Montana coach Wayne Tinkle shook off his assistants' suggestions to get the ball inside as the Grizzlies tried to rally from a 22-point deficit against Weber State. Tinkle chose to continue riding guard Anthony Johnson's scoring streak -- and it carried the Grizzlies back to the NCAA tournament for the first time in four years.

Tajuan Porter scored 32 points, including eight in overtime, and Oregon rallied for an 82-80 victory over Washington State on Wednesday night in the Pac-10 Conference tournament opener. The victory ensured Ernie Kent at least another game to coach the Ducks. Multiple media outlets have reported that he's already been fired, but Kent has not commented on his status.

A former Marine has been acquitted in the stabbing death of a Rice University basketball player during a 2007 fight outside a Texas bar. Ronald Andrew Johnson was found not guilty Wednesday in Jonathan Bailey's death and of the aggravated assault of Bailey's twin brother, Janson. Defense attorneys said Johnson stabbed the brothers to save his brother, who was being beaten by the twins...

Cincinnati has rebounded quite well in getting comfortable at the Big East tournament. The 11th-seeded Bearcats again used a huge advantage on the boards to beat sixth-seeded Louisville 69-66 on Wednesday night to advance to the quarterfinals. They are the only team to play in the opening round still playing, and it was rebounding that keyed both close wins.

Damion James had 28 points and 16 rebounds, and Texas pulled away from plucky Iowa State on Wednesday night, beating the Cyclones 82-75 in a hard-fought Big 12 opening-round game. James had three points, three rebounds and an assist during an 11-0 run that turned a one-point lead into a 12-point spread.

Robert Morris coach Mike Rice preaches to his team that defense wins. On Wednesday night, the Colonials locked down their second consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament. Dallas Green deflected a potential game-winning shot then sank two free throws with 7 seconds left as Robert Morris beat Quinnipiac 52-50 for the Northeast Conference championship, the Colonials seventh title and second straight.

With a healthy Luke Harangody back in top form, Notre Dame stopped Seton Hall in its run-and-gun tracks to take another big step toward the NCAA tournament. Harangody had 20 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, and the Fighting Irish shut down Seton Hall's high-octane offense for a 68-56 victory in the second round of the Big East tournament Wednesday night.

Keiton Page scored 19 of his 24 points in a dominating first half, and Oklahoma State withstood a brief rally in the season's third Bedlam game to beat Oklahoma 81-67 on Wednesday night in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament. Oklahoma State (22-9) raced to an 18-point lead in the first six minutes, then allowed Oklahoma to creep back in it with a shaky start to the second half.

Tennessee is ranked 15th in the country and went 11-5 in the Southeastern Conference. So of course, the Volunteers are enjoying a first-round bye at the league tournament, right? Nope. Tennessee (23-7) wound up as the Eastern Division's No. 3 team and playing Thursday against LSU, the sixth-seeded team from the West.

When Marquette plays another Big East team no one is allowed out of their seat in the final minutes. How about this stat? In their 19 games against conference foes this season, the Golden Eagles have had 12 games decided by three points or less. They have won six of the last seven of those, the latest a 57-55 victory over St.

Injuries to Ohio State's Evan Turner and Purdue's Robbie Hummel might have dimmed the Big Ten's chances of snagging a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament -- not that the teams aren't going to try to make a run and strengthen their cases. Turner missed six games this season with two broken bones in his lower back, and the team went 3-3 without him.

Maybe Kentucky coach John Calipari wants to ease the pressure on his young Wildcats. He's busy talking about playing for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, though ending a drought with Kentucky's first Southeastern Conference tournament title since 2004 would a big deal, too. All those blue-clad fans heading to Nashville, determined to sneak through every nook and cranny to watch?

Brandon Richardson scored 19 points and No. 12 seed Nebraska took command with an early 16-1 run and shocked No. 5 seed Missouri 75-60 Wednesday in an opening-round upset at the Big 12 tournament. The underdog Cornhuskers (15-17), who had won just two of 16 Big 12 regular-season games, outrebounded, outshot and outhustled the team that had easily beaten them twice this year.

Georgetown coach John Thompson III has a remarkable knack for making a difficult game sound simple. Take, for instance, his approach to guarding Dominique Jones. The South Florida star ripped apart the Hoyas the last time the two teams met, and was coming off an impressive performance that helped his team reach the second round of the Big East tournament.

Duke and Maryland ended the regular season atop the Atlantic Coast Conference with plenty of separation from the rest of the league. Their last meeting was a tense fight that went to the final minute. Yet they could have a difficult time setting up another matchup in this week's Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.

The Western Athletic Conference has reprimanded Utah State coach Stew Morrill for yelling at a New Mexico State player during a game last week. Morrill shouted at New Mexico State's Jahmar Young after he dived on a Utah State player while going for a loose ball in Utah State's win on Saturday.

John Roberson scored 19 points, Nick Okorie added 18 and Texas Tech overcame a sloppy start defensively to open the Big 12 tournament with an 82-67 victory over Colorado on Wednesday. Texas Tech (17-14) has been plagued by shoddy defense since reaching No. 16 in the polls midway through the season and started off that way against Colorado.

The chairman of the Division I Men's Basketball Committee says possible expansion of the NCAA tournament isn't on the minds of the group that will select the 2010 field this weekend. UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero said Wednesday that the immediate focus is on selecting the best 34 at-large teams for the 65-team field.

No. 1 Kansas is deep and talented, confident and committed. If the Jayhawks can avoid a pratfall in this week's Big 12 tournament, they will probably own the top NCAA seed overall. They'll play the first two weekends in Oklahoma City and St. Louis, easy driving distance for an adoring fan base that hungers for a second national championship in three years.

No. 12 Butler insists the real work is just beginning. After winning 20 straight games, cruising to the Horizon League regular-season title and routing second-seeded Wright State 70-45 for the conference tournament title Tuesday night, the Bulldogs suddenly have bigger aspirations. Among them: extending the nation's longest winning streak.