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We just got done working on this for tomorrow's preview, and figured we'd go ahead an unveil it now:

TALE OF THE TAPE
Category	BU	UM
W-L	27-4	31-3
PPG (D)	55.1	66.2
FG pct.	.468	.452
FG pct. (D)	.384	.382
3 FG pct.	.395	.356
3 FG pct. (D)	.317	.306
FT pct.	.690	.682
RPG	32.2	41.8
R margin	+2.9	+7.2
APG	14.5	15.7
TOPG	14.7	15.7
Blocks PG	1.8	6.6
Steals PG	8.9	9.8
RPI	42	4
Grad. rate	100 pct.	25 pct.

You might ask why we posted it now. We did it because the last item on the list is graduation rates.

We found that one interesting because included in Memphis' postseason media guide is a copy of an article touting how Tigers' coach John Calipari has delivered on promises he made when he arrived in Memphis six years ago.

The column includes this passage:

"Go back and read what I said back then," (Calipari) said.

O.K. Coach.

"We're going to graduate players."

In fairness to Calipari, some of the non-graduates are guys who left early to make millions in the NBA. But a look at the study done on the academics of the schools in the NCAA Tournament by the University of Central Florida (pdf), Memphis hardly seems to be fulfilling that promise. Especially to its African American players.
Memphis is actually even with Bucknell in one category. Both schools graduated 100 percent of their white players. But while BU claims 100 percent for all players, Memphis graduates only 14 percent of its African American players.

Calipari claims that is changing. During Saturday's press conference, he said after May's graduation is held, 9 of his last 11 seniors ill have graduated.

Left unanswered is how many of his kids never make it to that senior year. The current roster includes four seniors, one of which has been suspended from the team and two others who are not listed as part of Calipari's top 8 in the rotation.

PREPPIES: You'd expect Memphis to graduate more players, given the number of prep school kids on the roster. Seven of the 15 players on the Tigers' roster went to prep school, including five who went to Laurinburg (N.C.) Prep. One of those is a sophomore, the other four played together last season there.

Since Bucknell-- the university as a hole, not the basketball team-- traditionally a very high percentage of prep school kids, we asked a number of Bucknell players if they knew anybody on their halls that attended Laurinburg. A couple knew of its basketball reputation, none knew anyone who went there.

We also called an admissions rep at a Patriot League school to ask about Laurinburg.

"I don't know that place at all," they said.

Calipari defended the school, saying it was not one of those basketball diploma mills and that it has been around over 100 years.

He appears to be right about the 100 years, and Laurinburg does not appear to be like those schools exposed by Pete Thamel's recent New York Times piece.

Among the differences between those schools and schools like Laurinburg, Oak Hill or other prep schools known for basketball seems to be that places like Laurinburg were not founded by AAU coaches as strictly basketball schools.

That does not make hoops any less important at Laurinburg. From the school's Web site:

The school is particularly noted for its rich basketball tradition, having produced several McDonald's High School All-Americans. Its most notable basketball alumni include Sam Jones NBA Hall of Famer with the Boston Celtics and Charlie Scott, an All-American at UNC and NBA All-Star.

DAY IN THE LIFE: Bucknell players are enjoying their time in Dallas, even if coach Pat Flannery won't let them on the ice skating rink at their hotel, the Westin City Center.

"Too mant people taking falls," said senior Holland Mack.

For starters, the hotel is closer to the arena than last year's Holiday Inn on the outskirts of Oklahoma City, a place Flannery referred to last year as the hotel where No. 14 seeds go.

"It's like five minutes from the gym, instead of like 40," said junior center Chris McNaughton.

A good portion of their time is being spent watching film to prepare for the games. They didn't start looking at Memphis Friday night, the coaches opting to give them some time off to enjoy the win over Arkansas. But they started watching film of Memphis at 10 this morning and expected to watch more when they get back to the hotel after a team dinner tonight.

That team dinner, if Darren Mastropaolo, Andrew Morrison, Tarik Viaer-McClymont, Jason Vegotsky and Mack, will be at Del Frisco's, a Dallas steak house that has caught their fancy.

In the little free time they have had for sightseeing, they also have visited the JFK museum and saw the infamous "grassy knoll."

But most of the time is being spent getting ready for Memphis.

"We don't want to have any regrets," said Mack.

FIRST TIMER: It's the first trip to the NCAA Tournament for freshman Jason Vegotsky. So far, it has lived up to the advance billing it got from the guys who were in Oklahoma City.

"It's awesome. I am just trying to take it all in," Vegotsky said.

While Vegotsky is making his first trip to the dance, he said the experience of Bucknell's tough schedule this season has him, and the rest of the team, well prepared.

"It really helped coming in having played against teams like Duke, Villanova and Syracuse. Playing Arkansas was not that big of a deal," said Vegotsky.

MORE ON FILM: While Bucknell has watched film of Memphis already, Memphis has not yet seen the Bison play.

"Right now we haven't had a chance to see them on tape yet," said Memphis sophomore Darius Washington, Jr.

"I've watched enough tape. We have not shown our players tape because I don't want to scare them. So we're not showing them tape yet," said Calipari.

With a young team and limited time to prepare, Calipari figures its best to focus on his own team's game, rather than confuse them trying to make them understand everything Bucknell runs.

"What we will do is, tonight, we'll show a little tape before we go on the practice floor, and we will show a little more tape. But I just want them worried about us. I don't want them seeing them making 32 passes, two backcuts, a ball screen, a fade, a backscreen fade, stagger back door layup to where their heads will be spinning. 'What was that?'

"We're going to watch tape, but we're not going to watch a whole lot of tape. I promise you that."

BRACKET CHALLENGE UPDATE: Got a cell phone call from the infamous Brother of Hoop Time, who won the Kansas postseason media guide for coming in last in last year's Hoop Time Bracket Challenge. He was upset the link on the right sidebar still goes to the entry page, which gives a message saying you can no longer enter.

Guess he figures we have had a lot of free time on our hands the last couple days and should have updated the link.

Here it is: Hoop Time Bracket Challenge Results. You will still need to enter the password: hooptime to view the results.

No rest for the weary in Dallas. After knocking off Arkansas in the first round Friday night, several members of the team were back in the arena to take in the nightcap between Penn and Texas.

That was there time for relaxation. The Bucknell Bison will spend much of today preparing for tomorrow's second round game against No. 1 seed Memphis.

The team's schedule today includes a closed practice at noon (central) in the American Airlines Center, followed by a press conference with the players at 1:35 and one with head coach Pat Flannery at 1:55.

We will update on the team's preparations and the press conferences following those sessions.

Game time Sunday, originally announced as 3:45 p.m., will be at 1:15 (central).

SUPERSTITIONS: In the Bison locker room following the game, sophomore guard John Griffin was seen wearing a wrinkly, definitely unironed, light purple oxford shirt. Not the kind of shirt usually worn with a warm-up suit, but Griffin had a reason.

"It's superstion. I've worn it for every road game this season," Griffin said.

He was not the only superstitious member of the Bison travel party. Todd Newcomb, director of the Bison Club, watched the entire game on a television monitor in the concourse of the American Airlines Center.

Newcomb, who was helping to man the desk were players' families picked up their comp tickets, said he was there when the Bison opened their early 8-2 lead and was afraid to move for fear of messing with the good karma.

Selected links:
You will find great coverage of Friday's game using the Bucknell and Arkansas links on the right sidebar. Here are a few additional stories, too.

Soooie? Phooey, says Bucknell Dallas Morning News

No Free Ride for Lee, Just the Ride of His Life NY Times

Check Out the Big Brains on Bucknell LA Times

Upset? Only Arkansas fans Dallas Morning News

It's all Bad Patriot-News

Lee provides more late heroics Patriot-News

Lee gets grades, not scholarship checks ESPN.com

# posted by Hoop Time : 10:16 AM  

It was Hog heaven in the stands, but Hog hell on the floor for the Arkansas Razorbacks, who never hit offensive stride against Bucknell's tough, physical defense.

There was barely an easy shot to be found for the Hawgs, who found Bucknell players in their face every time they touched the ball.

Ronnie Brewer, the Razorbacks' first-team All Southeastern Conference guard, was held to 14 points, well below his 18.5 ppg average, shooting just 3 for 9 from the field. Eric Ferguson, the SEC's sixth man of the year, suffered through a 2 for 7 game, not to mention the physical damage laid on him from a monster screen by Bucknell's Tarik Viaer-McClymont (more on that later).

