Pat Forde

  (3:00 PM)

Hello and welcome to February, to Groundhog Day, and to the weekly Tuesday chat. Fire!

Ian (D-Town)

As of today, your final four consists of....?

Pat Forde

  (3:02 PM)

Ian: Thankfully, today's Final Four is about as important as today's vote in the 2012 presidential election. But I'll go with Kansas, Villanova, Kentucky and Michigan State.

Josh (Billerica, MA)

I hate to say it, but is the dream over for Northwestern?

Pat Forde

  (3:04 PM)

Josh: At 3-6 in league play, the dream is on life support for NW. The schedule really isn't too tough the rest of the way, but they'll have to play better than they did last week.

dee (cincinnati)

Duke has been better than what most people expected this year. How far can this team really go in March?

Pat Forde

  (3:05 PM)

Dee: I said last week that Duke has no chance of winning the national title, and a Final Four would surprise me as well. Lots of Duke fans didn't like hearing that, but I still see a team that has worked its big three too hard, is undertalented in the post and not very deep. Bad recipe for March.

Pat Listach (Rip-town(WI))

WI or M-state tonight?

Pat Forde

  (3:06 PM)

Pat: Michigan State has been on a roll but also living dangerously, needing last-minute shots to win a couple recent games. I figure the Spartans are due to lose, so I'll take Bucky.

guinness (New York)

It seems to me that UNC's problem isn't with talent, they have loads of it. It's with the poor decision making and high turnover rate. What can Roy Williams do to fix this?!?

Pat Forde

  (3:07 PM)

Guinness: Don't forget shoddy defense, too. And inconsistent effort. I don't know that it can be fixed this season. Might simply take another year of maturing (and recruiting) to fix Carolina.

Joshua (Kentucky)

Pat, do you think Pelphrey is done at Arkansas after this year?

Pat Forde

  (3:08 PM)

Joshua: No. I didn't think he was done even after they were killed by UK. Now that the Hogs have upset Miss State and Ole Miss, he's even safer.

jonathan (new york, ny)

john wall is said to be the best college player, but to me his team mate DeMarcus Cousins is better.who do u think is the best college player so far?

Pat Forde

  (3:09 PM)

Jonathan: I think Evan Turner is the best college player so far. Both the Kentucky kids are in my top four, but I'd take Turner (and Wes Johnson) right now.

Marc (Big D)

Could getting Lewis Jackson back be the injection of depth Purdue needs to make a deep run in March?

Pat Forde

  (3:10 PM)

Marc: If Jackson can come back and play like he did last year, yes, it would make Purdue a Final Four contender.

Max (KCK)

How was your visit to Manhattan? Sorry the Cats couldn't pull off the win.

Pat Forde

  (3:10 PM)

Max: Great game, great atmosphere, good burger at Vista. Enjoyed it -- even if Manhattan is in the middle of absolute nowhere.

Kyle (Texas)

What does Arizona need to get to the tournament without winning the Pac-10 Tournament?

Pat Forde

  (3:12 PM)

Kyle: The only chance I think Arizona has of making the tourney without winning the league tournament is running the table. And even that might not get it in. Wildcats were VERY unimpressive all year until the last two weeks.

DJ (Cuse)

I know this is a hoop chat but do you know if ESPN will be blogging all day tomorrow for National Signing day and will our Mizzou Tigers make the dance this year?

Pat Forde

  (3:13 PM)

DJ: Yes, there will be a live blog and other real-time coverage on our site tomorrow, so check it out. And yes, Mizzou will make the tournament. Having a surprisingly good year. Mike Anderson is fantastic.

Ben (Louisville)

What does Louisville have to do to solidify an NCAA bid? Beating UCONN mean anything?

Pat Forde

  (3:14 PM)

Ben: The best thing about beating UConn is that it was not a loss to UConn -- a loss would have been deadly. The victory helps, but Louisville has to back it up with some victories down the stretch, including beating at least one ranked opponent, I'd say.

Ted (Villanova)

In your mind, does Villanova have a reasonable shot at the national title?

Pat Forde

  (3:15 PM)

Ted: Yes. Love the dynamic backcourt and the athleticism. Worried about how the front line would hold up against some of the bigger teams, especially concerning foul trouble, but Nova has a shot.

John Paul (san antonio texas)

where do you see Baylor stacking up at the end of big 12 play?

Pat Forde

  (3:16 PM)

John Paul: Top 4-5, along with Kansas, Texas, K State and Missouri. Bears closed out a big one at UT last weekend. Udoh really helps what's already a very talented backcourt.

Tom (Jersey Shore)

frank martin or jamie dixon as coach of the year?

Pat Forde

  (3:17 PM)

Tom: Jim Boeheim, if we were voting today.

Matt (Bethlehem, PA)

What kind of chance do you give Ole Miss of springing the upset tonight?

