Everyone loves the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Four straight days jam-packed with 12 hours of do-or-die college hoops is more than most people can handle.
But for junkies like us, the next 13 days are just as good, for it is when the true Madness takes place. Over the course of these two weeks, we whittle some 347 teams down to 30 conference champions (the Ivy doesn't have a tournament). Auto-bids will be won. Bubbles will be burst. Buzzers will be beaten. And most importantly, a 68 team bracket will be made.
For a comprehensive listing off all the conference tournaments, follow this link or click the "Complete Conference Tournament Schedules" page at the top of the screen.
Here is what happened on Sunday: Another automatic bid was handed out, the longest winning streak in the country came to an end, and two overtimes were needed to settle the score in a Patriot League semifinal game.
Game of the Day: Lafayette 73, American 71 2OT
Jim Mower hit a 3-pointer with less than a second remaining to lead Lafayette over American 73-71 in double-OT in the Patriot League semifinals. Trailing by two with seven seconds remaining, Tony Johnson drove the length of the floor before kicking it to Mower for the game-winning basket. Ryan Willen hit a 3-pointer with ten seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game, and Mower hit 1 of 2 free throws under ten seconds left in the first OT to force a second over time. Vlad Moldoveanu led all scorers with 26 points, but it was not enough, as Lafayette upset the No. 2-seed Eagles on their home floor. The No. 6-seed Leopards will face top-seeded Bucknell in the Patriot League finals.
They were good too
- Robert Morris 64, Quinnipiac 62: Velton Jones did not score 29 points like he did in the NEC quarterfinals against Wagner, but he did hit a floater over two defenders with 6 seconds left to play, lifting No. 3 Robert Morris over No. 2 Quinnipiac 64-62 in the NEC tournament semifinals. The game was tightly contested throughout, with 22 lead changes and 12 ties. This was the third year in a row that Robert Morris has ended Quinnipiac's season, as Bobby Mo advances to face Long Island in NEC final.
Team of the Day: Stony Brook Seawolves
The No. 5 Seawolves didn't just beat No. 1 Vermont in the America East quarterfinals. They demolished them. Stony Brook led by ten for a good portion of the first half and most of the second. Vermont tried to make a late push, cutting a double digit lead down to 40-34 with less than nine minutes left. But Stony Brook held Vermont without a field goal for the final 5:26, going on a 29-13 run. They'll move on to play No. 2 Boston U. in the finals.
They were good too
- St. Peter's Peacocks: At the half of this MAAC semifinal game, the No. 4 Peacocks led the No. 1 Stags 40-15. In fact, in took St. Peter's 12 minutes in the second half to score two field goals, and they still led by six despite Fairfield's 21-2 run. Once they found their touch again, the ran away with it. Four Peacocks scored in double-figures, led by Jeron Belin, who scored 15 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.
- Virginia Commonwealth Rams: The No. 4 seed Rams put a halt to the longest active winning streak in the country, as they plastered No. 1 George Mason 79-63 in the semifinals of the CAA tournament.For the second day in-a-row, Jamie Skeen led the Rams in scoring, as he scored 21 points. Bradford Burgess added 16 points and Joey Rodriguez 13 for the Rams, who made 11 3-pointers, one shy of the tourney record. The Rams hit a three pointer with nine minutes left in the first half to make it 24-21, and they never looked back. They will face-off against No. 2 Old Dominion in the CAA tournament finals.
Player of the Day: Tristan Thompson, North Texas
The senior guard scored a career-high 36 points in No. 4 North Texas's quarterfinal upset of No. 1 Florida Atlantic, 78-64. But even more impressive than his 36 points is where they came from. Thompson, a Sun Belt Conference first-teamer, was a perfect 20-20 from the charity stripe and a perfect 2-2 from behind the arc.
They were good too
- Nate Wolters, South Dakota State: Wolters scored 30 points en route to the No. 5 Jack Rabbits 85-75 win over the No. 4 Mastadons of Indiana Forth Wayne in the Summit League quarterfinals. The guard was 7-18 from the field and 14-19 from the foul line. He also grabbed seven rebounds and provided five assists. South Dakota State now has the difficult task of taking on No. 1 Oakland in the semifinals.
