The Cover Story: Selection Sunday

Here is a look  at how newspapers around the country covered Selection Sunday. 

Cover Story: The National Title Game

 Kentucky has been crowned National Champions. The Wildcats beat Kansas last night in the national championship game to claim their 8th title. Below are some of the newspapers in Kentucky and Kansas and how they cover the events in New Orleans last night.

Cover Story: The Final Four

Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio State and Louisville are headed for the Big Easy for the Final Four this weekend. Here is how some of the newspapers around the country cover the Elite Eight this weekend.

Its move in day in Bracketville

In honor of the field of 68 being announced, here is my favorite ad campaign developed for the NCAA Tournament. In 2000, Nike developed the concept of Bracketville and I loved it.It's a whole town dedicated to March Madness

 


The Bracketville Fruit Stand.
 

The Bracketville Hardware Stand

Its almost here

I was looking at the preseason USA Today men's basketball and I saw that the season tips off in a little less then three weeks and for one I can not wait. Here are my thoughts on the USA Today Preseason Top 25:

• I never thought that I would see Kansas State above Kansas in the preseason rankings. Will the Big 12 be colored purple this year, maybe.
• Two teams outside of the preseason Top 25 that are going to make noise are: San Diego State Minnesota.
• With Hummel gone to another knee injury there is no way Purdue is going to be a top 10 team.
• Texas forward Thirstan Thompson will be this season breakout player. He is too skilled not to be a star. 
• With one of the top recruiting classes in America, Memphis is going to be a fun to watch. Can a Josh Pastner lead his tiger cubs back to the NCAA Tournament.  

The Front Pages: Selection Sunday

The bids have been handed out and some teams are happy while others are not. Here is how some newspapers around the country covered Selection Sunday.

Cover Story: SI College Basketball Previews

Coming to a mailbox near you in the next couple of days the Sports Illustrated College Basketball Preview. Again this year, the magazine has gone with different regional covers.

Kentucky

Michigan State

Kansas

Villanova

Washington

UConn

Questions that need to be answered in college basketball

The preview mags are out and people are starting to talk about the college basketball. There are a ton of stories lines and questions that need to be answered. Here are just a couple that OTWT has thought up.

• People talk about Carolina being a top five type of team. They are going to be so young, I just can't see it. I will get a first hand look at Carolina on Nov. 19 and then give a full report.
• How much trouble will Coach Cal get Kentucky in. There has already been issues with uber recruit John Wall. Look at Cal's record at UMass and Memphis, he always leaves a mess.
• Super recruiting class always don't lead to great thing. Like a Seton Hall during the early 90's. This is a warning to Kentucky fans.
• Could Kansas be this years North Carolina. I think so
• With all of the talk of Kentucky, Kansas, and Michigan State; Some people are forgetting about Villanova. Jay Wright has the program moving in the right direction. A great recruiting class and great returning guards usually lead to great things.
• How long will it take for before an assistant at FIU accuses Isiah Thomas of doing something wrong. Maybe after the North Carolina game.
• Sean Miller, Arizona and Anthony Grant, Alabama will be success in their new spots, while Mark Fox, Georgia will not get the job done because of lack of SEC ties.
• Texas freshman Avery Bradley will have the biggest impact of any freshman in America. With him at the point, Texas has a shot to be at the Final Four.
• My Final Four before the season even tips off: Kansas, Texas, Villanova, Michigan State.

In the News: March Madness

Yesterday all around the country students gathered to see if their team would make it. Some schools were happy, while other were not so much. Here is some how of the papers around the country covered the events.

The Clarion Ledger
The Forum

Tulsa World

Tallahassee Democrat

The Wichita Eagle

The Albany Times Union

Idaho Statesman

The Post Standard

The Memphis Commercial Appeal

The Seattle Times

Only Time Will Tell Bowl Predictions

After an ok regular season, soon bowl season will here. Here is Only Time Will Tell officials predictions for the bowl season.

