There is still one more day of games to play this weekend, so there is a chance that this can change. As of right now, though, the image that is going to stick in my mind for years to come when I think about the first weekend of this tournament is the late three pointer by Northern Iowa’s Ali Farokhmanesh. You know exactly the one I’m talking about. Kansas was looking like they were going to pull off a win that they really didn’t deserve when Farokhmanesh found himself oddly uncovered during a break. You could see the moment of thought crossing his eyes – he knew that he should dribble off some time, or pass the ball away because he was ice cold in the second half, but he was so wide open that he just pulled up and sank a dagger into the hearts of every Kansas fan on the planet. It was ruthlessly brilliant and totally unforgettable.
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Tag: NCAA Tournament
Thoughts and opinions added throughout Friday’s first round action:
– I love Xavier. This is a program that deserves more credit than they have received. This is their ninth tournament berth in the last 10 years, and in the last six years they made the Sweet Sixteen twice and the Elite Eight once. No matter what changes – personnel, coaches and so on – the team just keeps pluggiing along and doing their business. Their second half against Minnesota today has been incredibly impressive. Jordan Crawford has been a killer, and they have played with confidence and effectiveness. I can’t say enough good things about this team. Look out Pittsburgh.
Through the day I’ll add what I see and like:
-Every time I see Jimmer Fredette’s name I assume it’s a misprint. That’s one awkward name.
– Villanova is a mess. They are down by six at the half to Robert Morris. I assume that they’ll win this one, but they are not long for this world. Reynolds is supposed to be the savior, but he has been terrible in the half.
East Region
This region comes down to precisely one thing – do you buy into the hype about John Wall and Demarcus Cousins? Kentucky comes into this region as the best team, and they are in a good position to make the Final Four and beyond, but only if their fab freshmen are as good as people say they are. Personally, I buy the hype. We’ve seen some impressive accomplishments from freshmen in the tournament in recent years – especially one frosh point guard from Memphis – and Wall is in the same ballpark as those that have risen to the occasion before him. Wall also has the benefit of a coach who is very used to hitting the tournament with a freshman running the point, and he has a fairly easy pod to star the tournament and get his feet wet. The first round will be a joke, and the second round will put the Wildcats up against one of two chronically flawed, horrifically underachieving teams. There’s no drama en route to the Sweet Sixteen.
Midwest Region
The more I think about this region, the more interesting I find it. I still believe two things that are central to this region – that Kansas is the best team in this region, and one of the two best teams in this tournament. The challenges that Kansas faces in this tough group, though, significantly reduce their margin for error. This is probably the toughest bracket that any No. 1 team faces. In fact, it definitely is. The first round is obviously not a concern, but every game after that has a potential pitfall or two in it. UNLV is a decent team with wins over squads like Louisville, BYU (twice), and New Mexico. They could be dangerous. They may not even get out of the first round, though – Northern Iowa is an incredibly tough defensive team who controls the pace very effectively. Kansas will be challenged by either of those teams, though they should be able to win. After that, Kansas would face either probably the best No. 4 seed in the tournament in Maryland, who has the stone cold Greivis Vasquez leading the way, or the best No. 5 in the tourney, Michigan State, which has one of the very best coaches on the planet. Either of those teams will have five days to get ready for Kansas, and they will be ready for the challenge.
Continue reading “NCAA Tournament Preview – West and Midwest”
1. Somebody out there loves Duke. It’s certainly not me – I hate them. They have probably the easiest path to the Final Four. Their number two, Villanova, forgot how to win down the stretch and is probably seeded too high. Baylor is fun to watch, but probably in over their head as a three seed. I love Purdue, but without Robbie Hummel they are one player away from being a matchup challenge. Their biggest road bump potentially comes in the second round if Louisville gets past Cal in round one. There isn’t a team in the bracket that can keep up with Duke in their current form if the Blue Devils play their game.
Here’s the way it looks as the ACC’s UNC Tar Heels take on the Big Ten’s Michigan State—the Spartans have to stop the Heels. Is that possible? UNC has been consistently the best team in the country. As the odds play out, the Tar Heels are favored by 7.5 points. The best money line you can get on UNC is -360. The best you can get on the Spartans is +310.
1. The single most impressive performance I have seen in the tournament so far – and there have been a lot to chose from – was from Louisville’s Terrence Williams today. The guy plays a bizarre role – a forward who essentially commands play like a point guard. Today he did that to absolute perfection – he had 24 points and 15 rebounds, he dished out four impressive assists, and he had two steals that were like a punch inSiena’s gut. The Saints played a very good game, and they may have been able to pull off the miracle if it weren’t for Williams. Some people might be turned off by the scare that Louisville got today, but I have them picked to win it all, and the game to day only makes me happier that I did so.
I’ll update this with my thoughts as the games go along:
1. Syracuse didn’t look to be suffering at all from their conference tournament ordeal. In fact, they looked pretty darned good.
2. Two great finishes and exciting games overall in the wins by Marquette and Oklahoma State. Marquette got particularly lucky that Utah State’s two best players got fouled out down the stretch.
Ten things I think about today:
1. Woo-freaking-hoo! It had been 11 years since my beloved Michigan won a game, so I had forgotten how good winning feels. It wasn’t always pretty, and it was too tense at the end, but the important thing is that we ended up with more points than Clemson. Look out Oklahoma, we’re coming for you!
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