Blog # 72 - Tournament Games of March 25th

My Beloved 108 Bloggees:

 

 

For a fantastic insight of Billy Donovan spend a few minutes, put the feet up with a sandwich and watch his Friday press conference by clicking here http://www.gatorvision.tv/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=762519&db_oem_id=6500 . There are two parts....go directly to the part 2. His anecdotes regarding Larry Bird, Bill Belichick, Brad Stevens and many, many more are outstanding. You do not have to be a Gator fan to enjoy hearing from a guy who loves basketball and can relate his passion the way Billy can. NEXT

 

 

 

There is a lot of excitement in Gator Nation with a chance today at 3:30 CDT on CBS to play for a trip to the Final Four. However, playing a tough, tournament-tested team like Butler is worrisome. Plus I heard an unsettling statistic....the previous 11 teams who won an NCAA game in overtime all lost their next NCAA tournament. Let me remind you that the Gators beat BYU in overtime in its previous game. Oh no!

 

For a video preview of the game with bloggee Kevin # 1, click here http://video.gatorsports.com/ . For Kevin's written preview, click on http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20110326/ARTICLES/110329567/1136?Title=Experience-has-Florida-Butler-in-Elite-Eight . NEXT

 

 

 

If VCU coach Shaka Smart were a stock, how many shares would you buy....or should I ask, how many thousands of shares would you buy? The former Florida assistant is one hot commodity. He led his Rams to the Elite Eight with an overtime (oh no) 72 - 71 win over defensive-minded FSU http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103250213 .

 

The nation heard former NBA GM and current broadcaster, Steve Kerr, saying, "Shaka Smart can coach" numerous times, especially after drawing up the game-winning inbounds play near the end of the overtime period. That means the ADs at schools, such as the University of Tennessee and University of Missouri who have head coach openings, also most likely heard Kerr's praise of Shaka.  Schools from the power conferences are always looking for the next Billy the Kid, and Shaka Smart fits that to a tee, especially having an apprenticeship year on Billy Donovan's staff under his belt.  NEXT

 

 

 

 

Kentucky destroyed many a bracket last night when Brandon Knight's tie-breaking mid-range jumper with 5 seconds left lifted the SEC tourney champs to a 62 - 60 thriller over top-seeded Ohio State http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103250443 . What a game!  The Buckeye's long-range shooter, Jon Diebler, had just tied the game with a three before Knight's heroics.

 

The Wildcats' "lunch bucket carrying" Josh Harrellson continued his postseason resurgence with a double-double, 17 points on 7 for 9 and 10 rebounds. The Buckeyes' freshman superstar, Jared Sullinger, collected 16 rebounds and was 7 for 14 on the way to his double-double, but William Buford's 2 for 16 shooting performance offset Sullinger's contributions. Buford also missed the potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. William, I know the feeling, I once struck out with two outs in the last inning with the potential tying and winning runs on base in the playoffs to end my team's season, also. You never forget those disappointing moments, unfortunately. NEXT

 

 

 

It is Friday night after a long week. You are all excited to sit at home and switch back and forth between the two early Sweet Sixteen games. Those plans go awry with two clunkers... North Carolina's 81 - 63 whupping of Marquette http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103250413 and Kansas's 77 - 57 thrashing of Richmond http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103250287 . Both games were even bigger routs than the final scores indicate.

 

North Carolina's front line of Harrison Barnes, Todd Zeller and John Henson just missed all having double-doubles when Barnes had 9 rebounds with his 20 points. Zeller was dominating with 27 points and 12 rebounds, while Hensen also had 12 boards with his 14 points. Red-hot Kentucky looms next in what should be an epic battle between tradition-rich programs.

 

Kansas, the lone remaining one-seed,  is finding itself having an easy road to the Final Four due to early round upsets on their side of the bracket. A Sweet Sixteen with a win against 12-seed Richmond and then tomorrow, 11-seed VCU as the opposition, surely contrasts with the more difficult paths other teams have had to try to get to Houston. NEXT

 

 

 

 

Former Gator assistant Donnie Jones saw his UCF basketball team's disappointing  season mercifully come to an end when Creighton thumped them in Omaha on Wednesday night, 82 - 64 in the semi-finals of the CBI postseason tournament. Marcus      " son of "  Jordan who is averaging over 15 points a game, failed to reach double figures for the second consecutive game, scoring just 9 points on 4 for 9, and nothing to show for his 3 deep attempts  http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/players/88734 .

 

The CBI did get a break with their best of three finals matchup between Creighton and Oregon who is coached by Dana Altman, the former Creighton coach for the previous 16 years. It is a promoter's dream for such a tournament. The first game is at Creighton next Monday and during that March Madness off night, it will be interesting to see the reception he gets.

