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: Virginia Commonwealth Rams
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1. The Billikens Win The War by Craig Hanford

S9 March 26, 2013 Game 11 of the Atlantic 10 tournament was the championship game between the league's two best teams. Last month, in its Chaifetz Arena, Saint Louis had defeated VCU handily, keyed by a 21-1 first half run that left little doubt as to the ultimate result. In this rematch at the Barclays Center, th... [more]

2. The Mountain (More Than) High Enough by Craig Hanford

S9 March 24, 2013 The UMass Minutemen entered the second A-10 semifinal with a chance to make a strong case for an NCAA tournament bid. Entering this game with a 21-10 overall record, and wins in five of their past six games, a UMass win over VCU might be enough to attract the attention of the selection committee. ... [more]

3. Reflection and Anticipation by Raymond Curren

S9 March 19, 2013 "When it's time to die, let us not discover that we have never lived."- Henry David ThoreauBROOKLYN, N.Y. - For most of us, reflection is not a large part of our daily lives. We have a list of things in our brain that we feel we have to accomplish, and we mentally cross them off when they are compl... [more]

4. Loving the Game for All the Wrong Reasons by Craig Hanford

S9 March 19, 2013 The A-10 tournament was into the evening session on the second day before the VCU Rams took to the court. While the Rams were idle up to that point, their fans were certainly not. Throughout the opening round, during which its team had a bye, VCU fans were frequently seen inside the Barclays Cen... [more]

5. Motivation and Adrenaline vs. Fatigue by Raymond Curren

S9 March 18, 2013 "A man can be destroyed, but not defeated."- Ernest HemingwayBROOKLYN, N.Y. - Although as we've established, the crowd was not going to be on their side against the VCU traveling circus, you had to figure that UMass was the more motivated squad in Saturday's second semifinal. Their upset of Temple ... [more]

6. Don't Start No Stuff by Raymond Curren

S9 March 16, 2013 "You don't want to go to war with the Rams; don't start no stuff, won't be no stuff."- VCU War ChantBROOKLYN, N.Y. - On Thursday night, Jeff Borzello of CBS Sports was asked on Twitter who had more fans in attendance, and he answered "VCU".That really wasn't all that shocking, the Rams are renowned... [more]

7. Quality Over Quantity by Ian McCormick

S9 February 27, 2013 My original plan for this Saturday was to see two games, which the other leaders on this site like Raymond Curren and Matt Cayuela have also usually tried to do on Saturdays. The plan was to see Davidson play Appalachian State at 4, and then hopefully make it to the UNC Charlotte campus by 6:30 t... [more]

8. Havoc Quelled by James Squire

S9 February 25, 2013 Butler and VCU both home games for the A-10 school that plays in the metropolitan area where I live? I'm there, looking to see how these Final Four combatants from 2 years ago will fair. The Butler game turned out to be one-sided, but I was still pumped to see how #HAVOC would fare at Chaifetz Aren... [more]

9. A Losing Streak? by Parks Smith

S9 January 31, 2013 One of my favorite movie quotes comes from Major League and legendary manager Lou Brown: "OK, we won a game yesterday. If we win today, it's called 'two in a row'. And if we win again tomorrow, it's called a 'winning streak'...IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE!". It has been quite some time since VCU fans had... [more]

10. Straddling the Red Line by Raymond Curren

S9 January 31, 2013 "I'd like to live as a poor man with lots of money." - Pablo PicassoKINGSTON, R.I. - Danny Hurley hasn't had a heck of a lot to smile about in his inaugural season at the University of Rhode Island. Taking over in late March, he pretty much had to play the hand he was dealt this season as far as ... [more]

11. Black and Blue by Parks Smith

S9 January 25, 2013 It's hard not to become a rival with a school that is a mere ten or fifteen minutes away and its certainly something the University of Richmond and VCU haven't avoided. The two schools are nine miles apart but couldn't be more different. While Richmond has a picturesque suburban campus with just ov... [more]

12. Late Night Thriller by Parks Smith

S9 January 20, 2013 It seems like its been a season of firsts for VCU on their inaugural voyage through the Atlantic 10. Every time you open the paper you hear about some record being broken or what not. This past week was the story of VCU being ranked in both polls for the first time since 1985. Personally, I think p... [more]

13. The Agony by Parks Smith

S9 January 7, 2013 I had to hustle back to Richmond from Farmville to check out mid-major greatness C.J. McCollum and the Lehigh Mountain Hawks take on VCU for a 5PM tip in Richmond. I knew there was a possibility that I wouldn't make it, but who could pass up a game like this? I thought I'd see a good game, but not ... [more]

14. Everybody is a Winner! by Parks Smith

S9 December 22, 2012 I went into Friday night's game at VCU not expecting much of anything. I knew my Lancers were going to get blown out, but it is still always cool to see Longwood in my hometown. We had a great pregame event for Longwood fans, alumni, and students at a bar not too far from the Siegel Center named ... [more]

15. The Storm Before the Storm by Parks Smith

S9 December 19, 2012 I was pretty lucky growing up. I hit the dad and grandpa lottery. My dad is a golf professional, so free golf never hurts. My grandpa (my mom's dad) ran a golf shop in town just about five minutes away from my dad's course. What does this have to do with anything regarding basketball? Both always... [more]

16. Mismatched at Home by Ian McCormick

S9 November 26, 2012 Game #9-092: Virginia Commonwealth Rams at Winthrop EaglesNovember 17, 2012 2:00 pmWinthrop ColiseumBBState Stats/Recap Most early season games in college basketball often run into problems of lacking parity or a good basketball atmosphere. Our mid-majors most often play guarantee games at this ye... [more]

17. Black and Yellow: An Unlikely Rivalry? by Parks Smith

S9 November 14, 2012 Game #9-029: Wichita State Shockers at Virginia Commonwealth RamsNovember 13, 2012 7:00 pmSiegel CenterBBState Stats/RecapHow do two schools over 1,200 miles apart develop a rivalry? Sure you don't see it happen very often, especially on the mid-major level, but it has seemingly become so between tw... [more]

18. Just One More by Seth Hunt

S8 March 18, 2012 Game #8-774: Virginia Commonwealth Rams vs. Indiana HoosiersMarch 17, 2012 8:10 pmPortland, ORBBState Stats/RecapAs I took my seat for the round of 32 game between VCU and Indiana I knew the two games in tonight's session were the last basketball games I would see until the fall. The second game was... [more]

