Live From the Living Room: The First Friday Afternoon Session

Ah, the promise of a new day!  How great thou art! My Siena is an awesome Siena.

OK, enough of the platitudes. Let's get down to hoops. We start off with what should be the most competitive block of games....American vs. Tennessee, Gonzaga vs. Davidson, St. Mary’s vs. Miami, and Western Kentucky vs. Drake.

We're getting started with the hip clothing store vs. the Volunteers. 

Jeff Jones returns to the big time as he was 6-5 in the dance with Virginia. I didn't think he was a bad coach at all and got a raw deal in Charlottesville.

And we're off!

Tyler Smith gets open easily and starts the ball rolling for UT.

Tennessee is the broadband connection vs. American's DSL. The Eagles are playing smart but look outmatched athletically. However, UT does go into brain-lock mode—the Birds have to take advantage.

Cornelio Giubunda nearly matches his scoring average with a basket for American.

Smith gets open down low again. Knotted at 4.

American has used floaters effectively to outscore Tyler Smith and have rebounded fairly well. They're up 6-5 with the under-16 mark.

Zags go up early 2-0.

Bruce Pearl wants to talk it over. American is playing with a lot of early confidence. We may see another 2-15 barnburner.

But for the moment, us here in the Bluegrass will not as we kick it over to Drake/Western Kentucky. Seven seniors are starting this game. A rare sight in this day and age.

Jason Evans continues his hot play with a thunder dunk for Western. He reminds me a lot of Perry Stevenson for Kentucky.

Adam Emmenecker eschews the trey for a drive and gets hacked. You won't see him spot up for the bonus shot.

Crisp passing by the Toppers and they're up 6-2.

St. Mary's is off to a strong start over the 'Canes, 9-2.

Kyle Korver's brother drains a three for Drake then takes the charge. He will then take off with Demi and the kids to Turks and Caicos.

Drake 15-10, St. Mary's 9-7, Tenn 18-15, Zags 20-15.

If a Korver can't shoot the three, is he disowned? 

Steven Gray is on fire for Gonzaga with a dozen already.  He's one of the few Zags players I hadn't heard of. Shades of '99 perhaps?

American is owning the glass but turning the ball over rapidly.

Nobody can shoot in the Canes-Gaels matchup which resembles a grey drizzle so far.

OK, Evans has a much more defined offensive game than Stevenson. 20s in Tampa.

This is a fun game to watch. Both teams have athleticism and smarts. It wouldn't surprise me if either is still playing next week. (BTW, Drake is a Sweet 16 pick in my bracket.)

Tennessee up by seven at the half, St. Mary's riding Patty Mills to a short lead, Western with a bucket advantage over Drake, Zags up by five over Davidson.

Courtney Lee tries to take it coast to coast and into Chicago but gets stopped with a charge in Gary, Indiana. Four Toppers have two fouls.

No free throws for Western yet. Drake is living on the line at 12-for-14.

Gonzaga up by five at the half.

Tyrone Brazleton is doing some damage for the Toppers. They are going with a 4-guard set thanks to the foul situation, but its working well for them.  Of course burning the nets with trey bombs doesn't hurt. Western has built a nine-point lead.

Starting the second stanza in Birmingham, American cuts it to one on a rainbow by Derrick Mercer.

Gonzaga and St. Mary's both up by five at the half.

Nice body control by American's Brian Gilmore. The Eagles are hanging tough like a new kid on the block, down by 3 with just under 25 left. Stephen Curry is shooting Davidson back into it. 

Zags have built a nine-point lead. I could see them being huge on the national scene next year along with Kansas State (and yes I know Beasley is leaving).

Leonard Houston starts the second half for Drake with his third foul trying to stop Lee.

Strike that they give the foul to Korver.

American just tied it at 40.  Garrison Carr has 19 for the Eagles.

Drake is as ice cold as a December cornfield wind. Josh Young breaks the spell finally.

Jonathan Cox has been very effective. Evans and Magley have three whistles apiece for Western.

