STONES: Ali Farokhmanesh Edition

Brackets BUSTED: Rock, Chalked Edition

Courtesy: CBS

Courtesy: CBS
[Kudos to the folks at CBS for posting this via YouTube quickly and efficiently.]


So...how much did your bracket suffer after one of the NCAA Tournament's most memorable shots???

Brackets BUSTED: Rock, Chalked Edition

So that happened. Rock, Chalk-nation just got a case of STONES!!!

Countless expert and novice brackets had Kansas winning it all.
So much for that.
Maybe my Georgetown pick wasn't so awful after all...
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

#1-overall seed Kansas was given an early exit, on Saturday of the opening weekend, by the 9-seed Northern Iowa, losing 69-67. More than just the Midwest "Bracket of Death" is shaken up now.

Although somewhere, Evan Turner is smiling a little bigger.

Hopefully, you saw the game. Assuredly, you'll see a detailed break-down of how things went down. Nevertheless, here's the 1 fact you need to know. STONES!

It took serious STONES for Northern Iowa's Ali Farokhmanesh to drain a wide-open 3 with 34 seconds remaining. With his team up 1 and the Jayhawks completely locking down the in-bounds attempts of the Panthers, a cross-court pass to Farokhmanesh left him wide open and behind the arc. Instead of waiting to be fouled or passing the ball to a teammate to help kill time, Farokhmanesh turned and drained the deep 3, clinching (by far) the tournament's biggest upset.

The announcers weren't the only ones in the building completely stunned at the shot attempt. I won't repeat the words I uttered. But funny thing is, I knew it was going in. So did Farokhmanesh, obviously. STONES!

I've getting too repetitive, but I can't stress enough that taking that shot takes incredible STONES. You know you are going to make it when you put up a shot like that. No need to pass to a teammate, attack the hoop (they had a 2-on-1 advantage), or wait to be fouled and go to the charity stripe. Show your STONES, drain the 3, and become another highlight in tournament (and of course, Northern Iowa basketball) history.

KU will still be loaded. Nevertheless, this one will sting for quite some time.
This was a LOADED roster and a clear-cut national title contender all season long.
Brackets across the nation...shattered.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

A few other quick notes...
-Bill Self has a ring, but I still question this guy's coaching ability. He isn't in the class of the elite coaches...not yet.
-Sherron Collins was awful today. He knows it, too.
-Cole Aldrich isn't come back to Kansas. Don't pretend he will Jayhawk-nation.
-Something tells me Xavier Henry is 1-and-done as well. DraftExpress.com has him projected to be in the lottery.
-Northern Iowa is don't yet. This team is too well coaches and too gritty to stop now. -All of the 1-seed (even that one in the West I love) are on notice now.

What I'm thinking now??? Can Ish Smith hit open shots and keep Wake in contention to pull off another major upset? In the tournament, these things happen in pairs, not 3s.

Note: Running commentary isn't going anywhere tonight. I'll check in at HALFTIME of the Kentucky/Wake Forest game. BYU/Kansas State is also ongoing.

Note: Check out Pay's final 2010 bracket projections HERE. Impressive work, as always, from the best.

It doesn't take a genius to wonder why so many media experts are targeting Kansas as their pick to not only make the Final Four, but cut down their second pair of nets in three years.

Kansas are loaded. Carl Weathers in Predator-loaded. Then again, things didn't work out perfectly for Action Jackson, did they?

Am I dating myself too much? Probably.

Talk about a movie sorely in need of a reboot.
Credit: Sportige.com

Nevertheless, here are 10 questions I have once viewing the bracket (and having 3-4 hours to digest them).
I hope a few of you (maybe even Pay, hint), will let us have some answers PLEASE.

