ESPN Men's Basketball

In mid-April, we learned of potentially dire, downright unthinkable news: The Ivy League was considering -- gasp -- a season-ending conference tournament. No, Ivy League, no! Say it isn't so!

It isn't so. Today, the Ivy League announced via a release that its "directors of athletics have decided not to move forward with proposals for postseason tournaments in men's and women's basketball."

"After careful consideration of these proposals, the athletics directors decided that our current method of determining the Ivy League Champion and our automatic bid recipient to the NCAA Championship is the best model moving forward," said Robin Harris, Ivy League Executive Director.

I agree, for two reasons:

1. If nothing else, the Ivy League -- from a cultural/educational standpoint, but also a sporting one -- is about tradition. Tradition is what makes its schools so unique, and it's what makes the league itself, marginal mid-major though it often is, stand out. The 14-game round-robin schedule and the lack of a conference tournament is one of these things. Keep it.

2. I actually believe this is how every conference -- or at least every non-BCS conference -- should handle its conference tournament. Sure, I love über-underdog runs like 2012 Western Kentucky's as much as the next fan. But not as much as I hate seeing worthy tournament teams, who dominated their leagues all season but can't schedule nonconference opponents commensurate to receiving an at-large bid, being left by the wayside. Middle Tennessee State went 27-7 overall in 2012, and 14-2 in the Sun Belt regular season. But a three-point upset in the first round of the Sun Belt conference tournament relegated the Blue Raiders to the NIT (where, it might or might not be worth noting, they beat Marshall and Tennessee before falling to Minnesota).

Conference tournaments are exciting, no question. Everybody gathers with one automatic bid on the line, and all your favorite team needs to make its last-ditch tournament dreams a reality is three or four days of hot shooting and energetic play. It can be thrilling. It can also be massively unfair. Settling that bid over the course of a season, with an entire round-robin schedule of games, is a far more sporting (now there's an Ivy League term) way to go about your AQ business.

Of course, this is just sort of the way college basketball works. It's the beauty of the NCAA tournament in a nutshell, this small-sample-size randomness. I wouldn't expect large-scale adoption of the Ivy League's model anytime soon. But it is good to see at least one league, the good old Ivy, place so much value -- the right amount of value -- on its regular season. The rest of the sport could take a note.

1. One of the top agenda items for new NCAA vice president Mark Lewis is the site of the 2013 NCAA tournament East Regional. The original plan was to hold the 75th anniversary of the event at Madison Square Garden in New York. But according to multiple sources, the NCAA found out Wednesday that it isn’t going to be possible due to the late request and the dates already being sent in to the NBA and NHL for the primary tenants. That means Lewis and the NCAA staff will now decide between Syracuse and the new Barclays Arena in Brooklyn for the site. The regionals are usually already known two years in advance but the NCAA held out hope for a historic setting for the East Regional. The other three regionals are set for Los Angeles (Staples Arena), Indianapolis (Lucas Oil Stadium) and Arlington-Dallas (Cowboy Stadium). The Final Four is in Atlanta.

2. Al Skinner has emerged as a candidate for the vacant opening at Brown. This would be a home run hire for the Ivy League school that fired Jesse Agel. Skinner is Boston College’s all-time winningest coach. Brown wouldn’t find a better tactical coach than Skinner. Skinner would keep Brown assistant T.J. Sorrentine, the former Vermont guard who is popular with the current players. If Brown were Ivy League smart the coaching search wouldn’t last any longer since Agel was fired March 5.

3. No one should be surprised by the potential failure of a proposed merger of the MWC and C-USA. A merger would mean one automatic NCAA tournament bid instead of two. The most likely scenario, according to league sources, is for a scheduling/television agreement. Expansion is likely with C-USA looking at North Texas, FIU, Louisiana Tech, Charlotte, UTSA and Middle Tennessee. The MWC would naturally look at Utah State and San Jose State and could possibly grab UTEP in a shift from C-USA to the more natural MWC.

The Ivy League is the only conference in the country that doesn't award its NCAA tournament automatic bid to the winner of its conference tournament. Why? Because it doesn't have a conference tournament. Indeed, the winner of the regular season -- an elegant round-robin format in which each team plays every other team twice -- gets the automatic bid. If there's a tie, a one-game tiebreaker is held. And that's that.

But there is talk about changing the Ivy League's AQ bid determination process, about joining the rest of the country in conference tournament-dom. From the Philadelphia Daily News:

Every few years, a proposal to start a postseason tournament for Ivy League basketball gets pushed forward. The coaches have recently proposed a four-team tournament, but the key word is "proposed." [...] The Ivy athletic directors will meet May 8 to 10. They may talk about the proposal. They may ignore it. If they approve, it would need to pass another stage before getting to the presidents.

