Bleacher Report - Articles by Marc Daley

Bald Prophet's College Basketball Top 40 for 2009-10 (No. 30-21)

Marc Daley — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:09:07 -0500

Yesterday the Bald Prophet unveiled the beginning of his Top 40 Countdown for the upcoming college basketball season. It's like having Casey Kasem without the dulcet tones and boring playlist. Today we'll look at number 30 through 21, featuring a couple of non-power conference teams and a Final Four patricipant from last season. Let's go!

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Musings from the Bald Prophet: Is The Musketeers' A-10 Reign Over?

Marc Daley — Mon, 11 May 2009 16:38:24 -0400

Sean Miller packed his bags in hopes of a desert oasis in Tucson, Arizona. His former assistant, Chris Mack, inherits a team that loses the "The Initials" in B.J. Raymond and C.J. Anderson. Yes, some of the Musketeer's Atlantic-10 brethren have been thinking this is the year that Cincinnati relinquishes its stranglehold on the trophy.

Hold on a second there, Owls, Hawks, etc.

This squad which finished No. 15 last season, gets Kenny Frease, Derrick Brown, Terrell Holloway, and Dante Jackson back as of this writing. Bill Edwards, a small forward who is considered a decent local prospect, is considering signing with the Musketeers but will have to realize he may be sitting most of his freshman year if he comes aboard.

But surely there are some squads that could threaten Xavier's supremancy, you ask. For the sake of argument, let's take a look-see.

Dayton. They only lose unheralded small forward Charles Little off a squad that had twelve (!) players average over eight minutes a game. Add local freshman beast Matt Kavanaugh and the Flyers look like the most likely candidate to ascend the A-10 mountain.
Temple. Santa Claus stopped delivering presents when Dionte Christmas, Sergio Olmos and Semaj Inge used up their eligibility. Ryan Brooks is back but it's not going to be enough in Philly.
Duquesne. Wow, have the Dukes come back from tragedy. This team hasn't reached the NCAAs since 1977 but that streak is likely coming to an end in 2010. Scoring sensation Aaron Jackson is gone but the rest of the guys are back and they have two solid recruits coming in as well. Winning the conference is a bit of a reach but second place is very realistic.

So yes, it looks like the Musketeers will retain supremacy once again. But the league looks good. Dayton and Duquesne look good for NCAA bids. Temple should also reach the post-season.

Musings From The Bald Prophet: Kentucky Puzzle Complete?

Marc Daley — Wed, 06 May 2009 19:18:20 -0400

With the addition of the young man in the picture it would seem that the Kentucky Wildcats have filled every available spot on their roster. Eric Bledsoe chose the Wildcats over Memphis, or more realistically chose John Calipari over Josh Pastner, and becomes the missing point guard Kentucky has looked for since Michael Porter left to focus on his growing family and with DeAndre Liggins still on the fence on coming back.

Bledsoe could spearhead an immensely talented, if young, roster next season. A starting lineup of Bledsoe, Darius Miller, Ramon Harris, DeMarcus Cousins, and Daniel Orton is not out of the realm of possibility, particularly if Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks decide to stay in the draft.

Calipari has hinted that with a stronger frontcourt than backcourt (at least at this juncture) his first UK team will resemble his early UMass teams that featured Lou Roe, Tony Barbee, and a young Marcus Camby.

Either way, the new Wildcat edition figures to be more focused and planned than Billy Gillispie's editions. Calipari has chosen to live in a very public house compared to his UK coaching predecessors, eschewing the trappings of gated developments staffed by security guards. At this moment, he should enjoy the honks of appreciation by a fan base that sees rejuvenation on the horizon.

Musings from the Bald Prophet: The Toughest/Greatest Job in Lexington

Marc Daley — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:43:29 -0400

This article is part of a collection of the "best/worst" of local media around the country. Lexington, Kentucky isn't as big as some of the cities which will be represented but, considering its No. 1 interest, it definitely belongs in the discussion.

There's just one little problem, though. Most people are going to nominate journalists based solely on the aspect of opinion and not ability. For example, Mark Story of the Lexington Herald-Leader gets flayed constantly even though he backs up his opinions with facts.

I don't agree with him half the time, either, but when people were wondering if he or Gillispie would get fired first only because he questioned the move of firing Billy G. I thought it was a bit harsh.

OK, Alan Cutler (NBC affiliate WLEX 18) and Rob Bromley (CBS affiliate WKYT 27) could be considered UK homers, too. But in Cutler's case it's hardly annoying. He used to say before each UK basketball game "After the Cats win...". That's not exactly Jack Edwards calling World Cup games.

Bromley is obviously pleased when the Cats do well in his occasional role as play-by-play man for the early season games. But he's not Johnny Most, who used to rail at refs every time Kevin McHale wasn't hacking up pieces of lung. Most is considered a legend.

John Clay and Mark Maloney are the most solid local journalists in a city where covering UK sports is the best/worst job to have. It's the best because almost every person would love seeing the games and talking to what some people regard as rock stars, plus get paid on top of it.

It's the worst because every opinion is likely to get shot down in flames by dissent, no matter how solidly it's supported. Clay and Maloney have been fair and unflappable for several years of doing this.

So if you're looking for a piece that attacks the local media simply because they don't agree with your Bleacher Report colleague, look elsewhere (I can think of a few people but I'm good so I won't mention names). In general, the local sports media represent themselves well in the toughest job they'll ever love.

Will St. Mary's Basketball Get Patty-Whacked? Musings from the Bald Prophet

Marc Daley — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:25:44 -0400

Maybe it's the sting from just missing the NCAA Tournament last season. Maybe it's the desire to prove themselves against the best competition Division I has to offer. But Randy Bennett can't be accused of playing a schedule next season that will be snubbed by the RPI folks. In 2009-10, the Gaels will take on USC, UNLV, Vanderbilt, Oregon, Utah, and Utah State.

It would be nice if they take those foes on with a guy who was considered an All-American at the start of last season. Patty Mills missed several games last season and it probably kept the Gaels out of the Dance, particularly when he was not in midseason shape against Gonzaga in the WCC Finals. Mills has thrown his hat into the NBA draft ring but has a rope at the ready to bring it back (i.e., he has not hired an agent).

The Gaels aren't totally shaky. Center Omar Samhan and guard Mickey McConnell, who did yeoman's work in taking over the point from Mills last season, come back, as does promising sophomore Clint Steindl. Aussie guard Matthew Dellavedova (86 rating by Scouts Inc.) and fellow countryman forward Mitchell Young (85 rating) ensure that Bennett's recruiting pipeline to Down Under should continue to be fertile for years to come.

But let's say Mills changes his mind and comes back. A starting lineup of Mills, McConnell, Steindl or Wayne Hunter, Young or Ben Allen, and Samhan is a strong enough lineup to nail down second place in the West Coast Conference. It's also strong enough to challenge for a return to the Dance.

Musings From The Bald Prophet: Kentucky Recruit Does A West Coast Swing

Marc Daley — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:54:15 -0400

Since John Calipari took over the reins of the storied Kentucky Basketball program, observers and fans figured (hoped?) there would be some changes from the Billy Gillispie era.

While some of his Memphis recruits have decided to come aboard, one of Gillispie's early recruits won't be staying on the ship.

Calipari met with G.J. Vilarino, a 5'11" point guard from McKinney, Texas, who thinks "pass" before "shoot."

Apparently it was nothing personal, but Calipari prefers bigger point guards (Tyreke Evans, Derrick Rose) so he released Vilarino from his letter of intent. However, Vilarino is still highly rated—88 by Scouts, Inc.—and needed a place to play.

Enter Gonzaga.

Even though Demetri Goodson is poised to take over the offense next season from Jeremy Pargo, the Zags play a lot of players (eight players averaged close to 10 minutes a game). Besides Pargo, they also lose Josh Heytvelt and Micah Downs.

Austin Daye has also entered the draft without hiring an agent.

Next season, Vilarino will join talented big man Sam Dower and shooting guard Mangisto Arop. With them on board, the Zags will be a young team but should take the conference title again.

Kentucky will be a contender for the SEC title without Vilarino. For all parties concerned, everything should work out—even for Gillispie, who will apparently be taking a year off to vacate following his turmoil at Kentucky.

Musings from the Bald Prophet: Where Lance Stephenson Should Go

Marc Daley — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:30:07 -0400

While the college basketball recruiting world focuses on John Wall, another top recruit (No. 11 overall per Rivals.com), Lance Stephenson, is also undecided as to where he'll spend a year before likely departing for the NBA.

Six schools are listed as the most active bidders for his services. Let's analyze each school.

Kansas

The Jayhawks get everybody who contributed to last season's Sweet 16 team back, including Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins, who have already earned national championship rings. In addition, Memphis recruit Xavier Henry picked the Jayhawks after nearly following John Calipari to Kentucky. Obviously, Stephenson would get to play for a championship favorite, but he would have to battle Henry for playing time.

