DETROIT - Fifteen minutes or so after the Kansas win, the celebration continues. The nets are being cut down.

Strangely though, no chant of Rock Chalk Jayhawk has gone up yet. In fact, I heard that more in Denver than I have here, and Kansas wasn't even in Denver.

After the game, Davidson left with their heads held high, but Curry and Richards were obviously a little frustrated.

Curry might be hungry. He should be. He played the whole game.

Self had an extended talk with Richards afterwards.

Davidson's fans sing Sweet Caroline one more time before hitting the buses.

Davidson leaves the floor, beaten but unbowed.

A happy bevy of Jayhawks

Oh, there goes the Rock Chalk chant.

I expect my hotel to party all night long tonight - if anyone is still there. A lot of people checked out already.

The all-regional team has been announced.

From Kansas, Sahsa Kaun, Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers.
From Davidson, Jason Richards, and the Midwest Regional Most Outstanding Player, Stephen Curry.

The PA announcer, after getting his name right all weekend, mispronounced it Ste-fahn when he announced him as the MOP.

It is a bit unusual to have the MOP from the losing team, but there really was no choice.

I'll have a wrap of the Detroit experience on the Hangtime blog tomorrow, including any useful quotes from the postgame.

Also, the Hangtime blog has the details of my excellent adventure from yesterday.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 07:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - Kansas defeated a more-than-gritty Davidson squad 59-57 to earn a trip to the Final Four in San Antonio next week. Jason Richards missed a long three at the horn that would have won it. On the final play, Kansas defended Curry well and forced him to give up the ball to Richards.

Kansas reaction to winning seemed to be more relief than celebration. Richards was fighting back tears afterwards. Heck, even I'm shaking. What an effort by Davidson.

So we now have our first ever Final Four with all four number one seeds.

Back with more in a bit.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 07:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - Stephen Curry may finally be running out of gas as Davidson trails by 6 with 59 seconds left and the ball coming out of a timeout.

He has missed two straight threes, one in transition after a steal by Richards. He also had a shot blocked from behind by Rush in the lane.

Chalmers also had a big block from behind on Lovedale before Lovedale fouled out seconds later. He was shown a lot of love in the form of a standing O from the DC crowd.

There is no panic at all in the Davidson huddle during the timeout. It's all business.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 07:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - A Kaun layup has KU back up three with 3:31 left and they have the ball when we come out of the timeout.

The hero for Davidson today hasn't been Curry, but Barr, who has 11, all in this half, but with 4:17 left, this is where you could find him.

What am I doing here?

He has been the only reliable option besides Curry and gave Kansas someone else to guard. Without him, Davidson would be toast already.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 06:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - Yet another three by Barr had Davidson up four with the ball, and it looked like Kansas was starting to pucker. But Chalmers got a steal and made the layup this time, then after a Curry miss, Collins buried a three, and now Kansas is back up 1 with 6:11 to go.

This is going all the way to the wire, as the DC band kick into 'Sweet Caroline," the theme for the team. The fans behind me are in full voice.

SWEET CAROLINE!! OH OH OH!!!

Posted by Jerry Palm at 06:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - Brandon Rush hit a three, then a couple of minutes later, drove to the hole for a layup and one. If he heats up, it could be trouble for Davidson, who now trails 43-38 at the 12-minute timeout.

It could have been worse Chalmers blew a chance when he got a steal but missed the layup at the other end.

Kansas seems more aggressive on defense this half, using a mix of man and box-and-one to shadow Curry. Since those first five, he hasn't scored, or even really had a good look.

Most useless sign of the day - Davidson cheerleaders holding up signs that say "Stand up and Cheer" and "Make Some Noise". DC fans have been doing that the whole game.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 06:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - Curry scored the first five points of the half for Davidson, and we are tied at 35 at the first timeout.

Really though, he's been the only semi-reliable offensive option. Kansas is doing a good job on the other guys.

Rush seems to be short-arming everything for Kansas, which is a sign of feeling the pressure.

Kansas finally got an alley oop to work to Kaun, with an and one. Kaun missed the FT though, and when Rush rebounded the miss, McKillop turned to Stephen Rossiter on the bench and says, "Get him (the player missing the box out) the very bad word out of the game."

Arthur and Kaun have each picked up their third foul already in this half. Lovedale also has three for Davison, and he and Kaun remain in the game.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 06:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - Collins dished to Jackson for a layup late in the first half to give the Jayhawks a two point lead at the break.

