ESPN Men's Basketball

It was a while ago now, so you might have forgotten, but allow me to take you back to May 2011 2010, when the NCAA's new NBA draft decision deadline (which came even earlier on the calendar this spring) forced players to make their life-altering decisions much earlier than ever before. The deadline was a hot topic. At the very least, it was no secret. But Mississippi State guard Dee Bost didn't know the rule, or so he said, causing him to stay in the draft past the May 8 deadline and forcing him to appeal the NCAA to get back on the court for his senior 2011-12 season.

Bost's NBA draft stock hasn't changed much since then. If anything, it's worsened. ESPN Insider Chad Ford currently ranks Bost No. 118 overall in the 2012 draft class, and No. 16 at the point guard position. Chances are, unless something changes in the months to come, Bost will go undrafted. Why? Because, according to Bost, NBA scouts just haven't seen him play. That's what he told Slam's Peter Walsh, anyway:

Bost attributes his team’s lack of national attention to him flying under the radar as the draft approaches: “Playing at Mississippi State, we didn’t play a lot of televised games or in front of a lot of people… I feel like I’m underrated. I just gotta get to workouts and prove that to everybody else.”

First of all, you can't really fault Bost for maintaing this attitude. His draft stock is really discouraging. Athletes are athletes precisely because they operate this way mentally; they have to believe they're the best player on the court at any given time, or the battle is already lost. Of course Bost thinks he's underrated. He has to. And he might even be right.

But the bit about the television exposure? That's just downright silly. As CBS's Gary Parrish humorously notes, NBA scouts aren't exactly limited to national broadcasts when they are hunting for NBA prospects. The top point guard prospect in the draft is Damian Lillard, who played in the Big Sky at Weber State and didn't even make it to the NCAA tournament. Mississippi State forward Arnett Moultrie is a projected lottery pick. The high-upside foreign players drafted every year don't play on CBS on Saturdays, and it doesn't stop NBA scouts from drooling at their potential.

In other words, there are about eight thousand different ways Bost is wrong. Which, you know, oh well. The point is: Even if college basketball itself still exists in a TV-driven hierarchy -- BCS programs versus mid-majors, etc. -- NBA scouts have long since moved beyond it. To them, with some exceptions, college basketball is flat. If you can play, you can play -- no matter where you go to school, how big your home crowds are, or how many times you perform on TV. Exposure never hurts, but a lack of exposure hardly means what it used to.

There are rebuilding programs, and then there's this.

That's the immediate and obvious reaction I had when reading the latest out of Starkville, Miss. Sunday night, just after whatever it was that happened on "Mad Men." (To be honest, I'm not really sure. I'm a couple of episodes behind, and I spent most of the night ducking Twitter's all-hours spoiler routine.) Indeed, it went from bad to worse at Mississippi State: Freshman guard Rodney Hood is transferring out of the program, newly appointed head coach Rick Ray announced in a statement:

"Obviously, we are disappointed in Rodney's decision," Ray said. "I was looking forward to getting a chance to develop and coach him. This decision, unfortunately, was made before my hire. The Hoods were forthright and honest about where they were when I met with them, and I appreciate their honesty.

"I look forward to putting together a team with the current members, rolling up our sleeves and recruiting new Bulldogs."

At least Ray isn't sugar-coating it. Because right now, there aren't many Bulldogs to speak of.

That's meant as no offense to Jalen Steele and Wendell Lewis -- who immediately become the Bulldogs' leading returners in points (12.5, combined) and minutes (44.8, again combined) per game. Both Steele and Lewis proved themselves in 2012 as completely competent Division-I men's basketball players. And there are a couple of freshman, most notably DeVille Smith, in the program right now. So, you know, there's that. (Update: DeVille Smith left the program in late March, so nevermind that part.)

But the exodus of talent has been breathtaking to behold. Arnett Moultrie, gone. Dee Bost, gone. Renardo Sidney, gone in a blaze of glory:

"So, I was thinking, he’s going to sit me out until about four or five minutes left in the second half. I still didn’t get in the game. There were two overtimes. He turned his back on me, so after the game I just left. I said I was out, meaning I was not going back to the school or playing for Mississippi State."

Anyway, now Hood, a 6-foot-8 SEC all-freshman team member and a top-40 player in his ESPNU recruiting class, who managed to average 10.3 points and 4.8 rebounds despite playing in the vortex of bad vibes that was Starkville last season, has wisely seen that the program is in a relative shambles and has decided to ply his trade somewhere less bombed out and depleted. And can you blame him? Of course not. This is, unfortunately, where Mississippi State is. Rick Stansbury is gone, the players who formed the backbone (ahem) of what could have been an excellent team in 2011-12 have fallen away, and what is left is Rick Ray's elbow grease and pluck.

Really, let's wish him the best of luck. It's going to be a long offseason -- and, barring a relative miracle, an even longer 2012-13.

