It's here. Who's ready for the Madness?

OK, so the NCAA tournament doesn't begin for another couple weeks, but there's plenty to see during final few days of the regular season – like the remaining conference races.

The ACC, A-10, Big Ten, C-USA, MAC, SEC, and WAC are among those still waiting for a team to win the league or clinch at least a share of the crown. That's fairly typical. Most races usually come down to the last week.

Sara D. Davis/AP

Brian Zoubek and Duke will try to hold off Maryland on Wednesday.

It'll all be settled by Sunday, so which ones will be the most entertaining? Mike DeCourcy did a breakdown of the best, and singles out the A-10, Big Ten and MAC as the top 3, though Wednesday's Duke-Maryland showdown is probably the best game of the conference races all week.

The Devils (24-4, 11-2) drilled Virginia on Sunday night and ran away from Maryland during their Feb. 13 matchups at Cameron, 77-56. The Terps (21-7, 11-3) haven't lost since and will provide a stern test for Duke's defense, which – oddly enough – has been exceedingly efficient in the last five games.

Duke's playing for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, which hasn't happened since 2006. I'd say Coach K's crew isn't about to let this one get away.

What else to watch this week?

Who's punching their dance ticket?
Three conference tournaments begin Tuesday – Big South, Horizon and Ohio Valley. (A complete schedule can be found here.)

The major conferences don't get underway until next week, but some of the most entertaining tourneys are this week. The Missouri Valley almost always has an upset (beware Northern Iowa!) and mighty Butler fell in last year's Horizon tourney to Cleveland State.

OK, but who's in?
The first team the Big Dance will be Cornell. Simple as that. The Big Red (25-4, 11-1) earned a share of the Ivy League title by routing Penn on Saturday. They're two games up on Princeton and Harvard. Winning one of those two games on Friday or Saturday seals it.

And then the major conference teams can hope Cornell's not in their region…

Searching for answers
It's been a rough week for Purdue. It lost Hummel for the season on Thursday and couldn't muster enough offense to beat Michigan State on Sunday. E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson combined to go just 7 for 27 from the field and shot just 30 percent from the field.

If the Boilermakers (24-4, 12-4) can't replace Hummel's scoring and rebounding, March is going to be unpleasant. Mostly for those of us watching. Purdue's defense is capable of keeping it in games, but it'll be an ugly thing to watch and probably won't result in many NCAA tourney wins.

Searching for answers, part II
Poor Fordham. It was 3-25 last season, started 1-4 this time time around, fired coach Dereck Whittenburg and still couldn't get it together.

The Rams are 2-24 overall and a lock to finish 0-16 in the A-10 with games against Xavier and at Duquesne this week. This is a team that can't wait for next season.

Race to 2,000 (revisited)
North Carolina began the season just 16 wins shy of 2,000. Kansas needed 30. Somehow, it was a race for second place. (Kentucky got there back in December.)

Turns out the Heels will still get there before the Jayhawks. UNC needs just one win before Kansas plays its Big 12 tournament opener sometime on March 12. That's at least three games to get one win, while KU must beat Kansas State and Missouri just to get to 1,999.

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Geno Auriemma isn't about to start resting his starters. Or his bench, for that matter.

The Connecticut women's team clinched its 18^th regular-season Big East title on Saturday, which prompted a question if the Huskies would rest some players for Monday's game at Notre Dame.

Did I mention UConn's won 68 straight games and beat the Irish by 24 when in January?

"We'll play everybody," Auriemma said Sunday. "We're going out there to win it, just like every other Saturday-Monday game. This won't be any different, our approach won't be any different."

Then again, since when has UConn ever taken it easy on opponents?

This program's finished the regular season unbeaten eight times and gone wire-to-wire three times. Auriemma's a coach who instills in his players the desire to win every game and never take a break.

Rest players? That doesn't apply to UConn .

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New Mexico claimed the Mountain West title Saturday with a win at BYU, at a venue where the Cougars rarely lose and much of it was thanks to a game-saving block by Darington Hobson.

Makes sense things would be a little heated afterward.

Lobos coach Steve Alford and BYU senior Jonathan Tavernari didn't exactly exchange pleasantries during the postgame handshake, which ended with Alford cussing at Tavernari. (There's a rundown here, and video of the two here.)

How does that happen? Well, let Alford explain.

"I was telling him he had a phenomenal year and career at BYU," the coach told ESPN's Andy Katz. "He was obviously upset and had words for me. But he came into the locker room afterwards and apologized. It was a class act. He's a great kid and it was senior day so I felt for him. I understand what happened. He's one of my favorites in the league.''

It's telling that Tavernari would apologize to Alford when it was Alford who dropped the A-word. But the sense around MWC circles is that Alford will be fined for his comment, which makes sense. Coaches should know better.

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Radical thought: If Purdue beats Michigan State on Sunday, the Boilermakers should be the nation's No. 1 team.

Practical thought: Kansas – despite losing at Oklahoma State – still boasts the NCAA's most impressive overall résumé and should remain No. 1. (Though it would feel strange).

Overwhelming thought: Does it really matter?

Monday is March 1. And that means we're just weeks away from Selection Sunday and no one will care about the rankings, just about seeding.

And right now, Kansas, Syracuse and Kentucky are all No. 1 seeds.

