Heels recently — well, about 15 months ago, actually. The late-December 2005 game, which USC won 74-59 at home, caught two teams on very different paths. North Carolina, trying to repeat as national champions but without most of that winning roster, got an early indication that it was going to be a rebuilding year. ("It was a total breakdown for us at both ends of the court," a frustrated Williams said afterwards.) But for the Trojans, led by first-year coach Tim Floyd, the win was the first over a ranked opponent since March 2004, and an encouraging sign after starting off the season with two bad losses (including a defeat at the hands of Oral Roberts). If USC is going to make it two in a row over the Heels, they're going to need equally big performances this time around from Lodrick Stewart (18 points, including four three-pointers, in the '05 contest), Nick Young (18 points, only one turnover) and Gabe Pruitt (16 points, six rebounds).

3. Viva Italia! The tournament loves stories of surprise superstars, guys who come off the bench and out of obscurity and end up leading their team to victory. This March, the Trojans' feel-good MVP is point guard Daniel Hackett, a young man with one of those can-you-believe-it backstories that makes human-interest TV announcers like Dick Enberg positively swoon. Hackett, who grew up in Italy with his father, former '70s Syracuse star Rudy Hackett, was supposed to be a senior in high school this year, until the murder of USC point guard Ryan Francis and the later academic ineligibility of possible replacement Pruitt created a void on the team. Rudy, Tim Floyd's strength and conditioning coach, suggested to his son (who had already orally committed to USC for the 2007-08 season) the possibility of leaving high school early. So Daniel busted his hump in summer school, completed his necessary credits and ended up starting the first 13 games of the season, assuming a backup role once Pruitt returned. But in the tournament, he's been nothing less than awesome. Coming off the bench against the Razorbacks to provide a needed jolt, his eight points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals add up to a decent stat line, but it was mostly his hustle that impressed. "I was just knocked out by how he played," Floyd said after the 77-60 win. "I thought he really brought a tremendous amount of energy to the game." Floyd rewarded Hackett's effort by putting him in the starting lineup against Texas and assigning him to cover future NBA lottery stud Kevin Durant. In the 87-68 thrashing of the Longhorns, Hackett minimized Durant's effectiveness — if it's possible to score a quiet 30 points, Durant did it on Sunday — while contributing 20 points of his own. For his part, Hackett attributes his drive to a self-described "hatred of losing" he developed during his Italian childhood, playing pickup games with his dad at the age of 12. "I was too little to play with the big guys, so I wouldn't get on the court much," Hackett said. "When I did get in after three hours of waiting, I had to win at all costs or go home because the line was going to be too long to get back on." — Tim Grierson

First Three North Carolina Tidbits [Deadspin]
First Three USC Tidbits [Deadspin]

OREGON

1. Everybody Hates Ernie. Sort of. After the past two seasons, everyone and their mom wanted Ernie Kent fired for having his second consecutive underwhelming season. Sure, his team made the Elite Eight in 2002 (some say in spite of him), and after the Lukes (Ridnour and Jackson) left, Kent's teams struggled for a couple years (albeit with a national top 10 recruiting class), but even throughout this year's run (winning the Pac-10 Tournament, ending the season #10 in the AP Poll, current Sweet 16 team), some fans still have had enough of him and want fresh blood (read: Mark Few, Mike Montgomery) coaching near the shores of the mighty Willamette. On top of the pressure of coaching for a school that has suddenly decided that it's supposed to be a basketball powerhouse, Kent tore his left rotator cuff before the season after taking a spill on his bike. After wearing a sling for the first few games, Kent got run over by an Arizona player later in the season (during a game), re-injuring the shoulder. Then, factor in the fact that his three-sport (basketball, football, track) son and Jordan was unable to play this season while recovering from torn toe ligaments sustained during the Las Vegas Bowl while wearing one of those ridiculous fade paint helmets, and you have kind of a fucked up year for ol' Ernie.

2. You Bastard. Pat Kilkenny was recently named the new athletic director of Oregon, despite having no NCAA athletic department experience and being a gigantic billionaire booster. The apparent consensus is that he was brought in to get a new basketball arena built, in part because former AD Bill Moos and Nike founder and huge Oregon booster, Phil Knight, weren't the best of pals. The possible site is the former Williams Bread factory (good riddance), right next to a group of the dorms on campus. One would think that the smell of fresh bread would be something to look forward to, but trust me, being greeted by sourdough every morning gets tedious and old quickly. Beyond that, though, Kilkenny has done some good. He took care of first and second round tournament tickets for the students who waited in line overnight and provided a luxury bus to Spokane, possibly the first time a luxury bus has ever been told to go to Spokane.

