NCAA basketball

[goblinking23]

hey if u like me and u watch college bb
then post it here im a big UK fan thats
(Universty of Kentucky) if u don't know
who im talking about.Any way's thats my
Favorite team so post here with ur fav and
any discussion on how they doing and if
u think they got what it takes to win
the NCAA tournie ^^-r

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I know what your talking about and Im Michigan State and Uof M fan and were going to kick butt this year. Got to love Colleage sports in Michigan we have some of the best teams.

[animefreak]

UCONN all the way baby. we gonna win the national this year. USo if u like michigan arent u big rivals with michigan state. cuz i kno people from michigan dispise people from michigan state.

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Love Michigan and your right we do hate State but if Michigan cant get it done then We love State.

[USO36]

AUSTIN, Texas – By the time the best player in America was pulled from the game after only 21 points and only 12 rebounds, the Erwin Center crowd almost had to force itself to its feet, remember to cheer and realize Texas was well on its way to humiliating Oklahoma State.

That's how absurd the Kevin Durant Show has become.

"I hope they weren't disappointed," Durant said. "I had a double-double and we won. But I know what you mean …"

When you're 18 years old and you had three 37-point games, two 34-point games, a 23-rebound game against Texas Tech that left Bob Knight shrugging his shoulders, when you've become something that college basketball hasn't seen in a long, long time – a must-see event even though his team isn't even ranked – people start to expect it all.

They want to see the circus. They want Pete Maravich or something. Just beating the 17th-ranked team in the country 83-54 isn't enough.


"I mean, look at his night," Texas coach Rick Barnes laughed. "That's a great night for anybody. People would like that. But expectations …"

Durant isn't going to go No. 1 overall in June's NBA draft – Ohio State 7-footer Greg Oden will. He might not even be named national player of the year – there is a good chance old-school voters will favor an upperclassman, say Wisconsin senior Alando Tucker or Florida junior Joakim Noah.

But it hardly matters.

This is the winter a long, lanky mega-talent deep in the heart of Texas put on awe-inspiring performance after awe-inspiring performance to the point where he practically was apologizing for 21 and 12.

"The only guy that I can remember like him is Carmelo (Anthony) in 2003," said Oklahoma State coach Sean Sutton, who's been either a player or coach in college hoops since 1988. "And Kevin is more difficult to defend than Carmelo was at this stage. He's a little quicker and the range of his jump shot makes him a special talent. And he doesn't get frustrated."

This is what has captivated America and turned 18-7 Texas into Team TiVo. Watching Durant right now is to witness greatness blossoming, a kid still growing into his limbs, still smiling and eager to learn the game yet still capable of delivering the spectacular at any moment.

And it has spawned the sports debate of the year – Oden or Durant. It's not a fair question because they play different positions, have different skill sets and are used differently by their teams.

Oden, the freshman big who's still hampered by a wrist injury, doesn't handle in the open court and thus is reliant on his teammates to get him the ball. His numbers – 15.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.6 blocks a game – are not indicative of his ability, potential or even current impact on the game.

The NBA team that wins the draft lottery almost has to draft Oden first because it is centers like him who win championships. He's the Tim Duncan or Hakeem Olajuwon of this class. He is the no-brainer No. 1 selection.

Durant is Tracy McGrady or Kevin Garnett – obscene talents who never attended college – and only his outrageous play has made the top pick debate a talk radio obsession 4½ months before the draft. But it probably isn't a real debate.

That said, Durant is better, more exciting and more valuable right now than Oden, which isn't to take anything from the Buckeye. But it is Durant who has given college hoops the shot in the arm the way no big, tough, traditional center ever can.

For his part, Durant won't bite on who'd he pick first – "I'll take my team over his team. I'll say that" – but he will say a freshman should be player of the year as long as they earn it, which is something Barnes has been pushing all year.

"I told him before the season started, 'You know, you've got a chance to be national player of the year,' " Barnes said. "Obviously, I had a selfish motive in that because if he is the national player of the year, we're going to be pretty good.

"But to do that, you have to improve defensively (and) you're going to have to rebound the ball. You can't just sit out there and shoot threes."

And so the Maryland native bought into the plan. The coaching staff here spends as much time marveling at Durant's attitude and hunger for knowledge as the open-court moves that make even grizzled eyes stop and rewind game film.

Earlier this month, Durant struggled a bit scoring after contact in the paint at Colorado. He still had 37, mind you. And 16 rebounds. And UT won. The team had the next day, a Sunday, off, leaving Durant to enjoy big man on campus status. Instead, he was calling assistant coach Russell Springmann at 11 a.m., asking if he could come in and work on finishing after contact.

"He wants to find ways to be challenged," said Springmann, shaking his head at the thought. "After the Tech game, where he had 37 points and 23 rebounds, the first thing he says to me is, 'Coach, how was my defense tonight?' "

On Monday night, it was very good. Just one reason why Texas won a huge game, why the Longhorns are peaking and Durant was celebrating with his teammates.

At the Erwin Center and on televisions around the country, of course, it was a different story.

They don't watch to see the Kevin Durant Show feature help-side defense or to see the best player in America manage just 21 and 12 – as absurd as that sounds for this most absurd of talents.

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BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- It took a seemingly impossible challenge to bring out the best in an LSU team that had squandered so much potential this season.

Missing leading scorer and rebounder Glen "Big Baby" Davis, the struggling Tigers got 18 points from Terry Martin, 17 from Garrett Temple and stellar defense from everyone to pull off an impressive 66-56 upset over No. 3 Florida on Saturday.


"I was coaching so hard and trying to do everything I could in the last five minutes to make sure we won that game," said LSU head coach John Brady, who spent most of the game stomping and screaming on the sidelines. "We got upset with each other a little bit, but we all hugged after it was over. I was so emotional when I was talking to them after tonight's game I couldn't even finish talking."

It had been months since LSU had been able to run out the clock while basking in the glory of a standing ovation, the rowdy student section chanting "Over-rated," at a highly ranked opponent.

LSU (15-13, 4-10 Southeastern Conference), once ranked as high as sixth this season, had lost three straight coming in and nine of 10 before hosting a Florida team that had been No. 1 a little over a week ago.

This game offered an opportunity to salvage a good memory from what will be a lost season unless the Tigers can somehow run the table during the SEC tournament, the only way they could get a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Florida (25-4, 12-2), which had already wrapped up the SEC regular season title and had set a new school record for single season victories, had little riding on the game and played like it.

"They looked like a team that just won a championship, and competing maybe wasn't the most important thing on their mind here today," Florida coach Billy Donovan said.

"There's got to be a level, when you're competing, a level of nervousness, a level of on-edge, a level of concern," Donovan said. "And I think what happens is, that level of edge and concern starts to disappear the more you win. We've got to get to that point where that concentration level on block outs and rebounding is where it needs to be. But give LSU credit. they played great. They contributed to us playing the way we did."

The Gators missed their season averages in numerous categories as they lost for the second time in three games.

Normally a 42 percent shooting team from 3-point range, the Gators were 2-of-17 (11.8 percent). They were 4-of-12 on free throws and fell 24 points short of their 80.3 season average for points.

Tasmin Mitchell scored 11 for LSU, which outshot Florida 51.1 percent to 44.7 percent and outrebounded the Gators 35-22.

Martin's jumper in transition ignited a decisive 8-0 LSU run that gave the Tigers their largest lead at 53-35 with about five minutes remaining.