 

 If you remember, Oregon is the second school for which Altmann left Creighton. After the 2007 season he left for Arkansas and then within 24 hours of the press conference introducing him as the Hogs' coach, he "Billy Donovan-ed" and returned to Creighton http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2824653

 

By the way, guess who won the CBI tournament last year? Shaka Smart and this year's Elite Eight VCU.  THAT'S IT

 

 

Enjoy......will be giving you a break by taking a couple of blogging days off.....did I hear a bunch of you yell "hooray"?......I just watched the halftime speech of Pat Summitt with her Tennessee team losing at halftime to Ohio State....."that team over there has more energy and more heart than we do. Does that bother you?   It makes me sick to my stomach. ....I don't know what you are going to do but you better come out of this locker room with a big-time attitude, you with me? You defend, defend, defend, and rebound, rebound, rebound.  Do you want to go home? You play like you don't want to be here, and you look like you don't want to be here.".....Wow. If that were an audition for the Tennessee men's job, she should get it.

 

 

 

Barry

Blog # 71 - Tournament Games of March 24th

My Beloved 108 Bloggees:

 

 

For Gator fans, there were two pieces of good news after the exhilirating 83 - 74 overtime victory over BYU http://stats.gatorsports.com/cbk/boxscore.asp?gamecode=201103240210 . The first was Billy Donovan will be taking the Gators to his 4th Elite Eight. The second is the Gators will never, ever have to play Jimmer Fredette again. That guy just scares you  when he has the basketball.

 

 A tip of the hat to the gutsy, defensive play of Kenny Boynton on Fredette....Boynton was like syrup on a waffle. Don't forget Kenny missed the last few minutes of the previous game and some practice this week due to an ankle injury. Scottie Wilbekin, who should be playing high school basketball because he graduated a year early, also did a phenomenal job guarding Fredette who did score 32 but it was on 11 for 29 including just 3 for 15 from deep, deep. I remember one of those threes was from "Goudelock" range (see blog # 70), while another clanged the front of the rim and the "iron was kind" (thank you Tim Brando) as it bounced into the hoop.

 

Alex Tyus didn't just have a double-double, he had a serious double-double with 19 points, on 8 for 9 shooting (including just his second three-pointer of the year) and 17 rebounds.  The Gators somehow managed to win shooting 45.5% from the charity stripe with Vernon Macklin the primary culprit...a painful 1 for 5. (Paging Samford's Emily London....are you available as the leading Division 1 free throw shooter to provide some tips to Macklin and his teammates before Saturday's crucial game against Butler?)

 

Click here to watch the post-game celebration in the locker room  http://www.http//www.utsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2007-2008/ut0323.htmlgatorvision.tv/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=762179&db_oem_id=6500 . As always, bloggee Kevin # 1 was there covering the game for the Gainesville Sun. Here is his written recap http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20110324/ARTICLES/110329652/1136?Title=Gators-move-on-to-Elite-Eight-after-overtime-win-over-BYU .  If you want to watch Kevin give his analysis of the Jimmer farewell game, click here http://www.gatorsports.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage?tc=ar . NEXT

 

 

 

 

Florida plays last year's finalist Butler on Saturday at 3:30 CDT in a rematch from the 2000 first round of the NCAA tournament when Mike Miller had a buzzer-beater in overtime to defeat the Bulldogs 69 - 68 (Gulp, that was 11 years ago, Mike Miller, You Make Me Feel Old) http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/college/2000/ncaa_tourney/east/news/2000/03/17/butler_florida_ap/ . Florida went on to the Final Four that year. The winner, this year, will definitely be going to the Final Four.

 

Butler's senior 6' 8 forward Matt Howard is an experienced winner as evidenced by his double-double, 20 points and 12 rebounds, in last night's 61 - 54 win over Wisconsin http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103240657 . I remember seeing Howard three years ago in Birmingham when Butler lost in overtime to Tennessee in the second round of the NCAA tourney http://www.utsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2007-2008/ut0323.html . He shot only 1 for 7 and fouled out in 23 minutes. He has since become wiser and has limited his fouls. Maybe Florida will challenge that and pound the ball down low to draw fouls from him and starting center 6' 11 Andrew Smith.

 

What Butler possibly has on its side is destiny. A buzzer-beater win in its first game against ODU and the miraculous second round win against number one-seed Pitt after almost giving away the game with a foul 45 feet from the basket with 1.4 seconds left and a one-point lead, makes me think Florida might have to deal with some intangible obstacles. I know it is voodoo, but tell me a fan who doesn't give stuff like that a thought. We might have to come up with another mantra similar to "Jimmer will have an off night" to contend with it. NEXT

 

 

 

I love when one-seeds who I don't pick to win in my bracket, lose like Duke did last night to Arizona 93 - 77 http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103240173 (sorry if you had Duke) .  It has been a long time since a Duke team has been dominated in a half the way Arizona did after intermission, 55 - 33. A friend of mine spent the last two months in Tucson, AZ and he warned me about the Wildcats' Derrick Williams. He was right. The 6' 8  241 lb forward had 32 points on 11 for 17 shooting, 5 for 6 from the perimeter along with 13 rebounds.

