ESPN Men's Basketball

The Afternoon Links are back, and they are exactly what they say they are. Some days will bring more links than others. This is the offseason, after all. If you have a link you'd like included, your best bet is to hit me on Twitter. You can also email your link to collegebasketballnation at gmail.com, or use the submission form here.

• A high school kid named Alex Kline is one of the nation’s rising AAU go-betweens. True story, via The New York Times.
• Indiana player Matt Roth has had an admirable career: He arrived at IU with the program in the worst state in its history, but he stuck it out in time to feel some measure of success and earned two degrees in the process. Now, as he seeks a fifth-year medical redshirt, his scholarship may no longer be available; he may end up paying out-of-state tuition to finish his fifth year. The Indianapolis Star’s Terry Hutchens has the story, and Assembly Call’s Jerod Morris has reaction.
• Frank Haith sees your transfers, Fred Hoiberg, and raises you. Tulsa transfer Jordan Clarkson -- the subject of a low-profile, but nonetheless questionable, limitation on his permission-to-contact list -- has decided to move to Missouri. Clarkson will join a team that already boasts transfers including former UConn forward Alex Oriakhi as well as Pepperdine guard Keion Bell, Auburn forward Earnest Ross and Oregon guard Jabari Brown. Clarkson will have to sit out a year, but he'll be a factor in the SEC when he returns in 2013-14.
• This photo of a baby mimicking the famous Anthony Davis poster (which itself was a retread of Michael Jordan’s famous “Wings” poster, and I should know, because one hangs in my domicile) is one of the best things you will see all day. He’s trying to spread his little arms, but they only go so far! Seriously. Adorable. Also, someone whip up a Success Kid meme, pronto. Thanks, Internet.
• Illinois State tabbed Dan Muller to replace Tim Jankovich as its new head coach. That’s Dan Muller the Vanderbilt assistant, not Dan Muller the noted and deceased “artist, illustrator and writer of the Old West.” (Now that’s a job description.)
• UConn athletic director Warde Manuel said he expects Jim Calhoun to return for the 2012–13 season, and that Manuel isn’t planning on naming anybody as Calhoun’s successor during the coach’s tenure, at least not yet. Matty Norlander believes that’s the right way to handle an undeniably difficult transition.
• The New York Times' Pete Thamel provides a helpful dispatch on the troubled state of the Big East.
• In case you missed it, be sure to read Dana O’Neil’s reaction to John Marinatto’s resignation Monday, and what that resignation says about the Big East. Meanwhile, our Big East college football writer, Andrea Adelson, looks at where the league goes from here.
• Finally, you should know that I’m hosting a SportsNation chat at 2 p.m. ET, 1 p.m. CT, right here. We will talk mostly about “Game of Thrones,” but maybe we’ll cover some basketball too. See you there.

A few weeks ago, Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun reacted to news of his team's 2012-13 Academic Progress Rate-inflicted postseason ban with positive vibes.

"There's no question [the regular season] would become a heck of a lot more important to us," Calhoun said at the time, and he was right. But the Huskies' chances of building a Big East title contender are becoming slimmer with each passing week.

That change in status is thanks to a host of defections, the latest of which came this past weekend when CBSSports.com reported that sophomore forward Roscoe Smith would be transferring out of the program and seeking a new destination for his talents this summer.

This is not a devastating loss in and of itself. Smith averaged just 4.4 points per game in 2011-12. He was much more of a bit player than a star by any definition of the term. His contributions to Connecticut's 2011 national title were important, particularly on the defensive end, particularly in the tournament. But Smith is hardly a program-defining player.

No, this is more a quantity problem than a quality one. Smith is just the latest transfer. The first was forward Alex Oriakhi, a key player in the 2011 title run, who decided to transfer to Missouri for his senior season when the Huskies' APR ban became formal. Oriakhi can play right away, and it's not hard to understand his decision. Likewise, small forward Jeremy Lamb and forward Andre Drummond are both gone, headed to likely selections in the NBA draft. That's a huge swath of the Huskies' frontcourt, not to mention its elite talent, gone in the matter of a few weeks.

But as he told Andy Katz Saturday, Calhoun is still staying positive:

"We've had 25 years without a losing season and we want to keep it going to 26," Calhoun said.

Calhoun said the backcourt of returnees Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright and newcomer Omar Calhoun, who hasn't shown any sign that he won't honor his commitment, will be one of the top in the Big East.

"Scoring-wise, we'll be fine," Jim Calhoun said of the three guards. "We'll need help up front."

Assuming that trio of guards can congeal, that's not exactly a bad backcourt. It's pretty good, actually. Really good, potentially. Omar Calhoun is the No. 32-ranked player in the country, and the No. 7-ranked shooting guard, in the class of 2012. UConn won't be totally devoid of talent.

But as Calhoun and Andy both noted, Connecticut's returning frontcourt may be in desperate need of help. There are players there -- DeAndre Daniels, Tyler Olander, Enosch Wolf, Niles Giffey, and Holy Cross transfer R.J. Evans -- but Olander is the only player with legitimate game experience, and none among that crew will strike fear into the hearts of Big East opponents like Louisville and Syracuse.

Then again, neither did Smith. But his transfer does clarify an already rather obvious point: The 2012-13 Connecticut Huskies men's basketball season is going to be a ramshackle sort of affair. In that way, it may also be a lot of fun. If we learned anything in 2011, Calhoun is never better than when he's backed into a "you can't succeed with these guys"-kind of corner.

But other than that? The reasons for optimism are steadily growing fewer and further between.

ESPN's Andy Katz talked with UConn coach Jim Calhoun Friday about the future of the program:

Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said Friday he has no problem with next season's only possible goal being the Big East regular-season title if the Huskies are banned from the postseason.

"There's no question that it would become a heck of a lot more important to us," Calhoun said. "There's no question that Louisville will be good and Syracuse will still be good."

But he's still holding out some hope, as is his new boss, athletic director Warde Manuel, that the NCAA will adjust its Academic Progress Rate (APR) calculations and include the most recent four-year period instead of a time frame that started in 2007 that kept the Huskies below the required level to participate in the postseason.

Read the rest of Andy's article here.

Hall of Fame and three-time national champion coach Jim Calhoun will face his toughest on-court challenge yet, trying to motivate UConn without the opportunity of playing in the postseason in 2013.

