2008 NCAA Dunks of the Year

Nice mixtape of some of the best dunks of the year.

Continue reading...

End of the Year Awards

All-Americans
1st Team
G - DJ Augustin, Texas
G - Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis
C - Tyler Hansbrough, UNC
F - Michael Beasley, Kansas State
F - Kevin Love, UCLA

2nd Team
G - Eric Gordon, Indiana
G - Jerryd Bayless, Arizona
G - Stephen Curry, Davidson
C - Brook Lopez, Stanford
F - Luke Harangody, Notre Dame

3rd Team
G - OJ Mayo, USC
G - Jamont Gordon, Mississippi State
G - Derrick Rose, Memphis
F - Shan Foster, Vanderbilt
F - DJ White, Indiana

Player of the Year
Tyler Hansbrough
For a guy that's already a two-time all-american, its pretty impressive when you can say he had his best season yet. His numbers speak for themselves - 22.6 ppg, 10.2 rpg (both career highs) while shooting 54% from the field and 81% from the line. Yes, Beasley did have more impressive numbers, and it was a tough decision, but what Hansbrough did in the seven games Ty Lawson missed during ACC play is what gave him the nod. In those games, Psycho T raised his game to another level, averaging 28.4 ppg and 13.6 rpg. I hate how much of a media darling he has become, but the bottom line is Hansbrough has given everything he's had in every game he's played in Carolina blue.

Coach of the Year
Bob McKillop, Davidson
With all due respect to Drake's Keno Davis, I think what McKillop did at Davidson is more impressive. In his 19 years at the tiny North Carolina school (1,700 students), he has them on the brink of becoming the East Coast Gonzaga, reaching the Elite 8 this year in their second straight NCAA tourney and third consecutive national postseason tournament. The Wildcats overcame a 2-6 start, losing their big time match-ups with UCLA, UNC, Duke and NC State, to finish the season on a 22 game win streak, which included a 20-0 mark in league play and the Southern Conference tourney crown. They then proceeded to beat Gonzaga, Georgetown, and Wisconsin en route to the Elite 8.

Game of the Year
Baylor 116, Texas A&M 110 5 OT
As always, the 2008 college basketball season was full of incredible games, but the game of the year was the one nobody saw. In one of the longest games in basketball history, Baylor outlasted Texas A&M in 5 OT's to win a thriller 116-110. Baylor, playing as a ranked team for the first time since 1969, got 36 points, which included 22 in the overtimes with 11 coming in the final stanza, and eight assists out of Curtis Jerrells and 19 points and 18 rebounds from Kevin Rogers. The high final score says otherwise, but this game was a hard-fought, grind-it-out, defensive battle. Combined, the Bears and the Aggies shot just under 37%, committed 69 fouls, had 8 players foul out, and shot 106 free throws. The loss was A&M's third consecutive, all in conference, while the win helped solidify Baylor's ranking and status as a top team in the Big XII.

Freshman of the Year
Michael Beasley, Kansas State
In a season full of outstanding play by freshman, Beasley was by far the best. He had two games of 30 points and 20 rebounds in his first three, and didn't slow down, finishing the season with averages of 26.2 ppg and 12.4 rpg. Beasley can do everything on the floor - he is a phenomenal offensive rebounder, can finish equally well with either hand, has range to the three-point line, and can score with his back to the basket or facing a defender up. He also led Kansas State to a third place finish in the Big XII and, as an 11 seed, to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. No one thought that a freshman would have a season like Kevin Durant's last year, let alone a better one the very next season.

Defensive Player of the Year
Hasheem Thabeet, UConn
The 7'3" center anchored a Huskies defense that was as good as any in the country. The Huskies led the country in blocked shots for what seems like the 20th straight year, led by Thabeet's 4.5 average, good for third in the country. Thabeet's shot-blocking ability allowed the Huskies to get out and apply pressure on the wings while funneling players to the middle where the big man waited. Thabeet had six games this season with eight or more blocks.

Most Surprising Team
DrakeThe Bulldogs were coming of a 17-15 season where they finished 6-12 in the MVC. They lost four starters, including their top two scorers. But Drake set a school record with 28 wins on the season, including a 21 game win streak, en route to the MVC regular season and Tournament titles and their first NCAA Tournament bid since 1971. They were led by PG Adam Emmenecker, a former walk-on who earned his scholarship just two weeks before the season started but won this year's conference player of the year. Drake was upset in the first round of the tournament by Western Kentucky, but overall it was a great season for the Bulldogs.

Most Disappointing Team
Maryland
The Terrapins have fallen on hard times since their 2002 NCAA Championship. Maryland was maddeningly inconsistent this year. They beat UNC, but also lost to American and Ohio at home and blew a 20 point second half lead to Clemson in the last game of the regular season, a game which could have put them into the NCAA Tournament. It wasn't for a lack of talent - Bambale Osby and James Gist form a pretty formidable front line, and Greveis Vazquez is talented enough to be a 1st team All-ACC player, but was just as inconsistent as the Maryland team was. Continue reading...

Title Game Thoughts

I don't know if there is any way that this title game loss could hurt more for Memphis. They got nothing out of Joey Dorsey, they got nothing out of Derrick Rose in the first half, but held Kansas to 18 points through the first 17:48 of the second half as they built a 60-51 lead. Down the stretch, Memphis had the people they wanted at the line. But Chris Douglas -Roberts missed the front end of a 1-and-1 up four with 1:15 left which led to a Darrel Arthur turn-around. CDR then missed both shots with 16 seconds left and the Tigers up two, but Robert Dozier got the rebound and kicked it to Derrick Rose who was fouled. But he proceeded to make just 1-2, giving Kansas a chance.

Mario Chalmers made the most of that opportunity. He took a hand-off from Collins, took one dribble left, and hit a high-arching three over Rose and Dozier that settled softly in the net, sending the game into overtime. In OT, Kansas jumped out a quick six point lead and never looked back - the closest Memphis would get was 3.

Memphis looked exhausted by the end of the game. Rose played 45 minutes, while CDR and Antonio Anderson both played 42 minutes. Memphis got a total of 7 minutes played from people not in their top 6. It was most evident in the overtime, as Kansas looked much fresher and more energetic as they jumped out to that lead, although some of that can probably be attributed to Memphis being demoralized after missing free throws and blowing their lead.

One thing I didn't mind was Calipari's decision not to foul Kansas to prevent the three at the end of regulation. The Memphis achilles heel all season has been their free throw shooting, and I know that they had been hitting them all tournament, but if you foul Kansas you are putting your guys back on the line. If Kansas hit two, and then Memphis missed one or both of them, do you really want to give Kansas a chance to win the game? Even if there only would have been four or five seconds on the clock after the Memphis foul shots, limiting what Kansas would be able to set up on offense, I still think Calipari made the right decision. Especially when you consider that the two guys he would want to take the free throws (CDR and Rose) are the ones that had been missing them.