19. My Season Ends in a Loss, Too (feat. @VCUpav) by Kenny Ocker

S8 March 17, 2012 Game #8-774: Virginia Commonwealth Rams vs. Indiana HoosiersMarch 17, 2012 8:10 pmPortland, ORBBState Stats/RecapWriter's note: This is my final of 13 essays for The Mid-Majority this season, barring unforeseen #ghostbracket games. It felt like it was in the bag. I was 99 3/4 percent confident that ... [more]

20. You Don`t Want to Go to War With the Rams by Kenny Ocker

S8 March 17, 2012 Game #8-766: Virginia Commonwealth Rams vs. Wichita State ShockersMarch 15, 2012 8:15 pmPortland, ORBBState Stats/RecapJared Peyton stands behind the baseline of Virginia Commonwealth's basket. Clad in a black softball jersey with “Rams” across the front in script, and the number 1 on his ... [more]

21. Pacific Northwest Rockfight by Seth Hunt

S8 March 17, 2012 Game #8-766: Virginia Commonwealth Rams vs. Wichita State ShockersMarch 15, 2012 8:15 pmPortland, ORBBState Stats/RecapThe term "rockfight" is my favorite new word from Season 8. When I see it I think of the great East Coast mid-major leagues like the CAA or A10, where all the teams play tough and t... [more]

22. George Mason vs. Virginia Commonwealth 3/4/2012 by Gary Moore

S8 March 15, 2012 Game #8-758: George Mason Patriots vs. Virginia Commonwealth RamsMarch 4, 2012 4:30 pmRichmond, VABBState Stats/RecapThe George Mason-VCU semifinal was the 56th Division I game I had covered live this season. It perhaps might be the most memorable one from start to finish. I can probably say beyond ... [more]

23. CAA Final: Drexel vs VCU + STOLEN TIGERBALLZ! by Joshua Guiher

S8 March 9, 2012 Game #8-721: Virginia Commonwealth Rams vs. Drexel DragonsMarch 5, 2012 7:00 pmRichmond, VABBState Stats/RecapThe CAA final between the Drexel Dragons and the Virginia Commonwealth Rams was game one of my six games in 28 hours journey. Since I was headed to Winston-Salem the next day, I stayed about... [more]

24. As Usual, Havoc Prevails by Gary Moore

S8 March 5, 2012 Game #8-699: Northeastern Huskies vs. Virginia Commonwealth RamsMarch 3, 2012 6:00 pmRichmond, VABBState Stats/Recap Coach Bill Coen had a huge task before him on Saturday evening. His Northeastern team was playing VCU in the Richmond Coliseum in a "neutral" site game. But as most people who follow ... [more]

25. 5 Bucks For a Final Four Team? I`ll Take It by Matt Cayuela

S8 February 23, 2012 Game #8-607: Virginia Commonwealth Rams at North Carolina-Wilmington SeahawksFebruary 22, 2012 7:00 pmTrask ColiseumBBState Stats/RecapWith only a few days left in the regular season, I was excited that I was going to get a chance to see VCU play. Everyone knows what they were able to accomplish las... [more]

26. Wrighteous Victory by Alan Kelly

S8 February 17, 2012 Game #8-578: Virginia Commonwealth Rams at George Mason PatriotsFebruary 14, 2012 9:00 pmPatriot CenterBBState Stats/RecapI believe that we will win.It’s fun to say. It's more fun to chant with your entire student section. It’s a great slogan for The Mid-Majority. It’s become a recognized rallying c... [more]

27. Barbecue and VCU in Newark by Gary Moore

S8 January 15, 2012 Game #8-396: Virginia Commonwealth Rams at Delaware Blue HensJanuary 14, 2012 4:00 pmBob Carpenter CenterBBState Stats/RecapOver the years, I have been fortunate to go to many college basketball venues. Some, such as Webster Arena in Bridgeport, Conn., aren't conducive to college basketball games, e... [more]

28. What`s Next For Shaka of the Year 2011 by Raymond Curren

S8 January 4, 2012 Game #8-335: Virginia Commonwealth Rams at Hofstra PrideJanuary 2, 2012 7:00 pmHofstra ArenaBBState Stats/Recap With apologies to former winners Shaka Khan, Shaka Hislop, and Shaka Zulu, the runaway Shaka of the Year award for 2011 went to VCU coach Shaka Smart. This isn’t the forum or time for a f... [more]

29. VCU Passes the Eye Test by Gary Moore

S8 January 3, 2012 Game #8-335: Virginia Commonwealth Rams at Hofstra PrideJanuary 2, 2012 7:00 pmHofstra ArenaBBState Stats/Recap"You talk about the eye test. This one doesn't pass the laugh test."By now, everyone should know the story of the 2010-11 VCU Rams. Finished fourth in the CAA, lost in the CAA Championship ... [more]

30. Two Coaches and the Struggle by Kyle Rossi

S8 December 30, 2011 Game #8-308: Virginia Commonwealth Rams at Akron ZipsDecember 29, 2011 7:00 pmJames A. Rhodes ArenaBBState Stats/Recap“Go Zips!”That was the simple proclamation Akron coach Keith Dambrot made on my star Christmas present this year, a team-autographed basketball. And go the Zips have of late, winning... [more]

31. The Mid-Major Dream by Ian McCormick

S8 November 18, 2011 Game #8-053: Virginia Commonwealth Rams vs. Seton Hall PiratesNovember 17, 2011 5:30 pmCharleston, SCBBState Stats/RecapAs a High Point fan, there are unrealistic things I dream about. I would love to see at every away game hundreds of my fellow Panther fans following the team who are commited as I ... [more]

32. 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]

33. There's a Basketball Game Today at 6:09 PM ET by Kyle Whelliston

S7 April 2, 2011 SAB HOUSTON -- For the past five months and one day, I've been very careful about making as few forward-looking statements as possible -- except when specifically hired to. This business, this "sports writing," is filthy with predictions about future events that we writers have no control over, and... [more]

34. Commonwealth by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 30, 2011 CHICAGO -- Outside the art deco-inspired and quickly-aging United Center is a statue of Michael Jordan, eternally suspended in flight above a roiling sea of overmatched defenders. Underneath, an inscription: "The Best There Ever Was, The Best There Ever Will Be." On the grey afternoon of Sunday, M... [more]

35. The Low Point by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 29, 2011 LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- On the evening of February 15, 2011, the Siegel Center at Virginia Commonwealth University was packed to capacity, but the home fans were solemn and silent. The visiting team from George Mason had jumped out to a 34-19 halftime lead. The Patriot guards had rained down three-po... [more]

36. 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]

37. 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]

38. Something Good's Going To Happen by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 25, 2011 SAN ANTONIO -- The power of a first impression comes from how forcefully it floods the vacuum of the unknown, how it fills a blank slate so completely. Before actual experience with a place and the people there, it's just another dot on a map. My first contact with Richmond, Virginia came in March... [more]

