Kentucky Wins Championship

(Picture: New York Daily News).

As was widely expected, Kentucky won college basketball's National Championship on Monday night, overpowering Kansas 67-59. Kentucky now owns eight overall NCAA Championships in men's basketball. Interestingly, controversial head coach John Calipari got his first NCAA Championship by leading the "blue blood" Wildcats past Bill Self's "blue blood" Kansas Jayhawks (Kansas and Kentucky--along with North Carolina, Duke, Indiana and UCLA--are frequently referred to as college basketball "blue bloods" because, like the old East Coast WASP blue blood elites who dominated the American institutions of yesteryear, they're the privileged, elite ruling class of college basketball). In 2008, Calipari's Memphis Tigers narrowly lost in the NCAA Championship game to Kansas and Self.

Drive and Dish editors were at a wedding when the Final Four games were played on Saturday. As such, we missed Kentucky's win over Louisville, and only managed to catch the last ten minutes of Kansas' win over Ohio State. Our editors got off a plane and only returned to the Drive and Dish viewing room in time to catch the second half of Monday night's Championship game. So we don't have much to say about the game itself.

We do, however, think that college basketball is very watered down these days, and although we would have preferred to have been able to watch the Final Four, we weren't particularly thrilled about the prospect of watching Kansas and Kentucky in the Championship game. John Calipari has put together an impressive assortment of NBA-ready talent on each of his three Kentucky teams (Calipari left Memphis for Kentucky in 2009). But the main players on his teams only stick around college for one year before they bounce to the NBA. Thus, watching Kentucky has more or less become akin to watching the NBA Rising Stars Challenge.

Sorry, but it's just hard to get excited about that. We'd be hard-pressed to disagree with the following commentary from the Washington Post/Bloomberg News:

In a very real sense, the ending of this game and this season was a microcosm of what college basketball is in 2012. As soon as the final buzzer sounded, the Super Dome was filled with sound, not from celebrating fans, but from the Hollywood-like pyrotechnics the NCAA insists on bombarding people with in its attempts to glitz up an event that doesn't need to be glitzed up.

Nowadays, though, all the sound and noise fits because the national title game has the feel of an NBA all-star game, and most of the players who make it to the Final Four dream first of that game and the billboards and shoe deals that come with it rather than the game Kentucky won on Monday night.

Perhaps it is time for the NCAA to change it's cheesy post-championship theme song. Instead of "One Shining Moment," a new song: "One Moment and Done," words and music by Calipari, might be more fitting.

Final Four: Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio State, Kansas

The Final Four is set. Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio State and Louisville won their Regionals and advance to next weekend's Final Four in New Orleans. Unlike 2010 and 2011, when mid-major "Cinderellas" Butler and Virginia Commonwealth shocked the world and advanced to the Final Four, the 2012 Final Four field is comprised entirely of the usual suspects.

Louisville competes in the Big East Conference, but geographically, the East Coast is entirely shut out. Three of the four teams come from schools within 100 miles of Cincinnati, Ohio. The fourth, Kansas, comes from the heart of the heartland. It's an entirely Midwestern and Mid South Final Four.

Syracuse was the top-seeded team in the Tournament, but Syracuse alumni who work in the national sports media (in other words, most of the national sports media) will have to content themselves by pulling for Louisville to defend the Big East's honor. Casual fans who've enjoyed rooting for Cinderella "Davids" (i.e., Butler) to knock off college basketball "blue blood" "Goliaths" (i.e., Duke and Connecticut) in the last two NCAA Championship games will be faced with the likelihood of watching "blue blood" Kentucky play "blue blood" Kansas for the right to hand yet another NCAA Championship banner in the rafters.

On a more personal level, Drive and Dish editors will be stuck at a wedding in south Georgia while Saturday's games are being played. But if we get the chance, we may try to hit Interstate 10 on Sunday morning and see if we can get to New Orleans by evening. If so, we'll be hanging around the Final Four for Monday's Championship game.

