Player news:
Maegan Conwright has helped Florida State come together.
"So far so good" for Shayla Cooper and Ohio State.
In limited time after a suspension, LSU's Danielle Ballard landed on the all-SEC first team.
Team news:
Princeton continues their quest for perfection.
Rutgers enters the Big Ten Tournament with unfinished business.
TCU's seniors are finding identity on defense.
Coaching news:
Coach Scott Rueck has lead Oregon State to be among the nation's elite.
Chattanooga coach Jim Foster says losing teams don't belong in the NCAA Tournament.
Just a few scores tonight:
Kansas State slipped by West Virginia, 59-56.
Texas smashed TCU, 79-45.
Full scoreboard.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Postseason award time
Pac-12 postseason awards:
JOHN R. WOODEN PAC-12 COACH OF THE YEAR
Scott Rueck, Oregon State
PAC-12 PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Reshanda Gray, Jr., F, California
PAC-12 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Ruth Hamblin, Jr., C, Oregon State
PAC-12 FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Jordin Canada, Fr., G, UCLA
SEC:
Coach of the Year: Vic Schaefer, Mississippi State / Dawn Staley, South Carolina
Player of the Year: Tiffany Mitchell, South Carolina
Freshman of the Year: A'ja Wilson, South Carolina
Defensive Player of the Year: Jordan Jones, Texas A&M
6th Player of the Year: Jennifer O'Neill, Kentucky
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Aleighsa Welch, South Carolina
Big East:
IG EAST Player of the Year
Brittany Hrynko, DePaul, Sr., G
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Dorothy Adomako, Georgetown, Fr., G
BIG EAST Coach of the Year
Tony Bozzella, Seton Hall
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Daisha Simmons, Seton Hall, Grad., G
BIG EAST Most Improved Player
Alexis Akin-Otiko, Creighton, Sr., F
BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award
Marissa Janning, Creighton, Jr., G
BIG EAST Sixth-Woman Award
Taylor Holeman, Villanova, Sr., F
BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Brittany Hrynko, DePaul, Sr., G
West Coast Conference:
layer of the Year: Morgan Bailey, BYU
Coach of the Year: Lisa Fortier, Gonzaga; Lynne Roberts, Pacific; Paul Thomas, Saint Mary's
Defensive Player of the Year: Sophia Ederaine, San Diego
Newcomer of the Year: Stella Beck, Saint Mary's
Atlantic-10:
George Washington’s Jonquel Jones has been named the Atlantic 10 Conference Women’s Basketball Player and Defensive Player of the Year, while GW’s Jonathan Tsipis was tabbed as the A-10 Coach of the Year by his peers.
Charise Wilson of Rhode Island was named Rookie of the Year, while Dayton’s Amber Deane was named Sixth Woman of the Year and Kim Pierre-Louis of Massachusetts was name the league’s Most Improved Player.
Patriot League:
Player of the Year: Jen Dumiak, American (Sr., G)
Defensive Player of the Year: Shaquilla Curtis, American (Sr., G)
Rookie of the Year: Jacquie Klotz, Bucknell (Fr., G)
Coach of the Year: Megan Gebbia, American
ACC teams.
JOHN R. WOODEN PAC-12 COACH OF THE YEAR
Scott Rueck, Oregon State
PAC-12 PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Reshanda Gray, Jr., F, California
PAC-12 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Ruth Hamblin, Jr., C, Oregon State
PAC-12 FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Jordin Canada, Fr., G, UCLA
SEC:
Coach of the Year: Vic Schaefer, Mississippi State / Dawn Staley, South Carolina
Player of the Year: Tiffany Mitchell, South Carolina
Freshman of the Year: A'ja Wilson, South Carolina
Defensive Player of the Year: Jordan Jones, Texas A&M
6th Player of the Year: Jennifer O'Neill, Kentucky
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Aleighsa Welch, South Carolina
Big East:
IG EAST Player of the Year
Brittany Hrynko, DePaul, Sr., G
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Dorothy Adomako, Georgetown, Fr., G
BIG EAST Coach of the Year
Tony Bozzella, Seton Hall
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Daisha Simmons, Seton Hall, Grad., G
BIG EAST Most Improved Player
Alexis Akin-Otiko, Creighton, Sr., F
BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award
Marissa Janning, Creighton, Jr., G
BIG EAST Sixth-Woman Award
Taylor Holeman, Villanova, Sr., F
BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Brittany Hrynko, DePaul, Sr., G
West Coast Conference:
layer of the Year: Morgan Bailey, BYU
Coach of the Year: Lisa Fortier, Gonzaga; Lynne Roberts, Pacific; Paul Thomas, Saint Mary's
Defensive Player of the Year: Sophia Ederaine, San Diego
Newcomer of the Year: Stella Beck, Saint Mary's
Atlantic-10:
George Washington’s Jonquel Jones has been named the Atlantic 10 Conference Women’s Basketball Player and Defensive Player of the Year, while GW’s Jonathan Tsipis was tabbed as the A-10 Coach of the Year by his peers.
