3/5 College Basketball Live Blog

For The Philadelphia Market, This March Madness Could Be Epic

Now that the Eagles are done, I need to find other things to blog about other than the Flyers. Which is why I am very thankful for college basketball. This has the potential to be a very big year for Philadelphia schools, in addition to Penn State. The first couple days of March Madness are much more fun when there are multiple local teams that I can support and root for. And that may very well be the case this year. Here's a team by team look at the Big 5 schools thus far and some others in the area.

Villanova: Even though I like quite a few, Villanova is my favorite college basketball team, and this year they could very well be in the running for a spot in the Final Four. While they are just entering the heart of their Big East schedule now, they are playing very good basketball and in their last game had a very impressive showing against a good Louisville squad. With 1st and 2nd round games in Washington D.C. and Sweet 16 and Elite games in Newark, New Jersey, Villanova could find themselves surrounded by a lot of their own supporters should they perform good enough for the NCAA to reward them with these close cities.

Temple: Even though Temple is not my #1 favorite, they are #2, in large part because of the multiple family ties I have to that school. Add to that the fact that Fran Dunphy is their coach, and you have a winning combination. Oh, and that team is real good as well. Juan Fernandez and Lavoy Allen are beasts. Temple is currently ranked in the Top 25 and could conceivably earn a Top 4 seed if they continue to play well in the A-10.

Penn State: I pick on Penn State basketball a lot. They are an easy target, especially for someone who has spent his college basketball watching life a Villanova fan. But they are not that bad this year. In fact, they defeated Michigan State and Illinois in consecutive games, the first time they beat ranked teams back-to-back since the 1950s. They may get knocked down back to earth a little bit when they play Ohio State on Saturday. Sure they lost to Maine earlier this year, but if they can continue to win games in the Big 10 and maybe win some games in the Big 10 tournament, and Penn State may finally crack the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001.

Drexel: Drexel comes from the same conference similar to George Mason. And despite having six teams in the RPI top 100 and five in the RPI top 75, the CAA does not have the respect that a similar conference, the A-10 does. And Drexel may find themselves as a much talked about bubble team if they do not win the CAA tournament. This is a team that has a good non-conference schedule and has beaten Louisville this year. Of all the teams here, Drexel may be the most interesting team to follow. Drexel is a very good engineering school in Philadelphia not really known for its athletics. Even if Drexel gets in and ends up a 16 seed and loses 103-51 to Duke, just getting there would be a huge accomplishment.

Bucknell: The engineering school known for it's NCAA tournament has a decent out of conference record and could threaten for the Patriot League title. It goes without say that this conference won't get any at larges.

Lehigh: They won the Patriot League title last year.....

Lafayette: Lost the Patriot League championship last year to their bitter rivals, the aforementioned Lehigh. This team is a no-hoper unless they make an improbable run at the Patriot League tournament.

Saint Joseph's: My how this team has fallen since the days of Jameer Nelson. 5-11 overall, 0-2 in the A-10. Barring a miraculous tournament victory, you can count out the Hawks this year.

La Salle: A slightly better team than St. Joe's, but again, a team that probably has no chance at an at-large bid. Once again, the only hope here is an NCAA Tournament bid.

Pennsylvania: When Fran Dunphy left, so did Penn's NCAA tournament appearances. Coincidence? I think not.

Right now if I were to make a prediction, I would say that Villanova, Temple, and Penn State get in the tournament, with everyone else on the outside. I think Drexel will end up just short because the NCAA does not like the CAA, and there is too much competition in that conference to beleive that Drexel will win it.

And You Thought Ali Farokhmanesh Had The Shot Of The Tourney

Sadly, I don't think that honor is his anymore. What he did took a lot of balls, but I don't think there can be anything more dramatic than what Kore Lucious did to Maryland earlier today. It appeared that Greivis Vasquez had given Maryland the win and the win by hitting a basket with 6.6 left to make it a 1-point game, but thanks to some shotty Twerps defense, Michigan State was able to get the ball to a wide open Kore Lucious and who had an open look from beyond the arc. The rest is history that can be seen in this video.



Wow. What a shot by Lucious and what a win for Sparty.

But Michigan State still has problems. Kalin Lucas injured his Achilles and his unlikely to play on Friday against Ali Farokhmanesh and Northern Iowa. But if there is one thing I can tell you about Tom Izzo and Michigan State it is this: they are never an easy out. Even when half of their starters are out they are still tough to beat and UNI will face quite the challenge in the Sweet 16. I can't wait for March Madness to resume again as this weekend was just an incredible week of hoops.

Scottie Reynolds Would Like To Make Gus Johnson's And Greg Anthony's Life Difficult

I like Scottie Reynolds. I like Gus Johnson. I don't think Scottie Reynolds likes Gus Johnson very much.

During the Villanova game today against West Virginia, Scottie Reynolds lost his balance as he was running out of bounds. So what does he do to regain his balance? Natrually, he tries to use the announce table and unfortunately for all, he ended up knocking over the CBS table where Gus Johnson and Greg Anthony were sitting.



Too funny. And the telestrator going nuts right afterwards was priceless. It actually amazes that with the number of times players hustle and dive out of bounds like that this type of thing thing does not happen more often. Obviously I was being sarcastic at the top and it was an accident, but still, that is funny. And it was also nice to see Gus and Greg take it in a good stride like they did.

One Of The Most Controversial Endings To A College Basketball Game You Will Ever See

I don't know how many of you got a chance to the Xavier-Butler game that was on this morning, but if you did, then you witnessed one of the most controversial endings that you may ever see in your life. Butler had an inbounds pass with 36.9 seconds left. Eventually they lose the ball into the backcourt but it is touched by an Xavier player negating a backcourt violation. Not realizing this right away, the clock operator stops the clock for a brief split second before restarting it again. That minor detail would prove very critical in the outcome of the game as Butler made a game-winning basket with 1.2 seconds left. They reviewed the play. The result of that review created a situation that looked eerily similar to that ill-fated November night in 1997 in Montreal when Vince McMahon screwed Bret Hart.



