KSR Today: Selection Sunday Begins the Madness, Join the KSR Bracket Challenge

Selection Sunday is here. Kentucky is limping into the event after going one and done in the SEC Tournament. Now that you’ve had 24 hours to lick your wounds, today is a great day to move on and look ahead to what the Wildcats may do in the NCAA Tournament. Before the bracket is unveiled, get ready by registering now for the KSR and On3 Bracket Challenge! Invite your family and friends to play. Win prizes! Join the challenge today. 

Thank you to our friends at Justice Dental for their partnership this March. Check out their offer for KSR fans good through April 4th.

Also, thank you Aura for sponsoring the bracket challenge. Check out their special free trial offer only valid during the bracket challenge. Also, thanks to Kentucky Branded, Mint Mobile, and Outsider. Good luck!

Selection Sunday Show Details

• Time: 6 pm
• Network: CBS
• App: March Madness Live

Where will the Wildcats fall? The Bracket Matrix has UK as the last No. 6 seed. As disappointing as the loss to Vanderbilt was, Selection Sunday forecasters do not believe it dramatically altered where the Cats stand in the committee’s eyes.

Teams that aren’t sweating on Selection Sunday

Rick Pitino is back in the Big Dance. The Iona Gaels dominated the MAAC Tournament, defeating Marist 76-55 in Saturday’s championship game to give Pitino his second NCAA Tournament appearance in three years at the northeast mid-major. The Gaels are one of 27 teams that already know they will hear their name called on Selection Sunday.

Conference	Automatic Bid
America East	Vermont
ACC	Duke
ASUN	Kennesaw State
Big 12	Texas
Big East	Marquette
Big Sky	Montana State
Big South	UNC-Asheville
Big West	UC Santa Barbara
CAA	College of Charleston
Conference USA	Florida Atlantic
Horizon League	Northern Kentucky
MAAC	Iona
MAC	Toledo
MEAC	Howard
Missouri Valley	Drake
Mountain West	San Diego State
Northeast	Fairleigh Dickinson
Ohio Valley	Southeast Missouri State
Pac-12	Arizona
Patriot League	Colgate
Southern	Furman
Southland	Texas A&M – Corpus Christi
SWAC	Texas Southern
Summit League	Oral Roberts
Sun Belt	Louisiana
West Coast	Gonzaga
WAC	Grand Canyon

Five Conference Championship Games Remain

I chose to avoid basketball on Saturday to cope with Kentucky’s loss. If you prefer to inundate yourself with more hoops, there are five more games to help you reach the Selection Sunday finish line.

• Ivy League: Yale at Princeton (-3.5), Noon, ESPN2
• SEC: Alabama (-4.5) vs. Texas A&M, 1 pm, ESPN
• Atlantic 10: VCU (-2.5) vs. Dayton, 1 pm, CBS
• American: Houston (-6) vs. Memphis, 3:15, ESPN
• Big Ten: Purdue (-7.5) vs. Penn State, 3:30, CBS

Coaching Carousel Spins, Sidelining Stansbury

Another domino has fallen as the college basketball coaching carousel continues to spin. Rick Stansbury officially “resigned” as the Western Kentucky head basketball coach on Saturday. The Meade County native had four 20-win seasons and reached three C-USA Title games, but failed to punch one ticket to the NCAA Tournament in seven seasons.

It sounds like WKU might take a similar route and hire a familiar face. Former LSU head coach Will Wade is a reportedly a candidate for the position. Each have a reputation off the court and an SEC head coaching stop on their resume. It would make a lot of sense for both parties.

One Final Spring Forward

Times, they are a changing, but only one more time. This morning we are springing forward for the final time. Daylight Savings Time will become permanent, keeping the sun out later in the day during the coldest months of the year. You may have lost an hour of sleep, but this is the last time you’ll have to worry about changing those clocks.

Sacred Heart Wins Another Sweet 16

The KHSAA Girls’ Sweet 16 is turning into the Sacred Heart Invitational. For the third straight year the all-girls school is taking the title back to Louisville. Five-star sophomore sensation ZaKiyah Johnson scored 30 points to lead the Valkyries to a 68-53 victory over McCracken County. Sacred Heart head coach Donna Moir has now three-peated twice, accomplishing the feat 20 years ago between 2002-04.

Bat Cats Seek a Selection Sunday Sweep

The Kentucky baseball team is en fuego. Winners of nine-straight, thanks to a 10-inning Friday night victory, the Bat Cats claimed another series victory with a 7-2 win over Southern Illinois on Saturday. Nick Mingione’s team will bring their brooms in search of a second straight sweep when the first pitch is thrown in Carbondale today at 2 pm EST. You can catch all of the action on ESPN+.