3. More Fun Duck Facts. Reserve guards Chamberlain Oguchi and Churchill Odia have both played for the Nigerian national team in international tournaments...PG Aaron Brooks and his lady friend had a daughter in the offseason and was close to transferring to a DII school in his hometown of Seattle...SG Bryce Taylor went to the same high school as the Gyllenhalls, Tori Spelling, and Murphy Brown herself, Candice Bergen...Alaskan third string center Ray Schafer had a short-lived beard this season that looked about as good he plays ...Tajuan Porter is still short, in case you haven't heard...The aforementioned Oguchi went to George W. Bush High School, which all things considered, is probably the easiest high school in America. — Dan Rubenstein

UNLV

1. What's next, cable access? After spending most of the decade as part of ESPN's Big Monday package, the Mountain West brain trust decided to leave ESPN for a TV deal with College Sports TV (CSTV). Over the course of the season, UNLV appeared on ESPN2 once (because Bobby Knight was approaching Dean Smith), and the rest of the season was spent on a combination of CSTV ,The Mtn. (a Nevada/Utah CSTV affiliate) and Versus (formerly OLN). Honestly, it would only be appropriate for tonight's game should be broadcast on The Food Network or The Discovery Channel.

2. Top 5 NCAA coach all time? Lon Kruger joined a rather illustrious group of coaches when UNLV won the MWC conference tournament; he became the fifth coach to take four different programs to the NCAA tournament. The win over Wisconsin moved him into even further select company, joining Gene Bartow, Rick Pitino, Bill Self and Eddie Sutton in taking three teams to the Sweet 16. (All four went onto the Elite 8 with all their teams.)

3. 30+ wins then and now. The Rebels have reached 30 wins for the first time since finishing 34-1 in 1990-1991. This year's Rebels have one first-team, one second-team and one third-team all conference player, with no national honors. The 1991 team saw Greg Anthony, Stacey Augmon, Anderson Hunt and Larry Johnson make the first team and George Ackles make the second team all conference. Additionally, that squad had two first team All-Americans and three honorable mentions. — David Fucillo

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]

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]

KANSAS

1. Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk. The Rock Chalk Chant is one of the most famous college cheers IN HISTORY, but what the hell is it and where did it come from? Because I'm writing close to deadline, I'll let the gents from Rock Chalk Zone: The Rock Chalk Chant is perhaps the most distinctive cheer in all of college sports. Some have likened it to a Gregorian chant, but anyone who has been in Allen Fieldhouse and heard the chant start low, then build and roll over the crowd knows that it is much, much more. The "Rock Chalk" chant dates to 1866, when it was adopted by the University Science Club. A chemistry professor, E.H.S. Bailey and some of his associates were returning to Lawrence from Wichita on a train. As the story goes, they passed the time by trying to create a rousing cheer. The sound of the train's wheels on the rails suggested a rhythm and a cadence to them. At first, the cheer was "Rah, Rah, Jayhawk, KU" repeated three times. Even though KU didn't have a football team until four years later, KU students quickly took up the chant. Later, an English professor suggested "Rock Chalk," in place of "Rah, Rah" because it rhymed with Jayhawk and because it was symbolic of the limestone, also known as chalk rock, surrounding Mount Oread, the site of the Lawrence Campus. It became the official cheer of the University in 1897. Teddy Roosevelt pronounced the Rock Chalk Chant the greatest college chant he'd ever heard.

2. One of these names is not like the other. Everyone knows about the Rush family basketball pedigree (JaRon, Kareem, Brandon), but did you know that KU almost landed two out of three Rush brothers? It's true: Noted alcoholic and former KU recruiting target JaRon was dropped by Droopy Dog (aka Roy Williams) for referring to the coach as "Roy."

3. Just Sayin. A Google search of "bill self" + toupee shows 1,590 mentions of the combination across the interwebs. — Pete Gaines

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

1. Doug Gottlieb Has A Crush On The Coach. SIU's coach is Chris Lowery, a former Saluki player point guard who served as an assistant under previous coaches Bruce Weber and Matt Painter, neither of which made it as far in this tournament as he did. Lowery is actually considered a stronger recruiter than his predecessors, no small feat, because if you think Champaign and West Lafayette are boring, you should visit Carbondale sometime. Anyway, Lowery has charmed the pants off recruits and analysts alike, not least of which ESPN's Doug Gottlieb, who says, "He has an innate ability to light up a room with his demeanor and smile." Boy, Doug, did it suddenly get hot in here?

