Yesterday featured a great set of games, and today should be no different as we move into second round action. We have a slate of eight games today, which will feature five of the top seeds in action.
Today's schedule:
- East - 1:05 PM: #6 UCLA vs. #3 Villanova
- West - 3:20 PM: #10 Maryland vs. #2 Memphis
- West - 3:35 PM: #9 Texas A&M vs. #1 UConn
- West - 5:40 PM: #5 Purdue vs. #4 Washington
- South - 5:45 PM: #8 LSU vs. #1 UNC
- South - 5:50 PM: #10 Michigan vs. #2 Oklahoma
- South - 8:10 PM: #12 Western Kentucky vs. #4 Gonzaga
- East - 8:15 PM: #7 Texas vs. #2 Duke
Follow along with our live-blog after the jump.
- Purdue barely hung on against Washington, and it looks as it Oklahoma has this one locked up against Michigan. We will be calling it a night here, but come back tomorrow for the fourth day of BIAH live-blogging the NCAA tournament.
- Blake Griffin has 30 and 15 on the day, and has hit all seven of his shot attempts in the second half.
- Brockman has back-to-back tip-ins for baskets. Gotta box him out.
- Washington has it down to two after being down 14. This is big for UConn, as Purdue has a shot at beating the Huskies because of their defensive prowess, while Washington does not match up nearly as well.
- Zak Novak just tried to take a charge on Griffin on a 1-on-1 break, and got put on a poster. But it wasn't just the dunk that was amazing. Griffin slid his body to the right of Novak, avoiding the charge. He is an unreal athlete.
- UNC has taken this game over. It is now 80-65 with 2:00 left. Lawson took over this game down the stretch. Now do you see why Lawson is so important?
- Purdue has scored six straight points, all in transition, as they have opened up an eight point lead over the Huskies. JaJuan Johnson now has 22 points, but if the Huskies keep getting the ball inside to Brockman they can win this thing. As good as Johnson is, he is not strong enough to defend Brockman.
Isaiah Thomas has taken over the second half, as he has 20 of his 23 points.
- UNC has been able to take this game over because the Tigers have stopped going to the basket on the offensive end, and instead have been settling for jumpers.
- What. A. Move. By. Lawson. He left Spencer in the dust with a killer crossover.
- UNC is starting to pull away as they have opened up a seven point lead. As good as Marcus Thornton is, I don't think that a contested 23 footer with a hand in his face is really a good shot for him to be taking.
- Isn't Lawson supposed to be hurt? His and-1 lay-up with 8:00 left gave UNC a three point lead and gave Lawson 12 points in the half.
Washington has cut Purdue's lead to 60-56. Just cued that game up on MMOD.
- Ellington is on fire. He has 21 on the game, and 10 in the last two minutes.
- Oklahoma has opened up a 36-29 lead on Michigan by scoring the first six points of the half.
- LSU and UNC is really getting intense. Ellington scored five points in about 35 seconds to give UNC the lead, but Thornton banged a three after some beautiful ball movement.
As I wrote that, Hansbrough picked up his third foul
- JaJuan Johnson is taking over for the Boilermakers. He has 14 points as Purdue has taken a 47-35 lead.
- LSU has gone on a 13-3 run to start the second half as the Heels look very nonchalant coming out. Johnson has three blocks already.
- LSU has taken over the paint here early in the half. They have four baskets in the paint (three by Mitchell, one Mitchell assist to Thornton) and Johnson has two blocks at the defensive end.
- Explain this to me - Griffin has 13 points and 7 boards, Johnson and Warren have combined to go 5-9 from deep, and Manny Harris sat much of the half with two fouls, and the Sooners are only up 1? That is not good for OU.
- So who is this Wright that has scored 11 for Michigan? He averages 2.3 ppg, and has made 13 threes this season. He is 3-3 this afternoon and has 12 points on the game. Not bad for a guy who didn't even play in 10 games this season.
- Oklahoma does not look like a team that is playing together right now. After the DeShawn Sims jump hook, Blake Griffin just shook his head as he looked at this teammates, and after Austin Johnson threw the ball away on that last possession, both Griffins and Tony Crocker dogged it getting back on defense. They are down 28-25 to Michigan right now.
