Sports
March Madness Blog (updated 10:15 a.m.)
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| Villanova guard Scottie Reynolds (1) goes up for the winning basket against Pittsburgh's Gilbert Brown in the second half during a men's NCAA tournament regional championship college basketball game in Boston, Saturday, March 28, 2009. Villanova won 78-76 to advance to the Final Four. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) |
By Nick Prevenas, www.gvnews.com
Updated 10:15 a.m.
Jeez, how do we top last night?
After what had, to this point, been an awfully mediocre Sweet 16 round, Villanova and Pittsburgh staged one for the ages. I had that game on DVR and watched it again this morning. Since college hoops was decimated by the “preps to pros” movement in the mid-90s and the current one-and-done situation, you rarely see games like this one anymore. This game reminded me of those epic Big East battles from the 1980s and early 90s -- back when guys like Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin played four years and college basketball was at its peak.
Even without the Scottie Reynolds play (which immediately takes its place alongside Tyus Edny’s lay-up, Bryce Drew’s shot, Rip Hamilton’s shot, Jim Valvano’s cardiac kids tipping it in to beat Houston, and the Christian Laettner shot in the annals of March Madness highlights), this game was played at such a high level. Just…wow.
Today’s match-ups will have a tough time measuring up, that’s for sure.
That’s not to say we don’t have a couple of potential classics on our hands. At 11:20 a.m., Louisville battles Michigan State in one of the best coaching match-ups you can get in college basketball. After a couple of so-so outings, the Cardinals showed everybody why they’re the tourney’s most dangerous team with that 103-64 annihilation of Arizona on Friday. That was the single-best performance any team has had this season. When Louisville is firing on all cylinders, nobody can beat them.
But if anyone can take them down a peg, it’s Tom Izzo’s Michigan State squad.
The Spartans could’ve easily folded after falling behind 13 points the defending champs from Kansas on Friday night. But nothing rattles these guys. Izzo’s boys kept plugging away, kept forcing turnovers, kept hitting free throws, kept believing. Then, Kalin Lucas put on his Superman cape those last 49 seconds and saved the day.
Louisville wants to play this at a frenetic pace, while Michigan State wants to slow things down and grind out a win where the combined point total doesn’t exceed 140. Whichever team controls the tempo will be headed to the Final Four. Given the Big East’s dominance in this tournament and Louisville’s deep arsenal of weapons, I give the Cardinals the edge in the morning game.
This afternoon, the red-hot North Carolina Tar Heels look to contain the tournament’s best player, Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin, at 2:05 p.m.
Since Ty Lawson returned from that toe injury, the Tar Heels have finally looked like that team everyone expected to run away with the title at the start of the season. Between Lawson, Wayne Ellington (a sneaky cold-blooded killer who should emerge as a solid NBA 2-guard) and defending Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough (who just puts his nose to the grindstone and never flinches), few teams can handle that much explosiveness, that much experience, that much scoring.
Had injuries not derailed Marcus Ginyard and Tyler Zeller (and had Larry Drew lived up to his preseason hype), UNC would be the No. 1 overall seed and waltzing into the title game. But the games aren’t played on paper.
While Carolina has the experience and the pedigree, Oklahoma has the nation’s best player.
I thought the Syracuse/Oklahoma match-up was going to be fascinating. The Orange’s 2-3 zone should’ve been a terrific challenge for a post player like Griffin, but he dominated that game at a level I didn’t think possible. Simply put, Griffin is a freak of nature and perfectly capable of carrying a team to a title on his broad shoulders.
Oklahoma also seems to get big-time performances from at least one or two other players every game, as well. Typically, it comes from explosive guard Willie Warren -- a slashing penetrator who can also bury open jump shots. But last game, that performance came from Tony Crocker, who tallied 28 points with 6-11 from three. If Griffin gets rolling and the rest of the Sooners knock down open jumpers, they’re seemingly impossible to defeat. He’ll face a stiff challenge from Hansbrough, who never backs down from anybody, but Griffin is just too much. He knows every NBA scout will be watching. I have a feeling he’s saving an extra-special gear specifically for this game.
I’ll have one more blog post after these games today. I’ve decided to DVR these two games and head to Tucson for some Spring Training baseball with my buddies. If the rumors are true, we might not get many more chances to enjoy Spring Training, so I’m going to take advantage on this beautiful Sunday afternoon.
Updated 6:40 p.m.
Wow! What a ballgame!
I’ll be the first to admit this March Madness has been littered with duds. Just about all of the Cinderella efforts ran out of gas at crunch time, and a lot of the big-ticket match-ups didn’t live up to expectations. There have also been more outright blowouts this spring than I can remember in previous seasons.
But Villanova/Pittsburgh delivered the goods. And then some. And then some more.
We shouldn’t be surprised. The Big East has been like this all season long. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that any of the top seven teams in the Big East would’ve run away with the Pac-10 title.
First, it looked like Villanova’s Jay Wright was going to be the goat. Why in the heck would he draw up that ridiculous inbounds play (the deep run-out when Nova was up two)? Once Levance Fields buried those two freebies, it looked like this instant classic was going to stretch on at least five minutes longer. But Wright and the Wildcats redeem themselves with the brilliant picket fence (taken straight out of “Hoosieres”) where Scottie Reynolds went the length of the floor in five seconds for the thrilling/magnificent/spectacular game-winning lay-up. Nova 78, Pitt 76 in the best college basketball game I’ve seen all year.
It wasn’t just the finale -- that was just icing on the cake. Both Nova and Pitt played as hard as humanly possible for 40 minutes. This was a grueling, physical game -- a true battle of wills. We saw big-game guards like Reynolds and Fields bring their games to another level. We saw Pitt’s Sam Young complete his evolution from “Very good” to “Great.” We saw DeJuan Blair go perfect from the floor and toss around opponents like they were rag dolls. We saw Nova hit 22 of 23 free throws -- needing each and every one to fall.
In short, we saw one of the greatest March Madness games of this era.
If tomorrow’s games end up being anywhere near this good, we’ll be in great shape. Wow. I mean, wow. I just can’t get over this Nova/Pitt game. Wow.
Tomorrow, Louisville and Michigan State face each other at 11:20 a.m., with North Carolina battling Blake Griffin and the Oklahoma Sooners at 2:05 p.m. Check back here tomorrow, where we’ll break down these two games and preview the Final Four.
Updated 4:15 p.m.
Recruiting violations or not, UConn is back in the Final Four.
After the explosive Missouri Tigers gave the Huskies all they could handle, the superior team ultimately wore down Mizzou and took an 82-75 victory.
As long as Haseem Thabeet is on the floor and out of foul trouble, UConn is tough to handle. At 7-foot-3 (and a rumored 7-foot-8 wingspan), Thabeet is college basketball’s premier defensive stopper. And when freshman guard Kemba Walker is playing with that kind of confidence, Connecticut is going to be tough to beat. That’s before we even start talking about A.J. Price, Stanley Robinson, Jeff Adrien -- you get the idea.
If the Huskies end up winning this whole thing amidst these possibly devastating recruiting allegations, that could be the new gold standard for awkwardness in sports. I take that back -- nothing will be more awkward than Barry Bonds breaking Hank Aaron’s home run record while hopped up on chemical boosters. But watching UConn cut down the nets while under scrutiny for all the recruiting problems first brought up on Yahoo.com could be seriously messed up.
The rest of the evening, we’ll be watching Big East powers Villanova and Pittsburgh battle it out for the second Final Four berth. Nova beat Pitt by 10 earlier this season, and the Panthers haven’t been too terribly impressive the first three rounds. Without a heroic Levance Fields performance against Xavier, the Panthers might be watching this one from home. But Pitt might be too strong inside for Nova’s post players. Should be interesting.
Updated 11:20 p.m.
Few things go together quite as comfortably as Michigan State and March Madness.
The Spartans might not have any first-team All-Americans or any future NBA All-Stars, but they always seem to make noise in March. Credit must be given to the remarkable Tom Izzo, who always turns out a quality product.
Down 13 to a very tough Kansas squad, Michigan State battled back behind Kalin Lucas, who shook off a brutal start to seal a 67-62 win and propel his Spartans into the Elite Eight to face the Louisville juggernaut.
MSU rode Goran Suton early and Lucas late without getting much scoring from anyone else. Kansas took control early behind excellent performances from Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich (who else, right?), but ran out of gas after dealing with the Spartans’ fantastic man-to-man defense.
The MSU/Kansas game was the only remotely competitive ballgame we saw on Friday, too.
North Carolina worked Gonzaga like a speedbag, taking a 98-77 victory that seemed to be an even bigger blowout. Nobody for Gonzaga had a terrible game, per se, just a bunch of average outings. That’s not going to work when Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson are firing on all cylinders. Mark Few’s teams always make for a decent story, and everyone seems to put the Zags in the Final Four every year, but they just never have enough oomph to get over the hump. UNC was too tough and too fast.
So, 57 teams down, eight left standing. No glass slippers to be seen. Everyone left in the tourney is a legit threat. Mizzou, UConn, Nova, Pitt, Michigan State, Louisville, Oklahoma, North Carolina. Not a pretender in the bunch. In a year where parity was supposed to rule and there weren’t any so-called dominant teams, the cream has truly risen to the crop this time around. The most dangerous teams seemed to have jumped a level, as well.
Now, with that dreadful Sweet 16 round behind us (just way too many blowouts), hopefully the regional semifinals have some drama in store. Surely, we won’t see any more 41-point differentials, right?
Tomorrow, Mizzou/UConn tips off at 1:40 p.m., with Nova/Pitt squaring off at 4:05. Check back tomorrow for more March Madness updates.
Updated 6:30 p.m., Friday
There’s no reason to go into the Arizona/Louisville blood bath here. If you want to recount any part of that game, I’ve got it covered in laborious detail in the Wildcat Live Blog. It’s going to be a sad night in Tucson tonight.
Elsewhere in March Madnessville, this Oklahoma/Syracuse game turned into a surprising blowout. As I type this, Blake Griffin hit his head on the backboard with a ferocious slam. He’s more athletic than he even realizes. What a phenom!
I thought Griffin’s individual dominance versus Syracuse’s suffocating 2-3 zone was going to be a fascinating match-up. Advantage: Griffin. By a landslide.
The best player in college hoops tallied 30 points (12-15 shooting) and 14 rebounds before permanently exiting at the two-minute mark. Tony Crocker made Syracuse pay with 28 points (6-11 from three) each time the Orange collapsed on Griffin. For Crocker, this was a career game, and then some. He’s had a few scoring explosions this season, but he averages only 9.2 points an outing.
But Griffin was the star of the show. Syracuse simply had no answer for him. Nobody does. Griffin will be the No. 1 pick in this summer’s NBA draft, and he’s going to make some embattled General Manager very happy.
Tonight, we have Kansas and Michigan State tipping off at 6:37, with North Carolina squaring off against Gonzaga at 6:57.
The Jayhawks and the Spartans should be a rugged, hard-nosed, defensive affair. Kansas’ Sherron Collins is the most explosive guy on the floor, and if he can find a few openings in Tom Izzo’s outstanding defensive schemes, he could be the difference. But if MSU contains Collins and gets Kalin Lucas and Raymar Morgan rolling, look to see the Spartans in the Elite Eight. The winner there meets up with Louisville.
In the late game, all eyes will be on Ty Lawson’s toe. If he performs like he did in the Tar Heels’ 14-point win over LSU, it could be a long night for Jannero Pargo. The Zags will look for a balanced scoring effort from a variety of weapons -- Austin Daye, Josh Heytvelt, Micah Downs and Pargo. But UNC has much more raw talent, and no less than three guys -- Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington and Lawson -- who can take over a game. A healthy and fired-up Lawson should result in a North Carolina win, but you can’t count out Mark Few’s team -- not with the amount of shooters it has.
Check back later this evening for a recap. For now, I have to try to talk some of my Arizona friends off the ledge.
Updated 9:20 p.m., Thursday
Every time Duke gets blown out, I feel strangely happy. I can’t explain it.
I guess it’s the same reason I root against the Yankees and the Lakers. It’s great when these teams are good, but it’s even greater when they fall short.
Villanova submitted one of this tournament’s finest defensive performances and completely shut down the Blue Devils in its 77-54 win. Jay Wright’s squad pitched the college hoops equivalent of a perfect game. I don’t know how many teams would’ve beaten Villanova tonight.
Nova now moves on to face Pitt in an all-Big-East Elite Eight match-up to determine the East bracket winner. Pitt is definitely vulnerable and Villanova is among the hottest teams in the country right now.
In the Glendale match-up of Tigers versus Tigers, Missouri sprinted out to a huge lead behind a stellar performance from J.T. Tiller and a relentless offensive assault. However, Memphis’ ultra-talented freshman Tyreke Evans put his team on his back and made it a much closer than expected finish. Memphis might be the streakiest team in college basketball. But on this night, there weren’t enough peaks to off-set Memphis’ valleys.
Mizzou could’ve put this game away much earlier, but it missed countless free throws that would’ve sealed it. Memphis, as we all know, is no stranger to missed free throws, either.
It was a tremendously exciting ballgame (final: 102-91), but it’s definitely not the type of game you show to some young kids hoping to learn the fundamentals of basketball. Not a lot of defense being played, not a lot of free throws being made.
Mizzou will now take on UConn with a spot in the Final Four on the line. I love that match-up. The Huskies and Haseem Thabeet are a defensive powerhouse, and Missouri is clearly the most explosive offensive team left in the tourney. No idea what to expect there.
Check back tomorrow, where I’ll update this blog to preview tomorrow’s action before I switch over to the Wildcat blog to chronicle the Arizona/Louisville game at 4:07 p.m.
Updated 6:45 p.m.