As a team, the high scoring Hawgs shot 40.4 percent for the game, well below the 45.9 percent they shot all season, playing in what is considered to be one of the nation's top conferences. Their 55 points were almost 20 off their usual 74.3 percent pace.

"Our team did a great job," said Charles Lee, Bucknell's senior co-captain and the Patriot League's Player of the Year.

"It wasn't just me out there on Ronnie Brewer . . . It was a great team effort."

LEE AND KB FOR THREE: Looking for the offensive key to Bucknell's win. Start along the baseline, about 19-feet and 9-inches from the hoop. You'll find an arcing line painted on the floor that starts there. Follow it around the top of the key to a spot 19-feet, 9-inches away on the other side of the arc. The Bison won that game on that semicircle.

Bucknell shot a season-high 11 three-pointers, nine by seniors Charles Lee (4) and Kevin Bettencourt (5). The Bison went 11 for 21 at the arc, oustcoring Arkansas by 27 points there, negating the Razorbacks' 32-10 advantage in the paint.

"Three point is such a part of the game. Obviously we have some guys who can shoot the basketball around the horn. That is why it ended up being a little bit more on the perimeter. They were so strong physically on the inside. We took advantage of the situation, knocking them down," Bucknell coach Pat Flannery said.

That is not to say that Bucknell's big men were not plenty strong in their own ways. Almost every one of Bucknell's threes were the result of someone coming open off a screen, usually set by one of the Bison bigs.

"It was difficult getting around them. They were really big on cutting you off and screening hard," said Brewer, who was named to CollegeInsider.com's defensive all-American team.

"The big guys did a good job of screening for us and getting us open. It was a combination of us playing together with the screening of the big men, as well as people penetrating , having their heads up, and if the defense collapses, kicking it out," said Lee.

Without doubt, the biggest of those big screens came at the 8:35 mark of the second half from little used Bucknell senior Tarik Viaer-McClymont, who had just checked into the game after Donald Brown had picked up his fourth personal.

With Arkansas' Eric Ferguson in dogged pursuit of Bettencourt as Bettencourt made a run along the baseline, Viaer-McClymont stepped out to set a pick that flattened Ferguson like a blindsided quarterback, crumpling the Razorbacks' senior to the floor, where he laid for several minutes before getting up and limping off the floor.

"Tarik is a big physical guy," said Bettencourt, who drained the three to give the Bison a 46-38 lead. "he came right off the bench and laid that guy out."

SULTAN OF SWATS: Arkansas shotblocker Steven Hill was everything he was advertised, blocking four Bucknell shots in the first five minutes of the game to take control of the paint for the Razorbacks.

Hill didn't get another block the rest of the way, but he set the tone early in a game that saw Bucknell score only 10 points in the paint.

With Hill getting plenty of help from the rest of his team, Arkansas held Bucknell's 6-10 junior center from Germany, the Patriot League field goal percentage leader, to 2 for 6 shooting from the field and only 6 points, ending a streak of five straight double figures games.

McNaughton failed to reach double figures in only five other of the Bison's first 30 games. He also saw a streak of seven straight postseason double figures efforts end.

"They were playing two and a half people on (McNaughton) everywhere he went. They were even coming from the weak side of the lane to play him," said Flannery.

Flannery said the Bison were aware of Hill's reputation from the outset, and had gameplanned to account for his presence.

"We could drive the basketball, but instead of finishing inside, we wanted to kick it," Flannery said.

While Flannery was impressed by Hill's shotblocking ability, he was not as impressed with the officials who he thought missed a goaltending call on Hill's first rejection.

"The first one he swatted was in the cylinder, so I was really worried we were going to play European rules. McNaughton said that would be fun, but the rest of them didn't like it," Flannery said.

IN THE CLUTCH: How important was Bucknell's experience in tight games at the end of this one?

Very important, according to Flannery and Lee.

"It does wonders for you to be prepared for that," Lee said. "We know where we want to get the ball."

It was Bucknell's sixth win in seven games this season decided by 5 points or less, continuing what has been a trend since Bettencourt and Lee were freshmen.

"When we got to the two minute mark, the kids -- this senior class, we have probably had 8, 9, 10 overtime games and we've lost two of them, One to American when they were freshmen and to Northern Iowa. It's a group that has confidence when we get into that spot," Flannery said.

"It comes down to wills and the kids just don't quit."

REDEMPTION SONG: It would be tough to remember a game where Bucknell's Donald Brown struggled the way he did much of this one, especially on offense. Brown, who has been a spark off the bench at both ends of the floor all season, suffered through his worst offensive night of the season, going 0 for 6 from the field. Brown finished with 1 points, making one of two free throws he tried.

Brown has scored fewer points, taking a collar in three previous games. But in those three games, the 6-6 junior took a total of 5 shots.

But Brown helped the Bison in other ways, coming up with five rebounds, including a huge offensive board after Lee missed the front end of a one-and-one with 30 seconds to go. Brown also had a pair of assists, the biggest coming on Lee's layup that put the Bison back on top after Arkansas pulled even at 55-55 with 1:15 left to play.

"(Donald Brown) had some great plays down the stretch ... he really came through," Flannery said.

HEAR IT HERE: Postgame press conference audio, courtesy of Basketball U and the Daily Pennsylvanian:

Bucknell press conference

Arkansas press conference

THIS AND THAT: The Bucknell win ended a 19-game Dallas win streak for Arkansas, which had not lost in the Big D since 1998 . . . It's the second time in a row the Bison have won in the first round of the tournament, and it was Arkansas' third straight first round loss, a school record ... Arkansas' 55 points were a season low, three below their previous low of 58 against LSU . . . The Razorbacks' 2 for 12 three-point performance was their worst of the season . . . The win gives Bucknell a school record 27 victories for the season . . . Bucknell is now 20-1 in games in which they lead at the half . . . The Bison had only six two-point baskets all afternoon, just two in the second half.

# posted by Hoop Time : 5:20 PM  

Two years ago, Abe Badmus might have been the last guy Bucknell wanted on the foul line with the game on the line. Of course two years ago, the thought that Badmus would be in that situation in a first round NCAA Tournament game also seemed far-fethced at best.

But that was who was on the line, and that was exactly the situation he was in when Badmus calmly stepped up and knocked down a pair of foul shots with 7 seconds left to seal the Bison's 59-55 win over Arkansas to advance to the second round of the tournament for the second year in a row.

The two free throws were the only shots Badmus took all afternoon. And they came after the team's two best foul shooters, Charles Lee and Kevin Bettencourt had both missed with a chance to make it a two possession game with the Bison clinging to a "slim 57-55 lead and 30 seconds to go.

To call it a clutch situation would be an understatement. Another miss would have given Arkansas a chance to send it to overtime with a three-pointer. Miss both of the two free throws, as Bettencourt had just done 20 seconds earlier, and a three would have won it for Arkansas, a two would have forced the tired Bison, who had two players with four personal fouls, to an extra five minute session.

Not to worry. Badmus, who set the situation up by coming up with a huge steal on the defensive end, calmly stepped to the stripe, took a deep breath, and hit nothing but twine on both shots.

Not bad for a guy who was just a 57.9 percent free throw shooter two seasons ago as a freshman.

"Going to the free throw line, all that really went through my head was trusting my muscle memory," said Badmus. "I have shot free throws all year, as has everyone on this team and every Division I player in the country. We all practice, Inside, outside, out of practice, in practice. It just came down to doing what I had to do, trusting my muscle memory and shooting the ball with confidence."

That confidence is the byproduct of hard work. Part of Badmus' improvement at the foul line came from a minor adjustment the coaches made to his stroke

Lots of it. When coaches talk about throwing a kid out of the gym, it usually means in response to screwing up in practice. In Badmus' case, Bucknell coach Pat Flannery throws him out to keep the Bison point guard from wearing himself out from working too hard.

"The credit has to go to him for the hard work," Flannery said. "He wears out our pitchback machine. He just wears it out. That is the only way you get better."

It wasn't always that way for Badmus.

"Coach puts everybody on the lane, puts me at the free throw line and makes me knock down a few. If I don't, we all run. I felt bad for my teammates last year because they ran a lot," Badmus said.

"This year, everybody trusts me now. It's something you have to keep working at and eventually it will come to you."

Badmus didn't put the ball up once the first 39:43 of the game.

"I was looking for my shot early on, but every time I got in the lane I just saw trees all around me. I really couldn't get it up, I had to dish it off," Badmus said.

Those dishes were often to wide open shooters on the perimeter, usually Lee and Bettencourt. Most of the time, the two Bison seniors made Badmus' passes pay off. Bettencourt was 5 for 10 from three-point range, finishing with 18 points.