Think about it like this - Chalmers hit a very difficult shot with a hand right in his face. How many times does he make that? 1 out of 4? Given what had just occurred in the last two minutes, I think there was a better that Kansas hit both free throws, and Memphis missed at least one of theirs than Chalmers hitting that shot. How much worse would this loss be if Chalmers had hit a shot like that, except Kansas was only down two and it won the game for them?

What gets lost in all the hoopla about the free throws in the great job that Kansas did defending CDR and Rose. CDR scored 22, but never really got into a rhythm and looked uncomfortable most of the night as Brandon Rush face guarded him and Kansas went box-and-1. Sherron Collins, Russell Robinson, and Mario Chalmers were in Rose's jock all night, holding him to just 3 points in the first 28 minutes and forcing him into 5 turnovers for the game. He did score 14 of 16 Memphis points during an eight minute stretch in the second half, which pushed the Tigers lead to 56-49, but only managed the one free throw in the last four minutes of the game.

The most important part of the Jayhawk defense was that they kept CDR and Rose from getting big baskets down the stretch while they were making their comeback. All in all, those two are talented enough that they are going to get their points. But the Jayhawks were able to keep them from taking over the game, which kept them close enough to be able to make that comeback.

The bottom line is that this was a phenomenal game and made up for what had been a lackluster last two weekends. I am curious whether this game will be remembered for the great comeback Kansas made, capped off by the Mario Chalmers shot, or the Memphis collapse down the stretch, missing all those free throws.

Now the question becomes will Bill Self return to Kansas or take the job at Oklahoma State, his alma mater. He made $1.4 million at Kansas this year, and could probably expect to get at least a $1 million raise on his new contract, but with Ok. State (read booster T. Boone Pickens' money) Self would become the richest coach in college basketball and be able to return home to coach. If you ask me, he would be crazy to leave one of the top 5 coaching jobs in the country. But, at more than double the salary, could you really blame the guy? Continue reading...

Title Game Preview

Game Preview:
Kansas and Memphis are very similar teams. They both have excellent guard play and excellent post play, are deep at every position (although the injury to Rodrick Stewart and suspension of Andre Allen has taken away from that a bit), and are playing as well as they have all season heading into tonight's game.

For me, the best part about this game is that I would wouldn't mind seeing either team win. Yes, there are some pretty unsavory characters on the Memphis team (Robert Dozier and Andre Allen come to mind immediately), but all of these guys play hard and although they aren't the smartest group (for example, Chris Douglas-Roberts' major is Sport and Leisure Management) they seem like pretty decent people. Rose's three brothers did everything they could to keep him isolated growing up in a tough neighborhood of Chicago, and CDR has a tattoo of his Mom on his neck, and has the first three verses of Psalm 37 from the Bible tattooed on his arm which he rubs three time before shooting every free throw.

For Kansas, they all are pretty likeable guys. Sasha Kaun's father was murdered by the Russian government when he was 12, and he had to grow up very quickly (after he lost his starting spot, his mom came all the way from Russia, where he has visited twice since starting his sophomore year in High School in Florida, to live with him. Check out this article from the NY Times about him). Sherron Collins has overcome growing up on the streets of Chicago with a father who was in and out of jail and the death of his two week old son the summer before his freshman year to become a spark for Kansas.

How can you not root for these guys to succeed?

Keys to the game:
-Can Kansas slow down Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts? They have been shredding teams apart in the tournament, but Kansas has four guards to throw at the two of them.
-How will the Kansas guards handle to pressure from Memphis? They had 13 turnovers combined (7 from Sherron Collins) in the games against UNC.
-How will Dorsey and company handle Kansas's interior players? Memphis' relies on their advantage in size and athleticism inside, and Kansas can match-up with them.
-Free Throws? It will always be a question with Memphis, even if they have been hitting them in the tournament.
-Which Kansas team show up? The one that went up by 28 in the first half of the UNC game, or the one that would have been up by just two points had Danny Green's three rattled in.
-Which Brandon Rush shows up? Kansas is a much better team when he plays like the go-to player he has the potential to be.

Why Kansas can win:
Kansas's guards are all good defenders. UCLA's were as well, but the difference is that guys like Mario Chalmers, Russell Robinson, and (especially) Sherron Collins and Brandon Rush are bigger and stronger than the UCLA guards (Collins still holds football records in Chicago, where he played as a free safety and receiver). Rose and CDR score a lot of their points because they are bigger, stronger, and can elevate over their defenders. The guards from Kansas are as big as any that Memphis has faced this year, and have done valiant jobs on Scottie Reynolds, Stephen Curry, Ty Lawson, and Wayne Ellington in their last three games.

Why Memphis can win:
Simply put - they are playing the best basketball in the country. They rolled through the C-USA conference tourney, and if they hit their free throws against Mississippi State, they would have won every game in the NCAA's by double digits. Derrick Rose has finally lived up to the substantial hype, CDR is playing phenomenal, and Joey Dorsey is back being a beast. Everyone has said all year, if Memphis can play up to their potential, they can win a title. Well, now they are.

My Pick:
Memphis. This one is so hard to pick, because both teams are playing so well and are so talented, but I think Derrick Rose and CDR will be too much. Continue reading...

And Then There Were Two....

After watching Memphis slowly dismantle UCLA and Kansas put a whipping on UNC, I'm as excited for tomorrow night's championship as I could possibly be for a title game without UConn playing in it. It's going to be a fantastic game. Here are my thoughts on last night's games:

Memphis 78, UCLA 63
-Derrick Rose is going to be a superstar in the NBA. After watching him last night (and for the whole tournament, actually), I'm sure of it. He's got all the physical attributes you want - big, strong in the air, lightening quicks, incredible hops - and besides having a jumper that is a bit inconsistent, he can do anything on a basketball court. Two moves from last night stick in my mind. In the first half, on a fast break, he hit Russell Westbrook (Pac-10 defensive player of the year) with an in-and-out move that completely fooled him and then finished with a tough lefty lay-in. In the second half, he drove to middle with his left hand from the right wing, cam to a jump stop on the opposite block, went up and finished with his right hand on the other side of the rim in traffic.

That's not even the best part about this kid. He's unselfish. In an interview after the game last night, when asked about comments Penny Hardaway made about his talents, Rose said "C'mon man, it's not about me". He could have easily gone for 40 last night, but he deferred to the open man (more often than not Chris Douglas-Roberts who finished with 28. Every time he got into the lane against UCLA's smaller guards, he was able to elevate and finish over or through them. He finished with 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. This kid's going to be a star. I've heard many comparisons for Rose - Jason Kidd, Mike Bibby, etc. - but I see him being more of a Deron Williams/Dwayne Wade type player.