BCS Bowl Games

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi: Penn State vs. USC: USC
FedEx Orange: Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech:Cincy
Allstate Sugar: Utah vs. Alabama: Alabama
Tostitos Fiesta: Ohio State vs. Texas: Texas
FedEx BCS National Championship Game: Florida vs. Oklahoma: Florida

Other Bowl Games

EagleBank: Wake Forest vs. Navy:Navy
New Mexico: Colorado State vs. Fresno State: Fresno State
magicJack St. Petersburg: Memphis vs. South Florida: South Florida
Pioneer Las Vegas: BYU vs. Arizona: BYU
R+L Carriers New Orleans: Southern Miss vs. Troy: Troy
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia: Boise State vs. TCU: Boise State
Sheraton Hawaii: Hawaii vs. Notre Dame: Notre Dame
Motor City:Florida Atlantic vs. Central Michigan: Central Michigan
Meineke Car Care:West Virginia vs. North Carolina: North Carolina
Champs Sports: Wisconsin vs. Florida State: Wisconsin
Emerald: Miami (Fla.) vs. California: Miami
Independence: Northern Illinois vs. Louisiana Tech: Louisiana Tech
Papajohns.com:NC State vs. Rutgers: Rutgers
Valero Alamo: Missouri vs. Northwestern: Missouri
Roady's Humanitarian:Maryland vs. Nevada: Nevada
Texas:Rice vs. Western Michigan: Rice
Pacific Life Holiday: Oklahoma State vs. Oregon: Okie State
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces: Houston vs. Air Force: Houston
Brut Sun: Oregon State vs. Pittsburgh: Pitt
Gaylord Hotels Music City: Boston College vs. Vanderbilt: Vandy
Insight: Kansas vs. Minnesota: Kansas
Chick-fil-A: LSU vs. Georgia Tech: LSU
Outback: South Carolina vs. Iowa: South Carolina
Capital One: Georgia vs. Michigan State: Georgia
Konica Minolta Gator: Clemson vs. Nebraska: Clemson
AT&T Cotton: Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech: Texas Tech
AutoZone Liberty: Kentucky vs. East Carolina: East Carolina
International: Buffalo vs. Connecticut: Buffalo
GMAC: Tulsa vs. Ball State: Ball State

Best non-BCS game: Holiday Bowl, look out scoreboard.
World non-BCS game: Liberty Bowl
Player to use bowl game to start next season Heisman Trophy campaign: Zac Robinson, QB, Okie State.

Big 12 Coaches South Park Style

Everyone is getting into this coaches South Park characters, today the Big 12.

Rock Chalk Championship

It started in late October and last night as the final notes of One Shining Moment finished up, you knew it was all over. Kansas is your National Championship. Here is the newest version of One Shining Moment.

The Villanova Kittens?

I know that local newspapers like to cater to local readers, but editors at the Hutchinson News might have gone a little to far. With Kansas getting ready to play Villanova in the Midwest Regional tomorrow night, The Hutchinson News showed the Villanova mascot as a kitten. Like a cartoon Jayhawk is that intimidating.

I love New Years Day!!!!!!!!!!!

For college football fans there are two special days on the calendar, opening day and New Years Day. After a hard night of celebrating, nothing beats getting up and seeing two middle of the road teams in the Big Ten and SEC do battle in the Outback Bowl. Some traditions are so hard to break.

Here are some New Years Bowl Game Predictions

• Outback: Tennessee 24, Wisconsin 10
• Cotton: Missouri 31, Arkansas 21
• Gator Bowl: Texas Tech 42, Virginia 21
• Citrus: Florida 35, Michigan 21
  
• Rose: USC 35, Illinois 17
  
• Sugar: Georgia 42, Hawaii 41 in overtime. This is the game that I can not wait for. Hawaii head coach June Jones goes for two in the first overtime and dawgs defense stops the warriors.

Some of the other BCS bowls that are not played on Jan. 1

• Fiesta: Oklahoma31, West Virginia 17
• Orange: Virginia Tech 35, Kansas 10
• BCS Title Game: LSU 31, Ohio State 14

Now that is a coaching tree

People always talk about the great coaching tree that former Miami head coach Jimmy Johnson had at the U. Those staffs included Tommy T, now at Auburn, among others. But some people over look the great coaching tree of Bill Snyder, the former Kansas State head coach. When Snyder took the job in the Little Apple, the Wildcats were the laughing stock of college football. Now they are program that expects to go bowl games every year.

One of the reason that Snyder was able to turn the Wildcats into a good program was a staff that included some of the best head coaches currently coaching in college football.

Here is a list of them:

• Phil Bennett (SMU).
• Bret Bielema (University of Wisconsin).
• Jim Leavitt (University of South Florida).
• Mark Mangino (University of Kansas).
• Bob Stoops (University of Oklahoma).
• Mike Stoops (University of Arizona).
• Dan McCarney (Former head coach at Iowa State University).

For years people have been talking about the great coaching trees in American, its about time that Bill Snyder gets some kind of respect.