EAST MODE!!

PRESENTING: The First Annual Championship Week All-Buffet Teams

The ball is tipped... and there you are.

You're running for your life ... you're a shooting

And all the years, no one knows. Just how hard you worked, but now it shows...

BECAUSE (in) ONE SHINING MOMENT, you've made the Buf-fet

ONE SHINING MOMENT ... you carried the day

Welcome Subscribers, after watching countless, having a finals schedule that caused the staff to miss several days of Conference Tourneys .. the Buffet has decided on a way to make it up to you.

Whereas in year's past, we've simply told who to look for, predicted who would win (got most of those wrong), released a Buffetology and disappeared into the caverns of Free $$$ and Las Vegas. Not this year. This year, through a rigorous voting process not unlike the Rory Poll, we here at the Buffet have selected the top performers from all 30 conference tournaments and assembled the ultimate 12 Days of Conference Tourney All-Buffet team. The qualifications are simple: you must have played in more than 1 conference tournament game and deference was given to those who teams won their championships and/or made their conference tournament final.

Without further ado...

Ok, a little further ado, as we CHEERS to the 1st Ever All-Buffet

All-Buffet Third Team

• Solomon Bozeman, Arkansas-Little Rock: 22 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists for the surprise tournament champions of the Sun Belt Conference (seeded as W5)
• Kevin Murphy, Tennessee-Tech: Mini-Kenneth had 24.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 0.3 assists for the Ohio Valley Conference runners-up.
• Brandon Wood, Valparaiso: 24.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists in a dynamic performance for the Crusaders who gave UW-Milwaukee a stern test in their semifinal matchup
• Keith Benson, Oakland: 21.7 points, 9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and one gigantic problem for the Texas Longhorns for the Summit Champion Golden Grizzlies
• Michael Glover, Iona: 22 pts, 10 rebounds, 1.3 assists for the MAAC runners-up.
• Adrian Oliver, San Jose State: 24.3 points, 5 rebounds, 2.3 assists - the bottom-seeded Spartans sprang a pair of upsets, getting to the conference finals, and he was why.
• Tobias Harris, Tennessee: 22.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists - just unstoppable, unfortunately his team wasn't.

All-Buffet Second Team

• THE KENNETH. Kenneth Faried, Morehead State: 18 points, 18 rebounds, 0.5 assists for the OVC champion Eagles.
• Derrick Williams, UofA: 22 points, 8 rebounds, 1.3 assists - if he didn't play under the virtual shroud of west coast basketball for a presumed "down" Pac10, he would have received a lot more run for national player of the year.
• Andrew Goudelock, College of Charleston: 22 points, 8 rebounds, 1.3 assists - his Cougars should probably still be playing, but unless you are non-tournament worthy Colorado and they are Kansas State, it is extremely difficult to beat a team 3 times in one season. Wofford benefitted, Charleston does not, and Goudelock will have to settle for his All-Buffet honor instead.
• Vlad Moldoveneanu, American - 28 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists - American only played two games, but Vlad's performance was one that couldn't be ignored. He's a senior, so you all missed him, for shame.
• Jamal Olasewere, Long Island U -- the NEC juggernaut is paced by this very fun last name to pronounced -- he had 21.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 1 assist per tournament game.
• Reggie Hamilton, Oakland - Hey Longhorns, noticing a trend? 23 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists during Oakland's run through the Summit.
• Tristan Thompson, North Texas. Hey, a Tristan Thompson playing for a Texas school -- maybe if their gunning guards remembered they had one and let him put up 23.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists like this one did, they wouldn't be staring down the Reggie & Benson show. North Texas fell just short of the tourney, losing to King Solomon and the UALR Trojans.
• Harrison Barnes, UNC, hmmm, people aren't talking about how he's a bust so much anymore, are there? 24.7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist. although, when you are making up 18 point deficits every game, it is easy to light up the score sheet.

All-Buffet First Team

• Alec Burks, Colorado - 25.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists - lit up the stat sheet, got his team to the semis versus eventual champ Kansas (and played them tougher than the Longhorns did), they might have been jobbed by one committee (might have - everyone calm down), but Burks is rightfully recognized here.
• Devon Beitzel, No Colorado - As Buffet subscriber Gregory Douglas Ott pointed out, a small white NW version of Michael Ohre, also a Big Sky tournament stud - 23 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assists
• Isaiah Thomas, Washington - Buzzer Beaters. Dominant peformances and a rare college double-double featuring assists - 22.7, 3.3, and 10 assists. No word if James Dolan is now consulting him for all NYKnick basketball decisions.
• Orlando Johnson, UCSB - This guy went MJ on the Big West, and suddenly an underachieving Gauchos team achieved just what they set out to do -- the NCAA tournament. 28.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists
• Demonte Harper, Morehead St - 26 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5 - when you both lead your team to a conference title and do it by outKenneth'ing the Kenneth, you get All-Buffet.
• Jimmer Fredette, BYU - Subscibers, he had 52. He makes the list. the Buffet hopes he can carry his team into the tourney, just to see if he can have Wally-like NCAA tourney numbers. 35.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists
• Devin Gibson, UTSA - playing for Brooks Thompson is cool. Putting up the only triple-double in the entire 12 days of Conference Tourneys is cooler. Doing it while putting up 23, 8.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists and leading your 9-7 conference team to its 4th ever tourney berth is All-Buffet qualifying.
• KEMBA. I mean, how do you not. If Orlando Johnson went MJ, then Walker went Naismith, because he reinvented basketball in the Garden. 26 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists.

All-Buffet Top Game Performance: For a team that needed conference victories in the last week of the regular season, Devin Gibson made a statement against Northwestern St in the conference opener with 28 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists (with 3 steals to boot). Next stop was Dayton, trying to get the first ever Roadrunner NCAA tournament victory.

All-Buffet Player of the Year: Kemba. 5 games, 5 nights and really he has some good talent around him, but let's be honest - it's all him.

Buffet Bulletin

Georgetown PG Chris Wright cleared by doctors to play for the Hoyas in the NCAA tournament.

Back in the Waiting Line?

Very uninspiring performance today, combined with the Ivy result sends Alabama back to the waiting line, still "in" but that's without further investigation into resume worthiness.

Stay tuned for final judgment.

Out of the Waiting Line...

Into the Buffet:

the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Tim Floyd and his over-dramatic ejections and horrendible late game play design are back in the Waiting Line...

On the Eleventh Day of Conference Tourneys...

The Buffet gave to me..

Could it be? No....

Wait, could it be? No....

Wait. Wait. Wait. Could it be?

YES

It's Buffetology!

(click to enlarge)

So... what's on the line today?

Duke, North Carolina, Texas all seem to be in play for a #1 ... although, Texas pretty much only has a shot (and may not have one at that) if Duke & North Carolina both fail to win their tournaments. Buffet's guess is that it is a Duke/UNC final and the winner gets it.

Who's left In the Waiting Line ...

Alabama is among the first four out, and that was with great hesitation ... they get Kentucky, win and they are in. Play them close, and that could do it too.

Dayton is also in this group, unfortunately for them, the resurgent St. Joseph's Hawks, while a great story, do not provide much opportunity for a resume building win. They cannot lose today, and then they either get themselves in with a win in the final or a good tough loss to Temple (Richmond might be too close to them on the S-curve for the Flyers to survive a loss to) could play favorable when teams just inside the Waiting Line: St. Mary's, Villanova, Penn St. if they keep putting up eye-sores like yesterday, are either not playing or not impressing. Someone ANYONE please explain to the Buffet why the Athletic Dep't at St. Mary's thinks a late-conference tourneys week against Weber St was worth a damn....

Enjoy your 12 Days of Conference Tourneys 2nd Saturday.

On the Ninth Day of Conference Tourneys...

The Buffet gave to me....

Something. Anything?!

For now, we give a recent Buffet rant about ESPN Analyst and former Oklahoma St late-game liability Doug Gottleib:

"Also, listening to Gottleib is making my head bleed. He'd like the tournament field be filled out by resumes that are populated only by the last 2 weeks of games. (ed. note: Hey Doug, the season started in November, we don't just ignore those games because it helps you make your argument) Make a free throw, then talk. Also, I know we hate DTS (Duke) but he couldn't have held Jason Jay J JoJo Williams' jock on a basketball court, and watching him mock him for not having firsthand knowledge (like Gottlieb apparently does) what it was like to have a 1st round bye [in a conference tournament] while Williams discussed how important it was [to have one in this] setting was nauseating"

On the 4th Day of Conference Tourneys

The Buffet gave to me....

Very little. The Buffet is doing this: http://www.chiditarod.org

So there is not much time to do this:

Be sure to tune in to the Kenneth trying to punch his ticket, at 7pm as Morehead St. takes on the Buffet touted hottest team in the OVC, Kevin Murphy (Kenneth Faried light) and Tennessee Tech.

Also, the little engine that could, Coastal Carolina, and their myriad of suspended/injured/academically ineligible roster members and NCAA investigated coaches seeks to end an 18 year drought versus UNC-Asheville.

And in the Atlantic Sun, Belmont takes on the upset minded North Florida Ospreys.

Final available bid is in the Ivy. Princeton takes on Harvard. Tigers win, they're in. Crimson win, they forge a tie that pending Princeton's game with Penn next week could force a 1-game Ivy playoff for the Ivy's automatic bid.

Good stuff, enjoy the day. The Buffet will be racing a shopping cart through Chicago in snow, win and 30 degree weather in a Dale Earnhardt Jr. replica jumpsuit in the name of charity ... Check back in with the subscribers tonight.

On the Fourth Day of Conference Tourneys...

the Buffet gave to me:

A Debt Paid on the Northeastern ... A Crowded Waiting Line in the Colonial ... Annual visit to the MAAC ... Dixie fun in the SoCon ... And Will the Real West Coast Contenders Please Stand Up

*Quick moment to salute our dunce of the day*

Some quick math to Washington State guard Klay Thompson...

+ does not = Help my team get off the Waiting Line.

The first ever: DUNCE OF THE DAY!

It's the first weekend of the 12 Days of Conference Tourneys. We've reach the Buffet's favorite day of the year -- a breakfast of Colonial Hoops, the bleeds into a brunch of the CAA, MVC and the SoCon. Then Happy Hour brings us the Horizon, followed by an evening with the West Coast and a pair of semifinal showdowns in the Ohio Valley and Atlantic Sun.

We've seen some lights out performances: Senor Norris, Vaughn D, A pair of 30 point scorers from Binghamton (What are the chances that Mike Longeran begins his pregame speech with, (insert southern drawl) "Tonight, we play Binghamton. Tonight, we beat Binghamton!)? And then you've got Big Bad Vlad from American dropping 31 and 7. What will see next?

First, let's get caught up in the Northeastern Conference:

Blackbirds Singing in the Dead of March?

The good thing about postponing a preview when time is already limited is that you can shave down your preview to the teams left standing. The bad news is, you lose out on the opportunity to mention Lamar Trice (junior from Mt St Mary's), Tyler Murray (junior from Wagner), Ricky Cadell (senior G from St. Francis (NY)), Umar Shannon (sophomore who nearly doubled his scoring output in year 2, from St. Francis (PA)), and Latif Rivers (Wagner's freshman sensation) ... see what we just did there?

