Over the last six seasons, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have been the winner of the AL West division five times, only missing the title in 2006 to Oakland.  The bad part of that for Angels fans is that in five tries, they did not reach a single World Series.  Even more bad news in Anaheim is that this year they won’t even make the playoffs.  Skillful off season moves from Seattle and a Texas squad who’s coming of age, will both keep the Angels away from October baseball.  One this seems clear, though, the whole race will be very close.

1.  Seattle Mariners

Ken Griffey Jr.’s return to Seattle may have been a lucky move on his part if the Mariners play to potential.

Chone Figgins ran away from the Angels via free agency to be a star in Seattle.

Of course, the biggest story in town (that town, anyway) over the hot stove season was the trade acquisition of Cliff Lee from Philadelphia.  His spring training has been a little rough (one toe surgery, one ejection for throwing at a batter) but never the matter. Lee is a good bet to be an AL leader in at least a couple of starting pitcher categories.

What does it mean when your pitching rotation feathers Cliff Lee as the #2 starter? Well, let’s just say it’s not to shabby.  Felix Hernandez is slated as the top of the rotation guy for the Mariners after his 19 win campaign last season that just missed him the AL Cy Young (he finished second behind Zack Grienke.) Ryan Rowland-Smith, the reliever turned starter who spent a good portion of last year in triple-A, was not too shabby upon returning the the bigs (5-4 with a 3.74 ERA. Ian Snell came to Seattle last August after posting a 2-8 record with Pittsburgh. Before the end of the season he would lose only two more decisions while winning five over twelve starts.  All together, the Mariners should be happy enough with their April rotation to hope it continues.

Seattle’s offense is looking up, as well. They have added Chone Figgins (from Anaheim) to play second base. While a certainly a good acquisition, it means that Jose Lopez will be at third, which is the position he has the least amount of experience with. Griffey will of course be the regular DH, while in the outfield we’ll see Ichiro in right, Franklin Gutierrez in center, and Milton Bradley in Left.

As far as the Bradley situation is concerned, the best anyone is hoping for is that he has a quiet year in the rainy city – though that is, as it usually is, very, very unlikely.  Bradley is a distraction wherever he has been, the most recent case being Chicago where Bradley has accused fans of racial slurs and threats to explain his lackluster performance on the North Side (.257 average, .397 slugging, 12 home runs.)

Jack Wilson and Kasey Kotchman round out the field with average plate productions and fielding to match.

Seattle’s weakest link will be at catcher.  Whether they go with Rob Johnson coming back from three off season surgeries or if the opt for rookie Adam Moore, there the outcome will be pretty much anemic. Johnson does have a rapport with Felix Hernandez and was pretty much his persoanl catcher all of last season. Look for Seattle to win about 85 games, which will probably be enough to take the division.

2.  Texas Rangers

This season’s break down in the AL West has to teams that could flip-flop at one and two and then two other teams that could end up either third or fourth.  The Texas Rangers are feeling pretty good about their team of (mostly) young bucks, and there are rumors out there that their pitching situation is on the cusp of making a serious surge. No one made as many roster changes this off season as the Rangers, who have brought a handful of new faces to the Arlington area.  Most notable of those is that of Vlad Guerrero who signed as a fee agent after parting ways with the Angels.  Other include shortstop Khalil Greene form the Cardinals,utility infielder Matt Brown from the Angles and a slew of hurlers including Rich Harden from the Cubs, Darren Oliver from the Angels, and Colby Lewis, a free agent returning from Japan.

Ron Washington will stay as the Rangers Manager, despite a positive drug test.

As some arrive, others depart.  Gone (among others) are Ivan Rodriguez (to Nationals), Hank Blalock (free agent, recently signed with the Tampa Bay Rays), Omar Vizquel (free agent, White Sox), Marlon Byrd (free agent, Cubs), Kevin Milwood (traded to Orioles).  While none of these exits was from a marquee player, the idea of this many comings and goings will make for some early season pains while everyone gets adjusted to the new look of things.

On the mound, the Rangers are in a position to be, in the vernacular of March, the Cinderella story of 2010.  Their rotation looks to be Rich Harden, Scott Feldman, Tommy Hunter, Derek Holland, and Colby Lewis.  After Harden, the rest are not household names, even in Texas households.  But while rated low (projected to rank 22nd on the MLB Fantasy site), some folks believe that the possibily for this group to ever achieve is there.

It was reported On Wednesday that their manager, Ron Washington, tested positive for cocaine last season.  As far as the news goes, stories indicate that he will be keeping his job. It will certainly be a distraction, at least in April while the team tries to knit together.

The Rangers are balanced precariously at the #2 spot.  There’s always a chance they could totter in one direction or the other.

3.  Anaheim Angels

Dealing with the three and four spots in this division is like trying to decide who’s more obnoxious – Rush Limbaugh or Bill O’Reilly.
In Anaheim, moves made some news, namely the departure of Vladimir Guerrero to the Rangers.  while Vlad has not been burning up the diamond of late, he’ll be a solid DH with something to prove (namely that he was worth holding onto for a couple more seasons in Anaheim.)

After seven season in pin stripes, Hideki Matsui is sporting a new look in Anaheim.

Other departures include Chone Figgins (free agent, Seattle), John Lackey (free agent, Boston), Darren Oliver (free agent, Texas).  Lackey will be missed the most, especially if their are no headlines in the Herald or Globe about his being on the DL as the season progresses.  Chone Figgins absence will be as much of a negative to Anaheim as it will be a positive to Seattle; both significant.

Arriving in Anaheim are Hideki Matsui (free agent, Yankees), and Joel Pinero (free agent, Cardinals). If you look at the Angels’ depth chart, you might be tempted to place then higher than third.  But here’s the rub:  The whole team is questionable.

The starting rotation (Jarred Weaver, Scott Kazmir, Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders, and Pinero) are all looking surprisingly hittable in spring training. Eric Aybar (SS), Matsui (DH), Bobby Abreu (OF), Torii Hunter (OF), Fernando Rodney (P), Kevin Jespin (P), and Reggie Willits (OF), are all having injury issues.   Overall, there are no players on this team that anyone is jumping at for their fantasy team.

Baseball Prospectus thinks the Angels win less that 80 games this season (which would be their worst performance since 2003).  Look for it to be a bit higher, but not much.

4.  Oakland A’s

Billy Beane has put together another one of those rosters that make you say, “Who?” for most positions. Incoming names of note are Ben Sheets (free agent, Brewers) and Coco Crisp (free agent, Royals). Crisp is, as always, likely to be a solid defensive player and an average hitter.  Sheets, who did not play at all in 2009, is stinking up the place in spring training, posting a 31.15 ERA in 4 1/3 innings over three appearances.  That included a 10 run outing where he failed to retire a single batter.

If spring training is any indicator, Ben Sheets is in for a rough season in Oakland.

Notable departures include Nomar Garciapara (retirement), Scott Hairston (traded to Padres), and Adam Kennedy (Free agent, Nationals).

If there is anything to good to focus on in Oakland it would have to be Kurt Suzuki as the backstop.  Suzuki was one of the top offensive catchers in 2009 and plays his position well.

The A’s are rebuilding, at least that’s the kind way to say it.

Summary

No one in the AL West is likely to win more than 88 games or so.  One team gets to the playoffs, and anything can happen there, but the wild card is not coming from the west.

Christian Laettner's game-winning shot ended one of the great games in NCAA Tournament history.

Welcome to the third and final part of the Ultimate March Madness List.
This installment features the top 20 moments in the history of the NCAA Tournament.

20. 1998 Valparaiso-Ole Miss
With 2.5 seconds left and trailing 69-67, Valpo’s Jaime Skyes throws a 60-foot pass down the length of the court that is caught by Bill Jenkins, who then passes it over to Bryce Drew (the head coach’s son), who then proceeds to drill a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give #13 seed Valparaiso an improbable 70-69 victory over the #4 seed Ole Miss Rebels in their first round game.

19. 1990 Connecticut-Clemson
With exactly one second left, Uconn guard Tate George catches a full-court pass from Scott Burrell, lands, then squares up to shoots a jumper that goes in the basket at the buzzer to give the Huskies a miraculous 71-70 win over the Clemson Tigers and send Connecticut to their first ever Elite Eight.