- Leroy Nobles, IUPUI: Nobles scored more points yesterday than anybody in the country. He scored 37 points on 11-17 shooting including 6-9 from behind the arc. He was 9-10 from the charity stripe and also filled up the stat sheet with seven rebounds and two steals. The No. 3 Jaguars move on the the Summit League semifinals with the 79-55 win over the No. 6 Kangaroos of Missouri-Kansas City.
Sunday Results
Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Finals
#3 Indiana State 60, #1 Missouri State 56
America East Conference Tournament Semifinals
#5 Stony Brook 69, #1 Vermont 47
#2 Boston 55, #6 Hartford 49
Colonial Athletic Association Tournament Semifinals
#4 VCU 79, #1 George Mason 63
#2 Old Dominion 77, #3 Hofstra 69
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament Semifinals
#4 St. Peter's 62, #1 Fairfield 48
#2 Iona 83, #3 Rider 59
Northeast Conference Tournament Semifinals
#1 Long Island 69, #4 Central Connecticut State 67
#3 Robert Morris 64, #2 Quinnipiac 62
Patriot League Tournament Semifinals
#6 Lafayette 73 #2 American 71 2OT
#1 Bucknell 66, #4 Lehigh 64
Southern Conference Tournament Quarterfinals
#2S Wofford 86, #1N Western Carolina 72
#1S Charleston 63, #3S Furman 58
Summit League Tournament Quarterfinals
#5 South Dakota State 85, #4 IPFW 75
#3 IUPUI 71, #6 UMKC 55
Sun Belt Conference Tournament Quarterfinals
#4W North Texas 78, #1E Florida Atlantic 64
#3E Western Kentucky 81, #2W Louisiana-Lafayette 76
#5W Arkansas-Little Rock 59, #1W Arkansas State 52
#2E Middle Tennessee 73, #6E Florida International 38
West Coast Conference Tournament Semifinals
#1 St. Mary's 73, #4 Santa Clara 64
#2 Gonzaga 71, #3 San Francisco 67
Monday Slate of Games
Colonial Athletic Association Tournament
Finals (Richmond, VA)
7:00PM - ESPN2 - #2 Old Dominion vs. #4 VCU
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament
Finals (Bridgeport, CT)
7:00PM - ESPNU - #2 Iona vs. #4 St. Peter's
Southern Conference Tournament
Finals (Chattanooga, TN)
9:00PM - ESPN2 - #1S Charleston vs. #2S Wofford
West Coast Conference Tournament
Finals (Las Vegas, NV)
9:00PM - ESPN - #1 St. Mary's vs. #2 Gonzaga
Summit League Tournament
Semifinals (Sioux Falls, SD)
7:00PM - #1 Oakland vs. #5 South Dakota State
9:30PM - #2 Oral Roberts vs. #3 IUPUI
Sun Belt Conference Tournament
Semifinals (Hot Springs, AR)
7:00PM - #3E Western Kentucky vs. #4W North Texas
9:30PM - #2E Middle Tennessee vs. #5W Arkansas-Little Rock
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Monday, March 7, 2011
The Real March Madness: Day 6 |
Monday, March 9, 2009
Army @ American - The Recap |
This was easily one of the most entertaining basketball games I have ever been to. American came out slow, struggling through a sluggish first half where they could not get anything going against a tough Army defense. Garrison Carr had 11 points in the first half, but both Brian Gilmore and Derrick Mercer picked up two fouls and sat the last five minutes.
With those two on the bench, Army was able to open up 34-27 halftime lead, which they pushed out to 38-27 with the first two baskets of the second half. Gilmore took over, scoring the next 12 points. He knocked down a couple threes, and capped the run with lay-ups off of back-to-back, beautiful fast breaks.
The game would go back and forth over the next 15 minutes of game time, before Cleveland Richard, who finished with a team-high 16 points, hit this three to put Army up 60-55.
After an American basket, it was Army ball with just over a minute left:
On the next possession, Army's Josh Miller would miss a 15 footer with about 10 seconds still on the clock, and Mercer grabbed the rebound. He pushed the ball up the floor, and after a scramble, Gilmore came up with the loose ball and was fouled:
He would hit one of the two free throws, and Army's half court prayer came up short, sending the Eagles into Friday's final against Holy Cross.