Wow. While they certainly have every right to be upset about how that went down, I can't help but to feel like there should have been at least .2 left on that clock for them to attempt some sort of miracle play or something. Butler got the win, but as you saw in that video, Xavier was not happy.

By the way, that was a review that lasted 10 minutes. If you want to see the whole thing, click here to watch it in an albeit poorer quality video.

One Shining Moment For UNC

As much as it pains me to say this.......congratulations to the 2009 National Champions of college basketball, the North Carolina Tar Heels. Well, I guess it could be worse, it could be Duke, but we all know that they are way overrated anyway, so the chances of that happening are quite slim. Anyway, here is the only video that is really worth viewing from last night's festivities. One Shining Moment. And pay special attention to what play is shown the first time that "one shining moment is sung"...



As a Nova fan, if that does not give you goose bumps then I don't know what will.

And speaking of Philadelphia connections, here's a little something for you. Wayne Ellington was born and raised in Wynnewood, PA. What's so special about that you ask? Well besides the fact, that it's where my grandfather used to live (he's since moved from there for reasons that I elect not to share) and subsequently where my dad grew up and in the county where I live when I'm not in college, Ellington is not the first basketball player to come out of that area. And neither is Gerald Henderson. I do not know how many of you know this, but former Philadelphia 76er Joe Bryant used to live in Wynnewood. And in case you might have already figured out (or know), Joe Bryant had a son. His name is Kobe and he plays currently plays basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Moral of the story other than coincidence: Don't let anyone tell you that all basketball players come out of the ghetto. Because you've got 2 of the finest college kids and arguably one of the greatest players currently in the NBA that came out of the wealthy community Wynnewood, PA.

(FYI, I know I said earlier that I was planning to live blog the Flyers tonight even though it's just a local game, but I am just too tired right now and have way too much work to do live blog (or even watch) the game tonight. Sorry for getting your hopes up......if you even got your hopes up.)

"UNC > Nova > Dook: Basic Math"

Well, that was certainly a depressing game for Nova fans. I can't say I'm surprised, however, although I guess disappointed would be an appropriate word. Disappointed because after being outplayed in the first half by the North Carolina Tar Heels (a.k.a. The Angry Goats on Steroids), UNC took their foot off the gas and Villanova Wildcats did not take advantage of that opportunity. Their 3-point shooting was deplorable beyond measure and UNC was just ridiculous along the boards.

I will say this though about North Carolina, forget Tyler Hansbrough, I was much more impressed by Danny Green. Let me tell you what, that kid is NBA ready and he has the potential to be a star if he ends up with the right team for him.

Well, there is always next year for the Wildcats. Jay Wright is a good coach and you have to have faith that he will get Villanova back in the NCAA tournament. And hey, Villanova eliminated Duke. That alone will forever be priceless for me.

As far as Philly sports goes, tomorrow is a new day. For tomorrow night is opening day for the Philadelphia Phillies. They'll be taking on the Atlanta Braves on Sunday Night Baseball at 8 PM on ESPN2, and yes, I will be live blogging that right here at FARN. And I will not be losing CoverItLive. Back to the old style (what a shame Nathan/Mark/Tom/Tyler/"OMDQ"/"S2N"/Ty/Andrew). As far as the game goes, Cole Hamels will not be starting, he has not yet fully recovered from his Spring Training injury, instead it will be Brett Myers taking on the Braves' newly acquired pither Derek Lowe live from Citizens Bank Park.

And just as a reminder of the good times from last year (and to cure some disappointment from the Wildcats' loss)....



Not quite sure why the person who made this video used the song, "Prostitute" by Guns n' Roses, but it works, in a weird way. My favorite part of that whole vid was how Chris Wheeler completely lost it in the booth. Harry Kalas is sitting down as calmly as possible making the call, meanwhile he is up dancing and celebrating and seemingly showing off his Tae-Kwon-Do moves. And lastly, the 3 words that are forever etched into the minds of Philadelphians, and are particularly helpful and inspiring whenever a team like Villanova disappoints like they did tonight.



I love how the crowd absolutely went nuts after the f-bomb. Too funny. And if you think that this is a phrase that I like, you're wrong. Just the other day, I saw someone with a t-shirt that said, "World Phuckin Champions". Yeah. That is pretty much the Phillies new rallying cry for Philadelphians (and my email signature).

World Champions!.....WORLD FUCKING CHAMPIONS!

Go Phillies!!!

An Exclusive Look At The Final Four

Here we come, Detroit! Tomorrow is one of the most dramatic days in sports and as we all know, that day is Final Four Saturday. And this year, we have two very different match-ups, but yet, I feel that they are both just as compelling and should be both be fun, despite the potential of 2 very different looking scoreboards by the end of the game.

Game 1: Michigan State vs. UConn

This will be our low-scoring game of the day. Michigan State will try for the slower tempo and UConn is not the team that can knock down 3s back to back to create a quicker tempo. Expect a Big 10 affair and I see this one being a close one down to the wire with the possibility of either pulling away. And even though it is UConn who will be sporting the home jersies, Michigan State will have the clear home-court advantage and that will be enough to put them over the top in this one. Yes, I just did say that. Michigan State will be going to the national championshii game.

Final Score: Michigan State 63, UConn 58.

Game 2: Villanova vs. North Carolina

Villanova has proven thus far in the tournament that they are not intimidated by the names on the front of the jersies (just ask UCLA, Duke, and to a lesser extent, Pitt). However, as a Nova fan, this is the team that scares me the most. And by scares me the most, I mean that, in my opinion, this is the de facto national championship game. I think both of these teams will be able to handle Michigan State or UConn. But back to this game, I see this as everything Villanova has, North Carolina has more and better of. Scottie Reynolds is a beast but he'll only be able to do so much. As much as I don't want to see it, the magical ride for the Wildcats will end in heartbreak in Detroit.

