Three Key Takeaways.

1. Draymond Green is the man. The senior Big Ten POY compiled a triple-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. It has been said all year that Green does everything for the Spartans and tonight that was definitely the case. It is tough to find a player in the country that means more to his team than Draymond Green means to Michigan State.
2. Michigan State dominated in the low post. Green had a triple-double. Adreian Payne had 16 points and seven rebounds. Derrick Nix came off the bench to put up 18 points and eight rebounds. The Spartans dominated the rebounding category by a margin of 43-20. It was truly a dominant performance by the big men of Michigan State.
3. Michigan State needs to avoid turnovers moving forward. At times, the Spartans were careless with the basketball. They finished the game with 12 turnovers and that number kept LIU Brooklyn in the game probably much longer than they should have been. If Michigan State is sloppy with the ball in a subsequent round, it could be a candidate to be upset.

Star of the Game. Draymond Green, Michigan State. The senior recorded a triple-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists and it was never a question who was the best player on the court. Green is a very special talent, and tonight, he was fantastic.

Sights & Sounds. Real strong Michigan State contingent, which was loud to the very end. LIU Brooklyn head coach Jim Ferry is a great coach to watch on the sidelines. He is extremely animated and never let up even when the game was out of reach. It seems like the Blackbirds really have a good one with Ferry.

What’s Next. Michigan State moves on to play Saint Louis on Sunday afternoon. The Billikens’ front court struggled in their win over Memphis, so one can assume if it struggles again, Green and company could have another big day at the office.

Three Key Takeaways.

1. Thomas Robinson is good. Robinson is everything as advertised and it is pretty obvious why he is at the top of most people’s Player of the Year ballots.  He almost had a double-double before halftime and scored 12 points in the first half pretty much all on dunks.  He finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds.  The one thing that could become a factor on Sunday is if he gets into foul trouble.  He finished this game with four fouls.
2. Physical play. Kansas used their physical advantage to overpower Detroit.  Looking on the court, it was obvious how much bigger Kansas is, not only with their body size, but in speed as well translating to points in the paint.  The paint produced a 34-24 advantage for the Jayhawks. In addition, Elijah Johnson, Tyshawn Taylor and Robinson combined to go 18-of-26 from the field for 41 points. 
3. Crowd advantage. North Carolina and Duke usually get good crowds for their opening games with their po so close to campus.  Here in Omaha, it appeared that Kansas had that type of advantage today.  Other than the Detroit pep band and a small section of Detroit followers, the rest of the crowd was all Kansas.  At times they made it pretty known.  There are likely going to be over 16,000 Kansas fans at the CenturyLink Center on Sunday.

Star of the Game–Thomas Robinson, Kansas. The Jayhawks went right back to Robinson to start the second half and gave a big blow to the Titans to put the game out of reach.  He filled the middle and kept Detroit out of the lane, causing Titan junior Doug Anderson to foul out of the game with just under 12 minutes to go.  He seemed unstoppable at times and got his NCAA leading 24th double-double of the season tonight.

Quotable–“We saw the game earlier in the day with the other 15 seed.  We heard that Duke was beat by Lehigh and we hoped that we could do the same.”–  Ray McCallum, Detroit guard.

Sights & Sounds. With about three minutes to go in the game, the crowd broke out into the traditional “Rock Chalk KU” chant until the end of the game.  There were so many Kansas fans there, it probably almost felt like you were at Phog Allen Fieldhouse.

Wildcard. With 9:04 left in first half, Kansas went on a 34-7 scoring stretch during the next 15:55.  During that same stretch, Detroit only shot  2-of-21 from the field.

What’s Next?. The Jayhawks head into Sunday with a Purdue team that is likely more physical than Detroit to get to the Sweet Sixteen.  The Kansas frontcourt, however, would appear on paper to have an advantage to keep the Boilermakers out of the lane compared to St. Mary’s soft interior defense.  The game will tip off 30 minutes after Norfolk St. vs Florida which is scheduled for 5:10 p.m. central time on TNT.

