The Portland Trailblazers had the opportunity to trade Darius Miles and Theo Ratliff to the Knicks for the huge, expiring contract of Penny Hardaway and a first round draft pick, but didn’t pull the trigger.

Apparently, it was because owner Paul Allen couldn’t shake his inexplicable love affair with Miles.

That one was a no-brainer. It was like taking candy from a baby. But Allen, along with former coach Maurice Cheeks, was responsible for Miles’ signing a long-term, above-market-value contract with the team in the first place, and he apparently wasn’t ready to part company with him.

Allen is apparently scared of trading away young players only to have them blossom elsewhere. He’s still reeling from the loss of Jermaine O’Neal several years ago. The difference here is that Miles is 24 while O’Neal was just 22 when the Blazers traded him to Indiana. In the NBA, those two years are crucial. Miles is physically gifted, but if he hasn’t made major strides in his game at this point, then he probably doesn’t have the work ethic to become a superstar in the league.

I think, based on the performance of Knicks’ GM Isiah Thomas over the past few years, that any trade he proposes to you is proabably a good deal…for you. I still don’t understand why the Blazers passed on Chris Paul. Maybe Paul Allen should just give me the GM job. Give me an assistant who is a salary cap expert and I’ll put together a playoff team in Portland.

The Associated Press selected Duke’s J.J. Redick as their Player of the Year while the United States Basketball Writers Association gave its POY award to Redick and Gonzaga’s Adam Morrison. This is the first time in its 50-year history that the USBWA has given the award to two players.

The AP award has been won by four Duke players in the last seven years. Elton Brand (1999), Shane Battier (2001) and Jay Williams (2002) preceeded Redick’s award this season.

On Selection Sunday, CBS’ Clark Kellogg said that this would be the first year that the four #1 seeds would make it to the Final Four. Two weeks later, we’re looking at a Final Four without a #1 seed for the first time in 26 years. Reportedly, only four contestants in ESPN’s Tourney Challenge picked the four remaining teams correctly and one of them mistakenly picked George Mason because they were thinking of George Washington, a team that was ranked in the top 10 for most of the season. There is no word on how many brackets these particular contestants filled out. It would be quite impressive if it were one or two, but if it was 50 or 100, not so much.

I wouldn’t mention my bracket if not for how it went down in flames on Saturday and Sunday. Having correctly picked six of the Elite Eight (missing only LSU and George Mason), I was in first place and all of my Final Four teams were still alive. Of course, I picked Texas, Memphis, UConn and Villanova. Each team was favored and each team subsequently lost. You might think that this would send me to the looney bin, but I was actually more impressed with how the four remaining teams played and I’m happy they won.

This Final Four is all about grit. Take #11-seed George Mason, who shrugged off the Selection Sunday bid controversy to dispatch #6-seed Michigan State, #3-seed North Carolina, #7-seed Wichita State and #1-seed Connecticut in overtime. Though I had UConn winning it all, I couldn’t help but root for the Patriots, whose feisty play put the Huskies’ “cooler-than-thou” attitude to shame.

How about the #2-seed UCLA? Sure, they can’t score, but they have the best defense in the tourney and they never stop playing. With things looking especially grim - down nine with three minutes to go against Gonzaga - the Bruins scored the final 11 points to stun the Bulldogs, who seemed to have the game under control.

Let’s not forget #4-seed LSU. They played the best team defense I’ve seen anyone play against J.J. Redick en route to a victory over #1 Duke. Then, in the overtime of the Regional Final, with all the momentum going in the Longhorns’ favor, they picked apart a sloppy Texas team to win by 10.

This brings us to the favorite, #3-seed Florida. The Gators are peaking at the right time by sharing the ball offensively and playing excellent team defense. With margins of victory of 16, 22, 4 and 13, no team is coming into the Final Four the way the Gators are.