 

Williams scored 25 of his points int he first half keeping his team in the game. Then his colleagues took over and put on a dunking and rebounding exhibition giving Coach K plenty of time to give interviews during the rest of the tournament, something he refuses to do during games that he coaches. However, he did make a rare exception during the Arizona game last night http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Did-Coach-K-s-halftime-interview-jinx-Duke-in-se?urn=ncaab-wp1150 NEXT

 

 

 

Connecticut will be too tired after playing five games on consecutive days to win the Big East tourney. Do you know of a crazy blogger who wrote that?  Hasn't he heard of the great Kemba Walker?

 

Kemba was just being Kemba last night when he scored 36 in knocking out for the first time a Final Four pick of mine, San Diego State 74 - 67 http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103240498 . Because this was not the "primary" early game in my household (some other game  took place at the same time in which I was somewhat interested) I was only able to see highlights like these  http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/gametracker/recap/NCAAB_20110324_CT@SDGST/walkers-36-lead-uconn-past-sdsu-to-regional-final .

 

Freshman 6' 5 guard Jeremy Lamb (from Atlanta suburb, Norcross....nice recruiting job, Jim Calhoun) contributed 24 points on 9 for 11 from the field including perfection on his 3 long distance tosses. Now if my arithmetic is correct, there was not much scoring from the other 8 Huskies who played....just 14 other points! Can you say unbalanced?  THAT'S IT

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy.....my favorite basketball analyst, Bill Raftery, had the greatest line when after of Arizona's players blocked a shot during their explosive second half, "That's not a message, that's a novel." .... he is the best,

 

 

 

 

Barry

Blog # 70 - Tournament Games of March 23rd

My Beloved 108 Bloggees (Welcome Ed): 

 

 

It's time. The Gators go against BYU and some guy named Jimmer, in the Sweet Sixteen tonight at 6:27 CDT on TBS. There are mandatory press conferences the day before. Here is Billy Donovan in New Orleans 

http://www.gatorvision.tv/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=761875&db_oem_id=6500 . At that linked website, you will also be able to see the questioning of the seniors, Chandler Parsons, Vernon Macklin and Alex Tyus.

 

As bloggee Holt reminded me a few days ago, BYU now only starts one player with any size, 6' 8 230 lb forward, Noah Hartsock. It showed in their last game when they were outrebounded by Gonzaga 34 - 23. But they shot 52.5% from the field 50% from the perimeter and 87 % from the free throw line along with 10 steals. So size doesn't always prevail.

 

I see Macklin and Parsons capitalizing on their height advantages. Look for Parsons to once again sneak in the back part of their zone from the baseline for some easy baskets and putbacks. There will probably be more playing time for Scottie Wilbekin so that Kenny Boynton does not have to spend all his time chasing the Jimmer. Don't forget how well Wilbekin has played defensively this year. Ask Tennessee's Scotty Hopson for example. 

 

Is there a way to get Fredette in foul trouble? Probably not with BYU's zone defense. However, if the Gators can hit some jumpers....hmmmmmm. NEXT

 

 

 

 

Alabama is going to the Big Apple. Anthony Grant and his Tide finished their home season perfectly 19 - 0, defeating the U on Wednesday 79 - 64 in the NIT quarterfinals http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103230006 . The Crimsons not only had solid production from  their big three, Trevor Releford, Tony Mitchell and  JaMychal Green  with 22, 16 and 14 points respectively, but senior Senario Hillman had a super sendoff with 17 points on 8 for 13 shooting off the bench before fouling out.

 

Charvez Davis had a cold-shooting night missing all but 1 of his 7 shots and they all were from three-point range. Not counting Davis, the team shot a whopping 60.4 % on 29 of 48 field goal attempts. If Alabama can continue to provide that type of offense along with its consistent defense, Tide Nation should be happily singing "New York, New York" at the conclusion of the NIT next week. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqlJl1LfDP4 (If you start playing this song, you won't be able to stop until its conclusion....Sinatra was a classic) NEXT

 

 

 

 

If you were able to tune into the NIT matchup earlier in the night between Charleston and Wichita State, you would have heard ESPN broadcasters Mike Patrick and Fran Fraschilla fawning over the play of all-BB (Barry's Blog) guard Andrew Goudelock. The Charleston senior had 31 points with 7 for 15 shooting from beyond the arc.....let me clarify, many of those shots were way, way beyond the arc. You must see this short clip of his ridiculous shooting against the Shockers last night  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIQY5m5hnj8 .