- We have reached halftime in two games, and Purdue has taken a 39-28 lead over Washington and UNC has pushed their lead to 38-29 over LSU.
- The Heels are really starting to put it on the Tigers right now. They cannot stop Hansbrough on the inside, and they are starting to get baskets in transition. The problem for LSU right now is that they keep settling for jumpers. Get the ball going to the rim! UNC does not have a lot of great defenders and outside of Ed Davis, they have zero shot blockers.
- Ellington has caught fire, and Lawson has scored his first basket for the Heels.
- And Blake Griffin just got his nose bloodied. He is playing with a cotton ball up his nose.
- Lawson is back in the game for UNC, and he still looks fairly mobile. Spencer has not had been able to get around him, and he has tried a couple of times.
- Johnson just knocked down another three. If Oklahoma is making their shots from the perimeter, then Michigan has no shot.
- Manny Harris also has two fouls. Oklahoma has taken an 18-15 lead midway through the first half.
- A couple of other things I have noticed from the UNC game - Hansbrough is getting anything he wants on the block. If you are the Heels, without Lawson in the game, you have to get the ball to him, because Johnson has no chance in the paint.
Mitchell for LSU has picked up his second foul. He is the second best scorer for the Tigers, who have scored six straight to take the lead (two straight jumpers by Johnson).
- Warren has hit back-to-back threes in Kansas City.
- Lawson has already taken the shoe off and is clearly in a lot of pain on the bench right now. That is not a good sign for the Heels.
- I think Oklahoma has a very tough match-up with Michigan. The zone that the Wolverines play is going to put a ton of pressure on guys like Crocker, Johnson, and Warren to knock down jumpers, something that has been a bit inconsistent this year. That said, Michigan is the worst rebounding team in the Big Ten, and it is going to be tough for them to keep the Brothers Griffin off the glass.
- Blake Griffin just hit the floor hard again, as Manny Harris undercut him on a rebound.
- Lawson now has missed two makeable shots on the last two possessions. It is more important for Lawson to be able to lead the break than it is to finish, and he looks like he is moving pretty well this far.
- Purdue has opened up an early 17-6 lead on Washington as the Huskies are completely unable to get anything going on the offensive end. Not surprising, as Purdue is great on that end of the floor.
- That was a great pass by Frasor on the break. Spencer, the LSU defender, got turned completely around. As good as Thornton and Mitchell are, I just don't think the Tigers are going to be good enough to stop the Heels in transition.
- Purdue is up 9-4 early, but the bad news is that Jon Brockman is no match for JaJuan Johnson in the paint. He already has 4 points and 4 boards.
- We've tipped in the UNC-LSU and the Wash-Purdue games, and early on in the first half, UNC and LSU are tied. Hansbrough has been taking it to Chris Johnson in the post, but more importantly Lawson is in the line-up. He has not looked like he is hampered by the toe as of yet.
Tasmin Mitchell and Marcus Thornton have been tough for the Heels to stop in the early going, as Mitchel has hit back-to-back jumpers and Thornton just scored going to the paint.
- It is over in KC, as Memphis pounded Maryland 89-70. Tyreke Evans led the Tigers with 19 points, 5 boards, and 4 assists while Antonio Anderson added 11 assists. The most important stat of the game was the 10-19 Memphis shot from three. As I said before, if they shoot like that from deep, I don't know if there is a team in the country that can beat them.
- Lance Stephenson has made his college decision, but we are all going to have to wait until April 1st for the McDonald's all-american game to find out where he is playing.
- They just showed Ty Lawson running through lay-up lines with his UNC teammates. I think that he is playing.
As I wrote that, Price made a beautiful move going to the basket in transition. He made an in-n-out move at about the elbow, before jumping off of the wrong foot and finishing with his left hand on the other side of the lane.
- A&M is still down 17, but Adrien just picked up his second foul as well. UConn has gone small, going with the three guards, Robinson, and Edwards. If the Aggies are going to make a run, now is the time.
- Thabeet just picked up his third foul against A&M, but the real fun is out in KC. Memphis has opened up a 29 point lead, and Memphis fans are chanting ACC at Vazquez. Can't say he doesn't deserve it.
