Beltway Basketball Bonanza- Busted Brackets and Crumbling Cookies...

On the Monday after the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament there's always a haze... what just happened? Are we still in? How badly did the upsets burn my bracket?

Fifteen Fury-- Not one but two #15 seeds stole the tournament's heart Friday night... as Missouri and Duke (two of my "folds") went down. While the Blue Devils had been consistently uneven all winter (losing at home to Miami... winning at UNC), one has to be a little more disappointed in the Tigers' tumble. They won the Big 12 going away--I thought they had a shot at a #1-- but were rated the lowest of the #2's because of a soft schedule. I guess we now know why. Major props to the Patriot League and MEAC-- two one-bid leagues that are often cannon fodder the first days of the tournament-- for pushing Richmond '91 further into the background.

Sunday Night Hoops? What used to be a nice exclamation point to the weekend has been changed with Turner's addition to the menu. Instead of squeezing eight games into seven hours on Sunday-- they space them out. Which means we get three games spaced out until 6 (and if it's a rout-- watch out)... and then a flurry of late games on Sunday like a 9:40 Cincy-Florida State. How can I complain about my bracket when I still have to watch hoops? Can we compromise? Give us six games in seven hours and then two prime timers... 7 and 9:30. Please?

Alma Mater Update-- as an alum of a school that's dropped more than a few of these early games-- the Orange gave me plenty to be concerned about before weaseling by UNC-Asheville. They say in order to capture a National Title you have to win one game you obviously don't deserve-- and I think SU has found their "wow- we so escaped a major bullet here" game. Many point to the referees handing the Orange the game... and while this may have merits I would love to have these people listen to my SU buddy "Arkansas Charlie"-- for he believes there's this cabal created to hose the Orange out of every call. Time to move on. Thankfully it's to the regional in Boston.

Georgetown's year ended one step shy of the Sweet Sixteen... as a ten point first half lead turned into a loss to 11th seeded North Carolina State (who were once 7-3 in the ACC with a 20 point lead at Duke). After being picked to finish in the bottom half of the Big East, there's no shame in finishing 24-9 after losing to a Wolfpack team just hitting its stride-- but a rough way for seniors Jason Clark (3-11 FG and a last-second miss) and Henry Sims (fouling out with 4 points). And before you jump on the "Can JTIII win here longterm?" ... just remember other coaches have had longer runs of upsets (Lute Olson) and underachieving in the Big Dance before enjoying great success.

Maryland Womens' Window-- the Terrapins tangle with Louisville in a made for TV bracket: Jeff Walz used to be a Terp assistant and his Cardinals bounced Kristi Tolliver and Marissa Coleman in the Elite Eight three years ago. Adding to the sluggishness of Saturday's win there may be cause for concern. IF Alicia DeVaughn and Tianna Hawkins can stay out of foul trouble... and IF Maryland can manage its possessions effectively... we'll see a trip to Raleigh and the Sweet Sixteen.


Now to more important matters-- the 2012 Girl Scout Cookie Rankings. I have my usual supplier whose daughters are still okay with me signing the sheet "Bauer" with the address "CTU-Ballston". This year's field has been truncated to eight-- and thus no "first round".

8-- Savannah Smiles-- Or Dave frowns. This new addition is a crescent shaped lemon wedge cookie with lemon chips and dusted in powdered sugar. Goes great with tea. I'm sure my grandmother has 5 boxes. Even with Che Che rooting em on... feels like one of those schools from the Big South that plays well for a half-- and then loses by 20.

7-- Thank U Berry Much-- Or no thank you. Cranberries and white fudge chunks? Not to mention the bad pun and worse spelling. Feels like a mismatched roster of juco transfers who couldn't cut it at in other cookies' programs. You know there's an NCAA violation waiting to happen... and while this odd conglomeration gets you to the dance, it almost guarantees you an early exit.

6-- Dulce De Leche-- This Latin caramel cookie used to have a caramel topping. Sign me up! Sadly, it was removed because of the high amount of trans fat. Sign me off! Sounds like an eligibility issue-- and unlike the Orange, Dulce doesn't have the depth. But it does offer a great zone defense.

5-- Trefoils-- Naismith would be proud. A traditional shortbread cookie made in the shape of the Girl Scout emblem. Break out the peach baskets. Feels like Gene Hackman should be coaching them with Dennis Hopper in the wings. Fundamentally sound cookie but plays the entire game well below the rim. Hey, Loyola of Chicago once won a title in the 60's too.

4-- Do-Si-Dos-- Peanut Butter Paranoia? Crunchy oatmeal cookie with peanut butter filling. Power in the post. I'm looking for Michael Graham to come out and punch the other cookies in the mouth. A decent cookie... but prone to foul trouble (especially with those ACC refs).

3-- Samoas-- tough call for the top three. The motion offense of cookies is vanilla but coated with caramel, sprinkled with toasted coconut and laced with chocolate stripes. So much style and substance and subtext and pretext-- the perfect halfcourt treat. But can it run and keep up with the others? Having put each of these through the "test"-- it's a challenge to knock down 5+ Samoas in a sitting. Not impossible, but still a challenge.

2-- Thin Mints-- we're talking UNLV 1990. Nobody runs like the this thin, mint-flavored chocolate wafer dipped in chocolate coating. Often goes on scoring/wolfing down runs of 10-15 without any effort. But can TM play the halfcourt game? If slowed down to a manageable pace I see problems rebounding the flavor... over-aggressiveness resulting in easy crumbs instead of steals... and the propensity to force a shot when it isn't wise. I dare you to try to eat one and not a second for 15 minutes.

1-- Tagalongs-- it's all about matchups. Crispy vanilla cookie layered with peanut butter and covered with a chocolate coating-- this team can play halfcourt yet run to some degree. One can play inside out (scooping the peanut butter out with your teeth) or just attack the rim. In the fridge or room temperature this option provides more than one shining moment.

Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- of Brackets and Burials...

Selection Sunday-- there's no other day like it in the world of sports. College basketball's field of 68 is announced with plenty at play: Are you in? What seed? What's the draw? And what's the road to the Final Four? Each question is as critical as the previous one...as matchups take precedence over actual talent in March.

Georgetown-- the Hoyas are figured as a #4 seed by the Washington Post and CBS Sportsline... and a #3 by ESPN. Despite a disappointing finish against Cincinnati in the Big East Quarterfinals... coach John Thompson III's team has displayed a defense that's been downright dominating at times. The question is, where will they be shipped to?

Alma Mater Update-- the bubble (well, not THE BUBBLE, but a bubble nonetheless) burst Friday night in the Big East Semifinals against Cincinnati as the Orange fell behind 28-15 before making a game of it... slipping 71-68. On the road to 31 wins SU has had more than its share of nailbiters-- six of their last eleven games have been decided by three points or less. I'd rather have that now than next weekend. The Orange should get a #1 seed in the East bracket-- with a first round trip to Pittsburgh.

End of season ACCounting-- Maryland saw its stay in Atlanta end with an 85-69 loss to North Carolina. The 17-15 finish about the best one could hope for...given the injuries... Defections and ineligibilities. A five player class is expected to make a major impact next season-- and another year to get used to coach Mark Turgeon's system. Virginia (22-9) awaits the Selection Committee's decision on where they'll be seeded... Various websites have the Cavaliers anywhere from a #9 to an 11. What amazed me this week is how long the Cavaliers have gone without reaching the ACC Semifinals-- they're last trip to Saturday came in 1995. Everybody- even the expansion schools, even Clemson (?)- has reached an ACC semi since. Virginia Tech (16-17) ended the season pretty much the way they began conference play-- losing a tough one to a luckier team. Against conference competition the Hokies finish 4-10 in games decided by five points or less. Nice to see Florida State break Duke and North Carolina's stranglehold on the conference tournament.