Kansas probably has to feel pretty good about its position considering how badly they have played. They have too many unforced turnovers (9 total turnovers to just 3 for the Wildcats), and shot only 13-28 for the half, which doesn't sound so bad, but a lot of those misses were pretty good looks.

McKillop probably feels the same way. He's still hammering his team about rebounds. Late in the first half, he turned to the bench and yelled, "We have got to get the loose balls and rebounds! We should have had that one down there and we should have had that one down here!"

A minute or so later, he pulled Archambault, and McKillop got in his face on the bench with , "It's very simple, you either give me the body, or I give you the bench!"

McKillop is right. KU leads the rebound battle 22-13, although they only have five offensive boards.

KU switched to box and one late in half to try to slow down Curry, and generally, Kansas has had success defensively. Curry has 15 on 5-12 shooting from the floor and 3 freebies.

Chalmers leads Kansas with 11.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 05:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - Kansas has had to use two timeouts to bail out of bad situations due to good defense by Davidson, and then ran out of time on the shot clock anyway. We're tied at the four-minute timeout.

We don't have LeBron James tonight, but we do have former Chicago Bull Bill Wennington

Wennington played for McKillop at Long Island Lutheran HS

Davidson's cheerleaders provide a pleasant distraction during timeouts.

Pay attention to the coach, boys.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 05:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - Stephen Curry scored eight straight points for Davidson to give the Wildcats a one-point lead at the 8-minute timeout.

Chalmers answered with a couple of threes to help keep it close.

One thing I've never understood is why there has to be a coaches' meeting at every timeout.

But there always is, while the players cool their heels. You don't see coaches go right into the huddle anymore.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 05:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - It's still tough going for the shooters here. Davidson has hit two in a row to take a 9-6 lead at the second timeout, but they are only 4-15 from the floor for 27%. KU is only 3-14 for 21%. It's been so rough that one of the shots that went in for Kansas took two laps around the rim before falling. Even their one alley oop attempt, while resulting in a basket, didn't work as drawn up.

Both teams have missed a bunch of layups and open shots, and neither has done a particularly good job of taking care of the ball, although Kansas has more turnovers at this point.

So far though, this is the kind of game Davidson needs.

Right after the timeout, and two Darnell Jackson misses from the line, the clock went nuts and lost three minutes and all the points.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 05:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - Detroit has a lot of nicknames like Motor City and Rock City, but so far, it's Brick City in this game. It's only 2-2 at the first timeout as each team has only hit one of its first six shots. Included in those is a miss by Curry and a block by Lovedale of an Arthur layup in transition.

Russell Robinson is on Curry initially.

Davidson coach McKillop is his usual, intense self. He turned to the bench and yelled, "C'mon! We gotta box out!" after a Kaun tip-in, as if any of those guys were in a position to box out.

And after a reach in foul on Richards, he got after the ref with, "C'mon, that's a cheap foul, Randy!"

Posted by Jerry Palm at 05:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - Davidson's players and coaches are all smiles as we get ready for the tip. Assistant Matt Matheny is jokingly taking deep breaths, trying to relax and signaling to folks in the crowd.

Let's have a clean fight, men.

If there's any pressure on these guys, it's not showing before the tip.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 04:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - Needless to say, but I'll say it anyway, Davidson fans are pumped up and ready to go. We are over a hour from our tip and the only people here are these guys:

Davidson fans think you can't be here too early.

Davidson is a school of 1700 students, or roughly the size of both my high school and my dorm at Purdue. And it seems like they're all here. I bet it's a ghost town today.

Actually, many of those folks got on buses at 3 AM this morning for the roughly 12 hour trip to Detroit. Davidson sent seven buses full of students up here on Friday, and five more made the trip today.

I asked one of the students who made the trip when they were leaving and she said, "Tonight after the game. We have classes tomorrow. I hope we get back in time for my 8:30, but I wouldn't have missed this for the world."

Some more drove up on their own. I talked to another girl who said she made the trip late yesterday, and it took her a little more than 10 hours. "It would have been faster, but we ran into traffic in West Virginia of all places. Who knew that many people would be on the roads in West Virginia?"

Actually, Gus Johnson and Len Elmore are working already also.

I'm ready for my closeup!

Both teams have arrived on the floor for warmups. Kansas walked in to silence because their fans are still getting lubed up for the game.