So how are the games going to go? We all have our theories, and here are mine:

#3 Florida (-6) vs. #11 George Mason: Saturday, 6:07 pm (CBS)

A #11-seed has only made the Final Four once before – the 1986 LSU Tigers. George Mason is riding high after beating UConn in overtime, but the Patriots are underdogs against the Gators. This actually plays in the Patriots’ favor, as they’ll have little to lose while most of the pressure is on Florida.

George Mason has both good interior and perimeter play, getting double-digit scoring from five players. Jai Lewis and Will Thomas lead the Patriots on the inside – the duo combined for 14-24 shooting against Connecticut. Lamar Butler, Folarin Campbell and Tony Skin work the perimeter, with all three shooting 34% or better from behind the arc. The Patriots’ offense is pretty simple, with Lewis and Thomas on each block while Butler, Campbell and Skin roam outside.

The two teams are quite similar in makeup. The Gators also get double-digit scoring from five players and are led inside by future lottery picks Joakim Noah and Al Horford. Taurean Green, Corey Brewer and Lee Humphrey can all shoot it from long range, while Green and Brewer are adept at taking it to the hole. For a group of talented youngsters, they share the ball extremely well and seem to feed off of Noah’s energy, which is expressed in the form of constant screaming and chest-pounding.

If George Mason is able to keep the game close deep into the second half, it will be difficult to put them away. They are feisty and know how to win, while the Gators might feel the pressure of being the favorite. But the length of Noah (6’11”) and Horford (6’9”) presents serious problems for Lewis and Thomas, who both stand 6’7”. Unless the perimeter players for George Mason are able to keep the game close, the Gators could jump out to a double-digit lead, putting the Patriots in a deep hole. I’ve got to go with the favorites in this one, but the Patriots do have a good shot, and I’ll be rooting for them.

#2 UCLA vs. #4 LSU (-2): Saturday, 8:47 pm (CBS)

The over/under of 121 seems high in this match-up of defensive-oriented teams. As evidenced by the two-point spread, this is a tough game to call. I think UCLA is a little better defensively while LSU is a little better on the offensive end.

While Darrel Mitchell can score from the perimeter, LSU will look inside to SEC Player of the Year “Baby” Glen Davis and SEC Freshman of the Year Tyrus Thomas for points on the offensive end. Thomas is a rising star and would likely be a lottery pick if he were to declare for the draft after this season.

UCLA’s only true scorer is Arron Afflalo, and even he’s inconsistent. Jordan Farmar rounds out a good backcourt, which is the Bruins’ strength. However, center Ryan Hollins has been playing great of late and his production against Gonzaga and Memphis (26 points, 17 rebounds) is the reason that the Bruins are still playing. The game could come down to the Hollins/Thomas match-up inside. Hollins is long and is capable of keeping Thomas off the glass.

The way that LSU shut down Redick and how they limited Texas to just 56 points in regulation leads me to believe that they are closer to UCLA defensively than UCLA is to them offensively, which gives the Tigers a slight advantage. I really think this is going to be a low-scoring affair, with both teams finishing somewhere in the 50s, barring overtime.

Summary
This Final Four is so balanced that I wouldn’t be surprised to see any of the teams cutting down the nets on Monday. However, when making picks, you have to choose the teams with the best chance to advance, and I think Florida and LSU fall into that category, with Florida having a slight edge in the possible title match-up. But these games are so tight that they might come down to one or two possession, which means that anything can happen. This tournament has been filled with nail biters and I wouldn’t be surprised if the last three games go the same way.

The Western Conference playoffs are shaping up…oddly. Due to a quirk in the seeding system - where each division winner is given one of the top three seeds - the conference’s two best teams, San Antonio (55-16) and Dallas (54-18), will probably end up with the #1 and #4 seeds. This means that the two best teams in the West would meet in the second round of the playoffs instead of in the conference finals.

