Second Round Saturday Recap: Northern Iowa Knocks Off Kansas

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:43:01 -0400

After a rather routine Friday the hope was that Saturday would provide even more surprises. But few people had in mind what the Northern Iowa Panthers did in Oklahoma City when it came to the shocker of the day. The Missouri Valley champions got off to a quick start early and did not let up until the game was decided, knocking off the top overall seed 69-67 to move on to the Sweet 16 next week in St. Louis. Ali Farokhmanesh led the way with 16 points, knocking down what has to be the shot of the Tournament thus far to give Northern Iowa a 66-62 lead with 34 seconds remaining. After a Kansas surge via the full court press cut the lead to one, UNI broke the press and Farokhmanesh had a decision to make with the ball deep on the right wing and Tyrel Reed backing off into the paint.

"I was just open on that side," said Farokhmanesh of the shot. "So they were trapping, and it came up to me. And I was going to go and Johnny was on the other wing. I was going to see if I could drive it. The he backed off so far that I thought I might as well just shoot this one." It was one of those "no, no, YES!" shots that tend to make heroes out of players this time of the year, legendary figures in their school's history books and the focus of stories to be rehashed for years. But this was more than just a feel-good story; on Saturday the team that played better won the game.

The Panthers forced fifteen Kansas turnovers and point guard Kwadzo Ahelegbe, who made just one of eleven field goal attempts, limited Sherron Collins to 10 points, four assists and five turnovers on 4-for-15 shooting from the field. The senior rose to the challenge, and without his defense on one of the nation's best point guards it's likely that the Panthers would be headed home. "I think Kwadzo was looking forward to that challenge," remarked UNI head coach Ben Jacobson. "He knew it was going to be a big challenge, but he was looking forward to it. He competed awfully hard."

Given the nature of college basketball Bill Self's team now has to answer questions despite going 33-3 on the season. Did they recorgnize the urgency of the moment from the opening tip? You can argue that they didn't, but to do so risks taking away from what UNI was able to do for forty minutes. Jordan Eglseder and Lucas O'Rear played well inside while brothers Adam and Jake Koch made their contributions as well. In a game that many expected the Kansas depth to be their downfall, a number of players stepped up for the Panthers and while they all may not have impressive stat lines they got the job done. And as a result, UNI will be back in the city in which they won the MVC Tournament crown two weeks ago.

Key Happenings

New Orleans: Kentucky rolls into the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2005. Wake Forest went into their game with Kentucky boasting a deep frontcourt and a point guard in Ishmael Smith who could match the speed (if not the skill) of John Wall. But it didn't take long to see that they were fighting an uphill battle against a team that may be light on experience but heavy on talent, and the game was essentially over by halftime. In the 90-60 victory, Kentucky 60.3% from the field (73.8% 2PT) in practically getting whatever shot they wanted against the Demon Deacons' defense. Darius Miller (20 points, nine rebounds) and DeMarcus Cousins (19 points, eight rebounds) led four starters in double figures while Smith managed just two points (1-9 FG) in his final collegiate game.

With Kansas falling are the Wildcats the favorite? That's likely but with a team so young head coach John Calipari is going to do his best to limit the distractions that surround them. By all accounts they didn't watch any of the Kansas game before their game and with a team so young that's a good route to take. "We're still a bunch of freshmen and sophomores," said Coach Calipari. "Our second NCAA Tournament game. They've never played in any other games. The guys that we're playing have never played in it. So all we're going to worry about is us." But if they play like they did in New Orleans this weekend, this is going to be one tough team to knock off in Syracuse next week.

Oklahoma City: Kansas State uses defense and Jacob Pullen to defeat BYU. Jacob Pullen and Jimmer Fredette was expected to be one of the best individual matchups of the day. And while Fredette did finish with 21 points, in all honesty it wasn't much of a contest. Pullen and company harrassed the scoring phenom all game, and Kansas State's junior guard scored 34 points while also picking up four steals in the Wildcats' 84-72 win over BYU to advance to their first Sweet 16 since 1988. BYU jumped out to a 10-0 lead but once K-State was able to apply the clamps defensively their taking control of the game became a matter of "when" instead of "if". Denis Clemente added 19 points and the Wildcats out-rebounded BYU 39-29.

Dominique Sutton also saw some time guarding Fredette but once the Cougars went to a taller lineup the need was there to put the junior on BYU's top scoring threat and he rose to the challenge. On falling behind early Pullen noted that "it was our lack of energy. We weren't in passing lanes. They were passing the ball around, making a dribble move, kick out [for] wide open threes. No one has done that really except for the games we lost this year. So we figured either we going home and they're going to shoot 3s or we're going to step up our defensive principles and really guard the ball." They've got the ability to put points on the board, but when they defend the Wildcats are a definite threat to get to Indianapolis.

Providence: Villanova has no answers for Omar Samhan, falls to Saint Mary's. While the shot of the game is the banked-in three by Mickey McConnell that broke a 65-all tie with 1:17 left in the game, Villanova's fate was sealed by their inability to find an answer for Omar Samhan. The senior big man made thirteen of his sixteen field goal attempts, scoring 32 points while also grabbing seven rebounds and blocking a pair of shots in the 75-68 victory. No matter who the Wildcats put on Samhan once he got the ball inside it was another two points on the board. And once Villanova finally decided to double down his teammates knocked down shots fron the perimeter, making seven of nineteen from behind the arc.

Corey Stokes (15 points) and Maalik Wayns (10) led the way for the Wildcats, but with Corey Fisher and Scottie Reynolds both struggling from the field they were in trouble not counting the Samhan effect. "It's definitely no shock to us how well he's been playing in the post and in games," said forward Ben Allen. "He's absolutely dominant and he creates so much for us when he goes and gets dirty like that, and it frees everyone else on the perimeter." The Gaels weren't expected to survive Providence yet here they are, on their way to the Sweet 16 in Houston to take on Baylor next week. Randy Bennett's got a team that can knock down shots from the perimeter and in Samhan a leader more than willing to take on all comers. That makes for a dangerous team this time of the year.

San Jose: Washington uses a late-first half run to put away New Mexico. If you thought that the Huskies were due for a surprise on Saturday following their dramatic win over Marquette on Thursday then you ignored the fact that they matched up very well with New Mexico. Add in a banged-up Darington Hobson and you had all the makings of a serious whipping, one that gained traction late in the first half and didn't stop until the Huskies won 82-64. Quincy Pondexter led the way with 18 points while Isaiah Thomas added 15, sending the Pac-10 Tournament champs to their first Sweet 16 since 2006. Washington was deeper and better equipped to play at a fast tempo, and this played a major role in their 25-13 finish to the first half to take a 12-point lead into the locker room.

"We did a great job of forcing our tempo on them," said Pondexter. "We knew they were a transition team going into this game, and we wanted to show that we have another level of fast break and defensive intensity. That's what really wore them down and helped us get the win." Add in their defense on Hobson (5-11, 11 points) and Roman Martinez (3-10, 10 points) while limiting the Lobos to 39.4% shooting and you had all the makings for a serious statement. Assisting on 21 of 32 baskets doesn't hurt either. Lorenzo Romar's team may not have lived up to the preseason hype during the regular season but they're making up for lost time now (and last week in Los Angeles). This isn't a team that folks should be lining up to play right now.

Top Games

New Orleans: Baylor 76, Old Dominion 68 LaceDarius Dunn scored 26 points as the Bears jumped out to a 10-1 lead and held on to defeat the CAA champions. As a team the Bears shot 51.9% from the field in moving on to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history, and big man Josh Lomers put together one of his best showings (14 points, 12 in the second half) of the season. Gerald Lee and Frank Hassell led the Monarchs with 15 points apiece while Kent Bazemore added 13 and seven assists.

