A busy Tuesday night

I must say that I'm the kind of guy that needs entertainment 24-7. Whether it be in the form of a game in person or on TV, a good television sitcom (What About Brian on ABC is totally underrated), or a sports podcast on my iPod. I've GOT to be stimulated constantly. I can't just sit and nap or relax, ever, for better or worse.

So in between listening to PTI on my iPod and doing some research on some of the players for the McDonald's All-American Game broadcast that we got on 1570 tomorrow night, I came across some things that may or may not be of interest to you.

(1) I'll be talking about this on the show tomorrow, but a little heads up... John Wooden sincerely thinks Ben Howland can flat coach. When all of your opinions on an underdog can be confirmed by THE BEST COLLEGE BASKETBALL COACH OF ALL TIME, it makes you sleep a little easier.

(2) Not to knock on dead people, but I think it's very interesting that Anna Nicole Smith's anus "is unremarkable" according to her autopsy report. I think that's their opinion.

(3) Ridiculously-good 1570 The Zone contributor Keith Conrad writes a very good blog post on his newly-revived blog. Definitely a good read. And for the record, Kent Taylor is one of the most fun Louisville sports media members to be around.

(4) Subscribe to The Big EZ Show podcast for free. Here's how. You can either just download it directly by clicking here, or you can go to iTunes, click on the "Advanced" menu, then click on "Subscribe to Podcast..." and then type in http://feeds.feedburner.com/bigezshow. Simple as that.

That's all for now. Louisville football coach Steve Kragthorpe will be on tomorrow, along with Yahoo! Sports National NFL Writer Charles Robinson to talk about what's up at the owner's meetings. And Greg Hammond from WTVQ in Lexington (and no, he didn't leak any false UK coach information) to talk about the most popular job vacancy EVER in Lexington. 10 AM to 1 PM tomorrow.

Final Four set... I've got three

Well, some great games over the Sweet 16 weekend. And some funny moments with my dad as well (check previous post).

How about Georgetown!?! Roy Hibbert is a friggin monster. He's one of my favorite players in the entire NCAA Tournament, if not my absolute favorite. Florida's Corey Brewer is right there as well.

In fact, Corey was my favorite, until he hit a free throw with two seconds left in the Oregon game that pushed the Gators past the spread. They covered the seven-point spread, and I lost some donuts. Brewer, you owe me. When you go to the NBA, I want your first paycheck.

I did feel bad for Roy Williams and the Tarheels. It's a helpless feeling when your team can't hits a drought like I've never seen before from a 1-seed in the tourney.

My final four were Florida, UCLA, Georgetown and Texas A&M. A&M should've been in there... damn you Acie Law.

However, after all my magnificent picks, I still trail in the Big EZ Bracket Battle, but not by much. Thanks to all of the 50+ participants, and good luck in the Final Four. Here's how it shakes out at the moment.

Group Standings
Rank Team Name Score Correct Best PS Best PC Champion
1 Rick Decker 276 50 346 53 Georgetown (145)
2 Scott Brooks 274 48 342 51 Florida (154)
3 James Glass (1) 269 48 321 50 UCLA (145)
4 Terry Cook 267 48 335 51 Ohio St. (122)
5 Big EZ         261 46 331 49 UCLA (133)
6 nathan gibson 257 47 326 50 Georgetown (136)
6 scott porter 257 47 325 50 Florida (145)
8 George Martin 254 44 322 47 Florida (133)
9 Jeffrey Stanley 252 47 322 50 Georgetown (134)
10 John McGarry (2)250 47 317 50 Florida (161)
10 Ryan Lykins 250 46 317 49 Florida ()

My NCAA Friday night on the couch

I have to tell you. I'm having such a fun night with my buddies on my couch at home in front of the 55" HD TV. Here are some random thoughts I had tonight while taking in good friends, good basketball and GREAT BEER!