George Mason and American wrap up successful seasons by losing in their conference semifinals. The Patriots (24-9) seemingly peaked the night they beat VCU by one at home... as coach Paul Hewitt's team dropped three of their last five games-- including a pair to the Rams. Coach Shaka Smart's team is ticketed back to the big dance--instead of as one of the last four in, VCU goes as CAA champ to a likely 11th or 12th seed. AU (20-11) couldn't contain Patriot league MVP CJ McCollum (27 points and 10 rebounds) in an 85-66 loss at eventual champ Lehigh. Both schools are bubble NIT teams... although either would be a good fit one of the other postseason affairs.

George Washington and Howard wrapped up 10-win seasons looking forward to the future. While the Colonials finished the year on a 2-10 skid, the Bison won 6 of their final 10 games.

The Maryland women's basketball team wrapped up its first ACC Tournament title since 2009 by beating Georgia Tech in 68-65 in the finals. The Terps benefited from a busted bracket-- as top seed Duke and #2 Miami both fell in the quarterfinals. But a window of opportunity is only a window-- you have to jump through. Now coach Brenda Frese's team is a borderline 1/2 seed...can they leapfrog Notre Dame after the Fighting Irish fell in the Big East Tournament?

The Clock Ticks-- An era doesn't end but it's definitely winding down. Syracuse's days in the Big East are numbered... and one wonders where the best league in the 1980's went wrong. For a conference that did things so right for so long--I have a few pivot points...:

1-- Not admitting Penn State. Undercut the league from a football standpoint... as the Nittany Lions would abandon longstanding rivalries with Pitt and Syracuse for... Minnesota? I think they play Michigan State every fall for the "Land Grant Trophy". Bad deal for everybody, as the Big East could have used PSU's stability and reputation (the last year notwithstanding).

2-- Going to the experimental "six foul" rule in 1990. Ruined the rhythm of an already physical league-- switching back to five fouls was awkward at best and disastrous at worst. Final Fours in the 80's: eight. Final Fours in the 90's: two.

3-- Allowing Notre Dame as a "partial member"... aka sharing everything but football-- not only did it give the league the oh so divisible 13 team membership (NOT UNWIELDY AT ALL!), it created a second tier feel: how can you be considered an equal on the big stage when it's obvious you're not in the eyes of one of your own members?

4-- Not convincing Chaney-- Temple would have been a great boost basketball wise... and would have provided the league with a football team in the Philly market (yeah, Villanova-- thanks for participating). But for whatever reason they couldn't get John Chaney and his hoops program in the league... and wound up with another "partial member". We know how that works.

5-- Losing brand identity-- Say what you will about the ACC being Duke and UNC's private little lake... but at least the league recognizes the pecking order and has the Blue Devils wrap up the regular season with the Tar Heels. Syracuse-Georgetown? The two schools met just once this winter... and the two haven't wrapped up the regular season like they did in the 80's for some time.

6-- Losing the East... and the Big-- to maintain its membership after being robbed of arguably its three strongest football programs by the ACC... the Big East had to get creative on what "East" meant. Hello, Louisville and Cincinnati. The league figured, why stop there? Hiya, DePaul and Marquette. Sixteen schools! So easy to keep the rivarlies alive with just three home-and-homes for each school. Now with Pitt and Syracuse departing for the ACC... the red carpet is out for San Diego State and Boise State. So like a Holy Roman Empire that was neither Holy, Roman nor an Empire...the Big East Conference is no longer Big, East or a Conference.

It first upset me when I learned my alma mater would be leaving a league I loved. But when viewing what's left of what was absolutely awesome-- departing is the best decision. Thanks for the memories, BIG EAST. I'll always think of you fondly and cherish the next twelve months.

Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- Meet the New Boss...

The ACC for better or worse has always revolved around tobacco road. The Tournament never even thought about leaving the state until the mid-70's... and from the conference's inception it was all about North Carolina, Duke and NC State. There was "one brief shining moment" when it appeared as if anybody could win-- from 1984 to 96 six schools won postseason tournaments and even Clemson was able to win the regular season title once. But since 1997 a Blue Curtain has fallen over the ACC-- even sending Wake Forest and NC State back to business class. Duke and North Carolina have won 14 of the last 15 ACC Tournaments (Maryland 2004 the exception) and one of the two schools has had the top seed every year since 2003 (thank you Wake Forest). This year it appeared as though Florida State might make its way to the grownups' table with victories in Chapel Hill and at Cameron-- but back to back losses have the Seminoles safely in the second-tier. Miami won in Durham only to fall in College Park the same month. NC State was once 7-3 in the league and had a 20 point lead at Duke-- before a four game losing streak punctuated by a loss to Clemson. Virginia and Virginia Tech came oh-so-close to beating North Carolina and Duke last Saturday-- only to remind us that close isn't an operative word come March. Pax Duke-Heel-ica.

#11 Georgetown (22-6, 12-5) solidified its status as a #3 seed in both CBS and ESPN's bracket models... although a loss at #8 Marquette plus a quick exit from the Big East Tournament may pull them back one line. The Hoyas' 59-41 thumping of Notre Dame was the team's sixth Big East win where they held their opponent in the 40's... and Coach John Thompson III's team also held Rutgers to 50. If they can keep the defensive intensity... this is a team that will be very dangerous in the coming weeks. Likely Big East Seed: after a loss at Marquette and a Notre Dame victory over Providence... the Hoyas are a #4... with potential quarterfinal opponents ranging from South Florida to Louisville-- or if there's an upset; Rutgers or Pitt. Take the under in all circumstances.

Alma Mater Update-- another game where the Orange looked great in stretches and head-scratching in others. Another game that looked like a potential blowout but wound up being a one-possession nailbiter. For a team that's ranked #2 in the nation, the Orange haven't had back to back double digit wins since mid-January... and while that's largely a byproduct of a tough Big East schedule, it's not reassuring when you're looking for a Tournament team on a roll. A number one seed is all but assured-- the 2010 team lost its regular season finale and Big East Quarterfinal game and stayed a #1-- West Virginia and UConn appear to be the dangerous first opponent in Madison Square Garden. Double down on the Sign of the Whale Wings-- it's going to be a bumpy ride.


Maryland (16-12, 6-8) had their dreams of a .500 ACC season take a major hit with a 63-61 loss at Georgia Tech. While the second half fade wasn't as bad as it was the previous weekend in Charlottesville... shooting 7 for 30 is no way to win -- even against a Yellowjacket team that scored 37 points against Clemson the previous week. It isn't helpful when you rank 324th in assists and point guard PeShon Howard's done for the year. Can they upset North Carolina in Chapel Hill and stun Virginia to wrap up the season? Reality says a split is the best case scenario and a #8 seed in the ACCs-- with Virginia Tech or Wake Forest the likely first round opponent.

Cruising the Commonwealth-- Two chances to put the dominion on the map... two tough losses for Virginia and Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers' 54-51 loss to North Carolina puts a winning league mark in doubt-- with Florida State coming to Charlottesville and a trip to College Park wrapping up the regular season. Still- ESPN and CBS have the Cavaliers as a #8 seed in the NCAAs. In Mike Scott we trust. The Hokies' 70-65 overtime loss to Duke was the perfect snapshot of a disappointing season: 12 of Virginia Tech's 14 league games have been decided by five points or less, and unfortunately VT is 4-8 in those games.

George Mason (23-8, 14-4) moved itself off the at-large bubble with an 89-77 loss at VCU. The Patriots actually shot 53 percent from the field but 20 turnovers proved costly. As the #3 seed in the CAA coach Paul Hewitt's team will play the winner of Georgia State and Hofstra in the quarterfinals. They beat Georgia State by 3 at home and swept Hofstra (10 point win at home, 5 point win away). Even if they beat VCU in the semifinals, it appears as though GMU needs to win the conference tournament to make the big dance.

