The games just concluded in epic fashion. We saw a weird set of results tonight. The first game ended in an upset when Butler upended Syracuse. Then we saw West Virginia muscle through a tough game against Washington which saw both teams turn the ball over more than twenty times. Cornell started the game off against Kentucky with a bang, but failed to score a point in the final fifteen minutes of the first half. They battled back but couldn't seem to bring it within more than six or eight. The game of the night, and perhaps the tournament, went to Xavier and Kansas State. A back and forth affair that ended in double overtime when Xavier failed to answer the call of Jacob Pullen, who hit two huge threes in the closing minutes to close it out.
Tomorrow night starts off when Tennessee takes on Evan Turner and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Tennessee's main priority will be on defense, guarding the likes of Turner, Lighty and Diebler. Prince will have to continue his good play as well as senior big man Wayne Chism. If Evan Turner struggles in spurts, as he has in the first two games during this year's tournament, look for a very well coached Tennessee team to take advantage.
St. Mary's and Baylor tip off shortly after. Baylor, like Tennessee, will have one man in mind on the defensive end, Omar Samhan. This will be a tall task that has yet to be completed by either Richmond or Villanova. He's such an active player on the boards as well as the low post on offense. If they can limit his touches they'll have a great chance to win. On the other side, Baylor will have to entrust LaceDarius Dunn and Ekpe Udoh with carrying them through this tough game.
The late pair of games starts with Northern Iowa taking on a Kalin Lucas-less Michigan State team. Michigan State's second round win was bittersweet to say the least, as they lost their junior point guard and leader in Lucas. While Michigan State is coming in on somewhat of a down note, the Northern Iowa Panthers are flying high behind their senior guard Ali Farokhmanesh. Knowing they don't have Lucas, Izzo will have to stress the importance of playing smart and not surrendering silly turnovers. If Korie Lucious tries to do too much in Lucas' absence, the Spartans will pay in transition.
Last, and yet again, not least, is the number one seeded Duke Blue Devils taking on a surprising Purdue team. The Boilermakers have ridden their defense into the Sweet Sixteen, and have had to do so without their star big man Robbie Hummel. Duke are looking to make it to the Elite Eight and have been getting contributions from their whole team so far, including great performances from Singler, Smith, and Zoubek. If Jon Scheyer can find his stride and the other three see little drop off in productivity, the Blue Devils should be on their way. But with a defensive powerhouse such as Purdue, they have their work cut out for them.
If Thursday's set of games didn't wet your appetite, then maybe college basketball isn't the sport you need to be watching. This tournament has been great and filled with far more drama than last year's. The best part is, it just keeps getting better.
No comments:
Post a Comment