What are the chances the measure passes? Slim, it seems. For one, the Ivy League has a notorious long gestation process for rules changes and the like; if anything was approved, it would probably come a few years down the line, anyway. But there doesn't exactly appear to be much enthusiasm for the idea. That's the case at Penn, at least, where athletic director Steve Bilsky hardly endorsed the concept in a statement released by the school:

"Over the years there has been wide-ranging discussion on the merits of a men's basketball tournament. There are many philosophical, as well as logistical, issues and challenges to consider.

"In my opinion, to date the reasons not to have a tournament have been much more compelling than the reasons to sponsor one. When it comes to basketball competition, the double round-robin format to select the NCAA representative is one instance where I believe the Ivy League has it right."

I couldn't agree more.

Look, we all love when a team like Western Kentucky, which entered the 2012 NCAA tournament with a losing record and an interim head coach, rises from the ashes in the postseason, puts together a magnificent week of basketball, and earns an unlikely trip to the NCAA tournament. It's always a heartwarming story. But is it any more heartwarming than a mid-major league -- where the chances for an at-large bid are almost always slim to none -- ensures its NCAA tournament representative is the team that was best for the entire measure of the season? Doesn't that team deserve it more? Shouldn't a trip to the tournament (if not the tournament itself, obviously) be less about the randomness of one-time elimination games and more about the content of a mid-major team's entire season?

I think so. Simply put, it's about sample size. By the end of the season, the Ivy League ensures that its most deserving team enters the NCAA tournament. There are no (OK, few) lucky runs and no (OK, few) unjustly absent frontrunners. It is, I would argue, as it should be.

There's also the matter of making the regular season more entertaining and impactful. When every game matters -- and this is probably true of mid-major leagues more than the big boys, particularly because so many at-large bids come from high-major leagues, but the general concept works all the same -- there is less incentive for casual fans to ignore the games in January and February, to merely tune in during the final week before the NCAA tournament. From January to March, the Ivy League's format makes every game count.

Don't change, Ivy League. Don't ever change. Your lack of tournament makes you unique; it gives you cachet. But I would agree with Bilsky: You also happen to have it right.

If anything, other conferences, especially mid-majors, should follow the Ivy's lead -- not the other way around.

1. Colonial Athletic Association commissioner Tom Yeager said he was well aware that signing a new agreement with NBC Sports would likely mean the end of the CAA’s involvement in the ESPN-sponsored BracketBusters, beginning in 2013. “We are disappointed but we understand the business,’’ Yeager said. He said that the benefits of signing with NBC outweighed the risks of losing a spot in BracketBusters. VCU coach Shaka Smart agreed that no longer participating in BracketBusters wasn’t good. The CAA has had some of the best wins in the event, notably by George Mason, VCU and Drexel.

2. Third parties representing TCU and SMU showed interest in Memphis coach Josh Pastner, according to sources, but there was no interest on his part. And there shouldn’t be at this point. Pastner is at the best job in Conference USA. When Memphis goes to the Big East in 2013, he’ll be at one of the best in that league, too. Pastner should only leave if he has to or for a comparable job, not a lesser one.

3. SMU also made overtures toward Harvard coach Tommy Amaker. Amaker wasn’t interested, either. A year ago, Miami made a strong push to get him. But Amaker knows he is in a special place at Harvard and will coach another Ivy League title contender. His NCAA tournament berth last month was historic for the Crimson. And now the most recognized school in higher education cares about hoops. That in itself is quite an accomplishment.

1. The Ivy League is once again discussing whether it is prudent to have a conference tournament. What may be more pressing is to have a set plan for a playoff. Ivy commissioner Robin Harris said she can see the push for a possible playoff as the league continues to get better. I don’t think the Ivy should have a playoff. The Ivy needs to have its best teams represented. Check the Sun Belt where Middle Tennessee State would have given a better effort than Western Kentucky. The Ivy coaches want a tournament, the ADs are mixed. But it’s the presidents' call.

2. Rick Stansbury’s “retirement" shouldn’t come as a shock as a change was likely to happen at Mississippi State. Stansbury could have been out last year after that train wreck (handling of Renardo Sidney, schedule) of a season. The Bulldogs seemed to have righted themselves this season with the early play of UTEP transfer Arnett Moultrie. But from afar it appeared Stansbury had lost this group. A new voice was probably needed in Starkville. But this job will get increasingly difficult with the additions of Missouri and Texas A&M in the SEC, two schools that can affect recruiting adversely for Mississippi State.

