Women’s Finals Preview

And Then There Were Two

by Tracy Granzyk

With one more day of basketball left in the 2001-02 season the question still remains: “Can anyone beat UConn?” The Huskies, sporting a pristine 38-0 record, take on the Oklahoma Sooners in this year’s championship game. For Connecticut, this was the expected icing on a cake-walk season. The Huskies have been here, done that. They’ve won National Championships, appeared in the Final Four. Not much about Sunday’s final will be novel for the UConn women, except maybe the venue.

The Huskies line up includes four seniors, Ashja Jones, Swin Cash, Tamika Williams and Sue Bird. Sophomore, Diana Taurasi completes the roster. Of these five, four have been named All-Americans (Bird-1st team, Taurasi and Cash-2nd team, Jones-3rd team) and the fifth, Williams, received an honorable mention. Sue Bird has been named National Player of the Year, Naismith Award winner, Kodak All-American and ESPN The Magazine Point Guard of the Year. Taurasi and Cash were also named Kodak All-Americans, with Cash also picking up ESPN Magazine Swing Forward of the Year.

While there may be additional awards this team has accumulated, that is not the point. I mention it to emphasize the caliber of player behind this UConn team. But what is more impressive is that these elite athletes come out every game to play basketball. They don’t rest on their rankings or their accolades. They play the game with passion, finesse and a commitment that is reassuring. You see it in their seriousness as they show respect for each opponent. You see it in their smiles when they attain yet another lead that is comfortable.

Pick any sport or any top team, men or women, and show me the same consistent ability to back up the hype. In a time when many athletes’ goals take on a financial or celebrity slant, the Lady Huskies are a refreshing and encouraging departure from the new age athlete. They play without cockiness or pretense, though they have accomplished more than enough to inflate weaker egos. Keep an eye on these women, they are special. If they can take only some of what they’ve exemplified through basketball into the world their potential is limitless.

With players of this quality, it’s easy to forget to credit the coach. Or maybe it is just Coach Geno Auriemma’s style to pass on drawing attention to himself. It could be that his players are so grounded because they are being led by someone who teaches by example. While guiding the Huskies to an almost complete perfect season, Coach Auriemma has also picked up a few national recognitions along the way, including the Naismith Award and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association/Russell Athletic Division I National Coach of the Year. Whether or not the Huskies cap this season with a National Championship they have proven all season long that they are indeed champions.

For Oklahoma, this is a season of firsts. The Sooner women reached the Final Four for the first time not only in the school’s history, but in the history of the Big 12 conference as well. The women’s basketball program, which was almost dropped from the school’s NCAA sport repertoire, has been turned around, to say the least, over Coach Sherri Coale’s six year career. Oklahoma’s current 32-3 record is a long way from her first year’s 5-22 team. But can the Sooners complete the season with a National Championship and major upset of a team that is easily the best in women’s NCAA basketball?

Oklahoma is directed on court by repeat All-American point guard Stacey Dales. With her precision passing and crafty way of seeing the whole floor, Dales can easily create scoring opportunities. When she isn’t finding the open player she can also hit net, evidenced by a 16.9 point per game average. While the Bird-Dales match up is an easy one to draw attention to, Oklahoma is not just Dales.

Backcourt-mate LaNeishea Caufield is also a scoring threat, averaging 17.5 points per game. Some of those baskets may be a result of her team leading 93 steals. Caufield, one of the NCAA’s most recognized freshmen in 1999, has maintained that high level of play over her career at Oklahoma. The Sooner roster is rounded out by forward, Caton Hill, also scoring in double figures with a 12.8 average, guard Rosalind Ross, averaging 11.4 and coming off a career-high 26 point game against Duke, center Jamie Talbert and reserve Dionnah Jackson.

NIT Finals Recap

NIT Finals Recap

by Phil Kasiecki

In the NIT Championship game on Thursday night, Memphis shot 49%#37; from the field and held South Carolina to just 34.3%#37; shooting en route to taking home the NIT title with a 72-62 victory at Madison Square Garden.

The Tigers got a huge night from an unexpected source of offense: center Earl Barron. Normally a defensive specialist on the post, Barron had 25 points on 11 of 14 shooting and hauled down seven rebounds, and was complemented by tournament MVP DaJuan Wagner, who had 16 points.

Rolando Howell had 20 points and 15 rebounds for South Carolina, but he was the only one who really got going for the Gamecocks. Starting guards Aaron Lucas and Jamel Bradley each shot 3 for 10 from the field, and Chuck Eidson missed all seven of his field goal attempts. Tony Kitchings’ 4 for 13 effort in the middle also hurt this team.

After losing in the NIT title game last season, the Tigers won despite 18 turnovers, 10 from the starting backcourt of Anthony Burks and Wagner. They finish the season 27-9, and for the next month or so, the question will be whether or not Wagner will come back for another year. When he was taken out of the game in the final minute, Memphis fans were chanting “One more year”.

In the consolation game that started the evening, Temple took third place with a 64-54 win over Syracuse. The Owls held Syracuse scoreless for over six minutes in the second half, and won the game at the foul line: they made 20 of 23, while Syracuse made just 8 of 21 free throws. The teams combined to shoot just over 36%#37; from the field.

Indiana-Oklahoma

Round Table Discussion – Indiana – Oklahoma

Overview:
The pre-game hype might belong to Kansas-Maryland, but the Hoosiers and Sooners will still make for some intriguing action. Indiana is this year’s version of your typical NCAA Tournament party crasher. They finished the regular season with a modest record, lost in the early stages of it’s conference tournament, entered the NCAA’s as a five seed and proceeded to advance to the Final Four with some stellar play (all those threes against Kent State) and a little luck (hey, I’d rather play UNC-Wilmington instead of USC and Kent State instead of Pitt, too). Speaking of UNC-Wilmington and Kent State, the Hoosiers have capitalized on playing low seeds in the tournament and will now have a chance to prove if their first Final Four appearance in 10 years is no fluke.

But one has to wonder if seeds had held true to form, would Indiana have made it past the second round after a match-up with Southern Cal? But hey, the Hoosiers did survive the Dukies, so they have proven they can play with the big boys. Playing in the rough and tumble Big Ten would get most any team ready for Big Dance success, though.

Oklahoma has to be the quietest 30-plus win team in the history of the NCAA tournament. OK, maybe not, but you have to figure they’re close. Although they have the misfortune of playing in the same conference as Kansas, they still can prove they are indeed the best in the Big Twelve.

The Sooners have reached the final weekend of the college season thanks in part to their suffocating brand of defensive-minded basketball. They bang you, they bruise you and most of all, they demoralize you. But this isn’t a one-dimensional team by any stretch of the imagination. The Sooners are tough on the blocks and can be deadly on the perimeter. Proof of this can be seen throughout tournament play as Oklahoma has kept their foot on the gas pedal. The Sooners first slammed on this pedal when they up-ended Kansas in the Big Twelve conference tournament final. That win over the Jayhawks served notice to the entire country that the Sooners are for real, and not just for real, but, FOR REAL.

Oklahoma’s game against Indiana on Saturday may be a case of the irresistible force against the immovable object. The Hoosiers will want to open up the inside thus enabling them to find good long-range looks. The Sooners will do anything in their power to cut off any perimeter success for Indiana and dare the Hoosiers to beat them inside. The Hoosiers may be bigger, but are they tougher?

If the Hoosiers can withstand the pounding they are bound to receive from the Sooners and shoot like they have been, Indiana vs. Oklahoma may be Saturday’s best.

In Part II of our Round Table discusison, Hoopville’s staff writers analyzed Saturday’s game. Here is the transcript of their discussion:

Keys to the Game – Indiana

Adam Shandler: For Indiana, it’s all about defense. They used a crafty double team rotation system against Duke that forced the Blue Devils to rotate the ball more and make one more predictable pass.

Adam Reich: Indiana needs to take care of the ball against Oklahoma. With Tom
Coverdale, their best ballhandler, suffering from an ankle injury, Indiana
will have to rely on Dane Fife, Kyle Hornsby and freshman guard Donald Perry
to handle the rock. Oklahoma plays terrific defense, and their pressure
could force numerous Hoosier turnovers.

Jon Gonzalez: For the Hoosiers to come out on top, they must mix up their game plan and punch Oklahoma in the mouth by playing tough on the blocks early.

Michael Ermitage: That, and making three point shots at a good percentage, at least forty percent.

Brian Seymour: What’s key is maintaining the balance between the Hoosiers inside and outside game, which has led to its run to the Final Four. The Hoosiers have had four different players lead the team in scoring each game and that kind of balance speaks to what has got them here.

David Mosse: Yes, but the biggest question mark heading into this game is the health of Hoosiers guard Tom Coverdale, who injured his ankle in the regional final victory against Kent State. If Coverdale is unable to play, Indiana stands very little chance against the powerful Sooners who have quietly emerged as perhaps the best team in the country.

Keys to the Game – Oklahoma

Seymour: Oklahoma needs to dictate the tempo of the game and pound the smaller, less athletic Hoosiers incessantly. In short, they need to jump on them from the opening tip and not let Indiana’s outside shooters get hot.

Gonzalez: For Oklahoma, their success starts and ends with their defense. The Sooners have been tough on everyone and Saturday looks to be no different. Indiana has been shooting the lights out of late and Oklahoma has to put the brakes on IU’s shooting. The Sooners are going to have to lock up the perimeter and dare Dane Fife and company in penetration and inside looks.

Mosse: The Sooners will continue to ride the impressive outside shooting of Hollis Price and Ebi Ere.

Ermitage: Yes, but keeping Dane Fife off of Hollis Price is the key. Fife is a sticky defender and the Sooners need Price for the offense to be effective.

Reich: Oklahoma has to continue to hit the boards hard. Indiana is thin on the
front-line with Jared Jeffries and Jeff Newton. These guys do not have the
bulk to body up with Aaron McGhee and Jabahri Brown on the glass. If the
Sooners send three or four to the offensive glass they could get some
easy second chance buckets.

Shandler: OU has four guys who own the boards and that’s going to be essential if Hollis Price has an off shooting night. But I don’t expect Price to have an off shooting night.

The Matchups

Mosse: Hollis Price against Tom Coverdale is the matchup to watch.

