College Basketball History

Cinderella Madness Finals: '07 UNLV vs '08 Davidson

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:40:45 -0800

WhatIfSports.com and CollegeHoops.net have partnered up to bring you Cinderella Madness 2012. This college basketball simulation tournament features 16 of the most memorable Cinderella stories from the past eight seasons. We invited teams outside the BCS conferences, seeded 7th or lower that advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond. Teams were seeded 1 through 16 and then games were simulated using WhatIfSports.com's award-winning college basketball simulation engine.

Finals: 2006-07 UNLV vs 2007-08 Davidson

UNLV and Davidson survived the first three rounds of Cinderella Madness to vie for the ultimate prize, the title of Cinderella Madness champion.

Eighth-seeded UNLV's path to the championship game included two wins over lower seeds before upending the fourth-seeded VCU Rams in the Final Four. Four UNLV players averaged double-figure scoring through the first three games, led by Wendell White (17.3 points per game).

Davidson earned its way largely on the play of sophomore sensation Stephen Curry. In wins over Richmond, Saint Mary's and George Mason, he tallied 29, 25 and 25 points in the scoring column. Jason Richards proved to be Curry's most reliable sidekick, averaging 13.7 points and seven assists in the three wins.

UNLV and Davidson were evenly matched opponents through 20 minutes, with Davidson holding a narrow 31-30 lead at the break.

After intermission, the Wildcats began to exert their dominance, leading by as much as 16 points when two free throws by Williams Archambault stretched their advantage to 52-36 with 12:49 to play. UNLV closed the gap to three points with just over five minutes remaining, but never got any closer. The Wildcats pulled out the 76-70 victory and staked their claim to the Cinderella Madness championship.

Curry led all scorers with 26 points and was the easy vote for Most Outstanding Player of the Cinderella Madness tournament.

Player of the game: Stephen Curry (26 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals)

Winning Percentage of 501 Simulations: '08 Davidson 70.7% - '07 UNLV 29.3

Game Recap: Davidson 76 - UNLV 70 (Boxscore)

For how the team's reached the final, check out the Cinderella Madness archive with the complete bracket.

Cinderella Semifinals: '06 George Mason vs '08 Davidson

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:36:55 -0800

Semifinals: 2006-06 George Mason vs 2007-08 Davidson

Mason beat '04 UAB and '04 Nevada to reach the semis. Davidson topped '11 Richmond and then '10 Saint Mary's in the quarterfinals.

Bob McKillop's crew is quickly gaining a rep for their last-second heroics, and the Wildcats were propelled by another buzzer-beater in Cinderella Madness, this time with backup William Archambault serving as star in Davidson's 74-72 upending of George Mason to earn their way into the championship round.

In a matchup featuring two of the more celebrated mid-majors battling for a spot to slide into Cinderella's glass slipper, the Patriots appeared in control for most of the contest, building an 11-point advantage with nine minutes to go in the second half. Yet Davidson answered with a fury of lay-ups and long balls, tying the game with just two minutes to go. After Lamar Butler and Steph Curry traded jumpers, the Davison defense was able to post a crucial stop, giving the Wildcats a chance to take the lead with just seconds remaining. The assassin Curry was wide with his attempt, but a heads-up play by the shooting guard led to his own rebound, which was then kicked out to the seldom-used Archambault. A sweet fadaway found nothing but net, propelling the Wildcats to glory.

Curry once again led the Wildcats, throwing in 25 points and coming up big on the defensive end with three steals and two swats. Andrew Lovedale contributed with 14 points and nine boards, and Jason Richards had another solid outing to the tune of 10 points, seven assists and six boards.

Player of the game: Stephen Curry (25 points, 2 blocks, 3 steals)

Winning Percentage of 501 Simulations: '08 Davidson 61.9% - '06 George Mason 38.1%

Game Recap: Davidson 72 - George Mason 69 (Boxscore)

Check back tomorrow for the Finals. More Cinderella Madness with the complete bracket.

Cinderella Semifinals: '07 UNLV vs '11 VCU

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:27:06 -0800

Semifnals: 2006-07 UNLV vs 2010-11 VCU

UNLV beat '06 Wichita St and then '06 Bradley to reach the semis. VCU beat '10 UNI and '04 Xavier in the quarterfinals.

The mere mention of Georgetown's Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje excites college basketball fanatics as he does possess one of the catchiest names of all-time. The seven-foot, 260 pound post player paved the way for two other big men of Cameroonian descent to leave their mark during the 2007 NCAA Tournament.

