Kentucky 87 - Iowa State 71
Iowa State hung on for much longer than expected, but eventually Kentucky simply overwhelmed them. Kentucky is talented, but they are definitely immature. When simple things like calls go against them (even while up double digits), they wear the frustration on their faces. If there's a team that can hang with them talent-wise, maturity could be the difference. If things start going against Kentucky, I'm not convinced they'll overcome that adversity.
Baylor 80 - Colorado 63
These two teams know each other better than you would expect, since they were in the same conference until this season, when Colorado left the Big 12 for the Pac 12. Much like the UK-ISU game above, Colorado hung on for much longer than expected, but Baylor's superior talent eventually went on a sustained run to put away the game.
Louisville 59 - New Mexico 56
If I'm going to be entirely honest, I found myself zoning out during this game. Being 30 really stinks, from an energy perspective. In a few years I'm going to have to outsource my late watching hours to Miles. I thought New Mexico's goose was cooked with plenty of time to go in the second half, but New Mexico rallied well, they just fell a few plays shy. They kept their turnovers down (13 isn't a high number against Louisville's pressure D), but they shot under 40% from the field and were 5-for-23 from downtown.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
March Madness Day 3, Part 2
Marquette 62 - Murray State 53
This game was a barnburner. Not only was the action back and forth and tight till the end, but it was played at a pace that left breakneck in the dust. Marquette just kept the pressure on and on but Murray State, to their credit, handled it and stayed doggedly at Marquette's heels. In the end though, Murray State showed just enough cracks that the higher seed triumphed.
Wisconsin 60 - Vanderbilt 57
Wisconsin plays some boring basketball, but its effective. They slow the game down and kind of lull the other team to sleep. Vanderbilt got back in the game by switching defenses to a 2-3 zone. That zone came back to bite them though, as with under a minute left, Wisconsin recovered two consecutive offensive rebounds off of late-in-the-shot-clock 3-point attempts while leading by 2, again shortening the game. Vandy got a chance with 13 seconds left, didn't call timeout, and took a quick off-the-dribble 3 point shot which clanged, and that was basically all she wrote.
Indiana 63 - VCU 61
VCU was quicker than Indiana, and forced the Hoosiers into 22 turnovers for the game. That, and an early hot hand behind the arc is the only reason they were even in this game, let alone leading for most of it. Because their offense was putrid down the stretch, as they simply couldn't buy a bucket despite generating some good looks off of their quickness. Once Indiana was able to cut out the turnovers, they were able to come back and win the game based on their superior offense. VCU needed one or two more shots to fall in the last 4-5 minutes (I believe they hit 2 field goals in the last 12+ minutes) and they would have survived. Still for a team that came out of nowhere to make the Final Four last year, then lost 4 starters between last season and this one, it's a pretty inspired two-year stretch for VCU. Congrats coach Shaka Smart.
This game was a barnburner. Not only was the action back and forth and tight till the end, but it was played at a pace that left breakneck in the dust. Marquette just kept the pressure on and on but Murray State, to their credit, handled it and stayed doggedly at Marquette's heels. In the end though, Murray State showed just enough cracks that the higher seed triumphed.
Wisconsin 60 - Vanderbilt 57
Wisconsin plays some boring basketball, but its effective. They slow the game down and kind of lull the other team to sleep. Vanderbilt got back in the game by switching defenses to a 2-3 zone. That zone came back to bite them though, as with under a minute left, Wisconsin recovered two consecutive offensive rebounds off of late-in-the-shot-clock 3-point attempts while leading by 2, again shortening the game. Vandy got a chance with 13 seconds left, didn't call timeout, and took a quick off-the-dribble 3 point shot which clanged, and that was basically all she wrote.
Indiana 63 - VCU 61
VCU was quicker than Indiana, and forced the Hoosiers into 22 turnovers for the game. That, and an early hot hand behind the arc is the only reason they were even in this game, let alone leading for most of it. Because their offense was putrid down the stretch, as they simply couldn't buy a bucket despite generating some good looks off of their quickness. Once Indiana was able to cut out the turnovers, they were able to come back and win the game based on their superior offense. VCU needed one or two more shots to fall in the last 4-5 minutes (I believe they hit 2 field goals in the last 12+ minutes) and they would have survived. Still for a team that came out of nowhere to make the Final Four last year, then lost 4 starters between last season and this one, it's a pretty inspired two-year stretch for VCU. Congrats coach Shaka Smart.
March Madness Day 3, Part 1
Syracuse 75 - Kansas State 59
The question was could Kansas State hit enough shots that were available due to Syracuse's zone. The answer was no (31.3% shooting from the field). When Syracuse got their offense untracked in the second half, KSU simply couldn't keep up. Those who picked Syracuse to go far will be heartened after this game.
