We all knew that Fran Dunphy and his Temple Owls would be going to the Big Dance after beating St. Joe’s in the A-10 championship on Saturday, but the Hawks’ fate was uncertain. After yesterday’s loss, Phil Martelli said, “I’ve told everybody, if you believe in a greater power than us, pray your (butt) off. Right now, I have to believe in the power of prayer.”

Maybe it has something to do with Easter weekend approaching, but not only were Martelli’s prayers answered — so too were those of Holy War rival Villanova. Both Big 5 squads were very much on the bubble heading into today, and both found their way into the tournament bracket.

While Villanova snagged a 12 seed, St. Joe’s wound up with an 11 seed, which is a bit suspect. Why? Because Temple, the A-10 champion, got stuck with a 12 seed. The two teams split the regular season series, but the Owls beat the Hawks in the A-10 championship game, when it counted most. It seems pretty unfair that the Hawks would wind up with the better seed. But hey, it’s just one seed, and when has the tournament selection committee ever been perfectly accurate or fair?

And to top it all off, Notre Dame won more games this season than it ever has before, earning a 5 seed. The dozen or so of you non-Jews at Penn clearly need to go to church more often.

In any event, it is the first time since 1999 that three Big 5 teams have made the tournament. Now, in the one year that Penn finally fails to make the tourney, you have your pick of Cornell or three Big 5 teams to root for.

While Penn coach Glen Miller knows his team isn’t the League’s best in 2007-08, he certainly isn’t backing down.

Well, his mouth isn’t, anyway.

After the 74-58 loss at Columbia, Miller had this to say for his opponents reaping the benfits of a weaker Penn squad.

“I would just say to our opponents in the Ivy League: Enjoy it; it won’t last long.”

For anyone who followed Penn under Fran Dunphy, you’re probably as shocked as I am to hear a Penn coach talking in this manner. Dunphy couldn’t stop talking about how much respect he had for the other side, calling his adversaries a “very good basketball team” no matter what its record was. Pigs will fly before Dunphy says something like this.

Dunphy is politically-correct, Miller is entertaining, but Saint Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli is the perfect combination of the two.

Martelli praised Penn for its rebounding after the 40-point loss and called Villanova still the premier program in Philadelphia after crushing them in the Holy War. But he could only think of criticism about No. 13 Xavier after the near-upset against the Musketeers.

“Is there anybody here from the Xavier administration?” Martelli said, after dramatically removing his glasses. “Do you know when graduation is? That goddamn [Stanley] Burrell, every goddamn game, makes a shot against us. He was averaging 7.5 points coming into the game, in seven or eight league games. He doesn’t look like the same player, playing great defense. Dagger.

“I want to be here to make sure that son of a bitch gets out of here to be honest with you.”

Martelli is the man. I’ve never seen a joke tirade like this before.

Everybody’s favorite blogger looks at the coaching philosophy of Glen Miller versus Fran Dunphy.