Conference Tourneys, Day Two

Here are today's top ten games (by Ken Pom's Thrill Score).  As usual, the Cats are near the top.  (All times Central) (AP rankings in parentheses):

1.  (6) Alabama v. (15) Kentucky (SEC quarterfinals) (8:30 PM -- Ha!) (SEC Network)

2.  (9) Texas Tech v. Arizona (Big 12 semifinals) (8:30 PM) (ESPN 2)

3.  (11) Maryland v. Illinois (Big 10 quarterfinals) (5:30 PM) (Big Ten Network)

4.  U.C.L.A. v. (18) Wisconsin (Big 10 quarterfinals) (1:30 PM) (Big Ten Network)

5.  (13) Louisville v. (10) Clemson (ACC semifinals) (8:30 PM) (ESPN)

6.  Michigan v. (20) Purdue (Big 10 quarterfinals) (8 PM) (Big Ten Network)

7.  (4) Florida v. Missouri (SEC quarterfinals) (6 PM) (SEC Network)

8.  (6) St. John's v. Marquette (Big East semifinals) (5:30 PM) (FOX)

9.  Creighton v. Connecticut (Big East semifinals) (8 PM) (FOX)

10.  (7) Michigan St. v. Oregon (Big 10 quarterfinals) (11 AM) (Big Ten Network)

I'm pretty sure that yesterday's UK game didn't tip off until around 9:50 PM Central Time.  It was, of course, an unbelievable thriller, although the Cats have apparently lost Lamont Butler.  This season, there have been seven "A" level games in which Butler played less than 20 minutes.  Here's how they did in those games:

12/03/24:  at Clemson (LOST 66-70)

12/07/24:  Gonzaga (Seattle) (WON 90-89 in OT)

01/28/25:  at Tennessee (WON 78-73)

02/04/25:  at Mississippi (LOST 84-98)

02/15/25:  at Texas (LOST 78-82)

02/22/25:  at Alabama (LOST 83-96)

03/13/25:  Oklahoma (SEC Tournament) (Nashville) (WON 85-84)

So the Alabama game tonight will be a struggle.  But to be fair, it would be a struggle even if Butler were healthy.

Conference Tourneys

Today is when March Madness really begins.  Some of the big conferences are playing quarterfinals today; the SEC and the Big 10 are playing off their 5 seeds and above to see who gets to play in the quarterfinals tomorrow.  According to Ken Pom, here are the 10 best games of the day, according to Thrill Score (AP rankings in parentheses) (all times Central):

1.  Arizona v. Kansas (Big 12 quarters) (8:30 PM, ESPN)

2.  (17) Brigham Young v. (12) Iowa St. (Big 12 quarters) (11:30 AM, ESPN 2)

3.  Missouri v. Mississippi St. (SEC second round) (6 PM, SEC Network)

4.  (9) Texas Tech v. Baylor (Big 12 quarters) (6 PM, ESPN)

5.  (15) Kentucky v. Oklahoma (SEC second round) (8:30 PM, SEC Network)

6.  Mississippi v. Arkansas (SEC second round) (Noon, SEC Network)

7.  Oregon v. Indiana (Big 10 second round) (11 AM, Big Ten Network)

8.  Xavier v. Marquette (Big East quarters) (1:30 PM, Peacock)

9.  Connecticut v. Villanova (Big East quarters) (8:30 PM, Fox Sports 1)

10.  (14) Texas A & M v. Texas (SEC second round) (2:30 PM SEC Network)

30 Teams Left

Here are the results from last night's regional games:

SECOND REGION SEMIFINALS (at Madisonville-N. Hopkins H.S.):

Madisonville-N. Hopkins 73 - 69 Union Co.

Henderson Co. 59 - 55 Lyon Co. (OT)

THIRD REGION CHAMPIONSHIP (at Owensboro Sportscenter):

Daviess Co. 69 - 56 Grayson Co. 

FOURTH REGION QUARTERFINALS (at W. Kentucky):

Franklin-Simpson 46 - 57 Russell Co.

(14) Bowling Green 80 - 53 Glasgow

FIFTH REGION QUARTERFINALS (at Marion Co. H.S.):

N. Hardin 81 - 57 Bethlehem

(17) Green Co. 64 - 62 Taylor Co.

SIXTH REGION CHAMPIONSHIP (at Valley H.S.):

Lou. Butler 51 - 60 Lou. Jeffersontown

EIGHTH REGION QUARTERFINALS (at Henry Co. H.S.):

Simon Kenton 59 - 61 (11) S. Oldham

Henry Co. 59 - 64 Spencer Co. (2 OT)

NINTH REGION SEMIFINALS (at No. Kentucky):

(9) Cooper 59 - 54 (7) Cov. Catholic

Newport 40 - 41 (13) Erlanger Lloyd

The Ninth Region tournament is almost always one of the best tournaments of the year.

TENTH REGION QUARTERFINALS (at Montgomery Co. H.S.):

Nicholas Co. 73 - 66 Augusta

Campbell Co. 52 - 57 (20) Geo. Rogers Clark

ELEVENTH REGION CHAMPIONSHIP (at Lex. Paul Dunbar H.S.):

(2) Great Crossing 59 - 57 (3) Lex. Frederick Douglass

One of the games of the year in the Commonwealth.  Great Crossing had to beat the Number-5 Team in the State (Bryan Station) and the Number-3 Team (Frederick Douglass) to win the Region. 