Perhaps Duke or Kansas State or Purdue or even Ohio State could slide into that final No. 1 spot. We'll see. What's important is that we're heading into a tournament where the rankings don't determine the eventual national champ. The teams will. Right now, the polls are just for bragging rights and posturing.

But if it does matter ... then make the Orange No. 1. Even if it is for just a week or two.

After drilling Villanova, they've earned it.

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OK. Forget the computer ratings. New Mexico can play.

A win in Provo proves it.

After an 83-81 victory – capped by a game-saving block by do-everything junior Darington Hobson – against No. 13 BYU, the Lobos are now 27-3 and 13-2 in the Mountain West. They've won 13 straight games and are 6-0 vs. ranked teams, which includes wins against Cal, Texas A&M and a sweep of BYU.

"Our guys have proven themselves all year on the road," Lobos coach Steve Alford said. "To win back-to-back championships in a conference like this is saying something, and to win 13 in a row is saying something."

Ease those doubts about them as a Top 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. They're every bit as worthy as Georgetown, Michigan State, Pitt, Wisconsin or whomever else you want to throw out there. (And I'm not alone in this statement.)

Sure, New Mexico still lags in conference efficiency margin because of an average defense, it's one of those teams that manages to win games by any style and has the talent to pull it off. Hobson's an NBA-caliber player, while Dairese Gary and Roman Martinez are a pair of underrated perimeter players.

Maybe the Lobos caught a break with Jimmer Fredette nursing a stomach bug and missing most of the second half. But sometimes being lucky is part of being good.

How long being good and lucky lasts is the question most major conference schools don't want to find out in March.

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Did a double-take after seeing this tweet Saturday. Then I smiled at the thought of a Hansbrough grabbing the headlines on a college hoops Saturday.

Yes, a year after Tyler Hansbrough helped North Carolina to the NCAA title – and became arguably the best player of the last decade – his younger brother, Ben, did his best to ensure the family goes back into the Big Dance.

Hansbrough scored 21 points as Notre Dame ran away from No. 11 Georgetown for its second straight win over a Top 25 team. (That Luke Harangody had missed four straight games is another story.) He blew up for two layups, two 3s and the first 10 points of the second half, all in less than 3 minutes.

Consider the Irish (19-10 overall, 8-8 in Big East play) back on the right side of the bubble with just two regular-season games remaining. They're not in yet as they could easily lose to UConn and Marquette next week.

But it's nice to see Hansbrough get a shot. Especially when dealing with fan heckling like this: One fan kept shouting, "You're not your brother! You're not your brother!" No kidding. And it's not a bad thing.

The 6-3 senior – who transferred from Mississippi State after the 2007-08 season – averages 12.2 points, 4 boards and 4.7 assists a game, and shoots an impressive 44 percent from beyond the arc. Tyler can only dream of that kind of range.

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As you sift through the results from Saturday's games and wonder how things will fall in March, give some thought to how the NCAA selection committee chooses its field of 65.

All done? OK, now forget what you know for a bit and sift through some reading from some of the best and most original college basketball minds out there. It sounds like a random assignment from freshman psych, I know, but trust me. It'll be worth your while.

Start with Dan Hanner's post on some of the things the committee considers, and what makes them important. He hits on RPI, last 12 games and closes with a section on margin of victory – which the NCAA doesn't use as a consideration.

Then turn to John Gasaway. He hits on a few of the same ideas, and warns against relying too much on any one formula to determine the nation's best teams (and thus most worthy of at-large tourney bids). BUT! For those unsatisfied with the status quo, a change is needed from the current criteria the committee uses.

That prompted a post from KJ at the Only Colors, who has two main points which make one thought: Tempo-free stats are useful evaluation tools because it's still all about wins and losses.

End with Ken Pomeroy. He actually started a lot of this discourse because of an earlier question and answer, but follows it all with some excellent points about what should frame future bracketing decisions.

Will the NCAA read it all and take notes? Possibly. We can only hope.

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John Calipari thinks big. He wants NCAA tournament titles -- the SEC won't do.

Kentucky's coach was explicit in explaining his views regarding the school being on the cusp of another conference crown. A conference title means "nothing."

"I've always taken the approach that it's about the seed in the NCAA tournament," Calipari said Friday. "If you want me to be honest about how I think and what we're doing to prepare, that's what it is. The SEC tournament is about our seed in the NCAA tournament."

(There's more on that quote with video here.)

Kentucky's won conference titles before (45 or 43, depending on your source) so perhaps another crown wouldn't be that special. Sure, it'd be a first for Calipari and end a four-season drought for the school, but there's no disguising the fact that everyone – Calipari, the players, the school, the fans – wants a national title.

Another NCAA title is the focus, not a conference title. Fair enough. Comes with the territory at Kentucky.

Still, winning the conference title isn't insignificant. Anytime you emerge as the best team among your rivals during a 16-game, two-month period, it means something. Maybe it doesn't have the same punch as a national title, but it's still sweet.

But give Calipari credit. He knows what he was hired to do – win national titles. Approaching the season with a mindset of anything less wouldn't fly in Lexington.

I just hope they get to enjoy the trophy at some point…

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Don't stray far from a TV on Saturday. You'll want to see as much college basketball as possible.

