More photos » Dave Martin - AP

Well, they thought DeMarcus' shot won it, anyway.

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The NCAA Tournament gets underway tonight with the play-in game, and in earnest on Thursday.

• Tournament stats and facts - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN

• East Region preview: How vulnerable are John Wall and Kentucky? - The Dagger - NCAAB Blog - Yahoo! Sports
  I know some Big Blue fans are going to disagree, but UK is vulnerable in this region. Kentucky CAN beat all these teams, but can they go through five games without losing to one of them? We're going to find out just how tough Wall & Co. really are.

• NCAA caves to TV pressure by going easy on Duke - KansasCity.com
  Wow. Now Duke is the reason for questionable seeding decisions. How can they be "ratings gold" and be so universally reviled? I suppose Whitlock will be answering that question next.

• So what did the Orange do wrong to get seated behind Duke at the NCAA Tournament's table? |
  More selection angst.

• Geoff Calkins: Memphis' rooting interest? Anybody but you-know-who " The Commercial Appeal
  It's hard to blame Memphis for the schadenfreude, and we have engaged in more than our share over the years.

• Fighting words: Put up your Duke degrees | KentuckySports.com

  "In March, there's one big difference between Rand Paul and Trey Grayson," says the ad, which then shows an unflattering picture of Paul with a caption that says "I'm Rand Paul and I'm a Duke Blue Devil."

  Using Duke hate as a political talking point?  Only in Kentucky.

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Just a few stories to prime you before the big game in an hour or so.

Find them after the jump.

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More photos » Ed Reinke - AP

"I don't know about you ACC guys, but we've got plenty of hype and passion around the SEC Tournament these days. I'm just sayin'."

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There was just so much stuff I had to get a post out early today.  There will likely be a PM edition of the BBDM today.

• Vols’ Chism evaluates Cousins’ play | Vaught's Views

• One irritating moment - Beyond the Arc - msnbc.com
  Preach, Brother Miller. I hate that song.

• Cats lose first home game | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal

• No asterisks of infamy for Jayhawks | KUsports.com

  This Mayer fellow is shameless. He never tires of taking shots at every program under the sun and pumping up KU, always acting as if KU has been a good NCAA citizen. It hasn't, but this guy apparently has selective memory loss.  The highbrow pomposity of Mayer is actually breathtaking.

  The fact of the matter is, the Kansas Jayhawks are the most penalized NCAA institution in Division I college basketball.  Mayer does get around to alluding to Kansas' NCAA difficulties at the very end, but declines to specify.  Instead, he confines his comments to teams who have had the "asterisk" by them, as though its okay to implicate all these other programs as somehow inferior to KU despite KU's record of NCAA lawlessness.

  Of course, Mayer reserves special vitriol for UK, singling the NCAA out as "gutless" for not vacating wins for the point-shaving scandals.  You will rarely see a more sneering, pharisaical, sanctimonious screed than this.  I'm not proud of UK's scofflaw past, but at least I'm not trying to score points off everyone else in a paroxysm of unctuous elitism.

More after the jump.

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More photos » Ed Reinke - AP

Patrick Patterson is ready to lead the Wildcats into battle in the SEC Tournament

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Lots of news today as the conference tournaments get underway and the SEC hands out superlatives.  Also, there is lots of speculation about Kentucky's place in the tournament as we draw closer to Selection Sunday.

Now, for the news.

• Basketball Prospectus | Articles | Tuesday Truths
  I'd feel a lot better if Kentucky's efficiency margin were higher. What would make it higher is better 3-point shooting, primarily.

• UF on Knight's short list | Gainesville.com

• Wall, not Cousins, wins freshman award - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN

  The end result of all this? Kentucky just so happens to be one of the best teams in the country, despite being one of the youngest. To use another lame cliché, look up "embarrassment of riches" in the dictionary. If Rupp Arena's picture isn't there, it should be.

  Heh.  I like that.

• Wall and Cousins: Fab freshmen - Beyond the Arc - msnbc.com

• UK hoops: Cats a cinch for No. 1 seed | KentuckySports.com

  Of course, there's no off switch for Kentucky fans. But bracketologists Jerry Palm and Joe Lunardi say UK's game against Florida on Sunday and this week's Southeastern Conference Tournament hold no bearing on NCAA Tournament seeding.

  This is right, of course.  If the Committee found someone else more worthy than Kentucky, it would be one of the biggest shocks in recent college basketball history.  That doesn't mean it couldn't happen, of course, but I'm confident UK has done all they need to do to be a #1 seed.

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More photos » Ed Reinke - AP

What a game Darius Miller had on Sunday. His shooting form has really improved.

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Today, Kentucky celebrates a perfect 18-0 home record and an SEC regular season championship.  Now, it's on to the SEC Tournament where Kentucky will lace 'em up again at noon this Friday to take on either Alabama or South Carolina.

Now, for the news:

• SEC links: League heads to Nashville for tournament John Clay’s Sidelines

• Tom Leach - Kentucky Football, Kentucky Basketball, UK Football, UK Basketball
  New podcast with Greg Anthony.

