Florida 62 - Dayton 52
Dayton shot the ball well from behind the arc (8-for-18), and this weapon allowed them to take an early lead and stay tight for most of the first half. Florida's size was giving the Flyers problems, but the Gators weren't able to assert themselves on offense.
That all changed with about 3 minutes to play in the first half, as the floodgates finally opened. What was a 3-point UF lead with 3:11 to play in the first half became a 14-point advantage by halftime.
In the second half, Florida's size took over. The Gators kept Dayton out of the paint, leading to a 28-to-8 UF advantage in free throw attempts, and they pounded the Flyers on the offensive glass (12-to-5 edge for Florida). In fact, if Florida had anything resembling rhythm offensively in the second half, the second half would have been a Gator walk in the park. At least twice in the last 3 minutes of the game, Florida had 3+ shot attempts on a possession that ended in zero points.
Fortunately for the Gators, their defense kept Dayton from taking advantage of their frequent cold spells. And so Florida is the first team to punch its ticket to the 2014 Final Four.
Wisconsin 64 - Arizona 63 (OT)
Well, Sean Miller has now lost to a lower seed in the NCAA Tournament.
This felt like a Wisconsin game for at least the last 30 minutes of game time. Wisconsin executed their sets and got good looks. Arizona needed their athleticism to keep their offense off of life support, whether it was via offensive rebounds or pushing the pace.
At the beginning of the game it looked like Arizona was going to be the first Wisconsin opponent to have any sort of answer for UW's 7-footer with three-point range, Frank Kaminsky. But that wasn't true, as Kaminsky ended the game with 28 points and forced Arizona's coach to try all sorts of matchups to slow him down. It didn't work, which made Wisconsin's decision to not get him the ball on the last possession of regulation curious.
This is the first close game I can remember in this tournament where the referees really weren't up to snuff. I thought Wisconsin got the short end of the stick all night with the calls. Then the referees ended Arizona's second-to-last offensive possession in OT (with AZ down by one), with a very debatable offensive foul call. And then they took over 5 minutes to decide an out-of-bounds play (where they admittedly had no clear view) with 2.3 seconds left in the game, and it's debatable whether or not they got the call right. This isn't meant to say Arizona got robbed, they didn't. But the officials were too big a part of the story in this otherwise classic matchup.
Showing posts with label NCAA Basketball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NCAA Basketball. Show all posts
Saturday, March 29, 2014
NCAA Tournament, Day 6, Part 2
Wow, what a pair of games.
Kentucky 74 - Louisville 69
Unbelieveable game. At the beginning, it looked like Louisville was going to run Kentucky right out of the gym as they jumped out to an 18-5 lead. But Kentucky weathered that storm and got back within 3 at halftime. And they simply kept grinding down low against Louisville.
Louisville was swarming around the ball, but Kentucky limited the damage (12 turnovers is a respectable number against the Cardinal defense).
Two big reasons UK pulled the upset?
1) Three-point shooting: UK wasn't good (4-14), but Louisville was worse (4-15)
2) Free-throw shooting: UK was 22-27, Louisville a putrid 13-23
Michigan State 61 - Virginia 59
This was a great defensive, physical battle. Michigan State hit just a couple of extra shots in this one, and they made their free throws. That was the difference.
Adrian Payne gets MVP honors for this game. He was a consistent presence in the paint at both ends, and came up with a huge three-pointer followed by an assist to push Michigan State ahead to stay in the final minute.
Kentucky 74 - Louisville 69
If your not watching this Louisville vs. Kentucky game, your missing out. #MarchMadness #Sweet16 pic.twitter.com/7CVcB042cP
— StiZo (@MrStizo) March 29, 2014
Unbelieveable game. At the beginning, it looked like Louisville was going to run Kentucky right out of the gym as they jumped out to an 18-5 lead. But Kentucky weathered that storm and got back within 3 at halftime. And they simply kept grinding down low against Louisville.
Louisville was swarming around the ball, but Kentucky limited the damage (12 turnovers is a respectable number against the Cardinal defense).
Two big reasons UK pulled the upset?
1) Three-point shooting: UK wasn't good (4-14), but Louisville was worse (4-15)
2) Free-throw shooting: UK was 22-27, Louisville a putrid 13-23
Michigan State 61 - Virginia 59
This was a great defensive, physical battle. Michigan State hit just a couple of extra shots in this one, and they made their free throws. That was the difference.
Adrian Payne gets MVP honors for this game. He was a consistent presence in the paint at both ends, and came up with a huge three-pointer followed by an assist to push Michigan State ahead to stay in the final minute.
Friday, March 28, 2014
NCAA Tournament, Day 6, Part 1
Michigan 73 - Tennessee 71
This game was going according to script for about 85% of the game: Tennessee was playing well, and couldn't keep pace because Michigan was shooting out of their minds. But in the last 4 minutes, Tennessee started getting stops, and that allowed them to get within 10....within 7, within 6, within 5.
At this point Tennessee was pressing and denying the inbounds pass. Michigan (up 72-69 at this point), subs in guard Spike Albrecht to be the designated inbounds player. I find this interesting, as Albrecht is pretty clearly the smallest player on the floor in this game. But what do I know?
The next three inbounds passes go as follows:
- Pass leads teammate right to the sideline boundary, teammate forced to throw ball wildly, which leads to a turnover. Tennessee cuts the lead to 72-71.
- Pass leads teammate right back to end-line, teammate steps on end line corralling pass, turnover.
- Timeout called before 5-second violation
Albrecht inbounded all 3 of those balls, AND the next one. At this point, I'm thoroughly confused:
So what does Tennessee do with the ball facing a one point defecit? Give it to their big man and have him charge into the paint. Unfortunately, he does this through his defender and is called for an offensive foul. It's a very close call.
Michigan escapes by the skin of their teeth and presumably will spend the next 48 hours diagramming new inbounds plays.
Connecticut 81 - Iowa State 76
For 90% of the game, Iowa State couldn't chain stops together. Their offense wasn't bad (it wasn't as good as it was last round against North Carolina) but they couldn't keep UConn's penetrating guards out of the paint. It was just too easy for the Huskies offensively.