18. 1991 Duke-UNLV
One year after losing to UNLV 103-73 in the championship game, Duke avenges that humiliating by knocking off the undefeated and defending national champion Runnin’ Rebels 79-77 as Christian Lattener hits two free throws with 12.7 seconds left.

Duke would win the national championship two nights later as they defeated Kansas 72-65 to give coach Mike Krzyzewski his first national title after five trips to the Final Four.

N.C. State ended UCLA's run of seven straight national titles in 1974.

17. 1974 N.C. State-UCLA
UCLA’s run of seven straight national championships comes to an end as the Bruins blow a 11-point lead against the N.C. State Wolfpack in the second half of their national semifinal, then blow a seven-point lead in the second overtime as N.C. State goes on a 13-2 run to pull out the 80-77 victory and send the Wolfpack to the title game where they would defeat Marquette.

16. 1973 UCLA-Memphis
One year earlier, UCLA center Bill Walton gives a near-perfect performance as he hits on 21 of 22 shots for a championship game record 44 points to give the Bruins their seventh straight national championship with a 87-66 victory over the Memphis Tigers.

15. 1990 Loyola Marymount
Playing just two weeks after the death of All-American Hank Gathers during the West Coast Conference Tournament, the Loyola Marymount Lions make an emotional and heartwarming run to the Elite Eight.

The Lions entered the tournament as a #11 seed in the West Regional and faced New Mexico in their first round matchup.

When Bo Kimble, Gathers’ best friend and teammate since high school, went to the free throw line for the first time in the game, he shot his first free throw left-handed, the way Gathers shot free throws, in his friend’s memory.

The free throw was good and Kimble went on to score 45 points in a 111-92 win over New Mexico.

Kimble would repeat this act in the Lions’ second round matchup with #3 seed Michigan as the Lions defeated the Wolverines 149-115 in the highest scoring game in NCAA tournament history.

Kimble did not go to the foul line in the Lions’ Sweet Sixteen game with the Alabama Crimson Tide, but Loyola Marymount came away with a 62-60 win to advance to the Elite Eight where Kimble would make his left-handed free throw for the third time in a 131-101 loss to eventual national champion UNLV.

14. 1989 Michigan-Seton Hall
Assistant coach Steve Fisher takes the head coaching duties at Michigan right before the tournament begins, after head coach Bill Frieder was fired because he accepted the head coaching job at Arizona State, and leads the Wolverines to the national championship.

Michigan point guard Rumeal Robinson nails the game-winning free throws with three seconds to play in overtime after a controversial foul to give the Wolverines an 80-79 victory over the Seton Hall Pirates.

Larry Brown and Danny Manning led Kansas to a surprising national title in 1988.

13. 1988 Kansas-Oklahoma
Player of the year Danny Manning scores 31 points, grabs 18 rebounds, and makes five steals while his other unheralded Kansas teammates combine for 22-of-31 shooting as the Jayhawks upset their conference rivals, the Oklahoma Sooners, 83-79 in the championship game.

The Jayhawks, a #6 seed out of the Midwest Regional, become the first team with at least 10 losses to win the NCAA tournament and become immortalized as “Danny and the Miracles”.

12. 1981 Second Round
The craziest single day in NCAA tournament occurs in the second round of the 1981 NCAA tournament as the top two ranked teams in the country and the defending national champions are all eliminated by last-second shots in the same afternoon.

#1 ranked DePaul and the Mideast Region’s top seed is knocked off by St. Joseph’s when John Smith makes the game-winning layup with three seconds left for a 49-48 victory.

#2 ranked Oregon State, the 1 seed in the West Region, is stunned by Kansas State when Rolando Blackmon makes a 16-foot jumper from the right corner with two seconds left to give the Wildcats a 50-48 win.

But perhaps the most remarkable event of this day occurs in the Midwest Regional matchup between Arkansas and Louisville, the defending national champions, when Razorback U.S. Reed makes a buzzer beater from beyond half court, giving Arkansas a 74-73 victory.

11. 2008 Kansas-Memphis
Kansas guard Mario Chalmers hits a 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 63 and send the game into overtime, where Kansas would outscore Memphis 12-5 for a 75-68 win and the school’s first national championship in 20 years.

Memphis held a nine-point lead with 2:12 to go but missed several free throws down the stretch to set up Chalmers’ heroics.

10. 1957 North Carolina-Kansas
Just one night after defeating Michigan State 74-70 in triple overtime of their national semifinal, North Carolina plays another triple overtime game this time against Kansas and center Wilt Chamberlain.

North Carolina center Joe Quigg makes the game-tying and game-winning free throws with six seconds left in the third overtime to give the Tar Heels their first national championship with a 54-53 victory.

9. 1993 North Carolina-Michigan
Michigan forward Chris Webber etches his name in infamy as he calls for a timeout with 11 seconds remaining and his team trailing 73-71, not realizing that Michigan was out of timeouts.

The miscue results in North Carolina getting two free throws and possession of the ball which results in two more free throws and securing head coach Dean Smith’s second national championship with a 77-71 victory.

8.2006 George Mason-Connecticut
#11 seed George Mason out of the Colonial Athletic Association completes its Cinderella run to the Final Four as they rally from a nine-point deficit in the second half of their East Regional Final against UConn and hold off the top-seeded Huskies in overtime for a 86-84 win, to become the second #11 seed to reach the Final Four.

During their memorable run, George Mason knocked off Michigan State, North Carolina, Wichita State, and Connecticut.

Keith Smart hit the game winning shot to give Indiana the national title.

7. 1987 Indiana-Syracuse
Following a missed one-and-one by forward Derrick Coleman, Indiana guard Keith Smart nails a 16-foot baseline jumper with four seconds to play to put the Hoosiers ahead and then steals the inbounding pass on Syracuse’s last possession to give Indiana a 74-73 victory and the national championship, the third for head coach Bob Knight.

6. 1982 Georgetown-North Carolina
The legend of Michael Jordan begins as the freshman sensation hits a 16-foot jump shot with 17 seconds to play, which turns out to be the winning basket in the Tar Heels’ 63-62 victory of the Georgetown Hoyas in the title game.

The win is secured when Georgetown’s Fred Brown throws the ball away to North Carolina’s James Worthy on the possession following Jordan’s basket, giving head coach Dean Smith his first national championship in his seventh trip to the Final Four.

5. 1979 Michigan State-Indiana State
Indiana State guard Larry Bird and Michigan State guard Earvin “Magic” Johnson begin their legendary rivalry in the national championship game, in the most watched college basketball game of all time.

However, the game does not live to the hype as Bird is limited to just 19 points on seven of 21 shots while Johnson pours in 23 points as the Spartans go on to a relatively easy 75-64 win and the school’s first national championship.

Still, this game is seen as the birth of March Madness.

4.1966 Texas Western-Kentucky
Texas Western, with an all-black starting lineup, defeats Adolph Rupp and his all-white Kentucky Wildcats in a game that is considered the “Brown v. Board of Education” of college basketball as teams that were not integrated began recruiting black players.

3.1985 Villanova-Georgetown
Villanova, the #8 seed from the Southeast regional, plays the perfect game as the team shoots 78% from the field (22 out of 28 shots) to knock off the top-ranked and defending national champion Georgetown Hoyas 66-64, to become the lowest seed to ever win the NCAA tournament.

2. 1983 N.C. State-Houston
N.C. State complete perhaps the greatest run in the history of March Madness as Wolfpack forward Lorenzo Charles catches Derrick Whitenberg’s 30-foot air ball, and dunks it as time expires to give NC State a 54-52 upset win over the Houston Cougars and their “Phi Slama Jamma” team.

The last-second win is the fourth win for the Wolfpack in which they trailed in the second half and had to come back to win during the tournament (Pepperdine in the first round, UNLV in the second round, and Virginia in the elite eight).

The image of N.C. State head coach Jim Valvano running onto the court after Charles’ basket and looking for someone to hug is one of the most famous images in March Madness history.

1. 1992 Duke-Kentucky
It is the moment that is replayed every March.  It is “The Shot” or the Laettner game.