George Washington (10-18, 5-9) inched closer to an Atlantic Ten tournament berth with a 56-51 win over Duquesne... David Pellom continuing his February frenzy with a third straight double-double (11 points and 10 rebounds). In order to lock up the #12 seed, the Colonials need a victory over 18 game winners LaSalle or Dayton... or the winner of Rhode Island-Fordham to lose their regular season finale. Backing in never seemed so good.

Maryland Womens' Window-- the Terps head to Greensboro and the ACC Tournament as the #3 seed thanks to a 65-50 thumping of North Carolina State. Alyssa Thomas takes first team all ACC honors... Tianna Hawkins is named second team while Laurin Mincy and Lynetta Kizer receive honorable mention. They'll face #6 Virginia or 11th seed Boston College in Friday's Quarterfinals-- with a couple of keys in order to be successful this weekend: 1-Hawkins and Alicia DeVaughn need to stay out of foul trouble... the Terrapin bigs can't be productive on the pine-- and the seven player rotation is easily exposed when they are. 2-possessions must be productive... the offense can't be turning the ball over or taking bad shots against the ACC's elite. That might fly against BC or Virginia, but not against Miami or Duke.

American (19-10, 10-4) wrapped up the regular season with a 76-69 win over Lafayette. A nice bounceback game from Charles Hinkle (25 points after being held to 3 by Bucknell) secures the #3 seed and a Patriot League Quarterfinal meeting with Army. The Eagles swept the Black Knights, taking the most recent meeting 74-50 at West Point (shooting 60% from the field).

Howard (9-20, 6-10) saw their regular season wrap up with a 63-46 loss at Delaware State... a rough offensive effort where the Bison hit 33% of their shots and 1-of-12 three pointers while turning the ball over 16 times. Pending Florida A&M's final game, the Bison enter next week's MEAC Tournament as either the 9th or 10th seed. While a first round win wouldn't be out of the question, competing with #1 Savannah State or 2nd seed Norfolk State (both 20 game winners this winter) appears to be a much taller task.

Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- Shakeup in the Standings...

The final weeks of college basketball's regular season mean a handful of things... but most importantly the arrival of the Shamrock Shake. McDonald's minty green goodness is here for a limited time-- and isn't available at all locations. You pick your sports correctly, and you've got yourself a winning month (or longer). You make the wrong move-- and find yourself shaking your head going home shakeless. Somewhere there's a parallel between a peppermint milkshake and the local college basketball scene, right?

Georgetown was ambushed by an incredible shooting display Tuesday... as Seton Hall senior Jordan Theodore torched the Hoyas for 29 points on 8 of 11 shooting (5-5 from three point range). Cause for concern: while one player can go off every so often, the entire Pirate team hit 61% from the field. The The Hoyas face a difficult final week with games against #20 Notre Dame and #10 Marquette.

Alma Mater Update-- the Orange remain atop the Big East and at 28-1 are off to the best start in school history. While SU owns an eight game winning streak, each game has felt like somewhat of a struggle-- the most recent a 56-48 win over South Florida (before ACC aficionados rail about the sloppy play, lets talk about how more than one of their games has finished in the 40's this winter). So I continue to watch and buy into this team and wonder when or if the other shoe will drop. Sadly it often does... whether it's Rhode Island in 1988... Villanova in the 1991 Big East quarters, or Georgetown in 2000 and 2009... things often end in the most harrowing manner. Regardless, I'm off to enjoy a 44- Wing Salute at Sign of the Whale with the usual cast of characters in place.

Maryland owns the tiebreaker with Clemson for 7th in the ACC after its most impressive win of the season-- a 75-70 come from behind victory over Miami was a nice bounce-back from their 71-44 loss at Virginia. Life without Pe'Shon Howard continues with natural shooting guard Terrell Stoglin and freshman Nick Faust sharing point guard responsibilities... and while nobody will confuse the pair for Steve Blake, they managed things much better against the Hurricanes than against the Cavaliers. Can the Terps get to .500 in the ACC? They need to beat Georgia Tech (2-11 in conference play)... and then defeat either North Carolina (in Chapel Hill-- next) or Virginia (at Comcast...hmm...).

Cruising the Commonwealth-- Virginia has another chance at a statement game... will they be loud or silent against #7 North Carolina? The Cavaliers led the Tarheels in the secnod half before allowing a 22-6 run. Right now UVa has the #4 spot... meaning a first round bye is within their reach. Virginia Tech's 9th after their loss to Virginia... and how heartbreaking has this season been? Eleven of their thirteen ACC games have been decided by less than five points... and the Hokies going 4-7 instead of 7-4 removes any bubble talk.

George Mason-- well, the streak couldn't last forever. The Patriots fell 85-82 at Northeastern thanks to 21 turnovers and a less than stellar night by Ryan Pearson (after consecutive double doubles, the senior was held to 3 of 12 shooting by the Huskies). Saturday's game with VCU determines the Patriots' CAA seed-- win and they're #2... lose and they slip to 3rd. Did they bring Doc Nix down to Richmond?

George Washington tries to end a 1-7 slide when Duquesne drops by the Smith Center... a victory plus losses by Fordham and Rhode Island wrap up a berth in the Atlantic Ten tournament. Once again, GW is led by Tony Taylor and how the senior guard plays dictates how well the Colonials fare. The expanding middle class of the conference means the potential #5 seed could be just about anybody from UMass to Dayton-- as one game separates 3rd from 8th place.

Maryland Womens' Window-- right or wrong, North Carolina and Duke are the signature programs of the ACC. And beating both in the same week the way this team did remains huge. Fans at Comcast Center had a thriller in a 63-61 win over the Blue Devils-- thanks to Alyssa Thomas' game-sealing block as time expired--as the Terps rallied from 12 points down in the first half. Senior night saw a smackdown in the form of an 84-64 rout of the Tarheels... as the Terrapins jumped out to a 32-10 lead behind the play of Anjale Barrett, Lynetta Kizer and Kim Rodgers in their final regular season home game. Now the Terps have a tight turnaround on their hands with a Sunday visit to North Carolina State. A win or a Georgia Tech loss wraps up the #3 seed in the ACC Tournament.

American missed a chance to move into a tie for the Patriot League lead... falling 55-50 at home to Bucknell. Offensive rebounds hurt the Eagles-- as did just three points from Charles Hinkle. AU wraps up the #3 seed with a win over Lafayette in its regular season finale.

Howard has caught a little February fire-- defeating Maryland-Eastern Shore 53-51 Monday... the team's fifth win in seven games after winning four of its first 21. The Bison visit Delaware State Saturday-- a win keeps them in contention for 7th place in the MEAC while a loss could eventually slide them down to 11th.

Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- scoring ends at 40?

While college hoops heats up into "February Frenzy", aka "Moving Month", aka "Cliched Alliterative Phrase Here"... I've been wondering what has happened with the preponderance of 40-somethings. Now, I have more than a few friends in their forties... and I have no issue about reaching 40-- but when a Division I college basketball team from a major conference can't get to 50 points in the shot-clock era there's something wrong. I thought getting to 50 was like the SAT's-- sign your name... roll out the balls and get a half century. Maybe college basketball is converting to the ACT. Damn that test! Even the ACC isn't immune-- witness Virginia Tech's 47-45 win over Virginia a few Sunday's ago. I want to think "Doug Flutie to Gerald Phelan" when I hear 47-45, not "1 for 14 from three point range". The Big Ten had a 37-33 game recently-- and sadly with Nebraska in the league we could see more depressed scores (technically it would be a recession though).

Georgetown (18-4, 8-3) has held consecutive opponents to less than 50 points... limiting South Florida to 20% shooting in the first half (although the game began at 11am-- even the kids on HANG TIME! had issues shooting on Saturday mornings). The Hoyas have a nice 8-man rotation that features a rebounding bulldog in Otto Porter (four double digit efforts in league play)... a clutch shooter in Hollis Thompson (last second baskets his specialty) and a center who can pass (Henry Sims leads the team in assists). Lost in the shuffle may be Jason Clark- who leads the team in scoring and rebounds well for a guard. With this bunch they head to Syracuse to face the #2 team in the nation.