I'd like to tell you more about Iowa State's comeback to make things interesting, but Michigan was busy trying to give their game away which a) made it difficult to switch over and b) kept the UM-UT game going and going Energizer bunny style so by the time that game finally ended there was less than a minute to go in UConn-ISU.
But while Iowa State made the game interesting, they could not get it within one possession. Why?
2nd half free throw shooting:
UConn: 19/20
Iowa State: 0/5
That's not a recipe for success.
Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to watch the state of Kentucky go to war with itself.
To be fair, if I'm having to guard Jarnell Stokes in the post, I'm probably diving out if the way too! #MarchMadness #TennvsMich
— Alan Skinner (@jaskinner6) March 29, 2014
This game was going according to script for about 85% of the game: Tennessee was playing well, and couldn't keep pace because Michigan was shooting out of their minds. But in the last 4 minutes, Tennessee started getting stops, and that allowed them to get within 10....within 7, within 6, within 5.
At this point Tennessee was pressing and denying the inbounds pass. Michigan (up 72-69 at this point), subs in guard Spike Albrecht to be the designated inbounds player. I find this interesting, as Albrecht is pretty clearly the smallest player on the floor in this game. But what do I know?
The next three inbounds passes go as follows:
- Pass leads teammate right to the sideline boundary, teammate forced to throw ball wildly, which leads to a turnover. Tennessee cuts the lead to 72-71.
- Pass leads teammate right back to end-line, teammate steps on end line corralling pass, turnover.
- Timeout called before 5-second violation
Albrecht inbounded all 3 of those balls, AND the next one. At this point, I'm thoroughly confused:
Why is Albrecht still inbounding the ball? 3 straight failed attempts to get ball in.
— Mike Kofron (@TestaverdeTD) March 29, 2014
So what does Tennessee do with the ball facing a one point defecit? Give it to their big man and have him charge into the paint. Unfortunately, he does this through his defender and is called for an offensive foul. It's a very close call.
Michigan escapes by the skin of their teeth and presumably will spend the next 48 hours diagramming new inbounds plays.
Connecticut 81 - Iowa State 76
UConn is the best illustration in basketball of this: You make your free throws, you advance.
— Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) March 29, 2014
For 90% of the game, Iowa State couldn't chain stops together. Their offense wasn't bad (it wasn't as good as it was last round against North Carolina) but they couldn't keep UConn's penetrating guards out of the paint. It was just too easy for the Huskies offensively.
I'd like to tell you more about Iowa State's comeback to make things interesting, but Michigan was busy trying to give their game away which a) made it difficult to switch over and b) kept the UM-UT game going and going Energizer bunny style so by the time that game finally ended there was less than a minute to go in UConn-ISU.
But while Iowa State made the game interesting, they could not get it within one possession. Why?
2nd half free throw shooting:
UConn: 19/20
Iowa State: 0/5
That's not a recipe for success.
Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to watch the state of Kentucky go to war with itself.
NCAA Tournament, Day 5, Part 2
Florida 79 - UCLA 68
UCLA put up a really good fight, but in the end Florida was too good and too deep. Despite some substantial foul trouble in their front line, the Gators used a balanced attack to keep the Bruins at bay. Florida imposed their will at both ends, shooting 50% from the field at one end, and holding UCLA to 16.7% from behind the arc at the other end.
But again, give UCLA credit. Florida started the game running, gunning, and hitting from behind the arc. Michael Frazier had three 3-pointers before we were halfway through the first half, but UCLA never let the game get away from them. Whether it was through stops or shots, they managed to hang around right until the very end. Unfortunately, they were never able to put enough of either together to take the lead in the second half.
One note: even though Florida has now reached their fourth straight Elite Eight berth, they do not yet have a Final Four appearance during this stretch.
Arizona 70 - San Diego State 64
This game was exactly what was expected on paper: two terrific defensive teams making each other's life miserable on the offensive end. The expectation was Arizona would eventually pull away, thanks to their superior offense, but that never really happened.
The main reason for that was their main scorer, guard Nick Johnson, was 0-fer on his first 10 shots from the field. That all changed with just under 3:00 remaining in the second half, when Wildcats point guard TJ McConnell stole the ball. In the loose ball scrum, McConnell got the ball to a teammate, who passed it to Johnson, who made a layup. Finally untracked, Johnson proceded to score the next 13 Arizona points, and 15 of their final 17 (mostly at the free throw line).
Finally, I found this interesting:
1-seed Arizona will face 2-seed Wisconsin on Saturday for a berth in the Final Four.
FOUR straight Elite 8s for the best coach in college basketball,what an accomplishment for this"Football"school, just amazing #FloridaGators
— David Adessa (@DavidAdessa386) March 28, 2014
UCLA put up a really good fight, but in the end Florida was too good and too deep. Despite some substantial foul trouble in their front line, the Gators used a balanced attack to keep the Bruins at bay. Florida imposed their will at both ends, shooting 50% from the field at one end, and holding UCLA to 16.7% from behind the arc at the other end.
But again, give UCLA credit. Florida started the game running, gunning, and hitting from behind the arc. Michael Frazier had three 3-pointers before we were halfway through the first half, but UCLA never let the game get away from them. Whether it was through stops or shots, they managed to hang around right until the very end. Unfortunately, they were never able to put enough of either together to take the lead in the second half.
One note: even though Florida has now reached their fourth straight Elite Eight berth, they do not yet have a Final Four appearance during this stretch.
Arizona 70 - San Diego State 64
Nick Johnson recovers to lead #arizonawildcats to the #elite8 http://t.co/2zP4dLKaL8
— Daily Wildcat Sports (@WildcatSports) March 28, 2014
This game was exactly what was expected on paper: two terrific defensive teams making each other's life miserable on the offensive end. The expectation was Arizona would eventually pull away, thanks to their superior offense, but that never really happened.