Gilmore finished the game with 19, 16 of which came in the second half. Carr added 17 and Mercer finished with 4 points and 8 assists. Miller had 15 for the Knights.
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Sunday, March 8, 2009
BIAH Live: Army @ American - Patriot League Semifinals |
We are back here, live and courtside for the Patriot League semifinals between #4 seed Army and league champion and #1 seed American. The game tips at noon, so we will see you then.
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Thursday, March 5, 2009
Lafayette vs. American - A Recap |
I don't know how many BIAH readers out there that are fans of the Patriot League, but nonetheless I am going to give you guys a recap of the game, whether you like it or not.
AU was in control for most of this game, grabbing an early 9-2 lead and pushing it to 24-15 midway through the first half. Lafayette is a scrappy team, and was able to hang around for a while, but in the end American was just too good.
The Eagles took a 41-30 lead into the half, but came out guns ablaze to start the second. They opened the half with a 13-0 run, holding the Leopards scoreless for the first seven minutes of the half. By that point, it was all over. Lafayette would make a few pushes, getting the lead down to 15 with the ball. But every time they got close, American would go on a little spurt or knock down a three ball to get the momentum back.
The Eagles would eventually go on to win 78-56 in a game that was never really in doubt in the second half. But one this I was able to take out of it is that American could cause someone problems if they make it to the dance.
Brian Gilmore hangs from the rim after an emphatic second half dunk.
Derrick Mercer is a very good point guard (I've waxed poetic about him here and here already, so I'll spare you). Garrison Carr is an excellent shooter and scorer (he led the league at over 17 ppg), and while he had a bit of an off-game tonight, you could tell from the respect he was getting by the Leopard defenders that he was a shooter.
The biggest reason I think this team could do some damage is that they have a solid front court. Jordan Nichols is not all that tall, but he is strong and athletic and, at least physically, looks like he can hold his own banging bodies in the post. They have a freshman that comes off the bench named Stephen Lumpkins (who has his own student section called the "Lumpkin Patch") that is long and seems to have a knack for being in the right spot on the offensive glass.
Three of the Lumpkin Patch faithful.
The best player on the Eagle's front line is Brian Gilmore. He is big enough that he can defend in the paint against a high-major (how successfully, I'm not sure), but the advantage he will have on the offensive end far outweighs any negative effect his size and strength will have. Gilmore is an excellent player on the perimeter. He has a good looking jumper and the ability to put the ball on the floor to make a play if need be. He will definitely cause some match-up problems.
This game had two of the funnier things I have ever witnessed at a sporting event. To start, during halftime, the AU dance team came out. They were ok as a whole, not great but not terrible, until their music went out. I'm not really sure what happened, but for some reason the gym went silent with about 20-30 seconds left in their routine. To their credit, the girls kept dancing, except that without the beat, they couldn't stay in rhythm or in unison.
The other incident might have been funnier. The AU cheerleaders sit on the baseline, about three feet from the out of bounds line. Early in the second half, the ref accidentally stepped on one of them and just about lost his balance. He went down, but he didn't go all the way down, instead ending up basically leaning on this poor girl. I guess he couldn't regain his balance at first, because for about five or six seconds, he was all but lying on top of this poor girl.
So that is about it. Hopefully on Sunday, we will get a more exciting game as American hosts Army at noon.
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Thursday's Madness |
Seeing as championship week has officially started, we are going to be doing a new daily madness segment. Here, you can find the daily scores and schedules for every conference tournament game that day as Trizzle will once again be taking over BIAH. For a full schedule of the conference tournaments and a listing of the automatic bids, click here.
TEAM OF THE NIGHT: Colgate
In the best game (and only real upset) of the night, the sixth-seeded Colgate Raiders upset third-seeded Navy 64-59 in overtime. The Midshipmen jumped out to an early 14-6 lead, and led most of the way, heading into the break with a 28-23 lead. Colgate would go on a 9-0 run at the start of the second half, taking their first lead of the game. It would go back and forth the rest of the way, with Navy's OJ Avworo finishing a lay-up with 1:32 left to tie the game at 54 and send it to OT. In the extra frame, Navy jumped out to a quick lead, but the Raiders would go on a 6-0 to take a 60-56 lead. With 1:20 left, Avworo got an and-1, making the free throw to cut the lead to 60-59. But Yaw Gyawu was fouled on the ensuing possession, hitting both free throws. Navy would miss a number of three pointers, but Colgate could not extend the lead as they missed four straight free throws themselves. Eventually, Gyawu would hit two with 1.8 seconds left to seal the upset. Ben Johnson led Colgate with 22 and 10 rebounds, while Gyawu added 20 and 8 boards.
