1. Which bubble team would scare you the most as a possible first-round opponent?

Mitch Light: I wouldn’t want to play Colorado — assuming CU gets in to the tournament. First of all, the Buffs have proven they can beat good teams, with a 91–89 victory over Texas in late February and two wins over Kansas State, which went 10–6 in the Big 12. Secondly, Colorado features some skilled players, most notably sophomore guard Alec Burks, who averaged 19.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. The Buffs aren’t great on defense, but they can score.

Braden Gall: Facing Richmond, with the sharpshooting Kevin Anderson and big man Justin Harper, would concern me. The Spiders have won eight out of nine and could beat anyone in the nation. Michigan State would also scare me as an 11- or 12-seed. I know the Spartans have played some terrible basketball this season, but they also have enough — or had at one point — talent to be a preseason top-five team. No one wants to see Tom Izzo on the other bench in March.

Nathan Rush: No team wants to see an at-large Alabama squad that plays under-your-jersey defense and is coached by Cinderella Man TKO artist Anthony Grant. Everyone remembers VCU-Duke (79–77 upset win) and VCU-Pitt (84–79 loss in OT) back in 2007, right? The Crimson Tide crested at the end of the season — going 15–4 after a 5–6 start — and will almost certainly crash down on whichever fading, overrated team that the Selection Committee “randomly” matches them with. It won’t happen, but a Brandon Davies-less BYU squad and Bama would be a nice yin-yang 4-13 first-round matchup.

2. If you were on the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee and had to differentiate between some bubble teams, what would be the most important aspect of team's profile — road wins, lack of bad losses, strength of schedule, etc.?

Mitch: I’m always looking for good wins. All bubble teams are going to have some warts — that is why they are on the bubble. I can overlook some bad losses as long as a team has proven it can beat a quality opponent. Playing a tough schedule is nice, but it doesn’t mean much if you haven’t defeated any of those good teams.

Braden: This may be a cop out, but I look at the entire package. That probably pushes me closest to overall schedule. Certainly, wins are what counts, but generally speaking, a 6–9 team against the RPI top 50 is probably a better overall team than one that went 3–1. I always lean towards the eighth- and ninth-place “power” teams over second- and third-place mid-majors.

Nathan: In my opinion, the last 10 games plus the conference tournament should be weighed the most. If a team is trending in the right direction — a la George Mason in 2006 (despite Billy Packer’s strong and outspoken objections) — it has a better chance of making an NCAA Tournament run. Also, fair or not, I think the coach should be considered. All things being equal or reasonably close, any Tom Izzo team should win a head-to-head argument behind closed doors; he (and his five or so peers) have proven an ability to X-and-O or flat-out beat the heat come Tournament time.

3. Which of the Big Six conference tournaments intrigues you the most?

Mitch: I’m very interested to see what Florida can do in the SEC Tournament. There was a perception early in the league season that the Gators, with three overtime wins, were lucky to be on top of the SEC East standings. Well, after winning the division by three full games over Kentucky, nobody is throwing around the L-word anymore. The Gators, who can put five scorers on the court at the same time, are very hard to guard. If they win the SEC Tournament, they could play their way up to a No. 2 seed in the NCAAs.

Braden: Without a doubt, the Big East Tournament is a special event. The depth and talent level is unlike that of any college basketball league ever assembled. The ninth- and 10th-place teams (UConn and Villanova) in this league were both, at some point this year, in the top-10 nationally. We’ve got the son of a legend (John Thompson III), two Hall of Famers (Jim Calhoun and Jim Boeheim), one former ESPN analyst (Steve Lavin), the best dressed coach in hoops (Jay Wright), two more potential Hall members (Rick Pitino and Bob Huggins) and the most famous arena in all of sports. There is just nothing like MSG at this time of the year.

Nathan: Mark my words, Vanderbilt, Florida or Kentucky will make a run in the NCAAs. All three are two-faced and flawed. But the talent and coaching are undeniable. If the Commodores, Gators or Wildcats find their rhythm in the SEC Tournament, look out.

