The Mid-Majority : Season 9: We Are, Together.

Having recently completed its 9th season, The Mid-Majority is a community chronicle of the smaller Division I college basketball conferences. Last year, the theme was Team. Six groups of five (plus a fantasy mid-major player) were engaged in friendly Amazing Race-style competition, criss-crossing Hoops Nation to provide awesome college basketball content. Season X (2013-14) will be our final one.

Recent Game Recaps

Epilogue, The Ninth: Only Love Can Break Your Heart

Memories

So We Meet Again

Rte. 139 - End of the Line

Hanging On

A Championship in Pictures

This Time of Year

Dotson Leads Ducks to the Sweet Sixteen

Grizzlies Overwhelmed by Orangemen

Empire

Challenge 11: Final Four Memories

By George, UConn is Dead

Butler and Us

Donning the Black and Gold

Challenge 10: Tourney Memories

The Madness of the Horizon League

The Rare Ivy League Conference Tournament

MAC Madness

Anything Can Happen in the MAAC

Challenge 9: Shock The Neighborhood

A Youthful Surprise

From Worst to First

Peers and Seers

Tag: Bradley Braves
Sorted by date

1. The First Thursday in March, Part 2 by Daniel Spewak

S9 March 17, 2013 Exactly one year ago, Drake and Bradley faced each other in the play-in round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. These play-in games always occur on Thursday night. More precisely, they occur on the first Thursday of every March, since that's when the league holds Arch Madness. Last year... [more]

2. A 10-Year Anniversary by Daniel Spewak

S8 March 23, 2012 Game #8-669: Bradley Braves vs. Drake BulldogsMarch 1, 2012 9:35 pmSt. Louis, MOBBState Stats/RecapIt was March 7, 2003, and my 12th birthday was just five days away. As an early birthday present, my dad and I jumped in the car and drove downtown to watch Drake and Illinois State play in the opening... [more]

3. Can`t Dig Out of a Hole by Donovan Potts

S8 March 2, 2012 Game #8-669: Bradley Braves vs. Drake BulldogsMarch 1, 2012 9:35 pmSt. Louis, MOBBState Stats/RecapJust as Southern Illinois had the honor of being the team I followed most this season, Drake had the distinction of being the only Missouri Valley team I did not get to see in person during the regular... [more]

4. Escaping Reality by Jonathan Green

S8 February 5, 2012 Game #8-508: Bradley Braves at Creighton BluejaysJanuary 28, 2012 8:05 pmQwest CenterBBState Stats/RecapThere’s something special about sports. There’s just something unique about it that raises it above other forms of entertainment for me. Most forms of entertainment I enjoy because it allows me to... [more]

5. The Path to Redemption Avoids Thursday by Donovan Potts

S8 January 27, 2012 Game #8-463: Bradley Braves at Southern Illinois SalukisJanuary 24, 2012 8:05 pmThe SIU ArenaBBState Stats/Recap“The Week from Hell” was what the Southern Illinois radio announcers were calling it as Drew, my friend and SIU alumnus, and I made the drive into Carbondale. In the seven days that made u... [more]

6. The Chuck: Where All the Pieces Matter by Thomas McCaffrey

S8 December 21, 2011 Game #8-244: Bradley Braves at George Washington ColonialsDecember 15, 2011 7:00 pmCharles E. Smith CenterBBState Stats/RecapIntentions can be a heavy burden. I attended this game with a sense that I would attend a reasonably exciting inter-regional game between teams below the Red Line who have had... [more]

7. Blurring the Line by John Willmott

S8 December 17, 2011 Game #8-244: Bradley Braves at George Washington ColonialsDecember 15, 2011 7:00 pmCharles E. Smith CenterBBState Stats/RecapTaking in a George Washington Colonials game at the Smith Center is nothing like I remember it.Part of that is obvious. Back in February of 2008, George Washington announced a... [more]

8. The Benefits of Senior Leadership by Daniel H Fuertges

S8 November 23, 2011 Game #8-103: Wofford Terriers at Bradley BravesNovember 22, 2011 8:00 pmCarver ArenaBBState Stats/RecapThe SoCon’s Wofford Terriers have earned a reputation as a dog with a lot of bite in recent years, but have struggled early in the current season having lost some major components of their repeat N... [more]

9. Showtime in Peoria by Donovan Potts

S8 November 23, 2011 Game #8-103: Wofford Terriers at Bradley BravesNovember 22, 2011 8:00 pmCarver ArenaBBState Stats/RecapThe phrase “Will it play in Peoria?” traces its roots to the days of Vaudeville. Performers believed the inhabitants of this city on the banks of the Illinois River to be the ultimate “focus group”... [more]

10. Like Monks Playing Soccer by Daniel H Fuertges

S8 November 20, 2011 Game #8-075: North Dakota Fighting Sioux at Bradley BravesNovember 19, 2011 8:00 pmCarver ArenaBBState Stats/RecapPEORIA, Ill. -- Francis Poulenc, the French composer known as well for his austere demeanor (“le moine et le voyou” literally “the monk lout”*) as his music, claimed a motivation for his... [more]

11. Game 7-105: NCAA National Championship by Kyle Whelliston

S7 April 5, 2011 Butler Bulldogs vs. Connecticut HuskiesApril 4, 2011 9:23 pmHouston, TXBBState Stats/Recap Here's how the story ends. @midmajority Game Tweets21:00RT @mlandes1536 @midmajority the season doesn't always end in a loss....it can't #godawgsRT @fangsbites I'm loving @midmajority's tweets from the Fina... [more]

12. Game 7-104: NCAA National Semifinal by Kyle Whelliston

S7 April 2, 2011 Virginia Commonwealth Rams vs. Butler BulldogsApril 2, 2011 6:09 pmHouston, TXBBState Stats/Recap VCU from the Colonial, Butler from the Horizon League. Bulldogs and Rams. Black and gold against @ButlerBlue2. It was nothing less than the unprecedented, unbelievable Mid-Major National Championship.... [more]

13. Game 7-103: NCAA Southwest Region Final by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 28, 2011 [11] Virginia Commonwealth Rams vs. [1] Kansas JayhawksMarch 27, 2011 2:20 pmSan Antonio, TXBBState Stats/Recap After a second overnight drive, a second reward: a second member of the Other 25 in the Final Four. Virginia Commonwealth, one of the last teams in the door with the selection committee,... [more]

14. Game 7-102: NCAA Southeast Region Final by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 27, 2011 [8] Butler Bulldogs vs. [2] Florida GatorsMarch 26, 2011 4:20 pmNew Orleans, LABBState Stats/Recap It started with a crazy idea. Since VCU and Butler were in the Elite Eight, with the sites just 550 miles away and nine hours from each other in San Antonio and New Orleans, why not go to both? After... [more]

15. Game 7-101: NCAA Sweet 16, Southwest Semifinal #2 by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 27, 2011 [11] Virginia Commonwealth Rams vs. [10] Florida State SeminolesMarch 25, 2011 9:57 pmSan Antonio, TXBBState Stats/Recap 30fps There is no feeling in the world like wanting something to happen so badly that's right there in front of you but out of your direct control. There's no better feeling tha... [more]

16. Game 7-100: NCAA Sweet 16, Southwest Semifinal #1 by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 27, 2011 [12] Richmond Spiders vs. [1] Kansas JayhawksMarch 25, 2011 7:27 pmSan Antonio, TXBBState Stats/Recap The distance between the Round of 32 and the Sweet Sixteen is so long, the possibilities so tantalizing. The hopes of an upstart No. 12 seed become outsized, and an Atlantic One's dreams can grow ... [more]

17. What 100 Means Now by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 25, 2011 SAN ANTONIO -- In March of 2005, during the original 100 Games Project, I felt like it couldn't hurt to ask. I called up Brian McCann, the sports information director at Cleveland State, a school that was organizing an NCAA subregional at the Wolstein Center. I explained that I ran a website about c... [more]

18. Champions Of Hoops Nation 2011 by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 13, 2011 If college basketball has taught us anything, it's that there's nothing that becomes irrelevant more suddenly than Championship Fortnight. Once the NCAA Tournament bracket is released, the previous two weeks slip into history... very quickly. But one thing that has to be remembered: the teams that w... [more]