If the playoffs were to begin today, the bracket would look like this:

#1 San Antonio (55-16) vs. #8 Sacramento (36-36)
#4 Dallas (54-18) vs. #5 L.A. Clippers (41-29)

#2 Phoenix (47-23) vs. #7 L.A. Lakers (38-34)
#3 Denver (40-32) vs. #6 Memphis (41-31)

Imagine you’re the Clippers and your reward for finishing fifth in the conference is a first round date with Dallas and a potential second round matchup with San Antonio. The Clippers would be much better off losing a couple of games and finishing sixth, getting a first round matchup with Denver, the worst of the three division winners, before a potential second round series with Phoenix, a team that is both banged-up and struggling.

Whenever there is incentive to lose on purpose, there’s a problem, and the NBA needs to fix this one.

At the NFL team meetings, new Green Bay HC Mike McCarthy said that the team would like Brett Favre to give them a decision on whether or not the quarterback will play this season.

McCarthy said the Packers do want Favre to make his decision by Saturday, which is the latest deadline for the $3 million roster bonus they owe him.

But the deadline is an artificial one, because Favre’s contract stipulates the team doesn’t have to pay the bonus until September if he returns and doesn’t have to pay it at all if he retires.

Still, McCarthy said he’d like to see the issue resolved ASAP.

“I feel like it’s Groundhog Day. I’ve been answering the question the same way for two months,” McCarthy said. “The bonus, that’s pretty much the goal we’re trying to set (for a decision). Obviously, you keep moving back the date, (but) there’s a reason behind the date. So, we would definitely like to know as soon as possible.”

This has been a case of the tail chasing the dog. Favre wants to see offseason improvement before he decides to play another season and the team can’t have a truly effective offseason plan if they are unsure about Favre’s desire to play. It sounds as if McCarthy is going to hold Favre more accountable for his interception count, but that has a lot to do with other facets of the game - talent at the WR position, an effective running game and a good defense.

If the Packers are able to draft DE Mario Williams or LB A.J. Hawk with the #5 overall pick, it would certainly help the defense. The team is also looking at Charles Woodson.

Woodson, the fourth pick in the 1998 draft, is one of the highest-profile free agents remaining on the market, though his contract requests have kept him from being a highly sought-after player.

The Packers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers appear to be the only teams making a strong run at Woodson, who turns 30 in October.

The Packers have been frugal thus far in the offseason and the question is - how much money does he want? I don’t think it’s a good idea to commit a lot of money to a 30-year old defensive back, but if Woodson is willing to come down in his asking price, then he might be a nice addition to the defense.

Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson will undertake the pressure of returning the Indiana basketball program to elite status. He will replace Mike Davis, who resigned in the middle of the season, saying that the program needs “one of their own.”

Indiana athletic director Rick Greenspan called Sampson’s teams “hard-nosed, disciplined and unselfish.”

“Every coach sees it as a great basketball state with tremendous coaches and players, and we will do our best to keep those players in the state,” Sampson said in a news release.

The 50-year-old Sampson, AP’s Coach of the Year in 1995, replaces Mike Davis, who announced last month he was resigning. Davis went 115-79 in six seasons as head coach, was the first Indiana coach to win 20 games in each of his first three seasons and led the Hoosiers to the national championship game in 2002, two seasons after Bob Knight was fired.

At first glance, this is a strange move for Sampson, who has built Oklahoma into a top basketball program. The NCAA is still investigating OU’s recruiting practices, so maybe there’s more to the move than meets the eye. Sampson will bring a little more toughness to Indiana program and his teams’ physical style is probably a good fit for the Big Ten.

The most enjoyable part of writing my 2005 preview for BE was the response from you, gentle readers. The mail that I received on that piece was well worth the hours that I put into it. Some people sent me detailed, Bill James-style stat projections, while others just said that I “suuuuuuuuuck.” That last person was a Washington Nationals fan…at the All Star break, when they were still in first place. We all know who got the last laugh on that one.

