Thursday, March 22, 2 p.m. ET

March Madness

A transcript follows.
Adam Kilgore: You're looking ..

. LIVE! at a Starbucks in San Antonio overlooking the Riverwalk.

I really wanted to find a cooler place to chat -- I strolled around the Alamo for a bit, which was cool -- but, alas, I couldn't find a Mexican joint that would let me plug my computer into an outlet. Plenty, plenty to chat about today. Hopefully Prisbell can pry himself away from Jerry Palm and/or A.

J. Graves long enough to answer a few questions. Onward.

Eric Prisbell: I'm on right now, but will be leaving in 5 minutes to talk to Butler people. This is a lot of fun out here, a good mix of teams. We have more guards in this region than any other region.

I'll be back in 30 minutes.
Ann Arbor, Mich.: Eric and Adam: Before the tournament started, the consensus was that the ACC was far and away the best conference this year while the Big-10 was among the worst of the majors.

They both ended up with only one team in the Sweet 16. Does that mean the pundits were correct about the Big-10, but way off on their ranking of the ACC?
Eric Prisbell: I expected maybe another surprise team from the ACC to reach the sweet 16.

Overall, though, the ACC was viewed as a balanced league with only one true national title contender. I think it has worked out like that.
I'm sitting courtside here watching AJ Graves shoot free throws.

Adam Kilgore: We're all jealous, Pris. I was surprised no ACC teams made the Sweet 16, but not too, too surprised. I thought one of the Virginia teams would make it, but Virginia ran into a really talented, really hot Tennessee team and the Hokies laid a dinosaur egg.

I honestly think if Atsur had been healthy all season, N.C. State might still be in the mix.

Even without Atsur, the Wolfpack will probably be preseason top 20 next year.
Upper Mayberry: Prisbell why do you show the Tar Heels so much shade? You have to admit that of all the teams remaining in the tournament they have the most scoring options and their defense isn't so bad either.

Eric Prisbell: They do, and the most talented teams usually win this thing. I've seen them a decent amount this year and at times they seemed like 12 different pieces, also very young. I like them, just not enough to pick them to reach the Final Four.

Adam Kilgore: I loved the Tar Heels once the ACC started, then soured because of toughness/experience/chemistry issues, but I think I may be coming around again. So much talent there, and the Heels may be finally jelling. There's no questioning their talent.

One problem with the Heels winning six straight is a lot of their game comes down to officiating -- how much leeway does Tyler Hansbrough get, on both ends? Can Brandan Wright make foul shots (which isn't exactly dependent on officiating, but related to it)? If they win it all, it will be because of Ty Lawson.

I'm starting to think, behind The Great Acie Law IV, Lawson is the best point guard left, and he's probably more of a pure point guard than anyone remaining.
Chicago: Where's Camille? In case The Post hasn't noticed, there is a D.

C. team in the Sweet 16.
Eric Prisbell: Good point.

Camille is in north Jersey right now surrounded by swamp land, the exact place I did not want to be.
I'm sitting at lunch with Jerry Palm.
Adam Kilgore: I think -- think -- Camille may be scheduled for a Georgetown chat tomorrow.

If not, she should be.
New Orleans: Hi Guys,
Can Georgetown get past Vanderbilt and on to the Elite 8? What are their chances of getting to the Final Four and who could they be matched against?

Enjoy the chat and your reporting as well. Keep it coming.
Eric Prisbell: Thanks for the question.

Georgetown has an excellent chance to be in Atlanta. Getting through UNC won't be easy, but G-town is playing well enough to beat just about anyone right now. Everyone in the region must have been happy when Kevin Durant was eliminated.

Adam Kilgore: Any team with two experienced lottery picks has a great shot to make the Final Four. It's about time Jeff Green becomes a real star; you don't always appreciate his stats, but you have to appreciate his game. The Hoyas have to be careful not to look ahead, but Hibbert-Hansbrough could be tremendous.

McLean: Why do you guys always write the following or something like it: George Mason is the first mid-major to reach the Final Four.
I can think of two off the top of my head: Utah in 1998 and Penn in 1979.
Eric Prisbell: Utah may have played in a mid-major conference, but they were kind of like Memphis is in that they had superior talent.

