Four 1-seeds is boring? Anything but, dude!

I could understand the argument if this Final Four had your casually placed batch of two 1-seeds, a 2 and and even a 3 thrown in there. But this one is different. This one gives us the four best teams throughout the season. We should be thankful. (more…)

It’s times like these when I wish I had Photoshop so I could put Kevin Love’s face on King Leonidas’ body.

I’ll explain… (more…)

(Update: Curry has announced that he’ll return to Davidson for his junior year. Seemed like a no-brainer to me.) 

Specifically, of course, Stephen Curry did his job. And then some.

I know we all are upset/let down because of the fact that the guy who was lights out for the better part of four Tournament games GAVE UP the ball in the final seconds, but I don’t go to bed with a sense of deprecation tonight.

Perhaps the one good thing (all Jayhawk-mindedness aside) about the Davidson loss was that it makes us cherish that George Mason team that much more; I think we were already starting to take that run for granted. Seriously: Can we all grasp how truly tough it is for a mid-major school to win four games in this Tournament?

Davidson made it seem so casual that I think we all got swept up in the lanky arms of Stephen Curry. This wasn’t the dramatic, hold-you-by-the-neck drama that Mason’s run embodied. No, Davidson played the part like they’d been paid for this type of role a few times before.

Plus, they’ll be back. This team won’t be forgotten; Stephen Curry is about as memorable of a March character as we’ve had in the past 10-plus years.

Third year’s the charm. Good for the Tigers—I’m rooting for them to win it all. They dispatch of Texas, 85-67.

It’s going to be Memphis-UCLA for the second time in three years. You’ll hear plenty about Bill Walton’s greatest performance of all-time leading up to this one, but I remember these two teams for one of the ugliest, most unwatchable contests in recent memory, when UCLA took out the Tigers in the Elite Eight, 50-45 in 2006.

As for Texas, it seems pretty safe to assume that they’ll never win a national title, right? Whenever they’re good, they’ll be a perennial Sweet 16/Elite Eight/Final Four team, but you can’t envision this program ever winning a national title under Rick Barnes.

(Also, I’d love for someone to tell me how UCLA plans on shutting down Derrick Rose. Really, I’m all ears.) 

Memphis-Texas tips in less than two hours, so let’s address the question.

When the brackets were released and a lot of prognosticators were taking all the Top Dogs to get to San Antonio, some agreed, thinking that this year’s set of teams was facing an inferior field. Others thought it was uncreative and a cop-out. A lot of people liked Pitt to beat Michigan State … then Pitt to beat Memphis. That didn’t happen.

Then a lot of people liked Michigan State to beat Memphis. That didn’t happen.

Now, a lot of people are thinking Texas will take down Memphis.

Since when has a one-loss team been so vulnerable? A lot of people like the prospect of Abrams and Augustin to dictate the game, but Rose and Anderson aren’t so bad, you know. I wouldn’t be shocked if Memphis lost, but they seem to be playing with more dedication than anyone left in the field. Given that we’re talking about Memphis, I think that’s pretty amazing.

As for the Kansas-Davidson game, I chance jinxing everything … so let’s stop for now. Do I think we’re going to have four 1s? Yes. And I wouldn’t be upset if it did. (I had three 1s and Xavier going.)

Kevin Love shoots these shots so effortlessy, I think he could rep 400 pounds about 20 times.

That should come in handy tonight against Xavier.

Damn right I’m going to nitpick. The fact that Memphis dropped the State off of their name over a decade ago makes this unacceptable. Come on over to this side of the century, Bobby.

9:51 - I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that both of these games could be over by 11 p.m. so, with much hesitation, I will live blog my reaction for your read-it-later entertainment. I put up the Neitzel picture in order to jinx everyone’s upset pick of the weekend, which will turn the jinx on me, I’m sure.

10:04 - Kansas is out and running and as long as they don’t think too hard, they’re going to beat Villanova rather easily.

10:11 - “In my estimation, it’s really important for Neitzel to get off.” - Packer.

10:18 - Scottie Reynolds goes down with his sixth eye/face injury of the season. I think he’s going to be OK.

10:25 - I may have written off Villanova too quickly: it’s a 28-21 game. Then again, KU can go off of a 14-2 run if ‘Nova sneezes the wrong way.

10:30 - Yep. 10-0 KU run.

10:47 - 50-20 Memphis in a laugher. Brothers and I have lost all interest except for the fact that this game is a street ball exhibit. Nantz claims that Michigan State “can’t solve this riddle.” What do you say to your players in the locker room if you’re Izzo?

