In the interest of helping the public pick a better bracket, we at TSB thought it would be a good idea for you to get to better know a bracket. Therefore, we dug up some dirt on every school in the field, and are dishing it out in reverse order of seeding, one region at a time. Monday, we covered the Midwest and West Regions. Today, the South and East. Here’s the South Region.
School: No. 16 “Opening Round” Winner of Winthrop and Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Location: TBA
First Round: March 19, 7:25 PM, No. 16 TBA vs. No. 1 Duke
Vegas Odds: 500/1
Better Know a Bracket: South Region
School: No. 15 Robert Morris
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
First Round: March 18, 12:30 PM, No. 15 Robert Morris vs. No. 2 Villanova
Mascot: Their nickname is the Colonials, clearly after the fact that Robert Morris – who signed the Declaration of Independence – was one.
Famous Alum: Does Rams lineman Hank Fraley count as famous? What about Pittsburgh Steelers GM Kevin Colbert? Someone really needs to update the notable alumni section for Robert Morris.
Campus Note: The main campus is located in Moon Township, Penn. and features the Island Sports Center, which is the region’s premier sports and recreation destination.
Standout Stat: Robert Morris has just one player – Karon Abraham – averaging double-figures this season.
Vegas Odds: 500/1
School: No. 14 Sam Houston State
Location: Huntsville, Texas
First Round: March 18, 2:55 PM, No. 14 Sam Houston State vs. No. 3 Baylor
Mascot: The Sam Houston State nickname is the Bearkat, which is actually how they spell it. Also, Sam Houston State's athletic teams have been nicknamed "The Bearkats" since 1923 when the university's name was changed by the Texas state legislature from Sam Houston Normal Institute to Sam Houston State Teachers College. Prior to 1923, the varsity sports teams were nicknamed "The Normals."
Famous Alum: Dan Rather is an alumnus of Sam Houston State. So is Monty Sopp, better known in wrestling rings as "Billy Gunn". I'm not sure who I'd pick in a fight.
Campus Note: It is one of the oldest purpose-built institutions for the instruction of teachers west of the Mississippi River and the first such institution of its type in the State of Texas.
Standout Stat: Sam Houston State played 22 of their 32 games in the state of Texas this season and now travel to Louisiana – where three of those remaining 10 were played – to face another team from Texas.
Vegas Odds:500/1
School: No. 13 Siena
Location: Loudonville, New York
First Round: March 19, 2:30 PM, No. 13 Siena vs. No. 4 Purdue
Mascot: Siena goes by the Saints, and if you see their logo, it's more Saints in the "Bernard" category than the "canonized" category.
Famous Alum: If you enroll at Siena, you instantly become one of the 25 most famous people to go there. Seriously, John Lannan may be the most famous athlete in the school's history. There are a few authors and a few politicians of note, but the list of Notable Alumni on Wiki includes this woman.
Campus Note: Located just outside of Albany, the school was founded in 1937. It should not be confused with Siena College, Quezon City in the Philippines, which best I can tell, is not a satellite campus.
Standout Stat: Siena is clearly the hot name in the tournament, facing a depleted Purdue team. That said, Siena has gone to the second round in each of the last two seasons.
Vegas Odds:125/1
School: No. 12 Utah St.
Location: Logan, Utah
First Round: March 19, 5:00 PM, No. 12 Utah State vs. No. 5 Texas A&M
Mascot: They’re called the Aggies, and, yes, they’re playing the Aggies. Should be a blast for Tim Brando and Mike Gminski to call.
Famous Alum: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is a Utah State grad. So, too, are Chris Cooley and professional poker player Freddy Deeb.
Campus Note: USU was founded in 1888 as the Agricultural College of Utah under the Morrill Act. The college’s name was subsequently changed to Utah State Agricultural College and became Utah State University in 1957.
Standout Stat: Utah State is tied for second in the country with a 41.9 3-point field goal percentage.
Vegas Odds: 350/1
School: No. 11 Old Dominion
Location: Norfolk, Virginia
First Round: March 18, 12:25 PM, No. 11 Old Dominion vs. No. 6 Notre Dame
Mascot: The men’s team goes by the Monarchs and ODU is one of those schools that adds the word Lady to the front of their women’s team nicknames, despite the fact that, in this case, the word Monarch is actually gender neutral.
Famous Alum:Old Dominion athletics has long been known for their women’s basketball team, graduating the likes of Ann Donovan, Nancy Lieberman and Ticha Penicheiro. Justin Verlander also went to ODU, as did SportsCenter anchor Jay Harris.
Campus Note: ODU is a public university that was established in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Standout Stat: Old Dominion has just one player on the roster who is averaging over 10 points a game as senior center Gerald Lee averages 14.6 ppg.
Vegas Odds: 300/1
School: No. 10 Saint Mary's (Ca.)
Location: Moraga, California
First Round: March 18, 3:00 PM, No. 10 Saint Mary's vs. No. 7 Richmond
Mascot: The nickname of sports teams at Saint Mary's is the Gaels, which had been changed from the "Saints" in the late 1920s. Their actual mascot is named "Gael Force One".
