Tournament Blogger

C.M. TOMLIN

Unfortunately for the Wofford Terriers, it seems that tournament magic was first come, first serve. And Thursday there was a run on upsets. 

And so it was in Jacksonville this afternoon that good old-fashioned experience won out over fresh-faced excitement and Bo Ryan's seasoned Badgers dispatched the Wofford Terriers 53-49. The Wofford crew was in the tournament for the first time ever -- and although the first half looked rough for the newcomers, coach Mike Young must have really fired them up at halftime as Jamar Diggs led with 13 points and it looked like an entirely different Terriers team in the second half.

I'll cop to being enamored with the Wofford storyline going into this game, but I thought some seeming cockiness from the Terriers' Cameron Rundles (playing to the crowd, gesturing the number one sign and generally looking like he was trying to put together his celebratory Sportscenter reel) kinda soured the event. The more the clock ticked down and the more Wofford closed in on Wisconsin, eventually making it a one-point back-and-forther, the more I felt like Wofford was believing their own upset hype. If they'd been here before, they might realize that you just can't expect the magic to show up, especially against a Wisconsin team that, every year, just quietly puts their heads down and trudges forward until they get stopped or win. As a result, the Badgers' stellar Jon Leuer and Trevon Hughes, netting 20 and 19 points respectively, looked as if to say "Look guys, this was cute, but if you're gonna get snarky about it we're just gonna shut this thing down." A careless Wofford turnover with 4 seconds left sealed the deal, and Bo Ryan and company head on to face the Big Red of Cornell (or is it the Cornell "Hugging Bears," as their logo would suggest?) on Sunday.

Sure would have been trippy to see a Cornell/Wofford matchup, but it would have also felt like we were all living in Bizarro world. And I think we're all too tired and drunk on beer and basketball to be prepared for that kind of mindtrick right now. Thanks, Wisconsin, from bringing this thing back to the real world a bit. 

Tonight's game brings more opportunity for some surprises. Let's see if there's any pixie dust left in this tourney. I'm willing to bet there is.

Thomas Beisner

5:00 PM

It’s not often that a four seed can beat a thirteen-seed and it comes as a surprise. But, that’s what we ran into in Spokane as a Big 10 power knocked off a MAAC school that had become the hottest thing in college basketball since Larry Bird in short shorts. Everyone you knew made a bracket. Only the really handsome, smart, cool kids picked Siena to win, though.

But, just like other fads before them, the Siena Sients became the latest trend to disappear after getting worn by guys from Indiana.

Purdue rode junior big man JaJuan Johnson, who put up 23 points and 15 rebounds, to a victory over the tiny school that thought they could Friday afternoon, ending Siena’s five-game winning streak and setting up a matchup with the winner of the Aggie battle between Texas A&M and Utah State.

But, for the Boilermakers, this was about more than just winning a game. It was about proving a point.

“Hell no. Dude’s overrated,” Johnson shouted after a reporter asked if the team missed injured star Robbie Hummel. “Did you see me out there? Huh? What was my stat line? Huh? Say it, son. Yeah, that’s right. 23 points and 15 boards. Robbie Hummel couldn’t get 15 boards if he, ummm, ok Robbie is better at metaphors.  But that's it!”

The opinion wasn’t just limited to Johnson, either. Junior guard E’Twaun Moore echoed Johnson’s sentiment.

“Let me ask you a question,” Johnson barked at a reporter. “Who is Purdue’s leading scorer?”

The reporter started to respond, saying “Rob-“

“WRONG,” Moore yelled, following it with a buzzer sound. “E’Twaun Moore. Six-foot-four. East Chicago, Indiana. Sixteen points per game. Sixteen point six to be exact.”

“You know, we call came in here together,” Moore elaborated. “We all came to the same crappy program and contributed to the same turnaround. Only one of us gets his face on TV, though. And he’s the guy that still downloads musically illegally. Did you know that? He’s a pirate. Yeah, Joe America doesn’t pay for his John Mayer. I still buy the freakin’ CDs out of principle and no one cares about E’Twaun Moore.”

Moore calmed down and answered several more questions about the game and how his team was focused on their next opponent. However, it was obvious that the Boilermakers were foced on one thing only – proving themselves in the absence of Robbie Hummel. And, it appears they’re quite confident that they'll continue to do so.