Arizona

New coach Sean Miller brings a great résumé, and Nic Wise will probably change his mind about entering the draft with the bevy of guards that are available for NBA teams to choose from. However, the Wildcats didn't start pursuing Stephenson until two weeks ago. While he would probably start right away, the Wildcats aren't really a one-man show.

UCLA

This would be another situation where he could probably start right away, but the Bruins lose a lot of personnel (Darren Collison, Josh Shipp, and Alfred Aboya). They would be pretty thin up front but fairly decent in the backcourt without Stephenson if Jrue Holiday comes back (which he should). Stephenson should be able to play three in college without too much difficulty.

Maryland

This all depends on what Greivis Vasquez decides to do. The Terps have gone after Stephenson hard, but if Vasquez stays for some reason, it's doubtful he would come here.

St. John's

Norm Roberts would pull off his best recruiting job ever if he could land this backyard ballhawk. He becomes the immediate superstar on this team and starts the Storm on the road back to respectability, even if it's only for a year.

Wake Forest

James Johnson is gone. Jeff Teague could be close behind him but hasn't hired an agent. Much like Maryland, a lot could depend on what Teague does. This Deacon squad would be stacked if Stephenson decides to come with a starting lineup that includes Al-Farouq Aminu and Chas McFarland.

In conclusion, factoring in Stephenson's likelihood of staying one year and then departing for NBA waters, St. John's looks like the best place for him.

He would be the focal point of the offense, can play in his backyard (he went to Lincoln High in Brooklyn, where Stephon Marbury is an alum), and might lead the Red Storm to a decent season for the first time since the beginning of the millennium.

Musings from the Bald Prophet: A Case for Changing the NBA Draft

Marc Daley — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:56:25 -0400

The young man in the picture is Jeremy Tyler. He is a 6'11" center at San Diego High School who is ranked No. 9 in the class of 2010 according to Rivals.com and is committed to play at the University of Louisville starting with the 2010-2011 season.

At least he was until 24 hours ago.

The NBA changed a big stipulation in their draft so that high school kids couldn't jump directly from the prom to the hardwood for big bucks. The argument is that for every Kobe Bryant there's a Leon Smith, for every Kevin Garnett a Taj McDavid. Now you're seeing a lot of kids play one year of college ball and then pursue their dreams of mansions, entourages, and Escalades.

But what if a kid REALLY doesn't want to play college ball? Brandon Jennings would've played at Arizona this past season but decided another year of playing hoops for free (more or less) was for the birds, so he packed up stakes and headed to Europe. It looks like it will work out for him. According to nbadraft.net he could be as high as a top five pick in two months.

Jeremy Tyler has decided to do the same thing. He thinks he could be better prepared for the NBA by playing in Europe. There's just one big difference.

He is no longer a high school student and doesn't have a diploma.

Think about that for a second. This is a 17-year-old kid who will be living in a strange country to play for a team where he probably doesn't speak the language. The team's ownership will promise the young man a lot of money. It's not NBA dollars, but enough to make a kid's or a lot of adults' eyes bug out.

But Jennings said that he had a lot of problems getting his paycheck. He also said ordering meals or getting basic services could be an adventure.

Tyler probably doesn't have a lot of experience doing these things, as he hasn't had to. Hopefully the worst-case scenario won't manifest itself—a serious injury. Now you have a 17-year-old kid who has one career in serious jeopardy but doesn't have a high school diploma so he can pursue another one.

The NBA had good intentions in making kids wait a year to be drafted. Critics had complained about the quality of the game and the immaturity of the new blood. But while it may be too early to push the panic button, as Tyler is only the second known player to use the European back door to the NBA path, it is cause for concern.

And since when it is bad for an 18-year-old, who is legally an adult, to pursue his career without going to college and taking scholarship money from another deserving student if that 18-year-old is deemed ready to be a professional?

Musings from the Bald Prophet: So the Sky Wasn't Falling in Lexington

Marc Daley — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:28:11 -0400

About six weeks ago I wrote an article that echoed the panicky sentiments of Kentucky basketball fans. In my defense, the state of affairs in Lexington wasn't fantastic to say the least.

The coach was a befuddled curmudgeon, the players were quietly threatening revolt, and the team would finish .500 in the SEC despite two All-America candidates in the starting lineup.

What a difference six weeks makes.

Now the coach is one of a handful to take two different schools to the Final Four. Two of the top big men recruits will suit up next year and it's very possible the favorite to be the No.1 pick in the 2010 NBA draft could wear blue and white in Lexington.

One of those All-America candidates from last season should be back once he finds out he's a likely second-round pick this season. The other one figures to be mid first-round but may come back to avoid being the "best UK player not to win an NCAA tournament game."

Here is the most likely starting lineup and bench for the 09-10 season:

Starters - G Xavier Henry, G Jodie Meeks, F Darius Miller, F Demarcus Cousins, C Daniel Orton

Bench - Kevin Galloway, Jon Hood, Perry Stevenson, Deandre Liggins, Josh Harralson.

Now that's much better. I'm not sure the Prince of Ashland Park can guide this squad to an immediate Final Four but, barring injuries, they should be in the Sweet 16.

Musings From the Bald Prophet: Coaches Gone Wild Part 2?

Marc Daley — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:25:47 -0400

While the Bleacher Report community puts in it's two cents on the percolation of scandal down Louisville way in Oxford, Mississippi, the Rebels' coaching "bad boy" has settled his dispute with a Cincinnati cab driver by pleading guilty to disorderly conduct.

This basically means that he probably said a few of the choice words the cabbie accused him of spewing during the tussle in January, but rather than turn this into a further discussion of "he said, he said" he pleaded guilty, got probation and decided to move on, which he could very well do from Ole Miss in three years as the university decided not to renew his contract.

Has it gotten to the point where coaches have decided to follow the lead of some of their charges and taken a bizzaro approach to the cliche, "what's good for the goose is good for the gander?"

Seriously: Gillispie, Kennedy, Huggins, Eustachy, Wimp Sanderson—the list goes on and on.

Musings from the Bald Prophet: A New Bluegrass Conspiracy?

Marc Daley — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 12:38:52 -0400

Recently Louisville Coach Rick Pitino has been a target of an extortion attempt by the estranged wife of a Louisville staff member. ESPN, FoxSports and several other news outlets have reported as many available details as they can.

Most people who have read tabloids or watched soap operas can figure out what information this woman is threatening to reveal. Obviously, until actual evidence is presented speculation is all anyone can do but let's consider some things.

Pitino enjoys being in the public eye. He's a very focused coach and usually gets the most out of his player but he's done more than his share of endorsements, is good with a quote for the press and knows how to present himself on television.
There have been rumors of similar behavior at his previous coaching stops, including when he was an assistant at Hawaii in the 1970s and during his time at the University of Kentucky. Those rumors could have easily been a product of his rock-star status in Lexington—keep in mind that during his first season his trash was stolen as a memento. But now they have cropped up again with this latest development one has to wonder about the veracity of the previous rumors.
The longer this investigation lingers the more it will hang over a program that welcomes another great recruiting class and will be in a dogfight to keep its status as the top program in the state at this moment with the hiring of John Calipari at UK.

So what are the possible outcomes? In the likely event the rumors are false life goes on as usual for the Cardinals and their head coach. If they're true, Louisville fans won't see a Roman Empire-like collapse but it's possible Pitino could do something similar to Lute Olson and take a leave of absence in order to deal with this matter.

That could make things very interesting in Derby City. Stay tuned.

Mr. Impact: A Farwell to John Madden

Marc Daley — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:30:21 -0400

When millions of us gather around the tube on Monday nights this fall to gorge ourselves on chicken wings, beer and other food and beverage items with high nutritional value, we will have to pay homage to the man that had more impact on the NFL than anyone.

You heard me right.

He made the Raiders "THE RAAAIDUHS" before they became a complete laughingstock. He was the only head coach to get out of Oakland gracefully, mainly because he couldn't handle air travel anymore.

Along the way he won two Super Bowls, developed Willie Brown, Lester Hayes, Fred Biletnikoff, Ray Guy, Ken Stabler, John Matuszak, Phil Villapiano, Dave Casper...well, we could go on but there's more to cover.

When he went to CBS to cover football, he became the go-to analyst. If you turned on a Sunday game in the 1980s and early '90s, you could close your eyes for a minute and his voice, along with Pat Summerall's, let you know it was the only game that really mattered.

He introduced the most famous touring bus ever, and that includes Bret Michaels'. He also gave us the joy of turducken, "Boom!" and gave Erik Kramer a free turkey leg.

He switched to ABC to do Monday Night Football with Al Michaels. Around that time he made his third significant impact with the most popular football video game ever.

Millions of kids and adults who have the maturity of kids mark each year's edition of his game on the calendar to then spend three days in a sleepless haze playing an entire season.

