Memorable Upsets From the NCAA Tournament

By - Tim Swift

Today is one of my favorite days of the year; the first official day of the NCAA Tournament. Yes, I know, the tourney actually started Tuesday night with the "First Four" games, but I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to this thing, so for me it starts with 64 teams on Thursday morning.

Every season the first weekend of the tournament provides some upsets that make you scratch your head. With that in mind, let's look back at some of the more memorable surprises from the first two rounds of the NCAAs.

- America falls in love with Valparaiso

Photos by: David E. Klutho

The play was called "Pacer" by coach Homer Drew, and it was executed to perfection with a long inbounds pass to around half court, followed by a touch pass to Bryce Drew for the game winning 3, as No. 13 Valpo shocked No. 4 Ole Miss, 70-69. The score stood at 69-67 for the final 2:30, as both teams traded missed chances. SEC Player of the Year Ansu Sesay had an opportunity to put it away for the Rebels, but he missed two free throws with under 5 seconds left, setting up the stunning buzz-beater by Drew.

- The Holy Mackerel Game

The late, great Hall of Fame coach Al McGuire coined the phrase after freshman James Forrest nailed a nearly impossible turnaround 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds left on the clock to lift No. 7 Georgia Tech over No. 2 USC 79-78 in the second round of the 1992 tournament. The game wasn't the major shocker that some of the others on this list were, but because of the amazing call and the fact that the play is still talked about 20+ years later, it's extremely memorable. James Forrest took 374 shots that year, and his only made 3 is what sent the Yellow Jackets to the Sweet 16.

- Hampton announces its presence with authority

In the '01 tourney, No. 2 Iowa State was expected to breeze past Hampton in the first round with no issues, but the Pirates had other ideas. Hampton was led by Tarvis Williams, who dominated the paint to the tune of 16 points, 13 rebounds and 6 blocks. The Hampton defense also wore down All-American point guard and future NBA player Jamaal Tinsley, holding him to just 9 points while forcing 5 turnovers. Iowa State still appeared to have seized control of the game in the second half, and at one point held an 11-point lead, but Hampton closed the game on a 14-2 run, capped with a short jumper by Williams with 6.9 seconds remaining, and Tinsley then missed a layup at the buzzer that would have won it for the Cyclones.

- Dunk City is in the house

Heading into the 2013 tournament, most people filling out their brackets didn't even know that Florida Gulf Coast was a school until they were cast as the No. 15 seed to take on No. 2 Georgetown. Many people (myself included) who had the Hoyas as a Final Four and National Champion pick watched in shock as the Eagles took over in the second half and cruised to a 10-point victory. Florida Gulf Coast lit up the scoreboard with several highlight reel dunks, running the Hoyas out of the building, 78-68.

MSU Primed For a National Championship Run

By - Andy Garcia

Michigan State entered the 2013-2014 season as the No. 2 ranked team in the nation, and rightfully so, as they got off to an 18-1 start; the best in school history.

Photo by: Scott Park

However, since junior forward Branden Dawson broke his hand prior to MSU's loss to arch-rival Michigan on January 25th, the Spartans have alternated back and forth between wins and losses.

Their current 22-6 record is still good enough to be ranked 18th in the country, but they now must look up at the Wolverines in the Big Ten standings after blowing their revenge opportunity and a chance to remain atop the conference. While a home loss to Nebraska can be chalked up to a lackluster performance by the Spartans, the remaining blemishes on their record can be attributed to solid teams (UNC, Michigan (twice), Georgetown, Wisconsin) simply earning the victories.

Getting swept by their intrastate rival this season may have been the pivotal point in their quest for a national title. This was the wake up call MSU needed. Couple that with their Spartan in shining armor, Dawson, back in the lineup, and I do not see Michigan State losing another game the rest of the year.

Yes, that includes the Big Ten tournament and NCAA tourney.

The Spartans have endured a flurry of injuries all season long. Multiple key players have missed extended time. Despite the inconsistencies in the lineup, State has still managed to play well. They remain a squad that no one wants to see in March, and for good reason.