One of the keys for Davison today is the play of Jason Richards, the point guard who had the ridiculous line of 13 assists and no turnovers in the game against Wisconsin.

With Memphis cruising, Davidson has the last chance of preventing the first Final Four with all #1 seeds.

The lineups are in, and here they are.

Davidson will start:
G Jason Richards, Stephen Curry, Max Paulhus Gosselin
F Thomas Sander, Andrew Lovedale

Kansas' lineup is:
G Russell Robinson, Mario Chalmers, Brandon Rush
F Darrell Arthur, Darnell Jackson

Our refs are Tony Greene, Randy McCall and Doug Sirmons.

The only starter on either team from the school's home state is Curry, who is from Charlotte. The teams collectively start three foreigners. Gosselin is from Quebec, Lovedale from Nigeria, and Chalmers is from Alaska.

Note to editor, yes, I know Alaska isn't technically a foreign country.

A couple more shots of Davidson fans:

The Curry family nervously awaits

Sign of the times

Posted by Jerry Palm at 04:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - Davidson is looking to become the second double-digit seed to go to the Final Four in three years when it takes on Kansas here Sunday night.

Stephen Curry had another big game against the Badgers, and there is no reason to think he can't light up Kansas as well. Defending Kansas may be another issue for the Wildcats.

The Jayhawks run up and down the floor as well as anybody, and are one of the quickest teams in transition in this tournament. They also try to move quickly after made baskets. They are able to get easy shots inside, or threes for Robinson, Rush and Chalmers by beating teams down the floor.

Davidson had some success pressuring Wisconsin, and I look for them to do more of that against Kansas to try to force some turnovers and get some easy hoops.

Athletically, the Wildcats are wildly overmatched, much more so than they were against Georgetown. I don't see any way they can run with them, but Davidson isn't much of a slow down team either.

Like Davidson, Kansas likes to create turnovers, so taking care of the ball will be critical. The Wildcats have done a good job of that so far.

Kansas is also motivated to get its coach, Bill Self, to the Final Four for the first time and get that monkey off his back.

For the fourth time in a row, I'm picking against Davidson. That is good news for Wildcat fans. I also picked against Mason every time out in 2006.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - While the Hoops Odyssey boys are off doing the postgame rounds, let me clean up some garbage from the last game.

Davidson came back on the boards to finish within 3. It seemed worse than this, but the turnover margin was only +5 for Davidson, but they had nine steals.

We don't get info like second-chance points.

Now, the lineups for game two, which is five minutes away.

Kansas starts:
G: Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers and Russell Robinson
F: Darnell Jackson, Darrell Arthur

Nova counters with:
G Scottie Reynolds, Cory Stokes
F Antonio Pena, Dwayne Anderson and Dante Cunningham.

Our ref, Doug "Show of" Shows (pardon me for channeling Berman for a moment), Pat Evans and TV Teddy Valentine, who I may have to report for stalking me. He's like Visa, everywhere I go.

Danny Manning just came out onto the court. His famed championship run in 1988 came through Detroit. Back then, they played in the Pontiac Silverdome. They beat Vanderbilt and Kansas St to get to the Final Four. The 4th team in that regional was Purdue, which is why I was there. The Boilers were the top seed, but lost to Mitch Richmond and KSU.

Not that I'm bitter.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 09:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - Davidson comfortably finished off Wisconsin 73-56 and will play the winner of Kansas-Villanova on Sunday. I wonder if they thought to bring the white unis, which they would need if Nova wins.

How do they look in white?

Curry was spectacular with 33, but unlike Davidson's other games in this tournament, he wasn't really the story.

The story was Wisconsin's gross incompetence at the offensive end, where they didn't do, and rarely even tried to do, what they do best. They were sloppy with the ball (and Davidson forced some problems there to be sure), but the real crime was failing to try to take advantage of their size inside. Wisconsin did some of that in the first half, but as soon as they got down in the second half, that part of their game was done.

And when they did get shots, they didn't fall. Wisconsin was a woeful 5-20 in the second half, 1-6 from long range, and even 9-16 from the line.

Tom O'Connor, the George Mason AD, just congratulated Davidson's AD, who was sitting in front of me.

This game was so bad, even LeBron left early.

If there are any other final stats of note, I'll pass them along.

