Saturday, 03/22/08Do You Still Have Hair?NCAA Tournament Second Round 2:10 PM ET Notes: Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers WVU are really going to push Duke after the Blue Devils lackluster performance against Belmont. Could Coach K's boys be the first 2 seed to bow out of the tourney? 4:20 PM ET Bill Walkers inspired first half performance helped set the tone of these young cats against the men of Troy. Beasley is a pro, he brings it every game, inside, outside, it doesn't matter he will gets his points every game. Walker needs to show up early, against a better defensive team making them honest early will be the key. Stewart and Pullen should combine for 18 points. The difference in the game may be a forgotten name in the Wildcat rotation highly touted G Blake Young who has been silent from downtown. Left unmolested on the perimeter he wasn't taking wide open three point looks against USC. He finished the game with 0 points. Bo Ryan's Wisconsin Badgers don't have a lot of razzel dazzel but get the job done, they are the Big 10 champ for a reason. 4:40 PM ET Notes: Xavier is just too strong. Purdue is a young team they'll be back again. 6:40 PM ET Notes: Washington State may be one of the ugliest teams in the tournament. Winthrop had them tied at half before they couldn't hit wide open looks and got blown out by the Cougs in the second half. Washington State will try and slow down the Irish attack but the Irish should have no problems advancing on. 6:45 PM ET Stanford is on a collision course with the big boys Marquette will be just another bump in the road. 6:50 PM ET Notes: If UNLV thinks it can get away with the kind of game they played against Kent State, the Rebs will be in a world of hurt against the Jayhawks. Vegas says the jayhawks are 7 better. I think they will crush Lon Kruger's bunch and give him flashbacks to his K-state days. I expect a close game for 7 minutes before KU wins in a walk. 9:10 PM ET Notes: The winner has a great chance to make the Final Four. 9:15 PM ET Notes: Since BYU can't seem to get out of the first round, the Aggies will have their hands full with the Bruins. Good luck. Thursday, 03/20/08What We've All Been Waiting ForNCAA Tournament First Round 12:20 PM ET Notes: Georgia isn't your typical 14 seed. Tornadoes and magical SEC championship runs have a way of catching people's attention. I had yet to see them play this year and watched them beat Arkansas in the SEC title game. I was impressed with the starting five for the Bulldogs. If I didn't know about their sub-par conference record, I would have thought they were a top-level SEC team. How much gas is left in the Bulldog tank? Their season is already a success, anything more would just be icing on the cake. After jumping out to an early lead on the Razorbacks in the SEC title game, the Bulldogs had some prolonged periods of sloppy play, bad passing and let Arkansas rally. I think Xavier is going to have their hands full and may even be down at half before they storm back. Georgia becomes its own worst enemy with turnovers and a scoring drought to end the game. A win could make the Bulldogs the tournament's first Cinderella. 12:30 PM ET Notes: When George Mason went on their 2006 final four run, the first team they beat was Tom Izzo's Michigan State Spartans. Could the Spartans fall again to another mid major on a magical run? The Owls have been hot recently. They are on a seven-game winning streak culminating with an A-10 championship. A win could setup a potential showdown with in-state rival Pittsburgh with state bragging rights on the line and a sweet sixteen berth to boot. This game will be decided in the trenches. Whoever plays more physically and controls the boards, will win. 2:55 PM ET Notes: Lon Kruger's Rebels have really over achieved this year as they return to the big dance. Kent State has some talented athletes and I don't think UNLV will keep up. The Flashes have a great shot to upset Kansas in the second round. That could be one of the tourneys best games. Well, I was wrong, flat out wrong. This wasn't the same Kent State team that showed up today. So many unforced turnovers early, not many teams could dig out of that hole. If UNLV wants to play with Kansas they can't turn the ball over. 5:00 PM ET Notes: This was the worst draw the Big Red could have pulled. A 14 seed is too low for Cornell and getting a team like Stanford negates the size the Big Red has. It will take a great rebounding and three point shooting effort to down the Cardinal. I just don't see it happening. But it has potential. 