Florida got no closer than eight points after that.

"Florida came back in the second half and made those few runs ... but we just stayed poised, played as a team and came out with the victory," Mitchell said.

Al Horford led Florida with 13 points, while Chris Richard had 12 and Corey Brewer 11.

"I'm worried about our team right now. We just got to get back in there and just figure this out," Horford said. "If it's not going well on offense, guys quit on defense. That's something we never did last year, so that's something we have to deal with. ... We've got to be able to overcome that and know that some nights we're not going to score 80 points."

Florida's guards struggled, with Taurean Green going 1-for-7 and Lee Humphrey 2-for-7.

Green was guarded primarily by Temple.

"What Garrett did on Green tonight is as good as it gets," Brady said.

"We were able to take Taurean Green out of the game. It shows how important a team's quarterback is," Brady added, using a football analogy that he figured would resonate with LSU fans. "Our people here will get that; when I say quarterback their ears will perk up. We took out their quarterback, which is the point guard in basketball."

Davis, LSU's best player, spent the game on the sideline in a pinstriped suit because of a pulled right quadriceps that also kept him out of Wednesday's 70-63 loss at Kentucky.

Through the opening 10 minutes, however, the Tigers made up for his absence with 83.3 percent shooting in building a surprising 24-12 lead. Temple hit his first four shots, including a 3-pointer, in scoring 10 points during that span.

The Tigers' accuracy dipped during the next 10 minutes, but the intensity of their defense and rebounding remained high as LSU maintained a double-digit lead.

LSU outrebounded Florida 20-8 in the opening half and held the Gators to 39.1 percent shooting during the period.

The Gators trimmed their deficit to 28-17 on Brewer's 3-pointer. But Magnum Rolle hit a tough leaner and dunked soon after, then Dameon Mason sank an off-balance running hook before Brewer's runner cut LSU's lead to 34-21 at halftime.

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SEATTLE (AP) -- Jon Brockman couldn't stop complimenting UCLA, from its bevy of talented players, to the Bruins' suffocating defense.

On Saturday, the compliments were best left for Brockman and Washington


The Huskies bruising forward scored 20 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and Washington logged its biggest win of the season, a 61-51 upset of the second-ranked Bruins.

The Huskies used their own stifling defense, combined with superior inside play from Brockman and freshman center Spencer Hawes to physically match the Bruins' grind-it-out style.

"They outphysicaled us. They outplayed us in every aspect of the game and it's embarrassing," UCLA's Arron Afflalo said. "I don't know what we were resting on."

UCLA (26-4, 15-3 Pac-10), had little to play for with the Pac-10 Conference regular season title already wrapped up after an emotional 53-45 win Thursday night at No. 13 Washington State.

But Washington (18-12, 8-10), needed the victory for momentum heading into next week's conference tournament, which it likely must win to make the NCAA tournament. Now Washington heads to Los Angeles riding wins over No. 23 USC and now the Bruins.

"We can enjoy this all we want, but the fact of the matter is they're No. 2 in the nation, they're going to be in the tournament and we've still got some work to do," Brockman said.

Brockman and Hawes have combined for bigger games both with points and rebounds, but never against an opponent the quality of UCLA. Hawes added 13 points and 15 rebounds, while Ryan Appleby scored 13, hitting three 3-pointers.

Brockman regularly chased down loose balls giving Washington extra possessions, while the 7-foot Hawes blocked shots and controlled the glass at the defensive end.

Washington outrebounded the Bruins 44-29, and the Huskies defensive effort as a whole came as a shock given that they entered the week last in the conference giving up 75 points per game.

UCLA shot just 31 percent, and while a number of shots rimmed in-and-out, Washington's defense also slowed the Bruins offense by forcing shots with the shot clock nearly at zero.

Josh Shipp led UCLA with 13 points, but the Bruins could not overcome a season-low 20 first-half points and three scoreless stretches of 5 minutes or more. Afflalo added 12, but guard Darren Collison missed on 13 of 15 shots and finished with five points, seven under his season average.

UCLA also missed its final five shots after trimming a 16-point deficit down to one. The 51 total points was a season-low, and was still nearly enough.

"I like that our guys fought back when we got down, but it's as disappointing a loss as we've had this season," UCLA coach Ben Howland said.

Washington led by 16 midway through the second-half, when Appleby capped a 9-0 run with a fallaway 3-pointer giving the Huskies a 48-32 lead with 9:43 left. UCLA called an immediate timeout as Washington's crowd erupted, urged on by the Huskies coaching staff pumping their fists and waving their arms.

Howland's timeout worked. Afflalo scored five straight points, starting a 14-2 run. Shipp capped the run with a 3-pointer and a driving three-point play that got UCLA within 50-46.

Lorenzo Mata then followed up Collison's missed drive and the lead was just two. A pair of Justin Dentmon free throws put Washington up four, but then Collison hit just his second shot -- a step-back 3-pointer -- to get the Bruins within one.

The Huskies freely admit that earlier in the season, they would have folded under the pressure of such a surge.

"I don't know if two weeks ago we would have been able to seal off all the leaks," Brockman said.

But the Huskies answered. Hawes tipped in a Dentmon miss and Shipp's deep 3-pointer hit off the rim, starting the Bruins' final scoreless streak. Brockman was also 4 of 4 at the free-throw line in the final 37 seconds, while Mata -- a 37-percent free-throw shooter -- also missed two free throws with 25 seconds left that could have brought the Bruins within three.

"Jon Brockman and Spencer Hawes were just beasts today," Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said. "They were twin beasts."

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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – For most of the past few decades the most frightening four letters in the NCAA basketball tournament were D-U-K-E.

Find your favorite team squared up against the Blue Devils and odds were good you were losing. Duke has reached 10 Final Fours and captured three national titles under coach Mike Krzyzewski. Maybe even more telling, there have been no major upsets and this team always seems to make the Sweet Sixteen at least.

It's been the closest thing we've seen since the ultimate college hoops closer – John Wooden's four letter U-C-L-A juggernaut that was hardly worth showing up to play against.

But here comes the year there is little reason to fear the Blue Devils. Duke is 22-9, a seventh seed in the ACC tournament and when they reach the NCAAs they'll be neither a high seed nor an unstoppable power. Duke could even be one and done.


Not since the mid-to-late 1990s has Krzyzewski fielded a team with such a limit of pure talent. Granted, this is by Duke's standard. Most teams in America would be quite pleased with 22-9 and the Blue Devils' roster. But in Duke historic terms this team lacks a game-breaking scorer, depth, great athletic ability and experience.

Krzyzewski wasn't pulling punches about it Sunday.

"Carolina is better than we are," he said. "Maryland is better than we are."

He could have gone on but was just mentioning recent losses. Krzyzewski isn't giving in, of course. He believes that a brutal run of schedule has hidden improvements by his team and seems to hope that it will fare better against some fresh, non-ACC opponents.

"We've played a hell of a schedule, especially in February," he said. "Hopefully you improve against that (schedule). I think we have it's just not reflective in the conference record."

Perhaps. Or perhaps not. We'll see in March. But one thing is certain, no one should fear the Blue Devils on Selection Sunday the way they used to. This season at least, this is just another pretty good but hardly great

• Two interesting reader emails on the Gerald Henderson flying forearm on Tyler Hansbrough.

