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2B Daily News – Thursday, March 15, 2012 A capsule look at Thursday's tournament teams EAST Syracuse, N.Y., 31-2. Nickname: Orangemen. Coach: Jim Boeheim. Conference: Big East. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 53-34, 34 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (74.6); Kris Joseph 13.8; Dion Waiters 12.6; Brandon Triche 9.3; C.J. Fair 8.6; Scoop Jardine 8.3. Rebounds:Team (35.3);Fab Melo 5.8;C.J. Fair 5.5; Kris Joseph 4.9. Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.8/10.5); Scoop Jardine 4.7/2.2; Brandon Triche 2.7/1.3; Dion Waiters 2.6/1.3; Michael Carter-Wiliiams 2.1/0.6. 3-pointers: Team (.345); Kris Joseph 50; Brandon Triche 39; Dion Waiters 38; James Southerland 31; Scoop Jardine 30. Last Ten: 9-1. The Skinny: The Orange went undefeated at the Carrier Dome for only the second time since it opened in 1980. The other time? A kid named Carmelo Anthony led a team to a 17-0 record at home, and then marched its way through the March Mad- ness for a national championship. No. 1 Syracuse Columbus, 27-7. Nickname: Buckeyes. Coach: Thad Matta. Conference: Big Ten. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 47-26, 27 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring:Team (74.8); Jared Sullinger 17.6; Deshaun Thomas 15.4; William Buford 14.7. No. 2 Ohio State Rebounds: Team (36.9); Jared Sullinger 9.3; Deshaun Thomas 5.0; William Buford 4.9; Lenzelle Smith Jr. 4.5. Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.0/11.6); Aaron Craft 4.6/2.0; William Buford 2.9/2.1; Lenzelle Smith Jr. 2.1/1.2. 3-pointers: Team (.326);William Buford 52; Deshaun Thomas 42. Last Ten: 6-4. The Skinny: Jared Sullinger emerged as one of the nation's best freshmen during the Buckeye's NCAA tournament run a year ago. After weathering a sophomore swoon brought on in part by nagging injuries, Sullinger has been playing some of his best basketball the past few weeks. Just in time, too. Madison, 24-9. Nickname: Badgers. Coach: Bo Ryan. Conference: Big Ten. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 23-16, 17 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (63.9); Jordan Taylor 14.7; Ryan Evans 10.9; Jared Berggren 10.5. Rebounds: Team (33.8); Ryan Evans 6.8; Mike Bruesewitz 5.3; Jared Berggren 5.0; Josh Gasser 4.3. Assists/Turnovers: Team (11.7/9.0); Jor- dan Taylor 4.0/1.6; Josh Gasser 1.9/1.2. 3-pointers: Team (.361); Jordan Taylor 54; Ben Brust 51; Jared Berggren 41; Josh Gasser 39. Last Ten: 6-4. The Skinny: Jordan Taylor leads the Bad- gers in scoring, assists and steals, and is among the most efficient point guards in college basketball. He's also the team- leader in cracking jokes, at least according to junior forward Mike Bruesewitz. Taylor has even managed to get irascible coach Bo Ryan in stitches. No. 4 Wisconsin Nashville, Tenn., 24-10. Nickname: Commodores. Coach: Kevin Stallings. Conference: Southeastern. Bid: SEC champion. Tournament Record: 9-13, 12 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (72.9); John Jenkins 19.9; Jeffery Taylor 16.4; Festus Ezeli 10.0. Rebounds: Team (34.5); Lance Goul- bourne 6.9; Jeffery Taylor 5.8; Festus Ezeli 5.5. No. 5 Vanderbilt Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.9/13.2); Brad Tinsley 4.2/1.9; Kedren Johnson 1.9/1.1. 3-pointers:Team (.389); John Jenkins 129; Jeffrey Taylor 63; Brad Tinsley 40. Last Ten: 7-3. The Skinny: Gene Stallings may be due for a break though. He's taken the Com- modores to a pair of regional semifinals, and their run in 2004 was the first of his record seven 20-win seasons at Vandy. But his teams tend to under-achieve in the NCAA tournament — they've lost to No. 12 seed Richmond (2011) and No. 13 seeds Murray State (2010) and Siena (2008). Spokane, Wash., 25-6. Nickname: Bulldogs. Coach: Mark Few. Conference:West Coast. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 16-14, 14 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (74.0); Kevin Pangos 13.8; Elias Harris 13.1; Robert Sacre 11.7; Gary Bell 10.0. Rebounds: Team (37.1); Elias Harris 8.9; Robert Sacre 6.2. Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.7/13.6); Kevin Pangos 3.5/1.8; David Stockton 2.5/1.5. 3-pointers: Team (.376); Kevin Pangos 75; Gary Bell 46. Last Ten: 8-2. The Skinny: His teammates call him "The Machine," and that's what a lot of oppo- nents have called Kevin Pangos this sea- son, too. The freshman guard is averaging nearly 14 points a game, but he's capable of much more. Just ask BYU, which watched him go for 30 in early March, or rival Saint Mary's, upon which he hung 27 in February. No. 7 Gonzaga Manhattan, 21-10. Nickname: Wildcats. Coach: Frank Martin. Conference: Big 12. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 32-29, 25 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (71.4); Rodney McGruder 15.4; Jamar Samuels 10.3; Will Spradling 9.5. No. 8 Kansas State Rebounds: Team (37.3); Jamar Samuels 6.6; Rodney McGruder 5.3; Jordan Hen- riquez 5.3;Thomas Gibson 4.6. Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.5/15.0); Angel Rodriguez 3.2/2.6; Will Spradling 2.9/1.7; Shane Southwell 2.1/1.3. 3-pointers: Team (.342); Rodney McGrud- er 48; Will Spradling 45; Angel Rodriguez 30. Last Ten: 6-4. The Skinny: Frank Martin's teams channel his toughness this time of year. Rodney McGruder can score, but Angel Rodriguez has been the steady hand as a freshman point guard.Seven-footer Jordan Henriquez has emerged as one of the Big 12's best inside. They could be hungry after Baylor spanked them in the Big 12 tournament. No. 9 Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, 25-8. Nickname: Golden Eagles. Coach: Larry Eustachy. Conference: Conference USA. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 0-2, 2 years. Last appearance: 1991. Scoring: Team (71.6); Neil Watson 12.2; LaShay Page 11.5; Darnell Dodson 11.1; Maurice Bolden 9.9; Jonathan Mills 9.7; Angelo Johnson 9.5. Rebounds: Team (37.7); Jonathan Mills 6.2; Maurice Bolden 5.3;Torye Pelham 4.9; Darnell Dodson 4.7. Assists/Turnovers: Team (11.1/12.8); Neil Watson 4.6/2.1; Angelo Johnson 3.2/1.8. 3-pointers: Team (.358); LaShay Page 72; Neil Watson 37; Angelo Johnson 32. Last Ten: 5-5. The Skinny:Perhaps the time has come for another high-major to give Larry Eustachy a chance. If he wants it. The former Iowa State coach, who resigned amid problems with alcohol, has turned Southern Miss around. The Golden Eagles have won at least 20 games three straight years. Morgantown, 19-13. Nickname: Mountaineers. Coach: Bob Huggins. Conference: Big East. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 25-24, 24 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (71.6); Kevin Jones 20.1; Darryl Bryant 17.2; Deniz Kilicli 10.7. Rebounds:Team (38.4);Kevin Jones 11.1; Deniz Kilicli 5.4; Gary Browne 3.9. Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.6/12.9); Jabarie Hinds 3.3/1.9;Gary Browne 2.9/2.1; Darryl Bryant 2.8/2.4. 3-pointers: Team (.302); Darryl Bryant 69; Kevin Jones 34; Aaron Brown 25; Jabarie Hinds 25. Last Ten: 4-6. The Skinny: Deniz Kilicli may have the best beard in college basketball. Bob Huggins may have the best monotone voice, at least when he's not riled up on the sidelines. And Kevin Jones is certainly one of the best players in college basketball. No. 10 West Virginia Boston, 26-4. Nickname: Crimson. Coach: Tommy Amaker. Conference: Ivy League. Bid: Ivy champion. Tournament Record: 0-2, 1 year. Last appearance: 1946. Scoring: Team (65.4); Kyle Casey 11.3; Keith Wright 10.7; Laurent Rivard 9.7. Rebounds: Team (32.6); Keith Wright 8.1; Kyle Casey 5.5; Steve Moundou-Missi 3.5. Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.9/12.3); Brandyn Curry 5.0/1.9; Oliver McNally 3.1/1.3. 3-pointers:Team (.356);Laurent Rivard 60; Oliver McNally 29; Corbin Miller 26. Last Ten: 8-2. The Skinny: Just one year after Princeton shared the Ivy League championship with the Crimson and beat them in a one-game tiebreaker to earn the league's automatic NCAA berth, the Tigers beat Penn to get Harvard into the tournament for the first time since 1946. The Crimson had never before won an Ivy League title. No. 12 Harvard Missoula, 25-6. Nickname: Grizzlies. Coach: Wayne Tinkle. Conference: Big Sky. Bid: Big Sky champion. Tournament Record: 2-9, 8 years. Last appearance: 2010. Scoring: Team (70.6); Will Cherry 16.0; Kareem Jamar 13.8;Mathias Ward 11.1;Art Steward 9.2; Derek Selvig 9.2. Rebounds: Team (33.0); Derek Selvig 6.1; Kareem Jamar 5.6; Art Steward 4.7; Will Cherry 4.0. Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.8/12.7); Kareem Jamar 3.7/2.2; Will Cherry 3.4/2.8; Derek Selvig 3.0/2.2. 3-pointers: Team (.373); Will Cherry 50; Kareem Jamar 49; Derek Selvig 37. Last Ten: 10-0. The Skinny: The Grizzlies are riding a school-record 14 game winning streak, and have already established their best record since the 1992 season. Their last loss was Jan.14 at Weber State, the same team they wiped by 19 in the Big Sky title game. No. 13 Montana Baltimore, 24-8. Nickname: Greyhounds. Coach: Jimmy Patsos. Conference: Metro Atlantic Athletic. Bid: MAAC champion. Tournament Record: 0-1, 1 year. Last appearance: 1994. Scoring: Team (67.6); Erik Etherly 13.5; Dylon Cormier 13.4; Robert Olson 11.2; Justin Drummond 10.9. Rebounds: Team (35.3); Erik Etherly 7.5; Shane Walker 6.4; Justin Drummond 4.1. Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.0/13.5); R.J. Williams 2.5/1.5; Robert Olson 1.9/1.3; Dylon Cormier 1.9/1.6; Erik Etherly 1.9/2.4. 3-pointers: Team (.340); Robert Olson 65; Dylon Cormier 32. Last Ten: 7-3. The Skinny: Is there more entertaining coach out there than Jimmy Patsos? He used to moonlight at a bartender in Wash- ington, D.C. He's been known to sit 10 rows deep in the stands during games. He's a huge fan of the Grateful Dead, and he's turned Loyola-Maryland into a defensive juggernaut. No. 15 Loyola (Md.) Asheville, N.C., 24-9. Nickname: Bulldogs. Coach: Eddie Biedenbach. Conference: Big South. Bid: Big South champion. Tournament Record: 2-2, 2 year. Last NCAA Appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (81.2); Matt Dickey 16.5; J.P. Primm 15.3; Chris Stephenson 13.1; Jeremy Atkinson 11.7; Jaron Lane 11.3. Rebounds: Team (34.7); Jeremy Atkinson 6.6; Chris Stephenson 6.3; Jaron Lane 4.0. Assists/Turnovers: Team (16.6/13.5); J.P. Primm 4.2/2.4; Matt Dickey 3.6/2.5; Chris Stephenson 2.7/2.9; Jeremy Atkinson 2.3/1.5. 3-pointers: Team (.353); J.P. Primm 71; Matt Dickey 61. Last Ten: 8-2. The Skinny: Don't expect the bright lights and media horde to put a scare into UNC Asheville. Or their high-profile, highly seed- ed opponent. The Bulldogs beat Arkansas- Little Rock in an opening round game last year before putting a scare into a top-seed- ed Pittsburgh in a 74-51 loss. That experi- ence should serve them well in this year's tournament. No. 16 UNC Asheville SOUTH Lexington, 32-2. Nickname: Wildcats. Coach: John Calipari. Conference: Southeastern. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 107-47, 52 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (76.7); Anthony Davis 14.3; Doron Lamb 13.2; Terrence Jones 12.5; Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 11.8; Darius Miller 9.6; Marquis Teague 9.4. Rebounds: Team (39.1); Anthony Davis 10.0; Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 7.6; Terrence Jones 7.0. Assists/Turnovers:Team (13.2/11.4); Mar- quis Teague 4.8/2.8; Darius Miller 2.1/1.6; Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 2.0/2.1. 3-pointers: Team (.371); Doron Lamb 64; Darius Miller 49; Kyle Wiltier 31. Last Ten: 9-1. The Skinny: The Wildcats are the third team since Alabama in 1956 to go unde- feated in SEC play — Kentucky was the other two, too. Calipari's one-and-done fac- tory appears to have produced another in Anthony Davis, the likely No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. No. 1 Kentucky Waco, Texas, 27-7. Nickname: Bears. Coach: Scott Drew. Conference: Big 12 . Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 6-8, 6 years. Last appearance: 2010. Scoring: Team (74.9); Perry Jones III 14.0; Pierre Jackson 13.3; Quincy Acy 11.8; Quincy Miller 11.1; Brady Heslip 9.6. Rebounds: Team (36.5); Perry Jones III 7.7; Quincy Acy 7.2; Quincy Miller 5.0. Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.0/13.9); Pierre Jackson 5.8/3.6; A.J.Walton 2.8/2.0. 3-pointers: Team (.381); Brady Heslip 84; Pierre Jackson 62. Last Ten: 6-4. The Skinny: At times lampooned for his in- game coaching prowess, Scott Drew has nonetheless put together a team brimming with talent. The seniors on the team were part of the group that lost to eventual cham- pion Duke in an NCAA regional final their sophomore season. No. 3 Baylor Bloomington, Ind., 25-8. Nickname: Hoosiers. Coach: Tom Crean. Conference: Big Ten. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 60-30, 35 years. Last appearance: 2008. Scoring: Team (77.3); Cody Zeller 15.5; No. 4 Indiana Christian Watford 12.0; Jordan Hulls 11.5; Victor Oladipo 10.9. Rebounds: Team (34.9); Cody Zeller 6.4; Christian Watford 5.9; Victor Oladipo 5.5. Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.4/12.8); Verdell Jones III 3.2/2.6 (injured); Jordan Hulls 3.2/2.1. 3-pointers: Team (.433); Jordan Hulls 65; Christian Watford 43; Matt Roth 41. Last Ten: 8-2. The Skinny: All those teams coach by Bob Knight never accomplished what these Hoosiers did.For the first time in school his- tory, Indiana knocked off three top-5 teams. Verdell Jones was a big part of those wins, though. His knee injury in the Big Ten tour- nament will hurt the Hoosiers' chances. No. 5 Wichita State Wichita, Kan., 27-5. Nickname: Shockers. Coach: Gregg Marshall. Conference: Missouri Valley. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 8-9, 8 years. Last appearance: 2006. Scoring: Team (77.7); Garrett Stutz 13.5; Joe Ragland 13.4; Toure' Murry 12.2; Ben Smith 9.9. Rebounds: Team (38.0); Garrett Stutz 8.0; Carl Hall 4.9;Toure' Murry 4.8. Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.8/12.2); Joe Ragland 3.4/1.8; Toure' Murry 3.3/2.2; Demetric Williams 2.4/1.2. 3-pointers: Team (.373); Joe Ragland 57; Ben Smith 55; David Kyles 54. Last Ten: 9-1. The Skinny: Could the Shockers be the 2012 version of Butler? They won 16 of 17 at one point this season, though an upset loss to Illinois State in the Missouri Valley tournament hurt their NCAA tournament seeding. Then again, maybe it whet their appetite by reminding them how much they hate to lose. Las Vegas, 26-8. Nickname: Rebels. Coach: Dave Rice. Conference: Mountain West. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 33-17, 18 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (76.7); Mike Moser 14.1; Chace Stanback 12.7; Anthony Marshall 12.1; Oscar Bellfield 9.8. Rebounds: Team (37.8); Mike Moser 10.6; Anthony Marshall 5.1; Chace Stanback 4.5. Assists/Turnovers: Team (17.7/13.5); Oscar Bellfield 5.3/2.4; Anthony Marshall 4.6/3.1; Mike Moser 2.3/2.9. 3-pointers: Team (.370); Chace Stanback 78; Oscar Bellfield 63; Mike Moser 42; Justin Hawkins 37. Last Ten: 5-5. The Skinny: So much for everything falling apart when Lon Kruger left for Oklahoma. The Runnin' Rebels had a perfect home mark for the first time since 1989-90, when Jerry Tarkanian led UNLV to a victory over Duke in the national title game. Three play- ers from that team were first-round NBA draft picks: Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony. No. 6 UNLV Ames, 22-10. Nickname: Cyclones. Coach: Fred Hoiberg. Conference: Big 12. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 12-13, 13 years. Last appearance: 2005. Scoring: Team (73.2); Royce White 13.1; Scott Christopherson 12.5;Chris Allen 11.8; Melvin Ejim 9.4. Rebounds: Team (36.7); Royce White 9.2; Melvin Eljim 6.6; Chris Babb 4.1. Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.6/13.7); Royce White 5.1/3.9; Chris Allen 2.4/2.1; Scott Christopherson 2.3/1.9. 3-pointers: Team (.380); Chris Allen 72; Chris Babb 64; Scott Christopherson 63; Tyler McGee 50. Last Ten: 6-4. The Skinny: Fred Hoiberg scored nearly 2,000 points for Iowa State, a good chunk coming from beyond the arc, where he was a 40 percent shooter for his career.Maybe that's why the Cyclones are so good on the perimeter. They jack up 3s at an incredible pace, and go to Royce White whenever that fails. No. 8 Iowa State Storrs, 20-13. Nickname: Huskies. Coach: Jim Calhoun. Conference: Big East. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 52-28, 30 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (68.8); Jeremy Lamb 17.7; Shabazz Napier 12.7; Ryan Boatright 10.5; Andrew Drummond 10.2. Rebounds:Team (37.8);Andre Drummond 7.7; Jeremy Lamb 4.9; Alex Oriakhi 4.8; Tyler Olander 4.8. Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.6/12.5); Shabazz Napier 5.8/2.8; Ryan Boatright 4.1/2.3. 3-pointers: Team (.331); Jeremy Lamb 69; Shabazz Napier 56. Last Ten: 5-5. The Skinny: It's been a trying season away from the court for 69-year-old Jim Calhoun. The Huskies' coach missed eight games with spinal stenosis, requiring major surgery on Feb. 27. He returned for UConn's regular-season finale against Pitt, and led his team off the NCAA bubble with two wins in the Big East tournament. No. 9 Connecticut Boulder, 23-11. Nickname: Buffaloes. Coach: Tad Boyle. Conference: Pac-12. Bid: Pac-12 champion. Tournament Record: 9-12, 10 years. Last appearance: 2003. Scoring: Team (67.6); Carlon Brown 12.6; Andre Robderson 11.6;Austin Dufault 10.9; Spencer Dinwiddie 10.2. Rebounds: Team (35.7); Andre Roberson 11.1; Austin Dufault 4.5; Carlon Brown 3.7. Assists/Turnovers: Team (11.7/12.7); Nate Tomlinson 3.3/1.6; Carlon Brown 1.9/1.8. 3-pointers: Team (.343); Carlon Brown 41; Spencer Dinwiddie 41; Nate Tomlinson 36. Last Ten: 7-3. The Skinny: Tad Boyle knew his team would need to make a run in the Pac-12 tournament. It did precisely that. The Buf- faloes' first chance against their brethren in that setting netted wins over Utah and Ore- gon, and a spot in the NCAA tournament. No. 11 Colorado No. 12 Vir. Commonwealth Richmond, 28-6. Nickname: Rams. Coach: Shaka Smart. Conference: Colonial Athletic Association. Bid: CAA champion. Tournament Record: 10-10, 10 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (68.5); Bradford Burgess 13.3; Juvonte Reddic 10.6; Troy Daniels 10.0; Rob Brandenberg 8.9. Rebounds: Team (33.8); Juvonte Reddic 6.8; Bradford Burgess 4.9. Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.2/11.3); Dar- rius Theus 4.8/2.2; Rob Brandenberg 1.8/1.3. 3-pointers: Team (.339); Troy Daniels 90; Bradford Burgess 75;Rob Brandenberg 38. Last Ten: 9-1. The Skinny: Shaka Smart took the Rams to the Final Four last year behind star guard Joey Rodriguez. This time, the hotshot coach is trying to do it behind Darius Theus, who had one of his best games in beating Drexel for the conference title.VCU was an at-large pick last year.There was no need to worry on Selection Sunday this time around. No. 13 New Mexico State Las Cruces, 26-9. Nickname: Aggies. Coach: Marvin Menzies. Conference:Western Athletic. Bid:WAC champion. Tournament Record: 10-20, 18 years. Last appearance: 2010. Scoring: Team (78.5); Wendell McKines 18.8; Christian Kabongo 14.6; Hernst Laroche 12.0; Hamidu Rahman 10.0; Daniel Mullings 9.3. Rebounds: Team (40.8);Wendell McKines 10.8; Hamidu Rahman 5.9; Bandja Sy 4.1; Tyrone Watson 4.1; Daniel Mullings 4.1. Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.6/14.7); Hernst Laroche 3.8/2.3; Tyrone Watson 3.2/2.0. 3-pointers: Team (.327);Wendell McKines 50; Hernst Laroche 45; Bandja Sy 38. Last Ten: 9-1. The Skinny: Wendell McKines is making the most of his misfortune. The Aggies' senior forward broke his foot during practice and was forced to redshirt last season.That meant he could return for one more year this season, and all New Mexico State has done is go all the way to the NCAA tourna- ment. No. 14 South Dakota State Brookings, 27-7. Nickname: Jackrabbits. Coach: Scott Nagy. Conference: Summit League. Bid: Summit champion. Tournament Record: First year. Last appearance: First year. Scoring: Team (72.3); Nate Wolters 21.3; Jordan Dykstra 11.5; Griffan Callahan 10.5; Chad White 9.1. Rebounds: Team (32.8); Nate Wolters 5.2; Jordan Dykstra 5.0; Griffan Callahan 4.8. Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.7/13.7); Nate Wolters 6.0/2.1; Brayden Carlson 2.5/1.6. 3-pointers: Team (.331); Griffan Callahan 75; Jordan Dykstra 51; Brayden Carlson 46; Chad White 45; Nate Wolters 32. Last Ten: 9-1. The Skinny: The Jackrabbits are just five years removed from a 6-24 train wreck, and are in just their fourth year of eligibility and ninth at the Division I level.They earned the automatic bid by rallying from 12 down in the second half against Western Illinois in the Summit League title game. No. 16 Western Kentucky Bowling Green, 15-18. Nickname: Hilltoppers. Coach: Ray Harper. Conference: Sun Belt. Bid: Sun Belt champion. Tournament Record: 18-22, 21 years. Last appearance: 2009. Scoring:Team (65.1);Derrick Gordan 11.8; George Fant 10.3; Jamal Cook 8.6; T.J. Price 8.5; Kahlil McDonald 8.5. Rebounds: Team (35.9); Derrick Gordan 6.7; George Fant 6.0;T.J. Price 4.2. Assists/Turnovers: Team (11.1/15.0); Jamala Cook 2.7/2.3; Derrick Gordon NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE On the tube AUTO RACING • 10:30 p.m. SPEED — Formula One, practice for Australian Grand Prix, at Melbourne, Australia EXTREME SPORTS •9 a.m., ESPN2 — Winter X Games, ski slopestyle men's final, at Tignes, France (same-day tape) • 10:30 a.m., ESPN2 — Winter X Games, snowboard superpipe men's final, at Tignes, France GOLF • 7:30 a.m., TGC — European PGA Tour, Open de Andalucia, first round, at Marbella, Spain • Noon, TGC — PGA Tour, Transitions Championship, first round, at Palm Har- bor, Fla. • 3:30 p.m., TGC — LPGA, Founders Cup, first round, at Phoenix MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL •9 a.m., CBS — NCAA Division I tour- nament, second round, doubleheader, Murray St. vs. Colorado St. and Mar- quette vs. BYU at Louisville, Ky. • 9:30 a.m., TRUTV — NCAA Division I tournament, second round, doublehead- er, Kansas St. vs. Southern Miss. and Syracuse vs. UNC Asheville, at Pitts- burgh. • 10:30 a.m., TBS — NCAA Division I tournament, second round, quadruple- header, Louisville vs. Davidson and New Mexico vs. Long Beach St., at Portland, Ore.; Kentucky vs. MVSU-W. Kentucky winner and Iowa St. vs. UConn, at Louisville, Ky. • 11 a.m., TNT — NCAA Division I tour- nament, second round, quadruplehead- er, Wisconsin vs. Montana and Vanderbilt vs. Harvard, at Albuquerque, N.M.; Gon- zaga vs. West Virginia and Ohio St. vs. Loyola (Md.), at Pittsburgh. •4 p.m., CBS — NCAA Division I tour- nament, second round, doubleheader, Wichita St. vs. VCU