The same goes for 1996 Umass and some of those Temple teams from the early 1990s. Penn? Sure, but that's before the bracket expanded to 64.

Adam Kilgore: Yes, I think George Mason was more novel. The WAC in basketball may not be a power conference, but it's sort of in that in between. The CAA is a true mid-major.

Plus, Mason was an 11 seed.
Chicago: Tomorrow's only sports chat is on the Caps. Does this reflect The Post's level of interest in Georgetown basketball?

Adam Kilgore: Yes. Can't stand Georgetown here.
Obviously, that is a joke.

You may ask us all the Georgetown questions you'd like. Can someone tell me why Georgetown fans are so sensitive to the coverage their teams gets? Wilbon wrote an entire column proclaiming them to be the next national champion, Prisbell and I both picked them for the Final Four.

Camille always does a great job. Sorry for this rant.
Washington, D.

C.: GO AGGIES! Have fun in San Antonio -- hopefully most of College Station drove those three little hours to cheer on A M.

(And one can only hope that the Hoyas choke tomorrow night, so The Post can talk about something else!)
Adam Kilgore: The practice for the Aggies yesterday was unbelieveable; there were about 1,500 A M fans there, screaming almost the entire time. That will be like a home game, no question.

A M fans are insane, they'll show up in droves and be really loud.
Start System: Boy, the NCAA is looking even more like the NBA in terms of officiating. Not an Xavier fan or OSU hater, but I know an intentional foul when I see one.

I guess when the stars get the calls, TV wins, right?
Adam Kilgore: You're right, but I'm not sure that's what the official was thinking. Never know, though.

The dynamic of virtually ending the season biggest star left's season with a whistle, not a basket, could have come into play, on some level, when they were deciding on the call. Oden pretty much admitted after he was taking his frustration out on Cage.
Silver Spring, Md.

: Reports say McRoberts will leave Duke for NBA. What will that mean for Duke in the next season?
Eric Prisbell: Duke should be very good regardless of whether McRoberts comes back or not.

Singler is an excellent player, Taylor King is a great pure shooter and Nolan Smith with help at guard. They'll be better than this season.
Adam Kilgore: Prisbell knows more about the recruiting than me, but I've heard the Nolan Smith kid is outstanding.

They'd be better off if McRoberts left. He's a petulant brat who behaves as if the college game is below him and he can't play a lick of defense. (And yes, I know he scored, what, 28 points against VCU.

Still.) Also, I can't see how he would make a good pro. He lost himself a lot of money by not just declaring out of high school.

20010: Can someone tell me why Georgetown fans are so sensitive to the coverage their teams gets?
I have found that all local college sports fans are sensitive about the coverage their team gets. Have you ever read the college football chats?

Its constant complaints from UVA and UMD fans that VTech gets too much coverage, WVU fans saying they are closer to DC than Blacksburg and deserve coverage.
I think the whining is just emblematic of many many college sports programs in the area. Every one wants the most coverage, and there is a conspiracy behind everything.

For full disclosure, I am a Gtown fan, but not an alum.
Adam Kilgore: Thanks for the post. You're right about the football chats; one friendly chatter once e-mailed Prisbell detailed maps of distances from the Post to schools.

Washington, D.C.: As I see it, there is little doubt that UCLA is the most overrated team left in the tournament (and maybe of the original 65).

They beat Indiana only because the officials called a nonexistent foul against the Hoosiers, and were lucky to beat USC in the regular season. How did they get a two seed, and by how much will Pitt beat them?
Eric Prisbell: UCLA is very balanced and capable of winning the entire tournament.

I have Kansas beating them, but that game scares me.
Adam Kilgore: Not so fast on the UCLA bashing. The Bruins were the class of the Pac 10, and that league has been the best conference so far.

I mean, they went to the title game last season. They have the second-best defense left behind UCLA. Collison is a great point guard and Afflalo is an All-American.