First, the decision by Krzyzewski to defend Henderson and refuse (thus far) to increase his suspension from one game while arguing that the referees shouldn't have made a potential rash decision to rule it a flagrant foul and trigger a one-game suspension. This comes from William Douglas of Frederick, Md.

Here's K's quote last year on Jim Larranaga suspending one of his own players (in the CAA tournament) for hitting another player:

"It sends chills through my entire body to hear what Jim did. Honestly, if he was here right now, I'd give him a big hug. We need more coaches to have the courage to step up in situations like this and say to our kids, 'That's wrong; I'm not making excuses for you.' If I were in the same situation, I hope I'd be gutsy enough and strong enough to do the same thing, but I can't swear to you that I would. If a big-name coach did something like that, people would be fitting him for sainthood by tomorrow."

The second concerns CBS analyst Billy Packer who repeatedly said the foul was not flagrant on the air. Everyone is entitled their own view of it – and Billy has a lot of views on everything – but it was interesting to watch both CBS and, at least Sunday night, ESPN (both broadcast partners with ABC) cover the event.

Packer said it was nothing. ESPN News chose to run the most complimentary quotes from Krzyzewski and UNC coach Roy Williams, not the far more interesting and telling exchange about whether Hansbrough should have been in the game. This looked a lot like a whitewash.

And so Stanley from Enid, Okla. offers:

Watching the Duke-Carolina game Sunday on CBS with Billy Packer doing the color reminded me of something Bones McKinney (Packer's coach at Wake Forest in the 1960's) said in 1972: "I never wanted Billy to inbound the ball because he only wanted to throw it to himself."

• Speaking of Packer (and broadcast partner Jim Nantz) CBS completely wimped out not sending the duo to the Missouri Valley title game Sunday. Their comments last year ripping the NCAA Selection Committee for choosing teams from the Valley and the Colonial Athletic Association rather than the big conferences were both foolish and ill-informed. Neither had any idea how good those leagues were and they proved it with deep runs in the tourney, highlighted by George Mason’s trip to the Final Four.

• Virginia Military, which lost to Winthrop on Saturday in the Big South title game, is my new favorite program. Ever heard of a team that is No. 1 in nation in offense (102.2 points per game) and No. 325 in defense (99.9)? Talk about a players' coach, who wouldn't want to run and gun for Duggar Baucom?

Sure the Keydets wound up 14-19 and if they could ever figure out how to be even moderately below average defensively they might never lose, but they sure are having a good time.

They had offensive outings this year that read off like wrestling weight classes – 125, 135, 144 and 156. In the ultimate basketball culture clash they even hung 68 on Princeton, albeit while giving up 73.

Of course, this is a team that lost three games that they scored 111 or more points.

This season VMI set the NCAA record for most three-pointers attempted and made and, with their daring defensive style, set the record for most steals per game with a mind-bending 15.1. Just take a second to consider that number.

The truth is they committed to the offense in part because of a lack of depth and injuries. And the way they played down the stretch, VMI showed they were much, much better than their record.

"We made this with seven scholarship players, three walk-ons, a football player and a manager," Baucom said.

If they had beaten Winthrop and secured the automatic bid, I was prepared to write a column declaring them the most dangerous 16 seed of all time.

No 16 has ever beaten a one seed, but with a five-out offense (no post play) the possibility for a hot three-point shooting night is always there. And if VMI gets hot, they can beat anyone.

Baucom is a smart coach and, as recruiting improves, this is clearly a program to watch. Usually while enjoying every second of it.

• Winthrop is going to lose a bunch of talented seniors next year but the cupboard will hardly be bare. Coach Gregg Marshall has stacked this place with talent, so no one is too concerned.

"We'll have big shoes to fill," junior Torrell Martin said. "But fortunately everyone on our team has big feet."

• Roy Williams had the Tar Heels cut down one of the Smith Center nets after winning a share of the ACC title Sunday. Since UNC tied with Virginia they left the other one hanging.

"If Virginia wants to drive down here and clip the other net they can," he joked.

• I avoided the interstate on Sunday while driving from Rock Hill, S.C. to Chapel Hill, N.C., which allowed for a tremendously enjoyable drive through rolling hills and farm land on a perfect sunny day in the South. It doesn't get much better than that.

• And in case you were wondering whether Rock Hill can rock, you should have seen Coach Marshall's two victory parties at local establishments – Thursday's Too and Scandals. Winthrop might not be a high major program, but the Eagles fans can go as strong as anyone.

• As for "The Jerome," the Drexel loss in the CAA was almost as crushing to me as it was for Bruiser Flint. A George Mason upset Monday (few, if any, will score points on that one) might save me, though. I'm feeling good, however, about picking Wright State in the Horizon on Tuesday. Butler is struggling a bit and the Nutter Center in Dayton will be wild with long-suffering Wright State fans.

• Meanwhile, my mother has refused to return from New York to see my father, who holed up all weekend watching so much wall-to-wall hoop he might now believe Doug Gottlieb is a member of the family. Of course, she should have known this was coming. Back in the day he asked her to marry him en route to the NIT finals. What a romantic.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Players from four elite basketball universities will be hitting the court this week with distinctly different Nike uniforms that showcase their upper bodies -- and a little less leg.

Nike unveiled the new line of basketball uniforms Tuesday. They are being introduced for the University of Florida, Ohio State University, University of Arizona and Syracuse University. The shoe and apparel giant plans to start introducing personalized uniforms to all its NCAA-Nike partner schools beginning next fall.



The new look is decidedly different. The jerseys are tighter and the shorts are longer and baggier. And players have an option of "personalizing" their look with aerodynamic underlayer tops and leggings.

Nike says the look creates a "dramatic new silhouette" and responds to player requests.

"Our guys are really excited and fired up to wear them," said Richard Paige, a spokesman for the University of Arizona team. "Nike really went above and beyond, as least as it relates to our guys, to make sure their input was taken very seriously."

The form-fitting jerseys and the baggier shorts are made of a lightweight breathable material, Nike said. Beneath the shorts and jerseys, players will have of a choice of wearing long, short-sleeve or sleeveless Nike compression tops and padded compression shorts and leggings. The sleek shape of the underlayer resembles the design of Nike's competitor, Under Armour.

Nike said players had told the company they were looking for ways to personalize their look, which some college players already do with tops under their jerseys.

Nike says the padded compression shorts provide support for hamstrings, hips and calves. It is the first time the company has provided a padded base layer for basketball.

The company's last major overhaul for basketball uniforms came in the 1990s for the University of Michigan. A group of freshman players there known as the "Fab Five" headed to the NCAA Tournament final with baggy shorts, black shoes and short socks -- an unusual look at the time that was quickly adopted.

The new tailored look will be debuted this week by Arizona, Ohio State and Syracuse at their respective conference tournaments. The University of Florida wore theirs, minus the underlayers which weren't ready yet, at a Feb. 27 game against Tennessee.

All four powerhouse basketball programs get a nod to their past in the design.

Names of players who went on to the Hall of Fame are on the uniforms. Some lettering and insignia are throwbacks to earlier days.

The uniform for Syracuse University, for example, has large color blocking on the shorts, reminiscent of the 1970s Syracuse Orangemen. The shirt has a "BSB" insignia over the heart, borrowed from the first Syracuse basketball logo created for the team in 1900.

Other details include an alligator scale pattern worked into the University of Florida uniforms and a LeBron James insignia on Ohio State's. James has said he would have attended Ohio State if he hadn't gone directly to the pros.