So I’m poring over the projected lineups and pitching depth charts for all the teams, and the only thing I can think is, Man, did a lot of players switch teams. Matt Morris is a Giant, Fatty Ponson is a Cardinal, Carlos Delgado is a Met and Josh Beckett is a Red Sock. Some things, though, stay the same: Kerry Wood is already on the disabled list, and George Steinbrenner is overpaying for pitching ($18 million for Kyle Farnsworth? You got served, sucker).

Once again, I attempt the impossible and list my projections for each division, which will surely look ridiculous at the All Star break, and absurd by season’s end.

National League East
1) New York Mets
Theme Song: “At Last,” Etta James
And thus, their season is already jinxed before it’s even begun, by the very notion that I am expecting them to win the East. My stepbrother, a dyed-in-the-wool Mutts fan, will surely kill me. But I can’t help it, that lineup kills, bro. Reyes and LoDuca are at the top, followed by a murderer’s row of Beltran, Delgado, Wright and Floyd. These guys are going to score tons of runs, and while their pitching is still lacking, it’s good enough to keep them in the game (look for Aaron Heilman to break out big time if the Mets give him a shot in the rotation), and putting Billy Wagner in the closer spot in place of the piñata that closed for them last year (Braden Looper, who’s now in St. Louis) is a big boost. Of course, the Mets being the Mets, this could all go horribly wrong; Pedro’s got a bad toe, and Delgado has a sore something or other. But at the moment, the planets seem to be aligned. Even John Smoltz thinks the Mets are going to win the East this year.

2) Philadelphia Phillies
Theme Song: “Long Shot,” Aimee Mann
I took a long look at Atlanta for this spot – after all, I did say last year that until someone knocks them out of the top spot, you have to go with them as the favorites – but it ends here. Like the Mets, Philadelphia has two great table setters at the top of the order in Rollins and Rowand (whom they got from the White Sox in the improbable trade of Jim Thome), and any one of the following four hitters (Abreu, Utley, Burrell, Howard) can go yard seemingly at will. Abreu’s colossal fall-off after the All Star Game was disturbing, but he’s still a perennial 30-30 threat, while Utley is the next Jeff Kent, though hopefully with much less jackassity. On the surface, the starting rotation would concern me, since Cory Lidle and Ryan Franklin are big time Stifley Stiffersons, but if the Phils are smart, they will take two of the three guys fighting for the fifth spot in the rotation, Ryan Madson and Robinson Tejeda, and give them each their own slot, hopefully kicking Franklin to the curb. If that happens, they could cause all kinds of trouble. One question, though: why is management so eager to get rid of Abreu? He was part of every trade rumor out of Philly this offseason.

To read the rest of the preview, click here. And don’t forget to come back to Scores Report to sound off on your picks to win it all.

I was reading the baseball news today and began to smile when I read that Major League Baseball sponsors are going to boycott Barry Bond’s new records this year. In my opinion, Barry Bonds is guiltier of using steroids than most active players today. He has been avoiding the controversy and letting everyone else take the fall. The amount of growth and power in his body is unprecedented.

Baseball’s image as a whole was taking a dive because Barry continued to break records and avoid investigations. It’s a sad day in baseball when the companies that sponsor the game show more integrity than the game itself. Barry Bonds should retire and take all of his “tainted” records with him.

Phil Savage, the excellent GM of the Cleveland Browns, can speak candidly about Vince Young since the Browns are not in the market for a quarterback in the first round. Savage sums up nicely the concerns about Young’s ability to transition from the college game to the NFL game:

Savage raised some serious questions about Young’s ability to transfer his running and throwing ability to the NFL.

“I think the question on him, at least in my mind, is the fact he has operated in a shotgun offense with pretty vanilla reads, and if those reads weren’t there, he could take off and run with it,'’ he said. “You could do that in the NFL to a degree, but there does seem to be a little bit more structure in the league than in the college game.

“I think you would have to adjust your system, and if he came on your team you’d have to have two different offenses in a way, and I’m not sure you have time to prepare all of that. You have to be really convinced that’s what you want to do.'’

He’s right on the money.