With 2.1 seconds to go in overtime and trailing 103-102, Duke forward Grant Hill throws a full-court pass that is caught by Christian Laettner at the top of the key.

Laettner dribbles once after the catch and shoots an 18-foot fade away that goes through the net as time expired to send Duke to the Final Four for the fifth straight year.

Laettner finishes the game with 31 points as he makes all ten of his shots and all ten of his free throws in what most experts consider to be the greatest game in NCAA tournament history.

Check out the other articles in the countdown:

Ultimate NCAA Tournament Moments 40-21

Ultimate NCAA Tournament Moments 65-41

Jason Grilli as he prepared to make the roster of the 2010 Indians

Over the past several months, one of my wildest baseball dreams has been realized. Not blessed with an overabundance of skill on the baseball field, it is beyond my greatest expectations that I’d ever have the chance to rub elbows with one of the chosen ones who has been dually blessed with extraordinary baseball skills.

As surreal as it seems to me, Cleveland Indians pitcher, Jason Grilli, and I became buddies last November through our work with the award winning children’s baseball book, A Glove of Their Own, and have become good friends over the six or so months that have passed.

Nearly every morning, the phone rings at my house in rural Massachusetts, and the name “Jason Grilli” pops up on the Call ID. I scratch my head in amazement that a “real live baseball player” would be calling ‘lil ol’ me, answer the call and hear the voice of a bonafide major league pitcher the other end of the line.

“It’s time for Coffee with Grilli, man,” chuckles the big right-hander calling from either his home in Florida and his hotel in Arizona. “On my way to the field and figured I’d give Civ a call.”

I joke with Grilli, that the only thing we have in common is that he wears Number 49 on the back of his jersey and my

left handed fast ball tops out at a high of 49 miles per hour. In truth, however, we share a lot of the same beliefs and ideals about baseball, family, business and life and it has become a valuable friendship for both of us.

Grilli keeps my spirit high as I continue to try to solve my own personal unemployment crisis and I try to motivate him as he pitches towards his next big league roster spot with the Cleveland Indians. At the same time, we work together on his blog, Wild Pitch Marketing, where Grilli shares his keen business skills and I use my wordsmithing abilities. A win/win for both of us.

Grilli’s road to that roster spot, took an unexpected detour last week, however, when he injured his quad muscle while running a drill towards the end of a practice session at the Indians Spring Training facility in Goodyear, AZ.

His emotions have run the full gamut from disbelief to heartache, to a brief period of why me to acceptance and inspiration. His career has in many ways become a lesson in overcoming obstacles and his recent injury presents him with yet another chapter. As his Facebook status read last night on the eve of his anticipated surgery, “Ready for my wheel alignment tomorrow. Ready “Steady” for your healing hands.”

As he prepared for this morning’s surgery in Vail, Colorado, we enjoyed our morning ‘cup of joe’ and Grilli shared his thoughts on his off-season preparation, his injury and his continued commitment towards pitching next season in the Major Leagues.

Todd Civin: You seemed to work harder during this off-season than ever before. Why was this camp so important to you?

Jason Grilli: This season was a new beginning for me.  The past two years were hard off the field more from the standpoint of moving my family around the country.  We were ecstatic to be going close to home with a familiarity of a division I have spent a lot of time in.

I worked my butt off because I knew that I could help this team and mold my career to be one place for a long time.  I was so focused and still am. Just refocusing my energy into other things that I can control right now.  Getting healthy is priority one, but thankfully I have already started a backup plan with my company Perfect Pitch Marketing Group.

TC: How do you think you were progressing regarding gaining a roster spot?

JG: Even though I signed a minor league contract, I felt that my chances of breaking with the club were pretty solid.  The Indians were aware of what I was capable of.  For years they have seen me pitch against them.  The fact that they have seen plenty of me from the other dugout in years past, and filtering other opportunities during my off-season, I felt great about being apart of an organization that I held in high regard before signing there.

TC: Explain how the injury actually occurred.

JG: My day was almost complete.  We were on our last two sprints and when I decelerated and stopped, my leg didn’t.  I was on the ground and was praying that my season wouldn’t be lost after all my hard work.  All I could think of was my family too and how this would affect us all.

TC: Your first thought when you went down and did you realize the severity of it?

JG: My season flashed before my eyes. I was in some serious pain and my leg was cramping really bad.  I didn’t know the severity of it until the doctors revealed what had happened after my MRIs and X-Rays.  I am forever an optimist, but that was a big blow to take to see that yet another challenge lay ahead of me.

TC: You were one of two players that was injured that day, how did the training crew react? Was yours the first or second injury?

JG: I actually saw the trainers carrying Jordan Brown in as I was walking to the conditioning field.  I was the second man down that day.  The training staff was incredible and took great care of me.

TC: What is the actual diagnosis and plan for recovery?

JG: The diagnosis is an extensive quad injury and I am going to see the best specialist for knees in the world.  Dr. Richard Steadman in Vail, Colorado.  He has worked on Joe Montana, Kobe Bryant, The U.S. Olympic ski teams to name a few.

He is world renowned and I am lucky to be seen and fixed by the best.  My recovery will begin after he does his part and the rest is on me.  I have been here before and know what work load is involved.  My goal is to pitch some winter ball before next season.

TC: Why you? How has your attitude changed as each day has passed since the injury?

JG: I don’t know why me.  I feel that God has a plan for everyone of us.  Some people scoff at that throwing out God references and all these cliches.  I am so fortunate and would take this injury over some of the daily struggles that so many other people are going through.  The sun comes up each day and I have to have a strong outlook.

Baseball is my passion, but there is so much more to life than just that.  I battle each day and go through the emotions, but know that this is fixable.  I just am looking forward to getting the surgery over so I can get to work on my recovery.  I will be in the Majors again next year!

TC: What has been the response of your fans, family, teammates?

JG: Everyone has been so supportive.  They have shed tears and felt bad for me, but they know the strength that I have and are feeding from it too.  I have a great support team and collectively will get through it.

TC: Every cloud has a silver lining…have you found it yet?

JG: This is a time that I can be with my family while I rehab to perfect health.  I have my business to keep my mind off of missing an entire season.  I know that this time can be and will be put to good use.

TC: I know you are a spiritual person. How has your faith in God helped you make sense of this?

JG: It is easy to blame God and wrestle with being upset with God as to why stuff in life happens.  I don’t know the reason yet, but will find out down the road.  This is something that will draw me even closer to Him again.  Life moves so fast and we take things for granted and tend to forget really what is important. I just want to take a negative and create another positive from it again. There are people who are dying from wars, cancer, other serious diseases.  I feel blessed to know that this is a fixable thing.

TC: What will your season be like and how will you prepare for next season?

JG: The baseball season will be slow. I will follow how the Indians are doing and will surely root for them. There were so many great guys I was hoping to share the season with. I am focused on keeping my arm strong and get over the rehab portion so I can start where I left off. My mind is strong. I have already made the choice to deal with the cards that have been handed to me.

Todd Civin is a freelance writer who writes for Bleacher Report, Sports, Then and Now, and Seamheads. He also shares his top stories on his blog The ‘xoxo’ of Sports. He is a supporter of Team Hoyt, the father/son marathon and triathlon team of Dick and Rick Hoyt. He encourages you to support their movement of “Yes, I Can” by visiting their Web site at www.teamhoyt.com .

Is the NCAA still punishing UNLV for the antics of Jerry Tarkanian?

Of course there is but more on that in a little bit.

First off I am not what you call a “Conspiracy Theorist”. Well maybe a little bit. Like, sure there wasn’t another shooter on the grassy knoll. Like, Amelia Earhart really lost her way. Like all the disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle can be explained. Like Elvis is really dead. Now that one I know is not true. Here in Vegas I see Elvis at least three to four times a day, sometimes even in two places at once.

You tell me what dead person could do that. Oh and by the way here’s two more I’ll let you in on but don’t spread the word or I might be found just outside of town in an area called The Valley of Fire. Tupac’s alive for sure plus sports players never bet on games and know that Jeb Bush had nothing to do with the results of the 2000 election results in Florida. Duh, the guy with most votes lost.