39. Game 7-099: NCAA Round of 32, Southwest Region 3/11 by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 20, 2011 [11] Virginia Commonwealth Rams vs. [3] Purdue BoilermakersMarch 20, 2011 7:10 pmChicago, ILBBState Stats/Recap On Saturday night, we left Cleveland and headed west to Chicago to catch back up with the VCU Rams, the first PIG team to win a Round of 64 game. And we saw them become the first PIG tea... [more]

40. The NCAA Tournament Diff: Round of 32 Day 2 by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 20, 2011 This, March 20, 2011, is CAA Sunday. We're not talking about the Creative Artists Agency or the Canadian Auto Association, it's all about the Colonial Mother____ing Athetic Association. Three bids are fantastic and all, but the NCAA Tournament is about backing those bids up with NCAA Tournament vict... [more]

41. Game 7-097: NCAA Round of 64, East Region 3/14 by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 19, 2011 [14] Indiana State Sycamores vs. [3] Syracuse OrangeMarch 18, 2011 9:57 pmCleveland, OHBBState Stats/Recap Thousands of Big Blue fans -- the real Big Blue -- made the trip up from Terre Haute to spend all night in Quicken Loans Arena and watch their Valley champs go down to Big Orange. And they all... [more]

42. The NCAA Tournament Diff: Round of 64 Day 2 by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 18, 2011 CLEVELAND -- Something's missing at the Q this weekend. "The Diff," the "statistic" from the Gund Arena days that tells viewers the difference between the number of points the two teams have scored in plus/minus format, was blacked out on the hardwired media room scoreboard by the NCAA. It was rem... [more]

43. Game 7-093: NCAA First Four, Game 4 by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 17, 2011 [11] Virginia Commonwealth Rams vs. [11] Southern California TrojansMarch 16, 2011 9:00 pmDayton, OHBBState Stats/Recap All in for VCU. It's the NCAA Tournament, and it's the return of eight versus five. As for 11 and 12 seeds playing in to the Big Bracket, we now have two games' worth of visual e... [more]

44. 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]

45. Tourney Central 3/8/2011 (Day 8) by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 8, 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 PointsCongratulation... [more]

46. Game 7-078: Metro Atlantic Championship by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 8, 2011 [5] Saint Peter's Peacocks vs. [2] Iona GaelsMarch 7, 2011 7:00 pmBridgeport, CTBBState Stats/Recap It's a title game. Scissors, nets, ladders, and trophies too. Serious ESPN2 airtime for Bally. Memories of MAAC hair: Mike Frensley and the ponytail, and Ricky Soliver Mohawk Night at Iona. The Jour... [more]

47. Tourney Central 3/7/2011 (Day 7) by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 7, 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 PointsCongratulation... [more]

48. Game 7-075/076: Metro Atlantic Semifinals by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 7, 2011 [4] Saint Peter's Peacocks at [1] Fairfield StagsMarch 6, 2011 2:00 pmBBState Stats/Recap [3] Rider Broncs vs. [2] Iona GaelsMarch 6, 2011 4:00 pmBBState Stats/Recap It's the MAAC semifinals. Anthony Kiedis howls in a cavernous arena. It's a day of Tri-State recollection: we remember the Iona 'ha... [more]

49. Tourney Central 3/6/2011 (Day 6) by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 6, 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 PointsCongratulation... [more]

50. Game 7-071/072/073/074: America East Quarterfinals by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 6, 2011 [5] Stony Brook Seawolves vs. [4] Albany Great DanesMarch 5, 2011 12:05 pmBBState Stats/Recap [9] Binghamton Bearcats vs. [1] Vermont CatamountsMarch 5, 2011 2:15 pmBBState Stats/Recap [7] New Hampshire Wildcats vs. [2] Boston University TerriersMarch 5, 2011 6:05 pmBBState Stats/Recap [6] Hartford... [more]

51. 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]

52. 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]

53. 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]

54. 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]

55. Game 7-057: George Mason at VCU by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 16, 2011 George Mason Patriots at Virginia Commonwealth RamsFebruary 15, 2011 7:00 pmSiegel CenterBBState Stats/Recap VCU hadn't lost two consecutive games at the Siegel Center since it opened. Broken streak, broken hearts, broken signboard. @midmajority Game Tweets18:50 Game No. 7-057: George Mason at VC... [more]

56. Game 7-052: South Dakota at New Jersey Tech by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 14, 2011 South Dakota Coyotes at New Jersey Tech HighlandersFebruary 12, 2011 4:00 pmFleisher Athletic CenterBBState Stats/Recap Life and love on the road in the Great West. @midmajority Game Tweets15:46 Game No. 7-052: South Dakota at NJIT. You're in Highlander Country. #therecanonlybeone http://img.ly/2... [more]

57. Stardate 95-20110210: The Emperor of Germany by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 10, 2011 Your Last Man Live entries were quite enjoyable to read. I also got a kick out of trying to figure out who the Conduit was and following the #LastMan and #FindLastMan twitter hashtags. Congrats on making it past day two anyways.- FrankPROVIDENCE, R.I. -- And so after two days, 11 hours, 23 minutes... [more]

58. Stardate 88-20110203: Power to the Pixels by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 3, 2011 Today is National Pixelvision Day, and the festivities will last from 7 pm ET to after midnight. If you'd like to get involved, shuttle down. PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- An old hippie once proclaimed that information wants to be free. He was a publisher whose bound publication eventually folded. Me, I thi... [more]

59. 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]

60. 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]

61. Game 7-041: Wagner at Bryant by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 29, 2011 Wagner Seahawks at Bryant BulldogsJanuary 27, 2011 7:00 pmChace Athletic CenterBBState Stats/Recap Those of us old-time sports fans left who remember television's rabbit-ears era (and know the difference between UHF and VHF), probably appreciate the 21st Century Full Court/#pixelvision reality mor... [more]

62. 800 Game Project: Practice Run #3 by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 28, 2011 It's Friday morning, and it's time for more game reports. First, though, let's take a look back at Thursday's action via 360, including the strange story of Towson getting caught in the snow on the way to George Mason. Colonial: Virginia Commonwealth beats Hofstra 82-67 (G!O!T!N!)West Coast: McConne... [more]

63. Stardate 81-20110127: Gentlemen About It by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 27, 2011 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- The real state of the Union is that it's changing faster than ever. When you're away from the place you live for an entire month, don't expect it to be the same when you return. Here in Providence's baseball suburb, there are more "for sale" signs on frozen front lawns than ever... [more]