UCLA is far superior to Pitt, but Kansas should get by them in a great game.
Oakton, Va.: Now that Steinberg has a TV show, does that mean you guys have to be nice to him now so you can be on the show?

Eric Prisbell: We're supposed to be on that show as well, from time to time. Imagine that.
Adam Kilgore: I might be mean to Steinberg so I don't have to go on.

90 minutes is a long time, probably too long for D.C. to be wincing at my mug.

I think we get paid, though, so maybe I should send him some new baby clothes for Ida or something ...

Kingstowne, Va.: The sensitivity really comes from Georgetown not getting a beat writer covering them in the first two rounds, especially considering that they were considered to be the team with the best chance to go all the way.
The fact that Georgetown is very small compared to the massive ACC schools with whom the Hoyas compete for space also doesn't help.

Plus, the Hoya community has an animosity toward John Feinstein, who seems to write on a variety of teams to the exception of Georgetown.
But we know you guys love us.
Adam Kilgore: Camille Powell is the beat writer, and she was with with them for the first two rounds, and she's been with them all season.

You should read her story on Jeff Green and Jared Dudly from the day of the BC game, it was a fine piece.
There was a columnist with the Hoyas at the Big East tournament, and there will be one, maybe two, I think, with them in East Rutherford.
WVU Alum: If I send an NIT question, will you guys post it?

Adam Kilgore: Absolutely. Do you want to ask about Akron getting snubbed? Or Syracuse drawing a 2 seed so it had to go to Clemson, where it was pasted last night?

Rock Chalk Jayhawks!: So, in your humble opinions, what are the Jayhawks' greatest obstacles in getting to Atlanta? I saw them in Chicago on Sunday and thought they had a tough time driving to the basket in traffic.

Otherwise, they were quick and quite impressive.
Adam Kilgore: First, they're in for two dog fights against SIU and, most likely UCLA. The Jayhawks have what will likely be the toughest road to the title game.

SIU and UCLA are the two best, fiercest defenses remaining, and if they can get through that gauntlet, they get Florida in the semifinal in what should be the game of tournament.
Seedings: Does the dearth of major upsets mean - GAK!- that the committee guessed right?

Adam Kilgore: That's one way to look at it, but I wouldn't say a lot of upsets would necessarily mean the comittee guessed wrong. They're upsets for a reason, you know?
Eric Prisbell: Maybe the committee did get it right this year.

it makes for more boring of a tourney, though.
Southern Illinois: Who are you saying has the best defense still in the tournament? From my point of view that would be the Salukis (and yes, I'm one of those people who thinks my team is too often overlooked/ignored).

Adam Kilgore: Yes, I was saying the Salukis had the best defense. Sorry if that was unclear.
NCAA free throws: Yeah, free throws were the story of the upsets to be that never closed the deal.

It'll be interesting to see what happens to Memphis if they get into a tight duel down the stretch.
My most glaring missing NCAA free throw? How about Bo Kimble of Loyola Marymount shooting left handed in honor of Hank Gathers?

Now THAT is memorable! I had Rumeal Robinson as #2..

.
Adam Kilgore: Yeah, you can't beat the Bo Kimble free throw. That's one of best tournament, basketball, or sports moments, period.

How about any of Miles Simon's overtime free throws against Kentucky, when Arizona upset UK without scoring a basket in overtime and making 10 free throws? Anybody else have good free throw moments?
Eric Prisbell: I'd go with Bo.

Washington, D.C.: I'm pleasantly surprised by how well my alma mater, USC, has fared in the tournament since we're, ya know, generally not a basketball school.

That said, are we about to be toast?
Adam Kilgore: Yeah, probably. But Tim Floyd coached the pants off Rick Barnes, maybe he can do it again to Roy Williams, who has certainly been prone to tourney brian cramps in the past.

I don't think the Trojans have the front court, though, and the Heels will probably win by about a dozen. But, Flord is one of the best game coaches.
Eric Prisbell: Floyd will get it done at USC.

They have a player coming next year you may have heard of in OJ Mayo.
Rockville, Md.: Terps lose a lot of front-line players next year.

