Final Four 2010

We are down to the Final Four, and what a strange journey it has been. In the end, though, there are two familiar faces in Duke and Michigan State and two unlikelies in West Virginia and Butler (the latter much more so).

How They Got There.

#5 Butler Bulldogs
Butler completed there improbable run to Indianapolis (their home city) with an impressive win over Kansas State. Gordon Hayward, is the real deal and possibly the Great White Hype. He is a tall, 6'9'' point guard with great range and a sneaky good offensive skill set. He was the conference player of the year, and if Butler can pull this thing off, he may just be tournament MVP.
Kansas State looked like shit, and had I heard this stat before the game I would have picked Butler. The last 9 teams to win a tournament game in overtime (K-State beat Xavier in 2OT) have lost in the next round! What?! WOW! They clearly did not have the same energy, especially in the backourt. Pullen and Clemente managed 1 first half field goal, and that was in the final 10 seconds of the half. To put it plainly, they sucked. As much, as they struggled though, Butler looked very good.
Shelvin Mack, Gordon Hayward and Matt Howard seem on a mission and they will be the decided crowd favorite in Indy.


#2 West Virginia Mountaineers
Some people actually picked this team to get here, and I thought they were fucking crazy. I've thought WVU was a good team all year long, but I thought they had too much working against them. In the tournament I always like guard play, and I just wasn't that impressed with Bryant and Mazzulla. However, Mazzulla was magnificent against Kentucky this weekend and fueled their victory with big baskets when they needed them. I also am not a Huggybear fan, and I think for the most part he's been a terrible disappointment in the tournaments. But, nonetheless he's gotten this team to scrap together some huge wins on their march to the final four.
Kentucky was god-awful shooting the ball on Saturday and didn't impress on defense either. They really just didn't show up to play. The one thing I thought would give them trouble in my preview, came to fruition. They could not get the ball in the paint around the long arms of the WVU perimeter. WVU did an excellent job of forcing the pace, and shot the lights out...no 2 pt field goals in the first half. All threes! I doubt they continue that hot shooting in the next round.


#5 Michigan State Spartans
They should just name the trophy after Tom Izzo. The dude is unreal. In the last 12 years, he's gone to the Final Four 50% of the time. No other basketball program can claim that, and yet when we think of top programs we often leave Michigan State out of the conversation. Perhaps, we are too close to the moment to really appreciate what is happening up in East Lansing, MI. Despite not having Kalin Lucas, their best player, the Spartans played a great game and in the end their lock-down D was too much for Tennessee to handle. UT played a tremendous game as well, under Coach Pearl. They were led by a great effort from Brian Williams who was all over the glass and making plays from the paint all day.
Tennessee got a little sloppy and also committed some dumb fouls late in the 2nd half that eventually doomed them. I've heard some people saying that the foul at the end wasn't actually a foul, but that is pretty absurd. They are definitely going to call that...and you have to foul there. You can't give up a lay-up to win the game. Make him earn 'em! J.P. Prince put up one of the more feeble buzzer-beaters I've ever seen at the end. I'm not even sure if reached the free-throw line.
In the end, Izzo is back in the Final Four, and we never should have doubted him anyway.


#1 Duke Blue Devils
Man, I hate Duke. This game was a perfect microcosm of why I hate the Duke Blue Devils. They just get under your skin. Baylor was looking really good, led by some marvellous play from big-man Epke Udoh and guard LaceDarrius Dunn. They had a lead with under 5 to play, but that is when Duke went to work on the offensive glass. I know Baylor was in a zone, but their front court was 6'10'' 7'0'' and 6'10''. It is really pretty inexcusable to be giving up those 2nd chance opportunities. Those opportunities fueled a late surge by Duke, and then Baylor lost their tempers a bit and Acy picked up a technical foul. I thought it was a pretty weak call, but you have to keep your emotions in check, especially against Duke, those snot-nosed spoiled brats that do nothing but irritate you.
Duke still has not shot the ball particularly well, as evidenced by Kyle Singler going 0-10 from the floor. I really would have loved to seen him be the reason they lost yesterday, but apparently God hates me and wants to make me watch Duke in the Final Four. I don't know what is worse, Yankees in WS or Duke in the Final Four.