(Oh, and hi there. My mini post-Final Four blog siesta is over. Welcome to the offseason, everyone. Let's see if we can't keep ourselves entertained over the next few months, huh?)

1. Baylor coach Scott Drew said an NBA draft early-entry decision from Perry Jones III and Quincy Miller will come at some point this week after he sits down and meets with the families. If both were to return then the Bears would be one of the favorites again in the Big 12 and possibly a Final Four.

2. Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said Tony Wroten Jr., would likely make up his mind sometime this week, as well. The Huskies lost Terrence Ross to the NBA Sunday when he officially declared for the draft. The Huskies underachieved this season by failing to reach the NCAA tournament despite winning the Pac-12 regular-season title.

3. Mississippi State pulled a sleeper out of the coaching carousel when they hired Clemson associate head coach Rick Ray. This was a stunner. But it also shows how difficult a time it is for these schools to lure a high-major coach away from another significant gig, let alone a head coach who is comfortable at a conference outside the power six. Times have changed in coaching as more coaches are content to stay put if they’re winning, compensated well, and have a chance to make the NCAA tournament.

1. Bryce Drew made the right choice to withdraw from the Mississippi State coaching search. The first-year Valparaiso coach wouldn’t have been a fit in the deep South. He is perfect for the next Big Ten opening that may occur in the coming years. Drew has name recognition that is still strong in the Midwest. He won the Horizon League (over Butler and Detroit) in his first season and should be in contention again next season. He played in the NBA. He doesn’t need to rush to the first high-major stop that shows an interest. He’ll be fine.

2. John Groce may get the Frank Haith treatment at Illinois from those critical of the hiring. But he shouldn’t. Fans and Chicago high schools should give Groce a chance. Haith’s hiring was mocked at first by Mizzou loyalists because he wasn’t the first choice and Miami wasn’t a consistent NCAA team. Groce didn’t top the list at Illinois after the Illini lost out on Shaka Smart and Brad Stevens. But Groce has proven he is tremendous late-season coach more than anything else. His teams improve and are a tough out in the postseason. Groce has strong Midwest ties and an infectious energy that should be celebrated upon arrival.

3. The SEC confirmed that it does have a rule that a player must have two years of eligibility left in order to transfer to a member school. That would mean Florida, Kentucky and Missouri couldn’t stay in the Alex Oriakhi sweepstakes. A waiver could be sought since this is an unusual circumstance. Another interesting curveball: Would Oriakhi be able to play immediately if UConn were to win its appeal and earn back the right to play in the 2013 NCAA tournament? Oriakhi might be given a special circumstance since he is transferring at a point when the Huskies are currently ineligible to play in the postseason during his senior year.

1. SMU is joining the Big East in 2013 and wants to make a slash in replacing Matt Doherty. The Mustangs, according to sources, have Marquette’s Buzz Williams in their sights. But those close to him would be stunned if he were to leave Marquette, now a top Big East program, for a school that will enter the league at the bottom. The money can’t be more than comparable to what he makes now, and proximity to his hometown can’t be that big a deal, right? Unless something happens to prove otherwise, chalk this one up to wishful thinking.

2. Illinois has now been spurned by VCU’s Shaka Smart and Butler’s Brad Stevens. This should be yet another sign how well schools pay at some spots outside the power six. And it speaks volumes about being happy with your situation, school, boss and city for a coach’s family. Now that Illinois has struck out with Smart and Stevens, it should focus on Ohio’s John Groce. Groce has done wonders with the Bobcats and has strong Big Ten ties. I’d be surprised if Groce were to turn this gig down if offered. He’s hot now and, while he could win the MAC next year, it’s still likely a one-bid league and winning the conference tournament is a tenuous proposition.

3. South Carolina would like Kansas State’s Frank Martin. But if Martin is seriously interested in leaving Kansas State (he has publicly said he hasn’t talked to anyone), he should look at Mississippi State, which is a better basketball job than South Carolina. There is plenty of talent in the state, more recent success in the sport, and a more passionate fan base for hoops.

1. Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy was recruiting at the national junior college tournament. He had not made any decision on the UAB job. But clearly, according to multiple sources, Kennedy can return to his alma mater if he so chooses. It would be a hard decision for Kennedy. Leaving a BCS school for a school in a league that is going through an uncertain future is a gamble. Of course, if there is allegiance to the alma mater and the feeling of being chased then that’s something different. But there’s no indication that’s the case. Ole Miss was horrible at times this season and Kennedy still got the Rebels to the NIT.

2. Murray State coach Steve Prohm still hasn’t decided if he’s going to stay long term with the Racers or make a full push toward the Mississippi State job. This is another tough call for Prohm. He is in a good space, has the Racer Nation pumped for the future and clearly he would like to enjoy the benefits of such a wonderful season. But does he take a bigger gig in the SEC if he can land it? The problem is that Mississippi State isn’t an easy job. The Bulldogs have had to play all over the country for games and must search for a combination of high school seniors and transfers. I’ll be very interested to see if Prohm takes a similar approach to Shaka Smart of VCU and stays where he’s most comfortable.