Lee had an even bigger day. Going 7 for 12 from the field, 4 for 7 from the arc. As a team, Bucknell shot 11 of 21 from three-point range.

"We were just feeling it today. The bigs did a great job screening for us to get open," said Lee.

"They got a lot of big time shots. There wasn't much we could really do," Modica said.

Lee, the Patriot League Player of the Year scored nine of the Bison's first 11 points, helping to stake Bucknell to an early lead that it rode almost the entire game.

After Arkansas' Jonathon Modica, who led the Razorbacks with 19 points, scored the game's first bucket, the Bison went on an 8-0 run, 6 of the 8 coming from Lee. Bucknell led all but 44 seconds the rest of the game.

Time after time, when Arkansas would cut Bucknell's lead to a single point, the Bison defense would hold the Razorbacks scoreless until the offense could stretch the lead again. And while Bucknell's offense was hardly stellar -- they shot just 38.6 percent from the field -- every time the Bison needed a big bucket, they found it.

With 3:30 to go in the first half, Arkansas went on top 21-20 when Ronnie Brewer lost the handle trying to drive the right side of the lane, only to have the loose ball roll right to Darian Townes, who was alone under the basket after his defender went to help on brewer.

Townes' dunk gave the predominately red-clad crowd new life, but it lasted only 30 seconds, or as long as it took for Badmus to dish off a baseline drive to Chris McNaughton, who drained a 12-foot jumper in the paint to give the Bison back the lead.

Bucknell led 27-23 at the intermission, and stretched it to as many as 9 points in the second half before Arkansas battled back to tie the game at 55-55 on a pair of free throws by Modica with 1:15 to play.

At that point, Arkansas' press, which Bucknell had handled most of the game, seemed to be getting to the Bison. Matter of fact, the Hawgs nearly created a huge turnover on Bucknell's ensuring possession, when Donald Brown, with Brewer and Eric Ferguson collapsing on him for a backcourt trap, found Lee all alone under the basket for a layup with 1:01 to play that gave Bucknell the lead for good. Lee finished with 24 points to lead all scorers.

In the media room after the game, a frame by frame view of the sequence showed that Brown's pass came dangerously close to the 10-second limit teams have to cross midcourt. An isolated camera on the shot clock made it appear to come just after 10 seconds expired, but that clock is not the authoriative abriter of 10 second violations, an official making a mental count is.

The score stayed 57-55 for the next 54 seconds, with Bucknell coming up with stops on two Arkansas possesions, but unable to expand the lead when Lee, who was 6 for 7 at the foul line, missed the front end of a one and one and Bettencourt missed two after Brown tipped the rebound of Lee's miss to the backcourt, where Badmus chased it down to retain possession.

The Razorbacks got two chances to tie it on their next possession, with Vincent Hunter coming up with an offensive rebound after Brewer missed a jumper from the left side. But Badmus stole the ball from Hunter, was fouled, and that was all she wrote.

The No. 9 Bison will face top-seeded Memphis in Sunday's second round. The Tigers advanced by beating No. 16 Oral Roberts 94-78. Game time for that matchup will be determined later this evening.

Box score

# posted by Hoop Time : 4:05 PM  

BUCKNELL 27, ARKANSA 23

Bison surrendered the first bucket of teh game, then used an 8-0 run to take a lead they held most of the half. Arkansas tied it once and led briefly, 21-20 on a fluke basket. But the Bison answered their next trip down the floor to retake the lead with a Chris McNaughton jumper from about 12 feet in the paint.

The pace is decidedly in Bucknell's favor, and Arkansas' attempts to press the Bison have gone unrewarded. Bucknell has had no trouble breaking it and getting the ball upcourt.

Bucknell's early lead has largely silenced teh sizable Arkansas fan contingent. They were briefly loud when the Hags tied the game at 17 on a pair of Ronnie Brewer free throws, and again when Darian Townes picked up a loose ball that rolled to his feet in the pain and jammed it home for the Razorbacks' only lead outside of the first two minutes.

First half notes and observations:

Arkansas' mascot, Big Red, is the skinniest hog since Pooh's friend piglet. Make an effort -- there is more to a mascot that a basketball uniform and a headpiece.

Bucknell got called for a shot clock violation around the 11:31 mark that had Pat Flannery up and questioning the call. The ball had hit the rim during the BU possession, but apparently the officials ruled it was off a deflected pass, not a shot, thus no reset.

Arkansas seven-footer Steven Hill has been the shot-blocker he was made out to be. Hill had four rejections in the half. He has also stayed out of foul trouble -- he has just one. That came on a dumb play at the top of the three-poinjt arc, when he got caught in a quickness mismatch on Bucknell point guard Abe Badmus.

Hill's only bucket of the half also on a mismatch. The Razorbacks caught 6-2 Jason Vegotsky trying to guard him down low in the Bison's matchup and threw an alley-oop over Vegotsky for an easy drop-in.

Donald Brown has been in an offensive funk in the first half, 0-3 from the field and two turnovers.

Charles Lee 4 for 6 from the field for Bucknell, 2-3 from the arc.

HALFTIME STATS:

Bucknell shooting 9-24, 37.5 percent -- 5 for 9 at the arc
Arkansas is 9-25, 1-7

Turnovers: Bucknell 9, Arkansas 8
Rebounds: Bucknell 16, Arkansas 14
Three guys with 6 each for Arkansas -- Modica, Brewer and Townes
For Bucknell -- Lee with 12, Bettencourt 6, McNaughton 1-5, 4 points

Points in the paint: Bucknell 6, Arkansas 16
points off turnovers: Bucknell 10, Arkansas 2
2 ties, three lead changes

Largest lead: Bucknell by 6 at 16:48

# posted by Hoop Time : 12:17 PM  

Note: We will keep adding pregame notes to this post as the morning goes on, so check back often.

TICKET FRENZY: Tickets for today's games can be had, but bring your wallet. And make sure you have cash. Ticket brokers apparently don't take American Express, or any other credit cards.

That according to the scene at the concierge desk at the Renaissance Hotel this morning, where the concierge on duty reported tickets were going at steep prices. A guy in line just ahead of us when we stopped for a local paper was shelling out around $250 per seat, per session, for four in the lower bowl of the American Airlines Center.

LUCKY DAY?: Just a thought -- would you bet against an Irish lad named Patrick on March 17?

SOUNDBITES: Our friends over at Basketball U. have uploaded yesterday's Bucknell press conferences in mp3 format. To listen, point your browser to:

Charles Lee, Kevin Bettencourt, Chris McNaughton press conference

Pat Flannery press conference

ORANGE REPRESENTS: A healthy number of orange clad Bucknell fans in the building, but they will be far out-numbered by Arkansas red shirts.

A very unscientific survey during a quick lap around the plaza level concourse showed about 10 red shirts for every orange. That margin gets wider when you subtract the Texas fans who have come out for the first of today's two sessions.

WEARING OF THE ORANGE: Since last year's NCAA Tournament, Bucknell has not worn the orange uniforms often, opting for the traditional blues on the road most of the season.

But it looks as if the orange unis have been pulled out for this one.

Another win and the orange might become the subject of folklore, like Notre Dame's green football jerseys.

MUSICAL INTERLUDES: No stories this year about rented pep bands to add to Bucknell's underdog image. The Bison pep band is here in full force -- about 25 musicians.

In other spirit news, Bucky Bison will be played by marketing and promotions intern Ryan Burd, the guy usually seen running the timeout contests in Sjoka Pavilion and throwing T-shirts and other trinkets to the fans.

Burd reports Bucky's jersey has been repaired, so the long tear in the back needed to fit it over the top of the costume will not be as obvious.

Bison cheerleaders also on hand. Some schools split their allotted spirit squad numbers between dance teams and cheerleaders, but Bucknell has sent cheerleaders only. That, by the way, is a smart move.

# posted by Hoop Time : 10:18 AM  

Scoreboards
ESPN | CBS Sportsline | Yahoo!

No. 9 Bucknell vs. No. 8 Arkansas (American Airlines Center, Dallas, Tx., 12:30 eastern, CBS):There has been a lot of talk about a clash of styles between Bucknell and Arkansas. For good reason.

TALE OF THE TAPE
Category	BU	Aub
PPG(O)	66.6	74.3
PPG (D)	55.3	65.1
FG pct.	.471	.459
FG pct. (D)	.389	.417
3 FG pct.	.389	.340
3 FG pct. (D)	.318	.374
FT pct.	.687	.694
RPG	32.3	35.0
R margin	+3.0	+0.1
APG	14.6	15.5
TOPG	14.7	13.4
Blocks PG	1.8	6.1
Steals PG	8.8	8.5
RPI	42	45
Grad. rate	100 pct.	<20 pct.