Anyway, they're here and unfortunately I like their chances. (I'm just saying that because all my predictions have been buptkus.) I would love to see Izzo give it to Krewserweski in the Championship.

Jesus Previews Tonight's Action

The NCAA tournament gets going once again tonight with 4 games and two #1 seeds in action. Let me just take this moment to say how much I hate the delay in games between the 2nd round and the Sweet 16. I know that teams probably need a little rest and some game-planning and some travel and all that jazz, but man this tournament was really cooking after two rounds, and the pause has kind of taken off a little luster for me. Don't get me wrong I'll still be tuned in and glued to the couch, but I hate waiting.
Anyway...here's my preview of the games and who I think will win and why.
Of course, judging from my bracket I don't think that it really matters much what I think. Clearly, my crystal ball has become a bit clouded.

#1 Syracuse vs #5 Butler
Tip at 7:07 EST
I think the Orange roll in this one, despite not having Onuaku. I just haven't seen anything from them yet that would indicate his loss being a huge weakness. Tehy disposed of the Gonzaga Bulldogs like it was no big thing, and I think that tonight will be much of the same. If Syracuse can dictate their style of play, Butler has no chance. Butler wants to slow this game down and keep it in the 60s. Despite their stingy zone, 'Cuse likes to push the rock and get it up and down off TO's and rebounds. Howard for Butler is averaging well below his season output so far in the tourney, and I think that zone will swallow him up.
Prediction SU 82- BU 70


#2 West Virginia vs #11 Washington
Anyone who has U-Dub this far in the bracket is either from Seattle or retarded.
But, they look like they belong, and like they think they deserved a better seed. A team that plays with a little chip on their shoulder can be a dangerous thing in this tournament. West Virginia lost their starting PG in Truck Bryant who suffered a broken foot in practice. I think that will hurt them more than some might figure, because his physical presence might have kept speedster Isaiah Thomas out of the paint for U-Dub. The Mountaineers will turn to Joe Mazzulla to run the point for more minutes than usual, and while they are long and athletic on the perimeter, I don't think they move their feet well enough to keep Washington out of the paint which will also open up looks from three on the kick out.
If West Virginia is going to advance, it is going to take a super effort from DaSean Butler. However, I actually like the Huskies in this one. They've been hot. We'll see if they can keep it up.
Prediction: UW 75 - WVU 73


#2 Kansas State - #6 Xavier
Frank "The Marine" Martin has his boys from Manhattan (Kansas) playing some great ball, and many are picking this team to go all the way to the Final Four. I'm not one of them, but I think they'll prevail in this one. Xavier has looked good to this point as well, but I don't think they have the horses to match up with K-State. The two teams put up almost identical stats, so this is a tough one to pick, but I'll go with the Wildcats. Pullen and Clemente are trying to let people know THEY have the best backcourt in the country. I love guards in the NCAA and the K-State duo is dynamite. On top of that K-State is the #1 rebounding team in the country, lengthy and athletic. That could pose a problem for the smaller Xavier squad.
Prediction: KSU - 84 Xavier 75