11:25 - Had to get in a couple of nerf basketball games for old times’ sake. Let’s see … yep, still a couple of blowouts. Calling it a night.

7:10 - Got the bros over, got some pizza going and Gus Johnson’s on the tube. “College BAS-ketball.”Life, again, is just fine.

7:13 - Again, I hate the floor set up—everything’s generic. I also hate that the NCAA has to try and make more money by playing tonight’s games in professional football stadiums. Just. Not. Needed. How can the players get into it when they’re chilling in the moat?

7:24 - Is it because it’s a Friday? Is it because Wisconsin is as exciting to watch as a molasses waterfall? I don’t know, but I’m not into these games yet. I still blame it on these terrible arenas. It’s not affecting Stephen Curry though. The Guy Everyone Loves has six and Davidson leads 10-8.

7:32 - Stanford-Texas is underway and it looks much more enthralling on a computer screen than Davidson-Wisconsin does on my HD.

7:37 - Curry’s 3’s are comign too easily, but Wisconsin is having no problem keeping up with whatever kind of game Davidson wants to play. Gus Johnson says, “That’s Dell’s kid.”

7:41 - Some dude nicknamed The White Lobster has just entered the game for Davidson. Alright, now I’m into it! Plus, it appears that Travon Hughes is out for the rest of the half with an ankle?

7:56 - Halftime in Detroit? Houston? Charlotte? I can’t tell because all the damn venues look the same. Anyway, we’re tied at 36. Texas has control early, leading 20-16 and isn’t afraid to shot from anywhere on the floor. I’m rooting for Stanford, so I’m a bit concerned.

8:04 - Hate to be such a complainer tonight, but what’s with the horns in these places? It sounds like they’re having a nine-year-old jump on dog toy every time there’s a sub.

8:16 - Mitch Johnson gives Stanford a 3 they definitely needed heading into halftime. 43-34, ‘Horns. I will go on the record with this: Stanford must get at least 25 second-half points in the paint if they want a shot at winning.

8:27 - Davidson finding their groove and figuring out Wisconsin. 44-38, ‘Cats.

8:38 - “Folks! We got a star! In the motor city!” Curry has developed into a March legend before our eyes, guys.

8:41 - LeBron, we have just learned, is in Detroit and sitting in the Davidson section. I think that’s pretty cool.

8:45 - Davidson leads 57-45 at the under 12 timeout. Can Wisconsin possibly come back from that deficit? It kind of happened in all-of-the-sudden fashion. Stanford only trails by four…

8:52 - LeBron the GM has found Cleveland’s future draft pick and after Curry’s SICK reverse-and-And-One, we get our first Gus Johnson “Ha-HA!” moment of the night. Glorious! 63-46 Davidson and I think this one is out of Wisconsin’s reach.

8:58 - There are beach balls being tossed around the stadium in Houston. Three-point game. Way to go, college basketball fans.

9:05 - Abrams hits a really nice looking 3. Texas is getting too many second-change points. Lopez can’t do it all. 63-53, Longhorns. Gah.

9:10 - Texas leads by 11 with 7:33 to go … so naturally CBS brings us back to the Davidson blowout. Eh, it is rare territory, so I guess I don’t have a huge problem with it.

9:17 - The Davidson Wildcats are an Elite Eight team. Johnson’s call is subdued because it was that easy for ‘em. Texas has created more than just a little separation, leading 72-54.

9:26 - The Stanford-Texas game was once 52-51 … it’s now 79-59. UT scrubs are hoping to get a number or two into the box scores. This live blog is quite finished.

I’ve only got to get up at 6 a.m., so this seems like the right thing to be doing.

10:00 - Louisville-Tennessee is underway and I’ve got my peanut butter and banana sandwich on Italian bread. Life’s fine.

10:05 - “OK, time to rekeyap our skidyules…” I have Sven in my head. Not a good thing.

10:16 - Both Louisville and Tennessee are a little too sloppy for my liking so far. I will say that David Padgett’s ability to be a factor in this game despite his knee issues really speaks to his overall talent and basketball psyche.

10:24 - Had to do the mandatory night recap with the girl. We’ve got UCLA-WKU underway now, too. Louisville is suddenly all over Tennessee. Seriously, I walk away for five minutes. But I’m back for good now, I swear.

10:28 - UCLA is missing a lot of easy shots (WKU must have at least five turnovers already). The Hilltoppers simply must be making shots now if they want to be in the game later.

10:34 - “Oh-boy-ya is right the way they’re doing the job defensively,” Raftery says after another WKU turnover. UCLA can’t score (surprise), but you can’t keep gambling with this kind of house money. (more…)