 

 I can see some of the bloggees shrugging their shoulders with a "no big deal look" because like me, they have seen Goudelock making those crazy threes in person at Samford's Hanna Center.   Can you say NBA? 

 

By the way, Charleston and legendary coach Bobby Cremins  lost 82 - 75 http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recap?gid=201103230648 ending their season and also ending the season of the all-BB players. Kenneth Faried of Morehead State, Noah Dahlman of Wofford, Tu Holloway of Xavier, Frank "the Tank" Hassell of Old Dominion and Goudelock. They all made this season special for followers of mid-majors and hopefully for some of you. NEXT

 

 

 

 

The SEC just got stronger with Mike Anderson resigning from Missouri and taking the job at Arkansas. There is no doubt the Hogs will be a  factor in future NCAA tournaments just like he did at UAB and Missouri. The coach knows how to win with his system. To watch the press conference at Missouri announcing the resignation (Anderson is not in attendance, but the AD and some players are) click here http://www.columbiatribune.com/videos/2011/mar/24/159/ .

 

You will notice a few things from the clip. Mike Anderson is a first-class guy so he immediately had a meeting with his players after he resigned and explained his decision. Secondly, the AD Mike Alden, is impressive with the way he addressed the media praising Anderson and at the same time expressing his disappointment of not getting to work with him any longer.

 

Do you think Arkansas now regrets not hiring Anderson after he served as an interim coach in 2002? It reminds me of selling a stock after it goes from $10 to $20 and then you buy it later for $60 hearing that it should go up more. That my friends is the story of my life as a stock trader.  NEXT

 

 

 

 

Enjoy.....after watching HBO's Running Rebels of UNLV under Jerry Tarkanaian, why do I see that job as a perfect fit for Bruce Pearl if current coach and former Gator head man, Lon Kruger were to leave...tomorrow is traditionally a tough day to not doze off at work.... the Friday after the late-ending Thursday Sweet Sixteen games.....if I say it often enough might it happen-----Jimmer will have an off night, Jimmer will have an off night, Jimmer will have an off night,

 

 

Barry

Blog # 69 - Tournament Games of March 21st and 22nd

My Beloved 107 Bloggees (Welcome Scotty and Kenny):

 

 

I had another sleepless night worrying about Jimmer Kimmel, I mean Fredette (don't they look alike a bit?) http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&biw=796&bih=403&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=fredettekimmel&btnG=Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=

 

Listen to what Billy has to say about Jimmer and BYU http://www.gatorvision.tv/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=761451&db_oem_id=6500 . Yes, the big Florida - BYU Sweet Sixteen revenge game from last year's first round will be on Thursday evening,  6:30 CDT on TBS.  NEXT

 

 

 

 

Congrats to Anthony Grant and the Alabama Crimson Tide for a solid 2nd round NIT home victory against New Mexico 74 - 67 http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103210006 . Alabama's defense ruled again limiting the Lobos to just under 38 % shooting, 22 for 58. On the other side of the court, Charvez Davis showed that when he hits his shots, it is like the measles, it spreads to his teammates . Davis was 3 for 7 from the perimeter while the remaining Tide players combined, exactly matched that fine long-range shooting. Overall, the Tide's field goal percentage was 53 % on 26 for 49.

 

A memorable moment was when the TV cameras zoomed in on Grant giving instructions to Trevor Releford like a father, while cupping his hands around the back of his point guard's neck.  You could tell there was a great deal of respect in both directions. ESPN broadcasters, Dan Dakich  and John Saunders, both commented on Grant being such a terrific coach and person and how he was the type of guy you would want to coach your own son. Tide Nation, you have a winner.

 

Alabama is just a win away from going to New York for the NIT Final Four. The U stands in their way on Wednesday as the Miami Hurricanes will battle Alabama in Tuscaloosa on ESPN2 at 8:00 CDT.  NEXT

 

 

 

 

 

Gator killer, UCF, continued its advancement through the CBI post-season tourney Monday with a 66 - 54 win over Gator victim Rhode Island  http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103210103 . They won in spite an off night by  Marcus Jordan, son of "you-know-who". Marcus could have been called "Air Ball Jordan" with his 2 for 11 shooting including empty on all 6 of his three-point attempts.  