Shandler: Right. We all know that Hollis Price is going to go off in this game but to what extent? Coverdale is a solid defender and he’ll at least have to make Price work for every pass and shot. Look for all the Hoosiers to get involved in covering Price.

Ermitage: But it will be Fife’s job to shut down price. The Hoosiers have a plethora of big men to slow down Aaron McGhee but if Fife can’t stop Price, then the Sooners will be tough to beat. Also, Fife will need to still maintain an offensive presence despite the enormous chore of chasing Price around all day.

Phil Kasiecki: It’s Jared Jeffries against Aaron McGhee. They are two of the toughest players in the country to guard, as both can score on the post and both can step away from the basket and hit from outside. Both can rebound well and run the floor, so it will be interesting to watch these similar basketball players.

Seymour: These two players should be matched up against each other quite a bit and share a lot in common. Both play taller than they are, both have a nice outside shot and both are key offensive contributors. If either can be held under 15 points, it’ll be a big step for their opposition.

Reich: Jeffries is Indiana’s only real inside threat, while McGhee is Oklahoma’s best scorer in the post. Each has been prone to foul trouble, so a couple quick
ones on one could mean a big game for the other.

Gonzalez: Plus, Jeffries has the ability to take over a game and will be a tough draw for McGhee. McGhee is used to premier post-players – he did go up against Drew Gooden and Kansas, so he will be ready. But if Jeffries can open it up and makes some intermediate shots, McGhee will have work ahead of him.

Player to Watch – Indiana

Kasiecki: For the Hoosiers, Tom Coverdale will hold a key to how they do. The point guard was the South region Most Outstanding Player and has run this team well all season by taking good care of the ball and scoring on occasions where the opportunity presents itself. His status is still uncertain at press time, but as the point guard of this team he will be a big key to the outcome.

Seymour: I think that goes without saying. Will he play? How much will he play? At what level will he play? If he can give the Hoosiers even 20 minutes at near full ability, it’ll be a huge boost for an already outmatched Indiana team.

Shandler: The best player for Indiana has to be Jared Jeffries. He’s long and gaunt but he’s versatile, and even at 6-10, he has the skills to play all five positions on the floor.

Reich: Expect Jeffries to have a big game. He is too quick for the bigger
McGhee, and if the Sooners try to neutralize his quickness he could muscle
a smaller defender on the block.

Gonzalez: I think the key is Jarrad Odle. Odle is a monster on the boards and has been coming on strong of late. His tenaciousness on the offensive boards could lead to a lot of put backs. This is key since OU plays so tough on D.

Ermitage: Yes, but it seems that Kyle Hornsby is the unknown offensive catalyst for the Hoosiers. When he’s hitting threes, it seems to open the offense up.

Player to Watch – Oklahoma

Reich: Watch for guard Hollis Price to have a big game for Oklahoma. He has been
shooting the three remarkably well thus far in the tournament, and his
quickness cannot be matched by any of the Hoosier guards. Whoever gets the
assignment of covering Price will have his hands full.

Seymour: I was in Norman in January and the Sooner fans are crazy about this kid, he can shoot the lights out and isn’t afraid to take big shots. If he gets hot, Indiana is cooked.

Shandler: We’ve blown enough smoke up Hollis Price’s skirt, and with good reason. But OU has another big gun in Aaron McGhee. He’s 6-8, 250 – a whole lotta man – who’s been averaging 15 points and almost 8 boards a game. Between him and Ebi Ere, the Hoosiers will get brutalized underneath.

Ermitage: I think Aaron Mcghee. He has been dominant throughout the tournament but may face his stiffest test in the long-armed Hoosiers. He is capable of bringing his game outside and must against the tall front line of IU.

Gonzalez: Ebi Ere can get to the basket and will give Indiana fits with his scoring ability.

Kasiecki: For Oklahoma, watch Quannas White. As he has been all season, he was the real unsung hero of their regional final win. He ran the show perfectly and played excellent defense on Clarence Gilbert of Missouri. He has played very well of late, and complements Hollis Price well in the backcourt. In the NCAA Tournament, he has a 3.6 assist/turnover ratio.

Players on the Rise

Reich: Oklahoma swing man Ebi Ere should get a number of open looks when Price
and guard Quannas White drive and kick. He can get hot quickly, as he did
against Xavier in the second round. Ere is also a tremendous rebounder who
can grab offensive boards over smaller guards. He should be considered
a serious scoring threat in this game.

Seymour: Quannas White hasn’t been mentioned a lot, but he’s coming into his own as a point guard and can also hit some big shots when called on.

Shandler: When you have a guy like Hollis starting at the point, it’s okay if your backup is “good enough”. Well, Qannas earned Kelvin Sampson’s respect on Sunday against Mizzou. He had 12 points, 7 assists.

Gonzalez: A.J. Moye. The Sooners will be tough on the perimeter, so IU will need guys to step up and force their way inside. Moye is the type of player who can get past the Oklahoma pressure and find his way to the hoop. Moye has the chance to give the Hoosiers much needed points off penetration.

Ermitage: Every championship team has an A.J. Moye. Not much he does shows up in the final box, but his energy often changes the complexion of games. Much like Quannas White, Moye will annoy and harass the IU perimeter, potentially shutting down a lethal IU long-range attack.

Shandler: Moye is the reason IU beat Duke. Did you see that block he put on Boozer? He’s everywhere. You may even see him guarding Hollis Price on an occasion or two.

Players on the Decline

Kasiecki: If anyone on this deep Sooners team could hurt them by himself, it might be Jason Detrick. In the NCAA Tournament, he has scored just 14 points on 4 of 19 shooting and has also been in foul trouble, thus limiting his minutes.

Reich: If Tom Coverdale plays Saturday, he will be playing on a very sore ankle.
He didn’t shoot the ball well against Duke, and with the lightning quick
Price hounding him don’t expect his shooting to get any better. His ankle
will be tested and don’t be surprised if he fails this test.

Shandler: Which Tom will we see? The Duke Tom or the Kent St. Tom? He can’t have a soft day on Saturday. Defensively, he’ll have to have his best game.

Seymour: Dane Fife played really well against Kent, but if Coverdale can’t go, he’s going to be called upon to do a lot more scoring than he’s accustomed to against a tough defensive team. I don’t think he’s up to it.

Gonzalez: Fife has been great of late, but is vulnerable. OU’s Hollis will make Fife work for everything and force Fife into mistakes. Fife has to be very careful with the ball and hold his turnovers to a minimum.

Ermitage: Jared Jeffries – when you are the star who has tossed around NBA talk, you better show up in big games. For Oklahoma, much has been made of the Sooners’ “d” but if IU connects on enough three-pointers, all fingers will be pointed at the Oklahoma bench.

Seymour: And, for Oklahoma, it could be anyone who goes to the foul line. OU shot a nauseating 44% from the stripe against Missouri. Hollis Price went 6 for 13, Ere, 6 for 11.

Coach’s Strategy

Gonzalez: Indiana will come out and initiate a presence inside. Jeffries, Hornsby, Odle and Newton will all get touches as IU will try to put its stamp on the paint. In playing tough on the blocks, IU will hopefully open up some outside looks. While the Hooisers may have early success, the Sooners will wear down the IU big men and turn the Hoosiers into a one-dimensional, three point shooting team. The Hoosiers will make their fair share, but also miss a bunch, thanks in part to the Sooner pressure D.

Kasiecki: Look for Oklahoma to go with what got them here: good defense, hustle plays, athleticism, and good balance and depth. The Hoosiers will need to play their usual good defense, but more importantly play good ball control offense and make shots. Turnovers could kill them in this game, and they can’t let Oklahoma get second shots because the Sooners rebound well and likely won’t let the Hoosiers get second shots of their own. They won’t have another game like the regional final from three-point range (where they made 15 of 18), but they will have to shoot the ball well and make the Sooners work on defense.

Seymour: I think Kelvin Sampson is going to pound the ball down low for the first 10 minutes to try and get Jeffries in foul trouble. With Jeffries out, Oklahoma would walk all over the Hoosiers.

Ermitage: Will Sampson double-down on Jeffries and open up IU’s perimeter game? The ability to shut down Jeffries one-on-one will go a long way in sending the Sooners to Monday’s game.

Reich: A key decision in this game will be whether coach Mike Davis is willing
to put the ball in the hands of freshman point guard Donald Perry. With
Coverdale suffering from the ankle sprain, Perry may need to see significant
minutes. Perry has been shaky at times, and playing a freshman point guard
in the Final Four could be risky.

Mosse: Look for Indiana coach Mike Davis to entrust Dane Fife, the Hoosiers best defender, with the responsibility of shadowing Hollis Price. The Oklahoma’s point guard’s scorching play has been the catalyst for the Sooner run to the final four. Expect a slower paced game than the other semifinal.

What to Watch For

Ermitage: This will be a physical game won in the paint. IU has yet to see a team that defends like Oklahoma and will be pushed around, both inside and out. It is exactly the kind of team that IU struggles against. Oh, and another thing: Mike Davis – Coach of the Year.

Reich: Will the Hoosiers be able to keep up their remarkable three-point
shooting? After hitting 15 of 19 treys against Kent State, Indiana will be
looking forward to hoisting them up against the Sooners. But will they be
falling in Atlanta is the question. Oklahoma will be fired up for this game. The Sooners are playing for Kelvin Sampson’s father who was hospitalized because of a brain aneurysm.

Kasiecki: If Jeffries can get McGhee in foul trouble, some things could open up since McGhee is important to the Sooners at both ends, as illustrated by the way he almost single-handedly put away Missouri in the regional final when he came off the bench after sitting with foul trouble for most of the second half.

Gonzalez: Basically, OU will squeeze the life out of Indiana and put an end to the Hoosier’s dream season. In the process, Hollis Price will shoot the lights out, and Ebi Ere and Aaron McGhee will get theirs too as the Sooners also lay into Indiana’s defense, rendering the Hoosiers useless in all facets of the game.

