14 Mar31 - Familiar Foes

Volume XVIII, No. 22 - 14 Mar31

Familiar Foes

In the SOUTH Regional in Memphis, [S11]Dayton fairly well coasted its way past [S10]Stanford (82-72), who had no answer slowing down the Flyers or controlling the boards. [S4]UCLA made lots of open jumpers to keep things close, but [S1]Florida is such a tough-minded team it held onto a slim lead thanks to bMichael Frazier II's shooting(19p6r;5/8 3s) until gScottie Wilbekin scored some key baskets to break away late (79-68). Then, a 14-1 spurt to close the first half broke open a tight game and gave [S1]Florida a working margin against [S11]Dayton that it nursed to the end (62-52). The Gators are such a deliberate bunch that it's hard to appreciate how dominate a team they really are.

    
In the WEST in Anaheim, [W2]Wisconsin's defense showed up against [W6]Baylor (and this year's Badger team can score), so it was a laugher early in the second half on the way to an easy 69-52 rout. Missing fBrandon Ashley showed for [W1]@Arizona against [W4]@San Diego State: the Wildcats couldn't control the lane and faced foul trouble inside all night while the Aztecs' gXavier Thomas(25p1a) scored at will; but a gritty comeback and late points from tNick Johnson(15p8r,2/12fg,10/10ft after a lousy start) saved the day ... barely (@70-@64). Then, there was little to choose between [W2]Wisconsin/[W1]@Arizona; but the Badgers had more players who were a threat to score, which made it more difficult to guard them (especially switching) and the inside-outside versatilty of xFrank Kaminsky(28p11r;11/20fg) was unstoppable; still, better execution by gNick Johnson(16p3a) at the very end might have won it for the Wildcats instead of an 64-@63(OT) [W2]Wisconsin win.

    
In the EAST in New York, [E4]Michigan State vs [E1]Virginia was a brutal defensive struggle -- cBranden Dawson(24p10r) and bAdreian Payne(16p5r) did just enough to hold off bMalcolm Brogdon(17p5r) and Joe Harris(17p) -- not much separated these two teams as the Spartans escaped 61-59; you can't fault the Cavaliers for playing badly, but it's the second-straight year for a "no-name" TiTo ACC champ to bow out after the Sweet 16 -- (Miami[Florida] lost in this same round last year). Enigmatic xDeAndre Daniels(27p10r;10/15fg) picked a great time to resurface for [E7]@Connecticut; fDustinHogue(34p6r) did all he could to make up for the loss of tGeorges Niang(DNP/foot); but he needed more from fMelvin Ejim(7p8r) as stars tDeAndre Kane(16p9a8r) and pShabazz Napier(19p5a5r) cancelled each other out in the Huskies' @81-76 win; tough break for the Cyclones losing tNiang inside the tourney -- they're not the same without him. Then, "home" crowd support in Madison Square Garden was key for [E7]@Connecticut, allowing it to play loose at the start (a quick @12-2 lead); [M4]Michigan State finally settled in and fought back to lead at halftime and go up by 9 early in the second half; but bNapier(25p4a6r) led the Huskies back and the crowd helped the team to take control of the game; 21-for-22 on free throws didn't hurt in the @60-54 UConn win.

    
In the MIDWEST in Indianapolis, outside shooting (11-for-20 on three pointers) let [M2]Michigan get a comfortable lead against the physical [M11a]Tennessee defense, but it nearly blew things with a terrible close (and was saved by a tough charge call against the Volunteers at the end in its 73-71 win). [M4]Louisville had a 7-point lead with 6 minutes to go against hated state-rival [M8]@Kentucky; but stumbled down the stretch as the Wildcats closed with poise yet again to win @74-69. Then, 'tweeners vs ordinary big guards seemed to be the theme of [M2]Michigan vs [M8]@Kentucky (and tNikStauskas was getting the better of it with 18 points in the first half); but ultimately it was the Wildcats' superiority in the paint (35-24 on the boards) that brought them back from a 10-point deficit in the first half and pushed them out to a 7-point lead down the stretch in the second half; but tStauskas only finished with 24p, and 14p/9p from teammates tGlenn Robinson III/Caris LeVert wasn't enough help, allowing gAaron Harrison to decide things on his game-winning three-pointer to win @75-72.

The two biggest seeding complaints were #4-seeds given to Michigan State and Louisville -- one up, one down as only the Spartans advanced past the Sweet 16. You have to be impressed at what Michigan has been able to do this season after losing expected centerpiece cMitch McGary -- you can't say the team wouldn't have been better with him, but there's not much more it could have accomplished.

    
As wonderful as they have played, especially in crunch time, it's a little disappointing to see Kentucky continue to advance. It's almost a "Nature vs Nurture" theme being played out. Yes, you can spin this as "John Calipari's coaching has finally gotten through to the freshmen"; but you can also just as easily spin it as "the natural-born talents have decided to give it their full attention now that it matters to them". (Thank goodness at least there's now such a thing as epigenetics where there really still is something left up to the individual how and how much of your hardwired blueprint gets fully expressed.) I wasn't particularly rooting for Wichita State to run the table undefeated, but neither do I want to see the Wildcats roll through with their "home-away-from-home" crowd advantage. (Nice, friendly people in the Big Blue Nation; but it's just an unfair environment that all of UK's opponents have to deal with.)

    
xDoug McDermott aside, bShabazz Napier has had a Player of the Year-calibre season. You've got to love the fortitude of Connecticut to endure last year with no postseason due to probation and then deliver a trip to the Final Four when its eligibility was restored.