The NCAA officially informed the Huskies on Thursday that the latest appeal to be eligible for the 2013 postseason was denied based on a four-year period of Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores.

The Big East decided during the conference tournament to adopt a new policy that any school that isn’t eligible for postseason cannot participate in a conference tournament, regardless of sport.

Calhoun issued a statement through the school Thursday, admitting that the university and coaching staff should have done a better job academically with the team, and that implemented changes have had an effect.

He added, “We will continue to strive to maintain that success as we move forward.’’

Calhoun has two seasons remaining on his contract, and new athletic director Warde Manuel said Thursday during a conference call with the media that Calhoun has given him no indication he won’t go forward as the coach.

“Jim is our coach,’’ Manuel said. “Jim is committed to working to ensure the student-athletes do what they’re doing now -- to focus on academically being successful, and being successful on the court.’’

A number of sources close to Calhoun said he will not retire. Actually, this latest setback will likely embolden him even more to stay and get the Huskies through this hurdle, instead of him quitting on the program when it needs leadership most. Calhoun, who has survived two bouts of cancer, eight broken ribs and recent back surgery, is considered one of the toughest coaches in the country.

Calhoun returned from back surgery for the final regular-season game against Pitt on March 3 after missing eight games, then coached the Huskies in the Big East and NCAA tournament. Calhoun was suspended for three games to start Big East conference play as part of the penalties related to the recruitment of former student Nate Miles (not related to the APR issue).

The Huskies have already released junior forward Alex Oriakhi. He can play immediately somewhere else, because his former team is not allowed to play in the postseason in his final season of college. Kentucky, Duke, Florida, Missouri and North Carolina, among others, are interested in his services.

Manuel said no other player has asked for a release. Oriakhi is the only junior on the team.

The Huskies are awaiting NBA draft decisions from sophomore Jeremy Lamb and freshman Andre Drummond. Calhoun said two weeks ago that he would expect Lamb to leave if he were in the lottery, but wasn’t convinced Drummond would bolt after initial conversations with his family.

The Huskies have one star recruit coming in the fall in Omar Calhoun. They also return rotation players DeAndre Daniels, Enosch Wolf, Niels Giffey, Roscoe Smith and Michael Bradley, as well as a potential all-Big East backcourt of Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright.

Preparing to play a season without the ability to reach the postseason isn’t the norm, but it’s not unique.

Two seasons ago, USC found out in January that it was banned from the postseason, including the Pac-10 tournament.

“It will be a challenge,’’ said USC coach Kevin O’Neill of what Calhoun faces next season. “If anybody can do it, Jim can. He commands the respect to keep them up.’’

O’Neill said he was helped by having senior transfers in Mike Gerrity (Pepperdine) and Marcus Johnson (UConn), who still wanted to play because they had nothing else left on their eligibility clock.

O’Neill said he focused the Trojans on trying to win the Pac-10 regular-season title. Calhoun will likely focus on the Big East regular-season title.

“Our guys continued to play hard, and we were in the hunt until the last two weeks,’’ O’Neill said. “We were fortunate to have seniors. If it’s a younger team, it’s going to be really hard. [UConn] will have a whole year in advance, and you’ve got to motivate the guys to go to the weight room to work their a-- off every single day, and that will be difficult.’’

Manuel isn’t holding out hope for a change in the policy in time to save the 2013 ban.

The Huskies have argued that the NCAA should compute the APR based on the immediate four-year period. Instead, the NCAA started it in 2007-2011.

The men’s team had an APR of 978 in 2010-11, and according to UConn had a perfect APR score in the fall of 2011.

Manuel said he views the Huskies as being penalized twice since it already lost a scholarship due to the poor APR, received a public reprimand and a reduction of practice hours. Manuel said the board of directors changed the level two penalty on Oct. 26, 2011 to go from the above mentioned to include a postseason ban.

“We knew the initial penalty when we submitted our information, we knew the punishment, there was no new data,’’ Manuel told ESPN.com later Thursday of the expectation that the Huskies, in the fall, would receive the above mentioned penalties instead of a ban. “And then they changed the penalty.

“None of the freshmen on this team cost us a point,’’ Manuel said. “The players on this team helped us stay perfect. These freshmen weren’t on the team and their data won’t be calculated.’’

But Manuel said he has moved on and the Huskies must as well, to a season that will end with the last regular-season game.

The Huskies can still win a title in 2013. But just the Big East regular-season championship. That’s it. As a result, this will be Calhoun’s toughest task to date to ensure his depleted team is motivated enough to reach that goal.

1. The departure of UConn junior forward Alex Oriakhi is not a surprise. The Huskies may not win the appeal to play in the 2013 NCAA tournament. The UConn staff expects freshman Andre Drummond and sophomore Jeremy Lamb to decide here soon about declaring for the NBA draft. The Huskies face an uphill climb to win an appeal for the 2013 tournament. The NCAA may adjust the Academic Progress Rate penalty to go only over a two-year period instead of four, but that probably won’t affect this penalty. It would be hard for the NCAA to justify overturning UConn since it would send a message of favoritism. But if you think these hurdles will push Jim Calhoun out, think again. Calhoun will retire only if he thinks he doesn’t have the drive or his health fails. He’s hardly a coach who shies away from a challenge and clearly doesn’t want to leave the Huskies' program gutted.

2. Nebraska is one of the toughest jobs in the Big Ten. But the Huskers have the money to make a serious play for a candidate to replace Doc Sadler. If the Huskers could lure Oregon’s Dana Altman back to the state they would. If not, then according to sources, the other two candidates that are high on the Huskers’ list are Colorado State’s Tim Miles and Ohio’s John Groce. The Huskers couldn’t go wrong with any of these choices. All have a history of building winners and would give the Huskers a chance to rise in the Big Ten.

3. VCU athletic director Norwood Teague said he did bump up Shaka Smart’s salary a bit -- as well as a few other things, like more chartered trips. But Smart didn’t get more years on his deal. Smart showed incredible loyalty by staying true to the Rams. Teague said the clause that a prospective school would have to play VCU two years in a row will remain if Smart leaves at any time during his contract for another job.

Guard play was the story of the early-afternoon games in the Men's Basketball Championship on Saturday. Here's a closer look at the wins by the Syracuse Orange and Ohio State Buckeyes, each of whom advanced to the Round of 16.