-At one point in the first half, with Dorsey playing poorly, Coach John Calipari was caught on camera meeting Dorsey at half court and ripping into him. From that point forward, Dorsey was an animal - he finished with 15 boards and 2 blocks. But his most important contribution was the job he did defensively on Kevin Love. The freshman scored just 12 points on 4-11 shooting with no second half field goals.

-Was that really Darren Collison out there? He played horribly - he shot 1-9 from the field, had 5 turnovers, could not guard anyone, and fouled out with 3 minutes left. He wasn't able to get any penetration, instead dribbling aimlessly around the perimeter. Not the way you want NBA scouts to see you end your season.

-Russell Westbrook looked great. His ball skills (jump shot and handle) need some improvement, but he's a heck of an athlete, tough, and a great defender that can get in the passing lanes.


Kansas 84, UNC 66
-This was one of the stranger games I've witnessed in my life. First of all, I have never seen anything like the show Kansas put on in the first 15 minutes of their game against UNC last night. It seemed like Kansas had seven guys on the floor - every time UNC had possession the ball was knocked loose, and most of the time Kansas wound up with the loose ball. UNC couldn't dribble, couldn't pass, couldn't shoot, couldn't keep Kansas from getting a lay-up, dunk or wide open three. It was the single most dominating performance I have ever seen in my life - and it came against not only a #1 seed, but the #1 team in the country. Amazing.

-For as well as KU played in the first 15 minutes, UNC played that well for the next 20. After the Jayhawks built their 40-12 lead, UNC outscored them 41-18 and were a Danny Green jump shot going half way down and coming out away from cutting the lead to two. From that point on, Kansas pulled away, in large part due to the tired legs of the Heels.

-Wayne Ellington was one of the lone bright spots for the Heels. He ended the game with 18 points on just 8-21 shooting, but he got hot at the right team. Ellington and Danny Green shot UNC back into the game.

-I did not understand Roy Williams substitution patterns. The first half was one thing - when your team is struggling that badly you need to do something to get your team jump started. But in the second half, there were times when Williams had Hansbrough, Ellington, and Lawson on the bench at the same time. When Green's three rimmed out, with only about six minutes left, Will Graves got the offensive rebound and lost it out of bounds. Graves played 6 minutes against Arkansas, 1 minute against Washington State, and earned a DNP-CD (did not play-coach's decision) against Louisville when all three games were won by double digits. And he is on the floor with under six minutes left in the Final Four when you're trying to make a comeback? I understand that you guys are going to be getting tired, but with Green, Ellington, Lawson, Quentin Thomas, and Marcus Guinyard you don't have enough bodies in the back court?

-The Kansas front court may be better than advertised. Every one knows about the three-headed monster of Darnell Jackson, Darrell Arthur, and Sasha Kaun, but when those three faced foul trouble early in the first half - before Kansas had really made their big run - freshman Cole Aldrich came in and outplayed them all. There was about an 8 minute span when he was the best player on the floor. He finished 8 points, 7 boards (4 offensive), and 4 blocks (6, 6, and 3 in the 1st half, all double his season averages), but there was one sequence that really stood out in my mind as proof that this kid will be the real deal. In the first half, he received a beautiful feed and tried to go up an dunk with one hand and missed it. UNC went the other way, but Aldrich hustled down the court and blocked (with the help of Arthur) a Hansbrough hook shot. Kansas had a fast break the other way and missed a lay-up, but guess who was there for a follow up dunk. Aldrich. He played a great game, and was a huge reason for the Kansas lead in the first half.

-Brandon Rush finally played like he should play every night. He finished with 25 points on 11-17 from the field and added 7 boards. He scored in such a variety of ways. He knocked down threes. He hit pull-ups and floaters. He got all the way to the rim, but also made his patented drive-right, fade-away one-handed-leaner off-the-glass about three times. It's too bad he doesn't play that way more often. Continue reading...

Final Four Preview and Predictions

I'm sure everyone and their mother knows this by now, but Saturday's 6:07 tip will mark the first time since the NCAA started seeding the Tournament that all four #1 seeds made it through their regions to the Final Four. Throughout the season, these four teams were widely considered the four best teams in the country, with the four accounting for all but one week as the #1 team in the country and spending the entire season ranked no lower than 8th. This weekend in San Antonio should be one of the best Final Fours in recent memory.


UCLA vs. Memphis

Game Preview:
This is a match-up of two very tough defensive teams, although the style of defense that each team plays is very different. Where Memphis uses their superior athleticism to apply terrific ball pressure, forcing turnovers and baiting opponents to drive where they have shot-blocking machine Joey Dorsey lying in wait, UCLA plays disciplined and fundamental half-court defense that takes a team out of offensive rhythm.

Both of these teams have made long runs in the tourney in recent years (Memphis finally reached the Final Four in their third straight Elite 8 run, while UCLA has been in the Final Four the last two years) and came away empty. With a number of players from both teams most likely gone to the NBA draft after the season, this is probably the last chance for these two teams to get a championship with this group of guys.

Why UCLA can win:
While UCLA does not match-up athletically with Memphis, they are sound enough defensively that they can handle Memphis. UCLA is going pack in their defense and let Memphis shoot over the top, much the way that Tennessee did. If the Tigers don't shoot well, they won't win.

Why Memphis can win:
The Tigers back court is much bigger than the Bruins. While Darren Collison, Russell Westbrook, and Josh Shipp can all match-up athletically with Memphis, the likes of Derrick Rose, Antonio Anderson, and Chris Douglas-Roberts are all big enough that they can get their shot off over the Bruins guards whenever they want. Collison, whose penetration has been vital to the UCLA success of late, will also not be able to out-quick Rose and get into the lane at will.

Best Match-up:
Kevin Love and Joey Dorsey. Even in the league, there aren't many guys that are as strong and as athletic as Dorsey, and with everything that Love can do, athleticism is not one of his strong suits. But he is excellent at establishing position, a great positional rebounder, and has a vast array of post moves. Dorsey is so important to Memphis defensively with his shot-blocking ability. If he can stay on the floor (read not pick up fouls against Love), then Memphis will be that much better.

Keys to the game:
- Who wins the rebounding battle? As both team tend to struggle offensively, second chance points will be very important.
- Can UCLA prevent penetration by Memphis? When the Memphis guards get into the lane, they are tremendous finishers but also are very good at finding Dorsey, Robert Dozier, and Shawn Taggert for lobs at the rim.
- Will the Bruins half-court offense be effective? This UCLA team has never been known for their offensive prowess, and as they do not look to break all that much, they need to be able to run their sets.
- Fouls. Can Dorsey stay out of foul trouble? Memphis was the second worst foul shooting team in the country during the regular season, but has been knocking them down in the tourney. Which trend continues?
- Can Memphis hit their three's? UCLA will most likely pack in their defense, whether its man or zone, and Memphis needs to knock down perimeter jumpers to open up driving lanes.