As sophomore reserve guard Bubba Day said, “Dude, we beat Siena. See - freaking - ena. Even the President picked them to win and everything that guy touches turns to gold. We know we can do anything now.”

The Hummel-less Boilermakers will get their shot to prove it once again on Sunday.

C.M. TOMLIN

Fully utilizing the principles set forth by Heisenberg and Planck, the Cornell Big Red somehow today put together a easy-looking win against Fran Dunphy's Temple Owls (78-65) to become the first Ivy League win since a 1998 Princeton victory. And the truth is that Temple never really seemed to even stand a chance, with Cornell's lead at a whopping nineteen at one point in the second half. The Big Red then stuck around for a little while after the final buzzer to help Temple with some chemistry homework. 

I think we can safely say no one really expected this today. Some of the take-aways from the game include:

-This Cornell team is so generically white that I kept wondering which one of them was going to turn into Teen Wolf. Remember every basketball team in any movie in the 1980's? Cornell looks just like every one of those teams. They're all very regular-looking, there aren't a lot of tattoos or headbands. My guess is that the "bad boy" on this team is the guy who leaves two buttons at the top of shirt open.

-The student becomes the master. Cornell Coach Steve Donahue was an apprentice for Dunphy for ten years at Penn. Looks like he may have been taking some notes. Donahue came into the dojo today like the final reel of a Bruce Lee movie, ready to take out his former mentor at all costs. And once again I eat crow -- delicious, delicious crow -- for stating yesterday that there's no way this was happening today. I guess I, like many of you, underestimated this team. Still, it blows my mind to think that there's a possibility of a Wofford/Cornell matchup in the second round. I'm sure the Cornell players, however, can tell you those odds and probability if you hand them pencil and paper.

-If you didn't watch this game, believe it or not Temple actually played very well. This Cornell team just beat them fair and square. If Wisconsin drops to the Wofford Terriers, get ready for a super-stylized, over-produced television piece about the two teams before the game on Sunday. And then get ready to watch the most unlikely NCAA game you'll ever see. 

For today, the Big Red basks in the glory of a first round win, even if their celebration will be cut short by a 4:00 Latin study group. Congrats, Cornell. You earned it.

MATT JONES

Well the early games haven't quite thrilled like those on Thursday, and have left us all a bit disappointed.  The first three games of the day were decided by a combined 245 points and none of them classified as anything except "turn the channel and look for a rerun of Law and Order " television.  But that doesnt mean that we here at One Blogging Moment didnt watch it to try and keep you folks informed. 

I am covering the Milwaukee regions, which meant watching the battle between Auburn Coach Tubby Smith and "we know they are good, but we don't watch them play," Xavier.  The game quickly turned into the Jordan Crawford Show , as the brother of former Tubby Smith player, Joe Crawford, torched the Gophers for 28 points. Crawford made five three-pointers and dominated on the offensive end of the floor.  Smith had no answer for Crawford and Xavier cruised in the second half, maintaining a 6-10 point lead throughout.

Now comes the fun stuff.  This morning, Dennis Dodd reported on this very site that Tubby Smith was close to becoming the Auburn head basketball coach , a move that would immediately shake the balance of power in the SEC West.  Smith has made no secret to those around him that he has been disappointed about the state of the Minnesota program and he feels that promises that were made to him about facilities and the like have not been met.  Auburn is opening a new arena next year and wants a big name to christen its arrival.  Smith would be that big name and could give Auburn the bump it needs to become relevant again.

As for Xavier, it moves on and becomes quite the load for any team it may face, especially if Crawford is playing the way he did today.  Joe Crawford had the hype during his time at Kentucky and besides one famous dunk over Lebron James, Joradan has often been overlooked.  That may change today, as Crawford joins our man Jimmer from BYU as the early star of the NCAA Tournament.

Oh yeah, Saul Smith is losing his hair...badly.  I feel that needs to be investigated.

DREW FRANKLIN

Morgan State came out hot and took advantage of a sluggish West Virginia team in today's first game - or what Bob Huggins calls a "Bloody Mary" game.  The Golden Bears got out to a 10-0 lead over West Virginia, sending bracket watchers and the Big East into even more of a panic mode.  Then, reality set in...