The company did not disclose the cost or value of the launch. Consumer versions of the new line will be available for fans to purchase.

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Sixty-five teams, three weeks, endless empty brackets and countless hours watching all the action. So you need a primer.

Here are the Sweet 16 things you need to know as the NCAA tournament gets set to tip off.

1. Repeat Gators

Since the John Wooden era ended at UCLA in the mid-1970s, only once has a team repeated as national champions – Duke in 1992 and 1993. There have been some close calls – Georgetown reached the finals in 1985, Arkansas in 1995 and Kentucky even went to overtime in the title game in 1997.

But for the most part, college basketball has been the land of the no-peat. And with the trend of top college players making immediate leaps to the NBA, there was a school of thought that it might never happen again.

Enter the Florida Gators, the defending champions with all five starters back and, after bulldozing the SEC tournament, the No. 1 seed overall. They even have, in the Midwest Region, what appears to be a favorable bracket.

Maybe most importantly, they appear to have their swagger back – a combination of confidence from great team play since a mid-February mini-swoon and a chip on their shoulder from perceived doubters (actually, there aren't many).

"I think it's important for us to have a swagger, but stay humble and realize [to] not take anything for granted," said Joakim Noah, the MVP of last year's Final Four.

This is why everyone came back. Noah himself has cost himself between five and 10 spots in the NBA draft by returning, as a deeper talent pool materialized and scouts concluded he has deficiencies in creating his own offense. Teammate Al Horford may wind up selected ahead of him now.

But Noah said he doesn't care. That's the sacrifice he was willing to make to repeat as a national champion. If he can, Florida really will go down in history. And that's something money can't buy.

2. The four most important players in the tournament

(There may be better players out there, but none are so valuable to their team's fortunes.)

Kevin Durant, Texas – The best player in the country and arguably the most game-breaking talent in college hoops since Kevin Garnett started the preps-to-pros trend in 1995. Durant makes Texas capable of beating anyone at any time. Expect him to be even better now that he is freed of Big 12 defenses that knew his game well.

Greg Oden, Ohio State – The other super-freshman, the 7-footer changes the game at both ends of the court and is a nightmare matchup for just about everyone. As an offseason wrist injury has healed, his offense has begun catching up with his defense. If Oden plays his best basketball, he can anchor the Buckeyes to the national title. But the Buckeyes won't survive without his best.

A.J. Graves, Butler – When the junior was raining down three-pointers early this season (he had eight against Notre Dame), the Bulldogs beat the Irish, Indiana, Tennessee and Gonzaga to win the Preseason NIT. Butler started the season 23-2. But in Butler's last eight games, the guard has tired and made just 15 of 59 threes (25.4 percent) and Butler went 4-4. If the fifth-seeded Bulldogs are going to make noise now, Graves has to return to form.

Darren Collison, UCLA – Ben Howland's Bruins win with a deliberate, disciplined style and a commitment to defense. They got to the national title game last year by simply wearing teams out and taking care of the basketball. To do that this year, they have to have stellar play from their point guard, a player who makes UCLA a different team when he's on his game.

3. Cinderellas (13 seed or worse that are capable of an upset)

Wright State (vs. Pitt) – The Raiders finished the season 23-9, but they started 3-5 as they adjusted to new coach Brad Brownell. Since Christmas, this has been one of the hottest teams in the country. Wright State finished by winning 12 of its final 13 games, including two over Butler, and both the Horizon League regular season and tournament championships. This team is much better than a No. 14 seed.

Davidson (vs. Maryland) – Bob McKillop is as good of an X's and O's coach as there is in America. With a 29-4 club, this may be his best team at the small, academically competitive North Carolina school, which means it will play smart, deliberate and quite efficiently.

Holy Cross (vs. Southern Illinois) – The past two years the Patriot League champion (Bucknell) has won first-round games over Kansas and Arkansas. This year, it is Holy Cross' turn to try to make some noise. The Crusaders can shoot, take care of the ball and dictate tempo behind the excellent coaching of Ralph Willard.

Oral Roberts (vs. Washington State) – ORU is back for the second straight year. Coached by Eddie Sutton's son Scott, the Eagles often boast some serious offense. Not only does their campus have a 24-hour prayer center going for it, but this team also beat Kansas in Lawrence earlier this year. If they can do that, they can beat anyone on a given night.

4. This year's George Mason?

There is a reason George Mason was such a big deal last year. Teams like that don't happen every decade (or three decades), let alone every year. So don't count on an unheralded team making the Final Four. But, for argument's sake:

Nevada – The Wolfpack were ranked No. 10 in the nation last week and were given a 7 seed. They'll enter most games with the best player on the court, All-American big man Nick Fazekas.

Virginia Commonwealth – Champions of George Mason's league (Colonial), the Rams went 27-6, have an unreal guard in Eric Maynor and are coached by Anthony Grant, who just a year ago was an assistant on national champion Florida.

Winthrop – The Eagles enter the tournament 28-4 with a 17-game win streak and a national ranking for the first time ever. They boast size, talent and star coach Gregg Marshall. This is their third consecutive NCAA bid and seventh in nine years. But they never have won a game, so they have experience yet hunger. Oh, and the only teams to beat them this year – North Carolina, Texas A&M, Wisconsin (in overtime) and Maryland.

5. Counting its blessings: Arkansas

The recent trends in college basketball – scholarship limitations, defections to the NBA, increased budgets and commitment at the mid-major level – point toward a widening parity in the game. Results on the court, where upsets are no longer so upsetting and just last year George Mason stormed to the Final Four, speak to this.

So what does the NCAA tournament selection committee do? It hands out the fewest at-large bids to mid-major programs (six) in years. It was a move only Billy Packer could love.

This was lucky for Arkansas, which got in despite owning one of the weakest resumes of an at-large selection in recent memory. The Hogs (21-13) had a losing SEC record (7-9) despite playing in the weak West. To advance to the SEC finals, all Arkansas had to do was beat South Carolina, Vandy and Mississippi State, which isn't exactly a murderers' row.

Arkansas had just four victories against the tournament field (Oral Roberts, Southern Illinois and Vanderbilt twice). Never would you think beating Vandy twice would be enough to get a team into the NCAA field.

6. Then again, if you think that's bad …

Do you remember the incredible finish Saturday when Miami (Ohio) hit a buzzer-beating, bank-shot three to win the Mid-American Conference's automatic bid? The team it beat was Akron, which won the MAC's East Division title, went 26-7, had an RPI of 67 and didn't even get a bid to the NIT.

Akron was just the third team to ever win 26 games and not get into the NCAAs. Not that anyone was arguing for the NCAAs. But not even the NIT? Even with a RPI better than 13 other selected teams?

I know everyone says no one cares about the NIT, but I thought that was a figurative statement, not literal.

Of course, the NIT was bought by the NCAA a few years back, so I guess we should have expected it to go to pot. The selection committee is stocked with the oldest boys' network you could ever dream up – C.M. Newton, Dean Smith, Gene Keady – so maybe everyone slept through the meetings.

If NIT at-large bids are just going to be handed out to schools with political connections to a committee that isn't paying attention, then the entire tournament should just be disbanded.

