3/15 (Selection Mania) Quickie

It's that time again: Join the "Daily Quickie Readers" group of ESPN.com's Tournament Challenge.

(Wow, I was just thinking about 2006, when we had more than 10,000 people in the group and it was something like the 3rd-largest non-team-related group in the world. That was also the year that Mrs. Quickie finished in the Top 10 overall, which was crazy.)

Forget the hyper-nostalgia for the Big East: The craziest ending you will get was in the Atlantic 10 pre-quarterfinal in Brooklyn between Charlotte and Richmond. Richmond was leading by three with just 4.7 seconds to play. Then, a wild series:

A 1-and-1 for Charlotte begat a tech on a Richmond player begat a Charlotte lead begat Richmond "fouling" a Charlotte player heaving a half-court "shot" -- another three shots. Then a bunch of technical fouls called on Richmond.

Voila: A seven-point Charlotte win -- a 10-point swing in 5 seconds, which rivals anything Reggie Miller ever did a few miles away at Madison Square Garden.

You hate to see that happen and you feel for Richmond fans. But if ever there was a "that's what makes March so great" bit of freakiness, that's the one.

What to look forward to today:

*Two days 'til Selection Sunday: The half-hour of the bracket reveal is the best 30 minutes of the sports year. Everything is all possibilities and gut-feelings and second-guessing. And that's just your bracket, let alone all of the analysis of the bracket by all of the hoops pundits.

*Sub-.500 Utah has reached the semis of the Pac-12. The game is at 11:30 ET tonight vs. Oregon. I feel for the teams on the Bubble, but how can you not be rooting for Utah to continue the run?

*Big East semis: Syracuse-Georgetown (because of course) and Louisville-Notre Dame (who played those many many OTs the last time they met). All are in the Tournament; this is for pride.

*Kentucky on the hot seat: They play Vandy in the SEC quarters. A loss here to the sub-.500 'Dores would put UK back on the edge of the Bubble, at the mercy of teams like... Utah (ironically, the team Kentucky beat for the title in '98).

*The Mountain West semis: San Diego State vs. New Mexico, UNLV vs. Colorado State. Four bracket-worthy teams likely playing for three spots (with UNM and Colorado State likely already claiming two).

*All the crazy adidas uniforms: I get it -- people in the media hate them. But they are having their intended reaction: We are talking about them. (Hard not to love Notre Dame's highlight-green uniforms from last night, but then again, I wear highlight-neon shoes in my weekly old man basketball league.)

More:

*Steven Jackson to the Falcons: Great fit for both.
*Ed Reed to the Texans? Would be great influence.
*Greg Jennings to Vikings? Harvin replacement?
*Geno Smith wows at Pro Day: Going No. 2 to Jags?
*Kobe: Hawks insist they weren't trying to hurt him.
(Still should have been a foul, which is Kobe's issue.)
*WBC: Does the DR care more than Team USA?
*Nadal: He's back! (beating Fed will inspire that reax).

Join the Tournament Challenge group. Get ready for Selection Sunday.

-- D.S.