64. Stardate 79-20110125: Winning Enough by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 25, 2011 BOSTON -- This day contains failure. Every day does. Some failures are life-changing losses, some are spectacular flameouts, but most fall within the category of regular everyday minuses. You might now perform up to somebody's expectations today, or you might forget an important something somewher... [more]

65. 800 Game Project: Practice Run #2 by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 21, 2011 If you're just joining us, or re-joining us, 2011-12 at The Mid-Majority (a/k/a Season 8) will feature an experiment in college basketball crowdsourcing. We're calling it the 800 Game Project, and we're going to try to put together the biggest cross-referenced national spectator game report database... [more]

66. Stardate 46-20101223: Winter Break by Kyle Whelliston

S7 December 23, 2010 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- This is the last Stardate until 52-20101229 (a Wednesday), at which time we'll turn our attention away from Red Line Upsets to conference play. There will be a Chat Block on Christmas Eve at 4 pm Eastern, and if there's anybody around, we'll talk about whatever you want to talk ... [more]

67. 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]

68. Tourney Central 3/8/2010 (Day 7) by Kyle Whelliston

S6 March 8, 2010 Bullet Points All hail Northern Iowa, repeat winners of the Missouri Valley Conference's Arch Madness. The top-seeded Panthers put on a strong second-half burst to defeat No. 2 Wichita State, 67-52. Four of Sunday's semifinals set up Monday championship games. The Colonial title comes down to a m... [more]

69. The Hoops National: February 28, 2010 by The Robot

S6 February 28, 2010 Big Games Colonial: at Old Dominion 73, Virginia Commonwealth 70 ODU - 23-8 (15-3) [RPI: 42, State: 42] VCU - 20-8 (11-7) [RPI: 62, State: 49] Star of the Game: Frank Hassell 17 Pts (8-9 FG, 1-3 FT), 6 Reb REGULAR SEASON CAA CHAMPS: ODU Ends Perfect Home Season With Win Over VCU - Gerald Lee scor... [more]

70. The Hoops National: February 21, 2010 by The Robot

S6 February 21, 2010 Big Games BracketBusters: at Butler (HL) 70, Siena (MAAC) 53 BUTL - 25-4 (17-0) [RPI: 21, State: 12] SIE - 22-6 (15-1) [RPI: 31, State: 46] Star of the Game: Shelvin Mack 23 Pts (8-14 FG, 4-5 FT), 6 Reb Mack and Hayward lead way to Bracketbuster win on Senior Day - Shelvin Mack scored 23 point... [more]

71. The Hoops National: February 17, 2010 by The Robot

S6 February 17, 2010 Big Games Missouri Valley: at Northern Iowa 70, Creighton 52 UNI - 23-3 (14-2) [RPI: 25, State: 14] CREI - 13-14 (8-8) [RPI: 132, State: 142] Star of the Game: Johnny Moran 17 Pts (6-10 FG, 2-2 FT) #24 UNI Clinches 1st-Ever MVC Regular Season Outright Championship With 70-52 Win Over Creighton ... [more]

72. The Hoops National: February 10, 2010 by The Robot

S6 February 10, 2010 Colonial: at George Mason 82, Virginia Commonwealth 77 (OT) GMU - 16-9 (11-3) [RPI: 132, State: 104] VCU - 17-6 (9-5) [RPI: 49, State: 41] Star of the Game: Michael Morrison 18 Pts (8-10 FG, 2-3 FT), 10 Reb Men's Basketball Rallies Late, Downs VCU in Overtime - Cam Long hit a pair of free throws ... [more]

73. 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]

74. The Hoops National: February 8, 2010 by The Robot

S6 February 8, 2010 Big Games Atlantic 14: at Richmond 71, Temple 54 RICH - 18-6 (7-2) [RPI: 31, State: 41] TU - 19-5 (7-2) [RPI: 17, State: 35] Star of the Game: Kevin Anderson 29 Pts (11-17 FG, 5-5 FT) Richmond Topples Temple, 71-54 (via Richmond) Atlantic 14: at Dayton 90, Xavier 65 UD - 16-6 (5-3) [RPI: 33, S... [more]

75. The Hoops National: February 5, 2010 by Kyle Whelliston

S6 February 5, 2010 One of the greatest paradoxes in our human condition is that we seek acceptance from a greater collective, when all we need in order to find fulfillment and satisfaction is one single Other from among those strange billions. Just one, somebody with whom you can lock eyes, who will say, "I understa... [more]

76. The State of the Other 24: Week 8 by Kyle Whelliston

S6 February 4, 2010 The State of College Basketball is a 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 Final Four ... [more]

77. The Hoops National: February 3, 2010 by Kyle Whelliston

S6 February 3, 2010 I'll never forget Christmas 1987. The anticipation made my little underdeveloped heart jackrabbit in its bony cage. I recall bounding down the old toasty staircase, pushing my little sister aside, my eyes wide as canned hams. And there, 'neath the tinsel-topped tree, was the box I'd longed for so ... [more]

78. In the Band for a Day by Kyle Whelliston

S6 January 26, 2010 BOSTON -- My high school, just an hour's drive north of here, wasn't big enough for a band -- unless you count the garage-rock outfits that banged out Grateful Dead covers in the dorm rooms. It wasn't until I got to college when I crossed paths with "pep band people," strange creatures who tended ... [more]

79. Get Big by Kyle Whelliston

S6 January 7, 2010 PHILADELPHIA -- Malik Rose asked me to go to Drexel. Not in person, but through a TV set. It was a somewhat elegant request, though -- it came in the form of two-point dunk shots and sweet jumpers, as he led the Dragons to a stunning 12-over-5 upset over Memphis in the first found of the 1996 NCAA... [more]

80. 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]

81. NCAA First Round: Thursday's Games by Kyle Whelliston

S5 March 19, 2009 MINNEAPOLIS -- Not to get all Jean Shepherd on you, but when I started as an undergrad at the University of Oregon there were no coffee shops near campus. Then one opened up on the corner near the bookstore, and it had couches and soft music and 50 different ways to drink coffee. It was the hottest ... [more]

82. Champions of Hoops Nation by Kyle Whelliston

S5 March 16, 2009 Aside from reality show winners and one-hit wonders, nothing is forgotten quite as quickly as Championship Fortnight when the NCAA Tournament brackets are released. Some of the teams we've been following all season are destined for great and lasting glory, which will be fulfilled and certified once ... [more]

83. 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]

84. The State of the Other 22, Final Edition 2009 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 March 15, 2009 The State of College Basketball is a decrepit old 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 th... [more]