The main reason for that was their main scorer, guard Nick Johnson, was 0-fer on his first 10 shots from the field. That all changed with just under 3:00 remaining in the second half, when Wildcats point guard TJ McConnell stole the ball. In the loose ball scrum, McConnell got the ball to a teammate, who passed it to Johnson, who made a layup. Finally untracked, Johnson proceded to score the next 13 Arizona points, and 15 of their final 17 (mostly at the free throw line).
Finally, I found this interesting:
#ArizonaWildcats coach Sean Miller 12-0 now vs. lower-seeded teams in #NCAAtourney (includes graphic) http://t.co/oDhHaPqfG6
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) March 28, 2014
1-seed Arizona will face 2-seed Wisconsin on Saturday for a berth in the Final Four.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
NCAA Tournament, Day 5, Part 1
Dayton 82 - Stanford 72
Dayton was simply the better team tonight. Stanford had the height advantage, but Dayton was clearly quicker and overall just more athletic. In response, Stanford played almost exclusively zone defense in the first half, and Dayton torched them. They drove into the paint and either finished at the rim or kicked the ball out for an open look.
Stanford, on the other hand, got their most consistent offense in the post. The problem was, their biggest player, Stefan Nastic, was in foul trouble all game long. He finished with 15 points, but was not able to control the game long enough to a) keep Dayton from jumping out to the early lead or b) allow Stanford to get back even with Dayton in the 2nd half.
In the second half, possession after possession saw the Flyers work the shot clock down to ~10 seconds, then drive into the paint and finish with layups. The offense was simply too easy for Dayton for long stretches of each half (hence the 82 points scored). And when it wasn't, Dayton slipped into the cracks of the zone defense and came up with big offensive rebounds.
In sum, Dayton executed better, were much less bothered by foul trouble (since they typically play 10+ and Stanford relies on 6), and had an overwhelming advantage on hustle plays. All of it adds up to an 11-seed in the Elite Eight.
Wisconsin 69 - Baylor 52
That tweet basically sums it up, Baylor's first half featured 16 points. That's not good. Wisconsin took some time to get going too (they had 29 points at intermission), but they finished the night shooting 52% from the field, compared to Baylor's 31%. Baylor had no answers for Wisconsin's paint play, at either end of the floor.
While we're talking about this game, let's talk about Baylor center Isaiah Austin. He's a 7'1" sophomore who averages 11 points and 5.5 rebounds a game. Oh, and he's completely blind in his right eye. An amazing story.
Congrats to the @DaytonMBB making their 1st trip to the #Elite8 since 1984. #MarchMadness
— joey galloway (@Joey_Galloway) March 28, 2014
Dayton was simply the better team tonight. Stanford had the height advantage, but Dayton was clearly quicker and overall just more athletic. In response, Stanford played almost exclusively zone defense in the first half, and Dayton torched them. They drove into the paint and either finished at the rim or kicked the ball out for an open look.
Stanford, on the other hand, got their most consistent offense in the post. The problem was, their biggest player, Stefan Nastic, was in foul trouble all game long. He finished with 15 points, but was not able to control the game long enough to a) keep Dayton from jumping out to the early lead or b) allow Stanford to get back even with Dayton in the 2nd half.
In the second half, possession after possession saw the Flyers work the shot clock down to ~10 seconds, then drive into the paint and finish with layups. The offense was simply too easy for Dayton for long stretches of each half (hence the 82 points scored). And when it wasn't, Dayton slipped into the cracks of the zone defense and came up with big offensive rebounds.
In sum, Dayton executed better, were much less bothered by foul trouble (since they typically play 10+ and Stanford relies on 6), and had an overwhelming advantage on hustle plays. All of it adds up to an 11-seed in the Elite Eight.
Wisconsin 69 - Baylor 52
Will the REAL Baylor Bears PLEASE STAND UP???????????? Disgusted with that 1st half performance #marchmadness
— CT Kaupp (@CT_BallHawk) March 28, 2014
That tweet basically sums it up, Baylor's first half featured 16 points. That's not good. Wisconsin took some time to get going too (they had 29 points at intermission), but they finished the night shooting 52% from the field, compared to Baylor's 31%. Baylor had no answers for Wisconsin's paint play, at either end of the floor.
While we're talking about this game, let's talk about Baylor center Isaiah Austin. He's a 7'1" sophomore who averages 11 points and 5.5 rebounds a game. Oh, and he's completely blind in his right eye. An amazing story.
Monday, March 24, 2014
NCAA Tournament, Day 4, Part 4
Virginia 78 - Memphis 60
Initially it looked like Memphis was winning the tempo battle, playing fast (but still in control) and swarming Virginia on defense. But by midway through the first half Virginia had taken the lead and set about methodically building it up, until halftime came and Virginia was up 15 points. They shot well (55.6% from the field, 45.5% on threes, and 81.3% from the line), and Memphis didn't (40.7% FG, 23.1% 3PT, 42.9% FT).
Arizona 84 - Gonzaga 61
Even when Gonzaga is ranked among the best teams in the country, they usually don't make it out of the first weekend alive. So it really came as no surprise that Arizona wasn't taxed much in this game. Gonzaga actually didn't shoot the ball poorly, but they didn't get enough shots off, thanks to Arizona hounding them into 21 turnovers (Arizona had just 6 of their own).
Even when Gonzaga is ranked among the best teams in the country, they usually don't make it out of the first weekend alive. So it really came as no surprise that Arizona wasn't taxed much in this game. Gonzaga actually didn't shoot the ball poorly, but they didn't get enough shots off, thanks to Arizona hounding them into 21 turnovers (Arizona had just 6 of their own).
Sunday, March 23, 2014
NCAA Tournament Day 3, Part 4
Michigan State 80 - Harvard 73
Harvard did a hell of a job making this a game. It looked like MSU would pull away when it was 45-33 at halftime. But Harvard chipped away with a combination of defense (11 MSU turnovers), limiting the Spartans to one shot (their 33 rebounds matched Michigan State), and getting to the line (they shot 30 free throws to MSU's 22, and that's including 8 free throws from when Harvard was trying to extend the game). But in the end, the Spartans were just a little too good at both ends of the floor.