Gut-check time for Pitt tonight. Thanks to Levance Fields, the Panthers survive and advance.
Xavier gave the top-seeded Pitt squad all it could handle, leading by eight at halftime. But Jamie Dixon’s boys amped up the defensive intensity to start the second half to claw back into the game.
It was a back-and-forth game late into the second half, before Fields took his game to another level. He gave Pitt the lead for good, after knocking down an outrageous cross-over, jab-step, fall away three pointer from 26 feet. The next play, muscle-bound DeJuan Blair poked the ball free from Xavier’s ball-handler, leading to a Fields breakaway lay-up. Final score: 60-55. The Panthers are a phenomenal group of defenders when they set their mind to it.
The Connecticut/Purdue game, on the other hand, was a bit of a letdown.
Surrounded by recruiting allegations and some serious drama, Jim Calhoun’s squad blocked it out and took down the Boilermakers 72-60 in a game that was never that close. Robbie Hummel kept playing well and JaJuan Johnson woke up a little, but nobody else from Purdue stepped up. UConn’s enormous center Haseem Thabeet controlled things defensively (15 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks) and A.J. Price ran the offense like a true college veteran. Craig Austere gave the Huskies an unexpected boost, tallying 17 points (4-6 FG, 3-3 3PT, 6-6 FT).
As for tonight’s games:
Mizzou/Memphis: This one should be a barnburner. Neither of these teams have any interest in running a set offense. I’m not even sure John Calipari has installed any offensive sets since coming to Memphis. He likes to let his guys get out and run. Robert Sallie shooting threes from the corner -- that’s most of what they do in the half court.
Tyreke Evans is Memphis’ primary offensive option. Nobody in college basketball takes the ball to the hoop with more aggression. He’s relentless. However, he isn’t much of a shooter (28 percent from three) and he doesn’t really like to pass the ball very much. He strikes me as one of those guys you play pick-up hoops at the park with -- you know, that guy who is always clapping at you to pass him the ball.
Missouri is led by DeMarre Carroll (16.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg) Leo Lyons (14.6 ppg, 6 rpg), five more guys who average between six and nine points per game, and a “shoot first, think later” attitude. These guys resemble the glorious “Seven Seconds or Less” Phoenix Suns squad who took the NBA by storm earlier this decade.
This game could be the only match-up in the Sweet 16 to break 170 total points in regulation. Its competition? The other night game.
Nova/Duke: Bombs away!
If you like watching teams shoot threes, here’s your game. Neither team shoots it at a very good percentage, but each squad puts up a ton of attempts from beyond the arc (739 for Duke, 636 for Villanova). Last time out, Nova hit 13-25 from deep (including five from Scottie Reynolds) to put up 97 points on Providence. The only Nova guy who doesn’t have a green light from three is Dante Cunningham, and he might be the Wildcats’ most consistent offensive threat.
Duke’s Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith are each lethal offensive weapons (especially the Chase Budinger-esque Singler), but the toughest Blue Devil to stop is Gerald Henderson. If Duke is ever desperate for a hoop or it goes cold from three, Henderson gets the ball, creates and usually makes something happen. Henderson is the best pro prospect Duke has had in ages. He has all the makings of a terrific NBA swingman.
I have high hopes for these two games. Let’s hope they don’t disappoint.
Updated 5:15 p.m.
Thank you, Robbie Hummel. Without you, the Purdue/UConn game would be a total bust.
The Huskies have overwhelmed the Boilermakers for the most part (with JaJuan Johnson sadly being reduced to an afterthought), but Hummel has caught fire for 15 points to keep Purdue within five, 30-25. This is exactly where Purdue wants to be after such a brutal first half. The Boilermakers have had a few chances to cut into that lead even more, but each time the Huskies seem within reach, Purdue turns it over and Connecticut goes on a mini-run to push the lead again. Haseem Thabeet has dominated the paint, as expected.
A.J. Price -- who has been red-hot in the first two rounds -- is only 2-8 from the floor so far, and Jeff Adrien (an All-Big-East Third Teamer) is only 1-9. Those two guys will likely pick it up, so Purdue will need MUCH more out of everyone not named Robbie Hummel to keep this game within reach.
But Purdue’s defensive intensity has been high, as expected. They should approach the second half with a lot of confidence, knowing that their best offensive weapons -- Johnson and E’Twaun Moore -- have yet to get going.
In the other afternoon game, Xavier leads Pitt through the first 20 minutes. Again, Sam Young seems to be the only Panther who decided to show up. Xavier hasn’t shot the ball particularly well, but the Musketeers are throttling Pitt on the boards and getting many second-chance opportunities.
Updated 4:22 p.m., Thursday
Hello and welcome to the Sweet 16 portion of the March Madness Blog. We have some spectacular games lined up for the next couple days. Four today, four tomorrow. My bracket is shot to smithereens (thanks a lot, Wake Forest!), but that doesn’t matter in the least. These games are just too good.
Some might have complained about the lack of upsets and Cinderellas (with the obvious exception of our own Arizona Wildcats) in this year’s tourney, but the upside is we get eight fantastic Sweet 16 games for our enjoyment.
UConn (which is dealing with a ton of off-court distraction, thanks to some alleged recruiting violations) starts off today’s action against a well-rounded, fundamentally sound Purdue squad. The Boilermakers reached sleeper status for many amateur bracketologists this year, thanks to their terrific Big Ten tourney performance and defensive acumen.
However, that run might come to an end today. Connecticut is just so much bigger/taller/faster, and A.J. Price is playing out of his mind. I also think Purdue struggles to do anything with Haseem Thabeet patrolling the lane. So far, Stanley Robinson I splaying like a man possessed. Purdue will look to grind this into a half-court game where it comes down to a couple of key possessions late in the second half. But The Huskies might have too many athletes for the Boilermakers to match up with.
In about 20 minutes, Pitt and Xavier will clash in a classic East Coast battle. I have the Panthers winning it all, but they’ve done very little to justify that pick. They’ve looked sluggish in each of the first two tourney games until finally kicking it into a respectable gear to put the opponent away. Xavier has shown an ability to separate itself with a key second-half run, which seems to be the most important skill to possess in this tournament.
Xavier might not have Pitt’s size and strength (but, then again, nobody has Pitt’s size and strength), but the Musketeers are just as physical. B.J. Raymond and Derrick Brown can catch fire, and C.J. Anderson won’t back down from any of Pitt’s big guys. However, I get the feeling that this might finally be the Panthers’ breakout tournament game. Sam Young is a phenomenal college basketball player (might be kind of a tweener when it comes to the NBA, but that doesn’t matter right now). DeJuan Blair is a man among boys, and it looks like point guard Levance Fields is finally getting back into the swing of things.
Later tonight, we have Mizzou/Memphis (6:37 p.m.) and Villanova/Duke (6:57 p.m.). Those games should be outstanding. Check back here later this evening for a recap on these two afternoon games, along with a preview of tonight’s contests.
Updated 4:40 p.m., March 22
Oh, Lazar Hayward. He’s not going to sleep well tonight.
With Marquette down two after Missouri’s Kim English hit a pair of free throws, the Golden Eagles had 5.5 seconds left to make it down the floor to either tie the score at 81, or win the game with a last-second three.
Instead, Hayward stepped over the end line when he was attempting to inbound the ball. Just heartbreaking.
After the emotional return of Dominic James, Marquette battled back from a an 11-point halftime deficit to turn it into a one-possession game. But the Tigers held on to win 83-79 in what had to be one of the more exhausting tourney games to be a part of. Jerel McNeal had the game of his life with 30 points, but it wasn’t quite enough to propel the sixth-seeded Eagles to the round of 16.
The USC/Michigan State game looked like it might come down to a final shot, as well, but the Spartans asserted themselves in the final minute to squeak out a 74-69 win. The red-hot Trojans looked like they might join Arizona as the only Pac-10 teams in the Sweet 16, but they couldn’t solve Travis Walton, who tallied 21 points.
In the final game of the day, No. 9 Siena put a heck of a scare into top-overall-seed Louisville, but the Cardinals rode a huge rebounding advantage to a 79-72 win (yet another deceptive final score). Arizona fans watched this one with extra-special attention, thinking that the Saints might pull off the impossible, giving the Wildcats (the lowest seed remaining!) a much more favorable match-up for the Sweet 16. It wasn’t to be, thanks to Louisville’s unbelievable athleticism and depth. Terrence Williams, Earl Clark and Samardo Samuels are going to be VERY tough to match up with for Russ Pennell’s squad. Check Wednesday’s paper for a full breakdown of the Arizona/Louisvlle match-up.
Well, that’s it for the First Four Days. The March Madness Blog will be back on Thursday, covering everything you need to know.
Updated 2:30 p.m.
Phew, that was a lot of typing, but all of it was worth it.
If you haven’t already, check out the nearly 4,000 words I posted on Arizona’s 71-57 win over Cleveland State at the Wildcat Live Blog. These Wildcats are suddenly a force to be reckoned with.
I’ll be honest. I didn’t pay a whole lot of attention to the other three games. But I just finished scanning the highlights via the Internet, and (outside of the Pitt/Okie State game) it doesn’t look like I missed much. Cole Aldrich posted a triple-double (13 points, 20 rebounds, 10 blocks) as Kansas dominated Dayton 60-43. The Flyers turned their nickname into an oxymoron, as their offense spent most of the afternoon stuck on the tarmac. Dayton went 16-72 from the floor. I thought that was a misprint, but three large sports websites verify the accuracy of that number. Yuck!
Xavier broke free from Wisconsin, 60-49, in another defensive struggle. You might beat Wisconsin, but you won’t look good doing it. Xavier shot an unimpressive 39 percent from the floor, but Wisconsin’s ghastly 28 percent didn’t do the Badgers any favors.
The Cowboys looked like they might be able to upset the top-seeded Panthers, but just as they did in the opening round, Pitt quit messing around down the stretch to put away an 84-76 win in a game that was much closer than the final score indicates. If Pitt continues to get out to these slow starts, it will run into trouble. But if Sam Young keeps scoring 32 points and carrying Pitt on his back, the Panthers could be cutting down the nets in a few weeks.
Currently, USC attempts to join Arizona as the only two Pac-10 teams in the round of 16 as they battle a terrific Michigan State squad. Also, Marquette will look to get a boost from the emotional return of Dominic James, who is playing in his first game since Feb. 25 after breaking his foot. I didn’t think one month was enough recovery time for a broken foot, but I’m no doctor. In the day’s final game, Louisville and Siena will square off for the right to play Arizona.
Back at around 4:30 with one final update.
Updated 11:25 a.m.
Syracuse is good. Like, really good.
The Orange absolutely suffocated the Sun Devils with their stifling 2-3 zone defense and cruised to a 78-67 win. ASU got at close as four in the second half, but the Cuse made every necessary play to put the game away for good.
James Harden posted his second consecutive subpar game, hitting only two of his 10 shot attempts for 10 points. When he set up at the foul line and went into playmaker mode, good things happened for the Sun Devils. But ASU couldn’t overcome Jeff Pendergraph’s foul trouble -- who bid farewell permanently with his fifth foul at the 10-minute mark. Derek Glasser -- who had suddenly developed into another go-to guy for the Devils -- struggled mightily, going only 1-8 without knocking down a single three-pointer. You beat Syracuse by hitting perimeter shots. If ASU isn’t getting much from Harden, Glasser or Pendergraph, the odds of winning aren’t very good.
Rihards Kuksiks and Ty Abbott each scored 20, which helped keep ASU in it. But it wasn’t enough to match the Cuse, which got double-digit scoring from five guys, led by three-point specialist Eric Devendorf with 21. The Orange didn’t even need stellar games from Jonny Flynn (11 points) or Paul Harris (only four).
The Sun Devils join Washington, California and UCLA as the Pac-10 teams heading home. It’s up to Arizona to represent the Pac-10 in the Sweet 16. How weird is that?
Fifteen minutes until UA/Cleveland State tips off. Be sure to frequently check the Wildcat Live Blog.
Updated 9:10 a.m. Sunday
It’s a bittersweet day for yours truly.
On the bright side, we have eight more basketball games to enjoy, including the Arizona/Cleveland State game at 11:40 a.m. that has this entire area more excited than a kid on Christmas morning.
On the downside, once this day is over, we have to wait another calendar year for the first four days of March Madness. Four days, 48 games -- doesn’t get much better than that.
We get started early, with Syracuse and Arizona State tipping off in the day’s only early game. If you love zone defense, this is your game. Both Syracuse and ASU play nothing but zone.
It stands to reason that James Harden will play MUCH better than he did in the first round, so there could be a potential battle of superstars between Harden and Syracuse’s Jonny Flynn today. You might remember the Orange from their six-overtime epic win over UConn in the Big East tourney. Since that game ended roughly 20 minutes ago, Arizona State might have a stamina advantage. Either way, I expect this one to be a heck of a battle. It might be low scoring, but neither team will blow out the other one.
Once that game goes final, we’ll have three other games to keep track of while the Wildcats and Vikings battle it out. Xavier takes on defensive-minded Wisconsin, Kansas squares off with a surprisingly athletic Dayton squad, and Pitt looks to shake off a terrible first-round performance when it battles Oklahoma State. I like Xavier in a low-scoring affair, Kansas in a one-point game where Dayton almost pulls off the upset, and Pitt in one of those “we’re done messing around” type of outings.
Check here for a couple more updates throughout the day, but be sure to check the Wildcat Blog at 11:40, where I’ll cover the Arizona versus Cleveland State match-up in copious detail.
Updated 7:50 p.m.
March Madness, baby!
That Western Kentucky/Gonzaga game was a real barnburner. The last 10 seconds is as good as the tournament gets. From the WKU tip-in to Demetri Goodson's lay-up (where’s the defense, Hilltoppers?), that was incredibly exciting.