UCLA's Luc Richard Mbah a Moute may have led his Bruins to the Final Four that season, but on this day and in this game, UNLV's Gaston Essengue experienced his one shining moment.

Held to only two points the entire second half, Essengue connected on a jumper in the game's final seconds to hand his Rebels a 72-70 win and punch their ticket to the Cinderella Madness title game.

Wendell White led the Rebels with 16 points, while Joey Rodriguez finished with 16 for the Rams in the loss.

Player of the game: Kevin Kruger (15 points, 8 assists, 3 steals)

Winning Percentage of 501 Simulations: '07 UNLV 51.9% - '11 VCU 48.1%

Game Recap: UNLV 71 - VCU 70 (Boxscore)

Check back tomorrow for the Finals. More Cinderella Madness with the complete bracket.

Cinderella Quarterfinals: '06 Bradley vs '07 UNLV

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 08:35:54 -0800

In the First Round, Bradley upset #1 seed '11 Butler while '07 UNLV topped '06 Wichita St.

Quarterfinals: 2005-06 Bradley vs 2006-07 UNLV

The darling of Cinderella Madness after upsetting top-seeded Butler in the first round, Bradley earned a date with the UNLV Runnin' Rebels. Unfortunately for Bradley supporters, the Cinderella story came to an end for the school out of Peoria, Illinois.

UNLV overcame a diminutive starting five that included just one player over 6'6" – the 6'8" Gaston Essengue – to force Bradley seven-footer Patrick O'Bryant into just two points on 1-for-5 shooting. Credit reserve Joel Anthony for slowing down O'Bryant, as Anthony managed four blocks and seven rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.

The hot shooting of UNLV guard Michael Umeh helped the Rebels erase a five-point halftime deficit. His efforts included a go-ahead three-pointer with 33 seconds remaining in the game to give UNLV a 70-68 advantage as they went on to record the 72-68 victory. Umeh finished with 18 points, including 3-for-4 from downtown. As a team, the Runnin' Rebels shot 45 percent (9-for-20) from three-point range.

Bradley was paced by Marcellus Sommerville's 18 points, six rebounds and three steals.

Player of the game: Michael Umeh (18 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists)

Winning Percentage of 501 Simulations: '07 UNLV 53.1% - '06 Bradley 46.9%

Game Recap: UNLV 70 - Bradley 68 (Boxscore)

More Cinderella Madness with the complete bracket.

Cinderella Quarterfinals: '04 Xavier vs '11 VCU

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 08:33:29 -0800

In the First Round, VCU topped '10 Northern Iowa while '04 Xavier escaped by 2 points over '05 Milwaukee.

Quarterfinals: 2010-11 VCU (4 seed) vs 2003-04 Xavier (5 seed)

The final six minutes of this second round sim matchup are a microcosm of what makes March Madness must-watch television.

Lead changes? Check.

Neither team led by more than three points? Check.

A chance to win the game at the buzzer? Check.

Edge of your seat entertainment? Check.

Gus Johnson on the mic? This is all a what-if scenario, so heck yeah!

Despite Xavier shooting 50 percent from the floor, Romain Sato's (24 points, 9 rebounds) last second shot fell short and allowed VCU to escape with the 74-73 win.

The Rams' Jamie Skeen averaged 17.5 points per game during VCU's dramatic run to the Final Four last season. He dropped 22 points (9-15 FG) with 10 rebounds in 36 minutes to lead the team in this contest. The three others who scored in double-figures were a combined 8 of 17 from beyond the arc (46.2 percent as a team), which helped VCU conceal their 48 percent (12-25 FT) effort at the free throw line.

Player of the game: Jamie Skeen (22 points, 10 rebounds)

Winning Percentage of 501 Simulations: VCU 61.5% - Xavier 38.5%

Game Recap: VCU 70 - Xavier 66 (Boxscore)

More Cinderalla Madness with the complete bracket.

Cinderella Quarterfinals: '08 Davidson vs '10 Saint Mary's

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 08:31:18 -0800

In the First Round, '08 Davidson eased past '11 Richmond while '10 Saint Mary's barely avoided an upset loss to '08 WKU.

Quarterfinals: 2007-08 Davidson vs 2009-10 Saint Mary's

In the annals of hoops, mere mortals have transcended into hardwood heroes with courageous exploits in the most maddening of moments. Steve Kerr in Game Six of the '97 Finals. Ali Farokhmanesh's cojones-filled bomb against Kansas in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Ollie's free throws versus the Wildcats in Hoosiers. Add Thomas Sander's jumper in Cinderella Madness to the list, as the glue man's conquest gave Davidson a 79-77 W over St. Mary's.

