Some preseason teams

I crunched some tempo-free stats to create top teams for each of the power conferences; these are returning players that should be closely watched.

All-returning teams:

ACC



1st team
G - Greivis Vasquez, 6-6, SR, Maryland ; 105.1 ORtg, 30.8 ARate
G - Malcolm Delaney, 6-3, JR, Virginia Tech ; 113.4 ORtg, 62.3 FTRate
F - Trevor Booker, 6-7, SR, Clemson ; 121.6 ORtg, 58.5 eFG%, 23.2 DR%
F - Kyle Singler, 6-8, JR, Duke ; 111.3 ORtg, 10.4 OR%, 17.0 DR%
F - Tracy Smith, 6-8, JR, North Carolina St. ; 111.7 ORtg, 17.4 OR%

Vasquez is the ACC's best returning assist man, while Delaney was is the closest man to Tyler Hansbrough in the conference at getting to the free throw line. But the returning player of the year is Booker, who was one of the conference's best shooters from the field, while also dominating the glass. Tracy Smith may not be a household name, but he was the ACC's best on the offensive boards by a wide margin last year, and should play a big role for the Wolfpack, especially if he can improve his free throw shooting; he is also one of the nation's best at drawing fouls.

2nd team
G - Sylven Landesberg, 6-6, SO, Virginia ; 104.9 ORtg, 53.8 FTRate
G - Jon Scheyer, 6-5, SR, Duke ; 122.6 ORtg ; 58.5 TS%, 13.0 TORate
F - Dwayne Collins, 6-8, SR, Miami FL ; 109.2 ORtg, 13.4 OR%,
F - Jeff Allen, 6-7, JR, Virginia Tech ; 100.3 ORtg, 59.6 FTRate, 3.5 Stl%
F - Gani Lawal, 6-8, JR, Georgia Tech ; 101.9 ORtg, 13.0 OR%, 5.1 Blk%

Allen does a lot well, but nothing spectacularly; he's another player who could really take a big step forward by improving his shooting percentages even modestly. Collins is a mini-Smith, similar but not quite as good. Lawal's offensive game is somewhat limited, but he is a big defensive and rebounding force around the basket.



B12

1st team
G - Sherron Collins, 5-11, SR, Kansas ; 108.6 ORtg, 29.0 ARate
G - Cory Higgins, 6-5, SO, Colorado ; 106.7 ORtg, 60.1 TS%, 61.1 FTRate
G/F - Damion James, 6-7, SR, Texas ; 106.6 ORtg, 23.2 DR%
F - Craig Brackins, 6-10, JR, Iowa St. ; 99.4 ORtg, 26.6 DR%
C - Cole Aldrich, 6-11, JR, Kansas ; 123.9 ORtg, 28.5 DR%, 59.8 eFG%, 9.6 Blk%

Collins will probably get somewhat more hype than his stats suggest he should, but he's good enough that that's probably more a fault of the media than anything else. By the numbers, he's not the best returning player on his own team; Cole Aldrich is a beast, the Big 12's top returning shot-blocker, rebounder and eFG% shooter. Higgins may have been under the radar at the conference's worst school, but he;s been one of the league's best at getting to the line. Brackins trails only Luke Harangody among returning players in usage; he's not that efficient, but does well with his huge workload and rebounds well.

2nd team
G - James Anderson, 6-6, JR, Oklahoma St. ; 119.5 ORtg, 62.3 TS%
G - John Roberson, 5-11, JR, Texas Tech ; 100.5 ORtg, 33.1 ARate
G - Denis Clemente, 6-1, SR, Kansas St. ; 106.0 ORtg, 25.0 ARate
F - Mike Singletary, 6-6, JR, Texas Tech ; 105.6 ORtg, 19.9 DR%, 7.3 FD/40
C - Dexter Pittman, 6-10, SR, Texas ; 117.7 ORtg, 17.7 OR%,

Anderson is one to watch in the early season; he shot very well when he wasn't the primary offensive player, but as his role increases he'll find it more difficult to keep his percentages up. Roberson is a workhorse who plays a lot of minutes, and had the league's top assist rate, he should form a good tandem with one of the country's best at drawing fouls in Singletary. If Pittman can get himself into the game more, he can be a huge force; he's the best offensive rebounder returning in any power conference.