• I hope you don't think of me or my 'gang' differently when I tell you that my 28-year-old buddy told me he was coming over after he took care of his "nine-month-old baby and 14-inch dick." I know, that's just plain wrong. That's just not good blog quality.
• My dad is also over here. We wager on the games. It's fun. Usually, we pick against each other (sometimes, he can be a moron when it comes to picking games). But tonight, we have the same parlay: Vandy +8 vs. Georgetown, Butler +10 vs. Florida, USC +8.5 vs. North Carolina, and Oregon -3.5 vs. UNLV. We'll see what happens.
• Dad is watching the Roy Williams "there was a dime on the counter" Coke commercial.
  
  And after Roy finishes his story, my pops blurts out "bullsh*t." Pretty funny.
• We all like the Cingular commercials. All of them. The "dropped call campaign" with the boy asking the girl if she "felt a connection", along with the "tennis ball in the kitchen."
• Georgetown beats Vandy on a Jeff Green shot with two seconds left. I think Green travelled. But I'm not telling, because I got Georgetown in the championship game.
• James Brown and Len Elmore are doing the Midwest Regional in St. Louis. And, to put it bluntly, they suck. I don't know if I'll ever get used to James Brown doing play-by-play of college basketball. Keep him on The NFL Today, and let's move on.
• If I had to rank my two favorite play-by-play men: 1. Jim Nantz, 2. Gus Johnson (huge love affair here, for reasons like the one below).
  
  
• We think it's cool that Thad Matta has a superstition that his little daughter must pick out dad's tiewear before every game, regardless of his ridiculous he may end up looking.
• Don't look now, but Billy Packer, for some reason, is growing on me. And I can't figure out why. Since the whole Duke-UNC catastrophe where he took up for Gerald Henderson--where Packer totally sounded like a nimrod in my opinion--he's been surprisingly good and interesting. Nice work Billy. At the moment, I like you, for the first time.
• Dad thinks there should be a "line cam." Where refs could replay an "out-of-bounds" call. OK Dad.
• You know, I really think I'm going to have to have my dad on for a segment. He's very opinoinated tonight. Right after I give Billy Packer a compliment, I hear Pops on the other side of the room yelling "ahhh shut up Billy."
• The two most annoying commercials remaining on television: 1. Obviously, the John Mellancamp "This Is Our Country" campaign, and 2. The Hampton Inn "I've Been Everywhere, Man" song. For the love of all that is March Madness, please!
• What a run by North Carolina in the second half. And, no Mr. Packer, USC aren't tired. They just lost it whenever Gibson picked up his fourth foul for USC. Great game... one of the best of the tournament, except for the fact that there wasn't some crazy finish.
  

First Tubby, now Morris

Well, not only is Tubby out at Kentucky and in at Minnesota, but now Morris has signed a contract to play for the New York Knicks.

Let the fireworks officially begin. UK fans, let the rejoicing continue.

Random thought: Isn't it interesting that when Bobby Knight got fired from Indiana, they promoted an assistant to head coach in Mike Davis. Could you imagine if that were the case at Kentucky?

Food for thought.

Alonzo Mourning on the show Thursday

Talking NBA and getting you set for the NCAA Sweet 16 action with Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning on Thursday on The Big EZ Show. Should be fun. Make sure to listen, 10-1.

Face EZ in the Big EZ Show Bracket Battle

Alright, who wants some?

http://bigezshow.mayhem.sportsline.com/e
password: nate

Make sure you have a CBS Sportsline username.

May all that pass through Bracketville be welcomed kindly and then thoroughly beaten down.

EZ MONEY: THURSDAY PICKS

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK - THURSDAY 3/8/07
Big Ten (1-2)
Minnesota +8.5 vs. Michigan (MICH, 49-40) ** LOSS **
Northwestern +11.5 vs. Michigan State (MSU, 62-57) ** WIN **
Illinois -11 vs. Penn State (ILL, 66-60) ** LOSS **

Big East (1-3)
Georgetown -4.5 vs. Villanova (G'TOWN, 62-57) ** WIN **
Syracuse +2 vs. Notre Dame (ND, 89-83) ** LOSS **
West Virginia +3.5 vs. Louisville (UL, 82-71) ** LOSS **
Marquette +5.5 vs. Pittsburgh (PITT, 89-79) ** LOSS **