1) Why are people crying for teams that are snubbed? Jay Bilas summed it up best: none of these teams are contending for a national title. Were any of them truly robbed of a 10, 11, or 12-seed and a (all but too likely) first-weekend exit?
2) Which of these 8/9 NAME-recognition teams should scare the respective 1-seeds the most: UNLV (Kansas), Gonzaga (Syracuse), Texas (Kentucky), or Louisville (Duke)?
3) Okay, so "who's your 5/12 upset" is soooo last year. I want to know who your 4/13 upset is this year? Now that prediction takes stones.
4) BYU and Cornell are popular sleepers. Ditto for Murray State and Siena. Do YOU have either of those four still playing during the second weekend?
5) Which is more ridiculous: Temple degraded to being a 5-seed or Notre Dame skyrocketing to a 6-seed?
6) You have 1 possession and you're down 1. Who has the ball: John Wall, De'Sean Butler, or Evan Turner? You gotta pick just one.
7) Is Syracuse center Arinze Onuaku's health the biggest factor in this tournament, medically-speaking?
8) Which first round matchup would you most be willing to call out sick from work for? Why?
9) Seriously, what's the blueprint (in 3 steps or less) in which Kansas isn't cutting down the nets?
10) Okay okay. If YOU could sub one team in the field OUT (note: they MUST be an at-large bid) and could place one of the "snubbed" teams in...WHO is it and why?

By the way, in case you've been living under a rock and haven't heard about it yet...check out the latest installment of ESPN's 30 for 30. You know, the one with Reggie Miller and Spike Lee in the promos.



As a Knick fan, it left me riveted, yet far too uneasy with the memories. Psst. That means it was effective storytelling. Such a feeling of unbridled uneasiness is pretty typical for a current apathetic Knick fan (come on LeBron!!!!)

Note: Check out Pay's final 2010 bracket projections HERE. Impressive work, as always, from the best.

Question: Does Tennessee have the 2 best WINS this season???

As the final seconds tick down, despite a furious Kentucky rally, Tennessee appears on the verge of a HUGE victory (at home) against #2 Kentucky.

Pair that with a win over (former and now current) #1 Kansas earlier this season (the Jayhawks' only blemish)...and color me impressed.

Sure, both wins were at home. Sure, Kansas and Kentucky had to lose their 1st and 2nd games respectively eventually. Sure, this is the same Tennessee who kicked it's best player off the team...and also lost to Georgia.

Nevertheless, does any other team in the country have two more impressive victories this season??? I bet J.P. Prince (below) is also struggling to find one.

At least it helps them forget about this TOOL. No, not you JP.

Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Bracket Banter: Thursday Running Blog

3:00 pm: A few highlights from early afternoon action

* #1-seed Kansas was upset by Baylor in the quarterfinals of the Big XII tournament. I was more than a little suspect of the recent media-driven fascination with Kansas "deserving" a shot at a 1-seed. Nevertheless, Kansas will be an odd draw wherever they end up. How do you gauge this team? Unfortunately for the Bears, this doesn't get them in the tournament. However, I do want to invoke one team from last season to remind people how dangerous upsets like this are: Georgia.

Sorry Kansas. But in the words of JoJo, your hopes for a 1 or 2 seed are just "Too Little, Too Late".
By the way, what's up with the robot by the window?
Credit: Clipov.com

* Virginia Tech took out Miami in a very boring 8/9 matchup. Next up: North Carolina. The real question remains the status of Ty Lawson. Judgment call: he plays 15-20 minutes. Question to Pay: If Ty Lawson doesn't play, could that damage the value of a Hokie win? Enough at least to keep them outside of the bubble still?

* #1-seed Louisville jumped up on Providence early and never sweated during a double-digit victory. Will Providence be the "last" Big East team? Not likely. It looks like the conference will get 7 bids this season, not 10 as some predicted earlier this season.

* Villanova is up 34-22 in the first half against Marquette. Clearly the Golden Warriors are going to suffer as much as 2 or 3-seed lines due to loss of Dominic James. It's a shame considering how entertaining the first two matchups were, with a healthy James, between these two teams. Looking at the recent schedule and subsequent performance, you can't really blame the tournament committee if they make that decision. Villanova has a legitimate chance to cut down the nets in MSG. Seriously.

* Arizona and Arizona State are tipping at 12 noon on the "Left Coast". I'll be interested to see whom that affects more. Arizona can't afford a blowout here. Although the skeptic in me believes they'll make the tournament regardless. Any chance the Sun Devils want to make a statement after their bubble was bursted last season???

* Xavier avoided a letdown in the A10 opener. Sorry, but this conference lost my attention after the Musketeer's run to the Elite Eight last season ended.