BE

1st team
G - Dominique Jones, 6-4, JR, South Florida ; 104.3 ORtg, 28.7 ARate
G - Jeremy Hazell, 6-5, JR, Seton Hall ; 109.6 ORtg, 12.1 TORate
F - Luke Harangody, 6-8, SR, Notre Dame ; 109.2 ORtg, 25.4 DR%, 9.1 TORate
F - Lazar Hayward, 6-6, SR, Marquette ; 114.1 ORtg, 21.6 DR%
C - Greg Monroe, 6-11, SO, Georgetown ; 110.8 ORtg, 5.1 Blk%, 3.7 Stl%, 60.0 FTRate

Harangody is an easy pick for National Player of the Year; his shooting percentages aren't anything special, but he uses a huge number of possessions while managing to get the ball back from the boards often and very rarely turning it over. Jones played the highest percentage of his team's minutes in the Big East last year, and is the conference's leading returner in assist rate. Without McNeal, Matthews and James, it'll be interesting to see how Hayward responds. Monroe is the best defender, by stats, in the conference.

2nd team
G - Deonta Vaughn, 6-1, SR, Cincinnati ; 104.8 ORtg, 27.3 ARate
G/F - D.J. Kennedy, 6-6, SO, St. John's ; 106.1 ORtg, 56.2 FTRate
F - Da'Sean Butler, 6-7, SR, West Virginia ; 107.7 ORtg, 25.0 ARate
F - Devin Ebanks, 6-9, SO, West Virginia ; 108.7 ORtg, 20.2 DR%
F/C - Mac Koshwal, 6-10, JR, DePaul ; 100.0 ORtg, 12.2 OR%, 20.8 DR%

Ebanks and Butler should form a powerful combination for the Mountaineers; their individual numbers don't blow you away, but they use a lot of possessions at above-average efficiency, allowing the team's role players to step up The conference's worst team has a solid contributor in Koshwal, who has lots of promise, but several areas that need improvement. His rebounding is good, and he's a good inside shooter, but he must improve from the free throw line.



B10

1st team
G - Manny Harris, 6-5, JR, Michigan ; 106.9 ORtg, 32.2 ARate
G - Evan Turner, 6-7, SO, Ohio St. ; 107.5 ORtg, 58.4 TS%, 57.8 FTRate
G - Talor Battle, 5-11, JR, Penn St. ; 109.9 ORtg, 29.6 ARate
F - Kevin Coble, 6-8, SR, Northwestern ; 110.6 ORtg, 10.9 TORate, 1.8 FC/40
F - DeShawn Sims, 6-8, SR, Michigan ; 108.5 ORtg, 10.6 TORate

Harris isn't a high-percentage shooter, but uses more possessions than any Big Ten player, and makes enough shots to turn that into a big positive for the Wolverines. He's also the Big Ten's leading returner in assist rate. Sims will be on the end of a lot of those assists, he's not a dominating inside player, but a good inside shooter who rarely turns it over. Turner isn't a conference best in any area, but is close to the top in most stats, combining to make him a very effective player. Battle's shooting isn't great, but he's a great ball handler, putting up a great A/TO ratio. Coble can score inside or out, and doesn't make many mistakes; he rarely turns it over and commits very few fouls.

2nd team
G - Kalin Lucas, 6-0, JR, Michigan St. ; 110.4 ORtg, 29.6 ARate, 1.9 FC/40
G - Trevon Hughes, 6-0, SR, Wisconsin ; 104.3 ORtg, 3.1 Stl%
F - Robbie Hummel, 6-8, JR, Purdue ; 116.1 ORtg, 12.2 TORate, 8.3 Blk%
F - JaJuan Johnson, 6-10, SR, Purdue ; 112.1 ORtg, 29.8 TORate
F - Mike Davis, 6-10, JR, Illinois ; 105.9 ORtg, 23.7 DR%

What separates Lucas from the top players is his abysmal two-point shooting; he was below 40% from that area last year. He could benefit by looking to pass more, even though he's already one of the league's best assist men. Johnson and Hummell are the Big Ten's most efficient offensive one-two, and provide a good counterbalance; Hummel can make outside shots while Johnson provides blocks, and both are excellent rebounders and rarely turn it over. Davis is the league's best returning defensive rebounder.