The trade that brought former #1 pick Kwame Brown to the Lakers wasn’t looking too good for most of the season. In the 42 games before the All-Star break, Brown averaged just 6.1 ppg and 6.0 rpg on 47.4% shooting in 26 minutes. Over the last four games - not coincidentally, all Laker wins - he averaged 16.3 ppg and 9.0 rpg on 72.2% shooting in 38 minutes per game. Sure, it’s only four games, but Laker fans will take any possible sign that the big kid is finally coming of age.

“He’s been doing the defensive part all year long,” Kobe Bryant said Wednesday night following one of the best efforts of Brown’s five-year NBA career. “Sometimes, the people want more. Tonight he gave them more.”

“Great game. We told him before the game, they don’t bother to guard him, that if he was active, he was going to find some things around there,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “He really did. He found some opportunities tonight.

“He’s steadily been playing better and better as he’s gotten comfortable.”

“I have come in here and done what Coach has asked me to do,” Brown said. “He asked me to run, rebound and defend, but unfortunately playing defense is like being a lineman in football — you just don’t get much credit for it.

“With Chris (Mihm) being out, I did not want there to be a letdown for my teammates. I know my role has changed a little bit because I have to go in and score instead of coming off the bench to get Kobe open, run and rebound. I have to do a little more on the offensive end.”

At 6′11″ and 270 lbs., Brown has all the physical tools to be a superstar, but he’s never been able to reach his potential. He has the type of game that makes most college basketball players cringe, especially those who never get the chance to play professionally.

The key to his recent play may be the extra minutes he’s getting with Mihm out. It seems like, with Phil Jackson as your coach, either the light goes on or the team gets rid of you. Maybe Kwame’s light is finally going on.

For fans of the touchdown celebrations made famous by the likes of Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson, you might be disappointed this season. Apparently, the NFL’s competition committee might crackdown on such festivities.

“Individual celebration was getting out of hand,” [Tennessee coach Jeff] Fisher said Monday at the NFL meetings. “The players’ association was unanimous in wanting to get this under control.”

So spiking the ball in the end zone will be OK. And spinning it on the ground, or dunking it over the goalpost. Dancing in the end zone is fine, too, as long as it’s not prolonged or a group effort.

Almost all other celebrations will be out if the committee’s recommendation to clamp down further on the frivolities is passed by the owners.

It’s not too clear why the competition committee wants to limit these celebrations. If it’s because they feel that they hold up the game, they should take a look at the number of commercials shown per game. A few years ago, the NFL instituted a running clock for most of the game, even when a player went out of bounds. But games are taking as long as ever, and that’s due to the extra commercial breaks. It’s getting to the point where it can be excruciating to watch a live game. I know I’m fooling myself - the league will never curb commercials because advertising is paying their bills (and their salaries).

It looks like Amare Stoudemire might have returned to game action too quickly.

After an impressive season debut Thursday that was nearly six months after knee surgery, Stoudemire felt the condition of his knees regress in the next two games Saturday and Monday.

In Monday’s loss to New Jersey, Stoudemire did not have any lift in his step or jump and said he could not get his knees to feel loose Sunday or Monday. He went scoreless on six shots in 14 minutes, foul- ing more than he rebounded Monday.

“We’re not going to put him on the court when he is not fluid or doesn’t feel good or he’s laboring,” D’Antoni said of the decision to hold him out tonight against Milwaukee. “That doesn’t do anybody any good. He’s too important to the franchise to do that.”

The Suns are doing the right thing. Stoudemire’s long-term health is much more important than what he can bring to the Suns’ championship run this season. Phoenix has him locked in for several years so there’s no sense in pushing him. Besides, he’s obviously not that effective when his knees hurt.

The Final Four is this weekend, with two games on Saturday and the title game on Monday night. NBA action is heating up, as teams try to jockey for position in the playoffs. The best matchup on national television is the Heat/Cavs game on Saturday afternoon.

(All times ET.)

