NCAA Basketball FanHouse

A Triumph for the Least Daring Among Us

Josh Alper — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: March Madness, East, West, Midwest, South

I'm not sure what's replaced the watercooler as the gathering place in offices of the 21st century but, whatever it is, the buzz around it this morning is the Final Four. For the first time ever all four first seeds have advanced to the final weekend and the biggest beneficiaries are no doubt making themselves known to their co-workers. Maybe it's the receptionist who spends more time discussing her romantic life than studying Pomeroy Ratings or the guy from Accounting who doesn't watch sports but likes to be part of the office hullabaloo but those are the ones counting their winnings right now.

Whether you thought the tournament was boring or scintillating to this point, you'll doubtlessly agree that the top seeds advancing has taken some of the fun out of it. Hopefully it will mean some spectacular basketball on Saturday and Monday but it is antithesis to the surprise and drama that has made March Madness part of the national lexicon.

That surprise was what made us take a chance on Pittsburgh or West Virginia two weeks ago because we've watched for years and knew that it wouldn't come down to the chalk teams. And for that we've been repaid by the heckling of coworkers who wouldn't know Stephen Curry from Eddy Curry. And, worst of all, Clark Kellogg's annual safety dance has finally paid off which ensures another decade of bland picks.

A Triumph for the Least Daring Among Us originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The List of Things Kevin Love Can't Do Keeps Getting Smaller

Josh Alper — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 08:10:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA Basketball, March Madness, NCAA Basketball Video, West

Yesterday Michael David Smith asked if Xavier could control Kevin Love in last night's Elite Eight matchup. The answer came back with a resounding no, which shouldn't come as too much of a shock at this point. Love doesn't appear to be stoppable by anyone in the college game right now. Without a doubt, part of the reason is his enviable shooting range.

The only thing Love can't seem to do is convince NBA scouts of his bona fides.

(H/T College Hoops Journal)

The List of Things Kevin Love Can't Do Keeps Getting Smaller originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 30 Mar 2008 08:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joe Alexander's Missed Free Throw Will Haunt Him For a Long Time

Shiloh Carder — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: Xavier Basketball, West Virginia Basketball, A-10 Basketball, Big East Basketball, March Madness, West

With all due respect to my fellow FanHouser Charles Rich, I think that Joe Alexander's missed free throw towards the end of regulation is the biggest un-clutch play of the tournament.

I hesitate to use the word choke because he made a sensational shot just to get the "and-one" play and tie the game 64-64 in the first place. He isn't a goat so much because his production was there in the second half and led to West Virginia's comeback effort.

But, let's get real: his missed free throw cost them the game and a chance to play UCLA in the West Regional Finals. He will be haunted by this for a long, long time.

And it was something that maybe Xavier's Stanley Burrell had to do with, as he tells SI.com:

The most glaring example of West Virginia's bungling came at the end of regulation. Star forward Joe Alexander was at the free-throw line with 14 seconds left, looking to convert a three-point play after his quick turnaround tied the score at 64.

Burrell jarred at him, "Come on, you are going to miss this one," and Alexander responded with a comment that, as Burrell put it, "You don't want to put in any [article]." After a longer-than-usual approach, Alexander's free throw rimmed out, and the game went to overtime.

The thing that stuck out was the "longer than usual approach" comment. The pressure got to him. A free throw shot in the first minute is the same as one shot with :15 remaining. You. Rim. Not to blame the kid for noticing because that is tremendous amount of pressure. But that happens in sports when so much is on the line and you are the star player in the clutch situation.

As Charles said in his piece, the Mountaineers would never have mounted that comeback without Alexander's outstanding play. Him fouling out in the overtime was so tough to overcome. And, yes, that missed defensive assignment on the B.J. Raymond three point shot was a dagger. But none of that would have happened if Alexander makes the free throw, gets the defensive stop on the other end (which they did) and sticks around Phoenix to play UCLA on Saturday.

I use the word haunt because it is very meaningful in college basketball this year. North Carolina has been haunted by that meltdown against Georgetown in last year's Elite 8. Memphis has been haunted by not getting over the hump and into the Final Four. UCLA has been haunted by two consecutive Final Four appearances and no titles. Kansas is always haunted.

