1. (18) Kentucky v. Illinois (4:15 P.M. -- CBS)
2. Arizona v. Oregon (8:40 P.M. -- TBS)
3. (7) Alabama v. (20) Saint Mary's (5:10 P.M. -- TNT)
4. (15) Iowa St. v. Mississippi (6:45 P.M. -- truTV)
5. (11) Maryland v. Colorado St. (6:10 P.M. -- TBS)
6. (8) Michigan St. v. New Mexico (7:40 P.M. -- TNT)
7. (1) Duke v. Baylor (2:05 P.M. -- CBS)
8. (3) Florida v. Connecticut (11:10 A.M. -- CBS)
So far, Florida has survived 77-75 against UConn -- we removed the pin from Storrs for the first time in three years. And then Duke blasted Baylor, 89 to 66.
In all seriousness, this is the greatest sporting event in the world. This is my 50th NCAA Tournament as a fan, and I've enjoyed the NCAA Tournament about as much as I've enjoyed all other championships combined.
ReplyDeleteKentucky 84 - 75 Illinois (F)
ReplyDeleteBest win for UK in six years. I was totally wrong, and I apologize abjectly. A beautiful game from the Cats.
Mark Pope has done so much better than I expected -- I am genuinely stunned.
ReplyDeleteThe Midwest Regional is now set. These will be the games in Indianapolis on Friday, March 30:
ReplyDelete(2) Houston (32-4) v. Purdue (24-11)
(6) Tennessee (29-7) v. (18) Kentucky (24-11)
Those tickets will be hard to come by.
Kentucky advances to the Regionals for the first time since 2019.
ReplyDeleteWhat will be extremely satisfying for Mitch Barnhart and his supporters in the UK media is that Pope clearly and decisively outcoached Brad Underwood in this game. I think almost everyone assumed that Illinois had better talent than UK, but Pope and his guys were about three moves ahead of Illinois the whole game. For this game at least, the Cats really played basketball the way people in Lexington want to see it played.
ReplyDeleteUK:
ReplyDelete8-21 from 3-point range (38.1 percent)
24-47 from 2-point range (51.1 percent)
12-20 from the line (60.0 percent)
84 points, 36 rebounds, 18 assists, 5 turnovers
Illinois:
9-32 from 3-point range (28.1 percent)
18-30 from 2-point range (60.0 percent)
12-19 from the line (63.2 percent)
75 points, 44 rebounds, 12 assists, 14 turnovers
If those statistics make it look like Illinois shot too many threes and committed too many turnovers, well that is exactly what happened.
ReplyDeleteKen Pom thinks Tennessee will beat UK 76 to 71. But of course he thought Illinois would win 85 to 84.
ReplyDeleteAlabama beats Saint Mary's 80 to 66. That puts five teams from the Classic SEC -- Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, and Kentucky -- in the Regionals. Ole Miss just tipped off against Iowa State.
ReplyDeleteMaryland 52 - 54 Colorado St. (11:35 left in 2d)
ReplyDeleteIowa St. 15 - 13 Mississippi (12:11 left in 2d)
Maryland 64 - 64 Colorado St. (3:04 left in 2d)
ReplyDeleteIowa St. 24 - 36 Mississippi (2:58 left in 1st)
In the first buzzer beater of the tournament, Maryland hits a shot as time expires to beat Colorado St. 72 to 71. So the West Regional is set. These games will take place in San Francisco on Thursday, March 29:
ReplyDelete(3) Florida (32-4) v. (11) Maryland (27-8)
(9) Texas Tech (27-8) v. Arkansas (22-13)
The last game of the Second Round is going to be an Oregon/Arizona game that won't tip off until almost 10 P.M. Eastern Time. I like ending with an Old-School Pac 12 After Dark matchup. I just wish Bill Walton could be there.
ReplyDeleteIowa St. 48 - 68 Mississippi (8:55 left in 2d)
ReplyDeleteMichigan St. 29 - 31 New Mexico (Halftime)
Arizona 14 - 26 Oregon (11:35 left in 1st)
In the Battle of Coaches I Wanted at UK, Chris Beard and Ole Miss are schooling T.J. Otzelberger and Iowa St.
ReplyDeleteIowa St. 51 - 76 Mississippi (6:35 left in 2d)
ReplyDeleteMichigan St. 29 - 31 New Mexico (Halftime)
Arizona 20 - 26 Oregon (9:35 left in 1st)
Iowa St. 61 - 81 Mississippi (4:05 left in 2d)
ReplyDeleteMichigan St. 35 - 31 New Mexico (17:13 left in 2d)
Arizona 23 - 28 Oregon (7:46 left in 1st)
The Classic SEC will have six teams in the Regionals: Florida, Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ole Miss.
ReplyDeleteIf Michigan St. wins, the Classic Big 10 will have three teams in the Regionals: Michigan St., Michigan, and Purdue.
ReplyDeleteThe Classic ACC will have Duke and Maryland in the Regionals.
ReplyDeleteThe Classic Southwest will have Houston, Texas Tech, and Arkansas in the Regionals.
ReplyDeleteThat will leave BYU (representing the Classic Western Athletic) and the winner of Oregon and Arizona (representing the Classic Pac 10).