Charise Wilson of Rhode Island was named Rookie of the Year, while Dayton’s Amber Deane was named Sixth Woman of the Year and Kim Pierre-Louis of Massachusetts was name the league’s Most Improved Player.
Patriot League:
Player of the Year: Jen Dumiak, American (Sr., G)
Defensive Player of the Year: Shaquilla Curtis, American (Sr., G)
Rookie of the Year: Jacquie Klotz, Bucknell (Fr., G)
Coach of the Year: Megan Gebbia, American
ACC teams.
USA Today top 25 coaches poll: changes and more changes
Rising and falling in this week's USA Today top 25 poll:
1. Connecticut
2. Notre Dame
3. Maryland
4. South Carolina
5. Tennessee
6. Florida State
7. Baylor
8. Arizona State
9. Oregon State
10. Louisville
11. Kentucky
12. North Carolina
13. Mississippi State
14. Princeton
15. Iowa
16. Duke
17. Texas A&M
18. Chattanooga
19. George Washington
20. Stanford
21. Florida Gulf Coast
22. Rutgers
23. Seton Hall
24. Syracuse
25. Nebraska
1. Connecticut
2. Notre Dame
3. Maryland
4. South Carolina
5. Tennessee
6. Florida State
7. Baylor
8. Arizona State
9. Oregon State
10. Louisville
11. Kentucky
12. North Carolina
13. Mississippi State
14. Princeton
15. Iowa
16. Duke
17. Texas A&M
18. Chattanooga
19. George Washington
20. Stanford
21. Florida Gulf Coast
22. Rutgers
23. Seton Hall
24. Syracuse
25. Nebraska
Monday, March 2, 2015
Big Ten postseason honors
Big Ten postseason honors:
Minnesota’s Amanda Zahui B. was named Big Ten Player of the Year by the media, while Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell earned the honor from the conference coaches. Rutgers’ Syessence Davis collected Defensive Player of the Year recognition and Michigan’s Katelynn Flaherty was tabbed Sixth Player of the Year. The Buckeyes’ Mitchell was honored as the unanimous Big Ten Freshman of the Year by the coaches and media, while Maryland head coach Brenda Frese was voted Coach of the Year by both the media and her peers.
Today's results:
Kansas downed Iowa State, 68-64.
#3 Baylor regrouped to beat Texas Tech, 75-65.
Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma State, 66-56.
Full scoreboard.
Minnesota’s Amanda Zahui B. was named Big Ten Player of the Year by the media, while Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell earned the honor from the conference coaches. Rutgers’ Syessence Davis collected Defensive Player of the Year recognition and Michigan’s Katelynn Flaherty was tabbed Sixth Player of the Year. The Buckeyes’ Mitchell was honored as the unanimous Big Ten Freshman of the Year by the coaches and media, while Maryland head coach Brenda Frese was voted Coach of the Year by both the media and her peers.
Today's results:
Kansas downed Iowa State, 68-64.
#3 Baylor regrouped to beat Texas Tech, 75-65.
Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma State, 66-56.
Full scoreboard.
Washington coach Mike Neighbors on 418 mistakes
In interviewing Washington coach Mike Neighbors for this story, he said, "I made 418 mistakes last year."
I thought he was joking at first, but I quickly realized he was serious. He elaborated on that later by sending me a copy of an old issue of his personal newsletter, which he sends to colleagues, associates and friends. The issue was called "418 Mistakes Later: My Transition From Assistant Coach to Head Coach....18” is further than you think!!"