#1 Kentucky vs #12 Cornell
OK. We all know what John Wall and company bring to the table. Youth. Energy. Talent. Cockiness. They've looked like the best team in this tournament so far. Their backcourt is explosive and Cousins and Patterson on the inside give them a frontcourt to match up with just about anyone. At any given moment, the Wildcats often have the best five players on the court in blue and white. Coach Cal has done an unbelievable job of implementing his system (pay for the top talent?) in hist first year. He is a greasy used car salesman who coaches a hell of a basketball game.
That being said...I like this Cornell team. A lot. Jay Bilas has predicted the upset of upsets, and while I'm not going to go that far. I will say that I think this could be the best game of the night. Cornell is the best shooting team in the tourney (maybe not stat wise, but they light it up) led by Senior guard, Whitman who is the top scorer in Ivy League history. This kid had multiple D-1 offers and passed to get the top-notch education so that people in an office can someday kiss his ass while he tells them to get back to work, and then does a couple lines between crunching some numbers. You know how those Ivy League types are. That's neither here nor there, however. The point is they stretch the D which opens things up for the big man inside, center Jeff Foote. He is a great college center with touch on the inside and a little range, good rebounder and paint defender. If you recall the two games against Mississippi State this year Kentucky struggled against a team that hoists so many 3s. They got a little out-of-control trying to push off of long rebounds, adn of course MSU made a lot of those 3s too. Look for Cornell to do the same thing. Bledsoe and Wall will have to chase those Cornell guards off the perimeter and let them try to take it in against Patterson and Cousins. Good luck with that! In the end, Kentucky just has too much talent to bet against. Then again, so did Kansas...
Prediction: UK 85 - Cornell 79

Sparty to the rescue!

WOW!
#5 Michigan State 85 - #4 Maryland 83
It looked to be Grevais Vasquez's day after sinking a running floater with under 7 seconds to put the Terps ahead by one. That's when Korie Lucious sank a three at the buzzer to give Michigan State the win, in another wildly entertaining game Sunday afternoon. This opening 4 days has been ridiculous. This is why they call it Madness, and this is why many consider this the greatest event in sports. Every game is a Game 7. The last few years haven't been terribly exciting, but 2010 is making up for it.
What a game!
Kalin Lucas went down with an injury, though, possibly an Achilles problem. They may have their hands full with Northern Iowa.

#12 Cornell 87 - #4 Wisconsin 69

Cornell and Northern Iowa postpone the pumpkin for another round at least. The Glass Slipper still fits, as The Big Red take out Wisconsin. Cornell proved to be too much to handle with their inside-outside game and Wisconsin struggled to score for much of the contest. Cornell looks good, and can play at a varied pace which gives opponents a lot of problems. You can't really slow them down, because they're good in the half-court, and they can run and gun with Whitman on the perimeter. They'll play Kentucky in the Sweet 16. Can't wait for that one!

#1 Syracuse 87 - #9 Gonzaga 65
Another 9 down at the hands of a #1. It really seems they don't have much of a chance. Gonzaga was way overmatched in this one and it was really over from the tip. Syracuse showed up in full force for the home crowd in Buffalo. Good. Fuck Gonzaga. I've never really enjoyed them anyway.

#2 West Virginia 68 - #10 Missouri 59
Well, West Virginia and Huggybear proved me wrong for at least one game. I think Clemson would have given them fits, but they pretty much had this game wrapped up from the get-go. West Virginia is very lanky and athletic on the perimeter, which kept Missouri from getting many great looks at 3, something that they did well against Clemson. WVU will face Washington in the next game, which should be an entertaining affair. Go Huskies!

#2 Ohio State 75 - #10 Georgia Tech 66
Ohio State continues to roll, defeating Georgia Tech. Steph must be crying in his vaseline. Ohio State looks strong behind Evan Turner, and will face Tennessee next. This game should be very good, and I expect OSU to have their first real test in a close game so far this tournament.

More updates after the late games. This tourney just won't quit! I LOVE IT!

WHAT THE...??? Nooooooooo!

Well about 80% of America's brackets went bust yesterday, as the Jayhawks, the most popular pick to win it all went and lost to Northern Fucking Iowa yesterday.
Just before making my last post on Saturday I thought to myself that Kansas could very easily find themselves in a let-down game here. Bill Self and the boys had been a little cocky for my taste heading into the tourney, and this is what they got.

Here's a look at the rest of Saturday's action and a look at today's games as well.

#5 Butler 54 - #13 Murray State 52
The Bulldogs keep marching and they face the winner of Syracuse and Gonzaga.

#6 Tennessee 83 - #14 Ohio 68
This one wasn't much of a contest and the carriage turned back into a pumpkin early for Ohio after their miracle win over Georgetown. Not bad though, for a team who finished 9th in their conference. They definitely made the most of their opportunity once they got in.