Oklahoma City: Northern Iowa 69, Kansas 67 See above.

Providence: Saint Mary's 75, Villanova 68 See above.

San Jose: Butler 54, Murray State 52 The end-game situation went far differently for the Racers on Saturday than it did on Thursday against Vanderbilt. Thanks to the Butler defense the Ohio Valley champs were unable to get a shot off before time expired, advancing the Bulldogs to next week's regional in Salt Lake City despite Matt Howard being in foul trouble throughout. Ronald Nored led the way with 15 points, six assists and some stellar defense while Isaiah Canaan scored 14 off the bench for Murray State.

Notable Performances

New Orleans: G LaceDarius Dunn (Baylor) 26 points and six rebounds (and unfortunately, six turnovers) in the Bears' 76-68 win over Old Dominion.

Oklahoma City: G Jacob Pullen (Kansas State) 34 points (7-12 3PT) and four steals in the Wildcats' 84-72 win over BYU.

Providence: C Omar Samhan (Saint Mary's) 32 points (13-16 FG), seven rebounds and two blocks in the Gaels' 75-68 win over Villanova.

San Jose: G Dairese Gary (New Mexico) Without Gary's efforts (11-20 FG, 25 points) the Lobos would have been beaten far worse than they were, an 82-64 loss to Washington.

Saturday's Scores

East Region
1)Kentucky 90, 9)Wake Forest 60
11)Washington 82, 3)New Mexico 64
Midwest Region
9)Northern Iowa 69, 1)Kansas 67
6)Tennessee 83, 14)Ohio 68
South Region
10)Saint Mary's 75, 2)Villanova 68
3)Baylor 76, 11)Old Dominion 68
West Region
2)Kansas State 84, 7)BYU 72
5)Butler 54, 13)Murray State 52

College Hoops Friday Recap: Cornell Advances

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:56:29 -0400

Even though many acknowledged that the Cornell Big Red were underseeded in the aftermath of Selection Sunday, it was still a toss-up in regards to whether or not they would beat Temple. But in a game matching mentor (Fran Dunphy) and one-time assistant (Steve Donahue), it was Coach Donahue's team that took control of the game for good in the second half via the three-point shot (Ryan Wittman) on their way to the 78-65 win in Jacksonville. It was the first win for the Ivy League in the NCAA Tournament since 1998 (Princeton), and more amazingly the first win for an Ancient Eight team not named Penn or Princeton in more that forty years.

Louis Dale led three Cornell players in double figures with 21 points and as a team the Big Red shot 56.3% from the field (72% on two-point shots). And when they weren't scoring from the field Cornell was doing so from the foul line, making fifteen of nineteen foul shots to just nine (making six) for the Owls. And while Cornell was very good offensively their defense shouldn't be overlooked. The Big Red alternated between man to man, 2-3 and 1-3-1 zones in order to keep Temple from getting the ball into the paint.

"I think when we're playing good defense, we're playing aggressively," said Wittman. "You know, I think when we struggle on the defensive end, it's because we're too passive. But in terms of getting on their guards and being aggressive, if you let guys like Fernandez feel comfortable, they're extremely good, not only making plays for themselves but making plays for others. I think it was just a matter of trying to make them feel uncomfortable."

Ryan Brooks and Juan Fernandez scored 14 points apiece but despite shooting 51.9% from the field the Owls could do little to put a dent in Cornell's lead early in the second half. Temple would go down and score...only to watch the Big Red do the same and after a while that began to weigh on the Atlantic 10 champions. "We just could never get over the hump," said Temple head coach Fran Dunphy. "Every time they needed a big basket they got it." That's what awaits Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon; Cornell's an experienced team that seems to be making up for the missed opportunities of their prior two trips to the NCAA Tournament. And that can make for an even more dangerous opponent.

Key Happenings

Buffalo: Missouri picks up their 5th straight first round win. Going into their game against Clemson conventional wisdom was that Missouri would struggle with Clemson's size, especially that of senior Trevor Booker. But on this day even Booker was no match for "The Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball", a style that forced 20 turnovers (every Clemson player who saw time had at least one) and limited the big man to 11 points (5-11 FG) and 11 rebounds on the afternoon. Missouri scored 20 points off of those turnovers and outscored Clemson 42-28 in the paint thanks in large part to Keith Ramsey, who scored 20 points while also defending Booker on the other end of the floor.

"He [Ramsey] really put his stamp on the game," said J.T. Tiller. "Just being able to guard one of the best players in the ACC and hold him to 11 points, that says something about his effort. That says something about his pride, his integrity and his character." With Ramsey doing the job on Booker and both David Potter and Demontez Stitt being saddled with foul trouble, Clemson would have been in serious trouble if not for their three-point shooting (12-24) and Andre Young. Young scored 19 points for the game, getting 12 of those in the first half. But when you turn the ball over, especially in the way of live-ball turnovers, you're going to be in trouble against a team like Missouri. Mike Anderson's team is more than capable of using their defense to upset West Virginia on Sunday.

Jacksonville: Cal jumps Louisville and moves on to face Duke. As much as talent and matchups have to do with games this time of the year, the simple act of showing up ready to play can go a long way in determining which team is going home. Such was the case in the final game of the night in Jacksonville, as California got out to leads of 12-0, 22-4 and 30-12 in the first half of their game against Louisville. And while the Cardinals were able to close to within six before the half was over, Jerome Randle provided the first dagger with a runner from three-point territory as time expired to give the Golden Bears a 41-30 halftime lead. The second half provided much of the same as the Cal backcourt found open looks against the Cardinals' pressure, keeping Louisville at bay in what would eventually be a 77-62 victory.

Randle and Theo Robertson scored 21 points apiece while Patrick Christopher added 17, and Cal shot 51% from the field (53.3% from three) and assisted on seventeen of their twenty-six field goals. Instead of passing the ball around simply to get the ball across halfcourt against Louisville's pressure, Cal attacked it for good looks at the basket and trips to the foul line. Rakeem Buckles led Louisville with 20 points while Samardo Samuels added 16, but they were done in once Edgar Sosa picked up his third foul in the first half. The four starters outside of Samuels all struggled from the field and you cannot beat Cal that way unless they're cold as well. No such luck, and as a result Mike Montgomery and company get their shot at Duke on Sunday.

Milwaukee: Does Georgia Tech have a run left in them? The talent is definitely there, and despite giving up 16 points off of turnovers the Yellow Jackets did enough to beat Oklahoma State 64-59. The key: their defense on Big 12 Player of the Year James Anderson, who scored 11 points while shooting just 3-for-12 from the field. Obi Muonelo wasn't much better for the Cowboys, making just four of eleven shots on his way to ten points. Meanwhile all seven Georgia Tech players who scored finished with at least six points with Gani Lawal (14 points) and Derrick Favors (12 points) leading the way. Georgia Tech, who struggled from the foul line during the regular season, even made twenty-four of twenty-five from the charity stripe. But it was their defense that earned them a date with Ohio State.

"I thought our guys did an outstanding defensive job, and that's even with giving up 50 percent from the floor," said head coach Paul Hewitt. "I thought our guys were tremendous defensively taking them out of some of their pet plays. And after playing against a guy like Anderson, who is clearly one of the top five players in the country, I thought we stayed really disciplined defensively." Next up: probable National Player of the Year Evan Turner, who will be just as much of a challenge for Georgia Tech (if not more) than Anderson. Despite their struggles during the regular season the Yellow Jackets have the physical ability to win more games in March; if they can make smart decisions on both ends of the floor look out.

