16 Mar28 - Danger ... Zone!
Volume XX, No. 21 - 16 Mar28
Danger ... Zone!
Twelve of the Sweet 16 were as good as you could have asked for -- Top 20-seeded teams from B-Major conferences. Top 25-ranked/Mid-Major [M11]Gonzaga earned its way in with upsets of two Top 20 seeds; BM [E7]Wisconsin earned its way with one; only [E6]Notre Dame and [M10]Syracuse (both BM teams, at least) benefited greatly when their draws opened up thanks to giant-killer upsets done by others.
[S2]Villanova, which has been a highly seeded NCAA flop the past two years, finally got it right. The Wildcats demolished a very solid [S3]Miami(Florida) team (92-69), looking as good as it has all year.
With this year's 30-second clock, it's much harder to slow down a team that wants to run. That might have been the only way [W3]Texas A&M could have beaten [W2]Oklahoma, but it couldn't pull it off. Even without any big games from any of the lead players, OU won 77-63 in a game that wasn't that close.
[S1]Kansas was so fundamentally solid, especially fPerry Ellis(27p5r) in its 79-63 handling of [S5]Maryland.
[S1]Oregon couldn't completely put away [S4]Duke in its (82-68) win, but that was a combination of poor free throw-shooting by the Ducks and the impossible-to-guard individual mismatch provided by the Blue Devils' bBrandon Ingram(24p5r3a). (After Ore's tDillon Brooks chucked [and made] a three-pointer as the shot clock was expiring at the very end of the game [even though a few seconds still remained overall], Duke's Mike Krzyzewski didn't like it because Duke had already "called off the dogs". Rather than congratulating him afterward, Coach K told Brooks, "You're better than that." In the press conferences afterward, Brooks told what K said while K denied it. After lip-readers reviewed the TV video, K was caught in his lie and [only] appologized for "reacting incorrectly, talking to another coach's player", but never did acknowlege or apologize for the lie. K-haters were all over that.)
[M1]Virginia's defensive prowess staked it to a 17-3 lead right away against [M4]Iowa State en route to a (84-71) win. The Cyclones' pourous D gave up 26 assists while tGeorges Niang bowed out with 30p8r.
[E6]Notre Dame stole victory from defeat with two big steals and 6-for-6 free throws in the final :30 seconds to edge [E7]Wisconsin (61-56).
[M10]Syracuse trailed most of the game against [M11]Gonzaga as bKyle Wiltjer(23p5r) and cDomantas Sabonis(19p17r5b) were able to score against the vaunted Orange zone, but clutch play created a 12-3 close led by gMichael Gbinije(20p3a) for a 63-60 'Cuse win.
Top-seeded [E1]North Carolina got off to a strong start against [E5]Indiana as pMarcus Paige(21p6a;6/9 3s) and cBrice Johnson(20p10r;10/12ft) countered gYogi Ferrell(25p4a) and Troy Williams(21p;5/8 3s) in a runaway 101-86 Tar Heel win.
You could have called it "ACC Friday" as all four winners on the night came from the Mega-conference. With all four teams all on the same half of the bracket, it means the league is assured of having two spots in the Final Four (but the dream of an all-ACC final still eludes -- only the BIG 10 '76 [Indiana over Michigan], BIG EAST '85 [Villanova over Georgetown] and BIG 8 '88 [Kansas over Oklahoma] have done it.) Two BIG 12 teams also made the Elite 8 plus one each for the BIG EAST and PAC-12 with all four No.1-seeds looking very good.
[W2]Oklahoma probably has less talent on its roster top-to-bottom than does [W1]Oregon so you'd figure that an up-and-down game might have favored the Ducks, but when Buddy Hield(37p;8/13 3s) got off to such a spectacular start, there was no Plan B for Ore and tradings baskets was a losing proposition as OU rolled to a 80-68 win.
[S2]Villanova's ability to shut down [S1]Kansas' fPerry Ellis(4p5r;1/5fg) was the biggest key to the Wildcats' 64-59 win. No 'Nova player scored more than 13 points, but 11 steals and clutch free throw-shooting (18-for-19 overall, including 8-for-8 in the final :30 seconds) sealed the victory.
[M10]Syracuse was seemingly out of the game against conferencemate [M1]Virginia, trailing 2-19 right away and 21-37 just after the start of the second half, but a 25-4 run midway through the second half (led by freshman bMalachi Richardson[23p7r]) brought the Orange back into it as the Cavaliers tightened up down the stretch leading to a 68-62 upset shocker for the 'Cuse.