Three Key Takeaways.

1. Exploiting interior defense. Purdue took advantage of one glaring weakness for St. Mary’s — its lack of interior defense. The Boilermakers continually exploited the middle with guard Terone Johnson leading the way with 21 points. He took advantage of the openings in the first half and the rest of his teammates got involved after that as Purdue scored 36 points in the paint. They can be successful further into the NCAA Tournament by attacking the basket.
2. Key Outside Shooting. Although Purdue didn’t shoot very well from three, the ones that did go down were at critical points in the game. Both of DJ Bird‘s three pointers and the lone Robbie Hummel three made in the second half came when St. Mary’s was trying to make a run. The ability of Purdue to get to the paint so easily made the few outside shots Purdue attempted in the second half count.
3. Gaels will miss Jones. Rob Jones is a 6’6″ forward that is basically playing the job of center while also being a threat outside. He works hard underneath and plays bigger than he really is. St. Mary’s coach Randy Bennett must have told his team at halftime to get the ball to Jones because he was a lot more involved after halftime. He scored the first five points of the half and seemed to be involved in every play throughout the rest of the game including the shot at the end of the game that could have sent it into overtime. He finished with a game high 23 points. The senior will be missed after this season.

Star of the Game–Lewis Jackson, Purdue. Although Terone Johnson set the example for Purdue to attack the basket in the first half, it was Jackson who took advantage of the St. Mary’s interior defense that led the Boilermakers to the win. The point guard got the final field goal of the game that was huge for Purdue.

Quotable. “The thing is about this team is that they will let you take three point shots. You have to make shots. We finally hit some at the end, but we didn’t do good enough.” — Randy Bennett, St. Mary’s Head Coach.

Sights & Sounds. The atmosphere at the CenturyLink was still buzzing over the Norfolk State upset of Missouri in the previous game. Since they also had to clear out the arena for the evening session, it took a while for it to get full again, but by the end of the game the stands were packed to enjoy the finish of this one. When St. Mary’s took the lead 69-68 with 44 seconds to go, the crowd was clearly behind the Gaels.

Wildcard. With the win, Purdue has now won their fourteenth straight opening round game in the NCAA Tournament. They are also now 3-1 as a #10 seed.

What’s Next?–The Boilermakers now head to Sunday with a trip to St. Louis on the line against either Kansas or Detroit in the next game tonight. With two #2 seeds already going down today, you are never quite sure what is going to happen.

Three Key Takeaways.

Three Key Takeaways.

1. Neither team played very well. Saint Louis won despite turning the ball over 16 times. The Billikens had an assist/turnover ratio of 7 to 16. Brian Conklin, the team’s leading scorer, turned the ball over a total of eight times. Memphis only shot 38.9% from the field for the game, turned the ball over 11 times and only had four assists. There were many times during the game were both teams possessed zero offensive rhythm.
2. Rick Majerus can still really coach. Saint Louis was overmatched physically and athletically, but the Billikens found a way to get the victory. Leading scorer Brian Conklin struggled throughout most of the game, so Majerus went away from Conklin and ran the offense through Kwamain Mitchell, who ended up with 22 points. It was quite obvious that Majerus made some adjustments that Memphis head coach Josh Pastner could not.
3. Memphis still has a ways to go before it is an elite team. The Tigers have way too many guys that play as individuals. Never once during the second half did Memphis look like a cohesive unit. Also, when Saint Louis grabbed the lead in the second half, it seemed like Memphis lost complete confidence in itself and its body language was subpar.

Star of the Game. Kwamain Mitchell, Saint Louis. The junior guard took over the game for the majority of the second half. He finished with 22 points, while hitting 4-7 from long range. Mitchell’s performance was crucial for the Billikens due to the fact that leading scorer Brian Conklin did not turn in his best performance.

Quotable. “The open guy is the go-to guy and we obviously went away from that.” – Memphis head coach Josh Pastner.