Ohio State 73 - Gonzaga 66
This was a very enjoyable game, back and forth, back and forth. Every time one team would take a lead, the other would storm back to tie or re-take the lead. Gonzaga's big man Robert Sacre did very good job on tOSU's Jared Sullinger for 38 minutes. However, Ohio State's guards and other forwards were a little too much. And when Gonzaga made their last run to tie the game late, Sullinger took over. Tremendous fight from both teams in this one.
The question was could Kansas State hit enough shots that were available due to Syracuse's zone. The answer was no (31.3% shooting from the field). When Syracuse got their offense untracked in the second half, KSU simply couldn't keep up. Those who picked Syracuse to go far will be heartened after this game.
Ohio State 73 - Gonzaga 66
This was a very enjoyable game, back and forth, back and forth. Every time one team would take a lead, the other would storm back to tie or re-take the lead. Gonzaga's big man Robert Sacre did very good job on tOSU's Jared Sullinger for 38 minutes. However, Ohio State's guards and other forwards were a little too much. And when Gonzaga made their last run to tie the game late, Sullinger took over. Tremendous fight from both teams in this one.
March Madness Day 2 Recap
Now THAT was March Madness. The end of Day 2 is always a bit of a letdown. Sure the games are getting better as the lesser teams get knocked off, and yes, there are still 31 more games to be played, but the essence of the tournament is these first two days. From noon till midnight, there are 4 blocks with essentially 4 games going on at once. When game A hits a commerical, flip over to Game B, all the while keeping an eye on Games C and D, in case they're close or a tremendous upset is brewing. For most tournaments, it's all about crowning a champion. That's not to say finding a champion isn't important (it's why everyone complains about college football, they don't get to settle their champion on the field).
But the essence of the NFL playoffs is the Super Bowl. The essence of the NHL playoffs is seeing that dead-tired, beat up team lift the Stanley Cup. Even the baseball playoffs are about seeing one team outlast everyone else to win that 4th game in the World Series. College basketball isn't like that. It's not March Madness because of the championship game. In fact, the championship game is a total dud as often as not. March Madness is about these first two days, when scores and highlights and games are flying all around your head and you're just trying to keep it all straight. That one of the beauties of playing (or running) a pool. It's easy to get overwhelmed, or lock in on your favorite team alone, and when they're bounced, just fade out. The pool keeps you scouring for updates, flipping the channel, and keeping track. And the payoff is seeing that ridiculous buzzer beater, or the historic upset. That, is what March Madness is all about. Shoutouts
To Melissa A. and Tony C. for correctly picking 12 of yesterday's 16 games correctly, the best showings of anyone in the pool.
To Mom and Dad K, for getting their picks in all the way from Florida for the second straight year.
To the sheer number of you in the pool, as thanks to you I learned that Gmail conversation chains max out at 100.
To our current leaderboard:
1T) Melissa A
1T) Corey H
3T) Katie A
3T) David K
3T) Josiah K
3T) Noah K
3T) Barack Obama
3T) Sam OC
To that guy who predicted yesterday would be exciting since Thursday was kind of dull. Who was that guy? Anyone remember? Anyone? Oh well.
To Lehigh and Norfolk State, whatever your bracket looked like afterwards, it's always pretty neat to see history. And something that now has only happened 6 times ever certainly qualifies.
To Kyle O'Quinn from Norfolk State, who received just one scholarship offer and was the best player on the court against Mizzou. His postgame interview was awesome, "I told my mother I wanted to speak to Craig Sager [interviewer], and I want to speak to Craig Sager again!"
To Charles Barkley, who still can (and does) say whatever the heck he wants. In the studio after Norfolk State's upset, he said, "I don't know why anyone would be excited to talk to Craig Sager."
To Greg Anthony, also a studio analyst between games with Kenny and Charles. Anthony made a couple of great points. One was that Missouri absolutely should NOT have changed their style of play against Norfolk State, as they were the 2 seed and in that situation you make the 15 seed adjust to you. One of which was after Kenny Smith had blasted Duke for not feeding their big men more in their loss to Lehigh. Anthony said that Duke hasn't played that way all year, and their big men traditionally got their points on putbacks or dishes off of penetration, and to expect them to convert to a traditional posting-up-based-game against Lehigh wasn't reasonable. I know what Kenny and Charles bring to the table, but Anthony has been a pleasant surprise.
Condemnations
To Kenny Smith, the third studio analyst with Greg Anthony and Charles. Not only did he get put in his place by Anthony twice, he also said that a team like Norfolk State will not have a letdown after knocking off Mizzou. What? Of course they will, they just won their championship. After all it took for them to knock off a team no one gave them a chance to beat there absolutely will be a letdown. It's human nature.