Mosse: The Hoosiers are unlikely to drain their three’s in the same manner they did against Kent State and their rugged Big Ten brand of basketball should slow down the Sooners. Foul trouble could play a factor in deciding the winner. Oklahoma continues to receive very little respect nationally. Despite having already defeated both Kansas and Maryland this season, some “experts” have seen fit to call the Jayhawks-Terrapins match-up the real national championship game. Look for Kelvin Sampson to use this as a motivating force for his team in Atlanta. The Sooner are a talented team, with a chip on their shoulder. A combination that will make them difficult to beat.

Seymour: I expect Oklahoma to change strategies and defenses on a dime to keep Indiana on their toes. The Sooners are a small team, but much more athletic than Indiana. If they try to turn the game into a track meet, it’ll be hard for Indiana to keep up, if they don’t, it’ll be hard for Indiana to pound Oklahoma down low. Indiana should be happy it got a favorable draw to get this far. The Hoosiers played a heck of a game against Duke (which choked repeatedly to give Indiana a chance), but the ride ends here.

Predictions

Michael Ermitage: Oklahoma 67, Indiana 61

Jon Gonzalez: Boomer Sooner, Oklahoma 91 Indiana 69

Phil Kasiecki: It’s been a great run for Mike Davis and Indiana, but the Sooners will end it here with too much athleticism, hustle and depth. Oklahoma 75, Indiana 60

David Mosse: Oklahoma 78, Indiana 65

Adam Reich: Oklahoma 80, Indiana 70

Brian Seymour: Oklahoma is going to nuke the Hoosiers back to 1987. Oklahoma 87, Indiana 59

Adam Shandler: klahoma has earned my respect. They ripped through the toughest bracket in the tourney with only 7 players making substantial contributions. The run is over for the Hoosiers, but I’m sure most of America is thanking them for beating Duke. I just don’t think Mike Davis’s club will have a full tank of gas for OU. Give me the Sooners, 79-61

NIT Finals Preview

NIT Finals Preview

by Phil Kasiecki

Tuesday night, the semifinals of the NIT were held at Madison Square Garden with two games that were as good as advertised. One came down to the final seconds, the other saw one team pull away in the closing minutes.

In the first game, Memphis got 32 points from DaJuan Wagner on a good shooting night (12 of 18 including 5 of 6 on three-pointers), but they needed to hold off the Temple Owls at the end to advance to the championship game with a 78-77 victory. The Tigers got a solid effort from Chris Massie as well (14 points and 13 rebounds, 10 offensive), while the Owls made it a close one without star point guard Lynn Greer. They had three chances in the final seconds, but each shot rolled off.

Both teams shot well from the field, they had just 10 turnovers each, but neither team did a good job of boxing out: the two teams combined for nearly as many offensive rebounds as defensive rebounds. Kevin Lyde and Ron Rollerson combined for just three defensive rebounds for the Owls, never a good sign for this team. Alex Wesby played a superb game, and Brian Polk played well, but the Owls just didn’t have enough.

The nightcap started with both teams wearing home white uniforms before Syracuse put on their road jerseys since South Carolina did not bring their road jerseys. In the end, the Gamecocks pulled away in the closing minutes for a 66-59 victory.

Aaron Lucas led a balanced attack for the Gamecocks, while Preston Shumpert not only struggled late after playing well for a while (he finished with 28 points), but he did not have much help, and that was the key. Kueth Duany had 15 points, but others did not support Shumpert as needed: DeShaun Williams had five points on 2 of 7 shooting and four turnovers, Hakim Warrick had four points and four rebounds in just 18 minutes after starring in their quarterfinal win, and James Thues had as many turnovers as assists. The Orangemen’s frontcourt did very little offensively, while Tony Kitchings and Ivan Howell were solid for the Gamecocks as they combined for 31 points and 18 rebounds.

The championship game will feature Memphis for the second straight season. The Tigers were thought by many to be one of the nation’s better teams back in the preseason, but few quality wins and a so-so finish led to their appearance in the NIT. The Gamecocks, on the other hand, had more modest preseason projections, as many figured they might be an NCAA bubble team and they lived up to that.

Both teams have made it this far playing well; neither has played an easy schedule and they have won by playing well, as opposed to getting opponents on bad nights for them. The Tigers certainly have a talent edge, but the Gamecocks have a slight experience edge. Both teams have had good backcourt play and have taken care of the ball to get this far, and their frontcourts have played well.

This is a tough game to call. If DaJuan Wagner has a good night shooting the ball, the inside game should open up for the Tigers more, but the Gamecocks are a good defensive team. Nonetheless, the Tigers got past a good defensive team in Temple in the semifinal and should have enough to take the NIT title home. Look for this to be a low-scoring, physical game, without a lot of transition basketball even though both teams are capable of playing that style.

Prediction: Memphis takes it in a close one, 68-65.

Kansas-Maryland Round Table

Round Table Discussion – Kansas vs. Maryland

Overview:
The national championship-caliber semifinal between Kansas and Maryland figures to be a high scoring game, as it features the nation’s top scoring team in the Jayhawks and another in the top ten in scoring in the Terrapins. Both are also veteran teams with two of the best coaches around, and both are capable of playing up-tempo or half-court basketball.

The Jayhawks are quicker up front and deeper in the backcourt, while the Terrapins are stronger and deeper up front and have Final Four experience from last season. Both teams can play a physical style as well, so this game should feature periods with all kinds of play. It may start out up and down, then become a half-court game, or vice versa, and physical play might be the order of the game. This Kansas team is composed differently than past Jayhawk teams, which never had as much quickness and could not run with other squads like this one can. The Jayhawks got here most recently with a win over another high-powered offense, that of the Oregon Ducks, so going up against a good offensive team is nothing new, though Maryland is certainly a better team than Oregon.

Drew Gooden and Juan Dixon, both first-team All-Americans, are the go-to guys. They have been the primary catalysts for their respective teams all season long and will be counted on once again, and it will be a big challenge for each in this game. Dixon will likely be guarded by more than one Jayhawk during the course of the game in their deep backcourt, while Gooden will be up against a deep frontcourt with physical, more powerful players than he is.

Hoopville’s staff writers recently met to break down Saturday’s game. Here is the transcript of their discussion:

Keys to the Game – Kansas

Adam Shandler: The Jayhawks need to do exactly what they did against Oregon – make the game a forty-minute wind sprint. Oregon was only able to stay in that game because of hot shooting but ran out of legs in the home stretch because they weren’t as conditioned as Kansas. KU’s depth will allow a constant conveyor belt of action.

Adam Reich: I’ll agree to some extent there. Kansas has to play better perimeter defense against Maryland than they have thus far in the tournament. Stanford’s Casey Jacobsen hit the Jayhawks up for 25 points in the second round, while Oregon’s Freddie Jones tallied 32 in their elite eight matchup. Juan Dixon is capable of a big game,
especially with Kansas doubling down on Baxter and Wilcox in the post.

David Mosse: Ah, Juan Dixon. The Jayhawks must prevent Dixon from catching fire. Dixon, who became the Terps all-time leading scorer in the second round victory over Wisconsin, is capable of carrying a team to victory.

Brian Seymour: I concur – the Jayhawks must contain Juan Dixon. Actually this one is so important I’ll yell it – “CONTAIN JUAN DIXON!”. Kansas’ strong suit isn’t team defense, so if Dixon gets hot, he could hang 30 or more on the Jayhawks. If that happens…well, it’ll be a long flight back to Lawrence.

Michael Ermitage: Kansas needs to ensure that they’re taking care of the ball and keeping their big men out of foul trouble. It is their biggest advantage.

Keys to the Game – Maryland

Seymour: Maryland needs to maintain their composure. The Terrapins have built their entire season around facing Duke in the Final Four, so Kansas is actually quite a change from the Blue Devils. The Jayhawks are capable of scoring in bunches (as is Duke), but Maryland needs to be ready for a different game than what it was expecting. Kansas is faster than Duke, but also more prone to meltdown.

Ermitage: The Terps have to stay even on the boards and not allow second shot opportunities.

Mosse: Right. Maryland must contain the Jayhawks on the boards and prevent them from doing what they did to Oregon, which is completely overpower them inside. You want a stat? Kansas out rebounded 33 opponents this year by an average of 9 rebounds a game.

Reich: Maryland will need to pound the ball inside with big men Lonnie Baxter
and Chris Wilcox. They have a definite physical edge over the Kansas
frontcourt. In reserves Tahj Holden and Ryan Randle, Maryland has two more
forwards who can body up with Nick Collison and Drew Gooden on the interior.

Shandler: Definitely. The Terps must pitch their flag in the interior. If they get beat inside, the game is over. Collison and Gooden are going to try to move Baxter and Wilcox off the blocks, but Baxter and Wilcox are experienced enough underneath to stand pat. Maryland runs well but not as well as Kansas, however, they do play good defense. They’ll need great defense against Kansas and keeping the turnovers under 15 should be a goal.

The Matchups

Phil Kasiecki: There are really two key individual matchups in this game. One is in the backcourt with Kirk Hinrich and Steve Blake. Both players are very similar; they are capable playmakers, they shoot the ball well, and make big plays. Hinrich is a tougher player and does some things you don’t expect a guard to do, and he might have a slight edge.

The other is up front between Drew Gooden and Chris Wilcox, two very similar players. Gooden is more experienced and proven, but Wilcox has emerged in the latter part of the season and the tournament, and at 6’10″ with quick post moves he is a rarity – someone quick enough to compete with Gooden. This should be an intriguing individual matchup.

Seymour: The guard matchup – Maryland’s Juan Dixon and Steve Blake vs. Kansas’ Kirk Hinrich and Jeff Boschee. For my money, Maryland’s backcourt is the best in the country, but the Jayhawk duo is close. The question is whether Hinrich and Boschee will be able to adequately defend Dixon and Blake and whether the Terrapin backcourt will be able to prevent too many easy baskets for the Jayhawks.

Mosse: The real matchup is Nick Collison vs. Lonnie Baxter.

Ermitage: Totally. Collison crashes the boards like no other college player and has a variety of moves in the paint. Baxter, however, is very physical and could potentially put the foul-prone Collison on the bench.

Shandler: Not so much. It comes down to the point guard. Period. Blake vs. Hinrich. For Maryland, it’s all about getting across half-court and setting up quickly. For KU, it’s about receiving the inbounds and blazing down court for an easy dish. I think you might see more of Dixon at the point for Maryland. He’s a little quicker and craftier. Ditto for Boschee or Langford at Kansas. Keep in mind that Blake is Maryland’s leading rebounder in the tournament.