But, it gives us more time to discuss the scoreboard show that are the Long Island University Blackbirds. Fifth in the nation in scoring (82.7 ppg), 15th in assists (they like to share), 4th in FTA/FGA (50.5%), this is a team likes to put up points, likes to be aggressive, and likes for everyone to get a turn. Led by a double-digit scoring foursome, this teams scores 80+ points, but its leading scorer only averages 13.1, sharing IS caring, friends. Julian Boyd is the team's leading scorer and rebounder at the aforementioned 13.1 ppg and 9 rebounds, but his courageous battle to get back on the court is even more reason to root for, Boyd sat out what was originally to be his sophomore season after being diagnosed with noncompaction cardiomyopathy (part of his heart was enlarged) the fish out of water from San Antonio playing in Brooklyn got cleared last July, and after an 8 point outing in frustrating loss to St. Francis (PA) and an up and down season back, Boyd has put the Blackbirds on his shoulders, putting up 34 points and 16 rebounds in the very next game (a win at FDU) and led them to a 11 game win streak, averaging 17.7 points and 11 rebounds along the way, and within 2 games of the school's first NCAA tourney berth in 14 years. Boyd is aided by another talented sophomore (future is bright in Brooklyn, and not just for sales of Smiroff vodka), Jamal Olasewere, the 6'7 sophomore F from Silver Spring averages 12.2 points and 6.5 rebounds, and talented front court underclassmen are guided by the veteran backcourt of David Hicks, a Sr guard averaging 11.5 points and 3.5 rebounds and Kyle Johnson, averaging 11.4 points and 5.7 rebounds. The conference semis bring Central Connecticut State, whom the Blackbirds beat on the very same floor (Wellness Recreation and Athletic Center and its 2500 rabid fans) 86-72 just 6 days ago.

But, the first game was a different story, a bit of a war between the Blue Devils and Blackbirds in New Britain, that saw LIU turn a 59-53 deficit into an 11-0 run, a 64-59 lead and then a 72-67 victory. Before their quarterfinal win, CCSU was struggling down the stretch -- losing 3 of 4 and struggling to put up points. A team hungry to get back to the tournament that's eluded them for 3 years, they are steady at the line (76.8%) and known for a streakiness that can pay dividends in a tourney (streaks of 3, 5, and 7 this season). They already avenged on of their two late season losses (St. Francis (PA)) in the NEC tourney, and LIU gives them another chance to do just that. They are lead by another star who missed the 2010 season, Junior Ken Horton - out for the balance of the campaign because of a torn labrum in his left hip -- finished the season averaging 19.8 points, 9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks (he also shoots a stalwart 86.7% from the FT line). Other Devils to watch include junior guard, Robby Ptacek (14.9 points and 3.8 rebounds), and Senior guard Shemik Thompson, 12.4 pts, 5.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists. After an 11-7 NEC season (10-4 before their late season slide), CCSU is just underrated enough to pull a few and get themselves a bid.

The other semi is a couple of pieces of chalk -- the 2nd seeded Quinnipiac Bobcats would be the talk of the NEC town if they could just have eliminated January from the calendar. A 9-2 Dec/Nov that included wins over AmEast contender Boston U and erstwhile Waiting Liner Rhode Island was bookended by a 9-1 run from January 27-Feb 26 -- if only that 1-4 stretch in January could be eliminated. The Bobcats only got to face top seeded LIU once, losing by 10 in Brooklyn, but outside of the Blackbirds are the hottest team in the NEC. This team turns misses into 2nd chance opportunities (40% of their rebounds are offensive, 3rd highest in basketball), although this is partially explained by the fact that they miss a lot (46% FG and 61% FT), but they take care of the ball, an impressive 18% of their possession end in TO (50th best in the nation) and with a number of single digit wins, they've got the pressure moment experience that is key in a tournament. Led by junior G, James Johnson (16.2 pts, 3.7 assists, 4.2 rebs), Senior F Justin Rutty (14.5 pts, 9.1 rebounds) and senior G and Ball Strate transfer Deontay Twyman (12.3 pts, 3.4 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and a Buffet All-Name Team Nominee), they will undoubtedly be a tough out.

And, poised to make this tough out? Last year's conference champs and the team that put the scare of a lifetime into Villanova (a 73-70 OT loss in the first round) did not have the follow year they were expecting. It looked promising early, won 2 of 3 and lost @Kent St by only 3 - but then some crushing losses to major programs (21 @Pitt, 33 @W.Virginia, 26 @Arizona) and some of that confidence impairment seemed to spill over into the conference season. Although leading scorer Karon Abraham is back for his senior season (13.2 points but minimal contributor elsewhere) - the Colonials seemed to never find the chemistry after losing Rob Robinson, Mezie Nwigwe, and Dallas Green. Also back from that tournament team are Russell Johnson (10.5 points, 6.7 rebs) and Velton Jones (11.8 pts, 3.9 assists, 3 rebounds). Lijah Thompson, a sophomore F, has tried to filled the void, and after a bit of midseason struggle (and perhaps a bit of exhaustion after having his minutes extended so dramatically from 2010), he has bounced back to average 11 points over his last 9 (above his season long average of 8.2 points).

Who Will Win: This will likely come down to a pair of super hot teams - LIU and Quinnipiac. We'll take the home court advantage, the Julian Boyd story that everyone can get behind, and their ridiculous ability to put up points: Long Island will be the NEC Champs.

#3 on paper but #1 in your hearts

Amidst all the celebration of the return of the Buffet, I fear that some people have forgotten that the NCAA Division III men's and women's tournaments start tonight, and the Franklin and Marshall men and York (PA) College women are dancing!

Some brief previews, in chronological order:

First, the F&M men's hoopsters face North Carolina Wesleyan later today. F&M (22-5, 15-3) is ranked eighteenth in d3hoops.com's Top 25 rankings and thus presumably would have garnered an at-large bid to the tournament had they not won the Centennial Conference tournament, but they did in fact win that tournament (for the second year in a row) to clinch their third consecutive trip to the dance. The Diplomats are paced by junior guard Georgio Milligan, a 6'2" economics major who leads the team in points (16.5) and assists (5.4) per game, and also in more quotidian categories like field goal attempts, field goals made, free throw attempts, free throws made, and turnovers. But the Dips are not a one-man show; three others [seniors James McNally (15.3) and Mike Baker (11.9) and sophomore Brandon Beckford (10.1)] average in double-figures in points, and senior Steve Tolliver and sophomore Hayk Gyokchynan (a rare Lebanon native playing college basketball) both chip in with just over 8 points per game.

But college basketball is a coach's game, and the Diplomats are really led by the venerable Glenn Robinson, the all-time career wins leader in Division III with 821 since taking over in Lancaster in 1971. This will be F&M's twenty-second trip to the NCAAs under Robinson, a record that includes fifteen regional semifinal appearances, eight regional finals, and five Final Fours, the most recent in 2009; however, he and the Dips are still looking for their first national championship.

F&M lost its last regular-season game this year, to Dickinson, but otherwise comes in mostly playing well, having won ten in a row before that and then avenging that loss by rolling past Dickinson in the Centennial Conference finals.

And in one of the great mascot battles of recent history, they Diplomats square off against the Battling Bishops of NC Wesleyan, and no, I'm not making that up. NCW earned the automatic bid to the show with a 74-70 overtime win over Ferrum to add a USA South Athletic Conference tournament championship to their regular-season crown. Tournament MVP Domarius Thomas, who paced the Battling Bishops with 15 points, including the go-ahead floater with just under a minute to go in overtime, seems to be their best player, but I really can't be sure.

Tip-off is this afternoon at 2:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on the campus of Virginia Wesleyan in Virginia Beach, Virginia; live video and audio broadcasts of the game are available. Go Dips!

And on to the women!

I'm sure everyone remembers York's dream season of two years ago, and the heartbreak when the dream ended in the regional semifinals. And now the Spartans are back, but in much different circumstances: at 13-12 (10-6) before the Capital Athletic Conference tournament, they were looking at whatever is the Division III women's equivalent of either the NIT or the CBI (probably a trip to Murph's Study Hall) before sweeping said tourney to snag an automatic bid. Along the way they upset the conference second seed, Marymount, 37-32, in one of the ugliest games this side of the Big Slow, somehow managing to win a game in which they made only ten field goals. Ugh. Somewhere, Henry Iba is happy and J&C's Dad isn't. Still, the Spartans turned things around the next night against fourth-seeded Wesley (who had previously upset top-seeded Mary Washington), sprinting out to a 44-27 first-half lead and upping that lead to 21 early in the second half before withstanding a spirited Wesley rally to win, 70-66.

The Spartans are led by a vibrant combination of youthful exuberance and grizzled experience, with senior Jaimie Sapp and freshman Kristin Haley both averaging 11 points per game; freshman Brittney Hicks pours in 10.4 of her own, and fellow rookies Kelsey Murphy and Aja Wallpher each add 7 points per game. Wallpher paces the team with 4.8 assists per game, to 3.5 turnovers, and Haley has been tossing around the Windex to the tune of 7.6 rebounds per game.

And like the F&M men, the York women are heading to the Virginia tidewater area: specifically, to the campus of Christopher Newport University in Newport News to take on the eleventh-ranked CNU Captains this evening. CNU is riding that vaunted p, finishing the season 25-3 (16-2), rolling through the USA South tournament, and in the final avenging one of their losses (although they had already avenged it in the regular-season finale), to fifteenth-ranked Greensboro College, 53-47. The Captains are led by presumed all-America candidate Chelsie Schweers, averaging a Jimmer-esque 24.9 points per game (on a Jimmer-esque 17 shots per game), almost twice as much as the next leading-scorer, Tiffany Davis, who scores 12.6 points per game. Schweers is shooting a scorching 50% on three-pointers and has been steady at the line, converting almost 81% of her 119 charity attempts. She also leads the team in assists, but, predictably for someone who takes 17 shots per game, doesn't really have all that many, only averaging 2.6. It seems like the formula for stopping the Captains--stop Chelsie Schweers--is easy to figure out, but, as with many great players, the execution is substantially more difficult. York coach Betsy Witman and her staff will certainly have their hands full trying to come up with a game plan; here's hoping they throw a lot of junk defenses at her.

Tip-off in Newport News is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time this afternoon but will likely come later, as it is the second game at the site (Stockton College versus Johns Hopkins being the first). Watch it live! here.

That's it for now. Enjoy the games and the rest of the Buffet.

On the Third Day of Conference Tourneys...

The Buffet gave to me...

ARRRRRRch Madness, Tracking a Nor'Easter, and BU tried to make it 3 for 3.

Battling for Supremacy in the Mighty Mo'

The most cleverly named conference tournament in the land kicks off tonight with its first round match-ups, Bradley @ Drake & Illinois St @ Southern Illinois. It's not often you'll find the traditional MVC power Salukis playing on Thursday night of the conference tournament weekend, but here they are, playing for the right to play the top two seeds in the tournament on Friday night in St. Louis. So who are the 2011 MVC tourney contenders..