Spokane: If Purdue's going to have an extended Tournament stay Keaton Grant will be key. Siena was the trendy upset pick heading into the NCAA Tournament, with most people citing Purdue's recent offensive struggles in light of Robbie Hummel being lost for the remainder of the season. Coming out of the locker room to start the second half down 32-29 the Boilermakers needed an offensive spark. And they got just that from senior Keaton Grant, who knocked down some big three-pointers in the first five minutes of the second half. scored all eleven of his points in that barrage while JaJuan Johnson led the way with 23 points and 15 rebounds in a 72-64 victory. For a player who scored just five points combined in Purdue's two games prior this could be the spark that Grant needs to be a consistent scorer in the Tournament.

"They got some run outs and then they started hitting some shots, primarily Grant, and he's done that; it's not like we weren't expecting him to do that," said Siena head coach Fran McCaffery. Lewis Jackson also made key baskets early in the second half while Chris Kramer did a good job of defending Alex Franklin. The Saints were without Clarence Jackson (sprained ankle) and the impact was noticeable on the offensive end; just like the Boilermakers replacing a player the caliber of Jackson is tough to do. "They lost a very good player and they're a little bit short handed, but obviously that's part of the game," said Purdue head coach Matt Painter. "But they're a good team. They are a very good team." If Purdue is to prove folks wrong they'll need Keaton Grant to produce offensively.

Top Games

Buffalo: Missouri 86, Clemson 78 See above.

Jacksonville: Wisconsin 53, Wofford 49 In a game featuring similar styles the Badgers were able to survive the Terriers to move on to the second round in the East Region. Jon Leuer (20 points, eight rebounds) made a pair of free throws with 4.2 seconds remaining to seal Wofford's fate. Jamar Diggs led the Terriers with 13 points.

Milwaukee: Georgia Tech 64, Oklahoma State 59 See above.

Spokane: Michigan State 70, New Mexico State 67 This one ended with a little controversy but the issue should have been regarding the officials not putting time back on the clock with three-tenths of a second remaining instead of the lane violation called on Troy Gillenwater. Kalin Lucas led the Spartans with 25 points while Gillenwater paced the Aggies with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Notable Performances

Buffalo: F Keith Ramsey (Missouri) 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists in Missouri's win over Clemson.

Jacksonville: F Kyle Singler (Duke) 22 points and 10 rebounds in the Blue Devils' 73-44 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Milwaukee: G Jordan Crawford (Xavier) 28 points, six rebounds and five assists in the Musketeers' 65-54 win over Minnesota.

Spokane: F Jordan Williams (Maryland) 21 points and 17 rebounds in the Terrapins' 89-77 win over Houston.

Friday's Scores

East Region
2)West Virginia 77, 15)Morgan State 50
10)Missouri 86, 7)Clemson 78
12)Cornell 78, 5)Temple 65
4)Wisconsin 53, 13)Wofford 49
Midwest Region
10)Georgia Tech 64, 7)Oklahoma State 59
2)Ohio State 68, UC-Santa Barbara 51
5)Michigan State 70, 12)New Mexico State 67
4)Maryland 89, 13)Houston 77
South Region
4)Purdue 72, 13)Siena 64
5)Texas A&M 69, 12)Utah State 53
1)Duke 73, 16)Arkansas-Pine Bluff 44
8)California 77, 9)Louisville 62
West Region
6)Xavier 65, 11)Minnesota 54
3)Pittsburgh 89, 14)Oakland 66
8)Gonzaga 67, 9)Florida State 60
1)Syracuse 79, 16)Vermont 56

NCAA Tournament Day One Recap: Ohio Blasts Georgetown

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:43:41 -0400

In one of the wildest opening days in the history of the NCAA Tournament it took a lot to shock the college basketball world. And 97 points may qualify as "a lot", as in the number of points the MAC champion Ohio Bobcats scored in their 97-83 win over third-seeded Georgetown in a Midwest Region first round game in Providence. One-time Indiana Hoosier Armon Bassett scored 32 points while point guard D.J. Cooper added 23 points and eight assists in a dominant performance for John Groce's squad. Ohio shot 58.2% from the field and hit thirteen three-pointers (56.5%), tying an NCAA Tournament record established by Butler just a couple hours prior.

"Fortunately for us we were able to make some shots, and when you make some shots it extends the defense more," said Coach Groce. "When that happened we were able to drive a bit and create some other opportunities for other guys other than just D.J. and Armon. I thought those two things, our perimeter shooting game and our ability to dribble drive the ball to the lane really complimented each other well."

Ohio was on fire in the first half, scoring 48 points in the first half to take a 12-point lead into the half, and prevailing wisdom had it that Georgetown would eventually get back into the game since the Bobcats wouldn't make the same shots they did in the first twenty minutes. That obviously didn't happen, as the play of Bassett and Cooper opened things up for guys such as Tommy Freeman and DeVaughn Washington. As for the Hoyas, they struggled outside of Chris Wright (28 points) and Hollis Thompson (16 off the bench).

Greg Monroe scored 19 while also grabbing 13 rebounds, but he also had seven turnovers to go along with his six assists and Austin Freeman struggled to the tune of nine points on 4-11 shooting. "Clearly anyone who watched Austin play, this was not one of his better games," said Georgetown head coach John Thompson III. "Unfortunately not one of his better games came tonight in the tournament." But to point out the Hoyas' struggles shouldn't be done at the expense of a team that put forward an exemplary performance and will move on to face Tennessee as a result.

Key Happenings By Site

Providence: Villanova survives Robert Morris. Jay Wright's Wildcats didn't get off to a good start and that began well before the game even began. Starting guards Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher were benched for the beginning of the contest due to what Wright referred to as a "minor teaching point", and by the end of the game they were lucky that the lesson didn't include them going home. Karon Abraham scored 23 points to lead the NEC champions, who gave the Wildcats all they wanted and then some in a game they controlled for much of regulation. But in the end it was the senior Reynolds who got to the foul line (much to the chagrin to RMU and neutral fans alike) to get the game into overtime, and the Wildcats survived by three in the extra session 73-70.

"This is probably a boring answer, but they're very sound," said head coach Jay Wright. "And like I was saying, most teams when you break down their defense the first time you make a pass out, you're going to be open. They recover so quickly, they're so quick, they force you to make two or three extra passes, which we weren't doing." For the game Villanova shot just 35.3% from the field and turned the ball over sixteen times, but they attempted forty foul shots to the Colonials' twenty-six and that was essentially the difference. Next up for the Wildcats: Saint Mary's, who put forth an impressive showing in their win over Richmond.

New Orleans: Wake Forest moves on thanks to Ishmael Smith. In a game that was touted as a matchup of two teams that limped into the NCAA Tournament, senior point guard Ish Smith hit a jumper with 1.3 seconds remaining to cap an overtime period that saw Texas squander an eight-point lead thanks in large part to bad foul shooting. The second-worst foul shooting in the field, Rick Barnes' club missed four free throws to set the stage for Smith's shot following a three-pointer from Ari Stewart. Smith finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists while Al-Farouq Aminu added 19 points and 15 rebounds. J'Covan Brown and Jordan Hamilton combined for 39 points off the bench but the starters outside of Damion James struggled all night.

But the area that summarized the season for Texas was rebounding. Despite having more than enough size to match up with the Demon Deacons, the Longhorns were still out-rebounded 59-34 for the game. "We really got just pounded on the glass," said head coach Rick Barnes. "I can never remember getting outrebounded 59-34." Texas simply could not find the answer that would get them to the second round; Hamilton attempted just three shots in the second half. Chemistry and role definition were issues throughout Big 12 play and as a result of their inability to solve them the Longhorns are done for the year. As for Wake, they get the ultimate shot at redemption with Kentucky on Saturday night.

