NCAA Conference Records
(Selections in parentheses)
Through Sunday's Games
Conference W L Pct.
Conference USA (1) 4 0 1.000
Southern (1) 3 1 .750
Big 12 (6) 10 5 .667
Atlantic Coast (4) 6 3 .667
Pac-10 (6) 8 5 .615
Big East (8) 11 8 .579
Big Ten (4) 5 4 .556
Atlantic 10 (3) 3 3 .500
Sun Belt (2) 2 2 .500
Horizon League (1) 1 1 .500
Metro Atlantic (1) 1 1 .500
Northeast (1) 1 1 .500
Southeastern (6) 4 6 .400
Mountain West (2) 1 2 .333
West Coast (3) 1 3 .250
America East (1) 0 1 .000
Atlantic Sun (1) 0 1 .000
Big Sky (1) 0 1 .000
Big South (1) 0 1 .000
Big West (1) 0 1 .000
Colonial (1) 0 1 .000
Ivy League (1) 0 1 .000
Mid-American (1) 0 1 .000
Mid-Eastern Athletic (1) 0 1 .000
Missouri Valley (1) 0 1 .000
Ohio Valley (1) 0 1 .000
Patriot League (1) 0 1 .000
Southland (1) 0 1 .000
Southwestern Athletic (1) 0 1 .000
Summit (1) 0 1 .000
Western Athletic (1) 0 1 .000
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
NCAA Conference Records
(Selections in parentheses)
Through Thursday's games
Conference W L Pct.
Conference USA (1) 2 0 1.000
Southern (1) 2 0 1.000
Big Ten (4) 5 2 .714
Big East (8) 11 6 .647
Big 12 (6) 7 4 .636
Pac-10 (6) 7 4 .636
Atlantic Coast (4) 5 3 .625
Atlantic 10 (3) 3 2 .600
Sun Belt (2) 2 2 .500
Horizon League (1) 1 1 .500
Metro Atlantic (1) 1 1 .500
Northeast (1) 1 1 .500
Southeastern (6) 4 6 .400
Mountain West (2) 1 2 .333
West Coast (3) 1 3 .250
America East (1) 0 1 .000
Atlantic Sun (1) 0 1 .000
Big Sky (1) 0 1 .000
Big South (1) 0 1 .000
Big West (1) 0 1 .000
Colonial (1) 0 1 .000
Ivy League (1) 0 1 .000
Mid-American (1) 0 1 .000
Mid-Eastern Athletic (1) 0 1 .000
Missouri Valley (1) 0 1 .000
Ohio Valley (1) 0 1 .000
Patriot League (1) 0 1 .000
Southland (1) 0 1 .000
Southwestern Athletic (1) 0 1 .000
Summit (1) 0 1 .000
Western Athletic (1) 0 1 .000
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Arkansas fans could be tough on Texas in South Region
AUSTIN, Texas -- Listen up Arkansas: Texas coach Rick Barnes says you'd better be nice to his Longhorns or he won't bring his team back to play the Razorbacks next season.
Texas (28-6), the No. 2 seed in the South Region, plays No. 15 Austin Peay (24-10) on Friday in North Little Rock, Ark., in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
And while the game is close enough for Texas fans to travel, the Longhorns should expect to be greeted by a hostile crowd fueled by the old Southwest Conference Arkansas-Texas border rivalry that burns generations deep.
Barnes suggested on a Monday conference call that if his team gets the same rowdy treatment Arkansas received in Austin in tournaments past, he won't come back to play anytime soon. Texas is supposed to travel to Arkansas for a game in Fayetteville next season.
"If the fans don't treat us well, we're not going to come. You can put that out there," Barnes said. "I'm serious. We've got enough money here, we can buy our way out of it. They'd better be good to us."
A funny line, but Arkansas-Texas is serious business to fans in those two states.
Just ask former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson what it can be like to play on a supposedly neutral floor. His teams barely survived games in Austin in 1990 and 1995 in front of crowds that lustily booed the Razorbacks.
"Everybody was against us," Richardson said. "It was fun for me."
In 1990, Arkansas beat Princeton 68-64 and Dayton 86-84, then got its payback by beating Texas in Dallas to get to the Final Four. In 1995, the defending national champion Razorbacks were back again and barely survived close wins over Texas Southern (79-78) and Syracuse (96-94).
"They booed us, they did everything," Richardson said. "When things start rocking and momentum changes, you'd better make a shot. That's the only way to keep the fans out of the game."
The 1990 Austin crowds had been whipped up by a game just a few weeks earlier that earned Richardson his "Strollin' Nolan" nickname.
In a wild Arkansas win over Texas in overtime, Richardson was so upset by the officiating that he left the Razorbacks' bench for the locker room with 14 seconds left in regulation, then returned for the overtime. Incensed fans in Austin let his team have it when they came back to town for the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament.
In 1995, the Austin American-Statesman reported that many Razorbacks, including Richardson, made inverted "Hook'em Horns" signs, considered in Austin a show of disrespect.
