TAMPA - The bay area and the St. Pete Times Forum want to be synonymous with March Madness and will have their shot.
The NCAA Tournament could return for first- and second-round games in 2007 or 2008 and a region final in 2007, the next available cycle.
"We're excited they're considering us," said Ron Campbell, president of the Lightning and the Forum as well as acting executive director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission.
In conjunction with USF, the area submitted a bid several months ago and has made the first cut. A more detailed proposal is being drafted and is due in early April. A final announcement is expected in June.
The Forum served as site for opening-round games last year. The ACC men's tournament will come to the Forum in 2007 and the women's Final Four in 2008, the first time the women's event has come to the state. The NCAA didn't want the same site for a men's region right before the Final Four, which is why the Forum isn't in the picture for 2008.
FSU's Pickett named All-ACC
Florida State senior guard Tim Pickett became just the second Seminole to be named first-team All-ACC.
Bob Sura was the other in 1994.
"I just tried to play to my fullest potential and make my teammates better as well," said Pickett, who averages 16.3 points and 2.5 steals and led the league in 3-pointers (98). "It's a great honor and what I have been dreaming about since I got here. Now that I have accomplished it, I feel like I can keep getting better."
USF'S LEATHER HONORED: Bulls forward Terrence Leather was named to the All-Conference USA third team. Leather, a 6-9 junior from Tampa, averaged 15.5 points and 8.4 rebounds as USF went 7-20, 1-15. In league games he averaged 16.5 points and 8.3 rebounds, ranking fifth and third, respectively. "This is really a special honor," he said. "I'm disappointed with the way the season ended but the future is bright. I am looking forward to working hard in the offseason."
HAWKS RISE TO 1: Saint Joseph's has soared to the top of the basketball world. The Philadelphia school with an enrollment of 3,400 and not much recent sports history to brag about is No.1 in the Associated Press poll for the first time. "It's a dream come true," senior guard Jameer Nelson said. "At the same time, we have to take care of business these last few games." The Hawks (27-0), also No.1 in the ESPN/USA Today poll, are the only unbeaten team in Division I. They need three victories in the Atlantic 10 tournament to become the first team since UNLV in 1991 to enter the NCAA Tournament without a loss.
Conferences
COLONIAL: Jesse Pellot-Rosa's free throw with 1.6 seconds left Monday gave Virginia Commonwealth a 55-54 win over George Mason in the title game in Richmond. The top-seeded Rams (23-7), who led almost the entire way until Tony Skinn's 3-pointer tied it with nine seconds left for the third-seeded Patriots, won their first CAA title since 1996.
MISSOURI VALLEY: Northern Iowa, which blew a 12-point second-half lead, rallied for a 79-74 double-overtime victory over Southwest Missouri State in the final in Saint Louis.
METRO ATLANTIC: Dave Holmes scored 16 and Manhattan held off a late Niagara surge in a 62-61 win in Albany, N.Y., for the Jaspers' third MAAC title.
- Times staff writer Pete Young contributed to this report, which used information from the Associated Press.