Alma Mater Update-- while the Orange have Fab Melo back and I answered more than a few "somebody finally weaved the basket for him" texts... many questions come about entering Wednesday's war with the hated Hoyas (not me-- I am super objective as always about everything... the exception being Ray Pruitt's singing). Can the vaunted 2-3 zone contain the Princeton Offense (I remember raining threes at Verizon a few years ago)? Will the Orange be able to run a semi-cognizant halfcourt offense (not the one featuring two passes, bad one on one moves and a last second off-balance jumper that misses)? And where will I watch the game? I've been enlisted as a helmsman in the SU Alumni Group of DC's gatherings at Sign of Whale. I even have my "Ishmael Card" for discounts (sadly, no such card actually exists. Major missing the boat there SOTW) and have tried to get the bar to put a "44 Wing Salute" on the menu. But this week a few friends (one of which has been named "Nice Guy of the Year" three times in the last decade) are organizing a gamewatching event down the street from where I live. No car. No metro. I've been asking both places to send bleu cheese dressing samples for comparison.

Maryland (13-8, 3-5) had a chance to upset then #5 North Carolina... and actually led the Tarheels by nine in the second half before foul trouble handcuffed coach Mark Turgeon's rotation... UNC started to own the offensive glass and Harrison Barnes knocked down enough long-range jumpers to bury the Terps 83-74. Lost in the loss was improved play by Nick Faust off the bench (taking the ball to the rim instead of shooting bad jumpers) as well as the fine effort from Alex Len (holding his own against fellow 7-footer Tyler Zeller) off the pine. Halfway through the ACC season, Terps fans are wondering if they can get to .500 in the conference; they can, but have little margin for error. Home games against Georgia Tech and Boston College have to be slam-dunks. They have to steal one away from Virginia (who lost at home to Va. Tech) and if they beat Clemson Tuesday night (Tigers are tied with the Terps at 3-5 in the league)... that would give them seven wins, meaning the eighth has to come from topping Duke in Cameron (stop laughing), UNC at Chapel Hill (please get back in your seat), sweeping Virginia (Kippy and Buffy aren't laughing for some reason) or topping a Miami team in College Park-- the same Hurricanes the Terps took to double overtime in the Sunshine State. But they have to begin with a Clemson team that torched #17 Florida State by 20 and was within 3 possessions in all 5 of their league losses. Maybe sweeping the Cavaliers may just be the way to go.

Cruising the Commonwealth-- Virginia lost a chance to move into the ACC's penthouse... instead the 58-55 loss at Florida State means the Cavaliers are in a three-way scrum for 4th place in the league with North Carolina State and Miami. The Seminoles defense of Mike Scott further underscored the fact that UVa needs another scorer-- Scott was held to 3 shots after halftime and every run was truncated by the fact their big gun wasn't firing. They'll need more than one gun for this Saturday's showdown with North Carolina. Virginia Tech got a season-saving win over Clemson and enters the second half with confidence that maybe they've turned the corner- but 2-6 is a tough ACC hole to climb out of.

George Mason (19-6, 11-2) bounced back from a tough loss at Delaware to defeat Old Dominion 54-50 (despite shooting 28% from the field)... moving into a tie for first place tie of the CAA. First year Patriots coach Paul Hewitt hopes February doesn't turn into a Ram... as Mason meets VCU twice over the regular season's last four games while Drexel watches from the wings.

George Washington (8-15, 3-6) are fighting for a spot in the Atlantic Ten tournament (only 12 of the 14 schools in the Atlantic 10 go-- irony aside) after a fourth straight loss... after close games that could have gone either way at Fordham and against Xavier the bottom dropped out in an 86-75 loss to UMass. And GW is done playing with bottom-feeders Fordham and Rhode Island: 5 of their 7 remaining A-10 foes have winning league records (but that have beaten Richmond and Charlotte- the two other schools).

Maryland Womens' Window-- after routing Boston College 86-44, the Terps struggled at Georgia Tech (a team they've always had trouble with)... before prevailing 64-56. The double-whammy of Tianna Hawkins (23 points and 9 rebounds) and Alyssa Thomas (23 points and 5 assists) set the tone for a team which remainder shot under 25% for the game. Terps took this one because they owned the glass-- outrebounding the Yellowjackets by 15... while holding GT to under 40% for the night. With six ACC games remaining Maryland's tied for third with North Carolina... two games behind Miami and three games behind league-leading Duke. The Terps play all three of these teams-- in College Park-- over the next three weeks. Get your popcorn.

American (15-8, 6-2) remains in the thick of the Patriot League race thanks to a Charles Hinkle three pointer with 33 seconds left that gave the Eagles a 59-58 win over Colgate. Unfortunately, Hinkle was the only AU player to score in double figures-- and while that might work against the 7th place Raiders... it might not be as effective against Bucknell and Lehigh (or even Lafayette). Good news for Eagle fans-- four of the remaining six regular season games are at Bender Arena. Bad news for Shamrock Shake fans-- my sources tell me the McDonald's next to the arena has been shut down... just before the minty green goodness makes its annual appearance near Nebraska Ave. For shame!

Howard (6-18, 3-8) after ending an eight game losing streak has all of a sudden taken two of three... the latest a 54-46 victory over Morgan State (sadly, even the MEAC isn't immune for scores in the 40's). Freshman Prince Okoroh scored 14 points for the Bison... who held the Bears to 30% shooting and held an 18 rebound advantage. With five games left, coach Kevin Nickelberry's team's already equalled last year's victory total.

Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- Winter Exposure...

You can run but you can't hide who you are-- or how you can be beaten. Mid January in college hoops means one can't hide behind a cupcake filled non-conference schedule; actual road games on enemy campuses have been played... and coaches who recruit and gameplan against your team 12 months a year are preparing to exploit your weaknesses.

Georgetown has won ugly more than once this January-- a 52-50 slugfest against Rutgers will not be used in shooter's camps-- but 6-2 in the Big East is still 6-2 in the Big East. While Jason Clark outside and Henry Sims inside get most of the attention... players like Otto Porter (15 rebounds against DePaul, winning FT's against Rutgers) do the little things to help the Hoyas contend. After seven days to prepare for massive mystery Pitt (from #1 seed last year to 0-7 in the conference?) Coach John Thompson III's team has a tight turnaround to prepare for UConn.

Alma Mater Update-- it had to happen sooner or later... Syracuse took 21 games to stumble for the first time this season (67-58 at Notre Dame) amongst the backdrop of a player leaving (Mookie Jones) and a player with academic issues (Fab Melo). They won't miss Mookie's 27% shooting over 5 minutes a game... but they will miss Fab's 6 rebounds and 3 blocks a contest. And 7-0 in the Big East can become 7-3 in a hurry: Cincinnati and West Virginia look like tournament teams... and SU hasn't even gone through facing Georgetown, UConn and Louisville over a six day span. Look for Sign of the Whale to be ordering extra bleu cheese next month.

Maryland finds itself in a 5-team rugby scrum separated by a half game in the race for 5th place of the ACC. Turnovers and poor free throw shooting doomed the Terps at Florida State (welcome to the grownups' table, FSU, after beating UNC and Duke on consecutive Saturdays) and at non-league foe Temple. Terrell Stoglin has the misfortune of being the best shooter and scorer in an offense that is at its best when there are multiple options. Alex Len's ACC fade (after notching a double-double against NC State, the Ukrainian has scored 8 points over 4 games on 2-8 shooting) was accelerated with an ankle injury against Temple. The University officially renames the court at Comcast after Gary Williams Wednesday-- against a Duke smarting from a tough loss to Florida State. No sweat.