Oklahoma City: Ali Farokhmanesh's shot sends Northern Iowa to the second round. The Panthers and UNLV fought tooth and nail for forty minutes on Thursday night, and for two relatively evenly-matched teams to go down to the final seconds is appropriate. An Ali Farokhmanesh three pointer from beyond NBA range fell with 4.9 seconds left, with the senior from Iowa City finding himself open after Kwadzo Ahelegbe got away from UNLV's trapping defense. Tre'Von Willis' three point attempt missed wide at the buzzer, advancing the Panthers to the second round where they will take on top overall seed Kansas in Oklahoma City.

"I had no idea that shot was coming to me," said Farokhmanesh. "If it was your shot, you're going the take it. I wasn't planned or anything. I think we just went with it, and it worked out." Farokhmanesh led three Panthers in double figures with seventeen, making five of nine from beyond the arc, while Matt Shaw led the Rebels with fourteen points off the bench. And just like Villanova's win the foul line was key for the victors. UNI shot 20-23 from the charity stripe to UNLV's 7-12, negating the impact of sixteen Panther turnovers. They can't afford to turn it over at the same rate on Saturday but their defense and experience gives them more than a puncher's chance against Kansas. UNI once again found a way to get the job done, something you have to do at times in order to win 29 games.

San Jose: Murray State bounces Vanderbilt at the buzzer. The trendy upset pick of the first day almost didn't happen, with Jermaine Beal making a pair of free throws with 12.7 seconds remaining to give the fourth-seeded Commodores a 65-64 lead. But then something happened that many pundits will question for quite some time as Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings called a timeout. What this did was allow Murray State head coach Billy Kennedy the opportunity to draw up a play the Commodores likely hadn't seen in their scout leading up to the game. The end result: Danero Thomas knocking down a jumper from the right elbow as time expired to give the Racers the 66-65 victory.

"It wasn't any play that we've run before," said Coach Kennedy. "It's not a play that we've worked on. Vanderbilt is very tough to get the ball in bounds underneath out-of-bounds plays, and that's why we had Jeffery McClain take it out because I was worried about a big guy not being on the ball, and I wanted Jeff to be able to see court. It just worked. It's a miracle play. It worked out." It was simply a case of one team knowing what the other would do in this situation and using it to their advantage. Isaac Miles led the Racers with 17 points and despite not shooting well from the field (41.7%) or the foul line (9-17), Murray State outscored the Commodores 21-12 from beyond the arc. Vandy didn't do themselves any favors from the charity stripe either, missing twelve fouls shots throughout the course of the game. On their way back to Nashville they're certain to rue said misses.

Games of the Day

Providence: Villanova 73, Robert Morris 70 (OT) See above.

New Orleans: Wake Forest 81, Texas 80 (OT) See above.

Oklahoma City: BYU 99, Florida 92 (2OT) The day got off to a good start and this matchup was a big reason why. Jimmer Fredette scored 37 but the key performer for the victors may have been Michael Loyd Jr., who scored 26 points off the bench. Kenny Boynton led Florida with 27 points while Chandler Parsons added 20 points and 10 rebounds.

San Jose: Washington 80, Marquette 78 Quincy Pondexter's driving layup with 1.7 seconds remaining gave the Huskies the two-point win over the Golden Eagles. Washington, who shot 54.5% from the field, was led by Isaiah Thomas (19 points) and Pondexter (18 points, 11 rebounds) while Elston Turner added 14 off the bench. Lazar Hayward led Marquette in his final game with 20 points.

Players of the Day

Providence: C Omar Samhan (Saint Mary's) 29 points and 12 rebounds in the Gaels' dominant 80-71 win over Richmond.

New Orleans: G Eric Bledsoe (Kentucky) 29 points and four steals in Kentucky's 100-71 win over East Tennessee State, hitting eight of nine from behind the arc.

Oklahoma City: G Jimmer Fredette (BYU) 37 points in the Cougars' 99-92 double overtime win over Florida.

San Jose: G Shelvin Mack (Butler) 25 points, making seven of nine three-pointers, in the Bulldogs' 77-58 win over UTEP.

Scores

East Region
1)Kentucky 100, 16)East Tennessee St 71
9)Wake Forest 81, 8)Texas 80 (OT)
3)New Mexico 62, 14)Montana 57
11)Washington 80, 6)Marquette 78
Midwest Region
1)Kansas 90, 16)Lehigh 74
9)Northern Iowa 69, 8)UNLV 66
14)Ohio 97, 3)Georgetown 83
6)Tennessee 62, 11)San Diego St 59
South Region
11)Old Dominion 51, 6)Notre Dame 50
3)Baylor 68, 14)Sam Houston St 59
2)Villanova 73, 15)Robert Morris 70 (OT)
10)Saint Mary's 80, 7)Richmond 71
West Region
7)BYU 99, 10)Florida 92 (2OT)
2)Kansas St 82, 15)North Texas 62
13) Murray St 66, 4)Vanderbilt 65
5)Butler 77, 12)UTEP 59

College Hoops Saturday Recap: Houston and New Mexico State Steal Bids

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:48:05 -0500

It's the worry of nearly every team on the bubble this time of the year: the bid thief. The team that had little or no chance of getting into the NCAA Tournament makes a run in its conference tournament, grabbing the automatic bid and possibly snatching a chair at the table from another team in college basketball's answer to "musical chairs". Houston (Conference USA) and New Mexico State (WAC) were the two teams to do that on Saturday, and the question now is which at-large candidates will be headed to the NIT as a result of these outcomes.

Tom Penders' Cougars completed a run of four wins in four days in Tulsa with an 81-73 victory over regular season champ UTEP, who's no shoo-in when it comes to an at-large berth, and that was with the nation's leading scorer struggling from the field. Aubrey Coleman, who averages 26.0 points per game, shot 4-for-20 from the field and scored thirteen points to go along with nine rebounds. But Kelvin Lewis more than made up for it, making eleven of his fifteen field goal attempts in scoring a game-high 28 points. Now 19-15 on the season, the Cougars were nowhere near the bubble before this weekend and there was talk that this would be Penders' last go-round at UH. But that's all on the backburner for the newly-crowned champs, and with the combo of Coleman and Lewis this is a team that could shoot its way to an upset next week.

As for the New Mexico State Aggies, they took out Utah State 69-63 in Reno to win the WAC Tournament title. Jared Quayle led Utah State with 25 points but it wasn't enough to make up for two starters (Tyler Newbold and Pooh Williams) going scoreless and Tai Wesley shooting 5-for-13 from the field. Jahmar Young led New Mexico State with 19 points while Troy Gillenwater, a player who rejoined the team in early February and was thought to be a key cog in their stretch run, added 15 off the bench. Utah State, which had its' 17-game win streak snapped, should be an at-large team but there's no better feeling than to know that you're definitely in. They'll join the likes of UTEP, Illinois and Virginia Tech (among many others) in sweating out these final hours.

Three Key Happenings

1. Washington wins the Pac-10 title; what does this do to Cal? Neither team playing in the Pac-10 final was a shoo-in to go dancing without the league's automatic bid, and the team that was in worse shape going into the game ended up with the crown. Washington won 79-75 in Los Angeles, sealing the game on a pair of Venoy Overton free throws with 2.1 seconds remaining. Winners of their second consecutive conference tournament title, the Huskies can look forward to their seeding and who they could play (as well as where) next week. The wait isn't so easy for the Golden Bears, who have the misfortune of winning their first regular season title in 50 years in a year that's been historically bad for the Pac-10.

