The Not-So-Grand Experiment II(New and Improved)

[Bryan Swartz]

3.14.12

Opening day of the NCAA tournament, and we'll also be looking at Penn's first-round NIT game, so there's five games on the docket today.

The road to the Final Four officially begins with:

(16) Presbyterian(16-14) vs. (16) UC Davis(15-15)

A tight game until the last six minutes or so of the first half, when UC Davis's shooting fell off and Presbyterian exploded for an 18-point lead at the break, shooting 56% to that point. The Blue Hose never looked back, and they win this contest 73-58, 18-7 turnover edge and an efficient game offensively.

(16) NC-Greensboro(19-13) vs. (16) TX-Pan American(16-14)

There were 10 combined turnovers in the first five minutes, setting the stage for what was an ugly game. NC-Greensboro edged out a six-point halftime lead(24-18) as TXPA had 4 more turnovers than made shots from the field. However, a late rally was decisive as TX-Pan American either got a rebound or free throws on every single missed shot in the final minutes, winning this uglofest 55-48. A combined 36 turnovers and 37 made shots from the field. It is a glorious thing that neither team will make it past round two.

(12) Georgia State(23-7) vs. (12) Tulsa(20-9)

A competitive first half as Tulsa got into the bonus early and led by four after trailing closely most of they way. By the 12-minute mark of the second half, they were up 20 and on a 27-6 run dating back to the end of the first. 79-58 Golden Hurricane in a blowout final, they just hit the accelerator hard and Georgia State couldn't answer.

(12) Oregon State(16-12) vs. (12) Rutgers(16-12)

Rutgers led the whole first half behind the shooting of G Donnell Stokes(10 pts in the first 12 minutes), but Oregon State kept it close with 8 offensive rebounds, and trailed just 30-27. Stokes was even better in the second half, leading Rutgers to a 67-52 victory with 33 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 steals as Oregon State couldn't keep up their first-half performance on the glass.

Davidson(19-11) vs. Pennsylvania(15-12) -- NIT West 1st Round

After a small early lead, Davidson erupted with 27 points in an eight-minute span of the first half to more than double the Quakers, 41-19 with still a few minutes left. Penn then rallied with 13 straight to close to an 11-point gap at the half, but it never got much closer than that and Davidson ends Ivy NIT participation immediately, 68-56. A 20th win, and they are probably better than a number of NCAA teams. The frontcourt pair of Michael Denson and Dan Clancy combined for 27 points and 14 rebounds, while G Rodney Tyndell's 14 on just 6-19 fg was the only 'bright' spot for Penn. They had a chance to win the Ivy title on the last day of the year and got soundly beaten here -- doesn't speak too well of the conference ...

[Bryan Swartz]

3.16.12

It's now THAT Thursday -- second round of the NCAA Tournament and the day that most fans start paying attention and stop showing up to work. Two regionals play their games today, we'll start with ....

NCAA Second Round, Philadelphia Regional

(1) Florida(28-3) vs. (16) Presbyterian(17-14)

The Blue Hose surprisingly hung around within a few points most of the first half, and had a late rally after the Gators extended to 10. It was 47-41 Florida after twenty minutes, with Presbyterian hitting 7 of 9 from 3-land. Definitely not a boring game. And then they played another half. Florida had a 25-7 run out of the break, and that was that. 97-62 is the final, with Eric Brown(35 pts, 13 reb), TJ McClain(28 pts, 8 reb, 4 as), and Presbyterian's Matt Young(24 pts, 4 reb) starring. McClain and Brown outscored the Blue Hose by themselves! An impressive near-double-double by Gators point guard Nate Haginas(13 pts, 9 as, 5 blk) is also worth mentioning. Presbyterian made just one triple in the second half as Florida got serious.

(2) Connecticut(27-5) vs. (15) North Florida(21-9)

With six minutes to go in the first half, it was tied at 20-all -- but a 23-4 second-half burst was very reminiscent of the Florida game, and the Huskies roll 77-47. C Kenyon Brand(22 pts, 12 reb), G Roberto Walk(25 pts, 7 reb, 6 TO), and North Florida's F Gerrod Ferguson(17 pts) were the top performers.