Cruising the Commonwealth-- Virginia had a chance to make Virginia Tech 0-5 in the ACC and came up short. Shooting 1 for 14 from three-point range does that sometimes. The 47-45 loss to the Hokies means that Virginia may be ranked... but the Cavaliers are more pretender than contender right now. The win also keeps coach Seth Greenburg's team from officially being buried-- although they still have a lot of work to do.


George Mason finds itself atop the CAA after eight games at 7-1... and has a chance to get fat with four straight games against schools with non-winning conference records. And the Patriots are more than merely Ryan Pearson-- although the forward leads the team with 17 points and 8 rebounds a game there are more than a few interchangeable parts capable of doing damage. Sherrod Wright scoring 22 points off the bench against Towson just one example. Although his name doesn't sound like a fancy shirt.

George Washington finds itself 3-2 in the Atlantic Ten-- but 8-11 overall. Their ability to continue the current January storm hinges on a two game roadtrip-- while LaSalle and Fordham are gimmes both schools do have losing records in conference play-- because GW faces tough tests in Xavier, Massachusetts and Temple back to back to back.

Maryland Womens' Moment-- the Terps tumbled at #5 Duke Sunday 80-72... despite a career high 29 points for Alyssa Thomas. Unfortunately the team shot 36% after halftime and was outrebounded by ten. Home games against ACC bottomfeeders Virginia Tech and Boston College are next-- followed by a trip to Georgia Tech (the team they rallied from 20 points down to beat January 6th). The question as the team nears the second half of league play-- how deep are they? While Lynetta Kizer and Brene Moseley provide punch off the bench... Kim Rodgers and Whitney Bays have been used sparingly the last few weeks.

American is one of three schools appearing to separate themselves from the rest of the Patriot League. AU's lone league loss is to Lehigh-- and battles Bucknell Wednesday. Gone is the hammer-sickle duo of Vlad & Lumpkin-- instead Charles Hinkle provides the bulk of the scoring while the team is much better shooting from the perimeter (38% from three point range).

Howard had reason for optimism last March-- there appeared to be a young nucleus returning that would only get better. Optimism? No more. The Bison have already clinched a losing regular season-- dropping seven straight games and 11 of 12 after a 3-5 start (in Howard terms, 3-5 is red-hot). The team's had problems offensively-- they're near the bottom of Division I in more than a few categories: 340th in shooting, 338th in assists and 314th in scoring. The only player who averages in double figures shoots less than 30% from the field. But help is on the way: after Savannah State January 28th, the Bison won't face a team currently with a winning record for the rest of the season. Woe are the Bisons and woe is the MEAC.

Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- Moving on from March...

March enters like a Lion and ends like a Lamb? I don't know about the lion part but the hopes and dreams of college basketball teams end with a thud.

Georgetown saw its March slide conclude with a 74-56 loss to VCU... as the Rams were busy transforming themselves from "the worst at-large team ever to make the even-expanded field" to Cinderella Darlings. Seniors Austin Freeman and Chris Wright closed out their careers shooting a combined 6 of 27 and 0-13 from three point range. While Wright was injured during the five game flameout the disappearance of Julian Vaughn (2-21 from the field during the swoon) was equally as debilitating. Bring on the Hollis Thompson era.

Alma Mater Update-- a rough finish for the Orange saw Syracuse stumble in the second round 66-62 to Marquette (a team they lost to earlier this year) with a blown backcourt call to feed my conspiracy friends. How do you lose to a team coached by Curly of the Three Stooges? Maybe Larry Fine's a relative of Bernie Fine-- I don't know. Still, a tough way for a season that had quite a bit of optimism surrounding it (18-0 start and a #3 ranking) to end.

Big Least? After getting a record 11 schools into the NCAA Tournament, the Big East went 9-9 with just two schools advancing to the Sweet Sixteen-- UConn and Marquette. I wasn't a fan of bracketing conference schools together in first weekend foursomes... and anyone could have figured slumping Villanova and Georgetown wouldn't stay long... and underachievers Pitt and Notre Dame... well you get the picture.

George Mason after a last-second thriller against Villanova but couldn't keep up with the #1 team in the nation... slipping to Ohio State 98-66. Anytime David Lighty lights you up for 7 of 7 from three point range-- it's not going to be a good night. The Patriots put a 27-7 season to bed with plenty of talent coming back next year... as Cam Long gets quite a senior sendoff.

The Capital of Basketball? Evidently Richmond did rise again-- with a pair of teams in the sweet sixteen. While VCU is in the Regional Semifinals for the first time ever, Richmond is more than an occasional upstart in the big dance- although this is the schools second ever trip to the second weekend. And who wouldn't want to see the Rams and Spiders square off Sunday?

Snubbed-- from the NIT quarterfinals... Virginia Tech had cause to say they belonged in the NCAA's. Unfortunately, they didn't play their way into the Tournament-- and played their way out of the NIT with a home loss to Wichita State.

Maryland Women's Moment-- the tone was set from the opening tipoff when Georgetown stole the ball from Anjale Barrett... the Hoyas jumped out to an 11-0 lead, closed the first half on an 11-3 run and began the second half on an 11-2 run. Other than that... Sugar Rodgers was unstoppable (21 of her 34 points came in the first half on 6 of 8 three point shooting) and Georgetown advances with a 79-57 win. Maryland regroups after a 24-8 season with everybody coming back this fall.

Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- Bleak Week...

Did anyone think the sun would ever shine again in and around the Beltway? George Washington, Georgetown, Howard, Virginia-- TIM-BERR! And that's not even including the weekend woes of American, George Mason, Maryland and Virginia Tech. There was no joy anywhere near the nation's capital...until the Terps and Hokies made Conference Tournament Week passable.

Maryland (19-13) snapped a three game losing streak by beating North Carolina State 75-67... with another double-double from Jordan Williams (16 points and 13 rebounds) and solid perimeter defense (Wolfpack shot 2 of 14 from three point range). The Terps quarterfinal opponent will pose a much bigger problem from outside-- as Duke made a combined 16 off 44 three's during their regular season sweep. Freshman Terrell Stoglin scored 5 points in the home and home with the Blue Devils-- and after notching 7 straight double digit efforts has been held to 9 points in consecutive contests (shooting 7 of 18).

Cruising the Commonwealth-- classic good news, bad news in the Dominion. Virginia Tech (20-10) is back on the threshold of the field of 68 thanks to a 59-43 smackdown of Georgia Tech-- a win over Florida State in the quarterfinals should all but punch their ticket. Virginia (16-15) was 35 seconds away from facing North Carolina before coughing up a 10 point lead in the final minute of regulation...the end result a 69-62 loss in overtime to Miami. Especially after the way the Cavaliers played in the final weeks of the regular season, not the preferred ACC Tournament memory to build upon.

Georgetown (21-10) saw its rudderless descent continue with a 79-62 loss to UConn... which in retrospect doesn't look too bad after the Huskies bounced regular season champ Pitt. And although they need their senior point guard back in the worst way-- their collapse isn't nearly as bad as Villanova: the Wildcats (once 16-1) have dropped five straight (one to South Florida... South Florida?!)...7 of 9 and 10 of 15. Nova's body of work gets them in the tournament, I guess... but if there's a case for dropping one of the presumed eleven Big East schools-- Jay Wright's team tops the list.

Alma Mater Update-- happy to say... Syracuse (26-6) took the extended NY invitational (its "quadrant" in the tourney had Rutgers, Seton Hall and St. Johns)-- pushing past the Red Storm 79-73 thanks to a 16-7 finishing kick. Brandon Triche had the game many felt he needed to have for this team to succeed in the halfcourt... and Fab Melo may be actually starting to live up to the outsized expectations that only come with the names "Fab" and "Melo". SU plays UConn in the semifinals-- and many are hyping this as "the first Big East Tournament meeting between these two schools since their six overtime affair"... as if it was Georgetown-Villanova in the NCAA Tournament. It's only been two years!

