NCAA TOURNAMENT SWEET 16 Preview South/Midwest Region

By: Mike Rifkin

South: 

11 Michigan vs 2 Villanova : Michigan’s Hunter Dickinson through two games in the tournament has 48 points and 16 rebounds. As a team the Wolverines are +14 rebounding the basketball. Michigan has shot 28.6 percent and 37.5 percent from three in the two games respectively. The Wolverines have also turned the ball over 15 times in both games. Through two games Villanova has forced 22 turnovers, so ball security for Michigan is a major key in this game. In their two games thus far the Wildcats have had double digit offensive rebounds, giving them second chance points. In both their games combined Villanova has given up 10 threes. Jermaine Samuels has 32 points and 17 rebounds in both games for the Wildcats.

 Prediction:  Villanova ends Michigan’s season and advances.

1 Arizona vs 5 Houston : The Wildcats survived a scare from TCU in the second round but survived in overtime. Christian Koloko has had double doubles in both games in the tournament. The Wildcats have turned the ball over 35 times in two games. Houston has forced 29 turnovers in their two games including 17 vs Illinois. 

Prediction: Houston made life difficult for Kofi Cockburn in the second round  and I think they do the same to Koloko and advance. 

Midwest 

4 Providence vs 1 Kansas : Providence has won the first two games of the tournament with their defense. They held South Dakota St, the second highest scoring team in the Nation, to shoot 38.6 percent from the field and 30.4 percent from three. They held Richmond 39.6 percent from the field and 1-22 from three (4.5 percent). Providence is +20 rebounding the basketball through two games. Noah Horchler has 29 points and 23 rebounds in two games. I don’t think Kansas has played their best basketball yet in this tournament. Creighton gave them all they could handle. Kansas needs Ochai Agbaji who has shot 5-14 in both games in the tournament and made one three in each game to step up. Against Creighton Remy Martin stepped up in a big way, but now it’s time for the Kansas superstar to step up. To me the difference in this game might come down to which center plays better between Nate Watson of Providence and David McCormack of Kansas. Both have not played great this tournament but either one can be the difference in this game.

Prediction : Agbaji has a big game and the Jayhawks survive.

11 Iowa St. vs 10 Miami : I don’t think many had this one in their bracket. The Cyclones beat LSU and Wisconsin to get here. Iowa State won both games by five points. The Cyclones defense has forced 36 turnovers through two games. Iowa St has shot the ball 35.7 percent and 34.5 percent from the field in two games. Miami has beaten USC and Auburn to get here. Miami has seven turnovers in two games, while forcing 31 turnovers. Guards Isaiah Wong and Charlie Moore have led the way for the Hurricanes. Head coach Jim Larranaga has done this before he led George Mason to the Final Four in 2005-06 and hopes to do the same with the Hurricanes. 

Prediction: The Hurricanes defense and great guard play from Moore and Wong lead them to victory.

Cameron Smith wins the Players Championship

By Ross Mazin

Cameron Smith is you’re 2022 Players Championship winner. What a come-from-behind win. He was way down in the final rounds as he was two strokes behind heading into the final round. His way of playing is unchallenged because he is cool, calm, and collected on the course.

The Players Championship is a test of mental toughness and golf aptitude. This is high-caliber golf at its finest, and Cameron Smith never showed signs of fatigue. Not everyone can say they’ve won one of the most challenging courses in the country. He has slowly become one of my favorite golfers to watch on the tour because he is humble, and his style of play is unlike any other player on the tour.

 The Championship was held at TPC Sawgrass, which opened fall of 1982. It was designed explicitly for the Player’s Championship to challenge a golfer’s mental and physical fitness. The par 3, 137 yard 17th hole, also known as the Island Green. This hole is its most recognizable hole. This is my opinion, the most famous golf hole. It would be best if you were accurate as this green plays fast. If you are four yards over the pin, you are in the water on this round. Accuracy counts on this hole as it has eaten the balls of many talented golfers.