- Pierre Henderson-Niles to the Washington Post:
I know they got a good player -- I don't know his name -- but he good or whatever, so we just going to try to do what we do and stop him. I ain't never seen them; I know they got one good player, Sanchez or something like that; whatever his name is.Maybe that's why Vazquez made his "Memphis would have a losing record in the ACC" comment.
- As these two games have both lost a bit of their intrigue, I figured I'd pass along some good reads as I come across them. Esquire did their top seven dirtiest teams of all-time. You'll be surprised when you see who is #1.
- Memphis might as well be running their offense without any defense out there. I don;t know if they were be shooting this well. Anderson has 11 assists already for the Tigers, who is shooting 9-15 from deep.
- UConn and A&M are now at halftime, and UConn is up 51-33 on the strength of Adrien and Price.
Over in Kansas City, Maryland has started to figure out Memphis defensively, scoring 15 points in 6 minutes, but they cannot stop the Tigers, who have extended their lead and are now up 70-48. MD tried putting a press on the Tigers, but Memphis ran right through them, with the ending being a series of dunks.
- Davis has picked up his second as well, meaning the Aggies entire front line is on the bench. Adrien has been fantastic, as he now has 16 points and 6 boards. Price just scored five points in transition in the span of ten seconds and UConn is now up 20 as well. Price has 13 points, 7 assists, and 3 boards already.
A question I have been asked a number of times recently is whether or not Price is an NBA player. I think he will get drafted, because he has been an excellent point guard the last two seasons. But he is not a great defender and I don't think he is quick enough to get by NBA defenders. His jump shot dangerous, especially off the dribble, but he does not have all that quick of a release. In the lane he is a decent finisher, but for the most part it is floaters and leaners, as he doesn't have the athleticism to finish at the rim. At best, he is a career back-up.
- Tyreke Evans just scored his 19th point as Memphis has opened up a 25 point lead. So much for exciting games this after noon.
- Bad news for the Aggies as their center, Elonu, has picked up his third foul on a ticky-tack shove on a Thabeet post up. Thabeet just picked up his second foul as well though. A&M used Davis, who Thabeet was guarding, as the screener in a pick and roll, and it forced Thabeet to come out and defend. The Aggies are going to need to do that more if they want to climb back into this.
- Two stats should stand out right now for the Huskies: 8 assists on 9 baskets, 10-10 from the foul line. When the Huskies do that, they are going to be very tough to beat.
- UConn has opened up a 27-11 lead, and absolutely dominating A&M in the paint. At this rate, A&M is going to have their entire team fouled out. They have 10 fouls in the first 12 minutes.
- Adrien already has 8 points and Price has handed out 5 assists. UConn has looked very tough early, especially inside.
- I just saw Vazquez's quote, and what a fool. Why does he keep doing this? Remember before Maryland lost to Duke by 40, Vazquez said something about the Cameron Crazies and how Cameron Indoor was his home. And now they come out and give up 53 points to Memphis in the first half. Memphis beat Tulane 51-41 earlier this season.
- Mack knocks down yet another three. Sallie, Mack, whoever. When Memphis is getting perimeter shooting like this, they are near impossible to beat.
- Adrien knocks down another 15 footer. He has developed a deadly jumper from that foul line area.
- Doneal Mack has broken out of his slump as he knocks down three straight threes to open up an 18 point lead.
In Philly, UConn has opened up an 8-0 lead early.
- Enberg just said "A&M is trying to attack Thabeet inside, but rejection is the theme for Hasheem". Come on now, Dick.
- Best name match-up in the tournament - Hasheem Thabeet vs. Chinemolu Elonu.
- UConn and A&M is about to tip. No one is talking about the Aggies, but UConn better come out ready to play. The Aggies have a big front court, have won seven of eight games, blitzed BYU, and own wins over LSU, Arizona, and Missouri.
- A Dozier tip-dunk put Memphis up 31-15 with 8:00 to go in the first half. I can't remember Memphis being this dominant offensively all year long.
- Sallie is unconscious. He already has hit two threes today. You might want to get a hand in this kid's face.
- Maryland seems to have woken up offensively, as they are getting, and actually making, some good looks. They have also been able to get a few buckets in transition, which is something to keep an eye on. The Terps have been sitting in a 1-2-2 zone recently, but Memphis has not had a huge problem with it as of yet.