 

The Knights with former Gator assistant (there is a lot of that going around in postseason tournaments) Donnie Jones taking his team to the Final Four of this tournament with a game at Creighton Wednesday night. Don't forget next year  Illinois transfer, Jeff Jordan, will be eligible making it a Family Affair http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YZpbYqOw4o in Orlando http://www.today.ucf.edu/jeff-adds-to-jordan-brand-at-ucf/ . NEXT

 

 

 

 

 

What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, the University of Northern Iowa was celebrating its upset victory over everyone's NCAA tourney favorite, Kansas, sending them to the Sweet Sixteen. On Monday night, UNI lost to SMU and former Tar Heel star and coach, Matt Doherty, in the post-season CIT tournament  57 - 50 ending their season. http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103210418 . 

 

By the way, when a player clears the boards like SMU's Papa Dia did on Monday night, his 21 rebounds must be mentioned (giving him a double-double with 17 points on 6 dor 11 shooting). UAB and other Conference USA teams are thrilled that the Senegal native is a senior. NEXT

 

 

 

 

 

You have to love teams like Alabama and Colorado who narrowly missed making the NCAA field and so far, have let out their frustrations on their NIT opponents.  On Tuesday, the Buffaloes qualified to make it to New York with a 81 - 74 victory over Gator (and UAB) victim Kent State http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103220125 . Alec Burks, a unanimous selection of the All -Big 12 first team, had a double-double with 25 points on 11 for 18 and grabbed 10 rebounds. Tide fans might get to know Burks better next week in the Big Apple. NEXT

 

 

 

 

 

Many fans here in Birmingham were happy to see East Tennessee State defeat Ohio 82 - 73 at home on Tuesday night advancing to the CIT post-season Final Four http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103220176 . Of course UAB supporters have a connection to the Buccaneers head coach, Murry Bartow and his dad, Gene. Secondly, Samford supporters rave about one of the most personable guys in the business, the Bulldogs' former assistant and current ETSU assistant Thomas Johnson.

 

Finally, Alabama senior transfer Justin Tubbs http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/players/60338 went nuts with a season-high 27 points on a 10 for 17 performance with 7 for 11 from way downtown. The Bucs host Iona on Saturday in Spurrier, TN (well they should change Johnson City's name to their favorite son).  THAT'S IT

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy......watch the only All-BB (Barry's Blog...still have to explain the lingo because of the new bloggees) player still participating in the postseason, Andrew Goudelock of College of Charleston agaisnt Wichita State Wednesday night at 6:00 pm CDT....he is special.....39 points last game....do you get the feeling that in this part of the blog, I just can't let go.....,

 

 

 

Barry

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blog # 68 - Tournament Games of March 20th

My Beloved 105 Bloggees:

 

 

Two years ago Shaka Smart was an assistant coach at Florida and then left after the 2008-2009 season. After watching the Gators advance to the Sweet Sixteen on Saturday, do you think he wished he did not leave Gainesville so he could have had this March Madness experience? Of course not. Shaka took the head coach job at VCU and he will be joining the Gators in the Sweet Sixteen after an amazing week when the Rams defeated USC, Georgetown and Purdue.

 

How about a tip of the hat to former VCU coach. Anthony Grant. who left Shaka with a bunch of talent including point guard Joey Rodriguez, the high school teammate of UF's Chandler Parsons . NEXT

 

 

 

 

Orien Greene. That is a name that will forever be remembered by Gator fans for failing to inbound the ball with a two-point lead and less than 30 seconds left in double overtime in their eventual loss to Creighton in the first round of the 2002 NCAA tournament. University of Texas fans, including bloggee Kevin # 2 and bloggee Rich, will have a similar memory from Sunday's 70 - 69 loss to Arizona, when the Horns' Cory Joseph could not inbound the ball with a 2-point lead when there was less than 15 seconds left in the game.

 

Subsquently, Arizona's Pac-10 Player of the Year, Derrick Williams, made a tough basket and was fouled with 9.5 seconds left. He converted the game-winning free throw as Texas soon after, missed a game-winning contested shot in the paint. Here is a video recap of the tension-filled game  http://rivals.yahoo.com/video/college-basketball/NCAA-Tourney-Arizona-vs-Texas-1093852 . 

 

What a painful loss for the Longhorns....I can feel their pain, thanks to my experience with Orien Greene (However, to Greene's credit he was able to overcome the stigma after transferring to Louisiana Lafayette by subsequently playing in the NBA including as recently as February of this year  http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/greenor01.html  He now plays in China http://www.ridiculousupside.com/2011/3/15/2051474/orien-greene-courtney-sims-china-nba-d-league. NEXT

 

 

 

 

A tip of the hat must go to Coach Leonard Hamilton of FSU. His team is playing tough, tough defense in spite of his top player, Chris Singleton, returning from an injury and not being able to provide significant minutes. On Sunday 10-seed FSU limited 2-seed Notre Dame to 30.6 % shooting on 19 for 62 and just 7 for 30  from downtown or just 23.3 % http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103200423  . The Seminoles defense continues to be suffocating and when shooting 9 for 19 from deep themselves, they are extra difficult to beat.