7:10 PM ET Notes: Can the Wildcats with freshman sensation Michael Beasley be considered a Cindy as an 11 seed? This was the second best draw for K-state as only WVU and Bob Huggins could have the Cats more motivated. The game is in K-state's backyard, Omaha, Neb. I find it hard to believe there will be a lot of people rooting for the Trojans. Mayo was Bill Walkers high school teammate, Mayo was suppose to play at K-state, Walker should be pumped up to play him. With Walker as a scoring threat it could alleviate pressure on Beasley and open up shooting for either Pullen or Stewart. This is the game everybody is talking about. They should pass out bibs to the scouts before the game. 7:20 PM ET Notes: I am going to go out on a limb and say the Eagles have a good shot to gut out a victory over the Cougars. They're experienced, they play good defense and they can score. Washington State may have a hard time scoring and will need a big game from their front court to win this one. If WSU controls the boards they should win the game. A Winthrop win could setup a rematch of last years thrilling Eagle win over Notre Dame in the second round. That could be a dandy of a game. 7:25 PM ET
9:50 PM ET Notes: The Irish won't get bounced in the first round this year. Mason doesn't have the guns to keep pace with Notre Dame. The Irish will win by 8-10. If Winthrop can deliver their end of the bargain, I'm sure the Irish would love a rematch. 3:00 PM ET Notes: Pitt will win this game but it will be a battle at times. The Panthers are just playing too well right now to fall victim to a first round upset. Coach Sutton may be a hot commodity on the coach market in the offseason. Could this be his last game as coach of Oral Roberts? Tuesday, 03/18/08Upset PotentialThe Saints of Siena are a strong call to upend SEC foe Vanderbilt. The Saints have already downed Stanford this season on route to their first tourney appearance since 2002. This is a young team with only one senior, G Tay Fischer, on the 13 man roster. This could be the first of game of what could become an annual trip to the dance for these young pups in the next few years. The Saint's are led by a scoring threesome of quick and athletic guards. Sophomore G/F 6-6 197 Edwin Ubiles (17.3 ppg), Junior G 6-3 192 Kenny Hasbrouck (15.6 ppg), and Sophomore G/F 6-5 228 Alex Franklin (15.2 ppg) form a lethal offensive trio. Ubiles was a preseason First Team All-MAAC Selection. Last year he was the MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year and a MAAC All-Rookie team selection. Tip is set for 7:20 p.m. Friday night at St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, FL. Saturday, 03/15/08America EastSaturday March 15 12:00 PM ET ESPN 2 Neither team has ever advanced to the NCAAs. The America East Championship Game? That would be a first for both as well. Going into their semifinals game Hartford was 0-9 in conference semifinal play, UMBC was 0-8 in Division I conference semifinal games. The Hawks set a school record for Division I wins this season and come in winners of three straight. The Hawks got here by defeating New Hampshire 68-65 and then with a 59-52 victory over Boston University in the semifinals. Could this be the Banner year the Hartford faithful have been waiting for? UMBC tied a school mark for wins with 23 and a win over Hartford would cement their place, as perhaps the best UMBC team ever? A school record 24 wins and a tournament appearance would be huge feathers in that cap. By winning the regular season crown UMBC is assured an NIT bid even if they lose, a loss would have Hartford waiting for next season. The Retrievers dropped Stony Brook 76-60 and then defeated Vermont 73-64 in the semis to set up this match-up. UMBC leads the conference in scoring (74.9) and Hartford ranks third (71.0). UMBC PG Jay Greene is second in the nation in assists averaging more than seven a game. UMBC has too much firepower for Am-East foes, they had only three conference losses all by three points or less. Shootouts favor the Retrievers. SG Ray Barbosa has been on fire lately picking up the slack for an injured Brain Hodges. Hodges suffered an ankle injury and has shown some rust in his return. Is he due for a solid outing? Darryl Proctor is a great defender and has a knack for grabbing caroms, in addition to being able to score. Cavell Johnson will come off the bench for the Retrievers and always seems to make good things happen. It's a testament to his team play, he could easily be a starter but told me the game unfolds before his eyes when he comes off the bench and he can come in and contribute immediately. I agree wholeheartedly. I was impressed with his all around game offense, defense, rebounding and ball handling. Matt Spadafora and Justin Fry know their roles and are solid defenders. I expect Fry to shut down whomever he is guarding. RAC Arena is sold out. I have been to a couple of UMBC games at the RAC this season. The crowds have been getting progressively larger and the atmosphere more intense. This game will be the culmination of Retriever success. Unlike the Sacred Heart game I attended earlier in the week, this UMBC squad will not beat themselves. It's not a fluke that they are here. Coach Randy Monroe has these guys playing well and Mr. Intensity on the sidelines won't allow his to team to come out lackadaisical. The Retrievers don't turn the ball over, they play extremely well as a team and contrary to popular belief they can play defense. Hartford is going to give them all they've got but UMBC pulls away late and cuts down the nets at home. 73-65 UMBC. UMBC will be a 15 seed on Selection Sunday. Thursday, 03/13/08MadnessFairfield, Conn. -- Sacred Heart chose a bad night to lay an egg like this. On a night when they shoot 16-55, a whopping 29%, the Pioneers behind Brice Brooks scratched and clawed back into the game only to watch it slip away late with back-to-back turnovers by Drew Shubik. They played extremely poorly as a team, some of that may have been from playing the best defensive team in the league, some of it was mental. Sacred Heart came out tight early and was never able to get into a rhythm. In a game with 52 fouls, who could? Very questionable officiating, it's March, let the players play. When Cory Hassan missed a totally uncontested layup 15 seconds into the second half, he must have heard footsteps. This has to register as one of his worst shooting performances only going 1-10 from the field. The home crowd was looking for any excuse to go bananas and was in full effect with the Pioneers jumping out to an early 4-2 lead. Credit the Mount for surviving the early rush and then silencing the crowd for seven minutes while going on a 11-0 run. In the first half MSM outscored SHU 14-12 in the paint. I couldn't believe how long it took for SHU to adjust and deny the entry pass. In the second half they outscored them 14-6. It seemed like SHU was a step behind almost all night and 16 costly turnovers, nine by Shubik didn't help much. As a team they only shot 2-19 from downtown. Ryan Litke went 1-8 on his three point attempts. MSM took 35 free throws, hitting 30, well above their season average. Wednesday, 03/12/08Conference Break DownThese teams have already clinched a tournament bid. Belmont, Atlantic Sun Champ 25-8 (AS 14-2) Last Tournament appearance 2007. Two prior appearances. Potenital 15/16 seed. Wednesday, 03/12/08On Deck7:00 PM ET ESPN2 Northeast Championship Game. After beating Quinnipiac in the first round of the NEC tourney, four seed Mount Saint Mary's knocked off top-seeded Robert Morris, snapping a fourteen-game win streak for the NIT bound Colonials. The Mountaineers have won four straight games on route to the NEC championship game, their first since 1999 under the direction of then coach Jim Phelan. Phelan holds the NCAA record for most seasons coached at one institution. He retired after 49 years of coaching the Mount in 2003. He may be best known for his bow ties. Fashion statements aside, he guided the Mountaineers to two tournament berths, the last being in 1999. 9:00 PM ET Big Sky Championship Game Portland State is hoping for a Hollywood Finish as they host Big Sky Championship game in the Rose Garden. The Vikings have never made the tournament before and Northern Arizona will be their final test. Portland State tied a school record for wins. They finished 21-9 on route to their second league title in four years. The Vikings now boast a 13 game winning streak against Big Sky opponents, their last being a 72-61 win over Idaho State in the semifinals. Anything less than the league crown will have this bunch feeling like the New England Patriots. The Lumberjacks will have their work cut out for them, having been swept by PSU in the regular season. However, they did post a solid win over Western Kentucky and played Arizona tough. They have won 21 games and six straight games, including a 75-70 win over Weber State in the conference semis. It's always hard to pick against the home team. I think the Vikings win a very close game. This game will probably be decided by four points or less. Posted by Ali Karimi at 02:21 AM | Comments (5)
Tuesday, 03/11/08Wench To WonderfulWith conference tourneys about to begin, these teams could go on a magic carpet ride into the tournament and help erase their less than memorable regular seasons. The teams were chosen because if today were Selection Sunday their names would not be heard. They have only one shot, their conference tournament. Saturday, 03/08/08Saturday RecapWinthrop 66, North Carolina-Asheville 48 UMBC 76, Stony Brook 60 VCU 57, Towson 46 (3) Memphis 94, UAB 56 No. 25 Davidson 82, Wofford 49 (21) Drake 75, Creighton 67 Saturday, 03/08/08Friday Recap(21) Drake 68, Indiana State 46 Valparaiso 72, Wright St. 67 Austin Peay 78, Tenn.-Martin 77 Illinois St. 63, Missouri St. 58 Cornell 94, Penn 92 N. Iowa 54, S. Illinois 49 Belmont 69, ETSU 65 |
The Sloggers...
David ScottDavid Scott will be leading the Cinderella discussions for the 2007-08 season.
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