There are four matchups between ranked teams, a few conference titles on the line and massive amounts of games with bubble implications.

And did I mention the massive crowd that will be watching the primetime game?

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start at the beginning. The day starts off pretty good, too.

Jack Dempsey/AP

Jimmer Fredette and BYU will have its hands full against New Mexico on Saturday.

No. 2 Kentucky (27-1 overall, 12-1 in the SEC) travels to Knoxville for what should be its most challenging game left on its schedule. (Noon ET, CBS) The question is, can No. 19 Tennessee hang with the Wildcats?

As Ken Davis writes, the Vols (20-7, 8-5) have been faltering the last few weeks, most of which stems from the Jan. 1 off-court incident that resulted in Tyler Smith's dismissal from the team.

The Vols are capable of big wins – they did beat No. 1 Kansas days after Smith's suspension – so it'll be interesting to see if they can run with John Calipari's young team, and if Wayne Chism can negate DeMarcus Cousins inside.

Other games to watch with a noon tip-off time: Notre Dame at No. 11 Georgetown (Irish still on bubble) and Michigan at No. 9 Ohio State (Buckeyes now Big 10's best team).

Get that remote ready.

The next slate of games opens with No. 21 Texas at No. 22 Texas A&M (2 p.m. ET ESPN), a game with two NCAA-tournament teams trying to boost their seed, and Cincinnati at No. 8 West Virginia. Anytime Bob Huggins faces his former school, it's worth watching (ESPNU).

At 3 p.m. ET, it's a rare watchable Pac-10 game when Cal plays host to Arizona State. The Bears (18-9, 10-5) can clinch a share of its first conference crown since Pete Newell was coaching. (That's 50 years ago for all us youngsters.) The Sun Devils (20-8, 10-5) will play spoiler. (FSN)

An hour later, No. 1 Kansas travels to Oklahoma State, which is desperate to boost its bubble status. Beating the Jayhawks (27-1, 13-0) would be ideal and also end KU's chance at a rare unbeaten conference season (4 p.m., CBS). Don't ignore Richmond at Xavier (ESPN2), either. They're tied atop the A-10.

But the best game during this time slot is on Versus.

When No. 10 New Mexico plays No. 13 BYU, it could go down as the biggest regular-season hoops game in Mountain West history. The winner takes the conference title and is headed for a No. 2 or 3 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Take a short dinner break, then get ready for the monster matchup of the day at 9 p.m. on ESPN.

With 34, 616 fans on hand to watch No. 7 Villanova play No. 4 Syracuse, some wonder if the actual game will match the surrounding hype, which is a fair question.

The Orange (26-2, 13-2) and Wildcats (23-4, 12-3) are the class of the Big East and this'll be their only meeting this season, barring a Big East tournament rematch. Both are Final Four caliber teams and capable of winning the NCAA tournament.

I'll leave the matchup analysis to Mike DeCourcy (this post is already long enough), and simply look forward to Saturday.

Are we sure March didn't arrive a few days early?

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Work productivity figures to drop significantly in few week s when the NCAA tournament begins. But why wait? Any hoophead can waste time at work right now!

The NCAA launched its "Vault" Web site earlier this week. It allows you watch any game from the Sweet 16 and beyond from the previous decade. If a team advanced to the second weekend since 2000, they're in there.

And it's not just games. There's play-by-play for each game and highlights are cued up. You can watch the best dunks, blocks, finishes, you name it. Just block out a chunk of time, because you'll need it.

If your video connection is slow, try this site instead: College basketball reference. Like the reference sites for MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL, it's a treasure trove of info.

Seriously. They have season summaries that go back to 1894-95 (when Temple went 8-3), every NCAA tournament, award winners and damn near every coach who's been in the game. (How did Benny Dees fare during that 1987-88 Wyoming season, anyway?)

Good luck with the rest of your day. Just don't tell your boss who told you about this stuff.

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Kentucky got its revenge Thursday for its only loss of the season. Now the Wildcats turn their attention to Saturday's game at Tennessee – where a win would lock up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Along with Kansas and Syracuse, the 'Cats (27-1 overall, 12-1 in SEC play) are headed for a top seed thanks to their impressive record and series of quality wins this season. But a road win against the Vols would serve as the final line on that résumé.

Yet Kentucky's hardly the only team with something at stake on Saturday. Showdowns loom – Villanova at Syracuse and New Mexico at BYU, for starters – and dozens of them have NCAA tournament implications.

So how about a bracket breakdown before it all gets going?

It's all included in Dave Ommen's latest bracket below, with some explanations. As always, check out his site, BRACKETVille, for more, including all the key wins and losses for each team and which teams are on the bubble.

Note: Teams in CAPS are projected as the automatic bid unless the team generally goes by an abbreviation (VCU, BYU, etc).

Next Update: Monday, March 1.

NOTES on the BRACKET: Kansas remains the No. 1 overall seed – followed by Syracuse, Kentucky and Purdue.  Kentucky hosts the play-in game because it's the closest Friday-Sunday site (Milwaukee).  It would be Midwest vs. West | East vs. South.   Next 4 S-Curve spots are … Villanova, Duke, Kansas State, West Virginia.

