The Enquirer sports department's look at who rated — good and bad — this week in sports:

TOP FIVE         1. Selection Sunday: Our favorite day in sports. Tune in to Channel 12 at 6:30p.m. today with a pen and a bracket ready. Where are UC and UK going? Is XU going? So much joy, so much disappointment. The start of the best three weeks in sports.         2. XU women: They breezed through the A-10 Tournament. They get to play host to the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Life couldn't be better in one locker room at Cintas Center.         3. The Bengals: They signed Jon Kitna and Tony Williams. That isn't like signing Joe Montana and Reggie White, but it's nice to see they're trying.         4. Butler: One of our favorite front-runners once said: “I don't root for everyone. I don't root for Butler.” Time to start. The Bulldogs are in the NCAA Tournament again, for the fourth time in the past five years. They're becoming the new Xavier of the MCC.         5. Gonzaga: The guys from out west are shooting for a third straight trip to the Sweet 16.

BOTTOM FIVE         1. Xavier men: Back on the bubble, which is exactly what they deserve. Memo to Mo McAfee: Throw the ball to David West. But you can't blame the players entirely; the honchos on Victory Parkway have to climb off their high horse and take two-for-ones (road games vs. home games) vs. top teams to beef up their schedule. This way isn't working.         2. Troy Aikman: He was released as quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys after 12 seasons, during which he led them to three Super Bowl titles. With a history of concussions and nothing left to prove, why not just retire?         3. The NCAA play-in game: Come on, why humiliate Nos.64 and 65 by making them play for the right to get hammered by No.1? If you're going to do it this way, have eight play-in games. Seventy-two teams get in; all Nos.1 and 2 seeds get cupcakes in Round 1.         4. Gary Sheffield: Hope this underpaid (he makes only $10 million) ingrate goes back to the Dodgers and hits .250. That could make even Dodgers fans go Phillie on him.         5. Albert Belle. We would never root for anyone to get hurt, and we feel sympathy for even Albert. But he went out the way he came in: without class.

Sports Stories

Boxer in critical condition after N.Ky. fight DAUGHERTY: High school would be good place for Knight Miami bubble bursts Coles already looking ahead to next year Kentucky gets revenge on Arkansas Mississippi takes out No. 5 Florida NKU men fall to old foe Davis has Hoosiers in new territory Iowa, Indiana in Big Ten final Pitino signs on with CBS Auto Racing Insider Best and worst of week in sports Boys basketball coverage Girls basketball coverage Coles already looking ahead to next year Elder beats Moeller on third try Vandalia Butler ousts St. X in OT Western Hills earns rare trip to regional Campbell County wins 10th Region title Guidugli sends Highlands to Sweet 16 Mercy gets none from Beavercreek Wyoming upsets No. 1 Versailles Indiana boys basketball scores Kentucky boys basketball scores Kentucky girls basketball scores Ohio boys basketball scores Ohio girls basketball scores Cincinnati boys basketball schedule Cincinnati girls basketball schedule N.Ky. girls basketball schedule Ohio Boys Regional Pairings Ohio girls state tournament

Lindner keeps Reds on tight budget
Reds' plan: Hang on until 2003
Reds spending limits criticized
The importance of revenue-sharing
Schott misses the game
Harnisch shows his worth
Riedling looking like setup man
Game report
Bengals focus on corner
Huggins expects No. 5 seed for UC
UC bom-boarded by Charlotte
UC guards too pooped to pop
UC Notebook
Pivotal day for Xavier
Temple wins A-10 Tournament