Notes scribbled during CBS Television’s Paid Programming Marathon, could make a Tolstoy tome.

Strip away the mind-numbing stops, we can still recognize The Big Dance.

1. Televised basketball’s time-out rule: One at first dead ball after four minute intervals beyond 16 minutes, then 12 minute mark, then eight and four minute marks each half.

Add a coach’s strategy to call a time-out just before each teevee stop, add first 30-second team time-out of second half is expanded to a television time-out.

Add overlay network promotions during dead ball moments.

Add stops for game officials to consult the replay monitor.

2. Indiana beat Kentucky on its home floor. The sequel is in the Wildcats’ home town, Catlanta.

3. Love the Hoosier State. Hamlets like Beanblossom, small towns (Rockville), movie Hoosiers, poet James Whitcomb Riley, and Cateract covered bridge, but not this week.

4. Anyone else curious about what’s in store for Christian Watford?

5. Kentucky and Indiana. Time for a radio disc jockey to promise, “if we don’t beat Indiana this time, I’ll crawl to Bloomington and shine Tom Crean’s shoes.”

Commercial break.

6. If Anthony Davis, Draymond Green and Thomas Robinson are best in basketball, who qualifies for bottom three? My ballot: Kansas State’s Jamar Samuels; Renardo Sidney, Mississippi State; and dead last, alleged point shaver Varez Ward at Auburn.

7. Photos for the Ages. Indiana’s Will Sheehey’s reaction to his winning shot against VCU captured by Rick Bowmer for The Associate Press and Louisville Courier-Journal. And, Kentucky’s Darius Miller after his 3-pointer against Iowa State captured by Mark Cornelius for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

8. Where’s the Love Dept. Louisville is in the Sweet 16, yet the Cardinals have gotten little media herd love. Most attention has been devoted to Kentucky and/or Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. Lost somewhere in the twilight zone is a Rick Pitino team (28-9) dismissed Davidson then New Mexico.

9. The Shot. Kentucky fans have not taken kindly to United Parcel Service using Christian Laettner’s killer shot over Deron Feldhaus and John Pelphrey 20 years(!) ago to sell its service. “Since (brown-clad) Lehigh defeated Duke, will UPS continue to run The Shot the rest of the tourney in honor of the men in brown?” a fan asked.

ANSWER: No. Lehigh came back to earth 48 hours later.

10. Replays of Laettner’s ‘92 dagger still makes UK fans crazy. Context – The Shot placed alongside Duke’s stunning loss to Lehigh, brings to mind a line from Andy Griffith: “Now then, that ought to do it.”

Commercial break.

11. Murray State leader Isaiah Canaan lost his groove in the Racers coulda-shoulda beaten Marquette. Four-for-17 shooting included bad shots, four turnovers and the killer – one assist.

12. Because Western Kentucky defeated No. 1 Kentucky for last five minutes of the Toppers season, these things: Down 20 to 30, that the Tops did not coast nor quit, is tribute to their coaches. And, a game film ready to edit for recruiting prospects.

13. For SEC Tournament champion Vanderbilt, another visit to Ronald Reagan’s: “There you go again.”

Commercial break.

14. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist chirped about revenge for the Hoosiers last week, but no-show-last-time Terrence Jones kept his mouth closed.

15. Rick Stansbury did the right thing, resigning at Mississippi State last week. A coach desperate enough to entrust his program to the likes of Renardo Sidney is desperate indeed.

16. Normally fierce-faced Kansas State coach Frank Martin, was reduced to tears and silence when asked about suspending star Jamar Samuels before his team’s game against Syracuse last week. Samuels received a $200 Western Union money transfer from a former coach. “He was out of money and he was hungry,” AAU coach Curtis Malone explained.

Malone’s Mr. Nice Guy philanthropy will earn K-State an NCAA letter of inquiry at least and possibly NCAA sanction including forfeit money from tournament play. Punishment for Malone and Samuels (a senior)? None.

17. St. John’s coach Steve Lavin was guest commentator for TNT last weekend. A one-man message to cancer survivor Lavin: “Come back to television, we miss your insights.”

Commercial break.

18. Jim Host goes into basketball’s Hall of Fame in Kansas City this year. What higher tribute for the man who made KFC Yum Center a reality, than NCAA high praise for the arena and recognition that Louisville is a future site for an NCAA regional.

19. Future Reference Dept. The name Nathan Dieudonne. Leading scorer for Trinity High’s State championship team, 6-7 Dieudonne is headed to Boston College on basketball scholarship.

20. Want a statistical look at Kentucky-Indiana match? Try Stat Sheet.com – http://statsheet.com/mcb/teams/compare?t1-season=2011-2012&t1=kentucky&t2=indiana

21. Darrin Horn got the axe at South Carolina and brought to mind John Pelphrey. Two first rate basketball men to their core who jumped too soon into bad-fit jobs. Horn and Pelphrey will re-surface probably in time to see contemporary Travis Ford move or … get the axe.

22. Fan question: Who would be your Coach of the Year candidates in order? Answer: John Calipari, Tom Izzo, Jim Boeheim, Steve Prohm.

23. Commercial break.

24. Worth Repeating: Hall of Famer John Oldham observations to his son about Western coach Ray Harper were typically classic. “Harper stresses defense, defense, defense, and lets the kids play. Play through their mistakes, play through their fatigue, endure their challenges, succeed on sheer determination. He doesn’t want them to think, he wants them to play, enjoy their teammates, enjoy the thrill of the game of basketball.

“Harper will bring championships back to Western. He knows that coaching is an honor and a privilege to shape and mold young men’s lives, while allowing them the privilege of playing basketball.”

And so it goes.