Final Score: North Carolina 88, Villanova 80.

Enjoy the Final Four everyone!

Penn State Takes The NIT!

This is shaping up to be quite the epic weekend for my favorite D1 athletic programs. The Villanova Wildcats are in the Final Four and even though I have not really followed their basketball team that much (let's face it; who saw this coming?), Penn State is my favorite D1 football team and the fact that their basketball team is doing well makes me happy. And now, that PSU basketball team are the winners of the Not In Tournament National Invitational Tournament!

They rallied in the 2nd half to take down Baylor by a score of 69-63. I wish I would have actually seen it, but believe me, if you've ever had one of those days where you agree to do 30,000 different things, then you know that there was no chance of me catching this game (especially seeing as I mistakenly thought the game started at 8 and not 7).

Congrats nonetheless to the Penn State Nittany Lions men's basketball team! The winners of the 2009 NIT tournament. Now here's hoping that the Villanova Wildcats can take the NCAAs. When I'm not at college, I literally live 25 minutes from Villanova University (which I just recently found out is technically located in Radnor, PA, which as I have often mentioned, is a really wealthy area just outside of Philly; never knew the technicality, as hard as it is to believe), so it is safe to say that I am stoked for this Saturday.

Even though I am not great at analyzing basketball, I will have some semblemce of a Final Four preview up tomorrow, taking a look at what ought to be 2 very different, yet entertaining basketball games on Saturday.

2009 NCAA National Semifinals (Final Four) Schedule

We started with 65 and we are now down to 4. It seems like just yesterday the tournament was kicking off and now we are down to 4. Michigan State, UConn, Villanova, and North Carolina are the 4 that will be heading to Detroit for, considering the times, should be a fun day of hoops (yes, I even think that Sparty and UConn are capable of putting on a good show). And with all teams in a fairly close vicinity by airplane, Ford Field will be without a doubt one jam-packed house. So, without further ado, here is your complete schedule of events for the Final Four Saturday all live from Detroit! (all times eastern)

4:00 PM: The Final Four Show live from Detroit with Greg Gumbel, Greg Anthony, and Seth Davis

6:07 PM: Michigan State vs. UConn - Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg

Approx. 8:37 PM: Villanova vs. North Carolina - Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg

NOVA'S GOING TO THE FINAL 4!!!

What. A. Game.



What. A. Game.

I said this in the live blog but I think it bears repeating; Villanova was overlooked in the Big East. They were hardly given any attention at all. At the beginning of the year all the talk was about Georgetown, Notre Dame, Pitt, and UConn. By the end of the year, it was all about Louisville, UConn, Pitt, and Syracuse after their thrilling 6 OT win. This whole year, Villanova was an afterthought in the Big East. Well, after thought no more. And no more will they be overlooked. Many people had Pitt winning the whole tournament. But in a classic Elite 8 match on the 17th anniversary of Christian Laettner's shot, it was a team from outside Philadelphia with Verne Lundquist on the call, winning an instant classic against their in-state rivals.

What. A. Game.

2009 NCAA Regional Final (Elite Eight) Schedule

We started with 65 teams. And we are down to 8. With that being said, here is the Elite 8 Schedule for 2009. Enjoy the games this weekend! (all times eastern)

Satruday, March 28

West Regional Final: Connecticut vs. Missouri (Glendale, 4:40 PM) - Dick Enberg and Jay Bilas

East Regional Final: Pittsburgh vs. Villanova (Boston, 7:05 PM) - Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery

Sunday, March 29

Midwest Regional Final: Louisville vs. Michigan State (Indianapolis, 2:20 PM) - Gus Johnson and Len Elmore

South Regional Final: North Carolina vs. Oklahoma (Memphis, 5:05 PM) - Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg

I'll be doing the same deal with the live blogs again so I hope that you will join us. And in a little bonus coverage, I will be live blogging the Division II championship game between Findlay and Cal State Ponoma tomorrow at 1 PM. I've never heard of either school, let alone see one of their games, but I can tell you that having done a brief amount of research (i.e. glancing at the bracket), Findlay is undefeated all season and CS Ponoma was a 3-seed in their region (instead of 4 regions of 16 teams, D2 has 8 regions of 8 teams). See you then!

Taking A Look At The Sweet 16, Day 2

Yesterday was a fun day of college basketball, especially seeing as Villanova creamed Duke by 23 points. And today could be just as good. Why is that you ask? Because in the Midwest region, it's the one, the only, Gus Johnson calling the games! Too bad for me though that I am stuck in Memphis with Jim Nantz on the call for both games. And while he is improving, he's no Gus Johnson, that's for sure.

The first game of the first window today is Arizona and Louisville. Arizona is the only remaining double-digit seed, but very few are actually calling them Cinderella. In fact, many feel as if it should have been St. Mary's in this tournament and many may also feel that Arizona got a real lucky draw, having to play a weak 5-seed in Utah and then 13-seed Cleveland State in the 2nd round. This is definitley their big test, though, as all of a sudden they are playing the #1 overall ranked team, Louisville. I'm not sure if I really like Arizona's chances in this one, and in fact, this could easily turn into a Louisville blowout.

Tipping off 20-minutes in the first window is Syracuse and Oklahoma. This one is certainly intriguing as we've got the Orange, who have been nothing but exhillerating to watch over the past few weeks and have romped through the tourney's first couple of games. And then on the other side, it's Blake Griffin and the Oklahoma Sooners. If there is one thing that the Sooners cannot afford, it is to get their big man into foul trouble. If so, this could be a big day for the Cuse. If not, then I think this one will be a battle to the end.