These two teams really only have two things in common: both are pretty good and both are in Dallas for the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Bucknell is the small, eastern academic school. Arkansas the power conference team from the south. It's abasketball version of Wall Street vs. Wal-Mart.

The Bison are control freaks. They like an orderly pace and conservative style, running through their halfcourt patterns on offense and sitting down in their tenacious match-up zone on defense, forcing the other team to out-execute them -- something few have been able to accomplish.

Arkansas has an illustration of a running Razorback hog on its jerseys, reminiscent in some ways of the old dribbling buffalo from Bucknell's Charlie Woollum Breakin' Bison era. They have the athletes and they like to turn them loose. They are at their best when the game is played at a breakneck pace, as evidenced by their 7-0 record in games where they score 80 or more points.

Bucknell is very athletic by Patriot League standards, but hardly a match for Arkansas on those terms. The Razorbacks are bigger, stronger, faster and better leapers. They will try to see to it that the game is played in a style that allows them to take advantage of that.

The Bison will counter by trying to negate that edge by playing smarter, looking to confuse the Hawgs' offense while wearing the Arkansas defense down mentally by relentlessly running their patterns until the Razorbacks make a mistake that they can capitalize upon -- leaving Chris McNaughton open in the post or one of the shooters alone on the wings.

To some, it might sound like a mismatch. To those who have watched Bucknell over the past two seasons, it looks quite different.

At the preseason media day gathering of Patriot League coaches, Ralph Willard talked about how he expected Bucknell to have a good chance of beating Kansas in last year's first round. The Holy Cross coach explained his reasoning. Bucknell's defense would keep them in the game, he said. If they could hit a few shots, they could win.

That same reasoning could well apply here. Arkansas is good. Maybe even very good. But the Razorbacks are not great. Certainly they would not be viewed as a better team than last season's Kansas five, which entered the tournament with a No. 3 seed. A lot of folks forget how good the Jayhawks' season was, choosing to remember only their quick exit from the dance.

This might be a good place to mention that Bucknell will start the same five guys who started that game, while Arkansas has nobody on the roster that has ever been to the dance.

The Razorbacks certainly are not the best team the Bison have faced this season. That honor would go to Duke or Villanova. Duke was the only team to actually blowout the Bison. Not that Bucknell would have won that game under better circumstances, but the lopsided nature of that one had a lot to do with the Bison's cross country travels and lack of preparation time,

Villanova blitzed the Bison early, but after the first 10 minutes Bucknell certainly held their own with the Wildcats.

Bucknell has shown over the past two seasons that it can play with the big boys -- maybe not the Top 5 types like the Blue Devils or Nova -- but certainly with most other major conference types. As Lafayette coach Fran O'Hanlon pointed out earlier this season, there is a huge drop-off after the Top 5, maybe even after the top 3.

Expect Arkansas to try to pressure the Bison, looking to create turnovers for easy buckets and to get the pace of the game up to a speed more its liking. If the Bison prove they can handle that pressure, they have a very good chance of advancing to Sunday's round of 32.

That will be the key to this one. Arkansas is long and athletic, and coach Stan Heath has certainly spent considerable time watching tapes of the Duke game, when the Blue Devils harassed Bucknell into 20 turnovers by trapping in the backcourt.

If Arkansas can have the same success, it could be a long afternoon for the Bison. On the other hand, if Bucknell has figured out how to handle that sort of press, they well could make their second straight appearance in the second round.

The Bison have worked hard on handling the press ever since that loss. How much they have learned remains to be seen. Nobody in the Patriot League has had the athleticism to press the Bison with any success. The few who have tried have all called it off quickly.

But those were quizzes. Today is an exam.
Bucknell notes | Arkansas notes | USA Today matchup | Bucknell Radio

Before we wrap up a busy day in Dallas, a not on tomorrow's coverage.

We will start the day off with our usual preview look at the game, and will add any additonal pregame updates as warranted.

Due to NCAA regulations, which prohibited live accounts of tournament games on the Internet, we will not be able to post a live Gameblog. We will try to update at halftime, though, then will have a full report -- game story and notes-- following the game.

BATTLE OF THE BIG MEN: Arkansas coach Stan Heath knows his team will face a quality bug man in Bucknell's Chris McNaughton.

McNaughton, a 6-11 junior from Germany, has proven he can score against some of the best big men in the nation. Matter of fact, his showing playing for Team germany in last summer's World University Games proved he can score against some of the best in the world.

"(McNaughton) is a handful. He played very well in most of their big games," said Heath.

Nobody has been able to stop McNaughton playing him one on one all season, but it sounds as if Arkansas might try. Sophomore seven-footer Steven Hill averaged 2.81 blocks per game this season, second in the SEC. His total of 87 rejections give him 34 more individually than the Bison had as a team.

"I know McNaughton is going to be a handful to stop, but he is going to face a kid that relishes defense, relishes shot blocking, relishes shutting somebody down," said Heath. "If (McNaughton) does well, it is going to be because he earned it."

"I feel in some ways I've got one of the best defensive centers in the country on my team in Steven Hill. I'm hopeful he doesn't get in any kind of foul trouble."

There is part of the catch. Hill has fouled out five times this season and had four personals three other times. He has averaged only a little over 22 minutes per game.

That is not only because of foul trouble.

"We have tremendous size," said Heath, who has three other guys 6-8 or bigger in his rotation and a 6-9 freshman, Cyrus McGowan, who has seen limited minutes in 23 games, but has progressed to the point where Heath said he is not afraid to use him if he has to against the Bison.

"If there is one place on our team we have great depth, it is the frontcourt.," Heath said.

As high as Heath is on Hill, trying to stop McNaughton with one guy is a crap shoot at best. Villanove tried it and MCNaughton poured in 29 points. Against Duke, with Sheldon Williams and Josh McRoberts in the frontcourt, McNaughton scored 15. The big German also had 15 against Syracuse. Last season he scored 17 in the win at Pittsburgh and put up 21 on Saint Joe's Dwayne Jones, who was considered an NBA prospect. He also had 14 in the NCAA Tournament win over Kansas and 23 in the Bison's second round loss to Wisconsin.

HAWGS DO DALLAS: In an earlier post we wrote about Arkansas' traditional big following when the team plays in Dallas. Stan Heath even said the Dallas area has the highest concentration of Arkansas grads in the country.

Those loyal Razorback fans have seldom been disappointed by their team's showing in the Big D. Arkansas has won 19 straight games in Dallas, including one earlier this season against Bobby Knight's Texas Tech team in this same building.

The Hawgs' last lost in Dallas was in the 1988 Southwest Conference Tournament.

KEEPING IT CLOSE: Both teams have had plenty of close games this season. Arkansas has had 13 games decided by five points or less, going 6-7 in those games. Arkansas' six losses in the Southeastern Conference came by a total of 16 points.

The Bison have played seven games decided by five or less, going 6-1 in those. The lone loss was the double-overtime setback in the BracketBusters game at Northern Iowa.

DEFENSE THE KEY: We have already written about how important defense is to Bucknell. Here is another reason it will be a key in Friday's game. Arkansas is 5-4 in games in which it scored less than 70 points. The Razorbacks were 17-5 in games they scored more than 70.

When the Hawgs shoot below 40 percent from the field, they are 3-2. They are 11-7 in games they shoot between 40 and 49 percent; 8-0 when they make more than half their shots.

Bucknell has held six opponents under 30 percent shooting and 19 of 30 under 40 percent. In their last 63 games, going back to the start of last season, only five teams have scored more than 70 points on the Bison: Duke, Villanova (twice), Santa Clara and Wisconsin and Niagara last season.

SCOUTING THE RAZORBACKS: Although much has been made of Arkansas' 6-1 record since inserting senior guard into the starting lineup prior to the Feb. 18 win over Florida, writers who cover he Razorbacks say you can expect Ronnie brewer to spend a lot of time running the point.

"If that match-up zone confuses people as much as they say it does, Ferguson would stand out there dribbling the ball until he pounded a hole in the floor," said one writer.

Brewer, a 6-7 junior All-America candidate, is more at home on the wing, but will likely bring the ball up the floor much of the time out of necessity. Arkansas apparently lacks a true point guard.

SCOUTING THE RAZORBACKS, PART II: After having some time to look at Arkansas on film, here's an assessment from some of the Bucknell players.