Plenty to enjoy the rest of the day.
Oh yeah, Donte Green continues to be a bad memory for Cuse fans.

9:45 pm: Checking back in...

In the words of Trik Turner, "You know I'm down even when them odds are against us. It doesn't even matter, nothing else matters." Of course I'll watch the Cuse, win or lose.

Credit: MTV.com

* Georgia Tech upset Clemson. No surprise as the Tigers start 16-0 and finish 7-8. They did sneak up on a few people last season come bracket time though. Not this season, in my opinion.

* BYU got rid of pesky Air Force in the 2nd half.

* Washington continues to roll. They may be the hottest team west of the Mississippi.

* In case you haven't heard, West Virginia toppled #2-seed Pitt in the first real upset of the quarterfinals, 74-60. This proves Bob Huggins has his team playing rock solid basketball AND that Pitt is a legit Final Four contender. Not expending themselves completely this weekend is a good thing. Of course, this does mean no Pitt/UCONN #3.

* Over/under for Thabeet's blocks tonight is 7. He may have a triple double against the hobbled Onuaku and erratic Jackson/Ongenaet.

* James Anderson hit two free throws with 2.3 seconds to go and the Cowboys took out the Sooners 71-70. Blake Griffin and company are a shaky skaky bet in the coming weeks. I just don't trust this team and this coach to make the Final Four, Terminator and all.

* Missouri, in the "driver's seat" for the Big XII championship, draws Texas Tech and Mike Singletary (aka Mr. 29-points-in-a-row) tonight. Could the Big XII potentially have another "Georgia of 2008" on their hands?

Time to pull my hair out to the tune of Jeff Adrien collecting another W against the Orange.
Stanley Robinson is an annoying ass.

10 Questions to the Editor - Bracket-Style [Mid-Week Edition]

Pay reads my thoughts sometimes. Probably not vice versa though.

After 3 successful weeks - and just about 10 days until Selection Sunday - I decided to disturb Pay's week and throw out a pick-six of questions (of course, you know that means SEVEN) after three nights of pre-March Madness.

Don't worry, we'll be back this weekend too.

Yep, we know TO got released. But we're here to talk brackets. Not about his quarterback. In fact, we knew it when it was reported at midnight by Michael Smith on Sportscenter. Yeah, what!?!?!
Credit: Millions of Hilarious Google Image Searches

1) "Quinn Snyder Who?"
Blake Griffin goes for 16 and 20, yet the Oklahoma Sooners lose to Missouri (who is 18-0 at home btw). Meanwhile, Kansas loses @ (2-12 in conference) Texas Tech in a relative 19-point laugher. With that in mind: has Oklahoma ruined their chances at a #1 seed?

2) "Missing in Action"
Marquette thumped Pitt in the opening stretch of the second half - with a 21-5 run out of the gates - but couldn't seal the deal, ultimately losing 90-75 to DeJuan Blair and company (largely due to a 21-2 run of their own). Question is: is the loss of senior guard and captain Dominic James simply too devastating to take the Golden Eagles seriously come tourney time?

3) "Really an Upset?"
Let's make it simple. Whose home loss was more surprising: LSU's to Vanderbilt or Purdue's to Northwestern?

4) "Rambling Wreck!"
Admit it, after tonight's loss to Georgia Tech...even the staunchest Miami (Florida-style) supporters have to shut their yaps. Right?

5) "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye..."
Is it possible that both SEC stalwarts Kentucky (losing to Georgia) and Florida (losing to Mississippi State) sealed their bubble fates with damaging losses tonight?

6) "Mired in the Muck"
Is it possible a mid-major (i.e. Creighton, Sienna, St. Mary's, Davidson) was the big winner with SO MANY bubble teams losing in the past 48 hours (Va. Tech, Maryland, Florida, Kentucky, Miami (Fl), Georgetown, Notre Dame, Kansas State)? Or was it a major conference squad like Providence, Texas A&M, or Arizona (who does draw Cal tomorrow)?