My Pick:
Memphis. After the Tigers beat Texas to win the South Region, they didn't celebrate by cutting down the nets. Dorsey got up on the ladder and cut down the whole net. CDR didn't even stay on the court to see it happen. It's clear that this team is on a mission to win a title. I wouldn't bet against them.


UNC vs. Kansas

Game Preview:
All season, I've thought that UNC and Kansas were the best two teams in the country. If Memphis and UCLA is a match-up of two of the best defenses in the country, UNC and Kansas is a battle of high powered offenses. UNC gets their points off of their incredible fast break and the rugged work inside by Tyler Hansbrough an Deon Thompson. Kansas is about as balanced as a team can be, with their top 7 (maybe the best to 7 in the country) all averaging between 7-13 ppg and 18-29 mpg.

The most interesting part of this game, however, isn't the players. It is the coaches. After leading the Jayhawks to the NCAA final in 2003, Williams left Kansas to coach at UNC, his alma mater, to replace Matt Doherty and promptly led UNC to the 2005 national title. This is the first time Williams has faced Kansas since he left. Bill Self, on the other hand, has finally reached the Final Four with the Jayhawks. Rumors had been swirling that he would have been ousted as the Kansas head coach had they lost to Davidson in the Elite 8, and taken over at Oklahoma State, his alma mater.

Why UNC can win:
Simply put, this is the best offensive team in the country. They rolled through the East region, winning all four games by double digits and with the exception of a second half surge by Louisville in the regional final, have been in control throughout every game. The key to this team has been the emergence of Wayne Ellington as a star and Quenton Thomas as a more-than-reliable backup to Lawson.

Why Kansas can win:
There is no drop off between their starters and the first guys off their bench - Sherron Collins and Sasha Kaun. As we saw with Stephen Curry, Kansas has the ability to wear out perimeter shooters by throwing four quality defenders at them and has enough good post players to give Hansbrough fits.

Best Matchup:
The frontlines. There are only a handful of players in the country that are as effective in all aspects of the game as Hansbrough. He can score with his back to the basket and off the offensive glass, and has proven he has range to the three-point line and can face a defender up. Deon Thompson would be a star almost any other team in the country. But Kansas has three guys that are just as good in Kaun, Darrell Arthur, and Darnell Jackson. Whoever wins the battle in the paint will win the game.

Keys to the game
- Can Kansas slow down UNC? Mario Chalmers and Russell Robinson combine to average 4.5 spg, and they will need to be able to slow down Ty Lawson. Noone has done it in the tourney yet.
- Will Kansas hit their 3's? Kansas has a lot of great shooters, and if they are hitting they are a tough team to beat.
- Which Brandon Rush shows up? The knock on Kansas all year has been they don't have a go-to guy in crunch time. Rush is talented enough and has been that guy at times, but he has a tendency to fade down the stretch.
- Marcus Guinyard and Danny Green. These guys do a lot of the dirty work for the Heels - o-boards, defense, hustle plays. Other than Rush (and even he is a bit soft), Kansas doesn't really have anyone with their size on the perimeter.

My Pick:
UNC. Kansas has been one of those teams that could never get to the Final Four, and I can see them having a let down after finally reaching it. Continue reading...

College Basketball 3/31 - Final Four History

GAME OF THE WEEK
Xavier 79, West Virginia 75 OT
Xavier built a huge first half lead, going ahead by as much as 18, before the Mountaineers were able to get into a rhythm offensively. West Virginia cut the lead to 32-25 at the half, and finally took their first lead at 51-50 on a Da'Sean Butler jump shot with 9:41 left. After five more leads changes and three ties, Xavier's Josh Duncan had a three-point play to tie it, then hit two more free throws with 1:28 left to give Xavier a 64-62 lead. No one scored until Joe Alexander was fouled on a jumper with 14 seconds left. He missed the free throw, sending the game into OT. WVU scored the first 6 points of overtime, but Xavier stormed back. With 1:18 left, BJ Raymond hit a three from the top of the key to give Xavier their first OT lead. 40 seconds later, on a sideline inbounds with 3 seconds left on the shot clock, Raymond found himself open and knocked down another triple to give Xavier a four point lead and the win.

Kansas 59, Davidson 57
Stephen Curry didn't have any more tricks left up his sleeve. Being chased by a combination of Russell Robinson, Mario Chalmers, Sherron Collins, and Brandon Rush for 40 minutes took a toll on Curry's legs as he missed 9 of his last 10 shots, including 7 from deep, as Kansas hung on to reach the Final Four. Up six with under a minute left, Thomas Sander was fouled. He hit one of two free throws, but the second bounced out of bounds off of Kansas, setting the stage for a Curry triple. Davidson got a stop and the ball back with 16 ticks on the clock. Bob McKillop put the ball in Curry's hands in the backcourt, but he was double teamed as he dribbled off his screens. He found PG Jason Richard open from 25 feet, but he rushed the shot at the buzzer and it hit the left side of the backboard.


PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Derrick Rose, Memphis
Rose had a great weekend as the Tigers, leading them to the Final Four. In Memphis' two blowout victories, Rose averaged 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists while shooting 65% (17-26) from the field and only turning the ball over three times. Rose also had numerous highlight reel plays en route to winning the South Region's most outstanding player award. The freshman also proved his toughness - during the first half he got hit in the face and needed a glue and tape job to close up a gash above his eye he got earlier in the tournament.

Tyler Hansbrough, UNC
Hansbrough averaged 23 points and 11 rebounds for the week and the Tar Heels advanced to the Final Four for the first time since their 2005 championship. The East Region's most outstanding player had his entire game on display in the Elite 8 against Louisville, going for 28 points (on 12-17 shooting), 13 boards (7 offensive), and hit big shot after big shot. After the Heels blew a 12 point halftime lead when Louisville tied it at 59, Hansbrough scored the next 7 points for UNC. With just over three minutes remaining and UNC up 5, Hanbrough hit back to back 18 foot jumpers, the second of which he pump-faked Earl Clark and took one dribble to his left where knocked down the shot with David Padgett's hand in his face, to put the game away.

Kevin Love, UCLA
The West Region's most outstanding player averaged 24 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks and shot 68% (17-25) from the field. Love's big game came against Western Kentucky when he scored 29 points, had 14 boards, blocked 4 shots, and had 4 assists. Oh, and he can also do this.


TEAMS OF THE WEEK
Four #1 Seeds
For the first time since the NCAA started seeding the Tournament, all four #1 seeds have reached the Final Four. In a year where throughout a large part of the season, it seemed as if everyone knew who the four best teams in the country were - and all four ended up in the Final Four. Hopefully, the three games in San Antonio will be as great as the four teams competing there. Continue reading...

Sasha Kaun of Kansas catches an oop from Mario Chalmers on Andrew Lovedale

Continue reading...

Two More Great Dunks From The Sweet 16

Brandon Rush of Kansas catching an oop off the backboard.