WVU's Kevin Jones scored nine straight points to bring the Mountaineers back to life.  A Joe Mazulla three-point play finally gave the two-seeded West Virginia their first lead of the game with just over five minutes left to go in the half.  The Mountaineers took a 38-27 lead into the break - courtesy of a 21-4 run - and never looked back.  West Virginia went on to win in a blowout 77-50.

While Morgan State did a great job of shutting down Da'Sean Butler, his teammates Devin Ebanks and Jones carried the load.  Ebanks scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to go with Kevin Jones' team-high 17 points.  Da'Sean Butler scored 9 on 4-12 shooting.

For Morgan State, Reggie Holmes scored 12 points to lead the Golden Bears.  Only one other player scored in double digits (Kevin Thompson, 11).

West Virginia advances to play the Clemson-Missouri winner.

Morgan State goes home with a story to tell.  But before they do, let's look back at the 15 seed that had us at the edge of our seats for 15 minutes this afternoon...

MEAC Champions!  Morgan State lost only one conference game in the regular season and won their second straight MEAC Conference tournament championship.  The Golden Bears dominated the MEAC from start to finish.  I don't care what P. Diddy said about Howard.

Morgan State is not a state.  I've looked on nearly every map I can get my hands on.  Rumor has it that the university is in Baltimore, Maryland.  I don't get it.

Reggie Holmes is a chameleon.  The MEAC Player of the Year did it all this season.  He scored, dished, rebounded, and even transformed into an elderly woman during the MEAC conference tournament:
  

We were all Golden Bears on our lunch break.  Yesterday, we were all Robert Morris fans.  Today, we were Golden Bears.  When Mo' State kicked off the second day of the NCAA tourney with a 10-0 lead over 2 seeded West Virginia, everyone was ready to act as if we had been fans our whole lives.  It's natural.

Morgan State, we barely even knew you...

MATT JONES



You know how before every big event writers make predictions as to what is going to happen?  Then you read them, know they are wrong, but after the event is over, they say nothing about their mistakes?  Not here.  I made 25 bold predictions about Thursday's NCAA Tournament games and now it is time to Grade my 25 Predictions:

1.  BYU vs Florida Will Make You Very Happy:  It doesnt matter what game is actually the first action of the NCAA Tournament, I look forward to it with eager anticipation.  This year it happens to be BYU vs Florida, which means that I will watch the opening tap, comment on how BYU looks "better than I would have thought" and place a "friendly" wager on two teams who if they played during the regular season, I would choose working out on a gazelle over watching.  That is just what March does.

Verdict:  It made us all happy.  Not only was it great to get started, but the game itself was terrific, going into Double Overtime.  CORRECT

2.  Florida's Dan Werner Will Have You Shaking Your Head:  It is not often that a player is so consistenly awful that you wonder how he not only plays, but is able to function in society.  Dan Werner is that player.  Dont say you have not been warned.

Verdict:  He was awful throughout the game and dropped some big rebounds in both overtimes.  CORRECT

3.  Sam Houston State Will Make Announcers Make Stupid Puns:  I probably like Jay Bilas more than any other announcer in America.  But as my former assistant in Washington DC used to say about women who wore to much makeup, "he think he cute!"  I can guarantee some pun about "remembering the Alamo" or "Sam Houston State wont go down like Sam Houston, etc.  He has to do it.  Just forgive him.

Verdict:  Jay Bilas nearly got through the entire game without doing it to us, but then at the end he mentioned that SHS would be "doing it or Davy Crockett."  Thats all it takes.  CORRECT

4.  You Will be Angry About Which Game You are Getting Assigned at Some Point During the Day:  One of the great parts of the first round of the NCAA Tournament is the fact that there are four games going on at any given moment.  However what is assured is that the game you will want to see wont be on wherever you happen to live.  There is really nothing you can do about this except (a) go watch at a bar, (b) watch the Mega March Madness feature on CBSSports.com or (c) hope that Greg Gumbel will interrupt the game you are watching with updates.  What wont work is throwing your remote at the screen at cursing at Seth Davis.  Trust me, I have tried.