Last Five teams in (at large):  Georgia Tech, Charlotte, St. Mary's, UAB, Rhode Island

First Five teams out (at large):  Dayton, San Diego State, Seton Hall, Arizona State, Notre Dame

Next in Line … Mississippi State, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Minnesota, Washington, South Florida

Moving in (at-large): Rhode Island |  Moving out: Dayton

New Arrivals (auto bids): Stony Brook (America East projected champion)

Bracket adjustments: Several one-line adjustments to a team's "true seed" this bracket … Tennessee (up), Xavier (down), Louisville (up), UTEP (down), Virginia Tech (up), Northern Iowa (down),  These were made to avoid conference conflicts, regular-season rematches, etc. Xavier's drop is helped in that Buffalo is slightly closer to home.  Due to being the third team "in" from the A-10, the Muskateers could not be placed in the same region as Temple.  Because of other conference conflits, XU drops a line and Tennessee is the beneficiary because they are the first team to fit in the slot with creating a regular-season rematch or other conflict.

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No Robbie Hummel, no Final Four for Purdue. It's that simple.

The Boilermakers (24-3 overall, 12-3 in the Big Ten) were headed for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament until their junior swingman tore his ACL in Wednesday's win against Minnesota.

And, like in-season injuries to title contenders in previous seasons, this one robs Purdue of what could have been a memorable season.

Jim Mone/AP

Without Robbie Hummel, Purdue's Final Four hopes are essentially toast.

Hummel's the team's second-leading scorer, rebounder, top outside shooter and best overall player. E'Twaun Moore is the go-to scorer, but his life is made far easier having Hummel around.

"Rob does something for us offensively and defensively that balances our team," Purdue coach Matt Painter told the AP when Hummel missed time last season due to a back injury. "He's a facilitator. He moves the basketball, he makes the extra pass, he gets the ball inside. ... Some of the basic things that don't show up in a box score is what we miss."

Without Hummel, a spot in the Elite Eight would be a supreme achievement for the Boilermakers. A Sweet 16 finish seems far more likely.

The biggest questions now are: Where will Purdue be seeded in the Big Dance, and who's the best bet for that last No. 1 seed?

The seeding committee will note how the Boilermakers fare in their final three regular-season games and in the Big Ten tournament before making a decision on seeding. If take two of those final three Big Ten games and go out early in the conference tournament, a 1 seed is still possible, though unlikely. It's reminiscent of back in 2000 when Cincinnati lost Kenyon Martin before the tournament. The Bearcats still received a No. 1 dropped to a 2 seed, and was bounced in the second round.

Meanwhile, Duke, Kansas State and Villanova figure to benefit most from Hummel's injury.

K-State (23-4, 10-3) can increase its profile with a win against Missouri on Saturday, and make its best argument with a road win at Kansas next Wednesday. That would be an even bigger boost than winning the Big 12 tournament, which ends hours before the NCAA tournament seeds are announced – which could make the seeding committee more likely to decide K-State's decision before the title game.

Villanova's better positioned to make a run at a 1. The Wildcats (23-4, 12-3) have a massive game Saturday at Syracuse, followed by a game at Cincinnati and a home stand against West Virginia. Sweeping all three would probably make them a lock as the final 1 seed barring a first-round exit in the Big East tournament. Reaching the BE tourney final would clinch it.

Duke (23-4, 11-2) has a slightly easier remaining schedule, but actually could help the Blue Devils. According to Andy Glockner, if the Devils win out and take the ACC tournament, they'd be 30-4 and have an RPI of 2 and the 7^th best strength of schedule.

Villanova has the toughest road, but the most to gain. A stumble would benefit Duke. And if they both suffer a couple of losses, K-State could move into the final spot.

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All hail the new swat king – he took the crown in style.

Mississippi State's Jarvis Varnado set the NCAA record for blocked shots, swatting eight Alabama shots on Wednesday to boost his career total to 536. At his current average (5.1), that number could swell to 560 or higher, depending on how many SEC tournament and NCAA tournament games the Bulldogs play.

So congrats, Jarvis. You have a place in the record books. Everyone catch a glimpse of what history looks like.

Yet, as Chris Littman writes, it seems like nobody thinks this is a big deal. It's not even leading the college basketball section on most sites, including ours.

Maybe it's because the guy he passed, Louisiana-Monroe's Wojciech Mydra, is pretty much an unknown player. Or maybe it's because Varnado's blocked-shot average (4.03 for his career) doesn't compare with some of the NCAA's other fearsome swatters like David Robinson (5.24, Adonial Foyle (5.66), Shaquille O'Neal (4.58) or Emeka Okafor (4.28). Myrda holds the record for four-year players (4.65).

Still, a record's a record. And blocked shots are sweet. Only dunks hold more momentum-swinging power, and even then a good swat is worth a little extra.

So give it up for Varnado, the new shot-block king and, by most reports, a damn fine person, as well.

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No less than 17 bubble teams entered Wednesday night with a chance to boost their NCAA tournament résumés, but only a handful succeeded. That's life on the bubble.

You'll find a complete breakdown from our bracketlogist, Dave Ommen, who's latest Bubble Banter tracks the latest happenings in the NCAA tournament picture. Who are the "locks," who "should be in" and who's on the "bubble." You'll find it all here.