College Hoops:
Sat, 6:07 pm: #11 George Mason vs. #3 Florida - CBS (HD)
Sat, 8:47 pm: #4 LSU vs. #2 UCLA - CBS (HD)

NBA:
Tues, 7:30 pm: Dallas @ Detroit - local / NBATV
Tues, 10:30 pm: San Antonio @ LA Clippers - local
Wed, 7 pm: Dallas @ Cleveland - local
Wed, 7:30 pm: Memphis @ New Jersey - local
Thurs, 8 pm: Phoenix @ Indiana - TNT (HD)
Thurs, 10:30 pm: San Antonio @ LA Lakers - TNT (HD)
Fri, 8 pm: Milwaukee @ Detroit - local
Sat, 2 pm: Miami @ Cleveland - ESPN (HD)

All right, barring a HUGE upset, Chris Paul is going to win the NBA Rookie of the Year honors. The fourth pick in the 2005 draft has been phenomenal this season, averaging 16.2 points, 5.1 rpg, 7.9 apg and 2.3 spg. Although it doesn’t look like the Hornets will make the playoffs, he is the main reason that they were able to contend.

But who would be the runner-up? Inside Hoops lists three main contenders:

(1) Channing Frye, Knicks (#8 overall in the 2005 draft)
Even though Larry Brown hates rookies, Frye has managed 12.3 ppg and 5.7 rpg in only 24.2 minutes per game. He just suffered an knee injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season.

(2) Andrew Bogut, Bucks (#1 overall)
As the starting center for Milwaukee, Bogut has averaged 8.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.3 apg and .94 bpg. He has shot the ball well (52.9%) but his free throw percentage (62.9%) is below average. If the Bucks make the playoffs, he’ll be the fourth #1 pick to make the playoffs in his first year. The others? David Robinson and Tim Duncan of the Spurs and Chris Webber with Golden State.

(3) Charlie Villanueva, Raptors (#7 overall)
Many people (myself included) were scratching their heads when the Raptors selected Villanueva as the seventh pick in the draft. But he’s performed admirably, averaging 12.8 ppg and 6.1 rpg in 27.1 minutes per game.

Considering that Villanueva and Frye are getting minutes on bad teams, Bogut’s play on a playoff-caliber team is probably the second best performance by a rookie this season. Considering how good of a passer he was touted to be coming out of college, his assist numbers aren’t as high as I thought they’d be, but his ability to shoot the ball has been a nice surprise.

#1 Villanova vs. #3 Florida

Villanova had a lot of problems with Florida’s length in the first half. The Gators jumped out to a 27-16 lead by way of a 16-2 run, but the Wildcats once again showed their resiliency, cutting the lead to five at halftime.

Florida jumped out again in the second half, leading 54-44 with 8:01 left in the game. They capitalized on poor shooting by Allan Ray and Mike Nardi, who struggled scoring throughout the game. Randy Foye single handedly kept the Wilcats in it for most of the half.

But Florida’s size and defense eventually wore down the Wildcats. Joakim Noah and Al Horford played terrific inside for the Gators, who went on to win the game, 75-62.

#1 UConn vs. #11 George Mason

How about George Mason?

From the start, UConn looked a lot more into the game than they did against Washington, building an early seven point lead. But the Patriots weathered the early Husky storm and were able to take the lead, 29-28, with 3:08 to play in the first half. UConn came right back with a 15-5 run to take a 43-34 lead at halftime.

Though I desperately needed UConn to win this game (and the title) to win my pool, I still found myself rooting for the underdog. George Mason’s feisty, resilient play is infectious and puts UConn’s often lackadaisical demeanor to shame.

The Patriots fought back in the second half, eventually taking the lead 52-51 on a three point basket by Lamar Butler. On the next possession, Butler hit a rare four point play when he was fouled on another long range shot. But the Huskies showed some fortitude as well, riding Rudy Gay in the second half to stay in the game. Down 74-72 with five seconds to go, Marcus Williams pushed the ball up court to Denham Brown, who drove baseline, lofting up a reverse layup that seemed to hang on the rim forever. Finally, it fell through, forcing an overtime.

