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Welcome to The Pulse, the place to find out what the sports world is thinking. Every day on ESPN.com, SportsNation registers its opinion on a wide range of topics by casting votes and offering opinions. We'll collect the daily highlights and create a running file throughout the week to measure The Pulse of SportsNation on a wide variety of issues. Check this page every day for an update of what the 'Nation is saying.

Two of college basketball's top teams face off Sunday.

This battle may determine who receives the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional, as both teams have been battling for supremacy all season long. Alando Tucker and Greg Oden are waging a similar battle, competing side-by-side for Player of the Year honors. Whichever team wins on Sunday will have a major advantage going into March.

SportsNation is divided on who will win, but believes Wisconsin has the greater future.

Which team should have been ranked No. 1 entering the week?
53% Wisconsin
26% Ohio State
21% Neither

Which team holds the advantage in the starting frontcourt?
55% Wisconsin (Brian Butch, Jason Chappell, Alando Tucker)
45% Ohio State (Ivan Harris, Greg Oden)

Which team holds the advantage in the starting backcourt?
57% Ohio State (Jamar Butler, Mike Conley Jr., Ron Lewis)
43% Wisconsin (Michael Flowers, Kammron Taylor)

Which team holds the advantage on the bench?
57% Wisconsin (Jason Bohannon, Joe Krabbenhoft, Marcus Landry, Greg Steimsma)
43% Ohio State (Daequan Cook, Othello Hunter, David Lighty)

Which head coach would you rather have for your team?
60% Bo Ryan
40% Thad Matta

Which player is more deserving of national player of the year consideration?
70% Alando Tucker
30% Greg Oden

Which team will advance further in the NCAA Tournament?
60% Wisconsin
40% Ohio State

Which team will win Sunday in Columbus?
50.5% Wisconsin
49.5% Ohio State

From Andy Katz's Friday chat:
Hey Andy, what does Ohio State have to do to get a #1 seed? Although they're ranked #1 in the country, they have no signature win. Does beating Wisconsin seal it for the Buckeyes?
Arya
Irvine, Ca

I mentioned that in my Daily Word today. I agree. Outside of the win over Tennessee, I'm not sure why Ohio State is a No. 1 seed right now. Who have the Buckeyes beaten that stands them apart? You can cite the win over Michigan State in East Lansing. But I think Ohio State has to beat Wisconsin to be a No. 1 seed and then get to the final and then hope that the others they're competing with for the No 1 seed don't run away from them.
Andy Katz

Do you believe Alando Tucker of Wisconsin really has a shot at POY. His size and athleticism is surely present. However, he has taken over 16 shots a game in over 14 games during this season. He's shooting under 50% from the field and hasn't been able to come up big in clutch situations. Jared Dudley of Boston College has never taken over 16 shots in a game all season and seems to be producing Alando-type numbers and carrying his team through the toughest division in college basketball.
Mike
Boston, MA

All of the top candidates have had their moments where they've slipped just a tad lately. I don't think it's a slam dunk for Durant. I'd like to see everyone wait a few weeks before making a final decision.
Andy Katz

Can you give us a prediction for OSU-Wisconsin?
Brad
Philadelphia, PA

Just that I plan on being there for what I hope will be a last-possession game.
Andy Katz

The NBA's trade deadline amounted to a whole lot of nothing.

Jason Kidd is still a Net. So is Vince Carter. Pau Gasol remains a Grizzly. Mike Bibby is still a King. Juan Dixon and Fred Jones switched teams, but when that's the biggest trade out there, you know that it's been a quiet deadline day.

SportsNation was divided on who should have made moves, but certainly wished someone would have.

Which of the following teams is hurt most by not making a move?
26% Cavaliers
25% Lakers
15% Bulls
10% Timberwolves
10% Nets
9% Heat
5% Clippers

Which of the following players were you most surprised to see stay put?
24% Jason Kidd
21% Mike Bibby
20% Pau Gasol
12% Corey Maggette
11% Mike James
9% Vince Carter
3% Kevin Garnett

Which of the following teams will sign Scottie Pippen?
39% Lakers
26% No team will sign him
17% Cavaliers
13% Another team
5% Spurs

Which of the following teams will represent the East in the NBA Finals?
25% Pistons
21% Bulls
21% Cavaliers
13% Heat
10% Raptors
5% Magic
3% Pacers
2% Wizards

Which of the following teams will represent the West in the NBA Finals?
49% Mavericks
27% Suns
8% Spurs
6% Lakers
4% Rockets
4% Jazz
2% Nuggets

From Chad Ford's Thursday chat:
Would you take a run at VC if you were the Bobcats?
Charlie
Austin, TX