7. Best nicknames

Southern Illinois Salukis (Egyptian hunting dog)

Kansas Jayhawks (a fictional bird, assuring the NCAA's politically correct set never can find any offended Jayhawks demanding a new name)

North Texas Mean Green

8. The Curse of the Shark?

UNLV advanced to four Final Fours and won the 1990 national title under Jerry Tarkanian but hasn't won a single NCAA tournament game since they ran him out after the 1991-92 season. So 15 years later, with Tarkanian a regular at Lon Kruger's practices and home games (and likely in the stands for the game against Georgia Tech), does the streak of futility end? As a seven seed, UNLV technically is the favorite here.

9. What to make of hoops in the South?

So this is a risky theory to put out there – history says I'll be proven an idiot – but I think both the ACC and SEC were far below average this season. Other than Florida and North Carolina, there isn't a great team in either league. There may not even be a good one.

When picking a tournament, sometimes you need underlying beliefs to guide you. Mine is that other than UF and UNC, no team from either conference will advance to the second weekend.

After the Gators, the next best teams in the SEC were sluggish Kentucky and inconsistent Tennessee and Vanderbilt. I'm not even mentioning Arkansas. Even in a league that is historically top heavy (usually with UK at the top), this wasn't good.

The ACC got seven bids, but six of the teams were all over the place. There is no way to know what you are getting from Maryland, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Duke just isn't that good. Georgia Tech has a world of talent that may be finally meshing, but you never know. Boston College was better before suspensions gutted the roster. The fact that North Carolina State almost won the conference tournament is telling.

If any of the SEC or ACC teams were really good, they would have separated from the mediocre pack the way UF and UNC did. So I am boldly predicting an ugly run from the two leagues that normally deliver in March.

10. Is Memphis for real?

The Tigers, enjoying a 22-game win streak, are seeded second in the South. But due to their membership in the weak Conference USA, they've played just one good team (a victory at Gonzaga) since losing at Arizona in December. They have three victories against the tourney field (Kentucky, Gonzaga and 16 seed Jackson State). So is this a great team despite the weak schedule or a product of the weak schedule?

Know this: John Calipari's team is incredibly athletic and plays its system extremely well. Cal hasn't stopped attracting top recruits despite the C-USA tag. So underestimate them at your own risk.

11. What about Oregon?

Under coach Ernie Kent, the Ducks have been impossible to predict. One season they are a title contender, the next a total bust. Oregon always seems to have talent, but it hasn't always had success. In fact, there was plenty of speculation that Kent would be fired after this season.

Instead, what a season. Sort of. In classic Kent fashion, this team has been all over the place.

With a starting five all averaging double figures – Aaron Brooks, Bryce Taylor, Tajuan Porter, Malik Hairston and Maarty Leunen – the Ducks have breathtaking ability. But they started February with five losses in six games. Of course, they just had a legendary run through the Pac-10 tournament, capped by a near perfect game (Taylor didn't miss a shot in scoring 32 points) against Southern California in the final.

If Oregon plays like that, it can win the national title. If it plays like early February, the Sweet 16 would be a reach. And no one, not even Kent, knows which is coming.

12. Annual Arizona

Lute Olson took over a four-win Arizona team in Tucson in 1983 and had them in the NCAA tournament by his second season. The Wildcats haven't missed it since. This is Olson's 23rd consecutive NCAA appearance, tying him for longest of all time with North Carolina's Dean Smith.

But this hasn't been a team to celebrate. This is one of the 72-year-old's most frustrating groups to coach. He thought he had the talent to win a national championship, but the Cats have lacked consistency and toughness and wound up 20-10. Still, if they can get by Purdue, they have the athletes to be dangerous against Florida in Round 2.

13. Geographically Speaking


Texas A&M didn't get any favors by having to travel to Lexington, Ky., where the Aggies may match up with Louisville in the second round. Of course, if they win, they head to San Antonio for the regionals, where they'd enjoy a significant home-court advantage.


Then again, while Louisville is just 88 miles from Lexington, Cardinals coach Rick Pitino is anything but popular in the city where he once coached the University of Kentucky.


Toss in Xavier from just up the road in Cincinnati and Ohio State also playing at Rupp Arena, and this will be the spot for ticket brokers.


UCLA can reach the Final Four without leaving the state of California. The Bruins' first two games would be in Sacramento; two wins would move them into the regionals in San Jose.


In Winston-Salem, Texas Tech coach Bob Knight will work in front of what should be an overwhelmingly pro-North Carolina crowd, many of whom were not all that excited when the General passed Dean Smith as college hoops' winningest coach earlier this season.


Johnny "Bullet" Jones was a high school and college legend in the state of Louisiana (he led LSU to the 1981 Final Four). Now as a coach, he brings his North Texas team to New Orleans for a matchup with Memphis, a school he served as interim coach during the 1999-2000 season.

14. The State of Michigan

Thursday night's game between Michigan State and Marquette is more than just a meeting between Tom Izzo and his former assistant Tom Crean.

Crean is considered the heir apparent to the State program when Izzo eventually moves on – either to retirement or the NBA. But there is nothing imminent in East Lansing. There might be, however, in Ann Arbor, where Michigan coach Tommy Amaker is overdue to get fired.

The guy plenty of Michigan fans would love to see replace Amaker? Crean, who wouldn't just be a coach capable of leading the Wolverines back to national championship contention but one who would take a preemptive strike at its archrival up the road.

15. Mentors

Izzo-Crean isn't the only potential matchup. UCLA and Pitt (Ben Howland and former assistant Jamie Dixon) could meet up in the Sweet Sixteen. Illinois coach Bruce Weber could coach not just against his former school, Southern Illinois, but against former assistant Chris Lowery. Ironically, SIU is higher seeded.

Then there is the interesting case of Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun. The Huskies didn't make the NCAA tournament, but four of Calhoun's former assistants Karl Hobbs (George Washington), Howie ****enman (Central Connecticut State), Dave Leitao (Virginia) and Glen Miller (Penn) did.

16. The Picks

Disregard what you hear on television. In 2006, CBS' Clark Kellogg picked all four No. 1 seeds to reach the Final Four. The actual seeds were (2) UCLA, (4) LSU, (11) George Mason and (3) Florida. This year, Clark picked three No. 1s and a No. 2.

Of course, the top seeds look good now. That's why they are the top seeds. Here are my fearless selections (which, in hindsight, may not be fearless enough):

South: (3) Texas A&M over (1) Ohio State – I don't like the fact Ohio State hasn't lost in forever. Acie Law IV is clutch for this defensive-minded team.

East: (4) Texas over (2) Georgetown – As big and balanced as the Hoyas are, they can't win a shootout, and those are the only kinds of games Kevin Durant plays.

Midwest: (1) Florida over (6) Notre Dame – The Irish can really shoot, and this is a weak region. But if Florida can get by Arizona in the second round, no one is talented enough to stop them.

West: (2) UCLA over (1) Kansas – Kansas has a habit of falling way behind. You can't catch up on the Bruin defense.

Final Four: UCLA over Florida, Texas A&M over Texas

Championship: UCLA – String up banner No. 12 at Pauley Pavilion as Ben Howland's team delivers.

[USO36]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Ohio State coach Thad Matta looked down the bench and locked eyes with Greg Oden.

The big man, sitting out with three fouls, nodded.


"Let's go," Matta told him, adding his usual advice in such situations: "Play real hard and don't foul anybody."

Oden followed orders perfectly, dominating like only a 7-footer can over the decisive stretch in the second half to carry the top-seeded Buckeyes past Memphis 92-76 and into the Final Four.

Oden's numbers in Saturday's South Regional championship weren't huge: 17 points, nine rebounds.