They've got the top non-conference strength of schedule ranking in America but they also lost all of their toughest games than built that ranking. Theo Robertson was out for much of the non-conference slate due to injury, but while that helps explain losses to the likes of Syracuse, Ohio State and Kansas it doesn't explain how they lost five Pac-10 games with him in the lineup. They're the one team on the bubble that could be hurt the most by the perception of their league; the Pac-10's taken an absolute beating all year long and that likely won' t change on Selection Sunday. Will they get in? This will make for an interesting case.

2. Minnesota whips Purdue and can now win the Big Ten title. Tubby Smith's Golden Gophers took one more step towards an NCAA Tournament bid by taking full advantage of a brutal offensive performance by Purdue, winning 69-42 in the Big Ten semis. Up next for Minnesota is Ohio State and depending upon who you ask they may have done enough to get into the Big Dance without a win on Sunday. But you never know, meaning that they'd be best served to win that game and earn the automatic bid. Ralph Sampson III led the Golden Gophers with 13 points and Minnesota won the rebounding battle 45-20 as Purdue shot 27.6% from the field.

What helps Minnesota in regards to their resume is four RPI Top 50 wins; the non-conference strength of schedule ranking of 61st isn't bad either. But you can never be sure, especially when you're a team that was barely on the radar as recently as two weeks ago. E'Twaun Moore shot 1-for-14 from the field for Purdue, who hasn't looked good in either of their two biggest games since losing Robbie Hummel to a torn ACL (Michigan State, Minnesota). The loss could drop them at least a full seed line (if not two) on the bracket and you have to wonder about their Final Four hopes if they can't find a third scorer to pick up the slack if Moore or Ja'Juan Johnson goes cold.

3. Kansas beats Kansas State for the third time this season. There was talk going into the Big 12 title game that Frank Martin's Wildcats could make a run at a one-seed with a win over the Jayhawks in Kansas City. No such luck as they fell to Kansas for the third time this season, this one by the final of 72-64. Marcus Morris led all scorers (and four Jayhawks in double figures) with 18 points while also grabbing eight rebounds, and the Jayhawks made up for shooting 44.2% from the field by attempting thirty-one foul shots (making 24) on the night. Denis Clemente and Jacob Puller combined to score 30 points but the other three Wildcat starters scored eleven and that was essentially the difference. Bill Self's team likely locked up the top overall seed while K-State likely finds itself on the two line (or possibly the three) depending upon what happens with Ohio State and Duke on Sunday.

Big East Title Game Recap

Top Three Games

1. West Virginia 60, Georgetown 58 (Big East final) Under ten seconds...Da'Sean Butler...you should know the rest. If not, check the Big East final recap link above.

2. Ohio State 88, Illinois 81 (2OT) (Big Ten semifinal) This one went back and forth in Indianapolis, but late-game execution cost the Illini at the both the end of regulation and the first overtime. And now they have to worry as to whether or not those issues cost them an at-large bid as well. Evan Turner finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds and six assists while Demetri McCamey led the Illini with 22 points and five assists.

3. Richmond 89, Xavier 85 (OT) (Atlantic 10 semifinal) Kevin Anderson and David Gonzalvez combined to score 63 points as the Spiders advanced to a meeting with Temple for the Atlantic 10 Tournament title.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Marqus Blakely (Vermont) 24 points, 18 rebounds, five assists and an absolutely filthy dunk in the Catamounts' 83-70 win over Boston University to win the America East Tournament title.

2. G/F Evan Turner (Ohio State) 31 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in the Buckeyes' 88-81 double-overtime win over Illinois.

3. G Kelvin Lewis (Houston) On a day in which leading scorer Aubrey Coleman struggled from the field the senior came up big, scoring 28 points on 11-for-15 shooting to lead the Cougars to an 81-73 win over UTEP to win the Conference USA Tournament title.

Big East Final Recap: The Butler Did It...Again

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:14:17 -0500

NEW YORK- Same play. Same person. Same result.

That's all it took for senior Da'Sean Butler to make his second game-winner in three days at the Big East Championship, beating Georgetown with a driving layup with 4.2 seconds remaining to give West Virginia its first-ever Big East title by the final score of 60-58. The win was the 27th of the year for the Mountaineers, who can make a strong case for a one-seed with their nine RPI Top 50 and nation-best eighteen RPI Top-100 wins. But it wasn't about that for this group, who merely wanted to make history in winning a championship for the State of West Virginia.

"We [kind of] wanted to win this for our state first, because the people there love us so much and they support us so much," said Butler when asked what a title at MSG would mean for a team with a starting lineup hailing entirely from New York and New Jersey. ""We have a lof of people depending on us to do a lot, especially in our state. That was our main concern, not letting the state down."

Butler led three Mountaineers in double figures with 20 points while Wellington Smith added 11 points and 10 rebounds and Kevin Jones 12 points. Chris Wright, who led the Hoyas with 20 points and seven assists, drove the length of the court following Butler's shot but when his layup attempt at the buzzer fell short WVU moved to 23-0 this season in games in which they held their opponents to 69 points or less. Georgetown, who has won a league-best seven Big East Tournament titles, failed to become the first eight-seed in Tournament history to win the title. Austin Freeman finished with 14 points, knocking down a three-pointer with 51 seconds remaining to tie the game at 56.

But two things made the difference in addition to Butler's shot: rebounding and the defending of Greg Monroe. West Virginia finished the game with a 38-24 advantage on the glass and outscored Georgetown 21-10 in second-chance points. Of the Mountaineers' 38 rebounds 20 were of the offensive variety; a team loaded with guys in the 6-7 to 6-9 range, Bob Huggins' club does an outstanding job of at the least tipping those opportunities and keeping them alive for a teammate to grab. As for Monroe, he scored eleven points while attempting just seven shots (making three). Smith was a large part of that before fouling out with 1:37 remaining.

"I was trying not to let him catch the ball; try to deny him as much as I [could]," said Smith. "He's the engine that runs their team, so it's important for us to not let him touch the ball." In addition to Smith, Joe Mazzulla did his usual "whatever the team needs" work, finishing with seven assists and no turnovers in 29 minutes of action. And that's despite Coach Huggins not thinking that the point guard had played his best game.

"Honestly I don't think Joe would mind me telling you this, I didn't think Joe was giving us what we needed Joe to give us," said Huggins. "Joe brings such great enthusiasm, he brings such great toughness; he competes so hard. Everybody loves Joe because of what Joe is, and Joe doesn't need to be anything else than what Joe is."

There really isn't a whole lot to analyze about this one; simply another classic in the annals of the Big East Tournament and Madison Square Garden. Up next for both: Selection Sunday, when they find out their first destination and opponent for the six-game (if all goes well) journey to a national championship. And West Virginia closed a mighty solid case that they should be at the top of their region when it all begins.

David R. Gavitt Most Outstanding Player Award
F Da'Sean Butler (West Virginia)

All-Tournament Team
F Kevin Jones (West Virginia)
C Greg Monroe (Georgetown)
G Chris Wright (Georgetown)
G Tory Jackson (Notre Dame)
F Lazar Hayward (Marquette)

College Hoops Saturday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 09:55:12 -0500

Before getting into Saturday's games, a congratulatory paragraph is in order for Lehigh, who became the most recent automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament with their 74-59 win over Lafayette in the Patriot League final. Zahir Carrington was a man possessed inside for the Mountain Hawks, finishing with 18 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks while Patriot League Rookie of the Year C.J. McCollum led all scorers with 20 points (seven rebounds and three assists as well). Lafayette shot 3-for-23 from behind the arc and due to the presence of Carrington didn't have much hope inside either.

The final full day before Selection Sunday is finally here and there are still some teams out there with the ability to fight their way into the NCAA Tournament. Two are Minnesota and Rhode Island, both of who have semifinal games against teams safely into the NCAA Tournament (Purdue and Temple) at this point in the season. Jim Baron's Rams go into their Atlantic 10 semifinal hoping that the third time is indeed the charm, facing a Temple squad that swept them in the regular season and embarrassed them 78-54 in their most recent meeting.