3. UAB coach Mike Davis won’t know his fate until next week when he meets with the athletic director. But there are ominous signs. Why? He did make the NCAA tournament last season, didn’t he? These jobs in leagues like the hybrid MWC-CUSA aren’t easy and changing coaches too often isn’t a recipe for success.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Reaction from No. 5 Vanderbilt's 79-70 win over No. 12 Harvard.

Overview: Vanderbilt had lost to a double-digit seed in three of the past four NCAA tournaments.

Possibly none of them was as beloved as Harvard. Siena, Murray State and Richmond all knocked off the Commodores. But this Vandy team is not like the others. This one finally knows how to close. Vandy carried the momentum from the SEC tournament to snuff out the Crimson’s historic bid to win their first NCAA tournament game. It was Harvard's second appearance and first in 66 years.

Turning point: Harvard made a series of runs in the second half, and there was a sense the game could be turning when the Crimson cut the lead to 11. But the Commodores had a possession that changed the momentum. Harvard had put on a tremendous run to cut an 18-point deficit to two possessions. But a John Jenkins jumper gave the Commodores a 13-point lead. On the plan, the Commodores had four shots to make one. Harvard couldn’t grab an offensive rebound, and Vandy kept getting opportunities. That possession signaled a shift that contributed to Harvard getting down five more.

Key player: Jenkins scored 27 points, made three 3-pointers and was 10-of-13 from the line. He made key plays consistently when the Commodores were challenged. Jenkins always has had the most talent on this team, but there have been a few moments during his career when he has disappeared. That hasn’t been the case recently. He’s on a tear from being named the SEC's most outstanding player at the tournament last weekend in New Orleans to a fantastic start at the NCAAs.

Key stat: The Commodores got to the free throw line in bunches, and ultimately that’s what did the Crimson in because they couldn’t play catchup fast enough. There was no officiating issue. Vanderbilt simply created more contact and got to the line while Harvard did not. The final number had Vandy 21-of-30 while Harvard was 11-of-14.

Miscellaneous: Harvard '46 grad Don Swegan was in attendance. He’s one of three or four surviving members (he’s not sure) from the last NCAA tournament team from the Crimson. Swegan was a hot commodity. The 86-year-old was tracked down by Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott (Harvard '86, where he was a tennis player). NCAA president Mark Emmert also made his way over to talk to Swegan. The Friends of Harvard basketball reacted to a story on Swegan on ESPN.com and paid for his expenses down from near Youngstown, Ohio, to the game. ... The NCAA has plenty of logistical issues in scheduling and bracketing. But there used to be a rule that would prevent a school from hosting and its team playing at the same time. The Pit crowd was near capacity but probably would have been a sellout if the University of New Mexico wasn’t playing at the same time as Vanderbilt-Harvard. ... I anticipate Harvard won’t have to wait long to be back here. The Crimson will be the favorite again in the Ivy. ... I’m not sure whose whistle is louder, Miami’s Jim Larranaga or Vandy’s Kevin Stallings. I can beat them with my loud clap. But the whistle is heard over crowd noise pretty easily.

What’s next: No. 5 Vanderbilt will take on No. 4 Wisconsin on Saturday at the Pit in what should be a tantalizing third-round game. The winner has a legit shot to knock off Syracuse, assuming the Orange get past Kansas State, next week in Boston. The Dores and Badgers will play a rugged, 3-point shooting game Saturday. It should be a good watch, as these are two teams that could make a run to the Elite Eight.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- A look at Thursday's early games at New Mexico's famed Pit:

No. 4 Wisconsin (24-9) vs. No. 13 Montana (25-6), 2:10 p.m. ET

This may be Wisconsin's worst team under Bo Ryan. Yet he's still in the NCAA tournament as a No. 4 seed with a solid chance to advance to the third round and possibly the Sweet 16. That's how good the system is for Ryan and the players he has found to flourish.

The Badgers lost an unprecedented three home games and still finished strong enough to win at Purdue and knock off Ohio State on the road to earn a No. 4 seed.

"We just have to stick with what we've been doing all year long,'' said Wisconsin guard Jordan Taylor. "I know based on the numbers or whatever, it is, I think you could say everybody plays at a quicker tempo based on the possessions or whatever you want. But it's not like we're trying to slow it down or anything or are looking to drag out the shot clock. We're just trying to get a good shot every time down. It's been working for the most part.''

Wisconsin may want to limit possessions. Montana will want to increase them. The Grizzlies will want to push the tempo and had no problems running Weber State and Damian Lillard out of the Big Sky tournament. Montana coach Wayne Tinkle said this team is better than the one two years ago that narrowly lost to New Mexico in the first round. Montana has won 14 straight, and the backcourt of Will Cherry and Kareem Jamar will push the Badgers as much as any in the Big Ten.