Verdict:  This happened to me all day, but as explicitly awful when my local feed cut away from the Marquette-Washington final to show the tip of Tennessee-San Diego State.  I was fit to be tied.  CORRECT

5.   David Koresh's Name Will Come Up in your Bar:  At some point during the telecast, they will mention that Baylor is in Waco, Texas.  Then someone in your group will say, "how do I know Waco?"  Then Branch Dividians are brought up and David Koresh will be mentioned.  Just go ahead and do it early and then you will look like the smart one of the group.

Verdict:  It got brought up at my table three times, and we argued about cults and who ends up joining them.  Easy score.  CORRECT

6.  Verne Lundquist Will Mispronounce Names:  This is a guarantee, but I dont look at it as a negative.  In fact, if you play a drinking game for each name that Verne butchers, you are guaranteed fun and a raucous crowd by 3:30 pm.  Just take "Verne" shots (something foreign and exotic) and sit back and smile.  It will make Villanova vs Robert Morris much more entertaining.

Verdict:  It stated with Ekpe Udoh and it never stopped afterwards.  We love Verne and his lack of ability with names is a tradition unlike any other.  CORRECT

7.  Scottie Reynolds Is Still in School:  You know how some guys just seem to be in school forever?  Scottie Reynolds is that guy for me.  I am fairly sure he played with Ed Pickney and Harold McClain after being recruited by old Rollie.  Also on this list, Jon Scheyer, Greivis Vasquez and Luke Harangody.

Verdict:  Kind of a gimme.  CORRECT

8.  Murray State Will Beat Vanderbilt:  This is a given. Everyone has it in their bracket.  Just mark it down.

Verdict:  There was no doubt.  Play this game ten times and Murray wins five.  They are just as good, but in a differenct conference.  That is two straight losses as a #4 seed by Vanderbilt if you are scoring at home.  CORRECT

9.  Your Friend Will Tell You He Had Murray State Beating Vanderbilt:  Tell him to just shut about it.  We all had that game and we also had Siena beating Purdue.  You aren't special.  In fact, you would have been more special had you picked Vanderbilt, so seriously shut your mouth before I come over there and show you how little I care about your bracket.

Verdict:  EVERYONE said this to me today, including one national sports writer from another site.  I hung up on him.  CORRECT

10.  Frank Martin Will Scare Your Children:  Kansas State coach Frank Martin is clinically insane.  Just watch him.  He is an exact twin of the gym teacher on "Beavis and Butthead" and he looks at any point like the vein that is piercing through his skin will simply burst and cause his head to explode, thus forcing Teddy Valentine to give him a technical foul.  It is strange to remember, but he coached Michael Beasley.  How in the world did they not kill each other?

Verdict:  Not only did he scare children, he scared the North Texas players into mediocrity.  CORRECT

11.  An Old White Guy Will Tell You He Likes Luke Harangody:  Every time I have watched a Notre Dame game, some person (usually old, white and cranky) tells me that Luke Harangody plays "the game the right way" and that he is his favorite player.  Sometimes that person is a former Indiana coach and is paid by a national network to call the games.  Either way it is sad.

 Verdict:  Harangody didnt score until there were 20 seconds left. No one could have been impressed.  WRONG

12.  You Will Be Fascinated by ODU Coach Blaine Taylor's Moustache:  Seriously it is amazing.  Black, bushy and extending over his lip.  There hasnt been a better one since Magnum P.I.  Watch the Old Dominion vs Notre Dame game just for the moustache.  You wont be disappointed.

Verdict:  It is still sultry and amazing.  His moustache was the talk of the bar and it moves onto the next round.  Slam dunk.  CORRECT

13.  "The Butler Did It" Will Be Said by Someone:  Every year that Butler plays, someone makes that reference.  It is like clockwork.  And there hasn't been a working butler in this country outside of the Hamptons and Hollywood in thirty years.  This year it will be Spero Dedes.  Book it.

Verdict:  The announcers in the game avoided it...but then Rece Davis said it during ESPN highlights.  So close, but yet so far.  CORRECT

14.  By The Way, Who is Spero Dedes?:  He is calling the games in San Jose.  I have never heard of him and dont believe there has been a notable Spero since Vice President Agnew.  This must be investigated.

Verdict:  Not really a prediction, but I really liked Spero.  He was a revelation to me today and I thought he did a great job.  CORRECT

15.  UTEP's Derrick Caracter Will Dominate and Frustrate:  He is big, he is chubby and he is talented.  However Derrick Caracter has burned bridges everywhere he has been, most famously under Rick Pitino at Louisville.  At one time he was known as the best high school player in America.  He now finds himself at UTEP with a chance to redeem his reputation nationally in this Tournament.  What will he do? Probably a bit of everything.