3. We’re getting into the silly season of players declaring for the draft without any assurances that they’ll be in the first round. The number of mistakes this spring will likely escalate without any ability for NBA personnel to snuff out foolish decisions.

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.

Say this for the NCAA: When it expanded the tournament to 68 teams, it accomplished at least one thing.

It made your argument invalid.

Once the province of outrage and disgust, the post-tournament bracket digestion process has become downright serene. It was difficult to gin up much outrage over 2011's tournament "snubs," and you'll have to stretch even harder to get there in 2012. This bubble was soft. It was really, really soft.

The opportunities were there. If your favorite high-major team didn't make the tournament, it's probably because it missed numerous chances for big wins. If your mid-major squad didn't get in, it's probably because its league was bad and it didn't prove anything outside conference play. If you're from the Pac-12 ... well, again: Nicolas Cage's hair is a bird, and your argument is invalid.

It's hard to feel much sympathy for any of these teams. If your team was good, it would have gotten in the field. If it didn't, it wasn't. Simple enough.

That said, the bubble is always a matter of relativity. And relatively speaking, a handful of teams will be able to lodge legitimate complaints against the 2012 NCAA tournament selection committee. These are their stories:

Drexel Dragons (27-6, 16-2 CAA; RPI: 64; SOS: 248)

What the committee would say: We liked Drexel's dominance in the Colonial -- we couldn't easily discount a team that won 25 of its final 27 games -- but whom did Drexel beat, exactly? The Colonial was down this season. No one in the league got a good nonconference win. Drexel got both VCU and George Mason at home (and didn't have to go on the road), and its atrocious scheduling numbers put a major dent in all those wins. Drexel was good in the CAA tournament final, but so were a lot of teams, and we don't look at margin of victory. We wish we could put them in, but we just can't do it.

What fans would say: Dudes. Dudes! Put down the nitty-gritty sheets, toss aside your dumb schedule-strength metrics and RPI nonsense, briefly come up for air, and then ask yourself: What bubble team played better basketball in the final two months of the season than Drexel? Just because the Dragons can't get the same number of games against top-50 teams doesn't mean you shouldn't reward them for beating the teams on their schedule. Sure, the entire body of work matters, but what about the win at Cleveland State? What about that 25-2 record since early December? (25-2!) Plus, the only bad losses this team took all happened four months ago. Strength of schedule is a joke, and so are you.

Also ... you put in Iona and not Drexel? What? How does that make any sense? Explain yourselves! (You can't. Ugh.)

Mississippi State Bulldogs (21-11, 8-8 SEC; RPI: 73; SOS: 87)

What the committee would say: We care about the entire body of work. We really do. But we also reserve the right to evaluate a team as it currently is, not as it was earlier in the season, and the bottom line is this: The Bulldogs collapsed down the stretch. MSU lost six of its final eight games, including two games to Georgia, one to LSU and one to Auburn. We watch teams play, and when we watched Rick Stansbury's, we saw a disjointed, disinterested bunch who looked ripe for early upset. Besides, it's not like the body of work is overwhelming. MSU has two good wins -- over Alabama and at Vanderbilt -- and really not much else. And that 73 RPI? Yeah, that's not good.

What the fans would say: Oh ... it ... we ... we have no response. That was perfect.

Washington Huskies (21-10, 14-4 Pac-12; RPI: 70; SOS: 94)

What the committee would say: This team went 7-6 in the nonconference, and its best win came at home against UC-Santa Barbara. Its best overall win came against either Oregon or Arizona. It lost by 19 at home to South Dakota State. Sure, it won its league, but so what? The Pac-12 went 1-29 in nonconference play against the RPI top 50 this season, and if Washington was so good -- or at least as good as its obvious talent -- it would have dominated that league and made an emphatic statement in the Pac-12 tourney. Instead, it lost to Oregon State. No sympathy here.

What fans would say: East Coast bias! OK, maybe not: We admit the Pac-12 was really bad. But UW did win the league, and no power-conference regular-season champion has ever missed the NCAA tournament. Plus, before you go ripping on UW's nonconference performance, please account for the fact that it narrowly lost to Duke and Marquette in a matter of days on the East Coast in early December. If you've seen this team play, you know it can make a deep tournament run. Isn't that worth something? (Answer: No. But UW fans seem to keep making this argument anyway.)

Seton Hall Pirates (20-12, 8-10 Big East; RPI: 61; SOS: 57)

What the committee would say: Seton Hall had as many chances as any bubble team in the country to get the wins it needed to impress us. With just minimal exception, the Pirates didn't. Sure, they crushed Georgetown on Feb. 21, but that win came in the midst of a 5-10 overall finish and was mixed in with missed opportunities against beatable opportunities like Notre Dame, Louisville, UConn and Cincinnati. Throw that in with a nonconference schedule that included a loss to Northwestern and no good wins, and the impression remains: The Pirates had a decent season, but they just didn't do enough.