Intraconference familiarity allowed both [E1]North Carolina and [E5]Notre Dame to start their game relaxed in an offensive shootout. The Tar Heels led 51-40 four minutes into the second half, but a 12-0 run (led by gDemetrius Jackson[26p4a;10/16fg] gave the Irish a 52-51 lead; but UNC responded with a 12-0 run of its own to restore an 11-point lead at 63-52. From there, more basket-trading (and quality free throw-shooting [20-for-24]) allowed the Tar Heels to avoid an endplay finish. 62 percent shooting (while giving up 55 percent), 32-15 rebounding advantage and 21p11r;10/15fg from cBrice Johnson all led to a comfortable 88-74 win for Roy's Boys.
In the NIT quarters, home court mattered more than seeding: [s1]Valparaiso dumped [s2]St. Mary's (@60-44), [w2]San Diego State shut down [w4]Georgia Tech (@72-56) and [n2]BYU held off [n4]Creighton (@88-82) all following seed as well whereas [e4]George Washington "upset" [e2]Florida (@82-77) thanks to its home crowd.
The CBI got down its Final Championship Series. [eB2]OVC/Morehead State handled slumming MM [eA1]A10/Duquesne (@82-72) and then edged [sA1]MAC/Ohio University on the road (77-@72). Meanwhile, [wA1]MWC/Nevada has parlayed three home games into a spot in the finals (where it will get two of three games at home as well).
The CIT also got down to its Final Two. BIGW/[1a]UC-Irvine won two road games (67-@66 at SUNB/Louisiana, 66-@47 at BIGS/Coastal Carolina) while IVY/[1b]Columbia won twice at home (@69-67 vs MAC/Ball State, @80-65 vs ASUN/New Jersey Tech). The third team that had received a bye into the quarters, SUNB/[1c]Texas-Arlington, lost at NJIT. For all of its troubles, UCI gets a fourth road game, at Colum, in the final.
- - - - - -
It will be tough for any game from here on out to top [S2]Villanova-[S1]Kansas. Tough. Gritty. Down to the wire. Big shots. Big steals. Clutch free throws. That's everything you want.
If anyone is the Poster Boy for staying all four years, it's Oklahoma's bBuddy Hield. He was the BIG 12 Player Of The Year and first-team All-America last year, but he came back because he wasn't deemed an NBA Lottery Pick. Great decision: (A) he got better -- good became great; (B) he led his team to the Final Four (the unofficial Seal Of Approval for any college player's [or coach's] career); and (C) now, the average basketball fan knows who he is (and will be more invested in his success at the next level) -- did anybody care that one-and-done fMichael Beasley (from Kansas State in '08) didn't really pan out in the NBA? "Michael who? Oh, yeah -- that guy."
[W2]Oklahoma and [S2]Villanova met in December at the PEARL HARBOR INVITATIONAL -- OK won 78-55 in a mismatch from the three-point line (14-for-26 for the Sooners compared to 4-for-32 for the Wildcats). Both teams are better since then -- can't wait for the rematch.
What was supposed to be a 9-game suspension for Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim for the first half of the ACC schedule got switched (on his appeal) to an earlier start and only covered the first three games of conference play. Then, apparently, the NCAA Seeding Committee discounted the Orange's 4-5 record during that span because Boeheim wasn't on the sidelines; so a 19-13(9-9) team was evaluated as if it were really 15-8(9-6). In no way do I feel the Orange had any business being invited to the tournament -- it's like they were rewarded for his suspension -- but you've got to give 'Cuse credit for taking full advantage of the opportunity that it was given. [M1]Virginia had seemed to have finally gotten out from under its underperforming ways in the NCAAs the past three years; but even this Elite 8 finish feels like a letdown.
Tall and deep, yes. Great? Special? Nah. This year's [E1]North Carolina team is what you get when you reduce the shot clock to 30 seconds. No special effort defensively, just keep on shooting and a lesser roster will ultimately not be able to keep up. cBrice Johnson has more double-doubles this year (23) than any other player in UNC history -- does he seem like he's an all-time Tar Heel? Not to me. Again, that's all due to a 30-second clock increasing the number of possession per game and upping everybody's stats. (And I've traditionally been a Tar Heel fan; but I've always been less of one under Roy than I was under Dean. I just don't enjoy the "run at all costs" Williams style.)
Yes, "only one" No.1-seed made it through to the Final Four; but both [S2]Villanova and [W2]Oklahoma have been ranked No.1 in the nation this season, so it hardly seems like an undeserving quartet overall. [S2]Villanova-[S2]Kansas felt like the National Championship, yet to go all the way the Wildcats still have to get by the best offensive player in the nation and then, most likely, the best offensive team. Tall order. I want to believe 'Nova's higher quality execution on both ends can post two more wins; but these rules favor offensive prowess. It says here: UNC over OK next Monday night.
