MEN'S BB: Iowa Basketball Recruiting Heating Up

With just over two weeks left before the spring signing period, recruiting has really started to heat up for those programs with scholarships to fill. Iowa would just happen to be one of those programs wanting to do just that, considering they just lost four of their players before they were expected to leave.

So what's happening on the scene? A lot. Some of it we know about, much of it we don't. Here's some of the latest information.

CULLY PAYNE



If this name sounds familiar to those of you who follow Iowa Hawkeye Basketball recruiting, it's because the Iowa staff heavily recruited Cully after he decommitted from DePaul his junior year. At that time Iowa was one of the Top 3 for Payne's services, but ultimately he chose Alabama. Things changed, however, when Mark Gottfried stepped down from his coaching duties for the Crimson Tide. Bama went on to hire VCU's Anthony Grant and just recently Payne was allowed out of his LOI. That throws him back on the market. Washington State was another player in Payne's recruitment, however Tony Bennett has left that school for Virginia. It would seem that Iowa is in good shape with him. Payne will be in town tomorrow for visit, where a commitment isn't totally out of the question at this part of the game.

I am, by no means, trying to pimp Hawkeyenation.com, but if you aren't a paying member of the site, this would be the month to jump on board. Rob Howe has been doing a great job getting in touch with the recruits, and he has a gem of a interview with Cully Payne.

Rob Howe's Interview w/ Cully Payne (3/31): AUDIO - TRANSCRIPT

More info on Payne from ESPN - Definitely a recruit that fits what Iowa is looking for.

Cully injured his back this winter, so hopefully that isn't a chronic injury.

Don't be surprised if the coaching staff had this in play for some time, Payne's AAU coach has been quoted saying that Cully had made his decision a while ago.

MALCOLM ARMSTEAD



Still being told that Mac is the #1 priority for Iowa, and I don't blame them. They were recruiting him before they lost the services of Kelly, Peterson, and Davis. Now it's even more important for the staff to reel in a talented point guard. And while Payne might be able to fill that role, Iowa's backcourt is pretty limited with only Anthony Tucker and Devan Bawinkel returning. Someone with the speed and skills that Armstead possesses is exactly who the Hawks need in their lineup.

There are several guards to keep an eye on during the next few weeks leading up to the signing period. Their decisions could effect what Armstead decides to do. Rico Pickett and Melvin Goins are two JUCOs that both Tennessee and Kentucky are involved in (these schools are also looking at Armstead). Today, Goins committed to Tennessee, so that should effectively eliminate Bruce Pearl from landing Armstead. Kentucky is in the middle of a coaching change, so that, too, will help out Iowa. Julysses Nobles is another name to remember. Arkansas is looking at him for PG. If he commits, I don't see room for Armstead especially with Courtney Fortson on the team already. He is reportedly supposed to pick his school tonight, hopefully it will be Arkansas. Then it will likely be down to Iowa vs. Providence and a few other Big East and SEC schools for Armstead's services.

I thought it would hurt Iowa the longer it took, but with the way these other recruits are committing, it's actually helping Iowa, in my opinion.

If Iowa could land Armstead, they would have a starter at PG for the next three years.

TORYE PELHAM


He's still on the radar, but I personally don't buy the fact that he and Armstead are a package deal. I'm not saying the two aren't tight, they did play prep ball together and now at Chipola, but it's pretty hard to find a college that has two spots open for two JUCOs in the spring signing period. I'd love for Iowa to be that college, though. That said, I don't think they end up at the same school. Iowa can definitely use an athletic forward who can get up a la Doug Thomas.

Missouri has come knocking and with the style of play they have going on down there, it would seem like a logical fit for Pelham.

VINCENT WILLIAMS

PG who was thought to have been destined to go the prep school route has seen a bunch of offers come his way. Another Florida guard recruit possibility. Very slight of build, but has good skills. I just recently received this info from a friend and haven't looked into it much. Not even sure Iowa is really going after him, but it's a name that's out there. He may have to go prep route to refine his game and get stronger, though.

MEN'S BB: Lickliter wastes no time in trying to fill scholarships

With the 4 transfers, as well as the announcement the de-commitment of 2010 Marshalltown recruit, Chanse Creekmur, Lickliter and his assistants have been on the move. The departures were obviously not something that just suddenly sprung up on the coaching staff. They've been recruiting the JUCO ranks very hard the past month.

As previously mentioned, Malcolm Armstead is the key recruit for this staff. It looks good for a visit by Mac. Pegged as the best JUCO PG on the market, Armstead would bring the speed that this Iowa team desperately needs. SEASON HIGHLIGHT - VIDEO.

Another JUCO to look at is Torye Pelham, teammate of Armstead. They have talked about going to the same college after JUCO, so we'll see. At this point, Armstead is much more of a priority for Iowa. SEASON HIGHLIGHT - VIDEO.

Iowa also has their eye on several other JUCOs.

Zach McCabe, teammate of Iowa commit Brennan Cougill, now holds an offer from Iowa, as well. It appears that Creekmur's loss is McCabe's gain.