First, Charles Lee's take on the Arkansas backcourt: "They are a very good team, a very athletic team. They are very quick. They fly all over the place. Defensively we expect them to pressure us, something they do a great job of in the SEC.

"Guard wise, Modica, Ferguson and Brewer out on the perimeter is going to be tough. They really penetrate real well. They get it going from three, then you have to go out there and respect them out there as well. They are going to get in there, they are going to penetrate, then they are going to dish off to the big men, so it is going to be really important to limit their penetration, to be there on the catch , make them really earn everything they get."

Bison center Chris McNaughton also sized up the Arkansas big men: "What I have seen from the big guy, he is definitely a great force inside. He's a big guy, a shotblocker. People alter their shots and stuff. We have gotten ready for that. We definitely have to be strong inside, finishing hard. Thomas and Townes are two other big kids who are very athletic. They have some good moves inside. They can shoot a little bit and Thomas can take you off the dribble."

But despite the impression Arkansas has made on film, McNaughton said the Bison are not intimidated.

"They didn't invent basketball new or anything like that. We've seen stuff like that all year," he said.

TROUBLE BREWING:Brewer truly is a special talent. The son of Ronnie Brewer Sr., one of the "triplets" that led the Hawgs to a Final Four berth in 1978, where they finished third in the nation (they played a consolation game back then), leads the Southeastern Conference in scoring, averaging 18.5 points per game.

Most season honors get handed out after the season ends, but already Brewer has earned first team All_SEC recognition, as well as being named to CollegeInsider.com's Defensive All-America team.

Brewer has also earned first team NABC All-District 9 and first team USBWA All_District VII honors, putting him in the running for both organizations All-America teams. Brewer is also a finalist for the Wooden Award, presented to the college player of the year.

He is not the only CollegeInsider.com Defensive All-American the Bison will face this season. Also named to that squad were Randy Foye of Villanova and Duke's Shelden Williams.

Brewer has scored 15 points or more in 25 of Arkansas' 31 games and has 76 career double figures games.

"It is going to be a great challenge," said Bucknell co-captain Kevin Bettencourt. "He is an NBA prospect. He is big and athletic, he can do so many things. He is a special player."

MORE ON THE HAWGS: This is Arkansas first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001, when they lost in the first round to Georgetown . . . This is the Razorbacks 28th tournament bid, tied for ninth-most in the nation . . . The team has actually only played in 27 tournaments, having been forced to pull out of the field in 1944 because of an auto accident . . . Ferguson, Brewer and Modica all all 1,000 point career scorers . . . In addition to Brewer's first team All-SEC honors, Modica was named to the all-league second team and Frerguson, who spent most of the season coming off the bench, was named the SEC's top sixth man . . . The Razorbacks have two wins over Top 10 teams, having beat Florida at home and Tennessee on the road.

HELP IS ON THE WAY: The Bison coaching staff has been down a man since arriving in Dallas yesterday.

Assistant Bryan Goodman did not make the trip on the team's charter, staying behind with his wife Amy following the deathMonday night of one of the couple's quadruplets.

But according to BU assistant Nathan Davis, Goodman is en route to Dallas via a commercial flight to be here with the team for Friday's game.

NOTE: We are also covering North Carolina State this weekend for Wolfpacker Magazine. We will have at least one more update on Bucknell and Arkansas after we get done covering the NC State press conference.

NOTE: With our conncetivity limited to dialup thanks to the NCAA's exorbitant $30 per day charge for wireless, we will concentrate on original content and coverage from Dallas. While we will not be surfing the Web to find all the links we do during the regular season, we have added links to the media covering Bucknell and Arkansas to the right sidebar. We will update those links as needed to make sure Patriot League fans can easily find coverage from other sources to compliment Hoop Time's reporting.

An early theme here in Dallas is the possibility of a home court edge for Arkansas, which traditionally has drawn a lot of fans when they play in Dallas, dating back to the schools days in the old Southwest Conference, which annually held its postseason tournament in the Big D.

In those days, over 50 percent of the crowd would be decked out in red and calling the Hawgs.

Arkansas coach Stan Heath downplayed how much of a crowd advantage his team might have against Bucknell, pointing out all schools got the same ticket allowance and that most of the arena was sold out long before the pairings here were announced.

But fans willing to pay ticket broker prices can always find tickets, as Bucknell can remember from the number of Kansas supporters in Oklahoma City last year, which, like Dallas is for the Arkansas fans, was within driving distance. Many members of the Arkansas media contingent are expecting RV caravans to descend to paint Dallas red and cheer on their team.

"The state of Arkansas, they are in love with the Razorbacks," said AU senior Jonathon Modica during Thursday morning's press conference. "We've made their whole year."

"They are going to come out in numbers, all in red, calling the Hawgs," junior guard Ronnie Brewer added.

But Bucknell senior co-captain Kevin Bettencourt said the Bison are not worried about Arkansas having any homecourt edge.

"I know Dallas is not too far and I know they travel well. We have been on the road many times," Bettencourt said. "We have only played like 11 home games this year in a 27 game schedule, so we have been in a lot of different hostile environments.

" We have been to Duke. We have been to Syracuse. We have played in front of some places So if it is like a road game with all the fans Arkansas brings, we'll be ready to challenge it."

Ultimately, Bettencourt said, its is the players between the lines, not the fans in the bleachers, who will determine the outcome.

"It's the same game no matter where you are or who is in the stands. We'll be ready to handle it," Bettencourt said.

FAMILY MATTERS: Bettencourt's brother Ted, who played at Holy Cross, faced Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament in 1993, a first round game won by the Razorbacks 94-64.

With that history, Bettencourt said he knew all about the Razorbacks' tradition when he saw the match-up flash on the screen during Sunday's selection show.

"When I saw Arkansas (as BU's first round opponent) the first thing I thought about was that my brother played Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament back in 1993, that was my first reaction," Bettencourt said. "I know all the history of this Arkansas program, so I was real excited about that match-up."

Bettencourt said he is not worrying about settling any scores for the family.

"(Ted) didn't ask for any revenge. He just said to go out and do your best. He is not going to give me any added pressure, he knows how difficult this game is. He just told me, like we have all told each other, to just go out and enjoy the moment. The NCAA doesn't happen every day, so just enjoy it."

"But," added Bettencourt, "I am sure he would like it if we could get some revenge for him."

GETTING DEFENSIVE: A big topic of discussion during both the Bucknell and Arkansas press conferences was the Bison's defense in general, their matchup zone in particular.

Arkansas coach Stan Heath said he was impressed with what he has seen on film. He also is impressed by the Bison's national rankings in the top five for both scoring defense and field goal percentage defense.

Heath said a lot of times a team will have an impressive scoring defense number as a result of a slow, patient offense that limits possessions. But Bucknell's ranking in field goal percentage defense shows the scoring defense numbers are because of the way the Bison play D.

"Their defense probably doesn't get the credit it deserves," Heath said. "They are the only team in the country in the top five in both of those areas. That is special."

Responding to repeated questions from Arkansas media types, the Bison players and coach Pat Flannery explained what makes the BU defense so tough.

"The key to our defense is really being on the same page. We have a lot of guys who have been together a long time. We have learned each others strengths and weaknesses on both ends of the floor, especially on the defensive end. We realize who is going to need help in certain spots and we do a great job of helping each other out," said Bison senior co-captain Charles Lee.

"We might have some weaknesses here or there, but we get over that by playing great team defense. That is what makes our team," added junior center Chris McNaughton.

Flannery was quick to point out that his match-up is not some recent novelty that turned Bucknell into the winning team it has been the past two seasons.

"It's something that didn't come off the moon or out of left field. We have played it for a long time, at every place that I have been. It is something that has evolved over time. I've been in this business 25 years. We've played with it. We've tweaked it," Flannery said.

It also helps to have the right guys playing it.

"Don't get misconstrued, I've got some pretty good players that can keep you in front of them," said Flannery.

"The kids have been together for a while. They know each other and know where to cover for each other and where to react. As a result, when you are more confident, you are better at it. These kids believe in it and they play hard."

Added Lee: ""We have also gotten lucky and some teams have not shot the ball well. Maybe that is because we are always contesting shots."

Brewer said the Razorbacks plan is to get out on the break, beating the Bison down the floor when they get the ball.

"We are going to push the ball so they won't be able to get back and get set up in their matchup zone," he said.

Modica indicated he will take a similar approach: "I'm just going to get out and run. I'm just going to run and hopefully they will throw it up to me."

That is something Bucknell knows it needs to be prepared to stop.