85. Good Morning Hoops Nation: March 12 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 March 12, 2009 KATY, Tex. -- Quick programming note: we've run into some technical difficulties here in Texas, so that marathon chat we promised has to be postponed. Next week seems a better fit anyway, since there will be an actual 65-team bracket to talk about. We'll do a regular chat tomorrow from Cleveland at ... [more]

86. Tourney Central 3/10/2009 (Day 8) by Kyle Whelliston

S5 March 10, 2009 Bullet Points Four more champions were crowned last night, teams that will automatically continue on to the NCAA Tournament. Congratulations to Virginia Commonwealth (Colonial), Siena (Metro Atlantic), Chattanooga (SoCon) and Gonzaga (West Coast). Three autobids will be granted tonight: the Su... [more]

87. Tourney Central 3/9/2009 (Day 7) by Kyle Whelliston

S5 March 9, 2009 Bullet Points Northern Iowa has qualified for the NCAA Tournament by winning the Missouri Valley championship. Davidson was eliminated in the Southern Conference semifinals by the College of Charleston. After semifinal rounds yesterday, finals are set in seven leagues: the CAA (George Mason... [more]

88. 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]

89. 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]

90. The State of the Other 22, Week 14 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 March 6, 2009 The State of College Basketball is a rapidly-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 of t... [more]

91. 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]

92. The State of the Other 22, Week 13 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 February 27, 2009 The State of College Basketball is a relatively 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 344 (here's the long-winded version). In its overall form, it retroactively picked three of ... [more]

93. The State of the Other 22, Week 12 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 February 20, 2009 The State of College Basketball is a somewhat 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 344 (here's the long-winded version). In its overall form, it retroactively picked three of th... [more]

94. The State of the Other 22, Week 11 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 February 12, 2009 The State of College Basketball is a kinda-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 344 (here's the long-winded version). In its overall form, it retroactively picked three of the F... [more]

95. 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]

96. 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]

97. The State of the Other 22, Week 9 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 January 30, 2009 The State of College Basketball is a sorta-newish 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 th... [more]

98. 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]

99. Game! Of! The! Night! 1/27/2009: Northeastern at Virginia Commonwealth by Kyle Whelliston

S5 January 27, 2009 Northeastern at Virginia Commonwealth (Colonial) Siegel Center - Richmond, VA 9:00 PM EST How many eyes do you need to finish this fight? You're gonna eat lightning, and you're gonna crap thunder! See that look in their eyes, Rock? You got to get that look back, Rock. Eye of the tiger. Get him a b... [more]

100. 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]

101. The State of the Other 22, Week 8 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 January 22, 2009 The State of College Basketball is a sorta newish 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 th... [more]

102. 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]

103. Good Morning Hoops Nation: January 8 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 January 8, 2009 BIRMINGHAM -- Normally in this space, I'll meander on about some philosophical thing or some other non-basketball topic, and then field a pile of back-channel comments about what a horrible job I'm doing and how I should just give up. This is exciting for me, because I get to play out this daily scr... [more]

104. Good Morning Hoops Nation: January 6 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 January 6, 2009 NASHVILLE -- A lot's happened in the past 48 hours. I've driven 1,450 miles through high Colorado mountain passes, endless Kansas, Oklahoma hailstorms. I've watched Southwest Airlines' careful domino-stack of hourly gate departures collapse under the weight of a weather delay, into a maelstrom of sc... [more]

105. The State of the Other 22: Week 5 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 December 31, 2008 The State of College Basketball is a 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 344 (here's the long-winded version). In its overall form, it retroactively picked three of the Final F... [more]

106. Game! Of! The! Night! 11/17/2008: Akron at Virginia Commonwealth by Kyle Whelliston

S5 December 17, 2008 Akron at Virginia Commonwealth Siegel Center - Richmond, VA 7:30 PM EST The best thing about BracketBusters, in my opinion, is the BracketBusters return game. Sure, the chance for TV exposure in February is nice, but that only affects the handful of teams angling for NCAA consideration. All 100 or... [more]

107. MMBOW #3: Eric Maynor, Virginia Commonwealth by Kyle Whelliston

S5 December 1, 2008 Most fans know him for "the Dagger" against Duke two seasons ago, but he's been making opponents say "dang" for the better part of three years. Over the past seven days, he put together one of the most impressive three-game stretches seen in Hoops Nation so far this season. Eric Maynor is our third ... [more]

108. The State Of The Other 22, Final Edition 2008 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 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]

109. Taking What Doesn't Belong To Us by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 17, 2008 I can't think of anything that captures the essence of modern corporate America better than Selection Sunday. Four and a half months of sweat and blood spilled by on-court workers is distilled into numbers and charts, spreadsheets and presentations. Merits are debated by people in suits in a locked ... [more]

110. 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]

111. Tourney Central 3/10/2008 (Day 7) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 10, 2008 Bullet Points All hail Drake, double-champions of the Missouri Valley Conference. Not only did the Bulldogs capture their first MVC tourney ever, it was the first time in 10 years the regular season champs survived Arch Madness. Four finals tonight: we'll have autobids delivered in the Colonial, Me... [more]

112. Tourney Central 3/9/2008 (Day 6) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 9, 2008 Bullet Points Three autobids were given out yesterday. All hail mighty Winthrop of the Big South, Austin Peay of the Ohio Valley Conference, and the Atlantic Sun's Belmont. All are off to the Big Dance! One final today -- the championship of the Missouri Valley Conference. Drake and Illinois State... [more]

113. 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]

114. The Boubacar 3/7/2008 (Fun in the A-Sun Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 7, 2008 NASHVILLE -- There is nothing in the world more fun that this fortnight, this extended Championship Week. Days full of games, wave after wave of cheerleaders, pep bands, student sections and players' moms. Every two hours new ones come along come, a blurry time-smear of orange, red, green, blue, gol... [more]

115. 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]

116. The Boubacar 3/4/2008 (Two-Bid Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 4, 2008 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- M is for March, and madness, and mania, and magic; any etymologist knows they all came from the same source, Ma-, a Anglo-Saxon derivative meaning "super-awesome." M is also for Mid-major. It's our time, and this is our year. With so many struggling power-conference teams trying t... [more]

117. The Boubacar 2/28/2008 (Senior Night Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 February 28, 2008 WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. -- One of the great traditions in college basketball is Senior Night, the last home game of the regular season. All outgoing seniors, no matter if they were four-year starters with awards and all-league selections, or guys who played the parts of opposing players on the practi... [more]

118. The State Of The Other 22, Week 15 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 February 26, 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]

119. 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]

120. 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]

121. 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]

122. 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]

