7:00: Everyone is buzzing about Gillispie leaving UK, but let’s hone in on the games. I’m getting used to Greg Gumble in my life all the time. Got my bros over, and we’re eating the best pizza outside of New Haven in Connecticut: SoHo Pie out of Danbury.
7:03: When getting amped for college basketball, a never-shaven stoner-icon like Seth Rogen just doesn’t do it for me. And “Observe and Report” looks like a more dangerous “Paul Blart: Mall Cop.” Everyone knows it.
7:07: Everyone’s starting with Louisville-’Zona. That means some Gus Johnson to get the night going. Yes, please. “It’s a 12 versus a 1,” Johnson says, as he normally does. Love that little tag line. Ah, it’s hard to not love most everything Johnson does. Except get in fights in restaurants. (!)
7:11: Raised court in Indy. Hate that. Always hate playing in a dome before the Final Four, but they do it to test these sites for when they do eventually host one. Louisville up 10-5 early.
7:17: Big-time rejection from Samuels on Fogg! Arizona wants to run, this will play right into Louisville’s hands.
7:22: Samuels holding his own against Hill right now. Will we see the wussified Jordan Hill of 2007 show up tonight? U of A with as many assists as turnovers already (five apiece). 17-12 Louisville at the TV breather.
7:27: And I’m whooshed to the Syracuse-Oklahoma must-see tilt. Got the other game right here on the laptop. I have Oklahoma winning it all, which means they must be doomed tonight. It would mean all my Final Four picks would be gone.
7:30: Heels fans are going to be fashionably late to the FedEx Forum tonight.
7:35: And we just had our first Blake Griffin alley-oop throwdown. Syracuse looks uncomfortable with Oklahoma’s pressure. 8-2, Sooners, in the first four minutes.
7:40: We’ve got two clunkers early. 10-2, Oklahoma; 34-19, Louisville. Anything but a repeat of last night, please.
7:48: Louisville is running Arizona out of the gym. 40-21. Oklahoma allowing the Orange to stick around. It’s 14-8 with 10:25 remaining. I’m starting to need a Clark Kellogg colloquialism.
7:54: Blake Griffin is halfway to a double-double. Jonny Flynn’s throwing counter-punches. That’s what I’m talking about. 18-17 OU lead.
8:00: Louisville is up 21 (49-28) at the half and I think I need to try rocking long-sleeved white Under Armour on the playgrounds.
8:06: Griffin already at 13 points, but it feels like he’s doing most of the scoring. Shots are not falling for Rautins or Devendorf.
8:09: I love when these play-by-play guys refuse to inject the right personality into the ads they are given. Nantz: “And get mad … famous.”
8:13: Ouch. The dump truck that is Blake Griffin just took Flynn out on a fast break as Flynn tried to draw a charge. Flynn won’t go to the bench, but he’s favoring, it appears, his back. Meanwhile, Griffin sits down. Ha. Flynn is going to need some magic worked on him in the locker room at the half.
8:16: Crocker drops a 3 on a set up play out of bounds to give a 39-26 lead for the Sooners at the half. It’s pizza time.
8:24: It’s 60-33, Louisville. This is putrid. And the Cards are doing it effortlessly.
8:32: We’re about to come back from the half in the Syracuse game, and if Flynn can’t go at near 100 percent, this game is over. Rick Jackson hasn’t been tough in the Big East all season, and he’s not going to learn how to do it against either Griffin brother now.
8:39: Jim Boeheim looks bewildered. Oklahoma is turning this one into a laugher. Tony Crocker hits another 3 to bloat the lead to 46-26.
8:46: When Austin Johnson is blocking your shots on a breakaway, it’s done. That just happened to Devendorf. Then, on the ensuing travelling violation against OU: “That’s walkin’ in Memphis,” Jim Nantz pokes. And … a fail.
8:50: Crocker drains his SIXTH 3, and we’re closing up shop here. Six games, six ugly contests.
