Niche numbers: Proving once more that pollsters have 75% more time on their hands than they know what to do with, a new survey reveals that 82% of Russian-speaking Americans believe George W. Bush will be re-elected.

Sweet: For the first time since 1993, Vanderbilt’s men’s basketball team has made it to the semi-finals (round of 16) of the NCAA Tournament. (The women’s team does it regularly and can do so again with a win on Monday evening.) Today’s game was a come-from-behind 75-73 win over North Carolina State, one of the heart-stopping ordeals they are known for. Vanderbilt (23-9) plays No. 2 seed Connecticut in the regional semifinals on Thursday. Later: Great game recap in the NY Times (registration required,etc.) with this quote from Vandy Coach Kevin Stallings: “We’re not the best team in the country, but that’s why they play the games. On any given night, anything can happen.”