Derrick Rose of Memphis doing his best Dominique Wilkins impression. Wait until the 20 second mark.

Continue reading...

Awards for the Tourney's First Weekend

BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE:
Stephen Curry, Davidson

For the weekend, Curry averaged 35 ppg, 3 rpg, 3.5 apg, and 4 spg while committing just 2 turnovers. He shot just over 50% from the field, including a scalding 52% (13-25) from 3. More impressive was the fact that Curry twice led his team back from double digit second half deficits. In the opening round, Curry scored 30 in the second half to lead Davidson back from down 11, including a three with a little more than a minute left that broke a 74-74 tie. He hit 5-6 free throws down the stretch to seal the victory. The deficit was even greater against Georgetown, where Curry scored 25 of his 20 points in the second half, and sparked an 18-2 run with a four-point play, another three, and two assists that all but erased a 17 point Hoya lead. Tied at 60 with less than four minutes left, Curry drove and hit a tough scoop shot and on the next Davidson possession hit a three pointer to give the Wildcats a 65-60 lead that Georgetown wouldn't come back from.

The most impressive part of Curry's weekend was both Gonzaga and Georgetown (especially the Hoyas after Curry lit up gonzaga for 40) were gearing their entire defense towards shutting him down. The Hoyas and the 'Zags are both very good defensive teams and very well coached, and even with the defensive game plan geared towards him, Curry still put up huge numbers. Wisconsin, Davidson's sweet 16 opponent, is another very good defensive team. Can they slow this kid down?

One last thing about Curry - despite his small stature (although he has gone from a 5'10" HS senior to 6'2" now, and his father, NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry, has been quoted as saying doctors say he may an an inch or two left in him), this kid can have a long and successful NBA career IF he ends up in the right situation. He will never be able to play the point in the NBA, but if you can put him on a team with a big point guard (i.e. Monta Ellis with Baron Davis) that can guard an NBA 2-guard and let Curry slide over and defend the point, why can't he average 15 a game and shoot 45% from deep?


BEST PERFORMANCE BY A TEAM
Washington State

A team known for their defensive prowess, the Cougars set a new standard of excellence for themselves by holding Winthrop and Notre Dame to 27% shooting from the floor and a COMBINED 81 points. In the opening round against Winthrop, the game was tied at 29 heading into halftime. The second half was a completely different story, as Wazzu jumped out on a 23-4 run and never looked back. For the half, the Golden Eagles were outscored 42-11 as the Cougars held them to 16% (4-24) shooting from the floor. In their second game of the weekend, the Cougars shut down a formidable Notre Dame offense, holding them to a season low (actually 23 points below their previous season low) 41 points and 24.5% (13-53) shooting. Despite grabbing a season-high 22 boards, Big East player of the year Luke Harangody might have played his worst game of the year. He scored just 10 points, less than half his season average, while shooting a miserable 3-17 from the floor. Kyle McAlarney didn't do much better - scoring just 12 points on 5-13 shooting while committing 4 turnovers.


BIGGEST CHOKE JOB BY A PLAYER
DeMarcus Nelson, Duke

While sitting in the Verizon Center watching West Virginia manhandle Duke in their second round matchup, my buddy Ross, quite possibly the biggest Duke fan in the world, put it best: "I hope DeMarcus Nelson made a lot of money betting on West Virginia". That's how bad he was in the two games in this year's tournament. He averaged 4 ppg, shot 3-17 from the floor and 2-5 from the line, had as many turnovers as rebounds (6) and was stuffed emphatically by Joe Alexander from West Virginia on consecutive possessions (the second of which resulted in a WVU bucket and subsequent timeout by Duke allowing the replay of the block to be shown on the Jumbotron. What the entire crowd, and I'm assuming national TV audience, saw was Alexander block him, knock him to the ground, and stand over him yelling something very similar to "Get that shot outta here". Ouch.)

Nelson picked the worst time of year to have his two worst games. The ACC's Defensive player of the year could not guard anyone. He got beat time and time again off the dribble and on backdoor cuts. He missed countless open shots that could have helped bring the Dukies back. He even clanged the front end of a 1-and-1 that gave Belmont a chance to win the game - a half-court heave that bounced off the rim. Nelson led the Devils in scoring and rebounding, and all in all had a great year and career. With the national spotlight that Duke's tournament runs carry, it's a shame to see Nelson end his career like this.


BIGGEST CHOKE JOB BY A TEAM
Clemson

This was a tough decision given the number of upsets and blown leads (Georgetown, Vanderbilt, UConn, Duke). I decided to go with Clemson based on the hype surrounding them coming into the tournament. They had just made a run to the ACC tourney final, where the gave UNC everything they could handle for the third time this season. A lot of people were predicting them as sleeper picks for the Final Four. They looked every bit like that team to start their first round matchup with Villanova, jumping out to a 36-18 lead with 5 minutes left in the first half. But the hot shooting of Scottie Reynolds led the Wildcats back. He hit his first three 3's of the second half, including the biggest shot of the game. With just under 12 minutes left in the game, Reynolds banked in a three and was fouled, giving Villanova their first lead of the game at 50-49. After a Clemson lay-up, the Wildcats went on a 13-4 run that put the game away. Clemson was done in by their second half shooting, going 7-29 from the floor and 14-23 from the line.


BEST COACHING PERFORMANCE
Jay Wright, Villanova

This Villanova has not looked like a sweet 16 team all season. They are very small up front even when all their bigs are healthy (Shane Clark has battled exhaustion, and Casiem Drummond had a stress fracture in his ankle, and broke that same ankle on Sunday). Corey Fisher, Malcolm Grant, and Corey Stokes has been inconsistent all season playing along side Scottie Reynolds. The Wildcats may have been the last team put into the tournament field, and found themselves down 18 to Clemson in the first half. Wright did not let his players quit however, leading them to a 75-69 comeback victory. Against Siena, Reynolds was too much as the Wildcats won 84-72 as they advanced to their third sweet 16 in four years to face top seed Kansas. Kudos, Mr. Wright, on a fine coaching performance.


UNSUNG HERO
Mitch Johnson, Stanford

The saying goes "a point guard needs to be a coach on the floor". In Stanford's second round game against Marquette, that saying rang true for Mitch Johnson on a whole new level as Cardinal head coach Trent Johnson got tossed with 3:36 remaining in the first half for arguing a foul call. Mitch Johnson responded by playing his best game of the season. He only scored 9 points, but played an incredible floor game dishing out 16 assists while turning the ball over just once and playing 44 of a possible 45 minutes. He came up especially big in overtime, dishing out three assists and hitting a big three-pointer.