This year’s tour field has been nothing short of spectacular, and I love every minute of it. Every player has earned their place. My three favorites are Sam Burns, Justin Thomas, and Cameron Smith.

Sam Burns is a more meticulous golfer when on the course. He tries to play it safe more than taking risks. Justin Thomas is just flat-out excellent on the course. His long drives and hunger for competition have made him one of the most feared golfers playing today. Cameron Smith is a fantastic golfer, in my opinion. As I said above, he is very humble and takes it how it lies. He has proven he a force to be reckoned with, and expect to see more of this play soon.

This course has had its fair share of jaw-dropping moments in its history. Here are some of the ones I feel are the best.

1. Calvin Pete birdieing the first two holes and the last four and winning by three shots against the great Jack Nickalus in 1985.

2. A fan taking a swim on the 17th hole while Jeff Sluman was on the second playoff hole. Sluman had the chance to putt but ultimately bogeyed the 18th hole and lost. The fan was ultimately gathered from the water and fined for his actions.

3. Nick Price and the most incredible shot of his life on the 17th hole and making a birdie in the 1993 Players.

All around, congratulations to Cameron Smith. I think Justin Rose will end up winning the next tournament which is the World Golf Championship- Dell Technologies Cup. The field will be extensive like this tournament and fun to watch.

Come check out the Live debut of The 19th hole on April 7th, 2022, at 8 pm live on YouTube.

Falcons Blunder

By : Mike Rifkin

The NFL’S quarterback carousel kept going on Monday as the Atlanta Falcons traded franchise quarterback Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts for a 2022 third round pick. Ryan, the third overall pick in 2008 is the Falcons all time leader in passing yards and touchdowns. 

The Falcons in 2016 went to the Super Bowl and blew a 28-3 lead to the New England Patriots. The following season the Falcons made the playoffs, but haven’t been since. If you listen to the Wishbone Shotgun Podcast (cheap plug) I have been adamant for the last few years that the Falcons should trade Ryan. Because Matt Ryan is too good for that team to not be competitive. In 2019-20 the Falcons went 4-12 and were drafting fourth overall. The Falcons could have had Justin Fields or Mac Jones, instead opted for tight end Kyle Pitts. Last offseason the Falcons traded Julio Jones to the Titans and to me that should have been the signal to rebuild the franchise.  The Falcons in 2021 went 7-10, but what would their record be if Matt Ryan wasn’t there? By trading Ryan now the Falcons have a 40.525 million dollar dead cap hit, the largest in NFL history. Had the Falcons done this trade a few years ago the dead cap could have been less plus they could have gotten more value than a third round pick for the best player in their franchise’s history.

ROUND 2 RECAP NCAAM TOURNEY

WEST REGION WINNERS

By Mark Halpern

So with round two in the books, we move on to the sweetest part of the tourney, the Sweet 16. This week, I had a good round in the west region, going 4-4 on picks. That is much more like it.

 #1 Gonzaga. There is no surprise that Gonzaga has moved on to the next round. Each time the Zags have been on the floor, they seem to be off in the first half, but when you have stars like Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren, you can only keep this team down for so long. Holmgren didn’t have his best night with 9pts 9reb and 4blk. On the other hand, Timme had another stellar game with 25pts 14reb and 4ast. This season, he has been the #1 star on the team, and an MVP could be heading his way. Also, I want to shout out to guard Rasir Bolton chipping in 17pts. This team is cruising right now but will face off against the Razorbacks on Wednesday.

