(NCAA buckets. Duh.)

Today has pretty much been a snoozer as far as basketball action is concerned. That may all change tonight during the NCAA's evening sessions.

Purdue vs. Washington, 5:40 PM, Portland. You gotta fight! For the right! To get demolished by UConn next week!

North Carolina vs. LSU, 5:45 PM, Greensboro, NC. The North Carolina schools' annual NCAA tournament tour of North Carolina's arenas continue. Will Hansbrough ever close his mouth and/or get a rebound? Tune in to find out!

Oklahoma vs. Michigan, 5:50 PM, Kansas City. Will Michigan avenge their 1976 Orange Bowl loss to Oklahoma? Tune in to find out!.

Gonzaga vs. Western Kentucky, 8:10 PM, Portland. Chicago sports radio host Dan Bernstein has a theory that every year in the NCAA tournament, one of the Cinderella teams has red jerseys. Is Western Kentucky this year's Crazy Red Team? Tune in to find out!

Duke vs. Texas, 8:15 PM, Greensboro. Tonight, we are all Texans. Hook 'em, Horns!

This is the only game of the first two days that is alone in its time slot. (Yay!) But it's likely to be pre-empted by local news wherever you are. (Boo!) So check out CBS' moneymaker or your favorite feed provider for your viewing pleasure. Your official Deadspin preview is here; your ESPN preview has an interesting headline.

My unofficial, lightly researched (I looked at the U-Dub and MSU rosters, so now I know how to spell Jacquiese Holcombe) preview: Washington's got a decent inside-outside game with big man Jon Brockman and a triumvirate of height-deficient guards, and Mississippi State plays four guards around their defensive terror, Jarvis Varnado. Varnado had his national coming-out party last year against Memphis in the second round of this tournament, swatting five shots as the Bulldogs nearly upset the Tigers.

MSU's been a trendy upset pick in this one, steaming into this game on a six-game winning streak, but it should be noted that only two of those wins came against tournament teams. The only common opponents these teams had were Florida and Washington State, but U-Dub lost to Florida and beat Wazzu twice, while MSU fell to the Cougars and beat the Gators. That muddies the water.

As always, no one knows anything. (For the record, I picked Washington, and my Final Four is the same as Nate Silver's, which means I'm probably horrifically wrong.)

If anyone can make bingo on Suss' card, horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, put it in a comment and I'll get you a prize. It's true that I will live blog nearly anything, and true that I'm serious about this little gimmick. I've done it before.

And I leave this question to you, commentariat: Should the updates ascend or descend?

5:04 PM: We're live from the Rose Garden. Mississippi State leads, 5-4.

5:06 PM: A Bulldog misses a breakaway dunk. SEC basketball: A legacy of almost being competent.

5:09 PM: Because when I think "printers," I think "desert island."

5:12 PM: Jon Brockman's soft hands and sharp passing get U-Dub two points inside.

5:13 PM: Kodi Augustus is probably not the best basketball player in his family; his older sister is the Minnesota Lynx' Seimone Augustus, who led LSU's women to a national title.

5:15 PM: It seems like every other possession devolves into Calvinball. "Tremendous intensity" looks to me to be sloppiness. 10-6, MSU, with 12:59 left in the first half.

5:16 PM: Have we mentioned that Washington is Krypto-Nate Robinson's alma mater? No?

5:18 PM: Considering Patrick Dempsey's recent brooding turn on Grey's Anatomy, I'm not so sure I want him selling me car insurance. That I watch Grey's and can live blog this just proves that I am in touch with my inner Sandra Oh.

5:21 PM: No, the highest per-second harassment average belongs to Eric Devendorf. Be honest.

5:22 PM: Brockman catches a rebound under the hoop and sinks a reverse under waving arms. He's been quite good early.

5:23 PM: I'm not usually one to care about names, but Ravern? What, were you deciding between Raver and Wyvern?

5:25 PM: I thought Pondexters were supposed to wear goggles and play Strat-o-Matic? Or does that rule not apply when you spell it without the i?

5:27 PM: Color me unimpressed by Dee Bost's stats. I'm the only sophomore in college averaging 32 Twitter updates and 11 live blogs a week. Washington 21, Mississippi State 16.

5:30 PM: Sonic, stomping Coke Zero in the commercial race.

5:33 PM: Speaking of Twitter, here's Jon Brockman's. The most recent pearl of wisdom? "CAN YOU DIG ITTTTT??? Lets go dawg fans hope your ready to cheer! Lets get this one done together!!!!!!!" No time for apostrophes, I see.