ReplyDeleteIt's really fun to see Oregon and Arizona on the same court again.
ReplyDeleteTo atone for my sins, I watched the Kentucky Sports Radio folks celebrating on YouTube. They were ecstatic, and they deserve to be.
ReplyDeleteOle Miss beats Iowa State 91 to 78.
ReplyDeleteMichigan St. 48 - 45 New Mexico (9:54 left in 2d)
ReplyDeleteArizona 42 - 38 Oregon (0:35 left in 1st)
New Mexico represents the Classic Western Athletic.
DeleteThe Classic WAC is sneaky good. San Diego State played for the Title in 2023, and this year, BYU beat Wisconsin, Colorado State took Maryland to the wire, and New Mexico is hanging tough against Michigan St.
DeleteIn 2023, the Final Four was UConn, Miami, San Diego St., and Florida Atlantic. That looked like a walkover for UConn, and it was.
ReplyDeleteLast year, we got UConn, Alabama, Purdue, and N. Carolina St. That also looked like a walkover for UConn, and it was.
This year's field feels much deeper. The games yesterday and today have been really good.
Sean Miller, another Coach I Wanted at UK, is going from Xavier to Texas. That will be a problem.
ReplyDeleteMichigan St. 56 - 51 New Mexico (6:21 left in 2d)
ReplyDeleteArizona 42 - 38 Oregon (Halftime)
Somewhere, there's a 25-year-old Kentuckian who was 12 years old when the Cats last won it all, and who will worry himself sick over this game with Tennessee on Friday night. I know exactly how he feels, and moments like this make me happy I'm not 25 anymore.
ReplyDeleteMichigan St. 63 - 58 New Mexico (2:12 left in 2d)
ReplyDeleteArizona 42 - 38 Oregon (Halftime)
OK, one more half for the weekend. This is the most college basketball I've watched since before COVID.
ReplyDeleteWe've never talked about this very much, but UK's 2020 team was one of my favorite UK teams ever, and I am still very disappointed that they didn't get to play in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments.
ReplyDeletePAC-10 AFTER DARK!
ReplyDeleteI want to thank Oregon for wearing its traditional Kelly green and gold uniforms for this game. They look great.
ReplyDeleteShout out to the Westwood One Radio Teams, who have been outstanding all weekend.
ReplyDeleteAlso shout out to the RTS-200C RadioTVSync from Motron Electronics, which is the best product of its type I've ever seen. The gap between this product and other products that purport to help you sync your radio and TV broadcasts is like the gap between a modern computer and a TRS-80.
ReplyDeleteMichigan St. wins 71 to 63. This result completes the South Region. These games will be played on Friday, March 28 in Atlanta:
ReplyDelete(4) Auburn v. (14) Michigan
(8) Michigan St. v. Mississippi
So that just leaves Arizona and Oregon. The Wildcats lead 56-47 with 15:43 left, and they look pretty solid.
ReplyDeleteKentucky and Tennessee will be the early game in Indianapolis on Friday night, with the game tipping off at 6:39 P.M. Central Time. That's a huge break for UK and UT fans. The second game, between Houston and Purdue, isn't expected to tip off until 9:09 P.M. Central Time, although I will be stunned if the Cats and the Vols are finished by 8:39 P.M. Central.
ReplyDeleteOregon moves to within 56-52 with 14:10 left. Arizona calls time.
ReplyDeletePAC-10 AFTER DARK!
With 7:38 left, Arizona leads 68 to 64. This is an excellent game.
ReplyDeleteSome late quality from Caleb Love has given Arizona a 77-70 lead with 2:27 left. There is no question that they are the better team -- the only question is whether they will win.
ReplyDeleteCaleb Love has 27 points, and has scored Arizona's last 10 points. His latest 3-pointer puts the Wildcats up 80-73 with 1:49 left.
ReplyDeleteArizona has had guys other than Caleb Love shooting the ball, and Arizona's lead is now only 80-78 with 49 seconds left. Wildcats ball. They call time. Presumably they will set up a play for Caleb Love.
ReplyDeleteArizona inbounds the ball into a corner. Oregon springs a trap, and the ball ends up going out of bounds off of an Arizona player. Oregon's ball unless the officials overturn the call.
ReplyDeleteThey do not overturn the call, but Oregon fails to score. Arizona ball with 25 seconds left.
ReplyDeleteArizona is fouled, and makes one of two FT's. That makes the score 81-78. Oregon comes back with a layup to make the score 81-80 with 10 seconds left. Arizona can't get the ball in and calls their last timeout.
ReplyDeleteArizona gets the ball to their preferred FT shooter, who makes both FT's. That makes it 83-80. Arizona fouls with 5 seconds left, and Oregon makes both FTs. That makes it 83-82. Then Oregon fouls the same guy -- Anthony Dell'Orso -- and he makes two more FT's. So Arizona leads 85-82 with 5 seconds left.
ReplyDeleteArizona fouls again up three. Oregon makes the first one, misses the second on purpose, but Arizona gets the ball. Now Caleb Love can close it out with 2.2 seconds left. Love makes the first FT. 86-83. Love makes the second FT, and Arizona wins 87-83.
ReplyDelete