BEST GAME
Western Kentucky 101, Drake 99 OT

Drake had been outplayed by Western Kentucky as the Hilltoppers built a 74-59 point lead with just eight minutes left in regulation. Drake would make a comeback, led by some timely hot shooting. Drake hit four 3's in the last four minutes, spurring them to a 29-14 run to end regulation, capped by a Jonathon Cox three that tied the game at 88 with 35 seconds left. In OT, Drake built an early four point lead thanks to two Josh Young triples, but Western Kentucky tied it up on a free throw and a three from Tyrone Brazelton. After trading free throws, Drake was up 99-98 with 5.7 seconds left. Brazelton brought the ball up quickly and handed it off to Ty Rogers, who hit a 26 footer from the right wing as time expired. The three was also the 30th of the game, which set an NCAA tourney record for most three's in a game.

Drake did good job containing WKU's Courtney Lee, holding him to 15 points (6-16) and 9 rebounds, but they allowed Tyrone Brazelton to explode for a career-high 33 points, to go a long with 5 assists, 5 rebounds, and 6-10 shooting from beyond the arc. Drake had five players hit double figures, led by 29 points and 16 rebounds from Jonathon Cox and 11 points and 14 dimes from Adam Emmenecker.


WORST CALL
Texas A&M vs. UCLA

UCLA has been getting a multitude of close calls recently, and all of the seem to be deciding the outcomes of games (Cal and Stanford). This game was no different. Darren Collison hit a tough lay-up off the glass with 9.5 seconds left in regulation to give UCLA a 51-49 lead. The Aggies put the ball in the hands of Donald Sloan, who drove the lane and had the ball knocked out of his hands, sealing the UCLA victory. Take a look at the picture. No foul there?


WORST BREAK
UConn

Eight minutes into their first round game against San Diego, UConn's pg AJ Price tore his acl when he landed awkwardly on a jump stop during a fast break. You can call me a homer if you want, but this injury was devastating to the Huskies. Not only was Price their best player, and most important player, but he was their leader - the heart and soul of that team. UConn proved that they could beat anyone in the country during the regular season. After they overcame such a tough season in '07, it's a shame this team had to lose because of an injury. Continue reading...

Will Bike For Food

A couple of friends of mine from college have teamed up with the United Way to raise money for our nation's poor through a cross-country bike trip they have dubbed Will Bike For Food - click here for a link to their website.

The trip was written about in an article from Sunday's Poughkeepsie Journal. If your interested, check it out - a couple of good guys doing a good thing. Continue reading...

Best Plays From The NCAA Tournament's First Weekend

Tim Rogers buzzer beating three for Western Kentucky to beat Drake

De'Jon Jackson of San Diego, jumper to beat UConn

Darren Collison of UCLA hits a tough lay-up to beat Texas A&M

Derrick Brown of Xavier catches an alley-oop on an out-of-bounds play. I was sitting five rows behind the basket on this one.

Brook Lopez of Stanford hits a leaner to beat Marquette

Leonard Houston of Drake with a huge lefty tomahawk dunk on Western Kentucky.

Gerald Henderson of Duke goes coast-to-coast to beat Belmont

Greg Paulus with an alley-oop to Gerald Henderson. Again, I was sitting five rows behind this basket.

Continue reading...

College Basketball 3/24

GAMES OF THE DAY
Davidson 74, Georgetown 70
Davidson was down as much as 17 in the second half as their star Stephon Curry struggled, shooting 2-12, but they were able to come back and were against Big East juggernaut Georgetown. Georgetown shot 63% from the field for the game, but they turned the ball over 20 times. Roy Hibbert never found a rhythm, ending with just six points and taking only three shots for the game. He fouled out in 16 minutes. Davidson's comeback was a 16-2 run early in the second half to trim a 16 point lead down to 2, and from that point on Curry took over, scoring 20 of the Wildcat's last 26 points.

PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Courtney Lee, Western Kentucky
Lee scored 29 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals as Western Kentucky was able to hold on after blowing another big lead to send the Hilltoppers to a sweet 16 matchup with UCLA. Lee was 4-5 from deep, including one with 6:17 left in a tie game that gave WKU the lead for good after San Diego went on an 18-2 run to take their first lead since the first half.


Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
Reynolds was fantastic on Sunday, leading the Wildcats with 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists as Villanova advanced past Siena 84-72 to face Kansas in the sweet 16. Villanova reached the second weekend on the tourney for the third time in four years, but this was the most unlikely as 'Nova was one of, if not the last team invited. Siena never led in this game, as Reynolds scored 17 of the first 30 for the Wildcats.

Honorable Mention
AJ Abrams, Texas (26 pts, 4 asts, 6 3's), Stephon Curry, Davidson (30 pts, 5 asts, 3 stls, 5 3's), Joey Dorsey, Memphis (13 pts, 12 rebs, 6 blks), Jamont Gordon, Mississippi State (21 pts, 11 rebs, 5 asts), Damion James, Texas (16 pts, 16 rebs, 3 blks), Gyno Pomare, San Diego (20 pts, 9 rebs, 3 stls), Jason Richards, Davidson (20 pts, 5 asts)

TEAM OF THE DAY
North Carolina
The Tar Heels cemented themselves as the favorite to win the title as they scored over 100 points and won by 30+ for the second straight game, this time against a good Arkansas team. Wayne Ellington led the Heels with 20 points, while Ty Lawson had 19 points and 7 assists and Tyler Hansbrough dropped in 17 to go along with 10 boards. UNC shot over 67% from the floor for the game. Continue reading...

College Basketball 3/23

GAMES OF THE DAY
Stanford 82, Marquette 81 OT
Things didn't look good for the Stanford Cardinal in the first half. Brook Lopez was not playing well, they were down by 6 at the half, and Head Coach Trent Johnson was ejected for arguing a foul call. But lead by Team Lopez and PG Mitch Johnson, Stanford regrouped and sent the game to OT on a free throw by Robin Lopez with 8 seconds left. Overtime was the Jerel McNeal and Brook Lopez show - with McNeal scoring 9 of Marquette's 10 points and Lopez scoring 8, and assisting on a Mitch Johnson 3 (Stanford's only other basket). The Cardinal pounded the ball inside to Lopez in OT with Marquette center Ousmane Barro fouled, and the last possession was no different. Johnson found Lopez posting up on the right block, and Lopez turned over his right shoulder and hit a tough little baseline leaner with 1.3 seconds left to win it.


PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Darren Collinson/Kevin Love, UCLA
Love and Collinson combined for 40 points in UCLA's 51-49 win over Texas A&M. Love had 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 big blocks to help hold Joseph Jones and Deandre Jordan to a combined 12 points. Collinson had 21 points. The two combined to score the last 8 points for the Bruins. Love hit two consecutive turnarounds to tie the game and 45, then give UCLA their first lead in the second half. Collinson kept the Bruins ahead with two tough lay-ups in the lane - the second of which put UCLA up 51-49 with 9.5 seconds left.