5:35 PM: If Isiah Thomas were still a GM, is there any way he wouldn't pick Isaiah Thomas?

5:37 PM: Verb of the Day: "Ramrodding." Thanks, Kevin Harlan! Washington 29, Mississippi State 19, 3:26 left in the first half.

5:42 PM: Not only is setting a screen through an elbow a foul, it is, if my interpretation of that official's gesticulations was correct, quite offensive in several Polynesian cultures.

5:43 PM: Actual Analysis Alert: Washington seems content to give up the baseline drives to MSU's guards, but the 'Dogs have no answer for U-Dub's transition shooting. Also, Quincy Pondexter's been excellent, especially with frontcourt mate Brockman in foul trouble.

5:46 PM: There's the three. Phil Turner bombs away.

5:47 PM: Ravern Johnson will probably hear some "AIR-BALL" chants from the partisan Portland crowd. Washington 35, Mississippi State 27, with 32.0 seconds left in the first half.

5:50 PM: It is important to note that neither of those women was actually touching Tony Stewart.

5:51 PM: Quincy Pondexter, still doing exactly what you wouldn't expect him to based on name alone. He scores and converts the and-one, has 15 points, and leads Washington into halftime with a 38-27 lead over Mississippi State.

5:55 PM: With the demise of Raycom Sports, it's good to see fine sports outfits like CBS' March Madness On Demand halftime crew upholding the mantle of awkward sports coverage. Apparently, Matt Painter is a Gene Keady "deciful." Someone look that up.

6:00 PM: You know, I don't think Mississippi State will be all that shattered if they lose this one. They're in Portland, after all, and that's about infinity times the culture that exists in Starkville, if this documentary footage is correct:

6:08 PM: Why is Jarvis Varnado's name pronounced "Var-NAR-do?" One, that doesn't even make phonetic sense, and two, it eliminates the easy promotion for the Starkville Smoothie King's "Varnado Tornado." (One part Hasheem Thabeet, one part Stromile Swift, if you want the recipe.)

6:11 PM: Pondexter and Brockman are just too much down low. U-Dub is pulling away, leading Mississippi State 44-27 with 17:29 left in the second half.

6:15 PM: "They just can't get anything open." On cue, the Bulldogs knock down an open three.

6:18 PM: Hey, look, a Windows advertising campaign with the same title as another one of my forty blogs on the web of Internet tubes!

6:20 PM: Brockman was a "load" earlier. Now he's "clearing out." You may make the joke.

6:22 PM: Brockman is fouled, and it's Varnado's fourth. He'll sit.

6:23 PM: Venoy Overton believes he can be Tyus Edney. Baseline to baseline, weaving through defenders, and twisting for the leaping lay-in, his coast-to-coast conversion may be the prettiest play of this game.

6:26 PM: Remind me, how did Florida beat Washington and lose to MSU this season?

6:29 PM: I'm supposed to want Star Points?

6:30 PM: The Bulldogs require three tries to put the ball in the basket on a trip, which actually helps their dismal 25% shooting. Prior to that possession, they were 10-of-40 from the field. No wonder Washington leads, 52-35.

6:33 PM: "OVERTON! His NINTH...THREE...of the season."

6:36 PM: Varnado slithers around Brockman and lays one in, pushing his point total to four, which, finally, equals his tally of fouls.

6:41 PM: Brockman looks like John Krasinski was thrown in a blender with Derek Vinyard.

6:43 PM: We just dipped under the five-minute mark. U-Dub is up big, 61-46, on Mississippi State.

6:45 PM: Varnado just notched his fifth block, but, unless his vanguard of gunners starts smoking some threes, it will be for naught.

6:49 PM: See, Axe, Sonic shows that you can do weird without having geyser of armpit sweat.

6:52 PM: "It's hard to shoot when all the ammunition is gone." (Sorry for getting topical humor in your Deadspin.)

6:54 PM: The comments inform me that Raycom is only done with SEC telecasts, and still has a while left on its ACC contract. This should be used in all SEC recruiting pitches.

6:55 PM: Isaiah Thomas' Chris Paul impression is convincing. Washington leads, 68-54, with just under two minutes remaining.

6:58 PM: Washington triumphs, 71-58, sending the SEC Tournament champion Mississippi State Bulldogs home. Huskies Quincy Pondexter and Jon Brockman dominated the vaunted Jarvis Varnado inside, and Washington's little men hassled the Maroon and White snipers all day. Washington will play Purdue Saturday for a Sweet Sixteen berth, and Mississippi State loses its best chance this year to escape from the crushing boredom of Starkville. I feel sorry for them.

