My Beloved 105 Bloggees:
The Gators were business-like in putting away the Gauchos of UCSB 79 - 51 http://www.gatorzone.com/basketball/men/boxscore.php?gameid=9879 . Chandler Parsons showed why he was the SEC Player of the Year with a double-double, 10 points and 10 assists and also had a team-leading 7 rebounds. When the Gators starting guards, Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker, have good shooting nights like their combined 11 for 17 (5 for 10 from three-land) on Thrusday, they can compete with anyone. Next game is 1:45 CDT on CBS against UCLA.
You can watch a short video discussion of the UCSB game by bloggee Kevin # 1 at http://video.gatorsports.com/ . Also you can view the post-game press conference with Billy Donovan and the above three mentioned student-athletes http://www.gatorvision.tv/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=760784&db_oem_id=6500 . NEXT
Today showed what a difference for Florida to be a 2 seed when they played an overmatched California-Santa Barbara squad compared to being a 4 seed like Kentucky who snuck by Princeton 59 - 57 on a last second layup by Brandon Knight http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/gametracker/boxscore/NCAAB_20110317_PRINCE@KY . By the way, Knight was 0 for 7 before he hit the game-winner. NEXT
Buzzer-beaters can make you look smart or dumb. With me, it was the latter as Butler's Matt Howard came from the weak side to put back a missed shot at the buzzer and advance by defeating my Elite Eight pick, Old Dominion, 60 - 58 http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103170067 .
For just the second time this year, ODU was outrebounded, this time 27 - 26. Butler was very cerebral many times tapping rebounds to themselves or to teammates. All-BB Frank "the Tank" Hassell finished with 20 points on 7 for 13 shooting in his last collegiate game. If I were the ODU coach he would have shot about 10 more times, especially when Howard and big man Andrew Smith both were in foul trouble. Tip of the hat to Butler's Garrett Butcher who grabbed 5 critical offensive rebounds in 13 minutes.
This just in....Butler's Brad Stevens can coach. NEXT
After a First Four game, let the kids of the winning team have a good night's sleep and travel the next day. After winning Tuesday night in Dayton, Clemson travelled to Tampa after the game and arrived at the hotel at 5:00 am. They had to play in 31 hours but within that time was the need to get two nights of sleep. Oh yeah, there is practice, team meetings, media obligations, meals, etc. Of course Clemson tired in the second half and lost to a waiting West Virginia squad 84 - 76 http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recap?gid=201103170636 . NEXT
Broadcaster Kevin Harlan on a blocked shot by Temple..."he went inside a torture chamber" ! He is one of the most exciting play-by-play guys in the business http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tag9UmmFfY8&NR=1 . I will take him or Gus Johnson anytime http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/14/sports/basketball/2011-johnson-videos.html . NEXT
You all know I love all-BB Kenneth Faried. I just couldn't pick Morehead State over Louisville because as I indicated in a previous blog, I didn't think he had a supporting cast. This blogger was dead wrong, when the Eagles Demonte Harper hit a clutch three with four seconds left for the one-point upset over the Cardinals http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recap?gid=201103170314 . On the bright side, I did have Louisville losing in the next round. When a role model for kids behaves like Rick Pitino did, I can't root for him and I feel it is tough for his players to respect him, which has to affect their play.
Another thought on Louisville's coach...any coach who is able to sit in a recruit's living room with the high schooler's mother and ends up losing a recruiting battle to Pitino and Louisville should just get out of the business. NEXT
All-BB Noah Dahlman just missed a double-double for Wofford with 22 points on 6 for 10 shooting and 9 rebounds. However, it was too much Jimmer Fredette who scored 32 points in BYU's 74 - 66 victory http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103170068 . NEXT
How frustrated must bloggee Henry and other Vandy alumni and hoops supporters must be. A talented Commodore team lost in the first round again, this time to Richmond 69 - 66 http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103170615 . Blog favorite, John Jenkins, had 21 points on 6 for 9 shooting (yes, just 9 shots), 4 for 6 beyond the arc. However, while watching most of the second half, shockingly I did not see the ' Dores setting screens for their star shooter down the stretch. Vanderbilt Coach Kevin Stallings reminds me of a guy who has a great car with four-wheel drive but keeps it in the garage when it snows. NEXT
Enjoy.....my love affair with mid-majors has cost me in the brackets so far....plus three Sweet Sixteen picks already eliminated, MO, ODU and Vandy...ouch....what is much worse is my wife has 5 more correct picks than I do already....yes, I have heard about it a few times...looking forward to a better bracket day,
Barry
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