George Washington (17-14) was upset in the first round of the Atlantic Ten tournament... slipping in overtime to St. Joseph's 71-59. They were lucky to get to the extra session-- trailing by 14 in the second half. Tony Taylor tallied 22 points... but that wasn't enough for one of the area's more lacking offensive teams (276th in scoring, 284th in shooting). Now it's on to the NIT or CBI or whatever the Zeppo of second tier tournaments is called.

Howard (6-24) wrapped up the season with a 68-53 loss in the first round of the MEAC Tournament to Norfolk State... actually leading 39-32 before missing 14 straight shots. If you thought GW had offensive issues-- wait until you hear about the toothless Bison. 341st in scoring, 342nd in shooting and 343rd in assists.

Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- the cookie crumbles after a weekend washout...

Sunday's monsoon in DC was symbolic of the type of weekend the college basketball teams had (with GW the exception)...: from the Maryland Womens' team's loss to Georgia Tech in the ACC Quarterfinals to American's thriller with Lafayette... local teams had their heads handed to them-- with underwhelming and sometimes maddening results. Not the way you want to go into March. Much like learning your mom bought 5 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies--only to find out they're the experimental flavor "Thank You Berry Much". More on my cookie bracket later... :

Maryland (18-12, 7-9) ended its regular season with a 74-60 thud against Virginia. Lack of intensity hurt the Terps early-- and the inability to contain Sammy Zeglinski (6-7 from three point range, 25 points) helped ruin senior day. Now the Terps tangle with tenth place North Carolina State-- a school that dropped four of its last five games. Maryland won the regular season matchup 87-80 on February 20th. Jordan Williams and Terrell Stoglin need to carry this team like they did that night (combining for 51 points) if the Terps are to advance to the quarterfinals-- where Duke awaits. Maybe Saturday wasn't senior day after all.

Cruising the Commonwealth-- Somewhere there must be a magnet inside Virginia Tech (19-10, 9-7) that magically finds the bubble each year... from every imaginable direction. The Hokies shot just 31% in a 69-60 battle for the bye against Clemson... Jeff Allen having a nightmare of a game: 1 for 5 with 8 turnovers against the Tigers. As the sixth seed the Hokies will face Georgia Tech (VT won 102-77 in Blacksburg February 13th)... needing wins against the Yellowjackets and then against Florida State in the quarterfinals to feel better about their NCAA hopes. Virginia (16-14, 7-9) finished the regular season with a flourish-- the triumph over Maryland was the Cavaliers' fourth win in five games with the last two coming by double digits. As the 8th seed they face Miami (the ACC's most unpredictable team) with the winner playing North Carolina in the quarterfinals.

Georgetown (21-9, 10-8) heads to New York City with a point guard in doubt and a team in a tailspin... averaging 23.6 points per half since Chris Wright went on the shelf the first time they played Cincinnati. The senior simply got hurt at the wrong time-- if he misses DePaul or South Florida-- the Hoyas probably eke out a win--but not so against the rapidly improving Bearcats (5-1 down the stretch) or streaking Syracuse (5-0 finish). Can the 8th seeded Hoyas turn things around in time to tangle with the UConn-DePaul winner? Legally I have to have the Blue Demons as an option although they finished 1-17 in league play.

Alma Mater Update-- I've been reminded that last year Georgetown advanced to the Big East Finals as an 8th seed... and I also remember burning my styrofoam bracket cup after the Orange lost to the Hoyas in that one. Thanks for the memories. This year Syracuse (25-6, 12-6) enters MSG as the #4 seed... meaning they'll meet the survivor of the St. John's-Seton Hall-Rutgers trio in the quarterfinals. They're also the hottest team in the conference which never bodes well... and the false sense of security from a 107-59 thumping of DePaul is never good. A game with the Red Storm would bring back memories of the 1986 finals-- the Johnnies won the title but Pearl Washington won the hearts of the MSG fans. Thanks for the memories.

George Mason (26-6) after cruising through the final month of the regular season fell in the CAA Semifinals to Virginia Commonwealth 79-63 Sunday... a 21-3 first half run by the Rams was the difference-- VCU using the three-pointer to provide the cushion (11-25 from outside the arc). GMU drops to 0-5 against the Rams in the CAA Tournament--ouch-- but still should be in the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team. Problem is, where? I could see them slipping from a 6 to an 8 or 9. The Patriots were interviewed last week about being disrespected despite having the nation's longest winning streak at 15. That won't be the interview topic this week, rest assured.

George Washington (17-13, 10-6)-- thanks, Colonials, for being the only area team not to fall this past weekend. Instead, coach Karl Hobbs' crew wins for the fifth time in six games-- Saturday's 60-58 defeat of Dayton delivered GW its first double digit conference win season since 2007. Tony Taylor's 17 points was punctuated by two late free throws to provide the final cushion. With the 5th seed they face St. Joseph's in the first round of the Atlantic Ten Tournament-- GW took the regular season meeting 78-71 January 8th behind 20 points from Taylor and five players in double figures. A win sets up a quarterfinal clash with Duquesne.

American (22-9) dropped a heartbreaking 73-71 double overtime duel to Lafayette (eight days after defeating the Leopards in double-OT) after Jim Mower canned a three pointer with under a second remaining. The Eagles shot 39 percent from the field and 19 percent from three point range; Vlad Moldeveanu scored 25 points while Stephen Lumpkins added 19 points and 11 rebounds. AU now awaits its postseason destination: maybe the NIT or CBI?


Girl Scout Cookie Rankings-- every March the magic comes together: you know full well about the Shamrock Shakes and the NCAA Tournament... Girl Scout Cookies complete the best trio since the rock group Cream. As always, there are those who have personal feelings about which cookie is best-- and even if your opinion is wrong I accept it because somebody has to buy those flavors that suck.

1--Tagalongs...I know, the Thin Mint contingent will be up in arms. But Tagalongs provide versatility only peanut butter immersed in chocolate can. Can be consumed in both uptempo and half-court settings. Thin Mints are great-- but a one trick pony (although that's quite a trick).

2--Thin Mints... the standard-bearer that you can run through a whole sleeve of in one sitting. Nobody fastbreaks like the TM's... although if you're playing slow-down, their weakness can be exploited (nobody liked the adoption of the shot clock more than Thin Mints in 1985).

3--Samoas... although they're called Caramel dee-Lites in some areas... which is just stupid. The motion offense of cookies-- with all the coconut, caramel and chocolate blending in a series of passes and screens... they're tough to keep track of on each tasting possession. Can they run with the Thin Mints? Not exactly, but Samoas rebound better.

4--Do Si Dos... the redundancy department of redundancy. If you like peanut butter, this is for you. It has that power in the post that only massive amounts of peanut butter can provide-- plays the ultimate physical game with your stomach. If you don't like peanut butter-- this might not be the cookie for you.

5--Trefoils... the traditional shortbread cookie is the original and has its moments-- but has trouble keeping up with the newer cookies over a 40-minute game. Fundamentally sound-- but plays completely under the rim.

While any of the "Fab Five" can contend in any given year-- the next six are lucky to get one victory each March from me-- if that.

6--Dulce de Leche... not to be confused with the Haagen Dasz Ice cream flavor I once wrote a song about (to the tune of "Besame Mucho")... its not a bad cookie but the caramel chips give you just enough to wish they were bigger.

7--Lemonades... okay, they're lemon cookies. Not getting it.

8--Lemon Chalet Cremes... why do you have two lemon flavored cookies? You do know you're cutting the lemon-loving market in two.

9--Shout Outs!... Anytime an exclamation point is in the title of anything, beware.

10--Thanks-a-Lot... a cookie so not awesome they actually pre-thank you for buying them.

11--Thank U Berry Much...despite the fact you're making it okay for young girls to spell the word "you" "U"-- berries in a cookie? No, thank you.

Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- Think I'm Shakin' for Two Tickets

Once upon a time ... New York City cop Ed Mahoney turned to a life of music and gave Album Oriented Rock radio a slew of high-octane hits before doing a profitable but ill-advised duet with Ronnie Spector-- before vanishing to the B-list of hardworking musicians. His story should be the focus of the new movie "Take Me Home Tonight"-- but instead it's a romcom starring Topher Grace. Why couldn't they string together Eddie Money's hits like they did for "Mama Mia"? I mean-- "Two Tickets to Paradise"... "Shakin'"... "Think I'm in Love"-- the script practically writes itself. Would it be that much worse than the actual movie they produced? Unfortunately if this movie succeeds I now dread what will come next: "Last Christmas"--starring Owen Wilson as the architect successful at business but unable to build a romantic life... Amy Adams as the office manager with glasses and a ponytail who's perfect for him... Ed Helms as the wacky sidekick you just can't get enough of... and Jessica Biel as the ice princess who dumped Owen that fateful December 26th.

On to the Beltway-- where more than a few scripts took a beating with massive rewrites... and a few productions had location problems...:

Maryland (18-12, 7-8--#7 in the ACC with a first round game against NC State) lost a "can't lose" game in Miami... allowing the Hurricanes to shoot 55% from the field while Jordan Williams hit just 3 of 17 shots in a defeat that almost ensures the Terps need to win the ACC Tournament to make the NCAA's. And with an improving Virginia team on the horizon... Senior Day at Comcast might not be the final game in College Park for the Terrapin seniors.

Cruising the Commonwealth-- THUD! Great followup to that win over Duke, Virginia Tech (19-9, 9-6--#4 with an ACC QF game against Clemson or Wake Forest))... a 76-61 loss to bubblicious Boston College where the Hokies were HANDLED on the boards (outrebounded 38-22). Now coach Seth Greenberg's team visits Clemson in what turns out to be a game for a first round bye... and a Hokie loss coupled with a Boston College win over last place Wake Forest gives them a 6th seed. Virginia (15-4, 6-9--#9 with a first round game against Miami) stays in NIT contention... 3 wins in 4 games has the Cavaliers playing at a level far above their early season wanderings. Although this is a team that has more than a few 40-point efforts to their credit (4 in ACC play)-- with another one sure to be out there.

Georgetown (21-8, 10-7--#8 in the Big East with a second round game against the winner of #9 Connecticut-#16 DePaul) has a full week to reinvent its offense in wake of losing guard Chris Wright for the moment. Now Comcast Sportsnet's Ron Thompson facebooked that Wright is healing more quickly than expected. One would think he'd have a better idea than most. Regardless, they face a Cincinnati team that held them to 26 first half points with Wright in the lineup... and one that is surging up the standings with four wins in five games. Unlike the Hoyas firm of Freeman & Wright... the Bearcats boast more balance: five players who average between 8.5 and 11.2 points a game.

Alma Mater Update-- St John's loss to Seton Hall opened up the door for Syracuse (24-6, 11-6--#4 with a quarterfinal date against the Red Storm/Seton Hall/Rutgers) to claim the famed double bye in the Big East Tournament. All the Orange have to do is defeat DePaul (7-22, 1-16). In the Carrier Dome. Gentlemen: please cover Jeremiah Kelly and Jimmy Drew-- both are hitting 35% of their threes. Meanwhile, Sign of the Whale's Wing Basket is the preferred snack of choice during the games-- as long as you take care of things in post-op.

George Mason (25-5, 16-2) plays Georgia State Saturday in the CAA Quarterfinals; the Patriots beat the Panthers by 14 in Fairfax and by 7 in the the peach state. Cam Long was the key--12 of his 18 points came in the second half of a home win and 5 of his 19 came in the final minute of the road victory. Lurking in the shadows are the #2 and 3 seeds... Old Dominion (faded in February) and Hofstra (surged on the backstretch) both can beat the Patriots--and did: the Pride on January 5th and the Monarchs on January 8th.

George Washington (16-13, 9-6--#5 in the Atlantic Ten with a first round game against St. Joseph's) rallied from an early deficit at Rhode Island and posted its first win against a school with a winning A-10 mark-- despite hitting just 1-of-13 three pointers (it was a rough night from longrange: the Rams hit 3 of 15 from outside the arc). Tony Taylor tallied 23 points notched 4 assists plus 4 steals to lead the way... and the Colonials need a win over Dayton or a Rhode Island loss at St. Bonaventure to lock up 5th place in the conference.

Maryland Womens' Moment-- After scraping to a first round bye in the ACC Tournament, few expected an early exit from the quarterfinals--always physical Georgia Tech topped the Terps 70-64. Maryland was outrebounded 35-22 and committed 23 turnovers. Primary post presence Lynetta Kizer was held to 9 points on 1 of 6 shooting. Now the question is-- where will the Terps land in the NCAA Tournament? They were ranked 15th nationally entering the ACCs... and you'd think they would be a low #4 or high #5 seed. Regardless of seed or region, the Terps will begin their tournament run at the Comcast Center.

American (22-8) plays Lafayette in the Patriot League Semifinals Sunday after taking care of Colgate in the quarterfinals-- a 69-53 win where the hammer (Vlad Moldoveanu scored 31 points) and the anvil (Stephen Lumpkins tallied 19 points and 15 rebounds) pounded the Raiders into submission. The Leopards (12-18, 6-8) are fresh in the Eagles mind-- AU won 95-92 in double overtime on the final day of the regular season. Right now the focus for coach Jeff Jones is to convince Lumpkins about his upside; the forward averaged a double double during the season but Jones thinks the junior is just scratching the surface.

Howard (6-23, 4-12) faces Norfolk State in the MEAC Tournament first round March 9th... trying to bounce back from a regular season where they ranked 341st in scoring, 340th in shooting and 341st in assists. The Bison lost by 10 at home and by 8 on the road in the season series thanks to 21 and 23 points from Spartan swingman Rob Hampton.

Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- and the envelope please...

Was Oscar night as disjointedly amazing for you as it was for me? For some reason the Anne Hathaway/James Franco combo seemed better suited for hosting "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve"-- not that that isn't something to be aspired for. Once you got out of the way that Hathaway was trying too hard and Franco wasn't trying at all you were fed the usual fare-- as period pieces, daring performances and technological envelope pushing were rewarded. Meanwhile the beltway boasted fine performances... with some schools struggling on the big stage or minus key actors.


Shamrock Shake Update-- already on a Charlie Sheen like roll through the district and dominion with 6 Shammys consumed: 2 on 1800ish M Street, 1 at the Verizon Center and 3 on Rte 28 in Centreville, Virginia. Old Line State, be warned. Word is too that because of last year's bitter winter the Shamrock harvest was blessed with bonus minty goodness-- or they're simply using green dye #2138 instead of #2243.


Maryland (18-11, 7-7-- 7th in the ACC with a first round game against Virginia) never led in an 87-76 loss at #19 North Carolina. Allowing 19 offensive rebounds and being unable to contain the Tar Heel fast break doomed the Terps in Chapel Hill; but keep in mind that nobody in the ACC is playing as well as UNC is nowadays. The Terps have to win at Miami and at home against Virginia plus tally two ACC tounament victories (Terps are 3-6 in ACC's since winning the 2004 tourney as a #6 seed) to feel good about their NCAA prospects.

Best Animated Feature-- Okay, so Gary Williams is on his way to the Hall of Fame... and he's doing his usual fine job meshing massive inexperience with a subpar senior class (they can't all be Greivis, Eric and Landon-- I'd even settle for Dave Neal). But there is nobody more fun to watch on the sidelines on so many levels. There's involved coaching and committed coaching. In other words, coach-- you take our first award of the night.

