10 Answers from the Editor - Bracket Style

Yesterday, Clement had a chance to collect questions relevant to the NCAA Tournament from numerous PHSports stakeholders. Today, I answer those questions. Simple enough.

ACC Country
Q: With FSU enjoying plenty of recent success, who has a tougher road to an at-large berth in the crowded ACC: Virginia Tech or Boston College?
A: In short, Virginia Tech has the tougher road to an at-large berth because BC's signature win (@ UNC) grows stronger by the day. The Hokies also have a tougher schedule with 5 of their last 6 against teams with a .600 winning percentage in % or better. That said, there is never a day off in the ACC and both teams are capable of defeating top teams or playing to the level of lesser competition.

UPDATE: This question was answered for us.

Q: Is Maryland only a miracle run in the ACC Tourney away from returning to the Big Dance?
A: Since a home loss against BC, Maryland has been playing its best string of games this year. To garner consideration, they need to win a game or two that they are not expected to (@ Clemson, v. Duke, v. UNC, v. Wake) and take care of weaker teams away from the Comcast Center. Mind you, this is the same team that trounced Michigan State early in the season. If the Selection Committee sees anything like that result, then watch out. To answer your question, it depends on seeding. Likely, Maryland will need two wins in the ACC Tournament and a collapse by one of the teams ahead of them.

Big East Talk
Q: Cincinnati appears to be on the upswing while Georgetown remains stuck in the abyss after a tough loss at the Carrier Dome. Meanwhile, Notre Dame shakes off 7-straight losses - many of them ugly ones - to destroy Louisville. Last night, West Virginia pounds Villanova and reminds us about their dangerous talent. Assuming UCONN, Pitt, Marquette, Louisville, Villanova, and (maybe) even the Cuse are locks for March Madness...what happens to the "rest of the field", including the aformentioneds (Georgetown, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, West Virginia) as well as Providence.
A: First, let's take WVU out of this discussion. They have a stronger resume, have a real chance at 10 wins in conference and have Pitt and Louisville scheduled twice each. After them, I'd put the Bearcats into the field of 65, who are not the prettiest team to watch, but grind it out for 40 minutes. They also have two extremely winnable games in addition to three chances to pad the resume against Louisville, WVU and the Cuse. On the outside looking in, I'd put Notre Dame and Georgetown. The Irish earned their first signature win of the year, but can they keep it going? Realistically speaking, can they play strong defense again? As for the Hoyas, they have the best wins among this group and can return to the fold with a 8-10 conference record plus two wins in the Big East Tournament, including 1-2 games against teams that they are not expected to beat given their current form.

CAA Speak
Q: Do you think a darkhorse can emerge come CAA Tournament time, or do you believe VCU/Mason are the odds on favorites - even with a talented Northeastern team tied atop the standings - to cut down the nets in Richmond?
A: Absolutely. Any of the top seven teams (VCU, Mason, Nor'Easter, Drexel, Hofstra, Old Dominion, James Madison) in this conference have a 'good' chance to make the finals. I still think VCU is the favorite because all they need is Maynor plus two for three games. Rams fans know that's easier said than done this season, but that's asking less than what other teams demand.

Big Ten Bias
Q: Will Penn State right the ship, or are they looking more and more like an early bloomer who will fade well before Selection Sunday?
A: The Nittany Lions stole a must-win game from Minnesota with dominating play in the final four minutes (thanks to a guy named Battle), which killed the assertion that they fade in the face of urgency. Unless they win 10 games in conference, they will need to advance to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament.

Missouri Valley Time
Q: With an impressive showing Bracketbuster weekend (more below), can Northern Iowa and Creighton secure bids, assuming one of them wins the conference championship over the other?
A: No. Creighton had plenty of missed opportunities in non-conference play. Northern Iowa has no chance to secure a berth other than winning the automatic bid.