What the fans would say: Few bubble teams have even one RPI top-50 win. Seton Hall has four. It also won at Dayton and beat West Virginia, which, OK, that's not crazy impressive, but no one's arguing the Pirates should be a single-digit seed -- just that they're more deserving than most of the bubble for one of those last at-large spots.

Northwestern Wildcats (18-13, 8-10 Big Ten; RPI: 59; SOS: 15)

What the committee would say: How many opportunities do you need? You got 11 cracks at top-50 wins. You won one of them. That's really all you need to know. We respect the strength of schedule, but it had more to do with your conference than your nonconference, and your chief nonconference wins came over Seton Hall and LSU. OK? Bottom line: Northwestern proved it was a very average team that could beat the teams it was supposed to beat but couldn't get over the hump against the kind of teams you need to beat to prove you belong. We feel for you, Northwestern fans, but you really didn't belong.

What the fans would say: [Play Morrissey's "How Soon Is Now?", throw remote control across the wall, decide to stop caring about basketball forever.]

NEW ORLEANS -- Four weeks ago it was a question of where, not if, Mississippi State would be dancing.

The Bulldogs were 19-5 heading into the final month of the season. They were ranked No. 18 in the country and primed for solid seeding in both the SEC and NCAA tournaments.

Those days seemed like a distant dream Thursday night in the Mississippi State locker room. A month removed from such lofty aspirations, the Bulldogs crashed out of the SEC tournament 71-61 at the hands of lowly Georgia, the No. 11 seed, to complete a 2-6 skid.

"It hurts," said State forward Renardo Sidney. "I know we're one of the better teams down here in the SEC tournament, and we just didn't go out there and play hard. We didn't have no heart."

Huddled around their postgame meals, the Bulldogs looked like they'd just woken up from a bad dream -- a nightmare in which they lost five consecutive games during the month of February.

The only problem is, that's the sobering reality.

Big man Arnett Moultrie couldn't bring himself to even speak about it. Faced with a wall of cameras and recorders, Moultrie steadfastly repeated "no comment" before turning to his dinner.

It's an understandable reaction after the forward, who averaged 16.1 points for the Bulldogs this season, was limited to a mere seven in 39 minutes by a relentless Georgia zone defense.

"Give Georgia credit. They did a good job of keeping our bigs from scoring inside that zone," said Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury.

Sidney, who was limited to four points and managed just 19 minutes because of foul trouble, was willing to talk, but found himself at a loss for words.

"It was hard to get the ball down there," he said. "That zone. I can't even explain it."

The only Mississippi State starter who could find his game was guard Jalen Steele. With State trailing 59-51 and five minutes to play, Steele reeled off the next nine Bulldogs points to pull them within as close as three points, 60-57. The run seemed to inspire the MSU bench, and it brought the State faithful to their feet.

"I thought it was going to be just like Vanderbilt, where we came out and came back," Sidney said. "We just couldn't get it over the line. We tried to fight back, but they kept coming."

Two minutes later, two Mississippi State turnovers had allowed Georgia to extend the lead to seven, and the rally was dead.

"We had the thought that we lost to [Georgia] on our mind, but we knew it was a new game," said guard Dee Bost. "We lost the momentum, and they made plays when they were supposed to."

Steele said the Bulldogs lacked heart, and it showed. Led by guards Gerald Robinson and Dustin Ware, Georgia rattled off a 15-2 run starting about five minutes into the second half. Although they only trailed by nine, Steele said it took the Bulldogs too long to respond.

"We came out kind of sluggish. We could have came out with a little more energy, but it didn't fall our way," he said.

It was a similar feeling and a fitting ending. The Bulldogs were within a basket inside the last 10 minutes of five of their six recent losses, but they let them all slip away. Having officially hit rock bottom, all they can do is hope their NCAA hope hasn't slipped away as well.

"We were on the bubble going into this game, and we really needed this game," Sidney said. "Just the thought of your season in somebody else's hands, it's kind of tough. Hopefully we get in."

NEW ORLEANS -- After a nightmare finish to the 2012 regular season, Mississippi State entered the SEC tournament needing some wins to bolster its tournament resume.

Unfortunately, the Bulldogs didn't get the memo, instead dropping a 71-61 upset loss to the tournament's No. 11 seed, Georgia.

The Bulldogs (the ones from Georgia) established early on that they wouldn't be rolling over or playing dead for Mississippi State's bubble prospects. Gerald Robinson set the pace, as usual, putting up 12 points to help Georgia to a 31-29 halftime lead. That scrappiness continued into the second half, where the teams traded the lead in the opening minutes.

Where Georgia got production from Robinson, as well as freshman Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and senior Dustin Ware, Mississippi State couldn't find consistency from anyone. It took the Bulldogs (the ones from Starkville) until the 7:59 mark of the second half to have a scorer reach double digits. Mississippi State's bedrock trio of Dee Bost, Arnett Moultrie and Renardo Sidney accounted for just 21 total points.