The Gaels looked to put the game out of reach early, surmounting a 15-point lead in the first half. But the Wildcats responded with vigor, raining an army of treys before heading into the locker room to cut their deficit to five. From that juncture, both teams traded punches, with neither band able to pull away from the other. Steph Curry was unleashing his usual carnage, this time to the tune of 25 points and eight rebounds, but St. Mary's big man Omar Samhan was going toe-for-toe with the sharpshooter, pouring in 18 points of his own to go with 11 boards.

Enter Sander, a senior with solid, if not spectacular, averages of 7.5 points and 4.8 boards in the 2007-2008 season. With the score tied at 77 after a Ben Allen jumper from the top of the key, Jason Richards found Sander wide open in the corner, undoubtedly a byproduct of the Gaels' attention to Curry, and he nailed the shot, sending Davidson into the Final Four. Not only did Sander clinch the victory, but he posted an overall superb performance of 15 points and five boards. Somewhere, Robert Horry is smiling.

Player of the game: Stephen Curry (25 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals)

Winning Percentage of 501 Simulations: '08 Davidson 62.3% - '10 Saint Mary's 37.7%

Game Recap: Davidson 78 - Saint Mary's 74 (Boxscore)

More Cinderalla Madness with the complete bracket.

Cinderella Madness: '06 Bradley vs '11 Butler

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:17:45 -0800

WhatIfSports.com and CollegeHoops.net have partnered up to bring you Cinderella Madness 2012. This college basketball simulation tournament features 16 of the most memorable Cinderella stories from the past eight seasons. We invited teams outside the BCS conferences, seeded 7th or lower that advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond in their bracket to participate. Teams were seeded 1 through 16 and then simulated using WhatIfSports.com's award-winning college basketball simulation engine. Each match was "played" 501 times.

2010-11 Butler vs 2005-06 Bradley

2010-11 Butler: No Gordon Hayward but Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard were back as key figures for the Bulldogs, who also relied on tough defender Ronald Nored at the point. After a three-game losing streak that culminated with a 62-60 loss at Youngstown State on February 3rd, Butler would reel off 14 straight wins to reach the title game for the second straight season. The Bulldogs relied on a stout defense and timely shooting to make their run, with Howard's bucket as time expired beating Old Dominion to set up a third round matchup with top seed Pittsburgh. But the good fortune ran out in the title game, where the Bulldogs shot the lowest percentage for a finalist in the modern era.

2005-06 Bradley: Jim Les' alma mater was one of the more surprising entries into the tournament field in 2006 as they boasted a pedestrian 11-7 mark in MVC play. But the Braves got hot at the right time, winning seven straight to reach the MVC tournament final, with the seventh win being a 60-52 triumph over regular season champ Wichita State. They'd rebound from a loss to Southern Illinois to beat Kansas and Pittsburgh thanks in part to two performances from Patrick O'Bryant that likely cemented his status as a lottery pick. O'Bryant was one of four Bradley players to average double figures with the high-flying Marcellus Sommerville leading the way. Bradley had an RPI of 29 and a strength of schedule of 61, likely bolstered by the overall strength of the MVC. Bradley's season ended in the Sweet 16, where the team fell 80-64 to top-seeded Memphis.

Game Recap: Bradley 70 - Butler 68 (Boxscore)

Butler's Howard was known for his scrappy play, oversized t-shirt under the jersey and, at times, proud proprietor of upper lip whiskers that understandably required a Facebook fan page.

He averaged 14.8 points per game during the Bulldogs' run in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, but in our Cinderella Madness opening round, Howard was M.I.A. The big man scored six points (1-7 FG) in 29 minutes as Bradley renewed their run in the opening round of Cinderella Madness.

Mack (20 points) led the first half charge as the Bulldogs built an eight point lead with six minutes to go before the half. Bradley's Sommerville rallied the Braves and tied the game before Chase Stigall buried a three-ball as the halftime buzzer sounded.

Mack's bucket two minutes into the second half boosted Butler's lead back to seven, 37-30. But, over the next eight minutes, Bradley rattled off a 19-9 run and took a 49-46 lead.

With four minutes and change on the clock, and still trailing by three, Butler's Zach Hahn buried a triple from the right wing to tie the game up at 59. A couple possession's later, Tony Bennett (12 points) knocked down a jumper to give the Braves the lead for good. Bradley converted their free throws down the stretch to upset the top seed 70-66.

Player of the game: Patrick O'Bryant (18 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks)

Winning Percentage of 501 Simulations: '06 Bradley 57.9% - '11 Butler 42.1%

More Cinderalla Madness with the complete bracket.