The 78-56 defeat in Philadelphia on February 13th was a horror show for Rhody, who shot 30.5% from the field (5-20 3PT) and was outscored an astonishing 50-14 in the paint by a Temple squad that has the edge in regards to height and interior bulk. That places the onus tomorrow upon players such as Delroy James, Orion Outerbridge, Lamonte Ulmer and right on down the line; they must break even with the likes of Lavoy Allen and Michael Eric (combined 17-20 from the field in that contest) if the Rams are to entertain any thoughts of advancing and keeping their fate in their own hands.

And while those two have a chance to be selected as an at large there are other teams still playing who could become "bid thieves" should they win their conference tournaments. The ACC has two possibilities in Miami and NC State, and while the Wolfpack don't have a player this year like CC Harrison back in 1998 (miraculous run to the ACC Final) they've got more than a puncher's chance to take out Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets have been plagued by uneven backcourt play this season, surviving a comeback attempt by Maryland to advance on Friday night. As for the Hurricanes, Durand Scott took over late to push the Hurricanes past Virginia Tech but they'll have a tougher time doing so against Duke.

Plenty of "one-bid" leagues will also find their NCAA Tournament representative on Saturday with Houston and the winner of the WAC semifinal between New Mexico State and Nevada having a chance to grab a bid with wins over teams expected to be in the Big Dance one way or the other (UTEP and Utah State). And in the Mountain West, San Diego State has the opportunity to follow up their win over New Mexico with one over UNLV in Las Vegas for the conference title. The MWC should be a four-bid league and barring unforseen circumstances their top four will all be called on Sunday evening. The Saturday before Selection Sunday is traditionally a day that gives up a few surprises; who will it be this time around.

TV GAMES

11:30a CBS UTEP vs Houston (Conference USA Final)
Noon ESPN2 Boston Univ. at Vermont (America East Final)
1p ABC Kentucky vs Tennessee (SEC Semifinal)
1p CBS-College Temple vs Rhode Island (Atlantic 10 Semifinal)
1:30p CBS Ohio St vs Illinois (Big Ten Semifinal)
1:30p ESPN Duke vs Miami (ACC Semifinal)
2p ESPN2 Morgan St vs South Carolina St (MEAC Final)
3p ABC Vanderbilt vs Mississippi St (SEC Semifinal)
3:30p CBS-College Xavier vs Richmond (Atlantic 10 Semifinal)
4p CBS Minnesota vs Purdue (Bg Ten Semifinal)
4p ESPN NC State vs Georgia Tech (ACC Semifinal)
4p ESPN2 Stephen F. Austin vs Sam Houston St (Southland Final)
6p CBS California vs Washington (Pac-10 Final)
6p ESPN Kansas vs Kansas St (Big 12 Final)
6p ESPN2 Akron vs Ohio (MAC Final)
7p VS San Diego St vs UNLV (Mountain West Final)
8p ESPN2 UC Santa Barbara vs Long Beach St/Pacific (Big West Final)
8:30p ESPNU Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs Texas Southern (SWAC Final)
9p ESPN Georgetown vs West Virginia (Big East Final)
10p ESPN2 Utah St vs New Mexico St/Nevada (WAC Final)

ONE PREDICTION

Minnesota over Purdue: Given how weak the bubble is this season, it would be absurd to think that we can go an entire week without one team (albeit one that was far off the radar a week ago) earning a bid by winning. Enter Minnesota, who knocked off Michigan State in overtime on Friday night. With Robbie Hummel going down in the first half of their meeting in Minneapolis with a torn ACL, the Golden Gophers had a shot to win but missed at the buzzer. That doesn't happen this time, provided their guards play under control and don't turn the ball over. Tubby Smith's team lives to fight another day, winning by three.

Big East Friday Recap: Hoyas, Mountaineers Advance to Final

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 09:45:25 -0500

With both games being rematches of regular season meetings that took place way back in early January, it was tough to get a read on how much from those games would be applied to tonight. But one thing most certainly did not carry over from those contests in Georgetown's 80-57 win over Marquette: the Golden Eagles had no answer for Greg Monroe. The sophomore center had his fingerprints all over the first semifinal of the night, finishing with 23 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists. Overall, Georgetown dominated inside with a 46-22 edge in points in the paint and a plus-20 (44-24) rebounding margin.

"I thought Georgetown was outstanding," said Marquette head coach Buzz Williams. "The absolutely annihilated us; annihilated us inside. Got beat by 20 on the boards. It's hard to beat a team when [they] score 50, 60% of your points in the paint." In addition to Monroe all three guards finished in double figures while Austin Freeman grabbed eight rebounds as well. Jimmy Butler led the Golden Eagles with 17 points but it was the rebounding and interior play that did in Marquette.

In the regular season meeting Marquette was able to do a solid job of defending Monroe, using well-timed double teams to limit him to nine points and ten rebounds in a 62-59 Golden Eagle victory. No such luck on Friday night, with the New Orleans native displaying his vast array of skills on both ends of the floor. But don't bother asking if it was a conscious decision to "take over" when he went on a personal run that included a driving dunk, a chase-down block and leading the fast break for another layup.

"It wasn't anything. It was opportunities that I took," said Monroe. "It wasn't anything [about] trying to take over. We had control of the game as a team and I was just trying to make winning plays to close out the game."

Next up for Georgetown is West Virginia, who outlasted Notre Dame 53-51 in the second half of the semifinal doubleheader. The Mountaineers out-rebounded the Irish 37-22 but weren't in the clear until Tory Jackson's three point attempts with just seconds remaining missed to the right. Da'Sean Butler led all scorers with 24 points while also contributing seven rebounds and three assists while Ben Hansbrough (17 points) and Luke Harangody (10 points) led the way off the bench for Notre Dame. The two teams combined for just fourteen turnovers in a game that was better played than the final score would indicate.

The difference outside of the rebounding may have been the possessions on which West Virginia played their 1-3-1 zone, which was by and large quite effective in getting Notre Dame out of their new-fangled offense. "It is something in their arsenal to kind of make us try and play a little faster," said Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey. "I don't know if we played faster, but our rhythm was a little different that playing against man-to-man and burning (the clock) against man."

It feels strange to watch a Notre Dame team that purposely wants to limit the number of possessions in a game and for some that may be "boring". But simply put: you do whatever it takes to win games, and Coach Brey's team won six straight before tonight with this new style. And with the experience of players such as Jackson and Harangody, the Irish could be a dangerous team next week given the right matchup (especially a team that lacks offensive/defensive discipline). "We want to take that momentum into the NCAA Tournament," said Hansbrough. "We just lost to the sixth-ranked team in the country by two points and had a shot to win it. It just shows how far this team has come."

9p ESPN #8 Georgetown vs. #3 West Virginia
Regular season meeting: West Virginia 81-68 (March 3rd in Morgantown)

How much can be taken out of that first meeting? Tough to say since the Hoyas were without Austin Freeman, falling behind big in the first half before falling short in their comeback attempt. Rest assured this is a far different (and far better) Georgetown squad than the one that was confused about the health of one of its' key players at the time. "Monroe is terrific," said WVU head coach Bob Huggins of tomorrow's opponent. "We jumped on them pretty good in Morgantown early and then they came out the second half and played extremely well against us. And Monroe was a large part of that."