PLAYER OF THE NIGHT: Derrick Mercer, American
Maybe it was because I saw the game live, or maybe it is because he is a spitting image of Ty Lawson, but I came away so impressed with Mercer. For the game, he finished with 20 points, 7 boards, 5 assists, and 0 turnovers while shooting 9-13 from the field. When the Eagles needed him to score, he did, going for 14 in the first half and scoring 4 points in the 9-0 run AU used to open up a 50-30 lead after the break. Maybe the reason I came away so impressed is because he, in fact, is just that good.
Wednesday's Results
Patriot League Quarters:
- #1 American 78, #8 Lafayette 56
- #2 Holy Cross 75, #7 Bucknell 56
- #6 Colgate 64, #3 Navy OT
- #4 Army 53, #5 Lehigh 50
Sun Belt First Round:
- #4 North Texas 79, #13 Florida Atlantic 73
- #5 Middle Tennessee State 69, #12 Arkansas State
- #6 South Alabama 62, #11 New Orleans 60
- #7 Denver 66, #10 Louisiana-Monroe 57
- #9 Florida International 71, #8 Louisiana-Lafayette 69
Atlantic Sun First Round:
- #2 East Tennessee State 90, #7 Stetson 76
Thursday's Games
Atlantic Sun First Round (Lipscomb's Allen Arena):
- 3:30 PM: #3 Belmont vs. #6 Mercer
- 9:30 PM: #5 Campbell @ #4 Lipscomb
Big South Semis (at Radford's gym):
- 6:00 PM: #3 Liberty vs. #2 VMI
- 8:00 PM: #4 UNC Asheville @ #1 Radford
Missouri Valley First Round (Scottrade Center in St. Louis):
- 7:05 PM: #8 Drake vs. #9 Indiana State
- 9:35 PM: #7 Wichita State vs. #10 Missouri State
Northeast First Round (campus sites):
- 7:00 PM: #8 St. Francis (NY) @ #1 Robert Morris
- 7:00 PM: #7 Wagner @ #2 Mt. St. Mary's
- 7:00 PM: #6 Central Connecticut State @ #3 Sacred Heart
- 7:00 PM: #5 Quinnipiac @ #4 Long Island
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Saturday, November 1, 2008
Teams to Watch |
We at BIAH have already talked about some of the mid-majors expected to garner national attention this year - St. Mary's, Davidson, and Kent State to name a few. But there are a lot other schools out there beyond the scope of the national media that are talented and could ruin quite a few brackets come tournament time. Here's a quick look at six of those schools.
Vermont: The Catamounts had a bit of a down year in '07-'08, going just 16-15 and 9-7 in America East play, but they return their top two players, 2nd team all-AE Mike Trimboli and AE player of the year Marqus Blakely. Trimboli, a senior, is a crafty play maker at the point that can score (17.6 ppg) and create shots for teammates (4.5 apg). He has really improved his decision making, as he has cut his turnovers and upped his FG% every year in Burlington, but he still has a habit of forcing shots and trying to make tough passes. Marqus Blakely (if you read this blog, you may remember him) is one of the most fun players in the country to watch. He is only 6'5", but he posted averages of 11.0 rpg and 2.7 bpg to go along with his 19.0 ppg. He is able to get by playing inside because of his incredible athleticism and length. The inside-outside combo of Trimboli and Blakely is one of the most underrated in the country. UVM adds Michigan State transfers Maurice Joseph, a 6'4" wing that should give the Cats three all-conference caliber players. The Cats also have a solid core of role players, including forwards Evan Fjeld and Colin McIntosh, that should make them the immediate favorite in the AE.