Most likely starting off the second window (there's always the possibility that Arizona and Louisville go into double overtime and that sets things off a bit), is Kansas and Michigan State. And while Michigan State is not a bad team, watching them, I do not feel like I am watching a Final Four team. I believe that they were highly overrated to begin with and that Kansas could take it to them this game. But if there is one thing we know about Michigan State, and that is they won't go down without a fight under Tom Izzo. While I more than likely think this will be a KU blowout, if Sparty can hang around and keep it interesting, there could be some GuJo fireworks going off tonight.

And lastly tonight we have UNC and Gonzaga. It was in the Sweet 16 10 years ago that the Zags pulled the upset over Florida and in doing so, gave us one of the greatest calls in college basketball history from one Gus Johnson. Now they are in Memphis playing the #1 seed North Carolina Tar Heels with Jim Nantz on the call. Gonzaga has been criticized as being too soft and that North Carlolina will most likely wipe the floor with them. But, not so fast! Even though Ty Lawson is back, it is unclear as to whether or not he really is 100% percent and is an unhealthy Ty Lawson worse than no Ty Lawson at all? Does the slipper still fit for the Zags, 10 years later? A trip to the Elite 8 in this one that is chock full of good stuff to watch for.

I'm pumped for today's action and I hope you are too. Now I'm sure some of you what on earth about Duke I hate so much? Well, I'm pretty sure this post from Rush The Court with a video from the end of last night's Villanova-Duke game will answer any and all questions. (I can't seem to be able to just embed the video. RTC must put some non-embed security on it or something, if that's even possible).

Update: I'll be back tonight for another round of blogging at Keith's Sports Journal. And S2N also said that he is going to get a live blog going tonight. And maybe even an AA open thread! I'll be everywhere tonight!

"Coach Jay Outcoached Coach K"

So said Beasley Reese at the start of the CBS 3 newscast. And that's exactly what happened, 77-54, the Villanova Wildcats defeated the Duke Blue Devils in a blowout. An ass-raping. A lambasting. A wipeout. You name it, we saw it in the TD Banknorth Garden.

And now that leaves, Pitt as the only remaining obstacle to the Wildcats' run to the Final Four. And yes, being Big East rivals they played each other this year and Villanova defeated Pitt 67-57 in the last college basketball game to ever be played in the Wachovia Spectrum.

But I'll worry about Pitt later. For now, seeing as my favorite DI college basketball team just beat my least favorite, let me just let out this one, big, huge,

YIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

77-54!!!!!!!!! A BLOWOUT!!!!!! DUKE GOT BLOWN OUT OF THE TOURNAMENT!!!!!!!!! AGAIN!!!!!!!!! THIS TIME BY VILLANOVA!!!!!!! WHAT NOW, DUKE, WHAT NOW!?!?!?! WOOTWOOT!!!!! GO VILLANOVA!!!!!! DUKE SUCKS!!!!!!!!

YYYYYYIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is all.

Taking A Look At The Sweet 16, Day 1

I for one could not be more pumped for this year's Sweet 16! Say what you want about the first couple rounds of the tournament this year, but this Sweet 16 is chock full of juicy matchups that I can't wait to check out. And it appears as if 49er16 will be in and out at best for today's live blog and Mookie will be joining us at around the time for the 2nd set of games, which means that yours truly will most likely be doing the blogging work for the majority of the evening. Yes, the same yours truly is working off of 4.5 hours of sleep from the night before and any 30-minute catnap he has time for.

Now as far as what games I am getting, well, I've got 3 words for you. East and South. Yep, I've got both games from those regions (East on Thursday and South on Friday, obviously).

Now let's take a look of the games of the day, starting in the East Region.

In the early slot, we have got Pitt vs. Xavier. While it seems like it might be the donut of the day, with the way Pitt has been playing, I would not be so fast to crown this a 20-point blowout. Xavier has overachieved and Pitt has underachieved thus far as far as performance in the tournament goes (remember: Portland St. vs. Xavier was a lot of people's pick for big first round upsts). While I would not necessarily pick Xavier over Pitt, I think this one may end up being closer than a lot of people might think.

Staying in the East, we have, in my view (and I'll admit to being just a tad bit biased on this one), the game of the tournament thus far. It's the Villanova Wildcats vs. the Duke Blue Devils. What a game. And the irony of this match is all there. Gerald Henderson nearly went to Villanova, but instead he ended up "pitching a tent in Krzyzewskiville". This should be an exciting up and down and back and forth, extraordinary game that could very well come down to the last minute.

Moving over to the other featured region of the day, the West region being played at University of Phoenix Staduim. And given the location, literally anything can happen tonight when March Madness comes to Glendale. Opened on August 1, 2006, check out the list of dramatics this venue has already seen in its short history.

• The Boise miracles at the 2007 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
• The Giants upsetting the then undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII
• WVU upsetting OU in the 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
• The thrilling ending to the Texas-OSU 2009 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
• The Cardinals winning their first playoff game since the age of the dinosaurs
• The thrilling NFC title game between the Eagles and the Cardinals

So you know this place as seen the dramatics. And tonight we have a couple interesting games that could prove exciting. Purdue may be a Big 10 team but it is not out of the realm of possibilities that they can take out UConn tonight. They are definitley hot at hte right time and they seem to be that anamoly of a Big 10 team that can play the more up and down style (I'm yet to be sold on Sparty; we'll learn a lot about them tomorrow). Hummel is a flat out man beast for them and they could give the UConn Huskies and Hasheem Thabeet, all 9'8" of him, a run for his money.

And we've got Mizzou and Memphis in the later slot. Even though I did not have Memphis beating Maryland, I see Mizzou advancing to the Elite 8. I think this Memphis team, more so than others, benefitted from an easy schedule and are no where near the powerhouse that they were last year. They are a good team, no doubt about it, but I do not think that they will truly be up to the task against Missouri, their first real formidable opponent from a power school since the beginning of the year (sorry Twerps fans, but you failed to impress me as someone to be reckoned with in this tournament).