It took three years to adjust to the style of play, but finally the Bears have gone Cuonzo. After two decades of play in the MVC, as guys named Spencer Laurie, Blake Ahearn, Tyler Chaney, Tamarr Maclin came through Springfield, as they current hold 3 of the top 5 places in the record books of RPI ranking of teams not selected to join the Buffet (including a record #21 in 2006), the 2010 defending CIT champions, the Missouri State Bears have finally won their first regular season MVC championship - clinched last Saturday via a 69-64 home victory over 2nd place Wichita St. Now, with success comes peril - prior to 2008 when Drake ran the MVC table and last year when we all learned to spell Farokhmanesh! - the top seed in MVC usually meant Arch Madness failure (from 1999 to 2008, no top seed in the MVC tournament successfully won the tournament) ... but by that same token, no top seed in the MVC tournament has failed to make the NCAA tournament since 1993. No pressure Mo State. The Bears are one of the country's top offensive team, efficiency-wise (ranking in the top 50 in Effective FG%, Turnover%, 3Pt% and FT%), they may not score a lot, but in the time they have the ball, they are effective with it. Before we discuss the Bears MVC and Waiting Line chances, let's get our player learn on. The Bears are led by MVC POY Kyle Weems, the 6'6 Jr F averages 16.3 pts, 7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, he is backed up by undersized, but tough, Sr C, Will Creekmore (2nd team All-MVC)and his 12 pts and 6.5 rebounds per game -- JuCo transfer, Jermaine Mallett (2nd team All-MVC), the sharpshooter senior guard puts in 11.3 points and 5.6 boards, and strikes from 3 at a 42.7% clip. And finally, a kid the Buffet will miss -- former Eastern Kentucky standout (featured in the 2007 12 Days of Conference tourneys as a Buffet One to Watch for the soon-to-be OVC Conference Champion Colonels), who moved back to Missouri and gave up a starring role on a team so his KC-based family could have the opportunity to watch him play more often, may not show up on the stat sheet every day, but he's a crucial cog in that lineup. The Bears showed a bit of vulnerability on the road - losses @ Tulsa, Oklahoma St, Indiana St, Evansville and Valpo, they also only averaged 6.3 points in their 7 wins over the top 6 seeds in this weekend's tournament. They also are potentially bracketed against the one team who was able to walk in and get a win in the JQH Arena. In The Waiting Line... The Buffet has traditionally supported the MVC, and will bend over backwards to argue in their favor -- but really, no matter how you shake it, this really appears to be a one bid league. Only 2 top 50 wins (both in conference, against Wichita St), the 125th ranked schedule, and 3 losses from 100-150, even if they were all in conference. Road losses to other Waiting Line teams or fringe Waiting Line teams Oklahoma St, Valparaiso, & Tulsa ... they only have one more shot at a resume bldg win, and that would mean the won the MVC tournament, we're just not seeing it.

We're not feeling an at-large opportunity for the Shockers either -- a close loss to UConn in Hawaii and a bitter ref-controversial loss to VCU on Sweet-NonBCSSchools-Matchip Saturday notwithstanding, this team just hasn't built a resume and has a 200+ RPI loss on their ledger. But, what are is a solid road team (8-2), more highly valued by Ken Pomeroy, and one of the most balanced teams offensive- and defensive-efficiency wise(53.1 EffectiveFG%, 46th in the nation in Adj. Off Efficiency, and the 78th ranked defense in the country) . The Buffet likes their competitiveness -- 7 losses, by an average of 4.7 points (drops to 3 if you toss out a Dec 4 visit to San Diego St) means this team is always in the game, and when you're in the game you get the ball to sweet-shooting journal David Kyles (40.5% from 3pt range) or Ben Smith (42.5% from distance), and keep it close with All-MVC first teamer J.T. Durley and his 11.3 pts and 5.1 rebounds and All-MVC 2nd teamer Toure' Murry and his 9.7 pts, 5 rebs, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals. This is a loaded team and the Buffet feels it very could be the MVC #1 Seed to the Tourney streak snapper. (translation: Wichita State has the athleticism, competitive fire, good late shooters and win on the road -- they are the Buffet's pick for Who Will Win)

Also a danger looming? Northern Iowa. Farokhmanesh is gone. Kwadzo (2011 Buffet All-Name Team nominee) is not. Ahelegbe, who raised his per game output by 4 points per game this year, enters his final Arch Madness seeking the elusive 3-peat (only 1993-95 So Illinois squads achieved this). But this is not the 2010 No Iowa Panthers, and losing 6 of 7 games to close the season bore that out. It started innocently, no shame in a blowout loss to Syracuse as they were finding their post-Ali footing. Then a close road loss at eventual Horizon League champion Wisconsin Milwaukee wasn't cause for panic but now we're 0-2 and suddenly last season's Sweet 16 run is light years away... wins over Iowa St and TCU helped right the ship a bit, but then a Dec 7 road game which featured 20% 3pt shooting, 18% 2nd half FG shooting, and their second sub-50 game of the season was the first red flag on this season's Panthers. But a great run in Las Vegas, winning the Las Vegas Classic with wins over Indiana & New Mexico, and maybe the season was turning around. But then MVC season started, they lost 3 of 4 and trouble resurfaced. Trouble that is, until they ran off an 8 game winning streak to pull to 9-3 in conference and 1 game back of then conference leader Wichita State. Then disaster truly struck, 2-time MVC sixth man of the year and the player cited by all teammates during last year's Sweet 16 run as the heart, soul and energy of the team, Lucas O'Rear (a pitcher drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2010 MLB Amateur draft) broke his ankle and was sidelined for the season -- since then? UNI has lost 6 of 7, including an 8 point loss to their opening round MVC opponent, Creighton. The cupboard isn't bare, however. In addition to Ahelegbe (14 pts, 2.9 assists, 3.1 rebounds), the Panthers feature Anthony James, a sophomore guard averaging 12.6 pts and 3.3 rebounds, sophomore Jake Koch, who took a huge step forward with 9.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2 assists, and junior Johnny Moran, and his 9.6 points and 3.3 rebs. Also, this team takes care of the ball and is efficient on offense -- the problem is they are not the typical MVC lock down team, allowing 38% as a team from three, 49% from 2, and do not get in the way of many shots, near the NCAA bottom averaging a block on only 5% of the shots taken against them.

But UNI is just the 4 seed, the 3 seed? We'd like to welcome back to MVC relevance the Syc-Syc-Syc-Sycamores of Indiana State, who haven't finished above 5th in the MVC since winning the regular season title in 2000 and haven't made the tourney since the inaugural Buffet and Friends VBV trip back in 2001 (when they upset 4th seeded Oklahoma in the first round before getting blown by Gonzaga back in they day when they were still underrated and not grossly overrated). Kevin McKenna, Dana Altman's top assistant at Creighton for 10 years with a stint at Div II Nebraska-Omaha in the middle started a nice job rebuilding this program since David Moss led the Sycamore to an 8-0 start and wins over Butler and Indiana, got hurt and the program has been in a tailspin since. But then Oregon, Nike and very deep pockets convinced McKenna to resign midsummer, and take an assistant's job with Dana Altman in Eugene. Incredible. (Although, deeper investigation reveals that McKenna, a Creighton alum, had thought he was getting the Blue Jays job once his former boss left for Oregon, and as soon as he was passed up for the job in favor of Greg McDermott, probably didn't feel the same warmth and opportunity at ISU, which led to Greg Lansing's hiring) A deep team that features 7 guys scoring between 6-11 points, they are led by Juniors Dwayne Lathan (a Louisiana Tech transfer averaging 11.6 pts and 4.9 rebounds) and Carl Richard (10 pts, 6.8 rebounds) and feature the super exciting all-MVC Newcomer and Defensive team qualifier, redshirt freshman guard Jake Odum and his 9.1 pts, 4.1 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals. Looking ahead to the weekend, the bad luck for Indiana St is that they draw the league's 6th seed, Evansville -- and the Purple Aces have proved to be average (14-14 overall and 9-9 in conference) but capable (wins over Butler and Missouri St) and swept Indiana State this season (64-59 at Roberts Stadium in Evansville, and 66-63 at the Hulman Center in Terre Haute). They are a young team, but have 2 senior leaders in Jake Kelly and Aaron Carter and have a lot of length, but athleticism is not their strong suit. They wear you down and hope you underscore them (at 67 per game, they don't outscore anyone) and 12 out of 18 times, in MVC play, it worked.

The 5th seed this week is a perennial MVC powerhouse (well, up until 3 of the last 4 seasons - after the Nate Funk, Anthony Toliver, Dane Watts and Josh Dotzler NCAA tournament team was bounced by Nevada in OT in the first round) - the Creighton Blue Jays. Gone are those 4 vaunted Blue Jays -- but there's still a Korver (Kaleb) and lots of young talent (thank you Dana! Have fun in Eugene!): MVC Freshman of the Year Doug McDermott (son of head coach Doug McDermott - more on his great Iowa State bailout in a minute) and his 14.3 points and 7.6 rebounds (there was a lot of hoops talent in Ames last year - and none of it joined The Mayor at the local state school - who wasn't made coach until very late in the recruiting season (even if every Michigan State castoff seems to want to -- Chris Allen you remember Korie, don't you?),

Gregory Echenique, a 6'9 C from Venezuela and Rutgers transfer who averaged 10.2 pts and 5.7 rebs and retains 2 more years of eligibility as well as freshman guard Jahenns Manigat (All-Name Team Nominee) and junior Antoine Young (13.6 pts, 4.5 assists and 2.7 rebounds) and they are anchored by the man in the middle, senior from Oceanside, CA (bet he misses the beach right about now) averaging 8.9 pts and 5.5 rebounds. We do see them upending UNI, continuing the Panthers' MVC freefall to open the conference tournament.

Other MVC Players to Know (like a who's who of Buffet All-Name Team Nominees)

Andrew Warren, Bradley Sr G, conference leading scorer - 19 pts, 5.5 rebs, 1.7 steals

Colt Ryan, Evansville, Soph G, (nominee) - 15.8 pts, 2.3 assists, 3.3 rebs, 88% FT, 39.7% 3pt

Rayvonte Rice, Drake, Freshman G (nominee) - 13.8 pts, 4.8 rebs, 1.4 steals

Carlton Fay, So Illinois, Sr F - 13.3 pts, 4 rebs

Ryan Wedel, Drake, Sr G - 10.9 pt, 2.2 rebs, 2 assists

Mamadou Seck, So Illinois, Jr F - 10.7 pts, 8 rebs

Austin Hill, Illinois St, Sr. G - 10.5 pts, 2.5 rebs (rough shooting year, dropping from 34.5 to 27.5% from 3)

Dodie Dunson, Bradley, Sr G and Iowa St transfer (nominee) - 10.4 pts, 2.7 asts, 3.9 rebs, 1.1 steals

Dyricus Simms-Edwards, Bradley, Soph G (nominee) - 10.2 pts, 3.5 asts, 3 rebs

3/3 Missouri Valley First Round Scottrade Center (St Louis, Mo) :
7:00 pm - (9) Illinois State 54 (8) Southern Illinois 57
9:30 pm - (10) Bradley 63 (7) Drake 48

3/4 Missouri Valley Second Round:
12:05 pm - (1) Missouri State vs (8) Southern Illinois, Regional Fox Sports TV (Fox Sports Midwest/Indiana/KC/Comcast Chi)
2:35 pm - (4) No. Iowa vs (5) Creighton, Regional Sports TV (Fox Sports Midwest/Indiana/KC/Comcast Chi)

6:05 pm - (10) Bradley vs (2) Wichita St, Regional Sports TV (Fox Sports Midwest/Indiana/KC/Comcast Chi)

8:35 pm - (3) Indiana St vs (6) Evansville, Regional Sports TV

(Fox Sports Midwest/Indiana/KC/Comcast Chi)

3/5 Missouri Valley Semifinals:
1:35 pm - Missouri State/So Illinois winner vs No Iowa/Creighton, Region Sports TV (Fox Sports Midwest/Indiana/KC/Comcast Chi)

4:05 pm - Wichita St/Bradley winner vs. Indiana St/Evansville, Region Sports TV

(Fox Sports Midwest/Indiana/KC/Comcast Chi)

3/6 Missouri Valley Championship:
1:05 PM Championship game - CBS

Things You May Not Know: MVC Edition

Dodie Dunson, Bradley: The Iowa State transfer's brother, Brandon is a junior G at Arizona St.