- Even when Maryland is getting good looks at the basket, they seem to be waiting for a Memphis defender to come over. Take that last drive by Vazquez. He got all the way to the rim, but blew the lay-up.
- Memphis has taken control of this thing early, as they have scored 11 straight points. The Tiger's athleticism seems to be too much for Maryland, as the Terps are not getting good looks offensively.
- And we are off to Kansas City for the start of the Maryland-Memphis game. I don't think that Maryland has a chance today. The Tigers have plenty of athletes to throw at Vazquez, and I don't see anyway the undersized Terps can keep Memphis of the glass.
- A Villanova walk-on just scored his first points in his Wildcat career. Knocked down two free throws. It is little things like this that really make you appreciate things like college basketball. I guarantee Rick Reilly will write a sob story about that one.
- Great read on Kansas center Cole Aldrich. Makes you think the kid is going pro.
- Did Jay Wright just kiss Anderson? Come on, now.
- That Scottie Reynolds play was ridiculous. He just dribbled all the way through all five UCLA defenders for a spinning lay-up. He wasn't even slowed down. Can this game end already?
- UCLA has given up. Villanova is doing anything that they want to. After that Dante Cunningham dunk, Nova takes a 23 point lead. I have to say, I'm a little disappointed with UCLA's effort today. A team led by wily vets like Aboya, Shipp, and Collison should at least have put up a fight today instead of getting absolutely embarrassed.
- What a block by Dante Cunningham on the rebound put-back attempt by Aboya.
- I just looked at the box score, and Nova has a 25-11 advantage on the glass. They have as many offensive rebounds as UCLA does total rebounds.
- Fisher's tough and-1 lay-up in the lane gives Nova a 57-35 lead. I wonder how much the early start time for UCLA is affecting them.
- Nova's 1-2-2 press has been very effective in slowing down the Bruins offense. UCLA is getting into their offense with about 20-25 seconds left on the shot clock.
- UCLA has had two terrible possessions offensively. Quick shots are not going to get it done against this Nova defense. They need to work the ball around the perimeter instead of going 1-on-1.
- UCLA gets a big basket from Josh Shipp right before the half ended to cut the lead to 44-31, but let me ask you this. Did you ever think you would see a Ben Howland team give up 44 points and 52% shooting in a half? I didn't. The Bruins need to find some toughness, both offensively and defensively, because the Cats are simply beating them up right now.
- Villanova is killing UCLA on the offensive glass - seven already. The reason for that is the Bruins are so spread out defensively that they are having trouble blocking out Nova's athletes as they get a running start for the backboards.
- Nova is getting whatever they want offensively. The Bruins are allowing penetration, and they are not rotating defensively. As a result, Nova is getting lay-ups and open threes.
- The difference in this game right now is that Villanova's wings/swing player (Anderson, Clark, Redding) have been stronger and more aggressive than UCLA's.
- UCLA has trimmed the lead to 13, mostly because they have started to match the intensity that Villanova is playing with. The Bruins are going to need to keep getting stops if they are going to get back into this thing, because they don't have the offensive firepower to run with Nova.
- The Cats have hit 8-9 shots and opened up a 26-11 lead. Ben Howland has already called three timeouts to try and slow down this Nova run, which has stretched to 17-2.
- Villanova's defense is playing great right now, and the Wildcats have come out on fire. They have gone on a 11-0 run to open up a 20-9 lead over the Bruins. Don't believe me? UCLA is 1-7 from the floor. Nova is 8-12.
- This is a very physical game. We've already had two violent collisions at the rim, the last of which was Shipp landing hard on his back after trying to dunk on Dante Cunningham. UCLA is up 6-4 early after hitting six foul shots.
- And we've tipped in Philly. If Collison's performance on Maynor in the first round is any indication, don't expect too much out of Scottie Reynolds today.
- First, some news. Ty Lawson will be a game time decision against LSU, and it appears that Jim Calhoun will be coaching the Huskies today. If Lawson doesn't play, an LSU upset could be on the horizon. The Heels always struggle against big time scoring guards, and LSU is a tough defensive team with athletes at every position. If Chris Johnson can hold his own on the interior (which he did not do against Matt Howard from Butler), LSU could be looking at getting out of the first weekend.
But methinks that Lawson will be in the line-up.
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