ACC (3-1)
Florida State (pick 'em) vs. Clemson (FSU, 67-66) ** WIN **
Miami +13 vs. Maryland (MIA, 67-62) ** WIN **
Duke -9.5 vs. NC State (NC ST, 85-80) ** LOSS **
Wake Forest +10 vs. Georgia Tech (WF, 114-112) ** WIN **

Atlantic 10 (0-1)
Dayton +9.5 vs. Xavier (XAV, 72-51) ** LOSS **

MAC (1-0)
Eastern Michigan +9.5 vs. Toledo (TOL, 62-54) ** WIN **

Big 12 (0-1)
Oklahoma -7 vs. Iowa State (OKLA, 68-63) ** LOSS **

SEC (1-0)
Kentucky -6 vs. Alabama (UK, 79-67) ** WIN **

Conference USA (1-0)
Rice +5.5 vs. UCF (RICE, 53-51) ** WIN **

THURSDAY RECORD: 8-8 (.500)

CONFERENCE TOURNEY RECORD: 20-14 (.588)

EZ MONEY: WEDNESDAY PICKS

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK - WEDNESDAY 3/7/07
Big East (3-1)
Villanova -5 over DePaul (NOVA, 75-67) ** WIN **
Connecticut +3.5 over Syracuse (CUSE, 78-65) ** LOSS **
West Virginia -3 over Providence (WV, 92-79) ** WIN **
Marquette -7 over St. John’s (MARQ, 76-67) ** WIN **

ATLANTIC 10 (4-0)
Dayton -2 over Charlotte (DAY, 81-63) ** WIN **
Richmond +8 over Fordham (FORD, 63-61) ** WIN **
Duquesne +9.5 over St. Louis (STL, 78-77) ** WIN **
St. Joe -2.5 over Temple (STJ, 66-62) ** WIN **

MAC (2-2)
Eastern Michigan +2.5 over Ball State (EMU, 51-48) ** WIN **
Bowling Green +7.5 over Ohio (Ohio, 69-59) ** LOSS **
Central Michigan +2 over Buffalo (CMU, 80-74) ** WIN **
Western Michigan -6.5 over Northern Illinois (WMU, 67-62) ** LOSS **

CONFERENCE USA (2-2)
Rice +4 over UTEP (RICE, 77-74) ** WIN **
Southern Miss -4 over SMU (So Miss, 59-52) ** WIN **
UAB -4 over Marshall (MARS, 53-52) ** LOSS **
Eastern Carolina +11.5 over Tulsa (TUL, 65-50) ** LOSS **

PAC 10 (1-1)
Cal -5 over Oregon State (CAL, 71-50) ** WIN **
Arizona St. +6 over Washington (WASH, 59-51) ** LOSS **

WEDNESDAY RECORD: 12-6 (.667)

My Big East votes

I am a contributing voter for the Big East Basketball Blog online. It's a site that I look at regularly just as another avenue to keep tabs on Big East basketball, which I am a HUGE fan of.

We were asked to send in our ballots for the Big East postseason awards. I figured I would go ahead and post them on here.

I'll be honest, I struggled with Big East Player Of The Year. I was torn between a couple different suitors. Anyway, here you go. If you have any questions or inquiries, e-mail me at zach[@]espnlouisville.com.

EZ'S BALLOT
Big East Player of the Year:
Herbert Hill, Providence

All-Big East First Team:
Demetris Nichols, Syracuse
Roy Hibbert, Georgetown
Jeff Green, Georgetown
Aaron Gray, Pittsburgh
Dominic James, Marquette

All-Big East Second Team:
Curtis Sumpter, Villanova
Russell Carter, Notre Dame
Lamont Hamilton, St. John's
Frank Young, West Virginia
David Padgett, Louisville

All-Big East Third Team:
Colin Falls, Notre Dame
Jeff Adrien, Connecticut
Sammy Mejia, DePaul
Jerel McNeal, Marquette
David Padgett, Louisville

Freshmen of the Year:
Eugene Harvey, Seton Hall

All-Freshmen Big East First Team:
Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
Jerome Dyson, Connecticut
Edgar Sosa, Louisville
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut

All-Freshmen Big East Second Team:
Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati
Tory Jackson, Notre Dame
Paul Harris, Syracuse
Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia
Derrick Caracter, Louisville

Big East Coach of the Year:
John Thompson III, Georgetown

Now, here's how the official results went. Check out the contributing voters as well at http://bigeastbasketball.blogspot.com.


