Rim shots

Inspirational

Mount St. Mary’s and Boise State are teams who have more than one cause.

The Mountaineers are playing in honor of student Dustin Bauer, a senior who was taken off life support Wednesday after being gravely injured in a fall from his campus apartment.

After Mount St. Mary’s won the Northeast Conference tournament title to secure its first NCAA berth since 1999, Coach Milan Brown left a piece of net on the rim in memory of Bauer, a member of the cheering section known as the Mount Maniacs.

Boise State players and coaches are wearing patches with the initials LP in honor of senior women’s administrator Lisa Parker, who has waged a yearlong battle with cancer.

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And there’s this

When he’s not playing or working out, Notre Dame guard Kyle McAlarney wears dog tags as a tribute to a former high school teammate who has been stationed in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley, considered one of the most dangerous places in the world.

Combat medic Michael Mastrangelo of the 173rd Airborne got to watch his friend play in the Big East Conference tournament, but could be headed back to the Middle East in the next few weeks.

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Brain power

Butler is one team that isn’t likely to get bounced from the tournament because of a stupid mistake.

The Bulldogs placed two players -- both starters -- on the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America team. Guard A.J. Graves, who has a 3.35 grade-point average in actuarial science and his team’s second-leading scoring average of 13.3, made the second team.

Swingman Drew Streicher, an MBA candidate in chemistry with a 3.95 GPA, made the third team.

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Laying low,

flying high

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament champion Coppin State has the dubious distinction of being the only team in the tournament field with a losing record.

The Eagles are 16-20, but they soared at the right time, winning four consecutive postseason tournament games by a total of six points. So how might they stack up against a name-brand opponent?

Past performance suggests not very well.

Among this season’s losses: 72-38 to Missouri, 73-46 to Indiana, 89-42 to Marquette, 66-34 to Dayton, 60-43 to Arizona State, 47-39 to Ohio State, 98-49 to Xavier, 74-51 to Kent State.

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By George,

Cinderella is back

George Mason has five players, including forward Will Thomas and swingman Folarin Campbell, who started on the Cinderella team that advanced to the Final Four in 2006.

In that surprising NCAA tournament run, the Patriots stunned Michigan State, North Carolina, Wichita State and Connecticut in succession before falling, 73-58, to eventual champion Florida in a national semifinal.

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Trivia time

Boise State is making its first tournament appearance since 1994. Cal State Fullerton is making its first since 1978.

What do those old teams have in common, besides the colors orange and blue?

Head coach Bobby Dye.

-- Mike Hiserman and Ben Bolch