Reich: Well, actually the key matchup in this game is Kirk Hinrich vs. Juan Dixon. At 6-3, Hinrich will likely cover Dixon, instead of the 6-1 Boschee. Hinrich, who is
still feeling the effects of his injured ankle, will have his hands full
with Dixon. Maryland runs him off numerous screens and Dixon spots up on the
wing when the defense doubles the post. Also, Dixon is an all-conference
defender who will make life miserable for Hinrich with his quick hands and
anticipation.

Player to Watch – Kansas

Ermitage: Nick Collison – He’s got to stay out of foul trouble to give Kansas the much-needed inside advantage. It’s as simple as that.

Mosse: No it’s not. It’s Drew Gooden.

Shandler: Whenever it’s in doubt for Kansas, they call Gooden’s number. He’s an incredible leaper with great long arms who can shoot over most defenders, so that give him an advantage from long range. He is also, in my opinion the best overall athlete in this foursome.

Seymour: If the game turns physical, will Gooden be able to bang with the stronger Terps and stay out of foul trouble in the process? Gooden is the one guy Kansas can’t do without for long stretches at a time.

Kasiecki: But keep an eye on Keith Langford. The freshman swingman has turned it up of late with 35 points in the last two games on 12 of 14 shooting from the field. Could he be the upstart freshman who makes a difference alongside the veterans in this game?

Reich: Langford will have a big game. Everyone knows
Hinrich and Boschee can stroke the three if left alone on the perimeter.
However, when Langford is in the game the Terps will be more likely to double
Baxter and Wilcox on the inside. Open shots will be available for Langford,
and if he hits his first one he could get hot.

Player to Watch – Maryland

Seymour: Steven Blake. If the game is close down the stretch, Blake’s performance will be critical. He’s an excellent free throw shooter and will need to keep the ball in his and Juan Dixon’s hands. The pair will likely be money from the free-throw line.

Ermitage: Well, you mentioned the right player – Juan Dixon. He can take over a game at any point, he’s that good. If he’s on and decides to take over, it may not matter what Kansas does.

Shandler: Normally I would say Juan Dixon is the guy to watch, but I really feel that the Terps’ interior game, both offense and defense, is going to be the focus. Keep an eye on Lonnie Baxter and see if he can neutralize KU’s big men, who doubled Oregon’s rebounding total last Sunday.

Kasiecki: Baxter, a senior, has had some big games the last two seasons in the NCAA Tournament, and is fresh off that 29-point game in the regional final against the Huskies. He has proven himself to be a money player for the Terrapins and wants to win.

Reich: True, Baxter went to town on Connecticut in the elite eight, and Kansas will look to double him when he touches the ball. Because of this, Chris Wilcox should collect a number of weak-side rebounds and convert them into easy scores. Expect Wilcox to have a big game for the Terps.

Players on the Rise

Reich: Juan Dixon can dominate a game on both offense and defense. He will knock down most open looks and will create turnovers in the Maryland press.

Seymour: I think this is going to be the kind of game that makes a kid millions of dollars in the pros. Dixon has the potential to tear the Jayhawks up.

Shandler: I like Byron Mouton for Maryland. He can play the small forward or off-guard with equal ability but I think you’ll see him in more of an “under-the-rim” role. He’ll help out Wilcox and Baxter and offensively, he’ll help to move another forward away from the basket.

Ermitage: Chris Wilcox. So much talent ready to burst on a big stage. In an open game like this one, he may have some career numbers for the Terps.

Kasiecki: And we were saying how deep the Jayhawks are? Drew Nicholas is likely to be a key for the Terrapins. One of the better reserve guards in the country, he is the only real backup at either guard on this team, a potential problem given the backcourt depth the Jayhawks have. He’ll need to do a good job spelling Blake and Dixon for a few minutes here and there, especially if one of them gets in foul trouble.

Shandler: Kansas has an interesting player in freshman forward Wayne Simien. A big guy with a nice touch, Simien gets overlooked a lot because he only averages about 15 minutes a game. But look for more of him against Maryland because he shoots well from the line (74%) and is very, very physical.

Kasiecki: The real X-factor for the Jayhawks could be veteran Jeff Boschee. On this team of stars, he almost gets lost in the shuffle, but he’s a solid shooter who isn’t afraid to take a big shot and he’s also one of just two seniors on this team that plays significant minutes. He has made half of his three-point attempts thus far in the NCAA Tournament and shoots 46.5% from downtown on the season.

Ermitage: And, Boschee’s outside shooting was often the difference in close KU games this year (see the Texas victory).

Players on the Decline

Mosse: Maryland’s Steve Blake is definitely on the schnide.

Ermitage: He has had two tough tourney games in a row, if he has a third ending in a loss, it will be on his shoulders.

Kasiecki: If one player can make a difference in a negative way on Kansas’ deep team, it would have to be Hinrich, given his recent ankle injury. He looked fine last weekend and has always been someone who can play hurt, but the results last weekend were a little mixed: 6 of 13 shooting in the two games is not bad, but 3 assists and 7 turnovers is not what one has come to expect from him.

Reich: And Hinrich could have a tough day trying to get free with Dixon in his jock. He hasn’t shot the ball well in the tournament, and I don’t expect this trend
to change against Maryland.

Seymour: I like Drew Gooden a lot, but I don’t think he’s going to be able to get it done against the Terps’ frontcourt.

Coach’s Strategy

Reich: A key decision in this game could be whether Gary Williams chooses to
continually press the Jayhawks. By pressing the Terps he could wear down Hinrich and Boschee, as well as put added pressure on freshman guards Keith Langford and Aaron Miles.

Ermitage: It seems like a good strategy against a team that lacks a super ball handler outside of Aaron Miles. The problem is that Miles thrives in that situation.

Mosse: I think Gary Williams will likely employ a zone defense preventing the Jayhawks from getting the ball inside. He will gladly place the onus on Jeff Boschee and Kirk Hinrich to beat them from the perimeter. The pair can be very erratic from the outside.

Kasiecki: Along those lines, look for Maryland to try to pound the Jayhawks into submission on the low post with their deep frontcourt, especially with the emergence of Wilcox, and Baxter having proven to be a money player in the tournament. The Jayhawks should look to exploit their quickness and backcourt depth, especially since the Terrapins also don’t have a real backup for Byron Mouton at small forward and Langford has played very well of late.

Seymour: Generally speaking, Kansas does a lot deeper down the bench than Maryland, but I look for Gary Williams to substitute sparingly and give Dixon, Lonny Baxter and Chris Wilcox about 35-38 minutes apiece (unless there’s foul trouble or it’s a blowout). If they can stand the extra work, it’ll give the Terps a chance to exploit their physical advantage.

What to Watch For

Reich: Maryland is trying to win the first National Championship in the school’s
history, while Kansas’ Roy Williams is searching for his first National Championship in 14 years of coaching. This game has all the makings of a shoot-out. Maryland is scoring 85 points per game in the tournament while Kansas is averaging 92.

Mosse: Look for a fast-paced transition game with the possibility of both teams cracking the 90-point plateau. While Duke received all the press clippings, these were the two most rock-solid teams throughout the regular season. With both teams on a mission since the start of the season, this promises to be a classic.

Ermitage: This will be a track meet. And in every way it will be much the same way Duke-Maryland games have been in the recent past. The only problem for Maryland is that Kansas defends the paint much better than Duke does. This will be the key of the game.

Kasiecki: Well, during the sprints, there will be some switches on individual matchups over the course of the game. The Jayhawks will likely try more than one player on Dixon, while the Terrapins will probably switch around with who guards Gooden and Nick Collison since they have several options there.

Seymour: Deserved or not, neither of these two coaches have the best big-game reputation. This game will tell which one is ready for the spotlight. I agree, we’ll see key substitutions, especially late in the game and how each coach reacts if either team goes on a run. This should be one of the more entertaining games of the season, a true semifinal classic. If Maryland is nursing a lead at the end of the game, the Jayhawks are in trouble.

Predictions

Michael Ermitage: Kansas 94, Maryland 86. Maryland’s mid-season defensive problems rear their ugly head.

Phil Kasiecki: Kansas will have just enough to outlast the Terrapins in an electric atmosphere. Kansas 97, Maryland 92.

David Mosse: Kansas 94, Maryland 90.

Adam Reich: Maryland 88, Kansas 84

Brian Seymour: Maryland 87, Kansas 84. Dixon’s and Blake’s free throw shooting down the stretch will be the difference.

Adam Shandler:Kansas does not “fear the turtle.” The Jayhawks win it with their high-octane offense. Kansas 88, Maryland 75.

NIT Final Four Preview

NIT Final Four Preview

by Phil Kasiecki

The NIT is down to four teams, all from high-major conferences after mid-majors looked to make a statement with some early wins. With some teams that were snubbed from the NCAA Tournament, the NIT was their chance. The teams that are left include two that some feel should have gone and two that made late runs that fell just short in their conference tournaments.

Syracuse vs. South Carolina

In the first semifinal, Syracuse will take on South Carolina. The Gamecocks have played very well in the NIT behind the senior backcourt of Jamel Bradley and Aaron Lucas, while Syracuse has been led by senior Preston Shumpert, who had 36 points in their win over Butler. Both teams got here by virtue of easy wins in the quarterfinals.

Syracuse comes in with better offensive numbers, but South Carolina sports better defensive numbers. The Gamecocks also match up well with Syracuse up front, though they aren’t quite as athletic and the Orangemen may have an edge on the perimeter.

For the Gamecocks, one key will be containing Syracuse on the perimeter. The Orangemen have made it this far largely behind Shumpert, Deshaun Williams, Kueth Duany and point guard James Thues at the offensive end. Williams has not shot the ball as well and especially of late; the key with him is containing his penetration. Another key for the Gamecocks will be inside play. The Orangemen are young up front, and that could pose problems defensively since the Gamecocks have a more experienced frontcourt that can match up with them physically, though Hakim Warrick has improved as the season has gone along.

The Orangemen need their perimeter players to take care of the ball and make things happen. If they get some production inside, they will be difficult to beat.