Widely considered one of the top college coaches in the game, Tom Izzo has himself a roster loaded with depth this time around. The team has multiple key components. The scoring is paced by star sophomore Gary Harris (17.9 ppg). Many people thought he would be a one-and-done player, but Harris opted to stay put another year. The ability to get his own shot goes a long way for the Spartans on offense. Forwards Adreian Payne (16.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and Branden Dawson (10.2 ppg, 8.7 rpg) anchor the front line and can control the glass. Senior guard Keith Appling (13.6 ppg, 4.8 apg) is also an essential piece to the overall puzzle. He continues to battle through a nagging wrist injury suffered back in December, and it appears he still has a little ways to go before he's back to 100%. His toughness and experience is unmatched. Backing him at the point, junior Travis Trice (45% 3-pt) has filled in admirably, hitting from behind the arc in critical moments. The wild card for Michigan State is do-it-all sophomore Denzel Valentine (8.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.9 apg). He is an absolute x-factor.

Not only is this team loaded with individual talent, but more importantly, they mesh extremely well together in all aspects of the game.

College Basketball Season at the Halfway Point

By - Tim Swift

We've reached the halfway point of the college basketball season, and conference play is beginning to heat up.

Let's take a look at some of the big trends and major storylines on the road to March Madness.

Photo by: Winslow Townson

- The kids are good, but not great yet.

One of the biggest stories entering the college basketball season was the arrival of the "Class of 2013," which some people believe is the best freshman class in a decade. The results have been mixed for some of the biggest names; Jabari Parker, Julius Randle, Andrew Wiggins, Aaron Gordon and Tyler Ennis. The biggest issue for these star freshmen is when to take over on the offensive end and consistent focus on the defensive side of the ball. Each of them have had some outstanding moments throughout the first couple months of the season, but they've each had play that reminds you that they are just 18 and 19-year-olds as well.

- Syracuse could 2-3 their way to the title.

The Orange's relentless 2-3 zone defense is back again, and it's suffocating opponents on a gamely basis. So far this season, only two teams have been able to reach the 70-point mark against Syracuse, and over the last six games, teams are averaging a measly 50.8 points per. In their first year in the ACC, it's Syracuse's to lose right now, especially with teams like Duke and North Carolina struggling. The Orange's offense hasn't always been pretty, but they are beginning to find themselves after losing three of their four top scorers from a season ago. Led by C.J. Fair, Trevor Cooney, and the aforementioned freshman Tyler Ennis, who has a nice 4-to-1 assist to turnover ratio, the 'Cuse could be making a return trip to the Final Four.

- Wichita State is legit.

There is a tendency in some college basketball circles to dismiss a team as a non-contender if they're outside a conventional "power conference." Despite coming off of a Final Four appearance a year ago, Wichita State to this point in the season has largely been ignored, but they have played their way back on the scene as one of the top teams in the country. One of the great things about the Shockers is their ability to play virtually any style in a particular game. Defense and rebounding will be the calling card for this experienced group if they are to be a factor throughout the NCAA Tournament.

Trouble Brewing in Chapel Hill?

By - David Dysart

Meet P.J. Hairston, a 2010 North Carolina 5-star recruit out of Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia. He had an abysmal freshmen year for the Tar Heels, but came back strong in his sophomore season, averaging 14.7 ppg, 4.4 boards, and shooting 39.5% from behind the arc.

Photo by: Kevin Hu

Many believed Hairston would declare for the NBA Draft, but he decided to return for his junior year. Many also believed that his and James McAdoo's return would help lure high school phenom Andrew Wiggins to Chapel Hill. However, this was not the case, as Wiggins took his talents to Kansas to take Ben McLemore's spot at shooting guard for Bill Self's squad.

Still, Roy Williams and company seemed to be in good position for an ACC run this season, since two of the team's primary stars were returning to the lineup.

That was until last Wednesday night, anyway.

According to the incident report, police stopped P.J. Hairston and two passengers at 10:20 that evening during a license checkpoint at 1499 Holloway Street in Durham, North Carolina. During the stop, officers discovered marijuana, a 9mm handgun, a magazine with nine rounds of ammunition, plastic baggies, three cigars and a rental car agreement.

