Samford celebrates its second Southern Conference championship.

Samford will return to the NCAA Women’s Tournament to play No. 2 seed Duke (24-5, 15-1) on Sunday in Nashville.

The No. 15 Bulldogs earned their trip after winning its second consecutive Southern Conference championship on March 5 by beating Appalachian State 54-43. The Blue Devils are making their 18th consecutive tourney appearance, almost always as a Top 5 seed.

Samford (20-12, 12-8) exited the 2011 tourney after a first-round loss to Florida State 76-46. Duke lost to N.C. State 75-73 in the ACC tournament quarterfinals on March 2.

The game airs at 6:30 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2.

Brackets:

• NCAA Women’s Tournament

Video: The Bulldogs learn they’ll face
Duke in the NCAA Women’s Tournament. 

Alabama’s Trevor Releford, left, and JaMychal Green
will face Creighton first in the Big Dance.

Alabama returns to the Big Dance this week. The ninth-seeded Crimson Tide (21-11, 9-7) will play No. 8 Creighton in the NCAA Men’s Tournament on Friday in Greensboro, N.C.

Alabama lost to Florida 66-63 in the second round of SEC Tournament Friday in New Orleans. In the 2011 NIT finals, Alabama lost to Wichita State 66-57.

The Bluejays won the Missouri Valley Tournament, beating Illinois State 83-79 in overtime, and finished with a 28-5 record. They face the Tide in the Midwest region.

The game airs at 12:40 p.m. Friday (time TBA) on CBS 42 TBS. [See all tipoff times.]

Brackets:

• NCAA Men’s Tournament

Also: Samford to face Duke in women’s tournament

Video: a look at the life of Gene Bartow

He coached basketball at six universities, with a .647 record.

He took UAB to the NCAA Men’s Tournament an astonishing seven times in a row in his first 8 years as new head coach.

And he served as the school’s first athletic director, after 34 years in coaching, including a 52-9 record at UCLA.

Gene Bartow died Tuesday at age 81 after a 2-year fight with stomach cancer. He’s best known as the “father of UAB athletics.”

On Saturday, Memphis plays UAB in the Conference USA season opener, otherwise known as the third annual Bartow Classic. Two dollars of every ticket sold goes to the Coach Gene Bartow Fund for Cancer Research at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. at Bartow Arena, airing on CBS Sports Network. Tickets are $22-$27.

Video: tribute to Gene Bartow

• Chinese New Year is Jan. 23, marking the year of the dragon.

Video: Alabama loses to Wichita State in the NIT finals.

The Shockers zapped the Tide.

No. 4 Wichita State took down No. 1 Alabama 66-57 to win the National Invitation Tournament on Thursday at Madison Square Garden. The champions finished 29-8 for the season.

Alabama, 25-12, has tied New York University and Notre Dame for the most NIT semifinal and final appearances — six — without winning a championship. For Wichita State, the victory marks the team’s first NIT title.

Also:

• NIT bracket
• More basketball coverage

Video: Alabama defeats Colorado 62-61 in the NIT semifinals.

The Alabama men’s basketball team faces its final challenge tonight: Beating Wichita State to win the National Invitation Tournament.

The top seed Tide (25-11) will face the No. 4 Shockers (28-8) after they crushed Washington State 75-44 in the semifinals. Alabama narrowly defeated Colorado 62-61 on Tuesday in the other semifinal match.

The game takes place at 6 tonight in Madison Square Garden in New York, airing on ESPN2.

Also:

• NIT bracket
• More basketball coverage

Video: Alabama’s Senario Hillman with the dunk after a 3-pointer
miss. The Tide defeated Miami to advance to the NIT semifinals.

The post-season continues for Alabama. The No. 1 Tide defeated No. 2 Miami 79-64 Wednesday in Tuscaloosa to advance in the National Invitation Tournament. The win marked a school record 19 wins at home, undefeated in Coleman Coliseum all season.

Next stop: New York’s Madison Square Garden to face fellow top seed Colorado on Tuesday. The game airs at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.

The winner will face the victor in the following game, No. 2 Washington State vs. No. 4 Wichita State.

The NIT championship game will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, also on ESPN2.

Alabama’s Ben Eblem tries to get past a Miami defender.

Also:

• NIT bracket
• More basketball coverage

Photo: Kent Gidley, Alabama Athletics

Samford’s Ruth Ketcham drives against Florida State
in the first round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

The post-season hopes grow ever dimmer with each passing game for Alabama teams.

