A representative from Cooperstown was in Sarasota talking with Ken Griffey Jr. and asked him which team he wanted to be inducted into the HOF as, a Mariner or a Red. Griffey made it clear that he wanted to go in as a Mariner. Now, from a logical standpoint, this should be a no brainer. His best days (by far) were in the AL in the Pacific northwest. But, there's more to this story and I wonder if this will slip unnoticed or if the local talk shows will sink their teeth into it. Since coming "home" to Cincinnati, Griffey has been called a bum, a cancer, and a waste of money. True, we never really got the full Griffey experience due to unfortunate injuries. But, lost in all of this is the appreciation we should all have for the purest hitter of the steroid era (who wasn't doing PEDs). So, will Reds fans be sore with Griffey if he does indeed go into Cooperstown with a Mariners hat on, or will they accept it and still appreciate what we had. He was, and always be, a major figure in Cincinnati, between the legacy of his dad, and his hometown hero status at Moeller. He's arguably the best baseball player ever from Cincinnati. I consider us all fortunate that he played any time with the Reds. It's a shame we couldn't get the full Griffey experience, but I personally won't begrudge him for going into the Hall as a Mariner.

Kentucky had a decent run to end the regular season, but some of the lossess that came earlier in the year, coupled with their quarterfinal exit in the SEC tournament left the team square on the bubble entering Sunday night. The Wildcats, despite being 57th in the RPI, earned a No. 11 seed. The only reason this team got in the tournament is because of ratings, tradition, and the fact few schools travel better. For those that don't think that the NCAA is all about money is sadly mistaken.

The fact that Arizona found their way in to the tournament is just another indicator that these selection are more revenue-driven than the average fan realizes. Arizona State beat the Wildcats twice head-to-head and have a better conference record their interstate foes. How in the world does that happen.

Let's get back to Kentucky though. Too much stock was put on the team's finish to the end of the year and not enough emphasis on their loss to star freshman Patrick Patterson.

TEAMS W/HIGHER RPI'S THAN UK LEFT OUT:
32. Dayton (21-10)
33. Illinois (24-9)
43. Massachussetts (21-10)
46. Mississippi (21-10)
48. Creighton (21-10)
54. Virginia Tech (19-13)

Let's look at the breakdown from the big six conferences and the # of teams from each: 

Big East = 8 (half of its 16 teams)
Pac-10 = 6
Big 12 = 6
SEC = 6
Big Ten = 4
ACC = 4

A brief overview of the local teams' first round opponents:

XAVIER
Thur, Mar 20 - approx. 12:20 p.m. EDT - Wasgington, D.C.
No. 14 Georgia (17-16, 4-12 SEC): This team won as many conference games during the season as they did in the unbelievable weekend in Atlanta for the SEC tournament. After winning two games on Saturday over Kentucky and Mississippi State, the Bulldogs finished business by beating Arkansas on Sunday afternoon in the finals.  Guard play always rises to the top come tourney time and the Bulldogs are led by their point guard Sundiata Gaines. The senior leads the team in most of the key stat categories. The Bulldogs have made a miracle run and have come a long way since the Jim Harrick era left a black cloud over the program. This team dropped 6 of 7 to end the regular season, but they are already the media darlings and being tagged as Cinderellas.

KENTUCKY
Thur, Mar 20 - approx. 2:30 p.m. EDT - Anaheim, CA
No. 6 Marquette (24-9, 11-7 Big East): The Golden Eagles won 7 of 9 to finish the regular season and knocked off Notre Dame before falling to Pitt in the Big East tournament. They finished the season ranked No. 24 in the Coaches' Poll and No. 25 in the AP.  Kentucky gets a tourney rematch against a team that broke their hearts just a few short years ago in the Elite Eight. While Marquette no longer has Dwayne Wade, Jerel McNeal is no slouch. He leads a powerful backcourt attack that is going to present a challenge for the Wildcats. The Golden Eagles don't have much in the paint though and may have a tough time handling the surging Perry Stevenson. The sophomore will have to put up a Florida-type effort if UK is going to have a chance to advance.

LOUISVILLE
Fri, Mar 21 - approx. 9:40 p.m. EDT - Birmingham, AL
No. 14 Boise State (25-8, 12-4 WAC): The Broncos are coming off a tenacious victory in the WAC championship game, edging New Mexico State 107-102 in triple overtime.  Boise State has proven they can win away from home (14-3) and the team can put points on the board (81.2 ppg, 12th in DI). The WAC's leading scorer and rebounder, Reggie Larry (14 double-doubles), leads a powerful frontcourt attack. The Cards are tough to match up with themselves, but they better not overlook this capable 14-seed.