2. Jamaal Tatum Is Impossible To Dislike. Some choice nuggets from an excellent feature story on the Salukis guard by The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Vahe Gregorian:
• At a team pep rally, he broke out a rap he wrote in high school.
• He runs a five-minute mile.
• He can name every song off Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" album.

3. Carbondale Is Kind Of Like South Chicago. Political pundits often refer to Illinois as a "blue" state, but this is somewhat misleading. The state does vote Democratic in most elections, but that's due almost entirely to Chicago and surrounding areas. If you're not in Chicago, odds are, you're voting Republican. Out of 102 counties in the state of Illinois, only 15 voted for John Kerry in 2004. Fortunately for Democrats, those are tiny counties holding statistically irrelevant cities like Effingham, Homer and Mattoon. The one exception is Jackson County, home of SIU and Carbondale. This has a lot to do with the fact that there are more students at SIU than there are citizens of Carbondale. — Will Leitch

First Three Kansas Tidbits
First Three SIU Tidbits

OHIO STATE

Ohio State will win because of:

1. Brilliant Thug History. Though the football team may get most of the publicity involved with criminal antics — from such notable favorites Maurice Clarett, Louie Irizarry and old timer Art Schlichter — Buckeye basketball is nothing to sneeze at. In the 90s players brought the city of Columbus to its knees in the grip of fear. Residents were not safe to drive their cars down the streets without getting hit and run by the likes of Greg Simpson. The same Simpson who was so notorious that not only was he kicked out of Ohio State, but he was removed from the West Virginia basketball team as well. The same West Virginia that never kicked noted miscreants Pacman Jones and Chris Henry off of the football team. Gas station attendants cowered behind plexiglass after the mere mention of gas thief extraordinaire Charles "Killer" Macon. Even CC Sabathia learned not to carry $44k in cash and bling when Damon Stringer could be lurking in the elevators of any hotel. Though Greg Oden and company have not been around long enough to build their own reputation, they have the power of thuggish history behind them.

2. Equally Bright Future. Ohio State basketball does not end with the Thad Five and Oden's likely one and done. McDonald's All Americans Mike Conley and Daequan Cook will likely return next season. Even if they decide to bolt early, Matta has a recruiting class featuring three of the top 60 players with two of the top 10 centers coming in next year. Kosta Koufos is a top 5 center, and, at over seven feet tall, was the Division I player of the year in Ohio. John Diebler became the all-time high school scoring leader in the state of Ohio (beating such notables as Michael Redd, Jimmy Jackson and some guy named Lebron) and averaged over 40 points per game for the season. It does not end in 2007 either. Matta has already locked up an equally thrilling "Thad Five" for 2008 with 4 top 50 players and 5 in the top 100, including a top 3 center and top 3 point guard. Look out Buckeye rivals. It's only going to get worse from here on out.

3. The Fans and the Women. Looking out into the stands at a game can bring both the fear of God and the blinding light of beauty simultaneously to an opponent. Foes will fear the ruckus Buckeye crowd which is equally likely to start a riot and set fire to anything that moves whether they win or lose the game. Buckeye fans have earned such a wild reputation that a website was put up called OSUriots.com to showcase riot footage and pictures. Typically the site is not that great because its creators are no doubt burning a couch as I write this instead of updating the site. Foes will also fall under the spell of the many beauties that attend the school, perhaps even finding a copy of the Girls of OSU calendar in their locker room to distract them. Or maybe an issue of Playboy featuring one of the 13 Playmates since 1990 to be born in Ohio, who may have even attended OSU if they were not so incredibly beautiful that they could make a living simply standing there nude and smiling seductively. — Anton Golden

TENNESSEE

1. This Nearly Was Mine. Ohio State looked truly beatable in their second round slapfight with Xavier, escaping 78-71 in overtime. Apoplectic gamblers from coast to coast clutched their brackets to their chests in terror, but Tennessee faithful have suspected as much for months. The Buckeyes clinched a 68-66 win over the Vols in January by virtue of a three-point shot with 11 seconds on the clock. OSU pundits would remind you that their pretty pony Greg Oden is but a freshman and has grown as a player in the months leading up the rematch. I would remind them that the same could be said of three of our young'uns.