With the 2010 NCAA Tournament on the verge of sending sports fans everywhere into March Madness my 20 year old nagging conspiracy that the powers that be in the NCAA land continues it’s life long vengeance against the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

This body of old, decrepit individuals really can hold a grudge. Geez!

Lets go back a little more than a generation ago. If you think of the City of Las Vegas to be “Sin City” now try to imagine when the town was run by the Mob, known in some circles as the Cosa Nostra, the Mafia, the Godfathers, that thing of ours, and my favorite, the Little Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Hell our current Mayor, Oscar (”I was not a mob lawyer”) Goodman was THE mob lawyer for Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Seigal. No he wasn’t but it sounds good, doesn’t it?

The last thing the NCAA old farts wanted to see were the criminals in waiting, those UNLV students to become a perennial power and dominate the Little Sisters of the Poor on the hardwood.

Remember in the 90’s when the University of Miami ruled the College Football world and when they played Notre Dame it was billed as the Catholics vs.the Convicts. The press loved it but the NCAA called in the special opts unit of the CIA to find some dirt to discredit the Hurricanes.

They tried to do the same thing to the Runnin’ Rebels. They were coached at that time by one of the most beloved and well liked men to ever coach a group of players. Jerry Tarkanian was given the moniker “Tark The Shark”, not because he could coach a hell of a basketball game but because his teams were winners and the NCAA just couldn’t have that. Tark took his team to three Final Fours and won it all 20 years ago this month by destroying the Dukies by a mere 30 points in the most lopsided decisive win in a final championship game in NCAA basketball history.

For years the NCAA went after Tarkanian in the worst way. He was accused of recruitment violations, payoffs to players, and other scandalous activities. Nothing to this day has ever been proven about UNLV and the so called infractions and they have never been sanctioned by that sanctimonious, holy institution called the NCAA.

In six years, Lon Kruger has brought the Runnin' Rebels back to national relevance.

It, like most conspiracies never end. Over the past six years that Lon Kruger has taken over the coaching duties the Rebels have put themselves back in the national spotlight by having 20+ game win seasons and making it to the big dance, along with this years bid, three appearances in the last four years.

Keep in mind for their previous two appearances UNLV won the Mountain West Conference Tournament earning the automatic bid that comes with that victory. This year they made to the final game of the Mountain West Tournament only to lose at home to NCAA tourney bound San Diego State.

So what then is the conspiracy you say? OK, here it is. In 2007 the Rebels upset it’s first two opponents and found themselves in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1991. If some Georgia Tech demon possessed player whose name escapes me for the moment hit about 25 three pointers the Rebels could have easily found itself in the Elite Eight or even the Final Four.

The 2008 team was better still but the NCAA had a plan that surely couldn’t fail. If you think top rated Kansas is a great team today and will surely be playing this year in Indianapolis, I’m telling you the 2008 version was even better and when they cut down the nets in the final it was certainly no surprise for me.

You know what the “Death Seed” is in the NCAA tournament. It’s not 15 or 16. They are expected to be one and done and that has held fast with very few exceptions over the years. In fact in case you didn’t know, a 16 has never defeated a Number 1 seed ever in this tournament. It’s the 8 or 9 seed that has the coaches leaving lambs blood on the lockers doors after they’ve won their opener only to have to face certain defeat less than two days later.

Now you know how the Christians felt like going into the arena against the Lions and I don’t mean the Detroit Lions either. Back to my conspiracy. I could make a very respectable argument in 2008 that UNLV was a far better team than an eight seed. They had a better record than most of the six and seven seeds, a higher RPI, with wins over top 25 and top 50 teams and they won a tournament championship already. So what did the NCAA Selection Committee do? They put them in the same bracket as Kansas and waited for the slaughter to begin.

In 2010 the Rebels posted five wins over highly ranked opponents.

The Rebels to their credit played them pretty evenly through the first half but with Kansas playing it’s game so close to home they could hitch a ride and be back on campus by nightfall the Jayhawks pulled away to a relatively easy victory. They then went on to win the National Championship.

So here we are. It’s 2010 and UNLV with five wins against ranked teams this year gets an invite to the big dance. Yea!. They are once again placed in the Midwest Region. They are given an 8 seed again despite yadie yadie yada, and if they should win against another ranked team this year, Northern Iowa, who has about as much to complain at their nine seed with 28 wins and a championship in the Missouri Valley Conference plus winning their conference tournament as well, the Rebels if they should come out and be victorious in this opener on Thursday,guess who they have to get by to advance?

If you said the overall number one seeded team in the tournament,the Kansas Jayhawks, you’d win a Kewpie doll,I’d prefer a naked Barbie, and be the winner of the “Conspiracy Tournament”.

No Rebels fans, the NCAA will never forgive the Runnin’ Rebels, Jerry Tarkanian, Grandmama Larry Johnson, and the fine students and faculty at UNLV. It’s a conspiracy,I tell you,a conspiracy.

Danny Ainge made a magical shot to defeat Notre Dame in the 1981 NCAA Tournament.

Welcome to Part 2 of the Ultimate March Madness List. Today, we explore moments 40-21.

40. 2003 Syracuse-Kansas
Syracuse’s Hakim Warrick blocks a potential tying 3-point shot by Kansas’s Michael Lee with 0.7 seconds left to preserve the 81-78 win and securing the first national championship for Syracuse and coach Jim Boeheim.

39. 1998 Washington-Connecticut
On the third shot attempt in the final eight seconds of the game, UConn’s Richard Hamilton hits a short fade away jumper at the buzzer that wins the game for the Huskies 75-74 in their Sweet Sixteen game with Washington and sends UConn to the Elite Eight.

38. 2008 Davidson
Stephen Curry, son of former NBA player Del Curry, becomes the star of the 2008 Tournament as he leads his Davidson Wildcats on a memorable run to the elite eight.

Curry scores 40 points in Davidson’s first round matchup with Gonzaga, followed by a 30-point performance in the second round against Georgetown as he outscored the Hoyas 25-22 in the final 14:24 of the second half to lead the Wildcats back from a 17-point deficit, then scored 33 in a rout of Wisconsin in the Sweet Sixteen, and then 25 in a two-point loss to Kansas in the Midwest Regional Final.

37. 1983 Louisville-Kentucky
Meeting for the first time in 24 years, interstate rivals Louisville and Kentucky meet in the Mideast Regional Final for a berth in the Final Four.

The game lives up to the hype as Louisville defeats Kentucky in overtime by the score of 80-68.
After this game, the two schools agreed to play each other annually in the regular season.

36. 1975 UCLA-Kentucky

Head Coach John Wooden retired after leading UCLA to their 10th NCAA title in 1975.

In his press conference after his team defeated Louisville 75-74 in overtime in their national semifinal game, UCLA head coach John Wooden announced that he would retire following the title game.

Two days later, the Bruins send Wooden out a winner as UCLA defeated Kentucky 92-85 for their 10th national championship in 12 years all under the helm of “the Wizard of Westwood”.

35. 1986 LSU
The LSU Tigers, a #11 seed out of the Southeast Regional, become the first double digit seed to advance to the Final Four.

Despite their seeding, the Tigers play their first two games at home in Baton Rouge (this was the last year a team got to play tournament games on its home floor) and used the home-court to their advantage as the Tigers knocked off #6 seed Purdue 94-87 in double overtime of their first round game, then forward Anthony Wilson hit a game-winning jump shot as time expired for a 83-81 upset over #3 seed Memphis in the second round.

LSU moved on the Sweet Sixteen in Atlanta where they defeated #2 seed Georgia Tech 79-64 to advance to the Elite Eight where they would face top-seeded Kentucky, a team that had defeated LSU three times during the 1986 season.

Using their “Freak Defense”, the Tigers knocked off the Wildcats 59-57 for a stunning berth in the Final Four where they would be eliminated by eventual national champion Louisville.

34. 1999 Duke-Connecticut
Duke, 37-1 entering the game and 9 ½ point favorites, is shocked by Connecticut 77-74 in the championship game. Richard Hamilton scores 27 points to give the Huskies their first national championship in their initial Final Four appearance.