Here's the intro and table of contents:
Everyone who knows me well, knows I am a “lister.” I make lists for almost everything. I have my Top 1000
Movies of All-Time ranked in order. I have my Top 1000 Songs of All-Time on a playlist. I have my Top 500 this
and my top 25 that. I guess it stems from my love of baseball statistics growing up. Over the years, my lists have
helped me grow in many areas and reach a rhythm with life on the court and off.
So, it should come as no surprise, that last year, I kept a log of the “Mistakes I Made” in my first year as a head
coach. I kept it in a running list format in the Villa 7 Notebook that I received at the Nike event the year before.
The Nike event that finally inspired me and gave me the courage to break out of my comfort zone of being a 14 year
assistant coach. I kept it handy wherever I went because it was very apparent, very early that mistakes could take
place anywhere, anytime. Some were small and probably went unnoticed to anyone watching. Others were huge
and were obvious to everyone. Regardless of the size or the impact of them, I kept the record from Day 1 to Day
365. Grand finale total… 418!! An average of 1.14 per day.
In the end, my conclusion… The 18” you move over from Assistant to Head Coach, is a lot further than you think!
1. I assumed being an assistant coach would prepare you to be a head coach
2. I told people the TRUTH before I had earned their TRUST
3. I got out of shape
4. I got out of alignment between Process and Results
5. I tried to do too many “things”
6. I was afraid to do “what I thought best”
7. I exhausted my daily decision energy on stuff that didn’t affect winning
8. I stopped confronting things that needed to be confronted
9. I let the Urgent overcome the Important
10. I forgot to keep myself “charged”
11. I didn’t realize how tight my friend circle would become
12. I had no idea how to manage a staff or how to “manage up”
The first chapter: "I assumed being an assistant coach would prepare you to be a head coach":
We all know the saying about assuming (ASS-U-ME)… if you haven’t, asked one of your kids to explain. Well, it was never more true
than in the case of me assuming that my 14 years of being an assistant coach would have me fully prepared to be a head coach. While
those years certainly helped and probably kept me from making 936 mistakes, it just isn’t that simple.
The job description of a Head Coach is completely different from being as assistant.
So many of my actual mistakes fell in this category and some will overlap with later topics we discuss. I believe simply knowing that
would have saved me from the first mistake I made that fall under this header. Over the course of 14 years I had accumulated resources
that allowed me to be productive in my day. I had forms for this and that. I had a routine that led to an efficient day. So on
Day 1 as a head coach, I expected that to be the same. But it wasn’t. Not even close.
I didn’t have a form for keeping up with people contacting me for jobs.
I didn’t have a form for what to do when a recruit didn’t want to come to Washington.
I didn’t have a plan for delegating assignments to my staff.
I didn’t have a plan for what do to when one of my “recommendations” didn’t work.
For my entire professional career, I had been making suggestions. Some were used. Some weren’t. Some that were used worked.
Some didn’t. None of them however ever came back across my desk to explain to the media or administration. Now my decisions had
consequences. We will cover Decision Making much more in detail in a later piece.
For the last 14 years my decisions pretty much just directly effected me and maybe my immediate family. Now my decisions effected
the lives of every player, coach, aide, manager, strength coach, athletic trainer, etc.
My biggest mistake was just ASS-u-ming again that “things would slow down” or “you’ll get adjusted to the new demands”… I wish I
would have gone in knowing that it was okay to be overwhelmed. That is wasn’t going to slow down. That it wasn’t going to just
adjust. I needed a better plan. I needed support. I needed help. I wasted valuable time waiting for things to slow down or adjust.
What would I do differently: I would have spent “free” time as an assistant reading up on the area. I would have paid more attention
to the job my head coach was doing. I would have picked their brains about how they manage their time. I would have asked to sit in
on meetings with marketing, facilities, administration. I would have not kept expecting what I knew in the past to be good enough.
My last observation concerning this category of mistakes is also a reminder of my PaPa Neighbors and his sayings. He always said:
“Someone who is good with a hammer always makes everything into a nail.”
I know it wasn’t an original quote of his, but he was the one who best illustrated it to me over my childhood. And it certainly had
application to me and to this situation.