How good will they be next year?
Eric Prisbell: Terps still have Gist, who improved a lot this year, and Osby. Terps will still be in the mix for a tourney berth.

I'm watching UNLV practice now. No sign of the tark.
Adam Kilgore: Yeah, they're in great hands with Vasquez and Hayes.

It will be fun watching them mature over these next few seasons. Osby could be a beast. Well, he's already a beast, but he could become more of a scorer.

Herndon, Va.: Reynolds' ankle sprain a tough break for the 'Hoos..

.apparently he would have had to miss the game against OSU if we'd won on Sunday. If he didn't twist that ankle, we beat UT going away.

Anyway, how do you see the ACC breaking down next year? I hear that Wright and Lawson are NBA-bound..

.what about GT's kids? That could affect those teams' prospects.

..although UNC should be preseason No.

1 regardless.
Adam Kilgore: Yes, you're correct, J.R.

Reynolds would not have played this weekend. Dave Leitao said his ankle swelled to three times the normal size, which says something about Reynolds considering he limped and gutted through almost the whole second half.
It's so hard to say right now, considering we don't yet know who's leaving and who's coming back.

I think N.C. State will be an upper crust team.

As for the Virginia schools, I think Virginia will continue its upward arc. This kid Jeff Jones (not the American Coach/Former UVA coach) will probably replace Reynolds and probably give 12 points a game. Jamil Tucker and Will Harris will both contribute more, and both are capable of being inside-outside scorers.

And of course, Sean Singletary will be a national player of the year candidate.
It's going to be very tough for Virginia Tech to replace Gordon and Dowdell in terms of intangibles, but Nigel Munson is certainly a capable point guard. Jeff Allen will be probably be the two as a freshman, and he's one Tech's best recruits ever.

The faces of the team will be Deron Washington and A.D. Vassallo.

Lewis Witcher will give good inside prescence, along with Cheick Diakite.
Hoop Heaven!: Everyone is disappointed there is no true Cinderella this year.

I do not get it, I think this reflects the proper respect given to the Butlers and S. Illinois. I love basketball!

The beauty of the NCAA tournament is it is all about the game and competition. As a true fan of the sport, it upsets me when so many people do not respect the sport itself, not just the game, but appreciate the nuances of the sport like real soccer/hockey/Nascar fans. We concentrate on stars (as in the NBA) and romantic stories like Cinderella/George Mason.

As an 1989 applicant to GMU, I rode the wave too, almost cried when I saw the story on the VCU kids cause it mirrored me. So I understand that part. But the NCAA is the best competition we have in major American sports.

Despite football being king, this tournament beats the NFL playoffs. Even the NIT games seem to have stepped it up a notch or two this year. I watch the women's game and see the same dedication and desire too.

My team lost, but I am leaving work early today to watch the Sweet 16, and my wife knows Daddy's in the TV room tonight and tomorrow and Saturday and Sunday! Am I on an island here?
Eric Prisbell: You may be on an island, but my wife makes me sleep on the couch during march.

rough month.
Adam Kilgore: One happy fan here, folks. And where do you work?

The games don't start until like 7. Burning the midnight oil?
Terpville: Still in shock.

Too painful to think about the games. Any hope for the future? Even if we don't land Jai Lucas?

Eric Prisbell: Vasquez and Hayes make for a good foundation. Terps will be back.
Chantilly, Va.

: so, what are the chances SIU takes down Kansas or Tennessee does the same to OSU?
Adam Kilgore: I'd say Tennessee has a better chance to beat Ohio State, because they have the shooters. SIU-Kansas is a really underrated matchup, I think; I'm looking forward to it more than any other game.

How is Kansas going to score 70 on that defense? This is the best defense left (UCLA may disagree) against the best offense left (UNC may disagree). Also, Jamaal Tatum is poised to become a star.

Love that guy's game.
Eric Prisbell: Both could happen. I'm worried about Kansas because S.

Illinois can play defense with the best of them. This is a dangerous game. OSU should have lost in the second round.

Oakton, Va.: Eric and Adam,
Vandy grad here. I can't find a single sportswriter/pundit that gives Vandy a chance to win.