33. 2001 Hampton-Iowa State
Travis Williams hits a 4-footer with 6.9 seconds remaining completing a 14-2 run over the final eight minutes to give Hampton a 58-57 win over Iowa State, becoming the fourth #15 seed to win a game in the NCAA tournament and producing one of the greatest images in March Madness history as Hampton head coach Steve Merfield is lifted in the air by one of his players in celebration of the upset.

32. 1997 Arizona-Kentucky
Arizona scores all of 10 its overtime points from the free throw line as they defeat the defending national champion Kentucky Wildcats 84-79 for the school’s first national championship.

The upset of Kentucky completes a run where Arizona, a #4 seed out of the Southeast Regional, knocks off three #1 seeds en route to the national championship (Kansas in the Sweet Sixteen, North Carolina in the Final Four, and Kentucky in the Championship Game).

A three-point basket by Scotty Thurman in the final minute lifted Arkansas past Duke for the 1994 NCAA title.

31. 1994 Arkansas-Duke
With the shot clock expiring, Arkansas guard Scott Thurman hits a three-pointer that breaks a 70-70 tie with 52.5 seconds left and pave way for the Razorbacks to win their first national championship as they defeat the Duke Blue Devils 76-72 in the championship game.

30. 1990 Duke-Connecticut
Trailing by one point in overtime, Duke center Christian Laettner inbounds the ball with 2.6 seconds left and gets the ball back to make a leaning jumper at the buzzer to give the Blue Devils a 79-78 win in their East Regional Final against UConn and send Duke to their third consecutive Final Four.

29. 1998 Kentucky-Duke
Playing for the first time since their 1992 epic, Kentucky and Duke play in another classic regional final.

This time, it is the Wildcats who come out on top as they come back from a 17-point second half deficit to defeat the Blue Devils 86-84 and advance to their third straight Final Four, where Kentucky would win its second national title in three years.

28. 2005 Elite Eight
Perhaps the greatest weekend in NCAA Tournament history occurs as three of the four regional finals go into overtime.

First, Louisville overcomes a 20-point first half deficit to defeat the West Virginia Mountaineers 93-85 in overtime of their West Regional Final for their first Final Four berth in 19 years.

This is followed by a remarkable comeback by the Illinois Fighting Illini in the Midwest Regional Final as Illinois goes on a 20-5 run in the final four minutes of regulation to erase a 15-point deficit and then hold on to a 90-89 victory over the Arizona Wildcats.

The third and the last regional final that goes into overtime occurs in the South Regional final between the Michigan State Spartans and the Kentucky Wildcats as Kentucky guard Patrick Sparks  makes a desperation three-pointer at the buzzer that is reviewed for seven minutes to see if Sparks’ foot was on the line or not.

The shot stood and the game went into overtime and then a second before the Spartans finally prevailed with a 94-88 victory, concluding a remarkable Elite Eight.

27. 1991 Richmond-Syracuse
The Richmond Spiders, a notorious giant killer in the Tournament, becomes the first #15 seed to win a NCAA Tournament game as they defeat the #2 seed Syracuse Orangemen 73-69.

The 1991 Richmond Spiders became the first number 15 seed to win a game in the NCAA Tournament when they shocked number two Syracuse.

26. 1965 Princeton-Wichita State
Princeton guard and future NBA great Bill Bradley overshadows the national championship game as he scores a Final Four record 58 points in a 118-82 win over Wichita State in the third place game.

Note: There was a consolation game for third place played between the two losers of the national semifinals from 1947-1981.

25. 1963 Loyola-Cincinnati
Loyola University of Chicago comes back from a 45-30 deficit and ties the game at 54 at the end of regulation, and then proceed to win the game in overtime when Vic Rouse put back a missed shot at the buzzer for the 60-58 upset win over the two-time defending national champion Cincinnati Bearcats.

24.  1996 Princeton-UCLA
Using one of its back-door plays the school made famous, Princeton pulls off a 43-41 upset of defending champion UCLA in the first round.

Center Steve Goodrich throws a pass to guard Gabe Lewullis who gets behind Charles O’ Bannon to make the go-ahead basket with four seconds left to give head coach Pete Carril a win in his final appearance in the NCAA tournament.

23. 1989 Princeton-Georgetown
Seven years before its upset of UCLA, Princeton almost pulls off an even bigger upset.

The #16 seeded Tigers lead #1 seed Georgetown for nearly 30 minutes and never fall behind by more than two points in their East Regional first round game against the Hoyas, but are denied a huge upset when Georgetown center Alonzo Mourning blocks Kit Mueller’s last shot at the buzzer to preserve a 50-49 victory for the Hoyas.

It is the closest a #16 seed has come to defeating a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

22. 1981 BYU-Notre Dame
With eight seconds to go and his team trailing Notre Dame by one point, BYU  guard Danny Ainge drives the length of the court in the and makes a game-winning layup for a 51-50 win that sends BYU to the Elite Eight.

21. 1995 UCLA –Missouri
Fourteen years later, UCLA guard Tyus Edney does his best Danny Ainge impersonation as drives the length of the court in the last 4.7 seconds of the game and makes a layup at the buzzer to save the top-seeded Bruins from an early exit as they defeat Missouri 75-74 in their second round matchup.

UCLA would go on to win the national championship, their first in 20 years.

The Mets must decide where Jenrry Mejia will start the season.

This is the time during Spring Training that all Major League teams starts to cut down on its rosters sending some players down to their Minor League affiliates while others are sent on their way right out of the organization.

The funny thing about this process is that there are very few surprises as to who stays and who goes. Sometimes a young player with just a little minor league experience makes such an outstanding impression the management feels that he is ready for the big leagues and they can’t see him not being with the parent club.

Steven Strasburg of the Washington Nationals comes to mind this year as he has not allowed a run in three appearances so far. It was expected that the number one overall player in last years draft would start the year perhaps even as high as AAA. He did have an advantage of playing college ball under Hall of Fame great Tony Gwynn but still there would seem to be no real reason to rush him into the fray. It’s not like the Nationals will be in the playoff hunt this year.

On Sirius/XM Radio yesterday Rob Dibble, who I love as a color commentator and sports talk show host, said when he was in his first couple of years of Spring Training and he knew he wasn’t going to make the Reds big club he actually asked the team to cut him early enough so he could get more work in the level he would be playing at. Amazing.

For the Mets as they start their cuts the big controversy, at least among the Mets faithful, revolves around whether or not K-Mart (Fernando Martinez)and Jenrry Mejia, the young pitching sensation, should be on the big club at the opening of the season.

It has been well chronicled that Martinez, still only 21 years old, has been the Mets best prospect for the past five years and has a history of injuries. During the injury fest of 2009 K-Mart, as he is affectionately called, had what’s known as a cup of coffee with the Mets and was not very effective with a batting average just somewhat north of 100.

He was and is still slated, according to Mets General Manager Omar Minaya, to start the season at AAA Buffalo and if he does well he should see action with the Mets no later than September 1st.

The problem is, he’s tearing the cover off the ball, this spring after an excellent showing in the Caribbean World Series. Right now it looks like Angel Pagan, who had a walk off home run yesterday, will begin the season in Center Field until the return of perennial All Star Carlos Beltran.

Gary Matthews Jr. seems to have earned an outfield spot for the Mets.

Newly acquired Gary Matthews Jr. is also having a torrid spring and will definitely make the team as it’s 4th outfielder again once until Beltran’s return. If that be the case where would Martinez fit in? Personally, and what most writers and fans agree on is that Martinez needs to play everyday and Buffalo is the obvious place for him to be.

Mejia’s situation is even more complex. From here it doesn’t look like the Mets organization has decided what their expectations are of the role that Mejia will play. Is he a starter, perhaps even a top of the rotation starter, or can he become a lights out closer?

There is a case for both sides. He can crank it up to 98 mph on the gun and is developing some pretty good secondary pitches. He has drawn favorable comparisons to Dwight Gooden who at Mejias age, 20, was already dominating Major League batters. That in of itself is not too shabby.

The other comparison has been to Mariano Rivera who some are already calling the greatest closer in the history of the game. His “cutter” over the years has been practically un-hittable and his post season performances have become legendary.

Former Met and Yankee, Darryl Strawberry ha said that Mejia’s “cutter” is just as good as Rivera’s and the Mets need to use him right now, this season, in the pen.