P10

1st team
G - Jerome Randle, 5-10, SR, California ; 121.1 ORtg, 60.9 eFG%
G - Nic Wise, 5-10, SR, Arizona ; 112.5 ORtg, 25.2 ARate
G/F - Landry Fields, 6-7, SR, Stanford ; 110.6 ORtg, 54.8 eFG%
F - Jamal Boykin, 6-8, SR, California ; 115.8 ORtg, 12.8 OR%, 11.4 TORate
C - Roeland Schaftenaar, 6-11, SR, Oregon St. ; 102.4 ORtg, 26.0 ARate

Randle is an easy choice as conference player of the year; he's an elite shooter, making of 45% of his numerous three-point attempts. He should get a lot of help from Boykin, one of the conference's best rebounders and a guy who rarely turns the ball over. Wise may have a tough time adapting to life without Hill and Budinger, I'd expect to see more shots and fewer assists this season. Schaftenaar won't put up huge tallies in the boxscore with Oregon St.'s slow pace, but he's a great passer for a big man, and can shoot well inside and out. A bigger presence on the boards could really up his level.

2nd team
G - Patrick Christopher, 6-5, SR, California ; 108.9 ORtg, 13.3 TORate
G - Isiah Thomas, 6-0, SR, Washington ; 102.4 ORtg, 6.2 FD/40
G - Derek Glasser, 6-8, SR, Arizona St. ; 111.8 ORtg, 28.5 ARate, 1.9 FC/40
F - Quincy Pondexter, 6-6, SR, Washington ; 111.8 ORtg, 19.1 OR%
F - Nikola Dragovic, 6-8, JR, UCLA ; 118.8 ORtg, 14.6 TORate

Glasser will likely have a rude awakening to a world without Pendergraph and Harden, but showed a good enough shooting touch that he should still be effective. The speedy Thomas uses a lot of possessions at decent efficiency, allowing a guy like Pondexter, who sweeps up on the offensive glass and shoots well inside, too become more efficient. UCLA has lost a lot, and will need more from Dragovic than last year, when he was content to be an efficient alternate option behind guys like Collison and Shipp.



SEC

1st team
G - Devan Downey, 5-9, SR, South Carolina ; 103.6 ORtg, 4.7 Stl%, 28.3 ARate
G/F - Jeffrey Taylor, 6-7, SO, Vanderbilt ; 106.6 ORtg, 12.9 OR%
F - Patrick Patterson, 6-9, JR, Kentucky ; 122.4 ORtg, 60.3 eFG%, 6.3 Blk%
F - Tyler Smith, 6-7, SR, Tennessee ; 112.5 ORtg, 13.4 TORate, 6.0 FD/40
F/C - Michael Washington, 6-9, JR, Arkansas ; 110.1 ORtg, 12.8 OR%, 23.5 DR%

Patrick Patterson is the SEC's returning player of the year; he was the league's most efficient offensive weapon last season, helped by an excellent 60% from the field and strong rebounding at both ends of the floor. Downey was easily the SEC's best in steals last year, and, while his shooting isn't great, he's also quite strong at running the offense, one of the conference's best in assists. It's a sign that there aren't a lot of returning elite guards that Taylor manages to make the team. Smith is an effective rebounder who rarely turns it over, and could be alot better if he stops taking three-pointers. Washington is a great rebounder who can chip in well offensively, but could use some better free-throw shooting.

2nd team
G - Chris Warren, 5-10, SO, Mississippi ; 110.0 ORtg, 14.3 TORate
G - Jermaine Beal, 6-3, SR, Vanderbilt ; 116.7 ORtg, 15.0 TORate
F - Tasmin Mitchell, 6-7, SR, Louisiana St. ; 113.0 ORtg, 53.4 eFG%
F - Jarvis Varnado, 6-9, SR, Mississippi St. ; 110.8 ORtg, 20.9 DR%, 15.3 Blk%
C - A.J. Ogilvy, 6-11, JR, Vanderbilt ; 106.2 ORtg, 21.1 DR%, 6.3 Blk%, 7.0 FD/40

Warren played just 11 games last year, but has huge potential after returning from an MCL tear. He should be Ole Miss' go-to-man on the offense, and had a very good A/TO ratio last season. Beal is a very solid guard who guard who doesn't turn it over much, and shoots over 40% from behind the arc. His team-mate Ogilvy is a pretty solid rebounder and shot-blocker who is one of the nation's best at forcing fouls. Varnado has, rightfully, made his name as the country's best shot-blocker, but he's also an excellent rebounder who rarely tursn the ball over and is good at getting to the line.