19. Tourney Central 3/5/2011 (Day 5) by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 5, 2011 h2 {margin-bottom:10px;font-size:13px;font-family:Droid Sans, arial;line-height:17px;} #droid {font-size:11px;font-family:Droid Sans, arial;line-height:13px;margin-bottom:8px;} #droid a:link, #droid a:visited {font-size:11px;font-family:Droid Sans, arial;line-height:13px;}Bullet PointsNow it's mad, ... [more]

20. Game 7-069/070: Metro Atlantic First Round by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 5, 2011 Marist Red Foxes vs. Niagara Purple EaglesMarch 4, 2011 7:30 pmBridgeport, CTBBState Stats/RecapManhattan Jaspers vs. Siena SaintsMarch 4, 2011 9:30 pmBridgeport, CTBBState Stats/Recap The time-honored tradition of the MAAC's #PFF, the two games that bring a 10-team league into a more manageable, ... [more]

21. Tourney Central 3/4/2011 (Day 4) by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 4, 2011 h2 {margin-bottom:10px;font-size:13px;font-family:Droid Sans, arial;line-height:17px;} #droid {font-size:11px;font-family:Droid Sans, arial;line-height:13px;margin-bottom:8px;} #droid a:link, #droid a:visited {font-size:11px;font-family:Droid Sans, arial;line-height:13px;}Bullet PointsOn the third d... [more]

22. Game 7-068: America East First Round by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 4, 2011 [9] Binghamton Bearcats vs. [8] Maryland-Baltimore County RetrieversMarch 3, 2011 8:15 pmHartford, CTBBState Stats/Recap Championship Fortnight begins with the other side of March: a low-seed eliminator between recent champions Binghamton and the University of Maryland at Baltimore County. "Ladies... [more]

23. Tourney Central 3/3/2011 (Day 3) by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 3, 2011 h2 {margin-bottom:10px;font-size:13px;font-family:Droid Sans, arial;line-height:17px;} #droid {font-size:11px;font-family:Droid Sans, arial;line-height:13px;margin-bottom:8px;} #droid a:link, #droid a:visited {font-size:11px;font-family:Droid Sans, arial;line-height:13px;} Bullet PointsIn Day Two... [more]

24. The History of the Conference Tournament by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 1, 2011 To celebrate the beginning of March and Championship Fortnight, here is an excerpt from Chapter 13 of One Beautiful Season. This section covers the birth and evolution of the "conference tournament," in parallel to the fits and starts of the national overall title procedure -- from regional challeng... [more]

25. Stardate 113-20110228: Like Sonny Liston by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 28, 2011 BOSTON -- There was never any master plan to any of it. The four-stage season and its familiar rhythms were formed by generations of pushes and pulls, and the best concepts became traditions. Putting the non-conference games at the beginning, holding separate league round-robins and eliminators, t... [more]

26. Game 7-065: Cornell at Penn by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 27, 2011 Cornell Big Red at Pennsylvania QuakersFebruary 26, 2011 7:00 pmThe PalestraBBState Stats/Recap Kid Reporter Night at The Palestra! Suit separates, the taste of tweets, Corky Calhoun, Keeping It Klassy with the Sigma Kappa tug-of-war team, and Cornell hijacks the Power of Booba. @midmajority Gam... [more]

27. Stardate 108-20110223: Shootaround Deluxe by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 23, 2011 CHICAGO -- Every single one of the conference games going on tonight, and tomorrow, and Friday and Saturday too, were scheduled months in advance by a league office (or, in some cases, years ago). Some were circled rivalry games worth driving a day for, others were just-anothers. In early March, t... [more]

28. GAME 7-060: BUTLER AT ILLINOIS-CHICAGO by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 20, 2011 Butler Bulldogs at Illinois-Chicago FlamesFebruary 19, 2011 2:00 pmUIC PavillionBBState Stats/Recap The power, passion and glory of #ALLCAPSGAME 2011. @midmajority Game Tweets14:11 ROBO KREPS HAS SCORED THE FIRST BASKET OF THE #ALLCAPSGAME #BEEP #BOOP14:13 COREY GRAY HITS A #SUPERHOOP AND UIC IS ... [more]

29. STARDATE 103-20110218: ALL CAPS by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 18, 2011 CHICAGO -- Once upon a time in a city of big windy shoulders, there was a basketball game between two schools at the bottom of the Horizon League. Loyola (Ill.) beat the University of Illinois at Chicago 55-50. This wasn't any ordinary game. will go down in history as the first game ever broadcast... [more]

30. Game 7-059: Southern Utah at IUPUI by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 18, 2011 Southern Utah Thunderbirds at IUPUI JaguarsFebruary 17, 2011 7:00 pmThe JungleBBState Stats/Recap Bally goes college, the most Caucasian And 1 Mixtape Tour stop ever, Badlands swimming and diving, Mid-Con Appreciation Night, and a return to the scene of an old temp job. @midmajority Game Tweets18... [more]

31. Stardate 101-20110216: Dream Seasons by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 16, 2011 HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- March really is here before we know it, because there's half a week missing out of February. This month wasn't designed that way -- and nothing was adjusted for our benefit or anything -- but it's still disorienting and disruptive to look at a calendar and realize that in two ... [more]

32. Stardate 100-20110215: Hell For Hundred by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 15, 2011 RICHMOND, Va. -- For most of recorded history, things that weren't paid for didn't happen. Take the Old West, for instance. You think saloons allowed tabs? As long as there were four-legged vehicles tied to the post out front, every customer represented a potential flight risk. Plus, there was alw... [more]

33. Game 7-046: Dartmouth at Pennsylvania by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 6, 2011 Dartmouth Big Green at Pennsylvania QuakersFebruary 4, 2011 7:00 pmThe PalestraBBState Stats/Recap On a February Friday night in Philadelphia, there's no other place to be. @midmajority Game Tweets18:58 Game No. 7-046: Dartmouth at Penn. (Corrected.) Helloooo! http://img.ly/2VEk19:03 Penn huddlz... [more]

34. 800 Games Project: Practice Run No. 4 by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 4, 2011 Friday mornings have become extra-enjoyable, because these game reports that are coming in are really great. While there's a lot of Season 7 left, I'm excited about Season 8, and the prospect of having well-written, well-executed student and passionate fan accounts of games across Hoops Nation to re... [more]

35. Stardate 87-20110202: Weird Pizza by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 2, 2011 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- Despite the efforts of "Operation In Our Sites," the government's poorly-planned and badly-named offensive to try and shut down the #pixelvision feed aggregation sites (a topic broached on Stardate 15), National Pixelvision Day II is saved. Remember, that's tomorrow evening, so ... [more]

36. BracketBusters Matchups 2011 by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 31, 2011 As is annual tradition here at TMM, we've put together a full rundown of all the announced BracketBusters matchups, and this will likely be the most clicked-on page of the season once again. It's incredibly difficult to find a complete list of all the non-TV games, which are quietly announced by the... [more]

37. Game 7-040: Binghamton at Boston University by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 29, 2011 Binghamton Bearcats at Boston University TerriersJanuary 26, 2011 9:00 pmCase GymBBState Stats/Recap New England has had a tough winter. Snowstorm after blizzard after Nor'Easter has dumped feet and feet of snow on the upper right-hand corner of Hoops Nation; it's piled high along the sides of roa... [more]

38. Stardate 73-20110119: Dubl-Bag by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 19, 2011 CHICAGO -- Patterns develop as the season goes on; one seems to be that Wednesday is a perfect day to open up The Form™ and publicly respond to a few letters, many of which have been quite heartfelt lately. There have also been some seriously great game reports, and I think Fridays (before c... [more]

39. Game 7-038: Missouri State at Bradley by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 18, 2011 Missouri State Bears at Bradley BravesJanuary 16, 2011 8:00 pmCarver ArenaBBState Stats/Recap If one were to choose the city in the United States most victimized in jokes and anecdotes by theatrical personalities, the selection of Peoria, Illinois, would be a popular, if not likely choice. Two of ... [more]

40. Game 7-037: Southern Illinois at Northern Iowa by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 18, 2011 Southern Illinois Salukis at Northern Iowa PanthersJanuary 15, 2011 8:00 pmMcLeod CenterBBState Stats/Recap Of all the times we've been to Cedar Falls, there's one consistent memory: feeling like every extremity is going to freeze and fall off on the walk from the car to the arena (whether the old... [more]