Right now, Iowa has 3 recruits set to come in: May, Cougill, and Archie. They'll need one more to feel a little better about next year, two more would be ideal.

Then again, we could always bring in Tyrone:

MEN'S BB: It's (NOW) Official - Kelly, Palmer, Peterson, and Davis Leaving Iowa BB Program

No one can say for sure the reason why the mass exodus occurred at Iowa, but four players, including Iowa leading scorer and best player will not be back next year.

Jake Kelly, sophomore guard, is expected to head back to Indiana, possibly transfer to Indiana State.

Jeff Peterson, sophomore guard, frustrated by his role in the program is heading for an unknown destination.

David Palmer, junior forward, is on course to graduate in May and will not be returning to the program. A force out or voluntary leave? Not sure.

Jermain Davis, junior guard, is transferring to Mankato State as he was not happy with his role on the team either.

Black Wednesday was when this info came out - and today it becomes official.

So what's REALLY happening inside the program. This is the third straight year Iowa has had their best player leave the team (Smith, Freeman, Kelly). It's not like this system is easy to pick up or anything. Iowa is now even further behind the 8 ball now.

Recruiting had better get red-hot for Iowa or the Hawks will struggle in the non-conference this year, not to mention the drubbing in conference.

The door is WIDE OPEN for Malcolm Armstead to jump right into a starting role on this team at PG. He canceled his visit at Charlotte and one of his other suitor's, Kentucky, just fired their coach.

Other names are swirling out there, I just hope Iowa can land some of them and they are smart enough to pick up this, apparently, difficult system to pick up.

MEN'S BB: Lickliter to Address Media - LIVE COVERAGE VIA GAZETTE

http://www.gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090327/SPORTS/903279989/1056

Men's BB: It's (Sort of) Official, Jake Kelly Leaving Iowa

I've been pimped Doc's articles via Twitter the past 24 hours in regards to the news of transferring players, if you missed them, head to Scott Dochterman's blog.

His latest article talks about the players leaving, esp. Jake Kelly. Looks like he is right in line with everything.

All that talk looks to have become the truth. Although nothing "official" has been released yet, the Terre Haute News has talked to Bob Kelly (Jake's dad, not the comedian, but that's not to say Jake's dad doesn't have a sense of humor) and he revealed that Jake has asked for his release from the Iowa Basketball program.

Now Todd Lickliter doesn't necessarily have to honor the release request, however with what we saw happen with Tyler Smith and his family situation it's likely he'll grant it. Then again, I can't help but think Coach Lickliter is pleading with Jake to stay on with his squad.

I have been hoping that we haven't seen the last of Jake Kelly in an Iowa Hawkeye uniform, but it looks like nothing but bad news for Hawk fans.

MEN'S BB: It's Official, Jermain Davis Transferring to Mankato State

Some great audio here from Rob Howe from Hawkeyenation, who has been working overtime the past day with all of the rumors swirling around the Iowa Hawkeye Basketball program.

DAVIS LEAVING IOWA



A very, very interesting interview and it brings up a ton of questions.

Press-Citizen article on Jermain's departure

Jermain is a class act, however, and I wish him all the best at Mankato State.
Hell, I might even go over and watch him play once or twice next year.

MEN'S BB: Several Hawkeye Players Rumored to Be Leaving (Including Jake Kelly)

Several stories have come out last last night and into today reporting that Iowa will be losing several of their players from this year's squad. Jake Kelly transferring to Indiana State?

Rob Howe from Hawkeyenation was in talks with Jake:

When asked the same question on Wednesday, Kelly responded with “I really can’t say right now.”

He was then asked if there was a possibility he might transfer, and he said “I’d really rather not talk about it right now.”

Kelly then said he would be able to say something on the subject soon. He confirmed that he would likely discuss it by early next week at the latest.

Does NOT sound good for Iowa's chances to keep him at Iowa. He's gone by all indications.

Doc had a write up on this morning, as well.

It's also rumored that a couple more guys will be leaving, further depleting the roster.

Not good. Not good at all, folks.

Ouch.

So now it's likely that Lickliter has lost his best player in back to back years due to transferring out.

It's also been reported that 2010 verbal commit, Chanse Creekmur from Marshalltown, has decommitted from Iowa, as well.

Can My 8 Month Son Pick the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Bracket Better Than Me? The Secret to Filling Out Your Bracket

Last year it was the infamous Triscuit Cracker Box that went up against me...



And it FAILED MISERABLY.

This year another contender steps up to the plate to prove once and for all that filling out your bracket might just be a glorious crap shoot.

Here was the premise. I printed out all of the teams (with their record to help him out, of course) and presented him with each matchup as it came up. I randomly chose which side each team was presented to him to avoid biasing the results.

The winner of the round was determined by staying in play the longest on the table.

Rulings included:

• First team to be tossed off the table was out.
• First team to be eaten (or inserted into the mouth) was out.
• In the event of a tie, the top facing team in the mouth was out.
• The NCAA Champion was selected by the first team chosen of the two contenders.

Let's Go! (NOTE: All pics are clickable for larger images)


Studying the Field

FIRST ROUND


Morehead State was the first to fall.



