Page 373 of 2957

Kentucky beats UNC, 76-69

Kentucky Wildcats’ DeAndre Liggins (34) reacts with the Wildcats bench after sinking a three-pointer against the North Carolina Tar Heels during their NCAA East Regional college basketball game in Newark, New Jersey, March 27, 2011. REUTERS/Gary Hershorn (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

The Wildcats held a slim lead for most of the game, but found themselves tied at 67-67 with 3:18 to play after Tyler Zeller hit a pair of free throws to cap a 10-2 run for the Tar Heels.

On the next trip down the court, Brandon Knight picked a great time to hit his fifth three-pointer of the game. Zeller’s tip-in cut the lead to one, but then DeAndre Liggins hit a three of his own to give the Wildcats a four-point lead with 0:35 to play.

Just like the VCU/Kansas game, three-point shooting was the difference in this one. Kentucky went 12-of-22 (55%), while the Tar Heels made just 3-of-16 (19%) from long range.

Kentucky joins VCU, UConn and Butler in the Final Four. They’ll play Kemba Walker and UConn on Saturday.

VCU shocks #1-seed Kansas, 71-61

Virginia Commonwealth Rams’ forward Juvonte Reddic (5) celebrates defeating the Kansas Jayhawks with teammates Ed Nixon (50), Rob Brandenberg (23) and Toby Veal (31) during their NCAA Southwest Regional college basketball game in San Antonio, Texas, March 27, 2011. REUTERS/Mike Stone (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

As I was watching the end of the Kansas/VCU game, I thought of the scene in “Ghostbusters” when the gang is trying to explain the situation to the mayor of New York.

Venkman: This city is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions.
Mayor: What do you mean, “biblical”?
Stantz: What he means is Old Testament, Mr. Mayor, real wrath of God type stuff.
Venkman: Exactly.
Stantz: Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling!
Spengler: Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes…
Winston: The dead rising from the grave!
Venkman: Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria!

That’s how I feel about the 2011 NCAA Tournament. Heading in, I really liked three of the #1 seeds (Ohio State, Kansas and Duke, in that order) and felt good enough about Pitt to put all four #1 seeds through to the Final Four in my bracket. Fast forward two weeks and all four #1 seeds are gone, thanks to the VCU Rams, who upended the Jayhawks on Sunday.

How did they do it? What else…three-point shooting, the great equalizer. The Rams were 12-of-25 (48%) from 3PT, while the Jayhawks went a brutal 2-for-22 (9%) from behind the stripe. It wasn’t just one guy, but senior Tyrel Reed, a 39% 3PT shooter, was especially brutal, making just 1-for-8 from long range. The Jayhawks were also awful from the free throw line, hitting just 15-of-28 from the charity stripe.

Kansas outrebounded VCU 42-to-31, had four more steals, five more blocks and one fewer turnover, but it doesn’t matter if you are going to attempt 22 threes and only make two of them.

Jamie Skeen was big for the Rams, scoring 26 points, nailing 4-of-7 threes and hitting 10-of-12 from the free throw line. He also led VCU in rebounds with nine. Considering the competition, it was his best game of the season and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

The VCU Rams are in the Final Four. Not bad for a team that many thought didn’t even deserve a bid in the first place.

Cubs release Carlos Silva after awful spring

Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Silva delivers a pitch to Houston Astros batter Angel Sanchez in the first inning of their MLB National League baseball game in Houston July 26, 2010. REUTERS/Richard Carson (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

The Cubs can finally awake from the nightmare that is Carlos Silva, who was released on Sunday after posting a 10.90 ERA while surrendering 32 hits over 17 1/3 innings this spring.

In December of 2009, Chicago traded one past mistake in Milton Bradley to acquire a future mistake in Silva, who told the club on Friday that there’s “no chance” he’d report to the minors if the Cubs couldn’t trade him. He also took a couple of shots at pitching coach Mark Riggins, saying he was “not straight” with him about the team’s plans and that Riggins “had to learn he’s in the big leagues now.” After the team dumped him on Sunday, maybe Riggins can return the favor by telling Silva that he better learn that he’s in the unemployment line now. (Zing! I know, not my best but it played.)

Granted, Silva (9-3, 3.45 ERA, 1.14 WHIP) was effective last year before a heart issue derailed his season. But unfortunately for the Cubs, they’re still on the hook for the $11.5 million owed to him this year so the term “value” doesn’t come to mind here, even when you factor in Silva’s numbers from last season. I guess this is the price you pay when you hand Milton freaking Bradley a three-year, $30 million contract and think you can unload him on the Marines by taking on their contract albatross. But in the end, everybody losses.

On a related note, Andrew Cashner was named the Cubs’ fifth starter after the release of Silva.

McNabb to Minnesota? Favre to Carolina?

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre holds his chin after being injured against the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Massachusetts in this October 31, 2010 file photo. Favre filed his retirement papers on Monday, ending one of the National Football League’s most fabled careers. REUTERS/Adam Hunger/Files (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL HEADSHOT)

Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press wrote a couple interesting blurbs about Donovan McNabb and Brett Favre in his recent column:

Possible scenario: The Vikings trade their No. 12 overall pick in the draft with their 2012 first-round pick to move high enough to get Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert.

It still looks, though, like Donovan McNabb from the Washington Redskins will end up as the Vikings’ starting QB for next season.

Don’t discount the possibility of Brett Favre, who turns 42 in October, returning next season, but not with the Vikings. Maybe Carolina.

It’s important to take this with a massive grain of salt considering Walters buried these comments at the end of an article that focused on Minnesota Gophers AD Joel Maturi and under the heading “DON’T PRINT THAT.” Clearly Walters is just throwing crap against a wall to see if it sticks.

That said, the McNabb scenario makes sense. Take it for what it’s worth, but I’ve held the belief that the Vikings would go with a veteran quarterback this offseason and then draft a signal caller in the middle rounds for new OC Bill Musgrave to groom. But recent comments made by head coach Leslie Frazier indicate that the Vikings might want to draft a QB in the first round and start him.

Either way, McNabb would be a fit if the Vikes were interested.

As for Favre landing in Carolina, eh, I doubt it. General manager Marty Hurney invested a second round pick in Jimmy Clausen last season and I’m sure new coach Ron Rivera wants to draft a QB like Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert with the first pick. When it comes to Lord Favre, nothing can be ruled out. But him landing in Carolina doesn’t make much sense.

UFC Fight Night 24 Results & Recap

HeavyMMA went to Seattle for UFC Fight Night 24 and they’ve got a complete recap on the preliminary and main card bouts.

ANTONIO ROGERIO NOGUEIRA vs. PHIL DAVIS
Round 1: Davis circling away from Nogueira’s left to start, a wise decision. Head kick from Davis glances, both guys still finding range. Big kick from Phil lands, but Nogueira dones’t flinch. Exchange shots, Davis pushing in for a takedown, but Nogueira stays up. Davis driving knees into Nogueira’s thigh. Back into space, Nogueira measuring and swings wild with the left. Anything head kick offering from Davis. Shoots again, and again Nogueira stays up as the two clinch. Separated again, Davis tries with the head kick again, then gets another takedown denied. Big swing and a miss from Nogueira. Front kick from Davis misses. Head kick again from Davis and Nogueira lands his first solid left. Davis shoots and ends up throwing Nogueira to the ground, but the veteran is right back up. 30 seconds left. Swing and a miss again from Nogueira. Lands one at the 20 second mark, Davis shoots and again can’t get the takedown. Heavy scores it 10-9 Davis.

Read the full recap.

« Older posts Newer posts »