Ohio State Finishes Regular Season Ranked Atop AP Top 25

The men's college basketball regular season concluded this weekend. The Final AP Top 25 rankings for the regular season were released today. Ohio State finished the regular season by retaking the No. 1 ranking. The Buckeyes now head into this week's Big Ten tournament with a figurative target on their backs. Somehow however, we don't expect that to be a problem for Coach Thad Matta's team. We'd be surprised if they don't take home the Big Ten tournament title.

Kansas is ranked No. 2. Pittsburgh, Notre Dame and Duke round out the top five.

Drive and Dish doesn't expect to see many huge upsets involving top 10 teams in the conference tournaments this week, but we wouldn't be terribly surprised if a highly-seeded team or two gets upset in the Big East Tournament. Pitt and Notre Dame are the obvious favorites, but teams like Louisville, Connecticut, St. John's and West Virginia could be dangerous.

Ohio State is easily the class of the Big Ten. Purdue might be able to give them a scare in the Big Ten tournament, but OSU is the clear favorite.

Kansas is the obvious favorite in the Big 12 tournament. But Texas and Kansas State have the horses to deny Coach Bill Self's Jayhawks access to their presumed throne. It should be noted, however, that Drive and Dish always advises against picking Texas in the post season. We've said it again and again over the years, but Coach Rick Barnes' teams just aren't put together to win championships, despite their ever-impressive scores on the proverbial "eye test."

Finally, we expect North Carolina to beat Duke in the ACC tournament final. North Carolina is a young team that's surging at the right time. They enter the conference tournament with perhaps more momentum than any other team in the country. Although they struggled quite a bit early in the season, Coach Roy Williams' Tar Heels should be seen as a strong Final Four contender again this year.

AP Top 25
RK	TEAM	RECORD	PTS
1	Ohio State (52)	29-2	1,612
2	Kansas (13)	29-2	1,569
3	Pittsburgh	27-4	1,493
4	Notre Dame	25-5	1,416
5	Duke	27-4	1,265
6	North Carolina	24-6	1,209
7	San Diego State	29-2	1,197
8	Brigham Young	28-3	1,187
9	Purdue	25-6	1,108
10	Texas	25-6	1,081
11	Syracuse	25-6	984
12	Florida	24-6	931
13	Wisconsin	23-7	870
14	Louisville	23-8	794
15	Kentucky	22-8	639
16	Arizona	25-6	562
17	St. John's	20-10	462
18	Xavier	24-6	437
19	Kansas State	22-9	345
20	West Virginia	20-10	294
21	Connecticut	21-9	281
22	Georgetown	21-9	244
23	Utah State	28-3	234
24	Temple	24-6	209
25	Cincinnati	24-7	202

• Others receiving votes: Texas A&M 177, Vanderbilt 101, Villanova 64, UCLA 40, UNLV 29, Missouri 22, George Mason 12, Old Dominion 11, Alabama 10, Belmont 9, Butler 9, Gonzaga 6, Saint Mary's 4, Virginia Commonwealth 3, UAB 2, Harvard 1

• Dropped from rankings: Villanova 19, Vanderbilt 21, Missouri 22, Texas A&M 24

Tidbits, '09 Part 2

On Friday, Drive and Dish published the maiden 2009 edition of our ever-popular Tidbits series. As it happens, our Friday Tidbits edition was so well received that the Drive and Dish editors have ordered a special impromptu Tuesday edition of Tidbits.

So with out any further ado, we present the second edition of Tidbits for 2009:

1. -- Hoopraker provides pre-game analysis of tonight's marquee Big Ten games: Michigan at Penn State and Ohio State at No. 25 Illinois.


2. -- Fresh off of Sudnay's Northwestern upset of then No. 18 (now No. 21) Minnesota, Lake the Posts discusses the lack of student support for the Northwestern basketball program, ponders what it will take for the Wildcats to fill the traditionally empty seats of NU's Welsh-Ryan Arena and calls for the firing of Northwestern head coach Bill Carmody.