Turning point: With 16:25 to play, Brian Bryant tied the game at 34. Georgia then ripped off a 9-0 run highlighted by two consecutive jumpers from Ware, who finished with 13 points. Robinson and Donte Williams each tacked on a basket to make it 43-34. Jalen Steele's 19 points helped Mississippi State get it as close as three, but the Bulldogs couldn't bring it all the way back.

Key player: Robinson led the Bulldogs as he always does, notching 23 points. But Ware was the key to the second half surge that pushed Georgia in front. Ware finished with 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting, but he had no points at halftime. He accounted for 11 points of Georgia's 15-2 run that seemed to kill Mississippi State's morale.

Key stat: Sidney contributed as many fouls as he did points (4). The Bulldogs' big guy only managed 19 minutes, and didn't come close to his season scoring average. Moultrie got into foul trouble as well and finished with four of his own. He managed to play 39 minutes, but only scored 7 points after averaging 16 this season.

Miscellaneous: It's fitting that State's final setback happened at the hands of Georgia. The Bulldogs have had a rough month, going 2-6 since a Feb. 11 overtime loss to? Who else but Georgia.

What's next: Georgia moves on to face No. 3 seed Vanderbilt, who beat the Bulldogs by 11 and nine in two meetings this year. Mississippi State, which spent a good chunk of the season in the top 25 and at one point seemed to be playing for tournament seeding, will now go home and hope for an NCAA bid.

Andy Katz gives his take on five games he's looking forward to on Thursday, including a pair of stellar matchups in the Big 12 and a couple of bubble teams in need of a win.

Kentucky’s undefeated run through the SEC has to go down as one of the most impressive feats in the league’s history.

The Wildcats were pushed at times, but there was more dominance than anyone would have predicted in the preseason. Now the Big Blue move into the SEC tournament as the favorite en route to a likely No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.

On to the final conference power rankings:

1. Kentucky: The Wildcats continue to handle every road challenge in the SEC, the final one coming Sunday at Florida. Not to worry. Just another double-digit win. Hey, even Anthony Davis made a 3-pointer. Scary.

2. Tennessee: The Vols swept Florida and then handled rival Vanderbilt at home Saturday. It says here that UT is the second-best team in the SEC and a deserving at-large candidate in the NCAA tournament. If John Calipari is SEC Coach of the Year, then Cuonzo Martin must be 1A.

3. Vanderbilt: The Commodores lost on the road at rival Tennessee, but they still finished in a tie with the Vols and Florida for second place. Vandy is flawed and has a weak bench, but the Commodores have done enough to be considered a top-three SEC team.

4. Florida: UF played well in spurts against Kentucky on Sunday, but once again couldn’t close it out against an elite team. Still, the Gators will do well in the NCAA tournament if they make 3s. It’s that simple for Florida.

5. Alabama: The Crimson Tide finished 9-7 in the SEC and have consistently been one of the top defensive teams in the league. But Bama struggles to score and that won’t be solved this week in the conference tournament.

6. Ole Miss: Andy Kennedy should get plenty of credit for rallying the Rebels despite a number of setbacks, including losing two key rotation players and being on the wrong end of a few blowouts. Ole Miss still found a way to finish 8-8 in SEC play.

7. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs are one of the more enigmatic teams in the country. The talent says this team should be top four in the league, but the results don’t back it up. The infighting died down last week and MSU won two games it had to have (overtime at South Carolina, and crushed Arkansas by 20). Mississippi State now has to avoid losing to Georgia in the first round of the SEC tourney.

8. Arkansas: The Hogs slumped down the stretch and lost five of their last six games. And losing at home to Ole Miss, Florida and Alabama took away some of the good vibe this team built at Bud Walton Arena earlier this season. Playing LSU in the SEC tournament could mean an early exit.

9. LSU: The Tigers finished with an improved 7-9 record as Trent Johnson has continued the rebuilding effort in Baton Rouge. But the three-game slide to end the regular season took some of the buzz out of the season. LSU can still salvage a possible postseason appearance with a win or two in New Orleans.

10. Georgia: The Bulldogs beat South Carolina by 12 to close the regular season with wins in two of their last three games. Mark Fox’s team can make perimeter shots, and if that happens this team can be a possible spoiler in the SEC tournament.

11. Auburn: The Tigers had a solid 15-point win over LSU to bookend a five-game set that started with a win over Mississippi State before they lost three in the middle. Auburn has had trouble scoring at times, but finally found production against the Tigers.

12. South Carolina: Darrin Horn is hoping he can continue to be the head coach of the Gamecocks, with a young team that will only improve in the offseason. There is talent in place, and there's no reason this team can’t climb a bit next season. Will Horn be around to see it?