Today, he announced his retirement at 73 so he could spend more time with his five grandchildren even though he still loves the game. Cris Collinsworth will take his spot, but neither he or anyone, will ever replace him.

Thanks, John Madden. You are NFL football.

NCAA Tournament of All-Time Rosters: Championship Game Report

Marc Daley — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:11:37 -0400

Final Game: (1) North Carolina v (2) UCLA

Together they’ve combined for sixteen national championships, 201 NCAA tournament wins, 146 NBA players, and twelve Hall of Famers (as player, coach or both). It’s only right that these two programs did battle for the top spot in the NCAA tournament of all-time rosters.

Madison Square Garden was packed to the rafters. The stars looked relaxed, even engaging in some playful trash-talking. But once the ball was thrown aloft for the opening tip and Lew Alcindor gained control for the Bruins it was all business.

Jamaal Wilkes struck the first blow with a 15-footer but Carolina came right back with a Sam Perkins bank shot.

No team was able to muster more than a four-point lead until the eight-minute mark when John Wooden decided to gamble and go with a smaller lineup that featured three guards (Tyus Edney, Walt Hazzard and Gail Goodrich) plus two forwards (Marques Johnson and Wilkes).

The gamble worked. The Bruins pushed the ball up the court as Wilkes was able to move past Brad Daugherty with ease, which freed up Goodrich and Hazzard on the outside.

With UCLA pushing the lead to ten points with three minutes left Dean Smith used the TV timeout to make his own adjustments, benching Daugherty and Perkins (who also had two fouls apiece) and bringing in younger guns Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison.

Carter hadn’t played much this tournament but he brought an immediate spark off the bench as he and Michael Jordan launched a high-flying assault that the Bruins weren’t prepared for. When the half ended the Heels had cut the lead to two.

When the second stanza began both team put their starters on the floor. It didn’t last long for Carolina as Perkins picked up his third foul. Jamison came back in and set about hassling Wilkes. Wooden tried Johnson. That didn’t work much better.

Carolina’s lead increased to eight with 14 minutes left. Finally, Wooden went to Reggie Miller, who he would have rather played as a big guard but would draw Jamison away from the interior. Miller hit two quick threes and Alcindor began to own the paint again. The score was tied at the 11:30 mark at 50 points apiece.

At this stage Smith decided to go with the patented “four corners” offense, hoping that the Bruins would get frustrated. Jordan and Worthy executed it to perfection and Goodrich would go to the bench with four fouls with nine minutes left, indeed frustrated by Jordan’s athleticism and skill.

Wooden bought Edney back in to run the offense so Hazzard could stick on Jordan. He couldn’t do much against Worthy, though, as the forward outplayed Wilkes and Johnson.

Despite the seven-point advantage Carolina enjoyed with seven minutes left, Wooden looked poised as he calmly held his rolled-up program. Edney used patience and worked the ball inside to Alcindor.

The center would finish with 28 points to lead all scorers by the time all was said and done and brought the Bruins within a point with three minutes left. But Carolina increased their 70-69 advantage with a Jordan three, then a Worthy steal off of Edney and a dunk.

The teams traded points the rest of the way but as the horn sounded Tar Heel point guard Phil Ford threw the ball toward the rafters to thunderous applause. Smith and Wooden shook hands and patted each other’s arms warmly. Jordan whispered something to Alcindor, who seemed to thank him before he walked off in resignation.

Final Score: North Carolina 81, UCLA 75

NCAA Tournament of All-Time Rosters: Final Four Game Recaps

Marc Daley — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:49:17 -0400

Game One: No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 4 LSU

The old joke is that the last person to hold Michael Jordan under 20 points on a regular basis was Dean Smith. So far, nobody had been able to hold LSU’s Pete Maravich to under 20 points.

Jordan loves impossible challenges.

Meanwhile his teammate from the early '80s, James Worthy, had been playing a complementary role during the tournament, lying in wait like a sunbathing alligator. Tonight he would get a chance to chomp down on unsuspecting prey in the guise of Tigers swingman Marcus Thornton, who could be a scoring threat—if not for a four-inch height disadvantage.

From the outset, Maravich was clearly out of his element. He could use a variety of fakeouts, diversionary tactics, and sheer will to score against his previous defenders, but against Jordan nothing was working. Midway through the first half he had been reduced to a passer and general spectator.

Meanwhile his teammate, Thornton, was struggling with Worthy on both ends of the floor. Even though Tigers center Shaquille O’Neal had bested Brad Daugherty, LSU coach Dale Brown had seen enough. He put a makeshift lineup of Chris Jackson, Ethan Martin, Rudy Macklin, Bob Pettit, and O’Neal on the floor for the final five minutes of the first half and crossed his fingers.

No dice. At the half UNC was up 43-30.

LSU provided a glimmer of hope 16 minutes before the end when Jordan had to go the bench to treat a cut on his forearm and Maravich was able to get free against Walter Davis. But when Jordan came back in, the Tigers had cut the lead to only six.

One glance at the scoreboard was all it took. Maravich would only be able to muster two free throws the rest of the way before he fouled out in frustration with three minutes left.

With the Tar Heels up by 12 with a minute and a half left, both teams emptied the bench. Of course, these were no walk-ons. Billy Cunningham, Bob McAdoo, Glen Davis, and John Williams were some of the players who were finally seeing action merely because of the sheer talent of their teammates. UNC just had a little more where it counted.

Final Score: UNC 86, LSU 75.

Leading Scorers: UNC—Worthy 24, Jordan 21, Ford 11 LSU—O’Neal 19, Jackson 18, Maravich 10

Game Two: No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 6 Maryland

Was it true that Maryland was the most under-seeded team in NCAA history? That was up for debate and will continue to be debated in sports bars and living rooms long after this tournament has been completed.

But they were enough of a threat for Bruin coach John Wooden to make a change to his starting lineup—something he rarely did. He chose to sacrifice (at least at the opening) the offense of Reggie Miller for the All-America talent of Bill Walton.

Even though both Walton and Alcindor were considered centers, Wooden felt Walton’s versatility would enable him to play some of the forward role. Also, he needed Jamaal Wilkes on defense against Len Bias.

Early on, both front lines played each other to a standstill. The overall advantage went to the Terrapins thanks to Albert King, who was able to take advantage over his counterpart Gail Goodrich and boost Maryland to a five-point lead halfway through the opening half.

Having seen enough, Wooden brought in Darren Collison to guard King but soon had another issue to deal with—Walton’s balky knees began to take their toll. This time, Miller sprang off the bench and Wilkes went back to his natural power forward position, where his main duties seemed to be setting picks for Miller to drain three-pointers.

The strategy worked well enough for the Bruins to cling to a four-point lead at halftime but the Terps’ Len Bias was matching Miller’s offensive prowess.

The second half saw Bias and Len Elmore score consecutive baskets to tie things up, but Walt Hazzard fed Alcindor to give the Bruins back the lead. For the first time in the tournament UCLA found a team that could give them a run. Literally.

On offense if either team missed there were few second chances, and, despite quality defense, neither team missed that much. This set the stage for one of the best finishes of the tournament.

Walton had put his team up by one on a free throw with 26 seconds left. Maryland drew up a play during the timeout and Elmore managed to slip past Walton for a layup with 10 seconds left.

UCLA declined the timeout and Hazzard pushed the ball up. Weaving back and forth like a student driver through orange cones, he put up a jumper with two seconds left that fell just short, right into Alcindor’s hands, who threw in a baby hook as the buzzer sounded.

Bedlam ensued in the Garden. The former Power Memorial star had weaved magic in the Big Apple once again.

Final Score: UCLA 80, Maryland 79.

Leading Scorers: UCLA—Alcindor 21, Walton 17, Miller 13 Maryland—Bias 20, Elmore 16, King 14

The tournament concludes Wednesday.

NCAA Tournament of All-Time Rosters: Quarterfinal Action Concludes

Marc Daley — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 11:41:30 -0400

Game Three: (3) Kansas v (6) Maryland

During warmups Maryland Coach Gary Williams kept focusing on Kansas center Wilt Chamberlain and wished the no-dunk rule was still in place. It wasn’t that he lacked confidence in his front line of Len Elmore, Buck Williams, and Len Bias.

But Wilt was a man-mountain who lived in the rarefied air of pivot-man elitism.

Fortunately for Coach Williams the backcourt took matters into their own hands. Point guard John Lucas shut off the penetration of counterpart JoJo White and Chamberlain was forced to resort to offensive rebounds for scoring opportunities.

Problem was, Buck Williams and Elmore did a fine job of limiting those opportunities and Maryland had a 20-12 lead with eight minutes left in the first half. Kansas Coach Phog Allen took Danny Manning and Raef Lafrentz out, clearly disappointed with their efforts, and inserted Drew Gooden and Clyde Lovellette.