(Photo: Lake the Posts)

Drive and Dish has long held the position that Northwestern basketball has the potential to rise from its decades-long stay in college basketball's wilderness and become a respectable, competitive program -- much like Northwestern football has done. Welsh-Ryan Arena is an old school, band box-style gym that could provide the Wildcats with an intimidating home court advantage, were it ever to fill up with boisterous Northwestern students/fans. But as long as alumni and fans of Northwestern's opponents continue to outnumber Wildcats supporters in Welsh-Ryan's stands, Northwestern basketball will likely continue to flounder.

If Northwestern could ever establish a consistent home court advantage, the 'Cats would almost certainly pull a few more of their close games out. Bill Carmody's system allows Northwestern to slow their opponents down and keep games close. A hostile Welsh-Ryan arena could spell the difference between Northwestern losing even more nail-biters, or finally starting to win a few (as they did against Minnesota) -- which would allow them to build some momentum. And that could be the difference between finishing with a winning record, or finishing with yet another losing record.

More:

On a personal note, when yours truly, Trashtalk Superstar, was forced to leave the grind of life as a Division III college basketball walkon in order to return home to Chicagoland for surgery in February 1996, I made my first visit to Welsh-Ryan Arena to watch then-first year head coach Tom Izzo lead his Michigan State team into battle against Northwestern. I had been in downtown Chicago that afternoon/evening and made a last minute decision to attempt to check out the MSU Northwestern game (despite the fact that I was by myself ). Due to the hasty nature of my decision, I didn't walk through the Welsh-Ryan turnstiles until a little past the halfway point of the first half. To my surprise, the kind folks at Welsh-Ryan Arena granted me admission free of charge, and I hurried into the gym where I took a courtside seat amidst a sea of Michigan State alumni and fans. After that night, I would go on to make several last minute decisions to shoot up to Evanston in order to check out Northwestern games. And since I almost usually arrived late, I almost never paid to get into the games.

Over the years, the promise of being able to breeze into cheap (possibly free) first rate seats to watch Northwestern take on the Big Ten's best teams afforded me many opportunities to convince family and friends to make the trek to E-Town to take in NU basketball games (often at the last minute).

So Northwestern students' apathy for their basketball team has worked out well for yours truly, as it's allowed me to waltz into several NU games on little more than a whim (and often for free). And the perpetually half-full stands at Welsh-Ryan have allowed me to enjoy the spoils of reliably available prime seating.

But I'd love to see Northwestern become a winning basketball program that plays in front of a consistently full (or close to full) Welsh-Ryan Arena. Sure, I wouldn't be able to stroll into Welsh-Ryan Arena at the last minute any longer, but it would be a vast improvement for Northwestern basketball.


3. -- Butler tops The CollegeInsider.com's Mid Major Top 25. St. Mary's, Gonzaga, Davidson and Illinois State round out the top 5.


4. -- Allen Vaughan of the Springfield, MO, News-Leader catches Kansas head coach Bill Self skirting an NCAA rule:

"That's what was so curious when Kansas coach Bill Self came rolling
through. I was puzzled because it's an evaluation period in the NCAA's eyes, meaning coaches and recruits can have no contact, except for an exchange of greetings.

Of course, (John) Wall is the top uncommitted recruit. Self had to know I was a reporter and even said hello to me.

I just thought he'd stand there, maybe even wave to Wall to let him know he was there. Instead, when the Holy Rams poured out of the locker room, Self was excited:

Self: "Johnny, great win man. You really played well."

Wall: "Thanks."

More about past questionable recruiting practices by Kansas assistant coach Kurtis Townsend via the Seattle Post-Intelligencer here (a liquored-up Drive and Dish writer/editor commented on the questionable writing on display in the linked Post-Intelligencer article here).


5. -- Boston University's John Holland played all 60 minutes of Monday's four overtime BU win over Stony Brook (the final score was Boston U 99, Stony Brook 97). Holland's teammate, Jake O'Brien played 56 minutes. Stony Brook's Bryan Dougher played 57 minutes.


6. -- Caulton Tudor of the Raleigh News & Observer discusses what it means for Wake Forest to be ranked No. 1, and states that it means a lot more to be ranked No. 1 in April than it does in January (obviously).