***Bonus Question***
7) "Isn't this a FOOTBALL Conference?"
No it isn't a trivial question this time. Minnesota moves to 9-8 in the Big 10 with a HUGE home victory against Wisconsin. Next up: Michigan. Problem is, what are we mere mortals to make of Big Ten bubble squads Penn State, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Minnesota, Michigan, and even Northwestern? A simple in/out (as of tonight) would suffice.

Quote of the night: Shawn Taggart of Memphis.
“I feel like a lot of people out there disrespect our conference,” Taggart said. “A lot of people act like it’s the worst conference in the country. To keep winning like this is a big deal. I’m sure if you put North Carolina in this conference, they wouldn’t go undefeated. It’s very tough.”

Oh yeah, here's a clip to make you smile (especially YOU Pay).
Credit to Dan B via YouTube on this gem.

5 Games I’m Looking Forward to this Weekend

No need to banter, so let’s rant instead!
Just kidding…here they are.

…in all fairness there was a pretty stellar matchup on Friday night between Kansas & South Florida…

CHECK OUT the latest PHSports Top 10 Power Rankings HERE!!!

#2 Georgia @ South Carolina
Ole’ Ball Coach needs to pull off a memorable upset, especially after last week’s meltdown against the Commodores. Not likely to happen with Moreno more than rested and Stafford ready to light up a shaky Gamecock secondary.

#17 Penn State @ Syracuse
Seriously, Clement? You pick this game? It’s sad that a school who produced the likes of Ernie Davis, Jim Brown, Larry Csonka, Art Monk, Marvin Harrison, Donovan McNabb, and Dwight Freeney has fallen so low. Back-to-back losses to Northwestern & Akron (by a combined 34 points) prove we are the saddest BCS-team in the country (sorry Notre Dame). Such a shame.

Georgia Tech @ Virginia Tech
ACC supremacy isn’t what it used to be; however, Hokie fans might be looking for a ledge to walk off of if they lose their true home-opener (sorry Furman) against the Yellow Jackets.

#5 Ohio State @ #1 USC
What more can I say? Plenty. See you around 5pm right here!!!

#10 Wisconsin @ #21 Fresno State Sleeper game of the week. Wisconsin’s offense will need to effectively run AND pass the ball to keep up with an impressive offensive attack from the totally-under-the-radar Bulldogs.

Am I going chalk? You got it dude.
It’s college football, remember!

Credit: BrewCrewBall

See you this afternoon/evening for plenty of OSU/USC talk.

Until then…

The Non NFL Post

For those of you who have come to PHSports looking for a football post, sorry. Not today.

The day before the NFL Season kicks off, I am going to offer some quick thoughts on things outside of the National Football League.

I know what you're saying "Hey, dude. Where are the chains? Where is the heavy metal regalia? Where’s like the whole atmosphere of this thing?"

In short, I am trying to broaden your horizon when all you want to do is zone on the NFL. Because I want you all to be smarter. Or, at least take a step in the right direction. Without further adieu, here are the quick hits ...

* The English Premier League set a new record for transfer fees. How much? Try a half a billion pounds. Now, that is some serious cash.

* Robinho to Manchester City (not a typo) for £32.5M? Dimitar Berbatov to Manchester United for £30.75M? A Belgian midfielder I've never heard of joining Everton for £16M? This guy being sold for a chunk of meat? Yes, a chunk of meat. This is what happens Soccernet takes from CNN's journalistic standards (i.e. none except when there are storms), which place odd stories over real news. What does that say about us as consumers? Back to Berbatov. For the second time this summer, Tottenham Hotspur, the team that was ‘forced’ to sell a player. Earlier this summer, it was Robbie Keane. Meanwhile, for their tears, they profited by over £30M between the purchases and sales of Berbatov and Keane. Despite this, Tottenham has zero chance of making the UEFA Champions League. That begs the question: Did they have a realistic chance before Berbatov bolted? No. And that’s exactly why they should quit crying. When Leeds United (my favorite club) hit hard times due to mismanagement at the top (thank you, Petey), who was it that bought Leeds players (Robbie Keane, Paul Robinson, Aaron Lennon) on the very cheap and did not cry then? That would be Tottenham. Case closed.

Al-Fahim: The EPL's Next Supremo?

