UConn's No. 1 Streak Reaches Three Weeks

For the third straight week, Connecticut is the No. 1 ranked team in America. Thus far, the Huskies are the only team to keep the No. 1 ranking in the AP Top 25 for more than one week in calendar year 2009. Oklahoma remains at No. 2 and North Carolina remains at No. 3.

Pittsburgh and Memphis round out the top 5.

AP Top 25 (Feb. 16, 2009):

		Record	Votes
1	Connecticut (66)	24-2	1794
2	Oklahoma (4)	25-1	1709
3	North Carolina (2)	23-2	1676
4	Pittsburgh	24-2	1589
5	Memphis	22-3	1465
6	Michigan State	20-4	1443
7	Louisville	19-5	1280
8	Wake Forest	19-4	1217
9	Duke	20-5	1048
10	Marquette	21-4	1045
11	Missouri	22-4	1041
12	Villanova	20-5	983
13	Clemson	20-4	939
14	Arizona State	20-5	830
15	Kansas	20-5	651
16	Xavier	21-4	646
17	Gonzaga	19-5	599
18	Illinois	21-5	589
19	Purdue	19-6	582
20	UCLA	19-6	473
21	Butler	22-3	373
22	Washington	19-6	334
23	LSU	21-4	294
24	Syracuse	19-7	207
25	Dayton	23-3	194
Others Receiving Votes: Texas 83, Utah State 72, Ohio State 45, Arizona 38, California 34, Utah 34, West Virginia 26, Florida State 18, Davidson 15, South Carolina 10, Minnesota 6, Boston College 5, Kentucky 5, Miami (FL) 2, Tennessee 2, Wisconsin 2, Brigham Young 1, Robert Morris 1

Kansas Wins National Championship

By Trashtalk Superstar

Last night, Kansas beat Memphis 75-68 in overtime to win the 2008 NCAA National Championship. The Jayhawks overcame a 9 point deficeit in the final 2:12 minutes of regulation to tie the game--thanks to a Mario Chalmers three pointer with 2.1 seconds left on the clock--and force the overtime period. But in overtime, Kansas jumped out to a quick lead and never looked back.

As the Kansas City Star notes, Kansas senior Russell Robinson opined:

"You couldn't have written it any better."

In a year in which all four #1 seeds advanced to the Final Four (for first time in the history of the NCAA Tournament), many observers were surprised by how uncompetitive Saturday's Semifinal games ultimately proved to be. Despite many prognosticators' high expectations for a memorable Final Four, Memphis and Kansas had--for all intents and purposes--run their respective opponents (UCLA and North Carolina) off the floor. And on a larger scale, most observers were similarly disappointed by the lack of competitiveness of this year's Elite 8 and Sweet 16.

If 2006 was the year of the Cinderella, 2008 was the year of the blowout win by the higher seeded team.

But last night's Championship Game provided enough excitement and drama to make up for an otherwise disappointing Final Four.

Yet despite the game's dramatic finish, things didn't go according to plan for Memphis and Kansas:

"This was not the smooth-running, fast-paced, high-scoring game everyone was expecting to see. As happens more often as not, things didn't quite work out the way they had been envisioned. The 2008 NCAA Tournament Championship Game was such a thing...

The Memphis Tigers were denied passage to the lane most of the night. Kansas owned the paint on the opposite end of the court, playing their regular game. Even so, the game remained tight throughout, aided by some sloppy ball handling by both teams. Kansas was not hitting three-pointers and Memphis was. And Derrick Rose, Memphis' second leading scorer, went cold for 24 and a half minutes (16 and a half in the first half).

Memphis was definitely out of sync. Memphis' Joey Dorsey was not blocking out Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson like he did all those other big guys on those other teams. Kansas was simply denying Memphis their game."

(Hat tip: Associated Content).

More:

"And then Memphis' two best shooting guards, Derrick Rose, who had come alive with 12 minutes to go in the game and score a dozen points, and Chris Douglas-Roberts missed 4-5 from the line, giving Kansas a chance to tie the game with just a few seconds to go. And they did. With two seconds to go, Mario Chalmers hit an off-balanced three-pointer to tie the game. Memphis could not hit a subsequent half-court shot and the game went into Overtime.

Kansas immediately stole the ball -- after Memphis won the tip -- and scored. The momentum was all in Kansas' favor. Memphis "controlled chaos" style of basketball had lost its control. Kansas went on to win, 75-68."

Preview of Tonight's NCAA Championship Game

By Trashtalk Superstar

Tonight, Memphis and Kansas will play for the 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball National Championship. The game will tip off in little over an hour.

So what are Drive and Dish's thoughts on tonight's game?

For what it's worth, this is one of the toughest championship games to prognosticate in recent memory. Last year's Championship game was pretty easy to predict: Although both Ohio State and Florida had outstanding talent, Florida was the defending National Champion and Billy Donovan's team still had all the key players from its 2006 Championship team. Ohio State was talented, but the Buckeyes' best players were freshmen. And it usually takes experience to win championships. So a Florida win was easy to predict in last year's Championship game.

But Memphis and Kansas appear to be a toss up.

As alluded to, few freshmen are able to lead their teams to championships. And freshmen who have done so can probably be counted on one hand. What's more, the few freshmen who have led their teams to NCAA Championships (Carmello Anthony, Michael Jordan?) have played for teams that had talented upperclassmen surrounding them.

But Memphis' freshman point guard, Derrick Rose, doesn't play like any freshman point guard that I've seen (and that includes Ohio State's sensational freshman PG, Mike Conley, from last year). He plays with the poise and savvy of a 5th year senior. And he's as special a talent as the college game has seen in years.

What's more, Rose is surrounded by talented upperclassmen.

Memphis' back court tandem of Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts may be without a peer in the college game. But Kansas' back court absolutely stymied North Carolina's much-hyped back court duo of Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington.