BIG EAST BASKETBALL BLOG POSTSEASON AWARDS
BIG EAST PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Jeff Green, Georgetown

All-Big East 1st Team:
Herbert Hill, Providence
Demetris Nichols, Syracuse
Roy Hibbert, Georgetown
Aaron Gray, Pittsburgh
Curtis Sumpter, Villanova

All-Big East 2nd Team:
Dominic James, Marquette
Russell Carter, Notre Dame
Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
Colin Falls, Notre Dame
Jerel McNeal, Marquette

All-Big East 3rd Team:
Frank Young, West Virginia
Kentrell Gransberry, South Florida
Jeff Adrien, Connecticut
Sammy Mejia, DePaul
Terence Williams, Louisville

All-Big East 4th Team:
Sharaud Curry, Providence
Lamont Hamilton, St. John's
Wilson Chandler, DePaul
Levance Fields, Pittsburgh
Brian Laing, Seton Hall

All-Big East Honorable Mention:
Eric Devendorf (SU), David Padgett (UL), Jonathan Wallace (GT), Geoff McDermott (PC)


BIG EAST FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:
Scottie Reynolds (Villanova)

All-Big East Freshman 1st Team:
Eugene Harvey (Seton Hall)
Jerome Dyson (Connecticut)
Luke Harangody (Notre Dame)
Edgar Sosa (Louisville)
De'Sean Butler (West Virginia)

All-Big East Freshman 2nd Team:
Paul Harris (Syracuse)
Deonta Vaughn (Cincinnati)
DaJuan Summers (Georgetown)
Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut)
Tory Jackson (Notre Dame)

All-Big East Freshman 3rd Team:
Derrick Caracter (Louisville)
Lazar Hayward (Marquette)
Chris Howard (South Florida)
Jerry Smith (Louisville)


BIG EAST COACH OF THE YEAR:
Mike Brey, Notre Dame

BIG EAST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Jerel McNeal, Marquette

MY CONFERENCE TOURNEY HOOPS PICKS

I didn't make many friends today in picking the winners of all of the conference tournament games. Here they are. Let's stick with the three teams that we cover, and their conferences.

BIG TEN CONFERENCE
ROUND 1 (Thursday, March 8)
# 8 Michigan vs. # 9 Minnesota MY PICK: MICHIGAN
# 7 Michigan State vs. # 10 Northwestern MY PICK: MICHIGAN STATE
# 6 Illinois over # 11 Penn State MY PICK: ILLINOIS

NOTE: Probably the most uninteresting first round of the Big Ten Tournament EVER

QUARTERFINALS (Friday, March 9)
# 1 Ohio State vs. # 8 Michigan MY PICK: OHIO STATE
# 4 Iowa vs. # 5 Purdue MY PICK: IOWA
# 2 Wisconsin vs. # 7 Michigan State MY PICK: MICHIGAN STATE
# 3 Indiana vs. # 6 Illinois MY PICK: ILLINOIS

NOTE: I know, I know... I can't help it. I don't like IU on the road (or the pseudo-road in Illinois against the Illini), at least not against a Big Ten foe. In the NCAA Tournament, against an opponent that may not know as much about Indiana, then let's talk.

SEMIFINALS (Saturday, March 10)
# 1 Ohio State vs. # 4 Iowa MY PICK: OHIO STATE
# 2 Wisconsin vs. # 6 Illinois MY PICK: ILLINOIS

NOTE: Another upset here. I like Bruce Weber, I really do. And that team has struggled at times, but I'm seeing some tournament magic.

CHAMPIONSHIP (Sunday, March 11)
# 1 Ohio State vs. # 6 Illinois MY PICK: OHIO STATE

NOTE: No upset here... Ohio State has an easy top half of the bracket, and whoever comes out of the bottom half to face them in the final will probably be wiped. I'd be VERY surprised if anyone other than the Buckeyes came away with the Big Ten Tourney Title.