Nobody's locked up a berth yet, but 20 teams are awfully close. That includes everyone from Kansas and Kentucky to Gonzaga and Butler. Another eight (Richmond and Baylor, for example) should be in. That leaves 36 squarely on the bubble – and quite a lot to rundown from Wednesday.

Notre Dame came away as the biggest winner. The Irish (18-10, 7-8) pulled off the night's biggest upset with a 68-53 win against Pitt. It also gives the Panthers (21-7, 10-5) some pause, though not enough to knock them into the "should be in" category.

Other teams that won, but are still sweating the next few weeks include Charlotte, Cincinnati, Florida State, Maryland, Mississippi State, UNLV and UTEP.

As for the losers … Clemson (19-8, 7-6) missed a chance to help its cause with an 88-79 loss at Maryland. The Tigers were an 8 seed in Monday's NCAA tourney projections, but figure to drop a bit now. A win Sunday at Florida State would be key.

Minnesota (16-11, 7-8) also couldn't capitalize on a golden opportunity for its biggest win of the season, falling 59-58 at home to Purdue. The Boilermakers played without star Robbie Hummel the entire second half. Saturday's trip to Illinois is the biggest résumé booster left for the Gophers.

Oklahoma State was riding a 3-game win streak, but lost at Texas, 69-59. The Cowboys (19-8, 7-6) could end any tournament worries with a home win Saturday vs. Kansas.

And those three teams got the good news. The remaining six, not so much.

Dayton, Memphis, St. Louis, San Diego State, South Florida and Virginia Tech all lost games against either their most impressive remaining opponent or to teams they shouldn't have. Consider them all on the wrong side of the bubble.

It might be time to hope for a big run in the conference tournament.

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It's a long season. Losses happen.

Keeping those two things in mind, what to make of Evansville beating Northern Iowa on Tuesday? When it comes to the NCAA tournament, are the Panthers a Sweet 16 team or are they simply fodder for an upset?

Stranger things have happened when it comes to conference road games, but this one's a tough pill to swallow. This was an Evansville team that had lost 14 straight games at one point and was just 1-15 in the Missouri Valley. Contrast to UNI -- 24-3, 14-2 entering the game.

In terms of efficiency margin, this was one of the year's biggest surprises. The Panthers outscore Mo Valley foes by .14 points per possession, while the Purple Aces give up .18 points per trip. A .32 point margin should be too great to overcome.

Yet – in front of a piddling 4,716 fans – they beat a ranked foe for the first time since 2003. (Shakes head.)

OK, so UNI was without senior center Jordan Eglseder, who was suspended three games for driving drunk. He'll be back for Saturday regular-season finale against Illinois State and for the MVC tourney. And the Panthers did beat ODU last week without him.

"I don't know that there is much to be fixed," UNI coach Ben Jacobson told the Des Moines Register. "I think we need two great days of practice in preparation for Illinois State. There isn't anything broken…Evansville played a good basketball game, and they deserve credit for winning."

Still, it'll make me think twice about taking Northern Iowa very far in the NCAA tournament.

It's a team built around defense and everyone playing their role. They don't push the pace, and they keep teams off the offensive glass and the free-throw line. In short, you have to work to get your points against them.

I just wish that offense was capable of scoring in bunches. UNI's an average-shooting team that doesn't get many offensive rebounds and lacks a go-to scorer. When they fall behind in the Big Dance, how will they keep up?

Maybe they won't have to if they face teams like FSU or Illinois or Dayton in the early rounds. But ideal matchups like that may be too much to hope for.

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You have questions, Ken Davis has answers.

The latest reader mailbag from our college hoops expert hits on the Atlantic 10 and how many team it could place in the NCAA tournament (six maybe?), Clemson's chances of making the Big Dance, and the possibility of NCAA tourney expansion (Ken's not happy about the rumors).

But he also spends time talking Memphis. In case you hadn't noticed, new coach Josh Pastner has the Tigers on the bubble, which is a fairly impressive feat given that they lost three starters from last season's 33-4 squad, their coach, and a couple of highly touted recruits (Xavier Henry, DeMarcus Cousins), who went elsewhere when John Calipari went to Memphis.

Memphis (20-7 overall, 10-2 in C-USA) isn't in yet, mostly because it lacks any impressive wins. Still, give credit to Pastner, who gets kudos from our reader as a possible coach of the year.

Which raises the larger question: Who is the national coach of the year?

Ken thinks Syracuse's Jim Boeheim is the front-runner, and I can't disagree. The Orange are 26-2 despite losing their three leading scorers from last season. They're headed for a Big East title and a likely No. 1 seed in the Big Dance. It's hard to go against Boeheim. (Even harder to believe he's never been national coach of the year, but is a 3-time Big East winner.)

Others to consider include: BYU's Dave Rose, Kentucky's John Calipari, Kansas State's Frank Martin and Pitt's Jamie Dixon. Maybe include Siena's Fran McCaffery and Murray State's Billy Kennedy as well.

But the smart money's on Boeheim.

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Everyone offer a big, fat congratulations to Herb Magee. It's not often a coach surpasses Bob Knight.

The Philadelphia University coach won the 903^rd game of his career Tuesday night, surpassing "The General" for the most wins among coaches who've spent their entire career in the NCAA.