I feel sorry for you, too; you commenters had to make up for my funny deficit. But you did so admirably, and I appreciate that. I had fun being a part of this ambitious expedition into Blogfrica (thanks to Suss for organizing this and doing the heavy lifting with the bingo cards), and I hope you did, too. Thanks for being part of it.

2) How they made the Dance After making it to the Sweet 16 as a 5-seed in 2006, the Huskies suffered (as if Seattle hasn't suffered enough) through two mediocre season in 2007 and 2008. They were expected to make the tourney but the season didn't get off to a great start as they went 2-3 in their first 5 games, with losses to Kansas, Florida, and the mighty Portland Pilots. Despite the slow start they have 9 wins over teams currently in the tournament; UCLA, USC (2), Arizona, Arizona State (2), Cleveland State, Oklahoma State, and Portland State.

3) What they are good at The Huskies have an up-tempo offense that led the Pac-10 in points per game at 78.9. They also rebound like maniacs, leading the Pac-10 at 41 per game while the next closest Pac-10 team averaged 33. Finally, they get to the free throw line at an absurd pace. The craziest stat of the year is that UW made more free throws than 6 teams in the Pac-10 attempted. — Porter, Seattle WA

MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS

1) One Night in March Several years before Texas Western beat Kentucky to become the Brown vs. Board of Education of college hoops, Babe McCarthy's SEC Champion Mississippi State team snuck out of the state under the cover of darkness to play in the 1963 NCAA Tournament against Loyola (Chicago), a school that started four black players. They lost the game, but their courage helped advance the civil rights movement by showing that players just want to play, regardless of the color of the skin of their opponents. Some forty-one years later, MSU continued to blaze trails into a post-racial society when it hired the first black head coach at an SEC football program. (We'll just stop there and not discuss that hire any further.)

2) A Time To Kill, Indeed It's rival Ole Miss that gets all the cred for southern and genteel, but the Magnolia State's greatest contemporary writer actually got his bachelor's at Mississippi State. John Grisham was class of 1977 at MSU before taking his law degree at the "other" college over in Oxford. He spent seven years serving as a Democrat in the Mississippi House, but it was his first manuscript about the rape of a young girl and her father's response that sent him on to worldwide acclaim. Grisham's novels have now sold over 250 million copies worldwide, and he still lives in Mississippi.

3) Eraser Man You Don't Know Everyone knows UConn's Hasheem Thabeet puts the fear of Russell in would-be lane drivers, but it's MSU 6'9", 210-lb center Jarvis Varnado, who with his 7'4" wingspan and uncannily quick elevation off the floor, led the nation this season in blocked shots with 4.7 sendbacks per game. He broke the 7'1" Shaquille O'Neal's SEC record for blocked shots in a season during the SEC Tournament, where he upped that average to 5.5 per game in the Bulldogs' four wins. Varnado is a trip-dub threat each time he walks onto the court, having had two games this season where he missed the mark by a mere two blocks. Washington may feel it has an advantage with the much burlier Jon Brockman underneath, but the Huskies would do well to remember that Varnado rejected five of national runner-up Memphis' shots in a second-round game last season. — Rush The Court

Join the Deadspin Pants Party Group Pool [ESPN]
Download the Deadspin Bracket [PDF or JPG]

It seems a Washington State basketball fan ran into an old friend of John Brockman—the starting forward for the rival Huskies—the night before the "big" UW-WSU game last weekend. So he spent the bulk of the evening calling and texting Brockman in the hopes of giving him a sleepless night. Since Brockman had a career-high 18 rebounds the next day and UW won, I'm going to say that it didn't work.

But it got worse when Brockman decided to enact some revenge on the griefer via this message he posted on everyone's favorite web-menacing tool, Twitter:

Requesting all dawg fans to call (208) 625 0872 and tell him about the husky win......he called me 25 times last night.....let him have it!

James Monsey, the Washington State senior who started the whole thing, received approximately 400 calls from Brockman's Twitter army. (So I guess it backfired?) Both gentlemen seem to be taking the whole thing in the spirit of old fashioned sportsmanship and no one will be indicted. However, I suggest you throw away your cell phone and never go on the internet again.

