Rewriting Cinderella Story

It’s time to consider Cinderella contenders.

Before you scramble to claim Ball State, take note: Despite those early-season upsets of Kansas and UCLA, the Cardinals are in considerable danger of missing the NCAA tournament.

At 17-9 with an RPI in the 60s, Ball State might need to win the Mid-American Conference’s scratch-and-claw tournament just to earn a spot. (Even beating now-No. 1 Kansas might not overcome some bad conference slip-ups.)

You say you want to stick with Gonzaga?

Sorry, the Zags hardly qualify as underdogs anymore.

The only first-round upset involving Gonzaga would be a Gonzaga loss.

Good old Valparaiso?

Well, maybe--if the 20-7 Crusaders win the Mid-Continent tournament to make the field a year after a mononucleosis outbreak contributed to Valpo’s loss in last season’s title game. Among Valparaiso’s intriguing results this season, the Crusaders have beaten North Carolina Charlotte and lost to Arizona by four and Kansas by eight.

The problem with looking for Cinderella anymore is that she’s already at the dance, and getting plenty of attention.

Western Kentucky, a potential March darling, is already in the top 25.

Gonzaga is in the top 10.

This March, when a team from the Big Ten loses to a team from the Big-Mid-Something-Or-Other, the word “upset” might not fit.

Here’s a glance at the potential upstarts in this year’s NCAA field--and we’re taking suggestions on a name-change for Cinderella.

Western Kentucky (24-3)--The Hilltoppers beat Kentucky in Rupp Arena in November before losing 7-footer Chris Marcus--a late-blooming former Wal-Mart employee--for 17 games because of a foot injury. But Western Kentucky went 15-2 without Marcus. Now he’s back, slowly increasing his minutes and breaking through for a 32-point, 15-rebound game against Kentucky State Tuesday.

Butler (24-4)--This team has done it before, upsetting Wake Forest in the first round last season. If the Bulldogs win a game or two, be prepared to hear a lot about Bobby Plump--the high school player whose shot inspired the movie “Hoosiers” went on to play at Butler. This season’s resume includes victories over Indiana and Ball State.

Kent State (21-5)--You might remember guard Trevor Huffman, whose 24-point performance helped upset Indiana in the first round last season before a second-round loss to Cincinnati. Kent State had to adjust to a new coach, Stan Heath, after Gary Waters left for Rutgers, and lost four of its first eight games. But the Golden Flashes have pulled together just fine--witness 12 victories in a row, including one over Marshall Tuesday in which they made 16 of 28 three-pointers.

Pepperdine (18-7)--The Waves aren’t quite a lock--UCLA might actually hurt Pepperdine with its slip-ups because the Bruins make that victory look less impressive. But any team that beat USC and Gonzaga is more than capable of winning at least a first-round game, and Pepperdine has a good postseason formula--strong guard play, excellent balance and depth, and an intimidating shot-blocker in Cedric Suitt.

Watch Your Language

Cinderella used to be Gonzaga Coach Mark Few’s least favorite word.

Now there’s another: mid-major.

“He hates that mid-major comment more than anything else, I think,” guard Dan Dickau said. “I think he hates it more than a turnover.

“He’s an extremely competitive person, and when you put the mid-major tag on us, I think it seems to him as if you’re putting us on a different level, when he wants it to be a level playing field. I think if you’ve seen the last three, four years, Gonzaga’s shown we are on the same level as these other teams.”

After reaching the Sweet 16 three years in a row--Duke and Michigan State are the only other teams to do that--Gonzaga is a top 10 team and, for the first time, assured of making the NCAA tournament no matter what happens in the West Coast Conference tournament.

Call that a “major” step.

“Yeah. It feels a lot different,” Few said. “It’s certainly more relaxed for mid-February than in the past.”

He insists the drive to win the WCC hasn’t changed.

“It’s something we take a lot of pride in, being league champs.”

Terrapin and the Hare

Abandoned in a corner of the Maryland locker room Sunday was a bunch of roses painted black and blue.

A Charlotte Observer reporter spotted them and read the sarcastic note that was attached, apparently from a Duke fan.

“Turtles, the whole world feels your sorrow over your loss ... but only in fairy tales can a turtle beat a rabbit.”

The Terrapins got the last laugh on that one.

It was Steve Blake’s vastly improved defense on Jason Williams that helped Maryland win the rematch, knocking Duke from its No. 1 perch.

Blake helped cut Williams’ scoring from 34 points in the first game to 17 in the second. He also had 13 assists and only one turnover.

The other dramatic aspect of the game was the emergence of Chris Wilcox, Maryland’s supremely athletic sophomore forward.

Wilcox scored a career-high 23 points.

Maryland Coach Gary Williams should be hoping Wilcox doesn’t get hot enough in the postseason to decide to turn pro.

Bracket Racket

Lee Fowler, chairman of the NCAA tournament selection committee, said the new format designed to allow some teams to play first- and second-round games at sites closer to home probably will affect mostly teams seeded among the top five in a region. (That could mean the Nos.12-16 seeded teams will play closer to home as well.)

What the committee needs to avoid: Moving a game between closely competitive teams, such as a No. 8 vs. No. 9, to a site more favorable to one.

And don’t worry, blank bracket sheets will still work. The only difference is a site will be listed for every four teams in the bracket, instead of every eight.

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The Times’ Rankings

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