Sights & Sounds. Very impressive showing from the Saint Louis faithful. They remained loud and proud even when the Billikens were struggling. Memphis had a decent size contingent, which spent a majority of the second half yelling at referee Ted Valentine.

Wild Card. It has to be Rick Majerus’ wardrobe selection. The navy blue Saint Louis sweater and dark khaki pants were a welcome departure from the serious suit and tie look that most coaches utilize.

What’s Next. Saint Louis will meet the winner of Michigan State and LIU Brooklyn on Sunday. You have to figure it will be Michigan State, which would provide the Billikens with a tough and physical test, but with how today’s games have gone, you cannot really assume anything.

Three Key Takeaways.

1. Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper.  D.J. Cooper was sensational on this night. Ohio’s diminutive guard controlled the offensive end of the floor in helping the Bobcats upset the Wolverines.  Cooper finished 7-11 from the floor (3-6 from 3-point range) and dished out a team-leading five assists.  The country may not have known about Cooper before tonight, but anyone who watched the game knows about him now.  Cooper, a first-team all-MAC selection, was better than his sensational counterpart from Michigan, Trey Burke, who was a non-factor until late in the contest.
2. Giant Slayers Again.  Two years ago, Ohio, coming off a seventh-place finish in the MAC, shocked the college basketball as a #14 seed when it beat third-seeded Georgetown.  Tonight, it did it again with a more accomplished squad.  Coach John Groce’s club was efficient offensively, and is clearly a well-coached squad.  It is only a matter of time before Groce’s name starts popping up in high-major searches.
3. Too little, too late from Burke.  Burke scored only four points in the game’s first 32 minutes.  He then went on a quick 12-point outburst, including two threes to pull the Wolverines within three on two occasions.  The Wolverines could never get any closer.  If Burke had been more involved earlier, perhaps the Wolverines would be moving on to the weekend.

Star of the Game. DJ Cooper, Ohio. Could it be anyone other than Cooper?  If the Bobcats can advance to the tournament’s second weekend, the country will get to know him well.

Quotable. “We lost to a deserving team tonight.  Ohio is an excellent basketball team and deserved to move on.” Michigan head coach John Beilein

Sights and Sounds.  The best moment of the night came when Tim Hardaway, Jr., went to the line early in the second half. When Ohio’s fans started a “Daddy’s Boy” chant, he turned around with a huge grin. Michigan fans responded by serenading him with “Happy Birthday.”  Hardaway turned 20 today.

What’s Next?  The Bobcats face the winner of the matchup between Temple and South Florida, and there’s no reason to think they can’t advance to the tournament’s second weekend.  They proved tonight they can play with the big boys.

Three Key Takeaways.

1. A fight and not a show. Missouri might have come into the game as the favorite today, but Norfolk State was not going to stand by lightly, putting up a fight and taking it to the Tigers early.  Missouri players looked frustrated throughout the game in trying to stop the Spartans, but the shots kept going in. Kim English was held to only two points on 1-7 shooting and 0-5 from three, 12 off of his season average.  At one point in the game, you could see Missouri guard Michael Dixon showing his frustration at the free throw line telling his team to, “c’mon guys.”
   
2. Three point shooting vital. The Spartans and Tigers both had better shooting from the three-point line than the previous game with Florida and Virginia.  The two teams combined to shoot 23-of-58 from behind the arc.  Marcus Denmon and Dixon from Missouri were the big keys in the Tigers going 8-16.  But it was Pendarvis Williams and Chris McEachin that combined for 8-of-12 for Norfolk State that kept them in the game throughout.
3. Three headed monster. Norfolk State had balanced scoring  with four players in double figures. MEAC offensive and defensive Player of the Year Kyle O’Quinn led the way with 26 points and 14 rebounds while Williams and McEachin each had 20 points.  Each player stepped up at different times during the game. The Spartans had 16 second chance points.   They will need this heading into their next round against Florida.

