Three-pointer

1 Purdue is vastly improved. After winning 16 games over the last two years, the Boilermakers were 8--1 through Sunday. Carl Landry (right), a senior forward, was the Big Ten's leading rebounder (8.1 per game) and second-leading scorer (20.0).

2 Wichita State is a bona fide Final Four threat. The Shockers were 7--0 through the weekend and had impressive road wins over George Mason, LSU, Syracuse and Wyoming.

3 It's a shame to see the Gonzaga-Washington series end because of "scheduling conflicts." The Zags won eight of the last nine meetings (including last Saturday's, 97--77), but these teams have usually played competitive, highly entertaining games.