The Two-Headed America East Monster

By virtue of its 10 game winning streak in conference and , the Catamounts of Vermont sewed up the 2011 regular season conference title on February 16th. Vermont is an evolution of a team, as its three leading contributors - Evan Fjeld, Brendan Bald (11.5 pts, 2.1 rebs) and Joey Accaoui (11.8 pts) were all members of last year's tournament qualifying squad, but all had smaller contributions (Fjeld the only returning double-digit scorer has upped his game from nearly 11 points to 15 ppg this season). They are into the undersized thing, as the 6'8 Fjeld (6.5) and the 6'6 Brian Voekel (9.9 - also 4.7 assists) do all of the rebounding work. Keep an eye on Voekel, a freshman forward who also happens to be #2 in the AmericaEast in assists, is a triple-double waiting to develop. But, what to make of the close to the season, a 15 point loss on Sweet-NonBCS-Schools-Matchup Saturday at the College of Charleston, followed up by an overtime loss to 2nd seeded Boston University at Patrick Gynamsium. What they can do is play defense -- limiting their opponents to just 31% from there and 42% from two, they do it through moving their feet and staying with their man (and playing in a poor shooting conference) because they have a very low steal/turnover rate on defense.

BU gave Vermont a run for its regular season conference title money this year, sweeping Vermont, including a thrilling 2 pt OT victory to close the regular season (which was without 3-time all-conference 1st teamer John Holland), but 4 conference road losses later, and the Terriers were sent to the #2 seed's chair. But they are RED HOT, 8 consecutive wins to close the regular season, perhaps a roster that features 1 senior (the aforementioned Holland) is finally coming into its own? Well, the statement swept over Vermont, to pull that without John Holland provides a psychological edge that the Buffet usually isn't into acknowledging. However, BU (who already overcame the loss of Jake O'Brien 15 games in -- inspirationally, he tried to come back against Albany, grabbing a rebound in a minute of play before giving into the pain) is not going to win this tourney without likely conference player of the year: JH. The senior G/F put up 19.2 points, 5.7 rebs - and really seemed to grow into the season, raising his shooting percentage 4% points after the injury to O'Brien. Darryl Partin, the Jr G from Seattle who transferred from LaSalle (just keeps trying to find colder places, what's wrong with Cameron Dollar?) finished the season averaging 14.9 pts and 3.4 rebounds, and especially looked the part after O'Brien's injury, upping his average to 17 per game, and leading the team with 23 points with Holland out in the season finale. The key to their entire puzzle could be D.J. Irving, the somewhat inconsistent freshman guard fro Chester, PA who closed the season on a nice run, putting up 18 pts and 4 assists in the finale filling in for Holland. It's been 9 years since BU has put on the America East crown, can John Holland get back in time to make it so again?

It's hard to talk up a 3 seed when they come into the tournament having lost 7 of 8 games. What we can say about them is they proved their chops with a 10 point win in State College against Penn State, a 14 points win in Burlington against Vermont -- but stories of team in-fighting, the apparent benching of key contributor Murphy Burnatowski may have finally caught up with this team. Led by a pair of outstanding upper classmen, Troy Barnies, senior forward averaging 14.3 pts and 7.7 rebounds, and Gerald McLemore, the junior guard, (AmEast POY in waiting perhaps?) and his 13.8 pts and 2.3 rebounds - the Black Bears can score -- from an America East perspective, that is -- as the leading scoring and FG% team, will it translate on the court and can they turn around the late season swoon.

The Great Danes of Albany -- have survived a 4 game losing streak in the mdidle of the conference, are suddenly the America East's resident meteor, having won 4 straight, 5 of 6 and 8 of 11 ... of course, not one of those squads are seeded above them this weekend in the America East tournament, but winning is winning and they have been. All America East star Tim Ambrose enter his final AmEast tourney, a tournament championship is about the only thing he hasn't been on the court to achieve at Albany (he was sitting out his redshirt year in 2007 when Jamar Wilson was scoring 19 per game and winning AmEast titles [side note: they got blown out as an overseeded 13 by #4 Virginia, remember when the Cavaliers were any good?]), he comes in averaging 16.4 pts, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.6 asts per game -- oh and don't leave the 42% 3pt shooter open. Ambrose's running mate as Albany court leader is Logan Aronhalt, the sophomore heir apparent to the Jamar-Ambrose throne, averaging 14.7 pts and 4.8 rebounds.

Who Will Win: If John Holland approximates healthiness, the Buffet sees the 2 seed rising up and pulling this one off.. if not, the Albany heat streak continues as Tim Ambrose.

Other teams of note: Stony Brook, a great story in 09-10, just couldn't replace the production of Muhammad El-Amin, Dallis Joyner and Desmon Adedeji (2010 Nominee?), especially when senior Chris Martin was plagued with a knee injury on and off all season, then they lost freshman guard Dave Coley to a knee injury -- there's just not enough man power left on this unfortunate M*A*S*H unit ...

3/3 America East First Round, Chase Family Arena (Hartford, CT) :
8:30 pm - (9) Binghamton 91 (8) Maryland-Baltimore County 85, 8:30 pm - americaeast.com (FREE)

3/5 America East Quarterfinals

12:05 pm - (4) U Albany vs (5) Stony Brook

2:15 pm - (9) Binghamton vs (1) Vermont

6:06 pm - (2) Boston U vs (7) New Hampshire

8:15 pm - (3) Maine vs (6) Hartford

3/6 America East Semifinals:

5:04 pm - Semifinal #1

7:34 pm - Semifinal #2

3/12 America East Championship:

12:00 pm - Championship at site of highest remaining seed - espn2

Blackbirds Singing in the Dead of March?

Deadlines. Early AM Spanish classes. The Buffet isn't immune to the realities of the world. Yes, you read all of those world correctly. Unfortunately, the NEC preview will have to come after publication of Day 3. It happens. You can request a refund if you'd like... but, programming note, the next round doesn't pick up until March 6.

3/3 Northeast Quarterfinals, all game held on campus sites at higher seeds:
7:00 pm - (8) St. Francis (PA) 75 (1) Long Island University 90
7:00 pm - (7) Mount St. Mary's 59 (2) Quinnipiac 78
7:00 pm - (6) Wagner 74 (3) Robert Morris 78
7:00 pm - (5) St. Francis (NY) 62 (4) Central Connecticut 64

3.6 Northeast Semifinals:
12:00 pm - (4) Central Connecticut at (1) Long Island University, MSG Network
2:00 pm - (3) Robert Morris at (2) Quinnipiac, FCS, ESPN3, ESPN FC

3/9 Northeast Championship:
7:00 pm - Championship game at higher seed, espn2

On the Second Day of Conference Tourneys...

THE KENNETH.

The Buffet gave to me -

Belmont's near perfection. Class Division in the Patriot. And the 5 streakers in the O. V. C.

Last Night In...

Welcome back Buffeteers, to day two of the 12 Days of Conference Tourneys. Last night held mostly to form, with the Buffet predicted continued demise of Liberty as the only upset of the night.

Coastal Carolina got 23 points apiece from Chad Gray and Anthony Raffa off the bench, as well as a double-double from Seth McLaurin (14 and 14) to push a 1 point halftime lead to an 11 point opening round victory over Gardner-Webb, avenging an earlier loss and getting some well needed momentum back on their aside. 9 threes and 55% FG shooting helped silence the upset minded Runnin' Bulldogs - who got 18 points from Laron Buggs and 14 from Jonathan Moore in the loss. (CC 83 G-W 72)

23 and 9 from Stan Okoye helped propel VMI into a showdown with the top-seed, as they outlasted Winthrop 78-73 in an incredibly competitive first round Big South matchup. Charles Corbin had 19 and 12, as the Eagles whittled down a 10 point lead all the way to 2 with 37 seconds lefts, but 3 of 4 FT shooting and a pair of missed threes sealed it (VMI 78- Winthrop 73)

A dominant second half, including a 5 minute 15-2 run, propelled UNC-Asheville (behind a career-high 29 points from Matt Dickey, and 11/7 from John Williams) to a 72-63 victory over Charleston Southern, who got 20 points from new career school scoring champ Jamarco Warren, and 16/11 (with 3 steals and 2 blocks) from Kelvin Martin in a losing cause. (UNC-A 72 - Char So 63)

One of the worst Big South tournament losses (89-44 in 2006) was avenged last night as the 7th seeded Panthers of High Point capped Big South underdog sensations 2010 San Diego Padre-like late season crumble with a 66-60 win in Lynchburg. Shay Shine proved too much with 20 of his 26 points coming in the second half. Big South POY had 15 points for Liberty, but it wasn't enough as 12 of 17 shooting and Nick Barbour's 11 point contribution did the Flames in. (HP 66 - Lib 60)

In the Horizon, the Penguins made a go of it, roaring back from a 19 point deficit to make it 71-70 with 2:47 left, but stifling defense down the stretch, Brandon Wood's double-double (20/13), Cory Johnson's 15 points and Howard Little's 14 helped the Valpo Crusaders protect their seed and home court in an 80-71 opening round victory. Damian Eargle was the Penguin hero, with 21 points and 9 rebounds. (Valp 80 - Y-St 71)

The city of Green Bay can go back to celebrating the Packers, as 1 point halftime lead was turned on its ear and into a 10 point loss, as frozen 3pt shooting (13%) doomed the Phoenix. Vaughn Duggins was again the man with a 22 pt/7 rebound performance, as only Alec Brown (15 pts) and Jarvis Williams (10 pts) could get ANYTHING going for Green Bay, meanwhile Cooper Land (11 pts) and Armond Battle (10 off the bench) provided ample support for the Raiders (Wr St 60 - Wis-GB 50)

A pair of Chicago-area schools will be home for March -- Norris Cole had 26 points, 5 rebs and 4 assists, to go with 17 from Jeremy Montgomery and 13 from Trevor Harmon as the Vikings overwhelmed UIC and Paul Carter (18 points, off of 16 FT attempts -- something to watch, whether Cleveland St can be overpowered inside). Robo Kreps had a final game to forget, shooting 3 of 13 to finish with 10 points and 7 rebounds. (Clev St 73- UIC 61)

And finally Detroit pounded Loyola-Chicago, 90-69 - behind 6 players in double-figures (led by Chase Simon's 19 points, and Ray McCallums 16) - 4 players were in double figures for Loyola, but turnovers (17) shooting (18 % from 3, 32% overall) again were the Achilles heels for the Ramblers (Det 89 - Loy-Chi 69)

Lovin' our Country - the Patriot League

Is there a more appropriate way to declare love for the ol' USofA than to be dominant at the top? (Jingoism alert!)

Bucknell and American University took this theme and ran with it, finishing a combined 24-4 in conference this season.

Bucknell's lone loss was a January 29 road 20-point drubbing at last-place Army (where 12 Army 3s and 60% first half shooting was too much for the Bison to overcome), otherwise they have won 20 of 22, including a 1-pt win at Waiting Line member Richmond and a tough 4 point loss at another Waiting Liner, Boston College. Featuring a lineup of well-balanced scoring, Bucknell is led by big man sophomore Mike Muscala, 2011 Patriot League POY who averages 14.9 points and 7.4 rebounds, while generally staying out of foul trouble (only 2.6 per game) and cleaning up at the line (81%), his pair of double-doubles versus American (33/10 and 21/10) prove he likes the bright lights of key Patriot League matchups. Another sophomore, Bryson Johnson (a 6'1 guard) is the teams second leading scorer, chipping in with 11.5 points and he is a deadly shooter (47% from the field, 80% from FT line and 47% from long range). The kiddie corps is backed up by a pair of experience seniors, G.W. Boon (a 6'4 swingman) averaging 9 points and 4 rebounds and steadying force, Darryl Shazier, with his 8.4 pts, 5.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds and a sweet 3.93 A/TO ratio. This team as a whole shoots 45% from the field, 79% from the line and 40% from 3 ... it is no wonder they were the class of the Patriot League. *Upset watch* For those of you paying attention, and judging by the attendance, you may not be, above we listed "last-place" next to Army's school name, well, in an 8 team league and 8 team tournament, traditionally the 8 seed opens against the 1 seed, which means tonight pits the only team to beat Bucknell during the conference regular season.