(3) Indiana(22-7) vs. (14) Eastern Kentucky(21-8)

Similar records but much different competition, and the Hoosiers left no doubt early on. They led by 11 after eight minutes, by 25 eight minutes later, and at the break EKU had 10 turnovers and 6 field goals. 68-50 was the charitable final, with only seven turnovers for Indiana and 24 pts, 5 reb for G Wayland Calvary(only 7-22 fg).

(4) UCLA(25-8) vs. (13) Lehigh(23-7)

A double-digit lead for most of the first half by the Bruins, as Lehigh shot just 28% for the opening stanza. UCLA went cold and the gap closed to 44-40 with ten minutes left ... but they regained their footing with seven straight points and easily closed to a 68-57 victory. Not as impressive as the top three seeds, but the Bruins advance comfortably. Individually excellent was F Lamont Sheppard(20 pts, 12 reb, 3 stl).

(5) Purdue(23-8) vs. (12) Princeton(19-8)

And here comes the Ivy League's only hope. A big Purdue run halfway through the first half put them up 18, and it looked like the rout was indeed on. Still trailing by 11 at the half, Princeton opened with an 11-2 run in the second to close it up, and with eight minutes left they moved in front 49-47! At this point Tigers guard Kevin Holden(25 pts) and Boilermakers standout Dexter Hillier(26 pts) were virtually playing one-on-one at times. Going into the final minutes it remained dead-even, but Princeton bore down at the end and Purdue's continued errors(20 total turnovers) set the stage for our first upset as the Tigers win it 61-56! Hillier had 31 and 6 reb, 28 pts and 7 TO for Holden. Purdue had 29 points in the first 13 minutes, only a point-a-minute the rest of the way. While Fielding H. Yost might not have minded that, in this game that's a pretty pathetic scoring rate.

(6) Kansas(20-9) vs. (11) Utah(18-12)

Kansas took four minutes to get on the board, but then quickly grabbed a small lead. They had four 3-pointers in six minutes once they got going, but Utah scored the last seven points of the half including a buzzer-beating triple by G Eric Jones to take a 32-31 lead. Meanwhile it was Jayhawks G Joel Truscott(13 pts) leading all scorers as both teams struggled from the field.

In the second, it was simply a shocking display. 20-game winners Kansas simply did not answer the bell. Utah went on a 21-3 tear that was never answered, and the Utes simply crushed the Jayhawks by a stunning 78-56 final! Truscott had only one field goal in the final 24 minutes, and Utah placed four players in double figures while shooting well over 50% in the second half and utilizing nine Kansas turnovers in that final 20 minutes. One is left to wonder how this team won so many games ...

(7) George Mason(26-6) vs. (10) Marquette(17-12)

These kinds of games featuring a strong small-conference team against a very mediocre big-conference team are always tough to predict. Anything can happen. An early 8-point lead for George Mason was built off of keeping Marquette off the boards, and they led 40-29 at intermission. Already it was a +11 edge on the glass, with both teams shooting well. The Eagles came out more aggressive in the second half, but this desperation also lead to turnovers and it did not help them. George Mason shows impressive versatility in running away with this contest, 84-59! They hit 11-18 from 3-point range. G Andre Cue(24 pts) and F Michael Simons(16 pts, 9 reb, 4 as) led the assault.

(8) Florida State(18-14) vs. (9) St. Bonaventure(22-8)

After an even start, a 14-2 burst by the Seminoles was fueled by missed shot after missed shot by St. Bonaventure. Over the first 13 minutes, they made just 2 of 13 from the floor, then hit 5 of 8 to finish with a flourish and close a 15-point deficit to just 31-24. Another, shorter dry shooting spell in the second half doomed them, and Florida State cruises 65-52, playing an inferior floor game but shooting 51% which was more than enough on this day. G Martin Vanlier was top scorer with 23 and 5 reb.

[Bryan Swartz]

NCAA SECOND ROUND, CONTINUED

(1) North Carolina(25-4) vs. (16) Nevada(17-14)

Nevada shot the ball very well in the first half to lead early and hang around for a while, with North Carolina extending gradually to a modest halftime lead behind a +10 edge at the line and a 7-0 count in offensive rebounding. In the first 14+ minutes of the second half, the Wolfpack scored an astonishing three points as top-ranked NC ends up in a blowout win, 74-51. All five starters scored in double figures, led by C Josh Aggers(14 points, 11 reb, 8-13 fg).