Xavier has been haunted by a ... missed free throw ... that would have put away Ohio State in last year's tournament.

All of those teams are still alive. West Virginia goes home.

I honestly hope that Alexander does come back next year and can take the same kind of motivation that the teams above have been taking and make another tournament run. Of all the individual performances that have caught my eye ... it is him. I knew about Kevin Love and Courtney Lee and Stephen Curry. I didn't know the kind of game this kid had. I want to see him take it further next year and exorcise the demon of the missed free throw.

Joe Alexander's Missed Free Throw Will Haunt Him For a Long Time originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kevin Love Can Do Everything

Michael David Smith — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:18:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, March Madness, West

UCLA beat Western Kentucky 88-78 Thursday night, and freshman center Kevin Love's stat line was incredible:

Minutes: 38
FGM-A: 10-14
FTM-A: 9-12
Rebounds: 14
Assists: 4
Blocks: 4
Fouls: 2
Points: 29

There's really not a weakness in this 19-year-old's game, but I thought it was interesting that as Dick Vitale was breaking down the UCLA game on ESPN, it was the four assists that he singled out.

"I think his passing ability is the best I've seen from a big guy in many a year," Vitale said.

There's a great YouTube of former UCLA coach John Wooden praising Love's passing ability, and when Wooden sings your praises, you know your game is fundamentally sound. Says Wooden, "I always like those that pass well, are always looking for the pass first, then the shot. I think he does that. I haven't seen anyone since Bill Walton and the one before him was Wes Unseld, and I've seen him twice in the last week get the ball off the board, turn, keep the ball up as he should, three quarters of the length of the floor to a player who took off and is streaking up. He likes to score and add to his statistics and there's nothing wrong with that, but not at the expense of others."

Hard to argue.

Kevin Love Can Do Everything originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Western Kentucky Mounting Comeback Against a Foul Troubled UCLA

Shiloh Carder — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:04:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, March Madness, West

Since I last talked to you, Western Kentucky has made a run on UCLA. After trailing by 21 at the half, the Hilltoppers have outscored the Bruins 29-15 in the second half to trail (as I write this) by nine. There is under 9:00 left in the game.

How did they do this? Get UCLA in foul trouble.

Russell Westbrook, Darren Collison and Josh Shipp have all got four fouls apiece. Because those guys have to sit, Western Kentucky has decided to press UCLA full court. That has forced 17 UCLA turnovers and some easy baskets for WKU.

Tyrone Brazelton is leading the charge with 18 points (including three makes from behind the arc).

Oh, since I've written this ... UCLA's lead is down to four points.

UPDATE: With less than six minutes left, Collison fouled Courtney Lee on a three point shot. Collison has fouled out and the lead is still four.

Western Kentucky Mounting Comeback Against a Foul Troubled UCLA originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UCLA Locks Down and Dominates Western Kentucky at the Half

Shiloh Carder — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:13:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, March Madness, Los Angeles, West

Using a 28-7 run to end the first half, the UCLA Bruins are cruising against Western Kentucky. At the break, they lead their Sweet 16 game with the Hilltoppers, 41-20.

It's the classic matchup between a #1 seed and a #12: the bigger and faster team is taking care of business.

UCLA's offense and defense are just so efficient. Offensively, the Bruins are shooting 51%. They are dominating the paint with Kevin Love and James Keefe and pretty much getting whatever shot they want.

Defensively, the Bruins are holding WKU to just 19% shooting (an ugly 6-of-32). The Hilltoppers' star, Courtney Lee, has scored just five points on 2-of-13 shooting. Nearly every attempt by Western Kentucky is challenged and UCLA is constantly pressing in the half court.

Better news for UCLA fans: Josh Shipp has found his stroke. After scoring just six total points in the Bruins first two tournament games, Shipp has eight at the break ... including a three point shot.