41. Stardate 72-20110118: What If/What Now by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 18, 2011 CHICAGO -- What if the shot went in? BUTLER 62, DUKE 6104/05/2010DUKE 34-5 (13-3) -- K. Singler 7-13 2-2 19; N. Smith 5-15 2-5 13; J. Scheyer 5-12 4-5 15; L. Thomas 3-5 0-0 6; B. Zoubek 3-4 2-4 8; M. Plumlee 0-2 0-0 0; A. Dawkins 0-1 0-0 0; M. Plumlee 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-52 10-16 61.BUTLER 34-4... [more]

42. Stardate 67-20110113: The Season of Ideas by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 13, 2011 CHICAGO -- Whenever I am standing in a long line at a bank, holding a check and a deposit slip in a limp right hand attached to a limp right arm, my mind wanders. I know the others in line are experiencing the same in-between feeling too, that it's a state we share. These days, most people occupy ... [more]

43. Game 7-028: SIU Edwardsville at Indiana by Kyle Whelliston

S7 December 18, 2010 SIU Edwardsville Cougars at Indiana HoosiersDecember 17, 2010 7:00 pmAssembly HallBBState Stats/Recap Hi Kyle-- I should go ahead and preface this by saying that I'm a lifelong Bloomington resident and a student at IU now. I've spent my entire life on the other side of the Red Line and agoniz... [more]

44. Illinois State Wins "The Moment" by Kyle Whelliston

S7 December 17, 2010 We are pleased to announce that we have a winner in our "The Moment" writing contest. With 36 percent of a heavy vote and a very organized campaign, Stephen Spence and Illinois State have taken the prize home to Normal, and to the Valley. For his efforts, Stephen will be receiving a red and white ... [more]

45. Game 7-025: Long Island at Northwestern by Kyle Whelliston

S7 December 14, 2010 Long Island Blackbirds at Northwestern WildcatsDecember 13, 2010 8:00 pmWelsh-Ryan ArenaBBState Stats/Recap I'm not even sure how it happens anymore. Every so often, something like a perfectly normal mid-December guarantee game in a Big Ten arena can be transformed into something bigger, greater, gr... [more]

46. The Moment by Kyle Whelliston

S7 December 10, 2010 Last week, we asked you to submit a short essay about a college basketball moment that altered your life's course. To some, that meant a real shift, and to others it was a play that closed a circle and instilled something deep in the heart. We received 26 entries, and they were all great, but we h... [more]

47. Game 7-022: Toledo at IPFW by Kyle Whelliston

S7 December 9, 2010 Toledo Rockets at IPFW MastodonsDecember 8, 2010 6:00 pmAllen County War Memorial ColiseumBBState Stats/Recap Fort Wayne, Indiana is one of hundreds of far-inland American cities struggling to find an identity in the post-crash New Economy. For now, "sports tourism" will do. And we are sports tour... [more]

48. Stardate 30-20101207: It's All About The State by Kyle Whelliston

S7 December 7, 2010 @midmajority there have been 59 red line upsets, @TempleUniv has three of them. What is the single-school single-season record?- @clivedaddy (via Twitter)CHICAGO -- That's a fantastic question, Mr. Daddy! We've gone into our six-year archive of RLU history and discovered that the two seasons with th... [more]

49. Game 7-020: Valparaiso at Loyola (Ill.) by Kyle Whelliston

S7 December 6, 2010 Valparaiso Crusaders at Loyola (Ill.) RamblersDecember 4, 2010 4:00 pmJoseph Gentile CenterBBState Stats/Recap Think of Chicago. Cold city. Dark. Dark in the winter. But not cold and dark enough for a dude in the LU Wolf suit not to walk around slapping high fives with fans arriving for an early ... [more]

50. Games 7-009/010/011: CBE Classic Subregional at Miami (Oh.) by Kyle Whelliston

S7 November 26, 2010 Green Bay Phoenix vs. San Diego State AztecsNovember 20, 2010 5:30 pmOxford, OHBBState Stats/RecapIUPUI Jaguars at Miami (Oh.) RedhawksNovember 20, 2010 8:00 pmMillett HallBBState Stats/RecapSan Diego State Aztecs at Miami (Oh.) RedhawksNovember 22, 2010 7:00 pmMillett HallBBState Stats/Recap Mil... [more]

51. Stardate 15-20101122: #p-Law by Kyle Whelliston

S7 November 22, 2010 Good Morning Kyle, I would like to thank you for all your good work, and ask you a question. I'm a Creighton grad 1 A.K. (After Korver). I live in Wisconsin, and for most Jays games, I have to resort to some kind of stat tracker or internet radio. However, #pixelvision intrigues/scares me. I am an... [more]

52. Tourney Central 3/6/2010 (Day 5) by Kyle Whelliston

S6 March 6, 2010 Bullet Points Two more finals are set. All four of the top seeds are out at the Atlantic Sun, leaving No. 5 East Tennessee State and No. 6 Mercer to fight for the title. In the OVC, top two seeds Murray State and Morehead State will stage a showdown in Nashville tonight. In the 22 games on Friday, ... [more]

53. The Hoops National: February 25, 2010 by The Robot

S6 February 25, 2010 Big Games Atlantic 14: at Temple 49, Dayton 41 TU - 23-5 (11-2) [RPI: 13, State: 21] UD - 18-9 (7-6) [RPI: 43, State: 51] Star of the Game: Lavoy Allen 9 Pts (3-8 FG, 3-5 FT), 17 Reb #18/20 Men's Basketball Tied For First In A-14 With 49-41 Win Over Dayton - PHILADELPHIA – Sophomore Ramo... [more]

54. My School: SIU Edwardsville by Allan J. Lewis

S6 February 16, 2010 Driving Eastward on interstate 255 from St. Louis there's large billboard with the simple phrase "Cougars rising," and each time I see it I inevitably crack a smile, because the Cougars are my work, education and my life. I'm rising too. A short 20 minute drive from that billboard lies our den; a q... [more]

55. The Hoops National: February 14, 2010 by The Robot

S6 February 14, 2010 Big Games Missouri Valley: at Bradley 68, Northern Iowa 59 BRAD - 13-12 (8-7) [RPI: 125, State: 147] UNI - 22-3 (13-2) [RPI: 15, State: 16] Star of the Game: Chris Roberts 13 Pts (6-8 FG, 1-1 FT), 2 Stl Bradley Knocks Off #18/19 UNI - Bradley junior guard Andrew Warren (Indianapolis, Ind./Brebe... [more]

56. The Hoops National: February 9, 2010 by The Robot

S6 February 9, 2010 Big Games Western Athletic: at New Mexico State 70, Louisiana Tech 68 NMSU - 15-8 (8-2) [RPI: 78, State: 94] LTU - 19-5 (7-3) [RPI: 71, State: 67] Star of the Game: Troy Gillenwater 19 Pts (7-12 FG, 4-4 FT), 8 Reb, 2 Stl Laroche Hits Game Winner over LA Tech, 70-68 - New Mexico State sophomore ... [more]

57. Valley Stories by Kyle Whelliston

S6 January 25, 2010 We've spent most of the last week in the Missouri Valley Conference, an annual trip of ours since The Mid-Majority's second season. People often ask me, "Why do you always say that the Valley is the best mid-major conference in the country?" It's a harder sell nowadays, as the MVC will, most likel... [more]

58. The Beautiful Season, Part 2 by Kyle Whelliston

S6 December 29, 2009 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- One more drinker's holiday, and the calendar will flip. Many Americans are spending this week in silent fear of what's on the other side: a return to the bleak routine of five-day workweeks, the gray skies of short days, and January bills from December's illusions of prosperity. O... [more]

59. Go After It, Grab It, Take It by Kyle Whelliston

S5 March 18, 2009 INDIANAPOLIS -- The year 2006 wasn't really all that long ago. Sure, we're dealing with problems light years beyond those we faced back then, and anybody would trade in total world financial meltdown for another "bird flu" scare. But Nelly Furtado's "Loose" feels like it just came out yesterday, inn... [more]

60. Tourney Central 3/16/2009 (Final Brackets) by Kyle Whelliston

S5 March 16, 2009 Bullet Points Stephen F. Austin punched Hoops Nation's final NCAA Tournament ticket Sunday afternoon, its first appearance ever. Championship Fortnight is over, and the national postseason is just ahead. Completed brackets and scores for all 23 TMM leagues are included below. Southland Texas... [more]

61. Tourney Central 3/8/2009 (Day 6) by Kyle Whelliston

S5 March 8, 2009 Bullet Points Radford (Big South), East Tennessee State (Atlantic Sun) and Morehead State (Ohio Valley) have qualified for the NCAA Tournament. Cleveland State, the Horizon No. 3, eliminated No. 2 Green Bay in that conference's semis, and Illinois State upended Creighton in the Missouri Valley... [more]