Site Format Change

With the new season just days away, I've changed the site's format (link is accessible on the left). Clicking on the 'ratings' link will now take you to some PHP generated tables, which is a lot more efficient for me than the unwieldy way I was doing it before.

Championship Game Preview

Sorry for the long gap in posts, real life unfortunatley intervened on my time, anyways, here's a preview of the final.

Evan Dorey’s game previews & rankings are based on Elo Ratings. Elo Ratings are fairly simple, all teams are assigned an initial number of points, which is the same for all teams, eliminating preseason bias. Then, as the season progresses, when a team wins it gains points, and when it loses it drops points. The amount of points that are gained or lost depend on the level of the opponent (beating a cupcake gets you little, beating #1 will be a big increase), the scoring margin of the game (which is capped), and the game’s location. To take a look at Evan’s College Basketball Elo Ratings, visit his website or blog where he discuss the rankings, along with other statistical observations about big games and interesting teams.

After #1 North Carolina (33-4, 13-3) defeated #2 Michigan St. (31-6, 15-3) by 35 in early December, it seemed somewhat absurd to suggest that we might see a rematch of that game in Detroit. Four months later, though, that’s exactly what we’ll get, as the ACC and Big Ten champions will contest the national championship game.

North Carolina’s closest game in the tournament thus far came against Oklahoma, a 12-point victory; the Tar Heels have cruised through all of their games, and not faced any kind of close finish. LSU were the only team to stay with them in the second half, but a run down the stretch easily put the Tigers away. Michigan St. has had to survive a couple of late challenges, as games with both USC and Kansas came down to the final minutes. The Spartans’ last two games saw them pull away from quality Big East teams, and they will have a partisan crowd at their backs in this game.

There’s not a whole lot that can be learned from the December blowout, especially since Michigan St. was playing without big man Goran Suton at the time. The Heels shot nearly 50% from the field in that game, while holding Michigan St. to just 35%, but the biggest difference was probably turnovers, as UNC committed just 9 to the Spartans’ 21. Tyler Hansbrough went off for 25-and-11, but he’ll find the going more difficult inside with Suton in the game.

North Carolina has had the country’s best offense; shooting well from long-range, but getting most of its chances inside the arc, especially in transition. The Heels also do an excellent job of holding onto the ball and are strong on the offensive glass, meaning that they manage to convert most of their possessions into high-percentage chances. Even when their shooting is only average, as it was in the Villanova game, their ability in other offensive areas allows them to stay fairly efficient. Michigan St. seemed like it would have trouble on the inside, based on its performance over the season, but has defended excellently during the tournament, holding UConn under 45% and Louisville to under 40% on two-point shots. The really positive thing for the Spartans is that these two games were played at very different paces, suggesting that they’ll be comfortable at a wide range of speeds. They should cause trouble for UNC on perimeter shots, and will face a tough battle on the defensive glass, but their ability to control the Heels’ chances in transition will be key.

Tom Izzo’s teams have a reputation for being strong on the glass, and this year’s Michigan St. offense is no exception, getting back 41% of its missed shots. The problem it’s had is that there are often a lot of misses, as the Spartans shoot under 50% inside the arc, where the majority of their shots are taken. The misses may not hurt that much, however, since North Carolina are not particularly good at defending the glass, including allowing Villanova to grab nearly 40% of misses on Saturday night. While turnovers were decisive in the first game, the Heels haven’t forced that many in the NCAA tournament, and they likely won’t get the same magnitude of advantage in this game. North Carolina has been strong defending shots over the last few games, including holding Villanova to just 33% from the field, and allowing just 14-of-69 from behind the arc in its last three games. With a rebounding deficit a likely possibility, keeping up this defensive run will be critical to keepng the Michigan St. offense under wraps.