On offense, Chamberlain was able to get free thanks to the sumo match between Lovellette and Williams underneath and Lovellette managed a couple putbacks of his own. At the half, Kansas enjoyed a 28-27 advantage.

The second half was a tennis match replete with volleys. Even though the frontcourts were the strength of both teams there were very few fouls called and the action was smooth, almost like a well-choreographed dance.

No team had more than a four-point advantage until Kansas’ Paul Pierce, who had scored 17 points at the two-minute mark, turned the ball over with the Jayhawks down by three. What happened during the next offensive possession was a testament to successful gambling.

Lucas dribbled around the perimeter and nearly managed a turnover of his own but the hands of Bias kept the ball secure. Guard Albert King, who was still looking for a three-pointer, worked his way free from Pierce and got the ball from Bias with a minute and a half left.

He was slightly off-balance and Pierce got a hand in his face but the shot fell through and silenced the partisan Kansas City crowd.

From there the Jayhawks, stunned in disbelief, could not get within a basket. At the end Lucas curled up in the fetal position with a death grip on the ball and tears of joy streaming down his face.

Final Score: Maryland 74, Kansas 70

Game Four: (2) UCLA v (10) Michigan State

Magic Johnson was a special player. Nobody doubted that. But even the special ones get worn down occasionally.

For the Spartans to have any chance of an upset Johnson would have to successfully and repeatedly break the vaunted UCLA press while Greg Kelser and Co. would have to take care of business against Lew Alcindor, Jamaal Wilkes, etc.

Johnson did his part, having eight assists to only two turnovers, an almost unheard-of statistic against John Wooden’s defense.

But Kelser, Morris Peterson, Kevin Willis, Zach Randolph and even Johnny Green couldn’t come up with an effective combination against the Bruins front line.

In the end, as the bench players finished the game whose outcome was decided several minutes ago, Johnson couldn’t find a smile for the first time in the tournament. UCLA’s players didn’t smile either. Maybe it’s because they knew their mission wouldn’t be complete for two more games.

Final Score: UCLA 85, Michigan State 68

Monday: Final Four from NYC

NCAA Tournament Of All-Time Rosters: Quarterfinal Action Game Summaries

Marc Daley — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 09:54:53 -0400

Game One: (1) North Carolina vs (9) Ohio State

For the first time in the tournament North Carolina did not enjoy a clear advantage up front. Jerry Lucas and John Havlicek were considered to be dead-even, if not better by a thin margin, over Sam Perkins and Brad Daugherty.

Early on, observers wondered if the margin had increased. Perkins picked up two early fouls in the first five minutes trying to guard the versatile Havlicek. Fortunately for the Tar Heels, Michael Jordan was the usual superstar and the Heels led by four at the half, 36-32.

Even though UNC reserve Antawn Jamison did a credible job of holding Havlicek in check Coach Dean Smith started Perkins in the second half. This move didn’t last long as Perkins picked up a third foul a minute in then uncharacteristically received a technical for arguing the call.

Once again, Jamison came off the bench. This time Havlicek, who had 16 points at that juncture, decided to spread the wealth to Lucas, Jim Jackson and reserve Michael Redd.

Meanwhile, Jordan continued to lead the way with a bevy of outside shots. Still, the Buckeyes closed within three on a Lucas layup with 45 seconds. Daugherty inbounded to Phil Ford, who was quickly fouled by Jackson.

Ford missed the front end of a one-and-one and the Buckeyes decided to melt the clock for an opportunity to tie. As the defense collapsed on Havlicek he once again found Redd open, who drilled a three with12 seconds left.

The Tar Heels calmly called time out. No, Jimmy Black and Matt Doherty did not take the floor. But Ohio State could have been forgiven if they saw images of Fred Brown and Michael Jackson.

This time Ford was the one who passed to Jordan, who made a nifty shake to fend off Jackson and lifted a feathery jumper that sealed the Buckeyes’ fate as time expired.

All Havlicek could do was shake his head, not in disbelief, but in resignation.

Final Score: North Carolina 78, Ohio State 76

Game Two: (4) LSU v (5) Arizona

Pete Maravich and Chris Jackson wanted to turn this game into a track meet. Coach Dale Brown wasn’t so sure. Shaquille O’Neal eased his fears by saying, “If we can run, Arizona’s done.”

The Wildcats held their own for the first 10 minutes. Brian Williams got the start over Bob Elliott as Lute Olson figured he would be better able to handle the banging in the paint. Sean Elliott took advantage of being guarded by the game, but not as athletic, All-American Bob Pettit and had eight points in the first half of the first half.

But Mike Bibby and Gilbert Arenas decided to enter a scoring duel with Maravich and Jackson, not realizing the Tiger twosome had a lot more ammo. By the time the first half ended the three offensive superstars had combined for 42 points and LSU led 50-39.

In the second half Arizona decided to try and slow things down. They went with a rare tall lineup of the Elliotts, Williams, Bibby, and Chris Mills. Sean Elliott enjoyed a height advantage over Maravich but Jackson was able to take up the scoring slack. Eventually he would finish with a game-high 35 points.

Meanwhile, O’Neal had a field day inside with 24 points and 12 rebounds as Olson’s strategy was unsuccessful. As the horn sounded, a muted Mardi Gras-like celebration ensued with the Bayou Bengals ready to take the zydeco party to the Big Apple.

Final Score: LSU 93, Arizona 80

Tomorrow: Quarterfinal Action Concludes

NCAA Tournament of All-Time Rosters: Second Round Game Recap, Day Two

Marc Daley — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:57:21 -0400

Game Five - (3) Kansas vs. (19) Illinois

The Illini’s excitement over the first-round upset over Louisville may have provided enough energy to sustain them through the first half against an opponent with a lesser front line. Unfortunately for Ken Norman and Brian Cook they had to contend with one of the best centers of all-time.

Kansas center Wilt Chamberlain dominated from the opening tip when he batted it back to point guard JoJo White who quickly passed it to a streaking Danny Manning for an easy dunk. From there it was a familiar theme.

Manning, Chamberlain and Raef Lafrentz were too much of an inside presence for Cook, Norman and Red Kerr. The only Jayhawk starter who had a quiet night was guard Paul Pierce but he seemed content to watch the fun inside the paint. And who could blame him?

Final Score: Kansas 92, Illinois 69

Game Six - (6) Maryland vs. (11) Georgetown

It’s a shame for college basketball fans that it took a forced matchup to finally bring these neighbors together for a hardcourt battle. Unlike their initial matchups both teams’ front lines would be evenly matched and it would fall on unlikely sources to provide the heroics.

During the opening play Maryland’s Len Elmore got the ball from John Lucas in perfect position to score but Georgetown’s Patrick Ewing swatted it away to Allen Iverson, who quickly dribbled up court and distributed a textbook bounce pass to Reggie Williams.

Williams prepared to channel his inner George Gervin with the finger roll but Len Bias had other ideas and pinned the layup against the glass with extreme prejudice. From there, both teams knew that passion and execution would have to be top-notch. Nothing else would be allowed.

Maryland had a chance to win it in regulation. Elmore had fouled out with three minutes left on a questionable charging call and Ewing was gaining an edge on backup center Tom McMillen.

Meanwhile, Mourning had also fouled out and Coach John Thompson decided to counter with Jeff Green over Dikembe Mutombo for offensive purposes. It turned out Green could play a little defense too.

Bias received the ball at the top of the key and went to launch a game-winning jumper until he noticed he had no ball to shoot as Green had stolen it. He immediately covered up as the buzzer sounded and the score was tied at 73.

The overtime period proved to be a war of attrition. Ewing got two easy baskets thanks to timely positioning on the offensive end but he made a rare mistake by lunging at Bias, who pulled up in the paint rather than risk a stuff on another finger roll.

Ewing’s collision resulted in a three-point play and, more importantly, his disqualification. Now Thompson hurriedly went to Mutombo, his only center left. With Maryland tying it again and Mutombo not an offensive threat Coach Gary Williams used McMillen as a double on any inside moves and shuffled Albert King with Steve Francis depending on who had the ball.

With fifteen seconds left, Williams’ strategy paid off. Francis drove his coach crazy on occasion but delivered when it mattered. He took a pass from Lucas, drove three steps to the right as he used a great pick from Buck Williams and lofted a feathery 17-footer that put the Terrapins up by two.

The Hoyas had no timeouts left and Iverson worked frantically to get people in position. With five seconds left he took matters into his own hands, drove the lane and put up a knuckleball from ten feet, which clanged harmlessly off the rim and ended the game.

Ewing put his face in a towel and Len Bias exulted as he put his hands on his head. The neighbors had waged a classic.

Final Score: Maryland 80, Georgetown 79 (OT)

Game Seven - (2) UCLA vs. (15) UNLV

It’s been argued that the 1990 UNLV squad was one of the best teams of all time. However, that argument could be successfully debated by UCLA fans who could point to several of the Wooden-era teams that collected trophies like boys with ten-speeds collect baseball cards. With that in mind, it wasn’t a day to expect the unexpected with this matchup.