"They've got a lot of shooters,'' Taylor said. "They're pretty good defensively, especially Will Cherry.''

The bigs of Montana are much like Wisconsin's, with the ability to stretch the floor by making perimeter shots. But they have maybe even more of a rugged side to their on-court existence.

Cherry said he grasps that the Badgers put five players on the court who can all pass.

"If we can try to use our length on the defensive end and our speed and athleticism against them, I feel like we could speed them up,'' Cherry said.

The problem is the Badgers don't turn the ball over much and play with more control.

The last time Wisconsin played at the Pit, it went to the 2000 Final Four with an Elite Eight win over Purdue.

"I hope we can definitely carry some of that good karma,'' said Wisconsin's Jared Berggren. "Our coaches talked about it a little bit. We hope to make some more good memories here and advance to the next round.''

Three players to watch

Jordan Taylor, 6-1, Sr., Wisconsin: Taylor has the ability to take over a game and score in bunches. But he also can go through droughts. He's a steady lead guard who needs the ball in his hands to steer this offense.

Jared Berggren, 6-10, Jr., Wisconsin: Berggren can knock down the deep 3-pointer and really stretch the Grizzlies' defense. If he starts making face-up shots and pulls Derek Selvig away from the basket, then the Badgers are in good shape.

Will Cherry, 6-1, Jr., Montana: The Grizzlies guard can push the basketball with any guard in this field. He averages nearly three steals a game. If he flusters Taylor then the Grizzlies have a shot.

No. 5 Vanderbilt (24-10) vs. No. 12 Harvard (26-4), 4:40 p.m. ET

Since Fab Melo was ruled ineligible for Syracuse, it seems the trendy thing to do is pencil in Vanderbilt as the Elite Eight representative out of the top part of the East Region.

And why not? The Commodores just beat mighty Kentucky in the SEC tournament title game, right?

Whoa, whoa; let's slow down. This is Vanderbilt we're discussing here. This is the same program that has lost in the first round to double-digit seeds (Murray State, Siena and Richmond) in each of its last three tournament appearances.

This team may be suddenly surging after the performance in New Orleans, but the players haven't proved they can be trusted in the pressure-packed NCAA tournament -- no matter how much Melo's suspension might open things up.

"We deal in truth and reality, not perception and prediction,'' Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said. "What happens in the rest of the bracket doesn't impact us at all. Nothing does except how we play.''

But if the Commodores play the way they played in New Orleans last week, 12th-seeded Harvard will have a short stay in its first NCAA tournament in 66 years.

At the SEC tourney, Vandy's defense kept Georgia and Ole Miss under 60 points and held Kentucky to a mere 64. The significance of that win cannot be overstated.

"I would say you go from a team that knows it's capable of playing with anybody in the country to one knowing that they're capable of beating everybody in the country,'' Stallings said. "You have to beat the teams to prove it to yourself. We played them tough twice. But until you beat them, you're not 100 percent sure that you can. There is an extra bounce in their step and a sense of accomplishment and a sense of confidence. There's also a sense of excitement too.''

Vanderbilt is probably the worst possible matchup for Harvard. The Crimson get a team that's as hot as any in the country and one that plays a similar style to Harvard but has better, more productive players. Harvard probably would have been better served with a less disciplined opponent that can't make 3s.

"They are very athletic, more athletic than people give them credit for being in the SEC with incredible athletic teams that have been known throughout the years in that league,'' said Harvard coach Tommy Amaker.

Stallings was quick to compliment the Crimson on their fundamentals, the ability to shoot, ball-handle, pass and score inside as well as get to the foul line. He also doesn't hesitate to reference his school as "the Harvard of the South."

"I've used it a few times and I hope that the Harvard people don't take that as a slap in the face,'' Stallings said. "We obviously feel like we'd be comparing ourselves to greatness. We obviously really admire Harvard as an institution.''

The NCAA tournament selection committee says it doesn't consider opponents. But it's odd to see how much the two schools share a similar athletic vision. They are two of the most academic-rich schools in the field. And two of the hungriest.

"We basically ask the question 'Why not?' We just felt like our name and our school are as powerful as any,'' Amaker said. "There are other great ones obviously but we felt we were as powerful as any name in higher education and why not? Why can't we present this as an option for the correct kids that would want to see this as something to do something different, to make history?"

The Crimson have made their own history with a first bid in the modern era of the sport. A win would be a historic first.

Three players to watch

John Jenkins, 6-4, Jr., Vanderbilt: Jenkins was the SEC tournament MVP. He's one of the top shooters in the field. If he's on from the perimeter, the Commodores will be a tough out, and not just here but in Boston.