No player in the country is as efficient as UNC’s Ty Lawson, who can score inside and outside and runs the Carolina offense like clockwork. He’s the best player left in the tournament, and Carolina’s title hopes will be heavily tied to his performance. He was the game’s top scorer against Villanova, and came within range of a triple-double, a feat he also came close to in the first Michigan St. game. Tyler Hansbrough leads the Heels in scoring and rebounding, and has been solid at generating inside shots and chances from the line without turning the ball over. His offensive game hasn’t been that great of late, but he’s still a significant threat, and Michigan St. will need to do a better job of containing him than in the teams’ first encounter. Junior Wayne Ellington is another excellent scoring option who shoots very well and doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. He wasn’t great against Oklahoma, but lit up Villanova from behind the arc. Danny Green is a good long-distance shooter, while Deon Thompson doesn’t chip in with a lot of offense, but is solid when called upon. Ed Davis could be a very important player in controlling the Spartans on the boards: he has the team’s best rebounding rate. His offensive game is still a work in progress, but the advantage he can provide inside is significant.

I’ll admit I’m far from the biggest fan of Michigan St.’s Kalin Lucas, but he stepped up when it mattered by scoring a game-high 21 against UConn. Lucas leads the Spartans in scoring and assists, and does a pretty good job of ball control, but his shooting can be suspect, barely at 40% from the field over the season. When he’s hitting threes, as he did on Saturday, that makes up for his poor shooting inside, but when he isn’t, he can end up wasting shots. The difference maker between the two meetings could very well be Goran Suton. Suton led the Big Ten in rebounding, and while he did little against UConn inside, he was very effective in Indianapolis, where he averaged nearly 20 points over the two games. Raymar Morgan answered all the questions about his fitness with a excellent 18-and-9 performance, which was further complemented by his career-high five steals. He was the only player to give UNC trouble in the first game, and will need a repeat performance to give Michigan St. a chance. Beyond these three, a fairly deep group of reasonably effective bench players get a good chunk of minutes for Michigan St., giving Tom Izzo a lot of potential options. Sophomore Durrell Summers is the team’s most effective long-range shooter, while freshman Delvon Roe is a good inside scorer and rebounder who has had trouble finding a consistent offensive level and struggles at the free throw line. These two combined for 14 rebounds against the Huskies. Travis Walton is 6-2, and is a good ball distributor who leads the team in steals, while taking almost all of his shots from inside the arc. Sophomore Chris Allen puts up a lot of shots, but is just barely average at making them. Korie Lucious scored 11 points in just 8 minutes against UConn, and Draymond Green has also chipped in effectively.

I’ll admit that before taking a hard look at the game, I’d written off the Spartans, but after analyzing the matchup, there’s definitely reason for Michigan St. fans to be optimistic. They will cause Carolina serious trouble on the glass, and have defended the inside well against quality opposition. Still, I think the Tar Heels have too much offensive talent, and that their pace of play will be able to unsettle the Spartans in a way that UConn couldn’t. North Carolina has also shown a lot of defensive ability in the last few games, and I think it will be able to hold Michigan St. off enough to cut down the nets.

Winner: North Carolina Margin: 5-9

Baylor's Kevin Rogers v. Virginia Tech

NCAA

Midwest Region
(1) Louisville 79, (9) Siena 72 @ Dayton, OH
(2) Michigan St. 74, (10) Southern California 69 @ Minneapolis, MN
(3) Kansas 60, (11) Dayton 43 @ Minneapolis, MN
(12) Arizona 71, (13) Cleveland St. 57 @ Miami, FL

The top 2 seeds received serious challenges, but both managed to survive, with Michigan St.'s close finish against USC the tightest game in the region.

Player of the Region: Arizona's Nic Wise, 5-7 FG, 10-10 FT, 5 Rbs, 8 Asts, 21 Pts


West Region
(3) Missouri 83, (6) Marquette 79 @ Boise, ID

Marquette had Dominic James in the line-up, but he was generally ineffective as the Golden Eagles managed to resist down the stretch and pick up the victory.

Player of the Region: Marquette's Jerel McNeal, 7-18 FG, 13-15 FT, 5 Rbs, 30 Pts


East Region
(1) Pittsburgh 84, (9) Oklahoma St. 76 @ Dayton, OH
(4) Xavier 60, (12) Wisconsin 49 @ Boise, ID

Pitt faced another tough game against Oklahoma St., but managed to get through it, and now face a Xavier team that poured it on late to finish off Wisconsin.