Brockman gets his revenge [Seattle Times]
A Chat with Jon Brockman's Cell-Phone Adversary [Seattle Weekly]

From the Seattle Times:

The Huskies may make it official at a news conference on Sunday, said a well-placed source. And they had hoped that the news would wait until then. An ESPN report broke the news about 6:30 p.m. Neither Sarkisian nor Washington athletic director Scott Woodward would confirm the report when talking later with reporters.

But a former player, who had spoken with a UW official, said the report was merely a little early and that both sides had hoped to wait until each team completed its season — USC plays UCLA Saturday in a game the Trojans need to win to take the Pac-10 title. "It wasn't supposed to get out yet," the former player said.

Hey, former Saskatchewan Roughriders love a challenge, I guess. But you have to wonder where this leaves USC, who lost Norm Chow in 2005, and now this. Next offensive coordinator: Will Ferrell?

Washington Reportedly To Name Sarkisian Coach [NBCSports]
Sources: USC Offensive Coordinator Sarkisian Gets Washington Job [ESPN]
Huskies Go With Youth, Pick USC's Sarkisian [Seattle Times]

Yep, things are pretty grim for sports fans who live and root in Seattle. Their stolen NBA team taunts them from another city, their baseball team spent $118 million to get 101 losses, the Seahawks have lost their stranglehold on the worst division in pro football, and the local university's squad is 0-10 heading into their big in-state rivalry game this weekend ... and they're the favorite. If that wasn't bad enough, the city's biggest sports personality was murdered (and "Big Lo" doesn't seem too healthy either.)

Cleveland and Buffalo obviously weep for their painful losses, but it's pretty easy to see that this winter in the Pacific Northwest is going to be even more sad and gloomy than usual. Won't someone think of the children?

[Brian] Robinson, the Save our Sonics co-founder, remembered the time he spent in the Army bragging about and betting on Seattle sports. It became part of his identity, one he passed on to his two children.

The other day, his 5-year-old daughter said, in all seriousness: “All our teams lose. When you were a little boy, did they win?” Robinson said: “We are at real risk of a whole generation of people not enjoying professional sports. It might dead-end. And I don’t know what that could do to our sense of community.”

Well, if the alternative is rooting for the Mariners the rest of her life, I'd say your daughter got off lucky.

At a Time of Loss, Seattle Fans Hold On to Hope [New York Times]
With the Apple Cup just days away, there are stories that must be told [Cougars Examiner]
The annual selection of Wazoo jokes [Huskies Examiner]
Has Seattle sports reached rock bottom? [The Big Picture]

It's still a little baffling that after showing so much promise in that first year at ND, things turned so sour so quickly. The next season they went 5-7, then 6-6, and he was done after just 3 years. But back in the Pac-10 away from all the racism pressure of South Bend, surely he could get things back on track? But things got even worse. Since 2005, the Huskies are 11-32, working on three last-place finishes and in 2008—seven losses, only one of them close, and a 33-7 drubbing to his replacement last week. Now, he and his team are playing out the string and it seems highly unlikely he'll be a head coach again.

And let's be honest ... race does play a big part of his story, both in his rise to national prominence and his quick exit from South Bend. It will certainly come up in other coaching obituaries for Willingham, and not without reason. (There have only been 19 African-American head coaches in D-I ... ever?) But 0-7 is 0-7, no matter who your coach is and at least now the Huskies don't have to look at guillotine hanging over their heads for the rest of the year.

• UW's Willingham to step down [KING]

Stevens was not a nice fellow. Not that then-coach (and current UCLA helmer) Rick Neuheisel minded.

About the same time, Jerramy Stevens emerged from his room. He lived with several teammates in a house north of campus. He pulled a pair of women's underpants out of his jeans pocket and, according to a police report, told a roommate, "Look what I have."

Stevens said he'd had sex with the freshman, whose middle name was Marie. "No way," the roommate said. He couldn't believe it, because he had heard Marie was a virgin. Stevens' story made the rounds. A friend of Marie's heard one football player ask another: Did you hear that Jerramy had sex with Marie in the dirt outside a fraternity? Meanwhile, Marie and her friends tried to figure out what had happened.

To get an idea of what kind of culture Neuheisel was fostering, here's a quote from a teammate after hearing of police questioning Stephens:

"Well ... he's my best friend," the player said. "I hang out with champions." Stevens, the player said, was "the type of guy where usually when he fools around he ends up having sex cause he's a charming guy, chicks dig him."

The story is full of nastiness, including a brutal email Stephens sent to a female acquaintance. We'll say this, and it'll be the last time we ever say it: We wish Joey Porter would have put his face through a wall.

