After two rounds, what have we learned?

With two rounds in the books, and the Sweet Sixteen set in stone, it is time to look back at the weekend that was in the NCAA Tournament.

Forty-eight teams have already headed home, leaving four cities to host four teams each.

Before we get to those eight games coming up later in the week, what was revealed to us, the participating, crying-because-our-brackets-are-crap (1oth and 11th out of 12 in my own pool) public over the past four days?

• The ACC was not worth a flying flip this year. I don't know how many ACC teams you had in your Sweet Sixteen, but I had five in one of my brackets. For starters, the Almost Competitive Conference went 3-4 in round one, with all four losses coming as the higher seed. Only North Carolina and Duke remain, barely, after Maryland got ran by a strong Memphis team. This was the number conference in RPI entering the tournament, yet the number four conference, the Big East, has five teams heading into the second weekend. Doesn't the RPI weigh heavily into who does and doesn't make the tournament?
• The SEC really did suck this year. After a 1-3 showing in the first weekend, the SEC doesn't have a team in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in twenty years. After talk began trying to blame the media for putting the SEC in a hole to begin the season, the regular season champ couldn't beat the fifth best team in the Big XII. The other two teams lost to the regular season champs of the Pac-1o and ACC, but the SEC got what it deserved this season.
• Can someone please give me some madness?!?!?! Out of the remaining sixteen teams, the top twelve schools still remain, and 14 of the top 16 are still alive. Of the two teams seemingly out of place, one is a five seed, the other a twelve, but from a power conference benefiting from a first round upset. Out of the first 32 games, only 10 saw "upsets" according to seeding. Half of those games were 8/9 and 7/10 games, and another three were 5/12 games. We all know to look for a twelve to upset a five, but this year was too easy to pick. In other words, the only real upsets were Cleveland State dominating Wake Forest, and Dayton ousting West Virginia. Sure, you may have picked the Flyers, but WVU has been to the second weekend three of the last four years before their first round exit. Sure, last year only saw eight seeded upsets, but there was a 10 and two 12's in the Sweet Sixteen before all top seeds made it to the Final Four for the first time ever. In other words, I want some real madness next year, not just a tease.

So, looking at next weekend, there is no reason not to believe all one seeds will advance to the round of eight once again, but their opponents will be fun. During the week, be on the lookout for some musings on the Alabama coaching search and how other openings and possible firings impact the search.

It's time to fill out those Brackets!!!

With Spring Break now in full swing, that only means one thing: Championship Week is over and March Madness is about to officially begin.

At least, that's what it means to me. I don't know about those of you just getting up at two in the afternoon and are reading this blog half buzzed, but Spring Break for me since high school has fallen right in the middle of the NCAA Tournament.

First off, a congratulations to Alabama State for being the only school from the state to make the "tournament." I say it that way because Morehead State could knock them out of the true field in the play-in game on Tuesday.

Anyways, over the next three days, everyone in America (at least, it should be everyone in America) will be filling out their brackets. The same questions will arise as they always do: Will all the number one seeds make it to the Final Four? Who will be this year's Cinderella? Who is my 12/5 upset?

While some of us will take hours to fill out the brackets, others have used a more simple approach over the years. So, for anyone looking to just get it done and hit the Natty Lights again, here are some simple alternatives to filling out your bracket.

Mascot Challenge. This one may take a little work, but it is quite enjoyable and informative to do. What you do is take the mascot of both teams and ask yourself, "Who would win in a fight?" Of course, the inanimate objects always lose out in the first round, that is, unless you are Purdue, then you steamroll right into the Final Four...that is if Duke and the Power of Sin don't stand in your way. The only downside to this bracket is that Duke almost always wins being the Blue Devils, but whenever Mississippi Valley State makes the field of 65, you at least know your championship game.

Mascot Popularity Contest. This is similar to the first one, but it depends even more on the person filling it out. Once again, match up the two mascots of the two teams, and then just pick your favorite. Sadly enough, there was a girl at my high school who did this and lead our pool up until the Final Four. She thought the Bruins were cute. Nonetheless, there is some stability to stand on if you choose to fill out a bracket in this fashion.