Pat Forde

  (3:18 PM)

Matt: Slim. Size disadvantage magnified by injury to Reginald Buckner. Looks like another opportunity for Cousins to have a field day.

Dave (PA)

Pat, you really think Arizona needs to run the table and go 21-9 regular season to make the dance? I don't see why going 7-2 the rest of the way and losing those 2 games say at washington and at cal would be so terrible. They would then be 19-11 with a very strong SOS and probably a top 50 rpi, and a very strong record over their last 12 games, with still the conference tournament to come. You don't think that would be good enough??

Pat Forde

  (3:20 PM)

Dave: 19-11 would be possible, but a top 50 RPI doesn't guarantee anything. There are almost always teams in the 40s in terms of RPI who get left out of the tournament. There aren't many quality wins left to get in such a lousy league.

Jason (Syracue)

Pat honestly? syracuse isnt in your final four??.... do you just hate syracuse or is their a real reason why they are not there

Pat Forde

  (3:20 PM)

Jason: The real reason is that you can only pick four.

Douglas (Tampa)

Have you ever seen a greater lack of fundamentals than this season? Especially sloppy passing, airballs, dribbling into crowds, etc...

Pat Forde

  (3:21 PM)

Douglas: Sure I have. Come watch some July AAU ball with me sometime.

Tyler (Glens Falls NY)

Jimmer Fredette has to be at least in consideration for POY right? or possilby first team AA? He's shredding every team he plays!

Pat Forde

  (3:21 PM)

Tyler: Yes, the pride of Glens Falls is in the discussion. I talked about him in my column today.

Daniel (Kentucky)

Thoughts on the awful officiating in the big east

Pat Forde

  (3:22 PM)

Daniel: There have been some major blown calls -- and not necessarily hard calls to make. Those calls are magnified when the impact bubble teams.

Clay (Charlotte)

Does it annoy you when people think you "hate" their team, when you don't answer the question they way they want it to go?

Pat Forde

  (3:23 PM)

Clay: Occupational hazard. Though it is funny how many different fan bases are SURE ESPN and/or myself hates their team. We root for good stories, not teams. We root for ourselves.

Bill (NY)

Could Siena eventually turn into a Gonzaga type school if they keep up their domination of the MAAC?

Pat Forde

  (3:23 PM)

Bill: It's not out of the question. As long as Fran McCaffery is there and they're playing an entertaining style, they should get players and coach them well.

Zach (NYC)

Cornell in the top 25, eh? Grew up in Ithaca and remember the days when Newman Arena was empty for games against ranked opps like Georgia Tech. Now they're packing em in (on the same nights as ECAC hockey games in the same building no less). Is Cornell a one-year wonder or are they set for a few years?

Pat Forde

  (3:24 PM)

Zach: The coach is terrific and gives them a chance to be at the top of the Ivy for as long as he's there.

Terry (the 'Burgh)

Just an observation: if you really hated all the leagues and teams you're accused of hating -- both during CFB and hoops seasons -- there'd be nobody left to love!

Pat Forde

  (3:24 PM)

Terry: Thank you.

Ryan (Phoenix)

Pat, If you had to pick one game for the rest of the season that you want to be there, what game?

Pat Forde

  (3:26 PM)

Ryan: Good question. I'm going with Villanova at Syracuse, Feb. 27th. Should be awesome.

Steve (Denver)

Pat, Murray St. is quietly standing at 20-3 with an experienced lineup. What kind of chances do you give the Racers for a first round upset?

Pat Forde

  (3:27 PM)

Steve: The OVC hasn't won an NCAA game in a long time -- but Murray looks really solid right now. Could all depend on seeding and matchup. If the Racers get a 14 and draw a sleep-walking 3, it's at least a slight possibility.

Cooper (Indianapolis)

Pat, should we just give Tom Crean some pom poms and make him head cheerleader or is he a good enough coach to make in game decisions to return IU to the "glory days"?

Pat Forde

  (3:28 PM)

Cooper: Tom Crean is doing fine. You must not remember all the way back to last year, when the Hoosiers had nobody. This year they have a couple of better players -- one of which is out for the year. The fact that IU is competitive in almost every Big Ten game this year shows marked improvement, and there will be more to come. Be realistic.

Ronald (DC)

Pat - do you know the team mascot of every division I-A basketball program?

Pat Forde

  (3:29 PM)

Ronald: Probably not, but I'm open to quizzing.

Dante (Bristol, CT)

Does Uconn have a shot at making the dance??? What will they have to do to make it???

Pat Forde

  (3:30 PM)

Dante: UConn is in trouble. Big trouble. It probably needs to pull a major upset (Cuse, Nova, WVU) somewhere along the line and a couple games in the Big East tourney.

