Random NCAA Tournament notes:
■ So, Richmond as a 12 seed, VCU as an 11, Marquette as an 11, Florida State as a 10 have all crashed the Sweet 16. That doesn't mean you have to run around screaming the sky is falling when it comes to current quality control and college basketball.
The sky may be falling, but, said ESPN's Jay Bilas on a teleconference on Wednesday, "We've seen this movie before."
It's not unusual for low seeds to make it out of the first weekend, but it is unusual for this many low seeds to be alive and kicking come the regional semifinals.
If you look back at the 10 most recent tournaments, this is the first time four double-digit seeds reached the round of 16.
There were three last year (No. 10 St. Mary's, No. 11 Washington and No. 12 Cornell), but just one in 2009 (No. 12 Arizona), and three in 2008 (No. 10 Davidson, No. 12 Villanova and No. 12 Western Kentucky).
Before that, however, you have to go back to 2002 as the last time there were even three double-digit seeds that had to this point escaped elimination. That was the year of No. 10 Kent State, No. 11 Southern Illinois and No. 12 Missouri.
So does the little-guy success mean the game is watered down?
"The game has become watered down, there's no question about that," answered Bilas. "The game is not as good as it was 10 years ago. It's not as powerful as it was at the top. ... But we've had upsets like this before. It's not new."
■ I just don't think the Kentucky women ever overcame the loss of point guard Amber Smith. In many ways, Matthew Mitchell did a terrific job squeezing as much as he did out of this year's edition.
■ A friend says, half-jokingly, UK should look at ex-Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton to replace the retiring Lee T. Todd Jr. as the school's president. After all, Patton is the president of Pikeville College, and the Bears just won the NAIA national championship.
■ Did you see where new Texas Tech coach Billy Gillispie termed his two-year stay at Kentucky a success? Guess that's why he was asked to leave. He was too successful.
■ Did an NCAA live chat along with other basketball writers for the Houston Chronicle on Wednesday. Jeff Rabjohns of the Indianapolis Star made an interesting observation about Ohio State.
He said, "Teams that doubled (Jared) Sullinger in the post got lit up by Ohio State's three-point shooters. Teams that singled Sullinger — knowing he was going to get his — had a chance. That's how Purdue beat them. That's how IUPUI hung close for a long time in Columbus."
■ Tennessee's reported wish list for a new basketball coach includes Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon, Villanova's Jay Wright and Alabama's Anthony Grant. As Steven Tyler would say, dream on, Mike Hamilton, dream on.
■ Thanks to David Teel of the Newport News Daily Press who reports the last time two schools from the same town made the Sweet 16 was in 2005 with UCLA and USC. Richmond and VCU have a lot more charm.
■ Speaking of VCU, Coach Shaka Smart is only 33 years old.
■ Bilas on Billy Donovan: "He's as good a person as we've got in college basketball."
■ Poor Rick Pitino. He loses to Morehead on Thursday, then loses to Charles Barkley in their Big East debate on Sunday. Barkley said Florida State would beat Notre Dame. Pitino said "no way." Notre Dame would lose. And there was no way Morehead could beat U of L, either.
■ Speaking of Barkley, I am not crazy about all the NBA guys on the NCAA tourney telecasts, but I do like the fact we get to see every game in its entirety. You do, too, apparently. TV ratings are up.
