Column as I see 'em

Author: JEFF PATTERSON

Notre Dame and Indiana were locked out of the NCAA tournament when the seeds were unveiled Sunday evening. As a result, Indiana, whose state bird is Larry and whose state motto is "Play Basketball or Die," will have to host four first-round games without a hometown team in the mix. Couldn't they bend the rules a little for the men from South Bend? Couldn't the selection committee have pity for the Hoosiers, who were shafted when Charlotte's Brendan Plavich's half-court shot was counted, even though a later replay showed that the ball left his hand after time had expired?

The answer is no, but if you didn't know this, listen up. Indiana beat Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan State this year and if the right call had been made on December 22, they would have had four wins over Tournament-invited teams. Notre Dame, also contended with the chosen ones, as they beat Villanova, UConn and handed Boston College its first loss.

Yeah, St. Mary's is better than Notre Dame (Ca.) a Division II school, whom the Gaels blew-out 77-42 early in the season, but they would need a lot of luck to win a fight with Notre Dame. The Irish's first-round exit in the Big East Tournament to Rutgers shouldn't have given the spot to St. Mary's because they, too, failed to beat the Scarlet Knights in the regular season, while ND did. No Duh.

Northern Iowa, who made the 65-man field, instead of Indiana, finished fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference. Indiana finished tied for fourth in the Big Ten. Difference: the Big Ten has 11 teams; the MVC is overrated. Even if the Hoosiers were knocked-out early, first-year starters, D.J. White, A.J. Ratliff and Robert Vaden would have gotten tourney experience. Notre Dame is an excellent three-point shooting team and could potentially, if hot, beat anyone. Both teams are led by star guards that could take over games all by themselves. Chris Thomas (14.0 ppg., 6.6 apg.) and Bracey Wright (18.4 ppg., 4.8 rpg.) are two of the most talented players in the country, but will stay in NYC for the sake of basketball NIT.

Excluding the people in Indiana, today will be the start to the most exciting three and a half weeks of sports. March Madness could carry all that weight on its own, but the Red Sox will play the Yankees on Opening Day as well. Three days later, professional golfers will tee-it-up at the Masters. Note to my professors: if my work starts to slip, don't blame a banana peel; it'll be my eyes that will be constantly peeled to the TV screen. Total Vacuum.

With your mind on more important things over these next couple of weeks, don't forget to carry your MIDD access card with you at all times. The 24-hours lockdown is under effect. It's no fun to get locked out; be it from your home or the Carrier Dome.