His presence was.

While Oden was on the bench with his third foul, Ohio State (34-3) went from five points up to five points down. Then the fabulous freshman went back in and everything changed again.

Controlling the paint on offense and defense, he triggered a 20-8 surge that put the Buckeyes back in charge. The second-seeded Tigers (33-4) tried hanging in by fouling, but Ohio State foiled that plan by making 20 straight free throws. The Buckeyes' 21st straight win takes them to Atlanta next weekend for a national semifinal matchup with the winner of Sunday's North Carolina-Georgetown game.

In only 30 college games, Oden has taken over plenty of them. None, however, was as impressive as this one, mainly because it was so important.

"This would probably be No. 1 on the impact meter," Matta said. "I thought his rebounding, his challenging shots, finishing at the other end was tremendous."

Muttered Memphis coach John Calipari: "He's huge, he's huge."

In only 24 minutes, Oden made 7-of-8 shots and was 3-of-6 from the line with a block that came on the first defensive stand after he returned with three fouls. Two of his dunks were so powerful it looked like he was doing chin-ups on the rim.

Yet his larger-than-life presence was best exhibited on a crucial sequence midway through the second half.

Oden was wide open under the basket when caught a pass that arrived at the same time as Memphis' Chris Douglas-Roberts. The defender threw both arms around Oden's waist and shoved him for an intentional foul. Oden still made the shot, then one of two free throws, tying the game at 60. Ohio State got to keep the ball and went ahead 62-60. The Buckeyes never trailed again.

"I really hope it was an intentional foul because it was a difference-maker," Calipari said. "It really changed the game."

Said Buckeyes senior Ron Lewis: "It put fuel on the fire."

The Buckeyes last made the Final Four in 1999, when a team led by Michael Redd and Scoonie Penn lost to eventual national champion Connecticut. That trip later was expunged from the records because of NCAA violations, making their last official appearance in 1968.

Mike Conley Jr. -- the son of a former Olympic star and Oden's high school teammate -- set the pace for the Buckeyes with hard-charging drives. He scored 19 points and led Ohio State to its second-highest scoring game of the season. He also was named the top player in the region.

Lewis continued his steady tournament play with 22 points and six rebounds. Jamar Butler added 12 points. The Buckeyes made 51 percent of their shots, and were 35-of-41 from the foul line, never giving Memphis a chance to get back in the game down the stretch.

As this game turned into a rout, Ohio State fans, who'd anguished through big comebacks and crucial last-second shots the last two games, were breathing easily. Many were already wondering how much longer they'll get to savor Oden in scarlet and white.

Those at the Alamodome made their thoughts on the subject clear by chanting "One more year!" during the postgame, net-cutting ceremony. They later hollered, "Two more games," which could bring the Buckeyes their second basketball title and first since the 1960 club that featured John Havlicek, Jerry Lucas and a backup named Bob Knight.

Memphis fell a game shy of the Final Four for a second straight season. The Conference USA champs were riding a 25-game winning streak and plenty confident they could handle the Big Ten champs.

Tigers big man Joey Dorsey said Friday he was Goliath and Oden was "the little man." Score another one for David, as Oden held Dorsey to four rebounds and zero points, his first scoreless outing of the season. Dorsey also drew four fouls in 19 minutes.

"My coaches told me about it and I was just like 'Dang, he just called me out,"' Oden said. "I didn't try to think about it. I just wanted to go out there and play my game and not let his comments get to my head. In the Big Ten, you have fans say it all the time."

Conley said Dorsey's comments "affected us as a team more than it affected Greg."

"When somebody talks about Greg, they're talking about all of us," Conley said.

The Tigers hung in early by shooting 7-of-10 on 3-pointers in the first half, a surprising start considering they began last year's regional finals loss to UCLA 0-for-14 from behind the arc.

But they couldn't keep it up. Memphis made only three more on 12 tries after halftime and were further slowed by its star player, Douglas-Roberts, getting into foul trouble.

Jeremy Hunt led the Tigers with 26 points, 17 in the first half. Douglas-Roberts scored 14, Willie Kemp had 12 and Antonio Anderson got 10 points and a suture over his right eyebrow after catching an elbow from teammate Robert Dozier in the first half.

[USO36]

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- With good-natured shoves and claps, the UCLA Bruins formed a circle around Arron Afflalo -- the rightful center of attention.


In an exceptional second half that should help erase memories of his past mediocrity in big games, Afflalo scored 15 of his 24 points and the Bruins held off the top-seeded Jayhawks for a 68-55 victory in the West Regional final Saturday night.

Afflalo, hiding behind the souvenir hat and T-shirt from the biggest game of his career, tried to be just one of the guys -- even though he was the main reason UCLA is heading back to the Final Four for a second consecutive season.

"I don't really think about it during the game, but when you're making shots, you're gaining confidence," said Afflalo, who made all six of his shots after halftime. "My teammates showed a lot of confidence in me. If I'm fortunate enough to make shots -- just keep shooting, keep playing. That has to be a scorer's mentality."

Darren Collison added 14 points and four big free throws in the final seconds while leading the Bruins' stellar defensive effort -- but whenever the Bruins faced offensive trouble, Afflalo seemed to solve it, hitting a big shot or drawing the defense to set up a teammate.

Second-seeded UCLA (30-5) made its halftime lead stand up in an appropriately tense meeting between two schools with rich traditions and a combined 29 Final Four appearances -- including an NCAA-record 17th for UCLA next week in Atlanta. The Bruins edged ahead of North Carolina, which has 16 going into Sunday's East Regional final against Georgetown.

The Bruins, who lost to Florida in last season's national title game, could be in for a rematch: They'll meet Sunday's winner of the Gators' regional final against Oregon.

"We do feel like we've been here before, and we know what to expect," Collison said. "We felt that we didn't finish the job last year, so we're going to enjoy this moment, and then go back and try to finish it."

When Afflalo's teammates surrounded him, the UCLA fans chanted "One more year!" at the smiling junior. He acknowledged the cheers with a wave of both hands, but quickly slipped back into team-speak when he returned to the locker room.

"It really wasn't me individually," Afflalo said. "It was the whole mind-set of our entire team. I was just fortunate enough to make some jump shots tonight."

Brandon Rush scored 18 points for the Jayhawks (33-5), the first No. 1 seed to be eliminated from the tournament. Their 14-game winning streak also was snapped in the school's first NCAA tournament loss in California, where this game had a decided home-court feel for the Bruins.

"I think we beat ourselves, but I have to give credit to their defense," said Rush, among several Jayhawks soon to be considering jumps to the NBA. "We just did some dumb stuff -- dumb plays on defense and dumb plays on offense. We just had careless turnovers."

The teams combined for 32 steals and 46 turnovers -- yet both thought the game wasn't particularly sloppy. Two strong defensive teams collided, but Afflalo and his teammates also had the strength of experience.

"I'll give them credit, because they caused a lot of problems themselves," Collison said. "We had a lot of mistakes we normally don't make, and you've got to give credit to a good defense -- but we battled through it."

UCLA made a 14-4 run to take a 35-31 lead when Josh Shipp hit a 3-pointer at the first-half buzzer, and the Bruins took over with an 11-4 run after halftime. Every time Kansas attempted a comeback, Afflalo and Collison met them with a clutch basket or a big defensive play -- and the Jayhawks ran out of time.