All three were arrested and charged with drug possession, and Hairston was also charged with driving without a license. He is due to appear in court on August, 6th.

None of these young men are over the age of 25, and none of them have the legal ability to rent a car, let alone a 2013 Yukon. It's also doubtful that any of them hold a job to be able to pay for said car to begin with, or even the marijuana, which obviously isn't free.

So how did they rent the vehicle? Whose name was it in? Why does Hairston not have a valid license? With the strict new gun laws in the state of North Carolina, what is going to come of this?

NCAA Tournament: And Then There Were Two

By - Lauren Dundee

We started with 68 teams, cut it down to 2, and in a little over 24 hours, we'll know the one. On Monday night in Atlanta, No. 1 Louisville takes on No. 4 Michigan with a national title hanging in the balance, and needless to say, both teams earned the right to be playing on college basketball's biggest stage.

Photo from: espn.go.com

Let's look back at how they got here.

The Cardinals made it to the Final Four after knocking off Duke in the Elite Eight, in a game that saw Louisville lose one of their guards to a horrific leg injury. The Cardinals pushed ahead through the tears and devastation after losing Kevin Ware for the foreseeable future to face No. 9 Wichita State, an underdog looking to prove the world wrong. The Shockers had made it to the Elite Eight after beating No. 1 Gonzaga, and followed that up with a victory over La Salle to advance to the Final Four. Underdog or not, momentum certainly seemed to be in their favor heading into Saturday's showdown.

The game started close, as the lead bounced back and forth between the two teams. At the end of the first half, Wichita State led by the slimmest of margins, 26-25. However, the Shockers erupted out of the locker room to start the second half, and with 13 minutes remaining, pushed their lead to 12. Louisville struggled to regained their composure, but once they did, they began chipping away at the difference. The Cardinals forced Wichita State into 7 turnovers over the final 7 minutes of the game, which was a huge factor in Rick Pitino's squad getting back in the contest.

With the clock ticking down, one team's dream was about to come to an end.

Louisville's Chane Behanan made a clutch layup with 3 minutes remaining to give the Cardinals the lead, but the Shockers weren't going down without a fight. With less than 10 seconds to go and still down two, Wichita State had no choice but to foul. Luke Hancock made one free throw, cushioning the lead, but not totally securing it. The Shockers had one last chance to send the game into overtime, but with 6 seconds remaining, a questionable jump ball call was made, and the possession arrow gave the ball back to Louisville. Once again, the Shockers had to foul, and they watched helplessly as Russ Smith put the final nail in their coffin.

The Rutgers Debacle: Who All Should Pay?

By - Keith Smith

In the wake of this week's turmoil surrounding Rutgers men's basketball head coach Mike Rice being fired for physically and verbally abusing players, former Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones tweeted that today's athletes need to "toughen up."

Photo by: Getty Images

And I must say, when I initially heard the reports about the situation at the school, that was my opinion as well. I come from a generation when coaches didn't hesitate to grab you by the nape of the neck or the face mask and drag you around the court or field, screaming profanities along the way. In fact, I always thought I was better for the experience.

But after witnessing the video, I was taken aback and was glad Chipper had tweeted that comment instead of me. Rice most definitely overstepped even the "old school" boundaries of what used to be acceptable. If you haven't seen the footage, give it a glimpse here. It's downright appalling.

In the video, Rice forcefully shoves players, throws balls at them as hard as he can, and screams relentlessly in their faces. Most of the balls were thrown at their legs or feet, but there was at least one instance where he drilled a player in the head. I've experienced that (accidentally), and it's no fun.

Then there were the homophobic slurs; lots of them. I saw coaches call a few guys "sissy" as a way of questioning their manhood, but that was the extent of it. I never saw the type of verbal abuse that Rice exhibited. Ever.

With a few rare exceptions, almost everything I saw on the video was completely unacceptable for a coach, either in the 1960s or the 2000s.

My biggest question through the process, though, is how did Rice manage to keep his job this long? These videos were taken to athletic director Tim Pernetti by former basketball employee Eric Murdock nearly a year ago. In December, Pernetti suspended Rice for a whopping 3 games. Barely a slap on the wrist.