62. Tourney Central 3/7/2009 (Day 5) by Kyle Whelliston

S5 March 7, 2009 Bullet Points Cornell became the first school to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament. For the second straight year, the Big Red claimed the Ivy League title, beating Penn 83-59. The upsets began in earnest on Friday. Ohio Valley No. 4 Morehead State took out No. 1 Tennessee-Martin. CAA No.... [more]

63. Tourney Central 3/6/2009 (Day 4) by Kyle Whelliston

S5 March 6, 2009 Bullet Points Four-time Atlantic Sun champion Belmont barely escaped Mercer, and Big South top seed Radford fought off a strong challenge from No. 4 UNC Asheville in that league's semifinals. The Big South final on Saturday is set: VMI at Radford. The three top seeds in the Northeast Confer... [more]

64. Good Morning Hoops Nation: March 5 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 March 5, 2009 NASHVILLE -- You might recall that there was a marathon chat announced to be held Friday (tomorrow) from the Valley quarterfinals. Due to a number of factors, that's being postponed. Instead, we'll try for a 12-hour chat next Thursday, and do a regular chat at 3:00 EST tomorrow that will overlap wit... [more]

65. Good Morning Hoops Nation: March 4 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 March 4, 2009 NASHVILLE -- They're the greatest two weeks in Hoops Nation, these. Conference teams are racked up in brackets according to regular-season performance, we determine a championship for each league on the court, and the ultimate winner gets to go all the way to March Madness, the kind on CBS. League t... [more]

66. Good Morning Hoops Nation: March 2 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 March 2, 2009 INDIANAPOLIS -- Every day we get just a little more physically vulnerable, every day another step closer to the inevitable finish line of life. The positive trade-off is that whether we've cheated the reaper by strengthening our bodies or not, our minds are always increasing in power. Every day, we ... [more]

67. BracketBusters Saturday 2009 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 February 21, 2009 So here we are again, it's late February and it's time for Mid-Major Christmas... BracketBusters VII, brought to you locally by Flying J Travel Plazas and Ballito's Powdered Horchata. Here's a handy clip-n'-save list of all Saturday's televised games, with links to handy print-n'-collect Basketball ... [more]

68. Good Morning Hoops Nation: February 12 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 February 12, 2009 INDIANAPOLIS -- Well, here we are. Today is Mock Selection III, and I still have no idea what I did to deserve an invitation -- or why I've been listed as representing Basketball State all along. It's a real thrill, even though we've had to detour from our regularly scheduled travel and will be goin... [more]

69. The State of the Other 22, Week 10 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 February 6, 2009 The State of College Basketball is a gracefully-aging ratings system that uses a lot of good basketball sense, per-game team performance ratings and degradation of older results to rank the teams from No. 1 to 344 (here's the long-winded version). In its overall form, it retroactively picked three o... [more]

70. Good Morning Hoops Nation: February 4 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 February 4, 2009 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- A bit late, but I just wanted to thank everybody who showed up for our first Mid-Majority chat last Friday. There were over 200 questions, just as many as my final chat over the MLK holiday at the other place. It blows my mind that so much of the regular audience found its way ove... [more]

71. Game! Of! The! Night! 2/3/2009: Northern Iowa at Bradley by Kyle Whelliston

S5 February 3, 2009 Northern Iowa at Bradley (Missouri Valley) Carver Arena - Peoria, IL 8:05 PM EST The Great Unknown is a scary thing, isn't it? We pattern-seeking creatures require some sort of assurance that future events will mirror the results we've already seen. Staring into the anti-void of endless possibilit... [more]

72. BracketBusters Matchups 2009 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 February 3, 2009 As is annual tradition here at TMM, we've put together a full rundown of all 51 announced BracketBusters matchups, and this will likely be the most clicked-on page of the season once again. It's incredibly difficult to find a complete list of all the non-TV games, which are quietly announced by the ... [more]

73. Good Morning Hoops Nation: January 28 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 January 28, 2009 Silver Jews - "People" CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Since 2004, I've gone through a lot of different bags, pens, cell phones, cameras, iPods and Moleskines. The only item that I currently carry around the country that came with me on trips four years ago is a taped-together copy of "Actual Air" by poet and... [more]

74. Good Morning Hoops Nation: January 26 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 January 26, 2009 OMAHA -- You know what I don't understand? Hubris. How anybody could believe that they're the center of the universe, or better than everybody else, or the owner of unassailable opinion, has always been beyond my comprehension. Walking the world demands humility, and is full of reminders why our liv... [more]

75. Good Morning Hoops Nation: January 22 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 January 22, 2009 EMMITSBURG, Md. -- They call them the blues because of blue notes, those tones hidden in between the in-between places there on the pristine straight streets of the music scale. Each one of us has had the blues at one time or another, stuck in the gutter, the ditch, the rut, been down soooo loonnngg... [more]

76. Game! Of! The! Night! 1/21/2009: Bradley at Northern Iowa by Kyle Whelliston

S5 January 21, 2009 Bradley at Northern Iowa (Missouri Valley) McLeod Center - Cedar Falls, IA 8:05 PM EST A lot of people don't like when things don't go according to prognostication -- folks can get downright prickly in some instances. Here's some stuff that has defied simple prediction: gas prices, the career arc ... [more]

77. The State of the Other 22, Week 7 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 January 15, 2009 The State of College Basketball is a new-esque ratings system that uses a lot of good basketball sense, per-game team performance ratings and degradation of older results to rank the teams from No. 1 to 344 (here's the long-winded version). In its overall form, it retroactively picked three of the F... [more]

78. Game! Of! The! Night! 1/14/2009: Drake at Illinois State by Kyle Whelliston

S5 January 14, 2009 Drake at Illinois State (Missouri Valley) Redbird Arena - Normal, IL 8:05 PM EST There's a lot of relativity, onion-peeling and head-shaking involved in mid-major analysis. It's generally accepted that the Missouri Valley is headed to a second consecutive one-bid year, because there isn't the kind... [more]

79. Good Morning Hoops Nation: January 12 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 January 12, 2009 BOONE, N.C. -- I'm going to get into my grandpa rocking chair and tell you what's wrong with pop music. I'm sorry that you had to get this from a basketball writer, but that's just the way it worked out. Most music specifically released for public consumption is far too dependent on context and repu... [more]

80. The State of the Other 22, Week 6 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 January 7, 2009 The State of College Basketball is a new-ish ratings system that uses a lot of good basketball sense, per-game team performance ratings and degradation of older results to rank the teams from No. 1 to 344 (here's the long-winded version). In its overall form, it retroactively picked three of the Fin... [more]

81. Good Morning Hoops Nation: January 7 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 January 7, 2009 ATLANTA -- One of the upsides to spending so much time in basketball arenas is that my connection to popular music remains simple, true and direct. In this atmosphere, with athletic competition on the floor and fans demanding two hours' worth of entertainment, organized payola can't find purchase. I... [more]

82. Good Morning Hoops Nation: January 2 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 January 2, 2009 POCATELLO, Id. -- First of all, we have a chat today over at ESPN SportsNation at 4 p.m. Eastern, or 2 p.m. Mountain Standard. Don't forget! One last blast of mid-major mystery before we turn our attention solely to conference races, and forget that the top eight conferences exist -- a luxury we'll ... [more]

83. Good Morning Hoops Nation: December 29 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 December 29, 2008 LOGAN, Utah -- Whenever I travel to this part of the country, the Tetris-stack of states that makes up the intermountain west, I feel a great sense of unease. This goes back to when I lived in western Oregon for seven years, and would occasionally come further inland, but my advancing age allows me ... [more]

84. Good Morning Hoops Nation: December 1 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 December 1, 2008 TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- It's the first of December. Do you know where your college basketball team is? (Arkansas State, by the way, is here in town.) More importantly, do you know what it is? So much of this right now, at this point of the season, is involved in figuring our what is real and what is tr... [more]

85. Good Morning Hoops Nation: November 14 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 November 14, 2008 PEORIA, Ill. -- Remember back when you were a kid, it was a hot summer day out in your backyard... you had your 1980's NBA-style short-shorts on with no shirt, just hanging out in the grass your daddy just mowed fresh that morning. Not a care in the world. Then you got really thirsty, and you were t... [more]