After several crucial bubble games Wednesday night, here's Joe Lunardi's brief update to Bracketology:

NOTABLE
-- Mississippi State, South Florida and Texas stay in field with wins
-- Northwestern remains “last team in” despite loss
-- Colorado State (in) and Miami (out) trade places on bubble
-- Temple clinches A-10 regular-season title

LAST FOUR IN
South Florida
Texas
Colorado State
Northwestern

FIRST FOUR OUT
Xavier
VCU
NC State
Miami

NEXT FOUR OUT
Oregon
Colorado
Saint Joseph's
Dayton

Also considered: Illinois, New Mexico State, UCF

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN
Big East (10)
Big Ten (7)
Big 12 (6)
SEC (5)
ACC (4)
Mountain West (4)
Pac-12 (3)
West Coast (3)
Atlantic 10 (2)
Conference USA (2)
Missouri Valley (2)

The power structure in the SEC hasn’t moved one bit. Kentucky is king, and there doesn’t appear to be another team capable of getting to the Final Four.

1. Kentucky: Anthony Davis put on a show with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks in a win against Vanderbilt. He’s a national player of the year co-favorite. UK is rolling right now as the No. 1 overall seed and the lead dog to win the national title.

2. Vanderbilt: The one thing you can say about the Commodores is that they don’t have bad SEC losses. Vandy fell to Kentucky twice, lost at Arkansas when the Hogs were unbeatable at home, and lost by one in overtime against Mississippi State when the Bulldogs were on a high. Vanderbilt still has the most experience in the league, even more so than Kentucky. That could serve it well in the coming weeks.

3. Florida: The Gators get this spot by default. Florida continues to befuddle. The Gators can look like a Final Four team at Arkansas, then appear to be a team that couldn’t get out of the First Four when they lose at Georgia. If this team makes 3s, it will advance. If it does not, it won’t. It's pretty simple.

4. Alabama: Credit Anthony Grant for the way he handled the suspensions. Despite the disciplinary actions, the Tide have moved up into the top four with three straight wins against Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi State. Alabama will now go to the NCAA tournament barring a complete collapse. JaMychal Green certainly got Grant’s message, and the Tide will go forward without Tony Mitchell, who remains suspended for the rest of the season.

5. Tennessee: Cuonzo Martin has the Vols believing in his philosophy of defense first. This team continues to be a spirited group that could be a spoiler in the SEC tournament. The numbers don’t add up in terms of an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, but there’s no reason to dismiss this team as a threat in New Orleans next week.

6. LSU: The Tigers are on the rebound from a disastrous two-year period. With seven league wins so far, LSU has been more than respectable. Trent Johnson has a postseason team that will benefit from playing a few extra games in March. The Tigers, like the Vols, could pose some problems at the SEC tournament in New Orleans.

7. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs have lost five in a row and are one of the most perplexing teams in the SEC. Yes, Renardo Sidney has had injuries (back), but no, he can't be the only reason for the slide. Losing to Kentucky at home is acceptable. But dropping a home game to Georgia and failing to win one road game during this stretch at LSU, Auburn or Alabama is not. Still, don’t be surprised to see the Bulldogs leapfrog a number of these teams into the NCAAs because of their overall résumé.

8. Ole Miss: The Rebels humbled LSU 72-48 on Saturday. The Tigers have been more consistent, but the Rebels deserve plenty of credit for being resourceful of late. A depleted team that has had some squabbling within, the Rebs haven’t stopped playing. Ole Miss can be a spoiler in the final two weeks. What happens next in terms of the coaching position is a question for the administration.

9. Georgia: If the Bulldogs make shots, they suddenly are a viable team to be a winner in the final week of the SEC and into the conference tournament. Georgia won’t win at Kentucky, but it can beat South Carolina and finish with five SEC wins. The Bulldogs have impressive wins against Mississippi State and Florida at home.

10. Arkansas: The Hogs finally rallied and won at Auburn after a number of poor performances, including two at home. Arkansas can put forth a more efficient and productive effort. It needs to here down the stretch to salvage the rest of the season with winnable games against Ole Miss and at Mississippi State.

11. Auburn: The Tigers looked like a tough out, one that would be hard to chase down in a home win against Mississippi State. But suspensions to Varez Ward and Chris Denson for a violation of team rules didn’t help the cause in a six-point home loss to Arkansas.

12. South Carolina: The Gamecocks have won two games in the SEC. And the numbers in points, rebounds, assists and field goal percentage are all below 300 in Division I. This is a team that looks good in the airport but not on the floor.

Click here to read our afternoon recap. Now back to the lecture at hand, which comes in three parts:

The Rivalry

No. 2 Syracuse 71, Connecticut 69: One of the many things to love about this Syracuse team -- besides its great zone defense and incredible depth and talent and length and pretty much everything besides defensive rebounding -- is how well it handles close games. Since the Jan. 21 loss at Notre Dame, Syracuse has taken respective best shots from Cincinnati, West Virginia, Georgetown, Louisville, South Florida and now at UConn, and each time the Orange have either pulled away late or made the key stop down the stretch to preserve the narrow win. It's a real skill, and it isn't entirely intangible; when you have a defense this good, you tend to get a lot of stops, and there's no reason why that wouldn't be true in the final minutes of any given game, too. But however you quantify it, the Orange win close games. Such traits tend to come in handy in March.