When I was an assistant coach, I believed it was all about Player Development, Scouting, Defense, and scheduling . Recruiting was
over rated. Give me a player that wanted to be there and I could make them good enough through skill development sessions. Give
me enough tape on an opponent and I could help us win a game regardless of the opponent. Offense was for fans, defense wins
championships. Give me the time and I could put together a schedule that would get us a good seed for a deep run into the NCAA
Tournament. NOTHING else mattered. Nothing.
Well, guess what? Those happened to be areas I was in charge of and “had a hammer for.”
I didn’t think all those other duties I had been doing on my way up the coaching ladder really mattered anymore. Since I wasn’t in
charge of them, they weren’t important. Some other coach needed to worry about Academics. Not me. Some other coach needed to
be interested in Community Service. Not me. Housing? Please, don’t bother me with that mess. Per diem on travel? Don’t interrupt
my film session.
That type of thinking can’t happen for a head coach. Everything matters. You need a hammer, a screwdriver, a wrench, a saw, a
shovel, a level, a tape measure, etc. You can’t just be good with a hammer.
If I hadn’t been narrow minded in this area, there is no doubt we might have won a game or two more. There is no doubt my staff
would have been much more sane. And, there is no doubt I would have been a better leader.
In the end…
Just know that your previous experience in the game will help, but it’s not a guarantee your successes there will carry over.
Good stuff.
To subscribe to Neighbors' newsletter, email him at: nabes22@uw.edu
I thought he was joking at first, but I quickly realized he was serious. He elaborated on that later by sending me a copy of an old issue of his personal newsletter, which he sends to colleagues, associates and friends. The issue was called "418 Mistakes Later: My Transition From Assistant Coach to Head Coach....18” is further than you think!!"
Here's the intro and table of contents:
Everyone who knows me well, knows I am a “lister.” I make lists for almost everything. I have my Top 1000
Movies of All-Time ranked in order. I have my Top 1000 Songs of All-Time on a playlist. I have my Top 500 this
and my top 25 that. I guess it stems from my love of baseball statistics growing up. Over the years, my lists have
helped me grow in many areas and reach a rhythm with life on the court and off.
So, it should come as no surprise, that last year, I kept a log of the “Mistakes I Made” in my first year as a head
coach. I kept it in a running list format in the Villa 7 Notebook that I received at the Nike event the year before.
The Nike event that finally inspired me and gave me the courage to break out of my comfort zone of being a 14 year
assistant coach. I kept it handy wherever I went because it was very apparent, very early that mistakes could take
place anywhere, anytime. Some were small and probably went unnoticed to anyone watching. Others were huge
and were obvious to everyone. Regardless of the size or the impact of them, I kept the record from Day 1 to Day
365. Grand finale total… 418!! An average of 1.14 per day.
In the end, my conclusion… The 18” you move over from Assistant to Head Coach, is a lot further than you think!
1. I assumed being an assistant coach would prepare you to be a head coach
2. I told people the TRUTH before I had earned their TRUST
3. I got out of shape
4. I got out of alignment between Process and Results
5. I tried to do too many “things”
6. I was afraid to do “what I thought best”
7. I exhausted my daily decision energy on stuff that didn’t affect winning
8. I stopped confronting things that needed to be confronted
9. I let the Urgent overcome the Important
10. I forgot to keep myself “charged”
11. I didn’t realize how tight my friend circle would become
12. I had no idea how to manage a staff or how to “manage up”
The first chapter: "I assumed being an assistant coach would prepare you to be a head coach":
We all know the saying about assuming (ASS-U-ME)… if you haven’t, asked one of your kids to explain. Well, it was never more true
than in the case of me assuming that my 14 years of being an assistant coach would have me fully prepared to be a head coach. While
those years certainly helped and probably kept me from making 936 mistakes, it just isn’t that simple.
The job description of a Head Coach is completely different from being as assistant.
So many of my actual mistakes fell in this category and some will overlap with later topics we discuss. I believe simply knowing that
would have saved me from the first mistake I made that fall under this header. Over the course of 14 years I had accumulated resources
that allowed me to be productive in my day. I had forms for this and that. I had a routine that led to an efficient day. So on
Day 1 as a head coach, I expected that to be the same. But it wasn’t. Not even close.
