ESPN.com's Andy Glockner is jumping on the PL bandwagon in his 2005 Patriot summer overview. Says Glockner:

Sure, the same academic standards still apply and Patriot League players remain among the smartest around. But gone (except in one case) is the ban on athletic scholarships, and that move has ushered in an influx of talent that has made the conference much more formidable.

The win over Kansas helped earn Bucknell coach Pat Flannery a contract extension.So, while much of the nation was shocked when Bucknell beat (and outplayed) Kansas in the NCAA Tournament, those close to the league were not.

Glockner also examines the Lafayette scholarship issue and makes the point that the league's bottom feeders will need to improve if the conference is ever going to gain mainstream respect.

Also at the sports and poker network:

It is never too soon for those nutty bracketeers to begin predicting the 2006 tournament field. ESPN's Joe Lunardi says Bucknell will be the lone Patriot League rep come March. Kunardi makes the Bison a 13 seed.