Color Favoritism. This is what most sorority girls will relegate to if they know nothing about basketball. Here's how the conversation will go:

Girl: Hey, babe, what are BYU's colors?
Boy: Blue and White.
Girl: Ok, and what about Texas A squiggly M?
Boy: Who?
Girl: You know, that school that the football coach you told me not to like went to?
Boy: Oh, Texas A&M. Yea, they are Maroon and White.
Girl: Ok, well I'm going with Utah State cause our colors are blue and white, too. Hehe.
Boy: What? Are you nuts? BYU comes from a crap conference who somehow got as many bids as the SEC, and you are picking them over an A&M team from the Big 12 and who has made the tourney the last five seasons?
Girl: Hmp. That wasn't nice at all. Where are my Ugh boots, I'm leaving.

Once again, take all the way to the Final Four and pick a winner.

What's in a name? This one is so easy, even Stephen Hill could do it. Just pick which school name sounds more appealing to you. Every now and then, you will run into an Akron vs. Gonzaga that will make you think, but remember, King James is from Akron, and the Trash 'Stache went to Gonzaga. That will make things a lot easier.

Geographical Proximity. Once again, easy. Pick anywhere in the U.S., and then pick your winners by how close they are to that city. Fargo, North Dakota is out for this year as North Dakota State is making their first appearance ever in the tournament.

So, now you have some help in filling out your brackets so they all don't end with UConn or North Carolina winning all five that you fill out.

To give you a platform to participate in some bracket fun, In the Nic of Time is once again sponsoring its own group on ESPN.com for college sports fun. To get into the group, click on Tournament Challenge and search for the group In the Nic of Time. The password is ITNOT, and then go crazy in filling out your brackets.

I will have previews of all four regions first-round match-ups up before they all tip, so continue to check back all week for those.

Conference Tournament Saturday with live blogging all afternoon!!!!

That's right, since I am going to be a waste of human existence until around three this afternoon, I thought I would make the most of it and post some thoughts on today's action.

10:41 am- Memphis is already out to an 8-0 lead on Tulsa in the C-USA Title game. The Tigers are in all white, and by "all white," I mean "making half of you reading this look tan" white. Gus Johnson is also calling the game, so I'm sure he will have some fantastic line throughout this game.

10:46- The American East conference is another conference where the regular season champion hosts the tournament, so Binghamton is playing UMBC in wherever Binghamton is...and there is an Oompa-Loompa in the crowd?!?!?

10:49- The Bearcats, that's Binghamton for those of you who don't know, just finished the half on a 7-0 run thanks in part to officiating that makes Mike Stewart and Anthony Jordan look like Tony Greene.

10: 57- Gus Johnson just informed the viewing audience that David Barrett, the man behind the NCAA Championship song, "One Shining Moment," has lost his battle with cancer. For anyone who enjoys basketball, that is definitely some somber news.

11:02- This happened last night, apparently, but it is why I follow ESPN headlines on Twitter. Apparently the Utah State mascot ripped the moustache off of the New Mexico State mascot during their game last night. Turns out, the USU mascot did it as a dare for one hundred dollars and he did get his money. You can't make this stuff up.

11:07- Tulsa is making a run on Memphis right now, only down six with about five minutes left in the first half. The Golden Hurricanes need this game to get into the tournament, according to Joe Lunardi of ESPN. Lunardi, even though I think he is a bumbling idiot who uses extreme facial expressions when he gets in front of a camera, has Tulsa at the bottom of his "next four out" distinction.

11:14- So, having sat through the AEC final, I have discovered where these two teams are. Binghamton is in New York, and UMBC is University of Maryland, Baltimore County. I will say that even though Binghamton believes a bearcat should be green (just look at their mid-court logo), they can definitely represent with the student population in a whiteout by the home
crowd. Just a little cheap if you ask me.

