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2B Daily News – Friday, March 16, 2012 A capsule look at Friday's tournament teams EAST Tallahassee, 24-9. Nickname: Seminoles. Coach: Leonard Hamilton. Conference: Atlantic Coast. Bid: ACC champion. Tournament Record: 14-13, 13 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (70.3); Michael Snaer 14.5; Ian Miller 10.9; Bernard James 10.5. Rebounds: Team (36.7); Bernard James 8.2; Xavier Gibson 4.4; Okaro White 4.3. Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.2/16.3); Luke Loucks 4.3/2.5; Michael Snaer 2.0/2.2. 3-pointers: Team (.353); Michael Snaer 64; Deividis Dulkys 4635; Ian Miller 32. Last Ten: 8-2. The Skinny: They're not just playing foot- ball in Tallahassee. When the Seminoles faced Duke earlier this season, students snapped up all the tickets in 15 minutes. It took them a full 17 minutes to cry dibs over all the tickets to Florida State's foot- ball game against then-No. 1 Oklahoma last fall. No. 3 Florida State Cincinnati, 24-10. Nickname: Bobcats. Coach: Mick Cronin. Conference: Big East. Bid: At Large. Tournament Record: 41-24, 25 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (68.5); Sean Kilpatrick 14.3; Dion Dixon 13.1; Yancey Gates 12.4; Cashmere Wright 10.9; Jaquon Parker 9.2. Rebounds: Team (36.2); Yancey Gates 9.2; Jaquon Parker 5.4; Sean Kilpatrick 4.6; Justin Jackson 4.3. Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.0/10.6); Cashmere Wright 4.6/2.2; Sean Kilpatrick 2.1/1.5; Dion Dixon 2.1/1.7. 3-pointers: Team (.343); Sean Kilpatrick 84; Cashmere Wright 58; Dion Dixon 45. Last Ten: 7-3. The Skinny: Mick Cronin did a masterful job getting his team to regroup after a brawl against Xavier. The fight in Decem- ber resulted in a slew of suspensions, but Cincy managed to go 12-6 in the Big East and then made an incredible run in the Big East tournament, beating 'Cuse along the way. No. 6 Cincinnati Austin, 20-13. Nickname: Longhorns. Coach: Rick Barnes. Conference: Big 12. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 34-32, 29 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (73.1); J'Covan Brown 20.1; Sheldon McClellan 11.3; Myck Kabongo 9.8. Rebounds: Team (36.2); Clint Chapman 5.5; Jonathan Holmes 4.8; Alexis Wangmene 4.7; Jaylen Bond 4.6. Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.6/12.6); Myck Kabongo 5.3/3.0; J'Covan Brown 3.8/2.6. 3-pointers: Team (.327); J'Covan Brown 77; Sheldon McClellan 33; Julien Lewis 32. No. 11 Texas Last Ten: 6-4. The Skinny: The Longhorns may have needed a win over Iowa State in the Big 12 tournament to slip into the bracket. Watch out for high-scoring guard J'Covan Brown, who managed to pour in 29 points on the road against Kansas — in a single half. St. Bonaventure, N.Y., 20-11. Nickname: Bonnies. Coach: Mark Schmidt. Conference: Atlantic 10. Bid: Atlantic 10 champion. Region: East. Seed: No. 14. Tournament Record: 6-7, 5 years. Last appearance: 2000. Scoring: Team (72.3); Andrew Nicholson 18.2; Demitrius Conger 12.3; Da'Quan Cook 7.6. Rebounds: Team (32.8); Andrew Nichol- son 8.2; Demitrius Conger 6.1; Da'Quan Cook 4.6. Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.7/13.7); Matthew Wright 2.7/1.5; Charlon Kloof 2.6/1.5; Demitrius 2.4/2.3. 3-pointers: Team (.342); Matthew Wright 40; Eric Mosley 36. Last Ten: 8-2. The Skinny: Andrew Nicholson is the A- 10 player of the year and, at 6-foot-9, a sure-fire NBA prospect. If that doesn't work out, though, he can always fall back on physics. "I enjoy learning how the world works," he told the Pittsburgh Post- Gazette. "Physics is just something I'm pretty good at." No. 14 St. Bonaventure No. 1 North Carolina Chapel Hill, 29-5. MIDWEST Nickname: Tar Heels. Coach: Roy Williams. Conference: Atlantic Coast. Bid: At Large. Tournament Record: 105-40, 42 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (82.0); Harrison Barnes 17.4;Tyler Zeller 16.5; John Henson 13.8. Rebounds: Team (45.1); John Henson 10.1; Tyler Zeller 9.3; Harrison Barnes 5.2; Reggie Bullock 4.9. Assists/Turnovers: Team (17.4/11.8); Kendal Marshall 9.7/2.8. 3-pointers: Team (.340); Reggie Bullock 60; Harrison Barnes 43; P.J. Hairston 36. Last Ten: 9-1. The Skinny: Which version of the Tar Heels will show up? The one that lost by 33 to Florida State in January, or the one that knocked off Duke by 18 the first week of March to wrap up another regular-sea- son ACC championship? Lawrence, 27-6. Nickname: Jayhawks. Coach: Bill Self. Conference: Big 12. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 88-39, 40 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (75.0); Thomas Robinson 17.9;Tyshawn Taylor 17.3; Elijah Johnson 9.6; Travis Releford 9.3. Rebounds: Team (36.6); Thomas Robin- son 11.8; Jeff Withey 6.2; Travis Releford 4.3. No. 2 Kansas Assists/Turnovers: Team (17.9/13.5); Tyshawn Taylor 4.8/3.5; Elijah Johnson 3.8/1.8. 3-pointers: Team (.358); Tyshawn Taylor 57; Elijah Johnson 56; Conner Teahan 47. Last Ten: 9-1. The Skinny: The Jayhawks' best player (Thomas Robinson) came off the bench last season, their top guard (Tyshawn Taylor) has been at times been a head- case, and their sixth man (Connor Tea- han) is a former walk-on. It's just the kind of scrappy team Bill Self loves. Washington, D.C., 23-8. Nickname: Hoyas. Coach: John Thompson III. Conference: Big East. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 45-26, 27 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (69.1); Jason Clark 13.9; Hollis Thompson 12.7; Henry Sims 11.7; Otto Porter 9.5. Rebounds: Team (36.4); Otto Porter 6.7; Henry Sims 6.2; Hollis Thompson 5.6; No. 3 Georgetown Jason Clark 4.1. Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.7/12.7); Henry Sims 3.5/2.8; Nate Lubick 1.9/0.8. 3-pointers: Team (.347); Hollis Thomp- son 55; Jason Clark 44; Markel Starks 35. Last Ten: 6-4. The Skinny: Many of the Hoyas point to a nasty brawl with a Chinese professional team in August (video of it is on YouTube) for bringing them together. They were picked to finish 10th in the Big East and wound up with the No. 5 seed in the league tournament. Ann Arbor, 24-9. Nickname:Wolverines. Coach: Jim Beilein. Conference: Big Ten. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 43-21, 22 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (66.5); Trey Burke 14.8; Tim Hardaway Jr. 14.6; Zack Novak 9.5. Rebounds: Team (30.8); Jordan Morgan 5.5; Evan Smotrycz 4.8; Zack Novak 4.6. Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.7/10.9); Trey Burke 4.6/2.8; Stu Douglass 2.3/1.0; Tim Hardaway Jr. 2.1/1.9. 3-pointers: Team (.352); Trey Burke 55; Zack Novak 52; Tim Hardaway Jr. 51; Stu Douglass 47; Evan Smotrycz 38. Last Ten: 7-3. The Skinny: John Beilein has worked his magic once again. The Wolverines claimed a share of their first Big Ten reg- ular-season title since 1986, and enter the NCAA tournament full of confidence. Keep an eye on the backcourt duo of Trey Burke and Zack Novak. No. 4 Michigan Philadelphia, 24-7. Nickname: Owls. Coach: Fran Dunphy. Conference: Atlantic 10. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 31-29, 29 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (76.0); Ramone Moore 17.7; Khalif Wyatt 17.1; Juan Fernandez 11.4; Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson 9.2; Micheal Eric 9.1. Rebounds: Team (35.0); Micheal Eric 8.8; Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson 6.5; Anthony Lee 5.3; Ramone Moore 4.3. Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.6/12.5); Juan Fernandez 3.9/2.2; Ramone Moore 3.5/2.6; Khalif Wyatt 3.4/2.5; Rahlir Hollis- Jefferson 2.5/1.7. 3-pointers: Team (.402); Juan Fernandez 66; Ramone Moore 56; Khalif Wyatt 52; Aaron Brown 39. Last Ten: 8-2. The Skinny: The Owls won their first out- right Atlantic 10 title since 1990 when they beat Fordham in their regular-sea- son finale. That's even more surprising considering they've won at least 21 games the last five seasons under Fran Dunphy, who made Penn an NCAA tour- nament regular before taking over at Tem- ple. No. 5 Temple No. 6 San Diego State San Diego, 26-7. Nickname: Aztecs. Coach: Steve Fisher. Conference: Mountain West. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 2-7, 7 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (71.6); Jamaal Franklin 17.2; Chase Tapley 15.7; Xavier Thames 10.3. Rebounds: Team (37.5); Jamaal Franklin 7.9; Deshawn Stephens 5.0; Tim Shelton 4.7; Garrett Green 4.7; Chase Tapley 4.2. Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.4/12.8); Xavier Thames 4.2/2.5; Chase Tapley 2.2/1.6. 