7. -- Finally, since every man, woman and child in America is apparently caught up in the rapture of Inauguration Day fever, Drive and Dish has decided to stand out from the crowd by turning our attention across the Atlantic, and to the workout habits of the President of France. Apparently, French President Nicolas Sarkozy works out his lower abdominal and pelvic muscles to help him prevent embarrassing pre-mature *********** when engaged in amorous activity with his wife, supermodel/singer Carla Bruni. The Mail-Online profiles Julie Imperiali, "the female personal trainer who helps (French) President Sarkozy improve his sex life with his supermodel wife."

Drive and Dish's editors eschew the kind of worship of, and lavishing of attention on, attractive females which seems to prevail at websites that appeal to heavily male audiences (including sports websites and blogs). Drive and Dish is a basketball blog, and as such, we focus on basketball, with the occasional foray into subject matter outside our usual reach. We realize that blogs can increase their traffic by posting pictures of hot girls -- Drive and Dish was even the accidental beneficiary of such traffic after we included a picture of the UCLA cheerleaders/dance team in a post that chronicled UCLA's march to the Final Four -- but we remain committed to our original vision of carving out an online niche by dishing straightforward, non-snarky/catty/sardonic, basketball-intense commentary with a slightly whimsical -- but not derisive, or haterade guzzling -- tone (actually, that part of the vision evolved over time, as we started out by blogging with a healthy amount of sarcasm, derision and ... well, trash talk [more here, here, here, and here], but eventually matured and grew wary of the snarkiness and playa-hating that infests many sports-oriented websites and blogs, as well as the shtick-before sports ethos of ESPN).

Additionally, Drive and Dish editors tend to be worldly, sophisticated, young men of learning and action. In that regard, we're not entirely unlike James Bond. Or Rhett Butler. Or Han Solo. What's more, we're young enough to be in our primes, yet old/experienced enough to have learned a few things along the way. Thus, we naturally avoid the common male pitfall of putting "hot" females (or any females, for that matter) on pedestals.

And most of us have had our share of hot girls over the years, which has helped us learn several essential truths about "the ladies" which have generally evaded and bedeviled males for eons. Not that we're unique in that regard, of course. But to appropriate a common saying, once you know how sausage is made, well ... you may (or may not) still have a taste for sausage, but sausage definitely loses some of its luster. As such, Drive and Dish recognizes that attractive females may be the centerpiece around which our sex-obsessed society seemingly revolves, but we remain mindful of an essential secret: there's really nothing all that special about "hot chicks." Sure, they know how to carry themselves, they know how to get attention and they know how to create a mystique. But deep inside, they're just like all other females (although they're probably more likely to have princess mentalities). What's more, they're just as full of insecurities, jealousies and neuroses as anyone else.

So Drive and Dish never treats "hot" females with awe, lustfulness or worship.

Besides, the incessant ogling of attractive females on the internet -- especially on sports-based websites and blogs -- is really geeky.

All that said, the Drive and Dish editors have taken the official position that President Sarkozy's trainer, Julie Imperiali, is infinitely hotter than his supermodel/singer/coke-whore looking wife, Carla Bruni.

One has to wonder about those training sessions.

Kansas' Rush, Arthur Declare for NBA Draft

A little over one week removed from winning the NCAA National Championship in Men's basketball, Kansas' Brandon Rush and Darrell Arthur have entered the NBA draft. National Championship game hero, Mario Chalmers, has yet to declare his intentions.

Rush's and Arthur's decisions hardly came as a surprise to Kansas coach Bill Self:

"We knew going into the season ... this particular day was coming," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "Brandon is at a point that it's time for him to move on and Shady [Arthur] owes it to himself to investigate. There's no surprises on what transpired today."

Memphis freshman point guard Derrick Rose declared for the draft earlier this week.

Self to Stay at Kansas

Bill Self is staying at Kansas. The speculation about Self's interest in the vacant men's basketball head coaching position at Oklahoma State turned out to be much ado about nothing.