(Northern State coach Don Meyer has 922 career victories in the NCAA and NAIA. Earlier this season, McKendree University coach Harry Statham notched his 1,000 win, joining Tennessee women's coach Pat Summit as the only college coaches to reach that level.)

If you don't know much about Magee, you're not alone.

He's spent the past 43 years coaching the same school, a private university of 3,350 students. He also played there, leaving as the school's all-time leading scorer (2,235 points) and was a two-time small-college All-American. In all, he's spent 50 years there.

But he's well-known around the coaching community. He instructs at various clinics, while all six of the Big Six coaches (Jay Wright and Fran Dunphy among them) attended Tuesday's game. Knight paid tribute to Magee when he became the D-II wins leader.

This N.Y. Times feature provides some more insight, including his habits, coaching style and a flirtation with the Boston Celtics after they drafted him in 1963.

So how Magee's compare to other legendary coaches like Knight? Have a look

Coach School(s)       Years Won-loss
Herb Magee   Philadelphia U 43      903-352
Bob Knight     Army, Indiana, T. Tech        42      902-371
Dean Smith    North Carolina          36      879-254
Adolph Rupp   Kentucky       41      876-190
Mike Krzyzewksi       Army, Duke   35      856-278

Take a bow, Herb. You earned it.

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Ethan Miller/Getty Images Just how good are Darington Hobson and New Mexico? Depends who you ask.

Pick a Top 10. Any Top 10. Chances are there's no two alike.

Take the three rating systems I consult most frequently: the AP poll, Sagarin and kenpom. The first one takes votes from basketball writers around the country, compiles them and the result is essentially a reflection of who's won, while teams with recent losses tend to take a drop. The other two rate teams according to future performance, which is helpful when teams pile up victories, but that's it.

There's some consistency, but all three have some interesting divergences. (Ignore the numbers in Sagarin and Kenpom; I included them only to show how close the teams were in relation to one another.)

AP poll                Sagarin                    Kenpom

1.    Kansas           Kansas 95.84           1. Duke .9818

2.    Kentucky        Syracuse 92.60        2. Kansas .9799

3.    Purdue           Duke 92.56              3. Syracuse .9638

4.    Syracuse        Kentucky 91.31        4. BYU .9618

5.    Duke             Purdue 90.30            5. Purdue .9617

6.    Kansas St.     W. Virginia 89.84        6. W. Virginia .9553

7.    Villanova         Kansas St. 89.75      7. Kentucky .9581

8.    W. Virginia      Villanova 89.67          8. Ohio State .9578

9.    Ohio State      BYU 89.23                9. Texas .9561

10. New Mexico    Texas 89.00             10. Wisconsin .9549

Kansas is close to a consensus No. 1, save for Kenpom, (for which Pomeroy caught a modicum of grief on Twitter last night), while Syracuse, Duke and Purdue all in each one's Top 5. AP voters like Kentucky slightly more than Sagarin and Pomeroy.

Oddly enough, all three are the next closest on West Virginia (8, 6, 6), though I'm sure the Mountaineers will take a hit in next week's poll and not drop that much in the computer ratings. Any team in the Top 10 of all three is a good Final Four bet.

So what to make of the others? Glad you asked.

Villanova (AP 7, Sagarin 8, Kenpom 14)
Kenpom hits the Wildcats hard for their inefficient defense. They also get dinged in Sagarin for their close wins. But voters like 'Nova, despite the two recent losses. Maybe it's a residual effect from their 11-game win streak or their lofty Big East standing. Regardless, be wary of the 'Cats in March. Teams with a low scoring margin can run out of luck at the wrong time.

Ohio State (9, 13, 8)
The opposite of 'Nova. Buckeyes drop in Sagarin due to their low score in "elo chess," which rates teams only by winning and losing. However, they get a bump in future predicted performance, which reflects their higher ranking in Kenpom. Also, the voters seem to like how Evan Turner & Co. are playing. Take note: Ohio State's offense revolves around its good shooting more than most teams. As a result, it stinks at offensive rebounds. When do Buckeyes go cold?

New Mexico (10, 22, 43)
A 26-3 record and a 12-game win streak vaulted the Lobos into the Top 10. However, the computer ratings hate them. Sagarin's ratings don't foretell much future success (N.M. is behind Wake, UTEP and just ahead of ODU there); same goes for Kenpom. The problem is an inefficient defense and a decent offense. Tempo-free conference stats say the Lobos are worse than BYU and SDSU and marginally better than UNLV (and Colorado State, judging by Tuesday's night's win). Still, Darington Hobson is the kind of player capable of carrying a team to a couple of Big Dance wins. After all, worse teams have piled up wins and made Sweet 16 runs.

Texas (21, 10, 9)
Losing six of 10 will drop you in the polls. But is Texas still as good as their computer numbers? Their offense and defense has been hit and miss lately, and it just lost starting PG Dogus Balbay. Put it this way: When it comes to the tournament, Texas could steamroll foes and make the Elite Eight or be out after two games. Neither would be a surprise.

BYU (13, 9, 4)
The Cougars haven't won an NCAA tournament game since 1993. In seven trips since, they've been an 8 or a 12 seed with no success. Perhaps this is the year they win because they're going to be a 5 at worst. Still, how good can they be? They're similar to Ohio State, in that they have a star player (Jimmer Fredette) and shoot well, but can get into trouble when shots aren't falling. This is your mid-major with the greatest upside.  