and Indiana vs. New Mexico St., at Portland, Ore. • 4:15 p.m., TRUTV — NCAA Division I tournament, second round, doublehead- er, Baylor vs. South Dakota St. and UNLV vs. Colorado, at Albuquerque, N.M. MLB • 10 a.m., MLB NETWORK — Spring Training, N.Y.Yankees vs.Washington •1 p.m., MLB NETWORK — Spring Training, Cincinnati vs. L.A. Angels •7 p.m., MLB NETWORK — Spring Training, San Francisco vs. Seattle NHL •4 p.m., NBCSN — Pittsburgh at N.Y. Rangers •4 p.m., CSNC—Philadelphia at N.Y. Islanders • 7:30 p.m., CSNC — Nashville at San Jose Pacific Division WL OT Pts GF GA Dallas 39 27 5 83 188 188 Phoenix 34 25 11 79 182 178 SHARKS 34 25 10 78 189 178 Kings 33 25 12 78 159 154 Ducks 29 30 11 69 173 196 Central Division WL OT Pts GF GA St. Louis 45 18 8 98 186 139 Detroit 44 23 3 91 219 167 Nashville 41 21 7 89 200 179 Chicago 38 25 8 84 213 209 Columbus 22 40 7 51 161 223 Northwest Division WL OT Pts GF GA Vancouver 42 19 8 92 215 172 Colorado 38 30 4 80 191 193 Calgary 33 25 12 78 176 193 Minnesota 29 31 10 68 150 194 Edmonton 26 36 7 59 182 209 EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division WL OT Pts GF GA N.Y.Rangers 44 18 7 95 192 150 Pittsburgh 42 21 5 89 219 173 Philadelphia40 22 7 87 223 197 New Jersey 40 25 5 85 195 182 N.Y. Islanders28 31 11 67 164 211 Northeast Division WL OT Pts GF GA Boston 40 26 3 83 223 170 Ottawa 36 25 10 82 218 209 Buffalo 33 29 9 75 178 201 Toronto 30 32 8 68 202 217 Montreal 28 32 11 67 188 198 Southeast Division WL OT Pts GF GA Florida 33 23 13 79 171 193 Washington 36 28 6 78 189 197 Winnipeg 33 29 8 74 186 197 Tampa Bay 32 30 7 71 197 234 Carolina 26 29 15 67 183 211 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. —————————————————— Wednesday's results Colorado 5, Buffalo 4, SO Montreal 3, Ottawa 2, SO Winnipeg 5, Dallas 2 Columbus at Edmonton, late Detroit at Anaheim, late Phoenix at Vancouver, late Today's games Nashville at San Jose, 7:30 p.m. Colorado at New Jersey, 4 p.m. Philadelphia at N.Y. Islanders, 4 p.m. Pittsburgh at N.Y. Rangers, 4 p.m. St. Louis at Carolina, 4 p.m. Boston at Florida, 4:30 p.m. Toronto at Tampa Bay, 4:30 p.m. Phoenix at Calgary, 6 p.m. Friday's games Montreal at Ottawa, 4 p.m. Chicago at Dallas, 5:30 p.m. Washington at Winnipeg, 5:30 p.m. Calgary at Edmonton, 6:30 p.m. Los Angeles at Anaheim, 7 p.m. 2.1/2.8. 3-pointers: Team (.308); Kahlil McDonald 52;T.J. Price 49. Last Ten: 7-3. The Skinny: Someone put an APB out on Ken McDonald, who was fired after a loss to Louisiana-Lafayette on Jan. 5. Former assistant Ray Haper took over and led the Hilltoppers to four wins in four days in the Sun Belt tournament, earning a guaranteed ticket to the NCAA tournament. Milwaukee, 25-7. Nickname: Golden Eagles. Coach: Buzz Williams. Conference: Big East. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 36-30, 29 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (75.9); Darius Johnson- Odom 18.5; Jae Crowder 17.4; Davante Gardner 9.5;Vander Blue 8.7. Rebounds: Team (35.8); Jae Crowder 8.1; Davante Gardner 5.5; Vander Blue 4.4; Jamil Wilson 4.0. Assists/Turnovers: Team (16.8/13.3); Junior Cadougan 5.5/2.6; Vander Blue 2.8/2.2; Darius Johnson-Odom 2.8/2.5; Jae Crowder 2.1/1.3. 3-pointers: Team (.337); Darius Johnson- Odom 71; Jae Crowder 56. Last Ten: 7-3. The Skinny: Perhaps it's Buzz Williams' background as a junior college coach that made him fall in love with Jae Crowder. After all, the forward went through two different JUCOs before he found his way to Mar- quette. Then again, maybe it's the fact Crowder can flat out play. No. 3 Marquette WEST Louisville, Ky., 26-9. Nickname: Cardinals. Coach: Rick Pitino. Conference: Big East. Bid: Big East champion. Tournament Record: 60-39, 37 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (68.8); Kyle Kuric 13.1; Russ Smith 11.4; Chris Smith 10.0; Gorgui Dieng 9.4; Peyton Siva 9.1; Chane Behanan 9.0. Rebounds: Team (38.2); Gorgui Dieng 9.1; Chane Behanan 7.4; Kyle Kuric 4.4. Assists/Turnovers:Team (13.8/14.7);Pey- ton Siva 5.5/3.5; Chris Smith 2.1/1.1; Russ Smith 2.1/2.3. 3-pointers: Team (.311); Kyle Kuric 70; Chris Smith 60; Russ Smith 34. Last Ten: 6-4. The Skinny: Rick Pitino was coaching Ken- tucky when Christian Laettner made his infamous shot for Duke some 20 years ago. He's got the Cardinals back in the NCAA tournament for the sixth straight year, though they've been bounced in the open- ing round last two. An incredible run in the Big East tournament has built hope for a better outcome this time. No. 4 Louisville Albuquerque, 27-6. Nickname: Lobos. Coach: Steve Alford. Conference: Mountain West. Bid: MWC champion. Tournament Record: 7-13, 12 years. Last appearance: 2010. Scoring: Team (73.2); Drew Gordon 13.4; Kendall Williams 12.0;Tony Snell 11.0. Rebounds: Team (38.0); Drew Gordon 10.9; A.J. Hardeman 3.7; Cameron Bairstow 3.7. Assists/Turnovers: Team (16.4/13.3); Kendall Williams 4.1/2.2; Hugh Greenwood 2.5/1.0; Jamal Fenton 2.4/1.2; Tony Snell 2.4/1.5. 