"We had our best defenders on (Afflalo), but he's a good player," said Kansas coach Bill Self, who failed to win a regional final for the fourth time at three different schools. "I don't want to appear frustrated. We missed our free throws, and they didn't defend us on those. They just had some guys step up and make some plays. After they got the lead, they played poised."

Though Kansas is loaded with star talent, the Bruins returned with several major contributors to last Final Four squad. That experience showed in every pressure-packed possession between two teams that began the season with the Final Four as their only acceptable destination.

Afflalo likely felt more pressure than anyone: The Pac-10 player of the year had a dismaying habit of disappearing in big games.

Afflalo struggled in both of the Bruins' Final Four contests last season, scoring a combined 19 points against LSU and Florida. He managed just three points in this season's conference tournament loss to California, and he was ineffective for long stretches of the Bruins' last two victories in the NCAA tournament.

He had no such trouble this time, hitting a series of clutch baskets with a dwindling shot clock in the second half as UCLA nursed a lead: A 3-pointer as the shot clock expired with 10 minutes to play, or an acrobatic driving layup with 7 1/2 minutes left. Collison chipped in with another 3-pointer to beat the shot clock with 4:43 left.

"We made (three) incredibly tough shots," said UCLA coach Ben Howland, the first coach to lead the Bruins to back-to-back Final Fours since John Wooden's nine straight. "Those are backbreakers. (Kansas was) playing great defense, and then a guy hits an unbelievable shot from 25 feet. That is tough."

[USO36]

ATLANTA – Joakim Noah was running in the corridor – for Monday night, for history – screaming, "I never lie to you baby! … I never lie." He told Al Horford that they would get back here together, that they would make history this season, and so Horford let out a laugh and nodded before they disappeared into the locker room.

Outside, you could still hear screams of joy late Saturday night at the Georgia Dome. All together, they were the most unburdened of souls, unaffected by the pressure of repeating as national champions, untouched by the specter of Billy Donovan, their coach, running off to the University of Kentucky at season's end.

Once again, the Gators destroyed UCLA at the Final Four. This time, it was 76-66 and, truth be told, the scoreboard didn't do justice to the brevity of the beat down on the Bruins. Across the past year, Florida had stayed together against improbable odds to chase one more championship, chase back-to-backs in an era when one title almost always assures everyone runs to the NBA and insists that it's time to get theirs.

"Well," Horford said in the locker room later, "this is what we came back for."


Yes, it started with Noah staying for his junior year, and Horford and Corey Brewer too. And this was some show on Saturday night, a systematic dismantling of a UCLA defense that had humbled everything in its NCAA tournament path. There is an inevitability about the way these Gators are playing ball, about how they've left such carnage in their wake this season. Ohio State needs to play brilliantly to beat Florida because anything less will leave them losers on Monday night.

Only the Buckeyes and one-year wonder Greg Oden stand between the Gators and the greatness that goes with climbing onto a basketball Rushmore with Krzyzewski's Duke and Wooden's UCLA as the last teams to repeat as national champions.

Before a futile Bruins run in the final minutes, Florida had built its lead to 18 points, with Horford (17 rebounds) dominating inside and Brewer (19 points) letting loose with four long three-pointers. Whatever doubt lingered about the Gators' ability to compartmentalize the relentless pall of Donovan's future with Kentucky was obliterated in the Dome. Whatever Donovan does, he does. He has a lifetime of national championship seasons awaiting him, but these kids have Monday night and they've treated this opportunity like a precious jewel.

Over the past three seasons, Florida has won 21 of 22 postseason games, running roughshod through the SEC and NCAA tournaments. Maybe it's the second program in Gainesville, but this run has clearly established the Gators as the best in college basketball.

"They have no weaknesses," UCLA coach Ben Howland said. And that's interesting, because as well as anyone in the college game, Howland has the capacity to take the most minimal of flaws and wrap his Bruins' tentacles around them. Against the Gators, resistance was futile. They had too many finishers, too much unselfishness to be undone by UCLA.

And finally on Saturday night, Billy Donovan worked his way out of the Gators' locker room for the 100-foot walk to the golf cart waiting to whisk him to his news conference. Beyond a barrier rope, there was Jerry Tipton, the dogged Kentucky beat writer for the Lexington-Herald Leader, hustling with Donovan. He wasn't letting him out of his sight.

The imagery was unmistakable: Florida was on its way to the national title, with Kentucky in hot pursuit.

Whatever the Memphis Grizzlies think they can offer Donovan, they can forget it. He has sworn to friends that he's never taking a bad NBA job, never. When one of his prodigies called him about a head coaching opportunity at a suspect locale, Donovan warned him that it would be a mistake. He mentioned a lousy Eastern Conference franchise that he said had offered him a job, and told the young coach that he would never make that mistake in his career.

The Miami Heat? Yes, that team intrigues Donovan. The New York Knicks? That's always been his dream job. The Grizzlies, with ownership woes, a slashed payroll and a franchise player dying to get out? No chance. Privately, Donovan has told several people – including former players and coaching confidants – that he's going to take a long, hard look at Kentucky next week. He's had 10 years to think about this job, to decide if he wanted to go be the emperor in Lexington, and the money – maybe 3.5 or 4 million dollars a year – will be tough to turn down.

But whatever happens on Monday night, Donovan and his basketball team will still return to a school and a state where Wooden's dynasty couldn't make basketball bigger than fall Saturdays. Nevertheless, history doesn't care about Gainesville's priorities, only the Florida Gators' greatness. Behind Noah, these Gators made a pact to return to school and return to glory. One more victory, and maybe they all go their separate ways. One more victory, and Florida is one of college basketball's forever teams.

All together, Florida is here again, on the cusp of a championship. Joakim Noah never did lie to Horford and these Gators.

[USO36]

ATLANTA – Joakim Noah was running in the corridor – for Monday night, for history – screaming, "I never lie to you baby! … I never lie." He told Al Horford that they would get back here together, that they would make history this season, and so Horford let out a laugh and nodded before they disappeared into the locker room.

Outside, you still could hear screams of joy late Saturday night at the Georgia Dome. All together, they were the most unburdened of souls, unaffected by the pressure of repeating as national champions, untouched by the specter of Billy Donovan, their coach, running off to the University of Kentucky at season's end.

Once again, Florida destroyed UCLA at the Final Four. This time it was 76-66, and truth be told, the scoreboard didn't do justice to the brevity of the beatdown on the Bruins. Across the past year, the Gators had stayed together against improbable odds to chase one more championship, chase back-to-backs in an era when one title almost always assures everyone runs to the NBA and insists that it's time to get theirs.

"Well," Horford said in the locker room later, "this is what we came back for."


Yes, it started with Noah staying for his junior year, and Horford and Corey Brewer too. And this was some show on Saturday night, a systematic dismantling of a UCLA defense that had humbled everything in its NCAA tournament path. There is an inevitability about the way these Gators are playing ball, about how they've left such carnage in their wake this season. Ohio State needs to play brilliantly to beat Florida because anything less will leave it a loser on Monday night.

Only the Buckeyes and one-year wonder Greg Oden stand between the Gators and the greatness that goes with climbing onto a basketball Rushmore with Krzyzewski's Duke and Wooden's UCLA as the last teams to repeat as national champions.