For all those forced to watch the rest of the game (aren't they switching to the exciting Louisville-Tennessee game?), play a little game of Horny Bill Raftery. Already ... courtesy of Awful Announcing ... he has come up with these gems:

-"He was strokin' with the best of them!"
-"He used to sleep on a roll-up mattress. I can relate to that."
-"Everybody hugging their guy."
-"Thrust of the fist!"
-After Verne Lundquist says, "the answer is take it off." ... Bill replies: "Late at night I favor that myself."
-"Great use of the bounce....to ECSTASY!"

And this exchange:

Verne: "There is Love lurking."
Bill: "That's every man's dream. To have love lurking."
Verne: "I'm working with a man without shame."
Bill: "Hey join the club....it's painful."

UCLA Locks Down and Dominates Western Kentucky at the Half originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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West Virginia Leaves the Shooter Open for 3... Again

Charles Rich — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:35:00 EST

Filed under: Xavier Basketball, West Virginia Basketball, A-10 Basketball, Big East Basketball, March Madness, West

It's not fair to tag Joe Alexander with goat horns because he missed that free throw on the "and 1" with 15 seconds left. Yes, it would have given WVU a 1 point lead, but there is no guarantee that the refs would have still swallowed their whistles on the contact when Lavender pulled up for his shot. Alexander also had 14 points in the second half and had 10 rebounds in the game. Without Alexander, there is no comeback and chance for WVU to win.

The killer for WVU was something that might be vaguely familiar to Mountaineer fans. Giving up a wide open look to a solid 3-point shooter in a corner at a key moment, because the defense collapsed too much. In this instance, the Mountaineers were defending the inbounds play and two players chased Josh Duncan, leaving B.J. Raymond all alone in the corner on the other side. The inbound pass went to him on one bounce and he drilled it to put Xavier up by 4 with 29 seconds left. Xavier came away with the win in OT, 79-75

WVU lost to Pitt back in February. In the final seconds of regulation, WVU up by 2 and Pitt's Ronald Ramon took the inbounds pass. He couldn't find an open shot and passed to Keith Benjamin who began a drive to the basket. Ramon ran to the corner and his man left him to help on the drive. The ball was tossed out to Ramon who drained the open 3 at the buzzer.

It should be worth mentioning at this point that Xavier Coach Sean Miller was a star point guard in the 80s at... Pitt.

West Virginia Leaves the Shooter Open for 3... Again originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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West Virginia Following a Familiar Script in Trailing Xavier at the Half

Charles Rich — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:19:00 EST

Filed under: Xavier Basketball, West Virginia Basketball, A-10 Basketball, Big East Basketball, March Madness, West

At halftime Xavier has a 32-25 lead over West Virginia. Surprisingly, West Virginia should feel pretty good considering they fell behind by 18 with 9 minutes to go. They clamped on defense, holding Xavier to only 4 points the rest of the way.

West Virginia has done this, despite 0-6 on 3s, Joe Alexander saddled with foul troubles and only 3 points. To say nothing of Xavier shooting 6-12 on 3s.

If this seems familiar, it's because West Virginia started similarly against Duke in the previous round. The Mountaineers were down against Duke and shot poorly in the first half, but got within 5 by the half. In the second half, they turned on the offense and after not hitting 3s, began connecting.

West Virginia can't be expected to continue shooting that poorly from outside, and it is hard to believe the Musketeers can continue to be that hot from outside.

West Virginia Following a Familiar Script in Trailing Xavier at the Half originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who Will Cincinnati Root For in Sweet 16: Xavier or Bob Huggins?

Shiloh Carder — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Xavier Basketball, West Virginia Basketball, A-10 Basketball, Big East Basketball, March Madness, Cincinnati, West

A very interesting occurance has come to Cincinnati fans: the Xavier Musketeers will meet the West Virginia Mountaineers in the Sweet 16. Normally, that doesn't mean much ... but WVU is now coached by Bob Huggins, the former coach at the U of Cincinnati.

You listen to people around town and the buzz is more about Huggins that the Muskies.

Huggins is a god in the Nati. He took a Bearcat program that was lying in the gutter and vaulted them into a Final Four appearance in 1992. Since then, he made Cincy basketball matter as they transitioned from the Metro Conference to the Great Midwest to Conference USA to, ultimately, the Big East.