Connecticut 77 - Villanova 65
Live by the three, sometimes you die by the three. Duke found out, and now Villanova. They started out hot, but ended up just 11-for-31.
Harvard did a hell of a job making this a game. It looked like MSU would pull away when it was 45-33 at halftime. But Harvard chipped away with a combination of defense (11 MSU turnovers), limiting the Spartans to one shot (their 33 rebounds matched Michigan State), and getting to the line (they shot 30 free throws to MSU's 22, and that's including 8 free throws from when Harvard was trying to extend the game). But in the end, the Spartans were just a little too good at both ends of the floor.
Connecticut 77 - Villanova 65
Live by the three, sometimes you die by the three. Duke found out, and now Villanova. They started out hot, but ended up just 11-for-31.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
NCAA Tournament, Day 3, Part 3
Dayton 55 - Syracuse 53
Wow. That was a heck of a game. First off, I have to say this: Syracuse is ridiculously fast recovering in their zone defense. Having not watched much (okay, basically any) college basketball before the tournament, I know Syracuse plays zone defense, but actually seeing it is pretty amazing.
That being said, this game came down to the following statistic: Syracuse was 0-for-10 on three point shooting, including the potential game-winner released by Tyler Ennis as the shot clock expired.
Of course, Ennis only had his shot at glory because Dayton was so terrible at the free throw line (they were 10-of-18 as a team). From the field though, Dayton hit 43.8% from downtown, and also hit a ridiculous number of floaters/reverse layups/etc. off of penetration against the Syracuse zone.
Wisconsin 85 - Oregon 77
Closer than the final score indicates (there was a flagrant foul with less than a second left that gave Wisconsin a bunch of free throws). But this game turned on a Wisconsin possession that started with 1:58 left in the game and Oregon leading 75-74.
Wisconsin got 4 shots on this possession, thanks to 3 offensive rebounds. But it wasn't the usual terrible boxing out form that led to the offensive boards. Instead, twice multiple Oregon players got hands on the rebound, which led to neither of said players securing the rebound. This possession ended with a Wisconsin three-pointer with 1:09 remaining, giving the Badgers a lead they would not relinquish.
Wow. That was a heck of a game. First off, I have to say this: Syracuse is ridiculously fast recovering in their zone defense. Having not watched much (okay, basically any) college basketball before the tournament, I know Syracuse plays zone defense, but actually seeing it is pretty amazing.
That being said, this game came down to the following statistic: Syracuse was 0-for-10 on three point shooting, including the potential game-winner released by Tyler Ennis as the shot clock expired.
Of course, Ennis only had his shot at glory because Dayton was so terrible at the free throw line (they were 10-of-18 as a team). From the field though, Dayton hit 43.8% from downtown, and also hit a ridiculous number of floaters/reverse layups/etc. off of penetration against the Syracuse zone.
Wisconsin 85 - Oregon 77
Closer than the final score indicates (there was a flagrant foul with less than a second left that gave Wisconsin a bunch of free throws). But this game turned on a Wisconsin possession that started with 1:58 left in the game and Oregon leading 75-74.
Wisconsin got 4 shots on this possession, thanks to 3 offensive rebounds. But it wasn't the usual terrible boxing out form that led to the offensive boards. Instead, twice multiple Oregon players got hands on the rebound, which led to neither of said players securing the rebound. This possession ended with a Wisconsin three-pointer with 1:09 remaining, giving the Badgers a lead they would not relinquish.
NCAA Tournament, Day 3, Parts 1 & 2
Florida 61 - Pittsburgh 49
Florida was ice cold from behidn the arc (5-for-20), and they still won comfortably. Pitt simply could not break down the Gator defense, at elast not with any sort of consistency. Possession after possession ended with Pitt players putting up contested looks as the shot clock wound down, and Pitt's not nearly good enough offensively for that to be viable.
Louisville 66 - St. Louis 51
This was not a game of offense. The score was 25-16 at halftime. St. Louis shot 0-for-15 on three-pointers. That's right, depsite taking 15 threes, St. Louis made none in the entire game. They also turned the ball over 18 times (though to be fair, Louisville had 19 turnovers).
Michigan 79 - Texas 65
Here's the flipside, Michigan essentially put this game away in the opening 13 minutes, during which they amassed an 18-point lead. Michigan hit half of their 28 three-point attempts, which Texas simply couldn't counter.
San Diego State 63 - North Dakota State 44
That thud you may have heard was North Dakota State coming back to earth. They shot 31.3% from the field, 18.2% from behind the arc, and 70.6% from the free throw line (can't blame SD State's great defense for that one).
Florida was ice cold from behidn the arc (5-for-20), and they still won comfortably. Pitt simply could not break down the Gator defense, at elast not with any sort of consistency. Possession after possession ended with Pitt players putting up contested looks as the shot clock wound down, and Pitt's not nearly good enough offensively for that to be viable.
Louisville 66 - St. Louis 51
This was not a game of offense. The score was 25-16 at halftime. St. Louis shot 0-for-15 on three-pointers. That's right, depsite taking 15 threes, St. Louis made none in the entire game. They also turned the ball over 18 times (though to be fair, Louisville had 19 turnovers).
Michigan 79 - Texas 65
Here's the flipside, Michigan essentially put this game away in the opening 13 minutes, during which they amassed an 18-point lead. Michigan hit half of their 28 three-point attempts, which Texas simply couldn't counter.
San Diego State 63 - North Dakota State 44
That thud you may have heard was North Dakota State coming back to earth. They shot 31.3% from the field, 18.2% from behind the arc, and 70.6% from the free throw line (can't blame SD State's great defense for that one).
NCAA Tournament, Day 2, Part 4
Virginia 70 - Coastal Carolina 59
This was a tight game up until about 6 minutes remained in the second half, when Virginia finally pulled away. So in the end, the only 1 seed to play a leave no doubt game in the opening round was the one most people have questions about: Wichita State.
Kentucky 56 - Kansas State 49
In a game where neither team shot the ball well at all, Kentucky won on the back of making more than twice as many free throws as Kansas State did.