===================

BIG EAST CONFERENCE
ROUND 1 (Wednesday, March 7)
# 8 DePaul vs. # 9 Villanova MY PICK: VILLANOVA
# 5 Syracuse vs. # 12 Connecticut MY PICK: CONNECTICUT
# 7 West Virginia vs. # 10 Providence MY PICK: WEST VIRGINIA
# 6 Marquette vs. # 11 St. John's MY PICK: MARQUETTE

NOTE: No real surprises here, except for UConn. I'd like to think that teams with better talent will find a way to pick up their play a notch, and we all know who has the better raw talent here.

QUARTERFINALS (Thursday, March 8)
# 9 Villanova vs. # 1 Georgetown MY PICK: GEORGETOWN
# 12 Connecticut vs. # 4 Notre Dame MY PICK: NOTRE DAME
# 7 West Virginia vs. # 2 Louisville MY PICK: WEST VIRGINIA
# 6 Marquette vs. # 3 Pittsburgh MY PICK: MARQUETTE

NOTE: Yeah, I know, U of L fans hate me. Listen, I really like the way Louisville is playing. I'll just say this... a team that heaves a lot of threes against a team who plays zone (albeit a good zone) defense with a backup man-to-man (not a great defense for U of L) has got me worried about that defensive team. If this game gets in the 70's, I don't like Louisville's chances. Under 70, I feel a little better.

SEMIFINALS (Friday, March 9)
# 1 Georgetown vs. # 4 Notre Dame MY PICK: GEORGETOWN
# 7 West Virginia vs. # 6 Marquette MY PICK: MARQUETTE

NOTE: The bottom half of the Big East bracket is completely up for grabs, but I like Marquette, who is a little better of a defensive matchup against West Virginia than Louisville is, even though Marquette has already had their trouble with West Virginia this season.

FINALS (Saturday, March 10)
# 1 Georgetown vs. # 6 Marquette MY PICK: GEORGETOWN

NOTE: Revenge for Georgetown.

=================

SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE
ROUND 1 (Thursday, March 8)
W5 Alabama vs. E4 Kentucky MY PICK: KENTUCKY
E6 South Carolina vs. W3 Arkansas MY PICK: ARKANSAS
E5 Georgia vs. W4 Auburn MY PICK: GEORGIA
W6 LSU vs. E3 Tennessee MY PICK: TENNESSEE

NOTE: Finally!!! I pick a local team to win a conference tournament game. The Kentucky players will win one for ORLANDO! After all, Ramel Bradley STILL calls this the "Wildcat Invitational." It'll be time for him to put up or shut up.

QUARTERFINALS (Friday, March 9)
E4 Kentucky vs. W1 Mississippi State MY PICK: KENTUCKY
W3 Arkansas vs. E2 Vanderbilt MY PICK: ARKANSAS
E5 Georgia vs. E1 Florida MY PICK: FLORIDA
E3 Tennessee vs. W2 Ole Miss MY PICK: TENNESSEE

NOTE: Of course, Kentucky fans wouldn't call a win over Mississippi State an upset. I wouldn't either, but remember, Mississippi State throttled 'Bama just last week. I like underdog Arkansas to upset Vanderbilt, a team who is obviously better, but I think they'll fold under the lights of a tournament situation, as we see most teams do when they become favorites in a tournament situation for the first time in a long time.

SEMIFINALS (Saturday, March 10)
E4 Kentucky vs. W3 Arkansas MY PICK: KENTUCKY
E1 Florida vs. E3 Tennessee MY PICK: FLORIDA

NOTE: UK in the tourney final... all will be well (momentarily) in Wildcat Nation. Florida gets revenge after UT bashed the Gators in Knoxville last week.

CHAMPIONSHIP (Sunday, March 11)
E4 Kentucky vs. E1 Florida MY PICK: FLORIDA

NOTE: The magic ends here for the Cats. Florida is just better, especially when the game isn't at Rupp. If this game were to go down, I see it going a lot like the game last Sunday in Gainesville. Close for awhile, high-scoring. But in the end, Florida takes control. It should be closer though.

NO DOUBT THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR!