My alma mater, #7 seed Georgetown (KY) College, advanced to the NAIA Fab Four for the 11th time with a stunning upset of #2 Concordia (CA) 69-67.  The Georgetown Tigers were national champions in 1995. Like many top NAIA schools, Georgetown thrives of transfers from D1 schools, since players aren't required to sit out a year in NAIA.  Georgetown's roster has players from Marshall, San Diego St, Gardner Webb, Miami (OH), and IUPUI.

They meet #3 Mountain St. (WV) in the Fab Four. Of Mountain State's top 6 players, 3 tranferred from Marshall, one is a 7'1 center from Sudan, and their PG Doug Wiggins was the 6th man at UConn but hadn't played college ball in 2 years.

The other matchup is #5 Martin Methodist (TN) vs. unseeded Pikeville (KY). Pikeville defeated #1 Robert Morris (IL) in the quarter-finals.Pikeville has players from UMass, Morehead St., Youngstown St, and Nebraska

If Georgetown and Pikeville can pull another upset, the Mid-South Conference rivals will meet for the 3rd time. They split the previous two meetings.

In 2004, two Mid-South teams,Georgetown and Campbellsville (KY),  also made the Fab Four but both lost in the semi-finals. My dad is a graduate of Campbellsville, whose  former coach was Travis Ford. Ford is  now at Oklahoma State after stops at Eastern Kentucky and UMass.

Pikeville (KY) defeated Moutain St. (WV) in OT to win the NAIA title.  The NAIA seeds 16 of their 32 teams. Pikeville is the first unseeded winner to defeat 5 Top 10 seeds in route to the title.

The Bears join an impressive list of great Kentucky teams.  While other states have won more titles, I doubt they've done so with as few school as the Bluegrass State.

KENTUCKY- NCAA champions in 1948, '49, '51, '58, '76, '96, and '98. Runners-up in '66, '75, and '97.

LOUISVILLE- NCAA champions in 1980 and '86. NAIA champion in 1948

LOUISVILLE (women)- Runner-up 2010

 MURRAY STATE-  NAIA champion in 1941; runner-up in 1952

KENTUCKY WESLEYAN- DII champion in 1966, '68, '69, '73, '87, '90. '99 and '2001. Runners-up in 1957, '98, '00, '02, and '03

BELLARMINE- DII champion in 2011

NORTHERN KENTUCKY- DII runners-up in 1996 and '97

NORTHERN KENTUCKY (women) - DII champs in 2000 and 2008

KENTUCKY STATE-  Won an NAIA 3-peat in 1970, '71, and '72 led by Travis Grant and Elmore Smith

KENTUCKY STATE (women)- NAIA champs 1981

GEORGETOWN-  NAIA winner in 1998. Runners-up in 1961 and 1996

PIKEVILLE- NAIA winner in 2011

PADUCAH JR. COLLEGE-  Junior college champion in 1969

SULLIVAN JR. COLLEGE- champions in 1996.

I had a friend who went to Union University in Tennesee (NAIA).  She was one of the team managers of the men's basketball team, and they had some former DI transfers that could play some ball.  NAIA teams are often better quality than DII & DIII teams.  In fact, when my friend went to Union, I believe they beat DI UT-Martin.

Doug Wiggins, I remember when he was playing with the Long Island Panthers in summer ball. I'm actually surprised his college career has gone the way it has, really quick and athletic thought he'd be a solid player for UCONN.

alblack - here are the game notes from that Pitt/Georgetown game - www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/121503aaa.html

at that point, did Georgetown have former UC (my alma mater) player Jackson Julson, or had he completed his one year at Georgetown already?     

Posted by haasdr on 3/23/2011 6:02:00 PM (view original):
alblack - here are the game notes from that Pitt/Georgetown game - www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/121503aaa.html

at that point, did Georgetown have former UC (my alma mater) player Jackson Julson, or had he completed his one year at Georgetown already?     

Jackson Julson played there in 1997-98.  They won the national championship but he wasn't a starter. I'm not even sure he finished the season before quitting the team. He's now a financial analyst in San Antonio.

Another Cincinnati Bearcat, Antwan Jones, also ended up at Georgetown, in 2001-02. He holds the school record for 3-pts made in a season.

I guess Julson was there a long time ago.  i should have remember that - he was there when I went to UC.  my fondest memory of Julson was this - one fall I was walking down one of the streets near campus with a friend, and he's out in front of a house grilling burgers and drinking beer.  at the time I didn't drink (I was only 18 and hadn't succumbed to the bottle yet!), but he offered us food and drink.  i politely declined.

i'd also forgotten about Antwan Jones.  he seemed like kind of a knucklehead but he could score. 

We can add Bellarmine to the list of Kentucky schools who've made the finals.  They defeated Minnesota St.-Mankato tonight in the DII Final Four. 

The championship game is Saturday at 1 p.m. on CBS.  Bellarmine faces the winner of W. Liberty and BYU-Hawaii.  #1 ranked W. Liberty is 33-0 and averages 110 ppg.

BYU-Hawaii upset #1 West Liberty 110-101 and will face Bellarmine on Saturday in the DII final.

Jackson Julson only played 2 games at Georgetown before being kicked off for fighting with Happy.
Post players in 98 were Will Carlton (Utah) and Todd Cox (VCU), Billy Ray Fawns (Montgomery Co.) was the backup. 

Mt. State also has a young man from England that is the tallest player in Basketball in the US at any level. Although he doesn't play very much at all he looks impressive standing 7'8"

Bellarmine defeated BYU-Hawaii 71-68 to win their 1st DII title. I've updated my post of 3/23 to reflect yet another champion from the Bluegrass State