Verdict:  Emblematic of his career...12 points in the first half and then UTEP dominated in the second half.  CORRECT

16.  You Will Hate Whatever Commercials Are Playing:  If you are a true fan, and I know you are or you would not be reading this article, then you will watch every moment of the First and Second Round.  If you do, you will hate whatever commercials are on the air by the end of the weekend.  I still remember the Enterprise Rent-a-Car one where the woman asks if she should take "red or black" lingerie on their trip and her husband gets a goofy smile and says "both."  The first time I saw it, I had a crush on the woman...by the 500th, I wanted her to take the lingerie and strangle her husband, while the Enterprise Rent-a-Car SUV ran over them both. 

Verdict:  "Repo Men" and the Miller Lite commercials are already bad, but none as bad as the Southwest Airlines "shirts off" commercial.  Pull it now.  CORRECT

17.  Northern Iowa's Ali Farokhmanesh Will Impress:  Every year there is that one team that has a player who shoots from 25 feet and gets you out of your chair.  This year it is Ali from Northern Iowa.  He may be the best shooter in the Tournament and he is barely 6 feet tall.  He will hit at least one bomb against UNLV that will make you jump up and say "Wow."

Verdict:  My prediction of the day.  I said he would hit a big shot and he hits the game winner with 2 seconds left  I met Ali in Cedar Falls earlier this year and he said to me "I will hit one big one in the NCAA this March."  He did it.  CORRECT

18.  A Picture of Jerry Tarkanian Chewing a Towel Will Come on the Screen:  You can't show a UNLV game on television without at least one shot of Tark and a towel.  Its mandated by Congress.

Verdict:  They showed Tark in the second half.  Bam  CORRECT

19.  Demarcus Cousins' Attitude Will Be Mentioned:  During every Kentucky game played, there will be a skirmish for a loose ball, Demarcus Cousins will be involved and the announcer will say "he has a temper, he needs to calm down."  It happens every game, quickly followed by the announcer saying, "if Kentucky is going to win in this Tournament, Cousins will have to keep his cool." 

Verdict:  It took less than fifteen minutes before Jay Bilas brought it up.  CORRECT

20.  You Will Not Watch Marquette vs Washington:  Its totally unwatchable basketball.  Grind it out, punch each other in the face, game in the 50s.  If this game were a movie, it would be anything starring Sandra Bullock, pre-"Blind Side."  Avoid at all costs.

Verdict:  Biggest clunker for me.  Ended up being a great game that came down to the end.  I hope you watched it.  WRONG

21.  Having Said That, Marquette is the Lock of the Year:  Washington has literally no chance of winning this game...NO CHANCE.  Right now the line is a pick 'em...Vegas didnt watch Washington play and neither did you.  They won the Pac 10 Tournament, but you, me, Spero Dedes, Dan Werner and Ali from Northern Iowa could have won the Pac 10 Tournament this year.  Put it all on Marquette.

Verdict:  By lock, I meant "it could happen."  WRONG

22.  A Shot of John Thompson Will Come on the Screen:  I dont mean JT III, who coaches Georgetown now, but the elder Thompson.  And I will continue to be amazed at how large that man is.  6'8" (at least), probably 325 pounds and a towering figure like none other.  The thought of him even scares me right now.

Verdict:  Never happened...color me shocked.  WRONG

23.  You Wont Be Able to Tell the Morris Twins Apart:  Absolutely impossible to do.  Their parents named them Marcus and Markieff, the oddest assortment of names for twins since my high school's Nathan and Nathaniel.  Look at the two of them and try to figure out which is which.  You know how they say that parents can tell twins apart based on slight physical differences?  For the Morris Twins, the only differences are in the tattoos.

Verdict:  I found out after I wrote this that the Morris Twins actually have the SAME tattoos as well.  Slam dunk...had no idea which was which.  CORRECT

24. Rick Barnes Is Not Coaching:  Rick Barnes has not coached a game in the last two months of this season.  Actually let me strike that...Rick Barnes has not coached a game WELL in the last two months of this season.  On Thursday night versus Wake Forest, he will be on the sideline talking, but rest assured what he is doing can't be quantified as "coaching."  His players aren't listening, no plays are being executed and chaos is reigning.  But be calm, this is normal.