In the extra period, George Mason jumped out to a four point lead and UConn was playing catchup the entire time. With six seconds left and the Patriots up two, Jai Lewis had an opportunity to ice the game, but missed both free throw attempts. Brown brought the ball up again with an opportunity to tie, but instead went for the win and his three missed its target.

I never thought I’d type this - George Mason is going to the Final Four. As a #11 seed they are officially a Cinderella story. They shoot the ball well and play good defense. They also have good guard play with Butler and Tony Skinn and good interior play with Lewis and Will Thomas. Looking forward to a matchup with Florida and Villanova, it is not likely that the Patriots will go quietly.

#1 Memphis vs. #2 UCLA

The Bruins jumped out to a quick lead, but were unable to capitalize on opportunities (6 of 17 from the free throw line) that would have given them more of a cushion going into halftime. Ryan Hollins is a prime example. The center scored 9 rebounds and grabbed 4 boards but went only 1-7 from the free throw line. The Bruins led 28-21 at the half.

Memphis cut the lead to three with 15:40 to play in the second half, but that’s as close as the Tigers could make it. UCLA continued to clamp down on defense, and while they had a hell of a time scoring, Memphis had more trouble scoring on them. Hollins had a tremendous game, scoring 14 points (despite 2-10 shooting from the free throw line) and grabbing nine rebounds. Arron Afflalo provided much of the scoring punch in the second half, finishing with 15 points (9-10 from the line). UCLA defended their way to the victory, 50-45.

UCLA will play LSU in one semifinal next Saturday. The way both teams play defense, the over/under might be around 80.

#2 Texas vs. #4 LSU

Texas got off to a quick start but LSU fought back, forcing the Longhorns to go to a 2-3 zone that was not consistently effective defensively. LaMarcus Aldridge didn’t shoot the ball well in the first half, going 1-7 after going 8-8 in the first half against West Virginia. Texas had the opportunity to go into halftime with the lead but a sloppy final possession led to a LSU steal and layup to tie the game 26-26 at half.

Freshman Tyrus Thomas was phenomenal for LSU in the second half but was sent to the bench with leg cramps with about seven minutes remaining. With 33 seconds to play and Texas trailing by three, Daniel Gibson hit a shot from behind the arc after a helter skelter sequence to force overtime. In the extra period, LSU dominated offensively and defensively, en route to a 70-60 win.

The Tigers just showed more heart than Texas. They executed better on offense and got to more loose balls than the Longhorns. LSU is going to be a very tough out in the Final Four. They defend well and with Glen Davis and Tyrus Thomas roaming the middle, they’ll be a force to reckon with.

#1 Villanova vs. #4 Boston College

Boston College jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the first half and actually led by 16 points before Villanova put on a run to get back into the game late in the first half. BC did a great job in the first half of containing Allan Ray and Randy Foye, who combined for 4-15 shooting in the first half (including 0-8 from behind the arc). The Eagles went into halftime with a 28-24 lead.

Villanova continued to fight the entire second half to stay in the game, trailing by as many as nine before coming back to take a 51-48 lead. But BC’s Jared Dudley hit a three with 28 seconds to go. Villanova was unable to score and the game went to overtime. In the extra period, the Wildcats jumped out to a five point lead with 3:23 to play, but BC’s gritty play gave them a one-point lead on a Craig Smith layup with 12 seconds to play. Villanova was in a bad way, taking the ball out underneath the basket with no timeouts, down one and only three seconds on the clock. Somehow, Will Sheridan slipped free (Sean Marshall blew the help assignment) and a goaltending call gave Villanova the lead. BC’s Louis Hinnant’s desperation shot at the buzzer fell short, giving the Wildcats the win in another great game.