Up the task, however, was American, dropping just 3 games all conference season long (swept by Bucknell and had their own 2o-point loss to a Service Academy: to Navy, 72-53). Winning was their anthem, but they did require a litle more effort, with 6 of their 11 wins coming by 6 points or less. They do ride in on a 5 game winning streak led by Bucharest native (and George Mason transfer) Vlad Moldoveanu and his 19.9 points and 6.3 rebounds (the big man can also shoot free-throws, hitting 84% of his tosses). He brings to the court a three man main support system, consisting of junior forward, Stephen Lumpkins (13.5 points, 7.9 rebounds), junior guard (and Georgia transfer) Troy Brewer (good size 6'5, good range 38% from 3s - 11.6 points and 4 rebounds), and resident stat sheeter - Nick Hendra (7.8 points, 4.2 assists and 3.8 rebounds). Concerns include losses at home to Columbia, a general inability to be competitive in big spots (losses by 21 to WV, 19 to Florida, 16 to Northwestern, 15 to Pittsburgh (that really wasn't this close and was 34-18 at halftime), but they did fight tooth and nail with Bucknell on February 9th, pulling ahead 58-57 with 4 minutes left in Lewisburg, before the scoring faucets were switched off and they couldn't get another point until the final 8 seconds (which were a pair of 1/2 FT efforts -- begging the question why Bucknell fouled twice in the last 10 seconds of an 8 points game)

At 7-7, Holy Cross finished 3rd in the League this year, and they are hoping a finishing 3 of 4 streak plus 4 super competitive games against the cream of the crop (4 losses by 4 points or less to American & Bucknell) can be a harbinger of their tournament hopes (more so than their 1-13 start to the season). They feature probably the top 1-2 punch in Devin Brown/Andrew Keister, and have adjusted to the loss of guard R.J. Evans. Brown (a junior guard), 15.6 pts, 1.5 assists, 2.1 rebounds, is a just a Patriot League marksman, hitting 42% of his shots and 81% of his FTs and has averaged 20 per game in his last ten, and Keister (a 6'9 senior) averaging 12.7 pts and 9 rebounds, has become a double-double machine -- with at least 10 points and 10 rebounds (including 20 and 16 his last time out) in his last 6 games. This issue has been who else, on this underachieving outfit? Of late it has been St. John's transfer Mike Cavataio, averaging 8.8 for the season, but 12.3 over his last 9.

3 teams tied at 6-8, with the tiebreaker getting to the defending league champs, Lehigh.

The Mountain Hawks have not been able to sustain any momentum turning 3 game win streaks into 2 game losing streaks all season long. A pair of ugly losses to end the season do not project well for them coming into the tourney. Now, they leadoff the Patriot League tourney with Navy, who finished the season sandwiching an 11 point loss to American around a pair of blowout wins. Lehigh has struggled trying to replace departed seniors Zahir Carrington & Marquis Hill behind their leader, big time scoring sophomore, C.J. McCollum - who put up 21.8 pts, 7.8 rebs, and 2.5 steals per game. Two guys who did step up was sophomore forward, Gabe Knutson, averaging 12.1 pts and 5.8 rebounds and Michael Ojo, a tall lanky senior guard averaging 11.2 pts and 4 rebounds per game. Freshman PG Mackey McKnight is the key to this squad, and his inconsistency has put the Mountain Hawks on an up and down roller coaster. Can this young squad focus their talent and consistency in time for the Patriot League tourney, or will 2011-12 be their return to glory.

The Midshipmen with their pair of leaders out the top contenders for the Patriot League title -- Jordan Sugars and his 16.2 pts and 6.1 rebounds pace the Academy, he has been on fire of late, averaging 17.5 points over his last 6, and he is co-starred by J.J. Avila, 2011 Patriot League Freshman of the Year, a freshman from McAllen, Texas and his 11.6 pts, 5.2 rebs and 2.3 assists.

The key just may be O.J. Avworo, a senior guard who transferred in from Idaho, who will average 13 ppg over a three-game stretch, then struggle to score 15 total over his next four. Look for Lehigh to go over on Navy in this one, the Midshipmen just don't have the on court fire power to stick with the kiddie corps from Bethlehem.

Who Will Win: Bucknell is just so far and away the best team in this conference, there's no shame in picking them.

Other Patriot League Players to Watch

Jared Mintz, Lafayette - 15.9 pts, 5.8 pts and great shooter around the basket and at the FT line

A trio of dangerous Black Knights: Jeremy Hence (Sr F - 15.8 pts and 5.3 rebs), Ella Ellis (Soph F, 14.3 pts and 5.4 rebs) and Julian Simmons (Jr G - 12.9 pts, 3.2 rebs)

Yaw Gyawu, Colgate Raiders, Jr F - 12.6 pts, 4.4 rebounds

Things You May Not Know: Patriot League Edition

Warren Flood, Jr, American: nephew of former NFL player Fred Stokes

Cameron Ayers, Bucknell: son of former 76ers and The Ohio State University head coach Randy Ayers (nat'l coach of the year in 1991)

Isaiah Roberts, Navy: cousin of former Kent St Flash standout, Al Fisher.

Patriot Quarterfinals 3/2:
7:00 pm - (7) Colgate 53 (2) American 69, CBS College Sports
7:00 pm - (8) Army 51 (1) Bucknell 78, patriotleague.org (PPV)
7:00 pm - (5) Navy 75 (4) Lehigh 87, patriotleague.org (PPV)
7:00 pm - (6) Lafayette77 (3) Holy Cross 70, patriotleague.org (PPV)

Patriot Semifinals 3/6 (at site of higher seed)

5 or 730pm EST - (4) Lehigh at (1) Bucknell, CBS College Sports

5 or 730 pm EST - (6) Lafayette at (2) American, CBS College Sports

Patriot Finals 3/11 (at site of higher seed)

4:45 EST - Lehigh/Bucknell v. Lafayette/American, espn2

Going Tanning in the Atlantic Sun

It's going to a lot of journalistic integrity to give much attention to the Atlantic Sun once we begin and end with Belmont -- and frankily, we can discuss former UofArizona nemesis East Tennessee State, but after that, the rest of the conference has themselves to blame, because the 19-1 Bruins ran roughshod over the conference, and if not for a late January road loss at Lipscomb (certainly understandable in the grand scheme), we'd be discussing a 19 game winning streak, three close losses at Tennessee (9 and 1 points - both on the road) and Vanderbilt (9), and lots of late nights with Tom Brennan, Andy Katz and Joe Lunardi talking the Buffet worthiness of this team. As it is, we should just be talking about how good this team really is. Ranked 20 in the KenPom rankings, 54 in the RPI (thanks for nothing conference), an average margin of victory of 21, the 19th ranked team in defensive efficiency, their pressure man to man to defense put STRESS on an opponent. Watch out for them Buffet, and root for chalktown in the Atlantic Sun, because this team deserves to play in the NCAAs. The best part about them is their depth, 44% of their teams minutes come from the bench (4th most in NCAA hoops) and contributions come from all over the roster -- in fact, 3 of their top scorers come off the bench - they're lead by Sophomore G Ian Clark and his 12.6 pts and sweet shooting, Junior F/C Mick Hedgepeth and his 10.2 points and 5.8 rebounds, and then the bench mob: Scott Saunders and his 10.1 pts, 5.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks from the Junior F/C, Jordan Campbell and his 8.2 pts, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals, and Kerron Johnson, and his 7.8 points, 2.7 assists and 2 steals.

East Tennessee St. has the chops. Wins over Dayton & Mississippi State prove that. Just 4 conference losses (two to juggernaut Belmont, 2 others by a total of 2 points) also prove this. But a pair of 10 point losses suggest the chops may not be enough ... we shall see. They certainly have the experience required -- led by 3 seniors and a junior -- and get to the line frequently, and slowing the turnover prone pace forced by Belmont is key. You'll remember the seniors, Buffet readers -- Mike Smith, 2011 Atlantic Sun POY, Sr G averaging 16.9 pts and 6.9 rebounds, Micah Williams and his 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and Justin Tubbs, the glue guy, averaging 9.9 pts and 4.4 rebounds and they are buoyed by juniors Adam Sollazo and his 9.2 pts, 4.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals and Isiah Brown and his 11 pts, 7.3 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steals. They are deep, put up numbers, but they can unseat Belmont?

Who Will Win: the Buffet says no. Bias? Probably. Smart money? Certainly.

Other Atlantic Sun'ners to know:

Eric Griffin, Campbell: 6'8 Junior F - 13.1 pts, 6.9 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 2.1 blocks

Junard Hartley, Campbell: 6'3 Senior G - 10.4 PTS, 3.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.5 steals

Torrey Craig, South Carolina Upstate: 6'5 Freshman F - 14.4 pts, 7.2 rebounds (Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year)

Ridge Graham, Stetson: 6'5 Sophomore F - 12.6 pts, 6 rebounds

Corey Walden, Stetson: 6'2 Freshman G - 12 pts, 3.3 apg, 3.3 rebs, 2.3 steals

(future seems bright at Stetson, huh?)

Markeith Cummings, Kennesaw St. - 6'7 Soph G (tall and gangly, perhaps?) 18.2 pts, 4.9 rebs

Anthony Banks, Florida Gulf Coast - 6'6 Soph F - 14.6 pts, 6.4 rebs

Reed Baker, Florida Gulf Coast - 6'1 Sr G - 14.4 pts, 2.6 rebs, 1.6 steals

Jerron Granberry, North Florida - 6'4 Soph G/F - 12 pts, 3.3 rebs

Brian Mills, Mercer - 6'7 Sr F - 15.7 ppg, 5.9 rebs

Jeff Smith, Mercer - 6'2 Sr G - 14.7 ppg, 3.5 ats, 3 rebs

Josh Slater, Lipscomb - 6'3 Sr G - 16.5 pts, 4.7 assists, 6.1 rebounds 3.1 steals (watch this kid, graduating and a real baller)

Adnan Hodzic, Lipscomb - 6'8 Sr F - 18 pts, 7.5 rebounds

What You May Not Know: Atlantic Sun Edition

Another reason to love Belmont? Mick Hedgepeth lists Hoosiers (he was born in 1989) as his favorite movie.

Chad Lang, Belmont: Son of former Phoenix Sun & Charles Barkley trade bait, Andrew Lang

Brandon Barnes, Lipscomb: Son of current Georgia State and former Mississippi head coach Rod Barnes

Carter Sanderson, Lipscomb: Grandson of Mister Plaid Sports Jacket himself - Wimp Sanderson

Brian Wright, Lipscomb: Brother of current New Jersey Net Brendan Wright

University Center - Macon, GA (Mercer University)

3/2 Atlantic Sun Quarterfinals, Day 1:
2:30 pm - (8) Kennesaw State 57 vs (1) Belmont 72, atlanticsun.org (FREE)
9:00 pm - (7) Campbell 53 vs (2) East Tennessee State 54, atlanticsun.org (FREE)

3/3 Atlantic Sun Quarterfinals, Day 2:
2:30 pm - (6) North Florida vs (1) Jacksonville, atlanticsun.org (FREE)
9:00 pm - (5) Mercer vs (4) Lipscomb, atlanticsun.org (FREE)

3/4 Atlantic Sun Semifinals:
6:00 pm - Mercer/Lipscomb vs (1) Belmont, atlanticsun.org, CSS Sports

9:00 pm - No Florida/Jacksonville vs (2) East Tennessee State, atlanticsun.org, CSS Sports

3/5 Atlantic Sun Finals
6:00 pm - espn2

Gone Streaking in the Ohio Valley

Murray State: 3 game winning streak

Tennessee Tech: 5 game winning streak

Tennessee State: 3 game winning streak

Austin Peay: 2 game winning streak

Morehead State: measly 1 game in a row.