86. Packer by Kyle Whelliston

S5 November 6, 2008 Sixth in a series of nine daily essays leading up to the 2008-09 college basketball season. Here in early November, we're still at least a month away from the non-stop barrage of "Year In Review" specials, all those tidy bow-snapping recaps that attempt to impose order on a loosely-joined, selectiv... [more]

87. Bias by Kyle Whelliston

S5 November 5, 2008 Fifth in a series of nine daily essays leading up to the 2008-09 college basketball season. In case you haven't heard, our great nation recently concluded a long and protracted and polarizing popularity contest that decided, among other things, our heads of state and guiding ideologies for the fore... [more]

88. Tourney Central (Completed Brackets) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 17, 2008 Bullet Points In the final final in mid-majordom, Texas-Arlington emerged as surprise Southland champs. All hail! We had 78 entries into our "guess-the-play-in-matchup" contest on Saturday, and not a single correct answer. The correct pairing, as we all know now, is Coppin State (MEAC) against Moun... [more]

89. Tourney Central 3/8/2008 (Day 5) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 8, 2008 Bullet Points Today, three autobids to the NCAA Tournament will be awarded! The Big South, Ohio Valley and Atlantic Sun will crown champions. The No. 6 was a lucky number yesterday -- surprising Tennessee State moved to the finals of the OVC, Northern Iowa upset No. 3 Southern Illinois in the MVC, ... [more]

90. Tourney Central 3/7/2008 (Day 4) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 7, 2008 Bullet Points There was an upset in the Atlantic Sun quarters, as No. 6 Gardner-Webb routed No. 3 Stetson. The Big South final is set: UNC Asheville and Winthrop, the league's top two seeds. The game will be played Saturday. In the MVC first round, No. 8 Indiana State and No. 7 Missouri State adva... [more]

91. The State Of The Other 22, Week 16 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 5, 2008 The State of College Basketball is a brand-new ratings system that uses a lot of good basketball sense, per-game team performance ratings and degradation of older results to rank the teams from No. 1 to 341 (here's the long-winded version). In its overall form, it retroactively picked three of the F... [more]

92. The Boubacar 2/27/2008 (Numbers Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 February 27, 2008 RICHMOND, Va. -- We don't do a lot of Mid-Major Mailbag action around here anymore (we get plenty interactive enough with the chats, you know). But there's something about the combination of assisted research and the last slow Wednesday of the season that makes us want to break out the blockquote ta... [more]

93. Game! Of! The! Night! 2/26/2008: Southern Illinois at Bradley by Kyle Whelliston

S4 February 26, 2008 Southern Illinois at Bradley (Missouri Valley) Carver Arena - Peoria, IL 7:00 PM EST Drake's Des Moines miracle notwithstanding, it's been a tough year for the 101-year-old Valley. Five new coaches, half the returning starters lost, and a lack of the signature nonconference wins that marke... [more]

94. The Boubacar 2/26/2008 (Legal Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 February 26, 2008 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- We're all just getting over the thrills of BracketBuster weekend, but there's plenty to get to as the regular season winds down to its electrifying conclusion. Just 19 days until Selection Sunday... Saint Mary's. In last night's G!O!T!N!, the Gaels proved that yes, they can ... [more]

95. The Boubacar 2/25/2008 (U Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 February 25, 2008 FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Sometimes I just have to pinch myself (even though dreams can be complicated enough that I wouldn't wake up if I did). Three years ago, I was just another computer programmer with a college basketball blog, and the next thing I know I'm talking over BracketBusters highlights wit... [more]

96. The Boubacar 2/23/2008 (BracketBusters Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 February 23, 2008 CHARLOTTE -- That was fun. Yesterday, we proved conclusively that you can talk about mid-major basketball for six hours and that the topic will attract a couple thousand questions, not the six or seven most people would expect. There were a lot of awesome questions about everything from hoops to the... [more]

97. The Boubacar 2/20/2008 (Gus Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 February 20, 2008 BOCA RATON, Fla. -- We've been mentioning the Atlantic Sun prominently this season, what with all the early upsets and Belmont's run at a third straight title and all, but we haven't talked much about its most improved team. Stetson has never achieved the NCAA Tournament since Glenn Wilkes (552 wins... [more]

98. The State Of The Other 22, Week 14 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 February 19, 2008 The State of College Basketball is a brand-new ratings system that uses a lot of good basketball sense, per-game team performance ratings and degradation of older results to rank the teams from No. 1 to 341 (here's the long-winded version). In its overall form, it retroactively picked three of the F... [more]

99. The Boubacar 2/12/2008 (TV Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 February 12, 2008 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- We'll get to all the Bally ephemera tomorrow, promise, but we're mulling over the BracketBusters TV announcement from yesterday. We wanted to share it with you if you didn't get the memo or are on the wrong mailing list. So here, then, is the final lineup for Mid-Majorpalooza 2008... [more]

100. BracketBusters Matchups 2008 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 February 6, 2008 As is tradition here at TMM, we've put together a full rundown of all 50 announced BracketBusters matchups. Mostly because we know that it's incredibly difficult to find a complete list of all the non-TV games, which are quietly announced by the schools after ESPN unleashes the televised matchups. T... [more]

101. The State Of The Other 22, Week 12 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 February 5, 2008 The State of College Basketball is a brand-new ratings system that uses a lot of good basketball sense, per-game team performance ratings and degradation of older results to rank the teams from No. 1 to 341 (here's the long-winded version). In its overall form, it retroactively picked three of the F... [more]

102. The State Of The Other 22, Week 11 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 January 29, 2008 The State of College Basketball is a brand-new ratings system that uses a lot of good basketball sense, per-game team performance ratings and degradation of older results to rank the teams from No. 1 to 341 (here's the long-winded version). In its overall form, it retroactively picked three of the F... [more]

103. The Boubacar 1/24/2008 (Radio Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 January 24, 2008 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- I never meant this to be Philosophy Week, and I apologize for all the thoughtful treatises on insignificance I've spilled recently. I'm going to blame it on jet lag, and leave it at that. I've made a key decision, and I post it here for you now primarily to point to it later once... [more]

104. The Boubacar 1/17/2008 (Lilliput Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 January 17, 2008 DAVIS, Ca. -- We have a system here, we do a California trip every season and alternate between Southern (odd-numbered years) and Northern (even). We're going to go recover from the jet lag before charging into our annual West Coast Bias weekend, but we have some Easty bits to clean up. UNC-Ashevi... [more]

105. The State Of The Other 22, Week 9 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 January 16, 2008 The State of College Basketball is a brand-new ratings system that uses a lot of good basketball sense, per-game team performance ratings and degradation of older results to rank the teams from No. 1 to 341 (here's the long-winded version). In its overall form, it retroactively picked three of the F... [more]

106. The Boubacar 1/14/2008 (Stripped to the Waist Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 January 14, 2008 CHARLESTON, S.C. -- It's Monday, which means no cutesy-cutesy, no how-do-ya-do, no warm-up act jokes. Nearly every one of the 245 teams in Hoops Nation played over the weekend, and we're totally committed to mention at least two percent of those. It's all basketball today. Drake. No leading score... [more]

107. The Boubacar 1/10/2008 (Big Time Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 January 10, 2008 SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- I was going to start out today with a hilarious joke about squirrels and their nuts, but this came across the wires this morning. The Cincinnati Enquirer, a fine newspaper, ran this today: Xavier shuns mid-major award. Here's a taste for those who don't like clicking things: Ri... [more]

108. The Mid-Majority Interview: Doug Elgin by Kyle Whelliston

S4 January 9, 2008 After a week-long break (nobody wants to talk during the holidays), TMMI is back. And to kick off the new year, we have one of the most powerful men in all of Hoops Nation, Missouri Valley Conference commissioner Doug Elgin. He's led the toughest mid-major conference in the land since 1988, spent fo... [more]

109. The Boubacar 1/9/2008 (MAAC Is Back Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 January 9, 2008 ELON, N.C. -- Late start today due to delayed air travel. A whole bunch of people in suits wielding Blackberries and Blackjacks, talking about internal voter metrics or somesuch, seem to suddenly be travelling from New England to the mid-South today, all at once. Couldn't figure out why. Let's go! ... [more]

110. Game! Of! The! Night! 1/8/2008: Northern Iowa at Illinois State by Kyle Whelliston

S4 January 8, 2008 Northern Iowa at Illinois State (Missouri Valley) Redbird Arena - Normal, IL 8:00 PM EST Tuesday night is the night that we usually go to your motherââ‚¬â„¢s place, and it's also Valley night. In a topsy-turvy MVC where everything formerly down (Illinois State, Indiana State and Drak... [more]