The NIT semifinals feature three teams that had good cases for an NCAA bid. Should-have-been Anti-Spoiler title champs [s1]HORIZ/Valparaiso and [w2]MWC/San Diego State should outta battle it out in the final with Valpo's better offense/defense balance triumphing over SDgoSt's all-D/no-O imbalance.
[wA1]MWC/Nevada would probably still be the favorite in the CBI Championship Series even without home-court advantage. At least, [eB2]OVC/Morehead State gets to be at home first and the chance to impose some close-out pressure on Nev to have to come from behind to take the series.
What's one more road game to BIGW/[1a]UC-Irvine? A fourth win away from home would bring it the CIT crown (but home-standing IVY/[1b]Columbia, which hasn't had to travel once in all four rounds, will be its strongest opponnent yet).
The new (8-team) VEGAS-16 tourney finally gets under way on Monday. BIGW/UC-Santa Barbara headlines the evenly matched draw while C-USA has two representatives in Louisiana Tech and Old Dominion.
-- Ron
Danger ... Zone!
Twelve of the Sweet 16 were as good as you could have asked for -- Top 20-seeded teams from B-Major conferences. Top 25-ranked/Mid-Major [M11]Gonzaga earned its way in with upsets of two Top 20 seeds; BM [E7]Wisconsin earned its way with one; only [E6]Notre Dame and [M10]Syracuse (both BM teams, at least) benefited greatly when their draws opened up thanks to giant-killer upsets done by others.
[S2]Villanova, which has been a highly seeded NCAA flop the past two years, finally got it right. The Wildcats demolished a very solid [S3]Miami(Florida) team (92-69), looking as good as it has all year.
With this year's 30-second clock, it's much harder to slow down a team that wants to run. That might have been the only way [W3]Texas A&M could have beaten [W2]Oklahoma, but it couldn't pull it off. Even without any big games from any of the lead players, OU won 77-63 in a game that wasn't that close.
[S1]Kansas was so fundamentally solid, especially fPerry Ellis(27p5r) in its 79-63 handling of [S5]Maryland.
[S1]Oregon couldn't completely put away [S4]Duke in its (82-68) win, but that was a combination of poor free throw-shooting by the Ducks and the impossible-to-guard individual mismatch provided by the Blue Devils' bBrandon Ingram(24p5r3a). (After Ore's tDillon Brooks chucked [and made] a three-pointer as the shot clock was expiring at the very end of the game [even though a few seconds still remained overall], Duke's Mike Krzyzewski didn't like it because Duke had already "called off the dogs". Rather than congratulating him afterward, Coach K told Brooks, "You're better than that." In the press conferences afterward, Brooks told what K said while K denied it. After lip-readers reviewed the TV video, K was caught in his lie and [only] appologized for "reacting incorrectly, talking to another coach's player", but never did acknowlege or apologize for the lie. K-haters were all over that.)
[M1]Virginia's defensive prowess staked it to a 17-3 lead right away against [M4]Iowa State en route to a (84-71) win. The Cyclones' pourous D gave up 26 assists while tGeorges Niang bowed out with 30p8r.
[E6]Notre Dame stole victory from defeat with two big steals and 6-for-6 free throws in the final :30 seconds to edge [E7]Wisconsin (61-56).
[M10]Syracuse trailed most of the game against [M11]Gonzaga as bKyle Wiltjer(23p5r) and cDomantas Sabonis(19p17r5b) were able to score against the vaunted Orange zone, but clutch play created a 12-3 close led by gMichael Gbinije(20p3a) for a 63-60 'Cuse win.
Top-seeded [E1]North Carolina got off to a strong start against [E5]Indiana as pMarcus Paige(21p6a;6/9 3s) and cBrice Johnson(20p10r;10/12ft) countered gYogi Ferrell(25p4a) and Troy Williams(21p;5/8 3s) in a runaway 101-86 Tar Heel win.
You could have called it "ACC Friday" as all four winners on the night came from the Mega-conference. With all four teams all on the same half of the bracket, it means the league is assured of having two spots in the Final Four (but the dream of an all-ACC final still eludes -- only the BIG 10 '76 [Indiana over Michigan], BIG EAST '85 [Villanova over Georgetown] and BIG 8 '88 [Kansas over Oklahoma] have done it.) Two BIG 12 teams also made the Elite 8 plus one each for the BIG EAST and PAC-12 with all four No.1-seeds looking very good.