Oklahoma State attempted to lure the coach of the National Champion Kansas Jayhawks to become its new men's basketball coach. And thanks to the deep pockets of multi-billionaire Oklahoma State donor T. Boone Pickens, Oklahoma State was reportedly prepared to offer Self $4 million per season and a $6 million signing bonus.

But after meeting with Oklahoma State Athletic Director Mike Holder, Self returned to Lawrence, KS, and hammered out a new contract with KU Athletic Director Lew Perkins. Self then informed Holder of his decision to remain at Kansas.

Self told the Associated Press:

"There was never serious interest on our part in leaving the University of Kansas."

Terms of Self's new Kansas contract were not announced. And according to Self, they have yet to be officially agreed upon.

The Kansas City Star reports that Self and Kansas have only agreed to "ball park figures."

But it appears clear that Self will be well compensated at KU:

"(Kansas) Chancellor Robert Hemenway declared Self would be the Jayhawks’ coach “for a long time to come.”

“Bill is going to be compensated to the highest level,” KU athletic director Lew Perkins said."

Oklahoma State to Pursue Bill Self

By Trashtalk Superstar

Representatives from Oklahoma State University have stated that the university intends to pursue Kansas' Bill Self to fill its men's basketball head coaching vacancy. Self, an Oklahoma State alumnus and a former OSU starting point guard, coached Kansas to the National Championship Monday night.

Self has stated that he plans to meet with Kansas officials to talk about a contract extension:

"What I’d like to have is like everybody’d like to have,” Self said. “I’d like to have some security. I don’t know what even Kansas would remotely be talking (about). We haven’t even talked about that. When I say security, I mean years, so hopefully that’ll happen.”

Last year, Kansas awarded Self a five-year contract extension. He makes $1.3 million in base salary and an additional $350,000 each year if he meets incentives.

But Oklahoma State has deep pockets, courtesy of billionaire Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens, who donated $165 million--which has now grown to $300 million--to the Cowboy’s athletic department. As the Denver Post notes:

"Oklahoma State is prepared to offer Self a salary of $4 million a year, plus a $6 million signing bonus. That would not only nearly triple the $1.375 million he makes at Kansas but would fly past the $3.5 million paid the current highest-paid coach, Florida's Billy Donovan."

But despite Oklahoma State's vast financial reserves--and T. Boone Pickens' largess--it would be surprising to see Bill Self leave Kansas.

When Self left Illinois to take over the Jayhawks in 2003, he proclaimed Kansas to be his "dream job." And while Self may be an Oklahoma State alum, a former Oklahoma State standout point guard, a former Oklahoma State assistant coach and a native Oklahoman, it would be difficult to imagine a scenario in which he would leave a program as storied as Kansas--especially now that he's won a National Championship in Lawrence--for the prospect of undertaking a rebuilding campaign at a conference rival institution.

Most likely, Self will use Oklahoma State's offer as a bargaining chip to renegotiate his contract with Kansas. Self's annual salary of $1.3 million still trails football coach Mark Mangino's $1.5 million.

But in a year in which there have been few high profile off season coaching changes, Oklahoma State's pursuit of Bill Self gives college basketball writers and talking heads something to talk about for a couple of days, now that the NCAA Tournament is over.

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.

Kansas Puts the Smackdown on North Carolina

Last night, Kansas slammed North Carolina 84-66 in the Semifinals of the 2008 Final Four. Bill Self's Jayhawks punched North Carolina in the mouth in the game's first few minutes and never looked back. And although North Carolina eventually made a run and pulled within 4 points of Kansas, the Tar Heels were never really in the game.

According to the Charlotte Observer, North Carolina guard Wayne Ellington didn't know what hit him:

"I can't tell you (what went wrong)," said Ellington, who scored a team-leading 18 points. "We just didn't have any intensity, any enthusiasm."

Kansas completely took North Carolina out of its game. Once they got down, the normally smart and disciplined Tar Heels started making dumb mistakes. Too many Carolina players tried to take the game over by going 1 on 1, rather than by working to get a good shot within the confines of to Coach Roy Williams' offense.