John (Birmingham)

IUPUI mascot? Go!

Pat Forde

  (3:31 PM)

Jaguars! And IUPUFW is the Mastodons, one of my faves.

Joseph (Mississippi)

Do you think Renardo Sidney will be cleared?

Pat Forde

  (3:32 PM)

Joseph: No idea. And I bet nobody in Starkville has any idea either. Even if he is cleared, not sure how much he'd help this year. From what I hear he hasn't practiced and probably is in lousy shape.

Dan (California)

St. Peters mascot?

Pat Forde

  (3:32 PM)

Peacocks!

jason (nebraska)

nebraska mascot is

Pat Forde

  (3:33 PM)

Too easy. Used to be the Bugeaters, back in the day.

Marc (Big D)

Thoughts on the rumors of a 96 team field in the tourney?

Pat Forde

  (3:33 PM)

Marc: Hopefully just a rumor.

Jeff (Detroit, MI)

Any chance a team outside the big 4 (MSU, Purdue, Wisconsin, and OSU)of the big ten makes the big dance?

Pat Forde

  (3:34 PM)

Jeff: We'll see who can get hot down the stretch among the bubble candidates of Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan and Northwestern. I predict one of that group gets in.

Tom (NJ)

How many bids does the A10 get this year? and what teams get in

Pat Forde

  (3:35 PM)

Tom: A-10 have a good year. I'm going to say four get in, with Temple, Xavier, Rhode Island and, ohhhh, Richmond or Dayton being the group.

Jake (NY)

Who is the most underrated player in the big east???

Pat Forde

  (3:35 PM)

Jake: Dominique Jones, South Florida. Dude's on fire.

Max (Corpus Christi)

Texas A&M Corpus Christi mascot?

Pat Forde

  (3:36 PM)

Hmmm, Islanders?

Pat (Santa Fe, NM)

New Mexico mascot?

Pat Forde

  (3:36 PM)

Lobos.

Chris (Abilene, TX)

Hofstra mascot?

Pat Forde

  (3:37 PM)

Pride, formerly Dutchmen.

MikeyB (Salem,MA)

Pat, who's the best sixth man in the country?

Pat Forde

  (3:37 PM)

Mikey: I don't know for sure, but Jamar Samuels of Kansas State is a really good one. Athletic, has skill, and plays bigger and tougher than his frame.

Eamon (NYC)

Georgetown mascot?

Pat Forde

  (3:38 PM)

Too easy. Hoyas.

Tim (Provo, UT)

Utah Valley University Mascot?

Pat Forde

  (3:38 PM)

Tim: You might have me there ... Antelope?

Tee (Madison, WI)

Wichita St. has a dominant mascot as I am sure you know, but more importantly, do you see them making the field of 65?

Pat Forde

  (3:39 PM)

Tee: Shockers. And I think there is a chance of making it, but getting to the final of the MVC tourney probably a good idea.

Will (Denver)

Denver Mascot?

Pat Forde

  (3:39 PM)

Pioneers.

JAKE (HOUSTON)

Coastal Carolina

Pat Forde

  (3:39 PM)

Jake: Chanticleers.

Max (D.C.)

UC-Santa Cruz Mascot?

Pat Forde

  (3:40 PM)

Max: Are they the Banana Slugs?

Terry (the 'Burgh)

Bucknell's mascot? Be careful of the tense.

Pat Forde

  (3:41 PM)

Bison

Lisa (Providence)

I've heard talk of a few traditional basketball "dynasties" fading and new ones coming up, at least over the past 5 years. Thoughts?

Pat Forde

  (3:43 PM)

Lisa: Well, there has been a lot of change if you go back and look at the last 10 years -- which I was doing yesterday while researching the Forde Minutes column. For instance, it was less than 10 years ago that St. John's was a #1 or

Jiming (China)

Western Illinois mascot?

Pat Forde

  (3:43 PM)

Leathernecks.

John (Nashville)

Enough with the mascot trivia. Where do you see Vanderbilt finishing in the SEC? Any chance you'll come to Memorial for the VU-UK rematch? That should be a tight contest.

Pat Forde

  (3:45 PM)

John: I think Vandy can finish about 12-4 in the SEC and earn a good NCAA seed. Good team, well-coached. I may be there for the rematch, don't know.

Marc (Charlotte)

Nicholls State?

Pat Forde

  (3:45 PM)

Colonels, I believe.

Iggy (Atlanta)

Pat, Wake Forest has their toughest games behind them. Think they can better last year's poor tourney showing?

Pat Forde

  (3:46 PM)

Iggy: Deacs cannot do any worse than last year, of this I am sure. I was there, and that was flat terrible. Wake should be a little smarter and more mature this time around.

Ryan (Idaho)

Seattle U. mascot?

