Saturday, March 29, 2025

NCAA Regional Finals

All eight teams left in the NCAA Tournament are in Ken Pom's top nine.  I can't remember that ever happening before.  It has been a great tournament, and we still have seven games left.  Here are tonight's matchups:

1.  (1) Duke v. (7) Alabama (7:49 P.M. -- TBS)
2.  (3) Florida v. (9) Texas Tech (5:09 P.M. -- TBS)

At the end of the first half, Florida leads Texas Tech 40 to 37.

17 comments:

  1. Florida has just score nine points in a row to tie Texas Tech at 75 with 1:23 left. What a game!

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  2. Tech goes down low and scores. Tech 77-75.
    Clayton responds with a three. Florida 78-77.

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  3. Tech goes down low. Gets tied up. Tech ball.
    Tech shoots a three and misses. Florida ball.

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  4. Florida is fouled in the back court, but the Tech coaches think that they failed to beat the ten-second rule. We have a review going with 21 seconds left in the game.

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  5. The review goes in Florida's favor, and the Gators will shoot one-and-one.

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  6. Gators make both FT's, and lead 80-77 with 22 seconds left.

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  7. Florida does NOT foul. Tech gets an open look at a three -- but misses. Florida gets the ball and is tied up, but the arrow is in Florida's favor. 10 seconds left.

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  8. As someone who spent years watching Coach Cal, I can't remember the last time I saw a game where a team down three had a wide-open shot to tie -- and didn't make it.

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  9. Florida is saved by Walter Clayton, Jr., who finishes with 30 points. The Gators end the game on an 18-4 run, and they survive 84-79. The Gators will be in the Final Four for the first time since 2014.

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  10. Duke is cruising over Alabama -- up 35-22 with 6:46 left in the first half. For the record, I don't think Houston or Tennessee would have a prayer against Duke in the Final Four.

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    Replies
    1. I'm getting pretty excited about the 2025-26 Washington Wizards:

      1-Bub Carrington (Marcus Smart, Lamont Butler)
      2-Jordan Poole
      3-Cooper Flagg (Khris Middleton)
      4-Kyshawn George
      5- Alex Sarr (DeMarcus Cousins)

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  11. Duke leads 46-37 at the half, as Alabama is 5-19 from 3-point range.

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  12. This game turned out to be pretty easy for Duke. It was actually quite similar to the UT/UK game last night -- Alabama runs a system offense, but Duke's defenders are so much quicker and more athletic than their counterparts at Alabama that the Tide could never establish any sort of rhythm. UK scored only 65 points against Tennessee last night, and Alabama only has 58 points (they trail 72-58) with less than 4 minutes to go.

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  13. And so we break out the Dodger pennant for the first time this year as we switch to Dodger Stadium, where the Dodgers are playing the Tigers.

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  14. With five games left in the College Basketball season, the only real question is whether anyone can stop Duke. Certainly neither Houston nor Tennessee can do so, which means the Duke will play Auburn, Michigan St., or Florida for the title.

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  15. Back in December, Duke beat Auburn 84-78 at Cameron in a game where Duke shot 27 free throws and Auburn got only 12. I just don't see Auburn beating Duke for the National Championship. One way or another, the Devils will beat Bruce Pearl.

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