Iowa State 93 - North Carolina Central 75
From what I saw of this game, Iowa State's offense was simply operating at another level. NCC hung with them for a half, but eventually they simply could not keep up.
UCLA 76 - Tulsa 59
This game started right about the time I went to bed, so here's a quick summary of yesterday's NFL quarterback moves.
Raiders trade a 6th round pick for Matt Schaub, assumes his contract that will pay him about $11 Million this season barring a restructure - While on the surface it's surprising anyone would give up anything for Schaub, Oakland has money to burn and a reputation that does anything but attract free agents. As for Houston, it's only fitting that on his way out he nets them a "pick-6" after throwing so many of them in 2013.
Texans sign Ryan Fitzpatrick (2 years, $7.25 Million) - This gives Houston someone who can keep the seat warm if they draft a quarterback who's not ready to start right away. Though Fitzpatrick's turnover-happy ways seem doomed to frustrate a team with most other pieces in place around the quarterback.
Jets sign Mike Vick (1 year, $5 Million), cut Mark Sanchez - Had to happen. Even if you believe Sanchez has value left (I don't), he would never have succeeded with the Jets. Vick is a good value signing, for whatever role he's going to play.
This was a tight game up until about 6 minutes remained in the second half, when Virginia finally pulled away. So in the end, the only 1 seed to play a leave no doubt game in the opening round was the one most people have questions about: Wichita State.
Kentucky 56 - Kansas State 49
In a game where neither team shot the ball well at all, Kentucky won on the back of making more than twice as many free throws as Kansas State did.
Iowa State 93 - North Carolina Central 75
From what I saw of this game, Iowa State's offense was simply operating at another level. NCC hung with them for a half, but eventually they simply could not keep up.
UCLA 76 - Tulsa 59
This game started right about the time I went to bed, so here's a quick summary of yesterday's NFL quarterback moves.
Raiders trade a 6th round pick for Matt Schaub, assumes his contract that will pay him about $11 Million this season barring a restructure - While on the surface it's surprising anyone would give up anything for Schaub, Oakland has money to burn and a reputation that does anything but attract free agents. As for Houston, it's only fitting that on his way out he nets them a "pick-6" after throwing so many of them in 2013.
Texans sign Ryan Fitzpatrick (2 years, $7.25 Million) - This gives Houston someone who can keep the seat warm if they draft a quarterback who's not ready to start right away. Though Fitzpatrick's turnover-happy ways seem doomed to frustrate a team with most other pieces in place around the quarterback.
Jets sign Mike Vick (1 year, $5 Million), cut Mark Sanchez - Had to happen. Even if you believe Sanchez has value left (I don't), he would never have succeeded with the Jets. Vick is a good value signing, for whatever role he's going to play.
Friday, March 21, 2014
NCAA Tournament, Day 2, Part 3
Memphis 71 - George Washington 66
A great back-and-forth game featuring a good comeback attempt by our country's first president, but said comeback ended very anti-climatically with an air-balled three-pointer
North Carolina 79 - Providence 77
Tremendous game, and I'm not juts saying that because of the local flavor. PC guard Bryce Cotton is an amazing talent, as he played all 40 minutes (not uncommon, PC goes just 6 deep and Cotton actually averaged over 40 minutes per game in Big East play) and carried the Providence offense for long stretches of the game.
In the end, Providence gave up to many offensive rebounds (UNC had 21 in the game) due to a combination of giving up a little size, fatigue, and lots of zone defense. Sure enough, with the game tied at 77, UNC rebounded a missed shot, was fouled, hit 1/2 free throws, rebounded the miss, hit 1/2 more, and Providence fumbled that rebound away.
Wichita State 64 - California Poly 37
Wichita State has a brutal quarter of the bracket between it and the Final Four. But that brutal road did not begin with Cal Poly, who was 14-19 on the season. Easy win for the still undefeated Shockers.
Stephen F. Austin 77 - VCU 75 (OT)
This game went to overtime because a) VCU missed 4 of their last 5 free throw attempts, and b) VCU, while up 4, fouled a 3-point shooter (who made the shot and then converted the 4-point play) with 3.6 seconds left in the game.
In overtime, VCU struggled to break down the SFA zone. They got plenty of good three-point looks, but missed the bulk of them (including the potential game-winner as time expired).
And so VCU violated Rule #1 of the NCAA Tournament: Don't lose to a team named after a single person.
A great back-and-forth game featuring a good comeback attempt by our country's first president, but said comeback ended very anti-climatically with an air-balled three-pointer
North Carolina 79 - Providence 77
Tremendous game, and I'm not juts saying that because of the local flavor. PC guard Bryce Cotton is an amazing talent, as he played all 40 minutes (not uncommon, PC goes just 6 deep and Cotton actually averaged over 40 minutes per game in Big East play) and carried the Providence offense for long stretches of the game.
In the end, Providence gave up to many offensive rebounds (UNC had 21 in the game) due to a combination of giving up a little size, fatigue, and lots of zone defense. Sure enough, with the game tied at 77, UNC rebounded a missed shot, was fouled, hit 1/2 free throws, rebounded the miss, hit 1/2 more, and Providence fumbled that rebound away.
Wichita State 64 - California Poly 37
Wichita State has a brutal quarter of the bracket between it and the Final Four. But that brutal road did not begin with Cal Poly, who was 14-19 on the season. Easy win for the still undefeated Shockers.
Stephen F. Austin 77 - VCU 75 (OT)
This game went to overtime because a) VCU missed 4 of their last 5 free throw attempts, and b) VCU, while up 4, fouled a 3-point shooter (who made the shot and then converted the 4-point play) with 3.6 seconds left in the game.
In overtime, VCU struggled to break down the SFA zone. They got plenty of good three-point looks, but missed the bulk of them (including the potential game-winner as time expired).
And so VCU violated Rule #1 of the NCAA Tournament: Don't lose to a team named after a single person.
NCAA Tournament, Day 2, Part 2
Tennessee 86 - Massachusetts 67
NARRATIVE ALERT: Since Tennessee won, they clearly benefited from playing a First Four game to get their feet wet. Other First Four alum NC State's abysmal finish yesterday will be ignored as it does not fit the narrative of the day.