123. The Boubacar 2/18/2008 (Network Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 February 18, 2008 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Plenty of folks have the day off for the holiday today, but we have a patriotic duty to provide you with a Supersized Boubacar that takes into account all the action from the weekend that was. We'll get to that in a second, but I wanted to share with you my most recent fantastic... [more]

124. The State Of The Other 22, Week 13 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 February 12, 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]

125. 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]

126. The Boubacar 2/11/2008 (No Fun Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 February 11, 2008 HAMDEN, Conn. -- We have been, and we stand, accused. Accused! Of having too much fun around here, of shifting the focus off basketball and running too many contests, pictures of pretty girls, cartoons and snapshots of pet basketballs. So we're going to put on our super-serious faces, talk in our su... [more]

127. 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]

128. 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]

129. 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]

130. Game! Of! The! Night! 1/29/2008: Virginia Commonwealth at George Mason by Kyle Whelliston

S4 January 29, 2008 Virginia Commonwealth at George Mason (CAA) Patriot Center - Fairfax, VA 7:00 PM EST Tonight, we have a rematch of a CAA title game that was so hot, John Feinstein handed an NCAA bid to the 18-15 Patriots after they lost. (Logic somehow prevailed.) Bally had both these teams going to the 2... [more]

131. The Boubacar 1/28/2008 (Face Off Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 January 28, 2008 HOUSTON -- I was thinking over the weekend, while I wasn't at any games, about all the games I go to. A total of 57 games so far this year, headed for yet another 100-game season. Having done 100 twice now, it's tough to find triple-digit motivation anymore. Need to turn it into some kind of contest... [more]

132. The Boubacar 1/25/2008 (The Other Red Line Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 January 25, 2008 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- I tried to make it simple, I tried to offer the sound-bite answer. I tried to simplify things on the far side of complexity, because 'tis a gift to be simple. But I attempted to shave with Occam's razor, but ended up having to wear a small piece of toilet paper, attached with spit... [more]

133. The State Of The Other 22, Week 10 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 January 22, 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]

134. The Boubacar 1/21/2008 (Metadata Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 January 21, 2008 MORAGA, Ca. -- One of the most-asked question types I get is in regards to these datelines. Where am I? Where have I been? How many games am I up to? I know it's all pleasant small-talk, and folks are just trying to make conversation, but I've been meaning to put together a one-webpage answer to ans... [more]

135. 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]

136. 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]

137. Game! Of! The! Night! 1/16/2008: Delaware at Virginia Commonwealth by Kyle Whelliston

S4 January 16, 2008 Delaware at Virginia Commonwealth (Colonial) Siegel Center - Richmond, VA 7:30 PM EST A lot of stuff's changed since last time these two teams met, back on Dec. 20, 2006 when the Rams mopped the floor with Delaware 79-60. Like, for instance, the inherent basketball power that the Blue Hens... [more]

138. The State Of The Other 22, Week 8 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 January 8, 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]

139. The Boubacar 1/3/2008 (Caucus Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 January 3, 2008 DES MOINES -- We usually leave the politics to bloggers who enjoy disseminating red-or-blue opinions and sorting through 300 comments' worth of fallout (You're in league with al-Qaeda! No, you are!), but it's been fascinating to see the caucus process in action up close. People around here take this... [more]

140. The State Of The Other 22, Week 7 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 January 2, 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]

141. 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]

142. The State Of The Other 22, Week 5 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 December 18, 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]

143. The State Of The Other 22, Week 4 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 December 11, 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]

144. The State Of The Other 22, Week 3 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 December 4, 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]

145. The Boubacar 12/3/2007 (Hey! Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 December 3, 2007 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The "e" in e-mail was supposed to stand for "emproved" and "enstant." It was designed to be better than regular mail, because it would arrive there the second you sent it and you can feel confident enough in the system that every e-mail will be properly received. Sure, you can't ... [more]

146. The Boubacar 11/30/2007 (TWIsM Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 November 30, 2007 DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Welcome to your weekend Big B, the final one of November. Hard to believe it's almost December already. Season's almost a month old. Say, how's the family? Kids alright? Good, good to hear. This weather we're having... never thought we'd still be in short sleeves and singing Christ... [more]

147. The State Of The Other 22, Week 2: 11/27/2007 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 November 27, 2007 I know, I know, I promised to do this last week. I didn't. I'm doing it now. Welcome to the first edition of The State Of The Other 22, a weekly look at the best and hottest mids in convenient top-ten form. There is no Week 1. The State of College Basketball is a brand-new ratings system that uses ... [more]

148. 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]

149. How Far Did They Go? by Kyle Whelliston

S3 March 19, 2007 In light of this great WaPo article about relative quality of hotels in the NCAA tournament's first weekend, might as well bring out the dist-o-meter again. How far from home did the committee send teams? (Distances are from campus to city center) (East 11) George Washington -- 2372 mi. to Sacramen... [more]

150. 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]

151. NCAA First Round 2007 by the Number$ by Kyle Whelliston

S3 March 14, 2007 So what are the real upsets? When it comes to college sports, it's all about the Benjamins. Here, then, are the first round matchups with the participating schools' 2005-06 athletic budgets. "Differences" are based on the high seed's budget. As always, expense data from the Office of Postsecondary E... [more]

152. 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]

153. Tourney Central 3/11/07 by Kyle Whelliston

S3 March 11, 2007 Bullet Points Albany, Long Beach State, Miami (Oh.), Florida A&M, Jackson State and New Mexico State, welcome to the dance. All won their respective conference tournament championships, and are all super-great. LBSU is the only double-champion from Saturday, following up a regular-season title w... [more]

154. Tourney Central 3/10/07 by Kyle Whelliston

S3 March 10, 2007 Bullet Points Holy Cross is back in the NCAA Tournament after beating Bucknell in the third consecutive Bison-Crusader title game. It's not a rivalry unless both teams get to win. Nevada was sent out of the WAC tourney with a freaky foul moment against Utah State. In other No. 4-over-1 action, Toled... [more]

155. Tourney Central 3/9/07 by Kyle Whelliston

S3 March 9, 2007 Bullet Points Most action played according to seed yesterday, but there were a few upsets: Morgan State over South Carolina State in the MEAC's 4-5 game, and both low seeds won in the SWAC, including No. 6 Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Yeah, there were a couple of pretty surprising upsets too. Lamar knocked ... [more]

156. Tourney Central 3/8/07 by Kyle Whelliston

S3 March 8, 2007 Bullet Points Central Connecticut State from the NEC is going dancing, and so is Weber State of the Big Sky. Both are double champions of their respective leagues, and both just plain rock. No autobids tonight. Deep breath... No surprises in the MAC quarters, or the SWAC and MEAC early rounds, but ... [more]