As for Connecticut? While the Huskies didn't get the win, they appear to be rounding into form, or at least starting to figure a few things out. UConn had its fair share of issues with Syracuse's zone, and there were plenty of bad shots to be had, but the Huskies were much more balanced (four players finished in double figures, while Ryan Boatright and Shabazz Napier combined for 13 assists) and competent on both ends of the floor in the second half. Unless it suddenly begins shooting the ball from outside at a much higher clip, this team probably has a ceiling. But there are plenty of realistic improvements to be made. Even better, many of them appear to be in progress. Let's not bury this team just yet.

The Upsets

Purdue 75, No. 13 Michigan 61: When Purdue guard Ryne Smith was asked what he thought about guard Kelsey Barlow's dismissal from the team last week, he was direct, even curt: "Addition by subtraction," Smith said. Apparently he was right. Whatever the reason, Purdue played its best game of the season Saturday at the most important time, containing Michigan's outside shooters and slowly stretching a second-half lead thanks to the heady play of point guard Lewis Jackson, forward Robbie Hummel and, most importantly, guard Terone Johnson, who scored a career-high 22 points and made a handful of key plays down the stretch, including two big and-1 finishes around the rim. Purdue is an unconventional team with no true post presence; the Boilermakers rely on Hummel's outside-in versatility and an extended, guard-oriented style. This makes them a great matchup for Michigan, and, in their own way, a dangerous team.

In any case, Purdue can now feel entirely safe about its at-large NCAA tournament chances. Beating Michigan at home -- the Wolverines' first home loss of the season -- is most definitely a signature victory. And it couldn't have come at a better time.

TCU 83, No. 21 New Mexico 64: Let's hear it for TCU! A round of applause is most definitely in order. At this time in 2011, the Horned Frogs were in the midst of a season-ending 13-game losing streak, en route to an 11-22 finish. This season is an entirely different story: TCU is playing its best basketball down the stretch, having won four of its past five (and eight in a row at home) and toppling ranked UNLV and New Mexico and a good Colorado State squad in the process. The key: great 3-point shooting. The Horned Frogs lead the league in long-range makes in conference play, and they're undefeated at home as a result. What a difference a year makes.

In the meantime ... um, what happened to New Mexico? Last Saturday, we watched in near-awe as the Lobos thoroughly dominated UNLV, which came just a few days after a 10-point win at San Diego State. Steve Alford's team, once a relatively unheralded efficiency darling with few good wins to show for it, looked set to run away with the Mountain West and make a deep run into March. Since then, the Lobos are 0-2 and are now in a three-way tie. A loss at Colorado State makes some sense; we know the Rams are tough, particularly at home. And this is not to take away from TCU, which (as you just read above) is giving everyone more than they bargained for in February, particularly in their own building. But a 19-point blowout loss? Isn't this the team that just rolled UNLV in the Pit and moved to 8-2 in the league? It's kind of weird, right?

Georgia 76, No. 11 Florida 62: This is an upset, of course, but I'm not sure we should be all that surprised. Frankly, I'm not sure if a Florida loss should ever truly catch us off guard. Don't get me wrong: The Gators are good. But they're a specific kind of good. When their steady diet of 3s are falling, they can shoot opponents off the floor before said opponents even have a chance to catch their breath. But if the shots aren't going down, Florida has no Plan B. Patric Young is the only true post presence, and his offensive game is still a work in progress (and he's still underutilized as a scoring threat to boot). The Gators' defense -- which ranks fifth in opponents' points per possession in SEC play, No. 10 in opponents' 3-point field goal percentage and No. 10 in block rate -- still isn't good enough to hold opponents in check when the shots clanging off the iron and the opponents start turning long rebounds into secondary breaks and easy buckets. Florida might yet get there on the defensive end, but it isn't yet. If this UF team has a lower ceiling than it should, well, that's why.

The Bubble Specials

Alabama 67, Mississippi State 50: It was instinctively easy to write off the Crimson Tide when coach Anthony Grant suspended Tony Mitchell and JaMychal Green; it was easy to predict a late collapse, even a fall off the bubble, for a team whose two leading scorers would be missing such important games down the stretch. Instead, the Crimson Tide keep, well, rolling. They've now won three in a row and prevented any hint of a collapse. Mississippi State, on the other hand, appears to be doing exactly that: The Bulldogs are collapsing. This is the Bulldogs' fifth consecutive defeat, a stretch that has included some good basketball (in the near-miss vs. Kentucky this week) but also some baffling losses (the loss at Auburn especially). It's no stretch to say Mississippi State -- which for much of the season looked like a tourney near-lock -- could wind up missing the tournament after all. The Bulldogs are, after all, 6-8 and tied with rival Ole Miss in the SEC standings. Ouch.