Probably not. Vince is 30 and I don't think the Bobcats are making a deep run in the next 3 years. I think Rashard Lewis is a more logical guy to make a run at. He's younger, cheaper and a better fit with Gerald Wallace than Carter is. However, once again, it seems like the Bobcats have hit the snooze button on the trade deadline.
Chad Ford

Why dont most of us realize that to build a championship team you have to make deals and actively tweak your roster.
"League GMs"

There's some truth to what you say. Look at the Pistons in 2004 when they made the bold move of getting Rasheed Wallace. Lots of us criticized it, but it put them over the top. The Heat went through a major overhaul in the summer of 2005 and won it all in 2006. I think that too many GMs are risk-averse. They play it safe with the status quo and tell everyone that they tried to make a deal but couldn't. To me the best GMs are the ones that roll the dice. If I owned a team, I'd want a GM who was bold enough to take a chance at greatness instead of milling around at just about .500 every year. If you look at the best GMs in the league (Joe Dumars, Donnie Walsh, Jerry West) they aren't afraid to make a big deal and their teams are usually better off for it.
Chad Ford

The only problem with making a big deal is that only rarely does it win you a ring. Is it better to be a continual first-round exit, or to rebuild, deal with a couple of years of horrible play, and eventually hope for a run at a title? I don't really see either one as an answer.
Brandon
Cedar Rapids, IA

I think that the answer for most fans is that they want their team to have a legitimate chance at winning it all. We all know only one team can win the ring each year. What fans want is hope that their team has a good shot at winning the rings. So, if you're a Lakers fan and your team has lost 12 of 16 and the Mavs and Suns are rolling and Mitch Kupchak says that you should wait three more years to see if Andrew Bynum is any good ... I think that's what causes the frustration. Adding a guy like Kidd doesn't guarantee that you win a championship. But he does give you a legitimate shot at one.
Chad Ford

With March fast approaching, it's time to start determining the best players in men's and women's college basketball.

So far, the only real dissent comes in the men's game, with Alando Tucker and Kevin Durant battling for supremacy, seperated by only 8 percentage points. Their performances in March may sway voters' opinions greatly.

On the women's side, half of the vote went to Tennessee star Candace Parker, with Duke standout Lindsey Harding a distant second.

Who is the Player of the Year in men's college basketball?
44% Kevin Durant
36% Alando Tucker
11% Acie Law
5% Nick Fazekas
4% Jared Dudley

Who is the Player of the Year in women's college basketball?
50% Candace Parker
29% Lindsey Harding
11% Courtney Paris
7% Ivory Latta
3% Candice Wiggins

Norv Turner certainly has his work cut out for him.

It's not like there's any pressure, replacing a coach who took over a struggling franchise and led it to a 14-2 record. That happens every day, doesn't it? If Turner can better Marty Schottenheimer's dismal playoff record, he'll be lauded, but Turner's playoff record is nothing to envy either. Should the Chargers have taken a chance with an unproven assistant?

SportsNation overwhelmingly decried Turner's hiring and sees several better candidates for the job.

Are you surprised by the Chargers' choice of Norv Turner to replace Marty Schottenheimer as head coach?
66% Yes
34% No

Which of these candidates was the best man for the job?
32% Ron Rivera (Bears defensive coordinator)
27% Rex Ryan (Ravens defensive coordinator)
20% Mike Singletary (49ers assistant head coach)
17% Norv Turner (former 49ers offensive coordinator)
2% Mike Zimmer (Falcons defensive coordinator)
2% Gary Gibbs (Saints defensive coordinator)

Among those interviewed, Turner was the only one with head-coaching experience. Was that the major deciding factor for the Chargers?
82% Yes
18% No

Is Turner an improvement over Schottenheimer?
89% No
11% Yes

How concerned should Chargers fans be about Turner's 58-82-1 career record and one postseason appearance in nine seasons as a head coach?
64% Extremely concerned -- He's had two other opportunities and was largely unsuccessful.
24% Mildly concerned -- This team needed a change at the top and Turner will help Philip Rivers progress faster.
12% Not at all -- Turner has much more talent this time around and is in a perfect position to succeed.

Which is the better hire for the Chargers?
82% Ted Cottrell replacing Wade Phillips as defensive coordinator
18% Turner replacing Schottenheimer as head coach

How many games will the Chargers win in 2007?
43% 9-10
39% 11-12
10% 8 or fewer
8% 13 or more

Will Turner take the Chargers to the Super Bowl in the next two seasons?
79% No
21% Yes

From Steve Muench's Tuesday chat:
With Norv at the helm now, does this change the Chargers' draft strategy? Who do you see them taking now?
Jason
Charlottesville

I don't see them changing their draft strategy. Schottenheimer was let go because he couldn't get along with GM AJ Smith so it's unlikley Turner gets much input this year. I see them taking a wide receiver like Tennessee's Robert Meachem or maybe even Ohio State's Anthony Gonzalez.
Steve Muench