(1) Syracuse 75, (8) Kansas State 59

Syracuse’s win was the 47th in the Men’s Basketball Championship for head coach Jim Boeheim. That’s tied for the fifth-most all-time with John Wooden (who did all of his coaching before the tournament expanded to six rounds). Boeheim is two wins behind Jim Calhoun for fourth-most, 32 behind all-time leader Mike Krzyzewski.

The Syracuse bench dominated, going 10-for-15 from the field (including 3-for-4 on 3-pointers) and 10-for-11 from the free throw line. The Orange bench outscored Kansas State’s reserves, 33-0.

In particular, Syracuse was at its best with Dion Waiters on the floor. The Orange outscored Kansas State 47-30 in the 24 minutes in which he played, and tallied all 12 of their transition points with him in the game.

Scoop Jardine was also a catalyst. He scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half, and also had eight assists for the game, his most since February 8th.

During Jardine's career, Syracuse is 17-1 when he has at least eight assists. Syracuse held Kansas State to just 18 percent shooting (6-of-33) outside the paint. That's the lowest percentage by a Syracuse opponent on those types of shots in the last three Men's Basketball Championships.

The Orange shot 67 percent in the second half, including 5-for-5 from 3-point range.

Kansas State was able to hang in with Syracuse for much of the game because of its offensive rebounding. Jordan Henriquez had 11 of the team’s 25 offensive rebounds, one shy of the tournament record set by Bo Kimble in 1990.

Looking ahead, the Orange have lost their last three games in the Round of 16 since winning the national championship in 2003.

(2) Ohio State 73, (7) Gonzaga 66

The Buckeyes are headed to the Round of 16 for the third straight season, the longest such streak since the Sweet 16 began in 1975.

Ohio State’s Aaron Craft finished with his first career double-double, recording 17 points and 10 assists. His seven baskets tied a career high. Craft was 5-for-5 in the paint and finished with a team-best 10 of the Buckeyes’ 24 paint points.

In two seasons, Craft never had more than nine assists in a regular-season game, but he's now had at least 10 assists in the Round of 32 twice. Last year against George Mason in the Men’s Basketball Championship Round of 32, Craft had 15 assists.

Ohio State made nine 3-pointers, with Craft assisting on seven of them.

The Buckeyes accounted for 27 of their 73 points (37 percent) on 3-pointers, their highest percentage of points from 3-pointers in a game this season. Entering Saturday, they ranked last in the Big Ten in percentage of points from 3-pointers (20 percent).

Rebounding was also a key. Gonzaga dominated the offensive glass in the first half, with nine offensive rebounds and 13 second-chance points. The Buckeyes clamped down in the second half, limiting the Bulldogs to four offensive rebounds and two second-chance points.

Ohio State entered Saturday allowing opponents to grab only 25 percent of their missed shots, the best percentage in the Big Ten.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Chris Allen played his first three years at Michigan State, experiencing two Final Fours and a Sweet 16 with the Spartans.

His old team expected to do great things in March. Back in the NCAA tournament as a senior with Iowa State, Allen senses an entirely different feeling.

"People see us and say, 'That's Iowa State. Who are they?'" Allen said. "But you can't worry about the name on the front of the jersey. You just have to worry about the players."

Plenty of folks saw the name Connecticut and automatically assumed the Huskies would brush past Iowa State in the second round of the NCAA tournament. UConn was the defending national champion, after all, while the Cyclones were a collection of castoffs at a program that hadn't gone dancing in seven years. Forget that Iowa State was seeded one spot higher, at No. 8, than Connecticut. Everybody was already looking forward to a third-round matchup between UConn and top seed Kentucky.

Except that Iowa State's players were better than Connecticut's. A lot better, and they showed it during Thursday's 77-64 dethroning at the KFC Yum! Center.

The Cyclones felt disrespected leading into the game and believed they would win. In the waning seconds, big man Royce White barked at the Iowa State radio crew, "I told you!"

"Nobody picked us to win," White said. "That bothered me a lot. Personally, I was as tuned-in as I've been all year to this game as far as my effort."

White showed it on the first possession of the game, throwing down a dunk off a rebound to set an early tone. Twelve minutes later, Iowa State led 36-14 after what coach Fred Hoiberg called his team's best stretch of the season.

The Cyclones hit eight of their first 11 shots and drilled six 3-pointers in the first half. But this wasn't simply the story of a team getting hot from outside and pulling off an upset. Iowa State didn't make a 3-pointer in the second half and instead took it to the Huskies physically, outrebounding them 41-24 and just wanting it more. After UConn cut the lead to six points at the under-eight-minutes timeout, Iowa State responded by scoring seven consecutive points and grabbing four offensive rebounds during that stretch.

"That's just hunger," White said. "That's us being the underdog."

UConn suffered from the same disinterested, disjointed vibe that plagued the team all year. At one point after a Cyclones run, Jim Calhoun called timeout and just stared at his team from the court for several moments, unsure of what to say. He later said the Huskies got caught "being nothing more than a street sign as [Iowa State] went by us by a thousand miles." With a 2013 tournament ban looming plus Calhoun's uncertain future, who knows what path Connecticut takes the next couple of years?

Truth is, Iowa State presents a tougher matchup for Kentucky than UConn ever did. This is a team that beat Kansas, Kansas State and Baylor this season and plays an odd style that is not easy to prepare for in one day.

"We have a lot of stuff that's abnormal to the college game," guard Chris Babb said.

That starts with White, a 6-foot-8, 270-pounder who often brings the ball up the court and initiates the offense. Hoiberg puts four shooters on the court with him most of the time. Teams that can spread Kentucky out and shoot -- think Vanderbilt and Indiana -- can beat the Wildcats, though it will still take a monumental effort.

There's very little that's conventional about Iowa State. Hoiberg had never coached at any level before he was hired two years ago. Looking for a quick fix, he brought in six transfers, four of whom are playing for the Cyclones in this tournament. Some of them had checkered pasts.

"It's kind of weird, because we have so many different people coming from so many different places," said guard Scott Christopherson, who transferred in from Marquette in 2008. "But we have all bonded together."

They used that togetherness to knock off the defending champions. Up next is the No. 1 team in this year's tournament. Win that one, and people will know all about Iowa State.

"There's nothing better you could have as far as a plot line for an underdog that wants to achieve something great," White said. "We've got to embrace the spot we're in now."