"Their transition, obviously they are great athletes and players, so they get the ball up and down very quickly. We're going to have to find a way to cheat off of that so we can get back and give ourselves a chance to defend," Flannery said.

WHO IS THE UNDERDOG?: Despite the fact that Bucknell is the mid-major from the lowly Patriot League and Arkansas is the big name from the powerful Southeastern Conference, and the higher seed, the Razorbacks seem to be viewing themselves as the underdogs in Friday's game.

"I think the reason some people may think Bucknell is going to win this game is, for one, they have a solid, pretty good team.. At the same time, we haven't been on the national scene in a long time and this is our first time in the tournament in a log time. We haven't gotten on national teleivision a lot, so people haven't gotten a chance to see us play," Modica said.

"I think it gives our team extra motivation, because the first thing they said when they put the pairings together is they picked Bucknell, without even giving us a chance," added Brewer.

By "they", the Razorbacks were referring to some of the many national media folks who have been predicting a Bucknell win.

That is different than last year, when the Bison were such heavy underdogs against Kansas that most people just assumed the Jayhawks would win.

"It is a different role in the sense that we have been here, we've played. But the challenge isn't any different in playing an SEC team, or a Big 12 or an ACC. The challenge is still the same, to figure out a way to compete with their athletes, their ability and their play," Flannery said.
(Note: we will update with some more from the press conferences later this evening)

We are finally connected here in Dallas, after a morning of technical glitches and righteous outrage at the thought of being charged $30 per day for a wireless Internet connection at the American Airlines Center.

Wireless was free last season in Oklahoma City, and is at most arenas throughout the season. Apparently the NCAA has caught the oil company mentality here in Texas, although at those rates, oil prices seem to pale in comparison.

That led to a lengthy hold time with an AOL customer service rep to upgrade to an unlimited dial up account.

Bucknell has finished its press conference and is in the midst of its shootaround at the American Airlines Center.

We'll have a full report on that and the press conference following the shootaround.

12:45 p.m. (Central)

Bucknell has completed its shootaround. Like last year, Pat Flannery ran the team through a series of light drills.

Fan favorite, Holland Mack, finished several drills with crowd pleasing dunks, including one where to took off from the foul line. One of Mack's finishes drew the ire of Flannery, who loudly chastised the senior forward.

Charles Lee and Josh lInthicum also threw down a fews dunbks, but most of the Bison were content to lay it in at the finish of drills like the classic three-man weave.

More to follow.

Ran into Bison Club honcho Todd Newcomb and the rest of the BU athletic department staff at dinner, Newcomb reports all but four of Bucknell's 550 ticket allotment was sold to BU alums and season ticket holders.

Unlike last year, when several Kansas fans joined the Bison Club to buy tickets through BU, no Arkansas fans were allowed to do so this year. Newcomb said the four that were not sold to BU folks went to Memphis fans who did join the Bison Club.

We had hoped to have some updates on Bucknell this afternoon, but thus far we have had no access to the team.

Their hotel is on the other side of town from the media headquarters, and we had planned to go over there this afternoon to try to catch some players and coaches. But the team had some sightseeing time this afternoon, after their charter arrived around 11:30 a.m. local time. That was to be followed by a closed workout at a local high school gym, then a team dinner, so we might not have any contact until tomorrow at the press conference.

We will update things as we can, still holding out some slim hope for something happening later this evening.

Since we left the Harrisburg area at 4 a.m. to catch our flight from Philly-to Houston-to Dallas, this might be pretty much written off as a travel day, with an early night to get rest for a busy day tomorrow.

There does not seem to be a lot of buzz in Dallas about the weekend's games, but that could be because we are isolated at a hotel in an industrial area and, other than the cabbie that shuttled us over here and the bellhops here, we have yet to really have any interaction with the locals.

There was not much in the Dalls Morning News, but they do have a special section planned for Friday.

as we mentioned, we will update as things worth posting develop, so check back often, especially beginning tomorrow when we will have coverage of both team's press conferences and a full set (or two, maybe even three) of notes.

If you are a fan of Bucknell and Patriot League hoops, and find this site to be an important source of information, please consider helping keep the site alive and advertising free by making a donation to Hoop Time. No amount is too small or too large! Just click the Help Hoop Time button on the right --------->

Still time to enter the Hoop Time Bracket Challenge page at go-native.com. The password for the Challenge is: hooptime

The Bucknell team is leaving (probably left by the time you read this) Lewisburg at 7 this morning, busing to Harrisburg for a charter flight straight to Dallas.

Media travel is not quite that smooth. At 4 a.m., Eric Thomas of the Shamokin News-Item, Tom Housenick of the Daily Item, Jake Felix of the Williamsport Sun-Gazette and I piled into ET's jeep and headed to Philly, where ET, Tom and I were catching a 7:30 to Houston, with a puddle jumper from there to Dallas. Jake will arrive in Dallas almost the same time, despite leaving Philly a half hour later and traveling through Orlando.

Needless to say, that does not leave any time this morning for a full update. We've gone ahead and posted some generic links to sports sections where you should be able to find stuff on the game this morning. Most likely we will make that a standing feature somehow during the tournament, freeing our time to produce more original content.

For those who didn't discover Hoop Time until this season, or those who want to relive last year's Bucknell NCAA tournament experience, just hit the links under the "Deja Vu" heading below. Those will take you to the Hoop Time Archives. The archives are weekly, so you can scroll down through everything leading up to and including the Kansas game with the link labeled "Kansas." The "Wisconsin" link covers the Sunday game and aftermath.

Last year we were forced to leave Oklahoma City after the Kansas game to catch a flight back to Washington D.C. to cover the Holy Cross women's NCAA first round game in College Park, Md. on Sunday.

The final buzzer had barely stopped sounding. Donald Brown was popping his jersey. And our brother called my cell phone asking, "O.K., what's plan B?" There was no plan B. The commitment to cover the other game had been made before the decision to head to Oklahoma City and had to be honored.

Besides, if Bucknell lost, we'd have burned a long-time (and decent paying) freelance association, not to mention a check that was being counted on to help pay for the OKC trip. If they won, we'd catch up to them in Syracuse.

We left that women's game immediately after the post game press conference, scurried up 83 to York, Pa., where we knew the game would be on the local CBS affiliate, and watched the first half at Damons, then broke land speed records to get back home for the second half, writing the story from the women's game as we watched.

Our reservations are through Sunday night in Dallas.

We will try to swing by the team hotel later, with an report on the mood of the Bison and the Dallas atmosphere expected late afternoon or early evening, so be sure to check back.

The Bison are set for a press conference around 11:30 Thursday at the arena, followed by their public shootaround. Arkansas will also hold a press conference and shootaround, so we will get a chance to talk to Stan Heath and some players, and to see them on the floor a little.

For the most part, you cannot tell anything about a team from these shootaround sessions. These are more for the fans that the teams. Aside from stretching out and getting used to the shooting background, there is not a whole lot of work done. Last year, Pat Flannery ran the Bison through some light drills. Most of the teams in Oklahoma City didn't go that far. For most it was a short shooting session, then a dunking show for the fans.

Basketball will be the focus, and certainly the number one priority, but if Bucknell does things like it did last year, the players will also get some free time to explore the city.

"I promise you number one, the kids are going to have fun. They are going to enjoy it," Flannery said during Monday's conference call. "They are going to enjoy it every step of the way. They deserve it."

They also will likely hold a more serious practice at a local facility away from the American Airlines Center. Last year Bucknell was assigned a local high school gym.

Not sure where any of the other teams practiced in Oklahoma City, but we know most of them stayed in the downtown area, near the Ford Center. Bucknell, as a 14-seed, was assigned a Holiday Inn that was more motel than hotel, located several miles up an interstate on the outskirts of OKC.

This year, the No. 9 seed Bison are at Westin City Center on North Pearl St. in Dallas. Certainly sounds like an upgrade.

Flannery is happy with that seeding. In the conference call he said it was a compliment to the team and the league, mentioning the respect the Patriot League gained from the combination of his team's NCAA performance and Holy Cross' showing in the NIT.

"It shows you a little bit about your league and a little bit about the research they do," Flannery said.

At the same time, he quickly downplayed the team's seeding -- the highest ever to a Patriot League team, saying, "That was a nice honor, but its not going to get us a single point or a single rebound."

By the way, lost in all the tourney hoopla Monday, Bucknell finished the regular season ranked tops among "others receiving votes" in both polls.