What Did Duke Ever Do to Deserve All This Hate?

By - Kris Fletcher

Rejoice, all you Duke haters out there. The Blue Devils will not be making the trip to Atlanta for this year's Final Four. Thank you cards and letters of appreciation can be sent to Louisville University in care of Rick Pitino.

Seeing the explosion of celebratory posts on Facebook and Twitter once the final horn sounded in today's Elite Eight matchup got me to thinking. For as long as I can remember, Duke has held the dubious distinction of being the most hated team on the collegiate hardwood. People loathe them, and I've never really understood why.

If it's that whole Christian Laettner shot thing, get over it already.

Photo by: Getty Images

I, myself, tend to like things that validate the opposite of whatever straightforward logic seems to suggest. And seeing as how conventional wisdom has conditioned us to believe we're all ethically obligated to hate every player who has ever contributed to Duke's prestigious program, naturally, they are my favorite team.

Duke IS college basketball. They've been the gold standard since the mid-80s. Their games matter more, if for no reason other than the sheer number of people who obsessively despise them. But how did it get to this point in the first place?

Over the past 25 years, the Blue Devils have had exactly one bad team. One. That's absolutely amazing when you take into consideration the overall limitations of the talent on their roster year in and year out. I mean, outside of Kyrie Irving, Grant Hill and Elton Brand, how many Duke players have turned into top-tier pros? Those three are pretty much it.

You could make a strong argument that Luol Deng is the fourth-best player to have ever come out of Durham. Shane Battier, who's never been more than the third-best player on any NBA roster he's been a part of, might be fifth overall. Laettner was underrated as a pro, but he only made one All-Star team. Don't even get me started on Carlos Boozer.

Traditionally, Duke's greatest players are only slightly better than good. If the 12 all-time best Duke alumni at their professional peaks took on the 12 all-time best North Carolina alum, the Tar Heels would easily win by double-digits. If the game was uncoached, a Blue Devil all-star squad would probably lose to the '84 Tar Heels, and that team didn't even make it to the Final Four. Still, Duke-North Carolina remains an annual toss-up.

Makes you hate the Blue Devils even more, doesn't it? But why?

We Need More Florida Gulf Coast University

By - Keith Smith

Call them what you want; Bracket Busters, Cinderella, underdogs. But whatever you call them, let's hope you're calling them that for at least four more games.

This NCAA Tournament needs more of the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. Heck, this country needs more of "Dunk City," the nickname for their brand of offense.

Photo by: Getty Images

Like most of America, I can get behind the underdog in most situations. I wasn't exactly singing that tune when the Eagles eliminated Georgetown, who I had losing in the title game to Louisville in my bracket, but whatever. They have my support now, and that's what matters.

I don't say that this team is needed just because they are the underdog, though. Anyone could fill that slot.

No, we need this team. This team brings something that is lacking in all sports, be it professional, collegiate, high school, or even in many of the kids sports played today. This team brings fun.

It starts with their coach, Andy Enfield. He seems to sincerely enjoy what he does for a living. He does it well, and he does it wisely. He doesn't over-coach during the game. He's trained his team during practice, trusts them to do what he's taught, and they do just that.

Then again, he could just be happy that he's married to a beautiful ex-model (Amanda Marcum) who has graced the covers of magazines such as Vogue, Elle and Maxim (Okay, I haven't seen that one, but all of us males know what kind of covers they produce, so I might need to rectify that lack of research). She's even done a Victoria's Secret ad as well. Maybe that's why you can't wipe that goofy grin off Enfield's face.

Or it could be because he was once the vice president and part owner of a health care business information firm, reportedly worth somewhere over nine figures. He sold off a chunk of his ownership, but still owns a small part. There are unconfirmed reports that Enfield doesn't even really need the $157,000 salary the school is paying him, but he denies that.

NCAA Tourney: Bracket-Busting Upsets Galore

By - Lauren Dundee

Everyone loves a good Cinderella story. We love to pull for the underdog (see David defeat Goliath). And what better time is there to see upsets than during the NCAA Tournament?