And it was Kansas' backup point guard, Sherron Collins, who did the most damage to North Carolina in the second half of Saturday night's Final Four Semifinal game.

Plus, Kansas has multiple point guards. And that makes them extremely dangerous.

As Drive and Dish noted before Saturday's games, Memphis has a collection of incredibly athletic, long, and skilled players on the perimeter. And although Kansas can counter with their deep, versatile back court and with Brandon Rush (himself a long, athletic, talented wing), Memphis should have an advantage on the perimeter.

Memphis' back court is simply bigger and more talented ... which is really saying something, considering how good Kansas' back court is.

And I'd be surprised if Kansas will be able to slow Derrick Rose.

Strategically, I think Kansas needs to take away the dribble drive from Memphis' guards. Memphis employs an almost revolutionary wide open offense, which takes its cue from International basketball. Unlike traditional college (continuity) offenses, Memphis' offense is not predicated on using ball screens to create shots. Rather, the Tigers push the tempo and try to beat their opponents off the dribble. Then they either finish at the rim, or dish to a cutter/kick it out to a perimeter shooter.

Memphis looks to get points via the play from which this website derives its name -- the drive and dish.

And they've got the ideal point guard to run that kind of offense -- Rose.

So, although Kansas beat North Carolina by pushing the tempo and running the Tar Heels out of the Alamo Dome, I think that Kansas will try to slow Memphis' running game and force the Tigers to run half-court sets.

Then Bill Self's Jayhawks will have to contain Memphis' dribble drive ... which will be easier said than done. However, if Kansas can manage to contain Memphis, the Jayhawks might be able to take Memphis out of its game--and force the Tigers to shoot jump shots.

While Memphis has the advantage on the perimeter, Kansas should have the advantage in the paint. Kansas has the bigger front line. And make no mistake: that's a significant advantage in in the Jayhawks' favor. Remember, Memphis' big man, Joey Dorsey, struggled against UCLA (despite the Tigers' overall dominance in that game). And although I expect Dorsey to come out with a chip on his shoulder tonight, I also expect Kansas to try to feed the ball into the low post.

Unless Dorsey plays like a man possessed, I don't think that Memphis' bigs will match up well against Kansas' front line.

So who do I think will win?

As I said before, this one is tough to prognosticate. I thought that, by virtue of having all four #1 seeds advance to the Final Four, this would prove to be one of the better Final Fours in recent history. And I couldn't have been more wrong.

Thus far, the entire NCAA Tournament has been characterized by one blowout after another. And the Elite 8 and Final Four weren't any more interesting ... which I really didn't see coming.

So, although this may seem like a cop-out, I really don't know what to expect in tonight's Championship game.

If it's a close game, Memphis' poor free throw shooting percentage could ultimately be their downfall. But poor free throw shooting hasn't been a factor in any of Memphis' games in this Tournament, to date. Plus, the Tigers have actually shot better from the charity stripe in the Tournament than they did during the regular season.

But I'll leave you with this: One of the best basketball minds that I personally know has been saying all season long that Kansas is the most talented team in the country, and that he expects the Jayhawks to win the National Championship. And for the record, this guy is a basketball coach and he starred on one of the most famous Final Four/Championship teams in college basketball history. I put a lot of stock in whatever he says.

And he's been talking Kansas up for some time.

So although I can see it going either way, my best guess would be Kansas if I had to pick the winner of tonight's game (but I still don't see how they'll stop Memphis' Rose and Douglas-Roberts).

But unlike Saturday night, I won't be surprised if either team wins tonight.

Preview of Tonight's Final Four

By Trashtalk Superstar

Tonight will mark the first time in the history of the NCAA Tournament in which all four #1 seeds will play in the Final Four. I always say that whichever team wins the National Championship isn't necessarily the best team in the country, but is, rather, the team that managed to catch the right breaks at the right time, cause the most match up problems for its opponents, get hot at the right time, get a little lucky and win the NCAA Tournament.

Remember, it's a single elimination tournament. The team that does the best job of surviving and advancing will be crowned the National Champion. Sometimes the best team wins the Tournament, and sometimes a surprise team rises up and wins the Tournament.

But this year all the #1 seeds have advanced to the Final Four. And, unlike some years, there wasn't much controversy over which teams got 1 seeds. All four 1 seeds were clearly the cream of the crop in college basketball for 2008. Which means that it should be one of the most interesting Final Four's in recent history.

But these things rarely go according to plan.

So here's what I expect from tonight's games:

Memphis vs. UCLA

Memphis has been playing like a National Champion. When they're on top of their game, they're practically unstoppable.

Memphis has a team full of incredibly athletic, long (tall for their position and long armed) perimeter players. It's one thing to be athletic. It's another to be long. But if you're as athletic and long as Memphis is, you're probably going to cause some serious match up problems for opposing teams.

What's more, the most important player on the floor in college basketball -- and especially in the NCAA Tournament -- is the point guard. In order to have success in the NCAA Tournament, a team must have consistently good play out of the point guard position (having a good big guy is also important, but everything starts with the PG). In Derrick Rose, Memphis has a point guard who is simply in another league. Although merely a freshman, Rose is playing better than any other PG in the college game.

Derrick Rose is the catalyst for everything Memphis does. When Rose is on his A game (which he has been all Tournament long), Memphis works like a well oiled machine. Derrick Rose has unusual poise, presence, court vision and leadership qualities for someone so young. He's probably already good enough to start at point guard for several NBA teams. And he may just be the most athletic guy on the floor in this year's Final Four.

UCLA also has an outstanding point guard in Darren Collison. And they have some athletic guys too. But, although he's a nice NBA prospect, Collison will struggle with Rose. Derrick Rose is bigger, stronger and even more athletic than Collison is (and Collison is quite athletic). And Rose has the ability to take over a game -- whether it shows in the box score or not (i.e., by attacking defenses, creating for others, pushing the ball in transition, scoring, etc.).