Pac-10 Pontification
Q: I can't figure out this conference one bit. Can we get a sentence or two on the postseason "likelihoods" for Arizona, USC, and Cal?
A: USC has the weakest resume of the three but has the best adjusted defensive efficiency, which is conducive to winning. Arizona has the strongest win and the hottest, but Cal has the strongest non-conference resume. It's a web confusion and trend data is useless in the PAC 10.

WCC
Q: What's the best case (realistic) scenario for St. Mary's - sans Patty Mills - right now? If he can return before tournament time, how much can the Selection Committee take into account his injury and their play before it? Is that fair to do so?
A: There is more conditional speak here than in a legal document. Mills is scheduled to return right before the WCC Tournament; therefore, the Selection Committee will pay special attention to the Gaels form and Mills's effectiveness. Nothing short of a trip to the finals (and losing to Gonzaga) will garner consideration for an at-large bid. Also the Gaels would need plenty of help from bubble teams who would play the role of choke artist.

Prognosis: Negative

Free-for-All
Q: Who is this year's San Diego (winning their conference tournament unexpectedly and then making noise opening weekend of the tournament)? Maybe Portland/Nevada/Niagara/Belmont? Okay, probably not Belmont.
A: If Butler does not win the Horizon League Tournament, then Wisconsin-Green Bay and Cleveland State have a real chance to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament should they face a low-grade protected seed (#11-16 overall).

Bracketbusting
Q: What are your favorite Bracketbuster matchups? Who has the most to gain from the weekend's matchups? Who has the most to lose? Individual team or conferences may apply.
A: Butler/Davidson and Utah State/St. Mary's are diluted by injuries to Stephen Curry and Patty Mills. Davidson and Utah State have the most to gain if their star players do not play and they either impress or win. Consequently, Butler and Utah State have the most to lose if they do not take care of business. By process of elimination and admitting my CAA/George Mason bias, I have three matchups.

VCU @ Nevada -- Can the Nevada guards rattle Eric Maynor? Who will cover Luke Babbitt? Will Larry Sanders be good to go?

George Mason @ Creighton -- Bias aside, this is going to be a beautiful battle of quality guards.

Buffalo @ Vermont -- Oh, those pesky Catamounts! I really want to see how good Buffalo is. Is Turner Gill also coaching the basketball team?

All of this said, none of the mid-majors involved in the BracketBusters are bona fide two-bid conferences (assuming the top teams from these one-bids win their conference tournaments). A TV sweep for the Horizon and MVC *may* garner consideration for a second bid, but I would not bet the bank account.

10 Opening Day Thoughts: Thursday-Style in March Madness

Note: If you’re feeling a little down in-between games, feel free to check out:
Thursday's Streaming Updates & Bracket Re-Caps

Sorry folks, no Cinderella-slipper for George Mason this season.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

…in relative order of occurrence…

1) Dionte Christmas scores only 3 points in Temple’s loss to Michigan State.

The Temple star carried his team through the final month of the season, including the A-10 Tournament. In fact, many people felt the inconstancy of Michigan State would bite the Spartans hard enough to spark the tournament’s typical 12 over 5-upset. Not so fast. While Temple kept it close for the first eight minutes, Michigan State relied on a team effort predicated on second chances on offense and eliminating extra shots on defense. While the recent run from the Owls was fun while it lasted, nobody should be upset with a phenomenal Saturday-matchup in the Midwest pitting 4-seeded Pittsburgh (who manhandled Oral Roberts) against the aforementioned 5-seeded Spartans.

2) How many of you were 7 of 8 (or better) after the afternoon’s slate of games?

Unless you were upset-heavy with your sheets of integrity, the only real toughie might’ve been overreaching on Kent State (guilty) or perhaps not trusting the likes or Purdue (with Baylor as an opponent though?). Fortunately, most people didn’t have Kent State going too far (whew); however, any Sweet Sixteen runs for Temple may come back to haunt you.

3) How many of you were sweating out the second-half of the Xavier/Georgia game big-time?