Prediction: Syracuse advances to the championship in a close one.

Memphis vs. Temple
In the other semifinal, Memphis takes on Temple. Talent-wise, Memphis has a clear edge; they are more talented up front and on the perimeter, and deeper, than Temple. However, there is a reason the Tigers are in this tournament in the first place. These two teams met in December, with the Tigers winning by a score of 64-54 in a game where the teams combined to shoot just over 36% from the floor.

The Tigers have the edge in many statistical categories; they score 10 more points per game, haul down 7 more rebounds per game and shoot significantly better from the field. But they also turn it over three times more per game, and that could be a big key if they don’t shoot well against the trademark matchup zone defense of the Owls.

The Tigers figure to have a significant edge up front against the Owls, especially with their lack of depth, but that’s where the matchup zone could make the difference. Kelly Wise and Chris Massie (when he shows up) shoot almost 57% combined from the floor and Earl Barron, though not a major weapon, makes over half of his shots.

In the first meeting, the wings had it: Scooter McFadgon led Memphis with 22 points on 7 of 12 shooting, while David Hawkins had just 6 points on 2 of 14 shooting in his second game back after being academically ineligible. The inside players were non-factors offensively, though Wise had a game-high 16 rebounds.

If the Tigers control the boards, they may be able to get out and run, which could be a problem for Temple given their lack of depth and that Lynn Greer may not be 100%. Taking care of the ball is how Temple got here, as they had just 3 turnovers in the quarterfinal win against Villanova. In the first meeting, each team had 11 turnovers, but the point guards were a study in contrast: Greer had six assists and five turnovers, while Anthony Burks, the unsung hero of this team, had 11 assists and no turnovers.

All this, and we have not mentioned DaJuan Wagner. Memphis’ very talented wing will play a part in this game’s outcome, but he is just one player and not a superstar. He had 15 points on 6 of 14 shooting in the first meeting between these two teams, and Temple’s matchup zone could pose problems for him.

Prediction: Memphis comes out on top for the second time this season.

West Region Final

West Region Final

by Adam Reich

A Trip to the Final Four: PRICE-less

No. 2 Oklahoma 81, No. 12 Missouri 75

Hollis Price, the West Region MVP, scored a team-high 18 points and hit two
free throws with 6 seconds remaining to ice Missouri and send Oklahoma
to the Final Four for the first time since 1988.

Oklahoma withstood a number of comeback attempts to hold off fellow Big 12
member Missouri. Late in the first half Missouri overcame a nine-point
deficit to take a 32-31 lead. However, Price helped OU regain the momentum
by hitting a big three-pointer. He then added another trey just before
halftime as the Sooners went on a 10-1 run to close out the half and take
a 41-33 lead into the locker room.

A technical foul on Oklahoma head coach Kelvin Sampson sparked a 10-3
Missouri run that got the Tigers to within one at 54-53. Yet for every
Missouri run the Sooners had an answer. Down the stretch the Sooners made
two key defensive stops after a Kareem Rush trifecta had cut the Oklahoma
lead to 3. OU’s tough defense forced 14 Missouri turnovers and held the
Tigers to just 42% shooting from the floor. Missouri guard Clarence Gilbert,
who was deadly from beyond the arc in wins over Ohio State and UCLA,
shot only 1-for-16 from the floor, including 1 of 8 from three-point land.

The Tigers also hurt themselves at the charity stripe as they converted only
20 of 34 free throws (59%). Despite their horrendous numbers from the line,
Missouri managed to hang around because of Rickey Paulding (23 pts) and
Rush (17 pts).

Oklahoma didn’t shoot lights out either, but they did make 24 of 32 free
throws (75%) as well as 7 of 14 three-pointers. Guard Ebi Ere (17 pts),
McGhee (15 pts) and Quannas White (12 pts) all joined Price in double
figures for Oklahoma.

As the Final Four approaches, the majority of the attention has gone to
No. 1 seeds Kansas and Maryland. Some are even willing to concede the
National Championship to the winner of the Kansas-Maryland game. However,
the Sooners have to be considered a serious contender, if not the favorite.
Oklahoma crushed Maryland by 16 points earlier this season and beat Kansas
on a neutral court to win the Big 12 Tournament. They have won 16 of their
last 17 games and breezed through the toughest region in the tournament.
So before serenading the Terrapins or Jayhawks, remember, there is a team
from Norman, Oklahoma heading to Atlanta on a mission.

East Region Finals

East Region Finals

by Adam Shandler

No. 1 Maryland 90, No. 2 Connecticut 82

CBS’s Jim Nantz had a busy evening. Not only did he have to call play-by-play for the Maryland-UConn East Regional Final, he also had to count all those ties and lead changes. Maybe you caught the abacus when they cut to him and Billy Packer. For those counting at home, there were 24 of both.

Maryland got their biggest challenge of the tournament from the Huskies who used tempo and the three point shot to keep it nip-and tuck. The Terps never owned control of the game until the final seconds, when point guard Mark Blake nailed a trey with 25 tics left to give his team a somewhat comfortable 6-point lead.

Connecticut’s gnawing of the shot clock on each possession made Maryland antsy, and the Terps, waiting for their opponent to “just shoot already” watched Spaldings swish through the net or get rebounded and slammed by guys like Caron Butler and Emeka Okafor. UConn hit 8-of-19 3-pointers; 3-for-3 for Butler.

But Connecticut shifted into a zone defensively in the final minutes, and that allowed Maryland to carve up the Huskies both inside and outside. The Terps’s free throw shooting held up down the stretch. As a team, Gary Williams’s club was perfect on its last eight free throws in the final three minutes – 31 of 35 overall, blipped by Lonnie Baxter’s 15-18.

Baxter finished with 29 points, Juan Dixon scored 27. UConn’s Caron Butler led all scorers with 32 in spite of the losing effort.

Everything’s peachy in College Park. The Terps make their second straight Final Four appearance and will grapple with the Kansas Jayhawks next Saturday in Atlanta.

South Region Finals

South Region Finals

by Jon Gonzalez

No. 5 Indiana vs. No. 10 Kent State
Last year, after Indiana’s first round loss to Kent State in the NCAA Tournament, there were grumblings. Not that there hadn’t been doubts all year long about the interim coach who took Bobby Knight’s place, but a first round loss magnifies everything. Despite saving a season on the midst of collapse, Mike Davis was still viewed by many in Bloomington as the proverbial thumb in the dam, last ditch replacement until a better alternative is brought in. But after pleading and proving, Davis got a chance to keep his job and on Saturday night, displayed the ultimate proof of why he is fit to patrol the hallowed Indiana sidelines. Davis avenged his most disappointing loss in the NCAA Tournament with his most important victory, a fitting triumph over Kent State.

Behind a brilliant display of three-point marksmanship that saw Indiana make 15 of 19 long rangers (78.9 percent), Indiana defeated the Golden Flashes 81-69.

The Hoosiers were not to be denied in their first regional final since 1993. Indiana made 12 of their first 18 shots, including eight three-pointers and led by 20 with eight minutes to go in the first half. By the halftime mark, the Hoosiers were up 40-28.

Dane Fife led IU with 17 points while Kyle Hornsby chipped in with 16 points. Fife was also almost perfect from three-point land, converting five of six shots. As a team, the Hoosiers shot 64 percent from the field.

To Kent State’s credit, it’s not as if the scrappy Flashes played that bad, it was just that the Hoosiers were just too good. Kent tried to do a lot of things defensively but could not stop Indiana from making its shots. The Flashes thought they had found an answer when they shut down Indiana (24-11) for a stretch during a 13-0 run to push the score to 59-52 in the second half. But Indiana stopped the bleeding with a timely three pointer.

Antonio Gates led Kent (30-6) with 22 points while star guard Trevor Huffman was held to a lackluster eight points.

Regardless of the outcome, the Flashes still had a remarkable season in only their third tournament trip. They reached their first-ever regional final and pushed their tourney win total to four. The Flashes had previously won only one tournament game, last year’s shocker against Indiana.

For Indiana, it’s the Hoosiers first Final Four since 1992 and they will be gunning for their first championship since 1987.

Indiana will take on Oklahoma, 81-75 winners over Missouri, in one of next Saturday’s National Semifinals.

NIT Final Four

NIT Final Four

by Phil Kasiecki

While the NCAA Tournament has had its usual exciting and unpredictable games, the NIT has seen its field narrowed to its own Final Four teams, with some exciting games of its own. After mid-majors made a statement earlier in the tournament, Madison Square Garden awaits four teams from high-major conferences. Additionally, several games this week featured more turnovers than games in earlier rounds, though turnovers were a key in a few games.

Syracuse was the first team to make it to the NIT Final Four, scoring a close overtime win over Butler, 66-65, and following it by dominating in the paint behind freshman Hakim Warrick en route to a 62-46 win over Richmond after the Spiders surprised Minnesota.

In knocking off Butler, Syracuse rode Preston Shumpert’s 36-point night on 12 of 19 shooting from the field, including making five of seven three-pointers. The Orangemen beat Butler on the glass, owning the boards with a 41-26 margin and many contributing to it. At the defensive end, they shut down Brandon Miller and Thomas Jackson, as the two were a combined 9 for 25 from the field, and Ryan Hainje, the team’s leading scorer, couldn’t get going as he made just two of nine. Jackson came in shooting just over 48% from the field on the season, Hainje over 49%. After struggling early and allowing the Bulldogs to open a 35-22 lead in the first half, the Orangemen really turned it up in the extra session, as the Bulldogs never made a field goal.

South Carolina followed by first knocking off UNLV, then blowing out Ball State 82-47. The Gamecocks beat the Runnin’ Rebels at the free throw line and from shooting the ball better in a turnover-filled game (the teams combined for 37 turnovers) Scoring balance helped as well, as Chuck Eidson’s 18 points led five players in double figures. The quarterfinal against Ball State was never in doubt, as the Gamecocks led 48-12 at the half and shot 50% while holding the Cardinals below 30% shooting and forced 22 turnovers.