With Monroe and Chris Wright combining for forty-three points in that contest it was obvious that the Hoyas missed having a third scorer. Also of note: Jason Clark, who made just two of six shots in that meeting, has played some of his best basketball all season this week. And don't expect Georgetown to turn the ball over twenty times as they did in that meeting. Given Georgetown's size this should be an even battle on the boards; how well the Hoyas execute against the many defenses that West Virginia may throw at them will likely determine the outcome.

West Virginia scored 24 points off of the aforementioned 20 Georgetown turnovers and was also a plus-13 (27-14) in points from the foul line. The presence of Freeman will have an impact on the rematch; how much will be seen Saturday night. As for how important this game is to both, you've got one of the flagship programs of the Big East (Georgetown) taking on a school that has five New York metropolitan-area starters (West Virginia; and this fact may be something that makes the fans as Rutgers, St. John's and Seton Hall cringe). "When you get to play in front of your friends and family, it's always a great thing," said WVU forward Kevin Jones.

Big East Thursday: Syracuse Falls and Loses Onuaku

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:05:58 -0500

Going into the Big East Tournament there wasn't much concern in regards to whether or not the Syracuse Orange would be a one-seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Prevailing wisdom had Jim Boeheim's team doing more than enough before this weekend to wrap up the top spot in one of the other three regions (can't stay in the East since the Carrier Dome hosts a regional).

But now instead of seeding or locale the Orange have to worry about the health of center Arinze Onuaku, who went down in the second half of their 91-84 loss to Georgetown in the first game of the day at Madison Square Garden. Chris Wright led all scorers with 27 points and three other Hoya starters scored in double figures, and as a team Georgetown shot 69.2% in the second half and scored 54 points.

Wes Johnson led for Syracuse players in double figures with 24 points but Rick Jackson and the aforementioned Onuaku had little impact on either end of the floor against Greg Monroe, who made up for not being allowed to score as much with ten rebounds and seven assists to go along with 15 points.

"He's the best inside passer in college basketball easily," said Boeheim. "And he can score in there. I thought overall we didn't do a bad job with him. I think Chris Wright had a big night. He really had a great game. I thought when he plays like that, that's when they beat people."

Next up for Georgetown is Marquette, who knocked off Villanova 80-76 in the second quarterfinal of the day. Darius Johnson-Odom and Jimmy Butler, two players who did not play well in their win over St. John's on Wednesday, answered the challenge of head coach Buzz Williams and combined for 38 points. Lazar Hayward (20 points, seven rebounds) and David Cubillan (17 points) were the other two Marquette starters to score in double figures. In regards to Johnson-Odom, Williams noted after the game that "he's really hard to guard, and I think he does a great job of forcing help."

Corey Stokes led Villanova with 22 points but while Jay Wright's club shot well from the field (54%), turnovers (14; converted into 18 points by Marquette) and second-half defense (65.2% FG; 6-6 3PT for Marquette) sealed their fate. But how much could they have really done against Marquette's offense in the final twenty minutes? "They do such a great job of making the extra passes, driving the ball, not taking the initial shot," said Coach Wright. "They get you scrambling. If you're not great at playing every possession for 35 seconds defensively, they're going to get you. I think that was the difference."

West Virginia 54, Cincinnati 51
Playing their third game in as many nights it would have been easy for Mick Cronin's Cincinnati Bearcats to simply fold up the tent when the score hit 18-4 with 10:53 left in the first half. But it should be seen as a testament to his team that the Bearcats not only fought their way back into the game but also had a chance to win with 6.4 seconds left in the game. And even after Dion Dixon lost control of the basketball, returning possession to West Virginia with 3.1 seconds remaining, the Bearcats still had life. All they needed was a defensive stop.

Unfortunately for them, West Virginia had Da'Sean Butler.

Butler banked in a three over the outstretched hands of Lance Stephenson, who hit a three to tie the game at 51, as time expired to give the Mountaineers the 54-51 win and salvage something on a bad day for double-bye recipients. Butler finished with 16 points, six rebounds and five assists while Kevin Jones led the team with seventeen. Stephenson, who led the Cincinnati charge with his ability to get to the basket, finished with a game-high 19 points to go along with seven rebounds. But to tell Cronin's team that they played hard would be of little solace to a team that fought so hard to get back into the game.

"They deserved a better ending than to get beat on two shots, one at the end of the first half, a bank shot at the end of the second half," said Cronin. As for Stephenson, outside of blocking the shot he really couldn't do much else to stop the senior from making yet another game-winner. "I was all over him," said the freshman from Brooklyn. "Nothing I could do...He called it. He said ‘bank'." Neither team shot particularly well from the field, fitting right in with the first quarterfinal of the night session. The Bearcats finished the game with a percentage of 33.3% while WVU made 35.0% of their field goal attempts. Next up for the Mountaineers: Notre Dame.

Notre Dame 50, Pittsburgh 45
After being called for a travel on the previous possession, Luke Harangody came through with a key rebound and a pair of free throws after being fouled to get the Fighting Irish into the semifinals for the first time since 2007. The two seniors, Harangody and Tory Jackson, led the way with twelve points apiece as the Irish rode their new "style" of play to yet another victory. In regards to the stylistic change Jackson commented that "it slows the game down. It gives guys great shots, open shots. A lot of teams don't want to guard for the whole 30, 35 seconds."

Another byproduct of the change: opponents can fire up shots too quickly in an attempt to ramp up the tempo of the game. "Sometimes they come down and rush it," said Jackson. "Then they have to get back and guard again. If they miss, it makes it more aggravating and more frustrating for them." Brad Wanamaker led the Panthers with 16 points but their offense was nowhere near as effective in the second half. Pitt made just 30% of their shots in the second stanza, and with neither team showing the ability to make shots in the final twenty minutes it was Notre Dame that did the better job of scraping together points. The Irish scored 15 points off of 11 Panther turnovers, and as a result they were able to hang on.

Friday's Schedule (Semifinals)

7p ESPN #8 Georgetown vs. #5 Marquette
With the lone regular season meeting taking place all the way back on January 6th (62-59 Marquette) it's tough to make much of a correlation between the teams then and now. Both are playing good basketball, especially on the offensive end, meaning that the team that does a better job of taking away the opponent's good looks will win. Greg Monroe stands to have more of a scoring role against a smaller Marquette squad than he did against Syracuse, but he's also likely to have to guard one of the Golden Eagles' forwards on the perimeter given the versatility of Lazar Hayward and Jimmy Butler. Guard play, as it always is in March, will be crucial with Chris Wright and David Cubillan playing good basketball of late.

9p ESPN #7 Notre Dame vs. #3 West Virginia
This is also a rematch of a regular season game that was played back in early January, a 70-68 Notre Dame victory way back on January 9th. But there's one lesson the Irish can take from that game and apply it to Friday night: keep the Mountaineers off the offensive boards. WVU grabbed 19 offensive rebounds in that game and despite shooting 37.5% from the field they still had a chance to win late. That becomes even more important given the way in which Mike Brey has limited the number of possessions within a game; if they're not rebounding at a solid rate that strategy could very well backfire. West Virginia needs to remain disciplined on the defensive end and guard throughout the entire possession if they're to move on.

College Hoops Thursday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:45:03 -0500

Big day on the college basketball landscape as even more leagues join the conference tournament party, and there's much to be gained for teams looking to either bolster their position or make themselves viable NCAA Tournament candidates. The ACC Tournament begins with four first round games and the one that most "outside" eyes will be trained in on is the first contest of the night session. Georgia Tech limped down the stretch and they take on a North Carolina team that they've already beaten twice this season, a scenario that could be lead to complacency for Paul Hewitt's bunch.

But strange things happen in March; who's to say that the Tar Heels don't snap to life and take their frustrations out on the Yellow Jackets? Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors must dominate a depleted UNC frontline and their guards need to limit their turnovers in order to take care of business. Once thought to be one of the better teams in the country, Georgia Tech needs a win to simply get back on the right track. The Big 12 seems to be set in regards to who will be headed to the Big Dance but there's much to be gained in the way of seeding for teams such as Oklahoma State and Texas.