Xavier has been the “sleeper” of nearly every major-media pundit I could listen to over the past few weeks. Despite two hiccups late in the season against the Red Hawks of St. Joe’s, the Musketeers netted a 3-seed and an enticing road that led to a potential Sweet 16-matchup against the Dookies. Things seemed a little bleak (except for UGA) when the Bulldogs took a 12-point second-half lead. Yet, as I predicted during my live streaming, Georgia went sour in the second-half and Xavier (unlike Mississippi State or Arkansas in the SEC Tourney) turned on the gas and throttled the Bulldogs in the second-half. Xavier’s complete dominance at the free-throw line, specifically attempts (which Pay, who saw the game in person, was skeptical about), was the nail in the coffin of the feel-good-SEC-story.

4) How many Masters commercials have you seen today?

“A Tradition Unlike Any Other…”. Even as a golf fan, I had more than enough of these ads at 2:30 pm (and I was teaching at the time!). Which vintage Masters-moment do you expect to see more: Tiger hugging his dad after his first Masters victory or Phil Mickelson’s “fatty-jump” after his infamous-putt on 18 to win his first Masters? I think I just used the words “vintage” and “infamous” when referring to golf on this blog (Pay is gonna KILL me!).

5) Which non-upset bit you the most?

If you took Portland State over Kansas or Miss. Valley State over UCLA…sit down and don’t open your mouth again. However, I saw a bracket or two that actually took Cornell over Stanford (ouch), countless Mason supporters were prophesizing gloom and doom for the Irish, UNLV & A&M weren’t given too much love, and PLENTY experts and fans alike liked the potential of upstart conference tourney champs Georgia and Temple continuing their runs. Either way, it hurts. If you lost an Elite Eight team tonight though…you’re likely in trouble.

6) Brook Lopez scores 4 points and Trent Johnson couldn’t he happier. Seriously?

Stanford went up 22-11 in the first half and cruised the entire way. Sinking their threes at nearly 50%, the Cardinal only required 4 points from their All-America center. Why is this such a good thing? Because Brook Lopez’s stature, as well as his ability, can be an intimidating presence with or without putting the ball in the basket. Saturday offers a real treat when the size and strength of Stanford is pitted against the team speed and penetration of Marquette. Me likey very much.

7) Mayo v. Beasley I. What’d you think?

After Beasley netted two fouls before the under-16 timeout, it became the Bill Walker show. With 9 early points, the red shirt freshmen reminded more than a few of us his amazing potential (and likely 1^st-round status, if healthy come draft-time). Meanwhile, foul trouble hit the Trojans; however, it was Taj Gibson, not OJ Mayo, who it engulfed early in the second half. Mayo and USC weathered a few runs, made one or two of their own, yet KSU seemed to hold a 4-5 point lead for the majority of the game. Admittedly, as pumped as I was for this game, the Belmont/Duke-affair took my attention for quite some time (remember, the final 30 seconds in a college basketball game takes 57 minutes). In the final ten minutes of this particular game, thanks to DVR enlightening me, the Wildcats overcame anything and everything the Trojans could throw at them (they were stone cold from the field, in all fairness), as Beasley notched his typical double-double (23 and 11) and the Wildcats further proved their 11-seed was one of the selection’s committees most grievous errors (Illinois State, anyone?).

8) NIT Scheduling?

Isn’t it odd the NIT has games going on tonight? As a ‘Cuse fan (ugh), I was surprised to see we: a) beat Maryland b) were in fact, playing tonight. I understand the logistics of traveling and formatting this tournament around the NCAAs, but why schedule 2^nd-round games the same night as opening night for March Madness? It’s almost as perplexing as ABC putting out the final Lost, for over a month, tonight. (Plug!)

9) Belmont Tigers are from ???

