All of this on a weekend in which Georgia’s unlikely ticket to the Big Dance was punched with the aid of a player named Dave Bliss.
Dickie V. has already opined that Virginia Tech was jobbed, and quickly cited the Bears as an example of a team undeserving. Over on CBS, Billy Packer wondered how the Big East (ranked fifth in terms of RPI) could have 8 qualifying teams compared to a mere 4 for the Atlantic Coast Conference. The selection committee’s Tom O’Conner replied that he and his colleagues weren’t swayed by conference affiliation and made their decisions based on the respective teams’ attributes. Which is a nice way of saying Kentucky narrowly avoided being thrown into the play-in game.
Despite losing to Kansas, 84-74 in today’s Big 12 Conference Final, Texas find themselves just two wins away from a decided home court advantage in the Round of 16 at Houston’s Reliant Stadium. Likewise, Memphis’ John Calipari finds himself just two wins away from answering pointed questions from the Houston press about his deep appreciation for Mexican culture.