Famous Alum: Herman Wedemeyer, who played Sergeant/Detective Duke Lukela on Hawaii Five-O, played football for the Gaels.
Campus Note: During World War II the college was used by the United States Navy for the training of pilots. Gerald Ford was briefly stationed at the school and served as a naval instructor.
Standout Stat: Saint Mary's won the WCC tournament for just the second time since it began in 1987, beating Gonzaga for the first time in 10 tourney meetings.
Vegas Odds: 200/1
School: No. 9 Louisville
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
First Round: March 19th, 9:55 PM, No. 9 Louisville vs. No. 8 California
Mascot: The mascot is a cardinal, making them the Louisville Cardinals. That’s not to be confused with the Stanford Cardinal, or for that matter, the school newspaper The Louisville Cardinal.
Famous Alum: We could be here for a while...Just in media they boast Bob Edwards, Diane Sawyer and Howard Fineman to name a few. Then you have the athletics, including Tom Jackson (from....), Johnny Unitas, Wes Unseld, Pervis Ellison and a host of others. They even have the guy who invented the SPF sun protection rating system.
Campus Note: Rumor has it that when students enroll on campus, in lieu of a personal computer they are each given unlimited personal pizzas from Papa Johns. This cannot be confirmed nor denied.
Standout Stat: Rick Pitino has been to the Final Four five times in his career, including trips with three different schools. He’s gone to the Elite Eight ten times in his coaching career.
Vegas Odds:80/1
School: No. 8 California
Location: Berkeley, California
First Round: March 19th, 9:55 PM, No. 9 Louisville vs. No. 8 California
Mascot: The nickname is the Golden Bears, often shortened to just Bears. The mascot is Oski the Bear, another name for the god Odin from Norse mythology. It was decided in 1940 that a costumed mascot would make a more suitable alternative to a live bear.
Famous Alum: Author Phillip K. Dick attended Cal, as did Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead, Les Claypool of Primus, Stewart Copeland of The Police, Michele Tafoya, Jerry Mathers, and Gregory Peck. Both Sulus – George Takei and John Cho – attended Cal, though Takei later transferred. Of course, typing this on a Mac, I'd be a moron if I didn't heavily link to Steve Wozniak.
Campus Note: Cal is the oldest of the 10 major campuses in the University of California system. I once hit a 35-yard field goal, barefoot, in their football stadium on a bet with Star Ledger writer Tom Luicci, but he never paid because it took me three tries.
Standout Stat: Cal is the highest seeded Pac-10 team. That seems worth mentioning as much as possible.
Vegas Odds: 125/1
School: No. 7 Richmond
Location: Richmond, Virginia
First Round: March 18, 3:00 PM, No. 10 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 7 Richmond
Mascot: Richmond’s nickname is the Spiders and the mascot’s name is Spidey. About 40,000 species of Spiders have been described and they are classified into 111 families.
Famous Alum: PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, Todd McShay, Nick Tarnowski, Bruce Allen, Sean Casey and Tim Hightower were just of few of the former Spiders in the sports world. Bruce Hornsby also called Richmond home.
Campus Note: During the American Civil War, Richmond College was used as a hospital for Confederate troops and later as a Union barracks.
Standout Stat: The Spiders hold the distinction of being the first 15 seed to win and are the only basketball program to win NCAA”tournament games as a 12, 13, 14, and 15 seed.
Vegas Odds:250/1
School: No. 6 Notre Dame
Location: Notre Dame, Indiana
First Round: March 18, 12:25 PM, No. 11 Old Dominion vs. No. 6 Notre Dame
Mascot: Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and the little Leprechaun fellow who follows them, is quite possibly the most recognizable mascot/nickname in all of sports. But did you know this: Notre Dame was also, unofficially, known as the "Terriers," after the Irish breed of the dog, and for some years, an Irish Terrier would be found on the ND football sidelines.
Famous Alum: You may know the Regis Philbins and Don Criquis and Phil Donahues of the world, but did you know Hannah Storm was a Golden Domer? How about Steve Bartman? I hear they've had some good football players as well.
Campus Note: The College Football Hall of Fame was originally slated to be on the Rutgers campus, a short distance from the site of the first football game. But – shocker – corruption in New Jersey politics and slow-footed University decision makers saw the project move to South Bend where it's a national landmark.
Standout Stat: Notre Dame is 23-11 on the season, but just 6-8 away from home. The Irish did not play one non-conference game on the road this year, instead playing five at neutral sites and going 3-2 in those games.
Vegas Odds:75/1
School: No. 5 Texas A&M
Location:Indianapolis, Indiana
First Round: March 19, 5:00 PM, No. 12 Utah State vs. No. 5 Texas A&M
Mascot: Texas A&M is nicknamed the Aggies, but their mascot is Reveille, the official mascot of Texas A&M University. Students adopted the first Reveille, a mixed-breed dog, in 1931. To thank Texas A&M for its assistance during World War II, the US Army designated Reveille a Cadet General (5 diamonds), the highest ranking member of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets.