Meanwhile, our "luxury porta johns" have, um, crapped out here. Water is flowing down the ramp. It's not quite like the pictures you saw from the Georgia Dome during the SEC tournament, but no less unpleasant.

Not caused by a leaky toilet.

Back with Game two in a bit.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 09:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - McKillop finally gave Curry a break after a three point play on a reverse layup with the Wildcats up 63-46 and about 9 minutes left. He can sit him the rest of the night. Wisconsin is done. They will not score 63 points.

The Badgers can't hit a layup, can't hit a free throw, can't run an alley oop, can't hardly complete any pass, can't defend, can't tie their shoes, etc. I'm worried they'll get lost going back to the locker room after the game.

It's so bad, that if Davidson left the floor, Wisconsin still wouldn't score 63.

Of course, now they need 65, because it's 65-48 Wildcats at the 8-minute timeout.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 08:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - Wisconsin has no idea what it's doing. They can't handle the ball. On the rare occasions they do, they can't shoot. They can't defend, but it's gotten so that even when they do, Davidson is outhustling them for the rebounds. we'll see how much resilience they have, but they aren't showing much so far.

Michael Flowers went down hard on an out-of-bounds play, and came up rubbing his elbow, but he stayed in.

LeBron was showed on the screen, and boos rained down. I didn't know that many locals were here.

It's a 12-point Davidson lead with 11:16 left.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 08:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - I guess the refs got their whistles back from the shop. After calling a total of eight fouls in the first half, they have already called 13, and both teams were in the bonus with 13:51 to go.

There have been so many fouls, that there was a foul on a free throw attempt, and Davidson committed four on one Wisconsin possession.

However, due undoubtedly to fatigue, the refs failed to blow a whistle for 50 consecutive seconds, which allowed Curry to bury back-to-back threes and extend Davidson's lead to nine.

It is not looking good for the Badgers at the moment.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 08:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - Davidson has come out strong to start the second half even though Curry hasn't done much himself. He missed four of first five shots, but the Wildcats lead by six with 15:57 left.

Wisconsin's first half problem getting back on D hasn't fixed. Davidson beatsUW down floor twice already, although they failed to convert one of them.

UW has another problem. They have six fouls already, meaning Davidson is shooting from here on out. The Badgers only had two in first half.

Wisconsin also has four turnovers already, so it's been pretty much a disaster so far.

On top of that, Trevon Hughes hasn't played much and looks a little gimpy out there.

McKillop pulled Lovedale out after a minute or so and read him the riot act for blowing a defensive assignment. Davidson got the stop anyway. He's back in now.

I asked LeBron why he came, and he said it was to see Curry. I asked if he had ever played with him before, he said no, but that he just wanted to see him because, "he's good."

Yes, he is.

We have waitress service here apparently. Someone walked by with water and snacks.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 08:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - Butch hit one of two, so we're tied at 36 at the half. That's a lot of points for UW to give up in a half, but that can be chalked up to some hot shooting. Davidson was 14 for 26 for 53.8%, and that's only because they went cold at the end, missing five of their last six. The Wildcats are 8-14 from long range, and four different players have threes. Curry leads them with 11 points, his best first half total of the tournament so far. Keeping him under 25 after the break will be a key for Wisconsin.

Flowers has 11 also for UW, which shot 48% (12-25) and almost matched Davidson with 7 threes. Butch has nine and Bohannon has 8, but Trevon Hughes has yet to score.

Another problem for Wisconsin is that they got beat down the floor on at least four occasions for easy baskets, which will not please Bo Ryan. I have to believe he will spend most of the halftime break addressing defensive breakdowns.

...

The stats have finally arrived. Wisconsin is killing Davidson on the boards, not surprisingly, with a 17-7 lead. The Badgers have 8 offensive rebounds. Davidson is winning the turnover battle 5-2, but most of those Wisconsin turnovers came in the first few minutes.

When I walked up to go get some pop (which I didn't get because I have to go up to the second floor to get it, and there's no time for that trip - I'd never get a cab), I saw the Badger mascot walking around with his head off, and all I can say is it must be really in there because he was a puddle of sweat.

We got no halftime entertainment. No dance teams, no stupid pet tricks, nothing.

LeBron James has disappeared for now. If I get a chance, I'll ask him why he's here.

The teams found their way to the floor, so we must be close to second half action.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 08:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - We just got our last media timeout of the half with four seconds left after Butch got away with another walk and was fouled going up for a shot.