UNLV Coach Jerry Tarkanian played his usual up-tempo style simply because his squad was best suited for it. However, teams that press typically don’t like to be pressed. Greg Anthony, Ricky Sobers and Glen Gondrezick had never seen a swarm like the Bruins’ pressure and were clearly getting worn to nubs as the game progressed.

Larry Johnson, Armon Gilliam and Sidney Green put forth valiant efforts on the defensive end but were simply no match for Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton, who Coach John Wooden decided to start ahead of Reggie Miller. No matter for Miller, as he came off the bench to become the fifth Bruin in double figures.

UNLV could only claim two double-figure scorers this day and went back to the desert a humbled squad.

Final Score: UCLA 96, UNLV 67

Game Eight - (7) Houston vs. (10) Michigan State

Historical analysis has shown that the 10-seed gets the better of the 7-seed in recent tournaments. In order to avoid that trend the Cougars would have to prove their trapeze act was effective against the more physical style of the Spartans.

While the Spartans’ Magic Johnson ran the point on offense and got the better of counterpart of Otis Birdsong on defense he was assigned to Clyde Drexler.

MSU Coach Tom Izzo knew that Greg Kelser would have trouble with Akeem Olajuwon in a mano-a-mano matchup so he shuffled Morris Peterson out with Kevin Willis to give the Spartans to an extra height advantage.

All in all, it proved to be an even, if contrasting, matchup except for one position. Despite Birdsong’s well-deserved defensive reputation Johnson seemed to have a little extra on this day.

He wouldn’t get one of his patented triple-doubles, but considering he held Drexler to 13 points and only two dunks 18 points, eight rebounds and nine assists looked nice on the final stat sheet. The final score looked pretty good to Coach Izzo, too.

Final Score: Michigan State 81, Houston 75

Tomorrow: Elite Eight Action From Greensboro and New Orleans

All-Time Rosters NCAA Tournament: Round Two, Day One Recaps

Marc Daley — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:59:44 -0400

Game One: (1) North Carolina v (17) NC State

Before game time North Carolina State Coach Jim Valvano ran the tape of the 1983 championship. Not only did he want to get his squad properly motivated to play the top-seeded Tar Heels but he wanted to drive his game plan home. Once again, Valvano wanted to play the game in the fifties.

That would be fine with North Carolina Coach Dean Smith.

In the first half the Wolfpack plan kept them in the game. Center Tom Burleson led the way with eight points as Nate McMillan and Spud Webb worked the ball inside.

David Thompson wasn’t much of a factor thanks to two early fouls while trying to cover Michael Jordan but backup Vinny Del Nero proved to be a better fit in the slowdown game and added six points off the bench as the ‘Pack ended the half only down 30-26.

However, the second half saw NC State go cold. Burleson and Thurl Bailey missed easy shots inside and Thompson picked up two cheap fouls by 11:37 in the game.

This time, Smith instructed his charges to press the pace. Jordan, James Worthy and backup forward Antawn Jamison repeatedly ran like hungry gazelles past the stunned Wolfpack defense. Each of them would finish in double figures, with Jordan leading the way with 21 points.

Thompson tried to lead a comeback but it was too little, too late. North Carolina became the first team to hit the Elite Eight.

Final Score: North Carolina 76, NC State 62

Game Two: (8) Notre Dame v (9) Ohio State

After watching countless film of Notre Dame scoring sensation Austin Carr Ohio State coach Fred Taylor didn’t say much during the practice session, figuring out how to explain the news to his guards. He would switching things up in the starting lineup.

When the Buckeyes took the floor in their second-round matchup, Dennis Hopson went to the bench and Clark Kellogg saw the initial action. Jim Jackson would have the unenviable task of guarding Carr.

Jackson did fairly well in the first half, holding Carr to four of twelve shooting even though all of Carr’s baskets were from behind the arc. Fortunately for the Buckeyes, Jerry Lucas and Kellogg did a terrific job of keeping the Irish off the boards.

Lucas was rewarded with several passes from Kelvin Ransey and ended the first half with twelve points to go with his six rebounds.

In the second half, Carr got a little hotter by hitting his first three baskets. This time, Taylor sent Jackson to the pine for a breather and bought in little-used Tony Campbell in hopes that his height might bother Carr. It didn’t. Carr had 28 points by the time Jackson got back in with five minutes left and Notre Dame had a five-point lead.

At that point, John Havlicek took over for Ohio State. The new offense was simple. Havlicek bought the ball down to half court and passed it to Ransey or Scoonie Penn, who would work it around until Havlicek could get open then “Hondo” would receive it and drive for a score or hit a jump shot.

Kelly Tripucka, John Shumate and Laphonso Ellis all took turns trying to stop him and couldn’t. Carr would outscore Havlicek 32 to 24 but the score that mattered showed that the Buckeyes came out on top.

Final Score: Ohio State 84, Notre Dame 79

Game Three: (4) LSU v (20) Kentucky

Fans of the game will remember the last time these two SEC rivals faced off in the NCAA Tournament as the 11-seed Tigers knocked off the 1-seed Wildcats with Ricky Blanton running down the court in spastic celebration following his game-winner. Kentucky fans were hoping for a similar scenario in New Orleans.

UK Coach Adolph Rupp briefly thought about switching forward Tayshaun Prince with Melvin Turpin to create a Twin Towers lineup but wisely thought Prince’s defense would be sorely needed. Indeed, Prince nullified the scoring threat of Marcus Thornton but Chris Jackson was enjoying a clear advantage over Kyle Macy.

Frustrated, the Baron went to Ralph Beard in an effort to slow Jackson down. Jackson ended up with 17 first half points and the Bayou Bengals led by eight at the half.

The second half was more of the same. While Turpin and starting center Sam Bowie held counterpart Shaquille O’Neal relatively in check and Pete Maravich having a rare off-night thanks to a defensive switch which had Prince guarding him through most of the second half Jackson continued to light things up.

When it was over he would have a tourney record 41 points and the Tigers would be headed to the Elite Eight.

Final Score: LSU 81, Kentucky 72

Game Four: (5) Arizona v (12) Duke

Mike Krzyzewski was disappointed with J.J. Redick’s performance against Syracuse and figured he might have trouble against Arizona. So he started Johnny Dawkins and Jason Williams together, sacrificing a bit of offense for extra ball-handling.

While that might have helped the big advantage for the Devils early on proved to be Carlos Boozer. He snagged many offensive rebounds and easily scored against his counterpart Bob Elliott in the first half.

With his Wildcats facing a six-point halftime deficit, Olson benched Elliott and brought in Brian Williams to play center. This proved to be more effective as Williams’ energy allowed him to hold his own against Boozer.

Jason Terry continued his offensive explosiveness that he displayed against Syracuse in the first round as he made his case for best sixth man in an NCAA tournament. He would finish with 14 points, second to Sean Elliott’s 20. Boozer would lead the way for Duke with 23 points and 12 rebounds but it wasn’t quite enough.

Final Score: Arizona 88, Duke 80

Tomorrow, the second round concludes.

All-Time NCAA Tournament Rosters: First Round Game Reports, Day Two

Marc Daley — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:40:09 -0400

Game 9—(3) Kansas v. (30) Utah

The Jayhawks feature the deepest front line of the tournament.

The Utes were game as starting forward Tom Chambers shot like he was at a crooked election (early and often), but Wilt Chamberlain, Danny Manning, and company proved to be too much on both ends of the floor.

Guard Andre Miller nearly had a triple-double for the Utes but Kansas’ Paul Pierce easily outplayed counterpart Mike Newlin, who was exiled to the bench after futilely chasing the All-American.

Final Score: Kansas 86, Utah 71

Game 10—(14) Louisville v. (19) Illinois

The red sport coat vs. the Lou-do, there was no shortage of flying athleticism on either side.

On paper, it looked like one of the most competitive match-ups in the tourneys. It was that way on the court as well.

Louisville’s Darrell Griffith got the better of counterpart Kendall Gill early on, but the Illini’s Nick Anderson used his savvy to overcome the defensive intensity of Terence Williams.

At the pivot, Cardinal Wes Unseld got in rare foul trouble, which made things a little easier for Ken Norman on the rebounding end.

It wasn’t until Louisville Coach Denny Crum put in All-America Charlie Tyra that the Cards controlled the early glass again and squeaked out to a two-point advantage at the half thanks to a last-second tip in by Pervis Ellison.

In the second half, Lou Henson’s bunch started their outside assault.

Deron Williams fed Gill, Anderson, and pine-rider Donnie Freeman until they were full while the Cards tried to match with numerous dunks.

In the end, Freeman would get a standing ovation as he contributed an unexpected 11 points off the bench, but it took a rare Butch Beard turnover to seal the deal for the Illini.