And even though UCLA's other guards and wings are quite good, I expect Memphis' perimeter guys to just be too tall, too long, too athletic and too good for UCLA to handle.

UCLA does have one advantage over Memphis: the presence of freshman big man Kevin Love. Love is big, strong and skilled. If UCLA can prevent Memphis from turning the game into a track meet, Love should cause major match up problems for Memphis.

Memphis' big man, Joey Dorsey, is used to being the biggest, strongest and nastiest guy on the floor. At times in his college career, he's played like a man among boys. But UCLA's Love is bigger and stronger than Dorsey. And Love has been playing like a first team All American recently.

However, Love won't be effective if UCLA is forced into playing an up-tempo game. And, make no mistake, Memphis will look to push the tempo. If Memphis can keep UCLA out of its half court sets and keep Love off the boards, then the game is theirs for the taking.

Although, if Memphis has an Achilles heel, it's their questionable free throw shooting. In the event of a close game, Memphis' poor free throw shooting could seal their fate.

Ultimately, I think that this should be the more exciting of tonight's games. Both of these teams are good enough to win the National Championship. Memphis will look to run; UCLA will look to pound the ball into Love.

Who do I pick to win this game?

This one's a toss-up, as far as I'm concerned. Earlier in the week, I thought that Memphis would cruise to victory. But the more I think about how these teams match up, the more I think that Love could be too much for Memphis to handle.

But if I had to put money on it, I'd say that Memphis should be able to push the ball and force UCLA into playing an up-tempo, full court game. And that should be enough to send UCLA home from its third straight Final Four appearance empty handed (without a National Championship) again.

So, if pushed, I'd have to go with Memphis.


North Carolina vs. Kansas

Everybody knows how good North Carolina is. They're talented at every position. They've got an outstanding point guard. They've got great wing players. And in bruising forward Tyler Hansbrough, they've got the (well deserving) AP college basketball Player of the Year.

When they're on their game, North Carolina is a juggernaut. Hell, they're even great when they're a little off their game.

But don't write Kansas off. The Jayhawks barely got past Davidson in the Elite 8. But that could actually be a plus for them coming into the Final Four.

They looked tight against Davidson. And they probably were tight. After all, how embarrassing would it have been for #1 seed Kansas to let tiny Davidson -- which was a 10 seed, for God's sake -- sneak into the Final Four? Remember, Bill Self's Kansas teams suffered humiliating first round Tournament losses in 2005 (to Bucknell) and in 2006 (to Bradley). Allowing Cinderella Davidson to crash the Final Four would have been bad.

But now that Kansas is in the Final Four, they won't have the underachiever label attached to them anymore. Which should be a liberating thing for the Jayhawks. And that could prompt them to come out loose against North Carolina. After all, practically everyone in the world knows about how great the Tar Heels are this year. And everyone knows all about Tyler Hansbrough. But Kansas hasn't gotten that kind of media shine this year.

So the Jayhawks might feel like they're being overlooked by the media, which could give them an "underdog" mentality. And that might equate to them entering the North Carolina game with a chip on their collective shoulders.

Teams that play loose, as if they have nothing to lose, and that play with chips on their shoulders are dangerous. And few teams are as talented as this Kansas team. If Kansas, with all its talent, plays loose and comes out like it has something to prove against North Carolina, they could very well find themselves playing for the National Championship on Monday night.

But Kansas will need to come out and punch North Carolina in the mouth early on. If they can do that, then all bets are off.

UNC and Kansas both have solid PG play. But I think North Carolina's Ty Lawson has the edge in this match up. Lawson is a certain future NBA player and he's as quick a guard as you'll find.

Kansas small forward Brandon Rush is also a sure fire future NBA player, although he'll be a 2 guard in the league. Rush is long, athletic and explosive. But what sets him apart is the fact that he can score all day long.

Like Rush, North Carolina shooting guard Wayne Ellington is also an athletic, big guard who can flat out score the ball. And he's also a sure-fire NBA prospect. But Ellington is also an outstanding shooter. He's dangerous anytime he has the ball -- no matter where he is on the court.

And I think that North Carolina has the advantage in the front court. Although Kansas' Darrell Aurthur is a wiry, athletic scoring power forward and Sasha Kaun does everything a good college big man should do, North Carolina's Hansbrough should be able to get the best of Kansas. The Jayhawks have a size advantage, and Kaun will probably give Hansbrough and the Tar Heels' front line more trouble than most people will expect. But it won't be enough to stop the AP college player of the year. Advantage: North Carolina.

Prediction: This game should be fun. Don't sleep on Kansas. They could really give North Carolina problems. And if they're loose and play with chips on their shoulders, they could easily win. I think that Kansas has the ability to take North Carolina out of its game. And if that happens, look out.

However, I expect North Carolina to play well and, ultimately, to get past the Jayhawks in a close game (possibly an overtime game). And Roy Williams' Tar Heels will probably go on to win their 5th National Championship (by beating Memphis) in two days.

But that would almost be too predictable.

Final Four Field Set: Memphis and Kansas March On

By Mark Buckets

Today, the final two pieces of the Final Four puzzle were put together, as Memphis and Kansas advanced to San Antonio.

Kansas defeated Davidson 59-57, as Jason Richards' long-range, last-second three pointer sailed wide left of the rim, ending the Wildcats' run at basketball immortality.

Kansas suffocated Stephen Curry for most of the game, shooting 4 of 16 from three point range. However, he did have 25 points.

The most impressive team of the day - outside of Davidson - were the Memphis Tigers.

Roaring to an early lead and shutting the door on two Texas mini-runs, the Tigers were victorious in Houston, 85-67.

The Final Four teams left standing are all number one seeds, a first for Division 1 College Basketball.