#4 Arkansas. The Razorbacks are also moving on to the sweet 16 after a nice win against the Aggies. JD Notae again leads the team in many categories with 18pts 8stl, 4reb and 2 assists. Jaylon Williams had a big night on the boards. He grabbed 15reb and had ten pts. This stat, meaning rebounds, was decisive in this win. Arkansas has a very tough matchup against #1 Gonzaga on Wednesday

#3 Texas Tech has been rolling in this tourney, and in this latest round, they stole the luck of the Irish right from the Irishmen but not by a blowout. Star Kevin Obanor was fantastic with a nice double-double of 15pts and 15reb. Kevin Mccullar and Bryson Williams both put up 14pts each. I had said that the starting line would have to produce to move on here and 4 of the 5 did just that. The Red Raiders are a scary team making a run we all thought they would have. Can they keep it up as they place what I am calling the game of the week. The Red Raiders will have to get by the tremendous coach K to move on.

#2 Duke. Well, the coach with the most is still dancing, and it’s sweet and fitting that he is back in the Sweet 16. We all know that this is his final year, so there is a little piece of me pulling for him. That being said, the Bule Devils went out and handled business. Duke stopped a surging Spartan team from advancing. Paolo Banchero again shows why he belongs in the NBA, and he had a stellar night with 19pts and 7reb. Jemery Roach, Mark Williams, and Wendell Moore Jr had 15pts again. Duke is doing something that their next opponent has also been doing, and that is having 80% of the starting line averaging double-digit points. Coach K wants to keep going, but it will be a tough battle to get by those Red Raiders.

AFC WEST = AFC BEST

By: Mike Rifkin

For the sixth consecutive season the Kansas City Chiefs won the AFC West. This offseason Kansas City’s three divisional opponents have made big swings to unseat the Chiefs not only as the best team in the division, but to give them a real shot at competing in the AFC.

Let’s start with the Denver Broncos who in 2021 finished with a record of 7-10 and missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. Denver fired Vic Fangio after three seasons, and hired Packers offensive coordinator Nathanial Hackett to be the team’s new head coach. Denver has been searching for a franchise quarterback since Peyton Manning retired, and this offseason they swung big and acquired Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson for two first round picks, quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant,etc… Wilson missed a few games last season due to a dislocated finger and surgery but Wilson still had 25 touchdowns and six interceptions. In his career Wilson has a 65.0 completion percentage, 292 touchdowns, 87 interceptions and a 101 Passer Rating. Even with trading Fant, Wilson will have a great group of skilled position players. Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy and Tim Patrick at receiver will all be excellent, and second year running back Javonte Williams should also improve with Wilson at the helm. Denver also signed pass rusher Randy Gregory to a five year 70 million dollar contract, Gregory a former second round pick of the Dallas Cowboys tied his career high with six sacks last season and for the second consecutive season forced three fumbles. Gregory will replace Bronco legend Von Miller who was traded to the Rams on their way to the Super Bowl. Gregory will pair with former first round pick Bradley Chubb creating a dynamite pass rush for a Bronco team that had 36 sacks on the season. 

Then there are the Los Angeles Chargers who finished the season at 9-8, but all people will talk about until they kick off next season is the blunder first year head coach Brandon Staley had in week 18 against the Raiders. Second year quarterback Justin Herbert had a 66.9 completion percentage with 38 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Herbert will have the services of receiver Mike Williams who signed a three year extension with the team. Williams put up career highs in receptions (76) and yards (1,146) and had nine touchdowns. But it’s the other side of the ball where the Chargers made their impact, they traded for Edge rusher Khalil Mack from the Chicago Bears in exchange for draft picks. Mack in 2021 was limited to seven games due to a foot injury he had six sacks. Since coming into the league in 2014 Mack has 76.5 sacks and 23 forced fumbles. Mack and Joey Bosa give the Chargers a dynamic pass rush for a team that had 35 last season. The Chargers also signed Patriots cornerback JC Jackson to a massive five year contract worth 82.5 million dollars. Jackson, one of the NFL’s elite cornerbacks has 17 interceptions over the last two seasons and 25 over his first four seasons. 