Final Score: Illinois 69, Louisville 65

Game 11—(6) Maryland v. (27) Memphis

Maryland Coach Gary Williams seemed a bit peeved that his Terrapins were only seeded sixth on the big stage. Rather than let it be a distraction his team decided to take it out on an unsuspecting Tiger squad.

Even though Memphis point guard Penny Hardaway enjoyed a significant height advantage over counterpart John Lucas, defensive stalwarts Buck Williams and Len Elmore locked down the recipients of Hardaway’s passes, Keith Lee and Lorenzen Wright.

Memphis tried to get some outside shooting to make up for the lost inside punch, but Elliott Perry and Chris Douglas-Roberts couldn’t provide enough firepower.

Meanwhile, Len Bias and sixth man Steve Francis had 20 points each. In the end, the Terps showed their mettle to the Kansas City crowd.

Final Score: Maryland 88, Memphis 65

Game 12—(11) Georgetown v. (22) Cincinnati

Fans of sweet-looking jumpers and fluid offenses went to look for some quality barbecue or switched the channel during this contest. This was a football game played in a mud bog.

Bearcats' guard Oscar Robertson was clearly frustrated as his passes to Kenyon Martin, Paul Hogue, and Jack Twyman were constantly rejected or defended by Pat Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, and Dikembe Mutombo.

Nobody on either team reached the elusive 15-point mark until Georgetown’s Sleepy Floyd sank a jumper with 2:47 left that put the Hoyas up by six.

After that, Hoya Jeff Green sank four free throws. That made up all the scoring for both teams the rest of the game.

Final Score: Georgetown 57, Cincinnati 47

Game 13—(2) UCLA v (31) Texas

Texas barely got in the all-time tournament, much to the consternation of Boston College and Wake Forest. After this game, the Eagles' and Deacons' faithful probably got louder in their protests from the NIT.

All 12 Bruins scored, not to mention some of those who tried out for the team and didn’t make it.

At times, the Longhorns' front line seemed overwhelmed and confused until John Wooden decided to go with a makeshift group of Reggie Miller, Marques Johnson, and Don Maclean. Some makeshift group. By then, the outcome had been long decided.

Final Score: UCLA 101, Texas 67

Game 14—(15) UNLV v. (18) Alabama

The Runnin’ Rebels were in San Diego to strike a blow for the mid-majors against their super-conference brethren.

While Jerry Tarkanian’s bunch didn’t have a lot of height, most of their stars could play multiple positions. Fortunately for them, the Crimson Tide’s tallest player was backup center Leon Douglas, who only played two minutes.

Rebel Stacey Augmon made life miserable for Derrick McKey and Robert Horry while Reggie Theus filled up the basket for UNLV.

The game was nearly marred by an altercation between UNLV’s J.R. Rider and Alabama’s Latrell Sprewell. Both received technicals and were benched briefly.

As a result, the Tide's coach brought in T.R. Dunn and switched Mo Williams to shooting guard.

In response, Tarkanian switched out Shawn Marion for Armon Gilliam and pushed the tempo. His point guard, Greg Anthony, was only happy to oblige.

Final Score: UNLV 88, Alabama 77

Game 15—(7) Houston v. (26) Villanova

Some of the Big East contingent sneered at the Cougars, wondering aloud if the only thing they could do was dunk.

The Cougars’ response? Does it really matter?

Houston Coach Guy Lewis looked positively relaxed as Clyde Drexler, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Elvin Hayes made more flushes than a newbie at an all-you-can-eat Mexican buffet.

The Wildcats tried to use some outside shooting by bench guard Chris Ford to get back in it but to no avail.

Final Score: Houston 85, Villanova 68

Game 16—(10) Michigan State v. (23) San Francisco

This was the most intriguing match-up of the 16 first-round games. Could the Dons’ “Twin Towers” lineup of Russell and Cartwright, coupled with point guard K.C. Jones, essentially beat the Spartans by themselves?

They certainly gave their best effort.

Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo made a bold move by starting Kevin Willis ahead of Morris Peterson in an effort to create his own “Twin Towers” lineup of Willis and Greg Kelser.

It didn’t matter as Russell had 20 points, 22 rebounds, and 6 blocked shots.

However, Spartan guard Magic Johnson more than held his own against Jones with 12 points, 10 assists, and numerous smiles.

The real difference was the rest of the starters. Steve Smith, Jay Vincent, and Peterson (who became a very effective sixth man) had a field day with Quintin Dailey, Kevin Restani, and Phil Smith, proving that there’s strength in numbers.

Final Score: Michigan State 79, San Francisco 64

Tomorrow: Second Round Action Begins

NCAA Tournament Of All-Time Rosters: First Round Action Recap

Marc Daley — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 09:45:24 -0400

After four days of team previews, we're finally ready to start the games. We had a mixture of blowouts, upsets, overtimes and last-second finishes.

Let's get to it!

Game 1 - (1) North Carolina v. (32) Oklahoma

The Sooner frontcourt tried to hold its own for a half, but Alvan Adams and Wayman Tisdale get into quick foul trouble trying to hold off the Tar Heels’ Sam Perkins and Brad Daugherty.

POY (2009) Blake Griffin actually holds Perkins, who has 12 points with five minutes to go in the first half, scoreless for the rest of the half but Michael Jordan has his way with an overmatched Anthony Bowie.

In the second half it gets ugly.

Dean Smith sits the starters with eight minutes to go and Walter Davis becomes the sixth Tar Heel in double figures as he drains a 25-footer over Brent Price. All 12 UNC players score as Billy Tubbs doesn’t slow the game down until there’s two minutes left.

Final Score: North Carolina 117, Oklahoma 83.

Game 2 - (16) Michigan v. (17) N.C. State

Jamal Crawford started the game at point guard for the Wolverines, but after jacking up two ill-advised threes coach Steve Fisher yanked him for Jalen Rose.

Jim Valvano made some substitution as well after watching Chris Webber and Roy Tarpley go to town over Thurl Bailey and Tom Burleson despite the Wolfpack’s height advantage. Even though subs Chucky Brown and Kenny Carr gave up inches, their defensive intensity gave the Wolverines fits.

Meanwhile, the small forwards for Michigan lit things up from outside. Glen Rice and Rudy Tomjanovich combined for five three-pointers as they tried to match David Thompson’s aerial assault.

It became a tie game until Carr fouls Rose hard with five seconds left and he is unable to shoot the free throws. Michigan Coach Steve Fisher tried to capture lightning twice by bringing in little-used Rumeal Robinson to shoot the free throws. This time, Robinson missed both free throws.

Bailey grabbed the rebound and passed it to Nate McMillian who quickly got it Thompson. Thompson put up a three-pointer with 1.7 seconds left but it came up short—just short enough for Tom Gugliotta to throw up a paint shot that goes in as the buzzer sounds.

Final Score: N.C. State 68, Michigan 66

Game 3 - (8) Notre Dame v (25) Marquette

Two Big East rivals square off and there are times the rest of the players are guilty of watching the scoring duel between Notre Dame’s Austin Carr and Marquette’s Dwyane Wade.

By the time it’s over, Carr ends up with 35 and Wade gets 30. However, the frontcourt enjoys a distinct advantage as Adrian Dantley of the Irish outplays Earl Tatum and Maurice Lucas. He proves to be the difference in a Notre Dame win.

Final Score: Notre Dame 82, Marquette 73.

Game 4 - (9) Ohio State v. (24) Providence

Even though Providence’s Marvin Barnes showed up five minutes before tip-off, Coach Dave Gavitt still gave him the start. Barnes rewarded him as he and guard Lenny Wilkens led the Friars to a ten-point lead at halftime.

However, the only bench player to play in the first half was Eric Williams, who came in with two minutes left to protect Barnes from getting his third foul of the first half.

In the second half, the Buckeyes would take advantage of the Friars’ tired legs. John Havlicek, Jim Jackson and Michael Redd each had more than 15 points and Barnes ended up fouling out with five minutes left. At that point, the Buckeyes put the game away as backup center Greg Oden ended the affair with a thunderous dunk.

Final Score: Ohio State 79, Providence 70.

Game 5 - (4) LSU v. (29) Arkansas

LSU Coach Dale Brown unsuccessfully lobbied for two balls to accommodate his roster of scorers. Arkansas guard Alvin Robertson took it upon himself to shut Tiger Chris Jackson down and held him to eight points.

However, Sidney Moncrief could not do the same with “Pistol” Pete Maravich, who put up 26 as his teammate Shaquille O’Neal wore out Joe Kleine, Andrew Lang and Oliver Miller.

Final Score: LSU 90, Arkansas 73.

Game 6 - (13) Connecticut v. (20) Kentucky

Wildcat Tayshaun Prince did a defensive number on UConn’s Richard Hamilton, holding the former All-America to five points.

Kentucky’s Dan Issel proved to be the difference as he took Cliff Robinson and Donyell Marshall outside, which helped open up the paint area for Sam Bowie. Ray Allen led the Huskies with 24 points but it wasn’t enough in the first upset of the tournament.