Are you going with the flow or would you like to throw out a bone to the 'Dores fans.
Adam Kilgore: Right team, wrong opponent. Georgetown should be able to grind them down in the front court, but then again, any team that beat Florida can compete with any front court.

It should be a close game -- Georgetown doesn't really blow teams away, and the 'Dores have the talent to keep it close, but the Hoyas' offensive execution and rebounding should seperate them down the stretch.
Toronto, Ontario: Gentlemen,
In your expert opinion, what would you call your "most likely" and "least likely" scenarios for which teams will go to the Final Four, based on who is left? Or, is it pretty much anyone's guess as to who will survive the weekend?

Adam Kilgore: I'm going to most likely is the Final Four I picked at the beginning: Florida, Kansas, Texas A M and Georgetown, although you could probably replace A M with Ohio State.
The least likely: No. 4 Southern Illinois, No.

5 Tennessee, No. 5 Butler (not No. 7 UNLV) and No.

5 USC (not No. 6 Vanderbilt). By the way, just realized we've got three five seeds left.

Not a good year for that 5-12 curse; no 12 seeds won, either.
Eric Prisbell: At this point in the tournament, the favorites usually win, for the most part. Well, we're left with favorites anyway, so it should make for competitive games.

All No. 1s could make it. I had Texas A M, G-town and Kansas in the summer, so I like them now, along with the Gators.

Arlington, Va.: Actually the best point guard left in the NCAAs, and certainly the best of the locals, is Kimberley Beck of the GW women's Colonials. They played a more rigorous schedule this year and might do reasonably well against North Carolina.

Adam Kilgore: True that. Latta-Beck is absolutely TiVo material. I'm surprised we've had no Marist Red Fox questions so far, that's the story of the tournament.

Georgetwon: It's a disappointing tourney for the ACC so far, but would you two call it a disaster?
No one really got blown out except for the Hokies, who had won their first-round game.
Is there another conference that's been affirmatively humiliated?

Eric Prisbell: The only thing I call a disaster is Kilgore at 5:15 a.m. looking for a taxi outside of Denny's.

Adam Kilgore: That's not so much a disaster as it is an inevitabilty.
USC: Coaching the pants off Rick Barnes is like outtrading Isiah Thomas.
'08: OJ Mayo leads USC to the Final Four.

'13: USC comes off the Death Penalty and applies for membership in the Big West.
Adam Kilgore:'08: O.J.

Mayo sits out season to play overseas and bide his time. Just a guess.
Eric Prisbell: brandon jennings is going to USC in the fall of 2008, right?

He is very fun to watch and has an Iverson-type flair to his game. He may help USC more than Mayo does. Maybe.

Arlington, Va.: Ohio State nearly lost to Xavier. Can Tennessee take them down?

Adam Kilgore: I think Tennessee has already proved it can beat Ohio State, since it lost by two in Columbus in January. Oden was still using just one hand that game, but he scored 24 points, so what else can he do, anyway? Here's a really interesting note: Tennessee has not lost to any team this season it has played twice in the second meeting.

Pearl definitely has the brain to pull it off.
If the Volunteers win, it will be because Chris Lofton goes off and Wayne Chism affects Oden's defense. Chism's a center, so he could pull Oden outside with his shooting.

If Matta switches to a zone so Oden can patrol the middle, huzzah for the Vols, because they have the shooters to attack a zone. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this dynamic plays out; Matta could always just have Oden guard whoever's inside -- like 6-4 power forward Dane Bradshaw -- and stick his power forward on Chism.
Alexandria, Va.

: Not tourney related, but I'll ask anyway...

What's your take on Iowa's Steve Alford leaving for New Mexico? (and does he get to take the newly purchased domain names with him?)
Adam Kilgore: I get the feeling that Iowa won't be too sad to lose him.

It seems like that program needs a fresh start. It should be good for New Mexico, because he's probably going to be the biggest coaching name in that conference, along with Reggie Theus.
Alexandria, Va.

: To Mr. Wilbon and the other Georgetown acolytes: teams who find themselves losing by eight to Boston College in the 2nd half do not make Final Fours. Period.