Player of the Region: Pittsburgh's Sam Young, 12-20 FG, 4-10 3P, 8 Rbs, 32 Pts


South Region
(3) Syracuse 78, (6) Arizona St. 67 @ Miami, FL

A disappointing show from James Harden, and excellent shooting from the Orange, saw them through to the Sweet Sixteen, thoroughly busting my bracket.

Player of the Region: Syracuse's Andy Rautins, 5-9 FG, 4 Rbs, 5 Asts, 17 Pts

Mar. 21st - Daily Recap

Baylor's Kevin Rogers v. Virginia Tech

NCAA

West Region
(1) Connecticut 92, (9) Texas A&M 66 @ Philadelphia, PA
(2) Memphis 89, (10) Maryland 70 @ Kansas City, MO
(5) Purdue 76, (4) Washington 74 @ Portland, OR

UConn and Memphis had very easy advancements, while Purdue faced a stiff challenge to hold off a late Washington charge.

Player of the Region: Washington's Jon Brockman, 9-14 FG, 18 Rbs, 20 Pts


East Region
(2) Duke 74, (7) Texas 69 @ Greensboro, NC
(3) Villanova 89, (6) UCLA 69 @ Philadelphia, PA

Villanova just crushed UCLA in Philadelphia, while Duke needed to hold on in the closing moments to keep Texas down.

Player of the Region: Villanova's Dante Cunningham, 7-11 FG, 10 Rbs, 18 Pts


South Region
(1) North Carolina 84, (9) Louisiana St. 70 @ Greensboro, NC
(2) Oklahoma 73, (10) Michigan 63 @ Kansas City, MO
(4) Gonzaga 83, (12) Western Kentucky 81 @ Portland, OR

Western Kentucky came very close to earning a second consecutive Sweet Sixteen berth, while Michigan and LSU's upset bids fell a fair bit shorter.

Player of the Region: Oklahoma's Blake Griffin, 14-20 FG, 5-10 FT, 17 Rbs, 33 Pts


NIT
(3) Baylor 84, (2) Virginia Tech 66 @ Blacksburg, VA

Baylor just destroyed the Hokies on their floor, and showed that their strong form from the Big 12 tournament has held on.

Player of the Day: Baylor's LaceDarius Dunn, 5-8 FG, 9 Rbs, 13 Pts

Mar. 20th - Daily Recap

USC's Taj Gibson v. Boston College

NCAA
Midwest Region
(1) Louisville 74, (16) Morehead St. 54 @ Dayton, OH
(2) Michigan St. 77, (15) Robert Morris 62 @ Minneapolis, MN
(3) Kansas 84, (14) North Dakota St. 74 @ Minneapolis, MN
(13) Cleveland St. 84, (4) Wake Forest 69 @ Miami, FL
(12) Arizona 84, (5) Utah 71 @ Miami, FL
(11) Dayton 68, (6) West Virginia 60 @ Minneapolis, MN
(10) Southern California 72, (7) Boston College 55 @ Minneapolis, MN
(9) Siena 74, (8) Ohio St. 72 @ Dayton, OH (2OT)

A huge day for the lower seeds in the Midwest, as there were a number of upsets, including Dayton going ahead and totally busting my bracket. The best game was a very entertaining Siena-Ohio St. double overtime game, with the Buckeyes falling in their home state.

Player of the Region: Southern California's Taj Gibson, 10-10 FG, 6 Rbs, 5 Asts, 24 Pts


West Region
(3) Missouri 78, (14) Cornell 59 @ Boise, ID
(5) Marquette 58, (12) Utah St. 57 @ Boise, ID

Marquette just barely survived a late charge from Utah St., while a game that was tight early broke towards Missouri in the second half.

Player of the Region: Missouri's Leo Lyons, 9-15 FG, 10 Rbs, 23 Pts


East Region
(1) Pittsburgh 72, (16) East Tennessee St. 62 @ Dayton, OH
(4) Xavier 77, (13) Portland St. 59 @ Boise, ID
(12) Wisconsin 61, (5) Florida St. 59 @ Boise, ID (OT)
(8) Oklahoma St. 77, (9) Tennessee 75 @ Dayton, OH

Wisconsin trailed heavily at the half, but staged a stirring comeback to force overtime and earn a victory. Pittsburgh was given a solid challenge by East Tennessee, while Oklahoma St. seized victories in the final minutes against the Vols.