In reality, Tennessee is just a better balanced team than UMass. When UMass couldn't generate turnovers early on with their pressure (Tennessee only had 3 turnovers in the first half), their mediocre offense was exposed and they could not keep up with the Volunteers.
Creighton 76 - Louisiana Lafayette 67
Yes, Doug McDermott led the way, with 30 points. But his teammates did have to show up too, as McDermott was held scoreless for a 14 minute stretch inf the second half.
Kansas 80 - Eastern Kentucky 69
In a development that should shock no one who's been paying attention, a Bill Self-coached team let an undermanned, unworthy opponent to hang around at least 20 game-minutes longer than one would have expected, based on Kansas' record and high seed. In the end, Kansas finally asserted themselves down low, and ended up with a comfortable, double-digit win.
Gonzaga 85 - Oklahoma State 77
There were 51 field goals made in this game. There were 61 fouls, 33 of them called on Oklahoma State. The Cowboys hit the foul trifecta, as they were hit with a flagrant, a technical, and an intentional foul in this game. To call it sloppy would be too kind.
NARRATIVE ALERT: Since Tennessee won, they clearly benefited from playing a First Four game to get their feet wet. Other First Four alum NC State's abysmal finish yesterday will be ignored as it does not fit the narrative of the day.
In reality, Tennessee is just a better balanced team than UMass. When UMass couldn't generate turnovers early on with their pressure (Tennessee only had 3 turnovers in the first half), their mediocre offense was exposed and they could not keep up with the Volunteers.
Creighton 76 - Louisiana Lafayette 67
Yes, Doug McDermott led the way, with 30 points. But his teammates did have to show up too, as McDermott was held scoreless for a 14 minute stretch inf the second half.
Kansas 80 - Eastern Kentucky 69
In a development that should shock no one who's been paying attention, a Bill Self-coached team let an undermanned, unworthy opponent to hang around at least 20 game-minutes longer than one would have expected, based on Kansas' record and high seed. In the end, Kansas finally asserted themselves down low, and ended up with a comfortable, double-digit win.
Gonzaga 85 - Oklahoma State 77
There were 51 field goals made in this game. There were 61 fouls, 33 of them called on Oklahoma State. The Cowboys hit the foul trifecta, as they were hit with a flagrant, a technical, and an intentional foul in this game. To call it sloppy would be too kind.
NCAA Tournament, Day 2, Part 1
Mercer 78 - Duke 71
No, this isn't a typo.
This was a pretty amazing win for Mercer, considering Duke hit 15 of 37 (40.5%) three-point shots, and the Blue Devils had 16 offensive rebounds.
On the other hand, it's pretty amazing that Duke kept the game that close considering they shot 7 of 25 from inside the arc, shot less than half as many free throws as Mercer, and had more turnovers than the 14 seed.
Baylor 74 - Nebraska 60
Frankly, Nebraska making the tournament is such a shock that everything (including this blowout loss) is gravy.
Dishonorable mention to Nebraska coach Tim Miles for getting ejected for getting his second technical foul for walking onto the court to alert the officials to the fact that shot clock wasn't working.
Stanford 58 - New Mexico 53
Stanford was comfortably ahead until late in the second half, when New Mexico rallied to tie it, but they could never take the lead. Eventually Stanford put the game away with good late free throw shooting.
Arizona 68 - Weber State 59
This game looks closer than it was, Arizona was up by 21 halfway through the second quarter before they (prematurely) let up and let Weber State make it look close by the end. It wasn't the colossal mismatch you'd expect from a 1 versus 16 matchup, but it wasn't quite a Florida on Thursday level performance either.
No, this isn't a typo.
This was a pretty amazing win for Mercer, considering Duke hit 15 of 37 (40.5%) three-point shots, and the Blue Devils had 16 offensive rebounds.
On the other hand, it's pretty amazing that Duke kept the game that close considering they shot 7 of 25 from inside the arc, shot less than half as many free throws as Mercer, and had more turnovers than the 14 seed.
Baylor 74 - Nebraska 60
Frankly, Nebraska making the tournament is such a shock that everything (including this blowout loss) is gravy.
Dishonorable mention to Nebraska coach Tim Miles for getting ejected for getting his second technical foul for walking onto the court to alert the officials to the fact that shot clock wasn't working.
Stanford 58 - New Mexico 53
Stanford was comfortably ahead until late in the second half, when New Mexico rallied to tie it, but they could never take the lead. Eventually Stanford put the game away with good late free throw shooting.
Arizona 68 - Weber State 59
This game looks closer than it was, Arizona was up by 21 halfway through the second quarter before they (prematurely) let up and let Weber State make it look close by the end. It wasn't the colossal mismatch you'd expect from a 1 versus 16 matchup, but it wasn't quite a Florida on Thursday level performance either.
NCAA Tournament, Day 1, Part 4
Texas 87 - Arizona State 85
I had a whole paragraph here about how I can't take Texas coach Rick Barnes' coaching acumen seriously (he's a heck of a recruiter though), but it disappeared and, rather than re-write it now I'll simply save it for later in the tournament (most likely Saturday) since Texas held on to win.
I'm glad I stayed up for this ending, as it was a classic buzzer beater, with Texas' Cameron Ridley (built like a Mack truck) got his putback attempt over the outstretched hand of ASU's Jordan Bachynski (quite a feat considering he's 7'2").
This picture says it all:
Villanova 73 - Milwaukee 53
Villanova was leading by only 4 points, then clearly realized 1 of 2 things at halftime:
1) "Guys, we're playing the Milwaukee college team, not the NBA one."
2) "Guys, even if we're playing the Bucks, we should be winning by a lot more than 4 points"
If you don't get it, take a look a NBA Milwaukee's record.
Louisville 71 - Manhattan 64
Rick Pitino spent much of yesterday complaining about having to face Manhattan in the first round because they are coached by his former ball boy, player, and assistant coach who knows Pitino and his program inside-out. Turns out, Pitino was on to something. That's the thing about self-serving highly paid head coaches like Pitino or Saban: when they complain they sound self-absorbed and ridiculous, but they're usually right.