Victory And Ruins [Seattle Times]

In the midst of depression, you have to admire the fanbases. Tickets on StubHub are still awfully pricey. We're going to be in Seattle this weekend — we actually leave tomorrow night — and the Michigan-ND tickets are still more expensive than the Washington-Ohio State tickets, and that's involving two 2-0 teams. Difference is, though: Tyrone Willingham has a chance to win.

Michigan-ND Tickets [StubHub]
Washington-Ohio State Tickets [StubHub]

CONNECTICUT

1. When In Doubt, Cheat To Win. Stories about the immortal Khalid El-Amin continue to swirl around the UConn campus to this day. He's the Storrs equivalent of Lindsay Lohan; the lines are blurred so much it s impossible to separate the fact from fiction. This much is true, though: According the New Haven Register, El-Amin devised a plan to ensure a solid result in the Husky Fun Run (a 3-mile jog around the bucolic campus). Midway through the race, the beefy point guard with a penchant for cheese steak sandwiches hitched a ride from a friend, who dropped Khalid off around the corner from the finish line. To sell it completely, El-Amin splashed some water on his face in lieu of sweat and staggered down the street for an eighth-place finish.

2. Famous Uncles: Fester, Jesse, Cliffy?. Jim Calhoun has launched the NBA careers of a galaxy of stars in the L — Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, Ben Gordon, etc. — but the first was Clifford Robinson. Uncle Cliffy is currently the longest tenured player in the NBA, beginning his career with the Blazers in 1989 as a second round draft pick. Father of the double-wide headband, Cliff, is also the tallest player (6 10") to reach 1,000 career 3-pointers. Now in his 17th season, Robinson looks to join Robert Parish, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kevin Willis as the fourth member of the 20-season club.

3. Uncle Hilti. No one questions Jim Calhoun's shrewd eye for talent, but Hilton Armstrong might be Calhoun's crowning achievement. The Peekskill, N.Y. native certainly wasn't a star in high school, receiving just one scholarship offer from perennial A-10 doormat LaSalle. In swept Calhoun, offering the 6'11, 190-pound center a spot on the Connecticut bench. Now, the 235-pound Armstrong is the reigning Big East defensive player of the year, the fourth Husky in a row to capture the award. Coincidentally, Peekskill celebrates Elton Brand Day, celebrating the city's most famous native. UConn beat Duke for its first title in 1999, a game in which Brand scored just 15 points. Mark down April 3 as Hilton Armstrong Day. — Nick Aquilno, Mike Cardillo, Mike Suppe

WASHINGTON

1. Brandon Roy Makes Good Decisions. In 2002, as a senior at Garfield High School in Seattle, Wash., B-Roy decided to enter the NBA Draft. Why? Well, Roy doesn't often talk about it (as if it were, you know, evil), but we can think of a couple million reasons why. The decision to go to college worked out well, as Roy averaged double-digits in scoring by his sophomore year. Then, after his junior campaign — which was hampered by injury — Roy got draft-happy again and toyed with the idea of leaving school early for the Promised Land, known in some social circles as the NBA. But again, B-Roy, the wise fellow he is, stayed in school and earned Pac-10 Player of the Year honors and has led the Huskies to a second-straight Sweet 16 appearance. He s now projected as a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

2. Zane "Harry" Potter Has A Cult Following. Zane Potter is the last guy the Dawg Pack — UW's student section — wants to see playing in a close game. Coincidentally, Potter, a walk-on senior, is the first guy the fans want to see in a blowout. Potter sits at the end of the bench for every game, because frankly, it's amazing he's even on the team. But the fans love him and will chant his name as the clock winds down on a lopsided contest. He's tall, he's awkward and he sort of resembles that wizard from all those books. Potter, always the realist, has no aspirations to continue playing basketball when he graduates. Instead he plans to be a weatherman. Tough job in the Northwest ... it only rains about 90 percent of the time. Oh, and Potter is from Boring, Ore. Yeah, Boring. Must've been a fun place to grow up.

3. Bobby Jones Hates Tyson Chandler. Well, not quite. As teammates at Dominguez High School in Compton, Calif., they led the Dons to a 31-4 record and their third consecutive division II state championship. But Jones says his best high school memory is winning state without Tyson Chandler. We aren t sure if the two have spoken since. — Zach Landres-Schnur

Connecticut Huskies: First Three Tiny Tidbits [Deadspin]
Washington Huskies: First Three Tiny Tidbits [Deadspin]

Elsewhere, Boston College went on to thump the Montana Grizzlies, eventually winning by 13. Craig Smith finished with 22 and 15. You just don't see a lot of guys who look like Craig Smith walking around Montana.