Famous Alum: Actor Rip Torn is an A&M alum, as is Grammy Winner Lyle Lovett. On the sports side, there are hundreds of former Aggies to go on to the pros, but none said “First Downnnnnnnn” as well as former NFL official Red Cashion.
Campus Note: Classes began on October 4, 1876, with 40 students and 6 faculty members. Admission was limited to white males, and all students were required to participate in the Corps of Cadets and receive military training. Enrollment climbed to 258 students before declining to 108 students in 1883, the year the University of Texas opened in Austin, Texas
Standout Stat: Predictionmachine.com has Texas A&M as a prohibitive favorite to get to the Elite Eight and gives them a 15% chance of getting to the Final Four.
Vegas Odds:100/1
School: No. 4 Purdue
Location: West Lafayette, Indiana
First Round: March 19, 2:30 PM, No. 13 Siena vs. No. 4 Purdue
Mascot: The moniker 'Boilermakers' goes back to 1891 when the Purdue football team defeated nearby rival Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana 44–0. An account of the game in the Crawfordsville Daily Argus News of October 26, 1891 was headlined, "Slaughter of Innocents: Wabash Snowed Completely Under by the Burly Boiler Makers from Purdue." Ah, sportwriters.
Famous Alum: Purdue has graduated 22 Astronauts, including Neil Armstrong. Then there's this Drew Brees fella people keep talking about.
Campus Note: Purdue University Airport was the first university owned airport in the United States. Amelia Earhart prepared her airplane for her around-the-world flight attempt in Hangar 1 at the airport.
Standout Stat: Purdue had just three losses before Robbie Hummel went down with an injury. Since that time the team is 2-3 and have scored more than 70 points just once in those five games. They enter the tournament averaging 71.1 ppg and were averaging 73.4 ppg before Hummel went down.
Vegas Odds:50/1
School: No. 3 Baylor
Location: Waco, Texas
First Round: March 18, 2:55 PM, No. 14 Sam Houston State vs. No. 3 Baylor
Mascot: Per Wiki: Judge and Bruiser are the mascots of Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Judge is the name of the live mascots, North American black bear, and Bruiser is the anthropomorphized bear mascot.
Famous Alum: What do Willie Nelson, Trey Wingo, Vinnie “The Microwave” Johnson, Mike Singletary and former First Lady Laura Bush all have in common?
Campus Note: Baylor has been centrally located around some very prominent news stories in the last 20 years. Clearly, under Scott Drew, their basketball program has rebounded from one of those stories.
Standout Stat: Predictionmachine.com gives Baylor a better chance than Duke or Villanova to make the Final Four and win the National Championship.
Vegas Odds: 35/1
School: No. 2 Villanova
Location: Villanova, Pennsylvania
First Round: March 18, 12:30 PM, No. 15 Robert Morris vs. No. 2 Villanova
Mascot: "Who are we? The Wildcats! Who are we going to beat? The Wildcats!" - Yes I got to use this line in the exact same place two days in a row.
Famous Alum: Actress Maria Bello and actor Bradley Cooper are listed as Nova alumni. So is Jim Croce while country star Toby Keith attended the school for a year. Governor of Pennsylvania Ed Rendell is also a Villanova grad. On the sports side, Nova can boast Randy Foye, Kyle Lowery, Kerry Kittles, Brian Westbrook, Howie Long and Tim Donaghy. Wait...scratch boast from that last one.
Campus Note: While technically a Philadelphia (and Big Five) school, Villanova University sits on 254 acres (1.03 km2) just 12 miles (19 km) from Philadelphia. Those who go there, and the residents in that area, are quick to point out that fact when Villanova is referenced as a "city" school.
Standout Stat: Villanova is third in the country in scoring with 82.5 points per game, but just 31st in scoring margin, allowing 72.9 to the opponent, the 278th best scoring defense in the country.
Vegas Odds: 18/1
School: No. 1 Duke
Location: Durham, North Carolina
First Round: March 19, 7:25 PM, No. 16 TBA vs. No. 1 Duke
Mascot: After World War I, then Trinity College lifted a ban on football. The team needed a nickname and season later, Blue Devils was informally adopted by the student newspaper. That name edged out the Blue Titans, Blue Eagles, Polar Bears, Royal Blazes and Blue Warriors.
Famous Alum: Richard Nixon went to Duke. That explains so much. So did Ron Paul, John Feinstein, Tucker Max, Charlie Rose and a few prominent basketball players in their day.
Campus Note: Cameron Indoor Stadium is reportedly a tough place for visiting teams to play basketball.
Standout Stat: Duke has been a 1 or 2 seed in 12 of the last 14 seasons, including 2010. They have reached the Final Four three times in the last 13 years and have been knocked out in the Sweet Sixteen or earlier nine times.
Vegas Odds: 7/1
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This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
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