It was about time he went inside. He's been playing on the perimeter too much in the first half. The biggest guy on the floor needs to post up some. He can shoot the three, but he's hunting it too much.

Bryant Barr's three is the only made shot for Davidson in its last five, which include misses by Curry on a layup and a forced three.

We'll have a tight game at the half either way.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 07:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - Brian Butch got slapped in the face, switched pivot feet, found Krabbenhoft inside for a layup to tie the game, at which point, we finally got our 8-minute media timeout with 2:43 to go.

The refs are generally letting them play. Besides Butch complaining about getting hit in the face, UW players complained at the last timeout about getting pushed in the back in the post. I don't have as good a look at the other end of the floor, but I'm sure stuff isn't being called there either.

This place is so open that sound just sort of disappears. The UW band at the opposite corner of the floor from us is barely audible here.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 07:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - Davidson is pretty hot from the floor so far, shooting 10/17, but Wisconsin is matching them blow for blow and leads 28-25 with 6:02 left. By my count, we already have 11 made threes in the game between the two teams.

Davidson coach McKillop is a pretty animated guy. Recently, when Landry was posting up on Boris Meno, McKillop kept yelling, "Don't let him push you Boris!" over and over. He's always up and yelling something, or turning to the bench to shout instructions there.

Davidson has, like many smaller schools, a pretty cheesy looking mascot. They are the Wildcats, but the mascot looks like a dog, with some glued on whiskers.

Wilddogs?

Posted by Jerry Palm at 07:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - Davidson's letting it all hang out, but it's not quite enough for their coach yet. After an offensive rebound, the one area in which Wisconsin is excelling at the moment, Bob McKillop turned to his bench and screamed at his players, "GET THE LOOSE BALLS!!!!"

Already a player has flown off of the raised floor in pursuit of a ball. Michael Flowers went flying off the end by the UW bench a moment ago.

It's 13-10 Davidson at the 12 minute timeout thanks to three long balls, two by Curry. The Wildcats have done a good job of pressuring the ball defensively and not giving UW too many good looks.

The Wildcats would do well not to awaken the ferocious, sleeping Badgers, lest the knaw their faces off.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 07:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - Wisconsin's ball security has been pretty questionable in the first four minutes. We don't have live stats, but I'd say they have three or four turnovers already, at least two of which came because of quick hands by Davidson players. That's why the Wildcats lead 7-5.

Here's how close I am to the Davidson huddle:

Davidson players getting last minute instructions.

Wisconsin players shook hands with the UW scorer before taking the floor. Must be some kind of tradition.

Guess who just sat down behind me.

Not as good as his picture on the cover of Vogue, but LeBron is taking in tonight's action.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 07:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT - The starting lineups have been presented for game one, so here they are.

For the Badgers:
G Michael Flowers, Trevon Hughes
F Marcus Landry, Joe Krabbenhoft
C Brian Butch

Davidson starts:
G Jason Richards, Stephen Curry
F Max Paulhus Gosselin, Thomas Sander, Andrew Lovedale

Our refs are David Hall, Tom Eades and Paul Faia.

If you get a look at the Davidson pep band (I tried to take a picture with my cheesy phone camera, but it didn't turn out so well), you'll see a lot of graybeards in the group. I asked the director about that, and he told me that the school is so small that they can't field a pep band, so they recruit some local pros to fill in. I'd say it's about 1/3 pros, 2/3 joes. And janes.

Posted by Jerry Palm at 06:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DETROIT -- The Detroit regional features two of the three double-digit seeds remaining in the tournament. It's not likely either will still be there when the dust clears on Friday.

Continue reading "Midwest Regional: The Day Before Preview" »

Posted by Jerry Palm at 05:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- In a matter of mere seconds, Gavin Grant managed to have not one but two flashbacks to games earlier in N.C. State's season.

First, he drew a foul with four seconds to go and calmly banged home a pair of free throws to give the Wolfpack a 66-65 lead. It was an instant reminder of when he nailed two of three free throws with four-tenths of a second left to give State a one-point win over Villanova on Nov. 25.

But the next flashback was a little scarier. As Stephen Curry's halfcourt shot arced toward the basket at the buzzer, Grant couldn't help but think of the banked 3-pointer by New Orleans' T.J. Worley that sunk the Wolfpack in their second game of the season.

"It would have been a heartbreaker for us if that had gone in," Grant said.