 

With VCU being the next Seminoles opponent, Kansas fans need to pull for the Rams to win, otherwise, the Jayhawks may be victims of the FSU pesky defense (of course assuming  they defeat 12-seed Richmond in the Sweet Sixteen) in the Elite Eight game to determine who goes to the Final Four. NEXT

 

 

 

 

 

Both North Carolina and Duke have to be breathing a sigh of relief escaping with victories on Sunday in Charlotte against Washington and Michigan, respectively. In a weekend of memorable bonehead plays, the Heels' John Henson inexplicably touched a Huskies' missed three-pointer to tie as it was going out of bounds with about a second left, giving Washington one more chance to even things up. Fortunately for Roy's Boys, Isaiah Thomas's attempt went awry plus he had his foot on the 3-point line and North Carolina won its 25th straight NCAA game in its home state 86 - 83  http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recap?gid=201103200413 .

 

 

Duke's pessimistic fans must have had the "we're doomed" thought that one has when your team is up by 2 and the opponents have the ball with about 8 seconds to score......"we lose if they make a three". That was the situation yesterday when Duke's Noland Smith missed a free throw, and Michigan's Darius Morris ended up with the ball and instead of taking the potential winning three, he unsuccessfully put up a runner in the lane to tie that clanged off the rim and Duke escaped 73 - 71.  http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recap?gid=201103200173 . Here are the highlights http://rivals.yahoo.com/video/college-basketball/NCAA-Tourney-Duke-vs-Michigan-1093814 . NEXT

 

 

 

 

Samford's women were overmatched in its NCAA  first-round game against much-bigger FSU 76 - 46  http://samfordsports.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/stats/2010-2011/sam0320.html . Blog-favorite senior Emily London led the Bulldogs with 14 points and on the national stage nailed all four of her free throws (I saw each of them and they all were "string music"). She finished 117 for 125 or 93.6 % for the year. By the way, among the thousands of NCAA men and women in Division I, II and III, Emily had the second best free throw percentage only to be eclipsed by Ryan Martin of Div III Keene State (NH)  who was a whopping 99 of 103 for 96.1 % .

 

Meanwhile, I hope you got a kick out of following Emily's free throw shooting prowess throughout the blogs.If you are a baseball fan, it was similar to keeping track of  a player's hitting streak, each day you are curious to find out if the streak continues (or in Emily's case if she made her free throws). THAT'S IT.

 

 

 

Enjoy.....Bama in the NIT Monday night against New Mexcio on ESPN at 8:00 CDT....interesting coaching matchup with the Tide's Anthony Grant against the Lobos' Steve Alford.....Gators play at 6:30 CDT on TBS on Thursday....can't get Jimmer out of my mind....imagine if you are the Florida basketball braintrust,

 

 

Barry

Blog # 67 - Tournament Games of March 19th

My Beloved 105 Bloggees:

One of my favorite Broadway songs is "You Gotta Have Heart" from the play, Damn Yankees  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06103o2dv5c . It is a terrific way to describe the play on Saturday of Gator 5 ' 8 point guard, Erving Walker, in the Gators' 73 - 65 victory over UCLA to earn its 7th ticket to the Sweet Sixteen next Thursday  http://www.gatorzone.com/basketball/men/boxscore.php?gameid=9886 .

Walker showed heart not just because of his 21 points on 5 for 8 shooting and 3 for 5 from downtown scoring 10 of the Gators' last 12 points, but some of his shots were Jerry West-like, so clutch. Running into UCLA's 300-pounder Josh Smith, trying to draw his 5th foul while miraculously flipping the ball into the basket, displayed his large valentine. His ability to knock down a deep three-pointer with 1:14 left to extend the lead to four when he was left open for an instant by a defender, demonstrated his will to capitalize on the brief opening. Also, his perfect, free throw shooting on his four attempts in the last 30 seconds (including when Billy Donovan "iced" him with a team time out to discuss strategy) exhibited his desire in such pressure situations.

Billy did a phenomenal job of managing the fouls of each of the Gator centers, Vernon Macklin, Patric Young and Erik Murphy in their attempts to combat Josh Smith. All three of them had 4 fouls and continued the streak of having no Gators foul out this year...the only team in the nation to accomplish that feat.  Alex Tyus had 13 rebounds including 2 gigantic ones in the last minute. Chandler Parsons' primary contribution was blocking a shot by Smith with 6:30 left which led to a go-ahead three-pointer by Kenny Boynton, a lead Florida never relinquished. Scottie Wilbekin played well defensively in the last few minutes in place of the injured Boynton and the freshman will need to step up his game next Thursday against BYU and Jimmer Fredette (who had 34 points and 6 assists  in the Cougars win over Gonzaga 89 - 67 http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103190068 ).