11:22- Just watching this Memphis/Tulsa game is confusing me a bit. Apparently the Golden Hurricanes have a player by the name of Ben Uzoh. Being greek, everything I hear Uzoh's name, I think of that licorice drink that will knock you on your butt. Hey, its my blog and you chose to read it, so get over it.

11:25- Clock malfunction in Memphis brings out the best of Gus Johnson. "He dribbled so fast that the clock operator was amazed." Classic. Memphis up eight at half.

11:31- For those of you who don't know who Gus Johnson is and why I could possibly be excited for him to be calling Memphis/Tulsa, here is a small example as to why you want his games come next week.

11:38- While watching UMBC head coach Randy Monroe go ballistic on the sidelines in New York, I have just been told that Ty Lawson will be out for the Tar Heels game today against Florida State. Binghamton's lead is only six, and that half court logo still looks hideous and something that a full moon would bring about.

11:41- Binghamton's band just played the Jeopardy theme during a UMBC timeout. Classic.

11: 51- Block by Tulsa followed by a Gus Johnson, "And he said. 'Get that out of here!' Hahaha." Seriously, you pray for this man to do a game on your CBS affiliate next week.

11:57- Binghamton is about forty seconds away from their first NCAA tournament bid in school history. Making their free throws down the stretch has given them a ten point lead with 29 seconds left. A stout defensive effort by the Bearcats also secureed their lead has UMBC will not score a point in the final five minutes of the game. Binghamton 61, UMBC 51. And the court floods with white clad fans.

12:00pm- Memphis is now up sixteen in their search for a number one seed come next week. With the losses of UConn, Pitt, and Oklahoma on Thursday, the door was open for more than one top seed potentially. Sure, Memphis plays in Conference USA, but you can't deny their ability to dominate in conference (60 straight wins) and have quality OOC wins. I think they should be a number one seed for sure.

12:03- I would like to thank ESPN for blacking out the SEC semifinals in the area, forcing me to watch Raycom for both games this afternoon. I will be able to get through MSU/LSU with Tim Brando calling the game, but having to watch Auburn play Tennessee with crappy announcers, that game will be painful. Interesting crew for the game with Rick Crawford, Teddy Valentine, and the deplorable Mike Stewart.

12:09- Memphis now up 22 on Tulsa with under eight minutes to play. If the Tigers can't secure a number one seed with this game, it is either time to change conferences or time for John Callipari to change schools (hint, hint, nudge, nudge, wink wink), just leave the thugs in Tennessee.

12:15- With just seven minutes left in the game, Tulsa only has 30 points so far. Their season low is 44, which they achieved twice against Illinois and Oklahoma. Memphis is on a mission for the number one seed.

12:23- State up five on LSU after a minute long possession. Apparently LSU can't block out against five bench Bulldogs. Doesn't bode well for the Bayou Bengals.

12:28- Memphis holds Tulsa to just 39 points in the game, taking the C-USA title 64-39, on their way to yet another NCAA Tournament. Ticket number two of the day.

12:35- Jarvis Varnado already has 10 points against LSU, partly why the Bulldgos have a two-point lead currently. Big Ten and ACC action just about to being as well.

12:41- Florida State out of the gate fast for the Seminoles against UNC, scoring six points in the first minute of play in Atlanta.

12:50- Michigan State and Ohio State are off to a quick start, but Big Ten standards at least, putting 14 points on the board in the first four minutes, with the Spartans up two.

12:52- State is up two on LSU at halftime, 31-29. Jarvis Varnado has 13 points already, but is just 3-8 from the free throw line. SEC Player of the Year Marcus Thorton only has eight points, but he shouldn't have been POTY in the first place.

12:59- Ohio State and Michigan State are on pace for around 60 points each for the day, which is unheard of in the Big Ten. Apparently a tournament spot up for grabs means this game might actually keep me awake for once.