I didn’t have a form for keeping up with people contacting me for jobs.
I didn’t have a form for what to do when a recruit didn’t want to come to Washington.
I didn’t have a plan for delegating assignments to my staff.
I didn’t have a plan for what do to when one of my “recommendations” didn’t work.
For my entire professional career, I had been making suggestions. Some were used. Some weren’t. Some that were used worked.
Some didn’t. None of them however ever came back across my desk to explain to the media or administration. Now my decisions had
consequences. We will cover Decision Making much more in detail in a later piece.
For the last 14 years my decisions pretty much just directly effected me and maybe my immediate family. Now my decisions effected
the lives of every player, coach, aide, manager, strength coach, athletic trainer, etc.
My biggest mistake was just ASS-u-ming again that “things would slow down” or “you’ll get adjusted to the new demands”… I wish I
would have gone in knowing that it was okay to be overwhelmed. That is wasn’t going to slow down. That it wasn’t going to just
adjust. I needed a better plan. I needed support. I needed help. I wasted valuable time waiting for things to slow down or adjust.
What would I do differently: I would have spent “free” time as an assistant reading up on the area. I would have paid more attention
to the job my head coach was doing. I would have picked their brains about how they manage their time. I would have asked to sit in
on meetings with marketing, facilities, administration. I would have not kept expecting what I knew in the past to be good enough.
My last observation concerning this category of mistakes is also a reminder of my PaPa Neighbors and his sayings. He always said:
“Someone who is good with a hammer always makes everything into a nail.”
I know it wasn’t an original quote of his, but he was the one who best illustrated it to me over my childhood. And it certainly had
application to me and to this situation.
When I was an assistant coach, I believed it was all about Player Development, Scouting, Defense, and scheduling . Recruiting was
over rated. Give me a player that wanted to be there and I could make them good enough through skill development sessions. Give
me enough tape on an opponent and I could help us win a game regardless of the opponent. Offense was for fans, defense wins
championships. Give me the time and I could put together a schedule that would get us a good seed for a deep run into the NCAA
Tournament. NOTHING else mattered. Nothing.
Well, guess what? Those happened to be areas I was in charge of and “had a hammer for.”
I didn’t think all those other duties I had been doing on my way up the coaching ladder really mattered anymore. Since I wasn’t in
charge of them, they weren’t important. Some other coach needed to worry about Academics. Not me. Some other coach needed to
be interested in Community Service. Not me. Housing? Please, don’t bother me with that mess. Per diem on travel? Don’t interrupt
my film session.
That type of thinking can’t happen for a head coach. Everything matters. You need a hammer, a screwdriver, a wrench, a saw, a
shovel, a level, a tape measure, etc. You can’t just be good with a hammer.
If I hadn’t been narrow minded in this area, there is no doubt we might have won a game or two more. There is no doubt my staff
would have been much more sane. And, there is no doubt I would have been a better leader.
In the end…
Just know that your previous experience in the game will help, but it’s not a guarantee your successes there will carry over.
Good stuff.
To subscribe to Neighbors' newsletter, email him at: nabes22@uw.edu
Interesting assortment of odds and ends
Team news:
Give George Washington the credit it deserves, one columnist says.
UConn is still learning.
Player news:
Bowling Green's Erica Fullenkamp goes from one court to another.
Coaching news:
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley apologized to Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell for protesting a time out in yesterday's game.
Freshmen eligibility:
SEC Commissioner Mike Slive is leery of a proposal to limit freshmen eligibility.
Conference championships:
The dates and locations for every conference tournament are listed here.
Vanderbilt coaching box:
SEC coaches have voted to force Vanderbilt to change their coaching box.
Give George Washington the credit it deserves, one columnist says.
UConn is still learning.
Player news:
Bowling Green's Erica Fullenkamp goes from one court to another.
Coaching news:
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley apologized to Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell for protesting a time out in yesterday's game.
Freshmen eligibility:
SEC Commissioner Mike Slive is leery of a proposal to limit freshmen eligibility.
Conference championships:
The dates and locations for every conference tournament are listed here.
Vanderbilt coaching box:
SEC coaches have voted to force Vanderbilt to change their coaching box.