Verdict:  Some things are meant to be.  Barnes coached poorly, had the wrong guys with the ball and choked it away late. So predictable it wasnt even fair.  CORRECT

25.  The Night Will End with the Biggest Upset of the Day:  San Diego State is going to beat Tennessee.  The Fighting Headbands from Knoxville will fall on a late three by Steve Fisher's bunch and Bruce Pearl will walk into the locker room dejected, ending the year with yet another disappointing postseason. 

Verdict: Close, but no cigar.  Vols hold on late and get the win for Brucie.  WRONG

20 of 25...not too bad.  I hate missing Marquette, but the Ali prediction makes up for it.  Great first day of action and I hope you saw every minute. 

Thomas Beisner

1:00 AM
On the 234th anniversary of the British invading Massachusetts, patriotism suffered another blow, this time in Oklahoma City, as Kansas put a spanking on Patriot League champion Lehigh, 90-74.

 

Not surprisingly, it wasn’t Cole Aldrich or Sherron Collins, both America-loving All-Americans, who stuck a fork into patriotism. Though they finished with 11 and 18 points respectively, it was one half of the Jayhawks’ sophomore twin tandem that unleashed a furious attack on all things red, white, blue and brown.

Marcus “Benedict Arnold” Morris hit 12 of his 15 shots for 26 points (in 26 minutes) and pulled down 10 rebounds, six of them coming on the offensive end. Morris’ outburst came on the heels of a great performance in the Big XII Championship Game, where he went for 18 and 8 against Kansas State, widely regarded as “America’s Team”.

It’s clear that Marcus Morris has beef with America, but why?

Well, according to a source who wanted to remain nameless, Morris has been out to squash all things patriotic since a book report in the fourth grade. According to the source, each student was assigned a U.S. president for the report and Morris mistakenly did his on George Washington Carver, not George Washington, leading to harassment and heckling throughout the rest of his prep career. For some reason or another, Morris blamed this confusion on George Washington himself and has aimed to destroy America ever since. By committing to Kansas, he hoped that a red, white and blue jersey would make him fly under the radar, thus making him seem less conspicuous on his quest to kill patriotism.

But, by sending the Patriot League into NCAA tournament extinction so emphatically, has Morris made himself a target? Only time will tell.

In the meantime, Morris and his Kansas teammates will move on to face Northern Iowa in the second round of the Midwest bracket on Saturday.  Should they advance, the Jayhawks will travel to Missouri, the home of George Washington Carver, possibly paving the way for Morris' greatest basketball performance yet.

C.M. TOMLIN

Because we can't have nice things in Providence, Bruce Pearl's Volunteers had to come along and disrupt the wackiness tonight by bouncing the San Diego State Aztecs 59-62 in a down-to-the-wire battle that came down to pivotal free throws by Wayne Chism, who continues to wear the most ineffective headband in NCAA basketball history. Seriously. He might as well wear that thing around his knee.

Don't take anything away from the gang in orange tonight -- make no mistake about it, they played hard and they really did earn this win from an SDSU that refused to lie down. You also can tell who's the toast of a game by whose parents get shown the most, and tonight those honors went to guard J.P. Prince, who led the Vols with 15 points and 6 rebounds. Pearl's crew never led by much, but it was enough to send the Aztecs back to their ziggurats (impressed?) and Tennessee moves on to play Georgetown-slayer Ohio on Saturday, where we can only assume that like most things, sweaty Bruce Pearl will ruin the Bobcat's happiness. But this is Providence, and we've learned it's a little crazy up here. So who knows?

I should also probably admit that it's an absolute treat getting to listen to classics Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery together all day in the Providence pod. Even though Raftery tends to gush a little over the things he likes, and Verne sometimes seems to get a little lost (today's Saint Mary's game saw him pronouncing Omar Samhan as "Samham" once every three minutes or so), the two do a great job of being impartial judges and are like charming, funny grandfathers calling the game. Anything they do together should be sponsored by Werther's -- they're that special.

And that's the day in Providence. Tomorrow it's about a thousand miles south to sunny Jacksonville, Florida. Wear your tank top. I know I will.