Random Thoughts On The NCAA Hoops Weekend That Was

It has been a spectacular season for Harvard, with the notoriety of 2010 graduate Jeremy Lin and the team now heading to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1946. 

Missouri, with only seven scholarship players and just two players taller than 6-6, roared to the Big 12 Tournament championship, in their final season before departing for the SEC.  The Tigers will definitely be a team to watch in the upcoming NCAA Tourney. 

Vanderbilt gave hope to the rest of the country when they upset Kentucky 71-64 in the SEC Tournament.  It was the Commodores first appearance in the SEC final game since the 1951 season. 

Michigan State won the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2000. That year, the Spartans went on to win the NCAA title.

Northwestern's late season collapse meant that the Wildcats still have never been invited to the NCAA Tournament. 

Western Kentucky got an automatic bid from the Sun Belt Conference, despite a 15-18 seasonal record. 

Washington won the Pac-12 regular season crown, but that was not good enough to get an NCAA bid. The conference's last regular season champion to get snubbed for the national tournament was also Washington, back in 1944.

NCAA favorites Kentucky, Syracuse, North Carolina, Duke, Ohio State and Kansas were all upset in their conference tournaments.

In the student-athlete department, high-scoring guard Ashton Gibbs of Pitt was asked by the Bergen Record if the 17-16 Panthers would play in the NIT Tournament.

"That's what we came to college for, it is to play basketball," explained Gibbs.

Gibbs' love of hoops will have to take place in the CBI Tournament, as Pitt did not receive a bid to the NIT.