2. Our Mister Lofton. Junior Chris Lofton has been named the newest SEC Player of the Year. He's unarguably the key to the Tennessee wins column: When he was sidelined with an ankle sprain, the Vols lost three of four games. Upon his return they won seven of the next eight. He leads the Vols in three-point shooting (100 this season), and his average of 20.6 points a game is the highest in the conference. Yet despite being a Kentucky native and Mr. Basketball as a high school senior, he was passed over by coaches from Lexington and Louisville. Lofton took care to tactfully remind UK of their shortsightedness last month, when he laid 23 points on the Wildcats in an 89-85 Tennessee victory.

3. The Blinky Star Endowment for Utter Invincibility. Tennessee senior Dane Bradshaw is short for a forward, and his stats aren't the greatest, but give the guy his due: There is no power on earth capable of destroying him. NASA would do well to examine his construction. He tore a ligament in his shooting wrist last season and played right through it. That was also the year he led the SEC in assist/turnover ratio while wearing a cast. He suffers from tendonitis in both shoulders and wears at least one ankle brace during games, but his presence on the court is a tangible force, and his leadership skills will not go unrecognized: Vols coach Bruce Pearl is donating a hundred thousand dollars of his own money toward the endowment of The Dane Bradshaw Athletic Scholarship in honor of his senior captain. — Holly Anderson

UCLA

1. Oh, just the two hottest women on the planet are in our corner. Have you ever wanted to have a threesome with Jessica Alba and Brooke Burke? Well, if you're a UCLA fan, now you can! See, Miss Alba currently dates Cash Warren, whose dad, Mike Warren, has two NCAA Championship rings from his basketball days at UCLA. Combine that with her SoCal roots, and you'll find that she's a huge UCLA fan. Next up we have Ms. Burke. Rick Majerus knows her best as the succulent host of E!'s late night series, "Wild On...," where she and other scantily-clad women frolicked around the globe providing ample amounts of spank-bank material. Prior to that, Brooke was a student at UCLA, studying Broadcast Journalism and modeling on the side. Obviously, she also is a huge UCLA fan. So therefore, the next time you see Jessica and Brooke out on the town together, throw on a Bruins hat, start singing "Sons of Westwood," do an 8-clap, and let the m nage-a-trois ensue! Bonus Fact: Brooke's "Wild On..." predecessor, Jules Asner, is also a UCLA alum - make it a m nage-a-quatre!

2. Staying on the topic of incredible breasts. One of the best kept secrets in Westwood is that all Playboy Mansion parties begin and end at UCLA. The mansion is located at 10236 Charing Cross Road in Beverly Hills, about a mile from campus. Google Earth it. You'll see that there is very limited parking on the premises, so whenever Hugh hosts a big event, cars need somewhere to park. The solution: UCLA Lot 7. The guest list is handled in the underground parking lot, and once you get your wristband, you jump on a shuttle and get whisked away to the Mansion. Pretty sweet, huh? I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Pitt & Kansas' parking lots are used for similar awesome events such as tours of abandoned steel factories and the annual Lawrence Barbecue & Hoedown Festival.

3. No. 100. Every college has its own commercial that gets aired once during televised basketball or football games. Most of these suck. The UCLA one always sucked, but a new one started airing about a month ago, and it's pretty badass:

Even though we've got more National Championships than every other school, we're sick of being stuck on 99. Four different sports have come up just shy of trophy #100 since last May. Conveniently, our marquee sport now gets the shot to bring home the century mark. Destiny?? We'll find out soon enough. GO BRUINS!!!

P.S. Attention UCLA Band: If we play Kansas, whatever you do, DO NOT play "Carry on my Wayward Son." You screwed this up in 2002 and you better not do it again! — Trevor Gribble

PITTSBURGH

1. Simply put, Sam Young is a beast. He doesn't start and oftentimes he's not even the first guy off the bench. Regardless he's often the difference between victory and defeat. On a team centered around a stoic inside presence and a heavy dose of outside shooting, Young uses his raw athleticism to catch the defense off guard. Of course this is nothing new to those in the DC area. Young famously promised to do back flips if his Friendly High School team won a second consecutive Maryland state title. That season he averaged 24.6 points and 14 rebounds per game. They won the the championship and Young kept his promise before heading to Pitt. Just another example of Gary Williams' inept recruiting.