Huggs never got to coach his team in the Big East as he was run out of town by Cincinnati's president Nancy Zimpher in 2005. You know how some Indiana fans won't come back after Bobby Knight was run off, the same thing has happened to the Bearcats. There are people that have abandoned the Bearcats program and who are elated at Huggins' ability to take West Virginia to the Sweet 16. Even after he left, he still has endorsement deals in the city.

As the coach of Kansas State last season, Huggins led his team into Cincinnati to play ... Xavier. It was the big buzz all over the city as Bearcat fans showed up to the game at US Bank Arena wearing K State apparel (word is that Xavier and West Virginia are working on a similar deal to face off in a few years).

On the other side is Xavier, who is deemed more of a novelty act. They are the quiet school in the quiet conference that is always pretty good ... but never really great. If you listen to talk radio around here, you will hear more about Kentucky or Ohio State basketball than you will the Muskies.

Right now, this should be X's time to shine. They are the only local team still alive (yeah, there are a few Louisville and Western Kentucky stragglers) after disappointing seasons from Cincinnati and Kentucky. This team has a legit shot at getting to the Final Four and has one of the most experienced teams left in the field. Opening day (which engulfs the area) is still a week away and no one wants to talk about the Bengals (unless it's Chad Johnson smacking on them).

Yet, it's Huggins, Huggins, Huggins. Huggins beat hated Duke (which the Kentucky fan base loves). Huggins finally pulled a tournament upset (he never did with the Bearcats). Huggins is in the Sweet Sixteen (8 of his last 9 years at Cincy saw his team lose in the first weekend). Huggins gives his backers the "I told you so" as they watch the Bearcats lose in the first round of the CBI tournament to Bradley.

Of course, Xavier fans may not mind. In Huggins 17 games against the Muskies, he is just 7-10.

Who Will Cincinnati Root For in Sweet 16: Xavier or Bob Huggins? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Did UCLA Get Another No-Call?

Charles Rich — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 23:58:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA Basketball, Texas A&M Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, March Madness, West

No matter what the final score actually turned out to be, UCLA won. The Bruins came back and Texas A&M wilted under the pressure. Donald Sloan, the Aggies leading scorer had the ball and was driving to tie the game and send it to overtime. The UCLA defense blocked his attempt and stripped the ball to send it the other way. Well, blocked might not be the correct word as these photos indicate.

These aren't photos FanHouse has permission to post. So, we can only link to them. They do suggest that UCLA continues to lead a charmed life when it comes to late calls -- made or not. Last I checked Josh Shipp getting all wrist, is not the usual way to get a clean block.

Actually, maybe not in this case. Making the free throws -- no lock itself, as Sloan is only a 67% FT shooter and the Aggies were 3-7 at the line that night -- would have only sent the game into overtime. Texas A&M hardly looked like the team it had been for the first 30-35 minutes. Neither did UCLA. The Bruins would have been the team heading into the OT with the momentum and energy.

Still, you never know. I also know I don't want to be anywhere near UCLA fans when the late calls start swinging the other way.

Did UCLA Get Another No-Call? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 23 Mar 2008 23:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UCLA-Texas A&M Score Changed

Shiloh Carder — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:21:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA Basketball, Texas A&M Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, March Madness, NCAA Basketball Video, West

Many people were a bit puzzled that the final dunk at the end of last night's UCLA-Texas A&M game counted. The final score was listed as 53-49 even though the dunk clearly came after the buzzer. If you don't know about it, go to the 1:31 mark of the video above.

Today, it has been changed to 51-49:

"Amidst the activity courtside, there was a misinterpretation of the signal," Hank Nichols, national coordinator of men's basketball officiating, said in a release Sunday. "But the ruling on the court was that the basket should not have counted, making the final score 51-49, not 53-49."

Sure, it doesn't mean anything in the long run -- UCLA won the game. The line as UCLA by 10, so betters aren't affected by the outcome. Still, it is quite disturbing that signals between the officials and the official scorer were misinterpreted like that.