If AA has open threads, I will also be commenting there as well and leaving announcing quotes and so on and so forth. I am jacked for tonight. This one should be a blast.

FYI, for those not sure of what games you are getting, SSR has put together the coverage maps for today's games, and may I say, he did an excellent job in doing so.

Jim Nantz For President!

Okay, so he's not running for President yet, as I was perusing the506 last night looking for the announcer schedules, the link to the confirmed schedule for the Sweet Sixteen led to a USA Today column by Michael Hiestand and that column was not just on the announcers and th Sweet 16. Apparently our friend, Jim Nantz, has some political aspirations! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Jim Nantz for public office! Hello, friends!

CBS' Jim Nantz, in an interview with CBS' WANE affiliate in Fort Wayne, Ind., suggests he eventually might run for public office. "Someday if I could run for mayor of my little town or city councilman or state congressman or U.S. congressman … I think that would be really neat. I really do."

I can see the campaign slogan now: "Hello, friend! Vote for Nantz!"

In all seriousness, though, I am starting to come around a bit to Jim Nantz. First of all, there is little doubt in my mind that he is nothing but a stand up, classy guy and I have always recognized and acknowleged that about him. My gripe about Nantz is that he is, in my opinion, rather monotonous and drag some of the excitement out of the game. I don't expect every announcer to be like Gus Johnson, but sometimes I just feel like the enthusiasm is not there for him. Maybe it's the analysts that have been dragging him down. I mean, for goodness sakes, the guy has been stuck with Phil Simms and Billy Packer for numerous years (I don't watch golf so I can't comment on his work there), but now that he has been parntered with Clark Kellogg, he has been coming out of his shell a bit, seemingly. I will say (and I will have a whole announcing review later for the first round later on today) that this is the most I think I have ever enjoyed listening to Jim Nantz.

Back to politics though, I wonder what ideology Jim Nantz is...

2009 NCAA Regional Semifinal (Sweet Sixteen) Schedule

I actually think I have beaten AA to this! The506 has already provided a list of what they apparently have been given information to as the confirmed CBS announcer schedule for the 2nd week of tournament action. The schedule of games has already been provided by CBS, but here are the announcers, and again, there are little surprises here. Actually scratch that. I can't figure out for the life of me why Gus Johnson is not in Memphis.....All jokes aside, here's the Sweet Sixteen schedule! (all times PM eastern)

Thursday, March 26

Connecticut vs. Purdue (Glendale, 7:07) - Dick Enberg and Jay Bilas
Pittsburgh vs. Xavier (Boston, 7:27) - Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery

Memphis vs. Missouri (Glendale, Approx. 9:37) - Dick Enberg and Jay Bilas
Duke vs. Villanova (Boston, Approx. 9:57) - Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery

Friday, March 27

Louisville vs. Arizona (Indianapolis, 7:07) - Gus Johnson and Len Elmore
Oklahoma vs. Syracuse (Memphis, 7:27) - Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg

Michigan State vs. Kansas (Indianapolis, Approx. 9:37) - Gus Johnson and Len Elmore
North Carolina vs. Gonzaga (Memphis, Approx. 9:57) - Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg

And for those who have brain freeze at the moment and can't matchup the city to its respective region name, here is the breakdown by region name of what announcing team is going where so you don't have to think!

Midwest (Indy): Gus Johnson and Len Elmore
West (Glendale): Dick Enberg and Jay Bilas
East (Boston): Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery
South (Memphis): Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg

With the exception of today, this tournament has been mainly lackluster thus far with a lot of predictable results. Let's hope things get shaken up a bit this week of the tournament!

Update: Assuming everything is accurate (and everything given makes sense and would seem to be right, althought the times given by the506 look like they might be off a couple minutes from what CBS gave earlier, although I do not have the mental capacity to recall from those 5-second graphics or what it was exactly in years past), for once, I have beaten AA to an announcing schedule!!! Sorry, it's a pride issue.

2009 NCAA Second Round Schedule

Great thanks to Awful Announcing for compiling these together! This is the schedule for Round 2! And as soon as I receive confirmation on what CBS 3 Philly and CBS WYOU SWB is showing (in other words, what I am watching), I will pass it along to you here.

Saturday, March 21st

Villanova vs. UCLA (Philadelphia, 1:05pm)- Dick Enberg/Jay Bilas

Memphis vs. Maryland (Kansas City, 3:20pm)- Tim Brando/Mike Gminski
Connecticut vs. Texas A&M (Philadelphia, 3:35pm)- Dick Enberg/Jay Bilas

Purdue vs. Washington (Portland, 5:40pm)- Kevin Harlan/Dan Bonner
North Carolina vs. LSU (Greensboro, 5:45pm)- Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg
Oklahoma vs. Michigan (Kansas City, 5:50pm)- Tim Brando/Mike Gminski

Gonzaga vs. Western Kentucky (Portland, 8pm)- Kevin Harlan/Dan Bonner
Duke vs. Texas (Greensboro, 8:05pm)- Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg

Sunday, March 22nd

Syracuse vs. Arizona State (Miami, 12:10pm)- Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel

Wisconsin vs. Xavier (Boise, 2:20pm)- Craig Bolerjack/Bob Wenzel
Kansas vs. Dayton (Minneapolis, 2:30pm)- Gus Johnson/Len Elmore
Cleveland State vs. Arizona (Miami, 2:40pm)- Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel
Oklahoma State vs. Pittsburgh (Dayton, 2:50pm)- Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery

Missouri vs. Marquette (Boise, 4:50pm)- Craig Bolerjack/Bob Wenzel
Michigan State vs. USC (Minneapolis, 5pm)- Gus Johnson/Len Elmore
Siena vs. Louisville (Dayton, 5:10pm)- Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery

Update: Here is the slate of games I am getting for Saturday.
UCLA vs. Villanova (Philadelphia - Enberg/Bilas)
Texas A&M vs. UConn (Philadelphia - Enberg/Bilas)
LSU vs. UNC (Greensboro - Nantz/Kellogg)
Texas vs. Duke (Greensboro - Nantz/Kellogg)

Well, at least I'll have a pretty strong rooting interest in all 4 games...