So what are the Mets to do. Jerry Manuel, not my favorite Mets manager, to say the least, has said Mejia could wind up as the 8th inning specialist this year if all falls into place.

What the Mets must be concerned about is not falling into what I call the “Jaba Catch”. The Yankees have perhaps ruined this guys chances for super stardom as they vacillate between having him in the bullpen and as a starter. Most pitching experts agree that the transition from starter to reliever is much easier and likely to be more successful than the other way around.

So the Mets must decide which way to go with Mejia. I just want them to make a decision either way and more important, stick to it. What it comes down to, as I see it, is what’s the better long term solution. You have Frankie Rodriguez as your closer for the next two years. Mejia, if on the big club, would serve as the apprentice waiting to move into the closers role in 2012 if the Mets chose not to resign K-Rod.

If he goes to the Minors he would have at least a year or maybe two to develop his arsenal of pitches and at 22 he could become the ace of the staff for the next 10 to 15 years. My opinion, which amounts to nothing more than a hill of beans, is that Mejia and Martinez need to be sent down to develop. I think in the long run that would give the Mets the best opportunity to compete for the playoffs for years to come.

Agree? Dis-agree? Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

Maria Sharapova loses to Zheng Jie of China at Indian Wells tournament.

Justine Henin goes down to defeat in straight sets in her second round match! Top-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova loses her opening salvo!  Feisty Chinese player Jie Zheng clobbers favored Maria Sharapova!

Kim Clijsters is sent packing by Alisa Kleybanova in a 3rd round thriller!  Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez ousts the No. 3 seed Victoria Azarenka!

It is like watching the air burst from a balloon, allowing the deflating latex to spiral around the room once in a final spurt of glory before coming to land limp and lifeless on the turf.

So go the WTA’s top seeds as well as those “come-back” players expected to win at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.

To set the proper mood for this much-anticipated Masters Series event, top-ranked Serena and Venus Williams boycotted the tournament for the ninth consecutive year. Dinara Safina pulled out early with a persistent back injury.  That propelled world No. 3 Svetlana Kuznetsova into the top spot as the No. 1 seed as action got underway.

Svetlana Kuznetsova’s Quarter

After earning a first round bye, Kuznetsova met Carla Suarez Navarro in the second round –– a match Kuznetsova lost 6-4, 1-6, 6-2.  The Russian was unable to fight back against the Spaniard, even after winning the second set in compelling fashion.

Kuznetsova lacked match fitness in facing Navarro who seemed much sharper and moved much better.  Kuznetsova could not find the mental edge she needed as the No. 1 seed in this major tournament.

Kim Clijsters loses to Alisa Kleybanova of Russia at BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.

That should have opened things up for Kim Clijsters in the upper half of the Kuznetsova quarter as the Belgian faced Russian Kleybanova in the third round. It was the Russian who edged Clijsters, however, at the finish line 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 to advance.  Now Navarro faces Kleybanova for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Sitting in the bottom half of this quarter is Jelena Jankovic who hung on to defeat Sara Errani of Italy; and now must get through Shahar Pe’er to make it to the quarterfinal match-up.  Pe’er has been playing fine tennis of late.

This quarter is wide open!

Victoria Azarenka’s Quarter

Seeded No. 3 overall, Azarenka had a real shot at going deep, perhaps even winning at Indian Wells. But like so many seeds before her, Azarenka lost early to Martinez Sanchez during a third round encounter.

Lurking in the wings, however, is another youngster, German Yanina Wickmayer, seeded No. 13 at Indian Wells.  Wickmayer has shot up in the rankings since the U.S. Open and is another youngster on the rise.

3rd seed Victoria Azarenka disappointed in defeat by Maria Jose Marinez Sanchez of Spain.

In the bottom half  of Azarenka’s quarter is the defending champion from 2009, Vera Zvonareva.  The anticipated match from a year ago between Ana Ivanovic and Zvonareva will not happen because the floundering Serb Ivanovic was dismissed during her first match against Latvian Anastasia Sevastova.

Expect Zvonareva to take out Samantha Stosur and make it through to meet Wickmayer in the quarterfinal match.

Elena Dementieva’s Quarter

Justin Henin, the favorite of many to win this tournament was sent packing in her second round match against Gisela Dulko. This was a huge surprise and let down for those assembled to watch the Belgian climb back up the rankings.  But Dulko had Henin’s number during the match and gave nothing away to the Belgian who struggled to find her game on the night.

Subsequently, Dulko fell to Agnieszka Radwanska, seeded No. 5.  Radwanska is another newcomer to watch carefully.  Radwanska will meet Marion Bartoli in the fourth round.

But the player who was especially pleased to see Henin dismissed is Russian Elena Dementieva who was dismissed prematurely from the Australian Open by Henin.

Seeded No. 4 here, expect Dementievia to meet Radwanska in the quarterfinal match.

Caroline Wozniacki’s Quarter

The big disappointment for Maria Sharapova’s fans in this quarter was Jie Zheng’s dismissal of the Russian beauty in round 3.  It happened in large measure because Sharapova’s errant serve caused innumerable double faults and unforced errors.

Will second seed Caroline Wozniacki hang on to win at Indian Wells?

The Russian continues to struggle with her wayward game since returning to the tour after shoulder surgery.   Zheng will next face wild-card entry Alica Molik of Australia in the 4th round while Caroline Wozniacki will face veteran Nadia Petrova.

The Russian Petrova should prove to be Wozniacki’s biggest stumbling block in her quarter. Ultimately, expect Wozniacki to win that match and continue to the quarterfinal match.

The question remains will the No. 2 seed hold on to play another day?

The results?

As the tour heads to the next Masters event in Miami where Azarenka won her first big tournament last year, you have to wonder who will come out of Indian Wells with the advantage and the big ranking points.

Will the wily veteran and favorite Elena Dementieva finally get a win here after making it to the semifinals in 2000 and 2005 and the finals in 2006 when she lost to Maria Sharapova?

Or will the No. 2 seed, Caroline Wozniacki, who made it to the quarterfinals in 2009, losing to eventual champion Zvonareva, finally take this tournament title as her own?

Perhaps someone else will take the trophy including the defending champion Zvonareva?  Maybe it will mark a significant comeback for former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic.

The only thing we know for certain is that seeds have been dropping like dead weights and there is no one who seems to be destined to win.  Stay tuned…

Yesterday, Buster Olney of ESPN became the story when he posted an article stating that a “sources” had informed him that there had been internal discussion within the Phillies organization about trading Ryan Howard to get Albert Pujols. Since then, lesser media outlets and the blogosphere has erupted with everything from “professional” condemnations to personal insults and attacks leveled at Olney.

So, we have journalists, both amateur and quasi-professional, accusing Olney of being unprofessional by casting insults at him?  That’s the kind of  irony that inspires Alanis Morissette songs!

The reaction over an utterly reasonable article seems to be prompted more by the fact that Olney is a nationally read writer for ESPN, the network that is the undisputed king of sports news.  The story, in and of itself, lends nothing incredible and is, in fact, much more professional than many of the rebuttals.

While evidently not likely, a trade of Pujols for Howard is not without it's logic, regardless of which side of the table one looks from.

Some points to be clear on:

• Olney did not say there was discussion between the Cardinals and Phillies.

“It’s not fully clear whether the Phillies actually have approached the Cardinals with the idea”

• Olney immediately contacted Ruben Amaro, Jr., the Phillies GM and included his denial in the article.

“Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro flatly denied that the internal discussions have taken place. “Lies,” he said. “That’s a lie. I don’t know who you’re talking to, but that’s a lie.”"

• If such a trade were to happen, it would be easy to explain both sides motivation. St. Louis just laid out a massive amount of money on Matt Holiday, leaving many wondering how they will come up with the A-Rod type money Pujols will be looking for in free agency. Philly wants to get another World Series ring while the tide is still high and then they can decide whether they want to shell out to resign Pujols or simply allow him to be swept up by the usual suspects (i.e. Boston of New York).  Also, as Olney points out, Howard is from St. Louis.  Why would he not like that move?
• Many of the response articles misquote Olney in their scathing reviews.  Here’s a sample from Rob Parent of the Daily Times (Delaware County, PA):

“Why write it then? Why “report” that the Phillies “actually have approached the Cardinals with the idea” of trading superstar for superstar for no apparent (or reported) reason?”