Temple became the third team to advance after the beat cross-town rival Villanova on Friday by a score of 63-57 without star point guard Lynn Greer, who sprained his ankle three nights before when they beat Louisville. The Owls took great care of the ball with just three turnovers against Villanova, and it was enough to get the win in a game where both teams shot below 40% from the field. Villanova had 14 turnovers – a modest game for the turnover-prone Wildcats – but didn’t make up for it elsewhere. Temple’s great job of taking care of the ball was the big key, and it helped against Louisville three nights prior when they had just seven turnovers. In the game against Louisville, Temple shot better, but was out-rebounded in a game where no one tried to get to the foul line: both teams took eight free throws.

The final game played for a trip to the NIT Final Four was a dandy on Saturday between intrastate rivals Memphis and Tennessee Tech, with the Tigers surviving by a 79-73 score in Memphis. The Tigers had a big second half and shot nearly 47% from the field while holding the Golden Eagles to under 40% shooting, and they beat them on the glass.

Oklahoma and Indiana are in

Sunday, March 24th, 2002

by Dan Hauptman

News and Notes
ESPN.com’s Andy Katz is reporting that Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins told staff members on Saturday that he was in the process of working on a contract with West Virginia. The report also says that the deal is not completely done and that there are a number of details that need to be finalized.

The Big 12 is 12-4, with Oklahoma in the Final Four and Kansas playing on Sunday in the Midwest Regional Final.

Both coaches (Kelvin Sampson, Oklahoma and Mike Davis, Indiana) that won on Saturday are going to their first Final Four as head coach.

Indiana is 3-1 all-time (2-0 in NCAA Tournament) vs. Oklahoma. In the last meeting between the schools, No. 7 Indiana beat No. 10 Oklahoma 94-87 in OT in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament.

Indiana guard Tom Coverdale re-injured his left ankle in the second half of the Hoosiers’ win vs. Kent State. With 9:35 remaining, the junior stepped on the foot of a Kent State player and then immediately grabbed his ankle. He was taken into the locker room for x-rays and did not return to the game. There is no word on the severity of the injury or his status for next weekend’s Final Four. Coverdale scored 14 points and was named the South Region MVP.

This is Indiana’s first Final Four since 1992. Oklahoma, who extended their winning streak against Missouri to nine games, is in their first Final Four since 1988.

Saturday’s Heroes
Quannas White, Oklahoma: 12 points, 7 rebounds and 7assists in win vs. Missouri. Helped hold Clarence Gilbert to 7 points on 1 of 16 FGs.

Hollis Price, Oklahoma: 18 points and 4 rebounds in win vs. Missouri. Named West Region MVP.

Kyle Hornsby, Indiana: 16 points (4/5 3-pt FGs) and 7 assists in win vs. Kent State.

Dane Fife, Indiana: 17 points (5/6 3-pt FGs) in win vs. Kent State.

Women’s Sweet 16

How Sweet It Is

by Tracy Granzyk

The Sweet Sixteen is locked in for 2002. Of the sixteen teams left, half come from only two conferences. Five of the teams, Oklahoma, Kansas State, Texas, Texas Tech and Colorado hail from the Big 12. Tennessee, Vanderbilt and South Carolina come from the SEC. With so many talented teams centralized in two conferences, it is inevitable that their will be intra-conference competitions. In fact, Oklahoma takes on Texas Tech in their round of sixteen contest. But the big one everyone is waiting for, is the Vanderbilt-Tennessee rematch. Look out Commodores, the Lady Vols are ready to rumble.

East Regional
Drake surprised Baylor, 76-72, using up at least two of their nine lives to pass go and collect a spot in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1982. In a back and forth contest, it was the Bulldogs who prevailed. Carla Bennett’s consistency in the final minutes combined with her 29 points and Stephanie Schmitz’s additional 19 proved to be three of the nails in Baylor’s NCAA tourney coffin. Drake will move on to play South Carolina, who trampled Cincinnati, 75-56.

Duke, who will have to carry the post-season basketball for the state of North Carolina, let Texas Christian hang around close enough to keep it interesting at 76-66. The Blue Devils advance without being tested. Their first test comes in the round of sixteen against Big 12 challenger, Texas. The Longhorns, who have also had a fairly easy road to their third round contest, stopped UC-Santa Barbara’s short roll, 76-60.

Mideast Regional

Purdue won’t be repeating last year’s performance. The 2001 NCAA runner-up lost in overtime to Old Dominion, 74-70. The Lady Monarchs bested the Boilermakers in shooting, hitting 40 percent of their attempts to Purdue’s 32.2 percent. ODU also dominated on the boards, 54-34. The Lady Monarchs face the K-State Kids in the next round. Kansas State, who is having a season to remember, sent Arkansas back to the Natural State after an 82-68 loss to the youngsters.

Once again UConn won easily. This time it was Iowa who took the whipping, 86-48. All-American Sue Bird led all scorers with 22 and added six assists and five steals to her credit. All Husky starters were in double figures: Diana Taurasi drained 16, Asjha Jones connected for 14, Tamika Williams added 12 and Swin Cash chipped in 10. The Huskies also converted Iowa’s 18 turnovers into 22 points. Hopefully, the Huskies will get a challenge in the final. Their next quarry: Penn State, who taught Florida International what it means to face Big 10 competition, with a 96-79 conquest.

West Regional

No surprise here in the land of Big 12 contenders. Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Colorado all advance. Oklahoma, who handled Villanova, 66-53 will square off against conference mate, Texas Tech. Tech, who pummeled Mississippi State 77-55 in round two, is all too aware of the challenge the Sooners are sure to provide. The Buffs who defeated LSU, 69-58 will take on the odd women out, Pac-10 contestant Stanford, in their next round. The Cardinals, who also have had an easy road to their current position, dominated Tulane, 77-55.

Midwest Regional

This is where the action is! Both Vanderbilt and Tennessee continue to move forward to that much-anticipated rematch. The Commodores easily managed their second round opponent, Arizona State 61-35. The Sun Devils were held to their lowest scoring contest of the season just when they needed to play their best basketball. The Commodores will face North Carolina, who edged out Minnesota in a down to the wire contest, 72-69.

Tennessee continued to take out their aggression on the court, sending last year’s NCAA Champion, Notre Dame, home with an 89-50 lashing. The Lady Vol’s next opponent is BYU, who surprised Big 12 challenger, Iowa State, 75-69. The Cyclone’s who shot 52 percent from the floor gave the ball back to BYU 20 times. The Cougars, who capitalized on Iowa State’s turnovers and missed free throws, will have the chance to take on Tennessee in the Sweet Sixteen.

West Semifinal Recap

West Regional Semifinal

by Adam Reich

Oklahoma used a second-half explosion to blow out Arizona and earn a trip to
the West Regional Final.

No. 2 Oklahoma 88, No. 3 Arizona 67

The three-point shooting of Hollis Price kept the Sooners within striking
distance before a second half charge ran the Wildcats off the court.
Price (26 pts) scored 22 of Oklahoma’s 33 first-half points, including a
season-high six treys. In the first half, Arizona managed to contain Aaron
McGhee and OU’s inside game as they grabbed a 37-33 lead at the break.
A Jason Gardner three-point play gave the Wildcats a 44-40 advantage with
just under 16 minutes to go in the game.

From that point on Oklahoma simply
took control, outscoring Arizona 48-23. The Sooners slowed down the quicker
Wildcats, using their physical strength on the inside to keep the game at
their pace. The Sooners turned up their defensive intensity in the second
half, forcing 12 Wildcat turnovers and coming up with eight steals. They
also held Gardner to 14 points on 4-of-15 shooting. For Oklahoma, McGhee
scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half, while guard Ebi Ere tallied
all 14 of his points after intermission.

Midwest Semifinal Preview

Midwest Semifinal Preview

by Greg Bacani

Tonight, Texas looks to prolong the Big 12′s dominance
over the Pac-10 as they look to dispatch Oregon, the
last remaining Pac-10 representative in tonight’s
first Midwest Regional Semifinal.

The Longhorns and the Ducks feature two of the premier
“focal” point guards in the country: Texas’ freshman
phenom T.J. Ford and Oregon’s super sophomore Luke
Ridnour.

“You’re looking at two guys that really enjoy passing
the basketball. I think you’re looking at two guys
that enjoy watching their teammates do what they do
well. And obviously I think that you’re talking about
two players that are extremely unselfish in terms of
not worrying about their numbers. They’re both about
winning,” said Texas head coach Rick Barnes.

How much of an impact has Ford had on the Longhorns
this year? Last year, Texas’ leading assist man was
Darren Kelly, who finished with 76. Ford dropped 14
dimes in his first college GAME, against Arizona no
less, and has 268 overall.

Ridnour has been the Ducks’ hardwood version of Joey
Hamilton this year and is the trigger man for Ernie
Kent’s Quack Attack. Considered a better shooter than
Ford, Ridnour is shooting just under 45% from behind
the arc, and is coming off a career-high 28 points
against Wake Forest last Saturday.

The game is shaping up to be a close contest by virtue
of the fact that both Ridnour and Ford have the
ability to dictate pace and know how to effectively
get their respective teams into their sets.

Aside from Ford and Ridnour here are three major keys
for tonight’s game:

1) Oregon will have to get more out of their bench (2
points vs. Wake Forest). Senior guard Anthony Lever
and sophomore guard James Davis, whom Oregon head
coach Ernie Kent regards as the Ducks’ most potent
3-point threats need to step up.

2) The Longhorns will have to take better care of the
ball (13 turnovers against BC in the first round, 20
turnovers against Mississippi State) in order to
insure that the high-flying Ducks don’t ignite their
offense with east baskets.

3)Ultimately, this game may come down to the wire. And
in that scenario, free throw shooting will become a
factor. And as Duke’s Jason Williams can attest to,
there isn’t anything “free” about them in March.
Both teams have excelled in this crucial area so far in
the tournament. But Oregon holds a distinct advantage,
having gone to the charity stripe 64 times and
converting on 49 (76.6%), while their opponents have
managed just 30 attempts, converting on 20 (66.7%).
Texas is 30-38 from the foul line, while their
opponents have shot 18-25 from the line.

If Texas can hang with the Ducks and keep Frederick
Jones and Luke Jackson from getting loose in
transition, the Longhorns can pull off the upset. Look
for Texas’ junior forward Deginald Erskin to have an
impact. He’s been on fire of late averaging 14.5
points on 27-31 (87%).