4. Do you like the format of the Big East Tournament, with the inclusion of all 16 teams and the double-byes?

Mitch: I do like it. I think it’s good that all 16 teams are invited to the Big East Tournament, and I like how teams that do well in the regular season are rewarded with a bye or a double-bye. The coaches don’t like the double-bye — they voted 16–0 last summer to get rid of it — but I think it is the best format for a 16-team tournament.

Braden: See answer to No. 3.

Nathan: I’m still thrown off by the fact that Big East basketball deserves one-third of the at-large bids in the NCAA Tournament, but Big East football (arguably) doesn’t deserve even one berth in the BCS bowls (Connecticut lost to Oklahoma, 48–20, in the Fiesta Bowl this year, FYI). Honestly, I’m fine with it. The more Madison Square Garden, the better. Double-byes, sure. Six overtimes (see: Connecticut over Syracuse, 127–117, in 2009), even better. Bring it, Big East.

5. Name a player on an automatic qualifier that you are looking forward to watching in the NCAA Tournament (and don't say Kenneth Faried of Morehead State).

Mitch: Wofford’s undersized power forward Noah Dahlman is fun to watch. The brother of former Michigan State Spartan Isaiah Dahlman is averaging 20.0 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting over 60 percent from the floor. Last year, Wofford gave Wisconsin a scare in the first round before losing 53–49, but Dahlman only scored 10 points. He will no doubt be eager to be a bigger factor this time around.

Braden: I am excited to see Nashville’s own Belmont, and its 30 wins, get a shot to knock someone off in the first round. However, with 11 players averaging double-figure minutes, it’s tough to single out one player. Indiana State’s Jake Odum, a freshman from Terre Haute, Ind., has earned the ball-handling duties in the second half of the year for the Sycamores. He is averaging nearly 12 points over the last 11 games and is leading the team in assists — with a very sound 2.2 assist-to-turnover ratio. He also plays the baseline in the ISU zone defense — which is impressive for a point guard.

Nathan: I’m looking forward to watching Oakland’s 6’11” NBA first-round prospect Keith Benson — who goes for 17.7 points, 10 rebounds and 3.7 “get that outta heres” on an average night.

By Mitch Light

ACC TOURNAMENT

Favorite — North Carolina

The Tar Heels have been one of the hottest teams in the nation over the past month. This team doesn’t shoot it well from the outside (league-low .292 from three in ACC games), but there are few other weaknesses. Since Kendall Marshall was inserted as the starting point guard, North Carolina is 12–1, with the only loss coming at Duke.

Dark horse — Clemson

The Tigers, the No. 4 seed, closed the regular season with three wins in their last four games, and they played well against North Carolina — their likely opponent in the semifinals — during the regular season, losing by two at home and by 10 in Chapel Hill.

Prediction — North Carolina

Roy Williams’ club is playing just about as well as any team in the nation.

BIG 12 TOURNAMENT

Favorite — Kansas

The Jayhawks claimed their seventh straight Big 12 regular-season title by beating Missouri 70–66 in Columbia on Saturday. Kansas has been remarkably efficient on the offensive end — KU shot over 50 percent as a team and over 40 percent from three in Big 12 games — and also ranks near the top of the league in field goal defense and rebounding.

Dark horse — Kansas State

The Wildcats played their way off the NCAA Tournament bubble in the final three weeks of the season by winning their final six, highlighted by an 18-point win over then-No. 1 Kansas and a 75–70 win at Texas. Guard Jacob Pullen has averaged 25.5 points during K-State’s winning streak.

Predicted winner — Texas

The Horns showed some toughness in the win at Baylor Saturday night. This team has a ton of talent.

BIG EAST TOURNAMENT

Favorite — Pittsburgh

The Panthers won the Big East title playing Pittsburgh basketball — great defense (league opponents shot 38.7 percent), rebounding (league-best plus-7.2 margin) and efficient offense (46.4 percent shooting, third-best in the Big East). The Panthers went 9–2 in the Big East Tournament from 2006-08 but have lost their first game in each of the past two seasons.

Dark horse — St. John’s

The Red Storm won seven of their last eight games overall and for the season went 7–1 at Madison Square Garden (5–1 in Big East games). Steve Lavin’s club has the necessary experience and depth to win four games in four days.