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Looking for something interesting in the Thursday night session at the KFC Yum! Center? Well, we've got the NCAA Tournament's No. 1 overall seed and the defending national champions each playing and possibly charting a collision course toward one another. Is that something you might be interested in?

Here's a closer look at the two late games here in Louisville:

No. 1 seed Kentucky (32-2) vs. No. 16 Western Kentucky (16-18), 6:50 p.m. ET

What to watch: Western Kentucky was 9-18 on Feb. 18. Now the Hilltoppers have an NCAA tournament win under their belts and will face the No. 1 overall seed in what also happens to be an in-state rivalry. So they're playing with house money and can give Kentucky their best shot with no pressure on their backs. The Wildcats will open up in front of an extremely friendly crowd, but they need to shake off the disappointing loss to Vanderbilt in the SEC tournament final.

Who to watch: Player of the year candidate Anthony Davis begins his first and only NCAA tournament, and the Wildcats will likely go as far as he can carry them. Western Kentucky's Teeng Akol, a rail-thin 6-foot-11 junior, has the unenviable task of trying to contain Davis. Don't be surprised to see the Hilltoppers play a lot of zone, as Vanderbilt did with great success. Do be surprised if they come close to approaching the 53-30 rebounding edge they held over Mississippi Valley State in Round 1.

Why to watch: Kentucky is the commanding favorite in this tournament, but don't forget this team starts three freshmen who have never experienced March Madness as players. They'll need to work out the butterflies early. Western Kentucky has manufactured two ridiculous comebacks, first just to get to the NCAA tournament and then in erasing a late 16-point deficit in Tuesday night's win. If the Hilltoppers find a way to upset the Wildcats and become the first No. 16 seed to oust a No. 1, the city of Bowling Green may never stop partying.

What they're saying: "It was a very intense practice. We don't like losing. Coach Cal doesn't like losing, so we tried to pick it up a little bit. We tried to get focused on what we need to do going into this tournament. That has been our main goal all year." -- Kentucky guard Darius Miller on the mood of the team after the Vanderbilt loss.

"You don't want to start out the game bad against a team like this because ... it's kind of like horse racing. When you're racing a really big horse, you don't want to get behind too much because the race is only so long." -- Western Kentucky forward Vinny Zollo.

Of note: Kentucky's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Western Kentucky leading scorer Derrick Gordon were high school teammates and close friends at St. Patrick in New Jersey. "It's like a dream come true for both of us," Kidd-Gilchrist said. "I can't wait to play them." Kidd-Gilchrist will likely be assigned to defend Gordon. ... Zollo committed to Kentucky as a high school freshman but dropped his pledge after Billy Gillispie was fired in 2009. ... The two schools haven't played since Western Kentucky upset then-No. 4 Kentucky 64-52 in November 2001.

No. 8 seed Iowa State (22-10) vs. No. 9 seed UConn (20-13), approximately 9:20 p.m.

What to watch: UConn is the defending national champion, but Iowa State is actually the higher seed. And don't discount the Cyclones, who were good enough to beat Kansas, Baylor and Kansas State this season. The Huskies, who needed to win two games in the Big East tournament last week to feel secure about getting here, have looked indifferent at times this season, especially in their perimeter defense. That could spell trouble against an Iowa State team that was one of the most prolific 3-point shooting clubs in the country while making nearly nine treys per game.

Who to watch: Iowa State forward Royce White is the only player in the country to lead his team in scoring, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. So, yeah, he can do it all. But can the 6-foot-8 Royce do it all effectively inside against UConn shotblocker Andre Drummond?

Why to watch: The Huskies begin their title defense, and with Jim Calhoun back on the bench they have to be taken seriously. This is still a talented team with two future pros in Drummond and Jeremy Lamb, though the chemistry has seemed off most of the season. Iowa State is better than many think. Whoever wins this game has a chance to cause No. 1 Kentucky some problems in the next round.

What they're saying: "I mean, Kemba Walker's not coming back, is he? Obviously, we know Connecticut is one of the most storied programs in all of college basketball. We know they're the defending national champs. [But] we feel like we earned our way to be here, too. We respect them, but I don't think there's like a fear factor with them at all." -- Iowa State guard Scott Christopherson.

"You definitely hear it from the fans. They definitely want to see the UConn-Kentucky matchup. We're just trying to beat Iowa State and then play Saturday." -- Connecticut forward Alex Oriakhi.

Of note: Calhoun is 16-1 all time in the first round, with a 2008 loss to San Diego his only blemish. ... The Huskies haven't been seeded this low since they were ninth in the 1992 tournament. ... Iowa State scores 36.4 percent of its points from 3-point range, the fifth-highest among power six conference teams. Connecticut is allowing its opponents to score 33.9 percent of their points from 3-point range, the second-highest rate among power six conference teams.

Bracket first impressions:

Someone on the Selection Committee must be a frustrated screenplay writer.

How else to explain the endless plots coursing through some of these regions?

In the South, Kentucky will debut as the No. 1 overall seed against either its in-state neighbor, Western Kentucky, or former Wildcat Sean Woods, the man who would have sent the Unforgettables to the Final Four were it not for a guy named Laettner.

Should the Cats get through that game, next up is defending national champion Connecticut, the team that knocked them out of the Final Four a year ago. Last we took the pulse, former New England rivals Jim Calhoun and John Calipari weren’t double-dating with milkshakes, either.

After that how about a possible Sweet 16 date with Christian Watford, er, Indiana? The Hoosiers, thanks to Watford’s shot that restored a program, are the only team to beat Kentucky in the regular season.

And then to complete the fun down South, there is perhaps an Elite Eight game against Duke (which might have to get UNLV, its program-establishing Final Four foe, first). Twenty years ago this season, the two met in in a sort-of kind-of memorable regional final.

That guy named Laettner again.

Across the way in the Midwest there are some decent storylines, too. Harrison Barnes and Doug McDermott could square off in an 1-8 game. The two once, believe it or not, were on the same team. As you might expect, Ames (Iowa) High was pretty good – 53-0 with two state titles in their tenure.

In the Sweet 16, Barnes' Tar Heels could tango with Michigan. If you don’t recall, the two met in the 1993 title game. Chris Webber remembers. He called timeout.

Being a No. 1 seed ain’t what it used to be.

Back when, like last year, you could write the nation’s best through to the Sweet 16 in ink. Maybe you wouldn’t press too hard, but ink was fine.

Now grab a pencil.

The No. 1s were not exactly rewarded with cakewalk 8-9 opponents.

Potentially lining up across from Kentucky: defending national champion Connecticut, a team that started the season ranked No. 4 in the country and sports two NBA first-rounders on its roster.

In line for North Carolina: How about a possible date with Creighton, one of the few teams in the country that can score with the Tar Heels and boasts an All-America candidate in McDermott to boot?

Michigan State could get a matchup with Memphis, a wildly talented No. 8 seed that has won 11 of its past 12 games.

Syracuse might say hello to Kansas State, two-time winners over Missouri.

Some other random observations:

• Is it the nickname? If he went by something less intimidating — like his given name, James — would Bruiser Flint be welcomed to the party? His Drexel team did win 27 games after all, and that used to be the goal of the sport — winning games.
• As usual, the 5-12 game is where the action is. Wichita State and VCU, mid-major darlings both, meet in the South; New Mexico-Long Beach State in the West and Vanderbilt-Harvard in the East. Tiebreaker in that one is a spelling bee.

Seeded too high: Colorado, Southern Miss.

Seeded too low: Memphis, Murray State, Detroit.

VCU 2012: That would be Iona. Most everyone is screaming about the Gaels being in. Understandable. But the Gaels are talented enough to make everyone eat their words just like the Rams did last year.

First team to 300 wins: That could be Creighton and North Carolina. The Tar Heels average 80 points; the Bluejays 83. Bring your oxygen tank.

Win or you’re out: That goes to all the folks who argued their merit despite failing to finish above .500 in their respective leagues. It’s not an official selection committee rule but de facto works fine by us.

And finally the potential: In October, they were tabbed the two best teams, loaded with the most talent. In December, they played an epic game in Lexington, Ky., decided only by Anthony Davis' incredible reach topping John Henson’s equally impossible wingspan. And on April 2, Kentucky and North Carolina could meet again for the national title.

NEW YORK -- A first-round Big East tournament win against DePaul shouldn’t change anyone’s mind about Connecticut.

It was, after all, DePaul, the No. 16 seed in the Big East tournament.

But there was something different about the Huskies on Tuesday afternoon at Madison Square Garden, their second game with Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun back on the bench.

Their spirit was back, and there was energy among all the players that had been noticeably absent during recent games. It might not translate into a repeat of last season’s historic run, when the Huskies won five games in five days to win the title, but at least they have a chance.

As for Calhoun, back on the bench for the second game after missing a month after having back surgery, two consecutive wins have eased some of the pain and discomfort he’s still feeling. Calhoun was in such a good mood after the Huskies’ 81-67 win that he actually thanked the media for the way in which it handled his absence.

“When you see a team, and you see them lose five games by whatever we lost by, in every sort of possible way, then I think if you feel you can do anything, maybe just being a fresh voice coming back, whatever, with these guys, then I owed it to them if I could get back,’’ Calhoun said. “And I did, and obviously the last two games have been very fulfilling.’’

Kemba Walker is in the NBA. Without him, expecting a similar sprint through the tournament isn’t fair. The closest thing the Huskies have to Walker returning was the presence of his mother, Andrea, behind one of the baskets near the UConn bench. She said Kemba told her to show up and support the Huskies, so she did. She said she has a ticket for all five days after coming up from her new home in Charlotte, N.C., back to her old spot in the Bronx.

Walker’s inspired play wasn’t needed Tuesday. But to advance deeper in the tournament, the Huskies must have Jeremy Lamb be a dominant presence. Lamb scored 17 in 19 first-half minutes, finishing with 25.

“I’m not trying to be Kemba,’’ Lamb said. “Everybody wants to lead their team to a championship, but I’m trying to do what’s best for this team.’’

The Huskies won despite Shabazz Napier being in foul trouble. That allowed Ryan Boatright to flourish a bit more as a playmaker. Roscoe Smith, Andre Drummond and Alex Oriakhi had their moments at both ends of the court. They will all have to raise their game against West Virginia in the next round if they want to ensure a meeting with top seed Syracuse in the quarterfinals.

When asked what it meant to be back on the bench, Calhoun was reflective.

“It’s my love,’’ Calhoun said of coaching the Huskies. “That’s why I came back to my basketball team, because I felt I owed them something.’’

Calhoun didn’t feel the same discomfort as he did after Saturday’s win against Pitt. He took Sunday off, but was at practice Monday. He said he would take it easier Tuesday afternoon. But he’ll be back at it Wednesday.

“It’s sore, but nothing like a win or two wins now to make that [go away],’’ said Calhoun.

“Coach came back,’’ said Lamb. “So there are a lot of things that go into it. But yeah, I can say we’re getting momentum.’’

STORRS, Conn. -- Jim Calhoun waved off a postgame interview because he said he was hurting.

He didn’t attend the postgame news conference, either.

He later apologized for his absence, as he had to check in with his physician following UConn’s 74-65 win Saturday against Pittsburgh.

He was fatigued and understandably so. He was also emotional. The report from his staff and players was that he was near tears during a postgame meeting.

“He was telling us he loved us and how happy he was to be back,’’ said UConn guard Shabazz Napier. “I felt like he was about to cry. It was one of those feelings ... it was a special moment. He wanted us to win so bad. We won this for him. We knew he was fighting for us.’’

The Hall of Fame and three-time national championship coach returned to the sideline five days after undergoing back surgery to remove a piece of a ruptured disk that had been pressing on a nerve in his back.

Calhoun said he was motivated to return because he knew his team needed his voice. He was pleased with the Huskies’ play in recent losses to Syracuse and Providence, but not with their inability to finish games.

Saturday’s win against Pitt was crucial if UConn wanted to keep its NCAA tournament hopes alive. The Huskies gave up a big lead to the Panthers before wrestling it back in the final two minutes.

“Coach is such a competitor,’’ said UConn director of basketball operations Karl Hobbs, who was also an assistant for Calhoun. “The doctor gave him the OK and most importantly his wife [Pat] gave him the OK to coach.

“But I’m pretty sure he’ll feel this tomorrow, but this win will make it better for him. But he was a difference. The guys were able to respond to his will. He imposed his will on this team. Hopefully he’ll stay healthy because we need him the rest of the season.’’

Calhoun suffered the first effects of spinal stenosis over the summer. The pain radiated from his lower back down to his leg in December and hit a peak in a loss to Georgetown on Feb. 1. Calhoun was in immense pain and had trouble on the flight back from Washington, D.C.

Two days later, it was announced he was taking an indefinite leave of absence. Calhoun was bedridden for days before he was able to get to doctors in Boston and New York to decide upon the best course of action. He opted for a surgical procedure to remove a piece of the disk that was pressing on the nerve. Even before the surgery last Monday, Calhoun’s plan was to return for the Pitt game if he was physically able to coach.

The Huskies were 3-5 in his absence.

“They always say that every hour you’re on the operating table it takes a month to get that back and he was there for two-plus hours so it should take him two to three months to recover,’’ said longtime associate head coach George Blaney, who filled in for Calhoun on the sideline during his absence and during the postgame news conference Saturday. “He was back in five days. He did that after prostate cancer. He doesn’t take Novocain when he goes to the dentist. Do you know anybody who doesn’t do that? He just felt he needed to be back with the team.’’

The Huskies had to beat Pitt for some momentum heading into the Big East tournament. No one is expecting the Huskies to embark on a five-games-in-five-days run to the Big East tournament title like they did last year with Kemba Walker.

There are still plenty of problems that remain unsolved despite Saturday’s win. Jeremy Lamb still needs to be much more assertive offensively and, of course, the Huskies’ defensive transition has to improve; they give up way too many easy buckets and haven’t defended the 3-point line well.

Still, with wins at Notre Dame and over Harvard, Florida State, West Virginia and Seton Hall, UConn may have done enough to squeeze into the NCAA tournament field as one of 37 at-large candidates.

“We’ve got too many top-50 games and too many things have gone on with this team,’’ said Blaney, referring to the nine games missed by Ryan Boatright due to NCAA eligibility issues and the 11 games Calhoun missed (eight for his back and three due to an NCAA suspension). “But I would like not to have it in the hands of the committee. We just need to go and win games.’’

And having Calhoun back, barring any setback over the next two days before the team leaves for New York for the Big East tournament, is a must.

“He has a lot of energy,’’ Napier said of Calhoun. “A lot more than a lot of people do. He brings that energy that a lot of people don’t. With him on the sideline, I know it makes us feel secure."

Andy Katz says ailing Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun had enough strength to lead his team to a 74-65 victory over Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Jim Calhoun returned to the bench after more than a month of medical leave and coached Connecticut to a 74-65 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday.

1. Missouri’s road win at Oklahoma Monday night cannot be undersold. This was a huge moment for the Tigers as Missouri could have easily slipped after beating Kansas Saturday. "We played late Saturday night in an emotional game and then played early Monday," Mizzou coach Frank Haith said after the game. "This team won one road game last season. We’re 4-2 on the road now.’’ Mizzou has three road games left this season: at Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Kansas. “We had a quick turnaround,’’ Haith said. The Tigers essentially play seven players and Missouri is now 22-2, 9-2 in the Big 12.

2. It’s hard to explain how Connecticut can disintegrate over 48 hours after they much better during the second half Saturday against Seton Hall. The Huskies’ defensive effort and lack of offensive execution against Louisville was awful. The Huskies are under .500 in the Big East and looking like another Tuesday appearance in the Big East tournament. Coach Jim Calhoun is out with a back condition and may not return this season. The Huskies looked like they checked out Monday night.

3. First-year coach Bryce Drew has Valparaiso a half-game behind Cleveland State atop the Horizon League standings. Baylor, led by older brother Scott Drew, is a lock for the NCAAs as it challenges for a Big 12 title. If both Drews are in the NCAA tournament it would be a “a dream come true," Scott Drew said. “Hopefully we’re in the same region but not playing each other.’’ Dad, Homer Drew, said he would do what he could to get to both games if possible.

Here are a few things we learned from the biggest games Saturday afternoon. Check back later for analysis of tonight's games.

No. 3 Ohio State 58, No. 20 Wisconsin 52: Ohio State is hardly a breakneck team, but its adjusted tempo this season is 68.9 possessions per 40 minutes, far above those of many of its Big Ten brethren. The Buckeyes like to get out on the break a little. Thad Matta has a ton of talent, shooting, athleticism, scoring, you name it, and the Bucks aren't shy about letting it shine in the open floor.

In other words, this is exactly how Wisconsin wanted this game to go. It wanted it to be slow -- as slow as possible, in fact -- and it was. These two teams traded 57 possessions Saturday afternoon. If you had told Bo Ryan this game would be this slow, he'd have given his team an excellent chance of knocking off what might just be the best team in the nation. This is the luxury of having Jordan Taylor commanding your team: If you want the game to be deathly slow, with supreme economy of movement and as few possessions as possible, you can't do better than the Badgers' point guard.

The only problem? Ohio State has Jared Sullinger. Wisconsin does not. "The Artist Currently Known As Sully" just so happens to be very comfortable playing half-court offense, and as good as UW was on defense -- as much as it shaded and doubled and harried and harassed -- Sullinger was simply too much. He played all 40 minutes Saturday. He scored 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field in the first half alone. He finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds (5 offensive), 3 steals, just 1 turnover and an 8-of-10 shooting mark at the charity stripe. He was too much. Jared Berggren did his best, and the Badgers kept their shape well defensively -- there's a reason OSU scored just 1.02 points per trip -- but they never found an answer for the big man on the block.

They also learned the lesson anyone who has played this Ohio State team (or last season's version, for that matter) already knows: The Buckeyes defend, too. Per Ken Pomeroy's metrics, the Bucks are the stingiest per-possession defense in the country. The second stingiest? Wisconsin. But while the Badgers allow .81 points per trip, OSU allows an absurd .77, the rare team that forces turnovers but doesn't give away fouls and one that also cleans up the defensive glass. UW has had its troubles scoring from time to time this season, but the Buckeyes are a whole 'nother animal.

Play fast, play slow, play at your court, play in Columbus. Play however you like. If you don't have someone who can guard Jared Sullinger -- never mind a group of players to check the insanely talented group around him -- and/or an offense that can find a way to score against this kind of defense, it doesn't really matter. Ohio State is going to beat you.

Wyoming 68, No. 13 UNLV 66: For much of the season, during a remarkably quick turnaround, San Diego State coach Steve Fisher has been the consensus favorite for national coach of the year. Deservedly so. But any mention of the words "coach of the year" should also, after today, be followed closely by the words "Larry Shyatt."

Shyatt's story is remarkable. Wyoming gave him his first head-coaching gig in 1997, but after a successful season, he left to take over at Clemson, where he stayed until 2003. Shyatt spent the past several years on Florida coach Billy Donovan's bench, until this offseason, when he returned to Laramie to start over and repay a debt he felt he owed for his quick departure 15 years ago.

And what a return it has been. In 2010-11, the Cowboys finished 10-21 overall and ranked No. 215 in Pomeroy's adjusted efficiency rankings. After a two-point stunner over UNLV -- during which they led for nearly all 40 minutes and turned it over just eight times -- the Cowboys now are 18-5 and ranked among Pomeroy's top 60 teams in the country. This is primarily thanks to their defense, which Shyatt has transformed entirely. Last season, the Cowboys were hands down the worst defensive team in the Mountain West. This season, the defense is among the MWC's best, and on Saturday, it held UNLV to 3-of-14 shooting from beyond the arc.

The question now -- after the school's first victory over a ranked team in 12 years -- is whether Shyatt's miracle story can end with an NCAA tournament berth. The jury is still very much out, and Wyoming probably will have to grab another big win or two to be bubble-relevant going forward. But NCAA tournament or no, this team has made a drastic year-over-year turnaround. It has gone from a no-name afterthought to a program on the rise. And Shyatt's prodigal return is the reason.

Notre Dame 76, No. 15 Marquette 59: It's not fair to say the Fighting Irish looked totally irredeemable in their 8-5 nonconference start, but they certainly didn't look good. Notre Dame was dominated by Missouri, handled by Georgia, no match for Gonzaga, beaten by Maryland and overwhelmed by Indiana. Any time the Fighting Irish played a good (even decent) team, they looked exactly like what all thought they were: rebuilding, in transition, mediocre, meh.

Now? After Saturday's strong home win, which was keyed by a massive second-half run, it's impossible to discount the Irish. The Syracuse upset of two Saturdays ago was more than a random upset or a product of ND's mystically inexplicable propensity to upset elite teams in South Bend. No, Mike Brey's team is much more than that. Guard Eric Atkins is among the nation's most improved players, but he might be eclipsed in that category by forward Jack "Don't Call Me Mini-Harangody" Cooley, who, after years of geeks like me writing, "Hey, that guy looks exactly like Luke Harangody," is rapidly making his own name. (And Patrick Connaughton, whose Irish-name swagger deserves serious respect, was tremendous, too: 23 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 big blocks on huge defensive stops. Dude can play.)

Most impressive in this game was Notre Dame's late push, even if "push" feels like an understatement. With eight minutes remaining in the second half, the Irish led 54-48. The final score speaks for itself. Marquette is a good team, and the Irish simply ran away. The only conclusion: Notre Dame is pretty darn good, too.

No. 11 Florida 73, Vanderbilt 65: It was the opinion of this writer that Florida and Vanderbilt felt like identical SEC twins: guard-oriented perimeter offenses led by sharpshooters (Vandy's John Jenkins, Florida's Kenny Boynton), versatile play from outside-in small forwards (Vandy's Jeffery Taylor, Florida's Bradley Beal) and one true post presence apiece (Vandy's Festus Ezeli, Florida's Patric Young). So it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that this game's box score featured such near-identical numbers for both teams. Each team recorded 12 assists; each team snagged nine steals. Both teams turned the ball over at about the same rate. The teams' effective field goal percentages were similar. Vanderbilt shot 18 free throws. Florida shot 17.

You get the idea. So what was the difference? Simply put, 3-point shooting. The Gators made 11 of 24 shots from beyond the arc. VU shot just 8-of-25 from long range. There were other differences, too: Florida outrebounded Vandy on the offensive glass, grabbing 36.8 percent of its available misses to just 28.6 percent for the Commodores. But the real difference was shooting. Florida made three more of its 3s, and it shot 16-of-17 from the charity stripe.

All told, it wasn't Vanderbilt's best offensive day, but there are promising signs. For one, it didn't score the ball particularly well and still hung with a good team on the road. For another, there are signs Vandy's defense, which has played so well (surprisingly so) in the SEC campaign, is for real. It held the nation's best offense to 1.09 points per trip at home; compared to UF's usual output, that's not too shabby.

In the end, this is just what Florida does. It makes shots. It made a few more of them in this one. Not a bunch more. Just a few. But in a game this close, with such a doppelganger of an opponent, a few extra makes were all the Gators needed.

No. 24 Florida State 58, No. 18 Virginia 55: The scoreline says it all. If you don't like slow, plodding, offensively challenged basketball, this was not the ACC matchup for you. But it also was the rare game in which both teams can come away feeling pretty good. Virginia's task in Tallahassee was to take on one of the nation's best defenses and hottest teams, one that recently had found a scorching offense to go along with its typically staunch defense.

Florida State no doubt hoped to keep the good offensive vibes rolling, but more important in the end was holding serve on its home floor. After an incredible streak that included a 33-point win over UNC and a win at Duke, the last thing the Seminoles needed was a lackluster home loss to pull their record (and, maybe, their spirits) back to earth.

FSU didn't keep the offense rolling. Virginia's defense was nearly up to the task. The Cavaliers forced Leonard Hamilton's team into a turnover on 31 percent of its possessions. Unfortunately, UVa coughed it up even more frequently than did FSU. That's the thing about this Florida State team, which is now 7-1 in ACC play: When the Noles are shooting the ball well and scoring it with ease, they're just about unstoppable. But even when they're not, that defense will always be there, providing a baseline when the going gets tough. That has to be comforting, doesn't it?

No. 6 North Carolina 83, Maryland 74: How good are the Tar Heels? Sometimes it's hard to tell. They often look dominant, every bit the national title contender we assume they'll be in March. Just as often, though, they struggle, particularly on the road and frequently against teams they should rather easily handle. Maryland is one such team.

On Saturday, facing the Terrapins in front of a rowdy crowd, the Tar Heels struggled. There's no other way to put it. Maryland brought it, sure, but UNC often seemed to be on its heels, no pun intended. UM center Alex Len was excellent, and Terrell Stoglin showed why he probably should be an all-ACC inclusion by the end of the season. By the 17-minute mark in the second half, Maryland had opened a nine-point lead. Suddenly, as analyst Len Elmore said, the Heels found themselves in a dogfight.

Here's another reason Carolina is so often so hard to appraise: This team seems to have the fabled ability to "hit the switch," i.e., to suddenly focus its efforts, let talent take over and go win the game even when not playing well. And that's what happened Saturday. UNC seemingly flipped its switch, started locking down on defense, started getting easy buckets on offense, started making 3s -- you know, basically, all the things this team should do -- outscoring Maryland 46-34 in the second half en route to a victory. It wasn't pretty, and we often tend to expect more from purportedly great teams, but it's impossible to dismiss this team's talent and its ability to transform that talent at a moment's notice.

No. 2 Syracuse 95, St. John's 70: And so all was well in the land of the Orange. When sophomore center Fab Melo was lost to a lingering first-semester academic issue, Syracuse lost its first game of the season without him, and even in the two wins that followed -- at Cincinnati and in questionable fashion over West Virginia -- the Orange didn't look anything like their typically dominant selves. With so much depth and talent, it was hard to pin all this on Melo's absence ... but it was hard to compare Syracuse's offensive output with and without Melo (not to mention its block percentages, where Melo really excels) and not think the newly trim and focused big man didn't have a much bigger effect on this team's 20-0 start than many originally thought.

And then you watch Saturday's game, Melo's first since his return. You see the big man score a career-high 14 points on a tidy 5-of-6 from the field. You see the Orange roll St. John's to the tune of 1.34 points per possession on a day when they didn't shoot the 3 particularly well (just often). You see them tie a season high with 24 second-chance points and 52 in the paint.

Given all that, you can't help but think Melo is absolutely crucial to this team's national title chances. And then our fine friends at ESPN Stats & Information send along the following statistics, and you see the facts in all their glory: With Melo, Cuse is 21-0, and averages 38.9 points per game in the paint (28.7 without him), 14 second-chance points per game (6.3 without) and 1.18 points per possession (1.00 without), and has an offensive rebound percentage of 39.5 (25.5 without).

So, yeah, I suppose you could say he's pretty important. Impressive performance for Melo, impressive win for Syracuse.

Memphis 72, Xavier 68: "That Used To Be Us." It's the title of Thomas Friedman's questionably considered new book. It also feels appropriately descriptive of the Xavier Musketeers, who spent the first two months of the season earning difficult wins thanks to late rallies but were the victims of such a rally Saturday afternoon at the FedExForum.

Xavier opened a 10-point lead in the second half, but Memphis fought back. The Musketeers opened another one with seven minutes remaining, finding themselves up double digits (62-51) as the Tigers' ugly offense appeared headed toward a losing effort. And then something funky happened. Memphis used a 12-1 run to rally all the way back and tie the game at 63-all with 2:12 remaining. And then something even funkier happened. Memphis closed out the game with a score of made free throws. The Tigers shot 24-of-28 from the line, including 9-of-11 in the final two minutes. Joe Jackson alone was 12-of-12. All told, Memphis went on a 17-1 tear, and the game went from 62-51 to 68-63 before the Tigers closed it out.

It was a nice -- and much-needed -- win for Memphis, sure, but more than anything, it spoke to the seemingly downward trajectory of the Musketeers. This team hasn't been the same since the Dec. 10 brawl, of course, but at this point, the cause-and-effect is beginning to look tenuous. Now more than ever, it looks like X really wasn't all that good in the first place. Losing on the road is hardly a crime. Losing like this? It's something closer.

Some more observations from this afternoon's games:

• Is Arizona on the rise? It's hard to ignore the three-day stretch the Wildcats had, getting not one but two wins on their Bay Area road trip. First, the Wildcats held on for a win over apparent league favorite Cal on Thursday, and then they looked even more impressive in their 56-43 victory at Stanford on Saturday afternoon, holding the Cardinal to just 16-of-63 (!) from the field and 3-of-12 from 3 in their own building. Zona might or might not get on the bubble by the end of the season, but these sort of performances might just carry the Cats to the top of the league's standings before all is said and done. At the very least, Sean Miller's team is worth keeping an eye on.
• Butler's offense is not worth keeping an eye on -- and it continues to cost the Bulldogs games. It's been the case all season, really, and it was the case again today. The Dogs lost to a team that made just two of its 10 3-point field goal attempts and shot just 20-of-47, because Butler's offense was even worse: 18-of-51 from the field, 4-of-19 from 3, just one made field goal from any bench player, a tough 0-of-7 night from Ronald Nored. The Bulldogs can't score. Nothing new here. But give some measure of credit to Detroit for a tough win on the road. Hinkle Fieldhouse was sold out, and the Titans got the job done in Indy for the first time since 1999.
• Baylor loves to play close games. It's either that or the Bears can't help themselves. Whatever the reason, the good news is Baylor seems more capable than most of winning those close games, particularly on the road. It did so twice this week. The first came in a three-point win at Texas A&M on Wednesday. The second came Saturday afternoon, when Oklahoma State rallied from a nine-point deficit to take a 57-56 lead on Keiton Page's 3 with 1:42 remaining. Baylor ended up finishing the game in the final moments, which is nothing new. The Bears have played eight games decided by five points or fewer this season. With the exception of the 89-88 loss to Missouri, they've won every single one. That might not be by design, and it probably doesn't help Bears fans' blood pressure levels, but it's the kind of trait that might come in handy in March.
• Seton Hall is officially off the wagon. A loss at UConn is understandable, even forgivable, but the Pirates were absolutely smacked, 69-46, by a team that had lost six of its previous eight games, to say nothing of Jim Calhoun's sudden and indefinite medical absence. That's Seton Hall's sixth consecutive loss. Unfortunately, the Pirates' happy redemption story is rapidly shrinking under the rigors of Big East play. Shame.
• Before Saturday, South Florida's Big East record was 6-3. Considering the Bulls entered conference play with a 7-6 record and their best conference win was at Villanova, it was fair to say that surprising league start had more to do with South Florida's schedule than its skill. After today's blowout loss at Georgetown -- USF's worst conference loss since joining the Big East and its worst loss period since 2004 -- I think we can officially cement that perception.