It’s really too bad that the officials didn’t grant WKU’s timeout call. I mean, WKU did call timeout, after all. It’s such a shame that the Hilltoppers are forced to go out on that note.
Add Orlando Mendez-Valdez to that list of “unknown players from small schools who kick butt in the tournament.” He was incredible these last two games. I’m sad to see him go.
The Duke/Texas contest was almost as exciting. What is it about these night games? When the sun is out, the games are pretty mundane. But as soon as the skies go dark, the games get nutty.
Duke got every call -- like it always does -- and received the benefit of every bounce -- like it always does -- to beat Texas 74-69. As a charter member of the “I Hate Duke” club, that game was excruciating. There were a couple of embarrassing calls that went in Duke’s favor, but this is just par for the course anymore. Of course, Duke makes its own luck. The Devils made a lot of killer jumpers, and they can beat anyone in the field if they’re making perimeter shots. Gerald Henderson has emerged as a true go-to guy, and that Kyle Singler is just lethal.
Well, that’s it for today. Check back here tomorrow, where I’ll be breaking down as many games as I can. Don’t forget, I’ll also have the Wildcat Live Blog up and running for the UA/Cleveland State game at 11:40 a.m.
Updated 5:30 p.m.
Purdue versus Washington was every bit as good as advertised.
The Boilermakers edged the Huskies 76-74 in what was a de facto road game for the Big Ten squad (lots of Washington fans in Portland today). Purdue jumped out to huge 11-point first-half lead, but a torrid second half from the Pac-10 champs (46 points) made it a nip-and-tuck game down the stretch.
I was very impressed to see Purdue beat Washington at its own game. There were a lot of points scored in this game, and the Boilermakers proved they can fill it up if the tempo speeds up. JaJuan Johnson led the way with 22 points and turned into a defensive stopper, coming up with two critical blocks during Washington’s comeback bid.
Three Huskies topped the 20-point barrier (Isaiah Thomas, John Brockman, Quincy Pondexter), but the rest of the squad managed only 10 points -- it kind of resembled a typical Arizona outing. Had Washington gotten more out of Justin Denton (2-8, 5 points), the Huskies would likely still be playing.
Oh, well. Hats off to Purdue -- one of the best all-around teams in the field.
Top-seeded North Carolina found themselves in a dogfight with LSU, but once Ty Lawson re-acclimated himself to the speed of college hoops, he completely dominated down the stretch. “The Blur” scored 23 (21 after halftime) and added six assists with no turnovers. It looked like Lawson might’ve re-injured his big toe, but the Tar Heel guard shook off that scare and took over. It was a remarkable performance. If Lawson plays like he did in the second half against LSU, the Tar Heels will win the title.
In the third late afternoon game, Oklahoma led Michigan by only one point. Then, Blake Griffin stopped messing around.
The tournament’s top individual talent shook off constant double teams to tally 33 points and 14 rebounds as the Sooners made the Sweet 16 with a 73-63 win. If Griffin isn’t in foul trouble, he can’t be guarded on the college level. He will be the unquestioned No. 1 pick in this summer’s NBA draft and should find himself on multiple All-Star teams. He reminds me a lot of Antonio McDyess -- not the version we’re seeing on the Detroit Pistons, but the young McDyess who destroyed his competitors before knee injuries took away his hops.
Tonight’s final games pit Duke against Texas (make some room on the Longhorns’ bandwagon for me tonight!), and upset-minded Western Kentucky against Gonzaga. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see the Hilltoppers take down the Zags.
Updated 2:45 p.m.
Well, those games were total duds. I think the March Madness blog might be jinxing the action.
Memphis destroyed Maryland 86-63. It wasn’t even that close. And that might not even be the biggest blowout of the early games. At the time of this posting, Connecticut (with Jim Calhoun back on the sidelines) is dismantling Texas A&M. There really isn’t much more to say about either of these games.
However, there is a ray of light at the end of this tunnel.
The Purdue/Washington game (which just tipped off a few minutes ago) could be a classic. These are two fantastic teams who excel in completely different ways. This could be a fascinating battle of wills.
In other action, North Carolina takes on the LSU Tigers (we’ll get to see if Ty Lawson’s toe is still bothering him -- if it is, that could spell trouble for the Tar Heels) and Oklahoma takes on Michigan (I don’t see anyone on the Wolverines’ roster trying to body slam Blake Griffin like we saw on Thursday night).
Updated 12:50 p.m., Saturday
I must apologize for the lack of updates last night. I had to go visit my girlfriend before she forgot what I looked like.
It figures that the best stretch of basketball would happen the instant I decide to take a break.
Thankfully, my girlfriend was fantastic, like always, and agreed to watch some college hoops action. She’s as invested into March Madness as anyone I know.
The way CBS toggled between thrilling finishes between Ohio State/Siena and Wisconson/Florida State was a work of art. What a terrific pair of basketball games. Players like Wisconsin’s Trevon Hughes and Ronald Moore are what this tournament is about. Hughes’ outrageous running lay-up through a forest of Florida State arms was the play of the tournament thus far. Moore’s 3-pointer in double overtime isn’t far behind.
Now that 65 has been whittled down to 32 (and Arizona is still in the field! Crazy!), we’re treated to another eight games today. Villanova already throttled UCLA 89-69. The Wildcats simply had too much firepower, and ran the Bruins off the floor. It didn’t hurt that Nova was playing in front of a home crowd in Philadelphia.
The worst-kept secret in the Pac-10 was how Ben Howland’s hyped freshman class simply wasn’t that good. Jrue Holiday has to be the most overrated NBA draft prospect I’ve seen in years. What exactly does Holiday do that is at an NBA level? It boggles the mind.
Nova looks like it’s poised to make a pretty nice run in this tournament. The Cats can really shoot it, and they haven’t even gotten a breakout game from leading scorer Scottie Reynolds.
Currently, Memphis (the high seed I like the least) has rolled to a big early lead on Maryland, with UConn and Texas A&M preparing to tip off shortly. I’ll have a couple more posts throughout the day.
Updated 2:25 p.m.
That could’ve been disastrous for my bracket, but I don’t care.
The top-seeded Pitt Panthers came dangerously close to being the first No. 1 to fall to a 16, but DeJuan Blair wouldn’t let it happen.
East Tennessee State played the best game in that program’s history, but simply didn’t get enough shots to fall. The Bucs hit only 31 percent from the field, 4-21 from three, and a ghastly 11-23 from the line in this afternoon’s 72-62 loss -- a deceivingly wide final margin.
ETSU forced 18 turnovers and pulled down 20 offensive boards against the formidable Panthers, but it was not to be. Hopefully, this serves as a wake-up call for Pitt, who looked sloppy and disjointed for the first 35 minutes of this game. I have the Panthers penciled in as my national champion, and they didn’t look like a championship contender today.
The ASU/Temple game wrapped up a bit earlier than the other afternoon games, with the Sun Devils claiming a 66-57 final. This was one of the five worst games in James Harden’s two-year career (1-8 shooting, nine points, four turnovers), but the Sun Devils still found a way to cruise to victory. Jeff Pendergraph and the suddenly deadly Derek Glasser each tallied 22 to compensate for Harden’s lackluster performance. If Harden turns it around by Sunday, ASU will be a very tough out. For Temple, Dionte Christmas more than lived up to the hype (29 points, five 3s) and looks like he’ll end up becoming a James Posey type on the NBA.
Ivy Leaguers Cornell (made famous by the bumbling buffoon from “The Office,” Andrew Bernard) hung tough with Missouri through the first half, but the Tigers caught fire in the second half (49 points!) and throttled the Big Red, 78-59. Mizzou had 20 assists on 28 made buckets.
The “upset” in this slate came when No. 11 Dayton took down No. 6 West Virginia 68-60. I put upset in quotes because this one seemed like an even match-up -- maybe even in Dayton’s favor. The Flyers always come to play in the tournament, and they’re not your average mid-major program. These guys have athletes -- starting with the sensational Chris Wright (27 points, 10 boards). Dayton is going to give Kansas all it can handle.
OK, we’ll be taking a bit of a breather while CBS runs Rachel Ray and Oprah. Check back here at 4:10 when I’ll fire up the Wildcat Live Blog.
Updated 11:50 p.m.
Now that’s how it’s done!
We cut right from the scintillating finish of that remarkable Tennessee versus Oklahoma State showdown to Utah State’s Pooh Williams banking in a 3-pointer against Marquette to keep their upset hopes alive. Yes, banking it.
It took a little while for March Madness to heat up, but here we are.
I can’t say enough about the Vols/Cowboys match-up. That was a fantastic basketball game with two teams playing at a very high level. Tennessee’s Tyler Smith made every play down the stretch, but it wasn’t quite enough to top Byron Eaton, who led the Pokes with 20 points. His crossover dribble-drive lay-up (and the foul!) to put Okie State ahead was the play of the tourney so far. Eaton just exploded into the lane and finished an impossible lay-up. 77-75 OSU. What a game.
As for Marquette/Utah State, it looked like the sixth-seeded Golden Eagles had this in the bag. Marquette’s defense completely stifled the Aggies throughout the first half, but Utah State’s shooters kept it a ballgame in the second half. Before fouling out, Jared Quayle buried four triples to cut into Marquette’s advantage. But Lazar Hayward and Jarel McNeal made just enough plays to push the Dominic James-less Eagles into the second round with a 58-57 and keep the Big East perfect in the tourney.
Kansas let North Dakota State hang around most of the afternoon, but Sherron Collins proved to be the difference. 84-74 Jayhakws, in a game that was much closer than that final score indicates.
The only dud this morning was the Syracuse versus Stephen F. Austin contest. The Orange opened up a huge first-half lead and went into cruise control. Stephen F. Austin couldn’t put the ball in the hoop, leading to a 59-44 final score. Yawn.
Next up, we have Arizona State squaring off against Temple. On this site, I’ve done more than my fair share of pumping up James Harden, and I fully expect him to have a monster game. Temple’s Dionte Christmas is another legitimate scoring machine, so this could shape up into an epic March duel. Most Southern Arizona hoops fans aren’t too thrilled with Harden, considering he’s beaten the Wildcats five times in two years. But Harden is a special talent with a very high basketball IQ for a kid his age.
Elsewhere, we have Pitt gearing up to blow out Eastern Tennessee State, Dayton and West Virginia locking horns in a potential bracket buster, and Cornell taking on No. 3-seed Missouri in what could be an exciting showdown, thanks to Mizzou’s run-and-gun philosophy.
Updated 10:15 a.m.
Welcome back to day two of the world’s greatest sporting event. Yes, this title still holds true after what, by all accounts, was a subpar opening day.
A handful of potential upsets flamed out during crunch time, when the superior schools asserted their dominance. We saw the best individual player in the tournament flipped end over end, thanks to some Morgan State punk’s ill-fated pro wrestling audition. We saw the great Eric Maynor come up a few inches short, and we saw my Elite Eight sleeper (California) look absolutely dreadful against Maryland.
But I’m not one to complain. There is nothing wrong with 12 consecutive hours of basketball, so let’s do it again today. My bracket looks a lot better than I thought -- 12 wins and four losses so far. I’ll take it.
The day two action will feature fewer updates, thanks to Arizona’s first-round match-up with Utah at 4:10 p.m. today. I’ll be breaking that game down in detail, but the general March Madness Blog will still be here when that game wraps up.
Today’s opening quartet: Syracuse opening up a big early lead on Stephen F. Austin, Marquette taking it to Utah State (and their 26-year-old center), Kansas attempting to stave off North Dakota State’s upset bid, and Tennessee and Oklahoma State battling each other to a standstill thus far. These games are approaching halftime, so I’ll have another update when they go final, as well as a preview of what looks to be a terrific batch of noon games.
One other thing that’s struck me thus far -- the unexpected cameos of former UA players. J.P. Prince was supposed to be another stellar athlete in the long lineage of Wildcat point guards, but he’s playing a big role for Tennessee -- third-leading scorer, primary backcourt playmaker. Emmanuel Negedu, who took off after the Lute Olson fallout, doesn’t get a lot of time on the floor as Prince’s teammate, but he’ll be expected to make a major contribution next season. Last night’s Michigan game featured a quick appearance from Laval Lucas-Perry, who transferred during the depressing Kevin O’Neill season.
Updated 9:30 p.m.
I feel so unsatisfied.
I wanted Eric Maynor to hit that shot. He’s been hitting that shot his entire career. It would’ve been such a fantastic moment -- a buzzer-beater in what has been a pretty anticlimactic day of basketball.
The stage was set -- VCU down one after an amazing Maynor-led comeback. UCLA’s previous offensive possession ended in a shot-clock violation as a result of a clutch Larry Sanders block. Maynor got the ball with 10 seconds left, drove on Darren Collison, pulled up, then hesitated.
The hesitation is where the game ended.
Maynor threw up an awkward fade-away and left it well short. 65-64 UCLA, and Maynor’s outstanding college career ends in heartbreaking fashion.
We did have a 12-over-a-five upset tonight, but Western Kentucky made it much more interesting than it should’ve. The Hilltoppers were ahead by double digits well into the second half, but Illinois made a valiant comeback. Thanks to a handful of head-scratching officiating maneuvers, this game turned into a one-possession game late, but WKU held on for a 76-72 win. I wish I could brag about this one in my bracket, but I think just about everyone had the Hilltoppers winning this one.
The 2-versus-15 games were total blowouts, as expected. Duke throttled Binghamton 86-62 in a game that was never competitive.
