It's time once again for the ATVS Tourney Competition.  Now, while most tourney pools focus on the brackets, we break with precedent and focus on the players, not the teams.  Because anyone can pick Kentucky to go all the way, it's far more fun rooting for John Wall to scoring 100 points. 

So, here's the rules.  You can select one player per seed line, one through sixteen.  You then take all of the points your "team" scores each round and add them together.  You do not get to replace players as their team is eliminated, so you want to get the guys who will make a deep run.  Most points wins.  Just reply to this post and list your team.  Here is my entry:

1 Sherron Collins (Kansas)
2 DaSean Butler (WVU)
3 LaceDarius Dunn (Baylor)
4 Greivis Vasquez (Maryland)
5 Donald Sloan (Texas A&M)
6 Jordan Crawford (Xavier)
7 Jimmer Fredette (BYU)
8 Damion James (Texas)
9 Edgar Sosa (Louisville)
10 Omar Samhan (St Marys)
11 Quincy Poindexter (Washington)
12 Randy Culpepper (UTEP)
13 Alex Franklin (Siena)
14 Anthony Johnson (Montana)
15 Reggie Holmes (Morgan St)
16 CJ McCollum (Lehigh)*

*Play-in game does not count.  I reserve the right to change my #16 player after the play-in game but before Thursday tip. 

Dave Martin - AP

11 days ago: LSU forward Tasmin Mitchell waits his turn to run a drill during NCAA college basketball practice on Wednesday, March 10, 2010, at the Southeastern Conference tournament in Nashville, Tenn. LSU will play Tennessee on Thursday. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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Hey, it could happen.

Game is on WAFB in BR and some SECNet affiliates elsewhere. Also on ESPN360.com if you have Cox Cable.

More photos » Bill Feig - AP

15 days ago: LSU forward Storm Warren, left, dunks the ball over Georgia center Albert Jackson (34) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, March 6, 2010, in Baton Rouge, La. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

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Victory is sweet.  Overly giddy analysis coming soon.

via image.cdnl3.xosnetwork.com

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And so the long road ends for two seniors today. Farrer (who will start), was long time bench player who would have been a starter this season if not for an unfortunate knee injury. Mitchell is easily one of the best players this past decade, leads all-time in minutes and games played, stands at 1,959 points, 3rd all time behind only Rudy and Pete. At the end of a horrible season, best we can hope for is a showcase game for them both

Game is on FSN in your area.

More photos » Danny Klimetz - AP

16 days ago: Mississippi Murphy Holloway (31) shoots over LSU forward Storm Warren (24) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Oxford, Miss., Thursday, March 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Danny Klimetz)

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You know the drill.  LSU lost its fourteenth conference game tonight against the Rebels.  Taz was only able to get 11 points, so we don't even get the moral victory of him getting a whole lot closer to 2000.

This is when we start reaching for things.  Eddie Ludwig and Aaron Dotson, our two true freshmen, each had fine games, grabbing 9 and 7 points each.  Bo had 20.

Yeah, another lousy evening.  Unfortunately, there isn't much more that can be said this season.  It's been a long season and I'm sure Trent and the boys are glad it's almost over.  Senior night against UGA on Saturday.  Let's send Taz (and Alex Farrer) out on the right note.

via LSUSports.net

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Pepperdine is one of the traditional west coast powerhouses, but despite early big wins against UC-Irvine and CS Fullerton, they dropped a horrible series against very lowly CS-Northridge (how lowly? the games were at Northridge and one was almost called for darkness). Offensively look out for 2B Joe Sever who is batting a .438 average with 14 hits and three doubles.

Meanwhile, it can't be said how much Ole Miss needs to not lose this game. At this point, knocking them out of the tourney is an admirable goal. And Taz really need some playing time if he's going to beat 2,000.

Baseball v Pepperdine 6:30pm (radio only-Team B "Hannigriff and the Coog")

Pitching matchup

LSU - So. LHP Chris Matulis (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.0 IP, 0 BB, 5 SO)
PEP - Jr. RHP Cole Cook (0-1, 2.57 ERA, 14.0 IP, 4 BB, 9 SO)

Basketball @ Ole Miss 8pm (Radio-Team A "The Law Offices of Hawthorne, Ford, & Blanton" TV-ESPN MYSTERY ANNOUNCERS Also ESPN360.com)

Bill Feig - AP

24 days ago: LSU's Bo Spencer, left, and Dennis Harris, right, celebrate the team's first conference win of the season, 65-54 over Arkansas, after the NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010, in Baton Rouge, La. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

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I think there's a good chance this team can ride this wave of confidence through another win. Auburn is probably the second worst team in the league and now that we know it's possible to win a conference game, it's time to make them the worst team in the league.

Game is on FSN, so good luck finding it.

More photos » Bill Feig - AP

28 days ago: LSU forward Tasmin Mitchell's eyes are displayed on a courtside scoreboard during player introductions as cheerleaders fire up the crowd prior to the beginning of the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Mississippi State, Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010, in Baton Rouge, La. Mississippi State won 60-59. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

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I've been planning on posting this song for some time, as a plea for a victory.  Now that we have that victory, I find it no less relevant.

The important thing to remember is that this victory is not my victory, your victory or your grandma's victory.  It's Trent's victory, Taz's victory, the team's victory.  I gave up early in the season.  My Tigers didn't.

The subtle, creeping improvement of those "other guys" that aren't Bo, Taz and Storm has finally paid off.  The Tigers have never been this balanced, and it's never had this many guys step up and play hard.

Mitchell led scoring with 16 points, while Spencer added 10, doing most of the damage in free throws at the end.

The stars of the show were walk-ons Daron Populist and Zach Kinsley, who got 8 points and 9 points respectively, the former sinking a pair of 3-pointers and the latter slamming down a spectacular dunk that got the crowd wild.

Dennis Harris and Garrett Green got six points each.  Green played particularly well in the early going, and he even finished the game with three steals.

LSU out-blocked the Razorbacks 9-1.  We also out-rebounded them, out-assisted them and out-stole them.  That's how you win a game.

So what now?  With the shame of potentially going winless behind us, what's left to play for?  The season's still a lost season outside of that ever-present chance at the SEC tournament, but our young team is getting better with help on the way.  That's what I wanted at the beginning of the year, when I figured LSU would struggle.

Guys like Garrett Green, Dennis Harris, Chris Bass, and even walk-ons like Populist and Kinsley, we'll need them next year to provide us quality minutes even if they get supplanted by young guys, and with the experience they've gotten this year, they'll be better prepared to do so.

But most of all, I'm happy for Tasmin Mitchell.  I've been saying win one for Taz, and we have.  Maybe his up-and-down LSU career won't have such a miserable ending.  GEAUX TIGERS!!!