The Las Vegas Raiders went through a lot in 2021 with the Jon Gruden situation. But still the Raiders found a way to make the playoffs under Rich Bisaccia and lost to the eventual AFC Champion Bengals in the Wild Card Round. After the season Bisaccia and General Manager Mike Mayock were relieved of their duties. The Raiders raided New England to find their new GM and Head Coach. Dave Ziegler, the Patriots director of player personnel, was named GM and Offensive Coordinator Josh Mcdaniels was named the head coach. The Raiders extended Defensive End Maxx Crosby to a four year 99 million dollar contract. Crosby over his first three seasons has 25 sacks. Last offseason the Raiders signed Edge Rusher Yannick Ngakoue to a two year contract. In 2021 Ngakoue had 10 sacks, and now he has been traded to the Indianapolis Colts for cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (great name). Ya-Sin fills the Raiders need at corner and over his first three seasons in the league Ya-Sin only has two interceptions but he has 20 passes defended or breakups. And the Raiders actually upgraded from Ngakoue by signing Linebacker Chandler Jones to a three year 51 million dollar contract. Jones in 2021 had 10.5 sacks including five in week one for the Arizona Cardinals. Jones in 2021 also had six forced fumbles and in his career has 107.5 sacks and 33 forced fumbles. But the Raiders weren’t done; they traded for arguably the best receiver in the NFL in Davante Adams from the Green Bay Packers and all it took was their first two draft picks in this year’s draft. Adams, who played with quarterback Derek Carr at Fresno State had 123 receptions for 1,553 yards and 11 touchdowns last season for the Packers. Adams signed a five year 140 million dollar contract with the Raiders and has over 1,000 yards and double digit touchdowns in three of the last four seasons. Adams along with Hunter Renfrow, Darren Waller, Bryan Edwards and Josh Jacobs puts a lot of pressure on Derek Carr to win now. 

All three of these teams have had tremendous offseasons, but which one has had the offseason that makes you believe they can unseat the Kansas City Chiefs. There are still some solid free agents out on the market and the draft is coming but one thing is for sure AFC West games this season are going to be must-see TV.

MARCH MADNESS ROUND 2 PREVIEW

By Mark Halpern

  So after a fun and outstanding round one of this year’s tournament, we head to round two. The weak Calves have been left behind, and now time to see what surprises are in store for round two.

   #4 Arkansas vs. #12 New Mexico. Teddy Allen showed why teams should take the Aggies seriously. I hate to say it like this, but he single-handed guided the Aggies to their win with his 37pts. With that said, the team is going to have to step up. Now the Razorbacks, Stanley Umude, had a great game against VT, scoring 21pts and 9reb and must be that player again. He will also need the strong play of J.D. Notae, who also had 17pts and 7reb. These two were flying high after their win. The Razorbacks also need more support from other personnel to keep their tourney hopes alive. I like the Razorbacks in this game to win narrowly 79-77.

#1 Gonzaga vs. #9 Memphis. This game is going to be a better game than people expect. The heavy favorite is Gonzaga here, but Memphis isn’t a team to take lightly. Star Jalen Duran is out to prove he is ready for the NBA and improve on his 10pt 11reb game he had in round one. Deandre Williams will also have to work harder in this game to keep pace with the number one team in the tournament. Gonzaga came out of the gate and looked like they were all hungover and tired. Also, simple shots like close-up jumpers and layups weren’t falling. By the second half, Gonzaga woke up and took charge. Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren will have to play better, and that’s hard to say because of what they did against Georgia. In the end, I believe Gonzaga moves on, winning 90-79.