[W2]Oklahoma probably has less talent on its roster top-to-bottom than does [W1]Oregon so you'd figure that an up-and-down game might have favored the Ducks, but when Buddy Hield(37p;8/13 3s) got off to such a spectacular start, there was no Plan B for Ore and tradings baskets was a losing proposition as OU rolled to a 80-68 win.
[S2]Villanova's ability to shut down [S1]Kansas' fPerry Ellis(4p5r;1/5fg) was the biggest key to the Wildcats' 64-59 win. No 'Nova player scored more than 13 points, but 11 steals and clutch free throw-shooting (18-for-19 overall, including 8-for-8 in the final :30 seconds) sealed the victory.
[M10]Syracuse was seemingly out of the game against conferencemate [M1]Virginia, trailing 2-19 right away and 21-37 just after the start of the second half, but a 25-4 run midway through the second half (led by freshman bMalachi Richardson[23p7r]) brought the Orange back into it as the Cavaliers tightened up down the stretch leading to a 68-62 upset shocker for the 'Cuse.
Intraconference familiarity allowed both [E1]North Carolina and [E5]Notre Dame to start their game relaxed in an offensive shootout. The Tar Heels led 51-40 four minutes into the second half, but a 12-0 run (led by gDemetrius Jackson[26p4a;10/16fg] gave the Irish a 52-51 lead; but UNC responded with a 12-0 run of its own to restore an 11-point lead at 63-52. From there, more basket-trading (and quality free throw-shooting [20-for-24]) allowed the Tar Heels to avoid an endplay finish. 62 percent shooting (while giving up 55 percent), 32-15 rebounding advantage and 21p11r;10/15fg from cBrice Johnson all led to a comfortable 88-74 win for Roy's Boys.
In the NIT quarters, home court mattered more than seeding: [s1]Valparaiso dumped [s2]St. Mary's (@60-44), [w2]San Diego State shut down [w4]Georgia Tech (@72-56) and [n2]BYU held off [n4]Creighton (@88-82) all following seed as well whereas [e4]George Washington "upset" [e2]Florida (@82-77) thanks to its home crowd.
The CBI got down its Final Championship Series. [eB2]OVC/Morehead State handled slumming MM [eA1]A10/Duquesne (@82-72) and then edged [sA1]MAC/Ohio University on the road (77-@72). Meanwhile, [wA1]MWC/Nevada has parlayed three home games into a spot in the finals (where it will get two of three games at home as well).
The CIT also got down to its Final Two. BIGW/[1a]UC-Irvine won two road games (67-@66 at SUNB/Louisiana, 66-@47 at BIGS/Coastal Carolina) while IVY/[1b]Columbia won twice at home (@69-67 vs MAC/Ball State, @80-65 vs ASUN/New Jersey Tech). The third team that had received a bye into the quarters, SUNB/[1c]Texas-Arlington, lost at NJIT. For all of its troubles, UCI gets a fourth road game, at Colum, in the final.
- - - - - -
It will be tough for any game from here on out to top [S2]Villanova-[S1]Kansas. Tough. Gritty. Down to the wire. Big shots. Big steals. Clutch free throws. That's everything you want.
If anyone is the Poster Boy for staying all four years, it's Oklahoma's bBuddy Hield. He was the BIG 12 Player Of The Year and first-team All-America last year, but he came back because he wasn't deemed an NBA Lottery Pick. Great decision: (A) he got better -- good became great; (B) he led his team to the Final Four (the unofficial Seal Of Approval for any college player's [or coach's] career); and (C) now, the average basketball fan knows who he is (and will be more invested in his success at the next level) -- did anybody care that one-and-done fMichael Beasley (from Kansas State in '08) didn't really pan out in the NBA? "Michael who? Oh, yeah -- that guy."
[W2]Oklahoma and [S2]Villanova met in December at the PEARL HARBOR INVITATIONAL -- OK won 78-55 in a mismatch from the three-point line (14-for-26 for the Sooners compared to 4-for-32 for the Wildcats). Both teams are better since then -- can't wait for the rematch.
What was supposed to be a 9-game suspension for Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim for the first half of the ACC schedule got switched (on his appeal) to an earlier start and only covered the first three games of conference play. Then, apparently, the NCAA Seeding Committee discounted the Orange's 4-5 record during that span because Boeheim wasn't on the sidelines; so a 19-13(9-9) team was evaluated as if it were really 15-8(9-6). In no way do I feel the Orange had any business being invited to the tournament -- it's like they were rewarded for his suspension -- but you've got to give 'Cuse credit for taking full advantage of the opportunity that it was given. [M1]Virginia had seemed to have finally gotten out from under its underperforming ways in the NCAAs the past three years; but even this Elite 8 finish feels like a letdown.