UCLA-Texas A&M Score Changed originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kevin Love, Darren Collison Lead UCLA Past Texas A&M

Michael David Smith — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 23:44:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA Basketball, Texas A&M Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, March Madness, Texas A&M, West

No. 1 seed UCLA managed to survive a tough onslaught from No. 9 Texas A&M tonight in Anaheim, holding on to win 53-49 in by far the toughest challenge a 1 seed has had so far in this year's NCAA Tournament.

Most of the UCLA players turned in lousy performances, but Kevin Love and Darren Collison carried the Bruins on their backs, making two crucial shots apiece down the stretch. Collison and Love combined for 40 points on 14-of-25 shooting; their teammates combined for 13 points on 6-of-20 shooting, including a dunk by Russell Westbrook at the buzzer that looked, to these eyes, like it was actually after the buzzer.

"We made big plays by big-time players down the stretch," UCLA coach Ben Howland said of Love and Collison.

Donald Sloan led A&M with 12 points.

Kevin Love, Darren Collison Lead UCLA Past Texas A&M originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 23:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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West Virginia Dumps Duke in 2nd Round; Haters Everywhere Rejoice!

Shiloh Carder — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 16:18:00 EST

Filed under: Duke Basketball, West Virginia Basketball, ACC Basketball, Big East Basketball, March Madness, Carolina, West

Over the last few years, West Virginia has found a niche of being the NCAA tournament darlings. In 2005, we were Kevin Pittsnogle-d into a surprising Elite 8 team (they went to the Sweet 16 the next season). In 2008, they are the ones who knocked Duke out of the dance.

West Virginia, who couldn't throw the ball in the ocean in the first half, hit 4-of-their-5 three point shots and scored 44 in the second half. Joe Alexander led the way with 22 points, Alex Ruoff added 17 and 6'2 guard Joe Mazzulla came off the bench to give the Mountaineers a huge, huge effort (13 points, 11 boards).

It was the Blue Devils who couldn't shoot in the second half. Duke missed 15 straight three point shots and hit just 5-of-22 from behind the arc. Senior DeMarcus Nelson, who scored just two points in the win over Belmont, shot like garbage again. He hit just 2-of-11 shots and scored just six points.

Duke goes home a tad bit early for the second straight year. West Virginia (the Duke Haters favorite team) will face either Xavier or Purdue next.

And here is where the Duke hate begins. Everyone has said that Duke would flame out if when their threes don't fall. The Blue Devils had no inside game unless it was Nelson or Gerald Henderson driving to the hoop. Towards the end of the season, opponents gave Nelson the shot and guarded against the drive ... eliminating the most effective part of his game It also doesn't help when you get outrebounded by a cartoonish margin of 45-19.

Duke joins a tough list that sees the 8th time (of eleven #2 seeds that didn't beat their #15 opponent in the first round by more than five points) that didn't make it out of the first weekend. This marks the fourth straight year that Duke hasn't made it past the Sweet 16 ... its longest stretch since the early 1980s. I guess since Duke was using the Phoenix Suns system, they suffered the same great regular season/bad post season success.

It also gives the Big East their second win over the ACC in the tournament (Villanova beat Clemson last night).

West Virginia Dumps Duke in 2nd Round; Haters Everywhere Rejoice! originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 16:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Duke Leads West Virginia 34-29 at Halftime

Michael David Smith — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:55:00 EST

Filed under: Duke Basketball, West Virginia Basketball, March Madness, West

Duke got off to a solid start and took an early lead but hasn't been able to shake a game West Virginia squad in the first half of the first game of the NCAA Tournament's second round.

The Blue Devils lead the Mountaineers 34-29 at halftime. Duke led by as much as nine points very early, but West Virginia has hung tough, and the Mountaineers missed a three-pointer just before the halftime buzzer that would have brought the score to within two.

Greg Paulus has scored eight points for Duke, as has Jon Scheyer, who came off the bench and got to the line repeatedly, going 6-for-6 from the free-throw line before he added a basket late in the first half.

Joe Alexander is, as usual, the star of the show for the Mountaineers, with 11 first-half points. Three other Mountaineers have four points apiece.

This has the feel of a game that Duke should be able to win handily, but the longer the Blue Devils let the Mountaineers hang around, the longer it looks like a game that could get the second round started with a big upset.