Beating a poorly coached, untalented team means nothing. That's like a Notre Dame or Michigan praising itself for its gut check in coming back from three touchdowns down to beat Akron.
Adam Kilgore: So Boston College is the Akron of college basketball football?

Don't know about that. BC had one of the best five players in the nation and an emerging star in Tyrese Rice. Every tournament game is a grind at this point, and every win is to be celebrated.

Washington, D.C.: I know most (if not all) of your questions will be about the men's tourney, but do the amazing GW women have any shot again UNC this year to repeat the glory of 1997?

Does the selection committee set things like that up intentionally or is it all just coincidence?
Adam Kilgore: Ah, good point with the 1997 connection. I saw UNC play this season at Carmichael and their frontcourt is going to be tough; they might overpower GW on the boards.

But GW definitely has the karma and the coaching.
Arlington, Va.: So what do you think of Butler's chances of defeating Florida?

Adam Kilgore: Bad. In Newspeak, superdoubleungood. Butler's tallest player, Brandon Crone, is 6-7.

I'm still shocked the Bulldogs were able to overcome Maryland's size, so maybe they do have a fighting chance. Of course, as good as Gist and Ibekwe are, Florida's advantage should be about five times great. I've had the Gators all year, and it seems as if they're really turning it on.

A Florida-Kansas semifinal ...

my God. When is the last time there was that much talent on one college court? There's something to think about; I bet Prisbell will have a good entry.

Eric Prisbell: I just got done talking with Graves and Mike Green and the butler team. Some of the guys said walking into the dome here felt like they were in the actual Hoosiers movie.
I don't see how Butler can win.

The mismatch down low is significant. But it will be fun to watch.
Gaithersburg, Md.

: The committee finally gave some respect to mid-majors. So SIU isn't a No. 10 upsetting other teams.

Eric Prisbell: SIU can play with anyone. They had 8 or 9 of their players back from last year. this is not unexpected at all.

Adam Kilgore: Yes, a good point is that the respect the mid-majors have earned in recent will mean less high-seeded great teams making runs in the tourney and more correctly-seeded great teams from smaller conferences making deep runs.
Washington, D.C.

: Is there really that much fouling going on anytime someone goes strong to the basket? I mean, go to the middle these days and we're like Pavlov's dogs -- we expect immediately to hear that whistle.
Adam Kilgore: I was chatting with Greg Oden's high school coach about this other day, and we both actually had a different take than you, Washington.

First, officiating has been largely dreadful this season. Second, I think it's because lots of times, you can get away with murder in the post, but there are a lot of ticky-tack type fouls on the perimeter. And then there are some blown calls that affect the end of games, like the Oden shove and the Strawberry charge.

Adam Kilgore: By the way, I don't think Pavlov's dogs expected to hear whistles. They just ran to a dish when they heard the whistle, expecting food to be there. But points for effort.

Eric Prisbell: Glad we got the thing about the dogs cleared up.
Washington, D.C.

: What does Georgetown need to do to get a dedicated columnist from The Post to cover their games?
Eric Prisbell: I don't understand the question. Jerry Palm has another job.

Adam Kilgore: This is why Prisbell has to sleep on the couch -- his Jerry Palm fixation makes for very uncomfortable across-the-pillow talk.
Washington, D.C.

: Any chance you guys could give some of the latest gossip on where some of the latest unsigned local highs chool players are headed? Any that might be staying local at UMCP/GTown/GMU/GW/etc.?

Thanks
Eric Prisbell: Mr. Carig is the expert on the scout.com recruiting buzz from here to reno.

Adam Kilgore: Yep, sorry. Hate recrutiting. Let's wait until the tourney is over.

Adam Kilgore: Thanks as always for the great questions. And today we actually got to them all -- none of which came from my mother. I think she had a full day of substitute teaching, so I'll give her a pass.

This time.
So long. Enjoy those Georgetown columns this weekend!

Eric Prisbell: Thanks everyone. I've got a story to write and Kilgore has Oden to hang out with. Check back next week for Final Four talk.

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