1:03- After starting the game on fire, the Seminoles have gone Andre 3000 ice cold as North Carolina is slowly expanding a lead. FSU is already in the bonus with nine minutes left in the half. O wait, they just scored again. And again! This is why you have to post these things quickly. Tar Heels up three.

1:05- Meanwhile, Michigan State's bid for a number one seed is taking a big hit right now as Ohio State is up seven with nine minutes before halftime. For the time being, though, Izzo and Mata are fighting over a two or three based on foot position. This is allowed, but not checking for goal tending in a game-winning situation...nope, can't do that. Rules Committee!!!!

1:19- This is where multiple TVs would come in handy. That, or if I actually didn't have a vested interest in the UNC game. State and LSU are back on the floor, and the Bulldogs still have a one-point lead on LSU. Ohio State is still up on Michigan State, and UNC is still holding on against FSU. Three regular season champion teams are on the floor right now.

1:22- Wayne Ellington has been carrying North Carolina before Hansbrough's first field goal. If you want to see how the high post is suppose to be run, just watch the ACC semifinal on ESPN right now.

1:24- Michigan State making up ground, but William Buford just shut the Spartan supporters with a runner to stop a 12-5 run by the crew from East Lansing.

1:26- Once again, I need three TVs. UNC's lead has shrunk to 32-29 at halftime in the Georgia Dome.

1:29- State is starting to pull ahead at Trent Johnson wants a timeout to stop a 7-0 run over the last four minutes and a 13-4 run over the past 6:14. The Bulldogs are starting to feel it, but the Tigers aren't going to go away easily. 47-41 State.

1:32- Ohio State is up by five at halftime on Michigan State, putting two of the three regular season champions behind currently. Great day for basketball, but local sportscasters calling out viewers on the #4 station in the DMA can really put a damper on it.

1:44- The ACC and Big Ten are back on, but I can't take my eyes off of the LSU-Mississippi State battle going on right now. Both teams are playing half court basketball and very fundemental.

1:50- LSU is starting to get frustrated, with four players playing with four fouls, including Marcus Thorton. State is now up eight once again with just under four to play. BTW, Jarvis Varnado is a frickin beast down low with seven blocks on the day.

1:51- Peaks on the other games, and Ohio State is looking for their first win over Sparty this year in three tries, currently up seven after the first four minutes of the half. In the ACC, Florida State has surged out of the half to a 42-38 lead, opening up the half on a 13-6 run.

1:55- The concern is starting to mount not only for LSU, but for many bubble teams around the country. Mississippi State is now up 12 and obviously LSU is in trouble. The Tigers are now without Marcus Thorton for the rest of the game after just fouling out and Delwan Graham just got a technical as well. Trent Johnson has thrown in the towel, so the Tigers will enter the NCAA Tournament after losing three of their last four games. Not the direction you want to be heading.

2:03- State is about to wrap things up against LSU, moving on to the finals tomorrow against Tennessee or Auburn. Jarvis Varnado finishes with 19 points, seven rebounds and seven blocks as the Bulldogs win 67-57. Time to check up on other conferences.

2:06- While one MSU celebrates, another is on the ropes. Ohio State is now out to a 54-41 lead in their Big Ten semifinal. Both teams are already in the tournament, says Joe Lunardi, but Ohio State is definitely working to improve their seeding.

2:08- UNC is in a familiar position, trailing with ten minutes left in the game in the ACC Tournament. After coming back to beat Virginia Tech yesterday, North Carolina will have to do the same today to overcome FSU as the Seminoles have a five-point lead which is quickly shrinking.

2:16- UNC still can't ovecome the FSU lead, but the Tarl Heels are only down two. Meanwhile, Ohio State is controlling Michigan State, dominating by 16 points with just under eight to play. It is now safe to say that Michigan State is out of the number one seed conversation.

2:23- Wayne Ellington just had a steal and lay up to pull UNC within two, but they still can't completely overcome the FSU lead as Toney Douglas is keeping the Seminoles ahead with 25 points so far in this game. Two Hansbrough free throws bring the Heels within two again.