#3 Texas Tech vs. #11 Notre Dame. Well, the luck of the Irish is still going on for the Irishmen. They will have their work cut out for them, but they have proven they can beat tough opponents. Cormac Ryan has put this team on his back. He will need to produce the same stat line against Alabama with 29pts and 6reb. Not that the rest of the Irishmen didn’t contribute, they did, but in this game, they will have to produce more. The Red Raiders didn’t have a troublesome first game. They won by 30pts but, this won’t be the case here. Bryson Williams and Terrence Shannon will need to repeat 20 point games, but the rest of the starting line will have to play the same as they did in the first round. The Red Raider’s starting line all had double-digit games, and they are going to need that same spirit to get by a ravenous Notre Dame team. I give it to The Red Raiders hear but not by a blowout 82-72.

#2 Duke vs. #7 Michigan State. As I said earlier today, Coach K will be looking to keep dancing as the Blue Devils have a winnable game against the Spartans. Paul Banchero will look to put up the same number (17pts 10reb) and will need help from center Mark Williams as the Spartans like to shoot, and rebounds will be significant in this game. However, Joey Houser will have to get his team hyped to motivate them even more than they are. Housers 27pts 8reb game led Spartans, but he will need more production from Guard A.J. Goddard, who had 14pts but only 3reb and 2ast. Goddard has to control the clock because you can’t give coach K any time on the clock. After all, he will burn you just like Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers. Look for Duke to keep dancing as they win this one 79-66.

Hope all your brackets be still intact. For me 1 out of 3 seems to be doing very well but not well enough lol. The only time I see a perfect brackett is in my dreams. I leave the Basketball up to our team at S.I.N.’s The Throwdown. Enjoy round two and go ZAGS.

MARCH MADNESS WEST REGION RND 1 RECAP

By Mark Halpern

     Well, round one is in the books, and we had it all in the first round. We had an upset, we had unbelievable close games, we had wins, and we had blowouts. Overall, I went .500 on my picks. Let’s look at the winners and who they will be playing in round 2.

#9 Memphis. The Tigers came out fighting and never lost control of this game. Memphis is a team that likes to move the ball fast, and Boise was known to control the pace. Memphis starter Deandre Williams led the team with 14pts, and Star Jalen Duran had a double-double with 10pts and 11reb. Memphis proved they could move the ball and score fast. They will have to be accurate in their shooting and play pressure defense as they move on to play #1 Gonzaga to try and move on. Memphis has a very tough task in facing off against #1 Gonzaga

 #12 New Mexico State. Talk about upsetting a tourney favorite in the Huskies. The Aggies of New Mexico didn’t look nervous by playing the #5 Huskies. Teddy Allen of the Aggies had a monstrous game with 37pts, 6reb, 3ast, and 2stl. This is an NBA stat line if I have ever seen one. Fouls contributed to many problems for UCONN as Allen went 13-13 from there alone. New Mexico is moving on and will face #4 Arkansas.

#1 Gonzaga. My Pick of the tournament didn’t look like themselves in the first half. They just seemed completely out of sorts. Once the second half came, it was all ZAGS. Drew Timme scored the first basket and led the team in points with 32 while contributing 13reb. Chet Holmgren is going to the NBA, and this kid can play. He had 19pts and 17reb, 5ast, and 7blk. He is your #1 overall pick in this year’s draft. The Zags take on #9 Memphis

#4 Arkansas. Before congratulating Arkansas, let us hear it for the Catamounts. They played a great game. Arkansas kept pace and ended up pulling out a 4pt win against Arkansas. Stanley Umude led the Razorbacks with 21pts, 9reb, and J.D. Notae chipped 17pts and 7reb. Arkansas looked off. Now that is not a dis against VT. Just I have seen more life out of the Razorbacks this season. Arkansas will next take on Texas Tech

#3 Texas Tech. In a blowout win, the Red Raiders demolished the Montana Bobcats. This was not a surprise as the Red Raiders rolled to a 35 point win. Bryson Williams and Terrence Shannon Jr both had 20 points. Actually, all starters for the Red Raiders had double-digit points in this one. Texas Tech Moves on to face #11, Notre Dame

#11 Notre Dame. I can hear the words from Bill Murray’s mouth “A Cinderella Story” is what the Fighting Irish are right now after a double OT win to make it to the dance. What a game for Cormac Ryan, who had 29pts and 6reb and Blake Wesley 18pts and with significant help from Paul Atkinson on the boards with 8reb and 13pts. This Notre Dame team is very determined, but they have a decisive match-up with the Razorbacks.