3-pointers: Team (.385); Tony Snell 71; Philip McDonald 45; Kendall Williams 36; Hugh Greenwood 34. Last Ten: 8-2. The Skinny: Drew Gordon may be one of the premier centers in the NCAA tourna- ment.The transfer from UCLA is a load at 6- foot9 and 245 pounds, and he averages a double-double while connecting on better than 50 percent from the field. Steve Alford points to him as the reason the Lobos have "gone to the next level." No. 5 New Mexico Murray, Ky., 30-1. Nickname: Racers. Coach: Steve Prohm. Conference: Ohio Valley. Bid: OVC champion. Tournament Record: 2-14, 14 years. Last appearance: 2010. Scoring: Team (74.2); Isaiah Canaan 19.2; Donte Poole 14.2; Ivan Aska 10.9; Jewuan Long 8.5. Rebounds: Team (33.3); Ivan Aska 5.7; Ed Daniel 5.3; Latreze Mushatt 5.0. Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.0/14.0); Isa- iah Canaan 3.7/2.7; Jewuan Long 2.6/2.0; Zay Jackson 2.1/1.5. 3-pointers:Team (.406); Isaiah Cannan 95; Donte Poole 65. Last Ten: 9-1. The Skinny: Jewuan Long wears No.33 as No. 6 Murray St. MLB Spring Training AMERICAN LEAGUE WL Pct Detroit Toronto Boston A's Seattle Minnesota Baltimore New York Cleveland Texas Chicago 8 1 .889 10 2 .833 7 2 .778 93 .750 9 3 .750 Kansas City 6 5 .545 Angels 6 5 .545 7 6 .538 4 5 .444 5 8 .385 3 7 .300 3 7.300 3 8 .273 Tampa Bay 3 8 .273 NATIONAL LEAGUE WL Pct Dodgers Miami GIANTS Houston Chicago Colorado 6 2 .750 6 3 .667 84 .667 7 4 .636 6 5 .545 Washington 5 5 .500 Padres Milwaukee 5 6 .455 St. Louis Cincinnati 4 5 .444 5 7 .417 Philadelphia 5 7 .417 Pittsburgh New York Arizona Atlanta 4 7 .364 3 7 .300 3 8 .273 2 10 .167 NOTE: Split-squad games count in the standings; games against non-major league teams do not. —————————————————— Wednesday's results San Francisco 2,Cleveland 2,tie,10 innings Atlanta 6, Washington 5 Chicago White Sox 9, L.A. Angels 7 Colorado (ss) 6, Texas 1 Detroit 7, N.Y. Mets 6, 10 innings Houston 4, St. Louis 3 Miami 4, Tampa Bay 2 Milwaukee 10, Chicago Cubs 2 Minnesota 6, Philadelphia 4 Pittsburgh 11, Baltimore 5 San Diego 8, Arizona (ss) 0 San Diego 9, Cincinnati 4 Toronto 7, N.Y.Yankees 5 Arizona (ss) vs. Colorado (ss), late Kansas City vs. Seattle, late L.A. Dodgers vs. Cincinnati, late Today's Grapefruit League games Atlanta vs. Philadelphia (ss), 10:05 a.m. Baltimore vs. Detroit, 10:05 a.m. N.Y. Mets vs.Miami, 10:05 a.m. N.Y.Yankees vs.Washington, 10:05 a.m. Philadelphia (ss) vs.Tampa Bay, 10:05 a.m. Pittsburgh vs. Minnesota, 10:05 a.m. Toronto vs. Houston, 10:05 a.m. St. Louis vs. Boston, 11:35 a.m. Today's Cactus League games Oakland vs.Texas, 1:05 p.m. San Francisco vs. Seattle, 7:05 p.m. Arizona vs. Chicago Cubs (ss), 1:05 p.m. Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland, 1:05 p.m. Cincinnati vs. L.A. Angels, 1:05 p.m. Kansas City vs. L.A. Dodgers, 1:05 p.m. San Diego vs.Milwaukee, 1:05 p.m. Chicago Cubs (ss) vs. Colorado, 1:10 p.m. 6 7 .462 5 6 .455 an homage to Scottie Pippin, and like the former Bulls star, he's a defensive whiz. Then there's Steve Prohm, who took over after Billy Kennedy left for Texas A&M and rattled off 23 consecutive wins to start his first season as a head coach.This is a team that nobody wants to face in March. Fort Collins, 20-11. Nickname: Rams. Coach: Tim Miles. Conference: Mountain West. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 3-9, 8 years. Last appearance: 2003. Scoring: Team (71.0);Wes Eikmeier 15.6; Dorian Green 13.5; Greg Smith 9.7. Rebounds: Team (31.3); Pierce Hornung 8.4; Greg Smith 5.3. Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.3/12.5); Jesse Carr 2.6/1.6; Dorian Green 2.5/1.7; Wes Eikmeier 2.1/2.2. 3-pointers: Team (.405);Wes Eikmeier 31; Dorian Green 31; Greg Smith 29. Last Ten: 6-4. The Skinny: Tim Miles has paid his dues. The Rams' coach got his start at Mayville State in NAIA, and turned around Division II school Southwest Minnesota State before taking over at North Dakota State. The Bison made the NCAA tournament in their first year of eligibility under his successor, and now Miles is dancing himself with Col- orado State. No. 11 Colorado State No. 12 Long Beach State Long Beach, Calif., 25-8. Nickname: 49ers. Coach: Big West champion. Conference: Big West. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 7-9, 8 years. Last appearance: 2007. Scoring: Team (74.0); Casper Ware 17.4; Larrey Anderson 14.0; T.J. Robinson 12.0; James Ennis 9.9; Eugene Phelps 9.5. Rebounds: Team (35.6); T.J. Robinson 10.1; Eugene Phelps 5.6; Larry Anderson 5.0; James Ennis 4.1. Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.0/12.9); Casper Ware 3.3/2.4; Larry Anderson 3.1/2.2; James Ennis 2.5/2.0; Mike Caffey 2.3/1.3. 3-pointers: Team (.360); Casper Ware 92; Larry Anderson 44; James Ennis 43. Last Ten: 8-2. The Skinny: Call him the "Greatest Show on Surf." Casper Ware was hardly recruited out of high school, but he's put in the work required to become one of the nation's best perimeter players. The senior for Long Beach State loves big stages, too: 28 points at Pitt, 26 versus San Diego State and 29 points against North Carolina. Davidson, N.C., 25-7. Nickname: Wildcats. Coach: Bob McKillop. Conference: Southern. Bid: Southern champion. Tournament Record: 8-11, 10 years. Last appearance: 2008. Scoring: Team (78.4); De'Mon Brooks 16.0; Jake Cohen 14.0; JP Kuhlman 11.1; Nik Cochran 11.0; Chris Czerapowicz 10.2. Rebounds: Team (38.9); De'Mon Brooks 6.3; Jake Cohen 6.0; Chris Czerapowicz 4.8. No. 13 Davidson Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.8/11.8); Nik Cochran 3.7/2.1; JP Kuhlman 2.9/1.6; Tom Droney 2.2/1.4. 3-pointers: Team (.339); Chris Czerapow- icz 64; Nik Cochran 46; JP Kuhlman 42; Tyler Kalinoski 36; Jake Cohen 30. Last Ten: 8-2. The Skinny: Forget about the fact that Davidson needed double overtime to beat Western Carolina, a team with a losing record, in the Southern Conference title game. And remember the Wildcats beat Kansas on a neutral court in December. Provo, Utah, 25-8. Nickname: Cougars. Coach: Dave Rose. Conference:West Coast. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 14-29, 26 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2011. Scoring:Team (78.2);Noah Hartsock 16.7; Brandon Davies 15.0; Matt Carlino 12.7; Charles Abouo 11.5. Rebounds: Team (38.5); Brandon Davies 7.3; Charles Abouo 6.5;Noah Hartsock 5.2; Brock Zylstra 4.3. Assists/Turnovers: Team (17.0/13.2); Matt Carlino 4.7/2.8; Charles Abouo 2.6/1.7; Brandon Davies 2.1/2.8. 3-pointers: Team (.342); Brock Zylstra 49; Charles Abouo 41; Matt Carlino 40. Last Ten: 7-3. The Skinny: Dave Rose said all along that BYU would make the NCAA tournament. Turns out he was right. It helps that the Cougars have become synonymous with March.This is the sixth straight year they've gone dancing, winning three in the NCAA tournament the past two years. No Jimmer this time. They may be just as go without him. No. 14 BYU NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE Pacific Division Lakers Clippers Phoenix WL Pct GB 27 16 .628 — 23 17 .575 2.5 19 22 .463 7 WARRIORS 18 21 .462 7 KINGS 14 28 .333 12.5 Southwest Division WL Pct GB San Antonio 28 13 .683 — Memphis Dallas Houston 24 17 .585 4 24 20 .545 5.5 24 20 .545 5.5 New Orleans 10 33 .233 19 Northwest Division WL Pct GB Oklahoma City 32 10 .762 — Denver Portland Minnesota 22 21 .512 10.5 Utah 20 23 .465 12.5 EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division Philadelphia 25 18 .581 — Boston New York WL Pct GB 22 19 .537 2 New Jersey 15 29 .341 10.5 Toronto 19 24 .442 6 14 29 .326 11 Southeast Division WL Pct GB 31 10 .756 — 28 16 .636 4.5 24 18 .571 7.5 Miami Orlando Atlanta Washington 9 32 .220 22 Charlotte Central Division Chicago Indiana 6 35 .146 25 WL Pct GB 35 9 .795 — 25 16 .610 8.5 Milwaukee 19 24 .442 15.5 Cleveland 16 25 .390 17.5 Detroit 15 27 .357 19 —————————————————— Wednesday's results Detroit at Sacramento, late Boston at Golden State, late Houston 107, Charlotte 87 Indiana 111, Philadelphia 94 L.A. Lakers 107, New Orleans 101, OT Milwaukee 115, Cleveland 105 New Jersey 98, Toronto 84 New York 121, Portland 79 San Antonio 122, Orlando 111 Atlanta at L.A. Clippers, late Miami at Chicago, late Utah at Phoenix, late Today's games Washington at New Orleans, 5 p.m. Charlotte at Dallas, 5:30 p.m. Minnesota at Utah, 6 p.m. Oklahoma City at Denver, 6 p.m. Phoenix at L.A. Clippers, 7:30 p.m. Friday's games Boston at Sacramento, 7 p.m. Milwaukee at Golden State, 7:30 p.m. Miami at Philadelphia, 4 p.m. New Jersey at Orlando, 4 p.m. Indiana at New York, 4:30 p.m. Washington at Atlanta, 4:30 p.m. Portland at Chicago, 5 p.m. Toronto at Memphis, 5 p.m. San Antonio at Oklahoma City, 6:30 p.m. Detroit at Phoenix, 7 p.m. Minnesota at L.A. Lakers, 7:30 p.m. 24 19 .558 8.5 20 21 .488 11.5