(2) Syracuse(24-6) vs. (15) Coppin State(19-12)

The Coppin upstarts led 12-7 after 9 minutes, with Syracuse shooting just 3-17 from the field. It was not until a single second left in the half that they drew even at 24-all on a Galen Layne three-pointer. James Blair, who had 10 of the first 12 points for the Orange, hit a three to start the second half and they were off to the races. Up by more than 20 within eight minutes, Syracuse rolled to a 70-41 final. Blair had 33 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 turnovers, while Coppin State turned it over 23 times and had less than 25% shooting in the second half.

(3) Temple(27-4) vs. (14) Lamar(21-9)

A tight first half was very well-played, and ended with Lamar ahead three in another upset bid. The second half had a lot more turnovers, but stayed close and was deadlocked at 59 with four minutes to go. Temple G Andre Aggers hit a dagger of a three with the shotclock gone and 57 seconds left, putting the Owls back in front 65-63, and Lamar would not score again in a 69-63 final. It just came down to shotmaking down the stretch and Temple had the last 7 points. An impressive display by the Cardinal, but they come up short. Temple's Maurice Barlow(22 pts, 7 reb) was the top performer.

(4) Wake Forest(23-8) vs. (13) Monmouth(23-7)

After a slow start, Wake exploded to a 23-point halftime lead behind 55% shooting, and won 80-57 with G Reggie Whiteman scoring 19 of his 24 in the first half. They had a huge +14 edge in turnovers, and this one got late early in a clear mismatch.

(5) Mississippi State(23-8) vs. (12) Tulsa(21-8)

An ugly start, only a combined 45 points in the first half and Mississippi State was up by three. Tulsa G Marco Fuhs had 12 points in the first half -- and 11 more before they'd played five minutes of the second as the underdogs edged in front. It was the Golden Hurricane's bench that did most of the damage though, as they pulled away in the final 11 minutes, a 30-12 finish for a 74-57 final! Both 5 seeds lose today as Tulsa was +14 at the line and Fuhs finished with 33 points, 21 a second half that was far more entertaining than the first.

(6) Houston(25-7) vs. (11) Iowa(16-13)

A consistent, small Houston lead was eliminated by three straight triples from Iowa, briefly grabbing the advantadge back before falling behind by a point at the half. Shooting 52% but with 10 turnovers, the Hawkeyes got an astonishing 21-point effort from G Jim Johnson, with still a half left to play!

Houston did not score for almost five minutes, and it was Iowa's turn to nurse and defend a small lead. Larry James put Houston up three in the final minute, then threw away a pass to give Iowa the ball down by one at the end. It was a fatal mistake -- Matt Jackson's third shot attempt of the game was good at the buzzer, and Iowa gets the first buzzer-beater of the tournament and a 79-77 win!

Johnson had 30 points on 10-16 fg for Iowa, while for Houston Mike Jones put up 31, 2 reb, 2 as, and 2 stls in an epic guard duel that was not decided ultimately by either of them. The teams combined for 23 3-pointers in an excellent display of firepower.

(7) Michigan(21-10) vs. (10) St. John's(17-11)

Michigan led by double digits or close to it most of the first half, getting 19 pts, 5 reb from G David Green. St. John's paradoxically shot 54%, yet didn't make a single 3-point attempt. More of the same in the second half, a late rally by the Red Storm was too little, too late, and Michigan advances 65-60. 35 points, 6 reb, 2 blk for Green in a fantastic performance, while St. John's F Weldon Hayden had 22. Michigan was +8 on the offensive glass in an ugly game -- 36 combined turnovers.

(8) Iowa State(19-10) vs. (9) Cincinatti(17-12)

After trailing almost the entire first half, a big finish by Iowa State saw them end the half on a 10-2 run to lead by seven. Cincinatti had not yet made a single free throw. The Cyclones repelled one run at the beginning of the half and extended to a 10-point lead, but Cincy was not yet done. All game long they took care of the ball well, and Iowa State cracked under the pressure as the Bearcats went back in front with about four minutes left, scoring 16 straight points at one point, and pulled away for a 74-65 comeback victory! G Mike Fox had 29 and 5 boards, hitting 6 of his last 9 to spearhead the fantastic finish after it had appeared he was shooting the Bearcats out of the game(7-22 fg prior to the burst, 13-31 for the game). ISU C Matt Brown(20 pts, 9-12 fg, 13 reb) was fantastic in defeat.