One thing that could help Texas is that Arkansas plays Friday night in the East Region. Razorbacks fans may be paying too much attention to their team to care much about Texas.
But Richardson said the Longhorns should expect an "anybody but Texas" treatment in North Little Rock. If Texas wins Friday, it plays Sunday against the winner of Friday's Miami-St. Mary's matchup.
"They're going to hear it," from Arkansas fans. "Go ahead and buckle your seat belt."
The Texas-Arkansas rivalry goes back to 1894 when the schools first met on the football field, and the bitter feelings across the border fueled a hoops rivalry as well with colorful coaches and wild games. A riot nearly erupted after a physical game at Arkansas in 1982 when Razorbacks fans blocked the ramp to the Texas locker room and players and fans started shoving and punches were thrown.
Barnes said all that history will be lost on his current team. The rivalry pretty much fizzled out after Arkansas left the old Southwest Conference after the 1990-91 season.
"Our guys don't know the rivalry that existed between Texas and Arkansas," Barnes said.
Chances are they'll learn real fast. If the Longhorns can win two games in Arkansas, they'll get to play in Houston, where huge pro-Texas crowds could make it a home away from home much like San Antonio was in 2003, the last time Texas made the Final Four.
"(The) coaches have already told us that we're going for the big picture now," Texas guard A.J. Abrams said. "We can't think that far in advance. We have to just worry about this game coming up."
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Bliss hits shot with 0.4 seconds left to give Georgia 97-95 OT win over Ole Miss
ATLANTA -- Dave Bliss banked in a shot with 0.4 seconds left in overtime, giving Georgia a 97-95 victory over Mississippi in the Southeastern Conference tournament Thursday night and perhaps ruining the Rebels' hopes of getting into the NCAA tournament.
Georgia (14-16) also gave a much-needed victory to embattled coach Dennis Felton, whose future is in doubt after the Bulldogs finished last in the SEC East.
Ole Miss (21-10) sent the game to overtime when David Huertas was fouled on a 3-pointer and made all three free throws, and looked to have forced another extra period when Chris Warren sank three after a virtually identical foul with 5.5 seconds left in OT.
But Georgia inbounded the ball to Corey Butler, who drove nearly the length of the court before dumping the ball off to Bliss for an open 10-footer. He didn't miss, sending the Bulldogs on to face Kentucky in the quarterfinals Friday night.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Hawkins leads New Mexico State over Idaho 73-53
LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- Here's a snapshot from the Pan American Center: Rowdy fans in the stands and 40 minutes of mayhem on the court.
Justin Hawkins won't apologize for either.
Hawkins had 26 points and 13 rebounds, and Fred Peete added 12 points on four 3-pointers, leading New Mexico State to a 73-53 win over Idaho in Thursday night's WAC quarterfinals.
"We love being at home," Hawkins said. "Every team loves being at home. We get to sleep in our own beds. We get to play in front of friends and family. We're just trying to go out and put on a good show."
Jonathan Gibson scored 12 points and Jahmar Young had 11 as the third-seeded Aggies (20-13) won for the ninth time in 10 games, delighting a raucous homecourt crowd. They'll meet No. 2 Nevada in the semifinals.
"Tournament time is so weird," coach Marvin Menzies said. "You have no time to enjoy your win."
But they sure soaked it up while it lasted.
It was one big noisy fiesta as New Mexico State connected on 10-of-17 from 3-point range (58 percent), with Gibson hitting 4-of-5. The Aggies gave Menzies a 20-win season in his first year on the job.
The Vandals (8-21) trailed by double digits most of the night but trimmed the margin to 47-36 on Darin Nagle's basket with 14 minutes remaining. NMSU went on an 18-8 tear, capped by Young's fastbreak dunk with 7:46 to play.
"My seniors are an excellent bunch," Menzies said. "I continue to talk about them as my backbone, and I'm going to continue to stand up erect."
Nagle led Idaho with 12 points. Jordan Brooks, the team's leading scorer with a 12.8 average, scored two on 1-of-8 shooting.
The Aggies won 78-68 at Moscow, Idaho, in January and handled the Vandals 88-49 in Las Cruces on Feb. 6 to ignite a run where they beat five visitors by an average margin of 29.6 points per game.
They kept things going, steamrolling Idaho with a 13-2 opening blitz that set the tone for the night. Hawkins scored eight during that run, and he had 22 by halftime as the Aggies cut Idaho to bits.
"Hawk was feeling it early. Fred was, too," Menzies said. "It was a good time to get them those looks."
The only thing missing was a chainsaw.
"It was frustrating," Nagle said. "We didn't make the shots we usually make and they did. They didn't shoot like that against us this year."
New Mexico State put up wave after wave of jumpers, hitting 6-of-10 from 3-point range in building a 36-25 halftime lead. Meanwhile, the Aggies' defense was a flurry of swarming arms.
"It was an opportunity to press," Menzies said. "It gives us some matchup advantages in the halfcourt sets. It helps us to create a little extra pressure."
