It's March, so here's some madness

Everywhere else, March Madness refers to postseason tournament excitement.

Around these fallow parts, it represents the following bits of news, notes, conjecture and comedy that help to sum up one screwed-up college basketball season:

• Northern Illinois capped its regular season in spectacular fashion on Sunday -- with its coach and its sports information representative getting ejected at Eastern Michigan.

Sid Rodeheffer, who's not exactly known as one of the nation's finest officials, sent coach Ricardo Patton packing late in the second half.

"You'd have to have been there to see it," Patton said Monday. "It was just a coach fighting for his kids. But one of the things I talked to my players about after the game, they've got to learn to fight for themselves."

Then Rodeheffer told NIU sports information assistant Matt Brendich to get lost, too.

Brendich, who was working at the scorer's table, wondered if Rodeheffer misinterpreted his chuckle that punctuated a brief conversation with the guy sitting next to him.

• Could Illinois-Chicago wind up standing alone as the only local team to play in the postseason?

UIC athletic director Jim Schmidt says the school has signed a contract with The Gazelle Group, the firm that's putting on the new 16-team College Basketball Invitational.

The contract doesn't guarantee the Flames will be in the field that will be announced Sunday, but it gets them in the mix.

If UIC gets in, it requires a not insignificant investment on the school's part. The Flames (and the other schools) must guarantee $60,000 to Gazelle.

"If we can get some postseason experience, that would be big," Schmidt said.

The Flames (18-15) hope to be even better next year when they return their top two players -- Josh Mayo and Scott VanderMeer -- as well as guards Spencer Stewart and Robert Kreps.

Illinois (13-18) might try to throw its hat into the CBI ring, too, if it can win a couple of games at the Big Ten tournament. That would give the Illini 4 wins in their final six games.

• Illinois wasted little time filling the scholarship that belonged to Brian Carlwell as recently as Feb. 19.

Junior-college power forward Dominique Keller, a Texas native who visited Champaign over the weekend, made his commitment to Illinois on Monday.

At Lee College this season, Keller averaged 25 points and 9 rebounds -- qualities that will be crucial next year with Shaun Pruitt and Brian Randle no longer around.

Despite his scoring average, the 6-foot-7, 225-pound Keller didn't display a keen shooting eye. He shot 54.7 percent from the line, 28.6 percent from 3-point range and 46.6 percent overall.

Illinois can't comment on Keller's commitment until he signs in mid-April.

• Speaking of Brian Carlwell, his re-recruitment has been rather odd.

While programs of all levels from all over the country have inquired about the 6-foot-11 post player who was considered the No. 49 prospect in the Class of 2006, the schools figure something must be wrong if he and the Illini are divorcing.

Between the car accident in February 2007 that set him back several months and added too many pounds to his frame, as well as this season's strained knee ligament that kept him off the court but not from dancing in front of the bench before some games, coaches wonder if he'll work hard to get in shape while he sits out a transfer year.

Initial rumors had Carlwell ticketed for UIC, which might be the best fit for the Maywood resident, but that doesn't seem to be a match at this time.

• Believe it or not, DePaul somehow allowed 98 points in two of its last three games. And you were wondering why the Blue Demons didn't make the Big East tournament?

If college basketball teams were like high school students with yearbooks, here's what I imagine other Big East teams would write in DePaul's yearbook:

Hey Bloo Demonz:

You were the koolest in the class this year! Everyone loved how you rarely bothered to get into defensive stances or box out on the boards. That made it so much fun to be on the court w/yoo!

Stay kool over the summer. We'll see you around the weight room. Yeah, right!

Word,

Your Big East big brothers

• As an Illinois State alum, I'm pleased to see the program back on decent footing. First-year coach Tim Jankovich maximized talent and preached defense.

But after Drake wiped out the Redbirds by 30 points Sunday in the Missouri Valley tournament final, I believe the alma mater will be ignored on Selection Sunday.

Yes, ISU sits at No. 34 in the RPI, which usually is good enough to get into the NCAA Tournament.

But when that 30-point loss is coupled by the fact the Redbirds don't have any wins over NCAA Tournament-quality teams, there's no compelling reason for ISU to be in the field other than the Missouri Valley's general excellence.