Update 2: Here is my slate of games for Sunday. And once again, I predicted it exactly correct.
Arizona State vs. Syracuse (Miami - Eagle/Spanarkel)
Oklahoma State vs. Pittsburgh (Dayton - Lundquist/Raftery)
Siena vs. Louisville (Dayton - Lundquist/Raftery)

March Madness Simulated: The Final Four and National Championship

The moment you've all been waiting for! The simulated Final Four is here! I did the Duke-Gonzaga game and Mookie from SSR did the Louisville-UConn game.

Here they are! Enjoy!

Semifinal #1
#4 Gonzaga vs. #2 Duke: A crazy up and down first half has led Duke to a 2-point lead over Gonzaga at halftime in the Final Four. But in the second half, it’s Gonzaga who jumps out to an 11-point lead. Duke won’t go down easy, though, and with 4:06 to go they have tied it at 74. They proceed to make a run and go up 83-77. But wait, the Zags won’t go down. After a 2-1 exchange of free throws in favor of the Bulldogs, GRAY HITS A 3 FOR GONZAGA! AND THEY’RE WITHIN 2 WITH 15 SECONDS LEFT! Henderson is fouled. He makes his first! BUT MISSES THE SECOND! REBOUND GONZAGA! 13 SECONDS LEFT! 3-POINT LEAD! Daye gets the ball AND HE BURIES A 3 TO TIE IT WITH 4 SECONDS LEFT!!! ONIONS!!!!! HENDERSON A CHANCE FOR THE WIN…..OFF THE MARK! WE’RE GOING TO OVERTIME!!! 85-85! Gonzaga starts the OT with a 7-0 run! Could it be? Could it be that the Zags are going to a National Championship? Duke is roaring back! Singler hits a 3 and it’s a 4-point game! Gonzaga responds with a basket. It’s Duke’s turn with 1:32 to go trailing by 6 and Williams it’s the perimeter jumper AND-1! The freebie is good. 1:25 to go. Heytvelt misses badly for Gonzaga BUT HE CORRALS HIS OWN REBOUND! The pass is PICKED OFF BY JUKE! CHANCE TO TIE WITH 52 TO GO! NO GOOD! REBOUND GONZAGA! 94-91 THEY LEAD WITH 51 SECONDS LEFT! They let some time run out. Shot clock down to 5 and HEYTVELT HITS A JUMPER!!!! 5-POINT LEAD!! 20 SECONDS LEFT!! IS THAT THE DAGGER?!? DUKE NEEDS A BASKET AND THEY NEED IT IN A HURRY! SINGLER FROM 3……NOOO!!!!! THOMAS THE REBOUND!!! TIME’S TICKING!! THOMAS THE 3…..NOO!!!!! REBOUND GONZAGA AND THERE’S THE BUZZER!!!!! ……………..GONZAGA’S GOING TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!! THEY’VE BEATEN DUKE 96-91 IN OVERTIME!!…UNBELIEVEABLE!! ONIONS!!

Semifinal #2
#1 UConn vs. #1 Louisville: The rematch between two Big East rivals for the right to face Gonzaga in the title game. Last time these two faced UConn dominated Louisville at Freedom Hall. This time around, Hasheem was held to just 12 points, although he shot 5-7 from the floor. It was a tight first half, neither lteam leading by more than 8. A Kemba Walker shot cut the Cardinals lead to 40-36 at the half. There were 3 lead changes in the 2nd half but the game remained tight. However, Hasheem Thabeet was in foul trouble and couldn’t afford to foul out. Louisville’s bench outscored UConn’s bench 32-22, and it was bench player Edgar Sosa who scored on a layup to give Louisville a 77-76 lead with 2:37 to go. With :14 left and the game in favor of the Cardinals 79-77, Samardo Samuels stepped up to the line for two crucial free throws. Samuels hits the first free throw! If he hits the second then he may have won it!! HE HITS BOTH!! IT IS 81-77!!! LAST CHANCE FOR UCONN!! AUSTRIE FOR THREE!! NO!!! THABEET THE REBOUND!!! THEY’RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME!! THABEET FOR THREE!!!!! NO!!! REBOUND BY TERRENCE WILLIAMS AND TIME EXPIRES!!!!!!!! LOUISVILLE GETS REVENGE ON UCONN AND ADVANCE TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME TO FACE GONZAGA!!! A THRILLING 81-77 WIN FOR RICK PITINO’S SQUAD!! THERE WILL BE NO THIRD MIRACLE FOR THE HUSKIES!!!

And now the national championship game, courtesy of Mookie from SSR.

Gonzaga’s road to the national championship game was a shocker. They plowed through Akron but won a nailbiter over Illinois 70-67. North Carolina proved to be no match for the Zags and they lost 83-69 in the Sweet 16. They beat Cinderella team Clemson in the regional final to advance to the Final Four, where they beat Duke in OT 96-91. A lot of close games, but these Bulldogs have been through it all.

Louisville on the other hand breezed to the Final Four. Blowout wins over Morehead State and Siena, followed by a late run to beat Wake Forest, culminating in another blowout over West Virginia in the regional final. Samardo Samuels hit two huge free throws in their national semifinal win over UConn, 81-77.

Many matchups to look forward to. How will the Cardinals stop Jeremy Pargo? Will the Zags have the size to compete for rebounds underneath and be physical? They’ve been called “soft” by most critics, but they’ve gotten this far.

Finally, Rick Pitino and Mark Few, two of the best coaches in the game today, face off for the first time in their illustrious careers.

AND WE ARE UNDERWAY IN DETROIT!!