Before a futile Bruins run in the final minutes, Florida had built its lead to 18 points, with Horford (17 rebounds) dominating inside and Brewer (19 points) letting loose with four long three-pointers. Whatever doubt lingered about the Gators' ability to compartmentalize the relentless pall of Donovan's future with Kentucky was obliterated in the Dome. Whatever Donovan does, he does. He has a lifetime of national championship seasons awaiting him, but these kids have Monday night and they've treated this opportunity like a precious jewel.

Over the past three seasons, Florida has won 21 of 22 postseason games, running roughshod through the SEC and NCAA tournaments. Maybe it's the second program in Gainesville (where football is king), but this run clearly has established the Gators as the best in college basketball.

"They have no weaknesses," UCLA coach Ben Howland said. And that's interesting because as well as anyone in the college game, Howland has the capacity to take the most minimal of flaws and wrap his Bruins' tentacles around them. Against the Gators, resistance was futile. They had too many finishers, too much unselfishness to be undone by UCLA.

And finally on Saturday night, Billy Donovan worked his way out of the Gators' locker room for the 100-foot walk to the golf cart waiting to whisk him to his news conference. Beyond a barrier rope, there was Jerry Tipton, the dogged Kentucky beat writer for the Lexington-Herald Leader, hustling with Donovan. He wasn't letting him out of his sight.

The imagery was unmistakable: Florida was on its way to the national title, with Kentucky in *** pursuit.

Whatever the Memphis Grizzlies think they can offer Donovan, they can forget it. He has sworn to friends that he never is taking a bad NBA job, never. When one of his prodigies called him about a head coaching opportunity at a suspect locale, Donovan warned him that it would be a mistake. He mentioned a lousy Eastern Conference franchise that he said had offered him a job, and he told the young coach that he never would make that mistake in his career.

The Miami Heat? Yes, that team intrigues Donovan. The New York Knicks? That's always been his dream job. The Grizzlies, with ownership woes, a slashed payroll and a franchise player dying to get out? No chance. Privately, Donovan has told several people – including former players and coaching confidants – that he's going to take a long, hard look at Kentucky next week. He's had 10 years to think about this job, to decide if he wanted to go be the emperor in Lexington, and the money – maybe 3.5 or 4 million dollars a year – will be tough to turn down.

But whatever happens Monday night, Donovan and his basketball team still will return to a school and a state where Wooden's dynasty couldn't make basketball bigger than fall Saturdays. Nevertheless, history doesn't care about Gainesville's priorities, only the Florida Gators' greatness. Behind Noah, these Gators made a pact to return to school and return to glory. One more victory, and maybe they all go their separate ways. One more victory, and Florida is one of college basketball's forever teams.

All together, Florida is here again, on the cusp of a championship. Joakim Noah never did lie to Horford and these Gators.

[USO36]

ATLANTA (AP) -- A long, tough season ended with a Gator chomp again.

Mission accomplished for Florida.

The Gators were too much to handle once again Monday night, keeping their stranglehold on the college basketball world with an 84-75 victory over Ohio State for their second straight national championship.

Al Horford had 18 points and 12 rebounds, Taurean Green had 16 and Greg Oden's 25 points and 12 rebounds weren't enough for Ohio State (35-4) to stop the Gators (35-5) from completing the quest they set upon when all the starters delayed their NBA plans for a try at another title.

"It feels great. This is what we came back to school for," Florida guard Corey Brewer said. "This is what we're all about at the University of Florida, winning championships. We're No. 1 again, two in a row, back-to-back. That's what we do."


They celebrated with the usual Gator chomps and took a chomp out of NCAA history, too -- becoming the first team to repeat since Duke in 1991-92, the first ever to go back-to-back with the same starting five and adding their name to the debate about the best teams of all time.

Best athletic programs of all time, too.

This win completes a 2007 championship-game sweep of the Buckeyes in the two biggest college sports -- men's hoops and football. Florida, a 41-14 winner in the football title game in January, remains the only program in history to hold both championships at the same time.

The celebration looked much the same as last year. Lots of jersey tugging, jumping onto press row and Joakim Noah running into the stands to hug it out with loved ones.

Billy Donovan added another gold star to his resume, which figures to command more than his current $1.7 million next season, whether he returns to Florida or bolts for a possible job offer at Kentucky.

"I'm so proud of these guys," Donovan said. "We've had to win different ways and with the expectations, and I think you really have to look at this team, and I'm not saying they are the best team, but you have to look at them and say they are one of the best teams to play this game."

It was hardly just a matter of Donovan rolling the ball out there. All season -- including in the 86-60 victory over Ohio State in December -- the Gators have morphed into whatever kind of team they needed to be to win.


In this one, stopping Oden figured to be the key, but really it was more complex than that. The 7-foot freshman, who may be one-year-and-done with the NBA beckoning, stayed out of foul trouble and played 38 minutes -- just what the Buckeyes figured they needed to have a chance.

Florida's focus, however, was more on stopping the rest of the team. Oden drew mostly single coverage when the ball went into the post. Donovan played a lot of zone and mixed his big men in and out, adding 6-10 Marreese Speights to the mix to give him five more fouls to play with.

That strategy worked well enough -- well enough to win at least. Ohio State couldn't take advantage of any other matchups, especially on the perimeter. Ivan Harris was the only Buckeye to make a 3-pointer over the first 39-plus minutes of the game, and he finished 2-for-8. Mike Conley Jr. finished with 20 points for Ohio State, but lots of them came late after the Buckeyes were playing big-time catch-up.

Meanwhile, one thing Florida has always been able to do is shoot the ball -- a nation-leading 53 percent this year -- and Monday night was no exception as the Gators went 10-for-18 from 3-point range. Florida also had quicker hands.

How frustrating it must have been for Ohio State to watch Oden block s*** after s***, only to see the Gators grab the rebound and feed back out to Lee Humphrey for a 3.

That happened twice in the second half, both times when an Oden block looked like it might spark Ohio State, which kept the game in reach but couldn't get the deficit below six.

"The difference was they made some incredible plays, and we took away what we wanted to take away," OSU coach Thad Matta said. "They were shooting runners in. When you're playing a great team like Florida and those guys step up and make the plays, there's not a lot you can do. They made some incredible plays on us."

Green finished 3-for-3 from 3-point range and Humphrey was his usual killer self, going 4-for-7 and scoring 14 points. Florida's versatility showed most in the first half when those two and Brewer (13 points) hit back-to-back-to-back 3s to push Florida's lead to double digits.

Horford had a monster game, bodying up with the 7-foot Oden on defense and more than holding his own on the other end. He spotted up and made three 15-plus-foot jumpers and twisted and turned for a few more hoops. Clearly, another year in college has helped this 6-10 junior, who now looks every bit like a lottery pick.

Noah, on the other hand, probably sacrificed the most. He might have been the top pick had he left last season, but the presence of Oden and Kevin Durant, to say nothing of Noah's dwindling stats, have pushed him down.

He finished with eight points and three rebounds in this one, but big individual numbers were never the point with the Gators this year.

They came back for the championship and anything less would have felt hollow.

But there will be no regrets. Instead, how about a nice little debate about the best programs of all time?

Repeats will almost certainly go down as a rarity in this age of one-year-and-done college players, and nobody in the last 15 years -- even before the NBA money started skyrocketing -- could do it anyway.

As the trophy presentation began, there was a long, loud chant of "It's great ... to be ... a Florida Gator." But one, a bit less voracious, could also be heard: "One more year. One more year. One more year," a few Florida fans yelled from the stands.

Nothing wrong with dreaming, right?

In a way, though, Florida is already living that dream