Mitch Johnson, Stanford
Johnson scored only 9 points, but he had 16 assists and just 1 turnover as Stanford fought off a tough Marquette team to advance to the Sweet 16, where they will play Texas. Johnson was almost as important to the Cardinal as the Lopez twins, consistently getting the Twin Towers the ball where and when they needed it. Team Lopez combined for 48 points on 17-30 shooting.

Honorable Mention
Joe Alexander, West Virginia (22 pts, 11 rebs, 3 blks, 40 mins), Michael Beasley, Kansas State (23 pts, 13 rebs), Luk Harangody, Notre Dame (10 pts, 22 rebs), Trevon Hughes, Wisconsin (25 pts, 4 3's)Brook Lopez, Stanford (30 pts),Jerel McNeal, Marquette (30 pts, 8 rebs, 2 asts)


TEAM OF THE DAY
West Virginia
The Mountaineers shocked just about every not wearing blue and yellow by beating Duke 73-67 in front of a packed house in Washington DC. The Mountaineers advanced to the sweet 16 for the first time since the Pittsnoggle era. After two quick Duke baskets to start the second half, West Virginia was down 38-29, but they caught fire from that point on. Joe Alexander and Alex Ruoff scored 22 and 17 points respectively, and Joe Mazzula played a great floor game scoring 13 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing out 8 assists. Seldom used Cam Thoroughman played great minutes down the stretch for the Mountaineers, scoring 4 points and grabbing 4 rebounds (3 offensive) in 9 second half minutes. Continue reading...

College Basketball 3/22

GAMES OF THE DAY
Western Kentucky 101, Drake 99 OT
San Diego 70, UConn 69 OT
No high seeds are going to want to go to Tampa next year after both UConn and Drake (as well as Clemson and Vanderbilt in the night games) were upset at St. Pete Times Forum. After a Thursday without much excitement, Western Kentucky and San Diego made sure to change that. In the first game, the Hilltoppers built a 16 point lead in the second half with just eight minutes left in regulation, but Drake came all the way back and tied the game at 88 on a Jonathon Cox three with 35 seconds left. In OT, Drake built an early four point lead thanks to two Josh Young triples, but Western Kentucky tied it up on a free throw and a three from Tyrone Brazelton. After trading free throws, Drake was up 99-98 with 5.7 seconds left. Brazelton brought the ball up quickly and handed it off to Ty Rogers, who hit a 26 footer from the right wing as time expired. The three was also the 30th of the game, which set an NCAA tourney record for most three's in a game.

The second game followed the same format. After AJ Price tore his acl landing awkwardly on a fast break lay-up in a tie game, San Diego was able to push the lead to 11 early in the second half. UConn battled back however, playing their typical stingy defense. With 10 seconds left in regulation, Jerome Dyson hit two free throws to send the game in OT. Overtime was a back and forth affair, with UConn taking the lead on two more Dyson free throws with 9 seconds left in the game. But De'Jon Johnson hit a tough, step-back jumper from 18 feet with Stanley Robinson in his face with 1.2 seconds left to win it.

For the record, I think writing about my Huskies losing on a buzzer beater was probably the hardest thing I've ever done. I now not only hate San Diego, but I'm boycotting the entire state of California.


PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Stephon Curry, Davidson
Curry led the Wildcats to a victory over #7 seed Gonzaga with a 40 point night, including an 8-10 shooting night from deep. Curry only had 10 at the intermission, but he exploded for 30 in the second half, including 17 of Davidson's first 18 points. His three with 1:04 on the clock gave Davidson a 77-74 lead and ended up being the game-winner. Davidson advanced to face Georgetown on Sunday.

Charles Rhodes, Mississippi State
The 6'8" forward led the Bulldogs with 34 points and 9 boards as MSU knocked off Oregon in first round play. Rhodes was too much inside for the undersized Ducks, shooting 10-12 from the floor and hit 14-18 from the line.

Jack McClinton, Miami
Jack McClinton scored 38 points, including 32 in the second half, as Miami knocked off St. Mary's 78-64 to move to the second round to face Texas. McClinton scored 10 straight points in Miami's game breaking 25-5 run early in the second half.

Honorable Mention
Tyrone Brazelton, Western Kentucky (33 pts, 5 rebs, 5 asts), Pete Campbell, Butler (26 pts, 5 rebs, 8-10 3's), Garrison Carr, American (26 pts, 6 3's), Jonathon Cox, Drake (29 pts, 16 rebs), Adam Emmenecker, Drake (11 pts, 5 rebs, 14 asts), Jamont Gordan, Mississippi State (8 pts, 11 rebs, 9 asts), Kenny Hasbrouck, Siena (30 pts), Sonny Weems, Arkansas (31 pts, 5 rebs, 12-14 FG)


TEAMS OF THE DAY
12 and 13 seeds
As I've already mentioned, the 12 and 13 seeds with 4-0 in Tampa as all four advanced, guaranteeing at least two double-digit seeds will advance to the Sweet 16. I've talked about the first three games, but in the nightcap Villanova, a team that may have been the last one put into the tournament field, overcame an early 18 point deficit to knock off ACC tournament finalist Clemson to advance. The Wildcats, who will advance to face Siena, was led by 21 point from Scottie Reynolds and 17 points from Corey Fisher. Continue reading...

College Basketball 3/21

GAME OF THE DAY
Duke 71, Belmont 70
By far the best game of the day. #15 seed Belmont, with the urging of the Washington DC crowd, came up just short in their upset of #2 seed Duke. After being down 42-35 at halftime and as much as 10 points in the second half, Belmont, not relying on three's as much as they had during the season, used backdoor cuts and fast breaks to come back and eventually took a 70-69 lead on two Justin Hare free throws with just over two minutes left. Belmont got two stops against Duke, but with 20 seconds left, Gerald Henderson took a rebound coast-to-coast and finished with a finger roll to take the lead. Belmont earned a inbounds from under their own basket with 4 seconds left after a jump ball, but threw the pass away and was forced to foul DeMarcus Nelson. He missed a front end, but Belmont's half court heave at the buzzer bounced off the rim. Alex Refroe led Belmont with 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, all team highs.

This was a unique near-upset in that Belmont didn't hit a ton of three's (they were 8-23, not that many for a team that shoots 29 per game) and Duke didn't hand the game to them - the Devils actually played a pretty solid game. Belmont just played better. The Bruins outplayed Duke - burning them for back door lay-ups all game, and when those weren't there they would hit three's, and when they missed they attacked to offensive glass. Belmont was just the better team, and if they had made some better decisions in transition down the stretch, they could be playing West Virginia on Saturday.


PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Joe Crawford/Ramel Bradley, Kentucky
An overmatched Kentucky team lost to Marquette 74-66, but Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley did everything they could to prevent that. Crawford scored 35 points on 13-22 shooting, including 5-8 from deep, and Bradley had 19 points and 4 assists, accounting for all but 12 of the Wildcat points (Perry Stevenson had 10 of those 12). This was the last game for these two seniors, and they went out with a bang.

