Goin' Back In Time

If you follow South Carolina college basketball as closely as I do (and I'm not just talking about the Gamecocks), you know that the Wofford Terriers made their way back into the NCAA men's tournament. Last year, the Terriers lost in the first round as a No. 13 seed to the Wisconsin Badgers by four points. This year, Wofford is projected as a No. 15 seed. So the chances they're going to move on to the second round are slim. But Wofford still gets an award for "most questionable pronounciation." Does the first syllable sound like the "wa" in "waffles?" Or is it a "woe" or "woo" sound? Probably depends on what region of the country you hail from...

Wofford does have one of the cuter live mascots: Blitz II, a Boston Terrier (pictured here with Boss, the costume mascot). The only other tournament-bound pet that rivals Blitz II in terms of adorability is Rocky, the UNC-Asheville Bulldog.

Before we get a chance to fill out our brackets for 2011, let's take a look back...all the way back to 2010. (Here's a link showing last year's results, in case you're curious).

Could the 2010 tourney darlings contend for the crown again in 2011?

Last year's Elite Eight featured two SEC teams and two Big 12 teams, and none of them made the Final Four. As of right now, all of the final eight teams in 2010 are probably making the tournament this year, except for Baylor. Here's a quick snapshot of each team:

Duke

2011: 27-4

How did the Blue Devils move on without their team captain (and points and assists leader) John Scheyer? They still have guard Nolan Smith, who is the 11th leading scorer in the nation. Plus Kyle Singler is averaging 17 points per game and those meddlesome Plumlee brothers are still throwing their weight around in the paint.

Butler

2011: 22-9

The Bulldogs won't go away. At least not yet. Butler lost to rival Milwaukee twice during the season, but was able to beat them in the Horizon Conference tournament to clinch a postseason berth. They've got loads of experience and two capable playmakers (Howard and Mack).

West Virginia

2011: 20-10

The Mountaineers have maintained a stingy defense, allowing 64 points per game. They also rank 6th in three-point FG defense. This team includes five seniors, and a man whose first name is Truck (Bryant).

Michigan State

2011: 17-13

Everyone, including myself, thought the Spartans were headed back to the Final Four. But they'll be lucky if they get a tournament invite. A first round loss to Iowa in the Big Ten tourney will put them in the NIT.

Tennessee

2011: 18-13

The Volunteers are ridiculously inconsistent. Earlier this season, they beat #7 Pitt, and then managed to score only 48 points in a loss to the University of Charlotte. Might have something to do with the coaching duties being split between suspended coach Bruce Pearl and associate coach Tony Jones.

Kansas State

2011: 22-9

The most frightening head coach in basketball, Frank Martin, will hurt me if I say anything bad about the #19 Wildcats. KSU has won 8 out of its last 9 games, including three wins against ranked teams.

Kentucky

2011: 22-8

The three leading scorers on Calipari's squad are freshmen. And I imagine they'll be joining John Wall in the NBA very soon. So don't get used to Terrence Jones in a blue jersey. A teenager from New Jersey named Michael Gilchrist is already in line to replace him at power forward. You'll know his name next year.

Baylor

2011: 18-12

The Bears lost to Texas Tech, Iowa State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State this season. Those are the worst teams in the Big 12, just so you know. Their quality wins against Texas A&M won't save them.