What's tweeting in day three of the NCAA Tournament
by Nick Fasulo on Mar 20, 2010 12:58 PM EDT
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Can Saint Mary's advance to the Sweet 16? Does Murray St. pull off another upset? What about the Ohio Bobcats? Plenty of storylines today, kids. Enjoy.
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Round One Winners & Losers
by Nick Fasulo on Mar 20, 2010 12:53 PM EDT
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Winners
- The Pac-10 - They were mocked and hated on all-season, with many thinking this was a one-bid league. Certainly the conference was down, there's no doubting that, but for Washington and California to advance at the expense of two Big East teams is eye-catching. These kids out west just stuck it to a lot of people.
- Jordan Crawford - Yeah, yeah, he's the kid who dunked on LeBron last summer. Crawford may have just accelerated his time to actually competing against King James with a 28-point performance yesterday against Minnesota. If I had access to a shot chart, it would show Crawford's versatility on the offense end as buckets came from all over the court. Musketeer fans should enjoy this, because JCraw probably won't be around next season.
- Paul Hewitt - Coaching a team with at least a few NBA prospects, Hewitt by most measures underachieved this season, going 7-9 in the ACC. But he likely saved his job at Georgia Tech with a win over Oklahoma State last night. Shaky guard play will likely doom the Yellow Jackets against Ohio State, but if they can rebound they'll be competitive.
- Cornell's Bandwagon - Don't call the Big Red's victory over Temple an upset. The Owls only average 62 possessions a game, and couldn't adjust their pace to claw back from a double-digit deficit. Funny how Cornell head coach Steve Donahue goes years struggling to beat former Penn coach Fran Dunphy, then moves past him in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
- The Fan - Just how frieken enjoyable were the last two days of basketball? Buzzer beaters, 12-over-5 upsets, Scoop Jardine crossovers, and even a shocking victory from the MAC champs. We got it all over the past 48 hours.
Losers
- The Big East - They finished 4-4 overall, and one of those victories was Villanova eeking past Robert Morris, but perhaps the most embarrassing losses were the two against the Pac 10. Seth Davis pointed out just a few minutes ago that the top four BE teams advanced, but I say "so what." This isn't how we drew it up.
- Greg Monroe - Criticized frequently for his apathetic approach, Monroe told the press following the loss to Ohio that he will be back at Georgetown next season. Who knows how much veracity there is to the claim, but it might be a wise decision. Despite Monroe's decent statline on Thursday (19 points on 7-11 shooting; 13 rebounds), the loss has to leave a sour taste in the mouths' of scouts.
- Kevin Stallings - In the last two NCAA Tournament appearances by the Commodores, they have been a #4 seed, and in both instances they have lost. Thursday's game-winning shot by Murray State was certainly much more demoralizing than the 21-point drubbing Stallings' kids suffered against Siena in 2008, and collectively that 2007 Elite Eight appearance seems like a loooong time ago.
- Richmond's Bandwagon - I thought good guard play is all you need to win a first round game? Not in this case, as the Spiders' Kevin Anderson and David Gonzalvez were not enough to down Omar Samhan and the Gaels. While the Atlantic 10 has a bit more depth, the WCC may now have two teams that can consistently compete on the national level.
- CBS College Sports - The cable channel strategically placed two 5 vs. 12 match-ups during the East Coast dinner hours. A great move to pull in viewers, but both games were duds and lacked intensity, as both Butler and Texas A&M cruised to victory.
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NCAA Tournament Day 2 Game Links
by Nick Fasulo on Mar 20, 2010 11:05 AM EDT
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Michigan St gets up early, falters, then survives to beat New Mexico St.
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John Feinstein: Cornell did just about everything right in NCAA Tournament opener
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Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Xavier's Jordan Crawford finds tournament joy
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Brian Bennent: Cal continues Pac-10 redemption story
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Siena a trendy pick? Purdue still going to be a tough out
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Wall Street Journal: College Basketball's Talent Gap Doesn't Hurt the NCAA Tournament - WSJ.com
Jonah Keri sheds light on the pink elephant in the college basketball room - that the disparity in talent between now and oh 10-15 years ago is huge - college basketball may still be able to thrive on pure excitment and hoopla. Nothing more.
To use an example... who cares that both Villanova and Robert Morris shot like crap yesterday, the game was wild!
1 day ago
Nick Fasulo
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NCAA Tournament Day 1 Game Links
by Nick Fasulo on Mar 19, 2010 9:16 AM EDT
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Murray State touches each other, shocks Vanderbilt at the buzzer
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Lesson learned? Reynolds comes off the bench as Villanova squeaks past Robert Morris
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Jimmer Fredette is an absolute machine
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Luke Harangody lays an egg in final college game
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Butler cruises past undermatched UTEP
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Baylor wins it's first NCAA Tournament game since 1950, but it wasn't easy
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Hoya Suxa as Georgetown gets squashed by Ohio
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And while you were sleeping...Wake bounces back in OT to end Texas' miserable season
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Dan Levy: Breaking down exactly how colossally terrible Thursday was for the Big East
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65 Storylines for the 2010 NCAA Tournament
by Nick Fasulo on Mar 17, 2010 5:54 PM EDT
1 comment
Only a tournament of this magnitude could offer 65 compelling storylines we're all discussing with amongst ourselves. That might be a stretch, but to really get your palate moist, read through our 65 Storylines for the 2010 tournament. This shit matters, folks!
- Whose back hurts more after this tournament: Evan Turner or Scottie Reynolds?
- By the end of the month, will the world know about Cornell's Ryan Whitman?