3-pointers: Team (.331); Chase Tapley 74; Jamaal Franklin 47; James Rahon 39. Last Ten: 6-4. The Skinny: Tim Shelton could be the difference-maker for the Aztecs. He's averaged nearly 27 minutes despite some balky knees thanks to athletic train- er Tom Abdenour, who came up with a healing concoction of salt baths tinged with rubbing alcohol. If he's healthy, he'll take some of the pressure off leading scorers Jamaal Franklin and Chase Tap- ley. Moraga, Calif., 27-5. Nickname: Gaels. Coach: Randy Bennett. Conference:West Coast. Bid: WCC champion. Tournament Record: 3-6, 6 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (74.9); Matthew Dellave- dova 15.6; Rob Jones 14.8; Stephen Holt 10.4. No. 7 Saint Mary's Rebounds: Team (36.6); Ron Jones 10.7; Stephen Holt 4.7; Brad Waldow 4.5. Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.9/11.6); Matthew Dellavedova 6.4/2.9; Stephen Holt 3.3/1.6; Jordan Page 2.3/1.6; Rob Jones 2.3/2.2. 3-pointers: Team (.350); Clint Steindl 60; Matthew Dellavedova 59; Jordan Page 46; Rob Jones 32. Last Ten: 7-3. The Skinny: Watch for Australian guard Matthew Dellavedova, who shot the Gaels past Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference title game. The scruffy fella was part of the Australian Boomers team that qualified for the London Olympics, and his own scrappiness comes in part from his fondness for Aussie rules foot- ball. Bugger me, mate! Omaha, Neb., 28-5. Nickname: Bluejays. Coach: Greg McDermott. Conference: Missouri Valley. Bid: MVC champion. Tournament Record: 9-17, 16 years. Last appearance: 2007. Scoring: Team (80.0); Doug McDermott 23.2; Antoine Young 12.5; Gregory Echenique 9.8. Rebounds: Team (36.2); Doug McDer- mott 8.2; Gregory Echenique 7.4; Grant Gibbs 4.3. Assists/Turnovers: Team (17.9/12.3); Grant Gibbs 5.1/2.2; Antoine Young 4.5/1.8. 3-pointers: Team (.425); Ethan Wragge 60; Jahenns Manigat 55; Doug McDer- mott 52; Josh Jones 37. Last Ten: 7-3. The Skinny: Doug McDermott's own father, Greg, didn't recruit him when he was coaching Iowa State. He's sure glad the kid followed him to Creighton. After spending his high school years in Ames, Iowa, in the shadow of teammate Harri- son Barnes, now with North Carolina, McDermott has emerged as one of col- lege basketball's best scorers. And pop's had a front-row seat. No. 8 Creighton Tuscaloosa, 21-11. Nickname: Crimson Tide. Coach: Anthony Grant. Conference: Southeastern. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 20-19, 19 years. Last appearance: 2006. Scoring: Team (64.9); JaMychal Green 14.0; Tony Mitchell 13.1 (suspended); Trevor Releford 11.9; Trevor Lacey 7.1. Rebounds: Team (35.2); JaMychal Green 7.4;Tony Mitchell 7.0 (suspended); Andrew Steele 3.9; Levi Randolph 3.9. Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.3/12.9); Andrew Steele 2.8/1.7; Trevor Releford 2.7/2.0. 3-pointers: Team (.285);Trevor Lacey 28. Last Ten: 6-4. The Skinny: Give props to Anthony Grant for sticking by his principles. He knew it might cost his team a chance to do some- thing special when he suspended JaMy- No. 9 Alabama chal Green, Trevor Releford, Tony Mitchell and Andrew Steele for undisclosed rea- sons. He did it anyway, and the Crimson Tide — with all but Mitchell back — still made the NCAA tournament. West Lafayette, Ind., 21-12. Nickname: Boilermakers. Coach: Matt Painter. Conference: Big Ten. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 34-25, 25 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (72.2); Robbie Hummel 16.3; Lewis Jackson 10.3; Ryne Smith 9.5. No. 10 Purdue Rebounds: Team (33.0); Robbie Hummel 7.1; Kelsey Barlow 3.7. Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.7/8.7); Lewis Jackson 4.3/1.7; Robbie Hummel 1.9/0.9; Terone Johnson 1.9/1.4. 3-pointers: Team (.377); Ryne Smith 88; Robbie Hummel 65; D.J. Byrd 61. Last Ten: 6-4. The Skinny: Matt Painter called the Boil- ermakers' loss to Indiana on Feb. 4 a turning point.They played well in a loss to Ohio State in their next game, but won five of six to solidify their spot in the NCAA tournament. "We've taken care of the ball. We've shot free throws better. We've shot the ball better," he said. That about covers it. No. 11 North Carolina State Raleigh, 22-12. Nickname:Wolfpack. Coach: Mark Gottfried. Conference: Atlantic Coast. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 32-21, 22 years. Last appearance: 2006. Scoring: Team (73.4); C.J. Leslie 14.6; Lorenzo Brown 12.7; Scott Wood 12.5; Richard Howell 10.7; C.J. Williams 10.6. Rebounds: Team (37.2); Richard Howell 9.3; C.J. Leslie 7.5; DeShawn Painter 4.3; Lorenzo Brown 4.3. Assists/Turnovers: Team (16.0/12.8); Lorenzo Brown 6.4/3.2; Alex Johnson 3.0/1.6. 3-pointers: Team (.355); Scott Wood 88; C.J. Williams 30; Alex Johnson 29. Last Ten: 5-5. The Skinny: C.J. Leslie admits that a bad attitude and poor decision-making ham- pered him as a freshman. But when Mark Gottfried took over as the head coach, he made turning Leslie around a priority. Good thing, too. The Wolfpack wouldn't be in the NCAA tournament if that hadn't happened. Tampa, 20-13. Nickname: Bulls. Coach: Stan Heath. Conference: Big East. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 0-2, 2 years. Last appearance: 1992. Scoring: Team (59.2); Augustus Gilchrist 9.6; Victor Rudd 8.7; Jawanza Poland 8.5; Anthony Collins 8.5. Rebounds: Team (34.3); Toarlyn Fitz- patrick 6.6; Ron Anderson Jr. 5.5; Augus- tus Gilchrist 4.9; Victor Rudd 4.6; Hugh Robertson 4.3. Assists/Turnovers: Team (11.8/13.7); Anthony Collins 5.3/3.5. 3-pointers: Team (.316); Victor Rudd 38; Toarlyn Fitzpatrick 37. Last Ten: 7-3. The Skinny: The Bulls set a Big East record by allowing just 56.9 points per game, which makes up for the fact that they also finished the regular season without a single player averaging in dou- ble-figures scoring. Augustus Gilchrist led the team with an average of 9.9 points going into the Big East tournament. No. 12 South Florida Athens, 27-7. Nickname: Bobcats. Coach: John Groce. Conference: Mid-American. Bid: MAC champion. Tournament Record: 5-13, 12 years. Last appearance: 2010. Scoring: Team (70.9); D.J. Cooper 14.6; Walter Offutt 11.7; Reggie Keely 9.2; Ivo Baltic 9.0; Nick Kellogg 8.9. Rebounds: Team (35.0); Ivo Baltic 5.1; Reggie Keely 5.1; Jon Smith 4.6. Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.2/13.3); D.J. Cooper 5.7/2.8;Walter Offutt 1.7/1.8. 3-pointers: Team (.335); Nick Kellogg 77; D.J. Cooper 69; Walter Offutt 43; Steve Taylor 31. Last Ten: 8-2. The Skinny: The Bobcats set a school- record for wins in a season while picking up the MAC's automatic bid for the sec- ond time in three seasons. D.J. Cooper was the star of Ohio's title-winning victory over Akron, pouring in 23 points. No. 13 Ohio Nashville, Tenn., 27-7. Nickname: Bruins. Coach: Rick Byrd. Conference: Atlantic Sun. Bid: Atlantic Sun champion. Tournament Record: 0-4, 4 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (81.5); Kerron Johnson 14.1; Ian Clark 12.7; Drew Hanlen 10.9; Scott Saunders 10.2; Mick Hedgepeth 9.8. No. 14 Belmont Rebounds: Team (36.3); Mick Hedgepeth 5.8; Scott Saunders 5.0. Assists/Turnovers: Team (17.4/12.4); Kerron Johnson 5.2/2.4; Drew Hanlen 3.8/1.7; Ian Clark 2.3/1.2. 3-pointers: Team (.378); Drew Hanlen 91; Ian Clark 88; J.J. Mann 44. Last Ten: 10-0. The Skinny: Bruins star Kerron Johnson is about as scrappy as they come. He stands just 6-foot-1, but he managed to snag a career-best 11 rebounds in a win over Florida Gulf Coast in the Atlantic Sun title game. Naturally, the floor leader for coach Rick Byrd's squad was voted the tournament MVP. Detroit, 22-13. Nickname: Titans. Coach: Ray McCallum. Conference: Horizon League. Bid: Horizon champion. Tournament Record: 3-5, 5 years. Last appearance: 1999. Scoring: Team (72.8); Ray McCallum 15.6; Chase Simon 13.5; Eli Holman 10.9; Jason Calliste 10.4. Rebounds: Team (34.1); Eli Holman 6.8; LaMarcus Lowe 4.9; Doug Anderson 4.7; Ray McCallum 4.5; Chase Simon 4.4. Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.0/12.5); Ray McCallum 3.9/2.3; Chase Simon 2.4/2.7. 3-pointers: Team (.302); Jason Calliste 56; Chase Simon 47; Ray McCallum 30. Last Ten: 9-1. The Skinny: The surprising Horizon League tournament champs spanked regular-season champion Valparaiso by 20 in the finals. The Titans had lost to the Crusaders twice during the regular sea- son, so just maybe they're hitting their stride at the right time. No. 15 Detroit Burlington, 23-11. Nickname: Catamounts. Coach: John Becker. Conference: America East. Bid: America East champion. Tournament Record: 1-4, 4 years. Last appearance: 2010. Scoring: Team (67.2); Four McGlynn 12.0; Matt Glass 11.9; Luke Apfeld 10.2. Rebounds: Team (35.4); Brian Voelkel 8.6; Luke Apfeld 3.9; Matt Glass 3.7. Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.3/12.4); Brian Voelkel 5.2/1.9; Sandro Carissimo 2.5/1.3. No. 16 Vermont 49ers release cornerback Shawntae Spencer SANTA CLARA (AP) — Shawntae Spencer became the odd man out in San Francisco's sec- ondary. The 49ers released the cornerback Thursday after he spent eight sea- sons with the team. Later in the day, the 49ers agreed to terms on a one- year deal with free agent special teams standout and backup running back 3-pointers: Team (.346); Four McGlynn 65; Matt Glass 44; Brendan Bald 32. Last Ten: 9-1. The Skinny: John Becker has come a long in five years. That's how long ago he was making $10,000 a year on Mike Lon- ergan's staff at Vermont. Becker's salary is more robust these days, but after an NCAA tournament bid in his first season taking over for Lonergan, he still may be due for a raise. SOUTH Durham, N.C., 27-6. Nickname: Blue Devils. Coach: Mike Krzyzewski. Conference: Atlantic Coast. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 96-31, 35 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (77.5);Austin Rivers 15.4; Seth Curry 13.4; Ryan Kelly 11.8; Mason Plumleee 10.9; Andre Dawkins 8.5. Rebounds: Team (36.6); Mason Plumlee 9.1; Miles Plumlee 7.2; Ryan Kelly 5.4. Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.5/12.2); Seth Curry 2.5/2.1; Austin Rivers 2.1/2.3. 3-pointers: Team (.376); Andre Dawkins 66; Seth Curry 63; Austin Rivers 56; Ryan Kelly 40. Last Ten: 8-2. The Skinny: Get ready for the video montages for the 20th anniversary of an epic regional final, especially if the Blue Devils end up meeting Kentucky along the way. It was in 1992 that they knocked off the Wildcats on Christian Laettner's last-second shot en route to the national championship. No. 2 Duke No. 7 Notre Dame South Bend, Ind., 22-11. Nickname: Fighting Irish. Coach: Mike Brey. Conference: Big East. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 31-35, 31 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (66.5); Jack Cooley 12.4; Jerian Grant 12.3; Eric Atkins 12.2; Scott Martin 9.5. Rebounds: Team (34.0); Jack Cooley 9.0; Scott Martin 5.7; Pat Connaughton 4.5. Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.5/10.0); Jerian Grant 4.9/1.8; Eric Atkins 4.1/2.2. 3-pointers: Team (.329); Jerian Grant 54; Eric Atkins 43; Alex Dragicevich 40; Pat Connaughton 39. Last Ten: 7-3. The Skinny: Mike Brey deserved a lot more credit for coach of the year than he received. The Irish lost four seniors from last season's 27-7 team, and captain Tim Abromaitis went down with a season-end- ing knee injury after two games. Notre Dame lost four of its first nine, including an 87-58 blitzing by Missouri, before going 13-5 in the rugged Big East. Cincinnati, 21-12. Nickname: Musketeers. Coach: Chris Mack. Conference: Atlantic 10. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 19-22, 22 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (70.8); Tu Holloway 17.0; Mark Lyons 15.5; Dezmine Wells 10.2; Kenny Frease 9.5. Rebounds: Team (36.4); Kenny Frease 6.1; Andre Walker 5.8; Dezmine Wells 4.9; Travis Taylor 4.0. Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.4/12.7); Tu Holloway 5.1/3.0; Mark Lyons 2.7/2.1. 3-pointers: Team (.349); Mark Lyons 55; Tu Holloway 38; Bred Redford 28. Last Ten: 6-4. The Skinny: Tu Holloway got plenty of grief — much of it justified — when he called his team a bunch of "gangsters" after an ugly brawl with Cincinnati. Hol- loway apologized for his choice of words, then tried to make everyone forget about the whole ugly incident with his play. The senior is averaging nearly 17 points and better than five assists per game. No. 10 Xavier Bethlehem, Pa., 26-7. Nickname: Mountain Hawks. Coach: Brett Reed. Conference: Patriot League. Bid: Patriot champion. Tournament Record: 0-4, 4 years. Last appearance: 2010. Scoring: Team (76.2); C.J. McCollum 21.9; Gabe Knutson 12.1; Holden Greiner 10.0. No. 15 Lehigh Rebounds: Team (35.9); C.J. McCollum 6.5; Gabe Knutson 5.5; Holden Greiner 4.9. Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.3/11.4); Mackey McKnight 3.5/1.7; C.J. McCollum 3.5/2.2. 