A Preview of the Tournament?

Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky wasn’t the only Top 25 team to struggle on Tuesday night. Syracuse lost, again, and have now lost their last 4 out of 5. Nos. 13 Creighton and 16 Iowa State both lost. Even No. 1 Florida struggled in the first half at South Carolina. C.L. Brown at espn.com writes that if Tuesday is any indication, the NCAA Tournament will be a fullfilling end to the season:

"“This closing week of the regular season felt like the opening weekend of the tournament with upsets that will potentially upset the tournament bubble. A must-win for Georgetown ended with a 75-63 victory over No. 13 Creighton. A must-win for Baylor ended with a 74-61 triumph over No. 16 Iowa State. Georgia Tech contributed to the downward spiral of No. 7 Syracuse by pulling off a 67-62 upset.”"

When the season began in November, many expected Michigan State and Kentucky to be the favorites to cut down the nets in Dallas in April. Time is running out for both teams, notes Brian Hamilton over at SI’s “One and One” college basketball blog. One reason for Kentucky’s struggles? It’s offense:

"“The bigger problem for Kentucky has been its offense. During this rough patch, the Wildcats have not taken care of the ball, not shot well from outside and, as Calipari notes, been almost impossibly bad from inside. ‘The one’s were getting next to the goal, for some reason, we’re missing,” he said. “If you look over the last three games, I’m guessing we’ve missed over 20 one-foot shots. I mean right next to the goal.”"

Over at zagsblog.com, Adam Zagoria writes that it’s not just Kentucky’s freshmen who have been overhyped:

"“Together, the media (myself included) and NBA types hyped up this current group of freshmen — including those at Kentucky, Kansas, Duke and elsewhere — to the point where expectations were bound to outstrip reality.”"

This year’s Spring Game, scheduled for Saturday, April 26 at Commonwealth Stadium should be fantastic. And again, fans will need tickets to attend. From the UK Athletic Department:

"“The annual Kentucky Football Blue/White Spring Game, set for Saturday, April 26, at 3:30 p.m. at Commonwealth Stadium, will be a ticketed event again this year. Seating in the lower level will be reserved, and seating in the north upper level will be general admission. A special availability for season ticket holders for the free tickets will begin Monday, Mar. 10, at 9 a.m. Current season ticket holders will receive an e-mail this week detailing how they may obtain up to six tickets: * Online at Ticketmaster.com * By calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 * In person at Ticketmaster outlets in Kentucky * NOTE: Tickets are free but there is a small service charge per ticket UK students may obtain their free tickets beginning Monday, Mar. 10, at 9 a.m. at the Joe Craft Center ticket office. Students may pick up two tickets per ID. Remaining tickets will be available to the general public through the same Ticketmaster channels beginning Wednesday, March 19 at 9 a.m. Tickets still available on game day (April 26) may be picked up free of charge at the stadium, based on availability. Due to construction at Commonwealth Stadium, seating in the south lower and south upper level sidelines will not be available. Capacity for the Blue/White Spring Game will be approximately 42,500.”"

The United States Men’s National Team played Ukraine in a pre-World Cup friendly yesterday in Cyprus. The game was originally planned to be played in Ukraine but was moved because of recent events in the country. Though the USMNT lost 2-0, more importantly, the game served as a final audition for many players before final World Cup preparations begin. And what did coach Jurgen Klinsmann learn? From SI’s Brian Straus:

"“If U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann learned anything from this chaotic trip, it was that several players on the World Cup fringe belong there and that his squad will have a strong MLS flavor in Brazil.”"