It wasn’t until an idiotic “hustle-foul” from Kyle Singer – and the two resulting free throws from a 91% free-throw shooter – that I started to wonder if the Atlantic Sun champions could become the media’s next tournament darlings. No better way for Belmont to achieve such a feat than to be the 5^th 15-seed to win a game in tournament history (then CAA-Richmond over Syracuse in ’91 being the first)…over the Dookies no less! Belmont had a lead as late as 15 seconds to go; however, you’ve probably seen the highlight of Gerald Henderson (who scored the last eight points for the Blue Devils) going coast to coast to give Duke a 1-point lead. Shades of last season galore! Unfortunately, for the Duke-haters, Belmont fumbled a possession away on an errant inbound and then missed a half-court heave by mere inches. It was oh so close. It also proved just how hard it is for a 15-seed to take out a 2-seed, especially Duke. While I enjoyed hearing Eric Maynor’s name throughout the game, I was ready for some new history to be written by one of the Tigers. Oh well. Oh yeah, in case you didn’t know, Belmont is in Tennessee. In fact, it’s the largest Catholic university in the state.

10) Late Night Thoughts…

Admit it, you’re gonna say you dozed off in the recliner at work tomorrow. Trying to prop up your fanhood (or whatever the four-letter network calls it). Truth is: you went to bed at 10pm. You didn’t expect any late night fireworks. You were tired and wanted to save your energy for surviving Friday at work and then feasting on the final 32-teams all weekend. Wimp. So what did you miss?

-Arizona and WVU battled back and forth and back and forth. None of the impact stars did much before the half; however, the story of the second half was WVU maintaining a 7-point lead nearly throughout (despite their star-player not having a strong night). Leading 69-61 near the 2-minute mark, the Mountaineers executed in the clutch hitting shot after shot on their way to the W.
-Notre Dame came out lighting up three after three against Mason. At one point, Patriot fans were faced with the best and worst of scenarios: Will Thomas had 25 of their 41 points and Folarin Campbell was 1-12 from the field (0-4 3-point). With a 16-point lead near the 10 minute-mark, Mason needed more than fairy dust to maintain Cinderella-status. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t arrive tonight, as the CAA’s lone representative bowed out far too early for this blog.
-UCLA annihilated and all but destroyed their 16^th-seed opponent Mississippi Valley State. The good news is that Jerry Rice is still an alum of the university, no matter how much they lost by.
-#3-seed Wisconsin was far from impressive as they failed to break away from Cal State-Fullerton in the first half, nor the second. Both teams shot around 35% for the majority of the game, until a 15-3 run keyed Wisconsin to a baker’s dozen-point lead and entrance into an interesting showdown against Beasley (and Walker) of Kansas State on Saturday. Some of us might be regretting picking a Final Four-appearance for the Badgers (just maybe).

And there you have it. 10 thoughts/illuminations/rants/raves/whine sessions…etc.
It’s now time to drift off to sleep, at 1 am, and return to the madness tomorrow.
After work for me.

Thanks again to Armin for all the help with streaming today.
We’ll be at it again tomorrow!

Until then…

PHSports Staff Picks & Predictions: NCAA Tournament

Here they are (just in time)…the PHSports Staff Picks for March Madness!!!!

Before you start laughing, or hyperventilating if you remembered to actually fill out the $5-million bracket, I have to admit that we here at PHSports have been on a a bit of roll as of late (except for that whole Super Bowl-ordeal) predicting key games. Not to mention, several of us at least ½, if not ¾ of last year's Final Four squads (including a Florida pick or two to repeat in '07).

So sit back and relax…and watch us pick either UNC or UCLA to cut down the nets. JUST like EVERYBODY else!!!!