The normally smart Tyler Hansbrough was especially bad. Hansbrough was pushed off the block by Kansas all night. And when he did get the ball in the post, the Jayhawks double teamed (and sometimes triple teamed) him. But instead of passing out of the double team--and finding an open man--Hansbrough consistently tried to back his defenders down and manufacture shots. And that resulted in many off balance, bad shots being forced by the AP college basketball Player of the Year (that's when he didn't get the ball stripped from his hands by a defender).

Kansas completely frustrated Hansbrough. But he took himself out of the game with his lack of composure, and the resultant poor decision making.

On the perimeter, Kansas' Brandon Rush and Sherron Collins flat outplayed North Carolina's more heralded guards.

The game was a complete disaster for North Carolina. The Tar Heels' players got out hustled and out played by the Jayhawks. And Roy Williams got out coached by Bill Self--which few would have expected.

Kansas will play Memphis for the National Championship on Monday night. If they play like they did last night, Memphis will have their hands full.

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.

Bill Self Gets a Final Four of His Own

By Trashtalk Superstar

In yesterday's Arlington Heights, IL, Daily Herald, Lindsay Willhite wrote about the bumpy road that Kansas coach Bill Self has traveled to get to his first Final Four.

Prior to becoming the head basketball coach at Kansas in 2003, Bill Self was the head basketball coach at Illinois. But before he left Illinois, Self recruited all of the players who ended up playing key roles in Illinois' march to the 2005 Final Four. Yet the Illini's success was bittersweet for Self: he had to watch his former Illini players revel in the glory of the '05 Final Four, as his Kansas squad had been eliminated by Bucknell in the Tournament's first round.

And the hits didn't stop in '05. Kansas also lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2006, this time to Bradley.

What's more, Self's highly regarded Kansas team fell short of the Final Four last year as well (despite having been widely considered a probable Final Four contestant).

So one would expect Bill Self to be having a grand old time, now that he's finally got a team in the Final Four. But Bill Self is, once again, having to deal with the past.

Kansas will face North Carolina in Saturday's opening game of the Final Four. And North Carolina just happens to be coached by Roy Williams -- the guy who Self replaced at Kansas after he (Williams) bolted for Chapel Hill.

Self tells Willhite:

"Fans will make a big deal out of (Kansas vs. Roy Williams)," Self said. "And I said this (Sunday), When people are upset that you leave -- and I've gone through this myself and of course he went through it at a very high level -- it's a backhanded compliment because they didn't want you to."

And Self went on address the "X factor" that helped convince him to leave Illinois for Kansas five years ago:

"I've said all along, the reason we left was not to switch teams," Self said. "If that had been the case, we would have definitely stayed with the kids we knew and kids we loved and a talented group. We had that team coming back plus Charlie Villanueva committed.

"I expected (Illinois' Final Four run) to happen … but it was tough watching them play because I know I could have been a part of that. But it was also rewarding knowing you brought those guys in and that they've thrived in a new system and performed very well.

"I just kept telling myself: Hey, we did it for the long run, and this is the long run."

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 Steamrolling Competition

By Mark Buckets

Could the North Carolina Tar Heels be an overlooked team?

This, from a team that opened the year at number one and ended the regular season in the exact same position.

How can that be?

Well, if you’ve watched any college basketball lately - Drive & Dish certainly has - you’d have to recognize North Carolina as the best team in the country, far and away.

While UCLA was struggling to stave off Texas A&M - an hour from their campus - the Tar Heels were waltzing into the Sweet 16 for yet another run at a national title under coach Roy Williams.

This is a runaway train without a conductor blazing down the tracks towards a car laced with dynamite. They’re that destructive.

While Memphis was struggling to score points (Chris Douglas-Roberts saved the days once again) against another unspectacular SEC school, Carolina rolled from the opening tip and put the Arkansas Razborbacks down to sleep, winning by 31.

Memphis fans, let me be the first to say: Jarvis Varnado is no Tyler Hansbrough.

Without point guard Tywon Lawson, the Tar Heels looked “ordinary.”