Orlanod Mendez-Valdez and his ’80s hair hits his second trey. Western is 9-1 when he hits multiple bombs.

Miami has used a 13-3 second half start to lead St. Mary's by five.

Boris Siakam has more charges than a "Big Spender" rescue victim.

Emmenecker is having an off game. His passes aren't finding their targets and thanks to a four-point play, Western is cruising. Korver is going to try and shoot them back in, but Western keeps answering. 66-50 Western thanks to 12 3s.

Miami up by nine, Gonzaga and Davidson tied, Tennessee only up by three, bracket looking quite suspect.

Miami is on a 25-6 run in the second half. I can hear Billy Packer, fresh from a maniacal laugh over the Kentucky loss, wondering how St. Mary's got in the dance in the first place seeing as kids who play there weren't recruited by a single ACC school and are therefore not worth discussing.

Curry has 34 for Davidson, who is currently up by one. But a scandal has erupted as he has been revealed to be B.J. "Baby Face" Armstrong who ran out of eligibility during the Reagan administration. And he would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for you meddling kids.

As if it weren't bad enough, Western gets away with an obvious over-and-back call. T.R. Knight stomps the Drake bench in disgust then forgives Isaiah Washington for his language. But the good vibes don't hide the fact that the 'Dogs can't hit a layup or stop Western.

American is still hanging tough down by six to UT with two minutes to play. Now they're down by nine, so let's go to Davidson-Gonzaga.

Zags commit an offensive foul by an overgrown Danny Bonaduce. The divorce has gotten to him without question.

Quickly, Tennessee has it in hand by 12 with a minute left. Western and Miami are also ahead by double figures.

Austin Daye had to jack it up with only two on the shot clock. Davidson being patient up by a deuce.

Jason Richards bricked it. Jeremy Pargo ties it with a layup.

Curry nails a three. 37 for B.J. “Stephen Curry” Armstrong.

This time, Daye takes a better shot but still misses. Andrew Lovedale, the Davidson glue guy, nabs the rebound and hits two big freebies.

Adam Morrsion looks homeless. Or like a Motorhead roadie. Same difference.

Chalk it up for Tennessee. 72-57.

Daye is having a rough final minute.  He missed the free throw then missed another one but Abdul Kuso gets a lane violation anyway.

Curry gets fouled. This could be it for the Zags. 

Curry gets fouled following some Pargo free throws. This is it for the Zags.  Bonaduce fouls out. Forty for Curry; 30 in the second half. 82-76.

Chalk it up for Miami. Jack McLinton with 38 for the Canes. We are seeing some great individual scoring performances this tournament. 78-64.

Western has the turnover bug and Drake is only down by five.  Following a couple misses, Josh Young has a chance to cut it to four from the line. He does so and Western turns it over and Young drains a three. Now we have a game. Great comeback by Drake.

Brazelton builds it back up to three, but Cox ties it at 88. Twenty-four seconds left.

Emmenecker draws a charge and fouls out A.J. Slaughter in the process. It was a borderline call, but what a clutch play.  But he misses the layup and we have our first OT battle.

Houston starts the OT with a score.

Brazleton answers. 90-90.

Young buries a three. Brazleton answers with his 30th point. 93-92 Drake.

Cox with a huge rebound (27 pts/16 boards).

Young has another clutch three. 

Ty Rogers gets fouled by Cox. He can cut it to two but only hits one from the stripe.

Drake holds it.  Young misses from long range.  Brazleton ties it.  33 for him.

Emmenecker steals it following a Korver miss. Why did Siakam foul?  It looked like Western's strategy. And Houston's an 80 percent shooter.

Houston misses. Western runs down and Korver fouls out. But Siakam is a 68 percent shooter. He hits both. Western up 98-97. Timeout Drake.

After some fierce volleyball action, Cox gets fouled on the offensive rebound. He hits the first then gets some ice. 98s.

Cox hits the second. 99-98. 5.7 seconds left. Cox has 29 points and 17 boards.

Ty Rogers nails a three with no time left!! 101-99 Western! Wow!!

One of the best games I've ever seen. Period.