#2 Duke. The story continues for the great coach K as the Blue Devils take down the Titans by 17 points. This is the last dance for the great coach, and it would be fitting if he gets to cut that net down. First-round draft pick Paolo Banchero had a double-double with 17pts, and 10reb and everyone on the starting lineup had double digits as well. The big key here was that duke outrebounded CSU 38-18; that’s a problem. Duke moves on to face #7 Michigan State

#7 Michigan State. What a thrilling ball game that came down to the wire. The Spartans took on the Wildcats and just edged them out 74-73. One-point games are so much fun to watch. Joey Houser led the Spartans with 27pts and 8reb and A.J. Hoggard had 14pts and 3reb. Now have to mention Luke Brajkovich led the Wildcats with 18pts and 3reb, and Sam Mennenga had 15pts and 5reb. This game was one of the best games from this region in round one. The Spartans move on barely to face the #2 Duke Blue Devils.

    With round one in the books, we move on to round two. Please look later as my preview for tonight’s games will be up later. Go ZAGS.

NCAA Tournament Midwest Region RD 1 Recap/RD2 Preview

By Mike Rifkin

  1. Kansas def (16) Texas Southern – 83-56
  2. Auburn def (15) Jacksonville St. – 80-61
  3. Wisconsin def (14) Colgate – 67-60
  4. Providence def (13) South Dakota St. 66-57

      (12) Richmond def (5) Iowa 67-63

     (11) Iowa St. def LSU :59-54

     (10) Miami def (7) USC : 68-66

    (9) Creighton def (8) San Diego St. 72-69 OT

Kansas, the top seed in the Midwest advances to the second round with a 83-56 victory over Texas Southern who defeated Texas A&M Corpus Christi to play.  The Jayhawks had a balanced attack led by Christian Braun who scored 14 points and was 4-5 from three. The Jayhawks as a team were 11-23 (47.8%) from behind the arc. Defensively they held the Tigers to 32.8% from the field and 3-14 (21.4%) from three. 

The Jayhawks advance to take on the Creighton Blue Jays who defeated San Diego ST 72-69 in overtime. Creighton found a way to win this game, and that is what has to happen in the NCAA tournament. They shot 44 % from the field and were 2-14 from three. Trey Alexander led the Blue Jays with 18 points but also made some big plays defensively. The Aztecs struggled from three going 5-19 (26.3%) and from the free throw line 10-17 (58.8%). 

The two seed Auburn Tigers advanced by defeating Jacksonville St. Gamecocks 80-61. Potential first overall pick Jabari Smith led the Tigers with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Walker Kessler chimed in with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 9 blocks. If Auburn wants to make a deep run they need to shoot the ball better. They went 9-24 (37.5%) from three and missed seven free throws. The Gamecocks shot 47.2 % from the field during the season and shot 31.1% against Auburn.

The Tigers will play the Miami Hurricanes who defeated USC Trojans 68-66. Miami won this game with their defense as they forced 18 Trojan turnovers and only turned the ball over three times. Isaiah Wong led the way with 22 points, but Charlie Moore who had 16 points  made some big shots down the stretch. Miami went 1-14 from three in this game. USC outscored Miami 46-37 in the second half but it wasn’t enough. The Hurricanes were -12 rebounding in this game, if they want to compete with Auburn they have to rebound. 

The third seeded Wisconsin Badgers survived a scare from Colgate and advanced into the second round. The Badgers were led by player of the year candidate Johnny Davis who had 25 points and eight rebounds. Wisconsin’s defense forced 12 turnovers. For the Raiders Nelly Cummings led the way with 20 points.