111. The State Of The Other 22, Week 6 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 December 27, 2007 The State of College Basketball is a brand-new ratings system that uses a lot of good basketball sense, per-game team performance ratings and degradation of older results to rank the teams from No. 1 to 341 (here's the long-winded version). In its overall form, it retroactively picked three of the F... [more]

112. Game! Of! The! Night! 12/19/2007: Bradley at Butler by Kyle Whelliston

S4 December 19, 2007 Bradley (MVC) at Butler (Horizon) Hinkle Fieldhouse - Indianapolis, IN 7:00 PM EST When we pundits make our predictions in October, we are usually soooo sure of ourselves and our expertise and our intimate knowledge of the game of basketball. Many in this business make ice-cold ice-pick lo... [more]

113. The Boubacar 12/13/2007 (City Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 December 13, 2007 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- It's the bright early morning of an American day that will likely end with a lot fewer baseball fans. As I often say to disillusioned sports nuts tired of steroids this and Barry Bonds that, why don't you give mid-major college basketball a try? We've got close games, tons of te... [more]

114. The Boubacar 12/12/2007 (Art Appreciation Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 December 12, 2007 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- Here's the mail, it never fails... it makes me want to wag my tail. Remember me? Im the guy from the espn.com chat that was talking about why and how Rhode Island would go into the Dome and take care of Syracuse on Saturday night. After laughing in my face and down talking a ver... [more]

115. The Mid-Majority Interview: Kyle Hines by Kyle Whelliston

S4 December 7, 2007 Kyle Hines is the 6-5 senior leader of the UNC-Greensboro Spartans, but he's a lot more. In addition to a 17.3 ppg average and a streak of 56 consecutive games of scoring in double figures, Hines is a gentleman-scholar, a blogger and one of the most well-spoken ballplayers you could ever hope to mee... [more]

116. The Boubacar 12/4/2007 (Club Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 December 4, 2007 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- Less than a month into this, and the whole Boubacar concept is taking hold. I'm getting tons of e-mails describing players, plays, teams and performances as "Boubacar-worthy," "Boubacar material," "Boub-tastic." One even used the term -- I kid you not -- "Boubalicious." Surely, in... [more]

117. The Mid-Majority Interview: Bill Trocchi by Kyle Whelliston

S4 November 23, 2007 I'll allow you a few minutes to put the pieces of your blown mind back together. Okay? Let's go. Big media rivalries, like college sports rivalries, are supposed to be predicated on the idea that the folks on the other side are filthy, writhing subhumans. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that t... [more]

118. The Boubacar 11/15/2007 (Free Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 November 15, 2007 BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- "Yo," my mid-major "peeps." Before we kick off this morning's Boubacar action, I just wanted to let you know that we're running a free preview of Basketball State today. It's one of your last chances to grab a 12-month subscription at the early season price before it goes up ne... [more]

119. The Boubacar 11/13/2007 (Dance Team Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 November 13, 2007 But, how do we SAY "Boubacar"... is it "BOW buh car", "Boo buh car", or something else?? If we're going to properly use this in the future, we need to know.... Rod, Asheville NC COLUMBUS, Oh. -- "Boubacar," as I've heard it on TV, is "BOO-buh-car." It's a highly exalted name of West African origi... [more]

120. Matters of Life and Death (Epilogue, The Third) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 March 28, 2007 PAWTUCKET, R.I., Mar. 28 -- All animate organisms, from the globbiest amoeba to the most intricate human machine, share one thing in common: life. Life is what keeps you going, it's the light before the beginning of the tunnel. The meaning of life is simply this: it means so much that nobody can sur... [more]

121. NCAA Second Round Cheatsheets by Kyle Whelliston

S3 March 17, 2007 As a public service, here are the second-round cheatsheet previews for all games, even the non-mid-major ones. Enjoy! Saturday 12:00 -- Bradley vs. Mississippi State 1:10 -- Xavier vs. Ohio State 3:20 -- Butler vs. Maryland 3:40 -- Louisville vs. Texas A&M 5:40 -- Vanderbilt vs. Washington... [more]

122. Tourney Central 3/12/07 by Kyle Whelliston

S3 March 12, 2007 Bullet Points http://schools.basketballstate.com/TAMCC class=optn>Texas A&M-Corpus Christi won the Southland final, and Championship Fortnight has come to a close. It's Tournament Time! The Last Bracket All brackets on the Bracket City page have been replaced with the completed versions. ... [more]

123. Tourney Central 3/4/07 by Kyle Whelliston

S3 March 4, 2007 Bullet Points We have four champions on the busiest day of Championship Fortnight: all hail Winthrop of the Big South and Davidson of the SoCon, double champions both. Second seeds who rose up to claim tourney championships and dance tickets: Eastern Kentucky of the Ohio Valley and Belmont of the At... [more]

124. Tourney Central 3/3/07 by Kyle Whelliston

S3 March 3, 2007 Bullet Points In the first real shocker of Championship Fortnight, Appalachian State was upset by College of Charleston in the SoCon semifinals. Four leagues crown champions today on the ESPN family of networks. The Big South, Ohio Valley, SoCon and Atlantic Sun seasons will conclude with autobids b... [more]

125. Tourney Central 3/2/07 by Kyle Whelliston

S3 March 2, 2007 Bullet Points No. 6 seed Virginia Military Institute has advanced to the Big South final after defeating the tourney's Nos. 2 and 3 seeds. Furman, the No. 5 seed in the SoCon, advanced to the semifinals by defeating No. 4#North Carolina-Greensboro. The Atlantic Sun quarterfinals played according to ... [more]

126. The Daily Paragraph 2/26/2007 (The Final Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 February 26, 2007 BOZEMAN, Mont. -- That's right, waah-waah. This is the final Daily Paragraph, the last K-Dub's Krazy Fact of the Day of the season. That's because (not-so-Top Five) Tuesday, February 27 is the honorary first day of March. It's tourney time! The Horizon League, Ohio Valley and Big South kick off thei... [more]

127. The Daily Paragraph 2/22/2007 (Tribute Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 February 22, 2007 CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- Before we get too wrapped up in Championship Week this and NCAA Tournament that, in seeding whichever and Billy Packer whatever, I'd like to take time out to offer a small tribute to some special people. This is a tribute to the 508 fans who attended last night's Division I ga... [more]

128. The Daily Paragraph 2/16/2007 (BracketBoosters Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 February 16, 2007 INDIANAPOLIS -- It's the eve of mid-majordom's national holiday, and for this fifth edition of the event we're getting the whole family involved. Yo dad, those repairs on the car can wait. There are 14 great televised mid-major matchups to watch! It's the perfect time to bring Junior onto the couc... [more]

129. The Daily Paragraph 2/14/2007 (You're As Cold As Ice, You're Willing To Sacrifice Our Team FG% Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 February 14, 2007 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- I've been talking to folks around the country these past few days, and have had a really hard time convincing them that the Northeast is where it's at. It's not all Friends and the Hamptons and day trips to Times Square... you pay for all that glamour with high gas prices, frost h... [more]

130. The Daily Paragraph 2/9/2007 (iPod Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 February 9, 2007 DALLAS -- Big, big weekend in Hoops Nation. Huge. Make sure to check out these six big showdown/throwdown/hoedowns at the top of league tables this weekend. As a bonus, we're offering some sample pregame warmup music for your iPod, so you can truly get pumped up for these hot matchups. Holy Cross (... [more]

131. The Daily Paragraph 2/8/2007 (Texas-Sized Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 February 8, 2007 ARLINGTON, Tex. -- It's true what they say, everything's bigger in Texas. The hats, the Cadillacs, the stars at night, people's butts, the food. I went into a convenience store this morning and saw an 84-ounce fountain soda for sale, I couldn't even get my hand around it much less fit it in a cuphol... [more]

132. BracketBusters Selection Aftermath (plus contest winners) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 January 31, 2007 Here, then, are all the pairings for BracketBusters 2007. You can click on a matchup to learn more about the two teams and how they, well, match up. Albany at Boise State (TV) Appalachian State at Wichita State (TV) http://bbstate.com/games/66467>Austin Peay at Akron http://bbstate.com/games/664... [more]