In the National Invitation Tournament, No. 1 Alabama managed to defeat No. 4 New Mexico 74-67 on Monday. So far, Alabama is 18-0 at Coleman Coliseum.

The Tide earns one more home game, this time against No. 2 Miami, 8 p.m. Wednesday, airing on ESPN2. Tickets — $8, $4 for students and age 18 and younger — are available online, by calling (877) TIDE-TIX (877-843-3849) and at the door. [NIT bracket]

Should Alabama win, the team will head to the semifinals at Madison Square Garden in New York against Colorado or Kent State.

Samford‘s first trip to the NCAA Women’s Tournament ended abruptly Sunday. The No. 14 Lady Bulldogs lost to No. 3 Florida State 76-46 in the opening round at Auburn. Samford ends the season at 25-8.

Also:

• More basketball coverage

Alabama’s Chris Hines takes the leap against New Mexico.

Photo (bottom): Kent Gidley, Alabama Athletics

Samford Lady Bulldogs prepare for NCAA Women’s Tournament

Alabama’s Senario Hillman, left, and Trevor Releford play defense
against Coastal Carolina. The Tide won 68-44 in the NIT opening round.

It’s been somewhat of a downer post-season so far for Alabama men’s basketball teams.

The bright spot is No. 1 Alabama‘s win Tuesday over No. 8 Coastal Carolina 68-44 in Tuscaloosa in the opening round of the National Invitation Tournament. The Tide faces No. 4 New Mexico at 8 p.m. Monday, also in Tuscaloosa. The game will air on ESPN. Tickets — $8, $4 for students and age 18 and younger — are available online and at the door. [NIT bracket]

UAB fell to fellow No. 12 seed Clemson 70-52 Tuesday in the new NCAA First Four round in Dayton, Ohio. The Blazers end the season 22-9.

And Alabama State lost to Texas-San Antonio 70-61 Wednesday in a battle of the No. 16 seeds, also in Dayton. The Hornets finish 17-18.

Meanwhile, the Samford Lady Bulldogs won the Southern Conference Tournament Championship earlier this month, earning their first trip to the NCAA Women’s Tournament. No. 14 Samford faces No. 3 Florida State at 4 p.m. Sunday in Auburn, to air on ESPN2, WVSU (91.1 FM) and streaming online. [NCAA bracket]

Also:

• Men’s teams announced for tournaments

Photo: Kent Gidley, Alabama Athletics

Alabama top seed in NIT

Video: A look at the biggest surprises in the tourney field.

The college basketball post-season has a possible bright spot or two for state teams, depending on a couple of first-round games this week. UAB (22-8) faces Clemson in a battle of 12th seeds at 8 p.m. Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio, in the NCAA Men’s Tournament. The winner becomes the actual No. 12 East seed to play No. 5 West Virginia on Thursday in Tampa in the second round, which used to be the first round. Really.

UAB advanced one round in the 2010 National Invitation Tournament before losing to North Carolina at Bartow Arena.

Meanwhile, Alabama State (17-17) plays Texas-San Antonio at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in Dayton to be the No. 16 East seed. The winner faces top seed Ohio State on Friday in Cleveland. In all, four play-in games — airing on truTV — have expanded the tournament to a field of 68 teams overall.

UAB’s inclusion was not without some controversy, especially after the Blazers’ early exit in the Conference USA Tournament on Thursday.

Alabama won’t be sitting out. The Crimson Tide (21-11), a top seed in the National Invitation Tournament, will welcome No. 8 Coastal Carolina to campus at 6 p.m. Tuesday, airing on ESPNU.

Brackets:

• NCAA Men’s Tournament
• NIT [PDF]

Video: NCAA selection committee chairman Gene
Smith defends the picks, including UAB.

Video: North Carolina advances to NIT semifinals over UAB.

Basketball season has ended for the state of Alabama. UAB lost its quarterfinal match to the defending national champion, North Carolina, 60-55. The Blazers ended the season Tuesday with a 25-9 record in front of a sellout crowd at home.

Birmingham News: Game summary

Also:

• UAB advances in NIT, takes on North Carolina Tuesday
• UAB men, Samford women advance in NIT
• UAB, Troy headed for NIT

UAB defeats North Carolina State.