To watch the Gators post-game press conference go to http://www.gatorvision.tv/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=761123&db_oem_id=6500 . Of course, bloggee Kevin # 1 was at the game covering it for the Gainesville Sun. Here are his post-game thoughts http://video.gatorsports.com/ . NEXT

On my next trip to Birmingham's dog track I am bringing Shelvin Mack of Butler with me. He has to be the luckiest guy on the planet when after he "Chris Webered" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH1ujxNwrkA) by fouling a Pitt player 45 feet from the basket with 1.4 seconds left with a one-point lead, miraculously, Butler still won the game in regulation. Pitt's Gilbert Brown missed one of two free throws and his teammate, Nasir Robinson,  pulled an even bigger "Chris Weber" by fouling Butler's Matt Howard on the rebound with .8 seconds left. Howard walked the 75 plus feet to the other end and made a free throw to win. Shelvin Mack was redeemed from making such a bonehead play that would have scarred him for life.  http://rivals.yahoo.com/video/college-basketball/ncaa-tournament-butler-vs-pittsburgh-1093800;_ylt=Am6.VgAaoRBVC2FklWZwhL8SvbYF . NEXT

Kentucky is another team that has proven me wrong, so far, after its 71 -63 victory 

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103190292 . They can win with just 6 players doing most of the work. In 39 minutes Brandon Knight certainly helped with 30 points on 9 for 20 shooting and 9 for 10 on the free throw line. This was just one game after he only had one field goal on Thursday against Princeton (but, of course, it was the game winner.) NEXT

All-BB Kenneth Faried finished up his collegiate career by putting up his customary double-double, 11 points and 13 rebounds, but it was not enough as Morehead State lost to Richmond 65 - 48 http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103190487 . We will see more of Faried in the NBA.  THAT'S IT

Enjoy.......I know bloggee Jeff (and possibly his daughter bloggee Alison) will be in Auburn today for the first round game of the NCAA Women's Tourney with 14 -seed Samford and blog-favorite Emily London, leading Division 1 (men and women) in free throw percentage at 93.4 %, going up against the Seminoles of Florida State on ESPN2 at 4:15 CDT,

Barry

Blog # 66- Tournament Games of March 18th

My Beloved 105 Bloggees:

I hope these blogs have enhanced your viewing of March Madness. Writing them has helped me become more aware of a school's personnel, especially teams in the South. It is loke going to a concert by a group and knowing most of their songs....much more enjoyable.

The Gators try to advance to the Sweet Sixteen in their 1:45 CDT matchup with UCLA on CBS. The Bruins are quite large, especially at center with freshman 6' 10  305 lb Josh Smith http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/88/885708.jpg . Some tell me there is no way he is not 350 lbs. I almost got to see him in a 4-team high school tournament at Samford about 15 months ago that featured Winter Park, (FL) High School's Austin Rivers (Doc's son and former Gator commit) and uncommitted Alabama player of the year, Huntsville Butler's Trevor Lacey, but Smith was injured and did not participate with his Kentwood(WA) high school team.

By the way, that was a fantastic holiday tourney with the winner being the number one team in the country, Houston (TX) Yates who averaged over 100 points a game. Great job by bloggee Sean, the "Mr. Sunshine" http://abc.go.com/shows/mr-sunshine  of Samford, for bringing that tournament to the Pete Hanna Center. Sean is too focused on his Tar Heels to accept kudos at this time, I am sure.   NEXT

To watch Billy Donovan's press conference from Friday previewing the UCLA game, click on http://www.gatorvision.tv/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=760950&db_oem_id=6500 . (Bloggee Chip # 1 has pointed out that Billy uses the phrase "very, very" in nearly every press conference.....watch the beginning of this one and you will see it happen a few times). For bloggee Kevin # 1's  insightful article on the tight relationship between the Gators two starting guards, Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton, click on http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20110318/ARTICLES/110319347/1136?Title=Guards-Boynton-Walker-have-become-like-brothers  NEXT

It's time once again for You Make Me Feel Old.  Do you remember the 1996 Chicago Bulls championship team with seldom-used Jack Haley, a reserve blue-collar forward who was best known for being bad-boy Dennis Rodman's  good friend on the team. He is introduced in the following clip at the 1:00 mark  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRjuMhqw_9U

Well, his son, also Jack Haley  http://www.uclabruins.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/haley_jack00.html , is a benchwarmer for Florida's next opponent, UCLA.  Is it safe to say that many of you join me in saying, " Little Jack Haley,  You Make Me Feel Old". NEXT  

It is not easy to see your team lose in the first game of the NCAA tournament. What is difficult is to get blown out by 30. I can see many of our bloggees who are Tennessee fans nodding their heads after the Vols 75 - 45 loss to Michigan  http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103180357 . Scotty Hopson was 1 for 7, Melvin Goins was 0 for 4 and Brian Williams was 1 for 3......a poor shooting performance by this Vols triumvirate....in fact, the entire team shot 32.6 % and were outrebounded 32 - 23. There is talk some players quit on Pearl. 