Cinderella Madness: '06 Wichita St vs '07 UNLV

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:15:20 -0800

WhatIfSports.com and CollegeHoops.net have partnered up to bring you Cinderella Madness 2012. This college basketball simulation tournament features 16 of the most memorable Cinderella stories from the past eight seasons. We invited teams outside the BCS conferences, seeded 7th or lower that advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond in their bracket to participate. Teams were seeded 1 through 16 and then simulated using WhatIfSports.com's award-winning college basketball simulation engine. Each match was "played" 501 times.

2006-07 UNLV vs 2005-06 Wichita St

2006-07 UNLV: The three-guard lineup that Lon Kruger was able to rely on was a special trio, made up of his son Kevin, Wink Adams and Wendell White on the wing. All three averaged between 13.5 and 14.4 points per game, and White was also the team's leading rebounder. Gaston Essengue and Joel Anthony were called on for defense and rebounding and reserves such as Curtis Terry and Joe Darger not only understood but carried out their assigned roles. After beating BYU to win the Mountain West's automatic bid, the Runnin' Rebels beat Georgia Tech and Wisconsin before falling to Oregon in the Sweet 16.

2005-06 Wichita State: Mark Turgeon's Shockers went 14-4 in league play to win the Missouri Valley regular season crown, an accomplishment that made them a lock to be one of the four teams from the league to earn NCAA bids. But while the traditionalists and pundits complained, the Shockers went to work, whipping Seton Hall thanks to a three-point barrage and then knocking off Tennessee to reach the Sweet 16. Paul Miller and Sean Ogirri (whose afro gained a lot of attention) led four starters in double figures for Wichita State, with Miller, P.J. Couisnard and Kyle Wilson being the best rebounders as well. Wichita State fell to George Mason in the Sweet 16.

Game Recap: UNLV 71 - Wichita St 63 (Boxscore)

The Missouri Valley Conference has produced its share of fairy tales on the hardwood, but there will be no glass slipper for the Shockers in Cinderella Madness. The vaunted trinity of Adams, Kruger and White blasted the scoreboard for 47 points, and the Runnin' Rebels kept the Wichita State bench at bay in UNLV's first-round 69-62 victory.

Down four at half, the Shockers kept it close in the onset of the second half, trailing by just two with 15 minutes to go. Alas, the Rebels went on a 13-4 run (with six points coming from guard Michael Umeh) that proved too arduous of a task to overcome for Turgeron's squad.

White's versatility as swingman correlated into a game-high 22 points, and his prowess on the glass led to a team-best nine boards. While UNLV let Miller, Ogirri and Karon Bradley stuff the stat sheet (the three combined for 43 points), no other Shocker was able to score more than six, and Wichita State shot less than 24 percent from beyond the arc. Current NBAer Anthony delivered an admirable defensive display in reserve, redirecting the flights of four errant shot attempts.

Player of the game: Wendell White (22 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals)

Winning Percentage of 501 Simulations: '07 UNLV 78.8% - '06 Wichita State 21.2%

More Cinderalla Madness with the complete bracket.

Cinderella Madness: '10 Northern Iowa vs '11 VCU

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:13:36 -0800

WhatIfSports.com and CollegeHoops.net have partnered up to bring you Cinderella Madness 2012. This college basketball simulation tournament features 16 of the most memorable Cinderella stories from the past eight seasons. We invited teams outside the BCS conferences, seeded 7th or lower that advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond in their bracket to participate. Teams were seeded 1 through 16 and then simulated using WhatIfSports.com's award-winning college basketball simulation engine. Each match was "played" 501 times.

2010-11 VCU vs 2009-10 Northern Iowa

2010-11 VCU: Shaka Smart's team was a veteran group led by Joey Rodriguez at the point and Jamie Skeen inside (he could also step out and knock down perimeter shots). Nine players played at least ten minutes per game for VCU, and their frenetic system would wreak havoc on teams not used to facing it. The Rams were just 12-6 in CAA play (good for 4th) but their SOS of 61 (RPI: 31) helped get them into the field. The victims: USC, Georgetown, Purdue (in what was likely the best offensive performance of the tournament by any team), Florida State and Kansas. VCU lost to Butler in the Final Four.

2009-10 Northern Iowa: While Ben Jacobson's Panthers will always be remember by the casual fan for Ali Farokhmanesh's shot to seal the second round win over Kansas, it must be known that UNI was an outstanding basketball team as well. The Panthers won the MVC by three games and went 6-3 against RPI Top 50 teams, meaning that this seed is likely an injustice. They weren't a high-powered offensive team but UNI had options, from Adam Koch and Jordan Eglseder to Farokhmanesh and Kwadzo Ahelegbe. The Panthers won all three of their MVC tournament games by 15 points or more, allowing an average of 44.0 points per game. They went on to beat UNLV and Kansas by a combined five points before falling to Michigan State in the Sweet 16.

