Talking Points for 3/2/10:

• I'm constantly amazed at Pearl's ability to find motivation in any scenario. This week, of course, the danger is the Dreaded Letdown ($?) after the big win over Kentucky and avoiding the same fate that befell South Carolina ($?) after they beat the Wildcats, so Pearl trots out this gem:

  I know that down the stretch, you can talk all you want about the body of work, but when it comes to seeding, I think it comes down to your last couple of games,'' Pearl said. "We were told (in 2008) we didn't get a (No.) one seed because we didn't beat Arkansas (in the SEC tournament semifinals). "We were told last year we didn't get a (better) seed because we lost to Alabama (in the final regular-season home game)."

• Having seniors Wayne Chism, J.P. Prince, and Bobby Maze on the team should help, as there appears to be a correlation between senior leadership and post-season play.