Exclamation points

Friday's early stories: big players coming up big, and the Big 12 doing the same.

Sherron Collins scored 32 points for Kansas in an 84-74 victory over North Dakota St. NDSU star Ben Woodside did all he could in the loss, dropping 37.

Dionte Christmas didn't disappoint either, putting up 29 in Temple's loss to Arizona St.

Chris Wright scored a career-high 27 as Dayton flew past West Virginia to pull off the 11/6 upset. Bob Huggins-led squads (Cincinnati and West Virginia) had been 13-1 against the Flyers, with 13 being more than the number of players who graduated under Huggins at Cincy.

DeJuan Blair had 27 points and 16 rebounds in Pitt's much-closer-than-it-should-have-been 72-62 victory over E. Tennessee St. Maybe this was a wake up call, maybe it was a sign I shouldn't have picked Pitt to win it all. Only time will tell.

And while no one on Stephen F. Austin came up big (hence a 15-point loss to Syracuse), I have to point out that "coming up big" would be impossible for guard Eric Bell, who is listed at just 5' 3"! Bell is (was) the smallest player in this year's tournament. He didn't score any points in Friday's loss, but he gave height-challenged people everywhere hope that they, too, one day, could possibly score zero points in an NCAA Tournament game. (toth: mc)

And the Big 12: Kansas, Texas A & M, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and Oklahoma St. have all won either Thursday or Friday. 6-0 for the Big 12. The Big East is close behind at 5-1.