But it clanged harmlessly -- albeit dramatically -- off the rim, and N.C. State survived with a 66-65 victory at the RBC Center.

Continue reading "N.C. State Win Is Double Flashback For Grant" »

Posted by Evan Markfield at 09:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- With 1:08 to go -- and right off a timeout -- N.C. State's Brandon Costner lost the ball out of bounds with his team holding a two-point lead. And then Stephen Curry rediscovered his shooting stroke.

Curry buried a three-pointer to give the Wildcats a 65-64 lead with half a minute to play. But at the other end, after a couple of offensive rebounds, Gavin Grant drew a foul on Davidson's Thomas Sander (his fifth) with 3.9 seconds remaining. Grant rattled the first one home and then did the same with the second to put the Pack back on top.

A halfcourt bid at the buzzer from Curry just barely missed and State hung on for a 66-65 win.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 09:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- If Stephen Curry could hit any shots right now, N.C. State would be in big, big trouble. But while Curry has failed to find his stroke, his teammates are getting it done with tough defense and now trail the Wolfpack, 64-62, with two minutes remaining.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 08:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The building is pretty wild right now. Davidson just got a traveling call on the possession immediately following a breakaway two-handed windmill dunk by Courtney Fells that pushed the N.C. State lead to 59-52. Each team is finding weapons off the bench, with Ben McCauley (a starter last year) doing work around the basket for NCSU and Bryant Barr hitting a couple of big threes for Davidson.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 08:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Remember how we said turnovers have been killing N.C. State all year? Well, that doesn't appear to have changed tonight. After racking up eight in the first half, the Wolfpack has given the ball away numerous times already in the second half, in the process squandering opportunities to send Davidson rocking back on its heels.

Instead, the Wildcats have taken advantage of a few miscues, including one that translated to a Stephen Curry three-pointer to make it 47-42 State with 13 minutes to go. But Courtney Fells answered with a three of his own to push the lead back to eight with 12:11 to go.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 08:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A pair of big baskets near the start of the second half finally had the crowd here at the RBC Center showing some life. First Brandon Costner had a big one-handed slam, then Gavin Grant drew a foul while scoring on a layup to give the Wolfpack a 35-29 lead. Of course, true to the nature of this game, it didn't last very long: Davidson came down the floor and bagged a three-pointer to erase Grant's old-fashioned three.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 08:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Usually steady Davidson point guard Jason Richards seemed to lose track of the clock at the end of the first half, holding onto the ball too long before finally dishing to Stephen Curry too late. Curry couldn't beat the shot clock, which came just seven-tenths of a second before halftime, and the Wildcats went to the locker room trailing 30-26.

Considering the Wildcats shot just 38.5 percent in the first, they should probably feel lucky to be that close. And 15 of those points came from Curry, who shot 5-for-9 and hit three three-pointers. The Wolfpack shot almost 43 percent, which leads us to the most amazing stat so far tonight: Despite 28 missed shots between the two teams, there is only one -- that's right one -- offensive rebound in the stat sheet, and that belongs to N.C. State's J.J. Hickson.

Neither team has been dazzling so far, which is the story of their respective seasons, so it's appropriate. If someone can get on the offensive glass in the second half, it might mean the difference between a win and a loss.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 08:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Each time it looks like N.C. State is about to put a little more distance between itself and Davidson on the scoreboard, the Wildcats respond with a stop and a bucket. Davidson has been unable to hit a whole lot of shots but is playing good defense, forcing the Pack to fight for baskets. Slowing the pace of the game down has paid off so far for Davidson, which trails by three with 3:55 to go in the first.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 07:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH -- After the last update, it took nearly five minutes for either team to get another basket, and that team was N.C. State. That allowed the Wolfpack a bit of breathing room, though no one is lighting up the scoreboard too much right now. But Davidson has gone forever without a bucket, and a State score to make it 22-15 forced Davidson to call timeout with 8:42 to go in the first.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 07:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- While N.C. State has done a bit of scoring from the outside -- including a three-pointer from Brandon Costner while half out of his shoe -- the Wolfpack has to keep an eye on Davidson sharpshooter Stephen Curry to make sure he doesn't start getting too hot. Curry has already hit a pair of threes in the first five and a half minutes as the Wildcats lead, 13-11, and the sophomore seems to have never met a shot he didn't like.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 07:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RALEIGH, N.C. - Talk about a pair of disappointing starts to a season. Both N.C. State and Davidson were considered Top 25-caliber teams when the year started, yet the schools have already combined for eight losses before Christmas.