• Rush The Court " Blog Archive " Weekly Bracketology: 03.08.10

• 'World Wide Wes' to become agent for coaches - NCAA Basketball - SI.com
  Linked by Wild Weasel earlier. I see no problem here. You may not like Wesley, but his reputation, whatever truth it contains, is sure making him a wealthy man.

• Matt Little Named National Player of the Week - KENTUCKY OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE
  UK moves up to #22.

• NCAA College Basketball Polls, College Basketball Rankings, NCAA Basketball Polls - ESPN
  UK is #2, but there is no doubt who #1 is.

• Which means more, talent or experience? | KentuckySports.com

  "I think the killer instinct is there," said Patterson. "We just haven't developed it."

  Now's the time.

More after the jump.

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More photos » Wade Payne - AP

Patterson is playing better now, but our defense against the Vols was weak.

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Tons of news around the Internet today, still some chatter going on about Saturday's game, some talk about the Syracuse Orange feeling disrespected because not everyone believes their case for #1 is that strong, and a few football items.

Let's get right to them.

• MU-KSU-KU: What teams are they most similar to? Part I | Upon Further Review
  We've already been down this road a bit, but I find it an interesting exercise.

• NCAAB Blog: The Dagger - Yahoo! Sports Blogs
  • Did anyone else catch DeMarcus Cousins walk off the floor with his arms raised over his head as if he was being held up at gun-point? No doubt a response to being accused of punching a South Carolina student rushing the court after Kentucky's only previous loss. Priceless.
  
  Okay. I get that Cousins earned a bit of a rep for rough play in the Louisville game, but haven't we taken this too far now?

• How good is Calipari at developing NBA talent? Ask the Thunder's newest player. - ProBasketballTalk - Basketball - NBC Sports

• Vaught's Views: Calipari calls Tennessee loss 'great learning experience': AMNews.com
  This sounds suspiciously like "good loss" talk to me.

• How to describe Duke? Strong but silent hype - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com
  Matt Jones give some love to Duke. Matt went to school there, but don't doubt his Big Blue bona fides. Plus, I think he has a point -- this Duke team is the best they have fielded in a while. The press should have held their hype for this team, which does deserve a little.

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More photos » Wade Payne - AP

Even John Wall's heroics couldn't save the 'Cats in Knoxville.

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I've still got a bit of a hangover from the loss to the Tennessee Volunteers yesterday.  But we have a few days to recover, and then we head down to face a remarkably tough Georgia team that is far better than their record.

• [SLIDESHOW] Cats’ comeback not enough, Volunteers win 74-65 : The Kentucky Kernel

• Kentucky Blog - University of Kentucky Official Athletic Site
  Life after James Paxton.
  
  That's what the Kentucky baseball team now faces just two days since Paxton, a 2009 first-round MLB draft pick, decided to leave the team because of his decision to not meet with the NCAA over a potential NCAA amateur issue.
  
  Well, adversity comes to us all.

• Panthers roll to regional final victory - Broward High Schools - MiamiHerald.com
  After watching the Suns draw within 29-27 with a late second quarter run, Knight, the nation's No. 1 recruit, came alive for 11 of his game-high 27 points in the third quarter as the Panthers (24-4) pulled away late for a 66-52 victory.
  
  I think Knight would look good in Kentucky blue.

• Kentucky Wildcats basketball news and rumors and Kentucky Wildcat football news and rumors: Three headed monster of Miller-Liggins-Dodson could be the key to UK's tournament run
  They have been very useful at different times this season.

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Ed Reinke - AP

"Don't hurt 'em, John."

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Time to look at the reaction from last night, and other UK news.  Are we having fun yet?  I am.

• Now & Then: Cousins & Randolph Provide As Many Headaches As Intangibles On The Court – LostLettermen.com
• Magic Johnson performs John Wall dance at Kentucky - The Dagger - NCAAB Blog - Yahoo! Sports

• Jarvis Varnado speaks about his record, playing as a walk-on and what seed MSU should be | College Hoops Journal
  Very interesting reading. Varnado is a remarkable player, really.

• Vaught's Views: Darius Miller shows aggressive side in win over South Carolina: AMNews.com

• Stars Shine During UK Game - Sports News Story - WLKY Louisville
  "I think John Wall is, to me, the best player as well as the best guard in the country. He's really an unbelievable leader," Johnson said. "Coach Cal (John Calipari) has done an incredible job -- first year, to have his team ranked No. 2 in the country, only have one loss? It's truly amazing."
  
  Yes, Magic, it is amazing.

• Kentucky's Calipari says winning the SEC title means 'nothing' - ESPN
  "I've always taken the approach that it's about the seed in the NCAA tournament," Calipari said. "If you want me to be honest about how I think and what we're doing to prepare, that's what it is. The SEC tournament is about our seed in the NCAA tournament."
  
  When you have a team like this, that's a reasonable statement. But we need to restore the tradition of winning SEC championships.

More after the jump.

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