The Mountain West is another tournament that has a team looking to work its way into the NCAA Tournament, and that would be San Diego State. But the Aztecs have to be careful; Tim Miles' Colorado State squad has the ability to knock SDSU out of the conference tournament. D.J. Gay will be key at the point for Steve Fisher's club this afternoon; if he can control the tempo of the game and get the ball to the likes of Malcolm Thomas and Kawhi Leonard they'll be in good shape.

Also out west, Washington and Arizona State open their Pac-10 Tournament slate with games that on paper they should win. But in the wildest league in college basketball you never know what could happen; a guy like Landry Fields (Stanford) could get hot and shoot his team into the next round. There's a lot of action to take in all day Thursday with plenty of opportunities out there for teams to help their causes in regards to postseason play.

CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS

ACC First Round (Greensboro)
Noon Raycom Virginia vs. Boston College
2p Raycom Miami vs. Wake Forest
7p ESPN2 North Carolina vs. Georgia Tech
9p Raycom NC State vs. Clemson

Big 12 Quarterfinals (Kansas City)
12:30p ESPN Regional Texas Tech vs. Kansas
3p ESPN Regional Nebraska vs. Texas A&M
7p ESPN Regional Oklahoma St vs. Kansas St
9:30p ESPN Regional Texas vs. Baylor

Big East Quarterfinals (New York)
Noon ESPN Georgetown vs. Syracuse
2p ESPN Marquette vs. Villanova
7p ESPN Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh
9p ESPN Cincinnati vs. West Virginia

Big Ten First Round (Indianapolis)
2:30p BTN Iowa vs. Michigan
4:55p ESPN Indiana vs. Northwestern
7:30p BTN Penn St vs. Minnesota

Big West Quarterfinals (Anaheim)
9p Cal Poly vs. Long Beach St
11:30p Cal-State Fullerton vs. UC Davis

Conference USA Quarterfinals (Tulsa)
1p CBS-C Houston vs. Memphis
3:30p Southern Miss vs. UAB
7:30p Tulsa vs. Marshall
10p UCF vs. UTEP

MAC Quarterfinals (Cleveland)
Noon Western Michigan vs. Central Michigan
2p Eastern Michigan vs. Akron
7p Ohio vs. Kent St
9p Buffalo vs. Miami (Ohio)

MEAC Quarterfinals (Winston-Salem)
6p Maryland-Eastern Shore vs. South Carolina St
8p Hampton vs. Norfolk St

Mountain West Quarterfinals (Las Vegas)
3p Versus Air Force vs. New Mexico
5:30p CBS-C Colorado St vs. San Diego St
9p Versus TCU vs. BYU
11:30p CBS-C Utah vs. UNLV

Pac-10 Quarterfinals (Los Angeles)
3p FSN UCLA vs. Arizona
5:30p FSN Oregon vs. California
9:18p FSN Stanford vs. Arizona St
11:40p Oregon St vs. Washington

SEC First Round (Nashville)
1p South Carolina vs. Alabama
3:15p LSU vs. Tennessee
7:30p Auburn vs. Florida
9:45p Georgia vs. Arkansas

Southland Semifinals (Katy, TX)
7p Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs. Stephen F. Austin
9:30p SE Louisiana vs. Sam Houston St

SWAC Quarterfinals (Shreveport-Bossier City, LA)
3:30p Alabama A&M vs. Alabama St
9p Texas Southern vs. Prairie View A&M

WAC Quarterfinals (Reno)
3p Boise St vs. Utah St
5:30p Fresno St vs. Louisiana Tech
9p Idaho vs. Nevada
11:30p San Jose St vs. New Mexico St

ONE PREDICTION

Stanford over Arizona State: Given how unpredictable the Pac-10 has been, the feeling here is that one of the two teams still needing to do work won't make it through to Friday's semifinals. Landry Fields goes off and the Cardinal pull the stunner of the day out west, winning by four.

College Hoops Wednesday Recap: Montana Stuns Weber State

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:59:54 -0500

Montana was dead to rights late in the first half, trailing by 22 points and going into the locker room down 20 at intermission. No way could they come back on the road and keep Weber State from punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. The final twenty minutes were supposed to be a coronation for the Wildcats, most of America thought.

Well, Anthony Johnson made sure that we all thought wrong.

Johnson went off, scoring 34 of his Big Sky Tournament record 42 points, in the second half as the Grizzlies stormed back to win by the final score of 66-65. Johnson scored the Grizzlies' final 21 points of the game in a run similar to what LeBron James did in Detroit in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals a few years back. The junior college transfer hit 13 of 22 shots from the field and all fourteen of his free throws in the herculean effort. Derek Selvig added 12 points off the bench and Brian Qvale grabbed 14 rebounds for Montana, who makes their first NCAA appearance since 2006. Damian Lillard led Weber State with 16 points but shooting 37.3% from the field eventually caught up with the regular season Big Sky champs.

What kind of seed can the Grizzlies expect? It really doesn't matter after a game like this; the sheer euphoria of winning a game in the fashion that they did should have Wayne Tinkle's team (and their fan base) floating on Cloud 9 right through Selection Sunday. And for those who didn't know Anthony Johnson's name before Tuesday night: you do know. Truly a performance for the ages.

Three Key Happenings

1. Luke Harangody leads Notre Dame to a win over Seton Hall.

2. Grambling stuns SWAC regular season champ Jackson State. The Tigers of Jackson State were far and away the best teams in the SWAC this season, losing just one of their eighteen conference games. And in facing a Grambling State team that finished 4-14 in league play, many expected Jackson State to move right on to the next round. But thanks to Donald Qualls' 20 points and eight rebounds Grambling became the first eight-seed to knock off the top seed in the SWAC Tournament since 2004. But it's worth noting that in their second meeting the regular season champs won by just five points on the road. Garrison Jackson led all scorers with 27 points but it wasn't enough to make up for Jackson State shooting 26.4% from the field. Grambling keeps alive unfathomable NCAA dreams while the favorites are not headed to the NIT.

3. Robert Morris repeats as NEC champion. The two best teams in the NEC all season long, Robert Morris and Quinnipiac were expected to play to the bitter end in deciding who would represent the conference in the NCAA Tournament. And they did just that, but it was the visitors who found a way to win in the end. RMU, led by Karon Abraham's 16 points, won their second consecutive NEC Tournament crown by holding the Bobcats to 34.8% shooting overall and 3-for-13 from beyond the arc. James Feldeine (17 points) and Justin Rutty (12 points) led the way for Quinnipiac but their other three starters combined to shoot 3-for-16 on the night. Dallas Green's deflection and ensuing free throws gave the Colonials the win, and it's fitting that a senior who's heard Mike Rice preach defense for four years would make the final big defensive play.

Top Three Games

1. Montana 66, Weber St 65 See above.

2. Robert Morris 52, Quinnipiac 50 See above.

3. Cincinnati 69, Louisville 66

Three Notable Performances

1. G Anthony Johnson (Montana) Johnson went off in the second half, scoring 34 for his Big Sky Tournament-record 42 points in the second half to lead the Grizzlies back from a 20-point halftime deficit to win the automatic bid at Weber State.

2. F Luke Harangody (Notre Dame) The senior had 20 points and 10 rebounds in the Irish's 68-54 win over Seton Hall in the Big East Tournament.

3. F Anatoly Bose (Nicholls State) Bose scored 40 points (15-23 FG) in NSU's 62-57 loss to Sam Houston State. No other player had more than six points on the night.