San Diego State 73 - New Mexico State 69 (OT)
Why did a 4 seed have such trouble with New Mexico State? They had to try and guard this guy:
Yeah, his name is Sim Bhullar and he's 7'5". Luckily for SD State, after letting a 14 point lead slip away in the second half, they were able to pull this one out in overtime.
I had a whole paragraph here about how I can't take Texas coach Rick Barnes' coaching acumen seriously (he's a heck of a recruiter though), but it disappeared and, rather than re-write it now I'll simply save it for later in the tournament (most likely Saturday) since Texas held on to win.
I'm glad I stayed up for this ending, as it was a classic buzzer beater, with Texas' Cameron Ridley (built like a Mack truck) got his putback attempt over the outstretched hand of ASU's Jordan Bachynski (quite a feat considering he's 7'2").
This picture says it all:
Villanova 73 - Milwaukee 53
Villanova was leading by only 4 points, then clearly realized 1 of 2 things at halftime:
1) "Guys, we're playing the Milwaukee college team, not the NBA one."
2) "Guys, even if we're playing the Bucks, we should be winning by a lot more than 4 points"
If you don't get it, take a look a NBA Milwaukee's record.
Louisville 71 - Manhattan 64
Rick Pitino spent much of yesterday complaining about having to face Manhattan in the first round because they are coached by his former ball boy, player, and assistant coach who knows Pitino and his program inside-out. Turns out, Pitino was on to something. That's the thing about self-serving highly paid head coaches like Pitino or Saban: when they complain they sound self-absorbed and ridiculous, but they're usually right.
San Diego State 73 - New Mexico State 69 (OT)
Why did a 4 seed have such trouble with New Mexico State? They had to try and guard this guy:
Yeah, his name is Sim Bhullar and he's 7'5". Luckily for SD State, after letting a 14 point lead slip away in the second half, they were able to pull this one out in overtime.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
NCAA Tournament, Day 1, Part 3
Connecticut 89 - St. Joseph's 81 (OT)
Admittedly I missed most of this game, but I did see that, with a 3-point lead, St. Joe's fouled UConn's Amida Brimah as he shot a put-back, giving him the chance at a three-point play (which he converted). And then UConn made 15 free throws in the overtime period.
Michigan 57 - Wofford 40
My first thought was, "How on Earth did Michigan score just 57 points??" Then I looked at the box score and saw that the Wolverines missed 15 of their first 18 shots in the second half. Yikes. Maybe they should get some offensive tips from Ohio State.
St. Louis 83 - North Carolina State 80 (OT)
This was an absolutely abysmal showing down the stretch by NC State. The Wolfpack had a 14-point lead with eight minutes to play, and a 6-point lead with 57 seconds to play. From that point they missed 4/6 free throws. They also had some terrible turnovers against the St. Louis desperate press in the last three minutes. All-in-all, just awful play from the ACC team.
Overtime wasn't much prettier, for either team. Missed free throws, brainfarts, this game had it all. In the end, St. Louis made one or two fewer mistakes.
North Dakota State 80 - Oklahoma 75 (OT)
Oklahoma spent most of the second half trailing, until finally taking the lead with 1:30 left in the game. Again, finishing was a problem, as the Sooners missed two of their last four free throws, allowing North Dakota State a chance to climb back in, which they took advantage of, hitting a three-pointer to tie the game with 12 seconds left, sending the 3rd game of these 4 into overtime. In OT, Oklahoma simply couldn't hit their shots, and another 5 seed fell at the hands of a 12.
Admittedly I missed most of this game, but I did see that, with a 3-point lead, St. Joe's fouled UConn's Amida Brimah as he shot a put-back, giving him the chance at a three-point play (which he converted). And then UConn made 15 free throws in the overtime period.
Michigan 57 - Wofford 40
My first thought was, "How on Earth did Michigan score just 57 points??" Then I looked at the box score and saw that the Wolverines missed 15 of their first 18 shots in the second half. Yikes. Maybe they should get some offensive tips from Ohio State.
St. Louis 83 - North Carolina State 80 (OT)
This was an absolutely abysmal showing down the stretch by NC State. The Wolfpack had a 14-point lead with eight minutes to play, and a 6-point lead with 57 seconds to play. From that point they missed 4/6 free throws. They also had some terrible turnovers against the St. Louis desperate press in the last three minutes. All-in-all, just awful play from the ACC team.
Overtime wasn't much prettier, for either team. Missed free throws, brainfarts, this game had it all. In the end, St. Louis made one or two fewer mistakes.
North Dakota State 80 - Oklahoma 75 (OT)
Oklahoma spent most of the second half trailing, until finally taking the lead with 1:30 left in the game. Again, finishing was a problem, as the Sooners missed two of their last four free throws, allowing North Dakota State a chance to climb back in, which they took advantage of, hitting a three-pointer to tie the game with 12 seconds left, sending the 3rd game of these 4 into overtime. In OT, Oklahoma simply couldn't hit their shots, and another 5 seed fell at the hands of a 12.
NCAA Tournament, Day 1, Part 2
Syracuse 77 - Western Michigan 53
NARRATIVE ALERT: Western Michigan clearly wasn't ready for the 2-3 zone of Syracuse. Syracuse presents a unique defensive look and it's hard to simulate this look without actually playing the Orange during the season.
Checks box score, sees Western Michigan shot 34.7% from the field, and 22.2% from behind the three-point arc.
Narrative approved.
Oregon 87 - BYU 68
Hmmm, another not very interesting game. Would it be bad form to bring up Super Bowl XLVIII again? You guys all remember that one, the one where Seattle won their first Super Bowl? Anybody? Anyone? Hello......?
Florida 67 - Albany 55
I have to give Albany lots of credit as they hung in all game long. There was one stretch in the second half where their point guard got accidentally kneed in the head and missed maybe 1-2 minutes of game time. In that short period, Florida went on a 6 or 8 point run as no one else on Albany could deal with Florida's press. By the time the point guard came back in, it was too late. Florida had a lead they would not relinquish.