157. Tourney Central 3/7/07 by Kyle Whelliston

S3 March 7, 2007 Bullet Points Wright State are double-champions of the Horizon League, having beaten a Butler team that's been all up in the national grill this season. Do you take the Raiders seriously yet? Oral Roberts, repeat double champions of the mighty mighty Mid-Con, and North Texas has claimed the champion... [more]

158. Tourney Central 3/6/07 by Kyle Whelliston

S3 March 6, 2007 Bullet Points Three championships were settled yesterday. All hail Virginia Commonwealth, double champions of the grand old Colonial, who held off a pesky George Mason team. And congratulations to Niagara, which beat Siena to claim the MAAC tournament championship. Oh yeah, andUnnamed Major Program ... [more]

159. Tourney Central 3/5/07 by Kyle Whelliston

S3 March 5, 2007 Bullet Points In Sunday's only championship game, Creighton beat Southern Illinois to win the Missouri Valley autobid. Cinderella 2: Electric Boogaloo... George Mason upset Old Dominion in the CAA semis out of the No. 6 seed. Siena upset Marist in a No.5-over-1 job in the Metro Atlantic semis, and S... [more]

160. 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]

161. 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]

162. 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]

163. 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]

164. 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]

165. 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]

166. The Daily Paragraph 2/12/2007 (Magic Mushroom Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 February 12, 2007 BALTIMORE -- OK, OK, OK, OK. I've read your e-mails, I've received your calls and media inquiries. The big question of the weekend is not what happened in the huge mid-major games these past few days, but what are we to do about this? And this? Let's get the easy punchline out of the way first: Ther... [more]

167. 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]

168. 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]

169. The Daily Paragraph 2/6/2007 (Physical Pain Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 February 6, 2007 LOS ANGELES -- I'm not going to get all weird on you and tell you that covering basketball is tantamount to some kind of athletic event, but boy-oh-boy can it take a physical toll. Last night, I ventured out to Gersten Pavilion (a/k/a "Hank's House") to take some notes on theUnnamed Program From t... [more]

170. The Daily Paragraph 2/2/2007 (Layover Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 February 2, 2007 PHOENIX - O, layover... Haven of annoying cell-phone talk, home of heavily made-up airline employees yet unhelpful gate agents (that'll be seventy-five bucks to fly standby, please), opportunity to gorge oneself on 3,000-calorie Cinnabons, chance to catch up with increasingly irrelevant color period... [more]

171. 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]

172. 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]

173. 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]

174. 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]

175. 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]

176. The Daily Paragraph 1/18/2007 (Swallow Your Whistle Day Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 January 18, 2007 NEW BRITAIN, Conn. -- It's a seasonably warm Thursday morning in Mid-Majorland, let's get right to it! Conference Shootaround! Colonial: Virginia Commonwealth stretched its CAA record to 7-0 (15-3 overall) at the expense of North Carolina-Wilmington on Wednesday, and The Dub stands for Woeful righ... [more]

177. 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]

178. The Daily Paragraph 1/12/2007 (Scooby Snaxxx Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 January 12, 2007 NATCHITOCHES, La. -- Mid-majors are often the Scrappy-Doos of college basketball (Let me at'im! Let me at'im!), which is probably part of the reason they're so annoying to major schools. But I disavow any such implied connection -- I hated that character as much as you did. Generally, I had a lot o... [more]

179. The Daily Paragraph 1/11/2007 (Free to Be, U. of Tree Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 January 11, 2007 NATCHITOCHES, La. -- Let's begin today with dispatches from television's hottest mid-season replacement, "How Weird Was My Valley." Kyle, are the Sycamores really this good? This was a team that I thought would be with Illinois State at the bottom of The Valley, but they have a great RPI, and some ... [more]

180. The Daily Paragraph 1/9/2007 (World Container Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 January 9, 2007 NASHVILLE -- I guess it's basic human nature that we try to build fences and walls, to divide the included from the excluded, to protect what's inside from what's outside. There's nothing worse than the idea that the world doesn't make sense -- that's the fundamental building block of organized reli... [more]

181. 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]

182. The Daily Paragraph 1/4/2007 (Return Of Tha Krazy Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 January 4, 2007 HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Just a reminder: make sure you get in on the action as The Mid-Majority expands its feature list in 2007 in return for warm, soft cash. We're halfway to unlocking mobile boxscores, a quarter of the way towards the team mileage maps, and we've also a chunk into the Tournament Geni... [more]

183. 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]

184. 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]

185. Game! Of! The! Night! Feb 23: North Carolina-Wilmington at Virginia Commonwealth by Kyle Whelliston

S2 February 23, 2006 The University of North Carolina at Wilmington is a classic mid-major tale in the making: a scrappy bunch who masks their shooting inefficiencies with nationally-ranked defense, who shook off an embarrassing loss to RPI No. 278 East Carolina to go 13-3 in conference. But they're competing with lots ... [more]

186. Game! Of! The! Night! Dec 04: Virginia Commonwealth at North Carolina-Wilmington by Kyle Whelliston

S2 December 4, 2005 Some people complained when it became necessary to have a Ph.D in geekology to decode the expanded Colonial Athletic Association's new new scheduling format, but you can't kvetch much when the opening weekend of play is capped by a hot game with seeding implications galore.The home of the 5-1 Seahaw... [more]

187. The Austin Bracket by Kyle Whelliston

S1 March 16, 2005 Delaware State Seed: 16 1st Round Opponent: Duke Record: 19-13 (17-4 Mid-Eastern) Big Nonconference Wins: A 71-56 win in November versus Jackson State (14-17, 10-9 SWAC) in Las Vegas will have to do. 100 Games Project Appearances: #29, #52 Key Players: You won't find a more unselfish crew in the ... [more]

188. Bracket City USA by Kyle Whelliston

S1 March 14, 2005 MAC, Knifed: A lot of watercooler talk this morning is and will be centered around the Mid-American Conference, more specifically the lack of at-large teams from such. Even Dickie V, who was born on Exit 16W but made his coaching hay in the MAC's geographical sphere of influence, was all over the c... [more]

189. Tourney Central 3/8/2005 by Kyle Whelliston

S1 March 8, 2005 Bullet Points Four champions are crowned: Creighton (MVC), Niagara (MAAC), Old Dominion (CAA) and UMPFN (WCC). Three more tonight: the Sun Belt, Mid-Continent, and the Horizon league matchup of Detroit and Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The run of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies of the Mid-Con continued, they'... [more]

190. Title Game by Kyle Whelliston

S1 March 8, 2005 Game 081: (1) Old Dominion 73, (2) Virginia Commonwealth 66 (OT) CAA Championship Monday, March 7, 2005 Richmond Coliseum - Richmond, VA I wish that I had the words to describe the marked contrast between February to March, the shock of that annual transition. Games in the shortest month have var... [more]