Ordinary to some, unreal to others.

Quentin Thomas as your third-string point guard? He would start - and probably excel at that school eight miles down the road - on almost any team in the country. That is undeniable.

At this point, it appears Kansas is the only team with a puncher’s chance at North Carolina.

As good as Sasha Kaun, Darrell Arthur, and Darnell Jackson are - this three-headed monster has been spectacular this year - they’ve yet to go against a team with equal interior depth. This edition of the Kansas Jayhawks have been through more adversity than most of us will ever know. That fact leads you to believe they have the chops to give North Carolina a run for their money. History isn’t on their side, however.

North Carolina presents a bevy of problems to each and every one of the other number one seeds left standing in the round of 16.

Memphis? They are probably the team that can match up the best athletically with North Carolina, but they lack the intestinal fortitude to compete with the Tar Heels.

UCLA? Kevin Love v Tyler Hansbrough? Push. Those backing these two superstars up? I’ll take Deon Thompson any day over Lorenzo “Brick” Mata-Real.

The North Carolina Tar Heels appear to be headed on a fast track towards another National Championship. It would take a supreme effort - in combination with an off day from Ol’ Roy’s crew - for any team left in the Sweet 16 to dash Carolina’s title dreams.

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.

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 Remain Atop AP Top 25

For the second straight week, Memphis and Duke are ranked #1 and #2 in the AP Top 25 (for the week of 2/11/08).

Kansas remains at #3, while Tennessee (which is ranked #4) moves back into the top 5 after a two week hiatus.

UCLA dropped out of the top 5 after yesterday's loss to Washington, and North Carolina -- which lost at home to Duke earlier in the week -- fell to #5.