Oklahoma blasted Morgan State 82-54 behind an All-American performance from Blake Griffin, before Morgan State started to thug things up in the second half. Ameer Ali grabbed Griffin’s arm and flipped him onto his back. It looked like a pro wrestling move. Griffin was lucky to be athletic enough to flip over in the air to land on his back, because he appeared poised to land on his head. Ali got ejected and Morgan State head coach Todd Bozeman is thankfully out of the tournament.
How Bozeman got another head coaching job after the stuff he pulled at California, I’ll never know. He was hammered for illegal payments and sexual harassment, yet here he is, coaching Morgan State in the tourney. Now, his team will forever be known as the squad who attempted to intentionally injure the best player in college basketball.
Anyway…
That’s it for today. Twelve hours of basketball down, three more days to go. Let’s hope tomorrow has more buzzer-beaters and more Cinderella teams who play a full 40-minute game instead of 33 inspired minutes, followed by a total collapse. I’ll be periodically posting my thoughts tomorrow, with the fully detailed Wildcat Live Blog making its grand return for the 4:10 p.m. game.
Updated 6:45 p.m.
The American dream? Denied.
The Eagles had Villanova down, but not out. It took the Wildcats a while to figure out that, yes, they were the most talented team on the floor, but once they did, wow. After trailing by double digits for most of the game, Nova went on to win 78-65 -- one of the few outcomes that actually benefited my bracket.
Only one of the two 7-10 games came down to the wire. Michigan rolled up a double-digit lead on Clemson, but inexplicably forgot to give Manny Harris the ball down the stretch. The Tigers clawed their way back and had a shot to tie it with the clock winding down, but they didn’t get a good shot at the buzzer. Michigan held on for a 62-59 win.
The Texas-Minnesota game was tight for a while, but A.J. Abrams buried three triples in the span of a minute to open up an insurmountable lead. Final: 76-62. Abrams finished with 26 points, including eight threes.
Akron spent most of the late game in upset mode, but Josh Heytvelt finally imposed his size advantage and carried Gonzaga to a game-clinching 13-0 second-half run. Another bracket-saver, although I was secretly hoping Akron could close the show.
That’s been the story today. We’ve seen some enthusiastic upset bids (American, Northridge, Akron, and so forth), but none of them had enough gas in the tank to take down Goliath.
The slate of late games looks like it could be a good one: I’ll make a half-hearted leap onto the Binghamton bandwagon before Duke puts them away. Blake Griffin and Oklahoma should be too much for Morgan State.
However, I love No. 12 Western Kentucky to take down Illinois (who is missing do-it-all guard Chester Frazier). Granted, I don’t know a whole lot about WKU, but I do know that they always seem to make some noise in the first round. No. 11 Virginia Commonwealth is a popular upset pick against UCLA. After three straight Final Fours, the Bruins haven’t looked the same this season. Darren Collison has been there night in and night out, but the team’s overrated group of freshman (led by the disappointing Jrue Holiday) haven’t performed as expected. VCU’s terrific point guard Eric Maynor is no stranger to March heroics, either. I can’t wait for that game.
Updated 5:10 p.m.
The pair of 7-10 games have played out as advertised. Solid fundamentals, with neither team taking much of a lead. Michigan is up 27-24 over Clemson in a defensive struggle (read: a snoozer) and Texas is ahead 39-35 over Minnesota in a very decent, watchable game. Lawrence Westbrook is a lot better than I thought, and Arthur Abrams ended the half with an outrageous three.
The big shocker right now is American shooting the lights out against Villanova. At the time of this posting, the small Patriot League school has the powerful Big East squad completely out of sorts. Each time CBS cuts over to this game, it seems as if Villanova is committing another turnover. Nova is shooting very well (53 percent), but Scottie Reynolds is currently scoreless and American is flying all over the court. In addition, the Eagles have hit 7-14 from three -- a ridiculous number for one half of basketball.
What’s even crazier about this American/Villanova game is it’s essentially a home game for the Philadelphia-based Wildcats. No matter, as the underdogs have completely won over the crowd. Nova doesn’t know what hit it. Derrick Mercer -- Patriot League MVP -- is carrying himself like he’s the best player on the floor. And you know what? He is fully entitled to do so right now.
American went into halftime leading 41-31. Seriously. I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see Brian Gilmore bury that three with my own eyes.
In the fourth afternoon game, Akron is giving Gonzaga all it can handle. Gonzaga’s main flaw is a lack of toughness, so if the Zips can hang in and keep the game close down the stretch, it’s entirely conceivable that the Zags will wilt. However, the Zags might have too much raw talent for Akron to handle.
Check back later this evening for a wrap-up on these four, as well as a look ahead at the evening slate.
Updated 4:10 p.m.
The Huskies salvaged some pride for the Pac-10.
Washington made it look easy in its 71-58 win over a mediocre Mississippi State squad. Well, I’m guessing they did. CBS has been running a lot of Rachel Ray, Oprah type junk.
According to the box score, Quincy Pondexter had the game of his life (23 points, eight boards) and the Bulldogs couldn’t put the ball in the ocean (20-59 from the field). Anyway…
This batch of games could be spectacular. The Michigan/Clemson and Texas/Minnesota games are too close to call. Those 7-10 match-ups are typically competitive, which means they could get wild at the end. I think I have Clemson and Texas in my brackets, but I don’t like those picks at all. Michigan and Minnesota are those typical defensive-minded Big Ten schools who succeed in the tournament, despite a lower seed. Plus, Tubby Smith has the Golden Gophers playing very well together.
Elsewhere, we have Villanova getting ready to blow the doors off American and Gonzaga looking to kick-start a Final Four run against Akron. The No. 4-seed Zags didn’t look too great when Arizona took them down earlier this year, but they looked like a title contender with the way they dismantled Saint Mary’s. If Gonzaga ever makes that deep tourney run, this has to be the year, doesn’t it?
As for Nova, I love this team. Jay Wright always fields a terrific squad who can shoot the lights out. It wouldn’t surprise me if Wright’s name starts popping up when Arizona resumes that highly publicized coaching search. Scottie Reynolds (who’s seemingly been at Villanova since 1995) leads a bombs-away squad who can beat anyone in the field. However, if the Wildcats go cold from the perimeter, they can lose to anybody -- even Patriot League champs American. However, I wouldn’t bet on it.
Check back later this evening for a halftime update.
Updated 2:15 p.m.
Well, there goes my bracket.
I blame myself. There’s no way I should’ve trusted Cal. Any team who relies on the three-ball like the Bears do is prone to some terrible stretches of basketball if the shots aren’t falling.
Today, the shots weren’t falling.
Maryland blew open a nip-and-tuck game midway through the second half. Toss in some embarrassing mental lapses and overwhelming foul trouble, and that adds up to an 84-71 Maryland win.
Oh, well. I’ll be pulling for Maryland against Memphis on Saturday. I think Greivis Vazquez gives them fits.
Earlier, the Northern Iowa versus Purdue game turned into a nail-biter. NIU battled back from a 12-point Boilermaker advantage and nearly took control of the game. However, Purdue -- just like every solid Big Ten team -- maintained its composure and made every key play down the stretch to hold on 61-56. I really like what Purdue does. They play terrific defense and share the ball extremely well.
Not surprisingly, North Carolina and UConn rolled to some huge victories. Tar Heels by 43, Huskies by 54. Those types of games need some sort of “mercy rule.”
No. 4 Washington versus No. 13 Mississippi State takes center stage for the next two hours, thanks to an unfortunate scheduling quirk. A lot of people are picking Mississippi State to pull off the upset, but the SEC was just terrible this year. The Bulldogs wouldn’t even be here if they didn’t get hot during the SEC tourney. This is a de facto home game for Washington, with the game taking place just down the road in Portland, as well.
However, Pac-10 fans can’t be feeling good about how terrible Cal looked down the stretch against Maryland. Will that be an omen for how the rest of the Pac-10 performs in this tournament?
I’ll have one more post today, which will go up just before the quartet of 4 p.m. games tip off.
Updated 1 p.m.
In this quartet of games, it looks like the Maryland-California contest is the one most likely to come down to a buzzer-beating finish.
It hasn’t been the prettiest game (both teams shooting below 40 percent), but the teams have battled to a near-stalemate at the half, with the Terps ahead 34-31. Maryland’s star guard Greivis Vazquez leads the way with 11, but he’s been playing with two fouls for the last nine minutes of game time. He’s a very intelligent, crafty player, but his aggression and emotion can sometimes get the best of him. Maryland’s chances in this game will rest squarely on Vazquez’s ability to stay on the floor and out of foul trouble.
As for Cal, its greatest strength -- three-point shooting -- has turned into its greatest weakness thus far. The Bears have hit only 3-13 from beyond the arc, but Cal has been surprisingly effective on the offensive glass. Jerome Randle has 11 points, and he’s been the only Cal perimeter star to play up to his potential. It stands to reason that Patrick Christopher and Theo Robertson (combined 4-13) will heat up in the second half.
At the moment of this post, Northern Iowa is hanging tough with Purdue midway through the second half, and the two No. 1 seeds have taken control of their games. North Carolina blew up for 53 points on a shell-shocked Radford squad in the first 20 minutes, and Connecticut -- who understandably came out sluggish after the devastating Jim Calhoun news -- opened up to a 35-17 lead behind A.J. Price and Haseem Thabeet.
I’ll post again after Maryland-Cal goes final.
Updated 11:38 a.m.
Well, they had a good run.
With 10 minutes to go, the No. 15 seed Cal State Northridge held an unlikely six-point lead. It looked like the first major upset was going to happen VERY early on.
Then Memphis finally woke up.
Unheralded bench player Roburt Sallie exploded for 35 points to help the Tigers stay in the game when all of his teammates were playing terrible basketball. Once the rest of Memphis’ roster woke up, it overwhelmed the Matadors. Tip of the hat, Cal State Northridge. Great effort.
As for the other two early a.m. games, Butler made a furious comeback attempt, but LSU hit enough free throws to win 75-71. Marcus Thornton (the only SEC player I really like) took over, scoring 30 points on 10-15 shooting. That guy is a legit talent.
BYU found a bit of a rhythm in the second half, but it was too little, too late. Five Aggies scored in double figures to take home a 79-66 victory. Even with an off-game from Josh Carter, the Aggies had more than enough firepower to take down the Cougars.
The next slate of games includes an underrated Purdue team squaring off against the upset-minded Northern Iowa, the No. 1-seeded North Carolina likely rolling over Radford by at least 20 (unless this Ty Lawson injury completely destroys the Tar Heels), and what should be a terrific game between Maryland and my tourney dark horse, the California Golden Bears. Perhaps I’m overrating Cal because I watched Jerome Randle knock down eight threes against the Wildcats at McKale Center, but the Bears can really shoot it.
Quick tip: For maximum tournament enjoyment, be sure to get up and walk around every once in a while. So much college hoops can get kind of hypnotic, so you want to get the blood flowing with a nice, brisk walk around the neighborhood during these breaks in the action. Back in roughly an hour with another update.
Updated 10:30 a.m.
Go Northridge!
The game of the morning has definitely been Cal State Northridge’s upset bid over the wildly overrated Memphis Tigers. It’s 34-31 Memphis at the break, but the Tigers look dreadful. Without Robert Sallie (17 points, 5-7 from three), Northridge would be winning in a blowout. Everyone else for Memphis is 5-20 from the floor, with three major players in foul trouble.
I wish I would’ve had the courage to pick Northridge in my bracket. I really don’t like this Memphis squad. The Tigers have gotten fat on a terrible Conference USA squad and spent the last couple days complaining about not being a No. 1 seed. Had Memphis played in the Big East, it would’ve been a No. 6 seed -- at best. Conversely, Georgetown (who missed the tourney) would’ve won C-USA in a walk.
Elsewhere, Butler really did a nice job steadying the ship after the LSU onslaught and trails by only six at the half. Maybe it’s time to dig my bracket out of the trash.
In the third game, Texas A&M started out on fire, hitting its first 10 shots. BYU isn’t the most formidable defensive squad, and the Aggies did a terrific job getting the ball inside and working their offense. The Cougars are getting terrible performances from leading scorers Lee Cummard and Jimmer Fredette (combined 2-12), so if they get back on track, BYU could start cutting into A&M’s 42-30 advantage.
During the halftime show, Greg Gumbel dropped this bombshell: Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun has been taken to the hospital and won’t be coaching his Huskies’ opening-round game later this evening. George Blaney will be coaching in his absence. Calhoun missed UConn’s Jan. 3 game against Rutgers and has been dealing with some health issues during the past couple years. This is stunning news. Can the top-seeded Huskies maintain their focus while their coach is in the hospital? Here’s wishing for a quick recovery for Calhoun.
Back in an hour.
Updated 9:30 a.m.
You have to love west-coast time. There’s nothing quite like waking up, getting some breakfast, flicking on the television and having the best sporting event in the world greet you. Traditionally, I’m not a morning person, but this could be enough to snap me out of my nocturnal ways.
CBS brings us Butler versus LSU, with Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg on the call. “From the opening tip to ‘One Shining Moment,’ here we go,” says Nantz. He’s a quality play-by-play guy, but he can get awfully corny from time to time. I’m just glad Nantz finally has a broadcasting partner who actually enjoys calling college basketball games.
I picked Butler to win this, based on my “don’t trust any SEC teams” bracket philosophy. Of course, LSU jumps out to a 5-0 lead. Check that, 7-0 on a ridiculous turnaround jumper that nobody in the SEC hit all year. Wait, it’s 9-0 Tigers now. The tournament is only three minutes old and I might as well throw my bracket in the trash.
We’re about to be switched over to the Texas A&M versus BYU match-up. Wildcat fans might remember the Aggies from that Dec. 5 game, when Arizona blew an 11-point halftime lead to lose 67-66. Nic Wise fouled out with about seven minutes remaining, forcing Chase Budinger to play point guard. The offense did nothing down the stretch.