#3 Baylor 76 - #11 Old Dominion 68
The Golden Bears survive another round and head for the Sweet 16. This is a team I have as a possible Final Four squad, because I think their bracket could open up for them. They present a lot of match-up problems and are very athletic.

#11 Washington 82 - #3 New Mexico 64
The PAC-10 has two teams in the Sweet 16. So far the Big East has none, but Syracuse and Pitt could match them with wins today. Washington has suddenly turned into the team they were supposed to be all year, which is very scary for any team they play. New Mexico was disappointing as a 3 seed, and should never be seeded so high again. Unless, they are truly good and not just a phony win total.

#2 Kansas State 84 - #7 BYU 72
The Stormin' Mormon train came to a halt at the hands of K-State who looks good heading into a match-up with either Xavier or Pitt. Coach Frank Martin is intense and seems more like a drill sergeant than a coach at times. I don't think Glen Baby Davis could have played for him. He would have cried a lot. Go K-State!

#1 Kentucky 90 - #9 Wake Forest 60
True to form, #9 seeds continued their struggles against #1 seeds, even though 8/9 games are about 50/50. #9s hardly ever win their 2nd rd match-up. Kentucky is rolling. They are loose and having fun. We'll see how they respond to their first taste of adversity, which could happen in the Sweet 16. One thing that bothers me though, is what a used car salesman Calipari is. That dude loves talking about himself and being in front of the camera. He's just a little too good at interviews for me. He's always articulate and never has any problems saying how well his team is doing. It's weird because I think I always hate the interviews that seem so canned and rehearsed, but then I get Calipari and I am reminded why I prefer guys like Jim Boeheim or Jim Calhoun. Calipari is just too smooth. Suspicious. But his team is not.

Today's games:
#1 Syracuse - #9 Gonzaga
#2 Ohio State - #10 Georgia Tech
#4 Maryland - #5 Michigan State
#2 West Virginia - #10 Missouri
#3 Wisconsin - #12 Cornell
#3 Pittsburgh - #6 Xavier
#4 Purdue - #5 Texas A&M
#1 Duke - #8 California

Predictions:
Syracuse
Ohio State
Maryland
Missouri
Cornell
Pitt
A&M
Duke

On to the next one (updated)

On to the next round, folks.


The first round was chock full of upsets and buzzer beaters and nail-biter finishes. Honestly, it was probably the best first round I can remember. I can't remember 1991 having 6 double-digit seeds win, but 2010 has 6 double-digit seeds in round 2.

To wrap up last night's action...

#1 Syracuse 79 - #16 Vermont 56
The Orange didn't miss a beat without the big guy and absolutely stomped on the Catamounts, who are clearly not the team that featured Taylor Coppenrath a few years ago.

#8 California 77 - #9 Louisvile 62
The PAC-10 is representing so far. Better than the Big East has, anyway. Washington and Cal both won their opener against opponents that many saw as superior.
Pitino continues his disappointing ways in the tourney, post-Kentucky.

#2 Ohio State 68 - #15 UC Santa Barbara 51
The Gauchos were no match for Evan Turner and the boys, as OSU rolled to a victory.

#4 Maryland - #13 Houston
Grevais Vasquez and the Terp rolled over Houston. I like this team to give Michigan State a game in rd two, possibly even win. MSU was a little beat up against NMSU and didn't look very convincing in their victory. Either way, its a great game between two terriffic tourney coaches in Izzo and Gary Williams. Set the TV timer for that one!

Today's action features:
#2 Villanova 75 vs #10 St Mary's 68 *UPDATED*
The Gaels march on to the Sweet 16 after knocking Villanova out of the tournament. Many had 'Nova in the Elite 8 if not the Final Four, but St Mary's looks to be this year's Cinderella, although BYU, Murray State and Old Dominion might have something to say about that.

More updates later today. I may be drunk, though, so don't expect good spelling!