In one national semifinal, UCLA will take on Memphis in a battle of contrasting styles - both on and off the court.

The other game pits two teams with truckloads of talent, as North Carolina and coach Roy Williams will meet his former team, the Kansas Jayhawks.

Update: Drive & Dish had promised our readers that we would be covering the 2008 Final Four in San Antonio.

That was the plan. Right up until the NCAA denied us media credentials.

We are extremely disappointed in this development. However, we will do our best to turn this negative into a positive.

That's right, D&D will do our best to cover the culminating event of the college basketball season right here in Chicago.

Davidson Whips Wisconsin, Elite 8 Field Set

Last night, Davidson punched its ticket to the Elite 8 by embarrassing Wisconsin 73-56 in Detroit's Ford Field. Wisconsin had been the 3 seed in the Midwest Regional. Davidson (undergraduate enrollment 1,600) is the 10 seed.

Davidson's amazing Tournament run has been led by guard Stephen Curry. As Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel writes:

"Curry, whose star has risen so high in the span of eight days that LeBron James came just to see him play (mouthing a visible "Wow" on an acrobatic reverse layup by Curry late in the game), put on another dazzling shooting display, hitting 6-of-11 three-pointers, but his most important stat may have been this one: Four steals."

And Davidson isn't the only team that advanced to the Elite 8 by blowing out thier opponent. All of Friday's Sweet Sixteen games were blowouts.

Texas blew out Stanford 82-62 in Houston, Kansas ripped Villanova 72-57 in Detroit, and Memphis humiliated Michigan State 92-74 in Houston.

North Carolina Remains #1 in AP Top 25 (3/10/08)

After Saturday's resounding road win at Duke, North Carolina remains the #1 team in the AP Top 25.

Memphis retains its #2 ranking. UCLA is #3, Tennessee is #4 and Kansas is #5.

AP Top 25

1. North Carolina (52) 29-2 1,776
2. Memphis (13) 30-1 1,693
3. UCLA (5) 28-3 1,646
4. Tennessee (2) 28-3 1,626
5. Kansas 28-3 1,517
6. Texas 26-5 1,360
7. Duke 26-4 1,316
8. Wisconsin 26-4 1,309
9. Georgetown 25-4 1,300
10. Xavier 26-5 1,043
11. Stanford 24-6 1,036
12. Butler 28-3 976
13. Louisville 24-7 959
14. Notre Dame 24-6 802
15. Connecticut 24-7 767
16. Drake 28-4 672
17. Purdue 24-7 646
18. Vanderbilt 25-6 565
19. Michigan State 24-7 497
20. Gonzaga 25-6 474
21. Washington State 23-7 375
22. Indiana 25-6 357
23. Davidson 25-6 181
24. Brigham Young 25-6 154
25. Marquette 22-8 128

Others Receiving Votes
Clemson 64, USC 57, South Alabama 43, Mississippi State 21, Kent State 11, Baylor 7, Pittsburgh 6, Oklahoma 4, Kentucky 3, Cornell 3, West Virginia 3, Western Kentucky 1, Kansas State 1, Saint Mary's 1.

North Carolina #1 in AP Top 25 (3/3/08)

North Carolina is the new #1 team in America. Following Tennessee's loss at Vanderbilt, the Tar Heels moved up to #1 in the AP Top 25 poll that was released today.

Memphis is #2 and UCLA is #3. Tennessee fell to #4 and Kansas is #5.