Cruising the Commonwealth-- Bye-bye, bubble! Virginia Tech (19-8, 9-5-- #4 with a quarterfinal contest against the Clemson-Wake Forest winner) defeated #1 in the nation Duke, using a 15-4 run to take command in the second half. With winnable but challenging games against Boston College and Clemson on the slate, the Hokies are far from a lock for the final 68 but a signature win is like a red flag on the resume. Virginia (14-14, 5-9--#10 with a first round game against Maryland) essentially has a "9th place game" on tap with North Carolina State-- whoever wins gets the tiebreaker regardless of what happens this weekend.

Best Supporting Actor-- every so often you have a performer who outshines the rest of the cast on a consistent basis... for instance, Kevin Spacey dominates every frame of The Usual Suspects yet wound up in the Supporting Category (deserved win). Jeff Allen was supposed to help Malcolm Delaney guide the Hokies to greatness this winter... and he's been the team's best player since ACC play began. Just like Spacey carried Stephen Baldwin-- Allen's getting the Hokies past the bubble..."the strangest thing..."

Georgetown (21-8, 10-7--#6 in the Big East with a round of twelve game against Cincinnati) lost a heartbreaker on Senior Day to Syracuse 58-51... even minus heart and soul point guard Chris Wright the Hoyas were able to rally past the Orange 45-43 with 10 minutes remaining before hitting an offensive wall: 1-for-13 from the field with four turnovers. Was it as many fans may say an "asterisk" win? Only if you want to give back that win from 2007-08 when the Orange were without Devendorf and Rautins. More importantly-- the Hoyas face a Cincinnati squad that held them to 46 points this Saturday... and they have to face the Bearcats on the road.

Best Adapted Screenplay-- with Wright on the mend... the Georgetown team that dominated the middle stretch of Big East play will be massively modified. In a week when practice is usually fine-tuning, coach John Thompson III will be doing some serious revamping. How well the Hoyas handle plan B over the next few weeks will determine how deep they'll go at MSG and into March.

Alma Mater Update-- (24-6, 11-6-#5 with a round of twelve game against Seton Hall). A huge sigh of relief from suite 305 and my fellow SU peeps during that 15-6 finising run. Scoop Jardine remains a mysterious enigma wrapped in a riddle (although last week he was an enigmatic riddle wrapped in a mystery) taking the classic "NO--NO-YES!" shots... notching 17 points and 7 assists. I would like for SU for give Kris Joseph more touches in the post... for some reason the Orange's leading scorer has notched 3 single digit efforts in the last 5 games-- not an ideal trend. Now if the Orange can dispose of last-place DePaul Saturday and get help-- SU may get the famed "double-bye" at the Big East Tournament (one of the reasons I oppose future expansion is the potential creation of the "bye-bye-bye").

Costume Design-- to the Big East for dressing up the last four pigs in the cellar of the standings as "Big East Tournament Teams"-- Rutgers, Providence, South Florida and DePaul are a combined 11-53 (!) in league play... I want to see those four teams on a Tuesday? And if something strange happens in MSG (as it often does in March)-- do I want to see a 10-win South Florida team playing anytime, anywhere? They'll have 18 conference games to prove they're not in the bottom 25% of the league. That's more than enough for me.

George Mason (25-5, 16-2--#1 in the CAA with a quarterfinal clash against UNC-Wilmington- Georgia State winner) ended its regular season with an exclamation point. No top seed to play for... on the road (where GMU has had issues over the years)... and against a Panther team that showed it could beat VCU back when the Rams were playing good basketball in January. And the Patriots prevailed 65-58 with Cam Long leading the way with 19 points... GMU is ready for the NCAA's-- the question is how high will they be seeded? ESPN has the Patriots 7th... CBS has them 8th (although I think it's a typo because they have Old Dominion 7th).

Best Direction-- putting together a cast of varied actors is a challenge. Getting everybody to buy into an ensemble effort is a test of diplomacy. Knowing how to get the most out of every man in the production is incredible when it happens-- and frustrating when it doesn't. Jim Larranaga's ability to stir in the right ingredients at the right time during a 40-minute motion picture has been masterful this winter. Case in point-- freshman Vertrail Vaughns has come alive with four double digit scoring efforts over the last five games. Wasn't that the shirt Theo Huxtable wanted to buy on the Cosby Show?

George Washington (15-13, 8-6--#6 in the Atlantic Ten with a first round game against St. Louis) was 20 minutes away from ruining it's status as the mid-major thermometer... leading #24 Temple by three at intermission. Unfortuately, the Colonials collapsed at the Smith Center... shooting 6-for-33 in the second half en route to a 57-41 loss to the Owls. And the final week doesn't get that much easier for coach Karl Hobbs (18-10 Rhode Island followed by 19-10 Dayton).

Best Writing (Orignal Screenplay)-- I have a chance to read and follow a lot of college football and basketball in the Washington, D.C. region... and although I enjoy the Post and Examiner- I miss the Washington Times. The former "other sports section" had the better NCAA Tournament Preview (the Post gave you more but the Times was easier to digest the whole bracket)... and I always looked forward to what Maryland beat writer Patrick Stevens would dissect next. Thank goodness Patrick still writes about college athletics on "d1scourse.com"-- the 400-level course for those of my readers who want more than my HOOP 107.

Maryland Womens' Minute-- the Terps 78-69 victory at Boston College not only avenged their most lackluster shooting night of the winter (28-85FG, 12-27FT and 5-20 from three point range)...but also gave Coach Brenda Frese's team a 9-5 ACC mark and a first round bye in this week's tournament...the first round opponent the winner of Georgia Tech-Virginia Tech. And this came from a young team with no seniors many were saying was a year away.

Best Supporting Actress-- Alyssa Thomas is the likely freshman of the year... Lynetta Kizer is the most polished performer... and Kim Rodgers is the perfect infusion of points off the pine... but Anjale Barrett's steady hand at the point has been the glue that's kept this team winning while maturing-- even in the first semester when ten Terrapins averaged at least 17 minutes a game. Her numbers aren't Kristi Tolliveresque (just 6 points and 4 assists a game)... but Barrett's leadership on both ends of the floor allows for the rest of the team to just play.

American (21-8, 11-3--#2 in the Patriot League with a quarterfinal game against Colgate) wrapped up its regular season with a 95-92 overtime thriller at Lafayette... giving coach Jeff Jones enough ammunition for the next few Eagles practices. AU beat the Raiders by nine in both of their regular season matchups-- with Vlad Moldeveanu scoring 26 points on the road and Stephen Lumpkins netting 27 points at home.

Best Foreign Feature-- Okay... so this one was pretty easy. Not as easy as Gary Williams for Animated Feature, but close. Vlad Moldeveanu has averaged 19 points and 6 rebounds a game while shooting 36% from three point range. I often commend the complimentary play of Stephen Lumpkins (the anvil to Vlad's hammer) and Nick Hendra's clutch shooting and passing... but it all begins with the big man.

Howard (6-22, 4-11--#9 in the MEAC with a first round game against Delaware State) missed its final opportunity to take a true road game with a 73-63 loss at Maryland-Eastern Shore. The Bison turned the ball over 26 times and allowed a key 20-7 run in the second half where the Hawks took control. One bright spot in defeat: Anton Dickerson scored 25 points (including 5-of 8 from three point range)... the sophomore bouncing back from being held scoreless by Bethune-Cookman. Howard can still finish last in the league with a loss plus wins by UMES and South Carolina State... and the Bison have 20-8 Hampton remaining on their slate.

Best Makeup-- Coach Kevin Nickelberry had to rely on three sophomores during his first winter in the District. And although Mike Phillips, Dadrian Collins and Anton Dickerson have a lot more to learn-- the foundation for the future appears to be in place at Howard. Add to the mix Calvin Johnson -- who went out in November with a torn ACL-- and there's talented base to welcome coach Nickelberry's first full recruiting class. Although the Bison have had it rough recently, the right mix of players appear to be gelling at Burr Arena for a run next year.