#13 Murray State vs #5 Butler

#14 Ohio vs #6 Tennessee

#9 Northern Iowa vs #1 Kansas

#3 Baylor vs #11 Old Dominion

#11 Washington vs #3 New Mexico

#7 BYU vs #2 Kansas State

#1 Kentucky vs #9 Wake Forest

MY picks for today's games (not from my bracket):
Villanova
Murray State
Tennessee
Kansas (really looking forward to this game, to see how KU steps up...or not)
Baylor
Washington
BYU
Kentucky

The Ivy League can, indeed! (updated Day 2 action)

#12 Cornell 78 - #5 Temple 65

The upsets continue, and Cornell is the latest double-digit seed to get a victory, upsetting #5 Temple. Jesus called it, and some of you on the comments laughed at me. Who is laughin' now, bitches! That was a bad matchup for Temple, despite what some people thought. Look for Cornell to give Wisconsin (or Wofford) hell in rd 2 as well.
Love the inside-out combo of Foote and Wittman. Dale is a nice steady guard for the Big Red as well. Sweet 16 on the horizon? We shall see.

#2 West Virginia 77 - #14 Morgan State 50
Easy piezy...but the Mountaineers are going down in rd 2 I'm afraid.

#6 Xavier 65 - #11 Minnesota 54
Tubby continues his losing ways in the tourney without Pitino's recruits. Xavier looked good, which helped the A-10 save a little face. I like Xavier to maybe make a little run if they can get by Pitt (presumably).

#4 Purdue and #13 Siena just got under way. Will update that one after the final.
Siena looks to continue the string of 1st round wins they've had the last couple seasons.

*UPDATE #1*
#10 Missouri 86 - #7 Clemson 78
Mizzou held off the Clemson Tigers in what was a very entertaining matc-hup. These two played at a frenetic pace the whole game and it was a very close game until Missouri went on a 15-5 run to give them enough cushion to hold on. If you missed this one, you missed one of the better first round games.

#4 Wisconsin 53 - #13 Wofford 49 (who?)
Wofford is basically a poor man's version of Bo Ryan's Badger squad. They gave the Badgers fits with their defense all day long, and this one was very nearly an upset, as Wofford had a lead late. Then they went without a field goal in almost the final five minutes, and Wisconsin survived the upset scare. I think Cinderella might be running out of glass slippers. If another team lets a low seed sneak up on them, they really have no excuses. These teams came to play this year!

#4 Purdue 72 - #13 Siena 64
The Boilermakers got enough from guys not named Hummel to survive this one, though I don't feel good about their 2nd round game against either Texas A&M or Utah State.

#3 Pitt A LOT - #14 Oakland A LITTLE
This one is not final yet, but the Panthers are rolling up 16 as I write this with a few minutes left. I like this Pitt team to surprise some folks and knock off a beat-up Syracuse.

I like Utah State over A&M but in my bracket I have A&M in the sweet 16. Eeek. I'd say go Aggies, but they're both Aggies. Go A&M!

*UPDATE #2*
#5 Texas A&M - #12 Utah State
A&M wins the battle of the Aggies. Looked pretty good doing so.

#8 Gonzaga - #9 Florida State
The Zags hold on in this one to beat the 'Noles. Had this one pegged. Some people like Gonzaga to be a surprise. They've been too inconsistent for me. They'll most likely face Syracuse next. Not happening.

#10 Georgia Tech - #7 Oklahoma State
Somewhere John Salley is celebrating...along with Steph Marbury who is probably high and eating vaseline. The Jackets led by Derrick Favors 12 points and 9 boards beat the Cowboys. I don't think this was much of an upset. These teams are pretty even.

#1 Duke #16 Ark. Pine Bluff
Duke looked impressive in this in. I was a little nervous they might have to squeak one out, but they whooped up on UAPB pretty bad. I hope they lose their next game. Fuck Duke.