NCAA Division I: AP Top 25

RANK TEAM RECORD PTS PVS

1. North Carolina (38) 27-2 1,745 3
Last Week: Def. Boston College 90-80 (3/1)
This Week: 3/4 vs. Florida State (17-12), 3/8 at Duke (25-3)
2. Memphis (21) 28-1 1,706 2
Last Week: Def. Tulsa 82-67 (2/27), Def. Southern Miss 76-67 (3/1)
This Week: 3/5 at Southern Methodist (9-18), 3/8 vs. UAB (21-8)
3. UCLA (12) 26-3 1,664 4
Last Week: Def. Arizona State 70-49 (2/28), Def. Arizona 68-66 (3/2)
This Week: 3/6 vs. Stanford (24-4), 3/8 vs. California (15-12)
4. Tennessee (1) 26-3 1,625 1
Last Week: Lost to Vanderbilt 72-69 (2/26), Def. Kentucky 63-60 (3/2)
This Week: 3/5 at Florida (21-8), 3/9 vs. South Carolina (13-15)
5. Kansas 26-3 1,459 6
Last Week: Def. Iowa State 75-64 (2/27), Def. Kansas State 88-74 (3/1)
This Week: 3/3 vs. Texas Tech (16-12), 3/8 at Texas A&M (21-8)
6. Duke 25-3 1,403 7
Last Week: Def. Georgia Tech 71-58 (2/27), Def. North Carolina State 87-86
This Week: 3/5 at Virginia (13-13), 3/8 vs. North Carolina (27-2)
7. Stanford 24-4 1,317 8
Last Week: Def. Washington 82-79 (2/28), Def. Washington State 60-53 (3/1)
This Week: 3/6 at UCLA (26-3), 3/8 at USC (18-10)
8. Xavier 25-4 1,232 9
Last Week: Def. George Washington 66-56 (3/1)
This Week: 3/6 at Saint Joseph's (17-10), 3/8 vs. Richmond (15-12)
9. Texas 24-5 1,227 5
Last Week: Def. Kansas State 74-65 (2/25), Lost to Texas Tech 83-80 (3/1)
This Week: 3/4 vs. Nebraska (17-10), 3/9 vs. Oklahoma State (16-12)
10. Wisconsin 24-4 1,199 10
Last Week: Def. Michigan State 57-42 (2/28)
This Week: 3/5 vs. Penn State (14-14), 3/8 at Northwestern (8-19)
11. Georgetown 24-4 1,147 11
Last Week: Def. St. John's 64-52 (2/27), Def. Marquette 70-68 (3/1)
This Week: 3/8 vs. Louisville (24-6)
12. Louisville 24-6 1,010 13
Last Week: Def. Notre Dame 90-85 (2/28), Def. Villanova 68-54 (3/2)
This Week: 3/8 at Georgetown (24-4)
13. Connecticut 23-6 848 15
Last Week: Def. Rutgers 79-61 (2/26), Def. West Virginia 79-71 (3/1)
This Week: 3/6 at Providence (14-14), 3/8 vs. Cincinnati (13-15)
14. Butler 27-3 813 14
Last Week: Def. Wright State 66-61 (2/28), Def. Detroit 65-31 (3/1)
This Week: No Games Scheduled
15. Purdue 23-6 779 16
Last Week: Def. Minnesota 65-53 (2/27), Def. Northwestern 68-43 (3/1)
This Week: 3/4 at Ohio State (17-12), 3/9 at Michigan (9-20)
16. Vanderbilt 24-5 658 18
Last Week: Def. Tennessee 72-69 (2/26), Lost to Arkansas 78-73 (3/1)
This Week: 3/5 vs. Mississippi State (20-8), 3/8 at Alabama (15-14)
17. Michigan State 23-6 657 19
Last Week: Lost to Wisconsin 57-42 (2/28), Def. Indiana 103-74 (3/2)
This Week: 3/6 at Illinois (12-17), 3/9 at Ohio State (17-12)
18. Indiana 24-5 646 12
Last Week: Def. Ohio State 72-69 (2/26), Lost to Michigan State 103-74 (3/2)
This Week: 3/5 vs. Minnesota (18-10), 3/9 at Penn State (14-14)
19. Notre Dame 22-6 578 17
Last Week: Lost to Louisville 90-85 (2/28), Def. DePaul 98-91 (3/2)
This Week: 3/5 vs. St. John's (11-17), 3/8 at South Florida (12-17)
20. Drake 25-4 346 20
Last Week: Lost to Missouri State 86-83 (2/26), Def. Wichita State 73-63 (3/1)
This Week: No Games Scheduled
21. Marquette 21-7 334 21
Last Week: Def. Villanova 85-75 (2/25), Lost to Georgetown 70-68 (3/1)
This Week: 3/4 vs. Florida Gulf Coast (10-20), 3/8 at Syracuse (17-12)
22. Gonzaga 23-6 323 24
Last Week: Def. Portland 73-51 (2/25), Def. Saint Mary's 88-76 (3/1)
This Week: 3/3 vs. Santa Clara (14-14)
23. Washington State 22-7 245 22
Last Week: Def. California 70-49 (2/28), Lost to Stanford 60-53 (3/1)
This Week: 3/8 vs. Washington (16-14)
24. Clemson 21-7 124 NR
Last Week: Def. Miami (FL) 79-69 (2/27), Def. Maryland 73-70 (3/2)
This Week: 3/6 at Georgia Tech (12-15), 3/9 vs. Virginia Tech (17-11)
25. Davidson 23-6 74 NR
Last Week: Def. Appalachian State 68-55 (2/27), Def. Georgia Southern 89-69
(3/1) This Week: No Games Scheduled


Others Receiving Votes
Brigham Young 63, Mississippi State 34, South Alabama 27, Pittsburgh 25, Saint Mary's 22, Kent State 19, Miami (FL) 13, Baylor 7, UAB 7, USC 7, Arizona State 4, Virginia Commonwealth 3, Western Kentucky 3, Texas A&M 3, Cornell 2, Robert Morris 1, Stephen F. Austin 1.

Dropped From Rankings
Kent State 23, Saint Mary's 25.

Tennessee #1 in AP Top 25

The AP Top 25 for the week of February 25, 2008, was released today.

Tennessee is the new #1 college basketball team in the nation. On Saturday, the Volunteers handed Memphis their first loss of the season. Today, they replace Memphis as the #1 team in the land.

Memphis fall to #2. North Carolina and UCLA occupy the #3 and #4 positions. And Texas moves up into the top five for the first time this year.