March Madness is known for its Cinderella stories, and this year's tourney has certainly not disappointed. Many a bracket has already been ruined due to some great upsets.

Photo by: Eileen Blass

Here are what I believe to be the biggest shockers that have taken place so far.

On Thursday, the No. 12 California Golden Bears took on the No. 5 UNLV Rebels in San Jose, California. It was close all game, with both teams leading on multiple occasions. The score was tied 28-28 after the first half, and both squads came out of the locker room looking to advance. With only 6 seconds remaining, Cal had the ball and the lead, 62-61. UNLV had no choice but to foul Allen Crabbe, who drained both free throws to give the Golden Bears a 3-point cushion. With two seconds remaining the Rebels had the ball with a chance to tie, but Bryce Dejean-Jones made a costly turnover and California managed to secure the upset win. The Golden Bears would go on to lose to Syracuse in the third round, however, 66-60.

Also on Thursday, in Salt Lake City, Utah, No. 3 New Mexico was facing Harvard. Since Harvard is a school more known for politicians than basketball players, many bracket challengers picked the Lobos to cruise to an easy victory. The Crimson held a surprising 31-27 lead at the half, but most people (myself included) were certain New Mexico was going to pull away in the second half. Boy, were we wrong. Harvard maintained the lead for the majority of the game and seemingly could not miss from the floor. The Lobos pulled to within 5 with a minute remaining, but the Crimson displayed some great defense and refused to let New Mexico get any closer en route to a 68-62 win. Unfortunately, Harvard's clock would strike midnight the following round, as they were destroyed by Arizona, 74-51.

On Friday afternoon in Kansas City, Missouri, No. 13 La Salle took on No. 4 Big 12 powerhouse Kansas State. The Explorers jumped out to a big lead early, going up 44-26 heading into the locker room. The Wildcats weren't about to go down without a fight, though, and surged to close the huge gap. Kansas State scored 35 points in the second half while holding La Salle to only 19. The last 10 minutes of the game were nerve-racking for both sets of fans, with the lead bouncing back and forth between the teams. No one was missing and it seemed that the winner would be decided by which squad had the ball last. Jerrell Wright, who scored 21 points for the Explorers, made one free throw to put La Salle up 2 with 8 seconds to go. Kansas State called on Angel Rodriguez to take the final shot, but his jumper clanged off the iron, and the Explorers advanced with a 63-61 victory. La Salle takes on another underdog, No. 12 Ole Miss, Sunday night.

There's More Than One Way to Beat the Bracket

By - Keith Smith

This year's March Madness marks a personal milestone. It's the 30th anniversary of me filling out my very first NCAA Tournament bracket.

Photo from: espn.go.com

It's also the 30th anniversary of my participating in fantasy baseball, but that's another story. Well, technically, it's part of the same story, but for continuity, we'll stick with the bracketology portion of it.

This 30-year love affair for make-believe sports started during my junior year of college. Since then, I've seen dozens upon dozens of ways to fill out a bracket. I've seen guys study the numbers harder than they ever studied for a class. I've seen them pick teams based on their proximity to where they live. I've even seen many a woman pick teams based on which had the cutest players or coaches, or which had the best uniforms.

In three decades, I've won the pool a grand total of three times. In fact, I was the first three-time winner. That was around 1989. I haven't won since.

I've seen formulas work well one year, and fail miserably the next. As one friend became fond of saying, "Don't make a science out of coincidence." No truer words were ever spoken about filling out brackets.

But I think my favorite method of selecting, which was done by my friend the philosopher mentioned above, was one simply known as "The Jelly Bean Method."

Let me give you a little background before I explain this intricate and complicated methodology (which, I have to add, won the pool the only year it was used, when Bobby Knight left Indiana and Mike Davis took the Hoosiers to the finals).

I mentioned that I've played this for 30 years. Participants have come and gone, but there are three of us that have been competing against each other since the beginning. One of us is responsible for the Jelly Bean Method, and if you haven't guessed by now, it isn't me.