Anyway, my two favorite things to do as a fan is 1) watch March Madness, and 2) root against BYU. As a University of Wyoming alum, I can’t stand the Cougars. Go Josh Carter!
Back in about an hour for more updates.
Jeez, how do we top last night?
After what had, to this point, been an awfully mediocre Sweet 16 round, Villanova and Pittsburgh staged one for the ages. I had that game on DVR and watched it again this morning. Since college hoops was decimated by the “preps to pros” movement in the mid-90s and the current one-and-done situation, you rarely see games like this one anymore. This game reminded me of those epic Big East battles from the 1980s and early 90s -- back when guys like Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin played four years and college basketball was at its peak.
Even without the Scottie Reynolds play (which immediately takes its place alongside Tyus Edny’s lay-up, Bryce Drew’s shot, Rip Hamilton’s shot, Jim Valvano’s cardiac kids tipping it in to beat Houston, and the Christian Laettner shot in the annals of March Madness highlights), this game was played at such a high level. Just…wow.
Today’s match-ups will have a tough time measuring up, that’s for sure.
That’s not to say we don’t have a couple of potential classics on our hands. At 11:20 a.m., Louisville battles Michigan State in one of the best coaching match-ups you can get in college basketball. After a couple of so-so outings, the Cardinals showed everybody why they’re the tourney’s most dangerous team with that 103-64 annihilation of Arizona on Friday. That was the single-best performance any team has had this season. When Louisville is firing on all cylinders, nobody can beat them.
But if anyone can take them down a peg, it’s Tom Izzo’s Michigan State squad.
The Spartans could’ve easily folded after falling behind 13 points the defending champs from Kansas on Friday night. But nothing rattles these guys. Izzo’s boys kept plugging away, kept forcing turnovers, kept hitting free throws, kept believing. Then, Kalin Lucas put on his Superman cape those last 49 seconds and saved the day.
Louisville wants to play this at a frenetic pace, while Michigan State wants to slow things down and grind out a win where the combined point total doesn’t exceed 140. Whichever team controls the tempo will be headed to the Final Four. Given the Big East’s dominance in this tournament and Louisville’s deep arsenal of weapons, I give the Cardinals the edge in the morning game.
This afternoon, the red-hot North Carolina Tar Heels look to contain the tournament’s best player, Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin, at 2:05 p.m.
Since Ty Lawson returned from that toe injury, the Tar Heels have finally looked like that team everyone expected to run away with the title at the start of the season. Between Lawson, Wayne Ellington (a sneaky cold-blooded killer who should emerge as a solid NBA 2-guard) and defending Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough (who just puts his nose to the grindstone and never flinches), few teams can handle that much explosiveness, that much experience, that much scoring.
Had injuries not derailed Marcus Ginyard and Tyler Zeller (and had Larry Drew lived up to his preseason hype), UNC would be the No. 1 overall seed and waltzing into the title game. But the games aren’t played on paper.
While Carolina has the experience and the pedigree, Oklahoma has the nation’s best player.
I thought the Syracuse/Oklahoma match-up was going to be fascinating. The Orange’s 2-3 zone should’ve been a terrific challenge for a post player like Griffin, but he dominated that game at a level I didn’t think possible. Simply put, Griffin is a freak of nature and perfectly capable of carrying a team to a title on his broad shoulders.
Oklahoma also seems to get big-time performances from at least one or two other players every game, as well. Typically, it comes from explosive guard Willie Warren -- a slashing penetrator who can also bury open jump shots. But last game, that performance came from Tony Crocker, who tallied 28 points with 6-11 from three. If Griffin gets rolling and the rest of the Sooners knock down open jumpers, they’re seemingly impossible to defeat. He’ll face a stiff challenge from Hansbrough, who never backs down from anybody, but Griffin is just too much. He knows every NBA scout will be watching. I have a feeling he’s saving an extra-special gear specifically for this game.
I’ll have one more blog post after these games today. I’ve decided to DVR these two games and head to Tucson for some Spring Training baseball with my buddies. If the rumors are true, we might not get many more chances to enjoy Spring Training, so I’m going to take advantage on this beautiful Sunday afternoon.
Updated 6:40 p.m.
Wow! What a ballgame!
I’ll be the first to admit this March Madness has been littered with duds. Just about all of the Cinderella efforts ran out of gas at crunch time, and a lot of the big-ticket match-ups didn’t live up to expectations. There have also been more outright blowouts this spring than I can remember in previous seasons.
But Villanova/Pittsburgh delivered the goods. And then some. And then some more.
We shouldn’t be surprised. The Big East has been like this all season long. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that any of the top seven teams in the Big East would’ve run away with the Pac-10 title.
First, it looked like Villanova’s Jay Wright was going to be the goat. Why in the heck would he draw up that ridiculous inbounds play (the deep run-out when Nova was up two)? Once Levance Fields buried those two freebies, it looked like this instant classic was going to stretch on at least five minutes longer. But Wright and the Wildcats redeem themselves with the brilliant picket fence (taken straight out of “Hoosieres”) where Scottie Reynolds went the length of the floor in five seconds for the thrilling/magnificent/spectacular game-winning lay-up. Nova 78, Pitt 76 in the best college basketball game I’ve seen all year.
It wasn’t just the finale -- that was just icing on the cake. Both Nova and Pitt played as hard as humanly possible for 40 minutes. This was a grueling, physical game -- a true battle of wills. We saw big-game guards like Reynolds and Fields bring their games to another level. We saw Pitt’s Sam Young complete his evolution from “Very good” to “Great.” We saw DeJuan Blair go perfect from the floor and toss around opponents like they were rag dolls. We saw Nova hit 22 of 23 free throws -- needing each and every one to fall.
In short, we saw one of the greatest March Madness games of this era.
If tomorrow’s games end up being anywhere near this good, we’ll be in great shape. Wow. I mean, wow. I just can’t get over this Nova/Pitt game. Wow.
Tomorrow, Louisville and Michigan State face each other at 11:20 a.m., with North Carolina battling Blake Griffin and the Oklahoma Sooners at 2:05 p.m. Check back here tomorrow, where we’ll break down these two games and preview the Final Four.
Updated 4:15 p.m.
Recruiting violations or not, UConn is back in the Final Four.
After the explosive Missouri Tigers gave the Huskies all they could handle, the superior team ultimately wore down Mizzou and took an 82-75 victory.
As long as Haseem Thabeet is on the floor and out of foul trouble, UConn is tough to handle. At 7-foot-3 (and a rumored 7-foot-8 wingspan), Thabeet is college basketball’s premier defensive stopper. And when freshman guard Kemba Walker is playing with that kind of confidence, Connecticut is going to be tough to beat. That’s before we even start talking about A.J. Price, Stanley Robinson, Jeff Adrien -- you get the idea.
If the Huskies end up winning this whole thing amidst these possibly devastating recruiting allegations, that could be the new gold standard for awkwardness in sports. I take that back -- nothing will be more awkward than Barry Bonds breaking Hank Aaron’s home run record while hopped up on chemical boosters. But watching UConn cut down the nets while under scrutiny for all the recruiting problems first brought up on Yahoo.com could be seriously messed up.
The rest of the evening, we’ll be watching Big East powers Villanova and Pittsburgh battle it out for the second Final Four berth. Nova beat Pitt by 10 earlier this season, and the Panthers haven’t been too terribly impressive the first three rounds. Without a heroic Levance Fields performance against Xavier, the Panthers might be watching this one from home. But Pitt might be too strong inside for Nova’s post players. Should be interesting.
Updated 11:20 p.m.
Few things go together quite as comfortably as Michigan State and March Madness.
The Spartans might not have any first-team All-Americans or any future NBA All-Stars, but they always seem to make noise in March. Credit must be given to the remarkable Tom Izzo, who always turns out a quality product.
Down 13 to a very tough Kansas squad, Michigan State battled back behind Kalin Lucas, who shook off a brutal start to seal a 67-62 win and propel his Spartans into the Elite Eight to face the Louisville juggernaut.
MSU rode Goran Suton early and Lucas late without getting much scoring from anyone else. Kansas took control early behind excellent performances from Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich (who else, right?), but ran out of gas after dealing with the Spartans’ fantastic man-to-man defense.
The MSU/Kansas game was the only remotely competitive ballgame we saw on Friday, too.
North Carolina worked Gonzaga like a speedbag, taking a 98-77 victory that seemed to be an even bigger blowout. Nobody for Gonzaga had a terrible game, per se, just a bunch of average outings. That’s not going to work when Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson are firing on all cylinders. Mark Few’s teams always make for a decent story, and everyone seems to put the Zags in the Final Four every year, but they just never have enough oomph to get over the hump. UNC was too tough and too fast.
So, 57 teams down, eight left standing. No glass slippers to be seen. Everyone left in the tourney is a legit threat. Mizzou, UConn, Nova, Pitt, Michigan State, Louisville, Oklahoma, North Carolina. Not a pretender in the bunch. In a year where parity was supposed to rule and there weren’t any so-called dominant teams, the cream has truly risen to the crop this time around. The most dangerous teams seemed to have jumped a level, as well.
Now, with that dreadful Sweet 16 round behind us (just way too many blowouts), hopefully the regional semifinals have some drama in store. Surely, we won’t see any more 41-point differentials, right?
Tomorrow, Mizzou/UConn tips off at 1:40 p.m., with Nova/Pitt squaring off at 4:05. Check back tomorrow for more March Madness updates.
Updated 6:30 p.m., Friday
There’s no reason to go into the Arizona/Louisville blood bath here. If you want to recount any part of that game, I’ve got it covered in laborious detail in the Wildcat Live Blog. It’s going to be a sad night in Tucson tonight.
Elsewhere in March Madnessville, this Oklahoma/Syracuse game turned into a surprising blowout. As I type this, Blake Griffin hit his head on the backboard with a ferocious slam. He’s more athletic than he even realizes. What a phenom!
I thought Griffin’s individual dominance versus Syracuse’s suffocating 2-3 zone was going to be a fascinating match-up. Advantage: Griffin. By a landslide.
The best player in college hoops tallied 30 points (12-15 shooting) and 14 rebounds before permanently exiting at the two-minute mark. Tony Crocker made Syracuse pay with 28 points (6-11 from three) each time the Orange collapsed on Griffin. For Crocker, this was a career game, and then some. He’s had a few scoring explosions this season, but he averages only 9.2 points an outing.
But Griffin was the star of the show. Syracuse simply had no answer for him. Nobody does. Griffin will be the No. 1 pick in this summer’s NBA draft, and he’s going to make some embattled General Manager very happy.
Tonight, we have Kansas and Michigan State tipping off at 6:37, with North Carolina squaring off against Gonzaga at 6:57.
The Jayhawks and the Spartans should be a rugged, hard-nosed, defensive affair. Kansas’ Sherron Collins is the most explosive guy on the floor, and if he can find a few openings in Tom Izzo’s outstanding defensive schemes, he could be the difference. But if MSU contains Collins and gets Kalin Lucas and Raymar Morgan rolling, look to see the Spartans in the Elite Eight. The winner there meets up with Louisville.
In the late game, all eyes will be on Ty Lawson’s toe. If he performs like he did in the Tar Heels’ 14-point win over LSU, it could be a long night for Jannero Pargo. The Zags will look for a balanced scoring effort from a variety of weapons -- Austin Daye, Josh Heytvelt, Micah Downs and Pargo. But UNC has much more raw talent, and no less than three guys -- Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington and Lawson -- who can take over a game. A healthy and fired-up Lawson should result in a North Carolina win, but you can’t count out Mark Few’s team -- not with the amount of shooters it has.
Check back later this evening for a recap. For now, I have to try to talk some of my Arizona friends off the ledge.
Updated 9:20 p.m., Thursday
Every time Duke gets blown out, I feel strangely happy. I can’t explain it.
I guess it’s the same reason I root against the Yankees and the Lakers. It’s great when these teams are good, but it’s even greater when they fall short.
Villanova submitted one of this tournament’s finest defensive performances and completely shut down the Blue Devils in its 77-54 win. Jay Wright’s squad pitched the college hoops equivalent of a perfect game. I don’t know how many teams would’ve beaten Villanova tonight.
Nova now moves on to face Pitt in an all-Big-East Elite Eight match-up to determine the East bracket winner. Pitt is definitely vulnerable and Villanova is among the hottest teams in the country right now.
In the Glendale match-up of Tigers versus Tigers, Missouri sprinted out to a huge lead behind a stellar performance from J.T. Tiller and a relentless offensive assault. However, Memphis’ ultra-talented freshman Tyreke Evans put his team on his back and made it a much closer than expected finish. Memphis might be the streakiest team in college basketball. But on this night, there weren’t enough peaks to off-set Memphis’ valleys.
Mizzou could’ve put this game away much earlier, but it missed countless free throws that would’ve sealed it. Memphis, as we all know, is no stranger to missed free throws, either.
It was a tremendously exciting ballgame (final: 102-91), but it’s definitely not the type of game you show to some young kids hoping to learn the fundamentals of basketball. Not a lot of defense being played, not a lot of free throws being made.
Mizzou will now take on UConn with a spot in the Final Four on the line. I love that match-up. The Huskies and Haseem Thabeet are a defensive powerhouse, and Missouri is clearly the most explosive offensive team left in the tourney. No idea what to expect there.
Check back tomorrow, where I’ll update this blog to preview tomorrow’s action before I switch over to the Wildcat blog to chronicle the Arizona/Louisville game at 4:07 p.m.
Updated 6:45 p.m.
Gut-check time for Pitt tonight. Thanks to Levance Fields, the Panthers survive and advance.
Xavier gave the top-seeded Pitt squad all it could handle, leading by eight at halftime. But Jamie Dixon’s boys amped up the defensive intensity to start the second half to claw back into the game.