The Final Six

Saturday, March 23rd, 2002

by Dan Hauptman

News and Notes
According to CBS SportsLine’s Dan Wetzel, Bob Huggins has decided to leave Cincinnati to coach at his alma mater, West Virginia. However, Huggins told Cincinnati’s WCPO-TV on Friday, “I have not made a decision.”

Louisville coach Rick Pitino announced on Friday that guard Carlos Hurt was dismissed from the team. In a statement released by the school, the coach said that the freshman violated team rules. Hurt played 14 games for the Cardinals and had 8.1 ppg and 3.4 apg this past season.

John Pelphrey was named head coach at South Alabama on Friday. The 33-year-old played at Kentucky under Eddie Sutton and Rick Pitino and was the top assistant to Billy Donovan at Florida the past six seasons.

The NCAA Division I Basketball Committee will meet next week in Atlanta to discuss the post-game altercation between Duke’s Matt Christensen and referee Bruce Benedict. After Duke lost on Thursday to Indiana, the 6-foot-10 senior blocked Benedict from leaving the court. Christensen had to be pulled back by Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. The NCAA released a statement on Friday saying it was aware of the confrontation and that it would not comment until its investigation had finished.

In Saturday’s West Regional Final, two key players will be hampered by injuries. Missouri’s Clarence Gilbert dislocated his left ring finger in the opening seconds of the Tigers’ win vs. UCLA and Oklahoma’s Hollis Price hurt his right ankle in the 1st half of the Sooners’ win vs. Arizona. Both are expected to play on Saturday.

Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson’s father, John, remained in intensive care Friday. The elder Sampson, known as “Ned”, remains at a San Jose hospital after emergency surgery to drain blood from his brain.

The No. 2 seeds are 10-1 through the first three rounds. Three No. 2 seeds have advanced to the Regional Finals (Oregon, Oklahoma and Connecticut). The other No. 2 seed, Alabama, lost in the 2nd round.

The Big 12 is 11-3 overall. In the West Regional Final, two Big 12 teams (Missouri and Oklahoma) will play for a chance to go to the Final 4. The Sooners beat the Tigers 84-71 on January 21st in Norman, Oklahoma.

The SEC is out of the tournament, as the conference finished 5-6. For the second straight year, the SEC will not be represented in the Regional Finals.

In the South Regional Final, Kent State will play Indiana. In the first round of last year’s Tournament, No. 13 Kent State defeated No. 4 Indiana 77-73.

In the East Regional Final, Maryland will play Connecticut. On December 3rd in the BB&T Classic in Washington D.C., the Terrapins beat the Huskies 77-65.

No. 12 Missouri becomes the lowest seed ever to advance to the Regional Finals.

On Thursday, three of the four lower seeds won (No. 2 Oklahoma was the only higher seed to advance). On Friday, all four higher seeds won, with two No. 2 seeds (Oregon and Connecticut) and two No. 1 seeds (Maryland and Kansas) advancing to the Regional Finals.

Five coaches advanced to their first Regional Final appearance as a head coach: Ernie Kent (Oregon), Kelvin Sampson (Oklahoma), Stan Heath (Kent State), Mike Davis (Indiana), Quin Snyder (Missouri). Gary Williams, Roy Williams and Jim Calhoun all are heading back to the Regional Finals.

Maryland is the only team from last year’s Regional Finals that returned to the final 8 in this Tournament.

Conference Breakdown
Big 12 (11-3): 3rd round Win – Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas. 3rd round Loss – Texas.
Pac-10 (9-5): 3rd round Win – Oregon. 3rd round Loss – Arizona, UCLA.
ACC (7-3): 3rd round Win – Maryland. 3rd round Loss – Duke.
Big Ten (7-4): 3rd round Win – Indiana. 3rd round Loss – Illinois.
Big East (6-5): 3rd round Win – Connecticut. 3rd round Loss – Pittsburgh.
SEC (5-6): 3rd round Loss – Kentucky. DONE after 3rd round.
MAC (3-0): 3rd round Win – Kent State.
MVC (3-2): 3rd round Loss – Southern Illinois. DONE after 3rd round.
A10 (1-1): DONE after 2nd round.
WAC (1-2): DONE after 2nd round.
CUSA (1-3): DONE after 2nd round.
MWC (1-3): DONE after 2nd round.

Seeds Breakdown
2 (10-1): 3rd round Win – Oklahoma, Connecticut, Oregon.
3 (6-4): 3rd round Loss – Arizona, Pittsburgh. DONE after 3rd round
4 (5-4): 3rd round Loss – Kentucky, Illinois. DONE after 3rd round
5 (3-3): 3rd round Win – Indiana.
6 (3-4): 3rd round Loss – Texas. DONE after 3rd round
7 (3-4): DONE after 2nd round
8 (5-4): 3rd round Loss – UCLA. DONE after 3rd round
9 (0-4): DONE after 1st round
10 (3-3): 3rd round Win – Kent State.
11 (3-4): 3rd round Loss – Southern Illinois. DONE after 3rd round.
12 (5-3): 3rd round Win – Missouri.
13 (1-4): DONE after 2nd round
14 (0-4): DONE after 1st round
15 (0-4): DONE after 1st round
16 (0-4): DONE after 1st round

UConn: First Regional Final since 1999 (the Huskies won the title that year). 3rd appearance in last 5 years.

Indiana: First Regional Final since 1993.

Kansas: First Regional Final since 1996.

Kent State: First ever Regional Final.

Maryland: Second straight Regional Final.

Missouri: First Regional Final since 1994 (the appearance was later vacated).

Oklahoma: First Regional Final since 1988

Oregon: First time the Ducks won three games in the same tournament since 1939 (Oregon won that title).

Friday’s Heroes
Caron Butler, UConn: 19 points (6/16 FGs) and 4 rebounds in win vs. Southern Illinois.

Rolan Roberts, Southern Illinois: 24 points (11/16 FGs) and 8 rebounds in loss vs. Connecticut.

Luke Ridnour, Oregon: 20 points (4/9 3-pt FGs) and 5 assists in win vs. Texas.

Luke Jackson, Oregon: 25 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists in win vs. Texas.

Drew Gooden, Kansas: 15 points and 13 rebounds in win vs. Illinois.

Juan Dixon, Maryland: 19 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in win vs. Kentucky.

Duke Goes Down

Friday, March 22, 2002

by Dan Hauptman

News and Notes
University of Arkansas president B. Alan Sugg upheld the dismissal of basketball coach Nolan Richardson. Sugg said on Thursday that after reviewing 80 pages of material submitted by Richardson and interviewing a number of people, he concluded that he agreed with Chancellor John White and that Richardson should be replaced.

West Virginia has offered Bob Huggins its vacant head coaching job. The Cincinnati coach was in Morgantown, W.Va. this week and is now back in Ohio and deciding whether to remain with the Bearcats or return to coach at his alma mater.

Radford coach Ron Bradley quit on Thursday to take an associate coaching position at James Madison. Bradley is the winningest coach in Highlanders history with 193 wins in 11 seasons.

The Big 12 is 10-2 overall. In the West Regional Final, two Big 12 teams (Missouri and Oklahoma) will play for a chance to go to the Final 4. Also, the Big 12 is 3-0 in head-to-head games vs. the Pac 10 this Tournament. Kansas beat Stanford in the 2nd round, Oklahoma beat Arizona in the 3rd round, and Missouri beat UCLA in the 3rd round. The two conferences will face off again on Friday when Texas plays Oregon.

No. 12 Missouri becomes the lowest seed ever to advance to the Regional Finals. Also, with No. 10 Kent State and No. 12 Missouri in the Regional Finals, it is the first time that two double-digit seeds advance to the Regional Finals in the same Tournament.

In the South Regional Final, Kent State will play Indiana. In the first round of last year’s Tournament, No. 13 Kent State defeated No. 4 Indiana 77-73.

Oklahoma was the only higher seed to advance on Thursday. In the other three games, No. 1 Duke, No. 3 Pittsburgh and No. 8 UCLA all lost to lower seeds.

Conference Breakdown
Big 12 (10-2): 3rd round Win – Oklahoma, Missouri.
Pac-10 (8-5): 3rd round Loss – Arizona, UCLA.
Big Ten (7-3): 3rd round Win – Indiana.
ACC (6-3): 3rd round Loss – Duke.
Big East (5-5): 3rd round Loss – Pittsburgh.
SEC (5-5):
MAC (3-0): 3rd round Win – Kent State.
MVC (3-1):
A10 (1-1): DONE after 2nd round.
WAC (1-2): DONE after 2nd round.
CUSA (1-3): DONE after 2nd round.
MWC (1-3): DONE after 2nd round.

Seeds Breakdown
1 (7-2): 3rd round Loss – Duke.
2 (8-1): 3rd round Win – Oklahoma.
3 (6-4): 3rd round Loss – Arizona, Pittsburgh. DONE after 3rd round
4 (5-2):
5 (3-3): 3rd round Win – Indiana.
6 (3-3):
7 (3-4): DONE after 2nd round
8 (5-4): 3rd round Loss – UCLA. DONE after 3rd round
9 (0-4): DONE after 1st round
10 (3-3): 3rd round Win – Kent State.
11 (3-3):
12 (5-3): 3rd round Win – Missouri.
13 (1-4): DONE after 2nd round
14 (0-4): DONE after 1st round
15 (0-4): DONE after 1st round
16 (0-4): DONE after 1st round

Indiana: First Regional Final since 1993.

Kent State: First ever Regional Final.

Missouri: First Regional Final since 1994 (the appearance was later vacated).

Oklahoma: First Regional Final since 1988

Thursday’s Heroes
Jared Jeffries, Indians: 24 points and 15 rebounds in win vs. Duke.

Aaron McGhee, Oklahoma: 21 points (19 in 2nd half) and 9 rebounds in win vs. Arizona.

Hollis Price, Oklahoma: 26 points (22 in 1st half), 4 rebounds and 3 assists in win vs. Arizona.

Kareem Rush, Missouri: 20 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists in win vs. UCLA.

Antonio Gates, Kent State: 22 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in win vs. Pittsburgh.