Predicted winner — Louisville

Since Jan. 12, the third-seeded Cards are 10–5, with four of the five losses by five points or less or in OT.

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT

Favorite — Ohio State

The Buckeyes are playing great basketball at the right time of the year, winning their final four games by an average of 22.3 points. During this stretch, Ohio State is shooting an astounding 57.0 percent (41-of-72) from 3-point range.

Dark horse — Michigan

The Wolverines like to shoot from long range, but they aren’t as reliant on the 3-point shot as you might think. They averaged 8.6 made threes in their nine Big Ten wins and 7.5 made threes in their nine league losses.

Predicted winner — Ohio State

The Buckeyes are the best team. No need to overthink this one.

PAC-10 TOURNAMENT

Favorite — Arizona

Sean Miller captured the Pac-10 title in his second season as the boss in Tucson, leading the Wildcats to a 14–4 record in league play. Arizona endured a mini-slump late in the year, losing back-to-back games at USC and UCLA, but bounced back to beat both Oregon schools at home in the final weekend of the season.

Dark horse — USC

The Trojans played very well down the stretch, winning five of their final six games, including three on the road. Junior Nikola Vucevic is one of the nation’s most underrated players. He averaged 19.4 points and 10.8 boards in 18 league games.

Predicted winner — UCLA

The Bruins very quietly played solid basketball in the final two months of the season, losing only three games (at Arizona, at Cal in overtime and at Washington) since Jan. 9.

SEC TOURNAMENT

Favorite — Florida

The Gators went wire-to-wire in the wide-open SEC East and clinched the outright title by winning at Vanderbilt on the final weekend of the season. Florida won the close games early in the SEC season — three in overtime, three others by six points or less — but asserted their dominance late in the year.

Dark horse — Mississippi State

The enigmatic Bulldogs were good enough to beat Florida and win at Tennessee yet also lost at home to LSU and blew a 19-point second half lead at Auburn. Any team with Dee Bost, Ravern Johnson and Renardo Sidney is capable of winning three games in three days — or losing by 20 points in its first game.

Predicted winner — Florida

The Gators, who can put five scorers on the court at once, are hard to guard in the half court. Chandler Parsons, now healthy, is playing extremely well.

By Ken Davis

We thought about a nationally televised awards show to pass out our trophies for the 2010-11 college basketball. But the idea ran into several problems.

We believe in second chances, so we asked James Franco to be our host. Figured he could redeem himself for such a lousy outing at the Oscars. Franco just grunted and squinted when we asked. No one could tell if he was awake or not. Ann Hathaway seemed interested until we told her there would be no musical numbers. Billy Crystal had a conflict with spring training with the Yankees.

All the great arenas, like Madison Square Garden and the Staples Center, were booked. Seems most of them are hosting conference tournaments. We wanted Jimmer Fredette to pose for the statue trophy all winners would receive. But the BYU code of honor prevented that.

BYU wouldn’t even let us use the term “Jimmers,” and you’ve got to have a catch name for your awards. So we gave up and decided to keep it simple. With that in mind, ladies and gentlemen, we present the 2011 Athlon Awards for excellence in college basketball.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Not sure we will ever see another battle quite like this one. Connecticut’s Kemba Walker had a field day in Maui, then remained hot until he ran into the zones and other frustration of the Big East Conference. Ohio State freshman Jared Sullinger garnered quite a bit of support until JuJuan Johnson of Purdue became the Big Ten’s hottest player. Duke’s Nolan Smith rescued the Blue Devils with his play and became a very worthy candidate. Marcus Morris of Kansas deserved more consideration than he received, just based on his consistency.

But in the end, it was BYU’s Jimmer Fredette emerging as the top player and the overwhelming favorite to win. Fredette is a senior with a sweet shooting touch, playing for a top-10 team that finally got some national exposure. His numbers are as impressive as his shooting stroke. He averages 27.9 points, 4.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and shoots over 40 percent from 3-point land.

Fredette really picked up momentum with 39 points at UNLV and 47 at Utah. Then it was 42 at Colorado State and 43 against San Diego State. By the time he played 40 minutes and scored 25 in the second win over San Diego State, he was a lock for POY honors. Everyone would like to see him play a little more defense. And there are a lot of questions surrounding BYU without suspended big man Brandon Davies for the NCAA Tournament.