Next up is Nevada, which reached Friday's semifinal by beating Fresno State. The Wolf Pack is arguably the best-suited team to step into New Mexico State's homecourt cyclone, having won in Las Cruces on Feb. 28.
The Wolf Pack also beat NMSU in Reno.
"Defensively, we'll just need to stay tough on them," Peete said.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Alford to packed Pit: 'This coaching staff isn't going anywhere'
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- New Mexico coach Steve Alford ended weeks of speculation on his future, telling a capacity crowd at The Pit he's not interested in coaching at Indiana or anywhere else.
"Let's keep the focus on the seniors," Alford said after the Lobos beat UNLV 59-45 on Tuesday night. "This coaching staff isn't going anywhere."
The remarks came during a postgame ceremony when New Mexico fans gave a sendoff to seniors J.R. Giddens, Jamaal Smith and Darren Prentice. Giddens, who transferred from Kansas after his sophomore season, had 17 points and 15 rebounds.
Each player was handed a microphone to speak during a 10-minute ceremony, then Alford got the final word.
Most of the 18,018 fans who saw the game stayed to listen, and they broke into a deafening roar when Alford told them he plans to stay.
Alford was a prep standout in Indiana, where he played for his father at New Castle Chrysler High School and won the state's Mr. Basketball award after averaging 37.7 points per game as a senior in 1983.
He played under Bob Knight at Indiana, an All American and team captain who led the Hoosiers to the 1987 national title.
Local reports have suggested he might be interested in the Indiana job, though Alford never confirmed them. His remarks Tuesday were the most definitive he's been about the situation since Kelvin Sampson stepped down last month.
"He's not going anywhere," New Mexico athletic director Paul Krebs said.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
CIAA tournament is a lot more than basketball
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Make one loop around the downtown arena here this week and you'll end up with a half-dozen fliers touting parties, cooking shows, fashion competitions and gospel performances.
The bigger parties don't need advertising, with R. Kelly, Lil' Kim, Keith Sweat and Floyd Mayweather Jr. scheduled to host bashes.
Amid the sea of well-dressed people hopping from event to event, it's easy to forget that the reason 165,000 people are expected here this week is a basketball tournament.
The Division II Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association tourney is a lot more than hoops, serving as a giant reunion for alumni and friends of historically black colleges and universities.
"Everybody has a basketball tournament. You've got to do something different for people to come to yours," said Leon Kerry, the CIAA's longtime commissioner and tireless salesman. "That's what we tried to do. As long as they don't use the CIAA name in vain, we don't have a problem with groups putting the name on their event."
The oldest league of historically black schools, the CIAA has 10 members from North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. The women's portion of the tournament started Monday and the men began play Wednesday. The only Division II league with a national television deal, the men's and women's finals on Saturday will be shown on ESPN Classic.
The scope of the tournament is huge; the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority predicts the CIAA tournament will bring in more money for the city than either the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament or the NCAA East Regional, both next month.
"You have more people who come and actually stay the entire week as opposed to the other tournaments where people come and if their team loses they go home," said Tim Newman of the CRVA. "In this tournament, a family reunion happens and a basketball game breaks out every once in a while."
It's tough to keep track of the number of events. Advertisements for CIAA parties are all over town. The convention center is hosting a fan festival. A golf tournament has been scheduled. And the premiere of the ESPN-produced documentary on basketball at historically black schools will be shown during a reception Thursday.
David Thompson, considered by many to be the greatest player in ACC history, jumped on the CIAA train when he helped put together a prep basketball game this Saturday between powers Oak Hill Academy of Mouth of Wilson, Va. and Montrose Christian of Rockville, Md. Fans have been asked to donate new shoes at the game for charity.
"The CIAA is one of the most exciting tournaments in all of basketball," Thompson said. "To be a part of it in any small way is good."
It's the third straight year Charlotte has hosted the tournament and Kerry announced on Sunday a three-year extension, but not until he got the city to agree to several financial concessions.
Charlotte officials agreed, eager to keep an event that is estimated to have an economic impact of $28 million.
"Many people who are associated with the CIAA make this their annual vacation," Newman said. "They may not even step foot in the arena, they're here for the events in the convention and the other parties that take place around town. There are lots of schools that aren't even in the conference anymore that still have alumni gatherings."
The CIAA tournament has remained strong despite an upheaval in membership. Several schools, including North Carolina A&T, Winston-Salem State and North Carolina Central have left the league in the last several years to move to Division I. But you'll still see sweatshirts from those schools at the CIAA tournament.
"If you went to school in the CIAA, you played in the CIAA and you want to see people you went to school with, you've got to come to the CIAA," said Kerry, whose alma mater, Norfolk State, left the league a decade ago. "You can go to wherever your school reclassified, but you're not going to see the same people. You don't fit in."
Somehow everyone seems to fit in at the CIAA despite the diversity. While more than a dozen rappers are hosting parties, there are also numerous choir competitions. Comedian Steve Harvey is hosting his radio show here.
And maybe some people will actually see part of a basketball game.
"This is the place to be," Kerry said. "We're the pacesetters."
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
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