Credit: Kipp Report

* Manchester City can no longer be called Manchester *hitty. They can, but not with justification because they're quite talented and they're now staked by Dr. Sulaiman Al-Fahim, who claims he will bankroll City to the Champions League. Watch out, Arsenal and Liverpool. The Dubai businessman said, "I always feel like I'm a kind of bulldozer, a full insured bulldozer. If nobody likes it, it starts moving - even if there are cars in its way, it has to crush the cars and move. I can't stop. If I have an idea, I have to do it." It's pretty amazing what people will say when they have a limitless bankroll. More on Al-Fahim ... according to his Wikipedia profile, he is the CEO of Hydra Properties, a real estate company located in the UAE that he founded in 2005. His educational background include a PhD in Real Estate investment and an MBA in Finance and Real Estate from the Kogod School of Business from the American University in Washington. Al-Fahim has often been referred to as Abu Dhabi's version of Donald Trump. With statements of ambition such as the one likening himself to a bulldozer, I can begin to understand the comparison. However, I wouldn't bet on The Donald's companies to have a vision statement which has the name of the company misspelled in the first sentence. Someone just got fired.

Why did Kansas win the national title?

Credit: Streetball.com

* Were Darrell Arthur and Mario Chalmers listening to any Afroman before they got busted for smoking marijuana at the NBA Rookie Camp? They’ll start the season on the suspended list.

Culmination of March Madness…in April: Championship Night

Tonight is the zenith of the college basketball season. Despite the Women’s Championship Game taking place tomorrow night, in all reality, this is the nexus of the college basketball universe.

Four teams arrived in San Antonio, with UCLA & UNC both bowing out much earlier than their fans, as well as more than a few experts, had anticipated.

Is this THE top moment from the 2008 Final Four? Just maybe...
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Fortunately, an all #1-seed Final Four leaves us with two very enticing details:
1) The National Champion must defeat two fellow #1-seeds.
2) Memphis or Kansas will be a highly deserving champion.

No flukes this season. The best team will walk away national champs. Or, so we hope…

Before we dive head-first into tonight, let’s rewind back to Saturday night (as tough as that is for one of our writers) and give a few thoughts each on the national semifinal matchups.

Memphis defeated UCLA 78-63.

Derrick Rose & Robert Dozier must be chuckling that more than a few "experts" had them out well before title night.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

-Derrick Rose is as poised a freshman leader as Carmelo Anthony was in 2003 (Syracuse plug!).
-Joey Dorsey made up for the “David v. Goliath” debacle with Greg Oden and Ohio State last season.
-Ben Howland and the 3-time Final Four Bruins are slowly becoming the new Buffalo Bills. Last night’s loss had to be their most painful.

Kansas defeated North Carolina 84-68.

Bill Self, finally, got over a real hump (sorry, Davidson) in the tournament.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

-Once Kansas went up 40-12, they were as out of control (with countless justifiable offensive fouls) as I’ve ever seen a team with a 28-point lead.
-Wayne Ellington won’t be a factor in the NBA. Yeah, Clement said it.
-Kansas won’t have their so-called “revenge” on Carolina-born Roy until they win a national championship…no matter who is in the way.

As for tonight, let’s do this!

[38-1] Memphis vs. [36-3] Kansas

Heady play, on both sides of the ball, will be key for Sherron Collins (as well as any other player on the court Monday night).

Credit: Yahoo! Sports

KEY PLAYERS:

It’s obvious to even the weakest of analysts that both teams have an extreme amount of depth. As painful as the injury to Kansas senior Rodrick Stewart was to watch, it is not as pivotal as the suspension of Memphis’s Andre Allen. While I felt Allen’s chucking would outweigh his defense against the Bruins, I’m not so sure Calipari won’t miss his defensive prowess against the four talented guards of Kansas [Chalmers, Rush, Robinson & Collins]. As for players actually in the game, Memphis will rely on four players doing what they do best: Derrick Rose dominating the ball, CDR making plays in and out of the lane, Joey Dorsey banging and bruising in the paint and Antonio Anderson locking defenders down on the perimeter. Want a wild card? Robert Dozier, despite looking shaky with the ball outside the paint on Saturday night, might need to pull a double-double (and then some) against the big, bruising and athletic Kansas big men.