If you weren't on the above list and play in the Ohio Valley, you have lost your last game or more, and may not have even qualified for the conference tournament.

Kenneth Faried. Is. Good. Because of him Morehead State is a team to keep your eye on in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. Named OVC player of the year for the 2nd straight year wasn't enough -- he also collected his third consecutive OVC Defensive Player of the Year. His Eagles went through a highly successful but somewhat up and down 2011 season. It started shaky, a 2-3 start including a bad loss vs. UNC-Wilmington, a very competitive game with Florida, and a blowout loss to Ohio State. Then 4 straight wins including their first 2 OVC games, including a 10 point win over conference regular season champion Murray St, but then a bad loss against Northern Iowa turned into a pair of tough road OT OVC losses. But, from there they blew up, winning 16 of their last 19 games. A strong offensive rebounding team and field goal shooting team, they also mix in sticky hands on defense. So let's talk about K.Faried a little more --the 6'8 senior has posted eye-popping numbers his entire career -- this year? 17.6 pts, 14.3 rebounds (that is NOT a typo), 2 steals, 2 blocks - his issue is at the FT line where he is a Shaq'ian (or Rick Barnes' coached player'ian) 57%. This kid had 5 games of 20 rebounds or more (8 of 18 or more), and averaged 18 ppg in Morehead's wins. As if you needed more reason to tune into the OVC tourney -- Kenneth Faried is reasons 1-5 on his own. But once you are, stick around for Demonte Harper (OVC 1st team), another senior on this squad, a 6'4 guard averages 15.4 pts, 4.6 rebs, 3.3 assists and 40% 3pt shooting, as well as junior guard, Terrance Hill and his 10.3 pts and 1.4 steals.

Murray State was the conference's regular season champ, and they won it by being the conference's hottest team in 2011 including an 8 game winning streak between January 22 and February 16, and went 6-2 against the balance of the conferences top 5 seeds, avenging losses to Austin Peay and Morehead State in the last month. An effective offensive team - they rank highly Pomeroy's Effective FG% (thanks to premier 3pt shooting), offensive rebounding collectivity and their ability to get to the FT line. A balanced team, they are paced by the biblically named 6'0 sophomore guard Isaiah Canaan (OVC first team) (12 pts, 2.4 assists and 2 rebounds), B.J. Jenkins, the 6'0 senior guard (11.2 pts, 3.2 assists, 3.6 rebs and 1.6 steals), and Isacc Miles, 6'2 senior guard and Creighton transfer (10.7 pts, 3.8 assists and 2 rebounds).

Splitting with Morehead and Murray, Austin Peay finished 13-5 in conference and come in winning their last 4 conference games (playing J'Ville St, E.Illinois and SE Mo St in 3 of those 4 games doesn't hurt). The Governors put a top defensive unit on the hardwood, ranked in the top 100 (remember, this is the OVC we're talking about) in 3pt%, Block% and are top 25 in steals. This is a loaded team at the top, led by OVC 1st teamer junior TyShwan Edmonson (Buffet All-Name Nominee - pay special attention to the spelling of his name) and his 17.6 pts and 4.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game in his first season in Clarksville after transferring as far away from Norm Roberts as he could. Anthony Campbell, junior swingman chips in with 13.9 and 3.5 rebounds, Josh Terry, the 6'5 combo guard adds 10.8 pts and 4.1 rebs, and big man John Fraley, is averaging 9.9 points and 7.2 rebounds. The Buffet is very bullish on AP coming up in 2012 (not that they were an OVC disappointment 2011) given that they tout 4 Juniors at the top of their team leadership board.

Los Tigres de Tennessee State are just about the streakiest team you'll find in college hoops. 5 game losing streak, 5 game winning streak, 3 game losing streak, 4 game winning streak, 3 game losing streak, a quick win over 1st round OVC opponent Tenn-Martin, then a 3 game losing streak (yes that's losing 6 of 7), followed by a 3 game winning streak heading into the tournament ... so what to make of them? Give them some confidence, the momentum starts running downhill and suddenly they are tough. Flash them some vulnerability and suddenly the walls come caving in -- although, this is probably to be expected of a team who averages 0.94 years of experience on their roster. A good 3pt and FT shooting team, they commit a youthful amount of turnovers. Kenny Moore and Robert Convington (both 2nd team All-OVC), are their go-tos, Moore, a highly-coveted JuCo transfer in his first season in Nashville, averages 14.4 pts and 6.8 rebounds and Covington, a sophomore, averages 13.6 and 7.6 rebounds. Meanwhile the ball handlers will turnover issues are Patrick Miller who puts up 11.4, 3.2 rebounds and 3 assists but also a sub-30% 3pt shooting line and 2.6 turnovers per game and Will Peters and his 10.5 points, 4.2 assists, but 2.5 turnovers per game.

But the hottest OVC team of all? That distinction belongs to Tennessee Tech, the conference's 4th seed. Swept by the top 2 seeds this season, they repaid that favor to Austin Peay, and ride a strong offense into the tournament. The Golden Eagles are led by OVC 1st teamer Kevin Murphy, the junior forward averages 15.8 pts and 4.5 rebounds; sophomore forward Jud Dillard, putting up 10.9 pts, 5.2 rebounds and swiping 1.1 would-be passes per game, and Jr PG (and Georgia transfer) Zac Swansey, giving the team 9.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game (but a eye hurting 3.6 turnovers per)

Other OVC'ers to take note of:

Leon Powell, SE Missouri St., Jr F - 14.5 pts, 7.8 rebs, 1.5 blks

Nick Murphy, Jacksonville St. - Sr G/F - 15.5 pts, 6 rebounds, 2.5 assists

Spencer Perrin, E.Kentucky - Sr F - 13.4 pts, 5.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists

Benzor Simmons, Tennessee-Martin - Sr. F - 12 pts, 4.9 rebounds

Marland Smith, SE Missouri St - Soph G - 12 pts, 3.7 rebounds

Justin Stommes, Eastern Kentucky - Sr G/F - 11.7 pts, 3.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists

Jeremy Granger, E.Illinois - Jr G - 14.5 pts, 4.3 rebounds, 3.4 asts

Who Will Win: We love Faried, but the Tennessee setting, and a bit overlooked as the #3 seed, Austin Peay is the Buffet's pick to click (everyone says that in Chicago, its kind of a thing)

3/2 Ohio Valley First Round - Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, TN :
7:00 pm - (8) Tennessee-Martin 68 (5) Tennessee State 64, ovcsports.com (PPV)
9:30 pm - (7) SE Missouri State 65 (6) Eastern Kentucky 49, ovcsports.com (PPV)

3/3 Ohio Valley Quarterfinals:
7:00 pm - (8) Tennessee-Martin vs (4) Tennessee Tech, ovcsports.com (PPV)
9:30 pm - (7) SE Missouri State vs (3) Austin Peay, ovcsports.com (PPV)

3/4 Ohio Valley Quarterfinals:
8:00 pm - (8) Tennessee-Martin/(4) Tennessee Tech winner vs. (1) Murray St., ESPNU

10:00 pm - (7) SE Missouri State/(3) Austin Peay winner vs. (2) Morehead St., ESPNU (Kenneth Faried will be on your TV)

3/5 Ohio Valley Championship:
8:00 pm - ESPN2

Stack the Plates. Pull back the Velvet Rope ... the Buffet is OPEN for Bizness.

Welcome, welcome, welcome Buffet subscribers. The Buffet has finally reopened in 2011, and not a moment too soon, BracketBuster Saturday - still searching for an explanation of the title of the day: what Brackets are being busted, exactly? We all know that when VCU pulls an upset over Oral Roberts, the committee will still find a way to "procedurally" place them in a first round matchup with whatever non-BCS school happens to find itself in a single-digit seed in this year's tourney - Sweet-NonBCSSchools-Matchup-Saturday is over a week in the rear view, which means one thing: look up at the Calendar, and you will see: MARCH 1. Now March carries a lot of significance.

The birth month of Buffet subscribers Jonathan Mencher and Nathan Richards, yes.
National Frozen Food Month? Yes.
The Buffet's impending return to VBV? Yes.

But, most of all, March 1st means, welcome back to the 12 Days of Conference Tourneys, sponsored by THE BUFFET.

For the next 12 Days, we will be celebrating that which is frozen in slotted plastic portable trays AND that which is frozen in its own lies.

On the first..

(*Ahem* Apologies, with last year's abbreviated Buffet, the staff here feels a little out of practice. Let's stay that again)

On the first...

(Still not quite right)

(now THAT'S more like it.)

A Norris on the Horizon and a Big South battle between Coastal and Lib-er-ty.

2011 Advance Auto Parts Big South Championship

The Big South. The Conference that gave us Jack Leasure, Arizona "AZ" Reid, Artsiom Parakhouski, and Pele Paelay bring us the 2011 version of its conference free for all. And a free-for-all it will be.

Who Will Win: Coastal Carolina would be the nice story for the 7 kids who remain, but VMI is the hot hand, the high scoring outfit, and the Buffet's upset pick.

Free-for-all you say, Buffet? It didn't appear that way in mid-January. After a second half meltdown and subsequent overmatched affair with Georgetown in mid-November - Regular Season Big South Champion, Coastal Carolina fired off 22 consecutive wins, including victories over C-USA's Charlotte 49ers, LSU out of the SEC, and a dominating 15-0 start in conference play. Then, the wheels starting falling off. It began in December, long before signs of on-court trouble surfaced, when South Carolina transfer Mike Holmes was dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules, which allegedly included a fight with a teammate - which the Buffet would consider unfortunate, if he wasn't just a year removed from what? Getting dismissed from South Carolina for the very same thing (perhaps renouncing the recruiting strategy of taking kids suspended from South Carolina's basketball team (See also, Gray, Chad) would be a great first step here) - yes, the Buffet wants the kid to get help and second chances when warranted, but, no it does not want to give sympathy to Cliff Ellis for this issue. What issue? Well, he has 7 scholarship players - because on top of the dismissal of Holmes, Willie Kirkland, a reserve guard has been suspended for academic issues, and now, Desmond Holloway, a JC transfer and team scoring leader (and rebounding leader once you subtract Holmes from the equation), has been suspended by the NCAA pending the results of an investigation into recruiting violations. Shocking, right? The college hoops coach who seems to factor "NCAA Probation" into his annual recruiting plan finds himself in potential NCAA hot water again.

On top of this, the team lost starting PG, Kierre Greenwood to a knee injury during the 22-game winning streak snapping loss to Gardner-Webb, and suddenly the Coastal Carolina box score looks like a typo, with a 6 man rotation (sometimes seldom used reserves Jordan Griffin & Jon Pack are thrown in the mix, because with 15 players injured or suspended, it would just be mean not to play them).

Since this all went down in total, CCC is 2-1, although with Greenwood's injury and the controversy swirling, the decline really began on February 15th, during the home upset loss to Gar-Webb. Since that game, they are 2-1, with a win over Big South 5th place finisher Charleston Southern and a tough home loss to UNC-Asheville (without the benefit of former Bulldog, the 7'6 Kenny George) on a magnificent last second steal and 25-foot 3 finish that the Buffet saw live, because the Buffet does things like turn on the end of close Big South games in late February.