It was a back-and-forth game late into the second half, before Fields took his game to another level. He gave Pitt the lead for good, after knocking down an outrageous cross-over, jab-step, fall away three pointer from 26 feet. The next play, muscle-bound DeJuan Blair poked the ball free from Xavier’s ball-handler, leading to a Fields breakaway lay-up. Final score: 60-55. The Panthers are a phenomenal group of defenders when they set their mind to it.
The Connecticut/Purdue game, on the other hand, was a bit of a letdown.
Surrounded by recruiting allegations and some serious drama, Jim Calhoun’s squad blocked it out and took down the Boilermakers 72-60 in a game that was never that close. Robbie Hummel kept playing well and JaJuan Johnson woke up a little, but nobody else from Purdue stepped up. UConn’s enormous center Haseem Thabeet controlled things defensively (15 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks) and A.J. Price ran the offense like a true college veteran. Craig Austere gave the Huskies an unexpected boost, tallying 17 points (4-6 FG, 3-3 3PT, 6-6 FT).
As for tonight’s games:
Mizzou/Memphis: This one should be a barnburner. Neither of these teams have any interest in running a set offense. I’m not even sure John Calipari has installed any offensive sets since coming to Memphis. He likes to let his guys get out and run. Robert Sallie shooting threes from the corner -- that’s most of what they do in the half court.
Tyreke Evans is Memphis’ primary offensive option. Nobody in college basketball takes the ball to the hoop with more aggression. He’s relentless. However, he isn’t much of a shooter (28 percent from three) and he doesn’t really like to pass the ball very much. He strikes me as one of those guys you play pick-up hoops at the park with -- you know, that guy who is always clapping at you to pass him the ball.
Missouri is led by DeMarre Carroll (16.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg) Leo Lyons (14.6 ppg, 6 rpg), five more guys who average between six and nine points per game, and a “shoot first, think later” attitude. These guys resemble the glorious “Seven Seconds or Less” Phoenix Suns squad who took the NBA by storm earlier this decade.
This game could be the only match-up in the Sweet 16 to break 170 total points in regulation. Its competition? The other night game.
Nova/Duke: Bombs away!
If you like watching teams shoot threes, here’s your game. Neither team shoots it at a very good percentage, but each squad puts up a ton of attempts from beyond the arc (739 for Duke, 636 for Villanova). Last time out, Nova hit 13-25 from deep (including five from Scottie Reynolds) to put up 97 points on Providence. The only Nova guy who doesn’t have a green light from three is Dante Cunningham, and he might be the Wildcats’ most consistent offensive threat.
Duke’s Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith are each lethal offensive weapons (especially the Chase Budinger-esque Singler), but the toughest Blue Devil to stop is Gerald Henderson. If Duke is ever desperate for a hoop or it goes cold from three, Henderson gets the ball, creates and usually makes something happen. Henderson is the best pro prospect Duke has had in ages. He has all the makings of a terrific NBA swingman.
I have high hopes for these two games. Let’s hope they don’t disappoint.
Updated 5:15 p.m.
Thank you, Robbie Hummel. Without you, the Purdue/UConn game would be a total bust.
The Huskies have overwhelmed the Boilermakers for the most part (with JaJuan Johnson sadly being reduced to an afterthought), but Hummel has caught fire for 15 points to keep Purdue within five, 30-25. This is exactly where Purdue wants to be after such a brutal first half. The Boilermakers have had a few chances to cut into that lead even more, but each time the Huskies seem within reach, Purdue turns it over and Connecticut goes on a mini-run to push the lead again. Haseem Thabeet has dominated the paint, as expected.
A.J. Price -- who has been red-hot in the first two rounds -- is only 2-8 from the floor so far, and Jeff Adrien (an All-Big-East Third Teamer) is only 1-9. Those two guys will likely pick it up, so Purdue will need MUCH more out of everyone not named Robbie Hummel to keep this game within reach.
But Purdue’s defensive intensity has been high, as expected. They should approach the second half with a lot of confidence, knowing that their best offensive weapons -- Johnson and E’Twaun Moore -- have yet to get going.
In the other afternoon game, Xavier leads Pitt through the first 20 minutes. Again, Sam Young seems to be the only Panther who decided to show up. Xavier hasn’t shot the ball particularly well, but the Musketeers are throttling Pitt on the boards and getting many second-chance opportunities.
Updated 4:22 p.m., Thursday
Hello and welcome to the Sweet 16 portion of the March Madness Blog. We have some spectacular games lined up for the next couple days. Four today, four tomorrow. My bracket is shot to smithereens (thanks a lot, Wake Forest!), but that doesn’t matter in the least. These games are just too good.
Some might have complained about the lack of upsets and Cinderellas (with the obvious exception of our own Arizona Wildcats) in this year’s tourney, but the upside is we get eight fantastic Sweet 16 games for our enjoyment.
UConn (which is dealing with a ton of off-court distraction, thanks to some alleged recruiting violations) starts off today’s action against a well-rounded, fundamentally sound Purdue squad. The Boilermakers reached sleeper status for many amateur bracketologists this year, thanks to their terrific Big Ten tourney performance and defensive acumen.
However, that run might come to an end today. Connecticut is just so much bigger/taller/faster, and A.J. Price is playing out of his mind. I also think Purdue struggles to do anything with Haseem Thabeet patrolling the lane. So far, Stanley Robinson I splaying like a man possessed. Purdue will look to grind this into a half-court game where it comes down to a couple of key possessions late in the second half. But The Huskies might have too many athletes for the Boilermakers to match up with.
In about 20 minutes, Pitt and Xavier will clash in a classic East Coast battle. I have the Panthers winning it all, but they’ve done very little to justify that pick. They’ve looked sluggish in each of the first two tourney games until finally kicking it into a respectable gear to put the opponent away. Xavier has shown an ability to separate itself with a key second-half run, which seems to be the most important skill to possess in this tournament.
Xavier might not have Pitt’s size and strength (but, then again, nobody has Pitt’s size and strength), but the Musketeers are just as physical. B.J. Raymond and Derrick Brown can catch fire, and C.J. Anderson won’t back down from any of Pitt’s big guys. However, I get the feeling that this might finally be the Panthers’ breakout tournament game. Sam Young is a phenomenal college basketball player (might be kind of a tweener when it comes to the NBA, but that doesn’t matter right now). DeJuan Blair is a man among boys, and it looks like point guard Levance Fields is finally getting back into the swing of things.
Later tonight, we have Mizzou/Memphis (6:37 p.m.) and Villanova/Duke (6:57 p.m.). Those games should be outstanding. Check back here later this evening for a recap on these two afternoon games, along with a preview of tonight’s contests.
Updated 4:40 p.m., March 22
Oh, Lazar Hayward. He’s not going to sleep well tonight.
With Marquette down two after Missouri’s Kim English hit a pair of free throws, the Golden Eagles had 5.5 seconds left to make it down the floor to either tie the score at 81, or win the game with a last-second three.
Instead, Hayward stepped over the end line when he was attempting to inbound the ball. Just heartbreaking.
After the emotional return of Dominic James, Marquette battled back from a an 11-point halftime deficit to turn it into a one-possession game. But the Tigers held on to win 83-79 in what had to be one of the more exhausting tourney games to be a part of. Jerel McNeal had the game of his life with 30 points, but it wasn’t quite enough to propel the sixth-seeded Eagles to the round of 16.
The USC/Michigan State game looked like it might come down to a final shot, as well, but the Spartans asserted themselves in the final minute to squeak out a 74-69 win. The red-hot Trojans looked like they might join Arizona as the only Pac-10 teams in the Sweet 16, but they couldn’t solve Travis Walton, who tallied 21 points.
In the final game of the day, No. 9 Siena put a heck of a scare into top-overall-seed Louisville, but the Cardinals rode a huge rebounding advantage to a 79-72 win (yet another deceptive final score). Arizona fans watched this one with extra-special attention, thinking that the Saints might pull off the impossible, giving the Wildcats (the lowest seed remaining!) a much more favorable match-up for the Sweet 16. It wasn’t to be, thanks to Louisville’s unbelievable athleticism and depth. Terrence Williams, Earl Clark and Samardo Samuels are going to be VERY tough to match up with for Russ Pennell’s squad. Check Wednesday’s paper for a full breakdown of the Arizona/Louisvlle match-up.
Well, that’s it for the First Four Days. The March Madness Blog will be back on Thursday, covering everything you need to know.
Updated 2:30 p.m.
Phew, that was a lot of typing, but all of it was worth it.
If you haven’t already, check out the nearly 4,000 words I posted on Arizona’s 71-57 win over Cleveland State at the Wildcat Live Blog. These Wildcats are suddenly a force to be reckoned with.
I’ll be honest. I didn’t pay a whole lot of attention to the other three games. But I just finished scanning the highlights via the Internet, and (outside of the Pitt/Okie State game) it doesn’t look like I missed much. Cole Aldrich posted a triple-double (13 points, 20 rebounds, 10 blocks) as Kansas dominated Dayton 60-43. The Flyers turned their nickname into an oxymoron, as their offense spent most of the afternoon stuck on the tarmac. Dayton went 16-72 from the floor. I thought that was a misprint, but three large sports websites verify the accuracy of that number. Yuck!
Xavier broke free from Wisconsin, 60-49, in another defensive struggle. You might beat Wisconsin, but you won’t look good doing it. Xavier shot an unimpressive 39 percent from the floor, but Wisconsin’s ghastly 28 percent didn’t do the Badgers any favors.
The Cowboys looked like they might be able to upset the top-seeded Panthers, but just as they did in the opening round, Pitt quit messing around down the stretch to put away an 84-76 win in a game that was much closer than the final score indicates. If Pitt continues to get out to these slow starts, it will run into trouble. But if Sam Young keeps scoring 32 points and carrying Pitt on his back, the Panthers could be cutting down the nets in a few weeks.
Currently, USC attempts to join Arizona as the only two Pac-10 teams in the round of 16 as they battle a terrific Michigan State squad. Also, Marquette will look to get a boost from the emotional return of Dominic James, who is playing in his first game since Feb. 25 after breaking his foot. I didn’t think one month was enough recovery time for a broken foot, but I’m no doctor. In the day’s final game, Louisville and Siena will square off for the right to play Arizona.
Back at around 4:30 with one final update.
Updated 11:25 a.m.
Syracuse is good. Like, really good.
The Orange absolutely suffocated the Sun Devils with their stifling 2-3 zone defense and cruised to a 78-67 win. ASU got at close as four in the second half, but the Cuse made every necessary play to put the game away for good.
James Harden posted his second consecutive subpar game, hitting only two of his 10 shot attempts for 10 points. When he set up at the foul line and went into playmaker mode, good things happened for the Sun Devils. But ASU couldn’t overcome Jeff Pendergraph’s foul trouble -- who bid farewell permanently with his fifth foul at the 10-minute mark. Derek Glasser -- who had suddenly developed into another go-to guy for the Devils -- struggled mightily, going only 1-8 without knocking down a single three-pointer. You beat Syracuse by hitting perimeter shots. If ASU isn’t getting much from Harden, Glasser or Pendergraph, the odds of winning aren’t very good.
Rihards Kuksiks and Ty Abbott each scored 20, which helped keep ASU in it. But it wasn’t enough to match the Cuse, which got double-digit scoring from five guys, led by three-point specialist Eric Devendorf with 21. The Orange didn’t even need stellar games from Jonny Flynn (11 points) or Paul Harris (only four).
The Sun Devils join Washington, California and UCLA as the Pac-10 teams heading home. It’s up to Arizona to represent the Pac-10 in the Sweet 16. How weird is that?
Fifteen minutes until UA/Cleveland State tips off. Be sure to frequently check the Wildcat Live Blog.
Updated 9:10 a.m. Sunday
It’s a bittersweet day for yours truly.
On the bright side, we have eight more basketball games to enjoy, including the Arizona/Cleveland State game at 11:40 a.m. that has this entire area more excited than a kid on Christmas morning.
On the downside, once this day is over, we have to wait another calendar year for the first four days of March Madness. Four days, 48 games -- doesn’t get much better than that.
We get started early, with Syracuse and Arizona State tipping off in the day’s only early game. If you love zone defense, this is your game. Both Syracuse and ASU play nothing but zone.
It stands to reason that James Harden will play MUCH better than he did in the first round, so there could be a potential battle of superstars between Harden and Syracuse’s Jonny Flynn today. You might remember the Orange from their six-overtime epic win over UConn in the Big East tourney. Since that game ended roughly 20 minutes ago, Arizona State might have a stamina advantage. Either way, I expect this one to be a heck of a battle. It might be low scoring, but neither team will blow out the other one.
Once that game goes final, we’ll have three other games to keep track of while the Wildcats and Vikings battle it out. Xavier takes on defensive-minded Wisconsin, Kansas squares off with a surprisingly athletic Dayton squad, and Pitt looks to shake off a terrible first-round performance when it battles Oklahoma State. I like Xavier in a low-scoring affair, Kansas in a one-point game where Dayton almost pulls off the upset, and Pitt in one of those “we’re done messing around” type of outings.
Check here for a couple more updates throughout the day, but be sure to check the Wildcat Blog at 11:40, where I’ll cover the Arizona versus Cleveland State match-up in copious detail.
Updated 7:50 p.m.
March Madness, baby!
That Western Kentucky/Gonzaga game was a real barnburner. The last 10 seconds is as good as the tournament gets. From the WKU tip-in to Demetri Goodson's lay-up (where’s the defense, Hilltoppers?), that was incredibly exciting.
It’s really too bad that the officials didn’t grant WKU’s timeout call. I mean, WKU did call timeout, after all. It’s such a shame that the Hilltoppers are forced to go out on that note.