Ohio State suffered the same fate. Perhaps he has a vendetta against the State colleges?


Usually he likes Hug(gin)s, but the little man took down the Mountaineers


Midwest: First round winners


He just HAD to take down his dad's alma mater, didn't he?


West: First round winners


East: First round winners


South: First round winners


END OF FIRST ROUND - He managed to keep three 1 seeds, three 2 seeds, and three 3 seeds.

SECOND ROUND


And DOWN GOES MICHIGAN STATE! Literally...


Sweet Sixteen, Baby! All the 3 seeds were knocked off, two 1 seeds and two 2 seeds still alive... and in all honesty, that West Region could really happen.

THIRD ROUND


Some of the Big Boys made it past the Sweet Sixteen.

FOURTH ROUND


A couple 5 vs 1 battles in the Final Four

FIFTH ROUND

Video coverage of the Final Four action:



Utah and FSU survive to play in the championship game - Two #5 seeds willed their way into the Championship Game.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Video footage of the exciting Championship Game:


And the winner is....


.............................


UTAH!



Congratulations to the Utes out of the Mountain West Conference!

QUEUE THE MONTAGE!


Here are the brackets (clickable for bigger image) -

Pax's:


Mine:


I am really torn on the West. I think Missouri has a legitimate chance to get to the Final Four. Here's my alternate bracket:

MEN'S BB: JUCO Forward Devon Archie Verbals to the Iowa Hawkeye BB Program

So the Interwebs exploded today with the news that Iowa had offered Devon Archie, a JUCO forward out of Vincennes University. And then Devon verballed to play basketball for the Iowa Hawkeyes.


(Photo courtesy of Scout.com)

That name sounded a little familiar to me, so I had to go back into the archives. Sure enough, I posted a YouTube video of Devon almost two years ago. Problem is, it was a highlight film dunk of Jake Kelly dunking on him. I wonder if that will be awkward the next time they meet?

So back to the recruit. A lot of rumbling that this kid is a project and he can't help the program right now. I'll be honest, I don't know much about him. He's supposed to be a legit 6'9" body, but hasn't played organized ball that long (sound familiar?). I guess my hope is that maybe they redshirt him and then let him play 4 in 5. Not sure. However, if he doesn't redshirt, he might be athletic enough to help out Iowa's interior defense (one that will suffer greatly with Tate's departure). One thing that is undeniable is that the kid has mad hops, and will bring some big time athleticism. How will that work with Lickliter's system, though?

HoopsIndiana has a nice little article on the commit. So WHY Archie? Archie was one of the best prep players in the state of.... Indiana. At Ben Davis high school in... Indianapolis. Starting to make more sense now? It does for me.

Juco Junctions' Ranking, puts Archie as the #28 JUCO player in the nation.

But like I said, a lot of people questioning the recruiting capabilities of this staff. But answer me this.

What does Lickliter have to sell to the kids?

• Packed house? Nope.
• Great facilities? Nope.
• Lofty tradition? Nope.
• Beaches/Hot weather? Nope.
• Winning tradition under Lickliter at Iowa? Nope.

Really, the only selling points are playing time and a chance to resurrect a program. I can't see a lot of 4-5 star recruits jumping at that.

I personally don't know how to rebuild a program, but here are my thoughts. You go out and grab the hard working, versatile players that can play multiple positions. Get smart players, kids that can work well together. Focus on 2 and 3 star type of players that, when in the team environment, can succeed. Get the occasional 4 star if you can, but focus your efforts on the better 3 star type players. Don't go for the big time players, swing and miss (like a former coach of Iowa's) and then be left scrambling for players. Players like Kelly, Gatens, Cole, etc.. are the type of players, in my opinion, that you rebuild a program with. They will be 4 year players that aren't going to bolt to the NBA. They can help the new kids come in with the system and they give the staff 4 years of consistency. I don't believe rebuilding is an overnight deal for Iowa. Some schools have the tradition or coach to bring in the big boys right away, Iowa doesn't.

I think the way Lickliter is going is the way to go.

With the commitment, that fills up Iowa's class for 2009... or DOES IT? Iowa still looks to be recruiting Malcolm Armstead, one of the more promising PGs in the country, who plays on the JUCO powerhouse of Chipola CC. So if Armstead is still in the mix, that means someone goes, but who is it? David Palmer seems to be the most likely candidate. Then again, some of us were saying David would be leaving last year when Iowa was trying to make room for another recruit and he still remained on the team.

MEN'S BB: Who Needs the NCAA Tourney When You Have the N.I.T.?

At least that's what Google Trends is telling us...

MEN'S BB: 2009 NCAA Tournament & My Bubble Team Analysis (FINAL UPDATE)

STORMINSPANK'S BRACKETOLOGY

Final Look at Bubble Teams for 2009 and Projecting the NCAA Tourney Field.
This will likely be the last update, beside editing for the Big Ten champion.

UPDATES:
Mississippi State IN
Florida or Auburn OUT, I don't think both get in. I had Florida ranked higher than Auburn, but I like Auburn's play as of late, it will be tough to keep both in. It will have to be one of the two to be knocked out.