Pat Forde

  (3:47 PM)

Ryan: Got me. All I can think of are the Seattle Pilots, former MLB franchise.

John Boy (Kentucky)

Was all the coverage on Wall and Calipair yesterday necessary? Seems to me like it was a two day old non-story.

Pat Forde

  (3:48 PM)

John Boy: It was two days old to people in Kentucky, not so to the rest of the nation. And when a player of John Wall's stature says he's not having fun and is going to tune out his coach, it's news. He might not have meant it exactly as he said it, and UK seemed to defuse the issue yesterday, but it was worth reporting Monday.

Peter (Atlanta, GA)

Niagara mascot?

Pat Forde

  (3:49 PM)

Purple Eagles. And I am told Seattle is the Redhawks.

Mike M (NJ)

It seems that Jay Wright doesn't get mentioned as coach of the year candidate. Bilas said that Nova's squad last year was better, but they currently have a better record than last year. Why not Wright?

Pat Forde

  (3:49 PM)

Mike: Jay Wright has done a terrific job yet again, but I personally think this year's team is better. Or maybe the competition isn't quite as good.

Peter (Atlanta, GA)

What could stop Kansas from winning it all?

Pat Forde

  (3:51 PM)

Peter: Poor shooting, a team athletic enough to contain Collins and strong enough to battle Aldrich and Marcus Morris inside, and possibly if Xavier Henry continues to slide out of the rotation. Think they need his athleticism and ability to score.

Devin (Tucson, AZ)

Speaking of Coach of the Year candidates, if (sorry...WHEN) Arizona wins the Pac-10 regular season and gets the Wildcats to their 26th straight NCAA tournament berth, should Sean Miller be in the running for COY?

Pat Forde

  (3:52 PM)

Devin: Miller has done very well ... but nobody from the Pac-10 is winning any national awards this year.

Pete (The STLMO)

UMKC?

Pat Forde

  (3:52 PM)

Kangaroos.

Steve (Iowa)

Will you attend a Bracketbuster game?

Pat Forde

  (3:53 PM)

Steve: I don't know yet, but ODU-UNI and Siena-Butler are intriguing.

Lynne (Lexington, KY)

What about John Calipari's chances for coach of the year?

Pat Forde

  (3:53 PM)

Lynne: Definitely in the running.

Byron (Texas)

Where does Baylor wind up in seeding?Stephen F Austin mascot?

Pat Forde

  (3:54 PM)

Byron: I don't know, and Lumberjacks. The guy who was their mascot last year at the tourney was an absolute behemoth. Scary looking. Arms bigger than Ndomakung Suh's.

Brian (Seattle)

How about Draymond Green from MSU for 6th man of the year?

Pat Forde

  (3:55 PM)

Brian: Good candidate. Love his game -- he's like a sneaky old dude you play in a rec league. Only he's 6-6 and athletic as well. But he has great basketball instincts.

Todd (Boise, ID)

Dave Rose coach of the year? Jimmer Fredette All American?

Pat Forde

  (3:56 PM)

Todd: Both very much on the respectives lists.

Todd (Altoona,PA)

Are the Hoyas a final 4 team or their lack of a bench going to be a problem?

Pat Forde

  (3:57 PM)

Todd: Hoyas have a chance, definitely. Lack of bench is a problem, but not an insurmountable problem if they avoid injury and fouls (and they're good at not fouling).

Blair (Austin)

Pat: Dogus Balbay of Texas might be the best on ball defender but can't shoot the ball to save his life....have you ever seen a guard that can handle the ball that well, can defende even better but can't shoot?

Pat Forde

  (3:58 PM)

Blair: Well, my colleague Doug Gottlieb comes to mind -- though I don't know if his defense is up to Balbay's standards. But he could really penetrate and pass, and couldn't shoot a lick.

J Stein (NOLA)

UNO's mascot? Also, do you think Monroe will be back for his jr year for the Hoyas?

Pat Forde

  (3:58 PM)

Privateers, and no. I think he's ready.

Matt (DC)

Can Georgia Tech knock off Duke on Thursday? Or are they just too scared to step up and be considered good?

Pat Forde

  (3:59 PM)

Matt: I don't know whether scared is the right word, but I'd give Duke a solid edge in thinking the game.

Jim (Austin, Texas)

Pat, do you think they should get rid of the play-in game and cut back to 64 teams by either eliminating an at large bid or an automatic bid from a traditionally weaker conference?

Pat Forde

  (4:00 PM)

Jim: Yes, I've said for years they should go back to 64 and leave out an at-large. But there's no reduction to come; hopefully no inflation either, but we'll see.

Mikey (St Petersburg)

is there anything better in the world then march madness

Pat Forde

  (4:01 PM)

Mikey: No. And it's only a month away. And that seems like a good, optimistic note to end on. Thanks for all the questions, see you all again next week!