Wisconsin will play the Iowa St. Cyclones defeated the LSU Tigers 59-54. Tyrese Hunter had 25 points including seven three pointers to lead the Cyclones to victory. Iowa State as a team made 12 threes, while LSU only hit four (4-19). Iowa State forced 19 turnovers in the victory.

Providence defeated South Dakota St. 66-57. Noah Horchler and Al Durham had 13 points each to lead the Friars. South Dakota St. averaged 86.7 points per game and were held to 57 in this game. South Dakota St. shot 30.4 % from three, during the regular season they shot 45 % as a team. 

Providence advances to play the Richmond Spiders. Richmond upset the fifth seed Iowa Hawkeyes 67-63. Jacob Gilyard led the way with 24 points, six rebounds and six assists. The Spiders defense held the Hawkeyes to 36.4% shooting from the field, and 20.7% from three. 

RD 2 Matchups

  1. Kansas vs (9) TCU
  2. Auburn vs (10) Miami
  3. Wisconsin vs (11) Iowa ST.
  4. Providence vs (12) Richmond.

NCAA Tournament South RD 1 Recap/RD 2 Preview

By: Mike Rifkin

South recap

  1. Arizona def (16) Wright St : 87-70
  2. Villanova def (15) Delaware: 80-60
  3. Tennessee def (14) Longwood : 88-56
  4. Illinois def (13) Chattanooga : 54-53
  5.  Houston def (12) UAB : 82-68

     (11) Michigan  def (6) Colorado St. : 75-63

     (7)  Ohio State def (10) Loyola Chicago : 54 – 41

      (8) TCU def (9) Seton Hall : 69-42

Number one seed Arizona defeated Wright St. Wright St defeated Bryant in the first four for this opportunity. The Wildcats were led by Bennedict Mathurin who had 18 points. Christian Koloko had 17 points and 13 rebounds. The Wildcats shot 11-20 (55 %)  from  three while the Raiders shot 9-25 (36%) from three. Grant Basile led the Raiders with 21 points. 

Arizona moves on to play TCU, who defeated Seton Hall 69-42. The Horned Frogs were led by Mike Miles who scored 21 points. The Horned frogs as a team shot 50.9 % from the field, while the Pirates shot 28.8 % from the field and 28.6 % from three. Myles Cale and Jamir Harris had 11 points each. Senior Jared Rhoden who averaged 15,9 points per game during the season had five points and shot 2-7 from the field. 

Villanova also advanced to the second round by beating Delaware 80-60. Justin Moore led the Wildcats with 21 points. Villanova shot 46.4% (13-28)  from three while the Blue Hens shot 15.0% (3-20). 

Villanova will play Ohio State on Sunday. The Buckeyes defeated Loyola Chicago 54-41. EJ Liddell led the Buckeyes with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Buckeyes outrebounded the Ramblers 41-31. The Buckeyes were 17-21 from the free throw line while the Ramblers went 3-10. If Ohio State wants to defeat Villanova they have to shoot the three better, they went 1-15 against the Ramblers. Braden Norris led the Ramblers with 14 points. Ramblers struggled shooting the ball, they shot 26.8% from the field, 8-28 (28.6%) from three and 30 % from the free throw line.

Tennessee advanced to the second round by beating Longwood 88-56. The Volunteers had a balanced scoring attack ( Vescovi 18 pts, James 17 pts, Fulkerson 15 pts, Zeigler 10 pts). Volunteers shot 58.3% from three (14-24) and 60.0% from the field. 

Tennessee will play Michigan. The Wolverines, a team a lot of people didn’t understand getting in, defeated the Colorado St Rams 75-63. Hunter Dickinson led the balanced attack with 21 points, six rebounds and four blocks. Michigan shot 19-22 from the free throw line while the Rams went 5-7. As a team Michigan shot 54.2% from the field, while the Rams shot 35.4%. With the win there is a chance starting Point Guard DeVante Jones could return, he missed the game due to concussion protocol. 