RPI Boosters:
Siena: Last season, the Saints went 23-11 and earned the MAAC's automatic bid to the NCAA tourney where they exploded onto the national scene with an 83-62 drubbing of Vanderbilt (yeah, they beat Stanford, but they were without Brook Lopez and it was early in the season, so no one cared). This year's Saints team will be very similar, as they lose just two guys from their rotation and return their top four scorers. The best player on the Saints is Kenny Hasbrouck, the MAAC's preseason player of the year. Hasbrouck was the second leading scorer for Siena, averaging 16.1 ppg, but was also one of their best perimeter defenders. Hasbrouck, a senior, is so effective because he can score in a variety of ways, best exemplified by the 30 points he put on Vandy - he was 9-14 from the floor, 2-5 from deep, and 10-10 from the line. Edwin Ubiles was the Saints leading scorer last season at 17.1 ppg. He is a tremendous athlete with a quick first step, and at 6'6" he is long enough to get his shot off against basically anyone in the MAAC. PG Ronald Moore (8.6 ppg, 5.3 apg) and PF Alex Franklin (14.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg) are both excellent players, and the Saints have a deep bench and a great supporting cast. This team has already proved they can beat the big boys (Stanford, Vandy), so expect more of the same this season.
RPI Boosters:
American: American gave Tennessee all it could handle in the first round of last year's NCAA's, and bring back basically the same team. The strength of the Eagles will once again be their back court, with senior Garrison Carr leading the way. Carr is one of the best shooters in the country (hitting 135-299 3's, good for a ridiculous 45%), and once he gets it going he is tough to slow down. Senior PG Derrick Mercer also returns. Mercer, who is just 5'9", is very good at getting into the lane and finding shooters around him, but he can also score (he averaged 12.4 ppg last year, second on the team). Bryce Simon and Brian Gilmore, two senior forwards, are both solid contributors as well. This is the year for the Eagles if they want to win a couple games in the tournament, as their four best players are all seniors.
RPI Boosters:
Wright State: The Raiders play in the Horizon League, better known as "that conference Butler is in", but WSU is just a year removed from the conference regular season and tournament crowns. While they had a bit of a down year last season (is 21-10 really a down year?), the Raiders look like they are ready to return to form. Wright State hung their hat on their defensive prowess last season, holding opponent's to just 60.4 ppg. They return their entire starting back court with juniors Vaughn Duggins (1st team all HL, 13.8 ppg) and Todd Brown (12.7 ppg) and fifth year point guard Will Graham (5.9 ppg, 3.5 apg). Inside, Ronnie Thomas, Cooper Lande, and Gavin Horne should battle it out for the two starting spots, and newcomers Scott Grote (a transfer from Duquense) and Cory Cooperwood (a two-time JuCo all-american) should provide the Raiders with quality depth.
RPI Boosters:
Murray State: While the Racers have not yet returned to level they were at when they dominated the Ohio Valley conference in the '90's (9 titles in 10 years), they will put a very talented squad on the court this year. While they lose leading scorer Bruce Carter, Murray State still returns four starters. Danero Thomas is a 6'4" forward who is the Racers best perimeter defender, but he can also put the ball in the basket (12.4 ppg). 6'2" SG Tyler Holloway is the best shooter on the team, hitting at a 46% clip last season. Kevin Thomas, a senior point guard, is a quality play maker that doesn't turn the ball over (136 assists vs. 69 turnovers). Tony Easley, a 6'9" forward, is the Racers best inside presence, posting 9.3 ppg and 5.2 rpg averages. Also added to the mix are Florida's 4A-5A-6A player of the year Ivan Iska, a 6'7", 230 lb beast, and Isaac Miles, a sophomore who transferred from Creighton after a freshman season that landed him on the all-rookie team.
RPI Boosters:
Cornell: Cornell is coming off of one of their best seasons in history, going 22-6 and 14-0 in the Ivy. The Big Red return four starters from that team, including their top three scorers. Louis Dale, the reigning Ivy League player of the year, is one of the all around points guards you will see this year. He averaged 13.8 ppg, 5.0 apg, and 4.4 rpg while racking up 34 steals. Ryan Wittman, a 1st team all-Ivy pick in '07-'08, is a 6'6" forward with a deadly jump shot that. Adam Gore, another potential all-league player, tore his ACL in September, and is expected back sometime in January. Alex Tyler is a good forward, and 7'0" Jeff Foote should slide into the starting line-up and provide the Big Red with some good size inside.
RPI Boosters:
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