Star of the Game. Kyle O’Quinn, Norfolk State. O’Quinn knew things could be in the cards for the Spartans early in the first half when he hit a three-pointer from the top of the key.  After that play he smiled, running down the court and gave quite a fist pump to let the crowd know he was having fun.

Quotable–“I never thought it would be an upset alert until that buzzer went off.” Norfolk State Center, Kyle O’Quinn.

Wildcard. If you know anything about Omaha, they embrace big events that come to the city. The NCAA Tournament is one of those big events.  As the game went on, Omaha residents that bought tickets to this event embraced Norfolk State and started adding to the overall environment. Then if you add in the Kansas fans who had all-session tickets getting ready for the Jayhawks to take the court later in the evening, it created for an electric afternoon.

Wildcard x2. With Norfolk State getting the win, the #15 seeds are now 5-105 in NCAA Tournament history.  Out of those five wins, three of those came from the MEAC conference.

What’s Next? Norfolk State will now face Florida for the chance to go to the Sweet Sixteen in Phoenix on Sunday.  Can the Spartans bring the magic back to the CenturyLink for one more game?

Three Key Takeaways

1. The Tar Heels Need Henson. While James Michael McAdoo has shown flashes of inspired play, North Carolina is a significantly better team with John Henson on the floor. McAdoo and fellow freshman Desmond Hubert are much less physically imposing when defending opposing big men. What’s more, UNC’s usually stunning rebounding takes a hit without Henson. They can get by a 16-seed without him, but Roy Williams needs John Henson on Sunday.
2. Slow Start for UNC. Harrison Barnes wasn’t shooting well. McAdoo was missing point-blank layups. Kendall Marshall made a couple of sloppy passes. It looked like UNC came out trying to get by the Vermont Catamounts with minimal effort, and the score for the first ten minutes–small 2 to 3 point leads–reflected that effort. Tepid starts have been somewhat of a problem for this UNC team, but it’s an especially dangerous way to play in March. If an opponent comes out firing, UNC could find themselves playing catch-up in a sudden death tournament.
3. No Shame for the Catamounts. Despite the score, Vermont actually looked better than an outsized #16 should look against North Carolina. They played smart, sound basketball, and only unraveled due to North Carolina’s superior size and talent. The game wasn’t close, but it was a promising sign for a young team that should have expectations of dancing again in 2013.

Star of the Game. Tyler Zeller, North Carolina. When his teammates started sluggishly, Tyler Zeller put the Tar Heels on his back, leading all players with 13 points and nine rebounds in the first half. In the second half, when Vermont trying to cut the deficit to single digits, Zeller made two outstanding blocks near the rim, bringing new energy to a quiet North Carolina crowd.

Sights and Sounds. James Michael McAdoo shot 1-for-6 in the first half, looking lost at times. That’s why the standing ovation sounded so sweet for his second half performance: 5-of-8 from the floor, getting him to a new career high of 17 points. As he came back to the UNC bench with a little more than three minutes left in the game, each UNC teammate wore broad smiles, congratulating him on a game well played.

What’s Next? The Heels meet Creighton on Sunday, which means a matchup between former high school teammates Doug McDermott and Harrison Barnes. The big question is: does John Henson play? Today was the first time in the past week Henson wasn’t wearing a wrist brace on the bench. If Roy Williams has him in the rotation against the Jays, the Heels should be safe. If not, anything could happen given Creighton’s talented front line.