UPDATE: West Virginia wins.

Duke Leads West Virginia 34-29 at Halftime originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mountaineers Won't Shoot Against Duke Like They Shot Against Arizona

Michael David Smith — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 11:15:00 EST

Filed under: Duke Basketball, West Virginia Basketball, March Madness, West

Given the way that 7 seed West Virginia handled 10 seed Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and given the way 2 seed Duke struggled against 15 seed Belmont, you might think a West Virginia upset of Duke is a good bet today.

But I wouldn't count on it. Basketball Prospectus has the goods on the reason that the Mountaineers' style of victory over Arizona is unlikely to be replicated today against the Blue Devils:

West Virginia had a much easier time against Arizona, shooting 11-of-19 from three-point range to cruise to a 75-65 victory. Guards Alex Ruoff and Darris Nichols combined to hit 9-of-14 three pointers, surprising considering that West Virginia, unlike in the past several years under head coach John Beilein, is not a three-point shooting team. Bob Huggins' Mountaineers will be hard pressed to continue their success from beyond the arc against Duke, which allows only a quarter of opponent field goals to come from three-point range, the third lowest ratio in the nation, and has held opponents to 32.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Duke will also challenge West Virginia's core strength on offense, a low turnover rate, as the Blue Devils defense has forced turnovers on 24.6 percent of opponent possessions.

Basketball Prospectus gives West Virginia a 37% chance of winning today, and even that strikes me as a little high. As fresh as the memories of Thursday's games are, the fact is Duke was the better team all year, and there aren't a lot of reasons to believe they won't continue to be today.

Mountaineers Won't Shoot Against Duke Like They Shot Against Arizona originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 11:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Tampa Trap

Charles Rich — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:42:00 EST

Filed under: Connecticut Basketball, Villanova Basketball, ACC Basketball, Big East Basketball, SEC Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, March Madness, Clemson Basketball, Vanderbilt Basketball, West, Midwest

Round 1 in Tampa was brutal for the higher seed teams. Epic, record-setting even. Two 4-13 games and two 5-12 games. In all four, the double digit seeds won. That has never happened before in the NCAA Tournament.

On Sunday, Tampa will have two 12-13 matchups. UConn, Drake, Vandy and Clemson all tumble to San Diego, Western Kentucky, Siena and Villanova. In fact, there hasn't been a 12-13 game in the second round since 2001 -- Indiana State-Gonzaga. Now there are two at one site.

It just screams statistical anomaly, but everyone is still waiting for that 1-16 upset.

The Tampa Trap originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Western Kentucky's Website Takes Sweet Time in Celebrating Big Win

Shiloh Carder — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:14:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors Basketball, March Madness, West

We know that the south loves football, but c'mon. The above picture is a screenshot of the Western Kentucky University athletics website (WKUsports.com) at about 7:00 p.m. EDT tonight. The main story deals with the Hilltoppers 2008 football schedule. The only mention of today's hoops game was in the right corner giving the time and date.

The Toppers played at 12:35 p.m. EDT ... with the game ending about two hours later. The game ended with WKU hitting a three point shot at the buzzer to shock Drake in overtime. So far, this is the climatic moment of the 2008 NCAA tournament and will be one of the top stories across your sports shows and sites today.

I guess WKUsports.com isn't one of those sites. Over four hours after the big shot for the win, they've had no mention of it. None. Everyone else has --even Drake.

Just a bit after 7:00 p.m., they have finally put something up about the hoops game. I mean, it is the first time a Sun Belt Conference team has won an NCAA tournament game since 1995 (also the Hilltoppers, that time against Michigan). I know we all like that act-like-you've-been-there-before attitude ... but you guys can celebrate a little.

Western Kentucky's Website Takes Sweet Time in Celebrating Big Win originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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History Not on Duke's Side After Last Night's Belmont Scare

Shiloh Carder — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:20:00 EST

Filed under: Duke Basketball, ACC Basketball, March Madness, Carolina, West

Duke had quite the scare against Belmont last night. As history has shown us, that's not good news for Duke.