LAST FOUR IN:

Florida

Dayton

Creighton

San Diego State

LAST SIX OUT:

Auburn

Boston College

Arizona

Maryland

St Mary's

Penn State

TEAMS THAT I THINK ARE LOCKS/AUTOBIDS (parenthesis contain total number of bids for the conference; the first number is the locks and the second number is the total bids the conference will get as of right now).

LOCKS

NUMBER ONE SEEDS: NORTH CAROLINA, UCONN, MEMPHIS, LOUISVILLE

Am East (1/1) - BINGHAMTON
ACC (5/5) - DUKE, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida State
A. Sun (1/1) - ETSU
A-10 (2/3) - TEMPLE, Xavier
Big East (7/7) - LOUISVILLE, UConn, Pittsburgh, Marquette, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia
Big Sky (1/1) - PORTLAND STATE
Big South (1/1) - RADFORD
Big Ten (4/7) - Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue, Ohio State
Big 12 (6/6) - MISSOURI, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M
Big West (1/1) - CSN or PACIFIC
CAA (1/1) - VCU
CUSA (1/1) - MEMPHIS
Horizon (1/2) - CLEVELAND STATE
Ivy (1/1) - CORNELL
MAAC (1/1) - SIENNA
MAC (1/1) - AKRON
MEAC (1/1) - MORGAN STATE
MVC (1/2) - NORTHERN IOWA
MWC (2/3) - UTAH, BYU
NEC (1/1) - ROBERT MORRIS
OVC (1/1) - MOREHEAD STATE
Patriot (1/1) - AMERICAN
Pac-10 (5/5 ) - USC, UCLA, Arizona State, Washington, California
SEC (3/4) - MISSISSIPPI STATE, LSU, Tennessee
Southern (1/1) - CHATTANOOGA
Southland (1/1) - SF AUSTIN
Summit (1/1) - NORTH DAKOTA STATE
SWAC (1/1) - ALABAMA STATE
Sun Belt (1/1) - WESTERN KENTUCKY
WCC (1/1) - GONZAGA
WAC (1/1) - UTAH STATE

CAP/BOLD TEAMS WON THEIR CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

BUBBLE TEAMS

8 spots are up for grabs - 29 teams up for the spots.

65 teams - 57 listed above = 8 bubble teams.

Those teams IN are noted with an asterisk (*).

ACC:
Miami
Boston College
Maryland
Virginia Tech

A10:
Dayton *
Rhode Island

BIG EAST:
Providence

BIG TEN:
Wisconsin *
Michigan *
Minnesota *
Penn State
Northwestern

BIG XII:
Kansas State
Nebraska

C-USA:
UAB
Tulsa

HORIZON:
Butler *

MVC:
Creighton *
Illinois State

MWC:
UNLV
New Mexico
San Diego State *

PAC-10:
Arizona

SEC:
Auburn
South Carolina
Florida *
Kentucky

SOUTHERN:
Davidson

WCC:
St. Mary's

MEN'S BB: 2009 NCAA Tournament & My Bubble Team Analysis (Saturday Night Update)

STORMINSPANK'S BRACKETOLOGY

2nd Official Look at Bubble Teams for 2009 and Projecting the NCAA Tourney Field.
This will likely be the last update, as tomorrow's games really have limited bearing on the field.

UPDATES:
Oklahoma State moves from Bubble to Lock.
Wisconsin moves from Lock to Bubble.
Ohio State moves from Bubble to Lock.
Utah State moves from Bubble to Lock.
Penn State OUT.
St. Mary's OUT.
Arizona OUT.
Auburn IN.
SDSU IN.
USC IN.
Temple IN.

LAST FIVE IN:

Florida

Dayton

Creighton

Auburn

San Diego State

LAST FIVE OUT:

Boston College

Arizona

Maryland

St Mary's

Penn State

TEAMS THAT I THINK ARE LOCKS/AUTOBIDS (parenthesis contain total number of bids for the conference; the first number is the locks and the second number is the total bids the conference will get as of right now).

LOCKS

NUMBER ONE SEEDS: NORTH CAROLINA, UCONN, MEMPHIS, LOUISVILLE

Am East (1/1) - BINGHAMTON
ACC (5/5) - North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida State
A. Sun (1/1) - ETSU
A-10 (2/3) - TEMPLE, Xavier
Big East (7/7) - UConn, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Marquette, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia
Big Sky (1/1) - PORTLAND STATE
Big South (1/1) - RADFORD
Big Ten (4/7) - Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue, Ohio State
Big 12 (6/6) - Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M
Big West (1/1) - CSN or PACIFIC
CAA (1/1) - VCU
CUSA (1/1) - MEMPHIS
Horizon (1/2) - CLEVELAND STATE
Ivy (1/1) - CORNELL
MAAC (1/1) - SIENNA
MAC (1/1) - AKRON
MEAC (1/1) - MORGAN STATE
MVC (1/2) - NORTHERN IOWA
MWC (2/3) - UTAH, BYU
NEC (1/1) - ROBERT MORRIS
OVC (1/1) - MOREHEAD STATE
Patriot (1/1) - AMERICAN
Pac-10 (5/5 ) - USC, UCLA, Arizona State, Washington, California
SEC (2/4) - LSU, Tennessee
Southern (1/1) - CHATTANOOGA
Southland (1/1) - UTSA or SF AUSTIN
Summit (1/1) - NORTH DAKOTA STATE
SWAC (1/1) - ALABAMA STATE
Sun Belt (1/1) - WESTERN KENTUCKY
WCC (1/1) - GONZAGA
WAC (1/1) - UTAH STATE


CAP/BOLD TEAMS WON THEIR CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

BUBBLE TEAMS

9 spots are up for grabs - 29 teams up for the spots.