2:27- Michigan State is trying to make a surge, but Ohio State isn't letting it happen, making their free throws to keep the Spartans from shrinking the lead the single digits. Meanwhile, Tyler Hansbrough has four fouls with five minutes to play.

2:32- As Auburn and Tennessee are about to tip, I am reminded of how much of an absolute pain in the you know what the Tennessee band director is. Homeboy can never let the other band get a note in song-wise without having his band squak and squeak over them.

2:39- Danny Green has just tied the game, pulling UNC even with just under two minutes to go.

2:40- Ohio State is still leading Michigan State, holding the Spartans at bay still. The Buckeyes are up 14 with 2:24 left to play.

2:44- Florida State is off to the ACC Championship game after knocking off UNC and holding the Tar Heels scoreless in the final minute. The Seminoles will face the Duke/Maryland winner. North Carolina's loss makes regular season champions from the Big 6 conferences 0-2 on the day, while Michigan State puts it to 0-3 as Ohio State finishes with 48 points in the second half and the Buckeyes win 82-70.

2:50- Auburn and Tennessee are in a battle right now, with these Tigers up one on the Vols. While I am still reeling from my ACC pick and second favorite team going down, but the fact that Rasheem Barrett "The Carrot" is in orange sleeves again, I can somewhat smile.

2:57- Tennessee is starting to make a move on Auburn, pulling ahead by eight after Tennessee gets away with a travel call. O wait, Anthony Jordan is doing this game, so its not something out of the ordinary for a missed call to happen.

3:00- Ugh. Now I have to be productive, but sadly the last post is to the tune of that ridiculous battle hymn of the Daisy Orange, also known as Rocky Top. I'm just waiting for another tornado this year. Ok, too harsh, but I'm glad I don't have to sit through two teams in orange.

Alabama Basketball's total meltdown

Before we delve into tonight's "game," I want to take a look back to a year ago tonight.

It was around this time last year that I was sitting on the floor of the Georgia Dome, watching the roof flap violently, the lights and scaffolding shake, and the side of the Dome blown open.

One year ago, Alabama was playing Mississippi State in the very same time slot as they played in tonight, but no one was told of the severe weather outside the Georgia Dome or the fact a tornado formed right on top of the Dome.

As I mentioned earlier this week, Mykal Riley's shot to send it to overtime not only saved my life, but about 15,000 others as well. You can see me jumping around like an idiot (nothing new with me at a basketball game) at around the 13-second mark off to the left.

Once the game was back underway, Alabama went on to lose the game, but who knows what would have happened had the game been uninterrupted.

Tonight, though, the Crimson Tide showed very little fight and looked like a team who didn't want to show up to the gym for the game.

The game did not reflect an Alabama team who wanted to move on and fight for a postseason spot. It was more like a try-out tape for Extreme Makeover: Alabama edition for the next head coach.

Everything that had gone wrong over the course of the season reared its ugly head once again tonight, and the Crimson Tide once again looked like a team running around with its head chopped off.

So, to Mr. Potential Head Coach, here are all the things you need to work on once you get on the job...

