Notes and quotes from the fast break lane in a dream season.

Beyond bracketologists, pep bands and painted faces, the deep beauty of NCAA basketball tournament is its suspense. We know shockers and surprises are coming, but who, when and where is the fun part.

Last week, Morehead State supplied the shocker. Sending home Final Four-ambitious Louisville. A punch in the gut for the Cardinals, but a basketball moment for the ages for Rowan County’s other team.

Because Kenneth Faried stayed for another year in college, because coach Don Tyndall was what a coach ought to be, an inspiration, and because Demonte Harper had an answer when his number was called – one shining moment. Harper swished a 20-footer (will be 40 by 2024). Suddenly, for another shining moment, Morehead was media darling instead of self-proclaimed “little nowhere town in eastern Kentucky.”

Postscript. Rowan County’s other team would be the high school Vikings who advanced two overtimes into a Sweet 16 title game at Rupp Arena before losing on a last second shot. VIkes finished 30-6.

Next, the NCAA surprises.

A category that demands Howard Cosell’s epic “Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!” as prologue, nine of 11 Big East teams are home this week, knocked out!

Talking-head favorites Texas, Purdue and UCLA, out!

Fun teams still standing – 11-seed Virginia Commonwealth; Jimmer Fredette’s BYU; Florida and Kentucky.

Adding spice to Friday night’s Ohio State-Kentucky match at the Meadowlands, these things …

• ESPN polled America asking who will win the East Region? 64 percent of 90,000 voters said Ohio State, 19 percent chose North Carolina and 11 said Kentucky.

Inside the Buckeye State 83 percent picked Thad Matta’s team. In the Bluegrass State 56 percent picked the Wildcats.

• UK is 10-8 against Ohio State all-time, but 0-5 against the Bucks in NCAAs.

Brings us to Josh and the Giant Killers.

For the Wildcats to defend Ohio State’s 3-point strikers, Josh Harrellson, the big kid who killed the Free Enes tee-shirt business, must contain two of the best big men still playing, 255-pound Jared Sullinger and the starter he replaced, 280-pound Dallas Lauderdale.

If Kentucky manages to giant kill Ohio State it will shocker enough to put Morehead-Louisville into total eclipse, and rank somewhere near 42-to-1 Buster Douglas busting Mike Tyson two decades ago, Mine That Bird’s 50-to-1 shocker in Kentucky Derby 2009 or UK over Indiana in 1975.

CROWN FOR CHRISTIAN

How perfect is perfect?

Could be a county team from west Kentucky playing a county one from the east. Or, could be a crown for Christian County High School far from the madding crowd, media ratings and anointed favorites (Louisville Eastern etc.).

The parade, pep rally celebration and Sweet 16 big trophy is a time zone away from big city, to be found down-state, in Hopkinsville.

Coach Kerry Stovall’s Christian County Colonels needed two overtimes and a last second assist from Tournament MVP Anthony Hickey to Veontae Lewis who swished a game winner against Rowan County (30-6).

So, another exclamation mark placed at the end of what certainly remains, Greatest Show on Earth!

End of another high school basketball season in Kentucky where Louisville teams got most of the ratings buzz (snicker) while county teams Christian and Rockcastle took home bragging rights and the hardware.

Kentucky. I love this place.

How perfect is perfect? Will be if ballots cast make Kerry Stovall Kentucky’s Coach of the Year.

GOOD GUYS DEPT.

• Florida coach Billy Donovan said Arkansas will regret firing John Pelphrey. Best scenario for the man from Paintsville? With no financial problems with Arkansas obliged to pay him a seven figure settlement, says here a season as television analyst would be an ideal sabbatical. Then, back to the carousel.

• How could Josh Harrellson’s rise from soft to solid endear himself even more to Kentucky fans? By saying he plays hard these days knowing “any game now could be my last for Kentucky.”

• Morehead State coach Donnie Tyndall told reporters he plans to return next season and, flying in the face of one-and-done, his first priority now is “… getting my three seniors graduated, making sure Kenneth Faried is a first-round pick, and getting the other two guys to Europe.”

‘OTHER’ DREAM TEAMS

• Final Four for Georgetown. Coach Happy Osborne’s Tigers (32-4) making an NAIA title run is more an expectation than surprise. Georgetown is enjoying happy times this week in Kansas City.

• Elite Eight for Bellarmine. Reward for a dream season, coach Scotty Davenport’s troupe earned a trip to the cradle of college basketball this week, a berth in D-II’s Elite Eight in Springfield, Mass.

Win or lose, the players will have opportunity to visit the Basketball Hall of Fame. advanced to the Division Two final eight teams.

• Pikeville. Few this side of Pike County remember much from the Bears’ 97-66 loss to Kentucky at Rupp Arena November 1. What was evident then has come to fruition. A good team gotten better, coach Kelly Wells took the Bears to the NAIA Final Four for the first time since 2001.

Last week the unseeded Bears (28-7) eliminated eighth-seed Oklahoma Baptist, beat defending champion Azusa Pacific, then sent Robert Morris (32-2) home. A team that had won 20 in a row.

Georgetown, Bellarmine and Pikeville, join Kentucky making an elite Final Four.

WORTH REPEATING

Will Morehead’s Donnie Tyndall be on the coaches carousel next month? Probably. “I’m not too important to be at Morehead State,” he said at a post game news conference last week. “I feel privileged and honored to be here.”

Stay tuned.

MAYBE YOU MISSED THIS

As the University of Kentucky searches for a new president, the Lexington Herald-Leader presented a first-rate example of journalism March 20. Reporter Linda B. Blackford examined UK’s academic versus athletic budgets priorities. Included was a passage from civil engineering professor William Maloney and faculty trustee and financial professor Joe Peek.

“The concern is the perception that Dr. (Lee) Todd’s focus has been on athletics and the (A.B. Chandler) medical center and the regular campus in between them hasn’t gotten much,” Maloney told Blackford. “Joe Peek calls it the valley of the shadow of death. I call it Death Valley, a desert between a jock oasis on one end and a doc oasis on the other.”

And so it goes.

Sports In Kentucky appears in community newspapers across Kentucky. You can reach Bob Watkins at Sprtsinky@aol.com