Jeffery Taylor,6-7, Sr., Vanderbilt: Taylor can score more as a slasher but his defense sets him apart. Taylor could be the key player in shutting down Harvard's wings.

Kyle Casey, Jr., F, Harvard: Casey is the one player on the Crimson who could pose some matchup issues for the Commodores. He has a knack for coming up big in key games and was instrumental in the Crimson's run to the Ivy League title thanks to his efficient offensive production.

You’ve kept up with his projections for the past few months, but Joe Lunardi doesn’t go into hibernation once the real bracket comes out. Our resident Bracketologist is a hardcore basketball fan who knows his stuff. Here are his picks for the Big Dance:

SOUTH

Second round
1 Kentucky over 16 Western Kentucky
9 Connecticut over 8 Iowa State
5 Wichita State over 12 VCU
13 New Mexico State over 4 Indiana
6 UNLV over 11 Colorado
3 Baylor over 14 South Dakota State
7 Notre Dame over 10 Xavier
2 Duke over 15 Lehigh

Third round
1 Kentucky over 9 Connecticut
5 Wichita State over 13 New Mexico State
3 Baylor over 6 UNLV
2 Duke over 7 Notre Dame

Sweet 16
1 Kentucky over 5 Wichita State
3 Baylor over 2 Duke

Elite Eight
1 Kentucky over 3 Baylor

WEST

Second round
1 Michigan State over 16 LIU Brooklyn
9 Saint Louis over 8 Memphis
5 New Mexico over 12 Long Beach State
4 Louisville over 13 Davidson
6 Murray State over 11 Colorado State
3 Marquette over 14 BYU
7 Florida over 10 Virginia
2 Missouri over 15 Norfolk State

Third round
1 Michigan State over 9 Saint Louis
5 New Mexico over 4 Louisville
3 Marquette over 6 Murray State
2 Missouri over 7 Florida

Sweet 16
1 Michigan State over 5 New Mexico
2 Missouri over 3 Marquette

Elite Eight
2 Missouri over 1 Michigan State

EAST

Second round
1 Syracuse over 16 UNC Asheville
8 Kansas State over 9 Southern Miss
5 Vanderbilt over 12 Harvard
4 Wisconsin over 13 Montana
6 Cincinnati over 11 Texas
3 Florida State over 14 St. Bonaventure
10 West Virginia over 7 Gonzaga
2 Ohio State over 15 Loyola (Md.)

Third round
1 Syracuse over 8 Kansas State
4 Wisconsin over 5 Vanderbilt
3 Florida State over 6 Cincinnati
2 Ohio State over 10 West Virginia

Sweet 16
4 Wisconsin over 1 Syracuse
2 Ohio State over 3 Florida State

Elite Eight
4 Wisconsin over 2 Ohio State

MIDWEST

Second round
1 North Carolina over 16 Lamar
9 Alabama over 8 Creighton
5 Temple over 12 California
4 Michigan over 13 Ohio
11 NC State over 6 San Diego State
3 Georgetown over 14 Belmont
7 Saint Mary's over 10 Purdue
2 Kansas over 15 Detroit

Third round
1 North Carolina over 9 Alabama
4 Michigan over 5 Temple
11 NC State over 3 Georgetown
2 Kansas over 7 Saint Mary's

Sweet 16
1 North Carolina over 4 Michigan
2 Kansas over 11 NC State

Elite Eight
1 North Carolina over 2 Kansas

NATIONAL SEMIFINALS
Kentucky over Missouri
North Carolina over Wisconsin

NATIONAL TITLE GAME
Kentucky over North Carolina

Check back Friday morning for Joe Lunardi's full bracket, but here are his basic projections through Thursday night's action.

SINCE THE LAST UPDATE

• Texas moves above “Last Four In” (No. 47 overall) with its victory over Iowa State.
• Mississippi State drops to “Last Four In” with its loss to Georgia.
• South Florida stays in the field (No. 46 overall) despite its loss to Notre Dame.
• Oregon moves from "First Four Out" to the last spot on "Next Four Out."

LAST FOUR IN

Washington
Mississippi State
Drexel
Seton Hall

FIRST FOUR OUT

Tennessee
Northwestern
NC State
Miami (Fla.)