East Second Round Recap

East Second Round Recap

by Adam Shandler

(1) Maryland 87, (8) Wisconsin 57

Juan More Time For Good Measure: Where were the Maryland Terrapins for the first 15 minutes of this second round game? The Terps couldn’t find the bottom of the bucket on 28 of their first 40 attempts and guard Juan Dixon only had two points. Okay, enough drama. Maryland mopped the floor with the Badgers (as you can tell from the score.) Juan Dixon finished with 29 points and broke two separate records, both previously owned by the late Len Bias. First Dixon shattered Bias’s team scoring record, then his record for most points overall in an NCAA Tournament career. Dixon also scored 29 against Siena in the opening round on Friday night.

The Terps head to the Sweet 16 and will take on Kentucky. The Wildcats are coming off a struggle with Tulsa.

(4) Kentucky 87, (12) Tulsa 82

Who Needs a King…When You Have a Prince? Tayshaun Prince scored 41 of Kentucky’s 87 points and Tubby Smith’s club advanced to the Sweet 16 on Saturday. Prince went 14-for-21 from the field, including a trigger-happy 6-for-8 from three point range. Antonio Reed and Kevin Johnson each had 18 for the Golden Hurricane, who got as close as three at the four-minute mark.

Kentucky vs. Maryland in the Sweet 16
Even with a slow start, Maryland finds a way to win big. Kentucky is going to need another huge shooting night from both Prince, who seems to have broken out of his slump, and Keith Bogans, who has all of a sudden become a marksman from long range. The Terps didn’t have to work for shots against Siena or Wisconsin, and while the Cats pose the greatest challenge for Gary Williams’s club thus far, they are just way too stacked to lose to a Kentucky team that has had its defensive lapses. Maryland is my pick.

West Second Round Wrap Up

West Second Round Recap

by Adam Reich

Power conferences collide in San Jose, California as Big 12 Tournament
champion Oklahoma takes on Pac-10 Tournament champion Arizona in a West
Regional Semifinal.

No. 2 Oklahoma 78, No. 7 Xavier 65

Oklahoma forward Aaron McGhee got the better of Xavier center Tim West in a
game that shaped up as a battle of big men. McGhee scored 25 points, including
11 of the Sooners’ first 18. However, guard Romain Sato kept the Musketeers
close, scoring 20 of his game high 28 points in the first half. After
hitting only one field goal in the first 17 minutes of the game, West scored
10 straight points to tie the game at 40 with just over 16 minutes remaining.
From there McGhee took over, scoring eight of OU’s next 11 points as the
Sooners opened up a lead they would never relinquish. Oklahoma guards Ebi
Ere (20 pts), Hollis Price (12 pts) and Quannas White (9 pts) pressured the
Xavier ballhandlers the entire game, as the Sooners forced 17 turnovers.

No. 3 Arizona 68, No. 11 Wyoming 60

Arizona answered a lot of questions on Saturday as they muscled up to a
physical Wyoming squad and walked away with a 68-60 victory. Arizona, who has
beaten opponents all year by utilizing its quickness and athleticism, won
this game with its play in the paint. The Wildcats were led by junior forward
Luke Walton (21 pts) and freshman center Channing Frye (18 pts). With Arizona
leading 58-55 with five minutes to go, Walton converted twice in the post
extending the lead to nine and crushing any chance of a Wyoming comeback.
The Wildcats not only had to deal with the Cowboys’ Josh Davis and Marcus
Bailey (17 pts each), but also faced a hostile crowd that began booing the
Wildcats during warm-ups.

West Regional Semifinal
Two of the hottest teams in the country will meet Thursday night with the
winner receiving a spot in the West Regional Final. Oklahoma has won 10
straight games thanks to its defense and tremendous strength on the inside,
while Arizona has played its toughest basketball since the Pac-10 Tournament.
In order to hang with the Sooners, the Cats will need another great
performance out of freshman center Channing Frye, who had 18 points, 11 rebounds
and five blocks against Wyoming. Oklahoma will need to find an answer for Arizona
point guard Jason Gardner and his ability to dissect the defense with his
dribble penetration. He is averaging 21 points and six assists per game in
the tournament, and has committed only two turnovers while playing all 40
minutes in both games.

This game has all the makings of an instant classic. Oklahoma has inside
strength with Aaron McGhee and perimeter quickness with a trio of lightning
quick guards. Arizona offers an extremely athletic team and an all-conference
point guard in Jason Gardner. The Wildcats are also a very deep team, and if
they get the Sooners to play an up-tempo game they would have an advantage.
However, the Sooners should have no problem pounding the ball down low to
McGhee and they will use a number of defenders on Gardner in the hopes of
slowing him down. In this one, look for OU to beat up the smaller Cats on the
boards and frustrate Gardner with their full-court press.

Prediction: Oklahoma 77, Arizona 73

South Second Round Wrap Up

South Second Round Recap

by David Mosse

No. 1 Duke 84, No. 8 Notre Dame 77
The Blue Devils survived a major scare, rallying from a seven-point deficit with 6:24 remaining to outlast the valiant Irish. Notre Dame was not intimidated by the prospect of facing the defending champions, and had Duke on the ropes. The Fightin’ Irish were led by 20 points each from David Graves and Matt Carroll, had Duke. But the Devils rallied behind four three-pointers from freshman Daniel Ewing who scored a career-high 18 points. Free-throw shooting, thought to be Duke’s biggest weakness heading into the tournament, proved their greatest virtue as they buried 14 of their last 15 foul shots to help Mike Krzyzewski defeat former assistant Mike Brey.

No. 5 Indiana 76, No. 13 UNC Wilmington 67
The Hoosiers advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1994 behind 22 points from Jarred Jeffries (20 in the 2nd half). As in their first round victory over Utah, Indiana got off to a scorching start, amassing a 17-point lead. Unlike the Utes, UNC Wilmington did not go down easily, staging a furious comeback behind Brett Blizzard, who led all scorers with 29 points. The Seahawks came within three at 66-63 with 2:45 remaining before the Hoosiers righted themselves, finishing the game on a 10-4 run to ice the victory.

Midwest Region Recap

Midwest Second Round Recap

by Greg Bacani

No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 7 Wake Forest
As the old saying goes: “You dance with the one that
brought you.” That is precisely what Oregon has done
all year and especially now when it matters most.
Leaning heavily on the terrific triumvirate of Luke
Jackson, Luke Ridnour and Frederick Jones, they scored
81 of their team’s 92 points to lead Oregon past Wake
Forest 92-87 and into the Sweet 16.

The game had a terrific pace and rhythm, as both teams
got up and down the court and shot well from the
field. The Demon Deacons countered Oregon’s quack
attack with the long ball, connecting on 11 of 19 3-pt
attempts, led by senior guard Craig Dawson’s 20 points
(5-8 3-pt FGs). Senior forward Darius Songaila
benefited from Dawson’s long range exploits, which
allowed Songaila to roam in the paint, resulting in 19
points and 13 rebounds.

However, at 7:45 left to play in the game, Dawson
dislocated his shoulder after colliding with Jones and
was out for the rest of the game. Without him, Wake
Forest missed his presence and found themselves up
Dawson’s Creek.

And in the end it was Oregon that prevailed, thanks in
large part to their heralded trio and clutch free
throw shooting (22-24 FT) to ice the game.

“We all expect this out of each of us,” said Jones
after the game looking at Jackson and Ridnour. “We
have a lot of confidence in each other. We don’t think
it’s anything new.”

How good are the Mighty Ducks of Sacramento playing
right now? Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser likened
their style to the normal tenants of Arco Arena, the
Sacramento Kings. “Those three kids – we couldn’t find
a way to even slow them down, much less stop them,”
said Prosser. “Today, they probably could have played
for the Kings.”

Ernie Kent’s kids are moving on to Wisconsin where
they will face the winner of Texas/Mississippi State,
with a potential matchup with the No.1 seed Kansas,
looming. Somewhere, Dick Vitale is giggling in
anticipation of that game.

No. 3 Mississippi State vs. No. 6 Texas

Texas jumped on Mississippi State early and held on to
beat the Bulldogs 68-64 and advance to the Sweet 16
for the first time since 1997, where they will take on
Oregon, the No. 2 seed in Wisconsin on Friday.

Junior forward Deginald Erskin was the catalyst for
the Longhorns with his overall strong play around the
goal, tipping in missed shots and hitting from the
perimeter. Erskin made his first 7 shots and was the
driving force behind Texas’ opening blitzkrieg. The
Longhorns led by as many as 23 points (they made 14 of
their first 18 shots) in the first half, against
Mississippi State. Erskin finished with a game-high 17
points on 8-9 FG shooting.

“I really thought that he was the difference in the
game,” said Texas head coach Rick Barnes. “We told the
guys to get him the ball. Our players will tell you
he’s the hardest player on the team to guard.”

As is the case in the NCAA Tournament, this game was a
tale of 2 halves. While Mississippi State began the
game out of sync in the first half, Mississippi State
coach Rick Stansbury rallied his troops after the
intermission and the Bulldogs came out with a greater
sense of purpose.
They harassed the Longhorns into 20 turnovers with
their aggressive half court defense, including 7 by the
normally sure handed T.J. Ford.

Erskin was held in check for the first 12 minutes of
the second half, while the Bulldogs chipped away at
the Longhorns and with 3 minutes left to play,
Mississippi State found themselves down 60-57. Junior
guard Derrick Zimmerman had a chance to tie the game
but his 3 point attempt rimmed out and that was as
close as the Bulldogs would get.

For the game,
Mississippi State shot 6-23 (26%) from beyond the arc.
Unfortunately for Stansbury and the Bulldogs, senior
guard Marckell Patterson and sophomore forward Mario
Austin were not the formidable duo that combined for
45 points against McNeese State. On Sunday, Patterson
and Austin totaled a rather tame 16 points.

In the end, the Longhorns were able to ride out the
victory because of their torrid start as well as the
hometown surroundings, courtesy of the selection
committee’s “pod” system, which allows certain teams
to play closer to home, which didn’t sit well with
Stansbury.

“If you’re asking me should a lower-seed have an
advantage – no,” said Stansbury. “We’re the only high
seed that had to do this.”