Pizza Parlor Madness: Murray State

Nickname: Racers
Colors: Blue, Gold, White
Location: Murray, KY
Enrollment: 10,120
Conference: Ohio Valley
Distinguished Alumni: None Found

Head Coach: Mick Cronin
Record (Conference Record): 24-6 (17-3)
Advanced by: Beating Samford 74-57 to win Ohio Valley Conference Tournament
RPI: 69
SOS: 205
Best Performance: Lost to Cincinnati 79-75 (Road)
Best Player: F Shawn Witherspoon
No. of Seniors: 5
NCAA Tournament Appearances (in four years): 13 (2)
Likely Seed: 13

I love that they have a coach named “Mick” but I don’t get the high RPI. All of their non-conference losses are to NCAA Tournament teams. That is the best explanation I can think of. But I don’t see any reason the Racers would put a scare to a top 4 seed. Perhaps the OVC is a better conference than I’m giving it credit for. I would say buyer beware before picking Murray State, a popular choice, as your “upset special”.

Pizza Parlor Madness: Belmont

Nickname: Bruins
Colors: Blue, Red, White
Location: Nashville, TN
Enrollment: 3,941
Conference: Atlantic Sun
Distinguished Alumni: Country Singers Brad Paisley, Trisha Yearwood Vince Gill and Amy Grant

Head Coach: Rick Byrd
Record (Conference Record): 20-10 (15-5)
Advanced by: Beating Lipscomb 74-69 in Overtime to win Atlantic Sun Tournament
RPI: 122
SOS: 225
Best Performance: Lost to Ohio State 85-75 (Road)
Best Player: G Justin Hare
No. of Seniors: 3
NCAA Tournament Appearances (in four years): 1 (1)
Likely Seed: 16

Hare had 32 points to lead Belmont in a fun championship game to watch even if it meant being served up to the giants of college basketball as a tune-up. Belmont is a conservative Southern Baptist school who just recently jumped from NAIA to NCAA and doesn't allow dancing on their campus. This is their first appearance in the "Big Dance" and they may be selected to play in the Play-In game in Dayton as the Atlantic Sun Champion has done in the past. Fans of the Bruins should not book their hotels for more than one night.

Pizza Parlor Madness: Winthrop

Nickname: Eagles
Colors: Maroon, Gold, White
Location: Rock Hill, NC
Enrollment: 6,447
Conference: Big South
Distinguished Alumni: None Found

Head Coach: Gregg Marshall
Record (Conference Record): 23-7 (13-3)
Advanced by: Beating Coastal Carolina 51-50 to win Big South Tournament
RPI: 79
SOS: 197
Best Performance: Beat Marquette (Road)
Best Player: G Torrell Martin
No. of Seniors: 4
NCAA Tournament Appearances (in four years): 6 (2)
Likely Seed: 14 (possibly 13)

Formerly an all-girls school until 1974, Winthrop is becoming a perennial power in the Big South. Gregg Marshall has been to the tournament 6 out of the last 8 seasons now and should get Bobby Gonzalez-like buzz as jobs open up in the ACC and SEC. In addition to beating Marquette, they played Alabama and Auburn very tough. It is only a matter of time before Winthrop advances beyond one and done in the NCAA Tournament, wait until you see who they draw but DON’T SLEEP ON WINTHROP!

Pizza Parlor Madness: Penn

Nickname: Quakers
Colors: Blue, Red, White
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Enrollment: 10,047
Conference: Ivy League
Distinguished Alumni: Donald Trump, Maury Povich

Head Coach: Fran Dunphy
Record (Conference Record): 19-7 (11-1)
Advanced by: Beating Yale to clinch Ivy League Regular Season Title
RPI: 98
SOS: 156
Best Performance: 62-55 Loss to Villanova
Best Player: G Ibrahim Jabeer
No. of Seniors: 4
NCAA Tournament Appearances (in four years): 22 (3)
Likely Seed: 14

The Quakers are the first team in the NCAA tournament by virtue of going three games up on Princeton with only two games left to play. They have played two likely #1 seeds Duke and Villanova, so they may not be in awe of their first round opponent. NCAA Tournament success has eluded Penn and Dunphy and Jabeer is an erratic shooter. I don’t see them putting a scare to anyone in the first round.

Pizza Parlor Madness!

From now until the first Monday in April. The Pizza Parlor will be doing what The Pizza Parlor does best, following college sports. Specifically Men’s Basketball. While the field of 65 won’t be announced until Sunday March 12, many small conference tournaments begin today. The Pizza Parlor will inform you on what you need to know about the champions of each conference after they survive their conference tournaments. Here is the schedule of Conference Championship Games:

Ivy 7-Mar
Atlantic Sun 4-Mar
Big South 4-Mar
Ohio Valley 4-Mar
Missouri Valley 5-Mar
Southern 5-Mar
Colonial 6-Mar
MAAC 6-Mar
West Coast 6-Mar
Horizon 7-Mar
Mid-Continent 7-Mar
Sun Belt 7-Mar
Big Sky 8-Mar
Northeast 8-Mar
Patriot 10-Mar
America East 11-Mar
Atlantic 10 11-Mar
Big East 11-Mar
Big West 11-Mar
Conference USA 11-Mar
MAC 11-Mar
MEAC 11-Mar
Mountain West 11-Mar
Pac Ten 11-Mar
SWAC 11-Mar
WAC 11-Mar
ACC 12-Mar
Big XII 12-Mar
Big Ten 12-Mar
SEC 12-Mar
Southland 12-Mar