133. The Daily Paragraph 1/30/2007 (BarbaroBusters Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 January 30, 2007 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- Before we begin our supersized DP, I just want to share with you something I wrote yesterday. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (fourth edition, 2004, published by Houghton Mifflin) defines the word "champion" as "One that wins first place or first prize in... [more]

134. The Daily Paragraph 1/25/2007 (Ball Control Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 January 25, 2007 BOONE, N.C. -- As of press time, 63 of the available 100 entries in Bally's BracketBusters Racket, the only contest in the world that lets you choose all 51 BB matchups, have been snapped up (the limit is in place 'cause I'll be hand-validating the entries, but call it a "soft cap"). Remember: the d... [more]

135. The Daily Paragraph 1/22/2007 (Bandwagoneering Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 January 22, 2007 CULLOWHEE, N.C. -- Lots to get to today, just like every Monday. And if you haven't signed up to play Bally's BracketBusters Racket yet, you have a lot more to get to than I do. Roll the HTML! The Big Games! at Virginia Commonwealth 80, Old Dominion 75 (Colonial) (box) -- The VCU Rams are the only... [more]

136. The Daily Paragraph 1/19/2007 (Surprise Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 January 19, 2007 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- No mailbag this week, because quite frankly most of the letters this week were way too personal. Look, I'm a basketball writer, when did my mortgage, my stock portfolio and my "size" suddenly become fair game? Oops, wrong mail folder. Anyway... Every year around this time, we sta... [more]

137. The Daily Paragraph 1/16/2007 (The UMPFN Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 January 16, 2007 NEW ORLEANS -- We discussed this a little yesterday, but there's a growing drumbeat sounding across Hoops Nation; thunder in the distance, if you will. I'm talking, of course, about the potential fall from grace by the sore thumb in our midst, the eternal oddball, the one voted Most Likely To Succee... [more]

138. The Daily Paragraph 1/15/2007 (King Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 January 15, 2007 LORMAN, Miss. -- BracketBusters season starts in just under two weeks, and that's why we here at the Mid-Majority have put together this little map, so you can start scouting out the home teams (orange) and away teams (grey) and dream about matchups leading into the pairing announcement on Jan. 28. ... [more]

139. The Daily Paragraph 1/8/2007 (Weekend Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 January 8, 2007 JACKSON, Miss. -- Mondays from here on out will be busy times as we continue to track all the hot hot conference action, so let's all take a deep breath and let's get to it. Conference Shootaround! Missouri Valley: Yesterday in lovely Springfield, Missouri State broke both an eight-game losing str... [more]

140. The Daily Paragraph 1/5/2007 (American Idol Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 January 5, 2007 I REALLY HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THIS IS, Ala. -- Travelling the highways and byways (mostly byways) of SWAC country is always a strange adventure. One of the most odd things about Alabama is that everywhere you look, there are references to the three American Idol stars the state has produced. This morn... [more]

141. The Daily Paragraph 12/28/2006 (Yule Log Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 December 28, 2006 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- If you're a native New Yorker, or just someone who lives in a town with a Tribune-owned television station, you probably know about the Yule Log. It's that close-up shot of a fireplace that goes on for a commercial-free two hours and plays Christmas music. I've loved The Log for y... [more]

142. The Daily Paragraph 12/17/2006 (Wrappity-Wrap Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 December 17, 2006 MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- After the lull of Finals Week, a literal explosion of college basketball action over the weekend! Here are a few results of interest and note from around Hoops Nation. Butler 68, Purdue 65 (Sat.) -- The Bulldogs keep doing what they do. They kept hold of the ball (only 13 tur... [more]

143. The Daily Paragraph 11/13/2006 (Lid-lifting Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 November 13, 2006 BLOOMSBURY, N.J. (en route to Charlotte) -- Hello again, friends, and welcome back to TMM's regular schedule. This here is The Daily Paragraph, which is specifically designed to be triply too clever for it's own good: it's a play on existing basketball literature, is a sarcastic/ironic attempt at on... [more]

144. Epilogue, The Second by Kyle Whelliston

S2 April 9, 2006 INDIANAPOLIS, Apr. 2 -- There are huge signs all over town -- on airport walls, strung over streetlights, over the main gate to the RCA Dome. They all read, "The Road Ends Here." There's also a giant logo on the side of the 45,000-seat venue, a green and gold star with zag-zigging trailers that has... [more]

145. Game! Of! The! Night! Mar 05: Bradley vs. Southern Illinois by Kyle Whelliston

S2 March 5, 2006 What a fine mess the MVC tourney has become. Gone are the top seeds, and all the talking heads are having told-you-so field days with all the El Foldos going on. The Missouri Valley Conference is a bubble-busting bust, they say. Teams like Northern Iowa, despite their 23 wins, will have to sweat it ... [more]

146. Game! Of! The! Night! Jan 08: Bradley at Southern Illinois by Kyle Whelliston

S2 January 8, 2006 A lot of ink's been spilled about the Valley in the past month or so: Indiana State's 8-0 start, Northern Iowa and Mo-State and Creighton and three four five bids and blabbity-blabbity. But what about the mid-pack squads that will provide the league its RPI strength and crouch in the shadows come Ar... [more]

147. Game! Of! The! Night! Dec 17: Indiana State at Butler by Kyle Whelliston

S2 December 17, 2005 With Missouri State's loss the other night in Arkansas, there are only two unbeatens left in the Mid-Majority. Seven-and-ohIona is one, a bunch of Terre Haute Trees who have won their first five are the other. Led by TMM favorite David Moss (20.8 ppg), Indiana State heads to Hinkle on the heels of t... [more]

148. Here's Where The Story Ends by Kyle Whelliston

S1 March 21, 2005 Game 100: (5) Michigan State 72, (13) Vermont 61 NCAA Tournament, Second Round (Austin Bracket) Sunday, March 20, 2005 DCU Center - Worcester, MA Fitting then, that this is the final chapter: the Vermont Catamounts, the feel-good story of the year, fell to the Michigan State Spartans. It's a happy ... [more]

149. Tourney Central 3/5/2005 by Kyle Whelliston

S1 March 5, 2005 Bullet Points Two one-seeds went down: Tennessee Tech lost in the OVC semifinals, and Davidson was eliminated in the Southern Conference semis. Four automatic bids will be handed out today, as the ESPN networks begin a schedule of court-stormings every two hours or so. We have the Big South's matc... [more]

150. Tourney Central 3/1/2005 by Kyle Whelliston

S1 March 1, 2005 Missouri Valley: Northern Iowa 67, Wichita State 66 (story) - It's painful watching them keep losing, because it heightens the twin possibilities that the Valley will only get a single bid and the Big East will get (shudder) eight. Six-three Panther guard Ben Jacobsen lit up the scoreboard with 24 p... [more]

151. Diamonds In The Rough by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 17, 2005 Game 062: at Evansville 76, Bradley 66 Wednesday, February 16, 2005 Roberts Stadium - Evansville, IN The press box at Roberts Municipal Stadium really is a place called vertigo. It's a series of skyboxes high above the floor, attached to the rafters, accessible only by a secret unmarked staircase. ... [more]

152. Dribblings 2/13-14/2005 (Hot Lovin' Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 14, 2005 So it turns out that Hot Sh*t Saturday was a great success. Six games, all good. Thrillers, comebacks, overtime, great shooting, great defense... HSS had something for everyone. Let's review: Big West: Pacific 64, Utah State 63 (story) - With 31 seconds left, homestanding Utah State was leading 61-... [more]

153. The Last Picture Show by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 13, 2005 Game 058: at Long Island-Brooklyn 76, Quinnipiac 72 Saturday, February 12, 2005 Schwartz Athletic Center - Brooklyn, NY Veterans Stadium was imploded on Second Round Sunday of last year's Tournament. I was in Kansas City at the time. So right before I touched down at Philadelphia International Airp... [more]

154. Never Can Say Goodbye by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 13, 2005 Game 056: at Pennsylvania 73, Columbia 66 Friday, February 11, 2005 The Palestra - Philadelphia, PA Every game counts, but the sad flipside of the Ivy League season is that it is cruel and short: only fourteen games over six weeks. Each team gets three weekends at home, two midweek contests against... [more]

155. Dribblings 2/3/2005 (Non-D1 Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 3, 2005 Colonial: North Carolina-Wilmington 71, George Mason 67 (story) - The Seahawks won a rock-'em-sock-'em game of runs, and as the announcers like to say, the last run was theirs. On a night when UNCW retired Brett Blizzard's jersey, sophomore guard T.J. Carter pulled a "Blizz" and scored 12 points in ... [more]