- Is everyone just rooting against Duke?
- Does San Diego State dispel the belief that teams out west can't travel east and win?
- Can Butler's Matt Howard stay out of foul trouble?
- Over or under 60 possessions between Notre Dame - Old Dominion?
- Over or under 40 turnovers between Clemson-Missouri?
- Does UTEP face Murray St. for a trip to the Sweet 16?
- What becomes the ubiquitous advertising campaign of the tournament?
- Does Syracuse continue its extremely disciplined play all the way to the Final Four?
- Will all four #1 seeds get to Indy?
- How does Texas respond after a lousy second half of the season?
- Does Utah State , the last at-large entrant, prove it belongs?
- Can Dino Gaudio shake the "I Can't Coach in the Tournament Label"?
- Is Kansas State, a program with only one Sweet 16 appearance in 22 years, a really, like I mean really, a good team?
- Will "The Shizz" become the next national dance craze?
- Can Georgetown silence the haters who say they're thin, and continue their strong play from the Big East Tournament?
- Will I lose my job for giving undivided attention to the field of 65?
- Will Georgia Tech's Paul Hewitt lose his job for failing to advance in the field of 65?
- Does Clark Kellogg and/or Seth Davis say anything shocking? Just once?
- Does DeMarcus Cousins celebrate first and second round victories as though he's just won the Powerball?
- Oakland, I still like their style, can they defend just a smidge and be the lowest seeded team to play in the second round?
- Remember Michigan State? Does Tom Izzo once again prove he's a premier coach in the month of March?
- Can the Pac-10 go 2-0 in the first round?
- Will Steve Alford call anyone an asshole?
- Does Gonzaga's Elias Harris do something spectacular and turn himself in to a NBA Lottery pick?
- Will John Calipari be named "Most Smug Prick in All of Sports" by the beginning of April?
- Will everyone love Jennifer Hudson's rendition of "One Shining Moment"?
- Can Greivis Vazquez restore a bit of glory in College Park?
- Will Saint Mary's Omar Samhan become the most polarizing figure in college basketball this side of Greivis Vasquez?
- Does Oklahoma State's James Anderson show the world he's the best two-guard in the country?
- Does interest wane on a tournament devoid of UCLA, North Carolina and Connecticut?
- Does Andy Rautins make another outlandish fashion statement with his European-themed hairdo?
- Will I still have a girlfriend on April 5th, 2010?
- Can Xavier get to their third Sweet 16 in as many seasons?
- Will BYU, a team that hasn't advanced past the first round in their last three tournament appearances, put it together and defeat Florida?
- Just what will the Texas Longhorns do? Cap off their floundering season with a first round exit, or shock Kentucky in the Second Round?
- Will Wisconsin's defense hold up, or will they have to play more than 55 possessions a game?
- Does Montana's Anthony Johnson go bonkers against New Mexico?
- Will Houston's Aubrey Coleman, the nation's leading scorer, go bonkers on Maryland?
- What's the chance BYU and Texas A&M meet for the third year in a row? Zero. That answer is zero chance.
- Which conference impresses most?
- Which conference makes the committee look silly?
- Louisville beat Syracuse twice. Does that mean they're actually a Sweet 16 team?
- Or will Jerome Randle run circles around Pitino's press?
- How not intimidating is Purdue sans Robbie Hummel?
- Could the handful of mis-seeds have a profound effect on how this tournament shakes out?
- Are we overselling Baylor? Or are the Bears really Elite Eight contenders?
- Are we underselling Saint Mary's? Or are the Gaels just the second best team in the WCC?
- How many YouTube Moments does Gus Johnson give us?
- Does anyone look forward to potential YouTube Moments from Jim Spanarkel?
- Have you ever even heard of Jim Spanarkel?
- After winning their first round game the last two seasons, is Siena going to take that next step and reach the second weekend?
- Will Georgetown and Ohio State meet for what's undoubtedly the best possible Sweet 16 match-up on paper?
- Just how important will Arinze Onuaku be to Syracuse's tournament run?
- Who improves their NBA Draft stock by the end of the month?
- Who hurts their NBA Draft stock by the end of the month?
- Does Ashley Judd skip class to follow Kentucky's run?
- Will someone out there pick the perfect bracket?
- How will President Obama's bracket look?
- Utah State has quite the underrated student section. Will they make the trip up to Spokane?
- If Kentucky and Kansas meet in the final, will there be enough seats for all the scouts and NBA front office peeps to get a look the abundance of talent?
- Will Kansas win their second title in three years?
- If Kentucky wins, will the Commonwealth's birth rate dramatically jump nine months from now?
- Is this the last time we fill out a bracket of 65?
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Tourney Talk with ESPN's Ryen Russillo
by Nick Fasulo on Mar 17, 2010 9:16 AM EDT
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If you're not listening to ESPN Radio from 2-4 EST, there's a gaping hole in your life. Seriously. Scott Van Pelt is flanked by a New England guy with loads of talent and dry humor, and boatloads of basketball knowledge. That guy, Ryen Russillo, was nice enough to answer some of my questions on that big tournament starting tomorrow. Russillo tops off a great series of interviews (Seth Davis too) that went down here this season.
Q&A after the jump.
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Soft Pretzel Logic: Catching up with T.J. Sorrentine
You can't let a rematch between Syracuse and Vermont pass without catching up with old friends. Jonathan Tannenwald gets a great Q&A in with former Catamounts guard T.J Sorrentine, who still remembers that game, that shot, "like it was yesterday."
4 days ago
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