And speaking of polls, want to know which coach voted Bucknell No. 13 in the final week (Joe Mihalich of Niagara), or which week Pat Flannery ranked his own team highest (19th in week 13 -- and his was not the highest ranking the Bison got that week, Saint Joe's Phil Martelli had them at No. 18 in week 13), check out USA Today's flash piecethat lets you click around to see each coach's ballot each week of the season.

That should keep you busy until we update from Dallas.

DEJA VU:

Kansas game

Wisconsin game

TALK HOOPS:

March Madness chat with Dallas Morning News college basketball writer Brad Townsend (2 p.m. Eastern)

ARKANSAS LINKS:

Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Hawg Illustrated

Arkansas Razorback Sports Network

BUCKNELL LINKS:

Daily Item

Eric Thomas' blog (Shamokin News-Item beat writer, posts his stories here)

Williamsport Sun-Gazette

DALLAS AREA PAPERS:

Dallas Morning News

Fort Worth Star Telegram

# posted by Hoop Time : 12:01 AM  

Sad news today from Lewisburg.

In an update bulletin on the Patriot-News Web site, PennLive, Dave Jones reports:

Sophia Lale Goodman, the weakest of quadruplets born Jan. 12 to Bucknell assistant basketball coach Brian Goodman and his wife, Amy, died last night at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.

Dave last week wrote a very touching story on the Goodmans and the quadruplets. In that story he wrote of Sophia's fragile condition.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Brian, Amy and Sophia's surviving siblings.

(Originally posted Mon. night at 11:13 p.m.)

When Bucknell coach Pat Flannery addressed a media audience during a conference call Monday afternoon, it was clear his team will have its work cut out for it Friday when it takes on Arkansas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

His staff began breaking down the Razorbacks shortly after Sunday night's selection show, taking advantage of the video archives on the Arkansas Web site to get a look at the Hawgs while awaiting delivery of game tapes from a service that records televised games all season long.

TUESDAY MORNING READAROUND Bucknell leads tourney teams in graduation (Bloomberg News) Clash of styles awaits Bucknell (Patriot-News) Bucknell brandishes balance, experience (Ark. Democrat-Gazette) Bucknell takes Princeton plan, expands on it (Ark. Democrat-Gazette) Arkansas to meet Bucknell in NCAA tournament (Daily ITem) Bucknell getting plenty of attention now (AP) It's Hog Heaven For Razorback Fans (KTHV Little Rock) Bring on the Bison (Ark. Democrat-Gazette) This Isn't Kansas Anymore: (Hawg Illustrated) Heath happy about four years of improvement (Pine Bluff Commercial) Hogs Need To Be More Than Happy (Ark. Razorback Sports Network)

Even on a small screen, the Razorbacks made a big impression.

"We know we have our hands full with their athleticism. Certainly the league they play in is one of the best leagues in the country," Flannery said.

"They are long and they are very athletic. If you go in weak with stuff, they really can reach out and grab you and knock balls away, They get a lot of turnovers that way."

Long is coachspeak for all arms and legs. It goes beyond being just tall. It means having the kind of wingspan that allows a guy to play bigger than he is. And Arkansas is long.

The Razorbacks trot out a starting lineup with just one guy under 6-5. Their wings are the size of Patriot League big men, their big men taller than small trees.

Flannery said his team didn't know a whole lot about Arkansas yet. The staff was still putting together the full scouting report. When the time comes to share it with his team, they will know plenty.

"We have worked hard on them and will give them a lot on them," Flannery said.

That doesn't mean the players had not gotten a glimpse of the Razorbacks.

"So far from our tape and what our coaches have told us, they are going to be very physical. There's definitely some physicalness in there," said Bison senior co-captain Charles Lee, who at 6-3 will be giving up a couple of inches to almost any Razorback he is matched against.

"It is very early in the week, so preparation hasn't quite kicked in to full gear yet. From preliminary scout, we have seen that they are a very athletic team. We have noticed their defense. Offensively, they are going to really crash the glass and they have some great offensive threats in (Ronnie) Brewer and (Jonathon) Modica. The big boy down there definitely alters some shots. That is definitely something us guards, as well as the big men, will have to be wary of."

The "big boy" Lee referred to is 7-footer Steven Hill, a 248-pound sophomore who has blocked 87 shots this season. Hill has had a tendency to foul trouble. He is averaging only 22.3 minutes per game and has been disqualified five times. But the Razorbacks don't get a lot smaller when he sits down.

The starter at the four, Charles Thomas, is a 6-8 sophomore who averages 10 points and almost 5 rebounds per game. Darien Thomas is a 6-10 kid who comes off the bench after having started a dozen games. He has blocked 52 shots himself. For a little perspective, the entire Bucknell roster has blocked 53.

The Hawgs also bring 6-10 sophomore Vincent Hunter and 6-9 freshman Cyrus McGowan off the bench.

Modica is a 6-5 senior guard and second-team All-Southeast Conference pick who averages 16 points per game. He'd be the superstar on most teams, here he plays second fiddle to Brewer, the 6-7 All-SEC first team son of Ronnie Brewer Sr., who was one of Arkansas famed "Triplets" who led the Razorbacks to the Final Four in 1978.

A legitimate All-America candidate, Brewer averages an SEC-leading 18.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest.

"At times the Brewer kid is sensational. At other times he is just really good. He can score and has the pedigree. He's been a basketball player," Flannery said.

The only place the Bison matchup size wise is at the point where 6-0 Abe Badmus will take on Arkansas' Eric Ferguson, a 6-1 senior who moved into the starting lineup late in the season and seemed to be the thread that pulled the team together. After a 16-8 start, the Hawgs went 7-1 in their last 8 games, coinciding with when Ferguson was inserted into the first five.

Despite the Razorbacks' considerable size advantage, don't expect Flannery to try anything out of the ordinary when the Bison take the American Airlines Center floor Friday afternoon.

"You have to do what you do, what you have done during the course of the year, or you confuse your kids," Flannery said.

He might resort to some gimmicks in practice this week, like playing five on seven to try to simulate the way Arkansas plays the passing lanes and swarms on defense ("It's really hard to simulate," Flannery said).

But the last time Flannery tried getting cute was the Villanova game, when he started Donald Brown instead of Darren Mastropaolo, then second-guessed himself after the loss for letting the Wildcats dictate style.

"We'll play the way we've been playing," said Flannery.

That means relying in defense first. The Bison rank second in the nation in scoring defense, fourth in field goal percentage defense. Their matchup zone has been known to give opponents fits, especially teams who have not seen it before.

"People haven't shot the ball very well against us," said Flannery. "That is what happens sometimes. As far as what we do and how we do it, we have five guys that believe in it. We will put guys on the floor that will work hard on it. That kind of an attitude is what allows us to establish ourselves."

"We all buy into it. We all realize that is what gives us our best opportunity to win. Whether we play man to man or matchup or whatever, the main thing is we play good team defense," Lee said.

"We have a lot of returning guys, We have played a long time together. That doesn't just help offensively. Defensively, we all know what our strengths and weaknesses are and help each other out."

Another thing Bucknell has going for it is experience. While eight of Bucknell's top nine in the rotation were key players in last season's opening round upset of Kansas, none of the Razorbacks has ever been to the Big Dance. This is Arkansas' first bid since 2001.

"(Last year's experience_ is going to help us tremendous amount. Now we are used to this big stage. We have taken a lot from last year. Last year was last year. We recognize that. But I think we got a lot of confidence from that game and it is something that has carried over throughout the year," Lee said.

"It is really going to help us. We grew up from that experience and really handled being hunted all year. I'm just hoping that we come out and are relaxed, now that we have had a year to really see what it is like."

"Going into the tournament, the fact that they know how to travel, and we know what to expect as far as the media attention, how to handle that -- a couple of things we were on this year really helped us to be able to handle those kind of things, That part of it we can handle," Flannery said.

Another edge for the Bison could be the their road warrior mentality. While Arkansas didn't play on an opponent's floor until its conference season got underway, Bucknell has traveled all over the country, literally taking on all comers. Bucknell has wins at Syracuse and DePaul and played Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium a day after flying back east from two games on the West Coast.

"I've said all along, people make a big thing out of Kansas, and it was, it was historic. It was wonderful. But going up to Holy Cross, again, if you have ever been to Worcester, there's not a whole lot of people going in there to win ballgames. Going up there and winning on the road just took these kids and made them realize, and wins at Pitt and Saint Joe's, gave us a lot of confidence," Flannery said.

"Knowing that you have been in against some people like that helps to prepare you for anything that comes down the road. It doesn't mean you will always execute. But it does mean that you are prepared and you know physically what some people are capable of doing and you prepare in a certain way," Flannery said.

