\nAmidst all the hoop-la of big-time college hoops these days, with talk of NBA riches and big TV contracts and 20,000-seat arenas with million-dollar luxury suites, sometimes we forget just how pure the game can be.\u00a0 Well, look no further than the Patriot League to remind yourself that these are just kids–student-athletes–playing a game, representing the school which they attend.\u00a0 In the Patriot League, there are 8 teams–the same 8 teams as have been for decades.\u00a0 They play a home-and-home round-robin.\u00a0 There are no scholarships.\u00a0 There are “travel partners.”\u00a0 The games are played on Thursdays and Saturdays.\u00a0 This is pure, old-school college <\/em>basketball.\u00a0 And, this tournament begins tonight in four separate arenas across the northeast.\u00a0 Defending PL champ, Alexi, tries to defend his crown tonight.\u00a0 Doogan won the PL in ’08.\u00a0 Waters has finished last in this league in back-to-back season, so he will try to improve on that this year.<\/p>\n
#7 Holy Cross (5-9) at #2 Bucknell (9-5)<\/em>.\u00a0 The Bucknell Bison, who have been probably the most successful PL team of 00’s open postseason in the 10’s with a game against Holy Cross.\u00a0 Doogan, Waters, KA, and Teddy must all be fans of the Sports Guy because they have his alma mater, HC, winning this game.\u00a0 Teddy even has them going to the finals.\u00a0 It is a bit surprising to see that,\u00a0despite their history and their #2-seed,\u00a0only Alexi and Lynch have Bucknell winning this tournament.<\/p>\n #6 Colgate (6-8) at #3 Lafayette (8-6)<\/em>.\u00a0 Former Villanova star and high school classmate of my mom, Fran O’Hanlon, leads his Lafayette Leopards into postseason action tonight against Colgate.\u00a0 Bry, Stri, Alexi, and KA have all picked the Colgate upset.\u00a0 There is a lot at stake for J and Doogan, as they have Lafayette winning the whole thing.<\/p>\n #5 Navy (7-7) at #4 American (7-7)<\/em>.\u00a0 The Naval Academy versus The American University.\u00a0 Interesting.\u00a0 Well, the top two seeds in last year’s PL tournament face off in the first round this year.\u00a0 Navy, who had a shot at the PL regular season title, before sliding at the end, now how to play a road game against the defending champs.\u00a0 J, Doogan, and Waters all have Navy in the minor upset.\u00a0 Waters went even further, as he has the Midshipmen winning the whole tournament and going to The Dance.\u00a0 KA is also patriotic in her pick of American winning the whole thing.<\/p>\n ATLANTIC SUN QUARTERFINALS:<\/u><\/strong> #8 Kennessaw St. (7-13) vs. #1 Lipscomb (14-6)<\/em>.\u00a0 Lipscomb won the 4-way tiebreaker to get the top seed.\u00a0 Kennessaw St. held off the three bottom teams in the 11-team conference to get the last seed in the A-Sun tourney.\u00a0 And, despite their 7-game losing streak, four contestants (Bry, J, Lohse, and Lynch) somehow picked the heavy underdog, the team Lohse calls “the other KSU,”\u00a0to win this game.\u00a0 Surprisingly, KA and Lil Lohse are the only two to have the top-seed winning this tournament, so they are really rooting against the upset.<\/p>\n #7 N. Florida (8-10) vs. #2 Jacksonville (14-6)<\/em>.\u00a0 Jacksonville grabbed the #2-seed, which was important because they avoided a good ETSU team and the host Mercer squad.\u00a0 Their reward is a quarterfinal date with Jacksonville.\u00a0 No one has N. Florida winning this game.\u00a0 Bry, Ina, Alexi, Waters, Lohse, and Lynch\u00a0all have Jacksonville winning this tournament, so this game is biggest for those six.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As the Challenge slowly ramps up to the first weekend, we had three tournaments get underway last night.\u00a0 All three have the day off today, but two more get started.\u00a0 The big question of the day:\u00a0 Will Lohse ever get … Continue reading ![](\"http:\/\/img2.photographersdirect.com\/img\/25343\/wm\/pd2263896.jpg\")
#8 Army (4-10) at #1 Lehigh (10-4)<\/em>.\u00a0 Lehigh, led by C.J. McCollum, the only freshman in the country to win his conference’s player of the year honors (at least until the SEC announces John Wall as POY) opens their quest for The Dance tonight against the Army.\u00a0 No one picked Army in this one, but the game is most important to both Lohses, Bry, Ina, and Stri because they all have Lehigh winning this tournament.<\/p>\n
\nThe A-Sun had a crazy regular season, in which there was a 4-way tie for first place, and then E. Tennessee St. only one game back.\u00a0 Throw in another loop to the tournament is that the 6-seed, Mercer, is hosting the tournament, so they will have, essentially, home games for as long as they last.\u00a0 The way the A-Sun tourney works is that it splits up the quarterfinals, to give the top two seeds a slight advantage moving forward.\u00a0 So, the top two seed play their quarterfinal matchups today, then get a day off.\u00a0 #3 and #4 will play tomorrow.\u00a0 This year, we may be looking at a three-peat (how much do I owe Pat Riley for that word?) in The Challenge.\u00a0 J has won the A-Sun, outright, in back-to-back seasons.\u00a0 In fact, he went perfect in ’08, before only missing two first-round games last year in his title defense.\u00a0 His quest for three in a row begins tonight…<\/p>\n