NEXT FOUR OUT

Iona
Arizona
Saint Joseph's
Oregon

Also considered: Dayton, Marshall, Ole Miss

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN

Big East (10)
Big Ten (6)
Big 12 (6)
SEC (5)
ACC (4)
Mountain West (4)
Atlantic 10 (3)
West Coast (3)
Colonial (2)
Conference USA (2)
Missouri Valley (2)
Pac-12 (2)

AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS

Belmont (Atlantic Sun)
Creighton (Missouri Valley)
Davidson (Southern)
Detroit (Horizon)
Harvard (Ivy)
Lehigh (Patriot)
LIU Brooklyn (Northeast)
Loyola-Md. (MAAC)
Montana (Big Sky)
Murray State (OVC)
Saint Mary's (West Coast)
South Dakota State (Summit)
UNC Asheville (Big South)
VCU (Colonial)
Western Kentucky (Sun Belt)

Editor's Note: On Tuesday night, Andy Katz caught up with a happy 86-year-old in Ohio -- a man who played on Harvard's one and only NCAA tournament team in 1946. To read Katz's piece, click here.

PRINCETON, N.J. -- The most avid Princeton fan in the country sat home with his family on Tuesday night, rooting hard for the Tigers and all the while trying to maintain a little perspective.

“You know what I’ve learned in the 100 or so years I’ve been through this? You’ve got to just play it out,’’ Harvard coach Tommy Amaker said. “Who knows how things are going to develop or shake out? It’s going to be what it’s going to be.’’

On the last regular-season game of the 2011-12 college basketball season, fate finally decided it was going to rule in favor of Harvard.

In 40 minutes, Princeton ruined the dreams of its basketball rival and delivered the dreams of its academic enemy, beating Penn 62-52 to hand Harvard the outright Ivy League crown and the school’s first NCAA tournament berth since 1946.

The final score led to raw emotion up and down the Northeast Corridor.

In Boston, there was pure joy. Amaker, who purposefully didn’t gather his team to watch the game, was returning giddy phone calls and text messages from his players, waiting anxiously to see them in practice the next day -- "I just want to hug 'em and touch 'em," he said.

In Princeton, there was a weird sense of euphoria. The Tigers had a kiss-your-sister sort of evening, preventing rival Penn from getting even a share of the Ivy crown yet delivering the conference title on a plate to Harvard.

"It was an interesting game coming in," Princeton's Patrick Saunders said. "We don’t have much love for either team. It was nice to get a win, but it was kind of tough to swallow knowing our win put Harvard in the tournament."

And in Philadelphia, there was equal parts anger and anguish. The Quakers will spend a year reliving this one, not because they lost but because of how they lost. Penn, which had won nine games in a row to force Harvard into a corner, played Ole' defense on the Tigers, allowing Princeton to do whatever it wanted offensively.

"How can a team that's playing for nothing play harder than a team that's playing for something?" Penn coach Jerome Allen wondered.

It’s a question without answer but one that will at least temporarily rewrite the Ivy League record books.

For the better part of the Ancient Eight, when Penn and Princeton met on the final Tuesday of the season it was to decide the fate of the conference.

Only not like this. Back then, either the Quakers or the Tigers would claim the crown.

But both programs had fallen on tough times, giving way first to Cornell and more recently to Harvard. Princeton enjoyed its rebirth last season, returning to the NCAA tournament by nudging the Crimson out of the way in a thrilling one-game playoff.

Two seasons ago, the Quakers were more the Quagmires. Glen Miller was fired in December, almost unheard of in Ivy circles, and Allen was tagged as the interim coach.

It was the nadir for a once-proud program that had become worse than bad, it had become irrelevant.

Allen, who owned the Ancient Eight as a player, quickly restored order in West Philadelphia, perhaps more quickly than anyone expected. The Quakers were picked only fourth at the start of the season. And so theoretically and even statistically, Penn ought to be happy with an 11-3 Ivy record and a second-place finish.

"No, no, I don't think we got this program back," said senior Zack Rosen, who made like a sherpa and toted the Quakers on his back the entire season."Coming close isn’t what Penn is about. Penn is about numbers and banners and championships."

Now those championships go to a newbie. Harvard celebrated its share of the title a season ago, but that will pale in comparison to the party the Crimson can enjoy now.

"This is significant for us," Amaker said. "It's a chance for us to be a part of something special at one of the most special places in the world, arguably the No. 1 school in the world. It’s been forever and so it means so much to so many people."

A year ago, Amaker was in a high school gym recruiting, learning via text-messaged scores that his team would need to win a one-game playoff game.

This season he chose to stay home, which was better but no less nerve-wracking.

"I was in and out," he said. "I watched most of it."

Most important, he watched the end -- and even if he couldn’t hug his players, he felt their excitement buzzing through his cell phone.

Now instead of worrying about where Harvard will have to travel to get to a neutral playoff site, Amaker is busy making much better plans.

"We've got to decide what we're going to do about watching the Selection Show," he said. "I want them to enjoy the moment because we know how hard these moments are to come by. You've got to be good and you've got to be lucky."

And finally, on the last day of the regular season, Harvard was a little of both.