3-pointers: Team (.357); C.J. McCollum 58; Holden Greiner 42; Jordan Hamilton 39. Last Ten: 9-1. The Skinny: C.J. McCollum was the Patriot League's player of the year, and NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE Pacific Division Lakers Clippers Phoenix WL Pct GB 27 16 .628 — 24 17 .585 2 20 22 .476 6.5 WARRIORS 18 22 .450 7.5 KINGS 14 29 .326 13 Southwest Division WL Pct GB San Antonio 28 13 .683 — Memphis Dallas Houston 24 17 .585 4 25 20 .556 5 24 20 .545 5.5 New Orleans 10 34 .227 19.5 Northwest Division WL Pct GB Oklahoma City 33 10 .767 — Denver Portland Minnesota 22 22 .500 11.5 Utah 24 20 .545 9.5 21 22 .488 12 20 23 .465 13 EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division Philadelphia 25 18 .581 — Boston New York WL Pct GB 23 19 .548 1.5 New Jersey 15 29 .341 10.5 Toronto 19 24 .442 6 14 29 .326 11 Southeast Division WL Pct GB 31 11 .738 — 28 16 .636 4 24 19 .558 7.5 Miami Orlando Atlanta Washington 10 32 .238 21 Charlotte Central Division Chicago Indiana 36 9 .800 — 25 16 .610 9 Milwaukee 19 24 .442 16 Cleveland 16 25 .390 18 Detroit 16 27 .372 19 —————————————————— Thursday's results Dallas 101, Charlotte 96 Oklahoma City 103, Denver 90 Utah 111, Minnesota 105, OT Washington 99, New Orleans 89 Phoenix at L.A. Clippers, late Today's games Rock Cartwright, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press. Cartwright played the past two seasons with the Oakland Raiders. 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. Saturday's games Golden State at Utah, 6 p.m. Houston at L.A. Clippers, 12:30 p.m. Toronto at Charlotte, 4 p.m. New York at Indiana, 4 p.m. Philadelphia at Chicago, 5 p.m. New Orleans at New Jersey, 5 p.m. Boston at Denver, 6 p.m. San Antonio at Dallas, 6 p.m. 6 36 .143 25 WL Pct GB he showed why in the conference tourna- ment title game. He poured in 29 points against Bucknell in the kind of riveting performance that's just made for March. No. 1 Michigan State East Lansing, 27-7. WEST Nickname: Spartans. Coach: Tom Izzo. Conference: Big Ten. Bid: Big Ten champion Tournament Record: 52-24, 25 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (72.3); Draymond Green 16.2; Keith Appling 11.5; Branden Daw- son 8.4; Brando Wood 8.3. Rebounds: Team (38.2); Draymond Green 10.4; Branden Dawson 4.5; Adreian Payne 4.1. Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.3/13.2); Keith Appling 3.8/2.4; Draymond Green 3.5/2.9; Brandon Wood 2.2/1.1. 3-pointers: Team (.362); Draymond Green 47; Brandon Wood 44. Last Ten: 8-2. The Skinny: Tom Izzo is one of the best coaches in March, though his team is a bit banged up. Branden Dawson is already gone to a torn ACL, and Travis Trice hurt his right ankle in practice for the Big Ten tournament, though he wound up playing with it heavily taped. Columbia, 30-4. Nickname: Tigers. Coach: Mike Anderson. Conference: Big 12. Bid: Big 12 champion. Tournament Record: 22-24, 24 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (80.3); Marcus Denmon 17.6; Kim English 14.9; Ricardo Ratliffe 13.9; Michael Dixon 13.3; Phil Pressey 10.0. No. 2 Missouri Rebounds: Team (32.2); Ricardo Ratliffe 7.5; Marcus Denmon 5.1; Kim English 4.2. Assists/Turnovers: Team (16.2/10.3); Phil Pressey 6.3/2.4; Michael Dixon 3.3/1.6; Marcus Demon 2.1/1.2. 3-pointers: Team (.395); Marcus Den- mon 95; Kim English 78; Michael Dixon 46; Phil Pressey 34. Last Ten: 9-1. The Skinny: Pick your poison. Kim Eng- lish hit 20 of his first 23 field-goal attempts in the Big 12 tournament. Phil Pressey popped for 23 points in a semifinal win over Texas. And neither of them is the Tigers' leading scorer (that would be Mar- cus Denmon). This is a match-up night- mare for anyone. Gainesville, 23-10. Nickname: Gators. Coach: Billy Donovan. Conference: Southeastern. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 32-14, 16 years. Last appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (76.3); Kenny Boynton 16.3; Bradley Beal 14.6; Erving Walker 12.1; Erik Murphy 10.7; Patrick Young 10.3. No. 7 Florida Rebounds: Team (35.2); Bradley Beal 6.5; Patric Young 6.4; Will Yeguete 6.3; Erik Murphy 4.2. Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.0/10.9); Erving Walker 4.7/2.0; Kenny Boynton 2.5/1.3; Bradley Beal 2.2/2.1. 