• Blocking Out. Alabama has been decent this season at rebounding, coming in at second in the league with 39 rebounds per game, but their rebounding margin was only plus two this year. The Crimson Tide were also second in offensive rebounds per game. Tonight, though, Alabama got out-rebounded by ten and allowed four more offensive rebounds than they pull down themselves. All season long, Alabama has hardly put a body on the opposing team, and it really showed tonight.
• Help Defense. Tonight, Alabama scored 62 points compared to Tennessee's 86. The Vols had 60 points in the paint. In other words, Alabama could only muster two more points total than what they allowed from within a five foot range. That comes from the previous point of blocking out, but also Alabama has got to play help defense. The Tide are really bad at watching the other team drive instead of rotating over to have their teammate's back. This has to change if a coaching change will have any affect.
• Fast Break Performance. This applies to both sides of the ball. On offense, the Crimson Tide need to run the floor a bit more. Alabama has their moments in the open court, but too often those moments come off of individual steals. Alabama hardly runs the floor with multiple guys and almost never has more than ten points in fast break situations. On defense, Alabama never manages to get back to defend in fast break situations. Teams get out on a break easily on Alabama and have for some time.
• Assist-to-Turnover ratio. This is a stat where you want to be above a one-to-one ratio, but just under is nothing to fret about. To be eleventh in conference and have a point-seven assist to turnover ratio is horrid. Tonight, Alabama had 18 turnovers compared to only four assists. For those keeping score at home, that is a .22 assist to turnover ratio. Ouch. Bruce Pearl said after the game that Alabama is difficult to guard because of how they can create in one-on-one situations, but this is a team sport. Alabama should be moving on offense, a totally different rant in itself, instead of clearing, sitting, and watching as one guy tries to carry the team.
• Three-point shooting. This is why Anthony Brock was brought to Tuscaloosa, but he always isn't on, and he can't do it by himself. Alabama shot 21-percent from downtown tonight, and that is never a good number. Once again, the Tide is eleventh on the season in this category, shooting just over 31-percent for the year. These are just like free throws, which was another problem but has been worked on. With practice, this percentage could improve, but this will also require the players to want to get better in this regard.

With this many gaps, a transformation will obviously not come overnight in the 2009-10 season.

There are plenty of things this team can improve on, and whoever takes over for next season will be sure of this after watching tonight's game. All I can ask as a fan is pick two and beat the horse to death until there is a noticeable change in the Crimson Tide for next year.

What must Alabama do for a postseason berth of any kind?

According to a blog from Ian Rapaport posted just a short time ago, the Alabama Crimson Tide Men's Basketball team would accept a bid to the National Invitation Tournament if one was extended their way.

For what seemed like a wasted season, the Crimson Tide have a legitimate shot to be playing past the SEC Tournament this weekend, and they can thank their efforts over the past two weeks for this chance.

With a double-overtime victory over Mississippi State and road wins against Ole Miss and Tennessee, Alabama has strung together four wins in their final five games and finished 7-9 in the SEC.

The most important victory, based solely on its placement on the calendar, was the Tennessee game.

Heading into the final week, I said Alabama needed a win over Auburn or Tennessee to have a chance at the NIT, and could pretty much secure a spot with a win over both.

After the loss to Auburn, the win over Tennessee kept postseason hopes alive. The Crimson Tide enter their game Thursday night against Vanderbilt in Tampa, FL with the chance to make a statement for postseason contention.

Alabama played Vanderbilt very close in their game this season in Nashville, losing by a slim margin of 79-74. Anthony Brock had 15 points to lead the Tide as Senario Hillman and Alonzo Gee had 11 points each, both below their season averages. For the Commodores, A.J. Ogilvy and Jermaine Beal both had 20 points to lead all scorers.

If the Crimson Tide can get past the "Dores, another game with Tennessee faces this team in a tournament that is wide open for anyone to win.

If Alabama can handle the Vols, not only should it be enough for an NIT bid, but a third game with Auburn is very likely. A win there and a berth in the championship game wil wait for the Tide, along with LSU, who should emerge from the opposide of the bracker. If the Tide can get to this point, it will for sure get an NIT bid, which is quite a reward for this team, and a win in this situation sends Alabama to the Big Dance.

For now, though, the Tide is focused on game number one, and most importantly, keeping their hot streak alive to be able to play come next week.

The growing story of Anthony Brock

While sitting in Fresh Food yesterday for lunch, I was watching Sportscenter on one of the televisions in the area. Much to my surprise, considering how little air time the SEC has been getting in basketball this year, I noticed "Alabama/Tennessee" on the rundown for stories coming up next. I didn't get a chance to watch the game on Sunday because I was on my way to the Davis Cup in Birmingham, but was able to listen to the game, so I knew what happened.

Once the highlights came up, almost every person in the area looked up at the screen, as if they knew I was in the area and wanted to say, "See, this school does care about basketball."