Final Score: Kentucky 80, Connecticut 75

Game 7 - (5) Arizona v. (28) Indiana

Indiana Coach Bob Knight didn’t think the Wildcats were a very disciplined team and thought his Hoosiers could take advantage with solid team play.

But in the end Lute Olson’s desert eagles had too much athleticism. Mike Bibby and Isiah Thomas played to a standstill, but Gilbert Arenas and Jason Terry proved to be too much for Steve Alford and Calbert Cheaney in a man-to-man defense.

Final Score: Arizona 92, Indiana 78.

Game 8 - (12) Duke v. (21) Syracuse

Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski trotted out his toughest Blue Devil lineup to date. However, the Orange matchup zone befuddled J.J. Redick, who once again had a tough time in a tournament game as he was held to seven points.

Grant Hill and Shane Battier combined to hold Carmelo Anthony relatively in check as the Syracuse star scored 12 points, but has to work hard for every basket. Derrick Coleman missed a key front end of a one-and-one near the end of the game but this time Jason Williams couldn’t connect on a jump shot and the game went into overtime.

In the extra session, the reserves shined.

Syracuse’s Billy Owens used his versatility to score seven points in the overtime period, but Carlos Boozer used his inside agressiveness to combine with Johnny Dawkins’s penetration to give the Devils a close win.

Final Score: Duke 74, Syracuse 70 (OT)

Tomorrow we'll take a look at the rest of the first round. Go here for the updated bracket.

NCAA Tournament's All-Time Rosters, Seeds 25-32

Marc Daley — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 14:06:10 -0400

I've been putting a together a mock NCAA tournament of 32 teams. These teams will be putting their all-time best players on the floor. Today's article concludes the introduction with the last seven teams to get in the field. As I got toward the bottom I kept switching programs whose rosters I felt didn't quite belong in this elite field. Some of the teams who would head up the mythical NIT tournament of all-time rosters include Boston College, Tennessee, Brigham Young and Arizona State.

Begin Slideshow

NCAA Tournament of All-Time Rosters: Seeds 17 Through 24

Marc Daley — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 08:51:01 -0400

Two days ago I started this series on a mythical NCAA tournament featuring 32 all-time rosters. This particular tournament doesn't have regions so all the teams are seeded one through 32. Today we will be looking at seeds 17 through 24. Today's teams don't come from mostly one conference. It's pretty spread out throughout the major conference. There should be plenty of room for debate on this article.

Begin Slideshow

NCAA Tournament of All-Time Rosters: Seeds 9-16

Marc Daley — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 09:36:02 -0400

This continues the introduction of 32 programs and their all-time rosters that will square off in a mythical NCAA tournament. This slideshow features several teams from the Big Ten and the Big East with a mid-major force from the early 1990s. Could some of these teams pull a second-round upset? Once again, here is the breakdown. All teams are seeded one through 32, so there are no regionals. Teams from the same conference could play each other in the first round.

Begin Slideshow

NCAA Tournament of All-Time Rosters: Seeds One Through Eight

Marc Daley — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:36:44 -0400

Over the next four days I will preview the thirty-two teams that will play in my mythical NCAA tournament featuring their all-time rosters. On Monday, the tournament begins. Each team was seeded one through 32, so there are no regions and teams that are from the same conference can play each other in the first round.

Begin Slideshow

New UK Coach Calipari Heals Sick, Fixes Economy During Press Conference

Marc Daley — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:05:28 -0400

On Wednesday the University of Kentucky introduced its new head men's basketball coach John Calipari to an excited fanbase that has longed for a return to the Final Four for the first time since the 1998 championship. But what fans didn't expect is for Calipari to take on qualities of a mythical figure.

Literally.

Following a series of questions that expressed concern over Calipari's association with Memphis banker William Wesley Calipari asked the crowd of reporters and fans for some quiet. He then closed his eyes, pressed on his temples, and spoke.

"There is a man in this audience who has been suffering for many years. I sense a deep pain within his soul. Sir, would you mind coming forward?"

At that moment the man, identified as Chas McFeeley, 46, of Gravel Switch, slowly moved forward.

"Yes, Coach, I've been suffering from the heartbreak of extreme laziness and dandruff for over 10 years now," McFeeley said.

"Let this man's suffering be over!" Calipari shouted as he pushed on McFeeley's forehead and pushed him back into the waiting arms of a couple of reporters.

Within minutes, McFeeley's scalp was clean and he had enough energy to forgo couch-sitting.

"I may even go apply for a job, or at least get off my kiester to take out the garbage!" McFeeley said.

As the crowd applauded Calipari humbly smiled then said he had an additional announcement.

"The university has been extremely generous with its contract. But truthfully, there are others who need this more. Therefore, I ask that my $31.5 million be equally distributed amongst all citizens of the commonwealth," Calipari said as applause thundered throughout the Joe Craft Center.

With an estimated population of 4.4 million, each citizen of Kentucky should receive about seven dollars and 16 cents.

"Sweet, I can afford two Happy Meals now. Or at least a 12-pack of Milwaukee's Best," said UK student Biff Manley.

Lastly, Calipari spoke about the Wildcats' upcoming season.

"We have a lot of potential on this team, especially with the great recruiting class we have coming in of every player listed in the top 10. I think we should finish near the top of the SEC and make it back to the round of 16 of the NCAAs."

A collective groan was heard from the audience.

"Why did we hire this clown? So he can heal the sick and stimulate the economy. Big deal! Championships or nothing!" said Billy Bob Rubeck.

Big Dance Selection Process Amendment: Expanding On USC Holmey's Proposal

Marc Daley — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:05:28 -0400

Recently, Bleacher Report contributor USC Holmey proposed that all BCS teams who make the Sweet 16 leave a spot open in their next season's schedule to play one game against a quality mid-major team that could use the game to bolster their NCAA Tournament hopes.

I think it's a great proposal but would like to propose two additional mesaures. With these, hopefully the smaller schools can gain even more footing and make the tournament that much more exciting.

Proposal One: Alter Bracketbusters

Keep the "Bracketbusters" idea but change it a bit. I thought the idea had great intentions when it was introduced, but most of the games featured on that weekend have teams squaring off that would still need to win their conference tournaments regardless of a victory.

Instead, feature schools that are in the middle of the pack in the major conferences. For example, this season could have featured matchups like St. Mary's-USC, Utah State-Arizona, Clemson-Davidson, Cincinnati-Dayton, or Syracuse-Niagara.

Proposal Two: Limit Bids Per Conference

Each conference should be allowed a maximum of six.

Yes, I know the BCS conferences would scream bloody murder up and down, especially if the Big East (or any other conference) continues to have seasons like they did this year.

But come on; after watching the first two rounds, can you tell me the ACC had seven deserving teams (and that one of them was Boston College with their 61 RPI)? Did the Big East send all seven of their teams to the second round?

Besides, there is a precedent for sending really deserving teams to the NIT. Up until 1975, only one team per conference was in the Big Dance, meaning Maryland, which had Len Elmore, John Lucas and Tom McMillan, had to sit out on the virtue of their classic overtime loss to NC State, the team that went on to win the whole shooting match that year.

Of course, we have a lot more teams these days, and expansion of the Dance was necessary to accommodate them, but the chances of getting seven or eight deserving teams from one conference is between slim and none.

And while we're on the subject, any team that finishes below .500 in their conference and doesn't win their conference tournament should be automatically excluded from at-large consideration. No "ifs," "ands," or "buts."

College Hoops Makeover Part Three: Iowa Hawkeyes

Marc Daley — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:29:27 -0400

They Loved the 80s

The Iowa Hawkeyes started the 1980s off with a bang, making it to the Final Four thanks to the efforts of stars Ronnie Lester, Mark Gannon and Vince Brookins, who were coached by Hall of Famer Lute Olson. Following Olson's departure to Arizona, former Boston College coach Dr. Tom Davis and Washington State coach George Raveling led the Hawkeyes to regular NCAA tournament appearances. In 1987, the Hawkeyes earned their first No. 1 ranking thanks to stars such as B.J. Armstrong, Roy Marble, Ed Horton and Les Jepsen.

Ex-Hoosier Can't Bring "Hoosiers" Magic

After Davis retired in 1999, former Hoosier Steve Alford took over after a successful stint at Missouri State. Eventually, Luke Recker joined the Hawkeyes in 2000-01 from Indiana and expectations were high. The team won the Big Ten Tournament and made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament, but only finished 7-9 in conference play during the regular season.

Regular postseason appearances continued, but in 2005 leading scorer Pierre Pierce was dismissed from the team following sexual assault charges. Pierce was eventually convicted and served a year in prison.

The last NCAA tournament appearance in 2006 was noteworthy for the wrong reasons, as the Hawkeyes became the last three-seed to lose in the first round (to Northwestern State). Since then, the Hawkeyes have had two straight overall losing seasons under former Butler coach Todd Lickliter.