NCAA Division I: AP Top 25

RANK TEAM RECORD PTS PVS
1. Memphis (72) 23-0 1,800 1
Last Week: Def. Southern Methodist 77-48 (2/6), Def. UCF 85-64 (2/9)
This Week: 2/13 vs. Houston (18-4), 2/16 at UAB (16-7)
2. Duke 21-1 1,714 2
Last Week: Def. North Carolina 89-78 (2/6), Def. Boston College 90-80 (2/9)
This Week: 2/13 vs. Maryland (16-8), 2/17 at Wake Forest (14-8)
3. Kansas 23-1 1,662 4
Last Week: Def. Missouri 90-71 (2/4), Def. Baylor 100-90 (2/9)
This Week: Lost to Texas 72-69 (2/11), 2/16 vs. Colorado (10-13)
4. Tennessee 21-2 1,553 7
Last Week: Def. Florida 104-82 (2/5), Def. LSU 47-45 (2/9)
This Week: 2/13 vs. Arkansas (17-5), 2/16 at Georgia (11-10)
5. North Carolina 22-2 1,511 3
Last Week: Lost to Duke 89-78 (2/6), Def. Clemson 103-93 (2/10)
This Week: 2/12 at Virginia (11-11), 2/16 vs. Virginia Tech (14-10)
6. UCLA 21-3 1,383 5
Last Week: Def. Washington State 67-59 (2/7), Lost to Washington 71-61 (2/10)
This Week: 2/17 at USC (15-8)
7. Stanford 20-3 1,354 9
Last Week: Def. Oregon 72-43 (2/7), Def. Oregon State 71-56 (2/9)
This Week: 2/14 at Arizona State (15-7), 2/16 at Arizona (15-8)
8. Georgetown 19-3 1,207 6
Last Week: Def. South Florida 63-53 (2/5), Lost to Louisville 59-51 (2/9)
This Week: Def. Villanova 55-53 (2/11), 2/16 at Syracuse (16-8)
9. Butler 21-2 1,132 10
Last Week: Def. Valparaiso 71-68 (2/5), Def. Wisconsin-Green Bay 62-57 (2/9)
This Week: 2/12 at Wisconsin-Milwaukee (12-10), 2/14 vs. Youngstown State (8-16), 2/16 vs. Cleveland State (16-10)
10. Michigan State 20-3 1,071 11
Last Week: Def. Northwestern 70-55 (2/9)
This Week: 2/12 at Purdue (19-5), 2/16 at Indiana (20-3)
11. Texas 19-4 1,014 12
Last Week: Def. Oklahoma 64-54 (2/6), Def. Iowa State 71-65 (2/9)
This Week: Def. Kansas 72-69 (2/11), 2/16 at Baylor (17-5)
12. Xavier 20-4 962 13
Last Week: Def. Saint Louis 70-68 (2/7), Def. Saint Joseph's 76-72 (2/10)
This Week: 2/13 at Charlotte (14-8)
13. Indiana 20-3 933 14
Last Week: Def. Illinois 83-79 (2/7), Def. Ohio State 59-53 (2/10)
This Week: 2/13 vs. Wisconsin (19-4), 2/16 vs. Michigan State (20-3)
14. Drake 22-1 863 15
Last Week: Def. Illinois State 73-70 (2/5), Def. Evansville 73-65 (2/9)
This Week: 2/13 at Southern Illinois (12-12), 2/16 at Northern Iowa (14-10)
15. Wisconsin 19-4 816 8
Last Week: Def. Iowa 60-54 (2/6), Lost to Purdue 72-67 (2/9)
This Week: 2/13 at Indiana (20-3), 2/16 vs. Minnesota (15-7)
16. Texas A&M 20-4 713 18
Last Week: Def. Iowa State 69-51 (2/5), Def. Missouri 77-69 (2/9)
This Week: 2/16 vs. Oklahoma State (11-12)
17. Connecticut 18-5 658 19
Last Week: Def. Syracuse 63-61 (2/6), Def. Georgia Tech 80-68 (2/9)
This Week: 2/13 vs. Notre Dame (18-4), 2/16 at South Florida (10-14)
18. Kansas State 17-5 486 20
Last Week: Def. Nebraska 74-59 (2/6), Def. Oklahoma State 82-61 (2/9)
This Week: 2/13 at Texas Tech (12-10), 2/16 vs. Missouri (13-11)
19. Purdue 19-5 467 24
Last Week: Def. Penn State 67-53 (2/5), Def. Wisconsin 72-67 (2/9)
This Week: 2/12 vs. Michigan State (20-3), 2/16 at Northwestern (7-14)
20. Notre Dame 18-4 465 22
Last Week: Def. Seton Hall 95-69 (2/6), Def. Marquette 86-83 (2/9)
This Week: 2/13 at Connecticut (18-5), 2/17 at Rutgers (10-15)
21. Washington State 18-5 419 17
Last Week: Lost to UCLA 67-59 (2/7), Def. USC 74-50 (2/9)
This Week: 2/14 at Oregon State (6-17), 2/16 at Oregon (14-9)
22. Pittsburgh 18-5 301 21
Last Week: Def. West Virginia 55-54 (2/7)
This Week: 2/12 vs. Providence (13-10), 2/15 at Marquette (16-6)
23. Louisville 18-6 246 NR
Last Week: Def. Marquette 71-57 (2/4), Def. Georgetown 59-51 (2/9)
This Week: 2/12 at DePaul (10-13), 2/16 at Providence (13-10)
24. Vanderbilt 20-4 222 23
Last Week: Def. Georgia 67-59 (2/6), Def. South Carolina 66-65 (2/9)
This Week: 2/12 vs. Kentucky (12-9), 2/16 vs. Florida (19-5)
25. Saint Mary's 20-3 204 25
Last Week: Def. Gonzaga 89-85 (2/4), Def. San Francisco 76-51 (2/8)
This Week: Def. Santa Clara 54-50 (2/11), 2/16 at Loyola Marymount (5-20)

Others Receiving Votes
Marquette 82, Arkansas 71, Florida 23, Rhode Island 15, Gonzaga 14, Arizona 11, Brigham Young 9, Clemson 6, Baylor 5, Maryland 2, Mississippi State 2, UNLV 2, Utah State 1, South Alabama 1.

Dropped From Rankings
Marquette 16.

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.