5 Teams From Mid-Major Conferences That Could Make Some Noise in the NCAA Tournament

By - Tim Swift

We're currently smack in the middle of March Madness, with major conference tournaments going on all over the country. During this time of year, the focus tends to be only on teams from power conferences. However, just 2 years ago, Butler and VCU made Final Four runs.

Simply put, don't sleep on the little guys. With a few breaks, these 5 teams from mid-major conferences could be playing deep into March.

- Gonzaga

Photo by: Colin Mulvany

Okay, the Bulldogs are an obvious choice here based on their No. 1 ranking and 30-2 record. Offensively they are one of the most efficient teams in the nation, averaging 78 points a game, and they are third in the country in field goal percentage, shooting 50.3% from the field. The Zags also rank third in scoring margin, winning by over 17 points a game. Given their ranking, Gonzaga will have to deal with the mental aspect of being the hunted rather than the hunter. Kelly Olynyk and Elias Harris lead a balanced and deep team, so this could be the year that the Bulldogs finally break into the Final Four.

- VCU

Coach Shaka Smart's "havoc" defense has created problems all year. It is based on man-to-man pressure, with the focus on neutralizing the point guard by taking the ball out of his hands. VCU leads the country in turnovers forced per game with 20.1, and in the last 13 years, no team has a higher steal percentage than the Rams. Where they have been vulnerable is giving up big leads, especially over the second half of the season, as they coughed up double-digit advantages against both St. Louis and Temple. VCU has played a solid schedule which includes the likes of Duke, Memphis and Missouri. Factor that in with an underrated Atlantic 10 schedule and that could very well have the Rams ready to make another deep run in tourney.

- New Mexico

The Lobos won a very tough Mountain West this year by two full games and have been in the top 10 of the RPI rankings for most of the season with wins over Connecticut and Cincinnati. New Mexico has been the classic good at everything but not great at anything team. Conference Player of the Year Kendall Williams will be the key for the Lobos. When he is on, they are extremely dangerous. Williams had one of the best performances of the year in scoring 46 points against Colorado State on February 23rd.

Dick Vitale: Finally a PTPer, Baby!

By - Keith Smith

The NCAA Final Four just got its own version of a double-shot espresso with a Red Bull chaser.

After 34 years behind a mic for ESPN, the boisterous, energetic Dick Vitale will finally work a Final Four game this season. Granted, it will be for ESPN International, meaning it will only be heard outside the United States.

Photo by: Streeter Lecka

Vitale will work one semifinal game and the championship game with play-by-play analyst Brad Nessler. Jay Bilas will work the other semifinal game with Nessler.

Love him or hate him (and trust me, there are plenty of both), there is no denying that this is long overdue. Vitale, a broadcasting Hall-of-Famer, has done his time and then some on regular season games for ESPN, serving as a color analyst since 1979.

I personally like Vitale's style and his larger-than-life persona that includes screaming into the microphone and creating a language that is all his own. His dialogue consists of terms like the aforementioned "PTPer" -- Prime Time Player; "Diaper Dandy" -- a great freshman player; and "Dipsy-Doo-Dunkaroo" -- a stylish dunk, just to name a few; along with his "All-Whatever" teams that he seems to come up with every week or two.

This is a nice move by ESPN. Sort of a reward, if you will, for all the years of hard work by Vitale. At 73, the end of his career can't be too far away. His current contract goes through the 2014-2015 season, but who knows beyond that. This is something Vitale himself has admittedly longed for.

I do wish there was a way that he could be "loaned" or temporarily traded to CBS for the weekend of the Final Four so that he could do it for the large U.S. audience, but with the internet, maybe there will be a way that we locals that have enjoyed Vitale for all these years can hear it.

Billy Gillispie Takes the Easy Way Out

By - Lauren Dundee

As many of you may have already heard, Billy Gillispie resigned as head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team a few days ago, citing medical issues as the reason for his departure.

Photo by: Jamie Squire

While Gillispie may have recently spent a couple of days in the hospital with high blood pressure and other stress related illnesses, the reality is he probably would have been fired in the next few weeks regardless.

You see, Billy Gillispie is a bully.