Using the last 12 years, the ACC Now blog looked at #2 seeds who won their games over the #15 seed by five points or less. Last night was just the 11th time in that frame that the #2 seed didn't win by more than five. Of the previous ten, only Kansas' 2003 team recovered to get to the Final Four (they lost to Syracuse in the title game that year). One other -- Cincinnati in 1996 -- got as far as the Elite 8.

Seven of the teams didn't make it out of the first weekend and into the Sweet 16. Duke in 1997, Cincinnati in 1998, St. John's in 2000, Wake Forest in 2003 and Tennessee in 2006 all ended up losing in the second round. South Carolina in 1997 and Iowa State in 2001 both lost to #15 seeds in the first round.

So, let's recap. Over the last 12 years, #2 seeds that didn't beat #15 seeds by more than five points:

ZERO National Championships
ONE Final Four
TWO Elite Eights
THREE Sweet 16s
FIVE losses in the second round
TWO losses in the first round

Now, ACC Now just looked at the past 12 seasons ... so I decided to go back to 1985 which was the first year of the 64 team format. For Duke fans, there is a bright light. I told you about Kansas in 2003, well Arkansas won their first game in the 1995 tournament by just a point as a #2 seed. The Razorbacks lost in the Championship game that year.

And that's it. Arizona in 1993 and Syracuse in 1991 both lost their first round games ... becoming the first #2 seeds to lose to #15 seeds.

History Not on Duke's Side After Last Night's Belmont Scare originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gerald Henderson Saves Duke's Season; Leads Devils Over Belmont

Shiloh Carder — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 21:29:00 EST

Filed under: Duke Basketball, ACC Basketball, March Madness, Carolina, West

Again, as I said a few days ago, the Belmont-Duke game was going to be better than most people figured. And, boy, it was!

Belmont had a one point lead until Gerald Henderson rebounded a miss, took it the length of the floor, and scored a game winning layup with :13 remaining. A last second heave by Belmont went wide left and the Blue Devils escaped with a win.

Duke needed somebody to step up tonight and Henderson took those reigns. He scored 17 of his game-high 21 points in the second half to led Duke to the 71-70 victory. They needed that slasher since DeMarcus Nelson keeps struggling (2 pts, 1-of-6 shooting). While the rest of the Blue Devils looked sluggish, Henderson was very active on both ends of the court, scored the final eight points for the Blue Devils and carried them to the 2nd round.

They face the winner of West Virginia-Arizona.

They always say that the underdog has nothing to lose. I've never bought into that. Belmont had this game but will have several regrets for years to come. The Bruins' top two scorers ... Justin Hare and Shane Dansby ... combined for just 9 points (they average nearly 28, combined). With a lead late, they were busy running time off the clock and didn't get into their offense quickly enough. That led to a poor shot and the Henderson layup. Then, on an inbounds play with four seconds remaining, the pass was intercepted by DeMarcus Nelson.

Of course, this is yet another note for all the Duke haters out there. Are you one?

Gerald Henderson Saves Duke's Season; Leads Devils Over Belmont originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 21:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Belmont Is Backdooring Duke to Death

Shiloh Carder — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:52:00 EST

Filed under: Duke Basketball, ACC Basketball, March Madness, Carolina, West

I earlier told you that Belmont and Duke would be exciting. So far, it has been. Heading into halftime, the Belmont Bruins are hanging tough and trailing the Blue Devils by just 7 points. Belmont's deep shooting is what they are known for but it is another play that is killing Duke: the backdoor.

Belmont is going old school and running backdoor cuts on the Blue Devils. With Duke fighting through screens and putting perimeter pressure on those shooters, the Bruins are then cutting back to the basket and getting open layups. Andy Wicke and Jordan Campbell have gotten layups several times on the play.

The Bruins two leading scorers this season ... Justin Hare and Shane Dansby ... have combined for just two points today. Imagine if they can get it going in the second half!

They'll need to. Duke has figured out that they have a size advantage and started to use it towards the end of the half. It has gotten them better shots and is getting them to the free throw line (they've already shot 15 freebies).

Belmont Is Backdooring Duke to Death originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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