2. Ben's Daughter. I attended Pitt and my brother is a UCLA grad, so there's a bit of discord within the family, but we've got nothing on the Howlands. Stuck in the middle is Coach Ben's lovely daughter Meredith. She's currently enrolled at Pitt where she used to be a cheerleader. Since her parents moved to Westwood, she's become even closer with their closest friends, Jamie Dixon's family. When Howland was asked who she was supporting he indicated that she was loyal to her father. Meredith, you're dead to me.

3. Can't Get Here Before. You know glass ceilings aren't just for ball-busting corporate types, Pitt has bumped into the Sweet 16's invisible barrier three times in five years. It all started back in March of 2002. I was a bright eyed freshmen (until I spent six months living in Tower C) when Ben Howland's reconstruction of the basketball program led to a glorious tournament run. The Sweet 16 paired us against Trevor Huffman and his Kent State Golden Flashes. But on this night it was not Huffman that would draw my ire; his name was Antonio Gates. 22 points 8 rebounds and 4 assists. He shot 7/11 from the field and an ultimately devastating 8/9 from the line. I assumed he was going to be a pro, I just never thought he'd be an All Pro. — unsilent majority

First Three UCLA Tidbits [Deadspin]
First Three Pittsburgh Tidbits [Deadspin]

MEMPHIS

1. Skeletons From The Closet. The farthest Memphis has ever advanced in the NCAA Tournament was the 1973 championship game, in which UCLA's Bill Walton annihilated the Tigers with 44 points on 21-of-22 shooting. We also seemed to remember Memphis coach John Calipari having some tournament success while coaching at UMass, but we can't find any record of it. Thoughts on that, Marcus Camby? You were playing for Coach Cal back then, weren't you?

2. Mister, If You Don't Shut Up, We're Going To Kick One Hundred Percent Of Your Ass!. The University of Memphis was, until 1994, known as Memphis State. The university made the name change to bring a little gravitas and respect to an institution that had been slagged as "Tiger High." And so when Memphis fans see the continuing disrespect heaped upon their Tigers, well, it makes 'em mad enough to steal Dad's car, trench a few lawns and TP a few trees, is what it does.

3. (Don't) Sweep The Leg. The Bluff City's eyes are on the ankle of Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis' leading scorer, who sprained the joint with eight minutes left in the Tigers' Sunday afternoon victory over Nevada. It's unclear how ready CDR will be to play, but earlier this week Calipari compared Douglas-Roberts to fellow (ex-) Tiger Kirk Gibson, who hobbled off the bench to smack a dramatic game-ending homer for Los Angeles in the 1988 World Series. So if the Tigers draw the Oakland A's in the Elite Eight, Memphis should be golden. — Jay Busbee

TEXAS A&M

1. Good Times. The Aggies are in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1980 and the second time ever despite the best efforts of Becca Mann and the Louisville Cardinals. No really, thank you Edgar Sosa for a great game, your two missed free throws and your bonehead, freshman-mistake, missed NBA 3-pointer that would have won the game even though you were only down by one point. A&M better shell out the dough for Billy Clyde Gillispie unless they want to wait another 27 years to make it back this far. They also might want to go ahead and start recruiting Acie Law V, even though he has yet to be conceived (as far as we know anyways).

2. Please Forgive Me, Captain Kirk. Defensive specialist Dominique Kirk had two options coming out of Dallas Bryan Adams High: Texas A&M or Liberty University. What seemed like a reach at the time has turned out to be quite a hit as of late. Kirk scored 16 against Penn and followed it up with a career high 21 against Louisville to push his season average to just over seven points per game. He has shown that he can hit threes, drive to the bucket and, more important, be a fearless leader for the Aggies when it matters most, which makes it at least a little bit easier to stomach next year's departure of Captain Clutch.

3. Beer, Barbeque and Blondes. It is rumored around College Station that coach Billy Gillispie is only interested in things that begin with the letter B. Number one of course is basketball, but the others might surprise you. A known loner, Billy has been seen numerous times at local establishments kicking back a few by himself, though welcoming all fans who stop to say hello. He also frequents a local barbeque joint, again alone, to have a meal and look over scouting reports, which he leaves on the table after reading. Also, according to a popular Aggie message board, he has been seen all over town with the lovely Miss Erin Andrews. We're just going to assume that this is only a rumor to keep our hopes alive. — Mitch Martin

First Three Memphis Tidbits [Deadspin]
First Three Texas A&M Tidbits [Deadspin]