Illinois survived an upset scare from Chattanooga 54-53. The Mocs had led most of the game but at the final buzzer Illini survived. Kofi Cockburn led the way with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Illinois got a lift from Alfonso Plummer who scored 15 points. If Illinois wants to make a deep run they need more from Trent Frazier and Andre Curbelo who combined for seven points on a combined 1-13 from the field.

Illinois advances to play the Houston Cougars. Houston defeated UAB 82-68. Kyler Edwards led the way with 25 points. During the regular season the Blazers shot 38 % from three, in this game they went 5-19 (26.3%)

RD 2 Matchups

  1. Arizona vs (9) TCU
  2. Villanova vs (7) Ohio State
  3. Tennessee vs (11) Michigan
  4. Illinois vs (5) Houston

East Day 1 Recap Day 2 Preview

By Lawrence Lang

Well, well, it was an exciting day for the whole NCAA Men’s Tournament, especially in the East Region with what is upset of the tournament so far with 15 Saint Peter’s upset 2 Kentucky with an 85 -79 overtime win. 

The Peacocks got the game to overtime with Doug Edert making a jump shot to tie the game at 71-71. With 24 seconds left, Kentucky would have a shot to try and win the game but was unsuccessful in the game-winner attempt. Then in overtime, the Peacocks took control, and Daryl Banks III and Doug Edert helped lead the way to the March Madness upset. Banks III had 27 points going 9-19 from field goal range and 5-8 from three-point range and was 4-4 at the free-throw line. Edert off the bench had 20 points 5-7 from field goal range 2-2 from three-point range, and 8-8 at the free-throw line. 

This loss is a shocking blow for Kentucky because most saw them going on a run, and I even had them going all the way to face Duke in the finals because who wouldn’t want to see Coach K and Coach Calipari face off one? More time, especially for a National Championship. That is the power of March Madness, where Madness ensues and upsets happen at any moment, and that is the best part of March Madness because an upset can happen anytime and shake the tournament right up. 

For the rest of day one for the East Region 

1 Baylor took care of business against 16 Norfolk State with a 85 -49 win 

4 UCLA barley gets the win out against 13 Akron 

  • Tyger Cambell made a clutch three pointer with a 1:19  left to give UCLA the lead. 
  • Akron’s Gavin Clark got the score down to 53-55 with 34 seconds left to give Akron a shot to win but with 4 secounds left Ali Ali missed a layup to tie the game. 
  • With 2 seconds left Johnny Juzang made a pair of free throws to seal the game for UCLA 

5 Saint Mary’s took care of 12 Indiana with a 82-53 win 

7 Murray State took care of 10 San Francisco in OT 92- 87 

  • SF Jamaree Bouyea made a three pointer with 19 seconds left to tie the game and send it to overtime
  • Jordan Skipper-Brown would have 5 of the 19 points of Murray State in overtime making a tip in 2 pointer with 32 seconds left and then make three of four free throws to help seal the win for Murray State.  

8 North Carolina took care of 9 Marquette 95-63 

Day 2 Only two games left for the East Region of the bracket 

2:00 PM 14 Yale takes on 3 Purdue 

  • Purdue 27-7 3rd in Big Ten 
  • Purdue Jaden Ivey (G) 17.4 PPG 
  • Yale 19-11 2nd in Ivy 
  • Yale Azar Swain (G) 19.2 PPG
  • Can Yale Purduce another major upset in the tournament ? (That pun was for you Mike) 

4:30 PM 11 Virginia Tech takes on 6 Texas 

  • Virginia Tech 23-12 7th in ACC 
  • Virginia Tech Keve Aluma (F) 15.8 PPG 
  • Texas 21-11 4th in Big 12 
  • Texas Timmy Allen (F) 12.3 PPG