Does "Downtown" Freddy Brown Have Any Eligibility Left?

The venerable Mr. Brown exhausted his eligibility in the early 1970s before going on to star with the Sonics but he could have probably led this year's team in scoring. The 2008-09 team averaged a paltry 60.2 points a game, led by sophomore guard Jake Kelly with 11.6 points per game. Part of the issue was turnovers - they had more of those than assists. Factor in youth and injuries and you have a recipe for disappointment. Only five players played in every game this year and only three averaged more than 30 minutes a game.

Back To Solid Hard-Working Iowa Values

The only senior on the team who played significantly is center Cyrus Tate, so the 2009-10 edition will have benefited from the experience of this year's struggles. They are still a force at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, recently running up a 21-game home winning streak. Next season, two local stars will come aboard as freshmen and should improve rebounding. However, they will need improved ball-handling and offensive efficiency in order to move up the Big Ten standings and get back to regular NCAA appearances.

After The 2nd Round: The Next Gonzaga, ACC and SEC Blow-Ups, Big East Beast

Marc Daley — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 20:50:08 -0400

This is a collection of thoughts after sweating the Louisville-Siena game:

It looks like there's a couple of programs that could be on their way to assuming Gonzaga-like status. By this, I mean that they could earn at-large bids to the tournament with decent seasons year after year. Western Kentucky came within a basket of reaching the Sweet 16 the second straight year and only loses one significant senior (of course, Orlando Mendez-Valdez is pretty significant). Siena loses leader Kenny Hasbrouck and key reserve Josh Duell but gets Edwin Ubiles back along with the rest of the roster.
Two conferences beat each other up this season, but only one has come out of the first two rounds with their reputation as a beast intact. Marquette came within seconds of putting the Big East at an astonishing 13-1 for the first two rounds. The ACC? Not so much. UNC and Duke carry the hopes as Boston College, Clemson, Wake Forest, Florida State and Maryland will be watching TV like the rest of us. According to the RPI website (collegerpi.com) the ACC was ranked second in non-conference performance while the Big East ranked third.
For the first time since 1996 all the 2-seeds made it into the Sweet 16.
The SEC has to be glad this season's over. Yes, I realize that several teams are still alive in the NIT, but the SEC is used to playing on bigger and brighter stages. After LSU went down to North Carolina no SEC teams will be playing after the second round for the first time since 1989.
Finally, if Syracuse beats Oklahoma Jim Boeheim will get win number 800. He thinks Hawaii is Syracuse in July. He has never left the upstate New York city. He was tempted to coach at Ohio State once but never seriously entertained it. It will be interesting to see how the vaunted zone matches up against Blake Griffin and Co. but if the Orange pull it off congrats to the unofficial mayor of Syracuse.

College Hoops Makeover Part Two: Depaul

Marc Daley — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:40:41 -0400

For years DePaul was the college basketball equivalent of a successful family business. Ray Meyer served as head coach for over 40 years and took the team to Final Fours 36 years apart. He coached George Mikan, Mark Aguirre, Terry Cummings, Dave Corzine and countless other stars. When he retired in 1984, his son and longtime assistant Joey was primed to continue the tradition, take over the family business if you will.

For a while, the family business underwent a seamless transition. Rod Strickland, Dallas Comegys, Tyrone Corbin and Stanley Brundy kept the Demons going as an NCAA tournament fixture for the rest of the decade, which included two Sweet 16 appearances.

But after getting upset by New Mexico State in the 1992 tournament the Demons fell on hard times. Five years later, Joey Meyer was gone. Pat Kennedy, Dave Leitao and current coach Jerry Wainwright have tried to restore the tradition to no avail. This year's edition went 9-24 and didn't win a single game in the Big East until scoring an upset over Cincinnati in the first round of the Big East tournament.

God Bless the USA?

Since the Demons made the move to the Big East they haven't come close to making the NCAA tournament, with their last appearance coming in 2004 as a member of Conference USA.

So should the Demons return to Conference USA? The only teams that seem capable of competing in the Big East are Memphis and UAB, so the Demons would have an advantage of playing easier opponents. But teams that had a decent year in C-USA don't even make a ripple on the national scene. Also, many of the other BCS conferences do feature teams that have fallen on hard times only to rise again in a few seasons. Finally, don't forget the recruiting advantage. Incoming freshmen would have to like the chance to compete on a national stage several times over the course of a season.

Sweet Home Chicago

When the Demons were at their peak their best players were from the Chicago area (Aguirre, Cummings). On their current roster, sophomore center Mac Koshwal is a local product who averaged a double-double as is Jeremiah Kelly, a freshman guard who started toward the end of the season. Next season Mike Stovall, a junior-college transfer and shooting guard, will return to DePaul and his Windy City roots.

If nothing else, Chicago is deep in talent and Wainwright's staff should maximize the amount of players available on the L-train lines.

Can They Get It Back?

Their three leading scorers (Dar Tucker, Willie Walker and Koshwal) should all be back next season and each of them averaged over 12 points a game. The problem is the rest of the roster combined for only 20 points a game. They also finished near the bottom of the league in rebounding, had more turnovers than assists and only shot 40 percent from the field.

Besides Stovall, the only confirmed recruit is an undersized power forward named Tony Freeland who will fight for every loose ball but might not have the size to be a big factor unless he switches positions.

DePaul may re-establish themselves as a national contender one day. But unless they can keep more of Chicago's best talent at home it's not likely to happen in the foreseeable future.

Next team: Virginia.

College Hoops Makeover, Part One: St. John's Red Storm

Marc Daley — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:43:20 -0400

With the Big Dance finally upon us, many articles on this site will focus on predictions and how to win your office pool. Since you'll probably be overwhelmed with such advice, this article will be the first in a series that explores programs that used to get in the Big Dance every year, have fallen on hard times, and what they can do to get their mojo back.

First up: St. John's.

Glory Days

In the 1980s, St. John's was a Big East powerhouse that already claimed Joe Lapchick and Dick McGuire as part of its legendary past. The program reached its zenith in 1985 as Chris Mullin, Walter Berry, Mark Jackson, and Bill Wennington combined to lead the Redmen to the Final Four, aka the Big East Conference Tourney. Outside of Berry, a Player of the Year candidate, the other three players each played more than 10 seasons in the NBA.

The Redmen weren't quite as successful after '85 but continued to be a fixture on the national scene with Elite Eight appearances in 1991 and 1999. NBA players such as Ron Artest and Felipe Lopez continued the fine legacy of the program.

But, the Red Storm has been a weak drizzle since 2002, when they bowed out to Wisconsin in an eight-nine matchup in the first round of the NCAAs. This season, they finished a mediocre 16-17 overall and 6-12 in the Big East.

The Curse of the Cosby Sweater?

Louie Carnesecca was the leader of those storied teams and really didn't need to recruit outside of the Five Boroughs. He coached there for 24 years, won 526 games, had 18 NCAA Tournament appearances, six NIT appearances (and one title in 1989), and a veritable cornucopia of ugly sweaters.

When "Looie" retired in 1992, longtime assistant Brian Mahoney was promoted. Outside of the 1999 Elite Eight run, the Johnnies missed the Tournament more often than not.

This trend continued with such coaches as Mike Jarvis and Fran Fraschilla until they hit the bottom in 2004, when six players allegedly met a woman in a hotel room for sex and the team was whittled down to four scholarship players and four walk-ons. They finished 6-21 that season.

Can Norm the Storm Get It Back?

It was recently announced that Norm Roberts, who has been the coach since 2004, will be coming back for the 2009-10 campaign. Roberts has recruited well, and his team has shown signs of improvement.

But, an inspection of his 2006 recruiting class reveals there is still a ways to go. Eighty percent of those recruits left the program within a year, and Doug Wiggins, who gave a verbal commitment for that season, decided to go to UConn instead.

The big strength of previous recruiting classes was their talent and proximity to St. John's. This year's team does have three players from the New York metro area (Malik Boothe, Rob Thomas, and Justin Burrell). Most of their team is made of freshmen and sophomores.

Their biggest recruiting challenge is selling the program's history to the current NYC talent pool, which is very deep. However, Roberts was known as a great recruiter at St. John's and should be able to sell that more effectively with continued improvement, along with the opportunity to play in the Big East.

If nothing else, St. John's must improve their offense. They were near the bottom of the conference in all of the offensive categories, and they had 10 points in the first half of their most recent loss to Marquette.

Bottom Line

St. John's has some work to do before they get back to being Tournament regulars. They need to land some top 50 recruits and convince the ones they do land to do the schoolwork necessary to stay eligible.

Already, there has been speculation about Roberts' job status, but this team needs stability, so he should stay as long as there is improvement. If they can continue to get better at the same pace, 20-win seasons should be attainable within the next two to three years.

Tomorrow: DePaul.