Players have stepped up, most notably, Dexter Moore - the former reserve little man has nearly tripled his scoring output (12.7 from 4.7) as well as pulled down 3x as many rebounds (3.7 from 1.2), as well as the aforementioned Chad Gray, and the Buffet is just as impressed with Clif Ellis awarding this second chance and Gray making the most of it, as it was critical in the above-paragraphs - hypocritical? sure. But this is The Buffet Blog after all. Gray has upped his scoring to 20 ppg following the suspensions/fights/injuries from 14.7. Also chipping in with much bigger contributions are 6'1 sophomore guard Anthony Raffa (whose fortunes are lamented here by his hometown's Press of Atlantic City Blog http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/blogs/susan_lulgjuraj/tough-times-ahead-for-anthony-raffa-s-coastal-carolina-basketball/article_2b052218-4104-11e0-a666-001cc4c002e0.html) who has put up 16.7 point, 4.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists (above averages of 10.9, 3.3 and 2.2) since it all went down and Sam McLaurin (11 pts, 9 rebs as opposed to 7.2 and 6.7).

Here's the question: those four players have played an average of: 29, 28, 34, and 29 minutes per game (respectively) over the last 3 ... is there enough energy in the tank to win 3 games in five nights? On their side is that day off between games, the fact that all games they play at will be held at the Kimbel Arena in Conway, SC inside the Williams Brice Physical Education Center, in front of 1,039 rapid teal bleeding Chanticleerians.

The biggest threat to Coastal Carolina overcoming the odds may not even be Big South 2nd place finishing Liberty. The Flames who began the conference season a spiffy 13-2 (the only 2 losses suffered at the hands of a pre-internal meltdown Coastal Carolina, including a 60-57 slugfest that featured clutch FT shooting from a now suspended Desmond Holloway, and a trio of consecutive 3 pointers that cut the game to 69-67 with 9 seconds left and a rim-deflecting missed final 3 point attempt by Flames leading scorer Evan Gordon with 1 second to go. Best explanation is perhaps Liberty (who are watching their former standout guard play on ESPN around 10x as much as they see themselves) overachieved a bit -- reflected in Dale Layer's election as Big South coach of the year and Jessie Sanders, their junior PG leader, named the conference's player of the year (Aside: motivation for CCC, who were undoubtedly overlooked amid the swirling controversy and a political desire of Big So coaches not wanting "of the year" labels handed out to people who would potentially vacate their wins, records, etc. -- Buffet food for thought). Assuming Layer can right the ship, look for his outstanding four-some of Evan Gordon (14.5 pts, 3 rebs, 2 assists), John Brown (11.5 pts, 10.7 rebounds), POY and stat filler Jesse Sanders (11.2 pts, 6.0 rebounds, 6 assists) and David Minaya (not former NY Meets imploder Omar's son, 10.9 pts, 3.3 rebs).

Instead, the conference's hottest team entering the tournament, is tourney 4th seed, the Keydets of the Virginia Military Institute -- winners of their last 5 conference games (and only a road loss in the Sweet-NonBCSSchools-Matchup-Saturday to Morgan State sandwiched in between), they might have the mighty mo on their side heading into the tournament. Keep a "potential chip on his shoulder" eye on overlooked POY candidate Austin Kenon (a conference first teamer and POY runner up), the tiny senior guard averages 18.3 pts, 3.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and hits shots just every time he takes them. He is backed by a team that averages 89 ppg as a whole and features two secondary offensive weapons, Stan Okoye (16.4 pts, 8.1 rebounds) and Keith Gabriel (14.3, 3.1) as well as two guys who represent the future of the Big South (Big So all-freshman teammates PG Rodney Glasgow, 5'10 guard from Olney, MD (9.8 pts, 4 assists and his 2.55 A/TO ratio) and Freshman of the Year, 6'9 DJ Convington and his 9.5 pts, 5.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks.

UNC-Asheville, buoyed by the classic finish in Conway, has won 3 straight conference games, finishing the season at 11-7 and powering its way to a 3rd place Big South finish. Back at full strength with the return of D.J. Cunningham from injury -- they are led by junior G, and Coastal Carolina game hero Matt Dickey and his 14.9 pts, 3.7 rebs and 3.3 assists (although his 1.05 A/TO isn't winning him any playmaker of the year votes) and J.P. Primm (14.8 pts, 3.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists). The muscle is provided by Cunningham and his 7.7 rebounds. This team owns a win over 3 of the other 4 teams in the Big South top 5, but you must wonder about a team whose primary ball handlers give it back to the other team on average 8 times per game on their own (Chris Stephenson chips in with 2 TOs a game, himself). One guy to keep an eye on is Jaron Lane, a 6'4 sophomore guard, who has turned in a double-digit average over his last 5 games.

Other players/teams to watch include:

Big man Charles Corbin of Winthrop, 6'7 Senior F put up 11.1 pts and 8.2 rebounds a game for the Eagles.

The upset minded Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs, for one because everything about that school name mascot combination is outstanding, and because they won 3 of 4 conference games down the stretch, opened with a win over Charlotte, and was the providers of one of the first signs that Oklahoma was no good, when they forced a rally from Oklahoma after hitting 5 of 6 3s in their December 9th game to cut the game to 4 with 13:12 to play. (yes, we're stretching, both in legitimizing G-Webb and in insulting OU, which really, in a 2011 hoops context should be really easy). Jonathan Moore and his 13.5 pts and 4.2 rebounds and All-Buffet Name Candidate Laron Buggs and his 10 pts, 3.1 rebounds led the rejuvenated Runnin' Bulldog attack.

Big time scorer Jamarco Warren leads Charleston Southern, who come in winning 3 of 4 and gave Coastal Carolina strong test heading into the conference tournament. Warren, averaging 17.5 per game, is backed up by Kelvin Martin and his 12.2 pts and 8.9 rebounds and last year's conference Freshman of the year, Jeremy Sexton and his 10.8 pts and his frightening 38% FG shooting (and 319 launched shots this season)

While the season was not a success, 9-18, 7-11 in conference and lost 5 of 6 to finish the season (and the victory was a 1 pts, 2OT home escape), their promising freshman signee (and HS McDonald's AA nominee) Du"vaughn Maxwell quit the team just before the recent 3-game slide ... notwithstanding, High Point does have a pair of strong performers ready to provide one last highlight to the Panthers' fans in 2011 -- 6'3 Jr. Nick Barbour and his 17.9 pts, and 6'2 Junior Guard, Shay Shine (All-Name Nominee) 14.0 pts, 4.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists.

Tuesday March 1

Big South Quarterfinals:
7:00 pm - (7) High Point at (2) Liberty, local TV, Full Court, espn3.com
7:00 pm - (6) Charleston Southern at (3) UNC-Asheville, bigsouthsports.com (PPV)
7:00 pm - (8) Gardner-Webb at (1) Coastal Carolina, bigsouthsports.com (PPV)
7:00 pm - (5) Winthrop at (4) VMI, bigsouthsports.com (PPV

Thursday March 3

6:00 pm - (7) High Point at (3) UNC-Asheville, ESPNU
8:00 pm - (4) VMI at (1) Coastal Carolina, ESPNU

Things You May Not Know: Big South Edition

Best informational website: Gardner-Webb: who in addition to player profiles is sure to an include a Cee-Lo approved F.You to other schools, as it make sure to name the schools their basketballers passed over in favor of enrolling at G-Webb.

Nick Barbour, High Point: Is a transfer from George Washington Universty - it is not impossible to argue that he's got a better shot at both an automatic and at-large berth playing at High Point the next 2 years.

Justin Creek, High Point: his sister plays for the Indiana Fever of the WNBA. A league that Stacey King has a lot of respect for:

Evan Gordon, Liberty: is the younger brother of LA Clipper and 2010 US qualifying team standout, Eric Gordon -- making Liberty the official destination of future Taylor Griffins and Robin Lopezes everywhere.

Jessie Sanders, Liberty: currently plays with his brother, John Caleb, and is the 2nd conference POY in his family's history, as his older brother Thomas Sanders was the Atlantic Sun POY for Gardner-Webb (now a member of the Big South, hmmmm) in 2008.

Brad Greenberg, Radford: the Highlanders head coach is the brother of Virginia Tech coach, In the Waiting Line rent payer and tri-daughter hugger, Sean Greenberg

HORIZON LEAGUE 2011 MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Norris. Vaughn. Brandon. Robo. Shelvin. Vytas. Averkamp. Howard. Rahmon. Ja'Rob. Gordon Haywood went to the NBA and chaos ensued in the midwest. Butler fell back to the back. Cleveland State shied away from success. Valparaiso who flashed a top 45 RPI at one point, then flashed a streak of losing 3 of 4 conference games to the end the season. Enter Wisconsin-Milwaukee. A 9 game Horizon winning streak - including great wins at Cleveland State, at Butler, home versus Valpo, and then their 94-87 thriller over the Penguins of Youngstown State last Saturday to clinch a regular season conference title and by virtue of the Horizon League tie-breaker system, clinching the top seed and the right to host the 2nd & 3rd rounds of the tournament, as well as, the finals, should they qualify.

Who Will Win: It may seem like a cop-out to pick Butler, so keep, they aren't the shoo-in (nor the #1 seed in the tournament) they are usually considered to be. But they seemed to pull it together in dynamic fashion to close the season, are the offensive efficiency and Pomeroy ratings kings of this league, and despite their struggles, their experience and talent depth - as much as it pains the biased Buffet to pick against Norris - will prove to be too much for the rest of the conference up in Milwaukee.

Who are these Panthers? Overlooked coming into the season by 2010 Nat'l title runners-up Butler and the returning and loaded Cleveland St. Vikings, suddenly its UW-M that everyone is scrambling to learn about. So, come Buffet readers, get your learn on: they've got names (Ja'Rob McCallum, Jerard Ajami, Tone Boyle), they've got players (Anthony Hill, Boyle, Tony Meier) and Rob Jeter, a bona fide coaching star. Jeter's coaching job is evident in how he's molded this season -- what started with ignominious losses to some poor hoops outfits including Florida Atlantic, DePaul, and a 3-5 conference record ... in a world typically dominated by Butler with their annual henchman (a endless rotation of Wright St, Cleveland St, and sometimes UWM), 5 losses would seem to be insurmountable. Unless you just stop losing. which beginning with a road OT win against Butler, where Kaylon Williams, Anthony Hill and Tone Boyle combined for 49 of the team's 86 points -- UWM decided to run the Horizon table (a slight reality check was given on Sweet-NonBCSSchools-Matchup-Saturday by Turner Battle and Buffalo). A team that goes 8 deep with double-digit minutes (and 11 deep with a rotation of 3 others), the Panthers awoke when Anthony Hill, Tony Meier and Tone Boyle took over. Hill - who could be the Conference Player of the Year, not named "Norris Cole" - is a 6'7 senior whose scoring and rebound was improved along with his team leadership role from 9.1 to 15.3 and 4.5 to 6.4 respectively. Tony Meier, a 6'8 Jr Forward, adds 11.8 pts and 4.4 rebounds to the cause, and on the outside is Tone Boyle, a JuCo transfer who sat out last season with a back injury, returned to contribute his 13.3 points and 3.2 rebounds. The stat-filler is the unsung Kaylon Williams, an Evansville transfer, this PG led the Missouri Valley Conference in assists as a true freshman, and filled up the stat sheet with 8.5 ppg, 5.5 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and a Doug Gottlieb-esqie 58% shooting from the free throw line.

