College

by DeMarco Williams
The proverbial hat goes off to the ACC’s young men for yesterday’s overall performances. Three games decided by three points or less and a coming-out party for Maryland have set the bar extremely  high for today’s action. Still, with enticing match-ups between UNC and FSU and Maryland and Duke on the rainy afternoon slate, it shouldn’t be hard to duplicate. Let’s see how they do…

by Joey Whelan
And then there were four. It’s taken three days, 12 games and 38 hours of blogging, but we’ve reached the Big East Semifinals. At least three of these teams will be in action after this week when the NCAA Tournament starts (Syracuse, Villanova and Louisville) and with a win over Pitt last night, I think West Virginia may have punched their ticket as well.

by Alan Paul
I grew up on Pitt basketball. It may not have been much during the 70s and 80s but it was what we had in Pittsburgh and it was, in fact, a lot of fun. I went to virtually every home game from early elementary school until I graduated form high school in 1984, most of them of them with my brother and father. Those years incorporated a lot of pretty mediocre teams, but also some tremendously exciting basketball played in the close confines of musty old Fitzgerald Field House.

by DeMarco Williams
Day 1 of the ACC tourney saw the NCAA tournament hopes of one team (Miami) dashed and those of three others (Maryland, Virginia Tech and Boston College) carry on for another day. Today, that trio, along with the Cinderella Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, face the big boys. And while we can’t promise any six-overtime thrillers at the Georgia Dome today, UNC, Duke, Wake and all the rest battling for seedings and invitations promise a good day of action. SLAM will do its best to keep up…

by DeMarco Williams
All right, Big East. The ACC has let you solo shine for a day, but now it’s time for some real hoops action. Man, do y’all understand that this conference has an eight- and nine-seed, Miami and Virginia Tech, with 35 combined wins? Yet, here they are, trying to convince the selection committee that just because you finish 7-9 in conference doesn’t mean you’re not a NCAA tourney-caliber team. Craaazy.

by Chris O’Leary

by Joey Whelan
Day three of the Big East Tournament brings the quarterfinals to the Garden and by far the most appetizing day of college hoops yet. With the top four seeds in action today not only will we get a look at three potential number one seeds (Louisville, Connecticut and Pittsburgh) but for you NBA draft nuts out there, no less than 9 players in action who could hear their name called by David Stern this June.