But 2010-11 will likely be remembered as the Year of the Jimmer.

COACH OF THE YEAR
Last week’s notebook broke down the race for Coach of the Year. In the end, strong cases could be built for Dave Rose of BYU, Matt Painter of Purdue, Bill Self of Kansas, Pitt’s Jamie Dixon, or Thad Matta at Ohio State. But we are going with Mike Brey of Notre Dame.

The Irish are playing some of the best ball in the nation. Notre Dame goes into the Big East tournament with wins in 11 of the last 12 games. That’s a remarkable stretch in a conference that can chew you up and spit you out. Notre Dame closed the regular season with a home win over Villanova and a road victory at UConn. The Irish are 25-5 overall and 14-4 in the Big East — with a win at first-place Pittsburgh.

The Irish could go deep in the NCAA Tournament.

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Ohio State freshman Jared Sullinger didn’t need an adjustment period. He started his college career with two straight double-doubles and ended his freshman regular season with 22 points in a 93-65 victory over Wisconsin Sunday. When the Buckeyes lost at Wisconsin earlier in the season, Sullinger accused a Badgers fan of spitting in his face as he left the floor. So he told many people he wanted to beat Wisconsin by 50 in the regular-season finale. He almost made it. “That first loss in college, I didn’t take that too lightly,” Sullinger told the Associated Press Sunday. “I wanted to win, and I wanted to win big, too.”

Sullinger’s first year was made easier by all the experience around him at Ohio State. He averaged 17.3 points, 9.7 rebounds. He had 14 double-doubles. And the best may still be ahead.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
As a team, Syracuse ranks second in the nation in blocked shots with 208. Leading the Syracuse block party is senior Rick Jackson, who has 77 on his own stat line. Add in 38 steals and 224 defensive rebounds (out of 332 total) and the 6-9 senior from Philadelphia gets our nod as Defensive Player of the Year.

Orange fans simply know him as the anchor to Jim Boeheim’s 2-3 zone defense. The zone may not be as good as it was last season, but it’s still a big weapon, especially when Syracuse reaches the NCAA Tournament. Jackson made steady progress at Syracuse and got off to a tremendous start this season. He will say goodbye as just the fifth player in Syracuse history to reach 1,000 points, 800 rebounds and 200 blocks. The others? Roosevelt Bouie, Rony Seikaly, Derrick Coleman and John Wallace.

Boeheim says Jackson is the best “two-way player in the league when you look at defense and offense.”

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Rick Jackson was an early candidate for this award too. But we are going with Jordan Hamilton of Texas. After last season’s disastrous finish, the Longhorns needed someone to create a new mentality and a new energy within the program. Hamilton, along with freshman Tristan Thompson, set the example and set the tone. And that’s a big deal for someone like Hamilton, who actually had a selfish streak as a freshman. He often found himself sitting on the bench, searching everywhere for some confidence.

That has really changed.

Hamilton, a sophomore swingman from Los Angeles, arrived with high expectations as a freshman. His production (10.0 points, 3.7 rebounds) certainly wasn’t bad. But this year he raised those average to 18.5 and 7.6. His minutes increased from 19.9 to 32.0, his assist average went up from 1.5 to 2.2, and his 3-point percentage elevated from 36.5 to 39.8. He helped Texas rediscover the team concept.

The numbers don’t tell the whole story. Hamilton has shown so much improvement in shot selection, and his maturity has been a key to Texas’ success. Hamilton has played so well many people believe he is ready for the NBA.

Dwight Hardy of St. John’s wasn’t far behind Hamilton for this award. What he did for the Red Storm in Big East play was extraordinary.

BEST CONFERENCE
No brainer. Big East. The league likely will send 11 teams to the NCAA Tournament. End of argument.

PROJECTED TOP SEEDS
Ohio State (East), Kansas (Southwest), Pittsburgh (Southeast), Notre Dame (West).

