NCAA Tournament Tidbits: 03.26.13 Edition

Posted by WCarey on March 26th, 2013

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The NCAA Tournament is here and there’s more news, commentary and analysis than any of us can possibly keep up with. To make things a little easier, we’ll bring you a list of daily links gathered about teams in each of the four regions all the way through the Final Four.
Midwest Region

West Region

South Region

  • When Kansas plays Michigan on Friday, it will definitely be a match-up of contrasting styles. Kansas starts four seniors, while Michigan starts three freshmen. The Jayhawks focus on defense, while the Wolverines’ strong point is on the offensive end of the court.
  • Kansas center Jeff Withey was nothing more than an afterthought two seasons ago, but he has since emerged as one of the best in a long run of great Jayhawk big men.
  • Former Michigan starting forward Jordan Morgan has only played one total minute in the NCAA Tournament after struggling mightily towards the end of the regular season and in the conference tournament. Wolverines coach John Beilein is doing all he can to keep the benched forward’s spirits up.
  • Michigan freshman big man Mitch McGary believes Turner Sports analyst Charles Barkley really needs to rethink his criticism of the Big Ten.
  • Florida guard Mike Rosario had a huge game in the Gators’ Round of 32 win over Minnesota on Sunday. The Gators are going to need Rosario to turn in similar performances if they want to advance to the Final Four.
  • Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun believes Florida should be wary of upstart Florida Gulf Coast as it prepares for Friday’s Sweet Sixteen game with the Eagles.
  • Here’s a deeper look at the eclectic résumé of Florida Gulf Coast coach Andy Enfield.
  • With Florida Gulf Coast‘s unexpected and amazing run to the Sweet Sixteen, the school is looking to fundraise in order to increase coach Andy Enfield‘s contract. Enfield is going to be a hot name in the coaching search market this offseason, so the school is going to need to do all it can to keep its coach around.

East Region

  • Indiana has relied on freshman point guard Yogi Ferrell all season to run its offense and the move is paying off in the NCAA Tournament as Ferrell is running the Hoosiers’ offense without a hitch.
  • Indiana guard Jordan Hulls suffered a shoulder injury in Sunday’s victory over Temple. While he was able to return, the injury was still seen as a concern. Hoosier fans should breathe easy though because Hulls acknowledged after the game that he was “fine.”
  • Syracuse has mostly played well in its NCAA Tournament wins over Montana and Cal, but the Orange are going to have their hands full when they take on Indiana on Thursday.
  • Scary story right here — the Boston area home of Syracuse point guard Michael Carter-Williams was destroyed by a fire late Saturday night.
  • Miami point guard Shane Larkin is a dynamic playmaker, so Marquette is going to need a great defensive effort to contain the star sophomore when the two teams meet Thursday.
  • Marquette has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen without a star player, which goes to show the team’s chemistry and cohesiveness is one of the main reasons for the team’s success.
  • Miami coach Jim Larranaga‘s “Muhammad Ali” locker room dance after Sunday’s win over Illinois has become a viral hit around the country.
  • Miami Heat players Dwyane Wade and James Jones will be playing close attention to Thursday’s match-up between Marquette and Miami. Marquette is Wade’s alma mater, while Miami is Jones’.
WCarey (318 Posts)


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