Josh Carter, Texas A&M
Carter had 26 points and 5 rebounds and shot 6-10 from deep as the Aggies held off a scrappy BYU team 67-62 in Anaheim. Carter hit three 3's in the first five minutes, helping A&M to an 11-0 lead. BYU made a couple runs, going back and forth with A&M for a while in the second half, but in the end Carter and the Aggies were too much. They go on to face UCLA on Saturday.

Honorable Mention
Josh Akognon, Cal St. Fullerton (31 pts, 8 rebs, 3 stls), Michael Beasley, Kansas State (23 pts, 11 rebs), Levance Fields, Pitt (23 pts, 4 rebs, 7 asts), Gerald Henderson, Duke (21 pts, 7 rebs, 5 stls), Curtis Jerrells, Baylor (27pts, 8 asts), Will Thomas, George Mason (25 pts, 7 rebs, 3 asts, 3 stls)


TEAMS OF THE DAY
UNLV
In a game where many people thought Kent State was going to win, UNLV came out and gave a record setting performance on the defensive end. They held the Golden Flashes to 10 first half points, tying the mark for fewest in any half in NCAA tourney play. The Runnin' Rebels forced 15 first half turnovers (20 overall), and shot 50.9% for the game, wrapping up a date with Kansas in the second round.

Washington State
Wazzu looked like they were going to be given a game by Winthrop heading into halftime tied at 29-29. But then the Cougars defense woke up, and they held the Eagles to just 11 points in the second half, out scoring them by 31 en route to the blow out victory. Continue reading...

Bracket Breakdown with Ross Weingarten and Rob Dauster

East and Midwest Regions

South Region

West Region

Players to Watch and Final Four Picks

Continue reading...

Bracket Breakdown - West Region

Team To Beat - UCLA

The Bruins will be looking to make their third straight Final Four - the first team to do so since Michigan State did from 1999-2001. Darren Collinson is healthy and playing his best ball of the season. Hopefully the ankle injury to Luc Richard Mbah A Moute won't keep him out past the first weekend and the back spasms Kevin Love was experiencing won't affect him in the tournament. But with the tournament experience that the Bruins have gained over the last two years, it's not to pick them to reach a third straight Final Four.

Team To Watch - UConn

The Huskies have struggled a bit since Jerome Dyson has come back from his suspension, losing three of their last six, but in their 10 games winning streak they proved that they could beat anyone, anywhere. The Huskies size and athleticism inside and shot blocking ability is very tough to matchup with for smaller teams. AJ Price has continually proven he has one of the biggest hearts in the country with his play late in games. The key for UConn will be whether or not their role players step up. You know what you are going to get with Hasheem Thabeet, Jeff Adrien, and Price, but if Craig Austrie, Stanley Robinson, Dyson, and Doug Wiggins can play tough defense, hit some three's, and get the Huskies some easy buckets, UConn will be a tough team to knock out.

Upsets To Watch For - #11 Baylor over #6 Purdue

Baylor is a team with five very good guards who combine to score 57.5 ppg, the best of which are Curtis Jerrells and LaceDarius Dunn. They like to get out and run, mainly because they don't have an inside presence other than Kevin Rogers. Baylor tends to struggle against teams that slow the game down and pound the ball down low, which is not the way Purdue likes to play. Purdue has had a great season, but they lost the only time they faced a team with Baylor's speed and athleticism (Clemson).

Best Matchups - Chase Budinger vs. Joe Alexander, #3 Xavier vs. #14 Georgia

Budinger and Alexander may be the two most athletic white guys in the country and have similar games, with Alexander doing a little more damage in the post and Budinger spending more time on the perimeter. The normal order of things are switched in the 3-14 matchup out west. Georgia, the team from the SEC, gets a 14 seed after coming out of nowhere to win the SEC tournament while Xavier, the mid-major, was ranked in the top 15 all season and earned a 3 seed. Regardless, Georgia comes into the tournament after winning four games in four days (including two in one day) while Xavier has been struggling of late, losing two of their last four games (both to St. Joseph's).

My Pick - UCLA

I see UCLA squeaking by UConn, and then beating Xavier en route to their third straight Final Four, where they get a rematch of their loss to Texas from early in the season. Continue reading...

Bracket Breakdown - South Region

Team To Beat - Memphis

The Tigers were a turn-around jumper from Tennessee's Tyler Smith away from being undefeated heading into the dance. Led by Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts, this Memphis team can run-and-gun with the best of them. The biggest question for the Tigers - how will playing in a weak C-USA affect them coming into the tournament?

Team To Watch - Pitt

Pitt is playing as well as anyone in the country right now, after becoming just the second team in Big East tourney history to win four games in four days for the championship. With Levance Fields finally healthy, this team is deep, tough, and experienced. Ronald Ramon and Fields play off each other very well, with Fields being a penetrator and Ramon a dead-eye shooter. Sam Young was the most improved player in the Big East, and maybe the country, developing a very good jump shot and perimeter game to complement his size and strength inside. DeJuan Blair is an animal on the block and maybe the most difficult box-out in the game with his long arms and 270 pound body.

Upsets To Watch For - #6 Marquette vs. #3 Stanford

I don't see any first round upsets happening in this region, which is probably the toughest region this year. I do like Marquette over Stanford, however. The Cardinals tend to struggle against teams with good guard play. Stanford is a very one-dimensional team with Team Lopez inside and not much else. Marquette has struggled a bit on the road, and with this game being played in Anaheim there will probably be a pretty large contingent of Stanford faithful, but I see the five headed monster of Dominic James, Jerel McNeal, Wesley Matthews, Maurice Acker, and David Cubillan being too much for Stanford.

Best Matchups - #4 Pitt vs. #5 Michigan State/#1 Memphis

Tom Izzo has traditionally been one of the best tournament coaches, but no team in the country is playing better than Pitt right now. I like Pitt to win this game. I think they have enough good defenders to slow down Drew Neitzel and Raymarr Morgan, and they may be a better rebounding team than Michigan State is this year. I also like Pitt over Memphis in what would be a phenomenal Sweet 16 game. Pitt is just as athletic and just as tough as Memphis, and the Panther's and have enough experience and guts that they will not be intimidated by the Memphis pressure. The key for Pitt in those two games will be Gilbert Brown. He will draw the defensive matchups of MSU's Morgan and Memphis's Douglas-Roberts, and if he can slow them down, Pitt will have the inside path to the Elite 8.

My Pick - Texas

I think Texas will be too much for Pitt in the Elite 8. DJ Augustin is the best PG in the country, and he has the ability to carry this Longhorns team where Kevin Durant couldn't. The perimeter ability of Damion James and Connor Atchley will offset the interior advantage Pitt has. Continue reading...