1st Half
From the opening tip it was a fast paced game with very few stoppages. However, it would be Gonzaga that went ahead by double digits on a Josh Heytfelt bucket with 6:46 left. The deficit for Louisville was 10, their biggest in the entire tournament. The Cardinals would close out the half outscoring the Zags 11-6 to close the gap to 36-31 at halftime. Both teams shooting very well from the field, and they would continue that throughout the game.

2nd Half
A key moment in the 2nd half came at the 11:15 mark. Will Foster tied the game at 47-47 for Gonzaga, but moments later Louisville’s Terrence Jennings was fouled by Austin Daye. That was Daye’s 4th personal foul already and had to be careful. Amazingly, Mark Few took the gamble and kept him on the floor until the 9:22 mark, when Matt Boulding came in. The fouls kept piling up for Gonzaga and Heytfelt picked up his 4th foul with 1:50 to go! Earl Clark hit both free throws and Louisville was up 75-72. With :58 left, the fun began…

DAYE!!! HITS THE SHOT FROM THE PERIMETER!!! GONZAGA LEADS 76-75!!!! AT THE OTHER END!!!!!!! ANDRE MCGEE FOR THREE!!!!!!!!!! OH YES!!! LOUISVILLE LEADS WITH :47 LEFT!!! DAYE FOR GONZAGA!!! NO!!!! STEVEN GRAY THE REBOUND AND THEY HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE!!! AN ILLEGAL SCREEN CALLED ON DAYE!!!!!!! HE HAS FOULED OUT WITH :21 LEFT!!! UNBELIEVABLE!! TIMEOUT CALLED!!!!

JENNINGS IS FOULED BY HEYTFELT!!! HE HAS FOULED OUT!!! GONZAGA LOSING PLAYERS LEFT AND RIGHT!!! Jennings hits both free throws!! It’s 80-76! BOULDIN FOR THREE!! NO GOOD!!! THE TIP BY FOSTER!! 80-78 WITH :13 TO GO!!!! MCGEE IS FOULED!!!

FIRST FREE THROW…..NO GOOD!!! But he HITS THE 2ND! TIME WINDING DOWN!!! IRA BROWN FOR THE TIE!!!!!!!!!!! HE HITS IT!!!! TIED AT 81-81!!!! JUST 2 TICKS ON THE CLOCK!!! THE INBOUNDS PASS IS KNOCKED AWAY!!! OVERTIME!!!!!!!!

Amazginly, with an extra 5 minutes the game was tight enough and free flowing there were no fouls called. Earl Clark tied the game at 90-90 with :37 left. Last chance to win it in the first OT….

HERE IS MICAH DOWNS FOR THE LEAD!!! NO!!!! TERRENCE WILLIAMS THE REBOUND!!! TIMEOUT LOUISVILLE TO SET UP A PLAY!!! HERE IS THE PASS!!! WILLIAMS IS LEFT OPEN FOR THE TITLE!!!!!!!!!!! NO GOOD!!!!!! DOUBLE OVERTIME!!!!!! WHAT A GAME!!! SIMPLY SUBLIME!!!!

With 1:41 left in the 2nd OT, Foster was called for a charge and became the 3rd player to foul out for Gonzaga. Moments later…..

JERRY SMITH FOR THREE! SCORES!!!! 104-98 LOUISVILLE WITH 1:27 LEFT!!!! GONZAGA IN NO HURRY!!! BROWN FOR A THREE OF HIS OWN!!!!!!!!!! GOT IT!!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!!

After a Williams shot for Louisville went off the mark, Gonzaga had one last chance….

TIME TICKING DOWN!!! PARGO THE SENIOR FOR THE TIE!!!! NO!!! REBOUND SAMUEL WITH :08 LEFT! THEY GET IT TO CLARK!! HE IS FOULED WITH :04 LEFT!!!! IF HE HITS BOTH FREE THROWS IT IS OVER!!! HITS THE FIRST!!!!! AND THE SECOND!!! LOUISVILLE IS GOING TO WIN IT!!!

BOULDIN FIRES A THREE AND IT IS NO GOOD!!!!!!! BUZZER SOUNDS!!!! AFTER A 23 YEAR WAIT….THE LOUISVILLE CARDINALS ARE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS OF 2009!!! A 106-101 DOUBLE OVERTIME CLASSIC!!! GONZAGA LEAVE STUNNED!!! RICK PITINO HAS DONE IT AGAIN!!!

Earl Clark was named Most Outstanding Player, and he was outstanding in this game, scoring 30 points and grabbing 10 rebounds and 4 assists, and hit the winning free throws for the Cardinals.

In the end, Gonzaga had their key players foul out, Louisville did not have any player hit the 5 foul limit. Gonzaga’s depth was tested and they did well, only to fall short.

March Madness Simulated: The West Region

Here it is, the final region simulated of March Madness. This one was done by Mookie of Stupid Sideline Reporters! Enjoy!

Here it is. The final simulated region post is here! We’ve seen Gonzaga, Louisville, and Duke make their way to Detroit. Who will leave Glendale as West regional champions? Find out after the jump…..

#1 UConn vs. #16 Chattanooga: UConn has had troubles with a #16 seed team before. They were down by double digits to Albany before rallying to win 71-58. Yet again they were in trouble and led only 9-8 in the half and fell behind 44-42 at the end of the first 20 minutes. Chattanooga threw everything at UConn and it worked! They still were up 67-63 with :29 to go, history was in the making and just :07 remained. AJ PRICE HITS THE JUMPER!!! It’s a 2 point game with :07 left!! They foul Khalil Hartwell with :04 left! A one-and-one for Chattanooga! They’re just 10-21 from the free throw line!!! HARTWELL MISSES THE FREE THROW!! JEFF ADRIEN THE REBOUND!!!! LETS IT GO FROM BEYOND HALF COURT FOR THE WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!! HE SCORES ON A PRAYER AND UCONN HAS WON!!!!!!!!! A 68-67 THRILLER FOR THE HUSKIES AND THERE WILL BE NO #16 SEED WINNING THIS YEAR!!!! REMARKABLE!!!