Wisconsin (17, 11, 10)
Yes, the Badgers can look ugly at times. But few teams squeeze more out of every possession, especially on offense. Teams have hit their shots against Wisconsin lately (six of the last eight had an eFG% of at least 51.0), which is the only reason it's lost three of those games. Opponents don't get second-chance points. Combine that with the maniacal way Trevon Hughes handles the ball, and foes have to hit shots. A team like Georgetown or Cornell would be trouble.

If you're only as good as your point guard, West Virginia's title hopes may be kaput.

Truck Bryant and Joe Mazzulla share PG duties for the Mountaineers. And if Jeff Goodman's right, they could be the biggest reason why Bob Huggins' team falls short in March.

Here's a point guard ranking of teams ranked in the Top 10 in either poll this week. Goodman slots the Bryant/Mazzulla combo 12^th, just behind Dairese Gary of New Mexico. Purdue's mix of Lewis Jackson/Keaton Grant/Kelsey Barlow ranks 10^th.

Not sure the W.Va. pair would be much better compared to the rest of the Top 25, either. I'd put BYU, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Tennessee, Temple, Texas A&M and Baylor all ahead of Bryant and Mazzulla, too.

So who's the best?

On Goodman's list, Sherron Collins, John Wall, Evan Turner, Jon Scheyer and Corey Fisher make up the Top 5. Collins gets the nod for his toughness and experience.

Not sure you'd go wrong with any of the top three, which is something to keep in mind when it comes to Ohio State in March. Turner could carry his Buckeyes a long way.

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Sherron Collins is making a nice place for himself in the college hoops record books.

The senior point guard helped No. 1 Kansas clinch at least a share of the Big 12 title last night. It's the sixth straight and 53^rd overall for the school. Six in a row ties the school mark and is the most since Kentucky  won every SEC East crown from 2000-2005. No. 53 is the most in NCAA history (Kentucky's second with 49).

As for Collins, it was the 124^th victory of his career, the most among KU players. Nine more wins would tie ex-Duke star Shane Battier for the NCAA record.

"Of course it had to be him. He's the leader of our team. It's his fourth one. Not too many people can say they've won four (league titles)," KU freshman Xavier Henry told the Lawrence Journal-World.

And, with three more wins, Kansas would notch an unbeaten conference season. Only the 2001-02 team has done that in Big 12 history.

Then again, those aren't the records Collins wants most. He's trying to push the Jayhawks (27-1) to another NCAA tournament trophy, and possibly a record 39 wins. Don't think KU hasn't thought about that.

"To be in the No. 1-rated RPI league and to clinch in game 13 out of 16, that's a pretty special deal," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "But clinching ain't good enough. We've got to go take care of business."

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Everything you read this time of year should be research for filling out that NCAA tournament bracket. And there's nothing like inside info, eh?

To that point, Seth Davis did the legwork to provide the scoop on 19 teams from the ACC, Big East, Big Ten and SEC. It's all from head coaches and assistants, talking off the record about their conference rivals.

So do yourself a favor and read the thing.

Jim Mone / AP

Keaton Nankivil and Wisconsin should be a tough out in the NCAA tournament.

For anyone tired of clicking, I added some snippets below, with the occasional comment. He'll have the dish on the Big 12, Pac-10 and other assorted teams next week.

GEORGIA TECH: The biggest problem with Georgia Tech is that the Jackets invent turnovers. They play faster than they need to play at times, and that's why they turn it over. They're playing [Gani] Lawal and [Derrick] Favors, who are two mountains masquerading as men, but there's not a lot of room when you play those two guys because they're both low post players.

(That seemed to work for Florida in 2006 and '07, but only because Joakim Noah was so mobile. And he was hardly a mountain masquerading as a man.)

CINCINNATI: [Bob Huggins] was playing [Devin] Ebanks at the point early in the year, but they went to Purdue and got whacked and they haven't played him there since.

UCONN: I've got a feeling they're going to go on a run right now. They're the team you don't want to play in the Big East tournament.

(The coach he talked to must've had the same feeling Dave Ommen got before West Virginia's loss to UConn on Monday.)

OHIO STATE: Their main weakness is they only go six deep. I thought they were sucking wind at the end of the Purdue game, and they were at home. I think they play so much zone because they can rest in it.

WISCONSIN: Oh man, I hate the Badgers. That swing offense drives you crazy, but if their guards are not scoring it can really hurt them. They know who they are. They have multiple ballhandlers and scorers, they're a good passing team, a great free-throw shooting team, they have great shot selection.

(The Badgers are the ultimate "respected" team. Coaches and computers love 'em, but fans seem to hate 'em because they play so slow. Tough. Bo Ryan makes it work.)

MICHIGAN STATE: They always seem to get hot in March, but I'm not sure I see that happening this year. I'm a little more leery about this group than I've been the last few years.

KENTUCKY: Nobody gets up and down the floor like John Wall, but when you get into the tournament, the pace tends to slow down. Teams that are averaging 75 points a game are going to get 70 or fewer. If people put a premium on possessions, they are going to have to make perimeter shots.