Kelsey Plum's evolution takes Washington with her
Great interviews with Washington sophomore superstar Kelsey Plum, coach Mike Neighbors and senior wonder Jazmine Davis for this story.
The Huskies are movin' on up.
The Huskies are movin' on up.
Lots of jostling in AP top 25 poll
Many changes in this week's AP top 25 poll......South Carolina falls to #3, Maryland and Tennessee rise, Baylor and Texas A&M drop like stones, and Seton Hall enters:
1. Connecticut
2. Notre Dame
3. South Carolina
4. Maryland
5. Tennessee
6. Baylor\
7. Florida State
8. Oregon State
9. Arizona State
10. Louisville
11. Mississippi State
12. Kentucky
13. Princeton
14. Iowa
15. North Carolina
16. Duke
17. Chattanooga
18. Texas A&M
19. Stanford
20. Florida Gulf Coast
21. George Washington
22. Syracuse
23. Rutgers
24. Northwestern
25. Seton Hall
1. Connecticut
2. Notre Dame
3. South Carolina
4. Maryland
5. Tennessee
6. Baylor\
7. Florida State
8. Oregon State
9. Arizona State
10. Louisville
11. Mississippi State
12. Kentucky
13. Princeton
14. Iowa
15. North Carolina
16. Duke
17. Chattanooga
18. Texas A&M
19. Stanford
20. Florida Gulf Coast
21. George Washington
22. Syracuse
23. Rutgers
24. Northwestern
25. Seton Hall
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Pac 12 standings; tournament bracket set
Final Pac 12 standings:
1. Oregon State 16-2 26-3
2. Arizona State 15-3 26-4
3. California 13-5 21-8
4. Stanford 13-5 21-9
5. Washington 11-7 22-8
6. UCLA 8-10 12-17
7. Washington State 7-11 16-13
8. USC 7-11 15-14
9. Colorado 6-12 13-16
10. Oregon 6-12 13-16
11. Arizona 3-15 10-19
12. Utah 3-15 9-20
Thoughts:
- No one predicted this finish.
- Washington has a higher winning percentage than Stanford. (!!!!)
- UCLA might have started slowly, but they finished well. They will be dangerous this year.
- There are so many great coaches in this conference now. Rueck, Turner Thorne, Gottlieb, VanDerveer, Neighbors, and now Graves. The future is bright.
- I don't see any upsets in the Tournament, like last year.
- Will the NCAA Selection Committee take five teams???? (I really hope so....all are very deserving).
- I talked to my former junior high school teacher after the Oregon-Stanford game. (She attends all Duck home games). She said the victory made her cry. She never thought she'd see that - especially with the last two Oregon coaches in mind. I told her to wait, that in a few years the Oregon-Oregon State games will be on ESPN2 and she might be on TV. She laughed: "You think so?" Me: "I know so!"
Pac 12 Tournament bracket:
Thursday, March 5:
#10 Oregon vs. #7 WSU
#11 Arizona vs. #6 UCLA
#9 Colorado vs. #8 USC
#12 Utah vs. #5 Washington
Friday, March 6:
Winner of UO-WSU plays #2 Arizona State
Winner of Arizona-UCLA plays #3 Stanford
Winner of Colorado-USC plays #1 Oregon State
Winner of Utah-Washington plays #4 Cal
1. Oregon State 16-2 26-3
2. Arizona State 15-3 26-4
3. California 13-5 21-8
4. Stanford 13-5 21-9
5. Washington 11-7 22-8
6. UCLA 8-10 12-17
7. Washington State 7-11 16-13
8. USC 7-11 15-14
9. Colorado 6-12 13-16
10. Oregon 6-12 13-16
11. Arizona 3-15 10-19
12. Utah 3-15 9-20
Thoughts:
- No one predicted this finish.
- Washington has a higher winning percentage than Stanford. (!!!!)
- UCLA might have started slowly, but they finished well. They will be dangerous this year.
- There are so many great coaches in this conference now. Rueck, Turner Thorne, Gottlieb, VanDerveer, Neighbors, and now Graves. The future is bright.
- I don't see any upsets in the Tournament, like last year.
- Will the NCAA Selection Committee take five teams???? (I really hope so....all are very deserving).
