Author: John Paulsen (Page 304 of 937)

      West Virginia upends Kentucky

      March 27, 2010 /

      Kentucky started out strong, but once West Virginia started hitting its threes and settling into its 1-3-1 zone, the game shifted. WVU made 10 of 23 of its shots from deep. Conversely, the Wildcats hit just 4 of 32 from long range. They also killed themselves at the free throw line, making just 15 of 28 attempts (53%).

      Joe Mazzulla played admirably, posting 17 points and playing scrappy defense on DeMarcus Cousins at the base of the Mountaineers’ 1-3-1 zone. He fouled out with two minutes to play, and WVU was pretty shaky handling the ball against Kentucky’s press, but the Mountaineers made enough free throws to seal the win.

      On a side note, my bracket is starting to look pretty good. With WVU already in, and Duke still alive, I could get two Final Four teams in a year when very few brackets will have three or more. (Virtually no one picked Butler or the MSU/Tennessee winner.)

      College Basketball, March Madness

      Butler heads home — to the Final Four

      March 27, 2010 /

      Butler upended K-State, 63-56, and will head home to Indianapolis for the Final Four next weekend.

      Kansas State was out of sync early on, and couldn’t buy a bucket for long periods of the first half. Every analyst seems to think they were tired from Thursday night’s double-OT win over Xavier, but these are 19-, 20-, and 21-year old kids we’re talking about, so fatigue shouldn’t be that much of a factor, especially considering that K-State is a pretty deep team.

      Butler controlled the game for most of the way, but there was a nearly five-minute stretch in the second half where the Bulldogs didn’t score a field goal, which allowed the Wildcats to claw back into the game. Butler turned the ball over 11 times in the second half (19 in the game), but didn’t have a single turnover in the final four and a half minutes after Kansas State regained the lead.

      Butler made up for its sometimes sloppy offensive play by hitting almost 47% from three (7-15) and getting to the line 20 times (six more than K-State). They also played solid defense throughout the game, though K-State missed a lot of bunnies; Butler’s defense was outstanding on the final few possessions.

      Brad Stevens (33) has to be one of the youngest coaches (if not the youngest) to make a Final Four, and he’ll get to do it in Butler’s hometown of Indianapolis. I’m not sure they’ll be much of a home court advantage as the Final Four crowd is usually heavy in non-partisan corporate types. The Bulldogs have a real shot at playing in the title game as both of their potential opponents — Michigan State and Tennessee — are very beatable.

      This is the third time in five years (George Mason ’06, Memphis ’08) that a mid-major has made the Final Four. Prior to that, there was a stretch of seven years (Utah ’98) where only “power” conference teams made it to the national semifinals.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      College Basketball, March Madness

      We’re down to the Elite 8

      March 27, 2010 /

      Butler, St. Mary’s and Northern Iowa entered the Sweet 16 as the only mid-majors remaining. But after St. Mary’s destruction at the hands of the Baylor Bears, and UNI’s inability to beat a Michigan State team that was missing its best player, only the Butler Bulldogs still stand.

      Watching Friday night’s action it struck me how often it seems that the so-called “Cinderellas” that reach the Sweet 16 fail to perform well in the regional semifinal. Is it because these teams have had a few days to reflect on their success or is it because their opponents — usually power conference programs — have had an opportunity to study plenty of video and were able to better break down their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses? In the end, it’s probably some combination of the two.

      Duke’s win in a slugfest against Purdue and Baylor’s trouncing of a well-oiled St. Mary’s team were both impressive. The Blue Devils struggled in the first half but still lead at the break due to a big edge on the boards. For the game, Duke outrebounded Purdue, 45-22. Jon Scheyer finally found his shot in the second half, and when he did, the Blue Devils cruised…or cruised as much as they could against a tough defense like the Boilermakers.

      Those lamenting how “easy” of a bracket Duke drew should consider the fact that Duke has to play a very good Baylor team in Houston, which is just a few hours drive from the Bears’ campus in Waco. Baylor is both athletic and balanced, and has the tools to give Duke fits.

      Tennessee’s tight win over Ohio State hurt my bracket a little bit, but right now it all comes down to Kentucky and West Virginia. Most people have Kentucky going to the Final Four, so if the Mountaineers can pull off the upset, I’ll have a real shot to win my pool. After losing my overall winner (Kansas) last weekend, I’m a little surprised to be able to say that. Kentucky is playing very well, but the Mountaineers should be able to keep it close by slowing the game down and forcing the Wildcats to attack their zone defense.

      In the other game, how much gas will K-State have in the tank after its double-OT thriller against Xavier? The Wildcats are much more athletic inside, but keep an eye on how the K-State wings get through Butler’s screens in the second half. If the Wildcats start to fade, Butler should be able to capitalize.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      College Basketball, March Madness

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