NCAA Division I: AP Top 25

RANK TEAM RECORD PTS PVS
1. Tennessee (69) 25-2 1,797 2
Last Week: Def. Auburn 89-70 (2/20), Def. Memphis 66-62 (2/23)
This Week: 2/26 at Vanderbilt (23-4), 3/2 vs. Kentucky (15-10)
2. Memphis 26-1 1,682 1
Last Week: Def. Tulane 97-71 (2/20), Lost to Tennessee 66-62 (2/23)
This Week: 2/27 vs. Tulsa (15-10), 3/1 at Southern Miss (15-11)
3. North Carolina (2) 26-2 1,668 3
Last Week: Def. North Carolina State 84-70 (2/20), Def. Wake Forest 89-73 (2/24)
This Week: 3/1 at Boston College (13-12)
4. UCLA (1) 24-3 1,593 6
Last Week: Def. Oregon State 84-49 (2/21), Def. Oregon 75-65 (2/23)
This Week: 2/28 at Arizona State (17-9), 3/2 at Arizona (17-10)
5. Texas 23-4 1,478 7
Last Week: Def. Texas A&M 77-50 (2/18), Def. Oklahoma 62-45 (2/23)
This Week: 2/25 at Kansas State (18-8), 3/1 at Texas Tech (15-11)
6. Kansas 24-3 1,368 4
Last Week: Lost to Oklahoma State 61-60 (2/23)
This Week: 2/27 at Iowa State (14-13), 3/1 vs. Kansas State (18-8)
7. Duke 23-3 1,344 5
Last Week: Lost to Miami (FL) 96-95 (2/20), Def. St. John's 86-56 (2/23)
This Week: 2/27 vs. Georgia Tech (11-14), 3/1 at North Carolina State (15-12)
8. Stanford 22-4 1,264 9
Last Week: Def. California 79-69 (2/24)
This Week: 2/28 vs. Washington (15-13), 3/1 vs. Washington State (21-6)
9. Xavier 24-4 1,228 10
Last Week: Def. Rhode Island 81-77 (2/18), Def. Duquesne 75-48 (2/21), Def. Dayton 57-51 (2/24)
This Week: 3/1 vs. George Washington (8-14)
10. Wisconsin 23-4 1,175 11
Last Week: Def. Illinois 71-57 (2/20), Def. Ohio State 58-53 (2/24)
This Week: 2/28 vs. Michigan State (22-5)
11. Georgetown 22-4 1,101 12
Last Week: Def. Providence 68-58 (2/18), Def. Cincinnati 73-53 (2/23)
This Week: 2/27 vs. St. John's (10-16), 3/1 at Marquette (20-6)
12. Indiana 23-4 969 15
Last Week: Def. Purdue 77-68 (2/19), Def. Northwestern 85-82 (2/23)
This Week: 2/26 vs. Ohio State (17-10), 3/2 at Michigan State (22-5)
13. Louisville 22-6 828 18
Last Week: Def. Syracuse 61-50 (2/18), Def. Pittsburgh 75-73 (2/24)
This Week: 2/28 vs. Notre Dame (21-5), 3/2 vs. Villanova (17-9)
14. Butler 25-3 752 8
Last Week: Def. Illinois-Chicago 51-46 (2/20), Lost to Drake 71-64 (2/23)
This Week: 2/28 vs. Wright State (20-7), 3/1 vs. Detroit (7-20)
15. Connecticut 21-6 688 13
Last Week: Def. DePaul 65-60 (2/19), Lost to Villanova 67-65 (2/23)
This Week: 2/26 at Rutgers (10-18), 3/1 vs. West Virginia (19-8)
16. Purdue 21-6 655 14
Last Week: Lost to Indiana 77-68 (2/19)
This Week: 2/27 vs. Minnesota (17-9), 3/1 vs. Northwestern (7-18)
17. Notre Dame 21-5 630 21
Last Week: Def. Pittsburgh 82-70 (2/21), Def. Syracuse 94-87 (2/24)
This Week: 2/28 at Louisville (22-6), 3/2 at DePaul (10-16)
18. Vanderbilt 23-4 627 20
Last Week: Def. Georgia 86-74 (2/23)
This Week: 2/26 vs. Tennessee (25-2), 3/1 at Arkansas (18-8)
19. Michigan State 22-5 625 19
Last Week: Def. Penn State 86-49 (2/20), Def. Iowa 66-52 (2/23)
This Week: 2/28 at Wisconsin (23-4), 3/2 vs. Indiana (23-4)
20. Drake 24-3 621 16
Last Week: Lost to Bradley 72-71 (2/19), Def. Butler 71-64 (2/23)
This Week: 2/26 at Missouri State (14-15), 3/1 vs. Wichita State (10-18)
21. Marquette 20-6 389 25
Last Week: Def. St. John's 73-64 (2/20), Def. Rutgers 78-48 (2/23)
This Week: 2/25 at Villanova (17-9), 3/1 vs. Georgetown (22-4)
22. Washington State 21-6 364 17
Last Week: Def. Arizona State 59-47 (2/21), Lost to Arizona 65-55 (2/23)
This Week: 2/28 at California (15-10), 3/1 at Stanford (22-4)
23. Kent State 23-5 125 NR
Last Week: Def. Buffalo 76-66 (2/19), Def. Saint Mary's 65-57 (2/24)
This Week: 3/1 at Bowling Green (12-14)
24. Gonzaga 21-6 94 NR
Last Week: Def. San Diego 59-55 (2/18)
This Week: 2/25 at Portland (8-19), 3/1 vs. Saint Mary's (23-4)
25. Saint Mary's 23-4 77 23
Last Week: Def. Pepperdine 100-64 (2/18), Lost to Kent State 65-57 (2/24)
This Week: 2/25 vs. San Diego (16-12), 3/1 at Gonzaga (21-6)

Others Receiving Votes
Miami (FL) 62, Davidson 40, Clemson 26, Texas A&M 21, Brigham Young 20, South Alabama 14, Kansas State 14, Arizona 11, USC 11, Mississippi State 8, Pittsburgh 7, Stephen F. Austin 7, Virginia Commonwealth 4, Western Kentucky 3, Kentucky 3, Florida 3, Arizona State 1, Cornell 1, UAB 1, New Mexico 1.

Dropped From Rankings
Texas A&M 22, Kansas State 24.

Tennessee Knocks Off #1 Memphis

#1 Memphis was undefeated going into tonight's much anticipated non conference in state showdown with #2 Tennessee. But Memphis is undefeated no more. Tennessee beat Memphis 66-62.

When the new rankings are released on Monday, Tennessee will be the #1 ranked basketball team in the nation -- for the first time in the school's history.

Memphis, Tennessee #1 and #2 in AP Top 25 (2/18/08)

Unbeaten Memphis remains atop the AP Top 25 for the week of Feb. 18, 2008.

Tennessee has overtaken Duke as the #2 team. North Carolina has moved up to #3. Kansas and Duke round out the top 5.

Also of note: Butler is #8, Drake is #16, and Pittsburgh has fallen out of the Top 25 (despite Mark Buckets' schmoozing with Jamie Dixon and the Pitt staff/players/media).