65 teams - 56 listed above = 9 bubble teams.

Those teams IN are noted with an asterisk (*).

ACC:
Miami
Boston College
Maryland
Virginia Tech

A10:
Dayton *
Rhode Island

BIG EAST:
Providence

BIG TEN:
Wisconsin *
Michigan *
Minnesota *
Penn State
Northwestern

BIG XII:
Kansas State
Nebraska

C-USA:
UAB
Tulsa

HORIZON:
Butler *

MVC:
Creighton *
Illinois State

MWC:
UNLV
New Mexico
San Diego State *

PAC-10:
Arizona

SEC:
Auburn *
South Carolina
Florida *
Kentucky

SOUTHERN:
Davidson

WCC:
St. Mary's

Ranking of the Bubble Teams (As of 3/14/2009)							9 Teams
Rank	Prev. Rank	+/-	Team	Conference	Overall	Conf	RPI	SOS	L10	Top 50 Record	Prev RPI	RPI Diiff
1	3	2	Butler	Horizon	26-5	15-3	22	94	7-3	2-1	24	2
2	6	4	Michigan	B10	20-13	9-9	43	11	5-5	6-10	42	-1
3	0	-3	Wisconsin	B10	19-12	10-8	48	12	7-3	4-10	48	0
4	10	6	Minnesota	B10	22-10	9-9	37	33	4-6	5-8	40	3
5	9	4	Florida	SEC	23-10	9-7	51	84	4-6	1-5	48	-3
6	4	-2	Dayton	A10	26-7	11-5	30	89	6-4	3-2	23	-7
7	12	5	Creighton	MVC	26-7	14-4	41	112	9-1	2-2	41	0
8	17	9	Auburn	SEC	22-11	10-6	59	67	9-1	2-3	66	7
9	21	12	SDSU	MWC	23-9	11-5	26	51	7-3	2-5	43	17
10	15	5	Boston College	ACC	22-11	9-7	56	58	5-5	4-5	56	0
11	8	-3	Arizona	P10	19-13	9-9	57	32	5-5	6-10	53	-4
12	20	8	Maryland	ACC	20-13	7-9	52	22	6-4	4-7	67	15
13	7	-6	St Mary's	WCC	26-6	10-4	47	148	7-3	2-3	45	-2
14	11	-3	Penn State	B10	22-11	10-8	67	87	5-5	6-9	64	-3
15	13	-2	UAB	CUSA	22-11	11-5	46	73	7-3	0-5	44	-2
16	18	2	UNLV	MWC	21-10	9-7	65	81	4-6	4-5	57	-8
17	14	-3	New Mexico	MWC	21-11	12-4	66	79	8-2	3-4	58	-8
18	23	5	Davidson	Southern	26-7	18-2	72	164	6-4	1-4	72	0
19	32	13	Virginia Tech	ACC	18-14	7-9	58	19	3-7	2-9	63	5
20	16	-4	South Carolina	SEC	21-9	10-6	63	93	5-5	1-4	49	-14
21	29	8	Tulsa	CUSA	24-10	12-4	61	108	8-2	3-6	61	0
22	22	0	Kansas State	B12	21-11	9-7	83	96	6-4	3-7	75	-8
23	26	3	Rhode Island	A10	22-10	11-5	68	122	7-3	2-5	65	-3
24	27	3	Nebraska	B12	18-12	8-8	78	57	6-4	4-8	68	-10
25	28	3	Providence	Big East	19-13	10-8	71	50	5-5	2-9	70	-1
26	30	4	Illinois State	MVC	24-9	11-7	45	106	5-5	2-2	46	1
27	31	4	Kentucky	SEC	20-13	8-8	79	60	4-6	3-4	81	2
28	25	-3	Northwestern	B10	17-13	8-10	74	45	4-6	6-10	69	-5
29	33	4	Miami	ACC	18-12	7-9	59	29	4-6	2-7	52	-7

Saturday Edtion of Storminspank's Bracketology Coming Later Tonight

Several changes (as always on the day before Selection Sunday).

Some off the top of my head are Wisconsin moving from a lock to on the bubble, but IN. Also Oklahoma State is easily a lock, and Ohio State is most certainly a lock, as well. There will also be bubble spots taken away as some conf. tourney champs have stolen them from others.

Later tonight, I will put out my updated list.