Player of the Region: Pittsburgh's DeJuan Blair, 10-17 FG, 7-13 FT, 16 Rbs, 27 Pts


South Region
(3) Syracuse 59, (14) Stephen F. Austin @ Miami, FL
(6) Arizona St. 66, (11) Temple 57 @ Miami, FL

Syracuse had a farily comfortable win, but played even with the Lumberjacks in the second half, while Arizona St. needed to overcome a poor showing from James Harden to set-up a second round matchup.

Player of the Region: Temple's Dionte Christmas, 8-16 FG, 8-10 FT, 5-11 3P, 4 Rbs, 29 Pts


NIT
(1) Florida 74, (4) Miami FL 60 @ Gainesville, FL
(1) San Diego St. 70, (4) Kansas St. 52 @ San Diego, CA
(1) Auburn 74, (4) Tulsa 55 @ Auburn, AL

Player of the Day: Notre Dame's Luke Harangody, 9-20 FG, 8-10 FT, 11 Rbs, 26 Pts

The three home teams won, with all holding fairly comfortable margins as well.

Mar. 19th - Daily Recap

Roburt Sallie v. Cal St. Northridge

NCAA
West Region
(1) Connecticut 103, (16) Chattanooga 47 @ Philadelphia, PA
(2) Memphis 81, (15) Cal St. Northridge 70 @ Kansas City, MO
(4) Washington 71, (13) Mississippi St. 58 @ Portland, OR
(5) Purdue 61, (12) Northern Iowa 56 @ Portland, OR
(10) Maryland 84, (7) California 71 @ Kansas City, MO
(9) Texas A&M 79, (8) Brigham Young 66 @ Philadelphia, PA

A couple of mild surprises in the West, as underdogs Maryland and Cal advanced. Memphis, my national championship pick, got a tough run from Northridge that has to be at least a little worrying for its chances.

Player of the Region: Memphis' Roburt Sallie, 12-17 FG, 10-15 3P, 35 Pts

East Region
(2) Duke 86, (15) Binghamton 62 @ Greensboro, NC
(3) Villanova 80, (14) American 67 @ Philadelphia, PA
(6) UCLA 65, (11) Virginia Commonwealth 64 @ Philadelphia, PA
(7) Texas 76, (10) Minnesota 62 @ Greensboro, NC

Two tough games occurred in Philadelphia, with Villanova needing a big comeback to beat American and UCLA resisting a strong challenge from VCU. Duke and Texas had much easier their times.

Player of the Region: Villanova's Dwayne Anderson, 9-10 FG, 4-5 3P, 8 Rbs, 25 Pts


South Region
(1) North Carolina 101, (16) Radford 58 @ Greensboro, NC
(2) Oklahoma 82, (15) Morgan St. 54 @ Kansas City, MO
(4) Gonzaga 77, (13) Akron 64 @ Greensboro, NC
(12) Western Kentucky 76, (5) Illinois 72 @ Portland, OR
(10) Michigan 62, (7) Clemson 59 @ Kansas City, MO
(9) Louisiana St. 75, (8) Butler 71 @ Greensboro, NC

The 5-8 seed lines all took upsets on the opening day, with Michigan, WKU and LSU all advancing. Gonzaga trailed for a long time in its game with Akron, but turned it on the second half to pull to a victory.

Player of the Region: Louisiana St.'s Marcus Thornton, 10-15 FG, 6 Rbs, 30 Pts


NIT
(2) Notre Dame 70, (3) New Mexico 68 @ South Bend, IN
(2) Penn St. 83, (6) Rhode Island 72 @ State College, PA

Player of the Day: Notre Dame's Luke Harangody, 9-20 FG, 8-10 FT, 11 Rbs, 26 Pts

Notre Dame needed a good comeback to advance at home, while Penn St. had a safer victory.


CIT
Old Dominion 67, The Citadel 59 @ Norfolk, VA

Player of the Region: Old Dominion's Keyon Carter, 8-12 FG, 9 Rbs, 17 Pts

Old Dominion saw off the Citadel fairly easily in the day's only CIT game.