Blog # 56

My Beloved 99 Bloggees:

The NCAA starts issuing bids to automatic qualifiers today, based on Conference Tournament Finals results. It all starts with the Atlantic Sun where Cinderella makes its first appearance as the 6th seeded North Florida Ospreys will battle top-seeded Belmont (my Sweet Sixteen pick) for the championship at 5:00 pm CST on the Deuce. It is just the 6th season, the Ospreys have been in Division I.

On Friday, North Florida (15 - 18, 10 - 10 Conference) upset Murry Bartow's 2nd seeded East Tennessee State Buccaneers (22 - 11, 16 - 4 Conference) 59 -55 to advance to the finals. http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103040176 . Part of the reason was ETSU's poor 35 % shooting including Alabama transfer, Justin Tubbs,  1 for 8 from the perimeter and also missing his only 2-point field goal attempt.  The Tide surely haven't missed at all Tubbs'  37.3 % shooting throughout the year. http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/players/60338   NEXT

Vanderbilt is breathing a sigh of relief, as their first round nemesis from last year's NCAA tourney, top-seeded Murray State, stubbed its toe against 4th seeded Tennessee Tech, in the one-bid Ohio Valley Conference semi-finals on Friday losing 64 - 59  http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recap?gid=201103040381 . Georgia transfer, Zac Swansey, knocked down a key, gutty three-pointer for Tennessee Tech with  24 seconds left stretching the lead to 5 points,  just after he looked to be in a great deal of pain injuring his wrist. Swansey also contributed 11 assists.

When Samford was in the OVC, I remembered seeing Tennessee Tech's head coach, Mike Sutton, barking instructions from a wheelchair while suffering from GBS, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare disorder that affects the nervous system.

http://www.ttusports.com/sports/mbkb/2009-10/releases/1_25_bkbtimes . Sutton, a former assistant to Tubby Smith, is an inspiration to us all...after undergoing intense rehab, he continues to coach and last reports indicate he only needs to use a cane to walk while wearing leg braces.

The following video of Sutton is a few years old, but worth watching, especially the touching part about his dear friend and mentor, Tubby.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CB8aIxQVu0  NEXT

My pick to win the OVC tourney, second-seeded Morehead State and their all-BB star Kenneth Faried, advanced to the finals defeating the Governors of Austin Peay, 68 - 49. Faried was Kevin Love-like with his 26th double-double of the year, 12 points on 6 for 8 shooting and 21 rebounds.  Oh by the way, the nation's leading rebounder, also blocked 8 shots and had 3 steals in a dominating performance.  http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recap?gid=201103040375 .

With top-seed Murray State out of the way, they can smell a bid. If fellow senior, 6 ' 4 Demonte Harper can repeat his Friday 25 point performance, former QB Phil Simms' alma mater could be doing the tango after tonight's game against Tennessee Tech on ESPN 2 beginning at 7:00 CST. Consider tuning in or taping some of the game to watch Faried both run the floor and attack the boards. It is a treat to see.  NEXT

You long-time bloggees know the answer to this previously asked slightly modified trivia question. Who leads the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage? It is former Gator, Matt Bonner, who has made 85 of his 161 right-shoulder three point shot for a whopping 52.8.  On Friday night he hit 6 of 7 from three-land against the Miami Heat in a 125 - 95 thrashing. Watch video highlights of Bonner here  http://www.nba.com/games/20110304/MIASAS/gameinfo.html .  THAT'S IT

Enjoy.....gigantic games today and tonight....Alabama trying to clinch at least a tie for the SEC title hosting Georgia....if Alabama wins then Florida needs a win at Vandy at 5:00 CST to claim the outright SEC championship....UAB, hosting Jeff Lebo's red-hot East Carolina squad, on Senior Night trying to solely win the Conference USA title and a near-certain NCAA bid,

Barry