(We'll hear more about Kentucky's half-court offense in the next few weeks, but a lot of it will be overblown provided DeMarcus Cousins stays out of foul trouble.)

VANDERBILT: Honestly, I don't know that they have a real weakness. I was surprised they didn't beat Kentucky, though you're obviously not going to beat many teams shooting 2-for-20 from three.

(Wow. The 'Dores rate as the SEC's version of Wisconsin.)

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I don't know when "Boom Goes the Dynamite" went viral, but it's now recognized as synonymous with on-camera meltdown. (Hey, the guy has his own spot in Urban Dictionary. It's the 15 minutes of fame that just keeps on giving.)

So when I saw a link for "Boom Goes Some New Dynamite," I couldn't help it. I had to click. Schadenfreude compels me, and I'm guessing it'll compel you to watch the video below as well.

But give "repoter" Jon Jankowski some credit. He muffed the on-air bit three times – but always came back swinging. Chin up, Jon. Even if we all laugh, that kind of tenacity is gonna carry you in this business.

(H/T: SB Nation)

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Texas' much-needed win Saturday against Texas Tech did come with one bit of bad news – point guard Dogus Balbay tore the ACL in his left knee and is gone for the season. Tough luck, too. A quadriceps injury ended Varez Ward's season back in November.

Does that put a stake into the Longhorns' season? Before beating Tech, they'd lost six of their last nine, and will likely turn to freshman J'Covan Brown the rest of the way.

Yet … maybe that's a good thing.

That notion is making the rounds on the Web, and with good reason. Balbay was the better defender, but Brown's a far superior scorer. Provided he limits his turnovers, the Longhorns may finally be a more consistent, dangerous offense. And if Rick Barnes wants some defense, he can always turn to senior Justin Mason.

Perhaps more important is the idea of Texas now finding a consistent rotation. As Rush the Court points out, a crowded backcourt wasn't helping the 'Horns. It's all about that silver lining.

Because if Texas can use this disappointment to finally figure out how to get consistent heady play and scoring from the perimeter, they suddenly become that team we all thought they could be. And isn't that what Barnes and Texas fans all ultimately want? 

Do they ever.

Mike Miller's also on Twitter, usually talkin' hoops. Click here for more.

(NOTE: This was updated after Monday night's game.)

Connecticut's back in the Big Dance. The question is, can they stay there?

That's the biggest news in our latest NCAA tournament projections (now updated twice a week for your March Madness needs). Sure, the Huskies are 17-11 overall and 7-8 in the Big East, but consider wins against Top 10 teams in the last eight days; last week against Villanova and tonight against West Virginia.

Even more important is this number: 9. That's how many wins UConn has against RPI Top 100 teams, which is three more than any of the 11 other bubble teams.

It also gives the Big East eight teams in the NCAA tourney, more than any other conference.

Check out the rest of Dave Ommen's bracket below, with some explanations. As always, check out his site, BRACKETVille, for more, including all the key wins and losses for each team and which teams are on the bubble.

Note: Teams in CAPS are projected as the automatic bid unless the team generally goes by an abbreviation (VCU, BYU, etc).

Next Update: Thursday, February 25.

NOTES on the BRACKET: Kansas remains the No. 1 overall seed – followed by Syracuse, Kentucky and Purdue.  Kentucky hosts the play-in game because it's the closest Friday-Sunday site (Milwaukee).  It would be Midwest vs. West | East vs. South.   Next 4 S-Curve spots are … Villanova, Duke, Kansas State, West Virginia.

Last Five teams in (at large):  Dayton, Charlotte, Connecticut, St. Mary's, UAB

First Five teams out (at large):  Rhode Island, San Diego State, Seton Hall, Mississippi State, St. Louis

Next in Line … Memphis, Arizona State, Washington, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, South Florida, William & Mary, Mississippi, Wichita State, Northeastern, Minnesota, Texas Tech

Moving in (at-large): Connecticut |  Moving out: Rhode Island

New Arrivals (auto bids): UC-Santa Barbara (Big West projected champion)

Bracket adjustments: Several one-line adjustments to a team's "true seed" this bracket … Northern Iowa (down), Maryland (up), Virginia Tech (down), UTEP (up), Marquette (down), UAB (up), Connecticut (down), Florida (up).  These were made to avoid conference conflicts, regular-season rematches, etc.

Mike Miller's also on Twitter, usually talkin' hoops. Click here for more.

Forget NCAA tournament expansion. West Virginia coach Bob Huggins has another idea: Separate the haves from the have-nots by splitting college hoops into two divisions.

"We should have like they have it in football," he told the Dominion Post (W.Va). "We should have I-A and IAA. Then schools would have to make a commitment whether they really want to have a basketball program or not.

"That's what they have to do in football. You have to make a commitment to have a football program. It's attendance and facilities and so forth. If we did that, instead of having 347 teams, we'd maybe have 110 or 150."

If that happens, Huggins would invite every team into a postseason event to determine a champ.

The reason behind Huggins' idea is to stop the NCAA and the conferences from "robbing" all the member schools. Yes, that's a bold statement. It's also a bold idea.

The odds of it happening however…

(H/T: College Basketball Nation blog)

Mike Miller's also on Twitter, usually talkin' hoops. Click here for more.