NCAA Division I: AP Top 25

RANK TEAM RECORD PTS PVS
1. Memphis (72) 25-0 1,800 1
Last Week: Def. Houston 68-59 (2/13), Def. UAB 79-78 (2/16)
This Week: 2/20 at Tulane (15-9), 2/23 vs. Tennessee (23-2)
2. Tennessee 23-2 1,699 4
Last Week: Def. Arkansas 93-71 (2/13), Def. Georgia 74-71 (2/16)
This Week: 2/20 vs. Auburn (13-10), 2/23 at Memphis (25-0)
3. North Carolina 24-2 1,592 5
Last Week: Def. Virginia 75-74 (2/12), Def. Virginia Tech 92-53 (2/16)
This Week: 2/20 at North Carolina State (15-10), 2/24 vs. Wake Forest (16-8)
4. Kansas 24-2 1,567 3
Last Week: Lost to Texas 72-69 (2/11), Def. Colorado 69-45 (2/16)
This Week: 2/23 at Oklahoma State (13-12)
5. Duke 22-2 1,519 2
Last Week: Def. Maryland 77-65 (2/13), Lost to Wake Forest 86-73 (2/17)
This Week: 2/20 at Miami (FL) (17-7), 2/23 vs. St. John's (10-14)
6. UCLA 22-3 1,498 6
Last Week: Def. USC 56-46 (2/17)
This Week: 2/21 vs. Oregon State (6-19), 2/23 vs. Oregon (15-10)
7. Texas 21-4 1,310 11
Last Week: Def. Kansas 72-69 (2/11), Def. Baylor 82-77 (2/16)
This Week: 2/18 vs. Texas A&M (20-5), 2/23 vs. Oklahoma (17-8)
8. Butler 24-2 1,228 9
Last Week: Def. Wisconsin-Milwaukee 83-75 (2/12), Def. Youngstown State 89-73 (2/14), Def. Cleveland State 51-46 (2/16)
This Week: 2/20 at Illinois-Chicago (14-12), 2/23 vs. Drake (23-2)
9. Stanford 21-4 1,156 7
Last Week: Lost to Arizona State 72-68 (2/14), Def. Arizona 67-66 (2/16)
This Week: 2/24 vs. California (15-9)
10. Xavier 21-4 1,122 12
Last Week: Def. Charlotte 62-60 (2/13)
This Week: 2/18 at Rhode Island (20-5), 2/21 vs. Duquesne (16-8), 2/24 at Dayton (17-7)
11. Wisconsin 21-4 1,033 15
Last Week: Def. Indiana 68-66 (2/13), Def. Minnesota 65-56 (2/16)
This Week: 2/20 at Illinois (11-15), 2/24 at Ohio State (17-9)
12. Georgetown 20-4 989 8
Last Week: Def. Villanova 55-53 (2/11), Lost to Syracuse 77-70 (2/16)
This Week: 2/18 at Providence (13-12), 2/23 vs. Cincinnati (12-12)
13. Connecticut 20-5 925 17
Last Week: Def. Notre Dame 84-78 (2/13), Def. South Florida 74-73 (2/16)
This Week: 2/19 vs. DePaul (10-14), 2/23 at Villanova (15-9)
14. Purdue 21-5 877 19
Last Week: Def. Michigan State 60-54 (2/12), Def. Northwestern 71-56 (2/16)
This Week: 2/19 at Indiana (21-4)
15. Indiana 21-4 796 13
Last Week: Lost to Wisconsin 68-66 (2/13), Def. Michigan State 80-61 (2/16)
This Week: 2/19 vs. Purdue (21-5), 2/23 at Northwestern (7-16)
16. Drake 23-2 612 14
Last Week: Lost to Southern Illinois 65-62 (2/13), Def. Northern Iowa 65-55 (2/16)
This Week: 2/19 vs. Bradley (15-12), 2/23 at Butler (24-2)
17. Washington State 20-5 581 21
Last Week: Def. Oregon State 70-57 (2/14), Def. Oregon 62-53 (2/16)
This Week: 2/21 vs. Arizona State (16-8), 2/23 vs. Arizona (16-9)
18. Louisville 20-6 543 23
Last Week: Def. DePaul 88-68 (2/12), Def. Providence 80-72 (2/16)
This Week: 2/18 vs. Syracuse (17-9), 2/24 at Pittsburgh (19-6)
19. Michigan State 20-5 503 10
Last Week: Lost to Purdue 60-54 (2/12), Lost to Indiana 80-61 (2/16)
This Week: 2/20 vs. Penn State (12-12), 2/23 vs. Iowa (11-15)
20. Vanderbilt 22-4 432 24
Last Week: Def. Kentucky 93-52 (2/12), Def. Florida 61-58 (2/16)
This Week: 2/23 vs. Georgia (12-11)
21. Notre Dame 19-5 361 20
Last Week: Lost to Connecticut 84-78 (2/13), Def. Rutgers 71-68 (2/17)
This Week: 2/21 vs. Pittsburgh (19-6), 2/24 vs. Syracuse (17-9)
22. Texas A&M 20-5 345 16
Last Week: Lost to Oklahoma State 59-54 (2/16)
This Week: 2/18 at Texas (21-4), 2/23 vs. Nebraska (14-9)
23. Saint Mary's 22-3 302 25
Last Week: Def. Santa Clara 54-50 (2/11), Def. Loyola Marymount 80-49 (2/16)
This Week: 2/18 at Pepperdine (9-17), 2/24 vs. Kent State (21-5)
24. Kansas State 18-6 247 18
Last Week: Lost to Texas Tech 84-75 (2/13), Def. Missouri 100-63 (2/16)
This Week: 2/20 at Nebraska (14-9), 2/23 at Baylor (17-7)
25. Marquette 18-6 176 NR
Last Week: Def. Seton Hall 89-64 (2/12), Def. Pittsburgh 72-54 (2/15)
This Week: 2/20 at St. John's (10-14), 2/23 vs. Rutgers (10-17)

Others Receiving Votes
Pittsburgh 59, Brigham Young 43, Clemson 39, Gonzaga 18, Arizona 8, Mississippi State 7, Rhode Island 6, Kent State 3, Stephen F. Austin 2, Western Kentucky 1, Cornell 1.