Continue reading "Wolfpack, Wildcats looking for jump start" »

Posted by Evan Markfield at 06:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- I've been to a lot of press conferences after hard-fought games but rarely have I seen such a drastic difference in demeanor between the two teams as there was with Davidson and UCLA today.

An agitated and clearly frustrated Bob McKillop made it clear that there were no moral victories in today's 75-63 loss to the Bruins and seemed to be wearing thin of the tough losses his team has suffered en route to a 3-5 start.

"We didn't come here to play it close," McKillop said. "We came here to win the game. We prepared to win it. We had the mind set to win it. And we didn't."

Continue reading "UCLA Teaches Davidson Lesson in Toughness" »

Posted by Jason Owens at 08:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- UCLA is in full control of the game with 3:23 left and holding a 70-60 lead. Davidson can still get back in it, but it's going to take a dramatic shift in play. The Bruins are calm and collected, using up plenty of time on each possession before taking a shot.

The Wildcats meanwhile, look desperate and out of control after an impressive first-half performance. Now they're hoisting long jump shots early in the shot clock that usually don't find the net. It's UCLA's game to lose.

Posted by Jason Owens at 07:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ANAHEIM Calif. -- We just got a taste of Kevin Love, the much-hyped best-passing big man in 20 years. He certainly lives up to it. He and Josh Shipp played a game of pitch and catch down the length of the court without having the ball touch the floor past half court. It ended with a thunderous dunk from Love.

Davidson's in trouble as the Bruins have seized momentum and a 61-54 lead with 8:35 remaining.

Posted by Jason Owens at 07:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- It's getting physical and testy in the second half as UCLA holds a 53-48 lead over Davidson with 11:36 remaining in regulation. Shots in the post are being met with body checks while players are scrapping on the floor for loose balls. It's definitely turned into a hard-nosed, grind-it-out Ben Howland type of ball game, but the Wildcats don't seem to have any trouble scrapping with the Bruins. Howland and Davidson coach Bob McKillop both have their teams well-prepared and battle ready.

Posted by Jason Owens at 06:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- UCLA took its first lead of the game early in the second half and after trading three-pointers with the Wildcats now holds a 38-37 lead at the 18:14 mark.

Posted by Jason Owens at 06:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- It looks like we're in for a dogfight as UCLA cut its early 15-point deficit to a much more manageable 34-30 margin as Davidson goes into the half holding onto the lead.

After starting out 6-of-9 from behind the arc, the Wildcats cooled off to 6-of-15 for the half and struggled to score as UCLA upped the defensive pressure. On offense, the Bruins started to work the ball inside as the half wound down and found a go-to guy with Luc Richard Mbah a Moute hitting 5-of-6 shots to lead the team with 12 points. I don't have a box score yet, but he was a beast on the boards as well.

For Davidson to hold on, it will need to get more looks for star guard Stephen Curry, who scored seven points on 3-for-6 shooting from the field.

Posted by Jason Owens at 06:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- It's deafeningly loud in the Honda Center as UCLA has gone on an 11-1 run to cut Davidson's lead to 32-29 with about a minute left in the first half. The Bruins' pressure man-to-man defense has forced the Wildcats into turnovers and bad shots, leading to easy buckets on the other end. It's the kind of momentum change UCLA desperately needed going into halftime.

Posted by Jason Owens at 06:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- In what is virtually a home game for UCLA, the Bruins have been on the wrong end of a pair of borderline calls in the last minute, drawing the ire of the large contingent of UCLA fans. Davidson leads, 31-18.

Posted by Jason Owens at 06:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Davidson is running an offensive clinic against the Bruins and holds a 30-13 lead with 7:24 left in the first half. The Wildcats continue to work the ball around the key until they find an uncontested shot and the Bruins aren't stopping them.

It's way to early to hit the panic button, but the Bruins strength isn't running up points in bunches. They can't afford to let Davidson build too big of a lead too late in the game.

Posted by Jason Owens at 06:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Evidently Davidson didn't get the memo about UCLA's staunch defense. They're playing patient, ball-control offense, getting good shots and hitting them to take a 24-11 lead over the Bruins about eight minutes into the game. UCLA is at a complete loss to stop them.