MEN'S BB: 2009 BIG TEN TOURNAMENT - Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Michigan Wolverines

VS.
GAME INFO: Thu., Mar. 12th, 2009 - 1:30 PM CST - Conseco Fieldhouse; Indianapolis, IN
IOWA: 15-16 (5-13, 10th); POM: 84; RPI: 112 / MICHIGAN: 19-12 (9-9, 7th); POM: 55; RPI: 42

TV COVERAGE: ESPN2 - Rumor has it even Erin Andrews will be there. Watch out for photoshoppers!
RADIO: Links
LINE - Iowa is a 5.5 point dog on a neutral court.

LIVE GAME BLOGS:
Hawkeyenation
GazetteOnline - Hlas and Dochterman
BlackHeartGoldPants

It's rubber match time.

The winner of this matchup has a very good shot at doing well in this tournament. Being on the 2 and 3 seed side is a huge benefit when neither of those seeds are the MSU Spartans. The 7/10 hole has been productive in the past in this tourney, as well, so history is behind it.

I have never liked how Iowa matches up with UM. Harris and Sims are two of the more talented and athletics guys in the Big Ten. However, if Tate can get his ankle shored up after that amazing one-legged performance last time out vs. PSU, Iowa will stick with the Wolves.

Iowa has been in almost every game this year, and with Jake Kelly at the point, the Hawks are much more explosive. I really enjoy watching Jake run the show, he can create a lot of opportunities for Iowa when he has the rock. I also love see both Tate and Cole out there at the same time - what a missed opportuniy that was this year!

This game really could go either way. I think the point spread is a bit high, but Lickliter has had his trouble beaten Beilein in the past.

TODAY'S PROJECTED HAWKEYE KILLER: Manny Harris. Jake destroyed him last time out. And although the Big Ten doesn't recognize it, Kelly is one of the best defenders in the Big Ten. Jake shut him down last time out and (reportedly) forced Beilein to bench his star player in the overtime session. I think Manny is out for redemption in this one.

PREDICTION:
Iowa - 65
Michigan - 69

MEN'S BB: 2009 Big Ten Tournament Predictions

I think whomever wins the Iowa-UM game has a VERY good shot at doing some damage. The problem is, I think UM wins it today. Here's how I see the bracket:

MEN'S BB: 2009 NCAA Tournament & My Bubble Team Analysis (Wednesday Night Update)

STORMINSPANK'S BRACKETOLOGY

Initial Look at Bubble Teams for 2009 and Projecting the NCAA Tourney Field

TEAMS THAT I THINK ARE LOCKS/AUTOBIDS (parenthesis contain total number of bids for the conference; the first number is the locks and the second number is the total bids the conference will get as of right now).

As always, it is assumed for the major conferences that the locks will contain the conf. tourney champion. If someone who isn't a lock wins the conf. tourney, obviously a bubble spot is removed. The Bubble is very fluid the next couple days, a team like Ohio State can win it's first tourney game and they would then go to the lock category, or, as previously mentioned, a non-locked team could win its conf tourney, removing a bubble spot.

LOCKS

NUMBER ONE SEEDS: NORTH CAROLINA, UCONN, MEMPHIS, PITT

Am East (1/1) - UMBC or BINGHAMTON
ACC (5/5) - North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest , Clemson, Florida State
A. Sun (1/1) - ETSU
A-10 (1/2) - Xavier
Big East (7/7) - UConn, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Marquette, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia
Big Sky (1/1) - PORTLAND STATE
Big South (1/1) - RADFORD
Big Ten (4/8) - Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue, Wisconsin
Big 12 (5/6) - Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M
Big West (1/1) - AUTOBID
CAA (1/1) - VCU
CUSA (1/1) - Memphis
Horizon (1/2) - CLEVELAND STATE
Ivy (1/1) - CORNELL
MAAC (1/1) - SIENNA
MAC (1/1) - AUTOBID
MEAC (1/1) - AUTOBID
MVC (1/2) - NORTHERN IOWA
MWC (2/2) - Utah, BYU
NEC (1/1) - ROBERT MORRIS
OVC (1/1) - MOREHEAD STATE
Patriot (1/1) - AMERICAN or HOLY CROSS
Pac-10 (4/5 ) - UCLA, Arizona State, Washington, California
SEC (2/3) - LSU, Tennessee
Southern (1/1) - CHATTANOOGA
Southland (1/1) - AUTOBID
Summit (1/1) - NORTH DAKOTA STATE
SWAC (1/1) - AUTOBID
Sun Belt (1/) - WESTERN KENTUCKY
WCC (1/2) - GONZAGA
WAC (1/1) - AUTOBID (Should be Utah State, if it is, a Bubble spot opens up)


CAP/BOLD TEAMS WON THEIR CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

BUBBLE TEAMS

12 spots are up for grabs - 33 teams up for the spots.

65 teams - 31 automatic bid = 34 at large teams - 22 locks (I assume a lock wins the conf tourney)= 12 bubble teams. Or an easier way to look at it: 65 teams - 53 listed above = 12 bubble teams.

Those teams IN are noted with an asterisk (*).

