Avery Johnson, optimistic and energetic enough to try selling a tuxedo to a penguin if necessary, isn't going to let go of the dream until harsh reality in the form of tonight's NCAA Tournament Selection Show forces that page to turn. His Alabama basketball team made a better run that anyone could have reasonably expected, but the late-season losses by a team that pushed hard all year long didn't enhance a resume that Johnson loves. The great wins -- Notre Dame, Texas A&M and South Carolina, among the likely tournament entries and Wichita State among the bubble-sweaters -- are still great, but almost certainly not enough.
CECIL HURT: Alabama basketball team needs more games