The Buffet is curious to see if the Horizon League tourney will be the culmination of a season of developing a team for Coach Jeter. The run at the end suggests this is the case, but the 15-point loss to a mediocre (as much as that pains the Buffet to say) Buffalo team betrays this.

Who threatens them? NORRIS. NORRIS. NORRIS. NORRIS. Let's just put this out there:

26-4-5

19-5-7

26-10-2

14-10-6

25-11-7

27-6-7

41-20-9

16-6-10

27-5-4

22-10-5

Yes, you are seeing 5 double-digit rebound games, including a 20 rebound performance from a 6'1 guard. Yes, you are seeing Oscar Robertson incarnate hanging in Cleveland, hailing from Dayton (yeah, Brian Gregory's monumentally boring Waiting Line outcast would HATE to have this performer) ... Cleveland St is more than Norris Cole, playing 7 guys double-digits, and with Trevor Harmon and his sweet stroke, 13 points and 4 rebounds, and Jeremy Montgomery and his 12 points and 3 rebounds, and Aaron Power Pogue and his 8.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4 fouls per game. But this is about Norris. From the kid who couldn't crack 15 minutes and 5 points as freshman -- he has climbed from 13.3 to 16.3 to 21.6 points in the last three years. That 41-20-9 game against Youngstown State was the thing of legends -- but Cleveland St comes into the tourney limping badly. A 10-2 conference start became a 13-5 conference finish, including a first place sacrificing 87-83 loss to UW Milwaukee, a Buffet-parlay busting 81-78 loss at Detroit, as well as a 12 point loss at home to Butler (devastating because the Bulldog's season sweep pushed Clev State out of the top 2 seeds for the Horizon tournament, and out of the cushy "Bye until the Semis" that comes with it, and to qualify for the NCAAs they'll have to win 4 games instead of 2), demonstrating their inability to seize the 2011 moment (not to mention a In the Buffet viability statement loss at ODU 74-63). It does however make the 41-20-9 game all the more impressive, as it was following a 2 game losing that Norris refused to accept - but as the only senior on the entire roster, will the rest of the Vikings demand greatness from themselves and follow the Norris into the Tournament?

Butler. From barely missed a halfcourt heave for title to 5 conference losses and a loss to Evansville at Hinkle had everyone asking - what happened to Butler. Well, they lost an NBA lottery pick and Matt Howard has been overrated for years, that's what happened. Also, what really happened? Blowout road losses to UW-Milwaukee and Louisville can't be defensed (although Butler did shoot almost 10% below their average in both those games). A tightly played game at Duke that went south when foul trouble and leg cramps for Shelvin Mack derailed the Bulldog's road upset bid. Otherwise, the Bulldog's other 6 losses came by an average of 4 points -- and the two games skewing that figure higher? A pair of late January overtime games that ended in 6 point losses. Those pair of OT games became a 3 game losing streak when Butler inexplicably dropped a game to the 7-20 Penguins, perhaps worn out from the previous OT games, what it did do was serve as a wake-up call, as Butler rattled off 7 straight Horizon losses to finish the season, pull into a tie for 1st place, and ultimately end up with the 2nd seed in the conference tourney (and the bye until the semis). The names are familiar in this upper classmen dominated squad - Matt Howard, Sr F, who leads the team with 16.8 pts and 7.9 rebounds per game -- while the Buffet pokes fun at him for not quite developing into the dominant Horizon League player (he was the team's leading scorer in 2008-2009) he once seemed destined to be, increasing his points by 5 per game and rebounds by nearly 3 to pick up production slack after Heywood and Willie Veasley graduated and Shelvin Mack, the senior guard averaging 15.3 pts, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. But the disappointment up until the last run had been with players such as Shawn Vanzant, Ronald Nored and Zach Hahn, all of whom (and especially Nored) who played significant minutes on last year's nat'l title game qualifier, just have not elevated their games as you would have hoped. However, starting on February 5th (otherwise known as the Buffet's parents' anniversary), Shelvin Mack and Shawn Vanzant took the Bulldog season in their own hands. Mack has averaged 17.2 points in that stretch, including games of 32 and 20, and VanZant, a season long 6.8 ppg scorer has put up 11 points per game over the last 7. Another discovery has been big man Andrew Smith, his numbers won't wow you, but some timely double-digit scoring performances, and increase of rebounding (3.3 boards) and minutes played (from 20 to 32 minutes played) have been the real fuel to the Bulldog winning streak. Butler rides the hottest Horizon hand into the tourney, has the most experience, and for the first time all season has finally giving a collaborative effort to replace the lost leadership. They are the Buffet's prohibitive favorite heading into the tournament.

Valpo. It was amazing to the Buffet when researching this post, to discover that it has been 13 years since Bryce Drew hit the shot heard round the world otherwise known as the abysmal full-court defense that got Rob Evans the head coaching job at Arizona State. But, if you ask most college basketball fans about Valparaiso they'll either cite that shot, shrug and tell you they've never heard of the school, or, as Buffet subscriber Stephen J. Avillo would, complain about the Lutheran school having a dry campus. What they did have was the school best hoops squad since the 2004 Mid-Continent Conference championship. A 7-1 conference start, led by junior guard (notice a trend here involving leading performers on Horizon league squads?) and So Illinois transfer Brandon Wood (16.2 ppg, 4.3 reb, 3.3 spg, and 1.7 steals per game) and senior forward Cory Johnson and his 14.2 pts and 4.2 rebounds. Those two leaders are aided by Ryan Broekhoff, a 6'6 swingman from Australia averaging 10.7 points and 5 rebounds and Howard Little, a senior guard averaging 9.7 points and 5 rebounds himself.

The other two contenders to make some noise in the tournament are the Wright State Raiders and DEEEEEE-TROIT BAS-KET-BALL (Titans) , who were putting together a nice little 2011 conference campaign until a late season 2-4 swoon dropped them to fifth in conference. They did however paste UW-Milwaukee in Dayton and lost by 1 point (54-53, in a eye-hurting, typical Horizon league slug fest) in Milwaukee, and holds a home court win over Butler, and dropped 2 games by a total of 2 points to 3rd and 4th seeded Cleveland St and Valparaiso. Plainly, don't sleep on the team who is probably best known as Butler's Horizon League bridesmaid in most of the last few years. Not because they incorporate a famous Buffet alter ego into their rotation (freshman forward, and certain to become a feature of many a Buffet to come, Cole Darling), but also because they are led by a player who will be sorely missed next season once this 5th year senior (granted this extra year due to a 4 game/injury shortened would-be junior campaign), Vaughn Duggins. The 6'3 guard (*trend alert*) from Pendelton, Indiana has raised his already accomplished college game this season - bringing his scoring average up 4 points to 18.0 point, lowering his TOs per game by .3, and continuing what seemed to be a point of emphasis in 2009-2010, FT%, again right at 81%. I wouldn't want Wright State to hang around with me in any tourney game and then get the ball in the hands of The Vaughn"ted" One. That's asking for an elimination. Duggins co-author of crime is a 2011 All-Buffet Name Team candidate - N'Gai Evans, a single digit scorer in 2009-10, he has become a 14.2 pt, 4.0 reb, 3.3 assist guy. A 3rd contributing guard, Troy Tabler, chimes in with 11.4 ppg.

For the Titans, it's been an up and down season that never gained any traction with consistency. An early season scare of Syracuse (Detroit led by 3 at halftime, but then schooled by 14 in the second half) did led to a 5 wins in 7 games streak, but that quickly evaporated into 1 to 3 losses for every 1-3 wins and a non-descript 15-15 season and 10-8 Horizon mark. These are not the days of Brandon Cotton. But with a favorable 1st round matchup, perhaps some well-needed momentum can be picked up by a team who does hold wins over both Cleveland St & Butler, and took UW Milwaukee to overtime. Even more importantly, this team is young. They feature 5 juniors (3 of whom are among their leading producers) and 6 freshman (2 of him, including the leading scorer, are among their top point getters) This team can also score, which in the Horizon is akin to controlling the Ukraine in Risk, they play 8 people 16 minutes or more, and 5 of them average double digits - led by Ray McCallum (13.5) and Chase Simon (13.5), and followed by Eli Holman (11.8), Chris Blake (10.8) and Nick Minnerath.

Other Horizon players to watch in 2011 are:

Rahmon Fletcher from Wisconsin-GB, senior G and his 16.0 pts, 3 assists and 2.5 rebounds

Robo Kreps, the senior guard from Illinois-Chicago, also averaging 16 pts and 4.1 rebounds

The three headed performers from severely underacheiving Loyola, Geoff McCammon (14.5 points, 43% 3pt shooting), sophomore forward Ben Averkamp, and senior guard Terrance Hill and his 12 points per game.

Vtyas Sulskis (*2011 All-Buffet Name Team*) and his 13.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest.

Tournament Schedule

Tuesday March 1

Horizon First Round:
7:00 pm - (10) Illinois-Chicago at (3) Cleveland State, horizonleague.org (FREE)
7:00 pm - (8) Loyola (Chicago) at (5) Detroit, horizonleague.org (FREE)
7:00 pm - (7) Wisconsin-Green Bay at (6) Wright State, horizonleague.org (FREE)
8:00 pm - (9) Youngstown State at (4) Valpariaso, horizonleague.org (FREE)

Friday March 4

Horizon Quarterfinals

(6) Wright State at (3) Cleveland State, horizonleague.org (FREE)
(4) Valpariaso at (5) Detroit, horizonleague.org (FREE)

Saturday March 5

Horizon Semifinals

(6) Wright State/(3) Cleveland State winner at (1) UW-Milwaukee - ESPNU
(4) Valpariaso/(5) Detroit winner vs. (2) Butler - ESPNU

Tuesday March 8

Horizon Finals - 9:00pm E - ESPN

Things You May Not Know: Horizon League Edition

Chase Simon, Detroit: Central Michigan transfer who is the cousin of former Chicago Bull and New Mexico Lobo Randy Brown

Ray McCallum, Detroit: the 17th ranked recruit in the country last season, and 2010 McDonald's All-American, is the son of Detroit head coach, wait for it. wait for it. Ray McCallum

LaMarcus Lowe, Detroit: the Western Michigan transfer is the cousin of former Iowa State Cyclone, Charlotte Hornets (not a typo, this team did exist, younger Buffet readers) and Chicago Bull Eddie Robinson.

Nick Minnerath, Detroit: the Junior forward's neck looks like a journal of lost William Shakespeare manuscripts.

Norris Cole, you may have heard of him, Cleveland State: is the brother of Philadelphia Eagles starting D-lineman, Trent Cole.

Jeremy Mongtomery, Cleveland State: has a brother, Jonathan, who plays on Chicago State's basketball team and is cousins with Washington Wizard and former Nevada-Reno Wolfpack member JaVale McGee.

Matthew Graves, Butler: Brad Stevens top assistant is a former Butler standout who led them to the NCAA tournament in 1997 & 1998 as well as the older brother of former Butler great, AJ Graves.

Ja'Rob McCallum, UW-Milwaukee: nephew of Detroit head coach Ray McCallum, cousin of Detroit Titan freshman, Ray McCallum

Ryan Allen, UW-Milwaukee: brother of Memphis Grizzly and former Oklahoma St Cowboy Tony Allen

Christian Wolf, UW-Milwaukee: nephew of former NBA center and Bucks assistant, Joe Wolf.

Troy Table, Wright State: Son of former Cleveland Indian, Pat Tabler.

Goodnight from the Buffet, day 1 -- be back with the Atlantic Sun, Ohio Valley & the Patriot League.