191. Tourney Central 3/7/2005 by Kyle Whelliston

S1 March 7, 2005 Bullet Points No finals yesterday, four tonight. The Missouri Valley, as expected since the beginning of the season, was no cookie-cutter cakewalk for top seeds. Both 1 Southern Illinois and 2 Wichita State went down, but the Salukis remain bulletproof on Selection Sunday. Two defending conference ... [more]

192. Tourney Central 3/6/2005 by Kyle Whelliston

S1 March 6, 2005 Bullet Points Four Dance tickets were punched: Winthrop, Eastern Kentucky, Central Florida and Chattanooga. Despite the two-digit numbers that the Selection Committee will hand them one week from today, all are champions. One-seeds fell like mighty trees. Arkansas-Little Rock, the E1 in the Sun Bel... [more]

193. 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]

194. Dribblings 2/27/2005 (Fill In The Blank Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 27, 2005 Ivy: Pennsylvania 80, Columbia 72 (story) - Congratulations to the Quakers! The first ticket to the NCAA Tournament was punched last night as Penn (17-8, 10-1) clinched the Ivy League regular-season title. They stormed to a win on the Lions' home court, bolstered by 68% second-half shooting and a ... [more]

195. Dribblings 2/25/2005 (Jostling Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 25, 2005 Atlantic Sun: Central Florida 58, Gardner-Webb 55 (story) - G-Webb (15-11, 12-7 ASun), who finished ninth and out of the conference tournament last year, could have clinched the regular-season title and the tourney one-seed right there on their home floor. The Runnin' Bulldogs From Boiling Springs c... [more]

196. Shooting The Shot by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 22, 2005 Game 064: at Charleston 85, Virginia Commonwealth 75 Saturday, February 19, 2005 John Kresse Arena - Charleston, SC The tickets said "ESPN Bracket Buster Saturday," but there was no sign of the Worldwide Leader In Sports to be found. No television cameras, no Dick Vitale, no orange-and-gray logo st... [more]

197. Dribblings 2/15/2005 (Seeds Of Love Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 15, 2005 Mid-American: Akron 81, Toledo 79 (OT) (story) - It was a clash between teams with MAC high-seed aspirations. But most games this year in this league are like that. Eight of the 13 teams currently have winning records, mostly because Marshall and Central Michigan are so awful. But this was no Valent... [more]

198. 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]

199. The National Anthem by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 12, 2005 Game 055: Virginia Commonwealth 62, at Drexel 59 Wednesday, February 9, 2005 Daskalakis Athletic Center - Philadelphia, PA As a piece of music, it's not lacking for interesting qualities: most arrangements are in the song's original key of B-Dorian, although some bands screw up and flat the last B ... [more]

200. Dribblings 2/11/2005 (Hot Shot Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 11, 2005 Big South: Winthrop 69, Liberty 61 (story) - I'd like to introduce you to a young man named Torrell Martin. He's a 6'5" sophomore shooting guard for the Winthrop Eagles who can shoot. During the Winthrop Gauntlet - a six-day, four-game stretch from hell - Martin has been completely lights out: 19 po... [more]

201. Dribblings 2/10/2005 (Rivalry Week Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 10, 2005 Firstly, a big "yo" to all Philadelphia Inquirer readers who scoped Janet Paskin's piece instead of the sports-section leader about Donovan McNabb's vomit. Welcome to TMM, here's the first page. Despite both what The Official Wife Of The Mid-Majority™ says and Herculean efforts by the gentlema... [more]

202. Dribblings 2/6/2005 (Really, Really Exciting Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 6, 2005 Western Athletic: Nevada 76, Louisiana Tech 58 (story) - In the most decisive result of Really, Really Exciting Saturday, Nick Fazekas scored 27 points and Nevada (15-5, 9-2 WAC) dominated the previously surging LTU Bulldogs, who were led by former MMBOW Paul Millsap with his 20 and 8. Insodoing, th... [more]

203. Pack Mentality by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 2, 2005 Game 046: at Drexel 88, James Madison 60 Saturday, January 29, 2005 Daskalakis Athletic Center - Philadelphia, PA They ended up sending me a bunch of admissions brochures, but Malik Rose was a far better ambassador for Drexel University than any glossy-print booklet could ever be. I remember sittin... [more]

204. 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]

205. Dribblings 1/30/2005 (Shaken and Stirred Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 January 30, 2005 Results from Shakedown Saturday are in! And here they are! Mid-Continent: Missouri-Kansas City 88, Oral Roberts 74 (story) - Okay, UMKC Kangaroos, here's your "for real" tag. Wear it proudly. With four minutes left, they were up by only four and had lost their entire two-man backcourt to foul disqu... [more]

206. 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]

207. 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]

208. 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]

209. Dribblings 12/28/2004 (Holiday Hoops Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 December 28, 2004 Iona 77, Rhode Island 62 (story) - URI has made two straight trips to the NIT, but their 1-7 start must be reminding fans of the bleak three seasons that constituted the post-Lamar Odom era. "Murphy's Rams" just can't seem to score points or catch a break this year. In addition to losing 23 points p... [more]

210. Dribblings 12/23/2004 (Egg Nog Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 December 23, 2004 Missouri Valley: Evansville 63, Creighton 61 (story) - The first Valley game for both teams offered a glimpse of the red-hot action this ten-deep league will offer. A seesaw second half culminated in a buzzer-beating jumper by Evansville guard Kyle Anslinger, the only Ace starter who didn't post dou... [more]

211. Dribblings 12/11/2004 (Weekend Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 December 11, 2004 Cal State Fullerton 70, Eastern Washington 68 (OT) (story) - Fullerton, an afterthought in the Big West, was leading by as many as 18 in the second half. But the defending Big Sky champion Eagles narrowed the gap in a free throw festival down the stretch, and forced overtime when EWU's Marc Axton wa... [more]

212. Dribblings 11/28/2004 (C-USA Beatdown Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 November 28, 2004 A stocked slate of 113 games yesterday. Where to begin? Alaska-Anchorage 66, High Point 65 (story) - The Great Alaska Shootout gives us the season's first upset of a D1 team by a D2. The Big South's Panthers were up 12 halfway through the second half and let it slip away. Northern IIllinois 84, De... [more]

213. 100: The Impossible Dream by Kyle Whelliston

S1 November 9, 2004 One Sunday afternoon in early February, I found myself sitting in a cold, half-empty gymnasium in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. I was watching Rider and Loyola - two of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference's perennial doormats - fall all over each other. It was halftime, and the two squads had barely... [more]

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