The Patriot League season helped, too.

"Our league isn't the exposure that you have down in the SEC, but we think going to places like Hamilton and Worcester prepare us during the year, plus our out of league schedule was tremendous as well," Flannery said.

"Things leading up to it will be things we can handle. It will come down to the ballgame."

The Bucknell Bison continue to make Patriot League history, drawing a No. 9 seed for the NCAA Tournament (complete bracket), the first ever single digit seed for a league team. The previous best seed for a league team was a No. 13 drawn by Holy Cross in 1993. The Crusaders lost in the first round that season, dropping a 94-64 decision to Arkansas.

Ironically, the Razorbacks will be Bucknell's first round opponent at 12:30 p.m. Friday in Dallas' American Airlines Center. The other half of the Oakland Regional pod playing in Dallas the first two rounds is No. 1 seed and No. 16 Oral Roberts. The Bison would meet the winner of that game if they get past Arkansas in the first round.

Also playing in Dallas the first two rounds are four teams from the Atlanta Regional. No. 2 seed Texas will meet No. 15 Penn and No. 7 Cal will face No. 10 N.C. State.

While many will bemoan the seeding, which results in a second round game against a one seed, the Bison did draw the most favorable regional possible for the winner of that 8-9 game. Of the four No. 1 seeds -- Duke, UConn, Villanova and Memphis -- Memphis would appear to be the weakest. As an aside, the tournament seeding bears out the strength of Bucknell's schedule, having already played two of the four No. 1 seeds -- Duke and Villanova.

At the very least, a matchup with Memphis could be great fun for any Sojka Psychos who make the trip. The Tigers roster includes Kareem Cooper, who has been busted for marijuana possession and Andre Allen, whose rap sheet includes an arrest for patronizing prostitutes. John Calipari's team is full of great athletes, but it is very young and, at times, undisciplined. It might be interesting to see how it would handle Bucknell's

If the Bison were to win two games in Dallas, they could get a rematch with one of the ranked teams they upset last season. The winner of the Dallas pod would meet the survivor of No. 5 Pitt, No. 12 Kent State, No. 4 Kansas and No. 13 Bradley in the Sweet 16. Those four will play in Auburn Hills, Mich. in the first two rounds.

The other eight teams in the Oakland Regional are (6) Indiana, (11) SDSU, (3) Gonzaga, (14) Xavier -- four teams that will be in Salt Lake City the first two rounds, and (7) Marquette, (10) Alabama, (2) UCLA and (15) Belmont. The latter four start tournament play in San Diego.

Of course before thinking about Memphis, or a rematch with Pitt or Kansas, the Bison need to get past Arkansas, a team that upset Florida, Alabama and Tennessee during a six-game, stretch-run win streak that got the Razorbacks into the dance. ESPN's scouting report says Arkansas has good size, but does not rebound well and either does not shoot the three well or doesn't guard the arc (maybe a combination of both), having been outscored by 78 points from three-point range on the season.

It will be Bucknell's second time playing in Dallas for the tournament's opening round. In 1989, the then-Charlie Woollum coached Bison dropped a 104-81 decision to Syracuse in a first round game at Reunion Arena in Dallas. Bucknell has never played Arkansas.

READAROUND LINKS:

Arkansas to face Bucknell in NCAA Tournament (AP)

Bucknell earns ninth seed, will take on No. 8 Arkansas in opener (Daily Item)

Four Pa. teams go dancing (Patriot-News)

Hog Calls : Razorbacks happy to be at the Big Dance in Dallas (NW Arkansas Times)

Bison to provide tough challenge for Razorbacks (NW Arkansas Times)

Texas Two-step (Eric Thomas)

Previewing the Oakland Regional (Sporting News)

# posted by Hoop Time : 7:52 AM  

(Update: The originally posted link to the Bison anthem had an error, but we missed it and did not get any e-mails reporting it until this afternoon. It has been corrected.)

A Hoop Time exclusive -- celebrate Bucknell's back-to-back trips to the Big Dance with the ultimate in BU jams --- the Bison Anthem by Bucknell senior forward and Bison fan favorite Holland Mack. Yes, it is the song they play as Bucknell takes the floor.

We will know for sure what seed Bucknell will be when the field for the NCAA Tournament is announced this evening.

Until then, though, there is time for one last look at the cult of bracketologists on the Web.

Looking at the predictions, it is obvious this is not an exact science. It's more like hoops feng shui, with different "experts" all having a different sense of where to position the 64 teams to achieve the best basketball chi (there's a reason some folks consider bracketologists "ying yangs").

At Bracketology 101, the Bison are forecast as an 8 seed. So does Stewart Mandell at Sports Illustrated's Web site. That could be good news for Bison fans in Pennsylvania, since many forecasters expect UConn and Villanova, both anticipated No. 1 seeds (that is not rocket science) to be placed in Philadelphia for the first round. Where there is a one, there is an eight (and nine), so the chances of Bucknell being within driving distance of their fan base would look good in that scenario.

An eight or nine would also, theoretically, give Bucknell its best shot at a first round win. The downside is, it also would present the most difficult scenario in terms of making it further than they went last year, since any first round win would almost certainly bring one of those one seeds in the second round. In that scenario, it would most likely be UConn, since the committee does not allow first and second round rematches of regular season games and Bucknell has already played Villanova (that link, by the way, goes to a list of all the rules used in setting up the brackets).

Bracketology 101 does not predict actual matchups or first round sites, but they list Kentucky, UAB, Arizona and California as projected No. 9 seeds. Mandel goes further, placing the Bison in Philly against Cal in the first round, with UConn awaiting the winner (assuming they don't become the first one seed in history to lose to a 16 when they meet the play-in winner).

Greg Doyel, CBS Sportsline's bracketeer, also projects the Bison in an 8-9 game in the first round, though Doyel says as a No. 9 seed. Doyel does not project matchups or destinations, but his No. 8 seeds are Marquette, North Carolina State, Arizona and Northern Iowa. That would mean the Bison would likely meet one of those first three mentioned.

The guy most folks credit with starting this whole bracketology fad is ESPN's Joe Lunardi. Lunardi's latest prediction, posted Saturday, has Bucknell seeded 11th, and headed to Jacksonville to meet No. 6 seed Georgetown. Under that scenario, fans might want to use the day off between rounds to get a rental car and catch some spring training baseball before returning to Jacksonville for a second round game against the winner of Lunardi's projected (3) LSU - (14) Winthrop game.

For those who think Bucknell has a chance to get to the Sweet 16 this year, Lunardi's projections would have the Bison move on to Minneapolis where they would face the survivor of (7) Nevada (25-5), (10) Northern Iowa (21-9) (who wouldn't like to see that one again on a neutral floor?), (2) Texas (26-5) and (15) MEAC champ Delaware St. (20-12). Another win and the Bison could get a rematch with Villanova with a trip to the Final Four to the winner.

Maybe Lunardi is on to something. Or maybe the guys at Bracketography.com were looking over his shoulder while he was filling out his bracket. Bracketography also projects a Jacksonville meeting between the (11) Bison and the (6) Hoyas. All similarities end there, though. Bracketography would have the winner of the game meet the winner of (3) UCLA and (14) NW State, the Southland champs, en route to the Oakland, Calif. regional.

Also placing Bucknell as an 11 in the Oakland regional is FoxSports.com's Michael Lazarus, who includes the comment: "Syracuse win wound up looking good after all."

Lazarus has the Bison in Dayton the first round, with the (2) Ohio State-(15) Davidson winner awaiting if they get past (6) Arizona.

Somehow Jacksonville holds a special fascination for the bracketology gurus. Bracket Racket also has the Bison playing there as an 11, though they project Michigan State as a first round opponent, with the Washington, D.C. regional in the sweet 16 should the Bison get past the (3) LSU - (14) Pacific winner.

And then there's Bracket Express, the bracketology page of the Draft Express Web site. They also have Bucknell headed to Jacksonville. The difference there is, they say the Bison will be a No. 12 seed, meeting No. 5 Boston College in a first round game that will certainly have all the Holy Cross fans on Bucknell's side.

Like Bracket Racket, Draft Express has the Bison in the D.C. regional if it advance to the Sweet 16. To do that, they say the Bison would need to beat winner of (4) Florida and (13) South Alabama.

Of course all speculation will end this evening at 6 p.m., when the real experts pick the real field and set the real matchups.

As an aside, we will once again hold the Hoop Time Brackets Challenge. The site we used for last year's contest is defunct, so we are still searching for the best option for hosting the contest. We will announce details Monday.