As for the aforementioned Rock Chalkers, Bill Self has four guards that make plays on both sides of the ball throughout the game. However, more responsible for Kansas’s early 28-point lead was their big men. In fact, it wasn’t even the big men you might first expect (Arthur, Kaun & Jackson). Six first-half points and rebounds from freshman reserve Cole Aldrich were indispensable in spelling foul trouble and tired legs for the Jayhawks. Even more important was his ability to avoid illegal screen calls and emphatically denying several Tar Heel interior attempts. While Kansas will require a total team effort to run ’n’ gun with the Tigers, the Jayhawks need to put Dorsey, Dozier & Taggart where they can hurt Bill Self’s crew the least: on the bench. Forcing Dorsey into tough double-teams on offense and attacking him on his weak-side on defense are vital for Kansas to control the paint and eventually, the closing moments.

Here’s one final nugget to consider. What do Drew Neitzel, DJ Augustin and Darren Collison? All three are small guards and all were dominated by Memphis. Though Kansas’s backcourt quartet is strong physically, Brandon Rush is the only to be taller than 6’1”. Perhaps, Derrick Rose’s fondness for sweets may prevent him from playing at his best.

Coach Calipari's Tigers own a new record for 38 wins in a season. They won't matter without win number 39.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

MOMENT OF TRUTH:
The first six minutes of this game are likely to be a track meet. Outside of strict officiating, I find it hard to believe the game will reach the first TV timeout before the 14-minute mark. Baskets will be traded and momentum will be established. The problem is: Will either team be able to build an early double-digit lead OR will neither team be able to pull away early and establish what we all want…a shootout from start to finish.

THE WINNER WILL …
-Avoid foul trouble in the closing four minutes of the first half and opening four minutes of the second half.
-Limit their shots from the three-point line (higher percentage will easily take out more attempts in this matchup).
-Be the best team in college basketball this season. Period.

PREDICTIONS:

[Paymon] Memphis wins 76-68
MVP: Chris Douglas-Roberts

[Clement] Kansas wins 90-89 [OT]
MOP: Brandon Rush

Could Memphis center Joey Dorsey be an MOP candidate without scoring a meaningul basket. YES!
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Enjoy tonight!

An Unbiased Elite Eight PREVIEW [Sunday Edition]

Pay and I have decided to stick with what works, revisiting last year’s Elite Eight format we enjoyed so much, as we deliver your Unofficial Unbiased Preview to the Elite Eight.

The Saturday matchups (UCLA/Xavier & UNC/Louisville) got their due yesterday.

Don’t worry. We aren’t afraid to tick off a few coaches, call out non-professional athletes, or let our gut reactions – not our corporate sponsors or contacts – decide our analysis and perhaps, a prediction or two.

Without further banter, let’s roll!

…games are in order of time- slot (2pm and 5pm respectively)…

South Regional Final: #1. Memphis vs. #3. Texas [aka “Free Throws Don’t Matter vs. Isn’t this game in TEXAS!?!?”]

Never underestimate the impact of a Naismith-finalist in games such as these.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Key Players
Memphis – Derrick Rose v. DJ Augustin will headline the night. In fact, I’m going to say that again just to give the phenomenal PGs (freshman and sophomore, respectively) enough credit. However, the key player on the Tigers roster I am targeting is All-American and Naismith finalist Chris Douglas-Roberts. The stabilizing force for Calipari’s bunch, CDR can get to the line at-will (11-for-12 against the Spartans) and his hot hand is the worst possible news for any opponent. His size and defensive prowess make him a force on both sides of the court as well.

Texas – Here’s my aforementioned promised second mentioning of the important of Rose v. Augustin (happy?). While Pay might justifiably bring up a guy named Atchley, I’m focusing on the best big man Texas has, Damion James. Arguably Texas’s most consistent player through three tournament games, James will have to earn rough baskets in the blocks and hit open jumpers for the Longhorns to withstand the force and fury of the Memphis attack. Might I also add that both Dorsey and Dozier can be prone to early foul trouble. Despite being a sophomore, James would be wise to exploit that early and often.