Tall and deep, yes. Great? Special? Nah. This year's [E1]North Carolina team is what you get when you reduce the shot clock to 30 seconds. No special effort defensively, just keep on shooting and a lesser roster will ultimately not be able to keep up. cBrice Johnson has more double-doubles this year (23) than any other player in UNC history -- does he seem like he's an all-time Tar Heel? Not to me. Again, that's all due to a 30-second clock increasing the number of possession per game and upping everybody's stats. (And I've traditionally been a Tar Heel fan; but I've always been less of one under Roy than I was under Dean. I just don't enjoy the "run at all costs" Williams style.)
Yes, "only one" No.1-seed made it through to the Final Four; but both [S2]Villanova and [W2]Oklahoma have been ranked No.1 in the nation this season, so it hardly seems like an undeserving quartet overall. [S2]Villanova-[S2]Kansas felt like the National Championship, yet to go all the way the Wildcats still have to get by the best offensive player in the nation and then, most likely, the best offensive team. Tall order. I want to believe 'Nova's higher quality execution on both ends can post two more wins; but these rules favor offensive prowess. It says here: UNC over OK next Monday night.
The NIT semifinals feature three teams that had good cases for an NCAA bid. Should-have-been Anti-Spoiler title champs [s1]HORIZ/Valparaiso and [w2]MWC/San Diego State should outta battle it out in the final with Valpo's better offense/defense balance triumphing over SDgoSt's all-D/no-O imbalance.
[wA1]MWC/Nevada would probably still be the favorite in the CBI Championship Series even without home-court advantage. At least, [eB2]OVC/Morehead State gets to be at home first and the chance to impose some close-out pressure on Nev to have to come from behind to take the series.
What's one more road game to BIGW/[1a]UC-Irvine? A fourth win away from home would bring it the CIT crown (but home-standing IVY/[1b]Columbia, which hasn't had to travel once in all four rounds, will be its strongest opponnent yet).
The new (8-team) VEGAS-16 tourney finally gets under way on Monday. BIGW/UC-Santa Barbara headlines the evenly matched draw while C-USA has two representatives in Louisiana Tech and Old Dominion.
-- Ron
- Key games this week:
- NCAA
- Thursday:
- COLLEGE 3-POINT/SLAM DUNK CONTEST @CypressTX/BERRY/
- {College 3-Point/Slam Dunk Contest}
- Friday:
- FINAL FOUR @HoustonTX/NRG/
- {Open Team Practices} - FREE
- {College All-Star Game} - FREE
- Saturday:
- FINAL FOUR @HoutsonTX/NRG/
- [E1]N Carolina v [M10]Syracuse
- [W2]Oklahoma v [S2]Villanova
- Monday week:
- NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP @HoustonTX/NRG/
- {[E1]NCarolina/[M10]Syracuse} v {[W2]Oklahoma/[S2]Villanova}
- NIT
- Tuesday:
- Semis @NewYorkNY/MSG/
- [s1]Valparaiso v [n2]BYU
- [w2]San Diego St v [e4]Geo Washington
- Thursday:
- Final @NewYorkNY/MSG/
- {[s1]Valparaiso/[n2]BYU} v {[w2]SanDiegoSt/[e4]GeoWashington}
- CBI (COLLEGE BASKETBALL INVITATIONAL)
Finals (Best of 3) on-campus
- Monday:
- @ [eB2]Morehead St v [wA1]Nevada
- Wednesday:
- @ [wA1]Nevada v [eB2]Morehead St
- (Friday, if necessary):
- @ [wA1]Nevada v [eB2]Morehead St
- CIT (COLLEGEINSIDER.COM TOURNAMENT)
- Tuesday:
- Final on-campus
- @ [1b]Columbia v [1a]
UC-Irvine
- (new)V16 (VEGAS-16) @LasVegasNV/MANDALAY/
- Monday:
- 1stRd/Qtrs
- UC-Santa Barbara v No Illinois
- Towson v Oakland
- E Tennessee St v Louisiana Tech
- Tennessee Tech v Old Dominion
- Tuesday:
- Semis
- {UCSantaBarbara/NoIllinois} v {TennesseeTech/OldDominion}
- {Towson/Oakland} v {ETennesseeSt/LouisianaTech}
- Wednesday:
- Final
- Thursday:
posted by Ron @ Saturday, July 16, 2016