Do YOU trust this man with your team's Final Four aspirations?
Credit: CollegeInsider.com

Note: If you’re feeling a little down in-between games, feel free to check out:
-Players we LOVE in March Madness
-Upsets we LOVE in March Madness
-Games we LOVE in March Madness
-A Dozen Thoughts on the Bracket and Selection Sunday

Paymon’s Picks:
Final Four: UNC (East), Kansas (Midwest), Texas (South), & UCLA (West)
National Champions: UCLA (preseason pick)
MOP: Darren Collison

Top Sleeper: Oral Roberts
Under the Radar: Michigan State
Underrated: Davidson
Overrated: Oklahoma

1^st -Round Upset I Love : St. Joseph's over Oklahoma
2^nd -Round Matchup I'm Craving : Tennessee v. Butler/South Alabama
Final Comment : I'm not terribly enthused about this tournament field. I expect upsets to be few and far between in the 1st round, allowing for more upsets to occur in the later rounds. Though history deems it unlikely, this will be a tournament dominated by the elite teams. If that is the case, UCLA - a team with Final Four pedigree - finally has a dominant interior force to balance their fantastic guard play.

Clement’s Picks
Final Four: UNC (East), Wisconsin (Midwest), Texas (South), & UCLA (West)
National Champions: North Carolina
MOP: Ty Lawson

Top Sleeper: George Mason (duh)
Under the Radar: Kent State
Underrated: Michigan State
Overrated: Clemson

1^st-Round Upset I Love: Boise State over Louisville
2^nd-Round Matchup I’m Craving: Pittsburgh v. Michigan State
Final Comment: This is a boring boring boring bracket. Note to the committee: stop servicing the ratings and big-wigs and STOP pairing mid-majors early in order to eliminate as many as possible before the second weekend.

Note: This is the first year in the nearly a decade I haven't taken my pre-season pick (this year it was Kansas) to cut down the nets in April. Honestly, I can't take a Bill Self-coached team in April (I still don't know how I did it back in October). I just can't!

Armin’s Picks
Final Four: UNC (East), Vanderbilt (Midwest), Memphis (South), & UCLA (West)
National Champions: UCLA
MOP: Kevin Love

Top Sleeper: St. Joseph’s
Under the Radar: Butler
Underrated: Western Kentucky
Overrated: Georgetown

1st-Round Upset I Love: George Mason over Notre Dame
2nd-Round Matchup I’m Craving: Duke v. Arizona
Final Comment: This tournament is RIPE with potential upsets, but the top seeds will prevail.

Sum’s Picks
Final Four: Tennessee (East), Kansas (Midwest), Texas (South), & UCLA (West)
National Champions: UCLA
MOP: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute

Top Sleeper: St. Joseph’s
Under the Radar: Mississippi State
Underrated: Arkansas
Overrated: Duke

1st-Round Upset I Love: Mason over Notre Dame (What can I say? I'm a homer!)
2nd-Round Matchup I'm Craving: St. Joe's vs. Louisville
Final Comment: With such a top-heavy tourney, if anyone other than a 1 or 2 seed wins it all, that'll be an upset.

The majority of our staff is CAA-biased. Obviously.
However, we're also steadfast in taking Mason over the Harongodys.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Want to chime in your own opinions??? Well GO FOR IT!!!! COMMENT!

Streaming updates will begin minutes after tip-off begins.

Check in all day and ALL WEEKEND LONG!

See you later today for streaming updates!!!

5 NCAA Men's Basketball Questions...

Hard to find a more bubble-loaded matchup than Kentucky v. Florida today.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

• 1) Will the Ohio State Buckeyes secure an at-large bid with a win at home over 17th-ranked Michigan state?
• 2) Will Virginia Tech be able to acquire their 10th conference-win, and first against the RPI top-50, today at Clemson?
• 3) If the Terps lose at UVA, is their season essentially over?
• 4) Are BOTH Drake and Illinois State tourney-bound, regardless of today's MVC Championship outcome?
• 5) What will the Big East Tournament shape up as following today's makeup of yesterday's postponed Cincy/UCONN matchup?

***BONUS Question***

• 6) Will perennial CAA fixtures George Mason and VCU secure their third CAA Championship Game matchup in four years?
  

College Basketball Saturday: Hourly Streaming Updates!