He is borderline abusive to his players and staff. His players were so fed up with him that they had a meeting with Texas Tech athletic director, Kirby Hocutt, about his absurd coaching techniques.

It was quite obvious that Gillispie was doing something horribly wrong.

15 players had transferred out of the school in the last 18 months, reportedly due to his cruel behavior. Other members of the basketball staff had quit as well.

Even Texas Tech's star player, Jordan Tolbert, said that he would leave the team if Gillispie continued to be the head coach.

This is an unusual turn of events for Gillispie. At one point, he was one of the rising star coaches in NCAA basketball. He took mediocre programs at the University of Texas El Paso and Texas A&M and turned them completely around.

He was in demand.

Is Pat Summitt the Greatest College Basketball Coach of All-Time?

By - Kris Fletcher

During her 38 years at the University of Tennessee, Pat Summitt went from making a few hundred dollars a month and washing player uniforms herself, to becoming the most iconic women's basketball coach in the history of the sport.

Photo by: Getty Images

Summitt, who is battling early onset Alzheimer's disease, is without question the single most influential coach in the history of the women's game. She built the type of powerhouse that other programs strive to emulate, winning 1,098 games, 8 national championships, and appearing in 18 Final Fours.

By the way, she also had a 100% graduation rate.

Now that Summitt has decided to step down as head coach of the Lady Volunteers, there's a lot of debate as to where she ranks on the all-time list of great college basketball coaches.

Is she the best ever?

Even though Summitt has more career victories than any other Division 1-A college coach, there's not nearly the parity and competitiveness in women's basketball that there is in the men's game. It's just a fact. Grant you, the competition is just as intense, but there's a lack of depth in the quality of teams in women's basketball. That's why there's an undefeated women's squad every few years, while we haven't seen an unbeaten men's team since 1976.

Is Baylor the Greatest Women's Team Ever?

By - Kris Fletcher

With their 80-61 win over Notre Dame in the NCAA women's final on Tuesday night, Baylor not only won a second national championship, but also finished the first 40-0 season in college basketball history.

Photo by: Getty Images

Sure, six other NCAA women's teams have gone undefeated, but none of them finished with 40 wins.

As the final minutes of Tuesday's game ticked away, chants of "un-de-feat-ed" rained down on the Lady Bears from the swarm of fans on hand. They knew they were seeing history, the likes of which might never be repeated.

And no one can say Baylor played an easy schedule to achieve their monumental feat. They played Notre Dame, Tennessee and Stanford twice. Texas A&M three times, and also took on the likes of Connecticut, St. John's and Nebraska over the course of the season. Each of those teams was ranked in the final Associated Press poll, and three of them made the Final Four as #1 seeds.

All season long the Lady Bears were clearly the most dominant team in the nation. Only 5 of their 40 games were decided by single digits, and none of those came in the NCAA tournament, where they beat opponents by an average of 20.8 points.

The End For Pat Summitt?

By - Kris Fletcher

If Pat Summitt's coaching career with the Tennessee Lady Volunteers isn't over, it sure feels like it is.

Photo by: Kelly Kline

The Lady Vols emotional roller coaster of a season ended Monday night with a 77-58 loss to Baylor, marking the first time a Tennessee senior class didn't play in a Final Four.

The 59-year-old Summitt, who announced last August that she had been diagnosed with early onset dementia, is likely to take her time evaluating things before ultimately deciding her future in coaching. Still, it was apparent following Monday's defeat that it had been a tough year for everyone associated with the Lady Vols basketball program.

ESPN analyst Carolyn Peck, who served as one of Summitt's assistants for two seasons, said it was an extremely stressful year for the team.

"They had to carry on knowing Pat was battling the disease and the seniors had never been to a Final Four," Peck said. "That was double the weight on their shoulders. Every player who had played for Pat had been to a Final Four. That was important to her. That was part of their tradition. So for them not to get there was a big deal."

March Madness Indeed

By - Kris Fletcher

It's safe to say that the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament got off to a start the likes of which no one could have imagined.

Few could have possibly predicted that Norfolk State, a historically black college from the MEAC, making its first tournament appearance in school history, would rise up and knock off the 30-win Missouri Tigers.