ACC:
Miami
Boston College
Maryland
Virginia Tech

A10:
Dayton *
Temple
Rhode Island

BIG EAST:
Providence

BIG TEN:
Ohio State *
Michigan *
Minnesota *
Penn State *
Northwestern

BIG XII:
Oklahoma State *
Kansas State
Nebraska

C-USA:
UAB
Tulsa

HORIZON:
Butler *

MVC:
Creighton *
Illinois State

MWC:
UNLV
New Mexico
San Diego State

PAC-10:
Arizona *
USC

SEC:
Auburn
South Carolina
Florida *
Kentucky

SOUTHERN:
Davidson

WCC:
Utah State *

WCC:
St. Mary's *

Ranking of the Bubble Teams (As of 3/11/2009)							12 Teams
Rank	Prev. Rank	+/-	Team	Conference	Overall	Conf	RPI	SOS	L10	Top 50 Record	Prev RPI	RPI Diiff
1	NA	####	Oklahoma State	B12	21-10	9-7	25	9	7-3	3-9	25	0
2	NA	####	Ohio State	B10	20-9	10-8	36	31	6-4	5-8	36	0
3	NA	####	Butler	Horizon	26-5	15-3	24	94	7-3	2-1	24	0
4	NA	####	Dayton	A10	25-6	11-5	23	95	6-4	4-2	23	0
5	NA	####	Utah State	WAC	27-4	14-2	26	137	7-3	1-2	26	0
6	NA	####	Michigan	B10	19-12	9-9	42	10	5-5	6-9	42	0
7	NA	####	St Mary's	WCC	25-6	10-4	45	144	7-3	2-3	45	0
8	NA	####	Arizona	P10	19-12	9-9	53	32	6-4	5-8	53	0
9	NA	####	Florida	SEC	22-9	9-7	48	86	4-6	2-6	48	0
10	NA	####	Minnesota	B10	21-9	9-9	40	38	4-6	5-7	40	0
11	NA	####	Penn State	B10	21-10	10-8	64	82	5-5	6-8	64	0
12	NA	####	Creighton	MVC	26-7	14-4	41	107	9-1	3-2	41	0
13	NA	####	UAB	CUSA	21-10	11-5	44	75	8-2	0-5	44	0
14	NA	####	New Mexico	MWC	21-10	12-4	58	80	8-2	3-4	58	0
15	NA	####	Boston College	ACC	21-10	9-7	56	58	6-4	4-4	56	0
16	NA	####	South Carolina	SEC	21-8	10-6	49	93	6-4	1-5	49	0
17	NA	####	Auburn	SEC	21-10	10-6	66	71	8-2	2-5	66	0
18	NA	####	UNLV	MWC	21-9	9-7	57	85	5-5	4-4	57	0
19	NA	####	Temple	A10	19-10	11-5	39	49	7-3	1-5	39	0
20	NA	####	Maryland	ACC	18-12	7-9	67	27	5-5	2-7	67	0
21	NA	####	San Diego State	MWC	21-8	11-5	43	66	7-3	1-5	43	0
22	NA	####	Kansas State	B12	21-10	9-7	75	98	7-3	3-5	75	0
23	NA	####	Davidson	Southern	26-7	18-2	72	164	6-4	1-4	72	0
24	NA	####	USC	P10	18-12	9-9	59	30	4-6	2-8	59	0
25	NA	####	Northwestern	B10	17-12	8-10	69	45	5-5	6-9	69	0
26	NA	####	Rhode Island	A10	22-9	11-5	65	123	8-2	2-5	65	0
27	NA	####	Nebraska	B12	18-12	8-8	68	54	6-4	3-7	68	0
28	NA	####	Providence	Big East	19-12	10-8	70	47	4-6	2-7	70	0
29	NA	####	Tulsa	CUSA	22-9	12-4	61	97	8-2	2-6	61	0
30	NA	####	Illinois State	MVC	24-9	11-7	46	106	5-5	2-1	46	0
31	NA	####	Kentucky	SEC	19-12	8-8	81	62	3-7	4-6	81	0
32	NA	####	Virginia Tech	ACC	17-13	7-9	63	23	3-7	2-8	63	0
33	NA	####	Miami	ACC	18-11	7-9	52	24	4-6	2-7	52	0

NOTES: The Big Ten has a lot to lose in the Big Ten Tourney. Minnesota, Michigan, and Penn State can play themselves out of the Dance with a loss in the first round. While the SEC teams have everything to gain in their conf. tourney. Auburn and SC can punch their cards with a couple wins.

MEN'S BB: 2009 NCAA Tournament & My Bubble Team Analysis (Previous Results)

Over the past four years (and the original reason I set up this blog) I have made my predictions on who gets in and who stays home on Selection Sunday. During Championship Week, I usually unveil who I think is in/out. Normally at the end of February / beginning of March I put out my Bubble Watch - I slept on that this year. And even this post is about 4 days overdue. I am currently working on my list 65, including my shake of bubble teams.

