Tag: NCAA tourney talk (Page 7 of 9)

      Couch Potato Alert: 3/12

      March 11, 2009 /

      No fewer than ten bubble teams will be in action on Thursday. If any of these teams lose, they’re looking at the NIT, so these are virtual playoff games. Also, don’t forget the NBA doubleheader on TNT — Lakers/Spurs at 8 PM and Cavs/Suns at 10:30 PM.

      All times ET.

      12 PM: Providence vs. #5 Louisville (ESPN)
      The Friars are on the hot seat and really need a win against Louisville to earn a spot in the tourney. A loss probably knocks them out.

      12 PM: Northwestern vs. Minnesota (Big Ten Network)
      The Gophers are on the bubble and they need a win against the feisty Wildcats. If they lose, they’ll really be squirming on Selection Sunday.

      12 PM: Virginia Tech vs. Miami (ESPN 360)
      Both teams are on the bubble, and the winner probably needs to beat North Carolina in the next round.

      2:30 PM: #21 Marquette vs. #13 Villanova (ESPN)
      This game will have an effect on the seeding for the Big Dance.

      2:30 PM: Iowa vs. Michigan (ESPN2)
      The Wolverines can’t lose to the Hawkeyes and expect to get an NCAA berth.

      3 PM: Arizona vs. #23 Arizona St. (FSN)
      I think this is the game of the day. The Sun Devils can probably end their arch-rival’s season if they can hang a loss on the Wildcats.

      3 PM: Texas vs. Kansas St. (ESPN360)
      The Wildcats really need a win against Texas to get back into the conversation.

      5 PM: Penn St. vs. Indiana (ESPN)
      This is pretty much a must-win game for the Nittany Lions.

      7 PM: Maryland vs. N.C. State (ESPN2)
      The Terps need to make a run in the ACC tourney to get a look from the committee.

      7 PM: West Virginia vs. #2 Pittsburgh (ESPN)
      The Mountaineers are safely in, but could improve their seeding with a win over Pitt. Meanwhile, the Panthers need to win to secure a #1 seed.

      9 PM: USC vs. Cal (FSN)
      The Golden Bears are already in, but they can end the Trojans’ season with a win. USC needs to make a run and a win over Cal would really help.

      9:30 PM: #20 Syracuse vs. #4 UConn (ESPN)
      If the Huskies want a #1 seed, they’re going to have to beat the Orangemen and (probably) make the Big East Championship final.

      College Basketball, Couch Potato Alert, March Madness, NBA, Television

      Providence takes care of business

      March 11, 2009 /

      The Providence Friars (19-12) fought off a feisty DePaul team, 83-74, keeping its tournament hopes alive, at least for now. Unfortunately, they really need a win against Louisville to earn a bid. If they give the Cardinals a great game, it will probably keep them in the conversation, but at 19-13, they’d likely to be on the outside looking in when it’s all said and done.

      The bottom line is, if you’re a fan of one of those other teams on the bubble, you want Providence to lose, and lose bad.

      College Basketball, March Madness

      North Dakota State is going to the Dance

      March 10, 2009 /

      In their first year of Division I eligibility, the North Dakota State Bison (26-6) won the Summit League Championship, 66-64, earning a berth in the NCAA tournament. NDSU trailed for much of the game, and was down by 12 with 9:05 to play before going on an 18-4 run, capped by Ben Woodside’s leaning jumper with just three seconds remaining. That gave the Bison the lead for good.

      Why am I blogging about the Summit League Championship? Well, two reasons: a) it was an exciting game that deserves attention, and b) I played college ball with the NDSU coach, Saul Phillips. Saul is the kind of guy that had “future coach” written all over him even then. He was an assistant under Bo Ryan at UW-Milwaukee for two years and was an assistant at NDSU for three seasons before getting the head job in 2007. He’s a great guy and clearly a very good coach.

      When the two teams played in early January, Oakland hung a loss on the Bison. NDSU was 8-5 at that point, so they have rattled off 18 wins in the 19 games since. Transitioning to the D1 level is tough, and Phillips has handled it well. With the job he’s done at NDSU, he’s a rising star in the coaching world.

      Go Bison!

      College Basketball, March Madness

      Gonzaga, Siena win

      March 10, 2009 /

      Good news for the major conference bubble teams — Gonzaga blew out Saint Mary’s in the WCC final and Siena beat Niagra in the MAAC final. Both teams probably would have made the NCAA tourney without winning their conference final, so the fact that there were no surprises is good news for the other bubble teams.

      Saint Mary’s might be in with a 25-6 record, but they lost to the Bulldogs by 25 points, and there are lingering questions about the health of the Gaels’ best player, Patrick Mills, who went 2-16 from the field and scored just five points in the loss. He has posted just 17 points in two games since returning from an injury to his right hand, so if the committee doesn’t feel that he’s up to snuff, Saint Mary’s is very much on the bubble.

      The Big East Championship starts today (BIGEAST.tv) while the Pac-10 and Big 12 tournaments start tomorrow. The Big 10, SEC and ACC tournaments begin on Thursday.

      College Basketball

      UNC beats Duke to clinch ACC regular season title

      March 8, 2009 /

      It was nip and tuck most of the way, but the Tar Heels got it together late in the second half to pull away over arch rival Duke, 79-71. North Carolina has almost a two-point lead over the next-best team in Jeff Sagarin’s computer rankings (which is the main way that I fill out my bracket), but I just don’t like this team to win it all. They’re sloppy with the ball, have poor spacing on offense and they missed a ton of free throws. But they have so much talent that when the game is tight in the second half, they always seem to be able to put together a run to put the game away. Really, they could win it all or they could lose in the second round to an eight- or nine-seed that plays a good, clean game.

      Five Tar Heels scored in double figures, led by Tyler Hansbrough’s 17 points. Conversely, Duke was very content to walk the ball up and run its half court offense, which put the ball into the hands of Gerald Henderson, Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler, and allowed them to go to work. Coach K really shortened his bench for this game — just three reserves played a total of 19 minutes (and they failed to score a single point).

      The win should seal a #1 seed for North Carolina, and barring Duke winning the ACC tournament (coupled with an early round exit by Oklahoma or UConn), the Blue Devils are probably looking at a #2 or #3 seed. Check back tomorrow for a preview of all the major conference tournaments.

      College Basketball, March Madness

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