The Buckeyes and Jayhawks are as close to a lock as you can get. Pitt really should be one of the other two. If Notre Dame gets to the championship game of the Big East Tournament, that would be a very strong resume. Duke, Purdue or North Carolina could sneak up onto the No. 1 line, but BYU may be out of the picture without Davies.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES OF THE WEEK

Monday, March 7
Colonial, Metro Atlantic, West Coast, Southern

Tuesday, March 8
Sun Belt, Horizon, Summit

Wednesday, March 9
Northeast, Big Sky

Friday, March 11
Patriot

Saturday, March 12
Conference USA, America East, Mid-Eastern, Southland, Big 12, Mid American, Big West, Mountain West, Southwestern Athletic, Western Athletic, Pac-10

Sunday, March 13
Atlantic Coast, Southeastern, Atlantic 10, Big Ten

THEY SAID IT

“I'm really proud of our guys because three weeks ago we had no chance. Certainly what these guys have done is pretty remarkable. You don't get banners hung for that in Allen Fieldhouse, but it's a pretty cool deal and certainly, hopefully will springboard us into a good postseason.” — Kansas coach Bill Self, after the Jayhawks wrapped up their seventh consecutive Big 12 title.

“I love all my teammates and I was just thrilled for them to go out and get it done. It means a lot for me.” — Notre Dame’s Ben Hansbrough, after he fouled out with eight minutes left but the Irish still defeated Connecticut 70-67.

“It’s been a wonderful year, so far.” — North Carolina coach Roy Williams, after an 81-67 victory over Duke that gave the Tar Heels the ACC regular-season title.

“They played harder than us. It sucks to say that at this point in the year, but they really did. It’s just how we respond to it. It could be a blessing in disguise.” — Purdue’s JuJuan Johnson after the Boilermakers were upset 67-65 at Iowa.

“I can’t imagine it being any better anyplace else.” — Arizona coach Sean Miller after the Wildcats defeated Oregon 90-82 to win the outright Pac-10 title.

“I just left a locker room of a team in tears. That is not a 11-20 locker room. That is a 20-11 locker room.” — Hartford coach John Gallagher, after the Hawks season ended with a 55-49 loss to Boston University in the semifinals of the America East tournament.

NOTES

Major Bids
It’s been obvious for months that this NCAA Tournament would be dominated by the so-called BCS conferences. But consider this: If the Big 12 manages to get six teams in the field, it’s possible that 29 of the teams could represent the Big East, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12.

Buckeyes for 3
Ohio State set Division I records by hitting 14 3-pointers in a row and 14-of-15 overall Sunday against Wisconsin. Jon Diebler, also known as “3-bler” had the only miss. But he went 7-of-8 and scored 27 points. “I apologize for missing that one,” Diebler said. “Fourteen of 15? I don’t think people do that very often,” Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said. “Either that, or I’m living in the wrong part of the country.” It certainly gives Ohio State’s future NCAA opponents a lot to think about.

A Bid for the Buffs
Here’s one vote for Colorado making the NCAA field: The Buffaloes have five wins over top-50 RPI teams, including a win at Kansas State. First-year coach Tad Boyle has done a fantastic job energizing this program. Alec Burks, Cory Higgins and Levi Knutson deserve a chance to dance.

Battle in the America East
The America East championship game Saturday will be worth watching. No. 5 seed Stony Brook will play at No. 2 Boston University. BU is on a 10-game winning streak and features conference Player of the Year John Holland. Stony Brook was favored to win the conference but had a slew of injuries. Coach Steve Pikiell, the former UConn standout, lost his best player, Tommy Brenton, before the season even started. But the Seawolves overcame everything and knocked off regular-season champion Vermont 69-47 Sunday. This will be the first championship appearance ever for Stony Brook (15-16).

Nit Bound
These teams have qualified for the NIT: Vermont (America East), Murray State (Ohio Valley), Missouri State (Missouri Valley), Fairfield (MAAC), Florida Atlantic (Sun Belt), and Coastal Carolina (Big South).

Ken Davis is the author of Basketball Vault books covering the history of the University of Kansas and the University of Connecticut. Both are available through the publisher
(http://www.whitmanvaultbooks.com/) and autographed copies are available at Ken's web page (http://kendavis55.wordpress.com/).