Moment of Truth
After AJ Abrams’s first five shots, whenever they take place, Texas will likely have a preview of the night their senior perimeter shooter is going to have. Whether he’s taking threes off of a screen or taking a runner near the free-throw line, it’s imperative how Abrams starts (and therefore finishes). Memphis locked Antonio Anderson on Drew Neitzel and gave him absolute fits; however, this matchup will be tougher on AA. I promise.

Key Stats
-Don’t worry, I’m not here to talk about Memphis and free throws, AGAIN. Let’s try this instead: 15-0 to close out the first-half en route to a 50-20 halftime lead, and 0-16 to allow Michigan State to claw the score back to a 17-point deficit. Embarrassing to say the least for Michigan State, an upset special against Memphis which a ton of the media embraced (good luck with that one). Just as important was Drew Neitzel not scoring until 1:47 left in the game. Good luck, AJ Abrams.

-Dexter Pittman (4, 6, & 2) and Clint Chapman (4, 2, 1), Texas’s big men reserves combined for 17 of the most stabilizing minutes Rick Barnes could have ever hoped for on Friday night. Both role players average six minutes per game, yet found new responsibilities once the Lopez twins surfaced in the opponent’s lineup. Job well done, men. Problem is: can they possibly do it again against such amazing athletic talent?

Interesting Facts
- Though Memphis’s struggles from the free throw line (59.8%) have been documented, Texas is not much better at 68.0%. In fact, among the regulars, only DJ Augustin and AJ Abrams shoot above that clip.

- Four of the five Texas starters shoot above 37% from 3-point range.

Pay’s Prediction: Texas wins 75-67
Clement’s Prediction: Texas wins 87-84 (OT)

Midwest Regional Final: #1. Kansas vs. #10. Davidson [aka “Bill Self: You can do this vs. Gus Johnson’s Praying to Scream Our Game-Winner as loud as he possible can”]

Any chance, win or lose, that Curry is already the MOP of the Midwest Region?
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Note from Clement: CBS commentator Gus Johnson needs to learn the difference between excitement for an incredible play or team effort AND going out of his way to root for the underdog and Cinderella story at the expense of calling a fair, accurate game. [Only HIS writing is more over-the-top, ego-inflated, and ridiculously biased.]

Key Players
Kansas – It’s not fair how good Kansas is. In a tournament that has long been dominated by guard play, they have one of the nation’s best defenders (Mario Chalmers) and a dynamic guard with a flair for the unselfish (Brandon Rush). Additionally, there’s the less-heralded Russell Robinson and Sherron Collins, who may be the only guard quick enough to defeat Darren Collison or Ty Lawson in a race. Perceived as their only “weakness” prior to this season, Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson have been dominant in the blocks when they’ve needed to be and Sasha Kaun can take big defenders out for a 15-foot jumper.

Davidson – Let’s just get the two key players out of the way. Jason Richards and Stephen Curry must not only have repeat performances of their last three games, but they might even have to play better if they want the last two minutes of this game to be significant. In the trenches, Andrew Lovedale will have to body up with the Jayhawk quartet of Darnell Jackson, Darrell Arthur, Sasha Kaun and Cole Aldridge. Keeping the Davidson Final Four dream alive also requires the selfless contributions from Sander, Meno, Paulhus Gosselin and Rossiter that are almost never seen in box scores.

Moment of Truth
After the first prolonged Jayhawks run, will Stephen Curry begin to force shots if Jason Richards and Co. are ineffective? If Davidson can hold Kansas to less than 45% and/or force 15+ turnovers, they have a chance to defeat the dominant Jayhawks in a close game. In the end, Bob McKillop’s team will be four to five plays short of making a miraculous trip to the Final Four.

Key Stats
- 27 to 4. That may be one of the runs that Kansas has had in this tournament. It’s also Jason Richards’s assist-to-turnover ratio. Sick.

- Kansas shot over 50% from the field for the season and has done so in each of its three tournament games.

Interesting Facts
- December 21, 2007. That’s the last time Davidson lost.

- Kansas has a 5-3 record this season in games decided by single digits.

Pay’s Prediction: Kansas wins 83-72
Clement’s Prediction: Kansas wins 81-65

Final Four coverage will come fast and furious this week.

Unless you enjoy spoon-fed answers from the “networks”.