3-pointers: Team (.390); Kenny Boynton 105; Erving Walker 65; Bradley Beal 55; Erik Murphy 53; Mike Rosario 31. Last Ten: 4-6. The Skinny: The Gators were ranked in the top 10 at one point this season. Los- ing three in a row and five of eight head- ing into the SEC tournament made folks forget. Still, Donovan has become one of the NCAA tournament's premier coaches, as evidenced by back-to-back national titles in 2006 and '07. Memphis, Tenn., 26-8. Nickname: Tigers. Coach: Josh Pastner. Conference: Conference USA. Bid: CUSA champion. Tournament Record: 32-23, 23 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (75.3); Will Barton 18.1; Joe Jackson 11.1; Tarik Black 10.9; Chris Crawford 9.3; Adonis Thomas 9.0. Rebounds: Team (34.4); Will Barton 8.1; Tarik Black 4.9; Wesley Weatherspoon 3.7. No. 8 Memphis Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.8/12.7); Chris Crawford 3.9/2.1; Joe Jackson 3.8/2.5; Will Barton 3.0/2.1. 3-pointers: Team (.369); Chris Crawford 51; Will Barton 35; Antonio Barton 30. Last Ten: 9-1. The Skinny: The Tigers led Conference USA in scoring, field goal percentage and managed to shoot better than 71 percent from the foul line. In other words, they can score. The big question: Can they NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE Pacific Division WL OT Pts GF GA Dallas 39 27 5 83 188 188 Phoenix 35 26 11 81 188 186 SHARKS 34 25 10 78 189 178 Kings 33 25 12 78 159 154 Ducks 30 30 11 71 177 196 Central Division WL OT Pts GF GA St. Louis 45 19 8 98 186 141 Detroit 44 24 3 91 219 171 Nashville 41 21 7 89 200 179 Chicago 38 25 8 84 213 209 Columbus 22 41 7 51 161 226 Northwest Division WL OT Pts GF GA Vancouver 42 20 8 92 219 177 Colorado 38 30 5 81 191 194 Calgary 34 25 12 80 180 194 Minnesota 29 31 10 68 150 194 Edmonton 27 36 7 61 185 209 EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division WL OT Pts GF GA N.Y.Rangers 44 19 7 95 194 155 Pittsburgh 43 21 5 91 224 175 Philadelphia41 22 7 89 226 199 New Jersey 41 25 5 87 196 182 N.Y. Islanders28 32 11 67 166 214 Northeast Division WL OT Pts GF GA Boston 40 27 3 83 225 176 Ottawa 36 25 10 82 218 209 Buffalo 33 29 9 75 178 201 Toronto 31 32 8 70 205 218 Montreal 28 32 11 67 188 198 Southeast Division WL OT Pts GF GA Florida 34 23 13 81 177 195 Washington 36 28 6 78 189 197 Winnipeg 33 29 8 74 186 197 Tampa Bay 32 31 7 71 198 237 Carolina 27 29 15 69 185 211 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. —————————————————— Thursday's results Nashville at San Jose, late Calgary 4, Phoenix 1 Carolina 2, St. Louis 0 Florida 6, Boston 2 New Jersey 1, Colorado 0, SO Philadelphia 3, N.Y. Islanders 2 Pittsburgh 5, N.Y. Rangers 2 Toronto 3, Tampa Bay 1 Today'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. Saturday's games Detroit at San Jose, 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia at Boston, 10 a.m. Pittsburgh at New Jersey, 10 a.m. Carolina at Minnesota, 11 a.m. Colorado at N.Y. Rangers, 4 p.m. N.Y. Islanders at Montreal, 4 p.m. St. Louis at Tampa Bay, 4 p.m. Toronto at Ottawa, 4 p.m. Buffalo at Florida, 4:30 p.m. Columbus at Vancouver, 7 p.m. Nashville at Los Angeles, 7:30 p.m. Detroit Toronto A's Seattle Boston Angels Saint Louis, 25-7. Nickname: Billikens. Coach: Rick Majerus. Conference: Atlantic 10. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 3-7, 6 years. Last appearance: 2000. Scoring: Team (69.2); Brian Conklin 14.6; Kwamain Mitchell 11.8; Cody Ellis 10.5. No. 9 Saint Louis Rebounds: Team (32.8); Dwayne Evans 7.2; Brian Conklin 5.2. Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.8/11.2); Kwamain Mitchell 3.8/1.8; Jordair Jett 2.2/1/4; Mike McCall Jr.2.1/1.2; Kyle Cas- sity 2.0/0.6. 3-pointers: Team (.362); Cody Ellis 66; Kwamain Mitchell 59; Rob Loe 32. Last Ten: 8-2. The Skinny: The Billikens could be a tough team to handle in the NCAA tour- nament if Rick Majerus remembers to take his blood pressure medication. Their coach missed a 75-60 win over Duquesne this season because he was hospitalized shortly before the game. If that's how good they were without him, imagine how good they can be with him. Charlottesville, 22-9. Nickname: Cavaliers. Coach: Tony Bennett. Conference: Atlantic Coast. Bid: At large. Tournament Record: 22-16, 16 years. Last appearance: 2007. Scoring: Team (63.1); Mike Scott 18.1; Joe Harris 11.5; Sammy Zeglinski 8.7. Rebounds: Team (32.5); Mike Scott 8.4; Akil Mitchell 4.4; Joe Harris 3.9. Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.3/11.4); Jontel Evans 3.8/2.4; Sammy Zeglinski 2.6/1.7. 3-pointers: Team (.337);Sammy Zeglins- ki 57; Joe Harris 49. Last Ten: 4-6. The Skinny: The Cavaliers' 22 regular- season wins were their most since 25 in 1982-83, the same year that Virginia and star player Ralph Sampson were upset by Chaminade early in the season. They also had seven road wins for the first time since 1986-87, and the 11 straight weeks they spent in the Top 25 were the most since 2000-01. No. 10 Virginia Norfolk, Va., 25-9. Nickname: Spartans. Coach: Anthony Evans. Conference: Mid-Eastern Athletic. Bid: MEAC champion. Region:West. Seed: No. 15. Tournament Record: First year. Last appearance: First year. Scoring: Team (69.0);Kyle O'Quinn 15.9; Chris McEachin 12.8; Pendarvis Williams 11.8. No. 15 Norfolk State Rebounds: Team (36.4); Kyle O'Quinn 10.4; Pendarvis Williams 3.8. Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.0/15.3); Jamal Fuentes 3.0/1.8; Pendarvis Williams 2.5/2.1. 3-pointers: Team (.311); Chris McEachin 71; Pendarvis Williams 49. Last Ten: 9-1. The Skinny: The Spartans earned a bid to the tournament after winning the MEAC title, their first postseason tourna- ment victory at the Division I level in 15 years.Kyle O'Quinn had 18 points against Bethune-Cookman to secure the berth. Brooklyn, N.Y., 25-8. Nickname: Blackbirds. Coach: Jim Ferry. Conference: Northeast. Bid: Northeast champion. Tournament Record: 0-4, 4 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2011. Scoring: Team (81.9); Julian Boyd 17.4; Jamal Olasewere 16.8; C.J. Garner 12.5; Jason Brickman 9.7; Michael Culpo 9.6. Rebounds: Team (38.6); Julian Boyd 9.5; Jamal Olasewere 7.5. Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.8/16.2); Jason Brickman 7.3/3.8; C.J. Garner 3.4/2.2. 3-pointers: Team (.368); Michael Culpo 70; Jason Brickman 51; Brandon Thomp- son 30. Last Ten: 9-1. The Skinny: The Blackbirds count New York's most famous basketball fan among their supporters. Film director Spike Lee was in their little gym on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn when they knocked off Robert Morris to win their second straight North- east Conference championship. No. 16 LIU defend? The short answer: Sometimes. UAB, East Carolina and SMU all failed to score 50 against them. MLB Spring Training AMERICAN LEAGUE WL Pct 9 1 .900 11 2 .846 10 3 .769 10 3 .769 7 3 .700 7 5 .583 Kansas City 7 6 .538 Minnesota New York Baltimore Cleveland Chicago 7 7 .500 6 8 .429 4 6 .400 4 7 .364 Tampa Bay 3 8 .273 Texas 3 8 .273 3 9 .250 NATIONAL LEAGUE WL Pct Dodgers Miami GIANTS Houston Colorado 7 3 .700 7 3 .700 84 .667 7 5 .583 7 6 .538 Milwaukee 6 6 .500 St. Louis Chicago 5 5 .500 6 7 .462 Philadelphia 6 7 .462 Washington 5 6 .455 Padres Pittsburgh Cincinnati Arizona New York Atlanta 6 8 .429 5 7 .417 5 9 .357 4 9 .308 3 8 .273 2 11 .154 NOTE: Split-squad games count in the standings; games against non-major league teams do not. —————————————————— Thursday's results Oakland 11,Texas 7 San Francisco vs. Seattle, late Arizona 12, Chicago Cubs (ss) 2 Cleveland 12, Chicago White Sox 3 Colorado 7, Chicago Cubs (ss) 5 Detroit 4, Baltimore 2 Kansas City 8, L.A. Dodgers 5 L.A. Angels 3, Cincinnati 1 Miami 3, N.Y. Mets 1 Milwaukee 6, San Diego 4 N.Y.Yankees 8, Washington 5 Philadelphia (ss) 6, Atlanta 4 Pittsburgh 17, Minnesota 6 St. Louis 9, Boston 6 Tampa Bay 6, Philadelphia (ss) 6, tie Toronto 6, Houston 3 Today's Grapefruit League games Baltimore vs. Minnesota (ss), 10:05 a.m. Miami vs. St. Louis, 10:05 a.m. Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh, 10:05 a.m. Tampa Bay vs. Toronto, 10:05 a.m. Washington vs. N.Y.Yankees, 10:05 a.m. Detroit vs. N.Y. Mets, 10:10 a.m. Houston vs. Atlanta, 3:05 p.m. Minnesota (ss) vs. Boston, 4:05 p.m. Today's Cactus League games San Francisco vs. Chicago Cubs,1:05 p.m. Seattle (ss) vs. Oakland, 7:05 p.m. Cleveland vs. L.A. Angels (ss), 1:05 p.m. L.A. Angels (ss) vs. San Diego, 1:05 p.m. Milwaukee (ss) vs. Kansas City, 1:05 p.m. Seattle (ss) vs.Milwaukee (ss), 1:05 p.m. Texas vs. L.A. Dodgers, 1:05 p.m. Chicago White Sox vs. Arizona, 1:10 p.m. Colorado vs. Cincinnati, 7:05 p.m.