• Interviewing Pujols, LaRussa, or anyone from the Cardinals was pretty pointless. If the discussions were internal in Philadelphia, why would Albert Pujols know about them?
• The scope of the story is neither accusatory nor particularly important.  If Olney ran with “sources” on a story about Albert Pujols being implicated in PED use, or is he posted that Ryan Howard was arrested based only in an anonymous source in the Philly clubhouse, the reactions would be warranted.  This is a trade rumor during Spring training.  The amount of emotion displayed is much more indicative of Buster Olney’s respected position with the sports news outlet that, if offered, every lambasting writer would work for in a heartbeat.  Yet in the context, Olney is said to be a hack who works for, as one blogger put it:

“…The Extremely Stupid People Network…”

But it’s Buster Olney who’s the hack?  Sure it is.

The NCAA Basketball Tournament gives small schools the chance to wear Cinderella's glass slipper.

So how does your NCAA bracket look? If yours is anything like mine, the toughest choices have not been in picking Final Four teams, but instead in trying to predict which school will come out of nowhere to crash the party.

Almost every year at least one school that is familiar only to people within its home area code suddenly becomes a national darling thanks to an upset, or near upset, of a team with significantly more national recognition. These schools are often referred to as “Cinderella” and just to avoid the kind of confusion that occurred at my house the other night when my five-year old daughter heard a promo for the NCAA Tournament and thought it meant one of her favorite princesses was going to be playing basketball, in this case Cinderella does not have flowing blonde hair, a glass slipper or a Fairy Godmother.

Rather, the typical Cinderella of the NCAA Tournament is a school that has been playing good basketball throughout the year, but has stayed under the radar while schools from the power conferences hog the national television spotlight and spots in the national polls. One of the endearing elements of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament is that the opening rounds of the tournament are the one time each year when those power conference schools must share that spotlight with schools that aren’t so familiar to a national audience.

Unlike during any regular season match-ups that are almost always played at the home site of the power conference school and come with all the trappings of a home court edge including rowdy student sections and officials assigned by the host schools conference, when power conference schools face schools from smaller conferences on a neutral court in the NCAA Tournament anything can happen.

Over the years, the results have included some of the most memorable upsets in NCAA Tournament history. Over the last 30 years many schools have played the role of Cinderella, but I have chosen to highlight five schools that wore the glass slipper with particular distinction and helped create the concept of “March Madness.”

James Madison University – 1981, 1982, 1983 – Few outside of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley had heard of James Madison University, which had been known as Madison College until 1977, when the Dukes made their first trip to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament in 1981. However, under the guidance of head coach Lou Campanelli, they quickly developed a reputation as a team higher seeds did not want to play. The 10th seeded Dukes defeated seventh seed Georgetown 61-55 before losing to second seed Notre Dame 54-45. The following season, JMU defeated Ohio State in the opening round before quite nearly pulling off the upset of the century. Facing top-seeded North Carolina, JMU gave the eventual national champions everything they could handle in a 52-50 decision that wasn’t decided until the final minute. The following season, JMU made it three straight years with an NCAA Tournament victory as they defeated West Virginia 57-50 before being eliminated by North Carolina in the second round.

Ken Atkinson and Richmond upset defending NCAA Champion Indiana in the opening round of the 1988 tournament.

University of Richmond – 1984, 1988, 1991, 1998 – During the 1980s and early 1990s, no team wanted to play Dick Tarrant and his “Giant Killers” from the University of Richmond in the NCAA Tournament. The Spiders made their initial NCAA Tournament appearance in 1984 a memorable one as they defeated fifth seeded Auburn, led by Charles Barkley, before dropping a tough 75-67 decision to Indiana. Four years later, the Spiders got their revenge on Bobby Knight and the defending NCAA Champions as the 13th seeded Spiders defeated fourth seeded Indiana 72-69 in the first round of the tournament. However, they weren’t done as they reached the Sweet 16 with a 59-55 victory over fifth seed Georgia Tech. The top seeded Temple Owls finally eliminated them in the round of 16. In 1991 the Spiders became the first 15th seed in NCAA Tournament history to win a game in the tournament as they shocked second seeded Syracuse, led by Derrick Coleman, 73-69. Though Tarrant’s retirement in 1993 signaled the end to a period of dominance for Richmond, they did return to the tournament in 1998 under the guidance of head coach John Beilein, now the head coach at the University of Michigan, and continued their upset tradition with a 62-61 win over third seeded South Carolina.

The Spiders are back in the NCAA Tournament in 2010 and as a number seven seed actually will be in an unusual position as the higher seed in their opening game against Saint Mary’s College. Now a member of the Atlantic 10 after previously playing in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), the Spiders have been successful against top caliber competition all season and could resurrect memories from past NCAA Tournament glories with a couple early tournament victories.

Loyola Marymount – 1990 – Few teams have tugged at the heart strings of college basketball fans the way Loyola Marymount did during the 1990 NCAA Tournament. An exciting team that set a new NCAA record by averaging 122 points per game under the guidance of former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Paul Westhead, LMU entered the 1990 West Coast Conference Tournament looking to secure a third straight bid to the NCAA Tournament. However, tragedy struck late during their first round conference tournament game against Gonzaga when All-American center Hank Gathers collapsed and later died due to a heart condition. The tournament was immediately suspended with the regular season champion Lions awarded the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Few expected the Lions to make much noise when they started play in the NCAA Tournament as the 11th seed in the West just 13 days after the death of their star player. However, led by emotional leader Bo Kimble, the Lions captivated the nation by defeating sixth seeded New Mexico State 111-92 in the opening round and then whipping defending national champion Michigan 149-115 to reach the Sweet 16. LMU then edged Alabama 62-60 before losing to eventual national champion UNLV 131-101 in the West Regional Final.

Gonzaga – 1999, 2000, 2001 – Consistent success over the last decade has earned Gonzaga a tentative spot among the “Big Boys” of NCAA Division I basketball, but they most certainly wore the Cinderella slipper when they reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament in 1999 and then followed that run with consecutive trips to the Sweet 16. Gonzaga had made only one previous trip to the NCAA Tournament (losing to Maryland 87-63 in 1995) when they earned a bid to the 1999 tournament. The Bulldogs ripped through the field with wins over seventh seeded Minnesota, second seed Stanford and sixth seeded Florida before losing to eventual national champion Connecticut in the West Regional Final. In 2000 the Zags defeated seventh seeded Louisville and number two seed St. John’s before falling to Purdue in the Sweet 16. In 2001 they edged fifth seeded Virginia and dominated Indiana State before losing to top seeded Michigan State.

George Mason defeated three former NCAA Champions to make it to the Final Four in 2006.

George Mason – 2006 – Of all the Cinderella teams from non-power conferences that have made runs in the NCAA Tournament, George Mason is the only one ever to make it all the way to the Final Four. The 2006 Patriots had needed a surprising at-large bid just to get into the tournament, but proved that the committee knew what they were doing. GMU upset sixth seeded Michigan State 75-65 in the opening round. They then shocked defending national champion North Carolina to reach the Sweet 16. After defeating fellow Cinderella Wichita State in the round of 16, the Patriots defeated top seeded Connecticut 86-84 in overtime to advance to the Final Four. Though they lost to eventual national champion Florida 73-58 in the semifinals, George Mason proved to the country that teams from smaller conferences deserved the chance to hang with the big boys in the NCAA Tournament.

Who Could Be Next? – So which teams will wear Cinderella’s slipper in 2010? Among the lower seeds, there are several squads from non-major conferences that could make life difficult for higher seeds.

Wofford - The Southern Conference champions earned a 13-seed after posting a 26-8 record. The Terriers have won 13 straight games and 19 of their last 20 and will face the 4th seeded Wisconsin Badgers. They lost to Pittsburgh by three points early this season and have wins over South Carolina and Georgia.

Cornell - The Ivy League Champions are in the tournament for the third straight year and will look to post a victory after losing to Stanford and Missouri in their previous appearances. The Big Red are a senior laden team that has lots of experience and confidence.  They have a 27-4 record and as the 12th seed will face number five Temple in the opening round.