And LSU and Texas A&M are probably going down to the wire. It's a 3-point game right now with about four minutes to play. I think you should find a television and watch it. And enjoy the late games, too. I'm back with you tomorrow.

WASHINGTON

1. Mike Jensen Likes Scooters (Among Other Things). Huskies' senior forward Mike Jensen — who remarkably resembles actor Dolph Lundgren — is not much of a walker. Instead of using his own two feet, Jensen can be seen around the University of Washington campus riding around on his motorized scooter. Because of this, he has picked up the nickname — get this — Scooter. Catchy, huh? Jensen will also make plenty of hazy-eyed appearances at frat parties or local U-Dub bars. "I'm kinda shy around hot girls," he says on his Facebook.com profile. "And sometimes I make a fool of myself in public." A motorized scooter certainly won't help.

2. So That's How They Still Sell Football Tickets. Once upon a time, the UW was a football school. But no longer. So how do you get students to support the dismal Washington football program? Tell them once they buy their football tickets they have priority for basketball. That s right; in order to get first crack at the student pass (which gains admittance to the Dawg Pack at all men's and women's basketball games), one must buy football season tickets. Yeah, when the football team has gone 3-19 the last two years, you gotta get creative.

3. Will Jon Brockman Get The Andrei Kirilenko "Allowance?" UW freshman forward Jon Brockman is dating Christal Morrison the MVP of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament for the Huskies' National Championship team. It s uncertain how long the two have been an item, but Morrison can be found at virtually every home basketball game cheering on her man. And while the two are likely nowhere near marriage, based on both Brockman and Morrison being Bible thumpers, don't expect to see Brockman getting freaky with, well, Mrs. Kirilenko anytime soon. — Zach Landres-Schnur

UTAH STATE

1. Their Starting Point Guard Spent Eight Years in the Big House. David Pak served eight years in prison, convicted of rape at age 17. Now 28, it's safe to say he's the oldest player in the NCAA Tournament. Pak was released from prison on Christmas Eve 2001, with no background in organized basketball; Aggies coach Stew Morrill plucked him out of Saddleback Junior College in Mission Viejo, Calif. He wears jersey No. 2, which stands for "second chance." Former Aggies also like golf; Jeremy Vague and Jason Napier, who played for Utah State in 2000-2001, were arrested for stealing golf clubs and served time in Cache County Jail in 2003.

2. They Get Free Flowers from FTD. Among Utah State's distinguished alumni is Merlin Olsen, who was an All-American tackle for the Aggies and went on to be an NFL Hall-of-Fame lineman for the Los Angeles Rams. But you know him best as Jonathan Garvey on Little House on the Prairie, where his TV son, Andy, grew up to be Capt. Bud Roberts on JAG.

3. They Have Perhaps the Best Home Court Advantage in College Basketball. The Dee Glen Smith Spectrum is notoriously loud and unfriendly to opposing Western Athletic Conference foes; the Aggies are 392-102 there all-time, and 110-10 under current head coach Stew Morrill. Some have said that it's the place opposing teams go to be buried, which is appropriate, because it's adjacent to the Logan city cemetery. — Rick Chandler

Deadspin Printable Bracket (PDF) (JPG version)
Join The Deadspin Pool!
NCAA Tournament First Round Schedule [Deadspin]
Complete Deadspin First Round Matchup Previews [Deadspin]

2. So That's How They Still Sell Football Tickets. Once upon a time, the UW was a football school. But no longer. So how do you get students to support the dismal Washington football program? Tell them once they buy their football tickets they have priority for basketball. That s right; in order to get first crack at the student pass (which gains admittance to the Dawg Pack at all men's and women's basketball games), one must buy football season tickets. Yeah, when the football team has gone 3-19 the last two years, you gotta get creative.

3. Will Jon Brockman Get The Andrei Kirilenko "Allowance?" UW freshman forward Jon Brockman is dating Christal Morrison the MVP of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament for the Huskies' National Championship team. It s uncertain how long the two have been an item, but Morrison can be found at virtually every home basketball game cheering on her man. And while the two are likely nowhere near marriage, based on both Brockman and Morrison being Bible thumpers, don't expect to see Brockman getting freaky with, well, Mrs. Kirilenko anytime soon. — Zach Landres-Schnur