Game Recap: VCU 67 - Northern Iowa 63 (Boxscore)

VCU utilized superior depth and bench play throughout their 2011 run to the Final Four. In a 94-76 drubbing of Purdue, for example, the VCU bench outscored their opponent 29 to five. The formula for success was replicated as the Rams squared off with their first-round adversary, the Northern Iowa Panthers.

VCU found itself in a 15-11 hole midway through the first half, but Skeen and super sub Brandon Rozzell combined to score 15 of the team's next 19 points and VCU enjoyed a 30-27 advantage at the break.

After pacing the Panthers with eight points in the early going, Farokhmanesh hit a scoring drought that lasted 28 minutes. Right on cue though, he connected on two three-pointers in just over one minute to erase a six-point Panthers deficit and tie the game at 61-61 with 2:44 remaining.

An exchange of baskets set up VCU's Rozzell for the game-winner, a 15-foot jumper with one second left. The Rams advanced with the 65-63 win.

Rozzell accounted for 19 of VCU's 23 bench points and Skeen added 14 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks. Farokhmanesh's 14 points (4-6 3FG) led Northern Iowa.

Player of the game: Brandon Rozzell (19 points, 2 steals)

Winning Percentage of 501 Simulations: '11 VCU 64.7% - '10 Northern Iowa 35.3%

More Cinderalla Madness with the complete bracket.

Cinderella Madness: '04 Xavier vs '05 Milwaukee

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:11:59 -0800

WhatIfSports.com and CollegeHoops.net have partnered up to bring you Cinderella Madness 2012. This college basketball simulation tournament features 16 of the most memorable Cinderella stories from the past eight seasons. We invited teams outside the BCS conferences, seeded 7th or lower that advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond in their bracket to participate. Teams were seeded 1 through 16 and then simulated using WhatIfSports.com's award-winning college basketball simulation engine. Each match was "played" 501 times.

2003-04 Xavier vs 2004-05 UW Milwaukee

2003-04 Xavier: The Xavier program bristles at being called a "mid-major" and rightfully so as the program has been a part of the national landscape for quite some time. Thad Matta, who is now the head coach at Ohio State, had an outstanding group at his fingertips and they fell just short of the Final Four. Lionel Chalmers and Romain Sato led the way on the perimeter while Anthony Myles was their most dependable option inside. Justin Doellman was the big suited for the pick-and-pop game while Justin Cage was another banger in the paint. The Musketeers took out Louisville, Mississippi State and Texas before falling to Duke by three in the regional final.

2004-05 UW-Milwaukee: Bruce Pearl's final team at Milwaukee before he took the Tennessee job was his best, as the Panthers won 26 games and made their first-ever Sweet 16 appearance. Milwaukee won the Horizon League with a 14-2 mark thanks in large part to the play of Ed McCants and Joah Tucker. Boo Davis was the other starter averaging double figures for the Panthers, who entered the tournament on a nine-game win streak. Once in the Big Dance, Milwaukee scored 83 points in each of their first two games, wins over Alabama and Boston College. But they fell by a score of 73-63 to an Illinois team that would go on to the national title game.

Game Recap: Xavier 72 - Milwaukee 70 (Boxscore)

Considering the coaching success Matta and Pearl enjoyed following their tenures at Xavier and Milwaukee, it's no surprise this game came down to a tale of two halves.

The Musketeers' 16-point lead at the break is a bit deceiving when you consider the Panthers only trailed by five just four minutes earlier. Led by Sato and Cage, Xavier ripped off a 12-1 run to finish out the first 20 minutes.

Unfortunately for X, their hot hands didn't carry over to the second stanza. The Panthers outscored their first-round opponent 23-6, obliterating the deficit and taking a 52-51 lead with a little more than 10 minutes remaining.

Both teams dealt with long scoring droughts the rest of the way, but the Musketeers managed to open up a seven point lead with less than 60 seconds to play after Justin Doellman connected on a turnaround jumper from the block.

Chucks from the charity stripe put this game away. Xavier survived and advanced 73-71.

Player of the game: Romain Sato (16 points, 9 rebounds)

Winning Percentage of 501 Simulations: '04 Xavier 58.9% - '05 UW-Milwaukee 41.1%

More Cinderalla Madness with the complete bracket.