Editor’s note: This update does not include BYU-Gonzaga in the WCC tournament.

NOTABLE

• North Carolina moves up to top line as projected No. 1 seed.
• Belmont (Atlantic Sun) clinches fifth NCAA bid in seven years.
• Texas falls out of field, replaced by Xavier (“Last Team In”).

Last Four In
Xavier
Northwestern
South Florida
Colorado State

First Four Out
Texas
VCU
Oregon
NC State

Next Four Out
Miami
Tennessee
Saint Joseph’s
Dayton

BRACKET MATH

Take the “solid” at-large candidates (current Tournament Odds at 90% or better) and there are now 34 teams in the field. Add in the remaining automatic qualifiers and that’s another 20 spots. All told there are 54 of the 68 spots accounted for, with 14 still up for grabs among current “Bubble” teams.

S-CURVE PROJECTIONS

1-KENTUCKY 2-SYRACUSE 3-KANSAS 4-NO. CAROLINA
8-Ohio State 7-Missouri 6-Duke 5-Michigan State*
9-Marquette 10-Georgetown 11-Baylor 12-Michigan
16-UNLV 15-Florida 14-Indiana 13-Wisconsin
17-Louisville 18-Wichita State 19-Florida State 20-TEMPLE
24-CREIGHTON 23-Notre Dame 22-Murray State 21-Vanderbilt
25-Gonzaga 26-New Mexico 27- San Diego State* 28-MEMPHIS
32-Purdue 31-Kansas State 30-Iowa State 29-SAINT MARY’S
33-Alabama 34-Cincinnati 35-Virginia 36-Southern Miss
40-Connecticut 39-Washington* 38-California 37-Saint Louis
41-West Virginia 42-Seton Hall 43-Harvard* 44-LONG BEACH STATE
48-Colorado State 47-Mississippi State 46-Brigham Young 45-Arizona
49-South Florida 50-Northwestern 51-Xavier 52-IONA
56-NEVADA 55-ORAL ROBERTS 54-DREXEL 53-MIDDLE TENNNESSEE
57-Belmont 58-DAVIDSON 59-AKRON 60-VALPARAISO
64-UNC Asheville 63-UT ARLINGTON 62-MONTANA 61-BUCKNELL
65-LONG ISLAND 66-STONY BROOK 67-MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 68-SAVANNAH STATE
72-NC State 71-Oregon 70-VCU 69-Texas
73-Miami (Fla.) 74-Saint Joseph’s 75-Dayton 76-Tennessee

Bold - automatic qualifier; * - current conference leader.
ALL CAPS: Regular-season champion (NIT auto-bid if needed)

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN

Big East (10)
Big Ten (7)
Big 12 (5)
SEC (5)
ACC (4)
Mountain West (4)
Atlantic 10 (3)
Pac-12 (3)
West Coast (3)
Conference USA (2)
Missouri Valley (2)

NCAA AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS

UNC Asheville (Big South)
Murray State (Ohio Valley Conference)
Belmont (Atlantic Sun)

Harvard defeats host Cornell 67-63, assuring the Crimson at least a share of the Ivy League championship.

Editor’s note: Eamonn Brennan breaks down North Carolina-Duke in today’s Weekend Watch. Andy Katz offers a dozen more games to keep an eye on this weekend.

Saturday

West Virginia at South Florida (Noon ET, ESPN3): Tell me again why West Virginia is a lock for the NCAA tournament? The Mountaineers are sliding toward the Big East tournament, losing seven of their past 10 games. Meanwhile, South Florida has won seven of nine and picked up its most important victory of the season by beating Louisville at the KFC Yum! Center on Wednesday. Winning 12 in the Big East didn’t put the Bulls in by itself, but which school got the Bulls to 12 probably did the trick.

Georgetown at Marquette (2 ET, ESPN3): Georgetown humbled Notre Dame and beat down Villanova in its final two home games. The Hoyas can draw even with Marquette in second place with a win in Milwaukee. The Golden Eagles should be good to go at home, but which squad will show? Marquette looked like an Elite Eight team in last week's second-half comeback at West Virginia. But its performance at Cincinnati on Wednesday was more worthy of a first-round exit. Regardless, this could be a preview of a Big East tourney semifinal.

Ohio Valley title game (2 ET, ESPN2): The Ohio Valley could be the first bid thief of Championship Week. Murray State enters the OVC tournament with one loss and is playing for a high NCAA seed. Coach Steve Prohm is hopeful that an OVC win will equate to a top-four seed to protect the Racers. Putting Murray in Nashville might not be as much of a reach if it wins.