Nonetheless, Anthony Brock's 30-foot bank shot to sink Tennessee came on the screen. A table full of guys to my left started chuckling in disbelief, so they obviously watched the game Sunday. What really bothered me was some Sally Sorority-girl behind me who uttered the phrase, "Oh my gosh!! Wait, who was that?"

All I could do was laugh and shake my head.

I'm not saying that I attend every sport on campus religiously (I missed out on volleyball this year, sadly), but to not know an athlete on one of the major sports teams at your school is a bit harsh.

So, for Sally, and probably a good bit of everyone else, this is the growing story of Anthony Brock.

Brock, a 5' 9" junior guard from Little Rock, Arkansas, transferred to Alabama last year from Itawamba Community College. Since you can't possibly know where that is unless you are from that area (or have a cousin who's boyfriend attended there) it's close to Tupelo, Mississippi.

When Brock committed, I got to hear all about him from the boyfriend. He was a star at ICC, scoring over 1,000 points in his two seasons at the school. What really made me excited was his 47 percent clip from downtown, something that Alabama severely needed help with. It also didn't hurt that the last JUCO transfer from Arkansas saved my life last March in Atlanta.

As much as I was excited to get Brock to Tuscaloosa, I was just as disappointed when he didn't see much playing time early on this season. In the second game of the season, he dropped 13 on FAMU, making all of his shots, including three from behind the arc. Over the next fifteen games, though, Brock saw action in only three of them. During that time, Alabama shot 27 percent from three-point range, but Brock never saw the floor.

Since Brock has been implemented back into the rotation, Alabama has seen a dramatic increase in it's three point production. In the past 13 games, Alabama has shot 39 percent from three. During this time, Brock has gone 18-40 from range, good enough for 45 percent accuracy.

When Brock is on, it is time to watch out. Against Vanderbilt, a gym where Alabama has traditionally played poorly, Brock brought his best game to date, going for 15 points and making five of his six shots from three-point range.

Against Ole Miss, Brock, once again began to feel it, making five of six once again plus a career high 17 points to propel Alabama to its first road win in its last 20 attempts.

The Ole Miss game is also where the magic began. In Oxford, I had the privilege to sit near some of Brock's family friends from the area and I learned of his grandmother's death during the game. I was already a fan of his, but to see him go out and perform in that game like he did made it that much more special. After that game, his brother drove him back to Arkansas to be with his family.

Then, against Tennessee, Brock had to be driven all night by his cousin to Knoxville after his grandmother's funeral went long and he missed his flight.

That is when the real magic happened for Bama's newest star.



And that is just the story so far. Brock still has one more year at the Capstone with the Crimson Tide, and it is a pretty safe bet that most people know who he is now.

The Blog has reached 5-0!!!

So, post number fifty, or "fi-ty" if you want, was this week. It has taken a while to get here, but being a student, you know things eventually get done, right?

Nonetheless, in celebration of this occasion, I felt the need for a top ten list.

No, this is not something stupid, but rather entertaining, as I know every sports fan has a favorite one of these.

What is it, you may ask? Coaching rants.

This has been on my mind as my big 5-0 post, but Jim Calhoun made it that much easier to do this topic with his gem from a week ago.

Is it good enough for the list...I don't think so. It may eventually make its way on up, but not as of right now.

Number 10: Herm Edwards has coached his fair share of NFL teams. He knows that the purpose of the game is to win, even though he may not do it much, but he makes it well known to the New York Media that he is in on this clue.

Number 9: Jim Mora has had his fair share of blow-ups, but nothing competes with what may be the most notable coaching rant of the past twenty years. This one is from his years with the Colts, pre-Manning and pre-Dungy, so the playoffs weren't exactly handed to the team at this point.

Number 8: John Chaney is one of the most respected coaches in college basketball...at least before his "Goon" incident, but when he has a problem with one of John Calipari's UMass players, he doesn't wait to take it up with the league the next day, he goes straight to the man himself in the middle of his press conference.