#7 Wichita State vs. #11 George Mason

The Patriots, basically playing at home, jumped all over the Shockers, pushing the ball up the court and hitting long jump shots. George Mason is one of the best shooting teams in the tourney and they lived up to that reputation, going 7-10 from three point range en route to a 35-19 halftime lead.

George Mason kept the Shockers at bay the entire second half. Wichita State managed to cut the lead to seven, but that was with 22 seconds to play. The difference in the game was three point percentage - George Mason went 8-16 while Wichita State went 3-23.The Patriots will enjoy a home court advantage in the regional final game on Sunday, with a Final Four birth on the line.

#1 Connecticut vs. #5 Washington

UConn was flat from the start and Washington was able to build a ten point lead late in the first half. UConn came back a bit with some good three point shooting to tighten the game, but Washington led by five at halftime behind 21 points from Brandon Roy and Jamaal Williams. Jim Calhoun continued to substitute freely throughout the half, and his star player, Rudy Gay, never really got into a flow.

UConn looked equally bad in the second half, turning the ball over left and right. But Washington was never really able to put them away and UConn kept it close for most of the half. Washington rode Jamal Williams for most of the second half since Brandon Roy was forced to the bench after getting a dumb technical foul for facing off with Rudy Gay.

It’s so hard to root for UConn (for bracket reasons) as they seem to hate their coach and each other. They were asleep for most of the game but woke up when Rashard Anderson hit a three to tie the game with 1.8 seconds left, forcing an overtime. In the extra period, the battle of attrition started to take its toll on Washington as five players fouled out. Hilton Armstrong played well in the overtime, making a tough layup and hitting two foul shots to put UConn up by 5. Washington’s Ryan Appleby hit a long three and stole the inbounds pass, but UConn’s Marcus Williams stole the ball back and iced the game with two free throws. In all, UConn shot 47 free throws as compared to Washington’s 23 attempts. UConn escapes with a 98-92 win and moves on to play a feisty George Mason squad on Sunday.

#3 Florida vs. #7 Georgetown

The Hoyas played well to start the game, building a 21-12 lead with 8:41 remaining behind some good play from Ashanti Cook. But the Gators fought back to only trail 30-28 at halftime. It was a half of good defense with neither team shooting more than 42% from the field.

In the second half, the game was tight the whole way with neither team leading by more than 5 points. With the Gators trailing 53-52, Corey Brewer made a circus shot and drew the foul. After a made free throw, Georgetown’s Darrel Owens missed a three pointer and Florida’s Al Horford secured the rebound. Two made free throws later, Florida has the win, 57-53. They have a date with Villanova on Sunday.

After Gonzaga’s brutal 73-71 loss to UCLA yesterday, college basketball is wondering if one of their favorite sons is going to turn pro. It appears that Morrison hasn’t made up his mind quite yet.

“It’s going to be a family decision,” Morrison said in Gonzaga’s somber locker room. “I’ve got to hear from the people who write the checks. … I have no idea [when]. I’ve got to go back to Spokane and not do anything. I have no idea what I’m going to decide.”

All season, the general consensus has been that Morrison will turn pro. NBADraft.net has him projected to go third in the draft (behind UConn’s Rudy Gay and Texas’ LaMarcus Aldridge) to the Portland Trailblazers. If he were to come back for his senior year, he’d be risking a ton of money.

But the way that Gonzaga lost last night might mean more than the fact they lost. The Bulldogs were so close to advancing to the Elite Eight that Morrison might see it as a personal challenge to try to get his team back there next season. Throw in the fact that he missed three consecutive jumpers in the last three minutes and he’s going to have a hell of a time getting over this loss.

I like to see players of Morrison’s caliber come back for their senior seasons, but it has to be difficult to turn down lottery money. Any number of injuries could happen in his senior year that would jeopardize his future, and with the loss of J.P. Batista to graduation, there’s no guarantee that Gonzaga will be able to contend next season.

That said, Morrison is a pensive character and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he decided to stay another year.