To CBS for once again shunting Seth Davis off to the secondary studio set. He belongs on the bigger stage with Kenny, Charles, and Greg. Bad decision again CBS.
To CBS/the NCAA for not finding some way to get Gus Johnson back calling the tournament. For those of you who don't know, Johnson is the overly excitable play by play guy who had been with CBS (and calling the tournament) for years, but last year his CBS contract ran out and he moved on to Fox. Everyone knew that meant he was off the tournament, but Gus Johnson IS March Madness. He makes a close game that much more fun with how overexcited he gets, it's a shame this year's tournament doesn't have him calling any games.
To the Plumlee (brothers on Duke's team) parents, courtesy of Celinda: You just can't give two sons the same first initial, if they have to play together their jerseys will look ridiculous. Ma Plumlee? Please. Note that this was all the more noticeable in our house because one of the Plumlee brothers is named Miles.
To Spicoli's a local restaurant a stone's throw away from our condo. We decided to go out to dinner during the Mizzou game. I knew it was close but figured Mizzou was going to pull away, there were still 10 minutes to play after all. I kept track on my phone, and when I saw it was still an upset-in-the-making with 30 seconds left (and we had finished our meal), I took Miles for a walk into the crowded bar area to watch the finish (we were eating in a separate section with no TVs). The game wasn't on. In fact, no game was on. One TV was on ESPN, and I have no idea what the other set was on, but none were on the game. TERRIBLE use of your TVs Spicolis. And all you bar patrons, nobody pointed this out? This would have been a whole post in and of itself, except our DVR had the last 5 minutes saved when we got home. Enjoy Day 3!
But the essence of the NFL playoffs is the Super Bowl. The essence of the NHL playoffs is seeing that dead-tired, beat up team lift the Stanley Cup. Even the baseball playoffs are about seeing one team outlast everyone else to win that 4th game in the World Series. College basketball isn't like that. It's not March Madness because of the championship game. In fact, the championship game is a total dud as often as not. March Madness is about these first two days, when scores and highlights and games are flying all around your head and you're just trying to keep it all straight. That one of the beauties of playing (or running) a pool. It's easy to get overwhelmed, or lock in on your favorite team alone, and when they're bounced, just fade out. The pool keeps you scouring for updates, flipping the channel, and keeping track. And the payoff is seeing that ridiculous buzzer beater, or the historic upset. That, is what March Madness is all about. Shoutouts
To Melissa A. and Tony C. for correctly picking 12 of yesterday's 16 games correctly, the best showings of anyone in the pool.
To Mom and Dad K, for getting their picks in all the way from Florida for the second straight year.
To the sheer number of you in the pool, as thanks to you I learned that Gmail conversation chains max out at 100.
To our current leaderboard:
1T) Melissa A
1T) Corey H
3T) Katie A
3T) David K
3T) Josiah K
3T) Noah K
3T) Barack Obama
3T) Sam OC
To that guy who predicted yesterday would be exciting since Thursday was kind of dull. Who was that guy? Anyone remember? Anyone? Oh well.
To Lehigh and Norfolk State, whatever your bracket looked like afterwards, it's always pretty neat to see history. And something that now has only happened 6 times ever certainly qualifies.
To Kyle O'Quinn from Norfolk State, who received just one scholarship offer and was the best player on the court against Mizzou. His postgame interview was awesome, "I told my mother I wanted to speak to Craig Sager [interviewer], and I want to speak to Craig Sager again!"
To Charles Barkley, who still can (and does) say whatever the heck he wants. In the studio after Norfolk State's upset, he said, "I don't know why anyone would be excited to talk to Craig Sager."
To Greg Anthony, also a studio analyst between games with Kenny and Charles. Anthony made a couple of great points. One was that Missouri absolutely should NOT have changed their style of play against Norfolk State, as they were the 2 seed and in that situation you make the 15 seed adjust to you. One of which was after Kenny Smith had blasted Duke for not feeding their big men more in their loss to Lehigh. Anthony said that Duke hasn't played that way all year, and their big men traditionally got their points on putbacks or dishes off of penetration, and to expect them to convert to a traditional posting-up-based-game against Lehigh wasn't reasonable. I know what Kenny and Charles bring to the table, but Anthony has been a pleasant surprise.
Condemnations
To Kenny Smith, the third studio analyst with Greg Anthony and Charles. Not only did he get put in his place by Anthony twice, he also said that a team like Norfolk State will not have a letdown after knocking off Mizzou. What? Of course they will, they just won their championship. After all it took for them to knock off a team no one gave them a chance to beat there absolutely will be a letdown. It's human nature.
To CBS for once again shunting Seth Davis off to the secondary studio set. He belongs on the bigger stage with Kenny, Charles, and Greg. Bad decision again CBS.