Number 7: Just like Herm Edwards, Dennis Green has made his way around the league. He is often remembered for his time with the Vikings...or that time he found out the Bears were who he thought they were while coaching the Cardinals.

Number 6: Without Dan Hawkins, Boise State would be a lonely little school in Idaho with its only possible distinction being its Smurf Turf. Hawkins took his success at Boise State to land a job at Colorado. At either school though, Hawkins was well aware that he was coaching Division I football, and not intramurals.

Number 5: If anyone knows this rant before they see it, they are well versed in their coaching explosions. Very rarely do you see a women's basketball coach get riled up. Geno and Pat had a little spat a few years ago, but that has no comparison to the explosion Michigan head coach Kevin Borseth had after a Wolverine loss.

Number 4: No coaching rant list is complete without at least one mentioning of Bob Knight. No one coach in the history of the game of basketball has had as many incidents as Knight had, and he can fill a top ten list all by himself. My personal favorite is his Game face rant, but nothing compares to Knight's explanation of his favorite word in the English language. Here's a hint, it rhymes with duck.

Number 3: It is very rare that any minor league baseball coach gets any recognition for work that he may do. Every now and then, one will get a chance in the majors. For Mississippi Braves manager Phillip Wellman, that day in The Show doesn't look to be in his future after his tyrant that would have made Lou Pinella give a standing ovation.

Number 2: This is often number one on many lists, but I just don't think it deserves my top spot. Hal McRae was none too pleased after a Kansas City Royals game in 1993 when a reported asked him a stupid question. Now, Nick Saban can berate the media pretty well, but he has yet to throw papers or a telephone at a reporter.

Number 1: This rant is hardly a year old, but very few can even attempt to compare to it. Most of the rants have come after stupid questions or out of frustration after a loss, but this coach actually won the game before he went on his historical rant. The rant was actually over an article attacking a kid for "doing the right thing." One thing is certain after Mike Gundy's soapbox moment: He's a man, he's 40.

Auburn's Coming to Town...and Their Bringing a Trophy with Them

It has been over a year since the Auburn Basketball team visited Tuscaloosa and left to the tune of a 97-77 beat down at the hands of the Crimson Tide. If you don't remember what happened in that game, here is just a quick reminder...



Yea, that is Senario Hillman showing Auburn who's boss. Auburn has since won two over Alabama, but this will be their first trip back to Tuscaloosa in that time frame.

Alabama is coming off their first three-game SEC winning streak since beating LSU, South Carolina and Mississippi State in 2007. The win on Saturday over Ole Miss ended a 19-game losing streak on the road in SEC play for the Crimson Tide (It's 19, not 18, check the archives of rolltide.com).

Auburn is on their own hot streak, winning seven of their last eight games. The Tigers have won eight conference games for the first time since 2002-03 and will be going for their first winning conference record since 1999-2000.

At halftime of this game, though, will probably be why most people attend this game.

For the first time in six years, the Alabama Crimson Tide Football team will take the court to be presented with the ODK-Foy Sportsmanship Trophy. For those of you that don't know, its the traveling trophy associated with the Iron Bowl. For six years it has sat in Auburn, but the case is already empty on The Plains, meaning the trophy should already be in town.

Ain't it pretty? For those of you that don't remember, or if you are from out of state, that beautiful symbol of 36-0 used to be kept in the Ferg for all to see, but who knows where it will rest for the next year on campus.

Even though it might be tempting to leave at halftime, this game will still be worth staying for. Not because it's Auburn, and not just because this team is coming together after a trying beginning of the season, but for three guys who have been through a lot over the past four years: Alonzo Gee, Brandon Hollinger, and Greg Cage.

All three will be presented before the game for Senior Night and will be playing their last regular season game in Coleman Coliseum on Tuesday.

All the fun begins at 8pm, but Coleman is sure to fill up for once, so getting to the coliseum when the gates open is probably a good idea.