#5 Michigan State - #12 New Mexico State
This game was way too close for comfort. With NMSU leading at many points, but never by a wide margin. Michigan State kept battling and got big shots when they needed them, and a few key stops down the stretch. Jahmar Young, NMSU's best player in this game fouled out with just under a minute left, and that seemed to spell doom for The Aggies. But then the Spartans lost a rebound out of bounds and NMSU nailed a 3 off the following in-bounds pass to make it a one point game with under 30 tics. Raymar Morgan missed the 2nd free-throw, but there was a lane violation on NMSU and made the next one. NMSU got two decent looks but bricked both, giving Michigan State the fortunate victory.


Syracuse vs Vermont, Houston vs Maryland, Louisville vs Cal, Ohio State vs UC Santa Barbara are all on the docket for tonight. If I'm sober when I get home I'll update those. If not, then tomorrow morning.

Bracket = f*cked

WOW! What a goddamn first day! We had FIVE double-digit seeds get a first round victory and a couple others come pretty damn close. Outside of Kansas State, every game was wildly entertaining. I will admit that I didn't see this many upsets coming...obviously. I picked G'town to go down in rd two, but if you picked that one then you were employing the "girlfriend" method of picking or you are a "girlfriend."
Here's a recap of the night's action. (See yesterday's posts for the earlier games).

#1 Kentucky 100 - #16 East Tennessee State 71
Kentucky had no problems in this one. I won't waste much time on it. They look good.

#1Kansas 90 - #16 Lehigh 74
The soon-to-be champs kicked some ass, and look to be well on their way to the title. Obviously, that is a gross over-statement, but you gotta go one at a time. And they handled biz.

#8 UNLV 66 - #9 Northern Iowa 69
Well...for all my pandering and shit talking during the year, this team looks pretty decent. I don't think they have a shot in round 2, but they beat UNLV in an entertaining mathcup. The big guy with the DUI is pretty nice. So is the Middle Eastern guy...Farokhmanesh.

#3 Georgetown 83 - #14 Ohio 97
Well, well, well. I think you can add coach Thompson III to that list of choke-artist coaches now. Just like his old man he falls short more often than not in the tourney. He's a cocky SOB and that rubs off on his guys who are routinely unprepared to play in this tournament. Ohio looked beastly. We'll see if they can keep that momentum going.

#11 San Diego State 59 - #6 Tennessee 62
This game was awesome. I was pulling for SDSU the whole time. I always liked Steve Fischer, and their little guard was a nice player. In the end UT was too much. I had SDSU and G'Town in this section of the bracket. Ouch!

#6 Washington 80 - #11 Marquette 78
The Huskies looked better than I expected coming from the terrible PAC-10. They played well late in the year, and may be peaking at the right time. They have great athleticism and seem to make big shots (At least in this game). I actually had Marquette as my sleeper to the Elite 8. That was dumb, and I regretted it once the brackets locked. Damn. This game was back and forth though, and maybe my favorite game of the day.

#5 Butler 77 - #12 UTEP 59
I really hate Butler. They're the new Gonzaga with all the curly-haried white guys and somewhat athletic black guys not good enough to play in the PAC-10 (until this yr) and they are just not entertaining to me. I really wanted UTEP, and they were a popular pick here, but just didn't have enough.

#3 New Mexico - #14 Montana
The Grizzlies almost pulled out another upset last night. This game looked to be wrapped up for UNM about half way through the 2nd and then after the Wake Forest buzzer beater they went to this game and it was a one-point affair! I don't think my heart could have handled it! Luckily, The Lobos got a couple stops and some big buckets down the stretch. They do not look impressive thus far for a #3.

#8 Texas - #9 Wake Forest
Texas wrapped up the season in fitting fashion - disappointment. An unbelievably talented, yet mismanaged and uninspired roster found themselves in an 8/9 game against the Deacons after being the #1 team in the country at one point, and a popular pick to unseat KU in the Big12. Yet, they fizzled under Rick Barnes amidst some injury issues and poor play. This game was, as well, awesome and went to OT. For most of OT the victory looked like a forgone conclusion for Texas and then everything went to shit. It started with a bad offensive foul (the play not the call) and then some missed free-throws and Damion James fouling out. Ari Stewart hit a late three to make it a one-point game. Gary Johnson of TEX then missed both free-throws and and that's when Ishmael Smith took it coast to coast, put a nasty shake and bake on TExas guard (Bradley?) and nailed the pull-up J with about 1 second left. Texas launched an unsuccessful prayer and Wake Forest walked away victorious!