# 8 BYU vs. #9 Texas A&M: The Aggies weren’t bad. Not at all. They lost because BYU shot 54% from the field and couldn’t miss! BYU put up 50 in the first half and never looked back. Something clicked for the Cougars and cruised to victory 83-65 in a game that got boring from the 2nd half onwards.

#5 Purdue vs. #12 Northern Iowa: In one instant, tip-off in Portland between Purdue and Northern Iowa. Moments later, it’s 15-1 Purdue. The Big Ten side hit 8-12 from downtown and the rout was on. Once the Boilermakers started they were never threatened and won in blowout fashion 68-47.

#4 Washington vs. #13 Mississippi State: Jarvis Varnado recorded 3 blocked shots and the Bulldogs beat up on Jon Brockman. The All-Pac-10 first team star was held to 2-9 shooting, but did pick up 10 rebounds. It was a close game throughout, but Washington went on an 8-0 run in the final 2:36 to beat eliminate Mississippi State 77-67. That’s right, MSU went cold when it mattered and are out.

#6 Marquette vs. #11 Utah State: The loss of Dominic James has led to the collapse of the Golden Eagles. They were dominated on the boards and the bench contributed little. Despite all of that, they hung around with the Aggies, who were looking to pull off an upset. A jumper from the perimeter by Lazar Hayward cut Utah State’s lead to 66-64 with 5:36 to go. Wesley Matthews scored the next 2 points for Marquette……with 1:29 left. By then it was too late and Utah State pulled away for the 81-72 upset.

#3 Missouri vs. #14 Cornell: The Ivy League school actually led most of the first half, and by as many as 8 points. Missouri would bounce back from a slow start and take a 37-32 lead into the locker room. In the 2nd half the Tigers blew the doors off of Cornell and won 79-60. Mizzou shot an astounding 55% from the floor and the bench contributed 29 points.

#7 California vs. #10 Maryland: Greivis Vasquez was held to 16 points on 6-17 shooting, a huge factor was taken out of Maryland’s offense. The Terps however would not prove to be a one man show. Landon Milbourne and Eric Hayes helped get their side to within striking distance against the Berkeley school. In the end though, it’s another game that won’t go down to the wire. The huge difference was free throw shooting. Cal shot 19-21 from the stripe, while Maryland was a poor 19-21. The 74-69 scoreline in favor of the Golden Bears is deceiving, as Cal was up by 11 and Maryland hit a three at the end of the game.

#2 Memphis vs. #15 Cal-State Northridge: A dismal first round in the West region was capped off with another blowout win. Like the majority of #15 and #16 seeded teams in the tournament, CS-Northridge hung around in the first half only to get wiped out in the second half. A 75-58 win for the Tigers, whose defense forced 20 turnovers and 7 blocked shots.

2nd Round
#1 UConn vs. #8 BYU: Once again the Huskies got off to a woeful start in the first half. BYU took a surprising 41-31 lead into the break, and looked to do what Chattanooga couldn’t do and finish them off. Unfortunately, they lost their lead late. AJ Price, who led all scorers with 23 points, hit the go-ahead three to make it 62-59 with 2:52. Back and forth they went and UConn held a slim 66-65 lead with :11 left. Price goes to the line. He hits the front end of the one-and-one. Hits the back end. It’s 68-65! BYU WITH ONE LAST CHANCE!!!! JACKSON EMERY FOR THE TIE!!!!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!! IT IS TIED AT 68-68 WITH :06 LEFT!!! UCONN PUSHES AHEAD!!! PRICE AT THE BUZZER!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!! CONNECTICUT WINS AT THE BUZZER AGAIN!!! AJ PRICE HITS A THREE FROM THE LEFT WING AND THE HUSKIES WIN IT 71-68!!! HEARTBREAK CITY FOR BYU!!!

#4 Washington vs. #5 Purdue: Purdue was unable to handle the fast pace of the Washington Huskies for the full 40 minutes. The Boilermakers played their style of basketball and took a 37-32 lead into halftime. However, Washington but up 50 in the 2nd half and Darnell Gant’s jumper with 9:35 left gave the Huskies a 56-55 lead. They never relinquished their advantage and won 82-73.

#3 Missouri vs. #11 Utah State: You aren’t going to win with a -17 rebound differential. Missouri’s lack of a strong rebounder killed them in the 2nd half. A torrid first half saw them lead 42-41, but too many second chances for the Aggies and one-and-dones for the Tigers meant another upset! Utah State beat Missouri 81-71!

#2 Memphis vs. #7 California: Cal never led in this game, had a -16 differential in the boards and the game was over by halftime. A comfortable 82-59 win for Memphis means they advance to the Sweet 16.

Sweet 16
#1 UConn vs. #4 Washington: Well, at least my Washington Huskies went further than JFein’s Villanova Wildcats! The third time in a row these teams face off in the regional semis, and this time there would be no dramatic finish. Five UConn players finished with double-digit point totals and won 87-78 over U-Dub. A 12 point lead for UConn at the break was too much for Washington to overcome.

#2 Memphis vs. #11 Utah State: Unfortunately, the Aggies would not have a third straight upset. As was the theme of the simulated tournament for most of the regionals, a close game broke open when one team forgot to score points in the clutch. A 64-62 lead for the Tigers turned to 73-62 with 2:46 to go and they won the game 79-70. This sets up the highly anticipated matchup between UConn and Memphis.

Elite Eight
#1 UConn vs. #2 Memphis: What? Another blowout? UConn wins 66-52 over Memphis. While the outcome may not be a shocker, the score was surprising. It was a regional final to forget for the crowd in Glendale and the millions watching on TV. It was however an impressive display by the Huskies, who advance to the Final Four.

What will happen in the Final Four when Louisville takes on UConn and Duke takes on Gonzaga? Find out later tonight or tomorrow!