The UAB men’s basketball team defeated North Carolina State on Saturday at home, 72-52, in the second round of the NIT.

The Blazers face the 2009 champions, the Tarheels of North Carolina, at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Bartow Arena. The game will be available on ESPN and streaming audio. Tickets are $15 and available online; sales were moving briskly on Sunday.

Update March 22: The game is sold out.

• NIT bracket

The Samford women’s team lost its second-round NIT game to Missouri State on Sunday, 75-54. The Bulldogs finished 23-11, tying the school record for wins in a season.

Also:

• UAB men, Samford women advance in NIT
• UAB, Troy headed for NIT

Photo: UAB Sports

• • •

Send us your news tips.

Men’s basketball

UAB defeated Coastal Carolina 65-49 Tuesday at home, sending them to the second round of the NIT. The Blazers play North Carolina State at 4 today in Bartow Arena. [game audio]

Meanwhile, Troy lost its opening round game to Ole Miss Wednesday, 84-65.

Women’s basketball

Samford had better luck against its Ole Miss counterparts, winning in the last 5 seconds 66-65 at home. The Bulldogs travel to Missouri State for their second-round NIT match, playing at 2 p.m. Sunday. The game will be available on WVSU (91.1 FM) and through the station’s online stream.

Also:

• UAB, Troy headed for NIT

The Blazers have pulled off the seemingly impossible: They’re the only men’s college basketball team from Alabama playing in a post-season tournament.

Update: As Jeff pointed out in the comments, Troy is also headed to the NIT, playing Ole Miss in Oxford at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Our thanks to him.

In 2009, Alabama State lost in the NCAA tournament play-in game. This year, zero teams from the state are in the Big Dance. The lone bright spots are Troy and UAB in the National Invitational Tournament. UAB plays at home against Coastal Carolina 7 p.m. Tuesday. Tickets are $15. No broadcast information is available.

The 2009 NIT tourney invited UAB and Auburn, which fired coach Jeff Lebo after 6 years and a 96-93 record.

The NCAA women’s tournament teams will be announced tonight.

Update: No state women’s teams are headed to the NCAA tournament. Instead, Ole Miss will play at Samford in the first round Thursday in the NIT’s first 64-team tourney.

Also: “State of Alabama tosses another NCAA air ball.”

A look back at all things and people and events 2009 …

Video: “Chains of Love,” Los Lobos. The band will play
an acoustic concert on Jan. 22
at the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center.

March 3 | Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival moves forward with plans to hire a new executive director, as featured in this Wade on Birmingham exclusive. The leader of the state’s largest film festival will need organizational and fund-raising skills, but not necessarily deep cinematic knowledge.

March 11 | The Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center was still months away from the end of its 2008-09 season when we broke the news on the lineup for the 2009-10 season, including Los Lobos (see video above), Savion Glover and the Peking Acrobats coming in early 2010.

March 15 | The way the ball bounces: A sad post-season for Alabama college basketball squads, as Alabama State didn’t even make it past Morehead State in the men’s play-in game, while No. 2 seed Auburn won its first-round game, only to lose to Rutgers next in the women’s tournament.

March 23 | Wade on Birmingham branches out into another company and blog, the Birmingham Blogging Academy. Businesses interested in all forms of social media have a new resource here in town.

March 29 | City Stages announces its headliners, the all-too-familiar mix of oldies but oldies, including the Doobie Brothers, Styx, 38 Special and REO Speedwagon. Birmingham yawns.

“Survivor” at a glance | March 5: Debbie and J.T. go toe to toe in shouldering the most weight, and J.T. survives Tribal Council … March 12: J.T. breaks a tooth in a losing battle, Debbie schemes with Coach … March 25: clip show! with more scenes from Debbie and J.T.

See all of our March coverage.

• • •

Haiku flashback

grandma said (March 15)

Kind words go further
than angry ones. Mind that you
keep plenty in stock.

• • •

365 days of Birmingham’s best and worst: Wade on 2009

While only one men’s team in state has a halfway chance of making it into the Big Dance, the women are faring slightly better. Auburn is headed to north to play Lehigh in the first round of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

Auburn, a No. 2 seed, tips off at 11 a.m. Saturday in Piscataway. Yes, scenic Piscataway.

Bracket: NCAA

• Birmingham News: Auburn women will open NCAAs against Lehigh

• • •

More headlines | send us your news tips.