Washington at UCLA (2 ET, CBS): The Huskies have emerged as the class of the Pac-12. UCLA is trying to ensure that it still has class. The Bruins need some sort of momentum going into the Pac-12 tournament in Los Angeles. Washington has a chance to improve its NCAA seeding with a strong performance in L.A. and then next week at the Staples Center.

Louisville at Syracuse (4 ET, CBS): The Orange are the Big East No. 1 seed and a lock for a No. 1 NCAA seed. The question in this game is whether Louisville can find its offensive flow after a disheartening performance against South Florida. The Cardinals won’t get healthy at Syracuse but need to find an offensive identity before the Big East tournament.

Baylor at Iowa State (7 ET, ESPN3): Iowa State had Missouri on the ropes in Columbia earlier in the week; Baylor is finally starting to find its mojo at the right time of the season. Forgive the Bears if they drop this game in Ames — this is much more about Iowa State. The Cyclones are going to make the NCAA tournament and could be a spoiler in the Big 12 tourney. Don’t dismiss this team's chances stealing the Big 12 tournament.

Yale at Penn (7 ET): Penn has to sweep Brown and Yale to set up a possible showdown with Princeton that could hand the Ivy League title to Harvard with a Quakers loss (assuming Harvard wins at Columbia and Cornell) or set up a possible playoff game with the Crimson for the Ivy automatic bid.

Texas at Kansas (9 ET, ESPN): Texas passes a number of eye tests — except that the Longhorns haven’t taken down one of the Big 12's big three this season in Kansas, Missouri and Baylor. The Longhorns probably won’t get this one, but the game might be more about their ability to be competitive going into the Big 12 tournament.

Sunday

Kentucky at Florida (Noon ET, CBS): Kentucky is hoping to lock up an undefeated SEC season and ensure itself the No. 1 overall seed ahead of Syracuse. The Gators, meanwhile, have been a bit of an enigma. Florida needs some momentum going into the SEC tournament. The Gators will need to make 3s and Patric Young must stay on the court to be an effective post player.

Missouri Valley title game (2 ET, CBS): The OVC is the first bid thief possibility. Sunday’s MVC title game could be the second of the weekend. If Creighton and Wichita State are in this game, there isn’t a problem. But if a third team sneaks in there and wins, suddenly the MVC will get three bids. If it’s a Creighton-Wichita final Sunday, expect a great atmosphere and a highly competitive affair yet again.

Ohio State at Michigan State (4 ET, CBS): The Spartans are vying to win the Big Ten title outright, something that seemed like a bit of a reach when they started 0-2 and then Ohio State destroyed Duke. But the Spartans’ Feb. 11 victory at Ohio State might go down as one of the most significant in a conference this season. It shifted the power and put the Spartans in position possibly to get a No. 1 seed. Look for the Spartans to win on Draymond Green’s senior night, capping off a great career that should end with him grabbing a Big Ten player-of-the-year trophy over Jared Sullinger.

Purdue at Indiana (6 ET, BTN): The Hoosiers have been one of the best home-court teams in the country. But they rocked the Boilermakers in Mackey Arena by 17. Purdue doesn’t forget. This is a great chance for payback by Purdue, which has been on a high of late. These two teams are both going to be in the NCAA tournament, with legit chances to win a game.

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1. Murray State has only one loss heading into the Ohio Valley Conference tournament in Nashville, Tenn., needing only to win two games for the automatic NCAA berth. “Our guys' sense of urgency is very high,’’ Murray State coach Steve Prohm said. “They are a resilient group. The biggest thing I told them is that we have an opportunity to win another championship, which is special in its own right.’’ Prohm said he told the team that winning the OVC could solidify a top-four seed.

2. Doc Sadler did his own deal at Nebraska last year, adding two years to his contract to take him through 2016 and ensuring a buyout of $3.4 million. The Huskers host Iowa on Wednesday in an attempt to get to five Big Ten wins in their first season in the conference. Nebraska doesn’t have any kind of glorious NCAA tournament resume. The decision athletic director Tom Osborne faces in the short term is if Sadler is the coach long-term to turn the Huskers into a top-half Big Ten team, and if it’s worth shelling out for a major buyout so soon after giving him an extension. Sadler didn’t finish higher than seventh in his first five seasons in the Big 12. He’ll finish near the bottom in the Big Ten in year one. If he will have time to show improvement in a new league is an unknown.

3. Columbia coach Kyle Smith is raving about the strength of the Ivy League as he prepares to host Harvard on Friday night. The former Saint Mary’s assistant said that the Ivy League is better than the West Coast Conference was in some of the years he was in the league. He also compared Penn guard Zack Rosen to, gulp, Steve Nash. “He’s smaller but tougher than Nash in college in my memory,’’ Smith said.