To CBS/the NCAA for not finding some way to get Gus Johnson back calling the tournament. For those of you who don't know, Johnson is the overly excitable play by play guy who had been with CBS (and calling the tournament) for years, but last year his CBS contract ran out and he moved on to Fox. Everyone knew that meant he was off the tournament, but Gus Johnson IS March Madness. He makes a close game that much more fun with how overexcited he gets, it's a shame this year's tournament doesn't have him calling any games.
To the Plumlee (brothers on Duke's team) parents, courtesy of Celinda: You just can't give two sons the same first initial, if they have to play together their jerseys will look ridiculous. Ma Plumlee? Please. Note that this was all the more noticeable in our house because one of the Plumlee brothers is named Miles.
To Spicoli's a local restaurant a stone's throw away from our condo. We decided to go out to dinner during the Mizzou game. I knew it was close but figured Mizzou was going to pull away, there were still 10 minutes to play after all. I kept track on my phone, and when I saw it was still an upset-in-the-making with 30 seconds left (and we had finished our meal), I took Miles for a walk into the crowded bar area to watch the finish (we were eating in a separate section with no TVs). The game wasn't on. In fact, no game was on. One TV was on ESPN, and I have no idea what the other set was on, but none were on the game. TERRIBLE use of your TVs Spicolis. And all you bar patrons, nobody pointed this out? This would have been a whole post in and of itself, except our DVR had the last 5 minutes saved when we got home. Enjoy Day 3!
March Madness Day 2, Part 4
Michigan State 89 - Long Island Brooklyn 67
This is what a top seed is supposed to do. LIU came out and played a heck of a game. They shot 47% from behind the arc. And they kept the game close well into the second half. But Michigan State never let them actually take the lead outside of the opening minutes of the game. The weathered the LIU runs, and methodically built their lead into a comfortable win.
South Florida 58 - Temple 44
Just like last year, only one team from the First Four survived their first real tournament game. These two teams were atrocious in the first half. Don't let anyone tell you it was good defense, that wasn't it. USF shot 3 for 27 from the floor in the first half. That's right, 3 made baskets in an entire half...and they were only down 4 points at the break.
Xavier 67 - Notre Dame 63
I really thought Notre Dame had this one. They built a 6-8 point lead with less than 10 minutes to go, and kept hanging on to it, hanging on to it. Xavier would rally and get close, but ND would keep its advantage. Until 3:45 remained, when Xavier finally took its first lead since midway through the first half. After that Xavier traded tough buckets off of penetration to Notre Dame's well set up jumpers. This was a tremendous game to watch...and then the refs got involved. With 2.8 seconds left and down by 2, Notre Dame drew a foul for a 1-and-1 free throw situation. He made the first free throw, but the refs called ND for a lane violation which negated the basket and gave the ball to Xavier. Then while Xavier was trying to inbound the ball, ND was called for an intentional foul, which gave Xavier two free throws (which they drained) AND the ball back. Did these calls decide the game? No, but they did help deprive us from what could have been an even more exciting finish. Don't be the story, refs.
Kansas 65 - Detroit 50
Kansas learned from the earlier 2v15 upsets, and became the only 2 seed to advance on Friday.
This is what a top seed is supposed to do. LIU came out and played a heck of a game. They shot 47% from behind the arc. And they kept the game close well into the second half. But Michigan State never let them actually take the lead outside of the opening minutes of the game. The weathered the LIU runs, and methodically built their lead into a comfortable win.
South Florida 58 - Temple 44
Just like last year, only one team from the First Four survived their first real tournament game. These two teams were atrocious in the first half. Don't let anyone tell you it was good defense, that wasn't it. USF shot 3 for 27 from the floor in the first half. That's right, 3 made baskets in an entire half...and they were only down 4 points at the break.
Xavier 67 - Notre Dame 63
I really thought Notre Dame had this one. They built a 6-8 point lead with less than 10 minutes to go, and kept hanging on to it, hanging on to it. Xavier would rally and get close, but ND would keep its advantage. Until 3:45 remained, when Xavier finally took its first lead since midway through the first half. After that Xavier traded tough buckets off of penetration to Notre Dame's well set up jumpers. This was a tremendous game to watch...and then the refs got involved. With 2.8 seconds left and down by 2, Notre Dame drew a foul for a 1-and-1 free throw situation. He made the first free throw, but the refs called ND for a lane violation which negated the basket and gave the ball to Xavier. Then while Xavier was trying to inbound the ball, ND was called for an intentional foul, which gave Xavier two free throws (which they drained) AND the ball back. Did these calls decide the game? No, but they did help deprive us from what could have been an even more exciting finish. Don't be the story, refs.
Kansas 65 - Detroit 50
Kansas learned from the earlier 2v15 upsets, and became the only 2 seed to advance on Friday.
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