- I talked to my former junior high school teacher after the Oregon-Stanford game. (She attends all Duck home games). She said the victory made her cry. She never thought she'd see that - especially with the last two Oregon coaches in mind. I told her to wait, that in a few years the Oregon-Oregon State games will be on ESPN2 and she might be on TV. She laughed: "You think so?" Me: "I know so!"
Pac 12 Tournament bracket:
Thursday, March 5:
#10 Oregon vs. #7 WSU
#11 Arizona vs. #6 UCLA
#9 Colorado vs. #8 USC
#12 Utah vs. #5 Washington
Friday, March 6:
Winner of UO-WSU plays #2 Arizona State
Winner of Arizona-UCLA plays #3 Stanford
Winner of Colorado-USC plays #1 Oregon State
Winner of Utah-Washington plays #4 Cal
Spectacular grand finale of upsets
Holy moly - this may be the biggest upset day yet of this crazy season of parity:
#13 Kentucky toppled #2 South Carolina, 67-56.
Oregon closed out #19 Stanford, 62-55.
Virginia rolled past #8 Louisville, 75-59.
LSU took it to #12 Texas A&M, 80-63.
#16 Duke rallied to edge #15 North Carolina, 81-80.
More results:
#5 Maryland closed out a perfect Big Ten season by routing Northwestern, 69-48.
Seton Hall stunned Butler, 85-76, and claims their first Big East title.
West Virginia rallied to beat Texas in overtime, 76-69.
#4 Notre Dame defeated NC State, 67-60.
#10 Arizona State handled Colorado, 59-46.
#11 Mississippi State denied Ole Miss, 55-47.
#6 Tennessee breezed past Vanderbilt, 79-49.
#17 Iowa routed Minnesota, 92-76.
Ohio State stuffed Nebraska, 78-60, and locked up the Big Ten's third seed.
Villanova downed Creighton, 61-53.
Xavier silenced St. John's, 74-61.
#9 Florida State topped Miami, 69-55.
Missouri took care of Arkansas, 57-41.
Pitt held on to beat Clemson, 61-56.
Full scoreboard.
Texas center Imani McGee-Stafford:
Amazing piece about how she's used poetry to cope with difficult life circumstances, that included abuse.
More player news:
Iowa's Samantha Logic is ESPN's player of the week.
Charlotte seniors Ayanna Holmes and Olivia Rankin have developed a friendship bigger than hoops.
Lindsay Allen and Notre Dame are reaching their goals.
Nebraska's Brandi Jeffery isn't tall, but she has a big impact.
The strained Achilles tendon of Kentucky's Makayla Epps is sapping her explosiveness.
#13 Kentucky toppled #2 South Carolina, 67-56.
Oregon closed out #19 Stanford, 62-55.
Virginia rolled past #8 Louisville, 75-59.
LSU took it to #12 Texas A&M, 80-63.
#16 Duke rallied to edge #15 North Carolina, 81-80.
More results:
#5 Maryland closed out a perfect Big Ten season by routing Northwestern, 69-48.
Seton Hall stunned Butler, 85-76, and claims their first Big East title.
West Virginia rallied to beat Texas in overtime, 76-69.
#4 Notre Dame defeated NC State, 67-60.
#10 Arizona State handled Colorado, 59-46.
#11 Mississippi State denied Ole Miss, 55-47.
#6 Tennessee breezed past Vanderbilt, 79-49.
#17 Iowa routed Minnesota, 92-76.
Ohio State stuffed Nebraska, 78-60, and locked up the Big Ten's third seed.
Villanova downed Creighton, 61-53.
Xavier silenced St. John's, 74-61.
#9 Florida State topped Miami, 69-55.
Missouri took care of Arkansas, 57-41.
Pitt held on to beat Clemson, 61-56.
Full scoreboard.
Texas center Imani McGee-Stafford:
Amazing piece about how she's used poetry to cope with difficult life circumstances, that included abuse.
More player news:
Iowa's Samantha Logic is ESPN's player of the week.
Charlotte seniors Ayanna Holmes and Olivia Rankin have developed a friendship bigger than hoops.
Lindsay Allen and Notre Dame are reaching their goals.
Nebraska's Brandi Jeffery isn't tall, but she has a big impact.
The strained Achilles tendon of Kentucky's Makayla Epps is sapping her explosiveness.
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