South Dakota State clinched its second straight Summit League title by knocking off North Dakota State, 73-67, in the championship game on Tuesday night. Here are five things you probably didn’t know about the Jackrabbits: 1. They’ve only been Division I for six years. The Jackrabbits were a Division II team for years but joined the Summit League in 2007, and won the conference last season. 2. They’ve got a once-in-a-generation player. Senior guard Nate Wolters is a sight to behold, ranking
Long Island University at Brooklyn is heading back to the NCAA Tournament after capturing the Northeast Conference title for the third straight year. The Blackbirds dominated Mount St. Mary’s in a 91-70 win. Here are five things you probably didn’t know about LIU-Brooklyn: 1. The Blackbirds are the first team to win three straight Northeast Conference titles. LIU dominated the rest of the league en route to its first two titles but needed a late 15-3 push to win the NEC this
James Madison is partying like it’s 1994. The Dukes will be dancing for the first time since that year, after capturing the Colonial Athletic Association championship by throttling Northeastern on Monday night. 1. It was originally a women’s college. Established as The State Normal and Industrial School for Women, the school underwent four name changes before finally settling on James Madison University in 1975. (It had been Madison College since 1938). 2. They’re horrible on offense. At least statistically. The Dukes rank
Western Kentucky clinched a berth in the NCAAs last night by knocking off Richard Pitino and the Florida International Panthers. The Hilltoppers will be making their fourth NCAA appearance since 2008, when current Celtics guard Courtney Lee led them to the Sweet 16. Here are five things you probably didn’t know about the Hilltoppers: 1. They’ve been to the Final Four. Led by 6-11 All-American Jim McDaniels, WKU reached college basketball’s zenith in 1971. That team went 20-5 and lost to Villanova
Iona College punched its ticket to the Big Dance by defeating Manhattan College and winning the MAAC championship on Monday night. The Gaels are no stranger to the NCAA Tournament, as this will be their 10th appearance and third in the last six years. Iona hasn’t won a tournament game since 1980. Here are five things you probably didn’t know about the Gaels: 1.Their head coach is going to wear sweats in the NCAA Tournament. He’s not going all Bob Huggins on
Davidson punched its ticket to the Big Dance by handling the College of Charleston, 74-55, in the Southern Conference championship game on Monday night. The Wildcats have been a fixture in the NCAA Tournament in recent years, and will make their 12th appearance in the Big Dance this season. Anyone who cares about college hoops remembers that All-Star snub and Most Improved Player candidate Stephen Curry led Davidson to within one possession of the Final Four in 2008. Still, here are
For many casual college basketball fans, March is the month they “first” decide to check in on the madness. Everyone across the country is familiar with Indiana, Duke and even Gonzaga; but if you are going to fill out your bracket, bet the tournament games or watch with a knowledge of both teams participating, you have to get to know “the darlings.” [Read more…]
Liberty stunned the rest of the Big South by ripping through the conference tournament, knocking off the top three seeds and winning an unexpected title. The Flames were the fifth seed in the North, and the ninth-best team in the league. They didn’t just crash the Big Dance, they kidnapped the DJ, set the drapes on fire and drank all the jungle juice. With that said, here are five things you probably didn’t know about the school in Lynchburg, Virginia: [Read