Northwestern 67, Penn State 66: Breathe a big ol' sigh of relief, Northwestern fans: In the chase for their first NCAA tournament appearance in school history, the Wildcats remain very much alive. Senior forward John Shurna made the game-winning free throws with just 2.6 seconds remaining, giving Bill Carmody his first win in State College since 2002. Big challenges still lie ahead: Ohio State comes to town on Wednesday, followed by next weekend's season-ender at Iowa, a team that just knocked off Indiana and Wisconsin in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. But for now, some minor rejoicing is in order. Northwestern's tourney hopes are still very real.

Rutgers 77, Seton Hall 72 (OT): Let's not take Seton Hall off the bubble just yet, eh? The Pirates got a great win over Georgetown this week, one that could have firmed up a previously shaky at-large profile. All Seton Hall needed to do the rest of the way was avoid bad losses. Well, losing to a young, 13-16 Rutgers team at home is just that. Next weekend, the Hall travels to DePaul. If the Pirates lose there, all the good vibes from the emphatic Georgetown victory will have almost entirely faded from the picture.

VCU 89, George Mason 77: First things first: Thanks to Drexel's one-point win at Old Dominion on Saturday afternoon, VCU's win over George Mason won't give them a share of the CAA title this season. Bummer, sure, but the Rams would surely settle for a spot in the NCAA tournament, something to which they're at least a little closer after this victory today. As a league, the Colonial's top teams (Drexel, VCU and GMU) didn't get quality nonconference wins (VCU's best came against South Florida, for example), so any at-large consideration will have to come from separation at the top and perhaps a pair of deep runs for both Drexel and VCU in the CAA tournament. A win here was a must, and Shaka Smart's team got it, behind Bradford Burgess' career-high 31 points.

Dayton 76, UMass 43: A home loss to UMass can't be called "bad," but for a team like Dayton -- which is desperately scrapping for a spot in the NCAA tournament -- it could have been disastrous. Instead, the opposite happened: UD won, and won big, looking very much like one of the A-10's best teams and a squad worthy of a tourney bid in the process. We'll see how the Flyers finish up, but if they're one of the last four in, they might just be one of the play-in game candidates, which are held in -- you guessed it -- Dayton!

Saint Joseph's 82, No. 22 Temple 72: Speaking of somewhat fringe Atlantic 10 tournament hopefuls, the A-10 can't offer a bubble team a better shot at a marquee win than Temple on its own floor late in the season, but the Hawks still had to overcome Fran Dunphy's typically peerless bunch, which had won its previous 11 games and 13 in the 15-game stretch beginning with its Jan. 4 victory over Duke. Phil Martelli's team is now 9-6 in the league and 19-11 overall, and it added the one thing it desperately needed to its profile: A legitimate top-25 RPI win. Temple is most definitely that.

Penn 55, Harvard 54: Just when you think it's time to plan a long-awaited Harvard hoops coronation, Penn's Zack Rosen comes along, scores 20 points, makes a huge jumper down the stretch and ices two game-winning free throws in the final 30 seconds. And all of a sudden the Ivy League race is legitimately up for grabs with both of these teams having two losses. (Another one-game playoff for the Crimson? Oh boy.) As an at-large entity, Harvard is still in decent shape, but its profile isn't so strong that it can afford to lose at either Columbia or Cornell in its final two games, lose out on the Ivy auto-bid, and still feel safe about being picked to join the group of 37 at-large teams. Big days ahead for Tommy Amaker's team.

Washington 59, Washington State 55: For the first 10 or so minutes of the first half, it looked like Wazzu was going to hand its in-state opponent the type of loss that would severely damage Washington's at-large chances. But the Huskies fought back and, as the AP report notes, won the game's most important battle -- at the charity stripe: "Ultimately, the game came down to free throws. WSU (14-14, 6-10) went 11 of 12 to keep the game tied at 28-all despite shooting 27 percent in the first half. In the second half, the Cougars shot 6 of 20 from the free throw line, while the Huskies, who only went 2 of 5 in the first half, finished 17 of 24." The win keeps Washington on the right side of the bubble for now, but UW's marginal profile might not be able to survive a loss at either USC or UCLA going away.

Xavier 65, Richmond 57: Kenny Frease's season highs in both points (19) and rebounds (14) helped carry Xavier to an ugly but ultimately victorious Saturday. A loss here would have kicked Xavier off the bubble for good and almost certainly, barring an upset in the A-10 tournament, ended Chris Mack's 100 percent NCAA tournament hit rate in his XU tenure. Instead, the Musketeers live to fight another day.

No. 21 San Diego State 74, Colorado State 66: The Rams pass at least two NCAA tournament bubble tests: The RPI/SOS numbers are great, and they sure do look like a tournament team. But will that be enough? A win in Viejas Arena would have provided a tidy bookend to this week's huge victory over New Mexico, but the loss isn't a huge deal. Colorado State, which is undefeated at home in Mountain West play, hosts UNLV in Fort Collins in just three days' time. Win that one and the Rams are probably set.