TWELFTH REGION CHAMPIONSHIP (at Lincoln Co. H.S.):

Mercer Co. 36 - 39 (19) Danville Christian

FIFTEENTH REGION CHAMPIONSHIP (at Pike Co. Cent. H.S.):

Lawrence Co. 97 - 84 Martin Co.

Lawrence Co. went 19-9 in the regular season, and then lost 70-69 to Prestonsburg in the 58th District Semi-Finals.  In almost every year going back to the 1930's, that would have ended their season.  But the Fifteenth Region now plays a Super Region Tournament, in which every team in the region participates in the Regional.  So Lawrence Co. beat Johnson Cent. (94-82), beat Pikeville (68-67), beat Pike Co. Central (93-76) and beat Martin Co. (97-84) to punch their ticket to State.  They are the first school to win their regional without advancing to the finals of the district.

SIXTEENTH REGION CHAMPIONSHIP (at Morehead St.):

Boyd Co. 47 - 55 (8) Ashland Blazer

Now there won't be any more regional games until next Monday, as everyone gets to stay home and watch the Conference Tournaments.  Ten regions have been decided, and six others remain.  The draw for the Sweet 16 now looks like this:

Wednesday, March 26:

(8) Ashland Blazer v. (6) Calloway Co.

Region 4 v. Region 5

Region 8 v. (19) Danville Christian

Lou. Jeffersontown v. (1) Lou. St. Xavier

Thursday, March 27:

N. Laurel v. Breathitt Co.

Lawrence Co. v. Region 10

Daviess Co. v. (2) Great Crossing

Region 2 v. Region 9

48 Teams Left

OK, we're getting toward the end now.  Three more teams punch their trip to Rupp Arena, although this year's tournament is starting to look like a walkover for St. X.  But Barren County's win over Warren Central shows us, once again, that defeats are not always forever:

FOURTH REGION QUARTERFINALS (at W. Kentucky):

Barren Co. 58 - 44 (16) Warren Cent.

Clinton Co. 87 - 64 Logan Co.

SEVENTH REGION CHAMPIONSHIP (at Valley H.S.):

Lou. Trinity 44 - 59 (1) Lou. St. Xavier

Because the 7th Region is so deep, its tournament is usually won of the best of the year.  This year, St. X crushed everyone.  That is very rare.

EIGHTH REGION QUARTERFINALS (at Henry Co. H.S.):

(15) N. Oldham 73 - 45 Gallatin Co.

Anderson Co. 44 - 57 Walton-Verona

TENTH REGION QUARTERFINALS (at Montgomery Co. H.S.):

Montgomery Co. 87 - 25 Harrison Co.

Mason Co. 67 - 59 Bishop Brossart

TWELFTH REGION SEMIFINALS (at Lincoln Co. H.S.):

Pulaski Co. 49 - 53 Mercer Co.

Southwestern 46 - 47 (19) Danville Christian

They have now played six games in the 12th Region tournament.  Three went to double overtime.  The other three were decided by a total seven points.  This may be the greatest tournament in the history of basketball.

THIRTEENTH REGION CHAMPIONSHIP (at The Corbin Arena):

N. Laurel 49 - 44 (18) S. Laurel (OT)

FOURTEENTH REGION CHAMPIONSHIP (at Knott Co. Cent.):

Breathitt Co. 61 - 59 (12) Hazard

Hazard finishes the year with a record of 29-3, as did Marshall Co.

FIFTEENTH REGION SEMIFINALS (at Pike Co. Cent. H.S.):

Pike Co. Cent. 76 - 93 Lawrence Co.

Martin Co. 103 - 85 Floyd Cent.

SIXTEENTH REGION SEMIFINALS (at Morehead St.):

Russell 45 - 57 Boyd Co.

(8) Ashland Blazer 61 - 39 Rowan Co.

The following top 20 teams have been eliminated:

4.  Marshall Co. (lost to (6) Calloway Co. in Regional Championship)

5.  Lex. Bryan Station (lost to (2) Great Crossing in Regional Semifinals)

10.  Lou. Manual (lost to Lou. Trinity in Regional Semifinals)

12.  Hazard (lost to Breathitt Co. in Regional Championship)

16.  Warren Cent. (lost to Barren Co. in Regional Quarterfinals)

1978

Here's the American Top 40 from today in 1978: Saturday, March 11. Maybe we can squeeze this in before sitting down for some intriguing first-round NCAA-tournament action on Channel 6 this afternoon.

10 Mar 1978, Fri The Paducah Sun (Paducah, Kentucky) Newspapers.com

Hello again, and welcome to American Top 40. I'm Casey Kasem, and this is our weekly countdown of the 40 most popular songs in the country. Well, falling out of the survey this week are Randy Newman, Player, Foreigner, Odyssey and Rod Stewart, and moving into the Top 40 are debut hits by Rod Stewart, Enchantment, England Dan and John Ford Coley, Van Halen (a new group) and ELO. Let's get it started right here ...