WHAT A DAY OF ACTION! I've can't remember a opening Thursday being so entertaining. Here's to an awesome Friday, and a little better luck for my bracket. So far only one Elite 8 team out for me.
I think that clearly, without a few of the annual power teams; UCLA, UCONN, UNC, PAC-10 (any), Memphis etc., we're seeing a lot of other teams with the opportunity to get some of these top seeds. And judging from day one, some of them are not taking full advantage.

Chalk one up for ol' Jesus! - 1st Day Action (Updated)

Old Dominion knocked off Notre Dame, just as I predicted in the first 6-11 upset of the tourney. Luke Harangody struggled only scoring once in the whole game, and that basket came within the final 30 seconds. Weak sauce. He sucks. Notre Dame sucks. Go ODU!

Florida and BYU are in OT. I have Florida in this one. Jimmer Fredette has been great going to the hoop, but not so great from the perimeter. Boynton is on fire for the Gators, but may be gassed after checking Fredette all day. We'll see how it plays out. Updates to come.

*UPDATE #1*
WOW! First day action is off the hook. All you suckers at work, I feel bad. Florida and BYU was all knotted up at 81 when Fredette grabbed a long rebound off a missed 3 and looked to be pushing the ball hard the other way. Vernon Macklin of the Gators reached in and poked it away and Boynton grabbed it with 20 seconds left. After the timeout Florida couldn't get a look and the game went to double OT. Boynton fouled out in the 2nd OT with 27 points. Florida was broke from 3 without Boynton and BYU had a lot more energy in the extra period. getting to lose balls and forcing bad shots from the Gators. Fredette drained a big three to put BYU up 7 and pretty much nailed the coffin shut. Final score #7 BYU 99 - #10 FLA 92
*Note - As a youngster, Fredette was routinely taken to prison pick-up games by his older brother who thought he needed to play tougher. It worked. How do you get into prison pick-up games???!

Villanova was down most of the game against Robert Morris, the 15 seed, and cut the lead to 2 points with less than 4 minutes to play. It was all tied at 58 and 'Nova held for the last shot of regulation. Reynolds drove and took a bad shot which was deflected out of bounds. And with .9 on the clock the Wildcats got a great look on an alley-oop pass but missed. To OT we go! Villanova lead most of the OT and 3 RMU players fouled out. RMU kept it close, but Reynolds nailed a HUGE three with the shotclock running out and about a minute left to play in OT to put Nova up 4. Robert Morris than stole the ball after an inbounds pass and got a lay-up to cut it to 1. With a 3 point lead Reggie Redding pulled up on a clean break-away instead of taking the easy lay-up and missed the first free-throw. RMU then brought the ball down and made a 3 to again, cut it to 1! Reynolds calmly made 2 free throws to seal the victory for Villanova. This game was exciting!

More updates to come.

*UPDATE #2*
Well, I didn't pick it in my bracket but I mentioned it in my Cinderella post. Murray State knocks off Vanderbilt with a dramatic finish. Danero Thomas nailed a 15 ft J with the buzzer sounding to oust the Commodores. Vandy had the lead with just over 12 tics on the clock, and Murray State rushed a 3 but the ball went out of bounds off Vandy. Murray State got the final shot off and Thomas made it count.
Final Score : #13 Murray State 66 - #4 Vanderbilt 65.

Baylor defeated Sam Houston State in a pretty uneventful game. And Kansas State is destroying North Texas.

#7 Richmond is currently trailing #10 St Mary's. A team many analysts like, but one that Jesus did not believe in much. We'll see.

More updates after that game.

*UPDATE #3*
The Gaels of St Mary's held on to beat Richmond 80-71. Omar Sahman looks to be one of the stars of Round 1 as the big guy paced the Gaels with 29 pts and 12 reb.
#2 Kansas State beat #15 North Texas handedly, 82-62 and it really wasn't that close.