C-C-Check it today for plenty o' updates.
Wait, what did I just say?

Psycho T and the #1-Heels are in Durham...in case you didn't know.

Who do YOU got?
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Here are a few quick hits at 3:45...
-UNC/Duke @ 9 for the ACC regular season championship? We like!
-Pay was at Georgetown/Lousville (Hoyas won) and hopefully has some fantastic insights.
-William & Mary started their quarterfinal matchup with Old Dominion by shooting 0-13. They also shot 17 three-balls in their opening 23 attempts. They lead 24-23 at the half.
-Dayton has a double-digit lead over St. Joe's with less than 4 minutes to play. Did the Hawks get in though after beating Xavier earlier in the week?
-Memphis stomped UAB. No surprise they finished their conference play undefeated.
-Stanford (USC) and Vanderbilt (Alabama) both trail with less than 5 minutes to go. A Commodore comeback seems much more likely. Interesting...

Returning at 6:30...
-UNC/Duke is still at 9 tonight. Don't worry. I love this rivalry. However, I'm still ranking it behind Yanks/Sox. Sorry Mike Wilbon.
-Winthrop locked up a predictable Big South championship over 7'7 Kenny George and UNC-Asheville. No surprise here as the Eagles have won 8 of the last 10 Big South championships; breaking through in the NCAA Tournament with an impressive upset over Notre Dame last year. [Editor's Note: Except that we predicted Asheville because they swept Winthrop during the regular season :( ]
-Syracuse (where are the road wins that matter?) won impressively by 15 over Marquette at home. This only illuminates how painful their chokejob against Pitt last Saturday was. A good week though for the Orange, with wins @Seton Hall and over #20 Marquette. One Big East win probably won't be enough for the Orange, who are at least still in the talk of the last four out (or at worst, next four out...as noted below).
-FSU upsets Miami. I'll say it again: Miami WILL be the easiest first-round loser to select come bracket time.
-I believe VCU (who shot a putrid 36% from the field, 4-23 from the 3, and 17-30 on FTs in a shaky W against #9-seed Towson) dodged a bullet avoiding nemesis-ODU in the CAA semi-finals. Pay reminds me to beware of the perimeter shooting of the Tribe.
-I don't know how UCLA pulled that one out. Josh Shipp with the horse shot of the year. Ryan Anderson of Cal (do you want to be the 'next' Austin Croshere...or just have his monster contract?) locked up being a 1st-round pick in June. Who gets the calls late if Georgetown & UCLA meet up in the tourney?
-USC might be able to position itself firmly into a 5 or 6 seed after winning their third straight, this time over Brook Lopez and the Cardinal. USC will be the wild card squad in the Pac-10 tournament.
-Who owns the nation's longest winning streak? Defending Southern Conference champs Davidson, that's who. Several at-large squads NEED them to win their postseason tourney, big time. They are going to be a brutal out, maybe in the second-round come March Madness.
-Wisconsin clinches at least a share of another Big Ten-title. Was hiring Bo Ryan brilliant or what? No titles since '47 and suddenly they win them with and without Alando Tucker.
-Kansas State gets to ten Big 12 wins while Kansas awaits the Texas-finale tomorrow after shellacking 8-8 in-conference A&M to try and secure an outright Big 12 regular season title.
-Miss. St. (they LOVE to block shots) rallies in the 2nd half v. LSU in the SEC. Collective sigh of relief out of Starkville.
-UNLV earns a much-needed W. Will the same be said for Arizona State, New Mexico, Illinois State, Arkansas, and Utah State?
-Who else is considering Oregon an at-large underdog if they take out Arizona (#1 SOS) and make a deep run in the Pac-10 tourney? (Their RPI, in the high 50s, might disagree most.)

Whew. Plenty more to go too. Especially that pesky game in Durham. Not to mention, things have kicked off in the MAAC and we may earn a much-desired UNC-W vs. George Mason semi-final in the CAA Tourney tonight (unless Delaware and/or Northeastern can change that).