Here's a look at previous years:

2008 - 64 out of 65 teams correctly picked. (98.7%, .981 overall)
2007 - 63 out of 65 teams correctly picked. (96.9%, .979 overall)
2006 - 63 out of 65 teams correctly picked. (96.9%, .985 overall)
2005 - 65 out of 65 teams correctly picked. (100%, 1.000 overall)

2009 picks to be released very soon.

MEN'S BB: Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Penn State Nittany Lions

VS.

SENIOR DAY

GAME INFO: Sat., Mar. 7th, 2009 - 1:05 PM CST - Carver-Hawkeye Arena; Iowa City, IA
IOWA: 14-16 (4-13, 10th); POM: 86; RPI: 105 / PENN STATE: 21-9 (10-7, 5th); POM: 77; RPI: 42

TV COVERAGE: BTN. Craig Coshun and Shon Morris will call the action.
RADIO: Links
GAME NOTES: HERE
LINE - Iowa is a 3 point favorite at home.

LIVE GAME BLOGS:
GazetteOnline
BlackHeartGoldPants

It's Senior Day. The crowd should be jacked. The players should remember what went down last time these two teams played. I do not expect any love lost between the Hawks and Lions.

I'm on the road today, so I am not going into depth in this prediction/preview. But I will say this, I like Iowa in this one and I like them big. I haven't been able to say that about this team since The Citadel game. PSU is a decent team, but I really like the matchup today.

TODAY'S PROJECTED HAWKEYE KILLER: None. Iowa is going to shut down the Lions, especially Talor Battle.

PREDICTION:
Iowa - 69
Penn State - 56

MEN'S BB: Steve Alford Finally Addresses Hawkeye Fans

All credit goes to esteemed Hawkeye fan, GumbyHawk, for this creation. It was too good to not pass along.

WARNING: NSFW due to language.

Enjoy.




http://www.xtranormal.com/watch?e=20090306193045768

MEN'S BB: Devan Bawinkel is 4th in the NATION

Devan Bawinkel is 4th in the nation in turnover%.

He's played something like 550+ minutes. And has just 8 turnovers.

http://kenpom.com/leaders.php?c=TORate

Sure, he's a set shooter, so he's not putting it on the floor much, but compared to others on the team, he just never turns it over.

Thought that was interesting.

Oh, and he was 1 three pointer away from the Iowa single game record tonight as he hit 8 treys, tying Justin Johnson's feat that was accomplished twice last year.

MEN'S BB: Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Ohio State Buckeyes

VS.
GAME INFO: Tues., Mar. 3rd, 2009 - 8:05 PM CST - Carver-Hawkeye Arena; Iowa City, IA
IOWA: 14-15 (4-12, 10th); POM: 82; RPI: 105 / OHIO STATE: 18-9 (8-8, 6th); POM: 46; RPI: 42

TV COVERAGE: BTN. Wayne Larrivee and Tim McCormick will call the action.
RADIO: Links
GAME NOTES: HERE
LINE - Iowa is a 1 point underdog at home.

LIVE GAME BLOGS:
Hawkeyenation
GazetteOnline
BlackHeartGoldPants

Iowa looks like a very capable team with Jake Kelly at the point. He is averaging over 20 points per game his last three games, this after having never eclipsed the 20 point in his collegiate career.

Jarryd Cole continues to impress me with his attitude, hard work, and spark he provides the team.

It's clear we won't see a 100% Cyrus Tate ever don the black and gold again for Iowa, but he's giving his all on the court. At one point in the first half, after picking up his third foul, Lickliter was about to sub in for him. Tate looked back at the bench and said something along the lines of, "Don't take me out. I'm not going to foul." Lickliter went with his captain's advice and Tate finished out the roughly 2 minutes of the half without committing a foul.

It sounds as if Peterson will suit, but not be available tonight again. Iowa misses his handle, but as previously mentioned, Jake Kelly has done more than an admirable job in his absence.

Ohio State is 3-6 on the road, and Iowa is 12-3 at home (losses all to Top 25 teams). The Buckeyes have lost 4 out of 5 and have effectively played themselves off the bubble for the NCAA tourney.

Iowa will likely have issues containing Ohio State's bigs in this one, but I think Tate and Cole can do a lot of damage control down low. The Hawks are going to need to rebound tonight.

Hlas writes that there are postseason ramifications for this game. While I agree on that Iowa has a shot at postseason, I think the Hawkeyes are already sitting very pretty to get to the postseason. Iowa has the best Pomeroy rating of any team in the nation at or below .500 (and better than quite a few teams above .500). They are right around the 80 mark, which arguably means at this time of the season Iowa is one of the top 80 teams in the nation. NIT is likely out, but either of the two other tourney would love to get Iowa.

Back to the game at hand - KenPom gives Iowa a 50% chance to win this game.

TODAY'S PROJECTED HAWKEYE KILLER: Jon Diebler. You can be sure that Jake Kelly is going to take Evan Turner, so that leaves likely Bawinkle on Diebler. Not good. It was not good to the tune of 27 points last time out vs. Iowa. Hopefully Lick sticks Gatens on Diebler.

I like Iowa in this one even if we only get 10K inside Carver.

PREDICTION:
Iowa - 66
Ohio State - 62