Three Key Takeaways:

1. Georgetown is very solid defensively. Whether the Hoyas were playing zone or man, they stifled Belmont’s long-range shooting attack all night, as the Bruins were held to 37% from behind the arc. The success of Georgetown’s defense can definitely be linked to the length the Hoyas have on their roster. Starters Nate Lubick, Otto Porter, Henry Sims, and Hollis Thompson are all at least 6’8″ and each uses their length quite well.
2. Jason Clark can be a March star. The senior was outstanding, as he put up 21 points on 9-12 shooting. If Georgetown can get performances like this from Clark as the tournament progresses, there are not many teams that will be able to contain him. Clark also picked up four rebounds and two steals, while playing solid defense on Belmont’s Drew Hanlen.
3. Georgetown shook off its last two NCAA Tournament appearances. After consecutive opening game defeats to Ohio and Virginia Commonwealth, Georgetown was able to take advantage of its higher seed and top a team it was favored against. Georgetown will be favored again on Sunday when it plays NC State, so it will be interesting to see if the Hoyas can take care of business again.

Star of the Game. Jason Clark, Georgetown. The senior scored 10 of the team’s first 14 points and paced the team for the remainder of the game. As a senior, Clark had experienced opening game disappointment before, so one would have to credit him for putting past disappointment out of mind and leading his team to victory.

Sights and Sounds. Belmont definitely had the more raucous following. Clad in all red, the Bruins fans stayed into the game until the very end, even when it was known their team was finished. There were not as many Georgetown fans as I had expected, but the ones in attendance made their presence known, especially when the Hoyas began to pull away.

What’s Next? Georgetown will meet North Carolina State on Sunday. The Wolfpack were upset winners (by seeding at least) over San Diego State earlier this afternoon. The Wolfpack were able to top the Aztecs with solid defense and outstanding shooting. With the way Georgetown defended today, it will be interesting to see if NC State can maintain its strong offensive performances.

Three Key Takeaways.

1. Survive and Advance.  Florida State did not want to become the 15th team  – and only the fourth since 2000 – to lose as a #3 seed in the round of 64.  The Seminoles used an impressive second-half defensive effort – holding St. Bonaventure to 11-31 from the floor – and were able to hold off the upset-minded Bonnies.  FSU allowed St. Bonaventure to shoot 46% in the first half, which led to a six-point deficit at the break.  Florida State is known for its ferocious halfcourt defense, and that is what carried it through to the third round.  The Seminoles were also able to neutralize St. Bonaventure star Andrew Nicholson, who got off to a hot start with 10 points in the first eight minutes of the game, but finished with only 20.
2. Seminoles Win without Much from Snaer.   The Seminoles’ leading scorer, Michael Snaer was held scoreless on the day for the first time in his career. Snaer, a second-team All-ACC performer, got into early foul trouble and played only five minutes in the first half.  He was a non-factor in the second and took only seven shots, going 0-5 from three. Florida State Coach Leonard Hamilton has to be pleased that his team was able to overcome the odds considering such a poor performance from its best player to move on.
3. A Perplexing Finish.  After Florida State missed two of three free throws late, St. Bonaventure had a chance to tie with a late three.  The Bonnies had the ball in the frontcourt with 20 seconds remaining but had no timeouts left.  Florida State guarded the perimeter ferociously, leaving Da’Quan Cook with a two-point attempt with nine seconds left.  After Cook rebounded his miss, rather than pass to a teammate for a three, he went back up with it and time expired.  It was an inexplicable ending to a hard-fought game.

Star of the Game. Bernard James, Florida State. On this day, Florida State does not advance without the play of Bernard James.  Given the off afternoons that the team’s two leading scorers, Ian Miller and Snaer had (eight combined points), James’ performance was a necessity.  He ended up with 18 points and nine rebounds.

Quotable.   “Give Florida State credit. They defended very well in the second half.  But we did what we needed to do; we just came up short.  It was a terrific college basketball game.” – St. Bonaventure head coach Mark Schmidt

Sights and Sounds.  St. Bonaventure, which appeared in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000, had a raucous and creative group of fans on hand in Nashville.  Florida State’s smaller contingent got very loud themselves after the Seminoles clawed back and took the lead. The Tomahawk Chop was out in full force on Friday.

What’s Next?  Third-seeded Florida State now looks to its matchup with sixth-seeded Cincinnati in what promises to be a defensive war.  Don’t expect a lot of offense in Sunday’s game.