Old Dominion - Coming out of the always dangerous Colonial Athletic Association, the Monarchs have a victory this season over Georgetown and a 26-8 overall record. As a number 11-seed, they will face Notre Dame in the opening round.

Murray State – With 30 victories coming out of the Ohio Valley Conference, Murray State is a balanced squad with five players averaging between 10.3 and 10.6 points per game. As a 13-seed, the Racers will face fourth seed Vanderbilt in the opening round.

UTEP – Though UTEP has a national title, that win came 44 years ago in a monumental upset over the University of Kentucky. In 2010, the Miners went 15-1 in the Conference USA regular season and finished with a 26-6 overall record. Many have them, as the number 12 seed, picked to upset number five Butler in the opening round.

Venus Williams remains at the top of the women's tennis power rankings.

The Williams sisters are absent from the so-called “Premier Mandatory” event at Indian Wells as usual. (Not sure why? check out JA Allen’s recent article.) However, their absence did not prevent them from retaining the top two spots in our biweekly power rankings, though they are sure to lose their grip after the BNP Paribas Open concludes.

The Top Ten

1. Venus Williams (Last Power Ranking: 1; WTA Ranking: 5); Last Four Tournaments: Acapulco [Winner], Dubai [Winner], Australian Open [Quarterfinalist], Doha [Finalist]; Power Ranking Points: 426

Venus Williams has been on fire since Australian Open. In a stretch of about two weeks, she won back-to-back titles at Dubai (Hard) and Acapulco (Clay), and then captured the Billie Jean King Cup at Madison
Square Garden. One can not help but wonder what will happen if she participated in this year’s Indian Wells event.

2. Serena Williams (Last Power Ranking: 2; WTA Ranking: 1); Last Four Tournaments: Australian Open [Winner], Sydney [Finalist], Doha [Winner], Beijing [R16]; Power Ranking Points: 402

Serena Williams has not been nearly as busy as her elder sister, most recently pulling out of the Billie Jean Cup citing injuries. She has not played since winning the Australian Open, her 12th. Grand Slam title. Hopefully, she will return for the Premier event at Miami, where she lost in the final last year to the lady ranked just below her, Victoria Azarenka.

3. Victoria Azarenka (Last Power Ranking: 3; WTA Ranking: 6); Last Four Tournaments: Indian Wells [R32+], Dubai [Finalist], Australian Open [Quarterfinalist], Sydney [Semifinalist]; Power Ranking Points: 329

Victoria Azarenka

Azarenka has had a solid 2010 season so far. In Dubai, she reached the final but lost to red-hot Venus Williams. She reached the semifinals last year at Indian Wells. If she can win there this year, then she
will surpass Venus on the WTA rankings, reaching a career high no. 5.

She is scheduled to meet Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in the third round. It will be the first career meeting between them.

4. Elena Dementieva (Last Power Ranking: 4; WTA Ranking: 7); Last Four Tournaments: Indian Wells [R16+], Kuala Lumpur [Finalist], Dubai [R64], Paris [Winner]; Power Ranking Points: 301

Elena Dementieva has played really well in smaller tournaments this year, winning titles at Sydney and Paris and reaching the final at Kuala Lumpur. However, she failed to show up in the bigger events, losing in the second round at the Australian Open and in the first round at Dubai.

She has cruised into the fourth round at Indian Wells and will meet Aravane Rezai next. Lost in her first match last year at the same event, every win this year is a bonus for the charming Russian.

5. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Last Power Ranking: NR; WTA Ranking: 25); Last Four Tournaments: Indian Wells [R32+], Monterrey [Winner], Dubai [Quarterfinalist], Paris [R16]; Power Ranking Points: 288

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is making her power ranking top ten debut, on the strength of her title run at Monterrey. Though her no. 25 WTA ranking is the lowest among the top ten (and even OLI) here, it is her career high so far.

She made to the semifinals at Indian Wells last year. With her current form, it will not be a big surprise if she can duplicate that effort this year. But first, she needs to pull off an upset against Samantha Stosur in the third round.

6. Zheng Jie (Last Power Ranking: 10; WTA Ranking: 23); Last Four Tournaments: Indian Wells [R16+], Kuala Lumpur [R16], Dubai [R64], Australian Open [Semifinalist]; Power Ranking Points: 279

Zheng Jie

After reaching her second Grand Slam semifinals at the Australian Open, Zheng Jie has not fared well, losing early in both Dubai and Kuala Lumpur. But last Sunday, Zheng shined again, upsetting Maria
Sharapova in the third round at Indian Wells. She is scheduled to meet Alicia Molik next.

With her countrywoman, Li Na, already in WTA top ten, Zheng definitely wants to improve on her career high ranking of no. 15. Having performed well in Australia, she has a good chance of accomplish that
this year.

7. Justine Henin (Last Power Ranking: 5; WTA Ranking: NR); Last Three Tournaments: Indian Wells [R64], Australian Open [Finalist], Brisbane [Finalist]; Power Ranking Points: 270

Justine Henin suffered a shocking second round defeat by Gisela Dulko at Indian Wells. Having performed well in Australia, Henin was a pre-tournament favorite even though she had to enter the event as a wild card.

The good news is that she will have a WTA ranking, about no. 35, after this week. When the clay season starts, look for the Belgian to climb the ranking ladder rapidly.

8. Agnieszka Radwanska (Last Power Ranking: 9; WTA Ranking: 8); Last Four Tournaments: Indian Wells [R16+], Dubai [Semifinalist], Australian Open [R32], Sydney [R16]; Power Ranking Points: 268

Agnieszka Radwanska

Agnieszka Radwanska has been enjoying a career high WTA ranking of no. 8 since February this year. In the third round at Indian Wells, she crushed the Henin-conquerer, Dulko, 6-1 6-0. She is one-win away from matching her last year’s quarterfinal effort. Standing in her way is Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli.

9. Vera Zvonareva (Last Power Ranking: 8; WTA Ranking: 14); Last Four Tournaments: Indian Wells [R32+], Dubai [Quarterfinalist], Pattaya City [Winner], Australian Open [R16]; Power Ranking Points: 232

Vera Zvonareva is the defending champion at Indian Wells. She won the title at Pattaya City, but lost to Azarenka at both Dubai and the Australian Open. Should the seedings hold up, she is to meet Azarenka
again in the quarterfinals.

In the third round, she will meet Anastasia Sevastova, who beat Ana Ivanovic in the second round.

10. Shahar Peer (Last Power Ranking: 7; WTA Ranking: 20); Last Four Tournaments: Indian Wells [R32+], Dubai [Semifinalist], Paris [Quarterfinalist], Australian Open [R32]; Power Ranking Points: 226

Though never ranked in WTA top ten in her career, Shahar Peer has been a familiar face in the power rankings top ten. And she managed to retain her PR top ten status with some solid performance at Dubai and Indian Wells. In Dubai, she was not distracted by off-court buzzes and pulled off upsets against Yanina Wickmayer, Caroline Wozniacki and Li Na. For her to advance into the fourth round at Indian Wells, she needs to pull off another upset against Flavia Pennetta.

Outside Looking In

Marion Bartoli (Last Power Ranking: NR; WTA Ranking: 16); Power Ranking Points: 216

Marion Bartoli has not played much tennis this year, losing in the third round at both Dubai and the Australian Open. But she has been in cruise control at Indian Wells, losing a total of eight games in two
matches. She will fight for a quarterfinal berth against Radwanska.

Nadia Petrova (Last Power Ranking: NR; WTA Ranking: 19); Power Ranking Points: 212

After posing impressive wins over Kim Clijsters and Svetlana Kuznetsova at the Australian Open, Nadia Petrova lost in the first round at Dubai. But she has been playing well at Indian Wells and will
next meet the highest seed remaining, Wozniachi.

Li Na (Last Power Ranking: 6; WTA Ranking: 10); Power Ranking Points: 190

After becoming the first Chinese woman to crack the WTA top ten on the strength of her semifinal showing at the Australian Open, Li Na has failed to carry the momentum forward, losing in the first round at both Kuala Lumpur and Indian Wells. Some lingering injuries might be a potential problem for the Chinese no.1.