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Demonte Harper Morehead State Senior Comes Through In The Clutch

For much of the game, it was one to forget for Demonte Harper, but when things mattered most, the senior hit a three pointer with 4.2 seconds left to lift the 13 seed Eagles over the 4 seed Cardinals of Louisville.

Prior to that shot, Harper had missed his last six shots. However, after averaging 16 points per game this season he knew all he needed was to keep shooting.

“Coach and my teammates believed in me all year,” Harper said according to an article by the Sporting News. “In the media timeout, (coach Donnie Tyndall) said, ‘we’re going to put the ball in your hands, I don’t even want you driving, just pull up and win the game for us.’ ”

Harper was the second leading scorer for the Eagles all year so if he has his confidence going it could spell trouble for whoever Morehead State plays in the second round.

Throw in the fact that the Eagles have an impressive inside presence in Kenneth Faried and you have to think that they have an outstanding inside-outside combination that makes them a unique mid-major team.

Going forward in this tournament Morehead State could end up being this year’s George Mason.

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Kenneth Faried Could Be a First Rounder After Louisville Performance

Coming into this season Kenneth Faried was already a name that most NBA scouts knew. He has been one of the best rebounders in college hoops for his entire career and after a solid senior season he was being mentioned as a probable first round pick in this year’s NBA draft.

One has to wonder how much a 12 point and 17 rebound performance against Louisville in the NCAA tournament is going to help his draft stock.

Honestly I think in the grand scheme of things the performance isn’t going to change the minds of any NBA scouts, but it will at least give fans something to look at when their team drafts the big man.

You also have to wonder that after the performance Kevin Love has put on when it comes to rebounding might make teams more eager to draft a big man who hits the glass harder than a fat guy hits an all-you-can-eat buffet.

The one thing Faried’s performance did show us is that his offensive game is still quite raw. In the college game he is just bigger and stronger than his opponents and that really is how he gets most of his points, but as far as a post up game, he still has a ways to go.

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Louisville Basketball is in Neutral and Rick Pitino is the Driver

Believe it or not, but Rick Pitinio has been at Louisville for almost a decade. But what does he have to show for it? One Final Four, two Elite Eights, one Conference USA championship and one Big East championship.

He has also missed the NCAA tournament twice and has been knocked out in the first round three times.

After taking over for the legendary Denny Crum, it is safe to say Pitino’s tenure hasn’t lived up to expectations.

Sure Louisville has moved to the toughest basketball conference in the nation but that move has not helped put the Cardinals in a better position to win a championship.

Louisville is one of the traditional powers in college hoops and they need to be a Final Four threat every season for Pitino to be considered a good coach there.

I understand parity is at an all-time high in college hoops and especially in the tournament, but how do you explain the likes of Duke, Michigan State, UCLA and North Carolina reaching more than two Final Fours over the last decade? Louisville belongs in that group of schools but Pitino doesn’t seem to be able to get the team over the hump.

I wonder if a change in the leadership of the Cardinals basketball program would pump some life into a program in need of a jolt.

Head over here for our March Madness Hub for updates on each game of the tournament.

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Morehead State vs. Louisville Could Propel the Eagles to Cinderella Status

Now that the Eagles have gotten out of the first round, the question is just how fan can they go?

Looking at the bracket, Morehead State will be playing against the winner of the 5-12 matchup of Vanderbilt and Richmond.

While Vanderbilt is the favored team, Richmond could end up pulling off an upset. So we will be looking at each possibility.

If Richmond advances I think Morehead, even though they are the lower seed, would have to be the favorite. Not only did they beat the tougher opponent in their opening game, but they also have the best player in Kenneth Faried. I would like to see how Justin Harper matches up against Faried, but in the end I think the big guy for Morehead is the deciding factor in this one.

However, with Vandy being the more likely matchup, could the Eagles put together another huge team effort to pull off an upset?

While I still think Faried is the best player in the game, I wonder how the Eagles will matchup with someone like John Jenkins who can be an explosive scorer for the Commodores.

I think if the Eagles were going to hope for a second tournament win they would need another huge performance from someone like Demonte Harper who hit the game winner in the second round or Terrence Hill who scored 23 points against Louisville.

While I don’t know if I would pick Morehead State I would say that they are a dangerous team and now that they have confidence that they can beat a highly seeded team that could spell disaster for a team like Vandy.

Head over here for our March Madness Hub for updates on each game of the tournament.