Seattle Sportsnet

Based in Morgantown, W.V., West Virginia University is a public research institution with nearly 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

Their mascot is the “Mountaineer,” and the basketball program is a member of the 16-team Big East Conference, where they have been employed since 1996. Prior to their good standing with the Big East, the Mountaineers called the following conferences home: the Atlantic-10 (1983-1995), the Eastern 8 (1978-1982), the Eastern Continental Basketball League (1977), the Southern (1951-1968), and the Eastern Intercollegiate Conference (1933-1939). From 1904-1932, 1940-1950, and 1969-1976, West Virginia was not affiliated with any one conference.

West Virginia has an illustrious history in NCAA Tournament play. Dating back to 1955, the Mountaineers have made the NCAA Tournament 23 times. Their best finish came in 1959, when a team led by future NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West made the NCAA Championship game and lost to the University of California. No other West Virginia team has ever made the Final Four, and only one squad — the 2005 edition, led by head coach John Beilein — has advanced beyond the Sweet 16.

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West Virginia starting point guard Darryl Bryant broke his foot in the Mountaineers’ practice this afternoon. He will miss Thursday’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game against Washington, and is out for the remainder of the season.

Bryant, a 6’2″ sophomore, averaged 9.3 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game this season for West Virginia.

Replacing him in the starting lineup will most likely be junior guard Joe Mazzulla. The 6’2″ Mazzulla has averaged 2.2 points, 2.3 assists, and 1.8 rebounds per game this year.

A few weeks ago, I wrote this article on Isaiah Thomas, likening him to one Stacy Patton, a fictional NBA player from the movie Eddie with a bad reputation.

Since that article was published, much has been made of the comparison between Thomas and Patton.

For one, Isaiah, himself, has responded to the name-calling. The article has been the subject of radio discussion, for another. And as a whole, it has created a whirlwind of discussion and controversy on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

But to Isaiah’s credit, he has done everything humanly possible to shed the ill-fated nickname from his persona. And in nine games since that article first appeared in print, Isaiah has returned to the good graces of myself, and all other Husky fans alike.

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The newest Husky fan page on Facebook isn’t devoted to any members of the University of Washington student body, nor any sports teams, nor anything to do with the school at all. In fact, the newest Facebook page for Dawg fans is entitled, simply, Darington Hobson.

Hobson, the star of the New Mexico basketball program, is Public Enemy No. 1 for Husky fans this week after he slandered the Washington basketball team following Saturday’s NCAA Tournament game between the two ballclubs. After the Huskies handily dispatched the Lobos, Hobson was quoted as saying that the Dawgs “played the best game of their life tonight” and “[are] not even that good.” Whoops.

Since then, Hobson’s tiny page (which had roughly 200 members on Saturday) has ballooned (relatively) to 258 fans over the past 48 hours. The page wall has turned into a Husky fan forum, with purple-and-gold faithful ripping Hobson mercilessly for his ill-fated words of regret. A few Hobson followers (around five, maybe) have attempted to defend their superstar swingman, but to no avail. This fall from grace is Tiger Woods-esque, only perhaps worse, since Hobson has no real talent to fall back on.

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Da'Sean Butler

We’ll get you more information on the Huskies’ Sweet 16 opponent later in the week.

For now, all you really need to know about West Virginia can be found in these videos featuring Da’Sean Butler, Joe Mazzulla, and Jonnie West (son of NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West) getting crunk in their hotel room.

Butler is the team’s unquestioned leader, a 6’7″ senior forward who averages 17.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game.

Mazzulla and West are lightly-used junior reserves, who average a combined 4.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.

Like I said, we’ll have more info later in the week. But do yourself a favor and check out these videos in the meantime.

This is what it looks like to cross the Huskies.

Dear Seth Davis,

After the first two rounds of this year’s NCAA Tournament, do you still feel you deserve to keep your job?

Eagerly awaiting your response.

Sincerely,

Every Husky fan ever.

We’re going to the Sweet 16, Dawg fans!

Never count out Washington! We get it done.

Go Dawgs!

The University of New Mexico is a public institution with over 27,000 students based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

With the Lobo as their mascot (Spanish for “Wolf,” not to be confused with former women’s basketball player Rebecca Lobo), New Mexico is one of nine schools that call the Mountain West Conference home. They were a charter member of the MWC in 1999, and prior to that held court in three different athletic conferences: the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1931-1951), the Mountain States/Skyline Conference (1951-1962), and the Western Athletic Conference (aka the WAC, where they were a charter member in 1962, and remained until 1999).

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Abdul Gaddy, Darnell Gant, and Scott Suggs celebrate after Quincy Pondexter's game-winning layup to beat Marquette (Cliff Despeaux/The Seattle Times).

Prior to the start of the Pac-10 Tournament, I wrote this article detailing the nine-game run the Huskies needed to go on to win a National Championship.

After today’s win over Marquette, we’re nearly halfway there.

Keep it up, Huskies! The Round of 32 awaits!

Go Dawgs!

We win.

You lose.

Joe can be reached via email at bracketology@comcast.net.

Don’t relent, Husky fans. Let this guy have it for weeks. He talked more trash about the Dawgs all season long than ANYBODY! SHOW NO MERCY!

Down with Joe Lunardi.

Up with Husky Nation.

Go Dawgs!

Welcome to the official Seattle Sportsnet 2010 NCAA Tournament Emotion Thread, a continuous post dedicated to capturing my very real emotions on the NCAA Tournament. As the Big Dance rolls on, I will frequently update this article with live statements regarding my thoughts on the contests. Enjoy.

4:30 p.m., Thursday, March 18

To briefly summarize my day: Lots of cussing at those Irish bastards from Notre Dame, lots of cheering for Robert Morris to beat Villanova, lots of yelling for BYU to take down Florida (Loyd Junior!), some eating, some drinking, an OHMYGOD! moment when Murray State beat Vanderbilt at the buzzer (damn you, by the way, Vandy), a sigh of relief as Baylor escaped Sam Houston State, another shot to the nuts as that fat kid Omar Samhan and Saint Mary’s beat Richmond, complete indifference to Kansas State rolling over North Texas. And now we wait for the Huskies.

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Below, I give you the official Seattle Sportsnet NCAA Tournament bracket. You’ll notice that this year, I’ve named all my entries “Mendez-Valdez” in honor of former Western Kentucky shooting guard and tournament hero Orlando Mendez-Valdez. Enjoy.

Because sometimes the puny annoying guys who want to bring your team down need to be put in their place.

Joe, you didn’t get picked for teams at recess for a reason. Now quit whining about the Huskies.

With all due respect to the Marquette Golden Eagles, I truly believe the Washington Huskies will pull the upset and win their first round NCAA Tournament matchup on Thursday. You can call it blind allegiance if you must, but if I were a betting man I’d still side with the Dawgs. It just makes sense. Here’s why:

A bunch of swingmen vs. Matthew Bryan-Amaning

Had you told me a month ago that Matthew Bryan-Amaning would be our biggest X-factor in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, I would have cringed. These days, however, he might very well be our greatest weapon.

The 6’9″ power forward from Britain will be counted on to shoulder much of the load inside against Marquette’s diminutive front line. Though the Golden Eagles’ forwards are all at least two inches shorter than MBA, they play bigger than their stature and are more active than some of the big bodies the Huskies faced in Pac-10 play.

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Dear Ernesto,

Today is a sad day. It marks the end of a beautiful relationship that we shared together. The University of Washington students and you, Ernie Kent, head coach of the Oregon Ducks and our greatest adversary.

A foe unlike any other, you proved yourself worthy of our animosity, our scorn, our jokes, and our begrudging respect all at the same time.

You were a stubborn man, but not without conviction. Our tumultuous working relationship, in fact, began as a result of your headstrong attitude.

Back in 2005,  you decided you wanted our student section relocated to your personal liking. The Dawg Pack, you argued, should not breathe down the necks of opposing ballclubs. The Dawg Pack, you reasoned, would be better situated across the court, or at least along the baselines.

You even went so far as to petition the Pac-10 with your proposal. Unfortunately for you (and fortunately for us), they shot you down. Legend has it that then-Arizona head coach Lute Olson stood up on our behalf, praising the Washington student section and insisting that we not be moved.

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Marquette University is a private, Catholic institution based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Boasting a student body of around 11,500 undergraduates and graduates, Marquette is one of the largest Jesuit universities in the country.

With the Golden Eagles as their mascot, the Marquette basketball program plays in the Big East Conference, where they have been a member since 2005. Prior to that, they called Conference USA home.

The Marquette basketball team is one of the more prestigious programs in the nation. Thursday’s game against the Huskies will mark the university’s seventh trip to the NCAA Tournament in the past 10 years.

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