The bottom line is if you have a college coach guilty of being in a scandal, cut your losses. The distraction doesn't go away. Even if you win, there is a time when you will lose and the questions will once again keep coming. Ask Mike Dubose, former football coach at Alabama, who had a brief reprieve from "secretarygate" when he won the SEC Championship. Don't worry, the next year he was gone.

Even though both Tennessee and Louisville made it to the NCAA's this year, Bruce Pearl (who I have met and like) and Rick Pitino must be let go now. Like I mentioned in the previous blog, recruiting will be affected, as will the performance of their teams. This year's NCAA tournament is good evidence of that. NEXT

Alabama fans must have been squirming watching Georgia (a team they beat twice in a week this month)  lose to Washington 68 - 65  http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103180630 . The Huskies' quick point guard, Isaiah Thomas, put on a clinic with his speed and overall game, going 6 for 14 and a clutch 7 for 7 from the charity stripe for 19 points. In addition, he had some key defensive plays including tipping a desperation pass marring an eventual last-second shot by the Dogs. Tide Nation probably is thinking that they would have been a better matchup against Washington with the Crimson's own speedy point guard, freshman sensation Trevor Releford.

You do have to give Washington credit for their balance, 8 players scored at least 6 points, while Georgia just had 4, with junior Trey Thompkins leading the way with a double-double......26 points on 11 for 14 shooting along with 11 rebounds. Can you say, "will leave early for the NBA". NEXT

FSU, like many teams, made me look bad. Their smothering defense was too much for my pick. Texas A & M  57 - 50 http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103180587 . The Seminoles Chris Singleton did  play for the first time since he broke his foot on February 12th. He provided an emotional spark off the bench, but had a tough time getting into the flow with just 5 points and 4 fouls.

However, with FSU's "syrup on waffles" defense, I would be a bit nervous if I were their next opponent, Notre Dame. Bloggee Joe, that is probably good news for you being an Irish fan because my predictions have been worse than awful. I should probably stick to commenting on the past instead of the future in these blogs. NEXT

One thing I did nail was that Georgetown would be one and done. Point guard Chris Wright's return to the Hoyas was ineffective, not surprisingly. He was just 3 for 13 including 0 for 6 deep and had an ill-advised technical foul assessed against him in the 74 - 56 loss to VCU http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recap?gid=201103180229 .

The Rams were led by Brandon Rozzell's hot hand, 8 for 13, including 6 for 10 from the perimeter for 26 points. The big key was the play of point guard, Joey Rodriguez, who had 7 assists and was a perfect 9 for 9 from the free throw line on his way to 17 points (but he did shoot 3 for 9 from the field). Bloggee Howard pointed out to me that Rodriguez was the point guard on the 2006 -2007 state champions, Lake Howell High School  in the Orlando area, that also featured former Gator Nick Calathes and current Gator and SEC player of the year, Chandler Parsons. Watch this old high school clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKFwRXFxUWY .

VCU now must play Purdue. They need to do a better job on the boards to compete with the Boilermakers. Against Georgetown the Rams were beaten on the glass 33 - 23. I did hear as the game was winding down on Friday, the VCU fans were yelling "Jay Bilas" in unison as a result of ESPN's Bilas constantly blasting the Selection Committee's choice of the Rams to participate in March Madness. NEXT

Tu,Tu, Tu. You let me down, all-BB (Barry's Blog) Tu Holloway. Your Xavier Muskateers fell to the Marquette Golden Eagles 66 - 55 and your 1 for 8 shooting with 5 turnovers did not help http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201103180682 .  

They might take away my blogger license for hyping you so much, even though you were the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year.

Marquette's defense was impressive. You also have to love their coach, the hoarse and ebullient (there is that Gator education at work) Buzz Williams.  Here is hoarse Buzz after a victory earlier in the season.  http://larrybrownsports.com/college-basketball/buzz-williams-marquette-hoarse-video/55370  THAT'S IT.

Enjoy....don't forget that there are a number of games on Sunday night.... in the past years when the tourney was just on CBS, all play on Sunday would end with 60 Minutes....this blog might catch you right at the intermission of the KY-WVA game for some halftime entertainment,

Barry

Barry