Big Blue Linkapalooza: Narrow Escape Edition

Yesterday was a very narrow escape from a very early exit.  Kentucky, to their great credit, managed to hang on over a Princeton Tigers team playing significantly above their in-season level, and making very tough challenged shots to show the Kentucky Wildcats freshmen what the abyss looks like.

Now for today's links.  Feel free to add more in the comments, and treat as an open thread.

• NCAA Results VIDEO: Brandon Knight Makes His Only Shot To Lift Kentucky Over Princeton - Bay Bridge Banter - SB Nation Bay Area
  Enjoy it again.

• Kentucky Advances In A Thriller Over Princeton :: isportsweb
• The Buzz on Kentucky Basketball: Demonte Harper Edition

• Princeton pushes Kentucky to the brink, but can't complete upset - NorthJersey.com

  "I have all the faith and confidence in the world in him," coach John Calipari said. "He’s not afraid to make a play. Guys like him aren’t afraid to miss."

  To paraphrase coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) in Remember the Titans:  "Knight is a winner.  He's going to win."

• East Region Notebook: Kentucky's Calipari calls freshman Knight

• Mile High City Produces NCAA Upsets : NPR
  Tampa nearly produced a big one as well. But not quite.

• UK’s West Virginia Grudge :: Rick Bozich
  Whatever works. They beat us fair and square last time.

• Politi: Princeton made believers of us all in the NCAA Tournament :: NJ.com

• Brandon Knight's Only Basket Lifts Kentucky Past Princeton In Final Seconds

  Maddox hit a turnaround jumper with 57.8 seconds remaining, and Dan Mavraides sank a step-back jumper with 36.7 seconds left that tied the game.

  You know, basketball has a certain Karmic symmetry.  Those two shots that Maddox and Mavraides made were strongly challenged shots that go in maybe 25% of the time, and they made them back to back.  Brandon won the game on an even more difficult shot.

• Huggins, Calipari meeting again  - Sports - The Charleston Gazette - West Virginia News and Sports -

  After West Virginia's win over Clemson Thursday, Huggins recounted his Sunday-night text exchange with Calipari when the latter told him the two would be in the same region and meet. That was just before the brackets were announced.

  More Karma?

• Ballin' is a Habit: 2011 NCAA Tournament: Day 1 recap

• Rick Bozich :: Kentucky basketball upperclassmen refuse to lose :: The Courier-Journal
  Terrence Jones was not going to fib. Yes, he was nervous. At least that's what it sounded like Jones was saying between repeated prolonged coughs that started deep in his lungs.

• The Deal - The Blog of the NCAA

  John makes some good points here.  I might quibble with is suggestion that no alternatives exist, because Brandon Jennings proved that they do.  They just aren't easy choices.  Going overseas to play professional basketball is certainly a choice.

  But I do agree that youngsters should be able to choose a pro career out of high school if they want.  I would also point out that it is not incumbent upon the NCAA to make that choice a simple or painless one.

• For Kentucky, 'one and done' means moving on :: NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com

  Even though I think he was using rhetorical license here, there is something about this article I don't quite like.  The use of the word "mercenaries" seems to occur a bit too often, and with a bit too much scorn dripping from it.

  I hate writers who cannot avoid moral judgments about people they know nothing about.  It is a loathsome characteristic that outrages me, and makes me want to type 1,000 word screeds ripping their every word.  Even though some of this looks as if it were intended to be semi-satirical and thought provoking, I don't think the author did much to hide his disdain for Kentucky, Calipari, and even our freshmen.

• Harrellson keeps shining in NCAA play :: Vaught's Views

• Poole forced to ride Kentucky bench :: jacksonville.com

  Hat tip:  Aaron's blog.

• Coaching Carousel: Kentucky Connections Edition

• Tressel asks for, receives same five-game suspension as players | CollegeFootballTalk

  Shortly after it was officially confirmed by the NCAA that the five Buckeyes found to have received impermissible benefits had their appeal on a five-game suspension denied, Tressel announced that he had asked for, and received the same five-game suspension as his players.

  Does contrition lead to mercy from the NCAA?  We'll see.

• Survive and move on :: Chris Diggs - UK Fan Blog
• Lamb knows freshmen didn't play their best :: Vaught's Views
• 2011 NCAA Tournament: Kentucky, Florida Advance; Vanderbilt Falls - Team Speed Kills
• Morehead State Shocks Louisville In NCAA Tournament, Ex-Cardinal Terrence Williams Not Happy - From Our Editors - SBNation.com
• Weiss: Five things that will happen on Day 2 of the NCAA Tournament :: New York Daily News
• Watching the Big Dance is gonna cost employers $192 million :: Beyond the Arc

• For Now, Duke Ignores Documentary - NYTimes.com
  I think this will not blow over for a while.