Jesus' Cinderella picks

5-12 UTEP, Utah State, Cornell
We all know about the 5-12 matchup and the number of upsets it can bring. Look no farther than last year's tourney to see the damage that 12 seeds can bring (3 upsets). This year's 5-12 games should be no different. I like 3 of the 5 seeds to have a good chance at an upset, it just comes down to which ones you want to pick. I don't think picking all three would be wise, though it worked out well for me last year.
In the West region I like UTEP to defeat Butler. This has no statistical backing, or actual reasoning behind it. I just hate Butler and have a feeling that they've been overrated all year, based on last year's success and it feels right in my gut. (That can't be underrated in filling out your bracket.) UTEP really isn't that good either, but fuck it...I can't stand the Bulldogs. Go Miners! (Plus that Glory Road movie was on the other day, so that must be a sign - Texas Western would eventually become UTEP).

In the South region I like Utah State to pull the upset over Texas A&M. According to Peter Tiernan's Anatomy of an Upset, a 12 seed who gets 51% of its scoring from the front court and went to the tourney last year has the best chance of being successful. Utah State has one of those sneaky-good squads and could surprise the Aggies, who might be a tad overseeded. This game isn't getting as much hype as the next one, but I think it is a smart pick. Either way I think the winner of this game goes down in the next round, even if it is Sienna, so a wrong pick shouldn't lose too many points.

In the East region I LOVE Cornell over Temple. At first, I didn't but the more I look at it and think about it, the more I think the Big Red not only beat Temple but win two or three games. I won't pick them agaisnt Kentucky, but they gave Kansas all they could handle at home, and the Wildcats are young (and talented) and wreckless. Like Utah State, Cornell fits the bill according to Tiernan. Numbers don't usually lie. Temple struggles to score (not one game in the 80s all season) and though it has worked well for them, they haven't faced a team like Cornell all year. Cornell is one of the best 3 point shooting teams in the nation and have a very good 7 ft center in Jeff Foote. Temple defends the three well, but a team that shoots it exceptionally well can find holes in that zone defense. Some will say that Dunphy coached at Penn and routinely whooped on Cornell, so he's familiar. But he never faced a Cornell team like this so I think you can pretty much throw that out the window. I mentioned that Kansas almost lost at home to Cornell, while Temple was pretty much butt raped by the Jayhawks in Lawrence, losing by 30. GO Big Red!

6-11 San Diego State, Old Dominion
Most likely the 6 seeds prevail in all of these matchups, although Washington statistically speaking has the best shot. I've seen them play this season and I am not that impressed, though preseason they were fairly highly regarded. They face Marquette who I believe will beat them. I do like the possibilities of San Diego State and Old Dominion beating Tennessee and Notre Dame respectively. I hate Notre Dame and that big headed Luke Harangody, and I think they are due for a big upset. Plus, while driving yetsterday and thinking about this very game an eighteen wheeler drove by, and I kid you not, it said Old Dominion freight lines! WOW! I'm thinking about just picking them to win the whole thing. If that's not a sign than there is no God. Wait...that would mean no Jesus...no me. Nevermind. But yea, ODU over ND. Tennessee and Coach Pearl may be susceptible to the upset. If this game gets tight they might freak out because while Prince and Hopson are good, I don't think they have a steady PG.

4-13 Murray State, Siena
I like Murray State and Siena to pull the upset out of the 13 seeds. Murray State fits the mold for a 13 seed upset with frontcourt/backcourt scoring balance and a tourney experienced and a big scoring margin. Not only that, but their opponent in Vanderbilt fits the mold of a typical 4th seed victim in that they lack tourney experience. As for Siena, they had a lot of success in the last two tournaments pulling upset wins over Vanderbilt and Ohio State. I think they could continue that over a Purdue squad without it's best all-around player in Robbie Hummel.

That's all for the first round. I'll be back to update the brackets and possible 2nd round upsets after the week. Hope you all get the days off from work!