Dropped From Rankings
Pittsburgh 22.

Memphis, Duke Sit Atop AP Top 25 (4/4/08)

The AP Top 25 college basketball rankings for the week of February 4, 2008 were released today.

Once again, there aren't many surprises. Memphis is ranked #1 and Duke has moved up one space to #2. North Carolina slid up to #3, Kansas dropped two spots to #4 and UCLA has remained at #5.

Of significance, Butler has now moved into the top ten (#10), and Drake is #15. Purdue has moved in to the Top 25 (#24) and Baylor has dropped out of the rankings.

AP Top 25 (4/4/08)

1. Memphis (72) 21-0 1,800
2. Duke 19-1 1,682
3. North Carolina 21-1 1,637
4. Kansas 21-1 1,574
5. UCLA 20-2 1,552
6. Georgetown 18-2 1,433
7. Tennessee 19-2 1,394
8. Wisconsin 18-3 1,211
9. Stanford 18-3 1,170
10. Butler 19-2 1,065
11. Michigan State 19-3 975
12. Texas 17-4 910
13. Xavier 18-4 889
14. Indiana 18-3 885
15. Drake 20-1 817
16. Marquette 16-4 726
17. Washington State 17-4 683
18. Texas A&M 18-4 591
19. Connecticut 16-5 476
20. Kansas State 15-5 361
21. Pittsburgh 17-5 258
22. Notre Dame 16-4 224
23. Vanderbilt 18-4 171
24. Purdue 17-5 143
25. Saint Mary's 18-3 125

Others Receiving Votes
Florida 94, Mississippi 90, Rhode Island 89, Arkansas 78, Gonzaga 60, Arizona 51, Baylor 47, UNLV 37, Louisville 24, USC 21, Clemson 18, Oklahoma 13, Mississippi State 8, Saint Joseph's 7, Virginia Tech 5, Ohio 2, Brigham Young 2, North Carolina-Asheville 1, Rider 1.

Dropped From Rankings
Florida 20, Mississippi 24, Baylor 25.

North Carolina No Longer #1: This Week's AP Top 25

After Saturday's shocking home loss to unranked Maryland, North Carolina dropped to #5 in this week's AP Top 25. Unbeaten Memphis is the new #1 team in America, while similarly unbeaten Kansas is ranked #2. The OTHER college basketball team from Knoxville, Bruce Pearl's Men's Tennessee Volunteers, are ranked #3. Duke and North Carolina round out this week's top 5.

With Memphis ranked #1 and Tennessee ranked #3, the Volunteer State has become the new capitol of college basketball (take that North Carolina and Indiana). Too bad Vol's spring football, football recruiting and the Lady Vols basketball team trump men's college basketball in popularity.

And it's great to see that "class" guys (who run such pristine programs) like Bruce Pearl and John Calipari are sitting atop the college basketball landscape. What's more, with Indiana at #7, it's possible that the Hoosiers could move into the top 5 by next week. Then Calipari, Pearl and Kelvin Sampson, paragons of virtue that they are, would be atop the polls and would, thereby, represent the pinnacle of their profession.

How great would that be for the image of college basketball!?!

This week's AP Top 25:
1. Memphis
2. Kansas
3. Tennessee
4. Duke
5. North Carolina
6. Washington State
7. Indiana
8. UCLA
9. Georgetown
10. Michigan State
11. Wisconsin
12. Texas
13. Pittsburgh
14. Vanderbilt
15. Butler
16. Dayton
17. Mississippi
18. Texas A&M
19. Villanova
20. Stanford
21. Marquette
22. Drake
23. Xavier
24. Arizona State
25. Baylor

CBS Sportsline on Mayo, Rose & Recruiting

In preparation for tonight's USC v. Memphis game, CBS Sportsline's Gary Parrish talks about the respective recruitment of USC freshman O.J. Mayo and Memphis freshman Derrick Rose.

Key lines:

"If you don't have a mentor, uncle, friend, cousin or AAU coach of some kind working for you with an elite prospect you are just wasting your time recruiting," one high-major assistant told me recently. "Without somebody working for you, you have no shot at that prospect. Absolutely none."

Ohio State, UCLA Reach Final Four

In January, Ohio State played Florida in college football's National Championship game. Florida upset #1 rated OSU. Will college basketball's national championship game also feature Ohio State and Florida? As of now, it still could happen.

With their victory over Memphis today, Ohio State earned a spot in the Final Four. The Buckeyes last Final Four appearance was in 1999.

Congratulations are in order for Ohio State. They deserve to be in the Final Four.

But I don't think that Ohio State will win the National Championship. Experience wins championships. Even though Mike Conley doesn't play like a freshman, he's still a freshman point guard. Greg Oden may look like he's forty years old, but he's also a freshman. Ohio State is a year away (if Oden stays).

By the way, Oden needs to stop hanging on the rim
(as he is doing in the picture to the right and in the picture under the update in the earlier Drive and Dish post "So Wrong, Yet So Right On").


Oh yeah, and if Greg Oden wasn't already geeked up enough for today's game, Memphis center Joey Dorsey provided him ( as well as Thad Matta and the entire OSU roster, to be sure) with some prime bulletin board material. Oden was limited by foul trouble for much of the game, yet still managed seventeen points and nine rebounds. Dorsey's statements were simply ridiculous. Joey Dorsey is not smart.


Update:

In Saturday's second game, UCLA earned its second straight trip to the Final Four by defeating Kansas. Sure, there's quite a bit to say about the game, but we know what our readers want. You can find game recaps anywhere. But, since our readers are predominantly male, we'll waste no time in posting pictures of UCLA's cheerleaders (plus Aaron Afflalo and Lorenzo Mata).


UCLA cheerleaders at Saturday's UCLA
victory over Kansas.

UCLA's Aaron Aflallo