Add Orlando Mendez-Valdez to that list of “unknown players from small schools who kick butt in the tournament.” He was incredible these last two games. I’m sad to see him go.
The Duke/Texas contest was almost as exciting. What is it about these night games? When the sun is out, the games are pretty mundane. But as soon as the skies go dark, the games get nutty.
Duke got every call -- like it always does -- and received the benefit of every bounce -- like it always does -- to beat Texas 74-69. As a charter member of the “I Hate Duke” club, that game was excruciating. There were a couple of embarrassing calls that went in Duke’s favor, but this is just par for the course anymore. Of course, Duke makes its own luck. The Devils made a lot of killer jumpers, and they can beat anyone in the field if they’re making perimeter shots. Gerald Henderson has emerged as a true go-to guy, and that Kyle Singler is just lethal.
Well, that’s it for today. Check back here tomorrow, where I’ll be breaking down as many games as I can. Don’t forget, I’ll also have the Wildcat Live Blog up and running for the UA/Cleveland State game at 11:40 a.m.
Updated 5:30 p.m.
Purdue versus Washington was every bit as good as advertised.
The Boilermakers edged the Huskies 76-74 in what was a de facto road game for the Big Ten squad (lots of Washington fans in Portland today). Purdue jumped out to huge 11-point first-half lead, but a torrid second half from the Pac-10 champs (46 points) made it a nip-and-tuck game down the stretch.
I was very impressed to see Purdue beat Washington at its own game. There were a lot of points scored in this game, and the Boilermakers proved they can fill it up if the tempo speeds up. JaJuan Johnson led the way with 22 points and turned into a defensive stopper, coming up with two critical blocks during Washington’s comeback bid.
Three Huskies topped the 20-point barrier (Isaiah Thomas, John Brockman, Quincy Pondexter), but the rest of the squad managed only 10 points -- it kind of resembled a typical Arizona outing. Had Washington gotten more out of Justin Denton (2-8, 5 points), the Huskies would likely still be playing.
Oh, well. Hats off to Purdue -- one of the best all-around teams in the field.
Top-seeded North Carolina found themselves in a dogfight with LSU, but once Ty Lawson re-acclimated himself to the speed of college hoops, he completely dominated down the stretch. “The Blur” scored 23 (21 after halftime) and added six assists with no turnovers. It looked like Lawson might’ve re-injured his big toe, but the Tar Heel guard shook off that scare and took over. It was a remarkable performance. If Lawson plays like he did in the second half against LSU, the Tar Heels will win the title.
In the third late afternoon game, Oklahoma led Michigan by only one point. Then, Blake Griffin stopped messing around.
The tournament’s top individual talent shook off constant double teams to tally 33 points and 14 rebounds as the Sooners made the Sweet 16 with a 73-63 win. If Griffin isn’t in foul trouble, he can’t be guarded on the college level. He will be the unquestioned No. 1 pick in this summer’s NBA draft and should find himself on multiple All-Star teams. He reminds me a lot of Antonio McDyess -- not the version we’re seeing on the Detroit Pistons, but the young McDyess who destroyed his competitors before knee injuries took away his hops.
Tonight’s final games pit Duke against Texas (make some room on the Longhorns’ bandwagon for me tonight!), and upset-minded Western Kentucky against Gonzaga. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see the Hilltoppers take down the Zags.
Updated 2:45 p.m.
Well, those games were total duds. I think the March Madness blog might be jinxing the action.
Memphis destroyed Maryland 86-63. It wasn’t even that close. And that might not even be the biggest blowout of the early games. At the time of this posting, Connecticut (with Jim Calhoun back on the sidelines) is dismantling Texas A&M. There really isn’t much more to say about either of these games.
However, there is a ray of light at the end of this tunnel.
The Purdue/Washington game (which just tipped off a few minutes ago) could be a classic. These are two fantastic teams who excel in completely different ways. This could be a fascinating battle of wills.
In other action, North Carolina takes on the LSU Tigers (we’ll get to see if Ty Lawson’s toe is still bothering him -- if it is, that could spell trouble for the Tar Heels) and Oklahoma takes on Michigan (I don’t see anyone on the Wolverines’ roster trying to body slam Blake Griffin like we saw on Thursday night).
Updated 12:50 p.m., Saturday
I must apologize for the lack of updates last night. I had to go visit my girlfriend before she forgot what I looked like.
It figures that the best stretch of basketball would happen the instant I decide to take a break.
Thankfully, my girlfriend was fantastic, like always, and agreed to watch some college hoops action. She’s as invested into March Madness as anyone I know.
The way CBS toggled between thrilling finishes between Ohio State/Siena and Wisconson/Florida State was a work of art. What a terrific pair of basketball games. Players like Wisconsin’s Trevon Hughes and Ronald Moore are what this tournament is about. Hughes’ outrageous running lay-up through a forest of Florida State arms was the play of the tournament thus far. Moore’s 3-pointer in double overtime isn’t far behind.
Now that 65 has been whittled down to 32 (and Arizona is still in the field! Crazy!), we’re treated to another eight games today. Villanova already throttled UCLA 89-69. The Wildcats simply had too much firepower, and ran the Bruins off the floor. It didn’t hurt that Nova was playing in front of a home crowd in Philadelphia.
The worst-kept secret in the Pac-10 was how Ben Howland’s hyped freshman class simply wasn’t that good. Jrue Holiday has to be the most overrated NBA draft prospect I’ve seen in years. What exactly does Holiday do that is at an NBA level? It boggles the mind.
Nova looks like it’s poised to make a pretty nice run in this tournament. The Cats can really shoot it, and they haven’t even gotten a breakout game from leading scorer Scottie Reynolds.
Currently, Memphis (the high seed I like the least) has rolled to a big early lead on Maryland, with UConn and Texas A&M preparing to tip off shortly. I’ll have a couple more posts throughout the day.
Updated 2:25 p.m.
That could’ve been disastrous for my bracket, but I don’t care.
The top-seeded Pitt Panthers came dangerously close to being the first No. 1 to fall to a 16, but DeJuan Blair wouldn’t let it happen.
East Tennessee State played the best game in that program’s history, but simply didn’t get enough shots to fall. The Bucs hit only 31 percent from the field, 4-21 from three, and a ghastly 11-23 from the line in this afternoon’s 72-62 loss -- a deceivingly wide final margin.
ETSU forced 18 turnovers and pulled down 20 offensive boards against the formidable Panthers, but it was not to be. Hopefully, this serves as a wake-up call for Pitt, who looked sloppy and disjointed for the first 35 minutes of this game. I have the Panthers penciled in as my national champion, and they didn’t look like a championship contender today.
The ASU/Temple game wrapped up a bit earlier than the other afternoon games, with the Sun Devils claiming a 66-57 final. This was one of the five worst games in James Harden’s two-year career (1-8 shooting, nine points, four turnovers), but the Sun Devils still found a way to cruise to victory. Jeff Pendergraph and the suddenly deadly Derek Glasser each tallied 22 to compensate for Harden’s lackluster performance. If Harden turns it around by Sunday, ASU will be a very tough out. For Temple, Dionte Christmas more than lived up to the hype (29 points, five 3s) and looks like he’ll end up becoming a James Posey type on the NBA.
Ivy Leaguers Cornell (made famous by the bumbling buffoon from “The Office,” Andrew Bernard) hung tough with Missouri through the first half, but the Tigers caught fire in the second half (49 points!) and throttled the Big Red, 78-59. Mizzou had 20 assists on 28 made buckets.
The “upset” in this slate came when No. 11 Dayton took down No. 6 West Virginia 68-60. I put upset in quotes because this one seemed like an even match-up -- maybe even in Dayton’s favor. The Flyers always come to play in the tournament, and they’re not your average mid-major program. These guys have athletes -- starting with the sensational Chris Wright (27 points, 10 boards). Dayton is going to give Kansas all it can handle.
OK, we’ll be taking a bit of a breather while CBS runs Rachel Ray and Oprah. Check back here at 4:10 when I’ll fire up the Wildcat Live Blog.
Updated 11:50 p.m.
Now that’s how it’s done!
We cut right from the scintillating finish of that remarkable Tennessee versus Oklahoma State showdown to Utah State’s Pooh Williams banking in a 3-pointer against Marquette to keep their upset hopes alive. Yes, banking it.
It took a little while for March Madness to heat up, but here we are.
I can’t say enough about the Vols/Cowboys match-up. That was a fantastic basketball game with two teams playing at a very high level. Tennessee’s Tyler Smith made every play down the stretch, but it wasn’t quite enough to top Byron Eaton, who led the Pokes with 20 points. His crossover dribble-drive lay-up (and the foul!) to put Okie State ahead was the play of the tourney so far. Eaton just exploded into the lane and finished an impossible lay-up. 77-75 OSU. What a game.
As for Marquette/Utah State, it looked like the sixth-seeded Golden Eagles had this in the bag. Marquette’s defense completely stifled the Aggies throughout the first half, but Utah State’s shooters kept it a ballgame in the second half. Before fouling out, Jared Quayle buried four triples to cut into Marquette’s advantage. But Lazar Hayward and Jarel McNeal made just enough plays to push the Dominic James-less Eagles into the second round with a 58-57 and keep the Big East perfect in the tourney.
Kansas let North Dakota State hang around most of the afternoon, but Sherron Collins proved to be the difference. 84-74 Jayhakws, in a game that was much closer than that final score indicates.
The only dud this morning was the Syracuse versus Stephen F. Austin contest. The Orange opened up a huge first-half lead and went into cruise control. Stephen F. Austin couldn’t put the ball in the hoop, leading to a 59-44 final score. Yawn.
Next up, we have Arizona State squaring off against Temple. On this site, I’ve done more than my fair share of pumping up James Harden, and I fully expect him to have a monster game. Temple’s Dionte Christmas is another legitimate scoring machine, so this could shape up into an epic March duel. Most Southern Arizona hoops fans aren’t too thrilled with Harden, considering he’s beaten the Wildcats five times in two years. But Harden is a special talent with a very high basketball IQ for a kid his age.
Elsewhere, we have Pitt gearing up to blow out Eastern Tennessee State, Dayton and West Virginia locking horns in a potential bracket buster, and Cornell taking on No. 3-seed Missouri in what could be an exciting showdown, thanks to Mizzou’s run-and-gun philosophy.
Updated 10:15 a.m.
Welcome back to day two of the world’s greatest sporting event. Yes, this title still holds true after what, by all accounts, was a subpar opening day.
A handful of potential upsets flamed out during crunch time, when the superior schools asserted their dominance. We saw the best individual player in the tournament flipped end over end, thanks to some Morgan State punk’s ill-fated pro wrestling audition. We saw the great Eric Maynor come up a few inches short, and we saw my Elite Eight sleeper (California) look absolutely dreadful against Maryland.
But I’m not one to complain. There is nothing wrong with 12 consecutive hours of basketball, so let’s do it again today. My bracket looks a lot better than I thought -- 12 wins and four losses so far. I’ll take it.
The day two action will feature fewer updates, thanks to Arizona’s first-round match-up with Utah at 4:10 p.m. today. I’ll be breaking that game down in detail, but the general March Madness Blog will still be here when that game wraps up.
Today’s opening quartet: Syracuse opening up a big early lead on Stephen F. Austin, Marquette taking it to Utah State (and their 26-year-old center), Kansas attempting to stave off North Dakota State’s upset bid, and Tennessee and Oklahoma State battling each other to a standstill thus far. These games are approaching halftime, so I’ll have another update when they go final, as well as a preview of what looks to be a terrific batch of noon games.
One other thing that’s struck me thus far -- the unexpected cameos of former UA players. J.P. Prince was supposed to be another stellar athlete in the long lineage of Wildcat point guards, but he’s playing a big role for Tennessee -- third-leading scorer, primary backcourt playmaker. Emmanuel Negedu, who took off after the Lute Olson fallout, doesn’t get a lot of time on the floor as Prince’s teammate, but he’ll be expected to make a major contribution next season. Last night’s Michigan game featured a quick appearance from Laval Lucas-Perry, who transferred during the depressing Kevin O’Neill season.
Updated 9:30 p.m.
I feel so unsatisfied.
I wanted Eric Maynor to hit that shot. He’s been hitting that shot his entire career. It would’ve been such a fantastic moment -- a buzzer-beater in what has been a pretty anticlimactic day of basketball.
The stage was set -- VCU down one after an amazing Maynor-led comeback. UCLA’s previous offensive possession ended in a shot-clock violation as a result of a clutch Larry Sanders block. Maynor got the ball with 10 seconds left, drove on Darren Collison, pulled up, then hesitated.
The hesitation is where the game ended.
Maynor threw up an awkward fade-away and left it well short. 65-64 UCLA, and Maynor’s outstanding college career ends in heartbreaking fashion.
We did have a 12-over-a-five upset tonight, but Western Kentucky made it much more interesting than it should’ve. The Hilltoppers were ahead by double digits well into the second half, but Illinois made a valiant comeback. Thanks to a handful of head-scratching officiating maneuvers, this game turned into a one-possession game late, but WKU held on for a 76-72 win. I wish I could brag about this one in my bracket, but I think just about everyone had the Hilltoppers winning this one.
The 2-versus-15 games were total blowouts, as expected. Duke throttled Binghamton 86-62 in a game that was never competitive.
Oklahoma blasted Morgan State 82-54 behind an All-American performance from Blake Griffin, before Morgan State started to thug things up in the second half. Ameer Ali grabbed Griffin’s arm and flipped him onto his back. It looked like a pro wrestling move. Griffin was lucky to be athletic enough to flip over in the air to land on his back, because he appeared poised to land on his head. Ali got ejected and Morgan State head coach Todd Bozeman is thankfully out of the tournament.