It's not likely the Wildcats can keep up their torrid long-range pace (6-of-9) from behind the arc, but they've found a formula to attack the Bruins defense. Go over them instead of through them.

Surprisingly, the Davidson bench is providing the spark as backup guard Bryant Barr leads all scorers with nine points on 3-for-4 shooting from long range. UCLA, on the other end, is just 3-for-9 from the field as a team.

Posted by Jason Owens at 05:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Playing just miles from UCLA's back yard, Davidson has taken a 12-5 lead about five minutes into the game. Evidently playing in ACC country against UNC and Duke has the Wildcats ready for the big stage. They're definitely not intimidated by the predominately gold and blue clad stands and John Wooden watching on from near half-court.

Four players have scored for Davidson already while the Bruins are struggling to get shots.

Posted by Jason Owens at 05:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Now this really reminds me of March. I just got out of the press conference from the first game in time for tip-off of game two between Davidson and UCLA. Gotta love this frantic pace. So I'll work on previewing the game about to tip-off and give you the details from the press conferences later.

A good Davidson team enters today's matchup with the Bruins sporting a surprising 3-4 record. They have a brutal non-conference schedule that includes close losses to top-ranked North Carolina and No. 6 Duke. It's the losses to Western Michigan and Charlotte that are a bit surprising. Now the Wildcats take on a powerhouse outside of their back yard with No. 7 UCLA.

Continue reading "UCLA-Davidson Takes On New Life" »

Posted by Jason Owens at 05:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Leading up to North Carolina's season opener against Davidson, the Tar Heels couldn't stop talking about just how dangerous they knew the Wildcats were. It took a down-to-the-wire finish to truly get them to believe it.

Continue reading "Davidson Puts Scare Into UNC" »

Posted by Evan Markfield at 09:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- You could feel the momentum shift somewhere around the three-and-a-half-minute mark when Ty Lawson hit a driving layup to put Carolina up 64-61. But Davidson still had a chance, holding the ball down three with less than a minute left. That was until a wild miss from Andrew Lovedale gave the ball back to the Tar Heels and Lawson hit a pair of free throws. Then it was on to score-and-foul time, which Carolina survived. The final: UNC 72, Davidson 68.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 09:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A minute after Hansbrough picked up his fourth foul for UNC, Davidson guard Stephen Curry picked up his fourth. Both are on the bench at the moment, but with this game tied at 61 with less than five minutes to go, it won't be long before we see them again.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 08:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The scoring had slowed for a bit here -- UNC had just two field goals in the second half with nine minutes to go -- but a Will Archambault and Danny Green just traded 3-pointers, and the score is 50-49 Wildcats.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 08:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- UNC backup guard Bobby Frasor just entered the game, and the public-address guy announced him as "Brendan Fraser." No word on whether Pauly Shore or Sean Astin will be suiting up for the Tar Heels.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 08:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Hardly anyone in the nation can match Tyler Hansbrough under the basket, and Davidson is learning that the hard way. Ever since the Wildcats opened up the seven point lead, Hansbrough has been a maniac snatching rebounds and drawing fouls. Now he's got 12 points (and eight boards, by my unofficial count) and the Tar Heels are have tied the game at 28 with four minutes to go in the half.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 07:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Senior point guard Quentin Thomas is seeing plenty of action for the Tar Heels as things just keep getting worse for Ty Lawson. Lawson finally checked back in after a lengthy absence only to quickly pick up his third foul of the game on a charge at the 10:29 mark. And now Thomas has two fouls himself, as Jason Richards is really giving the UNC point guards a run for their money. Davidson's got it's biggest lead, 19-12.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 07:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Right now nobody can hit anything outside of about six feet. And even inside six feet hasn't been much of a guarantee. Davidson is leading 11-8 at the 11:46 mark, but to call the shooting by both teams atrocious would probably be generous. The Tar Heels have even missed four consecutive free throws. Yikes.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 07:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson is off to a rough start. He picked up two fouls in the first three minutes, including getting absolutely abused on a baseline move by Davidson point guard Jason Richards that went for a layup. Moments later, he got called for a travel at the other end, and Davidson is up 7-4 early.

Posted by Evan Markfield at 07:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- For the second year in a row, North Carolina opens its season in Charlotte. But this time the opponent is going to be a little bit tougher than Sacred Heart.

Continue reading "Heels Open With Davidson" »

Posted by Evan Markfield at 06:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)