    
The BIG 10 place three teams in the Elite 8 (but only one advanced to the Final Four); the two remaining SEC teams pushed all the way through to the final weekend while the BIG 12 was 0-2 in the Regional semifinals. In the preseason, the BIG 12 rated highest overall but could only manage one tournament win (IowaSt[DIAMOND HEAD]) while the second-rated BIG 10 won four crowns; health was the biggest factor in their postseason prowess as as MichSt was finally 100% while IowaSt, Kans and OKSt all played without a key player. Dayton's breakthrough for the ATLANTIC 10 gave the Mid-Majors an Elite 8 spot for the second-straight year. Overall, the SEC (16-6; two Final Four teams), BIG 10 (15-7; one Final Four, one NIT semifinalist), ACC (12-6; two NIT semifinalists) and AMERICAN (10-3; one Final Four team; one NIT semifinalist) have surged ahead in the postseason while the PAC-12 (10-9), MOUNTAIN WEST (7-5), BIG 12 (6-8) and BIG EAST (3-6) are done; meanwhile, neither the WEST COAST (7-5) or ATLANTIC 10 (4-6) nor monstrous CONFERENCE USA (6-7) could place any teams into the final week.

In the NIT quarters, two CONFERENCE USA teams advanced on the road while SEC teams went 0-4, highlighted by [s3]Louisiana Tech (79-@71 at [s2]Georgia) and [m3]Southern Mississippi (71-@63 at [m2]Missouri). [e5]Belmont won the 1BC elimination quarter (@82-71 vs [e8]Robert Morris). But it's an all-B-Major semifinal in New York, led by two ACC teams ([s1]Florida State and [e3]Clemson); [w1]SMU and [m1]Minnesota also advanced twice at home.

    
In CBI, home teams swept all games in the quarters (including Penn State falling 52-@54 at Siena and Texas A&M losing 55-@62 at Illinois State) and the semis. Fresno State and Siena won home games to advance to the Best-of-Three final series.

    
In CIT, road teams won two games in the quarters: VMI (92-@90 at Ohio University) and Yale (72-@69 at Columbia in the IVY elimination game); Pacific won the WEST COAST eliminator, @75-60 vs San Diego.

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[m1]Minnesota has been the most impressive of the NIT final four, but [w1]SMU has beaten the stronger opposition -- Larry Brown will find a way. Fresno State gets the first game at home in the CBI final series, but the next two go to Siena -- the slumming B-Major Fresno is the favorite. Despite the road semi at Murray State, slumming Mid-Major Pacific should take the CIT crown.

You couldn't come up with a more challenging set of Final Four opponents for [S1]Florida if you picked them by hand -- it's the two teams who beat the Gators in the regular season ([W2]Wisconsin and [E7]Connecticut) plus the prospect of beating conference-rival [M8]@Kentucky and its formidable travelling fan base for the fourth time in the same season.

    
[W2]Wisconsin's well balanced offense will present [M8]@Kentucky its toughest defensive challenge, but the Wildcats' physical advantage has been too much for every opponent in the tournament so far -- so why would that change now? pScottie Wilbekin missed the loss to [W2]Wisconsin entirely and missed the final segment of the [E7]Connecticut loss (while bShabazz Napier was hitting the game-winner) and the Gators are the one team in the draw well used to the experience of dealing with the neutral-site "road game" that Big Blue Nation creates. The BIG 10(1976) and the BIG EAST(1985) pulled off same-conference National Championship games; this year, the SEC becomes the third league to achieve the feat as Billy Donovan's finest coaching job comes to its ultimate fruition.

-- Ron

Key games this week:

NCAA

Thursday:

COLLEGE 3-POINT/SLAM DUNK CONTEST @DallasTX/MOODY/SMU/

• (8Pct): {College 3-Point/Slam Dunk Contest}
  

Friday:

FINAL FOUR @ArlingtonTX/COWBOYS/

• (12N-4Pct): {Open Team Practices} - FREE
  
• (4.30Pct): {College All-Star Game} - FREE
  

Saturday:

FINAL FOUR @ArlingtonTX/COWBOYS/

• (5:09Pct): [S1]Florida v [E7]Connecticut
  
• (7:49Pct): [W2]Wisconsin v [M8]@Kentucky
  

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Monday week:

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP @ArlingtonTX/COWBOYS/

• (8:19Pct): {[S1]Florida/[E7]Connecticut} v {[W2]Wisconsin/[M8]@Kentucky}
  

NIT

Tuesday:

Semis @NewYorkNY/MSG/

• [w1]SMU v [e3]Clemson
  
• [m1]Minnesota v [s1]Florida St
  

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Thursday:

Final @NewYorkNY/MSG/

• {[w1]SMU/[e3]Clemson} v {[m1]Minnesota/[s1]FloridaSt}
  

CBI (COLLEGE BASKETBALL INVITATIONAL)
Finals (Best of 3) on-campus

Monday:

• @ [sA2]Fresno St v [eB1]Siena
  

- - - - - -

Wednesday:

• @ [eB1]Siena v [sA2]Fresno St
  

- - - - - -
- - - - - -

(Saturday, if necessary):

• @ [eB1]Siena v [sA2]Fresno St
  

CIT (COLLEGEINSIDER.COM TOURNAMENT)

Tuesday:

Semis on-campus
• @ Murray St v Pacific
  
• @ VMI v Yale
  

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Thursday:

Final on-campus
• {MurraySt/Pacific} v {VMI/Yale}