And as the Spartans sealed the first win by a #15 seed over a #2 seed in 11 years, 1,159 miles away in North Carolina, another #15 seed repeated the feat.

That #15 was Lehigh. The #2, Duke.

Photo by: Getty Images

Yes. That Duke.

As shocking as Norfolk State's win was, it wasn't unfathomable. After all, we'd seen 15-seeds win before (four times before, to be exact). However, the Mountain Hawks win over the Blue Devils pushed this tournament to a previously unseen level. For the first time in history, not one, but two #15 seeds advanced.

But that was Friday. Let's go back to Thursday for a second.

The action that day gave little indication as to what we were in for. In fact, Thursday was so pedestrian, that UConn's loss to Iowa State - the first time a defending champion had lost its first game of the tournament since 1996 - was greeted with little more than a shrug by most.

Then Friday rolled around.

The day began with #6 Cincinnati taking on #11 Texas, with the Bearcats holding off a furious second-half run from the Longhorns just long enough to preserve a 65-59 win. #11 NC State beat #6 San Diego State. #8 Creighton went to the wire with #9 Alabama before pulling out a 58-57 win. #14 St. Bonaventure gave #3 Florida State all it could handle before huge plays from Bernard James and Okaro White sealed a 66-63 victory for the Seminoles.

Duke Tops North Carolina in an Instant Classic

By - Kris Fletcher

Duke-UNC has been one of the best rivalries in all of sports for over a quarter of a century.

Last night, they reminded us why.

Blue Devils freshman Austin Rivers buried a 3 at the buzzer to give #10 Duke an 85-84 upset win over #5 North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

Photo by: Jim R. Bounds

Rivers scored a season-high 29 points and drilled six 3-pointers. No doubt the last will live forever in the lore of this fierce rivalry.

With Duke (20-4, 7-2) trailing by two, Rivers launched his shot over 7-footer Tyler Zeller from the right wing. The ball ripped through the net, sending Rivers sprinting down the court in celebration as the rest of his teammates gave chase before finally mobbing him in front of a stunned UNC crowd.

Rivers' 3 capped a wild rally for the Blue Devils, who trailed by 10 points with less than 3 minutes remaining in the game.

Oklahoma State Women's Head Basketball Coach and Assistant Killed in Plane Crash

By - Brian Harrington

Oklahoma State women's basketball coach Kurt Budke and assistant Miranda Serna have died in a plane crash along with two others, just ten months after the school commemorated the tenth anniversary of a crash that killed ten men associated with the men's program.

Photo by: Chris Day

The plane went down Thursday night in Perry County, Arkansas, the school said in a news release, killing the pilot and another individual not affiliated with the university.

Budke, 50, had opened his seventh season as the Cowgirls' coach on Sunday with a 96-60 win over Rice in Stillwater.

"The Oklahoma State family is devastated by this tragedy," OSU president Burns Hargis said Friday in the statement. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of Kurt Budke, Miranda Serna and the other victims.

The school has canceled the team's games scheduled for Saturday and Sunday against Grambling State and Texas-Arlington. Associate head coach Jim Littell will take over as interim head coach, school VP for athletics Mike Holder said.

"We are shocked by this terrible loss," Holder said in the news release. "Kurt Budke was an incredibly positive influence on his players and was a tremendous coach. He quickly turned our program around and put Cowgirl basketball on the map."

Coach K Becomes King

By - Kris Fletcher

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski picked up his 903rd career win Tuesday evening, making him the winningest coach in Division I college basketball history.

Photo by: Eileen Blass

The Blue Devils defeated the Michigan State Spartans 74-69 at New York's Madison Square Garden. The game's location was of personal significance for Coach K, who played there in the National Invitation Tournament during his senior season at Army.

"I don't know what it means just yet," Krzyzewski said afterwards. "I coach every game the same way. Maybe when it's all over, I'll be able to comprehend it all."

The victory allowed him to break the win record previously held by Bob Knight, who coached Krzyzewski during college and remains a close personal friend.

Knight was not only in attendance for the game, but was also announcing it for ESPN.