Michigan State 93 - Delaware 78
Holy cow. Adrian Payne had 41 points in this game. That's the first 40-point game since Stephen Curry did it back in 2008.
NARRATIVE ALERT: Western Michigan clearly wasn't ready for the 2-3 zone of Syracuse. Syracuse presents a unique defensive look and it's hard to simulate this look without actually playing the Orange during the season.
Checks box score, sees Western Michigan shot 34.7% from the field, and 22.2% from behind the three-point arc.
Narrative approved.
Oregon 87 - BYU 68
Hmmm, another not very interesting game. Would it be bad form to bring up Super Bowl XLVIII again? You guys all remember that one, the one where Seattle won their first Super Bowl? Anybody? Anyone? Hello......?
Florida 67 - Albany 55
I have to give Albany lots of credit as they hung in all game long. There was one stretch in the second half where their point guard got accidentally kneed in the head and missed maybe 1-2 minutes of game time. In that short period, Florida went on a 6 or 8 point run as no one else on Albany could deal with Florida's press. By the time the point guard came back in, it was too late. Florida had a lead they would not relinquish.
Michigan State 93 - Delaware 78
Holy cow. Adrian Payne had 41 points in this game. That's the first 40-point game since Stephen Curry did it back in 2008.
NCAA Tournament Day 1, Part 1
Dayton 60 - Ohio State 59
Ohio State's offense reminds me of the Pitt teams from a few years ago. That's not a compliment.
The Buckeyes climbed back into the game by simply attacking the rim. They did a great job getting to the rim, but only an average job finishing.
I give Dayton credit on their last offensive possession: their guard started his drive with 7-8 seconds left, not 4 or 5. This allowed him to make his move (which was essentially to spread the floor and take Aaron Craft off the dribble which seems like it shouldn't work on paper). Sure it gave Ohio State a chance to tie, but better to have the option to pass, or pump fake than be locked into a bad shot if Ohio State had played better defense.
Warren Buffet must have loved this game, as a large majority of the country had Ohio State winning this game. Usually the basketball gods give us peons more than 2+ hours of hope of picking a perfect bracket. Not this year.
Wisconsin 75 - American 35
In the first half, the big guy from American was just throwing up ridiculous stuff and it was going in. Then that stopped, and American didn't have much else to throw at Wisconsin. .
It was 32-22 Wisconsin at halftime. As for the second half, wow, that escalated quickly. I mean that really got out of hand fast.
Pittsburgh 77 - Colorado 48
Wow this was a snoozer. The Broncos were almost more competitive in the Super Bowl than Colorado was in this game. Pittsburgh was up 46-18 at halftime. That's mind-boggling, it usually takes Pitt two halves to put up that many points.
Harvard 61 - Cincinnati 57
I didn't see much of this game, but what I did see wasn't pretty when it came to Cincinnati's offense. Harvard did a good job not letting Cincy's big man dominate in the paint, and they definitely out-executed the Bearcats offensively. COngratulations to Harvard, the first Ivy League school to win tournament games in back-to-back years since 1983-84.
Ohio State's offense reminds me of the Pitt teams from a few years ago. That's not a compliment.
The Buckeyes climbed back into the game by simply attacking the rim. They did a great job getting to the rim, but only an average job finishing.
I give Dayton credit on their last offensive possession: their guard started his drive with 7-8 seconds left, not 4 or 5. This allowed him to make his move (which was essentially to spread the floor and take Aaron Craft off the dribble which seems like it shouldn't work on paper). Sure it gave Ohio State a chance to tie, but better to have the option to pass, or pump fake than be locked into a bad shot if Ohio State had played better defense.
Warren Buffet must have loved this game, as a large majority of the country had Ohio State winning this game. Usually the basketball gods give us peons more than 2+ hours of hope of picking a perfect bracket. Not this year.
Wisconsin 75 - American 35
In the first half, the big guy from American was just throwing up ridiculous stuff and it was going in. Then that stopped, and American didn't have much else to throw at Wisconsin. .
It was 32-22 Wisconsin at halftime. As for the second half, wow, that escalated quickly. I mean that really got out of hand fast.
Pittsburgh 77 - Colorado 48
Wow this was a snoozer. The Broncos were almost more competitive in the Super Bowl than Colorado was in this game. Pittsburgh was up 46-18 at halftime. That's mind-boggling, it usually takes Pitt two halves to put up that many points.
Harvard 61 - Cincinnati 57
I didn't see much of this game, but what I did see wasn't pretty when it came to Cincinnati's offense. Harvard did a good job not letting Cincy's big man dominate in the paint, and they definitely out-executed the Bearcats offensively. COngratulations to Harvard, the first Ivy League school to win tournament games in back-to-back years since 1983-84.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Two Pieces of News I Had to Share
- The Montreal Canadiens fired their coach yesterday and promoted an assistant coach to take his place. The citizens, and government of Montreal and Quebec are up in arms over the new head coach. Is he clearly unqualified? Well, in their eyes, yes, but not for reasons you would think. It's because he doesn't speak French. And in Quebec, not speaking French is a bigger affront to their sensibilities than actually invading Paris.
Right. It's not important whether the guy can actually coach, reach players, teach schemes, etc. As long as he can speak French he's qualified for the job, and anyone who can't? Sorry, you can't hire him. Brilliant.
- Read this story dealing with a graduate-student college basketball player being held hostage by his former coach with an ax to grind.
All I can say after reading this is I hope the St. Joseph's basketball program a) comes to its senses quickly, and b) achieves no NCAA tournament success until current coach Phil Martelli is gone from the program.
Right. It's not important whether the guy can actually coach, reach players, teach schemes, etc. As long as he can speak French he's qualified for the job, and anyone who can't? Sorry, you can't hire him. Brilliant.
- Read this story dealing with a graduate-student college basketball player being held hostage by his former coach with an ax to grind.
All I can say after reading this is I hope the St. Joseph's basketball program a) comes to its senses quickly, and b) achieves no NCAA tournament success until current coach Phil Martelli is gone from the program.
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