How Bozeman got another head coaching job after the stuff he pulled at California, I’ll never know. He was hammered for illegal payments and sexual harassment, yet here he is, coaching Morgan State in the tourney. Now, his team will forever be known as the squad who attempted to intentionally injure the best player in college basketball.
Anyway…
That’s it for today. Twelve hours of basketball down, three more days to go. Let’s hope tomorrow has more buzzer-beaters and more Cinderella teams who play a full 40-minute game instead of 33 inspired minutes, followed by a total collapse. I’ll be periodically posting my thoughts tomorrow, with the fully detailed Wildcat Live Blog making its grand return for the 4:10 p.m. game.
Updated 6:45 p.m.
The American dream? Denied.
The Eagles had Villanova down, but not out. It took the Wildcats a while to figure out that, yes, they were the most talented team on the floor, but once they did, wow. After trailing by double digits for most of the game, Nova went on to win 78-65 -- one of the few outcomes that actually benefited my bracket.
Only one of the two 7-10 games came down to the wire. Michigan rolled up a double-digit lead on Clemson, but inexplicably forgot to give Manny Harris the ball down the stretch. The Tigers clawed their way back and had a shot to tie it with the clock winding down, but they didn’t get a good shot at the buzzer. Michigan held on for a 62-59 win.
The Texas-Minnesota game was tight for a while, but A.J. Abrams buried three triples in the span of a minute to open up an insurmountable lead. Final: 76-62. Abrams finished with 26 points, including eight threes.
Akron spent most of the late game in upset mode, but Josh Heytvelt finally imposed his size advantage and carried Gonzaga to a game-clinching 13-0 second-half run. Another bracket-saver, although I was secretly hoping Akron could close the show.
That’s been the story today. We’ve seen some enthusiastic upset bids (American, Northridge, Akron, and so forth), but none of them had enough gas in the tank to take down Goliath.
The slate of late games looks like it could be a good one: I’ll make a half-hearted leap onto the Binghamton bandwagon before Duke puts them away. Blake Griffin and Oklahoma should be too much for Morgan State.
However, I love No. 12 Western Kentucky to take down Illinois (who is missing do-it-all guard Chester Frazier). Granted, I don’t know a whole lot about WKU, but I do know that they always seem to make some noise in the first round. No. 11 Virginia Commonwealth is a popular upset pick against UCLA. After three straight Final Fours, the Bruins haven’t looked the same this season. Darren Collison has been there night in and night out, but the team’s overrated group of freshman (led by the disappointing Jrue Holiday) haven’t performed as expected. VCU’s terrific point guard Eric Maynor is no stranger to March heroics, either. I can’t wait for that game.
Updated 5:10 p.m.
The pair of 7-10 games have played out as advertised. Solid fundamentals, with neither team taking much of a lead. Michigan is up 27-24 over Clemson in a defensive struggle (read: a snoozer) and Texas is ahead 39-35 over Minnesota in a very decent, watchable game. Lawrence Westbrook is a lot better than I thought, and Arthur Abrams ended the half with an outrageous three.
The big shocker right now is American shooting the lights out against Villanova. At the time of this posting, the small Patriot League school has the powerful Big East squad completely out of sorts. Each time CBS cuts over to this game, it seems as if Villanova is committing another turnover. Nova is shooting very well (53 percent), but Scottie Reynolds is currently scoreless and American is flying all over the court. In addition, the Eagles have hit 7-14 from three -- a ridiculous number for one half of basketball.
What’s even crazier about this American/Villanova game is it’s essentially a home game for the Philadelphia-based Wildcats. No matter, as the underdogs have completely won over the crowd. Nova doesn’t know what hit it. Derrick Mercer -- Patriot League MVP -- is carrying himself like he’s the best player on the floor. And you know what? He is fully entitled to do so right now.
American went into halftime leading 41-31. Seriously. I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see Brian Gilmore bury that three with my own eyes.
In the fourth afternoon game, Akron is giving Gonzaga all it can handle. Gonzaga’s main flaw is a lack of toughness, so if the Zips can hang in and keep the game close down the stretch, it’s entirely conceivable that the Zags will wilt. However, the Zags might have too much raw talent for Akron to handle.
Check back later this evening for a wrap-up on these four, as well as a look ahead at the evening slate.
Updated 4:10 p.m.
The Huskies salvaged some pride for the Pac-10.
Washington made it look easy in its 71-58 win over a mediocre Mississippi State squad. Well, I’m guessing they did. CBS has been running a lot of Rachel Ray, Oprah type junk.
According to the box score, Quincy Pondexter had the game of his life (23 points, eight boards) and the Bulldogs couldn’t put the ball in the ocean (20-59 from the field). Anyway…
This batch of games could be spectacular. The Michigan/Clemson and Texas/Minnesota games are too close to call. Those 7-10 match-ups are typically competitive, which means they could get wild at the end. I think I have Clemson and Texas in my brackets, but I don’t like those picks at all. Michigan and Minnesota are those typical defensive-minded Big Ten schools who succeed in the tournament, despite a lower seed. Plus, Tubby Smith has the Golden Gophers playing very well together.
Elsewhere, we have Villanova getting ready to blow the doors off American and Gonzaga looking to kick-start a Final Four run against Akron. The No. 4-seed Zags didn’t look too great when Arizona took them down earlier this year, but they looked like a title contender with the way they dismantled Saint Mary’s. If Gonzaga ever makes that deep tourney run, this has to be the year, doesn’t it?
As for Nova, I love this team. Jay Wright always fields a terrific squad who can shoot the lights out. It wouldn’t surprise me if Wright’s name starts popping up when Arizona resumes that highly publicized coaching search. Scottie Reynolds (who’s seemingly been at Villanova since 1995) leads a bombs-away squad who can beat anyone in the field. However, if the Wildcats go cold from the perimeter, they can lose to anybody -- even Patriot League champs American. However, I wouldn’t bet on it.
Check back later this evening for a halftime update.
Updated 2:15 p.m.
Well, there goes my bracket.
I blame myself. There’s no way I should’ve trusted Cal. Any team who relies on the three-ball like the Bears do is prone to some terrible stretches of basketball if the shots aren’t falling.
Today, the shots weren’t falling.
Maryland blew open a nip-and-tuck game midway through the second half. Toss in some embarrassing mental lapses and overwhelming foul trouble, and that adds up to an 84-71 Maryland win.
Oh, well. I’ll be pulling for Maryland against Memphis on Saturday. I think Greivis Vazquez gives them fits.
Earlier, the Northern Iowa versus Purdue game turned into a nail-biter. NIU battled back from a 12-point Boilermaker advantage and nearly took control of the game. However, Purdue -- just like every solid Big Ten team -- maintained its composure and made every key play down the stretch to hold on 61-56. I really like what Purdue does. They play terrific defense and share the ball extremely well.
Not surprisingly, North Carolina and UConn rolled to some huge victories. Tar Heels by 43, Huskies by 54. Those types of games need some sort of “mercy rule.”
No. 4 Washington versus No. 13 Mississippi State takes center stage for the next two hours, thanks to an unfortunate scheduling quirk. A lot of people are picking Mississippi State to pull off the upset, but the SEC was just terrible this year. The Bulldogs wouldn’t even be here if they didn’t get hot during the SEC tourney. This is a de facto home game for Washington, with the game taking place just down the road in Portland, as well.
However, Pac-10 fans can’t be feeling good about how terrible Cal looked down the stretch against Maryland. Will that be an omen for how the rest of the Pac-10 performs in this tournament?
I’ll have one more post today, which will go up just before the quartet of 4 p.m. games tip off.
Updated 1 p.m.
In this quartet of games, it looks like the Maryland-California contest is the one most likely to come down to a buzzer-beating finish.
It hasn’t been the prettiest game (both teams shooting below 40 percent), but the teams have battled to a near-stalemate at the half, with the Terps ahead 34-31. Maryland’s star guard Greivis Vazquez leads the way with 11, but he’s been playing with two fouls for the last nine minutes of game time. He’s a very intelligent, crafty player, but his aggression and emotion can sometimes get the best of him. Maryland’s chances in this game will rest squarely on Vazquez’s ability to stay on the floor and out of foul trouble.
As for Cal, its greatest strength -- three-point shooting -- has turned into its greatest weakness thus far. The Bears have hit only 3-13 from beyond the arc, but Cal has been surprisingly effective on the offensive glass. Jerome Randle has 11 points, and he’s been the only Cal perimeter star to play up to his potential. It stands to reason that Patrick Christopher and Theo Robertson (combined 4-13) will heat up in the second half.
At the moment of this post, Northern Iowa is hanging tough with Purdue midway through the second half, and the two No. 1 seeds have taken control of their games. North Carolina blew up for 53 points on a shell-shocked Radford squad in the first 20 minutes, and Connecticut -- who understandably came out sluggish after the devastating Jim Calhoun news -- opened up to a 35-17 lead behind A.J. Price and Haseem Thabeet.
I’ll post again after Maryland-Cal goes final.
Updated 11:38 a.m.
Well, they had a good run.
With 10 minutes to go, the No. 15 seed Cal State Northridge held an unlikely six-point lead. It looked like the first major upset was going to happen VERY early on.
Then Memphis finally woke up.
Unheralded bench player Roburt Sallie exploded for 35 points to help the Tigers stay in the game when all of his teammates were playing terrible basketball. Once the rest of Memphis’ roster woke up, it overwhelmed the Matadors. Tip of the hat, Cal State Northridge. Great effort.
As for the other two early a.m. games, Butler made a furious comeback attempt, but LSU hit enough free throws to win 75-71. Marcus Thornton (the only SEC player I really like) took over, scoring 30 points on 10-15 shooting. That guy is a legit talent.
BYU found a bit of a rhythm in the second half, but it was too little, too late. Five Aggies scored in double figures to take home a 79-66 victory. Even with an off-game from Josh Carter, the Aggies had more than enough firepower to take down the Cougars.
The next slate of games includes an underrated Purdue team squaring off against the upset-minded Northern Iowa, the No. 1-seeded North Carolina likely rolling over Radford by at least 20 (unless this Ty Lawson injury completely destroys the Tar Heels), and what should be a terrific game between Maryland and my tourney dark horse, the California Golden Bears. Perhaps I’m overrating Cal because I watched Jerome Randle knock down eight threes against the Wildcats at McKale Center, but the Bears can really shoot it.
Quick tip: For maximum tournament enjoyment, be sure to get up and walk around every once in a while. So much college hoops can get kind of hypnotic, so you want to get the blood flowing with a nice, brisk walk around the neighborhood during these breaks in the action. Back in roughly an hour with another update.
Updated 10:30 a.m.
Go Northridge!
The game of the morning has definitely been Cal State Northridge’s upset bid over the wildly overrated Memphis Tigers. It’s 34-31 Memphis at the break, but the Tigers look dreadful. Without Robert Sallie (17 points, 5-7 from three), Northridge would be winning in a blowout. Everyone else for Memphis is 5-20 from the floor, with three major players in foul trouble.
I wish I would’ve had the courage to pick Northridge in my bracket. I really don’t like this Memphis squad. The Tigers have gotten fat on a terrible Conference USA squad and spent the last couple days complaining about not being a No. 1 seed. Had Memphis played in the Big East, it would’ve been a No. 6 seed -- at best. Conversely, Georgetown (who missed the tourney) would’ve won C-USA in a walk.
Elsewhere, Butler really did a nice job steadying the ship after the LSU onslaught and trails by only six at the half. Maybe it’s time to dig my bracket out of the trash.
In the third game, Texas A&M started out on fire, hitting its first 10 shots. BYU isn’t the most formidable defensive squad, and the Aggies did a terrific job getting the ball inside and working their offense. The Cougars are getting terrible performances from leading scorers Lee Cummard and Jimmer Fredette (combined 2-12), so if they get back on track, BYU could start cutting into A&M’s 42-30 advantage.
During the halftime show, Greg Gumbel dropped this bombshell: Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun has been taken to the hospital and won’t be coaching his Huskies’ opening-round game later this evening. George Blaney will be coaching in his absence. Calhoun missed UConn’s Jan. 3 game against Rutgers and has been dealing with some health issues during the past couple years. This is stunning news. Can the top-seeded Huskies maintain their focus while their coach is in the hospital? Here’s wishing for a quick recovery for Calhoun.
Back in an hour.
Updated 9:30 a.m.
You have to love west-coast time. There’s nothing quite like waking up, getting some breakfast, flicking on the television and having the best sporting event in the world greet you. Traditionally, I’m not a morning person, but this could be enough to snap me out of my nocturnal ways.
CBS brings us Butler versus LSU, with Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg on the call. “From the opening tip to ‘One Shining Moment,’ here we go,” says Nantz. He’s a quality play-by-play guy, but he can get awfully corny from time to time. I’m just glad Nantz finally has a broadcasting partner who actually enjoys calling college basketball games.
I picked Butler to win this, based on my “don’t trust any SEC teams” bracket philosophy. Of course, LSU jumps out to a 5-0 lead. Check that, 7-0 on a ridiculous turnaround jumper that nobody in the SEC hit all year. Wait, it’s 9-0 Tigers now. The tournament is only three minutes old and I might as well throw my bracket in the trash.
We’re about to be switched over to the Texas A&M versus BYU match-up. Wildcat fans might remember the Aggies from that Dec. 5 game, when Arizona blew an 11-point halftime lead to lose 67-66. Nic Wise fouled out with about seven minutes remaining, forcing Chase Budinger to play point guard. The offense did nothing down the stretch.
Anyway, my two favorite things to do as a fan is 1) watch March Madness, and 2) root against BYU. As a University of Wyoming alum, I can’t stand the Cougars. Go Josh Carter!
Back in about an hour for more updates.
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