Today, "Fake" Lunardi had St. Joe's, Florida, Syracuse, and Western Kentucky as his four last teams out. His last two-in were ACC teams Virginia Tech (schedule?) and Maryland (is a W @ UNC all they need?). Nearly the entire Gameday crew for the four-letter network disagreed.

Pay checking in at 7:45pm ...
- I had an opportunity to attend the Louisville/Georgetown. What stood out to me was the gamble that JT3 took by having Roy Hibbert stay at the 3-point line on defense against the high-ball screens set by David Padgett. Though it disrupted Louisville's flow from behind the arc, the Cardinals had opportunities to exploit mismatches but did not for the most part. This was largely due to Jeremiah Rivers, Patrick Ewing Jr. and Jonathan Wallace successfully fronting Louisville players who had a few inches on the Hoyas not named Roy Hibbert. As an aside, I enjoyed the battle that took place between Padgett and Hibbert.
- UNC-Wilmington is well on its way to booking a ticket to the CAA Semis on Sunday. They'll face the George Mason/Northeastern winner. Thankfully, they'll not be playing this one in a freezing cold gym. Two questions will determine Mason's fate. First, will they contest all shots? Second, will they avoid settling for open jumpers (to the credit of some defenses, they force double teams on Will Thomas)?
- Illinois State faces Drake tomorrow in the Arch Madness Final. The former is IN the tournament. The wild card is Creighton. My hunch is they are out.
- Congratulations to Austin Peay. They won the Ohio Valley. I'm certain that Murray State fans are rioting somewhere.
- Arizona State (RPI: 71) defeated PAC-10 sewage Oregon State to finish 9-9 in conference. With an out of conference victory against Xavier, they are to be considered among the top 30 at-large bids (i.e. not in the infamous "Last Four In").
- I already know right now that the A-14 minus Xavier will give Clement and myself a migraine when conducting the bracket projections.

Pay returning at the first media timeout of UNC/Duke ...
- Unlike most fans, I can admit that the ball was in the cylinder when Deon Thompson tipped it in. The difference between the first matchup and this one (so far) is that Carolina is winning the hustle battle.
- At the under 12:00 timeout, Ellington/Green have already surpassed their output from the last game. Meanwhile, Hansbrough has not operated very well out of the double and triple teams. Early foul trouble for Duke's bigs may actually be a blessing in disguise. Only time will tell. In other action, UMass and Washington State in tight games late. The alma mater (George Mason) is up 13 at halftime. If you're familiar with the Patriots, you'll know that we love giving up double-digit leads, but I don't see it happening tonight because they are flexing their defensive muscles.

At 930pm
- The Tar Heels are doing exactly everything they didn't do in the first matchup. I smell a Duke run before the half.
- Kudos to Belmont in taking home the Atlantic Sun Championship. UMass avoids defeat and Washington State has forced OT but is down 3 at home against in-state rival Washington.

At the half
- Duke is shooting 31% from the field, DaMarcus Nelson is scoreless and Duke is only down 11. It really could be much worse. Is Brian Zoubek Matt Christiansen reincarnated? Danny Green is on a parallel universe right now.
- George Mason's 17-point lead is down to seven against Northeastern with nearly 12 minutes remaining. So much for coasting to victory.

Checking in at 10:40
- Admittedly, my attention diverted to a tense few minutes in Richmond, but Mason pulled away. In Durham, the Blue Devils had an early run to bring the game to within a basket. They've done so by exploiting mismatches and taking the Tar Heels off of the dribble. Tied at 66 with 6 minutes to go.

- With a minute to go, Duke has the ball down 72-68. GREAT STEAL by Lawson. Danny Green tips in the missed layup at one end and swats Scheyer at the other. Carolina is going to spoil Duke's senior night for the second time in three years. With shaky play from Tennessee and UCLA, the Tar Heels are in pole position to stake claim to the #1 overall seed now that they have a signature wins.