156. Dribblings 2/2/2005 (Full-Court Shot Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 2, 2005 Missouri Valley: Creighton 73, Wichita State 69 (story) - If ever there was a year when Wichita fans believed they could end their decade-long curse and win a game at Creighton, this was it. But in the land of big steaks, the Bluejays ran off a big 19-3 streak after finding themselves in a halftime ... [more]

157. Dribblings 2/1/2005 (Keep Bustin' Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 1, 2005 Southern: Davidson 67, Chattanooga 53 (story) - Davidson built a fourteen-point lead going into halftime, and both teams treaded water for the second half. Despite outrebounding their hosts, the Mocs shot themselves in the foot by shooting just 30% from the floor. Davidson (14-7, 10-0 SoCon) tighten... [more]

158. Dribblings 1/31/2005 (Media Timeout Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 January 31, 2005 Mid-American: Miami (Oh.) 74, Akron 63 (story) - It was a bonus Shakedown Saturday game that happened to fall on Sunday. The RedHawks of Miami were up by 20 and had the game well in hand going into the final five minutes, but the zippy Zips zipped off an 18-1 run to cut the lead to four. In a rare g... [more]

159. Dribblings 1/27/2005 (Silver Lining Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 January 27, 2005 Missouri Valley: Southwest Missouri State 92, Southern Illinois 77 (story) - The homestanding Bears took a 14-point lead into halftime, and stepped on the gas out of the break with an 11-4 run. Despite what the two teams' records would indicate, this was a classically-styled "romp" - a 57%-38% field... [more]

160. Dribblings 1/26/2005 (Sweeter Sixteen Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 January 26, 2005 Missouri Valley: Illinois State 77, Evansville 58 (story) - The Redbirds have overachieved this season with explosive offense and discipline - they used a 50-point second half and extreme ball control to sink the Aces. Three-point specialist Trey Guidry scored 25 points in just 21 minutes. So what n... [more]

161. Dribblings 1/23/2005 (Blizzard Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 January 23, 2005 Missouri Valley: Wichita State 58, Southern Illinois 56 (story) - The Shockers had the boards (42-32) and the defense (held SIU to 32% shooting in the second half), but the Salukis had enough streaks and runs to keep it close. WSU's Illinois transfer forward (and possible "evil twin" of your humble ... [more]

162. Dribblings 1/20/2005 (Snowbound Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 January 20, 2005 Colonial: Old Dominion 67, Hofstra 66 (story) - As was the case in their recent squeaker against Drexel, Old Dominion raced out to a big lead and then hit the cruise control button too early. The second half was filled with streaky back-and-forth runs, and the homestanding Pride grabbed a 66-64 lead... [more]

163. Dribblings 1/16/2005 (Shootaround Royale Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 January 16, 2005 Metro Atlantic: Marist 88, Niagara 87 (story) - The half-asleep Purple Eagles (9-6, 4-3 MAAC) were spent emotionally and physically after their tough loss at Manhattan the other night, and almost had enough to sleepwalk through this one. But the upstart Red Foxes (who are now a surprising 5-1 in con... [more]

164. Healing A Nation, One Basket At A Time by Kyle Whelliston

S1 January 14, 2005 There is no question that that this is a deeply divided nation, this America. The election last November showed a country split between Republicans and Democrats, retro and metro, blue states and red. And across those thin black battle lines flew the arrows of misunderstanding, hate and prejudice. J... [more]

165. Dribblings 1/13/2005 (See-Saw Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 January 13, 2005 Western Athletic: Texas-El Paso 83, Nevada 80 (OT) (story) - UTEP (11-2, 4-0 WAC) has passed its early tests against Rice and Nevada, and have established themselves as the true team to beat in the conference. But it wasn't easy on this night, against the team with whom they shared last year's regul... [more]

166. Dribblings 1/11/2005 (Wrong! Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 January 11, 2005 Mid-Continent: Western IIlinois 85, Oral Roberts 83 (story) - I said last week that we wouldn't be bothering to mention WIU that much this year, but I was brutally incorrect. ORU (11-4, 2-1 Mid-Con) couldn't get through their first conference road trip perfect, and 1,291 Leatherneck fans saw it happ... [more]

167. Dribblings 1/9/2005 (J.J. Jumper Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 January 9, 2005 West Coast: St. Mary's 66, UMPFN 61 (story) - Well, that didn't take long - now the folks who compile those goofy "mid-major polls" have to pick someone else. Homestanding St. Mary's used Mr. Three to take down the Unnamed Major Program From the Northwest, knocking down 16 of them. Senior guard Paul... [more]

168. Dribblings 1/5/2005 (Quarter-Pole Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 January 5, 2005 Hoops Nation rejoice! College football season is finally over! Mid-Continent: Oral Roberts 73, Southern Utah 67 (story) - It was a ho-hum night for the Golden Eagles' wonder twin powers: pocket-sized guard Ken Tutt dropped 22 points, and Caleb Green dub-dubbed with 14 points and 11 rebounds. ORU al... [more]

169. Dribblings 1/4/2005 (Topsy-Turvy Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 January 4, 2005 Mid-Continent: Missouri-Kansas City 77, IUPUI 61 (story) - If anyone's going to catch Oral Roberts in the Mid-Con this year it's IUPUI, who made a name for themselves (errr, make that an acronym for themselves) by going to the Tournament in 2003, then coming five points short last year. UMKC, whose ... [more]

170. Olde Tyme Basket-Ball by Kyle Whelliston

S1 December 21, 2004 Game 018: at Temple 48, Princeton 46 Monday, December 20, 2004 Liacouras Center - Philadelphia, PA Hoop-endous! Specta-basket-acular! Huzzah, huzzah! Hoop, whoop, hooray! These are but a few of the reactions and recollections that come to this reporter's mind when he thinks about this past eveni... [more]

171. MMBOW #6: Marcellus Sommerville, Bradley by Kyle Whelliston

S1 December 20, 2004 I know why you really visit this site. Once March comes around, you'll be filling out your brackets with confidence - you'll know each of the teen-seeds inside and out. While the CBS pregame camera is trained on some guy from conference X who's shooting jumpers in his sweats, and Billy Packer is fum... [more]

172. Dribblings 12/19/2004 (Thunder In The Valley Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 December 19, 2004 The West Coast Conference and Missouri Valley have a lot in common these days: both are inspiring mid-major geeks almost to the point of bad poetry, both have decent records against power leagues (MVC: 3-7, WCC: 8-10), and both can say that every team but one has a winning non-conference record so f... [more]

173. Dribblings 12/18/2004 (RPI Ain't Nothin' But A Hockey School Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 December 18, 2004 Winthrop 70, East Carolina 55 (story) - With embarrassing losses to D2 teams and potential school-poaching by the Atlantic Sun, it hasn't been the Big South's day, their week, their month, or even their year. But Winthrop has been a big bright spot, running out to a 7-2 record that includes two wins... [more]

174. Dribblings 12/15/2004 (A Tribute To A Great Man Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 December 15, 2004 Siena 79, Youngstown State 78 (4OT) (story) - The Saints and Penguins were tied at 50 after regulation, and the teams struggled to make baskets in what amounted to a complete third half - Siena barely outshot host YSU 36%-35% for the whole game. Diminutive (5'9") Tay Fisher hit three treys in the fo... [more]

175. Dribblings 12/5/2004 (Cavalcade of Recaps Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 December 5, 2004 Virginia Military Institute 72, Virginia Tech 68 (story) - Perennial Big South basement dwellers VMI had been blown out by Old Dominion 86-38 three days previous, so stopping an ACC team they hadn't beaten since 1964 was a bit, umm, unexpected. The Keydets kept the Hokies even on the boards, but sho... [more]

176. Dribblings 11/19/2004 (Full-on Sensory Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 November 19, 2004 Can you feel it? That sense that with a new season, anything's possible - whether you're a defending conference champion (Lehigh), a program on the rise (San Diego State). somewhere in the middle (Miami (Oh.)), or a hapless doormat (San Jose State). Can you smell it? Yeah, that's pretty gross. But ... [more]

177. Dribblings 11/13/2004 (Backdoor Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 November 13, 2004 The Official Wife Of The Mid-Majority™ was held up at the Boston airport due to the inclement weather, so I was able to surreptitiously grab some beer and pizza and fire up the internet radio for two mirror-image games: Syracuse vs. Princeton and Birmingham Southern vs. Mississippi State. Both... [more]

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